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3337. [2 Kings ix. 13.] Those stairs, shading degrees marked on the wall, might form the sun-dial of Ahaz; 2 Kings xx. 11. Univer. Hist. vol. iv. p. 45.

3338. [

26.] As Naboth was outlawed by stoning, so were his sons by the same act; but neither father, nor sons suffered actual death. They were however disinherited falsely for an alleged crime against the king, 1 Kings xxi. 1-14. Compare 2 Kings xiv. 5, 6. Thus were the sons punished for the apparent sins of their Father, Exod. xx. 5. But the sin which, in this way, actually extends from father to children, is only the sin of blasphemy against God and the king. See Josh. vii. 24, 25.

3342. [2 Kings xi. 2.] Assan Firally Bachaw, being summoned by his friends, came out of a little house near the towers, where he had been long hidden in his harem.— The harems are sanctuaries as sacred and inviolable for persons pursued by justice, for any crime or debt, as the Roman Catholic Churches in Italy, Spain, or Portugal. Though the Grand Seignior's power over his creatures is such, that he may send some of his eunuchs even there, to apprehend those who resist his will. The harems of the Greeks are almost as sacred as those of the Turks; so that the officers of justice dare not enter without being sure that a man is there contrary to the law; and if they should go in, and not find what they look for, the woman may punish, and even kill them, without being molested for any infringement of the law. DE la MOTRAYE, vol. i. pp. 242, 340.

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3340. [36, 37.] In Gondar, says BRUCE, the bodies of those killed by the sword were hewn to pieces and scattered about the streets, being denied burial. I was miserable, he adds, and almost driven to despair, at seeing my hunting dogs, twice let loose by the carelessness of my servants, bringing into the court-yard the heads and arms of slaughtered men, and which I could no way prevent but by the destruction of the dogs themselves. Trav. vol. iv. p. 81.

3341. [2 Kings x. 30.] Among the Mamelukes, the freed-man is called the child of the house.

VOLNEY.

Though God here promises that the crown of Israel shall continue in Jehu's family during four generations, as a reward for his zeal against Baal; yet He does not promise him a quiet reign, because he abolished not Jeroboam's idolatry. -Beware of putting away evil by halves: the toleration of sin in any degree, prevents the Divine blessing.

See No 451.

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3344. [11.] There used to be formerly among the Turks, great dissentions between the legal and military professions. The Sultan, to produce unanimity, declared, that the left hand should benceforth be the most honourable for soldiers, and the right hand for lawyers. Thus, when these two bodies go together, each thinks itself in the place of honor.

3345. [

Month. Mag. for Sept. 1815, p. 138.

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12. They clapped their hands] Here, and in Ps. xlvii. 1, we should read hand. - The propriety of this will be seen from the following extract. Among the Mahometans a leader of their sacred caravans, into whatever town he comes, is received with a great deal of joy. On such an occasion, the women get on the tops of the houses to view the parade, where they keep striking their four fingers on their lips softly as far as they can, making a joyful noise all the while.

PITTS, on the Religion and Manners of the
Mahometans, p. 85.

The clapping of the hands obtained antiently, it seems, as an expression of malignant joy.

See Job xxviii. 23. Lam. ii. 15.

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to the poutifical mitre, may possibly throw some light on this obscure subject. It is called a flower of gold in one place; and in another the flower of the holy crown; and in both passages signifies the crown itself. The appellation of the flower is supposed to have been given to it, because it was made in a flower-like, or radiated form; and we may reasonably enough conclude, that the regal and pontifical crowns bore some resemblance to each other, when we are assured, that they were symbolical in both instances, of the same thing. It appears from several parts of Scripture, that the kings, in antient times, did not appear without their crowns, unless on such occasions as (when) they chose to disguise themselves; and that they even wore them in the field of battle. STRUTT'S Introduc. to Dresses and Habits of England, p. 20.

3347. [2 Kings xi, 14. The king placed on the tribunal] This was a sort of rostrum, erected by Solomon; five cubits square and three cubits high; where he, and probably his successors, were seated during the divine office. See 2 Chron. vi. 13.

Dr. GEDDES.

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3352.7. Like the dust by threshing] Among the Moors and Arabs, threshing is performed in the open air on any round level plot of ground, daubed over with cows' dung, to prevent as much as possible the earth, sand, or gravel from rising; a great quantity of them all, notwithstanding this precaution, must unavoidably be taken up with the grain; and at the same time the straw, which is their only fodder, is hereby shattered to pieces. SHAW'S Trav. p. 221. folio.

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3357. [2 Kings xv. 30. In the twentieth year of Jotham] As Jotham reigned but sixteen years (verse 33), we are to count twenty years from the commencement of his reign, which will terminate in the fourth year of Ahaz his son and

successor.

See Univer. Hist. vol. iv. p. 74.

3358. [2 Kings xvi. 3.] The Narrative of an Embassy from JUSTIN to the Khakan, or Emperor, who then resided in a fine vale near the source of the Irtish, mentions the TARTARIAN ceremony of purifying the Roman Ambassadors

BY CONDUCTING THEM BETWEEN TWO FIRES.

Works of Sir W. JONES, vol. i. p. 63.

3359. [- 18.] Musac (Hebr.): this covering of the sabbath, was the throne on which the kings used to seat themselves during the service of the Temple. CALMET, Hist. V. T. l. v. c. 44. Univer. Hist. vol. iv. p. 73.

3360.

Musach Sabbati, the Covert of the Sabbath, called by JOSEPHUS Pastophoria, "where", says he, "6 one of the priests stood of course (dry, under a covering), and gave a signal beforehand, with a trumpet, at the beginning of every seventh day, in the evening twilight, as also at the evening when the day was finished, as giving notice to the people when they were to leave off work, and when they were to go to work again."

Jewish Wars, b. iv. ch. ix. § 12.

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3363. [2 Kings xvii. 25. Lions] JOSEPHUS says, the affliction was by pestilence. Antiq. l. ix. c. 14.

3364. [33, 41.] Thus began a new religion in Samaria, not unlike that of the Israelites; consisting in the worship of the true God, and of a number of false deities. In consequence, the Jews ever after abominated the Samaritans ; and the latter disclaimed all kindred with the former in time of adversity, though they were forward enough to claim it in time of prosperity; Ezra i. 6. Univer. Hist. vol. iv. p. 79.

3365. [ 30. Succoth-benoth] This by the Rabbins is invariably rendered tents of the young women: and Mr. PARKHURST translates it more literally, the tabernacles of the daughters.

Nergal] In the composition of this word Ner signifies light, and gal a spherical inclosure. When Alexander waged war in Asia against the Persians, he ordered a pole, which might be seen from all parts, to be set on the top of the general's tent, on which hung visible to all alike a signal, as fire by night, and as smoke by day. And it has been a custom delivered down to the Persians from their ancestors, to begin their march after sunrising. When it grew clear day, the signal was given by a trumpet from the king's tent. On the top of this tent the image the Sun, inclosed in crystal, made so bright a show, as to be seen by the whole camp.

QUINTUS CURTIUS, lib. 5. cap. 2. — lib. 3, cap. 3.

3366. [ 31.] Nibchaz, the barking watch-dog of the Avites. About three hours from Berytus, towards Tripoli, the country these Avites occupied, is a high mountain, upon which was erected, on a column, a vast dog, which uniformly barked at the season when the Dog-star, by its heliacal appearance, gave certain notice that the sun had arrived at the greatest elevation, and that the Nile was beginning to overflow. Though this monument be now overthrown, its remains are still visible in the neighbouring sea; whilst a river, that empties itself into it, still keeps the name of the river of the Dog. This river the Greeks and Latins styled Lycus, from the resemblance, as is conjectured, to those that sailed by, which the dog on the column might have borne to a wolf (EICHHORN's Simonis, p. 965); but rather, as is probable, from both having a congruity in their hieroglyphical application; the wolf being sacred to the sun, as an animal of the dawn. Hence the wolf in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and the epithet Lycian, ascribed to the same god; not to omit that the term Lukabas (Grk.) for a year, properly expresses au anniversary procession of light.

Tartak] The precise form of this (idol) is hitherto unas

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a wind of poison) is a hot and pestilential wind, which blows over the desert of Arabia, in the months of July aud August, from the north-west quarter, and sometimes continues with unabated violence to the very gates of Bagdad; but The Arabs never affects any person within the walls. and Persians have warning of its approach, by a thick haze, which appears like a cloud of dust rising out of the horizon; and upon this appearance, they prostrate themselves, with their faces close to the ground, and continue in that position till the wind has passed; but if they are not careful nor active enough to take this precaution, they receive the full force of the wind, and are immediately deprived of life. — Mr. Thevenot relates, that in his journey from Suez to Cairo, he was annoyed with one of those hot winds, which lasted for a whole day; and that the caravan travelling to Mecca, was so infested by one, the year before, that they lost two thousand men in a single night." SMITH.

3368. [- 21.] Sethon, a priest of Vulcan who disrespected all military men, being then king of Egypt, it is no wonder that Sennacherib, or his servant, should ridicule the idea of Hezekiah's receiving assistance from such a king.

Univer. Hist. vol. ii. p. 41. and vol. iv. p. 196.

3369. [- 37.] Sal ammoniac being made, in Egypt, from the soot arising from the burnt dung of four-footed animals that feed only on vegetables, the poor people there are very careful to collect the dung of their oxen, cows, buffaloes, camels, sheep, goats, horses and asses, quite fresh; and for that purpose follow them all day long, in order to collect it as it falls. If it is too moist, they mix it with chaff, stubble, short straw, or dust, and make it up in the form of cakes, about the same size and shape as it lies on the ground. Then they fix it to a wall to dry, till it is fit to be burnt. The salt-workers pretend that the human excrements, and those of goats and sheep, are preferable to any other. Abr. Phil. Trans. vol. xi. p. 433.

See No. 460.

3370. [2 Kings xix. 7. I will send a blast upon him] "Sennacherib, on his return from the Egyptian war, found his army which he had left under Rabshekah, almost entirely destroyed by a judicial pestilence, which swept away in officers and common soldiers, the first night they sat down (on the south side) before Jerusalem, 185,000 men."

JOSEPHUS.

3371. [2 Kings xix. 7.] The Samiel, seen by day-light, appears like smoke. It is accompanied by a gentle ruffling wind, that continues for some hours. By enfeebling the body, it affects the mind, producing despondency and cowardice. Fatal when breathed, it is peculiarly destructive to persons sleeping. When it does not kill, it greatly enfeebles, and is felt as a suffocating fire. The width of its sweep is generally about half a mile; so that, in passing over Sennacherib's camp, it might slay many thousands of sleepers; while those on each side of its course, would escape to discover in the morning the slaughter of their fellow soldiers..

See BRUCE's Trav. vol. iv. pp. 555, 556, 581, 583, 584. See also D' OBSONVILLE's Essays, &c. on the East; Eng. Translation.

The feebleness, despondency and cowardice produced in survivors by this pestilential vapor, sufficiently account for Sennacherib's return home, even though we admit that his See verse 36. army might still be very numerous.

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3373. [12.] This Eden was in or near Thelassar "The Samiel (called by the Arabians El-Samiel, that is, in Chaldea. See Isai. xxxvii. 12.

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3378. [2 Kings xx. 6.] Subtract these 15 from the 29 years of his reign, and it will appear that Hezekiah fell sick when the king of Assyria began the invasion previously described. Compare this with ch. xviii. 2, 13.

3379. [7.] Soon after we got ashore at Algiers, says PITTS, I was seized with the plague; and the boil which usually accompanies it, rose on my leg. After it was much swollen, I was desirous to have it lanced; but my Patroon told me it was not soft enough. There was a neighbour, a Spaniard slave, who advised me to roast an onion, and apply a piece of it dipped in oil to the swelling, to mollify it; which accordingly I did. The next day it became soft; and then my Patroon had it lanced, and through the blessing of God I recovered. Trav. p. 162.

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3384. [2 Kings xxii. 8.] This Book of the Law, it is generally agreed, was that Archetype of the whole Pentateuch, which was written by Moses, and by him ordered to be deposited, with the Ark, in the most Holy Place: See Deut. xxxi. 24-26. - Hezekiah indeed, had caused copies of the Scriptures to be dispersed in abundance throughout his kingdom; Prov. xxv. 1. But his son Manasseh, during the former part of his reign, had made such destruction of them, that if there were any left besides that found by Hilkiah, they were necessarily in a few hands, who would cautiously preserve them with the utmost privacy. Univer. Hist. vol. iv. pp. 95,97.

3385. [2 Kings xxiii. 10.] Topheth is a Hebrew word signifying a kind of drum, composed it should seem, in its first simple state, merely of a skin stretched over a calibash, or hollow block. It has been supposed, that drums were used in the valley of the children of Hinnom, to drown the cries of the human victims there sacrificed to Moloch. But Captain Cook, who attended a human sacrifice at Otaheite, as

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