JEWISH ANTIQUITIES. CHAPTER I. OF THE FORM OF THE HEBREW COMMONWEALTH. THE ancient state and form of the Hebrew government may be distinguished into patriarchal and special. The patriarchal universally prevailed in the first ages. By special we mean the government peculiar to the people of Israel, from the time of their entrance into Egypt to the end of their polity. Of the Patriarchal Form of Government. I. The patriarchal form (so called from warpia, familia, and apxwv, princeps) is defined by Godwin to consist, in "the fathers of families, and their first-born after them, exercising all kinds of ecclesiastical and civil authority in their respective households; blessing, cursing, casting out of doors, disinheriting, and punishing with death." It is natural to suppose, that Adam, the father of all mankind, would be considered as supreme amongst them, and have special honour paid him, as long as he lived; and that when his posterity separated into distinct families and tribes, their respective fathers would be acknowledged by them as their princes. For as they could not, in any tolerable manner, live together without some kind of government, and no government can subsist without some head in whom the executive power is lodged, whom were the children so likely, after they grew up, to acknowledge in this capacity, as their father, to whose authority they had been used to submit in their early years? And hence those, who were at first only acknowledged as kings over their own households, grew insensibly into mo B narchs of larger communities, by claiming the same authority over the families which branched out from them, as they had exercised over their own. However, the proper patriarchal government is supposed to have continued among the people of God until the time of the Israelites dwelling in Egypt; for then we have the first intimation of a different form of government among them. Our author hath perhaps assigned greater authority to the patriarchs than they reasonably could or did claim and exercise; at least, the instances he produces to prove they were ordinarily invested with such a despotic power, "in civilibus et sacris," as he ascribes to them, are not sufficiently convincing. That there was some civil government in the first ages, is supposed to appear from the history of Cain, who was not only banished, but was apprehensive he should be punished with death, for the murder of his brother Abel. "And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me;" Gen. iv. 13, 14. Where adhamah, which we render, the earth, may signify his native country, viz. that part of the world where Adam dwelt, where himself was born, and where his nearest kindred and acquaintance lived: this word, as well as p arets, being frequently applied to a particular country, as to the land of Canaan, Gen. xxviii. 11; to the land of Egypt, Exod. viii. 17; and to several others.* By "the face of God from which he was hid," or banished, is properly meant what the Jews called the Shechinah, a shining light or glory, in which God was wont to manifest his presence, and to present himself as a visible object of worship, and from which he gave oracles, as he did afterward in the Jewish tabernacle over the mercy-seat; though St. Chrysostom understands his being "hid from the face of God," of the Divine Being's withdrawing his gracious presence from him, and putting him from under his protection. * Vid. Stockii Clav. in verb. |