in the Doctrines and Difcipline of the Gospel, without fearching into the Cuftoms and Ceremonies of the Law, is a prepofterous Perfuit, and muft end in Ignorance and Disappointment: For example, how can the Merits of the Death and Sufferings of the Meffiah be underftood without enquiring into the System of the legal Sacrifices? And how can the most fagacious Student in Divinity be able to conceive the true Senfe of the eloquent Epiftle to the Hebrews, except he has been alfo thoroughly conversant in the Writings of Mofes?

Now, whether my Strength has been equal to the Undertaking, fhould be decided properly by those who have engag'd in the fame Studies, who have turn'd over the Rubbish, and are acquainted with the abfurd Fables, the affected Darknefs, and unaccountable Riddles of the Jewish Doctors; and fuch will have the Candour to confider, how long and untroden, and almoft indifcernable is the Way, that the Guides to direct are few, their Language rough and frightful, their Method fo confus'd, their Matter fo empty and fophiftical, fo abounding with Trifles as if they were never to be read, and with Obfcurities as if they never defign'd to be understood

Befides, how perplex'd and almost unintelligible are fome Parts of the Levitical Law as it ftands reveal'd? What feeming Oppofitions in many Places, what fudden and abrupt Transitions, what frequent Repetitions, and other difcouraging Circumftances run through the whole? So that to fail in the Ma nagement of a Subject fo full of Diffi culties can be no Surprize; nor can I ap prehend any great Scandal or Difreputa tion to follow from it. In fhört, fuch as perufe the following Volumes to fearch for real Faults and raise pertinent Objections, I am confident may find them in abundance, and I should rejoice to see them under Correction; but for those who shall affume a Liberty of ma king Faults where there are none, and without being able to judge of the Work condemn it, upon the account of an imaginary Meannefs and Infignificancy in the Character of the Author, I fhall de spise the Rudeness and Malignity of such Treatment, having the old Maxim be

fore me :

Hi pra cæteris folent aliena liberius car pere, qui nihil Proprium ediderunt.

But whatever Miftakes I have com mitted, and whatever Qualifications I have wanted, I am apt to believe that A 2

the

the Method in difpofing the Materials is regular and unexceptionable, because I had no Hand in contriving the Model, but have follow'd the Order obferv'd generally by all who have written with Succefs upon this Subject.

The Authorities from whence thefe Collections have been made are many and of various kinds; for I have call'd in freely all the Affiftance I could obtain, in every Language I understood or could procure Help in, as well from the Ancients as from Writers of a more. modern Date and uniform Defign. The two Talmuds, that of Babylon and Ferufalem, as they contain the Subftance of the Jewish Divinity, and treat of the Religion and Ceremonies of that Nation, have been confulted and made use of, but with great Caution and Reserve ; because fo much Bigotry and Folly, fuch a Mixture of Pharifaifm, Allegory, and traditionary Superftition, prevail in those Paraphrafes, that the Difficulty was to form a Judgment of what was proper to be inferted, and what would give the clearest Light to Revelation, without blending the idle Trifles and ridiculous Gloffes of the Rabbins with the Purity, the Majefty, and the divine Teftimony of the Scriptures.

Among the Rabbins, Maimonides, the great Oracle of the Jews, has been par

ticularly

ticularly applied to upon many Occa fions; an Author, as Cuneus obferves, above our highest Commendation; the only Man of that Nation who had the good Fortune to understand what it is to write seriously and to the Purpose.

The Civil and Ecclefiaftical Polity of the Hebrews is taken from the short Tracts of Bertram, Sigonius, and Cunaus. I have been obliged to Braunius for the Account of the Pontifical and Sacerdotal Veftments; to Buxtorf chiefly, for the Defcription of the Tabernacle and the Worship of the Synagogue; for the Survey of the firft Temple to Ribera and Arias Montanus; and of the second, to a Countryman of our own, the most judicious and indefatigable Lightfoot, the most inexhauftible Treasure of Oriental Learning, and without whose Labours it had been impoffible for me to have attempted upon this Subject. From Dr. Outram I have given the Account of the Sacrifices and Rites of facrificing among the Hebrews.

I have received much Information from Fofephus, Schickard, Menochius, Leufden, Hofpinian, and Reland; and I have been eas'd of great Trouble by Mr. Weemfe,Mr. Godwyn, Mr. Broughton, Mr. Ainsworth, Mr. Selden, Mr. Mede, Mr. Thorndike, Bifhop Kidder, Bifhop Patrick in his most excellent Commentaries, and Dr. Prideaux

T

in his learned Connection.

From these and many more I have collected the Antiquities that follow, always taking the Liberty to tranflate, to imitate, or even literally to introduce any Parts of them, if I found them really conducing to the Ufe or Ornament of the Defign; for I could never difcover any Merit or Cun ning in varying the Style and Senfe of an Author, for no other Purpose than to conceal the Ignorance of the Tranfcriber, or to deftroy an Obligation of Gratitude which ought to be confefs'd to all Mankind.. to quit

After this Pompous Account, it is poffible that the Expectation of the Reader may be rais'd, and therefore I am still ready to acknowledge as much Ignorance and Inadvertency as the moft illnatur'd can demand of me; and among very many more, I am fenfible of one great Imperfection in this Work, arising from the want of Copper-Plates and Tables to illuftrate the Variety of ¿Buildings, Utenfils, &c. which perhaps remain obfcure after all Endeavours to explain them. But yet it must be allow'd to be a difficult Task to defcribe Structures, and Places, and Things at a Distance and unfeén; and I was confcious how fmall a Figure this Per formance would make, and therefore it would have been bafe and unfaithful

to