letter, but the natural way of opening it would be either by melting the wax, or cutting the lace between the wax and the bag. Mr. Wortley's courier, whom he sent from Essek, returned with the Bassa's answer, in a purse of scarlet satin, somewhat similar to the above, but as was to be expected, not so elegant. * Whether the bag represented in our woodcut was appropriated to such a purpose we know not.

II. To the state of the arts and sciences among the Hebrews, our prescribed limits will only permit us to advert in general terms. That they had made very considerable proficiency in Agriculture, Architecture, Music, ‡ Engraving, § and the other useful and liberal arts, must be sufficently evident to every careful reader of the Scriptures. Nor was their knowledge of the sciences so despicable as some persons have pretended to think. But for the reason before assigned we must not enlarge.

SECTION IV.

HABITATIONS OF THE JEWS.

1. Tents-2. Villages-3. Forms of their houses-4. Their furniture.

1. There is no doubt that the ancient Jews lived in tents, similar to those now in use in the East. Dr. Shaw describes them as being of an oblong figure, not unlike the bottom of a ship turned upside down. They vary in size according to the number of their occupants, and are divided by a hanging carpet into separate apartments. They are kept firm and steady by bracing, or stretching down their eaves with cords, tied to hooked wooden pins, well pointed, which are driven firmly into the ground. They are covered with hair cloth, for the purpose of keeping out the wet. Some of these tents are very splendid; and hence the pious declaration of the

*Lady Mary W. Montagu's Letters, letter 23d. - Brown's Jewish Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 94. + See Essays on the Agriculture of the Israelites, in the Investigator, vol. i. p. 50, &c.

See Calmet's Bib. Ency. art. "music," and Fragments, No. 231. Also Scripture Magazine, vol. iii. pp. 1–7.

§ See the words Engraving and Engraved, in the Index to Landseer's Sabean Researches. The same work will be consulted with much pleasure and satisfac tion on the subject of ancient seals or signets. See also Scripture Magazine, vol. iii. pp. 385--389.

of weights, it was kept in the sanctuary (1 Chr. xxiii. 29), as our standards are kept in the exchequer.

The mina, or maneh, was equal to 60 shekels (Ezek. xlv. 12), uniformly, as bishop Cumberland thinks; but Parkhurst conceives, from comparing 1 Ki. x. 17 with 2 Chr. ix. 16, that it was equal to 100 shekels, when used as a weight; and 60 shekels when applied to money.

The talent was equal to 3000 shekels, or 125 lbs. troy, according to bishop Cumberland; but according to Michaelis, only 44 lbs. 4oz. troy.

V. MONEY.

The shekel of silver, or the silverling (Is. vii. 23), originally weighed 320 barley corns, but it was afterwards increased to 384 barley corns; its value being considered equal to 4 Roman denarii, was 2s. 7d.; or, according to bishop Cumberland, 2s. 44d. It is said to have had Aaron's rod on the one side, and the pot of manna on the other.

The bekah was equal to half a shekel, Ex. xxxviii. 26. The Denarius was one-fourth of a shekel-72d. of our money.

The Gerah (Ex. xxx. 13), or, Meah, was the sixth part of the denarius, or diner, and the 24th part of the shekel.

The Assar, or Assarion (Matt. x. 29), was the 96th part of a shekel. Its value was rather more than a farthing.

The farthing (Matt. v. 26), was in value the 13th part of a penny sterling.

The mite was the half of a farthing, or the 26th part of a penny sterling.

The Mina, or Maneh (Ezek. xlv. 12), was equal to 60 shekels, which taken at 2s. 7d. was 77. 15s.

The talent was 50 minas, and its value, therefore, 3871. 10s.

The gold coins were as follows:—

A shekel of gold was about 14 times the value of silver, i. e. 11. 17s. 5 d.

A talent of gold consisted of 3000 shekels.

The drachma was equal to a Roman denarius, or 7ąd. of our

money.

The didrachma (Matt. xvii. 24), or tribute money, was equal to 15 d. It is said to have been stamped with a harp on one side, and a vine on the other.

The stater, or piece of money which Peter found in the fish's mouth (Matt. xvii. 27), was two half shekels.

A daric (drams, 1 Chr. xxix 7; Ezr. viii. 27), was a gold coin struck by Darius the Mede. According to Parkhurst its value was 17. 5s.

A gold penny is stated by Lightfoot to have been equal to 25 silver pence.

The original form of the precious metals, as media of exchange, appears to have been in the state of bullion. This was weighed in the balance, and was either increased or diminished till the parties were satisfied. It was in the favour of these metals, that they could be divided and subdivided, without injuring their value. They were, therefore, a convenient symbol of commodities. But whilst they continued in the form of bullion, they were liable to some inconveniences; for it was troublesome to weigh them at every transaction, and they might be adulterated. Hence the invention of bars of a certain size, and of a determinate purity, ascertained by some mark generally known. So early as the days of Abraham, we read of weighing pieces of silver, which were current money with the merchant, or of the legal purity, Gen. xxiii. 16. And when Jacob bought the parcel of ground from Hamor (Gen. xxxiii. 19), it would appear that the hundred pieces which he gave had a determinate mark upon them, for they are called a hundred keshithe, in the original. Now keshithe signifies lambs, yet these could not have been given; for we are told in Acts vii. 16, that the price was in money. Might not these 100 pieces, then, have been so called, because the figure of a lamb was impressed upon them, to ascertain their purity? But the most convenient improvement on the form and value of precious metals, as media of exchange, was that of coinage. It ascertained their fineness and value at first sight, whilst by their variety, they could easily be accommodated to every transaction. +

* See his Harmony, on John ii. 6; Hor. Heb. Matt. v. 26; and Prospect of the Temple, ch. x; Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, b. vi. ch. 9; Lamy, l. 1. c. 8, 9; Cumberland's Essay on the Jewish Weights and Measures; Prideaux's Connex. A. A. C. 538; Brown's Jewish Antiq. part ix. s. 9; Parkhurst, and Calmet's Dictionaries under the respective words.

+ Brown's Antiquities, ubi supra.

N N

1. WRITING

- 1. Origin 2. Materials and forms of books3. Illustrations of Scripture-4. Written Letters - II. ARTS AND SCIENCES.

I. Concerning the origin of Writing, the learned are far from being agreed; some believing it to have been in use among the ante-diluvians, while others suppose it not to have been known till the giving of the law at Sinai. We are of opinion, that the arguments in favour of the former hypothesis decidedly preponderate: but our limits forbid discussion. We must refer to those writers who have professedly treated on the subject, for the reasons on which our judgment is

founded.*

2. Several sorts of materials were anciently used in making books. Plates of lead or copper, barks of trees, bricks, stone, and wood, were originally employed to engrave such things and documents upon, as men desired to transmit to posterity. Josephus speaks of two columns, one of stone, the other of brick, on which the children of Seth wrote their inventions,

Horne's Introduction to the condensing much valuable language is ably defended in

* See Fragments to Calmet, Nos. 134. 709-711. Study of Bibliography is a judicious publication, matter into a small compass. The divine origin of Illust. 54, of Archbishop Magee's Work on the Atonement, vol. ii.