Chapter 9.
THE MANNER OF OUR OFFERING SACRIFICES.FJAJ 3.63
1. I WILL now, however, make mention of a few of our laws which belong
to purifications, and the like sacred offices, since I am accidentally
come to this matter of sacrifices
These sacrifices were of two sorts;
of those sorts one was offered for private persons, and the other for the
people in general; and they are done in two different ways
In the one
case, what is slain is burnt, as a whole burnt-offering, whence that name
is given to it; but the other is a thank-offering, and is designed for
feasting those that sacrifice
I will speak of the former
Suppose a private
man offer a burnt-offering, he must slay either a bull, a lamb, or a kid
of the goats, and the two latter of the first year, though of bulls he
is permitted to sacrifice those of a greater age; but all burnt-offerings
are to be of males
When they are slain, the priests sprinkle the blood
round about the altar; they then cleanse the bodies, and divide them into
parts, and salt them with salt, and lay them upon the altar, while the
pieces of wood are piled one upon another, and the fire is burning; they
next cleanse the feet of the sacrifices, and the inwards, in an accurate
manner and so lay them to the rest to be purged by the fire, while the
priests receive the hides
This is the way of offering a burnt-offering.FJAJ 3.64
2. But those that offer thank-offerings do indeed sacrifice the same
creatures, but such as are unblemished, and above a year old; however,
they may take either males or females
They also sprinkle the altar with
their blood; but they lay upon the altar the kidneys and the caul, and
all the fat, and the lobe of the liver, together with the rump of the lamb;
then, giving the breast and the right shoulder to the priests, the offerers
feast upon the remainder of the flesh for two days; and what remains they
burn.FJAJ 3.65
3. The sacrifices for sins are offered in the same manner as is the
thank-offering
But those who are unable to purchase complete sacrifices,
offer two pigeons, or turtle doves; the one of which is made a burnt-offering
to God, the other they give as food to the priests
But we shall treat
more accurately about the oblation of these creatures in our discourse
concerning sacrifices
But if a person fall into sin by ignorance, he offers
an ewe lamb, or a female kid of the goats, of the same age; and the priests
sprinkle the blood at the altar, not after the former manner, but at the
corners of it
They also bring the kidneys and the rest of the fat, together
with the lobe of the liver, to the altar, while the priests bear away the
hides and the flesh, and spend it in the holy place, on the same day; (23)
What Reland well observes here, out of Josephus, as compared with the law
of Moses, Leviticus 7:15, (that the eating of the sacrifice the same day
it was offered, seems to mean only before the morning of the next, although
the latter part, i.e. the night, be in strictness part of the next day,
according to the Jewish reckoning,) is greatly to be observed upon other
occasions also. The Jewish maxim in such cases, it seems, is this: That
the day goes before the night; and this appears to me to be the language
both of the Old and New Testament. See also the note on Antiq. B. IV. ch.
4. sect. 4, and Reland's note on B. IV. ch. 8. sect. 28.
for the law does not permit them to leave of it until the morning
But
if any one sin, and is conscious of it himself, but hath nobody that can
prove it upon him, he offers a ram, the law enjoining him so to do; the
flesh of which the priests eat, as before, in the holy place, on the same
day
And if the rulers offer sacrifices for their sins, they bring the
same oblations that private men do; only they so far differ, that they
are to bring for sacrifices a bull or a kid of the goats, both males.FJAJ 3.66
4. Now the law requires, both in private and public sacrifices, that
the finest flour be also brought; for a lamb the measure of one tenth deal,
- for a ram two, - and for a bull three
This they consecrate upon the
altar, when it is mingled with oil; for oil is also brought by those that
sacrifice; for a bull the half of an hin, and for a ram the third part
of the same measure, and one quarter of it for a lamb
This hin is an ancient
Hebrew measure, and is equivalent to two Athenian choas (or congiuses).
They bring the same quantity of oil which they do of wine, and they pour
the wine about the altar; but if any one does not offer a complete sacrifice
of animals, but brings fine flour only for a vow, he throws a handful upon
the altar as its first-fruits, while the priests take the rest for their
food, either boiled or mingled with oil, but made into cakes of bread.
But whatsoever it be that a priest himself offers, it must of necessity
be all burnt
Now the law forbids us to sacrifice any animal at the same
time with its dam; and, in other cases, not till the eighth day after its
birth
Other sacrifices there are also appointed for escaping distempers,
or for other occasions, in which meat-offerings are consumed, together
with the animals that are sacrificed; of which it is not lawful to leave
any part till the next day, only the priests are to take their own share.FJAJ 3.67