called decanus a ruler of ten; and each sign had three decani. Jul. Firmicus Maternus, Astron. 2.4.
Antt. III. 7, 7. Comp. Bell. Jud. 5.5, 4-7. Weber ( Altsynag. Theol. s. 191) has some interesting references to the Rabbinic ideas on the relation of the Tabernacle to creation. See particularly Bammidbar R. § xii. ( Wunsche , 295). Compare also Bahr , Symb. 1.109f.
Philo
Vit. Mos.
iii. § 14 (2.155 M.). Comp.
De epist.
§ 34 (1.378 M.). This naturalistic, symbolic form of interpretation found acceptance among some of the early Greek Fathers, and it has found considerable support in recent times (
Bahr
,
Symb. d. Mos. Cult.
1837-9). See Clem. Alex.
Strom.
5.6, §§ 32 ff.: Theod. Mops. and Theodoret on Heb. 9:1. Origen (
Hom. in Ex.
ix.) interpreted the Tabernacle in a religious and moral sense. Different schemes of interpretation are discussed briefly by Fairbairn,
Typology of Scripture
, 2.253ff. Abundant references to modern works are given in the various Dictionaries of the Bible.
There are several mediaeval discussions of the Tabernacle which deal chiefly with its moral and religious, as distinguished from its cosmical, import; Bede,
De Tabernaculo
...(Migne,
P. L.
91.393ff.); Adamus Scotus (1180),
De tripartito Tabernaculo
(
P. L.
cxcviii. 609ff.); Petrus Callensis (1187),
Tab. Mos. mystica et moralis expositio
(
P. L.
ccii. 1047ff.).
As in the case of the prae-Christian Priesthood I had hoped to write an Essay on prae-Christian Sacrifice, but I can do no more than set down a few notes which may be useful in marking some main points in the inquiry. Those who have dealt with the Scriptural ordinances and teaching on Sacrifice have too commonly neglected ethnic institutions. Even now more illustrations may be expected from Egypt and from Assyria. The articles in the different Encyclopaedias give references to the Literature, but I am not acquainted with any book which deals with the subject in its full range and significance. Kalisch has accumulated a great mass of material in his Essay attached to his edition of Leviticus, but it requires sifting; and Dillmann's notes in the Kurzgef. Exeg. Handb. are extremely useful. The books of Lippert and Tylor already referred to (p. 137 note) contain much that is valuable.
The most general term for an offering, sacrifice, is $ B;rq; , H7933 ( byrIq]hi to offer ,
prosfevrein ). This includes all sacred gifts, even those which are not brought to the altar: Lev. 1:3; 2:1; 3:1; 4:23; 7:13; Num. 9:7. The student will find it a most instructive exercise to set down in a tabular form the details of the ritual given in Lev. ivii, marking clearly the elements which are peculiar to or absent from each type of sacrifice. There is no other way in which the meaning of the Service can be apprehended with equal force. The nearest approach to the offering of the simple grain is Lev. 2:14; yet here the grains are roasted. The offering of the sheaf of the firstfruits is different: Lev. 23:10. Comp. Ex. 22:29; Lev. 2:12. In connexion with the thought in Heb. 9:23 it is interesting to notice that according to the primitive Chinese ritual temples and their vessels were consecrated by blood: Li Ki xviii. § 2, pp. 2, 33 (S. B. E. 28.169f.).