478 A SHORT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY. prophets ; are ,called the latter prophets ; but they are all called the prophets : thus the law, and the prophets make up the whole bible. 3. That there are in Daniel two hundred verses of the bible written originally in chaldee, and sixty seven in Ezra, and one verse in Jeremiah, viz, chapters x, and xi. And some sup- pose, for this reason, there is no targum on Daniel and Ezra ; neither, indeed, is there on Nehemiah, though that book be called hebrew. 5. Q. . What were the times appointed for this service in the synagogue ? A. Two days in the week, besides thesabbath, and their other festivals : the law being divided into so many sections or lessons as there are weeks in their year, they read half a les- son on Monday morning, and the other half on Thursday morn ing ; and this same whole lesson they readon the sabbath, both morning, and afternoon. ; Acts xv. 21. We are told that reading the law was a custom of ancient times on the sabbath ; andwhen reading of the prophets was added to that of the law, they eh- served thesame order in it. 6. Q. What were their hours of the daily prayer ? A. At the time of morning and evening sacrifice and incense ; Luke i. 9. 10. Acts iii. 1. " While Zacharias was offering incense, the people were praying in the court : and Peter and Johnwent up to pray in the temple at this time." To these hours they conform- ed their prayers in the temple, and in their synagogues, and usu- ally too in their own houses. Note, The Jews supposed that the offering, up of the daily sacrifices, and the burning of incense at the same time, were de- signed to render God propitious to them, and make their prayers acceptable ; and for this reason they conformed their times of prayer to these hours. So David prays ; Ps. cxli. 2. " Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, &e." And Rev. viii. 4, 5. " And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hands. 7. Q. Had they any other season of prayer besides these two ? A. The Jews inform us, that besides these they had a prayer at the beginning of night, while the evening sacrifice was left burningon the altar. Thus, by their three prayers in a day, they imitated the ancients. David prayed morning, noon, and .evening ; Peal. lvii. 17. Daniel prayed three times a day ; Dan. vi. 10. 8, Q. Who ministered in the service of the synagogue ? A. Thepriests and levites were consecrated to the service of the temple, but for the services of the synagogue, persons of any tribe were appointed by some elders of that town, who were called rulers of the synagogue. So our Saviour, being of the tribe of Judah, read and expounded in the synagogue ; Luke
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=