STRONG.
THE HIGH PRIEST ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, AND A LEVITE.

The fire thus miraculously kindled was, by the divine command, to be kept perpetually burning, and no other to be used in

all the oblations to be made to God. But Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron's sons, forgetful of their duty, took their censers, and

putting common fire in them, laid incense | shaving their heads, or rending their clothes; thereon, and offered strange fire before the but that they should leave those marks of Lord. For this flagrant violation of the mourning to the rest of the people, from divine command, the Almighty was so of whom they ought to distinguish themselves fended, that, as a just punishment, he imme- in this, as well as in other points, in reverdiately struck them dead with lightning. ence to that holy anointing, whereby they To strike a terror into the rest of the priest- had been consecrated to the Lord, and therely order, and deter them from disobedience by separated from their brethren. to the commands of God, Moses ordered the people to take their dead bodies from the sanctuary, and carry them out of the camp in the same condition they found them. He likewise charged Aaron and the rest of his sons, not to mourn for Nadab and Abihu, in

A short time after the melancholy circumstance last related, another awful proof was given of the danger of incurring the displeasure of the Almighty. This was exemplified in the case of one, whose mother's name was Shelomith, an Israelitish woman

of the tribe of Dan, but whose husband was an Egyptian, but supposed to have become a proselyte to the house of Israel. This young man quarrelled with another, and a battle ensuing, the son of Shelomith was worsted. Fired with resentment at being conquered, he in the height of his passion, cursed and blasphemed the name of the Lord; upon which being apprehended and brought before Moses, he ordered him into custody till he should know from the Lord what punishment to inflict on him for his transgression. Though the third command in the decalogue forbade the taking of God's name in vain,

*This way of laying hands on the heads of criminals may seem to arise from several causes. 1. That they were witnesses of the fact, and that the person condemned suffered justly; protesting. that if he were innocent they desired that his blood might fall on their own heads. 2. They put their hands on the head of the criminal in

yet this blasphemous cursing being an of
fence of a higher nature, against which no
positive law was yet provided, Moses had re-
course to the Lord, who was pleased to tell
him thus: "Bring forth," says he,
that cursed without the camp, and let all that
heard him lay their hands upon his head,*
and let all the congregation stone him."

..him

In obedience to the divine command, Moses ordered the sentence to be immediately put in execution; and a law was thereon made, that whosoever should, from that time, blaspheme the name of the Lord, whether he was an Israelite, or a stranger, should be stoned to death. token of an expiatory sacrifice; for idolatry, blasphemy, and such grievous crimes, if they were not punished, they expected would attract a guilt, not only on the witness, but the whole nation, which by the death of the criminal, as by a victim, might be expiated. 3. That the crimi nal was the just cause of his own death.

take charge thereof, and of all the vessels belonging to it, but likewise to take it down upon every remove, to guard it safe on the way, and to put it up again at such places as should be appointed for encampment.

The Israelites being thus mustered, Moses and Aaron, by the express command of God, appointed the manner of their encampment,

*The ages of these men were, from twenty years old to fifty; and the exact number in each tribe was as follows:

The whole body was divided into four grand camps, each consisting of three tribes, under one standard, and so placed as entirely to enclose the tabernacle.

The standard of the camp of Judah was first. It consisted of the tribes of Judah,

300; Gad, 45,650; Judah. 74,600; Issachar, 54400; Zebulon, 57,400; Ephraim, 40,500: Manassch, 32,200; Benjamin, 35,400; Dan, 62,700; In the tribe of Reuben, 46,500; Simeon, 59,- | Asher, 41,500; Naphtali, 53,400; total, 603,550.

Issachar, and Zebulon, (the sons of Leah), [ camp of Ephraim, under which were the

the priests and Levites, under whose imme- | part of the Levites, descended from Kohath, diate care and protection the tabernacle was placed.

On the east side were encamped Moses and Aaron, with Aaron's sons, who had the charge of the sanctuary.

the second son of Levi.

On the west side were the Gershonites, another part of the Levites, descended from Gershon, Levi's eldest son.

On the north side were planted the MeOn the south side were the Kohathites, a rarites, the remaining part of the Levites,

who descended from Merari, Levi's youngest | parent order better than a verbal description,

son.

Such was the manner of the encampment of the Israelites, being the only regular description of one which the Bible contains; but, from incidental allusions, we may gather that the camps which the Hebrews in aftertimes formed in their military operations, differed in several respects from the present, the admirable arrangement of which is easily perceived, although some difference of opinion exists as to a few of the details. The diagram preceding will exhibit the ap

;

however minute. It is thus seen that the camp was formed in a quadrangle, having on each side three tribes under one general standard. How these tribes were placed with regard to each other is not very clear some fix the leading tribe in the centre, and the two others on each side; but the description seems rather to indicate that the leading tribe extended along the whole exterior line, and that the two other tribes pitched beside each other within. The only other alternative seems to be to suppose that the two minor

tribes also extended in full line, the last tribe of the Levites, who had the charge and cusmentioned in each division being the inner- tody of the tabernacle, and pitched their tents most. The collective encampment enclosed a around it; the tents of Moses, Aaron, and large open square, in the centre of which stood the priests, occupying the most honorable the tabernacle. The position which the taber- place, fronting the entrance to the tabernacle, nacle thus occupied still remains the place of or rather to the court which contained it. honor in grand oriental camps, and is usually The Jewish writers say that the circumoccupied by the tent of the king or general. ference of the entire encampment was The distance between it and the common camp about twelve miles; a statement which would was indicative of respect; what the distance seem sufficiently moderate when we recollect was we are not told, except by the Rabbins, the hollow square in the centre, and consider who say that it was two thousand cubits, and the vast extent of ground required for the apparently ground this statement upon Josh. tents of two millions of people. This reguiii. 4. The interval was not however wholly lar and admirable arrangement of so vast a vacant, being occupied by the small camps host, under their ensigns, around the taber