The life and work of St. Paul

524 THE LI1TE AND WORK OF ST. PAtJL.
they will hear that you have come. At once then do what we tell you. Wfi
have four men who have a vow upon them. Take them, be purified with
them, and pay their expenses that they may get their heads shaved. All will
then recognise that there is nothing in all which has been so carefully incul-
cated into them about you, but that you yourself also walk in observance of
the Law. But as regards the Gentiles that have embraced the faith, we
enjoined their exemption from everything of this kind, deciding only that
they should keep themselves from meat offered to idols, and blood, and
strangled, and fornication."
What did this proposal mean P It meant that the emancipation from the
vow of the Nazarite could only take place at Jerusalem, and in the Temple,
and that it was accompanied by offerings so costly that they were for a poor
man impossible. A custom had therefore sprung up by which rich men
undertook to defray the necessary expenses, and this was regarded as an act
of charity and piety. The Jews, indeed, looked so favourably on a species of
liberality which rendered it possible for the poor no less than the rich to make
vows at moments of trial and danger, that when Agrippa I. paid his first visit
to Jerusalem, he had paid the expenses which enabled a large number of
Nazarites to shave their heads, 1 not only because he wished to give an ostenta-
tious proof of his respect for the Levitical law, but also because he knew that
this would be a sure method of acquiring popularity with the Pharisaic party.
The person who thus defrayed the expenses was supposed so far to share the
vow, that he was required to stay with the Nazarites during the entire week,
which, as we gather from St. Luke, was the period which must elapse between
the announcement to the priest of the termination of the vow, and his formal
declaration that it had been legally completed. 8 For a week then, St. Paul, if
he accepted the advice of James and the presbyters, would have to live with
four paupers in the chamber of the Temple which was set apart for this purpose
; and then to pay for certain sacrificial animals and the accompanying
meat offerings ; and to stand among these Nazarites while the priest offered
four he-lambs of the first year without blemish for burnt offerings, and four
ewe-lambs of the first year without blemish for sin offerings, and four rams
without blemish for peace offerings and ; then, to look on while the men's
heads were being shaved and while they took their hair to burn it under the
boiling cauldron of the peace offerings, and while the priest took four sodden
shoulders of rams and four unleavened cakes out of the four baskets, and four
unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and put them on the hands of the Naza-
rites, and waved them for a wave-offering before the Lord which, with the
wave-breads and the heave- shoulders, the priest afterwards took as his own
perquisites. And he was to do all this, not only to disprove what was
* Jos. Antt. XIX. 6, 1, cU 'It potrdAv^a cAfiuv ; X"P c "
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