From the Rejection of That Generation to the Death of Moses - Flavius Josephus
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this was <strong>the</strong> exposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pharisees in <strong>the</strong> days <strong>of</strong> <strong>Josephus</strong>.<br />
15. What we render a witch, according <strong>to</strong> our modern notions <strong>of</strong> witchcraft,<br />
Exodus 22:15, Philo and <strong>Josephus</strong> unders<strong>to</strong>od <strong>of</strong> a poisoner, or one who<br />
attempted by secret and unlawful drugs or philtra, <strong>to</strong> take away <strong>the</strong><br />
senses or <strong>the</strong> lives <strong>of</strong> men.<br />
16. This permission <strong>of</strong> redeeming this penalty with money is not in our<br />
copies, Exodus 21:24, 25; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21.<br />
17. We may here note, that thirty shekels, <strong>the</strong> price our Savior was sold for<br />
by Judas <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Jews, Mat<strong>the</strong>w 26:15, and 27;3, was <strong>the</strong> old value <strong>of</strong> a<br />
bought servant or slave among that people.<br />
18. This law against castration, even <strong>of</strong> brutes, is said <strong>to</strong> be so rigorous<br />
elsewhere, as <strong>to</strong> inflict death on him that does it. which seems only a<br />
Pharisaical interpretation in <strong>the</strong> days <strong>of</strong> <strong>Josephus</strong> <strong>of</strong> that law, Leviticus<br />
21:20, and 22:24: only we may hence observe, that <strong>the</strong> Jews could <strong>the</strong>n<br />
have no oxen which are gelded, but only bulls and cows, in Judea.<br />
19. These laws seem <strong>to</strong> be those above-mentioned, sect, 4, <strong>of</strong> this chapter.<br />
20. What laws were now delivered <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> priests, see <strong>the</strong> note on Antiq. B.<br />
III. ch. 1. sect. 7,<br />
21. Of <strong>the</strong> exact place where this altar was <strong>to</strong> be built, whe<strong>the</strong>r nearer Mount<br />
Gerizzim or Mount Ebal, according <strong>to</strong> <strong>Josephus</strong>, see Essay on <strong>the</strong> Old<br />
Testament, p. 168--171.<br />
Dr. Bernard well observes here, how unfortunate this neglect <strong>of</strong><br />
consulting <strong>the</strong> Urim was <strong>to</strong> Joshua himself, in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gibeonites,<br />
who put a trick upon him, and ensnared him, <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Jewish rulers, with a solemn oath <strong>to</strong> preserve <strong>the</strong>m, contrary <strong>to</strong> his<br />
commission <strong>to</strong> extirpate all <strong>the</strong> Canaanites, root and branch; which oath<br />
he and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r rulers never durst break. See Scripture Politics, p. 55,<br />
56; and this snare <strong>the</strong>y were brought in<strong>to</strong> because <strong>the</strong>y "did not ask<br />
counsel at <strong>the</strong> mouth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord," Joshua 9:14.<br />
22. Since <strong>Josephus</strong> assures us here, as is most naturally <strong>to</strong> be supposed, and<br />
as <strong>the</strong> Septuagint gives <strong>the</strong> text, Deuteronomy 33:6, that <strong>Moses</strong> blessed<br />
every one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tribes <strong>of</strong> Israel, it is evident that Simeon was not<br />
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