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[69]
Accordingly he commanded the Levites to yield up to the priests thirteen
of their forty-eight cities, and to set apart for them the tenth part of
the tithes which they every year receive of the people; as also, that it
was but just to offer to God the first-fruits of the entire product of
the ground; and that they should offer the first-born of those four-footed
beasts that are appointed for sacrifices, if it be a male, to the priests,
to be slain, that they and their entire families may eat them in the holy
city; but that the owners of those first-born which are not appointed for
sacrifices in the laws of our country, should bring a shekel and a half
in their stead: but for the first-born of a man, five shekels: that they
should also have the first-fruits out of the shearing of the sheep; and
that when any baked bread corn, and made loaves of it, they should give
somewhat of what they had baked to them. Moreover, when any have made a
sacred vow, I mean those that are called Nazarites, that suffer
their hair to grow long, and use no wine, when they consecrate their hair,
1 and
offer it for a sacrifice, they are to allot that hair for the priests [to
be thrown into the fire]. Such also as dedicate themselves to God, as a
corban, which denotes what the Greeks call a gift, when they are
desirous of being freed from that ministration, are to lay down money for
the priests; thirty shekels if it be a woman, and fifty if it be a man;
but if any be too poor to pay the appointed sum, it shall be lawful for
the priests to determine that sum as they think fit. And if any slay beasts
at home for a private festival, but not for a religious one, they are obliged
to bring the maw and the cheek, [or breast,] and the right shoulder of
the sacrifice, to the priests. With these Moses contrived that the priests
should be plentifully maintained, besides what they had out of those offerings
for sins which the people gave them, as I have set it down in the foregoing
book. He also ordered, that out of every thing allotted for the priests,
their servants, [their sons,] their daughters, and their wives, should
partake, as well as themselves, excepting what came to them out of the
sacrifices that were offered for sins; for of those none but the males
of the family of the priests might eat, and this in the temple also, and
that the same day they were offered.
1 Grotius, on Numbers 6:18, takes notice that the Greeks also, aswell as the Jews, sometimes consecrated the hair of their heads to the gods.
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