6. The stories are too foolis h, and the insinuations too vile, to be here repeated. The
second of the two notices evidently refers to the first. The 'heretic' Jacob spoken of, is the
bete noire of the Rabbis. The implied charges against the Christians remind one of the
description, Re v. ii. 20-24.
7. Midr. on Eccl. i. 8. and vii 26. ed. Warsh. vol. iii. p. 80 a and 97 a.
8. St. Matt. viii.
5, &c.
9. The comparison is Canon Tristram's (Land of Israel, p. 427.)
10. This is another Rabbinic interpretation of the term Gennesaret.
11. St. Mark ii. 15; comp. iii. 20, 31.
12. St. Matt. viii. 14.
13. St. John vi. 49, 59.
14. Comp. especially Warren's Recovery of Jerusalem, pp. 337-351.
And this then, is Capernaum - the first and the chief home of Jesus, when He had entered
on His active work. But, on this occasion, He 'continued there not many days.' For,
already, 'the Jews' Passover was at hand,' and He must needs keep that feast in Jerusalem.
If our former computations are right - and, in the nature of things, it is impossible to be
absolutely certain about exact dates - and John began his preaching in the autumn of the
year 779 from the building of Rome, or in 26 of our present reckoning, while Jesus was
baptized in the early winter following, 15 16 then this Passover must have taken place in the
spring (about April) of the same year.17 The preparations for it had, indeed, commenced a
month before. Not to speak of the needful domestic arrangements for the journey of
pilgrims to Jerusalem, the whole land seemed in a state of preparation. A month before
the feast (on the 15th Adar) bridges and roads were put in repair, and sepulchres
whitened, to prevent accidental pollution to the pilgrims. Then, some would select this
out of the three great annual feasts for the tithing of their flocks and herds, which, in such
case, had to be done two weeks before the Passover; while others would fix on it as the
time for going up to Jerusalem before the feast 'to purify themselves'18 - that is, to
undergo the prescribed purification in a ny case of Levitical defilement. But what must
have appealed to every one in the land was the appearance of the 'money-changers'
(Shulchanim ), who opened their stalls in every country-town on the 15th of Adar (just a
month before the feast). They were, no doubt, regularly accredited and duly authorised.
For, all Jews and proselytes - women, slaves, and minors excepted - had to pay the annual
Temple-tribute of half a shekel, according to the 'sacred' standard, equal to a common
Galilean shekel (two denars), or about 1 s. 2d. of our money. From this tax many of the
priests - to the chagrin of the Rabbis - claimed exemption, on the ingenious plea that in
Lev. vi. 23 (A.V.) every offering of a priest was ordered to be burnt, and not eaten; while
from the Temple-tribute such offerings were paid for as the two wave loaves and the
shewbread, which were afterwards eaten by priests. Hence, it was argued, their payment
of Temple-tribute would have been incompatible with Lev. vi. 23!
15. a.d. 27.
16. Wieseler and most modern writers place the Baptism of Jesus in the summer of 27
a.d., and, accordingly, the first Passover in spring, 28 a.d. But it seems to me highly
improbable, that so long an interval as nine or ten months should have elapsed between