obtained freedom through the chastisement of his master--a chastisement which

affected only one of his members --how much more must those chastisements effect

which purified the whole body of man? Moreover, as another Rabbi reminds us, the

"covenant" is mentioned in connection with salt (Lev 2:13), and also in connection with

chastisements (Deu 28:58). "As is the covenant," spoken of in connection with salt,

which gives taste to the meat, so also is "the covenant" spoken of in connection with

chastisements, which purge away all the sins of a man. Indeed, as a third Rabbi says:

"Three good gifts hath the Holy One--blessed be He!--given to Israel, and each of

them only through sufferings--the law, the land of Israel, and the world to come." The

law, according to Psalm 94:12; the land, according to Deuteronomy 8:5, which is

immediately followed by verse 7; and the world to come, according to Proverbs 6:23.

As on most other subjects, the Rabbis were accurate and keen observers of the laws of

health, and their regulations are often far in advance of modern practice. From many

allusions in the Old Testament we infer that the science of medicine, which was carried

to comparatively great perfection in Egypt, where every disease had its own physician,

was also cultivated in Israel. Thus the sin of Asia, in trusting too much to earthly

physicians, is specially reproved (2 Chron 16:12). In New Testament times we read of the

woman who had spent all her substance, and suffered so much at the hands of

physicians (Mark 5:26); while the use of certain remedies, such as oil and wine, in the

treatment of wounds (Luke 10:34), seems to have been popularly known. St. Luke was a

"physician" (Col 4:14); and among the regular Temple officials there was a medical man,

whose duty it was to attend to the priesthood who, from ministering barefoot, must have

been specially liable to certain diseases. The Rabbis ordained that every town must

have at least one physician, who was also to be qualified to practise surgery, or else a

physician and a surgeon. Some of the Rabbis themselves engaged in medical pursuits:

and, in theory at least, every practitioner ought to have had their licence. To employ a

heretic or a Hebrew Christian was specially prohibited, though a heathen might, if

needful, be called in. But, despite their patronage of the science, caustic sayings also

occur. "Physician, heal thyself," is really a Jewish proverb; "Live not in a city whose

chief is a medical man"--he will attend to public business and neglect his patients; "The

best among doctors deserves Gehenna"--for his bad treatment of some, and for his

neglect of others. It were invidious to enter into a discussion of the remedies prescribed

in those times, although, to judge from what is advised in such cases, we can scarcely

wonder that the poor woman in the gospel was nowise benefited, but rather the worse of

them (Mark 5:26). The means recommended were either generally hygienic --and in this

respect the Hebrews contrast favourably even with ourselves --or purely medicinal, or

else sympathetic, or even magical. The prescriptions consisted of simples or of

compounds, vegetables being far more used than minerals. Cold -water compresses, the

external and internal use of oil and of wine, baths (medicated and other), and a certain

diet, were carefully indicated in special diseases. Goats'-milk and barley-porridge were

recommended in all diseases attended by wasting. Jewish surgeons seem even to have

known how to operate for cataract.

Ordinarily, life was expected to be protracted, and death regarded as alike the

punishment and the expiation of sin. To die within fifty years of age was to be cut off;

within fifty-two, to die the death of Samuel the prophet; at sixty years of age, it was

regarded as death at the hands of Heaven; at seventy, as that of an old man; and at

eighty, as that of strength. Premature death was likened to the falling off of unripe fruit ,

or the extinction of a candle. To depart without having a son was to die, otherwise it was

to fall asleep. The latter was stated to have been the case with David; the former with

Joab. If a person had finished his work, his was regarded as the death of the righteous,

who is gathered to his fathers. Tradition (Ber. 8 a) inferred, by a peculiar Rabbinical

mode of exegesis, from a word in Psalm 62:12, that there were 903 different kinds of

dying. The worst of these was angina, which was compared to tearing o ut a thread from

a piece of wool; while the sweetest and gentlest, which was compared to drawing a hair

out of milk, was called "death by a kiss." The latter designation originated from Numbers

33:38 and Deuteronomy 34:5, in which Aaron and Moses are respectively said to have