deposited. For 'every sacrifice must be salted with salt'--nay, everything that was laid

on the altar, except the drink-offering. At the same time, three other priests carried up to

the rise of the altar the daily meat-offering, that of the high-priest, and the drink-offering.

The skins of the sacrifices were salted, and on the eve of each Sabbath distributed

among the 'course' of priests that had been on ministry. 87

And now the most solemn part of the service was about to begin. For the third time the

priests assembled in the 'Hall of Polished Stones,' to draw the third and the fourth lots.

But before doing so the president called on them to join in the prescribed prayers.

Tradition has preserved these to us. Subjecting them to the severest criticism, so as to

eliminate all later details, the words used by the priests before the third and fourth lots

were as follows:

'With great love hast Thou loved us, O Lord our God, and with much overflowing pity

hast Thou pitied us. Our Father and our Kin g, for the sake of our fathers who trusted in

Thee, and Thou taughtest them the statutes of life, have mercy upon us, and enlighten

our eyes 88 [in Thy law; cause our hearts to cleave to Thy commandments; unite our

hearts to love and to fear Thy name, and we shall not be put to shame, world without

end. For Thou art a God who preparest salvation, and us hast Thou chosen from among

all nations and tongues, and hast, in truth, brought us near to Thy great name, Selah, in

order] that we in love may praise Thee and Thy Unity. Blessed be the Lord, who in love

chose His people Israel.'

After this prayer the ten commandments were (at one time) wont to be repeated, a

practice discontinued, however, lest the Sadducees should declare them to be the only

essential part of the law. Then all assembled said the so-called 'Shema' 89 which may be

designated as a sort of 'credo' or 'belief.' It consisted of these three passages --

Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41.

After this the lot was cast for burning the incense. No one might take part in it who had

ministered in that office before, unless in the very rare case that all present had

previously so officiated. Hence, while the other three lots held good for the evening

service, that for the incense required to be repeated. He on whom this lot fell chose from

among his friends his two assistants. Finally, the third was succeeded by the fourth lot,

which designated those who were to lay on the altar the sacrifice and the meat-offerings,

and to pour out the drink-offering.

The incensing priest and his assistance now approached first the altar of burnt-offering.

One filled with incense a golden censer held in a silver vessel, while another placed in a

golden bowl burning coals from the altar. As they passed from the court into the Holy

Place, they struck a large instrument (called the 'Magrephah'), at sound of which the

priests hastened from all parts to worship, and the Levites to occupy their places in the

service of song; while the chief of the 'stationary men' ranged at the Gate of Nicanor

such of the people as were to be purified that day. Slowly the incensing priest and his

assistants ascended the steps to the Holy Place, preceded by the two priests who had

formerly dressed the altar and the candlestick, and who now removed the vessels they

had left behind, and, worshipping, withdrew. Next, one of the assistants reverently