no special hour for this was fixed, it must, of course, have varied not only at different

seasons, but in different localities. Thus, the Rabbis mention that the inhabitants of a

low-lying city, like Tiberias, commenced the observance of the Sabbath half an hour

earlier, while those who lived on an eminence, such as at Sepphoris, 101 continued it half

an hour later than their brethren.

If the sun were not visible, sunset was to be reckoned from when the fowls went to

roost. But long before that the preparations for the Sabbath had commenced.

Accordingly, Friday is called by the Rabbis 'the eve of the Sabbath,' and in the Gospels

'the preparation' 102 (Mark 15:42; John 19:31)

No fresh business was then undertaken; no journey of any distance commenced; but

everything purchased and made ready against the feast, the victuals being placed in a

heated oven, and surrounded by dry substances to keep them warm. Early on Friday

afternoon, the new 'course' of priests, of Levites, and of the 'stationary men,' who were

to be the representatives of all Israel, arrived in Jerusalem, and having prepared

themselves for the festive season, went up to the Temple. The approach of the Sabbath,

and then its actual commencement, were announced by threefold blasts from the priests'

trumpets. The first three blasts were drawn when 'one-third of the evening sacrifice

service was over'; or, as we gather from the decree by which the Emperor Augustus set

the Jews free from attendance in courts of law (Jos. Ant. xvi. 6, 2.), about the ninth hour,

that is, about three p.m. on Friday. This, as we remember, was the hour when Jesus gave

up the ghost (Matt 27:45; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:44). When the priests for the first time

sounded their trumpets, all business was to cease, and every kind of work to be

stopped. Next, the Sabbath-lamp, of which even heathen writers knew (Seneca, ep. 95.),

was lit, and the festive garments put on. A second time the priests drew a threefold

blast, to indicate that the Sabbath had actually begun. But the service of the new

'course' of priests had commenced before that. After the Friday evening service, the altar

of burnt-offering was cleansed from its stains of blood. 103

Then the outgoing 'course' handed over to the incoming the keys of the sanctuary, the

holy vessels, and all else of which they had had charge. Next the heads of the 'houses'

or families of the incoming 'course' determined by lot which of the families were to serve

on each special day of their week of ministry, and also who were to discharge the

various priestly functions on the Sabbath.

The first of these functions, immediately on the commencement of the Sabbath, was the

renewal of the 'shewbread.' It had been prepared by the incoming course before the

Sabbath itself, and--we might almost say, invariably --in one of the chambers of the

Temple, though, in theory, it was held lawful to prepare it also at Bethphage. For,

although it was a principle that 'there is no Sabbath in the sanctuary,' yet no work was

allowed which might have been done on any other day. Even circumcision, which, like

the Temple services, according to the Rabbis, superseded the Sabbath, was deferred by

some to the close of the festive day. Hence, also, if Friday, on the afternoon of which

the shewbread was ordinarily prepared, fell on a feast day that required Sabbatical rest,

the shewbread was prepared on the Thursday afternoon. 104 The Rabbis are at pains to

explain the particular care with which it was made and baked, so that in appearance and

colour the lower should be exactly the same as the upper part of it.

But this subject is too important to be thus briefly treated. Our term 'shewbread' is a

translation of that used by Luther (Schaubrod), which, in turn, may have been taken

from the Vulgate (panes praepositionis). The Scriptural name is 'Bread of the Face' (Exo

25:30; 35:13; 39:36); that is, 'of the presence of God,' just as the similar expression, 'Angel

of the Face' (Isa 63:9) means the 'Angel of His Presence.' From its constant presence and