20. Science and Art

Science and Art

1. The sciences were very little cultivated among the Hebrews, except for some of the ordinary purposes of life. They understood so much of arithmetic as to be able to state and compute large numbers; and they appear to have known the application of geometry to the measurement and demarcation of land. Astronomy was chiefly studied, in ancient times, for the sake of the vain science of astrology; and as the Israelites were interdicted from practicing the latter (Deu 18:10), they paid little attention to the former, except for the purpose of reckoning time.

2. The days and nights among the Hebrews were divided according to the natural periods of light and darkness; and the civil or calendar clay was counted, not from morning to morning, but from evening to evening. Hence, their seventh day, or sabbath, began on the evening of our Friday, and ended on the evening of our Saturday. The natural day was divided into three parts, morning, noon, and evening (Psa 55:17); and there was also a more minute division of it into six unequal parts—3, the break of day; 2, the morning, or sunrise; 3, the heat of the day; 4, mid-day; 5, the cool of the day; 6, evening. The natural night was also divided originally into three parts, or “ watches;” the first watch (Lam 2:19); the middle watch (Jdg 7:19); and the morning watch (Exo 14:24). In later times a fourth watch was added, when the divisions of the night were reckoned thus—Eventide, from sunset to the third hour of the night (Mark 11:11); midnight, from the third hour till midnight; cock-crowing, from midnight to the third hour after, or the ninth hour of the night; morning-tide, or “the early watch,” from the ninth to the twelfth hour of the night, or sunrise (John 18:28).

3. Hours are not mentioned until the time of the Babylonish Captivity (Dan 3:6; Dan 3:15; Dan 5:5); after which the division of the day into twelve hours gradually came into common use. But as it was the natural day which was thus divided, and as every hour was the twelfth portion of that day, the length of the hours was continually changing. The hours of chief note were the third, the sixth, and the ninth, which were the hours of prayer (Dan 6:10; Acts 2:15; Acts 3:1; Acts 10:9).

4. The division of time into Weeks was first made at the Creation, which it was designed to commemorate (Gen 2:2-3). It continued to be observed till the Deluge (Gen 7:10; Gen 8:10; Gen 8:12; Gen 29:27), and was afterwards extended into the various nations descended from Noah, although the object of it was eventually forgotten. The Jews distinguished the days of the week by their numerical order; as, “first day of the week,” “second day of the week,” etc.

5. The septenary period was applied more extensively by the Jews, than by any other people. Not only was every seventh day a day of rest, but every seventh year was a year of rest, called “the Sabbatic year;” and every seventh recurrence of the latter period was still more eminently celebrated as the “year of Jubilee.” During the whole of the Sabbatical year, the land lay fallow, the vine and the olives were not pruned, nor was any game taken or destroyed whatever grew was the common right of all (Lev 25:1-7). The fiftieth year, or the Jubilee, which was ushered in by the blowing of trumpets, was a year of general release; debtors and prisoners obtained their freedom, and property which had been sold, reverted to the original owner or his heirs (Lev 25:8-17).

6. Months were originally regarded as the intervals of time between one new moon and another. The Israelites computed each of these intervals at thirty days; as did also the ancient patriarchs; for, at the Deluge, Noah reckoned one hundred and fifty days equal to five months. But twelve of such months made only three hundred and sixty daps, a period which was soon found to be shorter than the natural year; and, therefore, a thirteenth month was occasionally intercalated after the month Adar. Originally the months had no names, but, like the days, were distinguished by their numerical order, with the exception of the first month, which was called Abib, or, “the month of young ears of corn” (Exo 13:4, etc.). During the Captivity the Babylonish names of the months were adopted.

7. There were two kinds of Years in use among the Jews. The first was the civil year, which commenced in September, and by which they computed their jubilees, and all their civil and rural affairs. The other was the sacred year, which appears to have been first introduced by Moses, and by which the public feasts and all religious matters were computed: it commenced in March. The following are the Hebrew months, with the corresponding English months.

1. Nisan, or Abib, corresponding to part of March and April.

2. Zif, or Jyar, corresponding to part of April and May.

3. Sivan corresponding to part of May and June.

4. Thammuz corresponding to part of June and July.

5. Ab corresponding to part of July and August.

6. Elul corresponding to part of August and September.

7. Tisri corresponding to part of September and October.

8. Marchesvan corresponding to part of October and November.

9. Chisleu corresponding to part of November and December.

10. Thebet corresponding to part of December and January.

11. Sebat corresponding to part of January and February.

12. Adar corresponding to part of February and March.

There was also a sort of agricultural division of the year into six portions of two months each, under the names of seed-time, winter, the cold season, harvest, summer, and the hot season; or “seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter” (Gen 8:22).

8. The Israelites were so much devoted to agriculture that the arts received little attention from them. After the extinction of the generation which came from Egypt, we find but faint traces of the arts which they had learned in that country. Every family furnished for itself whatever it required in the way of food and clothing, so that the only regular mechanics were masons, carpenters, smiths, and potters. For the first two there appears to have been little employment till the time of the kings; the fabrication of arms and ornaments afforded more occupation for the workers in metals; and the fragile wares of the potter were always in demand. That the Israelites did not attain superior skill in any manufacture is shown by the fact, that they took only agricultural produce to the markets of Tyre (Eze 27:17). Solomon was obliged to obtain assistance from the Phoenicians to enable him to build and furnish his temple and palaces. and even the humbler works of David required similar assistance (1Ch 14:1; 1Ch 22:15; 2Ch 2:3, etc.).After the impulse given by the public works of these two kings, and as the population and luxury increased, artisans of various kinds became more numerous (2Ki 24:14; Jer 24:1; Jer 29:2). The employments and habits of the Israelites were greatly changed during the Captivity. In Babylonia, many of them finding but little encouragement in agricultural pursuits, turned their attention to the arts and trade, for which that country offered eminent advantages. After the restoration, agriculture continued to engage the chief attention of the Jews who actually lived in Palestine; but the great numbers who were dispersed throughout foreign lands, lived chiefly by trade and the useful arts. Indeed, a practical knowledge of these arts was at length so much esteemed, that it was field a duty of all parents to have their sons taught some manual craft; and the Jews mention many learned men of their nation who lived by such employments. Thus, many of the persons mentioned in the New Testament history practised some trade. Joseph, the husband of Mary, was a carpenter (Mat 13:55); Simon was a tanner (Acts 9:43); Alexander, a coppersmith (2Ti 4:14); and Paul and Aquila were tent-makers (Acts 18:3).

9. Music and poetry were much cultivated among the Hebrews, and their best poets were sometimes their best musicians, singing their own compositions to the harp (1Sa 16:18). The harp (kinnor), or rather a kind of lyre, was the national musical instrument. Its shape and the number of its strings are not known with certainty, and appear to have varied in different ages; but it seems to have been small and portable (2Sa 6:5; 2Sa 6:14; Psa 137:2). There was another kind of harp called a psaltery (nebel); and there were also straight and bent trumpets, two or three kinds of pipes, tambourines or tabrets, cymbals, and probably sistrums. The Jews seldom neglected any opportunity of introducing music. It was used at their private entertainments and public festivals; and, by the arrangement of David, a splendid establishment for sacred music, performed by well-instructed Levites, was associated with the public worship (1 Chronicles 25).

10. Dancing was frequently connected with music among the Jews. It was sometimes an act of religious exultation (Exo 15:20; 2Sa 6:16), and was common on all ordinary occasions of mirth and rejoicing (Psa 30:11; Jer 31:4; Jer 31:13; Luk 15:25), as well as at the great festivals (Jdg 21:19; Jdg 21:21), and on triumphal occasions (Jdg 11:34; 1Sa 18:6). The precise character of the Hebrew dances is not known, but no ideas of levity were connected with them. The proud-spirited Michal despised David, not because he danced, but because he danced with the common people (2Sa 6:16; 2Sa 6:20-23).

Trumpets

3, 2, 3, 4 Ancient Horns and Curved Trumpets;
5, Straight Trumpet;
6, Pipe.

Egyptian Figures of Lyres (3, 2, played without, and
3, 4, with the plectrum;
4, is the supposed Hebrew Lyre.) Sistra—various Egyptian specimens