Manna

MANNA. It was the Food of the Children of Israel, which God gave them in the Desarts of Arabia, during their Continuance there for forty Years, from their eighth Encampment in the Wilderness of Exod. xvi. 14, 14, &c.Sin. Manna began to fall on Friday Morning, the sixteenth Day of the second Month, which from thence was called Jiar, which according to Usher was on Friday the fifth of June. It continued to fall every Day in the Morning, except on the Sabbath Day, till after the Passage over Jordan, and to the Passover of the fortieth Year from the coming out of Egypt. Therefore Manna fell from Friday the fifth of June, in the Year of the World 2513, to the second Day of the Passover, which was on Wednesday the fifth of May, in the Year of the World 2553, before Jesus Christ 1447 Years, and before the Vulgar Æra 1451 Years.

The Manna mentioned by Moses was a little Grain, white like Hoarfrost, round, Exod. xvi. 14. Numb. xi. 7.and of the Bigness of Coriander-Seed. It fell every Morning upon the Dew, and when the Dew was exhaled by the Heat of the Sun, the Manna appeared alone, lying Ex. xvi. 5.upon the Rocks or the Sand. It fell every Day, except on the Sabbath, and this only Exod. xvi. 5. Numb. xi. 5about the Camp of the Israelites. It fell in so great Quantities during the whole forty Years of their Journey in the Wilderness, that it was sufficient to feed the whole Multitude, of above a Million of Souls; every one of whom gathered the Quantity of an Omer, for his Share every Day, which is about three Quarts of our Measure. It maintained all this Multitude, and yet none of them found any Inconvenience from the constant eating of it. Every Friday there fell a double Quantity of it, and though it putrified and bred Maggots when it was kept any other Day, yet on the Sabbath it suffered no such Alteration. And the same Manna that was melted by the Heat of the Sun, when it was left in the Field, was of so hard a Consistence when it was brought into the House, that it was used to be beaten in Mortars, and would even endure the Fire, was baked in Pans, made into Paste, and so into Cakes. The Scripture gives to Manna the Name of the Bread of Heaven, and the Food of Wisdom xvi. 20. Psalm lxxviii. 25.Angels, whether it would insinuate to us, that the Angels sent and prepared this Food, or that Angels themselves, if they had Need of any Food, could not have any that was more agreeable than Manna was. Wisd. xvi. 20, 21.The Author of the Book of Wisdom says, that Manna so accommodated itself to every one’s Taste, that every one found it pleasing to him; and that it included every Thing that was agreeable to the Palate, and fit for good Nourishment; which Expressions some have taken in the literal Sense¹, tho’ others understand them figuratively. There are some who think, that it even took the Form of such Things as a Man liked best. Josephus² understood it in a more simple Manner, saying that those that eat of it found it so delicious, that they desired nothing else; and Saint Austin observes³ very discretely, that the sacred Author only says, Manna had this Quality, to conform itself to the Taste of those that eat it, in Favour of the Children of God: Ut dulcedinem tuam in filios demonstrares. And how could the Israelites complain, that Manna was nauseous to ‘em, if it was always accommodated to their Taste at their own Will?

And still at this Day there falls Manna in several Places of the World: In Arabia, in Poland, in Calabria, in Mount Libanus, in Dauphine, and elsewhere. The most common and the most famous is that of Arabia, which is a kind of condensed Honey, to be found in the Summer Time upon the Leaves of the Trees, the Herbs, the Rocks, or the Sand of Arabia Petrea. It is of the same Figure as Moses describes. That which is gathered about Mount Sinai is of a very strong Smell, which is communicated to it by the Herbs upon which it falls. It very easily evaporates, insomuch that if thirty Pounds of it were to be kept in an open Vessel, there would hardly ten of it remain at the End of fifteen Days. This Arabian Manna is sold in the Apothecaries Shops, at Grand Cairo in Egypt. Salmasius thinks, that the Manna wherewith the Israelites were fed in the Wilderness, is the same now to be found in Arabia. Several Moderns are of the same Sentiment. ‘Tis true that the Arabian Manna has a medicinal Quality, which is rather purgative and weakening, than that it affords any Nourishment, or has any strengthening Faculty. But they pretend, that if one makes it habitual, the Stomach might be accustomed to it, as we see People may be brought to such a Diet, as naturally is but little convenient for maintaining of Health. But we ought also to acknowledge, that the Manna spoke of by Moses had miraculous Qualities, not to be found in the common Manna, and which probably subsisted no longer than while the Israelites were fed with it. Upon this Subject of Manna may be consulted the Dissertations of M. Saumaise, Buxtorf, and Bochart, and our Commentary upon Exodus, Chap. xvi. Verse 14, and the following. See also Altomare’s Treatise of Manna.

The Criticks are divided about the Original of the Word Manna. Some think that Man is put instead of the Hebrew Word Mah, which signifies, What is this? And that the Hebrews then first seeing that new Food which God had sent them, cried to one another, Man-hu, instead of Mah-hu, What is this? Others maintain, that the Hebrews very well knew before what Manna was, and that seeing it in great Abundance about their Camp; they said to one another, Man-hu, This is Manna. Mr. Saumaise, and some other Moderns, are of this last Opinion. They imagine that the Manna which God sent the Israelites was nothing else but that Fat and thick Dew, which still falls in Arabia, which presently condensed, and served for Food to the People. That this is the same Thing as the wild Honey, mentioned Matth. iii. 4. wherewith John the Baptist was fed; and that the Miracle of Moses did not consist in the Production of any new Substance, but in the exact and uniform Manner in which the Manna was dispensed by Providence, and in the Quantity of it that fell daily, so as to suffice for the Maintenance of so great a Multitude.

On the contrary the Hebrews and Orientals believe, that the Fall of the Manna was wholly miraculous. The Arabians call it The Sugar Plumbs of the Almighty⁴, and the Jews are so jealous of this Miracle⁵, that they pronounce a Curse against all such as presume to deny the Interposition of a miraculous Power. Akiba contends⁶, that Manna was produced by the Condensation of the heavenly Light, which became material, and proper for the Nourishment of Man. But Rabbi Ishmael rejected this Opinion, and opposed it upon this Principle, that the Scripture calls Manna the Bread of Angels. But the Angels, says he, are not nourished by Light become material, but by the Light of God himself. These are some Examples of the Notions that have been formed about Manna.

That which is sold in Apothecaries Shops, and which is commonly called Manna of Calabria, is a white and sweet Liquor, which distils of itself, or by Incision made in the Branches and Leaves or Keys of the Ash-Tree, both common and wild. In the Dog-Days, or a little before, it is only found upon the Ash-Trees, and that only in Calabria, and about Briançon. ‘Tis gathered in the open Sun-shine, which hardens and dries it. In July it comes of its own Accord out of the Tree; in August they make an Incision in the Tree, which then affords a certain Quantity. And in the same Month, when this has left off to run, there comes out a third Sort, which exsudes out of the nervous Part of the Leaves of the Ash. Manna purges moderately taken in Broth. Fuschius says, that the Countrey People about Mount Libanus eat the Manna that is found there, as others would eat Honey.

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