Purifications

PURIFICATIONS. There were several kinds of Purifications among the Hebrews, which had relation to the several Impurities that might be contracted. See before the Article of LEGAL IMPURITIES. We have also spoke of several of these Impurities, as Occasion was offer’d in the different Articles. See for Example, LEPROSY, GONORRHEA, DEAD BODIES, NAZARITES. When a Woman was brought to Bed of a Boy, she was esteem’d impure for forty Days; Lev. xii. 1,2,3,&c.that is, seven Days during which she could not touch any thing, but that it became defiled. After this she was still impure for thirty Days, but her Impurity was such, as did not hinder her from taking Care of her houshold Affairs. She was only excluded from the Use and Participation of holy Things. If she had brought forth a Girl, she was judged unclean for sixty Days; that is, two Weeks in which she could not touch any thing without defiling it, but the rest of her Time she was only excluded from the Use of holy Things, and might not go to the Temple, nor celebrate the Passover, nor eat of the Peace-offering, &c.

When the Days of her Purification were ended, she carry’d a Lamb to the Entrance of the Tabernacle, or the Temple, to be offer’d for a Burnt-offering, and a young Pigeon or Turtle for a Sin-offering. If she was not of Substance enough to offer a Lamb, she gave two Turtles, or two young Doves, of which one was for a Burnt-offering, and the other for a Sin-offering.

Though the Holy Virgin was not subject to the Law that says,¹ Mulier si suscepto semine pepererit masculum, &c. yet she did not scruple to comply with it, to give us an Example of the profoundest Humility and Submission. Luk. ii. 2, 23, &c.And to preserve the Memory of this, the Church has instituted the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, commonly call’d Candlemas-Day, which is kept on the second Day of February, and on which those of the Church of Rome carry Wax Candles in their Hands, as it were, to shew more sensibly the coming of Jesus Christ, whom Simeon in his Canticle, pronounced on this Occasion, calls the Light of the Gentiles, and the Glory of the People of Israel. But those that have most examin’d into this Matter think, that the true historical Reason of the solemn Procession made upon this Day, was instituted to wear out the Memory of those profane Sacrifices, that the Pagans us’d to make in the Month of February,² to lustrate or purify the Men, Fields, and Cities; and that the Candles us’d in this Solemnity were instead of the Torches carry’d by the Pagans in the Feasts of Lupercalia,³ wherein naked Men ran through the Streets with lighted Torches, and committed a thousand Insolencies.

This Feast was solemnly instituted by the Emperor Justinian, about the Middle of the sixth Century; and perhaps in some Places it was celebrated before. But this Prince fixed it to the second Day of February, and ordain’d, that it should be celebrated in an uniform Manner through the whole Empire. And this was readily follow’d by such Places as were not under his Dominion. They gave to this Feast the Name of Hypapante, which in Greek signifies meeting, because when Jesus Christ came into the Temple, Simeon and Anna may be said to have come before him, and there to have met with Joseph and Mary, in order to give their Testimony of him.

In the same Feast is celebrated the Memory of the Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple, in Quality of the First-born of Mary, in Obedience to the Law which enjoyns, Exod. xiii. 13.that all the First-born Children should be presented to the Lord, and redeem’d by their Parents with the Sum of five Shekels. We have already spoken of this Law under the Article of FIRSTBORN, and we have there examin’d whether Jesus Christ was subject to it, having not been conceived and born as other Men. Upon the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, the Reader may consult the Bollandists on the second of February; Father Thomassin in his Treatise upon the Feasts, M. Baillet, and those that have wrote Notes upon the Martyrologies; M. de Tillemont, t. 1. n. 7. upon Jesus Christ.

The Jews that lived at too great a Distance from the Temple, and could not resort thither to purify themselves from some certain Defilements, which were unavoidable

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able in the ordinary Way of Life; for Example, such Pollutions as they contracted at the Burial of the Dead, to whom they were obliged to pay their last Duties; made use of the Ashes of the Red Heifer which was sacrificed for this Purpose at Jerusalem, and the Ashes of which were distributed to all Israelites at a Distance. See the Article Numb. xix. 5.RED HEIFER.

If a Man and Woman made use of the Marriage-bed, they were unclean ‘till the Levit. xv. 16,17,18.Evening; they wash’d their Cloaths, and purify’d themselves by Bathing. If a Woman Levit. xv. 19,20,21, &c.had her monthly Infirmities, she was unclean for seven Days; whatever she touched during those seven Days was defiled; and those that touched her Bed, Cloaths, or Seat, were unclean ‘till the Evening, were to wash their Cloaths, and to purify themselves by Bathing. If during the time of this Infirmity, any Man should come near her, he would be defiled for seven Days, and the Bed they lay upon would also be polluted. If it were with his Knowledge that he then came near her, and the Affair was brought before the Judge, both of them were to be put to death. The antient Christians on many Occasions look’d upon these Infirmities of Women as Defilements, Levit. xx. 18.and did not think it lawful then to come near them, perhaps as much out of Decency as Religion. The Turkish Women even to this Day forbear to come to Church while this lasts. The Indians do not so much as suffer their Women to come into their Houses, Tournefort’s Travels to the Levant, t. 1. p. 44.while they have this Malady upon them.

Even involuntary Pollutions that might Deut. xxiii. 10.happen in Sleep, were purify’d by Bathing. He to whom this happen’d was to go out of the Camp, and not to return ‘till after Sun-set, and after he had wash’d himself in Water.

The Hebrews had an infinite Number of Mark vii. 3, 4, 7, 8.other Purifications. For Example; they did not so much as eat, nor sit down to Table, ‘till after they had wash’d their Hands, by pouring Water from their Fingers Ends up to their Elbows. When they return’d into their Houses, they were to wash their Hands. They also purify’d their Pots and Cups, their Beds, and whatever else they made use of, following the Traditions of their Elders. They more than once reproved Jesus Christ and his Apostles, for not washing Matth. xv. 2. Mark. vii. 2. John. ii. 6.their Hands before they sate down to eat. At the Feast of the Marriage of Cana, there were six great Pitchers of Water set forth, for the Purification of the Guests.

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