Seal

Esth. ii. 12.SEAL, sigillum, signum, signaculum. The antient Hebrews wore their Seals or Signets in Rings on their Fingers, or in Bracelets on their Arms. Haman seal’d the Decree of King Abasuerus against the Jews with the King’s Seal. The Priests of Bel desired the King to seal up the Door of the Temple of this God with his own Seal, to convince him that they did not go in there by Night. Bell. ii. Cant. viii. 6.The Spouse in the Canticles wishes, that his Spouse would wear him as a Signet upon her Arm: Pone me ut signaculum super brachium tuum.

Plin. l. 33. c. 1.Pliny observes, that the Use of Seals or Signets was yet rare at the Time of the Trojan War, and that they were put to the Shift of shutting up their Letters with several Knots: But among the Hebrews they are much more antient. Judah the Son of Jacob left his Seal, his Bracelet, and his Genesis xxxviii. 25. Deuter. xxxii. 34. Job ix. 7.Staff, as a Pledge with Tamar, whom he did not know. Moses says in Deuteronomy, that God keeps seal’d up in his Treasuries, under his own Seal, the Instruments of his Vengeance. Job says, that he keeps the Stars as under his Seal; that he is Master of them, and allows them to appear when he thinks proper. And elsewhere; My Transgression Job xiv. 17.is seal’d up in a Bag.

Isai. viii. 16, 17.When they intended to seal up a Letter, or a Book, they wrapp’d it up with Flax or Thread, and then apply’d the Wax to it, and afterwards the Seal. The Lord commanded Isaiah to tie up or wrap up the Book wherein his Prophecies were written, and to seal them up till the Time he should bid him to publish them. Liga testimonium, & signa legem in discipulis meis.

He gives the same Command to Daniel. Dan. xii. 4Tu autem Daniel, signa sermones, & claude librum usque ad tempus. The Book that was shewn to St. John the Evangelist in the Revelations, was seal’d with seven Seals, Rev. v. 1. vi. 1, 2, &c.and written within and without. No one durst open it, or explain it to him, but the Lamb that was slain from the Beginning of the World. It was a rare thing to put such a Number of Seals; but that insinuated the great Importance and Secrecy of the Matter.

In civil Contracts they generally made two Originals, one continued open, and was kept by him for whose Interest the Contract¹ Contract was made: The other was seal’d up, and deposited in some publick Office. It was seal’d up to prevent any Fraud or Falsification. Jeremiah bought a Field in his Country of Anathoth, of one call’d Hananeel; he himself wrote the Contract, call’d Jerem. xxxii. 10, 11, 14.Witnesses, and seal’d it up: He put it into the Hands of his Disciple Baruch, and said to him; Take these Evidences, this Evidence of the Purchase, both which is sealsd, and this Evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen Vessel, that they may continue many Days. The Grecians did in the same manner with their Writings: They preserved the Originals of their Contracts, and other Instruments of any Consequence, in Vessels of Brass or Earth. See the Scholiasts upon Aristohpanes, in vespis, upon the Word ECHINOS.

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