SWINE, an Animal well known, the Use of which was expresly forbid the Hebrews.Lev. xi. 7. Deut. xiv. 8. They had the Flesh of this Animal in such Detestation, that they would not so much as pronounce its Name, but instead of it said, That Beast, That Thing. When old 2 Macc. vi. 18.Eleazar was taken by the People of Antiochus Epiphanes, he was vehemently urged to taste Swine’s Flesh, or, at least, to pretend to taste it. They open’d his Mouth by force, to compel him to eat of it; but he chose rather to suffer Death, than to break the Law of God, and to give Offence to the weaker People of his Nation. Porphyry Porphyr. de abstin. animal.affirms, that the Hebrews and Phenicians abstain’d from Pork, because there was none in their Country. It had been much more congruous to have said, there was none, or but very little, because they bred no Hogs, by reason of that Abhorrence they had conceived for ‘em: For it is certain they might have had them if they pleas’d, and we know from the Gospel,1 that there were Herds of Swine in our Saviour’s Time. Some antient Authors have thought,2 that the Jews forbore eating the Flesh of this Animal, only because they paid divine Honours to it;
Petron. Satiric. Fragment.Judæus licet & porcinam numen adoret, ; Et Cœli, &c.Vulgo legitur Et Cilli summas advocet auriculas.
But this is a Calumny so notorious, as not to deserve any Confutation. Profane Authors rallied them upon this Abstinence, saying, that the Jews would as soon chuse to kill a Man as a Hog;
Juvenal. Satir. 15. Apud Macrob.Nec distare putant humanâ carne suillam.
Augustus was us’d to say, that it were better to be one of Herod’s Hogs than his Son, because this Prince had put to Death two or three of his Sons. This Abhorrence of Swine’s Flesh was not peculiar to the Jews; for the Egyptians had such an Horror for this Animal, that if any one had touch’d it, tho’ but by chance, he went and plung’d himself in the River, Cloaths and all. They did not allow Swinherds to come into their Temples, nor would have any Correspondence with them. The Arabian Herodot. l. 2. c. 47. Solin. Polyhist.Scenites eat no Pork; and Solinus even assures us, that if Hogs were but carry’d into their Country, they would presently die. ‘Tis observed, that when Adrian rebuilt Jerusalem, he set up the Image of a Hog in bas relief upon the Gates of the City, to drive the Jews away from it, and to express the greater Contempt for that miserable People.
Our Saviour in the Gospel forbids his Disciples to cast their Pearls before Swine, for fear, says he, they should tread them under Foot, and turn against you and tear you. Which is as much as to say, that we must not rashly fall to discourse on divine Matters, and preach up certain Truths before an Audience ill prepared to receive them. This will serve only to provoke them more, and to expose those Truths to be insulted and despised. The same is injoin’d Ecclus. xxxii. 6.in Ecclesiasticus: Do not speak, but when you find a Hearer dispos’d to receive your Doctrine; Ubi auditus non est, ne effundas sermonem. Upon this Maxim is founded the Practice of the antient Fathers of the Church, not to speak of the Mysteries of Christianity before the Pagans, not to speak of ‘em but with great Circumspection, and in the Presence of such as are well dispos’d to revere and entertain them. The Prodigal Son, mention’d by St. Luke, Luke xv. 15.when he had wasted his Patrimony, was reduced to such Distress, as to be glad to feed Swine; and happy was he that he could feed himself with the same Food.
Prov. xi. 22.‘Tis said in the Proverbs; As a Jewel of Gold in a Swine’s Snout, so is a fair Woman which is without Discretion. The Jewish and Arabian Women were sometimes used to wear Rings in their Nostrils to adorn themselves. But nothing can be more ridiculous than to put a gold Ring or a Jewel in a Swine’s Snout.
St. Peter compares those Sinners that frequently relapse into their Sins, to a Swine that as soon as he is wash’d, goes again to wallow in the Mire. ‘Tis a kind of Proverb, that a Hog loves Dirt, and is pleas’d with wallowing in the Mud and Filth.
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