" names of the children of Israel, and put upon the shoulder of 

 " the Ephod ;" and the same number were set upon the pectoral 

 of the High Priest, graven also " every * one ^^'ith his name, 

 " according to the twelve tribes." The several colours of these 

 gems were, agreeable to the Rabbinical ■\- tradition, the same 

 as formed the ground of the several ensigns of the tribes ; the 

 name of each tribe being engraven upon a stone of a corresponding- 

 colour. This is a coincidence not to be neglected ; it shews how 

 much the Jewish ritual was connected with military emblem ; it 

 proves that something of this latter kind formed the hieroglyphic 

 of each tribe ; and gives strength to the conjecture, that an armo- 

 rial compound of military devices formed the sacred symbol of the 

 combined state. 



With regard to more modern commentators, I shall observe two 

 slight coincidences with mine, in collateral opinions of Mede, and 

 Bishop Horsley. The first, in mentioning how Rabbinical tradi- 

 tionj confirmed, that the faces of the Cherubim of the tabernacle 

 were those which Ezekiel describes, adds this signification of the 

 entire hieroglyphic, that upon these the Deity was borne, as Lord 

 of the four cohorts of the Israelitish hosts — " Quemadmodum, enim, 

 " Principum Quadrigs dominorum suorum Ailgent insignibus ; ita 

 " hie Cherubim, signis Jehovae, Regis Tetrarchiorum Israelis." The 

 following remarlts of Bishop Horsley § go yet farther to prove a 



• Exod. 39. 10. 



f Univ. Hist. V. 1. pages 547 &c. 



J For these see Mede ubi sup. and the note in Wetstein's Gr. Testament v. 2. 766. to 

 ■Revel. 4. 7. for much curious matter from the Rabbins upon this subject, to wluch 1 shall 

 hereafter refer. 



§ On Hos. n. 6. 



