4 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



in the month named Abib, which signifies, he 

 says, an ear of corn ; but this month was after- 

 wards called Nisan, which means the " flight," 

 in allusion to the escape of the Israelites. It 

 was at this same season that our Lord suffered 

 for our redemption ; and it is a remarkable cir- 

 cumstance that there was always a tradition 

 among the Jews, that as they were redeemed 

 from Egypt on the 35th day of Nisan, so they 

 should on the same day be redeemed from death 

 by the Messiah. 



My uncle then said, " many of the ceremonial 

 laws of the Hebrews had a direct reference to the 

 idolatrous opinions and rites of the neighbouring 

 nations. For instance, some of the ordinances 

 of the passover, which was, you know, a memo- 

 rial of the deliverance of the Israelites, were 

 strikingly in opposition to the most deep-rooted 

 prejudices of the Egyptians. Amongst that 

 people, lambs and kids were held in the utmost 

 veneration, and never sacrificed ; but the 

 Israelites were instructed to sacrifice both. The 

 Israelites were desired to ' eat no part raw,' which 

 might appear a very unnecessary injunction, did 

 we not know that it was usual to do so in the 

 heathen festivals, as we learn from Herodotus 

 and from Plutarch, who both mention it as being 

 customary at the feasts of Bacchus, which had 

 their origin in Egypt. Of the Paschal lamb, 

 * no bone was to be broken 5' for on those oc- 



