J E W 



753 



J I D 



the natU while it is moist, but not if it is dry, because 

 thin it would raise some dust, and that would resemble 

 grinding or breaking to piece*. 



The vulgar Jewish chronology reckons only 1 948 

 yean to the birth of Abraham, and in several other 

 particular* it i at variance with the Bible. The mo- 

 dern Jews follow the practice of their ancestors, while 

 in Egypt, of commencing the year at the autumnal 

 equinox. The present Jewish calendar was settled by 

 Rabbi Hittel, about the middle of the 4th century of 

 the ChrUtian era, and it constructed with great inge- 

 nuity and astronomical exactness, not equalled by Chris- 

 tian* till the improvement of the Julian calendar by 

 Pope Gregory. 



Of the festivals of the Jews we can mention only a few, 

 and those merely in cursory manner. The principal 

 are those of the new moon, of the Passover, of 1'ente- 

 cort, of the new year, the fast of atonement, and the 

 feast of tabernacles. That the festival of the new moon 

 might be celebrated a* nearly as possible on the day of 

 the moon'* conjunction with the sun, most of the 

 mw^hf contain alternately twenty-nine and thirty days ; 

 ad the feast of the new moon is held on the first, or 

 on the first and second days of the month ; the wo- 

 men are not allowed to work, the men may. Good 

 ting and drinking particularly distinguish this festi- 

 val. The feast of the Passover commences on the 1 .Hh 

 day of the month Nisan, and continues among Jews 

 who live in or near Jerusalem seven days, and else- 

 where eight <Ujr.. The Sabbath (.levelling is called 

 the Great Sabbath, and is kept with most scrupulous 

 strictness. The mode and materials for making the 

 unleavened cakes for the Paaaover, are most minutely 

 described by the rabbis, at well as all the ceremonies 

 of this fea customary for every Jew to honour 



it by an exhibition of the most sumptuous furniture he 

 can afford. The table for the feast is covered with a 

 dean linen doth, on which are placed several dishes ; 

 en one is the shank bone of a shoulder of lamb or kid, 

 and an egg ; on another, three cakes, wnpped in two 

 napkins; on a third, some lettuce, parsley, celery, or 

 other herbs) ; these are their bitter herb*. Near the 

 aallad is a cruet of vinegar, and some salt and water. 

 There is also a dish, representing the bricks which their 

 forefathers were required to make in Egypt : this is 

 composed of apples, almonds, nuts, and figs, formed 

 into a paste, dressed in wine and cinnamon. The first 

 two days, and the last two, are kept with particular 

 solemnity and sUictneas. Contracts of marriage may 

 be made, but no marriage is to be solemnized during 

 this festival. The feast of Pentecost, on the 6th day 

 of the month Sivan, continue* two days, and is kept 

 with the same strictness as the first two days of the 

 Faasot rr. It is a received opinion of the Jew*, that 

 the world was created on the day of their new year; 

 and they therefore celebrate the festival of the new 

 year by a discontinuance of all labour, and by repeat- 

 ed service* in the synagogue. The fast of atonement 

 is on the I Oth day of Tun ; the first ten day* of the 

 month are called days of penitence, during which the 

 Jew* believe that God examine* the action* of man- 

 but he defer* passing sentence till the tenth. On 

 the eve of the fast, a ceremony, evidently designed as 

 a substitute for their ancient sacrifices, is performed ; 

 this consist* in killing a cock, with great formality. 

 The cocks must on no account be red; white is the 

 preferable colour. Before the fast begins, they endea- 

 vour to settle all their disputes. In the afternoon they 



11. PART II. 



make a hearty meal to prepare for the fast, which is of 

 the most rigid kind. The feast of tabernacles com- 

 mences on the 15th of Tisri, and is kept nine days. 

 Every Jew who has a court or garden is required to 

 erect a tabernacle on this occasion, respecting the ma- 

 terials and erection of which the rabbis have given spe- 

 cial directions. The eighth and ninth are high days, 

 particularly the last, which is called the day of the 

 rejoicing of the land. 



The Jews are not permitted to taste the flesh of any Food, 

 four-footed animals, except those which both chew the 

 cud anil part the hoof; nor any fish except such as 

 have both scales and fins ; they are not to eat the blood 

 of any beast or bird. Cattle for their use must be 

 slaughtered by a Jew, duly qualified, and especially 

 appointed for that purpose. If the carcase has the least 

 blemish, it cannot be eaten ; if it is perfectly sound, 

 he affixes to it a leaden seal, with the word cosher, 

 right, and the day of the week. If there be no Jew 

 butcher, a Jew appointed by the synagogue is station- 

 ed at the Christian butcher's to superintend the cutting 

 up of the carcase, and to affix the seal. The hind quar- 

 ters are not to be eaten unless the sinew of the thigh is 

 taken out. A cow and her calf, an ewe and her lamb, 

 a she goat and her kid, must not be killed in the same 

 day. The knife used for slaughter must be very sharp 

 and free from -notches. Meat and butter must not be 

 eaten together, on account of the law, " not to seethe 

 a kid in his mother's milk." For this reason, also, they 

 make their cheese without rennet. No knife, fork, 

 spoon, or culinary vessel, used for meat, is to be used 

 for milk. 



Such are the opinions, traditions, rites and ceremo- Canutes. 

 nies, of the great majority of the modern Jews ; but 

 besides these, there is a small sect denominated Ca- 

 raites, that is textualists persons attached to the text 

 of the Scripture*. They reside chiefly in the Crimea, 

 Lithuania, and Persia ; and at Damascus, Constanti- 

 nople, and Cairo; their whole number is very incon- 

 siderable. They agree with other Jews in denying the 

 advent of the Messiah. The principal difference be- 

 tween them coiuists in their adherence to the letter of 

 the Scripture, and in their rejection of all paraphrases 

 and interpretations of the rabbis. They also differ from 

 the rabbis in various particulars respecting the feasts of 

 the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. They observe 

 the Sabbath with far greater strictness ; they extend 

 the degrees of affinity within which marriage is pro- 

 hibited, but they are more strict in matters of di- 

 vorce. 



See Josephus' Jewish Antiquities, and hit Own Life ; 

 J/itluire dr In Religion de* Juift pour tervir de continu- 

 ation a I'Histoire de Josejihe, par Basnage; Tovey's 

 Anflia Judaica ; Monthly Magazine, vol. i. for the year 

 1796'; Gentleman' t Magazine for 1810 and 1811; A/o- 

 dern JitHaitm, by John Allen, (w. s.) 

 K i\ \T1US LOYOLA. See LOYOLA. 

 IGNIS FATUUS, commonly called Will fthe JVisp, 

 or Jack and the Lanthorn, is a meteor which is common- 

 ly seen in dark nights, in marshy grounds and other 

 damp places. A full account of it will be given under 

 the article METEORS. 

 IGUANA. See HERPETOLOGY. 

 JHANSU-JEUNG. See THIBET. 

 JIDDA, JEDDA, JODDA, ZITTA, or DSCHEDA, is a 

 small trading town of Arabia Felix, situated in the dis- 

 trict of Tahamah, about 40 miles distant from Mecca, 

 north latitude 20 28' 1" , and east longitude from 



5c 







