THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 209 
“ fet my face againft him that eateth flefh with blood, till I 
“ cut him off from the people.” 
We have an inftance in the life of Saul* that fhews the — 
propenfity of theIfraelites to this crime. Saul’s army, after 
a battle, few, that is, fell voracioufly upon the cattle they had 
taken, and threw them upon the ground to cut off their 
fleth, and eat them raw, fo that the army was defiled by eat- 
ing blood, or living animals. To prevent this, Saul caufed 
roll to him a great ftone, and ordered thofe that killed their _ 
oxen to cut their throats upon that ftone. This was the only 
lawful way of killing animals for food ; the tying of the ox 
and throwing it upon the ground was not permitted as e- 
quivalent. The Ifraelites did probably in that cafe as the 
Abyffinians do at this day; they cut a part of its throat, fo 
that blood might be feen upon the ground, but nothing mor- 
tal to the animal followed from that wound. But, after lay- 
ing his head upon a large ftone, and cutting his throat, the 
blood fell from on high, or was poured on the ground like 
- water, and fufficient evidence appeared the creature was 
dead before it was attempted to eat it. We have feen that 
the Abyffinians came from Paleftine a very few years after 
this; and we are not to doubt that they then carried with 
sion this, with: many other Jewifh emioms; which they 
have continued to this day. 
Tue author I laft quoted fays, that it is plain, from all the 
books of the eaftern nations, that their motive for eating 
flefh with the life, or limbs of living animals cut off with 
Vi, Pepi Hoe the 
‘~ 
* 1 Sam. chap, xiv. ver. 32. 33. 
