BRED AMONG THE ANCIENT JEWS. 397 
The crowing of the cock raentioned on this occasion, 
has given rise to much speculation ; and, while the greatest 
part believe, that it was a real cock that crew; some contend 
that it was nothing but the blast of a trumpet at the begin- 
ning of the third watch, and repeated at the beginning of the 
fourth, by the Roman soldiers placed on guard at Jerusalem. 
Altman first suggested this idea ; but it was opposed by 
Diotsma, both sensible men and considerable scholars in 
their day. 
The discussion of the one is contained in the Biblioth. 
Brem. cl. v. fasc. iii., and the reply of the other, in the Mus. 
Brem. vol. i. p. 377., both literary journals in the north of 
Germany, during the last c^entury. 
The former maintains, that, when the trumpet sounded 
at twelve oVlock at night, the Romans, and after them the 
Jews, called this sound the first cock-crowing ; and when it 
sounded at three o'clock in the morning, this sound was 
called the second cock-crowing. 
The other contends, that a real cock crew both times, 
though the exact time of the night cannot be known ; and 
that the opinion of his antagonist is a paradox, not supported 
by proof, that can convince a rational and inquisitive man. 
To ascertain which opinion is most true, let us consult 
the words of the Evangelists. Those of Mark and Luke 
are more precise than those of Matthew and John. Mark 
says that the cock crew after the first denial, without speci- 
fying the time of the night ; then the second denial was 
made ; and at length the third, after which the cock crew 
again. Luke says the second denial was made a little after 
the first, and the third about the space of an hour after 
the second. In other words, there was nearly an interval 
of three hours between the first and the second denial. 
If the blasts of a trumpet, at the beginning of the third 
and fourth watches of the night, were called cock-crowings 
by the Jews, as well as by the Romans, they might confi- 
