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tic sources. These will have the nega- 
tive mé't of, at least, making more ge- 
nerally known, through the medium 
of your valuable publication, some of 
the objects which cannot fail, nearly 
or remotely, to be. interesting to your 
readers. 
Capiuin Horden, among other paxticu- 
lars that he thought wortlry of notice, 
has given some account of the Lamps and 
Lanterns, commonly in use at Cairo. 
The lamp, he tells us, is of the palm- 
tree wood, of the height of 23 inches, and 
made after a very rude fashion. The 
glass that hangs in the middle is_half 
filled with water, and has oil im the top, 
three fingers in depth, The wick is pre- 
served dry at the bottom of the glass, 
where they have contrived a place for it, 
and ascends through a pipe, ‘These 
Jamps do not give much light, yet they 
are very commodious, because they are 
transported easily trom place to place. 
With regard to the lanterns, they have 
pretty nearly the figure of a cage, and 
are made of reeds. It is a collection of 
“five or six glasses, like that of the lamp, 
‘which has been thus described. They 
suspend them by cords in the middle of 
the streets, when there is any great fes- 
tivity at Cairo; and they put painted 
-paper in the place of reeds. 
Were these, it has been asked, the 
sort of lamps referred to in the parable 
of the virgins, or such as were employed 
when our Saviour was about to be appre- 
hended? or are we rather to suppose, 
that these were the lamps appropriated 
in the Egyptian illuminations,-and that 
Dr. Pococke’s aceount of tne lanterns of 
this country will give us a better idea of 
the lanterns anciently used at Jerusalem. 
“By night,” says-that author, (vol, 1. 
Descrip. of the East,) speaking of the 
travelling of the people of Ezypt, “ they 
rarely make use of tents, but lie in the 
open air, having large Janterns, made 
like a pocket paper-lantern, the bottom 
and top heing of copper, tinned over, 
and used instead of paper, they are made 
with men, which is extended by hoops 
ef wire, so that, when it is put together, 
it serves as a candlestick, &c. and they 
pave a contrivance to hang it up abroad 
by means of three staves.” r 
It appears from travellers, that lamps, 
wax-caidles, torches, lanterns, and 
cresset lights, or such as were used for 
beacons, are all made use of .among the 
eastern people. ‘There are, however, 
not more than three words in the New 
Testament, to express these things Ly ; 
On the Lamps of the East. 
[dan. 1 
of which avyy@- seems to signify the 
common lamp, or such as is used in or= 
dinary life, (see Luke xv. 8.) which, ae<« 
cording to Norden, does not affurd much 
light: Awugas is one of the words made 
use of by Johu(xviii. S.) This appears to 
mean any sort of light that shines brighter — 
than common, whether torches blazing, 
resinous pieces of wood, or lamps that 
are supplied with more than ordinary 
quantities of oil, or other unctuous 
substances, such as that mentioned by 
Jonas Hanway, the merchant, in his tra- 
vels, (vol. i. p. 223,) which stood in the 
court-yard of a person of some distinc- 
tiun in Persia, was supplied with tallow, 
and was sufficient to énlighten the whole 
place; asa single wax-candle served for 
the illamimation of the room in which he 
was entertained. The lamps of the five | 
Virgins were not unlikely of the same kind, 
for they were supplied with oil, and were 
supposed to be sutiicient for enlightening 
the company they went to meet on a. 
very joyful occasion, and when intense 
lights seem to have been required. 
The other word (which oceurs in 
John xvii. 3.) is not met with elsewhere 
in. the New Testament; but, perhaps, it 
is not equally certain, whether it means 
lanterns, as our translators have render- 
ed it: if it doth, it hath been thoaght ra- 
ther tu imply the linen lanterns, of 
which Dr. Pococke speaks, than such as 
are mentioned by Norden, which seems 
rather to be machines proper for illumi- 
nation than for common use. These 
lights mignt be employed, lest, through 
the darkness of the night, or the weak- 
ness of the ordinary lights, an opportu- 
nity might be furnished for the eseape of 
our Saviour. Many of them had torches,. 
or such large and bright burning lamps, 
as were made use of en nuptial solemni« 
ties, the more effectually to receive him- 
Such was the treachery of Judas, and 
such the zeal of his attendants. 
It may be thought, that Lamy, in his 
Apparatus Biblicus, may throw some 
light on the lampef St. Luke. ‘* As soon 
as the sun was gone down so far, that it 
shone only.on the tops of the mountains, 
they lighted the lamps, because 1 was 
not lawful to hght any fire on the Sab- 
bath-day.”” aaa 
Euripides, in his Medea, (p. 349, ed. 
Steph.) mentions the hghting up, and 
exlubition, of lamps, referriag at to the 
female, as one part of the ceremony be~ 
longing to the celebration of marriage. 
And not only the practices of the 
Jews in modern. days, but ail the more: 
recené 
