196

Sprinkling Vessel from Mmtfaucon.

[Book II.

Jewish priests commonly used a brauch of hyssop, but occasionally apiece of wool, and sometimes the fingers. “The priest shall diphisfingerin the oil and sprinkle it.” The Greeks and Romans had not only fountsor vases of holy water in their temples for the use of worshippers, whodipped their fingers into them, as Roman catholics and others do at thisday ; but on particular occasions, priests or officers attended to purify thepeople by sprinkling. Thus, when the Emperor Julian visited the templeat Antioch, the Neocori stood on each side of the doorway to purify withlustral water all who entered. Valentinian , who was afterwards raised tothe empire, was then captain of Julian ’s guard, and as such walked infront. He was then a Christian, and sorae of the water having beenthrown upon him, he turned and strack the priest, saying, that the waterrather polluted than purified; at which the emperor was so enraged thathe immediately banished him.

Now whether the fingers or light brooms, &c. were used on such occa-sions we do not know ; but there were others at which the former cer-tainly were not. When the emperors dined, not only their persons andtable furniture, but th efood also was purified with lustral water. At thefeast of Daphne near Antioch, which lasted seven days, we learn thata neochorus stood by the emperor’s seat, and sprinkled the dishes andmeats ‘ as usual.’ flow was this water dispersed 1 Certainly not by thefingers; nor is it likely that a wisp or a broom was employed, since itwould be difficult to direct the small shower with sufficient precision on thesmaller objects. We have made these remarks for the purpose of intro-

ducing the figure of an ancient sprinkling ves-sel, from the third volume of Montfaucon’sAntiquities. It was supposed by him to havebelonged to the table or kitchen, but its spe-cific use he could not conjecture. It is evi-dently a modification of the atmospheric gar-den pot, and it appears admirably adapted for

No. 73. Roman Sprinkling Vase, dispersing liquid perfumes or lustral water atthe table. The ring is adapted to receive theforefinger, while the thumb could close the small orifice, and thus the Con-tents might be retained or discharged at pleasure.

Among other heathen customs that were long retained in the Christianchurch, was this practice of sprinkling. Peter Martyr exelaims against acertain dass, “ who not only consecrate temples themselves, but also altarsand coverings to the altars; I meane the table clothes and napkins, andalso the chalices and patins, the massing garmentes, the churchyardes, thewaxe candles, the frankincense, the pascal lambe, eggs, and also holie wa-ter; the boughes of their palm trees, yong springes, gras«, pot-hearbes,and finally all kindsof fruites.” “ They doe sprinkle houses, deade bodies,churchyardes, eggs, flesh, pothearbes, and garmentes.”“

Of all the transactions connected with heathen theology, few evermade a greater noise in ancient Rome than one that is connected with thispart of our subject; viz. the miracle by which Tutia the vestal saved herlife. It was a religious custom among all the nations of old, to keep sa-cred fire in the temples of their deities. In some, lamps were kept burning;,in others fuel kindled on the altars. In the temples of Jupiter-Am-mon, Apollo, Minerva, and some other deities were lamps constantlyburning. The Israelites were to cause the lamps to “ burn continually,besides which, “ the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar : it shall

a Common Plaees, part iv, cap. 9.