Oriental customs: or an illustration of the sacred Scriptures, by an explanatory application of the customs and manners of the Eastern nations, and especially the Jews. Therein alluded to, together with observations on many difficult and obscure texts, collected from the most celebrated travellers, and the most eminent critics / by Samuel Burder.

  • Samuel Burder
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Oriental customs: or an illustration of the sacred Scriptures, by an explanatory application of the customs and manners of the Eastern nations, and especially the Jews. Therein alluded to, together with observations on many difficult and obscure texts, collected from the most celebrated travellers, and the most eminent critics / by Samuel Burder. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    391/448 (page 363)
    No. 527.-2 CORINTHIANS iii. 1. Epistles of commendation. Commendatory epistles, certifying the piety and good character of the person to whom they were given, and recommending him to an hospitable reception in the places to which he travelled, were an ancient custom in the primitive church. Whether they took their rise from the tesserce hospitalitatis of the heathens, or from the Jews, among whom the same custom prevailed, is an undecided point. Hammond inloc. No. 528.—v. 20. We are ambassadors.] Ambassa- dors were usually persons of great worth or eminent station, that by their quality and deportment they might command respect and attention from their very enemies; and what injuries or affronts soever had been committed, their persons were held sacred by all sides. Gods and men were thought to be concerned to prosecute with the utmost vengeance all injuries done to them ; whence wt?^ read that the Lacedaemonians having; inhumanly mur- dered Xerxes’ ambassadors, the gods would accept none of their oblations and sacrifices, which were all found polluted with direful omens, till two noblemen of Sparta were sent as an expiatory sacrifice to Xerxes, to atone for the death of his ambassadors by their own. Whence this holiness was derived upon ambassadors has been a matter of dispute. Fabulous authors deduce it from the honour paid by the ancients to the xyipv*eg or heralds, who were either themselves ambassadors, or, when others were deputed to that service, accompanied them, being held sacred on account of their original.