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
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.
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![the Lord.'] The present mode of swearing among the Mo- hammedan Arabs, that live in tents as the patriarchs did, according to de la Roque (Voy. dans la Pal. p. 152.) is, b}* laying their hands on the Koran. They cause those who swear to wash their hands before they give them the book; they put their left hand underneath, and the right over it. Whether, among the patriarchs one hand was under, and the other upon the thigh, is not certain, possibly Abraham’s servant might swear with one hand under his master’s thigh, and the other stretched out to Heaven. As the posterity of the patriarchs are describ- ed as coming out of the thigh, it has been supposed, this ceremony had some relation to their believing the promise of God, to bless all the nations of the earth, by means of one that was to desc end from Abraham. HaPvMer, vol. iv. p. 477. No. 14.—xxvii. 39. Dew of Heaven.] Egypt, says M.Savary, would be uninhabitable, did not the nocturnal dews restore life to vegetables. These dews are so co- pious, especially in summer, that the earth is deeply soak- ed with them, so that in the morning one would imagine that rain had fallen durino- the night. This is the reason why the scripture promises the Israelites, who inhabited a climate pretty similar to that of Egypt, the dew of heaven as a signal favour. No. 15.—xxviii. 17. The gate of heaven.] After hav- ing described in what manner caverns were used as sacred temples, and the allegorical design of some parts of their furniture, Mr. Maurice says, “ In these caverns they erected a high ladder, which had seven gates, answering to the number of the planets, through which, according to their theology, the soul gradually ascends to the supreme mansion of felicity. I must here observe that the word gate, which is a](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22040900_0042.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
