FIRST-FRUITS-1. In the Old Testament: In
common with other nations of antiquity the He-
brews consecrated the first proceeds of field or
flock (Gk. aparchdi, Lat. primitim)
to
the deity; this is the essence of the sacrificial cult (cf. Dillmann
on
Lev. xxiii. 14,
and Smith, Rel. of Sem., pp.
443 sqq., 104, 210, 220 sqq.). The general term for
first-fruits
in Hebrew is re'shith
("the first of"; applied to land,
Deut. xxxiii. 21;
to the harvest,
Lev. xxiii. 10;
to
fruit,~Deut. xxvi. 2, 10;
Ezek. xliv. 30);
whereas bikkurim is a special term (used of new grain and fruit,
Lev. xxiii. 20;
Ex. xxiii. 16, xxxiv. 22;
Num. xviii. 13;
Neh. x. 35, xiii. 31;
of figs
[Neh. iii. 12];
of grapes, Nun. xiii. 20; etc,);
the term applied to animals (firstlings) and man
(first-born) is prefer rehem
(Ex. xiii. 2, 15, xxiv. 19;
Nun. iii. 12, xviii. 15;
Ezek. xx. 26)
or simply peter
(Ex. xiii. 20-21, xxxiv. 20;
but of. in poetic diction, Gen. Aix. 3;
Deut. xxi. 17;
Pa. lxxviii. 51). As the firstling belonged to the holy
taxes (see
Taxation, Hebrew), so the expression
Erlangen, terumah (" lift " or " heave4offering] ") includes,
if
used in its general sense
(Lev. xxii. 12;
Num. v. 9),
besides the first-born, the tithe, the " ban,"
and plunder, also the firstlings
(Num. xv. 19, xviii. 11, xxxi. 41).
As an expression of gratitude to him who had
given both land and harvest there were at the feasts
in the name
of the whole people (1) the waving of
the first sheaf, of barley, on the Sunday of the Maz-
zoth-week (16th of Nisan; cf. Dillmann on
Lev. xxiii. 11),
when other sacrifices were also offered
(Lev. xxiii. 10-14);
(2) seven weeks later, the two wave
two-tenths of an ephah of new flour),
offered as a
peace offering with two yearling lambs
(Lev. xxiii. 15-21;
cf. Dillmann on vs. 18). Besides these national offerings every individual
brought his first-fruits, though the quantity was
optional. These were in their natural state, as
grain, fruit, honey, wool (first-fruits of the field);
or partly refined as wine (first-fruits of the vine-
yard), as oil (first-fruits of the olive-groves), as
bread or cake (first-fruits of flour). All these were
perquisites of the priest, who alone might eat them
(Num. xviii. 11-13
[P];
Deut. xviii. 4
[D];
Ezek. xliv. 30)
though a part was used in the sacrificial
meal
(Deut. xxvi. 1-2;
of. xii. 16). From
Prov. iii. 9-10,
Mal. iii. 8,
Job i. 6,
Ecclus. xxv. 10,
I Macc. iii. 49
it may be inferred that the " first-
fruits " enjoyed popular approval, which " tithe "
and "first-born" lacked (cf.
II Kings iv. 42).
in a class by themselves, somewhat analogous to
the cattle, were young fruit-trees of which not the
first-fruits as such, but those of the fourth year were
brought, the first three years' produce being re
garded as unclean and neither gathered nor eaten
(Lev. xix. 23--25).
First-fruits of the field, and of
the vineyards and olive-groves were to be brought
yearly; the former, it was decreed, should be
brought voluntarily and early
(Ex. xxii. 29; xxiii. 19
[Book of the Covenant]; asxiv. 26 [J] and ac
cording to
Deut. xxvi. 1-2
[D]) in a basket; the rest of the firstlings was used for a meal (cf. Dill
mann on
Deut. xxvi. 11
and Nowack, Archäologie,
Freiburg, 1894, ii. 256). As the first-fruits für
nished the income of the priests they were later
gathered in the store-rooms of the temple, to be
used as required
(II Chron. xxxi. 5, 11;
Neh. x. 37, 39, xii. 44, xiii. 5;
Mal. iii8, 10). The range was later extended to sheep's and goat's wool
(Deut. xviii. 4)
and honey
(II Chron.
xxxi. 5).
As the Old Testament law gives no instruction as
to quantity or quality, or the place and manner of
delivery, this was added in the Mishnah-tracts
Bikkurim and Terumoth and may have been
really observed later; wine and oil were to be
no less than one-sixtieth of the harvest (one
thirtieth or one-fortieth was considered highly
liberal, Terum. iv. 3); the bikktcrim proper were
limited to the seven products of
Deut. viii. 8
(with dates in place of honey). These regula
tons apply only to Palestine; Jews remote from
Jerusalem may bring their offerings dried. The
ceremony of delivery is described (for a vivid
picture of a
Bikkurim-procession of. Delitzsch,
Jfid'schm Handwerkerleben zur Zeit Jeau,
1875, 66; Eng. transl., London, 1877, 94), and the
time was set not before Pentecost nor after the Feast
of Dedication (Bikkurim, i. 3). The temmoth proper
were to be delivered " to the priests in their
cities (Bikkurim, ii. 4) and included products from
Jewish farms abroad (cf. Josephus, Ant. XVI.,
vi. 7; Philo, ii. 568); direction is given how and
by whom they are to be eaten, and how the lay
man, who consciously or unconsciously eats of the
mth is to be punished.
(Victor Ryssel.)
2· Ecclesiastical. See
Taxation, Ecclesiastical.
Bibliography:
The commentaries on the psweges cited in
the text; Schamr, Geshichta, ii. 244-284, Ene. transl.
II. i. 237-242; DB, ii.
1V-11; EB, ii. 1525-26; JR, v,
398-400.
