[Image] [Hi-Res Image]
Page 318
Wvora THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG of true tradition. This letter is his only extant in a class by themselves, somewhat analogous to work. Of its genuineness, once contested in Roman the cattle, were young fruit-trees of which not the Catholic quarters, there should be no doubt; and first-fruits as such, but those of the fourth year were Ritschl's assumption of interpolations is to be brought, the first three years' produce being re rejected. Firmilian is celebrated in the Oriental garded as unclean and neither gathered nor eaten Church on Oct. 28. G. KRCGER. (Lev. xix. 23--25). First-fruits of the field, and of BisLioaaArav: 0. Ritschl, Cvprian von Karthavo, pp. 126- the vineyards and olive-groves were to be brought 134, GSttineen, 1885; Harnack, i;itteratur, i. 407 sqq.; yearly; the former, it was decreed, should be J. Ernst, in ZKT, xviii (1894), 2DD-259 (On the genuine- brought voluntarily and early (Ex. xxii. 29; xxiii. new of the letter); E. w. Benson, Cupr:on, his L:t°. 19 [Book of the Covenant]; asxiv. 26 [J] and ac Timeeand Work, pp. 387-398, London, 1897; DCB, ii. cog to Deut. xxvi. 1-2 [D]) 621-522. in a basket; the FIRST-BORN. See FAxmy A" MARRIAGE RE- Test of the firstlings was used for a meal (cf. Dill mann on Deut. xxvi. 11 and Nowack, Archdologie, L~TIONa, HEBREW, § 16. Freiburg, 1894, ii. 256). As the first-fruits fur FIRST-FRUITS-1. In the Old Testament: In nished the income of the priests they were later common with other nations of antiquity the He- gathered in the store-rooms of the temple, to be brews consecrated the first proceeds of field or used as required (II Chron. xxxi. 5, 11; Neh. x. flock (Gk. aparchdi, Lat. primitim) to the deity; 37, 39, xii. 44, xiii. 5; Mal. iii8, 10). The range this is the essence of the sacrificial cult (cf. Dillmann was later extended to sheep's and goat's wool on Lev. xxiii. 14, and Smith, Rel. of Sem., pp. 443 (Deut. xviii. 4) and honey (11 Chron. xxxi. 5). sqq., 104, 210, 220 sqq.). The general term for ·s the Old Testament law gives no instruction as first-fruits in Hebrew is re'shith ("the first of"; to quantity or quality, or the place and manner of applied to land, Deut. xxxiii. 21; to the harvest, delivery, this was added in the Mishnah-tracts Lev. xxiii. 10; to fruit,~Deut. xxvi. 2, 10; Ezek. Bikkurim and Terumoth and may have been xliv. 30); whereas bikkurim is a special term (used really observed later; wine and oil were to be of new grain and fruit, Lev. xxiii. 20; Ex. xxiii. 16, no less than one-sixtieth of the harvest (one xxxiv. 22; Num. xviii. 13; Neh. x. 35, xiii. 31; of thirtieth or one-fortieth was considered highly figs [Neh. iii. 12]; of grapes, Nun. xiii. 20; etc,); liberal, Terum. iv. 3); the bikktcrim proper were the term applied to animals (firstlings) and man limited to the seven products of Deut. viii. 8 (first-born) is prefer rehem (Ex. xiii. 2, 15, xxiv. 19; (with dates in place of honey). These regula Nun. iii. 12, xviii. 15; Ezek. xx. 26) or simply tons apply only to Palestine; Jews remote from peter (Ex. xiii. 20-21, xxxiv. 20; but of. in poetic Jerusalem may bring their offerings dried. The diction, Gen. Aix. 3; Deut. xxi. 17; Pa. lxxviii. ceremony of delivery is described (for a vivid 51). As the firstling belonged to the holy picture of a Bikkurim-procession of. Delitzsch, taxes (see TAxATiGN, HEBREW), so the expression Jfid'schm Handwerkerleben zur Zeit Jeau, Erlangen, terumah (" lift " or " heave4offering] ") includes, 1875, 66; Eng. transl., London, 1877, 94), and the if used in its general sense (Lev. xxii. 12; Nuzl. v. time was set not before Pentecost nor after the Feast 9), besides the first-born, the tithe, the " ban," of Dedication (Bikkurim, i. 3). The temmoth proper and plunder, also the firstlings (Num. xv. 19, xviii. were to be delivered " to the priests in their 11, xxxi. 41). cities (Bikkurim, ii. 4) and included products from As an expression of gratitude to him who had Jewish farms abroad (cf. Josephus, Ant. XVI., given both land and harvest there were at the feasts vi. 7; Philo, ii. 568); direction is given how and in the name of the whole people (1) the waving of by whom they are to be eaten, and how the lay the first sheaf, of barley, on the Sunday of the Maz- man, who consciously or unconsciously eats of the zoth-week (16th of Nisan; cf. Dillmann on Lev. mth is to be punished. (VicToR RyssELt.) xxiii. 11), when other sacrifices were also offered 2· Ecclesiastical. See TAxATmN, EccLEarAs (Lev. xxiii. 10-14); (2) seven weeks later, the two T1cAL. " wave "-loaves, baked out of leavened dough (of BmLIOaaArsi: The commentaries on the psweges cited in two-tenths of an ephah of new flour), offered as a the text; Schamr, Guehichta, ii. 244-284, Ene. trand. 11. i. 237-242; DB, ii. 1V-11; EB, ii. 1525-26; JR, v, peace offering with two yearling lambs (Lev. xxiii. 398-400. 15-21; cf. Dillmann on vs. 18). FISCH, GEORGES: Swiss Protestant; b. at Besides these national offerings every individual Nyon (14 m. n. of Geneva), Switzerland, July 6, brought his first-fruits, though the quantity was 1814; d. at Vallorbe (30 m. n.w. of Lausanne) optional. These were in their natural state, as July 3, 1881. After finishing his theological grain, fruit, honey, wool (first-fruits of the field); studies at Lausanne he was pastor of a small or partly refined as wine (first-fruits of the vine- German church at V6vay for five years. In 1846 yard), as oil (first-fruits of the olive-groves), as he went to Lyons, France, as assistant to Adolphe bread or cake (first-fruits of flour). All these were Monod (q.v.) of the Free Church, whom he suc perquisites of the priest, who alone might eat them ceeded. In 1855 he was called to Paris to succeed (Num. xviii. 11-13 [P]; Deut. xviii. 4 [D]; Ezek. Louis Bridel. He was warmly attached to the xliv. 30) though a part was used in the sacrificial cause of the Free Churches, took part in the con meal (Deut. xxvi. 1-2; of. xii. 16). From Prov. stitutional synod of 1849, and was president of the iii. 9-10, Mal. iii. 8, Job i. 6, Ecclus. xxv. 10, 1 Synodal Commission from 1863 till his death. He Mace. iii. 49 it may be inferred that the " first- was the chief support of the Evangelical Alliance fruits " enjoyed popular approval, which " tithe " in France and attended the conferences at London, and " first-born " lacked (cf. 11 Kings iv. 42). Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Amsterdam and New York. SIB