13:12-15,16; Leviticus 27:6) The eldest son received a double portion of the father’s inheritance,
(21:17) but not of the mother’s. Under the monarchy the eldest son usually, but no always, as
appears in the case of Solomon, succeeded his father in the kingdom. (1 Kings 1:30; 2:22) The
male first-born of animals was also devoted to God. (Exodus 13:2,12,13; 22:29; 34:19,20) Unclean
animals were to be redeemed with the addition of one-fifth of the value, or else put to death; or, if
not redeemed, to be sold, and the price given to the priests. (Leviticus 27:13,27,28)
Firstfruits
The law ordered in general that the first of all ripe fruits and of liquors, or, as it is twice expressed,
the first of first-fruits, should be offered in God’s house. (Exodus 22:29; 23:19; 34:27) It was an
•
act of allegiance to God as the giver of all. No exact quantity was commanded, but it was left to
the spiritual and moral sense of each individual.
•On the morrow after the passover sabbath, i.e. on the 16th of Nisan, a sheaf of new corn was to
be brought to the priest and waved before the altar, in acknowledgment of the gift of fruitfulness.
(Leviticus 2:12; 23:5,6,10,12)
•At the expiration of seven weeks from this time, i.e. at the feast of pentecost, an oblation was to
be made from the new flour, which were to be waved in like manner with the passover sheaf.
(Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23:15,17; Numbers 28:26)
•The feast of ingathering, i.e. the feast of tabernacles, in the seventh month, was itself an
acknowledgment of the fruits of the harvest. (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:39) These four
sorts of offerings were national. Besides them, the two following were of an individual kind.
•A cake of the first dough that was baked was to be offered as a heave-offering. (Numbers 15:19,21)
•The first-fruits of the land were to be brought in a basket to the holy place of God’s choice, and
there presented to the priest, who was to set the basket down before the altar. (26:2-11) The
offerings were the perquisite of the priests. (Numbers 18:11; 18:4) Nehemiah, at the return from
captivity, took pains to reorganize the offerings of first-fruits of both kinds, and to appoint places
to receive them. (Nehemiah 10:35,37; 12:44) An offering of first-fruits is mentioned as an acceptable
one to the prophet Elisha. (2 Kings 4:42)
Fish
The Hebrews recognized fish as one of the great divisions of the animal kingdom, and as such
gave them a place in the account of the creation, (Genesis 1:21,28) as well as in other passages
where an exhaustive description of living creatures is intended. (Genesis 9:2; Exodus 20:4; 4:18;
1 Kings 4:33) The Mosaic law, (Leviticus 11:9,10) pronounced unclean such fish as were devoid
of fins and scales; these were and are regarded as unwholesome in Egypt. Among the Philistines
Dagon was represented by a figure half man and half fish. (1 Samuel 5:4) On this account the
worship of fish is expressly prohibited. (4:18) In Palestine, the Sea of Galilee was and still is
remarkable well stored with fish. (Tristram speaks of fourteen species found there, and thinks the
number inhabiting it at least three times as great.) Jerusalem derived its supply chiefly from the
Mediterranean. Comp. (Ezekiel 47:10) The existence of a regular fish-market is implied in the
notice of the fish-gate, which was probably contiguous to it. (2 Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 3:3;
12:39; Zephaniah 1:10) The Orientals are exceedingly fond of fish as an article of diet. Numerous
allusions to the art of fishing occur in the Bible. The most usual method of catching fish was by
the use of the net, either the casting net, (Ezekiel 26:5,14; 47:10); Habb 1:15 Probably resembling
the one used in Egypt, as shown in Wilkinson (iii. 55), or the draw or drag net, (Isaiah 19:8); Habb