terward to take it to anoint and to purify the priests
themselves, and all the tabernacle, as also the sacrifices. There were
also many, and those of various kinds, of sweet spices, that belonged to
the tabernacle, and such as were of very great price, and were brought
to the golden altar of incense; the nature of which I do not now
describe, lest it should be troublesome to my readers; but incense
[19] was to be offered twice a-day, both before sun-rising and at
sun-setting. They were also to keep oil already purified for the lamps;
three of which were to give light all day long, [20] upon the sacred
candlestick, before God, and the rest were to be lighted at the evening.

4. Now all was finished. Besaleel and Aholiab appeared to be the most
skillful of the workmen; for they invented finer works than what others
had done before them, and were of great abilities to gain notions of
what they were formerly ignorant of; and of these, Besaleel was judged
to be the best. Now the whole time they were about this work was the
interval of seven months; and after this it was that was ended the first
year since their departure out of Egypt. But at the beginning of the
second year, on the month Xanthicus, as the Macedonians call it, but
on the month Nisan, as the Hebrews call it, on the new moon, they
consecrated the tabernacle, and all its vessels, which I have already
described.

5. Now God showed himself pleased with the work of the Hebrews, and did
not permit their labors to be in vain; nor did he disdain to make use of
what they had made, but he came and sojourned with them, and pitched his
tabernacle in the holy house. And in the following manner did he come to
it:--The sky was clear, but there was a mist over the tabernacle only,
encompassing it, but not with such a very deep and thick cloud as is
seen in the winter season, nor yet in so thin a one as men might be able
to discern any thing through it, but from it there dropped a sweet dew,
and such a one as showed the presence of God to those that desired and
believed it.

6. Now when Moses had bestowed such honorary presents on the workmen,
as it was fit they should receive, who had wrought so well, he offered
sacrifices in the open court of the tabernacle, as God commanded him;
a bull, a ram, and a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering. Now I
shall speak of what we do in our sacred offices in my discourse about
sacrifices; and therein shall inform men in what cases Moses