e cannot deny that
the Jews were at an early period addicted to magical arts. This
propensity, there can be no doubt, whenever first manifested, was
increased through the Hebrews' intercourse with the inhabitants of
Egypt, Syria, and Chaldea.

Jews, who professed to work wonders by enchantments, gave directions
how to select and combine passages and proper names of Scripture that
would render supernatural beings visible, and bring about many
surprising results. The sacred word Jehovah, they said, when read with
points, multiplied by or added to a given number of letters, and
composed into certain words, produced miraculous effects. By that
sacred name and strange arrangements, their prophets, they thought,
performed miracles. The devil was supposed to have the power of
accusing mortal man at the great day of propitiation, so the Jews
endeavoured to appease him with presents. They believed that on that
day only he had the power to bring a charge against them, and
therefore, to deceive him, they had recourse to a singular stratagem.
In reading the accustomed portion of the law, they left out the
beginning and the end,--an omission which was expected to cause Satan
to overlook the important time. Those versed in magic could tell that
the five Hebrew letters of which the devil's name was composed
constituted the number 364, during which number of days he could not
accuse them; and in some way or other unknown to us, in addition to
the plan of mutilating the law, they kept his mouth shut year after
year.

We find from the Holy Scriptures, that a witch was not permitted to
live,--that there should not be found among the Hebrews any that used
divination, an enchanter, a charmer, a consulter with familiar
spirits, nor a necromancer, because the abominations of these
mischievous people proved a snare to the nations that were driven out
before the Israelites. Various opinions have been expressed regarding
the witch of Endor. Parties are not agreed as to whether she did or
did not bring up Samuel before Saul; but into their disputes it is
unnecessary for us to enter. All that we mean to draw from the
narrative is, that if the King of Israel had recourse to a witch in
his hour of perplexity, superstition must have been general in the
nation.

Religiously disposed Jews wore upon their arms and foreheads two
pieces of parchment containing the ten commandments. These charms, or
emblems of sanctity, or whatever they were called, w