(6) That such societies (assemblies of the wise) selected their own president from among the most distinguished and learned of their mem bers; and consisted of more or fewer members, but certainly not less than ten, capable of partak ing in a discussion on some proposed learned question.
It is perhaps worth notice that we may trace in some of the fragments which have descended to us from those assemblies, ten different speakers or lecturers; see ex. gr., Eccles. i :3 to iv :16, where the following sections evidently bear the character of different speakers and different subjects: (I) ch. i :3-7; (2) 8-11; (3) ch. xiv :2-26; (4) ch. iii :1-8; (5) 9-15; (6) 16-22 ; (7) ch. iv:I-6; (8) 7-8; (9) 9-12; (to) 13-16. Again we can dis tinguish another assembly and different speakers in the following verses of Eccles.: (I) ch. viii: 8-to; (2) 1-13 ; (3) 14, ; (4) 16, (5) ch. ix :1; (6) 2-4; (7) 4-6; (8) 7-10; (9) II, 12; (to) 13 ; ch. x :1.
(7) That the president or head of the assembly usually brought forward the question or subject at issue very briefly, and sometimes even in a very low voice, so as not to be heard by the whole assembly, but only by those close at his elbow, who then detailed and delivered it at large in a louder voice to the meeting.
Traces of the developed details of subjects thus briefly proposed by the president of the assem bly, cannot escape the eye of the inquiring reader of Ecclesiastes and the Book of Wisdom. Thus, in the counter-songs in Ecclesiastes, perhaps the introduction, the few laconic words, 'vanity of vanities, all is vanity!' constituted the sentence with which the president opened the subject or question. So also in the Book of Wisdom (vi: 22 ; ix :17), where perhaps the naked question, 'What is wisdom? Whence does it come?' longed to the president, who in this brief manner opened the subject, leaving thediscussion and en largement to the other able members. (Comp. also v:23 with vi :1-21 ; and see i Cor. xiv: 27, 28.) (8) That the pupils or students in those assem blies were not mere boys coming to be instructed in the rudiments of knowledge, but men or youths of more or less advanced education, who came thither either to profit by listening to the learned discussions, or even to participate in them them selves, thus paving the way and preparing them selves for the office of the presidency at some future time.
(9) That these meetings were public, admitting any one, though not a member, and even allowing him to propose questions.
(to) That the subjects propounded in those assemblies were of a manifold character : (a) songs in which the audience now and then joined; (b) counter-songs, in which several of the learned members delivered their thoughts and opinions on a certain proposed question; (c) adages; (d) solutions of obscure questions and problems (amigneata).
(II) That the principal task of these assemblies was to preserve the remains of the sages of olden times by collecting and writing them down. This office probably procured for E. (the president of such an assembly) the distinguished title of saw-fare, 'scribe' (Ezra vii :6, II, 12).
(12) That these assemblies and meetings were still in existence in the times of Christ and his apostles.
Specimens of the matters discussed in those assemblies in this latter period are found in the Talmud. in the collections of Baruch and Jesus (son of Sirach), and more especially in the Book of Wisdom. Perhaps some expressions of John the Baptist and some speeches of Christ might be compared with them. Even the frequent pas sages in the New Testament, in which Christ and the apostles warn the people against the sophis tries, subtleties, idle questions and vain researches of the so-called wise, show us that these impor tant institutions had greatly degenerated in the latter part of the period under our notice (Col. It :8; I Tint. i :4, 6; iv:7; vi :4, 20 ; Tit. iii :9)• And so we find it in reality, when we examine with attention the scanty materials which exist for the history of this time (Ex. gr. T. Bab. Tr. Hagigalt).
The originally useful objects of this institution were soon lost sight of in the ambitious views of the sages on whom its character depended to shine, and to say something new and original, however absurd and paradoxical, a mania visible already in the second part of the Book of Wis dom, and which soon contributed and lent charms to the cabalistic researches and interpretations, and art of extravagant speculation, which sup planted even in the first period of our Christian era all other solid researches among the Jews, and caused the downfall of those assemblies.