he author, it is said that
the author makes surprising errors with regard to the Temple ritual,
which St. Barnabas was not likely to do. The so-called "errors" are:
(a) the high priest sacrificing _daily_ (vii. 27; x. 11)--but the high
priest was free to do this; (b) the pot of manna and Aaron's rod placed
_in the ark_ (ix. 4), though not so described in 1 Kings viii. 9--but
in the tabernacle they were at least close to the ark (Exod. xvi. 34;
Numb. xvii. 10); (c) the altar of incense is said to belong to the
_holiest place_ (ix. 4)--but it did belong to it in the sense of
sanctifying the approach to it, though it was placed outside it: see 1
Kings vi. 22. No one can reasonably say that these statements are of
such a nature as to prove that the Epistle was not written by a Levite.

[Sidenote: To whom written.]

The title says "To the Hebrews." The character of the Epistle suggests
this. It was plainly written for Jewish Christians, and apparently for
some particular community of them (v. 11, 12; vi. 9, 10; x. 32-34;
xiii. 1, 7, 19, 23). Which community, it is difficult to say. The
Jewish Christians of Rome have been suggested, and in support of this
the reference to Italian Christians (xiii. 24) has been quoted. It is
a strange fact that this theory about the destination of the Epistle is
favoured by some critics who assign it to a late date. For if it was
really written to Rome, the date must be early. It is almost
inconceivable that the author should have said, "Ye have not yet
resisted unto blood," to the Christians of _Rome_ after the persecution
of A.D. 64-65. Some town in Syria or Palestine is more likely than
Rome, and Antioch seems a probable destination for the Epistle. The
community must have been {213} familiar with Greek, and at the same
time must have been under strong temptations to relapse into Judaism.
They had for the sake of Christ left the warm social life of Judaism.
They felt isolated and depressed. The splendour of the temple worship
and the zeal of Jewish patriotism were luring them back to their old
religion. They felt that they had perhaps deserted a magnificent
reality for a shadowy hope. Such circumstances fit with the theory
that the community dwelt in Palestine or Syria, and the same theory is
supported by the fact that these Christians had been converted long ago
(v. 12), and had heard the apostles (ii. 3).

[Sidenote: Where and when written.]

Probably from Italy, as show