The organic chemists define the process of fermentation, and the substance which excites it, as follows:—'Fermentation is nothing else but the putrefaction of a substance containing no nitrogen. Ferment, or yeast, is a substance in a state of putrefaction, the atoms of which are in a continual motion.' This definition is in strict accordance with the views of the ancients, and gives point and force to many passages of Sacred Writ ( [grieved—A.V.];;;;;;; ). Leaven, and fermented or even some readily fermentable substances (as honey), were prohibited in many of the typical institutions both of the Jews and Gentiles. Plutarch assigns as the reason why the priest of Jupiter was not allowed to touch leaven, 'that it comes out of corruption, and corrupts that with which it is mingled.' All fermented substances were prohibited in the Paschal Feast of the Jews (; ); also during the succeeding seven days, usually called 'The Feast of Unleavened Bread,' though bread is not in the original. God forbade either ferment or honey to be offered to Him in his temple (i.e. in the symbolical rites), while they were permitted in offerings designed to be consumed as food (). On the same principle of symbolism, God prescribes that salt shall always constitute a part of the oblations to Him (). Salt prevents corruption or decay, and preserves flesh. Hence it is used as a symbol of incorruption and perpetuity. Thus St. Paul (comp.; ) uses 'salt' as preservative from corruption, on the same principle which leads him to employ that which is unfermented as an emblem of purity and uncorruptedness.
'The usual leaven in the East is dough kept till it becomes sour, and which is kept from one day to another for the purpose of preserving leaven in readiness. Thus, if there should be no leaven in all the country for any length of time, as much as might be required could easily be produced in twenty-four hours. Sour dough, however, is not exclusively used for leaven in the East, the lees of wine being in some parts employed as yeast.'
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John Kitto was an English biblical scholar of Cornish descent.Born in Plymouth, John Kitto was a sickly child, son of a Cornish stonemason. The drunkenness of his father and the poverty of his family meant that much of his childhood was spent in the workhouse. He had no more than three years of erratic and interrupted education. At the age of twelve John Kitto fell on his head from a rooftop, and became totally and permanently deaf. As a young man he suffered further tragedies, disappointments and much loneliness. His height was 4 ft 8 in, and his accident left him with an impaired sense of balance. He found consolation in browsing at bookstalls and reading any books that came his way.
From these hardships he was rescued by friends who became aware of his mental abilities and encouraged him to write topical articles for local newspapers, arranging eventually for him to work as an assistant in a local library. Here he continued to educate himself.
One of his benefactors was the Exeter dentist Anthony Norris Groves, who in 1824 offered him employment as a dental assistant. Living with the Groves family, Kitto was profoundly influenced by the practical Christian faith of his employer. In 1829 he accompanied Groves on his pioneering mission to Baghdad and served as tutor to Groves's two sons. In 1833 Kitto returned to England via Constantinople, accompanied by another member of the Groves mission, Francis William Newman. Shortly afterwards he married, and in due course had several children.
A London publisher asked Kitto to write up his travel journals for a series of articles in the Penny Magazine, a publication read at that time by a million people in Britain, reprinted in America and translated into French, German and Dutch. Other writing projects followed as readers enquired about his experiences in the East amidst people living in circumstances closely resembling those of Bible times.
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