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rain swamped it. These were the vanguards and so he gaveit up.

9. The Emperor said that he wanted to see God. He wastold:" It is impossible." They placed him to look at thesun in the midst of Tammus. He could not do so. How thencould he look at God if he could look at one of the leastof his servants?

10. The daughter of the Emperor said to Rabbi Joshua:" Your God is a builder, so let Him build a tent here."She became leprous and had to be placed in a tent as theydo in Rome. She asked to be freed from her illness and thereply was:" Our God gives but He does not take back again."

11. The Emperor asked Rabbi Joshua whether the deadcame to life and being dust, how could dust live? The daughterof the Emperor replied:" There are two makers of thingsin our place, one makes things out of water and the otherout of earth; which is the most skilful?" The Emperor re-plied:" The one who makes them out of water". She replied:" And God created everything out of water, how mucheasier then is it to revive those formed of dust."

12. The Emperor asks R. Gamliel" If there is a God in theworld why does He not show Himself and why does Henot speak direct to His creatures so that they might respectHim the more.?" He replies" God is a consuming fire." TheEmperor is not satisfied with the answer. The next morning,Gamliel slaps the face of his servant in the presence of theEmperor, who is wroth and thinks that R. Gamliel deservespunishment for acting so in his presence. R. Gamliel re-plies:" He brought me some extraordinary news; a ship ofmine lost for seven years has suddenly returned fully ladenwithout sailors and without sails." The Emperor declaresthat is impossible. R. Gamliel replies;" If so how can aworld created by God govern and feed itself alone, withoutthe One who looks after it?" The whole assembly applauds.

13. The Emperor asks R. Akiba:-" Why is it said, God giveswisdom to the wise and not to the fool?" R. Akiba simulatesillness; the Emperor sends medicine worth a 1000 denars,

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