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28. The story of the false prophets Ahab ben Kolaya andZidkia b. Maaseya. They went to the daughter of Nebuchad-nezar and by false prophecies tried to induce her to sin,The king knowing this to be against Jewish teaching testedthem in fire, saying if they were true prophets they wouldbe saved like the three children in the fiery furnace. Theyasked to be associated with the high priest Joshua, hopingto be saved through his merit, and in order that they mightbe three. The two were burned, but Joshua was merelysinged through the bad company and because he was notsufficiently strict with his children.

29. A Jew and a heathen disputed about their religion.]Satan disguised as a man decided in favour of the heathen,who tork all the money. The Jew overheard the discussion ofthis Satan with another, and he learned the means by whichto cure the daughter of the Emperor and to find a springof water and he became rich. The heathen went to thesame place and was killed by these three Shedim.

30. An heathen came to Shammai and asked him how manylaws there were. He was told two, the written and the oral.He refused to accept the oral, for he had no faith in tradition.He went to Hillel and received the same reply. Hillel askedhim to come the next day and he then taught him theAleph- Beth. The next day be called Aleph, Beth and Beth,Aleph. The heathen said" Did you not say it was Bethyesterday?" Hillel replied" Why do you believe my tradi-tion and not the Divine?"

31. An heathen heard of the honour paid to the high priestand he wished to become a Jew. Shammai refused himsaying that it was ridiculous for him to pretend to becomehigh priest. Hillel received him on condition that he firstlearned all that was required of him. So he studied the Lawand he found there the passage" The stranger who approachesthe sanctuary shall die", and he was informed that evenDavid the King of Israel would not be allowed to approachthe altar of the Lord. He became reconciled and turned aJew. He had two children; one he called Hillel and the