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49. A Min and R. Ami disputed about the resurrection of thedead after they are changed into dust. R. Ami replied witha parable. A king ordered his servants to build a palacewhere there was neither dust nor water. They did so andafter a time it collapsed. He then ordered them to buildone where there was both dust and water. They declaredthat impossible. He then rebuked them and said" If youcan do it where there is neither the one nor the other, whynot here?" We also find the earth producing the fieldmouse, which is one day half earth and half flesh and thenext day it is entirely flesh, and the stony rocks on themountains are covered with snails after the rain. Howmuch easier it is to bring back that which has already been

once.

50. A Min and Gaboha b. Pesisa disputed about the quicken-ing of the dead. The Min said," Woe unto you ye living whosay that the dead rise again; you are sure to die, but how canthose who disappear come again?" The reply was" Woe untoye sinners who say that the dead do not rise, for those whohave not been before come into existence( are born) andyet you do not believe that those who have been beforecan come again." He replied:" You call me a sinner, I willbeat you until I get your hump off your back." Gabohareplied:" Come and do so and I will call you a skilful phy-sician."

51. Two Jews were carried away captive from MountCarmel. The captor following them overheard one saying tothe other" A she- camel has passed before us, she is blind ofone eye and on one side she carries wine and on the othervinegar, and two men lead her the one an heathen and theother a Jew." The captor said" Oh ye sons of a stiffnecked.people, whence do ye know that?" They replied:" We recog-nise a she- camel by the foot- prints, the blindness becauseshe feeds only off the grass on one side of the road, the winedropping down has soaked into the earth, the vinegar makesbubbles, and the heathen is not so careful in his manners asthe Jew. The captor ran after them and found the words true."