Manhardt, Wald& Feld.

holle, sof

70-

73. A man and woman betrothed to one another were takencaptive and sold as slaves. They lived together but theydid not become intimate. A father and son sinning with abetrothed on Kippur brought about death. They werefound out and punished.

74. A man wished to divorce his rich wife under false pre-tences, implicating his best friend. One of Shammai's dis-ciples detected the fraud.

75. Short note of the destruction of Bet- Tur through theaxle of the waggon. They used to plant trees on the birthof a child and afterwards used them at its wedding. Thesewere once cut down by the Romans to make an axle for thecarriage of the Emperor's daughter, and the people rose inconsequence against the Roman soldiers. This was takenas a sign of rebellion and the town was destroyed, theblood flowing for miles into the sea.

75a. When Akiba saw Bar Coziba he declared him to be theMessiah. He had a large army of 80,000 and he had 200,000from whom one finger was cut off. He was told by thesages not to mutilate the people any more and they ad-vised him to recruit only such men who riding on horsescould uproot trees. And they got 200,000 in this manner.He also said like Bar- Deroa" Do not help us O Lord anddo not subdue us" and he sinned by so speaking. Adrianusbesieged Bet- Tur for three years without being able toconquer it and he almost gave up. Eleazar Hamudaifasted daily, and prayed to God that the town might notbe taken. A Kuthean asked Adrianus to wait and see whathe could do, and he went up and pretended to whisper into the ear of Eleazar, who was the uncle of Bar Coziba.On being asked what they had been whispering the Kuthaeansaid," Whatever I say I shall be killed so I may as welltell the truth," so he replied, that Eleazar had whisperedto him that he might hand the town over to the Romans.So Bar Coziba asked Eleazar what he had said to theKhutean and Eleazar answered" Nothing." Bar Kozibaenraged, kicked Eleazar and killed him and a voice said