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- 71-

" Oh you false shepherd who leaves the sheep! Thou hastkilled R. Eleazar the right arm and the eye of Israel andthine arm shall be cut off and thine eye blinded." Bet-Tur was captured and Bar Coziba was slain and a snakewas found round his body. The horses waded up to theirbellies in blood and the brains of 300 children were foundon one stone, one child only escaping, Shimeon ben Gamliel.They made a hedge of the dead of Bet- Tur eighteen milessquare around the vineyards of Adrianus and the causeof destruction in that place was, that men used to interceptthe pilgrims to Jerusalem and keep them there and wereaccustomed to obtain possession of the people by falsepretences.

76. Death of R. Shimeon b. Gamliel and R. Ishmael b.Elisha as martyrs. Ishmael comforts R. Gamliel and weepsat the sight of the dead man's head.

77. The story of Mesha of Moab who, drawing a wrongconclusion from the story of Abraham and Isaac, sacrificeshis son; thus showing that the good intentions of the heathenwho is badly guided, lead to sin and not to merit.

78. When the sun had moved backwards at the request ofthe Prophet Isaiah on the occasion of the illness of Heze-kiah, King Merodach believed that he had overslept him-self, and had omitted to pay his reverence to the sun inthe morning. Then he was told of the miracle which hadhappened. He sent greetings to King Hezekiah and wentthree steps to call back the messenger in order to alter theletter of greeting, putting his name after that of God. Hisreward; three descendants became kings.

79. A labouring man when he was refused by his master anypayment either in money, cattle, land or fruit for his labourjudged his master well. He thought that there was somegood reason which prevented the master from paying himand the supposition was afterwards found correct. For themoney was sunk in a business, the cattle were pledged, thefruit was not yet tithed and the clothes were a votiveoffering. The master then recompensed him in full.