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those who did not an evil. He was laughed and mockedat by the Rabbis.[ A long series of dreams and various inter-pretations are given in the text in connection with this.]

216. Ben Dama asked R. Ishmael about a curious dreamhe had had, in which he saw the limbs of his body fallingoff. R. Ishmael interpreted the dream favourably.

217. A Min asked of R. Ishmael the interpretation of somecurious dreams. The Rabbi interpreted them all as pointingto some peculiar sins of immorality which he had beencommitting.

218. King Sabur asked of Samuel what he would see in hisdream. Samuel told him that he would behold the Romanscoming etc., and he saw it in his dream. The Caesar askeda similar question of R. Joshua b. Hananya. The Rabbitold him he would dream that the Persians were comingupon him. He thought of it all day long and dreamt of itat night.

219. A woman asked R. Eliezer about a dream. He inter-preted it to mean that she would bear a male child and soit happened. On one occasion his pupils gave a bad inter-pretation of a dream and the fulfilment tallied with theirwords.

220. Story of R. b. Nahman, who was accused of keepingpeople away from work for two months, and of detainingthem in the village. He fled and was overtaken by theAngel of Death whilst stopping for study, for he was desiredin heaven. The birds, hovering around and casting ashadow over him, showed the place where he lay and thushe was found by his disciples. They mourned for him forthree days in Pumbadita. A letter fell from heaven in whichwas written:" Whoever returns home shall be excommun-icated." They grieved for seven days after which anotherletter from heaven fell which said," Go home." There wasa great tempest at his death. He died very young and wasvery poor.

221. R. Gidel sat at the door of the bath- house showingwomen the way. Tabillath asked him whether he were not

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