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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

was

killed by the followers of Herod. R. Kahana understood this conversation (Hul. 1396; 'Aruk, s.v. 1p; Levy, I.e. ii. 324a). The Romans also understood the language of the birds (Pauly-Wissowa, I.e. i., Lxxvii. 51 lxxxvi. 29). Judah does not dare, even in a whisper, to advise the emperor Antoninus to proceed against the nobles

of

Rome;

for the birds carry the voice

onward

('Ab.

Zarah 106; compare Lenormant, I.e. p. 451). God is angry each day for one minute (Ps. xxx. 6) during the first three hours that is the time when the comb of the cock turns white, or when not a single red stripe is to be found in his comb, and he stands on one leg. R. Joshua ben Levi, who wanted to seize this moment to curse a heretic who had offended him, tied a cock and watched him intently, and in doing so he involuntarily fell asleep (Ber. 7« Ab. Zarah 46; Sanh. 1056). The Babylonians divined also by flies (Lenormant, I.e. p. 472). In this connection arose perhaps the saying that no fly alighted on the table of the prophet Elisha (see Beelzebub). The language of trees, which the ancient peoples, especially the Babylonians, are said to have understood, was probably known to the Babylonian Jews as early as the eighth century (Blau, I.e. p. 47; "Knistern des Lorbeers Glilckbringend," in Pauly-Wissowa, I.e. i. 66, note Thus Abraham learned from the sighing of the 24). tamarisk-tree that his end was nigh (see Abraham,



Testament op). Lev. xix. 26, UJlJjri ab by the Septuagint KXtidovi&oBai i.e., by sounds and noises (compare Grunbaum, lated

M. G." xxxi. 253



is

'

trans-

to divine in "Z. D.

etseq.).

To

interrogate Chaldeans (Pes. 1136, etc.) or to He practise divination in general is not permitted. who abstains from so doing is admitted into a section of the heavens which even the ministering angels

may not enter

(Ned. 32a). But since desire often outbalances precept.a fundamental difference was made by setting up the rule; "There is no such thing as divination, but there are prognostications" (pKB> 'S'V'K. p^D K" K>l"tii Yer. Shab. 8c; Bacher, "Ag. The Romans also distinPal. Amor." ii. 25, note 5). guished between greater and lesser divinations, calling the latter signs (<rw«a, "signa," JD'D; see Derenbourg-Saglio, "DictionnairedesAntiquites Grecques etRomaines," ii. 2936, bottom). Such, for instance, are the signs of Eliezer (Gen. xxiv.), of Jonathan (I Sam. xiv.), and also Gen. xxxviii. 11, and xlii. 36; the last-named also leading to the conclusion that every sign had to be repeated three Prognosti- times. In consequence of this distinccations. tion even the most eminent amoraim made use of certain signs. Rab looked upon it as a favorable omen if the ship that ferried him came to meet him, but as a bad omen if it was not ready. Samuel opened his Bible for a chance intimation. Johanan made a boy recite a Bible verse with the same purpose. When in passing a school he heard a boy say " Samuel has died " (I Sam. xxv. 1), he took it as an omen and did not visit the amora The expresof that name as he had intended to do. sion "a house, a wife, and a child give signs" must mean that signs may be taken from them, Rashi to the contrary notwithstanding (Yer. Shab. 8c, bottom Hul. 956; Gen. R. lxxxv. 5, commentaries).

Augury-

Boys were often used by diviners to peer into the future, being for that purpose bewitched by magic formulas (Pauly-Wissowa,

mud

says, curiously

cases are cited)



"

I.e.

enough

iv. 1399).

(B. B. 126,

The

Tal-

where two

Since the destruction of the

Tem-

prophecy has been given into the hands of the insane and of children." The Jewish view is not far removed from the Greco-Roman one; namely, that the insane were possessed by demons. Bewitchple,

was generally the by means of oil or eggs, to find a lost article but " the princes of oil and of eggs lie " (Sanh. 101a; compare Demonology and Divination). This view of R. Johanan (died 279) explains that he often sought advice from boys with the formula, " Tell me thy verse " meaning the verse which the boy had just learned, or which came into his mind at that moment (Hag. 15a; Meg. 286; Git.

ment was strictly forbidden, as interrogation of demons, except

!

57a, 68a, etc. Horowitz, " Sammlung Kleiner Midrashim," p. 69, "mah pasukekem "). The same teacher of the Talmud says that if any one happens to remember a verse of the Bible early in the morning, it is a prophecy in miniature (Ber. 576), ^the prophetic element being in such cases the accidental. He looked upon a voice which he heard accidentally behind him as being a divination, and followed it; for it is written (Isa. xxx. 21), "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying. This is the way, walk ye in it." But, says the Talmud, the voice must be an unusual one, such as a man's voice in a city, or a woman's voice in a desert (Yer. Shab. Other teachers of the Talmud 8c; Bab. Meg. 32a). also paid attention to this kind of voice, which was Two persons intending to visit a called Bat Kol. sick teacher said, " We will be guided by the Bat Kol," whereupon they heard one woman say to anThen they said, other, " The light has gone out. " "It shall not go out, and may the light of Israel " never be extinguished (ib.). As among other peoples, the Jews also considered the last words of the

Thus Eliezer ben Hyrkanus dying as divinations. and Samuel ha-Katan prophesied the martyrdom of several scholars (Sanh. 68a and 11a; Pauly-Wis92, note 11). other omens must be mentioned, called "siman," although not all strictly belonging to the It is a bad sign for any person to subject in hand. make a mistake in his prayers, but a good sign to

sowa,

I.e. i.

Some

know them Other

Omens.

fluently (Mishnah Ber. v., compare Talmud 346, bottom, and 246, top). It is a bad sign for the

end;

remainder of the year if it rains after Nisan or at the Sukkot festival or if the wine does not turn out well or if the Eeast of Weeks fall on If there is fine weather on the fifth of the month. the day of that feast it is a good omen for the world (Mishnah Ta'anit 12a, 2a; Ab. R. N. i. 4; Tosef., Ar. i. 9 see Ab. R. N. ii. 33 and Sifre i. 112, and in general Levy, "Neuhebr. Worte'rb." and Krauss, "Griechische und Lateinische Lehnworter," under the word JD'D). It is a good sign for sick people to



'



sneeze (Blau, I.e. p. 163; Tylor, I.e. i. 98-100, GerGenerally much attention was paid to ed.). omens (son Rrko WCD, an omen is a thing to be In order to find out if one will live the considered). year through, one must take a candle during the ten

man