Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/510

506 portion of B (479-1026), a passage the contents of which seems to agree very much in both versions, runs as follows:

B H., being about to fix the time for the massacre of the Jews, casts lots to ascertain the most auspicious time for that purpose. He attempts to fix the month; but Nisan proves favourable to the Jews because of their wonderous liberation from Egyptian bondage that had taken place in that month; lyyar, because the manna began to f all ; Sivan, because of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai; Haman, being about to fix the time for the massacre of the Jews, casts lots to ascertain the most auspicious time for that purpose. He first tries to select the week day. Each day, however, proves to be under some influence favourable to the Jews. Then he attempts to fix the month; but Nisan proves favourable to the Jews because of their wonderous liberation from Egyptian bondage that had taken place in that month; lyyar, because the manna began to fall; Sivan, because of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai; Tammuz and Ab, because of the calamities that had over- taken the people of Israel during those months; Ellul, because of the tithing of cattle, Tishri, because of the festivals; Marcheshvan, because of the flood that began in that month; Kislev, because of the Feast of the Maccabees; Tebeth had already caused enough afflic- tion; Shebat, because the Patriarch Jacob received his blessing; Adar finds no excuse. Arrived at Adar he thinks in that month there is no luck for Israel, the zodiacal sign of the month being Pisces (he will swallow them as fish swallow one another), and Moses having died in Adar. But he over- looked the fact that Israel's great leader was also born in that month. He then begins his denunciations: The Jews do not observe the The Jews do not observe the king's commands, despise his religion king's commands, and people, avoid taxations,