Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/512

 508 Landau work. But the differences are no less apparent. In the second part of the portion just compared they differ entirely, but even in the first part we notice some differences. Thus in O Haman examines every day of the week and every one of the months of the year and finds reasons why they are with the exception of the last month unsuitable for the fulfilment of his design. Arrived at Adar he does not find any advantage in that month, he merely does not see any objection in selecting it. In B, however, the days of the week are left entirely out of considera- tion, and only the first three months are being considered and found unsuitable for the same reasons as in O. For the suita- bility of Adar B gives special reasons. Furthermore B is not at all shortened, just the reverse is the case. B describes the same incidents in about 550 lines for which O uses only 250 lines. At some points the contents in B seem to be compresseH and at others dilated as compared with O. There is good reason for this difference. O followed the Tar gum Sheni, while B is the version of the Midrash Rabba to the Book Esther. For although B bears the title of 'Targum,' it uses midrashic works also, as is distinctly pointed out on its title page. The relation of P to the other two versions is best conveyed by the literal rendering of the portion corresponding to the two versions we have just discussed, and which runs as follows: Haman der ruft zu seine kindr: "brengt mir goraloth (Los) biichr ein her un' lasst mich goral (Los) werfn. ich weiss, die seinen gar klug, alle scnalkeit kennen sie genug un' lasst mich mit sie scherfen." in chodesch (Monat) Nissan hub er an, der wolt im nit begliickn. rosch chodesch (Monat) Ijjar er zu suchn began, der wendet im den ruckn. nu das goral (Los) Hess er fallen auf die chodoschim (Monate) alle, keinr welt im zu sagn, da begund er zu klagn. Aso tet er bis rosch chodesch Adar. der nach f allet er sich in die har un' hub an zu schreien, er sprach: "was sol ich nu beginnen? wenn es der Mordechai jud wert innen,