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ATALEOFJERUSALEM
Intensosrigidaminfrontemascenderecanos
Passuserat——
—Lucan—DeCatone
——abristly
bore.Translation.
“Letushurrytothewalls,”saidAbel-PhittimtoBuzi-Ben-Leviand
SimeonthePharisee,onthetenthdayofthemonthThammuz,inthe
yearoftheworldthreethousandninehundredandforty-one—“let
ushastentotherampartsadjoiningthegateofBenjamin,which
isinthecityofDavid,andoverlookingthecampoftheuncircumcised;
foritisthelasthourofthefourthwatch,beingsunrise;andthe
idolaters,infulfilmentofthepromiseofPompey,shouldbeawaiting
uswiththelambsforthesacrifices.”
Simeon,Abel-Phittim,andDuzi-Ben-LeviweretheGizbarim,
orsub-collectorsoftheoffering,intheholycityofJerusalem.
“Verily,”repliedthePharisee;“letushasten:forthisgenerosity
intheheathenisunwonted;andfickle-mindednesshaseverbeen
anattributeoftheworshippersofBaal.”
“Thattheyarefickle-mindedandtreacherousisastrueasthe
Pentateuch,”saidBuzi-Ben-Levi,“butthatisonlytowardthepeople
ofAdonai.WhenwasiteverknownthattheAmmonitesproved
wantingtotheirowninterests?Methinksitisnogreatstretch
ofgenerositytoallowuslambsforthealtaroftheLord,receiving
inlieuthereofthirtysilvershekelsperhead!”
“Thouforgettest,however,Ben-Levi,”repliedAbel-Phittim,“that
theRomanPompey,whoisnowimpiouslybesiegingthecityofthe
MostHigh,hasnoassuritythatweapplynotthelambsthuspurchased
forthealtar,tothesustenanceofthebody,ratherthanofthespirit.”
“Now,bythefivecornersofmybeard!”shoutedthePharisee,who
belongedtothesectcalledTheDashers(thatlittleknotofsaintswhose
mannerofdashingandlaceratingthefeetagainstthepavementwas
longathornandareproachtolesszealousdevotees—astumbling-
blocktolessgiftedperambulators)—“bythefivecornersofthatbeard
which,asapriest,Iamforbiddentoshave!—havewelivedtoseethe
daywhenablasphemingandidolatrousupstartofRomeshallaccuse
