he olive tree, and the tow of flax,
which was tied with twine. And one went to the top of the mountain and
lighted them, and waved the flame to and fro, up and down, till he could
perceive his companion doing so on the second mountain, and so on the
third mountain," etc.

4. "And where were these high flames lighted?" "From the Mount of Olives
to Sartaba; from Sartaba to Grophinah; from Grophinah to Hoveran; from
Hoveran to Bethbaltin; there they did not cease to wave them to and fro,
up and down, till the whole country of the captivity(295) looked like
torches of fire."

5. There was a large court in Jerusalem called Beth Yangzek,(296) there
all the witnesses met, and there the Sanhedrin examined them. And they
made great feasts for them, that they might come often. At first they did
not stir from thence all day.(297) Rabban Gamaliel the elder ordained,
that they might go 2,000 cubits on every side. And not only they, but the
midwife going to a birth; and they who go to rescue from fire, or from
enemies, or from inundation, or from fallen buildings. These are as
inhabitants of the place, and they have 2,000 cubits on every side.

6. "How did they examine the witnesses?" "The first pair which came were
examined first, and they brought in the eldest of them, and they said to
him, 'Tell us how you saw the moon--(her horns) toward the sun, or away
from the sun? To the north, or to the south? What was her altitude? Toward
where her declination? And what was her breath?' If he said 'toward the
sun,' he said nothing. Afterward they brought in the second and examined;
if the evidence was found to agree, the evidence stood. The remaining
pairs of witnesses were then superficially examined, not because there was
necessity for their evidence, but not to discourage them, that they might
be willing to come again."

7. The chief of the Sanhedrin said, "(the feast) is sanctified"; and all
the people answered after him, "Sanctified, sanctified." Whether the new
moon had been seen in its season, or not, they sanctified it. R. Eleazar,
son of Zadok, said, "if it were not seen in its season, they did not
sanctify it, for heaven had already sanctified it."

8. Rabban Gamaliel had on a tablet and on the wall of his chamber figures
and phases of the moon which he showed to ignorant witnesses, and said,
"was it like this you saw her, or like that?" It happened once that two
witnesses came, and said, "we saw the moon in the morning in the