tly," and "let the earth bring forth." On the sixth, "let the earth
bring forth," and "the heavens were finished." Two men read a large
portion, but a small portion was read by one. At morning prayer, at the
following prayer, at the evening prayer, they went in and read orally (by
heart), as they read the "Hear,"(342) etc. On the eve of the Sabbath they
did not go in to evening prayer for honor to the Sabbath.

4. Every day when there is praise, the Delegates are not at morning
prayer. When there is the additional offering at the following prayer,
there is not the closing prayer at the locking up of the gates. "When
there is the offering of the wood, there is not the evening prayer." The
words of Rabbi Akiba. The son of Azai said to him, R. Joshua thus taught
it: "when there was an additional offering, the Delegates did not come to
evening prayer; when there was the offering of the wood, they did not come
to prayer at the locking up of the gates." R. Akiba changed his opinion,
and taught as the son of Azai.

5. The times of bringing wood for the altar by priests and people were
nine. On the first of Nisan,(343) the children of Arach, son of Judah,
brought it. On the twentieth of Tammuz,(344) the children of David, the
son of Judah, brought it. On the fifth of Ab,(345) the children of
Parhush, the son of Judah, brought it. On the seventh, the children of
Jonadab, the son of Rechab, brought it. On the tenth, the children of
Sinah, the son of Benjamin, brought it. On the fifteenth, the children of
Zathva, the son of Judah, brought it, and with them the priests and
Levites and all who were ignorant of their tribe. And the children of
Gonebi Eli(346) and the children of Kozhi Kezihoth. On the twentieth, the
children of Pachath Moab, the son of Judah, brought it. On the twentieth
of Elul,(347) the children of Adin, the son of Judah, brought it. On the
first of Tebeth, the children of Parush returned the second time. On the
first of Tebeth,(348) there was no meeting of the Delegates, as there was
on it "The Praise," and the additional offering at the following prayer,
and the offering of the wood.

6. Five things happened to our fathers on the seventeenth of Tammuz, and
five on the ninth of Ab. On the seventeenth of Tammuz the stone tables
were broken, and the daily offering ceased, and the city was broken up,
and Apostemus(349) burnt the law, and he set up an image in the Temple. On
the ninth of Ab it was proclaimed to our f