ow?" "They must add
judges." "How many do they add as judges two by two?" "Up to seventy-one."
"Thirty-six cleared him, and thirty-five condemned him?" "He is clear."
"Thirty-six condemned him, and thirty-five cleared him?" "They disputed
with each other until one of the condemning party acknowledged the
statement of the clearing party."

Chapter VI

1. When the judgment was finished, they brought him forth to stone
him.(394) The place of stoning was outside the judgment-hall; as is said,
"Bring him forth that hath cursed."(395) One stood at the door of the
judgment-hall with towels in his hand, and another man rode a horse at a
distance from him, but so that he might see him. If one said, "I have
something to tell for clearing," this one waved the towels, and the other
galloped his horse, and stopped the accused. And even though he himself
said, "I have something to tell to clear myself," they brought him back as
many as four or five times, only there must be substance in his words. If
they found him clear, they freed him; but if not, they took him forth to
stone him. And a herald preceded him (crying), "Such a one, the son of
such a one, is brought out for stoning, because he committed such a
transgression, and so and so are witnesses; let everyone who knows aught
for clearing him come forth and tell it."

2. When he was ten cubits from the place of stoning, they said to him
"confess," as it is the custom of all about to die to confess, since to
everyone who confesses there is a portion in the world to come. So we find
with Achan when Joshua said to him, "My son, give, I pray thee, glory to
the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him."(396) And Achan
answered Joshua, and said, "Indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of
Israel, and thus and thus I have done." "And from whence know we that his
confession made atonement for him?" "As it is said, 'And Joshua said, Why
hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. This day thou
art troubled, but thou shalt not be troubled in the world to come.' " And
if he did not know how to confess, they told him to say, "let my death be
an atonement for all my sins." Rabbi Judah said, "if he knew that he was
falsely condemned, he said, 'let my death be an atonement for all my sins,
except this one';" the (Sages) said, "if so, every man will speak thus to
make themselves innocent."

3. When he was four cubits from the place of stoning, they stripped o