CHAP. XI. Of the appearance of the People at the three Festivals. (Book 11)
THE great Sanhedrin was as an Almanack to all the Nation to give them notice of the New Moons, by which they might fix their monthly Feasts, and know when* 1.1 to celebrate their Solemnities. Now although the Sanhedrin had the skill to know the night when the New Moon should appear (for from its appearing they began the Month) yet they did not determine of the thing, till they had the testimony of two men, which gave in evidence that they had seen the New Moon: And hereupon it was, that very many couples repaired to Jerusalem for this purpose, who having seen the first New Moon, set away thither to give testimony of it, and there were entertained in a place of the City called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 b 1.2 Beth Jaazek, c 1.3 a Court walled in with stone, and exami∣ned about the business and feasted, that men might be encouraged to come to witness up∣on so needful an occasion: it is besides our present purpose to inquire curiously after the quality of the persons whose testimony was to be accepted, or how, or how far they came, or why they should come, when the Persons of the great Council might see the Moon themselves, and how they of the Sanhedrin that saw the Moon, did witness among themselves about it, and therefore we will let these disquisitions alone, and content our selves with observing this, that d 1.4 as the Court held it self bound to fix and give no∣tice of the New Moons, so they held themselves bound to determine upon this matter by the mouth of two Witnesses, as they did also in other Judicial matters.
The two first witnesses that came, if their testimony were current did serve the turn, and they looked no further (yet had they something to say to all the couples that come, because they would encourage the work:) or if those two did not serve the turn, when any other two did, then they took course that all the Country might know of the day with what speed might be.
For that purpose their course at the first was this: At night (after they had conclu∣ded by day, by such witness, that the New Moon was seen the Night before) they cau∣sed one to go to Mount Olivet, with a bundle of most combustible wood, and other stuff, and there he set it on fire, and waved it up and down, and this way, and that way, and never left, till he saw another do so upon another hill, and so another on a third: and those that took at him, they waved their blazes up and down, till they were answered with the like from another Hill, and so the intelligence was quickly dispersed through the whole land: Nay, saith the Talmud, e 1.5 it went from Mount Olivet to Sartaba, from Sartaba to Gryphena, from Gryphena to Hhevaron, from Hhevaron to Beth Baltin: and he that stood there never left waving his blaze, till he saw all the place of the Captivity full of the like.
The Country thus seeing these flames and blazes, knew that the New Moon had appea∣red the night before, and that the Sanhedrin had concluded the day past, for the first day of the Month, and so they knew how to count forward: But it seems experience taught them in time; that by such kind of intelligence, they might be, and sometimes were de∣ceived 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by the Santaritans or prophane persons, or some of their enemies, that made such flamings for the very nonce, that they might deceive