1< me think this feast of the dedication was Instttnted In memory of Judith. (See Slgon. De RepubL Bdr. lib. ill, cap. la) But it is doubted whether thb oagbt to be understood of Judith, daughter of Meraii, who killed H(dofemee, or of another Judith, daughter of Mattathias, and sister of Judas Maccabseua, who slev Mlcanor, as they tell as. (See Gnnx.Zenuieh David; Bfillenar. 4, an. 622, et apud Selden, De Synedriif^ Hb. ili, cap. 18, n. 11.) This last Judith Is known only tz the writings of the rabbins, and is not mentioned either in the Maocabeee or in Josephus. But there is grest likelihood that the Jews have altered the Greek history of Judith to place it in the time of Judas Maccabsntf. A prayer for rain. Time of sowing begins In Judss.
80.~Alt«nute of the new moon of the following month.
TEBETH.
The tenth eaered^ fowrth e(v(l month; twenly-4Une daj/t; moon cf DzcsMBBB or Jaiotast. Day 1.— New moon.
6.— A fast, because of the translation of the law oat ci Hebrew Into Greek. This day and the three fcUowtog da^ were overcast by thick darkness. The fest of the tenth month iCalmd, Bartolocd). 9.— A fest for which the rabbins assign no reason. 10.— A fast In memory of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebo-
chadnezzar t2 Kings xxv, 1). 98.— A feast in memory of tlie exclusion of the Sadduceet out of the Sanhedrim, where they had all the power In the time of King Alexander Jannspus. Rabbi Simeon, son of Shatach, found means of exdodlng them ooa after another, and of substituting Pharisees (MtgiUath Taanith), Comp. Iiab S8.
SHEBAT. The eleventh eaered, fifth eivU month; thhrhj daye; moon of Januakt or Fsbbuast.
Day 1.— New moon, or the first day of the month.
CALENDAR
23
CALENDAR
1-^ r^Joidng for the doiUi of King Alexander Jann»- a, a great enemy to the PharlMea {Mtfjill. TaanithX 4 or 5.— A fut in memory of the death ci the elders who nicceeded Joshua (Judg. il, 10).
18.— The beginning of the year of fareee ; that la, fhmi lience they begin to eoont the foar yean during whidi tne» were Judged andean, from the time of their being ]danted (Lev. ziz, S3-S5). Some place the beginning of Umm font yean on the first day of tlie month.
tt.— A ftaat in memory of the death of one called Nieoale- not, who liad ordered the placing imagee or flguree In the Temple, which was* forlrfdden by the law ; but he died, and his orders were not executed. The Jews place this under the high-priest Simon the Just. It is not known wtio this Niscalenos was {MegiU,Tium.e.ll).
28.— A &st for the war of the ten tribes against that of Benjamin (Judg. xx).
"ney also call to remembrance the idol of Micah (Judg. XTiH).
tt.—A memorial of the death of Antloehns EptphaneS) an enemy of the Jews (1 Bfacc. rU 1; MegitL Taanith),
Ml— Alternate new moon of the next month.
ADAR.
Tht tm{ffh meredL, »hBth dvtt month; twmty-nin$ dayt; wson ^FxfcATAXT or Maboh.
Day L— New moon.
7.— A fkst, because of the death of Moses (Deut. xxxiv, 5).
8t 9— Tlie trumpet sounded by way of ttMulcsglTing for the rain that ftdl in this month, and to pray for it in ta- tnre (MegiUath Taetttith).
A fast in memory of the schism between the schools of Sbammai and HiUd [called Taanith Tsadehlm].
11— A feast in memory of the death of two proselytes^ HoUianus and Pipos his brother, whom one Tyrlnns or Tulanns would have compelled to break the law, in the dty of Laodlcea : but they chose rather to die than to act contrary to the law (Selden, Ds Sifnedr. lib. 11!, cap. U, ex MeffOL TamtUh),
11— EBther^s fiut ; probably in memoiyof thatof Brth. ir, lb (Oeneb. and Bartolood).
A feaH in memory of the death of Nican<n', an enemy of the Jews (1 Haec. rU, 44; 9 Mace, xr, 80, etc). Some of the Hebrews insist that Nicanor was UUed by Judith, sister of Judas Maccabeus.
14— Tlie firat Parim, or lesser Feast of Lots (Esth. ix. 21). The Jews in the provinces ceased from the slauriiter of their enemies on Nlaan 14, and on that day made great r^oidng; but the Jews of Shushan continued the akn^ter till Uie 15th ; therefore Mordecal settled the Feast of Lots on the 14th and 15th of this month.
11— The great Feast of Pnrim or Lots; the second Purtm. These three days, the 18th, 14th, and 15th, are common- fyeaDed the days of Mordecal, thou^ the feast for the «ath of NloaiMir has no relation either to Esther or to Mordecal
The coneetors of the half shekel, paid by every Israel- ite (Exod. XXX, 18), received it on Adar 15 in the cities, and on the 95th in the Temple (Talmud, Shfkalim).
IT.— The ddiverance of the sages of Israel, who, flving from the persecution of Alexander Janmsns, king of the Jews, retired into the city of Eoslik in Arabia; but, fioding tlmqselves in danger of being sacrificed by the GentOes, the inbaUtanlB of the place, they escaped by B^t (MefrOL TaanithX
Ml— A feast In memory of the rain obtained flfom Ood by one colled Onias Uam-magel, during a great drought in the tfane of Alexander Janneua (MenilX, TaanUhX
21— The dedication of the temple of Zerubbabel (Esra vl, 1^ Theday Is not known, so some put it on the 18th; the CaUnSar of SIgonins puts it on the 93d.