Allegories, riddles, stories, etc., formed another chan- nel whereby instruction was communicated in these schools. The oppressive heat of the Eastern climate, which Avas cspeciall}' felt in the crowded college, where, as we have seen, twelve hundred disciples were some- times present, tended to make the students drowsy when a hard subject was discussed. The wise teacher, there- fore, when he perceived that the attention began to flag, at once introduced a merry anecdote or a monstrous story, or propounded a ludicrous riddle, which imme- diate]}' aroused the disciples and enabled the master to go on with his theme. Hence the abundance of both sublime and ridiculous parables and stories dispersed throughout the Talmud and Midrashim which record these lectures; and hence, also, the parabolic mode of teaching adopted by our Saviour.
The extent of instruction, or what constituted educa- tion in these schools, can hardly be defined. An unbi- assed reader will see from a most cursor^' glance at any of the discussions recorded in the Talmud that all man- ner of subjects were brought forward in these colleges. Theology, philosoph}', jurisprudence, astronomy, astrolo- gj', medicine, botany, geography, arithmetic, architect- ure, were all themes which alternately occupied the at- tention of masters and disciples. In fact, the Talmud, which has preserved the topics discussed in the colleges, is an encyclopaedia of all the sciences of that time, and shows tliat in many departments of science these Jew- ish teachers have anticipated modern discoveries. It would require far more space than the limits of this ar- ticle allow to quote instances in confirmation of this; we can therefore only refer the reader to the treatises quot- ed below.
Besides the abstruse theological and scientific sub- jects, etiquette occupied a prominent part in the lect- ures of the college, and was regarded as forming an es- sential part of education. The most minute directions are given as to the behavior of students towards their parents, their teachers, their superiors in age or rank.
SCHOOLS, HEBREW
435
SCHOONMAKER
Every one met in the street must be saluted (Aholh, \v, 10). Not to respond to a salutation is characterized as committing a robbery (Berac/i. 0 b). An ordinary man is to be saluted with the Avords, " I'cace be with thee !" a teacher, " Peace be with thee, my teacher and my mas- ter !" (Kashi on Beracli. 27 b) ; and a king, " Peace be with thee, my king ! peace !" (Gittin, 62 a). Salutations in the house of prayer are not allowed {Derech Erelz, 10). One must rise before a learned man {Kel/nibolk, 103 b), and before the hoary head, even if lie be a non-Israelite (Kiddush. 33 b). When three persons walk together, the superior is to walk in the middle {Eruh. 5-1 b) ; the teacher must always be on the right of the pupil in walking {Yvma, 37 a). One must not leave a friend without asking his permission {Derech Erelz, 2) ; when leaving one's teacher the disciple must say, " I am dis- missed ;" whereupon the response is, " Depart in peace !" {Berach. 04- a). ISfever enter a house suddenly and with- out notice {Keihuhoth, G2 b) ; nor sit down before the superior has seated himself (Jerus. Ketlmholh, 25) ; nor lean in the company of superiors (^Derech Ereiz, § vi). "Seven things are seen in the conduct of an educated man, and seven in the behavior of an uneducated per- son : 1. An educated man will be quiet in the presence of one more educated than himself; 2. Will not inter- rupt any one speaking; 3. Will not give a hasty reply; 4, Will ask appropriate questions; 5. Will give suitable answers; 6. Will answer the first thing first, and the last thing last ; and 7. Will candidly say when he does not know anything. The reverse of these things will be seen in the uneducated" (Abotli, v, 10).
Another most essential part of education was the learning of a trade. Thus K. Gamaliel declares, " learn- ing, no matter of what kind, if unaccompanied by a trade, ends in nothing and leads to sin" [Ahoih, ii, 2). R. Judah ben -Ilai, called "the wise," "the first orator," had a trade, and used to say, " labor honors the laborer" {Nedarim, 49 b). R. Ismael, the great astronomer and powerful opponent of Gamaliel II, was a needle-maker (Jerus. Berach. iv, 1); R. Jose ben-Chalaphta, of Sep- phoris, was a tanner {Sahbath, 49 b). These rabbins, like the apostle Paul, gloried in the fact that they could maintain themselves and teach independently of pay- ment, and hence took a pride in their respective trades, which were attached to their names, viz., rabbi Jocha- nan, the shoemaker; rabbi Simon, the weaver; rabbi Joseph, the carpenter. This will account for the appar- ent anomaly that the apostle Paul, a thorough student, should have been a tent-maker.
Though female education was necessarily limited, ow- ing to the position which women occupied in the East, yet it must not be supposed that it was altogether neg- lected. The fact that mothers had to take part in the education of their children would of itself show that their own education must have been attended to. We are, however, not confined to this inference. The 31st chapter of Proverbs gives us a description of what was the education of a woman and a housewife in the Old Test. In the Talmud we find the daughters of R. Sam- uel were even first-rate students of the Ilalacha (Keihii- bolh, 23 a; Jerus. ibid, ii, C). R. Jochanan ben-Napucha not only urges the study of Greek as a necessarj^ part of a man's education, but recommends it also for women as a desirable accomplishment (Jerus. Snia, s. f.). To show the desirableness of uniting with Hebrew the study of Greek, this celebrated rabbi, in accordance with the ancient practice, illustrates it by a passage of Script- ure (Gen. ix, 23) : " IJecause the two sons of Noah, Shem and Japheth, unitedly covered the nakedness of their father with one garment ; Shem (representing the Jews) obtained the fringed garment, the Tiilith ; Japheth (rep- resenting the Greeks) got the philosopher's garment, i. e. PaUium," which ought to be united again (Midrasfi Rahba [Gen. xxxvi]). Hence R. Abbahu was not only himself a consummate Greek scholar, but had his daugh- ter instructed in this classical language, since he regard- ed it as necessary to a good female education, and quot-