[4537] The reading in Ant. xv. 9. 2: The Attic Medimni,' is evidently a copyist's error for Metrêtai.'
[4538] Ant. viii. 2, 9; comp. ix. 4, 5.
[4539] Jewish War. ii. 21. 2.
[4540] Life, 13.
[4541] Terum. x. 8.
[4542] Jer. Baba M. iv. 2, p. 9 d.
[4543] from Baba M. 105 b, about the middle.
[4544] Peah viii. 7; Erub. viii. 2; Baba B. 91b.
[4545] Baba B 91 a.
[4546] This will appear from the cost of living, labour, &c.
[4547] The word should be written with one m. See Grimm s. v.
[4548] Grimm (after Drusius) derives it from {hebrew}, but this is most unlikely. The derivation of Lagarde (ap. Kautzsch, p. 173) seems very difficult. Buxtorf (s. v.) largely, but not very satisfactorily, discusses its etymology. The view in the text has the sanction of Levy.
[4549] I must here refer generally to the monograph of Löw (Graphische Requis. u. Erzeugn., 2 vols.). Its statements require, however, occasionally to be rectified. See also Herzfeld, Handelsgesch. pp. 113 &c., and Note 17.
[4550] Sot. 49 b.
[4551] Kel. xxiv. 7.
[4552] Löw, u. s. vol. i. pp.97, 98. It is curious to learn that in those days also waste paper went to the grocer. (Baba M. 56 b.)
[4553] St. Luke i. 63.
[4554] From earlier times comes to us notice of the Gillayon (Is. viii. 1) - a smooth tablet of wood, metal, or stone - and of the Cheret, or stylus (Is. viii. 1), and the Et, which means probably not only a stylus but also a calamus (Ps. xlv. 2; Jer. viii. 8.)
[4555] Kel. xxiv. 7.
[4556] So Sachs, Beitr. z. Sprach u. Alterth. Forsch. vol. i. p. 165; but Löw (u. s.) seems of different opinion.
[4557] The Deyo seems to have been a dry substance which was made into black ink. Ink from gall-nuts appears to be of later invention.
[4558] Shabb. xii. 4.
[4559] u. s.
[4560] Jer. Shabb 13 d. about the middle.
[4561] Jos. Ant. xii. 2. 10.
[4562] But the learned Relandus asserts that there were in his country such texts written in gold letters, and that hence the Talmudic prohibition could have only applied to the copies used in the Synagogues (Havercamp's ed. of Josephus, vol. i. p. 593, Note e.)
[4563] Shabb. 103 b; Sopher. i. 9.
[4564] Not to make a distinction between any portions of Scripture, and also from the curious Kabbalistic idea that somehow every word in the Bible contained the Divine Name.
[4565] Shabb. viii. 5.
[4566] 3 John 13.
[4567] We read of one, Ben Qamtsar, who wrote four letters (the Tetragram) at once, holding four reeds (Qolemosin) at the same time between his four fingers (Yoma 38 b). The great R. Meir was celebrated as a copyist, specially of the Bible, at which work he is said to have made about 8s. weekly, of which, it is stated, he spent a third on his living, a third on his dress, and a third on charity to Rabbis (Midr. on Eccles. ii. 18, ed. Warsh. p. 83 b, last two lines). The codices of R. Meir seem to have embodied some variations of the common text. Thus, in the Psalms he wrote Halleluyah in one word, as it had been an interjection, and not in the orthodox way, as two words: Hallelu Yah (Jer. Meg. 72 a). His codices seem also to have had marginal notes. Thus, on the words very good' ({hebrew}), Gen. i. 31, he noted death is good' ({hebrew}), a sort of word-play, to support his view, that death was originally of God and created by Him - a natural necessity rather than a punishment (Ber. R. 9.). Similarly, on Gen. iii. 21, he altered in the margin the {hebrew}, skin,' of the text into {hebrew}, light,' thus rendering garments of light' (u. s. 20). Again, in Gen. xlvi. 23, he left out the {hebrew} from {hebrew}, rendering it And the son of Dan was Chushim' (u. s. 94.). Similarly, he altered the words, Is. xxi. 11, {hebrew}, the burden of Dumah' into Roma, {hebrew} (Jer. Taan. p. 64 a, line 10 from top.)