nahum

The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

Nahum, and Abacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachy, which is called also an angel of the Lord.

(Namely) in those which have not the name written, and in the words of my father Amos, and of Hosea the prophet, and of Micah and Joel and Nahum and Jonah and Obadiah and Habakkuk and Haggai and Zephaniah and Zechariah and Malachi, and in the words of Joseph the Just and in the words of Daniel.

Now there was at that time a prophet, whose name was Nahum, who spake after this manner concerning the overthrow of the Assyrians and of Nineveh: "Nineveh shall be a pool of water in motion so shall all her people be troubled, and tossed, and go away by flight, while they say one to another, Stand, stand still, seize their gold and silver, for there shall be no one to wish them well, for they will rather save their lives than their money; for a terrible contention shall possess them one with another, and lamentation, and loosing of the members, and their countenances shall be perfectly black with fear. And there will be the den of the lions, and the mother of the young lions! God says to thee, Nineveh, that they shall deface thee, and the lion shall no longer go out from thee to give laws to the world." And indeed this prophet prophesied many other things besides these concerning Nineveh, which I do not think necessary to repeat, and I here omit them, that I may not appear troublesome to my readers; all which thing happened about Nineveh a hundred and fifteen years afterward: so this may suffice to have spoken of these matters.

Nahum, from the city of Elkdsh, (was) of the tribe of Simeon. After the death of Jonah this (prophet) prophesied concerning the Ninevites, saying, ‘ Nineveh shall perish by perpetually advancing waters, and ascending fire;’ and this actually took place. He prophesied also concerning the Babylonians, that they would come against the Israelitish people; and therefore they sought to kill him. He prophesied that when the Messiah should be slain, the vail of the temple should be rent in twain, and that the Holy Spirit should depart from it. He died in peace, and was buried in his own country.

Or again: David begat Nathan. Nathan begat Mattatha. Mattatha begat Mani. Mani begat Melea. Melea begat Eliakim. Eliakim begat Jonam. Jonam begat Levi. Levi begat Mattitha. Mattitha begat Jorim. Jorim begat Eliezer. Eliezer begat Jose. Jose begat Er. Er begat Elmodad. Elmodad begat Cosam. Cosam begat Addi. Addi begat Melchi. Melchi begat Neri. Neri begat Salathiel. Salathiel begat Zorobabel. Zorobabel begat Rhesa. Rhesa begat Johannan. Johannan begat Juda. Juda begat Joseph. Joseph begat Semei. Semei begat Mattatha. Mattatha begat Maath. Maath begat Nagge. [.asCj Nagge begat Esli. Esli begat Nahum. Nahum begat Amos. Amos begat Mattitha. Mattitha begat Joseph. Joseph begat Janni. Janni begat Melchi. Melchi begat Levi. Levi begat Matthat. Matthat begat Heli. Heli begat Joseph.

Or again: David begat Nathan. Nathan begat Mattatha. Mattatha begat Mani. Mani begat Melea. Melea begat Eliakim. Eliakim begat Jonam. Jonam begat Levi. Levi begat Mattitha. Mattitha begat Jorim. Jorim begat Eliezer. Eliezer begat Jose. Jose begat Er. Er begat Elmodad. Elmodad begat Cosam. Cosam begat Addi. Addi begat Melchi. Melchi begat Neri. Neri begat Salathiel. Salathiel begat Zorobabel. Zorobabel begat Rhesa. Rhesa begat Johannan. Johannan begat Juda. Juda begat Joseph. Joseph begat Semei. Semei begat Mattatha. Mattatha begat Maath. Maath begat Nagge. [.asCj Nagge begat Esli. Esli begat Nahum. Nahum begat Amos. Amos begat Mattitha. Mattitha begat Joseph. Joseph begat Janni. Janni begat Melchi. Melchi begat Levi. Levi begat Matthat. Matthat begat Heli. Heli begat Joseph.

It happened that Rabbi Shimon of Mitzpah planted his field [with two different kinds] and came before Rabban Gamaliel. They both went up to the Chamber of Hewn Stone and asked [about the law]. Nahum the scribe said: I have a tradition from Rabbi Meyasha, who received it from Abba, who received it from the pairs [of sages], who received it from the prophets, a halakhah of Moses from Sinai, that one who plants his field with two species of wheat, if he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he gives only one peah, but if two threshing-floors, he gives two peahs.

With what may they kindle [the Shabbat light] and with what may they not kindle them? They may not kindle with cedar fiber, uncarded flax, a raw silk, willow strands, a desert wick, or seaweed, And not with pitch, wax, castor oil, [terumah] oil [which must be] burnt, tail fat, or tallow. Nahum the Mede says: they may kindle with melted tallow. And the sages say: whether melted or not, they may not kindle with it.

If one vowed to be a nazirite and went to bring his animal [for the sacrifice] and found that it had been stolen: If he had taken the nazirite vow before his animal was stolen, he is [still] a nazirite. But if he had taken the nazirite vow after his animal was stolen, he is not a nazirite. It was this mistake that Nahum the Mede made. When nazirites arrived [in Jerusalem] from the Diaspora and found the Temple destroyed, Nahum the Mede said to them, “Had you known that the Temple would be destroyed, would you have become nazirites?” They answered, no, and Nahum the Mede released them [from their vow]. When the matter came before the sages they said to him: whoever vowed a nazirite vow before the destruction of the Temple is a nazirite, but if after the destruction of the temple, he is not a nazirite.

If one vowed to be a nazirite and went to bring his animal [for the sacrifice] and found that it had been stolen: If he had taken the nazirite vow before his animal was stolen, he is [still] a nazirite. But if he had taken the nazirite vow after his animal was stolen, he is not a nazirite. It was this mistake that Nahum the Mede made. When nazirites arrived [in Jerusalem] from the Diaspora and found the Temple destroyed, Nahum the Mede said to them, “Had you known that the Temple would be destroyed, would you have become nazirites?” They answered, no, and Nahum the Mede released them [from their vow]. When the matter came before the sages they said to him: whoever vowed a nazirite vow before the destruction of the Temple is a nazirite, but if after the destruction of the temple, he is not a nazirite.

If one vowed to be a nazirite and went to bring his animal [for the sacrifice] and found that it had been stolen: If he had taken the nazirite vow before his animal was stolen, he is [still] a nazirite. But if he had taken the nazirite vow after his animal was stolen, he is not a nazirite. It was this mistake that Nahum the Mede made. When nazirites arrived [in Jerusalem] from the Diaspora and found the Temple destroyed, Nahum the Mede said to them, “Had you known that the Temple would be destroyed, would you have become nazirites?” They answered, no, and Nahum the Mede released them [from their vow]. When the matter came before the sages they said to him: whoever vowed a nazirite vow before the destruction of the Temple is a nazirite, but if after the destruction of the temple, he is not a nazirite.

It happened that one student came and asked Rebbi Joshua: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is voluntary. He asked Rabban Gamliel: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is obligatory. He said to him: But Rebbi Joshua told me that it was voluntary. He said to him: Tomorrow, when I enter the assembly hall, stand up and ask me about this practice. The next day, this student stood up and asked Rabban Gamliel: What is about evening prayer? He said to him: It is obligatory. He said to him: But Rebbi Joshua told me that it was voluntary. Rabban Gamliel said to Rebbi Joshua: Are you the one who says it is voluntary? He answered him: No. He said to him: Stand up on your feet so that they may testify against you. Then Rabban Gamliel was sitting down and lecturing while Rebbi Joshua was standing up until the people started talking and said to Rebbi Ḥuẓpit the interpreter: Send the people home. They said to Rebbi Zenon the ḥazan: Start! He said: Start! All the people stood up and said to him (Nahum 3:19): “Certainly, on whom did your evil not pass always?” They went and appointed Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah to the Yeshivah when he was 16 years old; his head became all white. Rebbi Aqiba sat and was sad; he said, not that he is a greater Torah scholar than I am, but he comes from a greater family than I do; hail to the man whose forefathers created merit for him, hail to the man who has a peg to hang on to. What was Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah’s peg? He was the tenth generation after Ezra. How many seats were there? Rebbi Jacob ben Sisi said: Eighty seats were there of accomplished scholars, not to count those standing behind the railing. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said 300 were there, not to count those standing behind the railing. As we have stated there (Mishnah Zebaḥim 1:3) “On the day Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah was appointed to the Academy.” There (Mishnah Ketubot 4:6) we have stated: “This inference did Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah present before the sages at the vineyard of Jabneh.” Was there a vineyard? It means that the scholars sat there in rows like vines in a vineyard. Rabban Gamliel went immediately to pacify each one in his house. He came to Rebbi Joshua and found him occupied with the making of needles. He asked him: This is how you earn your living? He answered him: Until now you did not know? Woe to the generation whose caretaker you are! He said to him: I humble myself before you. They sent a washerman to Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah, but some say that it was Rebbi Aqiba. He told him: The sprinkler, son of a sprinkler, should sprinkle. Should anyone who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to the sprinkler: your water is water from a cave and your ashes are ashes from a fireplace? He said to him: You made your peace with him! I and you shall go in the morning to Rabban Gamliel’s door. Nevertheless they did not remove him from his dignity but made him head of the court.

MISHNAH: He who sells a ship sold the mast, and the sail, and the anchors, and all steering gear, but he neither sold the slaves, nor the storage bags, nor the load. If he said, “it and all that is in it,” all is sold. He who sold a truck did not sell the mules; he who sold the mules did not sell the truck. He who sold the yoke did not sell the cattle; he who sold the cattle did not sell the yoke. Rebbi Jehudah says, the price is an indicator. How is that? If he said to him, sell me your yoke and harness for 200 denars, it is obvious that yoke and harness are not worth 200 denars. But the Sages say, the price is no indicator. He who sells a donkey did not sell its gear. Nahum the Mede says, he sold the gear. Rebbi Jehudah says, sometimes it is sold, sometimes it is not sold. How is this? If a donkey was standing there with his gear on it and he said, sell me this donkey, his gear is sold; your donkey, for this one the gear is not sold. He who sells a donkey sold the foal; he who sold a cow did not sell its young. He who sold a dungheap sold the manure; he who sold a cistern sold its water. He who sold a beehive sold the bees; he who sold the dovecote sold the pigeons. He who bought the yield of a dovecote leaves the first brood to fledge, of a beehive takes three swarms and then intermittently, honeycombs leaves two honeycombs, olive trees to cut down leaves two handbreadths.

HALAKHAH: “Within three days before Gentile holidays,” etc. Rebbi Ḥama bar Uqba understood all from here: Bring your sacrifices in the morning, on the third day your tithes. Rebbi Yose said to him, if it were so, even in the diasporas. But it was stated, Nahum the Mede said, in the diasporas one day is forbidden. What about this? There, they checked and found that they supplied their needs in one day and forbade them one day. But here they checked and found that they cover their needs in three days and forbade them three days.

Our Rabbis have taught : A Ba'al Keri upon whom nine Kabs of water have been poured becomes clean. Nahum, the man of Gam Zu, whispered this to R. 'Akiba, who whispered it to Ben 'Azzai. Ben 'Azzai went out and taught it to his disciples publicly. Two Palestinian Amoraim, R. Jose b. Abin and R. Jose b. Zebida, differ on this matter ; one stating that Ben 'Azzai taught it, the other that he whispered it.

There is a teaching : R. Eliezer says : Whoever does not say "a desirable, good and ample land" in the benediction of "the land" and "the kingdom of the house of David" in "Who...rebuildest Jerusalem" has not complied with the requirements of the law. Nahum the Elder says : He must mention the Covenant in the blessing of "the land." R. Jose says : He must mention the Torah therein. Pelemo says : He must refer to the Covenant before the Torah, because the latter was given with a three-fold covenant

R. Bizna b. Zabda stated that R. 'Akiba said in the name of R. Panda, in the name of R. Nahum, in the name of R. Biryam, in the name of an Elder — and who is he? R. Banaah: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. I once had a dream and went to consult them all ; but the interpretation each gave me differed from that of the others. Nevertheless all their interpretations were realised in me ; to fulfil that which was said "All dreams follow the mouth [of the interpreter]."

And for storms. What is a storm? Abbai said : A hurricane ; and further said Abbai : There is a tradition that a hurricane never happens during the night. But we have seen it occurring ! It must have commenced in the daytime. Abbai likewise said: There is a tradition that a hurricane does not last two hours; to fulfil that which was said, "Trouble shall not rise up the second time" (Nahum i. 9). But we have seen it lasting [longer than that]! It stopped in between.

It was told of Nahum of Gamzo that he was blind in both eyes, stumped in both hands, crippled in both legs, that his whole body was covered with sores and his bed stood in four basins of water to prevent ants climbing up (the legs of the bed). Once he was lying in a ruinous house and his disciples desired to remove him, but he said to them: "Remove first the furniture and then remove my bed, for you can be sure that as long as I am in the house, the house will not fall in." They removed the furniture and then the bed, and immediately after the house fell in. His disciples then asked him: "Master! Since thou art so wholly righteous, why did all this come upon thee?" "I caused it myself", he replied. "Once I was going to the house of my father-in-law and had with me a load carried by three asses, one part consisting of food, another of drinks and the third of all sorts of delicacies. Suddenly there appeared before me a man, who said to me: 'Master, give me something to eat.' I said to him, 'Wait until I alight from the ass.' After I had alighted, I turned around and found that the man was dead. I then threw myself upon him and said: 'My eyes that had no pity upon thine eyes shall become blind; my hands that had no pity upon thy hands shall become stumped; and my feet that had no pity upon thy feet shall become crippled.' But even then my mind was not set at rest until I said: 'May my body become covered with sores.'" Said they to him: "Woe unto us that we must see thee in such a condition!" Nahum, however, replied: "Woe would it be to me if you did not see me in this condition."

It was told of Nahum of Gamzo that he was blind in both eyes, stumped in both hands, crippled in both legs, that his whole body was covered with sores and his bed stood in four basins of water to prevent ants climbing up (the legs of the bed). Once he was lying in a ruinous house and his disciples desired to remove him, but he said to them: "Remove first the furniture and then remove my bed, for you can be sure that as long as I am in the house, the house will not fall in." They removed the furniture and then the bed, and immediately after the house fell in. His disciples then asked him: "Master! Since thou art so wholly righteous, why did all this come upon thee?" "I caused it myself", he replied. "Once I was going to the house of my father-in-law and had with me a load carried by three asses, one part consisting of food, another of drinks and the third of all sorts of delicacies. Suddenly there appeared before me a man, who said to me: 'Master, give me something to eat.' I said to him, 'Wait until I alight from the ass.' After I had alighted, I turned around and found that the man was dead. I then threw myself upon him and said: 'My eyes that had no pity upon thine eyes shall become blind; my hands that had no pity upon thy hands shall become stumped; and my feet that had no pity upon thy feet shall become crippled.' But even then my mind was not set at rest until I said: 'May my body become covered with sores.'" Said they to him: "Woe unto us that we must see thee in such a condition!" Nahum, however, replied: "Woe would it be to me if you did not see me in this condition."

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.

Why was he called Nahum of Gamzo? Because whenever something untoward happened to him he would say: "This, too, is for a good purpose." Once the Rabbis wished to send a present to the Emperor and they deliberated through whom they should send it. They then said: Let us send it through Nahum of Gamzo, because he is one to whom miracles always happen. So they sent the present through him. On the way, Nahum stopped at an inn over night. During the night the occupants (of the inn) got up, took out everything that was in the bags and filled the bags with dust. When he arrived at his destination, the bags were untied and it was found that they were filled with dust. The emperor, insulted, said, the Jews are mocking me, and gave an order to have Nahum executed. Nahum, however, said: "This too is for the good." Thereupon the prophet Elijah appeared in the disguise of one of them and said to the emperor: This is perhaps some of the dust of Abraham, for when Abraham threw dust against an enemy it turned into swords, and when he threw stubble it turned into arrows, as it is written (Isaiah, 41.2): "His sword maketh them as the dust, his bow as the driven stubble." Now, there was a certain province which they had been thitherto unable to conquer. They tried some of the dust against this province and succeeded in conquering it. Thereupon the emperor took Nahum into the treasury, filled his bags with precious stones and pearls, and dismissed him with great honors. When on his way back he came again to the same inn, the occupants asked him: "What did you bring with you for the emperor that they honored you so?" "I brought them what I took from here," replied Nahum. Thereupon the occupants of the inn took some of the same dust and brought it to the emperor. It was tried, but did not turn into swords and arrows. All the inhabitants were then executed.