The evening times., 1896-07-20
FASTING And LAMENTATION
Hebrews Observed the 'tFast
Of the Ninth of Ab."
Grief for the Affections of the People
of Their Ancient Race In the Syn
agogues of the City.

Yesterday was day of fasting aud Ia
inentation of peculiarly strict observance
To orthodox Hebrews throughout the world
IL was lie Fast OF tie Ninth OF Alb, aud
from sundowu on Saturday until the same
hour yesterday no meat nor drink passed
the lips OF tie faithful, while the hours were
spent in prayer and fearful lamentation.
The event which the fast was first in-
stituted TO commemorate was tue first
destruction OF the Temple IN Jerusalem
by Nebuo hadnezZar. nearly 400 years be-
fore the Christian era. AS the centuries
rolled along no less than five other events
of such grieyous nature as TO bring IIourn-
ing upon the entire Jewish people, fell by
strange coincidence upon the same day of
the year, and are now lanented together
in perpetual memorial.
Most signal and dispiriting was the sec
ond destruction OF the Temple by the Roman
legions OF Titus, 6S B. C. When the AS
syrians leveled the walls Of Sclomon's im-
posing structure, they removed its vast
treasures OF gold, silver and precious stones,
and carried them and ten OF the tribes Of
israe into captivity in Babyhin. The jew
ish race seemed to te hupelessly scattered,
| aud for three centuries only remnant Of
them made good their title to lie considered
nation IN the land promised to their
| fathers.
After a captivity lasting 500 years the
tribes were released and many OF them
made their way back from Babylon TO
| Syria and took up their lives again in
their ancient home. Their treasures were
| spent IavishIy in rebuilding the temple,
| in
| cence with the rdifice of Solomon, yet it
| represented quite as completely the faith
and hope Of the race.
| The Roman invasion came, and Titus, en-
| ragged by the stout resistance uf the doomed
| city, niaint aimed his siege for months, and,
| having taken the citadel by assault, watched
| the total destruction OF the temple by fire
on the Ninth OF Alb.
| Again in 80 a. d. the Jewish people
were brought 10 the depths OF sorrow by
u wholesale massacre OF their people.
the massacre of Bither, which occurred
on the Ninth of Alb, B. C. IS,
| The Jewish historians, deivinS In the
parchment annals OF the race, discov-
cred that the notable event in Jewish
| tradition, the martyrdom of Hannah and
| her seven SONS occurred on the Ninth of Alb.
and 1t was added to the lamentations OF
| that fateful anniversary. They refused
| 10 bow down to the idols OF their CON-
| queror, and King Auirochus ordered their
| execution with peculiarly barbarous tor
tures.
| Again, twelve jewish rabbis We're called
before the Spanish inqUisition about 600
| years ago, and they bore testimony to
their faith so consistently that they were
| slaughtered with all the horrors of the
inquisition torture chamber on the Ninth
| of All.
The most recent event in this chain of
sorrows was the expulsion of the Jews from
Spain in 1892. 1t is only recently that the
date of the event was fully ascertained, but
all historians are now agreed that the fatal
decree was promulgated on the Ninth ofAb.
This fast of sorrows was strictly observed
| by all conservative and orthodox Hebrews.