Year: 1879

mospherc with song because they would
ina short time again begin to sing Xion's
songs with comets, vioins. and all the
other musical instruments which had
been formerly in use. The >a9es and
scribc> were clad. because they would
now sit in the courts and administer
laws to the people of Israel All the
nation triumphcd because God had re-
stored Jacob, and had again chosen him
to abide in ,JcrusaIcm


At the bottom Of mount Zion sat
Rabbi Akiba, with gladness in his heart
and joy on his countenance, surrounded
by numerous people who, on account Of
their age or fcebleness of body, were
unable to engage in manual labor they
sat and listened to the words of the
piOus sage He was reciting to them the
history Of the first temple in the follow
ing words You should know, my dear
brethren. that this mountain of Moriah
! has been great and famous from time
immemorial, for at its feet lies the beau
tiful and holy city of Jerusalem This
is the mountain that was chosen from
all the hills of Judahf and sanctifcd
above all the holy places in Jerusalem,
This is the mountain from whose dust
the Creator Of the universe formed the
first mans. and it is the rock from which
the human family proceeds. Upon the
summit Of this mountain, Adam erected
| the first altar to jehovah, and sacrificed
thereon the finest Of oxen it is also
here where Cain and Ab2l brought their
offerings to God, This is the mountain
upon which Abraham offered his son
Isaac, and upon which God revealed
himself to the patriarch Jacob But
the sacredness of this mountain, and it's
important history which is the reason
why God chose to have his glore l@ai
thereon forever-was secreted and bid-
den from all nations rlhabitpg e-
globe, yea, even from i alIeen oe
Israel its value was onw bintea ty 3v
God to his servant, Moses, =. A,,4-Jy--
and Deuteronomy For if the idolators
would have known it, they would have
destroyed the mountain; and if Israel's
tribes would have been aware of it. they
would have fought with each other for
its possession. 1t was only after David S
death, when all tribes dwelled in peace
and reposc, and each of them was set
tied upon the land which had been
allotted to him as his heritage, then only
didGod command that sanctuary should
be built for him on this mountain and
that a temple should be ierected to his
eternal name At Gods command,
Solomon, the son Of DAVID, erected a
great and glorious sanctuary on the
summit of this mountain. That king
who was mightier and wiser than any
living man. requested the king of Egypt
to send HIM learned mechanics to build
the temple, but Pharoh sent him men
who appeared to be strong and healthy,
but who were afflicted with a disease,
which must bring about an early death,
and who were not strong enough to re
main in the realms of life long enough
to finish the construction Of an immense
building. Solomon in his great wisdom
Immediately understood the trick of the
Egyptian king, whose desire it was to
fill his treasury with gold, and to give
corpses in return. So he clothed those
men in grave clothes and sent them
back to their master, commanding them
to tell him these words: "Is it because
there are no graves in Egypt, that you
send your servants to find graves in
Palestine?'


*All the legends brought forward here are
found i'll the Talmud and Midrash


ITO be Continued.)