The nine years of Queen Alexandra's (in Hebrew Salome) reign were the Golden Age of
the Pharisees, when heaven itself smiled on a land that was wholly subject to their
religious sway. In the extravagant language of the Talmud (Tann. 23 a, second line from
top): 'In the days of Simeon ben Shetach, the rains came down in the nights of fourth
days,32 and on those of the Sabbaths, so that the grains of corn became like kidneys, those
of barley the stones of olives, and lentils like gold dinars, and they preser ved a specimen
(dogma) of them for future generations to show them what disastrous result may follow
upon sin.' That period of miraculous blessing was compared to the equally miraculous
dispensation of heaven during the time that the Temple of Herod was building, when rain
only fell at night, while the morning wind and heat dried all, so that the builders could
continue their work without delay. 33 Queen Salome had appointed her eldest son,
Hyrcanus II., a weak prince, to the Pontificate. But, as Josephus p uts it (Am. xiii. 16. 2),
although Salome had the title, the Pharisees held the real rule of the country, and they
administered it with the harshness, insolence, and recklessness of a fanatical religious
party which suddenly obtains unlimited power. The lead was, of course, taken by Simeon
ben Shetach, whom even the Talmud characterises as having 'hot hands' (Jer. Sanh. vi.
5,34 p. 23 b). First, all who were suspected of Sadducean leaning were removed by
intrigue or violence form the Sanhedrin. Next, previous ordinances differing from
Pharisaical views were abrogated, and others breathing their spirit substituted. So
sweeping and thorough was the change wrought, that the Sadducees never recovered the
blow, and whatever they might teach, yet those in office we re obligated in all time
coming to conform to Pharisaic practice (Jos. Ant. xviii. 1.4; Tos Yoma i. 8).
32. In quoting this passage, Derenbourg (u. s. p 111) and Schürer leave out these words.
[They are omitted in the corresponding account of this story in Vayy. R. 35, ed. Warsh. p.
54 a; in Siphré, ed. Friedmann, p. 80 a; also in Siphra, ed. Weiss, p. 110 d, where the
whole connected is very much as in Vavy. R.] Yet the words are, in one sense, most
significant, since these fertilising rains, descending on these two nights when it was
specially forbidden to go out, since on them innumerable demons haunted on the air (Pes.
112 b, line 10 from the bottom), indicated an exceptional blessing. The reason why these
two nights are singled out as dangerous is, that Chanina b. Dosa, of whom Rabbinic
tradition has so many miracles to relate, conceded them to the hurtful sway of Agrath
bath Machlath and her 18 myriads of Angels. See App. xiii. In view of this, M.
Derenbourg's explanatory note would seem to require to b e modified. But, in general,
rain even on the night before the Sabbath was regarded as a curse (Vayy. R. 35), and it
has been ingeniously suggested that the τωψ(ψκρ in the Midrash must be taken in the
sense in which that word is explained in Taan. 6 a, viz. as the ordinary time of rain. Why
the night before Wednesday and Friday night are represented as left in the power of
hurtful demons might open an interesting field for speculation.
33. This notice is followed by the somewhat blasphemous story of the achievements of
Choni (Onias) hammeaggel, to which reference will be made in the sequel.
34. Chammumoth.
But the Pharisaic party were not content with dogmatical victories, even though they
celebrated each of them by the insertion in the Calendar of a commemorative feast-day.
Partly, 'to discourage the Sadducees,' partly from the supposed 'necessities of the time,
and to teach others' (to make an example; Siphr é on Deut.), they carried their principles
even beyond their utmost inferences, and were guilty of such injustice and cruelty, that,