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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1872 edition. Excerpt:... of Haman's ten sons. Accordingly, Esther and Mordecai published a command that wherever Jews were domiciled in the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar should be commemorated every year as days of luxury, rejoicing, and of sending presents. Such, briefly, is the-cause of the existence of this festival. The reason why it obtains the name of Purim, or the Feast of Lots, is because Haman cast lots to discover the most unfavourable day of the year to the Jewish race for him to carry out his diabolical project. The day before this feast is celebrated as a fast, in memory of the one commanded by Queen Esther, when various propitiatory prayers are uttered in the synagogues. During the two following days-it is forbidden to any one to fast or to be sorrowful, or to do any work; but, on the contrary, such days are to be seasons of pure rejoicing and merry-making. In fact, on this occasion the Talmud certainly speaks with extraordinary licence. "A man's duty with regard to the feast is, that he should eat meat and prepare a suitable feast according to his means, and drink wine until he be drunk and fall asleep in his drunkenness." "A man is bound to get so drunk with wine at Purim as not to know the difference between 'Cursed is Hainan/ and' Blessed is Mordecai.'" Those who assert that the oral law, as existing in the pages of the Talmud, is equal to the Scriptures, here offer an awful example of its immense inferiority. The feast of Purim commences on the evening of the thirteenth day, when all repair to the synagogue. After the usual prayers are said, the whole book of Esther is read from a written roll of parchment, prepared for that purpose, and called Megillah. Before it is commenced, the three...