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not one-from Aleph to Tau-from the wilderness to the battlements--who
seemeth any bigger than the letter Jod!"
"Lower away the basket with the shekels of silver!" here shouted a
Roman soldier in a hoarse, rough voice, which appeared to issue from the
regions of Pluto--"lower away the basket with the accursed coin which it
has broken the jaw of a noble Roman to pronounce! Is it thus you evince
your gratitude to our master Pompeius, who, in his condescension, has
thought fit to listen to your idolatrous importunities? The god Phoebus,
who is a true god, has been charioted for an hour-and were you not to
be on the ramparts by sunrise? Aedepol! do you think that we, the
conquerors of the world, have nothing better to do than stand waiting by
the walls of every kennel, to traffic with the dogs of the earth? Lower
away! I say--and see that your trumpery be bright in color and just in
weight!"
"
El Elohim!" ejaculated the Pharisee, as the discordant tones of the
centurion rattled up the crags of the precipice, and fainted away
against the temple--"El Elohim!--who is the god Phoebus?--whom doth the
blasphemer invoke? Thou, Buzi-Ben-Levi! who art read in the laws of
the Gentiles, and hast sojourned among them who dabble with the
Teraphim!--is it Nergal of whom the idolater speaketh?---or
Ashimah?--or Nibhaz,--or Tartak?--or Adramalech?--or Anamalech?--or
Succoth-Benith?--or Dagon?--or Belial?--or Baal-Perith?--or
Baal-Peor?--or Baal-Zebub?"
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