6. It happened that more than forty pairs of witnesses were passing through, when R. Akivah detained them in Lydda. Rabban Gamaliel sent to him, “if thou thus detainest the people, it will be a stumbling-block in the future.”
7. When father and son have seen the new moon, they must go (before the Sanhedrin), not that they may be combined together, but in order that, should the evidence of either of them be disallowed, the other may be combined with another witness. R. Simeon says, “father, and son, and relatives in every degree, may be allowed as competent witnesses for the new moon.” R. José says, “it happened that Tobias, the physician, his son, and his freed slave, saw the new moon in Jerusalem, and the priests accepted his evidence, and that of his son, but disallowed his slave; but when they came before the Sanhedrin, they accepted him and his slave, but disallowed his son.”
8. These witnesses are disallowed—gamblers with dice, usurers,[291] pigeon-breeders,[292] traders in produce of the Sabbatical year, and slaves. This is the rule: all evidence that cannot be received from a woman cannot be received from any of these.
9. “He who has seen the new moon but cannot walk?” “They must bring him on an ass or even in a bed.” Those afraid of being waylaid may take sticks in their hands, and if they have a long way to go, they may take provisions. If [pg 138] they must be a day and a night on the road, they may profane the Sabbath in travelling to testify for the new moon; as is said, “These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.”[293]
Chapter II
1. If a witness were unknown, another was sent to testify to him. At first they received evidence of the new moon from anyone; but when the heretics[294] bribed (the witnesses), they ordained that evidence should only be received from those who were known.
2. At first high flames were lighted, but when the Samaritans mimicked them, it was ordained that messengers should be sent forth.
3. “How were these high flames lighted?” “They brought long staves of cedarwood, canes, and branches of the olive tree, and the tow of flax, which was tied with twine. And one went to the top of the mountain and lighted them, and waved the flame to and fro, up and down, till he could perceive his companion doing so on the second mountain, and so on the third mountain,” etc.
4. “And where were these high flames lighted?” “From the Mount of Olives to Sartaba; from Sartaba to Grophinah; from Grophinah to Hoveran; from Hoveran to Bethbaltin; there they did not cease to wave them to and fro, up and down, till the whole country of the captivity[295] looked like torches of fire.”