74 HAUPT— TOBIT'S BLINDNESS AND SARA'S HYSTERIA. 



to be buried, but to be cast out with their children to be devoured 

 by the birds and wild beasts. In connection with the account of the 

 murder in one day of sixty Assideans (i.e., orthodox Jews) at the 

 hands of the Hellenizing high priest Alcimus (i6i B.C.), i Mac. 7, 

 17 quotes some lines of Ps. 79: The flesh of Thy saints and their 

 blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none 

 to bury them. 



This Maccabean poem, which consists of four triplets with 3 + 3 

 beats, may be translated as follows : 



Psalm 79. 



1 "^ Thy estate has been entered by heathen 



who defiled Thy holy Temple "^ 



2 And gave Thy servants' bodies 



as food to the birds of the air; ^ *^' 



3 They shed their blood like water 



round about Jerusalem. " 



4 We became a scofif to our neighbors, 



the ^ butt of those round about us. 



5 How long, O Jhvh, wilt Thou rage,'^ 



and Thy passion burn like fire? 



6 Pour out Thy wrath ^ over realms 



that do not invoke Thy name. 



8 Our father's sins charge not to us, 



may Thy mercy soon come to meet us ! ^ 



9 Aid us, O God, our Help, 



for the sake of the glory of Thy name ! ' 

 10 Why should the heathen say : 



where is that God of theirs? 



In our sight manifest on the heathen 



revenge for Thy servants' blood shed by them ; "'" 



12 Into their bosom sevenfold render " 



the insults wherewith they insulted Thee.P 



13 Then we,i the flock of Thy pasture, 



will thank Thee for ever and ay.'' 



(a) I Asaphic Psalm (b) O God (c) and laid Jerusalem in ruins 



(d) 7 They devoured Jacob, laid waste his homestead. 



(c) 2 The flesh of Thy saint's to the beasts of the land. 



(/) 3 and there is none to bury them (g) 4 derision and 



