S A A 
S A A 
'Rabbi Jehuda Ben Samuel Aben Tibbon, and was printed 
at Constantinople in 1562, 4to., and since that at Verona, 
Amsterdam, and other places; “A Commentary on the 
Book Jezira," which was printed, with other commentaries 
on that book, at Mantua, in 1592, 4to.; an Arabic translation 
of the whole Old Testament, of which the Pentateuch is 
still extant, and may be seen both in Le Jay’s and Walton’s 
Polyglots, accompanied with the Latin Version of Gabriel 
Sionita; “ A Commentary on the Song of Songs,” in He¬ 
brew, printed at Prague, in 1609, 4to.; “A Commentary on 
Daniel,” in Hebrew, inserted in the great rabbinical Bibles 
of Venice and Basil; “A Commentary on Job,” in Arabic, 
the manuscript of which is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford; 
“ A Commentary upon the Jewish Liturgy,” in Arabic, pre¬ 
served in manuscript in the same repository; and other 
pieces on grammar, &c., of which some account may be seen 
in Wolsii Bib/. Hebraa. Moreri. 
SAADIS, a sect of enthusiasts or impostors in Egypt, 
resembling the Psylli of Cyrenaica, who were persuaded that 
they possessed the power of setting serpents at defiance, 
of charming them, of making these reptiles follow 
them at their call, and of curing their bites. The Saadis 
derive their name from that of their founder, who was a 
saint highly venerated among the Mahometans of Egypt. 
This saint, when young, having convinced his uncle, who was 
a great man in Syria, of his ingenuity, by binding a faggot 
of branches of trees, which he was sent by his uncle to collect 
in the desart, with a number of living serpents knotted toge¬ 
ther, commenced his travels through the country, practising 
the art of charming serpents by his wonderful and super¬ 
natural skill, and gathering together a number of disciples, to 
whom he communicated his art. The tomb of this saint is 
near Damascus; and it is filled with serpents and other 
venomous animals, among which a person may lie down and 
sleep, without suffering the slightest injury. Such is the 
superstitious origin of a very numerous sect in Egypt, each 
individual of which inherits the skill of its founder. Every 
year they celebrate his festival in a manner analogous to the 
institution. They march in procession through the streets, 
each holding in his hand a living serpent, which he bites, 
gnaws, and swallows piece-meal, making, at the same time, 
frightful grimaces and contortions. Sonnini informs us, 
that he had an opportunity of observing the practices of a 
member of this sect. A priest of this profession carried in 
his bosom a large serpent, which he was continually 
handling, and after having recited a prayer, delivered it to the 
Saadi who accompanied him. The teeth of the reptile had 
been drawn, but it was very lively, and of a dusky green and 
copper colour. The Saadi seized the serpent, which en¬ 
twined itself round his naked arm. Upon this he began to 
be agitated; his countenance changed; his eyes rolled; he 
uttered terrible cries; bit the animal in the head, and tore 
off a piece, which he chewed and swallowed. At that 
moment his agitation increased; his howlings were redoubled; 
his limbs writhed ; his aspect bore the marks of madness; 
and his mouth, distended by horrid grimaces, was covered 
with foam. From time to time he devoured fresh pieces of 
the reptile. It was in vain that three men exerted themselves 
to hold him; he dragged them round the room, throwing 
his arms with violence on all sides, and striking every thing 
within his reach. At length the priest took the serpent from 
him; but his fury and convulsions were not at first appeased; 
he bit his hands, and his passion continued. The priest 
clasped him in his arms, put his hands gently on his back, 
lifted him from the ground, and recited some prayers. His 
agitation gradually subsided, and he became complety ex¬ 
hausted, in which state he continued for a few moments. The 
Turks, who were present, believed that this religious frenzy 
was real. 
SAALES, a small town in the east of France in Lorraine,; 
11 miles east-north-east of St. Diez. 
SAALFELD, a small town of the interior of Germany, 
duchy of Saxe-Coburg, on the Thuringian Saale. It is 
pleasantly situated, and contains 3700 inhabitants. Here is 
507 
a mint, a mine office, and some manufactures. Saalfeld was 
formerly the chief town of a small principality of the house 
of Saxe, but the family became extinct in 1749. In October 
1806, prior to the fatal battle of Jena, prince Louis Fer¬ 
dinand of Prussia was defeated and killed hereby the French; 
50 miles west-south-west of Altenburg. 
SAALFELD, or Zellwai.d, a smalltown of East Prussia; 
67 miles south-south-west of Konigsberg. Population 1300. 
SAALFELDEN, a small town in the south-west of 
Austria, on the river Salza. Population 1000; 28 miles 
south-south-west of Salzburg. 
SAALFELDNER-SCHARTE, a lofty mountain of the 
district of Salzburg, near Saalfelden. Elevation 7000 feet. 
SAALMUNSTER, a small town of the west of Germany, 
in Hesse-Cassel, on the Kinzig. Population 1350 ; 24 miles 
south-south-west of Fulda. 
SAANE, Sane, or Sarine, a considerable river in the 
west of Switzerland, which rises on the borders of the Valais, 
flows through the canton ofFriburg, from north to south, 
and falls into the Aar; 7 miles west of Bern. It is rapid, 
and not navigable. It gives name to a winding valley of the 
Oberland, surrounded with lofty mountains, and producing 
little corn, but abundance of pasturage. The population of 
the valley is 8000. Its chief town is Saanen. 
SAANEN, in French Gtsscnai, a small but well built 
town of the Swiss canton of Bern, in the Saanerland. It is 
the chief place of the valley of the same name, and is situated 
between beautiful and fertile mountains ; 24 miles south of 
Friburg, and 25 east-south-east of Lausanne. 
SAAR. See Sarre. 
SAARBRUCK, a small town of the Prussian province of 
the Lower Rhine, on the river Sarre. It contains 2700 
inhabitants, and has a Lutheran church and gymnasium; the 
former a good building. The inhabitants carry on some 
manufactures of iron and steel, but their chief traffic arises from 
their position on the river, which becomes navigable at this 
place ; 18 miles east of Luxemburg, and 9 south of Treves. 
On the other side of the Sarre is a small town called St. 
John. 
SAARDAM. SeeZAANDAM. 
SAARGEMUND. See Sarguemines. 
SAAR-LOUIS, a fortified town of the Prussian province 
of the Lower Rhine, situated on a peninsula formed by the 
Sarre. It contains 4100 inhabitants, and has some 
manufactures of leather and hardware; and in the neighbour¬ 
hood are iron and coal mines. It was fortified by Vauban, 
under Louis XIV. but was ceded to Prussia by the treaty of 
Paris in 1815. During the revolution, this place was 
called Sarre Libre; 11 miles north-west of Saarbruck, and 34 
east of Thionville. 
SA ART AY, a small island of the Hebrides, in the sound of 
Harris. 
SAAR UNION, a town in the north-east of France, on 
the Saar, department of the Lower Rhine. It consists of the 
two petty towns of St. Saarwerden and Bouquenon, and has 
a population of 2800 ; 45 miles north-east of Nancy. Lat. 
48. 56. N. long. 7.5. E. 
SAAS (John), an ecclesiastic, was born in the year 1703, 
and died in 1774. He was an active and useful member of 
the academy of Rouen, and published an account of the manu¬ 
scripts found in the cathedral of that city; he was author 
of “ An Abridgement of the Historical Dictionary,” in four 
vols.; “ Criticisms on the Supplement to Moreri,” and some 
religious pieces. 
SAASA, a village of Palestine, in the district beyond 
Jordan, which tradition has reported as the place where 
Nimrod was buried ; 40 miles north-west of Sarchad. 
SAATZ, a circle in the north-west of Bohemia, lying 
contiguous to the Saxon frontier, and to the Bohemian circles 
of Leutmeritz, Rakonitz, and Elnbogen. Its area is about 
820 square miles, its population 114,000 who are more of 
German than of Bohemian descent. The south of this circle 
is level, and contains some of the best corn land of Bohemia, 
but the north is covered in part by the Erzgebirge mountains, 
in 
