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158 The Legends of the Jews
the seven patriarchs of the world, Adam, Noah, Shem, J Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; and on the arms to the left, images of the seven pious men of the world, Kohath, Am- ram, Moses, Aaron, Eldad, Medad, and the prophet Hur. Attached to the top of the candlestick was a golden bowl rilled with the purest olive oil, to be used for the candle- stick in the Temple, and below, a golden basin, also filled with the purest olive oil, for the candlestick over the throne. The basin bore the image of the high priest Eli ; those of his sons Hophni and Phinehas were on the two faucets protrud- ing from the basin, and those of Nadab and Abihu on tubes connecting the faucets with the basin.
On the upper part of the throne stood seventy golden chairs for the members of the Sanhedrin, and two more for the high priest and his vicar. When the high priest came to do homage to the king, the members of the Sanhedrin also appeared, to judge the people, and they took their seats to the right and to the left of the king. At the approach of the witnesses, the machinery of the throne rumbled — the wheels turned, the ox lowed, the lion roared, the wolf howled, the lamb bleated, the leopard growled, the goat cried, the falcon screamed, the peacock gobbled, the cock crowed, the hawk screeched, the sparrow chirped — all to terrify the witnesses and keep them from giving f; testimony.
When Solomon set foot upon the first step to ascend his seat, its machinery was put into motion. The golden arose and led him to the second step, and there passed hirr over to the care of the beasts guarding it, and so he was conducted from step to step up to the sixth, where the eagle?
