very other Hebrew as his brother, and to
treat him as such. There was to be brotherly love in time of misfortune,
such love as would prevent the receiving of increase from the one who
was in trouble. With regard to the mortgaging of land, it does not seem
that these rich men had actually broken the law, such pledges were
allowed, provided that the property mortgaged was returned in the year
of jubilee. But, whilst they had not broken the letter of the law, these
Jews had certainly acted in a hard, self-seeking way, showing no
sympathy whatever for the sorrows of those around them.

How different was this from the generous conduct of Nehemiah himself!
All the time of his government he drew no taxes or contributions from
the people over whom he ruled, as other governors did, and as his
predecessors in Jerusalem had done. Eastern governors in those days,
like Turkish governors now, were accustomed to farm their provinces.
That is to say, the king allowed them no salary, but he put the taxation
of the people in their hands. A certain fixed sum was to be sent to him
every year from the province; and whatever the governor could grind or
squeeze out of the people, over and above this stated amount, went into
his own pocket and formed his salary. Jerusalem now-a-days rings with
many a cry of distress caused by the unjust means used by the pacha to
increase his stipend by putting fresh burdens on the people. The former
Jewish governors had made as much as forty shekels a day, or L1,800 a
year out of the people in their province. But when Nehemiah came to
Jerusalem, he found the people so poverty-stricken and oppressed that he
would not take a single penny for himself. It is probable that his
salary as cup-bearer had been continued, and on this he lived and kept
his household going all the time of his government. Not only so; not
only did Nehemiah pay all his private expenses, but he kept open house
for the people of Jerusalem; every day 150 of the rulers and chief men
dined with him, besides all the visitors to Jerusalem, Jews from other
countries, strangers from foreign nations who were staying but a short
time in the city, all of whom were invited to the governor's house, and
sat down at the governor's table.

Nehemiah himself gives us his daily bill of fare, ver. 18.

1 ox.
6 fat sheep.
Fowls without number.
A fresh supply of wine of all kinds stored in every tenth day.

It was no small expense to have ab