then they were removed! (1) — Granted that they had been cleared away from Jerusalem, they had not been cleared away from the whole of Eretz Israel. Others state, Resh Lakish refuted R. Johanan: ‘Where are the dead of the Flood; where are the dead of Nebuchadnezzar?’ Surely then, since the latter were [in Eretz Israel], the former too were there? — Why say thus? each had its own state. (2) Resh Lakish refuted R. Johanan: Whatsoever was in the dry land, died: (3) according to my opinion that the Flood descended to Eretz Israel, it is well: for that reason they died. But on your view, why did they die? — Because of the heat, in accordance with R. Hisda. For R. Hisda said: With hot passion they sinned, and by hot water they were punished. [For] here it is written, And the water cooled; (4) whilst elsewhere it is said, Then the king's wrath cooled down. (5) Others state, R. Johanan refuted Resh Lakish: Whatsoever was in the dry land, died. On my opinion that the Flood did not descend to Eretz Israel, it is well: for that reason is it called dry land. But on your view, what is the meaning of ‘dry land’? — The place which was originally dry land. And why does he specify ‘dry land’? (6) — In accordance with R. Hisda. For R. Hisda said: In the generation of the Flood the decree [of destruction] was not decreed against the fish in the sea, because it says, ‘Whatsoever was in the dry land died’, but not the fish in the sea. On the view that the Flood did not descend there, it is well: thus the re'em (7) stayed there. But on the view that it did descend, where did it stay? (8) — Said R. Jannai: They took the young [of the re'em] into the Ark. But surely Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said: I saw a sea re'em, one day old, which was as big as Mount Tabor. And how big is Mount Tabor? Forty parasangs. (9) Its neck, stretched out, was three parasangs; the place where its head rested was a parasang and a half. It cast a ball of excrements and blocked the Jordan! — Said R. Johanan: They took its head [only] into the Ark. But a master said: The place where its head rested was three parasangs? — Rather, they took the tip of its nose into the Ark. But surely R. Johanan said: The Flood did not descend in Eretz Israel? (10) — He explains [it thus] on the view of Resh Lakish. But the Ark plunged up and down? (11) — Said Resh Lakish: They tied its horns to the Ark. (12) But surely R. Hisda said: The people in the generation of the Flood sinned with hot passion, and with hot water they were punished? (13) — And on your view, how could the Ark travel [at all]? (14) Moreover, how did Og king of Bashan stand? (15) Rather, a miracle was performed for it [the water], and it was cooled at the side of the Ark. Now according to Resh Lakish, even granted that the Flood fell upon Eretz Israel, surely, however, none [of the dead] were left there. For Resh Lakish said: Why was it [Babylon] called Mezulah? Because all the dead of the Flood were dumped [niztallelu] there? And R. Johanan said: Why was it called Shinar? Because all the dead of the Flood were shaken out thither [nin'aru lesham]? — Yet it was impossible that some should not have cleaved [remained]. R. Abbahu said: Why was it called Shinar? — Because it shakes out its wealthy men [mena'ereth ‘ashirim]. (16) But we see that there are [wealthy people there]? — They do not last three generations. R. Ammi said: He who eats earth of Babylon is as though he ate the flesh of his ancestors. (17) It has also been learnt likewise: He who eats earth in Babylon is as though he ate the flesh of his ancestors. Some say, It is as though he ate of abominations and creeping things. (18) THE SCAPEGOAT. [Is it not eligible to come to the door of the tent of meeting?] Surely the following contradicts it: Or sacrifice [Korban]: (19) I might understand even sacred things of the Temple Repair, (20) which are designated Korban, as it says, And we have brought the Lord's Korban [offering]. (21) Therefore it states, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tent of meting: [the law applies only to] what is eligible to come to the door of the tent of meeting; hence sacred things of Temple Repair, which are not thus eligible, (22) are excluded. (23) I might think that I exclude these, which are not eligible, but I do not exclude the scapegoat that is sent away, which is eligible to come to the door of the tent of meeting: (24) therefore it states, [to sacrifice it] unto the Lord, which excludes the scapegoat, as that is not dedicated to the Lord? — There is no difficulty: the one means before the casting of lots; (25) the other means after the casting of lots. After the casting of lots too there is still the confession? (26) — Rather, said R. Mani, there is no difficulty: The one means before confession; the other means after confession. A ROBA’ AND A NIRBA’. But this too I may infer from ‘unto the door of the tent of meeting’? (27)

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(1). ↑ In any case then Eretz Israel is free from lost graves.
(2). ↑ The latter had been in Eretz Israel, and cleared out, but the former were never there.
(3). ↑ Gen. VII, 22.
(4). ↑ Ibid. VIII, 1. E.V. abated.
(5). ↑ Est.VII, 10. In both cases the root שכך is used, giving them the same meaning, and proving that the water was hot when it descended. — This heat spread to Eretz Israel.
(6). ↑ Obviously all land where people lived was dry before the Flood.
(7). ↑ A huge animal, too large to enter the Ark.
(8). ↑ That it was able to survive the flood.
(9). ↑ A Persian mile, nearly four English miles. — This passage occurs in a series of ‘tall’ stories by Rabbah b. Bar Hanah related in B. B. 73a seq., which were probably veiled allegories on the political and social conditions of the time.
(10). ↑ Hence he needs no explanation at all.
(11). ↑ And this would cause the re'em to slip out and drown.
(12). ↑ To secure it.
(13). ↑ It would have been scalded.
(14). ↑ Since its seams were caulked with pitch, why did not the pitch dissolve in the hot water and leave the Ark unseaworthy?
(15). ↑ According to legend he was such a giant that he escaped from the Flood (Nid. 61b). Why wasn't he scalded by the hot water?
(16). ↑ People cannot be wealthy there.
(17). ↑ Who died there.
(18). ↑ V. Shab. 113b.
(19). ↑ Lev. XVII, 8.
(20). ↑ V. p. 74 n. 7.
(21). ↑ Num. XXXI, 50. The verse continues: of jewels of gold, armlets, etc.; hence it obviously refers to sacred things of Temple Repair.
(22). ↑ Because only blemished animals can be consecrated for Temple Repair, and such are not eligible for a sacrifice.
(23). ↑ If one slaughtered these without as a sacrifice, he is not culpable.
(24). ↑ As we do not know which will be sacrificed and which will be sent away, until the lots are cast.
(25). ↑ To determine which shall be sacrificed and which sent away; V. Lev. XVI, 8. At that stage it is eligible to come to the tent of meeting.
(26). ↑ Which is made over that goat, v. ibid. 21. That was made within.
(27). ↑ Why does the Mishnah quote a different prooftext here?