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20

DRINKS.

According-

to

the

Abodah

Zara/i,

sl

treatise

on

false

worship,

there

was

a

mixed

drink

used

in

Babylon

called

Cuttach,

which

possessed

marvellous

properties.

**

It

obstructs

the

heart,

blinds

the

eyes,

and

emaciates

the

body.

It

obstructs

the

heart,

because

it

contains

whey

of

milk

;

it

blinds

the

eyes,

because

it

contains

a

peculiar

salt

which

has

this

property

;

and

it

emaciates

the

body,

because

of

the

putrefied

bread

which

is

mixed

with

it.

If

poured

upon

stones,

it

breaks

them

;

and

of

it

is

a

proverb,

'

That

it

is

better

to

eat

a

stinking

fish

than

take

Cuttach!

"

The

same

treatise

also

mentions

..Median

beer

and

Edomite

vinegar.

The

Hittites

had

been

a

powerful

and

civilized

nation

when

the

Jews were

in

an

exceedingly

primitive

condition,

and

Abraham

found

thern

the

rightful

possessors

of

Hebron,

in

Southern

Palestine

(Gen.

xxiii.),

and

so

far

recognised

their

rights

to

the

soil,

as