ABSTRACT

The women of Rome had their own society, too, though even when this was not the case, they were associated with the men in administering such charities as were concerned with the relief of their own sex 1. In addition to these societies, a special association devoted itself to collecting alms for the Holy Land 2. Eleven societies were engaged in promoting educational and religious aims. One met for daily devotions and study, another for the same purposes on Sabbaths, a third for night prayers on the eves of the seventh day of Passover, the first day of the Feast of Pentecost, and the seventh day of Tabernacles 3. Two societies existed for providing the necessary legal minyan, quorum of ten adult males, at the memorial services held daily in the private houses of mourners, and another society supplied the minyan in the evenings 4. The Abrahamic rite was directed by a special society, which also provided necessaries and dainties for the mother of the new-born boy; yet another society busied itself with the prayers held on the evening which preceded the ceremony 5. In order to

provide the poor with the materials for fulfilling certain religious duties, such as the affixing to the doorposts of the mezuzah (Deut. vi. 9), the illuminations on the feast of Dedication, and the kindling of the Sabbath-lights, three societies were established 1. Lastly, there were two further associations in Rome formed for literary purposes of a religious character 2.