When the community agreed to appoint an exilarch, the two heads of the academies, with their pupils, the heads of the community, and the elders assembled in the house of a prominent man in Babylon, one of the great men of the generation, as, for instance, Netira, or a similar man. That man in whose house the meeting took place was honored thereby, and it was regarded as a mark of distinction; his esteem was enhanced, when the great men and the elders assembled in his house. On Thursday they assembled in the synagogue, blessed the exilarch, and placed their hands on him. They blew the horn, that all the people, small and great, might hear. When the people heard the proclamation, every member of the community sent him a present, according to his power and means. All the heads of the community and the wealthy members sent him magnificent clothes and beautiful ornaments, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, each man according to his ability. The exilarch prepared a banquet on Thursday and on Friday, giving all kinds of food, and all kinds of drinks, and all kinds of dainties, as, for instance, different kinds of sweetmeats. When he arose on Sabbath morning to go to the synagogue, many of the prominent men of the community met him to go with him to the synagogue. At the synagogue a wooden pulpit had been prepared for him on the previous day, the length of which was seven cubits, and the breadth of which was three cubits. They spread over it magnificent coverings of silk, blue, purple, and scarlet, so that it was entirely covered, and nothing was seen of it. Under the pulpit there entered distinguished youths, with melodious and harmonious voices, who were well-versed in the prayers and all that appertains thereto. The exilarch was concealed in a certain place together with the heads of the academies, and the youths stood under the pulpit. No man sat there. The precentor of the synagogue would begin the prayer _Blessed be He who spoke_, and the youths, after every sentence of that prayer, would respond: ‘Blessed be He.’ When he chanted the Psalm of the Sabbath day,[76] they responded after him: ‘It is good to give thanks unto the Lord.’ All the people together read the ‘verses of song,’[77] until they finished them. The precentor then arose, and began the prayer _The breath of all living_, and the youths responded after him: ‘Shall bless Thy name’; he chanted a phrase, and they responded after him, until they reached the ‘Kedushah,’ which was said by the congregation with a low voice, and by the youths with a loud voice. Then the youths remained silent, and the precentor alone completed the prayer up to _He redeemed Israel_. All the people then stood up to say the Eighteen Benedictions. When the precentor, repeating these Benedictions, reached the ‘Kedushah,’ the youths responded after him with a loud voice: ‘The Holy God.’ When he had completed the prayer, all the congregation sat down. When all the people