“Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.”
And they said: What is the guilt offering that we should send to him? They answered: Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for the same plague was upon all of you and upon your lords—the Philistine priests prescribe a *micrographic* offering: five *tumors* (tsores, boils) and five *mice* (akbarim) in gold, one for each of the five city-states (*Pelishtim arim*: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, Ekron). The offering is a *sympathetic magic* representation of the plague, a visual confession of guilt.
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