Kethuboth, fol. 66, col. 2.

Abba Benjamin says, “If our eye were permitted to see the malignant sprites that beset us, we could not rest on account of them.”  Abaii has said, “They out-number us, they surround us as the earthed-up soil on our garden-beds.”  Rav Hunna says, “Every one has a thousand at his left side and ten thousand at his right” (Ps. xci. 7).  Rava adds, “The crowding at the schools is caused by their pushing in; they cause the weariness which the Rabbis experience in their knees, and even tear their clothes by hustling against them.  If one would discover traces of their presence, let him sift some ashes upon the floor at his bedside, and next morning he will see, as it were, the footmarks of fowls on the surface.  But if one would see the demons themselves, he must burn to ashes the after-birth of a first-born black kitten, the offspring of a first-born black cat, and then put a little of the ashes into his eyes, and he will not fail to see them,” etc., etc.

Berachoth, fol. 6, col. 1.

In each camp there are suspended three hundred and sixty-five myriads of stars, etc.

Agrippa, being anxious to ascertain the number of the male population of Israel, instructed the priest to take accurate note of the Paschal lambs.  On taking account of the kidneys, it was found that there were sixty myriad couples (which indicated) double the number of those that came up out of Egypt, not reckoning those that were ceremonially unclean and those that were out traveling.  There was not a Paschal lamb in which less than ten had a share, so that the number represented over six hundred myriads of men.

P’sachim, fol. 64, col. 2.

“It is unlawful to enumerate Israel even with a view to a meritorious deed” (Yoma, fol. 22, col. 2).  From Rashi’s comment on the former text it seems that the priest merely held up the duplicate kidneys, upon which the king’s agent regularly laid aside a pea or a pebble into a small heap, which were afterwards counted up.  See also Josephus, Book VI. chap. ix. sec. 3.

It might not be amiss to remind the reader in passing that if one were to reckon one hundred per minute for ten hours a day, it would take no less than sixteen days six hours forty minutes to count a million; and that it would take twenty men, reckoning at the same rate, to sum up the total number stated in the text in one day, so as to ascertain that there were 1,200,000 sacrifices at the Passover under notice, representing no less than 12,000,000 celebrants.

At the time when Israel in their eagerness first said, “We will do,” and then, “We will hear” (Exod. xxix. 7), there came sixty myriads of ministering angels to crown each Israelite with two crowns, one for “we will do” and one for “we will hear.”  But when after this Israel sinned, there came down a hundred and twenty myriads of destroying angels and took the crowns