66

learned among the Muselmans to dispute with him.
The proposal heing accepted, the Nazarene began :
" Do yon believe in Aisa (Jesus) ? " The Muselman
answered: " Certainly; we acknowledge him as a
" prophet of God; our prophet bore testimony to
" the divine mission of Jesus." The Nazarene con-
tinued: " This prophet (the Messiah) has announced
" that after him many will appear who will pretend
46 to a prophetic office; yet * believe not in them,
" * nor follow them, for they are liars; but remain
" ' you steadfast and firm in my faith, until I come
" * again.' There is no mention of your prophet in
" the Gospel." The Muselman replied : " Mention
"•of him was in the Pentateuch1 and in the Gos-

1 As the Arabians descend from Ismail, the brother of Isaak, they
take to themselves the blessing which God, in Genesis (XVII. 20), pro-
nounced upon him and his posterity; and in the twelve princes who,
according to'the same verse, were to issue from him, they see their twelve
Imams, All and the rest (see vol. II. p. 367). They believe also that the
prophet, who, as God announced to Moses in the Pentateuch (Deutero-
nomy, XVIII. 18 \ would rise from the Ismailites, was Muhammed. Ac-
cording to Abul Firaj (Specimen Hist. Arab., 14.17), the Muhammedans
find in a passage of the Pentateuch (Deuter., XXXIII. 2) indicated the
descent of the law to Moses upon mount Sinai; that of the Gospel to
Jesus upon mount Sair; and that of the Koran to Muhammed upon
mount Pharan, near Mecca. Further, in Psalm L. v. 2. they imagine
that in the words: " Manifestavit Deus e Sione coronam laudatam, acti-
" Ian mahmudan" by actilan, 4l crown," is to be understood " king-
** dom," and by mahmudan, ** praised," the very name of Muhammed.
But this passage is translated in our Bible: " Out of Sion hath God
'* appeared in perfect beauty." They find also passages applicable to
their prophet in Isaiah XXII.-6. 7. 9: XLII. 1. 7. 16.17.; and the whole1