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THE CHRONICLES OF JERAHMEEL.
hleaxctr ben /\^\< l- Levi
ORIENTAL TRANSLATION FUND.
NEW SERIES,
IV.
THE
CHRONICLES OF JERAHMEEL ;
OR,
ZTbe Ibcbrew) Bible Ibietoriale.
A COLLECTION OF APOCRYPHAL AND PSEUDO-EPIGPAPHICAL
BOOKS DEALING WITH THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM
THE CREATION TO THE DEATlf OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.
franslateb for il)C ^trsf ftme from an unique ^^Tanuscripf
in f()C "gSoMcian c^ibrarg,
M. GASTER, Ph.D.
TOGETHER WITH
AN INTRODUCTION, CRITICAL NOTES, A FULL INDEX, AND
FIVE FACSIMILES.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE
ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY;
AND SOLD AT
22, ALBEMARLE STREET, LONDON.
1899.
XLo
F. F. ARBUTHNOT, Esq.
THIS BOOK
IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
The present volume contains a collection of old-world
legends and tales. The heroes are mostly biblical per-
sonages; hence the name given to it by me, 'Bible Historiale.'
It resembles in tendency and spirit these mediaeval com-
pilations, and is their oldest representative. The Hebrew
text exists only in one single manuscript. My transla-
tion is as faithful and literal a rendering as such a subject
requires. Unlike others, I have followed the older example
and have added a full index. It is a complete digest of the
whole matter contained in the book. No incident of any
importance has wilfully been omitted. For the purpose of
preparing it and of facilitating critical and bibliographical
investigations, I have divided the text into chapters and
paragraphs. Indications in the manuscript guided me.
In a long introduction I have investigated firstly the
question as to the date and authorship of the chronicle as
a whole ; then discussed the place of its composition ; the
relation in which the chronicle of Jerahmeel stands to the
Book of Yashar and to Yosippon. I have laid bare the
connection with the ' Genesis Kabba Major ' of Moses ha
Darshan ; and drawn attention to the parallelism between
this chronicle, the ' Historia Scholastica ' of Comestor, and
other similar Christian compilations.
In a second part of the introduction I have studied each
chapter and each text separately, and I have minutely in-
vestigated each paragraph and smaller incident. Parallels
have been adduced by me not only from the Hebrew but
also from non-Hebrew literatures. An attempt has been
Vlll
made to ascertain the probable age of each of these legends,
to show the historical background of some, and the value
for textual criticism of the other texts contained in this
chronicle.
Five pages of the Hebrew manuscript of decisive
importance for the date and for the original character of
this compilation have been added. In short, no pains
have been spared to make this book a worthy contribution
to the study of Biblical Apocrypha, and to place in the
hand of the student the means of testing the truth and
cogency of the conclusions to which I have arrived.
It remains now for me to fulfil a pleasant duty in
thanking my friends Dr. W. H. Greenburg and Dr. H.
Barnstein for the assistance they have rendered me, and
above all Mr. F. F. Arbuthnot, to whose generosity the
book owes its appearance.
M. GASTER
London,
June 16, 1899.
Tammuz 8, 5659.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
Autlior's Preface -
The Creation of the World
Introduction
The Seven Planets and their Functions
Introduction
Creation of Man -
Introduction
The Formation of the Child
Introduction
Admonition against Sin
Introduction
Punishments and Rewards
Introduction
The Beating of the Grave -
Introduction
Descri2)tions of Hell and Paradise
Introduction
Fall of Adam and Eve
Introduction
History of Methushelah and Enosh
Introduction
History of Cain and his Descendants
Introduction
The Midrash of Shemhazai and Azael
Introduction
The Descendants of Adam till Koah
Introduction
The Descendants of Noah -
Introduction
History of Abraham and Yoqtan -
Introduction
The Generations of Noah -
Introduction
History of Jonithes, Nimrod, and Bel
Introduction
Abraham Legends -
Introduction
The Wars of the Children of Jacob
Introduction
The Will of Naphtali
Introduction
Joseph Legends
Introduction
I.-III.
IV.
IX.
X.
1
lix
11
- Ixi
VL-VII. U
- Ixii
19
Ixiii
23
- Ixiv
XI. -XII. 27
- Ixv
XIII. 30
- Ixvi
XIY.-XXL 32
- Ixvii
XXII. 46
- Ixix
XXIII. 48
- Ixxi
XXIV. 50
- Ixxii
XXV. .52
Ixxiii
XXVI. 54
xxxiv, Ixxiii
XXVIL-XXVIII. 57
- xxxiv, Ixxv
XXIX. -XXX. 60
- Ixxv
XXXI. 65
- xliii, Ixxvi
XXXII. 69
Ixxvii
XXXIII.-XXXV. 71
Ixxviii
XXXVI.-XXXVII. 80
Ixxxi
XXXVIII. 87
Ixxxiv
XXXIX. 94
Ixxxv
X
History of Sefo, Kittini and Rome (from Yosippon)
Introduction - - - -
Tlie Chronicle of Moses - - - -
Introduction - - - "
Death of Aaron - - - - '
Introduction - - - ■
Death of Moses - - - - ■
Introduction - - - -
Ascension of Closes - - - ■
Introduction - - - -
Tlie Camping in the Wilderness and the Legends
of the Twelve Stones - - - -
Introduction - - - -
The Smiting of the Firstborn
Introduction - - - -
The Reliellion of Korah - - - -
Introduction - - - -
History of Greece - - - - -
Introduction - - - -
Legend of Kenaz - - - - -
Introduction - - - -
Legend of Sisera, Gideon and Yair
Introduction - - - -
The Lamentation of Seelah, Jephthah's Daughter
Inti-oduction . . . -
The Eight Exiles -----
Introduction ... -
The Children of Moses and the Ten Tribes
Introduction ... -
The History of Elhanan the Merchant
Introduction . . . -
The Midrash of Ahab and Zedekiah
Introduction . . - -
The History of Susanna - - - -
Introduction . . - .
The History of Nebuchadnezzar -
Introduction - . - .
Daniel Legends -----
Introduction - - - -
Zerubbabel and the Riddles
Introduction . . - -
Rebuilding of the Temple— Holy Fire
Introduction - - . -
Mordecai's Dream and Esthei's Prayer— Haman
Legends ------
Introduction - - - -
The Throne of Solomon - - - .
Introduction - - . .
The Pjook of the Maccabee
Introduction - - . -
CHAPTER PAGE
XL.-XLI. 94
Ixxxvi
XLIL-XLVIII. 102
Ixxxvii
XLIX. 130
- xci
133
xcii
144
xciii
L.-LI.
LII.
LIII. 149
- xciv
LIV. 156
- xcvi
LV. 160
xcvii
LVI. 164
xcvii
LVIL 165
xcviii
LVIII. 174
xcviii
LIX. 176
- xcix
LX. 182
c
LXI.-LXII. 186
ci
LXIIL 192
- ciii
LXIV. 200
- civ
LXV. 202
cv
LXVI. 205
- cvi
LXVII.-LXXIII. 207
- cvi
LXXIV.-LXXVI. 223
- cvii
LXXVII. 231
LXXIX.-LXXXIIL 236
- eviii
LXXXIV. 251
- cix
LXXXV.-C. 254
- ex
INTEODUCTION.
The chronicle which I publish here for the first time is
not a chronicle in the strict sense of the word. It does
not relate true events which have happened in the history
of mankind, but it belongs more to that class of legendary
history which was so much in vogue in the Middle x\ges,
and which owes its original conception to the attempt,
from very ancient times, to embellish the biblical narrative.
The history of the world began with the narrative of the Bible
— first for the Jews, and then for all the nations who have
derived their knowledge and their faith from the same
source. The careful reader of the Bible must have been
struck with what appeared to him to be incoherence of
narrative, want of details, and at times great lacunae.
Hence the desire for filling them up.
An old problem has also been to establish a fixed chron-
ology upon the basis of the biblical narrative. This last
was, in fact, the oldest attempt to construct exact history
out of the Bible. The computation of the era of the world,
and the desire for fixing the age of every person mentioned
in the Bible, and of every event contained therein, was
imposed upon Jews almost as soon as they came in contact
with the highly fantastical chronologies of Manetho and
Berossus, who gave to the world and to the reigning
dynasties of Egypt and Assyria millions of years. The
Jews, especially those who lived in Alexandria, the ancient
focus of civilization, where all the currents of thought,
myth and learning combined, felt the necessity of com-
Xll
paring these fabulous histories with the true history of the
world as contained in the Bible. We therefore find among
the oldest Alexandrian writers like Demetrios and others
the very first rudiments of biblical chronology. Egypt
was also the land where myths and legends flourished in
abundance, and no w^onder that the lives of Biblical
personages connected especially with Egypt and Egyptian
history, like Joseph, Moses, Solomon and others, should
have been embellished with legendary and poetic details
drawn from sources hitherto not yet accounted for.
Biblical legends occur, therefore, very frequently in the
works of the Alexandrian writers referred to, especially
in Artapanos and Philo, and, derived from such sources,
also in Josephus. This activity was, however, not limited
to Egypt. The desire for rounding off the biblical narrative,
for filling up the lacunae, for answering all the questions
of the enquiring mind of the ancient reader, was also
carried on in Palestine and probably so in Babylon.
Hence a new literature grew out of the Bible, and clustered
round the Bible, which goes under the name of the
Apocrypha, or pseudo-epigraphical literature.
Some of these writings are written with a special pur-
pose, either to inculcate certain doctrines, or to show the
antiquity of certain precepts in order to justify some religious
ceremony. Some assume the form of historical narratives
of events that happened to the Patriarchs, others appear
in the form of ancient revelations also ascribed to biblical
personages, and either try to lift the veil of the future or
to encourage the people in time of trial and trouble. This
literature has had a chequered career ; very little has come
down to us in its primitive form, and in the Hebrew
language. Even those that were written in Greek, and
have been translated from that language, had to undergo
considerable changes at the hands of those who afterwards
utihzed the ancient records for the purpose of spreading
their own religious views. Books that went under the
names of Patriarchs claimed a great respect and venera-
tion. And, therefore, if they contained announcements
Xlll
as to events that were to happen, Christian writers and
then heads of sects would not fail to interpret or to inter-
polate sentences or passages by which Christian or specific
doctrines would appear to have been foretold from ancient
times. Such interpolations and the use made of the books
sufficed to condemn them in the eyes of the Jews, and
even in the eyes of the ruling Church, and to cause their
disappearance at a very early period. Others that were
written in Hebrew and claimed to be a kind of prophecy,
having been belied by the non-fulfilment of those jprophecies,
fell into contempt, were disregarded, and therefore partly
lost ; the purely historical and legendary portions, how-
ever, seem to have fared somewhat better. They lived on
because age did not affect them, and people at all times
were inclined to bestow benevolent attention upon poetical
descriptions or pseudo-historical narratives.
The critical spirit belongs to modern times. The dis-
crimination between true and false history is the result of
modern discipline. Much that we consider as impossible
and legendary would pass, and did pass for centuries, as
true history ; and legendary history ranked very high in
popular favour from ancient times onward. The texts
suffered considerably because they were considered ' No
man's property.' Every copyist, every author, handled
them in the freest possible manner : adding, changing,
altering, leaving out what he considered useless or super-
fluous, and dwelling at length upon details for which he
had a special predilection. The liberty taken with that
class of literature greatly increases the difficulties of the
critical student, and makes the task much more onerous
for those who attempt to winnow the chaff from the corn
and to trace legendary history to its ultimate literary source.
With the Jews, history — that is, a description of battles
or of internal political development — had ceased from the
time that the political entity had come to an end. Scat-
tered throughout the world, they dwelt much more passion-
ately upon the records of the Bible, and favoured all those
legendary embroideries more highly than probably any
XIV
other nation which Uved in the actuahty, and had to shape
its course in the various lands where they had estabUshed
themselves. That accounts for the paucity of Jewish
chronicles — there was practically nothing to record. From
the time of the first Temple, that is, from the time at
which the Bible closes down to the Dispersion under Titus
and Vespasianus, there was a long period, in which the
Jewish polity again flourished in Palestine, and wherein
the Maccabeans fill such a prominent place. True, a
brief allusion to these three hundred years and more of
the existence of the second Temple is all that is to be
found in Jewish literature; a stray passage among the
thousands of pages of the homiletic or legal literature of
those times, and no more. But, in spite of this poverty
in reference, that period was one of intensive literary
activity, the outlines of which have hitherto been only
dimly recognised.
Of the literature that flourished during the second
Temple, some of the books are known as the Apocrypha
of the Bible. A few pretend to contain contemporary
real history, like Judith, additions to Daniel, Susanna,
Maccabees ; others are books of wisdom, like Ben Sira's
Ecclesiasticus ; or, the Wisdom of Solomon; and I may
also mention here the so-called Psalms of Solomon.
Greater activity was displayed in the production of the
so-called pseudo-epigraphical books such as the Book of
Enoch, the Book of the Jubilees, the Testaments of the
Twelve Patriarchs, and a host of other similar produc-
tions which have the Bible as their centre, and poetical
imagination as their characteristic. A true appreciation of
this literature has been reserved for our times. These
books were used in the composition of the mediaeval Bible
Historiale; but not one single text, according to the
common notion, has been preserved in its original lan-
guage. They have come down in Greek or in Latin, or in
translations derived from these secondary sources. Old
Hebrew parallels to the Apocrypha proper, not to speak of
the pseudo-epigraphical, seemed completely lost. As far as
XV
the Apocrypha proper are concerned, there exists, however,
a book which covers this whole period : a kind of continua-
tion of the biblical narrative from the point at which it
closes — viz. : the rebuilding under Ezra and Nehemiah,
down to the destruction of the second Temple. It goes
under the name of Yosippon (by the way, a Byzantine form
of Josephus, in so far absolutely identical with the Hebrew
form pD^Dv). This book contains a special version of all
those Apocryphal tales, it goes on to describe the history of
the Maccabeeans, and afterwards at great length the details
of the war with the Komans up to the fatal conclusion.
The authenticity of this Hebrew version has been ques-
tioned by almost everyone who has dealt with it, although,
till now, no complete or perfect edition of this work has
been attempted. It exists in at least two distinctly different
forms, and the manuscripts, which are not very numerous,
have scarcely yet been touched. A huge interpolation —
namely, the legendary history of Alexander, of which I
published an English translation from old manuscripts —
has induced men like Zunz to consider the whole work as
being of the same age as that portion which had been
interpolated at a later time. Zunz came to the conclusion
that it was a translation made in the South of Italy some-
time in the eleventh or twelfth century, based probably
upon the Latin 'Egesippus.' Copyists' errors, and
especially the changes introduced by the final editor,
Moscone, who owns to having compiled the book out of
a number of different manuscripts, have been taken as
sufficient proof for declaring the whole work to be a late
fabrication. Before attempting to show the futility of the
arguments hitherto adduced, suffice it to mention that
this was the only post-biblical Jewish history known for
a long time, the origin of which awaits still further elucida-
tion.
The pseudo-epigraphical writings have also left more
than a few traces. In connection with them I now mention
another book which attempts for the Bible itself that
which Yosippon attempts for the post-biblical period. I
XVI
mean the book which goes under the name of ' Sefer
Hayashar.' It is a consecutive narrative from the creation
of the world down to the time of the Judges, following
closely the description given by the Bible, omitting all the
legal portions, and filling up the lacunae with numerous
legends drawn from those sources. If Yosippon has
hitherto been treated with scant respect, in spite of
Breithaupt's excellent work, this latter book — of which,
curiously enough, no manuscripts are known to exist in any
library of the world, at any rate not to my knowledge —
has been treated with absolute contempt, as a tissue of
ridiculous fables and of a modern make. The discovery
of the whole series of pseudo-epigraphical writings, such
as the Book of Jubilees and others ; the close attention
given in modern times to this whole branch of biblical
Apocrypha ; the investigations into the phases of develop-
ment and into the origin of the Book of Enoch ; the
' Assumption of Moses ' (by Charles) ; the publication of
the ' Apocrypha Anecdota ' by James and Eobinson in this
country, and similar studies carried out by scholars in
other countries, have contributed largely to change our
opinion of the value and antiquity of such books.
In the above-mentioned books, especially in the Book
of Yosippon and in that of Yashar, the various legendary
elements have been deftly woven into one consecutive
narrative. The editor or compiler has used his materials
somewhat freely, just as an artist would use his colours,
and he has succeeded in producing a most interesting
book, both as far as contents and style are concerned.
For, curiously enough, these two works alone (limiting
myself to those presented in Hebrew), i.e., the book called
Yosippon and the Book of Yashar, are written in the
purest Hebrew style. Unlike any other Hebrew writing of
ancient or modern times, they imitate the Scriptural form
of the language, and use almost exclusively the lexicon of
the Bible. A very few non-biblical words are to be met
with, especially in the Yosippon, but altogether the read-
ing is as pleasant as that of a biblical book in the form
XVll
of an attractive historical novel. This very peculiarity of
style has been put down by Zunz and others as proof of
their recent origin. For what reason a book written in a
pure style should be considered as modern and not archaic,
has not been made clear by anyone, and it does not seem
to have struck any critics to demand a reason.
To assume the reverse, however, would be quite natural.
The essential characteristic of this literature is that it pre-
tends to be of high antiquity ; it claims patriarchs and
prophets as its author. Could anyone conceive, then, that
such a claim would be maintained with any hope of success,
or that such a poetical deception would meet with any
acceptance, if the book, purporting to be written by Enoch,
Moses, Daniel, etc., would not be in a language resembling
very closely that of the Bible, or that it should have
appealed to a Jewish public in Greek ? It would have at
once betrayed its spurious origin, and neither Synagogue
nor Church would have taken cognizance of its existence.
It is, furthermore, incomprehensible that, for no visible
reason, writers of a later period should have so success-
fully avoided adopting the current literary language of
their time, and have purposely written in that pure,
simple, biblical form. I do not suggest that this alone is a
stringent proof of antiquity, but at any rate I wish to
point out that at no time do we know this literary
canon to have been established or to have been acted upon,
that writers should imitate the diction of the Bible. The
language therefore is no proof whatsoever of the recent
origin of this or any such book. Internal evidence alone
must finally decide the true character and date of each com-
position. The necessity for writing in such a pure biblical
phraseology has never been felt at a later time. In fact,
the whole Hebrew literature, from the second or third
century onward, betrays in its grammatical forms the
successive changes to which it has been subjected. Neither
the poetical literature nor the Halachic or Hagadic, during
the time which followed the destruction of the Temple,
shows, as far as contemporary records go, this tendency of
b
XVlll
adopting the pure biblical language ; and when we come to
the eleventh century, in which the so-called Poetanic litera-
ture flourished in Palestine and in Spain, it cannot be
shown that even the remotest attempt was made by anyone
to mould his language entirely upon the biblical types.
True, these authors use biblical words, but in a manner so
different from the Bible — playing with their meaning,
changing their forms, and even adapting them to their
own grammatical views in the use they make of those
words — that it requires in many cases great ingenuity to
detect original biblical words in these strange changelings.
The reason for writing in that old biblical style becomes
more incomprehensible if we compare it, for instance, with
the Chronicle of Ahimaaz, composed in the beginning of
the eleventh century in South Italy (Neubauer, ' Medieval
Jewish Chronicles,' ii., p. Ill ct seq.), written all in rhymed
prose, and totally different in style and conception from
those in biblical idiom. One main point that stands out
clearly in dealing with a subject which has hitherto been
treated in a rather indifferent manner, is that assertions
were freely made, whilst convincing proofs are still greatly
wanting to support them. We have no right to blindly
accept the conclusions thus arrived at. Caution has
specially to be exercised in the case of a book like Yashar,
so lightly put down to be of modern make, solely on account
of the language. In examining the contents, we shall find
them to be full of legends which do not owe their origin to
the fancy or poetical imagination of writers of a late
period. We find in it a portion of the legend of Enoch ;
the legendary history of Moses, of his birth as well as that
of his death ; of Aaron's death, and many other similar
elements to which we find parallel in the writings of the
Fathers of the Church, in Josephus, and in that very old
Apocryphal literature, the Book of Jubilees, the Testa-
ments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the cycle of writings
to which reference will be made anon. In virtue of these
new facts, we are now differently placed when dealing
with Apocryphal matter, and we are in a far better position
XIX
to estimate the true value of this compilation than has
hitherto heen the case.
The publication of the present chronicle, which I have
called ' The Chronicles of Jerahmeel,' ^Yill now contribute
much to the elucidation of many problems connected
therewith, and with biblical Apocrypha in general. It
combines the Yosippon with the Yashar — i.e., it is a
continuous narrative from the Creation down to the
destruction of the Temple— and contains a great number
of either unknown or little known Apocryphal texts in
what I believe to be their original form. It must be
borne in mind that the Book of Jubilees, for instance,
has not yet been found in its old Hebrew form, only
parallels to portions of it are known to exist in Hebrew
writings. The Avhole book has thus far disappeared. How
old, now, are these parallels, and in what relation do they
stand to the lost original ? The same may be said of the
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and of ever so many
other old Apocryphal writings to which we shall refer in the
course of our investigation. Here in this Chronicle we now
have a series of similar texts all in Hebrew, the value of
which remains to be proved, but which I have no hesitation
in declaring to be very great.
We are in the fortunate position that this Chronicle is
not like the Book of Yashar— a continuous narrative by one
author who has mixed up more or less skilfully various
elements, and has utilized the old texts to make a single
book of them, in a manner which obliterates the traces
separating one from the other, and making it almost
impossible for us to follow each of the component parts to
their original source. Here, on the contrary, we have a
compilation in its most primitive state, and therefore much
more valuable from the critical point of view. The texts
are placed one next to the other in their integrity without
any attempt at changing their original form, or of weaving
them together and combining them in any artificial manner.
It is, on the whole, more a mechanical compilation than a
scientific composition. The compiler of the complete work,
^—2
XX
^Yhich contains not merely the Chronicle, but a host of
other texts, is not Jerahmeel himself, nor is the date of
the compilation identical with that of the texts which make
the volume. As will be shown later on, some of these texts
go back to remote antiquity, others may be put down as of
a more recent origin, but one and all of the texts in the
Chronicle proper are by many centuries older than the date
at which the compiler connected them into one volume.
This volume — hitherto a unique manuscript — is now the
property of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. It belonged
originally to the late Eabbinowitz, who bought it from an
unknown source in Italy, and it was purchased, whilst I
was in treaty with Eabbinowdtz, by the Bodleian Library
in the year 1887. I had the whole manuscript copied out,
with a view to its ultimate publication, in 1888. And now
the first part of it, dealing with Scripture history from
the Creation down to the death of Judas Maccabeus, forms
the present publication. The compilation of the manuscript
is due to a certain Eleasar ben Asher the Levite, w4io lived
at the beginning of the fourteenth century somewhere in
the Ehine Provinces, and whose preface I have reproduced
as faithfully as possible. In it he states that he has collected
the books from far and wide, and combined them into one
consecutive whole, fully conscious of the fact that no such
book had ever been prepared before, and charging his
children with the faithful preservation of this record of his
labours of many years, continued under great stress and
with great difficulties. Thus, as we can see, Eleasar the
Levite introduced into his work in the first place a
legendary compilation, written in the style of the old
legendary Chronicles, filling up from ancient records all
that appeared to him wanting in the Scriptural narrative.
But he continues this history down to the destruction
of the Temple ; and then in a very keen way he passes
over centuries, filling up the gap with the legendary
history of Alexander mentioned above, and other similar
tales, and alights on the persecution of the Jews in the
time of the Crusades. The rest of the book contains the
XXI
poetical \Yorks of Gabirol, of Berachia, the Lapidarius,
astronomical notes, and so on. Dr. Neubauer will probably
give a detailed description of this manuscript in his forth-
coming supplement to the catalogue of the Bodleian
Library. Now, this compilation ought to have been called
the ' Chronicle of Eleasar ben Asher the Levite,' were it
not for the fact that, except one or two texts and a few
lines in which he shows in what manner he has utilized
the books at his disposal, nothing in the whole first part
can directly be proved to be his. So I have selected to call
this Chronicle by the name of the writer whose work, next
to Yosippon, forms the most interesting and the most re-
markable portion of this compilation.
In comparison with this source from which Eleasar the
Levite has drawn his elements, the chronicle of Jerahmeel
is second in size; for he has embodied in it almost the
whole of the Yosippon. Jerahmeel, on his side, has utilized
a great number of ancient biblical Hagadic writings, and it
might be stated here at once that he has introduced into
his Chronicle only and solely Hebrew writings, not transla-
tions made by him from more Hebrew texts ; that there is
not in the volume a single text whose Hebrew origin or
character the compiler had a reason to doubt. This must
be stated as emphatically as possible, in view especially of
' Jerahmeel ' and of other minor legendary elements which
are found in this work of Eleasar the Levite. He had,
moreover, access to very good texts. A minute comparison
of the contents with other sources and parallels which I
shall bring forward later on will, I hope, prove the
superiority and the excellence of the texts contained in
this chronicle over any other similar or identical texts
found in other works of Hebrew literature. These latter
have all been more or less deteriorated or altered, and
we shall see that portions missing everywhere else are
found in our text.
Having only one manuscript at my disposal, as no other
copy of this work seems to be in existence anywhere,
and as the writing — the facsimiles I have added here show
XXll
it— is not often easily readable, I had to contend with many
a difficulty on the question of textual criticism and accuracy
of reading. But in spite of these obstacles, and in spite of
other difficulties inherent in a work resting upon one single
manuscript, it will be [seen that these contentions of mine
are perfectly justified ; first of all, that all the texts con-
tained in this chronicle are Hebrew originals, or rest upon
purely Hebrew originals, and, secondly, that the readings
are more archaic and far superior to the parallels existing
in other manuscripts or prints. As regards a few, I have
even been able to find parallels among the ancient frag-
ments which I have got from the Geniza in Fostat, near
Cairo. And although some may be of greater antiquity
than the actual manuscript of Eleasar the Levite, they
corroborate the accuracy of the latter. One will easily
understand, furthermore, the importance which this com-
pilation has for the textual criticism of Yosippon and for
the antiquity of that compilation ; as we have here a com-
plete text of Yosippon, written down not later than the
twelfth century in the Ehine Provinces. The original
manuscript must have had to pass many vicissitudes until
it reached the hands of the last compiler or copyist ; and
yet it will be seen that the old edition of Conte (Mantua,
circa 1480) does not differ very much from our manuscript,
preceding the edition, as it does, by at least three hundred
years.
Any new edition of the Yosippon will have to be based
exclusively upon this compilation, of which I have been
preparing an edition for many years. But ' Jerahmeel '
has many interesting things in store for us. His work
is a collection of a number of old Apocrypha, some known,
some quite unknown. He begins his Chronicle with the
very creation of the world, and he draws his information
from the book that goes under the name of E. Eliezer
the son of Hyrqanos, and is quoted as the Chapters of
E. Eliezer. Jerahmeel utilizes also the calendristic work
ascribed to Mar Samuel, unless it be proved that the
chapter derived from it belonged to the Chapters of EHezer
XXIU
Hyrqanos, which is very probable (vide later on). Jerahmeel
then gives a minute description of the Visions of heaven
and hell and paradise, the Beating of the grave, in two or
even three recensions ; the fall of the two angels Shemhazai
and Aza'el, following upon the history of Adam and Eve,
separate texts one independent of the other. He writes of
the war between the children of Jacob and the Sichemites,
and of the kings that had leagued themselves against them.
He tells of the war between Esau and the children of Jacob.
He gives us in full the Chronicle of Moses, the history of
the death of Aaron, and that of Moses ; a minute descrip-
tion of the Tabernacle, of the way in which the tribes used
to encamp in the Wilderness, and many other legendary
tales, but each of them forming as it were a separate
chapter, not connected one with the other, but simply
placed one next to the other, showing how he arranged
mechanically the materials to which he had access. He
further gives us one of the oldest versions of the legend
of the children of Moses, of the history of the Ten Tribes
after the Exile, the travels of Elhanan, which throw light
on the history of that other legendary traveller Eldad the
Danite.
And then we have such other texts known as biblical
Apocrypha, either in Aramaic, like the history of Daniel
and the Dragon, the Song of the three Children in the
Furnace, with the Dream of Mordecai, the Prayer of
Esther, and the history of Susanna, and the rest of the
biblical Apocrypha as given also by Yosippon, but in a
slightly differing form.
If we compare the contents of this Chronicle with the
Book of Yashar, we shall be struck by the remarkable
coincidence in a good number of those legends which deal
with biblical personages. Moreover, we shall find in the
Book of Yashar traces of the author's acquaintance with
a chronicle similar to ' Jerahmeel.' Did the author of the
Book of Yashar, who owns to having compiled it in Spain,
follow the example of some other chronicle hitherto not
identified, but absolutely like the Chronicle of Jerahmeel ?
XXIV
Did they both work m different countries, at different times,
exactly under the same influences, and almost with the
same result, having the same texts at their disposal? This
is one of the literary problems which suggest themselves
when we peruse this Chronicle side by side with the Book
of Yashar. We find, furthermore, in the Book of Yashar
a trace of the first chapters of the Yosippon. The question
is, did the author of the Yashar take only the beginning
and leave the rest ? Did he limit his book to the history
of the Israelites comprised within the boundary of the
Pentateuch? or is that chapter a later interpolation, re-
markable enough in so far as the same chapter occurs also
in the chronicle of Jerahmeel and in the name of Yosippon,
but added by Eleasar the Levite ? If we extend our inquiry
a little further, and study among non-Jewish writers, in the
first instance, the ' Historia Scholastica ' or ' Biblia His-
toriale ' of Petrus Comestor (Pierre le Mangeur), the famous
Eector of the University of Paris in the twelfth century,*
we shall also find resemblances in system and plan, and
even in authorities quoted, which are fairly startling.
The difficulties connected with this chronicle thicken and
grow, especially on close examination of that portion to
which I have not yet alluded, and which gives to our
chronicle an almost unique character. In my investiga-
tion, I shall in the first instance examine, as carefully as I
can, the problem connected with Jerahmeel, as to date
of compilation, origin, author and language. I shall later
on follow the text of the book of the chronicle, chapter by
chapter, indicating as far as possible the source whence
each of them is derived, the parallels in Jewish and non-
Jewish literature, so as to enable us not merely to judge of
the work of Jerahmeel, but also as to the age of the
various elements that go to make up his compilation.
The ramifications are multifarious. There is scarcely a
single legend in this compilation which does not find its
counterpart in non-Jewish literature, and it might be
profitable to discuss the connection between these and the
* Vide my Ilchester Lectures, p. 147 et seq.
XXV
point how far they depend one upon the other; whether
the latter have borrowed from Jewish sources, or whether
Jews are indebted to others for these legends, and for the
information they give — questions of literary history and of
the propagation of tales from country to country and from
literature to literature. They can, however, merely be
touched upon here lightly.
Before commencing a minute investigation, we must first
ascertain whether Eleasar the Levite has incorporated the
whole Chronicle of Jerahmeel in his compilation, and
whether the last copyist has been as conscientious as
Jerahmeel. I have some doubts on these points. For
among the texts there is one of which it will be seen that
only a portion has been incorporated. But that portion
in itself is sufficiently bulky to assist us in unravelling
partly the character, the origin, the date of that com-
position, and the personality of the author and of the first
compiler, and the manner in which it has been preserved.
It is in this portion that there are found peculiar legends
for which hitherto no parallel is known to exist in the
whole literature of the Apocrypha that has thus far come
to light. This portion of the Chronicle of Jerahmeel is
to all appearances just such a legendary book as we are
accustomed to expect from very ancient writers imbued
with that spirit which has produced such works as the
Book of Jubilees and similar writings.
A brief extract from the contents so far as they are pre-
served in our Hebrew version will show that this portion
of the Chronicle follows up the purpose of explaining
many things which did not seem quite clear in the biblical
narrative, and of adding a number of legendary interpreta-
tions and embellishments to those parts of the Scriptures
which seem scant in information and require some elucida-
tion. Starting, therefore, with Adam and Eve— Chapter
xxvi. in our text, and paragraphs, as I have divided the
whole in chapters — our author is able to tell us exactly how
many children each of the Patriarchs had. The Bible,
after the birth of Seth, for instance, adds merely: 'And
XXVI
Adam lived so-and-so many years, and he begat sons and
daughters, and he died.' Jerahmeel knows exactly how
many sons and daughters were born to Adam and Eve,
and he gives us the names of these children. He knows,
moreover, exactly the names of the wives of each of the
biblical personages. He knows also the children of Cain,
and he is able to tell us minutely what arts w^ere invented
by the wives of Lamech. Wherever he mentions a biblical
name it is given exactly in the form in which it occurs in
the Bible, with one notable exception, to which I shall refer
later on. In our Hebrew text every portion that could be
derived directly from the Bible, or any information that is
found in the pages of the Bible, is studiously omitted. It
would be very difficult to decide whether this is due ta
Jerahmeel or to the later compiler, Eleasar the Levite. It
might be due to the latter' s activity, considering that it
coincides with the character of the whole work, which is to
give merely such information as is not found in the Bible.
Such information was assumed as known and accessible to
all. It would therefore, in his opinion, be mere waste of
time or space to repeat such w^ell-known facts as are con-
tained in the Bible itself.
Chapter xxvii. contains a minute description of the
descendants of Noah, together with that of the countries
occupied by some of them. It is filled with names which
thus far defy every attempt at identifying them with any
known ancient geographical or other proper names. At
the end of paragraph 5 there is a peculiar vision placed in
the mouth of Keu concerning the birth of Abraham.
Then follows Chapter xxviii. : how the three sons of
Noah and their descendants appointed princes over each
of their descendants, and the number of their descendants
is given.
Chapters xxix. and xxx., up to the end of paragraph 4
(maybe up to the end of that chapter), belong to the same
author, and contain one of those legends completely
unknown hitherto. It is the history of Yoqtan and of the
people building the Tower of Babylon and worshipping tha
XXVll
fire ; how Abraham with some men refused to join to make
bricks, and how he was to be put into the furnace together
with the twelve men associated with him ; how eleven of
them were sent away into the mountains by Yoqtan, who
wished to save them ; but Abraham, who refused to be
saved, relying upon God, was thrown into the furnace and
was saved from it, whilst those who heated the furnace
were all burned. Then there is the descent of God and
the angels; the curse of the builders of the tower, and
the promise of salvation preserved for Abraham, whom
He brought into a land upon which the flood had not
descended.
In our compilation then follows (Chapter xxxi.) a second
genealogical table of the nations. Nothing justifies us as
yet to ascribe this to the author of Chapter xxvii., as it
would be an unnecessary duplicate, and in fact contradic-
tory to the one given in the previous chapters. Eleasar
the Levite describes this now as part of the work of Jerah-
meel. In the beginning of Chapter xxxii. we find further
the following sentence : ' I Jerahmeel have found in the
Book of Strabo of Caphtor that Nimrod was the son of
Shem.' And in Chapter xxxv., paragraph 2, we have the
following sentence : ' And I Jerahmeel have discovered in
the Book of Nicholas of Damascus,' etc. It must be noted
at once that these two writers are quoted in the same
connection by Josephus, and that, as far as Nicholas of
Damascus is concerned, almost all our references to his
work are derived exclusively from Josephus. These points
will be utilized afterwards for elucidating the time when
this chronicle may have been compiled, and the materials
which were at the disposal of that compiler.
To the same book belongs Chapter xlii., telling us the
history of Pharaoh's decree of killing the male children,
of the people's decision to separate themselves from their
wives, and of Amram's speech to the people, inducing
them to trust in God for annulling Pharaoh's decrees.
God afterwards in the night reveals Himself to Amram,
and is gratified with the action he has taken.
XXVlll
It is difficult as yet to decide whether Chapter xHii. and
the following belonged originally to that portion of the
chronicle of Jerahmeel. They deal with the birth of
Moses, his subsequent flight from Egypt, his being ap-
pointed king over the Kushites, the flight to Midian, the
imprisonment by Jethro, the miraculous rescue through
the intermediary of Zipporah, the history of the rod of
Moses, and, above all. Chapter xlviii., filled with a very
remarkable description of the ten plagues. All this exists
as a separate book ; the more important portion of it goes
back to the time of Josephus, and is even older (vide later
on).
We resume the thread of the older portion in Jerahmeel's
* Chronicle ' probably from Chapter Ivi. onward, although in
paragraph 2 Joseph b. Gorion is mentioned. Chapter Ivii.,
however, and the following belong undoubtedly to that
ancient book, and contain such legends as have hitherto
not been found elsewhere outside of this work.
We have here the history of the Israelites after the death
of Joshua. They appoint as leader, contrary to the Bible,
Kenaz, not Othniel, as the first judge, w^ho, together with
Eleazar the High-priest, finds out that a number of people
from each tribe had committed grievous sins in the eyes
of the Lord, and also that they had found idols among
the Amorites and other nations living in Canaan and kept
them. We then get a very circumstantial description of
precious stones that cannot be destroyed, and of magical
books that cannot be burned, and of what happened to them
at the hand of God ; then the fight between the Israelites
and the Amorites, the marvellous deeds of Kenaz, who
slew 45,000 single-handed, and whose hand had cleaved
to the sword until it was freed by pouring warm blood
over it. Before his death Kenaz delivers a most peculiar
and obscure piece of prophecy. After Kenaz Othniel
comes, and then we have a short history of Sisera, a
miracle of Gideon not mentioned in the Bible ; the idol-
worship of Jair, the Gileadite, the worship of Baal, the
history of Jephthah, the vow he made to which his daughter
XXIX
Seelah fell a victim, and then the lamentation of Seelah
before her death.
Interspersed between these Apocryphal legends, we find
attempts at synchronistic history. The author is at pains
to inform us what happened contemporaneously among
other nations of the world, e.g., what kings reigned in
Egypt, in Greece, and afterwards in the Latin kingdom —
all features peculiar to this chronicle.
The concluding portion of this part of the chronicle, as
far as it has been preserved, is the fight between the Israel-
ites and the tribe of Benjamin ; the prayer of Phineas, and
the remarkable end of Phineas, who is evidently identified
with the future prophet Elijah, because he is not to die,
but to remain in God's mountain, where the ravens and
crows would feed him, and he would come down again
when the end has arrived. 'Then he will close the
heavens, and at his command they will be opened again,
and he will be lifted up to the place where his fathers have
gone before him, and there he shall remain until God shall
remember the world.' A clear indication of the activity of
Elijah, who w^as fed by the ravens, at whose word drought
set in, at whose request the rain came, who was taken up
in the chariot to the abode of his forefathers, and who is to
remain there until God remembers the w^orld.
All this narrative is written in a pure biblical style,
easily flowing, and divided into small verses. Here and
there some obscurity is to be noticed, but on the whole it
is very clear ; biblical terms and forms abound at every
turn, and scarcely a few new^ Hebrew words have I been
able to detect.
This portion has come down to us, unfortunately, in a
fragmentary form. Its contents are so unique in character,
and so different from what is known till now in Apocryphal
or legendary biblical literature, that one is confronted with
very great difficulties in trying to ascertain the sources
from which the author drew, and the immediate surround-
ings in which he lived. The date is also, thus far, a
matter of speculation. The only book in Hebrew literature
XXX
Avhich shows some relation in conception and in details
is the Sepher Hayashar, which I have mentioned above.
The similarity extends to the following points : both present
us with lists of names of biblical persons before the Flood.
In the Yashar we find, furthermore, a list of the names of
the descendants of the sons of Noah as unintelligible and
as unknown, and not met with anywhere else, as in this
part of the Chronicle of Jerahmeel. We, further, find the
same desire to give us attempts at synchronistic history ;
and in matters of contents there is also a very great simi-
larity, but these very prominent legends of Yoqtan and
Kenaz, so unique in the chronicle of Jerahmeel, are missing
in the Book of Yashar. Another trace of our book, at any
rate as far as the names of the wives of the patriarchs
are concerned, has been preserved in ' Toledoth Adam,' by
Samuel Algazi, printed in Venice, 1600. The names in
this latter are, however, not identical. The oldest parallels
to these names we find in the Book of Jubilees. (As
for the Byzantine and other literatures, cf. H. Eonsch,
*Das Buch der Jubileen,' Leipzig, 1874, who has collected
the whole material in connection with the Book of Jubilees.)
A Syriac list of such names of the wives of the patriarchs
has been reprinted by Charles in his Appendix III. to the
Ethiopic version of the Book of Jubilees (Oxford, 1895,
p. 183).
I have found, however, not merely fragments and stray
parallels to this portion of our chronicle, but the whole
text, and even more than our Hebrew, in a Latin transla-
tion. The Latin version of this book has been preserved
in manuscript and in print. Mr. M. E. James, in his
'Apocrypha Anecdota' (Cambridge, 1893), had published
four fragments from a manuscript of the eleventh century,
the original of which he did not know. As he says, ' There
seems to be no corner of Apocryphal literature on which
you can fit this fragment.' He gives us first a prayer of
Moses on the day of his death, the vision of Kenaz, the
lamentation of Seelah, and the song of David. Feeling
that the Latin text might be a translation from the Greek,
XXXI
he translated the three former mto Greek, but he gives up
the attempt with the fourth. (In hne 11 of the latter
virginitate mea should be read instead of ingennitatc mea ;
it was probably badly written in the manuscript.)
Mr. James, when publishing these fragments, was quite
unaware that they belonged to a book which had been
printed as far back as 1527, in Basle, under the title
* Philonis Judaei Alexandrini. Libri Antiquitatum. Quaes-
tionum et Solvtionum in Genesin. de Essaeis. de Nomi-
nibus hebraicis. de Mundo.' All his speculations as to
their probable origin fall to the ground in face of the fact
that they belonged to the ' x\ntiquitates,' a larger work of
a totally different character from that which he surmised.
This work is that very portion in the Chronicle of Jerah-
meel ! There is, however, some difference between the two
versions. The Latin is much fuller, and seems to be the
complete text, whilst the Hebrew is merely fragmentary.
In the Latin text the second genealogical table, or the
distribution of the children of Noah among the various
countries, and the origin of the nations traced to the
three sons of Noah in the second version of Jerahmeel
(Chapters xxxi., xxxii.), and the synchronistic element, are
missing altogether, but, on the whole, the Latin version
is much fuller. The legendary history proper is carried
further down, for the book concludes with the death of Saul.
It contains also some portions taken from the Bible, so as
to form a consecutive narrative, more in the style of the
Sepher Hayashar. On closer examination, we find in it a
great number of speeches and other details with which the
Biblical narrative is filled out, whilst everything found in
Jerahmeel occurs in it also, and corresponds literally with
it. This book is ascribed in the Latin text to Philo,
and seems to have been entirely forgotten and neglected.
Mangey excluded it altogether in his edition of Philo, and
up to quite recently it had escaped the notice of all scholars,
until Dr. Cohn published in the Jewish Quarterly Review
of 1898 an abstract of the book under the title, 'An
XXXll
Apocryphal Work ascribed to Philo of Alexandria' (vol. x.,
pp. 227-332).
In this stud}^ Dr. Cohn is quite unaware of the existence
of the Hebrew manuscript. The discovery of the Hebrew
original ma}^ stimulate someone to undertake anew a
critical edition of the Latin text, with the aid of the other
manuscripts to which Dr. Cohn refers in his note (p. 279,
note 2). He is also not aware how widely it was read in
ancient times, and how deeply it has influenced medieval
literature, as will be shown later on. The famous ' Bible
Historiale ' of Comestor, the ' Fasciculus Temporum,' and
Forresti's (Jacob de Bergamo) ' Supplementum Chroni-
carum,' derive their information from this source. The
quotations from ' Philo ' are, as it appears now, taken from
this very book.
Now, curiously enough, the very same name of ' Philo '
occurs also in the Hebrew text. The history of the legends
of the Judges (Chapters Ivii. et scq. of my edition here) is
ascribed to Philo, the friend of Joseph ben Gorion, and we
must ascribe to the same author the first part containing
the legends of Abraham and the first genealogical table.
Evidently the book bore from the beginning the name of
Philo as author. Now, comparing in this Philo-Jerahmeel
the dates given to the patriarchs, the number of years they
lived before and after the birth of their children, Dr. Cohn
shows that these chronological data agree more with the
Septuagint than with the Massoretic text. In the Hebrew
text these dates are unfortunately omitted, with the excep-
tion of those given for the lives of Adam, Seth and Enosh,
where the dates agree with those of the Latin text. It can
be shown, however, that almost every one of the Apocryphal
writings, the Samaritan tradition, and Josephus differ from
the dates given in the Bible. This point alone would
not justify us in drawing conclusions as to the source of,
or the influence of the Septuagint upon this text. And
even as far as the relation to the Septuagint is concerned,
Philo is in many places at variance with it, and in closer
agreement with the Hebrew text. The work contains
XXXlll
merely the evidence of the use of a Greek version of the
Bible, which, moreover, was not identical with the Sep-
tuagint, but standing in much closer relation to the Hebrew
text than the Septuagint itself. From the vast number of
Greek words in the Latin text of Philo-Jerahmeel, it is
furthermore clear that the Latin, at any rate, is not the
original language in which this work was composed, but
that it is a translation made from a Greek text. Moreover,
from the very archaic form of the language, and from the
words that are used in it, which agree with the language
of the Latin translation of the Bible of the period before
Jerome, and the identity of language with the Latin trans-
lations known as the ' Itala,' Dr. Cohn concludes with irre-
sistible force that the Latin translation dates back not later
than from the third or fourth century. Neither was then
Greek the primitive language. Even through the Latin
one can recognise so many Hebrew forms that we are
forced to conclude that the book must originally have been
written in Hebrew. The Greek is merely the intermediary
between the old original and the later Latin. The original
must have been moulded entirely upon the character and
style of the Hebrew Bible. As Cohn rightly says : ' The
author himself used as his model and sole authority the
Hebrew text of the Old Testament, and imitated its style
and method of narration even in the smallest details. Had
the author written in Greek, he could not possibly have
reproduced so faithfully the style and accent of the Bible.
Among all the Apocryphal books which were written in
Greek, there is none in which the biblical style is so faith-
fully reproduced as in Philo' (p. 312).
He next brings some arguments for his contention,
showing, in the first instance, that the sentences are almost
universally connected with ' and,' like in the Bible, that
paragraphs are unknown, for there is no break in the
narrative from beginning to end, which is exactly the style
of Hebrew narration. Also peculiar forms and turns of
phrases and other peculiarities of language derived from
Hebrew have been retained in the Latin, which is thus a
XXXIV
faithful reproduction of the Greek, and this of the Hebrew
original. The original, surmised by Dr. Cohn, now lies
before us in the text which I am publishing, and bears
out all the characteristics that might be expected from this
old Hebrew legendary chronicle.
The question may well be asked whether the Hebrew text
which we have before us is the very original, or a later re-
translation, and whether it is dependent, supposing it be a
translation, upon the Greek or upon the Latin. In order to
satisfy us as to the relation existing between the Latin, the
only one thus far accessible, and the Hebrew text, I will
limit myself to the investigation of the genealogical tables
that are to be found in both texts. Decisive to my mind
is this comparison between the two lists of proper names.
As those names are probably of Semitic origin, they must
have been written in the original, with the full use of the
whole Hebrew alphabet. If, now, they were transliterated
from Hebrew into Greek, and from Greek into Latin, the
differences between n and n, s and v, d and n, 3 and P,
D, \^ and V, would have disappeared, as those sounds have
no corresponding letters in Greek or in Latin. Assuming
now that the Hebrew text is a re-translation from the
Latin, none of these double letters, or letters representing
peculiar Semitic sounds, that had disappeared in the Latin
or Greek, could reappear in the Hebrew text. It would
tax the ingenuity of any man to be able to distinguish
between the n and the n when they are both written with
the Latin ' H ' ; or between the «, V, and r as ' A,' when
both are written by ' S ' ; in the same way D and p being
reproduced by one letter, 'K,' there will be no hint or
indication for the re-translator to substitute the one for
the other. If we apply this test to the names contained
in Chapter xxvi., we shall find a very careful distinction
made between all these letters. Take, for instance, the
very first names, the eleven sons and eight daughters of
Adam, which are, by the way, fearfully corrupted, like all
the other names in the Basle edition (words are often
combined, names run into one another, lacunae are arti-
XXXV
ficially created, all due to misreading of the original).
These very first names show already marked differences
in the Hebrew spelling; for we find various specific
sounds being carefully separated, whilst the Latin shows
one and the same letter for all; ^ and V are represented
by 'S', n and n, x and v are represented by *A'. In
the middle of a word n is entirely omitted, as they could
not distinguish between this letter and N or n — in names
like Naat and Maathal, w^hich in Hebrew are written
nnj hnnD, We find also that i and 3 are sometimes confused
with one another because of the similarity of the form,
e.g,, the third name in the Latin, w^hich is a combination of
two names in the Hebrew text. It is written ' Barabal ' in
Latin, whilst in Hebrew it is hv:} -qna, ' Berok Ke'al,' where
it is to be noted that in Latin the v is also omitted in the
second word. Then the proper names in Chapter xxix.,
paragraph 3, which are fearfully corrupted in Latin, appear
much clearer in Hebrew ; by which we recognise that they
are the names of the children of Yoqtan, as given in
Genesis (x. 26). This identification helps us, by the way,
to see by what means they invented those names ; they
simply took them from other biblical passages. Now, the
Latin form is so corrupt that no man would be able to
re-translate them into their biblical prototype. One single
exception I have to point out, which is certainly very
surprising, and that is the same names of the children
of Yoqtan occurring once more in Chapter xxvii., § 5, are
written in the same corrupt form as in the Latin.
In the corresponding portion in the Sepher Hayashar,
chapter vii., vers. 1-21, we find exactly similar lists, also
extremely curious readings ; but in the last the names of
the children of Yoqtan are given exactly in the same form
as they are in our Hebrew text of the Bible. The copyist
in Jerahmeel has probably run them together, thinking he
had to deal with similar fanciful names as those which fill
the whole preceding portion of the chapter.
In order to facilitate the comparison between these
genealogical tables in Hebrew with the corresponding
c—2
XXXVl
Latin text, I have added them to this book in photo-
graphic reproduction ; I have also given the Latin text
in an Appendix at the end of the volume. We find, also,
mistranslations which can only be explained by reading
Hebrew words differently. So we have in Chapter xxvii.,
paragraph 4, the name 1^?) corresponding in Latin to et
filii, because he must have read it for the Hebrew '^.^^
In Chapter xxviii., paragraph 3, instead of 640 the Latin
has 340; he must have read probably i^h'C^ for C't;>. And
in Chapter xxix., paragraph 13, where the Hebrew text
has 'appeased the wrath of the people,' the Latin has
liquefactus. He read the Hebrew -i2t^>»i instead of -l^t^>^1.
All these examples, which can easily be multiplied, prove
at any rate that the Hebrew text cannot be a translation
from any non- Semitic original, and that the Latin itself,
though it adheres verbatim to the Hebrew text, can only be
considered as a faithful though secondary translation from
the intermediary Greek now lost. This Latin translation, as
I have already observed, has become in its turn the primary
source of much of the legendary lore which has got into the
writings of the early Fathers of the Church, and of medieval
compilations, coming as far down as Fores ti's ' Supple-
mentum Chronicarum.'
The next point for investigation will be to ascertain the
date of these ' Antiquities ' and the probable author. Having
established the fact that the book was originally composed
in Hebrew, and that the language was one of biblical purity,
i.e., in imitation of the style of the Bible, which is entirely
borne out by the character of the texts recovered — as in it
scarcely a word occurs that is not biblical in origin or of a
biblical turn — and the fact that the book had early been
translated into Greek, and before the end of the third
century into Latin, it will not be difficult to determine
the date of the original composition. It must be noted that
not a trace or allusion to Christianity is to be found in
the whole book. In the vision of ' Cenes,' in the Latin form
(folio 32) the words ' Nomen hominis illius ' is a wrong
translation of the Hebrew text ; the Latin read ps^l as
XXXVll
= ^^~}:, instead of ^K*\ corresponding to Hebrew, Chapter
Ivii., paragraph 41, and is not to be taken as referring to
Christ, for not a single trace of Christianity is to be found
in it. Furthermore, the destruction of the second Temple
is only indirectly touched upon. The twelve stones which
Kenaz recovers will be utilized, we are told in Chapter Ivii.,
paragraphs 23 and 25, at the time of the building of the
Temple. When it again will be destroyed, they will be
kept for a future revelation, but nowhere is there a direct
indication to the second Temple.
The question, however, which Moses puts to God
(fol. 20cQ, and which has been reprinted by James
('Apocrypha Anecdota,' i., p. 172) offers a date which, if
sufficiently clear, might assist us in fixing the probable time
of the composition. Moses asks how much of the world's
time has already passed and how much is still to come. And
the answer is, 4J times have past, and 2J times have still
to come, that means altogether that out of 7,000 years
probably 4,500 had passed. The only question is, according
to which computation these 4,500 are to be taken. If they
are according to the Jewish reckoning, of which, however,
not a trace is to be found anywhere in the rest of the book
—except the dates mentioned above concerning the lives
of the patriarchs, where the sum total agrees with the
Massoretic text — that would bring us down somewhere to the
middle of the eighth century, a date that is utterly out of
question, considering that the Latin translation belongs to
the third or fourth century. If the date could have been
reversed, viz., 2 J passed, that would agree with the
calculation of the Book of Jubilees, according to which
2,410 had passed from the Creation to the exodus from
Egypt. Adding 40 years of wandering in the wilderness,
it would bring us to 2,450 as the year of Moses' death, and
as near as possible to 2,500. But there is another date
mentioned in connection with the death of Moses (folio 196),
immediately preceding in the original the portion printed by
James, in which it is said that God commands Moses to
ascend the Mount Nebo, and says to him, ' I will shew thee
XXXVlll
the place in which they will serve Me 740 years, and after
that it will be given into the hands of their enemies, and
they will destroy it. Strangers will surround it, and that
day will be in accordance with the same day in which I have
obliterated the Tables of the Covenant, which I had given
to them on Oreb. And when they sinned, that which was
written upon them flew away, and that day was the 17th of
the fourth month.'
The allusion to the 17th day of the fourth month, the
day on which Moses came down from the mountain, as a
day of bad omen for the future, agrees with the date of the
destruction of the second Temple, the 17th of Tamuz. We
would then have clear indication that the book belonged to
a period after the destruction of the Temple.
Eeferring again in other places to worship in congrega-
tions, the author shows himself to be a Jew who lived
immediately after the destruction of the Temple, and, as
Dr. Cohn rightly remarks, a book that has been adopted
by the Church must belong to an early period, as
otherwise such a book would never have been adopted by,
or translated for it. The place where such a book could
have been written can obviously only be Palestine, as only
in that country, and at that period, Hebrew literature still
flourished, and there alone attempts at chronology were
made concurrently with embellishments of the Bible, as
is attested by those Apocryphal books like the Book of
Jubilees and Henoch, with which our author seems to
have been acquainted, and also with that old attempt
at chronology which goes under the name of Seder '01am.
Without entering into an examination of the exact date of
its composition, I consider the origin of the last-mentioned
work, and the reason for it, to have been the establishment
of a true chronology in contradiction to those apocryphal
and incorrect chronologies — a new one that should clearly
represent Eabbinical tradition and be in accordance with
the then recognised interpretation of the Bible. The Seder
'01am in its original form belongs probably to the same
period. It is more than mere chance to find there a
xxxix
remarkable coincidence in the circumstance (chap. xi. Editio
Eatner, page 48), that from the entrance of the IsraeUtes
into Palestine mitil the Exile 850 years are reckoned to
have passed. If we alter (and I see Dr. Cohn suggests the
same alteration) the figures DCCXL, as given above, into
DCCCL, we have exactly the same date, 850. We may
safely assume the date of the original composition to be
somewhere in the first centuries of the common era ; and
this work to be thus far the oldest example of a Bible
Historiale— i.e., a description of events contemporary with
those narrated in the Bible, adding new elements, supple-
menting and amplifying the latter. The period covered in
this narrative agrees exactly with the most famous of
mediaeval compositions of a similar character, in which the
whole of the legal and prophetic portion of the Bible is
omitted, stress being laid exclusively on the historical part
contained in the Bible. All these historiated Bibles pro-
ceed on the same lines. They start with the Creation, and
close, at any rate, as far as legends are concerned, with
David or the building of the Temple by Solomon. I have
dealt fully with the history of this amplified Bible in my
Ilchester Lectures on Graeco- Slavonic literature (London,
1887, pp. 147-208). Such is also the character of the
oldest representative in Europe, the Greek Palaia of the
eighth century, upon which the Slavonic Palaea rests,
published since by A. Vassiliev in his 'Anecdota Graeco-
Byzantina' (Moscow, 1893, pp. 188-292; vide also Intro-
duction, pp. xlii-lvi).
Shorter and more in agreement with the Hebrew text as
far as the period described, is that other chronicle the
Yashar, to which I have alluded above. Therein the
historical narrative comes virtually to a close with the
death of Moses. Three or four pages out of 150 are
devoted to a sketch of the period of the judges. In the
Hebrew text of Philo this is exactly the terminus to which
the narrative reaches. But, however much alike in general
contents all the other historiated Bibles are among them-
selves, the Philo chronicle is distinguished from them by
xl
those very legends that are nowhere else found, by the
rhetorical character of the description, by the speeches
placed in the mouths of the principal persons, and especi-
ally by the fulness of details regarding the period of the
Judges. All these details are missing in the whole known
cycle of the Bible Historiale, and prove the greater antiquity
and independence of Philo. Whilst preserving the frame,
later compilers made additions and introduced better known
and generally adopted legends. Thus we can understand
the total disappearance of the primitive form of the Bible
Historiale. The same thing has happened even to the
latter, being superseded by Comestor.
Turning now to the Hebrew text, it is a remarkable
coincidence that this legendary chronicle should in this
text tally absolutely with the Samaritan chronicle. In
both the ancient Jewish history comes abruptly to a close
with the estabhshment of the Tabernacle in Shiloh under
the High Priest Eli. The Samaritans consider this period
to be the beginning of the secession from the true ancient
Israelitish worship, which they claim to have carried on
uninterruptedly in its primitive purity.
Their biblical history, and especially their famous Book
of Joshua, treats only of the same space of time and of the
same events as contained in our chronicle. All the rest
is ignored by them completely. It is an extraordinary
coincidence, and may almost assist us in the elucidation of
the origin of this old Philo-Jerahmeel, pointing as it does
to a possible Samaritan origin. This origin would explain
the pecuhar chronology at the beginning, and the reason
why our Chronicle should dilate on the events that hap-
pened in the time of the Judges. It is only remarkable
that Joshua himself, who plays such a prominent role
in the Samaritan chronicle, should be missing here
altogether, and that the Latin should continue the
history down to the time of David and Solomon, the two
kings most hated by the Samaritans. The name of the
mountain, Tlag (lix. 5), would also point to some such
Aramaic- Samaritan tradition, as this is the name for
xli
Hermon in the Palestinian - Aramaic Targum. The
Samaritan chronicle of Joshua was not unknown to the
Jews, as the correspondence between Joshua and King
Shobakh of Armenia carried on by means of a dove is
given by Samuel Shalom in his edition of the ' Juhasin '
(Constantinople, fol. Ilia).
In what relation stands this book— which in Latin is
ascribed to Philo, and in one portion of the Hebrew
manuscript also — to Jerahmeel's compilation ? Who is
Jerahmeel ? This difficulty is somewhat increased by the
fact that we have in that which appears now in Eleasar
the Levite's compilation under the name of Jerahmeel
portions, as it were, added to the ancient work of Philo
which are missing in the Latin, unless they can be found in
other manuscripts, and have been omitted by the editor of
the hitherto single edition of Basle. Principally we must
note in this connection the second genealogical table, to
which I have already drawn attention once or twice,
forming Chapters xxxi. and xxxii., and the synchronistic
element which pervades the whole compilation. Is this an
addition made by Jerahmeel, or is it the work of another
and more ancient compiler, whom Jerahmeel utilized for
his own work ?
How great is his share in the work before us, at what
time and where did he live and write ? I assume him to
have been a person other than the author of the legendary
part, and not identical with ' Philo,' although the names
seem identical ; the Hebrew is the counterpart and perfect
translation of the Greek word ' Philo,' both meaning ' the
beloved of God.' I ascribe to him most of the chapters
that precede and follow that portion of the book which
is found in ' Philo.' Eleasar, the last compiler, moreover,
states distinctly that he intercalates portions from other
books, notably from the Yosippon, or whole texts, breaking
up the narrative of Jerahmeel. Dr. Perles, who was the
first to have the manuscript of Jerahmeel in his hands (and
whilst dilating on Eleasar, the author of the actual full
compilation, fixing his date correctly and connecting him
xlii
with a family of great scholars), draws attention to Jerah-
meel, and comes to the following conclusion : That all the
statements of Jerahmeel wherein he refers to Nicolaos of
Damascus and to Strabo are not to be taken literally ; that
he must have used the Yosippon ; and, because a German
word occurs in one of these chapters, Jerahmeel must have
lived somewhere in Germany in the thirteenth century.
The truth, however, is that the German word does not
belong to Jerahmeel, but is undoubtedly a gloss added by
Eleasar, the compiler, who was a German. This is not
the only instance in the present work. In the first
chapters, which owe their place in this book also probably
to Eleasar, we have a list of the names of the week given
in that very old German dialect which belonged to the
Khine Province of the twelfth century. In another place.
Chapter Iviii. 8, we have the explanation of the Sirenes as
Niks (Nix in German), and in the genealogical table Eleasar
the Levite gives an explanation, in his own name, of one of
the names of the nations ; the Flamingos he considers to
be identical with the Lehabim of the Bible. A curious
popular etymology, by which the Flamingos, the Flemish
people, would be derived from the 'flame,' the burning
ones. We may dismiss, therefore, this conjecture of
Dr. Perles altogether, as being contrary to the internal
evidence furnished by the text.
The next one who deals with Jerahmeel is Dr. Neubauer
{ride later on), and he declares him to have been a writer of
the eleventh century, living in Magna Graecia or in South
Italy, the i^roof for it being that he knew Greek, and also
that he made use of the Yosippon, which goes back to Greek
sources. The supposed knowledge of Greek is evidenced,
according to Dr. Neubauer, by the names of the genea-
logical table ; but, if anything, just the reverse is the fact.
Forms like ' Isides ' for ' Isis,' ' Palante ' for ' Palas,' and
any number of them, show distinctly that the author knew
anything but Greek. More proofs to the contrary will be
brought forward in the course of this investigation. And
the reason for declaring that he lived in the South of Italy
xliii
is of so flimsy a nature that it can also not be con-
sidered seriously, for it rests mostly upon Jerahmeel's
acquaintance with the Yosippon. The South - Italian
origin of this book is one of those assumptions in Hebrew
literature for which the proof is still wanting. This
very acquaintance with Yosippon will lead exactly to
different conclusions. Before approaching this more pro-
blematical part of our investigation, we take first into
consideration those portions which may yield a more
positive result. I start with the synchronistic element,
that is, with those portions which deal with non-Jewish
history, and especially with the second genealogical table
(Chapter xxxi., et seq.). Examining it, we find that it rests
primarily upon Josephus. In this second version we have
a totally different tradition from that in the preceding
chapters, and, moreover, this new genealogical table is
entirely missing in the Latin Philo. The basis of it seems
to be identical with the geographical table given by
Josephus in his 'Antiquities' (book i., chapter vi., para-
graph 1, et seq.). If we turn, then, to the Book of Jubilees
(chapter viii., verse 12 onward) we find an absolute identity
in the general outline of the geographical divisions of the
world among the three sons of Noah. And if we look at
the other Jewish traditions connected with that division of
the world, and contained, for instance, in the Jerusalemitan
Targum to Genesis (chapter x.), and in other parallel passages
in Midrash and Talmud, we shall find that they all seem
to go back to one and the same ancient tradition, represented
in its fullest form by Josephus. This has been adopted
afterwards by all the Fathers of the Church.
It recurs, then, almost in the same form, with slight
alterations in, or additions to, the names of the descend-
ants of Noah, in the writings of ancient Christian authors
who lived or wrote in Palestine and Asia Minor, such as
Epiphanius, of the fourth century, in his * Ancoratus,'
c. 114, 115, and 'Heresies,' c. 46, et seq., in the fifth
century. The text of Epiphanius had been copied verbatim
in the * Chronicon Paschale ' of the seventh (ed. Bonn,
xliv
i., pp. 45-64). (Full notes and parallels from the whole
cycle of the ancient Greek chronicles, ibid., ii., pp. 235-
249.) Hippolytus, third century, Eusebius, fourth century,
Jerome of the fifth, and then Malalas of the sixth. It
entered also the Latin writers through the intermediary of
Jerome, notably into the ' Origines ' of Isidorus of Spain,
of the seventh, and in Beda's writings of the eighth century ;
it found a place in the later Byzantine and Slavonic Chrono-
graphs, as well as in the writings of Eutychius and Bar-
Hebraeus Abulpharadj.
They all seem to have repeated one another, and have
all one and the same old tradition. In the course of time
they substituted new names for the old ones. The same
has happened also in Hebrew literature. So, in the Targum,
in the introductory chapters to the Hebrew Yosippon, where
we find also such a division, together with a list of names
reproduced in our chronicle side by side with the old and
also in the Sepher Hayashar (chapter x., verse 7, et scq.).
These names assist us now to show, at any rate, to
what late period we may bring down the date of the com-
position. If any nation is mentioned which appears at
a certain date on the stage of history, we are able then to
assign the book that mentions it to the period after the
appearance of that nation. In this manner we are able to
establish that the introductory chapter to the Yosippon is
probably a later substitution for an older one, and belongs
to the eighth or ninth century. On the other hand, the
names mentioned in ' Jerahmeel,' if that chapter really
belongs to the original ' Jerahmeel' cannot be earlier than
the fifth or sixth century ; that chapter might belong to
even a later period, but we cannot consider it to be earlier
than the fifth or sixth century, as among others the
Nordmani, Bayuveri, and Langobardi are already men-
tioned— all nations which appear in the fifth or sixth
century.
If we examine, then, the form of these names, we shall
be able to decide whether the author had access to Greek
or to Latin sources of information, and, by the pronuncia-
xlv
tion or transliteration of certain names, even to what period
they belong. The oldest source of information was un-
doubtedly Josephus, or a similar source identical with that
from which Josephus drew his information — the old
imperial road lists, the ' Itineraria.' The form of these
names proves clearly that the immediate source for Jerah-
meel was certainly not a Greek text. Dr. Neubauer in
his study on Jerahmeel (in the Jewish Quarterly Revieio
of April, 1899, page 367) suggests such a source. The
very examples brought forward by him prove the reverse,
as the transliteration of the names and the oblique form of
the tenses show them to have been dependent, not on Greek,
but on Latin sources. Forms like Gresi, Fransi, Kapadoses
are certainly a transliteration of the corresponding Latin
forms written with C, and not of the Greek that are written
with K. A form like Fre^^es undoubtedly corresponds much
more with the Latin Phryr/es, already with that palatal
pronunciation of the Latin g, in its change to the Eomance
forms, than with Greek. The same is to be said of /Silida,
which in Greek would be JiiliAia. (I must mention that
Cyprus is still written /upros.) We have further Phenise,
which is certainly the representative of Phoenicae, Lusifer,
corresponding to Lucifer — the Greek word would be
Edsphoros — which all prove that the immediate source
must have been written in Latin and not in Greek. None of
the peculiar Hebrew letters such as n and i; are found here !
The old Latin translation of Josephus's 'Antiquities' made
in the sixth century cannot have served as basis for our
genealogical table, for the latter contains many additions
and changes that are not to be found in Josephus' s work
itself ; they agree, however, partly with Jerome's version
in his ' Quaestiones in Genesin.' Much more close is the
identity between ' Jerahmeel ' and Isidor of Spain (Origines,
XX., 2, in Opera, Paris, 1601, f. 116 etseq.). We shall find
later on, especially concerning the synchronistic portion, a
remarkable closeness between Isidor's ' Chronicon ' {ibid.,
f. 374 et seq.) and ' Jerahmeel,' and also between the latter
and the * Historia Scholastica ' of Comestor, who probably
xlvi
had access to the same Latin source for his information as
Jerahmeel. This points to a Latin-speaking or Latin-
writing country in the South of Europe as the home of
the author of these additional elements in ' Jerahmeel's
Chronicle.' I believe this to have been neither Germany
nor Greece, but Spain. Spain is the only country where
this kind of early Latin chronograph was written. But
besides this possible acquaintance with Isidor's works,
there are a number of other cogent reasons for looking to
Spain as the home of this chronicle.
We must remember in the first instance the close
similarity in contents and sources so often pointed out
between the Book of Yashar and this Chronicle even as
far as genealogical tables are concerned. Li one instance
the Book of Yashar contains even more than that which
is preserved in our Jerahmeel. I am alluding to Yashar,
chapter xxii., verses 20-39, containing an apocryphal list
of the children of Terah, which is not to be found anywhere
else. This Book of Yashar has been compiled, as it is
stated in the introduction, in Spain, and there is no reason
to doubt the accuracy of this statement. Li Spain we find,
further, the Book of Yosippon having been used on an
extensive scale by a man of the standing of Kabbi Abraham
b. David, who lived in the twelfth century (1161). He,
curiously enough, writes also an abstract of Eoman history,
which in many details is absolutely identical with the
narrative of Jerahmeel, especially in that concerning the
establishment of the Eepublic. The senators are ruled by
a man whom he, just as Jerahmeel, calls ' Yashish,' or
* Zaqoen,' ' the old man,' a curious literal translation of the
word ' Senatus.' If the use of the Yosippon would prove
the author to have lived in the South of Italy, then Abraham
b. David, the first one who quotes from it extensively,
in fact, who makes an abstract of the history of the second
Temple agreeing almost verbatim with our text, should also
have lived in the South of Italy. It is established, how-
ever, and is beyond doubt, that he lived and died in Spain.
Saadyah knows Yosippon in the ninth century in Egypt,
xlvii
and Qalir in Palestine, probably in the seventh ; from the
argument adduced by others, these authors ought to have
lived in South Italy in the twelfth. The use of a book can
prove merely the age of the author, but not in any way the
country in which he lived.
We thus find two works in Spain agreeing in the
main with the bulk of Jerahmeel's work — the Yashar, an
apocryphal history from the Creation, together with peculiar
genealogical tables, with the introduction of legendary
elements drawn from ancient sources, and portions of the
history of the Komans ; and Abraham b. David's work
containing a long abstract from Yosippon, these two being
the characteristic elements of the Chronicle of Jerahmeel.
We may go now one step further. One portion of his
book consists of a translation of the Aramaic portions of
Daniel into Hebrew. It is now a recognised fact that
among all the countries where Jews lived in ancient times,
those of Spain were the only ones that either neglected
Aramaic, or did not possess any knowledge of it. So late
as the tenth century Dunash b. Tamim, the great gram-
marian, had to write an epistle recommending strongly
the study of Aramaic for the purpose of elucidating and
understanding the Hebrew. Missives and information that
came from Babylon are known to exist in an Aramaic
and in a Hebrew form, like the famous letters of Sherira
and Haya Gaon, and it is now an admitted fact that the
Hebrew was intended for the Jews in Spain, whilst the
Aramaic went to those in Italy, France, and Germany. As
regards the liturgical poetry, we find Aramaic poems known
only in the liturgy of the latter countries, composed by
authors living there, whilst almost everything in Aramaic
was discarded in Spain. This was probably due to the
connection between Spain and Palestine. The translation,
therefore, of Aramaic portions of the Bible into Hebrew
could only have been of value and appreciated as such in
a country like Spain — an additional argument, therefore,
for my contention that we have to seek in Spain, and
nowhere else, for the origin of the Chronicle of Jerahmeel.
xlviii
Everything points to that conclusion : Jerahmeel's acquaint-
ance with the books that are known to have existed there,
viz., Biblical Apocrypha and the Book of Yosippon ; the
identity also in style between his writing and these two
other writings. Now, as to the other activity of Jerahmeel,
we find in the same manuscript some poetical compositions
which show him to have been a man versed in mathematical
disciplines, especially addicted to chronological calculations
and in preference to mathematical puzzles. In one of
these poems a peculiar era is mentioned by him which
agrees with the Era Seleucidarum, but in Chapter lix.,
paragraph 10, of the Chronicle itself he distinctly states
that the era which ' we use is that from the destruction of
the Temple.' This era is known to have existed solely in
Spain.
A more decisive proof for the Spanish origin of this com-
pilation is furnished to us by another legendary collection,
which in itself is a problem hitherto not sufficiently
elucidated. It was known from the quotations made by
Eeymundus Martini, in his ' Pugio Fidei,' that, besides
the so-called ' Genesis Eabba,' another similar compilation
of a homiletical character also existed, which went under
the name of ' Genesis Eabba Major,' or ' Eabbati,' and in
many cases it is ascribed to a certain Moses the Darshan.
This ' Genesis Eabba Major ' has disappeared, however,
save a few fragments preserved in a manuscript of late
date now in the Bodleian Library, and in some quotations
which Gedaliah made in his edition of the ' Genesis Eabba '
in ed. Salonik. Many were the speculations connected with
the origin and character of this last compilation, which was
characterized by the fact that it contained many curious
Apocryphal legends and tales almost of a unique character.
It so happened that a manuscript was found in Prague,
which seemed to be a kind of reflex or an imperfect copy
of that old compilation of the ' Eabbati ' ascribed to Eabbi
Moses Hadarschan. Zunz, Eappaport, and Jellinek drew
attention to it, and also conclusions from it. Mr. Epstein
has recently examined this manuscript, and published a
xlix
study, the result of which is that the authenticity and
correctness of the quotations of Martini are now placed
beyond doubt ; and this manuscript represents, to a certain
extent, that old and more perfect compilation which was
known and utilized in the thirteenth century.
In comparing the most important legends in ' Eabbati '
with Jerahmeel we are forced to conclude that Moses the
Darshan, who lived in the twelfth century in Narbonne,
must have had access to our Chronicle. From it he has
drawn most of those peculiar elements so characteristic of
his compilation ; for we find the Aramaic fragments in ' Pugio
Fidei ' of Daniel in the hons' den are also in Aramaic,
and absolutely identical with Jerahmeel's version. This,
by the way, is one proof more of the extreme antiquity of
this Aramaic text, and of the authenticity of Jerahmeel's
information, that he has copied it from the old version,
which served as basis to Thedotion (' Pugio Fidei,' ed.
Paris, p. 742). The same text is found in the fragment of
the ' Eabbati,' pubhshed by Dr. Neubauer (' Book of Tobit,'
pp. 41, 42), and in the manuscript examined by Epstein
(' Bereschit Piabbati,' 1888, p. 14, No. 1), which agrees still
more closely with the text of Jerahmeel. The following
comparison will prove that we have now found the hitherto
unknown and unsuspected source for the ' Eabbati.' For
the identity of the legends in ' Eabbati ' with those in our
collection goes much further. The legend of the bird
Milham, which is a variation of the phoenix legend given
by Martini in the ' Pugio,' 543, in the name of Moses the
Darshan, is found also in the manuscript ' Eabbati ' {ride
Jellinek, 'Bet. Ham.,' vol. vi., p. xii, note), and is identical
with the legend in Jerahmeel, Chapter xxii., verse 6, for
which hitherto the only known parallel was in the ' Alpha-
betum Sirac' (cf. later on). This last identification
between Martini and the ' Eabbati ' has been overlooked
by Epstein.
We find in it, further, the legend of the fallen angels,
for which we have known hitherto only the parallel in the
* Mid. Abkir.' It is found in the ' Pugio ' and in the
d
' Eabbati ' manuscript of Prague (Epstein, p. 21, No. 17),
and in Jerahmeel, Chapter xxv. It also contains a de-
scription of Paradise (' Pugio Fidei,' p. 335 ; and in the
manuscript 'Eabbati,' Epstein, p. 16, No. 9), which agrees
with Jerahmeel, Chapter xx., paragraph 7 following, being
absolutely identical. A short description of hell is given
in ' Pugio,' pp. 482, 483, which agrees in the main with
Jerahmeel, Chapter xxi., paragraphs 2, 3 ; and still more
convincing, if necessary, is the absolute identity of the
history of the Children of Moses, as mentioned by Epstein
(p. 19), agreeing entirely with Jerahmeel, Chapter Ixii.
This legend is the only one fully reprinted by Epstein, from
manuscript Prague (in his ' Eldad,' pp. 42-45), and we
can see the absolute identity between the two texts. Ep-
stein mentions further (p. 30) that in the ' Eabbati ' are to
be found similar legends about Eliphaz, the son of Esau,
and the war between Esau and the children of Jacob,
which he believes to have been taken from the Book of
Yashar. As this very same legend is given in full in
Jerahmeel, we need not go to the Sepher Hayashar for
the solitary instance of a possible borrowing. The co-
incidence between the two compilations having exactly
the same legends not known elsewhere, and the fact that
these legends agree literally with one another, prove abso-
lutely that one must have been borrowed from the other.
The priority will easily be conceded to Jerahmeel, whose
work consists exclusively of such legends placed one next
to the other and collected into one volume, and not to the
author of a homiletical commentary to the Bible, where
he would introduce, by way of illustration, legends culled
from difterent sources. I consider all the texts that occur
in homiletical collections as of but secondary value, altered
and utilized for a special purpose. In many cases the
whole text has been reproduced ; in other cases that text
has been curtailed, and only the principal incidents which
were of interest in connection with the homily were re-
tained. In that compilation known as ' Eabbati,' in the
form quoted by Eeymundus, we see the very same thing.
li
Some legends are retained in full, others have been
shortened and adapted to the homiletic purpose.
This evidence overwhelmingly proves that our compila-
tion must have been known and extensively used by
writers who lived in Spain, and who had direct literary
connections with Spain ; and our ' Jerahmeel ' assists us, by
the way, to solve an important problem in the history of
Jewish literature. This alone would have sufficed to
justify the publication of his Chronicle.
The date of this part of the Chronicle is fixed, to a certain
extent, by the names of the nations which are mentioned,
and by the dependence upon the ' Chronicon' and ' Origenes'
of Isidor. They carry us down to the middle of the sixth
century. It is noteworthy that in the whole book not a
single allusion to Christianity is made. In the legends of
the Ten Tribes Mohammed is mentioned, but this would
also not carry us further down than to the seventh century,
as no Chaliphate is alluded to, and the Jews are fighting
apparently small Ishmaelite kingdoms. On the contrary,
in one instance (Chapter xxxii., paragraph 6) our author
states distinctly that the Kings of Rome are still in existence,
and are called C?esar, after the name of Julius C?esar, unless
this note be taken to refer to the Emperor of the Holy
Roman Empire from the ninth century onward. But there
is not the slightest allusion to German Emperors in our
text, or even to a German kingdom. The author of this
compilation evidently limited himself to the biblical period,
with this solitary exceptional reference to the Ccesars that
are still ruling in Rome.
As a result of this investigation I ascribe the synchron-
istic element, as well as the second genealogical table, to
the same author. Both are derived from one and the same
source ; and as they occur mostly in conjunction with the
' Philo ' portion, I am inclined to believe that they have
been incorporated with that chronicle not later than the
sixth or seventh century, wdien, in every probability, all
the other biblical Apocrypha were added, which would
contribute to amplify that legendary chronicle. The
d—2
Hi
histories of Abraham, Moses, Haman and Mordecai, of the
Ten Tribes, and the children of Moses, living beyond the
borders of the mythical Sambatj^on, would thus have
amplified and enriched the older Chronicle of Jerahmeel,
form the basis for the Yashar, with which it would agree
in most elements, and would thus be the nucleus for the
larger work, unless it could be proved that Yashar is
dependent on another similar compilation, and not directly
on the present work.
The question of the relation between the Yashar and
Jerahmeel still requires further elucidation before I can
venture upon a definite reply, and very much depends upon
the fact whether another manuscript of Jerahmeel will ever
be available. But there can be no doubt as to the intimate
relation between these two books, and as to the independ-
ence and priority of Jerahmeel.
Throughout this introduction I have called the whole
compilation by the name of Jerahmeel. Of the part which
he has taken in it nothing definite can be said, the date
when he lived and wrote being still a matter of conjecture.
If the poems found at the beginning of this manuscript
with the acrostic Jerahmeel belong to the same man, and his
references are to the well-known Eashi and probably to
his grandson, he must have lived in the twelfth century.
His activity would then have consisted merely in enriching
the already existing older compilation of at latest the
seventh century by the addition of new and similar
material and possibly the omission of some of the older
materials, without changing however in the least the
wording of the texts which he retained. The ' Duplicates,'
if I may call them so, would be due to him ; then,
the portion from Daniel translated from Aramaic into
Hebrew ; but, on the other hand, he took great care not
to incorporate larger portions of Yosippon in the middle of
the actual chronicle. The genealogical table from Yosip-
pon was interpolated (Chapter xxxi.) b}^ the last compiler,
Eleazar, who mentions this fact expressly, stating that he
was, by so doing, interrupting the narrative of Jerahmeel.
liii
The literary tradition of Spain also favours this theory.
In that country alone writers of chronicles, following the
old example, strive after a simple, pure Hebrew style.
Curiously enough, all of them, like the later writers: Ibn
Verga, the author of the Shebet Yehudah ; Ibn Yahya, the
author of the Shalshelet Haqqabbalah ; Joseph Ha-Cohen,
the author of the Emeq Habakhah, and others, follow the
same old example of imitating the biblical style, exactly in
the same manner, but with less originality and less freedom
as was done by the author of the old Chronicle Philo-
Jerahmeel, by the Yosippon, and by the compiler of the
Sepher Hayashar.
His reference to the writings of Nic. of Damascus
and Strabo of Caftor as books consulted by him could not
be taken literally, as he quotes them probably from the
Yosippon, in which they, in fact, are found in identical
terms. Like all medieval chroniclers, he both copied the
ancient chronicle, and embellished it with legends and
information of his own. The texts are not altered in the
wording ; whole portions are omitted or added. The same
operation was afterwards repeated by Eleazar the Levite,
who utilized it in the fourteenth century for the compila-
tion of his own great chronicle.
It is noteworthy that the name Jerahmeel is as perfect
a translation as one could wish for the Greek name Philo.
To assume two Jerahmeels, one of a very early date, the
author of that portion of our Chronicle which in the Latin
goes under the name of Philo, and another of a compara-
tively very recent date, the compiler of the larger work,
would be somewhat hazardous. But the name of Philo in
itself requires to be explained, unless it can be shown that
that legendary work could not be the work of Philo the
Alexandrian, or some other Philo. The fact is that these
Apocryphal ' Antiquities ' are found together in that trans-
lation with other genuine works of Philo. They all have
the same character as far as the language is concerned,
and belong to the same early period before Jerome, and are
probably all the work of one and the same translator. He
liv
therefore knew them as the work of the same author, Philo,
as the rest. However that may be, until the question of
Jerahmeel and his part in our Chronicle has been further
elucidated, I call this Chronicle by the name of Jerahmeel
or Philo- Jerahmeel, for if it is not the name of the real
author, it is undoubtedly due to him that this most
precious and unique monument of ancient Hebrew legend-
ary literature has been preserved. It is one of the few-
old Apocryphal books which have come down in their
original form and in the Hebrew language, whilst most
other books of the same period and of the same character
have either perished entirely or have been preserved in a
mutilated and incomplete translation, like the Book of
Enoch, in Ethiopian; the Assumption of Moses, in Latin;
or the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in Greek, and
so on. The close similarity between the Latin of Philo and
the Hebrew preserved to us by Jerahmeel, at any rate,
shows that it is a very ancient original Hebrew text. The
possibility of its being a translation from the Latin being
absolutely excluded, Jerahmeel proves thus to be, if not the
author, at any rate a faithful transcriber of very ancient
documents.
The language of this Philo-Jerahmeel portion is exactly
the same as in the Yashar and in the Book of Yosip-
pon, with which Jerahmeel is evidently well acquainted.
The argument, therefore, that a book written in imitation
of the biblical style must be of recent origin, is thus dis-
proved at the hand of authentic documents. I need not
point out the extreme importance which this fact has for
the other Apocryphal texts in our compilation of uncertain
date, those considered to be of comparatively recent origin,
only and solely because of the fluency of the style, of
the purity of the language, and of the imitation of the
biblical diction. The fact once established that the older
a book the purer its Hebrew style (unless it is shown
to be a late artificial production purposely written in
that style), will throw some side-light on recently re-
covered fragments of the ancient Apocrypha, which differ
Iv
very considerably, by reason of the artificial character of
their style, and the numerous new forms and words they
contain, from the simple and natural sentences and words
of the Bible, and from such historical or legendary books
as the Chronicle of Philo-Jerahmeel, and as the legends
that go towards making up the Yashar, such as the history
of Abraham, Chronicle of Moses, etc.
A comparison between Jerahmeel's texts and their
ancient parallels, prove him to have been a faithful copyist
of the documents which he wrote down exactly in the form
in which he found them ; otherwise such names as occur
in the genealogical lists and in the historical notices inter-
spersed throughout the book, would not have been allowed
by him to retain their original form in the Hebrew trans-
literation, but would have been recast by him into a form
more akin to the Hebrew language. In the one instance
where he acts as a translator he mentions the fact expressly,
and states that he had translated the Aramaic portions
in Daniel into Hebrew. Comparing that language of his
own translation with the language of the legends, say, of
Abraham or Kenaz, we find them differing so much from
one another that both cannot be the work of one and the
same author. This is another proof for the authenticity
and the accuracy of his transcript of the ancient Chronicle ;
always assuming this Jerahmeel not to be identical with
Philo, but to be the name of a later compiler, who incor-
porated into his work the old composition that went under
the name of Philo. We thus set at rest the gratuitous
assumption of Neubauer and others, who have completely
misunderstood Jerahmeel's introductory sentences to the
Aramaic version of the Song of the Three Children in the
furnace and the Daniel-legends, published by me, viz., that
they had been translated by Jerahmeel from a Greek or
another source. They are old and genuine original texts,
as already remarked above.
It is not at all unlikely that the original Jerahmeel or
the original chronicle which Jerahmeel copied out was as
full as the Latin text, and may have gone further than the
Ivi
Latin, including also a short reference to the destruction of
the Temple, so as to cover the whole ground of the Bible,
to which Yosippon would then be the natural continuation.
Has Jerahmeel curtailed it, or is it due to the editorial
activity of Eleazar the Levite, who seems to have taken some
liberties with his text ? This must remain an open question
until a new manuscript is discovered. Eleazar, at any
rate, is under the impression that the older portion coincides
with the biblical period, and connects the text of Yosippon
almost immediately with the account of the Exiles to which
the Jews had been subjected. The version of the Yosippon
in our manuscript agrees on the whole with the old text
printed by Conte* (ante 1480) ; and the Apocrypha which it
contains, and with which I intend dealing later on when
studying each chapter by itself, prove them not to be
translated from the Latin or from the Greek, as some have
rather hastily assumed, but to be independent versions of
ancient origin, maybe reflecting the originals. For one or
two at least, like the dream of Mordecai, it will be shown
that they are extant in manuscripts much older than the
date which Neubauer, and Perles before him, agreed to
assign to Jerahmeel. He, therefore, could not have been
the translator of texts that exist in Hebrew or in Aramaic
before his time. And as it can be proved regarding some
of the texts contained in our compilation that they are
much older than the time of the compiler, we are justified
to claim great age for the rest of the biblical Apocrypha
in this Chronicle, which also go back to a far greater
antiquity than scholars have hitherto assumed. It is for
this reason that I have brought this Chronicle to a close
with the Book of the Maccabee, the last Biblical Apocryphum
in the volume. It must be left to special studies to ascer-
tain the exact date of each of them, and the relation in
which these Apocrypha of the Bible stand to the known
Syriac, Greek, and Latin versions.
I shall now proceed to discuss each chapter separately ;
■^ Guided by the spelling of this name in the colophon to some of
his editions, I have been the first to substitute this reading of ' Conte '
for the hitherto current form ' Cunath.'
Ivii
to show, if possible, the immediate source whence each has
been drawn ; to trace its parallels in the Hebrew literature,
and whenever possible in cognate literatures. In order to
facilitate references, I have divided the text into chapters
and paragraphs, following in the main the indications in the
manuscript. This investigation will form at the same time
a commentary to the various texts, and will show in many
instances the value that is to be attached to each text from
a critical point of view. In a few instances, we shall find
tw^o versions of one and the same legend, which proves the
faithfulness of the compiler. "When he found two texts
dealing with the same subject, but somewhat different in
form, he did not hesitate to copy both and to place them
one next to the other. Each of them will be treated by
itself.
The works to which reference is chiefly made, in so far
as Hebrew parallels and bibliography are concerned, are :
Zunz, 'Die Gottesdienstlichen A'ortnige der Juden,' second
edition, Frankfurt-a-M., 1892 (Zunz, G. V.-) ; A. Jellinek,
' Bet ha-Midrasch,' vols, i.-vi. (Jellinek, ' B. H.') ; and the
' Sepher Hayashar,' ed Princeps, Venice, 1625 (Yashar). I
have subdivided this last work into chapters and verses,
following the English translation, ' The Book of Jasher,'
New York, 1840. As all the Hebrew^ editions are divided
in accordance with the biblical large divisions of the
Pentateuch, I add a comparative table : Chapters i.-ii.,
Bereshit ; iii.-xiii., 21, Noah ; xiii. 22-xvii., Lekhlekha ;
xviii-xxiii., Yayera ; xxiv.-xxv., Hayyei Sarah ; xxvi.-xxix.,
Toledoth; xxx.-xxxi, Yayese; xxxii.-xL, Yayishlah; xli.-xlvii.,
Yayesheb; xlviii.-liii., Miqes ; liv.-lv., Yayigash ; Ivi.'lviii.,
Yayehi ; lix.-lxxix., Shemoth ; Ixxx.-lxxvii., Bo; Ixxxiii.,
Vayiqra ; Ixxxiv.-lxxxvi., Bemidbar ; Ixxxvii., Eleh ha-
debarim ; Ixxxviii.-xc, Yehoshua ; xci., Shofetim.
In the notes that I give I do not aim at reproducing
the whole bibliography, when it is already given by Zunz,
or by Buber, or in any of the books referred to. It is a
useless show of erudition, and does not further our
investigation. My principal aim is to mention, in the
Iviii
first instance, those texts which show the closest similarity
with our compilation, and which are either direct somxes,
or, at any rate, stand nearest in age and in form to the
immediate source from which the compiler drew his text.
Eeference is necessarily made to non-Jewish parallels,
in the first place to Syriac and Arabic. I refer, in the
first instance, to M. Gruenbaum, ' Neue Beitrage fiir
Semitischen Sagenkunde, Leiden, 1893.' Many scholars
have assumed that legends and parallels found, for
instance, in the Book of Yashar, or in the chapters of
Eabbi Eliezer, son of Hyrqanos, parallel to Mahomedan
legends, must have been borrowed from the latter source.
But conclusive evidence is still missing, and I do not think
that the time has yet come to draw final conclusions.
Many more legendary texts may surge up from the depth
of antiquity hitherto unknown, which will throw a new
light upon the materials existing in Hebrew literature.
The recent discovery of the Yemenite homiletical literature,
such as the Midrash Haggadol, for instance ; then my find
of the old collection of ' Piabbinical Exempla ' (legends),
dating probably from the fifth or sixth century, fragments
found by me among the pieces from the Geniza in Cairo,
may modify, and have to a certain extent modified, such
views. But as these literatures have undoubtedly borrowed
one from the other, I thought it right to refer to them when-
ever I considered necessary. The Slavonic Palfea, being a
reflex of the Greek compilation, which, in the light of this
discovery of Philo-Jerahmeel, I believe to have stood in
close relation to the Greek text, as well as to some old
translation of the Book of Yashar, or with the elements
contained therein, has also been referred to by me, when
the similarity proved striking. Special attention have I
given, then, to Petrus Comestor's ' Historia Scholastica '
(ed. Migne, Patrologia, vol. cxciii., Paris, 1855), in which
he has utilized, as he states distinctly (in Genesis, chapter
xxxvii.) the w^ork of ' Philo,' and who has also all those
synchronistic elements so prominent a feature of Jerahmeel.
Comestor says : ' Narrat autem Philo Judaeus vel ut alii
lix
volunt Gentiliis philosophus in libro Quaestionum super
Genesim,'and finally Fabricius's invaluable 'Codex Pseudo-
Epigraphus Yeteris Testamenti.' All the other authorities
will be quoted in full when referred to singly.
Chapter I. — Starting from the history of the Creation,
our compiler takes as basis for this description a
fragmentary collection of legends known as the chapters
of Eabbi Eliezer. It is not my intention here to enter
into a detailed examination of each of these sources. I am
referring to the principal ones, especially to those which,
by being utilized to a larger extent by the compiler, claim
our special consideration. In that book of 'Eliezer,' for
instance, we find for the first time a description of the
fall of Satan, and many details which, by a long process
of transmission, have had also an influence upon Milton's
' Paradise Lost.' The last word has not yet been spoken
about this book, whose reputed author is Eliezer, the son
of Hyrqanos, of the first century of the Common Era.
Some scholars have ascribed that book to the seventh or
eighth century, because a few allusions to Mahomedanism
are found in it ; but the book belongs unquestionably to
a much higher antiquity, and many incidents point to
more ancient sources, akin with those utilized by the author
of the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch. My
references are to the edition made by David Lurya
(Warsaw, 1852), whose commentary contains to each detail
in the book the whole parallel literature ; when I add
numbers to the chapters quoted, I refer to the numbers
of the notes.
Chapter I. of Jerahmeel corresponds, then, with Chapter iii.
of Eliezer Hyrqanos. In a few instances biblical references
are omitted in our text ; such is the case at the end of
paragraph 2 and the end of paragraph 7. Chapter II.
Jerahmeel corresponds to Eliezer, Chapter v. ; Chapter III.,
paragraph 1, is taken from Eliezer, Chapter vi. In the
latter book there follows a minute description of the rules
of the Jewish Calendar, of the movement of the planets, in
which point that book resembles other ancient Apocryphal
Ix
books. The calculation of the calendar is one of the chief
items of interest with almost every one of those ancient
writers ; it fills many chapters in the Book of Enoch, and
the w^hole of the Book of Jubilees is unquestionably an
attempt to establish such a calendar. The Rabbinical
dissentient calendar finds, then, its expression in these
chapters of Eliezer, and in a book, lost up to quite recent
time, attributed to Mar Samuel. A small portion of this
'Barayta,' as it is called, has been recovered and pub-
lished in Salonic, 1861. Zunz describes (in ' Hamazkir,'
vol. v., p. 15, 1862) the history of this astronomical work.
There seems to have existed an intimate connection,
hitherto not sufficiently explained, between this work,
ascribed to Samuel, and the astronomical portions in the
Book of Eliezer Hyrqanos, as ancient quotations from the
latter, now missing in our text, are found in that Barayta
of Samuel. I mention these points here because similar
portions are found in the following chapters of Jerahmeel,
which at first sight appear intercalated from Samuel's
Barayta, between the continuous quotations from the
Chapters of Eabbi Eliezer. Their appearance here proves
the text preserved in Jerahmeel' s compilation, which agrees
with the old quotations, to be the fullest and more correct
than that found in the edition of the Chapters of Eabbi
Eliezer. The order in which the things are quoted by
Jerahmeel is slightly different from that of the published
text; for Chapter III., paragraphs 2, 3, are taken literally
from the beginning of Chapter vii. of Eabbi Eliezer ; whilst
Chapter IV., paragraph 4, is identical with a portion from
Chapter vi. of Eabbi Eliezer. Instead of continuing the
text as in Eabbi Eliezer, Chapter vii., with that calendaristic
calculation (which is probably a later interpolation from a
different source or an abstract from a larger work), we have,
in our text of Jerahmeel, paragraph 6 et seq., totally different
elements, now missing in Eliezer, but preserved in that
very book which is ascribed to Samuel. But of this only
a fragment has hitherto been recovered, and that explains
why paragraph 6 is missing in this text ; w^e find it,
Ixi
however, in the ' Barayta of Creation,' pubhshed by Buber
and Chones (' Yerioth Shelomo,' Warsaw, 1896, p. 50). A
similar text is to be found in the 'Pardes' ascribed to Rashi
(vide Lurya to end of Chapter vii. of Eabbi EHezer, No. 68,
et seq.), then in ' Sode Eazaya,' and in the Yalqut Makhiri
to Ps. Ixxxi. (my codex. No. 100, fol. 191a).
Jerahmeel, Chapter lY., agrees remotely with the actual
text of Eabbi Eliezer, Chapter vii. Concerning the planets,
we find their names, etc., mentioned in the book 'Yesira,'
chap, iv., then Eashi to the following treatises of the
Talmud: Berakoth, 595, Sabbath, 129/>, Erubin, 56a; in
the Zohar to Haazinu, fol. 287«, also in the Midrash
Haggadol to Genesis (my manuscript, No. 1, fol. 15c). In
paragraph 2, which is undoubtedly an interpolation of
Eleazar the Levite, the last compiler of the book, we have
the oldest list of German names of the days of the week
and their primitive form as known in the Ehine Province
about the end of the twelfth century. The same list is
repeated once more at the end of the whole manuscript,
proving this interpolation to be due to Eleazar the Levite.
Paragraphs 3 and 4 agree with chap. vii. of the Barayta
of Samuel. But our text is much shorter than the
parallels, which we find also in the ' Sode Eazaya ' quoted
in ' Y'alqut Eeubeni ' (fol. 7a), and in that book which goes
under the name of the Angel ' Eaziel ' (ed. Amsterdam,
fol. nb). The two books * Sode Eazaya ' and ' Eaziel '
owe their present form to Eabbi Eleazar of Worms,
who lived in the thirteenth century, and made use of
extremely ancient Midrashim. Paragraphs 5-9 are identical
with chap. ix. of the Barayta of Samuel. Here the reverse
has taken place, for the fuller form seems to have been
preserved in Jerahmeel, as many details, such as the form
of each of the seven planets, and the description of the
things over which they are appointed, are missing in the
Barayta of Samuel. We are dealing in this chapter with
some of the old astrological data current in ancient times
(c/. Boucher Leclerque, ' L'astrologie Grecque,' Paris, 1899).
Chapter Y. — The thread of the narrative according to the
Ixii .
chapters of Eliezer Hyrqanos is resumed with Chapter Y.,
which corresponds with part of Chapter ix.
Chapter YI., paragraph 1, is taken from Chapter xi.
of EHezer. Chapter YI., paragraph 2, and part of para-
graph 3, cf. Treat. Sanhedrin, fol. 38a, l, where the text
is much shorter. Paragraphs 3-5, the consultation of God
with the angels about the creation of man, are identical
in form with the book that goes under the title ' Midrash
Konen' (ed. Jellinek, ' B. H.,' ii., pp. 26-27), also dealing
with the Creation. It is very much like the first chapters
of our book, and it is attributed to the compiler of the
book ' Eaziel.' Everything, however, seems to point to
the conclusion that the text in Jerahmeel has retained
the very original form, and that all the quotations in
other writings are merely portions from what originally
has been a continuous narrative in the chapters of Eliezer,
though it is now missing in the printed text of that book.
The abstract from this work of Eliezer is, in fact, con-
tinued here as if no break had occurred between. The
very beginning and end of Jerahmeel, Chapter YI., are
identical with Eliezer, Chapter xi., though the intermediate
portions are now missing there, and are found scattered
through the pages of the Talmud, in the ' Midrash Konen,'
and other books. I have not been able hitherto to find a
single parallel to paragraph 6 in the Hebrew literature ;
only Arabic writers like Tabari, Iben El Atir, and Masudi
have it {cf. Greenbaum, ' Beitrage,' p. 62) ; cf. also {ihid.,
p. 55) all the Hebrew, Arabic, and Syriac parallels to
paragraph 7, concerning the elements out of which the
human body was created.
Chapter YL, paragraph 7, to the end of Chapter YIL,
is taken continuously from Eliezer, Chapter xi.. No. 28, to
Chapter xii.. No. 60. The first seven chapters dealing
with the Creation are thus undoubtedly all taken from one
and the same book — the Chapters of Eliezer — and not
pieced together from quotations and minor fragments
collected from various writings. We have thus a difterent
recension, more complete and better rounded off, of that
Ixiii
book of Eliezer, which m itself is also a problem in
Hebrew literary history. Concerning various details in
these last two chapters, especially those that have been
admitted into many other literatures, I would give a few
more parallels from the Hebrew. So we find to Chapter YL,
paragraphs 8, 9 identical wording in the Tanhuma, Parasha
Pequdei, paragraph 3 to the end (ed. Venice, folio 51^).
To paragraphs 7 to 10 also ' Midrash Haggadol,' loc. cit.
(folio 20c). To paragraph 10, about the hours in which
Adam and Eve were created, sinned, etc., (/. Tanhuma,
(ed. Buber, vol. i., p. 18, No. 195), where the whole parallel
literature is given. How long Adam and Eve lived in
Paradise is a question that agitated ancient writers, and
we find an echo in the old Slavonic Lucidarius, in the
so-called Questions of St. Athanasius, etc. To para-
graph 11 cf. Targum Jerushalmi to Genesis, chapter ii.,
ver. 7 ; and, moreover, Greenbaum, loc. cit., p. 60, who
refers to the Book of Adam, to the Koran, and other
Oriental writings. To Chapter YH., paragraph 1, et seq.,
cf. Tanhuma, ed. Buber, i., folio 58h, and Pesiqta of Kabbi
Kahana, ed. Buber, folio "dlh.
Chapter IX. — Following upon the creation of the world
comes now the treatise of the formation of the human
being. Between these two I have omitted a chapter (YIH.)
of the Hebrew text, giving anatomical details, and quoting,
among others, as an authority Ibn Ezra. Independent
of that is Chapter IX., probably a very ancient legend.
Fragments of it occur in various old writings. Para-
graphs 4, 5 are found in the Talmud, Tr. Niddah, folio 30/>.
Paragraph 9, ride 'Midrash Ecclesiastes,' chapter i.,ver. 1;
cj: ' Yalqut,' vol. ii., folio 182/>, paragraph 966. We find it,
moreover, in an anonymous compilation, which goes under
the name of ' Abqath Piokhel,' folio 23a (ed. Amsterdam),
from which it has been reprinted by Jellinek, ' B. H.,' vol. i.,
p. 153 et seq. But our text is much more like the one
incorporated into the Tanhuma, loc. cit., paragraph 3,
(folio 51h), where it follows immediately upon the same tales
as that at the end of Jerahmeel, Chapter YI., paragraph 9,
Ixiv
being thus a direct continuation of the description how
God created man. Paragraphs 1 to 4 are also found in the
Midrash to the Ten Commandments (Precept 6). Giidemann
has treated these legends in the ' Monatschrift f. d. Gesch.
d. Judent,' and tried to identify them with the legends
of Horus — the child God wdth a finger at His mouth.
We may have here some reminiscences of the old Platonic
ideas of man's soul knowdng everything before birth, and
that our learning in this world is merely a recollection of
things know^n before.
In Chapter X. we have one of those old books which
have been preserved in an incomplete form in various
compilations, of which I have, moreover, found fragments
among the texts recovered from the Geniza in Cairo. Eliah
de Yidas, in his work ' Pieshit Hokhmah,' has incorporated
many such old Apocryphal legends which he found in the
sixteenth century in Palestine. He has reprinted there
also this very text, though not in the same order, it forming
in his book chapter xii. of the division ' Sha'ar hayirah ' (ed.
Amsterdam, folio 40a ; ed. Constantinople, folio S7h). The
order in Vidas as compared to the paragraphs in Jerahmeel
is as follows : Yidas begins with what is in Jerahmeel para-
graph 9, then follows first part of paragraph 12, a little of
paragraph 10, then the second half of paragraph 7, and
finally the whole of the paragraphs 8, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, to end. It
is evident that paragraphs 2-7 formed probably the kernel
of this ' Admonition to the sinner.' This text is called the
' Pearl of Eabbi Meir ' by Yidas, whilst it figures as the
' Pearl of Eab ' in an abstract made of this chapter in the
' Shebet Musar,' p. 7, of Eliah Hacohen, of Smyrna (vide
also Jellinek, 'B. H.,' ii., pp. 120-122). My fragment from
the Geniza (codex No. 289), from which the beginning is
missing, is absolutely identical with our text from para-
graph 3 on to the middle of paragraph 7. Some of it is
found also in my codex. No. 220, a manuscript probably of
the eighteenth century, coming from Yemen. The second
half of the text, from paragraph 10 onwards, is only found
in Jerahmeel. The knowledge of this ' Admonition ' seems
Ixv
to have been limited to ^Yrite^s ^Yho have lived, and to
compilations that have been made, in the East. This points
to the East as the source whence also the other element
contained in om' present compilation may have been drawn.
To the same source belongs also Chapter XL Only to
paragraphs 1-4 have I been able to find a parallel legend,
viz., with Vision V., paragraphs 13, 14, of the ' Visions of
Heaven and "Hell,' published by me {Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society, 1893, p. 603). The source for it I found in
a manuscript of the Orhot Hayim, vol. ii. It is also in
Jellinek, * B. H.' v., p. 50. To paragraph 4 compare
T. Berakhoth, folio 11a, and in Vidas, 'Eesh. Hokhma,'
Chapter xii., paragraph 4 ; whilst paragraph 5 is also found
in the work ' Hibbut Haqeber,' that is ' The Beating of
the Grave ' (Jellinek, ' B. H.,' ii., pp. 151, 152). No parallel
have I been able to find to our text from paragraph 6 to the
end of the chapter.
Chapter XIL, as well as the following chapters, deals with
the eschatological questions of life after death, of punish-
ment and reward. They belong to that large circle of
Apocalyptic visions of Heaven, Hell and Paradise, to which
attention has recently been drawn again in a prominent
form by the discovery of the Apocalypse of Peter. The
time has not yet arrived to decide as to whence all these
notions have come, whether they are of Jewish origin or
of Egyptian origin, and in how far the Orphic mysteries
have anything to do with them. All these teachings seem
to have had a share in these Apocalypses, but it is impossible
to believe that such notions should have been admitted into
Jewish and Christian circles, and still less in the latter,
unless they were already current in the minds of the people,
and were considered as genuine religious representations of
life after death. In spite of Dietriech's strictures in his
' Nekyia ' (Leipzig, 1893), especially p. 223, and his attempt
to find their origin exclusively in Greek classical antiquity,
he must look to the East as the true source of these
mystical inspirations and mystical teachings. New-Pytha-
gorean and New-Platonic views are not an oriojinal growth
Ixvi
upon the soil of Hellas. And the whole magical literature
that is so closely connected with the cult of the dead, and
with these eschatological views of life after death, was
evolved by the Greeks only after they had imbibed those
teachings in the East.
The pure Hebrew language of these texts, especially
those dealing with visions of heaven and hell, proves their
extreme antiquity. Although for various statements refer-
ence is made to the Bible, the Eabbinical literature is
entirely ignored in them, save a few later interpolations.
Dietriech has entirely misunderstood the drift of my argu-
ments and the value of the texts of those Hebrew visions
published by me. A fragment, moreover, w^hich I consider
to be the oldest in existence, which has come to light also
from the ' Geniza ' and is now^ my property, carries us far
back, maybe to the eighth or ninth century. No text as
yet shown to exist can be proved to be a translation from a
non-Jewdsh source. Not that I claim special priority for
them. The views expressed therein are not countenanced
by the representative teachers of Judaism, and their exist-
ence is in fact surprising in Jewish literature ; but I
consider them to stand on a par, as to age and importance,
with the whole cycle of Apocryphal and Apocalyptic litera-
ture, to which I reckon also the books of magic ; and much
may be due to the hitherto not yet sufficiently recognised
literary activity of some such Jewish sect as the Essenes
or other unknown authorities, who are known to have been
addicted to this kind of mystic speculation. Just as much
as the Essenes can be credited with the description of the
heavenly halls in the Hekhaloth and the place of Paradise,
so also may we credit them with a description of the tortures
of hell. Fragments of, and parallels to, such descriptions
are found already in the Book of Enoch in abundance, and
not a few are mentioned in the Testaments of the Tw^elve
Patriarchs, not to speak of the New Testament and other
Apocalyptic writings.
Chapter XII. is probably the beginning of that Apocry-
phal tale which is continued in Chapter XIII . under
Ixvii
the title of ' The Beating of the Grave.' EHah de Vidas
has the whole of it, beginning from Chapter XII., para-
graph 3, up to Chapter XIII., end of paragraph 6, forming
paragraphs 1-3 in his Chapter xii. He evidently has left
out the beginning, which was known to Eliah Levita in his
' Tishbi,' and which is also found in a very mutilated form
in a late manuscript; reprinted hence by Jellinek (' B. H.,'
vol. v., p. 48).
Our text again appears to be the fullest and the most
coherent. From paragraph 7 on we have here a kind of
short abstract from w^hat is given afterwards in a very
complete form in Chapters XIV. -XVII., containing a
minute description of hell. In the parallels of this
description I limit myself almost exclusively to the refer-
ence to my edition of those Apocalyptic Visions where I
have indicated the whole Jewish and non-Jewish literature,
including references to the Apocalypses of Peter, Paul,
Virgin Mary, etc. I add here the reference to the ' Pieshith
Hokhmah,' Chapter xiii., which agrees with our Chapters
XIV. and XV., and to the extremely ancient manuscript
from the Geniza, mentioned above, with which this portion
agrees absolutely.
Passing on to the detailed parallelism, we find Chapter
XIV., paragraph 2, up to Chapter XV., paragraph 6,
identical with Vision No. V., paragraphs 1-9 (p. 599 et seq.).
Chapter XV., paragraphs 7-9, is identical with Vision No. V.,
paragraphs 20-22 (pp. 601, 605).
Chapter XVI., paragraphs 1-5, is identical with the text
of Orhot Hayim, to which I have referred already above,
being a continuation of Chapter XL, paragraph 4, and is
to be found in that same Vision V., paragraphs 15-19
(pp. 603-605). The continuation to Chapter XV., para-
graph 9, reappears here in Chapter XVI., par^raph 6,
corresponding with paragraph 23 of Vision V. Para-
graph 7 of Chapter XVI. is identical with paragraph 24
of Vision V., whilst paragraph 8 differs here from the
version published in the ' Visions.'
Chapter XVII. — Portions of this chapter are found in
e—2
Ixviii
Yision VIL, paragraph 4, but in a different order and
altered form. There are also parallels to it in Vision I.,
paragraph 42, and Vision V., paragraph 24 ; to paragraph 1
here cf. also ' Yalqut Eeubeni,' fol. 3Z>. * Midrash Konen,'
55 and (Sa (Jellinek, * B. H.,' vol. ii., pp. 35, 36), has a
parallel legend to end of paragraph 1 and of paragraph 4.
Concerning the names of Hell, cf. also the Talmudic
treatise Ernbin, fol. 19a. Paragraph 6 leads from hell
to Paradise.
Chapters XVIII., XIX. — The chief personage in these two
Visions, the man to whom these revelations are made and
who is the hero in the oldest documents, is Eabbi Joshua,
son of Levi. We have here probably an unintentional
alteration from Isaiah, as in one place Isaiah is suddenly
mentioned, and we know of the existence of such an Apoca-
lypse of Isaiah, the ' Ascensio Isaiae.' Maybe it is a later
ascription to the man of whom legend told that he was in
friendly relations with the Angel of Death. Whether it is
due to popular etymology and analogy of name, or to a
definite intentional alteration, it is difficult to determine.
The oldest texts all agree, at any rate, in ascribing these
revelations to Piabbi Joshua, the son of Levi. The text
published in Chapter XVIII. is probably the oldest of all
known, and agrees in the main with the version contained
in 'Mahazor Vitry ' (pp. 735-736). It is found further in
' Yalqut,' i., fol. la, par. 20 ; ' Shebet Musar,' ch. xxv. ;
and Jellinek, ' B. H.,' vol. 2, pp. 52, 53 ; also ' Midrash
Talpiyoth' (ed. Lemberg, 1875), p. 595; and in 'Visions,'
No. IV., p. 596 ct seq.
Chapter XIX., paragraph 1, recurs thus far in its com-
plete form once more in the manuscript reprinted by
Jellinek, vol. v., p. 43. Its contents occur also in the
Midrash k) Psalm xi., ver. 6 (ed. Buber, pp. 101, 102 ; cf.
note No. 48). The w^hole is also mentioned by Eleazar of
Worms in his w^ork ' Hokhmath Hanephesh,' and is partly
alluded to in the ' Pesiqta Eabbati ' (ed. Friedman), fol.
198a. To paragraph 4 cf ' Visions,' No. I., paragraph 48
(p. 584) ; the ' Apocalypse of Paul,' ch. xliv. ; and ' Pesiqta
Ixix
Eabbati,' fol. 112a ; vide also the study of Israel Levi in
the Berne des Etudes Jiiives.
Chapters XX., XXI. — The first two paragraphs of
Chapter XX. are raissing in every other parallel text, but
from paragraph 3 on our text is identical with Vision III.,
paragraphs 10-17. A short version of the journey of
Joshua, the son of Levi, accompanied by the Angel of
Death, is to be found in my ' Exempla of the Eabbis,'
No. 138, where also a short description of what he sees in
Paradise is given. The description is continued, as here,
in Chapter XIII. , paragraphs 1-3, in 'Visions,' No. III.,
paragraphs 20-21. From paragraph 4 to the end a new
description of hell is ascribed to Joshua, the son of Levi.
It agrees with the version preserved by Nachmanides,
reprinted in the ' B. H.' by Jellinek, vol. v., p. 43 et seq.,
as well as with that contained in * Orhot Hayim,' and in
' Midrash Konen,' 4a, published by me, ' Visions,' No. VI.,
pp. 605-607. Our text agrees best with that of Nachman-
ides, reprinted by Eisenmenger, 'Entdecktes Judenthum,'
vol. ii., pp. 340, 341.
Chapter XXII. — After this long interpolation, dealing
with eschatological subjects, our author returns to the
history of Adam and Eve and their progeny on earth.
Chapter XXIL, paragraphs 1-4, is an abstract from the
Book of Eliezer, chap. xiii. The cause of the fall of the
Angel Samael is here given in a totally different form,
and agrees in the main with the first chapter of the Latin
version of the ' Historia Ad».' A close parallel to this
version we find in the manuscript ' Genesis Eabbati,' from
which Epstein has published a similar legend in his
'Eldad ha Dani' (Presburg, 1891, pp. 66-68, and notes,
p. 75 et seq.). The reprint by Epstein, who has not
noticed that the text is found also in Martini's ' Pugio '
(p. 425, ed. Paris), does not, however, go far enough, for
we find in the ' Genesis Eabbati,' according to the quota-
tion in the 'Pugio' {vide above, p. xlix), also the phoenix
legend, agreeing with the latter part of this legend in
Jerahmeel.
Ixx
It is evident, as already noted above, that the author,
Moses Hadarshan, must have had our collection of legend-
ary tales at his disposal. The form of the legends in
the ' Ber. Eabbati ' proves it to be a later development,
especially as the name of Samael is changed into Satcm
{cf. also the Syriac Legends in ' Schatzhoele,' ed. Betzold,
pp. 4, 8 ; videWeil, ' Biblische Legenden,' p. 15). There is
no necessity now to assume with Epstein that this is one
of the legends invented by, or derived from, Eldad ; still
less can we consider it as being of a Christian Abyssinian
origin, and borrowed hence; it is much more likely that
the reverse has happened. The Hebrew represents an
older tradition, retained in a most complete form in this
chapter of Jerahmeel's compilation. There are other
details also in it (from paragraph 4 onwards), which
are found nowhere else together except in the ' Eabbati,'
whilst only to a few details parallels can be found scattered
through various works of the Hebrew literature. Quota-
tions of such a kind are not, as some have hitherto believed,
proofs that a later author has taken pains to collect
scattered allusions and legends from numberless books and
treatises, and has welded them together so as to form one
single small tale. The reverse has undoubtedly taken
place. A complete legend has been composed at a given
time, and portions of it are then quoted and utilized by
writers of various ages, everyone selecting from it that
portion which suited his fancy or his subject best.
The occurrence, therefore, of details or elements of a
long and complete text in other compositions is, to my
mind, rather a proof that the complete tale is the older,
which has been laid under contribution by later writers,
and not that the reverse has taken place, so that
the complete legend has been compiled in a mosaic-
artic fashion from most heterogeneous books and writings.
In this case, we have thus in Jerahmeel the primitive
and complete legend. We find an allusion to the second
half of paragraph 5 in ' Genesis Kabba ' (section 19, para-
graph 9, and section 20, paragraph 19). Paragraphs 6
Ixxi
and 7 as well as 8 contain two versions of the old famous
legend of the phoenix, which forms part of the old
Physiologus. In the Hebrew literature we find both : the
one corresponding to the first tradition (paragraphs 6, 7)
occurring in the ' Alphabetum Siracidis ' (ed. Steinschneider,
Berlin, 1858, fol. 29a, h) in a somewhat shorter form, and the
other in 'Genesis Eabba' {loc. cit.; further, Midrash Samuel,
chapter xii., paragraph 81), also a little different, then in
the Genesis Eabbati, MS. Prague, and in Martini's quotation
' Pugio,' p. 453.
Chapter XXIII., a similar legendary composition, from
which fragments only can be traced in various writings,
but nowhere is the whole text found, as here, in a continuous
narrative. To pavagraph 1, the history of Lilith and the
origin of the Demons, there is a parallel in the same
*Alphabetum Siracidis,' fol. 23a, h, which shows that the
author of that work, which I place latest in the seventh
century, knew already those legends and tales {cf. Treatise
of Erubin, fol. 18; Genesis Eabba, chap, xx., xxiv.). In our
version the chief hero is Methusela, not Adam, as in Sira,
who must have been one of the old heroes of Apocalyptic
literature. Enoch reveals visions to Methusela (Book
of Enoch, chap. Ixxxii., et seq.), and many ancient
interpretations of his name are to be found in the old
'Onomastica' (ed. Lagarde, p. 8, line 10, and p. 65, line 10).
Fabricius, pp. 224-226, refers to the Midrash Abkir, which
must have been a similar collection of biblical Apocrypha
very much alike in character to Philo- Jerahmeel and to the
Yashar ; only fragments have been preserved. A manu-
script of it still known to de Eossi, in the sixteenth century
has since disappeared ; only stray fragments are to be found.
In one of these (Yalqut, i., fol. 42, and No. 4 in the
separate edition of Buber, pp. 2-3) we find a literal
parallel to paragraph 5, and also an indication of
Methusela's knowledge of magic. A preceding and now
lost portion of the Abkir may have contained these para-
graphs which precede it here. To paragraphs 1-4, cf. also
Book of Jubilees, chap, viii., ver. 5, and a similar fragment
Ixxii
from Abkir is quoted by Buber in ' Yerioth Shelomo '
(Warsaw, 1896, p. 47).
Concerning the images made by Enosh, paragraphs 6, 7,
we find only a remote parallel, probably only an abbreviated
quotation from here, in Genesis Kabba, chap, xxiii., section 9,
and an allusion to it in Ibn Yahya's ' Shalsheleth Haqqab-
bala' (ed. Venice, fol. 92^). But this is derived probably
from the ' Supplementum Chronicarum ' of Foresti. I am
inclined to believe that the ancient chronicle of Philo-
Jerahmeel must have commenced with this Chapter XXIII. ,
although the Latin text begins much later.
Chapter XXIV. is of a similar character, with very few
parallels in Hebrew literature. The name of Cain's wife,
Qalmana, is mentioned by Ibn Yahya, loc. cit., fol. 92/>, and
long before him in Pseudo-Methodius. The oldest source thus
far is the Book of Jubilees {ride Eonsch, p. 373, where the
names of the two daughters of Adam according to all the
ancient traditions are given). Our text, especially para-
graphs 1-4 and paragraphs 7, 8, corresponds in many details
with Josephus, 'Antiquities,' book i., chap, ii., sections 2, 3 ;
vide also Fabricius, p. 119. In many details we find from
here onwards a close resemblance with Comestor's 'Historia
Scholastica,' cf. ' Genesis,' chap, xxv., and for paragraphs
5-8 of our text, ride Comestor, ibid., chap, xxviii. Comestor
assigns the erection of the two pillars to Tubal Cain, like
our Hebrew text, whilst other authorities ascribe these to
Adam, Seth, or to others {ride Fabricius, p. 148).
From paragraph 8 to end of chapter cf. Comestor,
' Genesis,' chap. xxxi. In the Hebrew literature we find
merely a reference to Tubal's activity in the Jerusal.
Targum to Genesis, chap, iv., vers. 21, 22, and in Rashi, ibid.
The origin of the Elohim and their identification with
the seed of Seth and not with fallen angels, as set forth here
in paragraph 10, et seq., differs completely from the tradi-
tion in the chapters of Piabbi Eliezer (Chapter xxii.), where
the giants are considered to be the children of angels that
had intermarried with human beings. According to the
tradition in our text, they are the offspring from the
Ixxiii
mixture between the seed of Seth and the seed of Cain.
The same tradition is fomid especially in Christian pseudo-
epigraphic literature like the Christian Book of Adam
(pp. 82-93) ; the 'Cave of Treasures ' (p. 10), in Cedrenus,
ed. Bonn, vol. i., p. 19, and Eutychius's 'Annals,' vol. i.,
pp. 21-26 ; further, in Arabic authors like Tabari, Jakubi,
Ibn el Atir (ride Gruenbaum, loc. cit, pp. 73, 74, and 76, 77).
Ibn Ezra to Genesis, chap, vi., ver. 2, has a similar tradition.
Chapter XXV., the legend of the fallen angels, brings
us back to the Midrash Abkir, because there alone we find
an absolutely identical legend. It seems also to have
entered into the Midrash Kabbati in a somewhat shorter
form. In the name of Moses the Darshan it is quoted by
Eeymundus in his ' Pugio Fidei ' (Paris, 1651), pp. 7-9.
In his version paragraphs 7-11 of our text are omitted.
The longer version, identical with ours, has been pre-
served by the ' Yalqut ' (paragraph 44, fol. 12?>-12c) from
the Midrash Abkir. The antiquity of this legend is shown
by the fact that the central portion of it is found in the
Book of Enoch, chap, vi.-x. (ed. Charles, pp. 62-77). The
tendency is here somewhat different, as the angels are
lustful after women and therefore descend from heaven,
whilst in the Hebrew version it is a more ethical principle
which induces them to descend from heaven, viz., to show
that they are above human vices, but they, like human
beings, fall also a victim to their presumption. The name
of the virtuous girl who ascends to heaven and is placed
among the Pleiades is Estira ( = star). The whole of the
first part is entirely omitted in the Book of Enoch, which
is, however, no proof that this version is not at least as old
as the Book of Enoch. Concerning the activity of the two
fallen angels, especially of Azael, vide Lagarde, ' Materialien,'
etc., vol. ii., p. 57, and Gruenbaum, p. 74.
Chapters XXVI. -XXX. inclusive are absolutely identical
with the Latin 'Philo,' which commences here. In the first
part of this introduction I have dealt largely with the proof
that the Latin text cannot be considered as the original,
and that the Hebrew proves to be the older of the two
Ixxiv
versions. The spirit that breathes through the pages of
this book is the same which animated the author of the
Book of Jubilees and other similar attempts of a genea-
logical character ; it is the same which pervades the
Hellenistic literature and the Hagadic literature of later
times. We find traces of it in the fragment of Malchus
Kleodemas and other writers, who lived two or three
centuries before the Common Era. Concerning them, I
refer to the admirable work of Professor Freudenthal
(' Hellenistiche Studien,' i., ii., Breslau, 1874, 1875).
The source for the peculiar names that occur in these
chapters has not been laid bare, nor do we know the
system which the ancients followed in the invention of such
mythical names. Here and there one can discover biblical
names in a somewhat changed form. But until all these
names will have been collected and the manuscripts care-
fully collated, taking as basis our Jerahmeel, and comparing
these names with those contained in the Sepher Hayashar
and those scattered through the pages of the rabbinical
literature, such an attempt will be fruitless. My trans-
literation of these names is merely tentative, as the original
manuscript in many cases has no vowel signs, so as to
indicate the correct pronunciation of the names, and the
similarity of letters in the Hebrew script may account for
changes or differences between the Hebrew and the Latin
version. In order to assist further investigation, I have
added in the Appendix the corresponding pages from the
Latin edition, and a reproduction in facsimile of those
chapters of the Hebrew manuscript which contain the
genealogical tables and geographical names, viz.. Chapter
XXVL, paragraphs 1-13 ; XXVI. 27 to XXYIII. 3 ; XXXI.
1-20. I have already drawn attention (p. xxx) to the
similarity in various details between these chapters and
some portions in the Book of Jubilees.
In Chapter XXVL our compiler seems to have intercalated
from the middle of paragraph 15 on to the end of 20 a
tradition that occurs already once before in Chapter XXIV.,
paragraphs 6-9, and which is missing in the Latin. It is
Ixxv
not at all improbable that this portion belongs to the old
original. Some apocryphal names occur also in it, but
are omitted in the Latin. A parallel to paragraph 20 is
found in Eutychius, i., p. 60. In paragraph 13 we could
read Sheth with the Latin instead of Shem.
Chapter XXVII. — The Yashar has in chap, vii., vers. 1-22,
a list of the sons of Noah of a similar apocryphal and
unintelligible character as the one contained here in
Chapter XXVII. Both must have borrowed from the same
apocryphal source, represented more correctly by Jerahmeel,
who agrees entirely with the Latin, unless the change in the
Yashar is due to careless copyists. It is curious that the
names of the children of Yoqtan (Jeptan in the Latin)
at the end of paragraph 5, which are given correctly by
Josephus ('Antiquities,' book i., chap, vi., par. 4) and in
Yashar, are so fearfully mutilated in Jerahmeel as well as
in the Latin ; for, if read carefully, they reveal themselves
to be the very names given in Genesis, chap, x., vers. 26-28.
The preceding lists may have misled the copyist, who did
not recognise the true form of those names. To paragraph 9,
</. Eutychius, i., pp. 56, 57. In paragraph 7 we find an
old tradition that Terah took to wife Amtalai, the daughter
of Barnabo, or Karnabo (cf. Beer, ' Leben Abrahams,'
pp. 1, 96, 97).
Chapter XXVIII. contains the number of the children of
the generations of Noah. The numbering is mentioned
also in the Book of Yashar, chap, vii., vers. 9, 14, 18 ; but
the numbers are very much smaller ; the thousands seem
to have dropped out. But absolutely identical numbers are
given by Comestor at the end of Genesis, chap, xxxvii.,
whose authority is, as he states, our very Philo.
Chapter XXIX. corresponds to ' Philo,' fol. 6(7, et seq.
The name of the place (paragraph 13) is called ' Linguae
Chaldpeorum Deli.' (The Hebrew has, ' Elohe ' — >n'?s.)
Chapter XXX. — Of this chapter only paragraphs 1-4 are
found in the Latin, which has some very curious expressions
not represented in the Hebrew. In paragraph 3, ' Et
tanquam stillicidium arbitrator eos, et in scuto approxi-
Ixxvi
mabo eos,' the first part is missing altogether in the
Hebrew. I am at a loss to suggest the word for ' drops '
(' stillicidium ') in the original, which the translator has
evidently misunderstood. For ' approximabo ' we have in
the Hebrew D2ipi<i, which I take to be from 3")P = fight,
battle— and I have translated accordingly, 'I will fight
them.' The parallelism with Philo finishes with para-
graph 4. Paragraph 5, et seq., is found again in Hebrew
writings. The transformation of the builders of the Tower
of Babel into monkeys and the confusion of tongues,
paragraph 5, finds its counterpart in the Yashar, chap, ix.,
vers. 33-54 ; cf. also vers. 24-33, Jerusalemitan Targum,
in Genesis, ad he. ; further, ' Gen. Piabba,' sect. 38, para-
graph 15 ; and at the end of the version of the Abraham
legends (ed. Horowitz), p. 46; whilst the whole of the
chapter, beginning from the middle of paragraph 5, i&
taken verbatini from Chap. xxiv. of Eliezer.
Chapter XXXI. is a duplicate to the genealogies hitherto
treated. In the beginning of this introduction I have
drawn special attention to it (p. xlii et seq.), showing how old
these geographical explanations of the tenth chapter of
Genesis are ; which all rest upon one and the same old tradi-
tion, found in general outline in the Book of Jubilees, and
in a much more elaborate form in Josephus's ' Antiquities,'
book i., chap, vi., paragraph 1, et seq. This chapter
represents in our text, in every probability, the second
layer of geographical tradition, superposed over the other
represented by Philo- Jerahmeel, which has an air of greater
antiquity. In this text, which, as shown, rests upon a
Latin original, we do not find any of the specifically
Semitic letters ^ and H so often met with in the older
portion. A third layer covering these two is that one
which is represented by Yosippon, and introduced here
by Eleazar the Levite as the first chapter from the work of
Yosippon the Great; this interpolation forms here para-
graphs 6-15. The same genealogies, without the mention
of Yosippon, as the sources are never mentioned, is to be
found in Yashar, chap, x., ver. 7, et seq. The question.
Ixxvii
"whether this chapter has been added later on from the
Yashar to Yosippon, or whether the compiler of the Yashar
borrowed it from the Yosippon, can be decided only after a
careful investigation and an exhaustive study of the history
and origin of each of these books. I am inclined to give to
Yosippon the priority, and to consider the Yashar as being
a later compilation. As one of the sources of information
for such genealogical terms, I refer here especially to the
letter of the King of the Kozars to Hasdai Ibn Shaprut
in Spain in the tenth century. The information which
he gives about the origin of his own people agrees in
many details almost absolutely with the details contained
here as to the descendants of Togarma. In paragraph 15,
which is so very corrupt in the Yosippon, I should like to
interpret the names in the following manner : Sorbin
would be Servians ; Lousisii would be Lausatians ; Liech'an
would be Poles ; Chrabat would be Croatians ; Bosniin
w^ould be Bosnians. Then, for Asidinia, in paragraph 14,
I would read ' Ascania.' The last name almost that occurs
in the whole list, that of Qualiron, may assist us in fixing
the origin of the most famous Hebrew liturgical poet, Qalir.
The identification of his place of birth, after which he got
the name, has hitherto baffled every investigation. It
would thus turn out to be ' Lesha ' in Palestine— the
* Callirhoe ' of later times. The end of the chapter (para-
graph 20) agrees with chap. xxiv. of Eliezer. As we see,
Jerahmeel utilizes the Book of Eliezer Hyrqanos as the frame
into which he fixes all the other texts gathered from various
quarters. This paragraph agrees also with the beginning
of No. 11a of my ' Exempla of the Kabbis ' (p. 2).
Chapter XXXII. begins with the history of the third son
of Noah, lonithem or lonithes. We find this legend in
Comestor, ' Genes.,' chap, xxxvii., wiio refers to Pseudo-
Methodius as his source. Fabricius knows the Greek form
*Monethon,' from which undoubtedly is derived the Slavonic
version ' Muntu ' (Pal?ea, ed. Popoff, Moscow, 1881 ; ap-
pendix, p. 15, from a manuscript of the fourteenth century).
Ibn Jahya, in ' Shalsheleth,' fol. 9'2h, has ' loniko '; and the
Ixxviii
same short note reappears in Zakuto's ' Juhasin,' ed.
Philipowski, p. 232 ; cj, also I. Perles, Graetz, Jubelschrift,
Breslau, 1887, pp. 22, 23. The same legend also occurs
in the Arabic work of Jakubi (Gruenbaum, p. 94). But
the diacritical points are wrongly placed on the name,
which reads now Bentek (v3^0j but which, if differently
placed, would read lonites or lonitem (^r^-v. or t^i).
Paragraphs 2-5 we find in Comestor, chapters xxxix., xl. ;
paragraph 4, in Isidor, ' Chronicon,'p. 378/i, vide note to it.
In Eutychius (i., pp. 58, 59) occurs a somewhat similar
legend about the origin of the God Bel (here paragraph 5).
The historical note in paragraphs 6, 7 occurs also in
Comestor, ' Genesis,' chap. Ixiii., but in a somewhat different
form. Both go back undoubtedly to an older source,
which I have not yet been able to identify. Eusebius, in
his Canon (third book of his ' Chronicles '), has similar but
not identical information, which is to be found also in
Syncellus. But none of these are the direct source for
Comestor or Jerahmeel. The one which approaches them
nearest is only the ' Chronicon ' of Isidor of Spain.
Chapters XXXIII. -XXXV.— In the history of the world,
we have reached now the period of Abraham. The follow-
ing chapters contain Abraham legends, for which we find
already indications in Josephus and in other Hellenistic
writers. We have at least two distinct legends already in
that old collection of Kabbinical ' Exempla ' published by
me (Nos. II«, lib, p. 2, et seq.), and in a similar manner we
have here in Chapter XXXIII. one version, the other in
Chapter XXXIY. Of the first version, I have found parallels
only to paragraph 1, viz., my Exampla, No. lla, p. 3, lines
11-24; cf. 'Gen. Piabba,' sec. 38, paragraph 19; Jalqut,
i., paragraph 62. For the Arabic parallels ride Gruenbaum,
loc. cit.i p. 129 et seq. The whole literature concerning
the legends clustering round Abraham has been collected
by Beer in his ' Leben Abrahams ' (Leipzig, 1859), but
gathering it from various sources, almost indiscriminately,
he has not separated the material sufficiently, and has
combined old and new into one consecutive narrative. In
Ixxix
spite of the riches of his materials, there is no parallel to
the details contained in paragraphs 2, 3, 4, exactly in the
form as we have them here. To paragraph 5 we find,
curiously enough, a parallel in the ' Zohar ' (vol. i., fol. 77 h ;
vide Beer, p. 16, note 125).
Chapter XXXIV. is the most complete and perfect, as
well as the oldest and best known Abraham legend. It is
identical with the version in the Midrash to the Ten Com-
mandments (Precept 2) ; cf. also my Exempla, lla and b.
Of this version of the Midrash ' Ten Com.,' Bahya has
incorporated an abstract in his commentary to the Bible
(ed. Venice, folio 25c), which has been reprinted by Jelli-
nek, ' B. H.,' ii., pp. 118-119. It is absolutely identical also
with codex Oxford, No. 1,466 (Ctlg. Neubauer), folio SOQh-
S05h, a copy of which is in my codex, No. 185, pp. 8-11.
The same legend is also found in the Book of Yashar, from
chap, xi., ver. 15, to the end of chap xii. It is in the main
identical, but very much more expanded, and also differing
in a few details, especially concerning the death of Haran,
which in our text (Chapter XXXV., paragraph 1) is men-
tioned to have occurred in a totally different manner. The
only parallel to the version in Jerahmeel I have been able
to find is in Comestor, ' Genesis,' chap. xli. Jerahmeel refers
in paragraph 2 to Nicolaos of Damascus. The very same
passage is to be found in Josephus, ' Antiquities,' book i.,
chap, vii., sec. 2, in the name of the same authority ;
and we meet the same quotation also, in the name of
Nicolaos of Damascus, in Comestor, ' Genesis,' chap, xliii.
paragraph 3. Abraham in the fiery furnace forms the end
of the Abraham legend in the version contained in the
Midrash to the Ten Commandments.
More elaborate than this is the version which appeared
for the first time in Constantinople, 1519, reprinted by
Jellinek, ' B. H.,' i., pp. 25-35 ; vide ibid., pp. xv-xvi, and
a similar text has been published by Horowitz, ' Eqed
Agadoth,' i., pp. 43-46, who gives the literature, ibid., p. 40.
In this form the legend has been adapted to homiletic
purposes. I consider all the texts which have been thus
Ixxx
utilized as of secondary value, representing no longer the
simple old original tale, but one recast, altered, and either
enlarged or shortened — at any rate, subjected to a re-
modelling process. Almost every one of these old biblical
legends has undergone such a change. The essential
difference between these two forms has not been suffi-
ciently appreciated by those who have studied this branch
of Hebrew literature ; conclusions to which they have
arrived are vitiated in consequence thereof. Guided by the
modernized form of the legends in homilies, they have been
declared to be of a similar modern origin. I am now the
first to point out the difference between the two, and to insist
that only the primitive simple legend is to guide us in our
conclusions. Our chronicle has preserved most of these in
their primitive form.
Arabic parallels to the Abraham legend, ride Gruenbaum,
pp. 91-93 ; that of d'llerbelot more closely resembles our
version (Fabricius, i., p. 3^5 et seq.). Abraham burning the
idols, vide Book of Jubilees, chap. xii. ; Eonsch (Jubil^een,
pp. 224, 267, 308, etc.) ; also in the Slavonic ' Palsea ' (loe.
cit., p. 21 et seq.). Paragraph 4 treats of Abraham's know-
ledge of magic. This belongs to those old Greek legends
circulating in Egypt, and connected with the name of
Artapanos. Josephus knows it (' Antiq.,' i., chap, viii.,
section 2). The whole literature has been collected by
Fabricius (i., pp. 336 et seq,, 345 et seq., and 359 et seq.)
and Beer (p. 207, No. 978) ; ride also Migne, ' Diet, des
Apocryphes,' ii., col. 31 et seq. In all other versions Abraham
is the teacher of astrology, whilst in our Hebrew text he is
the one who acquired it in Egypt. A close parallel we find
to this paragraph in Comestor, * Genesis,' chap, xlvii., who
also brings Abraham in connection with Zoroaster. The
reference to Eabbi Eleazar of Modiin (paragraph 4) is
found in the Talmudic treatise, ' Baba Bathra,' fol. 16h. In
paragraph 5 Jerahmeel refers to Yosippon concerning the
oak under which Abraham used to sit, which lasted until
the reign of Theodosius in Eome. The same is found also
in Comestor, chap, xlv., and Add. IL, where reference is
Ixxxi
made to Jerome. Again reference is made to Yosippon in
paragraph 6 ; this seems to refer to Josephus (' Wars,'
book iv., chap, viii., sec. 4), as in the Hebrew text of the
Yosippon it is not to be found ; also mentioned in Comestor,
* Genesis,' chap. Hii., and Add. I.
The rest of the chapter is devoted to the synchronistic
history of the Kings in Argos and in Egypt. We find the
same information in P. Orosins, ed. Zangemeister, i., 4, 7,
in the same order first in Eusebius, Canon, ed. Migne,
col. 357; then Isidorus, 'Chronic.,' 378^/ and note 3; Syn-
cellus, 126a. Comestor (chaps. Ixvii., Ixx., Ixxvi.) evidently
has drawn from the same somxes, but Comestor separated
these items, and placed them differently, whilst Jerahmeel
kept probably to the old original without separating them.
Jerahmeel has also a peculiar description of the origin of
the Apis — the magic calf — made by the King Apis, who was
afterwards called ' Sarapis,' which description he repeats in
Chapter XLIL, paragraph 2. It is found also in Comestor's
narrative, but much later, in ' Exodus,' chap, iv., absolutely
identical with Jerahmeel, and he refers to Plinius as his
source. The same legend of Apis — Sarapis, son of Jupiter,
etc. — is mentioned already by Clemens of Alexandria in his
' Stromata,' i.; Eusebius, loc. cit. (Cols. 360, 362) ; Isidorus,
378//, 379a; vide especially note 5, where the whole
literature is given. I have drawn attention to the differ-
ence between Jerahmeel and Comestor in the arrange-
ment of these synchronistic notes, in order to avoid the
impression which one might have, that Jerahmeel had
borrowed directly from Comestor. The latter indicates
our Philo as one of the sources from which he has drawn
his materials, and it is more and more clearly established
by this minute comparison.
Chapters XXXVI. and XXXVII. contain an extremely
ancient bibhcal legend, of which, happily, not merely
fragments, but almost the whole is found in some of
those well-known old Apocryphal books which I have had
occasion to mention hitherto more than once. These two
chapters form a separate legend, known under the title of
/
Ixxxii
* Midrash Vayisau,' a continuation of the narrative in
Gen. XXXV. 5, beginning with this word, -li^s:!, to which the
legend is added. It is also known as the 'Book of the
Wars of the Children of Jacob.' Chapter XXXVI. contains
a detailed description of the war between the children of
Jacob after the incident of Shechem with the allied kings
of Palestine, and upon it follows (Chapter XXXVII.) the
fight between them and Esau's army. Down to the
minutest details, which extend also to the identity in the
names of these kings, we find this legend in the Apocryphal
Testament of Judah, the son of Jacob, chaps, iii.-vii. ;
and a short abstract of it with the same names occurs in
the Book of Jubilees, chap, xxxiv., vers. 1-9. The legend,
limited only to the description of the wars between the
children of Jacob and the combined forces of the Kings of
Palestine, occurs in a very expanded form and is very
elaborately worked out in Yashar (chaps. xxxvii.-xL). A
version identical with ours has been preserved in the
* Yalqut ' (i., fol. 40J and 416, reprinted hence by Jellinek,
' B. H.,' vol. iii., pp. 1-5). I have found, moreover, a
manuscript agreeing absolutely with it in the British
Museum (Add. 27,089, fol. 165-1695), which I have
collated with my text, and the few additions (in brackets)
are taken from this text {ride also Zunz, G. V.,^ p. 153, and
Kab Pealim, pp. 54, 55).
Concerning the fight between Esau and Jacob, the Book
of Yashar differs considerably from our version. Accord-
ing to it, this fight takes place on the occasion of
Jacob's burial, whilst in our version it follows upon the
first battle, and Esau is killed whilst fighting before
Shechem. Our version is undoubtedly the original form
of the legend, as we find it already in the same connection
in the Testament of Judah (chap, ix.), following upon the
other fight, like in our text and in the ' Yalqut ' (also
*B. H.,' loc. cit., pp. 3-5). K. H. Charles, in his edition
of the Ethiopic version of the Book of Jubilees (Oxford,
1895), has reprinted (pp. 180-182) this chapter, and has in
the margins indicated the parallels to it in the Book of
Ixxxiii
Jubilees, showing how it often agrees to the letter with the
text of the Book of Jubilees. By means of our text we are
able to explain the name of the place where Esau was
buried. Given in the Greek text of the Testament of Judah
in a corrupted form as Iramna, it stands for Irodia,
corresponding in one of the Hebrew texts with Erodin,
pnns, Herodion, in another MS., Merodin, pinro, this last
due to a wrong reading of the first letter, D for x. If this
place where Esau was said to have been buried is Herodion,
as I believe it to be, we have under this legendary form a
piece of contemporary history, and this legend offers us a
key to the understanding of the origin and composition of
these legendary tales. Herodion is the name of the place
which Herod the Great built, and in which he was after-
wards buried. Herod was, as is well known, an Edomite
by origin, a descendant of Esau. Those fights, placed far
back into antiquity, are now a reflex of the wars of the
Jews against Herod, described by Josephus (' Antiquities,'
book xiv., chap, xvi., and book xv., chap, xiv.), clothed
under that form. The other legends as to the fight between
Esau and the children of Jacob at the latter 's burial we
find alluded to in the Acts of the Apostles (chap, vii., ver. 16)
and in Josephus (' Antiquities,' book ii., chap, viii., sec. 2).
If this conjecture of mine be right, that we have under the
form of legend contemporary history — and, as a matter of
fact, apocalyptic visions also reflect contemporary history ;
it is delineated clearly in the similitudes of the Book of
Enoch, in the fourth Book of Ezra, in the Assumption of
Moses, and in other apocalyptic writings of that period — it
will help us to determine the accurate date of the compo-
sition of such legends by their historical background.
Purporting to give us history of the past, they in fact
describe contemporary events. If now this legend refers
to the period of Herod the Great, this legend would there-
fore belong latest to the beginning of the first century of the
Common Era. That it is so old is proved by the undoubted
fact of its inclusion in the Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs and in the Book of Jubilees, both of the same
/-2
Ixxxiv
period, thus mutually corroborating the high antiquity
assigned to each of them. Being utilized by the authors
of the last two books, the legend of the children of Jacob
is prior to them in composition. I now go one step
further, and affirm that also our Hebrew text is the old
original text, preserved w4th much fidelity and accuracy,
and on the whole retaining the original form very little
impaired.
Chapter XXXVIII. contains the Testament of Naphtali.
In publishing the Hebrew text (Proceedings of the Society
of Biblical Archaeology), I have dealt at length with the
relation that exists between this text and the Greek version
of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and I have
endeavoured to show not only that the original language
in which that book had been written was Hebrew, and that
the Greek was merely a translation made at a somewhat
later period, but also that the original form had been better
preserved in the Hebrew version. This view is now fully
corroborated by C. Eesch, who has reprinted my text
('Theolog. Studien u. Kritiken,' 1899, pp. 206-33) and has
retranslated it into Greek. Schiirer's objections (' Gesch.
d. Jued. Yolkes,' III.,^ p. 259) rest upon an insufficient
knowledge of Jerahmeel's Chronicle and of his literary
activity. The contents of it bear out my contention fully
that all the texts contained therein without exception are
orifiinals, and not translations. Only the synchronistic notes
and the second genealogical table, dealing as they are with
non-Jewish history, are derived from a non-Jewish source,
and are therefore no real exceptions ; they are mere notes,
not long legend, and not having biblical personages as their
heroes. Jerahmeel, or whoever goes under that name, has
simply collected into one volume separate Hebrew Midra-
shim or Aggadoth, the majority of which are either known
also from other collections, or are referred to and used in
homilies. Immediate sources or direct parallels in an}^ other
language are not known to exist. Even of the Philo portions,
though we have a perfect Latin counterpart, the Hebrew
text is the ancient original; the style of the diction and the
Ixxxv
form of the language preclude the gratuitous assumption
of their being translations. Stronger arguments than used
hitherto will have to be adduced to shake the belief in the
original character of the Hebrew versions of these legends.
The historical background of this * Testament ' is, however,
not so clear as in the legend of the warlike exploits of
Judah and his brethren. One point, however, is to be
remarked. The strong antagonism against Joseph, who
separates himself from the rest of his brethren, might be
a direct allusion to the Samaritans, with whom the tribes
of Judah and Levi, so prominently singled out in this
Testament of Naphtali, lived in strong feud. Against them
Hyrqanos had led a successful war, destroying the temple
on Gerizim and the town of Samaria ; but the same Herodes
rebuilt them, and favoured thus the very tribe so strongly
denounced in this Testament by Naphtali and Jacob.
Chapter XXXIX. — The history of Joseph seems also to
be an echo from the Testament of Joseph, at least as far as
paragraph 1 is concerned. Paragraph 2, about the beauty
of Joseph, occurs also in the Aramaic Targum to the seventh
of the Ten Commandments. The Book of Yashar has a
much more elaborate romance of Joseph from chap. xl.
onwards. In chap. xliv. of Yashar we find the old legend of
Joseph and Zelikah (Arabic, Suleikah), which has been con-
sidered to be of Arabic origin. The fact that almost every-
thing mentioned therein, with the exception of the name,
is found already in the Testament of Joseph (one of the
'Twelve Patriarchs') and a small portion of it preserved here
in our chronicle prove that the narrative in Yashar may
also be independent of any Arabic sources. No Arabic
etymology has as yet been found for Suleikah, which,
moreover, would be the only one borrowed from strange
sources, whilst we find in Yashar, Philo-Jerahmeel, Kleo-
demus, and others many extraordinary names that are not
vouched for by the biblical narrative. An old romance of
Joseph's life in Egypt of a pre- Arabic period exists in a
full form, at least in Greek, under the title of ' Joseph and
Asenath,' published by P. Batiftbl (Studia Patristica, Paris,
Ixxxvi
1889). Fragments and even the most important incidents
are found in the old Hebrew legendary works, in the
Midrash and Hagadah.
It is here again a case of mutual borrowing, and the
priorit}^ is by no means yet decisively proved, even for the
incident describing Joseph's beauty and the women cutting
their hands whilst looking at him, as it occurs in our
text, paragraph 2, and in the Book of Yashar, chap, xliv.,
ver. 27 et seq. Gruenbaum has studied exhaustively all
the legends connected with Joseph in the Jewish and Arabic
literature in ' Zeitschrift d. Deutsch Morgenland. Gesell-
schaft,' Ixiii., p. 1 et seq.
Chapter XL. — With this chapter begin the voluminous
abstracts taken verbatim from Yosippon, and intercalated
here by Eleazar the Levite. Concerning the literature about
Yosippon, ride Zunz, G. V.,'^ p. 154 et seq. Chapter XL.
corresponds in Breithaupt's edition to Book L, chap, i.,
p. 9, to end of chap, iv., p. 22. As I am preparing a
critical edition of the Yosippon based upon this manuscript
of Jerahmeel and upon the collations I have made with
other editions and manuscripts, I limit myself here, as
in the future, wherever Yosippon has been copied directly
by our compiler, to refer to the corresponding chapters in
that edition. Breithaupt has already referred in his foot-
notes to the Conte-Miinster edition, to Josephus, Titus
Livius, and other authorities which contribute to elucidate
the true meaning of the text of Yosippon published by him,
and indirectly of our text translated here.
The very same chapters from Y^osippon, forming here
Chapter XL., in the same full form are reproduced in
Yashar from chap, Ix. to chap. Ixvi., with slight intercala-
tions from other sources that are not named ; Yosippon
is also not mentioned. Bahya (commentary to Genesis
portion Vayehi) knows the legend of Sefo migrating to
Italy and establishing himself there, which, is contained
in this portion {cf. Zunz, G. V.^, p. 161, note a). We
find in this chapter also a reference to the Midrash to
Psalms, under the name of Shoher Tob.
Ixxxvii
Chapter XLI. — In Chapter XLI. we find, as it were,
a second edition of the history of the building of Eome,
mentioned once in the preceding chapter. It agrees partly
with the treatise of Abraham ben David under the heading
' Short Memorabilia of Eome.'
Chapters XLII.-XL VIII.— From Chapter XLII. on to
Chapter XLVIII. inclusive we have two or three different
versions of the Chronicle of Moses. Of these various
versions, the longest and most coherent, which also has
a separate title beginning from Chapter XLIII. on, is the
oldest. The first version in Chapter XLII. belongs prob-
ably to the Latin Chronicle of Philo-Jerahmeel, with the
usual additions and intercalations. The first paragraphs
have similar synchronistic elements as all the other additions
of Jerahmeel. The description of the bull Apis as given
here in paragraph 2 is identical with that given above
(Chapter XXXV., paragraph 8). The king is called
throughout ' Amenophis ' in the Hebrew text. To para-
graphs 2 and 3 cf. Comestor, Exodus, chap, ii., giving the
same reference to Psalm Ixxx. in describing the forms of
slavery to which the Children of Israel were subjected, as
we find them in paragraph 3.
The fact that these elements are to be found in
Comestor preceding the abstract from Philo seems to
indicate again that in the Latin text of Philo used by
Comestor this portion may have been in it, just as we find
it in the Hebrew text. Paragraph 5 onwards is identical
with Philo (fol. S)h to 11a). In the Latin text we have
the peculiar form Aura for Amram, and instead of Jochebed,
which, according to tradition, was the name of Moses'
mother (correctly given so in paragraph 9), we find in the
Latin Jacob !
Chapter XLIII. — Of far greater antiquity is a subsequent
legend known in the Hebrew literature as the Chronicle
of Moses {vide Zunz, G. V.^, p. 153). It is found in a
very elaborate form in the Yashar (from chap. Ixvii. to
chap. Ixxxii.) ; but one can see that the Yashar already
takes liberties with the text. Further, in the Yalqut
Ixxxviii
(i., fol. 52 et seq.). Jellinek, in reprinting (' B. H.,'
ii.,' pp. 1-11 ; vide pp. vii-xi) the editio princeps, Con-
stantinople, 1516, with which our text completely agrees,
believes the latter as well as the text in the Yalqut to
be an abstract from the Book of Yashar, and refers, as
a significant indication of this dependence on the Book
of Yashar, to the reference which is made in one place
to ' the Book of Yashar.' But Jellinek (p. viii, note 5)
mistook the true meaning of this word. Its occurrence
here, by the way, proves the extreme antiquity of the text ;
for in the very old Massoretic treatise published by Baer
and Strack under the title of 'Diqduqei Hateamim ' (Leipzig,
1879, p. 57, ride note h, where reference is made to the
Talmud and Midrash), the Book of Genesis especially, and
then the Pentateuch as a whole, are called by this very
name, either 'Yashar' or ' Sepher Yesharim,' the 'Book of
the Pious Ones,' the Patriarchs. If this reference would
mean that the author of the Yalqut has copied the text from
our Book of Yashar, this reference would certainly be
missing in the supposed original. In referring now to the
editio princeps of the Yashar, we find the very same
passage verbatim identical with the quotation in the
Yalqut, but with the one significant difference that in-
stead of ' Sepher ha- Yashar,' we read there, and properly
so, ' Sepher ha-Torah ' ; as the author, who calls his com-
pilation 'Yashar,' could not refer to himself, and he, there-
fore, in copying the old text and embodying it into his
compilation, was bound to change the word ' Yashar,' as it
stood in the old original, into ' Sepher Torah.' But that
old word was retained in the editio princeps, in the text
from which the Yalqut made his abstract, and in our text.
Another evident proof that in the old original preserved
by Jerahmeel and by the Yalqut the name of ' Yashar '
meant ' the Bible ' is furnished by the very last sentence in
this Chronicle of Moses (chap, xlviii., paragraph 18), [where
we read, 'is written in the S. ha-yashar,' with the ex-
planatory addition, ' which is the law of God.' I have
translated it accordingly in chap, xlv., paragraph 8, 'the
Ixxxix
Bible.' The same legends are also met with in the Midrash
which goes under the title ' Midrash Vayosha,' which deals
with the Exodus proper, and is a kind of homiletic commen-
tary to the Song of Moses. A complete recension has been
printed by Moses Ashkenazi in ' Dibre Hakhamim ' (Metz,
1849, pp. 1-16), reprinted Jellinek, ' B. H.,' vol. i., p. 35
^'t seq.
This Moses legend can now be proved, even in its Hebrew
form, to go back to one of those ancient Hellenistic writings
which existed undoubtedly in the second century before the
Common Era. Artapanos, whoever he may have been, is
the author of what we may call a Gr?eco- Jewish romance
with Moses as central figure. Ezekiel, the Greek Jewish
poet in Egypt, has already derived information from it,
and utilized in his poem details borrowed from Artapanos'
novel. Josephus has reproduced the main part. Of this
Greek composition Eusebius has preserved in the name
of Alexander Polyhistor a very large portion, and through
his intermediary it has become the common property of
all the ancient and mediaeval Chronographs. Comestor
makes long quotations (Exodus, chaps, v.-vii.). He
mentions the prophetic dream of Pharaoh. He knows
that Moses flees from Egypt, is made King in Ethiopia,
marries the Ethiopian Queen, and accounts for the forty
years of his absence from Egypt, until he reappears in
Midian, in the house of Jethro. Freudenthal, in his work
already mentioned, has subjected this work of Artapanos
to a searching investigation, and he has proved, among
others, not only the extreme antiquity of the novel of
Artapanos, but also — and this is a point on which I lay the
greatest stress — that the Hebrew version stands in immediate
close connection with this old text, having many more
details than any of the Greek fragments that have come
down to us (' Hellenistische Studien,' pp. 169-174).
But such a version could only have been made at a time
when the Hebrew writer had access to the more complete
text of Alexander Polyhistor, or of Artapanos himself, that
is, at a time near that in which Josephus flourished ; as
xc
from that time on these books have disappeared, and ^Ye
cannot trace all these details to any other source or any
later compilation. The apparent anachronism in Chapter
XLVL, paragraphs 1-6, is easily explained when compared
with the version in the Yalqut, where the sequence of events
is reversed, the legend commencing with this very chapter,
and XLA'I., paragraph 6, following upon Chapter XLV.
In our text the incidents connected with Balaam are added
later, as an explanation to the reference that Balaam was
one of the wizards that had counselled Pharaoh to wipe
out the name of Jacob from off the face of the earth. It is
merely a question of the order in which the chapters follow
upon one another. The antiquity of this version is also
shown in a few of the names mentioned. Mobras (Yashar,
chap. xlvi. 8, Menkeros) is the name of the son of the
Queen of Kush. If we change 'Mobras' into ' Monbras,'
then we have the very name ' Menophras ' of Artapanos ;
so is also ' Kikanos ' identical with ' Kikinos ' of older
versions. Janis and Jambres, the two wizard sons of
Balaam (XLYII. 6), are well-known figures of ancient tradi-
tion, and are also, as Freudenthal proves, Egyptian names
that have been adapted to Greek forms. The references to
classical literature are given by Freudenthal, loc. cit., who
also refers to Fabricius (pp. 813-825) ; for further informa-
tion, ride now also Schurer, loc. cit., IP., p. 689. Of all
the versions of this Chronicle of Moses, the one preserved in
our manuscript seems to be the most complete. It begins
with the birth of Moses, and contains in full all the subse-
quent events that happened to him, until the time when
he leads the people out of Egypt. In it are embodied
also some of the legends concerning the death of
Balaam, the death of Aaron, treated here very briefly,
similarly the death of Moses ; and it finishes with a refer-
ence to Joshua leading the people across the Jordan. This
Chronicle of Moses has evidently supplanted the portion
dealing with Moses in Philo-Jerahmeel, with the speeches
therein, and the last oration of Moses, in which those dates
occur to which I have referred above (Philo, fol. 13-20).
XCl
Here we have instead (Chap. XLYL, paragraphs 2, 3), the
speech of Eeuel. Further parallels to some of the legends
contained in this apocryphal chronicle, vide Gaster, ' Litera-
tura Populara Romana,' Bucuresci, 1883, p. 318 ct seq. ;
Gaster (Ilchester Lectures), ' Greco-Slavonic Literature,'
London, 1887, p. 150 et seq.
Concerning the Eod of Moses (Chap. XL VI., para-
graph 11, et seq.), ride Chapters of E. Eliezer, chap. xl.
and notes ; Arabic Parallels, vide Gruenbaum, p. 161.
The Syriac version in ' Book of the Bee,' chap. xxx. ; Is.
Abraham, ' The Eod of Moses,' London, etc. Chapter XLVL,
paragraph 13, occurs already in the Mekhilta to Exodus,
chap, xviii. 3. The legend that Pharaoh alone was saved
from drowning and became King of Nineveh (XL VIII. 12)
is found also in the Koran, Sure x., vers. 90-92, but before
it in E. Eliezer, chap, xliii.
Chapter XLIX. — The death of Aaron has been added
here, preceding as it does also in the Bible that of Moses.
It appeared in an expanded form, turned into a Homily,
Constantinople, 1516, reprinted by Jellinek, 'B. Ham.,' ii.,
pp. 91-95. The text in our version is much shorter, dif-
fering from that printed hitherto in so far as it neither
contains any reference to the rock which was smitten by
Aaron, nor the concluding portion of the version published
hitherto, referring to Miriam, which is evidently a later
addition. Our text is a much more harmonious and com-
plete, though short, description of the last days of Aaron,
finishing exactly with the same quotation with which it
begins. We have thus in our text evidently the oldest
and most perfect version, which has been later on elabo-
rated and altered, being used as a Homily, as it is also
called in the old edition, viz., ' Derash Lepetirat Aharon.'
Parallels to parts of it are found scattered throughout the
Midrashic literature. Sharastani mentions an Arabic legend
identical with that here in paragraph 6. Cf. also Treatise
Erubin, fol. 54&. For paragraphs 6 and 7, vide Numbers
Eabba, section 19, paragraph 11, and Yalqut, i., fol. 238(7,
paragraph 763, which quotation is taken from the lost
XCll
Midrash * Espha.' Yalqut, fol. 240a, paragraph 755, has
a somewhat different version from the Jelamdenu running
parallel with our text, from paragraph 3 on to the end.
Chapter L. — The tale of the Death of Moses is also
represented by two versions, Chapters L. and LI. The
first concludes with a reference to the Midrash Deute-
ronomy Eabba, as if taken from there. The date of the
composition of this work falls between the tenth and eleventh
century ; it may be older ; but this reference has evidently
been inserted by Eleazar the Levite. The text is absolutely
identical with the version contained in Deuteronomy Eabba,
chap, xi., paragraph 6. But an ' Assumptio Mosis ' is men-
tioned already in the first centuries of the Common Era
(ride Schiirer IV, pp. 630 and 635-636, the whole litera-
ture ; vide also E. H. Charles, ' The Assumption of Moses,'
London, 1897), and in the letter of Judah the Apostle
allusion is made to the dispute between Samael the wicked,
or Satan, and the Archangel, concerning the death of Moses.
We are therefore justified in considering the Hebrew text as
being of ancient origin, and afterwards added to that col-
lection known as Deuteronomy Eabba, borrowed from an
independent and much older source. It forms now the
concluding chapter of Deuteronomy Eabba (Hebrew litera-
ture, cf. Zunz, G. V.-, p. 154). It may be noted that those
very passages from which Zunz wished to deduct the
recent origin of the composition are missing in our text.
They are evidently due to a later interpolation.
The substance of this very legend of the last hours of
Moses has been much elaborated and expanded in the text
which appeared in Constantinople for the first time in 1516,
and since reprinted by Jellinek in ' B. Ham.,' i., p. 115
et seq. I call this version the ' Homily,' although it has
not the title ' Derash,' as that of Aaron, for the Death of
Moses has been worked up in it in the same manner as
other biblical legends, such as the Abraham legend, the
' Death of Aaron ' (above, pp. Ixxix ,xci), have been worked
up in homilies.
The Christian homiletic literature furnishes us with very
XClll
numerous examples of a similar process ; the life of a saint
is here embodied wholly into a sermon or into a homily
delivered on the day of the saint. I refer to Ephraim
Syrus, Chrysostomos, St. Gregorius^ and innumerable
others. The same thing happened there as in the Hebrew
literature. The Church followed the example of the Syna-
gogue also in this homiletic literature. The Homily of
the Death of Moses was delivered probably on the last day
of Tabernacles, when the last chapter of the Bible was
read, in which the Blessing and the Death of Moses is
described. We find thus in this Homily (' B. Ham.,' vol. i.,
p. 120), a parallel to Chapter L., paragraph 2 of our text.
Paragraph 10 to the end of the legend are faithfully and
literally reproduced in the Homily (p. 127 et seq,).
Chapter LI. — The second version contained in Chapter LI.
has not fared so well. It is not found in its entirety any-
where else ; only parallels to portions of it, and probably
quotations from it, are found. The author of the ' Homily '
has used some of it as material for the completion of his
text, and the same has been done by the compilers of
Deuteronomy Eabba, Tanhuma, etc. Paragraphs 1-3 and
6 have been utilized for the first part of the 'Homily'
(p. 115 et scq., p. 122) ; paragraphs 1-4 occur also in
Deuteronomy Eabba, chap, xi., from the middle of para-
graph 5 on, and Exodus Eabba, chap, xx., paragraph 17 ;
paragraphs 5 and 6 are found in Deuteronomy Eabba,
chap. ix. ; paragraphs 4-5 being a kind of duplicate from
Chapter L., paragraph 1, whilst our paragraphs 7, 8 of
Chapter LI. correspond to Deuteronomy Eabba, chap, xi.,
paragraph 4. Paragraph 6 is found : Sifrei, i., section 135,
and Mid. Tanhuma, Numbers, portion Vaethanan ; and
paragraph 7 is like Tanhuma Vezoth Haberakha, section 3.
As one can see, portions of this legend recur in various
ancient writings. Arabic parallels to paragraphs 1, 2 in
Tabari and others, ride Gruenbaum, p. 150 et seq.
In Chapter LII. we have a complete ' Apocalypse of
Moses,' his assumption to heaven in order to obtain the
law, and a minute description of all that he sees in the
XCIV
heavenly abodes. I have reproduced this text in my
'Visions ' as No. II., p. 588 et seq., where I have also men-
tioned the comparative literature. Jellinek considers it to
be a portion of the Hekhaloth, viz., a mystical description
of the heavenly halls ; but I consider it to be ' A Eevela-
tion of Moses,' independent of the latter, and running
on parallel lines to it. Of this Kevelation we have two
versions : a very elaborate one, and a shorter one. Our
text represents the shorter one. The more elaborate has
also been published by me {ibid., No. I., p. 172 et seq. A
further Hebrew text of this version has since been published
by Wertheimer in his ' Bate Midrashoth,' Jerusalem, 1897,
vol. iv., pp. 22-30).
Our text is again the more complete and the more perfect
of all hitherto known. They agree with this only as far
as paragraph 9. The following paragraphs (10-13) are
entirely new, and merely fragments or quotations from
them are found in the Hebrew literature. Paragraph 11,
c/. Exod. Eabba, chap, xxix., vide Gruenbaum, loc. cit.,
p. 169. For paragraph 12 I must refer to my Codex
(No. 83, fol. 10a), which contains a Commentary to the
Bible, probably of the twelfth century. This Apocalypse
has also been utilized in a homily for the day of the
Giving of the Law, as it reads like an introduction to it ;
and we are, therefore, not surprised to find a somewhat
similar description of the Heavenly Halls as an introduction
to the ' Midrash of the Ten Commandments,' and in it a
direct parallel to paragraphs 12 and 13.
In Chapter LIII. we have recovered one of those very old
legendary compilations of which only portions were known,
and these under different names. The description of the
Tabernacle erected in the wilderness had been the subject
of an old legendary treatise known under the name
of 'Barayta di Malekhet Hamishkan,' the text of which
has been printed by Jellinek, and has since been reprinted
by H. Flesch from the MS. copy of the Talmud in Munich.
This text appears to be incomplete, as it contains merely a
detailed description of the vessels of the Temple, whilst
xcv
everything else concerning the camp and the order in which
the tribes were settled in the camp seems to have dropped
out completely.
The last two chapters of that Barayta are then a
fragment of, what in the light of our text must have been,
a full description of the incidents connected with the
camping in the desert, and the manner in which the tribes
started on their journeys. Traces of this and of other
portions are found elsewhere too, as will be seen anon, but
unconnected one with the other. Jellinek and Flesch, not
being aware of the intimate relation that exists between the
portion dealing with the travelling in the wilderness with
that dealing with the camping, have not been able to
treat them as parts of one and the same legend. Our
text is now undoubtedly the complete form of the missing old
legend, being, as all the other texts in the Jerahmeel com-
pilation, in a perfect state of preservation. I recognise in
this chapter the ' Barayta ' which had been utilized by the
author of the ' Jerusalemitan Targum,' by Maimonides,
Barzeloni, and all those authorities who are mentioned
by Epstein in his book ' Mi-Kadmonioth,' or ' Beitriige
zur Judischen Alterthumskunde,' Vienna, 1887 (pp. 83-90),
where he deals merely with what is here paragraph 13. I
have discovered in the ' Sepher ha Qana,' that old mystical
book published in Kores (fol. 3'2/> and 32c), an absolutely
identical parallel to the whole of the first portion from
paragraph 1 to paragraph 13 of our text. Judah Barcelloni,
or Jehudah Barzillai, who lived at the beginning of the
twelfth century, in his Commentary to the Book Yesira (ed.
Halberstam, p. 8), has also a fragment of our text which he
mentions under the name of ' Midrash.' We see already
how old this text must be. Epstein, studying the parallels
to our paragraphs 11, 12, 13 and 14 {loc. cit., p. 83, quotes
this portion from the work called ' Arugath ha-B6sem.' As
the author of this work is one of the few who mention our
Jerahmeel {ride Perles, loc. cit.), there cannot be any doubt
that the immediate source from which he derived his
information was evidently our text, unknown to Epstein.
XCVl
For some portions we can go even much further back, for
we find parallels already in Josephus ('Antiquities,' iii., 12,
vi.) ; the description of the trumpets and the manner in
which they were used correspond with paragraphs 8, 9, and
the symbolical interpretation of the twelve stones of the
Ephod and of the four banners of the Jewish camp, the
latter representing the four elements of the world and the
former the twelve signs of the Zodiac, is almost identical
with that of Josephus ('Antiquities,' Book iii., 7, vii.).
A detailed description of the stone of each tribe we find
further in our Philo-Jerahmeel (fol. 28^7) corresponding
almost verbatim with paragraph 13, with the only excep-
tion that in Philo-Jerahmeel the signs of the Zodiac are
omitted. I do not wish to dwell here on the connection
between this portion and the Lapidaria, of which the
oldest is ascribed to Epiphanius, who lived in Palestine ; con-
cerning Hebrew Lapidaria ride Steinschneider, ' Ueberset-
zungen,'pp. 236 et seq., 963 et seq. The Latin text is very
obscure, and shows that the original from which it was trans-
lated must have been a very difficult one. Somewhat similar
to paragraph 13 is the Jerusalem. Targum to Num., chap, ii.,
ver. 2 ct seq. All this denotes extreme antiquity, and as
it was evidently known to Josephus, it is not at all
improbable that it belongs to an extremely ancient period.
In our Hebrew text paragraph 14 has a marginal note
indicating that it had been borrowed from, or probably
found in, the Glosses of Ephraim Alibha, but as this text
is quoted already by older authorities, the marginal note
can only refer to the copy that existed also among the
manuscripts of this unknown Ephraim of Bonn (eleventh
century ?) or Ephraim of Piegensbourg, the teacher of Eabbi
Jehudah ha-Hasid. No parallels have I been able to
find for paragraphs 15-17, whilst paragraph 18 corresponds
to a certain extent with the ' Barayta of the making of the
Tabernacle,' ed. Flesch, chap, xii., ed. Jellinek, chap, xiii.,
but these two are incomplete and faulty.
In Chapter LIY. we return to the history of the Exodus,
and have a minute description of the smiting of the first-
XCVll
born, also a continued narrative which must have been
known in ancient times, as portions of it are found else-
where. To paragraph 1, cf. Chapter xlviii. of Eabbi Eliezer,
and to paragraph 2 Pesiqta di E. Kahana (ed. Buber, fol.
65a) {ride note 56), cf. Mekhilta, paragraph 13 (ed. Friedman,
fol. 13/>), Tanhuma, Parashat Bo, sec. 7, and in Midrash
'Vayosha' to Exodus, chap, xv., ver. 6, in a somewhat
different order. Nowhere are all these combined together
into one legend as in our text. Parallels to paragraphs 8
and 9, where the two wizards Johanai and Mamre (who
were mentioned in the Chronicle of Moses) appear in a
totally different form, being able to ascend to the heavenly
throne, have I found only in * Yayosha ' (to chap, xv.,
vers. 9, 10). But our version is much more complete than
the fragmentary, in the Midrash ' Yayosha.'
Chapter LV. — The history of Korah and his rebellion
forms the contents of this Chapter. To the various inci-
dents and parables mentioned therein we find here and
there a parallel in other books, evidently borrowed from
this more complete legend. So do we find a parallel to
paragraph 1 in the Midrash to Psalm i. (edit. Buber, p. 14) ;
in a better form in Yalqut (L, fol. 229f/, paragraph 750) ;
in fol. 229c there are parallels to paragraphs 5, 6, and 7,
which are also found in the Tanhuma {ad loc). The
manner in which On was saved by the w^isdom of his wife,
described here in paragraph 9 et seq., is found in the
Talmudic treatise ' Sanhedrin,' fol. 109^. The deep counsel
which Balaam is said by tradition to have given to the
King of Moab in order to entice the Israelites to sin, is set
forth in paragraphs 10 and 11. We find the parallel to it
in the same treatise ' Sanhedrin,' fol. 106a ; a very elaborate
description of it in the Book of Yashar, chap. Ixxxv., ver. 53
et seq.; then in Sifrei (i., paragraph 131 (ed. Friedman,
p. 47^) ; chapters of Rabbi Eliezer (xlvii.) ; Comestor (Num.,
chap, xxxiv.) ; and in the Slavonic ' Palaea ' (first version,
p. 106).
Chapter LYI. is full of non-Jewish history. All the
historical details given therein, except paragraph 2, are
9
XCVlll
found in Eusebius, Isidorus, and in Comestor. Paragraph 1,
Commestor, Exodus, chap. xxiv. ; paragraphs 3 and 4,
Eusebius, column 383 and 384; Isidorus, p. 3806^ and note;
Comestor, Joshua, chap. xvii. ; paragraph 5, Isidorus, iM.;
Comestor, Judges, chap. v. In paragraph 2 reference is
made to Joseph ben Gorion, but nothing hke it is found
in our text of Yosippon.
Chapter LVII. contains that apocryphal history of Kenaz
to which I have referred above, which is here quoted as
the work of ' Philo, the friend of Joseph, the son of Gorion.'
It is literally identical with our 'Philo,' fol. 25b onwards.
Paragraph 39 here is the vision of Kenaz published by
M. E. James in Latin ('Apocrypha Anecdota,' Cambridge,
1893, p. 178).
Chapter LVIII. is a peculiar mixture of legends, partly
consisting of abstracts from Philo-Jerahmeel, and partly
intercalations of incidents from non-Jewish history. In no
chapter throughout this book can we see so clearly as in
this chapter the interweaving of these two elements, and
this strengthens me in the belief that the last copyist must
have found these two texts already intimately blended in
his original. Comestor, as I have already remarked, follows
exactly the same system ; but it is the system of all ancient
chroniclers, and in a remoter degree we find an attempt
at synchronistic history even in Josephus himself. Of
Chapter LVIII., the paragraphs 4 and 5, and 7-10 corre-
spond entirely with Philo, fol. 34:d, 38c, 396 ; whilst to para-
graph 2 we find parallels in Comestor, Judges, chap, vi.; para-
graph 6, ibid., chap. vii. ; to paragraph 8, ibid., chap. viii.
The difference, however, between these versions is very
considerable. Here we can at once recognise that the inter-
polation is derived from a Latin source. Mistakes in spell-
ing, misunderstandings of the original, abound. What
Jerahmeel calls 'Syrenis' appears there as 'Syringas.' All
that which follows is either missing or is in a different
order. Paragraph 9 (where the word ' chorus ' is left un-
translated, and merely transliterated "ii3, so that I trans-
lated wrongly ' measure ') is equal to Isidor, p. 380a and
XCIX
note 18, and Comestor, Judges ix. and x. ; and paragraph
11 to Comestor, Judges xi. What we read m the Hebrew
as ' Nizpah ^ (my copy may, perhaps, not have been
quite clear) is read correctly by Isidor (p. 380/0 and by
Comestor ' Nympha,' the name ' Carmenta ' has entirely
dropped out in the Hebrew\ ' Dialus ' in paragraph 8 is pro-
bably 'Dsedalus ' (so Isidor, but somewhat different legend).
Chapter LIX. is also partly literally identical with
Philo; so paragraphs 1-8 equal to Philo, fol. 40r/. Then
follow paragraphs 8-12, taken from non-Jewish history.
From paragraph 12 on up to the Assumption of Phineas,
who is clearly identified here with the prophet Elijah,
we have in two pages an abstract from a narrative which
is very much spread-out in Philo and filled up with
prayers and exhortations (fol. 44fZ-46f?). Passing to
details, we have in paragraph 4 the Lamentation of
Seelah, published also by Mr. James in the ' Anecdota '
(p. 182). The name of the mountain which appears here
in the Hebrew as ' Telag ' reads in the Latin ' Telach,' and
in James's copy ' Stellac' Here we have an evident proof
for the Semitic origin. This name is none other but the
local Aramaic name for Mount ' Hermon.' The Targum to
Deuteronomy, chap, iii., ver. 9, has for the Hebrew Hermon
' Tur Taiga ' — the mountain of Telag ; that is, the snow-
capped mountain.
To paragraph 8 et seq., containing non- Jewish history,
I refer as parallel Comestor, Judges, chap. xii. ; para-
graph 9, ibid., chap. xiii. ; paragraph 14, ibid., chap. xiv. ;
but still more identical with Isidorus, ' Chronicon,' p. 381,
where all these incidents, together with many more missing
in Jerahmeel, follow upon one another as one consecutive
text, just as we have it here, and not broken up over
the whole period from the time of the Judges to that
of the last kings, as is the case in Comestor's work.
In this paragraph 14 we find the very remarkable and
thus far the only reference, by the author, to the era
which he used. He says distinctly, ' We calculate the date
from the destruction of the Temple.' The dating of the
g-2
era from the destruction of the Temple lasted for a short
time only, and was almost exclusively limited to Spain.
To the second half of paragraph 10, cf. Comestor,
Kings IV., chap. xxv. ; and to section 11, ihid., chap, xxxi.-
xxxiii. With this chapter finishes the parallelism between
Philo's Latin and Jerahmeel's Hebrew chronicle, which
apparently stopped at the period of Samuel. Paragraphs
8 to 11 are apparently intercalated. In them history is
carried down to the time of Hezekiah ; but the writer takes
up the thread of his, thus interrupted, narrative with the
beginning of paragraph 11, saying, 'We now return to the
Judges.' Everything from the time of Samuel to the
destruction of the first Temple is omitted. There are no
Hebrew legends known elsewhere that treat of this period ;
hence, also, none in our ' Jerahmeel.'
The following chapters deal with the fate that befell
the Ten Tribes in the Exile, and included therein are also
versions of the ancient legends concerning the history of
the Children of Moses, who were taken up immediately
after they had left Palestine, were carried far away miracu-
lously, and settled behind the river Sambatyon, to lead an
idyllic life in absolute peace.
Chapter LX. contains a description of the ' eight times '
the Jews were exiled from Palestine by Sancherib and
Nebuchadnezzar. The description of these Exiles differs
entirely from all the other versions that are known to
exist. All these speak of ten, and carry history down till
after the destruction of the second Temple, under Titus
and Vespasianus, whilst our text stops short at the destruc-
tion of the first Temple by the Chaldeans. Those other
texts have been published first in a Mantua edition
(1514), as an addition to Abraham ibn Daud's abstract
from Yosippon, who probably had found this legend in the
same MS. as the Yosippon, of which he made an abstract
exactly as it is here in our text of 'Jerahmeel,' where
we have also this legend side by side with 'Yosippon.'
Sebastianus Munster has reprinted the abstract and this
addition in Basle, 1527; and another reprint has ap-
CI
peared in Basle in 1599, pp. 276-287, which seems to have
escaped the notice of our bibhographers. Jellinek has
reprinted what pretends to be an exact copy of this Basle
edition, but not correctly ('Bet. Ham.,' vol. iv., pp. 133-
136), and a still more different version {ibid., vol. v., p. 113
et seq.). Comparing now his text with ours, we find in the
first instance that all the others number ten Exiles, while
this limits the number to eight ; furthermore, that all
those printed editions are much shorter, leaving out some-
times half and more of our text. Our version is evidently
the more primitive, as it counts only eight, up to the
destruction of the first Temple, and at the same time the
most complete, for this text alone has preserved also that
Jeremiah legend for which I know no other parallel, save
those in the ' Baruch ' cycle. The substance agrees,
furthermore, with the tradition as given in the ' Seder
'01am Kabba,' chap. xxv. ct seq. (edit. Eatner, p. 110).
Cf. notes thereto by the editor, note 9 et seq.
Chapters LXI. to LXIIL— The fate of the Ten Tribes and,
connected with them, that of the Levites, or Children of
Moses going into exile, has exercised the mind of the people
from very ancient times. The question is already dis-
cussed in the fourth Book of Ezra, in the apocryphal letter
of Baruch. It was, moreover, mixed up from very early
times with the history of the Eechabites, and later on
with that of the Gymnosophistes and the Brachmans; it
entered into the Alexander legend, vide the Eomance
published by me {Jonrn. Royal Asiatic Soc., 1897, chaps,
lii.-liii.), and into Christian apocryphal literature, such as
the narrative of Zosimus, concerning the life of the blessed,
alluded to already in the third century, and in the various
versions of the Macarius legend. We know of its existence
in Hebrew literature in the seventh century, and later on
it got into the narrative of that mysterious traveller Eldad
ha-Dani, who pretends to have visited those various tribes,
and to have learned of the existence of the Children of
Moses beyond the river Sambatyon. As he flourished in
the ninth century, our legend must perforce be much
Cll
older, and it is as yet not known distinctly how much of
his narrative is due to his own experience, and how much
he has borrowed from older legends already in circulation
and has incorporated into his sailor's yarn.
A contribution to the solution of the problem connected
with that name is furnished by our book, with no less than
three different versions of the cycle of these legends. The
most amplified is here ascribed not to Eldad, but to a
certain Elhanan, and this version again seems to be the
most primitive of that legend which has been connected
with the name of Eldad. Various texts have been published
which contain either the legends of the tribes, or of the
Children of Moses, either singly, or mixed up with those of
Eldad (Jellinek, ' Bet. Ham.,' vol. ii., pp. 102-13 ; vol. iii.,
pp. 6-11 ; vol. v., pp. 17-21 ; and vol. vi., pp. 15-18). The
whole cycle of the Eldad legends has been subjected to a
critical investigation by Mr. Epstein, in his work called
'Eldad ha-Dani' (Pressburg, 1891). I do not agree
with the results at which he arrives. He connects the
narrative of Eldad with Abyssinian legends, forgetting that
the information obtained from Abyssinia is of recent origin,
and can in no way prove anything for facts at least a
thousand years older, recorded among Jews living in the
Arabian Peninsula or around the Persian Gulf. It is not
at all improbable, in fact it is very likely, that some of
the customs and ceremonies noted now among the Jewish
Fallashas in Abyssinia have been introduced from those
parts, either from Egypt or from the Persian Gulf, which
latter I consider to be the starting-point of Elhanan's travels.
Of the texts published by Epstein, we find the one incor-
porated into the first version of Eldad's narrative to be
identical with the greater part of our Chapter LXI. The
beginning has evidently been omitted when this legend was
tacked on to the cycle of Eldad. It follows, therefrom,
that our text, being more complete, is the more primitive.
Paragraphs 2-4 correspond with Eldad, i., paragraphs 7-9
(pp. 5-6 ; cf. p. 13, also note 10 et seq.). Concerning para-
graph 1, which gives us the exact date of the banishment,
cm
cf. * Seder 01am Kabba,' chap, xxx., ed. Eatner, pp. 147-149,
vide note 93 et seq.
Chapter LXII. — The second version has the pecuhar
superscription, ' The ten banishments of the Sanhedrin,'
although not a word of the Sanhedrin is mentioned in the
text. It may mean the banishment of the ten communities
or tribes. This is absolutely identical with the version con-
tained in the ' Midrash Rabba Rabbati,' and it is, if any-
thing, more perfect than the copy preserved in the manu-
script of Prague, from which Epstein has reprinted it
(loc. cit., pp. 42-45). This again proves the author of the
* Midrash Rabba Rabbati ' to have borrowed his legendary
material from our compilation.
Chapter LXIII. is an amplified recapitulation of the last
legend. This time it is presented under the form of a
recital of the adventures of Elhanan the sailor, who happened
to come to the country occupied by the descendants of
Dan. From them he learned all about their past, and he
went from them to visit the other tribes. In his narrative
he has incorporated (paragraphs 11-14) the legendary
history of the Children of Moses and of the happy land
in which they are living, surrounded by the river Sam-
batyon, that flows for six days of the week, but rests on the
Sabbath day, when a flame descends and covers the river,
protecting them from any possible contact with the outer
world. From them he goes on to visit other tribes, until he
comes to the sons of Judah and Simeon, which means to the
Jews scattered in this part of the world, and when Danite
merchants come he returns with them to their country.
We see here distinctly how the older material has been
bodily incorporated into this tale, which forms a kind of
traveller's romance — the oldest version of the Sinbad cycle
— in the same manner in which biblical legends have been
used for liturgical purposes, and have been incorporated
into homilies. Elhanan' s tale agrees in the main with the
fourth version of Eldad (Epstein, loc. cit., p. 47 et seq.),
having many points in common with it ; among other
things, the names of the various kings with whom they are
CIV
fighting (paragraph 6) corresponding in our edition to para-
graph 8. Professor David Heinrich Mliller has attempted
to examine the names of these nations, which occur also in
the second version pubHshed by Epstein (p. 22 et seq., and
grouped together by him on p. 38). In our text we have a
list of eighteen names, which in the other versions have been
reduced to seven. A few of these names agree with those
in our text, but on the whole they are different and difficult
to identify.
Having as it were finished with the history of the Ten
Tribes, Jerahmeel very skilfully returns to the history of
the Jews in the Exile, and translates into Hebrew the
Aramaic portions of Daniel, who lived there. He retains,
however, those portions of Daniel which are not forming
part of the Hebrew Bible, viz., the old Apocrypha, in their
original Aramaic language, in the very form in which they
served as basis to Theodotion for his Greek translation, as
I have set forth in my edition of those two chapters con-
taining the history of Daniel and the Dragon, and the
history of Daniel and Bel, as well as the Song of the
Three Children in the Fiery Furnace. These apocryphal
portions have been declared by some scholars not to be the
original texts, but probably late translations from the Latin
or Greek, It now so happens, as stated above (p. xlix),
that Eeymundus Martini, in his ' Pugio Fidei,' has pre-
served to us a portion of this very Aramaic text of Daniel
in the lion's den, which he had taken from the ' Midrash
Eabbati ' of Moses Hadarschan. It is a literal quotation
from our book, being absolutely identical also with the
manuscript of the ' Eabbati ' published by Neubauer. Every
doubt as to its antiquity and authenticity is undoubtedly
hypercritical. I have omitted the texts here, as they have
already been published elsewhere by me.
Chapter LXIV. — From this incident Jerahmeel proceeds
to the description of the evil deeds of two false prophets in
the Exile, who are mentioned in the Bible, together with
the peculiar punishment inflicted upon them by Nebuchad-
nezzar. This old legend explains the reason for their being
cv
roasted alive as a consequence of the attempt to commit
adultery with the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. It is
identical in every detail with the same tale contained in
Talmud treatise ' Sanhedrin,' fol. 93a, my ' Exempla of the
Kabbis,' No. 28, and both identical with the Jerusalem
treatise ' Sanhedrin,' fol. 9da. An abstract of it, ride Tan-
huma, ed. Buber, Levit. Eabba, section 10, paragraph 7 ;
Yalqut to Jeremiah, paragraph 309, and in the Midrash
Haggadol, Exodus, portion Jethro.
Chapter LXV. — Jerahmeel now leads on to the History
of Susanna, w^here the two elders and judges attempt the
very same sin for which those false prophets had been
punished. An old tradition identifies these elders with
those false prophets. Here we are entering already into
the domain of the known biblical apocryphal literature,
and I cannot do better than refer to Schiirer's ' Geschichte
d. Jiid. Yolkes,' H.^ p. 716 et seq. I refer also specially
to Bruell's study in his ' Jahrbuch ' (vol. iii., pp. 1-69).
The crucial point in this history is the Greek names
of the trees under which Susanna is said to have been
seen by the two elders committing adultery, which names,
being a play upon the words, seemed to indicate Greek
origin. We find here totally different names. The
Hebrew version in our text is thus far the only ancient
Hebrew text of this History of Susanna know^n to exist,
and it is noteworthy that it is not to be found even
in Yosippon, which contains all the other apocryphal
additions to the Book of Daniel in full. A modern Hebrew
text, which may rest upon some older translation, is printed
in ' Otzar Hakodesh,' Lemberg, 1851 (probably a reprint
from an older edition which I have not yet been able to
trace) ; but it is undoubtedly derived from a Latin
original. Jellinek has not reprinted this version in his ' B.
Ham.,' nor has any scholar found hitherto another ancient
Hebrew text of the History of Susanna. Jerahmeel alone
has preserved such a Hebrew version of the Susanna
legend. In some details this text agrees more with the
Syriac than with the Latino-Greek version. Especially
CVl
noteworthy is the difference in the names. In our text
the father of Susanna is called ' Shealtiel,' whilst in all
the other versions he is called ' Chelkia.' In connection
with this it might be pointed out that Shealtiel was the
father of Zerubbabel ; Susanna is probably taken to be his
sister, and her husband King Jehoiachin. Hippolytus,
Syncellus, and others identify him indeed with the King
of Judah, who was carried away into the captivity at
Babylon (2 Kings, chap, xxiv., ver. 15; and chap, xxv.,
ver. 27). This name seems to be more appropriate, and
to represent the older tradition, which would centre round
the prominent figure of the former King of Judah in
preference to any obscure personage. The parallel history
in Comestor, Daniel, chap, xiii., differs completely from the
Hebrew.
Chapter LXYL— In this chapter follows a short history
of Nebuchadnezzar's apparent but not real change into an
animal, who behaves like a wild beast for seven months.
No other trace of this version have I found in the Hebrew
literature. Parallels we find to it, however, in Epiphanius,
'Vita Danielis'; 'Chronicon Paschale,' ed. Bonn, i., pp. 299,
300 ; Fabricius, p. 1124 et seq. ; and also Comestor, Daniel,
chap, iv., who quotes Epiphanius. Paragraphs 3-6, ride
Comestor, Daniel, chap, v., but already so in Josephus,
' Antiquities,' x., 11, i.-ii. The names of the sons of Evil
Merodach (here paragraph 6) are given by Josephus as
Niglissar, Labsardacus, and Naboandelus (who is the well-
known Naboned). Comestor has Egessar, Labosardoch,
and Nabar. Paragraph 6, less fully in Second Targum
to Esther, chap, i., vide Levit. Kabba, section 18, p. 2 ;
Tanhuma Tazri'a, section 10; ' Seder 01am Eabba,' chap,
xxviii., ed. Piatner, p. 125, and note 7.
Chapter LXYIL— From paragraph 67 on, the bulk of
the rest of the Chronicle — with few exceptions, which
will be treated separately— is taken bodily from the Yosippon,
or, as the compiler says, from the ' Book of Joseph ben
Gorion.'
A short reference, which shows the relation in which our
evil
text stands to the edition of Breithaupt, will suffice, always
remembering that the text of Jerahmeel is simpler, the
names much more correct and clear, and in the main
agreeing with the old edition of Conte (Mantua, circa 1480).
According to his custom, Jerahmeel copies here once more
the history of Daniel in the lion's den, because he finds it
also in Yosippon, although he had already included it
previously in his collection from an independent, older
source.
Chapter LXYII. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book I.,
chap. V.
Chapter LXVIII. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book I,
chaps, vi., vii.
Chapter LXIX. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book I.,
chap. viii.
Chapter LXX. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book I.,
chaps, ix., X., xi. (The history of Daniel in the lion's den.)
Chapter LXXI. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book I.,
chap. xii.
Chapter LXXII. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book I.,
chap. xiii. (The history of Daniel and the Temple of Bel.)
Chapter LXXIII. corresponds with Breithaupt, Book L,
chap. xiv. (The history of Daniel and the dragon.)
In Chapter LXXIY. et seq., which corresponds with
Breithaupt, I., chaps, xv., xvi., we have the Hebrew
parallel (in Yosippon and in Jerahmeel) to the so-called
Apocryphal Third Ezra (chap. iii. et seq.). The order in
the Hebrew text is different, and the interpretation of the
riddles much more correct and much clearer than in the
Greek text. The marked divergence from any other text
proves that there cannot be a question of our text being a
translation from the Greek or from the Latin texts known.
In spite of the opinion expressed by Zunz (G. Y.^ p. 154
et seq. ; and p. 160, note d), not a single trace of Latin
influence can be detected thus far in the Hebrew text of
Yosippon, and in the corresponding portion in Jerahmeel.
Chapter LXXY. corresponds with Breithaupt, I., xvii.,
xviii., and the beginning of xix.
CVlll
Chapter LXXVI. corresponds with middle of xix. (Breit-
haupt, p. 56).
Chapter LXXVII. corresponds with chaps, xx., xxi.
Chapter LXXVIII. is a continuation of chap. xxi.
(Breithaupt, only as far as p. 65). It is to be remarked
that the personal note in p. 65 (ed. Breithaupt), where
Joseph ben Gorion identifies himself with Josephus, is
entirely missing in our text, and in the ed. Conte (folio 13,
column b). The text continues in our copy exactly in the
same manner as in the ed. Conte, corresponding with
beginning of chap. xxii. of ed. Breithaupt. The whole
portion from pp. 65-68 being entirely omitted.
With Chapter LXXIX.-LXXXIV. begins the cycle of
Apocryphal legends round the Book of Esther. Of these
only the first two chapters containing the dream and
prayer of Mordecai and Esther's prayer form part of the
known bibhcal Apocrypha, and are taken here from Yosippon.
This chapter corresponds with Book II., chaps, i.-iv., ed.
Breithaupt. I have found the whole text of this dream
of Mordecai in a fragment from the Geniza, which seems
to be a portion of an old chronicle (Yosippon ? — or a
similar), and is characterized by the fact that the Hebrew
words have the vowel signs. Two old Aramaic texts have
been published by de Eossi, and then reprinted by Jellinek
pB. Ham.,' i., pp. 1-8). Merx in his ' Chrestomathia
Targumica ' (pp. 164-174) has reprinted a text from a
manuscript written in the year 1189. I necessarily ignore
the translation made from the Latin by Jacob ben Machir,
and printed by Jellinek (ibid., p. 9 et seq.). For the further
history of these texts in the Apocrypha, cf. Schiirer, loc,
cit., 11.'^, p. 715. Josephus has also introduced the same
legends into his text ('Antiquities,' xi. 6), as he has done
with the other Apocrypha of Daniel in x. 11, and the
Solutions of the Problems by Zerubbabel, xi. 3.
Chapter LXXXI.— To these biblical Apocrypha Jerah-
meel had added a series of similar legends. First we have
the letter which Haman sent to the princes and
rulers of the Persian kingdom to destroy the Jews. It is
CIX
absolutely identical with the text found in the Midrash Aba
Gorion (ed. Buber, p. 42), and I am inclined to believe that
this Aba Gorion is none other than our Joseph ben Gorion,
and that the text of the letter has been borrowed from a
more complete recension of the Yosippon than that which
we have before us. From a Codex de Rossi a similar letter
has been published by Perreau in the ' Hamazkir ' (1864,
v.-vii., pp. 46, 47). To paragraph 3, cf. Haggadoth
Esther (ed. Buber, p. 37), ride especially Aba Gorion,
folio 16a, and Esther Rabba, chap, vii., paragraph 13 ;
Midrash Esther (ed. Horowitz, p. 68), and Jellinek, ' Bet.
Ham.,' vi. (p. 54).
The whole text contained in Chapter LXXXL, paragraph 7,
up to Chapter LXXXIL, paragraph 6, is found in Aba
Gorion (p. 32 et seq.). Our text is again fuller and more
harmonious in its details than the parallel passage, show-
ing it to have retained the primitive form, which has been
curtailed when utilized for homiletic purposes in that
Hagadic collection. The same has happened to this text
as to the other biblical legends mentioned above, for the
beginning of Chapter LXXXIII. has been omitted, whilst
from the middle of paragraph 1 to the middle of paragraph 7
is found verbatim in the Haggadoth Esther (ed. Buber,
pp. 60-61, and note 8 et seq., where the whole parallel
literature is referred to).
Chapter LXXXIV. — A description of the wonderful
throne of King Solomon. Its place in our collection is
easily explained by the fact that from very ancient times
the throne upon which Ahasuerus was sitting (in Esther,
chap. i. 5) is said to have been the throne of Solomon
carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. A description of it
occurs, therefore, at the very beginning of the so-called
second Targum to the Book of Esther. (The English trans-
lation of it, by P. Cassel, appeared together with his com-
mentary to the Book of Esther, as Appendix I., p. 207
et seq.). The literature that has gathered round this throne
is very vast. This description is also found in the
Midrash Aba Gorion (pp. 52-58), in my ' Exempla of the
ex
Eabbis,' No. 115. Another text has been printed by Perles,
reprinted by Jellinek, ' B. Ham.,' vol. v., p. 39 (see
pp. vi-viii.) An elaborate monograph on it by P. Cassel,
cf. also Massmann, 'Kaiser Chronik,' vol. iii., p. 889, a
description of a similar throne made by Kosroe, King of
Persia.
Chapter LXXXV.-C. — The concluding chapters bear the
title the Book of the Maccabee, being limited to the history
of Judah ' the ' Maccabee. They are identical with the
corresponding portion of Yosippon, with the exception of
the history of Alexander the Great, interpolated into the
ed. Breithaupt, and missing in Jerahmeel and ed. Conte.
The close parallelism begins with LXXXV., paragraph 2
= ed. Breithaupt II., chapter vi. and vii. ; LXXXYI. = III.,
chapter i. ; Chapter LXXX VII. = Book III., chapters ii.
and iii. ; LXXXVIII. = III., chapters iii. and iv. In
Chapter LXXXIX. we have the history of the Mother and
the Seven Sons, the martyrs = Book III., chapters v. and
vi. This is one of the well-known Apocrypha, and stands
at the head of a very large cycle of legends. In most of
the Hebrew parallels she is called Hannah, or Miriam, vide
my 'Exempla' of the Rabbis. No. 57; 'Echa Rabb,' chap, i.,
paras. 47-50; ' Pesiqta Rabbati,' chap. xxix. ; 'Yalqut,'i.,
paragraph 93 ; Talmud treatise ' Kethuboth,' fol. 64, etc. ;
Zunz, G. Y.2, pp. 131, 152, 190. Chapter XC. - III, chapters
vii., viii. ; XCI. = III., chapter ix. ; XCII.=III., chapters
X., xi. ; XCIII.^IIL, chapter xii. The general is called
Bakires, as in the Scroll of the Hasmoneans, and not
Bacchides, as the Greek texts have it.
Chapter XCIY. = III., chap. xiii. ; Chapter XCV. = III,
chap. xiv. ; the place of the fight mentioned here in para-
graphs 2 and 3 is written in the Hebrew ' Bethtur '; in the
Greek texts, 2 Maccab. (chap, xi., ver. 5), it is called
Bethzura ; so also Josephus. In Yosippon (ed. Breithaupt,
p. 216) Beter {vide note 6). By the orthography in
Jerahmeel, and by this identity of names, it is becoming
clear which place is meant by the town of the same name,
famous in the war of Barcochba. It is evidently none else
CXI
than this Bethtur, the fortress near Jerusalem. The old
geographical puzzle is now solved with the assistance of
our ' Jerahmeel.'
Chapter XCVI. = III., chaps, xv. and part of xvii. ;
Chapter XCVII. corresponds to the continuation of
chap. xvii. and xviii, ; Chapter XCVIII. = chaps, xix.
and XX. ; Chapter XCIX. = chaps, xxi. and xxii. ; and
finally Chapter C. = chap, xxiii., end of Book III. (ed.
Breithaupt).
We have thus rounded off the history of the w^orld as
told by Jerahmeel with the aid of old Apocrypha, begin-
ning with the Creation and finishing with the death of
Judas Maccabeus. We have in our book the oldest example
of the Bible Historiale, an amplification of the Bible narra-
tive by means of legendary tales, many of which, in fact
most of which, have their roots in extreme antiquity,
written down, with perhaps a few exceptions, in the first
centuries before or after the Common Era, handed on in
a surprisingly perfect form, preserved through the love,
the industry, and conscientiousness of one compiler who
could not have lived later than the sixth or seventh
century, copied a second time with the same conscientious
care and enlarged by a man who may have lived in the
tenth or eleventh century, and forming, then, the starting-
point for a third equally conscientious continuator in the
thirteenth or fourteenth century. It is at once the oldest
and best corpus of Apocryphal and Pseudo-epigraphical
books of which any literature can boast.
We are now in a better position to review the whole field
of that ancient literary activity, and to prepare a critical
edition of the texts contained in this compilation. Through
the comparison with the existing parallels, I have en-
deavoured to show that these represent the oldest and most
complete recensions. I have laid bare unsuspected connec-
tions betw^een the literatures of many tongues and many
lands. I have followed up not merely the main stream of
literary tradition to its remotest course, but also some
lateral channels. I have endeavoured to trace the oldest
CXll
available sources of all the stores of legends which have
enriched the literatures of the world, Jewish, Christian,
and Mahomedan alike, which have so deeply influenced
poetry and art in the middle ages, and which have kept
human fancy playing for two thousand years round the
stern figures of the Old Testament.
CHRONICLES OF JERAHMEEL.
COMPILERS PREFACE.
Behold I have sworn not to lend anybody this book to take
away, with the exception of three, whom I shall mention
by name, but whoever desires to read it at my house is at
liberty to do so.
Behold I am the youngest of all my family. I, Elaaar,
son of Pi. Asher, the Levite, have set my mind upon writing
from precious and valuable secular books, for my spirit
bore me aloft and filled me with enthusiasm in the days of
my youth, wdien I was easygoing and keen-witted. For I
saw many books scattered and dispersed here and there.
I then resolved to collect them, and unite them in one
book. I then made a collection of the words of the wise
and their aphorisms, and wrote them down in a book for
the use of those who love parable and history, and for
wise men generally who are not otherwise occupied, in
order that they may reflect upon these things, so that they
may see, understand, and know the truth concerning a few
of the events which have taken place under the sun, and of
a few of the troubles and afflictions which our ancestors
endured in their exile, and what vicissitudes they under-
went when the tempest swept over them, so that they may
not be forgotten by their seed. Therefore 1 called this
book the ' Book of Chronicles,' wherein may be recorded
1
many varied events. For I have collected in this hook
records of all events and incidents ^Yhich have happened
from the creation of the world until the present day as it
is written in this hook, and as I found, so I copied, and I
have deftly woven the materials to form one hook.
Nor did I write them to make myself a great name, hut
to the glory of my Creator, who truly knows, and so that
this book should be a memorial for future generations ;
and whoever chooses to add to this book may add, and may
blessing fall upon him. Behold I hope that God may
make my son worthy of inheriting this Book of Chronicles,
which I have collected from many books. I wrote it, and
laid aside many affairs for its sake, so as to be able to
complete it. The bulk of it I wrote in the autumn and
winter, for I only had leisure at that time. ' In the day
the drought consumed me, and the cold at night, and drove
my sleep from my eyes.' And many events have happened,
and what I was not able to do in the daytime, I did at
night, for I neither rested nor reposed until I had com-
pleted its composition. For I gave a long time to it, and
I was constantly occupied upon its composition, and I was
continually busy with it, and I worked and laboured vigor-
ously until I had selected each subject and placed it in its
proper position, like a pearl in its setting and like a hook in
its eye, and had I done it for payment no sum would have
satisfied me, for I dwelt upon it days and years until I had
completed its composition, for I had not always the books
to copy it from, nor had I often the leisure, whilst occa-
sionally I was not in the humour, on account of many
misfortunes which befell me in my captivity. Therefore
I conjure and command my son — since I bequeath him
this Book of Chronicles — that 1 hand it to him on his
undertaking to fulfil the solemn conditions which I impose
upon him, a father to his son. He may not sell it, nor
may he give it away nor pledge it, neither he nor his
posterity, neither may he exchange it nor substitute any-
thing else for it. For what will a small amount of money
avail him, since he could not succeed in purchasing its
3
equal or its like in the whole world, either for a large or
small sum of money ? For I have searched in many places
before I composed it ; for this reason rather let a man
pledge or sell the cloak from his back before he disposes
of this. For I know that nobody can obtain half its worth
or value, for no scribe could be found to write it for less
than six small pieces of gold, to say nothing of the parch-
ment. And who sells it will soon squander the money on
frivolity ; then he will immediately repent his transaction,
but in vain. Moreover, I can assure him that he will never
obtain its like, inasmuch as I know full well that no man
would compose another such work, on account of the
magnitude of the task ; further, I know that nobody is
broad-minded enough to resolve to compose and publish
such a book as this, for it appears at first sight a collection
of tales. Nevertheless, if he wishes to dispose of it to one
of his sons or to one of his brothers, he may do so, but the
one who acquires it may not override my conditions, but
must observe everything as set down here. And he may
only bequeath this book to one of his sons, or, failing male
issue, he should bequeath it to one of his brothers, but not
to one of his daughters, who have no portion or inheritance
in it, that this book may not pass from one tribe to another.
And do not, my sons, resolve to divide the work into two
or three portions, so that each one of you may have a share
in it, but let the one who inherits it receive it in one
volume. May the one who ignores my writing, transgresses
my command, or does not fulfil my words, be cursed ; but
blessed be my descendants, and may they be established if
they fulfil my wishes. Neither scoff at me when you notice
in what detail I have communicated my wishes concerning
this book to my sons, for do ye not know that whatever
man completes by the labour and toil of his hands he
values highly? And I knew that unless I did it myself,
unassisted, I should never have completed it. For who
can depend upon scribes in the case of a book of this kind ?
Besides, even if I had the will, could I order scribes to be
present just as books came to my hand ; and where could I
1—2
get the books from ? Therefore I said, ' If I do not do
it for myself, who, then, will do it for me?' And God
enlightened me, and I girded my loins like a mighty man,
and composed this Book of Chronicles. May God re-
member it for me for good !
(1) With the help of God I commence to write this my book
without interruption. These are the generations of the
heavens and the earth when they were created on the day
when the Lord God made heaven and earth. E. Eliezer,
son of Hyrqanos, began his homily thus : ' Who can express
all the mighty acts of God ?' Is there anybody w^ho can
possibly give utterance to the mighty deeds of God and pro-
claim all His praise ? Not even the ministering angels can
do this. It is only possible to recount part of His mighty
deeds, to explain what He has done and what He in future
wdll do, so that His great name may be exalted among the
creatures whom He has created from one end of the world
to the other, as it is said, ' Every generation shall praise
Thy works.' Before the world was created God and His
name alone existed. When it entered His mind to create the
world, He drew the plan of a world, but it would not stand.
This may be compared to the action of a man who wishes
to build a palace: unless he plans out its foundations, its
exits and its entrances, he cannot commence to build. Thus
God planned the world before Him, but it would not stand
until He created repentance. (2) Seven things were created
prior to the creation of the world, viz. : the Law, repentance,
the throne of glory, the Garden of Eden, Gehinnom, the
site of the temple, and the name of the Messiah, and for all
these things proof is to be found in the Scriptures.
(3) Eight things were created on the first day, viz., heaven
and earth, light and darkness, that which was without form
and void (Tohu va-Bohu), air and water ; and the Spirit of
God hovered over the surface of the waters. Some say day
6 [1.3
and night were also included in the first day of the creation,
as it is said : ' And it was evening, and it was morning, one
day.' Eight things were also created on the second day :
The well (of Miriam), manna, the rod (of Moses), the rain-
bow, the letters and the writing, the clothes (of Adam and
Eve), and demons (Maziqim).
(4) Ten things were paramount in the thought of God at
the creation, viz. : Jerusalem, the spirits of the patriarchs,
the ways of the righteous, Gehinnom, the flood, the double
tables of stone, the Sabbath, the temple, the ark, and the
light of the future world. (5) Wherefrom were the heavens
created ? From the brilliancy of God's covering which He
took up and spread as a garment, and the heavens went on
extending until He said unto them, ' Be stayed,' and they
stopped. (6) Whence was the earth created ? From the snow
beneath the throne of glory. God took it up and scattered
it upon the waters, then the waters were congealed and
became the dust of the earth, as it is said, ' For He says
unto the snow. Become earth.' The boundaries of the
heavens touch the waters of the ocean, for the waters of
the ocean (Oqeanos) flow round the extremities of the
heavens and the earth, and the extremities of the heavens
are spread upon the waters of the ocean, as it is said, ' Who
layeth the foundation of His upper chambers in the
waters.' The heavens rise to an immense height in the
form of a tent that is spread out, and mortals stand beneath
it ; its extremity is below, and its centre is above. This is
the form of the heavens, their extremity is below and their
centre above, so that all (God's) creatures, as it were, sit
beneath it as in a tent, as it is said, ' He spread them out
as a tent for dwelling therein.' (7) Four winds were created
in the world, viz., the winds coming from the east, south,
north, and west. From the eastern corner the light of the
world goeth forth ; from the south, the dews of blessing
descend upon the world ; from the west emanate the stores
of snow, hail, cold and heat, and rains for the benefit of the
world; the north corner of the world He created, but
did not complete, for He said : Whoever declares himself
I. 9] 7
to be God, let him come and finish this corner which I have
left, and then shall all know that he is a God. There the
demons, earthquakes, evil spirits, and Shiddim dwell, and
from there they come forth to the world, as it is said, ' Out
of the north evil shall break forth ' (Jer. i. 14).
(8) On the second day He created the firmament, the
angels, the heat of the living bodies, and the heat of
Gehinnom. But were not the heavens created on the first
day? as it is said, 'In the beginning God created the
heavens.' What, then, is this heaven which was created on
the second day ? E. Eliezer says : That firmament which
is above the heads of the four holy creatures, as it is said, ' In
the likeness of a firmament above the holy creatures.' It
appears like unto hoar-frost, consisting of precious stones
and pearls ; it lights up the whole heavens as the light which
lights up the house, and as the sun which lights up the world
at noon, as it is said, ' And light dwells with Him.' Simi-
larly the righteous are destined in the future to enlighten
the world, as it is said, ' And the wise will shine as the
brightness of the firmament.' And if the firmament had
not been created on the second day, the whole world would
have been drowned by the waters from above, but the
firmament now separates the upper from the lower waters.
These angels, which were created on the second day, when
sent by God, become winds, as it is said : ' He made His
angels winds.' When they minister before Him, they
become like fire, as it is said, ' His ministering angels are
a flaming fire.' (9) Four bands of angels minister unto
God, the first band, under Michael, on His right, the second,
under Gabriel, in front of Him, the third, under Uriel, on
His left, and the fourth, under Eaphael, behind Him.
The Divine presence of God sits in the centre on a high
and exalted throne, which is exceedingly majestic, and is
suspended above in the air, and the appearance of its glory
is like unto a carbuncle, one half is as fire, and the other
half is as snow ; a resplendent crown of glory rests upon
His head, and upon His forehead is written the ineffable
name of ' God.' His eyes overlook the whole earth ; on
8 [I. 10
His right is life, on His left death ; a sceptre of fire is in
His hand ; a curtain is spread out before Him, (10) and
the seven angels which ^Yere created first minister before
Him within the curtain. His footstool is like fire and
hail, and beneath the throne of glory, it has the appear-
ance of sapphires ; fire plays round about it ; righteous-
ness and justice are the supports of His throne ; clouds
of glory surround it, and the wheel, the ophan, the
cherub, and the holy creatures sing praises unto Him.
The throne is like sapphire; it stands upon four legs,
and four holy creatures are attached to it ; on each side
are four faces and four wings, as it is said : ' There were
four faces, which were four angels.' (11) When He
speaks from the east, from between the two cherubim,
He speaks in the direction of the face of man ; when
He speaks from the south. He speaks in the direction of
the face of the lion; when from the west. He speaks in
the direction of the oxen ; when from the north, in the
direction of the eagle ; and opposite Him are the ophanim
and the wheels of the chariot. When He sits upon the
throne, high and exalted, and looks round the earth. His
chariot being upon wheels, through the noise caused by
the wheels of the chariot, lightnings and earthquakes are
caused in the world. But when He traverses the heavens,
He rides upon a swift cherub, as it is said, ' And He rode
upon a swift cherub.' When He hastens to do a thing.
He flies upon the wings of the wind, as it is said, ' And
He flew upon the wings of the wind." (12) Two seraphim
stand near Him, one on His right side and another on
His left, each of which has six wings ; with two each of
them covers his face to prevent them gazing upon the
Shekinah, and with two they each hide their legs so as
not to remember the sin of the golden calf, and with two
they fly, exulting in, and sanctifying. His great name.
One answers while another proclaims, and one proclaims
while the other answers, and they say, ' Holy, holy, holy,
is the Lord of Hosts.' (13) The holy creatures stand with
reverence and awe, with trembling and quaking, lest they
II. 5] 9
be consumed by the fire of the angels ; and from then* faces
streams down a fiery river, as it is said, ' And a river of
fire flows before Him ;' and the holy creatures do not know
the place of His glory, but answer and exclaim wherever
His glory be, ' Blessed is the glory of the Lord in His
place.'
II. (1) On the third day the earth was like a plain, and
the waters covered the face of the whole earth. When
the word of God went forth, saying, ' Let the waters
be gathered together,' the mountains were lifted up and
scattered over the earth, and deep valleys were dug down
in the bowels of the earth, into which the waters rolled
and w^ere gathered, as it is said, ' The gathering of waters
He called seas.' The waters then immediately rose tumul-
tuously to a great height and covered the face of the earth
as at first, until God rebuked them and subdued them, and
placed them under the hollow of His feet, and measured
them in His palm, so that they could neither diminish nor
increase. He surrounded the sea with sand as a fence, just
as a man makes a fence for his vineyard. So that when the
waters approach and see the fence before them they recede,
as it is said, 'Will they not fear My signs, says the Lord.'
(2) Before the waters were finally gathered together, the
rivers and the fountains of the deep were created, for the
earth was stretched over the waters just as a ship floating
in the midst of the sea, as it is said, ' To spread out the
earth over the waters.' (3) And God opened a gate in the
Garden of Eden and brought forth all kinds of plants, every
kind of tree yielding fruit after its kind, and every kind of
grass. He took their seeds and planted them upon the
earth, as it is said, ' Whose seed is within itself upon the
earth.' He prepared food for His creatures before they
were created, as it is said, ' Thou preparest a table before
me.' (4) All the fountains of waters rise from the depths.
B. Joshua said that the depth of the earth would take
sixty years to w^alk through. There is one fountain close
to Gehinnom which receives and gives out hot waters that
delight man. (5) B. Jehudah says : Once every month
10 [11. 6
rivulets ascend from the depths and water the face of the
whole earth, as it is said, ' And a spray went up from the
earth to water the garden.' The thick clouds pass on the
sound of the water-courses to the seas, and the seas to the
depths, and the depths to each other, and finally rise and
give moisture to the clouds, as it is said, ' Who causes the
vapours to ascend at the end of the earth.'
(6) The rains descend upon every place bidden them by
the King, so that the earth immediately flourishes and
becomes fertile. But when God wishes to bless the land
and make it fertile and prosperous, so as to feed His
creatures. He then opens His storehouse of good con-
tained in the heavens and rains upon the earth, so that it
immediately becomes fertile and produces the seed of
blessing, as it is said, ' The Lord will open for thee His
treasure of good.'
HI. (1) On the fourth day he formed two lights, one not
larger than the other; they were identical both in their
form and in their light, as it is said, ' And God made the
two lights.' A quarrel ensued between them ; one said to
the other, ' I am greater than thou.' Therefore God, in
order to make peace between them, enlarged the one and
diminished the other, as it is said, 'And the greater to
rule by day.' (2) E. Eliezer said that God uttered one
word and the heavens were created to become the dwelling-
place of the throne of the glory of His kingdom, as it is
said, * By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,' but
for the numerous host of heaven God exerted Himself more ;
He blew with the breath of His mouth, and all the host of
the heavens were created, as it is said, ' And with the
breath of His mouth all their host.' (3) All the stars and
planets and the two lights were created at the beginning of
the fourth night. One did not precede the other except by
one minute particle of time ; therefore, all the work of the
sun is done slowly, while that of the moon is done quickly ;
what the sun takes twelve days to do the moon can do in
one day ; what the sun does during the whole year the
moon does in thirty days, as it is explained in the chapters
IV. 1] 11
of E. Eliezer. (4) Three letters of the meffable name
of God are written upon the heart of the sun, and angels
lead it. Those that lead it in the day do not lead it in
the night, and those that lead it in the night do not lead
it in the day. The sun rises in a chariot, and rides forth
crowned as a bridegroom, as it is said, ' And he goeth
forth from his canopy as a bridegroom.' The horns (the
rays) and the fiery face of the sun look upon the earth in the
summer, they w^ould consume it with fire if the ice above
would not temper the heat, as it is said, ' Nothing is hidden
from his heat.' In the winter-time the sun turns his icy
face to the earth, and were it not for the fire which warms
the cold, the world would not be able to endure it, as it is
said, ' Who can stand before his cold ?' (5) The sun rises
in the east and sets opposite in the west. The Shekinah
always resides in the west, and the sun enters in its
presence, and, bowing down before the King of kings,
says : ' 0 Lord of the universe, I have fulfilled all Thy
commands.' These are some of the ways of the sun.
(6) The habitation of the moon is placed between the clouds
and the thick darkness, which are like two dishes one
above the other ; within them the moon travels. These
two clouds turn themselves towards the west, and the moon
peeps out from between the two in the form of a little horn.
On the first night of the new month one part is visible,
on the second night a second portion, and so on until the
middle of the month, when it is full moon. From the
middle of the month onwards these two clouds turn them-
selves eastwards, and that part of the moon which appeared
first is the first to be covered by the tw^o clouds — on the
first night one part, on the second night a second part,
until the end of the month, when it is entirely covered.
Whence do we know that the moon is between two clouds ?
Because it is said, ' The cloud is its clothing, and clouds
of darkness its covering.'
IV. (1) The following seven planets God created and
placed in order in the firmament for the benefit of the
world ; for by means of them people calculate the signs,
12 [IV. 2
seasons, and astronomical computations ; the time of
summer, the number of the hours, days and months, periods
and festivals (appointed times), as it is said, ' They shall be
for signs, for seasons, for days and for years.' (2) The seven
days of the week are called after the seven planets, the
Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and
Mars. On the first day Sol, i.e. the sun, rules, and this day
is called Zondakh. On the second day the moon serves ; it
is called Luna, therefore the second day is called Lunedi,
i.e., Mondakh. On the third day Mars serves ; it is called
Mars, hence Marsdi, i.e., Diensdakh. On the fourth day
Mercury, or Marcurios, serves, therefore it is called
Markusdi, i.e., Godansdakh. On the fifth day Jupiter
serves ; it is called lovis, hence lovisdi, i.e., Donnersdakh.
On the sixth day Yenus, i.e., Veneri, serves, therefore the
day is called Vindredi, that is Yredakh. On the seventh day
Saturnus serves, therefore the day is called Sabbatdi, i.e.,
Satuldakh. (3) In what order are they placed in heaven ?
They are distributed there as sun and moon and the five
planets. The firmament is divided into seven degrees, one
above the other. There are seven distinct places for these
seven planets ; and this is their order : (4) The first degree is
near the earth, and this lowest degree is the habitation of
the moon, in which the moon makes a circuit round the
firmament. The second degree is the habitation of
Mercury, in which it describes its circuit in the firmament.
The third degree is the habitation of Venus, in which it
also describes its circuit in the firmament. The fourth
degree is the middle of them, viz., the habitation of the
sun, which completes its circuit of the heaven in twelve
months. The fifth degree is the habitation of Mars, which
makes its circuit in the firmament.^ The seventh degree
is the highest of all, viz., the habitation of Saturn, which
completes its circuit in three years. (5) This is the order
of their work : Saturn is appointed over the poor and
needy women, over faintness and sickness, diseases of the
body, and over death. His appearance is like that of an
1 The sixth degree is missins^ in the MS.
IV. 10] 13
old man with a sickle in his hand. (6) Mars is appointed
over war (bloodshed) and the sword, over the wicked, over
slander, over strife, battle, hatred, jealousy, quarrels, over
warriors, wounds, injuries, bruises, over fire, water, and
destruction. His appearance is like that of an armed
w^arrior with a sword in his right hand, and he appears
like a man of wrath and a stirrer up of strife. Wherever
he turns wickedness ensues ; he looks terrible in his coat
of mail, and with the spear which he bears in his left hand.
(7) Jupiter is appointed over life, peace and good, over
prosperity, tranquillity, joy, pleasant conversation, re-
joicings, riches, greatness, sovereignty and majesty. His
appearance is like that of a valiant and noble-looking man,
and his head is that of a ram. (8) Venus is appointed
over kindness, favour, love, lust, passion, desire, marriage,
the birth of man and animals, the fruits of the earth and
the fruits of the tree. Its form is that of a young girl
beautifully adorned, and swaying a branch of a tree in her
hand. Mercury is appointed over wisdom, discretion,
understanding, knowledge, and the active intellect en-
abling one to unravel mysteries, to devise plans in every
branch of work, and in the writings of any language.
Its form is that of an old man with thin lips ; he possesses
wings, and the lower part of the body is like a dragon.
(9) The sun is appointed over hght, to separate light from
darkness, and through it to enable us to calculate the
days, months and years, and to do every kind of work,
to make any cunning work, to walk any distance, and
to migrate from city to city and from town to town.
The moon holds the key of heaven and earth, and is
appointed over morning and evening. She is set over
all creatures, to lead them in the right or wrong way,
although she has no power in herself either to do good or
evil. But everything is done by order and command.
Everything was created by means of the word of God.
(10) Hence the Rabbis have said that the orbit of the sun
and the circuit of the moon, the order of the stars, the
arrangement of the planets, the calculation of the circuits,
14 [V. 1
the lengths of the days and the division of the hours,
which are at first long and then become gradually shorter,
are all the work of God.
V. On the fifth day He brought forth from the waters
all manner of winged birds, male and female, all manner
of locusts, and also the Leviathan, a serpent which holds
all the dwellers of the lower waters between his two fins.
The centre of the earth rests upon the huge serpents, which
form food for the Leviathan. Every day he opens his
mouth, and a huge serpent comes every day to feed him.
It flies and flutters and enters the mouth of Leviathan,
while God sports with it, as it is said, * Thou hast created
this Leviathan to sport with it.'
VI. (1) On the sixth day He brought forth from the
earth all kinds of animals, male and female, and the
Behemoth that lies on a thousand hills, from which it
obtains its food every day. In the night-time the food
grows again as if the hills had not been touched, as it is
said, ' Its food is from the produce of the mountains, and
it drinks from the waters of the Jordan ;' for the waters
of the Jordan encompass all the land of Israel, one half of
which is above, and the other of which is below the earth,
as it is said, ' For He can draw up the Jordan in his mouth.'
The Behemoth is preserved for the day on which it is to be
brought as a sacrifice on the occasion of the great banquet
of the righteous, as it is said, ' Its Maker will approach it
with His sword.' (2) Everything in the world was origin-
ally created before Adam, who was created last, on the sixth
day, on the eve of Sabbath, lest people might say that God
had a helper in the work of the creation.
(3) When God wished to create the world He called the
company of angels commanded by the archangel Michael,
and said unto them : ' Let us make man in our image,
according to our likeness.' Whereupon they replied :
' What is man, that Thou shouldst remember him; and the
son of man, that Thou shouldst think of him?' At this
God immediately stretched forth His little finger among
them and destroyed them, so that Michael alone was left.
VI. 8] 15
He then called the company of angels commanded by
Gabriel, and said : ' Let us make man in our image.'
They also replied : ' What is man, that Thou shouldst
remember him?' God again stretched forth His finger
and destroyed them. (4) He then called Boel and his
company, and said to them : ' Let us make man in our
own image.' At which Boel said to his associates : ' See
what has happened to those who said. What is man
that Thou shouldst remember him ? they were all de-
stroyed. If we repeat what they have said. He will do
the same to us, and in the end He will perform His will.
It is therefore better that we comply with His wish.' They
therefore immediately answered, and said : ' Lord of the
world, it is w^ell that Thou hast thought to create man ; do
Thou create him according to Thy will, and we shall act as
attendants and servants upon him, and reveal unto him all
our secrets.' (5) God then said to Boel : ' From this day
henceforth thy name shall not be called Boel, but Raphael,
because, through thy counsel, thou hast saved all thy host,
so that they were not consumed like the other companies.'
(6) God then called Gabriel, and said unto him : ' Go and
bring Me dust from the four corners of the earth, and I
will create man out of it.' Gabriel then went to gather
dust from the earth, but the earth drove him away and
would not allow him to take dust from it. Gabriel there-
upon said : ' Why, 0 earth, dost thou not hearken to the
voice of thy Lord, who founded thee upon the w^aters
without props and without pillars?' The earth replied,
and said : ' I am destined to become a curse, and to be
cursed through man, and if God Himself does not take the
dust from me, no one else shall ever do so.' (7) When
God saw this He stretched forth His hand, took of the
dust, and created therewith the first man on the sixth da3^
God created the matter of man in four colours, white,
black, red and green. The bones and the sinews are white,
the intestines black, the blood red, and the skin of the body
green (livid). When the soul departs from the body, the
body immediately becomes livid. (8) The Torah (Law) then
16 [VI. 9
said to God, ' 0 Lord of the universe, this man whom Thou
hast created will be short-lived, and he will sin before Thee;
what will become of him ?' God replied : ' Is it to no
purpose that I am called slow to anger, of abundant mercy
and truth? He who returns to Me in repentance, I will
pardon.' The Torah said, ' If so, do Thy will. (9) But why
did God create man from the four corners of the earth, and
not from the dust of one single spot ?' ' Because man goeth
to the four corners of the earth, and when he dies, the
earth shall not be able to say. Thou wast not created
from me, therefore thou shalt not be buried in me ; go to
the place whence thou wast created, and there be buried.
Thus, wherever a man ends his days, there shall he rest.
God created man poor and from dust, and to dust shall he
return ; therefore has the dust been taken from the four
corners of the earth.'
(10) There are twelve hours in the day; in the first
hour He gathered the dust for man, in the second He
hardened it, in the third He shaped it in the form of man,
in the fourth the soul was thrust into it, in the fifth man
stood on his legs, in the sixth he gave names to all the
birds and animals, in the seventh Eve was joined to him,
in the eighth they produced two children, in the ninth
they were commanded concerning the fruits of the trees,
in the tenth he transgressed the command, in the eleventh
he was judged, in the twelfth hour he was driven out, as it
is said, ' And He drove Adam out of the Garden of Eden.'
(11) God kneaded and moulded the dust for the first man
in a pure place. He covered him with skin and sinews, and
gave to it a human shape, but there was not yet any breath
or soul in it. What did God do ? He breathed with the
breath of His mouth, and thrust the soul into him, as it is
said, 'And He breathed in his nostrils the breath of life'
Adam then stood up and gazed above and below, saw all
the creatures which God had created, and was amazed
with wonderment, and he began to extol and praise his
Creator, and said: 'How great are Thy works, 0 Lord!'
(12) He stood upon his feet, and was in the likeness of
VI. 15] 17
God ; his height extended from the east to the west, as it
is said, 'Behind and in front Thou hast formed me.'
Behind, that is the west, and in front, that is the east.
All the creatures saw him and were afraid of him ; they
thought he was their creator, and prostrated themselves
before him. Adam then said to the animals : ' Why do
you come and prostrate yourselves before me ? Come, let
us all go and invest Him who created us with majesty
and strength, and crown Him King over us. If the people
do not show allegiance to the King, the King claims it by
Himself, and if the people do not praise the King, the King
causes Himself to be praised.' As soon as Adam had spoken,
all the creatures assented and invested their Creator with
majesty and strength, and proclaimed Him King over them,
and said : ' The Lord the King is clothed with majesty.'
(13) Now, Adam walked about the Garden of Eden like
one of the ministering angels. God said : ' Just as I am
alone in My world, so is Adam ; just as I have no com-
panion, neither has Adam. To-morrow the creatures will
say, " He does not propagate, he is surely our creator." It
is not good for man to be alone, I will make a helpmeet for
him.' (14) When the earth heard the word 'helpmeet' it
shook and trembled, and said to its Creator : ' 0 Lord of the
world, I am not able to provide for the whole of mankind.'
To which God replied : ' I will feed the whole of mankind.'
And God made a compact with the earth, and God created
the sleep of life, so that when man lies down and goes to
sleep, he is fed, strengthened and refreshed, and this is the
healing and the feeding which God provides, as it is said,
* Then I slept, then I felt refreshed.' God moreover assists
the earth and waters it, so that it yields its fruits as food
for all the creatures ; but, in spite of all this, man obtains
his food in toil and trouble.
(15) God had pity upon Adam ; in order not to give him
pain He caused a deep sleep to fall upon him, during which
time He took the bone of one of his ribs and flesh from his
heart and made of it a helpmeet for him, and placed her
before him. When he awoke from his sleep and saw
2
18 [VI. 16
her standing before him, he said : ' This is woman ; bone
of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.' (16) While he was yet
alone, he was called Adam. K. Joshua b. Qorha said that
his name was Adam on account of the flesh and blood (of
which he was composed). God said to him, ' Thou art
Adam.' But when a helpmeet was made for him he was
called Living Being — i.e., Fiery Being (Heb. t^*N*). God
then added two letters of His name to it and made the
name of man to be c*^N*, and the name of woman nci'j^,
saying, ' If they walk in My ways and observe My Command-
ments, behold My name will abide with them and deliver
them from all trouble ; but if not, behold I will take away
My name from them, so that their names will become
again ^i^), i^i< ' — i.e., fire consuming fire.
YII. (1) God created ten canopies for Adam in the
Garden of Eden, and all of them w^ere made of precious
stones, of pearls and of gold. Each bridegroom has as a
rule but one canopy, a king has three, but in order to show
great honour to the first man He made ten canopies for him
in the Garden of Eden, as it is said, ' Thou hast been in
Eden, the garden of God ; every precious stone was thy
covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl,
the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and
the carbuncle, and gold ; the workmanship of thy tabrets
and of thy pipes (was prepared) for thee on the day when
thou wast created.' These represent the ten canopies.
The angels were beating their timbrels and dancing to the
pipes, as it is said, * The w^orkmanship of thy tabrets and
of thy pipes.'
(2 ) On the day when the first man was created God said to
the ministering angels, ' Come, let us descend and show
kindness to man and his helper, for upon kindness the
world rests.' He further said, ' Kindness is much more
acceptable to Me than the sacrifices of burnt-ofi'erings
which the Israelites are destined in the future to offer to
Me upon the altar,' as it is said, ' Eor kindness do I desire
and not sacrifices.' The ministering angels walked before
Adam like shepherds who watch the flocks of birds, as it
IX. 2] 19
is said, * For He commanded His angels to watch over thee
in all thy ways.' They were like unto a bridal pair, and
God may be compared to a precentor, for just as the pre-
centor in the midst of the congregation blesses the bridal
pair under the canopy, so did God bless man and his
helpmeet, as it is said, 'And God blessed them, and said
unto them, Be fruitful and multiply.' And they did so, as
it is said, ' And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived
and bore him Cain, and said, I have begotten a man of the
Lord.' Why was Cain thus called ? Because he was
formed from Adam and his wife and from God.
I will now add here the description of the formation of a
child by these three agencies, as it is contained in the
book called n^Tin ni^^"' (Yesirath ha-velad), which is as
follows :
The Formation of the Child.
IX. (1) I will now proceed to explain the formation of the
foetus which God created when man approaches his wife.
God indicates it to the angel appointed over conception,
whose name is Lailah. God says, ' Know that this night a
woman will conceive. Take this sperm, place it in thy
hand, and break it on the threshing-floor into three
hundred and sixty-live particles.' He does so. He then
takes the sperm in his hand, brings it to God, and says,
' 0 Lord of the world, I have done as Thou hast com-
manded me, and now decree what is to become of it.' God
then decrees that it will be either strong or weak, male or
female, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, long or short,
wicked or righteous. (2) God then makes a sign to the
angel appointed over spirits, and says, ' Bring me a certain
spirit which is hidden in the Garden of Eden, whose name
is So-and-so, and whose form is So-and-so.' This applies
to all the spirits which are destined to be created, for from
the very moment when the world was created all (these
spirits) were prepared for men, as it is said, ' What has
2—2
20 [IX. 3
already been has been called by name.' The angel brmgs
the (said) spirit, which, when it comes before God, bows
down and prostrates itself before Him. (3) At that
moment God says to the spirit, ' Enter thou this sperm.'
The spirit then opens its mouth, and says, ' 0 Lord of the
universe, I am satisfied with the world in which I have
lived from the day on which Thou didst create me ; if it
please Thee, do not suffer me to enter this impure being, for
I am holy and pure.' God replies, ' The world which I will
cause thee to enter is better than the world in which thou
hast lived ; and when I created thee, I created thee only for
this purpose.' (4) God then causes it to enter this new
being against its will. The angel then returns and causes
it to enter the womb of its mother. Two angels are prepared
to watch the embryo (during pregnancy). A light shines
upon the head of the child, by which it sees from one end of
the world to the other. (5) In the morning the angel takes
it, carries it into the Garden of Eden and shows it the
righteous men who sit there in glory with crowns on their
heads. The angel then says to the soul, ' My child, dost
thou know who these are ?' ' No,' it replies. The angel then
says, * These people whom thou seest here were formed like
thee in the womb of their mother. They went forth into
the world and observed God's statutes, therefore they
became worthy of this bliss. Know also that thou wilt at
the end of thy days depart from the world, and if thou
wilt be thought worthy to hearken unto the Law and the
Commandments then thou wilt be likewise worthy of sitting
with these in the place where I showed thee.'
(6) In the evening he carries it into Gehinnom, and shows
it the sinners, whom the wicked angels beat with fiery
staves. They cry ' Woe, woe !' but no mercy is shown them.
The angel then says to the soul, ' Dost thou know, my child,
who these are that burn ?' ' No,' it replies. The angel
answers, ' These were of the same mean origin as thou art.
They went forth to the world and did not observe the
commandments and judgments of God. Therefore they
have come to this place of punishment. Know also, child,
IX. 9] 21
that thou must ultimately quit this world.' (7) The angel
walks about with it from morning until evening, and shows
it every place which it is destined to tread, and the place
where it will be buried. After this he shows it the world
of the good and the world of the wicked, and in the
evening he places it back again in the womb of its mother.
God then encloses it within folded doors, as it is said, ' And
He shut in the sea with doors, until it burst forth from the
womb and became free.' It is further said, ' I will lay My
words in thy mouth, and I will protect thee in the shadow
of My hand.' God then said, ' Thus far shalt thou go, and
no further ;' and He sustains the child in the womb of its
mother for nine months.
(8) At the end of that time the same angel comes and says
to it, ' Come forth, for the time has come for thee to go forth
into the world.' It replies, ' Have I not already told God
that I am satisfied to remain in the place where I was
accustomed to dwell? And He replied, "The place I will
cause thee to enter is better than that world from which thou
hast come." Now that it pleases me to remain here, why
dost thou wish to remove me hence ?' The angel replies,
' Thou must know that thou wast formed in the womb of
thy mother against thy will, and now know that against thy
will thou wilt be born, and wilt come forth into the world.'
He then immediately strikes it, extinguishes the light, and
brings it forth against its will. It then forgets whatever it
had seen. As soon as it comes forth unto the world, it cries.
(9) And why does it cry ? Because of the world it has left
behind. For at that moment seven new worlds are await-
ing it. In the first world it is like unto a king after whose
welfare all people ask ; all desire to see it and embrace it,
and kiss it, because it is in the first year. In the second
world it is like unto a swine which wallows in mire ; a
child does the same until it reaches two years. In the
third world it is like unto a kid that skips and gambols
about on the meadows. Thus, a child skips about here
and there until it is five years of age. In the fourth
world it is like unto a horse which strides along haughtily.
22 [IX. 9
In the same way does a child walk along proud of his
youth until he is eighteen years old. In the fifth world
he is like unto an ass upon whose shoulders burdens are
placed. In the same manner burdens are heaped upon
man's shoulders ; he is given a wife by whom he begets
children. He must wander to and fro in order to obtain
food for them until he is about forty years old. In the
sixth stage he is like unto a dog, insolent and wandering
about in all places for food : stealing and robbing in one
place and enjoying it in another. In the seventh stage
he is like unto an ape, whose appearance is changed in
every respect. All the household curse him and desire
his death. Even the young children make fun of him,
and even the smallest bird wakes him from his sleep.
(10) Finally, the time arrives for him to quit this world.
When that time arrives the same angel comes beside him
and says to him. What is thy name ?' To which he replies
* So-and-so, and Why dost thou come to me to-day ?' ' To
take thee away from this world.' When he hears this he
weeps, and his voice reaches from one end of the world to
the other, but no creature hears his voice except the cock.
' Have I not already told thee,' he says, ' not to bring me
forth from the world in which I have lived ?' But the
angel replies, ' Have I not already told thee that against
thy will thou wast created, against thy will thou wast born,
against thy will thou livest, and against thy will thou shalt
die, also against thy will thou art bound to render account
and reckoning before Him who said, and the world was
made ?'
(11) Behold, these are the four Divine hosts which God
showed to Elijah the prophet, as it is said, ' And He said,
Go out and stand upon the mountain before God.' God
then said to Elijah, ' Behold, these are the four worlds
through which man must pass. The great and strong
wind is this world. After the wind comes the earthquake,
i.e., after this world comes death, which causes the whole
body of man to quake. After the earthquake comes the fire,
i.e., after death there follows the judgment of Gehinnom,
X. 4] 23
which is fire, and after the judgment of Gehinnom there
follows a voice, as it is said, ' A still, soft voice,' which is
the voice of the last judgment. After this follows the
judgment of the spirits that flit about in the air, and no
one is left except God, as it is said, ' God alone shall be
exalted on that day.' All this is included in the words of
holy tradition spoken by David, King of Israel, who said,
' I was made in secret, I was formed in the nethermost
parts of the earth.'
X. (1) The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Happy is the man in wiiom there is wisdom combined
with fear; one may be doing more, another less, pro-
vided that his heart is turned to heaven. (2) AVoe to
him whom this world leads astray; woe unto him who
does not walk in the ways of God ; woe unto him who
hearkens to his evil inclination, or who does not listen to
his Creator ; woe to him w^hose pleader becomes his
accuser ; woe unto him who does not devote his heart to
his Father in heaven ; woe to him whose wheel of life has
turned ; woe unto the man who has been righteous and haS'
turned wicked ; woe to him who loses his life's work in a>
rash moment, or causes the profanation of God's name.
(3) Certain punishments follow immediately upon the
committal of sin, others come after a time. There are
punishments which come one after the other, others
simultaneously. Some punishments come upon man while
he is asleep, others while he is awake ; some come upon
him heavily, others lightly ; some affect part of the body,
others the whole body ; some, again, come upon one in his
youth, while others come in his old age ; some which he
anticipates, others which he does not anticipate ; some are
open and some are hidden, others, again, are revealed to
the whole world. And all the trouble, misery, and shame
come upon man in consequence of sin and transgression.
(4) Some bear their punishments with love ; some worship
God for fear of suffering in their sustenance or in their
livelihood, or through the ill-health of their children, or
through the punishment of Gehinnom. Some worship Him
24 [X. 4
in simplicity, in purity, in joy, and some in the hope that
they may make others worthy of reward. Some, again,
worship Him to guard themselves against punishments,
as it is said, ' When they are in trouble, they seek
Me early.' Everyone is judged while he is in full con-
sciousness, and this applies to the living and the dead
alike.
(5) When man is about to quit this world the angel
appointed over him says, ' Pity this body that goes out of
this world without having performed any good actions.' He
looks at his two legs, and says, ' Woe unto those legs which
have not walked in the ways of the Lord. Woe unto those
thighs which have not been eager to run after God's
Commandments. Woe unto the bowels which have enjoyed
stolen property. Woe unto those hands which have
occupied themselves with sin. Woe unto the mouth which
has consumed the property of others. Woe unto the eyes
which have desired the property of strangers. AVoe unto
those ears which have not hearkened to reproof. Woe to
that proud stature that has not bent in repentance. Woe
unto the spirit that has not humbled itself before its
Creator.' (6) The angel in anger bids him stand up for
judgment to relate his deeds. He says, 'Know whence thou
hast come, and whither thou art going — to a place of
dust and worms. Who is the Judge, and before whom art
thou to give account and reckoning ? If thou art able to
answer, then answer, for no one else can answer for thee ;
there is no remedy except good deeds, as it is written, " Thy
righteousness shall go before thee." ' (7) What enjoyment
can it be for man to look upon sin, since it is like fire to
stubble, and like a sword to the neck, as an arrow to
the liver, as chains to the feet, as darkness to the eyes, as
gall to the mouth, and as chastisement to the body ?
Whoever induces another to swerve from the good path is
cut off in the midst of his days, and whoever flatters a
sinner, his days shall be shortened in this world. Whoever
scoffs at the Commandments will have no mercy shown to
him from heaven. (8) Whoever causes another to blush in
X. 10] 25
public will cause the book in which the sins of man are
inscribed to be opened. Whoever scoffs at the poverty of
the poor, behold he shall be brought low^, he will be
ahungered while others shall eat before him. Whoever
commits fraudulent transactions shall have no rest on the
eve of the Sabbath ; behold, all the joys which gladden his
heart will be turned into mourning. He will be visited
on the day of reckoning with terrible judgment and with
much shame by relentless angels in the w^orld to come.
Therefore it is said, ' And what wilt thou do on the day of
visitation ?' (9) He who sins with his eyes, those eyes shall
become dim ; he who sins with his mouth, behold his words
shall not be heard ; he who sins by giving false advice,
behold his own prosperity shall vanish ; he who sins in his
thoughts, his days shall be a constant vexation ; he who
sins with his tongue, behold chastisement will overtake
him ; he who sins with his hand shall lose his honour ; he
who sins with his legs, the years of his life shall be
shortened ; whoever sins in his heart shall die of grief ;
whoever sins with his inclination, this very inclination shall
turn his accuser ; he who sins and causes others to sin
shall bury his wife and his children during his lifetime ; he
who sins purposely, the decree of Divine judgment wdll be
sealed against him ; he who sins unwittingly is not in a
good moral condition.
(10) What benefit has a man by sinning? his ultimate
end is to quit this world for another, to go from light to
darkness, from life to death, from sleep which is sweet to a
sleep that is troubled ; he is a prey for the w^orms ; he passes
from sweet dainties to the taste of dust ; from beautiful
garments to the shroud in the grave. But this is not all :
he moreover loses his soul. Many rich men have lost their
souls through their riches, such as Dathan and Abiram;
and the wisdom of many a wise man has caused him to come
to grief, as, for instance, Ahitophel, Doeg the Edomite, and
Balaam, the wicked one. Likewise many mighty men have
existed whose power has been the cause of their fall, as
Samson, Abner, Asael, and Joab. Many also have reared
26 [X. 10
sons, but have had no joy from them, as Aaron, the High
Priest, who had no joy from Nadab and Abihu. All this
applies equally to the righteous as well as the wicked ; death
overtakes them all. There were also many beautiful ones,
whose beauty was the cause of their downfall, such as
Absalom and Adonijah ben Hagith. There have been many
elders of the community who have departed this life
without honour, such as the great Sanhedrin in the time of
Zedekiah, who were slain by Nebuchadnezzar. And again,
how many young people have been snatched away from their
bridal canopy ! (11) Thus, what advantage can possibly
accrue to man by robbing and stealing ? for, although he
may thereby derive some temporal comfort, he must never-
theless render account and reckoning before God. What
benefit can man's joy be to him when it brings sorrow and
grief upon him ? What benefit is it for a man to inspire
fear, since punishment will overtake him ? What benefit
his proud strut if it brings pains upon him ? What benefit
his evil meditation, which brings in its train many kinds of
death ? What benefit his deception, which dashes his
prosperity to the ground ? On account of this the righteous
and the pious have no desire whatever for this world which
is fleeting. But how do we know that this world is fleeting ?
Because it is said, ' For a wind has passed over it, and it is
no more.'
(12) On the other hand, he is heir to the future world
who keeps aloof from strife, from evil talk, from cause-
less hatred, from inciting quarrels, who is truly modest,
who is devout in his prayer, and confesses his sins before
God. He it is who is loved by God. Therefore the
righteous have resolved to claim no honours, and to refrain
from pleasure. They have therefore placed a check upon
their eyes, their mouths, their hands, and their feet, to
prevent them from doing evil. The eye which does not
sin is worthy to behold the face of the Divine glory, as it
is said, ' Thine eyes shall behold the King in his beauty.'
The heart that does not sin shall be worthy to see the
Divine glory with abundant joy. The hand that does not
XI. 4] 27
sin will be worthy of receiving every reward, as it is said,
' Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and give
him mastery in his arm.' The mouth that does not sin
will be worthy of singing praises before God, as it is
written, ' And thou shalt say. On that day I will praise
Thee, 0 God.'
XI. (1) K. Abahu told the parable of three different
men. One tills the ground, another works in silver and
gold, and the third studies the law. When the time
approaches for him who tills the ground to die, he says to
his household, ' Give me some of my work, so that I do
not go to the next world empty-handed.' To which they
reply, ' Thou art foohsh. Hast thou not worked the field?
and Scripture has already said, " The earth and its fulness
belong to God," therefore thou hast nothing of thine own
to bring.'
(2) When the end of him who works in silver and gold
arrives, he says to his household, ' Give me some of my
labour (work), that I may not go to the next world empty-
handed.' But they reply, ' Thou art fooHsh. Thou hast
worked in this world in silver and gold. Scripture has
already said, " Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold, saith
the Lord ;" therefore thou hast nothing of thine own to bring.'
(3) When the time arrives for him who studies the law
(Torah) to quit this world, he says to his household, ' Give
me of my labour, that I may not go to the next world
empty-handed.' To him they say, '0 thou pious and
righteous man, how can we give thee (the fruits) of thy
labour ? Hast thou not constantly occupied thyself with the
law? But God will grant thee the reward of thy work, and
shall receive thee with good grace. The ministering angels
shall go forth to meet thee and exclaim, " Come thou in
peace ;" and concerning thee Scripture says, " Then shall
thy light break forth as the morning." '
(4) Kabbi Jose says, ' If thou desirest to know the reward
of the righteous in the world to come, come hither and
learn it from what has befallen Adam. He was commanded
to perform an easy precept, and because he transgressed it.
28 [XI. 5
God punished him and all subsequent generations with
many kinds of death. Therefore the sages have said that,
on the contrary, whoever studies and observes the law
and performs good deeds shall be delivered from the
punishment of Gehinnom and the sorrows of the grave.'
E. Abahu mentions one of the proverbial sayings of Eabbi
Isaac that the end of man is death, the end of animals
is slaughter, and all are destined to die. (5) E. Jose
says, ' Come hither and see the difference existing between
man and animals ; the latter are slain and flayed, and
are not subjected to any judgment : whilst with refer-
ence to man, how many chastisements and troubles does
he bear in this world; and after his death, if he is a
righteous man, his judgment is delayed ; but if he is wicked,
he is brought before the tribunal every year between
Passover and Pentecost, as it is said, "And they shall go
forth and look upon the carcases of the men, and it shall
be at every new moon." (6) After man's death he is seen
by all the other dead, and he appears to each just as they
last saw him alive : some see him as a youth, others as an
old man, just as each saw him before his own death, so that
they should not think that any man lives for ever, and say
when we were among the living we saw this or that man,
and now how many hundreds of years have passed since we
have seen them alive ? (7) Therefore, when one dies the
angel who guards the dead makes his soul assume various
forms, so that all shall recognise him by seeing him just as
they saw him in life. Then, in the event of one being con-
demned afterwards to Gehinnom, he is enveloped with
smoke and brimstone, so that one should not see the
punishment of the other ; and none should be put to shame
before the other, except those who have publicly put others
to shame.'
(8) Every man after death is brought to judgment, even
if he should belong to the section of the righteous, stilL
after a time his sins are visited. Thus Samuel said to
Saul, ' To-morrow thou shalt be in my division.' Was
not Samuel in Eamah, and Saul in another place ? The
XII. 6] 29
explanation is that he (Samuel) referred to the soul when
he said, ' Thou wilt be with me in my division.' And we
see that after a long lapse of time the house of Saul was
judged on account of Saul and on account of the house of
blood. Thus, the house of Saul was visited. Although he
was called ' the chosen of the Lord,' yet His seed was
judged.
XII. (1) E. Isaac ben Parnach has said that all man's
iniquities are engraved upon his bones, as it is said, ' Their
iniquities shall be upon their bones,' and all his merits
shall be engraved upon his right hand, as it is said, ' The
Lord is thy guard and thy protection on thy right hand.'
(2) E. Joshua ben Levi says that man's merits and sins
are not testified to until the day of his death. Even
frivolous conversation, which is not accounted as a sin, is
mentioned only at the time of his death, as it is said, ' For
behold He who has formed the mountains and created
the wind will tell man what his conversation hath been.'
(3) Thus at his death three ministering angels come to
him, one the angel of death, one a scribe, and a third who
is appointed to accompany them. They say to him, ' Arise,
for thy end has come.' To which he replies, ' I shall not
rise, for my end has not yet arrived.' (4) Then the scribe
proceeds to number his days and years. At that moment
the man opens his eyes and sees the angel of death,
whose length extends from one end of the world to the
other ; he quakes exceedingly and falls upon his face. (5)
From the sole of his (the angel's) foot to the croAvn of his
head he is full of eyes, his clothing is of fire, his covering
of fire, he is surrounded by fire, he is all fire. In his hand
he carries a fiery blade, from which hangs a bitter drop.
This drop causes first death, then decomposition and the
lividness of appearance, but man does not die until he has
seen God, as it is said, ' For no man shall see Me and live ;'
but when he dies he shall see Him, as it is said, ' Before
Him there shall bend all those who go down to the dust
when he ceases to live.' (6) Then the man confesses every-
thing he has done in the world. His mouth bears witness.
30 [XII. 7
and the Lord writes it down. * By Myself have I sworn,
saith the Lord, that from My mouth shall go forth
righteousness.' (7) If he is a man of perfect righteousness
his soul is handed over to its owner. But if a man of
consummate wickedness, he stiffens his neck and allows his
evil inclination to prevail over him ; hence the sages have
said that a wicked man's evil inclination prevails over him
even at his death. (8) E. Eliezer has said that just as he
is stiffnecked in this world so is he at the Day of Judgment,
as it is said, ' The wicked shall see and be angry.' (9) At
the death of the righteous man three companies of
ministering angels come to him. The first company says,
'A righteous man has perished from the earth.' The
second company says, * Let him in peace come and rest
upon their couches.' The third company says, * He goeth
the straight path.' (10) But at the death of the wicked
five angels of destruction come to him and say, ' The
wicked shall return to SheoL'
The Beating of the Grave.
XIII. (1) K. Eliezer's pupils asked him, 'What judgment
is there in the grave ?' He replied, ' When a man quits
Ijhis world, the angel of death comes to him and sits by his
grave, and beating it with his hands, says, " Tell me thy
name." "Flesh and blood is my name. It is revealed
and known to Him who said, and the world was. But I do
not know what my name is." Then immediately the soul
re-enters his body. He stands up and is brought to judg-
ment.' (2) Pi. Joshua ben Levi says, ' They bring a chain
of iron, half of it burning like fire, half as cold as ice, and
they beat him with it. At the first stroke his limbs get
separated ; at the second, his bones are scattered. Then
the ministering angels gather them together, and re-
storing him, beat him a third time, and demand of him an
account and reckoning, and judge him measure for measure.
(3) On the second day they judge him in the same manner.
(4) On the third day they judge him further, and they
XIII. 6] 31
punish his two eyes, his two hands, his two feet and his
two ears, his mouth and his tongue. Why are his eyes
punished ? Because he looked with them upon transgres-
sion. Why his ears ? Because he heard sinful utterances
with them. Why his lips ? Because he uttered with them
words of foolishness. And why his tongue ? Because he
has testified falsely with it. Why his two hands ? He
committed violence and robbery with them. Why his two
legs ? Because he hastened with them to transgression.'
E. Jehudah says, ' Whoever has gone to a married woman
shall hang ignominiously in Gehinnom ; and whoever
slanders his neighbour shall be suspended by his tongue.
(5) E. Meir, in the name of E. Joshua, says, ' The judgment
in the grave is more severe than that in Gehinnom, for in
Gehinnom only they are judged who are thirteen years
old and upwards ; but in the grave, stillborn children and
perfectly righteous men, and even sucklings, are brought
to judgment.' Hence the sages have said, ' He who
dwells in the land of Israel and dies on Sabbath eve at
the time of the blowing of the Shofar, as long as the sun
shines he shall not see the judgment in the grave ; whilst
he who loves righteousness and chastisement, charitable
deeds and hospitality to strangers, although not living in
the land of Israel, shall see neither the judgment of the
grave nor that in Gehinnom, as it is said, " From the midst
of trouble I called to God, and He answered me." " From
my trouble " refers to the beating in the grave. " From the
depth of Sheol I cried." This refers to the punishment in
Gehinnom.' (6) Ben Azay says, ' There are three kinds
of punishments, one more severe than the other; more-
over, they are all inflicted in the presence of God.' 'But,'
asks E. Aqiba, ' are they all in God's presence ?' ' Verily
the angels inflict the punishment in the grave and also that
in Gehinnom, but only the punishment of heaven alone is
inflicted in the presence of God !' Three days are given
over to the punishment in the grave, three days to that in
Gehinnom, and three days to the punishment in heaven.
If there is no charge against a man, he is not brought up
32 [XIII. 7
for judgment ; but if there are charges against him, the
judgment may last long. (7) The punishment of trans-
gressing Israelites is twelve months in Gehinnom, as it is
said, ' And it shall come to pass at the renewal of the new
moon and at the renewal of the Sabbath.' Just as the
weeks form a cycle, so the months form an annual cycle,
and then shall all flesh prostrate themselves before God.
E. Johanan ben Nuri says, ' The time extends from Passover
until Pentecost, as it is said, " And from one festival to
the other," during which the sabbaths are counted.'
Some sinners are judged in Gehinnom from Passover until
Pentecost, after which time they are acquitted ; others,
again, such as the consummately wicked of Israel, obtain
no rest for the whole twelve months ; (8) while others who
have violated the whole of the law and the precepts and
have sinned against the law of God, going the idolatrous
way of the nations, shall have their bodies and souls burnt.
Gehinnom vomits them out, and the north wind scatters
them, so that they become ashes under the soles of the
feet of the righteous, as it is said, ' And on account of
the doings of the wicked, behold they shall become ashes
beneath your feet on the day when I execute judgment.'
(9) Further, those who leave the community, the apostates,
traitors, renegades, scoffers, those who despise the festivals,
deny the resurrection of the dead and the divinity of the
law, are swallowed up by Gehinnom ; the doors are locked
upon them, and there they are left a prey to eternal
punishment, as it is said, ' And they go forth and look
upon the carcasses of those that have transgressed against
Me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched.'
This is the Description of Gehinnom (Hell).
XIV. (1) Who can stand before its might, who can with-
stand the fury of its wrath ? E. Abahu opened his homily
with the verse : ' Aluqah has two daughters called Hab,
Hab.' E. Eliezer says that these are the two bands of
XIV. 7] 33
angels that stand at the gates of Gehinnom and say, ' Come !
come !' Why is it called Gehinnom (Valley of Wailing) ?
Because the voice of its wailing traverses the world from
one end to the other. And why is it called ' Tofteh '
(Enticer) ? Because all enter therein enticed by their evil
inclination.
(2) E. Johanan began his homily with the verse, ' Passing
through the valley of weeping, they make it a valley of
springs.' This means to say that the sinner confesses, just
as the leper confesses ; and he says : ' I have committed
such and such a transgression in that place, on that day,
in the presence of So-and-so, in that society.'
(3) Hell has three gates : one at the sea, the other in the
wilderness, and the third in the inhabited part of the world.
That at the sea is alluded to in Jonah : ' Out of the belly
of Sheol cried I, and thou heardest my voice.' That of the
wilderness is alluded to in Numbers : * So they and all that
appertained to them went down alive unto Sheol.' And
that in the inhabited portion of the world in Isaiah :
' Saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion and His furnace in
Jerusalem.'
(4) Five different kinds of fires are in hell : one devours
and absorbs, another absorbs and does not devour, while
another, again, neither devours nor absorbs. There is
further fire devouring fire. (5) There are coals big as
mountains, and coals big as hills, and coals huge like unto
the Dead Sea, and coals like huge stones. There are rivers
of pitch and sulphur flowing and fuming and seething.
(6) The punishment of the sinner is thus : The angels of
destruction throw him to the flame of hell ; this opens its
mouth wide and swallows him, as it is said, ' Therefore
Sheol hath enlarged her desire and opened her mouth
without measure, and their glory and their multitude and
their pomp, and he that rejoices among them, descends into
it.' This all happens to him who has not done one single
pious act which would incline the balance towards mercy ;
(7) whilst that man who possesses many virtues and good
actions and learning, and who has suffered much, he is
3
34 [XIV. 8
saved from hell, as it is said, ' Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for
Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff shall comfort
me.' 'Thy rod' means the suffering, and 'Thy staff'
signifies the law.
(8) E. Johanan began : ' The eyes of the wicked shall fail,
and refuge is perished from them, and their hope shall be
the giving up of the ghost.' That means, a body which is
never destroyed, and whose soul enters a fire which is never
extinguished ; of these speaks also the verse, ' For their
worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched.'
XV. (1) E. Joshua, son of Levi, said, ' Once upon a time
I was walking on my way, when I met the prophet Elijah.
He said to me, " Would you like to be brought to the gate of
hell ?" I answered, " Yes !" So he showed me men hanging
by their hair ; and he said to me, " These were the men that
let their hair grow to adorn themselves for sin." Others were
hanging by their eyes ; these were they that followed their
eyes to sin, and did not set God before them. Others
were hanging by their noses; these were they that per-
fumed themselves to sin. Others were hanging by their
tongues ; these were they that had slandered. Others were
hanging by their hands ; these were they that had stolen
and robbed. Others were hanging ignominiously ; these
were they that had committed adultery. Others were
hanging by their feet ; these were they that had run to sin.
He showed me women hanging by their breasts ; these
were they that uncovered their breasts before men, to make
them sin. (2) He showed me further men that were fed on
fiery coals ; these were they who had blasphemed. Others
w^ere forced to eat bitter gall ; these were they that ate on
fast-days. (3) He showed me further men eating fine sand ;
they are forced to eat it, and their teeth are broken ; and
the Almighty says to them, " 0 ye sinners ! when you used
to eat that which you stole and robbed it was sweet in your
mouth ; now you are not able to eat even this," as it
is said, " Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked "
(4) He showed me further men who are thrown from fire to
XV. 8] 35
snow, and from snow to fire ; these were they that abused
the poor who came to them for assistance ; therefore are
they thus punished, as it is said, " Thou hast caused men
to ride over our heads ; we went through fire and through
water." He showed me others who were driven from
mountain to mountain, as a shepherd leads the flock from
one mountain to another. Of these speaks the verse :
'' They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be
their shepherd, and the upright shall have the dominion
over them in the morning, and their form shall be for
Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for it." '
(5) K. Johanan said. For every sin there is an angel ap-
pointed to obtain the expiation thereof ; one comes first
and obtains his expiation, then follows another, and so on
until all the sins are expiated. As with a debtor who has
many creditors, and who come before the king to claim
their debts, and the king delivers him to them, and says,
' Take him and divide him between yourselves,' so also is
the soul delivered in hell to cruel angels, and they divide it
among themselves.
(6) Three descend to hell for ever, and do not ascend any
more — the man who commits adultery, who blames his
neighbour in public, and who is guilty of perjury. Others
say, Those who seek honour for themselves by slandering
their neighbours, and those who make intrigues between
man and wife in order to create strife among them.
(7) On the eve of the Sabbath the sinners are led to two
mountains of snow, where they are left until the end of the
Sabbath, when they are taken back from there and brought
again to their former places. An angel comes and thrusts
them back to their former place in hell. Some of them
take, however, snow and hide it in their armpits to cool
them during the six days of the week, but the Almighty
says unto them, ' Woe unto you who steal even in hell,'
as it is said, ' Draught and heat consume the snow waters,
in Sheol they sin.' That means to say, ' They sin even in
Sheol.'
(8) Every twelvemonth the sinners are burned to ashes,
3—2
36 [XVI. I
and the wind disperses them and carries those ashes under
the feet of the just, as it is said, ' And ye shall tread down
the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the sole of your
feet.' Afterwards, the soul is returned to them, and they
come out black as the blackness of a pot, and they acknow-
ledge the justice of their punishment, and say, ' Thou hast
rightly sentenced us and rightly judged us. With Thee is
righteousness and with us shame, as it is with us to-day.'
XVI. (1) There are five kinds of punishment in hell, and
Isaiah, the son of Amos, saw them all. He entered the first
compartment and saw there two men carrying pails full of
water on their shoulders, and they pour that water into a
pit, which, however, never fills. Isaiah said to God, ' 0
Thou who unveilest all that is hidden, unveil to me the
secret of this.' And the Spirit of the Lord answered,
' These are the men who coveted the property of their
neighbours, and this is their punishment.'
(2) He entered the second compartment, and he saw two
men hanging by their tongues ; and he said, ' 0 Thou who
unveilest the hidden, reveal to me the secret of this.' He
answered, ' These are the men who slandered, therefore
they are thus punished.'
(3) He entered the third compartment, and he saw there
men hanging by their organs. He said, ' 0 Thou who
unveilest the hidden, reveal to me the secret of this.'
And He answered, ' These are the men who neglected their
own wives, and committed adultery with the daughters of
Israel.'
(4) He entered the fourth compartment and saw there
women hanging by their breasts, and he said, ' 0 Thou
who unveilest the hidden, reveal to me the secret of this.'
And He answered, ' These are the women who uncovered
their hair and rent their veil, and sat in the open market-
place to suckle their children, in order to attract the gaze
of men and to make them sin ; therefore they are punished
thus.'
(5) He entered the fifth compartment, and found it full
of smoke. There were all the princes, chiefs, and great
XVII. 1] 37
men, and Pharaoh, the wicked, presides over them and
watches at the gate of hell, and he saith unto them, ' Why
did you not learn from me when I was in Egypt ?' Thus
he sits there and watches at the gates of hell.
(6) There are seven compartments in hell, and in each
of them are 7,000 rooms, in each room 7,000 windows, in
each window (recess) there are 7,000 vessels filled with
venom, all destined for slanderous writers and iniquitous
judges. It is to that that Solomon alludes when he says,
' And thou mournest at thy latter end when thy flesh and
thy body are consumed.'
(7) The other nations, however, and the idolators are
punished in the seven compartments of hell, in each com-
partment for a twelvemonth. And the river ' Dinur '
floweth from beneath the throne of glory and falleth over
the heads of the sinners, and the sound travels from one
end of the world to the other.'
(8) All these punishments are prepared for the apostates,
for those who deny the resurrection of the dead, for the rene-
gades, slanderers, and traitors. Of these King Solomon said,
' Their end shall be as bitter as wormwood.' None of these
are saved unless they repent, acquire learning, and perform
pious deeds. But at the end the Almighty will have pity
on all His creatures, as it is said, ' For I will not contend
for ever, neither will I be always wroth, for the spirit shall
pass before Me and the souls which I have made.'
XVII. (1) There are besides in every compartment 7,000
holes (crevices), and in every hole there are 7,000 scorpions.
Every scorpion has 300 slits (cavities) ; in every slit are 7,000
pouches of venom, and from each of these flow six rivers of
deadly poison. When a man touches it, he immediately
bursts, every limb is torn from him, his body is cleft asunder,
and he falls dead upon his face. The angels of destruction
collect his limbs, set them aright, and revive the man and
place him upon his feet, and take their revenge upon him
anew. This takes place in the uppermost compartment,
which is called Sheol. The height thereof is 300 years'
journey, the width 300 years' journey, and its length the
same.
38 [XVII. 2
(2) The second compartment is Beer Shahat, of the same
height, width, and length. The third is Tit-Hayaven, of
equal size. The fourth is Shaare Mavet, of the same size.
The fifth, Abadon, of the same size. The sixth, Shaare
Salmavet, of the same size. The seventh, Gehinnom, of
the same size. Thus the length of hell is altogether 6,300
years' journey. [We read further that the fire of Gehinnom
is one-sixtieth of the fire of Sha'are Salmavet, and so of
every consecutive compartment till the fire of SheoL]
Sheol consists half of fire and half of hail (ice), and when
the sinners contained therein emerge from the fire they are
tortured by the hail (ice), and when they emerge from the
hail (ice) the fire burns them, and the angels who preside
over them keep their souls within their bodies. As it is said,
' For their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched.'
(3) Every day the angel of death comes and drives them
on like cattle from mountain to valley and from valley to
mountain, as it is said, ' They are sent down to Sheol like
sheep ; death acts like a shepherd unto them.' The angels
of destruction punish the sinners for twelve months in
Gehinnom. After twelve months they revive their bodies
and lower them to Shaare Mavet, where they are again
punished for twelve months. Thence they are lowered into
Shaare Salmavet, and after twelve months' punishment
the}^ are lowered into Tit-Hayaven, and again after twelve
months' punishment they are lowered into Beer Shahat.
Thence, after the same lapse of time, to Abadon, and finally,
after twelve months' punishment, they are lowered thence
into Sheol, where they are seen by the righteous, who say,
' 0 Lord, who art merciful to all Thy creatures, let it be
enough for them!' But God answers, 'It is not yet
enough, for they have destroyed My temple, and have sold
My children as slaves among the nations.' Thence they are
lowered to Arqa, and placed beneath the river of fire that
flows from beneath the heavenly throne, and he who is
lowered into Arqa ascends no more.
(4) Above Arqa is Tehom, and above Tehom is Tohu.
XVIII. 2] 39
Above this is Bohu, and above Bohu is the sea, and above
the bottom of the sea are the ^Yaters. Above the ^Yaters is
the inhabited world, on the surface of which rise the moun-
tains and dales. This earth is inhabited by man and beasts,
by the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. Therein is
law, charity, and piety, and the fear of the Lord.
(5) At the time of judgment 6,000 angels of trembling
surround man and lead him to the place of judgment,
where they weigh his merit and his guilt in the balance.
Then if his guilt turns the scale they lead him to Gehinnom
and hand him over to the angels of terror, and these again
to the angels of anguish, and these to the angels of trembling ;
the angels of trembling then to the angels of destruction,
who hand him over to the angel of death. He throws him
into the depth of Gehinnom, as it is said, 'And the angel
of the Lord pushes him.'
(6) If, however, his merits turn the scale, they lead him
to the gates of Paradise and hand him over to the minister-
ing angels, who hand him over to the angels of peace, and
these to the angels of mercy, who bestow great honour
upon him in the Garden of Eden.
Paradise.
XVIII. (1) Pi. Joshua, son of Levi, tells, ' Paradise has
two gates of carbuncle, and sixty myriads of ministering
angels keep watch over them. Each of these angels shines
with the lustre of the heavens. When the just man
approaches them they divest him of the clothes in which he
had been buried, and clothe him with eight cloths, woven
out of clouds of glory, and place upon his head two crowns,
one of precious stones and pearls, and the other of gold,
and they place eight myrtles in his hand and praise him,
and say to him, " Go and eat thy bread with joy." And
they lead him to a place full of rivers (waters) surrounded
by 800 species of roses and myrtles. Each one has a
canopy according to his merits, as it is said, " For over all
the glory shall be spread a canopy."
(2) ' And through it flow four rivers, one of oil, the other of
40 [XVIII. 3
balsam, the third of wine, and the fourth of honey. Every
canopy is overgrown by a vine of gold, and thirty pearls
hang down from it, each of them shining like the morning
star. (3) In every canopy there is a table of precious stones
and pearls, and sixty angels stand at the head of every
just man, saying unto him, " Go and eat with joy of the
honey, for thou hast worked assiduously in the law," of
which it is said, " And it is sweeter than honey," " and drink
of the wine preserved from the six days of Creation, for
thou hast worked in the law which is compared with the
wine," as it is said, " I would cause thee to drink of spiced
wine." The least fair of them is as beautiful as Joseph
and Johanan, and as the grains of the pomegranate lit
up by the rays of the sun. There is no night, as it is
said, " And the light of the righteous is as the shining
light."
(4) ' And they undergo four transformations according to
the four watches of the day. In the first watch the just is
changed into a child, and he enters the compartment of
children and tastes the joys of childhood. In the second
watch he is changed into a youth, and there he enjoys the
delights of youth. In the third watch he becomes a middle-
aged man and rejoices accordingly. In the fourth watch
he is changed into an old man: he enters the compartment
of the old and enjoys the pleasures of mature age.
(5) ' In Paradise there are eighty myriads of trees in every
corner ; the meanest among them choicer than a garden of
spices. In every corner there are sixty myriads of angels
singing with sweet voices, and the tree of life stands in the
middle and overshadoweth the whole of Paradise ; and it
has 500 tastes, each different from the others, and the per-
fumes thereof vary likewise. (6) Over it hang seven clouds
of glory, and the winds blow from all the four corners and
waft its many odours from one end of the world to the
other. Underneath sit the scholars and explain the law.
These have each two canopies, one of stars and the other
of sun and moon, and clouds of glory separate one from
the other. Within this is the Eden containing 310 worlds,
XIX. 3] 41
as it is said, " That I may cause those that love Me to
inherit Substance " (Prov. viii. 21) [the numerical value of
the Hebrew word (l*'^) Substance is equivalent to 310] .
(7) ' Here are the seven compartments of the just. In the
first are the martyrs, as, for instance, E. 'Aqiba and his
companions. In the second, those who were drowned. In
the third, K. Johanan ben Zakkai and his disciples. The
fourth group consists of those who were covered by the
cloud of glory. The fifth group is that of the penitents, for
the place occupied by a penitent not even a perfectly just
man can occupy. The sixth group is that of children who
have not yet tasted sin in their lives. The seventh group
is that of the poor, who, notwithstanding their poverty,
studied the law and the Talmud, and had followed a moral
life. Of these speaks the verse, " For all that put their
trust in Thee rejoice, and they shout for ever for joy.'
(8) ' And God Almighty sitteth in their midst, and
expounds to them the law, as it is said, " Mine eyes shall be
upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with Me."
And God hath not yet fully unveiled the glory which
awaiteth the pious in the world to come, as it is said, " The
eye hath not seen, 0 God, beside Thee, that which Thou
workest for him that waiteth for Him." '
XIX. (1) The sages tell that the dead have a large
habitation, in front of which there flows a brook from the
Garden of Eden, and by the side of this brook is a field.
On every Sabbath eve between the afternoon and evening
services the souls of the dead go forth from their secret
abode and eat on this field and drink from this brook, (2) and
every Israelite who drinks water between the afternoon
and evening services of the Sabbath robs the dead. When
the congregation on Sabbath eve exclaim, ' Bless the Lord,
who is blessed,' they return to their graves, and God
revives them, and causes them to stand upon their feet
alive ; (3) and all the dead of Israel rest on the Sabbath,
and all stand up alive from their graves, and great
multitudes come before God and sing praises unto Him
upon their graves, and going to the synagogues, prostrate
42 [XIX. 4
themselves before Him, as it is said, ' The pious exult in
honour, and they sing upon their resting-places.'
(4) Every Sabbath and every new moon they rise from
their graves, and coming before the Divine Presence,
prostrate themselves before Him, as it is said, ' And the
people of the earth shall worship Me, on Sabbaths and on
the new moons.' What is meant by the people of the
earth ? Those who are hidden in the earth, as it is written,
' And it shall come to pass that on each new moon and
upon each Sabbath all flesh shall come to worship Me.'
XX. (1) There are nine palaces in the Garden of Eden,
*and all of them consist of well-built houses with upper
chambers, and the length of the houses is sixty myriads of
miles. Each one of them is presided over by sixty myriads
of ministering angels, and in each of these houses there are
well-arranged canopies made of species of rose and myrtle
trees. Every pious man has his place allotted to him
according to his deeds, and to their appointed places the
ministering angels lead them. There the angels of mercy
dance and sing praises before him, as it is mentioned above.
(2) In the midst of the Garden of Eden there are sixty
myriads of species of trees, the fruit of which the pupils of the
sages eat. There the light of the righteous is as the light of
the sun, and sixty myriads of ministering angels attend them
and feed them, while sixty myriads of angels of mercy sing
and dance before them, and they bring spiced wine and the
juice of the pomegranates, which they drink with delight.
(3) E. Joshua ben Levi said, ' I saw in the Garden of Eden
ten companies and (well) built houses, each one of which
was twelve myriads of miles in length, one hundred and
ten myriads of miles in breadth, and one hundred myriads
of miles in height. (4) The first house was opposite the
first entrance of the Garden of Eden, wherein there dwelt
those proselytes who had converted themselves (to the
Jewish religion) from love. The beams thereof were of
white glass, and the walls thereof of cedar-wood. When I
went to measure it, all the proselytes stood up and tried to
prevent me, when Obadiah immediately rose and said to
XX. 9] 43
them, " Happy would ye be if you should be deemed ^Yorthy
to dwell with such a righteous man." They thereupon
allowed me to measure it. (5) The second house, corre-
sponding with the second gate, is built of silver and its walls
of cedar ; therein do the penitent dwell, presided over by
Manasseh. (6) The third house is built of gold and
silver, wherein are to be found all the good things of
heaven and earth, and wherein every kind of food and
drink is arranged. In this house Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob dwell, as well as those who died in the wilderness —
the generation of the wilderness, all the sons of Jacob, and
the twelve tribes, with Moses and Aaron presiding over all
of them. There also are David and Solomon and Caleb,
who is alive, and every generation except those of Absalom
and Korah. (7) I saw there precious stones, beds of gold
and of precious stones, and couches and prepared lights.
David exclaimed, " These are prepared for my children, who
dwell in the world from which I have come." I then said
to him, " Are not all the Israelites here ?" At this our
ancestor Jacob interposed and said, " All Israel are my
children, and they are not like the other nations of the
world, nor are they like the children of Abraham, my
(grand)father, nor like the children of Esau, my brother ;
for whosoever of these performs good deeds in the world
from which thou comest is rewarded there, and afterwards
descends to Gehinnom ; but my children, even the wicked
among them, though they are punished, it is only during
their lifetime, but after death they inherit the Garden of
Eden." (8j The fourth house is built corresponding to the
first man (Adam) : its walls are of olive-wood, and those who
dwell there are those who, though they have been punished
in this world, have not rebelled against Providence. Why
is this house built of olive-wood ? Because their life had
been bitter to them as olive-wood. (9) The fifth house is
built of onyx stones and of precious stones. Its walls are
of gold, and of fine gold, and it is perfumed with balsam.
Thence the river Gihon flows forth and illumines the
upper world ; a fragrance breathes through it, which is
44 [XX. 9
more exquisite than the perfume of Lebanon. There
are couches of gold and silver, covered with blue, purple,
and vermilion covers woven together. In this place dwells
the Messiah, the son of David and Elijah the Tishbite,
and there is a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon, which
Moses made in the wilderness [i.e., the Tabernacle],
covered (overlaid) with silver. Its floor is of gold and
its seat of purple, and in the midst of this palanquin
sits the Messiah, the son of David, the beloved one
of the daughters of Jerusalem. Elijah takes him by his
head, and placing him in his bosom, holds him and says,
"Bear the judgment, 0 my master, for the end is near."
(10) And every Monday and Thursday and every Sabbath
and holy -day the patriarchs and the pious and the tribes,
Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, and all the kings of
the house of David, come to him, and, weeping, take hold of
him and say, " Oh, bear thou the judgment of thy Master,
for the end is near." Korah and his company and Absalom
come also to him every Thursday, and ask, " When is the
end to come? When wilt thou return and bring us to
life ?" To which he replies, " Go ye to your ancestors and
ask them." They are then abashed, and do not go to ask
them. When I came before the Messiah, the son of David,
he asked and said, " What are my children doing in the
captivity ?" And I answered, " Every day they await
thee in their captivity among the nations of the world,
which oppress them." He then lifted up his voice and
wept.
XXI. (1) ' After this I implored him and said, " Do
thou show me Gehinnom, which I desire to behold." But
he would not allow me. And I said unto him, "Why
wilt thou not let me see it ?" To which the Messiah
answered and said, "It is not meet for the righteous to see
it, for there are no righteous people in hell." (2) I then
forthwith sent to the angel Qipud that he might measure
hell from beginning to end ; but he was not able to do so,
because at that time E. Ishmael, E. Shim'on, son of Gamliel,
and ten other pious men were put to death. I tried, but
XXI. 6] 45
could not succeed. (3) After this, I went to the angel
Qip5d, who went with me until I came before the fire at the
gates of hell. The Messiah (also) went wdth me, and when
the wicked in hell saw the light of the Messiah, they rejoiced
and said, " This one will bring us forth from this fire." They
showed me then a compartment in hell, which I entered,
and, going round it, I measured it.' (4) R. Joshua said,
' When I measured the first compartment of hell, I found
it to be one mile in length and breadth, and behold, there
were many open pits in which were lions, and the lions
were of fire. There were also two brooks, and when the
wicked people fall therein, they are swallowed up, and
lions of fire standing above cast them into the fire.
(5) When I measured the second, I found it as the first,
and I asked the same questions as I asked about the first,
and they made the same reply. There were in it some of
the nations of the world, presided over by Absalom, and
one nation says to the other, " If we have sinned, it is be-
cause we did not wish to accept the law ; but you, wdiat sin
have you committed?" And they reply, "We have com-
mitted the same sin as you." And they say to Absalom,
" If thou hast not listened, thy ancestors have done so.
And why hast thou then been punished in such a manner?"
" Because," he replied, " I did not listen to the exhorta-
tions of my father." (6) An angel stands with a rod of
fire, and this angel that smites them is named Qushiel.
He orders the other angels to throw them down and to
burn them, and one by one they are brought in, and after
smiting them, they are cast upon the fire and burned
until all the people have been consumed. After this,
Absalom is brought in to.be smitten, when a voice is heard
to say, " Do not smite him nor burn him because he is one
of the sons of those whom I love, who said on Mount Sinai,
' We shall do, and w^e shall hear.' " After they have
finished smiting and burning the wicked these emerge from
the fire just as if they had not been burnt; they are then
smitten again, and again thrust into the fire, and this is
repeated seven times every day and three times every
46 [XXI. 7
night. But Absalom is saved from all this because he is
one of the sons of David. (7) The third compartment
contains seven nations of the world, who are judged in the
same manner, and Korah and his company are with them.
The name of him who smites them is Shabtil (b^ton::^). But
Korah and his company are saved from all this, because
they exclaimed on Mount Sinai, "We shall do, and we shall
hear." (8) The fourth compartment contains four nations
of the world, with Jeroboam to preside over them, and the
one who smites them is named Maktiel. But Jeroboam is
delivered from all these punishments, because he descended
from those who exclaimed, "We shall do, and we shall
hearken." (9) In the fifth house they are judged likewise.
It contains seven nations, with Ahab among them, and he
who smites them is named Hushiel. But Ahab is delivered
from all this, because his ancestors said on Mount Sinai,
" We shall do, and we shall hearken." (10) The sixth house,
containing ten nations of the world, is judged likewise, and
Micah is among them, and the angel who smites them is
named Parhiel ('psms). But Micah is rescued from all this,
because his ancestors also exclaimed on Mount Sinai, "We
shall do, and we shall hear." (11) The seventh compartment
contains six nations of the world, which are judged in the
same manner, and among them is EHsha ben Abuya ; and so
in all the compartments. But one cannot see the other on
account of the darkness, for the darkness that existed
before the creation of the world is now there.'
XXII. (1) Before Adam gave the animals their names
God brought them before the angels, and said to them,
'Give names to everyone;' but they could not. God
thereupon brought them before Adam, and he gave them the
names by which they were ever afterwards known. Then
God said to the angels, ' Were you not saying, "What is
man, that Thou shouldst remember him " ? Now his wisdom
is greater than yours!' The angels then began to envy
him, saying, ' Indeed, God will now love him more than He
does us ; if we can entice him to sin he will be destroyed
from the earth. (2) Forthwith Samael, the angel of death,
XXII. 5] 47
descended and looked at every creature, but he could find
none as cunning and malignant as the serpent. The
serpent then went to Eve, and began to speak of various
things, until he broached the tree. ' Is it true,' he said,
' that God commanded you not to eat of any tree in the
garden ?' ' No ; He only forbade us the one tree, which
stands in the midst of the garden ; we are not allowed to
eat of its fruit, nor touch it, for on the day that we touch
it we shall die.' (3) The serpent laughed at her, saying,
' It is only out of jealousy that God has said this, for He
well knows that if you eat thereof your eyes will be opened,
and you will know how to create the world just as He.
Indeed, who can believe that for that thou shouldst die ?
Forsooth, I shall go and pluck (gather) some fruit.' The
serpent accordingly stood on his feet and shook the tree, so
that some of the fruit fell upon the ground ; and the tree
cried, '0 wicked one, do not touch me!' (4) When Eve
saw the serpent touch the tree and not die, she said to herself,
that the words of her husband were false. Therefore, on
seeing that the fruit was beautiful, she desired it and ate of
it. As soon as she had eaten thereof her teeth were set
on edge, and she saw the angel of death with drawn sword
standing before her. She then said in her heart, ' Woe
unto me that I have eaten of this death, for now I will die ;
and Adam, my husband, who has not eaten of it will live
for ever, and God will couple him with another woman. It
is better that we die together, for God has created us
together even unto death.' So when her husband came she
gave him some of the fruit to taste. (5) As soon as he had
eaten thereof his teeth were set on edge, and he saw the angel
of death standing before him with drawn sword. ' What is
this evil food,' he said to Eve, 'which thou hast given me to
eat? perchance thou hast given me to eat of the tree of which
I was forbidden to eat.' He was then exceedingly grieved.
' Why art thou so troubled ?' she said, ' since what has
happened was destined to happen.' She then thought, ' I and
my husband are to die for having eaten of the fruit, whilst
all the other creatures which have not eaten thereof will live
48 [xxii. 5
on for ever in joy. It is better that we either die together
or live together, since our Creator formed us together.'
She therefore forthwith fed all the creatures of the world
with the fruit — beasts, animals, and birds alike — until she
came to a certain bird named Hoi {h)n) or, as some say,
Milham (so called because it had pity upon itself, and
refused, in spite of her exceedingly strong persuasions, to
eat of the fruit or to Hsten to her voice). Eve said, ' Eat of
this fruit, just as thy fellows have done.' But it replied,
' Woe unto thee, thou afflicted one, who hast brought death
upon thyself, upon thy husband, and upon all the creatures
of the world. I alone remained to be killed by thee, but I
swear that I shall never eat of that fruit.'
(6) According to another tradition, the bird Milham said
to Adam and his wife, ' You have sinned, and have caused
many others to sin ; you are not satisfied with having
brought death upon all the creatures of the world, but you
wish me also to sin against God. Indeed, I shall not listen
to you.' (7) At that moment a voice was heard saying to
Adam, ' Thee I have commanded not to eat of the fruit, and
thou hast not obeyed My commands, but Milham the bird I
did not command to keep My ordinances and My decrees,
yet he has fulfilled what I commanded thee ; behold, I will
establish him and his descendants for all generations to be
an everlasting witness for Israel.' And therefore they live
for ever, and exist in that city which the angel of death
built, and they increase and multiply as all other creatures.
(8) The sages say that these birds live for ever, and that
during the space of a thousand years they become smaller
and smaller until they are like very young chickens, so that
their feathers fall ofl', and their limbs are divided. Then
God sends two angels, who restore them to their eggs as at
first, and they feed them until they are grown up again.
This is their natural change from one thousand years to
another, so that they become revivified like the eagle.
XXIII. (1) Know^ and understand that, when Adam was
separated for 130 years from Eve, he slept alone, and the
first Eve — that is, Liiith — found him, and being charmed
XXIII. 6] 49
with his beauty, ^Yent and lay by his side, and there were
begotten from her demons, spirits, and imps in thousands
and myriads, and whomever they hghted upon they injured
and killed outright, until Methushelah appeared and
besought the mercy of God. (2) After fasting for three
days, God gave him permission to write the ineffable name of
God upon (his sword ?), through which he slew ninety-four
myriads of them in a minute, (3) until Agrimus, the first-
born of Adam, came to him and entreated him (to stop) ;
he then handed over to him the names of the demons
and imps. And so he placed their kings in iron fetters,
while the remainder fled away and hid themselves in the
innermost chambers and recesses of the ocean. (4) Hanoch
called his son Methushelah, and said to him, ' All the men
died (inrD), and they came into the power (fh^) of the angel
of death.' When Methuselah died (in^), his missile
(weapon, rh'c) died with him, and they buried his sword
with him. (5) It is said of Methushelah that out of every
word uttered by the mouth of God he used to make 230
parables in praise of God, and he studied 900 sections of the
Mishna (Traditional Law). When he died, a voice of
thunder was heard in the heavens, where the angels made
a funeral oration, and they took him up, and the people
saw 900 rows of mourners corresponding with the 900
sections of the Mishna, and the tears flowed from the eyes
of the holy creatures on to the place where he died.
(6) Enosh, the son of Seth, was asked, 'Who was thy
father?' 'Seth,' he replied. 'Who was the father of
Seth?' 'Adam.' 'And who was Adam's father?' 'He
had neither father nor mother, but God formed him (shaped
him) from the dust of the earth.' ' But man has not the
appearance of dust.' ' After death man returns to dust, as
it is said, " He will return to his dust "; but on the day of
his creation man was made in the image of God.' 'How
was the woman created ?' He said, ' Male and female He
created them.' 'But how?' asked they (his questioners).
He answered, ' God took water and earth and moulded it
together in the form of man.' They asked, 'But how?
4
60 [XXIII. 7
(7) Enosh then took six clods of earth, mixed them, and
moulded them and formed an image of dust and clay.
'But,' said they, 'this image does not walk, nor does it
possess any breath of life.' He then showed them how God
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. But when He
began to breathe into it, Satan entered the image so that it
walked, and they went astray after it, saying, 'What is the
difference between the bowing down before this image and
before man?' That is what is meant when it is said,
' Then they began to apply the name of the Lord '; that is,
they gave this name to other gods. On this account Enosh
is mentioned in Scripture immediately before the word
' his image. ^
XXIV. (1) And Cain knew Qalmana, his wife, and Enoch
was born ; and he built a city and called it Enoch, after
the name of his son, and he used to entice the people, and
to rob and plunder them. He built that city, and surrounded
it with a wall and dug trenches. (2) He was the first to
surround a city (with a wall), for he was afraid of his
enemies. And this city, called by the name Enoch, is the
first of all cities. He was, moreover, the counterpart of
Enoch the righteous whom God took to Himself and trained
for the day which is entirely Sabbath. (3) Cain dedicated
the city to his son's name. When the city called Enoch
was finished, it was inhabited by his children, who were
about double the number of those who went forth from
Egypt. Now the city became very corrupt until the other
Enoch will arise, the seventh from Adam, and dedicate it
anew with a holy dedication, together with the sons of
Lemech, who slew Cain in the seventh generation, after
Cain had confessed his sin, repented, and his punish-
ment had been suspended until the seventh generation.
(4) And Enoch begat Irad, and Irad Mehuyael, and
Mehuyael Metushael, and Metushael Lemech, the seventh
from Adam. They were all wicked, for all the descendants
of Cain were called the seed of evil-doers, and all his
descendants were swallowed up by the flood. (5) The wicked
Lemech had two wives, 'Adah and Sillah, and 'Adah bare
XXIV. 10] 51
Jabal ; he was the father of such as Hve in tents and feed
the cattle. He discovered the work appertaining to
shepherds, and made tents and pens for the cattle, one for
the sheep, and another for the oxen, distinct from each
other. He also invented the locks which are made to
prevent thieves entering the house, which are like mito
this, X' ^i^cl the name of his brother was Jubal, the
father of all who play on the harp and the reed-pipe.
(6) At this time the inhabitants of the earth began to
commit violence, to defile each other, and kindle the
anger of the Lord. They began to sing with the harp
and the reed-pipe, and to sport with all kinds of song
corrupting the earth. This Jubal discovered the science of
music, whence arose all the tunes for the above two instru-
ments. This art is very great. (7) And it came to pass,
when he heard of the judgments which Adam prophesied
concerning the two trials to come upon his descendants by
the flood, the dispersion and fire, he wrote down the science
of music upon two pillars, one of white marble, and the
other of brick, so that if one would melt and crumble away
on account of the water, the other would be saved. (8) And
Sillah bare Tubal Cain, who forged all the iron implements
of war, and was an artificer in all kinds of ironwork. He
also discovered the art of joining lead and iron together, in
order to temper the iron and to make the blade sharper.
He also invented the pincers, the hammer, and the axe, and
other instruments of iron. Tubal was a worker in all kinds
of tin and lead, iron and copper, silver and gold. Then men
began to make graven images for worship. The sister of
Tubal Cain was called Naamah. It was she who invented
all kinds of instruments used for weaving and sewing silk,
wool and flax, and the entire art of the fancy-worker and
the weaver. (9) In the days of Enosh men began to
be designated by the names of princes and judges, to be
made gods, applying to them the name of the Lord.
They also erected temples for them, but in the time of Ee'u
they were all overthrown. (10) It came to pass when man
began to multiply upon the face of the earth, that the
4—2
52 - [XXIV. 11
children of Elohim— that is, the seed of Seth — looked upon
the daughters of man — that is, the seed of Cain— and they
took them wives of all which they chose, and begat those
giants that peopled the earth in the days of Noah.
(11) During the whole hfetime of Adam the sons of Seth
had not intermarried with the seed of Cain, but when Adam
died they intermarried. The sons of Seth dwelt in the
mountains by the Garden of Eden, while Cain dwelt in the
fields of Damascus, where Abel was killed. For seven
generations the descendants of Seth kept righteous, but
thenceforward they became wicked. It was for this reason
that God repented that He had made man. (12) From the
seed of Seth and Cain there came forth the giants, who,
from their haughtiness of spirit, fell and became corrupt,
and were therefore swept away by the waters of the flood,
and therefore they were called ' Nefilim ' (the fallen). They
claimed the same pedigree as the descendants of Seth, and
compared themselves to princes and to men of noble
descent — sons of Elohim, lords and judges. Concerning
them it is said, ' Therefore like unto man ye shall die, and
as like unto princes ye shall fall.'
The Mideash of Shemhazai. and 'Azael.
XXV. (1) E. Joseph was once asked what was the story
of Shemhazai and Azael, and he replied, ' When the
generation of Enosh arose and worshipped idols, and when
the generation of the flood arose and went astray, God was
grieved that He had created man, as it is said, "And the
Lord repented that He had made man, and He was grieved
at heart." (2) Then two angels, whose names were
Shemhazai and 'Azael, appeared before God, and said, " 0
Lord of the universe, did we not say unto Thee when Thou
didst create Thy world, ' Do not create man '?" as it is said,
"What is man, that Thou shouldst remember him?"
" Then what shall become of the world ?" said God. They
replied, " We will occupy ourselves with it." (3) God said,
" It is revealed and well known to Me that if perad-
XXV. 9] 53
venture you had lived in that earthly world, the evil
inclination would have swayed you just as much as it
rules over the sons of man, but you would be more
stubborn than they." " Give us Thy sanction, then, and
let us descend among the creatures, and then Thou shalt
see how we shall sanctify Thy name." "Descend," spake
the Lord, ''and dwell ye among them." Forthwith He
allowed the evil inclination to sway them. (4) As soon as
they descended and beheld the daughters of man that they
were beautiful, they began to disport themselves with
them, as it is said, "When the sons of Elohim saw the
daughters of man," they could not restrain their inclination.
(5) Shemhazai beheld a girl whose name was Estirah
(nn^DD\s*). When he beheld her, he said, "Listen to my
request." But she replied, " I will not listen to thee until
thou teachest me the name by the mention of which thou
art enabled to ascend to heaven." He forthwith taught her
the Ineffable Name. (6) She then uttered the Lieffable
Name and thereby ascended to heaven. God said, " Since
she has departed from sin, go and set her among the
stars " — it is she who shines brightly in the midst of the
seven stars of Pleiades ; for that she may always be remem-
bered God fixed her among the Pleiades. (7) When
Shemhazai and 'Azael saw this they took to them wives,
and begat children. The former begat two children, whose
names were Heyya (^V.n), and Aheyya (J^VnN). And'Azael
was appointed chief over all the dyes, and over all kinds
of ornaments by which women entice men to thoughts of
sin.
(8) ' God then sent Metatron a messenger to Shemhazai,
and said to him, " God will destroy His world, and bring
upon it a flood." Shemhazai then raised his voice and wept
aloud, for he was sorely troubled about his sons and his own
iniquity. " How shall my children live, and what shall they
eat, and if the world is destroyed what shall become of my
children, for each one of them eats 1,000 camels, 1,000
horses, and 1,000 oxen daily ?" (9) One night the sons of
Shemhazai — Heyya and Aheyyah — dreamt dreams. One
54 [XXV. 10
dreamt that he saw a great stone spread over the earth like
a table, the whole of which was covered with writing.
An angel descended from heaven with a knife in his hand
and obliterated all the lines, save one line only with four
words upon it. (10) The other dreamt that he saw a lovely
garden, planted with all kinds of trees and beautiful things.
An angel descended from heaven with an axe in his hand,
and cut down all the trees, so that there remained only one
tree containing three branches. (11) When they awoke from
their sleep they were much confused, and, going to their
father, they related their dreams. He said to them, " God
is about to bring a flood upon the world, to destroy it, so
that there will remain but one man and his three sons."
They thereupon cried in anguish, and wept, saying, '' What
shall become of us, and how shall our names be per-
petuated ?" "Do not trouble yourselves about your names.
Heyya and Aheyya will never cease from the mouths of
creatures, because every time that men raise heavy stones,
or ships, or any heavy load or burden, they will sigh and
call your names." With this his sons were satisfied
(quieted).
(12) ' Shemhazai repented and suspended himself
between heaven and earth, head downwards, because he
durst not appear before God, and he still hangs between
heaven and earth. (13) 'Azael, however, did not repent.
He is appointed over all kinds of dyes which entice man to
commit sin, and he still continues to sin. Therefore, when
the Israelites used to bring sacrifices on the day of atone-
ment, they cast one lot for the Lord that it might atone for
the iniquities of the Israelites, and one lot for Azael that
he might bear the burden of Israel's iniquity. This is the
'Azazel that is mentioned in the Scripture.'
XXVI. (1) Adam begat three sons and three daaghters,
Cain and his twin wife Qalmana, Abel and his twin wife
Deborah, and Seth and his twin wife N5ba. (2) And
Adam, after he had begotten Seth, lived 700 years, and
there were eleven sons and eight daughters born to him.
These are the names of his sons : 'Eli, Sheel, Surei, 'Almiel,
XXVI. 13] 55
Berokh, Keal, Nahath, Zarhamah, Sisha, Mahtel, and 'Anat
(jiji; '?nnD .s*j'v ncniT nm hv2 "qVin 'ps^o'pi; n.-ii; bx.c'. ^>s) ;
and the names of his daughters are : Havah, Gitsh,
Hare, Bikha, Zifath, Hekhiah, Shaba, and 'Azm. (3) And
Seth Hved 105 years and begat Enosh. After he begat
Enosh, Seth Hved 707 years and begat three sons and
two daughters. The names of his sons were : EHde ah,
Funa, and Matath, and the names of his daughters were
MeHla and Tela. (4) And Enosh Hved 180 years and begat
Qeinan ; and after Enosh had begotten Qeinan he Hved
715 years, and begat two sons, Ehor and Aal, and one
daughter, Qatenath. (5) And Qeinan begat, after Mahalalel,
three sons, Hatak, ]M5kro, and Lupa, and two daughters,
Hannah and Liba. (6) And after Yered, Mahalalel begat
seven sons, viz., Teqa, Maya, Nekhar, Meli, Aesh, Uriel,
Luriutin, and five daughters, 'Adah, N5'ah, Yebal, Maadah,
and Sihah. (7) After Enoch, Yered begat four sons, viz.,
L'ei'ad, 'Anaq, Sabkhe, Yeter, and two daughters, Zezekho
and Lezekh. (8) After Methuselah, Enoch begat five sons,
viz., 'Anaz, Le'on, 'Akhaon, Peledi, and Eled, and three
daughters, viz., Teid, Lefid, Laead. Then God desired
Enoch and took him away. (9) After Lemech, Methuselah
begat two sons and two daughters, viz., 'Enab, Eapo,
*Alumah and'Amugah. And Lemech begat Noah, and said,
' This one wih comfort us and give rest to the earth and
all its inhabitants when God will visit the earth with evil
on account of the wickedness of the evildoers.' (10) And
Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(11) Cain and his wife Temed dwelt in the land of Nod.
And Cain knew his wife Temed when he was fifteen years
old, and she bore him Enoch, and he built seven cities and
called the first Enoch, after the name of his son. (The
names of the remaining six were) : Maole, Leed, Gezeh,
Yeshbah, Qeled, and Yebab. (12) And after Enoch, Cain
begat three sons, Ulaf, Lezef, and Fuzal, and two
daughters, Seta and Mahat. (13) And Enoch took Niba,
the daughter of Shem, to wife, and she bore him Zera,
Qu ith, and Maddaf. And Zera begat Methushael, and
56 [XXVI. 14
Methushael, Lemech. (14) And Lemech took two wives.
Ada bore Jabal, the father of all those who dwell m tents,
and Jubal, the father of all who play upon the harp and
the reed-pipe. (15) Then the inhabitants of the land
began to commit violence and to defile the wives of their
neighbours, thus kindling the anger of the Lord. And
they then began to play upon the harp and the reed-
pipe, and to sport with every kind of song, corrupting
the earth. This same Jubal discovered the science of
music, whence arose all the melodies for the two above-
named instruments. This is a great science, as I have
explained in its proper place (above). (16) And it came to
pass, when Jubal heard the prophecy of Adam concerning
the two judgments about to come upon the world by means
of the flood, the dispersion and fire, that he wrote down
the science of music upon two pillars, one of fine white
marble and the other of brick, so that in the event of the
one melting and being destroyed by the waters, the other
would be saved. (17) And Sillah bore Tubal Cain, who used
to sharpen all instruments of iron for war, and worked in
all manner of iron. He also invented the art of alloying
lead and iron together, so as to temper the iron and to make
the blade sharper. He also invented the pincers, the
hammer, and the axe, and all instruments of iron. (18) The
sister of Tubal Cain was Na'amah. It was she who invented
the art of weaving and sewing silk, wool, and flax, and the
whole art of the fancy-worker and the weaver. Sillah also
bore Miza and Tipa. Tubal was a worker in tin, lead,
iron, copper, silver, and gold. Then men began to make
graven images for their worship. (19) 'Adah also bore Jabal,
who was the father of those who dwell in tents and attend
to the flock. He discovered the work appertaining to
shepherds, and made tents and pens for the cattle, one for
the sheep and another for the oxen, distinct from each
other. He also invented the locks, as a safeguard to
prevent robbers entering the house, like this, x- (2^) I^^ ^^^®
time of Enosh men were called princes, judges, and made
gods, applying to them the name of God ; and temples were
XXVII. 2] 57
made for them, but they were overthrown m the time of
Ee'u. And Enoch — who was the author of many writmgs —
walked with God, and was no more, for God had taken him
away and placed him in the Garden of Eden, where he will
remain until Elijah shall appear and restore the hearts of
the fathers to the children. (21) And the flood took place,
and Noah w^ent forth from the ark and offered sacrifices,
and the Lord, smelling the sw^eet savour, said, ' I shall no
more curse the earth and smite every living being, but if
they sin against Me, I shall judge them by famine, sword,
fire, pestilence, and earthquake, and I shall scatter them
hither and thither. And I shall remember this for the
inhabitants of the earth until the end. And it shall come
to pass, when the end of the world shall have arrived, that
the light shall cease and the darkness shall weep, and I
shall revive the dead and awaken those who slumber in the
dust, and Sheol will repay its debt, and Abadon return its
portion, and I shall requite the wicked according to their
deeds and judge between the flesh and the soul. And the
world shall rest in quietness (peace), and I shall destroy
death for ever. The grave shall close its mouth and the
earth shall no longer be without produce, nor shall its
inhabitants be rooted out nor be defiled by iniquitous judg-
ments, for there shall be a new earth and new heavens for
an everlasting habitation.'
XXVII. (1) The sons of Jepheth were Gomer, Magog,
Madai, Yavan, Tubal, Meshekh, and Tiras ; and the sons
of Gomar were Ashkenaz, Eiphath, and Togarmah ; and
the sons of Yavan, Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Do-
danim. (2) The sons of Gomer were Teled, Lud, Deber,
and Led; the sons of Magog, Qashe, Tipa, Paruta, 'Amiel,
Pinhas, Golaza, and Samanakh ; the sons of Dedan, Shalom,
Filog, and Tuflita ; the children of Tubal, Fantonya and
Atipa ; the children of Tiras, Maakh, Tabel, Bal'anah,
Shampla, Meah, and Elash ; the children of Melech,
Aburdad, Horad, and Bosrah. The children of Ashkenaz
w^ere Yekhal, Sardana, and Anakh ; the children of Heri,
Esudad, Do'ath, Depaseat, and Hanokh ; the children
58 [XXVII. 3
of Togarmah, Abihud, Shafat, and Yaftir ; the children of
Elishah, Zaaq, Qenath, and Mastizrida ; the children of
Zipthai, Mafshiel, Tina, Avla, and Jinon. The children
of Tisai were, Maqol, Luon, Silagtaba ; the children of
Dodanim, Iteb, Beath, and Faneg. And of these the inhabi-
tants of the land of Persia, Media, and those of the isles of
the sea were divided. (3) And Faneg, son of Dodanim,
was the first to ride the ships of the sea. At that time a
third part of the land of Eomidath was flooded. And his
sons subdued Yedid ; and the sons of Magog subdued
Degel, and the sons of Madai subdued Bitto ; the sons of
Yavan, Seel; the sons of Tubal, Pahath ; the sons of
Meshek, Nephti ; the sons of Tiras, Pioo ; the sons of
Dinim, Gudah. And Eiphath without his sons conquered
Godo ; and the sons of Eiphath, Bosrah ; and the sons of
Targomah, Phut ; the sons of Elishah, Tablo ; the sons
of Tarshish, Meriba ; and the sons of Kittim . . . ; and the
sons of Dodanim, Qaduba. Then did men begin to till
the ground, and when the land was parched, they cried
to God, and He caused a fructifying rain to descend.
And it came to pass, when the rain descended, the bow
was seen in the clouds. When the inhabitants perceived
the sign of the covenant, they blessed the Lord. (4) The
children of Ham were Cush, Misraim, Put, and Canaan ;
and these are the children of Cush, Sheba, Tudan, Vabni (?),
Maipon, Tinos, Siho, Tiluf, Gilug, Lipukh. The children
of Canaan were Sidon, Andaim, Eesin, Simim, Oroin,
Nimigim, Hamatim, Nipim, Tilas, Hag, and Cushim. Cush
begat Nimrod, who was the first giant in pride before God.
Misraim begat Ludim, 'Anamim, Lehabim, Naftuhim,
Pathrosim, Kasluhim, and Kaftorim. These began to
build the following cities : Sidon and its villages, Eison,
Kiuza, Mazager, Ashqalon, Debir, Qamo, Tilon, Lakhish,
Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Seboim. (5) The children
of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arpakhshad, Lud, and Aran.
The sons of Ashur were Gezron, Ishai ; and Arpakhshad
begat Shelah, and Shelah begat 'Eber. Two sons were
born to Eber : the name of the one was Peleg, for in his
xxviii. 1] 59
days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother,
Yoqtan, who begat Ahiiodad, Shalaphtra, Muzam, Eiadura,
'Uzim, Diqalbel, Mimoel, Shabethfin, Havilah, Yobab. And
the children of Peleg were Eeu, Eifud, Shafra, Aqolon,
Zakar, Zifd, Gebi, Shuri, Shzeiir, Palabus, Eafa, Paltia,
Shafdifal, Shayish, Hartman, EKfaz. These are the
children of Peleg, and these are their names. They took
to them wives of the daughters of Yoqtan, by whom w^ere
born sons and daughters, so that the whole earth was filled
with them. (6) And Ee'u took to him Malkah, the daughter
of Euth, to wife, and begat Serug. When the days of her
pregnancy were drawing to an end, Ee u said, ' From this
one will issue a child, in the fourth generation, whose
throne will be established on high ; he will be called a
perfect righteous man, the father of a multitude of nations.
His testimonies will not be forsaken, and his seed shall fill
the world.' And Ee'u begat after Serug seven sons, Abiel,
Obed, Shalma, Dedazal, Qlniza, 'Akur, Nefesh, and five
daughters, Qadima, Derifa, Sheifa, Firita, and Tehilah.
(7) After Nahor, Serug begat four sons, Sillah, Diga, Soba,
and Pora, and three daughters, Gizla, Hogiah, and Shelifa.
And after Terah, Nahor begat six sons, viz., Eekab, Deriab,
Berikhab, Shibalshaf, Nidab, and Qemuel, and eight (?)
daughters, Yiskah, Tipa, Berona, Qanita. He took to wife
Amtalai, the daughter of Karnabo. (8) And Terah Hved
seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and
Haran begat Lot. (9) Then the inhabitants of the land
began to prognosticate by the planets and to become
astrologers and to practise divination. They also passed
their sons and daughters through fire, but Serug and his
sons did not walk in their ways.
XXVni. (1) These are the generations of Noah in their
lands, according to their families, and according to their
tongues. After the flood they were spread over the earth
according to their nations. The children of Ham then
went and appointed Nimrod to be a prince and a chief
over them ; while the children of Japheth appointed
Pinhas to be a prince and a chief over them. And the
60 [XXVIII, 2
children of Ham appointed for themselves Yoqtan as their
prince and chief. (2) These three chiefs came and took
comisel together to assemble all their people while Noah
their father was yet alive. And all the people accordingly
drew near to them, and w^ere as one body, and peace
reigned in the land. (3) It came to pass, 640 years after
Noah went out of the ark, that each chief numbered his
people. Pinhas numbered the children of Japheth and the
children of Gomar, and the total number of those which
Pinhas numbered was 5,800 ; that of the children of Magog
under him, 6,200 ; that of Madai under him, 5,700 ; that
of the children of Tubal, 9,400 ; and the children of
Meshech, 7,200 ; the children of Kiphath numbered 11,500 ;
those of Togarmah, 14,400; those of Elishah, 14,900; of
Tarshish, 12,100 ; of Kittim, 18,300 ; of Dodanim, 17,700.
The number of the children of Japheth, the men of w^ar
and the armour-bearers, as Pinhas their prince had
numbered them was 142,000, besides women and children.
(4) Nimrod the chief numbered the children of Ham under
his sway, and found them to be 12,600 ; the children of
Misraim under him w^ere, 24,900 ; the children of Phut,
27,700; of Canaan, 32,900; of Sheba, 4,300 (?) ; of Havilah,
24,300; of Sabta, 25,300; of Ea amah, 30,600; of Sabtecha,
46,400. And the number of the children of Ham, according
to the numbering of Nimrod the prince, was 492,000
valiant men who went out to w^ar, besides the women and
children.^ (5) And the number of the children of Noah
was 714,100. All these were numbered during the lifetime
of Noah, and Noah lived after the flood 350 years. And all
the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.
XXIX. (1) Now, it came to pass, when the inhabitants of
the land were already spread abroad, that they gathered
together and journeyed from the East, and arrived at a
valley in the land of Babylon, where they stayed. Then
each man said to his neighbour, ' Behold the time is coming
when at the end of days man will be separated from his
neighbour, and brother from brother, and there wall be war
1 N.B. — Sliem has evidently dropped out in tlie MS.
XXIX. 7] 61
between us. Come, therefore, and let us build a city and a
tower, the top of which is to reach heaven, and let us make
for us a great name upon the earth.' (2) And each one
said to his neighbour, ' Come, and let us make bricks, and
let each one write his name upon his brick, and let us burn
them, and each brick will be to us as a stone and the pitch
for mortar.' Each one made his brick and wrote his name
upon it, with the exception of twelve men, who did not
wish to be with them. (3) These are the names of the
men who were not in their counsel : Abram, Nahor, Lot,
Ee u, Tinuto, Seba, Almodad, Jobab, Eser, Abimael, Sheba,
and Ofir. The people of the land seized these, and,
bringing them to their princes, said, ' These are the men
who have transgressed the counsel we have advised, and they
do not wish to tread in our paths.' (4) The princes then
said to them, ' Why did you refuse to make bricks, the same
as the other peoj^le of the land?' And they answered,
* We shall not make bricks nor remain with you, for we
know but one God, and Him we serve ; even if you burn us
in the fire together with the bricks, we shall not walk in
your ways.' (5) The princes were very wroth thereat, and
said, * As they have spoken, so shall we do ; for unless
they act as we do, you shall cast them in the fire together
with the bricks.' (6) And Yoqtan, the head of the princes,
answered and said, 'We shall not do this, but we will
grant them seven days, and then, if they desire to make
the bricks with us, they shall live ; but if they refuse,
they shall die by the fire.' For he sought to save them
from their hands, as he was the head of the house of their
fathers, notwithstanding that they served the Lord. So the
people did, and placed the transgressors in the prison, in the
house of Yoqtan. (7) And it came to pass in the evening that
Yoqtan the prince called fifty men of valour, and commanded
them, saying, ' Gird yourselves, and this very night take these
men that are imprisoned in my house, place them upon ten
(twelve) mules, and, providing both the men and the animals
with food, bring them to the mountains, and there remain
with them ; but if you betray this thing to anyone, you shall
62 [XXIX. 8
die by fire.' (8) The men accordingly went forth to do as
they were commanded. In the night they took them and
brought them before Yoqtan the prince. He said to them,
' Ye who remain steadfast in God, trust in Him for ever, for
He shall deliver you and save you. Therefore behold I
have commanded these fifty men to take you to the moun-
tains with provender and food, and there do you conceal
yourselves in the valleys, for in the valleys there is sufficient
water, and stay there for thirty days, for by that time
either the thoughts of the people will have passed from
you, or the anger of the Lord wdll be kindled against them
so that He shall destroy them, for I know that they will
not abide by their wicked counsel wiiich they devised,
for their plan will be frustrated. (9) And at the end of
the seven days, when they seek you, I will say to them,
" They have broken the door of the prison and fled during
the night, and I sent a hundred men to pursue and
seek them : I shall do all this to appease their wrath." '
And eleven men answered him, saying, ' Behold we have
found favour in thine eyes, for thou hast delivered our
lives from the hands of our enemies.' (10) Abram alone
w^as silent, and Yoqtan the prince said to him, ' Why dost
thou not answer together with thy friends ?' And Abram
replied, ' Behold to-day we flee to the mountains to escape
from the fire ; but if wild beasts rush out of the mountains
and devour us, or if food is lacking so that we die by famine,
we shall be found fleeing before the people of the land and
dying by our sins. Now, as the Lord in whom I trust
liveth, I shall not depart from this place, wherein they have
imprisoned me, and if I am to die through any iniquity,
then I shall die by the will of God according to His desire.'
(11) ' Thy blood be upon thine own head,' said the prince,
* if thou wilt not flee with these men ; for if thou wilt flee
thou art sure to be saved.' Abram replied, ' I shall not flee,
but remain.' He was accordingly put into prison again,
and the prince sent the eleven men away in charge of fifty
others, whom he commanded to remain with them for
fifteen days, and to return and say, ^ We have not been
XXX. 2] 63
able to find them.' ' If 3'ou do not do this I shall have you
burnt to death.' (12) At the end of seven days all the
people assembled and said to their princes, ' Give us the
men who refused to abide by our counsel, and let us burn
them in the fire.' They thereupon sent for them, but
found only Abram. 'Where are those men who were
bound in the prison of thy house ?' asked the chiefs, Pinhas
and Nimrod. Yoqtan replied : ' They broke away in the
middle of the night and escaped, and I have sent a hundred
men after them to discover and to slay them.' And the
people exclaimed, ' Since we have only found Abram, let us
burn him in the fire.' (13) And they took Abram and
brought him before the princes, who asked him, saying,
'Where are the men whom w^e imprisoned with thee?'
' I do not know, for I slept all the night, and when I
awoke I did not find them.' So they made a brick-kiln,
and heated it until the bricks in it glowed fiercely ; they
then placed Abram in the furnace of fire, and Yoqtan
appeased the wrath of the people by the burning of Abram.
(14) The Lord at that moment caused a great earthquake
throughout the land, so that the fire leaped from the
furnace and became a huge blaze, which devoured all the
men that surrounded it, and the number of men burnt on
that day was 84,500. But Abram w^as not burnt, and he
came forth from the furnace of the Chaldees {i.e., the fire of
the Chaldees), and, having escaped, he went to his friends
upon the mountains and related all that had befallen him.
They thereupon returned with him from the mountains,
happy and rejoicing in the name of the Lord, nor did the
people speak against them any longer. They thenceforward
called the name of that place ' The God of Abraham.'
XXX. (1) It came to pass, after these things, that the
people did not turn from their evil counsels, but coming to
their princes, they said, ' Behold, will not man be able to
conquer the world ? Come and let us build for ourselves
a city and tower, the top of w^iich shall reach heaven, so
that it shall stand for ever.' (2) And it happened, when
the}^ began to build, that God saw the city and the tower,
64 [XXX. 3
and said, ' Behold this people is of one speech ; now the
earth will not bear them, neither will the heaven support
them. (3) Therefore I shall scatter them over the whole
earth, and shall confuse their tongue, so that one shall
neither be able to recognise his brother nor under-
stand the speech of his neighbour. (3) And I will order
them to the clefts, and they shall prepare for themselves
dwellings made of reeds and straw, and they shall dig for
themselves caves and holes in the dust, and the beasts of
the field shall dwell among them. There they shall remain
all their days, and shall not again counsel such a deed.
And I will fight (or : I will draw near unto) them with
shields (or : thorns^ mr^'a), and I shall destroy one portion
by water and another by fire, and I shall destroy them with
thirst, but Abram, My servant, I shall select ; I shall bring
him out of their land to the land upon which my eyes have
long dwelt. (4) And when the people sinned and I brought
a flood upon them, this land was not destroyed, for I did
not cause the flood to descend upon it in My wrath, and I
shall bring thither Abram, My servant, and shall make a
covenant with him and his seed for ever, and I shall bless
him and be to him a God for ever.'
(5) And it came to pass, when they commenced to build
the tower, that God confused their tongue and changed
their form into that of monkeys, so that one could not
recognise his own brother nor could one man understand
the language of his neighbour, so that when the builders
ordered the people to bring stones they brought water, and
when they told them to bring water they brought stubble.
In this way their evil intentions were frustrated, and they
ceased building the tower, and the Lord scattered them
over the face of the whole earth. (6) For they had said,
' Come and let us build for ourselves a city, and let us take
axes and break open the firmament so that the water flow
from there and descend below, that He may not do unto us
as He did to the generation of the flood. And let us wage
war with those in heaven and establish ourselves there as
Gods.' (7) But how could they build the city, since they
XXXI. 3] 65
had no stones ? They made bricks from clay and pitch,
and burnt them as a potter burns his pots in the oven
and hardens them. In this ^ay they made the bricks,
and built the city and the tower exceedingly high, with
seventy steps. The ascent was made from the east and the
descent was from the west. If a man fell therefrom they
did not heed it much, whereas if a brick fell, they wept
bitterly and said, ' When, oh, when, will another be brought
up ?' (8) When Abram saw their wicked ways he cursed
them in the name of the Lord, but they did not pay atten-
tion to his words. The Lord then descended with the
seventy (thousand) angels that surround His throne, and at
that time of the dispersion He confounded their tongue
into seventy different languages.
XXXI. (1) These are the generations of the sons of
Noah : Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Children were born to
them after the flood, for from Noah there came forth 72
families — from Japheth, 15 ; from Ham, 30 ; and from
Shem, 27. And these 72 families were separated each
according to his lineage in his own land, with their
several nations, into 72 languages, the Hebrew language
in Eber, the Egyptian in Egypt, the Greek in Greece,
Latin in Eome, the Aramean in Syria, the Chaldean in
Chaldea, etc. The nations which descended from Shem
were 406, Britania, Qalabra, Tosqana, Luqa, Piqensa, etc.
The whole earth was divided into three parts. (2) Shem,
the eldest, chose his portion in the land of 'Asya (S'Dr),
that is, the land of Persia, from Baqtris to Endiana, from
the Persian Piiver until the Ocean in the west and the
whole Piinos. They numbered 27 languages, and 406
peoples. Ham took his portion in the land of Afriqia,
which comprises Aram, Hamath, and the mountain of
Lebanon, in a well-watered land, until the Eed Sea and
the Sea of Philistia, from Piinos as far as Gadaira. The
number of their languages was 22, and that of the peoples
394. (3) Japheth chose his portion in the land of Eoropa
(S£ii-ni^\s), that is, in the south from Media to Bodea
(n5<nn), and their boundaries extended from the moun-
5
66 [XXXI. 3
tains of Taoro (nixo) and Mano 0^^^), in Syria and
Sisilia, until the river Tanais (dn^o), until Gadaira, that
is, the land of Eoropa (t^sinti^''^?, Europe). The number of
their languages was 23, and that of their peoples 300.
The land of Shem contained the river Euphrates ; Ham,
G(ih6n) which is called the Nile ; Japheth, Hiddeqel
(Tigris), in Media and Babylon. (4) The children of
Japheth are Gomer, i.e., Gavathi (or Galathi, '•n5<^wS3) and
Regini ; Magog, i.e., Sqite {'W^) (Scythes), from whom
arose Gog and Magog. These were the peoples which
Alexander of Macedon enclosed in the Caspian Mountains ;
and from them arose the Guti (Goths), Pirati (^P^T?),
Nordmani (^J?oi"|''ii), Bauveri (n^nixn), Langobardi, Saqsonei,
Gasqonei. Madai are : Medi, Yavan-Gresi CT^.^), Armenei
(>N''3>?D"ix), and Fransi CV^:"?). The river of the Gresi (^V-^f)
is called Yoniu. Tubal are Iberi and Ispamia ; Mesech
are the Qapadoses (i^'Vnssf^). The name of the city was
formerly Mesekhah (nsJi^^), and the royal city was Qapa-
doqia (x^pnisp), now called Cpesarea (Kesari, ^"iDp), in the
land of Kaftor; Tiras are Trases (t^V^^in). The children
of Gomer were Ashkenaz, in the land of the Greeks, or
Gresi (^vnj), Rifath (n^n) is Paflagronas (Paphlagonians)
(C'yn^sS^ss). Togarmah are the Frezes (Phryges,
^'^jn?)). The children of Yavan were Elisa' (r::>''^5<),
i.e., Eolides (t^"i''?li<^s), and they are one-fifth of the Greek
tongue. Tarshish is Silisia (nsv^'p/p) — this is the Tarshish
in the Book of Jonah — Kittim are Qipres (D'lQ^i?), Dodanim
are Piodie (*^>nn). All these live from the mountain Amone
(^MDJ<) and Taoro (^li^P), in Brittania, as far as the sea
Oqeanos. [Eliezer the Levite thought fit to add here the
chapter, from the beginning of Jossipon the Great's work,
because it is similar to the above ; and this is the very
beginning of the Book of Jossipon.]
(6) And the children of Japheth were Gomer, Magog,
Madai, Yavan, Tubal, Mesekh, and Tiras; and these are
the names of the countries of the children of Yapheth who
were scattered at the time of the dispersion. The children
of Gomer were the Frankos (D^p3i2), who inhabited the
XXXI. i4j 67
country of the Frankos (Dip^ns), in the land of Fransehii
(^j'pvnD), on the river Segna (xj^^^^O- Eiphath are the
Britanos (Di^ona), who inhabit the land of Eiphtania
(s^jnan), on the river Lira (i<i'h). The Segna and Lira
both flow into the Ocean. Togarmah branched into ten
families, who are the Cuzar pii?), Pasinaq (pj-'va), Alan
(I'ps), Bulgar (ijSn), Kanbina (.srnJD), Turq (i"5>lo), Buz
(Tin), Zakhukh ("]1dt), Ugar (iJix), and Tulmes (]'D^in). All
of these dwell in the North, and the names of their lands
are taken from their own names, and they live by the river
Hetel (^nn) ; but Ugar, Bulgar, and Pasinaq live by the
great river called Danube ('?-l^^), i.e., the Dunai (^^jn). (8)
The children of Javan are the Greeks, who dwell in the
land of Nsa (x^'j)i and Macedonia. (9) Madai, that is,
Edalus i^l^r^), dwell in the land of Turkhan (jS^o or
Kurasan IPli?).^ (10) Tubal are the Tuscans (\:?i?*fin), who
dwell in the land of Tuscania, by the river Pisa (i^P^?) ;
Mesech, i.e., the Saqsoni (>jDpD). (11) Tirus, i.e., the
Eossi (^Dn) ; the Saqsni (^jL^pL") and the Iglesusi (^Dp^^^x)
dwell by the river of the great sea. The Eossi dwell
by the river Kio (or Kiva, nvd), which flows into the
Gergan (|.sn^:) Sea. (12) Elisa, i.e., Alamania (n^jo^n),
inhabit the mountains of lov and Sebtimo (iD^nnc'i iv) ;
and from them arose the Lungobardi (nnai^j^), who came
from the other side of the mountains of lov and Septimo
(iD-nn::'! nv), and having conquered Italia, dwelt in it until
this very day on the river Pao (uss), and Tisio ()^2y^) ; and
from them again arose the Borgonia (i^^Jijna), who dwell by
the river Eodano (ini-i), and the Bidria (i<nn^n), dwelling
by the river Einos (Dijn), which flows into the Great Sea.
And the rivers Tisio and Pio ()i^^^) iN^^^^'n) flow into the
sea Venitiqia (x^p^j^^^n). (13) Tarshish, i.e., the Trkisiani
('':)N^DV"in), who accepted the law of the Macedonians; and
from them come Trasos (Dii^nn). And it came to pass,
when the Ishmaelites captured the land of Trasos, that its
inhabitants fled to the land of Greece, and fought hence
with the Ishmaelites in Trasos. (14) Kittim, i.e., the
1 2 N.B.— These words scarcely legible in the MS.
5—2
68 [XXXI. 14
Eomans, who dwell in the valley Kapania (5<^:2d), by
the river Tiberio. Dodanim (D^iin), these are the Danisqi
('p:r^i"i), who dwell in the midst of the tongues of the sea,
in the land of Danemarka (j^didji) and Asidania (? ^^^n^vs),
in the Great Sea, who swore not to serve the Eomans, and
they hid themselves in the midst of the waves of the sea ;
but they could not (withstand) them, for the power of
Eome extended as far as the end of the isles of the sea.
(15) And thus the Moraia (n\STiD), Bruti (^SDm), Sorbin
(pn-no), Lusinin (pJViS), Liumin (pr^), Krakar ("i35<nD), and
Bazimin (pnnn) are reckoned among the descendants of the
Dodanim. They dwell by the seashore, from the border of
Bulgar {i:"?)!) until Venitiqia (t^v^^^^^^) on the sea, and
from there they spread as far as the border of Saqsni
{^:^p^) to the Great Sea ; they are called Isqlabi (u'?pD\s).
Some say they are descendants of Canaan, but they trace
their descent to the Dodanim (oonn). [Thus far the
Hebrew of Josippon ; from the next sentence beginning,
'And it came to pass when the Lord scattered,' etc., I
shall copy in connection with Esau and the kings of Edom
later on. Let us now return to the narrative of Jerahmeel.]
(16) The children of Shem wereElam 'Elamitet (op^pW),
Ashur, i.e., Assyria (J^n^P'X) ; Arpachshad, i.e., Qaldea
(nx^ -i^p) ; Lud, i.e., Lydia (ni<n>S) ; and Aram, i.e., Syria
Cy^^). The children of Aram were 'Us, where Job was
born, Geter (nn^), Qarnani ('v^57i2), Menes (^T?;?). These
dwell from the Persian Gulf until the Ocean. (17) The
children of Ham were Cush, Misraim, Phut, and Canaan.
Cush is called Ethiopia (nt<>srns) ; Misraim, Egypta
(xtp?i^:!\s), Phut, Libia {^^'^'b); and Canaan the Land of
Israel. The children of Cush were Saba, Havilah, Sabta,
Ea'amah, and Sabtecha. The children of Eaamah were
Sheba and Dedan. Sheba comprises the Sabeans, Arabians,
and Indians (JS^rt^) ; Havilah, i.e., Getili {''^n';.) ; Sabta,
i.e., Astabari (nn^L^'S) ; Sabtecha and Ea'amah I have
not been able to find. From the children of Ea'amah
(came) the Queen of Sheba, and Dedan is a nation to the
east of Cush. (18) And Cush begat Nimrod. The begin-
XXXII. 1] 69
ning of his kingdom was Babylon and Erekh, i.e., Edessa
(SLvnvs, -j-is) ; Accad, i.e., the city of Nisibis (^'^3>rj).
Kahiah, Selevqos gave to the city of Kahia the name of
Selevqia (S'-piv^D) ; from this land came Ashm% i.e., Bel, the
son of Nimrod. And Bel begat Ninus, who built the great
city of Nineveh ; and Eehoboth, i.e., the wide city ; and
Misraim begat Ludim, and 'Anamim, and Lehabim, and
the rest I do not know, for a war broke out between
Ethiopia and Egypt, and all these nations were ulti-
mately merged into one, so that they could no longer be
distinguished. [And I, Eliezer, the scribe, have heard
that the Lehabim are the Flaminga (^i'^^'^'')? and their
appearance is like blazing fire, as it is said, ' And their
faces are the faces of torches.'] And Canaan begat
Sidon, his firstborn, by whose name the city of Sidon is
called ; it is in the land of Phenise {^T^^P). The Hittites,
Jebusites, Amorites, and Girgashites and Hivites were
destroyed by the Israelites. 'Arqi, the city of 'Arqes (^'i?"!^),
near Tripolis ; Arvadi is the name of an island, Arvodios
(::ni^nnx) ; Semari, i.e., Edessa, in the land of Syria;
Hamathi built Hamath, i.e., Antochia. And the Canaanite
boundary extended from Sidon, reaching as far as 'Azzah,
and as far as Lesha, i.e., Qaliron (pi^bp). Its waters are
warm, and flow into the Salt Sea. These are the sons of
Ham, according to their families, their tongues, in their
countries and provinces. (20) And Cush, the son of Ham,
begat Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter in the land before the
Lord. He caught men through his strength, and forced them
to bow down to him, to make him a god, and to worship
him. He therefore counselled the people to erect the city
and the tower of Babel, where he established his kingdom,
in order to rebel against God ; and therefore, according to
an ancient proverb, whosoever rebelled against the Lord
was compared to Nimrod, the mighty hunter before God.
XXXII. (1) I, Jerahmeel, have found in the book of
Strabon of Caphtor that Nimrod was the son of Shem ; and
when Noah was one hundred years old a son was born to
him in his form and in his image, and he called his name
70 [XXXII. 1
Jonithes (Dn^j'r). His father, Noah, gave him gifts, and
sent him to the land of Itan (in^x), of which he took posses-
sion as far as the sea of Ehochora (i<"]i:3iNv;s). And Nimrod
the wicked went to Jonithes to learn of his wisdom, for the
spirit of the Lord was with him. But Jonithes foresaw by
means of astrology that the wicked Nimrod would come
to him to take counsel with him how he could obtain
sovereignty ; he gave him the explanation of the four kings
whom Daniel saw. And Jonithes said to Nimrod that the
descendants of Ashur would reign first, i.e., the children of
Shem, as it is said : ' And the sons of Shem were Elam and
Ashur.' (2) The beginning of Nimrod's reign was in
Babylon, and there Nimrod begat Bel. At the time of the
dispersion Nimrod departed thence, and allied himself with
the children of Ham ; therefore it is said, ' And Cush
begat Nimrod.' (3) After Nimrod, Bel, his son, succeeded
to the kingdom in Babylon, in the days of Serug. And
Bel went to the land of Ashur, but did not capture it.
When Bel died, Ninus, his son, succeeded him, and,
capturing the land of Assur, reigned over it, and built
Nineveh and Eehoboth ; and the length of the city was
a distance of thirty days' walk; it became the royal
residence of Assur. From this land Assur, that is, Ninus,
the son of Bel, the son of Nimrod, went forth. (4) Ninus
vanquished Zoroastres the Wise, who discovered the art of
Nigromancia, i.e., Nagira {^y},^). He reigned in Bractia
(Bactria), and had written down the seven sciences (or
arts) on fourteen pillars, seven of brass and seven of brick,
so that they should be proof against the water — of the flood
— and against the fire— of the day of judgment. But Ninus
vanquished him, and burnt the books of wisdom. (5) And
Ninus wrote (?) another book of wisdom. When Bel, his
father, died, he (Ninus) made an image in the likeness and
form of his father, and called it Bel, after the name of his
father ; and he was always grieving at the loss of his father.
He called all the gods Bel, after his name, as it is said,
' Nebo bowed Bel bent down.' Whosoever Ninus hated
was pardoned when he came in the name of Bel and sup-
xxxiii. 1] 71
plicated him for mercy. Thus, all the world honoured
and worshipped the god Bel, and made obeisance to him.
Some gods were called Ba'al, and there is a Ba al Pe'or and
a Ba al Zebub. (6) In the forty-third year of the reign of
Ninus Abraham was born, and on that very day the first
King Pharaoh began to reign in Egypt, who was called
Tibei C^^^^O) ; and after him all the kings of Egypt were
called Pharaoh until the reign of Ptolemy, the son of
Lagos, in Egypt, after whom all the kings of Egypt were
called Ptolemy (^Dhn). All the kings of Assyria were called
Antiochus ; and all the kings of Eome were called Csesar,
after the name of Julius Caesar, until this very day.
(7) When Abraham was ten years of age, Ninus, the son
of Bel, died, and his wife, Semeramit, reigned after him in
Assyria forty-two years. After her there reigned Shim'i
C'VW), the son of Ninus, who built the city of Babylon. At
that time all the kings were under the king of Assyria, i.e.,
under Shim'i, the son of Ninus, and whoever had greater
power than his fellow-man forced the other to serve him
(Shim'i).
XXXIII. (1) As this is simply to be taken as a legend,
we do not care to reconcile it with the other, which
makes Abraham live in the time of Nimrod the Wicked.
According to the latter w^e find that Nimrod acted as judge
over him, since it is related that the whole household of
Abraham's father were idol -worshippers, moreover they
made idols and sold them in the streets. But when a man
approached Abraham to sell him an idol, he would ask him,
'How much is this image?' 'Three manas,' he would
reply. ' How old art thou ?' Abraham would add. ' Thirty
years.' ' Thou art thirty years of age, and yet worshippest
this idol which we made but to-day !' The man would
depart and go his way. Again, another would come to
Abraham, and ask, ' How much is this idol ?' ' Five
manas,' he would say. 'How old art thou?' would
Abraham continue. ' Fifty years.' ' And dost thou, who art
fifty years of age, bow down to this idol which we made but
to-day ?' With this the man would depart and go his way.
72 [XXXIII. 2
(2) When Nimrod heard of Abraham's utterances, he
ordered him to be brought before him, and said, ' Thou son
of Terah, make me a beautiful god.' Abraham then entered
his father's house, and said, ' Make a beautiful image for
me.' They accordingly made it, finished it, and painted it
with many colours. He went and brought it to Nimrod.
[Here probably a lacuna in MS.] (3) And on that day
Abraham's righteousness shone forth. It was a cloudy day,
and rain fell. Therefore, when they were about to thrust
him into the burning furnace, Nimrod sat down, and all
the people of the dispersion did likewise. Abraham then
entered, and standing in the centre, he pleaded his cause.
After which Nimrod asked, ' If not the gods, whom shall I
serve ?' Abraham replied, ' The God of gods and Lord of
lords, whose kingdom is everlasting in heaven and on earth,
and in the heavens of the high heavens.' ' I shall worship,'
said Nimrod, ' the god of fire ; and, behold, I shall cast
thee therein. Let, then, the God to whom thou testifiest
deliver thee from the burning furnace.' (4) They then
immediately bound him strongly and tightly, and placed
him on the ground. They then surrounded him with w^ood
on the four sides, 500 cubits thickness to the north,
500 cubits to the south, 500 to the west, and 500 to the
east. They then set the pile on fire. (5) The whole house
of Terah were worshippers of idols, and until that moment
had not recognised their Creator. Their neighbours and
fellow-citizens assembled, and, beating their heads, said to
Terah, ' 0 shame — great shame ! thy son, of whom thou
didst say that he will inherit this world and the world to
come has Nimrod burnt in the fire.' (6) Immediately then
God's mercy was moved, so that He descended from the
habitation of His glory, His greatness. His majesty, and
the holiness of His great name, and delivered Abraham,
our ancestor, from that shame, from that reproach, and
from the burning furnace, as it is said, ' I am the Lord
who brought thee out of the fire of the Chaldeans '; and
since a miracle was wrought for our forefather Abraham,
he and Terah were able to refute the generation of the
XXXIV. 3] 73
Dispersion, as it is said, ' Be wise, 0 my son, and let my
heart rejoice, and then I shall be able to answer those who
reproach me.'
XXXIV. (1) The sages tell that when our forefather
Abraham was born a star appeared, which swallowed up
fom- other stars from the four sides of the heavens. When
the astrologers of Nimrod saw this they forthwith went to
Nimrod and said, * Nimrod, of a certainty there is born
to-day a lad who is destined to inherit both this world and
the world to come. Now, if it is thy wish, let us give his
father and mother a large sum of money, and then kill him.
Whatever his father and mother wish shall be given to them.'
* What kind of child is he whom ye seek to kill ?' asked
Nimrod. 'A boy,' said they, 'was born to-day, and a
star appeared which swallowed up four stars of the
heavens, and he is destined to inherit this world and the
world to come.'
(2) Then said Terah, for Terah, the father of Abraham,
was present there, ' This thing which you suggest is to be
compared to a mule, to which man says, " I will give thee
a quantity of barley, as much as a houseful, on condition
that I cut off thy head." The mule replies, ''Fool that
thou art ; if thou cuttest off my head, of what use will the
barley be to me, and who will eat it when thou givest it to
me r' Thus I say unto you, if ye slay the son, who will
inherit the goods and the money which ye give to his
parents ?' To this they answered, ' From thy words we
perceive that a son has been born to thee.' ' A son has
been born to me, but he is now dead.' ' But we speak of a
living son, and not of one dead,' added they.
(3) When Terah heard their words he immediately went
home, and hid his son Abraham in a cave for three years.
After that time he brought him forth. As soon as Abraham
saw the rising sun in the east he said to himself, ' Of a
certainty this is the lord of the whole world, and to him
I pray ; he created me and the whole world.' When he
saw the moon he said, ' This is the lord of the whole
world, and to him I shall supplicate ; he created me and
74 [xxxiv. 3
the whole world.' Thus when evenmg came, and the sun
had set and the moon had risen, he prayed to the moon the
whole night. When, however, the morning came, the moon
set and the sun rose. As soon as he saw the sun on the
morrow Abraham said, ' Now do I know that neither the
one nor the other is lord of the world, but that both of them
are servants of another Master, and that is Lord who
created the heavens and the earth and the whole world.'
(4) Then Abraham forthwith asked his father, ' Who
created this world, the heavens, and the earth V And
Terah, his father, replied, ' This great image is our god.'
' If this is true,' said Abraham, ' I shall bring a sacrifice to
him, and he will be pleased with me, as he is with other
people.' He thereupon went to his father, and said, ' Make
for me a cake of fine flour that I may offer it to him.' His
father, complying with his request, made him a cake of fine
flour, w^hich Abraham took and offered before the great idol,
saying, ' Accept this offering from me ;' but he neither took
it nor ate it nor drank it. (6) When Abraham saw this he
went to his mother, and said, ' Make me a meal offering
better than this, that I may offer it to the god of my
father.' When she made it Abraham took the meal
offering to the little image, saying, ' Accept thou this
meal offering from my hand, and be pleased with me as
thou art with other men.' Seeing that he did not reply,
Abraham said, ' This offering has not been made to his
liking.' (7) Then going once more to his mother, he said,
' Prepare a meal offering better still than this.' She did
so, and Abraham presented the offering to the image.
When he perceived that it neither ate nor drank nor
answered him a word he went once more to the large image,
and said, ' I entreat thee to receive this offering from me ;
do thou eat and drink and be pleased with me as thou art
with other men.' But as neither of them replied to him,
Abraham waxed very angry, and the spirit of prophecy
rested upon him, and he said, ' They have eyes, but see
not ; ears, but hear not ; they have hands, but do not
move them ; and feet, but do not walk; nor do their throats
XXXIV. 11] 75
give utterance. Like them are their makers and all those
who trust in them.' He then kindled a fire and burned
them.
(9) "When Terah arrived home and found his idols
burnt, he ^Yent to Abraham, and said, 'Who has burnt
my gods ?' And Abraham replied, ' The large one picked
a quarrel with the little ones, and burnt them because
he was angry with them.' ' Fool that thou art,' said his
father, ' how canst thou say that he who cannot see nor
hear nor walk, that he who has no power could burn
them ?' Then said Abraham to his father, ' 0 my father,
hear what thy mouth utters ; why dost thou forsake
the living God who created the heavens and the earth,
and servest gods that neither see nor hear?' (10) There-
upon Terah took Abraham, our ancestor, and went with
him to Nimrod. And Terah said to Nimrod, ' 0 my lord the
king, judge this my son who has burned my gods, and find
out who is the God which he makes for himself.' ' Who is
this man'?' said Nimrod. ' My son.' Then added Nimrod,
' Why hast thou acted thus and burned the idols ?' ' I did
not do this, nor did I burn them,' said Abraham. ' Who,
then, did act thus and burn them ?' ' The great idol burnt
them,' said he. 'Fool that thou art,' replied Nimrod.
'how canst thou say that that which cannot stand by
itself, cannot hear nor see, nor hath any power could
burn them?' 'Hear thou, my lord, what thy mouth
utters. Why dost thou forsake the living God, who
created the heavens and the earth and who created thee,
and in whose hand is the Spirit of all living, and worshippest
other gods of wood and stone, which do not hear nor see
nor speak ?' (11) * Who, then,' said Nimrod, ' created the
heavens and the earth, if not I ?' ' Art thou he ?' queried
Abraham. ' I am,' replied he. ' Then by this I shall know
that thou art the creator of everything. Behold, the sun
rises in the east and sets in the west : if thou canst by thy
command cause the sun to rise in the west and to set in
the east, I shall then know and believe that thou didst
create all.' When Nimrod heard Abraham's words he was
76 [XXXIV. 12
dumbfounded; he put his hand to his beard and was wonder-
struck at his words.
(12) As soon as the astrologers saw Abraham they
recognised him at once, and said to Nimrod, * 0 lord the
king, this is the child of whom we spoke on the day of his
birth, and whom thou didst desire to slay. If it be thy
will, we shall bring thee wood and burn him to death, and
then compensate his parents with a large sum of money.
Now, 0 lord, since he has come into our hands, let us burn
him in the fire.' ' Do then your will,' said Nimrod. They
forthwith went away, and having heated the furnace for
seven (whole) days, cast him into it.
(13) Then spake the angels to God, saying, * 0 Lord of
the universe, let us go and deliver this man from the fiery
furnace.' At that moment a dispute arose among the
angels who said, ' Let us descend and deliver this man
from the furnace.' One said, ' I shall go down to deliver
him,' and another said, ' I shall go down to deliver him.'
Michael said, ' I shall go down,' and Gabriel said, ' I shall
go down.' Then spake God himself to Gabriel, and said,
' I am One in My world, and so is this man, who was the
first to declare the unity of My name in the world. It is,
therefore, meet that I the One should go down and rescue
him who is also one in his generation. It is pleasing to Me
to descend and rescue him from the fiery furnace.' At that
moment God descended in His glory and in His strength,
and delivered him from the furnace of fire. He brought
him forth without a blemish. When all the nations saw
that Abraham was thus delivered from the burning furnace,
they forthwith sanctified the name of God, and some of
them were made proselytes through the means of Abraham
our ancestor.
XXXV. (1) These are the generations of Terah, etc. :
Haran, the firstborn, begat Lot and Yiskah, i.e., Sarai, and
Milkah. And Haran died in the presence of his father
Terah in Ur of the Chaldees. On account of the idols of
Terah he died in the fire of the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans
worshipped the fire. Terah used to make the idols of their
XXXV. 3] 77
gods, and Haran, his eldest son, used to sell them. But
Abram did not worship them. The Chaldeans came to dip
both Haran and Abram in the fire, for they were accustomed
to dip them in the fire, just as some nations dip their sons
in the water. Abram, who did not worship, and who did
not bow down to the idol, was saved from the fire of the
Chaldeans and was not burnt ; but Haran, who feared the
idols, who honoured them and sold them for worship, was
burnt in the fire of the Chaldeans and died. When Terah
saw that God delivered Abram, he deserted his former faith,
and went forth with him (Abram) to dwell in a foreign
country ; and he gave Milkah, the daughter of Haran, to
Nahor, his son, to wife, and Yiskah, that is Sarai, he gave to
Abram, his youngest son, after he had weaned her and
brought her up in his own house on the death of her father
Haran. And he gave Lot, the son of Haran, to Abram as
an adopted son, for Sarai was barren. And they went forth
towards the land of Canaan. (2) Now, it came to pass,
when Abram came from Babylon — i.e., Ur of the Chaldees —
he betook himself to Damascus, he and his household, and
was made king over that city ; for Eliezer was then the
ruler of Damascus ; but when he saw that the Lord was
with Abram he presented him with the kingdom and
surrendered himself to his service. And I, Jerahmeel,
have discovered in the Book of Nicolaos of Damascus that
there existed a certain neighbourhood in Damascus called
the dwelling-place of Abram. This they honoured ex-
ceedingly.
(3} And the Lord said to him (Abram), ' I am the Lord,
who brought thee forth from the fire of the Chaldeans.'
The sages say that when Nimrod the Wicked cast Abram into
the fiery furnace, Gabriel said to God, ' I shall go down and
cool the furnace, and deliver this righteous man.' But God
replied, 'lam One in My world, and he is one in this world;
it is therefore proper for the One to deliver the other one.'
But since God does not withhold reward from any creature,
He added to Gabriel, * Thou shalt deliver three of his
posterity.' For when Nebuchadnezzar cast Hananya,
78 [XXXV. 3
Mishael, ancrAzaria,mto the burning farnace Laqmi (vopi<'?),
the angel who rules over hail, spake to God, and said,
' I shall go down and cool the furnace, and thus deliver the
righteous men.' But Gabriel interposed, and said, ' The
greatness of God would not be shown in this manner, for
thou art the ruler over hail, and all people know that water
quenches fire ; but I who am the ruler over fire shall go
clown and cool the inside while I am at the same time heat-
ing the outside of the furnace. Thus I shall perform a
double miracle.' Then spake God to Gabriel, ' Descend.'
And Gabriel at once exclaimed, * The truth of God is ever-
lasting.' (4) And Abram was rich in cattle, silver, gold, and
in all the wisdom of ' hermetica ' and astrology which he had
acquired in Egypt from Pharaoh's magicians, so that there
was none so wise as he. From Egypt these sciences spread
over Greece. And Abram was able to foretell the future by
the observance of the stars, and was very wise in astrology.
He taught his magic science to Zoroastres, the philosopher,
and he saw from the planets that the order of the world
was not as before, for the order of creation was changed on
account of the flood and the dispersion. Rabbi ETazar, of
Modiin, asserted that Abraham was exceedingly great in
magic, so much so that all the kings of the East and
West waited upon him.
(5) And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of
Mamre. Josippon relates that Abram used to sit in an oak-
tree, and that that oak lasted until the reign of Theodosius
in Eome, when it withered, and despite the fact that it had
dried up, yet its wood was excellent for medicinal purposes,
for whoever took of its wood, whether animal or man, did
not experience any illness to the day of his death.
(6) Then supervened the destruction of the cities of the
plain. And Lot said, ' I am not able to flee to the
mountain, for I am an old man, and the cold will kill me,
and my soul is also weary. Behold there is a little city near
to flee to ; I pray thee let me escape thither, for the way is
short, and my soul shall live.' And the name of the city
had formerly been ' Bela'.' Now, there was a great earth-
XXXV. 8] 79
quake ; and Lot went and dwelt in a cave, for he feared the
earthquake. And the Lord rained brimstone and fire from
heaven upon Sodom, so that on the third day all the plain
was filled with water. This they now call the Salt Sea, or
' Leber Meer ' (i^p ii'h). Neither fish nor fowl are found
there. It separates the land of Israel from Arabia. During
the whole of the forty years the Israelites were in the wilder-
ness they travelled round this sea. No ships are able to
travel thereon, because the sea is like pitch, so that nothing-
can sink in it, but remains on the surface on account of the
pitch ; and if one places a burning torch upon the pitch, all
the while it floats it burns, but as soon as it is extinguished
it sinks to the bottom. And the sea vomits a kind of black
pitch with which the things are joined together, for it is
good for sticking. Josippon relates that he saw Vespasian
cast a man into that sea, and that he hurled him with great
force into it so that he should sink, but the sea brought
him up again. The sand on the shores of the sea is salty,
and one finds there the ' salty stones of Sodom ' looking like
pieces of marble.
(7) When Jacob was born Inachus was then the first
King of Argos, and reigned for fifty years, and in the third
year of his reign a daughter was born to Inachus whose
name was lo, and the Egyptians gave her a surname and
called her Izides (C^H'T^n), and worshipped her as a God.
(8) And in the nineteenth year of Jacob's life the Egyptians
made Apis King of Egypt ; they made him a god and called
his name Sarapis. And Apis made for himself a calf by
means of the magic of his magicians. On the right eye of
the calf there was a white mark in the likeness of the moon,
and once every day at the fourth hour it used to rise up
from the river and fly in the air. And the Egyptians used
to worship and pray and sing praises to it with all kinds
of instruments, and prostrate themselves before it. And
in a moment the calf vanished and was no more, and it was
hidden and concealed as before in the river, so that the
Egyptians could not see it until the morrow at the fourth
hour. This the calf repeated every day. The Egyptians
80 [XXXV. 8
called it Sarapis, and for this idol-worship the Egyptians
were punished by water when they perished in the Eed Sea.
(9) In the ninety-second year of Jacob's life Joseph was
born, and at that time there was a flood in the land of
Achaya («:?^), which was a very large kingdom. There
reigned in it a king whose name was Ogiges (t^*3;y^5^). This
king built anew the city Akta (i^^?^), and called its name
Eliozin (rTVs'''?^N*, Eleusis). At that time there arose a
virgin, whose name was Titonide (n^JiD^p). She was versed
in all the seven sciences. They called her Pallas, because
she killed a giant called Palante O^jSq). At that place the
city of Palini {'T^P) was built.
XXXVI. (1) And a great terror was upon the cities
that were round about them, and they did not pursue after
the sons of Jacob ; for they said, ' If two sons of Jacob were
able to do this thing ' (namely, to exterminate a whole town),
' how much more would they exterminate the whole world
if all the sons of Jacob gathered together ?' This terror of
them fell upon the cities, for the Lord let the terror fall
upon all the nations, and they did not pursue the sons of
Jacob. The sages say, ' They did not pursue them during
that same year, but after (seven) years they pursued them,
for they came back and settled there again.' The kings of
the Amorites assembled themselves, when they heard that
Jacob and his sons had again settled in Shekhem. They
came to slay them, saying, ' It is not enough for them to
have killed all the men of Shekhem, now they come also to
take possession of their land.'
(2) When Judah beheld them coming, he was the first to
spring in the midst of their ranks, and was soon engaged in
fight with Ishub, King of Tapuah, who was covered with
iron and brass from head to foot, standing in the middle of
his lines (of soldiers). He rode a powerful steed, and he
could throw his javelins with both hands from horseback,
in front and behind, and never missed his aim even to a
hair's breadth, for he was a mighty and powerful man, and
could manage his spear with either hand. Judah was not
at all frightened when he saw him, despite his strength,
XXXVI. 6] 81
but he picked up a heavy stone from the ground, weighing
about sixty shekels, and threw it at him at a distance of
two parts of a furlong ; i.e., 170 cubits and one-third of a
cubit. Whilst the king was advancing against Judah,
dressed in iron armour and throwing his spears, Judah
struck him with the stone upon his shield and rolled him
oft' his horse. (3) Judah hastened to approach him, in
order to kill him before he could get up again from the
ground, but the king rallied quickly and sprang upon his
feet. Now he began to fight with Judah, shield against
shield. He drew his sword and tried to smite the head of
Judah, but Judah lifted up his shield and received the blow
aimed at him ; the shield broke into two pieces. Judah
thereupon ducked and slashed with his sword at the feet of
the king and cut them off from the ankles. The king fell
to the ground and his sword slipped out of his hands.
Judah sprang upon him and cut off his head.
(4) Whilst he was busy stripping him of his armour, nine
comrades of the dead man attacked him. Judah broke the
head of the first who approached him with a stone, and killed
him on the spot. He let his shield drop out of his hand,
which Judah seized, and defended himself with it against the
other eight. His brother Levi came to his rescue and shot
the King of Ga'ash with an arrow. Judah succeeded then
in killing the eight. Jacob then killed (Zehori), King of
Shiloh, with an arrow, and they could not stand against
the children of Jacob, but all turned and fled, and the sons
of Jacob pursued them. And Judah killed on that day a
thousand men before sunset.
(5) The remaining sons of Jacob came out from Shekhem,
from the side where they had been standing, and pursued
them among the mountains, until they came to Hasor.
There, before the town of Hasor, they had to fight more
than they had fought in the vale of Shekhem. (6) Jacob
shot with his arrows and killed Pir'athaho, King of Hasor,
and Susi, King of Sartan, and Laban, King of Horan (or
Heldon, pn'pn), and Shakir (or Shikkor), King of Mahna(im).
Judah was the first to climb up the wall of Hasor. Four
6
82 [xxxvi. 6
warriors attacked Judah and fought with him, till Naphtali
came to his rescue, for he followed Judah upon the wall ;
but before he came up, Judah had killed the four warriors.
Judah stood now on the right side of the wall, and
Naphtali on the left, and they killed all the people that
were there. The other sons of Jacob jumped upon the wall
after them, and destroyed it, and on that same day they
took the town of Hasor, and killed all the warriors, and
they did not leave one single man. After that they carried
away the booty.
(7) The following day they went to Sartan. There was a
great multitude of people, and the fight was a very heavy
one, for it was a town built upon a height, with high walls,
and it was difficult to approach in consequence of these
walls ; yet they subdued it on that same day, and got
upon the walls. The first to climb them was Judah, on
the east, after him came Gad on the west, Simeon and
Levi climbed up on the north, and Eeuben and Dan on the
south, whilst Naphtali and Issachar put fire to the gates of
the town. The fight was very fierce upon the walls, and their
remaining comrades went up to their assistance. They all
stood now against a huge tower (wherein the inhabitants
had fled, defying from there the assailants). That was
before Judah had taken the tower. But he soon went up to
the top of the tower and killed two hundred men on the
roof, and the other sons of Israel killed the rest, not leaving
one single man, for these were all powerful and valiant
warriors. They carried away the whole booty and returned
to their places.
(8) Now they went against Tapuah, for its inhabitants
had tried to rob them of their spoil. First they killed all
the men who had come out for the purpose of robbing them
of the booty. Afterwards they rested on the waters of
Jishub (31l"^), north of Tapuah. Early in the morning
of the third day they marched tow^ards Tapuah. Whilst
they were gathering their booty, the inhabitants of Shilo
came out and attacked them. But they were all beaten
and killed before noon, and they entered with the fugitives
XXXVI. 12] 83
into Shilo, and did not allow them to stand up against
the sons of Jacob. On that same day they occupied
the town and carried away the spoil thereof. The troop of
their company which they had left against Tapuah came
now to meet them with the booty from Tapuah.
(9) On the fourth day they marched against the camp of
Shakir ("T'DcO. Some of the camp came out to rob them of
the booty. They (the sons of Jacob) had gone down into the
valley, and the (men from Shakir) ran after them, but
when they tried to ascend again they were killed. After
that the men from the camp of Shakir threw stones upon
them ; but the sons of Jacob occupied the towm, and killed
all the warriors, and added the booty from this towai to the
booty they had formerly collected.
(10) On the fifth day they went to Mount Ga'ash. There
lived a great multitude of the Amorites. Ga ash was a
fortified town of the Amorites. They fought against it, but
could not well subdue it because it had three walls, one wall
inside the other. And the inhabitants began to defy and
to reproach the sons of Jacob. (11) Judah waxed wroth,
and he was the first to jump upon the wall. He would
have met his death there had not his father Jacob come to
his rescue. He first bent his bow and shot his arrows wdth
his right hand, then he dreW' his sword and killed right and
left, until Dan sprang upon the w^all and assisted Judah.
(From the right-hand side the inhabitants threw stones at
him, and from inside they fought him, and they all tried
to push him dow^n the w^all.) Dan drove them away from
the wall. After Dan, Simeon, Levi and Naphtali came up,
and they killed so many of the inhabitants that the blood
flowed like a river. (And when the sun was near its setting
they had taken the town and killed all the warriors) and
they carried away the booty.
(12) On the sixth day all the Amorites came without
arms and promised to keep peace (and friendship, and
they gave unto Jacob Timna' and the whole land of
Hararyah). Then made Jacob peace with them, and the
sons of Jacob restored them all the sheep they had
6—2
84 [XXXVI. 12
captured from them, and in returning them gave douhle,
two for one. And Jacob built Timnah (n^^DTi), and Judah
built Zabel ('pNaT). And from that time on they lived in
peace with the Amorites. This it was that Jacob said to
Joseph, '' I have given thee a portion above thy brethren,
which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword
and with my bow."
XXXVII. (1) And Esau went into a land away from
his brother Jacob. He made a contract with him. Some
say he went out of shame. The sages say : Esau went
away because he had moved his property away, and not
because his hatred had subsided, for " his anger did he bear
perpetually and he kept his wrath for ever." Although he
went away at that time, he came again to fight Jacob after-
wards. Leah had just died, and Jacob and his sons were
sitting in mourning, and some of his children had come to
comfort him. At that time Esau came against him with a
mighty host, all clad in iron and brass coats of mail, all
armed with shields, and bows, and lances. They were alto-
gether four thousand men, and they surrounded the fortress.
Jacob, his sons, his servants, and his cattle, and all that
belonged to them, were gathered, for they had all con-
gregated to comfort Jacob during his mourning. (2) So
they were all sitting peacefully, and never thought of any
attack from any side whatsoever until that host approached
the place where Jacob and his sons were dwelling. There
were with them in all two hundred servants.
(3) When Jacob saw that Esau dared to war with him,
and that he had come to take the fortress and to slay them,
and that he shot arrows against them, Jacob stood upon
the wall of the tower and spoke to Esau words of peace,
friendship and brotherhood. But Esau did not heed
them.
(4) After that, Judah spoke to his father Jacob, and said
to him : " How long wilt thou speak unto him words of
friendship and love, whilst he comes against us like an
armed enemy, with coats of mail and with bows to slay us ?"
And immediately Jacob bent the bow, and killed Adoram
XXXVII. 9] 85
the Edomite. (5) And again he drew his bow, sent forth
his arrow, and hit Esau on the right shoulder. Esau
became weak from the wound, and so his sons took him up
and placed him upon a white mule, and they carried him
to Adoram, where he died. [Others say he did not die there.]
(6) And then came Judah, and Gad and Naphtali with
him, out of the south side of the fortress, and fifty young
men-servants of their father. And Levi, and Dan, and
Asher came out from the east side of the fortress, and fifty
servants with them. And Keuben, Issachar and Zebulun
came out from the north of the fortress, and with them
fifty servants. And Simeon, and Benjamin, and Enoch,
the son of Reuben, came out from the west side of the
fortress, and fifty servants with them. Joseph was not
with them at that time, for he had already been sold.
(7) Judah strengthened himself for the battle, and he,
Naphtali and Gad first rushed against the host. And they
captured the iron tower (?), and caught on their shields the
stones which were hurled at them. The sun was darkened
through the stones, and through the arrows which were shot
at them, and through the missiles which the catapults hurled
at them. And Judah rushed first against the enemy, and
killed sixty men. Naphtali and Gad went with him, one
kept watch over him to the right, and the other to the left,
guarding him lest he should be slain by the enemy. They
also slew two men each, and the fifty servants who were
with them helped them, and each of them slew his man, fifty
in all. (8) And yet Judah, Naphtali and Gad could not
drive away the host from the north side of the fortress,
nor even move them from their position. Again they
strengthened themselves for the battle, and each of them
slew two of his adversaries. (9) And when Judah saw
that they still kept their ground and that they could not
move them from their place, his wrath was kindled, and he
clothed himself with strength, and he slew twenty men, whilst
Naphtali and Gad slew ten men. And when the servants
saw that Judah, Naphtali and Gad were standing in the
midst of the battle, they came to their assistance, and
86 [XXXVII. 9
fought together with them. Judah was slaymg to the
right and left, and NaphtaH and Gad slew behind him.
(10) At that time they drove the army aw^ay from the north
side of the city, a distance of a furlong (Eis on). And
they wanted to bury (their dead), but could not do it.
When the enemy saw that those who had fought against
Judah had been dispersed by Judah and his brothers, they
gathered together and strengthened themselves to fight with
Judah and his brothers, and they arrayed their ranks to
fight with strength and might. In the same manner Levi
and those with him, and Simeon and those with him,
prepared themselves for battle with those arrayed against
them, and they were ready to fight for life or death.
(11) When Judah beheld that the whole army of the
enemy had gathered against him, and that all would fight
at one time, and that they stood in battle-array, he lifted
up his eyes to God (imploringly) that He might help them,
for they were very fatigued from the heavy fight, and they
could not by any means fight any longer.
(12) At that moment God accepted Judah's prayer. He
saw their trouble, and He helped them, for He sent forth a
storm from His treasuries, which blew in the faces of the
army and filled their eyes with darkness and obscurity, so
that they could not see how to fight, w^hilst the eyes of
Judah and his brothers were clear, as the wind came from
behind them. So Judah, Naphtali and Gad began to slay
them, and they felled them to the ground, like the harvest
cut by the reaper, who binds it into sheaves and heaps
them up into stacks. So did they do until they had
destroyed the whole army Avhich stood against them on the
north side of the fortress.
(13) Reuben, Simeon and Levi fought on their side
with another portion of the army. And after Judah,
Naphtali and Gad had slain those who fought with them,
they went to the assistance of their brothers. The storm
was still blowing, filling the eyes of the enemies with dark-
ness and obscurity. Thereupon Reuben, Simeon and Levi,
and those with them, fell upon the enemies, and felled them
xxxviii. 1] 87
to the ground in heaps, whilst Judah, Naphtali and Gad
were driving them before them, until all those were
destroyed who fought against Levi and Keuben ; and out of
those who fought against Simeon four hundred were slain.
The remaining six hundred ran away ; with them were the
four sons of Esau : Eeuel, Yeush, Ya'alam and Korah.
Eliphaz did not accompany them in the war, for Jacob had
been his teacher.
(14) The sons of Jacob pursued them up to the city
Merodio (Herodia). There in the citadel of Merodio they
left the body of Esau lying on the ground, and they ran
away to Mount Se'ir, to the place leading up to 'Aqrabim.
The sons of Jacob entered Merodio and encamped there
over night. Finding there the body of Esau, they buried
him out of respect for their father, Jacob. (Some say he
did not die there, but left Merodio, though ill, and went
with his children to Mount Se'ir.)
The sons of Jacob armed themselves and pursued them
the way leading to 'Aqrabim, where they found the children
of Esau, and all those that had fled with them. They all
came out, prostrated themselves before the sons of Jacob,
and sued for peace. The children of Jacob made peace
with them, and made them tributary for ever.
This is the Will (Testament) of Naphtali, Son of Jacob.
XXXVIII. (1) When Naphtali grew old and came to an
old age, and had completed his years of strength, and
fulfilled the duty of the earth-born man, he began to
command his children, and he said unto them, ' My
children, come and draw near and receive the command of
your father.' They answered, and said, ' Lo, we hearken
to fulfil all that thou wilt command us.' And he said unto
them, ' I do not command you concerning my silver, nor
concerning my gold, nor concerning all my substance that I
leave unto you here under the sun, nor do I command you
any difficult thing which you may not be able to accomplish ;
but I speak to you about a very easy matter, which you can
easily fulfil.'
88 [XXXVIII. 2
(2) His sons answered, and said a second time, ' Speak,
0 father, for we listen. Then he said unto them, ' I leave
you no command save concerning the fear of God ; Him
ye shall serve, to Him ye shall cling.' They said unto him,
' What need hath He of our service?' And he answered,
' It is not that God hath need of any creature, but that all
the creatures need Him. Neither hath He created the
world for naught, but that His creatures should fear Him,
and that none should do to his neighbour what he would not
have done to himself.' They then said, ' Our father, hast
thou, forsooth, seen us departing from thy ways, or from
the ways of our fathers, either to the right or to the
left ?' And he answered, ' God and I are witnesses that it
is even as ye say ; but I dread only the future, that ye
may not err after the gods of strange nations; that ye
should not go in the ways of the peoples of the lands, and
that you should not join the children of Joseph ; only
the children of Levi and the children of Judah shall you
join.'
(3) They said to him, ' What dost thou see that thou
commandest us concerning it ?' He answered, ' Because
I see that in the future the children of Joseph will
depart from the Lord, the God of their fathers, and
induce the children of Israel to sin, and will cause them
to be banished from the good land into another that
is not ours, as we have been exiled through him to the
bondage of Egypt. I will also tell you the vision I have
seen. WlienI was pasturing the flock I saw my twelve (?)
brothers feeding with me in the field ; and lo, our father
came, and said to us, "My children, go (run) and let
everyone lay hold here before me on anything that he can
get." And we answered, and said, " What shall we take
possession of, as we do not see anything else but the sun,
the moon, and the stars ?" And he said, " Take hold of
them." When Levi heard it, he took a staff (rod) in his
hands, and jumped upon the sun and rode on it. When
Judah saw it, he did in like wise ; he also took a rod and
jumped upon the moon, and rode on it. So also every one
XXXVIII. G] 89
of the nine tribes rode upon his star and his planet in the
heavens ; Joseph alone remained upon the earth.
(4) ' Jacob, our father, said to him, " My son, why hast
thou not done as thy brothers?" He answered, "What
availeth the woman-born in heaven, as in the end he must
needs stand upon the earth?" Whilst Joseph was speaking,
behold there stood near by him a mighty bull with wings
like the wings of a stork, and his horns were like unto the
horns of the Eeem. And Jacob said to him, " Get up, my
son Joseph, and ride upon him," And Joseph got up and
mounted upon the bull. And Jacob left us. For about
four hours Joseph gloried in the bull ; now he walked and
ran, anon he flew up with him, till he came near to Judah,
and with the staff he had in his hands he began to beat his
brother Judah. Judah said to him, " My brother, why
dost thou beat me ?" He answered, "Because thou boldest
in thy hands twelve rods, and I have only one ; give them
unto me, and then there will be peace."
(5) ' But Judah refused to give them to him, and Joseph
beat him till he had taken from him ten against his will,
and had left only two wdth him. Joseph then said to his
ten brothers, " Wherefore run ye after Judah and Levi ?
Depart from them at once !" W^hen the brothers of Joseph
heard his words, they departed from Judah and Levi like
one man, and followed Joseph, and there remained with
Judah only Benjamin and Levi. When Levi beheld this,
he descended from the sun full of anger (sadness). And
Joseph said unto Benjamin, " Benjamin, my brother, art
thou not my brother ? Come thou also with me." But
Benjamin refused to go with Joseph. When the day drew
to an end, there arose a mighty storm, which separated
Joseph from his brothers, so that no two were left together.
When I beheld this vision, I related it unto my father Jacob,
and he said unto me, " My son, it is only a dream, which
will not come to pass (will neither ascend nor descend), for
it hath not been repeated."
(G) ' Not a long period, however, elapsed after that
before I saw another vision. We w^ere standing all together
90 [XXXVIII. 6
with our father Jacob, at the shore of the Great Sea. And,
behold, there was a ship saihng in the middle of the sea
without a sailor and a man (pilot). Our father said to us,
" Do ye see what I am seeing?" We answered, " We see
it." He then said to us, " Look what I am doing, and do
the same." He took off his clothes, threw himself into the
sea, and we all followed him. The first were Levi and
Judah and they jumped in (to the ship), and Jacob with
them. In that ship there was all the goodness of the world.
Jacob said, "Look at the mast and see what is written on
it ; for there is no ship on which the name of the master
should not be written on the mast."
(7) ' Levi and Judah looked up, and they saw there was
written, " This ship and all the good therein belongs to the
son of Berakhel (the one whom God had blessed)." When
Jacob heard that, he rejoiced very much, bowed down and
thanked God, and said, "Not only hast Thou blessed me on
earth, but Thou hast blessed me on the sea too !" He
then said, " My children, be men, and whatever each one
of you will seize, that shall be his share." Thereupon Levi
ascended the big mast and sat upon it ; the second after him
to ascend the other mast was Judah, and he sat upon it.
My other brothers then took each his oar, and Jacob our
father grasped the two rudders to steer the ship by them.
Joseph alone was left, and Jacob said unto him, "My son
Joseph, take thou also thine oar." But Joseph refused.
When my father saw that Joseph refused to take his oar,
he said unto him, " Come here, my son, and grasp one of
the rudders which I hold in my hands, and steer the ship,
whilst thy brothers row with the oars until you reach land."
And he taught each one of us, and he said to us, " Thus ye
shall steer the ship, and ye will not be afraid of the waves
of the sea, nor of the blast of the wind when it shall rise
against you.'''
(8) ' When he had made an end of speaking, he dis-
appeared from us. Joseph grasped both the rudders, one
with the right hand and one with the left, and my other
brothers were rowing, and the ship sailed on and floated
xxxviii. 10] 91
over the waters. Levi and Judah sat upon the mast to look
out for the way (course) the ship was to take. As long as
Joseph and Judah were of one mind, so that when Judah
showed to Joseph which was the right way, Joseph accord-
ingly directed thither the ship, the ship sailed on peaceably
without hindrance. After a while, however, a quarrel arose
between Joseph and Judah, and Joseph did not steer any
longer the ship according to the words of his father, and to
the teaching of Judah ; and the ship went wrong, and the
waves of the sea dashed it on a rock, so that the ship
foundered.
(9) ' Levi and Judah then descended from the mast to
save their lives, and every one of the brothers went to the
shore to save himself. Behold, there came our father,
Jacob, and found us cast about, one here and the other
there. He said to us, " What is the matter with you, my
sons? Have you not steered the ship as it ought to be
steered, and as I had taught you ?" We answered, " By
the life of thy servants, we did not depart from anything
that thou hast commanded us, but Joseph transgressed the
word (sinned in the affair), for he did not keep the ship
right according to thy command, and as he was told (taught)
by Judah and Levi, for he was jealous of them." And he
(Jacob) said unto us, " Show me the place (of the ship)."
And he saw, and only the tops of the masts were visible.
But lo, the ship floated on the surface of the water. My
father whistled, and we gathered round him. He again
threw himself into the sea as before, and he healed (repaired)
the ship, and entered it ; and he reproved Joseph, and
said, "My son, thou shalt no more deceive and be jealous
of thy brothers, for they were nearly lost through thee."
(10) ' When I had told this vision to my father he
clapped his hands and he sighed, and his eyes shed tears.
I waited for awhile, but he did not answer. So I took the
hand of my father to embrace it, and to kiss it, and I said
to him, " 0 servant of the Lord, why do thine eyes shed
tears?" He answered, "My son, the repetition of thy
vision hath made my heart sink within me, and my body
92 [XXXVIII. 10
is shaken with tremor by reason of my son Joseph, for I
loved him above you all ; and for the wickedness of my son
Joseph you will be sent into captivity, and you will be
scattered among the nations. For thy first and second
visions are both but one." I therefore command you not to
unite (combine) with the sons of Joseph, but only with
Levi and Judah. I further tell you that my lot will be in
the best of the middle of the land, and ye shall eat and be
satisfied with the choice of its products. But I warn you
not to kick in your fatness and not to rebel and not to
oppose the will of God, who satisfies you with the best of
His earth ; and not to forget the Lord your God, the God
of your fathers, who was chosen by our father Abraham
when the nations of the earth were divided in the time of
Phaleg.
(11) ' At that time the Lord — blessed be He ! — came down
from His high heavens, and brought down with Him seventy
ministering angels, Michael being the first among them. He
commanded them to teach the seventy descendants of Noah
seventy languages. The angels descended immediately and
fulfilled the command of their Creator. The holy language,
the Hebrew, remained only in the house of Sem and Eber,
and in the house of our father Abraham, who is one of their
descendants.
(12) ' On that day the angel Michael took a message
from the Lord, and said to each of the seventy nations
separately, "You know the rebellion you undertook and
the treacherous confederacy into which you entered against
the Lord of heaven and earth, now choose to-day whom
you will worship and who shall be your Protector in
heaven." Nimrod, the wicked, answered, " I do not know
anyone greater than those who taught me and my nation
the languages of Kush." In like manner answered also
Put, and Mizraim, and Tubal, and Javan, and Meseh, and
Tiras ; and every nation chose its own angel, and none of
them mentioned the name of the Lord, blessed be He !
(13) ' But when Michael said unto our father Abraham,
^' Abram, whom dost thou choose, and whom wilt thou
XXXVITI. 15] 93
worship?" Abram answered, " I choose and I will worship
only Him who said and the world was created, Him who has
created me in the womb of my mother, body within body,
Him who has given unto me spirit and soul — Him I choose
and to Him will I cling, I and my seed after me, all the days
of the world." Then He divided the nations and apportioned
to every nation its lot and share ; and from that time all
the nations separated themselves from the Lord, blessed be
He ! Only Abraham and his house remained with his Creator
to worship Him, and after him Isaac and Jacob and myself.
I therefore conjure you not to err and not to Avorship any
other god than that one chosen by your fathers.
(14) ' For ye shall know there is no other god like unto
Him, and no other who can do like His works in heaven
and on earth, and there is none to do such wondrous and
mighty deeds like unto Him. A portion only of His power
you can see in the creation of man ; how many remarkable
wonders are there not in him ! He created him perfect from
head to foot ; to listen with the ears, to see with the eyes,
to understand with his brains, to smell with his nose, to
bring forth the voice with his windpipe, to eat and drink
with his gullet, to speak with his tongue, to pronounce with
his mouth, to do work with his hands, to think with his
heart, to laugh with his spleen, to be angry with his liver,
to digest with his belly (stomach), to walk with his feet, to
breathe with his lungs, to be counselled by his kidneys, and
none of his members changes its function, but every one
remains at its own.
(15) 'It is therefore proper for man to bear in mind all
these things — to remember who hath created him, and who
it is that hath wrought him out of a drop in the womb of the
woman, and who it is that bringeth him out into the light of
the world, and who hath given him the sight of the eyes and
the walking of the feet, and who stand eth him upright and
hath given him intelligence for doing good deeds, and hath
breathed into him a living soul and the spirit of purity.
Blessed is the man who does not defile the Divine spirit
which hath been put and breathed into him, and blessed is
94 [XXXIX. 1
he who returns it as pure as it was on the day when it was
entrusted to (him by his) Creator.'
These are the words of Naphtah, the son of Israel, which
he (commended) to his sons ; they are sweeter than honey to
the palate.
XXXIX. (1) After these things the wife of his master
raised her eyes unto Joseph. Potiphar's wife, his mistress,
used to entice him every day by her conversation, and used to
bedeck herself with all kinds of ornaments and array herself
in many dresses in order to find favour in his eyes. But he
prevailed over his inclination. It w^as for this strength of
mind that he became worthy of being made king and ruler
over Egypt.
(2) One day all the Egyptian women assembled together
to see Joseph's beauty. When Joseph was brought before
them to wait upon them, his mistress offered each of them an
apple and knife to peel it ; but when they started peeling
their apples they all cut their hands, since they were so much
captivated with Joseph's beauty that they could not take
their eyes from him. She (Potiphar's wife) then said, ' If
you do this after seeing him but for one hour, how much
more should I be captivated who see him continually?'
[Here I think it right to return to the book of Josippon
at the place w^here we left, viz., the generations of Noah's
sons. Josippon commenced to enumerate the generations
of Adam, Seth, and Anosh, and gave a list of the names
of the families of the children of Japheth, and the boundaries
■of their lands until Kittim and Dudanim, as I have WTitten
above, among the generations of Noah's sons. Afterwards
he wrote the following, which I write down here, as it seems
to belong to this portion.]
XL. (1) It came to pass when the Lord scattered the
sons of man all over the surface of the earth that they
became separated into different companies. The Kittim
formed one company, and encamping in the plain of
Kapanya (Campania ^<^^:iQ3), they dwelt there by the river
Tiberio (ij^nnn), while the children of Tubal encamped in
XL. 4] 95
Toscana (s:)DCnn), and their frontier was the river Tiberio.
They built a city and called it Sabino (1^30), after the name
of its builders. And the Kittim also built a city for them-
selves, and called its name Posomanga (sjiidivid). Now,
the children of Tubal were overbearing to the Kittim, and
said, ' They shall not intermarry among us.' But it
happened at the harvest time, when the children of Tubal
had gone to their fields, that the young men of the Kittim
gathered together, and, going to Sabino, they took their
daughters captives, and then climbed the mountain of
Kaporisio (ix^vniSD). As soon as the children of Tubal
heard of this they arrayed themselves in battle against
them, but could not prevail over them on account of the
height of the mountain, so they gathered all the young
warriors to the mountain.
(2) In the next year the children of Tubal went out again
to battle, but the Kittim brought up all the children that
were born of their (Tubal's) daughters upon the wall which
they had built, and said, ' You have come to fight against
your own sons and daughters ; are we not now your own
bone and flesh ?' At this they ceased fighting, and the
Kittim gathered together and built a city by the sea which
they called Porto (imia), and another which they called
Albano (ijsn'ps), and yet another which they named
Aresah (nvnx).
(3) In those days Sefo (idv), the son of Eliphaz, fled
from Egypt. Joseph had captured him when he went up
to Hebron to bury his father. It was then that the children
of Esau tried to entice him to evil, but Joseph prevailed
over him and (capturing) Sefo from them, brought him to
Egypt. After the death of Joseph, Sefo fled from Egypt,
to Africa, to Agnias (ds^j:ix). King of Carthage, where he
was received with great honour and appointed captain of
the host.
(4) At the same time there lived a man in the land of
the Kittim, in the city of Posomanga (xjJDivia), named
'Usi (»v"ii;). He was to the Kittim as a vain god. He died
and left no son, but only one daughter, named lania (n&<>3^).
96 [XL. 4
She was beautiful and very wise, aior w^as the Kke of her
beauty to be found in all the land. Agnias sought her for
his wife, as did Turnus, King of Benevento (injnin) ; but
they (the Kittim) said to the latter, ' We cannot give her to
thee, because Agnias, King of Afriqia, seeks her ; we fear
lest he wage war against us, and in that case thou couldst
not deliver us from his power.'
(5) The inhabitants of Posomanga (x^^roivis) then sent
a letter to that effect to Agnias. Thereupon he mustered
all his host and came to the island of Sardinia (&<^jnnD''N).
Palos, his nephew, went out to meet him, and said,
'When thou askest my father to come to thy assistance,
ask him to appoint me the head of the army.' Agnias did
so, and came into the province of Astiras (t^^s-l>nc♦^<) in ships.
Turnus went out to meet him, and a very severe battle
ensued in the valley Kapanya (Campania), in which Palos,
his nephew, fell by the sword. Agnias then embalmed him,
and having made a golden human image (mask ?), placed
him therein. After that he once more set his men in battle
array and captured Turnus (c^^miD), King of Benevento,
and having slain him, made a mask (image) of brass, and
placed him therein. He then built a tower in the highway
in his honour, and another for Palos, his nephew, and called
the one ' The tower of Palos,' and the other ' The tower of
Turnus,' and the latter were separated by a marble pavement,
which remains unto this day. They were built between
Albano (iJnSi^) and Eome. Agnias then took lania to wife
and returned to his own country. From that day hence-
forth Gondalas (d6idi:) and the armies of the kings of Afriqia
used to ravage the land of the Kittim for spoil and plunder,
Sefo (isv) always accompanying them.
(6) When this Sefo, the son of Eliphaz, travelled from
Afriqia (x^pnsN) to the Kittim, the inhabitants received him
with great honour, and presented him with many gifts so
that he became very rich. And the troops of Afriqia
(x^tsnas) spread themselves over all the land of the Kittim,
and they having assembled, ascended the mountain of
Kaporisio (Campo-Marzio ?) (us^vniDD) on account of the
XL. 10] 97
troops of Gondalos. (7) One day one of the herd of Sefo
was missing, and after starting in search of it he heard the
lowing of a bull in the neighbourhood of the mountain.
On going to the bottom of the mountain, he discovered a
cave with a great stone placed at its mouth. When he
removed the stone he beheld to his surprise a huge animal
devouring the bullock. From the middle downwards it
presented the likeness of man, while from the middle
upwards that of a goat. Sefo instantly sprang upon it, and
split its head open. The inhabitants of Kittim then said,
' What shall be done for the man who has slain the beast
that continually devoured our cattle ?' On a festival day
they assembled together and called his name Janus, after
the name of the beast. They offered him drink offerings
on that day and brought him meal offerings, and from that
time they named the day ' The festival of Janus.'
(8) When the troops of Gondalos once more invaded the
land of the Kittim for plunder, as heretofore, Janus went
out against them, and having smitten them and put them
to flight, he delivered the land from their raids. The Kittim
then assembled and appointed Sefo to the throne of the
kingdom. The Kittim then went forth to subdue the
children of Tubal and the nations round about. And
Janus their king went before them and subdued them.
After this Sefo was called Saturnus, in addition to Janus :
Janus after the name of the beast, and Saturnus after the
name of the star which they worshipped in those days,
i.e., the planet ' Shabtai' (Saturnus). (9) He reigned at first
in the valley of Kapanya, in the land of the Kittim, and
built an exceedingly large temple there. He then extended
his kingdom over the whole of the Kittim, and over all
Italy. Janus Saturnus, after a reign of fifty-five years,
died and was buried.
(10) His successor was Piqos Faunos (l**ijind i^Mp^s), who
reigned fifty years. He also erected a huge temple in the
valley of Kapanya, and soon after died. His successor was
named Latin us ; it was he who explained the language and
its letters. He likewise built a temple for his dwelling, and
7
98 [XL. 10
many ships. He went to battle with Astrubel ('pnnnDs), the
son of Agnias, whom lania bore him, in order to take his
daughter Yaspisi ('•^^SD>) to wife, as Agnias had done to
the Kittim when he took lania from them in battle.
And this woman was very beautiful, so much so that the
men of her generation weaved her image upon their clothes
in honour of her beauty. A fierce battle ensued between
Astrubel, King of the Carthaginians, and Latinus, King of
Kittim, and Latinus captured the fountain of water which
Agnias, when he took lania, had brought with her to
Carthage.
(11) For lania the queen, when arriving there, was taken
ill, and Agnias and his servants were sorely grieved. Agnias
said to his wise men, 'How can I cure lania's illness?'
His servants replied, ' The air of our land is not like unto
that of Kittim, nor our waters like theirs. Therefore the
queen is ill through the change of air and water, for in
her own land she only drank the water drawn from Forma
(no-na), which her ancestors drew upon bridges (aque-
ducts).' Agnias then ordered his ministers (princes) to
bring water from Forma in Kittim in a vessel. They weighed
these waters against all the waters of Africa, and found
that only those of Goqar (nplj) corresponded with them.
Agnias then ordered his princes to gather together stone-
masons by thousands and myriads. So they hewed a
vast number of stones for building; and, being in great
numbers, they built a bridge (an aqueduct) from the
fountain of the water as far as Carthage. All these waters
were for the sole use of lania, who used them for drinking,
baking, washing clothes, ordinary washing, and for water-
ing all the seeds which provided her food. They also
brought earth from Kittim in many ships, as well as stones
and bricks, and they built therewith temples. All this
they did for the great love they bore her, for through her
wiles she charmed the people, and through her they called
themselves blessed, and she was to them as a goddess.
(12) Now, it happened when Latinus waged war with
Astrubel that he overthrew part of the bridge, so that the
XL. 15] 99
troops of Gondalos were exceedingly furious, and fought
desperately. Astrubel being mortally wounded, Latinus
by main force captured Yaspisi (^^i'^DD^), his daughter, for
his wife. He brought her to Kittim and made her queen.
And Latinus reigned forty-five years.
(13) When Latinus died, Anias reigned in his stead
for three years, and, after his death, Asqinus (Ascanias,
D^rpDS) reigned thirty-eight years. He also built a large
temple. After him Seliaqos (Dipi^^'pD) reigned twenty-
nine years, and he built a large temple. After his death
Latinus, who reigned for fifty years, succeeded him. This
was the king who fought with Almania (i<^3?o*?x) and
Burgunia (i<''j:"ii2), the sons of Elisa (nc'^'px), whom he took
as tribute. He built a temple to ' Lusifer ' (navi'?), i.e.,
Nogah, and closed that of Saturnus, which was ' the Temple
of Shabbetai.' He passed his priests through the fire on
the altar of his temple, dedicated to ' Lusifer.'
(14) After the death of Latinus, Anias Trognos (Tar-
quinius) reigned in his stead thirty-three years. He also
erected a temple to Saturn. After him Alba reigned
thirty-nine years. When he died, Avisianos (D"l:^<*':;^n^*)
reigned for twenty-four years, and built a large temple.
After him Qapis (D^sxp) reigned twenty-eight years, and
built a temple. After him Karpitos (Dio^anp) reigned for
twenty-three years, and built a temple. After him Tiberios
reigned for eight years. Agrippa reigned after him for
forty years. Komulus succeeded him, and reigned nine
years, during which time he built several temples. After
him Abtinos reigned for thirty- seven years. This is the king
who waged war with the children of Eifath, who dwelt by
the Lira (t^n^'p), and with the sons of Turnus, who dwelt
in Toronia (s^^mo) by the river Lira. It was they who
fled from Agnias, King of Afriqi {'P'l^^), and who built
Purnus (C'jiid) and Anba (sa^s). These Abtinos brought
to submission. After him Procas (L'Spns) reigned twenty-
three years; and after him .Emilius reigned for forty-
three years.
(15) After his death Komulus reigned for thirty-eight
7—2
100 [XL. 16
years. In his days David smote the land of Syria, so that
Hadarezer and his sons fled into the land of the Kittim.
He there obtained a place on the seashore and a place on
the mountain. He there built a city, and called its name
Sorento (iD^-nD). (16) At that place there dwelt a young
man of a descendant of the family of Hadarezer, who had
fled from David. He built the old city Albano (i^nSs),
where his posterity dwell unto this day. But within the
city of Sorento (iD3-nD) a well of oil sprung up, and after
some years the city subsided, and the sea swept over it,
i.e., between Napoli (^'pissi) and New Sorento ; yet the well
did not cease from flowing, for until this very day the oil
bubbles and rises upon the waters of the sea, while the
inhabitants are continually collecting it.
(17) Eomulus was greatly afraid of David. He therefore
built a wall higher than any other wall hitherto erected by
any king that preceded him, and he surrounded all the
mountains and hills round about with this wall. Its
length was forty-five miles, and he called the name of the
city Koma, after the name of Eomulus. And they yet con-
tinued to be greatly afraid of David. He made the name
of the Kittim great, and they called the place Eomania
(nt^'-^nin), as it is called unto this very day. He built a
temple in honour of Jovis, i.e., ' Sedek,' and removed that
dedicated to ' Lusifer.' And Eomulus waged great wars.
He also made a covenant with David. (18) After the
death of Eomulus, Numa Popilios reigned in his stead
forty-one years. After him Polios (D^^^^'?^^) reigned for
thirty -two years. After him Tarkinos (D^^^sm) reigned
for thirty-seven years. After his death Servios (Dli^nt'O
reigned thirty - four years. After him Tarkinos reigned.
This Tarkinos was he who fell in love with a Eoman
woman. But as she was already married, he took her l^y
force. The woman was thereat grieved, and she stabbed
herself with a dagger and met her death. Her brothers
rose up, and, going to the temple of Jovis, they lay in
wait for Tarkinos. When he came to pray they fell upon
him with drawn swords and killed him.
XLI. 2] 101
(19) On that day the Eomans took an oath that no king
should henceforth reign in Kome. They then selected
seventy Koman counsellors and appointed them to rule
and to guide the kingdom. ' The Old Man ' and his seven
counsellors then ruled over them and subdued all the West.
(20) After the lapse of 205 years battles were fought by
sea and land between Babylon and Eome, because the
Komans assisted Greece when the Greeks fought with
Babylon. At that time, when they rebelled, they caused
the Tiber to flow into other channels, and made a bottom
to the river from one gate (of Eome) to the other, from its
entrance to its exit, a distance of eighteen miles, all of
which covered with brass, from the gate of Eome where it
flows into the sea until the gate where it takes its source,
a distance of eighteen miles, for three-fourths of the people
were on one side of the river and one-fourth on the other
side. The river flowed in the midst of the city, and the
inhabitants of Eome paved its bed. No ships or boats of
the King of Babylon could henceforth enter. The Eomans
feared and trembled, as they had heard that the King of
Babylon had captured Jerusalem. They sent him presents
by messengers, and made a treaty after that war so that
wars ceased between them until the reign of Darius the Mede.
[Thus far the narrative of Josippon. After this Josippon
wrote of the kingdom of Darius and Cyrus, and the book of
the Maccabees, and of the kings who lived during the time
of the second temple until its destruction. I shall, with
the help of God, write it all in its proper place just as it is
written in the book of Josippon until the end.]
XLI. (1) I also find that during the first temple, in
the time of Jotham, King of Judah, two brothers, Eemus
and Eomilus, arose who were the first kings of Eome.
They reigned thirty-eight years. (2) I also find in 'Sober
Tob ' that their mother from the pains of travail died at
their birth, and that God appointed a she-wolf to suckle
them until they were grown up. Eomulus built the city
of Eoma. He, the first king, then appointed 100 elders as
102 [XLI. 3
counsellers. He also built a temple in Eome, and erected
the ^Yalls of Eome. (3) After him, Huma (Numa) Pompilios
(i;M5<^'"?^spiD so-in) reigned for forty-one years. This Huma
Pompilios added two months to the year, viz., Januarius
and Febrius (K^li<n3S), for the Romans had originally
but ten months to the year. After him Tullus Ostihus
(Dis^S^tOL-iwX) reigned for thirty-t^YO years. This Tullus, King
of Rome, was the first to clothe himself in purple robes.
(4) These are the seven kings that reigned in Rome:
1. Romulus; 2. Numa Pompilius ; 3. Tullus Ostilius ;
4. Ancus Marcus ; 5. Tarquinius Priscus ; 6. Servius
(c♦••lS^n-lL^') ; 7. Tarquinus (C'-i^npii?). Their rule over Rome
lasted altogether 240 years. After them Rome remained
without a king for 464 years until the reign of Julius
Caesar.
[Here finishes the ' Book of Genealogies.' I now com-
mence the ' Chronicles of Moses, our Teacher.']
XLH. (1) From the time that Jacob and his sons came
to the land of Goshen, there reigned in it certain shepherds,
for the land of Egypt was divided into three kingdoms,
viz., the land of Ramses, where the Tibei {'^'T^) reigned.
This was situated at the extreme end of Egypt. The
Israelites built this town, which was afterwards called
Ramses on account of the evil (yi, Ra) and the tribute (d*o,
Mas) which were imposed upon the Israelites. The former
name of the city was Heroes (^'^^n^n). Another capital
was Mof, that is Menfis (^''by^), for Apis, King of Egypt,
built it, and was made a god because Jovis, the god of
Egypt, revealed himself to them in the form of a calf and
a ram, and therefore they called him Sarapis. On this
account shepherds were the abomination of Egypt in the
land of Menfis, Nof, Pathros, and Tahpanhes, for the
Egyptians did not eat sheep or rams because they
worshipped them as gods. But the land of Goshen was
the kingdom of the shepherds in honour of Joseph and
Jacob and his sons, all of whom were shepherds.
(2) Now, a new king arose in Egypt who did not know
XLII. 3] 103
Joseph and his good deeds. This ^Yas Pharaoh Amenofis
(:r^?trp5<). In his days there arose in the air the Kkeness
of an ox. On its right side it had a mark resembling
the moon, from which there issued sparks. When it arose
in the morning with the smi, it used to fly in the air of
the heaven. All the Egyptians worshipped it, and praised
it with every kind of song. When it moved they also
moved, and when it stood they also stood. The ox used
also to sing hymns. This it did once in each year. It
became a festival day in Egypt, and they called it the day
of Sarapis. On account of this, the Israelites afterwards
made the calf in the wilderness, as it is said, ' And he
passed through the sea of affliction.'
(3) Then he (Pharaoh) said to his people, ' Behold the
people of Israel are becoming mightier and stronger than
we ; and the Egyptians envy and hate them on account of
the multitude of their families, the greatness of their riches,
and their mighty strength. Come, let us take counsel
lest they multiply, and let us appoint rulers over Israel,
and taskmasters over these rulers from among our own
people, for the purpose of subjecting them to rigorous
servitude, and let us further appoint tax-gatherers over
them that they may be reduced to poverty.' And they
built store-cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Piamses, great
cities which stood on the border of Pithom at the extremity
of the land of Egypt, and Piamses at the other extremity.
In these two cities were the stores of the king and his
implements of war. They were built in such a manner
that no one could possibly enter or go out of the land of
Egypt without the king's knowledge. And the Egyptians
enslaved the Israelites with rigour ; they appointed task-
masters, who beat them to obtain the taxes. They
embittered their lives with hard bondage, in that they had
to dig all the channels in the land of Egypt, and to carry
the manure upon their shoulders in pots and in baskets to
manure the fields, as it is said, 'I shall remove the burden
of manure from his shoulder, and his hands shall be
removed from the pots.' They had to cleanse all the
104 [XLII. 4
channels of the land on account of the Nile, which filled
them once in forty years.
(4) The Egyptians decreed three kinds of punishment
against Israel. One was to embitter their lives ; the
second to impose upon them the slavery in the field ; and
the third to cast all their males into the river, for they
said to King Pharaoh Amenofis, ' We shall slay the males
that they may not increase, and allow the females to live
to be our servants and our wives, and the males that we
beget from them shall be our slaves.' On this account
their misery went up before the Lord. And it came to
pass when the time of the pregnancy of the women had
almost come to an end, they w^ent out in the field and
there gave birth to their children, and they left them in
the field. The Lord then sent an angel, who wvashed the
children and placed in their hand two stones, from one of
which they sucked milk, and from the other honey. When
the children were weaned they returned to their father's
house. When the Egyptians saw the children in the field,
they tried to take them away, but the earth opened its mouth
and swallow^ed them up. The Egyptians brought their
ploughshares and ploughed the field over them, but could
not harm them, for the Lord had saved them.
(5) The elders and all the people then gathered together,
wept and wailed, saying, ' It would have been better had
our wives been barren, for the fruit of the womb has now
been annihilated. Now let no man approach his wife
for some time ; for it is preferable to die childless than to
see our children defiled by the Gentile, until we know what
the Lord will do.' Now Amram answered and said, 'Are
you willing to destroy by obstinacy or with premeditation
the world? But even when misery has reached the bottom of
the abyss the seed of Israel will not be destroyed ; for the
Lord has sworn to Abraham to afiiict his seed for 400 years,
and behold from the time of the covenant between the pieces
which God made with Abraham, 350 years have already
passed, and 130 years of these we have been slaves in
Egypt. Now I shall not abide by your counsel, to fix a time
XLII. 8] 105
for God's intercession, and to restrain my wife from helping
to peoi3le the world, for the anger of the Lord will not last
for ever, nor will He forsake His people for ever, nor has
He made the covenant with our ancestors in vain, neither
has He increased the seed of Israel to no purpose.
(6) ' Now I shall therefore go to my wife according to the
commandment of God, and, if it is pleasing to you, do you
act likewise, and it shall come to pass when our wives shall
conceive, that they shall conceal the fruit of their concep-
tion for three months, just as Tamar, our mother, did.
She did not designedly go astray, for she said, "It is better
for me to die than to mix with the heathen." She there-
fore concealed the fruit of her womb for three months and
then confessed. Now let us do likewise, even we. And
when the time of bearing comes to an end, we shall not
withhold the fruit of our womb, for perchance the Lord
will be zealous, and save us from our affliction.'
(7) The advice of Amram seemed good in the eyes of
God, and He said to him, ' Thy words are pleasing in My
sight. Therefore there shall be born to thee a son who
shall be My servant for ever, who shall perform wonders
in the house of Jacob, and signs and miracles among the
people. And I shall show him My glory, and make My
ways known to him. In him I shall cause My Hght to
burn, and shall teach him My statutes and laws. I shall
lead him on the high places of My righteousness and My
judgments, and through him shall the light of the world
be kindled. Of him have I thought from the beginning when
I said, "My spirit shall not strive any longer with man, since
he is to be in the flesh. His days shall be 120 years." '
(8) Amram, of the tribe of Levi, went forth and took
Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, to wife. All the people
likewise took to them wives. And Amram begat a son and
daughter, Aaron and Miriam. And the spirit of the Lord
came upon Miriam so that she had a dream in the night.
She told her father, saying, ' In the night I saw a man
clothed in fine linen. " Tell thy father and mother," he
said, " that whatever is born to thee in the night will be
106 [XLII. 9
cast upon the waters, and by him the waters shall become
dry. And through him shall wonders and miracles be per-
formed, and he shall save My people Israel, and he shall
be their leader for ever." ' This dream Miriam told her
father and mother. But they did not believe it.
(9) Now, Jochebed had conceived for six months, and in
the seventh month she bore a son. They could no longer
conceal him, for the Egyptians had made houses by which
they knew of the birth of a child. They therefore made
a little ark, and placed the child among the bulrushes.
The elders then said to Am ram, ' Did we not say to thee
"It is better for us to die childless than to see the fruit of
our womb cast into the sea " ? ' Then said Amram to his
daughter Miriam, * Where is thy prophecy ?' So his sister
stood a little distance off to know what would become of
the child. And Pharaoh's daughter went down to wash.
And she took the child and adopted him as a son.
The Chronicles of Moses.
XLIII. (1) In the 130th year after the Israelites had
gone down to Egypt, Pharaoh dreamt a dream. While he
was sitting on the throne of his kingdom he lifted up his
eyes, and beheld an old man standing before him. In his
hand he held a pair of scales as used by merchants. The
old man then took the scales and, holding them up before
Pharaoh, he laid hold of all the elders of Egypt and its
princes, together with all its great men, and, having bound
them together, placed them in one pan of the scales. After
that he took a milch goat, and, placing it in the other pan,
it outweighed all the others. Pharaoh then awoke, and it
was a dream.
(2) Eising early next morning, he called all his servants,
and told them the dream. They were sorely frightened by
it, and one of the king's eunuchs said, ' This is nothing else
than the foreboding of a great evil about to fall upon
Egypt.' On hearing this the king said to the eunuch,.
' What will it be ?' And the eunuch replied, ' A child will
be born in Israel, who will destroy all the land of Egypt.
XLIII. 5] 107
If it is pleasing to the king, let the royal command go forth
in all the land of Egypt that every male born among the
Hebrews should be slain, so that this evil be averted from
the land of Egypt.
(3) The king did so, and accordingly sent for the Hebrew
mid wives, one of whom was named Shifrah, and another
Puah, and said to them, ' When the Hebrew women give
birth, and ye see upon the stools that it is a son, ye slay it ;
but if a daughter, then let it live.' But the midwives feared
God, and did not act according to the king's word, but let
the males live. The king, therefore, summoned the mid-
wives, and said to them, ' Why have ye done this thing,
and kept the males alive ?' And the midwives answered
Pharaoh, saying, ' The Hebrew women are not like the
Egyptian women, for they are like the free animals of the
field which do not require midwives ; before the midwives
come to them the children are born.'
(4) When Pharaoh saw that he could not do anything
with them, he commanded all his people, saying, ' Every
male that is born ye shall cast into the river ; but all the
females ye shall keep alive.' When the Israelites heard this
command of Pharaoh to cast their males into the river,
some of the people separated from their wives, while others
remained with them. It came to pass, about the time of
childbirth, that the women went out into the field, and the
Lord, who swore to their ancestors that He w^ould multiply
them, sent them an angel, one of his ministers, who was
appointed over childbirth, to wash it, and rub it with salt ;
and the angel bound it in swaddling clothes, and placed in
the child's hand two smooth stones, from the one of which
it sucked milk, and from the other honey. God also caused
its hair to grow down to its knees, so as to be well covered
by it ; and the angel rocked it caressingly.
(5) And when God had compassion upon them and
sought to increase them upon the face of the whole land.
He commanded the earth to sw^allow the children up, and
protect them until they grew up, after which time it should
open its mouth and let them go forth so that they should
108 [XLIII. 6
sprout as the grass of the field, and as the young trees of
the forest. Then they would return to their families, and
to the house of their fathers, where they would remain.
(6) Accordingly, it happened that after the earth had
swallowed up, through the mercy of God, the males born of
the house of Jacob, that the Egyptians went out into the
field to plough with teams of oxen and with the plough-
share. They worked (ploughed) upon them as the spoiler
in time of the harvest. But although they ploughed never
so hard they were unable to injure them, and thus they
increased abundantly.
[Another Version. — It came to pass at the time of birth
that they left their children in the field, and the Lord, who
swore to their ancestors that He would cause them to inherit
the land, tamed for them the beasts of the field, and
sustained and reared them, as it is said, ' And the beasts of
the field were at peace with thee.' When the Egyptians
saw that they (the Israelites) left their sons in the field,
and that the wild beasts helped them, and led them in the
forests until they had grown to manhood, they said, ' These
have surely reared them in the caverns and vaults of the
earth,' and each of them brought their ploughshare and
their plough, and ploughed above them, etc.]
XLIV. (1) There was a Levite in the land of Egypt whose
name was Amram, the son of Qehath, the son of Levi, the
son of Jacob. This man betrothed Jochebed, the daughter
of Levi, the sister of his father, and she conceived and bare
a daughter, and called her name Miriam (the bitter), because
in those days people began to embitter the lives of the
Israelites. She conceived again and bare a son, whose
name she called Aaron (pregnancy), because during the
time of her pregnancy Pharaoh began to shed the blood of
their males upon the ground, and to cast them into the
river of Egypt. When, however, the word of the king and
his decree became known respecting the casting of their
males into the river, many of God's people separated from
their wives, as did Amram from his wife.
(2) After the lapse of three years the Spirit of God came
XLIV. 5] 109
upon Miriam, so that she went forth and prophesied in the
house, saying, ' Behold, a son shall be born to my mother
and father, and he shall rescue the Israelites from the
hands of the Egyptians.' When Amram heard his young
daughter's prophecy he took back his wife, from whom he
had separated in consequence of Pharaoh's decree to destroy
all the male line of the house of Jacob. After three years
of separation he went to her and she conceived. And it
came to pass at the end of six months from the time of her
conception that she bare a son. The whole house was at
that moment filled with a great light, as the light of the
sun and the moon in their splendour. The woman saw
that the child was good and beautiful to behold, so she hid
him in an inner room for three months.
(3) At that time the Egyptian women took secret counsel
together to destroy the Hebrew women ; they, therefore,
went to the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were
carrying their little children who could not speak upon their
shoulders. The Hebrew women then hid their children
from the Egyptians, so that their existence might not
become known to them, in order to preserve them from
destruction and annihilation. The Egyptian women came
thus to Goshen with their children who could not speak,
and when one of them came into the house of the Hebrew
she made her own child chatter in the child's language,
and the hidden child, hearing it, replied in the same manner.
The Egyptian women thereupon went to Pharaoh's house
to tell him of it, and Pharaoh sent his officers to slay those
children.
(4) After that child (Moses) had been hidden now for
three months and it thus became known to Pharaoh, the
mother took the child and placed it in a little ark of
bulrushes, which she daubed with slime and with pitch.
She then hurriedly placed the child among the flags by
the river's brink, while his sister stood at a distance to wit
what would be done to him.
(5j God then sent drought and great heat in the land
of Egypt, so that it burnt one's very flesh upon him just
110 [XLIV. G
as when the sun is m its strength. The Egyptians
were therefore sorely troubled. Pharaoh's daughter went
down by the river-side to bathe, as did all the Egyptian
women, on account of the heat and the drought. Her
handmaids and all Pharaoh's concubines went with her.
While thus occupied, she beheld the ark floating on the
water, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. On opening the
box, she discovered the child. It began to cry, and she had
pity upon it, and said, ' This is one of the Hebrew children.'
(6) At this the Egyptian women by the river came up for
the purpose of suckling it, but it refused to take them.
God wished to return it to the breast of its mother. The
child's sister Miriam then said to Pharaoh's daughter,
' Shall I go and call a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child ?'
'Yes,' said she. And she forthwith called the child's own
mother. Then said Pharaoh's daughter, ' Take this child
and suckle it for me, and I will give thee as a reward a
monthly wage of two pieces of silver ;' so the woman took
the child and nursed it. (7) After two years she brought
it to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted it, and she called its
name Moses, ' for from the waters I drew him.' But his
father called him ' Heber,' because for his sake he joined his
wife again from whom he had separated himself ; while his
mother called him 'Yequtiel,' because *I placed my hope in
God the Almighty,' and He returned him to her. His sister
called him ' Yered,' because she went down to the river
after him to know what his end would be ; while his brother
called him 'Abi Zanoah,' saying, 'My father separated
from my mother, but returned to her on account of this
child.' Kehath, his grandfather, named him 'Abigedor,'
because for his sake God closed up the breach of the house
of Jacob, so that they no more cast the children into the
water. His nurse called him ' Abi Sokho,' saying that he
was hidden in a tent (or box) for three months out of fear
of the descendants of Ham ; and all Israel called him ' Ben
Nethanel,' because in his days God heard their groaning.
(8) In the third year of Moses' birth, when Pharaoh was
sitting at his meal, with his mistress on his right hand, his
XLIV. llj 111
daughter on his left, and the child in her lap, and all the
princes of the kingdom sitting round the table, it happened
that the child stretched out his hand, and, taking the crown
from the king's head, placed it upon his own. The king and
the princes, on seeing this, were confused and exceedingly
astonished. (9) Then Balaam, the enchanter, one of the
king's eunuchs, said,'/ Eememberest thou, my lord the king,
the dream which thou didst dream and the interpretation
thy servant gave it ? Now, is this not one of the children
of the Hebrews in whom the spirit of God is? By his
wisdom he has done this and has chosen for himself the
kingdom of Egypt. Thus did Abraham, who weakened
the power of Nimrod, the King of the Chaldeans, and
Abimelech, King of Gerar, and inherited the land of the
children of Heth and all the kingdoms of Canaan. He
also went down to Egypt, and said of his wife, " She is
my sister," for the purpose of placing a stumbling-block
in the way of the Egyptians and their king. Isaac did
the same in Philistia when he sojourned in Gerar. He
grew stronger than all the Philistines. Their king he
also wished to lead astray when he said of his wife,
" She is my sister." Jacob also went stealthily and
took away his only brother's birthright and his blessing
withal. He then went to Padan Aram, to the house of
Laban, his maternal uncle, and by his cunning obtained
his daughters, his cattle, and all that he had. He then
fled to the land of Canaan. (10) His sons again sold Joseph
into Egypt, where he was put in prison for two years, until
the Pharaoh before thee dreamt dreams. He was then
taken from prison and appointed over the princes of Egypt,
on account of the interpretation of these dreams. When
God brought a famine upon the land he brought his father
and his brothers to Egypt. He maintained them without
paying for it, and us he bought for slaves. If, now, it seems
good to the king, let us shed the blood of this child, lest,
when he grows up, he take the kingdom from thy hands,
and Egypt perish.'
(11) God at that moment sent one of his angels, named
112 [XLIV. 12
Gabriel, who assumed the form of one of them. ' If
it pleaseth the king,' said the angel, ' let onyx stones and
live-coals be brought and placed before the child, and
it shall come to pass, if he stretches forth his hand to
the coals, then know that he has not done this by his
wisdom, and let him live.' This thing being good in the
eyes of the king and the princes, they acted according to
the word of the angel, and they brought him the onyx and
the coals. The angel then placed the child's hand near
the coal so that his fingers touched it. He lifted it to his
mouth and burnt his lips and his tongue, so that he became
heavy of speech. The king and the princes then desisted
from killing the child. (12) He lived for fifteen years
afterwards in the king's palace, clothed in garments of
purple, for he was reared together with the king's sons.
When he was in his eighteenth year the lad longed for his
parents, and consequently went to them. He went out to
his brethren in the field and looked upon their burdens. He
there saw an Egyptian smite one of his Hebrew brethren.
When the man that was beaten saw Moses he ran to him
for help, for Moses was a greatly-honoured man in
Pharaoh's house. He said to him, '0 my Lord, this
Egyptian came into my house in the night and, binding me
with cords, went to my wife in my very presence, and he
now seeks my life.' When Moses heard this evil deed he
was exceedingly angry, and, turning this way and that to
see that nobody was looking, he smote the Egyptian and
hid him in the sand. He thus saved the Hebrew from the
hand of the Egyptian. (13) Moses then returned to the
palace, and the Hebrew to his house. When the man
returned to his house he told his wife that he wished to
divorce her, because it was not right for one of the house of
Jacob to lie with his wife after she had been defiled. So
the woman went out and told her brothers, who thereupon
sought to kill him, but he fled into his house, and thus
escaped.
(14) On the next day Moses went out to his brethren, and,
seeing that some were quarrelling, he said to the wicked
XLV. 2] 113
one, ' Why dost thou beat thy neighbour ?' But one of
them retorted, * Who made thee to be a prmce and judge
over us ? Wilt thou slay us as thou didst slay the
Egyptian?' Moses by this perceived that the thing was
already known. (15) Pharaoh immediately got to hear of
it, and ordered Mo'ses to be slain. But God sent Michael,
the captain of His heavenly host, in the likeness of the
chief butcher (slayer). He then took his sword and severed
the head of the chief butcher, for his face was changed to
the exact likeness of Moses. The angel then took hold of
Moses' hand, and, bringing him forth from Egypt, placed
him outside its border, a distance of forty days' journey.
But Aaron yet remained in Egypt, who prophesied to the
Israelites in the midst of the Egyptians, saying, ' Cast away
from you the abominations of the Egyptians, and do not
defile yourselves with their idols.' But the Israelites
rebelled and would not listen. The Lord then said that
He would have destroyed them, were it not that He remem-
bered the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. But the hand of Pharaoh was constantly becoming
heavier upon the Israelites, so that he persecuted and
oppressed them until God sent forth His word and
redeemed them.
XLY. (1) At that time a war broke out between Cush
on the one side and the people of Qedem (East) and Syria
on the other ; for these rebelled against the King of Cush.
Qinqanos, King of Cush, then went out to war against the
other two nations, and smote Syria and the East. He took
many captives and made them submit to Cush. (2) When
Qinqanos went out to war against Syria and the people of
the East he left behind Bala am the enchanter, i.e,, Laban
the Aramean, who came from Caphtor, together with his
two sons, Janis and Jambris, to guard the city and the
poor people. But Bala'am counselled the people to rebel
against Qinqanos, so that he should not be able to come
into the city. The people, Hstening to him, swore to
act accordingly. Him they made king over them, and
his two sons they appointed as captains of the host of
8
114 [XLV. 3
the people. On two sides of the city they raised very
high walls, while on the third side they dug an innumer-
able number of pits between the city and the river that
surrounds the whole land of Gush, and from there the
people drew into them the waters of the river. On the
fourth side they collected by their wiles and witchcraft an
immense number of serpents, so that no one could approach
them.
(3) When the king and all the captains of the army
returned from the war and saw the very high walls of the
cit}^ they were greatly astonished, and said, ' Behold, wdiile
we have been detained at w^ar, they have built walls to the
city and strengthened themselves to prevent the Canaanitish
kings from waging war against them.' But w4ien they came
near the city and discovered that the gates were closed, they
shouted to the keepers, ' Open the gates for us, that w^e may
enter the city.' But they refused to open them, just as
Bala'am the enchanter had ordered them, and would not
allow them to enter the city. They therefore drew up their
line of battle opposite the gate, and fought so that on that
day there fell 130 men of Qinqanos's army. On the second
day they fought on the side of the river. But when thirty
cavalrymen tried to cross they sank into the pits and were
drowned. The king then commanded them to hew some
wood, which they were to use as rafts upon ^yhich to cross,
and they did so. When, however, they came to the w^alls,
the rafts rolled from under them like a mill, and on that
day 200 men that had gone upon ten rafts were sunk in
the wells. On the third day they w^ent on that side of the
city where the serpents lay, but they dared not approach.
After 170 men had been killed by these serpents they ceased
fighting against Gush. They besieged it for nine years, so
that no one went out or entered the city.
(4) During this siege Moses, having fled from Egypt,
came to the camp of Qinqanos, the King of Gush. He was
then but eighteen years old. This young man entered
their ranks, and was much beloved by the king, the princes,
and all the army, because he w^as mighty and beautiful.
XLV. 6] 115
His height was hke the cedar and his face hke the rising
sun, and his strength Hke that of a Hon. He was therefore
made the king's counseUor. It came to pass after nine
years that the Cushite king was seized with an iHness by
which he died, so that after seven days Qinqanos departed
this Hfe. His servants embahned him, and buried him
opposite the gate of the city looking towards Egypt. There
they erected a beautiful building and a very high temple,
and engraved upon the stones his arms and the record of
his mighty deeds.
(5) When they had completed the building, they said to
each other, ' What shall we now do ? If we try to get into
the city and fight there wall be many more of us slain than
before. If we give up the siege, then all the Syrian kings
and those of the East, having heard of the death of our
king, will come upon us suddenly, and none of us will be
left. Now, let us appoint a king over us, and we shall then
continue the siege until the city falls into our hands.'
They then hastily stripped themselves of their garments,
and, casting them upon the ground, they made a large
platform, upon which they placed Moses. They then blew
the trumpets, and exclaimed, ' Long live the king !' And
all the princes and all the people took the oath of obedience
to him, and gave him a Cushite wife, the widow of Qinqanos.
They then crowned him King of Gush. He was twenty-
seven years old when he was made king.
(6) On the second day of his reign they all assembled
before the king, and said, ' If it is pleasing to the king, give
us advice what to do. For these last nine years we have
not seen our wives nor our sons, but have remained in the
siege.' The king then answered the people, saying, ' Be
certain that the city will be delivered into our hands if you
hearken to my advice. Now, if we fight with them, many
of us will fall as at first, and if we determine to cross the
water we shall fare similarly. Now, go to the forest, and
let each one bring a young stork, which he shall keep until
it has grown up and be taught to hunt just as the hawk.'
The people immediately hastened to the forest, and, climb-
8—2
116 [XLV. 7
ing the fir-trees, they each brought the young (of the
stork) in then- hands according to the king's word.
(7) When the young storks had grown up, the king com-
manded them to starve them for two days, and on the third
day he said to them, ' Let each man put on his armour and
harness the horses and mules to the chariots ; and when
each man has taken his stork in his hand, let us rise and
war against the city on the side where the serpents are
lying.' This they did. When they approached the place,
the king said, ' Let each send forth his young stork.' As
soon as they did so the storks flew upon the serpents and
devoured them, thus ridding the place of them.
(8) When the king and the people saw that the serpents
had disappeared they raised a great shout, fought against
the city, and captured it, so that each man went to his own
house, to his own wife, and to his goods. On that day
1,100 inhabitants were killed, but of the besiegers not one.
When Bala am the enchanter saw that the city was taken,
opening the gate, he and his two sons fled away upon their
horses to Egypt, to Pharaoh, King of Egypt. These were
the magicians and the wizards, as it is written in the
' Sefer Hayashar ' (Book of the Just = Bible), that coun-
selled Pharaoh to wipe out the name of Jacob from off the
face of the earth.
XLVI. (1) And it came to pass when Pharaoh reigned
over Egypt that he changed the statutes of the first kings
and their laws, and made the yoke heavy upon all the
inhabitants of his land, and also upon the house of Jacob
he had no pity, through the counsel of Bala'am the
enchanter and his two sons, for they were then the king's
counsellors. The king then took counsel with his three
advisers — one of whom was named Eeuel the Midianite,
the second Job, and the third Bala'am of Petor — and said,
' Behold, the Israelites are becoming more numerous, and
mightier than we. Come, let us be wise, lest they grow
too numerous, and in the event of a war breaking out they
will assemble against us and fight us, and go up from
the land.'
XLVI. 4] 117
(2) Then Eeuel the Midianite exclaimed, ' Long live the
king ! If it pleases the king, do not stretch forth thy hand
against them, because God has selected them of old and taken
them from all nations of the earth to be His inheritance.
For whoever of all the kings of the earth stretches forth his
hand against them their God will take vengeance upon him.
When Abraham went down to Egypt, and Pharaoh ordered
his wife Sarah to be brought to him, did not the Lord their
God send great plagues upon him and upon his house until
he restored Abraham's wife, and only through Abraham's
prayer was he healed ? Also in the case of Abimelech in
Gerar. As a punishment all his house was struck with
barrenness, even unto the animals. In a vision Abimelech
learned the cause, and that he must restore Abraham's
wife whom he had taken. After Isaac prayed for him and
his household, and entreated God on their behalf, they were
healed. (3) When Isaac was separated from his wife all
their fountains were dried up, and their fruit-bearing trees
did not yield their produce, and the breasts of their wives
and cows were dried up. Then Abimelech went to him
from Gerar, his pasturage, and Phichol, the captain of his
host. They prostrated themselves, and asked him to
entreat God for them and pray to Him. When he besought
God they were healed. Jacob was a simple man dwelling
in tents ; by his integrity he was delivered from Esau, and
Laban the Aramean, and from all the kings of Canaan.
Who can stretch forth his hand against them without being
punished? Was it not thy father that promoted Joseph
over all the princes of Egypt, for through his wisdom he
rescued all the inhabitants from famine, and commanded
Jacob and his sons to go down to Egypt that the land of
Egypt be saved from further evil through their piety?
Now, if it seems good to thee, cease destroying them, and
if thou dost not wish to allow them to dwell in Egypt, send
them hence, and they will go to the land of Canaan.'
(4) Pharaoh was exceedingly angry with Keuel, so he
left the kingdom and went to Midian. He took Jacob's
staff with him. The king then said to Job, ' Give thy
118 [XLVI. 4
counsel. What shall be clone with these people?' But
Job briefly replied, ' Are not all the inhabitants of thy
country in thy hand ? Do thou what is pleasing in thine
eyes.' Then spake Bala'am of Petor to the king, ' If thou
thinkest to diminish them by fire, has not their God
delivered Abraham from the furnace of the Chaldeans ?
And if thou thinkest to destroy them by the sword, has not
Isaac been tested thereby, and a ram been given in his
stead ? Now, my lord the king, if thou seekest to blot out
their name, order their babes to be thrown into the sea,
because not one of them has yet been put to this test.'
(5) This advice pleasing the king, he issued a decree all
over Egypt, saying that every male born to the Hebrews
should be cast into the water. And it came to pass when
the males of the house of Jacob were cast into the river
that Moses was one of them. The Lord thereupon sent an
angel to deliver them, and thus he also was saved through
the daughter of Pharaoh. When Moses grew up in the
king's palace Pharaoh's daughter adopted him as her son,
and the whole of Pharaoh's household was afraid of him.
(6) One day it was reported to Bala'am that the son of '
Bityah (Pharaoh's daughter) wished to take his life.
Bala am the enchanter and his two sons therefore fled for
their lives and escaped to the land of Cush. And when
Qinqanos waged war with the peoples of the East and
Syria, Bala'am revolted against him and did not allow him
to enter the city. Cush was therefore besieged for nine
years, and during the siege Qinqanos died. The people
then crowned Moses the Levite as their king. (7) By his
wisdom Moses captured the city, and was placed upon the
throne of the kingdom with the crown upon his head.
They also gave him to wife the Cushite wife of the late
monarch. But Moses, fearing the God of his fathers, did
not approach her, for he remembered the oath which
Abraham made Eleazar his servant swear, saying, ' Thou
shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan for my
sons.' Isaac said likewise to Jacob when he fled on account
of Esau. ' Thou shalt not intermarry,' said he, ' with the
XLVI. 9] 119
children of Ham, for remember that Noah said, " The
children of Ham should be servants to the children of
Shem and Jafeth." ' Therefore Moses feared the Lord,
and walked before Him in truth with all his heart. Nor
did he deviate from the path wherein his ancestors
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob walked. The kingdom of Cush
was firmly established through him, and, going to war with
Edom, the East of Palestine, and Syria, he conquered them,
and made them submit to Cush. The number of years
during which he sat upon the throne was forty, and in all
his battles he was successful, because the Lord God of his
fathers was with him.
(8) In the fortieth year of his reign, when he was sitting
upon the throne with his queen by his side, the queen said
to the princes in the presence of the people, ' Behold now,
during the whole of the forty years that this king has reigned
he has not once approached me, nor has he worshipped the
gods of Cush. Now, hearken ye unto me, 0 sons of Cush,
do not allow this man to reign over you any longer, but
let my son Mobros (DnniD) reign over you, for it is better
that you serve the son of 3^our master than a stranger, a
servant of the King of Egypt.' The people discussed the
matter until the evening. They then rose up early next
morning and crowned Mobros (Dnmn), the son of Qinqanos,
king over them. But the Cushites feared to lay hands on
Moses, for they remembered the oath they took to him.
So they gave him valuable gifts and sent him away with
great honour. Moses accordingly went forth thence, and
his reign over Cush thus came to an end.
(9) Moses was sixty-seven years of age when he went out
of Cush; for the thing came from God, as the time had
arrived which had been fixed from olden times when the
Israelites were to be freed from the children of Ham.
Moses then went to Midian, for he feared to return to
Egypt through fear of Pharaoh, and stayed by a well of
water. When the seven daughters of Eeuel the Midianite
came out to feed the sheep of their father, they came to the
well to draw the water for the sheep. But the Midianite
120 [XLYI. 9
shepherds drove them away, and Moses rose up and assisted
them m watering the sheep. Returning to their father,
they told him what the man had done for them. Reuel
{Le., Jethro the Kenite) then invited him into the house to
take a meal with him. Moses then related to him that he
hailed from Egypt, and that he had reigned over Cush ; that
they had wrested the kingdom from him and had sent him
away. When Eeuel heard this, he said to himself, ' I shall
put this man in prison, by which I shall please the Cushites
from whom he fled.' Accordingly he put him in prison,
where he remained for ten years. But Zipporah, the
daughter of Reuel, had pity upon him, and fed him with
bread and water.
(10) At the end of the ten years she said to her father,
' Nobody seeks or inquires after this Hebrew whom thou
hast imprisoned these ten years. Now, if it seemeth
good to thee, my father, let us send and see whether he is
dead or alive.' Her father did not know that she had
supplied him with food. Reuel then answered and said,
' Is it possible for a man to be imprisoned twelve (?) years
without food and yet live ?' But Zipporah replied, ' Hast
thou not heard, 0 my lord, that the God of the Hebrews is
great and powerful, and that He works wonders at all
times ? That he delivered Abraham from the furnace of
the Chaldeans, Isaac from the sword, and Jacob from the
angel with whom he wrestled by the brook of Jabbok ?
That even for this man He has done many wonders ; that
He delivered him from the river of Egypt and from the
sword of Pharaoh ? He will also be able to deliver him
from this place.' (11) This word pleased Reuel, and he
acted as she had asked. He therefore sent to the pit to see
what had become of him, and found him alive, standing erect,
and praying to the God of his ancestors. Having brought
him forth from the pit, he shaved him, changed his prison
garments, and gave him to eat. The man then went to the
garden of Reuel at the back of the palace, and prayed to
his God, who had done so many wonders for him. While
he was praying, he suddenly beheld a staff made of
XLVI. 13] 121
sapphire fixed in the ground in the midst of the garden.
AVhen he approached it, he found engraved thereon the
name of the Lord of Hosts, the ineffable name. He read
that name, and pulled up the staff as lightly as a branch is
lifted up in a thickly-wooded forest, and it was a rod in his
hand.
(12) This was the same staff that was created in the
world among the works of God after He created the heavens
and the earth and all their hosts, the seas, rivers, and all
the fishes thereof. When Adam was driven from the
garden of Eden he took the staff with him and tilled the
ground from which he was taken. It then came into the
hands of Noah (son of Lamek), who handed it down to
Shem and his descendants until it reached Abraham the
Hebrew. He then handed over all his possessions to Isaac,
including the staff of wonders, which Isaac also inherited.
When Jacob fled to Padan Aram he took it with him, and
when he came to his father in Beersheba he did not leave
it behind. When he went down to Egypt he handed it
over to Joseph as a separate gift above that which he gave
to his other sons. After Joseph's death the princes of
Egypt dwelt in his house, and the staff came into the hand
of Eeuel the Midianite, who, when he left Egypt, took it
away with him and planted it in his own garden. All the
mighty men of King Qinqanos (Dl^p^^p) who wished to
Aved his daughter Zipporah tried to uproot it, but without
avail, so that it remained there in the garden until Moses,
to whom it rightly belonged, came and took it away.
W^hen Reuel saw the staff in Moses' hand he was astonished
(and knew that he was the redeemer of Israel). Eeuel
then gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.
(13) Moses was seventy-seven years old when he came
out of prison, and took Zipporah the Midianite to wife.
And Zipporah went the ways of the women of Israel ; she
did not even in the smallest thing fall short of the
righteousness of Sarah, Eebecca, Eachel, and Leah, the
pinnacles of the world. She conceived and bare a son,
whom she called Gershon, for he (Moses) said : ' I was a
122 [XLVI. 13
wanderer in a strange land '; but by the order of Reuel his
father-in-law the child was not circumcised. After the
lapse of three years she conceived again and bare another
son. After his circumcision Moses called his name Eleazar,
because (he said) ' The God of my father is my help, and
He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.'
XLYII. (1) At that time Moses used to tend the flocks
of Eeuel the Midianite behind the wilderness of Sin, with
his staff in his hand. But the Lord was zealous for His
people and His inheritance, and, hearing their cry, said He
would rescue them from the descendants of Ham, and give
them the land of Canaan. He appeared to Moses, His
servant, in Horeb, in a burning bush ; but the fire did not
consume the bush. Then God called him from the midst
of the bush, and commanded him to go down to Egypt
to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and to ask him to send away
His chosen people as free men. He showed him signs and
wonders to perform in Egypt that they might believe that
the Lord had sent him. God gave him confidence by
saying, ' Go, and return to Egypt, for those that sought thy
life are now dead, and they have no power to do thee
harm.' (2) Moses then returned to Midian, and related to
his father-in-law all that had happened. ' Go in peace,'
said he. So Moses arose and went away with his wife and
sons. They lodged at a certain place, and an angel came
down and attacked him for his transgression of the covenant
which God made with Abraham His servant, in that he
did not circumcise his eldest son, and he wanted to slay
him. Zipporah then immediately took one of the sharp
flint stones which she found there and circumcised her
son, and she rescued her husband from the power of the
angel.
(3) As Aaron the Levite was walking in Egypt by the
river God appeared to him, and said, * Go now, and meet
thy brother Moses in the wilderness.' He accordingly
went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.
On beholding the woman and her children, he said to
Moses, ' Who are these?' 'These are,' said he, 'my wife
XLVII. 6] 123
and sons whom God gave me in Midian.' But Aaron was
displeased, and he told him to send the woman and her
sons back to her father's house. This Moses did. And
Zipporah and her sons remained in the house of Eeuel, her
father, until the Lord visited His people, and delivered them
from Egypt from the hand of Pharaoh. (4) Moses and
Aaron then went alone to Egypt to the Israelites, whom
they told all that the Lord had spoken. Thereat the people
exceedingly rejoiced. The next morning they rose up early
and went to Pharaoh's house, taking the staff of God with
them.
(5) When they came to the gate of the king's palace they
saw there two young lions bound in iron chains. No one
could enter or pass out from within unless the king com-
manded it. The keepers on seeing them loosened the
chains, and by charms set the lions free to pounce upon
them ; but Moses hastily waved his wand upon them, and
Moses and Aaron entered the king's palace, followed by the
young lions playing round them as a dog plays on seeing
its master coming home from the field. When Pharaoh
saw this he was greatly astonished, and still more confused
on account of these men, whose appearance was like that of
the children of God. The king then said to them, ' What
do you wish?' And Moses said, 'The Lord God of the
Hebrews has sent us to thee, saying, " Send out My people,
that they may serve Me." ' Pharaoh was greatly afraid of
them, and told them to go away and come again to-morrow,
which they did.
(6) When they were gone Pharaoh ordered Bala am the
enchanter, and Janis (d-j^) and Jambris (onnro^), his sons,
the wizards, and all the magicians of Egypt to be summoned
before him. He then related to them what these men had
spoken. The magicians then asked, ' How did these men
pass the lions that were chained at the gate of the palace ?'
' They waved their staves upon the lions,' said the king,
' and they let them loose, and they followed them just as
dogs who were pleased to meet them.' ' They are nothing
else than wizards like ourselves,' said Bala'am. ' Send now
124 [XLVII. 7
after them and let them come, and we shall try them.'
The king acted accordmgly.
(7) Taking the staff, they came before the king, and
repeated the words which they had spoken at first. ' But
how can one beheve,' said Pharaoh, ' that you are
messengers of God, and that by His word you have come
here? Give us a sign and we shall believe you.' Aaron
then threw his staff upon the ground, and it was immedi-
ately changed into a serpent. The magicians, seeing this,
did the same by their incantations, and the staff of each
one of them became a serpent ; but Aaron's serpent at that
moment hfted its head, and, opening its mouth, swallowed
up the serpents of Pharaoh's magicians. Balaam the
wizard, seeing this, said, ' This has been done from time
immemorial, that one serpent should swallow up his
neighbour just as the fish swallow each other. But change
it back to a staff as we shall do, and then if thy staff' is
able to swallow ours we shall thereby know that the Spirit
of the Lord is with thee ; but if it cannot swallow them,
then thou art a wizard as we are.' Aaron then hastily took
hold of the serpent by its tail, and it became a stick again.
This the magicians likewise did. Then Aaron, as previously,
cast his staff upon the ground, and it swallowed up those of
the magicians.
(8) Pharaoh then ordered the Book of Chronicles of the
Kings of Egypt to be brought to him ; therein were
contained the names of all the gods of Egypt. When the
list was read over to Pharaoh, he said, ' I do not find your
God written in this book, nor do I know Him.' ' The Lord
God of gods is His name,' replied they (Moses and Aaron).
' But who is the Lord,' added Pharaoh, ' that I should
listen to His voice and send Israel forth ? I do not know
Him, and shall not allow the Israelites to go.' ' From the
days of our forefathers He has been called " The God of
the Hebrews." Now give us permission to go a journey
of three days in the wilderness to sacrifice unto the Lord,
for ever since we came down to Egypt He has not received
from our hands a burnt offering, meal offering, or sacrifice.
XLVIII. 3] 125
If, however, thou wilt not let us go forth, the Lord will
assuredly wax angry and smite the land of Egypt with
pestilence or w^ith the sword.'
(9) ' Tell us something of His might and power,' said
Pharaoh. ' He created the heavens and all their host ; the
earth and all it contains ; the seas with all their fishes.
He it was who formed the light and wdio created the
darkness ; who caused the rain to fall upon the earth to
irrigate it. He caused the young plants and the grass to
spring forth. He created man, animals, the beasts in the
forest, the birds in the heavens, and the fish in the seas.
Through Him they live, through Him they die. Did He
not create thee in the womb of thy mother, and give thee
the spirit of life ? did He not make thee grow up, and
place thee on the royal throne of Egypt ? He shall also
take away thy spirit and thy soul, and return thee to the
dust from which thou wast taken.' The anger of Pharaoh
was kindled, and he said, ' Who is there among all the gods
of the people that can do this ? Behold, I it was who
created the river, and who created myself.' He then drove
them out of his presence, and from that day he made the
slavery more oppressive than heretofore.
XLVni. (1) The Lord rose in His strength and smote
Pharaoh and his people with many great and terrible
plagues, and turned all their rivers to blood, so that when-
ever an Egyptian came to the river to draw water, as soon
as he looked into his pitcher, he found it turned to blood.
Whether for drinking or for kneading the dough, or for
boiling, it always looked like blood.
(2; After this all their waters brought forth frogs, so that
whenever an Egyptian drank of them, his stomach became
full of frogs, which croaked about in his entrails just as
they did in the river. Whether they kneaded or whether
they boiled, the water was filled with frogs. Even when
they lay down upon their beds, their very perspiration was
turned into frogs. (3) He then smote their dust so that it
became lice two cubits high ; on their very bodies they lay
a handbreadth, as well on the king and queen as on the
126 [XLVIII. 3
people. Following this, the Lord sent against them the
wild beasts of the field to destroy them ; serpents, vipers
and scorpions to injure them ; mice, weasels, lizards, and
noxious reptiles ; flies, hornets, and other insects to fly
into their eyes and ears ; fleas, ants, and every species of
winged insect to torture them ; they filled the innermost
recesses of their houses. When the Egyptians tried to
hide themselves in order to shut out and to escape the
wild beasts, the Lord ordered the sea-monster (octopus ?
noi'p^D) to ascend to Egypt. It has arms ten cubits in
length, according to the cubit of man. Eising to the roof,
it uncovered the roof and exposed the rafters ; and it then
slid its arm inside the house ; it wrenched off the bolt and
lock, and thus forced open the houses of the Egyptians..
In this manner the hordes of wild beasts got into the
palace of Pharaoh and his servants, and they worried them
greatly.
(4) And God sent a pestilence among the horses, asses,
camels, cattle and sheep. When the Egyptian rose early
in the morning and went out to his pasture, he found his
animals lying about dead, there remaining alive but one in
ten. (5) The Lord next sent a plague of fever among the
Egyptians, which afterw^ards broke out into severe boils,
which covered them from the sole of the foot to the crown
of the head. They broke, and their flesh was running with
streams of matter, until they wasted away and rotted, and
(6) the hail devastated all their vines and trees so that not
even the bark or the leaves were left : all their produce was
dried up, and a burning fiery flame played in the midst
of it. Even the men and animals found abroad were slain
by the flame, and all the libraries (houses of books) were
overthrown. (7) Various kinds of locust devoured every-
thing left by the hail; what one species left, the other
destroyed. The Egyptians, however, were glad to hunt
them and salt them for food. The Lord then raised a very
strong wind, which carried them all, including the salted
ones, into the Ked Sea, so that not a solitary one remained
in the whole of Egypt. (8) Darkness then covered the
XLVIIL 11] 127
earth for three clays, so that one could not see his o^Yn
hand before his eyes. During this period of darkness many
Hebrews who had rebelled against their Creator, rebelled
also against Moses and Aaron, saying : ' We shall not go
forth lest we die in the desolate wilderness by famine.'
God smote them by a plague, and they were buried during
these three days, lest the Egyptians should see them and
rejoice at their downfall. (9) All the firstborn of the
Egyptians were then slain from man to animal, even the
likeness of their firstborn engraved on the walls of their
houses was effaced and thrown to the ground. The bones of
their firstborn that w^ere buried in their houses the dogs of
Egypt dragged away, and, breaking them to pieces, devoured
them before the very eyes of the people, so that their
descendants cried out in anguish. The people of Egypt
then hastened to accompany the servants of God, whom
they sent away with much riches and many gifts, according
to the oath which God sware at the Covenant between the
pieces.
(10) Moses went to Shihor (the Nile), and drawing up
the coffin of Joseph, took it away with him. The heads of
the tribes of Israel also assisted in bringing up each one
the coffins of his forefathers. Many of the heathen joined
them in their departure from Egypt and in their journey of
three days in the wilderness. (11) On the third day, how-
ever, they said to one another, ' Did not Moses and Aaron
tell Pharaoh that they wished to go a journey of three
days in the wilderness in order to sacrifice to the Lord
their God? now let us rise early to-morrow morning
and see if they return to Egypt to our lord ; we shall
thereby know that they are to be believed, but if not,
we shall go to war against them and bring them back by
main force.' On the fourth day they accordingly rose
early, and found Moses and Aaron eating and drinking,
and celebrating a festival to their God. The rabble said
to them, ' Why do you not return to your master ?' Moses
replied : ' Because the Lord has warned us, saying, " Ye
shall no more return to Egypt, but ye shall go to a
128 [XLVIII. 12
land flowing with milk and honey, as I have sworn to your
fathers." '
(12) As soon as the rabble saw that they refused to
return, they went to war against the Israelites ; but the
Israelites prevailed against them, causing great slaughter.
The remainder fled to Egypt to inform Pharaoh that the
people had fled. And the heart of Pharaoh and of his
servants was forthwith turned against them, so that they
pursued after them to bring them back to their burdens ;
for the Egyptians repented after they had sent them away.
Pursuing them hastily, they at length overtook them while
they were encamping by the Eed Sea. There the Lord
wrought many miracles for the Hebrews through Moses,
His chosen servant, who stretched his staff upon the sea,
when the waters were immediately divided into twelve rents
(for the twelve tribes), through which they all passed over
dryshod, just as one passes along the highway. After
them came all the Egyptians. But they were all drowned
except Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who thereupon offered a
thanksgiving offering to the living God, and believed that
He was the living God. God then commanded Michael,
Gabriel, and Uriel, the heavenly princes, to bring him up
from the sea. So they brought him to the land of Nineveh,
where he remained for 500 years.
(13) The Israelites then journeyed into the wilderness, and
Amaleq, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, went to war
against them. With him there came an innumerable army
of wizards and enchanters. But the Lord delivered them
into the hand of Moses His servant and Joshua the son of
Nun, the Ephrathite, who put them to the edge of the sword.
Keuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, then came out
into the wilderness to Moses, where he was encamping
by the mountain of God with Zipporah and his sons, and
dwelt with them among the Israelites. Moses next fought
against Sihon and Og, and captured their land. He then
fought against Midian and slew Evi, Eeqem, Sur, Hur
and Eeb'a, the five kings of Midian. (14) He put Bala'am
the enchanter and his two sons to the edge of the sword.
XLVIII. 16] 129
When Bala am the enchanter sa^Y Eleazar, the son of Aaron
the priest, and Pmehas his son, captains of the host of
Israel, following him for the purpose of slaying him, by
means of witchcraft he flew in the air, just as an eagle
is seen to fly heavenward. But, uttering the ineflable,
revered name of God, they brought him down to the earth,
and, capturing him, slew him with the rest of the princes of
Midian. The Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains also
descended with the Amaleqites to fight against Israel, but
the Lord delivered them into the hand of Moses and the
Israelites, who smote them utterly. (15) Moses w^as eighty
years old when he stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt.
Through him the Lord redeemed Israel from Egypt. He
reigned over them in the wilderness forty years, during
which time the Lord maintained them by His mercy with
the bread of the mighty and the fowd of the heaven, and
from the flinty rock He brought forth fountains of w^ater for
them. The cloud of the Lord gently guided them by day
like children, and a pillar of fire by night, and during the
whole time of their travels in the wilderness neither their
garments nor their shoes wore out, and no goodness lacked
them there. (16) After travelling through the wdlderness of
Sin, they arrived at Mount Sinai on the third day of the third
month after their departure from Egypt. The word of the
Lord then came to Moses the Levite, saying, ' Come up to
the mountain, and I will give thee the tablets of stone, the
Law and the Commandments which I have written to teach
the Israelites.' Moses accordingly told the people to
sanctify themselves for three days, and on the third day,
that is, on the sixth day of the third month, he ascended
the mount. The Lord then gave the Israelites through
Moses the 613 precepts refined as silver and tried as gold,
accompanied by the sound of the trumpet, by thunders
and lightnings. They next erected a tabernacle, with its
vessels, for ministering to God, and the ark for the two
tablets and for the scroll of the Law. They also prepared
burnt-offerings, sacrifices, incense, frankincense, oil for the
consecration and for anointing therewith the tabernacle
9
130 [XLVIIT. 16
with its vessels and the priests of God, viz., Aaron and his
sons, who ministered before God and offered sacrifices and
incense for the congregation. They also made for them
garments of honour, and appointed the sons of Levi to
guard the tabernacle of the Lord, to minister to their
fellow-priests, and to sing hymns during the sacrifice.
They also offered frankincense within to avert the anger
and punishment of the Lord.
(17) In the fortieth year of their wanderings, Miriam the
prophetess died, on the tenth day of the first month, and
was buried in the wilderness of Sin, which is Qadesh. In
the same year, on the first day of the fifth month, Aaron
the priest died, and was buried on Mount Hor, and Eleazar
and Ithamar were appointed to minister in the place of
their father. The priesthood has remained in that family
as an inheritance throughout all generations. (18) In tha^t
same year on the seventh day of the twelfth month — i.e.,
Adar— Moses, the servant of the Lord, died, 120 years old,
and was buried in the valley at the nethermost part of the
Mount of Ebarim, and Joshua the son of Nun, the
Ephrathite, was appointed leader of the people. The rest
of the words of Moses relating to his power, his military
deeds, his entreaties and prayers on behalf of his people,
are they not written in the ' Sefer Hayashar,' which is the
Law of our God? Joshua the son of Nun rose up after
him. He led the Israelites across the Jordan and divided
the land by lots according to the word of God.
The Death of Aaron, of Blessed Memory.
XLIX. (1) ' Better is a good name than precious oil.'
Thus it was with Aaron. God said to Moses, our teacher,
' The time has arrived for Aaron to quit this world. Do
thou go and tell him that his life is nearing the end.' Moses
then rose and prayed the whole night. He said, ' Lord of
the world, how can I say to Aaron, " Thy time has arrived
to quit this world"? And God said to Moses, 'Give him
XLIX. 3] 131
the message of a great thing and of good tidings, that I will
not deliver his soul into the hand of the angel of death.'
(2) Moses then determined to change the order of things
for that day. It was customary for some of the princes to
rise early and wait at the door of Eleazar and Ithamar, and
for all the elders to wait on Moses ; but on that day
the order ^vas reversed, for Moses, Eleazar, and all the
princes rose early to wait on Aaron. When Aaron came
to the door and saw them all standing, with Moses among
them, he asked, ' 0 my brother, why hast thou changed
thy custom to-day?' ' Because God has bidden me to tell
thee something to-day,' said Moses. 'But canst thou not
tell me privately?' 'No.' 'Speak, I entreat thee!' 'I
cannot,' replied Moses, ' until we depart hence.' They then
immediately went away. On other occasions Moses, Aaron,
and Eleazar used to walk together — Moses in the middle
Aaron at his right, Eleazar at his left, and all the
Israelites behind them ; but on this day Aaron walked in
the middle. AVhen the Israelites perceived this they said
to each other, ' The Holy Spirit has been removed from
Moses, and has been given to Aaron.' They all rejoiced,
because they loved Aaron with a greater love than they did
Moses, because he loved peace and pursued it.
(3) ' Why,' asked Aaron, ' dost thou confer this great
honour upon me to-day ?' ' Because God has commanded
me to tell thee something.' ' And what is that w^hich thou
hast been commanded to tell me ?' ' Do thou wait until
we are seated.' When they were seated Aaron repeated his
question, ' Now tell me, my brother.' ' Wait until we
mount the hill.' And he did all this in order not to frighten
him too much. The three of them, Moses, Aaron, and
Eleazar, then ascended the hill, when Moses said, ' 0 my
brother Aaron, return unto me what God has entrusted
thee with.' 'Is it the tent of the congregation wdth all
its vessels which is entrusted to me ?' * Has he handed over
a light to thee ?' ' Yes,' said Aaron ; ' the lamp with its
seven lights has been entrusted to my care.' He did not yet
understand that Moses referred to his soul, which is com-
Q O
132 [XLix. s
pared to a light, as the verse says, ' The light of God is the
soul of man, penetrating the inmost chambers of the heart.'
' Aaron, my brother, why did Abraham, om* forefather, die ?
Was it not because the time had arrived for Isaac's rule ?
And Isaac, why did he die? — why, do you think? Because of
the time having arrived for Jacob's rule, which was then to
be transferred to him.' Even yet Aaron did not understand
the drift of Moses' conversation. ' 0 Aaron, my brother, if
one were to ask thee to give twenty years, or ten years, or
one year, or even one day of thy life to that person, when
that day should arrive wouldst thou deny his claim ?'
(4) Aaron then at last understood that the time had come
for him to die, and he said to Moses, ' Moses, the time of
my death has arrived.' Moses remained silent and did
not reply, for he was inwardly weeping. Aaron then,
placing his hands upon his head, wept bitterly, saying,
' What avails me the good name, when I am about to quit
this world, in which I have always loved peace and pursued
it, and made peace between man and his neighbour, be-
tween man and wife?' While they were sitting in that
place, the ground suddenly opened, showing them the cave
of Machpelah. After entering it, Moses said, ' Aaron, my
brother, perhaps this is the cave of Machpelah— that is, the
vault of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; thou art clothed in
thy priestly garments, and they will become defiled. If
now thou art willing, clothe thy son Eleazar with thine own
garments, and array thyself in his, then thou and I will
enter this vault.' Aaron forthwith stripped himself of his
garments and put them upon Eleazar, his son, while he
clothed himself in those of Eleazar. When they entered
the cave they looked and beheld a burning lamp, a prepared
bed, and a table spread. ' Go up, my brother,' said
Moses, ' and lie upon this bed. Stretch out thy legs and
close thine eyes and mouth.' He did so, and his soul
departed.
(5) When Moses saw this he coveted such a death,
saying, ' Happy the man that is born to such a death.'
And God replied, ' By thy life thou shalt end thy days by
L. 1] 133
such a death.' At once Moses went out from the cave, and
the mouth of it closed up by itself.
(6) Moses and Eleazar then descended the hill. When
the Israelites saw Moses and Eleazar without Aaron they
said to Moses, ' Where is thy brother Aaron ?' ' His time
had arrived to die, and he is no more,' answered Moses.
Thereupon they sought to stone him, saying, ' Thou hast
slain him, because we loved him more than thee.' At this
Moses raised his eyes on high and stood in prayer.
(7) At that moment God said to the ministering angels,
* Lift up Aaron's coffin, and suspend it in the air that the
Israelites may see it and believe Moses.' Thus they did, and
the Israelites believed. They mourned for him thirty days.
The ministering angels also lamented his death, saying,
* Wail, ye cypresses, for the cedar has fallen.' Even God
himself uttered this verse over him, ' The law of truth was
in his mouth, iniquity was never found on his lips ; he
walked with Me in peace and righteousness, and gave many
a place of refuge.' Concerning his death, it is said, 'A good
name is better than precious oil, and the day of death
better than the day of one's birth.'
[End of the death of Aaron. May the Lord deliver us
on the last day. With the help of God, I, Eleazar the
Levite, add here the account of the death of Moses, our
teacher.]
L. (1) The Lord said to Moses, ' Behold, the time draws
near when thou shalt die.' E. Aybo related that Moses
addressed God in the following manner, ' Through the
very word with which I praised Thee in the law in the
presence of sixty myriads of those who sanctify Thy name
Thou hast sentenced me to death,' as it is said, ' Bel told,
thy days draw near for thee to die ; all thy gifts and
punishments are meted out measure for measure, each one
meted out in full, how now evil for good.' And God replied,
' Even this word which I told thee is a mark of good-
ness, as, e.g., '^Behold, I send before thee an angel. Be-
hold, the righteous man will be rewarded in the land."
134 [L. 1
^^ Behold, I shall send to you Elijah, the prophet," and just
as thou hast proclaimed Me before sixty myriads, so shall
I, in the future, exalt thee in the midst of fifty-five myriads
of perfectly righteous people.' Therefore He used the word
'behold' (jH), the numerical value of jn is 50 and 5,
viz., n = 5, and j = 50.
(2) Rabbi said that the death of Moses is referred to ten
times, viz. : 'Behold, the time draws near for thee to die.'
' He died upon the mount.' ' For I am about to die.' 'Thou
knowestthatafter my death.' ' After my death.' 'And before
his death.' ' He was one hundred and twenty years old when
he died.' ' And Moses, the servant of God, died there.' ' And
it came to pass after the death of Moses, the servant of God.'
' Moses My servant is dead.' From all these instances we
learn that it was ten times decreed that Moses was not
to enter the land of Israel ; but this harsh decree was,
nevertheless, not sealed until the decision of the Great
Tribunal was revealed to him. (3) For God said to him,
*A decree has been passed that thou shalt not pass (into
the land of Israel), as it is said. Thou shalt not pass this
Jordan.' This decree was, however, lightly felt by Moses,
for he said, ' The Israelites have committed many grievous
sins ; and whenever I interceded for mercy on their behalf
my prayer was accepted, as it is said, " Let me alone, that
I may destroy them "; yet at the same i^lace it is written,
" And the Lord repented of the evil." At the same place it
is further written : ' " And the Lord said, I have pardoned
according to thy word." I, Moses, therefore, who have
not sinned from my youth, if I entreat God on my own
behalf, how much more will God hear my words ?' When
God saw that the decree was lightly felt by Moses, and that
he did not turn his mind to prayer. He immediately
swore by His great name that he would not enter the land,
as it is said, ' Therefore thou shalt not bring this con-
gregation.' ' Therefore ' means nothing else than an oath,
as it is similarly said, ' Therefore, I sware to the house of
Eli.' (4) As soon as Moses became aware that the judgment
concerning him was finally decreed, he fasted, and drawing
I^. 7] 135
a circle he stood within it and said, ' I shall not move from
this place mitil that decree has been annulled/ Having
then clothed himself in sackcloth and scattered ashes
upon his head, he prayed and supplicated before God until
heaven and earth and the very creation were moved, and
said, ' Perhaps the will of God to renew the world is being
accomphshed.' A Divine voice then went forth, and saicf,
* It is not God's will to renew the world ; in His hand is the
soul of every Man, and the spirit of all flesh.' 'Man' is
applied to Moses, as it is said, ' And the Man Moses was
exceedingly meek.' (5) At that moment God made a pro-
clamation at every gate, and in every firmament, and at
every door of the Great Tribunal that they should not accept
Moses' prayer. They, therefore, did not allow his prayer
to reach God as the decree had already been sealed. The
angel appointed to carry out this decree was named
Akhzariel. God forthwith cried out to his ministering
angels, 'Hasten to go down and close all those gates of
heaven so long as his prayer continues.' For his prayer
strove to penetrate the heavens, for hke unto a sword it
rent and cut, and was not impeded. It drew its strength
from the ' Ineftable Name,' which Moses learnt from
Zagzagel, his teacher, who is the scribe of all the heavenly
host. To this event refers the verse : ' Behind me I heard
the sound of a great noise, saying: "Blessed be the Lord
from His abode." ' The voice was the cry of one suppHcat-
ing, and the word ' great ' can only be applied to Moses, as
it is said, ' The man Moses was very great.'
(6) What is the true meaning of the expression, ' Blessed
be the glory of the Lord from His abode '? The reply is
that when the wheels of the chariot and the seraphim of
fire perceived that God said, ' Ye shall not receive Moses*
prayer, nor show him favour, nor grant him life, nor allow
him to enter the land of Israel,' they exclaimed, 'Blessed
be the glory of the Lord from His abode, who is no re-
specter of persons either small or great.'
(7) At that time Moses said to God, '0 Lord of the
universe, it is well known to Thee what cares and troubles
136 [L. 7
I have undergone for Israel until they became " The chosen
ones" to observe Thy Law, and how much anxiety I have
suffered for them until I established for them the Law and
the Commandments. I said, " As I saw their evil, may I
also look upon their good ;" and now that they have
reached that state Thou sayest to me, " Thou shalt not
pass over this Jordan," behold Thou makest Thy law a
falsity; for it is said, " Thou shalt give him his reward on
the day due." Is this the payment for the forty years'
service during which I have toiled, until they (the Israelites)
became holy and faithful ?' as it is said, ' While Judah was
yet rebelling against God, they became a holy and faithful
people.'
(8) The angel Samael, the wicked, was the chief of the
Satans. Every hour he used to dilate upon the coming
death of Moses, saying, ' When will the moment arrive at
which Moses is to die, so that I may go and take away his
soul?' Concerning this David said, ' The wicked are always
watching the righteous, seeking to take their life.' But of
all the Satans Samael was the most wicked, while, on the
contrary, there was no man so righteous among the
prophets as Moses, as it is said, ' There has not yet arisen
in Israel a prophet like Moses.' This may be compared to
a man who is preparing for a wedding-feast, and who
anxiously inquires, ' When will thy festivity begin, that I
may participate in the joy?' Thus did the wicked Samael
remain on the watch for the soul of Moses, and say, ' When
will Michael commence to weep, and when shall I obtain
the consummation of my joy?' Michael replied, 'I shall
weep when (or while) thou rejoicest.' Some are of opinion
that he said, 'Do not rejoice, mine enemy; although I
fall, yet I rise again, for I fall at the death of Moses, but
I shall rise again at the prosperity of Joshua, when he
conquers thirty-one kings. I sit in darkness at the
destruction of the first temple, but afterwards the Lord
shall be my light, the light of the Messiah.' In the mean-
time one hour had passed.
(9) Moses then said to God, ' Lord of the universe, if
L. 11] 137
Thou wilt not permit me to enter the land of Israel, allow
me to live in this world, and not die.' But the Lord
replied, ' If I do not kill thee in this world, how can I
bring thee to life in the world to come? And, further,
thou wouldst by this falsify My law, for it is written in
My law, " None shall deliver (him) from My hand." ' Thus
far God forbore. Moses added, ' Lord of the universe, if
I am not allowed to enter the land of Israel, allow me to
remain as one of the beasts of the field, which eat the grass
and drink the water, but live and see the world. Let my
soul be as one of them.' God replied, 'You ask too much.'
Moses continued, ' If not, allow me to remain in this world
as a bird that flieth every day to the four corners of the
earth, and in the evening returns to its nest. Let me be
as one of them.' God still said, 'You ask too much.'
' 0 Lord of the universe, then place one of my eyes behind
the door, and let them shut the door upon it three times in
each year, that I may live and not die.' ' It is too much.'
'What dost thou mean, 0 Lord, w^hen thou sayest, "It is
too much " ?' And God replied, ' Thou hast spoken too
much.' (10) When, at length, Moses perceived that there
was no creature that could deliver him from death, he
immediately exclaimed, ' The Eock, whose work is perfect.'
Then, taking a scroll, he wrote upon it the Ineffable Name,
and recited his last ' Song ' until the moment arrived for
him to die. Then spake the Lord to Gabriel, ' Go thou and
bring to Me the soul of Moses.' But he replied, ' How can
I look upon the death of him who is worth sixty myriads
of creatures? and how can I make him angry who
uttereth such words as he ?' Then spake God to Michael,
' Go and bring me the soul of Moses.' And he replied,
* Lord of the universe, how can I, who was his instructor,
look upon the death of him who was my pupil ?'
(11) At length God addressed Samael, the wicked, saying,
^ Go thou and bring to Me the soul of Moses.' Then,
clothing himself with anger, girding himself with his sword,
and enveloping himself with eagerness, he set out to find
Moses. When he saw Moses writing the Ineffable Name,
138 [L. 11
that his brilliancy was like that of the sun, and that he
looked like an angel of the Lord of hosts, Samael was seized
with a great fear for Moses, and said, ' The angels cannot
of a surety take away the soul of Moses.' But before
Samael appeared Moses knew that he was coming.
(12) When he (again) looked on Moses he was exceedingly
terrified, and trembled as a woman in travail, so that he
could find no courage to speak to Moses, until Moses him-
self said, ' Samael, " There is no peace for the wicked,"
saith the Lord. What dost thou here ?' ' I have come
here to take away thy life.' ' But who sent thee ?' ' He
who formed all creatures,' replied Samael. * Thou shalt
not take my life,' added Moses. ' But the souls of all living
beings are entrusted to me.' ' And I am,' said Moses, ' the
son of Amram, who was born circumcised. On the day of
my birth I found speech ; I walked on my feet, and spoke
to my parents ; even the milk I did not suck. When I
was three months old, I prophesied that I would in the
future receive the Law on this day, from the midst of the
flames of fire. When I went abroad I entered the king's
palace and took the crown from off the king's head. When
I was eighty years old, I performed signs and w^onders in
Egypt, and brought out thence sixty myriads under the
very eyes of the Egyptians. I also rent the sea into
twelve parts; I made the bitter waters sweet; I went up
to heaven and trod its path ; in the wars of the kings
I conquered them ; I received the law of fire from the
fiery throne, and I was hidden behind a cloud ; and I spake
face to face to God, and I conquered the host of heaven, and
I revealed hidden mysteries to mankind ; I received the
law from the right hand of God, and taught it to the
Israelites ; I went to war with Sihon and 'Og, the two
mightiest warriors of the world, for even at the time of the
flood the waters would not reach their knees on account
of their enormous height ; I caused the sun and the moon
to stand still in the horizon, while I smote those two kings
with the staff that is in my hand and killed them. Who is
there in the world that can do like this? Away hence.
L. 14] 139
thou wicked one. Thon hast not the permission to stay
here. Depart from me, for I shall not give thee my
soul.'
(13) Samael accordingly returned and hrought hack word
to God, who again said, ' Go forth and hring to Me the
soul of Moses.' Samael immediately drew his sword from
its sheath and thus stood over Moses. But Moses' anger
was kindled against him, and he took the staff of God in his
hand, on which the Ineffable Name was engraved, and beat
Samael with all his might until he fled before him. Moses
ran after him, took away the horn of his glory from him,
and deprived him of his sight. Thus far did Moses'
power prevail. The last moment of Moses' life had then
drawn near, when a voice (Bath Kol) was heard to say :
' Thy last moment, the time of thy death, has arrived.'
But Moses entreated thus, ' 0 Lord God of the world, re-
member the day on which thou didst reveal Thyself to
me in the bush, when Thou didst say, " Go forth and I will
send thee to Pharaoh." Remember (0 Lord) the day when
I stood upon Mount Sinai, where I remained forty days
and forty nights. I entreat Thee not to deliver me into
the hand of the angel of death.' A voice (Bath Kol) then
went forth and said, ' Do not be afraid, for I myself will
attend to thy burial.'
(14) At that moment Moses stood up, and having
sanctified himself just as one of the Seraphim, the Holy
One, blessed be He, descended from the highest heavens
together with Michael, Gabriel, and Zagzael. Michael
arranged Moses' bed, Gabriel spread a garment of fine linen
at his head and Zagzael a rug at his feet ; Michael stood
on one side and Gabriel on the other. Then spake the
Lord to Moses, ' Close thy eyes one after the other, and
gather up thy feet.' Then, addressing the soul of Moses
from the midst of his body. He said to it, ' My daughter,
after I have placed thee in Moses' body for 120 successive
years, the time has now arrived for thee to go forth from
it ; therefore depart and do not delay.' The soul of Moses
said : ' 0 Lord of the universe, I know that Thou art the
140 [L. 14
Lord God of the spirits of all flesh, and that all souls,
both of life and death, are delivered into Thy hand. Thou
it was who created st me ; Thou it was who formedst me
and didst place me in the body of Moses for 120 years ;
and no human body has ever been purer than the body of
Moses, in which no evil germ w^as seen, no worm or insect,
wherein there never was any over-estimation. On account
of all this I love him, and do not wish to depart from him.'
' 0 soul,' added God, ' depart and do not delay. I shall
then carry thee up into the highest heavens, and place
thee beneath the throne of My glory, with the Cherubim,
Seraphim and Gedudim ' (troops of angels).
(15) Once more entreating the Lord, it said : ' Lord of
the universe, from Thy Divine Presence on high there once
descended two angels, 'Azah and 'Azazel, who in their
desire for the daughters of the earth, corrupted their way
upon the earth, until Thou didst suspend them between
heaven and earth. But from the very day on which Thou
didst reveal Thyself in the bush, the son of Amram did
not approach his wife, as it is said, " And Miriam and
Aaron spoke against Moses on account of his wife." I
entreat Thee, 0 Lord, allow me to remain in the body of
Moses.' At that moment, by a kiss of God, the soul of
Moses was taken from him, and, as if weeping, God ex-
claimed, ' Who will now rise up to correct the evil-doers ?
who will now stand up for the workers of iniquity ?' The
Spirit of God then wept and said, ' There has never yet
arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses.' The heavens wept
and said, ' A pious man has perished from the earth.'
The earth wept, saying, ' There is no upright man left on
the earth.' When Joshua had sought for his master and
could not find him, he also wept, saying, ' Save me,
0 Lord, for the pious one is no more, and the faithful have
ceased from among men.' The Israelites then wept,
saying, ' He performed the righteousness of God.' And
the angels of every heaven exclaimed, ' His judgments are
with Israel : the remembrance of the righteous is for a
blessing, and his soul returns to everlasting life.'
LI. 3] 141
LI. (1) Now, what was the special merit of Moses, that
God Himself should attend on his burial ? It w^as for the
following reason. When he went down to Egypt and the
time for the redemption of Israel had arrived, all the
Israelites busied themselves with the silver and gold, while
Moses, for three days and three nights, wearied himself
by walking round the city silently searching for Joseph's
coffin, since they could not depart from Egypt without
Joseph, for he had made them promise him before his
death and swear that they would do it, as it is said, ' And
Joseph made the children of Israel swear.'
(2) When Moses was already exceedingly tired, a woman,
Serah, the daughter of Asher, met him, and, seeing him
very faint and weary, she said to him, ' My lord Moses,
why art thou faint?' 'Because,' said he, 'I have been
wandering round the city for three days and three nights
in search of Joseph's coffin, but have not yet been able
to find it.' ' Come with me, and I will show thee where
it is.' Leading him to a brook in that place, she then
related to him that the magicians and wizards of Pharaoh
had made a coffin of lead for Joseph, weighing 500 talents,
and cast it into the brook. They thus spoke to Pharaoh,
' If it please the king, this nation will now not be able
to go forth from this place as it cannot discover Joseph's
coffin.'
(3) Standing by the edge of the brook, Moses exclaimed,
' Joseph, Joseph, thou knowest how thou didst cause
Israel to swear, saying, " The Lord will surely visit you,"
Now bestow glory upon the God of Israel, and do not
prevent their redemption. Beseech, I pray thee, thy
Creator that thou mayest rise from these depths.' Im-
mediately after this the coffin ascended from the depths,
preceded by a bubbling of the waters, floating as lightly as
a reed. Lifting it upon his shoulders, he carried it along,
followed by all the Israelites. They carried the silver and
the gold which they took from Egypt, whilst Moses carried
the coffin. Then said the Lord to Moses, ' Thou sayest
that thou hast in this done a small thing ; by thy life, the
142 [LI. 3
mercy which thou hast shown is great, since thou didst not
think of the silver and the gold. I shall, therefore, show
thee the same mercy w^hen thou departest this life. I shall
with My glory bestow kindness on thee.'
(4) Thus, when the time had arrived for Moses to quit
this world, and God said to him, 'Behold, the time
approaches for thee to die,' he exclaimed, ' 0 Lord of
the universe, after having received the law, and having
suffered such weariness, dost Thou tell me, " The day of
thy death draws near "? I shall not die, but will live.'
'Thou canst not, for this is the way of man.' 'Lord of
the universe,' entreated Moses, ' I beseech thee before my
death to allow me to enter and search all the gates of the
heavens and the depths of the earth, that they may see
there is none besides Thee, as it is said, " And thou shalt
know this day, and lay it up in thy heart that the Lord is
God and no one else." ' God said, ' Thou hast written of
Me: " and no one else." I say of thee there has not yet.
arisen in Israel any one like Moses, who knew the Lord
face to face.' What is the meaning of the words, ' Behold,
thy day draws near to its end ' ? K. Simon said, ' The
very day appeared before God, and said, "Lord of the
universe, I shall not move nor end, so that Moses may
continue to live." '
(5) The sages asked, ' What did Moses do as soon as
he knew the day on which he was to die ? E. Janai said,
that on that day he wrote thirteen scrolls, twelve for the
tribes, and one he placed in the Ark. Li the event
of their seeking to falsify a word, they might refer to the
one in the Ark. Then said Moses, ' While I have been
occupying myself with the Torah which is living, the day
has set and the decree is thus annulled.' God then forth-
with made a sign to the heavens, and the day remained at
a standstill, saying, ' I will not set, so that Moses shall
live.' Therefore Job uttered, ' Did not I weep for him that
was in trouble (whose day was fixed), that is, the day was
hardened (fixed) for him?' What is the meaning of the
words, ' Behold, thy day draws near ' ? Just as one man
LI. 7] 143
says to his neighbour, ' Behold, someone has sued thee
before the King.'
(6) He called Joshua, and addressed God thus, ' Lord of
the universe, let Joshua, my servant, be the ruler, and
I shall live.' God replied, ' Serve thou him as he did
serve thee.' Moses then rose up and hastened to the
house of Joshua, who was greatly afraid, and said, ' Moses,
my teacher, has come to me.' When he went out Moses
walked on Joshua's left side. "When they entered the tent
of the congregation, the pill^^r of cloud descended and
separated them ; as soon as it departed Moses went up
to Joshua, and asked, ' What did the Word say to thee ?'
And Joshua replied, ' When the Word was revealed to thee,
I knew what was said to thee.' Moses then wept, saying,
' Better one hundred deaths, than one jealousy.' Solomon
explains it thus, that love was as strong as death, and
jealousy as Sheol, i.e., the love which Moses bare Joshua,
and the jealousy which he showed towards him. When
Moses was about to die, God tried to appease him, saying,
' By thy life, as thou hast guarded My children in this
world, so will I in the future world make thee the leader
of My children,' as it is said, ' And He will remember the
days of old.'
(7) This is the blessing with which Moses blessed the
children of Israel before his death. What is the meaning
of the expression, ' Before his death '? The sages say that
Moses took hold of the angel of death, and compelled him
to go before him while he blessed each one of the twelve
tribes. E. Meir says that the angel of death approached
Moses, and said to him, * The Lord has sent me to thee,
because thou must depart on this day.' Moses said, ' I
seek to praise God, as it is said, " I shall not die, but live to
tell of the works of God." ' ' But why,' said the angel, ' art
thou so boastful ? for there are others who praise Him ; the
heavens and the earth glorify Him every hour, as it is said,
" The heavens declare the glory of God." But I wall
silence them,' continued Moses, * as it is said, "Listen, 0
heavens, while I speak." ' For the second time the angel
144 [LI. 7
of death approached him, but as soon as Moses uttered the
' Shem Hammeforash ' (Ineffable Name), he fled, as it is said,
'When I call upon the name of the Lord, bring ye
greatness to our God.' When the angel of death approached
him the third time, Moses said, ' It is now necessary for me
to justify the Divine judgment upon me,' for it is said,
' The Eock, whose work is perfect.'
(8) E. Isaac said that the soul of Moses refused to depart
from him, so that Moses communed with it, saying, 'Dost
thou aver that the angel of death tried to overcome thee ?'
' God will not do this,' it replied, 'for " thou hast delivered
my soul from death."' 'Has he caused thee to see them
crying, and made thee weep with them?' ' No, for " (thou
hast delivered) my eye from tears." ' 'But did he try to
make me fall among them (the people) ?' ' " Thou hast
prevented my foot,"' said it, '"from slipping.'" 'And
where wilt thou in the future walk ?' The soul replied, ' I
shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living.' As
soon as Moses heard this, he exclaimed, 'Eeturn, 0 my soul,
to thy rest.' E. Abin said that as soon as they departed the
mortals glorified God, saying, ' Moses has commanded us a
law, an everlasting inheritance to the congregation of Jacob/
LII. (1) E. Joshua ben Levi said that when Moses
ascended on high to receive the Law, a cloud appeared
before him in a crouching position, so that he did not
know whether to ride upon it or to take hold of it. How-
ever, it soon opened, and having entered it, the cloud
carried him aloft. Moses then walked along the firma-
ment, just as one walks along the earth, as it is said, ' And
Moses went in the midst of the cloud.' Qemuel, the angel
appointed over 12,000 other angels of destruction, keeping-
guard at the gates of heaven, met him. When he saw
Moses he rebuked him, saying : ' Thou comest from a place
of defilement, and darest walk in this place of purity.
What dost thou, who wert born of woman, in this place of
fire ?' ' I am Moses, the son of Amram, and have come here
to receive the law for Israel.'
(2) Moses walked along the firmament just as a man walks
LII. 5] 145
along a pathway, until he came to Hadarniel. The sages
say of Hadarniel that he stands 60,000 parasangs above his
fellow-angels, and that every word he utters is accom-
panied by 12,000 sparks of fire. On seeing Moses, he in
his turn rebuked him, saying, * What doest thou in this
sublime and holy place ?' But as soon as Moses heard the
voice of Hadarniel, he became frightened, confused, and
trembled exceedingly in his presence, and the tears flowed
from his eyes. He therefore entreated the cloud to cast
him forth ; (3) but God's mercy was moved for Moses, and
He thus addressed Hadarniel : ' From the very day that I
created you, you have striven before Me ; when I wished
to create man, all of you became his accusers before Me,
saying: "What is man, that Thou shouldst remember
him, and the son of man, that Thou shouldst visit him ?"
You gave Me no rest until I consumed many of your
companies ; and now, seeing that My desire is to give My
law to My children, you stand in the way and will not
allow My law to descend to My chosen people Israel.
Indeed, were it not for Israel, who are to receive My law,
there would be no dwelling in the firmament, either for Me
or for you,' as it is said, ' If I had not created the day and
the night, I would never have decreed the statutes of
heaven and earth. '
(4) When Hadarniel heard this he rose and prayed and
made supplication before God, saying, ' 0 Lord of the
universe, it is revealed and known before Thee that I did
not know that Moses came here with Thy permission.
Now that I know it I shall act as a messenger to him, I
shall go before him as a pupil before his teacher.' Thus
humbling himself, he went before Moses as a pupil before
his instructor, until he came to the fire of Saldalphon ;
(5) and then Hadarniel said : * Moses, do thou proceed, for
I am not able to stand before the fire of Saldalphon. I
fear lest he consume me with the breath of his mouth.'
When Moses perceived Saldalphon, he was confused and
trembled, and the tears flowed from his eyes. He then
desired to be thrown from the cloud, and besought the
10
146 [LII. 5
mercy of Grod. His prayer was answered, for at that
moment the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself descended
and stood before Moses until he passed the fire of Saldal-
phon. Concerning this it is said, ' And the Lord passed
before him and he exclaimed, " The Lord, the Lord, the
God of mercy and kindness." '
(6) Of Saldalphon the sages say that he towers above his
fellow-angels a distance that would take 500 years to walk,
and that he stands in front of the curtain weaving crowns
for his Maker. The ministering angels do not know where
God dwells, for it is said, ' Blessed be the Lord from His
abode,' and it is not said in, but from, His abode. He
(Saldalphon) therefore conjures with the Ineffable Name,
and the crown departs to rest by itself on the head of
the Almighty. As soon as the crown leaves the hand of
Saldalphon, all the heavenly hosts are moved, and the holy
creatures, till now silent, roar like lions, and they exclaim
with one voice, ' Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts,
the whole earth is filled with His glory.' When the
crown reaches the throne of God, all the wheels of His
chariot and throne commence rolling; the sockets of fire
blaze forth, and all the heavens are seized with terror.
When it passes on to the throne all the heavenly hosts with
their own crowns on break forth into glorification of God,
saying, ' Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His abode.'
Come and see the glory and greatness of God. As soon
as the crown reaches His head. He strengthens Himself to
receive the prayers of His servants. Then all the Hayoth,
Ophanim, Seraphim, the wheels of His chariot, the throne
of His glory, and the hosts above and below exalt, glorify,
and break forth in words of praise, honour and glory, and
all as with one mouth proclaim His Sovereignty, saying,
' The Lord will reign for ever and ever.'
(7) As soon as Moses passed away from Saldalphon, he
came to Eigion, a river of fire, whose flames burn the
angels of fire just as the fire which consumes man. Moses,
however, was taken across by God. (8) He then met
Galisur, an angel to whom is attributed the saying that
Lll. 10] 147
out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth evil and
good. Why was his name called Galisur ? Because he
reveals the secrets of God. His wings are spread out to
receive the fiery breath of the holy creatures, for, were
he not to do so, no creature would be able to endure it.
Galisur is appointed for another kind of work : he pro-
phesies that this year shall be a good wheat crop ; the
barley shall ripen, and the wine shall be cheap. And
yet another kind of work : taking a thick covering of iron
and spreading it on the river Eigion, he places certain
people upon it opposite the angels and princes, so that they
may prosper, and that their fear shall fall upon the
creatures. God took Moses up and brought him across the
river.
(9) After this, Moses met a troop of angels of terror
that surround the Throne of Glory, and that are mightier
and stronger than all the ministering angels. As soon as
they espied Moses, they tried to consume him with the
breath of their mouths, saying, * What doest thou in this
place of glory ?' But God immediately spread the glory of
His throne round about him, as it is said, ' He closeth in
the face of His throne and spreadeth His cloud upon
it.' Moses, thereby strengthened, returned the following
answer : * What avails the Torah to you ? The Exodus
from Egypt does not apply to you, nor the worshipping
of strange gods, nor the taking of oaths.' At this they
immediately rendered their thanksgiving to God, as it
is said, ' Our Lord, how mighty is Thy name in all the
earth ! Thou whose majesty extends over the heavens.*
From that moment every one became Moses' friend ; every
one handed over to him a secret cure, and even the angel
of death revealed to him his secret, as it is said, ' And
he gave the frankincense and atoned for the people.'
(10) Then, opening the seven firmaments, God showed him
the heavenly temple and the four different hues in which
the tabernacle was made, as it is said, 'And thou shalt
erect the tabernacle according to the plan which thou
sawest on the mount.' • 0 Lord of the universe,' said
10—2
148 [Lll. 10
Moses, ' I do not know its form.' Then spake God to
him, ' Turn to the right.' He did so, and seeing angels
clothed in a colour like that of the sea, God said, ' This is
blue.' ' Now turn to the left,' said God. He did so, and
seeing angels clothed in white, God said, ' This is the fine
linen.' Then turning in front of him and seeing angels
clothed in red, God said, ' This is scarlet.' ' Now turn
behind thee.' Turning behind, he saw angels clothed
neither in red nor green, and God said, ' This is purple.'
(11) The Lord then opened the seven doors of the seven
heavens, and revealed Himself to Israel face to face in His
glory and with His crown. As soon as the Israelites heard
the words, ' I am the Lord thy God' from God's own mouth,
their souls departed forthwith, as it is said, ' The souls of
the Israelites departed when He spoke.' The Law went
forth to Israel and found them all dead. Keturning to
God, it said, ' Lord of the universe, to whom hast Thou
given me, to the living or to the dead ?' ' To the living,'
said He. ' Hast thou not applied to me the verse, " It shall
be thy life and the length of thy days "? and yet here are
they all dead.' ' Then for thy sake I shall restore their
souls ;' and causing that dew to descend which is destined
to revive the dead, He thus brought them to life, as it is
said, ' Thou, 0 God, didst send a plentiful rain ; Thou
didst confirm Thine inheritance when it was weary.' He
then restored their souls, as it is said, * The law of God is
perfect, refreshing the soul.'
(12) There then descended, at the command of God,
120 myriads of ministering angels, of whom a pair went to
each of the Israelites, one to place his hand upon his heart
to prevent his soul from departing, and the other to
straighten his neck that he might behold God. But why
did God reveal Himself to them face to face ? Because He
said to them, ' Know that I reveal Myself to you in My
glory and in My majesty, so that in the event of one of you
leading others astray and saying to them, " Forsake your
God and let us go and serve other gods," you may then
say to him, *' Is there anyone who, after beholding his
LIII. 1] 149
Creator in His glory and in His majesty and upon the
throne of His glory, would go and serve other gods ?" '
(13) Then said the Lord to Moses, ' My angels are afraid
of thee because the fire of thy lightnings is stronger than
theirs. Let Michael My archangel go before thee, for My
great name is engraved upon his heart, as it is said, *'For
My name is within him." The glory of the heights is on thy
right hand, and the image of Jacob thy forefather on thy
left.' Moses was inwardly pleased when he saw the Most
High condescending to argue with him. All the inhabitants
of the world were confused ; the inhabitants of every
country were astonished when they saw Moses the son of
Amram, who had captured the King's daughter (the Law),
descending in great exultation, as it is written, ' Thou didst
ascend on high ; thou didst take captive and receive presents
for man.' It is further written, * A wise man scaleth the city
of the mighty, and bringeth down the strength of the con-
fidence thereof.' The mountains and hills skipped like
rams when they saw the canopy erected, and the daughter
of God as a bride decked with precious stones. The
daughter of God is the Torah (Law), and the precious stones
represent the twelve tribes, who said, ' All that the Lord
has spoken we shall do and hearken thereunto.' As soon
as they exclaimed, ' We shall do and we shall obey,' there
descended 120 myriads of ministering angels, who placed
two crowns upon every one of the Israelites : one because
they said, ' VYe shall do,' and the other because they
exclaimed, * We shall obey.' And the glory of the Lord
was revealed from heaven, from the habitation of His
holiness. He gave the Torah to the children of Jacob, His
chosen one, and gave them righteous judgments, a true
law, statutes and commandments for their good, by which
to prolong the life, to obliterate the sins, and to sow the
seeds of righteousness.
LIII. (1) The sages say that while the Israelites were
travelling in the wilderness they were surrounded by seven
clouds of glory, one in front of them, one behind them, two
on each side, and one above them to protect them from the
150 [Liii. 1
sun and the cold. Another cloud went before them, which
levelled the high places and raised the lower places that
they might not stumble, as it is said, ' And Thy cloud stood
above them, and in a pillar of cloud Thou wentest before
them.' This was the one in front of them, and the seventh
was that which was placed at the head of the standards,
and the light of the Divine Presence was refulgent in it.
But how did it shine there? (2) The Eabbis say that there
were four standards, of which the standard of Judah was in
the east, and similar in shape to a lion, as it is said, ' Judah
is a lion's whelp.' On the top of the banner was the form
of a lion, out of which hooks of gold protruded, which
ended in a sword-like pike, and on this there rested one
arm of the seventh cloud, on which the three letters repre-
senting the three forefathers were engraved, viz., Alef, Yod,
Yod. ' Alef ' for Abraham, ' Yod ' for Isaac, and ' Yod '
for Jacob (^\s being the mnemonic sign). These letters
were illuminated by the Shechinah. (3) In the south the
banner of Eeuben was placed. It had the appearance of a
man similar to mandrakes, on account of the passage, * And
he found mandrakes.' On the top of the banner hooks of
gold, which ended in a sword-like pike, and upon them
rested one arm of the cloud, on which the three letters
representing the three ancestors were engraved — 'Beth'
for Abraham, * Sade ' for Isaac, and ' 'Ayin ' for Jacob
iv)i2 being the mnemonic sign). These letters also shone
from the splendour of the Shechinah.
(4) In the west the banner of Ephraim was encamped,
being in appearance like a fish, on account of the expres-
sion, ' And they shall increase like the fish abundantly.'
On the top of the banner were placed hooks of gold ending
in a sword-like pike, on which rested one arm of the cloud,
with the three letters representing the three forefathers
engraved upon it, viz., ' Eesh ' for Abraham, ' Heth ' for
Isaac, and ' Qof ' for Jacob (the mnemonic sign being phi)-
Likewise these letters shone through the splendour of the
Shechinah. (5) Lastly, in the north was encamped the
banner of Dan, in the form of a serpent, on account of the
LIII. 8] 151
expression, ' Dan shall be like a serpent by the way.' On
the top of the banner were placed hooks of gold ending in a
sword-like pike, above which one arm of the cloud rested,
with three letters representing the three ancestors engraved
thereon, viz., ' Mem ' for Abraham, ' Qof ' for Isaac, and
* Beth' for Jacob (the mnemonic letters being ipt), which
shone through the splendour of the Shechinah.
(6) Now, there was one letter remaining, viz., the He of
Abraham, which God added to Abram from His own name,
which is spelt Yod He (^'). With this God created the
world, as it is said, ' For with " Yah " the Lord created the
worlds.' God placed the pillar of cloud above the ark, which
was surrounded by all the banners, as it is said, ' They
encamped round about the tent of the congregation.' On
this cloud now those sacred letters Yad, He, were fixed, and
during the seven days of each week it went the round of all
the camps of Israel, giving light as the sun by day and as
the moon by night. They were thus able to distinguish
between day and night. (7) When God wished them to
remove their camps, the cloud on which the letters Yod, He
were engraved moved upwards from the ark of the
covenant. The four clouds on which were respectively
engraved the letters ^^^? h'-iv, pni and 2pb followed after
them, and as soon as the priests noticed these clouds
following in the wake of the pillar of cloud, with the letters
n^ on it, they blew their trumpets, and the four winds of the
earth blew myrrh and frankincense, as it is said, ' Who is
this coming up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense ?'
(8) These trumpets were used first for assembling the
people together, then as the signal to continue their journey-
ing for war, and also for the Sabbaths and festivals. Every
trumpet was hollow and emitted a loud sound. It was one
cubit in length and broad at the mouth, and a thin reed
was placed in its mouth to receive the breath, and thus to
discourse music in the hearing of the people. When they
were used to assemble the people, and to bring the princes
together, the sons of Aaron blew on one trumpet one long
152 [LIII. 8
even sound (teqi'ah nr^n), and not a tremolo (nrnn). A
Teqi'ah, or one long even sound, on two trumpets meant
the assembling of the whole congregation, but the same on
only one trumpet was the signal for the assembling of the
princes. If a tribe required its prince, they blew a Teqi'ah
on one trumpet, but not a Teru'ah or tremolo. In the
same manner the assembling of all the congregation was
sounded.
(9) As a signal for continuing their journey they used
two trumpets and sounded the Teru'ah. At the first sound
the three camps eastward, under the banner of Judah, moved
onwards ; at the second the three camps in the south, under
the banner of Eeuben ; at the third, the three camps in the
west, under the banner of Ephraim ; and at the fourth sound
of the Teru'ah, the three camps in the north, under the
banner of Dan, started on their journey. For all these the
Teru'ah sound was blown. In war, however, and on a day of
rejoicing, or a festival, or a new moon, the sons of Aaron
blew the two sounds Teqi'ah and Teru ah. (10) These four
banners correspond with the four elements of which the
world is composed, and the twelve tribes correspond with the
twelve stones of the ephod, as it is said, ' And the stones
shall be called after the names of the children of Israel.'
The banner of Judah in the east corresponds to one of the
four elements, viz., fire, and of the constellations, to Aries,
Leo and Sagittarius, which consist of fire, and to the first
row of the stones of the ephod, viz., the sardius, topaz and
carbuncle.
(11) The standard of Eeuben in the south corresponded
to earth, the second of the four elements ; to Taurus, Virgo
and Capricornus of the constellations which are of the dust ;
and to the second row of the stones of the ephod, viz., the
emerald, sapphire, and diamond. The banner of Ephraim
in the west corresponded to water, the third of the four
elements ; to Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius of the constella-
tions, which consist of water ; and to the third row of
the stones of the ephod, viz., the jacinth, agate, and
amethyst.
LIIL 15] 153
(12) The standard of Dan in the north corresponded to
ah% the fourth of the four elements ; to Cancer, Scorpio, and
Pisces of the constellations, which were created of air ; and
to the fourth row of the stones of the ephod, viz., the
beryl, onyx, and the jasper. (13) Judah's constellation is
Leo and his stone the sardius ; Isaachar's is Aries and his
stone the topaz; Zebulun's Sagittarius and his stone the
carbuncle, i.e., altogether nine corresponding to fire.*
Keuben's constellation is Taurus, and his stone the
emerald; Simeon's Virgo and his stone the sapphire ; Gad's
Capricornus and his stone the diamond, i.e., altogether nine*
corresponding to dust. Ephraim's constellation is Gemini
and his stone the jacinth ; Menasseh's Libra and his stone
the agate ; Benjamin's Aquarius and his stone the ame-
thyst, which are together nine corresponding to air.*
Dan's constellation is Cancer and his stone the beryl ;
Asher's Scorpio and his stone the onyx ; Naphtali's Pisces
and his stone the jasper, which are altogether nine corre-
sponding to water.*
(14) Each man stood by his standard, together with
the ensign of his father's house, thus : Eeuben, mandrakes ;
Simeon, the city of Shechem ; Judah, the lion's whelp ;
Issachar, a strong ass ; Zebulun, a ship ; Ephraim, an ox ;
Menasseh, a buffalo (or Eeem) ; Benjamin, a wolf ; Dan,
a serpent ; Naphtali, a hind ; Gad,' a troop (according to
the passage, ' a troop will overtake him ') ; Asher, an olive,
on account of the passage, ' He dipped his foot in oil.'
Thus, a sign was given to every banner, according to the
deeds and according to the name of the tribe.
(15) And these are the four camps of the standards.
' Every man by his standard, according to the house of their
fathers, shall encamp round about the tent of the congrega-
tion.' Between the tabernacle and the camps of the
standards there was a very wide space. Three tribes
formed under one banner, that is, in three separate camps
according to their order, and each camp was like a large
city. The camps of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, were
* I. e., if we include the names of the tribes.
154 [LIII. 15
placed in the east ; Keuben, Simeon and Gad in the south ;
Ephraim, Benjamin and Menasseh in the west ; and Dan,
Asher and Naphtah in the north. The Levites encamped
between the tabernacle and the camps, on the four sides of
the tabernacle, at a distance from the camps, but near the
tabernacle, and kept guard in the tabernacle of the Lord.
Moses and Aaron and his sons encamped in the east of the
tabernacle, opposite Judah's standard. The sons of
Kehath encamped in the south, opposite Eeuben's banner ;
the children of Gershon in the west, opposite Ephraim's
banner, and the children of Merari in the north, opposite
Dan's banner. The tent of the congregation stood in the
<3entre, surrounded on all sides by the Levites, while the
four standards of the Israelites surrounded the Levites, and
the clouds of glory surrounded the Israelites. That is the
meaning of the verse, ' The angel of the Lord encamps
round about those who fear Him.' The four standards,
Moses, Aaron and the tabernacle, which are altogether
seven, correspond to the seven planets, viz., Sun, Venus,
Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, and the twelve
tribes to the twelve constellations.
(16) K. Ele azar asked E. Simeon, ' When the Israelites
went out of Egypt, did they take weavers with them ?'
■* No,' replied E. Simeon. ' How, then, did they clothe
themselves during the whole of the forty years ?' ' The
ministering angels clothed them, as it is said, *' And I shall
clothe thee in fine network." *But did not the children
grow to men ?' said he. * Learn the reply from the purple
snail whose shell grows simultaneously with it.' Thus the
Israelites fared, nor did they become dirty, for the clouds
were cleansing them. Further, they did not emit a
malodorous smell from the perspiration of their bodies,
-although they did not change their clothes.
(17) The well caused to grow various kinds of spices and
sweet-smelling herbs, upon which they lay, as it is said, ' He
will cause me to lie down in the well-watered pastures,' the
perfume of which travelled from one end of the world to the
other. The well of Miriam was placed at the entrance of
LIII. 18] 155
the court near Moses' tent, and indicated to all (the camps)
where they were to encamp. It indicated it in this
manner: When the curtains of the court were set up,
the twelve pillars by the well sang the ' Shirah,' as it is
said, * They dug the well with songs.' And the waters of the
well swelled into rivers, one of which surrounded the camp of
the Shechinah. From that river there issued four other
rivers into the four corners of the court, each one of which
flowed through the four corners, such as south-east, etc., to
the camp of the Israelites. After passing the camp of the
Levites, these rivers flowed together into one channel,
encompassing first the whole camp of the Levites ; and
flowing between each family, and surrounding the camp
of the Shechinah, there were seen many small channels.
Then this great river encompassed the whole camp of the
Israelites from without, forming into smaller rivers running
between each tribe. These rivers marked the boundary of
each camp, so that one did not encroach upon his neighbour.
But do not think that they obtained nothing from the
waters, because they produced all kinds of dainties similar
to those of the world to come, as it is written, ' Thou art a
fountain of gardens.' And all kinds of spices grew for
them, as it is said, ' Thy shoots are a garden of pome-
granates .... with spikenard and saffron,' etc.
(18) At the end of each camp on the east, west, north
and south, there stretched an area of 4,000 cubits. Moses
and Aaron and his sons were encamped in the east ; the
children of Kehath in the south ; the children of Gershon
in the west ; and the children of Merari in the north.
Each one of them occupied 100 cubits within the 4,000.
In addition to this there were those 4,000 cubits on each
side. Thus the Levites occupied one-eighth of the whole
area of the tribes. But where did the animals pasture?
The whole encampment extended over an area of 12
square miles, comprising the camp of the Shechinah, that
of the Levites, and that of the camp of the Israelites.
In the corners on each side their cattle pastured, i.e.,
opposite (or facing) their own encampment. The rivers
156 [LIII. 18
surrounded them from within and without, forming channels
for them all round, so that the people had permission to
w^alk on the Sabbath from one camp to the other. The
cloud being spread over them, divided them from their
cattle, as it is said, * And the cloud of the Lord rested
over them by day.' From the splendour of the blue used
in the tabernacle the rivers appeared blue as the blue of the
morning and the light of the moon and the sun was
reflected in them. When the nations beheld them from
afar praising God, they said, ' Who are these people look-
ing at us from the wilderness?' and fear and dread fell
upon them all, as it is said, ' Fear and dread shall fall
upon them.'
The Smiting of the Firstborn.
LIV. (1) The sages say that when God brought the
plague of the firstborn upon the Egyptians, He started first
upon their gods, as it is said, ' I shall execute judgment on
all the gods of Egypt; I am the Lord.' And what was this
smiting of their gods, since they were but images of stone ?
They were broken up into small pieces ; every idol of wood
rotted and became a heap of dust, and all idols of silver,
brass, iron and lead were melted to metal sheets on the
ground ; and when the Egyptians were drowned in the
Eed Sea fire descended upon their gods and consumed
them, as it is said, ' And in the abundance of Thy
majesty. Thou wilt overthrow all those w^ho rise up against
Thee.'
(2) The sages further say that before the plague of the
firstborn descended upon them Moses went among the
firstborn in Egypt and said to them, * Thus saith the Lord,
About the time of midnight I shall go forth in the midst
of the Egyptians, and all their firstborn shall die.' There-
upon all the firstborn went to their fathers and said, ' All
the plagues which Moses foretold have come to pass ;
he now says that all the firstborn are to die.' * Go to
Pharaoh,' replied their fathers, ' for he is a firstborn.'
LIV. 4] 157
Going to bim, they said, * Send this people away, for if you
do not, all the firstborn will perish.' Pharaoh immediately
ordered his servants to go and smite them, and be said, ' I
have once declared either my soul shall be taken or those of
the Israelites, and now you wish them to be sent away.'
Each one of them took his sword and slew his father,
as it is said, ' The smiting of the Egyptians by their
firstborn.' Nevertheless, at midnight, all the firstborn were
slain, as it is said, ' And the Lord smote all the firstborn of
the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, i.e., his
son, who also died. And Pharaoh and his servants arose
in the night on that account. (3) If an Egyptian married
five wives, having had five sons, the next day these sons
were found dead, because they were all firstborn to their
mothers. In the same manner, if a woman had married
five times and had obtained a son of each husband, all
these sons died, because they were all firstborn to their
fathers. Thus was fulfilled the statement that 'All the
firstborn of the land of Egypt should die.' In the event of
a house containing no firstborn, the eldest in the house
died. The house wherein the firstborn had died long
before, the dead came out again from the grave and died
anew within the house, causing great wailing. Therefore
it is written, * There was no house into which death did
not enter.'
(4) As soon as Pharaoh saw that his son, the son of his
wife, and the sons of his servants were dead, he meditated
within him that Moses had never once yet lied to him, and
said to his servants, ' All the time that he was near me he
used to appease ; and he prayed before his Creator, and
we were then healed of all our plagues. But, a little
while ago, I was incensed against Moses, and said to
him, " Thou shalt not any longer look upon my face."
Therefore it is incumbent upon myself to go to seek him.'
Pharaoh and all his servants accordingly rose from their
beds with great weeping, and Pharaoh, going the round of
all the streets, inquired, * Where is Moses ? Where is
Moses ? Where does he dwell ?' When the Israelites saw
158 [LIV. 4
him they laughed, saymg to him, ' Pharaoh, where art
thou going, and whom dost thou seek ?' ' It is Moses your
master that I am searching for.' ' Here he Kves, here he
Hves,' said the children, all the while laughing at him,
until he at last said, 'Arise, go forth from among my
people.' But the Israelites took no notice of him until he
went to Moses' house and said, ' I entreat thee, 0 my lord,
pray to God for us.' But Moses and Aaron and all the
Israelites were at that moment in their several houses,
eating their paschal lambs and singing praises to the King
of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, and sitting at
home, and no one went out of his house, because God said
to the Israelites, * And no man of you shall go out of his
house until the morning.' (5) So that when Pharaoh came
to Moses' door, Moses said to him from within his house,
' Who art thou calling?' ' I am Pharaoh,' said he. * Why
dost thou thyself come to me ? Surely it is not customary
for kings to come to men's houses, and, moreover, at
night-time.' ' I entreat thee, go forth and pray for us, for
there is no man left in Egypt that is not dead.* ' But I
cannot go forth, for I have heard it from the mouth of God,
saying, " You shall not go forth." ' ' I beseech thee,' said
Pharaoh, 'stand at the window and let me behold thy
pleasant face.' ' But,' added Moses, ' didst thou not say to
me, "Thou shalt no more see my face"?' 'I said this
to thee before the firstborn died, but now they are already
dead. Thou hast indeed never lied before me : now,
why are they all dead ?' And Moses said, ' Dost thou
wish them to be brought to life again ?' ' Yes,' said he.
(6) 'If so, then raise thy voice and say, "0 children of
Israel, behold ye are free men, behold ye are your own
masters. Now arise and go forth from the midst of my
people. But now ye were the servants of Pharaoh, hence-
forward ye are the servants of God." ' These words
Pharaoh repeated. ' Say them again.' And Pharaoh did so.
' Say them a third time.' And Pharaoh said them a third
time. When Pharaoh raised his voice, it was heard in all
the land of Egypt, a distance of forty days or 400 parasangs.
LIV. 8] 159
(7) And in that night he called Moses and Aaron and said
to them, ' Arise, go forth from among my people.' * But
why dost thou trouble me the whole night ?' said Moses.
* Because,' answered Pharaoh, ' I am a firstborn, and I fear
lest I die.' *Do not fear this, because thou art destined
for greatness.' And the Egyptians forced Pharaoh, and
persuaded him to send the Israelites from among them, as
it is said, ' And the Egyptians strengthened themselves to
hasten the people out of their land, for they said, " Behold
we shall all of us die." ' But God answered them, saying,
' By your life you shall not all of you die here, but I shall
destroy you in the sea.' When the Egyptians were
drowned in the sea, fire descended upon their gods so that
they were consumed.
(8) Among these Egyptians there were two wizards
whose names were Johanai and Mamre. As soon as they
entered the sea and saw that the waters encompassed them,
by means of their wiles they flew into the air as high as the
firmament. There was not another nation in the world so
much addicted to witchcraft as the Egyptians. Thus our
sages have said, ' Ten measures of witchcraft descended into
the world : nine parts the Egyptians took, and one remained
for the rest of the world.' Johanai and Mamre were
the princes of witchcraft, and, from their great knowledge
of it, they ascended to the firmament ; nor were Michael
and Gabriel able to do anything against them. They
therefore cried to God in supplication, saying, * 0 Lord of
the universe, these wicked men who oppressed Thy children
with hard bondage dare to stand here without fear, and not
only this, but they dare to defy even Thee.' (Whence do we
know that God Himself descended in Egypt '? Because it is
said, ' I shall go down with thee to Egypt.') ' Now, if it is
Thy will, 0 Lord of the universe, execute punishment for
Thy children.' At this God immediately ordered Metatron,
saying, ' Throw them down and cast them to the ground, but
be careful that they only fall into the sea.' Metatron accord-
ingly cast them forcibly into the midst of the sea. It was
then that the Israelites broke forth with the ' Shirah ' (the
160 [LIV. 9
song), 'And in the abundance of Thy majesty Thou hast
overthrown those who rise up against Thee.'
(9) ' The nations heard it and trembled,' The sages
say that when the Egyptians pursued the IsraeHtes and
beheld them, they were seized with great fear and dread,
and did not wish to enter into the sea after them. God
therefore sent Gabriel to them, and he appeared like a
mare entering the sea. Pharaoh's horse immediately
followed into the sea after it, and he was followed by all
the Egyptians. Then spake God to Moses, saying, ' Stretch
forth thy hand over the sea, and the waters shall return
upon the heads of Pharaoh and his chariot and his riders.'
Moses thus stretched forth his hand upon the sea, which
was cleft asunder and rent. When the nations of the
world heard the report of the exodus from Egypt, and
the rending of the Eed Sea, they trembled, and in terror
fled from their habitations.
The PiEBELLION OF KORAH.
LV. (1) And the children of Israel went up from the sea,
and they came to the wilderness. While they were
journeying in the wilderness a quarrel broke out between
Korah and Moses. A certain woman had a ewe-lamb which
she fed from her bread and gave to drink from her own cup,
so that it was as a daughter to her. When she one day
sheared the wool of her lamb, Aaron the priest came and
took the wool away. Going immediately to Korah, she
said to him, ' 0 my lord, I am exceedingly poor, my whole
possession being but one ewe-lamb. When I sheared its
wool for the purpose of clothing myself, for I am naked,
Aaron the priest came up and took it away by force.'
(2) Korah then went up to Aaron and said to him, ' Hast
thou not sufficient with the tithes and heave-oflferings of the
Israelites, that thou must needs take away the wool of this
poor w^oman, who is esteemed as a dead person ?' But Aaron
retorted, ' Thou shalt not die in the natural way. I shall
not annul, for thy sake, one letter of the law. It is written
LV. 7] 161
therein, " The first of the shearing of thy flock shall be
given to me." ' In three months' time the ewe bore a
lamb, and Aaron came and took it away. The woman
immediately went again to Korah and complained, ' 0 my
lord, behold Aaron has no compassion on me, for but
yesterday he took away the W'Ool, and to-day he has taken
the firstborn.' And he replied, ' The law says that every
male firstborn of thy cattle and of thy sheep shall be
dedicated to the Lord thy God.' (3) The woman thenw^ent
forth and slew the ew'e, and Aaron immediately came and
took the shoulder, the jaws and the maw. Seeing this, the
w^oman, sorely troubled, cried, saying, ' Thou hast all the
flesh.' ' I take all the flesh,' added Aaron, it has now
become our portion, as it is said, " The flesh of everything
that is dedicated belongs to thee." '
(4) The woman, going to Korah, related all that had
happened, and Korah, exceedingly enraged, said to Aaron,
' What claim hast thou upon this poor woman ? Thou
didst first take the wool, then the firstborn, and now the
whole ewe itself.^ ' I shall not transgress one letter of the
law on account of thy anger, for it is said, '' All the flesh
shall be the priest's." ' (5) Korah was then filled with wrath,
and when God commanded Moses to tell the children of
Israel to make for themselves fringes, Korah arose in the
night, and w^eaving 400 garments of blue, put them on 400
men. Then, standing before Moses, he said to him, ' Do
these garments require fringes, as they are now made
wholly of the rh'2r\' (blue)? Moses replied, 'Korah, does
a house full of holy books require a Mezuzah.' 'Yes,' said
Korah. ' So also do these garments require fringes.'
(6) Thus the jealousy (envy) between them grew to such
an extent that God said to Moses, ' Take the Levites, and
thus thou shalt do to purify them.' He then made four
decrees concerning the Levites, two of which they accepted
and two of which they did not accept. They then said to
Moses, ' Sprinkle upon us the water of the sin-offering, and
w^e shall also wash our clothes, but to the heaving and the
razor w^e shall not submit.' (7) Moses then forcibly lifted
11
162 [LV. 8
them up from the ground agamst their will. When it came
to the decree of the shaving their bodies, Moses was not able
to attend to them alone, so he said to the Israelites, *A
decree has been issued concerning the Levites to pass the
razor over their flesh, and they have refused to submit.'
Thereupon, all the Israelites stood up, laid hold of the
Levites by force, and made them submit.
(8) At that time the wife of Korah said to her husband,
' The King of Life makes both you and Moses subservient
to Him, but now, having passed the razor over your own
flesh and over your beards, you will be a reproach and a
shame to all. It is surely preferable to die than to live.'
Concerning this Scripture says, ' The wisdom of woman
buildeth her house, but the hands of the foolish one over-
throw it.' (9) ' The wisdom of woman buildeth her
house.' This refers to the wife of On, the son of Peleth,
who, when she saw that the quarrel was coming to a head,
said to her husband, ' My lord, hearken to my counsel :
whether Korah is the prince and thou art the pupil, or
Moses is the prince and thou art the pupil, what avails
thee this quarrel ? It is surely better to free thy soul from
the punishment.' ' But what shall I do now,' he answered,
* since I have already sworn to Korah that I shall abide by
his counsel?' ' Thy oath will be fulfilled,' she replied, ' if
thou sidest with Moses, since all the Israelites are holy.'
' May I trust thee ?' said he. She answered : ' Yes.'
Thereupon, on the day of visitation, she killed a lamb, and
gave him to eat and to drink until he was drunk. She then
put him to bed, and while he slept she sat at the street-
door and uncovered her head, and combed her hair ; and
whoever came to call for On, the son of Peleth, saw his wife
with uncovered head, and being shamed, turned aw^ay until
the time passed, and On was thus saved. With reference to
this the text says, ' Hide thyself for a moment until the
anger has passed away.'
' But the foolish woman overthroweth it (her house) with
her hands.' This alludes to the wife of Korah, who wickedly
counselled her husband to quarrel with Moses, and thus he
LV. 12] 163
perished from this world and from the next also, as it is
said, 'And they perished from the midst of the congregation.'
(10) The sages say that through the deep counsel of
Balaam the Israelites were diminished, for the sons of
Moab and Midian took counsel together, and, gathering all
the beautiful women of their land, they made tents for them
and placed them therein close by the camp of the Israelites.
And the women dwelling within the tents were decked with
all conceivable kinds of ornaments and had every kind of
saleable garment. At the door of the tent stood an old
woman holding a garment for sale. Whenever any Israelite
passed by and asked the old woman the price, she placed a
very high value upon it, but said, ' Step inside the tent, and
there you can choose what you desire at a low price.' As
soon as he entered a beautiful maiden would stand up,
beautifully decked and sprayed with scent, and, looking at
him, say, ' I will sell thee these ornaments at a very low
price ; and if thou desirest, I will give thee these others for
nothing.' Before her was placed excellent strong wine.
She would then say to him, ' Drink this cup of wine for my
love, and I will present thee with any precious ornament
thou mayest wish.' At this time the wine of the heathen
was not yet a prohibited thing. He therefore would accept
the offer and drink the wine, and as soon as he had finished
it he would be very drunk. She then would take hold of
him and begin kissing him, so that the evil inclination should
burn within him, and he would lie with her. For the great
love that sprang up between them, she would not leave him
until at length she would say to him, ' Worship this idol for
the love you bare me ;' and he would worship it.
(11) Thus the Israelites sinned through fornication as it
is said, ' And the people began to commit fornication with
the daughters of Moab, who enticed the people to sacrifice
to their god ; and the people ate of their sacrifices and
bowed down to their gods.' The Lord was therefore angry
with Israel, so that there died by a plague 24,000 men.
(12) And all the Israelites, and all the princes, and
Eleazar, and Pinehas, seeing the angel of destruction among
11—2
164 [LV. 12
the people, sat down and wept, and did not know how to act.
Pmehas saw Zimri pubHcly going with a Midianite woman,
and, burning with zeal, he snatched the spear from Moses.
Some say that, raising his spear, he ran after him from
behind, and pierced them both, so that it entered the stomach
of the woman. On account of this God gave him and his
sons the maw of the animals as his reward, and strengthened
his arm. He fixed the spear in the ground, and both
were found on the top of it, one above the other. Then
Pinehas smote the young men of Israel without remorse,
and dragged them, scourging them all the while, through the
whole camp of Israel, that all should see and fear. E.
Eleazar of Modai relates that Pinehas cast the ban of
excommunication upon all Israel by means of the secret of
the Ineffable Name as written upon the tables of the law —
the terrestrial and celestial Tribunal sanctioned an excom-
munication prohibiting every man of Israel to drink of the
wine of the heathen.
LVI. (1) When the ten plagues with which the Egyptians
were smitten commenced, Siqrops fled from Egypt to the
city of Aqtes, in Greece, which he built as the Metropolis.
There he estabhshed the throne of the kingdom of the
So'anites, and became the first king of the Atinisim
(Athenians) — i.e., the So anites. After him there reigned
seventeen kings and nineteen princes, until the reign of
Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, King of Persia. (2) At the
end of the Book of Joshua it is written, ' So Joshua made
a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute
and an ordinance in Shechem.' Joseph ben Gorion asserts
in his book that when the heathen made a covenant, after
shedding the blood of the calf and sprinkling it upon the
ground, they used to say, ' Thus shall the blood of him
who breaks this covenant which we have made be shed.'
Joshua then issued a decree to the Israelites that they should
pour water upon the ground instead of blood, to fulfil the
command, ' Thou shalt not do according to their deeds.'
(3) In those days, in the time of Joshua, there lived a
certain man Eriqtonios, who was the first to construct
LVIL 3] 165
a chariot in Greece. And Cadmus, King of Egypt, went
from Thebes C^'5'ri) and came to Tyre and Sidon, and there
reigned. In the land of Greece there also reigned Cadmus
Europes Tahpanhes, and he called the name of the royal
city Tahpanhes.
(4) Now, Danaus had fifty sons, and they took to them
the fifty daughters of Egisates, their brother. But one
day one of the brothers arose, and, killing all the others,
reigned in their stead. (5) At that time, in the days of
Othniel, Cadmus reigned in Thebes, and the city of
Bitanya (^<^;Jt?n) was built by Tahpanhes. He first introduced
the letters of the Greek writing. The city of Epira
(riTQS), now called Corinthus, was also then built by Sisipo.
Minos, the son of Eoripi (^D^"l^i^''^?), reigned then in Crete
LVIL (1) Philo, the friend of Joseph, the son of Gorion,
has narrated in his book that after the death of Joshua the
Israelites did not possess a friend to lead them. So that
the Israelites asked the Lord, ' Who shall go up before us
to fight against the Canaanites as in the olden times?'
And the Lord replied, ' If the heart of this people is perfect
with the Lord, let Judah go up, but if not, nobody shall go
up.' ' But whereby shall we know the heart of the people?'
they asked further. And the Lord said, ' Draw lots accord-
ing to your tribes, and the tribe which the Lord shall take
shall assemble according to their families, and ye shall thus
know the heart of the people.' (2) The people then
addressed God, saying, ' 0 Lord, appoint over us a head
and a chief to assemble us for casting the lots, that he may
take us out and bring us in.' And the angel of God replied,
* Cast lots in the tribe of Caleb, and the person selected by
lot shall be to you the head and the chief.' They did so,
and the lot fell upon Kenaz. They therefore made him
a prince over Israel. Kenaz then said to the people,
* Bring me your tribes and hearken to the voice of the
Lord.' And they came to him.
(3) ' You know,' said he, ' that Moses, the servant of the
Lord, commanded you, saying, ''Ye shall not depart from
166 [LVII. 4
the way which I commanded you in the Torah, neither to
the right nor to the left;" this Joshua has also exhorted
you to do. (4) Now, hear and mark my words, for the heart
of the people is not with Him, and He has commanded us
each tribe to approach for the lot to be cast. Let not the
anger of the Lord be kindled against us. If I and my
house be caught, then burn us with fire.' ' Thou hast
spoken well,' answered the people. (5) Accordingly, the
tribes assembled before him by lot, and of the tribe of
Judah 345 men were taken, of Eeuben 540, of Simeon 335,
of Levi 350, of Isaachar 665, of Zebulun 545, of Gad, 380,
of Asher 665, of Menasseh 480, and of Ephraim 468.
(6) Thus, the total number of those that were caught by
lot was 6,110, all of whom Kenaz placed in a ward to inquire
the word of the Lord concerning them, and said, ' Of such
did Moses, the servant of the Lord, speak when he said,
" Lest there be among you a root, a poisonous plant or
wormwood," blessed be the Lord, who reveals our sins to
us that we may not stumble through them.' (7) And
Kenaz, and Eleazar the priest, and all the elders of the
assembly, prayed to the Lord, saying, * Thou, 0 Lord, hast
made known unto us the men who did not believe in Thy
wonders what Thou didst for our forefathers from the time
when Thou didst bring them forth from the land of Egypt
until this very day.' (8) And the Lord replied, ' Ask these
people now to confess their iniquity, and they shall be burnt
with fire.' And Kenaz addressed them thus, ' You know
that Achan ben Zabdi sinned by appropriating the devoted
spoil, was taken by lot and confessed his sin : do you also
make a confession unto the Lord, that ye may live with
those whom the Lord will revive at the resurrection of the
dead.'
(9) And one of them, whose name was Elah (n?^?),
answered, ' We shall only die once by this fire. Now ask
each tribe separately.' Kenaz thereupon commenced with
his own tribe, the tribe of Judah. And they said, ' Behold,
we have chosen to make a calf for ourselves, just as our
forefathers did in the wilderness.'
LVII. 15] 167
(10) Coming next to the tribe of Eenben, they said, ' We
have chosen to sacrifice to the gods of the nations.' The
children of Levi said, ' We desired to try and test if the
tabernacle is holy.' The children of Isaachar repHed,
*We desired to ask the idols what will become of us.'
(11) And the children of Zebulun, ' We wished to eat the
flesh of our sons and our daughters, to know whether
the Lord loved them.' The children of Dan rephed, ' We
desired to teach our sons what we learned from the
Amorites ; behold, their books are hidden and concealed
under the Mount Ebarim, where thou wilt find them.' And
Kenaz sent for them and found them.
(12) Coming next to Naphtali, they answered, ' We have
done all that the Amorites have done, and hidden them (?)
in the tent of Elah, who requested thee to ask each tribe
separately.' And Kenaz sent for them and found them
there. (13) Then the sons of Gad said, ' We have lain with
the wives of our neighbours.' And the sons of Asher said,
* We found seven golden idols, which the Amorites called
''The holy ones of Ninfe," C^V^) ; and upon them were
many precious stones. We hid them beneath Mount
Shechem. Send thither now and thou wilt find them.'
He acted accordingly and found them. These were the
idols which informed the Amorites at certain periods the
deeds they should perform.
(14) Now, these are the names of the seven sinners that
made them after the Flood: Canaan, Phut, Shelah, Nimrod,
Elah, Diul, and Shuah. Nor was their work like that of
ordinary artificers. The precious stones they brought from
Havilah, where the bdelKum and the onyx are found.
These were the stones used by the Amorites for their idols.
In the night they shone as the light of day, and when the
blind Amorites kissed the idols and touched their eyes they
could see. Kenaz then placed them in a ward until he
knew what was to become of them. (15) Continuing his
questions, Kenaz came to Menasseh, who said, ' W^e have
not observed the Sabbath to sanctify it.' Ephraim answered,
* We have been pleased to pass our sons and our daughters
168 [LVIT. 16
through the fire, accordmg to the custom of the Amorites.'
And Benjamin said, ' We desired to test whether the law of
God emanated from God or from Moses.' Kenaz thereupon
entered all their replies in a book and recited them before
the Lord.
(16) And the Lord said, 'Take these men, and everything
that belongs to them, and bring them down to the river
Pishon. There shalt thou burn them with fire.' ' Shall
we also burn,' asked Kenaz, ' the precious stones which
are priceless or shall we dedicate them to Thee?' And
the Lord answered, ' If God would take of the accursed,
why then not also man ? (17) Take the books and the
precious stones and keep them until I make known to thee
what thou shalt do with them and how thou shalt destroy
them, because fire will not consume them ; but the men
shall be consumed with fire. And they shall say to all the
people, *' Thus shall be done to the man who turneth his
heart away from the Lord." (18) When they are consumed
by the fire, then take the precious stones which fire will
not injure, and which iron will not break, and place them
on the top of the mountain by the side of the new altar,
and there I shall command the thick clouds to cause their
dew to fall upon them and thus destroy them ; and I
shall command My angels to take these stones and cast
them into the depths of the sea, so that they shall no more
be seen, and to bring up to Me instead of them twelve
stones more precious than those. These thou shalt place
in the ephod and in the breast-plate, and sanctify them
to Me.'
(19) Accordingly Kenaz, fetching everything found upon
these sinners, said to the people, ' Ye have seen the
miracles and the wonders which the Lord has shown us
until this very day, and how He has made known unto us
these sinning men so that they have been requited according
to their deeds. (20) Now, cursed be the man who acts in the
same manner in Israel.' And the people answered, 'Amen.'
Thus those men perished in the flames. After this, Kenaz
wished to test the stones in the fire, but the fire was extin-
LVII. 25] 169
guished. He then took the iron and tried to crush them in
pieces, but the iron shpped away from them. (21) Even the
books he placed in water, in order to destroy them, but the
water became dry upon them. Kenaz then burst forth in
praise of God, saying, 'Blessed be the Lord, for this day He
has wrought miracles and wonders with the sons of man,
when they sinned and did not deny their guilt.' He then
took the stones and the books of the law, and placed them
•on the mount by the new altar, just as God had commanded
him ; and upon the altar he offered sacrifices of peace-
offerings, and all the people ate there together.
(22) On that night the Lord did with those stones and
hooks just as He had spoken, and in the morning Kenaz
found twelve precious stones, upon which were engraved
the names of the sons of Israel. And the Lord said, ' Take
these stones and place them in the ark together with the
tables of the law, until Solomon shall have built a temple
dedicated to My name, and shall place them on two
<jherubim, and it shall be to Me as a memorial of the
children of Israel. (23) And it shall come to pass, when
the sin of the children of man shall have been completed
by defiling My temple, which they will have made, that I
shall take these stones, together with the tables of the law,
and shall put them in the place whence they were taken of
old, and there shall they remain until the end of the world,
when I shall visit the inhabitants of the earth ; and then I
shall take them up, and they shall be as an everlasting hght
to those who love Me and keep My commandments. The
moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed before that
light, for it shall be seven times more powerful than either
of them.' (24) Then Kenaz said, ' Behold the innumerable
good actions which God has done for man, and of which
they have been deprived through their sins ; now I know
that man's work is nothing and his life vanity.'
(25) When he took the stones from the place where they
were put, they illumined the whole earth just as the sun
at noonday. He put them in the ark of the testimony,
together with the tables of the Covenant, just as the
170 [LVII. 26
Lord had commanded, and there they remain until this
very day.
(26) Having chosen 300,000 armed men of war, on the
second day he waged war with their enemies and slew of
them 5,000. On the third day the people spoke against
Kenaz, saying, ' Behold Kenaz stays in his house with his
wives and his concubines; whilst we arm ourselves for
battle and destroy our enemies.' (27) The servants of
Kenaz, hearing of this, told their master. And he
commanded them to summon before him the captains of
fifties, and ordered them to place those thirty-seven men in
prison who had spoken evilly against him ; and they acted
accordingly.
(28) He then said, ' When the Lord shall work salvation
for His people, will I order the death of these men.' He
commanded the captains of the fifties, saying, 'Go and
choose 300 of my servants and 300 horses. Let it not
become known that we are going to battle, and let them be
ready to march with me to-night.'
(29) Sending spies to view the position of the Amorites'
encampment, they saw at once that the Amorites were too
mighty for the Israelites to fight against. The spies, there-
fore, returned and reported to Kenaz. (30) He rose up in
the middle of the night, holding a shofar in his hand, and
taking with him 300 men. "When he approached the camp
he said to his servants, ' Stay here while I alone go and look
at the camp of the Amorites ; but as soon as you hear the
sound of the shofar, come to me, but if you do not hear it,
then return home.' (31) Kenaz thus went down to the camp
alone, and he prayed to God, saying, ' 0 Lord God of our
fathers. Thou hast shown Thy servants all the great wonders
which Thou hast performed : do Thou now likewise work
Thy miracles with Thy servant, and I will go to battle
against Thine enemy, that all the nations may know that
Thy hand is not too short to send salvation either by means
of a multitude or by a few, for Thou 0 Lord art mighty in
war.' (32) And Kenaz continued, ' Let this be the sign of
the salvation which Thou wilt show me this day. If when
LVII. 36] 171
I draw my sword from its sheath and brandish it so that it
glitters in the camp of the Amorites, the latter know that
I am Kenaz, I shall then know that Thou wilt deliver them
into my hand; and if not, then I shall know that Thou hast
not heard my prayer, but hast delivered me into the hand
of the enemy for my sins.' (33) After this Kenaz overheard
the Amorites say, ' Let us arise and fight against the
Israelites, for our holy gods Ninfe {'?^r^) are in their posses-
sion, and they will deliver them into our hands.' At that
moment the Spirit of God rested upon Kenaz, so that he
rose up, and brandished his sword against the Amorites ;
and when they saw it they exclaimed, ' Behold, this is the
sword of Kenaz, to afflict us with wounds and gashes ; but
we know that our gods which are with them will deliver
them into our hands. Now arise and give them battle.'
(34) When Kenaz heard their words, he went down to
the camp of the Amorites and smote them, and the Lord
sent the angel Gabriel to afflict the Amorites with blindness,
so that they killed each other. And Kenaz slew of them
45,000. (35) Now, when Kenaz had finished the slaughter,
it happened that his sword clave to his hand, and, noticing
an Amorite fleeing from the camp, he said to him, ' Behold,
thou knowest what I have done to the Amorites ; now tell
me, pray, by what means I can separate my sword from my
hand.' And the Amorite answered, ' Slay a Hebrew and
pour his warm blood over thy hand, and it will be separated.'
Kenaz then slew that Amorite, and pouring his blood upon
his hand, separated it from his sword. Then returning to
his army, he found them all asleep, for a deep sleep had
fallen upon them, so that they did not know what Kenaz
had done in the night. When they awoke from their sleep
and saw the whole plain full of dead men they expressed
great astonishment; at which Kenaz said, 'Are the ways
of God like the ways of man ? The Lord hath sent salva-
tion through me to His people; now arise and return to
your tents.'
(36) As soon as all the Israelites heard of the salvation
which the Lord had wrought through the hand of Kenaz,
172 [LVII. 37
they went forth to meet him, saymg, ' Blessed be the Lord,
who appointed thee to be the captain of His people, for now
we know that the Lord has chosen His people.' And Kenaz
replied, ' Ask the men who were with me of the work I have
done.' On asking them, they rephed, ' As the Lord liveth,
we do not know, for we found the plain full of dead bodies.'
(37) After this Kenaz ordered the captains of the fifties to
bring forth the prisoners, that they might obtain a hearing.
When they were brought before him he said to them, ' Now,
what is the complaint you have against me?' And they
replied, ' Why dost thou ask us, seeing that the Lord has
delivered us into thy hands, and commanded that we should
be burnt, not for our complaint, but in connection with those
former men who confessed their iniquity. We were not found
out among the people when we had joined the sinners. It
was for this that the Lord has delivered us into your
hands.' Kenaz then said, ' Since you thus testify against
yourselves, why should I withhold you from your punish-
ment ?' They were, therefore, ordered to be burnt to death
in the flames. (38) Now, the days of the life of Kenaz were
drawing to a close, and he called the two prophets Pinehas
and Jabin, and also Pinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest,
and said to them, ' I know the heart of this people, for they
will turn from following the Lord. I therefore testify against
them.' And Pinehas said, ' Just as Moses and Joshua testi-
fied, so do I testify against them ; for they prophesied con-
cerning the vineyard, the beautiful plantation of God which
did not know its planter, and did not recognise its worker,
so that the vineyard was destroyed and did not give forth its
fruit. These are the words which my father commanded me
to tell this people.' Kenaz then lifted up his voice and wept
aloud, as did all the elders and the people until the evening,
when they said, ' Is it for the iniquity of the sheep that the
shepherd must perish ? May the Lord have compassion
upon His inheritance that they may not work in vain.'
(89) And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Kenaz, so
that he prophesied, saying, * I have seen what I had not
hoped for, and have looked upon what I had not imagined.
LVIII. 1] 173
(40) Behold, I saw a flame ^Yllicll did not burn, and I heard
in my dream the noise of the rushing of waters which had
no source and no way upon the mountains, and no base
in the air, but they appeared according to their form.
They had no fixed place, and since the eye does not know
what to see, how can the heart understand it ? (41) From
this flame which was not burning I saw a spark fly out and
remain in the air as a shield, as a spider's web in a beam.
Then I saw that this was the base and its source vomited
hot foam, and became changed to the foundation of the
deep, and ways (paths) were between the upper and lower
bases ; there shone the hidden light, and beings, in the form
of men, were walking about. And then I heard a voice
saying, '' Between these foundations (bases) shall the sons
of man dwell 7,000 years, when the lower foundation shall
be destroyed, and the upper one which is like hot foam
shall be the foundation, and the light which is between them
and illumines the path of man is Jerusalem, and there the
men will dwell. But when the sons of man shall sin
against Me, and the time of their sinning shall have been
completed, then shall the spark be extinguished, and the
fountain dry up, and everything pass away." '
(42) When Kenaz had thus finished prophesying, the
spirit of his soul returned to him, and he no longer knew
what he had uttered in his prophecy. He then said to the
people, ' If such be the rest which the righteous obtain after
their death, it would be preferable for them to die at their
birth in this world and not sin.' And Kenaz died, and
Othniel his son arose in his stead.
LVIII. (1) Josippon says that the incident of Micah and
the concubine of Gibeah occurred between the time of the
death of Joshua and Othniel, between the times to which
the following verses refer, viz. : ' And Judah captured Azah
and its boundary, and Ekron and Askalon '; and the other,
' And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
the Lord, and He delivered them into the hands of the
Canaanites. Then the children of Dan built Laish and the
mountain.' For the purpose of enabling us to calculate
174 [LVIII. 2
the days of the judges, this portion was placed at the end
of the Book of Judges.
(2) After Othniel came Ehud. At that time, in the days
of Ehud, the city Cinnereth in Lybia (i^^i^h) was built, and
many ships were built by Tritolymus (^•iD^'plonp), for
carrying wheat, for merchandise. Dionysius built the city
of Niza, in Media ; Troy (^^'-no) was built about the same
time in Dardania. There a dog killed Piritius (c^'i^-Dn^s),
and attempted to slay Tisius, and Heraclones (^^^'t^^nn)
saved him. In the sixty-ninth year of Ehud the city Sirine
(^;n>v) in Libia was built. (3) Shamgar succeeded him,
and was followed by Deborah and Barak, who fought with
Sisera. And the Lord confounded Sisera and all his
charioteers and his whole camp with a fierce tempest ; and
He overwhelmed them all with hail, and blinding rain and
lightnings and thunders, so that they could no longer stand,
but fell by the sword.
(4) Sisera then fled on foot to the tent of Jael, who went
out to meet him and embraced him. Then, covering him
well, he fell into a deep sleep. And Jael prayed to God,
saying, ' I pray Thee, 0 Lord, strengthen Thy handmaid
against Thy enemy, and by this I shall know that Thou
wilt deliver him into my hand, viz., if I bring him down
from his bed on to the ground, and he does not awake.'
She did accordingly. Then, taking a nail of the tent and
a hammer, she knocked the nail into his temple, according to
Deborah's prophecy. And Barak captured Hasor and slew
its king, and all its inhabitants.
(5) Now, when Sisera went out to fight against Israel
his mother, Tamar, with her maidens and princesses, by
means of their enchantments prophesied, saying that Sisera
would bring as spoil one or more of the women of Israel
with their coloured garments, for she saw in her charms
that he would lie upon the bed of Jael, the wife of Heber,
and be covered with a coloured garment of needlework.
Therefore she said, ' A damsel, two damsels to every
man.'
(6) At that time the kings of Argos, who had reigned for
Lvm. 10] 175
544 years, were destroyed and exterminated, and their
kingdom passed into the hands of Mesenes (t^':;^*''^). In tiie
thirty-ninth year of Deborah's reign the city of Meletus
was built. Gideon succeeded Barak and Deborah. He
asked a sign of the Lord from the fleece of wool. (7) I find
that Gideon asked for yet another sign, for he said, ' Give
me a sign that God has chosen me to deliver Israel just as
He gave to Moses, who delivered the Israelites from Egypt.'
And the angel replied, ' Run and fetch me some water from
that pool and pour it upon this rock. I shall then give
thee a sign.' Having done as he was requested, the angel
said, ' Tell me, shall this water be turned into blood or
fire ?' And Gideon answered, ' Let part of it be turned into
fire and part into blood.' And thus it was, the blood
neither quenching the fire, nor the fire drymg up the blood.
(8) At that time, during the reign of Gideon, Mercorius
(::*-ii<nip'^p) discovered certain islands called Sirenes (C!^^^^t^') ;
in Ashkenaz they are called Nikes (Nix) (^'i?.\^). The inhabi-
tants were like beautiful women, their lower parts resembling
fishes ; and the inhabitants of the forests of the islands
were half men and the other half wild animals and horses.
The wise man Dialus, by means of his cunning (IN^p^s^p'px),
made images and idols and birds of gold and brass, and
having breathed into them, the idols spoke and the images
prophesied while the birds flew about, for he was exceed-
ingly clever in this art. The city of Tyre was built 240
years before the Temple at Jerusalem. (9) After Gideon
Abimelech, the son of his concubine, succeeded him, and at
that time the measure of the Kor (nn) and the art of playing
upon the timbrel were discovered in Greece. Tola, the son
of Phua, succeeded Abimelech. During his reign Erkules
(^^•1P7^) conquered Anteos (D-"i5<''rijis), in Lybia, in the water,
and destroyed the city of Elios (DikS^'pvs) ^Yhen Priamus
reigned in Troy.
(10) Yair the Gileadite rose up after him. He made an
altar unto Baal, and all the Israelites turned after it and
worshipped Baal, except seven righteous men, who did not
worship it. These were their names, Da'al, Abi Yezre'el,
176 [LViii. 10
Gutiel, Shalom, Ashchor, Jonadab, and Shim'i. These said
to Yair, ' We remember what Moses commanded Israel,
saymg, " Take care lest ye tm*n aside from following the
Lord to worship Baal." ' Yair then commanded his
servants to bm^n those men with fire, because they spoke
against Baal. Then, taking the men they cast them into
the fire, but the fire swerved from them and burned instead
the servants of Yair who cast them therein, together with
all his household. And these seven men escaped from the
fire and went on their way, for the men round about them
were struck with blindness so that they could not see them,
and the fire reached the house of Yair, who heard the voice
of the Lord, saying, ' I have promoted thee to be a judge
over Israel ; but thou hast corrupted the people and caused
them to turn aside from following the Lord and to worship
Baal, and those who remain steadfast to Me thou hast
burned with fire. But they shall live, and thou shalt die
by being consumed in the flames which shall never be
extinguished.' Thus the Lord consumed Yair and all his
house, and Baal with 10,000 of his followers ; and Yair was
buried in Qamon.
(11) At that time Theseus captured Helena, but Castor
and Pollux, the brothers of Theseus, and his mother, were
captured. The city of Carthage (Qar Laini, ^rxDip) was
then built. Nizpa (^^Iv^) invented the Latin alphabet.
LIX. (1) Yair was succeeded by Jephthah the Gileadite,
who delivered the Israelites from the hands of the
Ammonites. And Jephthah and all Israel prayed to God
in Mizpah, saying, ' We pray Thee, 0 Lord, save us, and
do not deliver Thy inheritance to the slaughter and Thy
vineyard to be a spoil. Eemember, we beseech Thee, the
vine which Thou hast planted and which Thou hast brought
up from Egypt.' Jephthah then sent messengers to Giteal
('^^^D^), King of the Ammonites, saying, 'What dost thou
want, since thou hast come to me ?' etc.
(2) And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and
he went out to wage war against the Ammonites ; and he
made a vow unto the Lord, saying, ' If Thou wilt deliver
LIX. 5] 177
the Ammonites into my hand, then that ^Yhich cometh
forth from my house to meet me on my peaceful return
from the Ammonites shall he the Lord's, and I shall offer
it to God as a hurnt-offering.' And Jephthah smote the
Ammonites so that they were humhled before the Israel-
ites. "When Jephthah returned to Mizpah, behold, all
the virgins and women came forth with timbrels and
dances to meet him, and his daughter, the only child he
had, went in front of the others and was the first to greet
him.
(3) When, however, he saw her, he rent his garments,
saying, ' Alas ! my daughter, thou hast sorely grieved and
troubled me. Who will put my heart and my flesh in
one pan of the scale to see it go down? for thou hast
grieved me sorely at the feast in honour of my victories in
battle, for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and now^
I am not able to retract.'
(4) Then said his daughter Seelah (^^^^•f), 'Why dost
thou grieve for my death, since the Lord hath wrought
vengeance for thee upon thine enemies ? Eemember our
forefathers, one of whom offered up his son as a burnt-
offering, and the offerer and the offered were both accepted
by God. Therefore, my father, do unto me as thou hast
spoken. But before I die I will ask thee a favour. Grant
me two months' liberty, that I may during that time pray
unto Him to whom I return my soul. I shall go upon the
mountains and sojourn among the hills ; I shall tread
the clefts of the rock and lament my virginity, I and
my companions ; there I shall shed my tears and thus
soften the grief of my youth. The trees of the field shall
w^eep for me, and the wild beasts of the fields shall mourn
for me ; but I do not grieve for my death, nor do I grieve
that I must give up my soul on account of the vow which
my father made to sacrifice me as a holocaust to God.
The one thing I fear, however, is that the offering of my
soul may not be accepted, that my death shall have been
for nothing.'
(5) Her father having granted her request, she went forth
12
178 [LIX. 6
with her maidens and told the sages of her people, but
they answered not a word. She then went up to the
mount Tlag (^^r>), and the Lord remembered her in the
night, saying, 'Behold, I have closed the mouth of the
sages of My people, so that they answered not the daughter
of Jephthah ; now her soul shall be accepted at her request,
and her death shall be very precious in My sight, for the
wisdom of the sage belongs to her.'
(6) Seelah, the daughter of Jephthah, then fell upon her
mother's bosom, and went on the mountain of Tlag weeping,
and bewailed her fate in these words, ' Hearken, 0 ye moun-
tains, to the lamentation of my grief ; mark, 0 ye hills, the
tears of mine eyes ; and ye clefts of the rocks, testify to the
weeping of my soul. Alas ! how has my soul been delivered
to death ! but not in vain ; my words will be atoned for in
heaven, and my tears shall be written on the firmament,
for the father who has vowed to sacrifice his daughter did
not have compassion on her. He did not listen to his
princes, but said that he would confirm his vow by ofiering
his only daughter. I have not beheld my bridal canopy,
nor has the crown of my betrothal been completed.
I have not been decked with the lovely ornaments of the
bride who sits in her virginity, nor have I been perfumed
with the myrrh and the sweet- smelling (odoriferous) aloe.
(7) I have not been anointed with the oil of anointment
that was prepared for me. Alas ! 0 my mother, it was in
vain that thou didst give me birth. Behold, thine only one
is destined for the bridal chamber of the grave. Thou
hast wearied thyself for me to no purpose. The oil with
which I was anointed will be wasted, and the white
garments with which I was clothed the moths will eat ;
the garlands of my crown with which thou hast exalted
me will wither and dry up, and my garments of fine
needlework in blue and purple the worm shall destroy.
And now my friends will lament all the days of my
mourning; the trees shall incline their branches and
their shoots and weep for my youth. The beasts of the
forest shall come together and trample upon my virginity,
Lix. 11] 179
for my years are cut off and the days of my life grow old
in darkness.'
(8) It came to pass, at the end of two months, that she
returned to her father. He then fulfilled the vow he had
made, and the virgins of Israel buried her, and mourned
for her, and from time immemorial the daughters of Israel
have adhered to the custom of devoting four days in the
year to Jephthah's daughter. At the time of the death of
Jephthah's daughter Ercules committed suicide by throw-
ing himself in the fire, and was consumed by the flames.
(9) Ibsan, of Bethlehem, succeeded Jephthah, and was
followed by Elon the Zebulonite. About this time
Alexander captured Helena (for his wife). (10) After Elon
•came Abdon, the son of Hillel the Pirathonite. During his
reign the royal city of Troy was captured, and 406 years
after its capture began the Olympiad, for after the victory
of the Greeks they began to calculate their Olympiad, which
consisted of four years, just as we calculate the date from
the destruction of the temple. Then Menelaus and
Helena came to Egypt, and in the third year after the
•capture of Troy Agnios reigned over Italy, where Janus,
Saturnus, Ficus, and Faunus reigned. Three years after
the capture of Troy — some say eight years — Aeneas ruled
the empire, and during his reign there arose the city of
Kome — i.e., the Latini, so called because the inhabitants
spoke the Latin language. In the reign of Ahaz, King
•of Judah, two twin brothers were born, Eemus and
Eomulus, who founded the great city. They were the first
kings of Eome, and reigned in Kome thirty-eight years.
(11) In the ' Shocher Tob ' I have found it narrated that at
the birth of these twins their mother died from the pangs
of travail, and that God prepared a young she- wolf to
suckle them until they were grown up. Eomulus it was who
built the city of Eome. At the end of the reign of Hezekiah,
King of Judah, Huma Pompilius (C'-ix^S^D^ls s?D-in) suc-
•ceeded Eomulus and reigned forty-one years. He added
two months to the calendar year, viz., Januarius and
Februarius (c'-vxnn:;iD), which were not included in the
12—2
180 [LIX. 12
Koman year, which origmally consisted of ten months. At
the end of the reign of Menasseh, King of Judah, Tullus
OstiHus succeeded Numa, and reigned for thirty-two years.
This Tullus, King of Eome, was the first person to clothe
himself in purple robes.
(12) We now return to the judges. Many people say
that in the days of Abdon, the son of Hillel the Pirath-
onite, occurred the incidents of Gibeah and Micah. Micah
acted just as his mother bade him. He made for him-
self three images of man, and three of calves, and the
likeness of an eagle, lion, and serpent. Whoever desired
to obtain sons had to pray to the images of man ; who-
ever desired riches had to entreat the eagle; whoever
wished for strength had to entreat the hon; whoever desired
sons and daughters had to beseech the calves ; whoever
desired long life had to entreat the serpent ; and whoever
desired something of everything had to entreat the dove.
Thus all the Israelites went astray, forsook the Lord, and
worshi]3ped these idols, so that the Lord sold them to the
nations of the earth ; but when they at intervals repented
the Lord visited them.
(13) It came to pass, when the Israelites, on account of
the concubine who was found dead in Gibeah, waged war
against the tribe of Dan (!) that they were smitten by the
Danites (!), so that on that day 22,000 men of them were
destroyed. The Israelites, then going up, wept before the
Lord until the evening, and said, ' Let us ask of the Lord,
saying, ''What is this iniquity through which we have
stumbled?'" Thus they asked the Lord, saying, 'Shall
we still continue to wage war against Benjamin our
brother?' And the Lord replied, 'Go up, and I shall
afterwards make known to you whereby ye have stumbled.'
On the second day they accordingly went forth again to
battle with Benjamin, and there fell of the Israelites
18,000 more men. The Israelites then went up to Bethel,
for there the ark of the Lord was placed, and on that
day they wept and fasted until the evening, and they
offered Ijurnt-offerings and peace-offerings unto the Lord.
LIX. 17] 181
(14) Then Pinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, prayed unto
God, saymg, ' 0 Lord God, if what we have done was con-
sidered right in Thine eyes, why hast Thou caused us to
fall into the hands of our brother? And if it was evil in Thy
sight what these have done, why have we fallen before
them? I pray Thee, tell Thy servant in whom this iniquity
rests and we shall set it right, for, behold, I remember
what I have done. In my jealousy I pierced Zimri with
the sword, and Thou didst deliver me from his people, and
didst slay of them 24,000 men. Now Thou didst say to
the tribes of Israel, " Go up and fight Avith Benjamin." '
(15) The Lord heard the entreaty of Pinehas, and said,
' The Israelites showed their zeal for Me in this wickedness
which was committed (in Gibeah), but they do not show it
against Micah and his idols, who caused all the Israelites to
go astray after them. Therefore, I was jealous, and wreaked
my vengeance on them, for they were astounded at the one
sin of the concubine and wanted to root it out, but they did
not root out the worshippers of Micah's idols. Now, let the
Israelites go up once more against Benjamin, and to-
morrow I shall deliver him into their hands.' (16) Thus
the Lord smote Benjamin before the Israelites, so that there
fell 18,000 men. The total number of the Benjaminites
that were slain was 25,000 ; 600 of them fled to the cleft of
Pvimmon and escaped. The Israelites then had pity upon
their brother Benjamin, and made peace with those that
remained, restoring them to their inheritance, where they
built cities and dwelt therein; and the Israelites went
each one to his tribe and his inheritance.
(17) Now, the days of Pinehas drew nigh to die, and
the Lord said to him, 'To-day thou art 120 years old,
which are the years of a man's life ; now arise and get
thee to My mountain, where thou shalt remain many
days. I shall command the ravens and the eagles to feed
thee, but do not go down until the end has arrived. Then
thou shalt close the heavens, and at thy command they
shall again be opened. And then thou shalt be lifted up
to the (Divine) place, where thy fathers have been before
182 [LX. 1
thee, and there thou shalt remam until I remember the
world.' And Pinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, did as
God had commanded him.
The Eight Exiles.
LX. (1) From the time our ancestors were brought out
of Egypt until the destruction of the first temple they were
exiled eight times. This happened on the following occa-
sions : Four times Sennacherib banished them, and four
times Nebuchadnezzar. The first time Sennacherib, King
of Assyria, going up to Jerusalem, sent the tribes of Keuben,
Gad, and the half- tribe of Menasseh into exile, and captured
the golden calf which Jeroboam had placed in Dan ; and the
children of Gad and Reuben had brought it up from Dan,
and made a holy temple (sanctuary) for it. For this they
were exiled from the land of their possession to another
land until this very day. When Sennacherib banished them
he made them dwell in Lahlah, Habor, the river Gozan,
and the cities of Media. At that time Pekah, the son of
Remalyahu, reigned over Israel. When Hosea, the son of
Elah, perceived that the armies of Pekah were considerably
diminished, he went out to war against him and killed him.
He reigned over Israel, in Samaria, five years. This was
the first exile.
(2) When Sennacherib heard of this he went up against
Hosea, the son of Elah, and fought against him, and Hosea,
the son of Elah, going to Sennacherib, gave him a present
of silver and gold and brought him the golden calf, which
Jeroboam had placed in Bethel. After this he (Sennacherib)
exiled the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Isaachar,
because they refused to allow Hosea, the son of Elah, to
reign over them. He then appointed Hosea, the son of
Elah, over Samaria, and thus fulfilled the scriptural passage,
' Thus saith the Lord, Just as the shepherd delivers two
legs, or the tip of the ear, from the clutches of the lion, so
shall the Israelites be rescued (that sit in Samaria) in
the corner of a couch, and in Damascus on a bed.'
LX. 5] 183
And Hosea, the son of Elah, reigned over Israel, and Ahaz
over Judah. This was the second exile.
(3) When this king died Hezekiah reigned over the
whole of Judah, and at the beginning of the fourth year of
Hezekiah's reign Sennacherib went up against Samaria and
besieged it for three years, in the third (!) year of Hezekiah's
reign, and he exiled the tribes of Ephraim and Menasseh
from Samaria. This was the third exile.
(4) After an interval of five years he mustered together
the Babylonians, Kuthim, Avim, the B'ne Hamath, and the
Sapharvaim, and then going against Judah, besieged all
the fortified cities in Judah, among the 150 places in
which were the tribes of Judah and Simeon. He besieged
them and took them captive, and sought to bring them to
Lahlah and Habor, to the other tribes. Hearing that
Tirhakah, King of Ethiopia, whose land was near Egypt,
had rebelled against him, he took with him the tribes of
Judah and Simeon, and ascended the mountains of Ethiopia
to wage war with the Ethiopian king, and to test the strength
of the tribes of Judah and Simeon. He then took these
tribes and concealed them behind the mountains of dark-
ness on the other side of the rivers of Ethiopia. Concerning
them the prophetess 'Athrai (^nni;), the daughter of Pusai
{^''^)b), prophesied, ' They shall bring my offering.' This
was the fourth captivity brought about by Sennacherib,
King of Assyria.
(5) There remained in Jerusalem of the tribes of Judah
and Benjamin 130,000, over whom the righteous Hezekiah
reigned. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, now once more
became proud, and setting his face towards the holy city
of Jerusalem, he assembled all his host, to the number
of 40,000 and 2,590,000 warriors, and went up to besiege
Jerusalem. When Hezekiah saw the great multitude he
was greatly afraid, and, praying to the Lord, he called upon
the people of Judah and Benjamin to proclaim a fast.
Then, covering themselves with sackcloth, they went into
the house of the Lord, and, repenting with all their heart,
they cried unto the Lord, and He heard the prayer of the
184 [LX. 6
righteous Hezekiah, and sent His angel who smote the
Assyrian camp, slaying 185,000 men, together with the
kings and princes. Not one of the kings and princes of
his army remained except Sennacherib and Nebuchad-
nezzar. Thus Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled, who said,
' On that day the Lord shall shave with a razor that is
hired, the parts beyond the river of Ethiopia, even the
King of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet ; and it
shall also consume the beard.' The head represents the
kings, the hair of the feet represents the armies, and the
beard the wicked Sannacherib, whose two sons slew him.
From the fall of Sennacherib to the time of Nebuchadnezzar
passed 107 years.
(6) In the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim the
decree was sealed on account of the sins of the Israelites,
and the remnant of those who were delivered from the
mouth of the lion and the mouth of the bear, the remnant
of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people that
remained of the tribes were banished by Nebuchadnezzar
during his first captivity. Of the tribes of Judah and Ben-
jamin 3,023, and of the remaining tribes 7,000. All these
were warriors skilled in the art of battle, but their sin
lay heavy upon them, and he exiled them to Babylon. This
was the first captivity brought about by Nebuchadnezzar.
(7) After an interval of seven years he went up to
Jerusalem for the second time, and besieging it, he captured
it, and exiled of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin 4,600
men, and of the remaining tribes 10,000, together with
the free and the imprisoned, i.e., the kings and queens.
Others explain the words tnn and -liDO to refer to the pupils
of the sages who study the Torah, and thus open and shut
the books. In the time of David these people were called
Kerethi and Pelethi. Yet another explanation makes the
words refer to the mighty men of Judah and their children.
All these were banished through Jechoniah and his sons.
This constituted the second captivity of Nebuchadnezzar.
(8) He made Zedekiah King of Judah, over which and
Jerusalem he reigned eleven years. In the nineteenth year
LX. loj 185
of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, while he ^Yas yet seated
on the throne of his kingdom, he sent Nebuzaraddan, his
captain of the guard, against Jerusalem. Having besieged
it, he caught Zedekiah, and bringing him to Eiblah, to the
King of Babylon, he executed his judgment upon him. He
then took the pillars, the sea of brass, and all the vessels of
the house of the Lord, and the bases which Solomon had
made, and the treasures found in Jerusalem, and carried
them to Babylon. In Jerusalem he slew 940,000 (?) men,
besides those he slew in avenging the blood of Zechariah.
(9) He also besieged sixty cities of the Levites, the
sons of Moses, in which there were 600,000 men, as we
know from the verses, 'And the sons of Moses were Gershom
and Eliezer ; and of the sons of Eliezer the eldest was
Piehabya,' and it is said, ' And the children of Piehabya con-
tinually increased, i.e., increased beyond the number of
600,000 men.' The total number of those exiled from
Jerusalem was 802,000, all of whom consisted of the
youths of Judah and Benjamin. Concerning them the
prophet says, 'And he exiled the flower of Judah,' so
that there only remained in Jerusalem the poverty of
the people, as it is said, ' The people of the land which
Nebuzaraddan left were vile,' etc. He made the son of
Ahikam king over them, and giving the land over to him,
the exiles were carried to Babylon, which constituted the
third exile.
(10) When Ishmael, the son of Netaniah, of the royal
seed, heard that Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, was appointed
over the remnant of the people, he came in stealth and
slew him and all his men. The Israelites were exceedingly
afraid of this and fled to Egypt, in the twenty- seventh year
of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, when he besieged Tyre, and
<3apturing it, killed all its inhabitants and sent its king into
captivity. On his return he went to Egypt, captured it,
and reduced it to desolation, thus fulfilling the prophecy of
Scripture, ' Egypt shall be a desolation.' He then slew all
the Jews found in Ammon and Moab, and in the surround-
ing parts of Egypt. There, in Egypt, he discovered the
186 [LX. 11
prophet Jeremiah and Baruch, the son of Neriya, and carried
them to Babylon. When the IsraeHtes dwelling in Egypt
heard that Nebuchadnezzar had announced his intention to
come there, in fear and trembling they fled to Anion, a
little fortified city in Egypt, near the Salt Sea. This was
the fourth captivity through Nebuchadnezzar.
(11) When Jeremiah saw that scarcely any of the
Israelites were left, he lifted up his heart in prayer to God,
saying, 'Why dost Thou cause me to see grief and iniquity?
Why hast Thou caused the flock of Thy chosen people to
fall into the hands of their enemy ? I am sorely grieved
and my soul is crushed within me, and mine eye sheddeth
tears, and ceaseth not, for the destruction of the daughter
of my people am I hurt. Mine eye weepeth with my soul,
and for this do I weep day and night. Therefore do I pour
forth my supplication before Thee that Thou wilt take my
soul from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.'
A voice was forthwith heard to say, ' By thy life wait, and
behold the downfall of Babylon. Afterwards I shall pre-
serve thee until I build the everlasting building.' Imme-
diately upon these words, God hid him.
The Children of Moses.
LXI. (1) The banishment brought about by Titus,
Vespasianus, and Hadrian, occurred on the eve of the
ninth of Ab, on the outgoing of the Sabbath and the
Sabbatical year. The Levites were then occupied with
their ministrations, and, with their harps in their hands,
were singing their hymns. But Scripture saith, ' He hath
brought upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them
off in their own evil.' The words ' He shall cut them off '
were not yet fully attered ere their enemies came upon
them, slaughtered man}^ of them, and sent the rest into
exile. Thus, also, when Nebuchadnezzar the wicked sent
them into exile it fell upon the eve of the ninth of Ab,
the outgoing of the Sabbatical year and the Sabbath,
when the Levites were standing on their 'Duchan,' being
sixty myriads in number, who were, moreover, of the seed
LXI. 4] 187
of Moses our instructor. While the harps were in their
hands, the verse ' He hath brought upon them their own
iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own evil,' was-
not yet fully uttered, ere the enemy came and exiled them
to Babylon. When they arrived in Babylon, their enemies-
and captors said to them, ' Sing us a song of Zion.' And
they replied, ' How can we sing a song of Zion upon strange
ground ?'
(2) ' Now,' retorted their captors, ' ye shall sing by force.'
But they at once cut off' their fingers with their teeth, and
cast them before them. And they replied, ' How can those
fingers which struck the strings of the harps in the temple
strike them here in a strange land ?' And God exclaimed,
*If I forget Jerusalem, My right hand shall be forgotten.'
(3) A cloud then descended, and lifting all the children
of Moses, with their sheep and cattle, brought them to the
east of Havila. In the night they were let down, and on
that same night they heard a great noise surrounding them,
like that of a river, without seeing a drop of water de-
scending, but heard only the rolling of stones and sand,
where there had never been a river. This river then rolled
great stones, and the sand, without any water, made a noise
as of a great earthquake, so that if anyone came near that
river, he was dashed to pieces. This continued until the
Sabbath. The river they called Sabbatyon or Sabbatianus.
In some part the river is less than sixty cubits in width ;
there the people stand and speak with those of the other
side. On the Sabbath it ceases to flow, and on the eve of
Sabbath a cloud descends full of smoke. No one is able
to approach them, neither do they approach us. There
are no wild beasts, no unclean animals, nor any reptiles or
creeping things ; nothing except their flocks and herds.
(4) They reap and sow, and they ask the others, and
thus they learned of the destruction of the second temple.
Behind the sons of Moses we do not know who may be
dwelling ; but Naphtali, Gad, and Asher came to Dan after
the destruction of the second temple ; for Isaachar, who lived
at the mountains of the deep, quarrelled with them and
188 [LXII. 1
called them ' the sons of the handmaids.' At length, bemg
afraid lest they be coming to battle, those three tribes went
away until they came to Dan, and these four tribes were
thus living in one place.
The Ten Banishments of the Sanhedkim.
LXII. (1) The Levites, the sons of Moses, made ten
journeys and encamped on the other side of the river
Sabbatyon. Our sages say that when the Israelites were
exiled to Babylon, and came to the Euphrates, as it is said,
' We sat by the waters of Babylon,' etc., they said to them,
' 0 Levites, stand up before our gods, and sing a song just
as you sang in the temple.' But they replied, ' 0 ye fools,
if we had sung a song of thanksgiving for every miracle
which God wrought for us, we should not have been
exiled from our land, but would, on the contrary, have
added honour upon honour ; and shall we now sing a
song to your idols ?' Being angered at this reply, they
immediately rose up and slew the Jews in heaps, and
although the slaughter was so great, yet their joy had
ceased, because the Jews did not worship idols. Therefore
it is said, ' Their joy was turned into wailing.' The re-
maining Levites then cut off their fingers that they might
avoid playing on their harps ; so that when they were told
to play and sing on their harps, just as they had done in
the temple, they showed them their mutilated fingers.
(2) When night came on a cloud covered them, together
with their wives, and sons, and daughters, and the Lord
gave them light by a pillar of fire, which showed them the
way the whole night until the dawn of day, and brought
them to the seashore. When the sun rose the cloud
departed as well as the pillar of fire. And the Lord
extended the length of the river Sabbatianus, so that it
surrounded them completely. It hems them in so that no
one can cross over to them, and He extended it all round
to a distance of nine months' journey. The river surrounds
them from three sides, and on the fourth is the sea. The
LXII. 5] 189
depth of the river is 200 cubits, and it is full of sand and
stones. The noise is that of an earthquake, and reaches
the distance of half a day's journey, and causes the sand
and stones to roll all the six days of the week.
(3) But on the Sabbath it rests, and immediately a
fire bursts forth from the western side, which lasts from
the eve of Sabbath until the end. Its flames shoot out in
every direction, so that one can not approach nearer the
river than a distance of thirty-four miles, and this fire
burns all round and consumes everything. There is not
seen among them any unclean animal or bird, and no
creeping thing, but only their flocks and herds. There
are six fountains, which gather together and form one
pool. From these they water the land and obtain in
abundance all kinds of clean fishes, and all kinds of birds
and fruits. They sow one seed and reap a hundred-
fold. They are men of faith, students of the Law, the
Scripture, Mishna and Agadah. They are pious and
pure and never swear falsely. They attain the ripe old
age of 120 years, nor does a son or daughter die in the
lifetime of their father. (4) They see three successive
generations and build for themselves houses ; they sow
and plough themselves, because they have no manservants
or maidservants. They do not close their houses in the
night-time, and a young child walks fearlessly with the
cattle for many a day, without having any fear either of
robbers or of an}^ possible injury, because they are holy
and remained in the holiness of Moses our teacher. There-
fore God gave them all this and chose them. They do not
see any man, nor does any of the sons of men see them,
except the four tribes, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, all
of whom dwell on the other side of the rivers of Kush, with
the Sabbatyon between them, and there they will remain
until the end of the world. Concerning them it is said,
' To say to the captives " Go out," ' viz., referring to those
behind the river Sabbatyon.
(5) There the tribes of Dan, Naphtah, Gad, and Asher,
were enclosed. The question as to how they arrived at that
190 [LXII. 6
place our sages have thus answered : When Jeroboam, the
son of Nebat, sinned, and caused Israel to sin, and the
house of David became separated from the ten tribes of
Israel, he said to the people, ' Go ye forth and fight with
Eehoboam and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.' But they
said, ' Wherefore should we go to war against our brethren,
against the house of our master, David, King of Israel and
Judah ?' And the elders of Israel said to him, ' In all
the land of Israel there do not exist such mighty warriors
and men so trained to battle as those of the tribe of Dan.'
Then, commanding them forthwith to wage war with Judah,
they said, ' By the life of Dan, our forefather, we shall
never go to battle with our brethren, and we shall not
shed their blood without any cause.' And immediately
afterwards the sons of Dan, taking up their swords and
spears and bows, determined to fight unto death with
Jeroboam, but God saved them from the crime of
shedding the blood of their brethren. (6) They spread
the news then throughout the whole tribe of Dan, and
ihe sons of Dan took counsel together to depart from
Canaan and to go down to Egypt to destroy it and kill
all its inhabitants. But their princes asked, ' Why will
you go to Egypt? Is it not written in the Torah, ''Ye
shall never again behold them " ?' At this they gave way,
but again took counsel concerning Edom, Moab, and the
Ammonites. When, however, they heard that God had
withheld Israel from fighting them they again gave up
their intentions, until the Lord advised them better what
tio do. So they went to the brook of Pishon, and journeyed
■on their camels until they arrived at the other side of
the river Pishon. There they discovered that the country
was fruitful and extensive, containing fruitful fields and
gardens. The sons of Dan therefore determined to dwell
there, and made a covenant with the inhabitants, the sons
of Kush, who paid them tribute, and also dwelt among
them until they increased and multiplied exceedingly.
(7) On the death of Sennacherib the three tribes of Gad,
Asher, and NaphtaH left the country, and travelled until
LXII. 10] 191
they arrived near the border of that tribe, when they
slaughtered the Kushites, a distance of four days' journey.
They war with six Kushite kings, which every tribe con-
tinues to do for three months in the year until this very
day, each tribe separately, but the descendants of Simeon
go with those of Dan. (8) The Levites journeyed and en-
camped in Havila, which abounds in gold, that is as common
as stones, also in sheep, cattle, camels, asses, and horses.
There they sow and reap, and dwell in tents made of skin.
They journey from one border to another, a distance of
four days each way ; and where they encamp there no man
dares enter, and they only stay in the fields and vineyards,
and punish in accordance with the different kinds of capital
punishments meted out by the Jewish Law. Concerning
them it is said, ' Those on the other side of the mountains
of Kush,' etc.
(9) The tribe of Isaachar dwell on the mountains of
the great deep in the nethermost parts of Media and
Persia, and there they fulfil the commandment, ' the book
of the Torah shall not depart from their mouth;' nor
do they take upon themselves the yoke of any earthly
kingdom, but only the yoke of Heaven and the yoke of
the Law. They have many captains of the army, but
never fight with man, but discuss the Torah. They dwell
in peace and tranquillity, and no rebellious thought or evil
of any kind enters their minds. They possess a country
whose area covers land of ten days' journey, and they
have an abundance of cattle, camels, and servants, but
do not breed horses, nor do they possess any warlike
instruments, except knives for preparing food, and to kill
the animals for that purpose. They are men of great faith,
hating oppression or robbery. If even their servant finds
money by the way they will not stretch forth their hand
to take it. (10) But their wicked neighbours worship
fire, and take their mothers and their sisters to wives.
They neither till the ground, nor reap, nor gather in the
harvest, but they purchase it for money. They have a
judge and a chief who metes out the four capital punish-
192 [LXII. 11
ments. They speak the Hebrew and Persian languages,
and that of Ivedar.
(11) The children of Zebulun encamp on the mountains
of Paran, and pitch tents made of the hair of Armania
(i^^jDnx) and stretch as far as the Euphrates. The tribe
of Pieuben dwells opposite them behind the mountains of
Paran, and between them there is love, unity, and peace.
They infest the roads leading to Mecoth ()yD) and the
way to Babylon. All their spoil they divide equally
between them, and food is so cheap that two camel-loads
can be bought for two drachmas. They speak among
themselves the language of Kedar, and possess the Bible,
Mishna, Talmud, and Agadoth. But every Sabbath a
lecture is given in Hebrew, and interpreted in the
language of Kedar. (12) The tribe of Ephraim and half
the tribe of Menasseh dwells opposite the city of Meyuqa
(^?prn). They have to toil for their living by the sweat of
their brow% and are hard-hearted. They are riders of
horses, infesting the roads, and having pity on no man.
They possess no money, but only the spoil they acquire
from their enemies. They are a distance of six months'
march from the temple, and their numbers are incalculable
and without number. They exact tribute from twenty-five
kingdoms, as well as from a portion of Ishmael, but the
tribes of Judah and Benjamin are scattered over the whole
world. 'May the Eock of Israel gather together our
dispersed brethren. Amen.'
Elchanan the Merchant.
LXni. (1) The story of Elchanan. Elchanan, the son
of Joseph, w^as a large export merchant, and owned many
vessels. He hailed from the province of the tribe of Dan,
and was exceedingly wise and pious. He passed the day in
praying, maintaining the poor, and giving a helping hand
to orphan boys and girls. By means of his great skill he
made a ship containing sixty chambers, of which each one
of his servants made one for himself and his goods. In
Lxm. 4] 193
the centre of the vessel he constructed a tower which
enabled him to see all his servants and their chambers.
All the rooms were placed far away from his, and his
servants could also not easily enter their neighbour's com-
partment, nor make any designs upon his propertj^
(2) Elchanan himself was a mighty man of valour, as
were also his sons, being altogether four in the tower. The
ship was loaded with 10,000 talents' worth of pepper, 10,000
talents' worth of frankincense, 10,000 of calamus and cinna-
mon, 1,000 litres of machik (p^DO), which they call saffron
(]n i:^), and every other kind of spice, filling the whole
vessel from top to bottom. Some of the servants appointed
to guard the merchandise were Jews and others Ishmaelites.
Besides these, there were, of course, the sailors. He had
with him also 10,000 talents of silver to buy beautiful
garments in various parts of the world.
(3) He acted as captain himself. His intention was to
travel to a large kingdom, but was overtaken by a severe
storm, which resulted in his ship drifting on to the sand in
the Sea of Havila. (4) There E. Elchanan came across a
certain people who spoke Hebrew. ' Who are ye ?' said he.
' We are descendants of Dan,' answered they. And they
forthwith invited him among them, and did very great
honour to him, for E. Elchanan was beautiful and majestic in
appearance. He then told them all his trouble and every-
thing that befell him, and asked them many questions how
they came to that place. Thereupon they related to him all
their adventures. At the time when Jeroboam resigned, he
said to the Israelites, ' Go ye and wage war with Eehoboam,
the son of David.' And then the elders told him. Among all
the tribes of Israel there is not one containing such mighty
men of war and men so trained to battle as the tribe of
Dan, and that they should therefore go to battle with
Eehoboam and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thereupon
he (Jeroboam) said to them, ' Arise, ye sons of Dan, and
fight the men of Judah.' But they replied, ' By the life
of our father, Dan, we shall never go against our brothers
the house of David and against the King of Judah, and
13
194 [LXIII. 5
why should ^Ye shed mnocent blood ?' ' If that is so,'
said he, 'then depart from this land of Canaan.' For
Jeroboam had made two calves of gold, by which he caused
Israel to sin, so that the kingdom of the house of David
was divided from that time. (5) They then took counsel
against the Egyptians to destroy their land and kill its
inhabitants. But their chiefs said to them, ' Is it not written
in the Torah, "Ye shall no more see them?" How can
we therefore go down to Egypt?' They then had designs
(counselled) against Edom, Ammon and Moab, but found
it stated in the Torah that God had forbidden Israel to
inherit their borderland. But God gave them good advice,
and they left the land and marched until they reached the
brook of Pishon, a journey of seven years from Canaan.
Then, journeying upon camels, they came to Kush, i.e.,
Havila, a land both rich and fertile, abounding in fields,
vineyards, gardens and palaces. There they dwelt by the
sea, where there were Ethiopians without number. (6) The
news of their advent having reached the ears of the king,
they gathered themselves together as one man, and said,
' It is better for us to die all on one day than little by
little by the hand of this strange nation.' The Kushite
kings, numbering sixty-five, encamped on the one side of
the brook of Pishon, facing the others, the town being
between the two hosts. The descendants of Dan, consist-
ing of 200,000 foot, took their bows in their hands and
crossed the brook, and a battle took place by the water, in
which twenty -five Ethiopian kings were slain. Each one
of these kings possessed 1,000 horsemen and 80,000
infantry.
(7) Soon after this, the descendants of Dan, while they
w^ere in their camp, heard a great shouting and a loud noise
of trumpets. Almost immediately they set up a great
shouting themselves, for about 300,000 men of the tribes
of NaphtaH, as well as of Gad and Asher, had come to
their assistance on their horses, and said, ' Brethren, ye
must be weary now ; rest until the morrow, and we shall
join you.' Accordingly, on the morrow they slew all the
LXiil. 10] 195
kings of Kush, and, taking all the spoil, divided it by
lot, the silver and gold being as plentiful as stones. The
land of Havila measured a distance of a square, one side of
which would take four months to travel, each of the four
tribes occupying one side. There they dwell now securely.
Concerning them it is written, ' How good and how pleasant
it is for brothers to dwell together.' A king is appointed
over them, and they have an abundance of sheep and oxen,
silver and gold, horses, camels and asses ; and they sow
and gather in the harvest. The king and the judges
appointed by themselves give battle every day to the kings
of Kush and to strange kingdoms.
(8) These are the names of the kingdoms : Zaqlah the
first (or the Eastern), Batuah, Qelalah, Arirah, 'Adirah,
Zeridah, Zaryonah, Latusqah (npD^n:'), Tirah, Tiqunah,
Qomah, Qalmah, Ahalah, Aholibah, Eiphtah, Saqvah,
Qadvah (Qadovah), and Horiyah. They converse with
each of these peoples in their own language, and, having
made a covenant with them, they dwell by the rivers of
Kush called ' Zahab Tob,' which is on the border of the
land of Havila.
(9) These four tribes having given battle to these strange
kings, they (the kings) brought them presents. Concerning
this it is written, " Othri, the daughter of Pusi ('^*12), shall
bring them gifts. . . .' They possess vineyards and large
fields, and dwell in tents made of hair, and no stranger
can enter the land of Havila. Therein also dwells their
king, Abiel, the son of Shaphat, and also the captain of
the host, Abihail, the son of Shaphat, both of them of the
tribe of Dan. When the trumpeter sounds the trumpet, the
captain of the host comes forth with the armies, consisting
of 173 banners, under each one serving 1,500 men of each
tribe, and just as they go out, so they return.
(10) Then the second tribe comes forth, each of the four
tribes serving three months. Each tribe keeps its own
spoil, and they converse with each other in Hebrew, and in
the language of Kedar, and they are all of them pious men.
I dwelt among them for twelve months.
13—2
196 [LXiii. 11
(11) They inflict the four capital punishments in accord-
ance with the decisions of the Beth Din. The tribe of Moses
is also among them, as it is said, ' And all the children of
Levi gathered unto him.' They encamp by the brook of
Kedron, together with scattered remnants of the exiles.
The brook is called Sambatyon (|Vt:::rD5<t:0, which encom-
passes them with a radius of two months' walk. They
sleep in houses built like towers, nor is any unclean bird or
animal found among them, not even flies, or gnats, or
vermin, but only their flocks and herds, which breed twice
every year. Nor is there any scorpion or serpent. They
reap a hundredfold for every measure of corn they sow, and
they possess all kinds of fruits, herbs, spelt, leeks, melons,
onions and garlic. They are living together as one nation,
and possess many wells, from the waters of which all the
lands are irrigated. They also possess all kinds of spices,
and round about them there fly about all manner of clean
birds. The river, the sand and stones continue in a
whirl during the six days of the week, but on the Sabbath
they rest. On the eve of every Sabbath a flaming fire
ascends from one side of the river, so that no one can
approach it until the Sabbath has come to an end. No
man has ever seen these flames of the river Sambatyon
except the descendants of Dan, Asher, Gad and Naphtali.
They alone commune with them, and with reference to
them it is said, ' To say to those that are bound. Go
forth,' etc.
(12) They have an abundance of silver and gold ; they
sow and reap, and grow the worms that make the crimson
colour, and they make unto themselves beautiful garments
and robes, and they are more numerous than they were
when they left Egypt. Concerning these four tribes it is
written, ' Ah ! the land of the rustling of wings which is
beyond the rivers of Kush.' The river Sambatyon is four
cubits wide, as far as a bowshot reaches. The noise it
makes is exceedingly loud, like the billows of the sea and
like a mighty tempest, and in the night-time the sound is
heard at a distance of half a day's journey. If sand from
Lxm. 15] 197
that river is placed in a flask, it whirls about during the six
days of the week, but on the Sabbath it rests.
(13) The four tribes, together with their cattle, go
near the river Sambatyon to shear their flock, for the
land is plain and smooth, where neither thorns nor herbs
grow. When the descendants of Moses see them, they
assemble at the side of the brook, and, raising their
voices, say, ' 0 children of Dan, show us a camel, or ass,
or dog.' And they exclaim, ' How long is this camel !
and see the length of its neck! How short its ear is!
It is very ugly!' These men are pious and charitable,
besides being well versed in the Torah, Mishna, and
Talmud. When they study they use to say, 'We have
received this by tradition from Joshua and Moses, our
teachers, and from God.' They do not know the other
sages and their traditions are written down in the language
in which our teacher Moses delivered them to them. The
laws of the killing of animals are according to the words of
the sages. They never swore by the name of God.
(14) But the children of Dan did so, and the children of
Levi said to them, ' Why do ye take the name of God (in
vain) ? for has He not given thee bread to eat and water to
drink ? Why do ye therefore do this thing ? Know now
that your sons and your daughters shall die in their youth
on account of your iniquities, but as for us, no son or
daughter shall die in the lifetime of their father, but shall
live to the ripe age of 120.' These people do not possess
any manservants or maidservants, since they are them-
selves skilled workmen and merchants. They have shutters
with which to close their shops, but never do so because
there are no thieves. It is usual for a child to go a
distance of several days with the cattle, without any fear of
wild beasts, evil spirits, demons or injurious beings, since
they are pure and still sanctified with the holiness of
Moses our teacher, as it is said, ' For they shall eat the
fruit of their actions.'
(15) The children of Isaachar are as numerous as the
sand of the sea, without number. They dwell on the
198 [LXIII. 15
mountains of the deep, behind the land of the Medes and
Persians, and a distance of four months' journey from those
who dwell by the brook of Pishon. The law does not depart
from their mouth, thus fulfilling the command, ' The
Torah shall not depart from thy mouth ; thou shalt
meditate upon it day and night.' They accepted no
earthly yoke, but only the yoke of the kingdom of heaven,
and do not fight with their fellow-men, but discuss the
Talmud and the Torah. They live in peace and
tranquillity, with no injurious thought or evil of any kind
to tempt them, and dwell on an area of thirteen days'
journey in each direction. Silver and gold, servants,
camels, flocks and herds, they have in plenty, but they
breed none. The only warlike instruments they use are
knives for killing the sheep, oxen and birds. They
receive a tribute from the heathen kingdoms, of all
produce, a fourth, and of the oxen and sheep a fifth every
year. From this tribute they accumulate immense riches.
They have judges and they inflict the four capital punish-
ments according to the decisions of the Beth Din. They
converse in the Hebrew language and in that of Kedar.
(16) I dwelt among them for a period of two months,
and then, takmg my departure on board ship, I fell in
among the tribe of Zebulun, who dwell on the mountains
of Paran, in tents of hair, in the land of Lud and Pul.
Entering their land, I found them to be farmers, tilling the
ground and reaping the harvest. They possess all kinds
of dainties and are men of valour. For four months they
go out to plunder, fighting and robbing people of their
riches. They possess the Torah, the Talmud and
Mishna, and are men of great faith, who observe all the
Commandments. They are also good riders, having
innumerable servants, horses, sheep and oxen, as well as
camels and asses. They dwell in peace and tranquillity,
where no man can intrude.
(17) Thence, after six days' journey, I came to the tribe
of Reuben, opposite them, between Paran and Bethel, where
they dwell without war. Concerning them it is written.
LXIII. 19] 199
' And I shall cause the wild heast to cease from the land,
and no sword shall pass over their land.' In the midst
of the mountains of darkness they possess a fertile and
fruitful land, the stones of which are iron, and from the
mountains of which brass is hewn. It is a land in which
one could eat his bread without any danger, for no man
passes among them. They watch the roads and capture
spoil without end. They dwell safely in tents of hair,
and speak the Hebrew language and another strange
one (ti;^).
(18) Thence I came to an extensive land by way of
Shin ar, through Elam ; it was the kingdom of Mehumat
(nDinD) on the border of Madia, a distance of four months'
journey from the city of (Medinat). I saw the river
Gozan (|Ti:i), and a part of the tribes of Ephraim and
Menasseh, who were harsh and hard-hearted. They also
are good riders, watching the roads, and having pity on
no man. All their possessions were plunder. They are
men of valour and skilled in war ; one of them alone
could smite a thousand men. Among themselves a large
amount of food could be obtained for two pieces of silver,
and grapes could be obtained in the same way. Concern-
ing them it is said, ' Five of you shall pursue 100, and
100 of you 10,000.'
(19) A half of the tribe of Simeon lives together with
the tribe of Judah in the land of the Chasdim, near
Jerusalem, a distance of four months' journey. They
are countless and innumerable, and their faces are
like lions' faces. They are all of them proficient riders,
archers, spearsmen, and swordsmen, and dwell in tents
made of hair, in a wilderness the extent of which is
a journey of two months each way. They receive
tribute from twenty-five kings, all of whom are white,
some belonging to the Ishmaelites and others to the
descendants of Keturah. They wage war with heathen
kingdoms, always seeking battle. They journey the
way of Mathol ('p^rdo), and the way of Babylon, until
the city of the madman {V})^}^) ; in all directions they
200 [LXIII. 20
journey with their cattle from border to border, and nobody
ever dares speak to them. Among themselves they speak
Hebrew and Greek, and are men of faith, skilled in the
Torah, Talmud, Mishna, and Agada, and also spoke the
language of Togarma.
(20) I dwelt among the sons of Judah and Simeon for
three years, until merchants from the land of the Danites
came to buy the spoil of which they had great quantities,
and also spices captured from merchants on the way, and
which they had acquired for nothing. I travelled with
them on board ship until we came to Elam, after a
journey of four months. After the lapse of ten years from
the day I departed from the Danites I returned. Those
heathen whose land I passed through, and among whom
the tribes dwell, were some of them worshippers of the
earth, while some worshipped fire, and others worshipped
a white horse and were cannibals. [End of the words of
K. Elchanan the Danite. I have heard that this E. Elchanan
was simple and upright, eschewing evil, and fearing God.
He came from the land of India. ^]
The Midrash of Ahab ben Qolaya and Zedekiah ben
Ma'aseyah.
LXIV. (1) 'Thus saith the Lord of Ahab ben Qolaya
and of Zedekiah ben Ma'aseyah, which prophesy falsely in
My name, behold I will deliver them into the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and he shall slay them
before your very eyes. From them a curse shall be taken
up by all the captivity of Judah and Israel in Babylon,
saying, ''May the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and
Ahab, whom the King of Babylon 'roasted' in the fire." '
It is not said, 'They were burnt,' but 'roasted.' K. Johanan,
in the name of R. Simeon ben Johai, said, ' We learn from
1 Here follows in the MS. the Hebrew translation of Daniel, which
is therefore omitted in the English translation ; and then the history
of Bel and the Dragon, and the ' Song of Three Children,' translated
and pubhshed by me in the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical
Archceology, 1894-95.
LXIV. 4] 201
the above that He made them hke parched ears of corn.'
' Because they committed abomination in Israel, they com-
mitted adultery with the wives of their neighbours, and
spoke falsely in My name that which I had not commanded
them, even I who know^ and testify against them, saith
the Lord.' (2) Ahab went to the daughter of Nebuchad-
nezzar, and said to her, ' The Lord said, " Hearken to
Zedekiah, and there shall come forth from thee kings and
prophets who will prophesy against Israel." ' Hearing
this, Zedekiah also went to her, and said, ' In the same
manner as Ahab has said about me, so also listen to him,
and there shall come forth from thee kings and prophets who
will prophesy against Israel.' When she heard this, she
immediately went to her father and told him all that had
happened, saying, ' Thus and thus did Ahab and Zedekiah
say unto me.' And her father replied, ' The God of these
men hateth lewdness. As soon as they come to thee a
second time again send them to me.' When they came,
she accordingly said to them, ' I cannot do anything
without my father's knowledge ; therefore, go ye to my
father, and, placing your request before him, listen to his
reply.'
(3) Going to Nebuchadnezzar, they repeated what they
had told his daughter. And he replied, ' What is the
cause of it that your God did not tell this prophecy to
Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah ? Are they not prophets ?'
And they said, ' He did not command Hananya, Mishael,
and Azariah to do anything, but it w^as us He commanded
to do this thing.' At this Nebuchadnezzar retorted, *I asked
Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah, saying, ''Is this thing which
you ask my daughter prohibited or permitted?" "It is
prohibited," said they.' 'But we are prophets,' answered
Zedekiah and Ahab, ' as they. He did not command them
but us to do this thing.' (4) ' I desire, then, to test you as
I tested Hananya, Mishael, and Azariah, viz., in the fiery
furnace.' ' But they were three, and we are only two,'
added they. ' Then choose ye one whomsoever ye wish to
be tried with you.' And they said, ' We desire Joshua the
202 [LXIV. 5
son of Jehozadak, the high priest.' They knew that his
merit was so great that he would protect them also.
Accordingly the three of them were brought and cast into
the fiery furnace. Ahab and Zedekiah were consumed by
the fire, but Joshua, the high priest, was not touched
by it ; his garments merely smelt of fire, as it is said, ' He
showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the
angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to
tempt him.' It is further written, * And the Lord said unto
Satan, " The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan ; the Lord who
chose Jerusalem shall rebuke thee. Is this not a brand
plucked out of the fire ?'
(5) ' I know now,' said Nebuchadnezzar, 'that thou art
very righteous, but how is it that thy garments were touched
a little by the fire, while in the case of Hananya, Mishael, and
Azariah the fire did not touch them at all ?' ' Because,'
said Joshua, 'they were three and I was alone.' 'But,'
said he, ' Abraham was also alone.' ' True, but there were
no wicked people in his company, and the Lord therefore
did not allow the fire to touch him ; but with me there were
two wicked men, and on this account the Lord allowed the
fire to touch me a little.' This is the parable of the two
dry torches and the one moist, where the two dry ones burn
the moist.
The History of Susanna.
LXV. (1) There dwelt a man in Babylon named Jehoiachin,
and he took a wife whose name was Susanna, one that
feared the Lord. She was the daughter of righteous and
good parents, who brought her up in the ways of the Lord,
according to the precepts of the law of Moses. Now, this
man Jehoiachin was greater and more respected than any
of his generation. To him all the Jews resorted daily, for
no one like him w^as found among God's people. He had
a beautiful garden adjoining his house, where his wife
Susanna used to retire for bathing. (2) At this time two
judges were appointed over the people, who came in the
early morning and evening to Jehoiachin's house to deliver
LXV. 5] 203
judgment to the people. But when they heheld the beautiful
Susanna their lust was inflamed towards her. They re-
nounced their hope in heavenly reward, and, whilst sepa-
rating themselves from the righteous, yet neither one
revealed to the other the evil thought of his heart. But
when the crowd had dispersed to their homes, they spoke
to each other, and then, confessing their lust to each other,
they took counsel together in which way they might lead
her astray, and, watching diligently every day to defile
her, they neither stopped nor rested from their sin.
(3) One day when all the people had departed to their
homes they remained behind according to custom, nor did
they remove the evil of their heart, but lay in wait to
commit the evil. When Susanna entered the garden
accompanied by her maids to wash herself on account of
the heat, she sent them to bring her some oil wherewith to
anoint herself, at the same time telling them to close the
door behind them. When they went out they accordingly
bolted the doors after them, but the old men w^ere concealed
in the beautiful garden, and when she stripped to wash
they ran out of their hiding-place, and, taking hold of her,
said, ' Lie with us, for if thou wilt not consent we shall
bear witness against thee that a young man has lain with
thee.' In fear and trembling she then said, 'What am I
to do ? I cannot escape these men. It is better for me
to resign myself to the Lord, the righteous, the good, the
great, the mighty, and the awe-inspiring God, the Deliverer,
Saviour, and mighty Kedeemer, whose name is the Lord of
Hosts.' (4) Then, raising her voice on high, she cried,
* Save me, 0 Lord my God, from the hands of the wicked
who rebel against Thee.' But they also cried aloud, and
bore false witness against her. At their cry the men of her
house came forth, and, entering the garden, beheld the
elders bearing this testimony against her, and they and all
their kindred were astonished, since they knew that the like
of this was not seen or heard of her.
(5) On the morrow all the people gathered together to
the house of Jehoiachin according to their custom, and
204 [LXV. 6
with them the elders who rose up and testified that they
had seen this woman enter the garden with her two maids,
and that a young man came and lay with her. ' We then
took hold of the young man, but he slipped from our
hands.' The people believed their words, for the elders
were held to be good and God-fearing men.
(6) Then, sending for the woman, they brought her, and
there came wdth her her relatives, friends, and acquaint-
ances ; but she was very feeble, and came there with her
face covered. But the elders cried angrily from their evil
desires, ' Kemove the veil from her face !' that they might
satisfy the wickedness of their eyes, and, condemning her to
death, they led her forth. Then, raising her eyes on high,
she said, ' 0 truthful and righteous Judge, 0 faithful
Witness, behold me and save me from a death through false
witnesses ; let me not be found a sinner in the sight of all
these people ; and let not the words of these wicked men be
fulfilled against me.'
(7) And the Lord heard her cry and sent a helper, for
the Lord aroused the spirit of Daniel, who raised his
voice, and said, ' Lord God, clear us of the death of this
righteous woman.' Hearing this, the people asked, 'Who
art thou that speaketh ?' And they replied, ' The voice is
that of Daniel ;' he was then a young man in the king's
household and a chamberlain in his palace. * But why
dost thou speak in this manner ?' And he said, ' Will ye
condemn to death one in Israel without investigation?
Will ye slay the innocent and the righteous in a manner
contrary to the law ? Eeturn to me, that I may investigate
the matter.'
(8) The woman and all the people then returned, and
the elders who bore witness against her said to him, ' Why
does my Lord say, she is not to die, since she has done such
and such a thing ?' And Daniel said to the people, ' Be ye
seated ;' and they sat down. ' Now separate these elders
one from the other.' Then, interrogating one of them, he
said, ' 0 sinful old man, thou art surely condemned to
death, and the angel stands over thee to cut thee in two.
Lxvi. 1] 205
Under what tree didst thou find her ?' ' Under the
terebinth ' (p'pN). And Daniel said to the people, ' Behold,
this man shall die, for there is no such tree in the
garden.'
(9) He was accordingly taken away, and the second one
brought. And he said to him, ' 0 thou of the seed of
Kainan, who art not of Judah. Thus did ye act in our
land. Ye enticed beautiful maidens by your false testimony,
so that we became a curse and a reproach, we were led
captive and became a spoil ; behold, thou art destined to be
slain, and no soul is to be left within thee. Tell me, before
the people, under what tree didst thou find her ?' ' Under
a trellis of the vine' (n^'pn). Then said Daniel, 'Behold,
the angel stands over thee with a drawn sword in his hand
to saw thy loins asunder, for there is no such tree in the
garden.'
(10) They went and found that it was the truth. Then
Daniel appeared to the people in all his wisdom, and it
was done to those judges just as they devised against their
sister. From that day Daniel was exalted in the sight of
the people of Judah, and they gave thanks and praises to
the Lord God of their fathers, as did Shealtiel, the father
of Susanna, and her mother, as well as all her relatives
and acquaintances, and her husband Jehoiachin.
LXVI. (1) Nebuchadnezzar was not very much changed
in his being from other men ; but only in his appearance,
in his mind, and in his language. He appeared to men like
an ox as far as his navel (or stomach), and from his navel
to his feet like a lion. He ate the herbs at first which
other men eat, to show that he chewed his food like an ox,
and became at last like a lion, in that he killed all the
wicked. Many people went out to see him, but Daniel did
not, because, during the time of his change, he was praying
for him, so that the seven years became seven months.
For forty days he roamed about among the wild beasts, and
for the next forty days his heart became like that of any
other man, and he wept on account of his sins. Again, for
forty days he wandered about in caves, and for yet another
206 [LXVI. 2
forty days he roamed among the wild beasts until the seven
months were completed.
(2) When, however, the Lord restored him to his former
position he no longer reigned alone, but appointed seven
judges, one for each year until the expiration of the seven
years. And during this time, while he was repenting for
his sins, he neither ate meat nor bread, nor drank any wine,
but his food consisted of herbs and seed, according to
Daniel's counsel. When, after the seven years of his
punishment, he sat once more on the throne of his kingdom,
he wished to make Daniel an heir among his sons, but
Daniel said, ' Far be it from me to leave the inheritance
of my fathers for that of the uncircumcised.'
(3) On the death of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, his son
of the same name succeeded him. He built a temple to
Bel in Babylon, and completed the city of Babylon. He
surrounded it with the river, so that the enemy could not
prevail against it. He increased the city and the temple of
Bel tenfold, and added glory and honour, and in fifteen
days (?) the building was complete.
(4) The king then, having placed a huge stone upon a
mountain, planted a garden upon it, which was raised to a
great height so as to enable his wife to gaze upon Media,
the land of her birth, for she longed to behold it. This
was the king who besieged Tyre for three years and ten
months. When Nebuchadnezzar, the son of Nebuchad-
nezzar the Great, died. Evil Merodach reigned in his stead.
(5) Now, in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of
Jehoiachin, King of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the
twelfth month. Evil Merodach, King of Babylon, in the first
year of his reign, rescued Jehoiachin, King of Judah, from
prison, and raised his throne above that of any other king
in Babylon, and, changing his prison garments, he main-
tained him as long as he lived. He did this because
Nebuchadnezzar the Great did not keep his faith with him,
for Evil Merodach was really his eldest son ; but he made
Nebuchadnezzar the Younger king, because he had humbled
the wicked. They slandered him to his father, who
Lxvii. ij 207
placed him (Evil Merodach) in prison together with
Jehoiachin, where they remained together until the death
of Nebuchadnezzar, his brother, after whom he reigned.
(6) ' I fear my father Nebuchadnezzar,' he said, ' lest he
rise from his grave, for just as he was changed back from an
animal to a man, so in the same manner he may rise up
from death to life.' But Jehoiachin advised him to take
the corpse out of the grave, and, cutting it into 300 pieces,
to give it to 300 vultures, and he said to him, ' Thy father
will not rise up until these vultures have brought back the
flesh of thy father, which they have eaten.' Evil Merodach
had three sons, whose names were Eegosar ("iDTjn), Lebuzer-
Dukh C^-n "iT-np), and Nabar ("i^^^, who was Belshazzar,
with whom the Chaldean kingdom came to an end.
[Here commences the book of Joseph ben Gorion, with
the exception of the first two pages, which contain an
enumeration of the families and ancient kings, which I
have written above in its proper place in the Book of the
Generations.]
LXVII. (1) When God had visited upon Babylon all
that He spake to His servants Isaiah and Jeremiah, the
prophets, on behalf of Jerusalem, He raised up against
them two mighty kings : Darius, King of Media, and
Cyrus, King of Persia. And Cyrus entered into close
friendship with Darius by taking his daughter to wife, so
that they jointly rebelled against Belshazzar, King of the
Chaldeans. This was the commencement of many fierce
battles. At the outset the Chaldeans were victorious ; but
many fell on either side, and the Chaldeans fleeing, Cyrus
and Darius pursued them until a distance of one day's
journey from Babylon, and smote them and cut them to
pieces. There Cyrus and Darius encamped with all their
armies, and when the king Belshazzar saw them he sent
out all the host of his mighty men — a thousand princes and
the troops that were in the temple, a numerous and powerful
band. At twilight all these marched out of Babylon, con-
tinuing their march during the whole night. But at the
208 [LXVII. 2
break of morn they began to attack the camp of Darius
and Cyrus, which at the onset became bewildered, and the
camp of Media fled in confusion ; but Cyrus and his men
braced themselves up to fight against the Chaldeans, and
prevented them from following the Median camp. In the
night, when the battle had ceased, the slain of the Medes
and Persians were found to be very numerous.
(2) On that same day, as the princes of Belshazzar
saw that they had gained a victory, they came before
King Belshazzar full of victory and strength. The king
made a great feast for them, and many presents of silver
and gold were given to them ; and the king rejoiced with
his 1,000 princes, and sat down to eat and drink with
them. They prolonged the banquet until night. Now,
Belshazzar had drunk too much, and while he was in a
state of intoxication he ordered the golden vessels which had
been in the temple of our God at Jerusalem to be brought
to him — viz., those holy vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had
seized when he exiled the Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon.
He then defiled the holy vessels by drinking wine out of
them, together with his 1,000 princes, his wives, and his
concubines.
(3) But when our God beheld this profanation. He was
angry and jealous (zealous) for His vessels, so He sent
from His throne a scribe to write a severe rebuke for the
king, and to acquaint him with the judgment which our
God had decreed concerning his life and his kingdom.
The scribe accordingly wrote upon the wall in red ink by
the lamp of the king the following: 'He thought, He
weighed. He separated.' The letters were written in
Hebrew characters, but the writing was Aramaic. When
the king saw the fingers writing — the other parts of the
body he did not see, for the fingers were terrible and
beautiful — he became bewildered and very much afraid,
so that every limb of his body, his heart, and his very
bones trembled.
LXVIII. (1) Daniel was then brought before the king to
read and interpret the writing, and he said to the king :
LXVIII. 3] 209
* Thou hast acted very foolishly, m that thou hast defiled
the vessels of the temple of our God. Therefore our God,
being zealous for His children and for His sanctuary, sent
an angel to write these words. And these are the words
which he has written, ' Shekel,' i.e., the enemy of the
Lord, ' has been weighed in the balance and been found
wanting. He will therefore rend the kingdom from His
enemy, and will give it to Darius and Cyrus, who have
given thee battle. Between them the kingdom shall be
divided.'
(2) And the princes of the king heard this explanation
from Daniel and that he reproved the king, saying, ' Hearken
to me, I pray thee. King Belshazzar, and mark and under-
stand my words. Didst thou not know that the Lord God
of the heavens made thy father great, and raised him over
all the kingdoms of the earth ; that He caused him to rule,
in His greatness, over the holy Land, over the kingdom of
priests and the holy nation ; and that he (Nebuchadnezzar)
treated them with great cruelty ; that he shed their blood
as water, burnt the holy temple with fire, and sent the whole
of God's inheritance into captivity to Babylon ? That then
his heart waxed mighty and his spirit proud, so that he said,
"My hand is exalted, and my power has stood by me";
that he did not remember that the God of the world, who
exalteth and maketh humble, had delivered all these things
into his hands ; nor did he think of this until the Lord
humbled him by making him wander among the wild
beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens ; and
not until he believed that the Lord God of heaven is
He who slayeth and bringeth to life was he restored
again to his palace ? And thou, Belshazzar, hast received
thy father's kingdom by the will of the God of heaven, and
reignest over all the land in the same manner as thy father.
(3) ' When thy two vassals, Darius and Cyrus, rebelled
and made a conspiracy against thee, and went to battle
against thy mighty army, thou didst send forth thy
warriors to subdue them, and they returned to thee
exceedingly elated with strength and glory ; but thou
14
210 [LXVIII. 4
didst not give thanks to thy Creator, who gave thee the
very breath of thy hfe, but to thy idols of silver and gold,
of iron and brass, of clay and earthenware, which cannot
rescue nor save, which can do neither evil nor good. And
thou didst burn bright the lamp for thy 1,000 warriors and
princes. Then didst thou send for the holy vessels, which
were sanctified to the God of heaven, who breathed into
thee the breath of life, and in whose hand is thy spirit, to
slay or to keep alive. And thou didst defile His vessels by
drinking out of them, together with all thy servants,
princes, wives, and concubines, and didst sing praises
to thy idols. For this the Lord's anger was kindled
against thee and thy people, since thou hast foolishly
done this. He therefore sent His scribe to write down upon
the wall of thy house thy end, and the end of thy kingdom.
Behold the writing is written in Hebrew characters, but the
language is Aramaic. The words are " Mene, Mene, Tekel,
Upharsin," which means that God has " numbered " the
years of thy kingdom, which have been found completed ;
the seventy years (of the captivity) having come to an end.
Thou hast been " weighed," and been found wanting.
Therefore thy kingdom shall be " taken away" from thee,
and given to the Medes and Persians.'
(4) When the king, the princes and the dignitaries of the
kingdom heard this interpretation from Daniel, they were
all greatly afraid, every one of them, their heart beat
violently, and they were alarmed and trembled, and the
king, being seized with dreadful pains through Daniel's
words, fell upon his bed, sad and troubled, and mourning
bitterly, while the rest of the princes returned to their
houses in fear. When they went out through the gate
they were in their excitement crushed and trampled on,
and the king remained alone with his messengers and his
household, and, being in great excitement and bewildered,
he fell into a deep sleep, and slumbered like one of the dead
through his fright and trembling. (5) Now, there was in
the bedroom of the king a doorkeeper, one of the old ser-
vants of Nebuchadnezzar, who was much honoured and
LXVIII. 7] 211
respected. Meditating in his heart, he said, ' Did not
Daniel interpret all Nebuchadnezzar's dreams? and did
not all his words come true, so that nothing he prophesied
failed to be realized ? Now he has told the king what is
decreed concerning him, for the spirit of God is with him,
and he does not lie. Why, therefore, should I not go, and,
severing Belshazzar's head, run with it to Cyrus and
Darius, the Kings of Media and Persia, and thereby find
favour in their eyes ?' And as he thought, so he did.
Kising hastily in the twilight, he drew the sword from
beneath the king's pillows, and with it smote Belshazzar,
severing his head. He wandered all through the night until
daybreak, and then went to the two kings with the head of
Belshazzar in his hand.
(6) But when they saw it, both they and all the men
trembled and gazed in fear at each other, as well as all the
army. On asking the man for an explanation, he related
all that Daniel had told Belshazzar, how he had defiled
the holy vessels of the temple, and thus kindled the anger
of the God of the heavens, who sent a messenger to write
upon the wall in red ink opposite the candlestick. ' When I
heard Daniel tell these things, I knew that it was all true
and that nothing would fail to come to pass. On account
of this I planned and hastened to perform this deed which
now your eyes behold.'
(7) When the two kings heard the words of the ser-
vant they feared the wrath of the God of heaven, and
consequently humbled, prostrated and bowed themselves
before the Lord of all things, saying, ' We know that Thou
alone art God over all the hosts of heaven and over all the
kingdoms of the earth, who removest and establishest
kings, and who doest whatever Thou desirest. Thou
knowest that this Belshazzar, the wicked grandson of the
wicked Nebuchadnezzar, acted wickedly, and Thou hast
therefore visited him to destroy him in the wrath of
Thy anger in that he defiled the vessels of Thy holy
sanctuary. Thou didst hand him over to be slaughtered
by this chamberlain that his head may be brought before
14—2
212 [LXVIII. 8
us. We now give thanks unto Thee, 0 God of the heavens,
for the wonders which Thou hast wrought. If Thou wilt
dehver his land into our possession and the valiant, mighty
men thereof, we shall wreak vengeance upon them to
satisfy the wrath of Thine anger. Then Thou wilt help us
to free Thy servants from their captivity, to build Thy
holy temple in Jerusalem, and to gather together the out-
casts of Thy people, that they may once again worship
Thee alone.' Having said this, they made a feast and
rejoiced for three days.
(8) Then, marching into Babylon, they captured it, and,
overthrowing the fortresses, slew the warriors at the edge
of the sword, ripped up their women with child, slaughtered
their old men in the streets, strangled their young men with
ropes and dragged them with their horses along the streets,
their virgins they trampled to death, and their young
children they dashed against the rocks. (9) Thus God
avenged the blood of His servants that was shed by the
Babylonians and Chaldeans, and took vengeance for His
city and His temple. These two kings overran all the
streets with their mighty army, and, overthrowing all their
palaces, burnt their most precious things, and, blowing
upon their trumpets, raised a loud cry so that the earth
was cleft asunder at their noise, and they said : ' Where
are ye, ye mighty men of Babylon and ye valiant men, ye
sinners of the whole earth. The battle is no longer yours.'
They then set fire to everything that came before them until
they rendered the whole of Babylon a waste land, like
Sodom and Gomorrah, according to the word which God
spake to His servants the prophets. (10) After this the
two kings divided the whole kingdom of the Chaldeans by
lot, so that Darius took for his portion Babylon, with all
its inhabitants, and the great temple of the palace which
Nebuchadnezzar had built ; and Darius sat upon the throne
of Belshazzar. Thus, while the great Babylon, with all its
inhabitants, together with the land of Media, fell to the
lot of Darius, the land of the Chaldeans, Assyria and Persia
fell to the lot of Cyrus.
LXIX. 3] 213
LXIX. (1) Now it came to pass, when Darius was firmly
seated upon the throne of his kingdom in Babylon, that he
ordered Daniel to be brought before him, and, placing
for him a throne, he sat before Darius. Then said the
king, ' Art thou Daniel ?' ' I am,' said he. ' Then
give me counsel what to do, for the spirit of the God of
heaven is with thee ; do not withhold it from me, for I am
old now and wanting in strength. My active life wearies
me, and continual wars make me faint ; and now that my
old age has begun, I am no longer able to bear the burden
of my people, to judge between man and man, to reward
the righteous and punish the wicked, for the thing is too
heavy for me.'
(2) And Daniel replied : ' Let my lord the king appoint
three officers, men of valour and truth, to take upon them-
selves part of the responsibility, and let them judge betw^een
man and man in order to relieve thee of the heaviness of
the burden, and let the king rest in his palace. Then
every matter that is too weighty for the judges shall be
brought before the king, who shall decide. Thus the king
and his throne shall be pure.' He did as he -was advised,
for he appointed two princes of his host, with Daniel in
authority over them, to judge the people, while he himself
remained peaceably in his palace.
(3) Darius issued a decree throughout all his kingdom,
saying, * The God of the heavens hath given me all
these kingdoms of the earth, and the burden is too great
for me to bear, for my soul is weary through old age. I
have therefore taken advice of Daniel, w^ho has given
me true counsel, and I have hearkened unto him. I
shall now rest in my palace so that the heaviness of the
burden will be taken off my shoulders. Now give honour
to the God of Daniel and believe in Him. Eise up early
and seek Him, for He is the great God over all other gods.
Let it be known to you that by the advice of Daniel have I
done this. I have appointed over all my kingdom two
princes of the host, to whose decisions all the people shall
listen in all cases of trouble, so that the burden is made
214 [LXX. 1
lighter for me ; and Daniel have I appointed as overseer to
these two princes, who are to obey him and to listen to all
that he teaches them, and not to change his words, but
to perform everything he commands them, for I have
appointed him as a vicegerent, with the two princes of the
army under him, and whoever violates this decree of the
king shall forfeit his life.' All the people obeyed this
decree, and the princes, governors, commanders and rulers
of the provinces bestowed honour upon Daniel, for the holy
Spirit was with him.
LXX. (1) Soon after this, however, the princes of the
army, as well as the other chiefs, governors and dignitaries
of the kingdom envied Daniel, and, meeting in counsel,
they sought for some pretext by which they might over-
throw Daniel. So they resolved to make a decree and a
covenant that every man, old or young, belonging to the
rulers or the princes, who shall during the next thirty days
entreat any god, or ask a request from any being, except
from the king alone, shall be given as food to lions, nor shall
he be rescued by the hand of the king, or redeemed by his
great wealth to annul the decree. Daniel was ignorant of
their machinations, for they cunningly kept their secret
from him, saying, ' If we do not trap him in a religious
matter we shall not be able to overthrow him.' But they
did not know that, as Daniel was faithful to his God, so
would his God prove faithful to him.
(2) The men, having then written down what they had
resolved to do, they each one of them signed it and sealed
it with his seal, in order to give it greater authority.
They thea waited upon the king with their writing, who
took it and read it innocently without suspecting that it
was a secret plot cunningly devised against Daniel.
Therefore he confirmed the decree by sealing it with the
king's seal, and giving it to his scribes to guard for the
appointed time. (3) One day the men went to Daniel's
house to spy, and, finding a girl playing about opposite
the entrance of his house, they asked, ' Where is Daniel,
and what is he doing ?' And she replied, ' Behold, he is in
LXX. 5] 215
the upper chamber of his house, praying near the window
which looks towards the holy temple at Jerusalem, and
uttering praises and words of thanksgiving to his God.'
Believing her, they went to the upper chamber, and found
him on his knees with his hands spread towards heaven,
for Daniel supplicated to God three times during the day.
(4) When these men came into Daniel's chamber he was
not frightened, nor did he tremble at the noise of their
voice, and he finished his prayer, when they all immediately
seized him and brought him to the king. But when the
king saw Daniel in the hands of the princes he trembled
very greatly, and was astounded, for he then knew that it
was against Daniel they had made and established such a
decree. Then said the king to the princes, ' What have ye
done to Daniel, and what have ye to do with him?*
(5) And they replied, ' Have we not written down and
sealed the decree in accordance with the law of Media
and Persia, which cannot be changed or frustrated, that
whoever prostrates himself to any being for the whole of
this month other than to the king shall be consigned as
food for the lions ? Behold, Daniel was found in his house
praying to his God, and thus this decree of the King of
Media and Persia was violated, which cannot be. Now,
since Daniel has mocked us in trying to set our laws at
naught, give him into our hands, and we shall cast him
into the den of lions, that no other person may attempt
such a thing again in opposition to the laws of Media
and Persia.' And the king answered the princes, saying,
♦ Ye have devised this plan against Daniel to attack him
for your envy. Now, cease pursuing him, for he is a Jew,
and his God is revered, glorious and mighty, who may
visit you with His anger, and destroy you.' But the
princes seized Daniel with their hands, ready to destroy
him by casting him into the den of lions. The king,
therefore, exerted all his strength to rescue him, but
not one of them helped the king to save Daniel, for they
were all eager for his downfall, and refused, therefore, to
release him. But the king would not listen to the princes,
216 [LXX. 6
and they strove with each other, the princes and the king,
until sunset.
(6) When, however, they saw that the king was with
him, they said with one accord, ' 0 king, know and mark
well, if thou wilt not deliver him into our hands, we shall
know that thou annullest the laws of Media and Persia.'
As soon as the king saw that they were all of them bent on
conspiring against him on account of Daniel, he let him
go, delivering him into their power, and saying to them,
' Tell me, if God delivers him from the mouth of the lions,
how will you hide your reproach and your shame, for ye
shall surely be cast to the lions as food.' And they all
replied, * So it shall be.' The king, having striven with
the princes until it was late, said to Daniel, ' Behold, the
princes have determined to cast thee into the den of lions,
but the Lord God of the heavens, who hath given thee
His holy Spirit, shall close their mouths and prevent
them injuring thee ; but I am innocent before thy God, for
I sought to rescue thee, but could not.' Then, drawing
Daniel forth, they cast him into the den in which ten lions
were enclosed. Their daily fare consisted of ten sheep and
ten human bodies. But they starved them, depriving them
of their food, giving them nothing to eat, so that they
should hasten to devour Daniel. When Daniel had, how-
ever, descended to the den of lions they showed him a kind
face, licked him, wagged their tails, and were as rejoiced
to meet him as dogs are to see their master arrive home
from the field. The princes rolled a great stone over the
mouth of the pit, which the king sealed with his ring as
well as with that of the princes, and they each went their
way.
(7) Daniel, in the meantime, praised the name of his
God all the night until the next morning with the voice of
song and thanksgiving, while the lions crouched round
about him, eager to hearken unto his song. But the king
went to his house grieved and bitterly sad, eating no
food, and drinking neither wine nor water. He forbad the
musical instruments to be played before him, and did not
LXX. 9] 217
remove his garments, for he was grieved at heart for
Daniel ; his sleep also left him, for he was saddened at the
princes' plot against Daniel. Then, turning over on his
side and sighing, he said, ' Would that it were morning, to
see what has become of Daniel.'
(8) On that same day, and at the same time as Daniel
was cast into the den, behold the prophet Habakkuk, in the
land of Judah, returned that evening from harvesting, and
prepared a large dish to feed the reapers. While he was
carrying his burden in his hand to supply the reapers
with food, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ' Go
thou with this food to My servant Daniel, in the land of the
Chaldeans, to the den of lions, where he is cast.' 'But, 0
Lord God, who will lead me there,' said he, ' at this time,
since the distance is so great for me ?' And forthwith an
angel of God lifted him by the lock of his hair, together
with his food, and placed him in the midst of Daniel's den,
where he put down the food. The angel then brought him
forth thence, and restored him to his native place, whence
he was taken before the reapers had had their meal. And
Daniel uttered thanksgiving and praises to his God, in
whose salvation he trusted, for whoever supplicates to his
God communes with Him as well as one who studies His
law, and he need not despair of His kindness.
(9) On the following morning at daybreak the king arose
and hastily went to the den, and when he heard Daniel's
voice singing and the beauty of his praises, he was not
able to speak to him, for his voice was stifled through
his sobbing. But, strengthening himself, he called out,
* Daniel, Daniel, has God withheld thee from the mouth of
the lions, and art thou not torn to pieces ?' And Daniel
replied, ' Indeed, God hath withheld me from the mouth of
the lions, and hath closed their mouths, and prevented
them from injuring me. They, on the contrary, rejoiced
to meet me, just as my own household would rejoice, for
thus my God, in whom I trust, has commanded, and
yesterday food was even given to me through Habakkuk,
through the spirit of my God ; but, my lord the king, I have
218 [Lxx. 10
not sinned against thee, nor will any iniquity be found
in me.'
(10) The king then sending for the princes, Daniel's
enemies, they came to him as he was standing by the den.
' Know,' said he, ' and behold the seals of your rings ; are
they as ye sealed them, and has there been any mis-
chief ?' And examining the seals, they said, ' They are
untouched and just as we have sealed them.' Then, com-
manding the stone to be rolled away from the mouth of the
pit, Daniel they brought forth, sound and perfect, without
any blemish or hurt. The bystanders, being struck with
wonder at the miracles of the God of Daniel, with a loud
voice shouted, ' The God of Daniel is greater than all other
gods.' The king then ordered his servants to lay hold of
those princes, Daniel's enemies, together with their wives
and children, and to cast them into the den of lions, and
before they reached the floor of the den, the lions, who had
not eaten any food since yesterday, roared at them, and,
tearing them, crushed their bones and ground them to
dust. They then continued roaring from their den so
that the noise could be heard far off, and all the people
trembled, and said, ' The lions have escaped from their
den.'
LXXI. (1) The king then returned to his palace with
Daniel, and the Lord showered upon Daniel honour and
greatness, and he found favour and kindness in the eyes of
the king. A command was then issued in the kingdom,
saying : ' In all the land there is no god like the God of
Daniel who performs miracles and wonders. May his God
be with all the people of His inheritance, and cause them
to prosper ; and let the great temple of God be built in Judah,
and I shall give silver and gold of my treasures for the
building until it is completed.'
(2) He then issued orders to all the cities in the land of
his rule, by means of runners and horsemen, to permit the
Jews to go up to Jerusalem to build the temple of God.
This happened in the first year of Cyrus's reign over the
Chaldeans. Letters of the king were also sent to all the
LXXIL 1] 219
princes on the other side of the river and to the governors,
to be in readiness to assist the Jews by attending to all
their wants in the matter of the building, such as the
supply of wood, stones, wheat, oil, and wine, until the
building was completed, and rams and lambs for their
sacrifices.
(3) The Jews then rose, all whose hearts were willing, to
go up to the house of God. They numbered about four
myriads, with Ezra the priest and scribe at their head, as
well as Eliakim the priest, Jeshu'a, Mordecai, and the
rest of the chiefs of the fathers belonging to Judah and
Benjamin; and, journeying, they came to the other side
of the river, and arrived at Jerusalem, where they com-
menced to lay the foundation of the house of God.
When this was finished, the work prospered. There then
arose certain wicked men, enemies of the Jews, from
the remnant of the nations, e.g., Sanballat the Horonite,
Tobiya the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, all of
whom wrote evil against the Jews. They sent a letter
to the Kings of Media and Persia, saying, * Be it known to
you that if ye build the city of Jerusalem it will be to you
a snare, a great evil, and there will arise a great conspiracy
against you ; for in days of yore the Jews who dealt therein
were strong and very hard, and destroyed the whole
country. It was for this reason that Nebuchadnezzar,
their enemy, exiled them to Babylon. Then the kings
had rest, and each dwelt peacefully in his own place.
Therefore we send to inform you of it, as we are faithful,
for we have eaten at the table of the king, and far be it
from us to allow the downfall of the kingdom.' As soon
as the letter reached the King of Persia, the work was dis-
continued until the second year of the reign of Darius.
LXXII. (1) Now, when Darius was seated on the throne
of his kingdom, he sent for Daniel, the servant of God, to
test his wisdom and to obtain his counsel. Having come
before him, he tried him and proved him, and found him
sevenfold wiser than report had told of him. He was
therefore very pleased with him, and loved him, and
220 [LXXII. 2
appointed him to be his counsellor, as Darius had done
before him.
(2) One day Darius held a feast in honour of Bel, the
god of Babylon, and the king accordingly prepared an
offering to be brought before Bel, the god of Babylon.
The daily order of the offering consisted of 1 bullock,
10 rams, 10 sheep, 100 doves, 70 loaves of bread, and
10 barrels of wine, for the table of the god. On the day
in question they arranged the table before Bel, and the
king said to Daniel, ' Would that thou didst believe in the
glory of our god Bel, who consumes what is laid upon
this table.'
(3) And Daniel replied, ' Let not the heart of the king
be deceived and be led astray, for it is vanity. There is
no breath in it, but it is simply the work of the craftsman.
How can it therefore eat or drink anything? It is
the priests of Bel who eat the contents of this table, as
well as the meal-offering and burnt-offering. Now% if thou
wilt hearken unto me, and deliver these priests into my
hand, I will show thee the deceit they practise upon thee
and thy people, which causes you to prostrate yourselves
to vanity and emptiness.' ' Let it be as thou hast spoken,'
said the king. Daniel then commanded the porters of Bel
to lock the temple and all its gates, except the one which
the king and Daniel entered.
(4) Then said the king, * Bring me some ashes.' When
they were brought he scattered them upon the floor of the
house, and the priests were kept in ignorance of Daniel's
advice. As soon as they had done this, the king and Daniel
went out with their young men by the same gate, and,
locking the door, the king sealed it with his own seal and
with that of Daniel, and then both of them went back to
the palace, and retired for the night.
(5) On the following morning the king sent for Daniel,
to let him see and know what Bel had done. Coming to
the gate of the temple, they found the seals just as they
had been left ; and the king said, ' Has there been any
tampering with these seals ?' And Daniel said * No,' and
LXXIII. 2] 221
commanded the seals to be removed. They then opened
the gate, and saw that the contents of the table which they
had arranged, from the bread even to the meat and wine,
had all been consumed.
(6) As soon as the king saw this, he fell prostrate before
Bel, and exclaimed, ' 0 Bel, great is thy name in the world,
and who is like unto thee in might among all the other
gods ?' But Daniel answered, ' Let not the king say that,
for Bel is but clay, earthenware, and brass, and cannot eat
or drink. Look but upon the ashes which we have spread
on the floor, and round about the temple and the table, and
see whose footprints are these, for they are the traces of the
consumers of Bel's table.' The king looked, and beheld
the footprints of men, women, and children ; (7) and
sending forthwith for these seventy priests and ministers
of Bel, he swore to them, saying, ' If ye will not tell me
the truth, ye shall surely die.' They then showed him
the secret entrances through which they came in and
went out in the night, to eat the contents of the table.
[Here one leaf of the MS. is missing.]
LXXIII. (1) The dragon felt the smell of the ashes and
of the sacrifice, and he rejoiced to go out and see the offer-
ing, and it opened its mouth, according to custom, and they
cast it therein. After swallowing it, it raised itself on high,
and turned to enter the cave again, when the princes said to
the king, ' Is Daniel also able to destroy this god, which is
a living god, just as he destroyed Bel and his priests and
his altar, thus putting an end to his worship ? Why does
he not strive with this god, for, if he does, then we shall be
avenged for the destruction of Bel and his temple.
(2) Then said the king to Daniel, ' Hearken to me, pray,
and give ear to what I say. Canst thou lift up thy thoughts
also against this great and mighty serpent god, and subdue
him as thou didst Bel, in which there was no life ? This,
however, is mighty and strong, and who would dare rise
up against it to do it evil ? But Daniel replied, ' Let not
the king err also in this, for it is but a beast, and can be
subdued by the hand of man. It hath no spirit, and now,
222 [LXXiii. 3
if my lord the king will permit me to go against this
dragon, I shall slay it without either sword or stick or
any warlike instrument, for it is but a reptile that crawls
upon the earth, and the Lord set the fear of man in every
beast, insect, and reptile, for in the image of God did He
make man. I shall therefore destroy it just as I destroyed
one of the graven images, but do not give power unto thy
princes to do me evil.' ' Go thou and do what thou canst,'
replied the king. The princes were, however, greatly re-
joiced when the king told Daniel to strive with the dragon,
for they said, ' Now will Daniel surely perish, for it is
impossible for him to make a stand against the dragon.'
(3) Daniel then went from the king, and making iron
instruments like wool combs, he joined them together
back to back, with the points outward, forming a circle
of hard and sharp points. This he rolled in all manner
of poisonous fat and grease and other fatty substances,
and beneath it he placed pitch and brimstone, until the
points of the brass and the other piercing metals were
concealed. Then, making it in the shape of an oblation,
Daniel cast it into the dragon's mouth. The dragon
hastily and greedily swallowed it, and seemed to enjoy it.
Eut when it entered its mouth, and passed on to the
entrails of its belly, the fat melted from off the iron
prongs, so the sharp spikes pierced its entrails, and gave
it such agony that it died on the morrow.
(4) It came to pass, three days after its death, that the
Chaldeans and Babylonians came, as was their daily
custom, to propitiate the dragon with an oblation, but it
was not visible ; only a horrible stench issued from the
•cave. When they searched the cave they found that their
god was slain, swollen up, and decaying. They became very
grieved and full of wrath against Daniel, and they said,
* Behold what is this Daniel has done to the two gods ! for
he has destroyed Bel and smitten the dragon. Now if
the king deliver him into ©ur hands, he shall surely be
slain ; and if not, it must be made known to the king that
he also shall surely not live.' When it reached the ears
LXXIV. 2] 223
of the king that the people had made a conspiracy against
him, a command was issued to smite the leaders and
princes, as well as those that rose up against Daniel,
with the edge of the sword.
LXXIV. (1) Daniel having now grown old in years, came
one day to the king, and prostrating himself before him,
said, ' 0 my lord the king, behold old age has crept upon
me, and I have now no more strength to stand and go
to and fro. Behold, the lawless men of thy people have
humbled me through their enmity, and have cast me
twice into the den of lions, but God, in whom I put my
trust, has delivered me. They meditated to take my soul,
to deprive me of my life, through their zeal on behalf of
their gods, but my God withheld me from their destruc-
tion. My three friends also they cast into the fiery furnace
to be burnt, and yet after all this we have not forsaken our
God. Now, my lord the king, I pray thee allow me to go back
to my native city and to my house, to worship the God of
my fathers for the remainder of my days, for I am old and
have no longer the power to restrain (check) the multitude
of thy host.' And the king answered Daniel, saying, ' How
can I listen to thy request to send thee away, seeing thou
art a man of the God of heaven ? If thou leavest me and
departest from my side, how can my kingdom remain in its
integrity ? I am indeed aware that thou art an old man,
and that thou hast no longer that strength for active life
which the rulers of the kingdom ought to have ; therefore,
if thou wilt give me from among thy people a man of
wisdom and understanding, and withal filled with the spirit
of thy God as thou art, to remain with me in thy stead,
then will I send thee away in peace to rest in thine own
house, although my soul knoweth there is none esteemed
thy equal among the sons of thy people.'
(2) Daniel then went forth from the presence of the king
to the assembly of the exiles, and, finding there Zerubbabel,
the son of Shealtiel, the son of Jechoniah, King of Judah,
he selected him from among the people, and taking him by
the hand, led him to the king, and said, ' Behold before
224 [LXXIV. 3
thee the man who is to take my place. He is esteemed my
equal, and is descended from Judah and from the chiefs of
the royal seed. He is withal a man of valour, filled with
the spirit of God, with knowledge and wisdom as myself,
falling short of nothing that is in me, and he wdll be,
as I have been, a faithful counsellor to thee. And now, do
thou give me permission to depart for my native place for
the short time I have to live.' The king, being confident
of the truth of everything Daniel told him, gave him
permission to depart. Daniel then made his obeisance, and
the king embraced and kissed him, and having ordered
many gifts to be presented to him, he sent him away.
(3) Thus did Zerubbabel take the place of Daniel, who
gave all that the king presented him with to the suffering
exiles, and then left for Shushan, his native place, in the
land of Elam. There he worshipped the Lord among his
brother exiles until the day of his death.
(4) Now, Zerubbabel was a man of valour, young and
prosperous, understanding and wise, filled with the spirit
of wisdom, for Daniel had put his hand upon him. He
found favour in the eyes of the king, who loved him
and appointed him chief of all the princes, and overseer of
the two captains of the host and guardians of the king.
(5) One day, according to custom, all the princes assem-
bled before the king, and the king said to them, ' Have ye
seen in the whole of this land a man as wise and as full
of understanding, in whom is the spirit of Daniel, as this
man Zerubbabel ?' And they answered, ' The king hath
spoken the truth.'
(6) Now, about the time of noon, after they had all eaten,
the king, as usual, lay upon his bed and slept. The two
princes and guardians of the king then arose, as was
customary, and Zerubbabel with them, and stood round
the king's bedside until he awoke. On this occasion the
king slept heavily, for he was drunk with wine ; and the
three young men, being weary of standing, proposed to test
each other's wisdom by means of riddles, each one accord-
ing to his wit, and they said, ' Let us write them down in a
Lxxiv. 8] 225
book, and place the book under the head of the king until
he awake from his sleep/ when he would see the book, and
understand its meaning.
(7) ' Then it shall be that the man whose words appear
wiser than his two colleagues,' and whose riddles are
superior to those of his brethren, should be made vice-
gerent, and should also sit on the royal throne and in the
royal chariot; that he should have free access to the
presence of the king ; that the vessels of his table should
be of silver, and the reins of his horse of gold. That the
crown of the vicegerent be placed upon his head ; that he
receive the portion of the vicegerent from the hand of the
king ; that every request be granted him, and that he be a
friend of the king.' To this they all agreed, and, making
a covenant in accordance therewith, they established it
according to the laws of Media and Persia, which can
never be altered.
(8) Then, bringing the pen and the scroll, they cast
lots as to who should be the first to inscribe. The first
wrote, ' On the earth there is no one so powerful as a
king.' The second wrote, 'Wine is the strongest thing
on earth.' x\nd Zerubbabel, who was the third, wrote,
* There is nothing on the earth so powerful as woman.'
When they had finished WTiting their words of wisdom,
they placed the scroll under the king's pillow, but the king
was awake, for though his eyes were closed yet he heard
their whisperings ; and when they placed the scroll under
his pillow the king arose as if he had just woke from his
sleep, and, rubbing his eyes with his two hands, he looked
under his pillow, and saw the scroll which the three young
men had written. Then opening it, he read it, and was
perplexed about it, until all the princes, pashas, chiefs,
governors, and heads of the provinces came to him. Then
calling the three young men, he said, ' Bring me each one
of you his writing, and let me listen to the interpretation
of your riddles; then will I fulfil for the wisest of you
three everything that is stated in the scroll to honour and
.exalt him.'
15
226 [Lxxiv. 9
(9) The first one then approached to read what he had
written, and said, ' Hearken, 0 king and princes, to my
words. There is nobody on earth so powerful as a king.'
The second, drawing near (the king), said, * There is
nothing on earth so powerful as wine.' And the third,
viz., Zerubbabel, exclaimed, ' There is nothing on earth so
powerful as woman.' At this the king and the princes
said, ' We have hearkened to your hidden sayings ; now tell
us the explanation, and we shall listen.'
LXXV. (1) And the first answered and said, ' 0 my lord
the king, princes and mighty men, do ye not know the
power of the king and the strength of his dominion over all
the earth, over the sea, the isles, and over all languages ?
to slay or to keep alive ? If he commands an army to
march forth, they march forth armed ; they turn not their
heads, though they may stand face to face with death.
If he command them to overthrow cities, they overthrow
them ; if to hew down mountains, or to pull down walls,
they obey. If he command them to plough for him, they
plough ; they sow and reap his produce, for they fear the
wrath of the king, who is mighty and lord over all, and no
one dares frustrate his word ; therefore believe ye my words
that there is no one on earth so powerful as a king.' All
the bystanders were astonished at his speech.
(2) The second now replied, saying, ' Though ye know
the power of a king and the strength of his might, for
he has dominion and rules over the land ; yet wine is
stronger than a king. It is true he has great power, but as
soon as he drinks freely of wine, it overpowers him and
inclines his heart to other things, he sings, plays and
dances, for his heart is turned by the wine, so that he
repulses his kin, approaches strangers, slays his friends,
and confers honour upon strangers, and respects neither
his father nor mother. (3) Do ye not know that such is
the power of wine, when a man is drunk he cannot learn,
but is rather prone to singing ; he whispers to his
neighbour and reveals secrets, and hidden things drop out
of his mouth. Men full of sorrow the wine makes glad,
Lxxv. 5] 227
and even if mourners and those whose hearts are grieved
drink thereof, they rejoice and are merry. The drmiken
one draws his sword against his neighbom-, and he gets
fierce, and bashful men it makes bold. But when the
wine has disappeared from them, they have forgotten all,
and say, " We have not done this thing." Is thus wine
not stronger than a king, as it rules over him ; it makes
man walk crookedly, he cannot see straight, and he con-
tinues babbling things which he has not learned. Do ye
not think that wine is therefore more powerful than a king,
for such it does ?' Thereat the men were greatly surprised.
(4) After that the king summoned Zerubbabel, and said,
* Tell me, I pray thee, thy riddle and its interpretation, as
thy friends have done.' And he answered and said, ' Give
ear and hearken unto me, 0 king and princes, governors
and rulers, and all ye who stand here. Indeed, the
king is stronger and greater than all; it is true that
wine weakens the king through its strength, as my friends
have said. Thus the power of both the king and wine
cannot be denied ; but woman is yet more powerful than
either king or wine or any other strong drink. For why
should she not be more powerful than the king ? Did she
not give birth to him, suckle him, sustain him, rear him,
clothe him, wash him, and sometimes chastise him ? Did
she not rule over him as a mother does the child of her
womb ? When she was angry with him, did he not fear her
rebuke? Did she not sometimes beat him and at other
times censure him ? If she lifted the rod to him, did he
not run away from her in fear of her ? Moreover, when
he grows up to be a young man, he cannot forget his
instructress, nor will rebel against her call. He always
respects her as a son honours her who conceived him.
(5) ' Then looking about him, he beholds a woman fair to
look upon, and desires her beauty to sport with. His
heart inclines towards her, and he will not change his
love for her for all the riches. It is then that he leaves
his father and mother, forsaking them for her love and
her beauty, and many are they that have been led astray
15—2
228 [LXXV. 6
through the love of woman ; many are they that have
acted fooHshly, and become mad for her sake ; and many
that have met their death for the sake of woman, and have
fallen for her pride down into hell. Wise men also have
been caught in her net, and much hatred has the frivolous
one caused among brothers. Do ye not know and under-
stand that if a man sees a comely woman, and he carries
in his hands goodly things, will not his eyes gaze upon
her, for his heart inclines towards her? If she answers
him when he speaks to her on account of her beauty, will
he not leave everything that he keeps in his hands to speak
to her ? for his heart is drawn near to her.
(6) ' Who is there that will not believe this, and confess
the truth of this power of woman ? Tell me, for whom do
ye steal, for whom do ye rob, and for whom do ye gird
yourselves — is it not for woman? Is it not for her that
ye buy all the precious ornaments ? is not the myrrh and
the aloe for her ? are not all the spices, perfumed oils, and
frankincense for her ? If a man break into a house, if
he keeps the high roads, goes on the sea, on dry land, on
the mountains ; if he fight, commit murder, rob, plunder,
and shed blood, to whom will he bring his spoil, if not to
woman? Have I not seen the concubine of the King
Apumasia (^<^^^*D1D^5), the daughter of Abyaush (CMN^n.s) of
Makeden, take the crown of honour from off the king's head
and place it on her own head, while he was seated on the
throne beside her, and the king was pleased wdth her ?
But when she became angry, did not the king then hasten
to appease her, and to reconcile her, and remove her
anger ?
(7) ' Who, then, is there that will not believe that
woman's power is stronger than everything ? She subdued
Samson, enticed David, and inclined the heart of Solomon
towards her. Many are her captives, and innumerable are
those that are slain through her, and their number increases.
And even if there be one man who rules the whole world,
and before whose wrath all people tremble and shake,
since he would be supreme, and although man is appointed
Lxxvi. 1] 229
to be the jDrmce, ruler, and king over her, and to her is
given the desire of him, yet not even he would be able to
conquer her and to rule over her. Even Adam, the father
of all mankind, was induced by his wife to transgress the
word of God, by which she destined him and his offspring
to death. Also, in the days of Noah, the heavenly angels
were led astray and took to them women. Who does not
believe that this is known from the very beginning of the
world, and will last to the end unaltered? This is the
truth that I utter.
(8) ' Now, finally, let it be known to the king and to all
my hearers that all is vanity here — the king who rules the
earth, the wine that rules the king, and woman with her
iniquity, who rules the three ; but truth reigns supreme
in heaven and on earth ; in the seas and in the depths truth
prevails before God and man ; for where truth dwells
there wickedness cannot abide, for the heavens and the
earth are founded upon truth, and the Lord our God is
true for ever.'
(9) After this all the people assembled there before the
king exclaimed, 'It is true.' Then said the king to
Zerubbabel, ' Come near to me.' When he approached, the
king kissed him and embraced him in the presence of all the
people, and said, ' Blessed be the Lord God of Zerubbabel,
who hath given him the spirit of truth, for there is nothing
like God's truth ; everything else is vanity.' And the princes
also exclaimed, ' Indeed, truth is greater than all things ;
nor can one stand up against it since it dwells in the
heaven and in the earth, and upon it is everything based.
True is the God of Zerubbabel, who hath given him the
spirit of truth to praise and to glorify truth before God and
man.'
LXXVI. (1) The king then commanded all the honours
written in the scroll to be carried out for Zerubbabel, for
he had found great favour in the eyes of the king and the
two princes, his colleagues. And the king further said to
Zerubbabel, ' Ask, in addition to what is written in the
scroll, whatever thy soul desires and I will grant it, even
230 [LXXVI. 2
to half the kmgdom.' And Zerubbabel answered and said,
' Eemember, my lord the king, the vow which thou and
King Cyrus made to the God of heaven, viz., to build His
house, and to restore His holy vessels, and to allow His
captive people to worship Him in the temple that is called
by His name, that they may pray to the great God of
heaven for the welfare of thy reign, for thou must not
delay the vow which thou madest to the heavenly God.'
(2) The king thereupon commanded the scribes to hasten
and write down Zerubbabel' s request, to rebuild the ruins
of Jerusalem. He then sent a message to Cyrus, King
of Persia, to join hands with him in this work, and thus
to fulfil their vow by establishing the house of God in
Jerusalem. And Cyrus issued a proclamation throughout
his kingdom, saying, ' Every one of God's people whose
heart prompts him to go up to Jerusalem to lay the founda-
tion of the temple and to build it, let him go, and I shall
give everyone the pay of his labour from my treasures until
the building is completed.'
(3) The king's scribes thereupon wrote down this pro-
clamation on behalf of Darius, King of Media, and Cyrus,
King of Persia, to the princes, governors, and rulers on the
other side of the river, and to the Arameans, Tyrians,
Samaritans, and to Asaph, governor of the garden of
Lebanon, ' Be it known to you that it is our pleasure to
send back to God's holy city the captives of His people,
whom Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, sent into exile ;
to restore the vessels of the great and holy temple which
is called by the name of the God of heaven ; to build His
altar, and to sacrifice thereon every day ; to build the
temple, and the Holy of Holies; to establish the palace
according to its old form ; and to restore the walls of
Jerusalem. (4) When this edict reaches you, exert your-
selves to assist them by supplying all their wants in silver
and gold, brass, wood, and stones for the builders and
hewers until the building is finished, and to give them
whatever they ask for, wheat, barley, oil, or wine, and
whatever they want for the buildings. For re-establishing
LXXVII. 1] 281
the sacrifices upon the altar ye shall give them oxen, calves,
rams, sheep, he-goats, doves, flom% oil, salt, to enable them
to re-establish the altar, and to finish the whole work.'
(5) The Edomites were also commanded by these two
kings to contribute their share in the service of the house
of the Lord, because they had helped the Chaldeans to
overthrow it ; they were to give a yearly tribute of five
talents of gold for strengthening the breach of the house,
to rebuild the temple and the holy city. The Sidonians,
Tyrians, and Edomites, as well as the servants of the king
in the Lebanon, under the command of Asaph, keeper of
the garden, were ordered to hew the wood from the Lebanon,
and to drag it to the sea from the Lebanon and thence
to the Sea of Joppa, to complete the work of the house of
God. No man was to hinder them until everything was
completed. Having written down all these details as the
two kings commanded, the scribes sealed it, and handed it
over to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to Nehemiah,
the son of Hachaliah.
LXXVIL (1) About this time Darius, King of Media,
was taken very ill, and, being about to die, he called Cyrus,
King of Persia, his son-in-law, his daughter's husband, and
made him king in his stead, so that the kingdoms of Media
and Persia were united into one ; and wdien Darius the
Mede was gathered to his people, Cyrus reigned over Media
and Persia and the remainder of the country. He then
issued a proclamation in all his kingdom, saying, 'Who-
ever of you among the people of the Lord God of heaven
is willing to go up to Jerusalem to the footstool of the great
and mighty God, to build His house and His temple W'hich
the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, who was more wicked than all
his predecessors, overthrew, let him go up and assist in the
building, and may His God be with everyone whose heart
prompts him to do so. And I, Cyrus, servant of the living
God, who set me upon this throne, shall provide from my
riches and my treasury all the wants of the house of this
mighty God who made me King of Media and Persia, and
who assisted me to destroy the kingdom of the Chaldeans.'
232 [Lxxvii. 2
(2) Thus all the elders of the captivity, Ezra the scribe,
Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah, with the other chiefs of
the captivity and the priests, went up to Jerusalem and
built the temple of God and His altar, and arranged the
wood and placed the flesh of sacrifice upon the altar.
(3) Then they lifted up their voices and wept, while Ezra
and Nehemiah, with the other chiefs of the captivity,
prayed to God, and said : ' 0 Lord of the whole universe,
Thou hast put it into the heart of the King of Persia
to do honour to Thy house, and to send Thy servants
and priests to make sacrifices to Thee and to offer Thy
burnt-offerings as Thy servants, our pious forefathers, did
before Thee. Behold we, also Thy servants, have come to
this place, and have rebuilt Thy altar after the same
pattern, and we offer sacrifices to Thee, and arrange the
wood beneath the burnt-offering. But how can it be
pleasing to Thee, 0 God, seeing that we offer strange fire,
for the holy fire is no more, since it has been hidden by
Jeremiah the prophet, Thy servant, and the other chiefs
of the captivity whom Nebuchadnezzar sent into exile.
What shall we do, 0 God of heaven? Give us counsel and
help, for to Thee belongs dominion, to help us and to
strengthen our hands.'
(4) Now, it happened while they were praying to the
Lord in this wise, a very old man about 100 years of age,
belonging to those priests who were exiled in the days of
Nebuchadnezzar, was heard calling. Being rather deaf
through old age, he summoned his six sons before him, and
said, ' 0 my sons, if I have found favour in your eyes, carry
me near the altar and place me opposite it that I may
inhale the sweet-smelling frankincense of the altar, for I
have not been deemed worthy of that pleasure for many
years now. Let your kindness be extended to me that ye
may hearken to me this once, that I may be enabled to
smell it once more before I die. Ye shall be rewarded hy
the holy God, for I have been a great burden to you.'
(5) His sons forthwith carried him into the midst of the
assembled priests opposite the altar. When he heard the
LXXVII. 9] 233
noise of the multitude and the priests crying to God for the
holy fire, the old man said to his sons, ' What ails the
people that they cry?' And they replied, 'The priests
are seeking the holy fire which is no longer to be found, as
it has been hidden from them.' ' Carry me, then, near the
priests and the heads of the fathers, and I shall tell them
where it is, and where Jeremiah the prophet and the other
priests who went into exile had concealed it.' (6) His sons
carried him in the midst of the chiefs of the fathers, who
asked him about it, and he told them where it was. Then,
carrying the old man, and crossing the Brook of Kedron
and the Valley of Hinnom, they ascended Mount Olives ; and
during their descent, when they faced the valley in the
plain, the old man showed them a large stone sunk in the
earth. Digging up the dust round about the stone, they
rolled the stone away, and removing the lime beneath it,
they opened the pit.
(7) Then said he to the young priests, ' Descend thither
and take the fire, for there it was placed.' He repeated
his command, whereupon they descended, and found there
at the bottom of the pit something like the lees of oil, and
like mud and honey. When they related this to Ezra and
the priests, they replied, ' Bring up whatever ye find, and
no stranger touch you until ye come to the altar. Then
place what ye have carried away upon the altar, upon the
burnt -offering, and upon the wood.' They went down and
did as they were commanded ; (8) and as soon as they
did this a great fire suddenly burnt upon the altar, and
grew into such huge flames that the priests and the people
fled from before it, for they could not endure it. It licked
the burnt-offering, and, travelling round the temple, cleansed
it, after which it got considerably smaller, so that it re-
mained only on the altar, as usual. From that day thence-
forward a continual fire burnt upon the altar, as they
placed the wood regularly upon it until the second cap-
tivity.
(9) But the ark was not there, because Jeremiah took the
ark with all the curtains which Moses, the servant of God,
234 [Lxxvii. 10
made in the wilderness, and he carried them up to Mount
Nebo and placed them in a cave. The priests of that
time pursued him to find out the place of the ark, and of
the tablets, of the curtains of the tabernacle, and of the tent
of the congregation. When Jeremiah looked behind him
and saw the priests, he became angry with them, and swore
to them ' you shall never discover the place you desired to
know until I and Elijah appear. Then we shall restore the
tabernacle and the tent of the congregation to its original
place, as well as the ark of the testimony and the two tables
of stone which it contains. Then we shall enter the Holy
of Holies.'
(10) From that day our ancestors offered their sacrifices
and burnt-offerings and continual offerings every day, for the
kings of Persia had assisted them with gold and silver,
with wheat, oil and wine, with oxen, sheep and rams,
everything that they desired, year after year, for the kings
of Persia loved the temple of our God, and its sanctuary
they greatly honoured.
LXXVIII. (1) And Cyrus reigned over all the kingdoms
of the earth, for our God strengthened his right hand
so that he subdued many nations. He (God) opened before
him the gates of iron and broke the doors of brass, and
revealed to him hidden treasures, just as He had told
through Isaiah the prophet to his people, the servants
of Jacob and Israel whom He had chosen. And the
hand of Cyrus was strengthened, and, going to battle, he
captured all the land, all the fords of India, as well as
those in the south, the whole land of Ethiopia, all the
nations dwelling in the lands of the south (Arabia), and in
the west as far as Sefarad, and in the north, the land of
Moqedon, and all the land of Kaftor and Ararat, the
whole of Alan {f?i^), Alasar (iD'PiS), and the mountains of Alaf
{^^^), i.e., the mountains of darkness, as far as the Snow
Mountains, which are impassable. The rest of his mighty
deeds and his battles, are they not written in the Book of
Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia, and in the
book of Joseph ben Gorion, the anointed priest of battle.
LXXVIII 4] 235
who was exiled from Jerusalem in the reign of Yespasianus,
and in the Book of Chronicles of the kings of Eome ?
(2) Cyrus the king ended his days in battle, and died in
the land of the Shittim ; but this need not cause surprise,
for we know that Saul, the anointed of the Lord, also died
in battle, as well as King Josiah, the beloved of God.
(3) When Cyrus went to the land of Shittim, he smote their
king at the edge of the sword, together with his warriors,
because they raised their hands against the king {i.e., him-
self). And when they fell, the Shittites fled with their
queen, Tamirah (.-n^Dn), and her son until they came to
their fortresses, and there they shut themselves in. As
soon as Cyrus saw that they had shut themselves in their
castles and that no one went out or in, he enticed them
out by a ruse, for he departed with all his camp as if
seeking to find an escape, whereupon the Shittites, with
' Tamirah's son, came out of their castles to pursue them.
When they had come out into the plain, Cyrus suddenly
turned upon them, and smote 300,000 of their warriors,
and among the slain was found the son of their queen
Tamirah. Cyrus then took all the Shittites prisoners,
except those who had escaped to the mountains with the
warriors. AVhen Tamyris saw that her son had been slain
with the other soldiers, she was exceedingly grieved, and
went wandering about the mountains and valleys of the
Shittites, lying in ambush. When Cyrus left the land of
the Shittites, he being confident of his victory, never
thought of any possible ambush ; therefore his army passed
on before him, and, being left behind with a few followers,
he encamped between two mountains and lay there down
to sleep.
(4) On the same night he was attacked by the woman, who
was like a wild beast, like a lioness bereaved of her cubs, and
like a bereaved bear. She smote the whole camp of Cyrus,
numbering 200,000 mighty men of Persia, together with
their king. Then, strengthening herself, she went to the
dead body of Cyrus, and, cutting off his head and placing it in
a leather bottle, which she filled with the blood of the slain,
236 [LXXVIII. 5
she said, * Drink and satisfy thyself with the hlood which
thou hast been so fond of shedding these thirty years with-
out tiring.'
(5) Cyrus being thus gathered to his people, Cambisa,
his son, reigned in his stead. As soon as he was enthroned
he went to Shittim and destroyed the remainder of its
inhabitants, together with their queen, Tamirah, and all her
offspring. After him, Ahasuerus arose and abohshed all
the work of the temple, for the enemies of the Jews had
increased, and had written accusations at the beginning of
Ahasuerus' reign. Thus the service of the temple was
stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius, King
of Persia.
LXXIX. (1) But our ancestors served the kings of Media
and Persia with great loyalty, for they neither did them
harm nor oppressed them. It was only in the time of
Ahasuerus that the memory of Judah was nearly destroyed
through the enmity of Haman the Amalekite, because
Mordecai, a descendant of Saul, who smote the Amalekites
from Havilah to Shur, a distance of several days, would not
rise before him. He slew more than 500,000 Amalekites,
and put to the sword their men, women, and children, to
the number of thousands of thousands. It was for this
reason that Haman, who was descended from them,
cherished that hatred against the people of Judah, and
especially against the tribe of Benjamin.
(2) Now, in the days of Ahasuerus, when Mordecai was
sitting at the gate of the king he discovered a secret plot of
two Persian princes, Bigthan and Teresh, whom he heard
whispering and plotting to sever the head of the king
while he lay in his bed, in order to carry it to the
Macedonian king, for at that time the Macedonian empire
was warring against the Persian kingdom. This plot
Mordecai revealed to Esther, and she in her turn to the
king, who commanded this act of loyalty on the part of
Mordecai to be noted down in the Book of Chronicles, as
well as the reward due to him. When, however, these two
chamberlains were hanged it incurred the wrath of Haman,
Lxxix. 4] 237
for they were his counsellors, and he, therefore, sought to
blot out the name of Judah from under the heavens. But
Mordecai discovered this plan of his and remembered the
dream he had in the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus.
(3) It was the following: There w^as a great earthquake,
accompanied by a noise and the sound of wailing in the
land, so that fear and terror fell upon all the inhabitants,
and two immense dragons with terrible noise went against
each other in battle, w^hereupon all the inhabitants ran
towards the spot. Living among them was a small nation,
and all the nations round about it rose up to destroy their
memory from the face of the earth. On that day every-
where it was thick darkness, and the small nation, being
much oppressed, cried unto the Lord. The dragons con-
tinued to fight furiously and nobody could separate them ;
when lo ! Mordecai saw a small brook of water passing
between the two dragons, which separated them, for the
brook soon grew into an overflowing river, like the over-
flowing of the Great Sea, so that it flooded the whole
earth. The sun then shone upon the earth, and the small
nation was raised to exaltation, while the proud ones were
humbled, and peace and truth were restored in the world.
(4) Mordecai from that day always nursed that dream in
his heart, and when Haman oppressed him, he said to
Esther, 'Eemember the dream I narrated to thee in the
days of thy youth. Now arise, and, beseeching the Lord for
mercy, go into the presence of Ahasuerus ; stand before
him in all thy beauty, and plead the cause of thy people
and thy kindred.' And Mordecai supplicated to God,
saying, ' It is w^ell known and revealed to the throne of
Thy glory, 0 Lord of the universe, that it was not from
pride or haughtiness I refused to bow down to this
Amalekite, but on account of the reverence I have for
Thee I opposed him, refusing to bow down, for I fear
Thee alone, 0 Lord of the universe, and would not, there-
fore, give Thine honour to flesh and blood ; therefore, I
would prostrate myself to no being except Thy holy
presence. And who am I that would not bow down to
238 [LXXTX. 5
Haman? Yet for Israel's salvation I would lick the shoe
upon his foot, and the dust upon which he walks.
(5) 0 Lord, deliver them from his hand, that he may fall
into the pit which he has dug for us, and be caught in the
net which he has spread (hidden) under the feet of Thy
pious men, that they may thereby know that Thou hast not
forgotten the oath Thou didst swear ; for Thou didst not
deliver us into captivity because Thou wert not able to save
us, but because of our sins and our iniquities, for we have
sinned against Thee. But Thou, our God, art mighty in
salvation ; therefore save us, 0 Lord, from his hand ; in our
distress we call upon Thee to protect us, and to stand up in
our midst to fight those who rise up against us. Eemember,
we beseech Thee, that we are Thy portion ; for of old, when
Thou didst give the nations their inheritance, and when
Thou didst separate the sons of men, we were Thy portion ;
the lot which Thou didst cast fell upon us to be chosen for
Thy name. (6) Why, 0 God, should our enemies say we
have no God ? why should they open wide their mouth to
swallow up Thy portion and praise their idols and vanities ?
We beseech Thee, 0 Lord, send salvation unto us ; let them
be ashamed of their idols and vanities, and let them place
their hand upon their mouth and see Thy salvation,
0 Lord. Have mercy upon Thy people, and upon Thine
inheritance. Do not close the mouths of those who praise
Thee and proclaim Thy unity evening and morning
continually. Turn our sorrow to joy and gladness, that we
may live and give Thee thanks for the blessed salvation by
which Thou wilt save us.' And all Israel cried unto the
Lord for the trouble and sorrow which had come upon
them.
Esther's Prayer.
LXXX. (1) And Esther fled to the Lord, for she feared
the evil which was growing ; and, stripping herself of her
royal garments and the ornaments of her majesty, she
clothed herself in sackcloth, and dishevelling the hair of
her head, she put dust and ashes upon it. Then, afflicting
LXXX. 3] 239
her soul with fasting, she fell upon her face in prayer,
saying, ' 0 Lord God of Israel, who art the King of kings,'
who art to be feared, who createdst the world, and who
rulest over us, help Thine handmaid in her desolation, for
she has no saviour except Thee. Behold, I dwell in the
king's palace alone, without father or mother. Like an
afflicted orphan begging charity from house to house, so do
I beg for Thy mercy, from one window to the other in the
palace of King Ahasuerus, and have done so from the time
I was brought here until this present day. (2) 0 Lord, if
it is pleasing to Thee, take my soul from my own hand ;
and if not, then deliver, I beseech Thee, the flock of Thy
pasture from those lions who have risen up against them ;
for my father taught me that Thou didst redeem our
forefathers from Egypt, and didst slay all the firstborn of
the Egyptians. Thou didst bring Thy people forth thence
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and didst
cause them to pass over the sea like a horse on dry land.
Thou didst give them food from heaven, water from the
cleft of the rock, and meat in plenty. Thou didst smite
great and mighty kings before them, and caused them to
inherit the goodly land. But when om^ ancestors sinned
against Thy great name, then didst Thou deliver them into
captivity ; and here we are in exile to this day. My father
further told me that, through Moses Thy servant. Thou
didst say, " When also they shall be in the land of their
enemies, I will never forsake them."
^ (B) ' Now, 0 Lord, Father of the fatherless, stand at the
right hand of this orphan, who trusts in Thee, and grant
me mercy when I am in the presence of King Ahasuerus,
for I fear him as a kid fears the lion. Make lowly all his
counsellors, that he may be humbled and subdued before
the grace and beauty Thou hast given me. 0 my God,
cause his heart to hate our enemies and to love Thy
servants, for the heart of kings is in Thy hand. 0 Thou
mighty, revered, and exalted God, deliver me from the fear
and trembling which have taken hold of me, that I may go
into his presence in Thy name, and come out in peace.'
240 [LXXX. 4
(4) On the third day Esther accordingly clothed herself
in royal garments, and came before the king, who was
sitting upon the throne, accompanied by her two hand-
maidens. Upon one of them she placed her right hand,
and leaned upon her, according to the royal custom, while
the other maiden followed behind her to hold up her train,
that the gold and precious stones should not touch the
ground. Before him were seated all the potentates of the
kingdom, who said one to the other, ' This woman is sure
to be killed, since she has entered here without an appointed
time.' One said, 'I will then take her royal garments';
a,nother, 'I shall take the ornaments on her feet'; and
another, ' I will take the ornaments on her hands.' When
Esther heard these remarks, she kept her face serene, and
■concealed the grief of her soul.
(5) The king, then raising his eyes to her, was much
enraged that she had transgressed the law by coming into
his presence without being called. When Esther noticed
the king's anger and fury, she trembled, and, feeling faint,
placed her head upon the maid at her right ; but our Lord
saw the oppression of His people, and had pity upon Israel
and upon the trouble of the orphan who trusted in Him, and
He made her find favour in the eyes of the king, for the
Lord added beauty to her beauty and majesty to her majesty,
and the king, rising in haste from his throne, ran towards
Esther, and embraced and kissed her, and, taking her in
his arms, said to her, ' What is this fear, 0 Queen Esther?
for this decree of ours does not apply to thee, since thou art
the queen, my friend and companion ;' and, taking up the
golden sceptre, he placed it into her hand, and added,
' Why dost thou not speak to me ?' And Esther replied,
* When I saw thee, 0 lord, my soul trembled before thine
honour, and on account of the greatness of thy glory.'
(6) She then leaned her head once more upon her
handmaid, for she was faint from fasting and from
trouble. The king, however, was now very much alarmed
at this, and wept before his wife, while all his ministers
■entreated her to speak to the king, in order to appease
LXXXI. 2] 241
his soul. And the Lord brought about that great
salvation through Queen Esther and Mordecai. Haman
and his sons were hanged upon the gallows, and all those
who devised evil against Israel were slain at the edge of
the sword, and Mordecai from that day forth was honoured
in the king's palace.
[This is the letter which Haman sent (to the nations), for
the purpose of causing the house of Jacob to perish.]
LXXXI. (1) 'I, Haman, who am great before the king,
and second to him, who am the chief of the potentates, and
seventh among the princes, and who am the most favoured
in the kingdom — I, Haman, do write with the consent of
all the prefects (eparchs), governors, rulers, and of all the
kings of the East who lend their aid, and with the consent
of all the royal princes. We all with one consent, with one
mouth, with one speech, and in one language, write down,
with the permission of King Ahasuerus, and seal it with
his ring, so that it cannot be retracted, concermng the
great eagle, whose wings were spread over the whole world,
so that no bird, beast, or animal was able to stand before
it, until the great Mede arose and smote it with one great
blow, by which its wings were broken, its feathers plucked
out, and its legs cut off, thereby giving the whole world
rest, peace, and tranquillity, from the time it wandered
from its nest until this very day. We now see that it
wishes to grow and to increase its feathers and to spread
out its wings again to cover us and the whole world, and
to rend us in pieces in the same manner as it rent our fore-
fathers who preceded us.
(2) ' On this account all the great men of Media and
Persia have here assembled, and with the permission
of the king we all of us with one counsel write to you
to spread out nets to catch this eagle, whose strength again
increases, and bring her back to her nest, to pluck out
her feathers and to break her wings, to give her flesh to
the birds of the heaven, to destroy her seed, to crush her
young, and to root out her memory from the world. Our
16
242 [Lxxxi. 3
counsel is not like Pharaoh's, who decreed only concerning
the males, leaving the females ; nor as Esau's, who said,
" Now that the days of my father's mourning draw nigh,
I will kill my brother Jacob, and make his sons my
servants " ; nor like Amalek's, who pursued Israel, and
slew the weak, but let the strong remain ; nor like
Nebuchadnezzar's, who exiled them, and, giving them rest,
promoted some to the throne of the kingdom ; nor like
Sennacherib's, who brought them to a land like their own ;
(3) but with a united wish, we have decided to destroy and
to blot out all the Jews, young and old, women and children,
and all on one day, so that there be no seed left in the world,
that their children act not as they did to our ancestors, to
our fathers, and our great men, for those who did good to
them they rewarded with evil. We would be justified even
if we took only revenge for Pharaoh, who did many good
deeds for them, for he made Joseph, a servant, king over
them and over all Egypt, and when his father and brothers
came to him, he gave them the very best part of the
land to dwell in, and maintained them during the years
of famine, so that his people increased and multiplied in
the land, and a prophet arose among them, Moses by
name, the son of Amram. He was a wizard, and brought
upon Pharaoh, upon his household, and upon his land,
great plagues, awful and extraordinary. The people then
rose up in the middle of the night like thieves, and,
after robbing their neighbours, went out of the land. But
Pharaoh, with his army, pursued them for their property,
and they entered the sea through the enchantments of the
Israelites ; but they did not know by what means they had
entered, and they were all drowned in the sea, thus return-
ing evil for good.
(4) ' When they arrived in the wilderness, a certain
old man, a descendant of Esau, offered them a feast in
honour of their ancestor Jacob, and after they had eaten
and drunk and enjoyed his feast — Joshua their wizard did
not cease with his enchantments — but they spread their
hands and whispered with their lips, until our ancestors
Lxxxi. 6] 243
became weak through him, as it is said, " And Joshua
weakened them "; nor was this alone sufficient for them,
but they made a decree that our name should be blotted
out, as it is said, " Thou shalt destroy the memory of
Amalek." They did likewise to the kings of Midian who
dwelt there, for they spoiled and slew the Midianite kings,
their prophets and their priest they slew at the edge of
the sword, and had no mercy upon them, as it is said,
" And Balaam, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword,
also Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings." Also the
thirty-one kings and seventy elders. Then arose their
king, Saul, who destroyed all the seed of Amalek, and
had not our ancestor Agag been preserved, there would
not have been one single survivor. They strengthened
themselves against our kingdom, and destroyed us, not by
means of the spear or the sword, but, having built a large
house, they entered therein, and when they came out, they
caused the nations to fall down before their words by
means of their wiles.'
(5) "When the nations of the world read this writing,
they sent back word to Haman, saying, * Whatever thou
hast written we know, but we fear lest they do the same to
us as they did to our forefathers and our ancestors, for we
shall perish at their hands. Cease, therefore, from them,
for whoever touches them touches the apple of God's eye,
for they are called " The people near to Him," as it is said,
" And the children of Israel are the people near to Him ; they
are His beloved. His treasure, and His inheritance." Now,
Haman, what wilt thou do ? for see what happens to those
who pursue them, see how the mighty men of the world
have fallen beneath them. We therefore do not wish to
lay hand upon them, for their God has called them the
stone of foundation, and whenever it is moved He shall
replace it.'
(6) Haman once more wTote to them, saying that ' their
God, whom you fear so much, does not fight their battles,
nor does He avenge their wrongs ; He only did so in His
youth, but now He has become weak, and has no more
16—2
244 [LXXXI. 7
power to wreak vengeance ; for if He had, why did He not
deliver them from Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed His house,
burnt His temple, and slew His young men, and before
whom He had no power, for the remnant was then exiled
to his land (Babylon). And now though they are prisoners
in our hands, we wish to intermarry with them, but they do
not wish it. They, on the contrary, despise us, and
account us as reptiles and creeping things ; if a fly happens
to fall into one of their cups, he throws it out and drinks
the wine, and if one of us happens to touch the cup of one
of them, he throws it on the ground and breaks it. If we
ask them for anything, although we desire to return them
double, in order to unite them to us, they do not wish it,
but despise us and our kingdom. It is therefore our desire,
with the king's consent, as well as the consent of the
princes, rulers, governors, and pashas, to destroy them
utterly from the world, both young and old, women and
children, in one day, as it is said, " Come, and let us
destroy them." '
(7) As soon as the surrounding nations heard this, with
one accord they consented to destroy the Israelites, as
it is said, ' Those kings counselled together,' etc. One
day when Haman was walking along, with the princes of
the kingdom following him, Mordecai, while walking in
front of them, met three children just coming from school,
and said to them, ' Tell me each of you what lesson you
have learnt to-day.' The first one replied, ' Do not be
hastily terrified.' The second replied, ' Take counsel
together, and it shall be brought to nought;' and the
third said, ' Until old age I am He.' On hearing these
replies Mordecai rejoiced, and gave thanks to God. When
Haman met him, he said, ' What did these children tell
thee?' And he replied, 'They told me good tidings.' At
this Haman's anger was kindled, and he commanded the
children to be captured, saying, ' I will stretch forth my
hand first against these children.' [End of the letter.]
LXXXII. (1) E. Isaak Kapha said Haman worked cun-
ningly against Israel, for it is written, ' And when these days
LXXXIT. 3] 245
were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people.'
' The people ' here referred to is Israel. Haman said to
Ahasuerus, ' The God of these people hates lewdness, for it
is written in the Torah, " Thou shalt not commit adultery." '
He, therefore, brought together lewd women, and making
the banquet for them, decreed that they should comply with
any man's wish, so as not to give the accused the excuse
of saying that they had been forced to do such a thing
by a decree of the king. As soon, however, as Mordecai
perceived this, he said to the people, ' Do not go to this
banquet, that you may not be led into temptation.' But
the Jews disregarded Mordecai's advice, and went.
(2) R. Levi said that 18,560 men went to this banquet,
and ate and drank until they were intoxicated with the
wine. Our sages say that while they were at the table
of this wicked man, Satan appeared before God, and
accused Israel in these words, ' 0 Lord of the universe,
how long wilt Thou cleave to this nation, who turn their
hearts from Thee, who forsake Thee, and separate them-
selves from Thee ? Moreover, they do not turn to Thee in
repentance, although the verse has been fulfilled in which
it is written, '' I shall scatter you among the heathen."
Therefore, if it is Thy will, let them perish from the world.'
But God asked, 'What will become of My law?' And
he replied, ' Let it remain for the higher beings.' Then
said the Holy One, blessed be He, ' My mind is satisfied to
destroy Israel.' (3) At that moment He wished to blot
Israel out of the world, as it is said, ' I shall cease to
remember man.' ' What is this nation to Me,' said the
Lord, 'for whom My sorrow increases every day?' And
God said to Satan, 'Go, and bring Me a scroll, that I
may write thereon their destruction.' When Satan went
out to fetch the scroll, he came face to face with the
Law, which came forth to meet him in widow's garments
groaning and weeping, and at the voice of her weeping
the ministering angels cried, saying, 'If the Israelites
are to be destroyed, what is the use of us?' And they
wept aloud, as it is said, ' The Arelim cried abroad, and
246 [LXXXII. 4
the angels of peace wept bitterly.' As soon as the sun,
moon, stars, and planets heard it they clothed themselves
with sackcloth, and lifted up their voice in lamentation,
as it is said, ' The heavens and the earth clothed them-
selves in blackness, and girded themselves with sackcloth ;'
as it is said, ' I will clothe the heavens with blackness,
and make sackcloth their garment.' Then they all ex-
claimed, ' 0 Lord of the universe, shall Israel be destroyed,
who go from door to door wishing to study the law,
observe the Sabbath, circumcision, and the commandments,
and for whose sakes we were created? as it is said, " If not
for My covenant, the day and the night and the ordinances
of heaven and earth would not have been founded," and
now shall they perish from the world?'
(4) At that moment Elijah w^ent to beseech the righteous
men of yore, the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and said to them, ' 0 patriarchs, do ye not know that
the heavens and the earth and all the heavenly host weep
in the day, and cry in the night, and that the whole
world is now like a travailing woman, while ye remain
silent?' 'But why is this?' said they. 'Because Israel
has been handed over to the slaughterer like sheep, to be
blotted out from the face of the earth, and their name is to
perish, as it is said, " Come, and let us destroy them." '
Then said Moses to Elijah, ' Is there a righteous man in
this generation ?' And he replied, ' Yes, there is one, and
his name is Mordecai, the son of Jair.' ' Then go, and tell
him to supplicate continually for mercy, and I shall do
likewise.' 'But,' said Elijah, 'Moses, 0 faithful shepherd,
against thy flock the decree has already been written down,
and now they desire to put the seal on it.'
(5) ' Notice,' then said Moses to Elijah, ' whether it has
been sealed with clay, for then our prayers may still be
heard ; but if it is sealed with blood, then what has been
decreed will happen.' After this conversation Elijah, of
blessed memory, forthwith went to Mordecai, as it is said,
'And Mordecai knew all that had happened,' and when
he heard this, he rent his clothes, as it is said, ' And
LXXXII. 8] 247
Mordecai rent his clothes.' Then said Mordecai before God,
' 0 Lord of the universe, Thou hast sworn to our fore-
fathers to make their seed as numerous as the stars of
the heavens, and now we are accounted for as sheep to be
slaughtered. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy
servants.'
(6) Then, gathering all the children of the school together,
he afflicted them by depriving them of bread and water,
and, clothing them in sackcloth, he placed them on ashes,
so that they cried day and night, while the wicked Haman
went to his house rejoicing, as it is written, ' And on that
day Haman went home rejoicing, and with a merry heart,
and calling his friends, -said, " Thus and thus has Queen
Esther done." And he told them of his greatness, adding,
'' But all this is not enough for me." And Zeresh, his wife,
said to him to erect gallows for Mordecai, and it pleased him,
and he erected a gallows. Cutting down a cedar from his
garden, 50 cubits high and 15 cubits wide, he brought it
out, and fixed it near his door, all the while singing praises
and songs, and thinking in his heart that at the time of
the reading of the ' Shema' ' he would hang Mordecai
thereon. On the same day that he fixed it, it fell upon
him ; but Gabriel replaced it in its position, saying to him,
' To thee belongs this beautiful tree, and for thee was it
established from the creation.'
(7) Haman then went out to seek Mordecai, and found
him sitting at the head of the children, while they sat upon
ashes girded with sackcloth, lamenting and crying. Having
beaten them with chains of iron, he appointed keepers over
them, saying, ' First shall these be slain, and afterwards I
will hang Mordecai the Jew.' Their mothers then brought
them bread and water, saying to them, ' Eat and drink, my
children, before you die'; but they refused, and, swearing
by the life of Mordecai, they placed their hands upon their
books, and said, ' We shall not eat anything at all, but
shall die in our fast.' (8) After rolling up his scroll, each
one of them placed it at his heart, and when the hours of
the night passed by their lamentation was heard on high,
248 [LXXXIII. 1
and the supplications of the patriarchs. The Holy One
said, ' I hear the voices of kids and goats;' at which Moses
replied, ' 0 Lord God of the universe, Father of the father-
less, and Judge of the widows, these are not kids and goats,
but the young of Thy people of the house of Israel, who sit
fasting now for three days and three nights, bound in
chains of iron ; but to-morrow they are to be slaughtered
like kids and goats, while the heart of the enemy re joiceth.'
The mercy of God was then moved for them, so that He
broke the seals, rent the decree, and frustrated the counsel
of Haman and his plans, causing the salvation of Israel and
Mordecai to spring forth, thus fulfilling what is written, ' I
shall cut off the horns of the wicked ; but the horns of the
righteous shall be raised on high.'
LXXXIII. (1) It is written. On that same night the sleep
of the king was disturbed. God at that time said to the
patriarchs, ' They have been condemned to destruction ;'
they replied, ' 0 Lord of the universe, for what reason ?'
' Because in the time of Nebuchadnezzar they did not
sanctify My name, and made Me to be one who hath no
power to deliver.' Whereupon they replied, ' Now, 0
Lord, do unto them what seems good to Thee.' But as
soon as God saw that they bowed to justice. He arose from
His throne of justice, and sat upon the throne of mercy.
Then did the heavenly host address God, saying, ' Didst
Thou not create the whole world for the sake of the Torah,
which Thou gavest to Israel? do not all things exist for
their sake ? as it is said, " If not for My covenant I w^ould
not have created day and night." Therefore, if Thou
destroyest this nation, what shall become of us ?' But
God replied, ' My children have not done well.' ' 0 Lord
of the w^orld,' added they, ' it is revealed and known to Thee
that they did this from fear.'
(2) The Lord was then filled with mercy for Israel, and,
calling to the trees of the creation, He said, ' Who of you
will be willing to serve as gallows for the wicked ?' And
the fig-tree replied, ' I am ready to be the gallows to hang
that wicked man ; for from me the Israelites brought the
Lxxxiii. 5] 249
first ripe fruits into the temple, and not only this, but
they were compared to me,' as it is said, ' I saw your
fathers as the first ripe fruit on the fig-tree in its bud.'
The vine also said, ' I will offer myself, for from me they
obtained the drink-offering for the temple ; and, moreover,
to me they were compared,' as it is said, ' Israel is a
budding vine.'
(3) Then said the pomegranate, ' I will offer myself,
for the Israelites were compared to me,' as it is said, ' Like
the heart of a pomegranate is thy temple.' And the
walnut said, 'I will offer myself, for the Israelites were
compared to me,' as it is said, ' I descended to the garden
of nuts.' The citron also exclaimed, ' I will offer myself,
for the Israelites praised God through me,' as it is said,
'And ye shall take you the fruit of goodly trees.' The
willows of the brook said, ' They were compared to me,' as
it is said, ' And they shall spring up among the grass, as
willows by the water-courses.' The olive said, ' I will offer
myself, for from me they kindled the lights in the temple,'
as it is said, ' And they shall take unto me pure olive-oil ' ;
* they were, moreover, compared to me,' as it is said, ' His
majesty is like the olive, and, further, the green olive whose
fruit is beautiful to look at.'
(4) The apple also said, ' I will offer myself, for the
Israelites were compared to me,' as it is said, ' And the
sweet smell of thy breath is like apples.' The cedar said,
' I will offer myself, for from me the holy temple was built,
besides which the Israelites were compared to me,' as it is
said, 'He shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon.' The
thorn next said, 'I will serve as gallows, for the wicked
were compared to me,' as it is said, ' But the ungodly shall
he all as thorns to be thrust away.'
(5) As soon as the thorn had offered itself, the Lord
silenced all the trees of the creation, saying, ' Since thou
•offerest thyself, this wicked man, who desires to destroy
My children, shall be hanged upon thee.' And at that
moment that wicked man, summoning his wise men, said
unto them, ' I will erect a tree, to hang Mordecai thereon.
250 [LXXXIII. 6
50 cubits high, that all the surrounding countries may see
him hanging.' ' But there is no tree as high as that,
except in thine own house.' This wicked man then
destroyed the hall of his own house in order to obtain the
materials required for the gallows, and taking the beam of
thorn from his house, he fixed it ; but it fell upon him, and
thereby took his measurement. Then exclaimed Gabriel,
' This tree has been prepared for thee from the creation.'
(6) The sages say that Michael came to the bedside of
Ahasuerus in the night, and disturbed his sleep, for he
knocked him on the ground 366 times. When he arose, in
great anger, he saw three companies before him, one of
butchers, one of bakers, and the third of butlers, and said
to them, ' Ye have given me poison, and you seek to kill me
and to blot me out from the world.' But they answered,
' The same bread that Queen Esther and Haman ate thou
atest, and the wine they drank thou also drankest. Let us
see Esther and Haman, and if they are as thou art, then
thou doest rightly ; but if not, then why should we be
killed ?'
(7) When they found that Esther and Haman had suffered
no harm, the king ordered the Book of Chronicles to be
brought before him. On that same night Gabriel appeared
in his dream before Ahasuerus, in the likeness of Haman,
with a drawn sword in his hand, seeking to kill him. Rising
confusedly from his sleep he exclaimed, ' Who is in the
court ?' And the young chamberlains of the king replied,
' Haman is in the court.' Then he thought, and said,
' The dream I have dreamt is true, and he has come here
for no other reason than to slay me.' Then, commanding
Haman to come into his presence, he said, ' I know that
thou art a man of thought, and whoever follows thy counsel
never fails. What shall be done to the man whom the
king delights to honour ?' Pievolving this in his mind,
Haman thought, ' Whom can the king desire to honour
more than me ?'
(8) He therefore said to the king : ' Let the man whom
the king desires to honour be clothed in the royal garments,.
LXXXIV. 2] 251
and let one of the greatest men of the kmgdom walk m
front of him and proclaim aloud these words, "Whoever
will not bend himself or bow down before him shall be
slain," and in addition, let the king's daughter be given
him.' Then said the king to Haman, ' Go and do likewise
to Mordecai the Jew who sits in the gate of the king.' ' But
there are many Mordecais who sit in the king's gate, and
is not a small province sufficient for him ?' asked Haman.
The king said, ' Let no word fail from all that thou hast
said.'
[End of the letter of Haman. This is a Midrash, and is
not to be found in the Book of Josippon.]
The Throne of Solomon, King of Israel.
LXXXIV. (1) 'In those days, when Ahasuerus sat (upon
the throne).' The word nn::'D can only be understood as
meaning ' sitting on a throne,' as it is said, 'When Ahasuerus
sat upon the throne of his kingdom ;' but with reference to
Solomon, it is said, ' And Solomon sat upon the throne of
the Lord as king over Israel.' It is related that the
assembly of Israel said unto God, ' 0 Lord of the universe,
this wicked man sits in the same place where Solomon has
been sitting ; do not make abominable the throne of Thy
glory.' In the third year of his reign — for he busied him-
self with this throne for three years — he sent for workmen
to make a throne like unto that of Solomon, but they were
unable to do so.
(2) And what was the throne of Solomon ? The sages
say that Solomon mounted his throne by six different
ways, each way having steps. On each step there were
two lions, one on the right and the other on the left, who
did not remain quiet, but were active. And what did they
do ? When Solomon went up on the first step, the lions
on the right stretched out their paws upon which a writing
was engraved. He could not place his foot on the second
step until he had read what was written on the lions'
paws. It was, 'Ye shall not respect persons in judgment.'
252 [Lxxxiv. 3
Turning now to the left, he read what the other lions had
written on their paws, ' Thou shalt not accept any bribe.'
(3) Thus at every step he had to read some portion of the
law of judgment. All the steps were set with precious
stones and pearls, red, white and green. Kinds of trees
and species of the palm-trees were fixed on both sides of
each step, and upon their branches there nestled all kinds
of eagles, peacocks and birds. On the highest step were
two huge pillars of ivory on the heads of the lions, and two
golden hollow vines fragrant with every kind of perfume,
which they exhaled whenever Solomon ascended the throne.
The throne itself was made of ivory, overlaid with the gold
of Ophir, and surrounded with precious stones and pearls.
On either side of the throne a golden seat of honour was
placed, one for Gad the seer, and the other for Nathan the
prophet. (4) And seventy other seats of gold for the seventy
judges of the Sanhedrim formed a circle round the central
throne. In front of it was a lamp of gold, with its snuffers
and censers and other appurtenances ; and on one side of this
lamp were seen in sculptured work the seven patriarchs of
the world, viz., Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Job, while on the other side were the seven pious men
of the world, viz., Kehath, Amran, Moses, Aaron, Eldad,
Medad and Hur, and on the top the form of a priest was
seen kindling the light.
(5) On the steps approaching the throne were placed as
many unclean animals as clean, all facing each other, on
the first step the ox was placed opposite the lion ; on the
second, the goat opposite the wolf ; on the third (third
missing) ; on the fourth, the bear opposite the hart ; on
the fifth, the eagle opposite the dove ; and on the sixth, the
hawk opposite the turtledove. The ascent to the throne
was made between these animals. As soon as Solomon
placed his foot on the first step he turned round, and the
lion immediately stretched out its paw on the right and
the eagle its talon on the left. Upon these he leaned,
and was spared the trouble of ascending himself because
the same thing was done by the different animals and
LXXXIY. 8] 253
birds on each until he arrived at the top. (6) Then all
the birds of every species began to chirp and sing, and
the peacocks to shriek, and all the trees emitted their
fragrant perfumes. A serpent of gold then encircled him,
and, having seated him upon his throne, crept down
beneath his feet. The eagles, nestling on the vines after
wafting breezes of perfume with their wings, placed the
crown upon his head, and, this done, all the beasts and
birds with one accord exclaimed, ' Long may the kingdom
of the house of David be established.' (7) After this a dove
of gold opposite the throne brought a scroll of the law and
placed it upon his knees. Then, laying it upon a golden
reading-desk just by the throne, he read it to fulfil
what is written, ' And it shall remain with him, and he
shall read therein all the days of his life.' Every step
on the throne contained some verse in praise of the
law\ On the first was written, ' The law of the Lord is
perfect, refreshing the soul.' On the second, ' The testi-
mony of the Lord is faithful, making the foolish (simple)
wise.' On the third, ' The precepts of the Lord are just,
rejoicing the heart. ■* On the fourth, ' The commandment
of the Lord He created as an enlightenment to the eyes.'
On the fifth, ' The fear of the Lord is pure, lasting for
ever.' On the sixth, ' The judgments of the Lord are true,
and are righteous, all of them.'
(8) When the people approached Solomon for judgment,
the wheels of his throne turned, the oxen lowed, the lions
roared, the bears howded, the lambs bleated, the eagles
cried, the peacocks shrieked, the cocks crowed, the haw-ks
screamed, and all the birds chirped, to terrify the plain-
tiffs and the witnesses, so that they did not plead wrong
cases, and the witnesses w^ere not testifying falsely. On
account of all this, it is said, ' The like of it will never be
made in any kingdom.' When Ahasuerus was king, he
tried for three years to have a throne made like that of
Solomon, but in vain. [End of the throne of Solomon.]
254 [Lxxxv. 1
The Book of the Maccabee.
LXXXV. (1) In the first year of his reign, Cyrus tried
to build the temple, but when Ahasuerus arose he pro-
hibited it, and attempted to uproot the vineyard (of the
Lord), but God exterminated him and the wicked Haman
from the world, and he died. His son succeeded him.
These are the kings mentioned, ' Darius,' ' Cyrus,' and
' Artaxerxes.' Then the people believed the prophets and
were prosperous. In the second year of his reign he allowed
the Jews to return to Jerusalem to erect the holy temple
and repair Jerusalem without let or hindrance. This was,
indeed, a complete redemption. Then did Ezra, Zerub-
babel, and his company for the second time go up to
Jerusalem with another generation of the captivity, and
they rebuilt Jerusalem and its walls. The towers they
erected were very high and strong, and the temple contained
more than did the first one, so that the first temple was
deemed insignificant in comparison to it. The people on
this account served Cyrus loyally for thirty-four years.
(2) After the rebuilding of the temple, Zerubbabel
returned to Babylon and there died. His son, Meshullam,
succeeded him, and in his days, in the fifty- second year of
the kingdom of the Medes and Persians, the kingdom was
formed. The last prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and
Malachi, died at that time, and from that day prophecy
ceased to exist in Israel, and the Echo of the Heavenly
Voice (Bath Kol) took its place, and after that they had to
consult the sages, until the Messiah will come and show
us the right way.
(3) Thirty-four years after the rebuilding of the temple,
Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, reigned, until Alexander the
Macedonian, and first King of Greece, rose up against him
in battle, and having killed him, took his kingdom. He
reigned over Israel two years and captured every kingdom ;
he made the whole world subservient to him, for at that
time, thirty-four years after the rebuilding of the temple,
Alexander the Great was crowned, the son of Philippus,
LXXXV. 5] 255
King of Macedon, for he made the name of the Macedonian
nation great, and smote the whole country. When he
waged war against Darius he smote the land of Egypt, and
slew in Alexandria double as many Jews as went out of
Egypt. After conquering Edom, he marched along the
sea-shore until he came to Acco, which he conquered, as
well as Ashkalon and 'Aza. He then turned to go up to
Jerusalem to smite it, because the Jews had made a covenant
with Darius. After journeying with all his camp some
distance, he arrived at a lodge, where he and his army
encamped.
(4) On the same night, while he was lying in his bed in
his tent, he opened his eyes and beheld a man standing
over him, clothed in white linen, and with a drawn sword
in his hand. The appearance of the sword was like
lightning on a rainy day. When he lifted the sword over
the head of the king, he was greatly afraid, and said, * Why
will my lord smite his servant?' And the man replied,
' God hath sent me to conquer kings and many nations
before thee, and I will go before thee to render thee
assistance, but know now that thou shalt surely be slain,
because thy heart is bent upon going to Jerusalem in
order to injure God's priests and God's people.' ' I
beseech thee, 0 lord,' replied the king, ' pardon the sin of
thy servant, and if it is evil in thine eyes, I will return to
my home.' 'Do not be afraid,' said the man; * go thy
way to Jerusalem, and when thou comest before the gate
of the city and seest a man clothed in white like me,
having an appearance and form like mine, do thou
immediately make thy obeisance to him and bow thyself
to the ground before him ; do whatever he bids thee and
do not transgress his word, for the very day that thou
rebellest against his word thou shalt be slain.'
(5) The king accordingly arose and went on his way to
Jerusalem. When the High Priest heard that the king
was coming against Jerusalem in great anger, he was
exceedingly afraid, as were all the people, and he with the
people went out at the gate of the city, and he stood
256 [Lxxxv. G
before them clothed in white Hnen. As soon as Alexander
beheld the priest, quickly dismounting from his chariot,
he fell upon his face and bowed dow^n to him. But the
generals of Alexander became very angry at this, and said,
' Why dost thou bow down to a man who has no strength
for battle ?' And the king replied, ' Because the man that
goeth in front of me to subdue all the nations before me
is in appearance and form like this man. I therefore
bow down to him.'
(6) Then, going into our holy temple, he said to the priest,
' I will have my statue erected here, and will give much
gold to the workmen, that it may be a remembrance of me.
And they shall erect it between the Holy of Holies and the
temple, so that my image be a remembrance in this great
house of God.' But the priest replied, ' Present the gold
for the maintenance of God's priests and the poor of His
people, and I shall cause thee to be remembered for good,
as thou wishest. All the children of the priests that are
born this year shall be called by thy name, Alexander, and
thou shalt be remembered when they w^orship in this
house ; but it is not permitted to place a graven image or
any likeness in the house of our God.' The king then gave
the gold according to the priest's request.
(7) He asked him to inquire of God on his behalf
whether he should go to war with Darius, or abandon the
plan. And the priest replied, ' He will surely be delivered
into thy hand.' Then, bringing the Book of Daniel, he
showed him the passage concerning the ram that gores on
all sides, and the young of the goats which runs up to him
and tramples upon him. ' Thou,' added he, ' art the young
of the goats and Darius is the ram. Thou shalt therefore
trample upon him and seize his kingdom.' Thereupon
Alexander went to battle, and having slain Darius, captured
all his kingdom, so that the Persian kingdom ceased to
exist. Alexandria in Egypt was made the royal city.
(8) He ruled over all the nations just as a shepherd rules
over his flock. He soon went over to India, travelling
right across the country to its extremity, and extended his
Lxxxvi. 2] 257
dominion, as we learn from the Talmud. E. Jose said,
' For six years he reigned in Elam, and afterwards spread
his kingdom over the whole world.' He reigned altogether
twelve years, and when he was on his way home to his
house he died. Before his death, he divided his kingdom
among his four chieftains. He made Ptolemy, the son of
Lagi i^^iih), King of Egypt ; Phillipos his brother King
of Macedon, and Seleucus and Nicanor Kings of Syria and
Babylon respectively ; lastly, he made Antiochus, the great
enemy of the Jews, King of Asia (n*^di;).' Daniel
prophesied this event when he said that the goat would
gore the ram and break down his kingdom, which would
be given to the four winds of the heaven.
LXXXVI. (1) When Seleucus reigned over Macedonia, a
very wicked, rebellious man of our own people, Simeon of
the tribe of Benjamin, went to Seleucus, and, slandering
the Jews, informed him of the riches contained in the
temple at Jerusalem, saying that the treasures were
heaped up in the treasury in endless quantities, and an
abundance of gold and precious stones, and that it would
be preferable to have it all placed in the treasury of
Seleucus. The king thereupon sent for Eliodorus, the
captain of his host, and bade him go to Jerusalem with his
armies. On his arrival, Honiah the priest said to him,
' Why has my lord come to his servants ?' ' Because of
the vast amount of gold and precious stones which, the
king has been informed, is contained in the treasury of
your temple.' ' The only gold in the treasury,' said the
priest, ' is that which King Seleucus and other kings
presented to us, for the maintenance of orphans, widows
and the poor. For this, we pray to God to grant long life
to the king and his sons.'
(2) Eliodorus, however, would not listen to the priest,
but placed guards round the temple until the following day,
when the city was in great uproar through the lamenta-
tion and cries of the people. The priests also called upon
their God, and the old men and women and princes covered
themselves with ashes and afflicted their souls with fasting.
17
258 [LXXXVI. 3
They withheld food from even the young, and milk from
the sucklings. They cried to God to guard the treasury
and the riches deposited therein. Even the young virgins
spread out their hands through the windows of their
houses, and besought the Lord for protection. And as to
Honiah the priest, he afflicted his soul (by fasting), and
having stripped himself of his garments of honour, clothed
himself in sackcloth and ashes, for he was grief-stricken,
and, from his appearance, one could imagine the sorrow
that was in his heart.
(3) On the next day the enemy came with all his hosts
and went into the temple shouting, but the Lord caused
a strong and mighty sound of thunder to be heard, to-
gether with an earthquake, and a tempest that overthrew
mountains and shattered rocks. On hearing this, all his
troops took to flight, and hid themselves wherever they
could, so that he (Eliodorus) remained alone, and, lifting
up his eyes, he saw an awe-inspiring man clothed in gold,
decked with precious stones, and girt with implements of
war. He was riding a splendid horse, that was plunging
and rearing, trotting and galloping in the temple. Helio-
dorus immediately ran away, but the horse felled him to
the ground, standing over him. The man then commanded
his two young servants, clothed in white linen, with staves
in their hands, to smite Eliodorus very severely ; and the
two young men at his bidding stood one on each side of
him, and beat him mercilessly until he became insensible
and hovered between life and death.
(4) Young priests came then, and lifting him on their
shoulders, carried him into his tent and placed him in his
bed, where he lay motionless and dumb. He could neither
speak nor partake of any food. When the elders of Macedon
saw him in this state, they came to Honiah the priest, and,
crying, entreated him in the following manner, ' 0 my lord,
we beseech thee, pray for thy servant Eliodorus and all
his servants who have come with him, that we may live and
not die, for we know that there is no other God except
yours, since all the gods of the nations are vanity and
LXXXVII. 2] 259
emptiness, whilst yours is the God that created the world,
and in whose hand is the soul of every living being.'
(5) The priest, then praying to God, offered up burnt-
offerings and sacrifices, and the two young men that smote
Eliodorus by the temple appeared to him and said, 'Arise,
go to Honiah the priest, and bow down to his feet, since for
his sake the Lord has had mercy upon thee.' Eliodorus
accordingly arose, and, going to the priest, prostrated him-
self, and blessing the Lord and the priest, gave much gold
and silver to the treasury of the house of the Lord. Then
hastening to Macedonia, he went to Seleucus the king, who
asked, 'What of Jerusalem?' And Eliodorus replied, 'If
thou hast any enemies that seek thy life, send them at once
to Jerusalem, and let them go into the temple, where they
will surely be killed, for the great God reigns in that place,
and destroys all the enemies of Jerusalem and Judah.' He
then told the king all that he had witnessed. And Seleucus
no more sent his army to Jerusalem to do evil, but, on the
contrary, every year until his death he sent a present to the
temple, and the kings of the land loved to send their
offerings to honour the temple at Jerusalem.
LXXXVII. (1) Now, Ptolemy the Macedonian, who was
made King of Egypt, was a wise and clever king, who
delighted much in books. He, therefore, commanded his
two officers to collect very many of them. The names
of these princes were Aristios and Andrios. Having
collected together many Median and Persian books,
besides others in all kinds of languages, the king said to
them, ' How many books have you obtained ?' ' Nine
hundred and fifty,' they replied. Ptolemy laughed at this,
and said, ' Go and add another fifty to make a thousand.'
(2) But Aristios and Andrios replied, '0 my lord, it
is in vain that we weary ourselves to obtain these books,
since they are useless. Now, if it please the king, let him
write to the priest at Jerusalem, and he will send thee some
wise men of that place, conversant with the Greek language,
who will explain to thee their law, which is the holy
writing, but the books we have copied are of no use.'
17—2
260 [LXXXVII. 3
(3) Acting upon their advice, the king made such a
request of the priest who was in those days, and the high
priest sent him seventy priests with Eleazar as their
chief, the same Eleazar who was afterwards tried during
the reign of Antiochus, and who died a martyr's death for
his God.
(4) When Eleazar and these seventy priestly interpreters
came to Egypt, Ptolemy, having put them in seventy
different houses, one distinct from the other, provided each
one with a scribe, and the priests interpreted the whole
twenty-four books of the law, which these seventy elders
then translated from Hebrew into Greek. As soon as it
was finished, Eleazar brought the various copies to the
king, who, after reading each one of them, found that they
were all of one mind, and that the interpretations of all
were identical. (5) The king was much rejoiced at this,
and, presenting Eleazar and the seventy elders with much
money, sent them back to Jerusalem. He further gave
150,000 men of Judah their freedom, besides presenting
them each with fifty drachmas of gold, and a table of pure
gold weighing 1,000 talents for the temple. Upon it he
engraved the land of Egypt, and the course of the river
Nile in Egypt, by which the country is watered, and inlaid
it with precious stones, so that the like of it had never been
seen in all the land. This the King Ptolemy sent as a
present to the temple of the great and awe-inspiring God
of the whole world.
(6) A long time after this, Antiochus was made King of
Macedonia, while Ptolemy, King of Egypt, was gathered to
his people, and another Ptolemy succeeded him. But
Antiochus rose up against him, and having slain him,
captured the whole land of Egypt, over which he reigned.
(7) In those days fierce battles began to be fought against
the people of Judah, for after Antiochus had smitten Egypt
he became very proud, and issued a proclamation to every
people, commanding them to bow down to the image of the
king. And all the nations obeyed. But the godless men
of our people, Menelaos, Simeon, Alkimos, and others,
LXXXVIII. 2] 261
incited Antiochus to do evil to the Israelites. At this time
a great miracle was seen in Jerusalem. There were seen
forty men riding between heaven and earth on what seemed
like horses of fire. The riders carried in their hands
partly golden implements of war, with which they fought
one against the other for forty days. At this the wicked
men of our people went to King Antiochus, and said,
* Behold, we have seen a miracle in Jerusalem, and the
people say that Antiochus the king is dead, and are
rejoicing at the downfall of our lord.' (8) The king was
greatly angered at this, and immediately went to Jerusalem
and smote them with the edge of the sword, so that there
was a great slaughter in the city. A great multitude were
sent into exile, and the assembly of the Hassidim scattered.
They fled to the forest, and fed upon the grass as animals,
and hid themselves in the forest like wild beasts, for
Antiochus was not satisfied with slaying many, but he sent
many more into captivity, and when he left the land of
Judah, he left his ofiicers to afilict the people, and he left
Phillipos the Pelusian. They are Phrygians (nna ^D^psD),
and so are also the Trojans (^J''nn), of whom the Eomans
are descended. Phillipos belonged to that race. The king
left him there to oppress the Israelites, commanding him
thus, * Whoever is willing to bow down to the image I set
up, and to eat of the flesh of the swine, shall live, but all
who refuse shall be slain without mercy. Prohibit also this
people from observing the Sabbath, and from circumcising
their children.'
LXXXVIII. (1) The king then returned to Macedonia,
and, having left Phillipos in the land of Judah, he (PhilHp)
acted according to the word of the king, and prohibited the
people of Judah from studying the Torah and from per-
forming the service of their God. He supported the wicked
and the rebellious of our people, and slew many of the con-
gregation of the Hassidim.
(2) At that time two women were discovered who had
circumcised their children. They hanged them by their
breasts, and hurled them with their children from the top
262 [LXXXVIII. 3
of a tower ; they burst open and died. (3) After this Eleazar,
the chief of the priests, of whom we have spoken as having
gone to Egypt in the days of Ptolemy, was captured and
brought to PhiUip. And Phillip said to him, 'Eleazar,
thou art a wise man and a man of understanding, now, do
not transgress the command of the king, but eat of the
flesh of his sacrifice.' But Eleazar replied, ' Far be it
from me to set aside the command of my God for the per-
formance of the command of the king.' Then did Phillip
call him aside and say, * Thou knowest that I have loved
thee now for many years, therefore I have pity for thy soul
and for thy old age. Now let a portion of the flesh of your
own sacrifices which you are allowed to eat be brought to
thee, and eat it before the people so that they will say thou
eatest of the flesh of the king's sacrifice. By this means
thou canst save thy life and not die.'
(4) When Eleazar heard this he thought of the greatness
of his honour and of the sanctity of his glory, and said to
Phillip, ' I am now ninety years old, and have never yet
served my God with deceit, nor is it meet for me now to
do so and to deceive man, for then the young men will
say, " Since Eleazar, although ninety years of age, has
frustrated the law of his God, we can also do so," and they
will thus bring destruction upon themselves. Now, far be
it from me to defile my holiness, to taint the purity of my
old age, and to cause these young men with me to waver,
and give them the pretext for saying, " Eleazar, although
ninety years of age, has sinned against his God, and has
chosen to serve the vanities of the nations ; let us do like-
wise." For even if I escape from your hands to-day, I
cannot escape God, for no man can, either living or dead,
since His dominion extends over the living to bring death
upon them, and over the dead to quicken them to life. I
shall therefore die true to my faith, and shall leave my
power behind to my people and my young men, so that
when they see me give up my life so readily, they will
desire to follow my example, and thus keep their Torah
precious, and will choose a worthy death.'
Lxxxix. 2] 263
(5) As soon, however, as Phillipos heard these words, he
turned exceedingly cruel, and commanded his men to bind
the pious old man and to beat him. They thereupon smote
him with all manner of weapons without pity, and he
groaned, saying, ' 0 Lord my God, who hast caused me to
reach this old age, Thou knowest that I was able to deliver
my soul from such a death, but did not wish to do so on
account of my love for Thee. Now they smite so cruelly
and fiercely that I would not be able to bear it were it not
for my fear of Thee, which renders them as nothing in my
eyes, and I suffer them willingly.' While he was still
speaking these words his life closed, and he left might to
his people and power to his young men.
LXXXIX. (1) Seven brothers with their mother wero
then seized and sent to the king, for the king had not yet
departed from Jerusalem, and because the swine's flesh was
abhorred by the Jews and stank and was despised by them,
therefore the cruelties against them were increased, and he
tore their flesh as that of an ox.
(2) When the flrst son was brought before the king, he
said, ' Why waste words to teach us, for we have already
been taught by our forefathers ? We are prepared to suffer
death for the Lord and His law.' The king was furious at
this, and, ordering a pan of brass to be brought, placed
it on the fire. Then, ordering his tongue to be cut out, his
hands and legs and the skin of his head to be cut off, he
placed them all in the frying-pan in the sight of his
brothers ; the rest of his body they cast in a large brass pot
placed upon the hot coals. When he was near death the
king commanded the fire to be removed from under the
pot so that he should not die too quickly, so as to terrify
his brothers and his mother. But they, on the contrary,
encouraged each other and fortified each other when they
saw that their brother gave up his life for the Lord and His
Torah, and said to each other, * See what Moses, the servant
of the Lord, said in his song, *' He shall be comforted in
His servants." Even now the Lord is comforted in us for
all the evil which He has purposed to do to His people, and
He will have compassion upon them.'
264 [LXXXIX. 3
(3) As soon as the first died, the second brother was
brought. They said to him, ' Listen to the command of
the king. Why die in great torture as thy brother ?' And
he repUed, ' Make haste with the sword and with the fire,
and do not do one whit less to me than ye did to my
brother, for I do not fall short of my brother in piety and
the fear of God.' Every limb was then commanded to be
cut off and placed in the frying-pan on the fire. He then
said, ' Hear me, thou cruel king : art thou able to bind up
these our souls which thou robbest us of ? Behold, they
shall walk to God, who has given them to us — to the light
that is with the Lord. We shall yet live a life that has no
limit or end when He awakeneth the dead of His people
and the slain of His servants.'
(4) Thus died the second brother. When the third was
brought, he looked at the king, and, stretching out his
right hand towards the king, said, * What business of thine
is it to destroy us, 0 thou enemy and foe ? All this comes
from Heaven, and we receive it with love, but thy tortures
are despicable in our eyes, as nothing before us, since we
expect honour and favour from Heaven. He will grant us
the reward of our actions.' The king and all his princes
were astonished at the bravery of the youth.
(5) After his death the fourth brother was brought.
* What,' said he, ' have I to do with thee, 0 thou wicked
man ? We die for the Lord, and He will again bring us
back to life, but thou shalt never rise again.'
(6) When the fifth was brought, he said, ' Do not imagine
that God has forsaken us, for on account of His great love
has He brought us to this honour. Thou reviler and blas-
phemer, the Lord hates thee and stirs thee up to do unto
us whatever thou wilt, but a great vengeance will be taken
upon thee and thy seed, and His anger will be kindled
against thee and all thy household.'
(7) After his death the sixth brother was brought before
the king, and he said, ' We know our wickedness, for we
have sinned against the Lord, and now our souls are given
over to death as an atonement for our people ; but now be-
LXXXIX. 10] 265
cause thy heart prompts thee to do this thmg to the servants
of our God and to fight against God ; behold, He shall fight
against thee and uproot thee from the face of the earth.'
(8) The seventh and last brother was but a young lad,
yet the mother, who had seen her seven sons slain on one
day, neither feared nor trembled, but, standing upright by
the corpses of her sons, she lifted up her voice and cried,
saying, ' 0 my son ! 0 my son ! I do not know how you
were formed in my womb, nor did I give you the breath
and soul which you had, nor bring you out of my womb,
nor raise you, nor make you grow, or your flesh which
is now offered as a sacrifice ; God formed it. He wove the
sinews and covered it with skin, and caused hair to grow
upon it. He then breathed in your nostrils the breath of
life. And since you give up all this for His sake, He will
restore them to you, and will renew^ your body. He will
give you the reward of your actions, and happy are ye, my
sons, for all this.'
(9) At this the king was very much taken aback, in that
the woman had subdued him. ' Bring me the seventh
one,' said he, ' and perhaps, as he is but a young lad, I
may be able to entice him with soft words to do our will,
but do not let this woman boast of me, saying, ' I have
conquered King Antiochus in exhorting my sons to die for
our God.'
(10) According to the king's command, the seventh lad
was brought, and the king implored him, and took an
oath to enrich him with silver and gold, with cattle and
many servants, to make him viceregent, and to let him
rule over the whole kingdom. But when the lad despised
the words of the king, the king summoned the mother to
him, and said, ' 0 good woman, have pity upon this child,
and be merciful to the fruit of thy womb ; induce him to
perform my will and to escape.' And the woman answered,
' Give him to me, and I shall entice him with kind words.'
This being done, she led him aside, and having kissed kim,
and rejoiced at the king's shame and confusion, said, * 0
my son, thou whom I carried in my womb for nine months.
266 [Lxxxix. 11
and whom I suckled for three years, after which I sustained
thee with food until this very day, give up all this proffered
honour, and fear the God of whom I taught thee. (11) Now,
0 my son, look toward the heaven, and behold the land,
the sea, the waters, and the fire, which by the word of the
Lord were created. But man is merely flesh and blood and
as nothing before Him. Do not fear this cruel man, but
give up thy life for the sake of the Lord. Go the same
way as thy brothers. Would that I could now see where
thy brothers are, and the greatness of their glory before
the Lord. My son, cleave to thy brothers, and thy lot
shall be cast in their glory. I shall go there with you, and
rejoice with you as on the days of your marriage. I shall
be with you in your righteousness.'
(12) While she was yet speaking the lad answered, and
said, ' Why do you delay me, and will not leave me to go
and join my holy brothers? I will not listen to the king,
but to the law of our God, which He has given through
the hand of Moses to the people of Israel, which this cruel
enemy of God has put to shame and reviled. Woe unto
thee, woe unto thee ! Whither wilt thou go ? whither wilt
thou flee ? whither wilt thou run ? and where wilt thou
hide thyself from our God, 0 enemy, foe, and wicked man,
for He still keeps us alive, and has glorified and exalted us
over all nations? But thou who art insolent enough to
stretch forth thy hand against His servants, it were better
thou hadst not been born. Thou wicked fool Antiochus,
who wast begotten of tainted folly, hast committed evil
against thyself, but Thou hast done good unto us, and
if we endure and bear these tortures in this world,
we shall be taken to the life and light of the world where
there is no darkness, but eternal life without death.
(13) But thou wilt be the abomination of all creatures,
and wilt be abhorred of our God when He takes vengeance
upon thee. Thou shalt die an unnatural death, plagued
with dreadful plagues. Thou shalt descend to the bottom
of hell. Thou shalt be drawn into darkness, where there
is no life or light, but darkness and shades ; where there
XC. 3] 267
is no repose or rest, but trouble, sorrow, brimstone, and
fire. This will be thy portion of the Lord and thy lot
from our God, 0 man of blood and wicked man. But God
will have mercy upon His people. Until now His wrath
has rested upon us, but He will henceforth be angry no
longer with His people, bat will repent of what He has
done to us at the beginning, although He did so in truth
and in righteousness, for w^e acted wickedly. He will
return and have mercy upon us, and will grant us eternal
life.' King Antiochus now became exceedingly angry
because he would not perform his will, and therefore
increased the tortures, and acted much more cruelly to
him than he had done to the others. Thus died the
seventh.
(14) The mother then stood by the corpses of her sons,
and, spreading out her hands, she said, ' 0 exalted and
aw^e-inspiring God, 0 God of the universe, now will I come ;
now will I die with my sons in the place which Thou hast
prepared for them.' While she was yet speaking she
finished her days upon earth, falling upon the dead bodies
of her sons, her spirit went forth, and she died with them.
XC. (1) The king then went on his way to Macedon,
and commanded Phillip and the captains whom he had left
in the land of Judah, saying, ' Blot out the very memory
of Judah from the face of the earth, and let him who but
mentions the name " Jew " be slain ; but let all those live
who are willing to be assimilated with our people, and be
called " Javan." ' (2) Accordingly Phillip and the captains
with him destroyed all whom he discovered observing the
Torah, with the exception of those who fled with Mattathiah,
the son of Jochanan to Mod'aith. For Mattathiah would
not bear the reproach of the uncircumcised, but was zealous
for his God, and, weeping, he said, ' Woe unto me, 0 my
mother, that thou didst give me birth to behold the breach
of my people.'
(3) Then he sent his son Judah secretly to say to the
Jews, ' Whoever of you are on the side of the Lord, come
to me.' There gathered unto him a 'large assembly of
268 [xc. 4
Hassidim, and Mattathiah addressed them in the follow-
ing words, ' Why multiply words ? The only thing that
remains for us to do is to pray and to fight. Let us
strengthen ourselves and die in battle, but not as sheep
led to slaughter.' When they heard these words they all
of them took courage (braced themselves up), and said each
one to his neighbour, ' To thy tent, 0 Judah. Eule again
over thine own land. It is enough, King Antiochus. Now
sharpen thy sword, 0 people of Judah, and beware of thy
life, 0 nation of Macedon.' From that day the Macedonian
yoke was broken asunder from the shoulders of Judah.
(4) When Phillip and the chiefs of the king heard these
words they went against them with a large army. When
they were going against them, they found on the way men,
women, and children of Judah in a cave all observing
the Sabbath. Coming to the entrance of the cave, they
said to them, ' Come out and profane the Sabbath, and
perform the command of the king and live, and do not
allow yourselves to die.' But they said, * We shall not
come out nor shall we profane the Sabbath day. Let the
heavens and the earth be witness that we die in our
integrity.' Phillip then commanded fire to be brought and
placed at the mouth of the cave. Then, placing some wood
upon it, he filled the cave with smoke, so that they were all
suffocated.
(5) The chiefs of the king then marched upon Matta-
thiah, to the mount of Mod'aith, and found him, his sons,
his brothers, and a few of his people of the assembly of
the Hassidim fully armed for war, for they had brought
their wives and children to that mountain. The chiefs of
the king approached Mattathiah with words of peace, saying,
* 0 honoured among thy people, perform the command of
the king and live and do not die.' (6) But Mattathiah
answered very proudly, saying, ' I obey the command of
my King ; do you obey the command of yours.' At this
the chiefs were confused, and, being silent, did not say
another word ; for they wondered at Mattathiah, and were
thinking how they could capture and slay him as they had
XCI. 1] 269
slain the other pious men. (7) But suddenly one of the rene-
gade Jews among the chiefs of the king said, ' I am aston-
ished at the chiefs of the king and his army. How long
will ye hold your peace and not perform the command of
the king by rising up against Mattathiah, w^ho was insolent
enough to refuse to obey the king's command ?' And
after he had spoken thus he unsheathed his sword, and,
cutting off the head of a swine, he took it in his hand and
carried it to the altar which they had built to sacrifice to
the king's vanities. Then, placing the head of the swine
upon the altar, he offered it with frankincense to the idols
of Antiochus. (8) When Mattathiah beheld this he was
exceedingly wroth, and his fury burnt within him. Then,
drawing his sword, he leaped upon the sacrificing Jew,
and, severing his head from his body, he held it up on
high before the chief of the king who approached Matta-
thiah, while the body fell down from the altar upon which
he stood. He also killed the king's chief, and put the
rest of them to flight, levelling to the ground a number of
the crowd. Then, sounding the Shofar, he gave the signal
for war. (9) He was the first one to raise his hand against
the Macedonian kingdom. He also commanded us to
fight on the Sabbath, and he will stand by us to defend
us in this matter. It is written in the book of Joseph ben
Gorion the priest. (10) Mattathiah with his sons and
brothers then marched forth, and with them a large band
of the Hassidim. They pursued those who had hidden
themselves, and smote and discomfited them, until there
did not remain one in the whole land of Judah. They then
circumcised their sons. Thus, great salvation was brought
about by the Lord through Mattathiah.
XCI. (1) Now, the days of Mattathiah were drawing to a
close, so, calling his five sons to his bedside, he encouraged
them and exhorted them, saying, ' I know that now fierce
battles will be waged in the land of Judah, since we have
been stirred up to fight for our people. Now, my sons,
be zealous for your God, for His sanctuary, and for His
people. Fight, and do not be afraid of death ; if you die
270 [XCI. 2
in battle, you will be received among your brethren, and
their portion shall be shared with you, for to all our
ancestors who have been zealous for God, God has given
honour and favour. Did not our ancestor Pinehas receive
the everlasting covenant, and did not our other ancestors
who were zealous for the Lord receive their reward from the
Lord ?' (2) Then, addressing Simeon his son, he said, ' I
know the wisdom that God has put in thy heart ; withhold
not, then, thy counsel from this people, and be to thy
brethren as a father, and they shall hearken to thee and to
all thy counsels, since our God has given thee might and
wisdom.' (3) Next Mattathiah called his son Judah, who
came and stood before him ; and he said, ' 0 my son Judah,
who art called Maccabee (^''2Da) on account of thy power,
I know, my son, that thou art a man of war, and that God
has given thee strength and might, and a heart like a lion's
that flees from nothing. Now, my son, honour the Lord
with all the strength the Lord hath granted thee ; fight
His battles without stopping ; do not be reluctant to
travel the four corners of the land — east, west, south and
north — to capture the country from the power of the
uncircumcised ; be to them the captain of their host and
the anointed of battle.' Then, bringing out a horn of
oil, he poured it upon his head, and thus anointed him for
battle, while all the people raised a shout, and, blowing
upon their trumpets, exclaimed, 'Long live the anointed!'
(4) When he had finished his exhortation to his sons, he died
and was gathered to his people, and Judah his son, sur-
named Maccabee, arose in his place. He had the assistance
of his brothers, his father's household, and all the assembly
of the Hassidim. And Judah was glad to fight the battles
of Israel. Having clothed himself in a coat of mail as a
warrior, and equipped himself with the implements of war,
he looked like one of the sons of Anak. He protected the
camp of Israel with his sword, and, pursuing the enemy,
he crushed out their life. He burnt the sinners with the
fire of his mouth, confounded the wicked with terror, and
confused all the evil-doers through fear of him, for he
xcii. 2] 271
appeared to them just as a roaring lion seeking prey appears
to cattle. Jacob rejoiced at his deeds and was glad at his
actions, for he confounded great kings, so that his name
rang from one end of the world to the other, and people con-
tinually spoke of the wars he waged. Blessed be his name
among the people of Israel ; peace and repose be upon his
righteous couch, and blessing on his holy bed, for he has
not withheld his soul from death to defend Israel, God's
people, and has slain all the wicked of the people of Judah
who led the Israelites astray.
XCII. (1) When Apolonius, the captain of the Mace-
donian host, heard these things, he said, ' Who is it
that dared to rebel against our lord the king ?' And
he gathered unto him a large and strong multitude of
Macedonian warriors, and marched forwards to fight
against Israel. Judah went out to meet him, and a very
fierce battle ensued between the Macedonians and the
assembly of the Hassidim. During the battle Judah saw
Apolonius standing in the midst of the Macedonian
company, and ran towards him in the fury of his anger
into the valley, and, smiting right and left and in front of
him, he cut down the mighty men of Greece just as the
reaper cuts down the sheaves and the corn of his harvest.
Then, approaching Apolonius, he smote him with the edge
of the sword and felled him to the ground. Then, putting
the Greeks and Macedonians to flight, they fled in haste,
and Judah and the assembly of the Hassidim pursued
them and smote them with a very great slaughter, and,
having taken their spoil, Judah seized Apolonius's sword
and fought with it all his life. (2) When Seron (I'li^p),
the captain of the host of Syria, heard this he said,
* I will go and fight against Judah, and thus make a
name for myself.' Then, summoning all his people, he
went to Beth-Horon. Judah, becoming aware of this, said
to his men, ' There is no time for delay ; let us go out to
them, although our brethren the Hassidim have gone away
from us ; for if we wait until they return, our enemies will
say we are afraid of them.' Therefore Judah marched all
272 [XCII. 3
the night long ; at daybreak, when the people suddenly
beheld in the distance a strong and mighty army, they said
to Judah, ' How can we who are so few go to war against
this great multitude ?' But Judah replied, ' Cry unto
heaven, and ye shall be saved, for the battle is in the hands
of the Lord to deliver the many into the hands of the few ;
it is in His power to save either with a multitude or with
a few.' (3) Judah then went sideways near the enemy's
camp, and suddenly leaping upon them, he struck terror
into them, and thereby Seron with all his men were put in
confusion. Judah pursued him, and, overtaking him,
smote him. On that day as many as 800 corpses of the
Syrians were found piled up in heaps on the field. Those
that remained fled into the land of the Philistines, and the
fear of Judah fell upon all the nations.
(4) Now, as soon as Antiochus heard these things, he was
very much vexed, and gathering together all his people
and all the nations under his rule, mustered a strong and
mighty army, and divided it into two portions. With one
half he went to (Persia), for the Persians had revolted from
the Macedonian rule when they saw that the people of
Judah had rebelled. The other half he handed over to
Lysias (ni<^D^'?), of his own kin, and of royal Macedonian
descent, saying to him, ' Thou knowest all that Judah, the
son of Mattathiah, has done to my two chiefs, Apolonius
and Seron, and to all their host. Therefore, go now and
smite all the inhabitants of Judah, and my son Eopator
(-I'lDS'i^^i-J) will go with thee. I myself will go to Persia
and uproot the nation that rebelled against me.'
(5) Accordingly, Antiochus the king went to Persia, and
left Lysias in command to wage war against Judah and look
after his son. Lysias chose for himself Tolmios (D^^^rD^in),
who is Ptolemy, Nicanor, and Gorgias, men of valour, send-
ing with them 40,000 young warriors on foot and 7,000
horsemen, and the entire armies of both Syria and Philistia
joined them in marching against Judah to destroy it.
When Judah and all the elders of Israel heard this they
proclaimed a fast, and clothed themselves in sackcloth, and
xciil. 1] 273
placing dust upon their heads, cried unto the Lord. (6) After
the fast Judah numbered his people, and appointed over
them captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains
of fifties, and captains of tens. Then marching into the
field, he issued an order in the camp, saying, * Whoever
has planted a vineyard or built a house, and whoever is
betrothed or faint-hearted, let him return home ;' and many
of them returned. There thus remained 7,000 valiant
men, chosen warriors, of whom one would not have run
away before a hundred enemies.
(7) Judah then marched on to meet Nicanor, who had
brought many merchants with him, for he intended to sell
to them the young men and the young women whom he
would capture and carry into captivity from Judah. He
went into the valley to meet Judah. Judah, coming out of
the assembly of the Hassidim who were with him, called
upon the Lord, saying, ' 0 exalted God, who hast ruled
from the creation until this time, who causeth battles to
cease, and in whose hands is power and might to exalt or
to humble, subdue and humble this nation before the lowly
of Thy people, for Thou wilt subdue nations under us
and peoples under our feet.' After his prayer, the priests
blew their holy trumpets, and all the people raised a shout.
Then did Judah leap into battle, and smote the camp of
Nicanor with heavy slaughter, so that they fled before him.
Pursuing them with his army, he continued to slay them
in their flight. The number of the slain was 9,000. They
then returned and took their spoil, and the gold w^hich
the merchants had brought with them to purchase the
Israelitish youths. This they distributed among the poor,
and then rested in that place, for the battle was fought on
the sixth day.
XCIIL (1) Departing thence, Judah went to Bakires
(D^on) and Timothios, and a severe battle ensued be-
tween them, in which he himself killed on that day twenty
Macedonian warriors. Bakires and Timothios took to
flight, and Judah pursued them, but did not overtake
them, for they went to Ashtaroth Karnaim. But he
18
274 [XCIII. 2
captured Phillipio, the man who had done so much evil in
Judah. When Judah approached him he turned from the
way he was going into a house in the vicinity. Judah
then ordered his men to overthrow the house upon him,
and to burn him to death in that place. He thus avenged
the death of Eleazar and the blood of those pious men
which Phillipio had shed. They then returned to strip the
slain and they sent the spoil to Jerusalem. (2) Nicanor
fled thence and escaped, for he had stripped himself of his
purple coat, and dressed himself in a poor man's coat, so
that he could not be recognised. In this way he came to
Macedon and related to Lysias all that had happened.
(3) At that time King Antiochus returned from Persia,
ashamed in that the Persians had made him flee the
country of Ecbatana, and when he was informed of all
Judah had done to his chiefs, and how he had smitten
them, he was filled with wrath and fury. He reviled and
blasphemed, and said, ' I will go to Jerusalem, and make it
a burial-ground, and will fill it with the carcasses of the
slain.' He then summoned together all his people, his
charioteers and horsemen, a large and mighty multitude.
(4) But the Lord had a jealous care for His people, for
His city, and His temple, and remembering all the evil
Antiochus did to His people. He required the blood of
those pious men from Antiochus, and therefore plagued him
with boils and with an internal disease. Yet he was not
humbled through this, but said, ' Press on, ye charioteers ;
press on, ye horsemen ; press on, ye soldiers. I will go to
Jerusalem, and will carry out my intention, for who can
stand before me ? Is not the sea and the dry land mine,
to change their being according to my will ? Can I not
transform the earth into sea and the sea into earth ?'
When he had finished speaking thus he mounted his
chariot, and went with his huge army in the direction of
Jerusalem. With him were many elephants, and his camp
was enormous.
(5) Now, while on the journey, his chariot happened to
pass in front of one of the elephants, and it trumpeted.
xciv. 1] 275
At this the horses took fright, and slipping down, over-
turned the chariot, and threw Antiochus out of it. As a
result of the fall, his bones were broken, for he was a stout
and very heavy man. The Lord, however, heaped up
plagues upon him, and his flesh stank. The stench of his
body was like that of a dead man cast upon the field in the
height of the summer. As soon as his servants lifted him
upon their shoulders, they had to cast him back again to
the ground and run away, for they could not possibly
approach him or carry him on account of the dreadful
stench of the flesh of that reviler, and blasphemer, and
enemy of God. (6) Now, when his army became weary,
and he also became sick unto death of the stench arising
froD2 his body, he knew then that the hand of the Lord
had touched him, and being humbled and made lowly, he
exclaimed, ' The Lord is righteous, who humbleth the
proud and humiliates the wicked like me, for I have done
all this wickedness to His people and to His pious men.
It is for this that all these evils have overtaken me.' He
then made a vow, saying, ' If the Lord will heal me from
this disease, I will go to Jerusalem and fill it with silver and
gold ; I will spread carpets of purple in all the streets, and
will give all my treasury to the temple of the great God.
I will circumcise my foreskin, and will go about the whole
land exclaiming in a loud voice, ' There is no God in the
whole world like the God of Israel.'
(7) But the Lord did not hearken to his prayer, nor did
He give ear to him, for all the way Antiochus the Cruel
was travelling his flesh fell off from his bones, until finally
his very bowels fell out upon the ground. Thus his life
came to an end. He died in shame and disgrace and in a
strange land. Eopator, his son, succeeded him.
XCIV. (1) Judah, the son of Mattathias, and with him
the assembly of the Hassidim, now went up to Jerusalem,
and overthrowing the altars which the uncircumcised had
built, they cleansed the temple of the abominations of the
nations, and building a new altar, they placed upon it the
flesh of the sacrifice, and arranged the wood, but the holy
18—2
276 [xciv. 2
fire they could not find. Then calhng in prayer upon the
Lord, fire came forth from a stone upon the altar, and
they placed the wood upon it. This fire remained with
them until the time of the third captivity. On the 25th of
Kislev they dedicated the altar, and placing the showbread
in its place and kindling the lights, they praised the name
of the Lord by reading the ' Hallel Psalms ' for eight days.
(2) After this dedication, Judah marched to the land of
Edom, and Gorgias came to meet him with a huge multi-
tude of men, but Judah smote Gorgias and his camp, and
put them all to flight. Pursuing them, Judah' s men left
upon the field 20,000 of the enemy slain. Gorgias then
fled to Arabia to Timotheos. And Timotheos, marching
out with 120,000 men of the Macedonian and Arabian
armies, went into the land of Gad and Gilead, and slew
many of the Jews, so that they sent a letter to Judah,
saying, ' Come up and save us, for the sword of Timotheos
is consuming us.' Again another letter arrived, saying,
' The sword of Tyre and Sidon is destroying us, and the
men of Macedonia who dwell there.' (3) As soon as Judah
heard these words, he cried to the Lord in fasting and
prayer, and selecting all the valiant men and the Hassi-
dim, he made haste to pass the Jordan. Simeon also took
with him 3,000 men of Judah, and hastening to Galilee,
engaged in a fierce battle, in which he slew 8,000 men,
and thus delivered his brethren in Galilee. Then, taking
the spoil of the slain, he returned to Jerusalem.
(4) Judah the Anointed one of battle, having passed the
Jordan, arrived at Gilead, where they found Timotheos
attacking the city on Mount Gilead, and, having girded
himself for the fray, a fierce battle ensued. The two
armies stood opposite each other, that of Timotheos being
mighty and strong, while Judah's army was few in number.
And in the midst of the fight Judah cried unto the Lord,
when he suddenly beheld five young horsemen, clothed in
gold. Two of them stood in front of Judah, and then,
placing themselves one on each side of him, protected him
with their shields, while the other three fought against the
XCIV. 7] 277
camp of Timotheos. As soon as Judah saw them, he at
once knew that they were sent from heaven to assist the
pious, and, encouraging his men, he pressed hard upon
Timotheos's army and smote 20,500 of his men. Timo-
theos himself and his army fled thence towards the Jordan,
but Judah was after him, making havoc among them all
the time until they came to Aza.
(5) Here Timotheos recruited his men and prepared
again for battle, for the whole army of Philistia had now
joined his ranks. When Judah arrived at that place he
leaped upon them as a lion upon a flock of sheep. Timo-
theos took to flight, and his whole army w^as scattered in
confusion. The Hasmoneans pursued them and cut them
to pieces until there were none left. Timotheos fled to
Aza, and there took refuge within the closed gates of the
city, from the high walls of which he still gave battle.
For five days Judah and his men besieged it.
(6) On the fifth day the men of Timotheos, ascending
the high tower, cursed and defied the Anointed one of
battle, and taunted them all with words of insolence. At
length twenty Hasmoneans, becoming heated through
passion on account of the reproaches, took their shields
in their left hands and their swords in their right hands,
and, running towards the wall, scaled it one after another
by means of a ladder. Then, smiting those upon the wall,
they made room for their fellows, all of whom likewise
scaled the wall. The twenty men then went into the
market-place of the city, shouting and killing many of the
enemy. Then, going towards the gate, they attacked it
within, while the whole army of the Hasmoneans ap-
proached it from without, and set fire to it, whereupon the
gate fell to the ground. In this manner was the city of Aza
captured. Then, seizing the men who defied the Anointed
one of battle, they burnt them to death, and put the
inhabitants to the edge of the sword. For two whole days
they did not cease from their deadly work of slaughter.
(7) Timotheos, fleeing, hid himself in one of the pits
and could not be found. But they discovered his brothers,
278 [xcv. 1
Birean (|!?^0'?) and Apollopanis (D''J2i'?iqn*), and brought
them to Judah, who ordered then- heads to be cut off.
The spoil of the cit}^ they carried to Jerusalem with songs,
praises and thanksgivings, and sang the Psalms of David,
King of Israel, to the Lord, whose mercy endureth for ever.
XCV. (1) Now, when it came to the ear of Antiochus
Eopator, son of Antiochus called Epiphanes, who had
wrought such evil in Jerusalem, who slew the pious men,
and who ultimately died from the severe plagues inflicted
upon him, as we have stated above, (2) this Antiochus
Eopator sent Lysias, his cousin, with an army of 80,000
horsemen and eighty elephants, a mighty army. They
came to Judah and Jerusalem and gave battle at Bethter
(inn^n) ; building a ditch round about the city, he began to
attack the city with a battering-ram and with stones, while
Judah and the whole army of the Hasmoneans dwelt in the
forests and on the mountains away from the Greek army.
Judah said to his men, ' Come, let us approach the Lord
our God in fasting and in supplication, and then let us
march against the Greek army of Javan, who are attacking
Bethter.'
(3) After the fast he blew the Shofar, and then gave the
signal for battle, and he and all his men went to assist their
brethren in Bethter. When they came to Jerusalem they
entered the temple, offered peace-offerings, sacrificed burnt-
offerings, and cried to the Lord. Then, departing from
Jerusalem to go to Bethter to the Macedonian camp, Judah
said to his men, ' Be strong and of good cheer ; for the
people of the Lord and for our brethren, let us rather
perish together in the fight than see any evil fall upon our
people.'
(4) When he had finished speaking, he lifted up his eyes
and beheld between heaven and earth a man, well dressed,
riding upon a horse like a flame of fire, and in his hand a
spear. His back was turned towards the Hasmoneans and
his face to the camp of the Greeks, with his hand stretched
out ready to smite it. Judah then exclaimed, ' Blessed be
He who has sent His messenger to save His people and to
xcv. 7] 279
smite the camp of His enemies.' Hastening thence, they
went to Bethter, and, springing upon the Macedonian camp,
they put them into confusion, and slaughtered 11,000 foot
and 1,600 horsemen. Lysias and his men fled for their
lives in shame and disorder, and Lysias then knowing that
God was fighting against the enemies of Israel, made a
covenant with Judah.
(5) The following is the letter which Lysias sent to the
people of Judah :
* Lysias, chief of the king's army and vicegerent of
Antiochus, to Judah the Anointed of battle and to all his
people be there greeting ! Be it known to you that I have
received letters you sent through your messengers,
Johanan and Absalom, and that I have carried out whatever
they told me. I read the letter with good feeling and have
fulfilled everything contained therein. I have told the
king the message on your behalf, and have given answer
to Johanan and Absalom. I have further charged the
messengers I sent to you with words of peace.'
(6) This is the contents of the letter which the king sent
to Lysias, his cousin :
' King Antiochus to Lysias my brother greeting ! Be it
known to thee that we have received the letter thou didst
send us concerning the Jews, and that we have read it
with every good feeling. My father has gone the way of
all flesh, he has ceased to be with men and has been
taken with angels ; but I seek for the welfare of all my
kingdom, to stop wars, and to establish peace. I have
heard that the Jews refused to listen to my father to violate
their law, and that they have therefore conquered by the
sword and slain the chief men and the most honoured of
my father's kingdom. Now give them thy right hand, and
make a covenant with them that they may know it to be
my will and my hearty desire that they live in peace and
observe their law according to their own wish.'
(7) And this is the contents of the letter which the king
280 [XCVI. 1
sent to Judah : ' King Antiochus Eopator to Judah the
Anointed one of battle and to the rest of the people greeting !
Be it known to you that I have issued a decree throughout
all my cities and to all the peoples subjected to my rule,
that they should not oppress the Jews, but leave them to
keep and to observe your law. Pardon whatever actions
my father erringiy did, and if we have also erred we send
you Menelaos to speak to you words of peace.'
XCVI. (1) In those days the Lord began to render the
fourth kingdom more powerful than the third, that is the
kingdom of Eome, which was stirred up against the
kingdom of Greece. The name of the Koman was
exalted over all the empires of the world. That was the
fourth animal which Daniel, that greatly-beloved man, saw
in a vision. Just as that animal devoured, crushed and
trampled upon everything, so did this nation of Eomans
devour and crush all the other nations. It was they who
fought with Antiochus, King of Greece, his 120 elephants
and a strong and powerful army of infantry and cavalry,
whom they conquered in the battle, and compelled to pay
the Eomans tribute.
(2) They also humbled the pride of Annibal, King of
Africa, who reigned over the city whose name was
Carthagene. Annibal entered the field with an army as
mighty and as numerous as the sand upon the seashore.
With him were all the armies of Ethiopia, Phut and Lud,
and other mighty nations. Having crossed the narrow sea
between Africa and Sefarad, he humbled the pride of the
nation of the Goths (DiniJ). Journeying thence, he arrived
in the land of Germania by the sea Oceanus. Thence he
came to Italy and engaged in battle with the Eomans, who
went out to meet him. It was a long and fierce contest, in
which the Eomans were utterly routed.
(3) The Eomans, however, continued to fight, and in
ten years no less than eighteen battles were fought with
Annibal, but they could make no stand before him. At
length, they again mustered all their warriors, at the head
XCVI. 7] 281
of whom were two valiant men, ^milius and Varros.
Having arranged their men in Kne of battle by the river
Eopiros (on^siNS), the battle was fought at Canusi (^Di::p),
a large city. Here a fierce and desperate battle was fought,
in which 90,000 Komans met their death. (4) Among
them was iEmilius, one of the Eoman commanders.
Varros (onn), however, managed to escape to Venosia
(nx^Dija), a city situated between the mountains and the
plain. Of Annibal's men, 40,000 were killed in that battle.
Having pursued the Romans up to the gates of the city, he
besieged the city for eight days, and building turrets in
front of the city, fought against it.
(5) Then the Roman counsellors said to each other,
* Let us open the gate and come and make a covenant with
Annibal, that we may live and not be put to death.' This
they determined to do, when a young man, whose name
was Scipios (d^N'-D''^), arose, and said to the 320 counsellors
of the city, ' Far be it from us to subject ourselves to
Annibal.' 'But what can we do,' answered they, 'since
we have not been able to make a stand before Annibal for
the last eighteen years?' 'Then,' said Scipio, 'come, let
us take counsel. Give me about five legions of men, and I
will go to the land of Africa and attack and destroy his
land. As soon as Annibal hears this, he will hasten away
from Rome to deliver his own land from my hands, and
thus will ye obtain rest.'
(6) Having consented to his proposal, he took with him
30,000 Romans, and marching to Africa, the country of
Annibal, he engaged in battle, in which Astrubal,
Annibal's brother, was slain. Scipio cut ofi' his head and
brought it to Rome, and, mounting the wall, he cried out to
Annibal, ' Why art thou so eager for our land, and dost
not go to deliver thy own land from my hands, which I am
destroying?' He then sent Annibal his brother's head.
When he recognised it he braced himself up, and hardening
his heart, swore not to leave the city until he had taken it,
and he besieged it for several days more.
(7) Scipio then returned to Africa and entirely destroyed
282 [xcvi. 8
it. Thence he went to Carthagene and besieged it. And the
men of Carthagene sent Annibal a letter to Kome, saying,
' Why dost thoa desire a strange land, when thine own land
is taken from thee? If thou wilt not hasten here and
deliver us from the hand of Scipio, we shall open the gate
and give the city of Carthagene with thy palace into his
hands.' (8) When he read this letter he wept, and
immediately raised the siege, and going to Epirus, where
lay his ships, he slew there Komans without number, men,
women and children who were taken prisoners. He then
went to Africa with all his army. (9) But Scipio went out
to meet him, and a fierce war ensued between them, in
which Annibal was conquered and about 50,000 of his
men slain. He was likewise conquered in three pitched
battles with Scipio. After that Annibal fled to Egypt,
but Scipio followed him, and Ptolemy the king delivered
him into Scipio' s hands. He was brought to Africa in
great honour, and there he drank poison and died and was
buried. Scipio then captured the whole land of Africa,
and the place that abounds in gold and silver. Thus
Piome was exalted above all the other nations.
XCVn. (1) The following is the contents of the letter
which the Piomans sent to Judah, the son of Mattathiah :
' Qinsius Minios, Scipio and Menelaos, princes of Eome,
to Judah the Anointed one of battle, and to the elders
of Judah greeting to you ! for we have heard of your power
and of your battles, and are glad, also of what Antiochus
and Lysias have given you, and of what they wrote
concerning the Jews. Now we also write to ask you
whether you will become our associates and friends, but
not the friends of the Greeks, who have afflicted you. We
are now going to war against Antiochia, therefore hasten
to let us know who are your enemies and who your
friends.'
(2) The following is the text of the covenant made
between the Komans and the Jews :
' Whether on the sea or on land, whenever war is
XCVII. 5] 283
declared against the Eomans, the Jews are to assist them
with all their power. They are not to supply Kome's
enemies with either implements of war, with wheat or
any other food, according to the decree of the Consul and
the 320 counsellors. A.nd if, on the other hand, war be
declared against the Jews, the Eomans in their turn are to
assist the Jews with all their power, and are not to provide
the enemies of the Jews with either implements of war, or
wheat or food of any kind. They should themselves not
take any food from them unless in trouble. Further,
neither party is to add or to diminish what had been
decreed by the Consul and the 320 counsellors.'
After that the land had rest for about eight months. At
that time Judah began to judge his people, and to weed out
the wicked from his people.
(3) At that time the Jews lived in all the cities on the
sea-coast, extending from Aza until Acco; but the
Macedonian nation and the people of Joppa and Jabneh
brought about great evil, for they induced the Jews living
among them to board their ships, together with their wives
and children, to go and have sports on the sea. The Jews,
trusting them, consented to go wdth them, but when they
arrived in mid-ocean they were thrown into the water and
drowned, to the number of 200 souls.
(4) When Judah was informed of it he wept and
proclaimed a fast. Then, hastening to Joppa, he besieged
it, and God delivered it into his hands After separating the
Jews, he smote the city with the edge of the sword, man,
woman, child and suckling, and burnt the city to the
ground. The same he did to Jabneh, besides burning the
ships of both cities. The burning and conflagration could
be seen as far as Jerusalem, a distance of 240 stadia. He
thus avenged the blood of the women and children that
were drowned in the sea. Journeying thence, he went
to the Arabian desert, and having smitten many Arabs,
imposed a tribute upon them.
(5) He then returned to the land of . . . and during
•284 [xcvii. 6
the journey had to pass a certain city by name Kaspon
(psDD). It was very strongly fortified, for nations of all
kinds dwelt therein. Eelying upon their strongholds,
they cursed Judah, and uttered countless slanders about
Judah's people. At this Judah exclaimed, ' 0 Almighty
God, at the sound of the trumpet Thou didst deliver the
city of Jericho by the hands of Thy servant Joshua ;
now deliver this city into our hands, that I may avenge
the reproach they have cast upon the people of God.'
(6) Then, taking his shield in his left hand and unsheath-
ing his sword, he marched bravely onwards, followed by the
Hasmoneans, at a very quick pace until they reached the
gate of the city. After besmearing it with pitch, and
placing bushes and thorns of the desert upon it, they set
fire to it and it fell to the ground. God delivered the city
into his hands, and he effected a slaughter such as has
never yet been known, for the pool of blood which flowed
from the city as a pool of water was two stadia in length
and two in breadth.
(7) Journeying from that place, he travelled a distance of
750 stadia. And Timotheos came out to meet him with
120,000 foot and 1,000 horse. After offering up his sup-
plication to God, Judah marched out against Timotheos
with about 10,000 chosen men. A very fierce battle
ensued, in which Judah slaughtered 30,000 of Timotheos's
army. Timotheos forthwith tried to escape, but Dostios
(Dositheus), the captain of Judah's army, and Sosipater, a
gallant warrior of Israel, pursued him and brought him
back to Judah, who ordered his head to be cut off. But
Timotheos wept bitterly, and implored him, saying, ' 0 my
lord Judah, do not kill me, for there are many Jews
dwelling in my land, and I swear that I will do good to
them all the days of my life.' And he took an oath. Judah
had pity upon him and did not kill him, but allowed him
to go his way, and Timotheos did no more evil to the Jews
all the days of his life, for he kept the oath he had taken.
(8) Journeying thence, Judah marched in the direction
of the wilderness, and, meeting the army of the king that
XCVIII. 2] 285
had come into Arabia, he smote them, and, pursuing them
further, slew 25,000 of their men. He next journeyed
to Ephron, a large city, and besieged it, and the Lord
delivered it into his hands. He slew 20,000 in the contest.
(9) Marching onwards a journey of 600 stadia, he came
to a city the name of which was Scitopolis (d^'pidid^::*) ; and
the inhabitants of Scitopohs being sorely afraid of them,
came out to meet them with entreaties and tears, saying,
' 0 lord, the Anointed one of battle, do thou, I pray thee, ask
the Jews who dwell in our midst whether we have treated
them kindly or not. Moreover, in the time of the cruel
Antiochus many Jews made their escape to us and we
maintained them.' To the truth of this the Jews among
them testified. As soon as Judah heard this he blessed
them, and desisted from attacking them, and he returned
to Jerusalem, arriving there three days before the festival
of Pentecost.
XCVni. (1) When the festival was at an end he marched
out to Gorgios, the captain of the army of Edom, with
3,000 foot and 4,000 horse. A fierce battle took place
between their two armies, in which some Hasmoneans
were slain, and among them was Dostios, the captain of
the host, who was sorely wounded on the shoulders ; some
of the Hasmonean warriors were nearly thrown back.
When Judah realized what had happened, he then prayed
to the Lord, and, encouraging his men, leaped forward into
the camp of Gorgios and slaughtered many of his men.
He then shouted out, ' At thee, Gorgios !' and stretched out
his right hand to smite him, but Gorgios stepped back and
thus escaped the blow, and throwing down his weapons,
fled and made his escape, nor has he ever since been seen
or recognised alive or dead. Some hold the opinion that
he fled to the desert of Maresha (ncno), in the wilderness of
Edom, and there died.
(2) Judah now returned to Edom, and, after destroying
all their cities, took all the inhabitants prisoners. At this
time graven images of the nations were discovered under
the clothes of those Hasmoneans that were slain in battle.
286 [xcvili. 3
Judah then knew that they had fallen through then-
iniquity, and said, ' Blessed be the Lord, who discovers
that which is hidden, and who revealed these secrets.' He
then exhorted the people to serve the Lord in holiness and
purity, and returned to Jerusalem.
(3) Now, when Antiochus Eopator heard of all the battles
Judah had waged and of the cities he had captured, he
broke the covenant he had made with Judah, and marched
out against him with an army as numerous as the sand
upon the seashore, together with Lysias, his cousin, who
also marched out at the head of a huge army. Having
arrived in the land of Judah, he laid siege to Bethter.
(4) Seeing this, Judah and all the elders of Israel called
upon the Lord in fasting, tears, and in supplication. They
also sacrificed burnt-ofTerings and offered peace-offerings.
On that night Judah mustered all his chosen men of the
Hasmoneans, and, dividing them round the camp of the
king, he slew 4,000 men and the largest elephant. In the
morning the king arranged his men in line of battle
opposite Judah, and a very fierce engagement took place.
(5) Judah suddenly noticed an elephant coated with
armour of gold, and as it was greater than all the other
elephants, he thought the king must be riding it, and
shouted out to his men, ' Who of you are with me ?'
And forthwith Eleazar, one of the young Hasmoneans,
sprang forward and faced the elephant, felling to the
ground all who came in his way, and, striking out right
and left, the slain fell on either side of him ; then, rushing
in the thick of the fight, and placing himself between the
elephant's legs, he pierced its belly with his sword, and it
fell upon him, so that he died, having sacrificed his life for
the Lord and for his people, and left a name after him, and
courage to all who heard it. It was a day of mourning to
his people. There fell in battle on that day 800 of the
king's nobles, besides the other people that were slain
among them.
(6) The king then ceased fighting, and returned to his
tent. Soon after his return, he was informed that Phillip
XCIX. 3] 287
had revolted against him, and that Demetrius, the son of
Seleucus the king, was coming from Eome with a large
army, in order to wrest the kingdom from his hands.
Being sorely frightened, the king made peace, and made
a covenant with Judah, embracing and kissing him, and
ratified it by an oath, in which Lysias joined, saying, ' We
shall never as long as we live go to war against Jerusalem.'
The king then brought out much gold from his treasury,
and gave it as a present to the house of God in Jerusalem.
(7) He took Menelaus, a Jud^ean, prisoner, who brought
Antiochus to Jerusalem, and caused him to do evil, and
also Eopator. The king, being very wrath with him,
ordered him to be carried to a lofty tower, fifty cubits
in height, and near it there was dust and ashes in
immense quantities. Then, commanding him to be bound
hand and foot, they cast him into the ashes, and buried
him beneath them, so that he died in torment, through his
iniquity, for he had committed many abominations before
the altar of the Lord with the sacred dust and ashes.
Thus this wicked man died, suffocated with the very
ashes with which he committed abominations. Just is
the Lord, who requites man according to his deeds and
the fruit of his actions.
XCIX. (1) After this the king went his way to Macedon
and Judah, judged his people, and did righteousness and
justice. At that time Demetrius, the son of Seleucus the
king, with a Koman army, engaged in battle with Antiochus
Eopator, in which Antiochus and Lysias were slain, and
he held the reins of government in Antiochia in Macedon.
(2) Now, Alkimos the priest, a worthless man, who ate
swine's flesh during the reign of Antiochus, came to
Demetrius, and said, ' Long live King Demetrius ! How
long wilt thou remain inactive on behalf of thy servants in
the land of Judah, who have fallen by the sword of Judah,
the son of Mattathias, and his people the Jews, who are
called Hassidim? He slays us because we refuse to
comply with many precepts of their law.'
(3) Demetrius, stirred to anger by this, sent Nicanor,
288 [xcix. 4
the captain of his army, with a strong army, and chariots,
horsemen, elephants, and footmen without number. Arriv-
ing at Jerusalem, he sent word professing his friendship,
and said, ' Come and let us see each other, and consult
in a friendly manner.' Judah, fearing no treachery, went
to meet him. When Nicanor met him, he embraced him,
and asked after his welfare. Then, placing seats for both
of them, they sat down and conversed. Judah, however,
had commanded his young Hasmoneans to remain armed
ready for battle, lest the enemy suddenly attack them.
Accordingly, his men stood near him, ready at any
moment for the fray, as Judah had ordered. Judah
and Nicanor at length rose from their seats, and went
into their respective tents, and they dwelt both in Jerusalem,
there being no war between them. On the contrary,
Nicanor was very fond of Judah, and said to him, ' Would
it not be meet for a man like thee to take a wife and beget
children ?' Judah married, and begat children.
(4) When Alkimos recognised the love Judah and Nicanor
bore each other, he again went to the king, and informed
him what had taken place. The king thereupon sent a
letter to Nicanor, saying, ' If thou wilt not send me Judah,
son of Mattathiah, bound in chains, know that thou wilt
surely be slain.' Judah soon became aware of this, and,
leaving the city by night, he sounded the trumpet-call and
gave the battle-signal, and when all the valiant Hassidim
and Hasmoneans had mustered in full force, he went to
Samaria, and remained there.
(5) In the meantime Nicanor went to the temple of the
Lord, and said to the priests, ' Bring ye out the man who
fled from me, that I may send him to the king bound in
chains.' But the priests swore unto him, saying, ' He has
not been here, nor have we seen him since the day before
yesterday.' At this reply, Nicanor spoke blasphemously of
the temple, and, spitting upon it, stretched out his right
hand, and, baring his arm for slaughter, he said, ' I will
overthrow this temple, and will not leave one single stone
in its place, and I shall dig up and overturn all its founda-
xcix. 8] 289
tions.' With this, he departed in anger, and the priests
went about crying between the porch and the altar, and
said, * 0 God, whose dwelling-place has of old been in this
temple, now continue to rest here, for here is Thy throne,
and here is Thy footstool, and all Thy service. The heart
of Nicanor was filled with blasphemy towards Thy house
and towards Thy habitation. He acted treacherously
against the temple of Thy glory, and has committed
abomination, therefore let him die as an abomination.'
(6) Nicanor searched all the houses of Jerusalem for
Judah, and sent 500 troops to the house of Daqsios
(DiN^Dpn), the Elder of Hassidim, who was tested in
Antiochus's reign and found perfect, for he had suffered
many tortures, and was called 'Father of the Jews and
Judge in Jerusalem.'
(7) And as Nicanor was trying to show his bitter hatred
of the Jews, he sent a messenger to fetch the old man,
while his men surrounded the house to catch him ; but
the old man, unsheathing his sword and piercing his
bowels, ran upon the wall, and threw himself upon
Nicanor's troops, who made room for him, and he fell to
the ground. But he soon rose up again, and went towards
the troops. He stood on a large stone, and from the great
loss of blood which was rapidly flowing from him, he
became distracted, and took part of his entrails and threw
it at the troops. Then, calling upon the Lord in prayer, he
died, and was gathered to his people.
(8) When Judah heard these things, he waxed furious,
and sent a message to Nicanor, saying, 'Why dost thou
delay ? Come into the field, and I will show thee the man
thou hast been seeking in the chamber. Behold, he is
here waiting for thee in the valley and in the plain.'
Nicanor then gathered all his forces, and went to meet the
Jews on a Sabbath. The Jews that were with him said,
* 0 my lord, we beseech thee, do not act presumptuously ;
grant Him honour who gave the Sabbath.' 'And who,
indeed, gave the Sabbath ?' asked Nicanor. ' The God
whose dwelling is in heaven,' answered they, ' and whose
19
290 [xcix. 9
dominion extends over the whole world.' Nicanor then
spoke such words of blasphemy as are not fit to be written
down.
(9) Judah heard of this, and said to his men, * How long
will we be indolent, and refuse to give battle to this reviler
and blasphemer ? for who is this dead dog and outcast that
defies the strength and glory of Israel ?'
(10) He then marched in great anger and zeal to attack
Nicanor, who came to meet him with a huge and powerful
army. And Judah cried to the Lord, saying, ' 0 Lord my
God, Thou didst send a messenger into the camp of Senna-
cherib, whose men stood up outside the city and blasphemed
Thee, and Thou didst smite his multitude by slaying
175,000 men ; the slain we counted, but the slayer we
did not see. Now, how much more deserving of death
is this man, who has stood up against Thy temple, and
has blasphemed Thy might and Thy glory ?'
(11) On that day a very fierce and bloody battle was
fought. When Judah saw Nicanor with drawn sword, he
cried out, ' At thee, Nicanor !' and then ran against him in
the fury of his anger. And Nicanor turned his back to flee,
but Judah laid hold of him, and, cutting him in two, cast
him to the ground. There fell on that day 30,000 men of the
Macedonian army. The remainder fled, but were pursued
by Judah's men, who all the while were sounding the
Shofar. All the cities of Judah turned out to meet the
enemy, and smote them, cutting them to pieces, so that not
one of them remained alive. Then, proceeding to strip
the slain, they found abundance of gold, precious stones,
and purple garments. They cut off the head of Nicanor
and the arm that he had stretched out against God's
temple, and hung them up before the gate, which has
henceforth until this very day been called ' The gate of
Nicanor.' The people then rejoiced exceedingly, and sang
the Psalms of David, King of Israel, concluding, ' For He
is good, and His mercy endureth for ever.'
(12) Ever since that time the Jews celebrate this day as
a feast and a holiday, on which wine is drunk — viz., the
C. 4] 291
13th day of Adar, one day before ' Purim/ And Judah
judged all his people, and did justice and righteousness in
the land.
C. (1) At the end of the year, the days of Judah drew
to a close, and the Lord ordained that Judah end his days,
and be gathered to his people the Hassidim. At this time
Baqidos (on^pn) suddenly came upon Judah with 30,000
men of the Macedonian army, while he was in Laish
(Leshem?). The 3,000 men that were with him fled as
one man, and the only ones that remained were himself,
his brothers, and 800 chosen men of Israel, who did not
stir from their places. All these men were Judah's
associates, tried veterans in all the wars that Judah had
waged with the nations.
(2) Baqidos then brought forward 15,000 men, and
arranged them in line of battle on the right of Judah, while
on his left he placed another army to the number of 15,000.
There was a great shouting, both on the right and left of
Judah ; but when he saw that the battle was very fierce,
and that Baqidos stood on his right— for all the warriors of
Baqidos remained on the right, and that the right wing
was with him — he shouted and leaped forward followed by
his brothers, and the few Hasmoneans. (3) He ran in the
direction of Baqidos, and a fierce and terrible battle ensued,
at the beginning of which heaps of Macedonians were slain.
As soon as Judah saw Baqidos standing in the midst of the
people, he ran towards him in the strength of his anger,
and smote many of his warriors. He struck out right and
left at all who came in his way, slaying enemies without
number, until he had no place to walk except upon the
slain. Upon these he made his way. (4) He then came
face to face with Baqidos, with sword unsheathed and
steeped in blood. As soon as Baqidos beheld Judah's face,
it appeared to him like that of a lion robbed of its prey,
and fear and trembling seized him. Turning his back, he
attempted to flee in the direction of Ashdod, but Judah
pursued him, and put all his men, 15,000, to the edge
of the sword.
19—2
292 [C. 5
(5) Baqidos succeeded in effecting his escape to Ashdod,
and his army, which was behind him, finding Judah faint
and weary, fell upon him. Baqidos came out from the
city, and war was waged on every side, and many more
were slain, Judah being among the number, falling upon
those he had slain. His brothers Simeon and Jonathan
took him and buried him on Mount Moda'ith, and all
Israel mourned for him many days. The number of years
during which Judah, surnamed Maccabee, ministered unto
Israel was six years, and the Lord caused him to prosper
all the days of his life.
[End of the Book of the Maccabee.]
APPENDIX.
Philonis Iudaei Antiquitatum Biblicarum Liber Incerto
Interprete.
Initio mundi Adam genuit tres filios, et unam filiam, Cain, Noaba,
Abel, et Seth : Er uixit Adam, postquam genuit Seth, annos DCC. et
genuit filios duodecim, et filias octo : Et haec sunt nomina uirorum,
Aeliseel, Suris, Aelamiel, Brabal, Naat, Harama, Zasam, Maathal, et
Anath : Et hae filiae eius, Phua, lectas, Arebica, Siphatecia, Sabaasin.
Et uixit Seth annos CV. et genuit Enos : Et uixit Seth, postquam
genuit Enos annos DCCVII. et genuit fihos tres, et filias tres: Et
haec sunt nomina filiorum eius, EUdia, Phonna et Matha : Fiharum
uero, Mahda et Thila. Et uixit Enos annos CLXXX. et genuit
Cainan : Et uixit Enos, postquam genuit Cainan annos DCCXV. et
genuit filios duos et filiam: Et haec sunt nomina fiUorum eius,
Phoe, Thaal : Fihae autem, Catennath. Et uixit Cainan annos DXX.
et genuit Malalech : Et uixit Cainan, postquam genuit Malalech, annos
DCCXXX. et genuit tres fihos et duas fihas : Et haec sunt nomina
uirorum, Athac, Socer, Lopha: Et nomina filiarum. Ana et Lena.
Et uixit Malalech annos CLXV. et procreauit lareth : Et uixit Malalech
postquam procreauit lareth, annos DCCXXX. et genuit filios septem,
et filias quinquae : et haec sunt nomina uirorum, Leta, Mata, Cechar,
Melie, Suriel, Lodootim : Et haec sunt nomina fiharum eius, Ada et
Noa, lebal, Mada, Sella. Et uixit lareth annos CLXXII. et genuit
Enoc : Et uixit lareth postquam genuit Enoc annos DCCC, et genuit
filios quatuor, et filias duas : Et haec sunt nomina uirorum, Lead,
Anac, Soboac, et letar : Filiarum autem, Tetheco, Lesse. Et uixit
Enoc annos CLX. et V. et genuit Mathusalam : Et uixit Enoc postquam
genuit Mathusalam, amios CC. et genuit filios quinquae et filias tres.
Placuit autem Enoc deo in tempore illo, et non inueniebatur, quoniam
transtuUit ilium deus: Nomina autem filiorum eius, Anaz, Zeum,
Achaun, Pheledi, Elid : Filiarum autem, Theth, Lephith, Leath. Et
uixit Mathusalam annos CLXXX VII. et genuit Lamech : Et uixit
Mathusalam, postquam genuit Lamech, annos DCCLXXXII. et genuit
duos filios, et duas filias : Et haec sunt nomina uirorum, Inab et
294
Eapho : Filiarum autem, Aluma, et Aniuga. Et iiixit Lamech annos
CLXXXII. et genuit filium et uocauit eum secundum natiuitatem suam,
Noe, dicens : Hie requiem dabit nobis, et terrae, ab his qui sunt in ea,
in quibus uisitabitur, propter iniquitatem operum malorum. Et uixit
Lamech, postquam procreauit Noe, annos DLXXX. et V. Et uixit
Noe annos CCC. et genuit fihos tres, Sem, Cham, lapheth. Cain
autem habitauit in terra tremens, secundum quod constituit ei deus,
postquam interfecit Abel, fratrem suum : Et nomen muheris eius
Themech: Et cognouit Cain Themech muherem suam, et concepit,
et peperit Enoc. Cain autem erat annorum quindecim, quando fecit
haec : Et ex eo (fol. 2) coepit aedificare ciuitates, quousque conderet
ciuitates septem : Et haec sunt nomina ciuitatum : Nomen primae
ciuitatis secundum nomen fihj sui Enoc : Nomen autem secundae
ciuitatis MauH, et tertiae Leed, et nomen quartae Tehe, et nomen
quintae lesca, nomen autem sextae Celet, et nomen septimae lebbat,
Et uixit Cain postquam genuit Enoc annos DCCXV. et genuit tres
filios et duas Alias : Et haec sunt nomina filiorum eius, Olad, Lizaph,
Fosal: Et filiarum eius, Citha, et Maac. Et facti sunt omnes dies
Cain anni DCCXXX. et mortuus est. Tunc accepit Enoc mulierem
de filiabus Seth, et genuit ei Ciram, et Cuuth, et Madab : Ciram autem
genuit Matusael, Matusael autem genuit Lamech, Lamech autem accepit
sibi mulieres duas : nomen uni Ada : et nomen alteri Sella. Et peperit
Ada lobab : ipse erat pater omnium habitantium in tabernaculis, et
pascentium pecora : Et iterum genuit ei lobal, qui initiauit docere
omnem psalmum organorum. In tempore illo cum initiassent habi-
tantes terram operari iniqua, unusquisque in uxores proximi sui, con-
taminantes eas, indignatus est deus, et coepit percutere cyneram, et
cytharam, et omne organum dulcis psalterij, et corrumpere terram.
Sella autem genuit Tobel, et Nuha, et Theffa : Et hie est Thobel, qui
ostendit hominibus artes in plumbo et stagno, et ferro, et aeramento,
et argento, et auro. Et tunc coeperunt habitantes terram facere
sculptiha et adorare ea . . . (fol. 3) . . . Et fuerunt filij, Noe qui
exierunt de area: Sem, Cam, et lapheth. Filij lapheth, Magog,
Madai, Nidiazec, Tubal, Mocteras, Cenez, Eiphath, et Thegorma,
Elisa, Dessin, Cethin, Tudant. Et filij Gomer, Thelez, Lud, Deber-
let. Et filij Mago, Cesse, et Thipha, Pharuta, Ammiel, Phimei,
Goloza, Samanac. Et fihj Duden, Sallus, Pheluciti, Phalhta. Et
filij Tubal, Phanatanoua, Eteua. Et filij Tiras, Maac, Tabel, Ballana,
Samplameac, Elaz. Et filij Mellec, Amboradat, Vrac, Bosara.
Et filij Cenez, lubal, Zaraddana, Anac. Et filij Heri, Phuddet,
Doad, Dephad, Zeath, Enoc. Et filij Torgoma, Abiuth, Saphath,
Asapli, Zepthir. Et filij Elisa, et Zaac, Zenez, Mastisa, Eira. Et
filij Zepti, Macziel, Temna, Aela, Phinon. Et filij Tessis, Meccul,
Loon, Zelatabar. Et filij Duodennin, Itheb, Beath, Pheneth. Et hi
sunt qui dispersi sunt, et habitauerunt in terra apud Persas et (fol. 4).
295
Monadas, in insulis, quae sunt in mari. Et ascendit Plianat, filius
Dudeni, et praecepit fieri naues maris, et tunc diuisa est pars tertia
terrae. Domereth, et filij eius acceperunt Ladech. Magoge autem,
et filij eius acceperunt Degalmadam — et filij eius acceperunt Besto.
luban, et filij eius acceperunt Ceel. Tubal, et filij eius acceperunt
Pheed. Misech, et filij eius acceperunt Nepthi. Iras, et filij eius
acceperunt ^ Duodennut et filij eius acceperunt "^ Goda-
riphath, et filij eius acceperunt Bosarra. Tergoma, et filij eius accepe-
runt * Fudelisa et filij eius acceperunt "^ Thabolathesis,
et filij eius acceperunt Marecham. Cethim, et filij eius acceperunt
Thaan. Dudennin, et filij eius acceperunt Caruba. Et tunc coeperunt
operari terram, et seminare super earn. Et cum sitiret terra, ex-
clamauerunt habitantes earn ad dominum, et exaudiuit eos, et ampli-
auit pluuia. Et factum est cum descenderet pluuia super terram,
apparuit arcus in nube : Et uiderunt habitantes terram memoriam
testamenti, et ceciderunt in faciem suam, et immolauerunt offerentes
holocaustomata domino. Filij autem Cam, Chus, et Mestra, et Phuni,
et Chanaan. Filij Ethij, Chus, Saba, et Tudan. Et filij Effuntenus,
Zeleutelup, Geluc, Lephuc. Et filij Sidona, Endain, Kacin, Simmin,
Vruin, Nenugin, Amathinnephin, Telaz, Elat, Cusin. Chus autem
genuit Nembroth, ipse initiauit esse superbus ante dominum. Mestram
uero genuit Ludin, et luenugin, et Labin, et Latuin, et Petrosonum,
et Ceslun : Vnde exierunt Philistini et Cappadoces. Et tunc coeperunt
etiam et ipsi aedificare ciuitates. Et hae sunt civitates, quas aedifi-
cauerunt, Sidona, et circumiacentia eius, id est, Kesun, Beosamaza,
Gerras, Calon, Dabircaino, Tellunlacis, Sodoma, et Gomorra, Adama, et
Segom. Et filij Sem, Elam, Assur, Arphaxa, Luzi, Aram. Et filiarum,
Assum, Gedrummese. Arphaxas autem genuit Sala, Sala genuit Heber :
Et Heber nati sunt duo fifij, nomen uni, Phalech : Quoniam in diebus
eius diuisa est terra : Et nomen fratris eius leptam. leptam autem
genuit EHmodan, et Salastra, et Mazaam, Eea, Dura, Vzia, Deglabal,
Mimoel, Sabthphin, Euilac, lubab. Et filij Phalec, Kagau, Kephuth,
Zepheram, Aculon, Sachar, Siphaz, Nabi, Suri, Seciur, Phalacus,
Eapho, Phalthia, Zaldephal, Zaphis, et Arteman, Heliphas. Hij filij
Phalec, et haec nomina eorum. Et acceperunt sibi uxores de filiabus
lectan, et generauerunt filios et filias, et compleuerunt terram. Kagau
autem accepit sibi raulierem, Melcham, filiam Kuth, et genuit ei Seruch.
Et quum factus fuisset dies partus eius, dixit: Ex isto nascetur in
quarta generatione, qui ponat habitationem super excelsa, et perfectus
uocabitur, et immaculatus, et pater gentium erit, et non dissoluetur
testamentum eius, et semen eius in seculum multiplicabitur. Et uixit
Kagau, postquam genuit Seruch, annos CXVIIII. Et genuit septem
filios, et quinque filias : Et haec sunt nomina fihorum eius, Abielobth,
Salma, Dedasal, Zeneza, Accur, Nephes, Et haec nomina filiarum
eius, Cedema, Derisa, Seipha, Pherita, Theila. Efc uixit Seruch annos
296
XXIX. et genuit Nachor. Et uixit Seruch, postquam genuit Nachor,
annos LXVII. et genuit quatuor filios, et tres filias. Et haec sunt
nomina uirorum, Zela, Zobadica, et Phodde. Et hae filiae eius
Tephila, Oda, Selipha, et uixit Nachor annos XXXIIII. et genuit
Tharram. Et uixit Nachor, postquam genuit Tharram (fol. 5), annos
CC. et genuit VIII. fiUos, et V. filias. Et haec sunt nomina uirorum,
Eecap, Dediap, Berechap, losac, Sithal, Nisab, Nadab, Camoel. Et filiae
eius, Esca, Thiphabruna, Ceneta. Et uixit Tharra annos LXX. et
genuit Ambram, et Nachor, et Arram. Tharram autem genuit
Loth. . . .
INDEX
Aaron, the High Priest, sees no joy
from his sons, x. 10 ; called so be-
cause in the time of his mother's
pregnancy Pharaoh began to shed
blood of male children, xliv. 1 ;
prophesies to the Israelites, xliv.
15 ; ordered by God to meet
Moses, xlvii. 3 ; tells Moses to
send his wife and children back,
xlvii. 3 ; staff of, swallows staves
of Pharaoh's magicians, xlvii. 7 ;
takes the ewe's wool away from
the woman, Iv. 1 ; takes the flesh
of the ewe, Iv. 3 ; death of, xlix. ;
waited on by Moses, Eleazar, and
all the princes, xlix. 2 ; walks be-
tween Moses and Eleazar, con-
trary to the usual custom, xlix. 2;
soul of, referred to by Moses as
claimed by God, xlix. 3 ; shown
the cave of Machpelah, by the
ground suddenly opening, xlix. 4 ;
sees a burning lamp, prepared
bed, and a table spread on enter-
ing the cave, xlix. 4 ; stretches
out his leg, closes his eyes and
mouth, and his soul departs,
xlix. 4 ; coffin of, suspended in
mid-air by angels, to allay the
suspicion against Moses, xlix. 7 ;
loved with a greater love by Is-
raelites than Moses, xhx. 2; death
of, mourned by Israelites for
thirty days, xlix. 7 ; dies in the
same year as Miriam, on the first
day of the fifth month, xlviii. 17 ;
buried on Mount Hor, xlviii. 17
Abadon, fifth compartment of hell,
xvii. 2
Abahu's, parable of three men, xi. 1 ;
homily, xiv. 1
Abarim, mount under which books
of Emorites concealed, Ivii. 10
Abiel, son of Reu, xxvii. 6 ; son of
Shaphat, king of the four tribes,
Ixiii. 9
Abigedor, name given Moses by
his grandfather, Kehath, xliv. 7
Abihail, son of Shaphat, captain of
the host of the four tribes, Ixiii. 9
Abi Jezreel, did not worship Baal in
the days of Yair, Iviii. 10
Abiram, lost his soul through riches,
X. 10
Abi Sokho, name given Moses by
his nurse, xliv. 7
Abi Zanoali, name given Moses by
his brother, xliv. 7
Abraham, born in forty-third year
of reign of Ninus, xxxii. 6 ; por-
tent appears at the birth of,
xxxiv. 1 ; discovers that both sun
and moon are subservient to a
higher Master, xxxiv. 3 ; offers a
sacrifice to image, xxxiv. 6 ; burns
his father's idols, xxxiv. 8 ; differ-
ence in future reward of children
of, to that of children of Jacob,
XX. 7 ; refuses to obey Yoqtan
to flee, xxix. 10 ; cast into the
furnace, xxix. 13 ; selection of,
XXX. 3 ; argument of, against
idolatry, xxxiii. 1 ; ordered by
Nimrod to make an image,
xxxiii. 2 ; cast into furnace by
Nimrod, xxxiii. 3 ; delivered from
furnace by God Himself, xxxiv.
13 ; tests Nimrod, xxxiv. 11 ;
goes from Babylon to Damascus,
xxxv. 2 ; hidden in a cave,
XXXV. 3 ; wise in sciences of
' hermetica ' and astrology, xxxv.
298
4 ; sees the order of creation
changed, xxxv. 4 ; teaches Zoro-
aster magic, xxxv. 4 ; the oak
under which he sat still used for
medicinal purposes, xxxv, 5
Absalom, downfall of, caused by
beauty, x. 10 ; not smitten, in
second compartment of hell,
XX. 6 ; generation of, excepted
from dwelling in third house
in Eden, xx. 6 ; messenger of
Lysias, xcv. 5
Abtinos, succeeds Komulus, xl. 14 ;
wages war with the children of
Eifath, who dwelt by the Lira,
and with the children of Turnus,
who dwell in Toronia bj' the
Lira, xl. 14
Abyaush of Makedon, Apumasia.
his daughter, concubine of Darius,
Ixxv. 6 ; daughter of, takes the
crown from the head of King
Darius, and places it upon her
own head, Ixxv. 6
Accad, i.e. Nisibis, xxxi. 18
Achan ben Zabdi, confessed, the
Israelites should do likewise,
Ivii. 8
Achaya, flood in, xxxv. 9
Ada, wife of Lemech, xxiv. 5
Adam, creation and legends of,
vi. 10 et seq. ; during first twelve
hours of his life, vi. 10 ; causes
creatures to acknowledge Creator,
vi. 12 ; helpmeet for, vi. 15 ;
letters added to his name, vi. 16 ;
sons and daughters of, xxvi. 1,2;
induced by his wife to transgress
God's Word, Ixxv. 7; Hves 700
years after Seth's birth, and
begets eleven sons and eight
daughters, xxvi. 2
Adam and Eve, clothes of, created
on second day, i. 3 ; like a bridal
pair, vii. 2
Adirah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii.
8 ; built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Adonijah ben Hagith, downfall of,
caused by beauty, x. 10
Adoram the Edomite, killed by an
arrow shot from Jacob's bow,
xxxvii. 4
Adulterer, descends to hell for ever,
XV. 6
Adultery, punishment for, xiii. 4
AemiUus, succeeds Procas, xl. 14 ;
at the head of the Roman army,
xcvi. 3 ; one of the Roman com-
manders killed at Canusi, xcvi. 4
Aeneas rules Empire of Italy three
(or eight) years after the capture
of Troy, lix. 10
Afriqia in Ham's portion, xxxi. 2
Agnios, King of Carthage, to whom
Sefo flies from Egypt, xl. 3 ;
King of Afriqi, xl. 4 ; King of
Afriqi, from whom Turnus fled,
xl. 14 ; reigned over Italy in the
third year after the capture of
Troy, lix. 10
Agrimus, demon firstborn of Adam,
xxiii. 3 ; helps Matushelali to place
imps in fetters, xxiii. 3
Agrippa succeeds Tiberios, xl. 14
Ahab presides over, and not smitten,
in fifth compartment of hell, xx, 9
Ahab ben Qolaya, false prophet,
Midrash of, Ixiv, ; goes to the
daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, in-
ducing her to sin, Ixiv. 2
Ahalah, a kingdom in Kush,
Ixiii. 8
Ahasuerus, succeeds Cambisa,
Ixxviii, 5 ; abolished all the work
of the temple, Ixxviii. 5 ; nearly
destroyed the memory of Judah,
Ixxix, 1 ; orders the loyalty of
Mordecai to be entered into the
Book of Chronicles, Ixxix. 2 ;
embraces Esther, Ixxx. 5 ; alarmed
at the faintness of Esther, weeps,
Ixxx. 6 ; accuses the butchers,
bakers, and butlers of poisoning
him, Ixxxiii. 6 ; sends for work-
men to make a throne like that
of King Solomon, Ixxxiv. 1
Aheyya, son of Shemhazai, xxv. 7 ;
invoked by men when they bear
heavy loads, xxv, 11
Ahiqam, son of, appointed king
over those who remained in
Jerusalem, Ixi, 9
Ahitophel lost his soul through
wisdom, X. 10
Aholibah, a kingdom in Kush,
Ixiii. 8
Air created on first day, i. 3
Akhzariel, angel appointed to carry
out death of Moses, 1. 5
Akta built by Ogiges, and called
Eliosin (Eleusis), xxxv. 9
'Akur, son of Re'u, xxvii. 6
299
Alan, whole of, captured by Cyrus,
Ixxviii. 1
Alba succeeds Anios Trognos, xl. 14
Albano, cit}^ of, xl. 5 ; built by a
descendant of Hadarezer, xl. 16
Alexander the Great, son of Phil-
lippus, crowned Kmgof Macedon,
Ixxxv. 3 ; of Macedon. enclosed
peoples m Caspian Mountains,
xxxi. 4 ; smote Egypt, and
slew in Alexandria double as
many Jews as went out from
Egypt, Ixxxv. 3 ; the Macedonian,
King of Greece, slays Darius,
Ixxxv. 3 ; wishes to go up to
smite Jerusalem, Ixxxv. 3 ; warned
against injuring Jews, Ixxxv. 4 ;
met by the High Priest in Jeru-
salem, Ixxxv. 5 ; bows down
before the High Priest, Ixxxv. 5 ;
informed that it was not per-
mitted to place his image in the
Temple, Ixxxv. 6 ; informed that
Darius would be delivered into
his hand, Ixxxv. 7 ; slays Darius
and captures his kingdom, Ixxxv.
7 ; subdues India, Ixxxv. 8 ; reigns
six years in Elam (according to
E. Jose), Ixxxv. 8 ; before his
death divides his kingdom among
his four pages, Ixxxv. 8 ; captures
Helena as wife in the time of
Elon the Zebulonite, lix. 9
Alexandida, in Egypt, made the
royal city by Alexander, Ixxxv. 7
Alkimos, a worthless priest, incites
Antiochus against the Jews,
Ixxxvii. 7 ; eats swine's flesh, stirs
up Demetrius against the Jews,
xcix. 2; informs Antiochus Eu-
pator of the friendship between
Judah and Nicanor, xcix. 4
Almania, son of Elisa, fought Lati-
nus XL, xl. 13
Almodad, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Alsar captured by Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1
Amaleq defeated, xlviii. 13 ; son
of Eliphaz, son of Esau, makes
war upon the Israelites, xlviii.
13
Anion, a little fortified city in Egypt,
near the Salt Sea, Ix. 10
Amano, mountain in Brittania (?),
xxxi. 4
Amorites determine to kill sons of
Jacob, xxxvi. 1 ; come to terms
with sons of Jacob, xxxvi. 12 ;
books of, concealed under the
Mount Ebarim, Ivii. 10; call
seven golden idols the holy
Ninfe, upon which are many
precious stones, Ivii. 13 ; blind
restored to sight by kissing the
idols, Ivii. 14 ; too mighty for the
Israelites to fight against, Ivii.
29
Amram marries Jochebed, and
begets Aaron and Miriam, xlii. 8,
xliv. 1 ; advice of, to Israelites,
xlii. 5
Amtalai, daughter of Barnabo and
wife of Nalior, xxvii. 7
Anamim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Anba, built by Turnus, xl. 14
Andaim, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Andrios, a page of Ptolemy, Ixxxvii.
Angels created on the second day,
i. 8 ; four bands of, i. 9 ; seven
ministering before God, i. 10;
destroyed by God, vi. 3; ap-
pointed over spirits of men, ix. 2 ;
three ministering, appear to man
at his death, x. 5, xii. 3 ; two
bands at gates of Gehinnom, xiv.
1 ; of death, xvii. 5, lii. 9 ; of death
drives wicked like cattle, xvii. 3 ;
of death flees before Moses, li. 7 ;
of death approaches Moses
second time, li. 7 ; of death ap-
proaches Moses third time, li. 7 ;
of destruction, xvii. 1, 5; of de-
struction punish sinners twelve
months in Gehinnom, xvii. 3 ; of
destruction slays Israelites, Iv. 12 ;
six thousand, of trembling, xvii.
5 ; of terror, xvii. 5, lii. 9 ; of
terror try to consume Moses, lii.
9 ; of anguish, xvii. 5 ; of peace,
xvii. 6 ; of peace weep at the
distress of the law, Ixxxii. 3 ; of
mercy, xvii. 6; of mercy dance
and sing before the pious, xx. 1, 2 ;
myriads of, guard gates of Para-
dise, xviii. 1 ; sixty, at the head of
every just man, xviii. 3 ; seventy
thousand, surround God's throne,
XXX. 8 ; dispute who shall rescue
Abraham from fm-nace, xxxiv. 13;
appointed over childbirth, xliii. 4;
places two stones in child's hand,
from one of which it sucks milk
300
and from the other honey, xlii. 4,
xliii. 4 ; washed children, rubbed
them with salt, and bound them in
swaddling clothes, xliii. 4 ; envy
Adam, xxii. 1 ; led astray by
woman in the days of Noah,
XXV. 1 ; attacks Moses for his
transgression of the covenant,
xlvii. 2 ; Michael, Gabriel, and
Uriel save Pharaoh from the sea,
xlviii. 12 ; close all gates of
heaven as long as Moses' prayer
continued, 1. 5 ; exclamation at
death of Moses, 1. 15 ; do not
know where God dwells, lii. 6 ;
ministering, xvii. 6 ; ministering
pair went to each of the Israelites,
lii. 12 ; ministering, descend and
place two crowns upon every
Israelite, lii. 13 ; ministering,
clothe the Israelites, liii. 16 ;
ministering, cry at the weeping
of the law, Ixxxii. 3
Anias succeeds Latinus, xl. 13
Anias Trognos (Tarquinius) suc-
ceeds Latinus II., xl. 14
Animals roared on throne of Solo-
mon, Ixxxiv. 8
Annibal arrives in Germania by the
sea Oceanus, xcvi. 2 ; humbles
the pride of the Goths, xcvi. 2 ;
King of Africa, reigns over the
city called Carthagena, xcvi. 2 ;
crosses the narrow sea between
Africa and Sepharad, xcvi. 2 ;
King of Africa, humbled by Eome,
xcvi. 2 ; fights eighteen battles
with the Komans in ten years,
xcvi. 3 ; returns to Africa with
his army, xcvi. 8 ; flees to Egypt,
xcvi. 9 ; conquered by Scipio,
xcvi. 9; brought to Africa with
great honour, but takes poison,
xcvi. 9
Anointment of Judah for battle,
xci. 3
Anteos, in Lybia, conquered by
Erkules in the reign of Tola,
Iviii. 9
Antiochia, i.e., Hamath, built by
Hamathi, xxxi. 18 ; Komans
make war upon, xcvii. 1
Antiochus, the enemy of the Jews,
made King of Asia by Alexander,
Ixxxv. 8 ; made King of Mace-
donia, Ixxxvii. 6 ; slays Ptolemy
and rules in his stead, Ixxxvii. 6 ;
commands his subjects to bow
down before the image of the
king, Ixxxvii. 7 ; informed by
wicked Jews that the Jews re-
joice at the report of his death,
Ixxxvii. 7 ; prohibits the Jews
from observing the Sabbath and
from circumcising their children,
Ixxxvii. 8; smites the Jews in
Jerusalem with the edge of the
sword, Ixxxvii. 8; commands
Phillipos to slay every Jew who
will not worship images and eat
swine's flesh, Ixxxvii. 8; leaves
his officers in Judea to afflict the
people, Ixxxvii. 8 ; seizes seven
brothers with their mother for
refusing to eat swine's flesh,
Ixxxix. 1 ; tears flesh of the
Israelites like that of an ox,
Ixxxix. 1 ; tries to entice the seven
sons, Ixxxix. 1 et seq. ; subdued
by the mother of the seven sons,
Ixxxix. 9 ; exhorts the mother to
induce her last son to escape by
obeying him, Ixxxix. 10 ; tortures
the seventh son much more cruelly
than he did any of the other
brothers, Ixxxix. 13 ; leaves
Phillip to crush the Jews, xc. 1 ;
musters a mighty army, xcii. 4 ;
goes against the revolted Persians
with half of his army, xcii. 4;
compelled to flee from Ecbatana
by the Persians, xciii. 3 ; swears
he will make Jerusalem a burial-
ground, xciii. 3 ; plagued by God
with boils and an internal disease,
xciii. 4 ; takes his enormous army
and many elephants in the direc-
tion of Jerusalem, xciii. 4 ; thrown
out of his chariot, which is over-
turned, xciii. 5 ; stench of the
body of, xciii. 5 ; has his bones
broken, in consequence of his
being a stout and heavy man,
xciii. 5 ; humbly acknowledges
God's righteousness, xciii. 6 ;
prayer of, not hearkened to by
God, xciii. 7 ; succeeded by Eo-
pater, his son, xciii. 7
Antiochus Eupator, son of An-
tiochus, sends Lysias against
Judah, xcv. 2 ; letter of, to his
cousin Lysias, xcv. 6 ; letter of,
301
to Judah, xcv. 7 ; King of Greece, |
defeated and compelled to pay
tribute to the Eomans, xcvi. 1 ;
breaks the covenant he made
with Judah and marches against
him, xcviii. 3 ; lays siege to
Bethter, xcviii. 3 ; nobles fall
in battle, xcviii. 5 ; makes a new
covenant with Judah, xcviii. 6;
informs Nicanor that unless he
will send Judah bound in chains,
he will be killed, xcix. 4
Apis, King of Egypt in nineteenth
year of Jacob's life, xxxv. 8 ; dei-
fied and called " Sarapis," xxxv.
8 ; the calf of, xxxv. 8 ; King of
Egypt, built Mof, i.e., Menfis,
xlii. 1
ApoUonius, sword of, seized by
Judah, xcii. 1 ; captain of the
Macedonian host, gathers a large
multitude against the Jews,
xcii. 1.
Apollopanis, brother of Timotheos,
ordered to be beheaded by Judah,
xciv. 7
Apostates, punishment of, xvi. 7
Apple-tree wishes to serve as gallows
for Haman, Ixxxiii. 4
Apumasia, concubine of Darius,
Ixxv. 6
E. Aqiba, concerning infliction of
punishments in God's presence,
xiii. 6 ; in first compartment,
xviii. 7
Aqolon, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Aqrabim, sons of Esau surrender
to sons of Jacob in, xxxvii. 14
Aqtes, in Greece, built by Siqrops as
metropolis, Ivi. 1
Aram, in Ham's portion, xxxi. 2 ;
children of, xxxi. 16
Aramaic, language written on the
wall, Ixviii. 3 ; language spoken
in Syria, xxxi. 1
Aran, son of Shem, xxvii. 5
Ararat captured by Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1
Arellm cry at the weeping of the
law, Ixxxii. 3
Argos, extermination of kings of,
Iviii. 6 ; kings of, reign 544 years,
Iviii. 6 ; passes into the hands of
Mesenes, Iviii. 6
Argument of the first king's cham-
berlain, Ixxv. 1
Arirah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Aristios, a page of Ptolemy,
Ixxxvii. 1
Ark in God's mind at creation, i. 4;
surrounded by all the banners
and pillar of cloud placed by God
above it, liii. 6
Armania, tents made of the hair of,
Ixii. 11
Armenei, children of Madai, xxxi. 4
Armies represented by the hair of
the feet in Isaiah's prophecy,
Ix. 5
Arpakhshad, son of Shem, xxvii. 5
Arqa (one of the hells), he who is
lowered in, ascends no more,
xvii. 3
'Arqi, city of 'Arqes, near Tripolis,
xxxi. 18
Arvadi, name of an island, Arvodios,
xxxi. 18
Asael, fall caused by power, x. 10
Asaph, governor of the garden of
Lebanon, Ixxvi. 3
Ashchor did not worship Baal in
the days of Yair, Iviii. 10
Ashdod, Judah killed at battle out-
side, c. 5
Asher, constellation of, Scorpio,
liii. 13 ; stone of, the onyx, liii.
13 ; ensign of, an olive, liii. 14 ;
find seven golden idols and hide
them under Mount Shechem,
Ivii. 13
Ashkenaz, children of Gomer, in
land of Greeks, xxxi. 4
Ashqalon, built by Misraim, xxxii. 4
Ashtaroth Karnaim, place where
Bakires and Timothios fled to,
xciii. 1
Ashur, son of Shem, xxvii. 5 ; sons
of, xxvii. 5; i.e., Bel, son of
Nimrod, came from Kalna, xxxi.
Asqinus (Ascanias) succeeds Anias,
xl. 13
Assimilation of Jews to the people
of Antiochus, xc. 1
Assyria, all kings of, called Antio-
chus, xxxii. 6 ; camp of, smitten,
the only survivors being Senna-
cherib and Nebuchadnezzar, Ix.
5 ; received by lottery by Cyrus,
Ixviii. 10
Astiras, the province into which
Agnios arrived in ships, xl. 5
Astrubel, son of Agnios and Jania,
302
King of the Carthaginians, de-
feated and killed by Latinus,
King of the Kittim, xl. 10; brother
of Annibal, killed by Scipios in
Africa, xcvi. 6 ; head of, sent by
Scipio to Annibal, xcvi. 6
'Athrai, daughter of Pusai, prophecy
concerning her, Ix. 4
Avisianos succeeds Alba, xl. 14
E. Aybo, concerning the death of
Moses, 1. 1
Aza, Timotheos flees to, xciv. 5 ;
army of Timotheos utterly de-
feated by Judah at, xciv. 5 ; be-
sieged by Judah for five days,
xciv. 5 ; walls of, scaled by Has-
moneans, xciv. 6 ; gate of, fired
by the Hasmoneans, captured,
xciv. 6 ; spoil of, carried by the
Hasmoneans to Jerusalem, xciv. 7
Azael, Midrash of, xxv. ; advises
God not to create man, xxv. 2 ;
assumes human form and sins,
xxv. 4 ; did not repent, xxv. 12 ;
appointed chief over charms and
ornaments, xxv. 7
'Azah and 'Azazel, 1. 15
Azazel, identified with Azael, who
bears Israel's sins, xxv. 13
Baal, i.e., Bel, a Baal Peor and Baal
Zebub, xxxii. 5 ; worshipped by
all Israelites in the reign of Yair,
except by seven righteous men,
Iviii. 10
Babel, tower of, destruction, xxx. 5;
contained seventy steps, xxx. 7
Babylon, people settle in valley of,
xxix. 1 ; i.e., Ur of the Chaldees,
XXXV. 2 ; war of, with Eome, xl.
20 ; King of, captures Jerusalem,
and thus terrifies Romans, xl. 20;
Judah and half Simeon journey
the way of, Ixiii. 19 ; two mighty
kings raised against, viz., Darius
the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian,
Ixvii. 1 ; capture of, by Cyrus
and Darius, Ixviii. 8 ; terrible
vengeance inflicted upon, by
Cyrus and Darius, Ixviii. 8 ; most
precious things of, burned by
Cyrus and Darius, Ixviii. 9 ; ren-
dered a waste land, like Sodom
and Gomorrah, Ixviii. 9
Bakidos comes upon Judah in
Laish, c 1 ; arranges 15,000 men
I on the right of Judah and 15 000
men on his left, c. 2; succeeds in
escaping to Ashdod, c. 5
Bakires, a Macedonian general,
xciii. 1
Balaam lost his soul through wis-
dom, X. 10 ; the Enchanter, one
of Pharaoh's counsellors, advises
king to kill Moses, xliv. 9 ; coun-
sels people to rebel against Qin-
qanos, xlv. 2 ; two sons of ( Jannis
and Jambris), appointed captains
of the host, xlv. 2 ; the En-
chanter, i.e., Laban the Aramean,
left behind to guard city of
Cush, xlv. 2 ; stratagem of, xlv.
2; king over the people, xlv. 2;
flees to Pharaoh, King of Egypt,
and advises king to kill Hebrews,
xlv. 8 ; of Petor, advises that
king should destroy Israelites by
drowning, xlvi. 4 ; fearing Moses,
flees to Cush, xlvi, 6 ; ordered by
Moses to be summoned before
him, xlvii. 6 ; deep counsel of, to
Moabites, whereby the Israelites
were punished, Iv. 10 ; tries to
escape, flying by means of witch-
craft, xlviii. 14 ; and two sons
slain by Moses, xlviii. 14 ; brought
to earth by God's ineffable name,
xlviii. 14
Banishment by Nebuchadnezzar on
the eve of the 9th of Ab, Ixi. 1
{v. Exile)
Banners, four, of tribes correspond
to the four elements of which the
world is composed, liii. 10
Baqtris belongs to Shem, xxxi. 2
Barak captures Ilasor, Iviii. 4
Baruch, son of Neriya, carried from
Egypt to Babylon by Nebuchad-
nezzar, Ix. 10
Bath-Kol, or heavenly voice, suc-
ceeds prophecy in the days of
Malachi, Ixxxv. 2
Batuah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Bauveri, children of Japheth, xxxi. 4
Beast, huge, from middle down-
wards like a man, from middle
upwards like a goat, xl. 7; of
field rear and sustain Israelitish
children, xliii. 6
Beath, son of Dodanim, xxvii. 2
Beer Shaliat, second compartment
of hell, xvii. 2
303
Behemoth created on sixth day,
vi. 1 ; fed daily from 1,000 hills,
vi. 1
" Behold," the Hebrew word = 55,1. 1
Beings in the form of men walk
about, Ivii. 41
Bel succeeds to Babylon in days of
Serug, xxxii. 3 ; god of Babylon,
daily order of the offering of,
Ixxii. 2 ; said to consume the
offering laid upon his table, Ixxii.
2 ; Daniel shows Darius the
secret entrances through which
priests came in to eat the con-
tents of Bel's table, Ixxii. 6
Bela, name of city to which Lot
fled, XXXV. 6
Belshazzar, King of the Chaldeans,
rebelled against by Cyrus and
Darius, Ixvii. 1 ; defiles the holy
vessels by drinking wine from
them, Ixvii. 2; greatly afraid at
the words of Daniel, Ixviii. 4 ;
princes and dignitaries of, crushed
when passing through the gate
in their excitement, Ixviii. 4 ;
murdered by his doorkeeper,
Ixviii. 5 ; head of, taken by the
doorkeeper to Cyrus and Darius,
Ixviii. 5
Ben Azay concerning punishment,
xiii. 6
Benjamin, stone of, the amethyst,
liii. 13 ; constellation of, Aqua-
rius, liii. 13 ; ensign of, a wolf,
liii. 14 ; wished to test whether
God's law emanated from God
or from Moses, Ivii. 15 ; tribe
of, especially hated by Haman,
Ixxix. 1
Benjamites smite 18,000 Israelites,
lix. 13 ; 25,000, total number of
slain of, lix. 16 ; 600 flee to the
cleft of Rimmon, lix. 16
Ben Nethanel, name given Moses
by all Israel, xliv. 7
Berakhel, son of, owner of ship in
Naphtali's second vision, xxxviii. 7
Bethel, children of Eeuben dwell
by, Ixiii. 17
Beth Horon, people summoned to
by Teron, xcii. 2
Bethter attacked by Lysias with a
battering-ram and stones, xcv. 2;
inhabitants of, relieved by Judah,
xcv. 4
Bidria arose from Elisa and dwell
on Rinos, xxxi. 12
Bigthan and Teresh, the relatives
of Haman, Ixxviii. 2 ; plot to
hand over the king's head to
the Macedonians, who were then
warring with Persia, Ixxix. 2
Birds sang, the, and the trees
emitted their perfumes on throne
of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 6
Birean, brother of Timotheos,
ordered to be beheaded by
Judah, xciv. 7
Bitanya, city of, built by Tah-
panhes, Ivi. 5
Bitto subdued by Madai, xxvii. 3
Bityah (Pharaoh's daughter), son
of, xlvi. 6
Blade, fiery, held by angel of
death, xii. 5
Blind among Amorites restored to
sight by kissing idols, Ivii. 14
Blindness seizes the men who were
round about the seven righteous
men, Iviii. 10
Blood, if decree sealed with, decreed
will happen, Ixxxii. 5
Blue used in tabernacle reflected
in the rivers, liii. 18
Bodea (or Borea), in Japheth's por-
tion, xxxi. 3
Boel complies with God's wish,
vi. 4 ; name of, changed to
Raphael, vi. 4, 5
Bohu created on first day, i. 3 ;
above Tohu, xvii. 4
Books and precious stones to be
placed on the top of the moun-
tain by the side of the new altar,
Ivii. 18 ; which cannot be burnt
by fire or broken by iron to be
destroyed by dew, Ivii. 18
Borgonia arose from Elisa, and
dwell by river Rodano, xxxi. 12
(v. Burgunia)
Bosrah subdued by Riphath,
xxvii. 3
Bricks, twelve princes refuse to
make, xxix. 3 ; made from clay
and pitch, xxx. 7
Brittania (=Bytinia?), xxxii. 4
Brook from Garden of Eden habita-
tion of the dead, xix. 1 ; overflow-
ing world, seen by Mordecai in
dream. Ixxix. 3
Brothers', seven, martyrdom, Ixxxix.
304
Burgunia, son of Elisa, fought
Latinus II., xl. 15
Cadmus Europes Tahpanhes reigns
in Greece, Ivi. 3 ; King of Egypt,
goes from Thebes and comes to
Tyre, Ivi. 3 ; reigns in Tyre and
Sidon, Ivi. 3 ; reigns in Thebes
in the days of Othniel, Ivi. 5
Caesarea {i.e., Kappadocia), xxxii. 4
Cain, derivation of name, vii. 2 ;
Qalmana, wife of, xxiv. 1 ; the first
to surround city with a wall, xxiv.
1 ; children of, very numerous,
xxiv. 3 ; descendants of, all evil-
doers, xxiv. 4 ; sons of, dwelt in
the fields of Damascus, xxiv. 11 ;
seed of, with whom the seed of
Seth did not intermarry, xxiv. 11 ;
in land of Nod, xxvi. 11 ; names
of seven cities built by, xxvi. 11 ;
sons of, xxvi. 12 ; daughters of,
xxvi. 12
Caleb in third house in Eden, xx. 6 ;
lots cast in the tribe of, Ivii. 2
Calf, golden,^ brought by the Keu-
benites and Gadites from Dan,
and a holy temple made for it,
Ixi. 1 ; images of, to be prayed
to by those desiring sons and
daughters, lix. 12 ; carried away
by Sennacherib, Ix. 1
Cambisa, son of Cyrus, reigns in
his stead, Ixxviii. 5 ; destroys the
remnant of the Scythians, to-
gether with their queen, Tamirah,
Ixxviii. 5 ; son of Cyrus, King of
Persia, Ivi. 1
Camp, each of the Israelites', like a
large city, liii. 15 ; of twelve
tribes in desert described, liii. 15 ;
of the sons of Merari, in the north,
opposite Dan's standard, liii. 15 ;
of the sons of Gershon in the
west, opposite Ephraim's stand-
ard, liii. 15 ; of Moses, Aaron and
his sons to the east of the taber-
nacle, opposite Judah's standard,
liii. 15 ; of the sons of Qehath,
in the south, opposite Reuben's
standard, liii. 15 ; total area of,
twelve square miles, liii. 18 ; be-
tween the, an area of 4,000 cubits,
liii. 18
Canaan, children of, xxvii. 4 ; num-
ber of children of, xxviii. 4 ;
boundary of, xxxi. 18 ; a sinner
after the flood, Ivii. 14
Canaanites in the mountains join
Amaleqites, but are defeated,
xlviii. 14
Cannibals encountered by Ellianan,
Ixiii. 20
Canopies, ten, created for Adam,
vii. 1 ; table of precious stones
and pearls in, xviii. 2 ; in Paradise,
overgrown by golden vine, from
which thirty pearls hang, xviii. 2 ;
two, one of stars, the other of
sun and moon, to each scholar,
xviii. 6 ; at erection of, the moun-
tains and hills skipped like rams,
lii. 13
Canusi, a large city where the battle
between Annibal and the Eomans
took place, xcvi. 3
Carthagene (Qartaini), built in the
time of Yair, Iviii. 11 ; besieged by
Scipio, xcvi. 7 ; men of, inform
Annibal that unless he will relieve
them they will open the gates
to Scipio, xcvi. 7 ; Annibal in,
xcvi. 2
Castor, brother of Theseus, cap-
tured in the time of Yair, Iviii.
11
Cattle of tribes pasture opposite
their encampment, liii. 18
Cedar wishes to serve as gallows
for Haman, Ixxxiii. 4 ; replaced
in its position by Gabriel after
falling upon Haman, Ixxxii. 6
Chain, iron, half hot as fire, half
cold as ice, to beat man with at
death, xiii. 2
Chaldean language spoken in Chal-
dea, xxxi. 1
Chaldeans dip sons in fire, as other
nations dip them in water, xxxv.
6 ; defeated by Cyrus and Darius,
Ixvii. 1; kingdom of, divided by
lot between Cyrus and Darius,
Ixviii. 10 ; furnace of, xxix. 14
(v. Chasdim)
Chariot, wheels of, i. 11 ; God's, noise
of, produces earthquakes and
lightnings, i. 11 ; wheels of the,
praise God for being no respecter
of persons, 1. 6
Chasdim, Judah and half Simeon
dwell in land of, Ixiii. 19 {v.
Chaldeans)
805
Cherubim, God speaks between
two, i. 11
Child, God decrees future of, ix. 1 ;
formation of, ix. 1-10; birth of,
ix. 8
Children in sixth compartment of
Paradise, xviii. 7 ; commanded
by God to be swallowed up by the
earth, xliii. 5 ; sustained by beasts
of the field, xliii. 6
Chronicles, Book of the, of the
Kings of Egypt, xlvii. 8 ; of the
Kings of Media and Persia, Ixxviii.
1 ; of the Kings of Rome, Ixxviii. 1
Cinnereth, in Lybia, built in the
days of Ehud, Iviii. 2 [vide Gyrene)
Circumcision prohibited by Antio-
chus, Ixxxvii. 8 ; by Jethro, xlvi.
13
Citron wishes to serve as gallows
for Haman, Ixxxiii. 3
Clay, if decree sealed with, prayers
heard, Ixxxii. 5
Clouds pass on sounds to the seas,
ii. 5 ; and thick darkness form
dishes for moon, iii. 6 ; of glory
surround the Israelites in the wil-
derness, liii. 1 ; level high places
and raise low places, liii. 1 ; placed
at top of the standards upon which
the light of the Divine Presence
was refulgent, liii. 1 ; one arm
of seventh, rests on each of the
four standards, liii. 2; containing
the letter Yod, He, went the round
of all the camps during the seven
days of the week, giving light as
the sun by day and as the moon
by night, liii. 6 ; four, upon which
Hebrew letters were engraved,
followed the Israelites, liii. 7 ;
cleanse the Israelites, liii. 16 ;
divide tribes from their cattle,
liii. 18
Commandments, Ten, given by
God, xlviii. 15
Corinthus, present name of city of
Epira, Ivi. 5
Covenant, text of the, between the
Romans and the Jews, xcvii. 2
Creatures, holy, quaking, i. 13
Crown, reaches God's throne, when
all the wheels of His chariot and
throne commence rolling, Iii. 6
Gush, children of, xxvii. 4, xxxi. 17 ;
people of, wage war with people
of Qedem (East) and Syria, xlv. 1 ;
besieged nine years by Qinqanos,
xlv. 3 {vide Kush)
Cushim, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Cycrops fled from Egypt, Ivi. 1 {vide
Siqrops)
Cyprus, i.e., Kittim, xxxii. 4
Gyrene, in Lybia, Iviii. 2
Cyrus the Persian raised against
Babylon, Ixvii. 1 ; marries the
daughter of Darius, Ixvii. 1 ; pre-
vents Chaldeans from pursuing
the Median camp, Ixvii. 1 ; receives
by lot Assyria and Persia, Ixviii.
10 ; proclaims that whoever
desires to go to Jerusalem to help
in building the temple shall be
paid for his labours, Ixxvi. 2 ;
reigns over Media and Persia
after the death of Darius, Ixxvii.
1; reigns over all the kingdoms
of the earth, Ixxviii. 1 ; captures
mountains of Elef (or Alef ) , Ixxviii.
1 ; captures all the fords of India
and the land of Ethiopia, Ixxviii.
1 ; acts of, written in the Book
of Chronicles of the Kings of
Media and Persia, Ixxviii. 1 ; acts
of, written in the Book of
Chronicles of the Kings of Rome,
Ixxviii. 1 ; ends his days in battle
in the land of Shittim (Scythians),
Ixxviii. 2 ; entices the Scythians
from their fortresses by a ruse,
Ixxviii. 3 ; slays the son of their
queen Tamirah, Ixxviii. 3 ; suc-
ceeded by his sons Darius, Cyrus,
and Artaxerxes, Ixxxv. 1
Cyrus and Darius humble them-
selves and prostrate themselves
before God, Ixviii. 7 ; write pro-
clamation to the Arameans,
Tyreans, Samaritans, and Asaph,
governor of the garden of Leba-
non, Ixxvi. 3
Da'al did not worship Baal in the
days of Yair, Iviii. 10
Damascus, xxxvi. 1
Dan, constellation of Cancer, liii.
13; stone of, the beryl, liii. 13;
ensign of, a serpent, liii. 14 ;
taught their children what they
learned from the Amorites, Ivii.
10 ; determine to leave Canaan
and settle in Egypt, Ixii. 5 ; war
20
306
waged against tribe of, lix. 13 ;
Naphtali, Gad and Asher come
to, Ixi. 4 ; tribe of, mighty war-
riors, Ixii. 5, Ixiii. 4; refuse to
fight House of David, Ixil 5,
Ixiii. 4 ; determine to fight Jero-
boam, Ixii. 5 ; tribe of, arrive at
the other side of the River Pishon,
where they settle, Ixii. 6; tribe
of, wish to settle in Edom, Moab,
and among the Ammonites, Ixii.
6 ; birthplace of Elhanan, Ixiii. 1 ;
descendants of met by Elhanan,
Ixiii. 4; tribe of, march to the
brook of Pishon, seven years'
journey from Canaan, Ixiii. 5 ;
tribe of, dwell by the sea in Kush,
where are Ethiopians without
number, Ixiii. 5 ; tribe of, arrive
at Kush, i.e , Havila, Ixiii. 5 ;
tribe of, resolve to attack Edom,
Amnion, and Moab, Ixiii. 5 ; tribe
of, resolve to attack the Egyp-
tians, Ixiii. 5 ; descendants of, slay
twenty-five Ethiopian kings, Ixiii.
6 ; tribe of, joined by men of the
tribes of Naphtali, Gad, and
Asher, Ixiii. 7 ; tribe of, dwells
with those of Gad, Asher, and
Naphtali, by the rivers of Kush,
Ixiii. 8 ; children of, never close
their houses, as there are no
thieves among them, Ixiii. 14 ;
children of, possess no servants,
Ixiii. 14 ; children of, rebuked by
the children of Levi for swearing
by God's name, Ixiii. 14 ; children
of, smite 22,000 Israelites, lix. 13
Danaus has fifty sons, who marry
the fifty daughters of Egisates,
their brother, Ivi. 4 ; one of fifty
sons of, slays his brothers and
reigns in their stead, Ivi. 4
Daniel discovers injustice of Susan-
nah's two judges, Ixv. 7 ; prayed
for Nebuchadnezzar, so that his
seven years became seven months,
Ixvi. 1 ; refuses to be one of
Nebuchadnezzar's heirs, Ixvi. 2 :
interprets the writing upon the
wall, Ixxiii. 1 ; rebukes Belshaz-
zar, Ixviii. 2 ; advice of, to Darius,
Ixix. 2 ; envied by the princes,
who conspire against him, Ixx. 1 ;
prays to God three times each
day, Ixx. 3; cast into a den in
which ten lions were enclosed,
Ixx. 6 ; God of, praised by the
bystanders, Ixx. 10 ; brought from
the lions' den sound and perfect,
Ixx. 10 ; points out that the
priests of Bel eat the offerings,
Ixxii. 3 ; discovers by means of
ashes upon the floor of Bel's
temple the stratagem of the
priests, Ixxii. 4 ; leaves for Shu-
shan, in the land of Elam, his
native place, Ixxiv. 3 ; gives all
that the king presented him with
to the suffering exiles of Judah,
Ixxiv. 3 ; prophesied the division
of the kingdom by Alexander,
Ixxxv. 8
Danube, i.e., the Dunai, by which
Ugar, Bulgar, and Pasinaq live,
xxxi. 7
Darius the Mede, reign of, xl. 20 ;
the Mede raised against Babylon,
Ixvii. 1 ; receives by lot Babylon,
its temple, and the land of Media,
Ixviii. 10 ; places Daniel upon a
throne and asks him for counsel,
Ixix. 1 ; issues a decree to his
people to honour and believe in
the God of Daniel, Ixix. 3 ; con-
firms the decree of the princes by
sealing it with his seal, Ixx. 2 ;
exerts all his strength to rescue
Daniel, Ixx. 4 ; strives with the
princes until sunset, Ixx. 5 ; goes
to the lions' den at daybreak and
hears Daniel singing God's praises,
Ixx. 9; orders Daniel's enemies
to be thrown into the lions' den,
Ixx. 10 ; orders the princes to
assist the Jews, Ixxi. 2 ; orders
runners to proclaim the king's
permission to the Jews to rebuild
God's temple, Ixxi. 2 ; appoints
Daniel as his counsellor, Ixxii. 1 ;
sends for Daniel to test his wisdom,
Ixxii. 1 ; prepares an offering to
be brought before Bel, Ixxii. 2 ;
allows Daniel to return to his
native land on condition of ap-
pointing a successor, Ixxiv. 1 ;
son of Ahasuerus, reigned thirty-
four years after the rebuilding of
the temple, Ixxiv. 3 ; perplexed at
the dicta of his three guardians,
Ixxiv. 8 ; sends a message to Cyrus
to join him in establishing God's
307
house in Jerusalem, Ixxvi. 2 ;
makes Cyrus, his son-in-law, king
over Media, Ixxvii. 1
Darkness created on first day, i. 3 ;
that existed before creation now
in hell, xxi. 11 ; covering earth,
seen by Mordecai in dream,
Ixxix. 3
Dathan lost his soul through riches,
X. 10
David, tradition spoken by, ix. 11 ;
in third house in Eden, xx. 6 ;
speaks in third house of Eden,
XX. 7 ; smites Syria in the days
of Romulus II., xl. 15; enticed
by a woman, Ixxv. 7
Day created on first day, i. 3 ;
twelve hours in, vi. 10 ; refuses to
move that IMoses may continue to
live, li. 4
Dead, large habitation of, xix. 1 ;
souls of, eat from field and drink
from brook on Sabbath eve, xix.
1 ; robbed by those who drink
water between the afternoon and
evening services on Sabbath, xix.
2 ; rest on Sabbath, xix. 3 ; rise
from their graves every Sabbath
and new moon, xix. 4
Death, time to quit world, ix. 10 ;
difference in, of man and animals,
xi. 5 ; angel of, appearance of,
xii. 5 ; martyrs inform Antiochus
that their souls are given over to,
Ixxxix. 7 ; an atonement for their
people, Ixxxix. 7
Deber, son of Samer, xxvii. 1
Debir built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Deborah, twin wife of Abel,
xxvi. 1
Decrees, the four, concerning the
Levites : (1) Sprinkling of water
of sin-offering ; (2) washing of
clothes; (3) heaving; (4) razor, Iv. 6
Dedan, son of Japheth, xxvii. 2
Dedazal, son of Reu, xxvii. 6
Degel subdued by Magog, xxvii. 3
Demetrius, with a large army from
Rome, attacks Antiochus Eupator,
xcviii. 6 ; slays Antiochus and
Lysias, xcix. 1 ; rules in Antiochia,
in Macedon, xcix. 1 ; sends Nica-
nor with a strong army against
the Jews, xcix. 3
Demons created on second day, i. 3 ;
children of Adam, xxiii. 1
Depaseat, son of Heri, xxvii. 2
Derifa, daughter of Reu, xxvii. 6
Dialus, a wise man who made idols
of gold and brass which could
speak, Iviii. 8
Diensdakh {i.e., Tuesday), iv. 2
Diga, son of Serug, xxvii. 7
Dinim subdues Gudah, xxvii. 3
Dinur, a river in hell, beneath
throne of glory {vide Fire ;
Rigion), xvi. 7
Dionysius builds Niza, in Media,
Iviii. 2
Diqalbel, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Diul, a sinner after the Flood, Ivii. 14
Divination first practised, xxvii. 9
Do'ath, son of Heri, xxvii. 2
Dodanim, children of, xxvii. 2,
xxviii. 3 ; subdue Qaduba, xxvii.
3; i.e., Rodie, xxxi. 4; i.e., the
Daniski,who dweUin Danemarka
and Asidania, xxxi. 14 ; descend-
ants of, xxxi. 15
Doeg the Edomite lost his soul
through wisdom, x. 10
Dog kills Piritius and attempts to
kill Thisius, who is saved by
Heraclones, Iviii. 2
Donnersdakh {i.e., Thursday), iv. 2
Dostios (Dositheus), a captain of
Judah's army, captures Timo-
theos, xcvii. 7 ; a captain of the
host slain in a fierce battle be-
tween Judah and Gorgias,
xcviii. 1
Dove, image of, to be prayed to by
those desiring riches, lix. 12 ;
places a scroll of the law upon
the knees of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 7
Dragon, and Daniel, Ixxiii. ; fighting
seen by Mordecai in dream,
Ixxix. 3
Dream of Miriam, xlii. 8 ; of
Pharaoh, xliii, 1 ; interpretation
of Pharaoh's, xliii. 2 ; of Mordecai,
Ixxix. 3 ; of Ahasuerus, Ixxxii. 7 ;
of Alexander, Ixxxv. 4
Drop, bitter, from blade of angel of
death, xii. 5
Drought and rain, xxvii. 3
Drowned, in second compartment of
Paradise, xviii. 7
Ducsius, elder of the Hassidim,
tested in the reign of Antiochus
and found perfect, xcix. 6 ; called
father of the Jews, and judge in
20—2
808
Jerusalem, xcix. 6 ; pierces his
bowels, xcix. 7 ; prays and dies,
xcix. 7
Dust, God takes of the, vi. 7
Eagle, image of, to be prayed to by
those desiring riches, lix. 12 ;
whose wings are spread over the
whole world, so that nothing
could withstand it until the great
Mede arose and smote it, Ixxxi. 1 ;
and peacocks nestled among the
branches of the trees on the
throne of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 3 ;
placed crown upon the head of
Solomon, Ixxxiv. 6
Earth created on first day, i. 3;
over waters as a ship, ii. 2 ; depth
of, ii. 4 ; destined to become a
curse, vi. 6; compact made by
God, vi. 14 ; rebuked, vi. 6, 7 ;
divided into three parts, xxxi. 1 ;
commanded by God to swallow
up the children of the Israehtes,
protect them until they grow up,
and then to cast them up, xliii. 5 ;
ploughed by the Egyptians in
order to injure children, xliii. 6
Earthquakes in northern corner of
the world, i. 7 ; when Abram in
furnace, xxx. 14
Earth-worshippers encountered by
Elhanan, Ixiii. 20
Ebarim, Mount, under which books
concealed, Ivii. 10 {vide Abarim)
Eber, son of Shelah, xxvii. 5 ; sons
of, xxvii. 5
Ecbatana, Antiochus compelled by
the Persians to flee from, xciii. 3
Eden, Garden of, created before
creation, i. 2 ; gate of, opened by
God, ii. 3 ; Adam and Eve driven
from, vi. 10 et seq. ; spirit brought
from, ix. 2 ; child carried through,
ix. 5 ; virtuous honoured in,
xvii. 6 ; nine palaces in, xx. 1 ;
length of houses in, xx. 1 ; every
house presided over by angels,
XX. 1 ; sixty myriad species of
trees in, xx. 2 ; every house in,
contains canopies of roses and
myrtles, xx. 1 ; fruit of, eaten by
pupils of sages, xx. 2 ; houses in,
XX. 3 ; beams of house in, of
white glass and walls of cedar-
wood, XX. 4 ; second house built
of silver and walls of cedar, xx.
5 ; third house built of gold and
silver, xx. 6 ; 310 worlds in, xviii.
6 ; third house of precious stones,
with golden beds, and prepared
lights, XX. 7 ; reason why fourth
house of, built of olive-wood, xx. 8;
fourth house of, like first man,
XX. 8 ; fifth house built of onyx
and precious stones, xx. 9 ; walls
of fifth house of gold and per-
fumed with balsam, xx. 9 {vide
Paradise)
Edessa, i.e. , Semari in Syria, xxxi. 18
Edom, land of, where Judah and
Gorgias fight a battle, xciv. 2
Edomites, commanded by the two
kings to contribute their share in
the rebuilding of God's house,
Ixxvi. 5 ; ordered to hew the
wood from the Lebanon, Ixxvi. 5 ;
ordered to pay yearly tribute of
five talents of gold, Ixxvi. 5
Egisates (or Agestes), the fifty
daughters of, married by the fifty
sons of Danaus, Ivi. 4
Egypt, kings of, called Pharaoh till
time of Ptolemy Lagos, from
which time called Ptolemy, xxxii.
6; divided into three kingdoms,
xlii. 1 ; gods of, broken up into
small pieces and destroyed, liv. 1 ;
every firstborn of, slays his father,
liv. 2; Israelites flee to, in twenty-
seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar's
reign, Ix'^. 10 ; captured by Nebu-
chadnezzar, Ix. 10 ; engraved
upon a golden table, Ixxxvii. 5
Egyptian language spoken in Egypt,
xxxi, 1 ; rabble wish to prevent
Israelites from going, xlviii. 12.
Egyptians, two wizards of, liv. 8 ;
more addicted to witchcraft than
any other nation, liv. 8 ; seized
with fear on seeing the Israelites,
liv. 9 ; did not wish to enter the
sea after the Israelites, liv. 9
Ehud succeeds Othniel, Iviii. 2
Eight things created on first day, i. 3
Eight things created on second day,
i. 3
Elaf (or Alef), mountains of, i.e., the
mountains of darkness, as far as
the Snow Mountains, which are
impassable, captured by Cyrus,
Ixxviii, 1
309
Elah, spokesman of sinners, wants
each tribe to be asked separately,
Ivii. 9 ; tent of, where the books (?)
of the Amorites were hidden,
Ivii. 12 ; a sinner after the Flood,
Ivii. 14
Elam, son of Shem, xxvii. 5
Elash, son of Tiras, xxvii. 2
Elazar, son of Asher the Levite,
page, 1, xxxi. 5, 18, xli. 7
R. Elazar of Modin, on Abraham's
greatness in magic, xxxv. 4
Elchanan hailed from Dan, and
was very wise and pious, Ixiii. 1 ;
son of Joseph, a large export
merchant, and owner of many
ships, Ixiii. 1 ; made a ship con-
taining many chambers, Ixiii. 1 ;
a man of valour, Ixiii. 2 ; servants
of, partly Jews, partly Ishmael-
ites, Ixiii. 2 ; ship of, loaded with
10,000 talents' worth of spices,
Ixiii. 2 ; ship of, drifts on to the
sand in the Sea of Havila, Ixiii. 3 ;
majestic in appearance, Ixiii. 4 ;
comes upon a people who speak
Hebrew, Ixiii. 4 ; passes through
lands some of whose inhabitants
are fire-worshippers, others earth-
worshippers, others worshipped a
white horse and were cannibals,
Ixiii. 20 ; the Danite came from
the land of India, Ixiii. 20
Eleazar and Ithamar succeed Aaron,
xlviii. 17 ; the priest exhorts the
people, Ivii. 38 ; captain, xlviii. 14 ;
R., question of, to R. Simeon,
whether Israelites took weavers
with them, liii. 16 ; the chief
of the seventy priests sent to
Ptolemy, Ixxxvii. 3; brings the
various copies to the king, who
finds them to be identical, Ixxxvii.
4 ; refuses to eat of the forbidden
sacrifice, Ixxxviii. 3; refuses to
deceive the people by feigning to
eat forbidden sacrifice, Ixxxviii. 3 ;
captured and brought before
Phillip, Ixxxviii. 3 ; aged ninety,
martyrdom of, Ixxxviii. 4, 5 ;
Judah's brother pierces the ele-
phant with his sword, it falls upon
him and crushes him to death,
xcviii. 5 ; blood of, avenged by
Judah, xciii. 1
Eliakim, the priest at the head of
the Jews returning from Babylon,
Ixxi. 3
Eliezer, ruler of Damascus, enters
Abraham's service, xxxv. 2
R. Eliezer, i. 1, 8, iii. 2, 3 ; concerning
stiffneckedness of wicked, xii. 8;
concerning the beating in the
graves, xiii. 1 ; concerning ety-
mology of Gehinnom, xiv. 1
Elifaz, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Elijah, four Divine hosts shown
him, ix. 11 ; interview with R.
Joshua b. Levi, xv. 1 ; dwells in
the fifth house of Eden, xx. 9;
on appearance of, ark will be dis-
covered, Ixxvii. 9 ; beseeches Abra-
ham, Isaac and Jacob, Ixxxii. 4 ;
informs Moses of impending doom
and of Mordecai, Ixxxii. 4 ; in-
formed by Moses that if the
decree has been sealed with blood,
then what was decreed will
happen, Ixxxii. 5 ; informed by
Moses that if the decree is sealed
with clay, their prayers may still
be heard, Ixxxii. 5 ; goes to Mor-
decai, Ixxxii. 5
Eliochora, Sea of, held by Jonithem,
xxxii. 1
Eliodorus, captain of the host of
Seleucus, ordered to go to Jeru-
salem, Ixxxvi. 1 ; places guards
round the Temple, Ixxxvi. 2 {vide
Heliodorus)
Eliosin (Eleusis), name of Akta,
xxxv. 9 ; city of, destroyed by
Erkules in the reign of Tola,
Iviii. 9
Eliphaz, son of Esau, taught by
Jacob, does not accompany his
brother to war against Jacob,
XXX vii. 13
Elisa, children of Yavan, xxxi. 4 ;
i.e., Alamania, inhabit mountains
of lov and Sebtimo, xxxi. 12;
sons of, xl. 13
Ehshah subdues Tablo, xxvii. 3;
number of children, xxviii. 3
Ehshah ben Abuyah presides over,
not punished, in seventh compart-
ment, xxi, 11
Elohim, children of, of the seed of
Seth, xxiv. 10
Emorites (vide Amorites)
Endiana belongs to Shem, xxxi.
2
310
Enoch, name of a city built by
Cain, xxiv. 1 ; son of Cain and
Qalmana, xxiv. 1 ; the seventh
from Adam, purified city of Enoch,
xxiv. 3 ; sons of, xxvi. 8 ; daughters
of, xxvi. 8 ; desired by God and
taken away, xxvi. 8 ; son of Cain
and Temed, xxvi. 11 ; children
of, xxvi. 13 ; placed in the Garden
of Eden, xxvi. 20 ; author of
many writings, xxvi. 20; son of
Reuben, fights by the side of
Simeon and Benjamin, xxxvii. 6
Enosh, son of Seth, forms a man,
xxiii. 6 ; in the days of, men
began to be deified, and had
temples built to them, xxiv. 9 ;
sons of, xxvi. 4; daughter of,
xxvi. 4 ; in time of, men made
temples to gods, xxvi. 20
Eoropa, in Japheth's portion,
xxxi. 3
Ephraim, stone of, the jacinth,
liii. 13 ; constellation of, Gemini,
liii. 13 ; ensign of, an ox, liii. 14 ;
passed their children through the
fire, according to the custom of
the Amorites, Ivii. 15
Ephraim and half Manasseh, tribes
of, possess no money, but only
spoil from their enemies, Ixii. 12 ;
tribes of, are hard-hearted, ride
horses, infest the roads, and are
pitiless, Ixii. 12, Ixiii. 18; tribes of,
are distant six months' march from
Temple, and are innumerable,
Ixii. 12 ; exact tribute from
twenty-five kingdoms, as well as
from a portion of Ishmael, Ixii. 12 ;
are good riders, Ixiii. 18 ; a portion
of the tribes of, are harsh and
hard-hearted, Ixiii, 18
Ephron, a large city, besieged by
Judah, xcvii. 8
Epira, city of, now called Corinthus,
Ivi. 5
Epirus, many Romans slain by
Annibal at, xcvi. 8
Erekh {i.e., Edessa), xxxi. 18
Eriqtonios, the first to construct a
chariot in Greece, Ivi. 3 ; lives in
the time of Joshua, Ivi. 3
Erkules conquers Anteos, in Lybia,
and destroys city of Elios during
reign of Tola, Iviii. 9; commits
suicide by throwing himself into
the fire at the time of the death
of Jephtha's daughter, lix. 8
Esau separates from Jacob, xxxvii.
1 ; attacks Jacob and his sons
when they are sitting in mourn-
ing for Leah, xxxvii. 1 ; hit on
right shoulder by an arrow from
Jacob's bow, xxxvii. 4 ; dies from
his wound at Adoram, xxxvii. 4 ;
sons of, xxxvii. 13 ; children of,
made tributary by sons of Jacob,
xxxvii. 14 ; difference in future
reward of children of, to that of
children of Jacob, xx. 7
Esther, prayer of, Ixxx. ; in her
royal garments appears before
the king, accompanied by two
handmaidens, Ixxx. 4 ; faint from
fasting and trouble, Ixxx. 6
Estirah, name of girl seen and
desired by Shemhazai, xxv. 5 ;
taught the ineffable Name by
Shemhazai, xxv. 5 ; ascends to
heaven, and is placed among the
Pleiades, xxv. 6
Esudad, son of Heri, xxvii. 2
Ethiopia, each of the twenty-five
kings of, possesses 1,000 horsemen
and 80,000 infantry, Ixiii. 6 ; land
of, captured by Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1
{vide Kush)
Euphrates, in Shem's portion,
xxxi. 3 ; children of Zebulun
extend to the, Ixii. 11
Eupirus, river where Jllmilius and
Varros arranged the Roman
army in battle array, xcvi. 3
Eve eats the forbidden fruit, xxii. 1
et seq.
Evil Merodach succeeds Nebuchad-
nezzar the Younger, Ixvi. 4 ;
rescues Jehoiachin, King of
Judah, from prison, Ixvi. 5 ;
Nebuchadnezzar's eldest son
slandered to his father, who
makes Nebuchadnezzar the
Younger king, Ixvi. 5 ; three sons
of, named Regosar, Lebuzer-
Dukh and Nabar {i.e., Belshaz-
zar), Ixvi. 6
Excommunication by Upper and
Lower Tribunal, Iv. 12
Exiles, the eight, Ix. ; banishment
by Titus, on the eve of the ninth
of Ab, Ixi. 1 {vide Dan ; Levites ;
Moses, sons of ; Tribes)
311
Ezra, the priest and scribe, at the
head of the four myriads of
returning Jews, Ixxi. 3
Ezra and Nehemiah pray to God
for the holy fire which was
hidden by Jeremiah, Ixxvii. 3
Faneg, son of Dodanim, first used
ships, xxvii. 3; subdued Yedid,
xxvii. 3
Fantonya, son of Tubal, xxvii. 2
Fast proclaimed by Judah, xcii. 5
Faunus, successor of Sefo, xl. 10;
ruled Italy, hx. 10
Februarius, month of, added by
Pompilius, lix. 11
Ficus ruled Italy, lix. 10
Field, in the habitation of the dead,
xix. 1 {vide Camp)
Fig-tree, wishes to serve as gallows
for Haman, Ixxxiii. 2
Filop, son of Dedan, xxvii. 2
Fingers, writing on the wall,
Ixvii. 3
Fire, river of, from the face of
holy creatures, i. 13 {vide Dinur) ;
Chaldeans drop their children in,
XXX. 6 ; worshippers of neighbours
of Issachar, Ixii. 10 ; worshippers
of, encountered by Elhanan, Ixiii.
20; holy, hidden by Jeremiah,
Ixxvii. 3 ; sunk in the earth, under
a large stone in the valley of the
Mount of Olives, Ixxvii. 6 ; place
of, indicated by old priest. Ixxvii.
6 ; in a pit in the valley of the
Mount of Olives priests find some-
thing hke the lees of oil, mud, and
honey, Ixxvii. 7 ; suddenly burns
the altar, Ixxvii. 8; licks the
burnt- offering, and cleanses the
Temple, diminishes, Ixxvii. 8 ; of
Judah' s mouth burns sinners,
xc. 4 ; for the altar could not be
found by Judah, xciv. 1
Firita, daughter of Keu, xxvii. 6
Firmament created on second day, i.
8 ; divided into seven degrees, iv. 3
First-born, every Egyptian, slays
his father, liv. 2; where no,
eldest in the house died, liv. 3 ;
the dead, come to hfe and die
anew, liv. 3 ; smiting of, liv.
Flame which did not burn, Ivii. 40
Flood, the, in God's mind at Crea-
tion, i. 4
Foam, hot, vomited by source,
Ivii. 41
Forma, waters drawn from, brought
to Kittim in a vessel for the use
of lania, xl. 11
Fortresses, store-cities of Egypt,
so built that no one could enter
or leave without king's know-
ledge, xlii. 3
Foundations, between the, sons of
men shall dwell 7,000 years,
Ivii. 41
Fountain, of hot waters near Gehin-
nom, ii. 4; yield fishes, birds
and fruits and water, Ixii. 3 ;
six of which form one pool, Ixii. 3
Frankos, children of Gomer, xxxi. 6
Fransehn, land of Frankos, xxxi. 6
Fran si, children of Madai, xxxi. 4
Frezes (Phryges), children of Tog-
armah, xxxi. 4
Gaash, Mount, occupied by Amor-
ites, discomfited by sons of Jacob,
xxxvi. 10
Gabriel, head of second band of
angels i. 9; driven away by
earth, vi. 5 ; commanded to
bring dust, vi. 6 ; relieves Han-
anya, Mishael, and Azariah from
furnace, xxxv. 3; the angel,
assumes the form of one of
Pharaoh's counsellors, xliv. 11 ;
advises king to test Moses by
bringing onyx stones and live
coals before him, xliv. 11 ; com-
manded by God to bring the soul
of Moses, 1. 10; asks God how
he can look upon the death of
one worth sixty myriads of His
angels, 1. 10 ; spreads a garment
of fine linen at the head of
Moses, 1. 14 ; unable to do any-
thing against Johanai and Mamre,
hv. 8 ; enters the sea in the form
of a mare, liv. 9; afflicts the
Amorites with blindness, Ivii.
34 ; replaces the cedar in its
position after it fell upon Haman,
Ixxxii. 6 ; appears in his dream
to Ahasuerus in the form of
Haman, trying to kill him with
a drawn sword, Ixxxiii. 7
Gad, constellation of, Capricornus,
liii. 13; stone of, the diamond,
liii. 13; ensign of. a troop, liii.
312
14 ; children of, lie with the wives
of their neighbours, Ivii. 13 ; the
seer, golden seat put for, lxxxiv»
3
Gad and Gilead, men of, send two
letters to Judah imploring his
help against Timotheos, xciv. 2
Gadaira, in Ham's portion, xxxi. 2;
boundary of Japheth's portion,
xxxi. 3
Galathi (or Gavathi), children of
Japheth, xxxii. 4
Galilee, Jews of, delivered by
Simeon, xciv. 3
Galisur the angel prophesies the
condition of the crops, lii. 8 ; so
called because he revealed God's
secrets, lii. 8; wings of, spread out
to receive the breath of the holy
creatures, lii. 8 ; takes a thick
covering of iron and spreads it
on the river Rigion, lii. 8
Gallows for Haman, trees dispute
who shall serve as, Ixxxiii. 2
Garden planted upon mountain by
Nebuchadnezzar the Younger, to
please his Median wife, Ixvi. 4 ;
of Eden {vide Eden, Paradise)
Gasqonei, children of Japheth,
xxxi. 4
Gebi, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Gedudim, troops of angels, 1. 14
Gehinnom {vide Hell), created be-
fore Creation of world, i. 2 ; in
God's mind at Creation, i. 4 ; heat
of, created on second day, i. 8 ; hot
fountain near, ii. 4 ; child carried
to, ix. 6 ; judgment of, ix. 11,
xiii. 5 ; punishment of, x. 4,
xi. 4, xiii. 6, 7 ; fate of one con-
demned to, xi. 7 ; description of,
xiv. 1 et seq. ; why so called,
xiv. 1 ; seventh compartment of
hell, xvii. 2; fire of = one-sixtieth
fire of Shaare Salmavet, xvii. 2 ;
wicked led to, by angels of
trembling, xvii. 5 ; wicked thrown
into depth of, by angel of death,
xvii. 5 ; vision of, xxi.
Genealogies, Book of, xli. 2
Generations, Book of the, Ixvi. 6
Germania, arrival of Annibal in,
xcvi. 2
Gershon not circumcised, by order
of Reuel, xlvi. 13 ; camp of the
sons of, liii. 15
Geshem the Arabian slanders the
Jews, Ixxi. 3
Gezron, son of Ashur, xxvii. 5
Gibeah, incident of concubine of,
Iviii. 1 ; incident of, in the days
of Abdon, lix. 12
Gideon asks for another sign, Iviii. 7
Gilion flows from fifth house of
Eden, and illumines the upper
world, XX. 9 ; fragrance of, more
exquisite than that of Lebanon,
XX. 9 ; i.e., the Nile in Ham's
portion, xxxi. 3
Gilead attacked by Timotheos,
xciv. 4
Gilug, son of Cush, xxvii. 4
Giteal, King of the Ammonites, lix. 1
Gizla, daughter of Serug, xxvii. 7
God, Divine presence described, i. 9 ;
throne of, i. 10 ; footstool of,
1. 10 ; breath creates hosts of
heaven, iii. 2 ; worship of, through
fear, x. 4 ; descends, together with
Michael, Gabriel, and Zagzael,
1. 14 ; makes a sign in the
heavens, and the day remained
at a standstill, li. 5 ; not able
to help Jews, said by Haman,
Ixxxi. 6 ; will fight against Antio-
chus, and uproot him from the
earth, Ixxxix. 7
Godansdakh {i.e., Wednesday),
iv. 2
Godo conquered by Riphath,
xxvii. 3
Gog and Magog descended from
Sqite (Japhethites), xxxi. 4
Golaza, son of Magog, xxvii. 2
Gomar, sons of, xxvii. 1 ; children
of, numbered by Pinhas, xxviii. 3
Gomer, sons of, xxvii. 2 ; i.e.,
Gavathi, or Galathi, son of
Japheth, xxxi. 4
Gomorrah built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Gondalus ravages land of the Kit-
tim, xl. 5
Goqar, waters of, equivalent to
those of Forma, xl. 11
Gorgias chosen one of the generals
of Lysias, xcii. 5 ; with a huge
army, meets Judah in the laud
of Edom, xciv. 2 ; defeated and
put to flight by Judah, xciv. 2;
flies to Arabia to Timotheos,
xciv. 2 ; avoids single combat
with Judah, and escapes, xcviii.
313
1 ; flies to the desert of Marasha,
where he dies, xcviii. 1
Goshen, land of, where certain
shepherds reigned, xhi. 1 ; king-
dom of shepherds, granted in
honour of Jacob and Joseph,
xlii. 1
Goths, pride of, humbled by Anni-
bal, xcvi. 2 (vide Guti)
Gozan, the river, Ixiii. 18
Grave, beating of, xiii. 1 et seq. ;
judgment of, not on those who
die at Sabbath eve, xiii. 5 ; judg-
ment in, more severe than that
in hell, xiii. 5
" Great," the word applied to Moses,
1. 5
Greece, assisted by Kome against
Babylon, xl. 20
Greek, language spoken in Greece,
xxxi. 1 ; spoken by Judah and
half tribe of Simeon, Ixiii. 19 ;
persecution by the, vide Antio-
chus, Judah
Gresi, river of, called Yoniu, xxxi. 4
Gudah, subdued by Dinim, xxvii. 3
Guti (Goths), children of Japheth,
xxxi. 4
Gutiel did not worship Baal in the
days of Yair, Iviii. 10
Habakkuk prepares a large dish to
feed the reapers, Ixx. 8 ; the
prophet returns from harvesting
in Judah at the same time as
Daniel is cast into the hons' den,
Ixx. 8 ; hfted up by a lock of his
hair by an angel, and placed with
food in the lions' den, Ixx. 8
Hadarezer and his sons flee to
Kittim, xl. 15
Hadarniel, every word uttered by,
accompanied by sparks of fire,
lii. 2 ; stands far above his fellow-
angels, lii. 2 ; rebukes Moses, hi.
2; goes before Moses, hi. 4 ; acts
as messenger for Moses, hi. 4 ;
not able to stand before the fire
of Sandalphon, lii. 5
Ham, children of, xxvii. 4, xxviii.
1, 4, xxxi. 17
Haman angered at the execution of
his relatives, Bigthan and Teresh,
Ixxviii. 2 ; the Amalekites' enmity
due to Mordecai being Saul's
descendant, Ixxix. 1 ; letter of,
Ixxxi; counsel of, to blot out all
the Jews on one day, Ixxxi. 3 ;
cuts dowai a cedar from his garden
to hang Mordecai on, Ixxxii. 6 ;
beats the children with iron
chains and appoints keepers over
them, Ixxxii. 7 ; destroys the
wall of his own house to obtain
a beam for the gallows, Ixxxiii. 5
Hamath in Ham's portion, xxxi. 2;
{i.e., Antochia) built by Hamathi,
xxxi. 18
Hamatim, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Hanokh, son of Heri, xxvh. 2
Haran, dies in the presence of his
father Terah in Ur of the Chal-
dees, XXXV. 1 ; children of, xxxv. 1
Hararyah, land of, given to Jacob
by the Amorites, xxxvi. 12^
Harteman, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Hasmoneans, graven images found
under the clothes of, who were
slain in battle, xcviii. 2 {vide
Judah)
Hasor, battle before, xxxvi. 5;
captured by Barak, Iviii. 4
Hassidim, assembly of, scattered
' and exiled, Ixxxvii. 8 ; flee to the
forest, Ixxxvii. 8 ; a large number
of, mustered by Mattathiah, xc._2 ;
send the spoil to Jerusalem, xciii. 1
Havilah, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5 ;
' number of children of, xxviii. 4 ;
i.e., Getih, xxxi. 17 ; precious
stones of, included the bdellium
and the onyx, Ivii. 14 ; encamp-
ment of Levites, Ixii. 8 ; land of,
abounds in gold, sheep, cattle,
camels, asses, and horses, Ixii. 8;
land of, measured, Ixiii. 7
Heat of living body, created on
second day, i. 8
Heaven, created on first day, i. 3 ;
form of, i. 6 ; boundaries of, i. 6 ;
north corner not completed, i. 7 ;
created by one word, iii. 2; the
seven doors of, lii. H ; seven
doors of the seven, opened by
God Himself, who reveals Him-
self to Israel face to face, lii. 11
Heavenly hosts, with their crowns,
glorify God, lii. 6 ; bodies, clothe
themselves in sackcloth at the
distress of the law, Ixxxii. 3
Heber, name given to Moses by his
father, xliv. 7
314
Hebrew, language spoken in Eber,
xxxi. 1 ; the holy language,
xxxviii. 11 ; spoken by tribe of
Issachar, Ixii. 10 ; spoken by
children of Eeuben, Ixiii. 17 ;
spoken by Judah and half
Simeon, Ixiii. 19 ; children of
Hebrews reply to the children
of Egyptians, xliv. 3; Hebrews
who rebelled slain during the
three days of darkness, xlviii. 8
Helena, captured by Theseus in the
time of Yair, Iviii. 11 ; captured
by Alexander in the time of Elon,
lix. 9 ; comes to Egypt in the
time of Abdon, lix. 10
Heliodorus smitten very severely,
Ixxxvi. 3 ; sees an awe-inspiring
man riding a splendid horse in
the Temple, Ixxxvi. 3; felled to
the ground, Ixxxvi. 3 ; lifted by
young priests and placed on his
bed, Ixxxvi. 4 ; informs Seleucus
that he should only send his
enemies to plunder God's house,
Ixxxvi. 5 ; ordered to bow down
before Honiah, Ixxxvi. 5 (vide
Ehodorus)
Hell, sea-gate, alluded to in Jonah,
xiv. 3 ; three gates of, xiv. 3 ; gate
of, in wilderness, xiv. 3 ; world-
gate, xiv. 3 ; five different fires,
xiv. 4 ; gate of, xv. 1 ; first com-
partment of, where covetous
punished, xvi. 1, xxi. 4 ; second
compartment, slanderers pun-
ished, xvi. 2, xxi. 5 ; third com-
partment, adulterers punished,
xvi. 3, XX. 7 ; fourth compart-
ment, wantons punished, xvi. 4,
XX. 8 ; fifth compartment, princes
punished, xvi. 5, xx. 9; 7,000
windows in each room, xvi. 6 ;
sixth compartment, ten nations,
XX. 10 ; 7,000 vessels filled with
venom in each window of, xvi. 6 ;
seven compartments of, xvi. 6 ;
seventh compartment of, six
nations, xxi. 11 ; 7,000 rooms,
xvi. 6 ; 7,000 holes in every com-
partment of, xvii. 1 ; names of
compartments, xvii. 1 ; 7,000
scorpions in every hole, xvii. 1 ;
300 slits in every scorpion, xvii. 1 ;
7,000 pouches of venom in the
slit of every scorpion, xvii. 1 ;
length of, 6,300 years' journey,
xvii. 2; no righteous people in,
xxi. 1 ; fire at the gates of, xxi. 3 ;
two brooks in first compartment
of, xxi. 4 ; open pits, fiery lions,
xxi. 4 ; Antiochus will descend to
the bottom of hell, that he will be
drawn into darkness where there
is no life or light, but darkness
and shades, where there is no
rest or repose, but trouble,
sorrow, brimstone, and fire,
xxxix. 13 (vide also Gehinnom)
Helpmeet, the word causes the earth
to tremble, vi. 14
Heraclones saves Thisius from a
dog, Iviii. 2 {vide Erkules)
Heri, son of Ashkenaz, xxvii. 2
Heroes, former name of the city
Kamses, xlii. 1
Hetel, river by which families of
Togarmah live, xxxi, 6
Heyya, son of Shemhazai, xxv. 7 ;
invoked by men when they bear
heavy loads, xxv. 11 (vide Aheyya)
Hezekiah rules the 13,000 men of
Judah and Benjamin who remain
in Jerusalem, Ix. 5
Hiddeqel, i.e., the Tigris, in Ja-
pheth's portion, xxxi. 3
High priest sends Ptolemy seventy
priests with Eleazar as their chief,
Ixxxvii. 3 (vide Eleazar, Alkimos)
Hoi, an immortal bird who rebukes
Eve, xxii. 5, 8 (vide Milliam)
Holy creatures, breath of, unendur-
able were it not for Galisur,
lii. 8
Honiah informs Eliodorus that the
only gold in the treasury is that
presented by Seleucus for the
maintenance of orphans, widows
and the poor, Ixxxvi. 1 ; the
priest fasts, Ixxxvi. 2 ; entreated
by the elders of Macedon to pray
for Heliodorus, Ixxxvi, 4
Horad, son of Melech, xxvii. 2
Horiyah, a kingdom of Kush, Ixiii. 8
Horses, fiery, ridden by forty men
between heaven and earth, Ixxxvii.
7 ; riders of, fight against one
another for forty days, Ixxxvii, 7
Hosca, son of Elah, kills Pekah, Ix.
1 ; reigns five years over Israel
in Samaria, Ix. 1 ; presents Sen-
nacherib with the golden calf
315
which Jeroboam had placed in
Bethel, Ix. 2
llushiel, angel who smites wicked
in fifth compartment of hell, xx. 9
I (words with I vide also under J
and Y)
Iberi, children of Tubal, xxxi. 4
Idols for the first time, xxiv. 9 ; of
gold and brass which could speak,
made by Dialus, Iviii. 8
Iglesusi, dwell by the river of the
great sea, xxxi. 11
Hag, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Inachus, King of Argos at Jacob's
birth, XXXV. 7 ; father of lo,
surnamed Izides by Egyptians,
XXXV. 7
India, Elhanan came from land of,
Ixiii. 20 ; fords of, captured by
Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1 ; subdued by
Alexander, Ixxxv. 8 {vide Endiana)
Intriguer descends to hell for ever,
XV. 6
lo, daughter of Inachus, by Egyp-
tians given surname of Izides,
XXXV. 7
Irad, son of Enoch, xxiv. 4
R. Isaac, proverbial sayings of, xi. 4
R. Isaac b. Parnach, concerning
record of man's merits and sins,
xii. 1
Isaiah, prophecy of, fulfilled, Ix. 5 ;
in Hele, xvi. 1
Ishai, son of Ashur, xxvii. 5
Ishmael, son of Netaniah, slays
Gedaliah, Ix. 10 ; R., death of,
xxi. 2
Ishmaelites, kings of, pay tribute to
Judah and half Simeon, Ixiii. 19
Isles of the sea, inhabitants of, de-
scended from Dodanim, xxvii. 2
Ispania, children of Tubal, xxxi. 4
Isqlabi (Slavonians), their bound-
aries, descendants of Dodanim,
xxxi. 15
Israelites, wicked only punished in
their lifetime, xx. 7 ; destroy
Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Gir-
gashites and Hivites, xxxi. 18 ;
carried manure upon their
shoulders, xlii. 3 ; dug channels
in Egypt, xlii. 3 ; cleansed the
channels of Egypt, xlii. 3 ; refuse
to listen to Aaron's admonitions,
xliv. 15; destruction of, impos-
sible by fire or sword, but possible
by water, xlvi. 4 ; sent away with
many gifts, xlviii. 9 ; prevail over
the Egyptian rabble, who want
to prevent Israelites from going,
xlviii. 12 ; dwelling in Egypt flee
to Anion, Ix. 10; flee to Egypt
in the twenty-seventh year of
Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Ix. 10 ;
refuse to mtermarry with the
heathen, Ixxxi. 6 ; condemned
because they did not ascribe to
God the power of delivering them
in the days of Nebuchadnezzar,
Ixxxiii. 1 ; fast, Ixxxvi. 2
Isrub, King of Tapuah, prowess of,
XX xvi. 2
Issachar, constellation of, Aries, liii.
12 ; stone of, the topaz, liii. 13 ;
ensign of, a strong ass, liii. 14 ;
asked the idols what would be-
come of them, Ivii. 9 ; tribe of,
fulfil the commandments, Ixii. 9 ;
tribe of, are pious men, hating
oppression, Ixii. 9 ; tribe of, dwell
on the mountains of the great
deep in the nethermost parts of
Media and Persia, Ixi. 4, Ixii. 9,
Ixiii. 15 ; tribe of, inhabit a large
country, Ixii. 9 ; tribe of, dwell
in peace, Ixii. 9 ; tribe of, have
abundance of cattle, camels and
servants, but do not breed horses,
Ixii. 9 ; honesty of servants of
tribe of, Ixii. 9 ; tribe of, have no
warlike weapons, Ixii. 9 ; tribe of,
have captains of the army, but
never fight, Ixii. 9, Ixiii. 15 ; tribe
of, speak Hebrew and Persian
languages, and that of Kedar,
Ixii. 10, Ixiii. 15 ; neighbours of,
worship fire and marry their
mothers and sisters, Ixii, 10 ;
children of, dwell on an area of
thirteen days' journey in each
direction, Ixiii. 15 ; children of,
very numerous, Ixiii. 15 ; children
of, receive as tribute from the
heathen kingdoms a fourth of
all yearly produce and a fifth of
the flocks and herds, Ixiii. 15 ;
children of, fulfil the law, Ixiii. 15 ;
children of, possess silver and
gold, servants, camels, flocks and
herds in plenty, Ixiii. 15
Italy, whole of, ruled by Sefo- Janus
316
Saturnus, xl. 9 ; ruled by Janus
Saturnus, Ficus and Faunus,
lix. 10
Itan, land of, where Jonithem was
sent by Noah, xxxii. 1
Iteb, son of Dodanmi, xxvii. 2
Ithamar succeeds Aaron, xlviii. 17
Izides, surname of lo, daughter of
Inachus, xxxv. 7
J (words written with J vide also
under I and Y)
Jabal, father of those who live in
tents, xxiv. 5, xxvi. 14 ; invented
locks against thieves, xxiv. 5,
xxvi. 19
Jabin, a prophet called by Kenaz
when his days were drawing to
a close, Ivii. 39
Jabneh, captured by Judah, xcvii. 3 ;
burning of, seen as far as Jeru-
salem, xcvii. 4
Jacob, sons of, dwell in third house
in Eden, xx. 6 ; speaks in third
house in Eden, xx. 7 ; kills Ze-
hori. King of Shiloh, xxxvi. 4 ;
kills Susi, King of Sartan, Laban,
King of Horan (or Heldon), and
Shakir (or Shikkor), King of
Mahna(im), xxxvi. 6; children of,
fight with the Amorites, xxxvii. 1
et seq. ; grasps two rudders,
xxxviii. 7 ; reproves Joseph,
xxxviii. 9 ; commands his sons
not to unite with sons of Joseph,
but only with sons of Levi and
Judah, xxxviii. 10
Jael, prayer of, Iviii. 4 ; wife of
Heber, Iviii. 5
Jair commands his servants to burn
seven righteous men who spoke
against Baal, Iviii. 10 ; and all
his house consumed by fire, with
Baal and 10,000 of his followers,
Iviii. 10 ; servants of, burned
mstead of the seven righteous men
whom they tried to throw in the
fire, Iviii. 10 ; buried at Qamon,
Iviii. 10 ; the Gileadite makes an
altar to Baal, Iviii. 10 {vide Yair)
Jambris, son of Balaam, appointed
captain of the host, xlv. 2 ;
ordered by Moses to be summoned
before him, xlvii. 6 {vide Mamre)
Jania, only daughter of Usi, mar-
ried Agnios, King of Africa, xl. 4
Jannes, son of Balaam, appointed
captain of the host, xlv. 2 ; ordered
by Moses to be summoned before
him, xlvii. 6 {vide Jolianai)
Januarius added by Huma Pom-
pilius, lix. 11
Janus, festival of, in honour of Sefo,
xl. 7 ; smites plundering troops
of Gondalus, xl. 8; ruled Italy,
lix. 10
Japheth, children of, xxvii. 1, xxxi. 6 ;
numbered by Pinhas, xxviii. 3 ;
number of children of, xxviii. 3
Jaspisi, daughter of Astrubel, so
beautiful that the men of her
generation wove her image upon
their clothes, xl. 10; captured
and married by Latinus, xl. 12
Javan, sons of, xxvii. 1 ; subdues
Seel, xxvii. 3 ; are Gresi, xxxi. 4 ;
children of (the Greeks), xxxi. 8
Jechoniah, second captivity of Ne-
buchadnezzar caused by, Ix. 7
Jedid subdued by Faneg, xxvii. 3
Jehoiachin advises Nebuchadnezzar
the Younger to take his father's
corpse from the grave, cut it into
300 pieces, and give them to 300
vultures, Ixvi. 6 ; a great and
pious Jew in Babylon who mar-
ried Susanna, Ixv. 1 ; house of,
visited by two judges to deliver
judgment to the people, Ixv. 2
E. Jehudah, ii. 5 ; concerning pun-
ishments for different crimes,
xiii. 4 ; says that the death of
Moses is referred to ten times in
Holy Writ, 1. 2
Jepheth, vide Japheth
Jephthah sends messengers to
Giteal, King of the Ammonites,
lix. 1 ; prays to God in Mizpah,
lix. 1 ; vow of, lix. 2 ; daughter
of, has four days in the year
devoted to her memory by the
women of Israel, lix. 8
Jerahmeel, xxxi. 15, xxxii. 1, xxxv. 2
Jered, sons of, xxvi. 7 ; daughters
of, xxvi. 7 ; name given to Moses
by his sister, xliv. 7
Jeremiah carried from Egypt to
Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, Ix.
10 ; prayer of, answered, Ix. 11 ;
hides the holy fire, Ixxvii. 3 ;
becomes angry with the priests
who followed him, and swears
317
they will never discover the ark
until he and Elijah appear,
Ixxvii. 9 ; carries the ark up to
Mount Nebo, and places it in a
cave, Ixxvii. 9 ; on the appearance i
of, the tabernacle, and the tent of j
the congregation, ark of the testi-
mony, and the two tables of stone
will be restored, Ixxvii. 9
Jeroboam presides over, but is not
smitten, in fourth compartment
of hell, XX. 8 ; orders Israelites to
wage war against Eehoboam,
Ixiii. 4
Jerusalem in God's mind at Crea-
tion, i. 4 ; captured by King of
Babylon, xl. 20; the light which
illumines man's path, Ivii. 41 ;
exiles from, all youths of Judah
and Benjamin, 1. 9 ; Judah and
half Simeon dwell near, Ixiii. 19 ;
walls of, rebuilt by Ezra, Zerub-
babel and his company, Ixxxv. 1
{vide Judah)
Jeshua at the head of the Jews
returning from Babylon, Ixxi. 3
Jew, Jews, anyone mentioning the
name of, to be slain, xc. 1 ; offers
a swine's head upon the altar of
Antiochus, xc. 7 ; terrified at the
multitude of Seron's army, pray
to God, xcii. 2 ; make covenant
with Komans, xcvii. 2 ; live in all
the cities of the sea coast from
Aza to Acco, xcvii. 3 ; persuaded
by the Macedonians to board
their ships to have sports on the
sea, and are thrown into it, xcvii.
3 ; mourn for Eleazar, xcviii. 5
{vide Israelites, Judah)
Jinon, son of Zipthai, xxvii. 2
Jishub, waters of, where sons of
Jacob rested, xxxvi. 8
Joab, fall caused by power, x. 10
Job, advice of, that Pharao should
do what he pleased, xlvi. 4
Jobah, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Jochebed, wife of Amram, xlii. 8,
xliv. 1 ; Moses child of, adopted by
Pharaoh's daughter, xlii. 9, xliv. 4
Jolianai, an Eg^'ptian wizard, liv. 8
{vide Jannes)
Johanai and Mamre fly as far as
the firmament by means of their
wiles, liv. 8; princes of witch-
craft, liv. 8
R, Johanan less fair than the angels,
xviii. 3 ; on sinner's confession,
xiv. 2 ; concerning punishment of
sinners, xiv. 8 ; concerning the
angels appointed over sinners,
XV. 5 ; b. Nuri, concerning dura-
tion of punishment, xiii. 7 ;
b. Zakkai, in third compartment
of Paradise, xviii. 7 ; messenger
of Lysias, xcv. 5
Johnios, i.e., Ptolemy, chosen one
of the generals of Lysias, xcii. 5
Jonadab did not worship Baal in
the days of Yair, Iviii. 10
Jonathan buried Judah, c. 5
Jonithem, son of Noah, xxxii. 1 ;
and Nimrod, xxxii. 1 ; told Nim-
rod that descendants of Ashur
would reign first, xxxii. 1 ; sent
to the land of Itan by Noah,
which he held as far as the sea
of Eliochora, xxxii. 1
Joppa besieged and captured by
Judah, xcvii. 4
R. Jose, legend of Adam told by,
xi. 4
Joseph born in Jacob's ninety-
second year, xxxv. 9 ; less fair
than the angels, xviii. 3 ; in
Naphtali's vision, xxxviii. 3 ;
children of, will depart from God,
xxxviii. 3 ; mounts a bull, xxxviii.
4 ; beats his brother Judah, xxxviii.
4 ; refuses to take his oar, xxxviii.
7 ; grasps both rudders, xxxviii. 8 ;
quarrels with Judah, and ship
founders, xxxviii. 8 ; beauty of,
disturbs Egyptian women, xxx.
2 ; the Egyptian women peeling
apples, xl. 2 ; coffin of, carried by
Moses, xlviii. 10 ; bones of,
searched for by Moses, li. 1 ;
coffin of lead made by magicians
of Egypt, weighing 500 talents,
and thrown into river, li. 2 ; coffin
of, ascends as a reed, li. 3 ; coffin
of, borne by Moses upon his
shoulders, li. 3 ; R. Joseph, his
Midrash of Shemliazai and Azael,
XXV. 1 ; J. ben Gorion asserts
that Joshua decreed that water
should be poured upon the ground
instead of blood, Ivi. 2; ben
Gorion, book of, Ixvi. 6, xc. 9 ;
ben Gorion, anointed priest of
battle, who was exiled from Jeru-
318
salem in the reign of Vespasianus,
Book of, Ixxviii. 1
Joshua, Moses prays God to let
him rule while he (Moses) may
continue to live, li. 6; succeeds
Moses, xlviii. 17 ; decrees that
water should be poured upon the
ground instead of blood, Ivi. 2 ;
J., son of Jehozadak, the high
priest, chosen by Ahab and Zede-
kiah to accompany them in the
furnace, Ixiv. 4 ; the high priest
not touched by the fire, his gar-
ments merely smelling of fire, Ixiv.
4 ; explains his clothes smelling of
fire as caused by his being ac-
companied by two wicked men,
Ixiv. 5 ; K., estimates world's
depth, ii. 4 ; E., b. Levi, concern-
ing man's merits and sins, xii. 2 ;
E., b. Levi, concerning man's
ordeal at death, xiii. 2 ; E., b. Levi,
interview with Elijah, xv. 1 ; E.,
b. Levi, description of Paradise,
xviii. 1 et seq. ; 11., b. Levi, vision
of, XX. 3
Josiah, God's beloved, ends his days
in battle, Ixxviii. 2
Josippon, Book of, xxx. 2 ; a por-
tion of, added by Eliazer the
Levite, xxxi. 4 ; relates how
Abraham sat under an oak, which
lasted till reign of Theodosius, in
Eome, XXXV. 5 ; relates buoyancy
of Dead Sea, xxxv. 6 ; according
to, incident of Micah and concu-
bine of Gibeah occurred between
Joshua and Othniel, Iviii. 1 {vide
Joseph b. Gorion)
Jotham, King of Judah, during
whose rule Eemus and Eomilus
rule over Eome, xli. 1
Jovis, god of Egypt, revealed him-
self in the form of a ram, and
was called Serapis, xlii. 1 {vide
Apis)
Jovisdi {i.e., Thursday), iv. 2
Jubal, father of those who play on
the harp and reed-pipe, xxiv. 5,
xxvi. 14 ; discoverer of the science
of music, xxiv. 6, xxvi. 15 ; wrote
science of music on two pillars,
xxiv. 7, xxvi. 16
Judah, prowess of, xxxvi. and
xxxvii. ; engages Isrub, kmg of
Tapuah, xxxvi. 2 ; slays Isrub,
xxxvi. 2 ; urges his father to fight
with Esau, xxxvii. 4 ; engages
nine comrades of Isrub, xxxvi. 4 ;
first to climb walls of Hasor,
xxxvi. 6 ; prayer of, accepted by
God, xxxvii. 12; takes a staff,
jumps upon the sun, and rides
upon it, xxxviii. 3 ; Benjamin and
Levi alone remain with, xxxviii.
5 ; sits upon mast, xxxviii. 7 ;
stone of, the sardius, liii. 13 ;
ensign of, a lion's whelp, liii. 14 ;
the tribe of, selected to lead the
people, Ivii. 1 ; confesses the
making of a calf, Ivii. 9; J. the
Maccabean burns the sinners with
the fire of his mouth, xc. 4 ; clothed
in a coat of mail, looks like a
giant, xc. 4 ; anointed for battle by
his father, Mattathiah, xci. 3 ;
called Maccabee, on account of his
power exhorted by Mattathiah to
lead his brethren in battle, xci. 3 ;
takes his father's place, xci. 4 ;
fights a fierce battle with Apol-
lonius, xcii. 1 ; seizes the sword
of Apollonius, with which he
fights for the rest of his life,
xcii. 1 ; strikes terror into Seron's
army and smites them, xcii. 3 ;
proclaims a fast, xcii. 5 ; marches
out to meet Nicanor and prays to
God, xcii. 7 ; commands those
who have planted vineyards, or
built a house, or have married
or are faint ■ hearted to return
home, xcii. 6 ; smites the camp
of Nicanor, xcii. 7 ; distributes
gold taken from the merchants
among the poor, xcii. 7 ; captures
Phillipio, xciii. 1 ; fights Bakires
and Timotheos in a severe battle,
and puts them to flight, xciii. 1 ;
dedicates the altar of the 25th of
Kislev, xciv. 1 ; with Hassidim
goes to Jerusalem, overthrows the
heathen altar, and cleanses the
Temple, xciv. 1 ; battle with
Gorgias, xciv. 2 ; smites Gorgias,
xciv. 2 ; judges his people, and
weeds out the wicked from their
midst, xcvii. 2; with Hassidim
passes the Jordan, xciv. 3 ; puts
the Macedonian camp to con-
fusion, xciv. 4 ; finds Timotheos
attacking the city Gilead, xciv. 4 ;
319
encouraged by the vision of the
five horsemen, smites Timotheos,
xciv. 4 ; and the Hasmoneans in
the forests and mountains, xcv.
2 ; goes out to assist his brethren
in Bethter, xcv. 3 ; and the Has-
moneans enter Jerusalem, xcv. 3 ;
sees a man riding between heaven
and earth, xcv, 4 ; receives a
letter from Eomans, xcvii. 1 ;
having smitten many Arabs, im-
poses a tribute upon them, xcvii.
4 ; after separating the Jews, kills
the inhabitants of Joppa and
burns the place, xcvii. 4; passes
the strongly fortified city of
Raspon, xcvii. 5 ; defeats the
army of Timotheos, xcvii. 7 ;
orders the head of Timotheos to
be cut off, xcvii. 7 ; spares the life
of Timotheos, xcvii. 7 ; besieges
Ephron, xcvii. 8 ; marches to
Scitopolis, xcvii. 9 ; returns to
Jerusalem three days before the
festival of Pentecost, xcvii. 9 ;
marches against Gorgias, xcviii.
1 ; destroys cities of Edom,
xcviii. 2; judges his people, and
acts righteously and justly, xcix.
1 ; meets Nicanor, xcix. 3 ; sum-
mons his Hassidim and Hasmo-
neans and goes to Samaria,
xcix. 4 ; calls upon Nicanor to
meet him in the field, xcix. 8 ;
defeats Nicanor and kills him,
xcix. 10, 11 ; remains at his post
with only 800 men and his
brothers, c. 1 ; engages in a battle
the army of Bakidos, c. 3 ; rushes
at Bakidos, who attempts to flee,
c. 4 ; is killed in the battle outside
Ashdod, c. 5 ; prospers all the
days of his life, c. 5 ; mourned by
Israel for many days, c, 5 ; buried
by Simeon and Jonathan, c. 5 ;
ministered unto the Lord for six
years, c. 5
Judah and Benjamin, tribes of,
scattered over the whole world,
Ixii. 12
Judah and half tribe of Simeon
journey the waj^of Mathol and of
Babylon, until the city of the mad-
man, Ixiii. 19 ; are very numerous
and have lions' faces, Ixiii. 19 ;
dwell in a wilderness in tents
made of hair, Ixiii. 19 ; speak
Hebrew and Greek, and also the
language of Togarma, Ixiii, 19 ;
are men of faith, versed in the
Scriptures, Ixiii. 19 ; wage war
with strange kingdoms, Ixiii. 19 ;
dwell in the land of the Chasdim
near Jerusalem, Ixiii, 19 ; are
proficient riders, archers, spears-
men, and swordsmen, Ixiii, 19 ;
receive tribute from twenty-five
white kings, some of whom are
Ishmaelites, and other descen-
dants of Keturah, Ixiii. 19
Judgment three days, xiii, 3, 4 {vide
Grave, Hell, Paradise)
Julius Caesar, first king of Rome,
after an interval of 464 years,
xli, 2
Jupiter, rules on fifth day, iv, 2 ;
appointed over life, iv. 7 ; appear-
ance of, iv. 7
Kaforisio, mountain, xl. 6
Kaftorim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Kalna, Seleuqos changed name of,
to Seleuqia, xxi. 18
Kaphnaya (or Kapanya), plain of,
where Kittim dwell, xl. 1 ; in the
land of the Kittim, in which Janus
built a temple and reigned, xl, 9
Kaphtor, land of, captured by Cyrus,
Ixxviii. 1
Kaporisio, mountain climbed by
Kittim, xl. 1 {vide Kaforisio)
Karpitos, succeeds Qapis, xlv. 14
Kasluliim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Kaspon, the inhabitants of, curse
Judah, he sets it on fire, xcvii. 5 ;
the pool of blood flowing from
this city was two stadia in
length and two in breadth,
xcvii. 5
Kedar, language of, Ixiii. 10 ;
language of, spoken by Issachar,
Ixii. 10, Ixiii. 15 ; language of,
spoken by Reuben, Ixii. 11
Kedron, brook of, called Sam-
batyon, which encompasses the
four tribes, Ixiii. 11
Kehath, camp of, liii. 15
Kenaz, lot falls upon, as leader,
Ivii. 2 ; address of, to the Israel-
ites, Ivii. 3 ; with Eleazar, prays
to God to know what to do with
sinners, Ivii. 7 ; finds the books of
820
the Amorites under the Mount
Abarim, Ivii. 10 ; finds books (?)
of the Amorites in the tent of
Elah, Ivii. 12 ; finds seven golden
idols of the Amorites under Mount
Shechem, Ivii. 13 ; enters all the
replies of the sinners in a book,
and recites them before God, Ivii.
15 ; tests the stones by iron, it slips
away from under them, Ivii. 20 ;
tests books in fire, it is extin-
guished, Ivii. 20 ; tests books by
water, it becomes dry upon them,
Ivii. 21 ; finds twelve precious
stones, upon which were engraved
the names of the sons of Israel,
Ivii. 22 ; puts twelve stones in the
Ark of the Testimony with the
tables of the Covenant, Ivii. 25 ;
people speak against, Ivii. 26 ;
thirty-seven men who had spoken
against, cast into prison, Ivii. 27 ;
calumniators of, burnt with fire,
Ivii. 37 ; asks prisoners what com-
plaint they prefer against him,
Ivii. 37 ; with a shofar in his hand
approaches the Amorites with 300
men, Ivii. 30 ; approaches the
camp of the Amorites alone, Ivii.
30 ; prayer of, Ivii. 31 ; lightning
sword of, Ivii. 32 ; asks God for
a sign of salvation, Ivii. 32 ; smites
the Amorites single-handed, Ivii.
34 ; slays 45,000 Amorites, Ivii.
34; sword of, cleaves to his hand,
Ivii. 35 ; slays an Amorite, and by
pouring his warm blood upon his
hand separates his sword from it,
Ivii. 35 ; finds Israelites in a deep
sleep, Ivii. 35 ; prophesies, the
Spirit of the Lord coming upon
him, Ivii. 39 ; prophecy of, Ivii. 40
Kerethi and Pelethi, the students
of the Law, thus called in the
days of David, Ix. 7
Keturah, descendants of, pay tribute
to Judah and half Simeon, Ixiii. 19
Kings, represented by the head in
Isaiah's prophecy, Ix. 5 ; in the
riddles, the most powerful persons
on earth, Ixxiv. 8, Ixxv. 1
Kio (or Kiva), river which flows into
the Gergan Sea, xxxi. 11
Kittim, number of children of, xxviii.
3; i.e., Qipres, xxxi. 4; ie., the
Romans dwell in the valley of i
Kapania by river Tiberio, xxxi. 14 ;
go to Sabino, take the daughters
of Tubal captive, and climb the
mountain Kaporisio, xl. 1 ; en-
camp in plain of Kaphnaya (Cam-
pania), and dwell by the river
Tiberio, xl. 1 ; build three cities
by the sea, which they call Porto,
Albano, and Aresah, xl. 2 (vide
Sefo)
Kiuza, built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Kor, measure of (or, chorus), dis-
covered in Greece in the time of
Abimelech, Iviii. 9
Korah, generation of, excepted from
dwelling in third house in Eden,
XX. 6 ; presides over, but not
smitten, in third compartment of
hell, XX. 7 ; rebellion of, Iv. ; com-
plained to, by the woman, Iv. 2 ;
expostulates with Aaron, Iv. 4 ;
weaves 400 garments of blue for
400 men, Iv. 5 ; foolish complaint
of wife of, Iv. 8 ; counsel of wife
of, Iv. 9
Kush, rivers of, where four tribes
of Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher
dwell, Ixii. 4 ; sons of, pay the
Danites tribute, Ixii. 6; i.e.,
Havila, a rich and fertile land,
Ixiii. 5 ; sixty-five kings of, dwell
on one side of Pishon, Ixiii. 6 ;
kings of, engaged in constant battle
with the four tribes, Ixiii. 7 ;
rivers of, called Zahab Tob, Ixiii.
8 ; names of the kingdoms of,
Ixiii. 8 {vide Cush)
Lailah, angel appointed over con-
ception, ix. 1
Lakhish, built by Misraim, xxvii, 4
Lamp of gold before the throne of
Solomon, Ixxxiv. 4
Langobardi, children of Japheth,
xxxi. 4 (vide Lungobardi)
Languages, confusion of, xxx. 5, 8 ;
strange, spoken by the children
of Reuben, Ixiii. 17
Laqmi, angel who rules over hail,
XXXV. 3
Latin, language spoken in Rome,
xxxi. 1 ; alphabet, invented by
Nizpa in the time of Jair, Iviii. 11
Latini, so called because its inhabi-
tants spoke the Latin language,
lix. 10
321
Latinus, successor of Piqos Faunos,
explained language and its letters,
xl. 10 ; succeeds Seliaqos, xl. 13 ;
fought Almania and Burgunia,
sons of Elisa, xl. 13
Latusqah, a kingdom in Kush,
Ixiii. 8
Law, the, created before creation,
i. 2 ; finds all the Israelites dead,
lii. 11 ; meets Satan in widow's
garments, weeping, Ixxxii. 3
Lebanon in Ham's portion, xxxi. 2
Lebuzer-Dukh, Son of Evil Mero-
dach, Ixvi, 6
Led, son of Gomer, xxvii. 2
Lehabim, i.e., the Flaminga, xxxi.
18
Lemech, son of Metushael, xxiv. 4 ;
two wives of, xxiv. 5, xxvi. 14;
sons of, xxvi. 9, 14 ; sons of,
purify city Enoch, xxiv. 3
Lesha, i^'., Qaliron, its waters warm,
and flow into Salt Sea, xxxi. 18
Letters created on second day, i. 3 ;
by means of the letters Yod He,
God created the world, liii. 6
{vide Cadmus, Nizpa)
Levi kills king of Ga'ash, xxxvi. 4 ;
takes a staff, jumps upon the sun,
and rides upon it, xxxviii. 3 ;
ascends big mast and sits upon
it, xxxviii. 7 ; tested the holiness
of the tabernacle, Ivii. 9
Leviathan, created on fifth day, v.
1 ; a huge serpent, v. 1 ; fed daily
by a serpent, v. 1
Levites encamped between the
tabernacle and the camps of the
other tribes, liii. 15 ; occupy one-
eighth of the whole area of the
tribes, liii. 18 ; occupied in their
ministrations at the time of the
banishment, Ixi. 1 ; sons of Moses,
made ten journeys, Ixii, 1 ; cut
off their fingers, so that they
cannot play their harps, Ixii. 1 ;
together with their wives and
children lifted by a cloud, Ixii. 2 ;
brought by the Lord to the sea-
shore, Ixii. 2; given light by night
by a pillar of fire, Ixii. 2 ; sur-
rounded on three sides by the
river, and on the fourth by the
sea, Ixii. 2 ; journey and encamp
at Havila, Ixii. 8 ; journey from
one border to another, a distance
of four days' travelling, Ixii. 8;
dwell in tents made of skin, Ixii.
8 ; inflict capital punishment ac-
cording to Jewish law, Ixii. 8
{vide Moses)
Lice, plague of, details of, xlviii. 3
Light created on the first day,
i. 3 ; quarrel between two, iii. 1 ;
enlargement and diminishing of,
iii. 1 ; hidden, shines, Ivii. 41 ;
which illumines the path of man
is Jerusalem, Ivii. 41
Lightning sword of Kenaz, Ivii. 32
Lilith, the first Eve, begets demons
from Adam, xxiii. 1
Lions at Pharaoh's gate warded off
by Moses, xlvii. 5 ; image of, to
be prayed to by those desiring
strength, lix. 12 ; daily fare of,
consisted of ten sheep and ten
human bodies, Ixx. 6 ; starved so
that they should hasten to devour
Daniel, Ixx. 6 ; hck Daniel and
wag their tails upon seeing him,
Ixx. 6 ; destroy his enemies, Ixx.
10
Lipukh, son of Cush, xxvii. 4
Lira, river in land of Riphath, xxxi.
6, xl. 14
Lot given by Terah to Abram as
his adopted son, xxxv. 1
Lud, son of Gomer, xxvii. 2 ; son
of Shem, xxvii. 5; inhabited by
children of Zebulun, Ixiii. 16
Ludim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Lunedi {i.e., Monday), iv. 2
Lungobardi arose from Elisa,
xxxii. 12 ; conquered Italia,
xxxi. 12
Luon, son of Tisai, xxvii. 2
Lusifer, i.e., Nogah, temple of, built
by Latinus IL, priests passed
through fire on the altar of this
temple, xl. 13
Lysias leads an army against Judea,
xcii. 4 ; sends strong armies against
Judah, xcii. 5 ; makes a covenant
with Judah, xciv. 4 : and his men
fly in shame and disorder, xciv.
4; gives battle to Judah at
Bethter, xcv. 2 ; sent by Antiochus
Eupator against Judah, xcv. 2 ;
charges the messengers sent to
Judah with words of peace, xcv.
5 ; letter of, to the people of
Judah, xcv. 5
21
322
Maakh, sons of Tiras, xxvii. 2
Maccabees, Book of the, Ixxxv.
Macedon, land of, captured by
Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1 ; yoke of, broken
asunder from the shoulders of
Judah, xc. 3
Macedonia inhabited by Greeks,
xxxi. 8
Macedonians take to flight on enter-
ing temple, Ixxxvi. 3 ; and the
people of Joppa and Jabneh bring
about great evil, xcvii. 3
Machik called saffron, Ixiii. 2
Madai, number of children, xxviii.
3 ; subdue Bitto, xxvii. 3 ; i.e.,
Edalos, dwell in land of Turkhan,
xxxi. 9 {vide Medians)
Madia, kingdom of Mehumat on the
borders of, Ixiii. 18 {vide Media)
Madman {i.e., Mahomed), city of
the, Judah and half Simeon
journey as far as, Ixiii. 19
Mafshiel, son of Zipthai, xxvii. 2
Magog, sons of, xxvii. 2 ; subdued
Degel, xxvii. 3 ; number of chil-
dren, xxviii. 3 ; i.e., Sqite
(Scythians), children of Japheth,
xxxi. 4
Mahalalel, sons of, xxvi. 6 ; daughters
of, xxvi. 6
Maipon, son of Cush, xxvii. 4
Maktiel, angel who smites wicked in
fourth compartment of hell, xx. 8
Malkah, daughter of Kuth and wife
of Reu, xxvii. 6 : daughter of
Haran given by Terah to Nahor
as wife, xxxv. 1
Mamre, an Egyptian wizard, liv. 8
(vide Jambris)
Man short-lived will sin, vi. 8 ; will
repent and be pardoned, vi. 8 ;
height of, vi. 12 ; creatures afraid
of, vi. 12 ; seven stages, ix. 9 ;
righteous happy, x. 1 ; wicked
unhappy, x. 2 ; compelled to relate
his deeds, x. 6 ; appearance after
death, xi. 6 ; iniquities engraved
upon his bones, xii. 1 ; merits and
sins not testified until his death,
xii. 2 ; " The Old," and his seven
counsellors rule Eome and subdue
the West, xl. 19 ; the word applies
to Moses, 1. 4 ; images of, to be
prayed to by those desirous of
sons, lix. 12
Manasseh, stone of, the agate, liii.
13 ; constellation of Libra, liii. 13 ;
ensign of, buffalo (or reem), liii.
14 ; did not observe the Sabbath,
Ivii. 15 ; presides over penitent
in second house in Eden, xx. 5
Manna created on second day, i. 3
Mano in Japheth's portion, xxxi. 8
Maqol, son of Tisai, xxvii. 2
Maresha, desert of, in the wilder-
ness of Edom, where Gorgias
dies, xcviii. 1
Markusdi {i.e., Wednesday), iv. 2
Marriage of mothers and sisters,
Ixii. 10
Mars rules on third day, and his
appearance, iv. 2
Marsdi {i.e., Tuesday), iv. 2
Martyrdom of seven sons, Ixxxix. ;
of Eleazar, Ixxxviii. 45
Martyrs in first compartment of
Paradise, xviii. 7
Mastizrida, son of Elishah, xxvii. 2
Matliol, Judah and half Simeon
journey the way of, Ixiii. 19
Mattathiah, son of Johanan of
Modaith, zealous for his God, xc.
2 ; sends for his son Judah to
assemble those Jews who are
willing to rebel against Antiochus,
xc. 2 ; informs Hassidim to pray
and to fight, xc. 3 ; armed for
war at the mount of Modaith, xc.
5 ; is prepared to obey his king,
let the Greeks obey their, xc. 6 ;
slays the renegade Jew, xc. 8 ;
gives the signal for war, xc. 8 ;
commands the Jews to fight on
the Sabbath, xc. 9 ; the tirst to
raise his hand against the Mace-
donian kingdom, xc. 9 ; and the
Hassidim circumcise their sons,
xc. 10 ; on the point of death en-
courages and exhorts his sons,
xci. 1 ; pours a horn of oil upon
the head of Judah, thus anointing
him for battle, xci. 3
Matter, four colours of, vi. 7
Mazager built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Meah, son of Tiras, xxvii. 2
Mecca, vide Meyuqah
Mecoth, roads leading to, infested
by tribe of Reuben, Ixii. 11
Medi, children of Madai, xxxi. 4
Media in Japheth's portion, xxxi. 3 ;
nethermost parts of, inhabited by
Issachar, Ixii. 9 {vide Madai)
323
Medians descended from Dodanim,
xxvii. 2
Medina, four months' journey from
kingdom of Meliumat, Ixiii. 18
Mehumat, kingdom of, a distance
oi' four months' journey from the
city of Medina, Ixiii. 18 ; kingdom
of, on the borders of Media, Ixiii.
18
Mehuyael, son of Irad, xxiv. 4
Mei'r, K, concerning punishment,
xiii. 5
Meletus, city of, built in the thirty -
ninth year of Deborah's reign,
Iviii. 6
Members, functions of various, of
the body, xxxviii. 14
Menelaus comes to Egypt in the
time of Abdon, hx. 10 ; a prince
of Rome, xcvii. 1 ; a godless man,
incites Antiochus to injure the
Jews, Ixxxvii. 7 ; sent by Antio-
chus Eupator to speak words of
peace to the Jews, xcv. 7 ; ordered
to be taken to a tower fifty cubits
high, from which he is thrown
and buried in the ashes beneath,
xcviii. 7
Menfis, i.e., Mof, built by Apis, King
of Egypt, xlii. 1
Merari, camp of the sons of, liii.
15
Mercorius discovers animals called
Sirenes in the reign of Gideon,
Iviii. 8
Mercury rules on fourth day, iv. 2 ;
appointed over, iv. 8 ; form of,
iv. 8
Meriba subdued by Tarshish,
xxvii. 3
Merodon (Herodia), citadel of,
where Esau's body was found,
xxxvii. 14
Mesech, i.e., Saqsoni, xxxi. 10
Mcsekhah, city of Qapadoses, xxxi. 4
Mesenes receives the kingdom of
Argos, Iviii. 6
Meshech, number of children,
xxviii. 3
Meshek subdues Nephti, xxvii. 3
{vide Mesech)
MeshuUam, son of Zerubbabel, suc-
ceeds him, Ixxxv. 2 ; in his days
the last prophets Haggai, Zecha-
riah, and Malachi died, Ixxxv. 2
Messiah, name of, created before
Creation, i. 2 ; dwells in the fifth
house in Eden, xx. 9 ; beloved by
the daughters of Jerusalem, xx. 9 ;
son of i)avid, sits on palanquin
in fifth house of Eden, xx. 9 ; con-
sulted every Thursday by Korah
and Absalom, xx. 10 ; repulses
Korah and Absalom, xx. 10 ; con-
sulted every Monday and Thurs-
day, Sabbath and Holy Day by
Moses and Aaron, etc., xx. 10;
accompanies Joshua b. Levi in
hell, xxi. 2
Metatron, messenger sent by God
to Shemhazai, xxv. 8 ; ordered
by God to throw Johanai and
Mamre into the sea, liv. 8
Methuselah beseeches God's protec-
tion against the demons, xxiii. 2;
son of Hanoch, why so called,
xxiii. 4 ; wept for by holy crea-
tures, xxiii. 5 ; made 230 parables
in praise of God, xxiii. 5 ; mourned
by 900 rows of mourners, xxiii. 5 ;
studied 900 sections of the law,
xxiii. 5 ; sons and daughters of,
xxvi. 9
Metushael, son of Mehuyael, xxiv. 4
Meyuqa (Mecca ?), tribes of
Ephraim and half Menasseh
dwell opposite city of, Ixii. 12
Mezuzah required for a house full
of holy books, Iv. 5
Micah, presides over, but not
smitten, in sixth compartment of
hell, xxi. 10 ; incident of, Iviii. 1 ;
zeal of Israelites not shown
against, lix. 15 ; acts as his
mother tells him, hx. 12; inci-
dent of, in the days of Abdon, lix.
12 ; makes three images of man,
three of calves, and the likeness of
an eagle, lion, and serpent, lix. 12
Michael, head of the first band of
angels, i. 9 ; the archangel, vi. 3 ;
first of seventy ministering
angels who teach seventy descen-
dants of Noah seventy languages,
xxxviii. 11 ; commands seventy
nations to choose their protectors,
xxxviii. 12; leads Moses out of
Egypt, xliv. 15 ; assumes like-
ness of the chief executioner,
severs head of the chief butcher,
whose face was changed to the
exact likeness of Moses, xliv. 15 ;
21—2
324
weeps at the approaching death
of Moses, 1. 8 ; asks how he can
witness the death of one of his
pupils, 1. 10 ; arranges the bed of
Moses, 1. 14 ; upon whose heart
God's great name is engraved,
to go before Moses, hi. 13 ;
unable to do anything against
Johanai and Mamre, liv. 8 ; dis-
turbs the sleep of Ahasuerus,
knocking him on the ground
366 times, Ixxxiii. 6
Midian, five kings slain by Moses,
xlviii. 13
Midwives, Hebrew, Shifrah and
Puah, advice of, xliii. 3
Milham, an immortal bird which
rebukes Eve, xxii. 5, 8 {vide Hoi)
Mimoel, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Minos, son of Eoripi, reigns in Crete,
Ivi. 5
Miriam, well of, created on second
day, i. 3 ; dream of, xlii. 8 ; called
" the bitter," because lives of Is-
raelites were embittered, xliv. 1 ;
prophesies, xliv. 2 ; dies, in the
fortieth year of their wanderings,
on the tenth day of the first
month, xlviii. 17 ; buried in the
wilderness of Sin, which is Qadest,
xlviii. 17 ; well of, placed at the
entrance of the court near Moses'
tent, liii. 17
Misraim, children of, xxvii. 4, xxxi.
18; number of children, xxviii.
4 ; cities built by the sons of,
xxvii. 4
Mizpah, Jephthah prays to God at,
hx. 1
Moab, consulted Midian, Iv. 10
Mobros, son of Qinqanos, made
king by the Cushites, xlvi. 8
Modaith, mount of, where Matta-
thiah and the Hassidim brought
their wives and children and
armed for war, xc. 5 ; Mount,
burial-place of Judah, c. 5
Mof, i.e., Menfis, built by Apis,
King of Egypt, who was made a
god, xlii. 1
Mondakh {i.e., Monday), iv. 2
Monkeys, man's form changed to,
xxx. 5
Moon, work of, done quickly, iii. 3 ;
habitation of, iii. 6 ; rules on
second day, iv. 2; holds key of
heaven and earth, iv. 9 ; ap-
pointed over, iv. 9
Mordecai, at the head of the Jews
returning from Babylon, Ixxi. 3 ;
discovers the plot of Bigthen and
Teresh, Ixxix. 2 ; dream of, Ixxix.
3 ; refusal of, to bow the knee to
Haman, Ixxix. 4 ; meets three
children coming from school,
Ixxxi. 7 ; repeats the lesson each
child has learned in school, Ixxxi.
7 ; advice of, disregarded by the
Israelites, Ixxxii. 1 ; afHicts the
school-children, Ixxxii. 6
Moses, birth of, fills Amram's house
with great delight, xliv. 2 ; born
circumcised, 1. 12 ; speaks on the
day of his birth, 1. 12 ; placed on
banks of the Nile, xliv. 4 ; refuses
the breasts of Egyptian women,
xliv. 6; prophesies when three
months old, 1. 12 ; various names
of, with their significations, xliv.
7 ; takes crown from Pharaoh's
head and places it upon his own,
xliv. 8, 1. 12 ; seizes the live coal
and places it upon his lips, which
causes him heaviness of speech,
xliv. 11 ; is reared together with
Pharaoh's sons, xliv. 12 ; reason
why he slew the Egyptian, xliv.
12 ; height, strength, and beauty,
xlv. 4 ; comes to Qinqanos, xlv. 4 ;
king's counsellor, xlv. 4 ; king
over the Cashites, xlv. 5 ; marries
the widow of Qinqanos, xlv. 5 ;
advice to the besiegers, storks
trained, xlv. 6 ; conquers Edom,
East of Palestine and Syria, xlvi.
7 ; does not approach his Cushite
wife, xlvi. 7 ; reigns over Cush
forty years, xlvi. 7 ; accused by
his wife, the widow of Qinqanos,
xlvi. 8 ; given valuable gifts and
sent away by the Cushites, xlvi.
8 ; sixty-seven years old when he
left Cush, xlvi. 9 ; assists the
daughters of Reuel to water their
flock, xlvi. 9 ; goes to Midian,
xlvi. 9 ; put in prison for ten
years by Eeuel, xlvi. 9 ; found
alive in prison, xlvi. 11 ; sees a
staff made of sapphires fixed in
Eeuel's garden, xlvi. 11 ; uproots
staff, which has the ineffable name
of God engraved upon it, xlvi. 11 ;
325
staff of, history of, xlvi 12 ; rod
of, created on second day, i. 3 ;
seventy- seven years old when he
quits prison and marries Zip-
porah, xlvi. 13 ; as wizard, who
brought great plagues upon
Pharaoh and his household, Ixxxi.
3 ; God appears to, in the burn-
ing bush at Horeb, xlvii. 1 ;
appearance of, like that of the
children of God, xlvii. 5 ; wards
off young lions at Pharaoh's gate
with his rod, xlvii. 5 ; bids Joseph's
coffin ascend, li. 8 ; takes Joseph's
coffin with him, xlviii. 10 ;
searches for Joseph's bones, li. 1 ;
speaks face to face with God,
conquers host of heaven, 1. 12 ;
does not approach his wife from
the day when God revealed Him-
self to him in the bush, 1. 15 ;
rends sea into sixty parts, treads
path of heaven, 1. 12 ; performs
miracles, 1. 12 ; receives law, is
hidden behind a cloud, 1. 12 ;
wars with Sihon and Og, 1. 12 ;
captures the land of Sihon and
Og, xlviii. 13 ; fights against
Midian, xlviii. 13 ; given the 613
precepts by God, xlviii. 16 ; in-
formed by God that time for
Aaron s death has arrived, xli. 1 ;
accused of killing Aaron by the
Iraelites, xlix. 1 ; proclaims God
before sixty myriads of angels, 1.
1 ; exalted by God before fifty-five
myriads of angels, 1. 1 ; told by
God that the time of his death
has approached, 1. 1 ; not to enter
the promised land ten times de-
creed, 1. 2 ; decree that he was
not to enter the promised land
not sealed until the great tribunal
had decided, 1. 2 ; decree of death
lightly felt by, since he hoped for
pardon, 1. 3 ; prayer moves the
earth and very creation, 1. 4 ; fasts
and prays, 1. 4; prayer of, rent
and cut like a sword and was not
impeded, 1. 5 ; prayer not to be
accepted, 1. 5 ; begs God to annul
this decree on account of the
anxiety he has suffered on behalf
of the Israelites, 1. 7 ; takes a scroll,
writes the ineffable name upon
it, and recites his last song, 1. 10 ; i
the most righteous of all the
prophets, 1. 8 ; implores God to
let him live as one of the beasts
of the field, 1. 9 ; to let him live
as a bird that flies in the air, 1. 9 ;
hears a voice (Bath-Kol) declare
that his last moment has arrived,
1. 13 ; hastens to the house of
Joshua, li. 6 ; separated from
Joshua by the pillar of cloud,
li. 6 ; jealousy shown by, to
Joshua, ]i. 6; seizes the Angel
of Death and compels him to go
before him while he blesses the
twelve tribes, li. 7 ; beats Samael
with his staff, 1 13 ; soul of,
addressed by God, 1. 14 ; sanc-
tifies himself as one of the sera-
phim, 1. 14 ; hears a voice say
that God Himself will attend his
burial, 1. 13 ; death of, xlix. 7,
li. ; dies in the same year as
Aaron and Miriam, on the seventh
day of the twelfth month, i.e.,
Adar, xlviii. 17 ; earth weeps at
death of, 1. 15 ; Israelites weep at
death of, 1. 15 ; soul of, entreats
God, 1. 15 ; Heaven weeps at
death of, 1. 15 ; God weeps at
death of, 1. 15 ; soul of, taken by
a kiss of God, 1. 15 ; special merit
of which caused God Himself to
attend to his burial, li. 1 ; soul
refused to depart from him, li. 8 ;
buried in the valley at the nether-
most part of Mount Abarim,
xlviii. 17 ; to be shown the same
mercy by God as He showed to
Joseph, li. 3 ; soul of, carried by
God to the highest heavens, 1.
14 ; enters the cloud and is carried
aloft, lii. 1 ; walked along the
firmament, lii. 1, 2 ; ascended to
receive the law, a cloud appeared
before him, lii. 1 ; meets Hadar-
niel, lii. 2 ; God's mercy moved
for, lii. 3 ; protected by God,
passes the fire of Sandalphon,
lii. 5 ; comes to Kigion, lii. 7 ;
taken across Rigion by God, lii. 7 ;
meets Galisur, lii. 8 ; every angel
handed secret cure to, lii. 9 ;
meets a troop of angels of terror,
lii. 9 ; God opens the firmaments
for, shows heavenly temple to, lii.
10 ; explained the different hues by
826
God, lii. 10 ; fire of the lightnings
of, stronger than that of the
angels, lii. 13 ; camp of, liii. 15 ;
makes four decrees for Levites,
Iv. 6 ; forcibly lifts up the Levites
from the ground against their
will and heaves them, Iv. 7 ;
and Aaron preside over third
house in Eden, xx. 6 ; sons of, Ixi. ;
sons of, bite off their own fingers
so as not to be forced to play
upon their harps, Ixi. 1 ; sons
of, with their sheep and cattle
lifted by a cloud and brought to
the east of Havila, Ixi. 3 ; land of
children of, contains no wild beast,
unclean animal, reptile, Ixi. 3 ; sons
of, made ten journeys, Ixii. 1 ; no
unclean animal or bird or creeping
thing seen among children of, Ixii.
3 ; sons of, men of faith, students
of the law, Ixii. 3 ; sons of, pious,
never swear falsely, Ixii. 3; sons of,
attain 120 years, and no child dies
in the lifetime of its parents, Ixii.
3 ; sons of, sow one seed and reap
a hundredfold, Ixii. 3 ; sons of,
see three generations, Ixii. 4 ;
sons of, do not close their houses
in the night-time, Ixii. 4 ; sons of,
see only tribes of Dan, Naphtali,
Gad and Asher, Ixii. 4 ; sons of,
fear no robbers or injury, Ixii.
4 ; sons of, dwell on the other
side of the Sabbatyon until the
end of the world, Ixii. 4 ; sons of,
sow and plough for themselves,
having no servants, Ixii. 4 ;
sons of, dwell close to the four
tribes, Ixiii. 11 ; sons of, received
their tradition from Moses and
Joshua, but do not know the
other sages, Ixiii. 13 ; children of,
well versed in the Torah, Ixiii. 13 ;
Chronicles of, xli. 2, xliii.
Mother of seven martyrs, seventh
son, a mere lad, exhorted by his,
Ixxxix. 8 ; of the seven sons, neither
feared nor trembled, but standing
by the corpses of her sons, exhorts
the seventh and last son, Ixxxix. 8 ;
falling upon the corpses of her
sons, dies with them, Ixxxix. 14
Mountains, creation of, ii. 1 ; of
snow, two, where sinners are led
on Sabbath eve, xv. 7 ; above
world, xvii. 4 ; of the deep in-
habited by Issachar, Ixi. 4, Ixii. 9,
Ixiii. 15 ; of darkness, children of
Reuben possess land in midst of,
Ixiii. 17
Muzam, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Naamah, sister of Tubal Cain-,
xxiv. 8 ; inventor of instruments
for weaving and sowing, xxiv. 8
Nadab, son of Aaron, x. 10
Naftuhim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Nahor, son of Serug, xxvii. 7 ; sons
and daughters of, xxvii. 7
Name, ineffable, written upon tables
of the law, Iv. 12 ; upon rod of
Moses, xlvii. 2 ; upon the banners,
liii. 6
Naphtali comes to Judah's assist-
ance, xxxvi. 6 ; will of, xxxviii. ;
implores his children not to join
children of Joseph, but the chil-
dren of Levi and Judah, xxxviii.
2 ; first vision of, xxxviii. 3 ;
second vision of, xxxviii. 6 ; con-
stellation of, Pisces, liii. 13 ; stone
of, the jasper, liii. 13 ; ensign of,
a hind, liii. 14 ; did all that the
Amorites did, Ivii. 12
Napoh, xl. 16
Nathan the prophet, golden seat put
for, Ixxxiv. 3
Nation, small, dwelling between two
dragons, seen by Mordecai in
dream, Ixxix. 3
Nebo, Mount, ark placed by Jere-
miah in a cave on, Ixxvii. 9
Nebuchadnezzar slays Sanhedrin,
X. 10 ; banishes the Israelites four
times, Ix. 1 ; banishes Israelites
to Babylon, Ix. 6 ; banishes the
remnant of Judah and Benjamin,
Ix. 6 ; exiles the students of the
law, Ix. 7 ; exiles the free and
imprisoned, i.e., the kings and
queens, Ix. 7 ; captures Jerusa-
lem, Ix. 7 ; makes Zedekiah king
of Judah, who reigns eleven years,
Ix. 8 ; slays all the Jews found in
Amnion and Moab and Egypt,
Ix. 10 ; finds Jeremiah and
Baruch, son of Neriya, in Egypt,
and carries them to Babylon, Ix.
10 ; captures Egypt and reduces
it to desolation, Ix. 10 ; besieges
Tyre, kills its inhabitants, and
327
exiles its king, Ix. 10 ; King of
Babylon, roasts false prophets in
the fire, Ixiv. 1 ; told by Ahab
and Zedekiah that they were in-
structed by God, Ixiv. 3 ; tests
Ahab and Zedekiah in fiery fur-
nace, Ixiv. 4 ; wandered about in
caves for forty days, Ixvi.. 1 ;
chewed his food like an ox and
killed the wicked like a lion, Ixvi.
1 ; appeared like an ox as far as
his navel, and from his navel to
his feet like a lion, Ixvi. 1 ; wept
for his sins during the second
forty days, Ixvi. 1 ; changed only
in appearance, mind and language,
Ixvi. 1 ; roamed among the wild
beasts for forty days, Ixvi. 1 ;
appoints seven judges, Ixvi. 2 ;
wishes to make Daniel one of his
heirs, but Daniel refuses, Ixvi. 2 ;
lives on herbs and seed whilst re-
penting for his sins, Ixvi. 2 ; the
Younger builds a temple to Bel
in Babylon, Ixvi. 3 ; the Younger
plants a garden upon a mountain
that his wife may gaze upon
Media, the land of her birth, Ixvi.
4 ; the Younger, besieges Tyre for
three years and ten months, Ixvi.
4 ; God's impotence asserted by
Haman, as shown by the Israelites'
delivery into the hands of, Ixxxi. 6
Nebuzaraddan besieges Jerusalem,
Ix. 8 ; besieges sixty cities of the
Levites, sons of Moses, Ix. 9
Nefesh, son of Eeu, xxvii. 6
Nefilim (the fallen) giants, de-
scended from intermarriage of
Seth and Cain, xxiv. 12
Nehemiah, son of Hachaliah, details
concerning the rebuilding of the
temple handed to, Ixxxi. 5
Nephti subdued by Meshek, xxvii. 3
Nesa, land of (or, the isles), in-
habited by Greeks, xxxi. 8
New Sarento, xl. 16
Niba, wife of Enoch and daughter
of Bhem, xxvi. 13
Nicanor, made King of Babylon by
Alexander, Ixxxv. 8 ; battle with,
fought on the sixth day, xcii. 7 ;
brings many merchants with him
to buy the captive Jews, xcii. 7 ;
disguises himself as a poor man
and escapes to Macedon, where
he tells Lysias all that had hap-
pened, xciii. 2 ; sends word to
Judah professing his friendship,
xcix. 3 ; sent by Demetrius with a
strong army against the Jews,
xcix. 3 ; demands Judah from the
priests at the temple and speaks
blasphemies, xcix. 5 ; searches all
the houses in Jerusalem for
Judah, xcix. 6 ; sends a messenger
to fetch Ducsius, xcix. 7 ; meets
Judah on the Sabbath, xcix. 8 ;
implored by the Jews with him
to respect the Sabbath, xcix. 8 ;
gate of, xcix. 11 ; head and arm
of, cut off and hung before the
gate of, Jerusalem, xcix. 11 ; day
of, viz., the 13th of Adar, observed
by the Jews as a festival, xcix.
12
Nicolaos of Damascus, book of,
XXXV. 2
Night created on first day, i. 3
Nimigim, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Nimrod, son of Cush, first giant in
pride before God, xxvii. 4 ; prince
over children of Ham, xxviii. 1 ;
numbered children of Ham,
xxviii. 4 ; beginning of his king-
dom, xxxi. 18 ; son of Cush,
xxxi. 20 ; allied himself with
children of Ham at dispersion,
xxxii. 2 ; the wicked, chooses the
angel who taught him language
of Kush (so also Put, Mizraim,
Tubal, Javan, Meseh, and Tiras),
xxxviii. 12 ; a sinner after the
flood, Ivii. 14 ; astrologers
of, advise him to kill Abraham,
xxxiv. 1 ; orders Abraham to
make an idol, xxxiii. 2 ; disputes
with Abraham, xxxiv. 10; throws
Abraham into fiery furnace,
xxxiii. 3, 4, xxxiv. 11, 12
Nineveh built by Ninus, son of Bel,
xxxi. 18 ; length of, xxxii. 3
Ninfe, holy ones of, name of seven
golden idols of Amorites, Ivii. 13 ;
holy gods of the Amorites, who
would deliver Israelites into their
hands, Ivii. 33 (vide Nizpa)
Ninus succeeds Bel, and builds
Nineveh and Eehoboth, xxxii. 3 ;
makes an image like his father,
which he calls Bel, xxxii. 5
Nipim, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
328
Nix, name of Sirenes in Ashkenaz,
Iviii. 8
Niza, in Media, built by Dionysius,
Iviii. 2
Nizpa {read Ninfa), invents the
Latin alphabet in the time of
Yair, Iviii. 11
Noah, sons of, xxvi. 10, xxxi. 1 ;
God's promise to, xxvi. 21 ; gene-
rations of, xxviii. 1 ; number of,
children of, xxviii. 5
Noba, twin wife of Seth, xxvi. 1
Nobar, i.e., Belshazzar, son of Evil
Merodach, Ixvi. 6
Nordmani, children of Japheth,
xxxi. 4
Oars, grasped by Jacob's sons,
xxxviii. 7
Obadiah, speaks to the proselytes
in Eden, xx. 4
Obed, son of Eeu, xxvii. 6
Ocean, in the west of Shem's
portion, xxxi. 2 {vide Oqeanos)
Octopus, a sea-monster, with arms
ten cubits long, xlviii. 3
Ogiges, King of Achayah, xxxv. 9 ;
built Akta, which he called Elio-
zin (Eleusis), xxxv. 9
Olive-tree, wishes to serve as gallows
of Haman, Ixxxiii. 3
Olympiad, consisted of four years,
lix. 10 ; established 406 years
after fall of Troy, lix. 10
On, ruse of wife, Iv. 9
Ophanim, opposite God, i. 11
Oqeanos, waters of, flow round
ends of heaven and earth, i. 6
{vide Ocean)
Ordin, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Othniel, succeeds Kenaz, Ivii. 42
Ox, sang hymns once a year, which
day Egyptians kept as a festival,
called the day of Serapis, xlii. 2 ;
likeness of an, which arose in
the air, and was worshipped by
Egyptians, xlii. 2 {vide Apis)
Pahath, subdued by Tubal, xxvii. 3.
Palabus, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Palanquin, of Lebanon wood, made
by Moses in fifth house of Eden,
XX. 9
Palante, giant killed by Titonide,
xxxv. 9
Palini, name of a city, xxxv. 9
Pallas, name given to Titonide,
after killing the giant Palante,
xxxv. 9
Palm-trees on both sides of the
throne of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 3
Palos, tower between Albano and
Kome, xl. 5 ; nephew of Agnios,
head of army, xl. 5
Paltia, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Parable of husbandman's death,
xi. 1 ; of rich man's death, xi. 2 ;
of scholar's death, xi. 3 ; of mule
to be killed, xxxiv. 2
Paradise, two carbuncle gates, xvii.
6, xviii. 1 ; description, xviii. 1 et
seq. ; four rivers in, xviii. 2 ;
myriads of trees in every corner,
xviii. 5 ; chanting angels in every
corner, xviii. 5 ; tree of life,
xviii. 5 ; clouds of glory, xviii. 6 ;
seven compartments of the just
in, xviii. 7 {vide Eden)
Paran, Keuben dwells behind
mountains of, Ixii. 11, Ixiii. 17 ;
mountains of, inhabited by chil-
dren of Zebulun, Ixii. 11, Ixiii, 16
Parhiel, angel who smites wicked in
sixth compartment of hell, xxi. 10
Paruta, son of Magog, xxvii. 2
Pathrosim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Patriarchs, spirit of, in God's mind
at creation, i. 4 ; dwell in third
house of Eden, xx. 6 ; bow to
justice, whereupon God rises from
the throne of justice and sits
upon the throne of mercy,
Ixxxiii. 1 ; seven, sculptured before
the throne of Solomon, Ixxxiv, 4
Pekah, son of Kemalyahu, rules
Israel at time of first exile, Ix. 1
Peleg, son of Eber, xxvii. 5 ; in his
days earth was divided, xxvii. 5 ;
children of, xxvii. 5
Penitents in fifth compartment of
Paradise, xviii. 7 ; dwell in second
house of Eden, xx. 5
Perjurer descends to hell for ever,
XV. 6
Persia chosen by Shemites, xxxi.
2 ; nethermost parts of, inhabited
by Issachar, Ixii. 9 ; received by
lot by Cyrus, Ixviii. 10 ; kings of,
love God's Temple, Ixxvii. 10
Persian descended from Dodanim,
xxvii. 2 ; revolt from the Mace-
donian rule, xcii. 4 ; put Antio-
329
chus to flight, xciii. 3 ; spoken by
Issachar, Ixii. 10; river, in Shem's
portion, xxxi. 2
Pharaoh presides over princes in
fifth compartment of hell, xvi. 5 ;
called Tibei, began to rule Egypt
on day of Abraham's birth,
xxxii. 6 ; Amenofis, King of
Egypt, who knew not Joseph,
xlii. 2 ; dream of, xliii. 1 ; the
three advisers of, xlvi. 1 ; orders
Balaam, Janis, and Jambris to
be summoned before him, xlvii.
6 ; orders Moses to give him a
sign, xlvii. 7 ; magicians of, per-
form miracles similar to those of
Moses, xlvii. 7 ; desires Moses to
tell him of God's power, xlvii. 9 ;
drives Moses and Aaron from his
presence, xlvii. 9 ; pursues the
Israelites, xlviii. 12 ; saved from
drowning in the Red Sea, believes
in God, remains 500 years in
Nineveh, xlviii. 12 ; resolves to
seek Moses himself, liv. 4 ; voice
of, heard in whole land of Egypt,
liv. 6 ; horse of, follows Gabriel,
in the form of a mare, into the
sea, and is followed by all the
Egyptians, liv. 9 ; entered the
sea through the enchantment of
the Israelites, Ixxxi. 3
Phillip prohibits the Jews the study
of the law and performance of
God's service, Ixxxviii. 1 ; sla^^s
many of the Ilassidim, Ixxxviii. 1 ;
ordered to blot out the memory
of Judah, and to slay anyone men-
tioning the name 'Jew,' xc. 1 ;
destroys all whom he found ob
serving the law, xc. 2 ; finds a
number of Jews observing the
Sabbath in a cave, suffocates them,
xc. 4 ; collects a large army to fight
the Judeans, xc. 4 ; revolts against
Antiochus Eupator, xcviii. 6
Phillipio has his house overthrown
upon him and is burnt to death,
xciii. 1 ; captured by Judah, xciii. 1
Phillipus, brother of Ptolemy, made
King of Macedon by Alexander,
Ixxxv. 8 ; the Pelusian, left in
Judea by Antiochus to afHict the
people, Ixxxvii. 8
Philistia, Sea of, in Ham's portion,
xxxi. 2
Philistines, land of, army of Seron
flees into, xcii. 3
Philo, friend of Joseph, son of
Gorion, relates in his book of
Kenaz his fights, his prophecy,
etc., Ivii. et seq.
Phryges, vide Frezes, xxxii. 4
Phrygians left in Jerusalem to
afflict the people, Ixxxvii. 8
Phut, number of children, xxviii.
4; a sinner after the flood, Ivii.
14; conquered by Targomah,
xxvii. 3
Pike, sword-like, on Judah's banner,
liii. 2 ; sword - like, on four
standards, on each rests one arm
of the seventh cloud, liii. 2
Pillars, twelve, by the well, sing
the ' Shirah,' liii. 17 ; on the
highest step of the throne of
Solomon two huge of ivory, and
two golden hollow vines, Ixxxiv. 3
Pinelias, son of Magog, xxvii. 2 ;
prince over children of Japheth,
xxviii. 1 ; kills Balaam, xlviii.
14; given maw as reward for
his zeal, Iv. 12 ; smites young
men of Israel and scourges them
through the camp, Iv. 12; zeal
of, Iv. 12 ; excommunicated
Israelites who should drink wine
of heathen, Iv. 12 ; pierces Zimri
and woman with a spear, Iv. 12 ;
son of Eleazar the priest, words
of, Ivii. 39 ; called by Kenaz when
his days were drawing to a close,
Ivii. 39 ; fed by ravens and eagles,
lix. 17 ; closing year of life of, lix.
7 ; son of Eleazar the priest,
prayer of, lix. 14
Pious, place allotted to each, accord-
ing to his deeds, xx. 1 ; seven,
men sculptured before the throne
of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 4
Pirati, children of Japheth, xxxi. 4
Piritius killed by a dog, Iviii. 2
Pishon, river, to which the sinners
are brought down by Kenaz, Ivii.
16 ; tribe of Dan settles on the
other side of river, Ixii. 6 ; brook
of, Ixiii. 5
Pithom, store city built bj^ Israelites
at the extremity of Egypt, xlii. 3
Plague of blood, details of, xlviii. 1 ;
of frogs, details of, xlviii. 2; of
wild beasts, details of, xlviii. 3;
330
sent among the Egyptian cattle,
xlviii. 4; of fever, which after-
wards broke out into boils, xlviii.
5 ; of hail, details of, xlviii. 6 ;
of locust, details of, xlviii, 7 ; of
darkness, details of, xlviii. 8; of
slaying of firstborn, xlviii. 9; de-
stroys 24,000 Israelites, Iv. 11
Planets, seven, iv. 1 ; influence of,
iv. 5-10; appearance of, iv. 5-10;
the seven, correspond to the four
standards, Moses, Aaron and the
tabernacle, liii. 15
Plants, production of, ii. 2
Po, river, xxxi. 12, 15
Polios succeeds Numa Popilios, xl. 18
Pollux, brother of Theseus, captured
in the time of Yair, Iviii. 10
Pomegranate wishes to serve as
gallows for Haman, Ixxxiii. 3
Pompilios, Numa, succeeds Komu-
lus, xli. 2; succeeds Eomulus
and reigns forty-one years in the
time of Hezekiah, King of Judah,
lix. 11 ; adds two months to the
calendar year, viz., Januarius
and Februarius, lix. 11
Poor in the seventh compartment
of paradise, xviii. 7
Popilios, Numa, succeeds Eomulus,
xl. 18
Pora, son of Serug, xxvii. 7
Posomanga built by Kittim, xl. 1
Potiphar, wife of, entices Joseph,
xxxix. 1
Precepts, 613, given to Moses by
God, xlviii. 16
Priamus reigns in Troy during the
reign of Tola, Iviii. 9
Priest, old, requests his six sons
to bear him to the altar that
he may inhale the frankincense,
Ixxvii. 4; tells the chiefs of the
fathers where the holy fire lies,
Ixxvii. 6
Priests interpret the twenty-four
books of the law, which the
elders translate from Hebrew into
Greek, Ixxxvii. 4; cry between
the porch and the altar, xcix. 5
{vide Aaron, Levites)
Princes, flight of, in time of Yoqtan,
xxxix. 7 ; of Persia, agree who-
ever should pray to any body
besides the king to be thrown
into the lions' den, Ixx. 1 ; roll a
great stone over the mouth of the
pit, Ixx. 6 ; are punished, Ixx. 10
Procas succeeds Abtinos, xl. 14
Proselytes in first house of Eden,
XX. 4
Ptolemy, son of Lagi, made King
of Egypt by Alexander, Ixxxv. 8 ;
the Macedonian, King of Egypt,
Ixxxvii. 1 ; collects many Median
and Persian books, Ixxxvii. 1 ;
commands his two pages to collect
many books, Ixxxvii. 1 ; informed
by his pages that they have
collected 950 books, orders them
to add 50 more, Ixxxvii. 1 ; advised
by his two pages to send to the
high priest for wise men to explain
their law to him, Ixxxvii. 2; puts
the seventy priests into seventy
chambers, Ixxxvii. 4 ; presents a
table of pure gold, weighing 100
talents and having Egypt and the
course of the Nile engraved upon
it, to the temple, Ixxxvii. 5 ; pre-
sents Eleazar and the seventy
priests with much money, and
sends them back to Jerusalem,
Ixxxvii. 5 ; succeeds Ptolemy as
King of Egypt, Ixxxvii. 6 ; chosen
one of the generals of Lysias,
xcii. 5; King of Egypt, delivers
Annibal over to Scipio, xcvi. 9
Puah, advice of, xliii. 3
Pul, inhabited by children of
Zebulun, Ixiii. 16
Punishment, duration of, xiii. 6;
of transgressing Israelites, xiii. 7 ;
from Passover to Pentecost, xiii.
7 ; of consummately wicked, xiii.
7 ; of law-breakers, burnt to ashes,
xiii. 8; of apostates, xiii. 9; of
sinners, xiv. 6 ; of those who let
their hair grow for sin, xv. ; of
slanderers, xv. 1 ; of those who
uncovered their breasts, xv. 1 ; of
those who followed their eyes to
sin, XV. 1; of adulterer, xv. 1; of
thief, XV. 1 ; of blasphemers, xv.
2; of those who ate what they
stole, XV. 3 ; of those who abused
the poor, xv. 4; on eve of Sab-
bath, XV. 7 ; five kinds of, in hell,
xvi. 1 ; three kinds of, decreed by
Pharaoh against the Israelites, xiii.
4 ; some follow at once, x. 3 ;
some come after an interval, x. 8
331
Purple robes first worn by Tullus,
King of Kome, lix, 11
Pusai, father of Athrai, Ix. 4 ; Ixiii. 9
Qadesh, burial-place of Miriam,
xlviii. 17
Qadima, daughter of Eeu, xxvii. 6
Qaduba subdued by Dodanim,
xxvii. 3
Qadvah (Qadovah), a kingdom of
Kush, Ixiii. 8
Qainan, sons of, xxvi. 5 ; daughters
of, xxvi. 5
Qaliron, i.e., Lesha, whose warm
waters flow into the Salt Sea,
xxxi. 18
Qalmah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Qalmana, twin wife of Cain, xxvi, 1
daughter of Adam, xxiv. 1
Qamo built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Qamon, burial-place of Yair, Iviii, 10
Qapadoses, children of Mesech,
xxxi. 4
Qapis succeeds Avisianos, xl. 14
Qappadokia, i.e., Ctesarea, in land
of Kaftor, xxxi. 4
Qashe, son of Magog, xxvii. 2
Qedar, vide Kedar
Qedem, people of, at war with
people of Kush, xlv. 1 {vide
Moses)
Qelalah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Qemuel, angel of destruction, lii. 1 ;
guard at the gates of heaven, re-
bukes Moses, lii. 1
Qenath, son of Elishah, xxvii. 2
Qenaz, vide Kenaz
Qiniza, son of Eeu, xxvii. 6
Qinqanos, King of Gush, xlv. 1;
army refused entrance into Cush,
xlv. 3 ; widow of, advises people
to depose Moses and appoint her
son king, xlvi. 8 {vide Moses)
Qinsius Minios, a prince of Rome,
xcvii. 1
Qipod, angel who accompanied
Joshua ben Levi to the gates of
hell, xxi. 2
Qomah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Qorah, vide Korah
Qushiel, angel who smites wicked
in second compartment of hell,
XX. 6
Ra'amah, number of children,
xxviii. 4 ; children of, xxxi. 17
Rafa, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Rain, storehouse of, ii. 5 ; descends
after long drought, xxvii. 3
Rainbow created on second day,
i. 3 ; in clouds, xxvii. 3
Ram, form in which Jovis revealed
himself, xUi. 1
Ramses, store city, built by Israel-
ites, at extremity of Egypt, xlii.
1, 3 ; where the Tibei reigned,
xlii. 1
Raphael, head of the fourth band
of angels, i. 9 ; first called Boel,
vi. 5
Red Sea in Ham's portion, xxxi. 2 ;
divided into twelve rents for the
twelve tribes, xlviii. 12
Regini, children of Japheth, xxxi. 4
Regosar, son of Evil- Merodach,
Ixvi. 6
Rehoboth, i.e., the wide city built
by Ninus, xxxi. 18
Remus rules over Rome during the
reign of Jotham, xli. 1 ; and
Romulus suckled by a she-wolf,
xli. 1, lix. 10 ; born during the
reign of Ahaz, King of Judah,
lix. 10
Renegades, punishment of, xvi. 7
Rents, twelve, into which the Red
Sea was divided, xlviii. 12
Repentance created before creation,
i. 2
Resigned, who have been in afflic-
tion and have not rebelled, dwell
in fourth house of Eden, xx. 8
Resin, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Resurrection, foretold by fourth son
to Antiochus, Ixxxix. 5 ; deniers
of, punishment of, xvi. 7
Return home ordered by Judah to
those Jews who had vineyards,
built houses, married, or were
faint-hearted, xcii. 6 ; to Pales-
tine under Cyrus, Ixxvi. 2
Reu, temples erected to men over-
thrown in time of, xxiv. 9, xxvi. 20 ;
son of Peleg, xxvii. 5; children of,
xxvii. 6 ; daughters of, xxvii. 6
Reuben, constellation of, Taurus,
liii. 13 ; stone of, the emerald,
liii. 13 ; ensign of, mandrakes,
liii. 14 ; sacrificed to the gods of
the nations, Ivii. 9 ; love, unity,
and peace, between Zebulun and
the tribe of, Ixii. 11 ; tribe of.
332
possess Bible, Mishna, Talmud,
and Agadoth, Ixii. 11 ; tribe of,
speak language of Kedar, Ixii. 11 ;
tribe of, dwell opposite Zebulun,
behind the mountains of Paran,
Ixii. 11 ; tribe of, divide their
spoil with Zebulun, Ixii. 11 ;
infests the roads leading to Me-
coth and the way to Bab^don,
Ixii. 11 ; tribe of, have lectures
every Sabbath in Hebrew, inter-
preted in the language of Kedar,
Ixii. 11 ; children of, possess a
fertile land in the midst of the
mountains of darkness, Ixiii. 17 ;
children of, dwell between Paran
and Bethel, Ixiii. 17 ; children of,
watch the roads and capture
much spoil, and dwell in tents of
hair, Ixiii. 17 ; children of, speak
Hebrew and another strange
language, Ixiii. 17
Eeuel advises Pharaoh not to injure
the Hebrews, xlvi. 2; takes
Jacob's staff with him, xlvi. 4 ;
leaves Egypt and goes to Midian,
xlvi. 4 ; puts Moses in prison for
ten years, xlvi. 9 ; sends to see if
Moses still lives in the prison,
xlvi. 10
Eiadura, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Kich man dying, parable, xi. 2
Kiddles given by Zerubbabel and
two captains to each other, Ixxiv.
6 ; of the three guardians of the
king placed under the king's
pillow, Ixxiv. 6
Eifath, i.e., Paflagronas (Paphla-
gonians), children of Gomer,
xxxi. 4 ; children of, fight against
Abtinos, xl. 14 {vide Riphath)
Rifud, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Righteous, ways of, in God's mind
at creation, i. 4 ; great banquet
of, vi. 1 ; reward of, x. 12, xi. 4 ;
eight myrtles placed in hands of,
xviii. 1 ; canopy of, xviii. 1 ; two
crowns of, one of precious stones,
the other of gold, xviii. 1 ; clothed
with eight cloths, woven from
clouds of glory, xviii. 1 ; led to a
well-watered place with flowers,
xviii. 1 ; changed to youth, xviii.
4 ; changed to a child, xviii. 4 ;
changed to a middle-aged man,
xviii. 4 ; changed to an old man.
xviii. 4 ; the future glory of, not yet
fully revealed, xviii. 8 ; God sits
in their midst, xviii. 8 ; attended
and fed by myriads of angels,
XX. 2 ; the seven, who did not
worship Baal in the reign of
Yair (Da'al, Abi Yezre'el, Gutiel,
Shalom, Ashchor, Yonadab, and
Shim'i), Iviii. 10
Rigion, a river of fire, Hi. 7 {vide
I)inur)
Rimmon, cleft of, where 600 Ben-
jamites fled for refuge, lix.
16
Rinos, river in Shem's portion,
xxxi. 2 ; boundary of Ham's
portion, xxxi. 2
Riphath subdues Bosrah, xxvii. 3 ;
alone conquers Godo, xxvii. 3 ;
number of children of, xxviii. 3 ;
i.e., Brittanos, xxxi. 6 {vide
Rifath)
Riphtah, a kingdom of Kush,
Ixiii. 8
Riphtania inhabited by children of
Riphath, xxxi. 6
Ris, measurement of, xxxvi. 2
Rison built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Rivers of oil, balsam, wine, and
honey in Paradise, xviii. 2 ;
great, encompassed the whole
camp of the Israelites, liii. 17 ;
round the Tabernacle four other
rivers issue into the four corners
of the court, liii. 17 ; in desert
produce all kinds of dainties,
liii. 17 ; four, encompass camp,
and flow between each family,
liii. 17 ; marked the boundary
of each camp, liii, 17 {vide Sam-
batyon)
Rod of Moses, xlvi. 12 ; created by
God after the Creation was com-
pleted, xlvi. 12 ; taken by Adam
when he left Eden, xlvi. 12 ;
comes into the possession of
Shem, xlvi. 12 ; taken by Noah,
xlvi. 12 ; planted by Reuel in his
garden, nobody able to uproot it
except Moses, xlvi. 12
Rodii = Dodanim, xxxii. 4
Roma, city built by Romulus, xl.
17, xli. i {vide Rome)
Roman history, abstract, xli. ; year
originally consisted of ten months,
lix. 11
333
Romania, place of Romulus, xl. 17
Romans ask Judah whether he will
be their friend or the friend of
the Greeks, xcvii. 1 ; letter of, to
Judah, son of Mattathiah, xcvii.
1 ; make a covenant with Jews,
xcvii. 2
Rome, all kings of, called Caesar,
xxxii. 6 ; city of, xl. 5 ; war with
Babylon, because Rome assisted
Greece against Babylon, xl. 20;
the seven kings of, xh. 2 ; city
of {i.e., the Latini) arose during
the reign of Aeneas, lix. 10;
founded by Romulus and Remus
in the reign of Ahaz, King of
Judah, lix. 10; first kings of,
reign thirty-eight years, lix. 10 ;
the fourth animal which Daniel
saw in a vision, xcvi. 1 ; conquers
kingdom of Antiochus, xcvi. 1 ;
the fourth kingdom, which God
began to render more powerful
than the third, Greece, xcvi. 1
Romidath, land of, Hooded, xxvii. 3
Romulus succeeds Agrippa, xl. 14 ;
succeeds iEmilius, xl. 15 ; wages
great wars, and makes a covenant
with David, xl. 17 ; wall of, xl.
17 ; builds a temple in honour
of Jovis, removes that dedicated
to Lusifer, xl. 17 ; rules over
Rome during the reign of Jotham,
xli. 1 ; builds city of Rome,
lix. 11 ; born during the reign
of Ahaz, King of Judah, lix. 10
R66 subdued by Tiras, xxvii. 3
Rossi dwell by the river Kio (or
Kiva), xxxi. 11
Sabbatdi {i.e., Saturday), iv. 2
Sabbath in God's mind at Creation,
i. 4 ; observance of, prohibited by
Antiochus, Ixxxvii. 8 ; observance
of, xc. 4 ; Mattathias commands
Jews to fight on, xc. 9
Sabbatyon, or Sabbatianus, river
where children of Moses were
brought, Ixi. 3 ; depth of, 200
cubits, Ixii. 2 ; length of, extended
to a distance of nine months'
journey, Ixii. 2 ; noise of, like an
earthquake, sand and stones roll
six days, Ixii. 2 ; fire burns all
round, and consumes everything,
Ixii. 3 ; fire burns from Sab-
bath eve to conclusion, Ixii. 3 ;
width of, in narrowest part less
than sixty cubits where the
people converse with those on
other side, Ixi. 3 ; ceases to flow
on the Sabbath, Ixi. 3, Ixii. 3;
flames prevent anyone from ap-
proaching within thirty-four miles
of, Ixii. 3 {vide Sambatyon)
Sabino, where Kittim go, xl. 1 ;
built by children of Tubal, xh 1
Sabta, number of children, xxviii. 4;
i.e., Astabari, xxxi. 17
Sabtecha, number of children of,
xxviii. 4
Saffron, called Machik, Ixiii. 2
Salt Sea, or Leber Meer, site of
Sodom, XXXV. 6
Samael, angel of death, induces
Eve to sin, xxii. 2 ; the
wicked, chief of the Satans,
rejoiced at the coming death of
Moses, 1. 8 ; commanded by God
to bring him the soul of Moses,
1. 11; terrified when he sees
Moses, 1. 11 ; clothed with anger,
1. 11 ; returns to God, and is
again ordered to bring him the
soul of Moses, 1. 13 ; draws his
sword and stands over Moses,
1. 13
Samanakh, son of Magog, xxvii. 2
Sambatyon, river from which a
flaming fire ascends on the
Sabbath eve, so that nobody can
approach it, Ixiii. 11 ; noise of,
like the billows of the sea,
Ixiii. 12 ; river, four cubits wide,
as far as a bowshot reaches,
Ixiii. 12; sand of, if placed in
a flask, whirls during the six
week-days, but rests on the Sab-
bath, Ixiii. 12 ; frequented by the
four tribes to shear their flocks,
Ixiii. 13 {vide Sabbatyon)
Samson, fall caused by power, x. 10;
subdued by a woman, Ixxv. 7
Samuel and Saul, xi. 8
Sanballat the Horonite slanders
the Jews, Ixxi, 3
Sand fence to sea, ii. 1
Sandalphon, fire of, lii. 4 ; sight of,
terrifies Moses, lii. 5; heavenly
hosts moved when crown leaves
hands of, lii. 6; conjures with
the ineffable Name, and the
334
crown rests on God's head, Hi. 6 ;
towers above his fellow-angels,
lii. 6 ; stands in front of the
curtain, weaving crowns for his
Maker, lii. 6
Sanhedrin, the great, slain by Nebu-
chadnezzar, X, 10 ; the ten banish-
ments of the, Ixii. ; seats on the
throne of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 4
Saqsonei, children of Japheth,
xxxi. 4 ; dwell by river of the
great sea, xxxi. 11
Saqvah, a kingdom of Kush, Ixiii. 8
Sarapis, vide Serapis
Sardana, son of Ashkenaz, xxvii. 2
Sartan captured by sons of Jacob,
xxxvi. 7
Satan Qjiters the image of Enosh
and makes it walk, xxiii. 7 ;
accuses Israel before God, Ixxxii.
2 ; ordered by God to bring a
scroll for Israel's destruction to
be written upon, Ixxxii. 3 {vide
Samael)
Satuldakh {i.e., Saturday), iv. 2
Saturn rules on seventh day, iv. 2 ;
his appointment and form, iv. 5 ;
temple to, erected by Anias
Trognos, xl. 14
Saturnus, name given to Sefo in
addition to Janus, after the
planet Shabtai {i.e., Saturnus),
xl. 8 ; temple of, closed by Lati-
nus II., xl. 13 ; ruled Italy, lix. 10
Saul, house of, judged, xi. 8 ; God's
anointed, ends his days in battle,
Ixxviii. 2
Scholar, dying, parable, xi. 3
Sciences spread from Egypt to
Greece, xxxv. 4
Scipios dissuades the 320 Koman
counsellors from opening the
gates of Venusia to Annibal,
xcvi. 5 ; marches to Africa, and
kills Astrubal, xcvi. 6 ; cuts off
the head of Astrubal, which he
sends to Annibal, xcvi. 6 ; be-
sieges Carthagene, and destroys it,
xcvi. 7 ; captures the whole of
Africa, xcvi. 9 ; conquers Annibal,
xcvi. 9 ; a prince of Kome, xcvii. 1
Scroll in ark to be referred to, in
case the tribes strove to falsify a
word, li. 5
Sea above Bohu, xvii. 4
Seboim built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
Seel subdued by Yavan, xxvii. 3
Seelah, daughter of Jephthah, lix.
4 ; goes up to Mount Tlag,
lix. 5 ; lamentation of, lix. 6
Sefarad captured by Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1
Sefer Hayashar (i.e., Book of the
Just) = Pentateuch, xlv. 8 ; con-
tains remaining history of Moses,
xlviii. 17
Sefo, son of Eliphaz, flies to Egypt,
xl. 3 ; appointed captain of host
by Agnios, xl. 3 ; splits open the
head of huge strange animal,
xl. 7 ; name changed to Janus,
xl. 7 ; king of the Kittim, xl. 8
Segna, river in country of Franlvos,
xxxi. 6
Sehabim, son of Misraim, xxvii. 4
Seir, Mount, the sons of Esau flee
to, xxxvii. 14
Seleucus made King of Syria by
Alexander, Ixxxv. 8; King of
Macedonia, informed by Simeon
of the wealth contained in the
Temple, Ixxxvi. 1 ; orders Elio-
dorus, the captain of the host, to
go to Jerusalem, Ixxxvi. 1
Seliqos succeeds Asqinus, xl. 13
Semari {i.e., Edessa), in land of
Syria, xxxi. 18
Semeramit, wife of Ninus, governs
Assyria at his death, xxxii. 7
Sennacherib banishes the Israelites
four times, Ix. 1 ; captures golden
calf, which Jeroboam had placed
in Dan, Ix. 1 ; makes Keubenites,
Gadites, and half tribe of Man-
asseh dwell in Lahlah, Ilabor,
river Gozan, and cities of Media,
Ix. 1 ; exiles the tribes of Asher,
Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar,
because they refused to acknow-
ledge Hosea's rule, Ix. 2 ; exiles
the tribes of Ephraim and Man-
asseh in the third year of
Hezekiah's reign, Ix. 3 ; takes
the tribes of Judah and Simeon
captive, Ix. 4 ; conceals the tribes
of Judah and Simeon behind the
mountains of darkness, beyond
the rivers of Ethiopia, Ix. 4 ; pits
the tribes of Judah and Simeon
against Tirhakah, Ix. 4 ; besieges
fortified cities of Judah, Ix. 4 ;
besieges Jerusalem, Ix. 5 ; ap-
points Hosea, son of Elah, king
335
- over Samaria, Ix. 2 ; his two sons
slew him, Ix. 5 ; at death of tribes
of Gad, Asher, and Naphtah, war
with Kushite kings, Ixii. 8
Sarah, daughter of Asher, points
out place of Joseph's coffin to
Moses, li. 2
Seraphim, six wings, i. 12; near
God, i. 12; of fire, praise God
for being no respecter of persons,
Ix. 6
Serapis, name of Apis, after his
deification, xxxv. 8 ; name of
Jovis, in the form of a ram, xlii.
1 ; day of, xhi. 2 {vide Apis)
Seron, captain of the Syrian host,
resolves to fight Judah, xcii. 2;
corpses of the army of, piled up
on the field, xcii. 3 ; remnant of
the army of, flee into the land
of the Philistines, xcii. 3
Serpents kihed by the young storks,
and city taken, xlv. 6 ; image of,
to be prayed to by those desirmg
long life, lix. 12; of gold en-
circled Solomon, Ixxxiv. 6
Serug, sons and daughters of,
xxvii. 7 ; did not walk in wicked
ways, xxvii. 9
Servios succeeds Tarkinos, xl. 18
Seth, sons of, xxvi. 3 ; daughters
of, xxvi. 3; sons of, dwelt in
mountains by Garden of Eden,
xxiv. 11 ; children of, xxiv. 10
Seven things created before the
world, i. 2 ; brothers, martyrs,
Ixxxix.
Shaare Mavet, fourth compartment
of hell, xvh. 2
Shaare Salmavet, sixth compart-
ment of hell, xvii. 2
Shabethfin, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Shabtil, angel who smites wicked in
third compartment of hell, xx. 7
Shafat, son of Togarma, xxvii. 2
Shafdifal, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Shafra, son of Peleg, xxvh. 5
Shakir destroyed by sons of Jacob,
xxxvi. 9
Shalaphtra, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Shalma, son of Reu, xxvii. 6
Shalom, son of Dedan, xxvii. 2;
did not worship Baal in the days
of Yair, Iviii. 10
Shampla, son of Tiras, xxvii. 2
Shaphat, of the tribe of Dan, Ixiii. 9
Shayish, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Shealtiel, father of Susanna, Ixv. 10
Sheba, son of Gush, xxvii. 4 ; num-
ber of children, xxviii. 4 ; com-
prises the Sabeans, Arabians, and
Indians, xxxi. 17
Sheifa, daughter of Reu, xxvii. 6
Shekinah, face of, hidden, i. 12 ;
residence in East, iii. 5 {vide
God)
Shelah, son of Arpakshad, xxvii. 5 ;
a sinner after the Flood, Ivii. 14
Shem, children of, xxvii. 5, xxxi.
16 ; 406 nations descended from,
xxxi. 1 ; children of, live in Asia,
xxxi. 2
' Shem Hammeforash,' the Ineffable
Name, li. 7 {vide Name)
Shemhazai, Midrash of, xxv. ; ad-
vises God not to create man,
xxv. 2 ; assumes human form and
sins, xxv. 4 ; children of, eat
1,000 camels, 1,000 horses, and
1,000 oxen daily, xxv. 8 ; dreams
of his sons, xxv. 9 ; repents and
hangs himself between heaven
and earth, xxv. 12
Sheol, return of wicked to, xii. 10 ;
described, xvii. 1 ; consists half
of fire and half of ice, xvh. 2 {vide
Hell)
Shepherds reigned in the land of
Goshen, xhi. 1 ; the abomination
of Egypt, xlii. 1
Shiddim, dwelling in the North,
i. 7 {vide Demons)
Shifrah, advice of, xliii. 3
Shihor, the Nile, xlvih. 10
Shiio, inhabitants of, attack sons of
Jacob, xxxvi. 8
Shimi, son of Ninus, succeeds Seme-
ramit and builds Babylon, xxxii.
7 ; did not worship Baal in the
days of Yair, Iviii. 10
Shittites (Scythians) shut themselves
in their fortresses, Ixxvih. 3 ; with
their queen, Tamirah, fiee before
Cyrus, Ixxviii. 3 ; remainder of,
destroyed by Cambises, Ixxviii. 5
Shofar {vide Trumpet), blowing of,
xiii. 5
Shuah, a sinner after the Flood,
Ivii". 14
Shuri, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Shushan, in the land of Elam, the
native place of Daniel, Ixxiv. 3
336
Shzeur, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Sidon, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4 ;
built by Sidon, son of Canaan, in
the land of Phoenise, xxxi. 18
Sidonians ordered to hew the wood
from the Lebanon, Ixxvi. 5
Sihon and Og so tall that the waters
of the Flood did not reach their
knees, li. 12 ; war with Moses,
xlviii. 13
Silagtaba, son of Tisai, xxvii. '2
Silio, son of Cush, xxvii. 4
Silisia = Tarshish, xxxii. 4
Sillah, wife of Lemech, xxiv. 5 ;
children of, xxvi. 18 ; son of
Serug, xxvii. 7
Simeon, stone of, the sapphire, liii.
13 ; constellation of, Virgo, liii.
13 ; ensign of, the city of Shechem,
liii. 14 ; of the tribe of Benjamin,
informed Seleucus of the wealth
in the Temple, Ixxxvi. 1 ; incites
Antiochus against the Jews,
Ixxxvii. 7 ; exhorted by Mattathiah
to advise his brethren, since God
gave him might and wisdom, xci.
2 ; hastens to Galilee, where he
slays the enemy and takes their
spoil, xciv. 3 ; buries his brother,
Judah the Maccabean, c. 5; K.,
b. Gamliel, death of, xxi. 2 ; K.,
asked by E. Eleazar whether the
Israelites took weavers with
them, liii. 16
Simim, son of Canaan, xxvii, 4
Sin, no benefit derived from, x. 11 ;
punishment of, x. 7 {vide Hell)
Sinners' punishment, xiv. 6 ; pun-
ishment of, who perfumed them-
selves, XV. 1 ; three classes of,
who descend to hell for ever,
XV. 6 ; burned to ashes every
twelvemonth, xv. 8 ; redemption
through repentance, xvi. 7 ; pun-
ished twelve months in each
compartment of hell, xvii. 3 ;
selected from each tribe, Ivii. 5 ;
total of selected men 110, Ivii.
6 ; the seven, after the Flood,
Ivii. 14 ; to be burnt with fire,
Ivii. 16 ; burnt with fire of Judah's
mouth, xc. 4
Siqrops, first King of Atinism
(Athenians), i.e., the So'anites,
Ivi. 1 ; flees from Egypt to Aqtes,
in Greece, after commencement
of ten plagues, Ivi. 1 ; at death of,
seventeen kings and nineteen
princes reign in Aqtes, Ivi. 1 {vide
Cycrops)
Sirenes, like beautiful women, and
their lower parts like fishes, Iviii.
8 ; discovered by Mercorius in the
reign of Gideon, Iviii. 8 ; called
Nikes (Nix) in Ashkenaz, Iviii. 8
Sirine, in Lybia, built in the sixty-
ninth year of Ehud, Iviii. 2 {vide
Cyrene)
Sisipo builds city of Epira, now
called Corinthus, Ivi. 5
Sitopolis (Scytopolis), inhabitants
of, beg Judah to spare them, since
they had always treated the Jews
well, xcvii. 9
Slander, punishment of, xiii. 4
Slanderers, punishment, xvi. 7 ;
descend to hell for ever, xv. 6
Sleep created by God, vi. 14
Snow, earth created from, beneath
throne of glory, i. 6 ; Mountains,
which are impassable, captured
by Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1
So'anites, throne of the kingdom of,
built by Siqrops, Ivi. 1
Sodom, built by Misraim, xxvii. 4
' Sober Tob ' mentions story of
she-wolf suckling Kemus and
Eomilus, xli. 1
Solomon alludes to 7,000 vessels in
hell, xvi. 6 ; concerning rene-
gades, xvi. 7 ; in third house in
Eden, xx. 6 ; will place precious
stones on cherubim, Ivii. 22 ;
King of Israel, throne of, Ixxxiv. ;
on each step two lions, Ixxxiv. 2 ;
mounted his throne on six dif-
ferent sides, Ixxxiv. 2 ; on each
side of the throne of, golden seats
for Gad the seer, the other for
Nathan the prophet, Ixxxiv. 3 ;
encircled by a serpent of gold,
which seated him upon his throne
and then crept down at his feet,
Ixxxiv. 6 ; had to read some por-
tion of the Law of Judgment
upon every step of his throne,
Ixxxv. 3 ; heart of, inclined to-
wards woman, Ixxv. 7
Sorento, built by Hadarezer, xl. 15 ;
oil-well of, causes city to subside
between Napoli and New Sorento,
xl. 16
337
Sosipater, a captain of Judah's 1
army, captures Timotheos, xcvii. 7
Soul of child shown the righteous,
ix. 5 ; carried to Gehinnom, ix. 6 ;
shown ever}' place where it will
tread, ix. 7 ; of the seven brothers
will walk to God, to the light that
is with the Lord, Ixxxix. 3
South, i.e., Arabia, captured by
Cyrus, Ixxviii. 1
Spark in Kenaz' vision flies out, and
remains as a spider's web in a
beam, Ivii. 41; flies out and re-
mains in the air as a shield, Ivii.
41 ; to be extinguished when sin
comes to an end, Ivii. 41 ; source
vomits hot foam, Ivii. 41
Spirits, evil, dwelling in the north,
i. 7 ; hidden in Garden of Eden,
ix. 2 ; made to enter new being,
ix. 4 ; judgment of, ix. 11
Sqite, i.e., Magog, xxxii. 4.
Staff of Adam, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Joseph, Pharao, Eeuel,
xlvi. 12 {vide Rod)
Standard, similar in shape to a
lion with golden hooks and sword-
like point, liii. 2, 10; of Judah
in the East, liii. 2 ; of Reuben in
the South has the appearance of
a man similar to mandrakes,
liii. 3 ; of Ephraim in the West,
appearance like a fish, liii. 4 ; of
Dan in the North, like a serpent,
liii. 5 ; of tribes corresponds to
twelve constellations and twelve
stones in ephod, liii. 10, 12; of
twelve tribes, liii. 14; the four,
with Moses, Aaron, and the taber-
nacle, correspond to the seven
planets, liii. 15 ; three tribes form
under one, liii. 15
Stars created third day, iii. 3 ; at
Abraham's birth, xxxv. 1
Stones, twelve precious, represent
the twelve tribes, Iii. 13; of the
ephod, correspond to the twelve
tribes, liii. 10; precious, to be sub-
stituted for stones of idolaters and
placed in the ephod and breast-
plate, Ivii. 18 ; light of, shall be
seven times more powerful than
light of the sun and moon, Ivii.
23; will be put in the place
whence they were taken by God,
and will remain there till the end
of the world, Ivii. 23 ; illumine
the whole earth just as the sun at
noonday, Ivii. 25 ; precious, on
throne of Solomon, Ixxxiv. 3 ; upon
the altar emit fire, xciv. 1
Strabon of Caphtor states in his
book that Nimrod was son of
Shem, xxxii. 1
Sun, work done slowly, iii. 3 ; hours
of, iii. 4 ; Ineffable Name written
upon heart of, iii. 4 ; fiery face
of, iii. 4 ; rising, in a chariot, iii.
4 ; prostrates before God, iii. 5 ;
in presence of Shekhinah, iii. 5 ;
rules on first day, iv. 2 ; icy face of,
iii. 4 ; appointed over, iv. 9 ; and
moon created on fourth day, iii. 1
Susanna, history of, Ixv.
Swine's flesh abhorred by the Jews,
Ixxxix. 1
Sword of Kenaz cleaves to his
hand, Ivii. 35; of Kenaz, separ-
ated from his hand, Ivii. 35;
appearance of, like lightning on a
rainy day, Ixxxv. 4
Syria, people of, at war with people
of Kush, xlv. 1
Tabel, son of Tiras, xxvii. 2
Tables of stone in God's mind at
creation, i. 4; of pure gold pre-
sented by Ptolemy to Temple,
Ixxxvii. 5
Tablo subdued by Elishah, xxvii. 3
Tahpanhes, the royal city of Greece,
thus called by Cadmus Europes
Tahpanhes, Ivi. 3; introduces
the" letters of the Greek writing,
Ivi. 5 {vide Cadmus)
Tamar, concealed the fruit of her
conception three months, xlii. 6
Tamirah, Queen of the Scythians,
Ixxviii. 3 ; grief of, at the death
of her son, Ixxviii. 3 ; smites the
camp of Cyrus and Cyrus him-
self, Ixxviii. 4 ; places head of
Cyrus in a bottle, which she filled
with blood of the slain, Ixxviii.
4 ; killed by Cambisa, Ixxviii. 5
Tanais, river in Japheth's portion,
xxxi. 3
Taoro, mountains of, in Japheth's
portion, xxxi. 3; mountain in
Brittania, xxxi. 4
Tapuali captured by sons of Jacob,
xxxvi. 8
22
338
Targomah conquers Phut, xxvii. 3
{vide Togarmah)
Tarkinos succeeds Polios, xl. 18
Tarkinos II. succeeds Servios, xl. 18 ;
killed by the brothers of a woman
whom he took by force, xl. 18
Tarshish subdues Meriba, xxvii. 3 ;
number of children, xxviii. 3 ;
i.e., Traksiani, accepted law of
the Macedonians, xxxi. 13 ; i.e.,
Silisia, xxxi. 4
Tehilah, daughter of Eeu, xxvii. 6
Tehom, above Arqa, xvii. 4
Teled, son of Gomer, xxvii. 2
Temed, wife of Cain, xxvi. 11
Temple, site of, created before
creation, i. 2; in God's mind at
creation, i. 4; commencement of
the rebuilding of, in the first year
of the reign of Cyrus over the
Chaldeans, Ixxi. 2 ; rebuilding of,
discontinued until the second
year of the reign of Darius,
Ixxi. 3; rebuilding of, supervised
by the elders of the captivity,
Ixxvii. 2 ; service of, stopped until
the second year of the reign of
Darius, King of Persia, Ixxviii. 5 ;
in the vision of Kenaz, Ivii. 22 ;
purified by Judah, xciv. 1
Ten things paramount in God's
mind at creation, i. 4
Tent of the congregation stood in
the centre, surrounded on all sides
by the Levites, liii. 15
Tents of hair inhabited by children
of Zebulun, Ixiii. 16; of hair lived
in by children of Keuben, Ixiii. 17 ;
of hair lived in by Judah and
half Simeon, Ixiii. 19
Theseus captures Helena in time of
Yair,lviii. 11; brothers of , Castor
and Pollux, Iviii. 11 ; mother of,
captured in time of Yair, Iviii. 11
Thisius saved from a dog by Hera-
clones, Iviii. 2
Thorn wishes to serve as gallows
for Haman, because to it the
wicked are compared, Ixxxiii. 4 ;
beam of, falls upon Haman,
thereby taking his measurement,
Ixxxiii. 5 ; selected by God to serve
as gallows for Haman, Ixxxiii. 5
Throne of glory created before
creation, i. 2 ; God's, like sapphire,
i. 10 ; glory of God's, spread about
Moses to protect him, lii. 9 ;
of Solomon, Ixxxiv. ; wheels of
Solomon's, rotated when the
people approached him for judg-
ment, Ixxxiv. 8
Tibei reigned in Eamses, xlii. 1
Tiber caused to flow into other
channels, and its bed paved with
brass, xl. 20
Tiberio, Kiver, where Kittim dwell,
xl. 1 ; frontier of Tubal, xl. 1
Tiberios succeeds Karpitos, xl. 14
Tilas, son of Canaan, xxvii. 4
Tiller of ground dying, parable of,
xi. 1
Tilon built by Sidon, xxvii. 4
Tiluf, son of Kush, xxvii. 4
Timbrel, art of playing upon, dis-
covered in Greece in the time of
Abimelech, Iviii. 9
Timna given to Jacob by the Amor-
ites, xxxvi. 12
Timothios, a Macedonian general,
xciii. 1 ; goes to Gad and Gilead,
and slays many Jews, xciv. 2;
and his army flee towards the
Jordan, xciv. 4 ; rallies his men
and prepares for battle at Aza,
xciv. 5 ; men of, curse Judah
from the walls of Aza, xciv. 6 ;
brothers of, xciv. 7 ; meets Judah
with large army, xcvii. 7 ; en-
deavours to escape, but is captured
by Dostios and Sosipater, xcvii. 7 ;
flees and hides himself in one of
the pits, xciv. 7 ; entreats Judah
for his life, and swears to do good
to the Jews all his life, xcvii. 7
Tina, son of Zipthai, xxvii. 2
Tinos, son of Cush, xxvii. 4
Tipa, son of Magog, xxvii. 2 ;
daughter of Nahor, xxvii. 7
Tiqunah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Tira'h, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Tiras, son of Jepheth, xxvii. 2 ;
subdues K66, xxvii. 3
Tirhakah, King of Ethiopia, rebels
against Sennacherib, Ix. 4
Tirus — i.e., the Eossi (or Kurasan)
— dwell by the river of the great
sea, xxxi. 11
Tisai, children of, xxvii. 2
Tisio, river, xxxi. 12, 15
Tit-Hayaven, third compartment of
hell, xvii. 2
Titonide, a virgin versed in the seven
339
sciences after killing the giant
Palante, was called Pallas, xxxv. 9
Tlag, mountain where Seelah
laments, lix. 5
Toba, son of Serug, xxvii. 7
Tobiya, the Ammonite, slanders the
Jews, Ixxi. 3
Tofteh (hell), why so called, xiv. 1
Togarmah, children of, xxvii. 2;
number of children, xxviii. 3 ;
the ten families of (Cuzar, Pasinaq,
Alan, Bulgar, Kanbina, Turq,
Buz, Zakhukh, Ugar and Tulmes),
xxxi. 6 ; language of, spoken by
Judah and half Simeon, Ixiii. 19
(vide Targoma)
Tohu, created on first day, i. 3 ;
above Tehom, xvii. 4
Torah, intervention of, vi. 8 ; called
the daughter of God, lii. 13 (vide
Law)
Toronia, place where the children
of Turnus dwell, xl. 14
Toscana, country where the children
of Tubal encamp, xl. 1
Traitors, punishment of, xvi. 7
Transformations, according to four
watches of the day, xviii. 4; the
four, of righteous, xviii. 4
Trases, children of Tiras, xxxi. 4
Trasos, descended from Tarshish,
xxxi. 13 ; the Ishmaelites cause
inhabitants of, to flee to Greece,
xxxi. 13
Tree of life, seven clouds of glory
on, xviii. 6 ; 500 tastes, xviii. 6 ;
perfume of, xviii. 6 ; odour of,
wafted to the four corners of the
earth, xviii. 6 ; scholars sit beneath
the, xviii, 6
Tribes, the twelve, dwell in third
house in Eden, xx. 6; twelve, for
whom the Red Sea was divided,
xlviii. 12; twelve, represented by
twelve precious stones, lii. 13 ;
four dwelling together are Dan,
Naphtali, Gad and Asher, Ixiii. 9 ;
four, armies of, consist of 173
banners and each of 1,500 men,
Ixiii. 9 ; four, converse in Hebrew
and in the language of Kedar,
Ixiii. 10 ; four, each of the, sews
three months, Ixiii. 10 ; four, con-
sists of pious men, Ixiii. 10 ; four,
possess many wells, which irrigate
the land, Ixiii. 11 ; four, dwell in
houses built like towers, Ixiii. 11 ;
four, the only people who have
seen the flames of the Sambatyon,
Ixiii. 11; four, reap a hundred-
fold, Ixiii. 11; four, no unclean
bird or animal among them,
Ixiii. 11 ; four, encamp by the
brook of Kedron, Ixiii. 11; four,
possess the worms that make the
crimson colour, Ixiii, 12
Tritolymus builds ships to carry
wheat and merchandise, Iviii. 2
Troy, in Dardanim, built in the
time of Ehud, Iviii. 2 ; 406 years
after the capture of. Olympiad
begins, lix. 10; city of, captured
in the time of Abdon, lix. 10
Trumpets blown by priests when
they notice four clouds moving,
liii. 7 ; used for assembling the
people, liii, 8 ; hollow and
emitted a loud sound, liii. 8 ; one
cubit in length, and a thin reed
placed at the mouth, liii. 8; used
as a signal for war, liii. 8 ; one
long drawn sound to assemble the
people and bring the princes
together, liii. 8; a long, even
sound upon two, to assemble the
whole congregation, liii. 8 ; used
for the Sabbaths and festivals,
liii. 8 ; at the sounds of the,
the camps under the banner of
Judah moved first, liii. 9; a
' Teru'ah ' to continue the journey,
liii. 9 ; a ' Teqi'ah ' and a ' Teru'ah,'
signal for war or a festival, liii. 9
Truth reigns supreme over kings,
wine and woman, Ixxv. 8
Tubal subdues Pahath, xxvii. 3;
number of children, xxviii, 3 ;
i.e., Tuscans, dwell by Eiver
Pisa, in Tuscania, xxxi. 10; chil-
dren of, encamp in Toscana,
having River Tiberio as their
frontier, xl. 1 ; daughters of,
taken captive by Kittim, xl. 1 ;
children of, overbearing to Kit-
tim, xl. 1 ; children of, subdued by
Janus, King of the Kittim, xl. 8
Tubal Cam, son of Sillah, xxiv. 8,
xxvi. 17 ; first forger of iron war-
implements, xxiv. 8 ; inventor of
axe, pincers and hammer, xxiv. 8;
discoverer of art of joining iron
and lead, xxiv. 8, xxvi. 17
22—2
340
Tudan, son of Kush, xxvii. 4
Tuflita, son of Dedan, xxvii. 2
Tullus Ostilius succeeds NumaPom-
pilios, xli. 2 ; succeeds Numa, and
reigns thirty-two years in the
reign of Manasseh, King of Judah,
lix. 11; King, who first clothed
himself in purple robes, lix. 11
Turnus, King of Benevento, who
sought Jania for wife, xl. 4 ;
children of, fight against Abtinos,
xl. 14 ; tower in, between Albano
and Kome, xl. 5 ; built by Turnus,
xl. 14 ; sons of, fled from Agnios,
King of Afriqi, built Purnus and
Anba, xl. 14
Tyre, city of, built 240 years before
the temple at Jerusalem, Iviii. 8;
besieged by Nebuchadnezzar the
Younger for three years and ten
months, Ixvi. 4
Tyrians ordered to hew the wood
from the Lebanon, Ixxvi. 5
Uriel, head of third band of angels,
i. 9
'Usi, a man who lived in the land
of the Kittim, in the city of Poso-
manga, xl. 4
'Unini, son of Yoqtan, xxvii. 5
Vabni (?), son of Kush, xxvii. 4
Varrus at the head of the Eoman
army, xcvi. 3 ; escapes to Venusia,
xcvi. 4
Vekhal, son of Ashkenaz, xxvii. 2
Venitiqia Sea, into which the rivers
Tisio and Po flow, xxxi. 12, 15
Venus rules on the sixth day, iv. 2 ;
form of, iv. 8 ; appointed over
kindness, etc., iv. 8
Venusia, a city situated between
the mountains and the plains,
where Varrus escapes to, xcvi. 4 ;
besieged by Annibal for eight
days, xcvi. 5
Vespasianus, reign of, Ixxviii. 1
Vindredi {i.e., Friday), iv. 2
Vine wishes to serve as gallows for
Haman, Ixxxiii. 2
Virtuous saved from hell, xiv. 7
Vredakh {i.e., Friday), iv. 2
Walnut-tree wishes to serve as
gallows for Haman, Ixxxiii. 3
Water created on first day, i. 3 ;
tumultuous rising of, ii. 1 ; above
bottom of sea, xvii. 4 ; children
dipped in, xxxvi. 6 ; fountain of,
brought by Agnios to Carthage
captured by Latinus, xl. 10 ; which
had no source, Ivii. 40; turned
partly into blood and partly into
fire, Iviii. 7
Well, waters of, swell into rivers,
surround the camp of the
Israelites, liii. 17 ; in the desert
causes various kinds of spices
and sweet- smelling herbs to grow,
liii. 17 {vide Miriam)
Wicked, judgment of, between Pass-
over and Pentecost, xi. 5 ; punish-
ment of those, who ate on fast days,
XV. 2 {vide Sin, Punishment, Hell)
Wilderness, the generation of, dwell
in third house in Eden, xx. 6
Willows of the brook wish to serve
as gallows for Haman, Ixxxiii. 3
Winds, four, created, i. 7 ; four,
from the desert blow myrrh and
franliincense, liii. 7
Wine the most powerful thing on
earth, Ixxiv. 8, Ixxv. 2 ; of
heathen not a prohibited thing
in the days of Balaam, Iv. 10
Wizards come with Amaleq, xlviii.
13 {vide Balaam, Jannes)
Woman of Moab enticing Israelites
to sin, Iv. 10; the most powerful
being on earth, Ixxiv. 8 ; two,
who circumcise their children are
hanged by their breasts and
hurled with their children from
the top of a tower, Ixxxviii. 2
World, light of future, in God's
mind at creation, i. 4; seven
new, await child, ix. 9 ; above
waters, xvii. 4 {vide Paradise)
Worshippers of white horse en-
countered by Elhanan, Ixiii. 20 ;
of fire, Ixii. 10, Ixiii. 20
Writing created on second day, i. 3 ;
on wall in Hebrew characters, but
language Aramaic, Ixviii. 3
Y (words written with Y vide also
under I and J)
Yaftir, son of Togarma, xxvii. 2
Yair, vide Jair
Yedid subdued by Dodanim, xxvii. 3
Yequtiel, name given to Moses by
his mother, xliv. 7
341
Yiskah, i.e., Sarai, given by Terah
to Abraiu as wife, xxxv. 1
Yoniu, river of Grecia, xxxii. 4
Yoqtan, son of Eber, xxvii. 5 ;
daughters of, taken to wife by
sons of Peleg, xxvii. 5 ; children
of, xxvii. 5; chief over children
of Shem, xxviii. 1 ; tries to save
rebellious princes, xxix. 6 ; tries
to save Abraham, xxix. 11
Zaaq, son of Elishah, xxvii. 2
Zabel built by Judah, xxxvi. 12
Zagzagel spreads a rug at the feet
of Moses, 1. 14; teacher of Moses
and scribe of all the heavenly
host, 1. 5
Zahab Tob, by the rivers of Kush,
on the border of the land of
Havila, Ixiii. 8
Zakar, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Zaqlah, a kingdom of Kush,
Ixiii. 8
Zaryonah, a kingdom in Kush,
Ixiii. 8
Zebulun, constellation of, Sagit-
tarius, liii. 13 ; stone of, the car-
buncle, liii. 13 ; ensign of, a ship,
liii. 14; eat the flesh of their
children to know whether God
would be pleased with them, Ivii.
10; tribe of, encamp on the
mountains of Paran and extend
to the Euphrates, Ixii. 11 ; tents
made of the hair of Armania, Ixii.
11 ; children of, possess the Torah,
Talmud, and the Mishna, Ixiii.
16 ; tribe of, dwell on the
mountains of Paran, in tents of
hair, in the land of Pul and Lud,
Ixiii. 16; children of, men of
valour, fight four months in the
year, Ixiii. 16; children of, good
riders, and possess servants,
horses, sheep, oxen, camels and
asses, Ixiii. 16 ; children of, tilling
the ground, Ixiii. 16
Zechariah, blood of, avenged by
Nebuzaraddan, Ix. 8
Zedekiah, Sanhedrin of, slain by
Nebuchadnezzar, X. 10; captured
by Nebuzaraddan, brought to
Riblah, Ix. 8; ben Ma'aseyah,
false prophet of Midrash, Ixiv. ;
goes to daughter of Nebuchad-
nezzar, inducing her to sin, Ixiv. 2
Zepho, vide Sefo
Zera, father of Methushael, xxvi. 13
Zeridah, a kingdom in Kush, Ixiii. 8
Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son
of Jechoniah, King of Judah,
appointed by Daniel as his suc-
cessor, Ixxiv. 2 ; appointed over-
seer of the two captains of the
host and guardians of the king,
Ixxiv. 4; finds favour in the
king's eyes, Ixxiv. 4 ; and the two
captains decide to test each other's
wisdom by means of riddles,
Ixxiv. 6 ; argument of, Ixxv. 4 ;
embraced by the king in the
presence of his people, Ixxv. 9,
Ixxvi. 1; reminds Darius of his
vow to rebuild the temple,
Ixxvi. 1 ; son of Shealtiel, details
concerning the rebuilding of the
temple handed to, Ixxvi. 5 ;
returns to Babylon, where he dies
after the rebuilding of the temple,
Ixxxv. 2
Zifd, son of Peleg, xxvii. 5
Zipporah, daughter of Reuel, feeds
Moses whilst in prison, xlvi. 9 ;
wedded by Moses, because he
plucked the staff from ground,
xlvi. 12 ; bears Eleazar, xlvi. 13 ;
bears Gershon, xlvi. 13 ; goes the
ways of the women of Israel,
xlvi. 13 ; circumcises her son,
xlvii. 2
Zipthai, children of, xxvii. 2
Zondakh {i.e., Sunday), iv. 2
Zoroaster the Wise, discoverer of
Nigromancia, vanquished by
Ninus, xxxii. 4; reigns in Bractia
(Bactria) and writes down seven
sciences on fourteen pillars, seven
of brass and seven of brick, xxxii.
4 ; taught magic science by
Abraham, xxxv. 4
THE END.
BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, OUILDKORD.
^ ^)ns^P^)H^^ T^^^^ ^^^'^ P!» -tS'i
'i*wi^-»«^ V^M* ^tt^i ♦V^ ^*y Viy^t^f ^''t*V ^^^ ^
V^fv-^i^ n*v« ^^m* >*' ^M»-^^ 0>^M -?*>^*^ -jH>< ^^^ ^
.^/^u*t^\»r^^*< ^^^*^ ^^> ^^ o^>^ ^ "T^^>i^ n>* p^i'^^w
-|tvi ^*5 onto ^3^ti>v^^ t-vi^t'j >r^)->*»i/ r»>jy<i p»$ -jp^ /?f*
i
if" f^',>^^'
Jerahmiel ch. 26. § 1 — 13.
,:m^'
r:5Utlf O^^'ff^O^ 'JtV:^^ )h^^S\p^ ^X>*VK>p :yH<.r*
V« 'i>*^ ^-H *Vh o->/^ pi* '^^t^/. i-^-^xu y^H^ ;>^3/^i^^
\f^V*' ^*^*^ >HV»' ->«i*K*i >v>^<»n ^f* -^j^j^^ 3^'^ r>^' -^^?
/tz-Vfj i>p 0/7 uyt : ^\jff* p-*^*/ >n*tJ*^ ^it^jft^ ^^>*:» ♦jFit'M
Jerahmiel cli. 26. § 21—27 g 4.
•rA$*>iH*tv ^»>3S ft/w^ »i^> / £>*->v>^> o*r>Ap>i D«0)tn<>i
o♦5^*^\1^«v \\s;^^'i'y v>r«'^ M^rH v^tm**:? yio*> >'^m5i \w»>'
n*i^rt0->f*» ^it/MKpN*> ^U/ j>5i ; o«p>» ^♦v^TM Tr^t^vi ot-ro
Sft> 1**^*5*^ Ak> -y/Ji*:^ cj^ P^j ijo *iV* vj^^« :^3i».n»* ^\*
Hsv f^) 'ry^^^'' ^^^ -A» \\>^fi • y>^« ym^ oe>i y^p^.-^ ,->>>y\/>^
Tor yVr^ >t^^ ^^d*^ x^-^Ax^ ^>5> j^:if. 7^^f^ yjoT^u^pM^
HTM'OVi ^.^^-^ ^4vw/^p^j 0j>:? i-AiM ^u^» ^M^v, o'\t/j
V\v^^*i Utii'i^ \:»ri/» uN 0*\Ji\%\yi:9i*i ^f^y jrWt tMp»i
ViT^^t; v^pn-r \*»iwp ^p^ ^1 <^pj -,i^j^ ^f !3f ^r^«-f \*>At>
i; ir)>/» *^'\ :\aJ">^ >»5 «i*\nM^ ^^HfTf : ♦^utif H>t^3 kd^v
1
<4ii
Jerahmiel ch. 27. § 4—28,3.
z^^-
^ ^.^^.^i*rt4.^ t«^u^ £n^ .nr^ " t^Jt^n^ -^^l^i ^y^yii^ t^j*. .cfjsn^
Jerahmiel cli. 31. § 1—11.
a*2 vfpf H^ -vvh a/^ ♦in >)m^> -wj^> x>ot^^ ♦fcd^ *jt>^
,^ii;;tj^-i?i^/»^^^>^
^^j-r^^nrt^
Jerahmiel ch. 31. § 11—20.
BM530.E38
The chronicles of Jerahmeel;
Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library
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