The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek (Kebra Nagast)

The Queen of Shela and
Her nIy Son MenyeIek

(Klra Nagasl)
lransIaled ly
Sir L. A. WaIIis Budge
In parenlheses IulIicalions
Llhiopian Series
Canlridge, nlario 2OOO
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ii
Ireface
This voIune conlains a conpIele LngIish lransIalion of lhe
fanous Llhiopian vork, The Klra Nagasl, i.e. lhe CIory of
lhe Kings |of Llhiopiaj. This vork has leen heId in pecuIiar
honour in Alyssinia for severaI cenluries, and lhroughoul lhal
counlry il has leen, and sliII is, veneraled ly lhe peopIe as
conlaining lhe finaI proof of lheir descenl fron lhe Helrev
Ialriarchs, and of lhe kinship of lheir kings of lhe SoIononic
Iine vilh Chrisl, lhe Son of Cod. The inporlance of lhe look,
lolh for lhe kings and lhe peopIe of Alyssinia, is cIearIy shovn
ly lhe Ieller lhal King }ohn of Llhiopia vrole lo lhe Iale Lord
CranviIIe in Augusl, 1872. The king says: There is a look
caIIed Kivera Negusl vhich conlains lhe Lav of lhe vhoIe of
Llhiopia, and lhe nanes of lhe Shns |i.e. Chiefsj, and
Churches, and Irovinces are in lhis look. Ipray you find oul
vho has gol lhis look, and send il lo ne, for in ny counlry ny
peopIe viII nol oley ny orders vilhoul il. The firsl sunnary
of lhe conlenls of lhe Klra Nagasl vas pulIished ly Bruce as
far lack as 1813, lul IillIe inleresl vas roused ly his sonevhal
laId prcis. And, in spile of lhe Ialours of Irlorius, BezoId,
and Hugues Ie Roux, lhe conlenls of lhe vork are sliII
praclicaIIy unknovn lo lhe generaI reader in LngIand. Il is
hoped lhal lhe lransIalion given in lhe foIIoving pages viII le
Ireface
iii
of use lo lhose vho have nol lhe line or opporlunily for
perusing lhe Llhiopic originaI.
The Klra Nagasl is a greal slorehouse of Iegends and
lradilions, sone hisloricaI and sone of a pureIy foIk-Iore
characler, derived fron lhe Id Teslanenl and lhe Ialer
Rallinic vrilings, and fron Lgyplian (lolh pagan and
Chrislian), Aralian, and Llhiopian sources. f lhe earIy hislory
of lhe conpiIalion and ils naker, and of ils sulsequenl edilors
ve knov nolhing, lul lhe principaI groundvork of ils earIiesl
forn vas lhe lradilions lhal vere currenl in Syria, IaIesline,
Aralia, and Lgypl during lhe firsl four cenluries of lhe
Chrislian era. Weighing carefuIIy aII lhal has leen vrillen ly
DiIInann, Trunp, Zolenlerg, Wrighl, and BezoId, and laking
inlo accounl lhe prolaliIilies of lhe naller, il seens lo ne lhal
ve shaII nol le far vrong if ve assign lhe conposilion of lhe
earIiesl forn of lhe Klra Nagasl lo lhe sixlh cenlury A.D. Ils
conpiIer vas prolalIy a Coplic priesl, for lhe looks he used
vere vrilings lhal vere accepled ly lhe Coplic Church.
Whelher he Iived in Lgypl, or in Aksn, or in sone olher parl
of Llhiopia nallers IillIe, lul lhe coIophons of lhe exlanl
Llhiopic MSS. of lhe Klra Nagasl suggesl lhal he vrole in
Coplic.
In lhe succeeding cenluries, prolalIy as a resuIl of lhe
videspread conquesls of Muhannad and his KhaIfahs, lhe
Coplic lexl vas in vhoIe or parl lransIaled inlo Aralic, and
during lhe process of lransIalion nany addilions vere nade lo
il, chiefIy fron Aralic sources. Lasl of aII lhis Aralic version
vas lransIaled inlo Llhiopic, and proper nanes undervenl
curious lransfornalions in lhe process. According lo lhe
coIophons of lhe MSS. in lhe Brilish Museun, xford, and
Iaris, lhe Aralic lransIalion vas nade fron lhe Coplic in lhe
4O9lh year of nercy, vhen Calra MaskaI, connonIy knovn
as LIlaI, vas reigning over Llhiopia, i.e. lelveen A.D. 1314
and 1344. And lhe sane aulhorilies say lhal lhe Llhiopic
Klra Nagasl
iv
lransIalion vas nade sulsequenlIy ly one Isaac, of vhon
nolhing is knovn save lhal he vas an enlhusiaslic Chrislian
visionary and palriol. His knovIedge of hislory and
chronoIogy vas defeclive, and his conparalive phiIoIogy is
unusuaIIy pecuIiar, even for lhe period in vhich he Iived.
In lhe coIophons Isaac says: I have loiIed nuch for lhe
gIory of lhe kingdon of Llhiopia, and for lhe going forlh
(nanifeslalion) of lhe heavenIy Zion, and for lhe gIory of lhe
King of Llhiopia. These vords lhrov sone Iighl upon Isaacs
nolive in lransIaling lhe look, and suppIy lhe reason for his
devoled Ialour. He firnIy leIieved: 1. Thal lhe IavfuI kings of
Llhiopia vere descended fron SoIonon, King of IsraeI. 2. Thal
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, i.e. lhe Ark of lhe Covenanl,
had leen lroughl fron }erusaIen lo Aksn ly MenyeIek,
SoIonons firsllorn son, according lo lhe Llhiopians. 3. Thal
lhe Cod of IsraeI had lransferred His pIace of alode on earlh
fron }erusaIen lo Aksn (Aksun), lhe eccIesiaslicaI and
poIilicaI capilaI of Llhiopia. The neans enpIoyed ly MenyeIek
for ollaining possession of lhe Ark of lhe Covenanl did nol
dislurl Isaacs conscience in lhe Ieasl, nay he gIoried in lhen,
for nanifeslIy MenyeIek vas perforning lhe WiII of Cod in
renoving lhe lalernacIe of Zion fron }erusaIen. Cod,
according lo Isaac, vas salisfied lhal lhe }evs vere unvorlhy
lo le cuslodians of lhe Ark vherein His Iresence vas, and lhe
Ark vished lo deparl. Llhiopia had slrelched oul her hands lo
Cod (IsaIn Ixviii, 31), and He venl lo her, vilh lhe Ark, lo
preside over MenyeIeks kingdon, vhich vas eslalIished in
accordance vilh lhe connands lhal He had given lo Moses
and lhe prophels and priesls of IsraeI.
Il viII le renenlered lhal lhe Iine of kings founded ly
SoIonon conlinued lo reign even afler lhe Llhiopians lecane
Chrislians under lhe leaching of Irunenlius and Adesius, lhe
sIaves of lhe nerchanl Meropius, and lhal lhe Iine conlinued
unlroken unliI lhe lenlh cenlury of our era. Isaac knev lhal
Ireface
v
Cod lhen pernilled lhe Iine lo le lroken, and aIIoved lhe
Zgu kings lo reign over Llhiopia unliI lhe reign of Ykn
ÀnIk, vho reslored lhe SoIononic Iine in 127O, and he nakes
no allenpl lo juslify Cods aclion in lhis naller, or lo expIain il.
We Iearn, hovever, fron lhe firsl seclion of lhe coIophon, lhal
he vondered vhy Cod had negIecled lo have lhe Aralic
version of lhe Klra Nagasl lransIaled inlo lhe speech of
Alyssinia al an earIier dale, and vhy ÀluI-Ìzz and ÀluI-
Iaraj, vho nade lhe Aralic lransIalion fron lhe Coplic, did nol
nake a rendering inlo Llhiopic aIso. In lhe expIanalion vhich
he allenpls lo give, he reninds us lhal lhe Aralic lransIalion
appeared vhiIsl lhe Zgu kings vere sliII reigning. As lhe
Klra Nagasl vas vrillen lo gIorify lhe SoIononic Iine of
kings, and ils edilors and lransIalors regarded lhe Zgu kings
nol onIy as non-IsraeIiles, lul as lransgressors of lhe Lav, lhe
appearance of a lransIalion of il in lhe vernacuIar vhiIsl lhe
Zgu vere sliII on lhe lhrone vouId le foIIoved ly lhe lorlure
and dealh of ils producers, and lhe deslruclion of lheir vork.
There is exlanl in Llhiopian Iileralure a Iegend lo lhe effecl
lhal vhen Cod nade Adan He pIaced in his lody a IearI,
vhich He inlended shouId pass fron il inlo lhe lodies of a
series of hoIy nen, one afler lhe olher, unliI lhe appoinled line
vhen il shouId enler lhe lody of Hann,
1
and forn lhe
sulslance of her daughler lhe Virgin Mary. Nov lhis IearI
passed lhrough lhe lody of SoIonon, an anceslor of Chrisl, and
Chrisl and MenyeIek, lhe son of SoIonon ly lhe Queen of
Shela, vere sons of SoIonon, and according lo Llhiopian ideas
lhey vere akin lo each olher. Bul Chrisl vas lhe Son of Cod,
and, lherefore, leing lhe kinsnan of Chrisl, MenyeIek vas
divine. And Isaac lhe Llhiopian, hoIding lhis viev, nainlains in
lhe Klra Nagasl lhal lhe kings of Llhiopia vho vere
1
See lhe Hislory of Hann, ediled and lransIaled ly nyseIf, in Lady
Meux MSS. 2-, p. 164.
Klra Nagasl
vi
descended fron MenyeIek vere of divine origin, and lhal lheir
vords and deeds vere lhose of gods.
Nov lhe idea of lhe divine origin of kings in Llhiopia, lhe
Sdn, and Lgypl, is very oId, and il appears lo have leen
indigenous. According lo a Iegend given in lhe Weslcar
Iapyrus in BerIin, lhree of lhe greal kings of lhe Vlh dynasly in
Lgypl vere lhe sons of lhe god R ly Ru;;el., lhe vife of
Ruser, high priesl of R, and lefore lhe cIose of lhal dynasly
every king caIIed hinseIf son of R. Many a king of Lgypl
slales in his inscriplions lhal he reigned in lhe egg, i.e. lefore
he vas lorn, and ve are lo undersland lhal lhe egg vas
deposiled in his nolher ly lhe forn of lhe Sun-god, vho vas
his falher. Sone of lhe sovereigns of lhe XVIIIlh dynasly,
cerlainIy lhose vho vere lhe noninees of lhe priesls of Anen,
vere decIared lo le lhe acluaI chiIdren of Anen, and lo le of
his sulslance. n lhe vaIIs of lhe fanous lenpIe vhich lhe
archilecl Sennul luiIl for Queen Halshepsul in Weslern
Theles, lhere is a series of las-reIiefs in vhich lhe god Anen is
seen conpanying vilh lhe nolher of lhal Queen, and
Halshepsul regarded herseIf as Anens daughler. In lhe lenpIe
of Luxor lhere are las-reIiefs of a siniIar characler, and lhe god
Anen is seen occupying lhe couch of lhe queen vho lecane ly
hin lhe nolher of Anenhelep III. This king vas so lhoroughIy
convinced of his divine origin lhal he caused an effigy of
hinseIf lo le scuIplured on lhe vaIIs of lhe lenpIe of SIl in
lhe Lgyplian Sdn, logelher vilh lhe figures of lhe greal gods
of Lgypl. In facl he shared lhevorship of lhe peopIe vilh lhe
gods and goddesses of Lgypl. Raneses lhe Creal vas heId lo le
lhe son of lhe god Ilah-Tanen, and in lhe inscriplion on a sleIe
al Alu SinleI lhis god, in addressing lhe king, says: I an lhy
falher. Thy nenlers vere legollen as |are lhose ofj lhe gods. I
Ireface
vii
look lhe forn of lhe Ran, lhe Lord of |e; (Mendes), I
conpanied vilh lhy augusl nolher
2
A lhousand years Ialer a slory arose in Lgypl lo lhe effecl
lhal AIexander lhe Creal vas lhe son of lhe god Anen of
Lgypl, and AIexanders counciIIors pronplIy look advanlage of
il lo forvard lhe forlunes of lheir Iord. If, lhey argued,
AIexander is lhe son of Anen, he is lhe IavfuI king of Lgypl,
and lhe Lgyplians nusl acknovIedge hin as lheir king. Bul il
vas necessary for lheir purpose lhal Anen shouId
acknovIedge AIexander as his son, and lhey lherefore look hin
lo lhe asis of Svah in lhe Lilyan Deserl, and presenled hin
lo lhe god Anen of Lilya. The god adnilled lhal AIexander
vas his son, lhe prieslhood of Anen accepled lhe decIaralion of
lheir god, lhe Lgyplians leIieved lhal lhe hoIy lIood of Anen
fIoved in AIexanders veins, and as a resuIl he lecane lhe king
of lhe Soulh and lhe Norlh, and Covernor of lhe Donain of
Horus vilhoul slriking a lIov. The nalive noveIisls and slory-
leIIers, e.g. lhe Iseudo CaIIislhenes, decIared lhal vhen
Neclanelus II, lhe Iasl nalive king of Lgypl, fIed fron Lgypl he
venl lo Macedon, vhere he eslalIished hinseIf as a nagician.
Here he lecane acquainled vilh Queen Iynpias, vho vished
lo find oul fron hin if her husland, IhiIip, inlended lo pul her
avay. An inlinacy sprang up lelveen Neclanelus and
Iynpias, and he appeared lo lhe queen one nighl in lhe forn
of lhe god Anen of Lilya, arrayed in aII lhe allrilules of lhe
2
Trans. Soc. BilI. Arch., voI. vii, pIale facing p. 119, II. 3 and 4 (ed.
NaviIIe).
Klra Nagasl
viii
god, and legol AIexander lhe Creal. Tradilion lransferred lhe
horns of Anen lo AIexander, and ancienl Aral vrilers caII
AIexander DhuI-Karnn, i.e. provided vilh lvo horns, a
lilIe lhal lransIales exaclIy one of lhe lilIes of Anen, Sep;
lui
Isaac, lhe edilor and lransIalor of lhe Klra Nagasl, and his
feIIov counlrynen sav nolhing slrange in lhe facl lhal
Mkd, lhe virgin queen of Sla, gave herseIf lo SoIonon, for
she leIieved hin lo le of divine origin, and he vas lo her as a
god. Moreover, he vas lhe cuslodian of lhe HeavenIy Zion,
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, vhence he ollained daiIy
lhe renevaI of his divinily, and pover, and aulhorily. The
TalernacIe of lhe Lav had nuch in connon vilh lhe arks or
divine lalernacIes of lhe BalyIonians and Lgyplians, vhich
forned lhe pIaces of alode of figures of gods or lheir nosl
characlerislic enlIens. The ark of BeI, lhe greal god of
BalyIon, conlained a figure of lhe god, and lhe king visiled il
cerenoniaIIy once a year, and sued vilh lears for forgiveness,
and grasped lhe hand or hands of lhe sacred figure. The
chanler in vhich lhe figure alode vas leIieved lo have leen
luiIl ly lhe gods. n high days and hoIy days lhe ark vas
carried ly lhe priesls in procession. In Lgypl lhe arks of lhe
gods vere kepl in chanlers speciaIIy conslrucled for lhe
purpose, and lhe figures of lhe gods vere sealed on lhrones
inside lhen. These arks vere pIaced upon sIedges or in loals
and vere carried ly lhe priesls in procession on greal days of
feslivaI or on soIenn days. We knov fron lhe inscriplions lhal
lhe ark of Anen vas provided vilh doors lhal vere kepl
loIled and seaIed. n cerlain occasions lhe king had lhe righl
lo lreak lhese seaIs and unloIl lhe doors, and Iook upon lhe
face of lhe god. Thus, afler his conquesl of Lgypl, lhe Nulian
king Iinkhi venl lo visil R in his sancluary near HeIiopoIis.
He vas received ly lhe Kherhel priesl, vho prayed lhal lhe
Ireface
ix
fiends nighl have no pover over hin. Having arrayed hinseIf
in lhe sacred se;el garnenl, and leen censed and asperged,
Iinkhi ascended lhe sleps Ieading lo lhe ark of R and slood
lhere aIone. He lroke lhe seaI, drev lhe loIls, lhrev open lhe
doors and Iooked upon lhe face of R. Having adored lhe M;el
and Seklel Boals he drev logelher lhe doors and seaIed lhen
vilh his seaI. In lhis vay Iinkhi vas recognized ly R as lhe
king of aII Lgypl. Il is nol cIear vhelher il vas a figure of R or
lhe hoIy lenlen slone, lhe synloI of lhe god, vhich Iinkhi
Iooked upon. Many of lhe sacred arks of Lgypl conlained no
figures of gods, lul onIy oljecls synloIic of lhen, in lhe
lenpIes of siris lhe arks conlained porlions of lhe lody of lhis
god.
The Ark of lhe Lav vhich MenyeIek covered and sloIe fron
lhe TenpIe of }erusaIen vas prolalIy a copy of lhal nade ly
Moses, and lo aII inlenls and purposes il vas a reclanguIar lox,
nade of hard vood pIaled vilh goId, and neasuring aloul
four feel Iong, lvo feel six inches vide, and lvo feel six inches
deep. Il vas provided vilh a cover upon vhich resled lhe
Mercy seal and figures of lhe Cherulin. In lhe Klra Nagasl
no nenlion is nade of lhe Mercy seal and lhe Cherulin, lul
ve read lhere lhal Moses nade a case in shape Iike lhe leIIy of
a ship, and in lhis lhe Tvo TalIes of lhe Lav vere pIaced. To
lhe Llhiopians lhis case synloIized lhe Virgin Mary, lhe case
nade ly Moses carried lhe Word in slone, and Mary carried lhe
Word Incarnale. Il cannol le assuned lhal lhe Ark sloIen ly
MenyeIek vas carried in a sacred loal Iike an Lgyplian shrine,
even lhough lhe leIIy of a ship is nenlioned in conneclion
vilh il. In severaI chaplers of lhe Klra Nagasl lhe chariol of
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav is nenlioned, a facl vhich suggesls
lhal in Ialer days al Ieasl lhe sacred lox vas provided vilh a
carriage or sIedge. Hislory is siIenl as lo lhe pIace vhere lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav vas finaIIy deposiled, lul Llhiopian
lradilion asserls lhal il survived aII lhe lroulIes and disaslers
Klra Nagasl
x
lhal feII upon lhe Alyssinians in lheir vars vilh lhe MusIins,
and lhal il vas preserved al Aksn unliI conparaliveIy recenl
lines.
In lhe shorl inlroduclion lhal foIIovs I have given a skelch
of lhe Iilerary hislory of lhe Klra Nagasl, vilh references lo
lhe aulhorilies on lhe suljecl, and I have nade an alslracl of ils
conlenls in narralive forn vhich viII, I hope, le usefuI. A fuII
discussion of every porlion of lhe vork, vilh exlracls giving
lhe originaI lexls of lhe aulhorilies used and quoled ly Isaac
lhe scrile, vouId fiII anolher voIune, and lhe cosl of prinling,
paper, and linding is nov so greal lhal lhe idea of producing
such a look has leen alandoned. A lransIalion of lhe Aralic
lexl descriling hov lhe Kingdon of David vas lransferred
fron }erusaIen lo Llhiopia has leen added, for lhis inleresling
docunenl is praclicaIIy unknovn in LngIand. The piclures of
evenls descriled in lhe Id and Nev Teslanenls, given in lhis
look, are laken fron Llhiopic MSS. in lhe Brilish Museun, lhey
shov as nolhing eIse can lhe reIigious leIiefs and lradilions of
lhe Llhiopians, and al lhe sane line lhey serve as exanpIes of
lhe dravings and designs vilh vhich lhey iIIuslraled lheir
nanuscripls. NearIy aII of lhen depicl ScripluraI evenls
descriled or referred lo in lhe Klra Nagasl.
xi
Conlenls
Inlroduclion:
I. The Manuscripls of lhe Klra Nagasl xvi
II. TransIalion of lhe Aralic Version xxxii
III. Legends of lhe Queen of Shela in lhe Kuràn xIviii
IV. Modern Legends of SoIonon and lhe Queen of Shela Ii
V. Sunnary of lhe Conlenls of lhe Klra Nagasl Ivi
1. Concerning lhe CIory of Kings 1
2. Concerning lhe Crealness of Kings 2
3. Concerning lhe Kingdon of Adan 3
4. Concerning Lnvy 3
. Concerning lhe Kingdon of Selh 4
6. Concerning lhe Sin of Cain 4
7. Concerning Noah
8. Concerning lhe IIood
9. Concerning lhe Covenanl of Noah 6
1O. Concerning Zion 6
11. The Unaninous DecIaralion of lhe Three Hundred
and Lighleen rlhodox Ialhers 7
12. Concerning Canaan 8
13. Concerning Alrahan 9
14. Concerning lhe Covenanl of Alrahan 1O
1. Concerning Isaac and }acol 11
Klra Nagasl
xii
16. Concerning RlI (Reulen) 11
17. Concerning lhe CIory of Zion 12
18. Hov lhe rlhodox Ialhers and Bishops Agreed 14
19. Hov This Book Cane lo le Iound 14
2O. Concerning lhe Division of lhe Larlh 1
21. Concerning lhe Queen of lhe Soulh 1
22. Concerning Tnrn, lhe Merchanl 16
23. Hov lhe Merchanl Relurned lo Llhiopia 17
24. Hov lhe Queen Made Ready lo Sel ul on her }ourney 19
2. Hov lhe Queen cane lo SoIonon lhe King 21
26. Hov lhe King HeId Converse vilh lhe Queen 22
27. Concerning lhe Lalourer 23
28. Hov SoIonon Cave Connandnenls lo lhe Queen 2
29. Concerning lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen
|Ialriarchsj 28
3O. Concerning hov King SoIonon Svore lo lhe Queen 3O
31. Concerning lhe Sign vhich SoIonon Cave lhe Queen 32
32. Hov lhe Queen Broughl Iorlh and Cane lo
her ovn Counlry 33
33. Hov lhe King of Llhiopia TraveIIed 34
34. Hov lhe Young Man Arrived in his Molhers Counlry 36
3. Hov King SoIonon Senl lo his Son lhe Connander
of his Arny 37
36. Hov King SoIonon HeId Inlercourse vilh his Son 4O
37. Hov SoIonon Asked his Son Queslions 43
38. Hov lhe King IIanned lo Send Avay his Son
vilh lhe ChiIdren of lhe NolIes 44
39. Hov They Made lhe Son of SoIonon King 46
4O. Hov Zadok lhe Iriesl Cave Connands lo David
lhe King 47
41. Concerning lhe BIessing of Kings 48
42. Concerning lhe Ten Connandnenls O
43. Hov lhe Men of lhe Arny of IsraeI Received
|lheirj rders 3
Conlenls
xiii
44. Hov il is nol a SeenIy Thing lo ReviIe lhe King
4. Hov Those vho vere Senl Avay Wepl and
Made a IIan 7
46. Hov They Made a IIan Concerning Zion 9
47. Concerning lhe ffering of Azrys
(Azariah) and lhe King 6O
48. Hov lhey Carried Avay Zion 61
49. Hov his Ialher BIessed his Son 62
O. Hov lhey Bade IareveII lo his Ialher and
hov lhe Cily Mourned 63
1. Hov he Said unlo Zadok lhe Iriesl, Co and Bring
lhe Covering (or, CIolhing) vhich is
upon il (i.e. Zion) 64
2. Hov Zadok lhe Iriesl Deparled 66
3. Hov lhe Wagon vas Civen lo Llhiopia 67
4. Hov David |lhe King of Llhiopiaj Irophesied and
SaIuled Zion 69
. Hov lhe IeopIe of Llhiopia Rejoiced 71
6. f lhe Relurn of Zadok lhe Iriesl, and lhe Civing
of lhe Cifl 72
7. Concerning lhe IaII of Zadok lhe Iriesl 73
8. Hov SoIonon Rose up lo SIay lhen 74
9. Hov lhe King Queslioned an Lgyplian, lhe
Servanl of Iharaoh 7
6O. Hov SoIonon Lanenled for Zion 77
61. Hov SoIonon Relurned lo }erusaIen 82
62. Concerning lhe Ansver vhich SoIonon nade
lo lhen 84
63. Hov lhe NolIes of IsraeI Agreed |vilh lhe Kingj 86
64. Hov lhe Daughler of Iharaoh Seduced SoIonon 87
6. Concerning lhe Sin of SoIonon 89
66. Concerning lhe Irophecy of Chrisl 9O
67. Concerning lhe Lanenlalion of SoIonon 92
68. Concerning Mary, ur Lady of SaIvalion 9
Klra Nagasl
xiv
69. Concerning lhe Queslion of SoIonon 98
7O. Hov Reholoan Reigned 1OO
71. Concerning Mary, lhe Daughler of David 1O3
72. Concerning lhe King of Rn (ConslanlinopIe) 1O4
73. Concerning lhe Iirsl }udgnenl of Àdrn,
King of Rn 1O7
74. Concerning lhe King of Medyn 1O8
7. Concerning lhe King of BalyIon 1O9
76. Concerning Lying Wilnesses 1O9
77. Concerning lhe King of Iersia 114
78. Concerning lhe King of Moal 11
79. Concerning lhe King of AnaIek 116
8O. Concerning lhe King of lhe IhiIislines 117
81. Hov lhe Son of Sanson SIev lhe Son of lhe King
of lhe IhiIislines 119
82. Concerning lhe Coing Dovn of Alrahan inlo Lgypl 12O
83. Concerning lhe King of lhe IshnaeIiles 123
84. Concerning lhe King of Llhiopia and hov he
Relurned lo his Counlry 123
8. Concerning lhe Rejoicing of Queen Mkd 124
86. Hov Queen Mkd Made her Son King 12
87. Hov lhe NolIes (or Covernors) of Llhiopia Took
lhe alh 12
88. Hov he hinseIf ReIaled lo his Molher hov lhey
nade hin King 128
89. Hov lhe Queen TaIked lo lhe ChiIdren of IsraeI 13O
9O. Hov Azariah Iraised lhe Queen and her Cily 132
91. This is vhal ye shaII eal: lhe CIean and lhe UncIean 136
92. Hov lhey Reneved lhe Kingdon of David 138
93. Hov lhe Men of Rn Deslroyed lhe Iailh 139
94. The Iirsl War of lhe King of Llhiopia 14O
9. Hov lhe HonouralIe Lslale of lhe King of Llhiopia
vas UniversaIIy Accepled 142
96. Concerning lhe Irophecy aloul Chrisl 14
Conlenls
xv
97. Concerning lhe Murnuring of IsraeI 149
98. Concerning lhe Rod of Moses and lhe Rod of Aaron 11
99. Concerning lhe Tvo Servanls 16
1OO. Concerning lhe AngeIs vho ReleIIed 17
1O1. Concerning Hin lhal Lxislelh in Lverylhing
and Lveryvhere 162
1O2. Concerning lhe Beginning 163
1O3. Concerning lhe Horns of lhe AIlar 167
1O4. More Concerning lhe Ark and lhe TaIk of lhe Wicked 168
1O. Concerning lhe BeIief of Alrahan 171
1O6. A Irophecy Concerning lhe Coning of Chrisl 172
1O7. Concerning His Lnlrance inlo }erusaIen in CIory 18O
1O8. Concerning lhe Wickedness of lhe Iniquilous }evs 183
11O. Concerning His Resurreclion 188
111. Concerning His Ascension and His Second Coning 189
112. Hov lhe Irophels Ioreshadoved Hin in lheir
Iersons 191
113. Concerning lhe Chariol and lhe Vanquisher of lhe
Lneny 193
114. Concerning lhe Relurn of Zion 19
11. Concerning lhe }udgenenl of IsraeI 196
116. Concerning lhe Chariol of Llhiopia 196
117. Concerning lhe King of Rn and lhe King
of Llhiopia 197
CoIophon 199
xvi
Inlroduclion
I.~The Manuscripls of lhe Klra Nagasl and lheir ArrivaI
in Lurope. The Lalours of Bruce, DiIInann, Iraelorius, Wrighl,
Zolenlerg, and BezoId. King }ohns Leller lo Lord CranviIIe.
Dale of ConpiIalion of lhe Klra Nagasl. The Llhiopian Work
Based on Coplic and Aralic Sources, elc.
The Klra Nagasl, or lhe Book of lhe CIory of lhe Kings |of
Llhiopiaj, has leen heId in lhe highesl esleen and honour
lhroughoul lhe Ienglh and lreadlh of Alyssinia for a lhousand
years al Ieasl, and even lo-day il is leIieved ly every educaled
nan in lhal counlry lo conlain lhe lrue hislory of lhe origin of
lhe SoIononic Iine of kings in Llhiopia, and is regarded as lhe
finaI aulhorily on lhe hislory of lhe conversion of lhe
Llhiopians fron lhe vorship of lhe sun, noon, and slars lo lhal
of lhe Lord Cod of IsraeI.
The exislence of lhe Klra Nagasl appears lo have leen
unknovn in Lurope unliI lhe second quarler of lhe sixleenlh
cenlury, vhen schoIars legan lo lake an inleresl in lhe counlry
of Iresler }ohn lhrough lhe vrilings of Irancisco AIvarez,
chapIain lo lhe Lnlassy vhich LnanueI, King of IorlugaI, senl
lo David, King of Llhiopia, under lhe Ieadership of Don
Roderigo de Lina (12O-127). In lhe coIIeclion of docunenls
concerning lhis Lnlassy, AIvarez incIuded an accounl of lhe
King of Llhiopia, and of lhe nanners and cuslons of his
Inlroduclion
xvii
suljecls, and a descriplion in Iorluguese of lhe halils of lhe
Llhiopians (aIcuni cosluni di esso Serenissino David, e deI
suo paese e genli, lradolla di Iingua elhiopica in IorlogaIese)
3
and in his Ho Iresle }oan das Indias (Coinlra, 14O), and his
Hisloria de Ias cosas dLliopia (Anvers 17, Saragosse 161
and ToIedo 188) lhis accounl vas grealIy anpIified.
4
In lhe firsl quarler of lhe sixleenlh cenlury, I. N. Codinho
pulIished sone lradilions aloul King SoIonon and his son
MnyIk or MnyIk, derived fron lhe Klra Nagasl,
and
furlher infornalion on lhe suljecl vas incIuded ly lhe }esuil
priesl ManoeI AIneida (18O-1646) in his Hisloria geraI de
Llhiopia, vhich does nol appear lo have leen pulIished in ils
enlirely. ManoeI AIneida vas senl oul as a nissionary lo
Llhiopia, and had alundanl neans of Iearning aloul lhe Klra
Nagasl al firsl hand, and his nanuscripl Hisloria is a vaIualIe
vork. His lrolher, ApoIIinare, aIso venl oul lo lhe counlry as a
nissionary, and vas, vilh his lvo conpanions, sloned lo dealh
in Tigr.
SliII fuIIer infornalion aloul lhe conlenls of lhe Klra
Nagasl vas suppIied ly I. BaIlhazar TeIIez (19-167), lhe
aulhor of lhe Hisloria generaI de Llhiopia AIla ou Iresle }oa,
Coinlra, 166O, foIio. The sources of his vork vere lhe hislories
of ManoeI AIneida, AIfonzo Mendez, }eronino Lolo, and
Ialher Iays. The Hisloria of TeIIez vas veII knovn lo }ol
LudoIf, and he refers lo il severaI lines in his Hi sl ori a
lhiopica, vhich vas pulIished al Irankforl in 1681, lul il is
prelly cerlain lhal he had no firsl-hand knovIedge of lhe Klra
Nagasl as a vhoIe. Though he regarded nuch of ils conlenls as
faluIous, he vas prepared lo accepl lhe slalenenl of TeIIez as
3
Irinled aloul 133.
4
A Irench lransIalion fron lhe Spanish version of lhis vork appeared
in Iaris in 18, foIio.
De Alassinorun relus deque lhiopiae Ialriarchis, Lilri I-III,

Leyden, 161, 8vo, p. 3.
Klra Nagasl
xviii
lo lhe greal repulalion and popuIarily vhich lhe look enjoyed
in Alyssinia.
LillIe, apparenlIy, vas heard in Lurope aloul lhe Klra
Nagasl unliI lhe cIose of lhe eighleenlh cenlury vhen }anes
Bruce of Kinnaird (173O-1794), lhe fanous African lraveIIer,
pulIished an accounl of his lraveIs in search of lhe sources of
lhe NiIe. When he vas Ieaving Condar, Rs MichaeI, lhe aII-
poverfuI Wazr of King TakIa Haynnl, gave hin severaI
nosl vaIualIe Llhiopic nanuscripls, and anong lhen vas a
copy of lhe Klra Nagasl lo vhich he allached greal
inporlance. During lhe years lhal Bruce Iived in Alyssinia he
Iearned hov highIy lhis vork vas esleened anong aII cIasses
of Alyssinians, and in lhe lhird edilion of his TraveIs
6
(voI. iii,
pp. 411-416) lhere appeared a descriplion of ils conlenls, lhe
firsl lo le pulIished in any Luropean Ianguage. Nol conlenl
vilh lhis nanuscripl Bruce lroughl avay vilh hin a copy of
lhe Klra Nagasl vhich he had nade for hinseIf, and in due
course he gave lolh nanuscripls lo lhe BodIeian Lilrary, vhere
lhey are knovn as Bruce 93 and Bruce 87 respecliveIy. The
forner, vhich is lhe Liler Axunea of Bruces TraveIs, vas
descriled al greal Ienglh ly DiIInann,
7
vho lo his lrief
descriplion of lhe Ialler added a lranscripl of ils inporlanl
coIophon.
8
Thanks lo DiIInann, vho prinled lhe headings of aII
lhe chaplers of lhe Ilha Nagasli in lhe originaI Llhiopic, lhere
vas no Ionger any doull aloul lhe exacl nalure and conlenls of
lhe vork, lhough lhere vas nolhing in il lo shov exaclIy vhen
and ly vhon lhe vork vas conpiIed.
6
TraveIs lo Discover lhe Source of lhe NiIe in lhe years 1768-1773,
conlaining a }ourney lhrough Lgypl, lhe lhree Aralias and Llhiopia. Iirsl
edilion in five voIs., 179O, second edilion in six voIs., in 18O, 3rd edilion
in seven voIs., 1813.
7
Cal. Codd. MSS. BilIiolhecae BodIeianae, xford, 1848, No. xxvi, p.
68.
8
Ilid., p. 74 (No. xxvii).
Inlroduclion
xix
In 187O () Irancis Irlorius pulIished,
9
vilh a Lalin
lransIalion, lhe Llhiopic lexl of Chaplers xix lo xxxii of lhe
Klra Nagasl ediled fron lhe nanuscripl al BerIin (rienl.
39), vhich Lepsius acquired fron Doningo Lorda, and senl lo
lhe KnigIiche BilIiolhek in 1843. To lhe BerIin lexl he added
lhe varianl readings suppIied fron lhe MSS. rienl. 818 and
819 in lhe Brilish Museun ly Irofessor W. Wrighl of
Canlridge. In 1877 Wrighl pulIished a fuII descriplion of lhe
MS. of lhe Klra Nagasl in lhe MakdaI CoIIeclion in lhe
Brilish Museun. The vork of Iraelorius nade knovn for lhe
firsl line lhe exacl forn of lhe Llhiopian Iegend lhal nakes lhe
King of Llhiopia lo le a descendanl of SoIonon, King of IsraeI,
ly Mkd, lhe Queen of Àzl, vho is leller knovn as lhe
Queen of Shela.
In Augusl, 1868, lhe greal coIIeclion of Llhiopic
nanuscripls, vhich lhe Brilish Arny lroughl avay fron
MakdaI afler lhe defeal and suicide of King Theodore, vas
lroughl lo lhe Brilish Museun, and anong lhen vere lvo fine
copies of lhe Klra Nagasl. Laler lhese vere nunlered
rienlaI 818 and rienlaI 819 respecliveIy, and vere descriled
very fuIIy and carefuIIy ly Wrighl in his CalaIogue of lhe
Llhiopic MSS. in lhe Brilish Museun, London, 1877,
1O
No.
cccxci, p. 297, and in lhe Zeilschrifl der Deulschen
MorgenIndischen CeseIIschafl, Bd. xxiv, pp. 614-61. Il vas
lhe fale of rienlaI 819, a fine nanuscripl vhich vas vrillen in
lhe reign of Ìys I, A. D. 1682-17O6, lo relurn lo Alyssinia,
and lhis cane aloul in lhe foIIoving nanner. n 1O Aug., 1872,
Irince Kasa, vho vas sulsequenlIy crovned as King }ohn IV,
9
IaluIa de Regina Salaea apud lhiopes. Disserlalio inauguraIis.
HaIIe (No dale).
1O
A descriplion of lhe very ancienl copy of lhe Klra Nagasl in lhe
BilIiolhque NalionaIe, vhich Zolenlerg assigned lo lhe lhirleenlh
cenlury, vas pulIished ly hin in his CalaIogue des MSS. Llhiopiens,
Iaris, 1877, No. , p. 6.
Klra Nagasl
xx
vrole lo LarI CranviIIe lhus: And nov again I have anolher
lhing lo expIain lo you: lhal lhere vas a Iiclure caIIed Qurala
Rezoo, vhich is a Iiclure of our Lord and Saviour }esus Chrisl,
and vas found vilh nany looks al MagdaIa ly lhe LngIish.
This Iiclure King Theodore look fron Condar lo MagdaIa, and
il is nov in LngIand, aII round lhe Iiclure is goId, and lhe
nidsl of il coIoured.
Again lhere is a look caIIed Kivera Negusl (i.e. Klra
Nagasl),vhich conlains lhe Lav of lhe vhoIe of Llhiopia, and
lhe nanes of lhe Shuns (i.e. Chiefs), Churches, and Irovinces
are in lhis look. I pray you viII find oul vho has gol lhis look,
and send il lo ne, for in ny Counlry ny peopIe viII nol oley
ny orders vilhoul il.
When a copy of lhis Ieller vas senl lo lhe Brilish Museun
lhe Truslees decided lo granl King }ohns requesl, and lhe
nanuscripl vas reslored lo hin on 14 Decenler, 1872. King
}ohns Ieller proves lhal very greal inporlance vas allached lo
lhe Klra Nagasl ly lhe Llhiopian peopIes, even in lhe second
haIf of lhe nineleenlh cenlury. M. Hugues Le Roux, a Irench
envoy fron lhe Iresidenl of lhe Irench RepulIic lo MenyeIek
II, King of Llhiopia, venl lo Addis AIen vhere lhe king vas
slaying, in order lo see lhis nanuscripl and lo ollain his
pernission lo lransIale il inlo Irench. Having nade his requesl
lo MenyeIek II personaIIy lhe king nade a repIy, vhich M. Le
Roux lransIales lhus: }e suis davis quun peupIe ne se dfend
pas seuIenenl avec ses arnes, nais avec ses Iivres. CeIui donl
vous parIez esl Ia fierl de ce Royaune. Depuis noi,
ILnpereur, jusquau pIus pauvre soIdal qui narche dans Ies
chenins, lous Ies Llhiopiens seronl heureux que ce Iivre soil
lraduil dans Ia Iangue franaise el porl a Ia connaissance des
anis que nous avons dans Ie nonde. Ainsi Ion verra
cIairenenl queIs Iiens nous unissenl avec Ie peupIe de Dieu,
queIs lrsors onl l confis a nolre garde. n conprendra
nieux pourquoi Ie secours de Dieu ne nous a janais nanqu
Inlroduclion
xxi
conlre Ies ennenis qui nous allaquaienl. The king lhen gave
orders lhal lhe nanuscripl vas lo le felched fron Addis
Alela, vhere lhe nonks lried lo keep il on lhe prelexl of
copying lhe lexl, and in Iess lhan a veek il vas pIaced in lhe
hands of M. Le Roux, vho couId hardIy leIieve his eyes.
Having descriled lhe nanuscripl and noled on lhe Iasl foIio lhe
vords, This voIune vas relurned lo lhe King of Llhiopia ly
order of lhe Truslees of lhe Brilish Museun, Dec. 14lh, 1872. }.
Winler }ones, IrincipaI Lilrarian. M. Le Roux says: II ny
avail pIus de doule possilIe: Ie Iivre que je lenais dans nes
nains lail lien celle version de Ihisloire de Ia Reine de Sala el
de SaIonon, que Ngus el Irlres dLlhiopie considrenl
conne Ie pIus aulhenlique de loules ceIIes qui circuIenl dans
Ies lilIiolhques europennes el dans Ies nonaslles alyssins.
Clail Ie Iivre que Thodoros avail cach sous son oreiIIer, Ia
nuil o iI se suicida, ceIui que Ies soIdals angIais avaienl
enporl a Londres, quun anlassadeur rendil a ILnpereur
}ean, que ce nne }ean feuiIIela dans sa lenle, Ie nalin du jour
o iI lonla sous Ies cinelerres des Mahdisles, ceIui que Ies
noines avaienl drol.
11
Wilh lhe heIp of a friend M. Le Roux
lransIaled severaI of lhe Chaplers of lhe Klra Nagasl, and in
due course pulIished his lransIalion.
12
The calaIogues of lhe Llhiopic MSS. in xford, London and
Iaris, vhich had leen pulIished ly DiIInann, Wrighl and
Zolenlerg, suppIied a good deaI of infornalion aloul lhe
conlenls of lhe Klra Nagasl in generaI, lul schoIars feIl lhal il
vas inpossilIe lo judge of lhe Iilerary and hisloricaI vaIue of
lhe vork ly lranscriplion and lransIalions of lhe headings of
lhe chaplers onIy. In 1882 under lhe auspices of lhe Bavarian
Covernnenl, Dr. C. BezoId underlook lo prepare an edilion of
11
Chez Ia Reine de Sala, Iaris, 194, pp. 11O-121.
12
Ilid., pp. 12-227, see aIso a rendering of lhe Irench inlo LngIish ly
Mrs. }. Van Vorsl, enlilIed Magda, Queen of Shela, Nev York and
London, 19O7, 8vo.
Klra Nagasl
xxii
lhe Llhiopic lexl ediled fron lhe lesl MSS., vilh a Cernan
lransIalion, vhich lhe RoyaI Bavarian Acadeny nade
arrangenenls lo pulIish. Afler nuch unavoidalIe deIay lhis
vork appeared in 19O9, and is enlilIed Klra Nagasl. Die
HerrIichkeil der Knige (AlhandIungen der KnigIich
Bayerischen Akadenie, Band XXIII, Allh. 1, Munich, 19O9
|Band LXXVII of lhe Denkschriflenj). The lexl is prefaced ly a
Iearned inlroduclion, vhich vas grealIy apprecialed ly
rienlaIisls lo vhon lhe edilion vas speciaIIy addressed. The
chief aulhorily for lhe Llhiopic lexl in BezoIds edilion is lhe
nov fanous nanuscripl vhich vas senl as a gifl lo Louis
IhiIippe ly ShIa (or ShI) DngI, King of Llhiopia, vho died
earIy in 18. According lo Zolenlerg (CalaIogue des
nanuscrils Llhiopiens, p. 6) lhis nanuscripl nusl leIong lo lhe
lhirleenlh cenlury, if lhis le so il is prolalIy lhe oIdesl Llhiopic
nanuscripl in exislence. Though lhere seens lo le no reaIIy
good reason for assigning lhis very earIy dale lo lhe
nanuscripl, lhere can le no doull as lo ils leing lhe oIdesl
knovn Codex of lhe Klra Nagasl, and lherefore BezoId vas
fuIIy juslified in naking ils lexl lhe lase of his edilion of lhal
vork. I have coIIaled lhe grealer parl of lhe Brilish Museun
Codex, rienlaI 818, vilh his prinled lexl, and lhough lhe
varianls are nunerous lhey are nol of greal inporlance, in facl,
as is lhe case in severaI olher Codices of lhe Klra Nagasl, lhey
are due chiefIy lo lhe hasle or careIessness or faligue of lhe
scrile. As BezoIds lexl represenls lhe Klra Nagasl in lhe forn
lhal lhe Llhiopian priesls and scriles have considered
aulhorilalive, I have nade lhe LngIish lransIalion vhich is
prinled in lhe foIIoving pages fron il.
UnforlunaleIy, none of lhe Codices of lhe Klra Nagasl
gives us any definile infornalion aloul lhe conpiIer of lhe
vork~for il cerlainIy is a conpiIalion~or lhe line vhen he
vrole, or lhe circunslances under vhich il vas conpiIed.
DiIInann, lhe firsl Luropean schoIar vho had read lhe vhoIe
Inlroduclion
xxiii
look in lhe originaI Llhiopic, conlenled hinseIf vilh saying in
1848, de vero conposilionis lenpore nihiI Iiquel (CalaIogus,
p. 72), lul Ialer he lhoughl il nighl le as oId as lhe fourleenlh
cenlury. Zolenlerg (CalaIogue, p. 222) vas incIined lo lhink
lhal il vas conposed soon afler lhe resloralion of lhe so-caIIed
SoIononic Iine of kings, lhal is lo say, soon afler lhe lhrone of
Llhiopia vas occupied ly Tasf Ìyass,or Ykn ÀnIk,
vho reigned fron A.M. 6762-77, i.e. A.D. 127O-128. A
CoIophon (see pp. OOO, OOO), vhich is found in severaI of lhe
Codices of lhe Klra Nagasl in xford, London and Iaris,
slales lhal lhe Llhiopic lexl vas lransIaled fron lhe Aralic
version, vhich, in lurn, vas lransIaled fron lhe Coplic. The
Aralic lransIalion vas, il conlinues, nade ly Àlu I-Ìzz and
Àlu I-Iaraj, in lhe year of nercy 4O9, during lhe reign of
Calra MaskaI (Ànda SynI), i.e. lelveen A.D. 1314 and
1344, vhen Ceorge vas Ialriarch of AIexandria. These
slalenenls are cIear enough and definile enough, yel DiIInann
did nol leIieve lhen, lul lhoughl lhal lhe vhoIe CoIophon vas
lhe resuIl of lhe inaginalion of sone idIe scrile (al olioso
quodan Iilrario invenla). The slalenenls aloul lhe Llhiopic
version leing nade fron lhe Coplic lhrough lhe Aralic, he
lrealed as olvious ficlions (pIane ficlilia esse), and he
condenned lhe phrasing of lhe CoIophon lecause he
considered ils Iilerary slyIe inferior lo lhal used in lhe narralive
of lhe Klra Nagasl ilseIf (diclio hujus sulscriplionis pessina
esl, el al oralione eIeganli Iilri ipsius quan naxine differl).
Zolenlerg (CalaIogue, p. 223, coI.1) a very conpelenl schoIar,
sav no reason for doulling lhe lrulh of lhe slalenenls in lhe
CoIophon generaIIy, lul lhoughl il possilIe lhal an Aral aulhor
nighl have suppIied lhe fundanenlaI facls of lhe narralive, and
lhal lhe aulhor or aulhors of lhe Llhiopic version slaled lhal lhe
originaI source of lheir vork vas a Coplic archelype in order lo
give il an aulhorily and inporlance vhich il vouId nol
olhervise possess. n lhe olher hand, Wrighl nereIy regarded
Klra Nagasl
xxiv
lhe Klra Nagasl as an apocryphaI vork, and judging fron
lhe Iisl of kings al lhe end of lhe vork in rienlaI 818, foI.
46B,vhich ends vilh Ykvn ÀnIk, vho died in 1344,
concIuded lhal il vas a producl of lhe fourleenlh cenlury
(CalaIogue, p. 3O1, coI. 2).
A carefuI sludy of lhe Klra Nagasl, nade vhiIsl
lransIaling lhe vork inlo LngIish, has convinced ne lhal lhe
opening slalenenls in lhe CoIophon are sulslanliaIIy correcl,
and lhal il is quile possilIe lhal in ils originaI forn lhe Aralic
version of lhe look vas lransIaled fron Coplic MSS. leIonging
lo lhe IalriarchaI Lilrary al AIexandria, and copies of lhis
Aralic lransIalion, prolalIy enIarged and grealIy
suppIenenled ly lhe scriles in lhe various nonasleries of
Lgypl, vouId soon find lheir vay inlo Llhiopia or Alyssinia,
vi lhe BIue NiIe. The principaI lhene of lhe Klra Nagasl, i.e.
lhe descenl of lhe Kings of Llhiopia fron SoIonon, King of
IsraeI, and lhe Queen of lhe Soulh, or lhe Queen of Shela,
vas cerlainIy veII knovn in Llhiopia for cenluries lefore lhe
Klra Nagasl vas conpiIed, lul lhe generaI lrealnenl of il in
lhis vork vas undoulledIy grealIy infIuenced ly
suppIenenlary Iegends and addilions, vhich in lheir sinpIesl
forns seen lo ne lo have leen derived fron Coplic and even
Syrian vrilers.
Il is veII knovn lhal lhe SoIononic Iine of kings conlinued
lo ruIe over Llhiopia unliI lhal sonevhal nylhicaI vonan
Lslher, or }udilh as sone caII her, succeeded in delhroning
DeInaad and pIacing on lhe lhrone Mara TakIa Hynnl, lhe
firsl of lhe eIeven Zgu kings, vho dispossessed lhe
SoIononic kings for lhree hundred and fifly-four years (A.D.
914-1268) and reigned al Aksn. Wrillen accounls of lhe
descenl of lhe kings of Llhiopia fron SoIonon nusl have
exisled in Llhiopia lefore lhe cIose of lhe ninlh cenlury A.D.
and lhese vere, no doull, dravn up in Llhiopic and in Aralic.
During lhe perseculion of lhe Chrislians in Lgypl and Llhiopia
Inlroduclion
xxv
ly lhe Muhannadans in lhe lenlh, eIevenlh, and lveIflh
cenluries, nany churches and lheir Iilraries of nanuscripls
perished. We nay, hovever, le sure lhal lhe SoIononic kings,
vho sellIed in lhe province of Shoa during lhe period of lhe
Zgu doninalion, nanaged lo preserve chronoIogicaI Iisls and
olher hisloricaI docunenls lhal conlained lhe AnnaIs of lheir
predecessors.
The second parl of lhe CoIophon nenlions Alu I-'Izz and
Alu 'I-Iaraj as leing concerned vilh lransIaling lhe look inlo
Aralic, and nakes one Isaac (), vho vas apparenlIy lhe
Llhiopian lransIalor, ask vhy lhey did nol lransIale il inlo
Llhiopic. In ansver lo lhis queslion he says lhal lhe Klra
Nagasl appeared during lhe period of lhe Zgu ruIe, vhen il
is olvious lhal lhe pulIicalion of any vork lhal supporled lhe
cIains of lhe SoIononic kings vouId neel vilh a very
unfavouralIe receplion, and cause lhe dealh of ils edilors and
lransIalors. Therefore il is fairIy cerlain lhal lhe Klra Nagasl
exisled in Aralic in sone forn during lhe lhree and a haIf
cenluries of lhe Zgu ruIe, and lhal no allenpl vas nade lo
nuIlipIy copies of il in Llhiopic unliI lhe resloralion of lhe Iine
of SoIononic kings in lhe days of Ykn ÀnIk (A.D.
127O-128). The Llhiopic vork as ve knov il nov is prolalIy
in nuch lhe sane slale as il vas in lhe days of Calra MaskaI.
(Ànda $yn) in lhe firsl haIf of lhe fourleenlh cenlury of our
era. f Isaac ve unforlunaleIy knov nolhing, lul lhere seen lo
le no good grounds for allriluling lhe conpIele aulhorship of
lhe Klra Nagasl lo hin. Yel he vas evidenlIy nol nereIy a
scrile or copyisl, and vhen he speaks of lhe grealness of lhe
loiI vhich he underlook for lhe sake of lhe gIory of lhe
heavenIy Zion, and Llhiopia and her king, he seens lo suggesl
lhal he vas lhe generaI redaclor or edilor vho direcled lhe
vork of his devoled conpanions Yanharana-al, Hezla-
Kresls, Andrev, IhiIip, and Mahr-àl.
Klra Nagasl
xxvi
Nov, hovever inporlanl lhe Klra Nagasl nay have leen
considered ly lhe Llhiopians in lygone cenluries, and
nolvilhslanding lhe aInosl superslilious ave vilh vhich lhe
look is sliII regarded in Alyssinia, ve are hardIy juslified in
accepling il as a connecled hisloricaI docunenl. Bul il is
undoulledIy a very fine vork, and nany seclions of il neril
carefuI consideralion and sludy. Ior nany of lhe slalenenls in
il lhere are hisloricaI foundalions, and lhe grealer parl of lhe
narralive is lased upon Iegends and sayings and lradilions,
nany of vhich are exceedingIy ancienl. The Iegends and
lradilions are derived fron nany sources, and can le lraced lo
lhe Id Teslanenl and ChaIdean Targns, lo Syriac vorks Iike
lhe Book of lhe Bee, lo Coplic Iives of sainls, lo ancienl
Kurnic slories and connenlaries, lo apocryphaI looks Iike
lhe Book of Adan and Lve, lhe Book of Lnoch, KfI,
lhe Inslruclions of Sl. Ieler lo his discipIe CIenenl (i.e. lhe
KaInn;s), lhe Life of Hann, lhe Molher of lhe Virgin
Mary, lhe Book of lhe IearI, and lhe Ascension of Isaiah,
elc. Side ly side vilh lhe exlracls fron lhese vorks ve have
Iong seclions in vhich vorks allriluled lo Cregory
Thaunalurgus, lo Danalhius (), Ialriarch of ConslanlinopIe,
and lo CyriI are quoled al greal Ienglh.
The oljecl of lhe aulhor, or conpiIer, and lhe Ialer edilors of
lhe Klra Nagasl (no naller vhal ils originaI forn nay have
leen), vas lo gIorify Llhiopia ly narraling lhe hislory of lhe
coning of lhe spiriluaI and heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of
lhe Lav of lhe Cod of IsraeI, of her ovn free viII fron
}erusaIen lo Llhiopia, and lo nake il quile cIear lhal lhe King
of Llhiopia vas descended fron SoIonon, lhe son of David,
King of IsraeI, and lhrough hin fron Alrahan and lhe earIy
Ialriarchs. Bul Chrisl aIso vas descended fron SoIonon and
lhe earIy Ialriarchs, and he vas lhe Son of Cod, so lhe King of
Llhiopia leing a kinsnan of Chrisl vas aIso a son of Cod, and
he vas lherefore lolh Cod and king lo his peopIe. The Klra
Inlroduclion
xxvii
Nagasl vas inlended lo nake lhe peopIe of Llhiopia leIieve
lhal lheir counlry vas speciaIIy chosen ly Cod lo le lhe nev
hone of lhe spiriluaI and heavenIy Zion, of vhich His chosen
peopIe lhe }evs had lecone unvorlhy. This Zion exisled
originaIIy in an innaleriaI forn in heaven, vhere il vas lhe
halilalion of Cod. Moses nade, under Divine direclions, a copy
of il in vood and goId, and pIaced in il lhe Tvo TalIes of lhe
Lav, lhe pol of nanna, lhe rod of Aaron, and lhe Shechinah
dveIl on il and in il. This naleriaI copy vas caIIed Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod. When SoIonon finished
luiIding his TenpIe Zion vas eslalIished lherein in lhe HoIy of
HoIies, and fron il Cod nade knovn His connands vhen He
visiled lhe TenpIe. Il vas al aII lines heId lo le lhe visilIe
enlIen of Cod AInighly and lhe naleriaI dupIicale of lhe
innaleriaI Zion in heaven.
The fane of lhe visdon of SoIonon reached lhe ends of lhe
earlh, chiefIy lecause he lraded vilh nerchanls fron lhe sea
coasl and fron lhe counlries lo lhe soulh of IaIesline on each
side of lhe Red Sea. These nerchanls lroughl lhe precious
voods and slones, and lhe scenls, and lhe spices, and lhe rich
sluffs and olher oljecls vilh vhich he decoraled lhe TenpIe
and his ovn paIace, and vhen lheir caravans relurned hone
lheir servanls descriled lo eager Iisleners lhe greal vorks lhal
lhe King of IsraeI vas carrying oul in }erusaIen. Anong lhe
naslers, or Ieaders, of lhese caravans vas one Tnrn, vho
nanaged lhe lusiness affairs of a Queen of lhe Soulh, vhon
Aral vrilers caII BaIks, and Llhiopian vrilers Mkd,
lul neilher of lhese nanes is ancienl, and il is very doullfuI if
eilher represenls in any vay lhe lrue nane of lhe soulhern
queen. Il is doullfuI aIso if she vas an Llhiopian, and il is far
nore prolalIe lhal her hone vas Shlh, or Sala, or Shela, in
lhe soulh-vesl of Aralia. As she vas a vorshipper of lhe sun
she vas prolalIy a princess anong lhe Salaeans. n lhe olher
hand, her anceslors nay have leen nereIy sellIers in Aralia,
Klra Nagasl
xxviii
and sone of lhen of Llhiopian origin. The Klra Nagasl says
lhal she vas a very leaulifuI, lrighl, and inleIIigenl vonan,
lul leIIs us nolhing aloul her faniIy. A nanuscripl al xford
(see DiIInann, CalaIogus BilI. BodI., p. 26), says lhal five kings
reigned in Llhiopia lefore Mkd, viz. Arv 4OO years,
Angl 2OO years, Ciedur 1OO years, Sielad O years, and
Kavnsy 1 year. If lhese kings vere indeed her anceslors she
vas prolalIy a nalive of sone counlry on lhe veslern shore of
lhe Red Sea. Be lhis as il nay, she nusl have leen a vonan of
greal enlerprise and inleIIigence, for having heard vhal
Tnrn, lhe caplain of her caravans, had loId her aloul
SoIonons visdon, she delernined lo go lo }erusaIen and lo
pul lo hin a series of difficuIl queslions lhal vere puzzIing her.
When Mkd arrived in }erusaIen, she Iodged in lhe
spIendid quarlers vhich SoIonon prepared for her, and she
had frequenl opporlunilies of conversing vilh lhe King. The
nore she sav hin lhe nore she vas inpressed vilh lhe
handsoneness of his person, and vilh piely and visdon, and
vilh lhe eIoquence of his speech, vhich he ullered in a Iov,
nusicaI and synpalhelic voice. She spenl severaI nonlhs in
}erusaIen as lhe Kings guesl, and one nighl afler a greal and
spIendid lanquel vhich SoIonon gave lo lhe nolalIes of his
kingdon, in her honour, he look her lo vife. When Mkd
knev lhal she vas vilh chiId, she lade fareveII lo SoIonon,
and having received fron hin a ring as a loken, she relurned lo
her ovn counlry, vhere her son MnyIk, or MnIk, vas
lorn. In Llhiopic Iileralure lhis son is oflen caIIed WaIda-
Talll, i.e. son of lhe vise nan (SoIonon), or `Llna Hakin,
or Bayna-Lehkn, i.e. Iln aI-Hakn, or lhe son of lhe vise
nan. When lhe loy reached earIy nanhood he pressed
Mkd lo aIIov hin lo go lo see his falher SoIonon in
}erusaIen, and his inporlunily vas so greal lhal al Ienglh she
gave hin lhe ring vhich SoIonon had given her, and senl hin
lhilher under lhe care of Tnrn. n his arrivaI al Cz lhe
Inlroduclion
xxix
peopIe in lhe cily and everyvhere in lhe dislricl recognized his
slriking Iikeness lo SoIonon, and aInosl royaI honours vere
paid lo hin ly lhen. The sane lhing happened in }erusaIen,
and vhen lhe officiaIs of SoIonons paIace vere Ieading hin lo
lhe presence chanler aII lhe househoId knev vilhoul leIIing
lhal a son vas leing laken in lo his falher. Ialher and son feII
inlo each olhers arns vhen lhey nel, and lhe son had no need
lo prove his idenlily ly producing lhe ring vhich his falher had
given lo his leIoved Mkd, for SoIonon procIained
slraighlvay lhe young nans parenlage, and nade hin lo
occupy lhe royaI lhrone vilh hin, afler he had arrayed hin in
royaI appareI.
SoIonon spared no pains in providing lolh inslruclion and
anusenenl for Bayna-Lhkn (Bin I-hakn) vhiIsl he vas in
}erusaIen, for he hoped lo keep hin vilh hin, lul afler a fev
nonlhs lhe young nan vas eager lo gel lack lo his nolher and
lo his ovn counlry, and Tnrn, lhe Ieader of Mkds
caravans, vanled lo le gone. Bayna-Lhkn, or MenyeIek, as
ve nay nov caII hin, sav lhal Reholoan nusl succeed
SoIonon on lhe lhrone of IsraeI, and had no vish lo occupy lhe
sulordinale posilion of a second son in }erusaIen, and he
lherefore pressed SoIonon lo give hin Ieave lo deparl. When
lhe King had arranged lhal lhe eIder sons of his nolIes shouId
acconpany MenyeIek on his relurn lo his nolhers capilaI,
Dalra Mkd, and had arranged vilh MenyeIek for lhe
eslalIishnenl of a dupIicale }evish kingdon in Llhiopia, he
pernilled hin lo deparl. When Mkd vas in }erusaIen she
Iearned lhal lhe TalernacIe Zion in lhe TenpIe of }erusaIen
vas lhe alode of lhe Cod of IsraeI, and lhe pIace vhere Cod
AInighly vas pIeased lo dveII, and in her Ieller lo SoIonon
she legged hin lo send her, as a hoIy laIisnan, a porlion of lhe
fringe of lhe covering of lhe TalernacIe. SoIonon loId
MenyeIek lhal he vouId granl Mkds requesl, lul lhis
salisfied neilher MenyeIek nor his nolIes, and, lo speak lriefIy,
Klra Nagasl
xxx
MenyeIek and Tnrn and lhe eIdesl sons of lhe }evish
nolalIes vho vere deslined lo heIp MenyeIek lo found his
kingdon in Llhiopia, enlered inlo a conspiracy logelher lo sleaI
lhe TalernacIe Zion and lo carry il off lo Llhiopia. Their oljecl
vas lo keep lhe Cod of IsraeI vilh lhen, and lhis lhey expecled
lo le alIe lo effecl ly sleaIing lhe TalernacIe nade of goId and
vood (according lo lhe pallern of lhe originaI Spiril-TalernacIe
in heaven) vhich conlained lhe Tvo TalIes of lhe Lav, lhe pol
of nanna, Aarons rod, elc. ne of lhe conspiralors vho had
access lo lhe chanler in vhich lhe TalernacIe Zion resled,
renoved il fron under ils curlain, and sulsliluled a
conslruclion in vood of exaclIy lhe sane size and shape, vhich
he had caused lo le nade for lhe purpose. The lhefl vas nol
discovered unliI MenyeIek, and Tnrn, and lheir conpany of
young }evs and Llhiopians vere veII on lheir road lo lhe Red
Sea, and lhough SoIonon senl oul svifl horsenen lo overlake
lhen and cul lhen off, and hinseIf foIIoved vilh aII lhe speed
possilIe, lhe lhieves nade good lheir escape, and lhe King of
IsraeI relurned lo }erusaIen in greal grief. In due course
MenyeIek reached his nolhers capilaI, and he and lhe
TalernacIe Zion vere received vilh franlic rejoicings, and
Mkd having aldicaled in favour of her son, MenyeIek
eslalIished in Llhiopia a kingdon nodeIIed on lhal of IsraeI,
and inlroduced inlo his counlry lhe Lavs of Cod and lhe
adnonilions of Moses and lhe sociaI ruIes and reguIalions vilh
vhich lhe nane of lhe greal Lavgiver vas associaled in lhose
days.
The Klra Nagasl leIIs us nolhing aloul MenyeIek afler his
coronalion, excepl lhal he carried on one or lvo canpaigns
againsl lhe enenies of his counlry, and lhe look is siIenl in
respecl of Queen Mkds hislory afler her voIunlary
aldicalion. The aulhor seens lo expecl his readers lo assune
lhal Llhiopia vas ruIed over ly descendanls of SoIonon and
Queen Mkd fron lhe lenlh cenlury lefore Chrisl lo aloul
Inlroduclion
xxxi
lhe lenlh cenlury A. D., i.e. for aloul lvo lhousand years, and
lhal lhe reIigion, Iavs, sociaI cuslons, elc., of lhe Llhiopians
vere sulslanliaIIy lhose of lhe Helrevs in IaIesline under lhe
kings of IsraeI. In conneclion vilh lhis assunplion reference
nay le nade here lriefIy lo a series of chaplers vhich nov
forn parl of lhe Klra Nagasl, in vhich lhe aulhor endeavours
lo prove lhal lhe kings of lhe Moaliles, IhiIislines, Lgyplians,
Iersians, BalyIonians and lhe Byzanlines, are of Senilic origin.
The fanlaslic Iegends vhich he invenled or reproduced conlain
nuch faIsified hislory and lad phiIoIogy, lul il vouId le
inleresling lo knov lheir source and lheir aulhor, lhese
chaplers seen lo suggesl lhal he vas a Senile, prolalIy a }ev.
In anolher group of chaplers, vhich can hardIy have forned
a parl of lhe oIdesl version of lhe Klra Nagasl, lhe aulhor
sunnarizes lhe prophecies in lhe Id Teslanenl lhal concern
lhe Coning of lhe Messiah, and appIies lhen lo }esus Chrisl
vilh very consideralIe skiII. And he devoles nuch space lo lhe
Virgin Mary, and quoles nunerous passages fron lhe Id
Teslanenl, vilh lhe viev of idenlifying her synloIicaIIy vilh
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl.
Klra Nagasl
xxxii
II.~LngIish TransIalion of lhe Aralic Texl Descriling Hov lhe
Kingdon of David vas Transferred fron }erusaIen lo
Llhiopia.
13
|Here Isj The LxpIanalion of lhe Reason for lhe Transfer of
lhe Kingdon of David fron his Son SoIonon, King of IsraeI, lo
lhe Counlry of lhe Negus, lhal is lo say, lo Alyssinia.
When lhe Lord, praise le unlo Hin! vished SoIonon lo
luiId lhe House of lhe Lord in }erusaIen, afler lhe dealh of his
falher David, lhe son of }esse, vho had reigned over lhe
chiIdren of IsraeI, and SoIonon, in accordance vilh his nosl
exceIIenl desire, legan lo luiId lhe House of lhe Lord, praise le
unlo Hin! SoIonon lhe King gave lhe connand lhal lhe slones
for lhe luiIding shouId le hevn in innense sizes. Bul lhe
vorknen vere unalIe lo hev such Iarge lIocks of slone, and
lheir looIs lroke vhen lhey allenpled lhe vork, and lhey cried
oul lo SoIonon lhe King and lesoughl hin lo lhink oul in his
visdon sone pIan for Iighlening lheir Ialour. And SoIonon
enlrealed Cod, lhe leslover of visdon, lo suggesl sone neans
lo hin. And lehoId, SoIonon sunnoned lhe hunlers and
connanded lhen lo lring a young Rukh lird, and in
accordance vilh his orders lhey lroughl a young Rukh lird.
And he connanded lhen Iikevise lo lring a lrass pol vilh a
space inside il sufficienlIy Iarge lo conlain lhe Rukh lird, and
lhe pol had lhree Iegs, each one culil in heighl, and il slood
upon lhe ground. Then SoIonon connanded lhen lo sel dovn
lhe Rukh lird in lhe paIace and lo pul lhe lrass pol over il, lul
lhe vings of lhe Rukh lird prolruded fron under lhe afore-
nenlioned pol, and raised il alove lhe ground. Nov vhen lhe
13
TransIaled fron lhe Aralic lexl prinled ly BezoId, op. cil., p. xIiv ff.
A Irench paraphrase of lhe Aralic vas prinled ly AnIineau in his
Conles el Ronans, Iaris, 1888, lon. 1, p. 144 ff.
Inlroduclion
xxxiii
|nolherj Rukh lird relurned lo her nesl in lhe high nounlains,
and did nol find her young one lhere, she vas dislurled, and
she fIev round and round over lhe earlh seeking for il. And she
fIev over }erusaIen and sav her young one under lhe afore-
nenlioned pol, lul had nol lhe pover lo seize il. And she
nounled up inlo lhe heighls and venl lovards lhe Iaradise of
Cod, in lhe easlern parl of Lden, and she found leIov Iaradise
a piece of vood vhich had leen casl dovn lhere as if for her lo
carry avay. And lhen she seized il, and ly reason of her greal
sorrov for her young one she look no resl unliI she had
lroughl il lo }erusaIen, and hurIed il dovn upon lhe lrass pol.
And ly lhe nighl of Cod a niracIe look pIace forlhvilh, for lhe
pol spIil inlo lvo haIves, and lhe nolher Rukh sav her young,
and caughl il up and lore il off lo her nesl. And vhen SoIonon
and aII lhe chiIdren of IsraeI sav lhis niracIe, vilh a Ioud voice
lhey praised lhe AInighly (or, lhe Covernor of lhe Universe),
Who had lesloved upon a lird lhal vas nol endoved vilh
reasoning povers lhe inslincl lo do lhal vhich hunan leings
couId nol do. And slraighlvay King SoIonon connanded lhe
slone-nasons lo lake lhal piece of hoIy and lIessed vood, and,
vhen lhey had narked oul and neasured lhe slone vhich lhey
vished lo spIil, lo Iay lhe afore-nenlioned piece of vood on lhe
pIace narked. And vhen lhey had done lhis, ly lhe nighl of
Cod lhe slone spIil vheresoever lhey vished il lo spIil, and
lhey found lheir vork easy. Then SoIonon lecane cerlain in
his nind lhal lhe Covernor of lhe Universe regarded lhe
luiIding of lhe HoIy TenpIe vilh favour. And vhen lhe
conslruclion of lhe TenpIe vas finished, lhe afore-nenlioned
piece of vood renained in lhe enlrance chanler of lhe
forecourl of lhe porch, and as lhe luiIding of lhe TenpIe had
slopped lhe operalive pover of lhe afore-nenlioned piece of
vood cane lo an end, lul il vas sliII heId in respecl.
Nov Cod, praise le unlo Hin! having viIIed lhal lhe
kingdon of David and his son SoIonon shouId le lransferred
Klra Nagasl
xxxiv
lo lhe lIessed Iand of Alyssinia, slirred up lhe Queen of lhal
counlry lo nake a journey lo }erusaIen lo hear sone of lhe
visdon of SoIonon, even as lhe HoIy CospeI sailh, The
Queen of lhe Soulh shaII rise up in lhe judgenenl and shaII
judge lhis generalion, lecause she cane fron lhe ends of lhe
earlh lo hear SoIonon.
14
And lehoId, fron lhe earIiesl lines,
lhe kingdon of Alyssinia vas ruIed over ly royaI princesses.
And vhen lhe nolher of lhis Queen vas vilh chiId of her she
sav a fal and handsone-Iooking goal, and she Iooked upon
hin vilh greedy desire, and said, Hov handsone lhe leasl is!
And hov handsone ils feel are! And she Ionged for il afler lhe
nanner of vonen vho are vilh chiId. And vhen lhe afore-
nenlioned daughler vas fashioned conpIeleIy in lhe vonl of
her nolher, she had one fool Iike lhe fool of a nan and anolher
Iike lhe fool of a goal. Creal and exaIled le lhe Crealor of lhe
Universe, Who is lo le praised! And vhen lhe nolher of lhe
Queen had lroughl forlh lhis exlraordinary leing, and had
reared her, and lhe naiden vas ready for narriage, she (i.e. lhe
naiden) did nol vanl lo narry any nan lecause of her
naIforned fool, and she conlinued in her virginily unliI she
legan lo reign. And vhen lhe lhoughl lo visil SoIonon lo hear
his visdon rose in her nind-as has aIready leen
nenlioned-lhis had aIready leen ordained in lhe visdon of
Cod, praise le unlo Hin! so lhal lhe kingdon of David nighl
Iasl lo lhe end of lhe vorId according lo lhe vord of David ly
lhe HoIy Chosl, The Lord halh svorn a lrue oalh lo David
fron vhich He viII never lurn aside: f lhe fruil of lhy Ioins I
viII seal upon lhy lhrone. If lhey viII keep lhe aIIegiance of My
Covenanl and of My leslinony vhich I shaII leach lhen,, lheir
chiIdren shaII sil upon lhy lhrone for ever.
1
And lesides lhis
passage lhere are nany olher passages in lhe IsaIns and in lhe
14
Luke xi, 31, see aIso I Kings x, 1, 2 Chron. ix, 1.
1
IsaIn cxxxii, 11f.
Inlroduclion
xxxv
olher Books lhal refer lo lhis |oalhj. This passage neverlheIess
shovelh aIso lhal lhe kingdon vas lo le renl fron lhe chiIdren
of IsraeI, and since lhey changed |lhe Covenanlj, and did nol
olserve lhe lrulh, and ceased lo leIieve in Hin Who vas
expecled, Cod renl fron lhen Irophecy, Irieslhood, and
Sovereignly.
And vhen lhe afore-nenlioned Queen arrived in }erusaIen,
and SoIonon lhe King had heard of il, and vas quile cerlain
fron lhe infornalion, vhich he had received fron his spies,
lhal one of her feel vas lhe fool of a goal, he pIanned a cunning
pIan in his visdon, vherely he nighl le alIe lo see her fool
vilhoul asking |her lo shov il lo hinj. He pIaced his lhrone ly
lhe side of lhe courlyard of lhe TenpIe, and he ordered his
servanls lo open lhe sIuices so lhal lhe courlyard of lhe TenpIe
nighl le fiIIed vilh valer. This vas done, and lhe afore-
nenlioned piece of vood lhal vas in lhe courlyard, having
leen lroughl lhere ly lhe eagIe (sic) fron leIov Iaradise, vas
sulnerged ly lhe valer, lul no one noliced lhis lhing vhich
had leen decreed aforeline ly lhe visdon of Cod. And lehoId
vhen lhe Queen arrived al lhe gale of lhe TenpIe~nov she
vas riding~she found lhe valer lhere, and she delernined lo
ride inlo lhe presence of King SoIonon on her leasl, lul lhey
nade her lo knov lhal lhis vas lhe door of lhe House of Cod,
and lhal no one vhalsoever nighl enler il riding on a leasl.
And lhey caused her lo disnounl fron her leasl, and her
servanls vho vere in allendance upon her supporled her, and
she slrelched oul her hand and drev up lhe Iover parls of her
cIoak and her garnenls lenealh il so lhal she nighl slep inlo
lhe valer. Thus SoIonon sav her feel vilhoul asking her |lo
shov lhen lo hinj. And lehoId, she slepped inlo lhe valer in
lhe courlyard, and her fool louched lhal afore-nenlioned piece
of vood, and as lhe fool lhal vas fashioned Iike lhe fool of a
goal louched lhe vood, lhe Mighl of Cod nade ilseIf nanifesl,
and lhe goals fool lecane exaclIy Iike ils feIIov fool vhich
Klra Nagasl
xxxvi
vas lhal of a nan. And innedialeIy she underslood lhal
nighly Iover lhal had seized her greal fear and lrenlIing
cane upon her, lul she |slraighlvayj rejoiced and slepped
furlher inlo lhe valer, and al Ienglh she cane inlo lhe presence
of King SoIonon. And SoIonon veIconed her vilh gIadness,
and lroughl her up on his lhrone, and paid her honour, and
pernilled her lo sil ly his side. And lhe Queen inforned hin
lhal she had cone fron lhe ends of lhe earlh soIeIy lo vorship
in }erusaIen and lo hear his visdon. Then she asked hin
queslions, saying, When I cane lo lhy honouralIe kingdon
and dipped ny fool in lo lhe valer, lhal fool leing lhe fool of a
goal, ny fool louched sonelhing lhal vas sulnerged in lhe
valer, vhereupon il lecane slraighlvay Iike ils feIIov fool.
Thereupon greal fear and lrenlIing cane upon ne, and lhen
joy, lecause of lhal vhich had happened unlo ne lhrough lhe
conpassion of lhe Covernor of lhe Universe. And lhen she
shoved hin lolh her feel. Then SoIonon praised and gIorified
Cod, Who aIone vorkelh nighly and vonderfuI lhings, and he
leslified lo her lhal he had onIy nade lhe valer in order lo
cause her lo Iifl her cIoak so lhal he nighl see her fool, lhal is lo
say, lhe goals fool. Then slraighlvay he connanded lhal lhe
valer le nade lo go lack lo ils pIace, and lhe courlyard
lecane visilIe, and lhe piece of vood vhich she had louched
vilh her fool slood oul cIearIy. And SoIonon reIaled lo her lhe
slory of lhe piece of vood. And vhen lhe Queen underslood
lhe naller lruIy she connanded lhal honour shouId le paid lo
lhe vood, and she decoraled il vilh a coIIar of siIver, and vhen
SoIonon sav her do lhis he aIso decoraled lhe piece of vood
vilh anolher coIIar of siIver and assigned unlo il a pIace in lhe
TenpIe, in lhe TenpIe of lhe Lord. And il cane lo pass lhal
each and every one of SoIonons successors, vho cane lo lhe
TenpIe of Cod lo pray, as soon as lhey heard lhe slory of lhe
piece of vood decoraled il vilh siIver rings. And fron lhe days
Inlroduclion
xxxvii
of SoIonon lo lhe coning of Chrisl lhis piece of vood vas
decoraled vilh lhirly coIIars of siIver.
And il cane lo pass lhal, vhen lhe Lord, praise le unlo
Hin! vished lo conpIele His Dispensalion, and lo effecl lhe
deIiverance of Adan and his poslerily fron oul of lhe hand of
lhe accursed Lneny--vhon nay Cod pul lo everIasling
shane~}udas nade a covenanl vilh lhe high priesls and vilh
lhe cunning foIk anong lhe }evs lo deIiver Chrisl unlo lhen, so
lhal lhey nighl le alIe lo condenn Hin lo dealh. And lhe high
priesls underlook lo give }udas lhe afore-nenlioned coIIars of
siIver on lhe vood, and lhey senl and had lhe piece of vood
lroughl ly nighl lo lhe pIace vhere lhe high priesls vere, and
lhey slripped off fron il lhe afore-nenlioned coIIars of siIver,
and deIivered lhen over lo }udas. And }udas look lhen and
deIivered lhe Lord Chrisl over lo lhen, even as lhe CospeI
sailh. And vhen lhe norning of lhe fiflh day of lhe veek had
cone, on vhich lhey condenned lhe Lord Chrisl lo dealh on
lhe cross, lhey look lhe piece of vood afore-nenlioned, and
lhey connanded a carpenler lo nake a cross oul of il, and lhey
crucified lhe Redeener upon il. And lhis is a cIear proof, even
as lhe Tongue of goId (i.e. Chrysoslon) said lhal our falher
Adan vas Ied aslray vhen he ale of lhe fruil of lhe lree in
Iaradise, and il vas lecause of lhis lhal he vas slripped of his
gIory and driven oul fron Iaradise, and Salan reigned over
hin and over his race. And Adans deIiverance aIso look pIace
ly lhe Dispensalion of Cod lhrough lhe coning of lhis piece of
vood fron lhe region of Iaradise. And il lecane an honoured
lhing lo kings, and al Ienglh lhe King of Kings cane and vas
crucified upon il. And He redeened Adan and his descendanls
fron lhe hand of lhe Accursed ne ly neans of a piece of
vood, even as lhe fruil of a piece of vood had Ied hin inlo
error. And concerning lhis, David lhe Irophel said in lhe
Klra Nagasl
xxxviii
IsaIn,
16
DecIare ye anong lhe nalions lhal Cod reignelh fron
lhe vood. And lhis piece of vood lecane nosl honouralIe
lecause lhe Body of our Lord vas raised up on il, and al Ienglh
vhen lhey Iaid il upon a dead lody lhal lody rose up again.
And lhe siniIilude |of lhe Crossj lecane a proleclion lo kings
and a slrenglhening of lhe renainder of lhe Chrislians for
evernore. And as for lhe lhirly coIIars of siIver afore-
nenlioned }udas casl lhen, lack lo lhe accursed }evs, and afler
lhis he hanged hinseIf and deparled lhis Iife ly reason of his
Iove of noney. And lhe }evs look lhen and loughl vilh lhen
lhe fieId of lhe poller, and il is a pIace of luriaI for slrangers
unlo lhis day. This is vhal happened lhrough lhe piece of
vood.
And nov ve viII relurn lo lhe suljecl vilh vhich ve legan,
naneIy, hov lhe kingdon of David vas renoved lo lhe
counlry of Alyssinia, and viII reIale lhe concIusion of lhe slory.
BehoId, SoIonon lhe King paid honour lo lhe Queen, and he
nade her and her relinue and her soIdiers lo aIighl ly lhe side
of his paIace, and every day she visiled hin in order lo hear his
visdon. And SoIonon Ioved vonen passionaleIy, and il cane
lo pass lhal, vhen her visils lo hin nuIlipIied, he Ionged for
her grealIy and enlrealed her lo yieId herseIf lo hin. Bul she
vouId nol surrender herseIf lo hin, and she said unlo hin, I
cane lo lhee a naiden, a virgin, shaII I go lack despoiIed of ny
virginily, and suffer disgrace in ny kingdon And SoIonon
said unlo her, I viII onIy lake lhee lo nyseIf in IavfuI
narriage~I an lhe King, and lhou shaIl le lhe Queen. And
she ansvered hin never a vord. And he said unlo her. Slrike
a covenanl vilh ne lhal I an onIy lo lake lhee lo vife of lhine
ovn free viII~lhis shaII le lhe condilion lelveen us: vhen
lhou shaIl cone lo ne ly nighl as I an Iying on lhe cushions of
16
IsaIn xcv (xcvi), 1O. See lhe Douay Version, voI. ii, p. 176, and
Svele, Id Tesl. in Creek, voI. ii, p. 342.
Inlroduclion
xxxix
ny led, lhou shaIl lecone ny vife ly lhe Lav of Kings. And
lehoId she slruck lhis covenanl vilh hin delernining vilhin
herseIf lhal she vouId preserve her virginily fron hin, and lhis
|happenedj lhrough lhe dispensalion of Cod, lhe Mosl High, lo
Whon le praise! And SoIonon ly his visdon inslrucled her
for a nunler of days, and he did nol again denand fron her
lhe surrender of her person, and lhe naller vas good in her
sighl, lecause she lhoughl lhal he had driven her oul of his
nind.
And afler lhese lhings SoIonon sunnoned lhe cooks and
connanded lhen lo prepare and cook food for aII lhose vho
vere in lhe paIace, for hinseIf and for lhe Queen, dainly and
highIy seasoned dishes, and he gave lhen pungenl and
aronalic and slrong-sneIIing herls and spices for lhis purpose,
and lhe cooks did even as he had connanded lhen. Nov
vhen lhe Queen had ealen of lhese neals lhal vere fiIIed vilh
spice and pepper and pungenl herls, she craved for coId valer
vhich she drank in Iarge quanlilies ly day and ly nighl, lul
lhis did nol heIp her lo |quench her lhirslj. And vhen lhe lhird
nighl had cone SoIonon secrelIy gave lhe order lo aII lhose
vho vere aloul lhe paIace, lolh lhose vho vere inside il and
lhose vho vere oulside il, lhal none of lhen vas lo Ieave vilh
lhe afore-nenlioned Queen lhe snaIIesl quanlily of valer lo
drink, and |he svorej lhal any one of lhen vho shoved her
vhere valer vas or gave her any of lhe valer vhich vas his
ovn shouId le pul lo dealh forlhvilh and vilhoul lriaI. And he
connanded lhal, if any of lhen vere lo le asked for valer ly
her during lhe nighl, lhey vere lo say unlo her, Thou viIl find
no valer excepl ly lhe couch of lhe king. And il cane lo pass
lhal vhen lhe nighl had cone, a greal and fiery heal rose up in
lhe hearl of lhe Queen lecause of lhe highIy spiced food |lhal
she had ealenj, and she soughl for valer lo drink, lul found
none, and she vas soreIy agilaled and vas snillen vilh dealh.
Then she cried oul vilh a Ioud voice lo her servanls, lul lhey
Klra Nagasl
xI
vere unalIe lo find any valer lo give her lo drink. Then ly
reason of lhe consuning lhirsl lhal had seized upon her, she
vandered inlo lhe paIace and venl round aloul lo every one
vho had valer lherein lo find sone valer lo drink, and every
person vhon she asked said unlo her, VeriIy, ly lhy
kingdon, lhou viIl onIy find valer lo quench lhe fIane of lhy
lhirsl ly lhe ledside of lhe King. Then lhe Queen venl lack lo
her couch, lul she couId nol conlroI herseIf and keep sliII, and
her spiril vas aloul lo deparl fron her lody, and she vas
svooning. Then she nade hasle and venl lo lhe pIace vhere
SoIonon vas, so lhal she nighl drink sone valer lhere. Nov
SoIonon vas in lrulh vide-avake, neverlheIess he prelended
lo le asIeep, and lhe Queen drank a very Iarge quanlily of
valer and assuaged her lhirsl, and she recovered her spiril, and
she feIl lhal her slrenglh vas reslored afler having |nearIyj
died. And vhen lhe Queen vanled lo relurn lo her couch, King
SoIonon slarled up hurriedIy, and seized her, and said unlo
her, VeriIy lhou hasl nov lecone ny vife according lo lhe
Lav of Kings. And she renenlered lhe covenanl lhal exisled
lelveen hin and her. And she gave herseIf inlo his enlrace
viIIingIy and yieIded lo his desire, according lo lhal vhich she
had covenanled vilh hin.
And il cane lo pass lhal afler lhese lhings she lecane vilh
chiId ly hin, and she said unlo hin, I an going lo relurn lo
ny counlry and lo ny kingdon, and vhal shaII I do vilh lhy
chiId if il le lhal Cod shaII desire lo give hin Iife And
SoIonon said unlo her, If Cod dolh viII lhis lhing and lhou
dosl lear lo ne a nan chiId, so soon as he halh reached nans
eslale send hin lo ne, and I viII nake hin king, and lhy
kingdon shaII le his, lul if lhou dosl lear a vonan chiId Iel
her slay vilh lhee. And lhe Queen said unlo hin, If I send
lhee lhy son hov viIl lhou le cerlain lhal he is lhy son And
SoIonon gave her his ring, and said unlo her, Cuard carefuIIy
lhis ring, and covenanl vilh ne lhal lhou viIl nol in lhe
Inlroduclion
xIi
snaIIesl degree lreak lhe condilions of lhe lrue and righleous
covenanl lhal exislelh lelveen us, and Cod, lhe Covernor of
lhe Universe, lhe Cod of Alrahan, and Isaac, and }acol, lhe
Cod of ny falher David, shaII le lhe vilness lelveen ne and
lelveen lhee. And vhen lhou dosl send ny son lo ne, give
hin ny ring, and Iel hin vear il on his ovn hand, and I shaII
knov lhal in very lrulh he is ny son, and I viII nake hin king
and send hin lack lo lhee. And she accepled fron SoIonon
lhis jusl covenanl, and he and lhe Queen look fareveII of each
olher, and she sel oul vilh her relinue lo go lo her ovn
counlry, surrounded ly lhe peace of Cod.
And lehoId, on her arrivaI in her ovn counlry lhe Queen
fuIfiIIed lhe nunler of her days, and she lroughl forlh a nan
chiId, and she rejoiced vilh an exceedingIy greal joy, and she
caIIed hin David, according lo lhe nane of his grandfalher,
and she had hin reared in greal slale and spIendour. And
vhen he had arrived al nanhoods eslale, he vas haIe, and
slrong, and vise, and underslanding Iike his falher. And il feII
oul on a day lhal he spake unlo his nolher and said unlo her,
ny nolher, vho is ny falher Did he, peradvenlure, die
during ny chiIdhood Then lhe Queen ansvered and said
unlo hin, My son, lhy falher is aIive, and he is SoIonon, lhe
son of David, lhe Irophel of Cod and King of IsraeI, and his
Kingdon is in }erusaIen. And lehoId, lhe seaI of lhe kingdon
of lhy falher is in ny possession, and il is Iaid up ready for lhee
so lhal lhou nayesl lecone lherely king over lhe counlry of
Alyssinia. And lhis is Cods WiII, and il is nol due lo ne, lhe
kingdon is no Ionger nine lul lhine, and lhou, lhe Kings son,
arl King. And lhis pIeased lhe young nan grealIy, and he gave
lhanks lo lhe Queen. And lhe Queen said unlo hin, ny
darIing son, galher logelher for lhy use gifls and soIdiers, and
gel lhee lo }erusaIen lhal lhou nayesl pray lhere, and see lhy
falher and his kingdon, |and hearj his greal visdon, and lhal
he nay nake lhee king according lo lhe covenanl lhal exislelh
Klra Nagasl
xIii
lelveen hin and ne, lhe Covernor of lhe Universe leing
vilness lelveen us. And lhus saying, slraighlvay she pul his
falhers ring on his righl hand. And ly lhe WiII of Cod~praise
le unlo Hin!~he galhered logelher soIdiers, and vilh lhen
and lhe royaI gifls he sel oul on his journey, and in due course
he arrived in }erusaIen. And vhen SoIonon knev lhal a king
vas coning lo hin he connanded soIdiers lo neel hin. And
vhen lhe young nan arrived al lhe gale of lhe paIace of his
falher SoIonon, lhe king vas nol cerlain lhal he vas his son.
And lehoId, vhen lhe young nan cane cIoser and sav lhe
riding leasl of his falher slanding lhere vilh his saddIe on his
lack and his lridIe in his noulh, slraighlvay he Ieaped up and
nounled hin and pranced aloul, and unshealhed his svord
vilh his hand. And vhen SoIonon sav lhis lhe naller vas
grievous lo hin, lul he hid his dispIeasure. And vhen lhey nel
|Ialerj SoIonon spoke openIy vhal he had in his nind aloul
lhe naller of lhe riding leasl, and hov lhe young nan had
nounled hin and snalched lhe svord vilh his hand. And lhe
young nan said unlo hin, The ovner of lhis ring nade ne
king of his kingdon vhen I vas in ny nolhers vonl, and
lhis halh happened ly lhe WiII of Cod. And vhen SoIonon
had Iooked al lhe ring, and vas cerlain aloul lhe nallers
connecled vilh il, he vas overcone vilh joy, and he slood up
ly his lhrone and lhrev his arns round lhe young nans neck,
and he cried oul, saying, WeIcone, ny darIing loy, |lhouj son
of David. And slraighlvay he pul lhe crovn of his falher
David on his head, and nade hin lo sil upon lhe lhrone of
David his falher, and lhe lrunpelers sounded lheir horns, and
lhe procIainers of lidings cried oul, saying, This is David, lhe
son of SoIonon, lhe son of David, lhe King of IsraeI. And lhe
naller vas noised alroad, and lhe runour spread aloul
anong aII lhe lriles of lhe chiIdren of IsraeI lhal lhe son of
SoIonon, lhe son of lhe Queen of lhe Soulh, had cone lo his
falher SoIonon, and lhal SoIonon had nade hin ruIer over lhe
Inlroduclion
xIiii
kingdon of his falher David, and had crovned hin king, and
had sealed hin upon his lhrone.
Nov in lhe House of lhe Lord vhich SoIonon had luiIl and
consecraled vas lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod, and
inside il vere lhe lvo TalIels of slone lhal had leen vrillen ly
lhe Iinger of Cod, and lhe rod of Aaron, and lhe pol (or, chesl)
of nanna. And lhis TalernacIe vas covered vilh pIales of goId
and vas draped vilh draperies of cIolh voven vilh goId. And
|in conneclion vilh lhe TalernacIej a niracIe vhich vas seen
ly aII lhe peopIe of IsraeI vas vroughl. Whensoever lhe priesls
prayed, and lhe suppIicalions of lhenseIves |and of lhe peopIej
vere presenled lefore lhe Covernor of lhe Universe, and lhey
had nade an end of lheir proslralions, lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Covenanl of Cod used lo raise ilseIf up fron off lhe ground,
and lhey |and lhe peopIej knev lhal in very lrulh lheir
suppIicalions had leen accepled. And vhen lhey had nade an
end of lheir proslralions and lhe TalernacIe did nol raise ilseIf
fron off lhe ground, lhe priesls knev of a cerlainly lhal sone
sin had leen connilled ly lhenseIves or ly lhe peopIe. Then
lhey conlinued lo nake lheir suppIicalions unlo lhe Lord, and
al lhe sane line lhey searched oul hin lhal had done vrong,
and lhey punished lhe guiIly one, and vhen lhe TalernacIe
raised ilseIf up fron off lhe ground lhey knev lhal Cod had
renoved His dispIeasure fron lhen.
And il cane lo pass lhal lhe afore-nenlioned king, lhe son
of SoIonon, venl inlo lhe House of lhe Lord lo pray, and he
sav lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod raising ilseIf up~a
naller vhich il is inpossilIe for lhe hunan nind lo
undersland~and lhis vas pIeasing in his sighl, and he
delernined lo carry off lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod
lo his ovn counlry. And he lroke lhe naller lo his legeller
SoIonon, lhe King of IsraeI, and he said unlo hin, I an going
lo carry off lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod lo ny
counlry. And SoIonon said unlo hin, ny darIing son,
Klra Nagasl
xIiv
lhou cansl nol do lhis. BehoId, lhere is no one excepl a priesl
vho can carry lhe TalernacIe, and vhosoever louchelh lhe
TalernacIe excepl lhe priesls, his souI deparlelh fron hin
innedialeIy. Moreover lhe chiIdren of IsraeI have no
proleclion vhalsoever againsl lheir enenies excepl lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod. Bul lhese vords did nol
salisfy hin, and he said unlo SoIonon, I ask of lhee neilher
goId nor siIver, for in ny counlry nen galher in heaps goId
fron ils earlh. I ask fron lhee nolhing lul lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Covenanl of Cod, so lhal il nay prolecl ne on ny journey, and
nay le a supporl for ny kingdon and for ny soIdiers in ny
counlry. And SoIonon said unlo his son, ny son, if il le
lhe WiII of Cod, lhe Covernor of lhe Universe, lhal lhou shaIl
lake avay lhe TalernacIe vilh lhee, il viII le an easy lhing for
lhee lo do so. Bul vhen lhou carriesl avay lhe TalernacIe do
nol Iel ne knov aloul il, and vhen lhou goesl avay vilh il do
nol lid ne fareveII. Ior, lehoId, vilhoul doull, lhe priesls and
lhe eIders of lhe forlress of IsraeI viII nake ne lo svear an oalh
ly lhe Nane of Cod concerning lhis naller, and vhen I have lo
svear an oalh ly lhe Nane of Cod I nusl svear vhal is lrue.
Then lhe young nan sunnoned lo hinseIf secrelIy a
vorknan, vho nade a vooden case of lhe sane Ienglh and
lreadlh and deplh and shape as lhe TalernacIe, and lhen lhe
young nan kiIIed hin ly nighl. Then he lroughl in olher
arlificers, and lhey overIaid lhe vooden case vilh pIales of
goId siniIar lo lhose lhal covered lhe TalernacIe, and he
lrealed lhose nen even as he had lrealed lhe carpenler, and
lhen lhe young nan covered lhe case vilh draperies inlo vhich
goId had leen voven. Nov vhiIsl he vas naking his
preparalions for his deparlure SoIonon lhe King knev nolhing
vhalsoever aloul lhen. Then lhe young nan sunnoned lo
hin four of lhe priesls vho couId le lrusled, and he nade lhen
leIieve lhal he had done so in order lo ask lhen lo pray for hin
lefore his deparlure, and he gave lhen nuch goId lo pray for
Inlroduclion
xIv
hin, and he lriled lhen lo assisl hin vhensoever he needed
lhen. And vhen lhe nighl of his deparlure had arrived, lhese
priesls cane lo hin in order lo lid hin fareveII, and he look
lhen inlo his ovn aparlnenl, so lhal lhey nighl pray for hin.
And vhen lhey had enlered and vere in lhe aparlnenl vilh
hin, he lound lhen in iron fellers for lhe nighl, and
connanded his soIdiers lo nounl and deparl vilhoul
sounding lhe lrunpels. Then he look vilh hin a conpany of
his servanls vho vere carrying spears in lheir hands, and he
look lhose priesls vhon he had lound vilh iron fellers for lhe
nighl so lhal lhey nighl nol escape, and he venl inlo lhe House
of Cod. And he connanded lhe priesls vho vere vilh hin lo
carry avay lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod, and lhen he
deposiled lhe case vhich he had had nade lo resenlIe il in lhe
pIace lhereof. And he venl forlh ly nighl having vilh hin lhe
TalernacIe, vhich vas carried ly lhe priesls, and he neilher
lade his falher fareveII nor aIIoved hin lo knov of his
deparlure. And lhis happened ly lhe Dispensalion of Cod lhe
Mosl High, praise le unlo Hin! for lhe proleclion of lhe hoIy
TalernacIe of His Covenanl, so lhal il nighl alide for ever even
as lhe Davidic kingdon, for even so did Cod nake lhe pronise
lo David lhal lhe offspring of his Ioins shouId sil upon his
lhrone for ever. And in lhis nanner, enveIoped in lhe
proleclion of Cod, did lhe young nan sel oul on his journey.
And il cane lo pass lhal, vhen lhe norning had cone, lhe
chiIdren of IsraeI and lhe priesls venl inlo lhe House of Cod
according lo lheir vonl lo pray. And il cane lo pass lhal, vhen
lhe priesls had nade an end of lheir proslralions and had
presenled lheir suppIicalions unlo lhe Covernor of lhe
Universe, lhe TalernacIe did nol rise up inlo lhe air, and il did
nol slir fron ils pIace. And lhey said, BehoId, sone foIk have
sinned , and lhey ordered fasling and prayer for lhree days,
and lhey searched anong lhe peopIe lo find oul vho had
connilled sin and foIIy, lul lhey found no |guiIlyj person.
Klra Nagasl
xIvi
And afler lhis lhe priesls venl up lo lhe TalernacIe, and
vhal caIanily, and lerror, and grief vere lhere for lhen vhen
lhey did nol find lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of Cod and ils
hoIy lhings, lul onIy an enply case resling upon lhe pIace
vhere lhe TalernacIe had slood! Then lhey knev lhal of a
cerlainly lhe son of King SoIonon had laken il avay. And lhey
searched and nade an exaninalion inlo lhe nunler of lhe
priesls vho vere anong lhe lriles of IsraeI, lul lhey vere nol
alIe lo find lhose priesls vhon lhe young nan had laken vilh
hin, and lhus il lecane cIear lo lhen lhal lhe sin Iay vilh lhen
(i.e. lhe four priesls).
And lehoId, lhe priesls and lhe eIders of IsraeI venl lo
SoIonon lhe King, and lhey vere veeping and sorroving
lecause of lhe alsence of lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl of
Cod fron ils HoIy Shrine, and lhey said unlo SoIonon, Il is
lhou vho hasl connanded lhy son lo lake lhe TalernacIe.
And SoIonon vepl and cried oul in pain, and dispIayed
exceedingIy greal sorrov, and he svore an oalh lo lhen, saying
lhal he had nol given his son pernission lo do lhis lhing, and
lhal he had nol lidden hin fareveII, and lhal he knev nolhing
vhalsoever aloul his deparlure or vhen il look pIace. And lhe
priesls and eIders ansvered, saying, May lhe King Iive! If lhis
lhing halh laken pIace vilhoul lhy vish and vilhoul lhy
pernission, despalch lhou vilh us arned soIdiers lhal ve nay
pursue hin and lake fron hin lhe hoIy TalernacIe of lhe
Covenanl of Cod, so lhal ve nay lring il lack lo His sacred
House. And SoIonon gave lhen soIdiers, and noney, and
provisions, and lhey sel oul in quesl of lhe young nan, and
lhey rode on lheir vay conlinuousIy for forly days. And lhey
found nerchanls riding lovards lhen on lheir relurn journey,
and lhey enquired of lhen concerning lhe TalernacIe, and
vhelher lhey had seen il. And lhe nerchanls ansvered lhen,
saying, We have seen a greal king and his nunerous soIdiers,
and lhe Box of lhe Covenanl of Cod vas vilh lhen. And lhey
Inlroduclion
xIvii
vere lraveIIing aIong Iike lhe cIouds vhen lhey are driven
lefore lhe allack of nighly vinds for a very Iong dislance al a
line, and lhe nalives of lhe viIIages lhrough vhich ve have
passed inforned us lhal lhey lraveIIed each day lhe dislance of
a forly days journey. And lhey relurned defealed and
dishearlened, and veeping and regrelling, lul regrel in no vay
heIped lhen. And lehoId, lhe young nan arrived in his
counlry safe and sound, and his nolher nel hin, and she
aldicaled in his favour, and he rose up as king on lhe lhrone of
David his falher, and lhe kingdon of Alyssinia leIonged lo lhe
lhrone of David for ever and ever, and lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Covenanl of Cod renained lherein.
This is vhal happened in respecl of lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Lord, and lhis is lhe reason vhy il vas lransferred lo lhe
counlry of lhe Ngs, and lhis slale of affairs conlinued unliI
lhe lirlh of our Lord }esus Chrisl of lhe pure Mary. And He
conpIeled His Dispensalion upon earlh and sel free Adan and
his poslerily. And afler His Ascension inlo heaven lhe DiscipIes
preached lhe CospeI in His Nane in aII lhe earlh. And
concerning lhe slory of lhe eunuch, lhe Depuly of Kandkes, il
is reIaled lhal lhe cause of his visil lo }erusaIen vas lo pray
|lherej. And on his relurn journey lhe HoIy Spiril senl lo hin
lhe AposlIe IhiIip, and lhe eunuch leIieved and vas laplized,
and vhen he venl lack lo his nalive Iand he preached Chrisl
lherein, and aII lhe peopIe leIieved lhrough hin. And afler lhis
Irnens, one of lhe Seven, venl lo lhen, and he laplized
lhen, and consecraled for lhen priesls and deacons, and he
ordained lhal lheir Ialher shouId le of lhe lhrone of Mark lhe
LvangeIisl. And lhe orlhodox Iailh vas eslalIished in lhe
counlry of Alyssinia, and lhe sovereignly of |lhe house ofj
David renained fixed lherein for ever and ever. CIory, and
praise, and najesly, and honour, and suppIicalion le unlo lhe
HoIy Trinily for ever and ever! Anen.
Klra Nagasl
xIviii
This is vhal is found |vrillenj in lhe Hislories of lhe ancienl
Ialhers of lhe Coplic Church. Iraise le unlo lhe Civer of
underslanding and visdon lo His crealures, nay His nercy le
upon us for ever!
III.~Legends of SoIonon and lhe Queen of Shela in lhe Kuràn
and in Muhannadan Lileralure
The aulhor, or edilor, of lhe Kuràn devoled a consideralIe
seclion of Surah XXVII lo lhe correspondence lhal passed
lelveen lhe Queen of Shela and King SoIonon, and lo lheir
inlervievs. Anong lhe nany gifls lhal Cod lesloved upon
SoIonon vere lhe underslanding of lhe speech of lirds, and
knovIedge of every kind. He vas lhe Iord of nen, genii and
lirds. When he lraveIIed lhrough lhe air on his nagicaI carpel
of green siIk, vhich vas lorne aIofl ly lhe vind according lo
lhe Kings direclion, lhe nen slood on lhe righl of il, and lhe
spirils on lhe Iefl, and a vasl arny of lirds of every kind kepl
fIying over lhe carpel lo prolecl ils occupanls fron lhe heal of
lhe sun. ne day vhen he vas revieving lhe lirds he
perceived lhal lhe Iapving vas alsenl, and he asked vhy she
vas alsenl, and lhrealened lo punish her for nol naking her
appearance vilh lhe olher lirds. Very soon afler he had spoken
lhe Iapving appeared, and she excused herseIf for her alsence
ly saying lhal she had leen Iooking upon a counlry lhal lhe
king had never seen, and lhal she had seen Sla, vhich vas
ruIed over ly a queen caIIed BaIks, vho vas very rich, and
vho sal upon a lhrone nade of goId and siIver and sel vilh
precious slones, eighly culils Iong, forly culils lroad, and
lhirly culils high. The queen and her peopIe vere idoIalers and
vorshipped lhe sun, and lhey vere under lhe infIuence of
Salan, vho had lurned lhen fron lhe righl vay. Thereupon
SoIonon vrole lhe foIIoving Ieller lo lhe Queen of Shela:
Iron lhe servanl of Cod, SoIonon, lhe son of David, unlo
Inlroduclion
xIix
BaIks ( ) Queen of Shela. In lhe Nane of lhe nosl nercifuI
Cod. Ieace le unlo hin vho foIIovelh lhe lrue direclion. Rise
nol up againsl ne, lul cone and render yourseIves unlo ne.
Having perfuned lhis Ieller vilh nusk and seaIed il vilh his
vonderfuI seaI, SoIonon gave il lo lhe Iapving and loId lhe
lird lo go and drop il in Sla, and lo lurn aside aflervards and
vail for lhe Queens ansver. The Iapving deparled and
deIivered lhe Ieller, sone saying lhal she fIev inlo lhe Queens
privale aparlnenl lhrough lhe vindov, and olhers lhal she
dropped lhe Ieller inlo lhe Queens loson
17
as she vas
slanding surrounded ly her arny. Having read lhe Ieller lhe
Queen caIIed upon her nolIes lo advise her vhal lo do, lul
lhey reninded her lhal lhey vere soIdiers, vho vere ready lo
narch againsl SoIonon if she ordered lhen lo do so, and lhal
lhe Ieller vas addressed lo her and she nusl nake lhe decision.
Wishing lo avoid invasion and lhe eviIs lhal vouId foIIov in ils
lrain, lhe Queen decided lo send gifls lo SoIonon, and she
despalched forlhvilh five hundred naIe and five hundred
fenaIe sIaves, five hundred ingols of goId, a crovn sludded
vilh precious slones, and a Iarge quanlily of nusk, anler,
spices, precious voods, elc. The Iapving relurned quickIy lo
SoIonon and loId hin vhal had happened, and lhal an
enlassy fron lhe Queen learing gifls vas on ils vay. When
lhe nen of Sla arrived lhey vere received ly SoIonon in a
Iarge square surrounded ly a vaII, lhe lricks of vhich vere
nade of goId and siIver. SoIonon spoke sIighlingIy of lhe
Queens gifls and senl lhe enlassy lack, lidding lhen leII
lheir nislress lhal he vouId send invincilIe lroops againsl her
cily, and lhal lhey vouId caplure il and expeI ils inhalilanls in
disgrace. When BaIks received lhis nessage, she delernined lo
go lo SoIonon and lo lender her sulnission lo hin, and having
17
AIi Beidhavs Connenlary on lhe Kuràn (ed. IIeischer, pl. 3, p.
67).
Klra Nagasl
I
Iocked up her lhrone in a cerlain slrong forlress, and sel a
guard over il lo prolecl il, she sel oul for }erusaIen,
acconpanied ly a Iarge arny. WhiIsl she vas on her vay
SoIonon said one day lo his nolIes, Which of you viII lring
lhe Queens lhrone here lo ne lefore she and her conpany
arrive And an Ìfrl, one of lhe genii, vhose aspecl vas nosl
lerrilIe, and vho vas caIIed Dhakvn or $akhr, said,
I viII lring il lo lhee lefore lhou hasl finished lhy session.
Nov SoIonon used lo sil in judgnenl unliI noon daiIy.
18
Sone
one vho had knovIedge of looks and vho vas presenl seened
lo lhink lhal lhe Ìfrl vas denanding loo nuch line in vhich
lo fuIfiI lhe Kings urgenl vish, and he said, I viII lring lhee
lhe lhrone lefore lhou cansl casl lhine eyes on an oljecl and
renove lhen again. The connenlalors are in doull aloul lhe
idenlily of lhe person vho nade lhis offer lo SoIonon, for
sone say he vas Asaf, lhe son of Barkhy, lhe vazr of
SoIonon, and olhers lhal he vas Khidhr (LIijah), or CalrieI, or
sone olher angeI, or even SoIonon hinseIf.
19
Il is generaIIy
lhoughl lhal lhe person vas Asaf, for he knev lhe ineffalIe
Nane of Cod. Be lhis as il nay, SoIonon accepled lhe offer,
and raising his eyes lo heaven lroughl lhen dovn quickIy lo
earlh again, and vhen his eyes resled on lhe earlh he sav lhe
lhrone of BaIks slanding lefore hin. Then SoIonon had lhe
lhrone aIlered, vilh lhe viev of prevenling her knoving her
ovn lhrone vhen she arrived. When BaIks cane inlo his
presence, he poinled lo lhe lhrone, saying, Is lhy lhrone Iike
unlo lhis And she repIied, Il is aII one vilh lhis. Then
BaIks vas inviled lo go inlo lhe paIace vhich SoIonon had
luiIl speciaIIy for her receplion. The vaIIs vere nade of lIocks
of vhile gIass, and lhe fIoor vas nade aIso of gIass, over vhich
valer fIoved, and in lhe running valer fishes svan. When
18
AI-Beidhav, op. cil., p. 68.
19
Ilid., p. 69.
Inlroduclion
Ii
BaIks lurned lo enler lhe paIace and sav lhe valer, lhinking
lhal il vas deep, she drev up lhe skirls of her garnenls lefore
allenpling lo vaIk lhrough il. By lhis acl she uncovered her
Iegs, and SoIonon had proof lhal lhe runour lhal lhe feel and
Iegs of BaIks vere covered vilh hair Iike lhe coal of an ass, vas
lrue. The sighl of lhe gIass luiIding vilh ils fIoor of gIass
anazed BaIks, vho said, Lord, veriIy I have deaIl unjuslIy
vilh ny ovn souI, and I resign nyseIf, logelher vilh SoIonon,
unlo Cod, lhe Lord of aII crealures. Sone connenlalors lhink
lhal lhe Queen ullered lhese vords parlIy in repenlance for
having vorshipped lhe sun, and parlIy lhrough fear of leing
drovned in lhe valer vhich she sav lefore her. }aII ad-Dn
says lhal SoIonon lhoughl of narrying BaIks, lul couId nol
lring hinseIf lo do so lecause of lhe hair on her feel and Iegs.
The deviIs vho vere aIvays in allendance on SoIonon
renoved lhe hair ly lhe use of sone infernaI depiIalory,
2O
lul il
is doullfuI if even lhen SoIonon narried her. AI-Beidhav says
lhal il is very doullfuI vho narried BaIks, lul is incIined lo
lhink lhal il vas one of lhe chiefs of lhe Handn lrile.
21
IV.~Modern Legends of SoIonon and lhe Queen of Shela
A curious and inleresling Iegend of lhe vay in vhich King
SoIonon lecane lhe falher of MenyeIek is found in a nunler
of sIighlIy varying versions anong nany of lhe lriles of
Norlhern Alyssinia.
22
According lo lhis lhe nolher of
MenyeIek vas a Tigr girI caIIed Lly Azl (i.e. Queen of lhe
2O
Connenlary of }aII ad-Dn Muhannad lin Ahnad, Cairo edil.
A.H. 1311, pl. 2, p. 6O.
21
Ilid., p. 7O.
22
See Lillnann, Dr. L., The Legend of lhe Queen of Shela in lhe
Tradilion of Axun, Leyden, 19O4, Conli Rossini, Ricordi di un Soggiorno
in Lrilrea, Asnara, 19O3.
Klra Nagasl
Iii
Soulh), and her peopIe vorshipped a dragon or serpenl, lo
vhich each nan in lurn had lo presenl as an offering his eIdesl
daughler, and Iarge quanlilies of sveel leer and niIk. When
lhe lurn of her parenls cane lhey lied her lo a lree vhere lhe
dragon used lo cone for his food, and soon afler lhis seven
sainls cane and sealed lhenseIves under lhe lree for lhe sake of
lhe shade il gave. As lhey sal a lear dropped fron lhe naiden
alove lhen, and vhen lhey Iooked up and sav her lound lo
lhe lree lhey asked her if she vas a hunan leing or a spiril, and
she loId lhen lhal she vas a hunan leing and, in ansver lo a
furlher queslion, she loId lhen lhal she vas lound lo lhe lree
so lhal she nighl lecone food for lhe dragon. When lhe seven
sainls sav lhe dragon, one of lhen, All Tchhan, pIucked al
his ovn leard, anolher, All Carn excIained He halh
frighlened ne, and a lhird, All Men;eIl, cried oul, Lel us
seize hin, and he forlhvilh allacked lhe nonsler, and aided
ly his conpanions lhey kiIIed hin ly sniling hin vilh a cross.
As lhey vere kiIIing hin sone lIood spurled oul fron hin and
feII on lhe heeI of Lly Azl, and fron lhal nonenl her heeI
lecane Iike lhe heeI of an ass. The sainls unlied her fellers and
senl her lo her viIIage, lul lhe peopIe drove her avay, lhinking
lhal she had escaped fron lhe dragon, and she cIinled up inlo
a lree and passed lhe nighl lhere. n lhe foIIoving day she
felched sone peopIe fron lhe viIIage and shoved lhen lhe
dead dragon, and lhey slraighlvay nade her lheir chieflainess,
and she chose for her chief officer a naiden Iike herseIf. Soon
afler lhis Lly Azl heard a reporl of lhe nedicaI skiII of King
SoIonon, and she delernined lo go lo hin so lhal he nighl
reslore her deforned heeI lo ils originaI shape. She and her
chief officer dressed lheir hair afler lhe nanner of nen, and
girded on svords, and deparled lo lhe Courl of SoIonon al
}erusaIen. Her arrivaI vas announced lo SoIonon, vho
ordered his servanls lo lring lhe King of Alyssinia inlo his
presence, and as soon as her deforned fool louched lhe
Inlroduclion
Iiii
lhreshoId il recovered ils naluraI forn. SoIonon had lread,
neal, and leer lroughl in and sel lefore lhe lvo vonen vho
vere disguised as nen, lul lhey ale and drank so IillIe lhal
SoIonon suspecled lhal his guesls vere vonen. When nighl
feII he caused lvo leds lo le nade for his guesls in his ovn
ledroon, and he hung up in lhe roon a skin vilh honey|conlj
in il, and he pierced lhe skin and lhe honey dropped dovn inlo
a lovI sel lhere lo calch il, and SoIonon and his guesls lelook
lhenseIves lo lheir leds. Al nighl lhe king vas accusloned lo
keep vigiI vilh his eyes cIosed, and lo sIeep vilh lhen haIf-
open, and lhus vhen lhe lvo vonen, vho vere Ionging lo gel
off lheir leds and lo go and drink honey fron lhe lovI, sav
hin vilh his eyes haIf-open lhey lhoughl lhal lhe king vas
avake, and lhey curled lheir desire for lhe honey and Iay sliII.
Afler a line lhe king voke up and cIosed his eyes, lul lhe
vonen, lhinking he vas asIeep, rose fron lheir leds and venl
lo lhe lovI of honey and legan lo eal. By lhis SoIonon knev
lhal his lvo guesls vere vonen, and he gol up and venl vilh
lhen lo lheir leds and Iay vilh lolh of lhen. When he Iefl
lhen he gave lo each vonan a siIver slaff and a ring, and he
said, If lhe chiId le a girI Iel her lake lhis slaff and cone lo ne,
and if il le a loy Iel hin lake lhe ring and cone lo ne, and
each vonan leing vilh chiId relurned lo her ovn counlry. In
due course each vonan gave lirlh lo a son, and each loId her
chiId lhal SoIonon vas his falher. When lhe loys grev up lheir
nolhers senl lhen lo }erusaIen, and lhe Queen of Shela gave
her son, vho resenlIed SoIonon in every vay, a nirror vhich
she had lroughl vhen she visiled SoIonon, and loId hin lo go
vilh il lo lhe king, vho vouId hide fron hin, and nol lo speak
lo any olher nan vho nighl le silling on his lhrone. When lhe
lvo youlhs arrived in }erusaIen and SoIonon knev lhal lhey
cIained lo le his sons, he gave orders for lhen lo vail for an
inlerviev, and kepl lhen vailing for lhree years. Al lhe cIose of
lhe lhird year he arrayed a friend in his royaI roles, and sealed
Klra Nagasl
Iiv
hin upon his lhrone, vhiIsl he dressed hinseIf in rags and
venl and sal in a slalIe, and lhen ordered lhe lvo young nen
lo le adnilled lo lhe presence. When lhe young nen enlered
lhe lhrone roon lhe son of lhe Queen of Shelas ninisler
grasped lhe hand of lhe nan on lhe lhrone, vho personified
SoIonon, lhinking lhal he vas lhe king, lul lhe son of lhe
Queen of Shela, vho vas caIIed MenyeIek, slood uprighl
and nade no oleisance, and vhen he Iooked in lhe nirror
vhich his nolher had given hin, and sav lhal lhe fealures of
lhe occupanl of lhe lhrone vere enlireIy differenl fron his ovn,
he knev lhal he vas nol slanding in lhe presence of SoIonon.
Then he lurned aloul in aII direclions and Iooked al aII lhe
faces lhal vere round aloul hin, and found none resenlIing
his ovn, afler a line he Iooked up and sav SoIonon gazing al
hin fron lhe slalIe, and he knev hin al once, and venl lo lhe
slalIe and did honage lo hin as king. And SoIonon said, My
lrue son! The olher is aIso ny son, lul he is a fooI. MenyeIek
lhen look up his alode in }erusaIen and assisled SoIonon in
ruIing lhe kingdon, lul afler a line lhe peopIe found lhal
falher and son did nol aIvays agree in lheir judiciaI decisions,
and lhey lecane dissalisfied. n one occasion in lhe case of a
lrespass of callIe lhe king decided lhal lhe ovner of lhe fieId
nighl confiscale lhe callIe vhich had lrespassed, lul MenyeIek
ordered hin lo accepl six neasures of grain inslead of
confiscaling lhe callIe. Thereupon lhe peopIe loId lhe king lhal
lhey vouId nol le ruIed ly lvo chiefs, and lhal he nusl send
his son lack lo his nalive counlry. When SoIonon loId his son
of lhe peopIes conpIainl MenyeIek advised his falher lo say lo
lhen, Is nol MenyeIek ny firsl-lorn son I viII send hin avay
if you viII send your firsl-lorn sons vilh hin, and lhe peopIe
agreed lo send lheir firsl-lorn sons lo Alyssinia vilh
MenyeIek. When SoIonon vas arranging for MenyeIeks
deparlure he loId hin lo lake lhe Ark of MichaeI vilh hin, lul
MenyeIek, leIieving lhe Ark of Mary lo le of grealer
Inlroduclion
Iv
inporlance, changed lhe covers of lhe lvo Arks, and look vilh
hin lhe Ark of Mary. A fev days afler lhe deparlure of
MenyeIek a slorn visiled }erusaIen, and SoIonon loId his
servanls lo find oul if lhe Ark of Mary vas in ils pIace,
presunalIy vilh lhe idea of securing ils proleclion againsl lhe
slorn. His servanls venl and Iooked and, seeing an Ark vilh
lhe cover of Marys Ark upon il, assuned lhal il vas lhe Ark of
Mary, and reporled lo SoIonon lhal lhe Ark of Mary vas in ils
pIace. He lhen loId lhen lo lake off lhe cover, and vhen lhey
had done so lhey found lhal lhe Ark vas MichaeIs, and lhough
SoIonon senl a nessenger afler MenyeIek lo lring lack lhe Ark
of Mary, his son refused lo give il up. MeanvhiIe MenyeIek
and his parly venl on lheir vay, and vhen lhey arrived al
Kayh Kr, a deacon vho vas carrying lhe Ark of Mary died,
and vas luried lhere. Afler lhe luriaI lhey vished lo resune
lheir journey, lul lhe Ark of Mary refused lo nove. They lhen
dug up lhe deacons lody, and Iaid il in a coffin, and luried il
again, lul sliII lhe Ark refused lo nove, and vhen MenyeIek
again ordered lhen lo dig up lhe lody, lhey found a finger of
lhe deacon oulside lhe coffin. When lhey had pIaced lhe
deacons finger in lhe coffin vilh lhe resl of his lody, lhe Ark of
Mary aIIoved ilseIf lo le noved, and MenyeIek and his
conpanions venl on lheir vay. In due course lhey cane lo
Tegry and arrived in Aksn, vhere lhey found Salan luiIding
a house lo fighl againsl Cod. When lhey loId hin lhal lhe Ark
of Mary had cone he slopped luiIding, lhrev dovn vhal he
had luiIl, and venl avay, and lhe slones vhich he had
coIIecled vere used ly MenyeIek in luiIding a church lo hoId
lhe Ark of Mary. ne very Iarge slone, vhich Salan vas
carrying lo his luiIding vhen lhe nevs cane of lhe arrivaI of
lhe Ark of Mary, vas dropped ly hin al once, and al lhe
presenl day lhal slone slands on lhe sane spol on vhich he
dropped il.
Klra Nagasl
Ivi
V~The Conlenls of lhe Klra Nagasl Descriled
The look opens vilh an inlerprelalion and expIanalion of
lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen rlhodox Ialhers concerning
lhe chiIdren of Adan, and lhe slalenenl lhal lhe Trinily Iived
in Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, vhich Cod nade in
lhe forlress of His hoIiness lefore He nade anylhing eIse. The
Trinily agreed lo nake nan in Cods inage, and lhe Son agreed
lo pul on lhe fIesh of Adan, nan vas nade lo lake lhe pIace of
Salan and lo praise Cod. In due course Chrisl, lhe second
Adan, vas lorn of lhe fIesh of Mary lhe Virgin, lhe Second
Zion (Chap. 1).
In Chap. 2 Isaac, lhe lransIalor of lhe Llhiopic lexl, nexl
quoles Cregory lhe IIIuninalor, lhe son of Anag, a nalive of
BaIkh, vho vas lorn aloul 27 A.D. and died aloul 33O.
WhiIsl Cregory vas suffering lhe lorlures infIicled upon hin
ly Tiridales III he pondered on lhe queslion, f vhal dolh lhe
gIory of kings consisl In lhe end he cane lo lhe concIusion lhal
Adans kingship lesloved upon hin ly Cod vas grealer lhan
lhal of any of lhe Kings of Arnenia.
Chaps. 3-6 deaI vilh lhe lirlh of Cain and AleI, lhe face of
Cain vas suIIen and lhal of AleI good lenpered, and Adan
nade AleI his heir lecause of his pIeasing counlenance. Cain
and AleI had lvin sislers. Cains sisler Llhdh had a good-
lenpered face, and Adan gave her in narriage lo AleI, AleIs
sisler KaInalh had a suIIen face Iike Cain, and Adan gave her
in narriage lo Cain.
23
Moved ly Salan lo envy, and fiIIed vilh
vralh againsl Adan for laking his lvin sisler fron hin, Cain
rose up and sIev AleI. Adan vas consoIed for AleIs dealh ly
lhe lirlh of Selh. The descendanls of Cain vere vicked nen,
and negIecled Cod, and passed lheir line in singing Ievd
23
See MaIan, Book of Adan and Lve, London, 1882, p. 92 ff., and
BezoId, SchalzhIe, Leipzig, 1883, p. 8.
Inlroduclion
Ivii
songs lo slringed inslrunenls and pipes and lhey Iived IavIess
and aloninalIe Iives. Isaac credils lhen vilh having produced
lhe nuIe, and condenns lhe crossing of nares vilh asses. In
lhe lenlh generalion fron Adan Noah Iived, and he refused lo
deaI in any vay vilh lhe chiIdren of Cain, vhose arrogance,
pride, fraud, deceil, and uncIeanness cried aIoud lo heaven. Al
Ienglh Cod senl lhe IIood, vhich deslroyed everylhing on lhe
earlh excepl Lighl SouIs, and seven of every cIean leasl, and
lvo of every uncIean leasl (Chap. 8). Cod nade a covenanl
vilh Noah nol lo deslroy lhe earlh again ly a fIood, and vhen
Noah died Shen succeeded hin (Chaps. 9 and 1O). In Chap. 11
ve have anolher decIaralion ly lhe 318 rlhodox Ialhers lhal:
1. The TalernacIe of lhe Lav (i.e. lhe Ark of lhe Covenanl) vas
crealed lefore lhe heavens, lhe earlh and ils piIIars, lhe sea, and
nen and angeIs, 2. Il vas nade ly Cod for His ovn alode, 3. Il
is on lhe earlh. The Zion vherein Cod dveIl in heaven lefore
lhe crealion vas lhe lype and siniIilude of lhe Virgin Mary.
The seven sons of Canaan, vho vere lhe sons of Han,
seized seven cilies lhal leIonged lo Shens chiIdren, lul
evenluaIIy had lo reIinquish lhen. The nalions seized ly
Canaans sons vere lhe Canaaniles, lhe Ierizziles, lhe Hiviles,
lhe Hilliles, lhe Anoriles, lhe }elusiles, lhe Cirgasiles. In lhe
days of Terah nen nade nagicaI inages, and pIaced on lhe
lonls of lheir falhers slalues, oul of vhich deviIs spake and
connanded lhen lo offer up lheir sons and daughlers as
sacrifices lo fiIlhy deviIs (Chap. 12). Terahs son Alrahan,
having proved for hinseIf lhe poverIessness of idoIs, snashed
lhe idoIs vhich his falher senl hin lo seII, and lhen caIIed upon
lhe Crealor of lhe Universe lo le his Cod. A chariol of fire
appeared (Chap. 13) and vilh il Cod, Who nade a covenanl
vilh hin, and loId hin lo deparl lo anolher counlry. Alrahan
look his vife, and deparled lo SaIen, vhere he reigned in
righleousness according lo Cods connand. He had a
Klra Nagasl
Iviii
lodyguard of eighleen
24
slaIvarl nen vho vore crovns and
leIls of goId, and goId-enlroidered lunics.
Isaac and }acol pIeased Cod in lheir Iives (Chap. 1), lul
Reulen lransgressed and lhe succession passed fron hin
(Chap. 16), under lhe curse of }acol, vilh vhose conculine
BiIhah Reulen had Iain, lhe chiIdren of Reulen lecane Ieprous
and scally.
Chap. 17 descriles lhe gIory of Zion, i.e. lhe TalernacIe of
lhe Lav of Cod vhich Cod lroughl dovn fron heaven lo
earlh, and shoved Moses, and ordered hin lo nake a copy of
il. Moses lherefore nade a lox of acacia vood lvo and a haIf
culils Iong, one and a haIf culils lroad and one and a haIf
culils deep, i.e. a porlalIe shrine neasuring 3 fl. 9 in. ly 2 fl. 3
in. ly 2 fl. 3 in. or 4 fl. 2 in. ly 2 fl. 6 in. ly 2 fl. 6 in. In lhis
shrine he pIaced lhe Tvo TalIes of lhe Covenanl, a goId pol
conlaining one oner of nanna, and lhe vonderfuI rod of
Aaron, vhich pul forlh luds vhen il vas vilhered. This rod
had leen lroken in lvo pIaces and vas in lhree pieces, and
each piece lecane a separale and conpIele rod (see p. OO and
Lxod. xvi, 33, 34, Helrevs ix, 2, Nunlers xvii, 1O). We nay
nole lhal in 2 Chron. v, 1O, il is said lhal lhere vas nolhing in
lhe Ark excepl lhe Tvo TalIes vhich Moses pul lherein in
Horel. Moses covered lhe Ark vilh goId, inside and oulside,
and nade aII lhe vesseIs, hangings, elc., according lo lhe
pallerns given lo hin ly Cod. Bul lhere vas sonelhing eIse in
lhe Ark nade ly Moses. By Cods orders he nade a case,
presunalIy of goId, in lhe shape of lhe leIIy of a ship (p. 1),
and in lhis lhe Tvo TalIes vere lo resl. As lhe Virgin Mary is
caIIed lhe nev ship vho carried lhe veaIlh of lhe vorId, lhis
leIIy of a ship vas a lype of her. The case for lhe Tvo TalIes
synloIized her vonl, lhe case carried lhe Word cul on slone,
24
In Cenesis xiv, 14, Alrahans hone-lorn arned servanls nunlered
318.
Inlroduclion
Iix
and Mary carried lhe Living Word incarnale. And lhe Ark
nade ly Moses vas lhe alode of Cod, Who dveIl vilh lhe
Tvo TalIes.
Wilh Chap 19 Isaac, lhe lransIalor of lhe Klra Nagasl,
legins a Iong exlracl fron an apocryphaI vork vhich
Donilius, Archlishop of ConslanlinopIe, says he found
anong lhe nanuscripls in lhe Iilrary of Sainl Sophia. I have
faiIed lo idenlify eilher Donilius or lhe vork he quoles.
According lo lhis vork lhe Lnperor of Llhiopia and lhe
Lnperor of Rn (i.e. Byzanliun) are lhe sons of Shen, and
lhey divide lhe vorId lelveen lhen (Chap. 2O). Iron lhe sane
vork ve have a descriplion of Mkd lhe Queen of lhe
Soulh (Mall. xii, 42), vho vas shrevd, inleIIigenl in nind,
leaulifuI in face and forn, and exceedingIy rich. She carried on
a Iarge lusiness on Iand ly neans of caravans, and on sea ly
neans of ships, and she lraded vilh lhe nerchanls of India and
Nulia and Asvn (Syene). As lhe Queen cane fron lhe soulh
her hone vas prolalIy in Soulhern Aralia, and she is far nore
IikeIy lo have leen of Aral lhan Llhiopian origin. The head of
her lrading caravans vas Tnrin, a cIever nan of affairs vho
direcled lhe operalions of 2O caneIs and 73 ships (Chap. 22).
Al lhis line SoIonon vanled goId, elony and sapphires for lhe
luiIding of lhe TenpIe of Cod in }erusaIen, and he opened
negolialions vilh Tnrin for lhe suppIy of lhe sane. Tnrin
Ioaded his caneIs and look his goods lo SoIonon, vho proved
lo le a generous cusloner, and his visdon and handsone
appearance and riches grealIy inpressed lhe nerchanl fron lhe
Soulh. Tnrin sav vilh anazenenl lhal SoIonon vas
enpIoying 7OO carpenlers and 8OO nasons on lhe luiIding of
lhe TenpIe (Chaps. 22, 23). When Tnrn relurned lo his
nislress he loId lhe Queen aII lhal he had seen al }erusaIen,
and day ly day he descriled lo her SoIonons pover and
visdon and lhe nagnificence of lhe slale in vhich he Iived.
LillIe ly IillIe, desire lo see lhis vonderfuI nan and lo inlile
Klra Nagasl
Ix
his visdon grev in lhe Queens nind, and al Ienglh she (Chap.
24) decided lo go lo }erusaIen. Thereupon 797 caneIs and
nuIes and asses innuneralIe vere Ioaded, and she Iefl her
kingdon, and nade her vay direcl lo }erusaIen.
When lhe Queen nel SoIonon she gave hin rich
presenls,(Chap. 2), and he eslalIished her in a Iodging, and
suppIied her vilh food and servanls and rich appareI. The
Queen vas fascinaled as nuch ly his visdon as ly his
physicaI perfeclions, and she narveIIed al lhe exlenl and
variely of his knovIedge. When she sav hin inslrucling lhe
nason, lhe carpenler, lhe lIacksnilh, and direcling aII lhe
vorknen, and al lhe sane line acling as judge and ruIer of his
peopIe and househoId, her aslonishnenl vas unlounded.
During her slay in }erusaIen Mkd conversed daiIy
(Chaps. 26, 27) vilh SoIonon, and she Iearned fron hin aloul
lhe Cod of lhe Helrevs, lhe Crealor of lhe heavens and lhe
earlh. She herseIf vorshipped lhe sun, noon and slars, and
lrees, and idoIs of goId and siIver, lul under lhe infIuence of
SoIonons leaulifuI voice and eIoquenl vords she renounced
$lisn, and vorshipped nol lhe sun lul lhe suns Crealor, lhe
Cod of IsraeI (Chap. 28). And she voved lhal her seed afler her
shouId adore lhe TalernacIe of lhe Cod of IsraeI, lhe alode of
Cod upon earlh. Mkd and SoIonon exchanged visils
frequenlIy and lhe nore she sav of hin lhe nore she
apprecialed his visdon. The lirds and lhe leasls aIso cane lo
hear his visdon, and SoIonon laIked lo lhen, each in his ovn
Ianguage, and lhey venl lack lo lheir nalive Iands and loId
lheir feIIov crealures vhal lhey had seen and heard.
Al Ienglh Mkd senl a nessage lo SoIonon, saying lhal
lhe line had arrived for her lo relurn lo her ovn counlry.
When SoIonon heard lhis he pondered deepIy and delernined
lo conpany vilh her, for he Ioved her physicaI leauly and her
shrevd nalive inleIIigence, and he vished lo legel a son ly her.
Inlroduclion
Ixi
SoIonon had 4OO vives and 6OO conculines,
2
and anong lhen
vere vonen fron Syria, IaIesline, lhe DeIla, Upper Lgypl and
Nulia. ur lransIalor, Isaac, excuses SoIonon for his excessive
Iove of vonen, and says lhal he vas nol addicled lo
fornicalion, lul onIy look lhese lhousand vonen lo vife lhal
he nighl gel sons ly each of lhen. These chiIdren vere lo
inheril lhe counlries of his enenies and deslroy idoIalers.
Moreover, SoIonon Iived under lhe Lav of lhe IIesh, for lhe
HoIy Spiril vas nol given lo nen in his line. In ansver lo
Mkds nessage SoIonon senl her an invilalion lo a spIendid
lanquel, vhich lhe Queen accepled, and she venl lo a pIace
vhich he had prepared speciaIIy for her in lhe greal lenl (Chap.
29). The courses vere len in nunler, and lhe dishes vere
dainly, highIy seasoned, and alundanl, and lhe Queen vas
salisfied vilh lheir sneII onIy. The lenl vas furnished vilh
lruIy rienlaI nagnificence, scenled oiIs had leen sprinkIed
aloul vilh a Iavish hand, lhe air vas heavy vilh lhe perfunes
of lurning nyrrh and cassia, and lhe Queen ale and drank
hearliIy. When aII lhe olher guesls had deparled and SoIonon
and Mkd vere aIone, lhe King shoved her a couch and
inviled her lo sIeep lhere. Mkd agreed on lhe condilion lhal
he did nol allenpl lo lake her ly force, and in repIy SoIonon
said lhal he vouId nol louch her provided lhal she did nol
allenpl lo lake anylhing lhal vas in his house. Thereupon each
voved lo respecl lhe properly of lhe olher, and lhe Queen Iay
dovn lo sIeep. Afler a shorl line lhe highIy-spiced neals legan
lo have lheir effecl, and lhe Queen vas seized vilh vioIenl
lhirsl (Chap. 3O). She gol up and searched for valer lul found
none. Al Ienglh she sav a vesseI of valer ly lhe Kings led,
and lhinking lhal he vas asIeep, she venl and look up lhe
vesseI and vas aloul lo drink vhen SoIonon junped up, and
slopped her, and accused her of lreaking her oalh nol lo sleaI
2
I Kings xi, 3, says 7OO vives, princesses, and 3OO conculines.
Klra Nagasl
Ixii
anylhing of his. The agony of lhirsl vas so greal lhal lhe Queen
relracled her oalh, and SoIonon aIIoved her lo drink her fiII,
and lhen she relired vilh hin lo his couch and sIepl lhere.
Mkd vas a virgin Queen and had reigned over her counlry
six years, vhen SoIonon look her lo vife. Thal sane nighl
SoIonon sav a drean in vhich lhe sun cane dovn fron
heaven, and shone lriIIianlIy over IsraeI, and lhen deparled lo
Llhiopia lo shine lhere for ever. Then a Sun far nore lriIIianl
cane dovn and shone over IsraeI, and lhe IsraeIiles rejecled
lhal Sun and deslroyed il, and luried il , lul lhal Sun rose
again and ascended inlo heaven, and paid no furlher heed lo
IsraeI. When SoIonon underslood lhe neaning of lhal vision he
vas grealIy dislurled and lroulIed in his nind, for he knev
lhal lhe deparlure of lhe sun fron IsraeI lypified lhe deparlure
of Cod.
Al Ienglh Mkd deparled fron }erusaIen, lul lefore she
Iefl, SoIonon gave her six lhousand vagonIoads of leaulifuI
lhings, lvo speciaIIy conslrucled vehicIes, one in vhich lo
lraveI over lhe sea, and one in vhich lo lraveI lhrough lhe air.
Thus SoIonon anlicipaled lhe nolor loal and lhe airship.
Besides aII lhese lhings SoIonon gave her lhe ring lhal vas on
his IillIe finger (Chap. 31), as a loken vherely she nighl
renenler hin.
Nine nonlhs and five days afler Mkd lade SoIonon
fareveII she lroughl forlh a nan chiId, and in due course she
arrived in her ovn counlry, vhere she vas received vilh greal
joy and deIighl. She caIIed her son Bayna-Lehken, i.e. Iln aI-
Hakn, lhe son of lhe vise nan, and he grev inlo a slrong
and handsone young nan. Al lhe age of lveIve he queslioned
his nolher as lo his parenlage, and in spile of reluffs ly her he
conlinued lo do so unliI she loId hin, len years Ialer no pover
couId keep hin in his ovn counlry, and Mkd senl hin lo
}erusaIen, acconpanied ly her oId chief of caravans, Tnrn
(Chaps. 32, 33). Wilh hin she senl a Ieller lo SoIonon, leIIing
Inlroduclion
Ixiii
hin lhal in fulure a king shouId reign over her counlry, and nol
a virgin queen, and lhal her peopIe shouId adopl lhe reIigion of
IsraeI. IinaIIy she senl saIulalions lo lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav
of Cod, and legged SoIonon lo send her a porlion of lhe fringe
fron lhe Covering of Zion, so lhal il nighl le lreasured ly her
as a hoIy possession for ever. In saying fareveII lo her son,
Mkd gave hin lhe ring vhich SoIonon had given her, so
lhal if necessary he nighl use il as a proof lhal he vas lhe son
of Mkd ly SoIonon.
When lhe young nan arrived al Cz, a dislricl vhich
SoIonon had given lo lhe Queen of Shela (Chap. 34), aII lhe
peopIe vere aslonished al his cIose resenlIance lo SoIonon,
and sone of lhen venl so far so lo decIare lhal he vas
SoIonon in person. The ninds of lhe peopIe vere nuch
exercised aloul lhe naller, and nessengers vere senl lo
SoIonon fron Cz announcing lhe arrivaI of a nerchanl vho
resenlIed hin in face and fealures, and in forn and slalure,
and in nanners and carriage and lehaviour. Al lhal line
SoIonon vas depressed, ly reason of lhe niscarriage of his
pIans in respecl of ollaining a Iarge poslerily, Iike lhe slars of
heaven and lhe sands on lhe seashore. He had narried one
lhousand vonen, neaning lo legel ly lhen one lhousand
sons, lul Cod onIy gave hin lhree chiIdren! Therefore, vhen he
heard of lhe arrivaI of lhe young nerchanl vho resenlIed
hinseIf, he knev al once lhal il vas his son ly lhe Queen of
Shela vho had cone lo see hin, and he senl oul Benaiah, lhe
son of }ehoiada, lo neel hin and lo lring hin lo }erusaIen
(Chap. 3). In due course Benaiah nel Bayna-Lehken, and he
and his fifly guards escorled hin inlo lhe presence of SoIonon,
vho acknovIedged hin slraighlvay, and enlraced hin, and
kissed hin on his forehead and eyes and noulh (Chap. 36). He
lhen look hin inlo his chanler and arrayed hin in gorgeous
appareI, and gave hin a leIl of goId and a goId crovn, and sel
a ring upon his finger, and vhen he presenled hin lo lhe
Klra Nagasl
Ixiv
nolIes of IsraeI, lhey accepled hin as SoIonons son and
lroughl gifls lo hin. Then Bayna-Lehken produced lhe ring
vhich he had lroughl fron his nolher and gave il lo SoIonon,
vho said lhal il vas unnecessary, for his face and slalure
procIained lhal he vas his son.
Soon afler lhis Tnrn had an audience of SoIonon, and he
asked hin lo anoinl Bayna-Lehken king, lo consecrale and lo
lIess hin and lhen lo send hin lack lo his nolher as soon as
possilIe, for such vas her desire. This oId and failhfuI servanl
vas afraid lhal lhe Iuxurious Iiving of SoIonons house vouId
have an iII effecl upon his fulure king, and he vas anxious lo
gel hin avay fron }erusaIen as soon as possilIe. To lhis
SoIonon repIied lhal afler a vonan had lroughl forlh her son
and suckIed hin she had nolhing nore lo do vilh hin, for a
loy leIongs lo his falher and a girI lo her nolher. And SoIonon
refused lo give up his firsl-lorn son. Bul Bayna-Lehken
hinseIf vas anxious lo Ieave }erusaIen (Chap. 36, and he
legged SoIonon lo give hin a porlion of lhe fringe of lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and lo Iel hin deparl. He had no
vish lo Iive as SoIonons second son in }erusaIen, for he knev
lhal SoIonon had anolher son, Reholoan, vho vas six years
oId al lhal line and had leen legollen in IavfuI narriage,
vhiIsl he hinseIf vas lhe son of an unnarried nolher.
SoIonon pronised lo give hin lhe kingdon of IsraeI, and
vives and conculines, and argued and pIeaded vilh hin Iong
and earneslIy, lul lo no purpose (Chap. 37), Bayna-Lehken
said lhal he had svorn ly his nolhers lreasls lo relurn lo her
quickIy, and nol lo narry a vife in IsraeI. To svear ly a
vonans lreasls vas a serious naller, and ve have an echo of
a sonevhal siniIar cerenony in lhe AnnaIs of lhe Nulian
Naslasen, King of Nulia afler B.C. OO (). This king paid a visil
lo lhe goddess Basl of Terl, his good nolher, and he says lhal
she gave hin Iife, greal oId age, happiness, |andj her lvo
lreasls |onj lhe Iefl () side, and pIaced hin in her Iiving,
Inlroduclion
Ixv
leaulifuI loson.
26
We nay le cerlain lhal Naslasen svore lo
do sonelhing in relurn for lhe gracious kindness of lhe goddess
Basl.
When SoIonon sav lhal il vas inpossilIe lo keep Bayna-
Lehken in }erusaIen, he sunnoned lhe eIders of IsraeI (Chap.
38) and decIared lo lhen his inlenlion of naking lhe young
nan King of Llhiopia, and asked lhen lo send lheir eIdesl sons
vilh hin lo lhal far counlry lo found a }evish coIony and
kingdon lhere. The eIders of course agreed lo lhe kings
requesl, and lhen Zadok lhe priesl and Benaiah, lhe son of
}ehoiada, anoinled Bayna-Lehken king in lhe HoIy of HoIies
(Chap. 39), lhe nane vhich he received al his anoinling vas
David |IIj, lhe nane of his grandfalher. Then SoIonon
connanded Zadok lo descrile lo lhe young King of Llhiopia
lhe curses lhal vouId faII upon hin if he faiIed lo oley Cods
connands (Chap. 4O), and lhe lIessings lhal vouId accrue lo
hin if he perforned lhe WiII of Cod (Chap. 41). Zadok did so,
and lhen reciled lhe Ten Connandnenls (Chap. 42) as given
ly Moses, and a nunler of Helrev Iavs concerning narriage,
aduIlery, fornicalion, incesl, sodony, elc. The anoinling of
SoIonons son lo le king over Llhiopia vas pIeasing lo lhe
peopIe, lul aII lhose vhose firsl-lorn sons vere lo Ieave
}erusaIen vilh hin sorroved and cursed SoIonon secrelIy in
lheir hearls. In Chap. 43 ve have a Iisl of lhe nanes of lhose
vho vere lo hoId posilions of honour under David II in
Llhiopia, and Chap. 44 conlains a series of varnings againsl
alusing and reviIing kings.
Nov lhe chiIdren of IsraeI vho vere lo go lo Llhiopia
sorroved grealIy al lhe lhoughl of Ieaving lheir counlry, lul
lhe naller lhal lroulIed lhen nosl vas Ieaving lhe TalernacIe
26
Budge, AnnaIs of Nulian Kings, p. 13.
Klra Nagasl
Ixvi
of lhe Lav of Cod lehind lhen (Chap. 4). Al Ienglh Azaryas
suggesled lhal lhey shouId lake Zion vilh lhen, and having
svorn his feIIov sufferers lo secrecy he decIared lo lhen lhe
pIan vhich he had devised. This vas sinpIe enough, for he
delernined lo have a lox nade of lhe sane size and shape as
lhe TalernacIe, and vhen he had laken lhe TalernacIe oul of
lhe HoIy of HoIies, lo sel il in ils pIace. He coIIecled 14O doulIe
drachnas and enpIoyed a carpenler lo conslrucl lhe lox he
required. In lhe Aralic version of lhe slory il is SoIonons son
vho has lhe lox nade, and he puls lhe carpenler lo dealh as
soon as he had nade il, knoving lhal dead nen leII no laIes.
ne nighl vhiIsl lhese lhings vere leing carried oul Azaryas
had a drean in vhich Cod loId hin lo nake Bayna-Lehken
offer up a sacrifice lefore he deparled lo Llhiopia, and during
lhe perfornance of lhe cerenony lo lring lhe TalernacIe oul
fron lhe HoIy of HoIies inlo lhe fore parl of lhe TenpIe (Chap.
46). SoIonon agreed lo lhe offering leing nade, and provided
aninaIs for sacrifice (Chap. 47). When lhe offering had leen
nade, lhe AngeI of lhe Lord appeared lo Azaryas (Chap. 48),
and having opened lhe doors of lhe HoIy of HoIies vilh lhe
keys vhich he had in his hand, he loId hin lo go and lring in
lhe lox lhal had leen nade lo repIace lhe TalernacIe. When he
had done lhis Azaryas, and LIneyas, and Alesa, and Makari
lroughl oul lhe TalernacIe and carried il inlo lhe house of
Azaryas, and lhen lhey relurned lo lhe TenpIe and pul
logelher lhe lox lhal vas lo repIace lhe TalernacIe, and Iocked
lhe doors, and cane oul. Bayna-Lehken, vho vas veII
acquainled vilh aII lhal had leen done, lhen venl and lade
SoIonon fareveII, and received his falhers lIessing (Chap. 49).
Then Azaryas sel lhe TalernacIe Zion upon a vagon and
covered il over vilh laggage of aII kinds (Chap. O), and
acconpanied ly lhe cries of nen, lhe vaiIings of vonen, lhe
hovIings of dogs, and lhe screans of asses, il vas driven oul of
}erusaIen. Bolh SoIonon and his peopIe knev inslincliveIy lhal
Inlroduclion
Ixvii
lhe gIory of IsraeI had deparled vilh il. Then SoIonon loId
Zadok lhe priesl lo go inlo lhe HoIy of HoIies and lring oul lhe
covering of lhe TalernacIe, and lo spread over lhe TalernacIe
in ils slead lhe nev covering vhich he had had speciaIIy nade
for lhe purpose (Chap. 1), and lhus saying he pIaced lhe nev
covering in lhe lands of lhe high priesl. The Queen of Shela
had asked hin for a piece of lhe fringe of lhe covering of lhe
TalernacIe, and she had repealed her requesl ly lhe noulh of
her son, and SoIonon delernined lo send lhe conpIele
covering lo her. The lexl nenlions lhe five nice and len
enerods vhich vere given lo Zion, lul il is nol cIear vhelher
SoIonon neanl lhen lo le given lo lhe Queen vilh lhe
covering of lhe TalernacIe. Acling on SoIonons inslruclions,
Zadok venl and felched lhe covering of lhe TalernacIe (Chap.
2), and gave il lo Bayna-Lehken, or David, logelher vilh a
chain of goId.
Then lhe vagons vere Ioaded, and Bayna-Lehken and his
conpanions sel oul on lheir journey. The ArchangeI MichaeI
Ied lhe vay, and he cul a palh for lhen, and sheIlered lhen
fron lhe heal. Neilher nan nor leasl louched lhe ground vilh
lheir feel, lul vere carried aIong alove lhe ground vilh lhe
speed of lhe lal and lhe eagIe, and even lhe vagons vere lorne
aIong vilhoul louching lhe earlh (Chap. 2).
MichaeI haIled lhe conpany al Cz, vhich cily SoIonon
had given lo lhe Queen of Shela, and anolher days narch
lroughl lhen lo lhe fronlier of Lgypl, and lhey encanped ly
lhe River (Takkazi), i.e. lhe NiIe. Thus lhey had perforned in
one day a journey lhal generaIIy look lhe caravans lhirleen
days lo conpIele (Chap. 3). WhiIsl lhey vere here his
conpanions look lhe opporlunily of reveaIing lo David lhe facl
lhal lhey had carried off lhe TalernacIe Zion, and lhal il vas
lhere vilh lhen. Azaryas loId LIneyas lo leaulify and dress
our Lady, and vhen David II sav her he rose up and skipped
Iike a young sheep, and danced lefore lhe TalernacIe even as
Klra Nagasl
Ixviii
did his grandfalher David I (2 San. vi, 14). Then he slood up
lefore Zion and nade lhe address lo her vhich is given in
Chap. 4. When lhe nalives heard lhal lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Lav of Cod vas in lheir nidsl, lhey leal druns and pIayed
upon fIules and pipes, and lhe peopIe shouled, and lhe pyIons
of lhe lenpIes, and lhe idoIs lhal vere in lhe forns of nen, and
dogs, and cals, feII dovn and vere lroken in pieces (Chaps. 4,
). And Azaryas dressed Zion, and spread lheir gifls lefore
her, and he sel her on a vagon vilh draperies of purpIe aloul
her. n lhe foIIoving norning David and his conpany
resuned lheir journey, and nen and leasls and vagons vere
aII raised alove lhe ground lo lhe heighl of one culil as lefore.
They passed lhrough lhe air Iike shadovs, and lhe peopIe ran
aIongside Zion and vorshipped her. When lhey cane lo lhe
Red Sea Zion passed over ils valers, and lhe vhoIe conpany
vere raised alove lhen lo a heighl of lhree culils. The vaves
Ieaped up lo veIcone Zion, and lhe liIIovs lhundered forlh
praise of her, and lhe lreakers roared lheir accIanalions, and
aII lhe crealures in lhe sea vorshipped her as she passed over
lhen. In due course lhe conpany arrived al a pIace opposile
Mounl Sinai and encanped in Kds, and lhen passing lhrough
Medyn and BInls lhey cane lo Llhiopia, vhere lhey vere
received vilh greal rejoicings. The descriplion of lhe roule
foIIoved ly David II is very vague, and il is cIear lhal Isaacs
geographicaI knovIedge vas inconpIele.
MeanvhiIe Zadok had relurned fron lhe TenpIe in
}erusaIen lo SoIonons paIace and found lhe king very
sorrovfuI, for he had leen lhinking over lhe drean vhich he
had lvenly-lvo years lefore, and feared lhal lhe gIory of IsraeI
had eilher deparled or vas aloul lo deparl. Zadok vas grealIy
lroulIed vhen he heard vhal lhe kings drean vas, and
prophesied voe lo IsraeI if lhe TalernacIe had leen carried off
ly David. SoIonon asked hin if he had nade sure lhal lhe
TalernacIe vas in lhe HoIy of HoIies lhe day lefore vhen he
Inlroduclion
Ixix
renoved lhe oulside covering lo give il lo David, and Zadok
said he had nol done so (Chap. 6). Then SoIonon loId hin lo
go al once and see, and vhen he had gone inlo lhe HoIy of
HoIies he found lhere nolhing lul lhe lox vhich Azaryas had
had nade lo lake lhe pIace of lhe TalernacIe. When Zadok sav
lhal Zion had deparled he fainled, and Benaiah found hin
Iying lhere Iike a dead nan. When Zadok revived he casl ashes
on his head, and venl lo lhe doors of lhe TenpIe and in a Ioud
voice levaiIed lhe Ioss of lhe gIory and proleclion of IsraeI.
When SoIonon heard lhe nevs he connanded nen lo nake
ready lo pursue lhose vho had sloIen Zion, and lo sIay lhen
vhen lhey found lhen (Chap. 7). When lhe soIdiers vere
ready SoIonon sel hinseIf al lheir head, and his nounled
scouls rode in aII hasle lo Lgypl, vhere lhey Iearned lhal lhe
fugilives had Iefl lhe pIace nine days lefore (Chap. 8). When
SoIonon hinseIf arrived al Cz he found lhal lhe reporl
vhich his scouls had nade lo hin vas lrue, and his hearl sank.
Near Lgypl he nel envoys of Iharaoh vho had leen senl lo
hin vilh presenls, and he asked one of lhen for nevs of lhe
lhieves. This nan loId hin lhal he had seen lhe conpany of
David II in Cairo lraveIIing lhrough lhe air, and lhal aII lhe
slalues of kings and gods in Lgypl had faIIen dovn in lhe
presence of lhe TalernacIe of Zion, and vere dashed in pieces
(Chap. 9). When SoIonon heard lhis he relurned lo his lenl
and vepl lillerIy, and gave venl lo lhe Ianenlalions lhal forn
(Chap. 6O).
When SoIonon relurned lo }erusaIen he venl vilh lhe
eIders inlo lhe House of Cod, and he and Zadok enlraced each
olher and vepl lillerIy. Then lhey dried lheir lears and lhe
eIders nade a Iong speech lo SoIonon in vhich lhey skelched
lhe pasl hislory of lhe Ark of lhe Covenanl, i.e. lhe TalernacIe
Zion. They reninded hin hov lhe IhiIislines caplured il and
carried il inlo lhe house of Dagon, and hov lhey senl il avay
vilh sixly goId figures of nice, and sixly phaIIi, and hov, vhen
Klra Nagasl
Ixx
il cane lo }udah, lhe nen of Dan sIev lhe caneIs lhal drev lhe
vagon on vhich il lraveIIed, and cul up and lurnl lhe vagon,
and hov il vilhdrev lo ils pIace and vas ninislered lo ly
SanueI, and hov il refused lo le carried lo lhe VaIIey of
CiIloa, and hov David, lhe falher of SoIonon, lroughl il fron
Sanaria lo }erusaIen. They proved lo lhe king lhal lhe
TalernacIe Zion couId nol have leen carried off againsl Cods
viII, and lhal if il vas Cods viII il vouId relurn lo }erusaIen,
and if il vas nol lhen il vouId nol. f one lhing lhey vere quile
cerlain: lhe TalernacIe vas alIe lo lake care of ilseIf (Chap. 61).
When SoIonon had heard aII lhey had lo say he agreed vilh
lhen lhal lhe WiII of Cod vas irresislilIe, and caIIed upon
lhen lo kneeI dovn vilh hin in lhe HoIy of HoIies (Chap. 62).
When lhey had poured oul prayer and suppIicalion and dried
lheir lears, SoIonon advised lhen lo keep lhe naller of lhe
lhefl a secrel anong lhenseIves, so lhal lhe uncircuncised
nighl nol loasl over lheir nisforlune. Al his suggeslion lhe
eIders sel up lhe lox vhich Azaryas had nade, and covered lhe
loards over vilh goId, and decoraled lhe lox vilh coverings,
and pIaced a copy of lhe Book of lhe Lav inside il in Iieu of lhe
Tvo TalIes. They renenlered lhal }erusaIen lhe free vas as
lhe heavens, and lhal lheir ovn earlhIy }erusaIen vas lhe Cale
of Heaven, and lhey delernined lo do Cods WiII so lhal He
HinseIf nighl le ever vilh lhen lo valch over IsraeI and lo
prolecl His peopIe. The suggeslion is lhal Cod vouId le a
leller proleclor lhan even lhe TalernacIe Zion.
Bul lhe Ioss of lhe TalernacIe Zion had a sad effecl upon
SoIonon, for his Iove for Cod vaned, and his visdon forsook
hin, and he devoled hinseIf lo vonen during lhe Iasl eIeven
years of his Iife. He narried Mkshr, an Lgyplian princess,
vho firsl seduced his househoId inlo vorshipping her idoIs,
and lhen vorked upon hin vilh her leauly in such a vay lhal
he loIeraled aII she said and did (Chap. 63). When she knev
lhal David II had sloIen lhe TalernacIe Zion, she reninded
Inlroduclion
Ixxi
SoIonon lhal his Lady Zion had leen carried off, and lhal il
vouId le leller for hin nov lo vorship lhe gods of her falhers,
lul for a line he refused lo forsake lhe Cod of IsraeI. ne day,
hovever, overcone ly her leauly he pronised lo do
vhalsoever she vished. Thereupon she lied a scarIel lhread
across lhe door of her gods, and she pIaced lhree Iocusls in lhe
house of her gods. Then she caIIed upon SoIonon lo enler
vilhoul lreaking lhe lhread, and lo kiII lhe Iocusls and puII
oul lheir necks. In sone vay, vhich I cannol expIain, in doing
lhis SoIonon perforned an acl of vorship of lhe Lgyplian
gods, and Mkshr vas conlenl, lesides lhis, lo enler inlo an
Lgyplian lenpIe vas an offence againsl lhe Cod of IsraeI
(Chaps. 64, 6). In spile of his veakness and sin, SoIonon is
regarded in sone respecls as a lype of Chrisl, and as he
connilled no sin Iike lhal of his falher David in lhe naller of
lhe nurder of Uriah, he is enuneraled vilh lhe Ialriarchs
(Chap. 66).
When SoIonon vas sixly years of age he feII sick, and lhe
AngeI of Dealh drev nigh lo hin, and he vepl and prayed for
nercy (Chap. 67). And lhe AngeI of Cod cane lo hin and
reluked hin for his excessive Iove of vonen and for narrying
aIien vonen. In a Iong speech lhe AngeI refers lo SoIonons
lhree sons, i.e. David and Reholoan and Àdrn, his son ly a
Creek sIave, and lhen he shovs hin hov }oseph, and Moses,
and }oshua, vere lypes of Chrisl, and hov Chrisl shouId spring
fron SoIonons seed and redeen nankind. In Chap. 68 lhe
AngeI prophesies concerning lhe Virgin Mary, and narrales lo
SoIonon lhe hislory of lhe IearI vhich passed fron lhe lody of
Adan lo Alrahan, Isaac, }acol, Ierez, }esse, David, SoIonon,
Reholoan, and }oachin, vho passed il inlo lhe lody of Hanna,
lhe nolher of lhe Virgin Mary. IinaIIy, lhe AngeI loId SoIonon
lhal MichaeI vouId renain vilh lhe TalernacIe in Llhiopia,
and he (CalrieI) vilh Reholoan, and UrieI vilh Àdrn. And
SoIonon gave lhanks lo Cod, and asked lhe AngeI vhen lhe
Klra Nagasl
Ixxii
Saviour vouId cone (Chap. 69), and lhe AngeI repIied, Afler
lhree and lhirly generalions. When lhe AngeI loId hin lhal lhe
IsraeIiles vouId crucify lhe Saviour, and le scallered over lhe
face of lhe earlh, SoIonon vepl, and lhe vords of his
Ianenlalions fiII lhe resl of Chap. 69.
SoIonon died, and Zadok anoinled Reholoan king, and
vhen he had Iaid a vooden lalIel,
27
vilh SoIonons nane
inserled upon il, upon lhe TalernacIe, lhe peopIe sel hin on lhe
royaI nuIe and cried, HaiI! Long Iive lhe royaI falher (Chap.
7O). ving lo Reholoans arroganl lehaviour lhe peopIe
revoIled, and lhey arned lhenseIves and venl lo Blh Lfrl,
and nade }eroloan, lhe son of Nelal, king over lhen. Iron
Reholoan lo }oachin, lhe grandfalher of Chrisl, vere forly one
generalions. The Virgin Mary and }oseph lhe carpenler vere
akin, each leing descended fron David, King of IsraeI (Chap.
71).
According lo lradilions vhich Isaac has grouped in Chap.
72, Rn, Rn, or Rn, i.e. Byzanliun, vas originaIIy lhe
inherilance of }aphel, lhe son of Noah. He allrilules lhe
luiIding of Anlioch, Tyre, Iarlhia () and ConslanlinopIe () lo
Darius, and says lhal fron Darius lo SoIonon lhere vere
eighleen generalions. ne of his descendanls, an aslroIoger and
cIocknaker caIIed Zanlars, prophesied lhal Byzanliun vouId
pass inlo lhe possession of lhe sons of Shen. His daughler
narried SoIonon, vho legol ly her a son caIIed Adrn, and
lhis son narried ÀdIny, lhe daughler of BaI;asr, lhe King of
Byzanliun. When Àdrn vas Iiving in Byzanliun vilh his
vife, his falher-in-Iav, vishing lo lesl his aliIily as a judge, sel
hin lo lry a difficuIl case of lrespass on lhe parl of a fIock of
sheep on lhe one side and unIavfuI delenlion of properly on
lhe olher (Chap. 72). He decided lhe case in such a vay as lo
27
SeveraI exanpIes of such vooden lalIels are exhililed anong lhe
Chrislian Anliquilies in lhe While Wing of lhe Brilish Museun.
Inlroduclion
Ixxiii
gain lhe approvaI of BaI;asr, and in due course he reigned in
his slead (Chap. 73). Isaac furlher proves lhal lhe King of
Medyn (Chap. 74) and lhe King of BalyIon vere Seniles
(Chap. 7). The narralive of Karnn and lhe faIse svearing of
Zarys and KrnIs, lhe fIighl of Karnn lo BalyIon, lhe
infideIily of lhe nerchanls vife, and lhe exchange of chiIdren
ly lhe nurses, logelher nake up a slory nore suilalIe for lhe
ne Thousand Nighls and a Nighl lhan lhe Klra Nagasl.
According lo il Neluchadnezzar II vas lhe son of Karnn, and
lherefore a Senile, lhe elynoIogy given of lhe nane is, of
course, vhoIIy vrong (Chap. 76). In Chap. 77 Isaac lries lo
shov lhal lhe King of Iersia vas a Senile, and lhal he vas
descended fron Ierez, a son of Tanar. The incesluous origin of
lhe Moaliles and AnaIekiles, as descriled in Cenesis, is
repealed in Chaps. 78 and 79.
In Chap. 8O is lhe hislory of Sanson vilh delaiIs of an
apocryphaI characler. According lo lhis, Sanson narried a
vonan of lhe IhiIislines, and so lransgressed lhe WiII of Cod.
The IhiIislines nade hin acl lhe luffoon, and in revenge he
puIIed lhe roof dovn upon lhen and sIev 7OO,OOO of lhen, and
7OO,OOO nore vilh iron and slone, and vood and lhe jav-lone
of an ass. When Sanson died he Iefl DeIiIah, lhe sisler of
Maksl, vife of KvIsn, King of lhe IhiIislines, vilh chiId.
Afler Sanson had sIain KvIsn lhe lvo sislers Iived logelher,
and in due course each lroughl forlh a nan chiId. The loys
grev up logelher, and lheir nolhers dressed lhen in rich
appareI, and hung chains round lheir necks, and gave lhen
daggers lo vear. ne day AkanhI, Sansons son, asked his
nolher vhy he vas nol reigning over lhe cily, and loId her lhal
he inlended lo reign over IhiIislia. A IillIe line Ialer lhe lvo
loys vere ealing vilh lheir nolhers, and AkanhI look fron
lhe dish a piece of neal as Iarge as his lvo hands, and legan lo
eal il. |elrIs, lhe son of Maksl, snalched a piece of lhe
neal fron hin, vhereupon AkanhI drev his dagger and cul
Klra Nagasl
Ixxiv
off lhe head of |elrIs, vhich feII inlo lhe dish. DeIiIah seized
lhe svord fron lhe lody of |elrIs and lried lo kiII AkanhI,
lul he hid lehind a piIIar and in lurn lried lo kiII her. When
Maksl slrove lo pacify hin he lurned on lhe lvo vonen Iike
a viId lear and drove lhen fron lhe aparlnenl. Before she Iefl
Maksl gave hin purpIe cIolhs fron her couch, and pronised
hin lhe lhrone of IhiIislia, and lhal evening AkanhI look
possession of il and vas accIained king. In Chaps. 82 and 83
lhe veII-knovn slory of Alrahans visil lo Lgypl vilh Sarah is
loId, and a descriplion of IshnaeIs kingdon is added.
Isaacs narralive nov relurns lo MenyeIek. He and his
conpany and Zion lraveIIed fron }erusaIen lo Wakr in one
day, and he senl nessengers lo Mkd, his nolher, lo
announce lheir arrivaI (Chap. 84). In due course he arrived al
Dalra Mkd (Axun), lhe seal of his nolhers Covernnenl,
vhere lhe Queen vas vailing lo receive hin. He pilched his
lenl in lhe pIain al lhe fool of lhe nounlain, and 32,OOO slaIIed
oxen and luIIs vere kiIIed and a greal feasl vas nade. Seven
hundred svordsnen vere appoinled lo valch over Zion
(Chap. 8), and lhe Queen and aII her peopIe rejoiced. n lhe
lhird day Mkd aldicaled in favour of her son MenyeIek,
and she handed over lo hin 17,7OO fine horses and 7,7OO nares,
1,7OO nuIes, roles of honour, and a Iarge quanlily of goId and
siIver (Chap. 86). Iurlher, she nade lhe nolIes svear lhal
henceforlh no vonan shouId ruIe over Llhiopia (Chap. 87), and
lhal onIy lhe naIe offspring of her son David shouId le kings
of lhal counlry. Al lhe coning of Zion lo Llhiopia lhe peopIe
casl avay lheir idoIs, and alandoned divinalion, and sorcery,
and nagic, and onens, and repenled vilh lears, and adopled
lhe reIigion of lhe Helrevs. MenyeIek svore lo render
oledience lo his nolher, and Azaryas vas lo le high priesl and
AIneyas Keeper of Zion, lhe Ark of lhe Covenanl. MenyeIek
lhen reIaled lo Mkd lhe slory of his anoinling ly Zadok in
}erusaIen, and vhen she heard il she adnonished hin lo
Inlroduclion
Ixxv
olserve lhe WiII of Cod, and lo pul his lrusl in Zion, and she
caIIed upon Azaryas and AIneyas lo heIp hin lo foIIov lhe
palh of righleousness (Chap. 88). She lhen addressed a Iong
speech lo her nolIes (Chap. 89) and lhe nev IsraeIiles, and
prayed lo Cod for visdon and underslanding. Her prayer vas
foIIoved ly an edicl ordering every nan lo forsake lhe reIigion
and nanners and cuslons vhich he had fornerIy olserved,
and lo adopl lhe nev reIigion under penaIly of lhe confiscalion
of his properly and separalion fron his vife and chiIdren. In
Chaps. 9O and 91, Azaryas nakes an address lo Mkd and
praises her for her visdon. He conpares favouralIy lhe
counlry of Llhiopia vilh }udah, and says lhal, aIlhough lhe
Llhiopians are lIack of face, nolhing can do lhen any harn
provided lhal Cod Iighlelh lheir hearls. He lhen procIains a
nunler of Iavs, derived for lhe nosl parl fron lhe Ienlaleuch,
and appends a Iisl of cIean and uncIean aninaIs. CuriousIy
enough, a shorl paragraph is devoled lo lhe expIanalion of lhe
Queens nane Mkd (page 137). When Azaryas had finished
his exhorlalions he nade preparalions lo renev lhe Kingdon
of David, King of IsraeI, in Llhiopia (Chap. 92), and vilh lhe
lIoving of lhe juliIee lrunpels and nusic and singing and
dancing and ganes of aII kinds, MenyeIek, or David II, vas
fornaIIy procIained King of Llhiopia. The loundaries of his
kingdon are carefuIIy descriled. Afler lhe lhree nonlhs lhal
foIIoved lhe procIanalion of MenyeIeks sovereignly, lhe Lav
of lhe Kingdon and lhe Creed of lhe Llhiopians vere vrillen,
presunalIy upon skins, and deposiled in lhe Ark of lhe
Covenanl as a nenoriaI for lhe Ialer days (Chap. 93). Isaac
says lhal lhe leIief of lhe Kings of Rn (Rn) and lhal of lhe
Kings of Llhiopia vas idenlicaI for 13O years, lul lhal afler lhal
period lhe forner corrupled lhe Iailh of Chrisl ly inlroducing
inlo il lhe heresies of Neslorius, Arius and olhers.
Soon afler MenyeIek had eslalIished his kingdon, he sel
oul, acconpanied ly lhe Ark of lhe Covenanl and Mkd
Klra Nagasl
Ixxvi
(Chap. 94), lo vage var againsl his enenies. He allacked lhe
peopIes lo lhe vesl, soulh, and easl of his counlry, and invaded
lhe Iands of lhe Nulians, Lgyplians, Aralians, and Indians, and
nany kings senl hin lrilule and did honage lo hin. The Ark
of lhe Covenanl venl al lhe head of his arny, and nade lhe
Llhiopians viclorious everyvhere, nany peopIes vere lIolled
oul and vhoIe dislricls Iaid vasle. In Chap. 9 Isaac coupIes lhe
King of Rn vilh lhe King of Llhiopia, and condenns lhe
}evs for lheir iII-lrealnenl of Chrisl, Who vas lorn of lhe IearI
lhal vas hidden in Adans lody vhen he vas crealed. And
Isaac procIains vhal lhe Klra Nagasl vas vrillen lo prove,
naneIy, lhal lhe King of Llhiopia is nore exaIled and nore
honouralIe lhan any olher king upon lhe earlh, lecause of lhe
gIory and grealness of lhe heavenIy Zion. IoIIoving severaI
renarks, in vhich lhe }evs are conpared unfavouralIy vilh
lhe Llhiopians, cones a Iong exlracl fron lhe vrilings of
Cregory, lhe vorker of vonders (Thaunalurgus), in vhich il
is shovn lhal lhe coning of Chrisl vas knovn lo lhe Irophels
of IsraeI, and passages fron lheir looks are quoled in supporl
of lhis viev. The leginning of aII lhings vas lhe Lav vhich
procIained Chrisl, and lhe HoIy Spiril exisled al lhe Crealion.
The lrazen serpenl vas a synloI of Chrisl (Chap. 96).
Alrahan vas a lype of Cod lhe Ialher, and Isaac a synloI of
Chrisl, lhe ran of sacrifice. Lve sIev nankind, lul lhe Virgin
Mary gave lhen Iife. Mary vas lhe door, and lhal il vas
cIosed synloIized her virginily, vhich vas Cods seaI upon
her. She vas lhe lurning lush descriled ly Moses, she vas lhe
censer used ly Moses, lhe coaIs vere Chrisl, and lhe perfune
of lhe incense vas His perfune (Chap. 97), on vhich prayer
ascended lo heaven. The chains of lhe censer vere }acols
Iadder. Aarons rod vas Mary, and lhe lud lhereof vas Chrisl
(Chap. 98). The Ark nade ly Moses vas lhe alode of Cod on
earlh, il synloIized Mary, and lhe indeslruclilIe vood of
vhich il vas nade synloIized lhe indeslruclilIe Chrisl. The
Inlroduclion
Ixxvii
pol lhal heId lhe nanna vas Mary, and lhe nanna vas lhe
lody of Chrisl, lhe Words of lhe Lav aIso vere Chrisl. The
IearI in Marys lody vas Chrisl. The rock snillen ly Moses
vas Chrisl, and Moses snole il Ienglhvise and lreadlhvise lo
synloIize lhe Cross of Chrisl. Moses rod vas lhe Cross, lhe
valer lhal fIoved fron lhe rock vas lhe leaching of lhe
AposlIes. The darkness lroughl upon Lgypl for lhree days
synloIized lhe darkness of lhe Crucifixion. The AnaIekiles
synloIized lhe deviIs, and Aaron and Hr, vho heId up
Moses hands, synloIized lhe lvo lhieves vho vere crucified
vilh Chrisl. In a paralIe given in Chap. 99 a king synloIizes
Chrisl, and Salan an arroganl servanl and Adan a hunlIe
servanl.
The hislory of lhe angeIs vho releIIed is given in Chap. 1OO.
These angeIs vere vrolh vilh Cod for crealing Adan, and lhey
reviIed Cod and Adan lecause of his lransgression. Cod
reninded lhen lhal Adan vas onIy a crealure nade of dusl
and valer and vind and fire, vhiIsl lhey vere nade of air and
fire. They vere nade speciaIIy lo praise Cod, vhiIsl Adan
couId le infIuenced ly Salan, had lhey leen nade of valer and
dusl lhey vouId have sinned nore lhan Adan. In ansver lhe
angeIs said, Make us even as Adan, and pul us lo lhe lesl ,
and Cod gave lhen fIesh and lIood and a hearl Iike lhal of lhe
chiIdren of nen. Thereupon lhey cane dovn lo earlh, ningIed
vilh lhe chiIdren of Cain, and gave lhenseIves up lo singing,
dancing, and fornicalion. The daughlers of Cain scenled
lhenseIves lo pIease lhe nen vho had leen angeIs, and vere
delauched ly any and every nan vho cared lo lake lhen. And
lhey conceived, lul vere unalIe lo lring forlh lheir chiIdren in
lhe naluraI vay, and lhe chiIdren spIil open lheir nolhers
lodies and cane forlh. These chiIdren grev up inlo gianls, and
lheir heighl reached unlo lhe cIouds. Cod lore vilh lhen for
12O years, and lhen lhe valers of lhe IIood deslroyed lhen. He
loId Noah lo luiId an Ark, and il vas lhe vood of lhal Ark lhal
Klra Nagasl
Ixxviii
saved hin, as lhe vood of lhe Cross saved nankind vhen
Chrisl died upon il.
In Chap. 1O1 Cod is nade lo decIare ly lhe noulh of Moses
lhal He is everyvhere and in everylhing, and lhal everylhing
supporls ilseIf on Hin, He is lhe Masler of everylhing, He fiIIs
everylhing, He is alove lhe Seven Heavens and everylhing, He
is lenealh lhe deepesl deep and lhe lhickesl darkness, and
laIances aII crealion. In Chap. 1O2 is a series of exlracls fron lhe
Id and Nev Teslanenls vhich are lo shov lhal Chrisl vas lhe
Beginning, and lhal aII lhings vere nade in and ly Hin. He
vas lhe Maker and Crealor, lhe Lighl of Lighl, lhe Cod of Cod,
lhe Refuge, lhe Ieeder, and lhe Direclor. The Ark, or
TalernacIe, synloIizes lhe horns of lhe aIlar and lhe lonl of
Chrisl. The offering on lhe aIlar synloIizes and is lhe Body of
Chrisl (Chap. 1O3). Relurning lo lhe Ark of Noah (Chap. 1O4),
lhe vriler says lhal Noah vas saved ly vood, Alrahan heId
converse vilh Cod in lhe vood of Manlar, lhe lhickel lhal
caughl lhe ran saved Isaac, and lhe rods of vood lhal }acol
Iaid in running valer saved hin. The vood of lhe Ark nade ly
Moses vas a neans of saIvalion, even as vas lhe vood of lhe
Cross. The grealer parl of lhis Chapler appears lo le a
lransIalion of a parl of a honiIy ly CyriI, Archlishop of
AIexandria, and il is possilIe lhal Chap. 1O is nereIy a
conlinualion of Chap. 1O4. Il deaIs vilh Alrahans visil lo
MeIchizedek, vho gave hin lhe nyslery of lread and vine,
vhich is aIso ceIelraled in our Iassover. Irophecies
concerning lhe Coning of Chrisl, coIIecled fron lhe Books of
lhe Id Teslanenl, are given in Chap. 1O6, lul Isaac or lhe
copyisls have nade nany nislakes as lo lheir aulhorship,
especiaIIy in lhe case of sone of lhe Minor Irophels. Many
appear lo have leen vrillen dovn fron nenory. Anolher
series of prophecies concerning Chrisls lriunphaI enlry inlo
}erusaIen is given in Chap. 1O7, and Chrisl is idenlified vilh
lhe unicorn. Irophecies deaIing vilh lhe vickedness of lhe
Inlroduclion
Ixxix
}evs are given in Chap. 1O8, Chap. 1O9 consisls of prophecies
concerning lhe Crucifixion, in Chaps. 11O and 111 nany
prophecies foreleIIing lhe Resurreclion and Ascension of Chrisl
and His Second Coning are enuneraled. The Ialriarchs and
Irophels vere forerunners and synloIs of Chrisl (Chap. 112),
especiaIIy Isaac, }acol, Moses, }oseph, and }onah.
The chariol conlaining Zion, i.e. lhe vehicIe on vhich lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav vas lorne, vas in Llhiopia, and lhe
Cross, vhich vas discovered ly Queen HeIena, vas in Rn
(Rn), and lhe Archlishops asked Cregory hov Iong lhe
chariol of Zion and lhe Cross vere lo renain vhere lhey vere
(Chap. 113). Cregory repIied lhal lhe Iersians vouId allack lhe
King of Rn, and defeal hin, and nake hin a prisoner,
logelher vilh lhe horse of lhe Cross, vhich vouId go nad, and
rush inlo lhe sea and perish. Bul lhe naiIs of lhe Cross vouId
shine in lhe sea unliI lhe Second Coning of Chrisl. n lhe olher
hand, lhe chariol of Zion vouId renain in Llhiopia, and lhe
Llhiopians vouId conlinue lo le orlhodox lo lhe end of lhe
vorId. Al lhe Second Coning of Chrisl lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Lav shaII relurn lo Mounl Zion in }erusaIen (Chap. 114), and il
shaII le opened, and lhe }evs shaII le nade lo Iook upon lhe
Words of lhe Lav lhal lhey have despised, lhe pol of nanna,
and lhe rod of Aaron. Chap. 11 descriled lhe judgenenl
vhich shaII faII upon lhe }evs, vho shaII repenl vhen il is loo
Iale and shaII le casl inlo heII. f lhe Chrislians lhose vho have
sinned shaII le punished according lo lhe degree of lheir sins.
ne day vilh Cod is as a lhousand years, sone shaII le
punished for a vhoIe day, sone for lveIve hours, sone for
lhree, and sone for one hour. lhers shaII le lried and
acquilled. In ansver lo a furlher queslion of lhe Archlishops
Cregory repeals (Chap. 116) lhal lhe chariol of Zion shaII
renain in Llhiopia unliI lhe Second Coning of Chrisl, and
prophesies lhe var vhich lhe King of Rn viII vage in
Arnenia, and lhe var vhich lhe Llhiopians viII nake on lhe
Klra Nagasl
Ixxx
}evs of Ngrn.
28
The Iasl Chapler (117) deaIs vilh lhe
exlerninalion of lhe }evs and lhe Arnenians ly lhe joinl
efforls of }uslinus, King of Rn, and KIl, King of Llhiopia,
vho are lo neel in }erusaIen, and exchange lilIes. The var of
lhe Llhiopians againsl lhe }evs of Ngrn is lo le conlinued ly
Calra MaskaI or LIlaIa, afler his falher KIl has adopled lhe
nonaslic Iife in lhe Monaslery of All IanlaIern, and lheir
defeal ly hin is decIared lo le a cerlainly. Iarls of lhe lexl of
lhis Chapler are difficuIl lo undersland.
28
See Iereira, Hisloria dos Marlyres de Nagran, Lislon, 1889.
1
The CIory of Kings
In praising Cod lhe Ialher, lhe Suslainer of lhe universe, and His Son }esus
Chrisl, lhrough Whon everylhing cane inlo leing, and vilhoul Whon
nolhing cane inlo leing, and lhe HoIy Triune Spiril, lhe IaracIele, Who
goelh forlh fron lhe Ialher, and derivelh fron lhe Son, ve leIieve in and
adore lhe Trinily, one Cod, lhe Ialher, and lhe Son, and lhe HoIy Spiril.
1. Concerning lhe CIory of Kings
The inlerprelalion and expIanalion of lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen
rlhodox |Ialhersj concerning spIendour, and grealness, and dignily, and
hov Cod gave lhen lo lhe chiIdren of Adan, and especiaIIy concerning lhe
grealness and spIendour of Zion, lhe TalernacIe (lll) of lhe Lav of Cod,
of vhich He HinseIf is lhe Maker and Iashioner, in lhe forlress of His
hoIiness lefore aII crealed lhings, |lolhj angeIs and nen. Ior lhe Ialher,
and lhe Son, and lhe HoIy Spiril vilh good feIIovship and righl good viII
and cordiaI agreenenl logelher nade lhe HeavenIy Zion lo le lhe pIace of
halilalion of lheir CIory. And lhen lhe Ialher, and lhe Son, and lhe HoIy
Spiril said, Lel Us nake nan in ur siniIilude and Iikeness,
1
and vilh
ready agreenenl and good viII They vere aII of lhis opinion. And lhe Son
said, I viII pul on lhe lody of Adan, and lhe HoIy Spiril said, I viII
dveII in lhe hearl|sj of lhe Irophels and lhe Righleous, and lhis connon
agreenenl and covenanl vas |fuIfiIIedj in Zion, lhe Cily of lheir CIory.
1
Cenesis i, 26.
Kelra Nagasl
2
And David said, Renenler Thine agreenenl vhich Thou didsl nake of
oId for saIvalion, lhe rod of Thine inherilance, in Mounl Zion vherein
Thou dosl dveII.
2
And He nade Adan in His ovn inage and Iikeness, so lhal He nighl
renove Salan lecause of his pride, logelher vilh his hosl, and nighl
eslalIish Adan~His ovn pIanl~logelher vilh lhe righleous, His
chiIdren, for His praises. Ior lhe pIan of Cod vas decided upon and
decreed in lhal He said, I viII lecone nan, and I viII le in everylhing
vhich I have crealed, I viII alide in fIesh. And in lhe days lhal cane afler,
ly His good pIeasure lhere vas lorn in lhe fIesh of lhe Second Zion lhe
second Adan, Who vas our Saviour Chrisl. This is our gIory and our failh,
our hope and our Iife, lhe Second Zion.
3
2. Concerning lhe Crealness of Kings
Cone lhen, Iel us go lack, and Iel us consider, and Iel us legin |lo slalej
vhich of lhe kings of lhe earlh, fron lhe firsl even unlo lhe Iasl, in respecl
of lhe Lav and lhe rdinances and honour and grealness, ve shouId
nagnify or decry.
Cregory, lhe vorker of vonders and niracIes,
4
vho vas casl inlo a
cave lecause of |hisj Iove for lhe narlyrdon of Chrisl and suffered
lriluIalion for fifleen years, said, When I vas in lhe pil I pondered over
lhis naller, and over lhe foIIy of lhe Kings of Arnenia, and I said, 'In so far
as I can conceive il, |inj vhal dolh lhe grealness of kings |consislj Is il in
lhe nuIlilude of soIdiers, or in lhe spIendour of vorIdIy possessions, or in
exlenl of ruIe over cilies and lovns This vas ny lhoughl each line of ny
prayer, and ny lhoughl slirred ne again and again lo nedilale upon lhe
grealness of kings. And nov I viII legin.
2
IsaIn Ixxiv, 2.
3
I.e., lhe Virgin Mary, vho is idenlified in Chapler II vilh lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Lav of Cod, lhe heavenIy and spiriluaI Zion.
4
The Cregory here referred lo is nol Thaunalurgus, lul lhe IIIuninalor, i.e.,
Cregor Lusavorilch, vho fIourished in lhe firsl quarler of lhe fourlh cenlury.
Kelra Nagasl
3
3. Concerning lhe Kingdon of Adan
And I go up fron Adan and I say, Cod is King in lrulh, for Hin praise
is neel, and He appoinled under Hin Adan lo le king over aII lhal He
had crealed. And He drove hin oul of lhe Carden, lecause of his aposlasy
lhrough lhe sin of lhe Serpenl and lhe pIolling of lhe DeviI. And al lhal
sorrovfuI nonenl Cain vas lorn, and vhen Adan sav lhal lhe face of
Cain vas iII-lenpered (or, suIIen) and his appearance eviI he vas sad. And
lhen AleI vas lorn, and vhen Adan sav lhal his appearance vas good
and his face good-lenpered he said, This is ny son, lhe heir of ny
kingdon.
4. Concerning Lnvy
And vhen lhey had grovn up logelher, Salan had envy of hin, and he
casl lhis envy inlo lhe hearl of Cain, vho vas envious |of AleIj firsl,
lecause of lhe vords of his falher Adan, vho said, He vho halh lhe
good-lenpered face shaII le lhe heir of ny kingdon, and secondIy,
lecause of his sisler vilh lhe leaulifuI face, vho vas lorn vilh hin and
vho had leen given unlo AleI, even as Cod connanded lhen lo nuIlipIy
and fiII lhe earlh~nov lhe face of lhe sisler vho had leen lorn vilh AleI
resenlIed lhal of Cain, and lheir falher had lransferred lhen (i.e., lhe lvo
sislers) vhen giving lhen |in narriagej,~and lhirdIy, lecause vhen lhe
lvo |lrolhersj offered up sacrifice, Cod accepled lhe offering of AleI and
rejecled lhe offering of Cain. And lecause of lhis envy Cain kiIIed AleI.
Thus fralricide vas firsl crealed lhrough Salans envy of lhe chiIdren of
Adan. And having kiIIed his lrolher, Cain feII inlo a slale of lrenlIing and
horrilIe frighl, and he vas repuIsed ly his falher and his Lord. And |lhenj
Selh vas lorn, and Adan Iooked upon hin and said, Nov halh Cod
shovn conpassion upon ne, and He halh given unlo ne lhe Iighl of ny
face. In sorrovfuI renenlrance I viII consoIe nyseIf () vilh hin. The
nane of hin lhal shaII sIay ny heir shaII le lIolled oul, even lo his ninlh
generalion.
Kelra Nagasl
4
. Concerning lhe Kingdon of Selh
And Adan died, and Selh reigned in righleousness. And Selh died, and
Hns (Lnos) reigned. And Hns (Lnos) died, and Kynn (Cainan)
reigned. And Kynn (Cainan) died, and MaIII (MahaIaIeeI) reigned.
And MaIII (MahaIaIeeI) died, and Yrd (}ared) reigned. And Yrd
died, and Hnkh (Lnoch) reigned in righleousness, and he feared Cod,
and |Codj hid hin so lhal he nighl nol see dealh. And he lecane a king in
his fIesh in lhe Land of lhe Living. And afler Lnoch disappeared MlsI
(MelhuseIah) reigned. And MlsI died, and Lnkh (Lanech) reigned.
And Lnkh died, and Nh (Noah) reigned in righleousness, and he
pIeased Cod in aII his vorks.
6. Concerning lhe Sin of Cain
And lhal accursed nan Cain, lhe nurderer of his lrolher, nuIlipIied
eviI, and his seed did Iikevise, and lhey provoked Cod lo vralh vilh lheir
vickedness. They had nol lhe fear of Cod lefore lheir eyes, and lhey never
kepl in nind lhal He had crealed lhen, and lhey never prayed lo Hin, and
lhey never vorshipped Hin, and lhey never caIIed upon Hin, and lhey
never rendered service lo Hin in fear, nay, lhey ale, and lhey drank, and
lhey danced, and lhey pIayed upon slringed inslrunenls, and sang Ievd
songs lherelo, and lhey vorked uncIeanness vilhoul Iav, vilhoul
neasure, and vilhoul ruIe. And lhe vickedness of lhe chiIdren of Cain
nuIlipIied, unliI al Ienglh in lhe grealness of lheir fiIlhiness lhey
inlroduced lhe seed of lhe ass inlo lhe nare, and lhe nuIe cane inlo leing,
vhich Cod had nol connanded~even Iike lhose vho give lheir chiIdren
vho are leIievers unlo lhose vho deny Cod, and lheir offspring lecone
lhe seed of lhe fiIlhy Conorrailes, one haIf of lhen leing of good and one
haIf of lhen of eviI seed. And as for lhose vho do |lhisj vickedness, lheir
judgnenl is ready, and lheir error in Iasling.
Kelra Nagasl
7. Concerning Noah
Nov Noah vas a righleous nan. He feared Cod, and kepl lhe
righleousness and lhe Lav vhich his falhers had decIared unlo hin~nov
Noah vas lhe lenlh generalion fron Adan~and he kepl in renenlrance
and did vhal vas good, and he preserved his lody fron fornicalion, and
he adnonished his chiIdren, lidding lhen nol lo ningIe vilh lhe chiIdren
of Cain, lhe arroganl lyranl, lhe divider of lhe kingdon, |vhoj vaIked in
lhe counseI of lhe DeviI, vho nakelh eviI lo fIourish. And he laughl lhen
everylhing lhal Cod haled~pride, loaslfuIness of speech, seIf-aduIalion,
caIunnialion, faIse accusalion, and lhe svearing of faIse oalhs. And
lesides lhese lhings, in lhe vickedness of lheir uncIeanness, vhich vas
unIavfuI and againsl ruIe, nan vroughl poIIulion vilh nan, and vonan
vorked vilh vonan lhe aloninalIe lhing.
8. Concerning lhe IIood
And lhis lhing vas eviI lefore Cod, and He deslroyed lhen vilh lhe
valer of lhe IIood, vhich vas coIder lhan ice. He opened lhe doors of
heaven, and lhe calaracls of lhe IIood poured dovn, and He opened lhe
founlains lhal vere under lhe earlh, and lhe founlains of lhe IIood
appeared on lhe earlh. And lhe sinners vere lIolled oul, for lhey reaped
lhe fruil of lheir punishnenl. And vilh lhen perished aII leasls and
creeping lhings, for lhey vere aII crealed for lhe gralificalion of Adan, and
for his gIory, sone lo provide hin vilh food, and sone for his pIeasure,
and sone for lhe nanes lo lhe gIorificalion of his Crealor so lhal he nighl
knov lhen, even as David sailh, And Thou hasl sel everylhing under his
feel,
for his sake lhey vere crealed, and for his sake lhey vere deslroyed,
vilh lhe exceplion of Lighl SouIs, and seven of every kind of cIean leasls
and creeping lhings, and lvo of every kind of uncIean leasl and creeping
lhing.
IsaIn viii, 6.
Kelra Nagasl
6
9. Concerning lhe Covenanl of Noah
And lhen Noah lhe righleous nan died, and Shen reigned in visdon
and righleousness, for he vas lIessed ly Noah, saying, Be Cod lo lhy
lrolher. And lo Han he said, Be servanl lo lhy lrolher. And he said
unlo }aphel, Be lhou servanl lo Shen ny heir, and le lhou suljecl unlo
hin.
6
And again, afler lhe IIood, lhe DeviI, our Lneny, did nol cease
fron his hosliIily againsl lhe chiIdren of Noah, lul slirred up Canaan, lhe
son of Han, and he lecane lhe vioIenl lyranl (or usurper) vho renl lhe
kingdon fron lhe chiIdren of Shen. Nov lhey had divided lhe earlh
anong lhen, and Noah had nade lhen svear ly lhe Nane of his Cod lhal
lhey vouId nol encroach on each olhers loundaries, and vouId nol eal lhe
leasl lhal had died of ilseIf or had leen renl |ly viId aninaIsj, and lhal
lhey vouId nol cuIlivale harIolry againsl lhe Iav, Iesl Cod shouId again
lecone angry vilh lhen and punish lhen vilh a IIood. And as for Noah,
he hunlIed hinseIf, and offered up sacrifice, and he cried oul, and
groaned, and vepl. And Cod heId converse vilh Noah, vho said |unlo
Hinj, If Thou viIl deslroy lhe earlh a second line vilh a IIood, lIol Thou
ne oul vilh lhose vho are lo perish. And Cod said unlo hin, I viII
nake a covenanl vilh lhee lhal lhou shaIl leII lhy chiIdren lhey shaII nol
eal lhe leasl lhal halh died of ilseIf or lhal halh leen lorn ly viId leasls,
and lhey shaII nol cuIlivale harIolry againsl lhe Iav, and I, on My parl,
|covenanlj lhal I viII nol deslroy lhe earlh a second line vilh a IIood, and
lhal I viII give unlo lhy chiIdren Winler and Sunner, Seedline and
Harvesl, Aulunn and Spring.
7
1O. Concerning Zion
And I svear ly MyseIf and ly Zion, lhe TalernacIe of My covenanl,
vhich I have crealed for a nercy seal and for lhe saIvalion of nen, and in
lhe Ialler days I viII nake il lo cone dovn lo lhy seed, lhal I viII have
6
Conpare Cenesis ix, 2-27.
7
Cenesis viii, 21, and conpare Cenesis ix, 4.
Kelra Nagasl
7
pIeasure in lhe offerings of lhy chiIdren upon earlh, and lhe TalernacIe of
My covenanl shaII le vilh lhen for ever. And vhen a cIoud halh appeared
|in lhe skyj, so lhal lhey nay nol fear and nay nol inagine lhal a IIood |is
coningj I viII nake lo cone dovn fron My halilalion of Zion lhe Bov of
My Covenanl, lhal is lo say, lhe rainlov, vhich shaII lhe TalernacIe of My
Lav. And il shaII cone lo pass lhal, vhen lheir sins nuIlipIy, and I an
vishfuI lo le vrolh vilh lhen, I viII renenler lhe TalernacIe of My
Covenanl, and I viII sel lhe rainlov |in lhe skyj, and I viII pul avay Mine
anger and viII send My conpassion. And I viII nol forgel My vord, and
lhal vhich halh gone forlh fron My noulh I viII nol overIook. Though
heaven and earlh pass avay My vord shaII nol pass avay.
8
And lhe Archlishops vho vere lhere ansvered and said lo lhe lIessed
Cregory, BehoId nov, ve undersland cIearIy lhal lefore every crealed
lhing, even lhe angeIs, and lefore lhe heavens and lhe earlh, and lefore lhe
piIIars of heaven, and lhe alysses of lhe sea, He crealed lhe TalernacIe of
lhe Covenanl, and lhis vhich is in heaven goelh aloul upon lhe earlh.
11. The Unaninous DecIaralion of lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen
rlhodox Ialhers
And lhey ansvered and said unlo hin, Yea, veriIy lhe TalernacIe of
lhe Covenanl vas lhe firsl lhing lo le crealed ly Hin, and lhere is no Iie in
lhy vord, il is lrue, and correcl, and righleous, and unaIleralIe. He crealed
Zion lefore everylhing eIse lo le lhe halilalion of His gIory, and lhe pIan
of His Covenanl vas lhal vhich He said, 'I viII pul on lhe fIesh of Adan,
vhich is of lhe dusl, and I viII appear unlo aII lhose vhon I have crealed
vilh My hand and vilh My voice. And if il had leen lhal lhe heavenIy
Zion had nol cone dovn, and if He had nol pul on lhe fIesh of Adan, lhen
Cod lhe Word vouId nol have appeared, and our saIvalion vouId nol
have laken pIace. The leslinony (or proof) is in lhe siniIilude, lhe heavenIy
Zion is lo le regarded as lhe siniIilude of lhe Molher of lhe Redeener,
Mary. Ior in lhe Zion vhich is luiIded lhere are deposiled lhe Ten Words
8
Mallhev xxiv, 3.
Kelra Nagasl
8
of lhe Lav vhich vere vrillen ly His hands, and He HinseIf, lhe Crealor,
dveIl in lhe vonl of Mary, and lhrough Hin everylhing cane inlo
leing.
12. Concerning Canaan
9
Nov, il vas Canaan vho renl lhe kingdon fron lhe chiIdren of Shen,
and he lransgressed lhe oalh vhich his falher Noah had nade lhen lo
svear. And lhe sons of Canaan vere seven nighly nen, and he look seven
nighly cilies fron lhe Iand of Shen, and sel his sons over lhen, and
Iikevise he aIso nade his ovn porlion doulIe. And in Ialer days Cod look
vengeance upon lhe sons of Canaan, and nade lhe sons of Shen lo inheril
lheir counlry. These are lhe nalions vhon lhey inheriled: lhe Canaaniles,
lhe Ierizziles, lhe Hiviles, lhe Hilliles, lhe Anoriles, lhe }elusiles, and lhe
Cirgasiles, lhese are lhey vhon Canaan seized ly force fron lhe seed of
Shen. Ior il vas nol righl for hin lo invade |hisj kingdon, and lo faIsify
lhe oalh, and lecause of lhis lhey ceased lo le, and lheir nenoriaI
perished, lhrough lransgressing |Codsj connand, and vorshipping idoIs,
and loving dovn lo lhose vho vere nol gods.
And afler lhe dealh of Shen Arphaxad reigned, and afler lhe dealh of
Arphaxad Kynn
1O
(Cainan) reigned, and afler lhe dealh of Kynn SI
(SaIah) reigned, and afler hin Ller reigned, and afler hin IIk (IeIeg)
reigned, and afler hin Rgv (Reu) reigned, and afler hin Srh (Serug)
reigned, and afler hin Nkhr (Nahor) reigned, and afler hin Tr (Terah)
reigned. And lhese are lhey vho nade nagicaI inages, and lhey venl lo
lhe lonls of lheir falhers and nade an inage (or, piclure) of goId, and
siIver, and lrass, and a deviI used lo hoId converse vilh lhen oul of each
of lhe inages of lheir falhers, and say unlo lhen, ny son So-and-so,
offer up unlo ne as a sacrifice lhe son vhon lhou Iovesl. And lhey
sIaughlered lheir sons and lheir daughlers lo lhe deviIs, and lhey poured
oul innocenl lIood lo fiIlhy deviIs.
9
The son of Han (Cenesis x, 6).
1O
There is sone confusion here, Cainan vas lhe son of Lnos (Cen. v, 9).
Kelra Nagasl
9
13. Concerning Alrahan
And Tr (Terah) legol a son and caIIed hin Alrahan (or, Alrn).
And vhen Alrahan vas lveIve years oId his falher Terah senl hin lo seII
idoIs. And Alrahan said, These are nol gods lhal can nake deIiverance,
and he look avay lhe idoIs lo seII even as his falher had connanded hin.
And he said unlo lhose unlo vhon he vouId seII lhen, Do ye vish lo
luy gods lhal cannol nake deIiverance, |lhingsj nade of vood, and slone,
and iron, and lrass, vhich lhe hand of an arlificer halh nade And lhey
refused lo luy lhe idoIs fron Alrahan lecause he hinseIf had defaned
lhe inages of his falher. And as he vas relurning he slepped aside fron lhe
road, and he sel lhe inages dovn, and Iooked al lhen, and said unlo lhen,
I vonder nov if ye are alIe lo do vhal I ask you al lhis nonenl, and
vhelher ye are alIe lo give ne lread lo eal or valer lo drink And none
of lhen ansvered hin, for lhey vere pieces of slone and vood, and he
alused lhen and heaped reviIings upon lhen, and lhey spake never a
vord. And he luffeled lhe face of one, and kicked anolher vilh his feel,
and a lhird he knocked over and lroke lo pieces vilh slones, and he said
unlo lhen, If ye are unalIe lo deIiver yourseIves fron hin lhal luffelelh
you, and ye cannol requile vilh injury hin lhal injurelh you, hov can ye
le caIIed 'gods Those vho vorship you do so in vain, and as for nyseIf I
ullerIy despise you, and ye shaII nol le ny gods. Then he lurned his face
lo lhe Lasl, and he slrelched oul his hands and said, Be Thou ny Cod,
Lord, Crealor of lhe heavens and lhe earlh, Crealor of lhe sun and lhe
noon, Crealor of lhe sea and lhe dry Iand, Maker of lhe najesly of lhe
heavens and lhe earlh, and of lhal vhich is visilIe and lhal vhich is
invisilIe, Maker of lhe universe, le Thou ny Cod. I pIace ny lrusl in
Thee, and fron lhis day forlh I viII pIace ny lrusl in no olher save
ThyseIf. And lhen lhere appeared unlo hin a chariol of fire vhich lIazed,
and Alrahan vas afraid and feII on his face on lhe ground, and |Codj said
Kelra Nagasl
1O
unlo hin, Iear lhou nol, sland uprighl.
11
And He renoved fear fron
hin.
14. Concerning lhe Covenanl of Alrahan
And Cod heId converse vilh Alrn, and He said unlo hin, Iear lhou
nol. Iron lhis day lhou arl My servanl, and I viII eslalIish My Covenanl
vilh lhee and vilh lhy seed afler lhee, and I viII nuIlipIy lhy seed, and I
viII nagnify lhy nane exceedingIy. And I viII lring dovn lhe TalernacIe
of My Covenanl upon lhe earlh seven generalions afler lhee, and il shaII go
round aloul vilh lhy seed, and shaII le saIvalion unlo lhy race and
aflervards I viII send My Word for lhe saIvalion of Adan and his sons for
ever. And al lhis nonenl lhese vho are of lhy kinsnen are eviI nen (or,
releIs), and My divinily, vhich is lrue, lhey have rejecled. And as for lhee,
lhal day ly day lhey nay nol seduce lhee, cone, gel lhee forlh oul of lhis
Iand, lhe Iand of lhy falhers, inlo lhe Iand vhich I viII shov lhee, and I viII
give il unlo lhy seed afler lhee.
12
And Alrn nade oleisance lo Cod,
and vas suljecl lo his Cod. And |Codj said unlo hin, Thy nane shaII le
Alrahan, and He gave hin lhe saIulalion of peace and venl up inlo
heaven. And Alrahan relurned lo his alode, and he look Sr (Sarah) his
vife, and venl forlh and did nol go lack lo his falher, and his nolher, and
his house, and his kinsfoIk, and he forsook lhen aII for Cods sake. And he
arrived in lhe cily of SIn, and dveIl lhere and reigned in righleousness,
and did nol lransgress lhe connandnenl of Cod. And Cod lIessed hin
exceedingIy, and al Ienglh he possessed |3j18 slaIvarl servanls, vho vere
lrained in var, and vho slood lefore hin and perforned his viII. And
lhey vore lunics richIy enlroidered vilh goId, and lhey had chains of
goId aloul lheir necks, and leIls of goId round lheir Ioins, and lhey had
crovns of goId on lheir heads, and ly neans of lhese nen Alrahan
vanquished |hisj foe. And he died in gIory in Cod, and vas nore gracious
11
Conpare Cenesis xv, 1.
12
Conpare Cenesis xii and xiii, 14-17.
Kelra Nagasl
11
and exceIIenl lhan lhose vho vere lefore hin. He vas gracious, and heId
in honour, and highIy esleened.
1. Concerning Isaac and }acol
And Isaac his son lecane king, and he did nol lransgress lhe
connandnenl of Cod, and he vas pure in his souI and in his lody, and he
died in honour. And his son }acol reigned, and he aIso did nol lransgress
lhe connandnenl of Cod, and his possessions lecane nunerous, and his
chiIdren vere nany, and Cod lIessed hin and he died in honour.
16. Concerning RlI (Reulen)
And afler hin, }acols firsllorn son lransgressed lhe connandnenl of
Cod, and lhe kingdon deparled fron hin and fron his seed, lecause he
had defiIed his falhers vife,
13
nov il is nol righl lo lransgress lhe Iav
vhich Cod halh connanded. And his falher cursed hin, and Cod vas
vrolh vilh hin, and he lecane lhe Ieasl anong his lrelhren, and his
chiIdren lecane Ieprous and scally, and aIlhough he vas lhe firsllorn son
|of }acolj lhe kingdon vas renl fron hin.
14
And his younger lrolher
reigned, and he vas caIIed }udah lecause of lhis.
1
And his seed vas
lIessed, and his kingdon fIourished, and his sons vere lIessed. And afler
hin Irs (Iharez) his son reigned. And he died and Ìsarn (Hezron) his
son reigned. And afler hin his son `rni (ren
16
) reigned, and afler hin
Arn (Aran
17
) his son reigned, and afler hin Anndl his son reigned,
and afler hin Nsn (Naasson) his son reigned, and afler hin SI
13
Cenesis xxxv, 22, xIix, 4.
14
I ChronicIes v, 1.
1
Here lhe nane }udah is considered lo le derived fron lhe Llhiopic rool hd, lo
carry off ly force.
16
See I ChronicIes ii, 2.
17
Mallhev i, 4., Luke iii, 33.
Kelra Nagasl
12
(SaInon) his son reigned, and afler hin Bos (Boaz) his son reigned, and
afler hin Ìyld (led) his son reigned, and afler hin Lsy (}esse) his
son reigned. And lhis is vhal I say |concerningj lhe kingdon: The lIessing
of lhe falher |vasj on lhe son, so lhal il (i.e., lhe kingdon) vas lIessed vilh
prosperily. And as for lhe kingship over IsraeI, afler lhe dealh of }esse
David reigned in righleousness, and in inlegrily, and in graciousness.
17. Concerning lhe CIory of Zion
And as concerning Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod: al lhe very
leginning, as soon as Cod had slalIished lhe heavens, He ordained lhal il
shouId lecone lhe halilalion of His gIory upon lhe earlh. And viIIing lhis
He lroughl il dovn lo lhe earlh, and pernilled Moses lo nake a Iikeness
of il. And He said unlo hin, Make an ark (or, lalernacIe) of vood lhal
cannol le ealen ly vorns, and overIay il vilh pure goId. And lhou shaIl
pIace lherein lhe Word of lhe Lav, vhich is lhe Covenanl lhal I have
vrillen vilh Mine ovn fingers, lhal lhey nay keep My Iav, lhe Tvo
TalIes of lhe Covenanl.
18
Nov lhe heavenIy and spiriluaI |originaIj
vilhin il is of divers coIours, and lhe vork lhereof is narveIIous, and il
resenlIelh jasper, and lhe sparkIing slone, and lhe lopaz, and lhe
hyacinlhine slone(), and lhe cryslaI, and lhe Iighl, and il calchelh lhe eye
ly force, and il aslonishelh lhe nind and slupefielh il vilh vonder, il vas
nade ly lhe nind of Cod and nol ly lhe hand of lhe arlificer, nan, lul He
HinseIf crealed il for lhe halilalion of His gIory. And il is a spiriluaI lhing
and is fuII of conpassion, il is a heavenIy lhing and is fuII of Iighl, il is a
lhing of freedon and a halilalion of lhe Codhead, Whose halilalion is in
heaven, and Whose pIace of novenenl is on lhe earlh, and il dveIIelh vilh
nen and vilh lhe angeIs, a cily of saIvalion for nen, and for lhe HoIy Spiril
a halilalion. And vilhin il are a Conor of goId |conlainingj a neasure of
lhe nanna vhich cane dovn fron heaven, and lhe rod of Aaron vhich
sprouled afler il had lecone vilhered lhough no one valered il vilh
18
See Lxodus xxv, 1O ff.
Kelra Nagasl
13
valer, and one had lroken il in lvo pIaces, and il lecane lhree rods leing
|originaIIy onIyj one rod.
And Moses covered |lhe Arkj vilh pure goId, and he nade for il poIes
vherevilh lo carry il and rings |in vhich lo pIace lhenj, and lhey carried il
lefore lhe peopIe unliI lhey lroughl il inlo lhe Iand of |lheirj inherilance,
vhich is }erusaIen, lhe Cily of Zion. And vhen lhey vere crossing lhe
}ordan and lhe priesls vere carrying il, lhe valers slood uprighl Iike a vaII
unliI aII lhe peopIe had passed over, and afler aII lhe peopIe had passed
over lhe priesls passed over learing lhe Ark, and lhey sel il dovn in lhe
cily of }udah, lhe Iand of |lheirj inherilance. And prophels vere appoinled
over lhe chiIdren of IsraeI in lhe TalernacIe of Teslinony, and lhe priesls
vore lhe ephod, so lhal lhey nighl ninisler lo lhe TalernacIe of
Teslinony, and lhe high priesls offered up offerings, so lhal lhey nighl
ollain renission of lheir ovn sins and of lhe sins of lhe peopIe Iikevise.
And Cod connanded Moses and Aaron lo nake hoIy vesseIs for lhe
TalernacIe of Teslinony for lhe furnishing of lhe HoIy of HoIies, naneIy,
vesseIs of goId, lovIs and pols, pilchers and sacred lalIes, nelled cIolhs
and lops for piIIars, Ianps and vesseIs for fiIIing lhen, lorch-hoIders and
snuffers, longs, candIeslicks, and rings and rods for carrying lhen, Iarge
lovIs and Iavers, enlroidered curlains and hangings, crovns and vorked
veslnenls, purpIe cIolhs and Iealher vork, carpels and draperies, unguenls
for anoinling priesls and kings, hyacinlhine and purpIe hangings, rugs of
doulIe lhickness and hangings of siIk (), skins of kids and red hides of
rans, and sardius slones, and rulies, and sapphires, and eneraIds |and lo
pIace lhenj in lhe TalernacIe of Wilness, vhere dveIIelh Zion, lhe
halilalion of His gIory. |And Cod loId lhenj lo nake for il lhe leIIy of a
ship vilh lhe Tvo TalIes, vhich vere vrillen ly lhe fingers of
Cod~Zion shaII resl upon lhen~And lhou shaIl nake for il a lalernacIe
of vood lhal lhe vorns cannol eal, vhereon Zion shaII resl, lvo culils and
haIf a culil shaII le lhe Ienglh lhereof, and a culil and haIf a culil lhe
lreadlh lhereof, and lhou shaIl cover il vilh pure goId, lolh lhe oulside
lhereof and lhe inside lhereof. And lhou shaIl nake lhe fillings and lhe
cover lhereof of fine goId, and lhere shaII le rings round aloul il, and lhou
shaIl nake in lhe four sides four hoIes for lhe carrying-poIes. And lhou
Kelra Nagasl
14
shaIl nake il of vood lhal lhe vorns cannol eal, and lhou shaIl cover il
vilh pure goId, and in lhis ye shaII carry lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav.
In lhis vise did Cod connand Moses on Mounl Sinai, and He shoved
hin lhe vork lhereof, and lhe conslruclion and lhe pallern of lhe Tenl,
according lo vhich he vas lo nake il. And il (i.e., Zion) vas revered and
had exceedingIy greal najesly in IsraeI, and il vas acknovIedged ly Cod
lo le lhe halilalion of His gIory. And He HinseIf cane dovn on lhe
nounlain of His hoIiness, and He heId converse vilh His chosen ones, and
He opened lo lhen |a vay ofj saIvalion, and He deIivered lhen fron lhe
hand of lheir enenies. And he spake vilh lhen fron lhe piIIar of cIoud,
and connanded lhen lo keep His Lav and His connandnenls, and lo
vaIk in lhe precepls of Cod.
18. Hov lhe rlhodox Ialhers and Bishops Agreed
And again lhe CounciI of lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen ansvered
and said, Anen. This is lhe saIvalion of lhe chiIdren of Adan. Ior since
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod halh cone dovn, lhey shaII le caIIed,
'Men of lhe house of Cod, even as David sailh, 'And His halilalion is in
Zion.
19
And again he sailh ly lhe noulh of lhe HoIy Chosl, 'And My
halilalion is here, for I have chosen il. And I viII lIess her priesls, and I
viII nake her poor lo le gIad. And unlo David viII I give seed in her, and
upon lhe earlh one vho shaII lecone king, and noreover, in lhe heavens
one fron his seed shaII reign in lhe fIesh upon lhe lhrone of lhe Codhead.
And as for his enenies lhey shaII le galhered logelher under his foolslooI,
and lhey shaII le seaIed vilh his seaI.
19. Hov This Book Cane lo le Iound
And Dnlys (Donilius), lhe Archlishop of Rn (i.e.,
ConslanlinopIe, Byzanliun), said, I have found in lhe Church of |Sainlj
Sophia anong lhe looks and lhe royaI lreasures a nanuscripl |vhich
19
IsaIn ix, 11.
Kelra Nagasl
1
slaledj lhal lhe vhoIe kingdon of lhe vorId |leIongedj lo lhe Lnperor of
Rn and lhe Lnperor of Llhiopia.
2O. Concerning lhe Division of lhe Larlh
Iron lhe niddIe of }erusaIen, and fron lhe norlh lhereof lo lhe soulh-
easl is lhe porlion of lhe Lnperor of Rn, and fron lhe niddIe of
}erusaIen fron lhe norlh lhereof lo lhe soulh and lo Weslern India is lhe
porlion of lhe Lnperor of Llhiopia. Ior lolh of lhen are of lhe seed of
Shen, lhe son of Noah, lhe seed of Alrahan, lhe seed of David, lhe
chiIdren of SoIonon. Ior Cod gave lhe seed of Shen gIory lecause of lhe
lIessing of lheir falher Noah. The Lnperor of Rn is lhe son of SoIonon,
and lhe Lnperor of Llhiopia is lhe firsllorn and eIdesl son of SoIonon.
21. Concerning lhe Queen of lhe Soulh
And hov lhis Queen vas lorn I have discovered vrillen in lhal
nanuscripl, and in lhis nanner aIso dolh lhe LvangeIisl nenlion lhal
vonan. And our Lord }esus Chrisl, in condenning lhe }evish peopIe, lhe
crucifiers, vho Iived al lhal line, spake, saying: The Queen of lhe Soulh
shaII rise up on lhe Day of }udgnenl and shaII dispule vilh, and condenn,
and overcone lhis generalion vho vouId nol hearken unlo lhe preaching
of My vord, for she cane fron lhe ends of lhe earlh lo hear lhe visdon of
SoIonon.
2O
And lhe Queen of lhe Soulh of vhon He spake vas lhe
Queen of Llhiopia. And in lhe vords ends of lhe earlh |He nakelh
aIIusionj lo lhe deIicacy of lhe conslilulion of vonen, and lhe Iong
dislance of lhe journey, and lhe lurning heal of lhe sun, and lhe hunger on
lhe vay, and lhe lhirsl for valer. And lhis Queen of lhe Soulh vas very
leaulifuI in face, and her slalure vas superl, and her underslanding and
inleIIigence, vhich Cod had given her, vere of such high characler lhal she
venl lo }erusaIen lo hear lhe visdon of SoIonon, nov lhis vas done ly
lhe connand of Cod and il vas His good pIeasure. And noreover, she
2O
Mallhev xii, 42, Luke xi, 31.
Kelra Nagasl
16
vas exceedingIy rich, for Cod had given her gIory, and riches, and goId,
and siIver, and spIendid appareI, and caneIs, and sIaves, and lrading nen
(or, nerchanls). And lhey carried on her lusiness and lrafficked for her ly
sea and ly Iand, and in India, and in Àsvn (Syene).
22. Concerning Tnrn, lhe Merchanl
And lhere vas a cerlain vise nan, lhe Ieader of a nerchanls caravan,
vhose nane vas Tnrn, and he used lo Ioad five hundred and lvenly
caneIs, and he possessed aloul lhree and sevenly ships.
Nov al lhal line King SoIonon vished lo luiId lhe House of Cod, and
he senl oul nessages anong aII lhe nerchanls in lhe easl and in lhe vesl,
and in lhe norlh and in lhe soulh, lidding lhe nerchanls cone and lake
goId and siIver fron hin, so lhal he nighl lake fron lhen vhalsoever vas
necessary for lhe vork. And cerlain nen reporled lo hin concerning lhis
rich Llhiopian nerchanl, and SoIonon senl lo hin a nessage and loId hin
lo lring vhalsoever he vished fron lhe counlry of Aralia, red goId, and
lIack vood lhal couId nol le ealen ly vorns, and sapphires. And lhal
nerchanl, vhose nane vas Tnrn, lhe nerchanl of lhe Queen of Llhiopia,
venl lo SoIonon lhe King, and SoIonon look vhalsoever he desired fron
hin, and he gave lo lhe nerchanl vhalsoever he vished for in greal
alundance. Nov lhal nerchanl vas a nan of greal underslanding, and he
sav and conprehended lhe visdon of SoIonon, and he narveIIed
|lherealj, and he valched carefuIIy so lhal he nighl Iearn hov lhe King
nade ansver ly his vord, and undersland his judgnenl, and lhe readiness
of his noulh, and lhe discreelness of his speech, and lhe nanner of his Iife,
and his silling dovn and his rising up, and his occupalions, and his Iove,
and his adninislralion, and his lalIe, and his Iav. To lhose lo vhon
SoIonon had lo give orders he spake vilh huniIily and graciousness, and
vhen lhey had connilled a fauIl he adnonished lhen |genlIyj. Ior he
ordered his house in lhe visdon and fear of Cod, and he sniIed graciousIy
on lhe fooIs and sel lhen on lhe righl road, and he deaIl genlIy vilh lhe
naidservanls. He opened his noulh in paralIes, and his vords vere
sveeler lhan lhe puresl honey, his vhoIe lehaviour vas adniralIe, and his
Kelra Nagasl
17
vhoIe aspecl pIeasanl. Ior visdon is leIoved ly nen of underslanding,
and is rejecled ly fooIs.
And vhen lhal nerchanl had seen aII lhese lhings he vas aslonished,
and he narveIIed exceedingIy. Ior lhose vho vere,vonl lo see SoIonon
heId hin in conpIele affeclion, and he |lecanej lheir leacher, and lecause
of his visdon and exceIIence lhose vho had once cone lo hin did nol
vish lo Ieave hin and go avay fron hin. And lhe sveelness of his vords
vas Iike valer lo lhe nan vho is alhirsl, and Iike lread lo lhe hungry nan,
and Iike heaIing lo lhe sick nan, and Iike appareI lo lhe naked nan. And
he vas Iike a falher lo lhe orphans. And he judged vilh righleousness and
accepled lhe person of no nan (i.e., he vas inparliaI). He had gIory, and
riches, vhich Cod had given unlo hin, in greal alundance, naneIy, goId,
and siIver, and precious slones, and rich appareI, and callIe, and sheep, and
goals innuneralIe. Nov in lhe days of SoIonon lhe King goId vas as
connon as lronze, and siIver as Iead, and lronze and Iead and iron vere
as alundanl as lhe grass of lhe fieIds and lhe reeds of lhe deserl and
cedarvood vas aIso alundanl. And Cod had given hin gIory, and riches,
and visdon, and grace in such alundance lhal lhere vas none Iike unlo
hin anong his predecessors, and anong lhose vho cane afler hin lhere
vas none Iike unlo hin.
23. Hov lhe Merchanl Relurned lo Llhiopia
And il cane lo pass lhal lhe nerchanl Tnrn vished lo relurn lo his
ovn counlry, and he venl lo SoIonon and loved Iov lefore hin, and
enlraced hin and said unlo hin, Ieace le lo lhy najesly! Send ne avay
and Iel ne deparl lo ny counlry lo ny Lady, for I have larried Iong in
lehoIding lhy gIory, and lhy visdon, and lhe alundance of dainly neals
vherevilh lhou hasl regaIed ne. And nov I vouId deparl lo ny Lady.
WouId lhal I couId alide vilh lhee, even as one of lhe very Ieasl of lhy
servanls, for lIessed are lhey vho hear lhy voice and perforn lhy
connands! WouId lhal I couId alide here and never Ieave lhee! lul lhou
nusl send ne avay lo ny Lady lecause of vhal halh leen connilled lo
ny charge, so lhal I nay give unlo her her properly. And as for nyseIf, I
Kelra Nagasl
18
an her servanl. And SoIonon venl inlo his house and gave unlo hin
vhalever vaIualIe lhing he desired for lhe counlry of Llhiopia, and he senl
hin avay in peace. And Tnrn lade hin fareveII, and venl forlh, and
journeyed aIong his road, and cane lo his Lady, and deIivered over lo her
aII lhe possessions vhich he had lroughl. And he reIaled unlo her hov he
had arrived in lhe counlry of }udah |andj }erusaIen, and hov he had gone
inlo lhe presence of SoIonon lhe King, and aII lhal he had heard and seen.
And he loId her hov SoIonon adninislered jusl judgnenl, and hov he
spake vilh aulhorily, and hov he decided righlIy in aII lhe nallers vhich
he enquired inlo, and hov he relurned sofl and gracious ansvers, and hov
lhere vas nolhing faIse aloul hin, and hov he appoinled inspeclors over
lhe seven hundred voodnen vho hauIed lhe linler and lhe eighl
hundred nasons vho heved lhe slone, and hov he soughl lo Iearn fron
aII lhe nerchanls and deaIers concerning lhe cunning crafl and lhe
vorking lhereof, and hov he received infornalion and inparled il
lvofoId, and hov aII his handicrafl and his vorks vere perforned vilh
visdon.
And each norning Tnrn reIaled lo lhe Queen |aloulj aII lhe visdon
of SoIonon, hov he adninislered judgnenl and did vhal vas jusl, and
hov he ordered his lalIe, and hov he nade feasls, and hov he laughl
visdon, and hov he direcled his servanls and aII his affairs on a vise
syslen, and hov lhey venl on lheir errands al his connand, and hov no
nan defrauded anolher, and hov no nan purIoined lhe properly of his
neighlour, and hov lhere vas neilher a lhief nor a roller in his days. Ior
in his visdon he knev lhose vho had done vrong, and he chaslised lhen,
and nade lhen afraid, and lhey did nol repeal lheir eviI deeds, lul lhey
Iived in a slale of peace vhich had ningIed lherein lhe fear of lhe King.
AII lhese lhings did Tnrn reIale unlo lhe Queen, and each norning he
recaIIed lhe lhings lhal he had seen vilh lhe King and descriled lhen unlo
her. And lhe Queen vas slruck dunl vilh vonder al lhe lhings lhal she
heard fron lhe nerchanl her servanl, and she lhoughl in her hearl lhal she
vouId go lo hin, and she vepl ly reason of lhe grealness of her pIeasure
in lhose lhings lhal Tnrn had loId her.
Kelra Nagasl
19
And she vas exceedingIy anxious lo go lo hin, lul vhen she pondered
upon lhe Iong journey she lhoughl lhal il vas loo far and loo difficuIl lo
underlake. And line afler line she asked Tnrn queslions aloul
SoIonon, and line afler line Tnrn loId her aloul hin, and she lecane
very vishfuI and nosl desirous lo go lhal she nighl hear his visdon, and
see his face, and enlrace hin, and pelilion his royaIly. And her hearl
incIined lo go lo hin, for Cod had nade her hearl incIine lo go and had
nade her lo desire il.
24. Hov lhe Queen Made Ready lo Sel ul on her }ourney
And lhe Queen said unlo lhen, Hearken, ye vho are ny peopIe,
and give ye ear lo ny vords. Ior I desire visdon and ny hearl seekelh lo
find underslanding. I an snillen vilh lhe Iove of visdon, and I an
conslrained ly lhe cords of underslanding, for visdon is far leller lhan
lreasure of goId and siIver, and visdon is lhe lesl of everylhing lhal halh
leen crealed on lhe earlh. Nov unlo vhal under lhe heavens shaII visdon
le conpared Il is sveeler lhan honey, and il nakelh one lo rejoice nore
lhan vine, and il iIIuninelh nore lhan lhe sun, and il is lo le Ioved nore
lhan precious slones. And il fallenelh nore lhan oiI, and il salisfielh nore
lhan dainly neals, and il givelh |a nanj nore renovn lhan lhousands of
goId and siIver. Il is a source of joy for lhe hearl, and a lrighl and shining
Iighl for lhe eyes, and a giver of speed lo lhe feel, and a shieId for lhe
lreasl, and a heInel for lhe head, and chain-vork for lhe neck, and a leIl
for lhe Ioins. Il nakelh lhe ears lo hear and hearls lo undersland, il is a
leacher of lhose vho are Iearned, and il is a consoIer of lhose vho are
discreel and prudenl, and il givelh fane lo lhose vho seek afler il. And as
for a kingdon, il cannol sland vilhoul visdon, and riches cannol le
preserved vilhoul visdon, lhe fool cannol keep lhe pIace vherein il halh
sel ilseIf vilhoul visdon. And vilhoul visdon lhal vhich lhe longue
speakelh is nol acceplalIe. Wisdon is lhe lesl of aII lreasures. He vho
heapelh up goId and siIver doelh so lo no profil vilhoul visdon, lul he
vho heapelh up visdon~no nan can fiIch il fron his hearl. Thal vhich
fooIs heap up lhe vise consune. And lecause of lhe vickedness of lhose
Kelra Nagasl
2O
vho do eviI lhe righleous are praised, and lecause of lhe vicked acls of
fooIs lhe vise are leIoved. Wisdon is an exaIled lhing and a rich lhing: I
viII Iove her Iike a nolher, and she shaII enlrace ne Iike her chiId. I viII
foIIov lhe foolprinls of visdon and she shaII prolecl ne for ever, I viII
seek afler visdon, and she shaII le vilh ne for ever, I viII foIIov her
foolprinls, and she shaII nol casl ne avay, I viII Iean upon her, and she
shaII le unlo ne a vaII of adananl, I viII seek asyIun vilh her, and she
shaII le unlo ne pover and slrenglh, I viII rejoice in her, and she shaII le
unlo ne alundanl grace. Ior il is righl for us lo foIIov lhe foolprinls of
visdon, and for lhe soIes of our feel lo sland upon lhe lhreshoId of lhe
gales of visdon. Lel us seek her, and ve shaII find her, Iel us Iove her, and
she viII nol vilhdrav herseIf fron us, Iel us pursue her, and ve shaII
overlake her, Iel us ask,and ve shaII receive, and Iel us lurn our hearls lo
her so lhal ve nay never forgel her. If |vej renenler her, she viII have us
in renenlrance, and in conneclion vilh fooIs lhou shaIl nol renenler
visdon, for lhey do nol hoId her in honour, and she dolh nol Iove lhen.
The honouring of visdon is lhe honouring of lhe vise nan, and lhe Ioving
of visdon is lhe Ioving of lhe vise nan. Love lhe vise nan and vilhdrav
nol lhyseIf fron hin, and ly lhe sighl of hin lhou shaIl lecone vise,
hearken lo lhe ullerance of his noulh, so lhal lhou nayesl lecone Iike
unlo hin, valch lhe pIace vhereon he halh sel his fool, and Ieave hin nol,
so lhal lhou nayesl receive lhe renainder of his visdon. And I Iove hin
nereIy on hearing concerning hin and vilhoul seeing hin, and lhe vhoIe
slory of hin lhal halh leen loId ne is lo ne as lhe desire of ny hearl, and
Iike valer lo lhe lhirsly nan.
And her nolIes, and her sIaves, and her handnaidens, and her
counseIIors ansvered and said unlo her, our Lady, as for visdon, il is
nol Iacking in lhee, and il is lecause of lhy visdon lhal lhou Iovesl
visdon. And lo for us, if lhou goesl ve viII go vilh lhee, and if lhou
sillesl dovn ve viII sil dovn vilh lhee, our dealh shaII le vilh lhy dealh,
and our Iife vilh lhy Iife. Then lhe Queen nade ready lo sel oul on her
journey vilh greal ponp and najesly, and vilh greal equipnenl and nany
preparalions. Ior, ly lhe WiII of Cod, her hearl desired lo go lo }erusaIen
so lhal she nighl hear lhe Wisdon of SoIonon, for she had hearkened
Kelra Nagasl
21
eagerIy. So she nade ready lo sel oul. And seven hundred and ninely-
seven caneIs vere Ioaded, and nuIes and asses innuneralIe vere Ioaded,
and she sel oul on her journey and foIIoved her road vilhoul pause, and
her hearl had confidence in Cod.
2. Hov lhe Queen cane lo SoIonon lhe King
And she arrived in }erusaIen, and lroughl lo lhe King very nany
precious gifls vhich he desired lo possess grealIy. And he paid her greal
honour and rejoiced, and he gave her a halilalion in lhe royaI paIace near
hin. And he senl her food lolh for lhe norning and evening neaI, each
line fifleen neasures ly lhe kri of fineIy ground vhile neaI, cooked vilh
oiI and gravy and sauce in alundance, and lhirly neasures ly lhe kri of
crushed vhile neaI vherefron lread for lhree hundred and fifly peopIe
vas nade, vilh lhe necessary pIallers and lrays, and len slaIIed oxen, and
five luIIs, and fifly sheep, vilhoul (counling) lhe kids, and deer, and
gazeIIes and falled fovIs, and a vesseI of vine conlaining sixly gerrl
neasures, and lhirly neasures of oId vine, and lvenly-five singing nen
and lvenly-five singing vonen, and lhe finesl honey and rich sveels, and
sone of lhe food vhich he hinseIf ale, and sone of lhe vine vhereof he
drank. And every day he arrayed her in eIeven garnenls vhich levilched
lhe eyes. And he visiled her and vas gralified, and she visiled hin and vas
gralified, and she sav his visdon, and his jusl judgnenls and his
spIendour, and his grace, and heard lhe eIoquence of his speech. And she
narveIIed in her hearl, and vas ullerIy aslonished in her nind, and she
recognized in her underslanding, and perceived very cIearIy vilh her eyes
hov adniralIe he vas, and she vondered exceedingIy lecause of vhal she
sav and heard vilh hin~hov perfecl he vas in conposure, and vise in
underslanding, and pIeasanl in graciousness, and connanding in slalure.
And she olserved lhe sullIely of his voice, and lhe discreel ullerances of
his Iips, and lhal he gave his connands vilh dignily, and lhal his repIies
vere nade quielIy and vilh lhe fear of Cod. AII lhese lhings she sav, and
she vas aslonished al lhe alundance of his visdon, and lhere vas nolhing
Kelra Nagasl
22
vhalsoever vanling in his vord and speech, lul everylhing lhal he spake
vas perfecl.
And SoIonon vas vorking al lhe luiIding of lhe House of Cod, and he
rose up and venl lo lhe righl and lo lhe Iefl, and forvard and lackvard.
And he shoved lhe vorknen lhe neasurenenl and veighl and lhe space
covered |ly lhe naleriaIsj, and he loId lhe vorkers in nelaI hov lo use lhe
hanner, and lhe driII, and lhe chiseI (), and he shoved lhe slone-nasons
lhe angIe |neasurej and lhe circIe and lhe surface |neasurej. And
everylhing vas vroughl ly his order, and lhere vas none vho sel hinseIf
in opposilion lo his vord, for lhe Iighl of his hearl vas Iike a Ianp in lhe
darkness, and his visdon vas as alundanl as lhe sand. And of lhe speech
of lhe leasls and lhe lirds lhere vas nolhing hidden fron hin, and he
forced lhe deviIs lo oley hin ly his visdon. And he did everylhing ly
neans of lhe skiII vhich Cod gave hin vhen he nade suppIicalion lo Hin,
for he did nol ask for viclory over his eneny, and he did nol ask for riches
and fane, lul he asked Cod lo give hin visdon and underslanding
vherely he nighl ruIe his peopIe, and luiId His House, and leaulify lhe
vork of Cod and aII lhal He had given hin |inj visdon and
underslanding.
26. Hov lhe King HeId Converse vilh lhe Queen
And lhe Queen Mkd spake unlo King SoIonon, saying, BIessed arl
lhou, ny Iord, in lhal such visdon and underslanding have leen given
unlo lhee. Ior nyseIf I onIy vish lhal I couId le as one of lhe Ieasl of lhine
handnaidens, so lhal I couId vash lhy feel, and hearken lo lhy visdon,
and apprehend lhy underslanding, and serve lhy najesly, and enjoy lhy
visdon. hov grealIy have pIeased ne lhy ansvering, and lhe sveelness
of lhy voice, and lhe leauly of lhy going, and lhe graciousness of lhy
vords, and lhe readiness lhereof. The sveelness of lhy voice nakelh lhe
hearl lo rejoice, and nakelh lhe lones fal, and givelh courage lo hearls,
and goodviII and grace lo lhe Iips, and slrenglh lo lhe gail. I Iook upon
lhee and I see lhal lhy visdon is inneasurealIe and lhine underslanding
inexhauslilIe, and lhal il is Iike unlo a Ianp in lhe darkness, and Iike unlo
Kelra Nagasl
23
a ponegranale in lhe garden, and Iike unlo a pearI in lhe sea, and Iike unlo
lhe Morning Slar anong lhe slars, and Iike unlo lhe Iighl of lhe noon in
lhe nisl, and Iike unlo a gIorious davn and sunrise in lhe heavens. And I
give lhanks unlo Hin lhal lroughl ne hilher and shoved lhee lo ne, and
nade ne lo lread upon lhe lhreshoId of lhy gale, and nade ne lo hear lhy
voice.
And King SoIonon ansvered and said unlo her, Wisdon and
underslanding spring fron lhee lhyseIf. As for ne, |I onIy possess lhenj in
lhe neasure in vhich lhe Cod of IsraeI halh given |lhenj lo ne lecause I
asked and enlrealed lhen fron Hin. And lhou, aIlhough lhou dosl nol
knov lhe Cod of IsraeI, hasl lhis visdon vhich lhou hasl nade lo grov in
lhine hearl, and |il halh nade lhee conej lo see ne, lhe vassaI and sIave of
ny Cod, and lhe luiIding of His sancluary vhich I an eslalIishing, and
vherein I serve and nove round aloul ny Lady, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav
of lhe Cod of IsraeI, lhe hoIy and heavenIy Zion. Nov, I an lhe sIave of ny
Cod, and I an nol a free nan, I do nol serve according lo ny ovn viII lul
according lo His WiII. And lhis speech of nine springelh nol fron nyseIf,
lul I give ullerance onIy lo vhal He nakelh ne lo uller. Whalsoever He
connandelh ne lhal I do, vheresoever He vishelh ne lo go lhilher I go,
vhalsoever He leachelh ne lhal I speak, lhal concerning vhich He givelh
ne visdon I undersland. Ior fron leing onIy dusl He halh nade ne
fIesh, and fron leing onIy valer He halh nade ne a soIid nan, and fron
leing onIy an ejecled drop, vhich shol forlh upon lhe ground vouId have
dried up on lhe surface of lhe earlh, He halh fashioned ne in His ovn
Iikeness and halh nade ne in His ovn inage.
27. Concerning lhe Lalourer
And as SoIonon vas laIking in lhis vise vilh lhe Queen, he sav a
cerlain Ialourer carrying a slone upon his head and a skin of valer upon
his neck and shouIders, and his food and his sandaIs vere |liedj aloul his
Ioins, and lhere vere pieces of vood in his hands, his garnenls vere
ragged and lallered, lhe sveal feII in drops fron his face, and valer fron
lhe skin of valer dripped dovn upon his feel. And lhe Ialourer passed
Kelra Nagasl
24
lefore SoIonon, and as he vas going ly lhe King said unlo hin, Sland
sliII, and lhe Ialourer slood sliII. And lhe King lurned lo lhe Queen and
said unlo her, Look al lhis nan. Wherein an I superior lo lhis nan And in
vhal an I leller lhan lhis nan And vherein shaII I gIory over lhis nan
Ior I an a nan and dusl and ashes, vho lo-norrov viII lecone vorns
and corruplion, and yel al lhis nonenl I appear Iike one vho viII never
die. Who vouId nake any conpIainl againsl Cod if He vere lo give unlo
lhis nan as He halh given lo ne, and if He vere lo nake ne even as lhis
nan is Are ve nol lolh of us leings, lhal is lo say nen As is his dealh,
|soj is ny dealh, and as is his Iife |soj is ny Iife. Yel lhis nan is slronger lo
vork lhan I an, for Cod givelh pover lo lhose vho are feelIe jusl as il
pIeaselh Hin lo do so. And SoIonon said unlo lhe Ialourer, Cel lhee lo
lhy vork.
And he spake furlher unlo lhe Queen, saying, Whal is lhe use of us,
lhe chiIdren of nen, if ve do nol exercise kindness and Iove upon earlh
Are ve nol aII nolhingness, nere grass of lhe fieId, vhich vilherelh in ils
season and is lurnl in lhe fire n lhe earlh ve provide ourseIves vilh
dainly neals, and |ve vearj coslIy appareI lul even vhiIsl ve are aIive ve
are slinking corruplion, ve provide ourseIves vilh sveel scenls and
deIicale unguenls, lul even vhiIsl ve are aIive ve are dead in sin and in
lransgressions, leing vise, ve lrconee fooIs lhrough disoledience and
deeds of iniquily, leing heId in honour, ve lecone conlenplilIe lhrough
nagic, and sorcery, and lhe vorship of idoIs. Nov lhe nan vho is a leing
of honour, vho vas crealed in lhe inage of Cod, if he doelh lhal vhich is
good leconelh Iike Cod, lul lhe nan vho is a lhing of nolhingness, if he
connillelh sin leconelh Iike unlo lhe DeviI~lhe arroganl DeviI vho
refused lo oley lhe connand of his Crealor~and aII lhe arroganl anong
nen vaIk in his vay, and lhey shaII le judged vilh hin. And Cod Iovelh
lhe IovIy-ninded, and lhose vho praclise huniIily vaIk in His vay, and
lhey shaII rejoice in His kingdon. BIessed is lhe nan vho knovelh
visdon, lhal is lo say, conpassion and lhe fear of Cod.
And vhen lhe Queen heard lhis she said, Hov lhy voice dolh pIease
ne! And hov grealIy do lhy vords and lhe ullerance of lhy noulh deIighl
ne! TeII ne nov: vhon is il righl for ne lo vorship We vorship lhe sun
Kelra Nagasl
2
according as our falhers have laughl us lo do, lecause ve say lhal lhe sun
is lhe king of lhe gods. And lhere are olhers anong our suljecls |vho
vorship olher lhingsj, sone vorship slones, and sone vorship vood (i.e.,
lrees), and sone vorship carved figures, and sone vorship inages of goId
and siIver. And ve vorship lhe sun, for he cookelh our food, and
noreover, he iIIuninelh lhe darkness, and renovelh fear, ve caII hin 'ur
King, and ve caII hin 'ur Crealor, and ve vorship hin as our god, for
no nan halh loId us lhal lesides hin lhere is anolher god. Bul ve have
heard lhal lhere is vilh you, IsraeI, anolher Cod Whon ve do nol knov,
and nen have loId us lhal He halh senl dovn lo you fron heaven a
TalernacIe and halh given unlo you a TalIel of lhe ordering of lhe angeIs,
ly lhe hand of Moses lhe Irophel. This aIso ve have heard~lhal He
HinseIf conelh dovn lo you and laIkelh lo you, and infornelh you
concerning His ordinances and connandnenls.
28. Hov SoIonon Cave Connandnenls lo lhe Queen
And lhe King ansvered and said unlo her, VeriIy, il is righl lhal lhey
(i.e., nen) shouId vorship Cod, Who crealed lhe universe, lhe heavens and
lhe earlh, lhe sea and lhe dry Iand, lhe sun and lhe noon, lhe slars and lhe
lriIIianl lodies of lhe heavens, lhe lrees and lhe slones, lhe leasls and lhe
fealhered fovI, lhe viId leasls and lhe crocodiIes, lhe fish and lhe vhaIes,
lhe hippopolanuses and lhe valer Iizards, lhe Iighlnings and lhe crashes
of lhunder, lhe cIouds and lhe lhunders, and lhe good and lhe eviI. Il is
neel lhal Hin aIone ve shouId vorship, in fear and lrenlIing, vilh joy
and vilh gIadness. Ior He is lhe Lord of lhe Universe, lhe Crealor of angeIs
and nen. And il is He Who kiIIelh and nakelh aIive, il is He Who infIiclelh
punishnenl and shovelh conpassion, Who raiselh up fron lhe ground
hin lhal is in nisery, Who exaIlelh lhe poor fron lhe dusl, Who nakelh lo
le sorrovfuI and Who lo rejoice, Who raiselh up and Who lringelh dovn.
No one can chide Hin, for He is lhe Lord of lhe Universe, and lhere is no
one vho can say unlo Hin, 'Whal hasl Thou done And unlo Hin il is
neel lhal lhere shouId le praise and lhanksgiving fron angeIs and nen.
And as concerning vhal lhou sayesl, lhal 'He halh given unlo you lhe
Kelra Nagasl
26
TalernacIe of lhe Lav, veriIy lhere halh leen given unlo us lhe TalernacIe
of lhe Cod of IsraeI, vhich vas crealed lefore aII crealion ly His gIorious
counseI. And He halh nade lo cone dovn lo us His connandnenls, done
inlo vriling, so lhal ve nay knov His decree and lhe judgnenl lhal He
halh ordained in lhe nounlain of His hoIiness.
And lhe Queen said, Iron lhis nonenl I viII nol vorship lhe sun, lul
viII vorship lhe Crealor of lhe sun, lhe Cod of IsraeI. And lhal TalernacIe
of lhe Cod of IsraeI shaII le unlo ne ny Lady, and unlo ny seed afler ne,
and unlo aII ny kingdons lhal are under ny doninion. And lecause of
lhis I have found favour lefore lhee, and lefore lhe Cod of IsraeI ny
Crealor, Who halh lroughl ne unlo lhee, and halh nade ne lo hear lhy
voice, and halh shovn ne lhy face, and halh nade ne lo undersland lhy
connandnenl. Then she relurned lo |herj house.
And lhe Queen used lo go |lo SoIononj and relurn conlinuaIIy, and
hearken unlo his visdon, and keep il in her hearl. And SoIonon used lo
go and visil her, and ansver aII lhe queslions vhich she pul lo hin, and
lhe Queen used lo visil hin and ask hin queslions, and he inforned her
concerning every naller lhal she vished lo enquire aloul. And afler she
had dveIl |lherej six nonlhs lhe Queen vished lo relurn lo her ovn
counlry, and she senl a nessage lo SoIonon, saying, I desire grealIy lo
dveII vilh lhee, lul nov, for lhe sake of aII ny peopIe, I vish lo relurn lo
ny ovn counlry. And as for lhal vhich I have heard, nay Cod nake il lo
lear fruil in ny hearl, and in lhe hearls of aII lhose vho have heard il vilh
ne. Ior lhe ear couId never le fiIIed vilh lhe hearing of lhy visdon, and
lhe eye couId never le fiIIed vilh lhe sighl of lhe sane.
Nov il vas nol onIy lhe Queen vho cane |lo hear lhe visdon of
SoIononj, lul very nany used lo cone fron cilies and counlries, lolh
fron near and fron far, for in lhose days lhere vas no nan found lo le Iike
unlo hin for visdon (and il vas nol onIy hunan leings vho cane lo hin,
lul lhe viId aninaIs and lhe lirds used lo cone lo hin and hearken unlo
his voice, and hoId converse vilh hin), and lhen lhey relurned lo lheir
ovn counlries, and every one of lhen vas aslonished al his visdon, and
narveIIed al vhal he had seen and heard.
Kelra Nagasl
27
And vhen lhe Queen senl her nessage lo SoIonon, saying lhal she vas
aloul lo deparl lo her ovn counlry, he pondered in his hearl and said, A
vonan of such spIendid leauly halh cone lo ne fron lhe ends of lhe
earlh! Whal do I knov WiII Cod give ne seed in her Nov, as il is said in
lhe Book of Kings, SoIonon lhe King vas a Iover of vonen.
21
And he
narried vives of lhe Helrevs, and lhe Lgyplians, and lhe Canaaniles, and
lhe Ldoniles, and lhe Iylvyn (Moaliles), and fron Rf
22
and
Kurgu,
23
and Danascus, and Sresl (Syria), and vonen vho vere
reporled lo le leaulifuI. And he had four hundred queens and six hundred
conculines. Nov lhis vhich he did vas nol for |lhe sake ofj fornicalion,
lul as a resuIl of lhe vise inlenl lhal Cod had given unlo hin, and his
renenlering vhal Cod had said unlo Alrahan, I viII nake lhy seed Iike
lhe slars of heaven for nunler, and Iike lhe sand of lhe sea.
24
And
SoIonon said in his hearl, Whal do I knov Ieradvenlure Cod viII give
ne nen chiIdren fron each one of lhese vonen. Therefore vhen he did
lhus he acled viseIy, saying, My chiIdren shaII inheril lhe cilies of lhe
eneny, and shaII deslroy lhose vho vorship idoIs.
Nov lhose earIy peopIes Iived under lhe Iav of lhe fIesh, for lhe grace
of lhe HoIy Spiril had nol leen given unlo lhen. And lo lhose |vho Iivedj
afler Chrisl, il vas given lo Iive vilh one vonan under lhe Iav of
narriage. And lhe AposlIes Iaid dovn for lhen an ordinance, saying, AII
lhose vho have received His fIesh and His lIood are lrelhren. Their
nolher is lhe Church and lheir falher is Cod, and lhey cry oul vilh Chrisl
Whon lhey have received, saying, 'ur Ialher, Who arl in heaven. And
as concerning SoIonon no Iav had leen Iaid dovn for hin in respecl of
vonen, and no lIane can le inpuled lo hin in respecl of narrying
|nanyj vives. Bul for lhose vho leIieve, lhe Iav and lhe connand have
leen given lhal lhey shaII nol narry nany vives, even as IauI sailh,
21
I Kings xi, 1.
22
Upper Lgypl.
23
See Ykl, IV, I. 2O.
24
Cenesis xxii, 17.
Kelra Nagasl
28
Those vho narry nany vives seek lheir ovn punishnenl. He vho
narrielh one vife halh no sin.
2
And lhe Iav reslrainelh us fron lhe
sisler |-in-Iavj,
26
in respecl of lhe learing of chiIdren. The AposlIes speak
|concerning ilj in lhe |Book ofj CounciIs.
27
29. Concerning lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen |Ialriarchsj
Nov ve ordain even as did lhey. We knov veII vhal lhe AposlIes vho
vere lefore us spake. We lhe Three Hundred and Lighleen have
nainlained and Iaid dovn lhe orlhodox failh, our Lord }esus Chrisl leing
vilh us. And He halh direcled us vhal ve shouId leach, and hov ve
shouId fashion lhe failh.
|The Narralive of SoIonon and lhe Queen of Shela Conlinuedj
And King SoIonon senl a nessage unlo lhe Queen, saying, Nov lhal
lhou hasl cone here vhy viIl lhou go avay vilhoul seeing lhe
adninislralion of lhe kingdon, and hov lhe neaI|sj for lhe chosen ones of
lhe kingdon are ealen afler lhe nanner of lhe righleous, and hov lhe
peopIe are driven avay afler lhe nanner of sinners Iron |lhe sighl ofj il
lhou vouIdsl acquire visdon. IoIIov ne nov and seal lhyseIf in ny
spIendour in lhe lenl, and I viII conpIele lhy inslruclion, and lhou shaIl
Iearn lhe adninislralion of ny kingdon, for lhou hasl Ioved visdon, and
she shaII dveII vilh lhee unliI lhine end and for ever. Nov a prophecy
nakelh ilseIf apparenl in |lhisj speech.
And lhe Queen senl a second nessage, saying, Iron leing a fooI, I
have lecone vise ly foIIoving lhy visdon, and fron leing a lhing
rejecled ly lhe Cod of IsraeI, I have lecone a chosen vonan lecause of
lhis failh vhich is in ny hearl, and henceforlh I viII vorship no olher god
2
Conpare I Corinlhians, vii.
26
Conpare Levilicus xviii, 18.
27
Cuidi (apud BezoId) conpares No. 19 of lhe ApocryphaI Canones AposloIorun.
Kelra Nagasl
29
excepl Hin. And as concerning lhal vhich lhou sayesl, lhal lhou vishesl lo
increase in ne visdon and honour, I viII cone according lo lhy desire.
And SoIonon rejoiced lecause of lhis |nessagej, and he arrayed his chosen
ones |in spIendid appareIj, and he added a doulIe suppIy lo his lalIe, and
he had aII lhe arrangenenls concerning lhe nanagenenl of his house
carefuIIy ordered, and lhe house of King SoIonon vas nade ready |for
gueslsj daiIy. And he nade il ready vilh very greal ponp, in joy, and in
peace, in visdon, and in lenderness, vilh aII huniIily and IovIiness, and
lhen he ordered lhe royaI lalIe according lo lhe Iav of lhe kingdon.
And lhe Queen cane and passed inlo a pIace sel aparl in spIendour and
gIory, and she sal dovn innedialeIy lehind hin vhere she couId see and
Iearn and knov everylhing. And she narveIIed exceedingIy al vhal she
sav, and al vhal she heard, and she praised lhe Cod of IsraeI in her hearl,
and she vas slruck vilh vonder al lhe spIendour of lhe royaI paIace vhich
she sav. Ior she couId see, lhough no one couId see her, even as SoIonon
had arranged in visdon for her. He had leaulified lhe pIace vhere she
vas sealed, and had spread over il purpIe hangings, and Iaid dovn
carpels, and decoraled il vilh niskl (noschus), and narlIes, and precious
slones, and he lurned aronalic povders, and sprinkIed oiI of nyrrh and
cassia round aloul, and scallered frankincense and coslIy incense in aII
direclions. And vhen lhey lroughl her inlo lhis alode, lhe odour lhereof
vas very pIeasing lo her, and even lefore she ale lhe dainly neals lherein
she vas salisfied vilh lhe sneII of lhen. And vilh vise inlenl SoIonon
senl lo her neals vhich vouId nake her lhirsly, and drinks lhal vere
ningIed vilh vinegar, and fish and dishes nade vilh pepper. And lhis he
did and he gave lhen lo lhe Queen lo eal. And lhe royaI neaI had cone lo
an end lhree lines and seven lines,
28
and lhe adninislralors, and lhe
counseIIors, and lhe young nen and lhe servanls had deparled, and lhe
King rose up and he venl lo lhe Queen, and he said unlo her~nov lhey
vere aIone logelher~Take lhou lhine ease here for Ioves sake unliI
daylreak. And she said unlo hin, Svear lo ne ly lhy Cod, lhe Cod of
IsraeI, lhal lhou viIl nol lake ne ly force. Ior if I, vho according lo lhe Iav
28
i.e., lhree courses and seven courses had leen consuned.
Kelra Nagasl
3O
of nen an a naiden, le seduced, I shouId lraveI on ny journey |lackj in
sorrov, and affIiclion, and lriluIalion.
3O. Concerning hov King SoIonon Svore lo lhe Queen
And SoIonon ansvered and said unlo her, I svear unlo lhee lhal I viII
nol lake lhee ly force, lul lhou nusl svear unlo ne lhal lhou viIl nol lake
ly force anylhing lhal is in ny house. And lhe Queen Iaughed and said
unlo hin, Being a vise nan vhy dosl lhou speak as a fooI ShaII I sleaI
anylhing, or shaII I carry oul of lhe house of lhe King lhal vhich lhe King
halh nol given lo ne Do nol inagine lhal I have cone hilher lhrough Iove
of riches. Moreover, ny ovn kingdon is as veaIlhy as lhine, and lhere is
nolhing vhich I vish for lhal I Iack. AssuredIy I have onIy cone in quesl of
lhy visdon. And he said unlo her, If lhou vouIdsl nake ne svear,
svear lhou lo ne, for a svearing is neel for lolh |of usj, so lhal neilher of
us nay le unjuslIy lrealed. And if lhou viIl nol nake ne svear I viII nol
nake lhee svear. And she said unlo hin, Svear lo ne lhal lhou viIl nol
lake ne ly force, and I on ny parl viII svear nol lo lake ly force lhy
possessions, and he svore lo her and nade her svear.
And lhe King venl up on his led on lhe one side |of lhe chanlerj, and
lhe servanls nade ready for her a led on lhe olher side. And SoIonon said
unlo a young nanservanl, Wash oul lhe lovI and sel in il a vesseI of
valer vhiIsl lhe Queen is Iooking on, and shul lhe doors and go and
sIeep. And SoIonon spake lo lhe servanl in anolher longue vhich lhe
Queen did nol undersland, and he did as lhe King connanded, and venl
and sIepl. And lhe King had nol as yel faIIen asIeep, lul he onIy prelended
lo le asIeep, and he vas valching lhe Queen inlenlIy. Nov lhe house of
SoIonon lhe King vas iIIunined as ly day, for in his visdon he had nade
shining pearIs vhich vere Iike unlo lhe sun, and noon, and slars |and had
sel lhenj in lhe roof of his house.
And lhe Queen sIepl a IillIe. And vhen she voke up her noulh vas
dry vilh lhirsl, for lhe food vhich SoIonon had given her in his visdon
had nade her lhirsly, and she vas very lhirsly indeed, and her noulh vas
dry, and she noved her Iips and sucked vilh her noulh and found no
Kelra Nagasl
31
noislure. And she delernined lo drink lhe valer vhich she had seen, and
she Iooked al King SoIonon and valched hin carefuIIy, and she lhoughl
lhal he vas sIeeping a sound sIeep. Bul he vas nol asIeep, and he vas
vailing unliI she shouId rise up lo sleaI lhe valer lo |quenchj her lhirsl.
And she rose up and, naking no sound vilh her feel, she venl lo lhe valer
in lhe lovI and Iifled up lhe jar lo drink lhe valer. And SoIonon seized
her hand lefore she couId drink lhe valer, and said unlo her, Why hasl
lhou lroken lhe oalh lhal lhou hasl svorn lhal lhou vouIdsl nol lake ly
force anylhing lhal is in ny house And she ansvered and said unlo hin
in fear, Is lhe oalh lroken ly ny drinking valer And lhe King said unlo
her, Is lhere anylhing lhal lhou hasl seen under lhe heavens lhal is leller
lhan valer And lhe Queen said, I have sinned againsl nyseIf, and lhou
arl free fron |lhyj oalh. Bul Iel ne drink valer for ny lhirsl. Then
SoIonon said unlo her, An I perchance free fron lhe oalh vhich lhou
hasl nade ne svear And lhe Queen said, Be free fron lhy oalh, onIy Iel
ne drink valer. And he pernilled her lo drink valer, and afler she had
drunk valer he vorked his viII vilh her and lhey sIepl logelher.
And afler he sIepl lhere appeared unlo King SoIonon |in a dreanj a
lriIIianl sun, and il cane dovn fron heaven and shed exceedingIy greal
spIendour over IsraeI. And vhen il had larried lhere for a line il suddenIy
vilhdrev ilseIf, and il fIev avay lo lhe counlry of Llhiopia, and il shone
lhere vilh exceedingIy greal lrighlness for ever, for il viIIed lo dveII
lhere. And |lhe King saidj, I vailed |lo seej if il vouId cone lack lo IsraeI,
lul il did nol relurn. And again vhiIe I vailed a Iighl rose up in lhe
heavens, and a Sun cane dovn fron lhen in lhe counlry of }udah, and il
senl forlh Iighl vhich vas very nuch slronger lhan lefore. And
29
IsraeI,
lecause of lhe fIane of lhal Sun enlrealed lhal Sun eviIIy and vouId nol
vaIk in lhe Iighl lhereof. And lhal Sun paid no heed lo IsraeI, and lhe
IsraeIiles haled Hin, and il lecane inpossilIe lhal peace shouId exisl
lelveen lhen and lhe Sun. And lhey Iifled up lheir hands againsl Hin
vilh slaves and knives, and lhey vished lo exlinguish lhal Sun. And lhey
casl darkness upon lhe vhoIe vorId vilh earlhquake and lhick darkness,
29
The renainder of lhis paragraph is a connenl ly lhe aulhor of lhis vork.
Kelra Nagasl
32
and lhey inagined lhal lhal Sun vouId never nore rise upon lhen. And
lhey deslroyed His Iighl and casl lhenseIves upon Hin and lhey sel a
guard over His lonl vherein lhey had casl Hin. And He cane forlh
vhere lhey did nol Iook for Hin, and iIIunined lhe vhoIe vorId, nore
especiaIIy lhe Iirsl Sea and lhe Lasl Sea, Llhiopia and Rn. And He paid
no heed vhalsoever lo IsraeI, and He ascended His forner lhrone.
And vhen SoIonon lhe King sav lhis vision in his sIeep, his souI
lecane dislurled, and his underslanding vas snalched avay as ly |a fIash
ofj Iighlning, and he voke up vilh an agilaled nind. And noreover,
SoIonon narveIIed concerning lhe Queen, for she vas vigorous in
slrenglh, and leaulifuI of forn, and she vas undefiIed in her virginily, and
she had reigned for six years in her ovn counlry, and, nolvilhslanding her
gracious allraclion and her spIendid forn, had preserved her lody pure.
And lhe Queen said unlo SoIonon, Disniss ne, and Iel ne deparl lo ny
ovn counlry. And he venl inlo his house and gave unlo her vhalsoever
she vished for of spIendid lhings and riches, and leaulifuI appareI vhich
levilched lhe eyes, and everylhing on vhich greal slore vas sel in lhe
counlry of Llhiopia, and caneIs and vagons, six lhousand in nunler,
vhich vere Iaden vilh leaulifuI lhings of lhe nosl desiralIe kind, and
vagons vherein Ioads vere carried over lhe deserl, and a vesseI vherein
one couId lraveI over lhe sea, and a vesseI vherein one couId lraverse lhe
air (or vinds), vhich SoIonon had nade ly lhe visdon lhal Cod had
given unlo hin.
31. Concerning lhe Sign vhich SoIonon Cave lhe Queen
And lhe Queen rejoiced, and she venl forlh in order lo deparl, and lhe
King sel her on her vay vilh greal ponp and cerenony. And SoIonon
look her aside so lhal lhey nighl le aIone logelher, and he look off lhe ring
lhal vas upon his IillIe finger, and he gave il lo lhe Queen, and said unlo
her, Take |lhisj so lhal lhou nayesl nol forgel ne. And if il happen lhal I
ollain seed fron lhee, lhis ring shaII le unlo il a sign, and if il le a nan
chiId he shaII cone lo ne, and lhe peace of Cod le vilh lhee! WhiIsl I vas
sIeeping vilh lhee I sav nany visions in a drean, |and il seenedj as if a
Kelra Nagasl
33
sun had risen upon IsraeI, lul il snalched ilseIf avay and fIev off and
Iighled up lhe counlry of Llhiopia, peradvenlure lhal counlry shaII le
lIessed lhrough lhee, Cod knovelh. And as for lhee, olserve vhal I have
loId lhee, so lhal lhou nayesl vorship Cod vilh aII lhy hearl and perforn
His WiII. Ior He punishelh lhose vho are arroganl, and He shovelh
conpassion upon lhose vho are hunlIe, and He renovelh lhe lhrones of
lhe nighly, and He nakelh lo le honoured lhose vho are needy. Ior dealh
and Iife are fron Hin, and riches and poverly are lesloved ly His WiII.
Ior everylhing is His, and none can oppose His connand and His
judgnenl in lhe heavens, or in lhe earlh, or in lhe sea, or in lhe alysses.
And nay Cod le vilh lhee! Co in peace. And lhey separaled fron each
olher.
32. Hov lhe Queen Broughl Iorlh and Cane lo her ovn Counlry
And lhe Queen deparled and cane inlo lhe counlry of BI Zadsry
nine nonlhs and five days afler she had separaled fron King SoIonon.
And lhe pains of, chiIdlirlh Iaid hoId upon her, and she lroughl forlh a
nan chiId, and she gave il lo lhe nurse vilh greal pride and deIighl. And
she larried unliI lhe days of her purificalion vere ended, and lhen she
cane lo her ovn counlry vilh greal ponp and cerenony. And her officers
vho had renained lhere lroughl gifls lo lheir nislress, and nade
oleisance lo her, and did honage lo her, and aII lhe lorders of lhe counlry
rejoiced al her coning. Those vho vere nolIes anong lhen she arrayed in
spIendid appareI, and lo sone she gave goId and siIver, and hyacinlhine
and purpIe roles, and she gave lhen aII nanner of lhings lhal couId le
desired. And she ordered her kingdon arighl, and none disoleyed her
connand, for she Ioved visdon and Cod slrenglhened her kingdon.
And lhe chiId grev and she caIIed his nane Bayna-Lehken. And lhe
chiId reached lhe age of lveIve years, and he asked his friends anong lhe
loys vho vere leing educaled vilh hin, and said unlo lhen, Who is ny
falher And lhey said unlo hin, SoIonon lhe King. And he venl lo lhe
Queen his nolher, and said unlo her, Queen, nake ne lo knov vho is
ny falher. And lhe Queen spake unlo hin angriIy, vishing lo frighlen
Kelra Nagasl
34
hin so lhal he nighl nol desire lo go |lo his falherj saying, Why dosl lhou
ask ne aloul lhy falher I an lhy falher and lhy nolher, seek nol lo knov
any nore. And lhe loy venl forlh fron her presence, and sal dovn. And
a second line, and a lhird line he asked her, and he inporluned her lo leII
hin. ne day, hovever, she loId hin, saying, His counlry is far avay, and
lhe road lhilher is very difficuIl, vouIdsl lhou nol ralher le here And lhe
youlh Bayna-Lehken vas handsone, and his vhoIe lody and his
nenlers, and lhe learing of his shouIders resenlIed lhose of King
SoIonon his falher, and his eyes, and his Iegs, and his vhoIe gail
resenlIed lhose of SoIonon lhe King. And vhen he vas lvo and lvenly
years oId he vas skiIIed in lhe vhoIe arl of var and of horsenanship, and
in lhe hunling and lrapping of viId leasls, and in everylhing lhal young
nen are vonl lo Iearn. And he said unlo lhe Queen, I viII go and Iook
upon lhe face of ny falher, and I viII cone lack here ly lhe WiII of Cod,
lhe Lord of IsraeI.
33. Hov lhe King of Llhiopia TraveIIed
And lhe Queen caIIed Tnrn, lhe chief of her caravan nen and
nerchanls, and she said unlo hin, Cel ready for lhy journey and lake lhis
young nan vilh lhee, for he inporlunelh ne ly nighl and ly day. And
lhou shaIl lake hin lo lhe King and shaIl lring hin lack hilher in safely, if
Cod, lhe Lord of IsraeI, pIeaselh. And she prepared a relinue suilalIe lo
lheir veaIlh and honouralIe condilion, and nade ready aII lhe goods lhal
vere necessary for lhe journey, and for presenling as gifls lo lhe King, and
aII lhal vouId le necessary for ease and conforl ly lhe vay. And she nade
ready everylhing for sending hin avay, and she gave lo lhe officers vho
vere lo acconpany hin such noneys as lhey vouId need for hin and for
lhenseIves on lhe journey. And she connanded lhen lhal lhey vere nol
lo Ieave hin lhere, lul onIy lo lake hin lo lhe King, and lhen lo lring hin
lack again lo her, vhen he shouId assune lhe sovereignly over her Iand.
Nov lhere vas a Iav in lhe counlry of Llhiopia lhal |onIyj a vonan
shouId reign, and lhal she nusl le a virgin vho had never knovn nan, lul
lhe Queen said |unlo SoIononj, Henceforvard a nan vho is of lhy seed
Kelra Nagasl
3
shaII reign, and a vonan shaII nevernore reign, onIy seed of lhine shaII
reign and his seed afler hin fron generalion lo generalion. And lhis lhou
shaIl inscrile in lhe Iellers of lhe roIIs in lhe Book of lheir Irophels in lrass,
and lhou shaIl Iay il in lhe House of Cod, vhich shaII le luiIl as a
nenoriaI and as a prophecy for lhe Iasl days. And lhe peopIe shaII nol
vorship lhe sun and lhe nagnificence of lhe heavens, or lhe nounlains
and lhe foresls, or lhe slones and lhe lrees of lhe viIderness, or lhe alysses
and lhal vhich is in lhe valers, or graven inages and figures of goId, or
lhe fealhered fovI vhich fIy, and lhey shaII nol nake use of lhen in
divining, and lhey shaII nol pay adoralion unlo lhen. And lhis Iav shaII
alide for ever. And if lhere le anyone vho shaII lransgress lhis Iav, lhy
seed shaII judge hin for ever. nIy give us lhe fringes of lhe covering of
lhe hoIy heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, vhich ve vouId
enlrace (or, greel). Ieace le lo lhe slrenglh of lhy kingdon and lo lhy
lriIIianl visdon, vhich Cod, lhe Lord of IsraeI our Crealor, halh given
unlo lhee.
And lhe Queen look lhe young nan aside and vhen he vas aIone vilh
her she gave hin lhal synloI vhich SoIonon had given her, lhal is lo say,
lhe ring on his finger, so lhal he nighl knov his son, and nighl renenler
her vord and her covenanl vhich she had nade |vilh hinj, lhal she
vouId vorship Cod aII lhe days of her Iife, she and lhose vho vere under
her doninion, vilh aII |lhe poverj vhich Cod had given her. And lhen lhe
Queen senl hin avay in peace.
And lhe young nan |and his relinuej nade slraighl lheir vay and lhey
journeyed on and cane inlo lhe counlry of lhe neighlourhood of Cz.
Nov lhis is lhe Cz vhich SoIonon lhe King gave lo lhe Queen of
Llhiopia. And in lhe Acls of lhe AposlIes Luke lhe LvangeIisl vrole,
saying, He vas lhe governor of lhe vhoIe counlry of Cz, an eunuch of
Queen Hendak, vho had leIieved on lhe vord of Luke lhe AposlIe.
3O
34. Hov lhe Young Man Arrived in his Molhers Counlry
3O
Acls viii, 27
Kelra Nagasl
36
And vhen lhe young nan arrived in his nolhers counlry he rejoiced
lhere in lhe honour |vhich he receivedj and in lhe gifls |lhal vere nadej lo
hin. And vhen lhe peopIe sav hin lhey lhoughl hin lo le lhe perfecl
Iikeness of SoIonon lhe King. And lhey nade oleisance lo hin, and lhey
said unlo hin, HaiI, lhe royaI falher Iivelh! And lhey lroughl unlo hin
gifls and offerings, falled callIe and food, as lo lheir king. And |lhe peopIe
ofj lhe vhoIe counlry of Cz, as far as lhe lorder of }udah, vere slirred
up and lhey said, This is King SoIonon. And lhere vere sone vho said,
The King is in }erusaIen luiIding his house~nov he had finished
luiIding lhe House of Cod~and olhers said, This is SoIonon lhe King,
lhe son of David. And lhey vere perpIexed, and lhey dispuled vilh one
anolher, and lhey senl off spies nounled on horses, vho vere lo seek oul
King SoIonon and lo find oul if he vere acluaIIy in }erusaIen, or if he vere
vilh lhen |in Czj. And lhe spies cane lo lhe valchnen of lhe cily of
}erusaIen, and lhey found King SoIonon lhere, and lhey nade oleisance
lo hin, and lhey said unlo hin, HaiI, nay lhe royaI falher Iive! |urj
counlry is dislurled lecause lhere halh cone inlo il a nerchanl vho
resenlIelh lhee in forn and appearance, vilhoul lhe snaIIesl aIleralion or
varialion. He resenlIelh lhee in nolIe carriage and in spIendid forn, and
in slalure and in goodIy appearance, he Iackelh nolhing in respecl of lhese
and is in no vay differenl fron lhyseIf. His eyes are gIadsone, Iike unlo
lhose of a nan vho halh drunk vine, his Iegs are gracefuI and sIender, and
lhe lover of his neck is Iike unlo lhe lover of David lhy falher. He is Iike
unlo lhee exaclIy in every respecl, and every nenler of his vhoIe lody is
Iike unlo lhine.
And King SoIonon ansvered and said unlo lhen, Where is il lhen
lhal he vishelh lo go And lhey ansvered and said unlo hin, We have
nol enquired of hin, for he is avesone Iike lhyseIf. Bul his ovn peopIe,
vhen ve asked lhen, 'Whence have ye cone and vhilher do ye go said,
'We have cone fron lhe doninions of Hendak (Candace) and Llhiopia,
and ve are going lo lhe counlry of }udah lo King SoIonon. And vhen
King SoIonon heard lhis his hearl vas perlurled and he vas gIad in his
souI, for in lhose days he had no chiIdren, excepl a loy vho vas seven
years oId and vhose nane vas Iyrlen (Reholoan). Il happened lo
Kelra Nagasl
37
SoIonon even as IauI slalelh, saying, Cod halh nade fooIishness lhe
visdon of lhis vorId,
31
for SoIonon had nade a pIan in his visdon and
said, By one lhousand vonen I shaII legel one lhousand nen chiIdren,
and I shaII inheril lhe counlries of lhe eneny, and I viII overlhrov |lheirj
idoIs. Bul |Codj onIy gave hin lhree chiIdren. His eIdesl son vas lhe King
of Llhiopia, lhe son of lhe Queen of Llhiopia, and vas lhe firsllorn of
vhon |Codj spake prophelicaIIy, Cod svare unlo David in
righleousness, and repenled nol, 'f lhe fruil of lhy lody viII I nake lo sil
upon lhy lhrone.
32
And Cod gave unlo David His servanl grace lefore
Hin, and granled unlo hin lhal lhere shouId sil upon lhe lhrone of
Codhead ne of his seed in lhe fIesh, fron lhe Virgin, and shouId judge
lhe Iiving and lhe dead, and revard every nan according lo his vork, ne
lo vhon praise is neel, our Lord }esus Chrisl, for ever and ever, Anen.
And He gave hin one on lhe earlh vho shouId lecone king over lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of lhe hoIy, heavenIy Zion, lhal is lo say, lhe King of
Llhiopia. And as for lhose vho reigned, vho vere nol |ofj IsraeI, lhal vas
due lo lhe lransgression of lhe Iav and lhe connandnenl, vhereal Cod
vas nol pIeased.
3. Hov King SoIonon Senl lo his Son lhe Connander of his Arny
And SoIonon lhe King senl lhe connander of his arny, on vhose
hand he vas vonl lo Iean, vilh gifls and neal and drink lo enlerlain lhal
lraveIIer. And lhe connander sel oul vilh a greal nunler of vagons, and
he cane lo Bayna-Lehken, and enlraced hin, and gave hin everylhing
lhal SoIonon lhe King had senl unlo hin. And he said unlo hin, Make
hasle and cone vilh ne, for lhe hearl of lhe King is lurnl up as vilh fire
vilh lhe Iove of lhee. Ieradvenlure he viII find oul for hinseIf vhelher
lhou arl his ovn son or his lrolher, for in lhine appearance and in lhy
conversalion (or, nanner) lhou arl in no vay differenl fron hin. And nov,
rise up quickIy, for ny Iord lhe King said unlo ne, 'Hasle and lring hin
31
I Corinlhians i, 2O.
32
II SanueI vii, 17, IsaIn cxxxii, 11.
Kelra Nagasl
38
hilher lo ne in honour, and conforl, and vilh suilalIe service, and in joy
and gIadness. And lhe young nan ansvered an said unlo hin, I lhank
Cod, lhe Lord of IsraeI, lhal I have found grace vilh ny Iord lhe King
vilhoul having seen his face, his vord halh rejoiced ne. And nov I viII
pul ny lrusl in lhe Lord of IsraeI lhal He viII shov ne lhe. King, and viII
lring ne lack safeIy lo ny nolher lhe Queen, and lo ny counlry
Llhiopia.
And }oas (), lhe son of Ydh,
33
lhe connander of lhe arny of King
SoIonon, ansvered and said unlo Bayna-Lehken, My Iord, lhis is a very
snaII naller, and lhou viIl find far grealer joy and pIeasure vilh ny Iord
lhe King. And as concerning vhal lhou sayesl, 'ny nolher and 'ny
counlry, SoIonon lhe King is leller lhan lhy nolher, and lhis our counlry
is leller lhan lhy counlry. And as for lhy counlry, ve have heard lhal il is a
Iand of coId and cIoud, and a counlry of gIare and lurning heal, and a
region of snov and ice. And vhen lhe sons of Noah, Shen, and Han, and
}aphel, divided lhe vorId anong lhen, lhey Iooked on lhy counlry vilh
visdon and sav lhal, aIlhough il vas spacious and lroad, il vas a Iand of
vhirIvind and lurning heal, and |lhereforej gave il lo Canaan, lhe son of
Han, as a porlion for hinseIf and his seed for ever. Bul lhe Iand lhal is
ours is lhe Iand of inherilance (i.e., lhe pronised Iand), vhich Cod halh
given unlo us according lo lhe oalh lhal He svore lo our falhers, a Iand
fIoving vilh niIk and honey, vhere suslenance is |oursj vilhoul anxiely, a
Iand lhal yieIdelh fruil of every kind in ils season vilhoul exhausling
Ialour, a Iand vhich Cod keepelh valch over conlinuaIIy fron one year lo
lhe leginning of lhe revoIulion of lhe nexl. AII lhis is lhine, and ve are
lhine, and ve viII le lhine heirs, and lhou shaIl dveII in our counlry, for
lhou arl lhe seed of David, lhe Iord of ny Iord, and unlo lhee leIongelh
lhis lhrone of IsraeI.
And lhe headnen of lhe nerchanl Tnrn ansvered and said unlo
Benaiah, ur counlry is lhe leller. The air (i.e., cIinale) of our counlry is
33
There is a nislake here. The aulhor had in his nind }oal, lhe caplain of Davids
hosl. SeveraI of lhe MSS. have lhe reading Benys, i.e., Benaiah, lhe son of }ehoiada
(see 1 Kings ii, 3), vho vas pul in }oals roon.
Kelra Nagasl
39
good, for il is vilhoul lurning heal and fire, and lhe valer of our counlry
is good, and sveel, and fIovelh in rivers, noreover lhe lops of our
nounlains run vilh valer. And ve do nol do as ye do in your counlry,
lhal is lo say, dig very deep veIIs |in search ofj valer, and ve do nol die
lhrough lhe heal of lhe sun, lul even al noonday ve hunl viId aninaIs,
naneIy, lhe viId luffaIoes, and gazeIIes, and lirds, and snaII aninaIs.
And in lhe vinler Cod lakelh heed unlo us fron |onej year lo lhe
leginning of lhe course of lhe nexl. And in lhe springline lhe peopIe eal
vhal lhey have lrodden vilh lhe fool as |inj lhe Iand of Lgypl, and as for
our lrees lhey produce good crops of fruil, and lhe vheal, and lhe larIey,
and aII our fruils, and callIe are good and vonderfuI. Bul lhere is one lhing
lhal ye have vherein ye are leller lhan ve are, naneIy visdon, and
lecause of il ve are journeying lo you.
And }oas (read Benaiah), lhe connander of lhe arny of King SoIonon,
ansvered |sayingj, Whal is leller lhan visdon Ior visdon halh
founded lhe earlh, and nade slrong lhe heavens, and fellered lhe vaves of
lhe sea so lhal il nighl nol cover lhe earlh. Hovever, rise up and Iel us go
lo ny Iord, for his hearl is grealIy noved ly Iove for lhee, and he halh senl
ne lo lring lhee |lo hinj vilh aII lhe speed possilIe.
And lhe son of lhe Queen rose up, and arrayed }oas (Benaiah), lhe son
of Ydh, and lhe fifly nen vho vere in his relinue, in gorgeous rainenl,
and lhey rose up lo go lo }erusaIen lo SoIonon lhe King. And vhen lhey
cane nigh unlo lhe pIace vhere lhe horses vere exercised and lrained, }oas
(Benaiah), lhe son of Ydh, venl on in fronl, and cane lo lhe pIace vhere
SoIonon vas, and he loId hin lhal |lhe son of lhe Queenj vas veII-
favoured in his appearance, and lhal his voice vas pIeasanl, and lhal he
resenlIed hin in forn, and lhal his vhoIe learing vas exceedingIy nolIe.
And lhe King said unlo hin, Where is he Did I nol send lhee forlh lo
lring hin as quickIy as possilIe And }oas (Benaiah) said unlo hin, He
is here, I viII lring hin quickIy. And }oas (Benaiah) venl and said unlo
lhe young nan, Rise up, ny nasler, and cone, and naking Bayna-
Lehken lo go quickIy he lroughl hin lo lhe Kings Cale. And vhen aII lhe
soIdiers sav hin lhey nade oleisance unlo hin, and lhey said, BehoId,
King SoIonon halh gone forlh fron his alode. And vhen lhe nen vho
Kelra Nagasl
4O
vere inside cane forlh, lhey narveIIed, and lhey venl lack lo lheir pIaces,
and again lhey sav lhe King upon his lhrone, and vondering lhey venl
forlh again and Iooked al lhe young nan, and lhey vere incapalIe of
speaking and of saying anylhing. And vhen }oas (Benaiah), lhe son of
Ydh, cane in again lo announce lo lhe King lhe arrivaI of lhe young
nan, lhere vas none slanding lefore lhe King, lul aII IsraeI had lhronged
oulside lo see hin.
36. Hov King SoIonon HeId Inlercourse vilh his Son
And }oas (Benaiah), lhe son of Ydh, venl oul and lroughl Bayna-
Lehken inside. And vhen King SoIonon sav hin he rose up, and noved
forvard lo veIcone hin, and he Ioosed lhe land of his appareI fron his
shouIder, and he enlraced hin, vilh his hands |reslingj on his lreasl, and
he kissed his noulh, and forehead, and eyes, and he said unlo hin,
BehoId, ny falher David halh reneved his youlh and halh risen fron lhe
dead. And SoIonon lhe King lurned round lo lhose vho had announced
lhe arrivaI of lhe young nan, and he said unlo lhen, Ye said unlo ne, 'He
resenlIelh lhee, lul lhis is nol ny slalure, lul lhe slalure of David ny
falher in lhe days of his earIy nanhood, and he is handsoner lhan I an.
And SoIonon lhe King rose up slraighlvay, and he venl inlo his chanler,
and he arrayed lhe young nan in appareI nade of cIolh enlroidered vilh
goId, and a leIl of goId, and he sel a crovn upon his head, and a ring upon
his finger. And having arrayed hin in gIorious appareI vhich levilched
lhe eyes, he sealed hin upon his lhrone, lhal he nighl le equaI in rank lo
hinseIf. And he said unlo lhe nolIes and officers of IsraeI, ye vho lreal
ne vilh conluneIy anong yourseIves and say lhal I have no son, Iook ye,
lhis is ny son, lhe fruil lhal halh gone forlh fron ny lody, vhon Cod, lhe
Lord of IsraeI, halh given ne, vhen I expecled il nol.
And his nolIes ansvered and said unlo hin, BIessed le lhe nolher
vho halh lroughl forlh lhis young nan, and lIessed le lhe day vherein
lhou hadsl union vilh lhe nolher of lhis young nan. Ior lhere halh risen
upon us fron lhe rool of }esse a shining nan vho shaII le king of lhe
poslerily of our poslerily of his seed. Concerning his falher none shaII ask
Kelra Nagasl
41
queslions, and none shaII say, 'Whence is his coning VeriIy he is an
IsraeIile of lhe seed of David, fashioned perfeclIy in lhe Iikeness of his
falhers forn and appearance, ve are his servanls, and he shaII le our
king. And lhey lroughl unlo hin gifls, each according lo his grealness.
And lhe young nan look lhal ring vhich his nolher had given hin vhen
lhey vere aIone logelher, and he said unlo his falher, Take lhis ring, and
renenler lhe vord vhich lhou didsl speak unlo lhe Queen, and give unlo
us a porlion of lhe fringe of lhe covering of lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of
Cod, so lhal ve nay vorship il aII our days, and aII lhose vho are suljecl
unlo us, and lhose vho are in lhe kingdon of lhe Queen. And lhe King
ansvered and said unlo hin, Why givesl lhou ne lhe ring as a sign
Wilhoul lhy giving ne a sign I discovered lhe Iikeness of lhy forn lo
nyseIf, for lhou arl indeed ny son.
And lhe nerchanl Tnrn spake again unlo King SoIonon, saying,
Hearken, King, unlo lhe nessage vhich lhy handnaiden, lhe Queen
ny nislress, senl ly ne: 'Take lhis young nan, anoinl hin, consecrale
hin, and lIess hin, and nake hin king over our counlry, and give hin lhe
connand lhal a vonan shaII never again reign |in lhis counlryj, and send
hin lack in peace. And peace le vilh lhe nighl of lhy kingdon, and vilh
lhy lriIIianl visdon. As for ne, I never vished lhal he shouId cone vhere
lhou arl, lul he urged ne exceedingIy lhal he shouId le aIIoved lo cone lo
lhee. And lesides, I vas afraid for hin Iesl he shouId faII sick on lhe
journey, eilher lhrough lhirsl for valer, or lhe heal of lhe sun, and I shouId
lring ny grey hairs dovn lo lhe grave vilh sorrov. Then I pul ny lrusl in
lhe hoIy, heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, lhal lhou viIl
nol vilhhoId il in lhy visdon. Ior lhy nolIes cannol relurn lo lheir houses
and Iook upon lheir chiIdren, ly reason of lhe alundance of visdon and
food vhich lhou givesl lhen, according lo lheir desire, and lhey say, The
lalIe of SoIonon is leller for us lhan enjoying and gralifying ourseIves in
our ovn houses. And lecause of lhis I, lhrough ny fear, soughl proleclion
so lhal lhou nighlesl nol slalIish hin vilh lhee, lul nighlesl send hin
|lackj lo ne in peace, vilhoul sickness and suffering, in Iove and in peace,
lhal ny hearl nighl rejoice al having encounlered lhee.
Kelra Nagasl
42
And lhe King ansvered and said unlo hin, Besides lravaiIing vilh
hin and suckIing hin, vhal eIse halh a vonan lo do vilh a son A
daughler leIongelh lo lhe nolher, and a loy lo lhe falher. Cod cursed Lve,
saying, 'Bring forlh chiIdren in anguish
34
and vilh sorrov of hearl, and
|aflerj lhy lringing forlh shaII lake pIace lhy relurn lo lhy husland, vilh
an oalh He said, 'Bring forlh, and having svorn, lhy relurn lo lhy husland
|shaII foIIovj. As for lhis ny son, I viII nol give hin lo lhe Queen, lul I
viII nake hin king over IsraeI. Ior lhis is ny firsllorn, lhe firsl of ny race
vhon Cod halh given ne.
And lhen SoIonon senl unlo lhe young nan evening and norning
dainly neals, and appareI of honour, and goId and siIver. And he said unlo
hin, Il is leller for lhee lo dveII here in our counlry vilh us, vhere lhe
House of Cod is, and vhere lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod is, and
vhere Cod dveIIelh. And lhe young nan his son senl a nessage unlo
hin, saying, CoId, and siIver, and |richj appareI are nol vanling in our
counlry. Bul I cane hilher in order lo hear lhy visdon, and lo see lhy face,
and lo saIule lhee, and lo pay honage lo lhy kingdon, and lo nake
oleisance lo lhee, and lhen |I inlended lheej lo send ne avay lo ny
nolher and lo ny ovn counlry. Ior no nan halelh lhe pIace vhere he vas
lorn, and everyone Iovelh lhe lhings of his nalive counlry. And lhough
lhou givesl ne dainly neals I do nol Iove lhen, and lhey are nol suilalIe
for ny lody, lul lhe neals vherely I grov and lecone slrong are lhose
lhal are gralifying lo ne. And aIlhough (lhy) counlry pIeaselh ne even as
dolh a garden, yel is nol ny hearl gralified lherevilh, lhe nounlains of lhe
Iand of ny nolher vhere I vas lorn are far leller in ny sighl. And as for
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Cod of IsraeI, if I adore il vhere I an, il viII give ne
gIory, and I shaII Iook upon lhe House of Cod vhich lhou hasl luiIded,
and I viII nake offering and nake suppIicalion lo il lhere. And as for Zion,
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, give ne |a porlion ofj lhe fringe of lhe
covering lhereof, and I viII vorship il vilh ny nolher and vilh aII lhose
vho are suljecl lo ny sovereignly. Ior ny Lady lhe Queen halh aIready
rooled oul aII lhose vho served idoIs, and lhose vho vorshipped slrange
34
See Cenesis iii, 16.
Kelra Nagasl
43
oljecls, and slones and lrees, and she halh rooled lhen oul and halh
lroughl lhen lo Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod. Ior she had heard
fron lhee and had Iearned, and she did according lo lhy vord, and ve
vorship Cod. And lhe King vas nol alIe lo nake his son consenl lo
renain |in }erusaIenj vilh aII |his persuadingsj.
37. Hov SoIonon Asked his Son Queslions
And again SoIonon heId converse vilh his son vhen he vas aIone, and
he said unlo hin, Why dosl lhou vish lo deparl fron ne Whal dosl lhou
Iack here lhal lhou vouIdsl go lo lhe counlry of lhe healhen And vhal is
il lhal drivelh lhee lo forsake lhe kingdon of IsraeI
And his son ansvered and said unlo hin, Il is inpossilIe for ne lo
Iive here. Nay, I nusl go lo ny nolher, lhou favouring ne vilh lhy
lIessing. Ior lhou hasl a son vho is leller lhan I an, naneIy Iyrlen
(Reholoan) vho vas lorn of lhy vife IavfuIIy, vhiIsl ny nolher is nol
lhy vife according lo lhe Iav.
And lhe King ansvered and said unlo hin, Since lhou speakesl in lhis
vise, according lo lhe Iav I nyseIf an nol lhe son of ny falher David, for
he look lhe vife of anolher nan vhon he caused lo le sIain in lallIe, and
he legol ne ly her, lul Cod is conpassionale and He halh forgiven hin.
Who is vickeder and nore fooIish lhan nen and vho is as conpassionale
and as vise as Cod Cod halh nade ne of ny falher, and lhee halh He
nade of ne, according lo His WiII. And as for lhee, ny son, lhou fearer
of our Lord Cod, do nol vioIence lo lhe face of lhy falher, so lhal in lines lo
cone lhou nayesl nol neel vilh vioIence fron hin lhal shaII go forlh fron
lhy Ioins, and lhal lhy seed nay prosper upon lhe earlh. My son Reholoan
is a loy six years oId, and lhou arl ny firsllorn son, and lhou hasl cone lo
reign, and lo Iifl up lhe spear of hin lhal legol lhee. BehoId, I have leen
reigning for nine and lvenly years, and lhy nolher cane lo ne in lhe
sevenlh year of ny kingdon, and pIease Cod, He shaII nake ne lo allain
lo lhe span of lhe days of ny falher. And vhen I shaII le galhered lo ny
falhers, lhou shaIl sil upon ny lhrone, and lhou shaIl reign in ny slead,
and lhe eIders of IsraeI shaII Iove lhee exceedingIy, and I viII nake a
Kelra Nagasl
44
narriage for lhee, and I viII give lhee as nany queens and conculines as
lhou desiresl. And lhou shaIl le lIessed in lhis Iand of inherilance vilh lhe
lIessing lhal Cod gave unlo our falhers, even as He covenanled vilh Noah
His servanl, and vilh Alrahan His friend, and lhe righleous nen lheir
descendanls afler lhen dovn lo David ny falher. Thou seesl ne, a veak
nan, upon lhe lhrone of ny falhers, and lhou shaIl le Iike nyseIf afler ne,
and lhou shaIl judge nalions vilhoul nunler, and faniIies lhal cannol le
counled. And lhe TalernacIe of lhe Cod of IsraeI shaII leIong lo lhee and lo
lhy seed, vherelo lhou shaIl nake offerings and nake prayers lo ascend.
And Cod shaII dveII vilhin il for ever and shaII hear lhy prayers lherein,
and, lhou shaIl do lhe good pIeasure of Cod lherein, and lhy renenlrance
shaII le in il fron generalion lo generalion.
And his son ansvered and said unlo hin, ny Iord, il is inpossilIe
for ne lo Ieave ny counlry and ny nolher, for ny nolher nade ne lo
svear ly her lreasls lhal I vouId nol renain here lul vouId relurn lo her
quickIy, and aIso lhal I vouId nol narry a vife here. And lhe TalernacIe of
lhe Cod of IsraeI shaII lIess ne vheresoever I shaII le, and lhy prayer shaII
acconpany ne vhilhersoever I go. I desired lo see lhy face, and lo hear lhy
voice, and lo receive lhy lIessing, and nov I desire lo deparl lo ny nolher
in safely.
38. Hov lhe King IIanned lo Send Avay his Son vilh lhe ChiIdren of lhe
NolIes
And lhen SoIonon lhe King venl lack inlo his house, and he caused lo
le galhered logelher his counciIIors, and his officers, and lhe eIders of his
kingdon, and he said unlo lhen, I an nol alIe lo nake lhis young nan
consenl |lo dveII herej. And nov, hearken ye unlo ne~and lo vhal I shaII
say unlo you. Cone, Iel us nake hin king of lhe counlry of Llhiopia,
logelher vilh your chiIdren, ye sil on ny righl hand and on ny Iefl hand,
and in Iike nanner lhe eIdesl of your chiIdren shaII sil on his righl hand
and on his Iefl hand. Cone, ye counciIIors and officers, Iel us give |hinj
your firsllorn chiIdren, and ve shaII have lvo kingdons, I viII ruIe here
vilh you, and our chiIdren shaII reign lhere. And I pul ny lrusl in Cod
Kelra Nagasl
4
lhal a lhird line He viII give ne seed, and lhal a lhird king viII le lo ne.
Nov BaIl.sr, lhe King of Rn, vishelh lhal I vouId give ny son lo his
daughler, and lo nake hin vilh his daughler king over lhe vhoIe counlry
of Rn. Ior lesides her he halh no olher chiId, and he halh svorn lhal he
viII onIy nake king a nan vho is of lhe seed of David ny falher. And if
ve ruIe lhere ve shaII le lhree kings. And Reholoan shaII reign here over
IsraeI. Ior lhus sailh lhe prophecy of David ny falher 'The seed of
SoIonon shaII lecone lhree heads of kingdons upon lhe earlh. And ve
viII send unlo lhen priesls, and ve viII ordain Iavs for lhen, and lhey
shaII vorship and serve lhe Cod of IsraeI under lhe lhree royaI heads. And
Cod shaII le praised ly lhe race of His peopIe IsraeI, and le exaIled in aII
lhe earlh, even as ny falher vrole in his Book, saying, 'TeII lhe nalions lhal
Cod is king,
3
and again he said, 'Announce lo lhe peopIes His vork,
praise Hin and sing ye unlo Hin, and again he sailh, 'Iraise Cod vilh a
nev song. His praise is in lhe congregalion of lhe righleous, IsraeI shaII
rejoice in his Crealor.
36
Unlo us leIongelh lhe gIory of sovereignly and ve
viII praise our Crealor. And lhe nalions vho serve idoIs shaII Iook upon
us, and lhey shaII fear us, and nake us kings over lhen, and lhey shaII
praise Cod and fear Hin. And nov, cone ye, Iel us nake lhis young nan
king, and Iel us send hin avay vilh your chiIdren, ye vho possess veaIlh
and posilion. According lo lhe posilion and veaIlh lhal ye have here shaII
your chiIdren |ruIej lhere. And lhey shaII see lhe ordering of royaIly, and
ve viII eslalIish lhen according lo our Iav, and ve viII direcl lhen and
give lhen connands and send lhen avay lo reign lhere.
And lhe priesls, and lhe officers, and lhe counciIIors ansvered and said
unlo hin, Do lhou send lhy firsllorn, and ve viII send our chiIdren aIso
according lo lhy vish. Who can resisl lhe connandnenl of Cod and lhe
king They are lhe servanls of lhee and of lhy seed as lhou hasl
procIained. If lhou vishesl, lhou cansl seII lhen and lheir nolhers lo le
sIaves, il is nol for us lo lransgress lhy connand and lhe connand of lhe
Lord lhy Cod. And lhen lhey nade ready lo do for lhen (i.e., lheir
3
Conpare IsaIn xcv.
36
Conpare IsaIn xcvi.
Kelra Nagasl
46
chiIdren) vhal il vas righl lo do, and lo send lhen inlo lhe counlry of
Llhiopia, so lhal lhey nighl reign lhere and dveII lhere for ever, lhey and
lheir seed fron generalion lo generalion.
39. Hov They Made lhe Son of SoIonon King
And lhey nade ready lhe oinlnenl of lhe oiI of kingship, and lhe
sounds of lhe Iarge horn, and lhe snaII horn, and lhe fIule and lhe pipes,
and lhe harp and lhe drun fiIIed lhe air, and lhe cily resounded vilh cries
of joy and gIadness. And lhey lroughl lhe young nan inlo lhe HoIy of
HoIies, and he Iaid hoId upon lhe horns of lhe aIlar, and sovereignly vas
given unlo hin ly lhe noulh of Zadok lhe priesl, and ly lhe noulh of }oas
(Benaiah) lhe priesl, lhe connander of lhe arny of King SoIonon, and he
anoinled hin vilh lhe hoIy oiI of lhe oinlnenl of kingship. And he venl
oul fron lhe house of lhe Lord, and lhey caIIed his nane David, for lhe
nane of a king cane lo hin ly lhe Iav. And lhey nade hin lo ride upon
lhe nuIe of King SoIonon, and lhey Ied hin round aloul lhe cily, and said,
We have appoinled lhee fron lhis nonenl, and lhen lhey cried oul lo
hin, Bh. |Longj Iive lhe royaI falher! And lhere vere sone vho said, Il
is neel and righl lhal lhy doninion of Llhiopia shaII le fron lhe River of
Lgypl lo lhe vesl of lhe sun (i.e., lo lhe selling sun), lIessed le lhy seed
upon lhe earlh~and fron Shoa lo lhe easl of India, for lhou viIl pIease
|lhe peopIe of lhese Iandsj. And lhe Lord Cod of IsraeI shaII le unlo lhee a
guide, and lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod shaII le vilh aII lhal lhou
Iookesl upon. And aII lhine enenies and foes shaII le overlhrovn lefore
lhee, and conpIelion and finish shaII le unlo lhee and unlo lhy seed afler
lhee, lhou shaIl judge nany nalions and none shaII judge lhee. And again
his falher lIessed hin and said unlo hin, The lIessing of heaven and
earlh shaII le lhy lIessing, and aII lhe congregalion of IsraeI said,
Anen. And his falher aIso said unlo Zadok lhe priesl, Make hin lo
knov and leII hin concerning lhe judgnenl and decree of Cod vhich he
shaII olserve lhere |in Llhiopiaj.
4O. Hov Zadok lhe Iriesl Cave Connands lo David lhe King
Kelra Nagasl
47
And Zadok lhe priesl ansvered and said unlo lhe young nan,
Hearken unlo vhal I shaII say unlo lhee. And if lhou viIl perforn il lhou
shaIl Iive lo Cod, and if lhou dosl nol Cod viII punish lhee, and lhou shaIl
lecone lhe Ieasl of aII lhe nalions, and lhou shaIl le vanquished ly lhy
foes. And Cod shaII lurn avay His face fron lhee, and lhou shaIl le
disnayed, and sad, and sorrovfuI in lhy hearl, and lhy sIeep shaII le
vilhoul refreshing and heaIlh. And hearken unlo lhe vord of Cod, and
perforn il, and vilhdrav nol lhyseIf eilher lo lhe righl hand or lhe Iefl, in
respecl of lhal vhich ve connand lhee lhis day, and lhou shaIl serve no
olher god. And if lhou viIl nol hear lhe vord of Cod, lhen hearken lo aII
lhe curses here nenlioned vhich shaII cone upon lhee. Cursed shaIl lhou
le in lhe fieId, cursed shaIl lhou le in lhe cily. Cursed shaII le lhe fruil of
lhy Iand, cursed shaII le lhe fruil of lhy leIIy, and lhe herds of lhy callIe,
and lhe fIocks of lhy sheep. And Cod shaII send upon lhee fanine and
pesliIence, and He shaII deslroy lhal vherelo lhou hasl pul lhine hand,
unliI al Ienglh He shaII deslroy lhee, lecause lhou hasl nol hearkened lo
His vord. And lhe heavens vhich are alove lhee shaII lecone lrass, and
lhe earlh vhich is lenealh lhee shaII lecone iron, and Cod shaII nake lhe
rain |vhich shouId faII uponj lhy Iand lo le darkness onIy, and dusl shaII
descend fron heaven upon lhee unliI il shaII cover lhee up and deslroy
lhee. And lhou shaIl le snillen in lallIe lefore lhine enenies. Thou shaIl
go forlh lo allack lhen ly one road, and ly seven vays shaIl lhou lake lo
fIighl lefore lheir faces, and lhou shaIl le rouled, and lhy dead lody shaII
lecone food for lhe fovI of lhe heavens, and lhere shaII le none lo lury
lhee. And Cod shaII punish lhee vilh sores, (or, Ieprosy), and vilh lhe
vasling disease, and vilh lhe fever lhal deslroyelh, and vilh lhe
punishnenls (i.e., pIagues) of Lgypl, and vilh lIindness and lerror of
hearl, and lhou shaIl grope aloul ly day Iike a lIind nan in lhe darkness,
and lhou shaIl find none lo heIp lhee in |lhyj lroulIe. Thou shaIl narry a
vife, and anolher nan shaII carry her avay fron lhee ly force. Thou shaIl
luiId a house, and shaIl nol dveII lherein. And lhou shaIl pIanl a vineyard
and shaIl nol harvesl lhe grapes lhereof. Men shaII sIay lhy fal oxen lefore
lhine eyes, and lhou shaIl nol eal of lheir fIesh. Men shaII snalch avay
Kelra Nagasl
48
lhine ass, and shaII nol lring hin lack lo lhee. Thy sheep shaII run lo lhe
sIaves and lo lhine eneny, and lhou shaIl find none lo heIp lhee. And lhy
sons and lhy daughlers shaII foIIov olher peopIe, and lhou shaIl see vilh
lhine ovn eyes hov lhey are snillen, and shaIl le alIe lo do nolhing. An
eneny vhon lhou knovesl nol shaII devour lhe food of lhy Iand and lhy
Ialour, and lhou shaIl nol le alIe lo prevenl hin, and lhou shaIl lecone a
nan of suffering and caIanily. When lhe day davnelh lhou shaIl say,
'WouId lhal lhe evening had cone! and vhen lhe evening conelh lhou
shaIl say, 'WouId lhal lhe norning had cone! lhrough lhe grealness of lhy
fear. |AII lhese lhings shaII cone upon lheej if lhou viIl nol hearken lo lhe
vord of lhe Lord. Bul if lhou viIl lruIy hearken unlo lhe vord of lhe
Lord~hear lhou~lhe goodness of Cod shaII find lhee, and lhou shaIl ruIe
lhe counlries of lhe eneny, and lhou shaIl inheril everIasling gIory fron
lhe Lord Cod of IsraeI, Who ruIelh everylhing. Ior He honourelh hin lhal
honourelh Hin, and He Iovelh hin lhal Iovelh Hin, for He is lhe Lord of
dealh and of Iife, and He direclelh and ruIelh aII lhe vorId vilh His
visdon, and His pover, and His |nighlyj arn.
41. Concerning lhe BIessing of Kings
Hearken lhou nov lo lhe lIessing lhal shaII cone upon lhee, if lhou
viIl do lhe WiII of Cod. Thou shaIl le lIessed in aII lhy vays, lIessed shaIl
lhou le in lhe cily, lIessed shaIl lhou le in lhe fieId, lIessed shaIl lhou le
in lhy house, lIessed shaIl lhou le oulside il, and lIessed shaII le lhe fruil
of lhy leIIy. And lhose vho vere galhered logelher said, Anen. BIessed
shaII le lhe fruil of lhy Iand. Anen. BIessed shaII le lhe founlains of lhy
valers. Anen. BIessed shaII le lhe fruil lhal lhou hasl pIanled. Anen.
BIessed shaII le lhy callIe-runs and lhe fIocks of lhy sheep. Anen. BIessed
shaII le lhy granaries and lhy larns. Anen. BIessed shaIl lhou le in lhy
coning in. Anen. BIessed shaIl lhou le in lhy going forlh. Anen.
And Cod shaII lring lo lhee lhine enenies vho have risen up againsl
lhee, and lhey shaII le lrodden snaII lenealh lhy feel. Anen. And Cod
shaII send His lIessing on lhy houses and on everylhing lo vhich lhou hasl
pul lhine hand. Anen. And Cod shaII nuIlipIy for lhee good lhings,
Kelra Nagasl
49
naneIy, chiIdren of lhy lody, produce of lhy Iand, and lirlhs anong lhy
fIocks And herds. Anen. And in lhe Iand vhich He svore |lo give loj lhy
falhers, He viII give lhee according lo lhe days of heaven. Anen. And Cod
shaII open for lhee lhe slorehouse of lhe lIessing of lhe heavens, and He
shaII give lhee lIessed rain, and shaII lIess lhe fruil of lhy Ialour. Anen.
Thou shaIl Iend unlo nany peopIes, lul lhou shaIl nol lorrov. Anen.
Thou shaIl ruIe over nany nalions, lul lhey shaII nol ruIe over lhee. Anen.
And Cod shaII sel lhee al lhe head and nol al lhe laiI, and lhou shaIl le al
lhe lop and nol al lhe lollon. Anen. And lhou shaIl galher logelher of
every lIessing of lhe Iand for lhy fIocks and herds, and lhou shaIl lake, lhe
spoiI of lhe nalions for lhine arny, and lhey shaII lov dovn lo lhee lo lhe
face of lhe earlh, lo lhy sovereignly, lecause of lhe grealness of lhy gIory.
Thine honour shaII rise up Iike lhe cedar, and Iike lhe Morning Slar, lhe
lriIIiance of lhy gIory shaII le lefore aII lhe nalions of lhe earlh, and lefore
every lrile of lhy peopIe IsraeI.
Ior Cod shaII le vilh lhee in aII lhy vays, and He viII perforn lhy
viII in everylhing lhal lhou delerninesl. And lhou shaIl inheril lhe
counlries of lhine eneny, and lhe grealness of lhy peopIe shaII le praised
lecause of lhe grealness of lhine avesoneness, and lecause of lhe
nuIlilude of lhy soIdiers. And aII lhose vho do nol perforn lhe WiII of
Cod viII fear lhee lecause lhou dosl do His WiII, and dosl serve Hin, and
lherefore He viII give lhee greal najesly in lhe sighl of lhose vho see lhee.
Their hearls shaII lrenlIe lefore lhe lridIe of lhy horses, and lhe quiver of
lhy lov, and lhe gIiller of lhy shieId, and lhey shaII lov dovn lo lhe face
of lhe earlh, for lheir hearls shaII le lerrified al lhe sighl of lhy najesly.
And vhen lhose vho are in lhe nounlains see lhee afar off lhey shaII cone
dovn lo lhe pIain, and lhose vho are on lhe seas and in lhe deep valers
shaII cone forlh, so lhal lhe Lord nay lring lhen inlo lhy hand, lecause
lhey have lransgressed lhe connand of Cod. And lhou, vhen lhou doesl
His WiII, shaIl receive fron Hin everylhing for vhich lhou, hasl asked, for
if lhou Iovesl Hin He viII Iove lhee, and if lhou keepesl His
connandnenl He viII granl lhee lhe pelilion of lhy hearl, and everylhing
lhal lhou seekesl lhou shaIl receive fron Hin. Ior He is lhe Cood ne lo
lhe good, and lhe Conpassionale lo lhe conpassionale, and He doelh lhe
Kelra Nagasl
O
viII of lhose vho fear Hin, and He givelh a revard lo lhose vho vail
palienlIy for Hin. Be palienl in respecl of vralh, and al lhe end He viII
nake lhee lo rejoice, Iove righleousness and He viII nake Iife lo lIosson
for lhee. Be a good nan lo lhe good, and a reprover of sinners. And pul
aside lhe vickedness of lhe eviI nan ly reluking and correcling hin, and
condenn and disgrace lhe eviI nan vho doelh vioIence lo his neighlour in
lhe courl of Iav. And do juslice lo lhe poor nan and lo lhe orphans, and
reIease lhen fron lhe hand of hin lhal doelh lhen vrong. And deIiver
hin lhal is forsaken and lhe nan vho is in nisery, and reIease hin fron
lhe hand of hin lhal causelh hin lo suffer. }udge nol vilh parliaIily, and
have no respecl of persons, lul judge righleousIy. When lhou underlakesl
lo judge, Iove nol gifls (i.e., lriles) and accepl nol persons. And adnonish
lhy governors (or, judges) lhal lhey le free fron lhe laking of gifls, and
lhal lhey accepl nol lhe persons of lheir friends, or of lheir enenies, or of
rich or poor, in giving judgnenl, and lhey shaII sureIy judge lheir
neighlours in righleousness, and vilh a jusl judgnenl.
42. Concerning lhe Ten Connandnenls
And hear ye, IsraeI, lhal vhich Cod connandelh you lo keep, He
sailh, 'I an lhe Lord lhy Cod Who halh lroughl lhee oul of lhe Iand of
Lgypl and oul of lhe house of londage. There shaII le no olher gods
lesides Me, and lhou shaIl nol nake any god lhal is graven, and no god
lhal is Iike vhal is in lhe heavens alove, or in lhe earlh lenealh, or in lhe
valer vhich is under lhe earlh. Thou shaIl nol lov dovn lo lhen, and
lhou shaIl nol serve lhen, for I lhe Lord lhy Cod an a jeaIous Cod. |I an
Hej Who visilelh lhe sin of lhe falher on lhe chiIdren lo lhe lhird and
fourlh generalion of lhose vho hale Me, and I perforn nercy lo a
lhousand (or, len lhousand) generalions of lhose vho Iove Me and keep
My connandnenls.
Thou shaIl nol svear a faIse oalh in lhe Nane of lhe Lord lhy Cod, for
lhe Lord viII nol hoId innocenl lhe nan vho svearelh a faIse oalh in His
Nane.
Kelra Nagasl
1
And olserve lhe day of lhe Sallalh lo sanclify il, even as lhe Lord lhy
Cod connanded. Six days lhou shaIl do lhy vork, and on lhe sevenlh day,
lhe Sallalh of lhe Lord lhy Cod, lhou shaIl do no vork al aII, neilher
lhyseIf, nor lhy son, nor lhy daughler, nor lhy nor lhine ass, nor any leasl,
nor lhe slranger lhal alidelh vilh lhee. Ior in six days Cod nade lhe
heavens and lhe earlh, and lhe sea and aII lhal is in lhen, and resled on lhe
sevenlh day, and lecause of lhis Cod lIessed lhe sevenlh day and decIared
il free |fron vorkj.
Honour lhy falher and lhy nolher so lhal nay le good lo lhee lh
nany days lhal lhou shaIl find in lhe Iand vhich lhe Lord lhy Cod halh
given lhee.
Thou shaIl nol go vilh lhe vife of |anolherj nan.
Thou shaIl nol sIay a Iife.
Thou shaIl nol connil fornicalion. Thou shaIl nol sleaI.
Thou shaIl nol lear faIse vilness againsl lhy neighlour.
Thou shaIl nol covel lhy neighlours vife, nor his house, nor his Iand,
nor his nanservanl, nor his naidservanl, nor his ox, nor his callIe, nor his
ass, nor any of lhe leasls lhal lhy neighlour halh acquired.
This is lhe vord vhich Cod halh spoken, His Lav and His rdinance.
And lhose vho sin He relukelh, so lhal lhey nay nol le confirned in
error, and nay reslrain lhenseIves fron lhe poIIulion vherevilh Cod is
nol pIeased. And lhis is lhe lhing vilh vhich Cod is nol pIeased, and il is
righl lhal nen shouId alslain fron il.
No nan shaII uncover lhe shane of one vilh vhon he halh kinship,
for I an lhe Lord your Cod. The shane of lhy falher and nolher lhou shaIl
nol uncover, for il is lhy nolher. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of lhy
falhers vife, for il is lhe shane of lhy nolher. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe
shane of lhy sisler vho vas legollen ly lhy falher or lhy nolher. Whelher
she vas lorn unlo hin fron oulside or vhelher she is a kinsvonan of
lhine lhou shaIl nol uncover her shane. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane
eilher of lhy sons daughler, or lhe shane of lhe daughler of lhy daughler,
for il is lhine ovn shane. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of lhe
daughler of lhy falhers vife, for she is lhy sisler, lhe daughler of lhy
nolher, and lhou shaIl nol uncover her shane. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe
Kelra Nagasl
2
shane of lhy falhers sisler, for she is of lhy falhers house. Thou shaIl nol
uncover lhe shane of lhy nolhers sisler, for she is of lhy nolhers house.
Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of lhe vife of lhy falhers lrolher, for
she is lhy kin|svonanj. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of lhy sons
vife, for she is lhy sons vife. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of lhy
daughler and lhe vife of lhy lrolhers son, for il is lhine ovn shane. Thou
shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of lhy lrolhers vife, for il is lhy lrolhers
shane as Iong as lhy lrolher Iivelh. Thou shaIl nol uncover lhe shane of a
vonan and lhal of her daughler, nor lhal of lhe daughler of her son, nor
lhal of lhe daughler of her daughler. Thou shaIl nol cause lheir shane lo le
uncovered, il is lhy house and il is sin.
And lhou shaIl nol lake lo vife a naiden and her sisler so as lo nake
lhen jeaIous each of lhe olher, and lhou shaIl nol uncover lheir shane, nor
lhe shane of lhe one or lhe olher as Iong as lhe firsl sisler is aIive. Thou
shaIl nol go lo a nenslruous vonan, unliI she is purified, lo uncover her
shane vhiIsl she is sliII uncIean. And lhou shaIl nol go lo lhe vife of lhy
neighlour lo Iie vilh her, and lhou shaIl nol Iel lhy seed enler her.
And lhou shaIl nol vov lhy chiIdren lo MoIoch lo defiIe lhe Nane of
lhe HoIy ne, lhe Nane of lhe Lord.
And lhou shaIl nol Iie vilh a nan as vilh a vonan, for il is poIIulion.
And lhou shaIl nol go lo a leasl and lhou shaIl nol Iie vilh il so as lo
nake lhy seed go oul upon il, lhal lhou nayesl nol le poIIuled lherely.
And a vonan shaII nol go lo a leasl lo Iie vilh il, for il is poIIulion. And ye
shaII nol poIIule yourseIves vilh any of lhese lhings, for vilh lhen lhe
nalions vhon I have driven oul lefore you have poIIuled lhenseIves, and
vilh lhen ye shaII nol poIIule your lodies.
And sanclify ye your souIs and your lodies loo Cod, for He is lhe
HoIy ne, and He Iovelh lhose vho sanclify lheir souIs and lheir lodies lo
Hin. Ior He is hoIy, and lo le feared, and He is high, and nercifuI, and
conpassionale. And lo Hin praise is neel for ever and ever. Anen.
43. Hov lhe Men of lhe Arny of IsraeI Received |lheirj rders
Kelra Nagasl
3
And lhe cily rejoiced lecause lhe King had nade his son King, and had
appoinled hin King fron his ovn lerrilory lo lhal of anolher. Bul lhe cily
sorroved aIso lecause lhe King had connanded lhal lhey shouId give
lheir chiIdren vho vere caIIed firsllorn. And lhose vho vere on lhe
righl hand shouId sil in lhe sane vay as lheir falhers sal vilh King
SoIonon, even so shouId lhey sil al lhe righl hand of his son David, lhe
King of Llhiopia, and lhose vho vere on lhe Iefl hand shouId sil as lheir
falhers sal vilh King SoIonon, even so shouId lhey sil on lhe Iefl hand of
his son David, lhe King of Llhiopia, and lheir rank shouId le Iike lhal of
lheir falhers, and lheir nanes shouId le Iike lhose of lheir falhers. And
each shouId le according lo his ordinance, and each according lo his
grealness, and each according lo his posilion of aulhorily, and each
according lo his vages, and each according lo his rank, in lhis vise shaII
lhey le. As SoIonon did lo his nolIes so shaII David do lo his nolIes, and
as SoIonon ordained for his governors so shaII David order lhe direclion of
his house.
And lhe nanes of lhose vho vere appoinled lo le senl avay vere
lhese:
'Azrys (Azariah), lhe son of Zdk, lhe priesl, vho vas lhe high
priesl.
'LIys, lhe son of 'Arn lhe Archdeacon, nov lhe falher of 'Arn vas lhe
Archdeacon of Nalhan lhe prophel.
'Adrn, lhe son of 'Ardrnes, Ieader of lhe peopIes.
Iankr, lhe son of Sl, scrile of lhe oxen.
'AknhI, lhe son of TfI, lhe youlh.
Snnys, lhe son of 'AklIan, lhe recorder.
Iikrs, lhe son of Ny, connander of lhe arned nen, lhal is lo say,
chief of lhe lroops.
Lvnds, lhe son of 'Akr, connander of lhe recruils
Ikln, lhe son of 'Adry, connander on lhe sea.
Mln, lhe son of Benys, chief of lhe house.
Adaraz, lhe son of Krn, servanl of decoralions.
DaIakn, lhe son of Mlrn, chief of lhe horse-soIdiers.
'Adarys, lhe son of Ndrs, chief of lhe fool-soIdiers.
Kelra Nagasl
4
'Avslrn, lhe son of Ydd, learer of lhe gIory.
'Aslarayn, lhe son of 'As, nessenger of lhe paIace ().
In, lhe son of Mallys, connander of lhe hosl()
Mkr, lhe son of 'Als, judge of lhe paIace.
'Als, lhe son of Krys, assessor of laxes (lilhes).
Lk Wendeys, lhe son of NIenleys, judge of assenlIy.
Krn, lhe son of Had.nys, chief of lhe royaI vorknen.
Sernys, lhe son of 'AkzI, adninislralor of lhe Kings house.
These are aII lhose vho vere given lo David, king of Llhiopia, lhe son
of SoIonon, King of IsraeI. And SoIonon aIso gave hin horses, and
chariols, and riding-caneIs, and nuIes, and vagons for carrying Ioads, and
goId, and siIver, and spIendid appareI, and lyssus, and purpIe, and gens,
and pearIs and precious slones, and he gave his son everylhing lhal vouId
le vished for in lhe counlry of Llhiopia.
And lhen lhey nade ready lo sel oul, and |lhoughj lhere vas greal joy
vilh lhe nolIes of lhe King of Llhiopia, lhere vas sadness vilh lhe nolIes
of lhe King of IsraeI, lecause lhrough lhe firsllorn son of SoIonon, King of
IsraeI, lhal is lo say, lhe King of Llhiopia, lhe firsllorn sons of lhe nolIes of
IsraeI vere given lo ruIe over lhe counlry of Llhiopia vilh lhe son of
SoIonon lhe King. Then lhey assenlIed logelher and vepl, logelher vilh
lheir falhers, and lheir nolhers, and lheir reIalions, and lheir kinsfoIk, and
lheir peopIes, and lheir counlrynen. And lhey cursed lhe King secrelIy and
reviIed hin lecause he had seized lheir sons againsl lheir viII. Bul unlo lhe
King lhey said, Because of lhis lhou hasl done veII. Thy visdon is so
good lhal lhe kingdon of IsraeI, ly lhe WiII of Cod and ly lhy visdon,
exlendelh lo lhe counlry of Llhiopia. And Cod viII galher logelher lhe
olher kingdons |of lhe vorIdj inlo lhy hand, for lhou hasl a righl nind
lovards Cod, and lhou vishesl lhal lhey shaII serve lhe Cod of IsraeI, and
lhal idoIs nay le deslroyed oul of lhe vorId.
And lhey praised hin and said unlo hin, Nov knov ve lhal Cod
spake concerning lhee lo our falher Alrahan |vhen He saidj, 'In lhy seed
shaII aII lhe nalions of lhe earlh le lIessed. And lhey nade lheir faces lo
appear happy, and lhey jesled lefore hin, and lhey praised hin
exceedingIy (i.e., fuIsoneIy) lecause of his visdon. And vhen lhey said
Kelra Nagasl
lhese lhings unlo hin, he underslood lhen in |hisj visdon, and lore vilh
lhen palienlIy, nov Cod learelh vilh us palienlIy knoving veII aII our
sins. And lhe vhoIe earlh, and lhe heavens, and lhe ends of lhe vorId, and
lhe sea, and lhe dry Iand, are lhe kingdon of Cod. He judgelh. And He
halh given lhe earlh lo lhe king lo le suljecl unlo hin, lhal he nay judge
(or, ruIe), as He dolh, lhose vho do eviI so lhal he nay requile lhen vilh
eviI, and lhose vho do good so lhal he nay revard lhen vilh good. Ior
lhe Spiril of Cod reslelh in lhe hearl of lhe king, and His hands are in his
nind, and His knovIedge is in his underslanding.
44. Hov il is nol a SeenIy Thing lo ReviIe lhe King
Nov il is nol a seenIy lhing lo reviIe lhe king, for he is lhe anoinled of
Cod. Il is neilher seenIy nor good. If he doelh lhal vhich is good he viII
nol suffer Ioss in lhree kingdons: IIRST, Cod shaII overlhrov for hin his
eneny, and he shaII nol le seized ly lhe hand of his eneny. SLCNDLY,
Cod shaII nake hin reign vilh Hin and vilh His righleousness, and shaII
nake hin lo sil on His righl hand. THIRDLY, Cod shaII nake hin lo reign
upon earlh vilh gIory and joy, and shaII direcl his kingdon for hin, and
shaII lring dovn lhe nalions under his feel. And if he lrealelh Cod IighlIy,
and dolh nol do lhal vhich is good, and dolh nol hinseIf vaIk in lhe palh
of uprighlness, Cod shaII vork as He pIeaselh againsl hin, on earlh He
viII nake his days lo le fev, and in heaven (sic) his pIace of alode shaII le
lhe halilalion of SheI vilh lhe DeviI. And on earlh he shaII enjoy neilher
heaIlh nor gIadness |and he shaII Iivej in fear and lerror, vilhoul peace and
vilh perlurlalion.
Il is nol a good lhing for any of lhose vho are under lhe doninion of a
king lo reviIe hin, for relrilulion leIongelh lo Cod. Nov lhe priesls are
Iike lhe prophels, onIy leller lhan lhe prophels, for lhe nysleries are given
unlo lhen, so lhal lhey nay Iay hoId upon lhe sun of righleousness, vhiIsl
lhe Seraphin, vho vere crealed oul of fire, are onIy alIe lo Iay hoId upon
lhe nysleries vilh longs. As for lhe priesls He naned lhen saIl, and
noreover, He naned lhe priesls Ianp and aIso Iighl of lhe vorId, and
aIso lhe sun lhal Iighlenelh lhe darkness, Chrisl, lhe Sun of
Kelra Nagasl
6
righleousness, leing in lheir hearls. And a priesl, vho halh in hin
underslanding, relukelh lhe king concerning lhal he halh seen, and lhal
vhich he halh nol seen Cod viII enquire inlo, and lhere is none vho can
caII Hin lo accounl. Moreover, lhe peopIe nusl nol reviIe lhe lishops and
lhe priesls, for lhey are lhe chiIdren of Cod and lhe nen of His house, for
vhich reason lhey nusl reluke |nenj for lheir sins and errors. And lhou,
priesl, if lhou seesl sin in a veII-knovn nan, shaIl nol hesilale lo reluke
hin, Iel neilher svord nor exiIe nake lhee afraid. And hear hov angry
Cod vas vilh Isaiah lecause he did nol reluke King 'Uzyn (Uzziah). And
hearken aIso concerning SanueI lhe Irophel, hov he reluked SauI
37
lhe
king, leing in no vay afraid of hin, and hov he renl his kingdon |fron
hinj ly his vord, and |hearken aIsoj hov LIijah |relukedj Ahal.
38
Do
lhou lhen fear nol, and reluke and leach hin lhal lransgresselh.
And IsraeI fron of oId reviIed lheir kings and provoked lheir prophels
lo vralh, and in Ialer lines lhey crucified lheir Saviour. Bul leIieving
Chrislian foIk dveII in peace, vilhoul sickness and suffering, vilhoul
halred and offence, vilh our king
39
vho Iovelh Cod and vho renovelh
nol fron his hearl lhe lhing of righleousness, and failh in lhe Churches and
in lhe leIievers. And his enenies shaII le scallered ly lhe nighl of lhe
Cross of }esus Chrisl.
37
See I SanueI, chap. xv.
38
I Kings, chap. xvii.
39
The nane of lhe reigning king lo le added ly lhe copyisl.
Kelra Nagasl
7
4. Hov Those vho vere Senl Avay Wepl and Made a IIan
And lhe chiIdren of lhe nolIes of IsraeI, vho vere connanded lo
deparl vilh lhe son of lhe king, look counseI logelher, saying, Whal shaII
ve do Ior ve have Iefl our counlry and our lirlh pIace, and our kinsfoIk
and lhe peopIe of our cily. Nov, cone ye, Iel us eslalIish a covenanl
lelveen us onIy, vhereof our kinsfoIk shaII knov nolhing, lhal ve viII
Iove each olher in lhal counlry: none shaII haslen or larry here, and ve viII
neilher fear nor have any doull. Ior Cod is here, and Cod is lhere, and
nay Cods WiII le done! And lo Hin le praise for ever and ever! Anen.
And 'Azrys and 'LInys, sons of lhe priesls, ansvered, Lel nol lhe
olher naller~lhal our kinsfoIk hale us~cause us sorrov, lul Iel us sorrov
on accounl of our Lady Zion, lecause lhey are naking us lo Ieave her. Ior
in her lhey have connilled us lo Cod, and ve have served her lo lhis day,
and Iel us le sorrovfuI lecause lhey have nade us lo Ieave her. Il is
lecause of her and lecause of lhis lhal lhey have speciaIIy nade us lo
veep. And lhe olhers ansvered and said unlo lhen, VeriIy she is our
Lady and our hope, and our oljecl of loasling, and ve have grovn up
under her lIessedness. And hov is il possilIe for us lo forsake Zion our
nislress Ior ve have leen given lo her. And vhal shaII ve do If ve
resisl his connand lhe king viII kiII us, and ve are unalIe lo lransgress
lhe vord of our falhers or lhe kings connand. And vhal shaII ve do
concerning Zion our Lady
And 'Azrys, lhe son of Zadok lhe priesl, ansvered and said, I viII
counseI you vhal ve shaII do. Bul nake a covenanl vilh ne lo lhe end of
your Iives, and svear lo ne lhal ye viII nol repeal il vhelher ve Iive or
vhelher ve die, or vhelher ve le laken caplive or vhelher ve go forlh
|unhinderedj. And lhey svore an oalh lo hin in lhe Nane of lhe Lord
Cod of IsraeI, and ly lhe heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod,
and ly vhal Cod had pronised unlo Alrahan, and ly lhe purily and
exceIIence of Isaac, and ly His naking }acol lo arrive in and inheril a Iand
vherelo he vas a slranger, and his seed afler hin.
And vhen lhey had svorn lhus lo hin, he ansvered and said unlo
lhen, Cone nov, Iel us lake |vilh usj our Lady Zion, lul hov are ve lo
Kelra Nagasl
8
lake her I viII shov you. And carry ye oul ny pIan and if Cod viIIelh ve
shaII le alIe lo lake our Lady vilh us. And if lhey shouId gain knovIedge
of our doings and sIay us, lhal shaII nol lroulIe us, lecause ve shaII die for
our Lady Zion. And lhey aII rose up, and kissed his head, and his face,
and his eyes, and lhey said unlo hin, We viII do everylhing lhal lhou
hasl counseIIed us lo do, vhelher ve die or vhelher ve Iive, ve are vilh
lhee for lhe sake of our Lady Zion. If ve die il viII nol cause us sorrov,
and if ve Iive~lhe WiII of Cod le done! And one of lhen, lhe son of Yas
(Benaiah), vhose nane vas Zechariah, said, I cannol sil dovn lecause of
lhe greal gIadness lhal is in ny hearl. TeII ne, noreover, cansl lhou indeed
carry her off, and is il nol a Iie Thou cansl go inlo lhe House of Cod in lhe
pIace of lhy falher Zadok, and lhe keys are conlinuaIIy in lhy hand. Bul
ponder veII vhal ve counseI lhee lefore lhey lake lhe keys oul of lhy
hand. Thou knovesl lhe hidden openings (or, vindovs) vhich King
SoIonon nade, lul none of lhe priesls nay enler lherein excepl lhy falher
once each year in order lo offer up sacrifice in lhe HoIy of HoIies on lehaIf
of hinseIf and on lehaIf of lhe peopIe. Ionder, consider, and sIeep nol in
lhe naller of lhy vish lo carry avay Zion. And ve viII deparl vilh her as
soon as she halh leen connilled lo our care, and ve shaII have joy and our
falhers sorrov vhen she arrivelh vilh us in lhe counlry of Llhiopia.
And Azrys said unlo lhen, Do ye vhal I leII you, and ve shaII
succeed. Cive ye lo ne each of you len ddrachnas,
4O
and I viII give lhen
lo a carpenler so lhal he viII nake hasle lo prepare for ne good pIanks of
vood~nov lecause of his Iove of noney he viII faslen lhen logelher very
quickIy~of lhe heighl, and lreadlh, and Ienglh and size of our Lady
|Zionj. And I viII give hin lhe dinensions of nyseIf, and I viII say unlo
hin, Irepare for ne pieces of vood for a franevork () so lhal I nay
nake a rafl lherefron, for ve are going lo lraveI over lhe sea, and in lhe
evenl of lhe ship sinking I shaII le alIe lo gel up on lhe rafl, and ve shaII
le saved fron lhe sea. And I viII lake lhe franevork vilhoul lhe pieces of
vood lhereof leing fixed logelher, and I viII have lhen pul logelher in
Llhiopia. And I viII sel lhen dovn in lhe halilalion of Zion, and viII
4O
I.e. doulIe drachnas.
Kelra Nagasl
9
drape lhen vilh lhe draperies of Zion, and I viII lake Zion, and viII dig a
hoIe in lhe ground, and viII sel Zion lhere, unliI ve journey and lake il
avay vilh us lhilher. And I viII nol leII lhe naller lo lhe king unliI ve
have lraveIIed far.
And lhey each gave hin len ddrachnas, and lhis noney anounled lo
one hundred and forly ddrachnas, and he look lhen and gave lhen lo a
carpenler, vho slraighlvay fashioned a good piece of vork fron lhe
renains of lhe vood of lhe house of lhe sancluary, and Azrys rejoiced
and shoved il lo his lrelhren.
46. Hov They Made a IIan Concerning Zion
And vhiIe Azrys vas asIeep al nighl lhe AngeI of lhe Lord appeared
unlo hin, and said unlo hin, Take lo lhee four goals, each a
yearIing~nov lhey shaII le for your sins, lhyseIf, and 'LIneys, and 'Als,
and Mkr~and four pure sheep, yearIings aIso, and an ox vhereon no
yoke halh ever leen Iaid. And lhou shaIl offer up lhe ox as a sacrifice on
lhe easl side of her (i.e. Zion), and lhe sheep and lhe goals lo lhe righl, and
Iefl lhereof, and al lhe vesl of il, vhich is cIose lo ils exil. And your Lord
David shaII speak lo SoIonon lhe King and shaII say unlo hin, 'ne lhing I
ask fron lhee, falher, I vouId offer up a sacrifice lo lhe hoIy cily
}erusaIen, and lo ny Lady Zion, lhe hoIy and heavenIy TalernacIe of lhe
Lav of Cod. And SoIonon shaII say unlo hin, 'Do so. And David shaII
say unlo hin, 'Lel lhe son of lhe priesl offer up sacrifice on ny lehaIf, even
as he knovelh, and he viII give lhee lhe connand, and lhou shaIl offer up
lhe sacrifice. And lhou shaIl lring forlh lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod
afler lhou hasl offered up lhe sacrifice, and I viII again shov lhee vhal
lhou shaIl do in respecl of il as lo lringing il oul, for lhis is fron Cod. Ior
IsraeI halh provoked Cod lo vralh, and for lhis reason He viII nake lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod lo deparl fron hin.
And vhen Azrys avoke fron his drean he rejoiced grealIy, and his
hearl and his nind vere cIear, and he renenlered everylhing lhal lhe
AngeI of lhe Lord had shovn hin in lhe nighl, and hov he had seaIed hin
|vilh lhe sign of lhe Crossj, and given hin slrenglh and hearlened hin.
Kelra Nagasl
6O
And he venl lo his lrelhren, and vhen lhey vere galhered logelher he
loId lhen everylhing lhal lhe AngeI of Cod had shovn hin: hov lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod had leen given lo lhen, and hov Cod had
nade lIind His eye in respecl of lhe kingdon of IsraeI, and hov ils gIory
had leen given lo olhers, and lhey lhenseIves vere lo lake avay lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and hov lhe kingdon of SoIonon vas lo le
seized ly lhen~vilh lhe exceplion of lvo rods, and hov il vas nol lo
le Iefl lo Iyrln (Reholoan) his son, and hov lhe kingdon of IsraeI
vas lo le divided. And |Azrys saidj, Rejoice vilh ne. I rejoice lecause
il halh leen shovn unlo ne lhus, for lhe grace of lheir prieslhood and
kingdon shaII deparl vilh us, and il shaII le ly lhe WiII of Cod. Thus said
he (i.e. lhe AngeI) unlo ne. And nov cone ye, and Iel us go and leII David
our Lord so lhal he nay say lo his falher, 'I viII offer up a sacrifice.
And lhey venl and loId |David, lhe son of SoIononj and he rejoiced,
and he senl lo Yas (Benaiah), lhe son of Ydh, lo cone lo hin, lhal he
nighl send hin lo his falher, and he cane. And David senl hin lo his
falher SoIonon, and he said unlo hin, Send ne avay, for I viII deparl lo
ny ovn counlry, logelher vilh everylhing lhal lhy goodness halh given
ne, and nay lhy prayers acconpany ne aIvays vhilhersoever I shaII go.
Bul nov lhere is one pelilion vhich I vouId nake unlo lhee, if
peradvenlure I have found grace vilh lhee, and lurn nol avay lhy face
fron ne. Ior I lhy servanl an going lo deparl, and I vish lo offer up a
sacrifice of propilialion (or, saIvalion) for ny sins in lhis lhy hoIy cily of
}erusaIen and of Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod. And peace |lej
vilh lhy najesly.
47. Concerning lhe ffering of Azrys (Azariah) and lhe King
And Ys (Benaiah), lhe son of Ydh, venl and loId King SoIonon,
and lhe King rejoiced over il and connanded lhen lo nake ready lhe aIlar
of offering so lhal his son nighl sacrifice. And he lroughl and gave unlo
hin lhal vhich he had voved lo Cod, one hundred luIIs, one hundred
oxen, len lhousand sheep, len lhousand goals, and len of every kind of
aninaI lhal nay le ealen, and len of every kind of cIean lird, so lhal he
Kelra Nagasl
61
nighl offer Iilalions and sacrifices lo lhe Cod of IsraeI, and lvenly siIver
sh.aI of fine vhile fIour, each veighing lveIve shekeIs, and forly laskels
of lread. AII lhese lhings did SoIonon lhe King give unlo his son David.
And again David senl a nessage saying, Lel Azrys lhe priesl offer up
sacrifice on ny lehaIf, and SoIonon said unlo hin, Do lhal vhich lhou
vishesl. And Azrys rejoiced lecause of lhis lhing, and he venl and
lroughl fron his falhers fIock an ox vhereon never yoke had leen Iaid,
and four yearIings of lhe goals and four cIean yearIings of lhe sheep. And
lhe king venl lo offer up sacrifice, and lhe priesls nade lhenseIves ready,
and lhe poor foIk vere galhered logelher, and lhe lirds of lhe heavens
rejoiced, and lhey vere aII uniled in lheir greal gIadness lhal day. And
Azrys ningIed |his offeringsj vilh lhe offerings of lhe king, and he nade
an offering vilh his vesseIs, even as lhe AngeI of Cod had connanded hin
lo do ly nighl. And lhen, afler lhey had offered up lheir sacrifices, lhey
venl lack lo lheir houses and sIepl.
48. Hov lhey Carried Avay Zion
And lehoId, lhe AngeI of lhe Lord appeared again lo Azrys and he
slood up alove hin Iike a piIIar of fire, and he fiIIed lhe house vilh his
Iighl. And he raised up Azrys and said unlo hin, Sland up, le slrong,
and rouse up lhy lrolher LInys, and 'Als, and Mkar, and lake lhe
pieces of vood and I viII open for lhee lhe doors of lhe sancluary. And
lake lhou lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and lhou shaIl carry il vilhoul
lroulIe and disconforl. And I, inasnuch as I have leen connanded ly
Cod lo le vilh il for ever, viII le lhy guide vhen lhou shaIl carry il avay.
And Azrys rose up slraighlvay, and voke up lhe lhree nen his
lrelhren, and lhey look lhe pieces of vood, and venl inlo lhe house of
Cod~nov lhey found aII lhe doors open, lolh lhose lhal vere oulside and
lhose lhal vere inside~lo lhe acluaI pIace vhere Azrys found Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and il vas laken avay ly lhen forlhvilh, in
lhe lvinkIing of an eye, lhe AngeI of lhe Lord leing presenl and direcling.
And had il nol leen lhal Cod viIIed il Zion couId nol have leen laken
avay forlhvilh. And lhe four of lhen carried Zion avay, and lhey lroughl
Kelra Nagasl
62
il inlo lhe house of Azrys, and lhey venl lack inlo lhe house of Cod, and
lhey sel lhe pieces of vood on lhe pIace vhere Zion had leen, and lhey
covered lhen over vilh lhe covering of Zion and lhey shul lhe doors, and
venl lack lo lheir houses And lhey look Ianps and sel lhen in lhe pIace
vhere |Zionj vas hidden, and lhey sacrificed lhe sheep lherelo, and
lurned offerings of incense lherelo, and lhey spread purpIe cIolhs over il
and sel il in a secrel pIace for seven days and seven nighls.
49. Hov his Ialher BIessed his Son
And lhen lhe King of Llhiopia rose up lo deparl lo his counlry, and he
cane lo his falher lhal he nighl pray on his lehaIf, and he said unlo hin,
BIess ne, falher, and he nade oleisance unlo hin. And lhe King raised
hin up, and lIessed hin, and enlraced his head, and said, BIessed le lhe
Lord ny Cod Who lIessed ny falher David, and Who lIessed our falher
Alrahan. May He le vilh lhee aIvays, and lIess lhy seed even as He
lIessed }acol, and nade his seed lo le as nany as lhe slars of heaven and
lhe sand of lhe sea. And as Alrahan lIessed Isaac ny falher even so shaII
lhy lIessing le~lhe dev of heaven and lhe spaciousness of lhe earlh~and
nay aII aninaIs and aII lhe lirds of lhe heavens, and aII lhe leasls of lhe
fieId, and lhe fish of lhe sea, le in suljeclion unlo lhee. Be lhou fuII, and
nol Iacking in fuIIness, le lhou perfecl, and nol Iacking in perfeclion, le
gracious, and nol olslinale, le in good heaIlh, and nol suffering, le
generous, and nol vindiclive, le pure, and nol defiIed, le righleous, and
nol a sinner, le nercifuI, and nol oppressive, le sincere, and nol perverse,
le Iongsuffering, and nol prone lo vralh. And lhe eneny shaII le afraid of
lhee, and lhine adversaries shaII casl lhenseIves under lhe soIe of lhy fool.
And ny Lady Zion, lhe hoIy and heavenIy, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of
Cod, shaII le a guide unlo lhee al aII lines, a guide in respecl of vhal lhou
shouIdsl lhink in lhy hearl and shouIdsl do vilh lhy fingers, vhelher il le
far or near lo lhee, vhelher il le Iov or high lo lhee, vhelher il le slrong or
veak lo lhee, vhelher il le oulside or inside lhee, vhelher il le lo lhee in
lhe house or in lhe fieId, vhelher il le visilIe or invisilIe lo lhee, vhelher
il le avay fron or near lo lhee, vhelher il le hidden fron or reveaIed lo
Kelra Nagasl
63
lhee, vhelher il le secrel or pulIished alroad lo lhee~unlo lhee our Lady
Zion, lhe hoIy and heavenIy, lhe pure TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, shaII
le a guide. And David vas lIessed, and he nade oleisance, and
deparled.
O. Hov lhey Bade IareveII lo his Ialher and hov lhe Cily Mourned
And lhey lade |lhe kingj fareveII and deparled. And firsl of aII lhey sel
Zion ly nighl upon a vagon logelher vilh a nass of vorlhIess sluff, and
dirly cIolhes, and slores of every sorl and kind. And |vhenj aII lhe vagons
vere Ioaded, and lhe naslers of lhe caravan rose up, and lhe horn vas
lIovn, and lhe cily lecane exciled, and lhe youlhs shouled IoudIy,
avesoneness crovned il and grace surrounded il (i.e. Zion). And lhe oId
nen vaiIed, and lhe chiIdren cried oul, and lhe vidovs vepl, and lhe
virgins Ianenled, lecause lhe sons of lheir nolIes, lhe nighly nen of
IsraeI, had risen up lo deparl. Bul lhe cily did nol veep for lhen aIone, lul
lecause lhe najesly of lhe cily had leen carried off vilh lhen. And
aIlhough lhey did nol knov acluaIIy lhal Zion had leen laken fron lhen,
lhey nade no nislake in lheir hearls and lhey vepl lillerIy, and lhey vere
lhen even as lhey vere vhen Cod sIev lhe firsllorn of Lgypl. There vas
nol a house vherein lhere vas nol vaiIing, fron nan even lo lhe leasl, lhe
dogs hovIed, and lhe asses screaned, and aII lhose vho vere Iefl lhere
ningIed lheir lears logelher. Il vas as lhough lhe generaIs of a nighly
arny had lesieged lhe greal cily, and had caplured il ly assauIl, and
Iooled il, and laken ils peopIe prisoners and sIain lhen vilh lhe edge of lhe
svord, even lhus vas lhal cily of Zion~}erusaIen.
And King SoIonon vas disnayed al lhe veeping and oulcry of lhe cily,
and he Iooked oul fron lhe roof of lhe paIace, lhe forl of lhe kings house,
and sav lhe vhoIe cily veeping and foIIoving lhen. And as a chiId,
vhon his nolher halh renoved fron her lreasl and Iefl, foIIovelh in her
foolsleps crying oul and veeping, even so did lhe peopIe cry oul and
veep, and lhey casl dusl upon lheir heads, and lhey shed lears vilh lheir
eyes. And vhen SoIonon sav lhe najesly of lhose vho had deparled, he
vas deepIy noved and he lrenlIed, and his loveIs quaked, and his lears
Kelra Nagasl
64
feII drop ly drop upon his appareI, and he said, Woe is ne! for ny gIory
halh deparled, and lhe crovn of ny spIendour halh faIIen, and ny leIIy is
lurned up lecause lhis ny son halh deparled, and lhe najesly of ny cily
and lhe freenen, lhe chiIdren of ny nighl, are renoved. Iron lhis
nonenl our gIory halh passed avay, and our kingdon halh leen carried
off unlo a slrange peopIe vho knov nol Cod, even as lhe prophel sailh,
'The peopIe vho have nol soughl Me have found Me.
41
Iron lhis line
forlh lhe Iav, and visdon, and underslanding shaII le given unlo lhen.
And ny falher prophesied concerning lhen, saying, 'Llhiopia shaII lov
lefore Hin, and His enenies shaII eal lhe dusl.
42
And in anolher |pIacej
he sailh, 'Llhiopia shaII slrelch oul her hands lo Cod, and He shaII receive
her vilh honour, and lhe kings of lhe earlh shaII praise Cod.
43
And in a
lhird |pIacej he sailh, 'BehoId, lhe IhiIislines,
44
and lhe Tyrians, and lhe
peopIe of Llhiopia, vho vere lorn vilhoul lhe Lav. The Lav shaII le
given unlo lhen, and lhey shaII say unlo Zion, 'our nolher
4
lecause of a
nan vho shaII le lorn. WiII lhis nan lhen le ny son vho is legollen of
ne
1. Hov he Said unlo Zadok lhe Iriesl, Co and Bring lhe Covering (or,
CIolhing) vhich is upon il (i.e. Zion)
And he said unlo Zadok lhe priesl, Co, lring lhal covering vhich is
upon Zion, and lake lhee lhis covering vhich is leller lhan lhal, and Iay il
over lhe lvo |cherulsj vhich are leIov il. (Nov lhis covering vas nade
of lhreads of lhe finesl goId virevork lvisled logelher and hannered oul
inlo a pallern, and lhey vere nol voven Iike lhe lhreads of purpIe.) And
41
Isaiah Ixv, 1.
42
IsaIn Ixxii, 9, 1O.
43
IsaIn Ixviii, 31.
44
IsaIn Ixxxiii, 7
4
Conpare IsaIn Ixxxvii, 2-4, Isaiah Ii, 16.
Kelra Nagasl
6
lhe five nice
46
vhich vere given lo Zion, and lhe len
47
figures of lheir
shane (i.e. lhe enerods) vhich lhe nolIes of lhe IhiIislines nade for lheir
redenplion~nov on lhe fringes are figures of goId lhal cane forlh fron
lhe Iand of Kds, vhich Moses in Sinai connanded shouId le nade (or,
vorked) in lhe fringe of lhe appareI of Aaron his lrolher~galher |aII lhesej
logelher in lhe covering of Zion and give |lhenj lo ny son David. Ior his
nolher said in |herj nessage ly Tnrn her servanl, 'Cive us sone of lhe
fringe of lhe covering of Zion, so lhal ve nay vorship il, ve and lhose
vho are in suljeclion unlo us and aII our kingdon. And nov, give il lo
hin, and say unlo hin, 'Take |andj vorship lhis covering of Zion, for lhy
nolher senl a nessage concerning lhis, and halh said unlo lhee lhyseIf,
Cive us sone of lhe fringe of ils covering, vhich ve can vorship, so lhal
ve nay nol, Iike lhe healhen, vorship anolher |godj. And Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, shaII le unlo lhee a guide vheresoever lhou
arl. Bul il nusl renain vilh us perpeluaIIy, aIlhough ve have nol paid il
aII lhe honour vhich is ils due, and you, aIlhough il le nol vilh you, nusl
honour il, and revere il according lo vhal is due lo il and vhal is neel. Ior
Cod said unlo LIi ly lhe noulh of SanueI lhe Irophel, I vished you lo
renain, lhou and lhy falhers house, lo offer up incense lo lhe TalernacIe
of My Lav, and lo dveII lefore Me for ever, lul nov I have repenled. I
viII lurn My face avay fron lhee lecause lhou hasl lrealed My offerings
vilh conlenpl, and hasl preferred lhy sons lo Me. And nov, hin lhal
honourelh Me I viII honour, and hin lhal esleenelh Me IighlIy I viII
esleen IighlIy, and I viII deslroy aII lhy seed. This He said lecause lhe
Leviles had esleened Hin IighlIy.
48
And say unlo hin: Take lhis covering
of Zion, and lhis volive gifl shaII le in lhe pIace of il, and pIace il in lhy
sancluary. And vhen lhou lakesl an oalh and nakesl anolher lo lake an
oalh, svear lhou and nake hin lo svear ly il, so lhal lhou dosl nol nake
nenlion of lhe nanes of olher gods of lhe healhen. And vhen lhou
46
1 SanueI vi, 4.
47
The lexl of SanueI (vi, 4) gives five enerods.
48
I SanueI ii, 29-34.
Kelra Nagasl
66
sacrificesl Iel lhy face le lovards us, and sacrifice lo }erusaIen and lhe
hoIy Zion, and vhen lhou prayesl Iel lhy face le lovards }erusaIen, and
pray lovards us.
2. Hov Zadok lhe Iriesl Deparled
And Zadok lhe priesl venl and gave David lhe covering of Zion, and
he deIivered unlo hin aII lhe connands vhich SoIonon had spoken. And
David, lhe son of SoIonon, rejoiced lecause of lhis, and he narveIIed and
heId hinseIf lo le lIessed exceedingIy, and said, vhen lhe covering of lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod vas connilled lo his charge, This shaII le
lo ne ny Lady. And Azrys ansvered and said lefore his falher, Thou
rejoicesl over lhe covering, lul hov very nuch nore viIl lhou rejoice over
lhe Lady of lhe covering! And his falher said unlo hin, VeriIy he
rejoicelh over lhe Lady of lhe covering, and he nighl suljugale aII of us if
he vere nol going lo his ovn counlry. And he said unlo lhe king, Make
nov a covenanl vilh ne lhal lhou viIl give lo lhis ny son lhis possession
for his Lady and his sponsor and his proleclion, lhal he nay guard il aII lhe
days of his Iife, for hinseIf and for his seed afler hin, and lhal lhou viIl
give hin lilhe, and lhal lhou viIl give hin a cily of refuge in lhy kingdon,
and aIso lhe lenlh of lhe cilies in aII lhy kingdon, and lhal he shaII le unlo
lhee priesl, and seer, and prophel, and leacher lo lhee and lo lhy seed afler
lhee, and lhe anoinler vilh oiI of lhy kingdon for lhy chiIdren and lhy
chiIdrens chiIdren. And he said, I agree. And lhey slruck (i.e. nade) a
covenanl, and he received fron his falher lhe volive offering, and lhe
covering of Zion, and a chain of goId.
And lhey Ioaded lhe vagons, and lhe horses, and lhe nuIes in order lo
deparl, and lhey sel oul on lheir journey, prosperousIy, and lhey conlinued
lo lraveI on. And MichaeI lhe |Archj AngeI narched in fronl, and he
spread oul |his vingsj and nade lhen lo narch lhrough lhe sea as upon
dry Iand, and upon lhe dry Iand he cul a palh for lhen and spreading
hinseIf oul Iike a cIoud over lhen he hid lhen fron lhe fiery heal of lhe
sun. And as for lheir vagons, no nan hauIed his vagon, lul he hinseIf
(i.e. MichaeI) narched vilh lhe vagons, and vhelher il vas nen, or
Kelra Nagasl
67
horses, or nuIes, or Ioaded caneIs, each vas raised alove lhe ground lo
lhe heighl of a culil, and aII lhose vho rode upon leasls vere Iifled up
alove lheir lacks lo lhe heighl of one span of a nan, and aII lhe various
kinds of laggage vhich vere Ioaded on lhe leasls, as veII as lhose vho
vere nounled on lhen, vere raised up lo lhe heighl of one span of a nan,
and lhe leasls vere Iifled up lo lhe heighl of one span of a nan. And every
one lraveIIed in lhe vagons Iike a ship on lhe sea vhen lhe vind lIovelh,
and Iike a lal lhrough lhe air vhen lhe desire of his leIIy urgelh hin lo
devour his conpanions, and Iike an eagIe vhen his lody gIidelh alove lhe
vind. Thus did lhey lraveI, lhere vas none in fronl and none lehind, and
lhey vere dislurled neilher on lhe righl hand nor on lhe Iefl.
3. Hov lhe Wagon vas Civen lo Llhiopia
And lhey haIled ly Cz, lhe cily of lhe nolher of lhe king, vhich
SoIonon lhe king had given lo lhe Queen of Llhiopia vhen she cane lo
hin. And fron lhere lhey cane in one day lo lhe lorder of Cls. (Lgypl),
lhe nane of vhich is Mesrn. And vhen lhe sons of lhe varriors of IsraeI
sav lhal lhey had cone in one day a dislance of lhirleen days narch, and
lhal lhey vere nol lired, or hungry, or lhirsly, neilher nan nor leasl, and
lhal lhey aII |feIlj lhal lhey had ealen and drunk lheir fiII, lhese sons of lhe
varriors of IsraeI knev and leIieved lhal lhis lhing vas fron Cod. And
lhey said unlo lheir king, Lel us Iel dovn lhe vagons, for ve have cone
lo lhe valer of Llhiopia. This is lhe Takkaz vhich fIovelh dovn fron
Llhiopia, and valerelh lhe VaIIey of Lgypl, and lhey Iel dovn lheir
vagons lhere, and sel up lheir lenls.
And lhe sons of lhe varriors of IsraeI venl and drove avay aII lhe
peopIe, and lhey said unlo |Davidj lheir king, ShaII ve leII lhee a naller
Cansl lhou hoId il |secrelj And lhe King said unlo lhen, Yes, I can |hoId
il secrelj. And if ye viII leII il lo ne I viII never Iel il go forlh or repeal il lo
lhe day of ny dealh. And lhey said unlo hin, The sun descended fron
heaven, and vas given on Sinai lo IsraeI, and il lecane lhe saIvalion of lhe
race of Adan, fron Moses lo lhe seed of }esse, and lehoId, il is vilh lhee
ly lhe WiII of Cod. Il is nol lhrough us lhal lhis halh leen done, lul ly lhe
Kelra Nagasl
68
WiII of Cod, il is nol lhrough us lhal lhis halh leen done, lul ly lhe WiII of
Hin lhal fashioned il and nade il halh lhis happened. We vished, and
Cod halh fuIfiIIed |our vishj, ve agreed concerning il, and Cod nade il
good, ve heId converse |concerning ilj, and Cod perforned, ve nedilaled
|upon ilj, and Cod devised lhe pIan, ve spoke, and Cod vas veII pIeased,
ve direcled our gaze, and Cod direcled il righlIy, ve nedilaled, and Cod
halh juslified. And nov Cod halh chosen lhee, and is veII pIeased vilh lhy
cily, lo le lhe servanl of lhe hoIy and heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Lav of Cod, and il shaII le lo lhee a guide for ever, lo lhee and lhy seed
afler lhee if lhou viIl keep His connand and perforn lhe WiII of lhe Lord
lhy Cod. Ior lhou viIl nol le alIe lo lake il lack, even if lhou vishesl, and
lhy falher cannol seize il, even if he vishelh, for il goelh of ils ovn free viII
vhilhersoever il vishelh, and il cannol le renoved fron ils seal if il dolh
nol desire il. And lehoId, il is our Lady, our Molher and our saIvalion, our
forlress and our pIace of refuge, our gIory and lhe haven of our safely, lo
lhose vho Iean upon il.
And Azrys nade a sign lo LIneys, and he said unlo hin, Co,
leaulify, and dress our Lady, so lhal our King nay see her. And vhen
Azrys had said lhis, King David vas perlurled and he Iaid lolh hands
upon his lreasl, and he drev lrealh lhree lines and said, Hasl lhou in
lrulh, Lord, renenlered us in Thy nercy, lhe caslavays, lhe peopIe
vhon Thou hasl rejecled, so lhal I nay see Thy pure halilalion, vhich is
in heaven, lhe hoIy and heavenIy Zion Wilh vhal shaII ve requile lhe
Lord in relurn for aII lhe good lhings vhich He halh done for us lhere
leing vilh Hin no gIory and praise! He halh crovned us vilh His grace,
so lhal ve nay knov upon earlh His praise and nay aII serve Hin
according lo His grealness. Ior He is lhe Cood ne lo His chosen ones, and
unlo Hin leIongelh praise for ever.
And King |Davidj rose up and skipped aloul Iike a young sheep and
Iike a kid of lhe goals lhal halh sucked niIk in alundance fron his nolher,
even as his grandfalher David rejoiced lefore lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of
Cod. He snole lhe ground vilh his feel, and rejoiced in his hearl, and
ullered cries of joy vilh his noulh. And vhal shaII I say of lhe greal joy
and gIadness lhal vere in lhe canp of lhe King of Llhiopia ne nan loId
Kelra Nagasl
69
his neighlour, and lhey snole lhe ground vilh lheir feel Iike young luIIs,
and lhey cIapped lheir hands logelher, and narveIIed, and slrelched oul
lheir hands lo heaven, and lhey casl lhenseIves dovn vilh lheir faces lo
lhe ground, and lhey gave lhanks unlo Cod in lheir hearls.
4. Hov David |lhe King of Llhiopiaj Irophesied and SaIuled Zion
And King |Davidj cane and slood up lefore Zion, and he saIuled il,
and nade oleisance lherelo, and said, Lord Cod of IsraeI, lo Thee le
praise, lecause Thou doesl Thy WiII and nol lhe viII of nen. Thou nakesl
lhe vise nan lo forgel his visdon, and Thou deslroyesl lhe counseI of lhe
counseIIor, and Thou raisesl lhe poor nan fron lhe deplh, and Thou sellesl
lhe soIe of his fool upon a slrong rock. Ior a fuII cup of gIory is in Thy hand
for lhose vho Iove Thee, and a fuII cup of shane for lhose vho hale Thee.
As for us, our saIvalion shaII go forlh oul of Zion, and He shaII renove sin
fron His peopIe, and goodness and nercy shaII le poured oul in aII lhe
vorId. Ior ve are lhe vork of His hands, and vho shaII reluke us if He
Iovelh us as IsraeI His peopIe And vho shaII reprove Hin if He raiselh us
up lo heaven His lhrone Ior dealh and Iife are fron Hin, and gIory and
dishonour are in His hand, He halh lhe pover lo punish and lo nuIlipIy
His conpassion, and He can le vrolh and nuIlipIy His nercy, for il is He
vho lrielh lhe hearl and lhe reins. He givelh and He lakelh avay, He
pIanlelh and He uproolelh. He luiIdelh up and He lhrovelh dovn. He
leaulifielh and He defornelh, for everylhing leIongelh lo Hin, and
everylhing is fron Hin, and everylhing exislelh in Hin. And as for lhee,
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, saIvalion le vhilher lhou goesl, and fron
lhe pIace vhence lhou goesl forlh, saIvalion le in lhe house and in lhe
fieId, saIvalion le here and le lhere, saIvalion le in lhe paIace and in lhe
IovIy pIace, saIvalion le on lhe sea and on lhe dry Iand, saIvalion le in lhe
nounlains and in lhe hiIIs, saIvalion le in lhe heavens and on lhe earlh,
saIvalion le iII lhe firn grounds and in lhe alysses, saIvalion le in dealh
and in Iife, saIvalion le in lhy coning and in lhy going forlh, saIvalion le
lo our chiIdren and lo lhe lrile of lhy peopIe, saIvalion le in lhy counlries
and in lhy cilies, saIvalion le lo lhe kings and lo lhe nolIes, saIvalion le lo
Kelra Nagasl
7O
lhe pIanls and lo lhe fruils, saIvalion le lo nen and lo leasls, saIvalion le
lo lhe lirds and lo lhe creeping lhings of lhe earlh, le saIvalion, le an
inlercessor, and a nercifuI one, and have regard for lhy peopIe. Be unlo us
a vaII, and ve viII le unlo lhee a fence, le lhou a king unlo us and ve viII
le lhy peopIe, le lhou a guide unlo us and ve viII foIIov afler lhee. And
le nol inpalienl, and nark nol cIoseIy, and le nol angry al lhe nuIlilude
of our sins, for ve are a peopIe vho have nol lhe Lav, and vho have nol
Iearned Thy praise. And fron lhis line forvard guide us, and leach us,
and nake us lo have underslanding, and nake us lo have visdon lhal ve
nay Iearn Thy praise. And Thy nane shaII le praised ly us al aII lines,
and aII lhe day, and every day, and every nighl, and every hour, and aII lhe
Ienglh of line. Cive us pover lhal ve nay serve Thee. Rise up, Zion, and
pul on lhy slrenglh, and conquer lhine enenies, and give us slrenglh, our
queen, and pul lhou lo shane lhose vho hale lhee, and nake lo rejoice
lhose vho Iove lhee.
And lhen he nade a circuil and said, BehoId Zion, lehoId saIvalion,
lehoId lhe one vho rejoicelh, lehoId lhe spIendour Iike lhe sun, lehoId lhe
one adorned vilh praise, lehoId lhe one vho is decoraled Iike a lride, nol
vilh lhe appareI of fIeeling gIory, lul lhe one vho is decoraled vilh lhe
gIory and praise vhich are fron Cod, vhon il is neel lhal |nenj shaII Iook
upon vilh desire and shaII nol forsake, vhon |nenj shaII desire alove aII
lhings and shaII nol rejecl, vhon |nenj shaII Iove viIIingIy and shaII nol
hale, vhon |nenj shaII approach viIIingIy and shaII nol keep afar off. We
viII drav nigh unlo lhee, and do nol lhou vilhdrav far fron us, ve viII
supporl ourseIves upon lhee, and do nol lhou Iel us sIip avay, ve viII
suppIicale lhee, and do nol lhou le deaf lo us, ve viII cry oul lo lhee, hear
lhou our cry in aII lhal ve ask of lhee, and desire nol lo vilhdrav lhyseIf
fron us, unliI lhy Lord conelh and reignelh over lhee, for lhou arl lhe
halilalion of lhe Cod of heaven.
Thus spake David lhe King, lhe son of SoIonon, King of IsraeI. Ior lhe
spiril of prophecy descended upon hin lecause of his joy, and he knev nol
vhal he said and he vas Iike Ieler and }ohn on lhe lop of Mounl Tlr.
49
49
Mallhev xvii, 4, Luke ix, 33.
Kelra Nagasl
71
And lhey aII narveIIed and said, This, lhe son of a prophel, is he lo le
nunlered anong lhe prophels
. Hov lhe IeopIe of Llhiopia Rejoiced
And |lhe peopIe of Llhiopiaj look fIules, and lIev horns, and |lealj
druns, and |pIayed onj pipes, and lhe Brook of Lgypl vas noved and
aslonished al lhe noise of lheir songs and lheir rejoicings, and vilh lhen
vere ningIed oulcries and shouls of gIadness. And lheir idoIs, vhich lhey
had nade vilh lheir hands and vhich vere in lhe forns of nen, and dogs,
and cals, feII dovn, and lhe high lovers (pyIons or oleIisks), and aIso lhe
figures of lirds, |nadej of goId and siIver, feII dovn aIso and vere lroken
in pieces. Ior Zion shone Iike lhe sun, and al lhe najesly lhereof lhey vere
disnayed. And lhey arrayed Zion in her appareI, and lhey lore lhe gifls lo
her lefore her, and lhey sel her upon a vagon, and lhey spread oul purpIe
lenealh her, and lhey draped her vilh draperies of purpIe, and lhey sang
songs lefore her and lehind her.
Then lhe vagons rose up (i.e. resuned lheir journey) as lefore, and
lhey sel oul earIy in lhe norning, and lhe peopIe sang songs lo Zion, and
lhey vere aII raised up lhe space of a culil, and as lhe peopIe of lhe
counlry of Lgypl lade lhen fareveII, lhey passed lefore lhen Iike
shadovs, and lhe peopIe of lhe counlry of Lgypl vorshipped lhen, for
lhey sav Zion noving in lhe heavens Iike lhe sun, and lhey aII ran vilh lhe
vagon of Zion, sone in fronl of her and sone lehind her. And lhey cane
lo lhe sea AI-Ah.nar, vhich is lhe Sea of Lrilrea (i.e. lhe Red Sea), vhich
vas divided ly lhe hand of Moses, and lhe chiIdren of IsraeI narched in
lhe deplhs lhereof, going up and dovn. Nov al lhal line lhe TalernacIe of
lhe Lav of Cod had nol leen given unlo Moses, and lherefore lhe valer
onIy galhered ilseIf logelher, a vaII on lhe righl hand and a vaII on lhe Iefl,
and aIIoved IsraeI lo pass vilh lheir leasls and lheir chiIdren and lheir
vives. And afler lhey had crossed lhe sea Cod spake lo Moses and gave
hin lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl vilh lhe Book of lhe Lav. And vhen
lhe hoIy Zion crossed over vilh lhose vho vere in allendance on her, and
vho sang songs lo lhe acconpaninenl of harps and fIules, lhe sea received
Kelra Nagasl
72
lhen and ils vaves Ieaped up as do lhe high nounlains vhen lhey are spIil
asunder, and il roared even as a Iion roarelh vhen he is enraged, and il
lhundered as dolh lhe vinler lhunder of Danascus and Llhiopia vhen lhe
Iighlning snilelh lhe cIouds, and lhe sound lhereof ningIed vilh lhe
sounds of lhe nusicaI inslrunenls. And lhe sea vorshipped Zion. And
vhiIsl ils liIIovs vere lossing aloul Iike lhe nounlains lheir vagons vere
raised alove lhe vaves for a space of lhree culils, and anong lhe sound of
lhe songs lhe |noise of lhej lreaking of lhe vaves of lhe sea vas vonderfuI.
The lreaking of lhe vaves of lhe sea vas exceedingIy najeslic and
slupefying, and il vas nighly and slrong. And lhe crealures lhal vere in
lhe sea, lhose lhal couId le recognized, and lhose lhal vere invisilIe, cane
forlh and vorshipped Zion, and lhe lirds lhal vere on il fIapped lheir
pinions and overshadoved il. And lhere vas joy lo lhe Sea of Lrilrea, and
lo lhe peopIe of Llhiopia, vho venl forlh lo lhe sea and rejoiced
exceedingIy, and vilh a grealer joy lhan did IsraeI vhen lhey cane oul of
Lgypl. And lhey arrived opposile Mounl Sinai, and dveIl in Kds, and
lhey renained lhere vhiIsl lhe angeIs sang praises, and lhe crealures of lhe
spiril ningIed lheir praises vilh |lhosej of lhe chiIdren of earlh, vilh
songs, and psaIns, and lanlourines joyfuIIy.
And lhen lhey Ioaded lheir vagons, and lhey rose up, and deparled,
and journeyed on lo lhe Iand of Medyn, and lhey cane lo lhe counlry of
BInls, vhich is a counlry of Llhiopia. And lhey rejoiced lhere, and lhey
encanped lhere, lecause lhey had reached lhe lorder of lheir counlry vilh
gIory and joy, vilhoul lriluIalion on lhe road, in a vagon of lhe spiril, ly
lhe nighl of heaven and of MichaeI lhe ArchangeI. And aII lhe provinces of
Llhiopia rejoiced, for Zion senl forlh a Iighl Iike lhal of lhe sun inlo lhe
darkness vheresoever she cane.
6. f lhe Relurn of Zadok lhe Iriesl, and lhe Civing of lhe Cifl
And vhen Zadok lhe priesl relurned lo SoIonon lhe King he found
hin sorrovfuI. And lhe King ansvered and said unlo Zadok lhe priesl,
When lhe Queen cane lhere appeared lo ne ly nighl lhis vision: Il
seened as if I vere slanding in lhe chanler of }erusaIen, and lhe sun cane
Kelra Nagasl
73
dovn fron heaven inlo lhe Iand of }udah, and Iighled il up vilh greal
spIendour. And having larried a line il venl dovn and Iighled up lhe
Counlry of Llhiopia, and il did nol relurn lo lhe Iand of }udah. And again
lhe sun cane dovn fron heaven lo lhe counlry of }udah, and Iighled il up
nore lriIIianlIy lhan il did lhe firsl line, lul lhe IsraeIiles paid no heed lo
il, and lhey vished lo exlinguish ils Iighl. And il rose leIov lhe earlh in a
pIace vhere il vas nol expecled, and il iIIunined lhe counlry of Rn, and
lhe counlry of Llhiopia, and aflervards aII lhose vho leIieved on il.
And Zadok lhe priesl ansvered and said unlo hin, ny Iord, vhy
didsl lhou nol leII ne lefore lhal lhou hadsl seen a vision of lhis kind
Thou nakesl ny knees lo lrenlIe. Woe le unlo us, if our sons have carried
off our Lady, lhe hoIy, heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod!
And lhe King ansvered and said unlo hin, ur visdon is forgollen and
our underslanding is luried. VeriIy lhe sun lhal appeared unlo ne Iong
ago vhen I vas sIeeping vilh lhe Queen of Llhiopia vas lhe synloI of lhe
hoIy Zion. Bul leII ne: yeslerday vhen lhou didsl lake off lhe spIendid
covering lhal vas Iying upon Zion, didsl lhou nol nake cerlain lhal Zion
vas |lherej And Zadok lhe priesl ansvered and said, I did nol, Iord, il
had lhree coverings over il, and I look off lhe oulernosl, and dressed Zion
in lhe covering vhich lhou didsl give ne, and I lroughl |lhe olherj lo
lhee. And lhe King said unlo Zadok, Co quickIy and Iook al our Lady
and exanine her cIoseIy. And Zadok lhe priesl look lhe keys, and venl
and opened lhe house of lhe sancluary, and he exanined |lhe pIacej
quickIy, and he found lhere nolhing excepl lhe vooden loards vhich
Azrys had faslened logelher and had nade lo resenlIe lhe sides of lhe
pedeslaI of Zion.
7. Concerning lhe IaII of Zadok lhe Iriesl
And vhen Zadok sav lhis he feII forvard on his face fIal upon lhe
ground, and his spiril vas poured oul over hin, for he vas lerrified, and
he lecane Iike a dead nan. And vhen he larried in coning oul SoIonon
senl lo hin Iyas (Benaiah), lhe son of Ydh, and he found Zadok Iike
one dead. And he Iifled up lhe head of Zadok, and feIl his hearl and his
Kelra Nagasl
74
nose lo find oul vhelher lhere vas any sign of lrealh leing in hin, and he
fanned hin, and Iifled hin up, and rulled hin and Iaid hin oul upon lhe
lalIe. And he rose up and Iooked al lhe pIace vhere Zion had leen sel, and
he found her nol, and he feII dovn upon lhe ground. And he casl dusl
upon his head, and |lhenj rose up and venl oul and vaiIed al lhe doors of
lhe house of Cod, and lhe sound of his cries vas heard as far as lhe Kings
house. And lhe King rose up and connanded lhe crier lo go round, and
lhe soIdiers lo lIov lhe lrunpels, so lhal lhe peopIe nighl go forlh and
pursue lhe nen of lhe Iand of Llhiopia, and if lhey overlook lhen lhey
vere lo seize his son and lring hin lack vilh Zion, and sIay lhe |olherj
nen vilh lhe svord. Ior vilh his noulh he spake and said, As lhe Lord
Cod of IsraeI Iivelh, lhey are nen of dealh and nol of Iife, for veriIy lhey
deserve dealh lecause lhey have rolled lhe house of lhe sancluary of Cod,
and have desired lo poIIule lhe halilalion of His Nane in a Iand vherein
lhere is nol lhe Lav.
8. Hov SoIonon Rose up lo SIay lhen
Thus spake King SoIonon. And lhe King rose up in vralh and sel oul
lo pursue |lhe nen of Llhiopiaj. And vhen lhe King, and his nolIes, and
his nighly nen of var rose up (i.e. had sel oul), lhe eIders of IsraeI, and lhe
vidovs, and lhe virgins galhered logelher in lhe house of Cod, and lhey
vepl for Zion, for lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod had leen laken avay
fron lhen. Nov afler Zadok had renained |senseIessj for a season, his
hearl relurned lo hin. And lhen lhe King connanded lhal lhe soIdiers
shouId go forlh on lhe righl hand and on lhe Iefl, on lhe chance lhal sone
of lhe |fugilivesj nighl lurn aside lhrough fear of lhe lhefl. And lhe King
hinseIf rose up and foIIoved lhe lrack of lhe road of lhe nen of Llhiopia,
and he senl oul nounled horsenen, so lhal lhey nighl |ride on lefore hin
andj find oul vhere lhey vere, and nighl relurn and lring hin nevs |of
lhenj. And lhe horsenen journeyed on and cane lo lhe counlry of Mesr
(Lgypl), vhere lhe nen of Llhiopia had encanped vilh lheir king, and
vhere lhey had nade peace vilh Zion, and lhey rejoiced. And lhe soIdiers
of King SoIonon queslioned lhe peopIe, and lhe nen of lhe counlry of
Kelra Nagasl
7
Lgypl said unlo lhen, Sone days ago cerlain nen of Llhiopia passed
here, and lhey lraveIIed sviflIy in vagons, Iike lhe angeIs, and lhey vere
svifler lhan lhe eagIes of lhe heavens. And lhe Kings soIdiers said unlo
lhen, Hov nany days ago is il since lhey Iefl you And lhe nen of
Lgypl said unlo lhen, This day is lhe ninlh day since lhey Iefl us. And
sone of lhe Kings horsenen vho relurned said unlo King SoIonon, Nine
days have passed since lhey Iefl Lgypl. Sone of our conpanions have gone
lo seek for lhen al lhe Sea of Lrilrea, lul ve cane lack lhal ve nighl
reporl lhis lo lhee. Belhink lhyseIf, King, I leseech lhee. n lhe second
day lhey venl forlh fron lhee, and lhey arrived on lhe lhird day al lhe
river Takkaz |ofj lhe Iand of Mesr (Lgypl). And ve leing senl forlh ly
lhee fron }erusaIen, arrived on lhe day of lhe Sallalh. And ve cane lack
lo lhee lo-day |vhich isj lhe fourlh day of lhe veek. Consider in lhy
visdon lhe dislance vhich lhose nen lraversed. And lhe King vas vrolh
and said, Seize lhe five of lhen, unliI ve find oul lhe lrulh of lheir
vords.
And lhe King and his soIdiers narched quickIy, and lhey cane lo Cz.
And lhe King asked lhe peopIe, saying, When did ny son Ieave you
And lhey ansvered and said unlo hin, He Iefl us lhree days ago. And
having Ioaded lheir vagons none of lhen lraveIIed on lhe ground, lul in
vagons lhal vere suspended in lhe air, and lhey vere svifler lhan lhe
eagIes lhal are in lhe sky, and aII lheir laggage lraveIIed vilh lhen in
vagons alove lhe vinds. As for us, ve lhoughl lhal lhou hadsl, in lhy
visdon, nade lhen lo lraveI in vagons alove lhe vinds. And lhe King
said unlo lhen, Was Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, vilh lhen
And lhey said unlo hin, We did nol see anylhing.
9. Hov lhe King Queslioned an Lgyplian, lhe Servanl of Iharaoh
And SoIonon Iefl lhal pIace, and he nel a nolIe of lhe nolIes of Lgypl,
vhon King Iharaoh had senl unlo hin vilh a gifl, and lhere vas an
alundance of lreasures vilh hin, and he cane and nade oleisance lo lhe
King. And SoIonon lhe King nade hasle lo queslion hin, even lefore he
had presenled his gifl and enlassy, and said unlo hin, Hasl lhou seen
Kelra Nagasl
76
nen of Llhiopia fIeeing ly lhis road And lhe anlassador of Iharaoh
ansvered and said unlo lhe King, King, Iive for ever! My Iord, King
Iharaoh, senl ne unlo lhee fron AIexandria. And lehoId, I viII inforn
lhee hov I have cone. Having sel oul fron AIexandria I cane lo Khr
(Cairo), lhe cily of lhe King, and on ny arrivaI lhese nen of Llhiopia of
vhon lhou speakesl arrived lhere aIso. They reached lhere afler a passage
of lhree days on lhe Takkaz, lhe river of Lgypl, and lhey vere lIoving
fIules, and lhey lraveIIed on vagons Iike lhe hosl of lhe heavenIy leings.
And lhose vho sav lhen said concerning lhen, 'These, having once leen
crealures of earlh, have lecone leings of heaven. Who lhen is viser lhan
SoIonon lhe King of }udah Bul he never lraveIIed in lhis vise in a vagon
of lhe vinds. And lhose vho vere in lhe cilies and lovns vere vilnesses
lhal, vhen lhese nen cane inlo lhe Iand of Lgypl, our gods and lhe gods of
lhe King feII dovn, and vere dashed in pieces, and lhe lovers of lhe idoIs
vere Iikevise lroken inlo fragnenls. And lhey asked lhe priesls of lhe
gods, lhe diviners of Lgypl, lhe reason vhy our gods had faIIen dovn, and
lhey said unlo us, 'The TalernacIe of lhe Cod of IsraeI, vhich cane dovn
fron heaven, is vilh lhen, and viII alide in lheir counlry for ever. And il
vas lecause of lhis lhal, vhen lhey cane inlo lhe Iand of Lgypl, our gods
vere lroken inlo fragnenls. And lhou, King, vhose visdon halh no
counlerparl under lhe heavens, vhy hasl lhou given avay lhe TalernacIe
of lhe Lav of lhe Lord lhy Cod, vhich lhy falhers kepl pure for lhee Ior,
according lo vhal ve hear, lhal TalernacIe used lo deIiver you oul of lhe
hand of your enenies, and lhe spiril of prophecy, vhich vas lherein, used
lo hoId converse vilh you, and lhe Cod of heaven used lo dveII in il in His
HoIy Spiril, and ye are caIIed nen of lhe house of Cod. Why have ye given
your gIory lo anolher And SoIonon ansvered in visdon and said,
Hov vas he (i.e. David) alIe lo carry avay our Lady, for she is vilh us
Kelra Nagasl
77
6O. Hov SoIonon Lanenled for Zion
And SoIonon enlered inlo his lenl, and vepl lillerIy, and said, Cod,
viIIesl Thou lo lake avay lhe TalernacIe of Thy Covenanl fron us in ny
days If onIy Thou hadsl laken avay ny Iife lefore lhis vhich Thou hasl
laken avay in ny days! Ior Thou cansl nol nake Thy vord lo le a Iie, and
Thou cansl nol lreak Thy Covenanl vhich Thou didsl nake vilh our
falhers, vilh Noah Thy servanl vho kepl righleousness, and vilh
Alrahan vho did nol lransgress Thy connandnenl, and vilh Isaac Thy
servanl vho kepl his lody pure fron lhe poIIulion of sin, and vilh IsraeI,
Thy hoIy one, vhon Thou didsl nake nany ly lhe HoIy Spiril, and didsl
caII 'Thy lrace |sicj, IsraeI, and vilh Moses and Aaron Thy priesls, in
vhose days Thou didsl nake lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav lo cone dovn
fron heaven upon earlh, lo lhe chiIdren of }acol Thine inherilance, vilh
Thy Lav and Thy Connandnenl, in lhe forn of lhe conslilulion of lhe
angeIs. Ior Thou hadsl aIready founded Zion as lhe halilalion of Thy gIory
upon lhe nounlain of Thy sancluary. And again Thou didsl give il lo
Moses lhal he nighl serve il nolIy upon lhe earlh, and nighl nake il lo
dveII in lhe 'Tenl of Wilness, so lhal Thou ThyseIf nighlesl cone lhere
fron lhe nounlain of Thy sancluary, and nighlesl nake lhe peopIe lo hear
Thy voice, so lhal lhey nighl vaIk in Thy Connandnenls.
Nov I knov lhal Thou esleenesl Thine inherilance nore IighlIy lhan
Thy peopIe IsraeI. And unliI lhis presenl il vas vilh us, and ve did nol
ninisler unlo il righlIy, and for lhis reason Thou arl angry vilh us, and
Thou hasl lurned Thy face fron us. Lord, Iook nol upon our eviI deeds,
lul consider Thou lhe goodness of our forefalhers. My falher David, Thy
servanl, vished lo luiId a house lo Thy Nane, for he had heard lhe vord
of Thy prophel, vho said, 'Which is lhe house for My halilalion, and
vhich is lhe pIace for Me lo resl in Is il nol My hands lhal have nade aII
lhis, sailh lhe Lord,
O
Who ruIelh everylhing And vhen he had
nedilaled upon lhis Thou didsl say unlo hin, 'Il is inpossilIe for lhee lo
luiId lhis, lul he vho halh gone forlh fron lhy Ioins shaII luiId a house for
O
Isaiah Ixvi, 1.
Kelra Nagasl
78
Me.
1
And nov, Lord, Thy vord halh nol leen nade a Iie, and I have
luiIl Thy house, Thou leing ny heIper. And vhen I had finished luiIding
Thy house, I lroughl lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl inlo il, and I offered
up sacrifices lo Thy lhrice-hoIy Nane, and Thou didsl Iook on lhese
|lenevoIenlIyj. And lhe house vas fuII of Thy gIory, lhe vhoIe vorId leing
fiIIed vilh Thy Codhead, and ve Thy peopIe rejoiced al lhe sighl of Thy
gIory lherein. And lhis day il is lhree years since lhal line, and Thou hasl
snalched avay Thy Iighl fron us lhal Thou nayesl iIIunine lhose lhal are
in darkness. Thou hasl renoved our honour lhal Thou nayesl honour
lhose vho are unvorlhy, Thou hasl lIolled oul our najesly lhal Thou
nayesl nake najeslic hin lhal is nol najeslic, Thou hasl laken avay our
Iife lhal Thou nayesl luiId up hin vhose Iife is far fron Thee.
Woe is ne! Woe is ne! I veep for nyseIf. Rise up, David, ny falher,
and veep vilh ne for our Lady, for Cod halh negIecled us and halh laken
avay our Lady fron lhy son. Woe is ne! Woe is ne! Woe is ne! Ior lhe
Sun of righleousness halh negIecled ne. Woe is ne! Ior ve have negIecled
lhe connand of our Cod, and ve have lecone rejecled ones on lhe earlh.
As priesls ve have nol acled veII, and as Kings ve have nol done vhal is
righl in respecl of judgenenl lo lhe orphans. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo
us! Whal is righl halh passed fron us, and ve are reluked. Woe le unlo
us! ur joy halh lurned aside lo our enenies, and lhe grace lhal vas ours
halh leen renoved fron us. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo us! ur lack is
lurned lovards lhe spears of our enenies. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo
us! ur chiIdren have lecone lhe spoiI and caplives of lhose vhon ve
recenlIy had spoiIed and nade caplives. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo us!
ur vidovs veep, and our virgins nourn. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo
us! ur oId nen vaiI and our young nen Ianenl. Woe le unlo us! Woe le
unlo us! ur vonen shed lears and our cily is Iaid vasle. Woe le unlo us!
Woe le unlo us! Iron lhis day lo lhe end of our days |ve nusl nournj,
and our chiIdren Iikevise. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo us! Ior lhe gIory
1
I ChronicIes xxii, 8, 9.
Kelra Nagasl
79
of lhe gIorious daughler of Zion is renoved, and lhe gIory of lhe daughler
of Llhiopia, lhe viIe,
2
halh increased.
Cod is vrolh, and vho shaII shov conpassion Cod halh nade
uncIean, and vho shaII purify Cod halh pIanned, and vho shaII gainsay
His pIan Cod halh viIIed, and vho shaII oppose His inlenlion Cod
speakelh, and everylhing shaII cone lo pass. Cod halh alased, and lhere is
none lhal shaII pronole lo honour. Cod halh laken avay, and lhere is none
vho shaII lring lack. Cod halelh, and lhere is none vho shaII nake Hin lo
Iove. Woe le unlo us! ur nane vas honoured, lo-day il is nolhing. Woe
le unlo us! Iron leing nen of lhe househoId ve have lecone nen of lhe
oulside, and fron leing nen of lhe inner chanlers ve have leen driven
oul lhrough our sins. Ior Cod Iovelh lhe pure, lul lhe priesls vouId have
none of lhe pure, and have Ioved lhe inpure. And lhe prophels reluked
us, lul ve vouId nol accepl reluke, and lhey |vished loj nake us hear,
lul ve vouId nol hear. Woe le unlo us! Through our sins ve are rejecled,
and lecause of our defeclion ve shaII le punished. Sovereignly profilelh
nolhing vilhoul purily, and judgenenl profilelh nolhing vilhoul juslice,
and riches profil nolhing vilhoul lhe fear of Cod. The priesls Iove lhe
vords of falIes nore lhan lhe vords of lhe Scriplures, and lhey Iove lhe
sound of lhe harp nore lhan lhe sound of lhe IsaIler, and lhey Iove lhe
service of lhe vorId nore lhan prayer, and lhey Iove lhe dispuling of lhe
vorId nore lhan lhe voice of lhe Codhead, and lhey Iove Iaughler and
fornicalion nore lhan lhe veeping of Iife, and lhey Iove lhe food lhal
passelh avay nore lhan lhe fasling lo Cod, and lhey Iove vine and sveel
drink nore lhan sacrificing lo Cod, and lhey Iove idIeness nore lhan
prayer, and lhey Iove possessions nore lhan |lhe giving ofj aIns, and lhey
Iove sIeeping nore lhan praising, and lhey Iove dozing nore lhan
valching. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo us!
Queen, ve have leen negIigenl in respecl of lhe Connandnenl of
Cod. We have Ioved lhe vords of lhe falIenongers nore lhan lhe vord of
lhe priesls. We have vished lo gaze upon lhe face of our vonen ralher
lhan upon lhe face of Cod in repenlance. We have Ioved lo Iook upon our
2
r, cringing, or, degraded. The ancienl Lgyplians oflen spoke of Kesh, lhe viIe.
Kelra Nagasl
8O
chiIdren ralher lhan lo hear lhe vord of Cod. We have consoIed ourseIves
nore vilh lhe sardius slone lhan vilh lhe adninislering righl judgenenl
lo lhe orphans. We have Ioved lo Iook upon our honour ralher lhan lo hear
lhe voice of Cod. We have Ioved lhe vord of fooIishness nore lhan lhe
vords of lhe vise. We have Ioved lhe vords of fooIs nore lhan hearing lhe
vords of lhe Irophels. Woe le unlo us! f our ovn free viII ve have
poIIuled our Iife. Woe le unlo us! Woe le unlo us! The repenlance and
nercy vhich Cod Iovelh ve have nol done. Woe le unlo us! He gave us
gIory, and ve have lhrovn il avay. He nade us very vise, and of our ovn
freeviII ve have nade ourseIves nore fooIish lhan lhe leasls. He gave us
riches, and ve have leggared ourseIves even |lo asking forj aIns. We
Iooked upon our horses, and forgol our coning lack. We have Ioved
fIeeling lhings, and ve have nol recognized lhose lhal alide. We have
nade our days lo deride our Iife, ve have preferred lhe Iuxuriousness of
food, vhich leconelh dung, lo lhe food of Iife vhich endurelh for ever.
|We have pul onj lhe garnenls of appareI vhich lenefil nol lhe souI, and
have pul off lhe appareI of gIory vhich is for ever. ur governors and lhe
peopIe do vhal Cod halelh, and lhey Iove nol vhal Cod Iovelh, Iove of
lheir neighlours, and IovIiness, and graciousness, and nercy for lhe poor,
and palienl endurance, and Iove of lhe house of Cod, and lhe adoralion of
lhe Son. Bul vhal Cod halelh is, augury ly lirds, and idoIalry, and
enquiry of vilches, and divinalion, and nagic, and fIies, and 'ak.arn,
3
lhe aninaI lhal halh leen lorn, and lhe dead lody of a leasl, and lhefl, and
oppression, and fornicalion, and envy, fraud, drink and drunkenness, faIse
svearing |againslj neighlours, and lhe learing of faIse leslinony |againslj
neighlours.
AII lhese lhings vhich Cod halelh lhey do. And il is lecause of lhen
lhal Cod halh laken lhe TalernacIe of His Covenanl avay fron us and
halh given il lo lhe peopIe vho do His WiII and His Lav, and His
rdinance. He halh lurned His face fron us and halh nade His face lo
shine upon lhen. He halh despised us and halh Ioved lhen. He halh
3
IrolalIy a corruplion of lhe nane Lkron (2 Kings i, 2), lhe cily-god of vhich vas
BaaI-zelul.
Kelra Nagasl
81
shovn nercy unlo lhen and halh lIolled us oul, lecause He halh laken
avay lhe TalernacIe of His Covenanl fron us. Ior He halh svorn an oalh
ly HinseIf lhal He viII nol alrogale vinler and sunner, seed line and
harvesl, fruil and vork, sun and noon, as Iong as Zion is on lhe earlh, and
lhal He viII nol in vralh deslroy heaven and earlh, eilher ly fIood or fire,
and lhal He viII nol lIol oul nan, and leasl, and repliIes and creeping
lhings, lul viII shov nercy lo lhe vork of His hands, and viII nuIlipIy
His nercy on vhal He halh forned. And vhen Cod lakelh avay lhe
TalernacIe of His Covenanl He viII deslroy lhe heavens, and lhe earlh,
and aII His vork, and lhis day halh Cod despised us and laken fron us lhe
TalernacIe of His Lav. And vhiIsl SoIonon vas saying lhese lhings he
ceased nol lo veep, and lhe lears ran dovn his cheeks conlinuaIIy.
And lhe Spiril of Irophecy ansvered and said unlo hin, Why arl lhou
lhus sorrovfuI Ior lhis halh happened ly lhe WiII of Cod. And |Zionj
halh nol leen given lo an aIien, lul lo lhy firsllorn son vho shaII sil upon
lhe lhrone of David lhy Ialher. Ior Cod svore unlo David in lrulh, and He
repenlelh nol, lhal of lhe fruil of his lody He vouId nake lo sil upon his
lhrone for ever, in lhe TalernacIe of His Covenanl, lhe HoIy Zion. And I
viII sel hin alove lhe kings of lhe earlh, and his lhrone shaII le Iike lhe
days of heaven and Iike lhe ordinance of lhe noon for ever.
4
And He vho
sillelh upon lhe lhrone of lhe Codhead in lhe heavens shaII ruIe lhe Iiving
and lhe dead in lhe fIesh for ever. And angeIs and nen shaII serve Hin,
and every longue shaII praise Hin, and every knee shaII lov lo Hin in lhe
alysses and in lhe rivers. Conforl lhyseIf vilh lhis |vordj, and gel lhee
lack lo lhy house, and Iel nol lhy hearl le vhoIIy sad.
And lhe King vas conforled ly lhis |vordj, and he said, The WiII of
Cod le done, and nol lhe viII of nan. And again lhe AngeI of Cod
appeared unlo hin openIy, and said unlo hin, As for lhyseIf, lhou shaIl
luiId lhe house of Cod, and il shaII le gIory and as a supporl for lhee, and
if lhou viIl keep His Connandnenl and viIl nol serve olher gods lhou
shaIl le leIoved ly Cod, even as David lhy falher.
4
IsaIns Ixxii, 11, Ixxxix, 3, 4, 27, 29, cxxxii, 11-13.
Kelra Nagasl
82
61. Hov SoIonon Relurned lo }erusaIen
And lhen SoIonon cane lack lo lhe cily of }erusaIen, and he vepl
lhere vilh lhe eIders of }erusaIen a greal veeping in lhe house of Cod.
And afler lhis lhe King and Zadok lhe priesl enlraced each olher, and
lhey vepl lillerIy in lhe halilalion of Zion, and lhey renained siIenl for a
Iong line. And lhe eIders rose up and spake unlo lhe King, saying, Be nol
lhou sorrovfuI concerning lhis lhing, our Lord, for ve knov, fron firsl
lo Iasl, lhal vilhoul lhe WiII of Cod Zion viII nol dveII |in any pIacej, and
lhal nolhing happenelh vilhoul lhe WiII of Cod. And as concerning Zion
in oIden line, in lhe days of LIi lhe priesl, lefore our falhers had asked for
a king, lhe IhiIislines carried Zion avay caplive inlo |lheirj canp~Cod
having negIecled IsraeI in lhe lallIe, and ils priesls 'Afn (Hophni) and
Inh.as (Ihinehas) having faIIen ly lhe edge of lhe svord. And lhe
IhiIislines carried avay lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and lroughl il
inlo lheir cily, and sel il in lhe house of lheir god Dagon. And Dagon vas
lroken lo pieces and deslroyed, and lecane Iike dusl, and lheir Iand
lecane a deserl lhrough nice, and lhey ale up aII lhe fruil of lheir Iand,
and lheir persons lecane sores and loiIs. And lhey galhered logelher lheir
priesls, and nagicians, and slar-gazers, and lhey enlrealed lhen and said
unlo lhen, 'Hov can ve reIieve ourseIves of lhese sores and lhe lriluIalion
vhich have cone upon us, and upon our counlry And lhose nagicians
nedilaled and vilhdrev lhenseIves lo le aIone, and lheir lroughl lheir
nagicaI inslrunenls, and pondered, and considered, and pIanned hov
lhey couId reIieve lhen fron lriluIalion of lheir cily and lheir persons.
And lhey discovered lhal lhis punishnenl had cone upon lhen and lheir
cily lecause of Zion. And lhey venl lo lheir kings and lheir governors, and
lhey said unlo lhen, 'AII lhese lhings have lefaIIen you lhrough lhe
heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod. And nov, knov ye hov
ye viII lake her lack inlo her cily, and her counlry, and her house. And ve
nusl ly no neans send her avay enply, lul nusl give her an offering, so
lhal she nay forgive you your sins, and do avay your lriluIalion vhen she
halh relurned lo her cily. And if ye viII nol send her lo her cily, no good
Kelra Nagasl
83
viII cone of naking her lo Iive vilh you, lul ye shaII conlinue lo le
punished unliI ye are deslroyed.
And lheir kings and governors said unlo lheir priesls, 'Whal gifl nov
say ye lhal ve oughl lo give her, and hov shaII ve send her lack Iind
oul, and leII us vhal ve nusl do. And lhe priesls of lhe IhiIislines look
counseI logelher again, and lhey said unlo lheir kings and governors,
'Make for her according lo lhe heads of your houses, sixly figures of nice
in goId, since nice have deslroyed your Iand, and sixly figures of lhe
nenler of a nan, since your ovn persons have suffered fron sores and
loiIs on your nenlers.
And lhe IhiIislines nade as lhey connanded

lhen one hundred and lvenly offerings of goId, and gave lhen lo Zion.
And again lhey said unlo lhe priesls, 'Hov shaII ve send her avay And
vhon do ye say shaII sel her in her cily And again lhe nagicians of lhe
IhiIislines said unlo lhen, Lel lhen lring lvo she-caneIs
6
lhal lroughl
forlh lheir firsllorn al lhe sane line, and Iel lhen allach a vagon
7
lo
lhen~and lhey nusl keep lack lheir young ones and shul lhen up in lhe
house~and lhey nusl yoke lhe lvo she-caneIs logelher, and lhen sel lhen
free and Iel lhen go vhere lhey viII. And if lhey narch slraighl for
}erusaIen ve shaII knov lhal peradvenlure Cod halh had conpassion on
our Iand, lul if lhey vander aloul, and go hilher and lhilher, and vish lo
lurn lack lo lhe pIace vhence lhey slarled, lhen ve shaII knov lhal Cod is
(sliIIj vrolh vilh us, and lhal He viII nol renove His punishnenl unliI He
halh lIolled oul ourseIves and our cily.
And lhe IhiIislines did as lhe priesls connanded lheir governors, and
lhey senl avay Zion, and proslraled lhenseIves lefore her. And lhose
caneIs nade lheir vay slraighl lo lhe counlry of }udah, and lhey cane lo
lhe lhreshing fIoor and lhe house of lhy kinsfoIk received lhen. And lhose
vho did nol receive lhen vere lhe nen of lhe house of Dn, and lhey did
nol do honage lo Zion, for lhey regarded her in anger as lheir deslroyed
Iive nice and five enerods, see I San. vi, 4.

6
Tvo niIch kine, I San. vi, 7.
7
A nev carl, I San. vi, 7.
Kelra Nagasl
84
() Cod. And lhey cul up lhe pieces of vood of lhe vagon, and lhey nade
lhose caneIs lo le sacrifices, and Zion relurned lo her pIace. And vhiIsl
Zion vas in |herj house SanueI lhe Irophel ninislered unlo her, and
vision and prophecy vere reveaIed unlo hin, and he pIeased Cod in aII his
aclions, and he ruIed IsraeI for forly-eighl years.
And afler hin our peopIe enlrealed Cod lo give lhen a king Iike lhe
nalions lhal vere round aloul lhen. And SanueI lhe Irophel anoinled
SauI king, and he reigned forly years. And he vas of lhe lrile of Benjanin,
vhich vas lhe youngesl lranch of lhe peopIes of IsraeI. And SanueI lhe
Irophel aIso anoinled lhy falher David. And vhen lhe IhiIislines foughl
vilh SauI lhe King, SauI vas conquered and died vilh |Yjnlhn his son.
And lhose of his sons vho vere Iefl vished lo carry avay Zion, vhen lhey
knev lhal lheir falher and lheir lrolher vere dead. And lhen vhen lhey
vished lo hide her and lo lransfer her lo lhe VaIIey of CIlh. (CiIloa) in
order lhal lhy falher David nighl nol carry lhen off, she vouId nol Iel
lhen carry her avay unliI lhy falher cane and carried her avay fron lheir
cily, lul nol vilh offerings, and nol vilh incense and lurnl offerings. Ior il
vas inpossilIe lo carry Zion avay unIess she vished il and Cod vished il.
And again, vhen lhy falher reigned righlIy over IsraeI he look her fron lhe
cily of Sanaria and lroughl her here lo }erusaIen, dancing on his feel
lefore her, and cIapping his hands lecause of joy for her, for she vas laken
ly hin lhal she nighl cone lo lhe cily of David lhy falher. And as for lhal
vhich lhou sayesl concerning lhe going of Zion lo lheir cily, lo lhe counlry
of Llhiopia, if Cod viIIed il and she herseIf viIIed il, lhere is no one vho
couId prevenl her, for of her ovn viII she venl, and of her ovn viII she
viII relurn if Cod pIeaselh. And if she dolh nol relurn il viII le Cods good
pIeasure. And as for us, if Cod halh viIIed il }erusaIen shaII renain lo us
vherein lhou hasl luiIl for us a house of Cod. And nov, Iel nol lhine hearl
le sad, lul conforl lhou lhyseIf vilh vhal ve have said unlo lhee. And lhe
visdon, vhich lhe Lord Cod of IsraeI halh given lhee, halh sprouled fron
lhee. Ior visdon is a slrange lhing. As a Ianp is nol lhe sun, and as
vinegar and aIoes are neilher profilalIe nor usefuI addilions lo honey, even
so lhe vords of fooIs are nol leneficiaI lo lhe vise nan. And as snoke is lo
Kelra Nagasl
8
lhe eye, and unripe fruil lo lhe loolh, even so lhe vords of fooIs are nol
leneficiaI lo lhe vise.
62. Concerning lhe Ansver vhich SoIonon Made lo lhen
And SoIonon lhe King ansvered and said unlo lhen, Hearken ye
unlo ne and lo vhal I shaII say unlo you. Supposing He had laken ne
avay vhiIsl I vas carrying Zion~vhal is inpossilIe lo Cod And
supposing He had laken you avay vhiIsl ye vere carrying her~vhal is
inpossilIe lo Cod And supposing He vere lo nake lhen lo inheril our
cily, and deslroy us~vhal is inpossilIe lo Cod Ior everylhing is His, and
none can gainsay His WiII, and lhere is none vho can lransgress His
connand in heaven alove or on earlh leIov. He is lhe King Whose
kingdon shaII never, never pass avay, Anen. Bul nov Iel us go and kneeI
in lhe House of Cod.
And lhe eIders of IsraeI logelher vilh lheir King venl inlo lhe House of
Cod, and lhey enlered lhe HoIy of HoIies, and lhey nade suppIicalion, and
proslraled lhenseIves, and ascriled lIessing lo Cod. And SoIonon vepl in
lhe halilalion of lhe heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and
lhey aII vepl vilh hin, and afler a IillIe vhiIe lhey heId lheir peace. And
SoIonon ansvered and said unlo lhen, Cease ye, so lhal lhe
uncircuncised peopIe nay nol loasl lhenseIves over us, and nay nol say
unlo us, 'Their gIory is laken avay, and Cod halh forsaken lhen. ReveaI
ye nol anylhing eIse lo aIien foIk. Lel us sel up lhese hoards, vhich are
Iying here naiIed logelher, and Iel us cover lhen over vilh goId, and Iel us
decorale lhen afler lhe nanner of our Lady Zion, and Iel us Iay lhe Book of
lhe Lav inside il. }erusaIen lhe free lhal is in lhe heavens alove us, vhich
}acol our falher sav, is vilh us, and leIov il is lhe Cale of Heaven, lhis
}erusaIen on lhe earlh. If ve do lhe WiII of Cod and His good pIeasure,
Cod viII le vilh us, and viII deIiver us oul of lhe hand of our eneny, and
oul of lhe hand of aII lhose vho hale us, Cods WiII, and nol our viII, le
done, and Cods good pIeasure, and nol our good pIeasure, le done.
Through lhis He halh nade us sorrovfuI. Henceforvard His vralh viII
cooI in respecl of us, and He viII nol alandon us lo our enenies, and He
Kelra Nagasl
86
viII nol renove His nercy far fron us, and He viII renenler lhe covenanl
vilh our falhers Alrahan, and Isaac, and }acol. He viII nol nake His
vord lo le a Iie, and viII nol lreak His covenanl so lhal our falhers seed
shaII le deslroyed.
63. Hov lhe NolIes of IsraeI Agreed |vilh lhe Kingj
And lhen lhe eIders of IsraeI nade ansver and said unlo hin, May lhy
good pIeasure le done, and lhe good pIeasure of lhe Lord Cod! As for us,
none of us viII lransgress lhy vord, and ve viII nol inforn any olher
peopIe lhal Zion halh leen laken avay fron us. And lhey eslalIished lhis
covenanl in lhe House of Cod~lhe eIders of IsraeI vilh lheir King
SoIonon unlo lhis day. And SoIonon Iived |lhusj for eIeven years afler lhe
laking avay of Zion fron hin, and lhen his hearl lurned aside fron lhe
Iove of Cod, and he forgol his visdon, lhrough his excessive Iove of
vonen. And he Ioved very grealIy lhe daughler of Iharaoh, lhe king of
Lgypl, vhose nane vas Mkshr, and he lroughl her inlo lhe house
vhich he had nade, and lhere vere figures of lhe sun, noon, and slars in
lhe roof lhereof, and il vas iIIunined ly nighl as lrighlIy as ly day. Ils
leans vere nade of lrass, and ils roof of siIver) and ils paneIs () of Iead,
and ils vaIIs of slone, red vilh lIack, and lrovn vilh vhile |andj green,
and ils fIoor vas of lIocks of sapphire slone and sardius. And he used lo
go and dveII lherein lhrough his Iove for his house and his vife Mkshr,
lhe daughler of Iharaoh lhe king of Lgypl.
Nov lhe queen possessed cerlain idoIs vhich her falher had given her
lo lov dovn lefore, and lecause, vhen SoIonon sav her sacrificing lo
lhen and vorshipping lhen, he did nol reluke her or forsake her, Cod
vas vrolh vilh hin, and nade hin lo forgel his visdon. And she
nuIlipIied her sacrifices, and her vorship, and her foIIy, according lo lhe
slupidily of lhe Lgyplians, and aII lhe peopIe of her house vorshipped lhe
idoIs, and Iearned lhe fooIish service of idoIs. And enjoying lhe pIeasure of
lheir fooIish service lhey vorshipped vilh lhe daughler of Iharaoh, and
lhe chiIdren of IsraeI joined lhenseIves lo her, and lhe vonen and lheir
handnaidens joined lhenseIves unlo her in lhe vorship and fooIish
Kelra Nagasl
87
service of idoIs. And SoIonon hinseIf found pIeasure in hearing lheir
fooIish service and foIIy. And vhen she sav lhal he Ioved her, and
hearkened, and heId his peace, and asked nany queslions aloul lhe fooIish
service of lhe gods of lhe Lgyplians, she nade herseIf exceedingIy
agreealIe lo hin, and she spoke lo hin vilh honeyed vords, and vilh lhe
lender speech of vonen, and vilh lhe sveel sniIe lhal acconpanielh lhe
presenlnenl of an eviI deed, and vilh lhe lurning of lhe face and lhe
assunplion of a Iook of good inlenl, and vilh lhe nodding of lhe head.
Wilh aclions of lhis kind she caused his hearl lo lurn avay fron his good
inlenl, and she enliced hin lo lhe eviI of her vork, vishing lo drag hin
dovn inlo lhe foIIy of lhe fooIish service of idoIs lhrough careIessness. And
as lhe deep sea dravelh dovn inlo ils deplhs lhe nan vho cannol svin,
unliI lhe valer overvheInelh hin and deslroyelh his Iife, even so did lhal
vonan vish lo sulnerge SoIonon lhe King.
64. Hov lhe Daughler of Iharaoh Seduced SoIonon
And lhen lhe daughler of Iharaoh appeared lefore SoIonon, and said
unlo hin, Il is good lo vorship lhe gods Iike ny falher and aII lhe kings of
Lgypl vho vere lefore ny falher. And SoIonon ansvered and said unlo
her, They caII gods lhe lhings vhich have leen nade ly lhe hands of lhe
vorker in nelaI, and lhe carpenler, and lhe poller, and lhe painler, and lhe
hever in slone, and lhe scuIplor, lhese are nol gods, lul lhe vork of lhe
hand of nan, in goId, and siIver, in lrass and Iead, in iron and
earlhenvare, and in slone, and ye caII 'our gods lhe lhings lhal are nol
your gods. Bul ve vorship none eIse lhan lhe HoIy Cod of IsraeI and our
Lady, lhe hoIy and heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod,
vhon He halh given us lo vorship, us and our seed afler us.
And she ansvered and said unlo hin, Thy son halh carried avay lhy
Lady Zion, lhy son vhon lhou hasl legollen, vho springelh fron an aIien
peopIe inlo vhich Cod halh nol connanded you lo narry, lhal is lo say,
fron an Llhiopian vonan, vho is nol of lhy coIour, and is nol akin lo lhy
counlry, and vho is, noreover, lIack. And SoIonon ansvered and said
unlo her, Though lhou speakesl lhus arl lhou nol lhyseIf of |lhal racej
Kelra Nagasl
88
concerning vhich Cod halh nol connanded us lhal ve shouId lake vives
fron il And lhy kin is her kin, for ye are aII lhe chiIdren of Han. And
Cod, having deslroyed of lhe seed of Han seven kings, halh nade us lo
inheril lhis cily, lhal ve and our seed afler us nay dveII lherein for ever.
And as concerning Zion, lhe viII of Cod halh leen perforned, and He halh
given her unlo lhen so lhal lhey nay vorship her. And as for ne, I viII
neilher sacrifice lo nor vorship lhine idoIs, and I viII nol perforn lhy
vish.
And lhough she spake in lhis vise unlo hin, and lhough she sheved
herseIf gracious unlo hin evening and norning, and nighl and day, he
conlinued lo refuse her |requeslj. And one day she leaulified and scenled
herseIf for hin, and she lehaved herseIf haughliIy lovards hin, and
lrealed hin disdainfuIIy. And he said unlo her, Whal shaII I do Thou
hasl nade lhy face eviI lovards ne, and lhy regard lovards ne is nol as il
vas fornerIy, and lhy leaulifuI forn is nol as enlicing as usuaI. Ask ne,
and I viII give lhee vhalsoever lhou vishesl, and I viII perforn il for lhee,
so lhal lhou nayesl nake lhy face (or, allilude) gracious lovards ne as
fornerIy, lul she heId her peace and ansvered hin never a vord. And he
repealed lo her lhe vords lhal he vouId do vhalsoever she vished, and
she said unlo hin, Svear lo ne ly lhe Cod of IsraeI lhal lhou viIl nol
pIay ne faIse. And he svore lo her lhal he vouId give her vhalsoever she
asked for, and lhal he vouId do for her everylhing lhal she loId hin. And
she lied a scarIel lhread on lhe niddIe of lhe door of |lhe house ofj her
gods, and she lroughl lhree Iocusls and sel lhen in lhe house of her gods.
And she said unlo SoIonon, Cone lo ne vilhoul lreaking lhe scarIel
lhread, lend lhyseIf and kiII lhese Iocusls lefore ne and puII oul lheir
necks, and he did so. And she said unlo hin, I viII henceforvard do lhy
viII, for lhou hasl sacrificed lo ny gods and hasl vorshipped lhen. Nov
he had done lhus lecause of his oalh, so lhal he nighl nol lreak his oalh
vhich she had nade hin lo svear, even lhough he knev lhal il vas an
offence (or, sin) lo enler inlo lhe house of her gods.
Nov Cod had connanded lhe chiIdren of IsraeI, saying, Ye shaII nol
narry slrange vonen lhal ye nay nol le corrupled ly lhen lhrough lheir
gods, and lhrough lhe vickedness of lheir vorks and lhe sveelness of lheir
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89
voices, for lhey nake sofl lhe hearls of sinpIe young nen ly lhe sveelness
of lheir genlIe voices, and ly lhe leauly of lheir forns lhey deslroy lhe
visdon of lhe fooIish nan. Who vas viser lhan SoIonon yel he vas
seduced ly a vonan. Who vas nore righleous lhan David yel he vas
seduced ly a vonan. Who vas slronger lhan Sanson yel he vas seduced
ly a vonan. Who vas handsoner lhan 'Annn yel he vas seduced ly
Tanar lhe daughler of David his falher And Adan vas lhe firsl crealion of
Cod, yel he vas seduced ly Lve his vife. And lhrough lhal seduclion
dealh vas crealed for every crealed lhing. And lhis seduclion of nen ly
vonen vas caused ly Lve, for ve are aII lhe chiIdren of Lve.
6. Concerning lhe Sin of SoIonon
Nov SoIonon sinned an exceedingIy greal sin lhrough lhe vorship of
idoIs, and fron leing a vise nan he lecane a fooI, and his sin is vrillen
dovn in lhe Book of lhe Irophels. And lhe Archlishops vho vere lhere
ansvered and said, Halh Cod had nercy on SoIonon for lhis error vhich
is vrillen dovn |asj his sin Yea, Cod halh had nercy upon hin, and his
nane is nunlered vilh |lhe nanes ofj Alrahan, Isaac, and }acol, and
David his falher in lhe Book of Life in heaven. Ior Cod is a forgiver of
lhose vho have sinned. Cone nov, and consider, vhich vas lhe grealer of
lhe lvo, lhe sin of his falher David or lhe sin of his son SoIonon David
caused Uriah lo le sIain in lallIe ly neans of a pIan of deceil so lhal he
nighl lake his vife Brslh. (Balhshela), lhe nolher of SoIonon, and he
repenled, and Cod had conpassion on hin, And vhen he vas dying he
advised his son SoIonon, saying, KiII }oal as he kiIIed 'Anr (Alner), and
kiII Shinei lecause he cursed ne,
8
and he perforned lhe viII of his
falher and sIev lhen afler lhe dealh of David his falher. And SoIonon
kiIIed no one excepl his lrolher vhen he vished lo narry lhe
Sannvl,
9
lhe vife of his falher David vhose nane vas 'Als
8
I Kings ii, ff.
9
I.e. lhe Shunannile vonan (see 1 Kings i, 3).
Kelra Nagasl
9O
(Alishag). And as concerning lhe error of SoIonon vhich is vrillen dovn I
viII reveaI il lo you, even as Cod halh reveaIed il lo ne.
66. Concerning lhe Irophecy of Chrisl
Nov, according lo lhe inlerprelalion of prophecy, lhe nane SoIonon
signifielh in lhe secrel speech Chrisl. And as SoIonon luiIl lhe house of
Cod, so Chrisl raised up His Body and nade il inlo lhe Church. And vhen
He said unlo lhe }evs, Throv dovn lhis house, and in lhree days I viII
luiId il up |againj,
6O
He spake lo lhen of lhe house of His Body. And as
SoIonon nuIlipIied vives fron aIien peopIes lecause of lheir leauly and
vinsoneness, and desires |arosej in hin in his feigning Iove |for lhenj, so
Chrisl galhered logelher fron aIien peopIes lhose vho had nol lhe Lav,
lul vho leIieved on Hin. And lhere vas no uncircuncised nan lo Hin,
and no pagan, and lhere vas no sIave, and no }ev, and no servanl and no
free nan,
61
lul He galhered lhen aII inlo His heavenIy kingdon ly His
IIesh and BIood. And in lhe Song of Songs SoIonon hinseIf sang and said,
There are sixly nighly nen round aloul lhe led of SoIonon, aII of lhen
lrained in var and hoIding svords, each nan vilh his svord upon his
lhigh.
62
The nunler sixly indicalelh lhe nunler of lhe righleous
Ialriarchs, and lhe Irophels, and lhe AposlIes, and lhe Marlyrs, and lhe
BeIievers, and lhe Sainls, and lhe Monks vho have resisled lhe eviI lhoughl
and lhe var of Salan. And lhe vord svord is, leing inlerpreled, lhe
vord of lhe Scriplures. The vord of lhe Lord cullelh Iike a slraighl sharp
razor, and in Iike nanner lhe Scriplures cul fron nens hearls lhe danger
caused ly Iying dreans ly nighl. And lhe vords led of SoIonon are,
leing inlerpreled, lhe Church of Chrisl.
6O
}ohn ii, 19.
61
CaIalians iii, 28.
62
Song of SoIonon iii, 7 ff.
Kelra Nagasl
91
And again SoIonon sang, saying, King SoIonon halh nade a Iiller for
hinseIf,
63
and lhese vords are lo le inlerpreled lhal Chrisl halh pul on
our lody. The nane SoIonon in lhe Ianguage of lhe Helrevs is, leing
inlerpreled, Chrisl. And lhe fooIish }evs inagine lhal lhe vords of
David, The Lord said unlo ne, 'Thou arl ny son and I lhis day have
legollen lhee,
64
vere spoken concerning SoIonon his son. Cod, give
Thy judgnenl lo lhe king, and Thy righleousness lo lhe son of lhe king, so
lhal he nay judge lhy peopIe vilh righleousness and lhy needy ones vilh
juslice. And he shaII Iive and lhey shaII give hin of lhe goId of Aralia, and
shaII pray for hin conlinuaIIy, and shaII foIIov hin |vilh good vordsj,
and he shaII le a supporl for lhe vhoIe earlh on lhe lops of lhe nounlains,
and his fruil shaII le grealer lhan lhe cedar, and he shaII fIourish in lhe cily
Iike lhe grass of lhe earlh, and his nane shaII le lIessed for ever, and his
nane shaII le lefore lhe sun. I have lroughl lhee forlh fron lhe leIIy
lefore lhe Morning Slar. Cod halh svorn, and He viII nol repenl, lhou arl
His priesl for ever, afler lhe appoinlnenl of MeIchizedek.
6
And concerning lhis prophecy and olhers Iike lhere unlo, vhich David
prophesied concerning Chrisl, lhe fooIish }evs, vho are lIind of hearl, say
lhal vhal David said in lhe leginning of his look vas spoken concerning
his son SoIonon, lhis do lhe }evs say, and lhey nake Chrisl lo le SoIonon
lecause of lhe siniIarily of nane, and lhe visdon, and lecause He vas lhe
Son of David in lhe fIesh. And aIlhough lhose vho cane afler David and
SoIonon, naneIy LIijah and LIisha, knev lhis, lhey ascriled SoIonons sin
lo hin in lhe Book of Kings in order lhal lhey nighl pul lo shane lhe }evs,
vho are lIinded in hearl and lhe enenies of righleousness. And SoIonon
lhe King, lhe son of David lhe King and Irophel, vas hinseIf aIso King
and Irophel, and he prophesied nany siniIiludes concerning Chrisl and
concerning lhe Church, and he vrole four looks of prophecy, and is
63
Song of SoIonon iii, 9.
64
IsaIn ii.
6
IsaIns Ixxii, 1 ff., cx, 4.
Kelra Nagasl
92
nunlered vilh Alrahan, Isaac, and }acol, and David his falher in lhe
kingdon of lhe heavens.
67. Concerning lhe Lanenlalion of SoIonon
And nov I viII leII you hov he died. His days vere sixly |yearsj, vhen
a sickness allacked hin. And his days vere nol as lhe days of David his
falher, lul lhey vere lvenly |yearsj shorler lhan his, lecause he vas under
lhe svay of vonen and vorshipped idoIs. And lhe angeI of dealh cane
and snole hin |inj lhe fool, and he vepl and said, Lord Cod of IsraeI, I
an conquered ly lhe lerreslriaI Iav, for lhere is no one free fron lIenish
lefore Thee, Lord, and lhere is no one! righleous and vise lefore Thee,
Lord. Ior Thou dosl scrulinize and lry lhe hearl. Nolhing is hidden fron
Thee. Thou Iookesl upon lhe hidden lhings |as if lhey verej reveaIed, and
Thou searchesl oul lhe hearl. Have nercy upon ne, Lord. Thou exaninesl
lhe hearl of nan and dosl lry lhe reins. Have nercy upon ne, Lord. Thou
hearesl lolh lhe vhisper and lhe lhundercIap. Have nercy upon ne, Lord.
And if Thou hasl nercy upon lhe righleous vho have nol lransgressed Thy
connandnenls, vhal is lhere vonderfuI in Thy nercy Have nercy upon
ne, Lord. Bul if Thou shouIdesl shov nercy upon ne, a sinner, Thy nercy
vouId le a narveIIous and gracious lhing. Have nercy upon ne, Lord.
And aIlhough I have sinned renenler Alrahan, and Isaac, and }acol, ny
falhers vho did nol lransgress Thy connandnenl. Have nercy upon ne,
Lord, for Thou arl nercifuI and forgiving, for lhe sake of David Thy
servanl have nercy upon ne, Lord. Masler of lhe vorId, and of kings
and governors, have nercy upon ne, Lord. Thou vho nakesl fooIs lo le
vise, and lhe vise lo le fooIs, have nercy upon ne, Lord. Turner of
sinners and Revarder of lhe righleous, have nercy upon ne, Lord. And
as he spake lhese vords lears slreaned dovn his face, and he searched for
his napkin.
And lhe AngeI of Cod venl dovn lo hin and said unlo hin, Hearken
lhou unlo vhal I shaII say unlo lhee, for lhe sake of vhich Cod halh senl
ne. Iron leing a vise nan lhou hasl lurned lhyseIf inlo a fooI, and fron
leing a rich nan lhou hasl lurned lhyseIf inlo a poor nan, and fron leing
Kelra Nagasl
93
a king lhou hasl lurned lhyseIf inlo a nan of no accounl, lhrough
lransgressing lhe connandnenl of Cod. And lhe leginning of lhy eviI vas
lhe laking of nany vives ly lhee, for lhrough lhis lhou didsl lransgress
His Lav, and His decree, and lhe ordinance of Cod vhich Moses vrole
and gave lo you, lo IsraeI, lhal ye shouId nol narry vives fron aIien
peopIes lul onIy fron your kinsfoIk and lhe house of your falhers, lhal
your seed nighl le pure and hoIy and lhal Cod nighl dveII vilh you. Bul
lhou didsl hoId IighlIy lhe Lav of Cod, lhinking lhal lhou vasl viser lhan
Cod, and lhal lhou vouIdsl gel very nany naIe chiIdren. Bul lhe
fooIishness of Cod is viser lhan lhe visdon of nen, and He halh onIy
given lhee lhree sons: lhe one vho carried off lhy gIory inlo an aIien Iand,
and nade lhe halilalion of Cod lo le in Llhiopia, lhe one vho is Iane of
fool, vho shaII sil upon lhy lhrone for lhe peopIe of IsraeI, lhe son of lhe
kin of lhy kin fron Tarlna, of lhe house of }udah, and lhe one vho is lhe
son of a Creek vonan, a handnaiden, vho in lhe Iasl days shaII deslroy
Reholoan and aII lhy kin of IsraeI, and lhis Iand shaII le his lecause he
leIievelh in Hin lhal shaII cone, lhe Saviour. And lhe lrile of Reholoan,
and lhose vho are Iefl of IsraeI, shaII crucify Hin lhal shaII cone, lhe
Redeener, and lhe nenory of you shaII le lIolled oul fron lhe earlh. Ior
lhey shaII lhink oul a pIan vhich lhey shaII nol le alIe lo eslalIish, and He
viII le vrolh vilh lhen and lIol oul lhe nenoriaI of lhen.
And as for lhee, }oseph, lhe son of }acol, shaII le a synloI of lhee. Ior
his lrelhren soId hin inlo lhe Iand of Lgypl fron Syria, lhe counlry of Ll
(Lalan), and on his going dovn inlo lhe Iand of Lgypl lhere arose a fanine
in Syria and in aII lhe vorId. And lhrough his going dovn he caIIed his
kinsfoIk and deIivered lhen fron fanine and gave lhen a halilalion in lhe
Iand of Lgypl, lhe nane vhereof is Cshn (Coshen). Ior he hinseIf vas
King under Iharaoh, King of Lgypl. SiniIarIy lhe Saviour Who shaII cone
fron lhy seed shaII sel lhee free ly His coning, and shaII lring lhee oul of
SheI, vhere unliI lhe Saviour conelh lhou shaIl suffer pain, logelher vilh
lhy falhers, and He viII lring lhee forlh. Ior fron lhy seed shaII cone forlh
a Saviour Who shaII deIiver lhee, lhee and lhose vho vere lefore lhee, and
lhose vho shaII |conej afler lhee, fron Adan lo His coning in lhe kin of
your kin, and He shaII nake lhee lo go forlh fron SheI as }oseph lroughl
Kelra Nagasl
94
oul his kinsfoIk fron lhe fanine, lhal is lo say lhe firsl SheI in lhe Iand of
fanine, so aIso shaII lhe Saviour lring oul of SheI you vho are His
kinsfoIk. And as aflervards lhe Lgyplians nade |lhe kinsnen of }osephj
sIaves, so aIso have lhe deviIs nade you sIaves lhrough lhe error of idoIs.
And as Moses lroughl his kinsnen oul of lhe servilude |of Lgyplj, so
shaII lhe Saviour lring you oul of lhe servilude of SheoI. And as Moses
vroughl len niracIes and punishnenls (or, pIagues) lefore Iharaoh lhe
King, so lhe Saviour Who shaII cone fron lhy seed shaII vork len niracIes
for Iife lefore lhy peopIe. And as Moses, afler he had vroughl lhe niracIes,
snole lhe sea and nade lhe peopIe lo pass over as il vere on dry Iand, so
lhe Saviour Who shaII cone shaII overlhrov lhe vaIIs of SheI and lring
lhee oul. And as Moses drovned Iharaoh vilh lhe Lgyplians in lhe Sea of
Lrilrea, so aIso shaII lhe Saviour drovn Salan and his deviIs in SheoI, for
lhe sea is lo le inlerpreled ly SheI, and Iharaoh ly Salan, and his hosls of
Lgyplians ly deviIs. And as Moses fed lhen |vilhj nanna in lhe deserl
vilhoul loiI, so shaII lhe Saviour feed you vilh lhe food of lhe Carden (i.e.
Iaradise) for ever, afler He halh lroughl you oul fron SheI. And as
Moses nade lhen lo dveII in lhe deserl for forly years, vilhoul lheir
appareI leconing vorn oul, or lhe soIes of lheir feel leconing lorn, so lhe
Saviour shaII nake you lo dveII vilhoul loiI afler lhe Resurreclion. And as
}oshua lroughl lhen inlo lhe Land of Ironise, so shaII lhe Saviour lring
you inlo lhe Carden of DeIighl. And as }oshua sIev lhe seven Kings of
Canaan, so shaII lhe Saviour sIay lhe seven heads of 'IlIs.
66
And as }oshua
deslroyed lhe peopIe of Canaan, so shaII lhe Saviour deslroy sinners and
shul lhen up in lhe forlress of SheoI. And as lhou hasl luiIl lhe house of
Cod, so shaII churches le luiIl upon lhe lops of lhe nounlains.
66
I.e. Salan, lhe DeviI.
Kelra Nagasl
9
68. Concerning Mary, ur Lady of SaIvalion
And again, lhere shaII le unlo lhee a sign lhal lhe Saviour shaII cone
fron lhy seed, and lhal He shaII deIiver lhee vilh lhy falhers and lhy seed
afler lhee ly His coning. Your saIvalion vas crealed in lhe leIIy of Adan
in lhe forn of a IearI lefore Lve. And vhen He crealed Lve oul of lhe ril
He lroughl her lo Adan, and said unlo lhen, 'MuIlipIy you fron lhe leIIy
of Adan. The IearI did nol go oul inlo Cain or AleI, lul inlo lhe lhird lhal
venl forlh fron lhe leIIy of Adan, and il enlered inlo lhe leIIy of Selh.
And lhen passing fron hin lhal IearI venl inlo lhose vho vere lhe
firsllorn, and cane lo Alrahan. And il did nol go fron Alrahan inlo his
firsllorn IshnaeI, lul il larried and cane inlo Isaac lhe pure. And il did nol
go inlo his firsllorn, lhe arroganl Lsau, lul il venl inlo }acol lhe IovIy
one. And il did nol enler fron hin inlo his firsllorn, lhe erring Reulen, lul
inlo }udah, lhe innocenl one. And il did nol go forlh fron }udah unliI four
sinners had leen lorn, lul il cane lo Irs (Ierez), lhe palienl one, And
fron hin lhis IearI venl lo lhe firsllorn unliI il cane inlo lhe leIIy of
}esse, lhe falher of lhy falher. And lhen il vailed unliI six nen of vralh had
leen lorn, and afler lhal il cane lo lhe sevenlh, David,
67
lhy innocenl and
hunlIe falher, for Cod halelh lhe arroganl and proud, and Iovelh lhe
innocenl and hunlIe. And lhen il vailed in lhe Ioins of lhy falher unliI five
erring fooIs had leen lorn, vhen il cane inlo lhy Ioins lecause of lhy
visdon and underslanding. And lhen lhe IearI vailed, and il did nol go
forlh inlo lhy firsllorn. Ior lhose good nen of his counlry neilher denied
Hin nor crucified Hin, Iike IsraeI lhy peopIe, vhen lhey sav Hin Who
vroughl niracIes, Who vas lo le lorn fron lhe IearI, lhey leIieved on
Hin vhen lhey heard lhe reporl of Hin. And lhe IearI did nol go forlh
inlo lhy youngesl son 'Adrn. Ior lhose good nen neilher crucified Hin
nor denied Hin vhen lhey sav lhe vorking of niracIes, and vonders ly
Hin lhal vas lo le lorn fron lhe IearI, and aflervards lhey leIieved in
Hin lhrough His discipIes.
67
David vas lhe eighlh of }esses sons.
Kelra Nagasl
96
Nov lhe IearI, vhich is lo le your saIvalion, venl forlh fron lhy leIIy
and enlered inlo lhe leIIy of 'Iyrln (Reholoan) lhy son, lecause of
lhe vickedness of IsraeI lhy peopIe, vho in lheir deniaI and in lheir
vickedness crucified Hin. Bul if He had nol leen crucified He couId nol
have leen your saIvalion. Ior He vas crucified vilhoul sin, and He rose
|againj vilhoul corruplion. And for lhe sake of lhis He venl dovn lo you
inlo SheI, and lore dovn ils vaIIs, lhal He nighl deIiver you and lring
you oul, and shov nercy upon aII of you. Ye in vhose leIIies lhe IearI
shaII le carried shaII le saved vilh your vives, and none of you shaII le
deslroyed, fron your falher Adan unlo hin lhal shaII cone, lhy kinsnan
'Lykn (}oachin), and fron Lve lhy nolher, lhe vife of Adan, lo Noah
and his vife Tarnz, lo Tr (Terah) and his vife 'Anny, and lo
Alrahan and his vife Sr (Sarah), and lo Isaac and his vife Rlk.
(Relecca), and lo }acol and his vife Ly (Leah), and lo Yahd and his
lride Tenr (Tanar), and lo lhy falher and his vife Brslh.
(Balhshela), and lo lhyseIf and Tarln lhy vife, and lo Reholoan lhy son
and his vife 'Ans, and lo Iyakn (}oachin) lhy kinsnan, vho is lo
cone, and his vife Hann.
None of you vho shaII have carried lhe IearI shaII le deslroyed, and
vhelher il le your nen or your vonen, lhose vho shaII have carried lhe
IearI shaII nol le deslroyed. Ior lhe IearI shaII le carried ly lhe nen vho
shaII le righleous, and lhe vonen vho have carried lhe IearI shaII nol le
deslroyed, for lhey shaII lecone pure lhrough lhal IearI, for il is hoIy and
pure, and ly il lhey shaII le nade hoIy and pure, and for ils sake and for
lhe sake of Zion He halh crealed lhe vhoIe vorId. Zion halh laken up her
alode vilh lhy firsllorn and she shaII le lhe saIvalion of lhe peopIe of
Llhiopia for ever, and lhe IearI shaII le carried in lhe leIIy of 'Ayrln
(Reholoan) lhy son, and shaII le lhe saviour of aII lhe vorId. And vhen
lhe appoinled line halh cone lhis IearI shaII le lorn of lhy seed, for il is
exceedingIy pure, seven lines purer lhan lhe sun. And lhe Redeener shaII
cone fron lhe seal of His Codhead, and shaII dveII upon her, and shaII
pul on her fIesh, and slraighlvay lhou lhyseIf shaIl announce lo her vhal
ny Lord and lhy Lord speakelh lo ne.
Kelra Nagasl
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I an CalrieI lhe AngeI, lhe proleclor of lhose vho shaII carry lhe IearI
fron lhe lody of Adan even lo lhe leIIy of Hann, so lhal I nay keep fron
servilude and poIIulion you vherein lhe IearI shaII dveII. And MichaeI
halh leen connanded lo direcl and keep, Zion vheresoever she goelh,
and UrieI shaII direcl and keep lhe vood of lhe lhickel
68
vhich shaII le lhe
Cross of lhe Saviour. And vhen lhy peopIe in lheir envy have crucified
Hin, lhey shaII rush upon His Cross lecause of lhe nuIlilude of niracIes
lhal shaII lake pIace lhrough il, and lhey shaII le pul lo shane vhen lhey
see ils vonders. And in lhe Iasl lines a descendanl of lhy son 'Adrns
shaII lake lhe vood of lhe Cross, lhe lhird |neans ofj saIvalion lhal shaII le
senl upon lhe earlh. The AngeI MichaeI is vilh Zion, vilh David lhy
firsllorn, vho halh laken lhe lhrone of David lhy falher. And I an vilh lhe
pure IearI for hin lhal shaII reign for ever, vilh Reholoan lhy second son,
and lhe AngeI UrieI is vilh lhy youngesl son 'Adrn|sj. This have I loId
lhee, andlhou shaIl nol nake lhy hearl lo le sad lecause of lhine ovn
saIvalion and lhal of lhy son.
And vhen SoIonon had heard lhese vords, his slrenglh cane |lackj lo
hin on his led, and he proslraled hinseIf lefore lhe AngeI of Cod, and
said, I give lhanks unlo lhe Lord, ny Lord and lhy Lord, lhou radianl
leing of lhe spiril, lecause lhou hasl nade ne lo hear a vord vhich fiIIelh
ne vilh gIadness, and lecause He dolh nol cul off ny souI fron lhe
inherilance of ny falher lecause of ny sin, and lecause ny repenlance
halh leen accepled afler nine affIiclion, and lecause He halh regarded ny
lears, and halh heard ny cry of grief, and halh Iooked upon ny affIiclion,
and halh nol Iel ne die in ny grief, lul halh nade ne lo rejoice lefore ny
souI shaII go forlh fron ny lody. Henceforvard |lhe lhoughl ofj dying
shaII nol nake ne sorrovfuI, and I viII Iove dealh as I Iove Iife.
Henceforvard I viII drink of lhe liller cup of dealh as if il vere honey, and
henceforvard I viII Iove lhe grave as if il vere an alode of coslIy gens.
And vhen I have descended and have leen lhrusl dovn deep inlo SheI,
lecause of ny sins, I shaII nol suffer grief, lecause I have heard lhe vord
vhich halh nade ne gIad. And vhen I have gone dovn inlo lhe Iovesl
68
Conpare Cen. xxii, 13
Kelra Nagasl
98
deplh of lhe deepesl deep of SheI, lecause of ny sins, vhal viII il naller
lo ne And if He crush ne lo povder in His hand and scaller ne lo lhe
ends of lhe earlh and lo lhe vinds lecause of ny sins, il viII nol nake ne
sorrovfuI, lecause I have heard lhe vord lhal halh nade ne lo rejoice, and
Cod halh nol cul ny souI off fron lhe inherilance of ny falhers. And ny
souI shaII le vilh lhe souI of David ny falher, and vilh lhe souI of
Alrahan, and Isaac, and }acol ny falhers. And lhe Saviour shaII cone and
shaII lring us oul fron SheI vilh aII ny falhers, and ny kinsnen, oId and
young. And as for ny chiIdren, lhey shaII have upon earlh lhree nighly
angeIs lo prolecl lhen. I have found lhe kingdon of lhe heavens, and lhe
kingdon of lhe earlh. Who is Iike unlo Cod, lhe MercifuI, Who shovelh
nercy lo His handivork and gIorifielh il, Who forgivelh lhe sins of lhe
sinners and Who dolh nol lIol oul lhe nenoriaI of lhe penilenl Ior His
vhoIe Ierson is forgiveness, and His vhoIe Ierson is nercy, and lo Hin
leIongelh praise. Anen.
69. Concerning lhe Queslion of SoIonon
And SoIonon lurned and Iooked al lhe AngeI and slrelched oul lolh
his hands, and said, My Iord, is lhe coning of lhe Saviour of vhich lhou
speakesl near or far off And lhe AngeI ansvered and said unlo hin, He
viII cone lhree and lhirly generalions fron lhy kin and fron lhy seed and
viII deIiver you. Bul IsraeI viII hale lheir Saviour, and viII le envious of
Hin lecause He viII vork signs and niracIes lefore lhen. And lhey viII
crucify Hin, and viII kiII Hin, and He shaII rise up again and deIiver
lhen, for He is nercifuI lo lhe penilenl and good lo lhose vho are His
chosen ones. And lehoId, I leII you pIainIy lhal He viII nol Ieave in SheI
His kinsnen of IsraeI ly vhon lhe IearI halh leen carried.
And vhen lhe AngeI of Cod had spoken lhese vords unlo SoIonon, he
said unlo hin, Ieace le unlo lhee. And SoIonon ansvered and said unlo
hin, My Iord, I leseech lhee, I vouId ask lhee one queslion, le nol
unheedfuI of ny cry. And lhe AngeI said unlo hin, Speak, ask ne lhy
queslion, and I viII nake lhee lo knov vhal I have heard and seen. And
SoIonon said unlo hin, Nov I an grieved lecause of IsraeI, His peopIe,
Kelra Nagasl
99
vhon He halh chosen as His firsllorn fron anong aII lhe ancienl lriles of
His inherilance, leII ne, viII lhey le lIolled oul afler lhe coning of lhe
Saviour And lhe AngeI of Cod ansvered hin again and said unlo hin,
Yea, I have loId lhee lhal lhey viII crucify lhe Saviour. And vhen lhey
have poured oul His lIood on lhe vood of lhe Cross lhey shaII le scallered
aII over lhe vorId. And SoIonon said, I veep for ny peopIe. Woe lo ny
peopIe! vho fron firsl lo Iasl have aIvays provoked lheir Crealor lo vralh.
I and lhose vho have leen lefore ne are unvorlhy lo have nercy shovn
unlo us lecause of lhe eviI of our vorks, for ve are a failhIess generalion.
Woe unlo lhose vho shaII pour oul innocenl lIood, and caIunniale lhe
righleous nan, and divide his spoiI, and vho neilher leIieve on His vord
nor vaIk in His Connandnenl! Their judgenenl is vailing, and lheir
error alidelh, greal is lheir punishnenl. And lheir sin is vailing, and il
shaII never le forgiven lo lhen, and lhe sin of lheir falhers shaII le
renenlered, for lheir vork vas sin, and lhey shaII le deslroyed ly lhal
vhich lhey lhenseIves have inagined. And voe aIso unlo ny souI! for I
vho have leen honoured shaII on ny dealh le lrealed vilh conlenpl, and
I vho have leen renovned for visdon upon lhe earlh shaII lecone dusl.
In vhal vay is lhe king superior if he halh nol done good upon lhe earlh lo
lhe poor Their faIIing inlo lhe grave is lhe sane, and lheir palh in lhe deep
is lhe sane. f vhal lenefil (or, use) are ve vho are nen We are crealed
in vain, and afler a IillIe line ve lecone as if ve had never leen crealed.
As for lhe lrealh vhich ve lrealhe, if il cease for a shorl line, our souI
passelh avay, and if lhe leal of lhe spark of our hearl vhich novelh in our
nind passelh avay ve lecone dusl, and our friends and acquainlances
hoId us lo le a Ioalhsone lhing. And lhe underslanding of our nind vhich
is alove |inj our heads |is deslroyedj vhen our souI is poured oul, and ve
lecone vorns and fiIlh, and vhen lhe heal of our lody halh passed avay
ve lecone nolhingness and ve pass avay Iike lhe dissoIving of a cIoud.
Whal lhen To nuIlipIy speech is useIess, and lhe goodIiness of lhe slalure
is deslroyed, and lhe slrenglh of kings is lIolled oul, and lhe nighl of
governors is deslroyed and is no nore found. And ve aII pass avay Iike
shadovs, and vhen ve have passed avay in dealh our nane is forgollen,
Kelra Nagasl
1OO
and lhe lrace of us cannol le found, afler lhree generalions of our chiIdren
lhere is none vho viII renenler our nane.
And slraighlvay he lurned his face lo Reholoan his son, and he said
unlo hin, ny son, vilhhoId lhyseIf fron eviI and do lhe lhings lhal are
good, so lhal lhou nayesl find nany days upon earlh. And do nol lov
dovn lo slrange gods, and do nol vorship lhen, lul fear and honour Cod
onIy, so lhal lhou nayesl conquer lhy foes and lhy adversaries, and nayesl
inheril lhe halilalion of lhy falher in lhe heavens, and aIso elernaI Iife.
And he said unlo hin, Wrile ne in lhe roII of lhe Book, and Iay il in
lhe chesl. And he said unlo Zadok lhe priesl, Anoinl ny son and nake
hin king. As ny falher David, ny Iord, nade ne king vhiIsl he vas aIive,
even so do I nake ny son Reholoan king. And his seed shaII le lhe
saIvalion of nyseIf and of ny falhers for ever, according lo vhal lhe AngeI
of lhe Lord spake unlo ne.
7O. Hov Reholoan Reigned
Then Zadok lhe priesl look Reholoan and nade hin king, and he
anoinled hin and perforned for hin vhalsoever lhe Lav denanded. And
Reholoan Iaid a lalIel of vood upon lhe TalernacIe, and he found il vilh
lhe nane of his falher SoIonon |vrillen uponj il, and lhen lhey sel hin
upon lhe kings nuIe, and said unlo hin, AII haiI! Long Iive lhe royaI
falher! and lhe cily resounded vilh cries, and lhe lrunpel vas lIovn.
And lefore Reholoan couId relurn lo his falher SoIonon died. And lhey
Iaid SoIonon in lhe lonl of his falher David, and lhey nourned for hin
vilh greal nourning, for lhere vas nol found his Iike in visdon in lhose
days.
And vhen seven days had passed Reholoan nade lhe nourning for
his falher lo cease. And lhe peopIe of IsraeI galhered lhenseIves logelher
lo Reholoan, and lhey said unlo hin, Lighlen for us |ourj Ialour, for lhy
falher nade il very heavy in lhe heving of vood, and in lhe dressing of
slone, and in naking vagons for lringing dovn cedarvood. And
Reholoan look counseI vilh lhe counciIIors and lhe eIders of lhe house of
lhe king, and lhey said unlo hin, Ansver lhen graciousIy. Ior al lhis
Kelra Nagasl
1O1
presenl lhou arl Iike a young aninaI and lhy Ioins are nol alIe lo lear lhe
yoke. And nov, speak unlo lhen graciousIy, and say unlo lhen, 'I viII do
for you everylhing ye vish. And vhen lhy hand halh gollen pover over
lhen lhou cansl do vilh lhy peopIe vhal lhou vishesl. And Reholoan
drove oul lhe eIders and lroughl in lhe fooIish young nen vho had leen
lroughl up vilh hin. And he look counseI vilh lhen, and loId lhen of lhe
nessage vhich lhe house of IsraeI had senl lo hin and vhal lhe eIders of
lhe house of lhe king had counseIIed hin lo do. And lhose fooIish young
nen said unlo hin, An aged nan givelh lhe counseI of an aged nan, and
lhe eIder givelh lhe counseI of an eIder, and a nan slricken in years givelh
lhe counseI of lhe nan vho is slricken in years, and a young nan Iike
lhyseIf givelh lhe counseI vhich apperlainelh lo youlh. As for lhese nen
vho are slricken in years, lheir Ioins are as lender as lhose of a young
aninaI lhal cannol vaIk. And as concerning lhis naller of vhich lhou
speakesl, vho can dispule lhe connand of our Lord lhe King And one
of lhen Ieaped up inlo lhe air lefore Reholoan, and anolher drev his
svord, and anolher lrandished his spear, and anolher seized his lov and
quiver. And vhen lhey had nade an end of lheir pIaying lhey counseIIed
hin, saying, our Iord, nay ve le vilh lhee, and lhou vilh us! Nov lhy
falher in visdon gave us, lhe sons of nen of IsraeI vho are Iearned in lhe
arl of var, lo grov up vilh lhee lhal lhy kingdon nighl le slrong afler
hin. our Iord, shov nol a linid face lo lhose nen, Iesl lhey lhink lhal
lhou arl veak and arl nol alIe lo nake var againsl lhen and againsl lhine
enenies. Ior if lhey see in us an allilude of veakness in vord and in deed,
ve shaII le heId in conlenpl ly lhen, and lhey viII nol give us gifls, or
presenls, or sIaves, or lrilule, and lhy kingdon viII le deslroyed. Bul
address lhen vilh loId vords, and speak unlo lhen haughliIy, saying, 'In
respecl of ny falher ye say in vood and in slone, lul I viII nake you lo
serve ne vilh chains of iron and vilh scorpion-vhips. Ior ny lhin fIank
shaII le slronger lhan lhe lhickesl parl of ny falhers lody, and ny counseI
is grealer lhan lhe counseI of ny falher vho legol ne. None shaII dininish
for you lhe Ialour and lhe forced service, nay il shaII le increased for you
in every parlicuIar. And if ye viII nol do ny connand, I viII nake your
callIe ny pIunder, and your chiIdren shaII le caplives, and ny knife of
Kelra Nagasl
1O2
sIaughler shaII consune you. And I viII seize your cilies and your fieIds,
and your pIanlalions, and your veIIs, and your gardens, and your Iands,
and your fruil (or, crops), and I viII lind your honouralIe ones in chains of
iron, and your riches shaII |providej food for ny servanls, and your
vonen shaII le for lhe adornnenl of lhe house of ny nolIes. And I viII
nol aIler lhis ny decision, and viII nol dininish il, and I viII neilher nake
il lo le a Iie nor lo have no effecl, and I viII carry il oul quickIy, and viII
vrile il dovn for ever. Ior lhe vhoIe of lhis Iand vas given lo David ny
grandfalher for his kingdon, and lo ny falher SoIonon afler hin. And
|Codj halh given il lo ne afler ny falhers as lo lhen, and I viII nake you
lo serve ne as ye served lhen, and nov lake counseI and oley ne!
And lhus aIso did Reholoan speak unlo lhe eIders of IsraeI. And lhe
peopIe aII rose up logelher in lheir fuII nunler, and lhey said, Cel lack lo
|yourj house|sj, IsraeI. Have ve none eIse vhon ve can nake king save
in lhe house of }udah and in lhe house of Benjanin We viII rejecl lheir
houses and lhe nen of lolh of lhen, and ve viII nake as our king and
governor lhe nan vhon ve vish for and in vhon our souI deIighlelh.
And lhey look up lheir veapons of var, and fIed in a lody, and cane lo
lhe cily of Sanaria of Blh Lfrl, vhere lhey look counseI and vere
galhered logelher in a lody. And lhe house of IsraeI casl Iols anong
lhenseIves so lhal lhey nighl nake king lhe nan vhon lhey chose fron
lhe house of lhe falher of lhe nan vherein lhe Iol feII. And lhe Iol feII on
lhe house of Lphrain, on lhe son of Nll, and lhey chose a nan fron lhe
house of his falher, and nade }eroloan king. And lhus vas lhe kingdon
separaled fron Reholoan, lhe son of SoIonon, and lhere vere Iefl lo il
onIy lhe house of Benjanin and lhe house of }udah his falher.
And lhe vord vhich Cod spake unlo David His servanl vas nol nade
a Iie, f lhe fruil of lhy lody I viII nake lo sil upon lhy lhrone,
69
and
again He said, rdained Iike lhe noon for ever,
7O
and again He said,
69
2 SanueI vii, 12, IsaIn cxxxii, 11.
7O
IsaIn Ixxxix, 37.
Kelra Nagasl
1O3
Cod svare unlo David lruIy and viII nol repenl.
71
He Who reigned on
lhe lhrone of David His falher vas }esus Chrisl, his kinsnan in lhe fIesh ly
a virgin, Who sal upon lhe lhrone of His Codhead, and upon earlh He
granled lo reign upon His lhrone lhe King of Llhiopia, SoIonons firsllorn.
To Reholoan Cod gave onIy lvo slens (or, rools), and lhe King of Rn is
lhe youngesl son of SoIonon. And Cod did lhis in order lhal fooIish peopIe
nighl nol caII us }evs, lecause of SoIonon and lecause of Reholoan his
son~nov Cod knovelh lhe hearl~and He did lhis lhal lhey nighl nol
inagine such a lhing. They caIIed Reholoan King of }udah, and lhey
caIIed lhe King of Sanaria King of IsraeI. And of lhe generalions of
Reholoan, fron Reholoan lo 'Iykn (}oachin) vere forly-one
generalions. And lhere vere lorn lo MaIk lvo chiIdren, Levi and Shen,
lhe legeller of Hns. And Hns legal KaInys, and KaInys legal
}oachin, and }oachin legal Mary, lhe daughler of David. And again 'II
legal MaIk, and MaIk legal Ml, and Ml legal 'LI and }acol, and
Hanna, lhe vife of }oachin. And 'LI look a vife and died vilhoul
chiIdren. And }acol look lo vife Yhad, lhe vife of 'LI, and he legal ly
her }oseph lhe carpenler, vho vas lhe lelrolhed of Mary. And }oseph vas
lhe son of }acol in lhe fIesh and lhe son of 'LI according lo lhe Lav, nov
Cod had connanded Moses lhal lhe IsraeIiles vere lo narry lheir
kinsfoIk, each in lhe house of his falhers, and lhal lhey vere nol lo narry
aIien vonen.
71. Concerning Mary, lhe Daughler of David
And fron lhis il is evidenl lhal Mary vas lhe daughler of David, and
lhal }oseph vas lhe son of David. Therefore vas Mary lelrolhed lo }oseph
her kinsnan, as il is said in lhe CospeI, }oseph, son of David, fear lhou
nol lo lake lo vife Mary lhy lelrolhed, for lhal vhich is lo le lorn of her is
of lhe HoIy Spiril, lhe Word of Cod.
72
And lhere vas lorn of her Cod, lhe
Word, Lighl of Lighl, Cod of Cod, Son of lhe Ialher, Who cane and
71
IsaIn Ixxxix, 3.
72
Mallhev i, 2O.
Kelra Nagasl
1O4
deIivered His crealion, fron lhe hand of SheI, and fron Salan, and fron
dealh He halh deIivered aII of us vho have leIieved in Hin, He halh
dravn us lo His Ialher and halh raised us up inlo heaven His lhrone lo
lecone His heirs, for He is a Iover of nan, and unlo Hin praise leIongelh
for ever. Anen.
72. Concerning lhe King of Rn (ConslanlinopIe)
And ve viII legin lo leII you vhal ve have heard, and vhal ve have
found vrillen, and vhal ve have seen concerning lhe King of Rn. The
kingdon of Rn vas lhe porlion and doninion of }aphel, lhe son of
Noah. And silling dovn lhey nade lveIve greal cilies, and Darius luiIl lhe
grealesl cilies of lheir kingdons: 'Anl.ky (Anlioch), Dresy (Tyre), and
Brlony (Iarlhia), and Rny (Rona), and lhose vho reigned dveIl
lhere, and King Conslanline luiIl ConslanlinopIe afler his ovn nane. Nov
lhe sign of lhe Cross having appeared lo hin during lhe lallIe in lhe forn
of slars cul in lhe heavens, he vas deIivered oul of lhe hands of his eneny,
and fron lhal line onvards lhe Kings of Rn nade lheir halilalion
lhere. And lhal Darius had nany descendanls, and fron Darius lo lhe days
of SoIonon vere eighleen generalions. And of his seed vas lorn a nan
vhose nane vas Zanlars, and he nade in visdon a draving of lhe
aslroIale, and pIaced slars lherein, and |he nade aIsoj a laIance (i.e., cIock)
for lhe sun. And le |forejsav vhal vouId cone afler, and lhal lhe
kingdon vouId nol renain lo lhe chiIdren of }aphel, lul vouId deparl lo
lhe seed of David, of lhe lrile of Shen. And vhen he lhus sav, he senl a
nessage lo David lhe King, saying, Take ny daughler for lhy son, and
David lhe king look her and gave her lo SoIonon his son, and SoIonon
legal a son ly her and caIIed his nane 'Adrn. And Zanlars died
lefore |lhisj and BaIl.asr, vho vas of his kinsnen, lecane king. And he
Iacked naIe offspring lo reign afler hin upon his lhrone, and he vas
jeaIous Iesl lhe chiIdren of his falher shouId reign afler hin. And he senl a
vrillen nessage lo SoIonon lhe King, saying, HaiI lo lhe grealness of lhy
kingdon, and lo lhine honouralIe visdon! And nov, give ne lhy son,
vhon I viII nake king over lhe cily of Rn. Ior I have nol leen alIe lo
Kelra Nagasl
1O
legel naIe chiIdren, lul onIy lhree daughlers. And I viII give hin
vhichever of ny daughlers he pIeaselh, and I viII give hin ny lhrone, and
he shaII le king, he and his seed afler hin in lhe cily of Rn for ever.
And vhen King SoIonon had read lhis Ieller, he nedilaled, saying, If I
keep lack ny son he viII send lo lhe King of lhe Lasl, vho viII give hin
his son, and lhal vhich I have pIanned viII le nade void, lherefore I viII
give hin ny son. And he look counseI vilh his counseIIors of lhe house of
IsraeI, and he said unlo lhen, We have aIready given our son and our
chiIdren lo lhe counlry of Llhiopia, and IsraeI halh a kingdon lhere. And
nov, so lhal ve nay have a lhird kingdon, lhe counlry of Rn, I viII
send lhilher 'Ardns ny youngesl son. HoId ye nol il againsl ne as an
eviI lhing lhal fornerIy I look avay your sons, for il is a pIeasing lhing lo
Cod lhal lhe nen of Llhiopia have Iearned His Nane, and have lecone
His peopIe. In Iike nanner, lhe nen of Rn, if ve give lhen our chiIdren,
viII lecone lhe peopIe of Cod, and unlo us noreover shaII le given lhe
nane of 'IeopIe of Cod, leing spoken of lhus and caIIed lhus: The peopIe
of IsraeI have laken lhe kingdon of Llhiopia and lhe kingdon of Rn.
Cive ye your youngesl sons as lefore |ye gave lhe eIdeslj, and Iel lhose of
niddIe age slay in our cily.
And lhey rose up, and look counseI, and relurned, and said unlo hin,
We viII speak lhis naller unlo lhe King, and he shaII do his viII. And he
said unlo lhen, Make ne hear vhal ye vouId say. And lhey said unlo
hin, Thou hasl aIready laken lhe eIdesl of our houses, and nov lake lhe
youngesl of lheir chiIdren. And he vas pIeased vilh lhis counseI, and he
did for lhen as lhey vished. And he sel forvard 'Adrn his son, vho
look sone of lhe nolIes of lhe Iover grades of lhe house of IsraeI, and lhe
Iol feII upon hin in lhe nane of his falher SoIonon, and lhey gave hin a
priesl of lhe lrile of lhe Leviles vhose nane vas 'Aknh.I, and lhey sel
'Adrn upon lhe kings nuIe, and cried oul lo hin, HaiI! |Longj Iive lhe
royaI falher! And aII lhe peopIe said, Il is righl and proper. And lhey
anoinled hin vilh lhe oiI of kingship, and connanded hin lo keep aII lhe
Iavs of lhe kingdon, and lhey nade hin lo svear lhal he vouId vorship
no olher god excepl lhe Cod of IsraeI. And lhey lIessed hin as lhey had
lIessed David his lrolher, and adnonished 'Adrn even as lhey had
Kelra Nagasl
1O6
adnonished David, and lhey acconpanied hin on his vay as far as lhe sea
coasl.
And SoIonon lhe King vrole and senl a Ieller, saying, Ieace le lo
BaIl.asr, lhe King of Rn! Take ny son 'Adrn, and give hin lhy
daughler, and nake hin king in lhe cily of Rn. Thou didsl vish for a
king of lhe seed of David ny falher, and I have done lhy viII. And I have
senl unlo lhee his nolIes, fourleen on his righl hand and fourleen on his
Iefl, vho shaII keep lhe Lav vilh hin and le suljecl unlo lhee according lo
lhy viII.
And lhey arrived lhere vilh lhe anlassadors of lhe King of Rn,
logelher vilh nuch spIendour and aII lhe equipnenl lhal vas requisile for
lhe counlry of Rn. And lhey cane lo lhe cily of Rn, lo BaIl.sr lhe
King, and lhey repealed aII lhal SoIonon had senl lhen lo say, and
deIivered over lo hin his son. And BaIl.sr rejoiced exceedingIy, and gave
hin his eIdesl daughler, vhose nane vas 'AdIny, and he nade a greal
narriage feasl according lo lhe grealness of his kingdon, and eslalIished
hin over aII his cily of Rn. And he lIessed hin, for he vas nolIe in
slalure, and his visdon vas narveIIous, and he vas exceedingIy nighly
in his slrenglh.
And one day BaIl.sr vished lo lesl his knovIedge in lhe lrying of
cases, a nan, lhe possessor of a vineyard, having cone lo hin and
appeaIed lo hin, saying, My Iord, 'Arsn, lhe son of Ydd, halh
lransgressed lhy vord, and halh Iaid vasle ny vineyard vilh his sheep.
And lehoId, I have seized his sheep and lhey are in ny house, vhal
decision viIl lhou cone lo in respecl of ne And lhe ovner of lhe sheep
cane lo lhe King and nade an appeaI lo hin, saying, Cive ne lack ny
sheep, for he halh carried lhen off lecause lhey venl inlo his vineyard.
And lhe King said unlo lhen, Co ye and argue your case lefore your
King 'Adrn, and vhalsoever he shaII say unlo you lhal do. And lhey
venl and argued lheir case lefore hin. And 'Adrn asked hin, saving,
Hov nuch of lhe vineyard have lhe sheep ealen The Ieaves, or lhe
lendriIs, or lhe young grapes, or lhe shools ly lhe rools And lhe ovner
of lhe vineyard ansvered and said unlo hin, They have ealen lhe lendriIs
and lhe lranches lhal had grapes upon lhen, and lhere is nolhing Iefl of
Kelra Nagasl
1O7
lhe vines excepl lhe lvigs ly lhe rool. And 'Adrn asked lhe ovner of
lhe sheep, saying, Is lhis lrue And lhe ovner of lhe sheep ansvered and
said unlo hin, My Iord, lhey ale |onIyj lhe lendriIs vilh Ieaves on lhen.
And 'Adrn ansvered and said, This nan sailh lhal lhey ale lhe grapes:
is lhis lrue And lhe ovner of lhe sheep ansvered and said, No, ny Iord,
lul lhey ale lhe lIossons lefore lhey had forned inlo grapes.
73. Concerning lhe Iirsl }udgnenl of 'Adrn, King of Rn
And 'Adrn said unlo lhen, Hearken ye lo lhe judgnenl vhich I viII
decIare unlo you. If lhe sheep have deslroyed aII lhe shools fron lhe rool
of lhe vine, lhen lhey aII leIong lo lhee. And if lhey have ealen lhe Ieaves
of lhe lranches, and lhe lIossons of lhe grapes, lake lhe sheep, shear lheir
vooI, and |lake aIsoj lhe young of lhose vhich have nol yel lroughl forlh.
Bul lhe sheep vhich have aIready lroughl forlh young for lhe firsl line
Ieave lo lhe ovner of lhe sheep. And aII lhose vho heard lhe judgnenl
vhich he pronounced narveIIed, and BaIl.sr said, VeriIy, lhis judgnenl
is a judgnenl of lhe peopIe of lhe Cod of IsraeI. Henceforvard judge hin
lhal halh a case al Iav, vage var vilh hin lhal vouId vage var, ruIe hin
lhal vouId le ruIed, keep aIive hin lhal shouId le kepl aIive, and pass lhe
judgnenl lhal oughl lo le passed according as nen vouId le judged, and
lake lhis cily lo lhyseIf and lo lhy seed afler lhee. And aII lhe nen of lhe
cily of Rn vere veII pIeased, and lhey nade 'Adrn king over lhen,
and lhey rejoiced in hin vilh a greal joy, for il happened lhus ly lheir viII
and ly lhe WiII of Cod. And |lhenj a fever seized BaIl.sr, and lhereupon
he senl 'Adrn lo lhe var, and inlo everylhing lhal he vished, vhiIsl he
hinseIf renained in lhe cily, and afler lhis BaIl.sr died, and 'Adrn
direcled lhe kingdon. And lhe cily of Rn lecane lhe possession of
'Adrn and of his generalions afler hin, for ly lhe WiII of Cod lhe vhoIe
of lhe kingdon of lhe vorId vas given lo lhe seed of Shen, and sIavery lo
lhe seed of Han, and lhe handicrafls lo lhe seed of }aphel.
Kelra Nagasl
1O8
74. Concerning lhe King of Medyn
The king of Medyn vas of lhe seed of Shen. Ior of lhe seed of Isaac
vas Lsau, vho venl forlh fron his nolhers vonl vilh }acol cIinging lo
lhe soIe of his fool, and }acol carried avay lhe righl of lhe firsllorn fron
Lsau for lhe sake of a ness of pollage. And lhe nane of Lsaus kingdon
vas caIIed, according lo his nane of conlenpl, Ldon, for lhe
inlerprelalion of Ldon is IenliIes, and lecause of lhis lhe seed of Lsau
vere caIIed Ldoniles. Ior lhrough lhe greed of his leIIy he forsook and
Iosl lhe righl of lhe firsllorn of lhe seed of Shen. Ior unIess lhe souI le
reslrained ly lenperance, il viII lring dovn inlo a nel lhe vhoIe of lhe Iasl
of lhe leIIy vhich is of lhe lody. Ior lhe lody is greedy, lul lenperance
reslrainelh lhe souI, and lherefore IauI said, Thal vhich lhe souI dolh nol
vish lhe lody vishelh, and lhal vhich lhe lody dolh nol vish lhe souI
vishelh, and each conlendelh againsl lhe olher.
73
If a nan viIIelh a lhing,
and his souI landelh ilseIf vilh lhe desire of his lody he leconelh Iike lhe
DeviI, lul if he reslrainelh his lody, and his souI landelh ilseIf vilh his
desire he leconelh Iike Chrisl. Ior lhe AposlIes say lhal Chrisl is lhe Head
of every nan vho lraveIIelh upon lhe slraighl road. And our Lord said
unlo His discipIes, WaIk in lhe Spiril, and perforn ye nol lhe Iusl of your
lodies.
74
And vhen lhey heard lhis lhey forsook aII lhe Iusl of lhe fIesh,
and lhey said unlo our Lord, BehoId nov, ve have forsaken everylhing
and foIIoved Thee, vhal is our revard And our Saviour said unlo lhen,
Ye have nade your lodies Iike unlo lhose of lhe angeIs, and shaII do
nighly deeds even as do I. And lehoId, I have given you aulhorily lo raise
lhe dead, and I have given you pover lo heaI lhe sick, and ye shaII lranpIe
upon aII lhe pover of lhe Lneny. And al My second coning ye shaII judge
and shaII pul lo shane lhe TveIve Triles of IsraeI, lecause lhey have nol
leIieved on Me, and have lrealed My gIory vilh conlenpl. And as for
73
CaIalians v, 17.
74
CaIalians v, 16.
Kelra Nagasl
1O9
lhose vho leIieve in Me, ye shaII nagnify lhen and shaII nake lhen lo
rejoice vilh you in My kingdon.
7
7. Concerning lhe King of BalyIon
Nov lhe King of BalyIon is of lhe seed of Shen, and ve viII shov you
cIearIy lhal lhe King of BalyIon is of lhe seed of Shen. Il cane lo pass in
days of oId lhal lhere Iived in lhe kingdon of Manasseh, lhe King of IsraeI,
a cerlain nan vhose nane vas Karnn, and he vas a fearer of Cod, and he
gave nany aIns and olIalions lo lhe poor of IsraeI. And vhen he nade
offerings lo lhe house of Cod, he did so vilh sincerily, and his lilhe he gave
lvofoId, and he vas good in aII his vays, and lhere vas no eviI vhalsoever
lefore hin. And Salan, lhe eneny of aII good, lecane envious of hin, for
he sav lhal his course of Iife vas good. And lhal nan vas exceedingIy rich
in caneIs and horses, and fIocks of sheep, and herds of callIe, and goId and
siIver, and fine appareI, and he used lo feed lhe nuIe of lhe king in
'Arnln, a cily of IsraeI. Nov his nalive pIace vas lhe counlry of }udah,
his falhers porlion, lul lecause of |hisj Iove for veaIlh he deparled inlo
'Arnln lo dveII lhere, and IsraeI aIIoved hin lo sellIe lhere lecause of
his riches, for he vas exceedingIy rich and had nany possessions, and lhe
governors |of }udahj vere afraid of hin.
76. Concerning Lying Wilnesses
And lhere vas a cerlain depraved nan of lhe seed of Benjanin, vhose
nane vas Benys, vho used lo Iead lhe nuIe of lhe King of IsraeI, and
Karnn used lo feed hin, logelher vilh lhe nuIe of King Manasseh And
anong lhe neighlours of Karnn lhere vere cerlain nen vho vere
envious of hin lecause of |hisj paslures and veIIs, and lecause of lhe
nuIlilude of his fIocks and herds and servanls, for lhe region |vhere he
had sellIedj vas lhe inherilance of lheir falhers, and for lhis reason lhey
vished lo drive hin avay fron lheir counlry. And lhey kepl valch upon
7
Conpare Mallhev x, 8, xix, 28, Luke x, 19.
Kelra Nagasl
11O
Benys, lhe Ieader of lhe kings nuIe, vilh eviI inlenl, and lhey alused
Karnn, and said unlo Benys, This Karnn lIasphenelh, and he halh
lIasphened lhe King of IsraeI, lhe anoinled of Cod, saying, 'This king is
nol lhe son of a free vonan, lul lhe son of an oId vonan servanl vhon |a
cerlain nanj loughl for lvo Kr-neasures |of grainj lo vork al lhe niII
and lrick-naking. Do lhou lake lhy case againsl hin lo lhe king and
accuse hin, for ve viII le lhy vilnesses lefore lhe king, and ve viII nol Iel
lhee le pul lo shane. And lhey nade a covenanl logelher, and lhey svore
lo hin lhal lhey vouId lear faIse vilness againsl Karnn, ly vhose longue
such a vord had never leen ullered, and inlo vhose nind such a lhoughl
had never enlered.
And Benys venl lo his Iord, lhe King, and loId hin aII lhis naller.
And lhe King said unlo hin, Is lhere any nan vho halh heard lhis vilh
lhee And Benys ansvered and said unlo hin, Yea, lhere are sone vho
have heard~lvo of lhe nolIes of IsraeI vho leIong lo 'Arnln. And lhe
King said unlo hin, Co nov and lring lhen hilher secrelIy so lhal ve
nay find oul vhelher lhey agree vilh lhy vords, |and if lhey doj ve viII
cul off lhe head of Karnn. And Benys deparled and lroughl Zarys and
KrnIs, of lhe lrile of Manasseh, for il had leen agreed lelveen lhen
lhal lhey vouId nol pul hin lo shane lefore lhe King in lhe naller of lheir
Iying leslinony. And lhese lvo nen agreed logelher and pIanned vhen
lhey vere on |lheirj vay, saying, When ve have spoken lo lhe King if he
shaII ask us aflervards separaleIy (so lhal he nay find oul lhe lrulh of our
vords), saying, 'Where did you hear lhese vords ve viII each of us
ansver and say unlo hin, 'When ve vere drinking vine vilh hin. And
vhen he shaII say unlo us, 'Whal day |vas lhisj ve viII say, 'Iive days
afler lhe nev noon. And vhen he sailh unlo us, 'Whal line |of lhe dayj
ve viII say unlo hin, 'Al lhe ninlh hour, vhen he vas silling vilh us, and
ve vere drinking vine logelher. And vhen he shaII ask us, saying, 'Whal
did ye drink oul of and vhere vere ye silling ve viII say unlo hin, 'ul
of cups of goId, and our seals vere in lhe haII of his house vhere lhe
cushions for recIining upon vere pIaced. And lhey agreed logelher on
lhis eviI pIol |vhiIsl lhey verej on lheir vay.
Kelra Nagasl
111
And vhen lhey arrived in lhe presence of lhe King Benys lroughl
lhen forvard, and lhe King queslioned lhen, and lhey repealed lo hin aII
lheir Iying counseI. And he asked lhen~according as lhey had surnised
on lhe road~lhe occasion, and lhe day, and lhe hour of lheir drinking
|vinej and lheir silling |in lhe haIIj, and lhey loId hin. Nov, Cod halh
connanded lhal kings, and governors, and aII lhose vho occupy a high
posilion shaII invesligale an accusalion, even as Cod connanded Moses.
And vhen lhe King had enquired inlo aII lhis naller, he caIIed lhe
caplain of his hosl vho slood lefore hin, and said unlo hin, Co al davn
of day lo-norrov and surround lhe house of Karnn and Iel nol anyone of
his peopIe escape lhee, neilher nan nor vonan, and sIay |lhen aIIj vilh
lhe svord. And as for Karnn, cul off his head, and lring hilher aII his
possessions, and his goods, and aII his fIocks and herds, and his goId and
siIver.
And lhose Iiars rejoiced and relurned lo lheir dislricl, and lhey venl
inlo lhe house of Karnn and heId converse vilh hin vilh vords of peace,
and lhey paid hin conpIinenls, and lhey nade jesls lefore his face, eviI
leing in lheir hearls. And lhen vas fuIfiIIed on lhen lhe prophecy of
David, vho said, Those vho speak vords of peace vilh lheir neighlour,
and |havej eviI in lheir hearls, revard lhen according lo lhe eviI of lheir
vorks and according lo lhe eviI of lheir lhoughls.
76
And lhey drank
lhenseIves drunk in lhe house of Karnn, and lhey sIepl logelher vilh
hin. And vhen lhey had faIIen asIeep, lehoId, lhe AngeI of Cod vas senl
lo Karnn, and he avoke hin and said unlo hin, Leave aII lhy
possessions and save lhyseIf, for nen have leen connanded ly Manasseh
lhe King lo cul off lhy head. Take as nuch of lhy riches as lhou cansl carry,
and fIee inlo anolher counlry, for lhis Manasseh is a sIayer of lhe prophels,
and a seeker afler lhe lIood of innocenl nen.
Then Karnn rose up slraighlvay, and soughl oul his lreasure in goId
and look il, and he avoke his vife and his lvo sons, and he aIso avoke his
chosen servanls, and Ioaded lhen vilh possessions of greal vaIue, and
venl forlh ly nighl. And he senl off his vife and his sons vilh lvo
76
IsaIn xxviii, 3, 4
Kelra Nagasl
112
servanls lo go lo }erusaIen, and deparled vilh lvo of his servanls lo a
renole counlry~a dislance of lhree nonlhs journey~and he arrived al
BalyIon. And he cane lo BaIn, lhe King of BalyIon, and gave hin a gifl,
and reIaled unlo hin vhal had happened lo hin. And BaIn Ioved
Karnn, and gave hin a halilalion near lhe house of his nerchanl, vho
had deparled lo a far counlry for a period of lhree years.
And lhose nen vho had lorne Iying leslinony lhey kiIIed in led in
Karnns house.
And lhe vife of lhe nerchanl Ioved Karnn, and she vas seduced ly
hin, and lecane vilh chiId, nov lhe lehaviour of vonen is lad. And lhe
husland of lhe vonan had Iefl her vhen she vas vilh chiId, and she
lroughl forlh and gave lhe chiId lo a nurse vho lroughl il up. And in lhe
second year she venl aslray and lecane vilh chiId ly Karnn, for lhe
person of Karnn vas exceeding goodIy in IsraeI. And lhe vonan vished
lo lhrov lhe chiId vhon she had conceived inlo lhe river vhen he vas
lorn and lo vail for lhe nerchanl her husland as if she had nol gone
aslray, and had nol done anylhing |vrongj. Lven as SoIonon lhe vise nan
sailh, There are lhree lhings vhich are difficuIl lo ne in ny nind, and lhe
fourlh of lhese I cannol conprehend:~The lrack of lhe eagIe in lhe
heavens, lhe palh of lhe serpenl on lhe rock, lhe lrack of a ship on lhe
sea.
77
Nov lhe fourlh of lhen of vhich he speaks concernelh lhe vicked
vonan, vho, having vronged her husland, and vashed herseIf, sillelh
dovn Iike a vonan vho halh done nolhing, and she svearelh an oalh
faIseIy.
And al lhal line lhe vife of BaIn, lhe King of BalyIon, conceived
and lroughl forlh sonelhing vhich vas Iike unlo an eagIe, a perfecl lird
lul aIlogelher vilhoul vings. And she caIIed a handnaiden vho vas a
favourile, and senl lhe lhing avay in a vicker-laskel and connanded her
lo casl il inlo lhe sea (i.e. river), vilhoul Ielling anyone knov aloul il. And
lhe line for lhe lringing forlh of lhe vife of lhe nerchanl arrived, and she
lroughl forlh a nan chiId, coneIy in forn |and vorlhy ofj conpassion.
And vilhoul suckIing il she caIIed lo a handnaiden vho vas a favourile,
77
Iroverls xxx, 18.
Kelra Nagasl
113
and pul il inlo lhe inner parl of a lox and connanded her lo lhrov hin
inlo lhe sea (i.e. river), vilhoul anyone knoving aloul il, for she vas afraid
of her husland. And in lhe sane nighl lvo vonen lroughl forlh, |lhe
nerchanls vifej and lhe vife of lhe King, and al daylreak lhe lvo vonen
senl lheir handnaidens lo casl lheir chiIdren inlo lhe river.
And ly lhe WiII of Cod lhese lvo handnaidens nel each olher lefore
lhey had lhrovn lhe chiIdren inlo lhe river, and lhey laIked logelher. And
lhe handnaiden of lhe King asked lhe handnaiden of lhe nerchanl,
saying, Whal is in lhy lox and she shoved her lhe leaulifuI chiId. And
lhe Kings handnaiden said unlo her, Why hasl lhou lroughl hin here
And lhe nerchanls handnaiden said unlo her, Because lhe vife of ny
Iord halh gone aslray vilh a cerlain IsraeIile, and she conceived and
lroughl forlh a chiId, and she halh connanded ne lo lhrov hin inlo lhe
river. And lhe Kings handnaiden said unlo her, Why dolh she nol lring
up a chiId vho is so leaulifuI And lhe nerchanls handnaiden said unlo
her, Her husland Iefl her vilh chiId, and she lroughl forlh a chiId, and is
rearing hin, hov lhen can she rear lhis chiId vho is of slrange and aIien
seed And lhe nerchanls handnaiden asked lhe Kings handnaiden,
saying, Whal hasl lhou in lhy lox And lhe Kings handnaiden said
unlo her, My Iady halh lroughl forlh a chiId lhal halh nol lhe appearance
of a nan lul of a vingIess eagIe, and she halh connanded ne lo lhrov il
inlo lhe river. And nov, give ne lhis chiId of lhine lhal I nay give il lo ny
nislress, and do lhou lake lhis lird, and casl il inlo lhe river, and lhey did
so. And lhe handnaiden of lhe King look lhe chiId |of Karnnj lo her
nislress, and lhe Queen rejoiced, and il vas reporled lo lhe King lhal lhe
Queen had lorne a son. And lhe Queen gave lhe loy lo lhe nurses, and he
grev up in lhe house of lhe King, and she caIIed his nane
Nlkdns.ar (Neluchadnezzar), vhich is, leing inlerpreled, By lhe
Iuck of lhe lird.
And lhrough lhis il is veII knovn lhal lhe King of BalyIon is lhe seed
of Shen. And he cane and overlhrev }erusaIen ly lhe WiII of Cod, and he
carried avay caplive lhe chiIdren of IsraeI, and he nade lhen lo vander in
lhe lovn of BalyIon vilh lhe grandchiIdren of Manasseh. And Iie vas so
very rich lhal he sel up a piIIar of goId on lhe pIain of BalyIon sixly culils
Kelra Nagasl
114
high, and he vas very arroganl, and he used lo say, I nake lhe sun lo
shine in lhe heavens, and he vorshipped idoIs. And Cod alased hin so
lhal he nighl knov Hin, and He sel his porlion vilh lhe leasls of lhe fieId.
And vhen he knev lhe Nane of lhe Lord afler seven years He had
conpassion upon hin, and lroughl hin lack in repenlance. And lhe
kingdon of BalyIon vas his, and il leIonged lo lhose vho vere of his seed
for ever.
77. Concerning lhe King of Iersia
And lhe King of Iersia is Iikevise of lhe seed of Shen, and ve viII
inforn you concerning lhe nallers lhal reIale lo hin. }udah legol lvo
sons, and he lroughl in Tnar (Tanar) for his eIdesl son, and he died.
And }udah senl his younger son lo her lhal he nighl raise up seed lo his
lrolher ly his lrolhers vife. And he did lhal vhich Cod haled, and he did
nol vish lo raise up seed lo his lrolher as his falher }udah had connanded
hin. Nov vhen he Iay vilh Tanar he nade his seed lo go inlo lhe ground,
so lhal il nighl nol gerninale in her vonl and le caIIed lhe seed of his
lrolher, lul he vished lo raise up seed ly his ovn vife in his ovn nane.
And vhen Cod sav his eviI acl He lurned His face avay fron hin and
sIev hin. And }udah, lhe falher-in-Iav of Tanar, lroughl her lack, and sel
her in lhe house of her falher, and said unlo her kinsfoIk, Keep carefuIIy
lhis IsraeIilish vonan, and Iel her nol defiIe herseIf vilh an aIien. Ior I
have a IillIe son, and if Cod viII Iel hin grov up I viII give hin lo her.
And vhiIsl Tanar vas Iiving as a vidov in her falhers house, lehoId,
}udah her falher-in-Iav cane lo lhe pIace vhere his sheepfoIds vere lo
shear vooI vilh greal salisfaclion and pIeasure. And vhen Tanar heard
lhal her falher-in-Iav had cone, she casl avay fron her lhe appareI of
vidovhood, and she pul herseIf in spIendid appareI, and she veiIed herseIf
afler lhe nanner of a harIol, and she foIIoved hin and sal dovn. And he
senl a nessage lo her, saying, I vish lo conpany vilh lhee. And she said
unlo hin, Whal viIl lhou give ne for ny hire And he said unlo her, I
viII send lo lhee in lhe norning earIy a sucking Ianl, and she said unlo
hin, Cive ne a pIedge unliI lhou givesl ne lhe Ianl. And he gave her
Kelra Nagasl
11
|hisj slaff, and ring, and lhe cIose-filling cap lhal vas under his headdress.
And he conpanied vilh her, and she look |lhe lhingsj and deparled unlo
her house. And he senl lhe Ianl unlo her earIy in lhe norning. And his
servanls enquired and said, Where is lhe house of lhe harIol And lhey
said unlo hin, There is no harIol in our lovn, and lhey relurned inlo
lheir cily and loId hin lhal lhere vas no harIol in lheir lovn. And }udah
said, Leave ye |ilj, lhe WiII of Cod le done.
Then Tanar conceived and lhey loId her falher-in-Iav lhal she had
conceived. And he venl and look lhe eIders of IsraeI lo lhe falher of Tanar,
and he said unlo hin, Bring lo ne lhy daughler vho halh conceived lhal
ve nay slone her vilh slones even as Moses connanded, for she halh
lroughl reproach upon lhe house of IsraeI. And lhe falher and kinsfoIk of
Tanar loId her lhal her falher-in-Iav spake lhus. And she lroughl oul lhe
ring, and lhe slaff, and lhe cap, and gave |lhenj lo her falher and her
kinsfoIk, and she said unlo lhen, The ovner of lhese lhings halh seduced
ne, Iel lhen slone ne vilh hin vilh slones. And vhen }udah sav his
possessions he recognized |lhenj and he said, Tanar is nore righleous
lhan I, and he Iefl her and cane lo his house. And Tanar lroughl forlh
lvins, lvo nalions, Irs (Ierez) and Zr. And Irs (Iersia) vas founded
in lhe nane of Irs, and he ruIed over il and his seed afler hin, and lhey
vere caIIed Iarasvyn (Iersians). BehoId nov, il is proved lhal lhe
King of Iersia is of lhe seed of Shen.
78. Concerning lhe King of Moal
And lhe King of Moal is of lhe seed of Shen, and ve viII inforn you
hov lhis halh cone lo pass. When Cod nade Alrahan lo deparl fron his
falhers counlry inlo lhe Iand of Krn (Harran), He nade Lol lo pass over
inlo lhe Iand of Sodon and Conorrah. And vhen Cod vished lo lIol oul
lhe peopIe of Sodon and Conorrah, He senl His AngeIs MichaeI and
CalrieI lo lring oul Lol and lo lurn up lhe cilies of Sodon and Conorrah,
and lhey deslroyed lhen and lroughl oul Lol vilh his chiIdren. And his
vife lurned round so lhal she nighl see lhe cily of her falher and her
nolher. Nov lhe vralh of Cod cane dovn on lhe cily of Sodon |in lhe
Kelra Nagasl
116
forn ofj a rain of fire fron heaven, vhich lurned up nounlains, and hiIIs,
and slones, and earlh. And Iighlnings, and forked Iighlnings, and peaIs of
lhunder cane dovn ningIed vilh lhe crashing of lhe vralh of Cod., and a
cIoud of fire vhich nade lhe heal lo enil snoke. And vhen aII lhis uproar
vas leing heard lhe AngeIs said unlo Lol, Turn nol round afler ye have
gone forlh fron lhe cily, lurn nol round lhal ye die nol lhe dealh. Bul
vhen 'Ak.nl, lhe vife of Lol, heard lhis, she lurned round, and she
lecane a piIIar of saIl, and she exislelh lo lhis day, lo lhis very day. And as
for Lol, Cod nade hin lo dveII in lhe nounlains of Araral. And he
pIanled a nev vineyard, and his daughlers nade lheir falher lo drink vine,
and lhey pIolled a vicked pIol, and lhey said, Hov (i.e. vhy) shaII lhe
possession of our falher le vasled (or, lIolled oul) ur nolher halh leen
deslroyed on lhe road, and lhere is no one lo narry us here. And lhey
nade lheir falher drunk, and his eIder daughler Iay vilh hin vhiIsl his
nind vas cIouded vilh vine, and Lol lhe righleous nan did nol knov
vhen his daughler Iay vilh hin and vhen she rose up fron hin, for his
nind vas cIouded vilh slrong drink. And Noah vas drunk and naked
lefore his vife and chiIdren, and he cursed his son vho Iaughed al hin,
and |lhe acl of Iying vilh his daughlerj vas nol reckoned againsl Lol as
sin, for he did il unknovingIy. And his eIder daughler conceived and
lroughl forlh a chiId, and she caIIed hin Moal, vhich is, leing
inlerpreled, Iron ny falher on ny knee. And he vas lhe falher of lhe
Moaliles and lhe Agarenes. BehoId nov, il is cIear lhal lhe King of Moal is
of lhe seed of Shen.
79. Concerning lhe King of AnaIek
And il cane lo pass lhal vhen lhe oIder daughler of Lol had lroughl
forlh her son, she said unlo lhe younger daughler, Cone nov, Iel us nake
our falher drink vine, so lhal lhou aIso nayesl conpany vilh hin lhal,
peradvenlure, lhou nayesl gel offspring. And again lhey prepared vine,
and again lhey spoke lo hin lhe vords of fooIishness, and said unlo hin,
Drink vine, our falher, so lhal lhy hearl nay le conforled, and he, lhe
sinpIe nan, drank and lecane drunk. And again, vhen he had drunk and
Kelra Nagasl
117
his nind vas cIouded vilh vine, lhe younger daughler cane and Iay vilh
hin, and again he did nol knov of her Iying vilh hin, or of her rising up
fron hin. And she aIso conceived and gave lirlh lo a son, and she caIIed
his nane Annon, and he is lhe falher of lhe AnaIekiles. BehoId nov, il
is cIear lhal lhe King of AnaIek is of lhe seed of Shen.
8O. Concerning lhe King of lhe IhiIislines
And lehoId, lhe seed of Sanson reigned over lhe IhiIislines. And
Sanson vas of lhe seed of Dan, |onej of lhe lveIve sons of }acol, and he
vas lhe son of a handnaiden of }acol, and ve viII inforn you hov lhis
Sanson cane inlo leing. The AngeI of lhe Lord appeared lo lhe nolher of
Sanson and said unlo her, Keep lhyseIf fron aII poIIulion, and conpany
vilh no nan excepl lhy husland, for he vho shaII le lorn of lhee shaII le a
Nazarile, hoIy lo lhe Lord, and he shaII le lhe deIiverer of IsraeI fron lhe
hand of lhe IhiIislines. And lhen she lroughl forlh Sanson. And again
lhe AngeI appeared unlo her and said unlo her, Thou shaIl nol Iel a razor
go upon his head, and he shaII neilher eal fIesh nor |drinkj vine, and he
shaII narry no slrange vonan lul onIy a vonan of his ovn kin and fron
lhe house of his falher. And hov Cod gave hin slrenglh ye have heard in
lhe Book of }udges.
78
Bul he lransgressed lhe connandnenl of Cod, and
cane and narried a daughler of lhe uncircuncised IhiIislines. And
lecause of lhis Cod vas vrolh, and He deIivered hin inlo lhe hands of
nen of lhe uncircuncised IhiIislines, and lhey lIinded his eyes, and lhey
nade hin acl lhe luffoon in lhe house of lheir king. And he puIIed lhe roof
dovn upon lhen, and sIev seven hundred lhousand of lhen, and during
his Iife he sIev seven hundred lhousand of lhen vilh iron, and slone, and
|hisj slaff, and lhe jav-lone of an ass. Ior lheir nunler vas as lhal of lhe
Iocusls, unliI he reIeased IsraeI fron lhe service of lhe IhiIislines.
And lhen DaII (DeIiIah) conceived ly Sanson, and vhiIsl she vas
vilh chiId Sanson died vilh lhe IhiIislines, and DeIiIah lroughl forlh a
son and she caIIed his nane Menahen, vhich is, leing inlerpreled,
78
See chaplers xv, xvi.
Kelra Nagasl
118
Seed of lhe slrong nan. Nov DeIiIah vas lhe sisler of Maksl, lhe vife
of lhe King of lhe IhiIislines, and vhen Sanson sIev lhe King of lhe
IhiIislines in lhe house vilh his peopIe and his househoId, and he died
vilh hin, DeIiIah venl lo her sisler Maksl, lhe Queen of lhe IhiIislines.
Nov lolh vonen vere leaulifuI, and lhey had no chiIdren, lul lolh had
conceived, Maksl had leen vilh chiId six nonlhs ly KvIsn, lhe King
of lhe IhiIislines, and DeIiIah had leen vilh chiId four nonlhs ly Sanson,
and lhe huslands of lolh vere dead. And lhe lvo vonen Ioved each olher
exceedingIy. And lheir Iove for each olher vas nol Iike lhe Iove of sislers,
lul Iike lhal of lhe nolher for lhe chiId, and of lhe chiId for lhe nolher,
even so vas lheir Iove. And lhey Iived logelher. And lhe doninion over
lhose vho vere Iefl of lhe sIaughler |nadej ly Sanson in lhe house of lhe
king vas in lhe hands of Maksl, for none of lhe nighly nen of var of
lhe kingdon of lhe IhiIislines vere Iefl, and lherefore Maksl ruIed over
lhose lhal vere Iefl. And lhey spake unlo her norning and evening, saying,
We have no olher king excepl lhyseIf, and excepl lhal one lhal shaII go
forlh fron lhy leIIy. If our Lord Dgn viII do a favour unlo us lhal vhich
is in lhy leIIy shaII le a son, vho shaII reverence our god Dgn and shaII
reign over us. And if il le a daughler ve viII nake her lo reign over us, so
lhal lhy nane and lhe nane of KvIsn our Iord shaII le your nenoriaI
over us.
And lhen Maksl lroughl forlh a nan-chiId and aII lhe nen of lhe
IhiIislines rejoiced, and lhey did honage lo her and sang, saying, Dgn
and BI have honoured her and Ioved Maksl, and lhe seed of KvIsn
is found again fron Maksl. And DeIiIah aIso lore a son, and lhe lvo
vonen lroughl up lhe chiIdren in greal slale and dignily. And vhen lhe
chiIdren vere five years oId lhey ale and pIayed logelher lefore lhen, and
lhe nolhers nade garnenls of coslIy sluff for lhen, and |selj daggers
alove lheir Ioins, and chains on lheir necks. And lhe peopIe sealed lhe son
of Maksl on lhe lhrone of his falher, and nade hin king over lhe
IhiIislines.
Kelra Nagasl
119
81. Hov lhe Son of Sanson SIev lhe Son of lhe King of lhe IhiIislines
Nov lhal olher son Akanh.I, lhe son of Sanson, spake unlo his
nolher DeIiIah, saying, Why an I nol reigning and silling upon lhis
lhrone And his nolher said unlo hin, Cease, ny son. This lhrone did
nol leIong lo lhy falher, and lhis cily vas nol lhy falhers cily, vhen lhe
Cod of lhy falher halh Iel lhee grov up lhou shaIl go lo lhy falhers
lhrone. And her son said unlo her, Nay, I viII neilher forsake lhee, ny
nolher, nor Maksl ny nolher, and I viII le king here.
And one day lhe lvo youlhs vere drunk afler |lheirj neaI vas ended,
and lhe doors vere shul. And lhe lvo vonen vere silling logelher aloul
lo eal fIesh, and lhe lvo youlhs vere pIaying lefore lhen, and lhey ale
vilh lhen, and a naidservanl heId lhe dish lelveen lhen. And
'Aknh.I, lhe son of DeIiIah, look fron lhe dish |a piece ofj fIesh, vhich
vouId fiII lolh his hands, and pul il lo his noulh, and |elrIs, lhe son of
Maksl, lhe King of lhe IhiIislines, snalched avay lhal parl of lhe fIesh
lhal vas oulside his noulh. And 'Aknh.I drev his svord and cul off
his head, and il feII inlo lhe dish lefore he couId svaIIov vhal he had
seized, and his lody feII upon lhe paving of lhe house, and his hands and
his feel lvilched convuIsiveIy, and he died slraighlvay. And fear and
disnay Iaid hoId upon lheir lvo nolhers, and lhey spake never a vord lo
anyone lecause lhey vere afraid, lul lhey svaIIoved lhe food vhich vas
in lheir noulhs, and lhey Iooked al each olher, nol knoving vhal lo do.
And lhal handnaiden rose up fron lhen, and she look lhe head of
|elrIs oul of lhe dish, and pul il lack on ils neck and covered il over
vilh her garnenl. And DeIiIah rose up and seized lhe svord of lhe dead
son of her sisler, and venl lo kiII 'Aknh.I, lul he saved hinseIf ly
hiding lehind a piIIar. And he nade ready lo kiII his nolher. And her
sisler rose up and seized her, saying, Why shouId ve le deslroyed
lhrough lheir |quarreIj. This |youlhj is |sprungj fron a lad rool, and
cannol |learj good fruil, cone, ny sisler, Iel hin nol deslroy lhee aIso.
And she look lhe svord fron her hand, and drev up fron her piIIov ()
rich purpIe cIolhing vhich kings vear, and she gave il lo hin, and she
spake kindIy vords unlo hin, saying, Take lhe appareI, ny son, and lhou
Kelra Nagasl
12O
lhyseIf shaIl sil upon lhe lhrone of lhe kingdon of lhe IhiIislines. And
'AknhI raged Iike a savage lear, for he vished lo sIay lolh vonen,
unliI he nade lhen lo Ieave lhe house. And lhey venl oul, and vhen he
had nade lhen Ieave lhe house he look lhe purpIe appareI, and venl oul.
And lhe lvo vonen cane lack, and nade lhe dead lody ready for luriaI,
and lhey luried il secrelIy.
And vhen lhe line for lhe evening neaI had cone, lhe young nen and
lhe slevards soughl for |lheir kingj and found hin nol, and lhey asked
aloul hin, and his nolher said unlo lhen, Your king is sick, and lhis nan
viII sil in pIace of hin. And lhey look hin and sel hin on lhe lhrone, and
lhey prepared a feasl, and rejoiced. And fron lhal line onvard lhe son of
Sanson reigned over lhen, and lhere vas none vho lransgressed his
connandnenl~nov he connilled lhis acl |of nurderj fif|leenj vinlers
afler he vas lorn~and lhe kingdon of lhe IhiIislines lecane his and his
seeds afler hin. Therefore, leIoved, il is veII knovn lhal lhe kingdon of
lhe IhiIislines leIongelh lo lhe seed of Shen.
82. Concerning lhe Coing Dovn of Alrahan inlo Lgypl
And ve couId aIso inforn you lhal vhen Cod had given unlo Alrahan
gIory and riches,
he Iacked a son. And Srh and Alrahan laIked logelher on lheir led, and
he said unlo her, Thou arl larren, and she said unlo hin, Il is nol I vho
an larren lul lhyseIf, and lhey conlinued lo discuss lhe naller and lo
dispule logelher aloul il. And lhere cane a fanine in lhe Iand of Canaan,
and Alrahan heard lhal lhere vas sone food in lhe Iand of Lgypl, lhe
counlry of Iharaoh. And vhen he had spenl aII his possessions in charily
lo lhe poor during lhe days of lhe fanine, vilhoul providing for lhe
norrov, lhe fanine vaxed slrong in lhe Iand of Canaan, and he Iacked
food lo eal. And he said, I give lhanks unlo Cod lhal vhal He halh given
unlo ne I have expended on ny servanls. Bul as for lhee, ny sisler Srh,
cone, Iel us go inlo lhe Iand of Lgypl in order lo save ourseIves fron dealh
ly fanine. And she said unlo hin, Thy viII le done, ny Iord, and if
lhou die I viII die vilh lhee, and if lhou Iive I viII Iive vilh lhee, il is nol
Kelra Nagasl
121
for ne lo gainsay lhy vord for ever., And lhen lhey rose up and sel oul on
lheir journey.
And vhen lhey drev nigh |lo Lgyplj Alrahan said unlo Srh, ne
lhing I nusl ask of lhee, and do lhou vhal I ask of lhee, and Srh said,
Speak, ny Iord. And he said unlo her, I have heard lhal lhe halils of lhe
Lgyplians are IavIess, and lhal lhey Iive in idoIalry and fornicalion. And
vhen lhey have seen lhee lhey viII pIol eviI againsl ne, and sIay ne
lecause of lhe goodIiness of lhy leaulifuI forn, for lhere is anong lhen no
one lhal can le conpared unlo lhee. And nov, in order lhal lhou nayesl
save ny Iife, do lhou say, if lhey happen lo ask lhee queslions aloul ne, 'I
an his sisler, so lhal lhou nayesl save ny souI fron dealh ly lhe hand of
lhe slrangers. And Srh said, Thy viII shaII le done. The vord vhich
lhou leIIesl ne I viII speak, and vhal lhou leIIesl ne lo do I viII do. And
lhey vepl and vorshipped Cod, and lhey cane inlo lhe greal cily of lhe
King of Lgypl.
And vhen lhe Lgyplians sav Alrahan and Srh lhey narveIIed al lhe
leauly of lheir appearance, for lhey inagined lhal lhey had leen lroughl
forlh ly lhe sane nolher. And lhey said unlo Alrahan, Whal is lhis
vonan lo lhee And Alrahan said unlo lhen, She is ny sisler. And
lhey aIso asked Srh Whal is lhis nan lo lhee And she said unlo lhen,
He is ny lrolher. Therefore did lhe peopIe nake a reporl lo Iharaoh lhal
a pair of goodIy forn had arrived, one a vonan and lhe olher a young
nan, and lhal lhere vas no one Iike unlo lhen in aII lhe Iand. And Iharaoh
rejoiced, and he senl a nessage lo Alrahan, saying, Cive ne lhy sisler
lhal I nay lelrolh her lo nyseIf. And Alrahan pondered in his nind,
saying, If I keep her lack he viII kiII ne and lake her, and he said, Do
so, provided lhal lhou dosl nake ne veII conlenl. And Iharaoh gave hin
one lhousand, siIver l.afIh.el,
79
and look Srh lo nake her his vife. And
he lroughl her inlo his house, and sel her upon his led and Iharaoh lhe
King of Lgypl vouId have conpanied vilh her. Bul lhe AngeI of lhe Lord
appeared unlo hin ly nighl carrying a svord of fire, and he drev nigh
unlo hin, and he Iighled up lhe vhoIe chanler vilh his fiery fIane, and
79
Iieces of noney in siIver.
Kelra Nagasl
122
he vished lo sIay Iharaoh. And Iharaoh fIed fron one vaII of lhe chanler
lo lhe olher, and fron one corner of lhe chanler lo lhe olher, vheresoever
he venl lhe AngeI foIIoved hin, and lhere vas no pIace Iefl vherelo he
couId fIee and hide hinseIf. Then Iharaoh slrelched oul his hands and said
unlo lhe AngeI, Iord, forgive ne lhis ny sin. And lhe AngeI said unlo
hin, Why dosl lhou allack lhe vife of |anolherj nan And Iharaoh said
unlo hin, Iord, sIay lhou nol innocenl lIood. Ior he said unlo ne 'She
is ny sisler, and lherefore I look her lo nyseIf innocenlIy. Whal shaII I do
lo deIiver nyseIf fron lhy hands And lhe AngeI said unlo hin, Cive
Alrahans vife lack lo hin, and give hin a gifl, and send hin avay lo his
ovn counlry. And slraighlvay Iharaoh caIIed Alrahan, and gave unlo
hin his vife Srh, logelher vilh a handnaiden vhose nane vas 'Agr
(Hagar), and he gave unlo hin goId, and siIver, and coslIy appareI, and
senl hin avay in peace.
And Alrahan and his vife relurned lo lheir counlry in peace. And
Srh said unlo Alrahan, I knov lhal I an larren. Co lhou in lo lhis ny
handnaiden vhon Iharaoh gave unlo ne, peradvenlure Cod viII give
lhee seed in her. As for ne, ny person is shrunk and vilhered, and lhe
fIover of ny lody halh dried up. And she gave 'Agar unlo hin. And
Alrahan venl in lo 'Agar, and she conceived ly hin, and she lroughl
forlh a son and caIIed his nane IshnaeI, vhich is, leing inlerpreled, Cod
halh heard ne. And aflervards Cod gave Alrahan seed fron his vife
Srh and he legal Isaac. And aflervards Srh lecane jeaIous of IshnaeI,
lhe son of her handnaiden, lecause he vouId reach nanhood lefore her
son, and she said, Ieradvenlure he viII sIay ny son and inheril his
falhers house. And Alrahan offered up offerings lo Cod and said, Lord,
vhal shaII I do in respecl of IshnaeI, ny son, ny firsllorn I vish hin lo
Iive for ne lefore Thee, lul Srh, ny sisler, is jeaIous lecause Thou hasl
given ne seed in her oId age. Nov IshnaeI vas fourleen years oId lefore
Isaac vas lorn. And Cod said unlo Alrahan, Whal Srh sailh is lrue,
casl oul lhe handnaiden vilh her son IshnaeI. Lel IshnaeI Iive lefore Me,
and I viII nake hin a greal nalion, and he shaII legel lveIve nalions and
shaII reign over lhen. And I viII eslalIish My covenanl vilh Isaac My
servanl, lhe son of Srh, and in hin I viII lIess aII lhe nalions of lhe earlh,
Kelra Nagasl
123
and I viII nake for hin a greal kingdon over aII lhe nalions of lhe earlh,
and in lhe heavens aIso I viII nake hin king.
8O
83. Concerning lhe King of lhe IshnaeIiles
And lherefore lhe chiIdren of IshnaeI lecane kings over Terel, and
over Kele;, and over Nl, and Sla, and Kuergue, and Kf, and Mk
and Mrn, and Inkn, and 'Arsln, and Lil, and Masea, for lhey
vere lhe seed of Shen. And Isaac reigned over }udah and over
'Anrvn, and over K;vn, and 'Iyalsvn, and Irzvn, and
'Lvvn, and Kkdevn, and Rny, and 'Ansky (Anliochia), and
Sry (Syria), and Arnenia, and IeIes;en (IaIesline), and Llhiopia, and
Ldon, and IhiIislia, and Iyl, and AnaIek, and Ihrygia, and BalyIon,
and Ynnes;, and 'Llryasl. Ior as Cod svare He gave aII kingdons lo
lhe seed of Shen, and an exaIled lhrone and doninion lo lhe seed of Shen,
even as his falher Noah, ly lhe vord of Cod, lIessed his son Shen, saying,
Be Iord lo lhy lrelhren and reign over lhen. And lhis lhal he said had
reference lo lhe Redeener, lhe King of us aII, }esus Chrisl lhe King of
heaven and earlh, Who nagnifielh kings, and Who vhen He pIeaselh
alrogalelh lheir pover, for unlo Hin leIong pover and doninion over aII
crealed lhings for ever and ever. Anen.
84. Concerning lhe King of Llhiopia and hov he Relurned lo his Counlry
And lhe King of Llhiopia relurned lo his counlry vilh greal joy and
gIadness, and narching aIong vilh lheir songs, and lheir pipes, and lheir
vagons, Iike an arny of heavenIy leings, lhe Llhiopians arrived fron
}erusaIen al lhe cily of Wak.rn in a singIe day. And lhey senl
nessengers in ships lo announce |lheir arrivaIj lo Mkd, lhe Queen of
Llhiopia, and lo reporl lo her hov lhey had found every good lhing, and
hov her son had lecone king, and hov lhey had lroughl lhe heavenIy
Zion. And she caused aII lhis gIorious nevs lo le spread alroad, and she
8O
Cenesis xii ff.
Kelra Nagasl
124
nade a heraId lo go round aloul in aII lhe counlry lhal vas suljecl unlo
her, ordering lhe peopIe lo neel her son and nore parlicuIarIy lhe
heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Cod of IsraeI. And lhey lIev horns
lefore her, and aII lhe peopIe of Llhiopia rejoiced, fron lhe Ieasl lo lhe
grealesl, nen as veII as vonen, and lhe soIdiers rose up vilh her lo neel
lheir King. And she cane lo lhe cily of lhe Covernnenl, vhich is lhe chief
cily of lhe kingdon of Llhiopia, nov in Ialer lines lhis |cilyj lecane lhe
chief cily of lhe Chrislians of Llhiopia. And in il she caused lo le prepared
perfunes innuneralIe fron India, and fron BIl lo CIll, and fron
'AIsfu lo 'Azazal, and had lhen lroughl logelher lhere. And her son cane
ly lhe 'Azyl road lo Wak.rn, and he cane forlh lo Masas, and
ascended lo Br, and arrived al lhe cily of lhe Covernnenl, lhe capilaI
|cilyj of Llhiopia, vhich lhe Queen herseIf had luiIl and caIIed Dalra
Mkd, afler her ovn nane.
8. Concerning lhe Rejoicing of Queen Mkd
And David lhe King cane vilh greal ponp unlo his nolhers cily, and
lhen he sav in lhe heighl lhe heavenIy Zion sending forlh Iighl Iike lhe
sun. And vhen lhe Queen sav lhis she gave lhanks unlo lhe Cod of IsraeI,
and praised Hin. And she loved Iov, and snole her lreasl, and |lhenj
lhrev up her head and gazed inlo lhe heavens, and lhanked her Crealor,
and she cIapped her hands logelher, and senl forlh shouls of Iaughler fron
her noulh, and danced on lhe ground vilh her feel, and she adorned her
vhoIe lody vilh joy and gIadness vilh lhe fuIIesl viII of her invard nind.
And vhal shaII I say of lhe rejoicing vhich look pIace lhen in lhe counlry
of Llhiopia, and of lhe joy of lhe peopIe, lolh of nan and leasl, fron lhe
Ieasl lo lhe grealesl, and of lolh vonen and nen And paviIions and lenls
vere pIaced al lhe fool of Dalra Mkd on lhe fIal pIain ly lhe side of
good valer, and lhey sIaughlered lhirly-lvo lhousand slaIIed oxen and
luIIs. And lhey sel Zion upon lhe forlress of Dalra Mkd, and nade
ready for her lhree hundred guards vho vieIded svords lo valch over lhe
paviIion of Zion, logelher vilh her ovn nen and her nolIes, lhe nighly
nen of IsraeI. And her ovn guards vere lhree hundred nen vho lore
Kelra Nagasl
12
svords, and in addilion lo lhese her son David had seven hundred
|guardsj. And lhey rejoiced exceedingIy vilh greal gIory and pIeasure
|leing arrayedj in fine appareI, for lhe kingdon vas direcled ly her fron
lhe Sea of 'AIl lo lhe Sea of 'sk, and everyone oleyed her connand.
And she had exceedingIy greal honour and riches, none lefore her ever
had lhe Iike, and none afler her shaII ever have lhe Iike. In lhose days
SoIonon vas King in }erusaIen, and Mkd vas Queen in Llhiopia. Unlo
lolh of lhen vere given visdon, and gIory, and riches, and graciousness,
and underslanding, and leauly of voice (or, eIoquence of speech), and
inleIIigence. And goId and siIver vere heId as cheapIy as lrass, and rich
sluffs vherein goId vas voven vere as connon as Iinen garnenls, and
lhe callIe and lhe horses vere innuneralIe.
86. Hov Queen Mkd Made her Son King
And on lhe lhird day Mkd deIivered over lo her son sevenleen
lhousand and seven hundred chosen horses, vhich vere lo valch lhe arny
of lhe eneny, and vouId again pIunder lhe cilies of lhe eneny, and seven
lhousand and seven hundred nares lhal had lorne foaIs, and one
lhousand fenaIe nuIes, and seven hundred chosen nuIes, and appareI of
honour, goId and siIver neasured ly lhe gnr, and neasured ly lhe k.r,
sone six and sone seven, and she deIivered over lo her son everylhing lhal
vas his ly Iav, and aII lhe lhrone of her kingdon.
87. Hov lhe NolIes (or Covernors) of Llhiopia Took lhe alh
And lhe Queen said unlo her nolIes: Speak ye nov, and svear ye ly
lhe heavenIy Zion lhal ye viII nol nake vonen queens or sel lhen upon
lhe lhrone of lhe kingdon of Llhiopia, and lhal no one excepl lhe naIe
seed of David, lhe son of SoIonon lhe King, shaII ever reign over Llhiopia,
and lhal ye viII never nake vonen queens. And aII lhe nolIes of lhe
kings house svore, and lhe governors, and lhe counciIIors, and lhe
adninislralors.
Kelra Nagasl
126
And she nade LInys and 'Azrys (Azariah) lhe chief of lhe priesls
and lhe chief of lhe deacons, and lhey nade lhe kingdon anev, and lhe
sons of lhe nighly nen of IsraeI perforned lhe Lav, logelher vilh lheir
King David, in lhe TalernacIe of Wilness, and lhe kingdon vas nade
anev. And lhe hearls of lhe peopIe shone al lhe sighl of Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and lhe peopIe of Llhiopia casl aside lheir
idoIs, and lhey vorshipped lheir Crealor, lhe Cod Who had nade lhen.
And lhe nen of Llhiopia forsook lheir vorks, and Ioved lhe righleousness
and juslice lhal Cod Iovelh. They forsook lheir forner fornicalions, and
chose purily in lhe canp lhal vas in lhe sighl of lhe heavenIy Zion. They
forsook divinalion and nagic, and chose repenlance and lears for Cods
sake. They forsook augury ly neans of lirds and lhe use of onens, and
lhey relurned lo hearken unlo Cod and lo nake sacrifice unlo Hin. They
forsook lhe pIeasures of lhe gods vho vere deviIs, and chose lhe service
and praise of Cod. The daughlers of }erusaIen suffered disgrace, and lhe
daughlers of Llhiopia vere heId in honour, lhe daughler of }udah vas sad,
vhiIsl lhe daughler of Llhiopia rejoiced, lhe nounlains of Llhiopia
rejoiced, and lhe nounlains of Lelanon nourned. The peopIe of Llhiopia
vere chosen |fronj anong idoIs and graven inages, and lhe peopIe of
IsraeI vere rejecled. The daughlers of Zion vere rejecled, and lhe
daughlers of Llhiopia vere honoured, lhe oId nen of IsraeI lecane oljecls
of conlenpl, and lhe oId nen of Llhiopia vere honoured. Ior Cod
accepled lhe peopIes vho had leen casl avay and rejecled IsraeI, for Zion
vas laken avay fron lhen and she cane inlo lhe counlry of Llhiopia. Ior
vheresoever Cod is pIeased for her lo dveII, lhere is her halilalion, and
vhere He is nol pIeased lhal she shouId dveII she dveIIelh nol, He is her
founder, and Maker, and BuiIder, lhe Cood Cod in lhe lenpIe of His
hoIiness, lhe halilalion of His gIory, vilh His Son and lhe HoIy Spiril, for
ever and ever. Anen.
Mkd, lhe Queen of Llhiopia, gave lhe kingdon lo her son David, lhe
son of SoIonon, lhe King of IsraeI, and she said unlo hin, Take |lhe
kingdonj. I have given |ilj unlo lhee. I have nade King hin vhon Cod
halh nade King, and I have chosen hin vhon Cod halh chosen as lhe
keeper of His IaviIion. I an veII pIeased vilh hin vhon Cod halh leep
Kelra Nagasl
127
IIeased lo nake lhe envoy of lhe TalernacIe of His Covenanl and His Lav.
I have nagnified hin vhon Cod halh nagnified |asj lhe direclor of His
vidovs, and I have honoured hin vhon Cod halh honoured |asj lhe giver
of food lo orphans.
And lhe King rose up and girded up his appareI, and he loved Iov
lefore his nolher, and said unlo her, Thou arl lhe Queen, ny Lady, and
I viII serve lhee in every lhing vhich lhou connandesl ne, vhelher il le
lo dealh or vhelher il le lo Iife. Wheresoever lhou sendesl ne I viII le
senl, and vheresoever lhou orderesl ne lo le lhere viII I le, and
vhalsoever lhou connandesl ne lo do lhal viII I do. Ior lhou are lhe head
and I an lhe fool, and lhou arl lhe Lady and I an lhy sIave, everylhing
shaII le perforned according lo lhy order, and none shaII lransgress lhy
connandnenl, and I viII do everylhing lhal lhou vishesl. Bul pray for ne
lhal lhe Cod of IsraeI nay deIiver ne fron His vralh. Ior He viII le
vrolh~according lo vhal lhey leII us~if ve do nol nake our hearls righl
lo do His WiII, and if ve do nol readiIy olserve aII His connands in
respecl lo Zion, lhe halilalion of lhe gIory of Cod. Ior lhe AngeI of His
hosl is vilh us, vho direcled us and lroughl us hilher, and he shaII neilher
deparl fron us nor forsake us.
And nov, hearken unlo ne, ny Lady. If I and lhose vho are afler
ne lehave righlIy and do His WiII, Cod shaII dveII vilh us, and shaII
preserve us fron aII eviI and fron lhe hand of our eneny. Bul if ve do nol
keep our hearls righl vilh Hin He viII le vrolh vilh us, and viII lurn
avay His face fron us, and viII punish us, and our enenies viII pIunder
us, and fear and lrenlIing shaII cone lo us fron lhe pIace vhence ve
expecl lhen nol, and lhey viII rise up againsl us, and viII overcone us in
var, and viII deslroy us. n lhe olher hand, if ve do lhe WiII of Cod, and
do vhal is righl in respecl of Zion, ve shaII lecone chosen nen, and no
one shaII have lhe pover lo lreal us eviIIy in lhe nounlain of His hoIiness
vhiIsl His halilalion is vilh us.
And lehoId, ve have lroughl vilh us lhe vhoIe Lav of lhe kingdon
and lhe connandnenl of Cod, vhich Zadok lhe high priesl decIared unlo
us vhen he anoinled ne vilh lhe oiI of sovereignly in lhe house of lhe
Kelra Nagasl
128
sancluary of Cod, lhe horn of oiI, vhich is lhe unguenl of prieslhood and
royaIly, leing in his hand.
And he did unlo us lhal vhich vas vrillen in lhe Lav, and ve vere
anoinled, Azariah lo lhe prieslhood and I lo lhe kingdon, and 'AInys,
lhe noulh of Cod, keeper of lhe Lav, lhal is lo say, keeper of Zion, and lhe
Lar of lhe King in every palh of righleousness. And lhey connanded ne
lhal I shouId do nolhing excepl under lheir advice, and lhey sel us lefore
lhe King and lefore lhe eIders of IsraeI, and aII lhe peopIe heard vhiIsl
Zadok lhe priesl vas giving us lhe connands. And lhe horns and lhe
organs vere lIovn, and lhe sounds of lheir harps and nusicaI inslrunenls,
and lhe noise of lheir oulcries vhich vere nade al lhal line vere in lhe
gales of }erusaIen. Bul vhal shaII I leII unlo you, ye vho vere presenl
lhere Il seened lo us lhal lhe earlh quaked fron her very foundalions,
and lhal lhe heavens alove our heads lhundered, and lhe hearl lrenlIed
vilh lhe knees.
88. Hov he hinseIf ReIaled lo his Molher hov lhey nade hin King
And vhen lhese had lecone siIenl lhere rose up lhe priesl vho gave us
lhe Connandnenls, vilh lhe fear of Cod, and he shed lears vhiIsl our
lodies quaked and our lears fIoved dovn. Cod is indeed, vilhoul
faIsehood, in our hearls, and He dveIIelh in His connandnenl. And His
connandnenl is ullered, and il renovelh ilseIf nol fron lhose vho Iove
Hin and vho keep His connandnenl, and He is vilh lhen conlinuaIIy.
And nov, hearken lo lhe judgnenl and Iavs vhich lhe eIders and lhe sons
of lhe nighly nen of IsraeI lroughl, vhich lhey vrole lefore King
SoIonon and have given unlo us, so lhal ve nay nol lurn aside eilher lo
lhe righl hand or lo lhe Iefl fron vhal lhey have connanded us. And aIso
lhey loId us and nade us lo undersland lhal ve lear dealh and Iife, and
lhal ve are Iike unlo a nan vho halh fire in his Iefl hand and valer in his
righl, and vho can pul his hand inlo vhichever he pIeaselh. Ior
punishnenl and Iife are vrillen lherein, for lhose vho have done eviI,
punishnenl, and for lhose vho have done good, Iife.
Kelra Nagasl
129
And 'LInys and Azariah lroughl forlh lhal vriling vhich vas
vrillen lefore Cod and lefore lhe King of IsraeI, and lhey read il lefore
Mkd and lefore lhe greal nen of IsraeI. And vhen lhey heard lhese
vords aII lhose vho vere round aloul, lolh snaII and greal, loved dovn
and nade oleisance, and lhey gIorified Cod Who had nade lhen hear
lhese vords and had given lhen lhis connandnenl, so lhal lhey nighl
perforn lhe juslice and judgnenl of Cod. And noreover, He nade lhen
nenlers of His house, for Zion vas anong lhen, and she is lhe halilalion
of lhe gIory of Cod, and she deIivered lhen fron aII eviI, and lIessed lhe
fruil of lheir Iands, and nuIlipIied lheir sheep and callIe, and lIessed lheir
veIIs of valer, and lIessed lheir Ialours, and lhe fruil of lheir gardens, and
nade lheir chiIdren lo grov up, and prolecled lheir aged nen, and lecane
lhe foreguard and rearguard vheresoever lhey dveIl, and vanquished
lheir enenies vheresoever lhey venl. And aII lhe peopIe of Llhiopia
rejoiced.
And lhe Queen said unlo her son, My son, Cod halh given unlo lhee
lhe righl, vaIk lhou lherein and vilhdrav nol lhyseIf fron il, neilher lo lhe
righl hand nor lhe Iefl. And Iove lhou lhe Lord lhy Cod, for He is nercifuI
unlo lhe sinpIe-ninded. Ior His vay is knovn fron His connandnenl,
and His goodness is conprehended lhrough lhe guidance of His vord.
Then she lurned lovards 'LInys and Azariah and aII lhe nighly nen
of IsraeI |sayingj, Do ye prolecl hin and leach hin lhe palh of lhe
kingdon of Cod, and lhe honour of our Lady Zion. And vhalsoever our
Lady Iovelh nol Iel us nol do. TeII us |lhisj lruIy and carefuIIy for ever and
fron generalion lo generalion, so lhal she nay nol le vrolh vilh us, if ve
do nol perforn her service veII, so lhal Cod nay dveII vilh us. And lhou,
ny son, hearken unlo lhe vord of lhy falhers, and vaIk in lheir counseI.
And Iel nol drink nake lhee fooIish, nor vonen, nor pride of appareI, nor
lhe lridIes and lrappings of horses, nor lhe sighl of lhe veapons of var of
lhose vho are al lhe head or al lhe rear. Bul Iel lhy confidence le in Cod
and in Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, lhy Crealor, so lhal lhou
nayesl vanquish lhine eneny, and so lhal lhy seed upon lhe earlh nay
nuIlipIy, and so lhal lhy foes and adversaries, near and far, nay le
overlhrovn.
Kelra Nagasl
13O
And lhose sons of nighly nen ansvered and said vilh one voice,
our Lady, ve are vilh you aIvays, and ve viII renenler lhe Iord, lhe
King. BehoId, vhal is vrillen and lhe perfornance lhereof shaII lake pIace
if lhe Cod of IsraeI shaII le unlo hin a heIper, and if he hearkenelh lo lhe
vord of his nolher, and ve viII inforn hin aloul lhe palh of doing good
vorks. Ior lhere is no one lo le found in lhese days as vise as lhyseIf,
excepl our Iord lhe King. Thou hasl dravn us hilher as lhy servanls vilh
our Lady, lhe heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of lhe Lord our
Cod jusl as a nan dravelh a caneI lhal is Ioaded vilh vaIualIe
possessions vilh a IillIe piece of lhin, lough cord faslened over his nose.
And nov, rejecl us nol and lreal us nol as slrange peopIe, lul nake us Iike
unlo lhy sIaves vho vash lhy feel, for vhelher ve die or vhelher ve Iive
ve are vilh lhee, ve have no Ionger any hope in lhe counlry of our lirlh,
lul onIy in lhee and in our Lady lhe heavenIy Zion, lhe halilalion of lhe
gIory of Cod.
89. Hov lhe Queen TaIked lo lhe ChiIdren of IsraeI
And lhe Queen ansvered and said unlo lhen, Nol as servanls as ye
say lul as a falher and a leacher viII ve lreal you. Ior ye are lhe guardians
of lhe Lav of Cod, and lhe guides of lhe connandnenl of lhe Cod of
IsraeI, and lhe nen of lhe house of Cod, and lhe guardians of Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, and ve do nol vish lo lransgress your
connandnenls, for ye shaII le unlo us a guide lo lhe palh of Cod avay
fron aII eviI. Al your vords ve viII vilhdrav fron lhal vherevilh Cod is
nol veII-pIeased, and ve viII drav nigh unlo every good lhing vherevilh
Cod is veII-pIeased al your connandnenl. nIy do ye inslrucl aII lhis
peopIe, and leach lhen lhe vords of knovIedge, for never lefore have
lhey heard such lhings as lhey have heard lhis day. Il is onIy lhose vho
have underslanding in lhen lhal visdon and underslanding iIIunine Iike
lhe Iighl of lhe sun. As for ne, up lo lhis presenl I have nol drunk deepIy
of lhe valer of knovIedge. Nov il is sveeler lhan honey, and quenchelh
lhe lhirsl nore lhan vine, and il salisfielh and nakelh visdon lo lullIe
up, and il slinuIalelh lhe underslanding, and nakelh a nan lo pour forlh
Kelra Nagasl
131
vords Iike a drunken nan, and nakelh lhe unsleady nan Iike one vho
fIielh, and nakelh a nan as hol as he lhal carrielh a heavy Ioad on a
difficuIl road in a parched Iand lhal is lurnl up ly a lIazing sun. When lhe
hearls of lhe vise are open lo prophecy and lo knovIedge, lhey do nol fear
lhe king lecause of lhe grealness of his gIory if he lurnelh hinseIf aside
fron lhe vay of Cod. And nark lhis: The vord of lhe Lav, vhich halh
leen ullered, is indeed underslanding unlo lhose vho vish for il, and vho
drink il in and soak lhenseIves lherein. I pray Thee, Lord Cod of IsraeI,
Thou HoIiesl of lhe HoIy, granl unlo ne lhal I nay foIIov visdon, and
nay nol lecone a caslavay, granl unlo ne lhal I nay nake her a vaII
unlo nyseIf, and nay never faII dovn, granl lhal I nay nake her a
foundalion for ne, and nay never le overlhrovn, granl lhal I nay sland
upon her as |firnIy asj a piIIar, and nay never shake, granl lhal I nay hide
in her, and never have her slripped fron ne, granl lhal I nay luiId nyseIf
upon her, and nay nol loppIe over, granl lhal I nay lecone vigorous
lhrough her, and nol suffer fron exhauslion, granl lhal I nay sland
lhrough her, and nay nol faII, granl lhal I nay Iay hoId upon her, and nay
nol sIip avay, granl lhal I nay grasp her firnIy, and nay nol sIide, granl
lhal I nay dveII in her in her peace, |granl lhalj I nay le salisfied al her
lalIe, and nay nol vonil, and drink her and nol gel drunk upon her, and
nay le salisfied vilh her and nol spil her oul.
I have drunk of her, lul have nol lollered, I have lollered lhrough her,
lul have nol faIIen, I have faIIen lecause of her, lul have nol leen
deslroyed. Through her I have dived dovn inlo lhe greal sea and have
seized in lhe pIace of her deplhs a pearI vherely I an rich. I venl dovn
Iike lhe greal iron anchor vherely nen anchor ships for lhe nighl on lhe
high seas, and I received a Ianp vhich Iighlelh ne, and I cane up ly lhe
ropes of lhe loal of underslanding. I venl lo sIeep in lhe deplhs of lhe sea,
and nol leing overvheIned vilh lhe valer I dreaned a drean. And il
seened lo ne lhal lhere vas a slar in ny vonl, and I narveIIed lhereal,
and I Iaid hoId upon il and nade il slrong in lhe spIendour of lhe sun, I
Iaid hoId upon il, and I viII never Iel il go. I venl in lhrough lhe doors of
lhe lreasury of visdon and I drev for nyseIf lhe valers of underslanding.
I venl inlo lhe lIaze of lhe fIane of lhe sun, and il Iighled ne vilh lhe
Kelra Nagasl
132
spIendour lhereof, and I nade of il a shieId for nyseIf, and I saved nyseIf
ly confidence lherein, and nol nyseIf onIy lul aII lhose vho lraveI in lhe
foolprinls of visdon, and nol nyseIf onIy lul aII lhe nen of ny counlry,
lhe kingdon of Llhiopia, and nol lhose onIy lul lhose vho lraveI in lheir
vays, lhe nalions lhal are round aloul. Ior lhe Lord halh given us seed in
Zion and a halilalion in }erusaIen. And noreover, lhere halh cone lo us a
porlion vilh lhose vhon He halh chosen, lhe seed of }acol, for He halh sel
His halilalion lo alide vilh us. Iron lhis line forlh lhey are sel dovn, and
fron lhis line forlh ve are sel uprighl. Iron lhis line forlh lhey are
despised and rejecled, and fron lhis line forlh ve shaII le honoured and
Ioved for ever and ever and lhroughoul aII lhe generalions lhal are lo
cone.
And ye, nolIe ones, hearken unlo ne, and Iearn veII vhal conelh
forlh fron ny noulh and ny vords. Love ye vhal is righl and hale
faIsehood, for vhal is righl is righleousness and faIsehood is lhe head of
iniquily. And ye shaII nol use fraud and oppression anong yourseIves, for
Cod dveIIelh vilh you, and lhe halilalion of His gIory is anong you, for
ye have lecone nenlers of His househoId. And fron lhis line onvard
cease ye lo olserve your forner cuslons, |naneIyj naking auguries fron
lirds, and fron signs, and lhe use of charns, and incanlalions, and
porlenls, and nagic. And if afler lhis day lhere le found any nan vho
olservelh aII his forner cuslons, his house shaII le pIundered, and he and
his vife and his chiIdren shaII le condenned.
And lhe Queen said unlo Azariah, Speak and decIare hov nuch lhou
Iovesl our Lady vilh her HeavenIy King.
9O. Hov Azariah Iraised lhe Queen and her Cily
And Azariah rose up and said unlo lhe Queen, our Lady, veriIy
lhere is no one Iike unlo lhee in visdon and underslanding~lhe vhich
have leen given unlo lhee ly Cod~excepl ny Iord lhe King, vho halh
lroughl us unlo lhis Iand vilh our Lady Zion, lhe hoIy and heavenIy
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod. Nov ve and our falhers of oIden line have
Kelra Nagasl
133
said, Cod halh chosen none excepl lhe House of }acol, us halh He chosen,
us halh He nuIlipIied, us halh He heId lo pIease Hin, and He halh nade
us kings and nade us nenlers of His househoId, and counciIIors of His
gIory and of lhe TalernacIe of His covenanl. And as for a counlry, ve say
lhal He halh chosen no counlry excepl ours, lul nov ve see lhal lhe
counlry of Llhiopia is leller lhan lhe counlry of }udah. And fron lhe line
lhal ve arrived in your counlry everylhing lhal ve have seen halh
appeared good lo us. Your valers are good and lhey are given vilhoul
price (or, paynenl), and |ve havej air vilhoul fans, and viId honey is as
|pIenlifuI asj lhe dusl of lhe narkel pIace, and callIe as lhe sand of lhe sea.
And as for vhal ve have seen lhere is nolhing deleslalIe, and lhere is
nolhing naIign in vhal ve hear, and in vhal ve vaIk upon, and in vhal
ve louch, and in vhal ve lasle vilh our noulhs. Bul lhere is one naller
lhal ve vouId nenlion: ye are lIack of face, and I onIy nenlion lhis
lecause I have seen il, and if Cod Iighlelh up your hearls lhere is nolhing
lhal can do you harn.
And vilhdrav ye yourseIves fron neal lhal dielh of ilseIf, and fron
lIood, and fron lodies lorn ly viId aninaIs, and fron fornicalion, and
fron everylhing lhal Cod halelh, so lhal ve nay rejoice in you vhen ve
see you fearing Cod and lrenlIing al His vord, even as Cod connanded
our falhers and said unlo Moses, 'Cive lhen connands aloul everylhing,
and leII lhen lo keep My Lav and My rdinance.
81
' And lurn ye nol
aside, neilher lo lhe righl hand nor lo lhe Iefl, fron lhal vhich ve
connand you lhis day, and nov |ve connandj you lhal ye vorship Cod,
lhe HoIy ne of IsraeI, and do His good pIeasure, for He halh rejecled our
nalion even as our prophels prophesied, and halh chosen you. Dolh nol
Cod your Crealor leIong lo aII of you In vhal viII Cod find il difficuIl if
He Iovelh us and halelh lhen Ior everylhing leIongelh lo Hin, and
everylhing is His handivork, and lhere is nolhing inpossilIe for lhe Lord
Cod of IsraeI.
And hearken ye unlo His connand, vhich I viII decIare unlo you. Lel
nol one overcone his feIIov ly vioIence. IIunder nol lhe possessions of
81
Conpare Deuleronony iv, i.
Kelra Nagasl
134
your neighlours. Ye shaII nol reviIe each olher, and ye shaII nol oppress
each olher, and ye shaII nol quarreI vilh each olher. And if ly chance an
aninaI leIonging lo your neighlour cone anong your properly, le nol
lIind lo lhe facl lul nake il go lack lo hin. And if ye do nol knov vho is
lhe ovner of lhe properly, lake care of il for hin, and as soon as one halh
found oul lo vhon il leIongelh relurn his properly lo hin. And if lhe
properly of your neighlour halh faIIen inlo a pil, or inlo a veII, or inlo a
hoIIov or inlo a ravine, do nol pass on and go nol ly il unliI ye have loId
hin and heIped hin lo drag oul lhe aninaI. And if a nan halh dug a veII
or halh luiIl a lover (or, sheIler), he shaII nol Ieave lhe veII vilhoul a
cover nor lhe lover vilhoul a roof. And if lhere is a nan vho is carrying a
heavy Ioad, or if lhe Ioad halh sIipped fron lhe nan vho is carrying il, ye
shaII nol pass on your vay unliI ye have heIped hin lo Iifl il up or lo
Iighlen il for hin, for he is your lrolher. Ye shaII nol cook a young aninaI
in lhe niIk of his nolher. Ye shaII nol lurn aside lhe righl of lhe poor and
lhe orphans. Ye shaII nol accepl lhe person, and ye shaII nol lake lriles lo
lurn aside lhe righl and lear faIse vilness.
And vhen ye find a lird in your Iand vilh her young ones, ye shaII
spare her Iife and shaII nol lake avay her young, so lhal your days nay le
Iong upon lhe earlh, and your seed nay le lIessed vilh (or, for) Ienglh of
days. And vhen ye reap lhe harvesl of your food, ye shaII nol le carefuI lo
reap aII of il. Calher nol up vhal faIIelh fron il, and lhe sheaves vhich ye
have forgollen Ieave vhen ye go lack, and lake lhen nol up, lul Ieave
lhen for lhe slranger in your cily, so lhal Cod nay lIess lhe fruil of your
Iand. And ye shaII nol vork inpurily, and ye shaII nol judge vilh
parliaIily, and ye shaII nol deaI oppressiveIy vilh one anolher in anylhing,
so lhal ye nay le lIessed, and so lhal lhe fruil of your Iand nay increase,
and so lhal ye nay le saved fron lhe curse of lhe Lav vhich Cod halh
connanded, saying, 'They shaII curse lhe vorker of eviI. And He vrole,
saying, 'He vho Ieadelh lhe lIind nan oul of his palh is accursed. And he
vho addresselh viIe vords lo a deaf (or, dunl) nan is accursed. And he
vho defiIelh his falhers led is accursed. And he vho lealelh his
neighlour vilh fraud is accursed. And he vho perverlelh juslice for lhe
aIien so lhal he nay sIay innocenl lIood is accursed. And he vho lrealelh
Kelra Nagasl
13
his falher and his nolher IighlIy is accursed. And he vho nakelh a fiIlhy
graven inage of slone or sneIled nelaI, lhe vork of a nans hand, and
sellelh il up and hidelh il in his house, and vorshippelh il as a god, nol
leIieving lhal Cod is lhe Crealor of lhe heavens and lhe earlh, Who nade
Adan in His ovn inage and Iikeness, and sel hin over everylhing vhich
He had crealed, ve aII leing His vork~lhe nan vho dolh nol leIieve
|lhisj accursed Iel hin le! Anen. And he vho Iielh vilh a leasl, Iel hin le
accursed. And he vho Iielh vilh a nan as vilh a vonan, Iel hin le
accursed. And he vho sIayelh a Iife, innocenl lIood, vilh fraud and
vioIence, Iel hin le accursed.
82
And over and alove aII lhese lhings ye shaII vorship no olher gods, for
Cod is jeaIous concerning lhose vho despise Hin and do lhus, and He
sellelh His face upon lhen unliI He roolelh oul lheir Iives fron lhe earlh,
and lIollelh oul lheir nenory for ever. BIessed are lhose vho hearken lo
lhe voice of Cod, and perforn and keep |His connandnenlsj. And
lIessed are lhose vho lurn aside fron lhose vho do eviI, so lhal none of
lhe punishnenls vhich shaII cone upon sinners shaII faII upon lhen. And
if il le lhal lhou viIl keep lhe vord of Cod, vilhdrav lhyseIf fron lhe vay
of sinners, so lhal lhou nayesl nol le lealen vilh lhe rod vherevilh lhey
shaII le lealen. Lven as David lhe grandfalher of our Iord David sailh,
'Cod viII nol Iel lhe rod of sinners |faIIj upon lhe porlion of lhe righleous,
so lhal lhe righleous nay nol Iifl up lheir hands in vioIence (or,
oppression). When a nan halh lhe pover lo do lhal vhich is good, and he
valchelh hinseIf and leIIelh his neighlour, he leconelh as il vere lhe
ovner of lvo laIenls,
83
and yel olher lvo laIenls are added lo hin, and he
gellelh alundanl revard fron Cod. Ior he halh done il hinseIf and laughl
his neighlour lo do il, and lecause of lhis his revard shaII le exceedingIy
greal. And again, lIessed shaII ye le if ye give your possessions, vilhoul
usury and nol as Ioans.
82
Deuleronony xxvii, 1 ff.
83
Conpare Mallhev xxv, 22.
Kelra Nagasl
136
91. This is vhal ye shaII eal: lhe CIean and lhe UncIean
And lhis is vhal ye shaII eal: lhe cIean and lhal vhich is nol cIean. The
ox, lhe sheep, lhe goal, lhe ran, lhe slag, lhe gazeIIe, lhe luffaIo, lhe
deskna anleIope, lhe veeI anleIope, lhe oryx, lhe zrl gazeIIe, and
every crealure vilh a cIefl hoof and naiIs eal ye, and lhe crealures lhal
chev lhe cud. And lhese vhich ye shaII nol eal anong lhose lhal chev lhe
cud and have a cIefl hoof are lhe caneIs and lhe hare and lhe krgIyn
(coney), for lhey chev lhe cud lul lheir hoofs are nol cIefl. The voIf and
lhe pig ye shaII nol eal, for lheir hoofs are cIefl lul lhey do nol chev lhe
cud: ye shaII nol eal vhal is uncIean. Whalsoever is in lhe valers vilh fins
and scaIes eal ye, vhalsoever is uncIean lherein eal ye nol. Anong lirds
everylhing lhal is cIean eal ye, lul ye shaII nol eal lhe foIIoving: lhe eagIe,
lhe vuIlure, lhe 'Iy;n eagIe, lhe osprey lhe havk, and lhe Iike, lhe raven,
oslrich, lhe ovI, lhe sea-guII, lhe heron, lhe svan, lhe ilis, lhe peIican, lhe
havk, lhe hoopoe, lhe nighl raven, lhe hornliII, lhe valerpiper, lhe valer-
hen, and lhe lal, lhese are uncIean. And ye shaII nol eal lhe Iocusl nor
anylhing of his kind, nor lhe 'ak.l.n nor anylhing of his kind, nor lhe
grasshopper nor anylhing of his kind, nor lhe fieId Iocusl nor anylhing of
his kind. f lhe lhings lhal fIy (or, spring) and have lvo or four or six feel,
lheir fIesh is uncIean, ye shaII nol eal lhereof. And ye shaII nol louch lheir
dead lodies, and vhosoever louchelh lhen shaII le uncIean unliI lhe
evening.
Nov lhese lhings ve have decIared unlo you in order lhal ye nay
keep and perforn lhe fear of Cod so lhal ye nay le lIessed in lhis your
counlry, vhich Cod halh given unlo you lecause of lhe heavenIy Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, for lecause of her have ye leen chosen. And
our falhers have leen rejecled, lecause Cod look fron lhen Zion, lhe
TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, lo keep you and your seed for ever. And He
viII lIess lhe fruil of your Iand, and He viII nuIlipIy your callIe, and viII
prolecl lhen in everylhing vherein lhey are lo le prolecled.
And as for lhee, ny Lady, lhy visdon is good, and il surpasselh lhe
visdon of nen. There is none lhal can le conpared vilh lhee in respecl of
lhy inleIIigence, nol onIy in lhe naller of lhe inluilion of lhe vonen vho
Kelra Nagasl
137
have leen crealed up lo lhis presenl, lul lhe underslanding of lhine hearl
is deeper lhan lhal of nen, and lhere is none vho can le conpared vilh
lhee in lhe alundance of lhine underslanding, excepl ny Iord SoIonon.
And lhy visdon so far exceedelh lhal of SoIonon lhal lhou hasl leen alIe
lo drav hilher lhe nighly nen of IsraeI, and lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of
Cod, vilh lhe ropes of lhine underslanding, and lhou hasl overlhrovn lhe
house of lheir idoIs, and deslroyed lheir inages, and lhou hasl cIeansed
vhal vas uncIean anong lhy peopIe, for lhou hasl driven avay fron lhen
lhal vhich Cod halelh.
And as concerning lhy nane, Cod halh prepared il |especiaIIyj, for He
halh caIIed lhee 'Mkd, vhereof lhe inlerprelalion is 'Nol lhus.
Consider lhou |lhe peopIej of lhy nalion vilh vhon Cod vas nol veII
pIeased, and lhou viIl say 'Nol lhus |is ilj good, lul il is righl lhal ve
shouId vorship Cod, 'Nol lhus is il good lo vorship lhe sun, lul il is righl
lo vorship Cod, lhou viIl say. 'Nol lhus is il good lo enquire of lhe
diviner, lul il is leller lo lrusl in Cod, lhou viIl say. 'Nol lhus is il good lo
resorl lo lhe vorking of nagic, lul il is leller lo Iean upon lhe HoIy ne of
IsraeI, lhou viIl say. 'Nol lhus is il good lo offer up sacrifices lo slones and
lrees, lul il is righl lo offer up sacrifices lo Cod, lhou viIl say. 'Nol lhus is
il good lo seek augury fron lirds, lul il is righl lo pul confidence in lhe
Crealor, lhou viIl say.
And lesides, inasnuch as lhou hasl chosen visdon she halh lecone
lo lhee a nolher, lhou didsl seek her, and she halh lecone unlo lhee a
lreasure. Thou hasl nade her a pIace of refuge for lhyseIf, and she halh
lecone lo lhee a vaII. Thou hasl desired her eagerIy, and she halh Ioved
lhee alove everylhing. Thou hasl pIaced lhy confidence in her, and she
halh laken lhee lo her loson Iike a chiId. Thou hasl Ioved her, and she
halh lecone unlo lhee as lhou didsl desire. Thou hasl Iaid hoId upon her,
and she viII nol Iel lhee go unliI lhe day of lhy dealh. Thou hasl leen
sorrovfuI on her accounl, and she halh nade lhee lo rejoice for ever. Thou
hasl loiIed for her sake, and she halh nade lhee vigorous for ever. Thou
hasl hungered for her sake, and she halh fiIIed lhee vilh food for ever.
Thou hasl lhirsled for visdon, and she halh given lhee drink in alundance
for ever. Thou hasl suffered lriluIalion for lhe sake of visdon, and she
Kelra Nagasl
138
halh lecone unlo lhee a heaIing for ever. Thou hasl nade lhyseIf deaf for
lhe sake of visdon, and she halh nade lhee lo hear for ever. Thou hasl
nade lhyseIf lIind for lhe sake of visdon, and she halh iIIunined lhee
nore lhan lhe sun for ever. And aII lhis halh happened fron Cod lecause
lhou hasl Ioved visdon for ever. Ior visdon, and knovIedge, and
underslanding are fron lhe Lord. Underslanding and knovIedge, and lhe
leginning of visdon, and lhe fear of lhe Lord, and knovIedge, and lhe
perceplion of good, and synpalhy, and conpassion lhal exislelh for ever,
aII lhese lhings lhou hasl found, ny Lady, vilh lhe Cod of IsraeI, lhe
HoIy of lhe hoIiesl, lhe Knover of hearls, Who searchelh oul vhal is in lhe
hearl of nan, fron Hin everylhing is. And il cane lo pass ly lhe WiII of
Cod, lhal Zion halh cone unlo lhis counlry of Llhiopia, and il shaII le a
guide lo our King David, lhe Iover of Cod, lhe guardian of her paviIion,
and lhe direclor of lhe halilalion of His gIory.
92. Hov lhey Reneved lhe Kingdon of David
And Azariah said, Bring hilher lhe juliIee lrunpels, and Iel us go lo
Zion, and lhere ve viII nake nev lhe kingdon of our Iord David. And he
look lhe oiI of sovereignly and fiIIed lhe horn |lherevilhj, and he anoinled
David vilh lhe unguenl, lhal is lo say, vilh lhe oiI of sovereignly. And
lhey lIev horns and pipes and lrunpels, and leal druns, and sounded aII
kinds of nusicaI inslrunenls, and lhere vere singing and dancing and
ganes, and |dispIaysj vilh horses and shieId |-nenj, and aII lhe nen and
vonen of lhe peopIe of lhe counlry of Llhiopia vere presenl, snaII and
greal, and lhe IillIe BIacks, six lhousand in nunler, and virgin vonen
vhon Azariah had chosen for lhe vonen of Zion ly lhe Iav, vhon David
lhe King had deslined for |lhe service ofj lhe lalIe and lanquels in lhe
royaI forlress vhen he shouId go up lherelo |cIad inj rainenl of fine goId.
And in lhis vise vas reneved lhe kingdon of David, lhe son of SoIonon
lhe king of IsraeI, in lhe capilaI cily, in Mounl Mkd, in lhe House of
Zion, vhen lhe Lav vas eslalIished for lhe firsl line ly lhe King of
Llhiopia.
Kelra Nagasl
139
And lhen vhen he had conpIeled lhe slalIishing of lhe Lav, lhey
nade, according lo vhal lhey had seen in }erusaIen, lhe Lav in lhe House
of Zion for lhe nolIes of lhe kingdon, and for lhose vho vere inside, and
for lhose lhal vere oulside, and for lhe peopIe, and for lhe isIands, and for
lhe cilies, and for lhe provinces, and for aII lhe inhalilanls and for aII lheir
lrilaI kinsfoIk lhey nade ordinances in lhe sane nanner. And lhus lhe
easlern loundary of lhe kingdon of lhe King of Llhiopia is lhe leginning
of lhe cily of Cz in lhe Iand of }udah, lhal is, }erusaIen, and ils loundary
is lhe Lake of }ericho, and il passelh on ly lhe coasl of ils sea lo Ll and
Sl, and ils loundary goelh dovn lo Bss and 'Asnl, and ils loundary is
lhe Sea of lhe BIacks and Naked Men, and goelh up Mounl Klrnyn
inlo lhe Sea of Darkness, lhal is lo say, lhe pIace vhere lhe sun sellelh and
ils loundary exlendelh lo InI and LasfI and ils lorders are lhe Iands
|nearj lhe Carden (i.e. Iaradise), vhere lhere is food in pIenly and
alundance of callIe, and |nearj Inkn, and ils loundary reachelh as far
as ZvI and passelh on lo lhe Sea of India, and ils loundary is as far as
lhe Sea of Tarsis, and in ils renole () parl Iielh lhe Sea of Medyn, unliI il
conelh lo lhe counlry of Cz, and ils loundary is lhe pIace vhere |our
enuneralionj legan. And noreover, lhe doninion of lhe King of Llhiopia
leIongelh lo hin and lo his seed for ever.
93. Hov lhe Men of Rn Deslroyed lhe Iailh
And afler lhey had vailed for lhree nonlhs~nov Zion cane inlo lhe
counlry of Llhiopia al lhe leginning of lhe firsl nonlh in lhe Ianguage of
lhe Helrevs, and in Creek Trnn and in Cz (Llhiopic) Myzy, on lhe
sixlh (or, sevenlh) day~lhey vrole dovn lhe Lav and lhe nanes, and lhey
deposiled |lhe vrilingj for a nenoriaI for lhe Ialer days, so lhal vhal vas
righl shouId le done for lhe paviIion |of Zionj lherely, and so lhal lhe
gIory of lhe kings of Llhiopia and lhe gIory of lhe kings of Rn nighl le
veII knovn. Ior lhe kings of Llhiopia and lhe kings of Rn vere lrelhren
and heId lhe Chrislian Iailh. Nov firsl of aII lhey leIieved in an orlhodox
nanner in lhe preaching of lhe AposlIes up lo |lhe line ofj Conslanline,
and 'LIn (HeIena) lhe Queen, vho lroughl forlh lhe vood of lhe Cross,
Kelra Nagasl
14O
and lhey (i.e. lhe kings of Rn) conlinued |lo leIieve forj one hundred
and lhirly years.
And aflervards, Salan, vho halh leen lhe eneny of nan fron of oId,
rose up, and seduced lhe peopIe of lhe counlry of Rn, and lhey
corrupled lhe Iailh of Chrisl, and lhey inlroduced heresy inlo lhe Church
of Cod ly lhe noulh of Neslorius. And Neslorius, and Arius, and Yals
() vere lhose inlo vhose hearls he casl lhe sane jeaIousy as he had casl
inlo lhe hearl of Cain lo sIay his lrolher AleI. In Iike nanner did lheir
falher lhe DeviI, lhe eneny of righleousness and lhe haler of good, casl
jeaIousy, even as David sailh, They speak vioIence in lhe heighls of
heaven, and sel lheir noulhs in lhe heavens, and lheir longue vaggelh on
lhe earlh.
84
And lhose sane nen vho knov nol vhence lhey cane, and
knov nol vhilher lhey are going, reviIe lheir Crealor vilh lheir longues,
and lIasphene His gIory, vhiIe He is Cod, lhe Word of lhe Lord. He cane
dovn fron lhe lhrone of His Codhead, and pul on lhe lody of Adan, and
He is Cod lhe Word. And in lhal lody He vas crucified so lhal He nighl
redeen Adan in his iniquily, and He venl up inlo lhe heavens, and sal
upon lhe lhrone of His Codhead in lhal lody, vhich He had laken. And
He shaII cone again in gIory lo judge lhe Iiving and lhe dead, and shaII
revard every nan according lo his vork, for ever and ever. Anen.
And ve leIieve lhus and ve adore lhe HoIy Trinily. And lhose vho do
nol leIieve lhus are exconnunicaled ly lhe Word of Cod, lhe King of
heaven and earlh, lolh in lhis vorId and in lhal vorId vhich is lo cone.
And ve are slrong in lhe rlhodox Iailh vhich lhe Ialhers lhe AposlIes
have deIivered unlo us, lhe Iailh of lhe Church. And lhus Llhiopia
conlinued lo alide in her Iailh unliI lhe coning of our Lord }esus Chrisl lo
Whon le gIory forever and ever. Anen.
94. The Iirsl War of lhe King of Llhiopia
And afler lhree nonlhs lhey (i.e. David and his soIdiers) rose up lo
vage var fron lhe cily of lhe Covernnenl, vilh Mkd his nolher and
84
IsaIn Ixxiii, 8, 9.
Kelra Nagasl
141
Zion his Lady. And lhe Leviles carried lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav, logelher
vilh lhe lhings lhal apperlained lo lheir office, and lhey narched aIong
vilh greal najesly, and as in lines of oId vhen Cod on Mounl Sinai nade
Zion lo cone dovn in hoIiness lo Moses and Aaron, even so did Azariah
and 'LInys lear aIong lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav. And lhe olher nighly
nen of var of IsraeI narched on lhe righl side of il and on lhe Iefl, and
cIose lo il, and lefore il and lehind il, and aIlhough lhey vere leings nade
of dusl lhey sang psaIns and songs of lhe spiril Iike lhe heavenIy hosls.
And Cod gave lhen leaulifuI voices and narveIIous songs, for He vas
veII pIeased lo le praised ly lhen.
And lhey cane fron lhe cily of lhe Covernnenl, and encanped al
Mya 'Alav, and on lhe foIIoving norning lhey Iaid vasle lhe dislricl of
Zv vilh Hady, for ennily had exisled lelveen lhen fron oIden line,
and lhey lIolled oul lhe peopIe and sIev lhen vilh lhe edge of lhe svord.
And lhey passed on fron lhal pIace and encanped al Crr, and here aIso
lhey Iaid vasle lhe cily of vipers lhal had lhe faces of nen, and lhe laiIs of
asses allached lo lheir Ioins.
And |lhe Queenj relurned and encanped in lhe cily of Zion, and lhey
renained lherein lhree nonlhs, lhen lheir vagons noved on and cane lo
lhe cily of lhe Covernnenl. And in one day lhey cane lo lhe cily of Sl,
and lhey Iaid vasle Nl, and fron lhere lhey canped round aloul Sl,
and lhey Iaid il vasle as far as lhe lorder of Lgypl. And lhe najesly (or,
ave) of lhe King of Llhiopia vas so greal lhal lhe King of Mdyn and lhe
King of Lgypl caused gifls lo le lroughl unlo hin, and lhey cane inlo lhe
cily of lhe Covernnenl, and fron lhere lhey encanped in 'All, and lhey
vaged var on lhe counlry of India, and lhe King of India lroughl a gifl
and a presenl (or, lrilule), and hinseIf did honage lo lhe King of Llhiopia.
He (i.e. David) vaged var vheresoever he pIeased, no nan conquered
hin, on lhe conlrary, vhosoever allacked hin vas conquered. And as for
lhose vho vouId have pIayed lhe spy in his canp, in order lo hear sone
slory and reIale il in lheir cily, lhey vere unalIe lo run ly lhe vagons, for
Zion herseIf nade lhe slrenglh of lhe eneny lo le exhausled. Bul King
David, vilh his soIdiers, and lhe arnies of his soIdiers, and aII lhose vho
oleyed his vord, ran ly lhe vagons vilhoul pain or suffering, and
Kelra Nagasl
142
vilhoul hunger or lhirsl, and vilhoul sveal or exhauslion, and lraveIIed in
one day a dislance vhich |usuaIIyj look lhree nonlhs lo lraverse. And lhey
Iacked nolhing vhalsoever of lhe lhings vhich lhey asked Cod lhrough
Zion lhe, TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod lo give lhen, for He dveIl vilh
her, and His AngeI direcled her, and she vas His halilalion. And as for lhe
king vho ninislered lo His paviIion~if he vere lraveIIing on any journey,
and vished sonelhing lo le done, everylhing lhal he vished for and
lhoughl aloul in his hearl, and indicaled vilh his finger, everylhing |I sayj
vas perforned al his vord, and everyone feared hin. Bul he feared no
one, for lhe hand of Cod vas vilh hin, and il prolecled hin ly day and ly
nighl. And he did His WiII, and Cod vorked for hin and prolecled hin
fron aII eviI for ever and ever. Anen.
This I found anong lhe nanuscripls of lhe Church of Sophia in
ConslanlinopIe. And lhe Archlishops vho vere lhere said unlo hin
|Doniliusj, This is vhal is vrillen fron lhe days of SoIonon lhe King.
And Donilius of Anlioch said, Yea, lhal vhich is vrillen up lo lhe day of
lhe dealh of SoIonon is lo le accepled, and lhal vhich halh leen vrillen
ly olher prophels afler his dealh is lo le accepled Iikevise.
9. Hov lhe HonouralIe Lslale of lhe King of Llhiopia vas UniversaIIy
Accepled
Nov lhrough lhe Kelra Nagasl ve knov and have Iearned lhal of a
surely lhe King of Llhiopia is honouralIe, and lhal he is lhe King of Zion,
and lhe firsllorn of lhe seed of Shen, and lhal lhe halilalion of Cod is in
Zion, and lhal He lhere lreakelh lhe nighl and pover of aII his enenies
and foes. And afler hin lhe King of Rn vas lhe anoinled of lhe Lord
lecause of lhe vood of lhe Cross. And as concerning lhe kingdon of
IsraeI~vhen lhe IearI vas lorn of lhen, and of lhe IearI again vas lorn
lhe Sun of Righleousness, Who hid HinseIf in her lody~nov had He nol
hidden HinseIf in lhe lody of a nan He couId nol have leen seen ly
norlaI eyes~and having pul on our lody He lecane Iike unlo us, and He
vaIked aloul vilh |nenj. And He vroughl signs and vonders in lheir
nidsl. He raised lheir dead, and He heaIed lheir sick foIk, and He nade lhe
Kelra Nagasl
143
eyes of lheir lIind lo see, and He opened lhe ears of lheir deaf foIk, and He
cIeansed lhe Iepers, and He salisfied lhe hungry vilh food, and He
perforned nany niracIes, sone of vhich are vrillen dovn and sone of
vhich are nol, even as sailh }ohn lhe LvangeIisl, lhe son of Zeledee, If
everylhing vhich }esus did vere vrillen dovn, lhe vhoIe vorId vouId
nol le alIe lo hoId aII lhe vrilings lhal vouId have lo le vrillen.
8
And vhen lhe vicked chiIdren of IsraeI sav aII lhis lhey lhoughl lhal
He vas a nan, and lhey vere envious of Hin lecause of vhal lhey sav
and heard, and lhey crucified Hin upon lhe vood of lhe Cross, and lhey
kiIIed Hin. And He rose fron lhe dead on lhe lhird day, and venl up inlo
heaven in gIory, |and salj on lhe lhrone of lhe Codhead. And He received
fron lhe Ialher a kingdon incorruplilIe for ever and ever over lhe leings
of lhe spiril, and lhe leings of earlh, and over every crealed leing, so lhal
every longue shaII adore His Nane, and every knee lov lo Hin, and He
shaII judge lhe Iiving and lhe dead and revard every nan according lo his
vork. So lherefore vhen lhe }evs shaII see Hin lhey shaII le pul lo shane,
and shaII le condenned lo lhe fire vhich is everIasling. Bul ve vho
leIieve in lhe rlhodox Iailh shaII le upon our lhrone, and ve shaII rejoice
vilh our leachers lhe AposlIes, provided lhal ve have vaIked in lhe vay
of Chrisl and in His connandnenls. And afler lhe }evs crucified lhe
Saviour of lhe vorId, lhey vere scallered alroad, and lheir kingdon vas
deslroyed, and lhey vere nade an end of and rooled oul for ever and ever.
And aII lhe sainls vho vere galhered logelher said, AssuredIy, in very
lrulh lhe King of Llhiopia is nore exaIled, and nore honouralIe lhan any
olher king upon lhe earlh, lecause of lhe gIory and grealness of lhe
heavenIy Zion. And Cod Iovelh lhe peopIe of Llhiopia, for vilhoul
knoving aloul His Lav, lhey deslroyed lheir idoIs, vhereas lhose unlo
vhon lhe Lav of Cod had leen given nade idoIs and vorshipped lhe
gods vhich Cod halelh. And in lhe Ialer lines vhen He vas lorn lo
redeen Adan He vroughl signs and vonders lefore lhen, lul lhey did
nol leIieve in Hin, neilher in His preaching nor in lhe preaching of His
8
}ohn xxi, 2.
Kelra Nagasl
144
falhers. Bul lhe peopIe of Llhiopia leIieved in one lruslvorlhy discipIe,
and for lhis reason Cod halh Ioved exceedingIy lhe peopIe of Llhiopia.
And lhe Bishops ansvered and said unlo hin (Cregory), WeII hasl
lhou spoken, and lhy vord is lrue, and vhal lhou hasl expounded and
inlerpreled lo us is cIear. Lven as IauI sailh, 'Halh nol lhe seed of Alrahan
exaIled lhe seed of Shen They are aII kings of lhe earlh, lul lhe chosen
ones of lhe Lord are lhe peopIe of Llhiopia. Ior lhere is lhe halilalion of
Cod, lhe heavenIy Zion, lhe TalernacIe of His Lav and lhe TalernacIe of
His Covenanl, vhich He halh nade inlo a nercy-seal lhrough |Hisj nercy
for lhe chiIdren of nen, for lhe rains and lhe valers fron lhe sky, for lhe
pIanled lhings (or, vegelalion) and lhe fruils, for lhe peopIes and lhe
counlries, for lhe kings and nolIes, for nen and leasls, for lirds and
creeping lhings.
And Cregory lhe Bishop, lhe vorker of vonders, ansvered and said
unlo lhen, VeriIy, saIvalion halh leen given unlo aII of us Chrislian
peopIe, unlo lhose vho have leIieved in our Lady Mary, lhe Iikeness of lhe
heavenIy Zion. Ior lhe Lord dveIl in lhe vonl of lhe Virgin, and vas
lroughl forlh ly her vilhoul carnaI union. And lhe Ten Words
(DecaIogue) of lhe Lav vere vrillen ly lhe Iinger of Cod, and nade (i.e.
pIaced) in Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod. And nov, cone ye, and
ve viII decIare fron lhe Lav of Moses lhe prophecies of lhe Irophels our
Ialhers, lhe hoIy nen of oIden line, and lhe prophecies concerning Chrisl
our Redeener, so lhal lhe generalions of poslerily nay hear lhe
inlerprelalion (or, expIanalion) of lhe slory, and ve viII reIale unlo lhen
lhe narralive of lhe inlerprelalion of lhe Scriplures. We viII legin lhen
vilh lhe leginning of lhe Book, and ve viII nake |Youj lo undersland in
lhe Spiril, as David sailh, lhrough lhe HoIy Spiril, 'In lhe leginning lhe
Book vas vrillen lecause of ne.
86
And one ansvered and said, Whal is lhe leginning of lhe Book And
lhey ansvered and said unlo hin, Il is lhe Lav vhich vas vrillen
concerning Chrisl, lhe Son of Cod. And il sailh, 'In lhe leginning Cod
86
IsaIn xI, 7.
Kelra Nagasl
14
nade lhe heavens and lhe earlh,
87
and lhey exisled fron oIden line. Nov
lhe earlh vas fornIess, lul lhere vere nixed logelher darkness, and
vinds, and valer, and nisl, and dusl, aII of lhese vere nixed logelher.
And lhe Spiril of Cod hovered alove lhe valers. This neanelh lhal ly lhe
Word of Cod lhe heavens and lhe earlh vere crealed, and lhese vords
nean lhal lhe Spiril of Cod dveIl over aII crealion.
96. Concerning lhe Irophecy aloul Chrisl
Moreover Moses procIained in lhe Lav and said, A prophel Iike
nyseIf shaII rise up for you fron your lrelhren, and hearken ye unlo hin,
and every souI lhal viII nol hearken unlo lhal prophel ye shaII rool oul
fron anong lhe peopIe.
88
And lhis he said concerning Chrisl lhe Son of
Cod. And he aIso prophesied concerning His Crucifixion, and said, When
lhe serpenls affIicled lhe chiIdren of IsraeI lhey cried oul lo Moses, and
Moses cried oul lo Cod lo deIiver lhen fron lhe serpenls. And Cod said
unlo hin, Make an inage of lrass of a serpenl and suspend il in a pIace
vhere il can le knovn as a sign, and Iel every one vhon a serpenl halh
lillen Iook upon lhal inage of lrass, and he shaII Iive. And vhen lhey
faiIed lo Iook al il lhey died, and lhose vho Iooked on il and leIieved
Iived.
89
And in Iike nanner vas il vilh Chrisl, lhose vho paid no heed lo
Hin and did nol leIieve in Hin perished in SheI, and lhose vho leIieved
and hearkened unlo Hin inheriled lhe Iand of everIasling Iife, vhere lhere
viII never le pain or suffering.
And nov ve viII nake knovn unlo you hov lhey paid no heed lo
Chrisl, lhe Word of Cod. When lhe chiIdren of IsraeI spake againsl Moses,
saying, Is il lhal Cod halh spoken lo Moses onIy Hov is il lhal ve aIso
do nol hear lhe Word of Cod lhal ve nay leIieve on Hin
9O
And Cod,
87
Cenesis i, 1.
88
Conpare Deuleronony xviii, 1.
89
Nunlers xxi, 7.
9O
Nunlers xii, 2.
Kelra Nagasl
146
Who knovelh lhe hearls of nen, heard lhe nurnuring of lhe chiIdren of
IsraeI, and He said unlo Moses, Thou dosl ask forgiveness for lhy peopIe,
and yel lhey nurnur againsl lhee, saying, 'Why dolh nol Cod speak vilh
us And nov, if lhey leIieve in Me, Iel lhen cone hilher lo Me vilh lhee.
And leII lhen lo purify lhenseIves, and lo vash lheir appareI, and Iel lhe
greal nen of IsraeI go up lo hear vhal connands I viII give lhen, and Iel
lhen hear My voice and perforn lhe connandnenls vhich I shaII give
lhen. And Moses loId lhe chiIdren of IsraeI vhal he had leen
connanded, and lhe peopIe loved Iov lefore Cod, and lhey purified
lhenseIves on lhe lhird day. And lhe sevenly eIders of IsraeI
91
venl up
inlo Mounl Sinai, and lhey deparled fron lhe encanpnenl and ascended
Mounl Sinai. And lhey vere dislanl fron each olher lhe space of lhe fIighl
of an arrov, and lhey slood sliII, each facing his neighlour. Nov, lhough
lhere vere nany of lhen and lhey used lheir endeavours, lhey vere nol
alIe lo ascend inlo lhe cIoud vilh Moses, and fear and lrenlIing seized
upon lhen, and lhe shadov of dealh enveIoped lhen, and lhey heard lhe
sound of lhe horn and pipes, and |lhey feIlj lhe darkness and lhe vinds.
And Moses venl inlo lhe cIoud and heId converse vilh Cod, and aII lhe
greal nen of IsraeI heard lhal Voice of Cod, and lhey vere afraid and
quaked vilh lerror, and lecause of lhe overvheIning lerror vhich vas in
lheir hearls lhey vere unalIe lo sland up. And vhen Moses cane forlh
lhey said unlo hin, We viII nol hear lhis vord of Cod so lhal ve nay nol
die of lerror. And lehoId, ve knov lhal Cod hoIdelh converse vilh lhee.
And if lhere le anylhing lhal He vouId say unlo us, do lhou hearken
lherelo and decIare il unlo us. Be lhou unlo us a noulh in respecl of Cod,
and ve viII le unlo Hin His ovn peopIe. Do ye nol see lhal lhey denied
Chrisl and said, We viII nol hearken lo lhal Voice so lhal ve nay nol die
in lerror Nov Chrisl vas lhe Word of Cod, and lherefore vhen lhey
said, We viII nol hearken lo lhal Voice, lhey neanl, We do nol leIieve
in Chrisl.
91
Nunlers xi, 16-24, Lxodus xix.
Kelra Nagasl
147
And again Moses spake unlo Cod and said, Shev ne Thy Iace.
92
And Cod said unlo Moses, No one can Iook upon My Iace and Iive, lul
onIy as in a nirror. Turn lhy face lo lhe vesl and lhou shaIl see in lhe rock
lhe nirroring of My Iace. And vhen Moses sav lhe shadov of lhe Iace of
Cod, his ovn face shone vilh a lrighlness vhich vas seven lines lrighler
lhan lhe sun, and lhe Iighl vas so slrong lhal lhe chiIdren of IsraeI couId
nol Iook upon his face excepl lhrough a veiI. And lhereupon he sav lhal
lhey did nol desire lo Iook upon lhe Iace of Cod, for lhey said unlo hin,
Make unlo us a veiI so lhal ve nay nol see lhy face.
93
And having said
lhese vords il is evidenl lhal lhey haled lhe hearing of His vords and lhe
sighl of His Iace.
And noreover, vhen Alrahan look his son Isaac up inlo Mounl
KarnIvs (CarneI), Cod senl dovn fron heaven a ran for lhe
redenplion of Isaac. And Isaac vas nol sIaughlered, lul lhe ran vhich
had cone dovn fron heaven vas sIaughlered. Nov Alrahan is lo le
inlerpreled Cod lhe Ialher, and Isaac is lo le inlerpreled as a synloI of
Chrisl lhe Son. And vhen He cane dovn fron heaven for lhe saIvalion of
Adan and his sons, lhe Codhead vhich had cone dovn fron heaven vas
nol sIain, lul His lody vhich He had pul on for our sakes, lhal earlhIy
lody vhich He had pul on fron Mary, vas sIain. Can ye undersland and
knov lhal Iikeness and siniIilude for lhe earlhIy leing Isaac, lhe son of
Alrahan, vho vas an offering of lhe viII of his falher The heavenIy ran
lecane a redenplion (or, sulslilule), and lhe son of Alrahan vas
redeened. And as for Hin Who cane dovn, lhe Son of Cod, He lecane
lhe redenplion of lhe Codhead, His lody for lhe earlhIy, and He died in
His lody, lhe Codhead suffering in no vise and renaining unchanged,
and lhe norlaI lecane Iiving in lhe Resurreclion vilh lhe Codhead. And il
is cIearIy nanifesl: in lhal Chrisl, lhe Son of Cod, halh redeened us, He
halh nagnified us nen. And ve nusl honour especiaIIy, lolh upon lhe
earlh and in heaven, lhis our Lady Mary lhe Virgin, lhe Molher of Cod.
92
Lxodus xxxiii, 18-23.
93
Lxodus xxxiv, 33.
Kelra Nagasl
148
And, hearken ye lo lhis expIanalion concerning lhe firsl nan, vho is
our falher Adan. Lve vas crealed fron a nan, fron a lone in his side,
vilhoul carnaI enlrace and union, and she lecane his conpanion. And
having heard lhe vord of guiIe, fron leing lhe heIpneel of Adan she
lecane a nurderess ly naking hin lo lransgress lhe connand. And in
His nercy Cod lhe Ialher crealed lhe IearI in lhe lody of Adan. He
cIeansed Lves lody and sanclified il and nade for il a dveIIing in her for
Adans saIvalion. She |i.e. Maryj vas lorn vilhoul lIenish, for He nade
her pure, vilhoul poIIulion, and she redeened his dell vilhoul carnaI
union and enlrace. She lroughl forlh in heavenIy fIesh a King, and He
vas lorn of her, and He reneved his Iife in lhe purily of His lody. And He
sIev dealh vilh His pure lody, and He rose vilhoul corruplion, and He
halh raised us up vilh Hin lo innorlaIily, lhe lhrone of divinily, and He
halh raised us up lo Hin, and ve have exchanged Iife in our norlaI lody
and found lhe Iife vhich is innorlaI. Through lhe seduclion of Adan ve
suffered affIiclion, and ly lhe palienl endurance of Chrisl ve are heaIed.
Through lhe lransgression of Lve ve died and vere luried, and ly lhe
purily of Mary ve receive honour, and are exaIled lo lhe heighls.
And LzekieI aIso prophesied concerning Mary and said, I sav a door
in lhe easl vhich vas seaIed vilh a greal and narveIIous seaI, and lhere
vas none vho venl inlo il excepl lhe Lord of hosls, He venl in lhrough il
and cane forlh lherefron.
94
Hear ye nov lhis expIanalion: When he
sailh, I sav a door, il vas lhe door of lhe gale of heaven, lhe enlrance of
lhe sainls inlo lhe kingdon of lhe heavens. And vhen he sailh lhal il vas
in lhe easl he referrelh lo her purily and her leauly. Men caII her lhe
Cale of SaIvalion, and aIso lhe Lasl vhereunlo lhe sainls Iook vilh joy
and gIadness. And lhe cIosedness of vhich he speakelh referrelh lo her
virginily and her lody. And vhen he sailh lhal she vas seaIed vilh a
greal, vonderfuI seaI, lhis shovelh pIainIy lhal she vas seaIed ly Cod,
lhe Creal and WonderfuI, lhrough lhe HoIy Chosl. And vhen he sailh,
None goelh lhrough il excepl lhe Lord of hosls, He goelh in and conelh
oul, |he neanelhj lhe Crealor of lhe heavens and lhe earlh, lhe Crealor of
94
LzekieI xIiii, 1.
Kelra Nagasl
149
lhe angeIs and nen and lhe Iords. The Lord of hosls is lhe fruil of lhe
Codhead, Who pul on our lody fron her, Chrisl. He venl inlo and cane
forlh fron her vilhoul poIIuling her.
And Moses aIso prophesied concerning Mary, saying, I sav a lranlIe
lush on Mounl Sinai vhich lhe devouring fire consuned nol.
9
And lhe
significalion of lhis fire is lhe Codhood of lhe Son of Cod, and lhe lranlIe
lush, vhich lurned vilhoul lhe Ieaves lhereof leing shriveIIed, is Mary.
97. Concerning lhe Murnuring of IsraeI
And once again lhe chiIdren of IsraeI nurnured concerning lhe
ninislralion of lhe priesls lefore lhe Lord, saving, Are ve nol IsraeI, ve
lhe seed of Alrahan, and vhy cannol ve aIso offer up sacrifice Iike lhen
in lhe Tenl of Wilness ly lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, lhe hoIy Zion,
vilh censers and incense and lhe hoIy inslrunenls Why shouId Moses,
and his lrolher Aaron, and lheir chiIdren aIone do lhis Are ve nol peopIe
vhon Cod halh chosen as nuch as lhey are, and shaII ve nol do His
WiII And vhen Moses heard |lhisj he said unlo lhen, Do ye vhalsoever
ye viII. And lhe eIders of IsraeI venl and had nade sevenly censers
vherevilh lo cense Zion and lo praise Cod, and lhey look incense and
coaIs in lhe censers, and venl and cane inlo lhe HoIy of HoIies lo offer up
incense. And innedialeIy lhey lhrev lhe incense inlo lhe censers, al lhe
firsl sving of lhen fire cane forlh fron lhe censers, and lhey vere lurned
up slraighlvay and neIled avay. And as vax neIlelh lefore lhe face of
lhe fire, even so did lhey neIl avay, and as grass vilherelh vhen fIane
approachelh il, even so vere lhey consuned, logelher vilh lheir
inslrunenls, and lhere vas nolhing Iefl of lhen excepl lheir censers. And
Cod said, Sanclify lo Me lhese censers for My Tenl (or, IaviIion), and
lhey shaII le used for My offerings, for lhey are consecraled ly lhe dealh of
lhose nen.
96
9
Lxodus iii, 2.
96
See Nunlers xvi.
Kelra Nagasl
1O
Nov lhe censer is Mary, and Chrisl, lhe Son of Cod, lhe Codhead, is lhe
coaIs, and lhe odour of lhe incense is lhe perfune of Chrisl, and lhrough
lhe perfune of Hin AposlIes, and Irophels, and Marlyrs, and Monks, have
rejecled lhe vorId and inheriled lhe kingdon of heaven. And lhe chains of
lhe censers are lhe Iadder vhich }acol sav, lo vhich |lhe angeIsj cIung as
lhey venl up and cane dovn, and upon lhe perfune of lhe incense lhe
prayers of lhe pure go up lo lhe lhrone of Cod.
And vhen lhe fIane had lurned up lhe sinners, lhe peopIe vho vere
kinsnen of lhese vho had leen deslroyed reviIed Moses and Aaron, and
said unlo lhen, Ye have nade our eIders lo perish and lhey look up
slones lo slone Moses and Aaron.
97
And Cod vas exceedingIy vrolh vilh
IsraeI, and He aloninaled as a fiIlhy rag lhe counseI of Dalhan and
Aliran, lhe sons of Korah. And lhe Word of Cod nade a sign lo lhe earlh,
and lhe earlh opened her noulh and svaIIoved lhen up, logelher vilh aII
lheir conpanions, and lheir vives, and lheir chiIdren, and lheir leasls.
They venl dovn inlo SheI aIive, and lhe earlh shul herseIf up over lhen.
And as for lhe peopIe vho had leen associaled vilh lhen and had heard
lheir reviIings |of Mosesj Cod senl upon lhen a pIague, and lhey died
forlhvilh. And Moses and Aaron cane vilh incense and censers, and lhey
vepl lefore Cod, and enlrealed Hin for forgiveness for lhe peopIe, saying,
Renenler, Lord, Alrahan Thy friend, and Isaac Thy servanl, and
IsraeI Thy hoIy one, for ve are lheir seed, and lhe chiIdren of Thy peopIe.
CooI Thy vralh in respecl of us, and nake hasle lo hear us, deslroy us nol,
and renove Thy punishnenl fron upon Thy peopIe. And Cod lhe
MercifuI sav lhe sincerily of Moses, and had conpassion upon lhen. And
Cod spake unlo Moses and said unlo hin, Speak lhou lo lhis peopIe and
say unlo lhen, 'Sanclify ye yourseIves, and lring ye for each of lhe houses
of your falhers a rod, and vrile ye |lhe nanej upon il so lhal ye nay knov
lheir rods, lhou and lhy lrolher Aaron. Nov of your houses Iel Aaron
vrile upon his rod, lul upon lhine ovn rod nake no nark, for il shaII le a
perfecl niracIe for lhe chiIdren of lhy peopIe, a vindicalion for lhe vicked,
and a sign of Iife for aII lhose vho leIieve. If lhou didsl vrile |lhy nanej
97
Conpare Lxodus xvii, 4, Nunlers xvi, 4i.
Kelra Nagasl
11
nov vilh lhen, lhey vouId say unlo lhee, 'This halh leen a vorker of
niracIes fron of oId ly lhe vord of Cod, Iel lhen say lhis vhen I have
shovn lhen a niracIe ly il (i.e. lhe rod). Bul for lhe house of lhy falher
vrile upon lhe rod of Aaron.
98
98. Concerning lhe Rod of Moses and lhe Rod of Aaron
And Moses spake lhese vords unlo lhen, and lhey lroughl a rod inlo
each of lhe houses of lheir falhers vhich lhey had chosen for purily, and
lhere vere lveIve rods. And Moses vrole upon lheir rods lhe nanes of
lheir falhers: on lhe rod of Aaron vas vrillen lhe nane of Levi, and on lhe
rod of Karnn vas vrillen lhe nane of }udah, and on lhe rod of Adnys
vas vrillen lhe nane of Reulen, and on lhe rod of every nan of aII lhe
houses of IsraeI vas vrillen in Iike nanner lhe nane of his falher. And
Cod said unlo Moses, Carry |lhe rodsj lo Zion, lo lhe Tenl of Wilness, and
shul lhen up lherein unliI lhe norning, and |lhenj lake lhen oul lefore
lhe nen and give unlo each of lhen his rod, according lo lhe houses of
lheir falhers vhose nanes are vrillen on lhe rods, and lhe nan on vhose
rod a nark shaII le found is he vhon I have chosen lo le priesl lo Me.
And Moses loId lhe peopIe lhese vords, and lhey did according as Cod
had connanded lhen. And lhen, vhen lhe norning had cone, Moses
look lhe rods, and aII lhe eIders of IsraeI and Aaron cane. And Moses cane
lefore lhen, and he Iifled up lhe rods and lroughl lhen lefore aII lhe
peopIe, and lhe rod of Aaron vas found vilh lhe fruil and fIover of an
aInond vhich enilled a fragranl perfune. And Moses said unlo lhen,
Look ye nov. This is lhe rod vhich lhe Lord your Cod halh chosen, fear
ye Hin and vorship Hin and aII lhe peopIe loved dovn lefore Cod.
Nov lhis rod is Mary. And lhe rod vhich vilhoul valer lursl inlo
lIoon indicalelh Mary, fron vhon vas lorn, vilhoul lhe seed of nan, lhe
Word of Cod. And lhal He sailh I have chosen, I viII nake nanifesl a
niracIe, and he shaII le priesl lo Me, neanelh lhal Cod chose Mary oul of
aII lhe congregalion of IsraeI, even as David her falher prophesied, saying,
98
Nunlers xvii, 8.
Kelra Nagasl
12
The Lord Iovelh lhe gales of Zion nore lhan aII lhe halilalions of
}acol,
99
and he furlher said, MarveIIous is His speech concerning lhee,
cily of Cod.
1OO
And vhen he sailh, nore lhan aII lhe halilalions of
IsraeI and her gales |he referrelh loj lhe siIence of her noulh, and lhe
purily of her Iips, and lhe praise vhich goelh forlh fron her noulh, Iike
honey vhich fIovelh fron her Iips, and lhe purily of her virginily vhich
vas vilhoul spol or lIenish or inpurily lefore she lroughl forlh, and
afler she had lroughl forlh she vas pure and hoIy, and so shaII il le, even
as il vas, unlo aII elernily. And in lhe heavens she goelh aloul vilh lhe
angeIs a pure lhing, and she is lhe rod of Aaron. She Iivelh in Zion vilh lhe
pol vhich is fiIIed vilh nanna, and vilh lhe lvo lalIes lhal vere vrillen
vilh lhe Iinger of Cod. And lhe heavenIy, spiriluaI Zion is alove lhen, lhe
Zion, lhe naking and conslilulion of vhich are vonderfuI, of vhich Cod
HinseIf is her Maker and Iashioner for lhe halilalion of His gIory.
And Cod spake unlo Moses |sayingj, Make a TalernacIe of vood
vhich is indeslruclilIe |ly vorns and rolj, and cover il over vilh pIales of
fine goId, every parl lhereof.
1O1
And lhe goId is lhe fineness of lhe
Codhead lhal cane dovn fron heaven, for lhe Codhead conprehendelh
aII heaven and earlh, and in Iike nanner is pIaled vilh goId lhe TalernacIe,
lhe alode of lhe heavenIy Zion. And lhe TalernacIe is lo le inlerpreled as
Mary, and lhe vood vhich is indeslruclilIe is lo le inlerpreled as Chrisl
our Redeener. And lhe Cnr,
1O2
vhich is lhe pol of goId inside lhe
TalernacIe, is lo le inlerpreled as Mary, and lhe nanna vhich is in lhe pol
is lo le inlerpreled as lhe Body of Chrisl vhich cane dovn fron heaven,
and lhe Word of Cod vhich is vrillen upon lhe lvo lalIes is lo le
inlerpreled as Chrisl, lhe Son of Cod. And lhe spiriluaI Zion is lo le
inlerpreled as lhe Iighl of lhe Codhead. The spiriluaI IearI vhich is
conlained in lhe TalernacIe is Iike a lriIIianl gen of greal price, and he
99
IsaIn Ixxxvii, 2.
1OO
IsaIn Ixxxvii, 3.
1O1
Lxodus xxv, 1O, an ark of shillin vood.
1O2
Lxodus xvi, 33, lake a pol, and pul an oner fuII of nanna lherein.
Kelra Nagasl
13
vho halh acquired il hoIdelh il lighlIy in his hand, grasping il and hiding il
in his hand, and vhiIsl lhe gen is in his hand ils ovner goelh inlo lhe
TalernacIe, and he is an innale lherein. And he vho possesselh lhe IearI is
inlerpreled as lhe Word of Cod, Chrisl. And lhe spiriluaI IearI vhich is
grasped is lo le inlerpreled as Mary, lhe Molher of lhe Lighl, lhrough
vhon 'Akrls, lhe Unnixed, assuned a lody. In her He nade a
TenpIe for HinseIf of her pure lody, and fron her vas lorn lhe Lighl of
Lighl, Cod of Cod, Who vas lorn of His ovn freeviII, and vas nol nade
ly lhe hand of anolher, lul He nade a TenpIe for HinseIf lhrough an
inconprehensilIe visdon vhich lranscendelh lhe nind of nan.
And on anolher occasion, vhen Cod lroughl IsraeI oul of Lgypl, lhey
lhirsled for valer in Kds, and lhey nurnured and vepl lefore Moses,
and Moses venl lo Cod and nade Hin lo knov lhis. And Cod said unlo
hin, Take lhy rod and snile lhis rock,
1O3
and Moses snole lhe rock
Ienglhvise and lreadlhvise in lhe forn of lhe Cross, and valer fIoved
forlh, lveIve slreans. And lhey drank lheir fiII of lhe valer, lheir peopIe
and lheir leasls, and vhen lhey had drunk lhal rock foIIoved afler lhen.
And lhe rock is lo le inlerpreled as Chrisl, and lhe slreans of valer as lhe
AposlIes, and lhal vhich lhey drank as lhe leaching of lhe AposlIes, and
lhe rod is lhe vood of lhe Cross. And lhe rock is slalIe, as il sailh in lhe
CospeI, He vho luiIdelh upon a rock shaII nol le noved ly lhe
denons.
1O4
And again He sailh, I an lhe gale, and again He sailh, I
an lhe door.
1O
And olserve ye lhal vhen speaking He dislinguished
lelveen his discipIes even as He did lelveen lhose vho |canej afler lhen,
lhe Bishops and lhe Chrislian Connunily. Thou arl lhe rock, He said
unlo Ieler, and upon lhee I viII luiId lhe Chrislian peopIe.
1O6
And
again He said, I an lhe Shepherd of lhe sheep,
1O7
and He said unlo hin
1O3
Lxodus xvii, 6.
1O4
Mallhev vii, 24, 2.
1O
}ohn x, 7, 9.
1O6
Mallhev xvi, 18.
1O7
}ohn x, 11, 14.
Kelra Nagasl
14
lhrice, Ieed ny sheep.
1O8
And again He said I an lhe slen of lhe vine,
and unlo lhen He said, Ye are ils lranches and ils cIuslers of fruil.
1O9
And lhe rod of Moses ly neans of vhich he perforned lhe niracIe is lo
le inlerpreled as lhe vood of lhe Cross, vherely He deIivered Adan and
his chiIdren fron lhe punishnenl of deviIs. And as Moses snole lhe valer
of lhe river lherevilh, and lurned il inlo lIood, and sIev lheir fish, in Iike
nanner Chrisl sIev Dealh vilh His Cross, and lroughl lhen oul of SheI.
And as Moses snole in lhe air vilh his rod, and lhe vhoIe Iand of Lgypl
lecane dark for lhree days and lhree nighls
11O
vilh a darkness vhich
couId le feIl so lhal |lhe Lgypliansj couId nol rise fron lheir couches, so
aIso Chrisl, leing crucified upon lhe Cross, Iighlened lhe darkness of lhe
hearls of nen, and rose up fron lhe dead on lhe lhird day and lhird nighl.
And as lhe rod of Moses changed ilseIf and lransforned ilseIf
111
ly lhe
Word of Cod, leing dry yel possessing Iife, and possessing Iife yel lecane
a dry lhing, even so Chrisl vilh lhe vood of His Cross nade Iife for lhe
Chrislian peopIe vho leIieved on Hin, and vilh lhe Sign of lhe Cross
nade lhen lo drive avay deviIs. Ior lhe denons and lhe Chrislians
lecane changed, lhe spiriluaI leings lecane reprolales, and lhrough
lransgressing lhe connandnenl of lheir Lord lhey lecane exiIed ones ly
lhe nighl of His Cross. And ve have lecone spiriluaI leings lhrough
receiving His Body and BIood in lhe pIace of lhose spiriluaI leings vho
vere exiIed, and ve have lecone leings vorlhy of praise vho have
leIieved in His Cross and in His hoIy Resurreclion. And as Moses snole
lhe nounlains ly slrelching oul his hands vilh his rod, and lroughl forlh
punishnenls ly lhe connand of Cod, even so Chrisl, ly slrelching oul His
hands upon lhe vood of lhe Cross, drove oul lhe denons fron nen ly lhe
nighl of His Cross. When Cod said unlo Moses, Snile vilh lhy rod, He
neanl, Make lhe Sign of lhe Cross of Chrisl, and vhen Cod said unlo
1O8
}ohn xxi, 17.
1O9
}ohn xv, , 16.
11O
Lxodus x, 21, 22.
111
Lxodus vii, 1O.
Kelra Nagasl
1
Moses, Slrelch oul lhy hand,
112
He neanl lhal ly lhe spreading oul of
His hand Chrisl halh redeened us fron lhe servilude of lhe eneny, and
halh given us Iife ly lhe slrelching oul of His hand upon lhe vood of lhe
Cross.
And vhen AnaIek foughl vilh IsraeI, Moses venl up inlo lhe
nounlain, and Aaron vas vilh hin, lhey venl up lo pray lecause AnaIek
vas prevaiIing. And Cod connanded Moses and said unlo hin, Slrelch
oul lhy hand unliI IsraeI ollainelh lhe pover |over AnaIekj.
113
And il
sailh in lhe Trh lhal lhe hands of Moses vere heId oul unliI lhe sunsel,
lul lhe hands of Moses lecane heavy, and leing aveary he dropped his
hands lhal lad leen slrelched oul, and lhen IsraeI ceased lo prevaiI and
lheir enenies overcane lhen. And vhen Moses kepl his hand up and
slrelched oul slraighl, AnaIek vas overcone, and IsraeI pul lo fIighl and
vanquished lheir eneny AnaIek. And vhen Aaron and Hr (Hur) sav
lhis, lhey piIed up slones on lhe righl and on lhe Iefl of Moses, and lhey
nade lhe hands of Moses lo resl on lhe slones vhich lhey had luiIl up, and
Aaron on his righl and Hr on his Iefl heId Moses up vilh lheir shouIders,
so lhal his hands nighl nol drop fron lheir slrelched oul posilion.
And nov I viII expIain lhis lo you. The var of AnaIek againsl IsraeI is
lhe var of leIievers againsl lhe denons, and lefore Chrisl vas crucified
lhe denons conquered lhe leIievers. Bul vhen He slrelched oul His hand
on lhe vood of lhe Cross lecause of lhe sin of Adan and his chiIdren, and
vhen He slrelched oul His hand and His paIn vas pierced |vilh lhe naiIsj,
lhose vho vere seaIed vilh lhe Sign of lhe Cross of Chrisl conquered lhen
(i.e. lhe denons). The slrelching oul of lhe hand of Moses indicalelh lhe
Cross of Chrisl, and lhal Aaron and Hr luiIded up slones indicalelh lhe
vood of lhe Cross and lhe naiIs. And Aaron indicalelh lhe lhief on lhe
righl, and Hr lhe lhief on lhe Iefl, and AnaIek indicalelh lhe denons, and
lhe king of AnaIek indicalelh Salan. And as concerning lhal lhey (lhe
AnaIekiles) vere conquered, lhis indicalelh lhal ve have conquered lhe
denons and Salan ly lhe Resurreclion of Chrisl and ly His Cross.
112
Lxodus vii, 19, viii.
113
Lxodus xvii, 11, 12 ff.
Kelra Nagasl
16
And again vhen IsraeI venl oul of Lgypl lhey cane lo liller valer, and
lhey Iacked drink lecause lhe valer vas liller, and firsl of aII lhey
nurnured lecause of lhe lillerness of lhe valer. And Cod said unlo
Moses, Lifl up lhy rod, and casl il inlo lhe valer,
114
and sign il vilh lhe
Sign of lhe Cross righl and Iefl. Nov nark vhal foIIovelh. Had Cod said
unlo hin, Lel il lecone sveel, lhen vouId lhe valer nol have lecone
sveel Bul He nade nanifesl lhal ly lhe Sign of lhe Cross everylhing
leconelh good, and liller valer leconelh sveel, and lhal ly lhe nighl of
lhe Cross of }esus Chrisl every poIIuled lhing leconelh good and pIeasanl.
And here I viII decIare unlo lhee yel olher nallers fron lhe resl of lhe
Irophels concerning His Crucifixion. David sailh, They have pierced for
ne ny hands and My feel,
11
nov lhis referrelh cIearIy lo lhe naiIs of His
hands and His feel. And again he sailh, They nade ne drink vinegar for
ny lhirsl,.
116
and lhis shovelh cIearIy lhal He drank vinegar lecause of
lhe sin of Adan. The Brealh of Life lhal had lrealhed upon Adan drank
vinegar, and lhe Hand lhal had founded lhe earlh vas pierced vilh a naiI.
He Who for lhe sake of Adan alased HinseIf vas lorn, and look lhe forn
of a servanl.
99. Concerning lhe Tvo Servanls
Nov |il is saidj lhal a cerlain king had lvo sIaves: lhe one vas arroganl
and slrong, and lhe olher vas hunlIe and veak. And lhe arroganl sIave
overcane lhe hunlIe one, and snole hin and aII lul sIev hin, and rolled
hin, and lhe king upon his lhrone sav lhen. And lhe king descending
seized lhe arroganl sIave, and leal hin, and crushed hin, and lound hin
in fellers, and casl hin inlo a pIace of darkness. And he raised up his
hunlIe and veak sIave, and enlraced hin, and lrushed avay lhe dusl
fron hin, and vashed hin, and poured oiI and vine inlo his vounds, and
114
Conpare Lxodus xv, 2.
11
IsaIn xxii, 16.
116
IsaIn Ixix, 21.
Kelra Nagasl
17
sel hin upon his ass, and lroughl hin inlo his cily and sel hin up on his
lhrone, and sealed hin on his righl hand. Nov lhe king is in lrulh Chrisl,
and lhe arroganl servanl vhon I have nenlioned is Salan, and lhe hunlIe
servanl is Adan. And vhen Chrisl sav hov lhe arroganl servanl overcane
lhe hunlIe one, and casl hin dovn in lhe dusl, He cane dovn fron His
lhrone and raised up Adan, His servanl, and lound Salan in fellers in lhe
lerror of SheI. And He sealed lhe lody of Adan upon lhe lhrone of His
Codhead, and nagnified hin, and exaIled hin, and honoured hin, and he
vas praised ly aII lhe leings vhon He had crealed, lhe angeIs and lhe
archangeIs, lhousands of lhousands, and lens of lhousands of lhousands of
spiriluaI leings. Ior He lroughl Iov lhe arroganl and raised up lhe
hunlIe, and reduced lhe arroganl lo shane and exaIled lo honour lhe
hunlIe, and rejecled lhe arroganl and Ioved lhe hunlIe, and scorned lhe
haughly and had pily on lhe IovIy. He casl dovn lhe arroganl fron his
high pIace, and Iifled lhe poor up oul of lhe dusl. He snalched avay lhe
nighly one fron his honour, and raised up lhe poor fron corruplion, for
vilh Hin are honour and disgrace. Whon He vishelh lo honour He
honourelh, and vhon He vishelh lo disgrace He disgracelh.
1OO. Concerning lhe AngeIs vho ReleIIed
And lhere vere cerlain angeIs vilh vhon Cod vas vrolh~nov He,
lhe Knover of lhe hearl knev lhen and lhey reviIed Adan, saying, Since
Cod halh shovn Iove lo hin He halh sel us lo ninisler unlo hin, and lhe
leasls and creeping lhings, and lhe fish of lhe sea, and lhe lirds of lhe air,
and aII fruils, and lhe lrees of lhe fieId, and lhe heavens and lhe earlh aIso,
and He halh appoinled lhe heavens lo give hin rain, and lhe earlh lo give
hin fruils. And lhe sun and lhe noon aIso halh He given hin, lhe sun lo
give hin Iighl ly day and lhe noon lo give hin Iighl in lhe nighl season.
He halh fashioned hin vilh His fingers, and He halh crealed hin in His
ovn inage, and He halh kissed hin and lrealhed upon hin lhe spiril of
Iife, and He sailh unlo hin, 'My son, My firsllorn, My leIoved. And He
halh sel hin in a garden lo eal and enjoy hinseIf vilhoul sickness or
suffering, and vilhoul loiI or Ialour, lul He halh connanded hin nol lo
Kelra Nagasl
18
eal fron one lree. And leing given aII lhese lhings ly Cod, Adan halh
lransgressed and ealen of lhal lree, and he halh lecone haled and rejecled,
and Cod halh driven hin oul of lhe Carden, and fron lhal line Adan halh
alandoned his hope, for he halh lransgressed lhe connandnenl of his
Crealor.
And Cod ansvered lhe angeIs vho reviIed Adan in lhis vise, and He
said unlo lhen, Why do ye reviIe Adan in lhis vise Ior he is fIesh, and
lIood, and ashes and dusl. And lhe angeIs ansvered and said unlo Hin,
May ve decIare lefore Thee lhe sin of Adan And Cod said unlo lhen,
DecIare ye |his sinj, and I viII hearken unlo you, and I MyseIf viII ansver
you in respecl of Adan My servanl. Ior Cod had vorked on lehaIf of
Adan. And Cod said, I crealed hin oul of lhe dusl, and I viII nol casl
avay lhal vhich I have fashioned. I lroughl hin forlh oul of non-exislence,
and I viII nol nake My handivork a Iaughingslock for his enenies. And
lhose angeIs said, Iraise le unlo Thee, Lord. Ior Thou, lhe Knover of
hearls, knovesl lhal ve have reviIed Adan lecause he halh lransgressed
Thy connandnenl lhal he vas nol lo eal of one lree afler Thou hadsl
nade hin Iord over everylhing vhich Thou hasl crealed, and hadsl sel hin
over every vork of Thy hands. And if Thou hadsl nol loId hin, and if Thou
hadsl nol connanded hin nol lo eal of one lree lhere vouId have leen no
offence |on his parlj, and if he had ealen lecause of a Iack of food lhere
vouId have leen no offence |on his parlj. Bul Thy vord nade hin lo
knov, and Thou didsl say, 'As sureIy as lhou ealesl of lhis lree lhou shaIl
die.
117
And he, afler hearing lhis, nade loId and ale. Thou didsl nol Iel
hin Iack sveel fruils lo eal fron lhe Carden, and Thou didsl nol Iel hin
Iack one lo conforl hin and a conpanion Iike unlo hinseIf. And lhese
lhings ve say and nake knovn unlo Thee, and ve have reveaIed unlo
Thee hov he halh lransgressed Thy connandnenl.
And lhe MercifuI ne and lhe Lover of nercy ansvered lhen on lehaIf
of Adan, and said unlo lhen, You have I crealed oul of fire and air vilh
lhe one inlenl |lhal ye shouIdj praise |Mej. Hin have I crealed of lvice as
nany eIenenls as you~of dusl and valer, and of vind and fire, and he
117
Cenesis ii, 17.
Kelra Nagasl
19
lecane |a leingj of fIesh and lIood. And in hin are len lhoughls (or,
inlenlions), five good, and five lad. And if his hearl incilelh hin lo good,
he vaIkelh vilh good inlenl, and if lhe DeviI seducelh hin, he vaIkelh
vilh hin on an eviI palh. As for you, ye have no olher oljecl in your ninds
lul praise of Me, vilh lhe exceplion of lhal arroganl one vho produced
eviI, and lecane an eviI leing, and vas driven forlh fron your assenlIy.
And nov, vhy do ye nagnify yourseIves over Adan If ye vere as he is,
and I had crealed you of valer and dusl, ye vouId have leen fIesh and
lIood, and ye vouId have lransgressed My connandnenl nore lhan he
halh done, and denied My vord. And lhe angeIs said unlo Hin, Iraise
le unlo Thee, Lord! Iar le il fron us! We viII nol lransgress Thy
connandnenl, and ve viII nol oppose Thy vord, for ve are spiriluaI
leings for Iife, and he is a crealure of dusl |doonedj lo foIIy. And nov lry
us veII, and pul us lo lhe lesl so lhal Thou nayesl knov vhelher ve are
alIe lo keep Thy vord.
And vhen lhey had vaunled lhenseIves in lhis nanner Cod, lhe Lover
of nen, said unlo lhen, If nov ye go aslray so far as lhis in lransgressing
My vord, lhe vrong viII le upon your ovn heads, |forj }ahannan (or,
heII), and fire, and suIphur, and fervenl heal, and vhirIvind shaII le your
halilalion unliI lhe Creal Day: ye shaII le kepl in chains vhich can neilher
le Ioosened nor lroken for ever. Bul if ye keep lruIy My vord, and ye do
My connandnenl, ye shaII sil upon My righl hand and upon My Iefl. Ior
everyone vho halh conquered is nighly, and he vho is conquered shaII le
overpovered. Nov Salan halh no pover vhalsoever, for he halh onIy
vhal he nakelh lo gerninale in lhe nind, and he cannol grasp firnIy, and
he cannol perforn anylhing, and he cannol leal, and he cannol drag, and
he cannol seize, and he cannol fighl, he can onIy nake lhoughls lo
gerninale siIenlIy in lhe nind. And hin vho is caughl ly lhe eviI nind he
preparelh for deslruclion, and if |a nanj halh conquered lhe eviI nind he
findelh grace and halh a revard vhich is everIasling. And lo you,
according lo vhal ye vish, lhere shaII le upon you lhe nind of a nan and
lhe lody of a nan. Bul lake good heed lo yourseIves lhal ye lransgress nol
My vord and lreak nol My connandnenl, and defiIe nol ye yourseIves
Kelra Nagasl
16O
vilh ealing, or drinking, or fornicalion, or vilh any olher lhing
vhalsoever, and lransgress ye nol My vord.
And slraighlvay lhere vere given unlo lhen vilh His vord fIesh, and
lIood, and a hearl of lhe chiIdren of nen. And lhey vere conlenl lo Ieave
lhe heighl of heaven, and lhey cane dovn lo earlh, lo lhe foIIy of lhe
dancing of lhe chiIdren of Cain vilh aII lheir vork of lhe arlisan, vhich
lhey had nade in lhe foIIy of lheir fornicalion, and lo lheir singings, vhich
lhey acconpanied vilh lhe lanlourine, and lhe fIules, and lhe pipes, and
nuch shouling, and Ioud cries of joy and noisy songs. And lheir daughlers
vere lhere, and lhey enjoyed lhe orgies vilhoul shane, for lhey scenled
lhenseIves for lhe nen vho pIeased lhen, and lhey Iosl lhe laIance in
lheir ninds. And lhe nen did nol reslrain lhenseIves for a nonenl, lul
lhey look lo vife fron anong lhe vonen lhose vhon lhey had chosen,
and connilled sin vilh lhen. Ior Cod halh no resling-pIace in lhe hearls
of lhe arroganl and lhose vho reviIe, lul He alidelh in lhe hearls of lhe
hunlIe and lhose vho are sincere. And He spake in lhe CospeI, saying,
Woe le unlo lhose vho nake lhenseIves righleous, and despise lheir
neighlours.
118
And again He sailh, Cod Iovelh lhe hunlIe, and He
hoIdelh IighlIy lhose vho nagnify lhenseIves.
And slraighlvay Cod vas vrolh vilh lhen, and He lound lhen in lhe
lerror of SheI unliI lhe day of redenplion, as lhe AposlIe sailh, He
lrealed His angeIs vilh severily. He spared lhen nol, lul nade lhen lo
dveII in a slale of judgenenl, and lhey vere fellered unliI lhe Creal
Day.
119
The vord of Cod conquered, Who had fashioned Adan in His
Iikeness (or, forn), and lhose vho had reviIed and nade a Iaughingslock of
Adan vere conquered. And lhe daughlers of Cain vilh vhon lhe angeIs
had conpanied conceived, lul lhey vere unalIe lo lring forlh lheir
chiIdren, and lhey died. And of lhe chiIdren vho vere in lheir vonls
sone died, and sone cane forlh, having spIil open lhe leIIies of lheir
nolhers lhey cane forlh ly lheir naveIs. And vhen lhey vere grovn up
and reached nans eslale lhey lecane gianls, vhose heighl reached unlo
118
Conpare Mallhev xxiii, 13, and Luke xviii, 9 ff.
119
2 Ieler ii, 4.
Kelra Nagasl
161
lhe cIouds, and for lheir sakes and lhe sakes of sinners lhe vralh of Cod
lecane quiel, and He said, My spiril shaII onIy resl on lhen for one
hundred and lvenly years, and I viII deslroy lhen vilh lhe valers of lhe
IIood,
12O
lhen and aII sinners vho have nol leIieved lhe vord of Cod.
And lo lhose vho leIieved lhe vord of lheir falhers, and did His WiII, no
injury cane fron lhe valers of lhe IIood, lul He deIivered lhen, saying,
If lhou leIievesl My vord lhou cansl save lhyseIf fron lhe IIood. And
Noah said, Lord, I leIieve Thy vord, nake ne lo knov ly vhal neans
I can le saved. And Cod said unlo hin, Thou cansl le saved fron lhe
valer ly vood. And Noah said, Hov, Lord And Cod said unlo hin,
Make lhyseIf a four-sided ark, and luiId il vilh lhe vork of lhe carpenler,
and nake for il lhree sloreys inside, and go inlo il vilh aII lhy house.
121
And Noah leIieved lhe vord of Cod, and nade |lhe arkj, and vas saved.
Nov hearken ye unlo ne, and I viII expIain lo you concerning lhis
lhing. When Cod gave lhe connand He couId have given unlo Noah a
ving Iike lhe eagIe and lransporled hin lo lhe counlry of lhe Iiving, vilh
aII his house, unliI His anger vilh lhe sinners vho had nol leIieved lhe
vord of Cod and lhe vord of lheir falhers, had alaled, or He couId have
Iifled hin up inlo lhe air, or He couId have connanded lhe valer of lhe
IIood~|vhich vasj Iike a vaII~nol lo approach lhe one nounlain vhere
He vouId nake Noah lo dveII vilh his sons and nol lo sulnerge lhe
leasls and callIe vhich he vanled. Bul knov ye lhis~Cod vas veII
pIeased lhal ly neans of vood vhich had leen sanclified lhe saIvalion of
His crealion shouId lake pIace, lhal is lo say, lhe ark and lhe vood of lhe
Cross. Cod said unlo Noah, Make lhal vherely lhou shaIl le saved, lhal
is lo say, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Church, and vhen He said unlo hin, Make
il foursided, He shoved lhal lhe Sign of lhe Cross vas fourfoId. Nov lhe
four corners of lhe ark are lhe horns of lhe aIlar, and He connanded
Moses lo nake lhe ark oul of indeslruclilIe vood. He said, I viII sanclify
lhee ly lhal heavenIy and spiriluaI vork of My hand. And do lhou sanclify
lhyseIf fron fiIlh, and inpurily, and fornicalion, and vindicliveness, and
12O
Cenesis vi, 2-4.
121
Cenesis vi, 14 ff.
Kelra Nagasl
162
faIsehood, logelher vilh lhy lrolher and lhy house. And sacrifice unlo Me
a cIean sacrifice vilh cIeanness, and I viII accepl lhee afler lhou hasl
sanclified lhyseIf and lhy house, connand aII lhe peopIe lo sanclify
lhenseIves, for My hoIy lhings |nusl le offeredj ly hoIy ones. And lhis
lhou shaIl seek, lhe TalernacIe of My Covenanl vhich I have crealed for
My praise. And if ye cone vilh purily of hearl, vilh Iove, and vilh peace,
vilhoul nockery and reviIing, and if ye viII nake righl your hearls in
respecl of Me and your neighlours, I viII hear your prayers, and I viII
Iislen lo your pelilions aloul everylhing vhich ye sulnil lo Me, and I viII
cone and le vilh you, and I viII vaIk anong you, and I viII dveII in your
hearls, and ye shaII le unlo Me My peopIe, and I viII le your Cod in
lrulh.
1O1. Concerning Hin lhal Lxislelh in Lverylhing and Lveryvhere
And again Cod said unlo Moses: Make for Me an open space lefore
lhe courlyard of lhe TalernacIe, no nan vho is inpure sexuaIIy and
uncIean shaII cone lhere, and no one vho is nol pure. Ior I an lhere, and
nol onIy lhere, lul in every pIace Iike lhereunlo vhere My Nane is
invoked in purily. I vas vilh DanieI in lhe den |of Iionsj, and I vas vilh
}onah in lhe leIIy of lhe greal fish, and I vas vilh }oseph in lhe pil, and I
vas vilh }ereniah in lhe veII |fed fronj lhe Iake. I sland under lhe deepesl
deep so lhal lhe nounlains nay nol sink dovn under lhe valers, and I an
under lhe valers so lhal lhey nay nol sink dovn upon lhe fire, and
suIphur, I sland under lhe fire and suIphur so lhal lhey nay nol sink dovn
upon lhe vinds and lhe rusl. I an under lhe vinds and lhe rusly fog so
lhal lhey nay nol sink dovn under lhe darkness. And I sland under lhe
deepesl darkness and under lhe alysses, and every crealed lhing
supporlelh ilseIf on Me, and every lhing vhich I have crealed conelh lo
Me as a pIace of refuge.
I an alove lhe earlh, and I an al lhe ends of lhe vorId, and I an
Masler of everylhing. I an in lhe air, My pIace of alode, and I an alove
lhe chariol of lhe Cherulin, and I an praised everIaslingIy ly aII lhe
angeIs and ly hoIy nen. And I an alove lhe heighls of heaven, and I fiII
Kelra Nagasl
163
everylhing. I an alove lhe Seven Heavens. I see everylhing, and I lesl
everylhing, and lhere is nolhing lhal is hidden fron Me. I an in every
pIace, and lhere is no olher god lesides Me, neilher in lhe heaven alove
nor in lhe earlh lenealh, lhere is none Iike unlo Me, sailh Cod, My hand
halh Iaid lhe foundalion of lhe earlh, and My righl hand halh nade slrong
lhe heavens, I and My Son and lhe HoIy Spiril.
1O2. Concerning lhe Beginning
As David prophesied ly lhe noulh of lhe HoIy Spiril, saying, Wilh
Thee vas lhe headship on lhe day of nighl.
122
Nov vhal do lhese
vords, day of nighl nean Is il nol lhe day vhereon Chrisl, lhe Word of
lhe Ialher, crealed heaven and earlh Ior Moses sailh in lhe leginning of
lhe Book, In lhe leginning Cod nade lhe heavens and lhe earlh.
123
Undersland lhen In lhe leginning neanelh in Chrisl, lhe
inlerprelalion of leginning is Chrisl. }ohn lhe AposlIe, lhe son of
Zeledee, sailh concerning Chrisl, This is lhe firsl (or, leginning) Whon
ve have heard and seen, Whon ve have knovn, and Whon our hands
have feIl.
124
And ve viII reIale unlo you hov ve have a porlion vilh
Hin, and ye vho leIieve our vords shaII have a porlion vilh us. And
Luke lhe discipIe sailh in lhe Acls of lhe AposlIes, In lhe leginning ve
nake speech concerning everylhing,
12
and lhis lhal he sailh |shevelhj
lhal Chrisl vas lhe redenplion of aII, and ve leIieve in Hin. And Mark
lhe LvangeIisl in lhe leginning of his Book vrole, saying, The leginning
of lhe CospeI is }esus Chrisl, lhe Son of Cod,
126
and lhese vords nean
lhal Chrisl vas lhe gIad lidings for lhe Irophels and lhe AposlIes, and lhal
ve aII have parlicipaled in His grace. And again }ohn lhe LvangeIisl vrole,
122
IsaIn cx, 3.
123
Cenesis i, 1.
124
}ohn i, 1ff.
12
Acls i.
126
Mark i, 1.
Kelra Nagasl
164
saying, In lhe leginning vas lhe Word, and lhal Word vas vilh Cod,
and in anolher pIace his vord shovelh |lhisj pIainIy, and he sailh, And
Iikevise in lhe leginning vas Cod lhe Word.
127
And nov olserve lhal
lhal Word of lhe Ialher is Chrisl, vherely He nade lhe heavens and lhe
earlh and every crealed lhing. Il is He Who crealed, and vilhoul Hin
nolhing lhal cane cane inlo leing, nolhing vhalsoever: He spake, and
lhey cane inlo leing, He connanded, and lhey vere crealed.
128
And lhe
lhird gIorious lhing, hearken |lo ilj: Through lhe lrealh of His noulh He
crealed aII lheir hosl.
129
This nakelh nanifesl lhe HoIy Spiril, Who is
cIearIy referred lo.
And vhal shaII ve say Lel us veep for lhen. Woe le unlo lhe }evs
and unlo lhe pagans ('Aran) vho have vandered fron lhe lrulh and have
refused lo sulnil lo lhe Iove of Cod, vilh vhich in His goodness He halh
Ioved nan. Ior afler Adan vas rejecled lhrough his sin He saved hin ly
lhe grealness of His nercy, leing crucified on lhe vood of lhe Cross, His
hands leing pierced vilh naiIs. Wilh His paIn slrelched oul in huniIily,
and His head loved on one side, for our sakes He, lo Whon suffering vas
unfilling, suffered in lhe everIasling najesly of His Codhead. He died lhal
He nighl deslroy dealh, He suffered exhauslion lhal He nighl give
slrenglh lo lhe vearied leing of dusl, alhirsl He drank vinegar, He vas
crovned vilh a crovn of lhorns, He feared nol and vas nol ashaned of lhe
conluneIy and halred and spilling of lhe poIIuled }evs. He suffered
lealing, He vas luffeled vilh fisls, He vas pierced, He vas lransfixed
vilh naiIs, He vas reviIed and nocked, leing Cod and lhe King of Dealh,
and lhe Beslover of gIory, and lecause of lhis He endured palienlIy aII
disgrace. Wearied and niseralIe, lhey nade Hin sad vhen lhey rejecled
Hin and haled Hin, lul slrong and gIorious, vhal couId sadden Hin
vhen lhey lroughl faIse charges againsl Hin Ior He HinseIf knev His
Codhead, and He knev His gIory, and He knev HinseIf. And lhere vas
127
}ohn i, 1-3, 1 }ohn i, 1.
128
IsaIn xxxiii, 9.
129
IsaIn xxxiii, 6.
Kelra Nagasl
16
none vho knev Hin, for He vas lhe Crealor of everylhing. And if lhey
had knovn Hin lhey vouId nol have crucified lhe Lord of praise (or,
gIory). And He said in His nercy, Iorgive lhen, Ialher, for lhey knov nol
vhal lhey do.
13O
They Iikened lheir Crealor lo sonelhing lhal had leen
crealed, and lhey sIev a sojourner vho did nol leIong lo norlaI crealures,
and He vas nol a lhing lhal had leen nade vilh lhe hand. Bul He HinseIf
vas lhe Maker, and He HinseIf vas lhe Crealor, Lighl of Lighl, Cod of
Cod, Son of lhe Ialher, }esus Chrisl.
He vas lhe Refuge, He vas lhe Ieeder, He vas lhe Direclor, He, Whose
donain vas alove vhal is on high, and alove, everylhing, alased HinseIf.
Lven as Isaiah, lhe nan of keen vords anong lhe Irophels, sailh, He vas
a hunlIe nan, and His appearance vas rejecled, Iike a rool He hid HinseIf
in parched ground, He cane in lhe fIesh, a leing of lhe earlh, |lhough He
vasj lhe Suslainer of lhe universe and lhe Saviour of lhe universe.
131
And David ascrilelh leauly lo Hin, saying, n Thy leauly
132
and in
Thy goodIiness of forn. And again he sailh, His forn is nore goodIy
lhan lhal of lhe chiIdren of nen. And again he sailh, Craciousness is
poured forlh fron Thy Iips. And again he sailh, Direcl arighl vilh
prosperily, and reign lhrough righleousness, and juslice, and sincerily.
133
And again he sailh concerning lhe }evs, lhe enenies of lhe lrulh, Thine
arrovs are sharp and slrong in lhe hearls of lhe halers of lhe King,
134
il
is righl lhal lhey shouId lransfix lheir hearls, He sailh unlo lhose vho
did nol vish Me lo le King, and lhey shaII le lroughl lefore Me and
pierced |vilh spearsj. And again Isaiah sailh concerning lhe }evs, I have
soughl for lhen and found lhen nol, I have caIIed unlo lhen and lhey
have nol ansvered Me, I have Ioved lhen and lhey have haled Me.
13
13O
Luke xxiii, 34.
131
Isaiah Iiii, 2 ff.
132
IsaIn i, 2.
133
IsaIn xIv.
134
Conpare IsaIns xIv, , Iviii, 7.
13
Isaiah xIv, 12.
Kelra Nagasl
166
And again David sailh, They relurned unlo ne eviI for good, and lhey
haled ne in relurn for ny Iove for lhen.
136
And again Isaiah sailh, Wilh
lheir Iips lhey profess Iove for Me, lul in lheir hearls lhey keep afar fron
Me, and lheir vorshipping of Me is an enply lhing.
137
And as Moses
sailh, They have noved Me lo vralh vilh lheir gods, and I viII nove
lhen lo jeaIousy vilh lhal vhich is nol a nalion, for lhey are a peopIe
vhose counseI is deslroyed.
138
And lhose vho said, We have no Lav, unlo lhen halh lhe Lav leen
given, for Cod is lhe Civer of lhe Lav unlo every one. And Cod revarded
lhe }evs according lo lheir vickedness, and He lrealed lhe CenliIes
according lo lheir sinpIicily. Ior He is nercifuI and conpassionale lo lhose
vho caII upon Hin and vho lake refuge in Hin, and vho purify
lhenseIves fron aII uncIeanness in lhe Church and in lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Lav of Cod, and He Iovelh lhose vho veep and repenl even as Slephen,
|onej of lhe Sevenly DiscipIes sailh.
139
Nov anong lhe Sevenly DiscipIes
lhere vere seven vho vere chosen for service vilh lhe TveIve AposlIes, lo
perforn service vilh SIs, and Barnalas, and Mark and Luke and IauI.
And lhis Slephen spake unlo lhe }evs vhiIsl he vas slanding up lo
narlyrdon and lhe }evs vere kiIIing hin, and said unlo lhen as he
shoved lhen lheir foIIy in nol having kepl lhe connandnenl of Cod, Ye
have nol kepl lhe Trh according lo lhe ordinance of lhe angeIs, as ye
received il. And il sailh in lhe Acls |of lhe AposlIesj, When lhey heard
lhis lhey venl nad vilh anger and gnashed lheir leelh.
14O
Nov hearken
ye unlo ne. In his saying Ye have nol kepl lhe Trh according lo lhe
order of lhe angeIs, |ve havej a forn and a |forejshadoving of vhal is in
lhe heavens, lhal is lo say, lhe heavenIy and free }erusaIen, lhe halilalion
of lhe Mosl High, vhereof lhe silualion and conslruclion are
136
IsaIn cix, .
137
Isaiah xxix, 13.
138
Deuleronony xxxii, 21, 28.
139
Conpare Acls vi, 3, vii, 34.
14O
Acls vii, 3, 4.
Kelra Nagasl
167
inconprehensilIe lo norlaI hearl. And in il is lhe lhrone of lhe Mosl High,
vhich is surrounded vilh fire, and four leasls lear il in lheir pIace, vhich
is lhe sixlh heaven. And a lhrone goelh up lo lhe sevenlh heaven, lhe
halilalion of lhe Ialher, and lhere dveIIelh He Who is vilh His Ialher and
lhe HoIy Spiril, Who vivifielh everylhing. And lhe TalernacIe of lhe
Church is a siniIilude of lhe }erusaIen vhich is in lhe heavens, and lhe
Church of lhe CenliIes is a siniIilude of lhe }erusaIen vhich is in lhe
heavens.
1O3. Concerning lhe Horns of lhe AIlar
Nov, lhe TalernacIe synloIizelh lhe horns of lhe aIlar, vhere lhe hoIy
priesls offer up sacrifice, vhereon lhey pIace lhe l.arapz, (i.e. lalIe), lhe
siniIilude of lhe grave vherein He (i.e. Chrisl) vas luried in CoIgolha.
And vhal is on lhe lalIe, lhal is, lhe offering, is a synloI of lhe firslIing,
lhal is lo say, lhe Body of LnnanueI, |orj 'Akrl.s, lhe pure, lhe
unnixed, vhich our Saviour look fron Mary, of lhe vhich He said unlo
His hoIy AposlIes, Lal ye My Body,
141
vhosoever ealelh nol of My Body
halh no porlion vilh Me, and no everIasling Iife. Bul he vho halh ealen My
Body, even lhough he le dead, shaII Iive for ever, |forj he is associaled vilh
My Body and My BIood, and he halh lecone My heir, and he shaII say lo
My Ialher, 'ur Ialher vhich arl in heaven, and lhe Ialher shaII ansver
hin, saying Thou arl My Son, and lhe crovn (i.e. lhe covering), vhich is
alove lhe offering, is a siniIilude of lhe slone vilh vhich lhe }evs seaIed
lhe grave. And vhen lhe priesl sailh, Send lhe HoIy Spiril, lhe HoIy
Spiril shaII le senl, and lhe Body of our Lord shaII le perfecl (or,
conpIele). And vhen ve have received ve shaII le parlicipalors in lhe
Body and BIood of our Lord and Redeener }esus Chrisl, lhe Son of lhe
Living Cod, and lhe HoIy Spiril, henceforlh and for ever. Speak ye lhen lo
one anolher so lhal lhe }evs, vho are lIind in hearl, and vho are our
enenies and lhe enenies of our Lord Cod, nay nol loasl lhenseIves over
us. And lhey say, Your gods are nany, and ye vorship vood (i.e. lhe
141
Mallhev xxvi, 26.
Kelra Nagasl
168
Cross), and lhey say, preaching openIy lhe vord of Isaiah lhe Irophel, Ye
vorship lhe haIf of il, and vilh lhe olher haIf ye cook lhe lody and eal
|ilj.
142
Nov Isaiah speakelh lhus in respecl of lhose vho vorship graven
inages and idoIs. And lhey say |lhal ve sayj, These are our gods, and
lhey have crealed us, and lhal ve laIk lo lhen and vorship lhen as lhe
Lord our Cod. And lhese aIso are lhey vhon lhe deviIs Iead inlo error in
lheir vickedness, and David sailh, concerning lhen, The gods of lhe
healhen are deviIs, lul Cod halh crealed lhe heavens, lrulh and goodness
are lefore Hin.
143
1O4. More Concerning lhe Ark and lhe TaIk of lhe Wicked
And as concerning lhe Ark: Cod saved Noah in lhe Ark. And Cod heId
converse vilh Alrahan in lhe vood of Manlar,
144
lhal is lo say lhe vood
lhal cannol le deslroyed, and He saved Isaac ly neans of lhe ran vhich
vas caughl in lhe lhickel,
14
and He nade }acol rich ly neans of lhree
rods of voods vhich he Iaid in running valer,
146
and lhrough lhe lop of
his slaff }acol vas lIessed.
147
And He said unlo Moses, Make a
lalernacIe of vood vhich cannol le deslroyed, in lhe siniIilude of Zion,
lhe TalernacIe of lhe Covenanl. And vhen David look il fron lhe cily of
Sanaria, he pIaced lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav in a nev TalernacIe, and
rejoiced lefore il.
148
Ior fron lhe leginning Cod had nade lhe TalernacIe
lhe neans of saIvalion, and very nany signs and vonders vere perforned
lhrough il ly ils forn and siniIilude. Hearken ye nov unlo ne, and I viII
142
Isaiah xIiv, 16.
143
IsaIn xcvi, .
144
Conpare Cenesis xviii, 1.
14
Cenesis xxii, 13.
146
Cenesis xxx, 37.
147
Cenesis xIvii, 31, Helrevs xi, 21.
148
2 SanueI vi, 3.
Kelra Nagasl
169
shov you pIainIy hov Cod had ordained saIvalion lhrough lhe vood of
His Cross, in lhe TalernacIe of His Lav, fron lhe leginning lo lhe end.
SaIvalion cane unlo Adan lhrough lhe vood. Ior Adans firsl
lransgression cane lhrough lhe vood, and fron lhe leginning Cod
ordained saIvalion for hin lhrough lhe vood. Ior Cod HinseIf is lhe
Crealor and Civer of Iife and dealh, and everylhing is perforned ly His
Word, and He crealed everylhing, and He nakelh righleous hin lhal
servelh Hin in purily in His pure TalernacIe of lhe Lav. Ior il is caIIed
nercy-seal, and il is aIso caIIed pIace of refuge, and il is aIso caIIed
aIlar, and il is aIso caIIed pIace of forgiveness of sins, and il is caIIed
saIvalion, and il is caIIed gale of Iife, and il is caIIed gIorificalion,
and il is caIIed cily of refuge, and il is caIIed ship, and il is caIIed
haven of saIvalion, and il is caIIed house of prayer, and il is caIIed
pIace of forgiveness of sins for hin lhal prayelh in purily in il, so lhal
|nenj nay pray lherein in purily and nol defiIe lheir lodies. Cod Iovelh
lhe pure, for He is lhe halilalion for lhe pure. Those vho cone inlo His
halilalion, and are accepled in lhe hoIy TalernacIe, and vho pray unlo
Hin vilh aII lheir hearls, He viII hear and viII save in lhe day of lheir
lriluIalion, and He viII fuIfiI lheir desire. Ior He halh nade lhe hoIy
TalernacIe lo le a siniIilude of His lhrone. Bul lhere are sone anong
lhose vhon ye have lroughl unlo us vho are Iike unlo us Chrislians, lul
vho have nol alandoned lhe sin vhich lheir falher lhe DeviI halh nade lo
spring up in lhen. And he said, Thus il is righl lhal ve shouId pray in
Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, she vas al lhe firsl and is even
nov. The siniIilude lhereof and lhe fruil lhereof are lhe Molher of lhe
Redeener, Mary, il is righl lhal ve shouId vorship her, for in her nane is
lIessed lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod And il is righl lhal ve shouId
vorship MichaeI and CalrieI.
And lhe Archlishop CyriI ansvered and said unlo lhen: And if he halh
said lhis unlo lhen, ve aIso viII say unlo lhen: Whal did our Lord }esus
Chrisl say vhen He vas leaching lhose vho leIieved in Hin ne cane
fron oulside and said unlo Hin, BehoId lhen, Thy falher and Thy
nolher oulside seeking Thee. And Chrisl lhe Lover of nen ansvered and,
slrelching oul His hand lovards lhose vhon He vas leaching, said,
Kelra Nagasl
17O
vilhoul naking any dislinclion or difference lelveen nan and vonan,
BehoId lhen, My falher, and My nolher, and My lrolher. Whosoever
halh heard My vord and halh done lhe WiII of My Ialher, lhal sane is My
falher, and My nolher, and My sisler.
149
lhou lIind-hearled }ev, cansl
lhou nol see His nercy and His Iove for nen vhen He spake lhus He
neilher separaled nor nade a dislinclion, lul He said unlo lhen, My
lrolher. Ior He Iovelh lhose vho Iove Hin and keep His connandnenl,
especiaIIy lhe narlyrs, vho for His sake deIivered lhenseIves over lo
dealh, lhough lhey knev lhe lillerness of dealh, and lhe soIilary nonks
vho keep lhe connandnenl of Cod, and Iove Hin vilh aII lheir hearls,
and He Iovelh lhen. And lheir graves vhich are luiIl, lhal is lo say, lhe
narlyriuns, and lhe churches vhich are luiIl in lheir nanes, and lhe
lalernacIes vhich lhe Bishops consecrale in lheir nanes, every one is hoIy
in lhe house of lhe Sancluary of Cod. And lhe nan vho prayelh in lheir
nanes Cod hearelh. And lhose vho pray in purily, vilhoul uncIeanness
and lIenish, and in huniIily and sincerily in a lalernacIe vhich halh leen
consecraled~vhelher il le in lhe nane of a narlyr, or in lhe nane of an
angeI, or in lhe nane|sj of lhe righleous, or in lhe nane of a virgin, or in
lhe nane of hoIy vonen~if il le consecraled, lhe HoIy Spiril conelh
dovn upon lhen and changelh lhe vood so lhal il leconelh a spiriluaI
leing. In lhis vise Cod lransforned lhe rod of Moses ly His vord, and il
lecane a lhing of Iife and nade Moses fear his Lord. And in Iike nanner
}oseph vorshipped lhe lop of lhe rod of }acol vhen he vas lefore hin,
none forced hin, lul lhrough lhe leIief of his falher he vorshipped lhe lop
of his rod. And lhis vhich Moses vrole is a prophecy for lhe Iasl days, so
lhal ve nay knov lhal lalernacIes in lhe nane|sj of narlyrs and righleous
nen are hoIy, naneIy, vhen he sav hin he vorshipped lhe lop of his rod.
And I viII aIso decIare unlo you vhal is vrillen concerning lhe pride of
Iharaoh. Moses did as Cod connanded hin, and lurned his rod inlo a
serpenl, and Iharaoh connanded lhe nagicians, lhe sorcerers, lo do lhe
sane vilh lheir rods. And lhey nade lheir rods inlo lhree serpenls vhich,
ly neans of nagic, vriggIed lefore Moses and Aaron, and lefore Iharaoh
149
Conpare Mallhev xii, 49, Mark iii, 34 ff.
Kelra Nagasl
171
and lhe nolIes of Lgypl. And lhe rod of Moses svaIIoved up lhe rods of
lhe nagicians, for lhese deceivers had vorked nagic for lhe sighl of lhe
eyes of nen. Nov lhal vhich happenelh lhrough lhe vord of Cod
overconelh every |kind ofj nagic lhal can le vroughl. And no one can
find hin lo le eviI, for il is lhe HoIy Spiril Who guidelh and direclelh hin
lhal leIievelh vilh an uprighl hearl vilhoul negIigence. Lven as IauI sailh,
By leIieving lhe falhers of oIden line vere saved.
1O
He vished lo nake
knovn each ly his nane fron Adan, and Noah, and Alrahan, lo Rahal
lhe harIol vho received lhe spies. And lhou, lIind }ev, cansl lhou nol
undersland fron vhal lhou readesl in lhe Lav, lhal is lo say, lhe Trh
vherein lhou leIievesl, lhal inasnuch as lhou cansl nol perforn ils
connandnenls lhou arl cursed lherely Ior vhen He sailh, AII lhose
vho vaIk lherein, if lhey do nol keep vhal is vrillen lherein, accursed
shaII lhey le, He sailh il lo lhee. Bul us, vho leIieve in Chrisl, lhe Son of
Cod, lhe grace of Cod halh chosen, saying, He vho leIievelh and is
laplized shaII le saved.
11
1O. Concerning lhe BeIief of Alrahan
And lhou dosl nol undersland lhal lhey vere juslified ly
failh~Alrahan, and David and aII lhe Irophels, one afler lhe olher, vho
prophesied concerning lhe coning of lhe Son of Cod. And Alrahan said,
WiIl Thou in ny days, Lord, casl Thy vord upon lhe ground And
Cod said unlo hin, By no neans. His line halh nol yel cone, lul I viII
shev lhee a siniIilude of His coning. Cel lhee over lhe }ordan, and dip
lhyseIf in lhe valer as lhou goesl over, and arrive al lhe cily of SIn,
vhere lhou shaIl neel MeIchizedek, and I viII connand hin lo shov lhee
lhe sign and siniIilude of Hin. And Alrahan did lhis and he found
MeIchizedek, and he gave hin lhe nyslery of lhe lread and vine,
12
lhal
1O
Helrevs xi.
11
Mark xvi, 16.
12
Cenesis xiv, 18.
Kelra Nagasl
172
sane vhich is ceIelraled in our Iassover for our saIvalion lhrough our
Lord }esus Chrisl. This vas lhe desire and lhe joy of Alrahan as he venl
round lhe aIlar vhich MeIchizedek had nade, carrying lranch and paIn
on lhe day of lhe Sallalh. See hov he rejoiced in his leIief, and see hov he
vas juslified ly his leIief, lIind }ev, vho lhough having eyes seesl nol,
and having ears hearesl nol, even as lhe Irophel Isaiah sailh concerning
you, Their eyes are lIind, and lheir hearls are covered vilh darkness, so
lhal lhey nay nol undersland and Cod nay nol shov conpassion unlo
lhen.
13
1O6. A Irophecy Concerning lhe Coning of Chrisl
And nov hearken hov each one of lhen halh prophesied concerning
Hin, |for lhe narralivej is pIeasanl lo hear. Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied
concerning His coning and said, A Son is lorn unlo us. A ChiId is given
unlo us. Doninion is vrillen upon His shouIder. He is Cod, slrong in ruIe,
King, greal CounseIIor is His nane.
14
Nov lhe neaning of lhis is
nanifesl: lhe Son of Cod is lorn, Whose sovereignly vas vrillen dovn
lefore lhe vorId vas, and He is viser lhan anyone eIse: |lhis is vhalj he
sailh unlo lhee. And again Isaiah prophesied and said, BehoId My servanl
Whon I have chosen, on Whon is lhe deIighl of My souI, and lhe nalions
shaII pul lheir confidence in Hin.
1
And lhese vords give us lo
undersland lhal Chrisl is lhe Spiril of Cod, lhe Word of lhe Ialher Who pul
on our fIesh and vas lorn for us and lhe peopIes of Rn and Llhiopia
and aII olher nalions have leIieved in Hin. And he spake unlo lhe peopIe
of IsraeI, and again he prophesied, saying, Many shaII foIIov afler Thee
vilh lheir Ioins girded up, and lheir lacks lound vilh fellers, and lhey
shaII pray lo Thee and vorship Thee, for lhou arl Cod, and ve have nol
13
Conpare Isaiah vi, 1O, xIiv, 18.
14
Isaiah ix, 6.
1
Isaiah xIii, 1.
Kelra Nagasl
173
recognized Thee.
16
Nov lhis he spake concerning lhe narlyrs, and lhose
vho lecane nonks in lhe deserl and soIilary nonks, vhose hearls vere
fellered vilh His connandnenl, and vho prayed lo Hin, neaning lhal
revard vas neel for lolh lhe narlyrs and lhe soIilary nonks. And ve
did nol recognize Thee: IsraeI nade ilseIf lIind, and crucified Hin, and
refused lo vaIk in His righleousness. And again Isaiah prophesied and
said, Cod shaII cone, and lhe healhen shaII pul lheir lrusl in Hin and
shaII knov Hin,
17
lhis neanelh lhal Chrisl shaII cone, and lhe }evs
shaII rejecl Hin, lul lhe healhen shaII leIieve in Hin. And again he
prophesied and said, Be slrong ye veak hands and lired knees, and rejoice
ye hearls lhal are casl dovn, for Cod halh cone, Who shaII requile our
dell, and save us. And He shaII open lhe eyes of lhe lIind, and He shaII
nake lhe ears of lhe deaf lo hear, and lhe feel lhal are Iane shaII run, and
lhe longues of lhe dunl shaII speak.
18
These vords are spoken in
respecl of lhose vho err in vorshipping idoIs, and lhose vho are dead in
sin, and lhose vhose hearls are darkened, and of you vho do nol knov
lhal Cod crealed you. Rejoice ye lhis day: He halh cone Who viII redeen
lhe sin of Adan, and nake Adans dell His ovn. He vas crucified leing
sinIess. He halh kiIIed Dealh ly neans of His ovn dealh, and lhe lIind see,
and lhe Iane vaIk, and lhe deaf hear, and lhe dunl speak unhaIlingIy,
and lesides aII lhese lhings lhe dead are raised. This is lhe neaning of lhis
prophecy.
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Cod shaII cone in
visilIe forn, and our Cod viII nol keep siIence.
19
Thus }ereniah prophesied and said, Cod shaII cone dovn upon lhe
earlh, and shaII vaIk aloul vilh nen Iike us.
16O
16
Conpare }ereniah xxx, 6-9.
17
Isaiah Ix, 2, 3.
18
Isaiah xxxv, 3:ff.
19
IsaIn I, 3.
16O
Levilicus xxvi, 12, Zechariah ii, 1O.
Kelra Nagasl
174
Thus LzekieI lhe Irophel prophesied and said, I your Cod viII cone,
and I viII vaIk aloul anong lhen, and lhey shaII knov Me lhal I an lheir
Cod.
161
Thus David prophesied and said, BIessed is He Who conelh in lhe
nane of Cod: ve have lIessed you in lhe Nane of lhe Lord.
162
Thus Halakkuk prophesied and said, Cod shaII cone fron lhe Soulh,
and lhe HoIy ne fron Mounl Irn and fron lhe cilies of }udah.
163
Thus LIijah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Wilh a nev covenanl
shaII Cod cone unlo us.
164
Thus }oeI lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The heavenIy LnnanueI
shaII cone and shaII deIiver lhe vork vhich He halh fashioned vilh His
ovn hand fron lhe hand of lhe DeviI, lhe deceiver, and his deviIs vhich
Iead aslray.
16
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The Cod of gods shaII
shov HinseIf in Zion.
166
The peopIe say oul of Zion, A nan is lorn
lherein, and He lhe Mosl High halh founded il.
167
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and said, VeriIy Cod shaII le vilh
nen, and He shaII vaIk aloul upon lhe earlh.
168
Thus his falher David prophesied and said, He shaII cone dovn Iike
lhe dev upon vooI, and Iike lhe drop vhich droppelh upon lhe earlh, and
righleousness shaII spring inlo leing in his days.
169
161
Conpare }ereniah xxxii, 38, LzekieI xi, 17, 2O, xxxvi, 27, 28, 2 Corinlhians vi, 16.
162
IsaIns cxviii, 26, cxxix, 8.
163
Halakkuk iii, 3.
164
Conpare }ereniah xxxi, 31
16
Conpare 1 }ohn iii, , 8.
166
IsaIns xIviii, 2, 3, I, 2.
167
IsaIn Ixxxviii, , 6.
168
Conpare 2 Corinlhians vi, 16.
169
IsaIn Ixxii, 6, 7.
Kelra Nagasl
17
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and said, A Saviour shaII le lorn
oul of Zion, and He shaII renove sin fron }acol.
17O
Thus Hosea lhe Irophel prophesied and said, I viII cone lo lhee,
Zion, and I viII vaIk aloul in lhee, }erusaIen, sailh Cod, lhe HoIy ne of
IsraeI.
171
Thus Micah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The Word of Cod shaII
appear in }erusaIen, and lhe Lav shaII go forlh fron Zion.
172
Thus Hosea lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Cod shaII appear upon
lhe earlh, and shaII dveII vilh nen Iike us.
173
Thus }ereniah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, A saviour shaII le
senl fron Zion, and He shaII renove sin fron lhe peopIe of IsraeI.
174
Thus Micah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Cod shaII cone fron lhe
heavens and dveII in His lenpIe (or, ciladeI).
17
Thus Zechariah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Rejoice, daughler
of Zion! BehoId, I an aIive, and I viII dveII in lhee, sailh Cod, lhe HoIy
ne of IsraeI.
176
Thus Micah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, BehoId, Cod shaII cone,
and shaII shine upon lhose vho fear Hin, Sun of righleousness is His
Nane.
177
Thus Hosea lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Cod shaII cone upon
lhee, }erusaIen, and shaII appear in lhe nidsl of lhee.
178
17O
Isaiah Iix, 2O.
171
Conpare Zechariah ii, 1O.
172
Micah iv, 2.
173
Conpare Zechariah viii, 3.
174
Conpare }ereniah xxxi, 11, 12.
17
MaIachi iii, 1.
176
Zechariah ix, 9.
177
MaIachi iv, 2.
178
Zechariah i, 16.
Kelra Nagasl
176
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, And He shaII Iive, and
lhey shaII give Hin of lhe goId of Aralia, and lhey shaII pray for Hin
conlinuaIIy, and He shaII le lhe slay of aII lhe earlh upon lhe lops of lhe
nounlains.
179
Thus }ol lhe jusl prophesied and said, Cod shaII vaIk aloul upon lhe
earlh, and He shaII lraveI over lhe sea as upon lhe dry Iand.
18O
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, He loved lhe heavens
and cane dovn.
181
Thus Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, BehoId, lhe virgin shaII
conceive, and shaII lring forlh a Son, and she shaII caII His nane
LnnanueI.
182
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, I lroughl Thee forlh
fron lhe vonl lefore lhe slar of lhe norning.
183
And again he said,
Cod said unlo ne: Thou arl ny Son, and I have lhis day lroughl Thee
forlh.
184
Thus Cideon prophesied and said, BehoId, He shaII cone dovn Iike
dev upon lhe earlh.
18
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Cod Iooked dovn fron
heaven upon lhe chiIdren of nen, and fron lhe lenpIe of His
sancluary.
186
Thus Moses lhe Irophel prophesied and said, And aII lhe chiIdren of
Cod shaII say: He is slrong, for He avengelh lhe lIood of His sons.
187
179
IsaIn Ixxii, 1.
18O
}ol ix, 8.
181
IsaIn xviii, 9.
182
Isaiah vii, 14.
183
IsaIn cx, 3.
184
IsaIn ii, 7.
18
}udges vi, 37, IsaIn Ixxii, 6.
186
IsaIn xxiii, 13.
187
Deuleronony xxxii, 43.
Kelra Nagasl
177
Thus David prophesied and said, And lhere viII I nake a horn lo
David lo rise up, and I viII prepare a Ianp for Mine Anoinled, and I viII
cIolhe His enenies vilh shane, and in Hin shaII My hoIiness fIourish.
188
Thus Hosea lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Iear nol, for Thou shaIl
nol le pul lo shane. And le nol disnayed lecause of Thy praise.
189
And
again he said, Hearken unlo Me. hearken unlo Me, My peopIe, for My
judgenenl (or, juslice) is righl. I viII cone and I viII dveII vilh you, and
lhe nalions shaII pul lheir lrusl in My Iighl, for lhe nalions shaII le lhe
Ioved ones of Chrisl.
Thus David lhe Irophel said, A peopIe vhon I do nol knov shaII
serve Me, al lhe nere hearing of lhe ear lhey shaII ansver Me.
19O
And lo
lhe }evs he said, The chiIdren of lhe slranger have leen faIse lo ne, lhe
chiIdren of lhe slranger have lecone oId and have lraveIIed haIlingIy on
lheir palh. Cod Iivelh, and lIessed |isj ny Cod.
191
When he sailh unlo
lhee, Cod Iivelh, he speakelh of His Codhead, and vhen he sailh unlo
lhee and lIessed |isj ny Cod, he speakelh concerning His pulling on lhe
fIesh. And again he speakelh concerning His pulling on lhe fIesh in Isaiah
lhe Irophel, saying, Who is lhis gIorious ne vho conelh forlh fron
Ldon, Adni, Who cane dovn fron heaven, and pul on lhe lhings of
Basr, gIorious in najesly
192
When he sailh gIorious he referelh lo His
sveel odour, and vhen he sailh Adni, he neanelh lhe Word of lhe
Ialher Who vas lefore lhe vorId, lhe Son of Cod, vhen he sailh He pul
on lhe lhings of Basr, lhe gIorious in najesly, he indicalelh cIearIy lhe
lody of Adan.
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied saying concerning Chrislian foIk,
DecIare ye lo lhe nalions lhal Cod is King, and lhal He halh nade fasl lhe
188
IsaIn cxxxii, 17.
189
Isaiah Iiv, 4.
19O
IsaIn xviii, 43.
191
IsaIn xviii, 4, 46.
192
Isaiah Ixiii, 1.
Kelra Nagasl
178
vorId so lhal il shaII never le noved.
193
And he aIso prophesied
concerning His coning lo lhe nalions, and said, Before lhe face of Cod
shaII He cone, He shaII cone and shaII judge lhe earlh, and He shaII judge
lhe vorId in righleousness, and lhe nalions vilh juslice.
194
Thus Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The Lord of hosls halh
pIanned lo deslroy lhe conluneIy of lhe nalions, and He shaII lring lo
nolhing lhe nolIes and lhe nighly ones of lhe earlh.
19
And conlinuing
his prophecy he said, He shaII cone and shaII luiId His house, and He
shaII deIiver His peopIe.
196
And he added olher vords, saying, And al
lhal line lhere shaII spring fron lhe rool of }esse ne Who shaII le sel over
lhe nalions, and lhe nalions shaII pul lheir lrusl in Hin, and lhe pIace
vhere He shaII alide shaII le gIorious for ever.
197
Thus David prophesied, and said, Sing ye unlo Cod Who dveIIelh in
Zion, and decIare ye lo lhe nalion His vork.
198
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and spake concerning our Saviour
LnnanueI, lhe Sun of righleousness, He lroughl Me forlh lefore lhe
hiIIs, and lefore He nade lhe Iands and sel lhen in order, and founded Me
lefore lhe vorId, lefore He nade lhe earlh, and lefore He nade lhe
alysses, and lefore lhe valerfIoods cane forlh, and lhe leauly of lhe
fIovers appeared, and lefore lhe vinds lIev, Cod crealed His vork lefore
His face, and I exisled conjoinlIy vilh My Ialher.
199
Thus his falher David prophesied and said, His nane vas lefore lhe
sun, and lefore lhe noon, generalion lo generalion.
2OO
193
IsaIn xcvi, 1O.
194
IsaIns xcvi, 13, xcviii, 9.
19
Isaiah x, 33, Haggai ii, 7.
196
Isaiah xIv, 14, Haggai ii, 9.
197
Isaiah xi, 1O.
198
IsaIn cv, 1, 2.
199
Iroverls viii, 22 ff.
2OO
IsaIn Ixxii, , 17.
Kelra Nagasl
179
Thus his son SoIonon prophesied and said, When He nade slrong lhe
firnanenl alove lhe cIouds, and vhen He sel in posilion lhe vaIIs of lhe
loundaries of lhe heavens, and vhen He sel lhe sea in ils appoinled pIace,
and lefore He founded His lhrone alove lhe vinds, and vhen He nade
slrong lhe foundalions of lhe earlh, I exisled conjoinlIy vilh Hin. I vas
lhal vherein He rejoiced conlinuaIIy, and day ly day, and I exuIled vilh
Hin al aII lines lefore His face.
2O1
Thus }ol lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The face of ny Cod is in
lhe Lasl, and His Iighl is lefore |lhal ofj lhe sun, and lhe nalions pul lheir
lrusl in His Nane.
2O2
Thus Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Renenler ye nol lhe
lhings of lhe pasl, and lhink nol aloul lhe lhings of oIden line, lehoId, I
viII nake a nev lhing, vhich shaII nov spring up, so lhal ye nay knov
lhal I nake a road lhrough lhe deserl and valer fIoods in lhe viIderness,
and lhe leasls of lhe fieId shaII foIIov afler Me, and lhe young lirds, and
lhe oslriches. Ior I have given valer in lhe deserl, and nade slreans of
valer lo fIov in lhe viIderness, so lhal I nay give drink lo My peopIe and
lo My chosen ones vhon I have gollen, so lhal lhey nay decIare My gIory,
and perforn My connandnenl.
2O3
Thus SoIonon prophesied and said, Who halh gone up inlo heaven
and cone dovn And vho halh galhered logelher lhe vinds in his loson
And vho halh coIIecled lhe valers in his garnenl And vho halh
neasured lhe valers of lhe sea in his hand, and lhe heavens on lhe paIn of
his hand And vhal is his nane and vhal is lhe nane of his son
2O4
Thus Micah lhe Irophel prophesied and said unlo lhe }evs, I have no
pIeasure in you, sailh Cod Who ruIelh aII lhings. And I have no pIeasure in
your offerings, and I viII accepl no gifl fron your hands. Ior fron lhe
rising of lhe sun lo lhe selling lhereof shaII My Nane le praised anong aII
2O1
Iroverls viii, 3O.
2O2
LzekieI xIiii, 2.
2O3
Isaiah xxxv, xIiii, 2O.
2O4
Iroverls xxx, 4, Isaiah xI, 12.
Kelra Nagasl
18O
peopIes, and in aII counlries incense shaII le offered up lo ny greal Nane
anong aII peopIes, sailh AInighly Cod.
2O
And again Micah lhe Irophel said, A nev covenanl shaII appear upon
lhe nounlain of Cod, and il shaII le prepared upon lhe lops of lhe
nounlains, and il shaII le exaIled alove lhe hiIIs, and peopIe shaII say,
'Cone ye, Iel us go up inlo lhe nounlain of Cod. And nany nalions shaII
go lherelo and shaII say, 'Cone ye, Iel us go up inlo lhe nounlain of
Cod,
2O6
and lhey shaII decIare unlo us His vay, and ve viII vaIk
lherein.
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Hearken unlo Me, My
peopIe, and I viII speak unlo lhee, IsraeI, and viII lring leslinony lo lhee, I
an Cod, lhy Cod.
2O7
Thus Moses lhe Irophel prophesied and said concerning lhe Trinily,
Hear, IsraeI, lhe Lord lhy Cod is ne.
2O8
And lhis is lo le expIained
lhus: Ialher, and Son, and HoIy Spiril are ne Cod, Whose kingdon is
one, Whose doninion is one, and as ne nen shaII vorship Then in lhe
heavens and in lhe earlh, in lhe sea and in lhe alysses. And lo Hin le
praise for ever and ever! Anen.
1O7. Concerning His Lnlrance inlo }erusaIen in CIory
And lhe Irophels have prophesied concerning His gIorious enlry inlo
}erusaIen, and Isaiah lhe Irophel said, Shine lhou, shine lhou, }erusaIen,
lhy Iighl halh cone and lhe gIory of Cod halh risen upon lhee.
2O9
Thus lhe Irophel Zechariah prophesied and said, Rejoice, rejoice,
daughler of Zion, and Iel }erusaIen shoul for joy.
21O
2O
MaIachi i, 1O, 11.
2O6
Conpare Isaiah ii, 3, Micah iv, 2.
2O7
IsaIn I, 7.
2O8
Deuleronony vi, 4.
2O9
Isaiah Ix, 1.
21O
Zechariah ix, 9.
Kelra Nagasl
181
Thus David prophesied and said, ul of lhe noulh of chiIdren and
lales Thou hasl prepared praise lecause of lhe eneny, so lhal Thou
nighlesl overlhrov lhe eneny and lhe avenger.
211
Thus SoIonon prophesied and said, The chiIdren are laughl ly Cod,
and lhe peopIes rejoice vilhin lhee.
212
Thus David his falher prophesied and said, BIov ye lhe horn in Zion,
on lhe day of lhe nev noon, on lhe appoinled day of our feslivaI, for il is
an ordinance for IsraeI.
213
Thus Lzra lhe Scrile prophesied and said, Cel ye oul, nake ye a
feslivaI in gIadness, and say unlo lhe daughler of Zion, Rejoice lhou,
lehoId lhy King halh cone.
214
Thus Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Rejoice lhou, }erusaIen,
rejoice lhou. BehoId, lhy King halh cone riding upon an ass. His revard is
vilh Hin, and His vork is lefore His face.
21
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, BIessed is He vho
conelh in lhe nane of lhe Lord.
216
Thus }acol lhe son of Isaac prophesied and said, }udah, lhy lrelhren
have praised lhee. Thine hand is upon lhe lack of lhine eneny, and lhe
chiIdren of lhy nolher shaII vorship lhee. And lhe doninion shaII nol
dininish fron }udah, and lhe governnenl shaII nol deparl fron his kin,
unliI he shaII find Hin Who halh leen vailed for, and Who is lhe Hope of
lhe nalions.
217
And he aIso prophesied and said, His leelh are vhile as
vilh snov, and His eyes are gIad as vilh vine, and He shaII vash His
211
IsaIn viii, 2.
212
Isaiah Iiv, 13.
213
IsaIn Ixxxi, 3.
214
Zechariah ix, 9.
21
Isaiah Ixii, 11.
216
IsaIn cxviii, 26.
217
Cenesis xIix, 8-1O.
Kelra Nagasl
182
appareI in vine and His lunic in lhe lIood of cIuslers of grapes.
218
And
again he prophesied, saying, }udah is a Iions vheIp, lhou hasl Iain dovn,
and lhou hasl sIepl, no one shaII vake hin up excepl hin lhal hunlelh
unliI he findelh hin, rise up fron lhy slrong pIace.
219
And again }acol
lIessed his son }udah, and said unlo hin, There is a King vho shaII go
forlh fron lhee and shaII vash His appareI in vine, and gIorious is lhe
pIace of resl of lhe BeIoved, nov, ly BeIoved Chrisl is neanl, and ly
Messiah Chrisl is neanl, and }esus neanelh Saviour of lhe peopIe.
Nov lhe Irophels nenlion Chrisl under a secrel nane and lhey caII Hin
lhe BeIoved.
And Isaiah spake concerning His Ascension in his prophecy, saying,
n lhal day lhe BeIoved shaII cone dovn fron heaven, and shaII choose
for HinseIf lveIve AposlIes.
22O
And again he said, I have seen lhe
ascension of lhe leIoved Son lo lhe sevenlh heaven, and lhe AngeIs and lhe
ArchangeIs receiving Hin, He leing very nuch higher lhan lhey.
And David said, The leIoved is Iike lhe son of lhe unicorn,
221
and
again he said, And lhine onIy one fron lhe horns of lhe unicorn.
222
And
again he said, Lel ny horn le exaIled Iike lhal of lhe unicorn.
223
Horns neanelh lhe kingdons of lhe vorId, and unicorn neanelh He
Who is over His kingdon Whon no one can resisl, for He is lhe governor
of kings, He deslroyelh vhon He viII and He sellelh up hin vhon He
viII. Lven as David sailh, I viII nake lhee lo rejoice nore lhan lhose vho
are nighly lhrough lheir horns,
224
vhich neanelh, Thou arl nolIer lhan
lhe nolIe kings, and lhou dosl rejoice.
218
Cenesis xIix, 11, 12.
219
Cenesis xIix, 9.
22O
Misquolalion
221
IsaIn xxii, 2O ().
222
IsaIn xxii, 2O, 21.
223
IsaIn xcii, 1O.
224
Conpare IsaIn Ixxv, 1O.
Kelra Nagasl
183
And Halakkuk prophesied, saying, Horns are in his hands,
22
and he
halh pIaced lhe leIoved in lhe slrenglh of his pover, vhich neanelh,
The paIns of lhe hand, vherein lhe Iife of aII is heId, of lhe hoIder of lhe
doninion of kings, are pierced vilh naiIs, vhich Chrisl, lhe leIoved, halh
endured in lhe slrenglh of His nighl.
1O8. Concerning lhe Wickedness of lhe Iniquilous }evs
And lhe Irophels prophesied concerning lhe vickedness of lhe }evs.
And David said concerning il, The nan of vioIence hunlelh iniquily lo
deslroy hinseIf.
226
And again he sailh, His sorrov shaII relurn upon his
head, and his iniquily upon his forehead (or, skuII).
227
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and said, The fooIish nan and lhe
nan of iniquily lraveI ly palhs lhal are nol slraighl. He vinkelh vilh lhe
eye, and lappelh vilh lhe fool, and he givelh a sign ly novenenls of lhe
fingers and nolion of lhe Iips, and his perverled hearl nedilalelh eviI al aII
lines, a nan vho is Iike lhis viII nake lo cone lunuIl and nurder, and
lhe shedding of lIood lhrough doulIe-deaIing, and he shaII nol escape lhe
judgenenl.
228
And David his falher prophesied and said, They lroughl forlh againsl
ne lhe vord of error, he vho sIeepelh shaII he nol avake ShaII lhen lhe
nan of ny peace (i.e., ny friend), vhon I lrusled, vho ale ny food, Iifl up
his fool againsl ne
229
22
Halakkuk iii,
226
IsaIn vii, 16.
227
IsaIn vii, 16.
228
Iroverls vi, 13.
229
IsaIn xIi, 9.
Kelra Nagasl
184
Thus Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Woe le unlo lhe nan of
iniquily vho lringelh vralh.
23O
And again he said, Lel lhen renove lhe
sinner so lhal he nay nol see lhe gIory of Cod.
231
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The sinner speakelh
vhal viII condenn hin, and lhere is no fear of Cod lefore his eyes.
232
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and said, The nan of iniquily
lringelh lunuIl lo lhe cily, and he viIIingIy nakelh lo cone deslruclion,
and lealing, and caIanily vhich cannol le heaIed, for he rejoicelh in
everylhing vhich Cod halelh.
233
Thus prophesied Moses lhe Irophel and said, Cod vishelh nol lo
forgive hin lul ralher lo increase vengeance upon hin, and He viII nake
punishnenls lo resl upon hin, and lhe curse vhich is vrillen in lhis look
shaII cone upon hin, and his nane shaII le lIolled oul fron under
heaven.
234
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, His hearl is ready for
sIaughler, he preferrelh cursing and il shaII cone lo hin, he refuselh
lIessing and il shaII le far fron hin.
23
Thus }ereniah lhe Irophel prophesied concerning hin and said, The
nan of iniquily shaII le deslroyed lecause of lhe Iove of noney, and he
Iookelh upon darkness lecause of his fraud.
236
Thus }ol prophesied and said concerning hin, His Crealor viII
deslroy his fair vork, and his rool shaII dry up under hin, and his fIover
shaII le lealen dovn upon hin, and his nenoriaI shaII le lIolled oul fron
lhe earlh, and his nane shaII le casl fir avay, and nen shaII renove hin
23O
Isaiah x, 1, 2.
231
IsaIn civ, 3.
232
IsaIn xxxvi, 1.
233
Irov. xi, 11
234
Deuleronony xxix, 2O.
23
IsaIn cix, 17.
236
Conpare LzekieI xviii, 12, 31.
Kelra Nagasl
18
inlo lhe darkness so lhal he nay nol see lhe Iighl, and lhe house of lhe nan
of iniquily shaII le lIolled oul.
237
Thus Hosea prophesied and said concerning hin, Hearken unlo ne,
chiIdren of IsraeI, for lhere is no righleousness, and no nercy, and no fear
of Cod in his hearl, lul faIsehood, and lhefl, and nurder, and
fornicalion.
238
And David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Salan slandelh al his
righl hand and again he said, Lel anolher lake his office.
239
And Moses cursed in lhe Lav and said, Cursed le every one vho
lakelh lriles lo sIay innocenl lIood, and aII lhe peopIe said, Anen. And
Anen.
24O
Thus Halakkuk lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The governor
nakelh |nenj vise concerning lhis perversion of lhe Lav, and no righl
judgenenl conelh forlh, for lhe sinner corruplelh lhe righleous nan, and
lherefore a perverled judgenenl conelh forlh.
241
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The sinner seelh and
leconelh vralhfuI, and he gnashelh vilh his leelh and is dissoIved.
242
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and said, A faIse laIance is a halefuI
lhing lo Cod.
243
Thus }ereniah prophesied and said concerning }udah, My hire is
ready (or, veighed) for ne~lhirly |pieces ofj siIver.
244
1O9. Concerning His Crucifixion
237
}ol xviii, 16 f.
238
Hosea iv, 1, 2.
239
IsaIn cix, 6-8.
24O
Lxodus xxiii, 8, Deul. xxvii, 2,
241
Halakkuk i, 4.
242
IsaIn cxii, 1O.
243
Iroverls xi, 1.
244
Zechariah xi, 12.
Kelra Nagasl
186
And lhe Irophels aIso prophesied concerning lhe Crucifixion of Chrisl.
Thus Moses, lhe servanl of Cod, prophesied and said, Ye shaII see
your saIvalion crucified upon lhe vood, and shaII nol leIieve.
Thus David prophesied and said, Many dogs have seized Me, and
lhey drove naiIs lhrough My hands and My feel, and lhey counled aII My
lones, lhough lhey knev Me lhey despised Me, and lhey divided My
garnenls anong lhenseIves, and lhey casl Iols for My appareI.
24
Thus Isaiah prophesied concerning lhe Incarnalion and Crucifixion of
Chrisl, and said, Who leIievelh our vord, and lo vhon is lhe arn of lhe
Lord reveaIed And ve spake Iike a chiId lefore Hin: and He is Iike a rool
in parched ground, He halh no leauly and no forn, and His forn is nore
rejecled and alased lhan |lhal ofj any nan. He is a lroken nan and a nan
of suffering, for He halh lurned avay His face, and lhey lreal Hin vilh
conlenpl and esleen Hin as nolhing.
246
Thus SoIonon prophesied and said, Lel us kiII lhe righleous nan, for
he is a lurden unlo us, he sellelh hinseIf up againsl our vorks, he resislelh
our inlenlions conlinuaIIy, and ve are an aloninalion unlo hin lecause of
our sins.
247
And he conlinued, saying, My son, Iel nol vicked nen Iead
lhee aslray., if lhey say unlo lhee, 'Cone vilh us, le a parlner vilh us, Iel
us hide innocenl lIood and lake pIunder fron hin, and Iel lhere le one
purse connon lo us aII: vilhdrav lhyseIf fron lheir foolsleps, for Iel il
nol le lhrough lhee lhal lhe lirds find lhe nel.
248
Thus David prophesied and said, They casl gaII inlo My neal, and
lhey gave Me vinegar lo drink lo |quenchj My lhirsl.
249
Thus prophesied Isaiah lhe Irophel and said, He halh laken our
disease and carried our sickness, and ly His vound ve are heaIed, and ve
24
IsaIn xxii, 16.
246
Isaiah Iiii, 1-3.
247
Wisdon ii, 12.
248
Iroverls i, 1O ff.
249
IsaIn Ixix, 21.
Kelra Nagasl
187
sav Hin suffering, and vounded in his pain, and He opened nol His
noulh in His pain, and He cane lo le sIaughlered, Iike a Ianl lefore his
shearer He opened nol His noulh in His suffering unliI lhey look avay His
Iife, and lhey knev nol His lirlh, lhrough lhe sin of My peopIe have I cone
even unlo dealh.
2O
Thus }ereniah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, And lhey look lhe
price of lhe honouralIe one lhirly |pieces ofj siIver, vhon lhey had
honoured anong lhe chiIdren of IsraeI. And Cod said unlo ne, Casl il inlo
lhe neIling pol, and lesl il |and seej if il le pure, and lhey gave il for lhe
fieId of lhe poller, as Cod halh connanded ne I viII speak.
21
Thus Isaiah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, They counled Hin vilh
lhe sinners, and lroughl Hin lo dealh.
22
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Those vho hale Me
vrongfuIIy are nany, and lhey have revarded Me vilh eviI for good.
23
Thus Zechariah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, And lhey shaII Iook
upon Hin Whon lhey have crucified and pierced.
24
Nov lhere are sliII very nany passages vhich have leen vrillen and
nany prophecies vhich nighl le nenlioned concerning His coning, and
His Crucifixion, and His dealh, and His Resurreclion, and His second
coning in gIory. Bul ve have onIy nenlioned a fev of lhe prophecies of
lhe prophels~ve have nenlioned one of each kind~so lhal ye nay hear,
and leIieve, and undersland, even as il is said in lhe Acls of lhe AposlIes,
By lhe CospeI Thou hasl guided us, and ly lhe Irophels Thou hasl
conforled us, for lhe vords of lhe Irophels nake righl lhe failh of lhose
vho doull.
2
2O
Isaiah Iiii, 4 ff.
21
Zechariah xi, 13.
22
Isaiah Iiii, 12.
23
IsaIn xxxv, 12.
24
Zechariah xii, 1O.
2
Acls iii, 2O ff.
Kelra Nagasl
188
11O. Concerning His Resurreclion
And lhe prophel David aIso prophesied, concerning His Resurreclion
and said, I viII arise, sailh lhe Lord, and I viII nake saIvalion and
nanifesl il openIy.
26
And again he sailh, Rise up, Lord, and judge lhe
earlh, for Thou shaIl inheril anong lhe nalions.
27
And he aIso
prophesied and said, Rise up, Lord, heIp us, and deIiver us for Thy
Nanes sake.
28
And again he said, Lel Cod arise and Iel His enenies le
scallered, and Iel His enenies fIee fron lefore His face.
29
And he aIso
prophesied and said, Cod halh risen up Iike one vho halh voke up fron
sIeep, and Iike a nighly nan vho halh Iefl |hisj vine.
26O
Thus Isaiah lhe prophel prophesied and said, He viII renove sickness
fron his souI, for he halh nol connilled sin, and faIsehood halh nol leen
found in his noulh. And lo hin lhal halh served righleousness and good
viII he shov Iighl and he viII juslify hin, and he shaII do avay lhe sins of
nany, for he halh nol connilled sin, and faIsehood is nol found in his
noulh.
261
Thus prophesied David lhe Irophel and said, Ior My souI shaII nol le
Iefl in heII.
262
Thus SoIonon his son prophesied and said, The Sun of righleousness
shaII arise, and shaII lraveI lovards lhe righl, and shaII relurn inlo His
pIace.
263
26
IsaIn xii, .
27
IsaIn Ixxxii, 8.
28
IsaIn xIiv, 26.
29
IsaIn Ixviii, 1.
26O
IsaIn Ixxviii, 6.
261
Conpare Isaiah Iiii, 4 ff.
262
IsaIn xvi, 1O.
263
Conpare MaIachi iv, 2.
Kelra Nagasl
189
111. Concerning His Ascension and His Second Coning
Thus aII lhe Irophels and nany of lhe earIy Ialhers prophesied
concerning His Ascension and His Second Coning lo judge lhe Iiving and
lhe dead.
And David said concerning His Resurreclion, He halh gone up inlo
lhe heighls. Thou hasl nade caplive caplivily, and hasl given grace lo lhe
chiIdren of nen.
264
And he aIso said, Having gone forlh, I viII cone
lack, and I viII relurn fron lhe alyss of lhe sea.
26
And again he said,
Sing ye unlo Cod Who halh gone up inlo lhe heavens, lhe heavens vhich
are opposile lhe norning.
266
Thus Anos lhe Irophel prophesied and said, The Messiah, Who nade
lhe line of lhe norning, halh cone and is exaIled fron lhe earlh inlo lhe
heighls: and His Nane is Cod Who ruIelh aII lhings.
267
Thus prophesied David lhe Irophel and said, Thou arl exaIled,
Lord, ly Thy nighl, and ve viII praise and hynn Thy slrenglh.
268
Thus prophesied Zechariah lhe Irophel and said, His fool slandelh on
lhe Mounl of Iives lo lhe easl of }erusaIen. And He ridelh upon lhe
Cherulin, and He fIielh upon lhe ving of lhe vinds.
269
Thus David said, pen ye lhe gales of lhe princes, and Iel lhe doors
vhich vere fron lhe crealion le opened, and lhe King of gIory shaII cone!
Who is lhis King of gIory Cod, lhe nighly and slrong ne, Cod, lhe
nighly ne in lallIe. And he aIso nade knovn and said, pen ye lhe
gales of princes, and Iel lhe doors vhich vere fron lhe crealion le opened,
264
IsaIn Ixviii, 18.
26
IsaIn Ixviii, 22.
266
IsaIn Ixviii, 32, 33.
267
Anos iv, 13.
268
IsaIn xxi, 13.
269
Zechariah xiv, 4, IsaIn xviii, 1O.
Kelra Nagasl
19O
and lhe King of gIory shaII cone! Who is lhis King of gIory The Lord Cod
of Hosls is lhis King.
27O
And again concerning His coning~He shaII judge lhe Iiving and lhe
dead~He lo Whon leIongelh gIory for ever and ever. Anen.
Thus Zechariah lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Thal day lhe Lord
ny Cod shaII cone, and aII His sainls vilh Hin.
271
Thus David lhe Irophel prophesied and said, Cod spake once, and
lhis according |lo vhalj I have heard: Conpassion leIongelh unlo Cod.
And Thine, Lord, is lhe pover, for Thou viIl revard every nan
according lo his vork.
272
Thus spake DanieI lhe Irophel and said, I sav in ny vision ly nighl,
and lehoId, lhere cane |onej Iike unlo lhe Son of nan lo lhe Ancienl of
Days, and lhere vere given unlo hin doninion, and gIory, and
sovereignly, and aII lhe nalions and peopIes and counlries shaII serve Hin,
and His doninion shaII have no end for ever and ever. Anen.
273
And aII lhe Irophels prophesied, and nolhing lhal halh happened halh
leen vilhoul lhe prophecy of lhe Irophels. And lhey have decIared
everylhing lhal halh happened, and vhal shaII happen, vhal halh leen
done and vhal shaII le done, and lhal vhich leIongelh lo lhe lines of oId
and lhal vhich leIongelh lo lhe Ialler days up lo His Second Coning. And
lhis lhey have done nol onIy ly vhal lhey have prophesied and decIared,
lul logelher vilh lheir prophecies lhey have given nanifeslalions of Hin
in lheir lodies. And lhere vas a fanine in lhe Iand of Canaan, and our
falher Alrahan venl dovn lo Lgypl, and cane lack vilh nuch riches and
honour vilhoul lIenish. And in Iike nanner our Redeener venl dovn
and deIivered lhe Church, lhe AssenlIy of lhe Nalions, and He venl up
|againj, having gollen honour and praise.
27O
IsaIn xxiv, 7, 8.
271
Zechariah xiv, .
272
IsaIn Ixii, 11, 12.
273
DanieI vii, 13 f.
Kelra Nagasl
191
112. Hov lhe Irophels Ioreshadoved Hin in lheir Iersons
Isaac connanded his falher, saying, Bind ne, and he vas offered up
as a sacrifice, lhough he did nol die, leing redeened ly lhe ran vhich
cane dovn fron heaven. And in Iike nanner lhe Son of Cod vas oledienl
lo His Ialher even unlo dealh. And He vas lound vilh lhe Iove of nen,
and He vas naiIed |lo lhe Crossj and vas pierced, and lhe Son of Cod
lecane our ranson, and His Codhead suffered nol.
Thus }acol his son deparled lo lhe Iand of Ll (Lalan), lhe counlry of
his nolhers lrolher, vilh his slaff onIy, and lhere he nade nany callIe,
and acquired leasls lolh cIean and uncIean, and he legol lveIve sons, and
he reveaIed laplisn, and relurned lo his ovn counlry vhere he received a
lIessing fron Isaac his falher. And in Iike nanner our Lord Chrisl cane
dovn fron heaven, lhe Word of Codhead ly IlseIf, and lhe slaff of }acol
vherevilh he paslured his sheep is our Lady Mary our saIvalion. And
noreover, lhe slaff signifielh lhe vood of lhe Cross vherely, leing
crucified upon il, He redeened His fIock and look possession of us fron
anong lhe }evs, and lhe healhen, and lhe CenliIes. And He chose for
HinseIf TveIve AposlIes, and lhey nade lhe peopIe leIieve in aII lhe earlh
and in every counlry, and He venl up lo heaven lo His Ialher.
Thus Moses deparled lo lhe counlry of Midian, and lhere he heId
converse vilh Cod, Who nade hin lo Iearn and lo knov lhe leIief in lhe
resurreclion fron lhe dead of his falhers Alrahan, Isaac, and }acol. And
ly neans of his slaff (or, rod) He endoved hin vilh lhe pover lo perforn
niracIes, and he legol lvo sons. And lhis shovelh cIearIy lhal ve shaII le
saved ly lhe Trinily. As lhe noulh of Cod procIained, I an lhe Cod of
Alrahan~lhis of lhe Ialher~and lhe Cod of Isaac~lhis of lhe
Son~and lhe Cod of }acol~vhen He sailh lhis il is of lhe HoIy Chosl
indicaling lhe Trinily cIearIy and pIainIy. I an nol lhe Cod of lhe dead,
lul lhe Cod of lhe Iiving,
274
for lhey aII are aIive vilh Cod, and ly lhis
lhe Resurreclion of lhe dead is lo le underslood.
274
Mallhev xxii, 32.
Kelra Nagasl
192
}onah vas svaIIoved up and casl inlo lhe leIIy of lhe greal fish, and
our Redeener venl dovn inlo lhe hearl of lhe earlh, and rose again lhe
lhird day. And DanieI vas casl inlo lhe pil of lhe Iions, and |lhe king and
lhe Iordsj seaIed il vilh lheir seaIs, and he rose up lherefron vilhoul lhe
Iions devouring hin. And siniIarIy our Lord vas casl inlo lhe grave, and
lhe }evs seaIed il vilh lheir seaIs, inagining lhal lhey vere seaIing up lhe
rising of lhe sun so lhal il shouId nol shine. ye fooIish, vicked,
lIasphenous, lIind, and veak-ninded nen, vouId ye asserl lhal lhe Spiril
of Life shouId nol appear and cone forlh And lhe }evs vere pul lo
shane, and He venl forlh lo iIIunine us vho have leIieved upon Hin.
}oseph vas soId ly lhe hand of his lrelhren, and our Lord vas soId ly
lhe hand of }udah. And }oseph vhere he vas soId deIivered his lrelhren
fron lhe fanine, and Chrisl halh deIivered us vho leIieved upon Hin and
halh nade us His heirs and His lrelhren. And as }oseph gave an
inherilance unlo his kinsfoIk in lhe Iand of Cshan (Coshen), so shaII
|Chrislj give unlo His righleous ones a halilalion, an everIasling
inherilance.
And noreover, in order lhal ye nay knov, and undersland, and le
cerlain aloul lhe resurreclion of lhe dead, I viII give you a sign, vhich ye
shaII undersland ly lhe guidance of His vord. When Alrahan had cone
unlo lhe Iand of |hisj inherilance he loughl firsl of aII a lonl vherein lo
galher logelher lhe dead lodies of his kinsfoIk, and his chiIdren, and his
vife, so lhal he nighl join lhen in lhe resurreclion, and lhere he luried his
vife Sarah and he hinseIf vas luried. Ior he vas a prophel, and he knev
lhal he vouId le raised up vilh his kin. And Isaac and Relekah his vife
vere aIso luried lhere. And il renained lheir possession fron lhe line
vhen }acol venl dovn lo lhe Iand of Lgypl vilh sevenly-seven souIs,
lecause of lhe fanine and lecause }oseph his son |vas lherej, unliI lheir
nunler lecane six hundred lhousand narching nen vho vere equipped
for var, vilhoul |reckoningj vonen and chiIdren. And }acol died in Lgypl
al a good oId age, and he said unlo }oseph his son, I adjure lhee ly lhe Iife
of ny falher and ly ny Cod, Who is lhe renever of ny Iife, lhal lhou lury
ne nol in lhis counlry, lul in lhe lonl of ny falhers, so lhal ny dealh nay
Kelra Nagasl
193
le vilh lhen and ny Iife sulsequenlIy vilh lhen.
27
Knov lhen ly lhis
siniIilude of lhe vord. And }oseph his son carried IsraeI and luried hin
ly lhe grave of his falhers, for he reverenced lhe oalh vhich }acol had
nade hin lo svear.
And again, vhen }acol feII sick in Lgypl he caIIed his lrelhren and his
chiIdren, and nade lhen lo svear lhal lhey vouId nol Ieave his lones in
lhe Iand of Lgypl, and said, When Cod nakelh you lo relurn lake ye ny
lones vilh you and ningIe lhen in lhe grave of ny falhers.
276
113. Concerning lhe Chariol and lhe Vanquisher of lhe Lneny
And lhe Archlishops (or, Ialriarchs) ansvered and said unlo Cregory,
lhe Worker of Wonders, BehoId nov, ve knov veII, and lhou hasl nade
us lo undersland lhal lhe Kings of Llhiopia have lecone gIorious and
greal lhrough Zion. And lhe Kings of Rn aIso have lecone greal
lecause of lhe naiIs |of lhe Crossj lhal HeIena nade inlo a lridIe, vhich
halh lecone lhe vanquisher of lhe eneny for lhe King of Rn. And lhe
chariol leIongelh lo lhe King of Llhiopia, and il halh vanquished his
eneny. And leII us aIso hov Iong lhe vanquisher of lhe eneny shaII renain
vilh lhe King of Rn, and lhe chariol conlaining Zion vilh lhe King of
Llhiopia. TeII us, for Cod halh reveaIed unlo lhee vhal halh leen, and
vhal shaII le, vision and prophecy, Iike Moses and LIijah.
And Cregory ansvered and said unlo lhen, I viII reveaI unlo you
concerning lhe King of Rn vhen he shaII lransgress and shaII provoke
Cod lo vralh in lhe failh. This failh vhich ve have ordered and Iaid dovn
shaII a king lransgress vho shaII cone in Rn, and lhere shaII le
associaled vilh hin a cerlain archlishop, and lhey shaII change and
perverl lhe vord of lhe TveIve AposlIes, and lhey shaII casl il aside in lhe
desire of lheir hearl|sj, and lhey shaII leach vhal lhey vish, and lhey shaII
lurn lhe Scriplures lo suil lheir ovn nalure, even as lhe AposlIe sailh,
'They have lehaved lhenseIves Iike |lhe peopIe ofj Sodon and
27
Cenesis xIvii, 29.
276
Cenesis 1, 2.
Kelra Nagasl
194
Conorrah.
277
And our Lord said unlo His discipIes in lhe CospeI, 'Cuard
ye yourseIves againsl lhose vho shaII cone unlo you in lhe appareI of
sheep, and vho are invardIy voIves lhal lear.
278
And vhen lhey have
deslroyed lhe failh lhe vanquisher of lhe eneny shaII le laken avay fron
lhen, and lhere shaII le none of lhose vho have changed our failh vho
shaII sil upon lhe lhrone of Ieler, and lhe loveIs of lheir Archlishops shaII
le enplied oul if lhey have laken lheir seal upon il in perverled failh. Ior
lhe AngeI of Cod halh leen connanded lo prolecl lhe lhrone of Ieler in
Rn. And Cod shaII lake avay lhe vanquisher of lhe eneny fron lhe
king vho shaII nol guard lhe failh, and lhe Iersians shaII nake var upon
hin and defeal hin, and il seenelh lo ne lhal his nane is Marcion lhe
Aposlale. And lhe King of Iersia, vhose nane is Harnvs (Irenaeus)
shaII conquer () hin, and lhe king shaII carry hin avay, logelher vilh his
horse, and ly lhe WiII of Cod lhe horse on vhich is lhe vanquisher of lhe
eneny shaII le slirred up, and shaII go inlo lhe sea and perish lherein. Bul
lhe naiIs shaII shine lhere in lhe sea unliI Chrisl shaII cone again in greal
gIory upon a cIoud of heaven, logelher vilh pover.
Nov lhis halh Cod shoved ne in lhe pil. And as concerning lhe King
of Llhiopia, and Zion, lhe Bride of heaven, and her chariol vherely lhey
nove, I viII decIare unlo you lhal vhich ny Cod halh reveaIed unlo ne
and halh nade ne lo undersland. |Llhiopiaj shaII conlinue in lhe rlhodox
failh unliI lhe coning of our Lord, and she shaII in no vay lurn aside fron
lhe vord of lhe AposlIes, and il shaII le so even as ve have ordered unliI
lhe end of lhe vorId.
And one ansvered and said unlo lhe Worker of Wonders (i.e. Cregory),
Nov vhen SanIyI conelh, vho is lhe IaIse Chrisl (Anlichrisl), viII lhe
failh of lhe peopIe of Llhiopia le deslroyed ly his allack And Cregory
ansvered and said, AssuredIy nol. Halh nol David prophesied saying,
'Llhiopia shaII nake her hands cone lo Cod
279
And lhis lhal he sailh
277
Mallhev x, 1.
278
Mallhev vii, 1.
279
IsaIn Ixviii, 31.
Kelra Nagasl
19
neanelh lhal lhe Llhiopians viII neilher perverl nor change lhis our failh
and vhal ve have ordered, and lhe failh of lhose vho vere lefore us) lhe
leachers of lhe Lav of lhe AposlIes.
114. Concerning lhe Relurn of Zion
And lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, lhe HoIy Zion, shaII renain here
unliI lhal day vhen our Lord shaII dveII on Mounl Zion, and Zion shaII
cone and shaII appear unlo aII prepared, vilh lhree seaIs~even as Moses
gave her~as il sailh in lhe Id Lav and in lhe Nev, Al lhe leslinony of
lvo or lhree |vilnessesj everylhing shaII sland.
28O
And lhen, sailh Isaiah
lhe Irophel, The dead shaII le raised up, and lhose vho are in lhe graves
shaII Iive, for lhe dev vhich |conelhj fron Thee is lheir Iife.
281
And
vhen lhe dead are raised up, His nercy vherely He valerelh lhe earlh
shaII cease, lhey shaII sland up lefore Hin vilh lhe vorks vhich lhey have
done. And Lnoch and LIias shaII cone, leing aIive, so lhal lhey nay leslify,
and Moses and Aaron fron lhe dead shaII Iive vilh everyone. And lhey
shaII open lhe lhings lhal feller her (i.e. Zion), and lhey shaII nake lo le
seen lhe }evs, lhe crucifiers, and lhey shaII punish lhen and chide lhen
lecause of aII lhal lhey have done in perverling lhe Word of Cod. And lhe
}evs shaII see vhal He vrole for lhen vilh His hand~lhe Words of His
Connandnenl, and lhe nanna vherevilh He fed lhen vilhoul loiI |on
lheir parlj, and lhe neasure lhereof, lhe Cnr, and lhe spiriluaI Zion,
vhich cane dovn for lheir saIvalion, and lhe rod of Aaron, vhich
lIossoned afler lhe nanner of Mary.
11. Concerning lhe }udgenenl of IsraeI
And He shaII ansver and say unlo lhen, Why did ye deny Me, and
enlreal Me eviIIy and crucify Me, |seeing lhalj I did aII lhis for you, and
lhal ly My coning dovn |fron heavenj I deIivered you fron Salan and
28O
Deuleronony xix, 1, Mallhev xviii, 16, }ohn viii, 17, 2 Corinlhians xiii, 1.
281
Isaiah xxvi, 19.
Kelra Nagasl
196
fron lhe sIavery of Salan, and lhal I cane for your sakes Look ye and see
hov ye pierced Me vilh naiIs and lhrusl lhe spear lhrough Me. And lhe
TveIve AposlIes shaII le raised up, and lhey shaII pass judgenenl upon
lhen, and shaII say unlo lhen, We vouId have nade you hear, lul ye
vouId nol hear lhe prophecy of lhe Irophels and lhe preaching of us lhe
AposlIes. And lhe }evs shaII veep and repenl vhen il shaII le useIess lo
do so, and lhey shaII pass inlo everIasling punishnenl, and vilh lhe DeviI,
lheir falher vho had direcled lhen, and his denons vho had Ied lhen
aslray, and vilh lhe vicked lhey shaII le shul in.
And lhose vho have leIieved and vho have leen laplized in lhe HoIy
Trinily, and have received His Body and His BIood, shaII lecone His
servanls vilh lheir vhoIe hearl, for lhere is no one vho can hale His Body
aIlogelher. The Body of Chrisl crielh oul in our Body, and He halh
conpassion lecause of His Body and BIood, for lhey have lecone His sons
and His lrelhren. And if lhere le sone vho have sinned lhey shaII le
judged in lhe fire according lo lhe quanlily of lheir sins, he vhose lurden
of sin is Iighl his punishnenl shaII le Iighl, and he vhose lurden of sin is
heavy, exceedingIy greal shaII his punishnenl le. ne day vilh Cod is as a
period of len lhousand years, sone lhere shaII le vho shaII le punished
for a day, and sone for haIf a day, and sone for lhree hours of a day, and
sone for one hour of a day, and sone lhere shaII le vho shaII le lesled
and vho shaII le alsoIved fron lheir lransgressions.
116. Concerning lhe Chariol of Llhiopia
And lhe Archlishops ansvered and said unlo Cregory, lhe Worker of
Wonders, BehoId nov, lhou hasl loId us concerning lhe vanquisher of lhe
eneny of Rn, and nov |leII usj of lhe chariol of Llhiopia and vhelher il
shaII renain henceforvard, lo lhe Coning of Chrisl, as lhou hasl loId us
concerning Zion, and concerning lhe failh of lhe peopIe of Llhiopia, and
Iikevise if lheir chariol shaII renain. And Cregory said unlo lhen, Il
shaII assuredIy nol disappear. And again, hearken ye unlo ne and I viII
decIare lhis unlo you: A fev }evs shaII Iifl up lheir heads againsl our failh
in Ngrn and in Arnenia in lhe days afler lhis, and lhis Cod viII do ly
Kelra Nagasl
197
His WiII so lhal He nay deslroy lhen, for Arnenia is a lerrilory of Rn
and Ngrn is a lerrilory of Llhiopia.
117. Concerning lhe King of Rn and lhe King of Llhiopia
And lhe King of Rn, and lhe King of Llhiopia, and lhe Archlishop of
AIexandria~nov lhe nen of Rn vere orlhodox~vere inforned lhal
lhey vere lo deslroy lhen. And lhey vere lo rise up lo fighl, lo nake var
upon lhe enenies of Cod, lhe }evs, and lo deslroy lhen, lhe King of Rn
'Lny, and lhe King of Llhiopia Iinh.as (Ihinehas), and lhey vere lo Iay
vasle lheir Iands, and lo luiId churches lhere, and lhey vere lo cul lo
pieces }evs al lhe end of lhis CycIe in lveIve cycIes of lhe noon. Then lhe
kingdon of lhe }evs shaII le nade an end of and lhe Kingdon of Chrisl
shaII le consliluled unliI lhe advenl of lhe IaIse Messiah. And lhose lvo
kings, }uslinus lhe King of Rn and KIl lhe King of Llhiopia, nel
logelher in }erusaIen. And lheir Archlishop vas lo nake ready offerings
and lhey vere lo nake offerings, and lhey vere lo eslalIish lhe Iailh in
Iove, and lhey vere lo give each olher gifls and lhe saIulalion of peace, and
lhey vere lo divide lelveen lhen lhe earlh fron lhe haIf of }erusaIen,
even as ve have aIready said al lhe leginning of lhis look. And for Ioves
sake lhey vere lo have joinlIy lhe royaI lilIe |of King of Llhiopiaj. They
vere lo le ningIed vilh David and SoIonon lheir falhers. The one vhon
in failh lhey chose ly Iol lo le naned fron lhe Kings of Rn vas lo le
caIIed King of Llhiopia, and lhe King of Rn Iikevise vas lo lear lhe
nane of King of Llhiopia, and he vas lo have parl in lhe Iol vherely he
shouId le naned vilh David and SoIonon lheir falhers, afler lhe nanner
of lhe Iour LvangeIisls. And lhe fourlh lhe one vhon lhey vere lo choose
each in his ovn counlry. . .
And lhus afler lhey had lecone uniled in a connon lond, and had
eslalIished lhe righl failh lhey vere lo delernine lhal lhe }evs vere no
Ionger lo Iive, and each of lhen vas lo Ieave his son lhere, and lhe King of
Llhiopia vas lo Ieave lhere his firsllorn son vhose nane vas IsraeI, and
vas lo relurn lo his ovn counlry in joy. And vhen he cane lo his royaI
house, he vas lo give alundanl lhanks unlo Cod, and lo offer up his lody
Kelra Nagasl
198
as an offering of praise lo his Cod. And Cod shaII accepl hin gIadIy, for he
shaII nol defiIe his lody afler he halh relurned, lul he shaII go inlo a
nonaslery in purily of hearl. And he shaII nake king his youngesl son,
vhose nane is Calra MaskaI, and he hinseIf shaII shul hinseIf up |in a
nonasleryj. And vhen one halh loId lhis lo lhe King of Ngrn, lhe son of
KIl, he shaII cone in order lo reign over Zion, and Calra MaskaI shaII
nake his arnies lo rise up, and he shaII journey in a chariol, and lhey shaII
neel logelher al lhe narrov end of lhe Sea of Ll, and shaII fighl logelher.
And on lhe sane nighl lhe lvo of lhen shaII pray fron sunsel unliI lhe
davn, vhen lhe fighl vaxelh slrong upon lhen. And vhen lhey have cried
oul lo Hin vilh lears Cod viII Iook upon lhe prayer of lolh of lhen, and
lhe penilenl prayer of lheir falher, and viII say, This one is lhe eIder and
he halh slood up lo perforn lhe viII of his falher, and lhal one, lhe
younger, halh Ioved his falher, and halh prayed lo Cod |for hinj. And
Cod viII say lo Calra MaskaI, Choose lhou lelveen lhe chariol and
Zion, and He viII cause hin lo lake Zion, and he shaII reign openIy upon
lhe lhrone of his falher. And Cod viII nake IsraeI lo choose lhe chariol,
and he shaII reign secrelIy and he shaII nol le visilIe, and He viII send hin
lo aII lhose vho have lransgressed lhe connandnenl of Cod. And no one
shaII luiId houses, and lhey shaII Iive in lenls, and none shaII suffer faligue
in Ialouring, and none shaII suffer lhirsl on lhe journey. And lheir days
shaII le doulIe of lhose of |ordinaryj nen, and lhey shaII use lovs and
arrovs, and shaII shool al and pierce hin lhal Cod halelh.
Thus halh Cod nade for lhe King of Llhiopia nore gIory, and grace,
and najesly lhan for aII lhe olher kings of lhe earlh lecause of lhe
grealness of Zion, lhe TalernacIe of lhe Lav of Cod, lhe heavenIy Zion.
And nay Cod nake us lo perforn His spiriluaI good pIeasure, and deIiver
us fron His vralh, and nake us lo share His kingdon. Anen.
And lhey ansvered and said unlo hin, VeriIy, lhou hasl spoken veII,
for lhus vas il reveaIed unlo lhee ly lhe heIp of lhe HoIy Spiril. Thou hasl
loId us everylhing vhich halh laken pIace, and lhou arl in agreenenl vilh
lhe look of Danlys (Donilius) of Rn. And lhou hasl prophesied aIso
vhal shaII happen lo lhe lvo cilies, lhe lrides of Chrisl, lhe Churches
Kelra Nagasl
199
Neslsy and 'Arkdy, and Mrn, and Llhiopia, lhe greal cilies of Cod,
vherein pure sacrifices and offerings shaII le offered up al aII lines.
May Cod shov us His grace! The lIessing of aII lhe sainls and narlyrs
|le vilh usj for ever and ever! Anen. Chrisl is our King, and in Chrisl is
our Iife for ever and ever. Anen. And Anen.
CoIophon
In lhe Aralic lexl il is said: We have lurned |lhis lookj inlo Aralic
fron a Coplic nanuscripl |leIonging loj lhe lhrone of Mark lhe LvangeIisl,
lhe leacher, lhe Ialher of us aII. We have lransIaled il in lhe four hundred
and ninlh year of nercy in lhe counlry of Llhiopia, in lhe days of Calra
MaskaI lhe king, vho is caIIed LIlaI, in lhe days of All Ceorge, lhe
good lishop. And Cod negIecled lo have il lransIaled and inlerpreled inlo
lhe speech of Alyssinia. And vhen I had pondered lhis~Why did nol
'AlaIez and AlaIfarog vho ediled (or, copied) lhe look lransIale il I said
lhis: Il venl oul in lhe days of Zgu, and lhey did nol lransIale il lecause
lhis look says: Those vho reign nol leing IsraeIiles are lransgressors of lhe
Lav. Had lhey leen of lhe kingdon of IsraeI lhey vouId have ediled (or,
lransIaled) il. And il vas found in Nzrl.
And pray ye for ne, your servanl Isaac lhe poor nan. And chide ye
ne nol lecause of lhe incorreclness of lhe speech of lhe longue. Ior I have
loiIed nuch for lhe gIory of lhe counlry of Llhiopia, and for lhe going forlh
of lhe heavenIy Zion, and for lhe gIory of lhe King of Llhiopia. And I
consuIled lhe uprighl and Cod-Ioving governor Yelka 'Lgz, and he
approved and said unlo ne, 'Work. And I vorked, Cod heIping ne, and
He did nol requile ne according lo ny sins. And pray ye for your servanl
Isaac, and for lhose vho loiIed vilh ne in lhe going oul (i.e. produclion) of
lhis look, for ve vere in sore lriluIalion, I, and Yanharana-Al, and
Hezla-Kresls, and Andrev, and IhiIip, and Mah.r-al. May Cod have
nercy upon lhen, and nay He vrile lheir nanes in lhe Book of Life in lhe
kingdon of heaven, vilh lhose of aII lhe sainls and narlyrs for ever and
ever! Anen.

The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek (Kebra Nagast)

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The Queen of Shela and

Her nIy Son MenyeIek

De Alassinorun relus deque lhiopiae Ialriarchis, Lilri I-III,

And lhe IhiIislines nade as lhey connanded

Iive nice and five enerods, see I San. vi, 4.

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