Biblical Antiquities - Pseudo-Philo

Biblical Antiquities

Introduction General THE book now presented to English readers has never been translated before: not only is this so, but the very existence of it has remained unknown to the great mass of students for over three hundred years, although it was printed no less than five times in the course of the sixteenth century. What is it, and why is it worth reviving after so long a period of oblivion? It is a Bible history, reaching, in its present imperfect form, from Adam to the death of Saul. It has come to us only in a Latin translation (made from Greek, and that again from a Hebrew original), and by an accident the name of the great Jewish philosopher of the first century, Philo, has been attached to it. Let me say at once that the attribution of it to him is wholly unfounded, and quite ridiculous: nevertheless I shall use his name in italics (Philo) as a convenient short title. Its importance lies in this, that it is a genuine and unadulterated Jewish book of the first century--a product of the same school as the Fourth Book of Esdras and the Apocalypse of Baruch, and written, like them, in the years which followed the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. It is thus contemporary with some of the New Testament writings, and throws light upon them as well as upon the religious thought of the Jews of its time. History Of The Book (a) The HISTORY OF THE BOOK, as known to us, can be shortly told. It was printed by Adam Petri in 1527, at Basle, in a small folio volume, along with the genuine Philo’s Quaestiones et Solutiones in Genesim 1 and a fragment of the De Vita contemplativa (called De Essaeis). These were followed by the Onomasticon (de Nominibus Hebraicis) ascribed in Philo, in Jerome’s version, and a Latin rendering of the De Mundo by Guillaume Budé. The whole volume is in Latin, and was edited by Joannes Sichardus: for the first three tracts he used two manuscripts, from Fulda and Lorsch, of which more hereafter. In 1538 Henricus Petri (son of Adam) reprinted this collection in a quarto volume, which I have not seen, and in 1550 included it all in a larger collection of patristic writings called Micropresbyticon. In 1552 our book (without the accompanying tracts) was printed from Sichardus’ text in a small volume issued by Gryphius at Lyons, under the title Antiquitatum diversi auctores, and in 1599 in a similar collection Historia antiqua, by Commelin, at Heidelberg, edited by Juda Bonutius. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Philo was read and occasionally quoted, e.g. by Sixtus Senensis in the Bibliotheca Sancta, and by Pineda in his treatise on Solomon: but the greatest critics and scholars of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries seem never to have seen it. J. A. Fabricius would certainly have accorded it a place in his Codex pseudepigraphus Veteris Testamenti if he had read it: and very little escaped his notice. He does speak of it in his Bibliotheca Graeca (ed. Harles, IV. 743, 746), but only from the point of view of the editions. It is not too much to say that the chance which kept it from him has kept it also from the flock of scholars who have followed him like sheep for two hundred years. The first investigator to pay any attention to it seems to have been Cardinal J. B. Pitra. In the Spicilegium Solesmense (1855, II. 345 note, III. 335 note, etc.) there are allusions to it: in the later Analecta Sacra (II. 321; 1884) he printed the Lament of Jephthah’s daughter from a Vatican MS. of it, treating it as a known work, and referring to the printed edition. In 1893 I came upon four detached fragments in a manuscript at Cheltenham, in the Phillipps collection, and printed them as a new discovery in a volume of Apocrypha Anecdota (1st series, Texts and Studies, II. 3). No one who reviewed the book in England or abroad recognized that they were taken from a text already in print. At length, in 1898, the late Dr. L. Cohn, who was engaged for many years upon an edition of Philo’s works, published in the Jewish Quarterly Review an article in which the source of my fragments was pointed out and a very full account given of the whole book, with copious quotations. This article of Dr. Cohn’s is at present our standard source of information. Nothing to supersede it has, so far as I know, appeared since. A few scholars, but on the whole surprisingly few, have used Philo in recent years, notably Mr. H. St. John Thackeray in his book, The Relation of St. Paul to Contemporary Jewish Thought. (b) Can we trace the history of Philo further back than the printed edition of 1527 by means of quotations or allusions to it? The whole body of evidence is remarkably small. At the very end of the fifteenth century Joannes Trithemius, Abbot of Sponheim, writes a book, De Scriptoribus ecclesiasticis, printed at Paris in 1512. On f. 18b is a notice of Philo, derived principally from Jerome, and a list of his writings. Among these he includes De generationum successu, lib. I. (which is our book), and adds the opening words: Adam genuit tres filios,

A volume issued by Ascensius at Paris in I 520, edited by Aug. Justiniani, contained only the Quaestiones et Sol. in Genesim. which shows that he had seen the text. It is the only item so distinguished in all his list. Then, going back and setting aside certain extracts from the text (of which we shall speak under the head of authorities), we find, in the twelfth century, Petrus Comestor of Troyes, in his Historia Scholastica (one of the famous text-books of the Middle Ages), making a single incorrect quotation from our book (V. 8). He calls his source ‘Philo the Jew, or, as some say, a heathen philosopher, in his book of questions upon Genesis’: the words show that he was quoting a manuscript which contained that work as well as our text. His quotation is borrowed by several later mediaeval chroniclers. In the catalogues of monastic libraries Philo is of rare occurrence. The Fulda catalogue of the sixteenth century 2 has “Repertorii noni ordo primus, liber Philonis antiquitatum 36.” The number 36 is the older library number, perhaps as old as the thirteenth century, which was written on the cover of the volume. This was one of the two manuscripts used by Sichardus: we shall return to it. In the twelfth century a monk writes to the Abbot of Tegernsee for the loan of the “liber Philonis.” In 831 the abbey of St. Riquier, near Abbeville, has in its catalogue “liber Philonis Judaei unum volumen.” Both these references may be found in Becker’s Catalogi. One possible hint, and one only, of the existence of Philo in the Eastern Church is known to me. The Taktikon of Nicon, cap. 13, in the Slavonic version, as quoted by Berendts (Zacharias-Apokrypken, p. 5, note 3), reckons among the canonical books of the Old Testament “the Palaea (the Eastern text-book of Bible history comparable to the Historia Scholastica in the West) and Philo.” The Decretum Gelasianum of the fifth or sixth century condemns, among many other apocryphal books, “liber de filiabus Adae Leptogeneseos.” The natural and usual interpretation of the words is that they refer to the Book of Jubilees, which the Greeks called ἡ λεπτὴ γένεσισ, but it is worth noting that Philo mentions the daughters of Adam in the first few lines, whereas in Jubilees they do not occur before the fourth chapter. I know of nothing in earlier centuries which looks like an allusion to Philo, unless it be a passage in Origen on John (Tom. VI. 14.) in which he says 4: “I know not what is the motive of the Jewish tradition that Phinees the son of Eleazar, who admittedly lived through the days of many of the Judges, is the same as Elias, and that immortality was promised to him in Numbers (XXV. 12),” with more to the same effect. He refers to no book, but to a tradition which is, in fact, preserved in several Midrashim. The identification is found in Philo, c. XLVIII. See the note in loc. Authorities For The Text The next business is to describe the AUTHORITIES FOR THE TEXT of Philo. (a) We will take the printed edition of 1527 first (of which the four others of 1538-50-53-99 are mere reprints). Its symbol shall be A. In his preface, addressed to the monks of Fulda, Sichardus, like many editors of the Renaissance period, tells us but little of the manuscripts he used. The substance of what he says is as follows. At one time he had hoped to be able to remedy the many corruptions of the manuscripts, of which he had two; but he gradually came to despair of doing so, and resolved to give the text as he found it. His two manuscripts were as like each other as two eggs, so that he could not doubt that one was a copy of the other, though they were preserved in libraries far apart. He employed the Fulda copy, and had previously obtained the use of one from Lorsch Abbey, which was very old, and had expected that these would provide the materials for a satisfactory edition; moreover, he had got wind of the existence of another copy. But his manuscripts proved disappointing, and he is well aware that the present edition is inadequate. In preparing it he has aimed at following his manuscripts as closely as possible, and in issuing it now has judged that the evils of delay are greater than those of haste; especially as he looks forward to putting forth a greatly improved text in the future. 5 (b) We have seen that the Fulda MS. is traceable in the library catalogues late in the sixteenth century. Until lately it was thought to have been lost, along with the bulk of the Fulda MSS.: but it has been identified, first by Dr. Cohn, and then, independently, by Dr. P. Lehmann, with a MS. at Cassel (Theol. 4° 3) of the eleventh century. The Lorsch MS. still remains undiscovered. The identity of the Cassel MS. with that used by Sichardus is not doubtful. In its cover is an inscription by him stating that he had it rebound in 1527. It also retains the old label, of the fourteenth century, with the title Liber Philonis Antiquitatum, and the old Fulda press-mark. The book which furnishes this information is a special study, published by, Dr. Lehmann in 1912, of the libraries and manuscripts used by Sichardus for the purpose of his various editions of ancient authors. Dr. Lehmann has collected, à propos of Sichardus’s Philo, notices of all the MSS. of the Latin Philo known to exist, and has succeeded in increasing the number, from three which were known to Dr. Cohn in 1898, to sixteen, eleven of which contain the text of the Antiquities. They are as follows- Admont (an abbey in Austria) 359, Of cent. xi., containing Ant. and Quaest. in Gen. Cassel, theol. 4° 3, of cent. xi. (the Fulda MS.), containing Ant. and Quaest. Cheltenham) Phillipps 461, of cent. xii, from Trèves, containing Ant. Cues (near Trèves), 16 (or H. II), Of 1451, paper, containing Ant. and Quaest. Munich, lat. 4569, of cent. xii., from Benedictbeuren, containing Ant. and Quaest.

Munich, lat. 17,133, of cent. xii., from Schäftlarn, containing Ant. and Quaest. Munich, lat. 18,481, of cent. xi., from Tegernsee, containing Ant. and Quaest. Rome, Vatican, lat. 488, of cent. xv., containing Ant. and Quaest. Vienna, lat. 446, of cent. xiii., containing Ant. Würzburg, M. ch. f. 210, of cent. xv. (paper), containing Ant. Würzburg, M. ch. f 276, of cent. xv. (paper), containing Ant. and Quaest. Besides these, there are at Augsburg, Florence, Rome, Trèves, MSS. containing Quaest. only, and at Coblenz one of which no particulars were forthcoming. For the purposes of the present volume only four of the above authorities have been employed, namely, the Fulda-Cassel MS. as represented by Sichardus’s edition (and with it we must allow for some use of the lost MS. from Lorsch), the Cheltenham, Vatican, and Vienna MSS. The fact that Dr. Cohn was known to have in contemplation a full critical edition precluded others from trying to cover the whole ground, and, even had it been otherwise desirable to do so, the investigation would have been very difficult for anyone outside Germany. There are, for instance, no printed catalogues of the Admont, Cassel, or Würzburg libraries. However, the paucity of authorities here brought to bear is of little importance. What Dr. Lehmann tells us 6 is sufficient to show that none of the MSS. present a completer text than we already know. All must go back to an ancestor which was already mutilated when our first transcripts of it were made. Upon this point more will be said. At present we will take account of what Dr. Lehmann has to say of Sichardus’s MSS., and proceed to the description of the MSS. actually used, and of some subsidiary authorities. Of the Fulda MS. we now learn that it is the work of more than one scribe, of the eleventh century. The Antiquities occupy ff. 1-65a, and have a title in a late medieval hand: Libri Philonis Iudei de initio mundi, which, or the like, is “usual in the MSS.” The Quaestiones, entitled (in the original hand): Filonis Questionum in genisi et solutionum, follow on ff. 65a- 89a, and in them is a noteworthy feature. On f. 86, in the middle of the page the MS. omits, without any sign of a break, a long passage containing the end of the Quaestiones and the beginning of the De Essaeis, and corresponding to pp. 82, l. 40-84, l. 16 of Sichardus’s edition. At this point Sichardus has a marginal note: “Here the copies differed, but we have followed that of Lorsch, as being the older.” Now this same gap is found in most, if not in all, of the other MSS., and not all of these are copied directly from the Fulda MS. We may say, therefore, that all MSS. showing this gap are independent of the Lorsch MS., but not necessarily dependent on the Fulda MS. It is clear from what has been said that Sichardus was wrong in regarding the Fulda MS. as a copy of that of Lorsch, and that the latter represented an old and valuable tradition: and, further, that he exaggerates greatly when he says that the two MSS. were as alike as two eggs. Dr. Lehmann’s final remark is that the disappearance of the Lorsch MS. is very much to be deplored, for, judged by the Greek fragments and the Armenian version of the Quaestiones, it represented a better tradition than all the extant Latin MSS. Of the other MSS. in the list given above, it may be observed that the Cues MS. (written at Gottweih in 1451) and the two Würzburg MSS. are not likely to be of very much value: and that, of the three Munich MSS., that from Tegernsee (18481) is to all appearance the parent

of the other two. Probably the monk who wrote to Tegernsee to borrow a Philo (see p. 10) was a member of Benedictbeuren or Schäftlarn. The Schäftlarn copy (17133) was written between 1160 and 1164. I now proceed to give a detailed account of the three complete MSS. which I have been able to use, and of certain subsidiary authorities. The three MSS. are those mentioned by Dr. Cohn in his article, and I have been led to examine them during recent years by my interest in the text, and without serious thought of using them for the purposes of an edition. They are the copies preserved at Cheltenham, Vienna, and Rome. P. The Phillipps MS. 461 is a small vellum book (6 5/8 x 4 3/4 in.) of 124 leaves, with 20 lines to a page; a few leaves palimpsest, over not much older writing. It is of cent. XII., clearly written: on f. 1a the provenance is stated, in this inscription: Codex SX (?) Sci. Eucharii primi Trevirorum archiepi. siquis eum abstulerit anathema sit. Amen. A hand of cent. XV. adds the word Mathie. Then follows the title, of cent. XV.: Philo iudeus de successione generacionis veteris Testamenti. On f. 1b is Jerome’s account of Philo (de virr. illustr. c. XI.): the text of the book begins on 3a: Adam genuit, and ends on 119b without colophon. It is followed by a few pieces of medieval Latin verse, of no great interest. The first begins; Carnis in ardore flagrans monialis amore. Another is on Chess: Qui cupit egregium scacorum noscere ludum Audiat. ut potui carmine composui. Vindobonensis lat. 446, a small folio of 53 leaves, with 31 lines to a page, in a tall, narrow, rather sloping hand, doubtless German, by more than one scribe: of cent. XII. late or early. There is an old press-mark of cent. XVI.: XI°. 68. The text is preceded by Jeronimus de Phylone in catalogo uirorum illustrium. It begins Incip. Genesis. INITIUM MUNDI. Adam genuit, and ends on 53a without colophon, occupying the whole volume. R. Vaticanus lat. 488, of cent. XV., in a very pretty Roman hand, in double columns of 35 lines. The first 8c, leaves contain tracts of Augustine, Prosper and Jerome. Our book, to which is prefixed the extract from Jerome, begins on f. 81. It is headed: Genesis, and begins: Inicium mundi. Adam Genuit. The colophon is: Explicit ystoria philonis ab initio mundi usque ad David regent. It is followed by the Quaestiones et Solutiones in Genesim, which occupy ff. 129-148 (end). The arms of Paul V. and of Cardinal Scipione Borghese the librarian are on the binding: there is no other mark of provenance. P is thus the only one of the three manuscripts whose old home can be definitely fixed. It belonged to the abbey of St. Eucharius, otherwise called of St. Matthias (whose body lies there), just outside Trèves. (c) Next come certain manuscripts which contain extracts from the text. Ph. The Phillipps MS. 391, Of 92 ff., of cent. XII. early, contains principally tracts of Jerome, notably Quaestiones Hebraicae. On ff. 87-8 it has the four extracts which I printed in 1893 (see above). It belonged to Leander van Ess, and has an old press-mark C I or C 7. T. No. 117 in the Town Library at Trèves. A paper MS., dated 1459. It contains five of the same tracts as Ph and two of the extracts from Philo. It retains its old press-mark, B II, and an inscription showing that it belonged to the abbey of S. Maria ad Martyres at Trèves. The contents of the book and the text of the extracts make it clear that T is a copy of Ph or of a sister-book, while the form of the press-mark shows that Ph and T belonged to the same library. Thus T is only important as helping to “place” Ph.

F. MS. McClean 31 in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (fully described in my catalogue of the McClean MSS.), is a remarkable copy of the Aurora, or versified Bible, of Petrus de Riga. It is of cent. XIII., and is copiously annotated. Among the marginalia are many extracts (a complete list will be found at the beginning of the Appendix on various Readings) from Philo, uniformly introduced under that name, and for the most part abridged. The manuscript may have been written in the Rhine Provinces, or in Eastern France. J. The Hebrew Chronicle of Jerahmeel, edited in an English translation by Dr. M. Gaster (Oriental Translation Fund, New series IV., 1899), was compiled early in cent. XIV. somewhere in the Rhineland. It contains large portions of Philo, some in extenso, some abridged. A list is given in the Appendix. Dr. Gaster will have it that the Hebrew is the original text; but Hebraists do not agree with him, and it is, in fact, possible to show that the Hebrew writer was translating from Latin, and from a manuscript which contained misreadings common to those we now have. See the Appendix of Readings on III. 10, VII. 3. (d) Glancing back over the list, we see that for all but one of the items a German origin is established. The Vatican MS. is the exception, and even this presents certain indications of German origin. Near the beginning of the book (III. 3) is a speech beginning Deleam. R reads Vel eam. Now it is a habit with German scribes of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to write their capital D’s with a sharply-pointed base, making the letter very like the outline of the conventional harp, and also very like a capital V; nor do I know any other script in which the likeness between D and V is so striking. My guess is that the scribe of R, encountering the puzzling letter near the beginning of his work, made the mistake, which he does not repeat; and I regard it as an indication that his archetype was a German book of the same age as V (and, I may say by anticipation, presenting a remarkably similar text to that of V). Thus the geographical distribution of the authorities combines with the evidence of the literature to show that in the Middle Ages Philo was circulated within very narrow limits, and practically confines those limits to Germany and Northern France. (e) Of these authorities I have transcribed A, collated P (on the spot),and R (from a photograph) in full; have examined and partially collated V (on the spot), and have transcribed Ph, T, and F: J is in print, and I have collated that also. The complete copies which are known to us are all ultimately derived from a single imperfect ancestor. All exhibit the same lacunae. The text, as we have it, ends abruptly in the midst of Saul’s last dying speech: “Say to David: Thus says Saul: Be not mindful of my hatred nor of my unrighteousness.” How much further the story went we shall discuss later on. That it is imperfect is clear, and all our copies agree in the imperfection. Two other obvious lacunae occur about two-thirds of the way through the book, in the story of Abimelech. After the death of Gideon (XXXVII. 1) we read that “he had a son by a concubine who slew all his brethren, desiring to be ruler over the people. Then came together all the trees of the field to the fig-tree, and said: Come reign over us.” Thus we pass from the first entry of Abimelech to a point somewhere in the Parable of Jotham. I think we must assume that at this place a leaf was missing in the ancestor of all our copies. None of them make any attempt to fill the gap. At the end of the story of Abimelech is another bad place (XXXVIII. 1): “After these things Abimelech ruled over the people for one year and six months, and died (under a certain tower) when a woman let fall half a millstone upon him. (Then Jair judged Israel twenty and two years.) He built a sanctuary to Baal,” etc. The words in parentheses represent the supplements of P. The text as read in A would imply that Abimelech built a sanctuary to Baal; but it was in fact Jair who did so. Here, then, is another gap, the extent of which is uncertain. The immediate successor of Abimelech in the Bible is Tola. Our historian may or may not have noticed him: he does, later on, omit one of the minor judges, Ibzan. At most, another leaf is wanting at this point: at least, a few lines have been lost by casual damage. There are, further, indications that the imperfect archetype was an uncial MS. with undivided words. In the early pages of the book much space is occupied by lists of names, which, being invented by the author, could not be corrected by recourse to the Bible. The many disagreements as to the divisions of the names (e.g. Sifatecia Sifa. Tecia, Lodo. Otim Lodoothim, filii aram filiarum, etc.) point to a stage at which the scribe had no guidance in this matter. So do such variants as memoraret artari for memorare tartari, in chaoma tonata for in chaomate nata. Again, in XIX 15 certain unintelligible words (istic mel apex magnus) are written in capitals in V, which I interpret as an attempt on the part of the scribe to represent exactly the ductus litterarum of an ancestor. A minuscule stage is evidenced by frequent confusions (in proper names) of f and s, of c and z, of ch and di, and an occasional r for n or the converse. This last error, were it more frequent, might point to an “insular” ancestor somewhere in the pedigree. There is an a priori likelihood that a rare text current in the Rhenish district would have attracted the notice of Irish monks and have been preserved by them. A closer study of the variants may perhaps confirm this notion. External and internal evidence combined lead me to the conclusion that our text was preserved in a single imperfect copy written in uncials, and containing the Antiquities, the Quaestiones in Genesim, and De Essaeis, which had survived at some centre of ancient culture in the Rhenish district, most likely in or near Trèves. (f) The authorities used in this book fall into three groups: (1) Lorsch and Fulda, represented by the printed text, which I call A; (2) The Trèves group P, Ph, T; (3) VRFJ. This is a rough division. Sichardus gives us no means of distinguishing readings peculiar to either of his MSS. and, as we have seen, is probably wrong in saying that they were very closely allied. The Trèves MSS. are in more frequent agreement with A than VR. V and R, if not parent and child (and probably they are not) are at least uncle and nephew. Generally speaking I am of opinion that, though manifestly wrong in a number of small points, A is preferable to any one of the complete MSS. that I have seen. It will be readily understood that, in an edition like this, a complete exposition of the evidence for the text is impossible: but by way of illustration we will take a short passage for which all our authorities except J are available, and in which the grouping is (if imperfectly) shown. The Song of David before Saul (LX. 2 sqq.) runs thus in APPhTVRF. A is taken as the basis. Tenebrae et silentium erant (erat RF) antequam fieret seculum, et locutum est silentium et apparuerunt tenebrae. Et factum est tunc (om. tunc RF) nomen tuum in compaginatione extensionis quod appellatum (+ est VRFPhT) superius coelum, inferius vocatum (invocatum. V) est terra. Et praeceptum est superiori ut plueret secundum tempus eius (suum F) et inferiori pracceptum est (praec. est inf. F: om. praec. est R) ut crearet escam omnibus quae facta sunt (homini qui factus est VRF). Et post haec facta est tribus spiritum uestrorum (nostrorum F). Et nunc molesta, esse noli tanquam secunda creatura (factura VRF).

Si comminus memoraret artari in quo ambulas A. Si comminus memorarer artare, etc. PPhT (artare rather obscure in T). Si quominus memorare tartari (tractari R) in quo ambulabas VRF. Aut non audire tibi sufficit quoniam per ea quae consonant in conspectu tuo multis (in multis VRF) psallo? Aut immemor es quoniam de resultatione in chaoma tonata (in chaomate nata VRF) est uestra creatura? Arguet autem tempora noua (te metra noua VRF) unde natus sum, de quo nascitur (de qua nascetur VRF) post tempus de lateribus meis qui uos donauit (domauit P, domabit PhTVRF). VRF here show themselves the best in some important readings. The first (homini for omnibus) is the least obvious: but it will be quickly seen that the point of the invective is that evil spirits are a secondary creation, and particularly that they are inferior to man. If not actually created after man, at least they came into being after the earth, which was to supply food to him. Moreover, a similar variant occurs early in the book (III. 2), non diiudicabit spiritus meus in omnibus (AVR: hominibus P) istis, The LXX of Gen. 63, ἐν τοῖσ ἀνθρώποισ τούτοισ, shows that P is right. But VR (F is rarely available) are not uniformly successful. They sometimes shirk difficulties. In IX. Moses “natus est in testamento dei et in testamento carnis eius” (i.e. was born circumcised). Here VR read “in testamentum carnis, which makes nonsense: and a few lines later, where it is said of Pharaoh’s daughter: “et dum uidisset in Zaticon (sc. διαθήκην) hoc est in testamento carnis,” the whole clause is omitted by VIZ. In III. 10, we have “et reddet infernus debitum suum, et perditio restituet paralecem suam.” This is the obviously right reading of AP: VR read partem suam, and J betrays itself not only as a version from Latin, but as dependent on a Latin MS. allied to VR, by saying “and Abaddon shall return its portion.” When Pharaoh has determined to destroy the Hebrew children, the people say (IX. 2): “ὠμοτοκείαν (ometocean cett.) passa sunt viscera mulierum nostrarum.” All the authorities, including F, keep the strange word, but V writes “Ometocean id est passa sunt,” showing that at some stage there was an intention to insert a Latin equivalent. Still, the word has survived. The shirking of difficulties is not confined to VR. The priestly vestments, epomis (XI. 15) and cidaris (XIII. 1), become ebdomas and cithara in AP, but not in VR. In a list of the plagues of Egypt (X. 1), one, pammixia, is omitted by AP and retained by VR. This word pammixia (panimixia in the MSS.) deserves a passing note, for it does not seem to have made its way into dictionaries or concordances. It is intended to mean the plague of all manner of flies, for which the LXX and Vulgate equivalent is κυνομυια, coenomyia. Jerome, writing on this, says it ought to be κοινομυια, signifying a mixture of all manner of flies, and adds that Aquila’s word for it was παμμικτον. Older editors read παμμυιαν for παμμικτον, but Field, or some one before him, corrected it, and our text confirms the correction. VR do not always go together: R, as being later, has corruptions of its own. Psalphinga, a trumpet, is a favourite word with our author: R at first writes this as psalmigraphus; later, when he has realised that this is nonsense, he reproduces psalphinga as he should. We have not yet cited examples in which the Trèves MSS. stand apart. I will give two specimens, one of a few words, the other longer, in which this is the case. i. XXII1. 4. Una petra erat unde effodi patrem uestrum. et genuit uir scopuli illius duos uiros A. P has: incisco petre illius, which is nearly right: VRF have “incisio petre illius,” which is quite right. ii. In the Lament of Jephthah’s Daughter (XL. 6 seq.) all our authorities are available except F. J is very loose and paraphrastic, and its evidence will be given after the rest. The first clause has no important variants. After that, taking A as the basis, we have-- (a) Ego autem non sum saturata thalamo meo, nec repleta sum coronis nuptiarum mearum. (b) Non enim uestita sum splendore sedens in genua mea. Non enim uestita sum splendore sedens in uirginitate mea P. Non enim uestita sum splendore sedens in ingenuitate mea PhT. Non enim uestita sum splendore secundum ingenuam meam VR. (c) Non sum usa Mosi odoris mei. preciosi odoramenti mei PPhT. moysi odoris mei VR (om. usa R). (Sichardus conjectured Moscho for Mosi: Pitra prints non sunt thymia odoris.) (d) Nec froniuit (fronduit V) anima mea oleo unctionis quod (quibus R) praeparatum est mihi AVR. Nec froniuit animam meam oleum unctionis quod praeparatum est mihi PPhT. (e) O mater, in uano (uanum V) peperisti unigenitam, tuam AVR. O mater, in uano peperisti unigenitam tuam et genuisti eam super terram PPhT (see below, (g)). (f) Quoniam, factus est infernus thalamus meus. (g) et genuam meam super terram A. et genua mea super terram. VR (om. mea R). P PhT have the equivalent above in (e). (h) et confectio omnis olei quod praeparasti mihi effundatur. (om. et) confectio omnis olei quam preparauit mihi mater mea eff. PPhT. et confectio omnis olei quam preparasti mihi effundetur VR. (i) et alba quam neuit mater mea tinea comedat eam. et albam (alba Ph) quam neuit tinea comedat PPhT. et albam quam neuit mater mea tinea comedet eam VR. (k) et corona quam intexuit nutrix mea in tempore marcescat. et corona quam intexuit mea nutrix in tempore marcescat PPhT. et flores corone quam intexuit nutrix mea in tempore marcescant (marcescet R) VR. (l) et stratoria quae texuit in genuam meam de Hyacinthino. et purpura uermis ca corrumpet. et stratoria quae texuit mihi de iacincto et purpura uermis ea corrumpat PPhT (corrumpet P). et stratoria quae texuit ingenium meum de iacinctino et purpuram meam uermes corrumpant et stratoriam quae texuit ingenium meum de iacinctino et purpuram meam uermis corrumpat R. (m) et referentes de me conuirgines meae in gemitu per dies plangant me. et referentes de me conuirgines meae cum gemitu per dies plangant me PPhT. et referentes me conuirgines meae in gemitum per dies plangant me VR. The passage reads thus in J, p. 178 (a): “I have not beheld my bridal canopy, nor has the crown of my betrothal been completed. (b) I have not been decked with the lovely ornaments of the bride who sits in her virginity. (c) nor have I been perfumed with the myrrh and the sweet smelling aloe. (d) I have not been anointed with the oil of anointment that was prepared for me. (e) Alas, O my mother, it was in vain that you didst give me birth. Behold yours only one (f) is destined for the bridal chamber of the grave. (g) you hast wearied thyself for me to no purpose. (h) The oil with which I was anointed will be wasted. (i) And the white garments with which I was clothed the moths will eat. (k) The garlands of my crown with which you hast exalted me will wither and dry up. (l) And my garments of fine needlework in blue and purple the worm shall destroy. (m) And now my friends will lament all the days of my mourning.” It will be seen that J has some equivalent for every clause (though in (g) he has wandered far from the text). In (b) he read sedens in uirginitate or ingenuitate with the Trèves MSS.: in (k) “garlands of my crown” seems nearer to flores corone of VR. For the rest he is too paraphrastic to be followed closely. It is very odd that three times over in this short passage the words in genua mea, genuam meam, in genuam meam should occur in one of the groups, each time disturbing the sense, while another group somehow avoids the difficulty. It looks suspicious for the group which does so. But the evidence of the Trèves group is not to be lightly dismissed. It would justify a theory that where the words first occur they are corrupt for ingenuitate, that on the second occasion an obscurity of a few letters genu . . . eam, present in the ancestor of the other MSS., was not in that of the Trèves group: and that in the third case the words are merely intrusive-- perhaps wrongly inserted from a margin. Another blurring of a few letters would account for the differences between moysi and preciosi, and between odoris and odoramenti. But I do not regard this as a really satisfactory explanation. Title, And Attribution To Philo The TITLE of the book is somewhat of a puzzle. Sichardus calls it Philonis Judaei antiquitatum Biblicarum liber, the Fulda catalogue (and the label on the Fulda MS.) Philonis antiquitatum liber; a late title in the same MS. is: libri Philonis iudei de initio mundi; P has a title of cent. XV.: Philo iudeus de successione generationum veteris testamenti; R, in the colophon: “ystoria Philonis ab initio mundi usque ad David regem” (so also two at least of the Munich M SS.); Trithemius has De generationis successu. Sixtus Senensis has two notices of the book: in the first, which is drawn from Sichardus., he calls it Biblicarum antiquitatum liber; in the second, which depends on some MS., his words are: “In Gen. Cap. 5 de successione generis humani liber unus, continens enarrationem genealogiae seu posteritatis Adae. Liber incipit: Ἀδὰμ ἐγέννησε Adam genuit tres filios.” The two Greek words I take to be no more than a re-translation from Latin. The MS. V has no title at all. Thus we have authority for three names. The first, Biblicarum antiquitatum, I think, must be in part due to Sichardus; the epithet “Biblicarum” savours to my mind of the Renaissance, and has no certain MS. attestation. “Antiquitatum” (which is as old as cent. XIV.) is probably due to a recollection of Josephus’s great work, the Jewish Antiquities. The other name, de successione generationum or the like, has rather better attestation, and: Historia ab initio mundi, etc. (if original in the Munich MSS.) the oldest of all. I can hardly believe, however, that any of them are original; it seems more probable that some Biblical name was prefixed to the book when it was first issued. Rather out of respect to the first editor than for any better reason I have retained the title Biblical Antiquities, under which the text was introduced to the modern world. The ATTRIBUTION TO PHILO I regard as due to the accident that the text was transmitted in company with genuine Philonic writings. Certainly, if the Antiquities had come down to us by themselves, no one in his senses could have thought of connecting them with Philo; unless, indeed, knowing of but two Jewish authors, Philo and Josephus, he assumed that, since one had written a history of the Jews, the other must needs have followed suit. Original Language The ORIGINAL LANGUAGE of the book, its date, its form and its purpose, must now be discussed. Original Language.--The Latin version, in which alone we possess the work, is quite obviously a translation from Greek. The forms of proper names, the occurrence of Greek words which puzzled the translator, ometocea, pammixia, epomis, etc., make this abundantly clear. It is hardly less plain that the Greek was a translation from Hebrew. As Dr. Cohn has pointed out, the whole complexion, and especially the connecting links of the narrative, are strongly Hebraic, and there is a marked absence of the Greek use of particles, or of any attempt to link sentences together save by the bald “et,” which occurs an incredible number of times. Some statistics may be given: Et factum est occurs at least 33 times; Et tum (usually of the past) 37; Tunc 25; Et nunc (of present or future) 85; In tempore illo 18; In diebus illis (and the like) 10; Et post haec, or postea 30; Ecce 105; Ecce nunc 47; Et ideo 27; Et erit cum, or si 24. Other common links which I have not counted are Et ut (uidit, etc.), Et cum, His dictis, Propterea. The leading Hebraisms are present: adiicere, or apponere with another verb, meaning “he did so yet again,” 9 times at least; the intensive participle and verb (Illuminans illuminaui) 15 times. We have Si introducing a question 4 times; a uiro usque ad mulierem and the like (XXX. 4; XLVII. 10); ad uictoriam, in uictoria (= ‫למנצח‬, “Utterly”); IX. 3; XII. 6; XLIX. 6. Hebraists, among whom I cannot reckon myself, may probably detect the presence of plays upon words, passages written in poetical form (some of which are indeed obvious), and mistranslations. From what has just been said it will be rightly gathered that the literary style of Philo is not its strong point. Indeed, it is exceedingly monotonous, full of repetitions and catchwords. The author’s one device for obtaining an “effect” is to string together a number of high-sounding clauses, as he does, for example, in his repeated descriptions of the giving of the Law. As a narrator, he has another trick. An incident is often compared to another in the past (or future) history of Israel, and many times is an episode from that history related in a speech or prayer. Some of the recurrent phrases are: I spoke of old saying about 25 times; in vain, or not in vain 14; it is better for us to do this than . . . 7; not for our sakes, but for . . . about 5 times; who knows whether 4; dost you not remember 3; To your seed will I give this land (or the like) 7-9; the covenant which he made 5-8; I know that the people will sin 8-9; God’s anger will not endure for ever 10; The Gentiles will say 4-8; I call heaven and earth to witness 4-5; in the last days 4; make straight your ways 5-6; corrupt (your ways, etc.) 18; remember or visit the world 6; be for a testimony 10. Of single words accipere occurs 88 times in the first half of the text; habitare, inhabitare about 80 times in the whole text; iniquitas 33; disponere 37; testamentum 47; ambulare 21; uia, uiae 25; adducere 19; sed ucere 21; saeculum 27; sempiternus 15; constituere 20; expugnare 27; zelari 14; illuminare 1 2; renunciare 15.

Other lists are given in Appendix II. Date As to the DATE of the book, a positive indication of a terminus a quo has been detected in the text by Dr. Colin. He draws attention to a speech of God to Moses (XIX. 7): “I will show you the place wherein the people shall serve me 850 (MSS. 740) years, and thereafter it shall be delivered into the hands of the enemies, and they shall destroy it, and strangers shall compass it about; and it shall be on that day like as it was in the day when I brake the tables of the covenant which I made with you in Horeb: and when they sinned, that which was written thereon vanished away. Now that day was the 17th day of the 4th month.” Dr. Cohn’s comment is: “These words are meant to signify that Jerusalem was taken on the 17th of Tamuz, on the same day on which the Tables of the Law were broken by Moses. The capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, however, took place on the 9th of Tamuz (Jer. 526; Cf. Kings 253). The . . . 17th of Tamuz can relate only to the second temple (read capture) as it is expressly mentioned in the Talmud (Taanith IV. 6, cf. Seder Olam Rabbah, cap. 6 and 30) that on that date the Tables of the Law were destroyed and Jerusalem was taken by Titus. Thus the author betrays himself by giving as the date of the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians what is really the date of the capture by Titus.” The point is so important that I have felt it only right to present the evidence in some detail. The Mishnah of Taanith IV. 6 says “Five calamities befell our fathers on the 17th of Tamuz and five on the 9th of Ab. On the 17th Tamuz the Tables of the Law were broken: the daily sacrifice ceased to be offered: the city of Jerusalem was broken into: Apostomos burnt the Law and set up an idol in the sanctuary. On the 9th of Ab our fathers were told that they should not enter the holy land (Num. xiv.). The first and the second temple were destroyed; Bethar was taken, and the plough passed over the soil of Jerusalem.” It must be borne in mind that the capture of Jerusalem, and not the destruction of the Temple, is the event of which the date is important. To establish Dr. Cohn’s argument, it is necessary that the capture of the city by Titus, and not the capture by Nebuchadnezzar, should be assigned to the 17th Tamuz. The Gemara of the Jerusalem Talmud on the Mishnah quoted above attempts to show that there is a confusion in the chronology, and that probably both captures took place on the 17th Tamuz. But that of the Babylonian Talmud, which Mr. I. Abrahams has kindly translated for me, makes the requisite distinction between the dates, in these terms-- The city was broken up on the 17th. Was it indeed so? Is it not written “in the 4th month, on the 9th of the month, the famine was sore” (Jer. 526): and is it not written in the following verse: “then the city was broken up”? Raba replied: There is no difficulty: for the one refers to the first, the other to the second Temple. For there is a baraitha (teaching) which teaches: “On the first occasion the city was broken into on the 9th of Tamuz, and on the second occasion on the 17th.” This clearly justifies Dr. Cohn in taking the 17th of Tamuz as the date primarily associated with the capture by Titus. The attempt of the Jerusalem Talmud to place the Babylonian capture on the same date is of a later complexion, and is made, it seems, in the interests of a factitious symmetry. The baraitha quoted in the Babylonian Talmud is of the same age as the Mishnah (i.e. before A.D. 200). Thus Philo is indeed referring to the capture by Titus, and is therefore writing at a date later than A.D. 70. But, apart from this piece of positive evidence, the general complexion of the book strongly supports Dr. Cohn when he holds that it was written after the destruction of the second Temple. There is a singular absence of interest in the Temple services and in the ceremonial Law, whereas the moral Law, and especially the Decalogue, is dwelt upon again and again. Of course we read of sacrifices and the like, and it was impossible for the author to avoid all mention of the Tabernacle and its vessels, and of the yearly feasts. But the space devoted to them is strikingly small. The Passover is twice mentioned by name, and its institution is once referred to, together with that of the Feasts of Weeks, of Trumpets, and of Tabernacles, but no stress is laid upon it. The prescriptions for the observance of the Sabbath mention only synagogal services. When we compare Philo with Jubilees (second cent. B.C.), where the constant effort is to antedate the ceremonial Law in every part, we feel that we are in a wholly different stage of Judaism. Further, the evidence derivable from the resemblances between Philo and other books certainly written after A.D. 70, which will be found collected in another part of this Introduction, points unequivocally in the same direction. In the portion of the book which we have (and it is important to remember that it is but a fragment) the writer’s anticipations of a restoration and his allusions to the desolation of Jerusalem are equally faint and dim. It is probable that as occasion served--e.g. when he came to treat of Solomon’s temple--he would have spoken more plainly than he could well do when dealing with the earlier history. If an opinion based upon what we possess of his work is demanded, my own is that an appreciable interval must be placed between the destruction of the city and our author’s time. I should assign him to the closing years of the first Christian century. Form As to the FORM, I suggest that the chief model which the author set before himself was the Biblical Book of Chronicles. He begins abruptly, as that does, with genealogies and with Adam: he introduces from time to time short pieces of narrative, which rapidly increase in importance until they occupy the whole field: he devotes much space to speeches and prayers, and is fond of statements of numbers. His aim is to supplement existing narratives, and he wholly passes over large tracts of the history, occasionally referring to the Biblical books in which further details are to be found: and it is to be noted that he seems to place his own work on a level with them. “Are not these things written in the book of” the Judges, or the Kings, is his formula, and it is that of the Bible also. In all these respects he follows the Chronicler: only, as has been said, we miss in him the liturgical and priestly interest of that writer. Like the Chronicler, too, he is, and I believe was from the first, anonymous; I can find no trace of an attempt to personate any individual prophet, priest or scribe. Purpose The PURPOSE of the author I read thus. He wishes to supplement existing narratives, as has been said; and this he does by means of his fabulous genealogies (which, especially in the corrupt state in which we have them, arouse but a faint interest) and also by his paraphrases 13 of Bible stories, (for example, those of Korah, Balaam, Jael, Micah) and by his fresh inventions, especially that of Kenaz, the first judge, which is on the whole his most successful effort. In this side of his work he seeks to interest rather than to instruct. On the religious side I detect a wish to infuse a more religious tone into certain episodes of the history, particularly into the period of the judges, and to emphasize certain great truths, foremost among which I should place the indestructibility of Israel, and the duty of faithfulness to the one God. Lapse into idolatry and union with Gentiles are the dangers he most dreads for his people. I have collected the passages in which his positive teaching, is most clear and prominent, and purpose in this place to digest them under several heads, usually in the order in which they occur in the text. The Future State of Souls and the End of the World. When the years of the world (or age) are fulfilled, God will quicken the dead, and raise up from the earth them that sleep: Sheol will restore its debt, and Abaddon its deposit, and every man will be rewarded according to his works. There will be an end of death, Sheol will shut its mouth, the earth will be universally fertile. No one who is “justified in God” shall be defiled. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, an everlasting habitation. God will reveal the end of the world. Moses is not to enter into the promised land “in this age.” He is to be made to sleep with the fathers, and have rest, until God visits the earth, and raises him and the fathers from the earth in which they sleep, and they come together and dwell in an immortal habitation. This heaven will pass away like a cloud, and the times and seasons be shortened when the end draws near, for God will hasten to raise up them that sleep, and all who are able to live will dwell in the holy place which he has shown to Moses. God told the fathers in the secret places of souls, how he had fulfilled his promises: cf. XXIV. 6; XXXII. 13. He showed Abraham the place of fire in which evil deeds will be expiated, and the torches which will enlighten the righteous who have believed. The lot of the righteous Israelites will be in eternal life: their souls will be taken and laid up in peace, until the time of the world is fulfilled, and God restores them, to the fathers, and the fathers to them. The precious stones of the temple will be hidden away until God remembers the world, and then will be brought out with others from the place which eye has not seen nor ear heard, etc. The righteous will not need the light of the sun or moon, for these stones will give them light. The rest (requies) of the righteous when they are dead. The renewal of the creation (cf. XVI. 3). 2-5. There is no room for repentance after death, nor can the fathers after their death intercede for Israel. Jair’s victims are quickened with “living fire” and are delivered. (This, however, does not seem strictly to apply to the future state: see the passage.) When God remembers the world Phinehas will taste of death. Until then he will dwell with those who have been “taken up” before him. God quickens the righteous, but shuts up the wicked in darkness. When the bad die they perish: when the righteous sleep they are delivered. Jonathan is sure that souls will recognize each other after death. The Lot of the Wicked. Korah and his company: their dwelling will be in darkness and perdition, and they will pine away until God remembers the world, and then they will die and not live, and their remembrance will perish like that of the Egyptians in the Red Sea and the men who perished in the Flood. 6. Korah and his company, when they were swallowed up, “sighed until the firmament should be restored to the earth.” Balaam will gnash his teeth because of his sins. Sisera is to go and tell his father in hell that he has fallen by the hand of a woman. Jair will have his dwelling-place in fire: so also Doeg, LXIII. 4. Micah and his mother will die in torments, punished by the idols he has made. And this will be the rule for all men, that they shall suffer in such fashion as they have sinned. Punishment, long deferred, for past sins, is much in our author’s mind. Abram says “I may be burned to death on account of my (former) sins. God’s will be done.” If Kenaz falls in battle it will be because of his sins. Certain men were punished, not for their present offence, but for a former one. Manoah’s wife is barren because of sins. The Levite’s concubine had sinned years before and is now punished. Elkanah says: If my sins have overtaken me, I had better kill myself. The greatness of Israel and of the Law. The Holy Land was not touched by the Flood. The world will come to naught sooner than Israel can be destroyed. When Israel was not yet in being, God spoke of it. If God destroys Israel there will be none left to glorify him. Israel can only be defeated if it sins. 9, 14. The heavenly bodies are ministers to Israel, and will intercede with God if Israel is in a strait. Israel was born of the rib of Adam. The habitable places of the world were made for Israel. God thought of the Law in ancient days. It is a light to Israel but a punishment to the wicked. It is an everlasting Law by which God will judge the world. Men shall not be able to say “we have not heard.” It is an eternal commandment which shall not pass away. It was prepared from the birth of the world. Of Union with Gentiles. The worst feature of the Egyptian oppression was the proposal that the Hebrew girls should marry Egyptians. Tamar sinned with Judah rather than mingle with Gentiles, and was justified. The union with the daughters of Moab and Midian would be fatal to Israel. Samson mingled with Gentiles, and was therefore punished. He was unlike Joseph. Angelology. The service of angels is fairly prominent, and several are named. “Bear not false witness, lest your guardians do so of you.” This, I think, refers to angels. The angels will not intercede for the people if they sin. The angel of God’s wrath will smite the people. “I put angels under their feet.” (Also XXX. 5.) “I said to the angels that work subtilly (?).” Jacob wrestled with the angel that is over the praises. The angels lament for Moses. Gethel or Ingethel is the angel of hidden things; Zeruel the angel of strength. (Also LXI. 5.) 1, 2. The angels were jealous of Abraham, Certain angels were judged: those who were condemned had powers which were not given to others after them. They still assist men in sorceries. Nathaniel the angel of fire. The angel Phadahel. When Samuel is raised up by the witch, two angels appear leading him. Demons and Idols. Of evil spirits hardly anything is said, but some space is devoted to descriptions of idols. Adam’s wife was deceived by the serpent. “The demons of the idols.” 9 seq. The idols and precious stones of the Amorites are dwelt upon. 5 seq. Micah’s idols are described in terms which remind one slightly of the images in a sanctuary of Mithras. (See the note.) “The Lord said to the Adversary” (anticiminus, ὁ ἀντικείμενοσ). He is quite suddenly introduced, and without any explanation. 3, 4. Eli wonders if an unclean spirit has deceived Samuel. If one hears two calls at night, it will be an evil spirit that is calling: three will mean an angel. An evil spirit oppresses Saul. Evil spirits were created after heaven and earth (on the Second Day) and are a secondary creation. They sprang from an echo in chaos: their abode was in “Tartarus.” A holy spirit is mentioned occasionally, but in rather vague terms. Balaam says that the spirit (of prophecy) is given “for a time.” “Little is left of that holy spirit which is in me.” The holy spirit leapt upon Kenaz. (Deborah addressing herself.) “Let the grace of the holy spirit in you awake.” The character of God and His dealings with men are, naturally, illustrated in many passages, in some of which there is a strange lack of perception of what is worthy and befitting. Moses says, “you art all light.” “Light dwells with him.” The sons of Korah say that God, not Korah, is their true father: if they walk in his ways, they will be his sons. God knew what was in the world before he made it. He knows the mind of all generations before they are born (cf. L. 4). He willed that the world should be made and that they who should inhabit it should glorify him. God is life. He will have mercy on Israel “not for your sakes, but because of them that sleep” (cf. XXXIX. 11 end). Men look on glory and fame, God on uprightness of heart. God will not punish Gideon in this life, lest men should say “It is Baal who punishes him”: he will chastise him after death. (LXII. 6.) If God forgives, why should not mortal man? God, being God, has time to cast away his anger. He is angry with Jephthah for his vow. “If a dog were the first to meet him, should a dog be offered to me? It shall fall upon his only child.” Israel took no notice of Micah’s idols; but is horrified at the Benjamite outrage: therefore God will allow Benjamin to defeat them, and will deceive them (cf. LXIII. 3). He deceives Israel, telling them to attack Benjamin. If God had not sworn an oath to Phinehas, he would not hear him now. He will not allow Eli’s sons to repent, because aforetime they had said “When we grow old we will repent.” Saul put away the wizards in order to gain renown: so he shall be driven to resort to them. Man, especially in relation to sin. Man lost Paradise by sin. What man has not sinned? Who will be born without sin? you will correct us for a time, and not in wrath. Esau was hated because of his deeds. The Midianites say, “Our sins are fulfilled, as our gods told us, and we believed them not.” Eli says to his sons: “Those whom you have wronged will pray for you if you reform.” Saul thinks that perhaps his fall may be an atonement for his sins. The Messiah. Dr. Cohn speaks of the Messianic hope of the writer, but I am myself unable to find any anticipation of a Messiah in our text. It is always God, and no subordinate agency, that is to “visit the world” and put all things right. The word Christus occurs in two chapters: in LI. 6, and LIX. 1, 4, which refer to Saul or David. There are two other puzzling passages, of which one inclines at first to say that the meaning is Messianic. Joshua says: “O Lord, lo, the days shall come when the house of Israel shall be likened to a brooding dove which setteth her young in the nest, and will not leave them or forget her place, like as also these, turning (conuersi) from their acts, shall fight against (or overcome) the salvation which shall be born of them (or is born to them).” Hannah says: “But so does all judgement endure, until he be revealed who holdeth it (qui tenet).” As, a few lines later, she says: “And these things remain so until they give a horn to his (or their) Anointed,” which certainly refers to Saul; it is probable that Saul or David is meant in the present passage also. Nevertheless the resemblance between qui tenet and ὁ κατέχων of St. Paul (2 Thess. ii. 6, 7) is noteworthy. Unity. Contents I have not raised the question of the UNITY of the book. No one has as yet suggested that it is composite, and I am content to wait until, a theory is broached. That there are inconsistencies in it I do not deny (for instance, the story of Korah is told in two ways in and in LVII.), but they are not of a kind that suggest a plurality of writers. It may be that their presence here will furnish an argument against dissection of other books based on the existence of similar discrepancies. As to the INTEGRITY of the text: We know that it is imperfect, and this matter will be discussed at a later stage. The CONTENTS will be found summarized in a synopsis at the end of the Introduction. Relation To Other Literature THE RELATION OF PHILO TO OTHER BOOKS now comes up for consideration. The author’s knowledge of the Old Testament literature is apparent on every page. There are obvious borrowings from all the books to the end of 2 Kings; of Chronicles he seems to be a definite imitator. He knows the story of job, and quotes a Psalm; he draws from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. With the Wisdom literature he has not much in common, and traces of the use of the Minor Prophets, of Ezra, Nehemiah, or Tobit, are hard to find, though I will not deny their presence. If he lived, as I believe he did, near the end of the first century, we should naturally credit him with a knowledge of the whole Jewish canon. It is more important to determine his relation to the apocryphal books--the literature to which he was himself a contributor. Four of these, Enoch, Jubilees, the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, and the Fourth Book of Esdras, afford interesting material. (a) Certain affinities with the Book of Enoch are traceable in Philo. It is true that Enoch is not one of his heroes; in fact, he tells us no more of him than is found in Genesis, but I believe that the Book was known to him, though it is only in the first part of it that I find any striking parallels. In the first place, his view of the stars and other heavenly bodies is like that of Enoch. They are sentient beings, who receive commands from God and move about to execute them. See the story of Sisera, and the hymn of Deborah, and compare in Enoch 6, etc., the punishment of the errant stars. Again, a passage in Enoch (148) seems to be the model of some in Philo. “Behold, clouds called me in my vision, and mists cried to me, and runnings of stars and lightnings hastened me, and in the vision winds gave me wings and lifted me up.” Compare Philo XI. 5: “The heavens were folded up, and the clouds drew up water . . . and the thunders and lightnings were multiplied, and the winds and tempests sounded; the stars were gathered together, and the angels ran before “ (XIII. 7); “the winds shall sound and the lightnings run on,” etc. (XV. 2); “the lightnings of the stars shone, and the thunders followed, sounding with them” (XXXII. 7); “the lightnings hasted to their courses, and the winds gave a sound out of their storehouses,” etc. The phrase in Enoch 14 8, 10, 11 is διαδρομαὶ ἀστέρων καὶ ἀστραπαί. In 161 we have ὁ αἰὼν ὁ μέγασ, which may be the source of the immensurabilis mundus (seculum tempus) of Philo IX. 3, XXXII. 3, XXXIV. 2. In Enoch 173, τόξον πυρὸσ καὶ βέλη. Philo XIX. 16, praecedebant eum fulgura et lampades et sagittae omnes unanimes. Enoch 181, Εῖ᾽δον τοὺσ θησαυροὺσ τῶν ἀνέμων; cf. Philo XXXII. 7, above. The winds gave a sound out of their storehouses (promptuariis). In Enoch 186 seq. we hear something of precious stones which reminds us of those of Kenaz in Philo XXVI. seq. The words of 212: “I saw neither heaven above nor earth founded, but a place imperfect and terrible” recall the vision of Kenaz in Philo XXVIII. 6 seq.

So also the description of the sweet plants of Paradise in Enoch 24 may have suggested the words of Moses in Philo XII. 9. In Enoch 252 ”to Visit the earth” has more than one parallel in Philo, e. g. XIX. 12, 13, visitare seculum, orbem: and Enoch 257 (Then I blessed the God of glory . . . who has prepared such things for righteous men, etc.) is like Philo XXVI. 6: Blessed be God who has wrought such signs for the sons of men, and 14: Lo, how great good things God has wrought for men. (b) The Book of Jubilees is perhaps most nearly comparable to Philo, in that it follows the form of a chronicle of Bible history. Its spirit and plan are, to be sure, wholly different; it is regulated by a strict system of chronology, and its chief interest is in the ceremonial law. It is also far earlier in date, belonging to the last years of the second century B.C. Our author has read Jubilees, and to a certain extent supplements it in the portions which are common to both books. Thus Jubilees supplies us with the names of the wives of the early patriarchs: Philo omits these, but gives the names of their sons and daughters. It is true that he gives other names for the daughters of Adam, and that in the one case in which he supplies the name of a wife he also differs from Jubilees: with him Cain’s wife is Themech, in Jubilees it is Awân (daughter of Adam and sister of Cain, which Philo may have wished to disguise). In the same way Philo devotes much space to the names and number of the grandsons of Noah and their families, which are wanting in Jubilees; and whereas Jubilees gives full geographical details of the provinces which fell to Shem, Ham and Japhet, Philo indulges only in a series of bore names of places, now for the most part hopelessly corrupt. There is a small and seemingly intentional contradiction of Jubilees in this part of his history: Jubilees 118, says that Serug taught Nahor to divine, and worshipped idols. Philo agrees that divination began in the days of Terah and Nahor, but adds that Serug and his sons did not join in it, or in idolatry. Then, whereas the bulk of Jubilees is occupied with the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Philotells in detail one episode--the rescue of Abram from the fire-- which Jubilees omits, and passes over the rest of the period in a single page. Anything else that he has to say about Abraham and the rest is introduced into the speeches of later personages (Joshua, Deborah, etc.) by way of illustration. The two books agree in giving the names of the seventy souls who went down into Egypt. All this seems to me to show a consciousness of Jubilees, and an intentional avoidance, in the main, of the ground traversed by that book. Very rarely is there any coincidence of thought, but two possible examples can be cited. Philo has surprisingly little to say about Satan or evil spirits, as we have seen: but suddenly (in XLV. 6) he says: Et dixit Dominus ad anticiminum: And the Lord said to the Adversary. This must surely be the equivalent of the “prince Mastema” whom we meet so frequently in Jubilees. There is also a difficult passage (XIII. 8) which may go back to Jubilees. God is speaking to Moses, and says: “And the nights shall yield their dew, as I spoke after the flood of the earth, at that time when I commanded him (or Then he commanded him) concerning the year of the life of Noah, and said to him: These are the years which I ordained,” etc. The words, which may be corrupt, at least remind me of the stress laid in Jubilees 6, upon the yearly feast that is to be kept by Noah after the Flood. Upon the whole Philo’s knowledge of Jubilees is to be inferred rather from what he does not say than from what he does. In the later chapters of Esdras, which are taken up with visions, we--perhaps naturally--find fewer parallels than in the earlier. Other instances of words and phrases common to the two books, which are stylistic rather than anything else, are-- Ecce dies uenient, qui inhabitant terram, sensus, delere orbis, sustinere, adinuentio, renuntiare, in nouissimis temporibus, odoramentum, in nihilum deputare, requietio, aeramentum, corruptibilis, plasmare, uiuificare, mortificare, conturbare, exterminare, humiliare, fructus uentris, apponere or adicere (loqui, etc.), oblatio, pessimus in the positive sense, a minimo usque ad maximum, expugnare, scintilla. With the Assumption of Moses I find no community of ideas. Moses’ intercession for the people and Joshua’s lament are rather like those of the people over Joshua and Deborah. But Philo discards the story of the Assumption proper. Nor do I find illustrative matter in the Testaments of the XII. Patriarchs. My general conclusion is that Philo is a product of the circle from which both Baruch and 4 Esdras emanated: and it seems to me clear that the writer of Baruch at least was acquainted with Philo. Let it be noted once more that a feature common to all three books is a remarkable want of interest in the subject of Satan and evil spirits: Esdras never mentions them, Baruch very seldom, Philo rather oftener, but not often, and always vaguely. (e) What points of contact are there, it will be asked, between Philo and the NEW TESTAMENT? My answer is that there are not many direct resemblances. There are a few coincidences of language, and one or two illustrations of beliefs. That the author, living at the date to which I assign him, was conscious of the existence of Christianity, I do not doubt: whether he allows his consciousness to find expression in his book, I do doubt. He is not a speculative theologian or a controversialist; he sticks very close to the language of the Old Testament, and steers clear of disputed questions. I see no veiled polemic in his stories of the idolatry under Kenaz, or of Aod the Magician and Micah. The persecution under Jair may very well be an imitation of the Maccabæan martyrdoms, or of the story of the Three Children. The stress laid on the eternity of the Law may as well be a prophylactic against heathenism as against Christianity. Paganism is, I think, a more formidable adversary in his eyes than heresy. The tradition of the “rock that followed them” (X. 7, XI. 15: see the notes) and of the identity of Phinehas with Elijah (XLVIII.) are the chief that bear on New Testament thought. With reference to the latter it should be noted that the words of St. Mark (ix. 13), “as it is written of him,” are specially interesting, as showing that Elijah upon his return to earth was to suffer death (in which Philo agrees), and that there was written teaching to that effect. Among coincidences of language I reckon: new heavens and earth, III. 10; they that sleep, ibid. and elsewhere; justified, ibid.; fiat uoluntas dei, VI. ii; that which shall be born of you, IX. 10; I will judge all the world, XI. 2; the law shall not pass away, XI. 5; you art all light, XII. 9; we shall be the sons of God, XVI. 5; gnashing of teeth, XVIII. 12; the end of the world, XIX. 4, etc.; uerbum (dei) uiuum, XXI. 4; God which knowest before the hearts of all men, XXII. 7 (Acts i. 24); eye has not seen, etc., XXVI. 13; the righteous have no need of the light of the sun, etc., XXVI. 13; qui tenet (cf. ὁ κατέχων, 2 Thess. ii. 6, 7), LI. 5; lumen genti huic, LI. 6. Extent Of The Complete Book: The Lost Conclusion Discussed A question remains to be discussed, for answered it can hardly be unless fresh manuscript evidence comes to hand. It is this: How far did Philo carry on his narrative, and are there any traces of the lost conclusion? There are certain anticipations in our text which, it is reasonable to suppose, were fulfilled. We can predict with confidence that Edab the son of Agag, who appears in the last few lines as the slayer of Saul, will be killed (as in 2 Sam. 1.), with appropriate denunciation. Again, there is a sensational story of the slaying of Ishbi-benob by David and Abishai (Talmud, Tract Sanhedr., f. 45, ap. Eisenmenger, I. 413), in which Abishai kills Orpah the mother of the giant, and eventually David says to Ishbi, “Go, seek your mother in the grave,” whereat he falls. Now, in Philo (LXI. 6) David reminds Goliath that Orpah was his mother, and says to him, “After your death your three brethren also will fall into my hands, and then shall you say to your mother: He that was born of your sister (Ruth) did not spare us.” I see a foreshadowing here of another tale of giants slain by David. Further, David in his song before Saul (LX.) predicts the mastery over evil spirits that will be attained by Solomon; and elsewhere the writer, in his own person, names Solomon, and speaks of his building the Temple (XXII. 9). The allusion to Solomon and the demons, though unmistakable, is veiled, and, if I may judge from Philo’s usual practice, would have received an explanation, accompanied by a reference back to David’s song: Nonne haec sunt uerba quae locutus est pater tuus, etc. Another possible instance of foreshadowing is this: Phinehas (XLVIII.), when he has reached the term of 120 years, is commanded to go up into the Mount Danaben and dwell there. In years to come the heavens will be shut at his prayer, and opened again, and then he will be “taken up,” and in a yet more remote future will taste of death. In other words, he will be Elijah. I do not think this obscure prediction would have been left hanging in the air: in some form it would have received interpretation. I imagine, therefore, that the story of Elijah (and Elisha) was told in the book. I hardly know if one can fairly adduce here the fact that in an old treatise called Inuentiones Nominum (printed by me in JTS, 1903) some names are given of personages belonging to that period who are anonymous in the Bible. Thus, Abisaac is the ‘little maid” of 2 Kings v., Meneria is the Shunamite, and Phua the woman who devoured her child in the siege of Samaria. I lay no stress on this suggestion, for other names are given in the same document which disagree with those in Philo. Still, those I have cited did come from some written source of similar character. Here is another curious phenomenon. In the Apostolic Constitutions (II. 22, 23) the whole story of Manasseh is quoted in a text avowedly compounded from 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, with the addition of the Prayer and deliverance of Manasseh, which are non-Biblical, and after a short interval the story of Amon is given, with a spurious insertion to this effect: “Amon said, ‘My father did very wickedly from his youth, and repented in his old age. Now therefore I will walk as my soul listeth, and afterward I will return to the Lord.’” just so, in Philo LII. 4, when Eli said to Hophni and Phinehas, “Repent of your wicked ways,” they said, “When we are grown old we will repent”: and therefore God would not grant them repentance. The resemblance is arresting. The consideration of it suggests the question

whether this of Amon and the Prayer of Manasseh and the story of his deliverance can be excerpts from Philo. So far as the Prayer is concerned I cannot think it likely, for that composition is not in our author’s manner, and is not believed to be a translation from Hebrew. And, if the Prayer is not from Philo, we need not unnecessarily multiply the authorities used by Const. Ap. For all that, the story of Manasseh and his deliverance may have been told in Philo: the form of it which appears in the Apocalypse of Baruch (64) rather suggests to me that it was. The Apocalyptist uses Philonic language when he says of Manasseh that “his abode was in the fire”; and, further, he does not account Manasseh’s repentance to have been genuine or final, and in this--if I read my author rightly--he writes in the Philonic spirit: for Philo, if he is willing to dwell on the repentance and reform of Israel as a whole, seems to take pleasure in recording the apostasies and transgressions of individuals who do not repent--the sinners under Kenaz, Jair, Gideon, Micah, Doeg. When Saul protests to Samuel that he is too obscure to be made King, Samuel says (LVI. 6): “Your words will be like those of a prophet yet to come who will be called Jeremiah.” This odd prediction is modelled, I suppose, upon the mention of Josiah in 1 Kings 132, and is comparable to Hannah’s quotation of a psalm by Asaph (LI. 6). That the fulfilment of it was mentioned is likely enough, but by no means necessary. Lastly, a phrase in the story of Kenaz demands notice. When God gives him the new set of twelve precious stones to replace certain others that had been destroyed, He says (XXVI. 12) that they are to be placed in the ark, and to be there “until Jahel shall arise to build an house in my name, and then he shall set them before me upon the two cherubim . . . and when the sins of my people are fulfilled, and their enemies begin to prevail over their house, I will take those stones and the former ones (i.e. those already in the priest’s breastplate) and put them back in the place whence they were brought, and there shall they be until I remember the world and visit them that dwell on the earth. . . . And Kenaz placed them in the ark . . . and they are there to this day.” Apart from the mention of Jahel (by whom Solomon is meant, but why so called I know not) this is rather a perplexing passage. Taken as it stands, it ought to mean that the temple, or at least the ark, was extant at the supposed date of the writer, i.e. that the story was not carried down as far as the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; which, on general grounds, one would select as a likely point for the conclusion. We must however, remember the legend that the ark and its contents were preserved and hidden by Jeremiah or by an angel (2 Macc. Apoc. Bar. 64) . Besides, Philo elsewhere says (XXII. 9) that in the new sanctuary which was at Gilgal, “Joshua appointed to this day (usque in hodiernum diem)” the yearly sacrifices of Israel, and that until the temple was built sacrifice at the other place was lawful. We cannot, then, press his use of the phrase “to this day”; yet if it be insisted upon, there is a detail in Baruch (67) which may throw some light on Philo’s meaning. Baruch says that the angel took, among other things, “the forty-eight precious stones wherewith the priest was adorned” and committed them to the guardianship of the earth. No one offers any reason for the mention of forty-eight (instead of twelve) stones, and though only twelve more figure in the story of Kenaz, I think it not unreasonable to suggest that here as elsewhere the Apocalyptist has our text in his mind, and that a belief in the legend of the hidden ark was common to both. The sketch of Israel’s history contained in Apoc. Bar. 56-67 (a section which shows many resemblances to Philo), with its alternations of righteousness and sin, gives, to my mind, a very fair idea of what Philo may have comprised when it was complete. We begin with the sin of Adam and of the angels: both are alluded to more than once in Philo. Then we have Abraham (important in Philo), the wickedness of the Gentiles, and especially of the Egyptians (not emphasized in Philo), the ages of Moses and Joshua (treated at length), the sorceries of the Amorites under the Judges (dwelt on at great length), the age of David and Solomon (Philo breaks off in David), the times of Jeroboam and Jezebel and the captivity of the nine and a half tribes, the reign of Hezekiah, the wickedness of Manasseh, the reforms of Josiah, the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Baruch then continues the history to the Messianic kingdom and the final triumph of right, of which Philo speaks only in general terms, though it may have developed clearer views as it proceeded. For the present, my conjecture is that Philo ended with the Babylonian captivity, and not without an anticipation of the Return. Conclusion. Character Of The Present Edition I fear that we cannot regard the writer of Philo as a man of very lofty mind or of great literary talent. He has some imagination, and is sensible of the majesty of the Old Testament literature, but he has not the insight, the power, or the earnestness of the author of 4 Esdras, nor again the ethical perception of him who wrote the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. From this point of view the obscurity which has hung over his book is not undeserved. Nevertheless it is a source by no means to be neglected by the student of Christian origins and of Jewish thought, and for that reason I have suggested that it should find a place in this series of translations. I hope that the pretensions of this edition will not be misconceived. It is not a critical edition in the sense that it presents all the variants of all the authorities and lays the whole body of evidence before the reader. Such a presentation would only be possible if the text as well as the translation were included in this volume. (I do not myself, let me say in passing, believe that the result of a complete statement of various readings would differ very importantly from what the reader now has before him, seeing that the text depends upon a single thread of tradition.) Nor, again, will every available illustrative passage be found in such notes as I have written on the subject matter in Rabbinic literature especially it should be possible to find many more parallels. Notes of a linguistic kind, too, are out of place where a translation only is in question. Neither has every Biblical allusion been marked: as a rule, the reader who knows his Bible will easily recognize the phrases which the author weaves together often deftly enough. Besides these omissions, larger problems remain unsolved. There are not a few unhealed places in the text, and there are some whole episodes of which the bearing is very obscure. On the other hand, I may claim that account has here been taken for the first time of a fairly representative selection of the authorities for the text, and that the relation of the book to some, at least, of its fellows has been elucidated; and I hope that the translation, in which I have followed as closely as possible the language of the Authorised Version (though I have kept the Latin forms of the proper names), may be found readable. I have, further, provided a means of referring to passages in the text by a division into chapters and verses, or sections, which I think must prove useful. Something of the kind was much needed, for it has hitherto only been possible to cite by the pages of one or other of the sixteenth-century editions. My division is of course applicable to any future edition. The present volume is, then, a step in the direction of a critical edition, but only a step. Like the first editor, Sichardus, I recognize its defects (or some of them) and should welcome the opportunity, if it ever came, of producing an improved form of the original text. As it is the kindness of the Society under whose auspices the book appears allows me to include in it a selection of the most important readings and some particulars of the Latinity of the original. For this indulgence my readers, as well as myself, will assuredly be grateful. Synopsis Of The Contents

CHAPTER Genealogy from Adam to Noah, with the names of the sons and daughters of the early patriarchs. Genealogy from Cain to Lamech; the names of Cain’s cities, short accounts of Jubal and Tubal, and the song of Lamech. The Flood and the covenant with Noah, mainly in the words of Genesis, but with the addition of two important speeches of God. The descendants of Shem, Ham and Japhet, and the territories occupied by them. The genealogy continued to Abraham. In this occur accounts of the first appearing of the rainbow, the prophecy of Milcah, and the beginning of divination. The review and census of the descendants of Noah. The Tower of Babel begun. Abraham’s rescue from the fire. Destruction of the Tower, and dispersion of the builders. The genealogy from Abraham to the going down into Egypt. The names of Job’s children. The oppression in Egypt. Amram refuses to separate from his wife. Miriam’s vision. The birth of Moses. The plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea. Israel in the desert. The giving of the Law. The Decalogue. The Golden Calf. The Tabernacle, and the institution of certain Feasts. The numbering of the people. The spies. Korah. Aaron’s Rod. Balaam. The farewell and death of Moses. Joshua succeeds him. The spies sent to Jericho. Withdrawal of the manna, pillar of cloud, and fountain. Joshua warned of his end: his prayer: he writes the Law upon stones and builds an altar. The altar built by the tribes beyond Jordan. The sanctuary at Shiloh. Joshua’s last speech, with the story of Abraham’s vision and of the giving of the Law. His farewell and death. Kenaz (Cenez) elected ruler by lot. Detection by the lot of sinners among the tribes. Their confessions: account of the Amorite idols. God directs the disposal of the accursed objects: the sinners are burned. The commands of God are carried out: account of the twelve precious stones. Kenaz’s victory, single-handed, over the Amorites. His last days: the speech of Phinehas: vision and death of Kenaz. Zebul succeeds: an inheritance given to the daughters of Kenaz: a sacred treasury founded: death of Zebul. Israel oppressed by Sisera. Deborah’s speech. The stars fight against Sisera: his death. Deborah’s hymn, with the description of the sacrifice of Isaac and the giving of the Law. Last words and death of Deborah. Aod, the wizard of Midian, seduces Israel by his sorceries. The call of Gideon. He defeats Midian: his sin and death. Abimelech succeeds. [Gap in the text.] Parable of the trees. Death of Abimelech. [Gap in the text.] Jair apostatizes and is destroyed by fire. Israel oppressed by Ammon. Jephthah is persuaded to help. His negotiations with Getal, King of Ammon: his vow: God’s anger. Seila, Jephthah’s daughter: her readiness to die: her lamentation and death. Death of Jephthah. The Judges Abdon (Addo) and Elon. Manoah and his wife Eluma. Samson promised. Birth, exploits and death of Samson. Micah and his mother Dedila. The idols described. God’s anger. The Levite Bethac at Nob. The Benjamite outrage. Israel attacks Benjamin and is thrice defeated. Prayer of Phinehas. Parable of the Lion, spoken by God in answer to Phinehas. Benjamin is defeated: names of the surviving chiefs. Death of Micah. Departure of Phinehas from among men. Wives are found for the Benjamites. Conclusion of the period of the Judges. Israel is at a loss for a ruler. Lots are cast in vain. Advice of Nethez. The lot falls on Elkanah, who refuses to be ruler. God promises Samuel. Peninnah’s reproaches to Hannah: Hannah’s prayer. Birth of Samuel: hymn of Hannah. Sin of Hophni and Phinehas. Eli rebukes them, their refusal to repent. Call of Samuel: Eli’s submission to God’s will. The ark captured by the Philistines: Saul brings the news. Death of Eli and of his daughter-in-law. Grief of Samuel. The ark and Dagon: the Philistines plagued: they take counsel as to the return of the ark: it is sent back. The people ask for a king, prematurely. Saul comes to Samuel. Samuel presents him to the people and he is made king. He is sent against Amalek, and spares Agag. Agag is slain, after begetting a son who is to be Saul’s slayer. Samuel anoints David: David’s psalm: the lion and the bear. Saul oppressed by an evil spirit: David’s song. David’s first victory, over Midian. Goliath defies Israel: David slays him (story of Orpah and Ruth). Saul’s envy of David. David’s parting with Jonathan: their farewell speeches and covenant. The priests of Nob slain: God’s sentence against Doeg. Death of Samuel. Saul expels the sorcerers to make a name for himself: God’s anger. The Philistines invade: Saul goes to Sedecla, the witch of Endor. Appearance and speech of Samuel. Defeat of Saul: he summons the Amalekite (Edab, son of Agag) to kill him. The text ends abruptly in the midst of a message from Saul to David. There is more than one plausible way of dividing the book into episodes. The simplest is this Adam to the descent into Egypt, cc. I.-VIII. Moses, IX.-XIX. Joshua, XX.-XXIV. The judges, XXV.-XLVIII. Samuel, Saul and David, XLIV-LXV. A more elaborate subdivision would be- Adam to Lamech, I.-II. Noah and his descendants, III.-V. Abraham to the death of Joseph, VI.-VIII. The life of Moses, IX.-XIX. Joshua, XX.-XXIV. The Judges, the chief figures being-- Kenaz, XXV.-XXVIII. Zebul, XXIX. Deborah, XXX.-XXXIII. Aod, XXXIV. Gideon, XXXV.-XXXVI. Jair, XXXVIII. Jephthah, XXXIX.-XL. Abdon, Elon, XLI. Samson, XLII.-XLIII. The events of the last chapters of the Book of Judges, XLIV.-XLVIII. Life of Samuel, to the return of the ark, XLIX.-LV. Saul’s career, LVI.-LXV., David entering upon the scene in LIX. A third and more artificial method of division (which is followed to some extent by the MS. R) is into portions corresponding to the Biblical books, viz.-- Genesis, I.-VIII. Exodus, IX.-XIII. Leviticus, part of XIII. Numbers, XIV.-XVIII. Deuteronomy, XIX. Joshua, XX.-XXIV. Judges, XXV.-XLVIII. Samuel, XLIX.-LXV. The space allotted to the period of the Judges emerges as the striking feature. It is rather greater than that given to the Pentateuch and Joshua, and more than double the share of 1 Samuel. And of it almost a third part is devoted to the doings of a person practically unknown to the Bible, namely, Kenaz. Additional Note A passage in Origen On Romans (IV. 12, p. 646) deserves to be quoted as being very much in the manner of Philo. “We have found,” he says, “in a certain apocryphal book (in quodam secretiore libello) mention of an angel of grace who takes his name from grace, being called Ananchel, i.e. the grace of God: and the writing in question says that this angel was sent by God to Esther to give her favour in the sight of the king.” just so in Philo appropriate angels are sent to Kenaz and to David and intervene to save the victims of Jair. I think it worth suggesting that the story of Esther found a place in Philo, and that this was the secretior libellus to which Origen refers. Note Phrases and sentences in italics mark quotations from the Old Testament: single words in italics, and short, are supplements of the translator. The following signs are also employed: [ ] Words wrongly inserted into the text. ( ) Alternative readings of importance. [Probable restoration: ] (As p. 151) Words that have fallen out, restored by [Probable restoration: ] As p. 100)} conjecture. (As p. 89) Corrupt passages. The Biblical Antiquities of Philo 17 The beginning of the world. Adam fathered three sons and one daughter, Cain, Noaba, Abel and Seth. And Adam lived after he fathered Seth 700 years, and fathered 12 sons and 8 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Eliseel, Suris, Elamiel, Brabal, Naat, Zarama, Zasam, Maathal, and Anath. And these are his daughters: Phua, Iectas, Arebica, Sifa, Tecia, Saba, Asin. And Seth lived 105 years and fathered Enos. And Seth lived after he fathered Enos 707 years, and fathered 3 sons and 2 daughters. And these are the names of his sons: Elidia, Phonna, and Matha: and of his daughters, Malida and Thila. And Enos lived 180 years and fathered Cainan. And Enos lived after he fathered Cainan 715 years, and fathered 2 sons and a daughter. And these are the names of his sons: Phoë and Thaal; and of the daughter, Catennath. And Cainan lived 520 years and fathered Malalech. And Cainan lived after he fathered Malalech 730 years, and fathered 3 sons and 2 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Athach, Socer, Lopha: and the names of the daughters, Ana and Leua. And Malalech lived 165 years and fathered Jareth. And Malalech lived after he fathered Jareth 730 years, and fathered 7 sons and 5 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Leta, Matha, Cethar, Melie, Suriel, Lodo, Othim. And these are the names of the daughters: Ada and Noa, Iebal, Mada, Sella. And Jareth lived 172 years and fathered Enoch. And Jareth lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and fathered 4 sons and 2 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Lead, Anac, Soboac and Iectar: and of the daughters, Tetzeco, Lesse. And Enoch lived 165 years and fathered Matusalam. And Enoch lived after he fathered Matusalam 200 years, and fathered 5 sons and 3 daughters. But Enoch pleased God at that time and was not found, for God translated him. Now the names of his sons are: Anaz, Zeum, Achaun, Pheledi, Elith; and of the daughters, Theiz, Lefith, Leath. And Mathusalam lived 187 years and fathered Lamech. And Mathusalam lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years, and fathered 2 sons and 2 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Inab and Rapho; and of the daughters, Aluma and Amuga. And Lamech lived 182 years and fathered a son, and called him according to his nativity Noe, saying: This child will give rest to us and to the earth from those who are in it, upon whom (or in the day when) a visitation shall be made because of the iniquity of their evil deeds. And Lamech lived after he fathered Noe 585 years. And Noe lived 300 years and fathered 3 sons, But Cain dwelt in the earth trembling, according as God appointed to him after he slew Abel his brother; and the name of his wife was Themech. And Cain knew Themech his wife and she conceived and bore Enoch. Now Cain was 15 years old when he did these things; and from that time he began to build cities, until he had founded seven cities. And these are the names of the cities: The name of the first city according to the name of his son Enoch. The name of the second city Mauli, and of the third Leeth, and the name of the fourth Teze, and the name of the fifth Iesca; the name of the sixth Celeth, and the name of the seventh Iebbath. And Cain lived after he fathered Enoch 715 years and fathered 3 sons and 2 daughters. And these are the names of his sons: Olad, Lizaph, Fosal; and of his daughters, Citha and Maac. And all the days of Cain were 730 years, and he died. Then took Enoch a wife of the daughters of Seth, which bore him Ciram and Cuuth and Madab. But Ciram fathered Matusael, and Matusael fathered Lamech. But Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Ada and the name of the other Sella. And Ada bore him Iobab: he was the father of all that dwell in tents and herd flocks. And again she bore him Iobal, which was the first to teach all playing of instruments (lit. every psalm of organs). And at that time, when they that dwelt on the earth had begun to do evil, every one with his neighbour’s wife, defiling them, God was angry. And he began to play upon the lute (kinnor) and the harp and on every instrument of sweet psalmody (lit. psaltery), and to corrupt the earth. But Sella bore Tubal and Misa and Theffa, and this is that Tubal which showed to men arts in lead and tin and iron and copper and silver and gold: and then began the inhabiters of the earth to make graven images and to worship them. Now Lamech said to his two wives Adaand Sella: Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech, give heed to my precept: for I have corrupted men for myself, and have taken away sucklings from the breasts, that I might show my sons how to work evil, and the inhabiters of the earth. And now shall vengeance be taken seven times of Cain, but of Lamech seventy times seven. And it came to pass when men had begun to multiply on the earth, that beautiful daughters were born to them. And the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were exceeding fair, and took them wives of all that they had chosen. And God said: My spirit shall not judge among these men for ever, because they are of flesh; but their years shall be 120. Upon whom he laid (or wherein I have set) the ends of the world, and in their hands wickednesses were not put out (or the law shall not be quenched). And God saw that in all the dwellers upon earth works of evil were fulfilled: and inasmuch as their thought was upon iniquity all their days, God said: I will blot out man and all things that have budded upon the earth, for it repenteth me that I have made him. But Noe found grace and mercy before the Lord, and these are his generations. Noe, which was a righteous man and undefiled in his generation, pleased the Lord. to whom God said: The time of all men that dwell upon the earth is come, for their deeds are very evil. And now make you an ark of cedar wood, and thus shall you make it. 300 cubits shall be the length of it, and 50 cubits the breadth, and 30 cubits the height. And you shall enter into the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. And I will make my covenant with you, to destroy all the dwellers upon earth. Now of clean beasts and of the fowls of the heaven that are clean you shall take by sevens male and female, that their seed may be saved alive upon the earth. But of unclean beasts and fowls you shall take to you by twos male and female, and shall take provision for you and for them also. And Noe did that which God commanded him and entered into the ark, he and all his sons with him. And it came to pass after 7 days that the water of the flood began to be upon the earth. And in that day all the depths were opened and the great spring of water and the windows of heaven, and there was rain upon the earth 40 days and 40 nights. And it was then the 1652nd (1656th) year from the time when God had made the heaven and the earth in the day when the earth was corrupted with the inhabiters of it by reason of the iniquity of their works. And when the flood continued 140 days upon the earth, Noe only and they that were with him in the ark remained alive: and when God remembered Noe, he made the water to diminish. And it came to pass on the 90th day that God dried the earth, and said to Noe: Go out of the ark, you and all that are with you, and grow and multiply upon the earth. And Noe went out of the ark, he an d his sons and his sons’ wives, and all the beasts and creeping things and fowls and cattle brought he forth with him as God commanded him. Then built Noe an altar to the Lord, and took of all the cattle and of the clean fowls and offered burnt offerings on the altar: and it was accepted of the Lord for a savour of rest. And God said: I will not again curse the earth for man’s sake, for the guise of man’s heart has left off 23 from his youth. And therefore I will not again destroy together all living as I have done. But it shall be, when the dwellers upon earth have sinned, I will judge them by famine or by the sword or by fire or by pestilence (lit. death), and there shall be earthquakes, and they shall be scattered into places not inhabited (or, the places of their habitation shall be scattered). But I will not again spoil the earth with the water of a flood, and in all the days of the earth seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and autumn, day and night shall not cease, until I remember them that dwell on the earth, even until the times are fulfilled. But when the years of the world shall be fulfilled, then shall the light cease and the darkness be quenched: and I will quicken the dead and raise up from the earth them that sleep: and Hell shall pay his debt and destruction give back that which was committed to him, that I may render to every man according to his works and according to the fruit of their imaginations, even until I judge between the soul and the flesh. And the world shall rest, and death shall be quenched, and Hell shall shut his mouth. And the earth shall not be without birth, neither barren for them that dwell in it: and none shall be polluted that has been justified in me 25. And there shall be another earth and another heaven, even an everlasting habitation. And the Lord spoke further to Noe and to his sons saying: Behold I will make my covenant with you and with your seed after you, and will not again spoil the earth with the water of a flood. And all that liveth and moveth in it shall be to you for meal. Nevertheless the flesh with the blood of the soul shall you not eat. For he that sheddeth man’s blood, his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God was man made. And you, grow you and multiply and fill the earth as the multitude of fishes that multiply in the waters. And God said: This is the covenant that I have made betwixt me and you; and it shall be when I cover the heaven with clouds, that my bow shall appear in the cloud, and it shall be for a memorial of the covenant betwixt me and you, and all the dwellers upon earth. And the sons of Noe which went forth of the ark were Sem, Cham, and Japheth. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, and Madai, Nidiazech, Tubal, Mocteras, Cenez, Riphath, and Thogorma, Elisa, Dessin, Cethin, Tudant. And the sons of Gomer: Thelez, Lud, Deberlet. And the sons of Magog: Cesse, Thipha, Pharuta, Ammiel, Phimei, Goloza, Samanach. And the sons of Duden: Sallus, Phelucta Phallita. And the sons of Tubal: Phanatonova, Eteva. And the sons of Tyras: Maac, Tabel, Ballana, Samplameac, Elaz. And the sons of Mellech: Amboradat, Urach, Bosara. And the sons of [Probable restoration: As]cenez: Jubal, Zaraddana, Anac. And the sons of Heri: Phuddet, Doad, Dephadzeat, Enoc. And the sons of Togorma: Abiud, Saphath, Asapli, Zepthir. And the sons of Elisa: Etzaac, Zenez, Mastisa, Rira. And the sons of Zepti: Macziel, Temna, Aela, Phinon. And the sons of Tessis: Meccul, Loon, Zelataban. And the sons of Duodennin: Itheb, Beath, Phenech. And these are they that were scattered abroad, and dwelt in the earth with the Persians and Medes, and in the islands that are in the sea. And Phenech, the son of Dudeni, went up and commanded that ships of the sea should be made: and then was the third part of the earth divided. Domereth and his sons took Ladech; and Magog and his sons took Degal; Madam and his sons took Besto; Iuban (sc. Javan) and his sons took Ceel; Tubal and his sons took Pheed; Misech and his sons took Nepthi; [Probable restoration: T]iras and his sons took [Probable restoration: Rôô]; Duodennut and his sons took Goda; Riphath and his sons took Bosarra; Torgoma and his sons took Fud; Elisa and his sons took Thabola; Thesis (sc. Tarshish) and his sons took Marecham; Cethim and his sons took Thaan; Dudennin and his sons took Caruba. And then began they to till the earth and to sow upon it: and when the earth was athirst, the dwellers in it cried to the Lord and he heard them and gave rain abundantly, and it was so, when the rain descended upon the earth, that the bow appeared in the cloud, and the dwellers upon earth saw the memorial of the covenant and fell upon their faces and sacrificed, offering burnt offerings to the Lord. Now the sons of Cham were Chus, Mestra, and Phuni, and Chanaan. And the sons of Chus: Saba, and . . . Tudan.

And the sons of Phuni: [Effuntenus], Zeleutelup, Geluc, Lephuc. And the sons of Chanaan were Sydona, Endain, Racin, Simmin, Uruin, Nenugin, Amathin, Nephiti, Telaz, Elat, Cusin. And Chus fathered Nembroth. He began to be proud before the Lord. But Mestram fathered Ludin and Megimin and Labin and Latuin and Petrosonoin and Ceslun: thence came forth the Philistines and the Cappadocians. And then did they also begin to build cities: and these are the cities which they built: Sydon, and the parts that lie about it, that is Resun, Beosa, Maza, Gerara, Ascalon, Dabir, Camo, Tellun, Lacis, Sodom and Gomorra, Adama and Seboim. And the sons of Sem: Elam, Assur, Arphaxa, Luzi, Aram. And the sons of Aram: Gedrum, Ese. And Arphaxa fathered Sale, Sale fathered Heber, and to Heber were born two sons: the name ofthe one was Phalech, for in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Jectan. And Jectan fathered Helmadam and Salastra and Mazaam, Rea, Dura, Uzia, Deglabal, Mimoel, Sabthphin, Evilac, Iubab. And the sons of Phalech: Ragau, Rephuth, Zepheram, Aculon, Sachar, Siphaz, Nabi, Suri, Seciur, Phalacus, Rapho, Phalthia, Zaldephal, Zaphis, and Arteman, Heliphas. These are the sons of Phalech, and these are their names, and they took them wives of the daughters of Jectan and fathered sons and daughters and filled the earth. But Ragau took him to wife Melcha the daughter of Ruth, and she fathered him Seruch. And when the day of her delivery came she said: Of this child shall be born in the fourth generation one who shall set his dwelling on high, and shall be called perfect, and undefiled, and he shall be the father of nations, and his covenant shall not be broken, and his seed shall be multiplied for ever. And Ragau lived after he fathered Seruch 119 years and fathered 7 sons and 5 daughters. And these are the names of his sons: Abiel, Obed, Salma, Dedasal, Zeneza, Accur, Nephes. And these are the names of his daughters: Cedema, Derisa, Seipha, Pherita, Theila. And Seruch lived 29 years and fathered Nachor. And Seruch lived after he fathered Nachor 67 years and fathered 4 sons and 3 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Zela, Zoba, Dica and Phodde. And these are his daughters: Tephila, Oda, Selipha. And Nachor lived 34 years and fathered Thara. And Nachor lived after he fathered Thara 200 years and fathered 8 sons and 5 daughters. And these are the names of the males: Recap, Dediap, Berechap, Iosac, Sithal, Nisab, Nadab, Camoel. And these are his daughters: Esca, Thipha, Bruna, Ceneta. And Thara lived 70 years and fathered Abram, Nachor, and Aram. And Aram fathered Loth. Then began they that dwelt on the earth to look upon the stars, and began to prognosticate by them and to make divination, and to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire. But Seruch and his sons walked not according to them. And these are the generations of Noe upon the earth according to their languages and their tribes, out of whom the nations were divided upon the earth after the flood. Then came the sons of Cham, and made Nembroth a prince over themselves: but the sons of Japheth made Phenech their chief: and the sons of Sem gathered together and set over them Jectan to be their prince. And when these three had met together they took counsel that they would look upon and take account of the people of their followers. And this was done while Noe was yet alive, even that all men should be gathered together: and they lived at one with each other, and the earth was at peace. Now in the 340th year of the going forth of Noe out of the ark, after that God dried up the flood, did the princes take account of their people. And first Phenech the son of Japheth looked upon them. The sons of Gomer all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 5,800. But of the sons of Magog all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their leading the number was 6,200. And of the sons of Madai all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 5,700. And the sons of Tubal. all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 9,400. And the sons of Mesca all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 5,600. The sons of Thiras all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 12,300. And the sons of Ripha[Probable restoration: th] passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number l4,500. And the sons of Thogorma passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincy were in number 14,400. But the sons of Elisa passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincy were in number 14,900. And the sons of Thersis all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincy were in number 12,100. The sons of Cethin all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincy were in number 17,300. And the sons of Doin passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 17,700.

And the number of the camp of the sons of Japheth, all of them men of might and all girt with their armour, which were set in the sight of their captains was 140,202 besides women and children. The account of Japheth in full was in number 142,000. And Nembroth passed by, he and the son(s) of Cham all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 24,800. The sons of Phua all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 27,700. And the sons of Canaan all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 32,800. The sons of Soba all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 4,300. The sons of Lebilla all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 22,300. And the sons of Sata all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 25,300. And the sons of Remma all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 30,600. And the sons of Sabaca all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 46,400. And the number of the camp of the sons of Cham, all of them mighty men, and furnished with armour, which were set in the sight of their captaincies was in number 244,900 besides women and children. And Jectan the son of Sem looked upon the sons of Elam, and they were all of them passing by according to the number of the sceptres of their captaincies in number 47,000. And the sons of Assur all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 73,000. And the sons of Aram all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 87,300. The sons of Lud all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were found in number 30,600. [The number of the sons of Cham was 73,000.] But the sons of Arfaxat all of them passing by according to the sceptres of their captaincies were in number 114,600. And the whole number of them was 347,600. 7. The number of the camp of the sons of Sem, all of them setting forth in valour and in the commandment of war in the sight of their captaincies was ix besides women and children. And these are the generations of Noe set forth separately, whereof the whole number together was 914,000. And all these were counted while Noe was yet alive, and in the

presence of Noe 350 years after the flood. And all the days of Noe were 950 years, and he died. Then all they that had been divided and dwelt upon the earth gathered together there after, and dwelt together; and they set forth from the East and found a plain in the land of Babylon: and there they dwelt, and they said every man to his neighbour: Behold, it will come to pass that we shall be scattered every man. from his brother, and in the latter days we shall be fighting one against another. Now, therefore, come and let us build for ourselves a tower, the head whereof shall reach to heaven, and we shall make us a name and a renown upon the earth. And they said everyone to his neighbour: Let us take bricks (lit. stones), and let us, each one, write our names upon the bricks and burn them with fire: and that which is thoroughly burned shall be for mortar and brick. (Perhaps, that which is not thoroughly burned shall be for mortar, and that which is, for brick.) 31 And they took every man their bricks, saving 12 men, which would not take them, and these are their names: Abraham, Nachor, Loth, Ruge, Tenute, Zaba, Armodath, Iobab, Esar, Abimahel, Saba, Auphin. And the people of the land laid hands on them and brought them before their princes and said: These are the men that have transgressed our counsels and will not walk in our ways. And the princes said to them: why would you not set every man your bricks with the people of the land? And they answered and said: We will not set bricks with you, neither will we be joined with your desire. One Lord know we, and him do we worship. And if you should cast us into the fire with your bricks, we will not consent to you. And the princes were wroth and said: As they have said, so do to them, and if they consent not to set bricks with you, you shall burn them with fire together with your bricks. Then answered Jectan which was the first prince of the captains: Not so, but there shall be given them a space of 7 days. And it shall be, if they repent of their evil counsels, and will set bricks along with us, they shall live; but if not, let them be burned according to your word. But he sought how he might save them out of the hands of the people; for he was of their tribe, and he served God. And when he had thus said he took them and shut them up in the king’s house: and when it was evening the prince commanded 50 mighty men of valour to be called to him, and said to them: Go forth and take to-night these men that are shut up in mine house, and put provision for them from my house upon 10 beasts, and the men bring you to me, and their provision together with the beasts take you to the mountains and wait for them there: and know this, that if any man shall know what I have said to you, I will burn you with fire. And the men set forth and did all that their prince commanded them, and took the men from his house by night; and took provision and put it upon beasts and took them to the hill country as he commanded them. And the prince called to him those 12 men and said to them: Be of good courage and fear not, for you shall not die. For God in whom you trust is mighty, and therefore be you

stablished in him, for he will deliver you and save you. And now lo, I have commanded So men to take [you with] provision from my house, and go before you into the hill country 32 and wait for you in the valley: and I will give you other 50 men which shall guide you thither: go you therefore and hide yourselves there in the valley, having water to drink that floweth down from the rocks: hold yourselves there for 30 days, until the anger of the people of the land be appeased and until God send his wrath upon them and break them. For I know that the counsel of iniquity which they have agreed to perform shall not stand, for their thought is vain. And it shall be when 7 days are expired and they shall seek for you, I will say to them: They have gone forth and have broken the door of the prison wherein they were shut up and have fled by night, and I have sent 100 men to seek them. So will I turn them from their madness that is upon them. And there answered him 11 of the men saying: your servants have found favour in your sight, in that we are set free out of the hands of these proud men. But Abram only kept silence, and the prince said to him: why answerest you not me, Abram, servant of God? Abram answered and said: Lo, I flee away to-day into the hill country, and if I escape the fire, wild beasts will come out of the mountains and devour us. Or our victuals will fail and we shall die of hunger; and we shall be found fleeing from the people of the land and shall fall in our sins. And now, as he liveth in whom I trust, I will not remove from my place wherein they have put me: and if there be any sin of mine so that I be indeed burned, the will of God be done. And the prince said to him: your blood be upon your head, if you refuse to go forth with these. But if you consent, you shall be delivered. Yet if you will abide, abide as you art. And Abram said: I will not go forth, but I will abide here. And the prince took those 11 men and sent other 50 with them, and commanded them saying: Wait, you also, in the hill country for 15 days with those 50 which were sent before you; and after that you shall return and say We have not found them, as I said to the former ones. And know that if any man transgress one of all these words that I have spoken to you, he shall be burned with fire. So the men went forth, and he took Abram by himself and shut him up where he had been shut up aforetime. And after 7 days were passed, the people were gathered together and spoke to their prince saying: Restore us the men which would not consent to us, that we may burn them with fire. And they sent captains to bring them, and they found them not, save Abram only. And they gathered all of them to their prince saying: The men whom you shut up are fled and have escaped that which we counselled. And Phenech and Nemroth said to Jectan: Where are the men whom you didst shut up? But he said: They have broken prison and fled by night: but I have sent 100 men to seek them, and commanded them if they find them that they should not only burn them with fire but give their bodies to the fowls of the heaven and so destroy them. Then said they: This fellow which is found alone, let us burn him. And they took Abram and brought him before their princes and said to him: Where are they that were with you? And he said: Verily at night I slept, and when I awaked I found them not. And they took him and built a furnace and kindled it with fire, and put bricks burned with fire into the furnace. Then Jectan the prince being amazed (lit. melted) in his mind took Abram and put him with the bricks into the furnace of fire. But God stirred up a great earthquake, and the fire gushed forth of the furnace and brake out into flames and sparks of fire and consumed all them that stood round about in sight of the furnace; and all they that were burned in that day were 83,500. But upon Abram was there not any the least hurt by the burning of the fire. And Abram arose out of the furnace, and the fiery furnace fell down, and Abram was saved. And he went to the 11 men that were hid in the hill country and told them all that had befallen him, and they came down with him out of the hill country rejoicing in the name of the Lord, and no man met them to affright them that day. And they called that place by the name of Abram, and in the tongue of the Chaldeans Deli, which is being interpreted, God. And it came to pass after these things, that the people of the land turned not from their evil thoughts: and they came together again to their princes and said: The people shall not be overcome for ever: and now let us come together and build us a city and a tower which shall never be removed. And when they had begun to build, God saw the city and the tower which the children of men were building, and he said: Behold, this is one people and their speech is one, and this which they have begun to build the earth will not sustain, neither will the heaven suffer it, beholding it: and it shall be, if they be not now hindered, that they shall dare all things that they shall take in mind to do. Therefore, lo, I will divide their speech, and scatter them over all countries, that they may not know every man his brother, neither every man understand the speech of his neighbour. And I will deliver them to the rocks, and they shall build themselves tabernacles of stubble and straw, and shall dig themselves caves and shall live in it like beasts of the field, and thus shall they continue before my face for ever, that they may never devise such things. And I will esteem them as a drop of water, and liken them to spittle: 33 and to some of them their end shall come by water, and other of them shall be dried up with thirst. And before all of them will I choose my servant Abram, and I will bring him out from their land, and lead him into the land which mine eye has looked upon from the beginning when all the dwellers upon earth sinned before my face, and I brought on them the water of the flood: and then I destroyed not that land, but preserved it. Therefore the fountains of my wrath did not break forth in it, neither did the water of my destruction come down upon it. For there will I make my servant Abram to dwell, and I will make my covenant with him, and bless his seed, and will be called his God for ever. Howbeit when the people that dwelt in the land had begun to build the tower, God divided their speech, and changed their likeness. And they knew not every man his brother, neither did each understand the speech of his neighbour. So it came to pass that when the builders commanded their helpers to bring bricks they brought water, and if they asked for water, the others brought them straw. And so their counsel was broken and the), ceased building the city: and God scattered them thence over the face of all the earth. Therefore was the name of that place called Confusion, because there God confounded their speech, and scattered them thence over the face of all the earth. But Abram went forth thence and dwell in the land of Chanaan, and took with him Loth his brothers son, and Sarai his wife. And because Sarai was barren and had no offspring, then Abram took Agar her maid, and she bore him Ismahel. And Ismahel fathered 12 sons. Then Loth departed from Abram and dwelt in Sodom [but Abram dwelt in the land of Cam]. And the men of Sodom were very evil and sinners exceedingly. And God appeared to Abraham saying: to your seed will I give this land; and your name shall be called Abraham, and Sarai your wife shall be called Sara. Ana I will give you of her an eternal seed and make my covenant with you. And Abraham knew Sara his wife, and she conceived and bore Isaac. And Isaac took him a wife of Mesopotamia, the daughter of Bathuel, which conceived and bore him Esau and Jacob. And Esau took to him for wives Judin the daughter of Bereu, and Basemath the daughter of Elon, and Elibema the daughter of Anan, and Manem the daughter of Samahel. And [Probable restoration: Basemath] bore him Adelifan, and the sons of Adelifan were Temar, Omar, Seffor, Getan, Tenaz, Amalec. And Judin bore Tenacis, Ieruebemas, Bassemen, Rugil: and the sons of Rugil were Naizar, Samaza; and Elibema bore Auz, Iollam, Coro. Manem bore Tenetde, Thenatela. And Jacob took to him for wives the daughters Gen. of Laban the Syrian, Lia and Rachel, and two concubines, Bala and Zelpha. And Lia bore him Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Isachar, Zabulon, and Dina their sister. But Rachel bore Joseph and Benjamin. Bala bore Dan and Neptalim, and Zelpha bore Gad and Aser. These are the 12 sons of Jacob and one daughter. And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and Sichem the son of Emor the Correan forced his daughter Dina and humbled her. And Simeon and Levi the sons of Jacob went in and slew all their city with the edge of the sword, and took Dina their sister, and went out thence. And thereafter Job took her to wife and fathered of her 14 sons and 6 daughters, even 7 sons and 3 daughters before he was smitten with affliction, and thereafter when he was made whole 7 sons and 3 daughters. And these are their names: Eliphac, Erinoe, Diasat, Philias, Diffar, Zellud, Thelon: and his daughters Meru, Litaz, Zeli. And such as had been the names of the former, so were they also of the latter. Now Jacob and his 12 sons dwelt in the land of Chanaan: and his sons hated their brother Joseph, whom also they delivered into Egypt, to Petephres the chief of the cooks of Pharao, and he abode with him 14 years. And it came to pass after that the king of Egypt had seen a dream, that they told him of Joseph, and he declared him the dreams. And it was so after he declared his dreams, that Pharao made him prince over all the land of Egypt. At that time there was a famine in all the land, as Joseph had foreseen. And his brethren came down into Egypt to buy food, because in Egypt only was there food. And Joseph knew his brethren, and was made known to them, and

dealt not evilly with them. And he sent and called his father out of the land of Chanaan, and he came down to him. And these are the names of the sons of Israel which came down into Egypt with Jacob, each one with his house. The sons of Reuben, Enoch and Phallud, Esrom and Carmin; the sons of Simeon, Namuhel and Iamin and Dot and Iachin, and Saul the son of a Canaanitish woman.The sons of Levi, Gerson, Caat and Merari: but the sons of Juda, Auna, Selon, Phares, Zerami.The sons of Isachar, Tola and Phua, Job and Sombram. The sons of Zabulon, Sarelon and Iaillil. And Dina their sister bore 14 sons and 6 daughters. And these are the generations of Lia whom she bore to Jacob. All the souls of sons and daughters were 72. Now the sons of Dan were Usinam. The sons of Neptalim, Betaal, Neemmu, Surem, Optisariel. And these are the generations of Balla which she bore to Jacob. All the souls were 8. But the sons of Gad: . . . Sariel, Sua, Visui, Mophat and Sar: 39 their sister the daughter of Seriebel, Melchiel. These are the generations of Zelpha the wife of Jacob which she bore to him. And all the souls of sons and daughters were in number 10. And the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manassen: and Benjamin fathered Gela, Esbel, Abocmephec, Utundeus. And these were the souls which Rachel bore to Jacob, 14. And they went down into Egypt and abode there 210 years. And it came to pass after the departure of Joseph, the children of Israel were multiplied and increased greatly. And there arose another king in Egypt which knew not Joseph: and he said to his people: Lo, this people is multiplied more than we. Come let us take counsel against them that they multiply not. And the king of Egypt commanded all his people saying: Every son that shall be born to the He brews, cast into the river, but keep the females alive. And the Egyptians answered their king saying: Let us slay their males and keep their females, to give them to our bondmen for wives: and he that is born of them shall be a bondman and serve us. And this is that that did appear most evil before the Lord. Then the elders of the people assembled the people with mourning and mourned and lamented saying: An untimely birth have the wombs of our wives suffered. Our fruit is delivered over to our enemies and now we are cut off. Yet let us appoint us an ordinance, that no man come near his wife, lest the fruit of their womb be defiled, and our bowels serve idols: for it is better to die childless, until we know what God will do. And Amram answered and said: It will sooner come to pass that the age shall be utterly abolished and the immeasurable world fall, 41 or the heart of the depths touch the stars, than that the race of the children of Israel should be diminished. And it shall be, when the covenant is fulfilled whereof God when he made it spoke to Abraham saying: Surely your sons shall dwell in a land that is not theirs, and shall be brought into bondage and afflicted 400 years.--And lo, since the word was passed which God spoke to Abraham, there are 350 years. (And) since we have been in bondage in Egypt it is 130 years. Now therefore I will not abide by that which you ordain, but will go in and take my wife and beget sons, that we may be made many on the earth. For God will not continue in his anger, neither will he alway forget his people, nor cast forth the race of Israel to nought upon the earth, neither did he in vain make his covenant with our fathers: yea, when as yet we were not, God spoke of these things. Now therefore I will go and take my wife, neither will I consent to the commandment of this king. And if it be right in your eyes, so let us do all of us, for it shall be, when our wives conceive, they shall not be known to be great with child until 3 months are fulfilled, like as also our mother Thamar 42 did, for her intent was not to fornication, but because she would not separate herself from the sons of Israel she took thought and said: It is better for me to die for sinning with my father-in-law than to be joined to Gentiles. And she hid the fruit of her womb till the 3rd month, for then was it perceived. And as she went to be put to death she affirmed it 43 saying: The man whose is this staff and this ring and goatskin, of him have I conceived. And her device delivered her out of all peril. Now therefore let us also do thus. And it shall be when the time of bringing forth is come, if it be possible, we will not cast forth the fruit of our womb. And who knows if thereby God will be provoked, to deliver us from our humiliation? And the word which Amram had in his heart was pleasing before God: and God said: Because the thought of Amram is pleasing before me, and he has not set at nought the covenant made between me and his fathers, therefore, lo now, that which is begotten of him shall serve me for ever, and by him will I do wonders in the house of Jacob, and will do by him signs and wonders for my people which I have done for none other, and will perform in them my glory and declare to them my ways. I the Lord will kindle for him my lamp to dwell in him, and will show him my covenant which no man has seen, and manifest to him my great excellency, and my justice and judgments and will shine for him a perpetual light. For in ancient days I thought of him, saying: My spirit shall not be a mediator among these men for ever, for they are flesh, and their days shall be 120 years. And Amram of the tribe of Levi went forth and took a wife of his tribe, and it was so when he took her, that the residue did after him and took their wives. Now he had one son and one daughter, and their names were Aaron and Maria, And the spirit of God came upon Maria by night, and she saw a dream, 45 and told her parents in the morning saying: I saw this night, and behold a man in a linen garment stood and said to me: Go and tell your parents: behold, that which shall be born of you shall be cast into the water, for by him water shall be dried up, and by him will I do signs, and I will save my people, and he shall have the captaincy of it alway. And when Maria had told her dream her parents believed her not. But the word of the king of Egypt prevailed against the children of Israel and they were humiliated and oppressed in the work of bricks. But Jochabeth conceived of Amram and hid the child in her womb 3 months, for she could not hide it longer: because the king of Egypt had appointed overseers of the region, that when the Hebrew women brought forth they should cast the males into the river straightway. And she took her child and made him an ark of the bark of a pine-tree and set the ark on the edge of the river. Now the boy was born in the covenant of God and in the covenant of his flesh. And it came to pass, when they cast him out, all the elders gathered together and chode with Amram saying: Are not these the words which we spoke saying: “It is better for us to die childless than that our fruit should be cast into the water?” And when they said so, Amram hearkened not to them. But the daughter of Pharao came down to wash in the river according as she had seen in a dream, 46 and her maids saw the ark, and she sent one of them and took it and opened it. And when she saw the child and looked upon the covenant, 47 that is, the testament in his flesh, she said: He is of the children of the Hebrews. And she took him and nourished him and he became her son, and she called his name Moyses. But his mother called him Melchiel. And the child was nourished and became glorious above all men, and by him God delivered the children of Israel, as he had said. Now when the king of Egypt was dead another king arose, and afflicted all the people of Israel. But they cried to the Lord and he heard them, and sent Moses and delivered them out of the land of Egypt: and God sent also upon them 10 plagues and smote them. Now these were the plagues, namely, blood, and frogs, and all manner of flies, 49 hail, and death of cattle, locusts and gnats, and darkness that might be felt, and the death of the firstborn. And when they had gone forth thence and were journeying, the heart of the Egyptians was yet again hardened, and they continued to pursue them, and found them by the Red Sea. And the children of Israel cried to their God and spoke to Moyses saying: Lo, now is come the time of our destruction, for the sea is before us and the multitude of enemies behind us, and we in the midst. Was it for this that God brought us out, or are these the covenants which he made with our fathers saying: To your seed will I give the land wherein you dwell? and now let him do with us that which seemeth good in his sight. Then did the children of Israel sever their counsels into three divisions of counsels, 50 because of the fear of the time. For the tribe of Ruben and of Isachar and. of Zabulon and of Symeon said: Come, let us cast ourselves into the sea, for it is better for us to die in the water than to be slain of our enemies. And the tribe of Gad and of Aser and of Dan and Neptalim said: Nay, but let us return with them, and if they will give us our lives, we will serve them. But the tribe of Levi and of Juda and Joseph and the tribe of Benjamin said: Not so, but let us take our weapons and fight them, and God will be with us. Moses also cried to the Lord and said: O Lord God of our fathers, didst you not say to me: Go and tell the sons of Lia, God has sent me to You? And now, behold, you hast brought your people to the brink of the sea, and the enemy follow after them: but you, Lord, remember your name. And God said: Whereas you hast cried to me, take your rod and smite the sea, and it shall be dried up. And when Moses did all this, God rebuked the sea, and the sea was dried up: the seas of waters stood still and the depths of the earth appeared, and the foundations of the dwelling-place were laid bore at the noise of the fear of God and at the breath of the anger of my Lord. And Israel passed over on dry land in the midst of the sea. And the Egyptians saw and went on to pursue after them, and God hardened their mind, and they knew not that they were entering into the sea. And so it was that while the Egyptians were in the sea God commanded the sea yet again, and said to Moses: Smite the sea yet once again. And he did so. And the Lord commanded the sea and it returned to his waves, and covered the Egyptians and their chariots and their horsemen to this day. But as for his own people, he led them forth into the wilderness: forty years did he rain bread from heaven for them, and he brought them quails from the sea, and a well of water

following them 52 brought he forth for them. And in a pillar of cloud he led them by day and in a pillar of fire by night did he give light to them. A well of water following them. Cf. Cor. 10:4, and XI. 15 of our text, which agrees very closely with the wording of the Targum of Onkelos on Numbers. See Thackeray, St. Paul and Contemporary Jewish Thought, p. 206, etc., on the genesis of the legend. He shows that it arises from a current interpretation of Num. 20:61 seq. The Bible has: (16) And from thence (they journeyed) to Beer. . (18) And p. 106 from the wilderness (they journeyed) to Mattanah, (19) And from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth. The Targum of Onkelos has: (16) “And thence was given them the well (Beer = well) . . . (18) It was given to them from (in) the wilderness (Mattanah =gift). (19) And from (the time) that it was given them, it descended with them to the rivers, and from the rivers it went up with them to the height (Nahaliel = rivers of God, Bamoth = height).” This Targum represents first-century teaching: the later Targum of Palestine amplifies the theme to some extent. See also Driver in Expositor, 1889, I. 15. And in the 3rd month of the journeying of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. And God remembered his word and said: I will give light to the world, and lighten the habitable places, and make my covenant with the children of men, and glorify my people above all nations, for to them will I put forth an eternal exaltation 53 which shall be to them a light, but to the ungodly a chastisement. And he said to Moses: Behold, I will call you to-morrow: be you ready and tell my people: “For three days let not a man come near his wife,” and on the 3rd day I will speak to you and to them, and after that you shall come up to me. And I will put my words in your mouth and you shall enlighten my people. For I have given into your hands an everlasting law whereby I will judge all the world. For this shall be for a testimony. For if men say: “We have not known you, 54 and therefore we have not served you,” therefore will I take vengeance upon them, because they have not known my law. And Moses did as God commanded him, and sanctified the people and said to them: Be you ready on the 3rd day, for after 3 days will God make his covenant with you. And the people were sanctified. And it came to pass on the 3rd day that, lo, there were voices of thunderings (lit. them that sounded) and brightness of lightnings and the voice of instruments sounding aloud. And there was fear upon all the people that were in the camp. And Moses put forth the people to meet God. And behold the mountains burned with fire and the earth shook and the hills were removed and the mountains overthrown: the depths boiled, and all the habitable places were shaken: and the heavens were folded up and the clouds drew up water. And flames of fire shone forth and thunderings and lightnings were multiplied and winds and tempests made a roaring: the stars were gathered together and the angels ran before, until God established the law of an everlasting covenant with the children of Israel, and gave to them an eternal commandment which should not pass away. And at that time the Lord spoke to his people all these words, saying: I am the Lord your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. you shall not make to thyself graven gods, neither shall you make any abominable image of the sun or the moon or any of the ornaments of the heaven, nor the likeness of all things that are upon the earth nor of such as creep in the waters or upon the earth. I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, requiting the sins of them that sleep upon the living children of the ungodly, if they walk in the ways of their fathers; to the third and fourth generation, doing (or shewing) mercy to 1000 generations to them that love me and keep my commandments. you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, that my ways be not made vain. For God abominateth him that taketh his name in vain. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it. Six days do your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord. In it you shall do no work, you and all your labourers, saving that in it you praise the Lord in the congregation of the elders and glorify the Mighty One in the seat of the aged. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that are in them, and all the world, the wilderness that is not inhabited, and all things that do labour, 57 and all the order of the heaven, and God rested the seventh day. Therefore God sanctified the seventh day, because he rested in it. you shall love your father and my mother and fear them: and then shall your light rise, and I will command the heaven and it shall pay you the rain of it, and the earth shall hasten her fruit and your days shall be many, and you shall dwell in your land, and shall not be childless, for your seed shall not fail, even that of them that dwell in it. you shall not commit adultery, for yours enemies did not commit adultery with you, but you camest out with a high hand. you shall not kill: because yours enemies got not the mastery over you to slay you, but you beheldest their death. you shall not bear false witness against your neighbour, speaking falsely, lest your watchmen 58 speak falsely against you. you shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor that which he has, lest others also covet your land. And when the Lord ceased speaking, the people feared with a great fear: and they saw the mountain burning with torches of fire, and they said to Moses: Speak you to us, and let not God speak to us, lest peradventure we die. For, lo, to-day we know that God speaketh with man face to face, and man shall live. And now have we perceived of a truth how that the earth bore the voice of God with trembling. And Moses said to them: Fear not, for this cause came this voice to you, that you should not sin (or, for this cause, that he might prove. you, God came to you, that you might receive the fear of him to you, that you sin not). And all the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near to the cloud, knowing that God was there. And then God spoke to him his justice and judgements, and kept him by him 40 days and 40 nights. And there did he command him many things, and showed him the tree of life, 59 whereof he cut and took and put it into Mara, and the water of Mara was made sweet and followed them in the desert 40 years, and went up into the hills with them and came down into the plain. Also he commanded him concerning the tabernacle and the ark of the Lord, and the sacrifice of burnt offerings and of incense, and the ordinance of the table and of the candlestick and concerning the laver and the base of it, and the shoulder-piece and the breastplate, and the very precious stones, that the children of Israel should make them so: and he shewed him the likeness of them to make them according to the pattern which he saw. And said to him: Make for me a sanctuary and the tabernacle of my glory shall be among you. And Moses came down: and whereas he was covered with invisible light--for he had gone down into the place where is the light of the sun and moon,--the light of his face overcame the brightness of the sun and moon, and he knew it not. And it was so, when he came down to the children of Israel, they saw him and knew him not. But when he spoke, then they knew him. And this was like that which was done in Egypt when Joseph knew his brethren but they knew not him. And it came to pass after that, when Moses knew that his face was become glorious, he made him a veil to cover his face. But while he was in the mount, the heart of the people was corrupted, and they came together to Aaron saying: Make us gods that we may serve them, as the other nations also have. For this Moses by whom the wonders were done before us, is taken from us. And Aaron said to them: Have patience, for Moses will come and bring judgement near to us, and light up a law for us, and set forth from his mouth the great excellency of God, and appoint judgements to our people. And when he said this, they hearkened not to him, that the word might be fulfilled which was spoken in the day when the people sinned in building the tower, when God said: And now if I forbid them not, they will adventure all that they take in mind to do, and worse. But Aaron feared, because the people was greatly strengthened, and said to them: Bring us the earrings of your wives. And the men sought every one his wife, and they gave them straightway, and they put them in the fire and they were made into a figure, and there came out a molten calf. And the Lord said to Moses: Make haste hence, for the people is corrupted and has dealt deceitfully with my ways which I commanded them. What and if the promises are at an end which I made to their fathers when I said: To your seed will I give this land wherein you dwell? For behold the people is not yet entered into the land, even though they bear my judgements, yet have they forsaken me. And therefore I know that if they enter the land they will do yet greater iniquities. Now therefore I also will forsake them: and I will turn again and make peace with them, that a house may be built for me among them; and that house also shall be done away, because they will sin against me, and the race of men shall be to me as a drop of a pitcher, and shall be counted as spittle. And Moses hasted and came down and saw the calf, and he looked upon the tables and saw that they were not written: 62 and he hasted and brake them; and his hands were opened and he became like a woman travailing of her firstborn, which when she is taken in her pangs her hands are upon her bosom, and she shall have no strength to help her to bring forth. And it came to pass after an hour he said within himself: Bitterness prevaileth not for ever, neither has evil the dominion alway. Now therefore will I arise, and strengthen my loins: for albeit they have sinned, yet shall not these things be in vain that were declared to me above. And he arose and brake the calf and cast it into the water, and made the people drink. And it was so, if any man’s will in his mind were that the calf should be made, his tongue was cut off, but if any had been constrained thereto by fear, his face shone. And then Moses went up into the mount and prayed the Lord, saying: Behold now, you art God which hast planted this vineyard and set the roots of it in the deep, and stretched out the shoots of it to your most high seat. Look upon it at this time, for the vineyard has put forth her fruit and has not known him that tilled her. And now if you be wroth with your vineyard and root it up out of the deep, and wither up the shoots from your most high eternal seat, the deep will come no more to nourish it, neither your throne to refresh that your vineyard which you hast burned. For you art he that art all light, and hast adorned your house 64 with precious stones and gold and perfumes and spices (or and jasper), and wood of balsam and cinnamon, and with roots of myrrh and costum 65 hast you strewed yours house, and with divers meats and sweetness of many drinks hast you satisfied it. If therefore you have not pity upon your vineyard, all these things are done in vain, Lord, and you will have none to glorify you. For even if you plant another vineyard, neither will that one trust in you, because you didst destroy the former. For if verily you forsake the world, who will do for you that that you hast spoken as God? And now let your wrath be restrained from your vineyard the more [Probable restoration: because of] that you hast said and that which remaineth to be spoken, and let not your labour be in vain, neither let yours heritage be torn asunder in humiliation. And God said to him: Behold I am become merciful according to your words. Hew you out therefore two tables of stone from the place whence you hewedst the former, and write upon them again my judgements which were on the first. And Moses hasted and did all that God Ex. 34 commanded him, and came down and made the tables [Probable restoration: and the tabernacle], and the vessels of it, and the ark and the lamps and the table and the altar of burnt offerings and the altar 66 of incense and the shoulderpiece and the breastplate and the precious stones and the laver and the bases and all things that were shewn him. And he ordered all the vestures of the priests, the girdles and the rest, the mitre, the golden plate and the holy crown: he made also the anointing oil for the priests, and the priests themselves he sanctified. And when all things were finished the cloud covered all of them. Then Moses cried to the Lord, and God spoke to him from the tabernacle saying: This is the law of the altar, whereby you shall sacrifice to me and pray for your souls. But as concerning that which you shall offer me, offer you of cattle the calf, the sheep and the she goat: but of fowls the turtle and the dove. 3, And if there be leprosy in your land, and it so be that the leper is cleansed, let them take for the Lord two live young birds, and wood of cedar and hyssop and scarlet; and he shall come to the priest, and he shall kill one, and keep the other. And he shall order the leper according to all that I have commanded in my law. And it shall be when the times come round to you, you shall sanctify me with a feast-day and rejoice before me at the feast of the unleavened bread, and set bread before me, keeping a feast of remembrance because on that day you came forth of the land of Egypt. And in the feast of weeks you shall set bread before me and make me an offering for your fruits. But the feast of trumpets shall be for an offering for your watchers, because in it I oversaw my creation, that you may be mindful of the whole world. In the beginning of the year, when you show them me, I will acknowledge the number of the dead and of them that are

born, and the fast of mercy. For you shall fast to me for your souls, that the promises of your fathers may be fulfilled. Also the feast of tabernacles bring you to me: you shall take for me the pleasant fruit of the tree, and boughs of palm-tree and willows and cedars, and branches of myrrh: and I will remember the whole earth in rain, and the measure of the seasons shall be established, and I will order the stars and command the clouds, and the winds shall sound and the lightnings run abroad, and there shall be a storm of thunder, and this shall be for a perpetual sign. Also the nights shall yield dew, 69 as I spoke after the flood of the earth when I (or Then he) gave him precept as concerning the year of the life of Noe, and said to him: These are the years which I ordained after the weeks wherein I visited the city of men, at what time I shewed them (or him) the place of birth and the colour (or and the serpent), and I (or he) said: This is. the place of which I taught the first man saying: If you transgress not that I bade you, all things shall be subject to you. But he transgressed my ways and was persuaded of his wife, and she was deceived by the serpent. And then was death ordained to the generations of men. And furthermore the Lord shewed (or, And the Lord said further: I shewed) him the ways of paradise 70 and said to him: These are the ways which men have lost by not walking in them, because they have sinned against me. And the Lord commanded him concerning the salvation of the souls of the people and said: If they shall walk in my ways I will not forsake them, but will alway be merciful to them, and will bless their seed, and the earth shall haste to yield her fruit, and there shall be rain for them to increase their gains, and the earth shall not be barren. Yet verily I know that they will corrupt their ways, and I shall forsake them, and they will forget the covenants which I made with their fathers. Yet will I not forget them for ever: for in the last days they shall know that because of their sins their seed was forsaken; for I am faithful in my ways. At that time God said to him: Begin to number my people from 20 years and upwards to 40 years, that I may show your tribes all that I declared to their fathers in a strange land. For by the 50th part of them did I raise them up out of the land of Egypt, but 40 and 9 parts of them died in the land of Egypt. When you hast ordered them and numbered them (or, While you abode there. And when you hast numbered them, etc.), write the tale of them, till I fulfil all that I spoke to their fathers, and set them firmly in their own land: for I will not diminish any word of those I have spoken to their fathers, even of those which I said to them: Your seed shall be as the stars of heaven for multitude. By number shall they enter into the land, and in a short time shall they become without number. Then Moses went down and numbered them, and the number of the people was 604,550. But the tribe of Levi numbered he not among them, for so was it commanded him; only he numbered them that were upwards of 50 years, of whom the number was 47,300. Also he numbered them that were below 20 years, and the number of them was 850,850. And he looked over the tribe of Levi and the whole number of them was CXX. CCXD. DCXX. DCCC. And Moses declared the number of them to God; and God said to him: These are the words which I spoke to their fathers in the land of Egypt, and appointed a number, even 210 years, to all that saw my wonders. Now the number of them all was 9000 times 10,000, 200 times 95,000 men, besides women, and I put to death the whole multitude of them 72 73 because they believed me not, and the 50th part of them I was left and I sanctified them to me. Therefore do I command the generation of my people to give me tithes of their fruits, to be before me for a memorial of how great oppression I have removed from them. And when Moses came down and declared these things to the people, they mourned and lamented and abode in the desert two years. And Moses sent spies to spy out the land, even 12 men, for so was it commanded him. And when they had gone up and seen the land, they returned to him bringing of the fruits of the land, and troubled the heart of the people, saying: you will not be able to inherit the land, for it is shut up with iron bars by their mighty men. But two men out of the 12 spoke not so, but said: Like as hard iron can overcome the stars, or as weapons can conquer the lightnings, or the fowls of the air put out the thunder, so can these men resist the Lord. For they saw how that as they went up the lightnings of the stars shone and the thunders followed, sounding with them. And these are the names of the men: 74 Chaleb the son of Jephone, the son of Beri, the son of Batuel, the son of Galipha, the son of Zenen, the son of Selimun, the son of Selon, the son of Juda. The other, Jesus the son of Naue, the son of Eliphat, the son of Gal, the son of Nephelien, the son of Emon, the son of Saul, the son of Dabra, the son of Effrem, the son of Joseph. But the people would not hear the voice of the twain, but were greatly troubled, and spoke saying: Be these the words which God spoke to us saying: I will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey? And how now does he bring us up that we may fall on the sword, and our women shall go into captivity? And when they said thus, the glory of God appeared suddenly, and he said to Moses: does this people thus persevere to hearken to me not at all? Lo now the counsel which has gone forth from me shall not be in vain. I will send the angel of mine anger upon them to break up their bodies with fire in the wilderness. And I will give commandment to mine angels which watch over them that they pray not for them, for I will shut up their souls in the treasuries of darkness, and I will say to my servants their fathers: Behold, this is the seed to which I spoke saying: Your seed shall come into a land that is not theirs, and the nation whom they shall serve I will judge. And I fulfilled my words and made their enemies to melt away, and subjected angels under their feet, and put a cloud for a covering of their heads, and commanded the sea, and the depths were broken before their face and walls of water stood up. And there has not been the like of this word since the day when I said: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered into one place, to this day. And I brought them out, and slew their enemies and led them before me to the Mount Sina. And I bowed the heavens and came down to kindle a lamp for my people, and to set bounds to all creatures. And I taught them to make me a sanctuary that I might dwell among them. But they have forsaken me and become faithless in my words, and their mind has fainted, and now behold the days shall come when I will do to them as they have desired and I will cast forth their bodies in the wilderness. And Moses said: Before you didst take seed wherewith to make man upon the earth, did I order his ways? therefore now let your mercy suffer us to the end, and your pity for the length of days. At that time did he give him commandment concerning the fringes: and then did Choreb rebel and 200 men with him and spoke saying: What if a law which we cannot bear is ordained for us? And God was wroth and said: I commanded the earth and it gave me man, and to him were born at the first two sons. And the elder arose and slew the younger, and the earth hasted and swallowed his blood. But I drove forth Cain, and cursed the earth and spoke to Sion saying: you shall not any more swallow up blood. And now are the thoughts of men greatly polluted. Lo, I will command the earth, and it shall swallow up body and soul together, and their dwelling shall be in darkness and in destruction, and they shall not die but shall pine away until I remember the world and renew the earth. And then shall they die and not live, and their life shall be taken away out of the number of all men: neither shall Hell vomit them forth again, and destruction shall not remember them, and their departure shall be as that of the tribe of the nations of whom I said, “I will not remember them,” that is, the camp of the Egyptians, and the people whom I destroyed with the water of the flood. And the earth shall swallow them, and I will not do any more to them. And when Moses spoke all these words to the people, Choreb, and his men were yet unbelieving. And Choreb sent to call his seven sons which were not of counsel with him. But they sent to him in answer saying: As the painter showeth not forth an image made by his art unless he be first instructed, so we also when we received the law of the Most Mighty which teacheth us his ways, did not enter . in it save that we might walk in it. Our father fathered us [not], but the Most Mighty formed us, and now if we walk in his ways we shall be his children. But if you believe not, go yours own way. And they came not up to him. And it came to pass after this that the earth opened before them, and his sons sent to him saying: If your madness be still upon you, who shall help you in the day of your destruction? and he hearkened not to them. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and four times was the foundation of the earth moved to swallow up the men, as it was commanded her. And thereafter Choreb and his company groaned, until the firmament of the earth should be delivered back. But the assemblies of the people said to Moses: We cannot abide round about 78 this place where Choreb and his men have been swallowed up. And he said to them. Take up your tents from round about them, neither be you joined to their sins. And they did so. Then was the lineage of the priests of God declared by the choosing of a tribe, and it was said to Moses: Take throughout every tribe one rod and put them in the tabernacle, and then shall the rod of him to whomsoever my glory shall speak, flourish, and I will take away the murmuring from my people. And Moses did so and set 12 rods, and the rod of Aaron came out, and put forth blossom and yielded seed of almonds. And this likeness which was born there was like to the work which Israel wrought while he was in Mesopotamia with Laban the Syrian, when he took rods of almond, and put them at the gathering of waters, and the cattle came to drink and were divided among the peeled rods, and brought forth [kids] white and speckled and parti-coloured. Therefore was the synagogue of the people made like to a flock of sheep, and as the cattle brought forth according to the almond rods, so was the priesthood established by means of the almond rods. At that time Moses slew Seon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and divided all their land to his people, and they dwelt in it. But Balac was the king of Moab, that lived over against them, and he was greatly afraid, and sent to Balaam the son of Beor the interpreter of dreams, which dwelt in Mesopotamia, and charged him saying: Behold I know how that in the reign of my father Sefor, when the Amorites fought against him, you didst curse them and they were delivered up before him. And now come and curse this people, for they are many, more than we, and will do you great honour. And Balaam said: Lo, this is good in the sight of Balac, but he knows not that the counsel of God is not as man’s counsel. And he knows not that the spirit which is given to us is given for a time, and our ways are not guided except God will. Now therefore abide you here, and I will see what the Lord will say to me this night. And in the night God said to him: Who are the men that are come to you? And Balaam said: why, Lord, dost you tempt the race of man? They therefore cannot sustain it, for you knewest more than they, all that was in the world, before you foundedst it. And now enlighten your servant if it be right that I go with them. And God said to him: Was it not concerning this people that I spoke to Abraham in a vision saying: your seed shall be as the stars of heaven, when I raised him up above the firmament and showed him all the orderings of the stars, and required of him his son for a burnt offering? and he brought him to be laid upon the altar, but I restored him to his father. And because he resisted not, his offering was acceptable in my sight, and for the blood of him did I choose this people. And then I said to the angels that work subtilly: 79 Said I not of him: To Abraham will I reveal all that I do? Jacob also, when he wrestled in the dust with the angel that was over the praises, did not let him go until he blessed him. And now, behold, you thinkest to go with these, and curse them whom I have chosen. But if you curse them, who is he that shall bless you? And Balaam arose in the morning and said: Go your way, for God will not have me to come with you. And they went and told Balac all that was said of Balaam. And Balac sent yet again other men to Balaam saying: Behold, I know that when you offerest burnt offerings to God, God will be reconciled with man, and now ask yet again of your Lord, and entreat by burnt offerings, as many as he will. For if peradventure he will be propitiated in my necessity, you shall have your reward, if so be God accept your offerings. And Balaam said to them: Lo, the son of Sephor is foolish, and knows not that he dwelleth hard by (lit. round about) the dead: 80 And now tarry here this night and I will see

what God will say to me. And God said to him: Go with them, and your journey shall be an offence, and Balac himself shall go to destruction. And he arose and went with them. And his she-ass came by the way of the desert and saw the angel, and he opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel and worshipped him on the earth. And the angel said to him: Haste and go on, for what you sayest shall come to pass with him. And he came to the land of Moab and built an altar and offered sacrifices: and when he had seen a part of the people, the spirit of God abode not in him, and he took up his parable and said: Lo, Balac has brought me hither to the mount, saying: Come, run into the fire of these men. [Probable restoration: Lo] I cannot abide that [Probable restoration: fire] which waters quench, but that fire which consumeth water who shall endure? And he said to him: It is easier to take away the foundations and all the topmost part of them, and to quench the light of the sun and darken the shining of the moon, than for him who will to root up the planting of the Most Mighty or spoil his vineyard. And Balac himself has not known it, because his mind is puffed up, to the intent his destruction may come swiftly. For behold, I see the heritage which the Most Mighty showed me in the night, and lo the days come when Moab shall be amazed at that which befalleth her, for Balac desired to persuade the Most Mighty with gifts and to purchase decision 81 with money. Oughtest you not to have asked what he sent upon Pharao and upon his land because he would bring them into bondage? Behold an overshadowing vine, desirable exceedingly, and who shall be jealous against it, for it withereth not? But if any say in his counsel that the Most Mighty has laboured in vain or chosen them to no purpose, lo now I see the salvation of deliverance which is to come to them. I am restrained in the speech of my voice and I cannot express that which I see with mine eyes, for but a little is left to me of the holy spirit which abideth in me, since I know that in that I was persuaded of Balac I have lost the days of my life: Lo, again I see the heritage of the abode of this people, 82 and the light of it shineth above the brightness of lightning, and the running of it is swifter than arrows. And the time shall come when Moab shall groan, and they that serve Cham (Chemosh?) shall be weak, even such as took this counsel against them. But I shall gnash my teeth because I was deceived and did transgress that which was said to me in the night. Yet my prophecy shall remain manifest, and my words shall live, and the wise and prudent shall remember my words, for when I cursed I perished, and though I blessed I was not blessed. And when he had so said he held his peace. And Balac said: your God has defrauded you of many gifts from me. Then Balaam said to him: 83 Come and let us advise what you shall do to them. Choose out the most comely women that are among you and that are in Midian and set them before them naked, and adorned with gold and jewels, and it shall be when they shall see them and lie with them, they will sin against their Lord and fall into your hands, for otherwise you can not subdue them. And so saying Balaam turned away and returned to his place. And thereafter the people were led astray after the daughters of Moab, for Balac did all that Balaam had showed him. At that time Moses slew the nations, and gave half of the spoils to the people, and he began to declare to them the words of the law which God spoke to them in Oreb. And he spoke to them, saying: Lo, I sleep with my fathers, and shall go to my people. But I know that you will arise and forsake the words that were ordained to you by me, and God will be wroth with you and forsake you and depart out of your land, and bring against you them that hate you, and they shall have dominion over you, but not to the end, for he will remember the covenant which he made with your fathers. But then both you and your sons and all your generations after you will arise and seek the day of my death and will say in their heart: Who will give us a shepherd like to Moses, or such another judge to the children of Israel, to pray for our sins at all times, 84 and to be heard for our iniquities? 85 Howbeit, this day I call heaven and earth to witness against you, for the heaven shall hear this and the earth shall take it in with her ears, that God has revealed the end of the world, that he might covenant with you upon his high places, and has kindled an everlasting lamp among you. Remember, you wicked, how that when I spoke to you, you answered saying: All that God has said to us we will hear and do. But if we transgress or corrupt our ways, he shall call a witness against us and cut us off. But know you that you did eat the bread of angels 40 years. And now behold I do bless your tribes, before my end come. But you, know you my labour wherein I have laboured with you since the day you came up out of the land of Egypt. And when he had so said, God spoke to him the third time, saying: Behold, you goest to sleep with your fathers, and this people will arise and seek me, and will forget my law wherewith I have enlightened them, and I shall forsake their seed for a season. But to you will I show the land before you die, but you shall not enter in it in this age, lest you see the graven images whereby this people will be deceived and led out of the way. I will show you the place wherein they shall serve me 740 (l. 850) years. And thereafter it shall be delivered into the hand of their enemies, and they shall destroy it, and strangers shall compass it about, and it shall be in that day as it was in the day when I brake the tables of the covenant which I made with you in Oreb: and when they sinned, that which was written in it vanished away. Now that day was the 17th day of the 4th month. And Moses went up into Mount Oreb, as God had bidden him, and prayed, saying: Behold, I have fulfilled the time of my life, even 120 years. And now I pray you let your mercy be with your people and let your compassion be continued upon yours heritage, Lord, and your long- suffering in your place upon the race of your choosing, for you hast loved them more than all. And you knowest that I was a shepherd of sheep, and when I fed the flock in the desert, I brought them to your Mount Oreb, and then first saw I yours angel in fire out of the bush; but you calledst me out of the bush, and I feared and turned away my face, and you sentest me

to them, and didst deliver them out of Egypt, and their enemies you didst sink in the water. And you gavest them a law and judgements whereby they should live. For what man is he that has not sinned against you? How shall yours heritage be established except you have mercy on them? Or who shall yet be born without sin? Yet will you correct them for a season, but not in anger. Then the Lord shewed him the land and all that is in it and said: This is the land which I will give to my people. And he shewed him the place from whence the clouds draw up water to water all the earth, and the place whence the river receiveth his water, and the land of Egypt, and the place of the firmament, from whence the holy land only drinketh. He shewed him also the place from whence it rained manna for the people, and even to the paths of paradise. And he shewed him the measures of the sanctuary, and the number of the offerings, and the sign whereby men shall interpret (lit. begin to look; upon) the heaven, and said: These are the things which were forbidden to the sons of men because they sinned. And now, your rod wherewith the signs were wrought shall be for a witness between me and my people. And when they sin I shall be wroth with them and remember my rod, and spare them according to my mercy, and your rod shall be in my sight for a remembrance all the days, 87 and shall be like to the bow wherein I made a covenant with Noe when he came out of the ark, saying: I will set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign between me and men that the water of a flood be no more upon the earth. But you will I take hence and give you sleep 88 with your fathers and give you rest in your slumber, and bury you in peace, and all the angels shall lament for you, and the hosts of heaven shall be sorrowful. But there shall not any, of angels or men, know your sepulchre wherein you art to be buried, but you shall rest in it until I visit the world, and raise you up and your fathers out of the earth [of Egypt] 89 wherein you shall sleep, and you shall come together and dwell in an immortal habitation that is not subject to time. But this heaven shall be in my sight as a fleeting cloud, and like yesterday when it is past, and it shall be when I draw near to visit the world, I will command the years and charge the times, and they shall be shortened, and the stars shall be hastened, and the light of the sun make speed to set, neither shall the light of the moon endure, because I will hasten to raise up you that sleep, that in the place of sanctification which I shewed you, all they that can live may dwell in it. And Moses said: If I may ask yet one thing of you, O Lord, according to the multitude of your mercy, be not wroth with me. And shew me what measure of time has passed by and what remaineth. And the Lord said to him: An instant, the topmost part of a hand, 90 the fulness of a moment, 91 and the drop of a cup. And time has fulfilled all. For 4½ have passed by, and 2½ remain. And Moses when he heard was filled with under standing, and his likeness was changed gloriously: and he died in glory according to the mouth of the Lord, and he buried him as he had promised him, and the angels lamented at his death, and lightnings and torches and arrows went before him with one accord. And on that day the hymn of the hosts was not said because of the departure of Moses. Neither was there any day like to it since the Lord made man upon earth, neither shall there be any such for ever, that he should make the hymn of the angels to cease because of a man; for he loved him greatly; and he buried him with his own hands on an high place of the earth, and in the light of the whole world.

Lit.: Here is honey, a great summit. The corrupt words istic mel apex magnus I emend into stigma et apex manus, cf. Esdr. 4:48-50; 6:9, 6:10. The fulness of a moment: momenti plenitudo. Perhaps this renders ρηοπῆσ πλήρωμα, that which fills the scale of the balance and causes it to sink. four and a half have passed and two and a half remain (cf. Esdr. 14:11). The total, seven, agrees with that in the Vision of Kenaz (XXVI I 1. 8), “men shall dwell in the world VII. (i.e. 7000) years.” The calculation in the present passage ought to mean that 4500 years are past and 2500 remain: but no other authority seems to place the death of Moses so late as AM. 4500. The Assumption of Moses puts it in 2500, the Hebrew in 2706, the LXX in 3859, Jubilees in 2450. There is a certain plausibility in the following view: 4½ stands for 45, and 2½ for 25: the 45 and 25 consist of weeks of years. Then 45 = 3150, and 25 = 1750: total 4900, or 7 X 700, a good mystical number. Only it disagrees with the 7000 of XXVIII. 8. With that passage in view, I think we must take it that 4½ = 4500, and 2½ 2500, the unit being 100 years. The Assumption of Moses (10:11) says that from the death of Moses “to the advent of Messiah there will be 250 times,” which is superficially like 2½. The “times” here are commonly taken to mean weeks of years, making But if we could take each “time” to be ten years, then 250 p. 132 times would be 2500 years or fifty jubilees, and we should p. 132 only have to alter bis millesimus et quingentesimus (I:2) to quater (IIII.) millesimus, etc., to bring it into exact agreement with Philo! Perhaps this method of dealing with authorities may find more favour with others than it does with me. I think it quite possible that the unexplained verse in Apoc. Bar. 28:2, “and the measure and reckoning of that time are two parts weeks (or two parts a week), of seven weeks” may contain the same calculation, the week being 1000 years, and “two parts a week” being corrupt for 2½ weeks. But if so we should have to assume that the writer of Apoc. Bar. had not allowed for the difference in date between Moses and Baruch--some 850 years. I do not think that such an inadvertence is quite out of the question. Another possibility is that our author, in making his calculation, has in mind not so much the date of Moses, as that at which he is himself writing. Taking the texts as they stand, the calculation, and the whole account of the death of Moses, show that Philo quite disregards the Assumption, though he may very likely have read it. When I came across the passage as a separate extract in a MS. and published it, in 1893, I spent much space in trying to prove that it was actually part of the Assumption. The view neither was nor deserved to be accepted. And at that time God made his covenant with Jesus the son of Naue which remained of the men that spied out the land: for the lot had fallen upon them that they should not see the land because they spoke evil of it, and for this cause that generation died. Then said God to Jesus the son of Naue: why mournest you, and why hopest you in vain, thinking that Moses shall yet live? Now therefore you waitest to no purpose, for Moses is dead. Take the garments of his wisdom and put them on you, and gird your loins with the girdle of his knowledge, and you shall be changed and become another man. Did I not speak for you to Moses my servant, saying: “He shall lead my people after you, and into his hand will I deliver the kings of the Amorites”? And Jesus took the garments of wisdom and put them on, and girded his loins with the girdle of understanding. And it came to pass when he put it on, that his mind was kindled and his spirit stirred up, and he said to the people: Lo, the former generation died in the wilderness because they spoke against their God. And, behold now, know, all you captains, this day that if you go forth in the ways of your God, your paths shall be made straight. But if you obey not his voice, and are like your fathers, your works shall be spoiled, and you yourselves broken, and your name shall perish out of the land, and then where shall be the words which God spoke to your fathers? For even if the heathen say: It may be God has failed, because he has not delivered his people, yet whereas they perceive that he has chosen to himself other peoples, working for them great wonders, they shall understand that the Most Mighty accepteth not persons. But because you sinned through vanity, therefore he took his power from you and subdued you. And now arise and set Your heart to walk in the ways of your Lord and he shall direct you. And the people said to him: Lo, this day see we that which Eldad and Modat prophesied in the days of Moses, saying: After that Moses resteth, the captainship of Moses shall be given to Jesus the son of Naue. And Moses was not envious, but rejoiced when he heard them; and thenceforth all the people believed that you shouldest lead them, and divide the land to them in peace: and now also if there be conflict, be strong and do valiantly, for you only shall be leader in Israel. And when he heard that, Jesus thought to send spies into Jericho. And he called Cenez and Seenamias his brother, the two sons of Caleph, and spoke to them, saying: I and your father were sent of Moses in the wilderness and went up with other ten men: and they returned and spoke evil of the lands and melted the heart of the people, and they were scattered and the heart of the people with them. But I and your father only fulfilled the word of the Lord, and lo, we are alive this day. And now will I send you to spy out the land of Jericho. Do like to your father and you also shall live. And they went up and spied out the city. And when they brought back word, the people went up and besieged the city and burned it with fire. And after that Moses was dead, the manna ceased to come down for the children of Israel, and then began they to eat the fruits of the land. And these are the three things which God gave his people for the sake of three persons, that is, the well of the water of Mara for

Maria’s sake, and the pillar of cloud for Aaron’s sake, and the manna for the sake of Moses. And when these three came to an end, those three gifts were taken away from them. Now the people and Jesus fought against the Amorites, and when the battle grew strong against their enemies throughout all the days of Jesus, 30 and 9 kings which dwelt in the land were cut off. And Jesus gave the land by lot to the people, to every tribe according to the lots, according as he had received commandment. Then came Caleph to him and said: you knowest how that we two were sent by lot by Moses to go with the spies, and because we fulfilled the word of the Lord, behold we are alive at this day: and now if it be well-pleasing in your sight, let there be given to my son Cenez for a portion the territory of the three (or the tribe of the) towers. And Jesus blessed him, and did so. And when Jesus was become old and well-stricken in years, God said to him: Behold, you waxest old and well-stricken in days, and the land is become very great, and there is none to divide it (or take it by lot), and it shall be after your departure this people will mingle with the inhabitants of the land and go astray after other gods, and I shall forsake them as I testified in my word to Moses; but do you testify to them before you diest. And Jesus said: you knowest more than all, O Lord, what moveth the heart of the sea before it rageth, and you hast tracked out the constellations and numbered the stars, and ordered the rain. you knowest the mind of all generations before they be born. And now, Lord, give to your people an heart of wisdom and a mind of prudence, and it shall be when you givest these ordinances to yours heritage, they shall not sin before you and you shall not be wroth with them. Are not these the words which I spoke before you, Lord, when Achar stole of the curse, and the people were delivered up before you, and I prayed in your sight and said: Were it not better for us, O Lord, if we had died in the Red Sea, wherein you drownedst our enemies? or if we had died in the wilderness, like our fathers, than to be delivered into the hand of the Amorites that we should be blotted out for ever? Yet if your word be about us, no evil shall befall us: for even though our end be removed to death, you livest which art before the world and after the world; and whereas a man cannot devise 95 how to put one generation before another, he says “God has destroyed his people whom he chose”: and behold, we shall be in Hell: yet you will make your word alive. And now let the fulness of your mercies have patience with your people, and choose for yours heritage a man which shall rule over your people, he and his generation. Was it not for this that our father Jacob spoke, saying: A prince shall not depart from Juda, nor a leader from his loins. And now confirm the words spoken aforetime, that the nations of the earth and tribes of the world may learn that you art everlasting. And he said furthermore: O Lord, behold the days shall come and the house of Israel shall be like to a brooding dove which setteth her young in the nest and will not forsake them nor forget her place. So, also, these shall turn from their deeds and fight against the salvation that shall be born to them. And Jesus went down from Galgala and built an altar of very great stones, and brought no iron upon them, as Moses had commanded, and set up great stones on mount Gebal, and whitened them and wrote on them the words of the law very plainly: and gathered all the people together and read in their ears all the words of the law. And he came down with them and offered upon the altar peace-offerings, and they sang many praises, and lifted up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the tabernacle with timbrels and dances and lutes and harps and psalteries and all instruments of sweet sound. And the priests and Levites were going up before the ark and rejoicing with psalms, and they set the ark before the altar, and lifted up on it yet again peace-offerings very many, and the whole house of Israel sang together with a loud voice saying: Behold, our Lord has

fulfilled that which he spoke with our fathers saying: To your, seed will I give a land wherein to dwell, a land flowing with milk and honey. And lo, he has brought us. into the land of our enemies and has delivered them broken in heart before us, and he is the God which sent to our fathers in the secret places of souls, saying: Behold, the Lord has done all that he spoke to us. And now know we of a truth that God has confirmed all the words of the law which he spoke to us in Oreb; and if our heart keep his ways it will be well with us, and with our sons after us. And Jesus blessed them and said: The Lord grant your heart to continue in it (or in him) all the days, and if you depart not from his name, the covenant of the Lord shall endure with you. And he grant that it be not corrupted, but that the dwelling-place of God be builded among you, as he spoke when he sent you into his inheritance with mirth and gladness. And it came to pass after these things, when Jesus and all Israel had heard that the children of Ruben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasse which dwelt about Jordan had built them an altar and did offer sacrifices thereon and had made priests for the sanctuary, all the people were troubled above measure and came to them to Silon. And Jesus and all the elders spoke to them saying: What be these works which are done among you, while as yet we are not settled in our land? Are not these the words which Moses spoke to you in the wilderness saying: See that when you enter into the land you spoil not your doings, and corrupt all the people? And now why is it that our enemies have so much abounded, save because you do corrupt your ways and have made all this trouble, and therefore will they assemble against us and overcome us. And the children of Ruben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasse said to Jesus and all the people of Israel: Lo now has God enlarged the fruit of the womb of men, and has set up a light that that which is in darkness may see, for he knows what is in the secret places of the deep, and with him light abideth. Now the Lord God of our fathers knows if any of us or if we ourselves have done this thing in the way of iniquity, but only for our posterity’s sake, that their heart be not separated from the Lord our God lest they say to us: Behold now, our brethren which be beyond Jordan have an altar, to make offerings upon it, but we in this place that have no altar, let us depart from the Lord our God, because our God has set us afar off from his ways, that we should not serve him. And then verily spoke we among ourselves: Let us make us an altar, that they may have a zeal to seek the Lord. And verily there be some of us that stand by and know that we are your brothers and stand guiltless before your face. Do you therefore that which is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. And Jesus said: Is not the Lord our king mightier than woo sacrifices? And why taught you not your sons the words of the Lord which you heard of us? For if your sons had been occupied in the meditation of the law of the Lord, their mind would not have been led aside after a sanctuary made with hands. Or know you not that when the people were forsaken for a moment in the wilderness when Moses went up to receive the tables, their mind was led astray, and they made themselves idols? And except the mercy of the God of your fathers had kept us, all the synagogues should have become a byword, and all the sins of the people should have been blazed abroad because of your foolishness. Therefore now go and dig down the sanctuaries that you have builded you, and teach your sons the law, and they shall be meditating in it day and night, that the Lord may be with them for a witness and a judge to them all the days of their life. And God shall be witness and judge between me and you, and between my heart and your heart, that if you have done this thing in subtlety it shall be avenged upon you, because you would destroy your brothers: but if you have done it ignorantly as you say, God will be merciful to you for your sons’ sake. And all the people answered: Amen, Amen. And Jesus and all the people of Israel offered for them 1,000 rams for a sin-offering (lit. the word of excusing), and prayed for them and sent them away in peace: and they went and destroyed the sanctuary, and fasted and wept, both they and their sons, and prayed and said: O God of our fathers, that knowest before the heart of all men, you knowest that our ways were not wrought in iniquity in your sight, neither have we swerved from your ways, but have served you all of us, for we are the work of your hands: now therefore remember your covenant with the sons of your servants. And after that Jesus went up to Galgala, and reared up the tabernacle of the Lord, and the ark of the covenant and all the vessels of it, and set it up in Silo, and put there the Demonstration and the Truth (i.e. the Urim and Thummim). And at that time Eleazar the priest which served the altar did teach by the Demonstration all them of the people that came to inquire of the Lord, for thereby it was shown to them, but in the new sanctuary that was in Galgala, Jesus appointed even to this day the burnt offerings that were offered by the children of Israel every year. For until the house of the Lord was builded in Jerusalem, and so long as the offerings were made in the new sanctuary, the people were not forbidden to offer in it, because the Truth and the Demonstration revealed all things in Silo. And until the ark was set by Solomon in the sanctuary of the Lord they went on sacrificing there to that day. But Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest of the Lord ministered in Silo. And Jesus the son of Naue ordered the people and divided to them the land, being a mighty man of valour. And while yet the adversaries of Israel were in the land, the days of Jesus drew near that he should die, and he sent and called all Israel throughout all their land with their wives and their children, and said to them: Gather yourselves together before the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Silo and I will make a covenant with you before I die. And when all the people were gathered together on the 16th day of the 3rd month before the face of the Lord in Silo with their wives and their children, Jesus said to them: Hear, O Israel, behold I make with you the covenant of this law which the Lord ordained with our fathers in Oreb, and therefore tarry you here this night and see what God will say to me concerning You. And as the people waited there that night, the Lord appeared to Jesus in a vision and spoke saying: According to all these words will I speak to this people. And Jesus came in the morning and assembled all the people and said to them: Thus says the Lord: One rock was there from whence I digged out your father, and the cutting of that rock brought forth two men, whose names were Abraham and Nachor, and out of the chiselling of that place were born two women whose names were Sara and Melcha. And they dwelled together beyond the river. And Abraham took Sara to wife and Nachor took Melcha. And when the people of the land were led astray, every man after his own devices, Abraham believed in me and was not led aside after them. And I saved him out of the fire and took him and brought him over into all the land of Chanaan. And I spoke to him in a vision saying: to your seed will I give this land. And he said to me: Behold now you hast given me a wife and she is barren. And how shall I have seed of that womb that is shut up? And I said to him: Take for me a calf of three years old and a she-goat of three years and a ram of three years, a turtledove and a pigeon. And he took them as I commanded him. And I sent a sleep upon him and compassed him about with fear, and I set before him the place of fire wherein the works of them that commit iniquity against me shall be avenged, and I showed him the torches of fire whereby the righteous which have believed in me shall be enlightened. And I said to him: These shall be for a witness between me and you that I will give you seed of the womb that is shut up. And I will liken you to the dove, because you hast received for me the city which your sons shall (begin to) build in my sight. But the turtle-dove I will liken to the prophets which shall be born of you. And the ram will I liken to the wise men which shall be born of you and enlighten your sons. But the calf I will liken to the multitude of the peoples which shall be multiplied through you. And the she-goat I will liken to the women whose wombs I will open and they shall bring forth. These things shall be for a witness betwixt us that I will not transgress my words. And I gave him Isaac and formed him in the womb of her that bore him, and commanded it that it should restore him quickly and render him to me in the 7th month. And for this cause every woman that bringeth forth in the 7th month, her child shall live: because upon him did I call my glory, and showed forth the new age. And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave the land of Seir for an heritage. And Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. And the Egyptians brought your fathers low, as you know, and I remembered your fathers, and sent Moses my friend and delivered them from thence and smote their enemies. And I brought them out with a high hand and led them through the Red Sea, and laid the cloud under their feet, and brought them out through the depth, and brought them beneath the mount Sina, and I bowed the heavens and came down, and I congealed the flame of the fire, and stopped up the springs of the deep, and impeded the course of the stars, and tamed the sound of the thunder, and quenched the fulness; of the wind, and rebuked the multitude of the clouds, and stayed their motions, and interrupted the storm of the hosts, that I should not break my covenant, for all things were moved at my coming down, and all things were quickened at my advent, and I suffered not my people to be scattered, but gave to them my law, and enlightened them, that if they did these things they may live and have length of days and not die. And I have brought you into this land and given you vineyards. you dwell in cities which you built not. And I have fulfilled the covenant which I spoke to your fathers. And now if you obey your fathers, I will set my heart upon you for ever, and will overshadow you, and your enemies shall no more fight against you, and your land shall be renowned throughout all the world and your seed be elect in the midst of the peoples, which shall say: Behold the faithful people; because they believed the Lord, therefore has the Lord delivered them and planted them. And therefore will I plant you as a desirable vineyard and will rule you as a beloved flock, and I will charge the rain and the dew, and they shall satisfy you all the days of your life. And it shall be at the end that the lot of every one of you shall be in eternal life, both for you and your seed, and I will receive your souls and lay them up in peace, until the time of the age is fulfilled, and I restore you to your fathers and your fathers to you, and they shall know at your hand that it is not in vain that I have chosen you. These are the words that the Lord has spoken to me this night. And all the people answered and said: The Lord is our God, and him only will we serve. And all the people made a great feast that day and a renewal 97 of it for 28 days. And after these days Jesus the son of Naue assembled all the people yet again, and said to them: Behold now the Lord has testified to you this day: I have called heaven and earth to witness to you that if you will continue to serve the Lord you shall be to him a peculiar people. But if you will not serve him and will obey the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell, say so this day before the Lord and go forth. But I and my house will serve the Lord. And all the people lifted up their voice and wept saying: Peradventure the Lord will account us worthy, and it is better for us to die in the fear of him, than to be destroyed out of the land. And Jesus the son of Naue blessed the people and kissed them and said to them: Let your words be for mercy before our Lord, and let him send his angel, and preserve you: Remember me after my death, and remember you Moses the friend of the Lord. And let not the words of the covenant which he has made with you depart from you all the days of your life. And he, sent them away and they departed every man to his inheritance. But Jesus laid himself upon his bed, and sent and called Phineës the son of Eleazar the priest and said to him: Behold now I see with mine eyes the transgression of this people wherein they will begin to deceive: but you, strengthen your hands in the time that you art with them, And he kissed him and his father and his sons and blessed him and said: The Lord God of your fathers direct your ways and the ways of this people. And when he ceased speaking to them, he drew up his feet into the bed and slept with his fathers. And his sons laid their hands upon his eyes. And then all Israel gathered together to bury him, and they lamented him with a great lamentation, and thus said they in their lamentation: Weep you for the wing of this swift eagle, for he has flown away from us. And weep you for the strength of this lion’s whelp, for he is hidden from us. Who now will go and report to Moses the righteous, that we have had forty years a leader like to him? And they fulfilled their mourning and buried him with their own hands in the mount Effraim and returned every man to his tent. And after the death of Jesus the land of Israel was at rest. And the Philistines sought to fight with the men of Israel: 98 and they inquired of the Lord and said: Shall we go up and fight against the Philistines? and God said to them: If you go up with a pure heart, fight; but if your heart is defiled, go not up. And they inquired yet again saying: How shall we know if all the heart of the people be alike? and God said to them: Cast lots among your tribes, and it shall be to every tribe that comes under the lot, that it shall be set apart into one lot, and then shall you know whose heart is clean and whose is defiled. And the people said: Let us first appoint over us a prince, and so cast lots. And the angel of the Lord said to them: Appoint. And the people said: Whom shall we appoint that is worthy, Lord? And the angel of the Lord said to them: Cast the lot upon the tribe of Caleb, and he that is shown by the lot, even he shall be your prince. And they cast the lot for the tribe of Caleb and it came out upon Cenez, and they made him ruler over Israel. And Cenez said to the people: Bring your tribes to me and hear you the word of the Lord. And the people gathered together and Cenez said to them: you know that which Moses the Up to this point Philo has followed the Bible story faithfully enough. He now draws freely on his own imagination, and presents us with an entirely new history of the beginning of the period of the Judges. Kenaz is the first judge. He and Seenamias, as we read in XX. 6, were the sons of Caleb, and were the two spies sent by Joshua to Jericho (who in the Bible are nameless): at Caleb’s request (XX. 10) Joshua gave Kenaz the territory of the three towers (or the tribe of the towers). The context in which this is told is copied from Josh. 14:6 (Cf. 15:16 sqq.). In that place, and in Num. 32:12, Caleb is called the Kenezite. In Josh. 15, Othniel, son of Kenaz, the (younger) brother of Caleb (but another view makes Othniel brother of Caleb), takes Kirjath-sepher and marries Caleb’s daughter. This is repeated in Judges 1:13. In Judges 3:10, 3:11 Othniel figures as the first of the judges proper: but all that is said of him is that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel and conquered Chushan-rishathaim. Thus in the Bible Kenaz is a mere name: he is a younger brother (or other relative) of Caleb, and father of Othniel the first judge: and his is an ancestral or clan-name in the family of Caleb. In Philo he completely ousts Othniel, and there is no pretence of assimilating his story to that of any one who appears in the Bible. He figures as a divinely appointed ruler, a detecter of crime, a mediator, it may be said, between God and Israel, and the recipient of God’s own instructions: then as a mighty man of valour, and lastly as a seer. In respect of the amount of space devoted to him be is second only to Moses. It may be merely the author’s desire to strike out a new line, or perhaps to import a fresh religious interest into the history of the Judges (though this he could do in other ways, and much of the story of Kenaz has no religious value) that has prompted this sudden burst of inventiveness; or there may have been another motive at work and a hidden meaning in the tale, which I cannot penetrate. I do not find any hint in other writings that tradition clustered round the name of Kenaz: but it is noticeable that the best text of Josephus (Ant. V. 33) substitutes his name (Κενιαζοσ) for that of Othniel: and that in the Pseudo-Epiphanian Lives of the Prophets it is said that Jonah was buried “in the cave of Kainezias, who was judge of one tribe in the days of the anarchy,” a sentence which neither suggests a knowledge of Philo nor explains itself. All that it, and the passage of Josephus, do suggest is that Philo may be following a current fashion in discarding the name of Othniel, and that he has taken as his text the words in judges: “the Spirit of the Lord came upon” Othniel, and has written a variation upon that theme. The next judge is Zebul. The name is taken, no doubt, from the story of Abimelech in judges 9:28, etc. Otherwise he is a completely imaginary figure. From him we pass to Deborah; she is followed by Aod (= Ehud), who is here not a judge, but a Midianitish wizard. As in the case of Zebul, Philo has borrowed a Biblical name from another part of Judges, and affixed it to a totally different personality. The remainder of his judges follow the Biblical order fairly well: Gideon, Abimelech (Tola may have disappeared in a lacuna), Jair (whose character is gratuitously blackened), Jephtha (Ibzan is then omitted), Addo (= Abdon), Elon (these two being transposed from the Biblical order), Samson. Then follow, as in the Bible, the stories of Micah’s idolatry (the migration of the Danites being wholly passed over) and of the Benjamite outrage, which is located at Nob, the priestly city, instead of Gibeah. Thus the narrative in Judges is represented with approximate faithfulness, save in the case of the first judges, where Philo substitutes Kenaz and Zebul for Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar. friend of the Lord charged you, that you should not transgress the law to the right hand or to the left. And Jesus also who was after him gave you the same charge. And now, lo, we have heard of the mouth of the Lord that your heart is defiled. And the Lord has charged us to cast lots among your tribes to know whose heart has departed from the Lord our God. Shall not the fury of anger come upon the people? But I promise you this day that even if a man of mine own house come out in the lot of sin, he shall not be saved alive, but shall be burned with fire. And the people said: you hast spoken a good counsel, to perform it. And the tribes were brought before him, and there were found of the tribe of Juda 345 men, and of the tribe of Ruben 560, and of the tribe of Simeon 775, and of the tribe of Levi 150, and of the tribe of Zabulon 655 (or 645), and of the tribe of Isachar 665, and of the tribe of Gad 380. Of the tribe of Aser 665, and of the tribe of Manasse 480, and of the tribe of Effraim 468, and of the tribe of Benjamin 267. And all the number of them that were found by the lot of sin was 6110. And Cenez took them all and shut them up in prison, till it should be known what should be done with them. And Cenez said: Was it not of this that Moses the friend of the Lord spoke saying: There is a strong root among you bringing forth gall and bitterness? Now blessed be the Lord who has revealed all the devices of these men, neither has he suffered them to corrupt his people by their evil works. Bring hither therefore the Demonstration and the Truth and call forth Eleazar the priest, and let us inquire of the Lord by him. Then Cenez and Eleazar and all the elders and the whole synagogue prayed with one accord saying: Lord God of our fathers, reveal to your servants the truth, for we are found not believing in the wonders which you didst for our fathers since you broughtest them out of the land of Egypt to this day. And the Lord answered and said: First ask them that were found, and let them confess their deeds which they did subtilly, and afterwards they shall be burned with fire. And Cenez brought them forth and said to them: Behold now you know how that Achiar confessed when the lot fell on him, and declared all that he had done. And now declare to me all your wickedness and your inventions: who knows, if you tell us the truth, even though you die now, yet God will have mercy upon you when he shall quicken the dead? And one of them named Elas said to him: Shall not death come now upon us, that we shall die by fire? Nevertheless I tell you, my Lord, there are none inventions like to these which we have made wickedly. But if you will search out the truth plainly, ask severally the men of every tribe, and so shall some one of them that stand by perceive the difference of their sins. And Cenez asked them of his own tribe and they told him: We desired to imitate and make the calf that they made in the wilderness. And after that he asked the men of the tribe of Ruben, which said: We desired to sacrifice to the gods of them that dwell in the land. And he asked the men of the tribe of Levi, which said: We would prove the tabernacle, whether it were holy. And he asked the remnant of the tribe of Isachar, which said: We would inquire by the evil spirits of the idols, to see whether they revealed plainly: and he asked the men of the tribe of Zabulon, which said: We desired to eat the flesh of our children and to learn whether God has care for them. And he asked the remnant of the tribe of Dan, which said: The Amorites taught us that which they did, that we might teach our children. And lo, they are hid

under the tent of Elas, 100 who told you to inquire of us. Send therefore and you shall find them. And Cenez sent and found them. And thereafter asked he them that were left over of the tribe of Gad, and they said: We committed adultery with each other’s wives. And he asked next the men of the tribe of Aser, which said: We found seven golden images which the Amorites called the holy Nymphs, and we took them with the precious stones that were set upon them, and hid them: and lo, now they are laid up under the top of the mount Sychem. Send therefore and you shall find them. And Cenez sent men and removed them thence. Now these are the Nymphs which when they were called upon did show to the Amorites their works in every hour. For these are they which were devised by seven evil men after the flood, whose names are these: [Probable restoration: ? Cham] Chanaan, Phuth, Selath, Nembroth, Elath, Desuath. Neither shall there be again any like similitude in the world graven by the hand of the artificer and adorned with variety of painting, but they were set up and fixed for the consecration (i.e. the holy place?) of idols. Now the stones were precious, brought from the land of Euilath, among which was a crystal and a prase (or one crystalline and one green), and they shewed their fashion, being carved after the manner of a stone pierced with open- work, 103 and another of them was graven on the top, and another as it were marked with spots (or like a spotted chrysoprase) 104 so shone with its graving as if it shewed the water of the deep lying beneath. And these are the precious stones which the Amorites had in their holy places, and the price of them was above reckoning. For when any entered in by night, he needed not the light of a lantern, so much did the natural light of the stones shine forth. Wherein that one gave the greatest light which was cut after the form of a stone pierced with open-work, and was cleansed with bristles; 105 for if any of the Amorites were blind, he went and put his eyes thereupon and recovered his sight. Now when Cenez found them, he set them apart and laid them up till he should know what should become of them. under the tent of Elas, who told you to inquire of us. R. has: under the mount of Abraham, and laid up under a mound of earth. J has: under the mount of Abarim. And after that he asked them that were left of the tribe of Manasse, and they said: We did only defile the Lord’s sabbaths. And he asked the forsaken of the tribe of Effraim, which said: We desired to pass our sons and our daughters through the fire, that we might know if that which was said were manifest. And he asked the forsaken of the tribe of Benjamin, which said: We desired at this time to examine the book of the law, whether God had plainly written that which was in it, or whether Moses had taught it of himself. And when Cenez had taken all these words and written them in a book and read them before the Lord, God said to him: Take the men and that which was found with them and all their goods and put them in the bed of the river Phison, and burn them with fire that mine anger may cease from them. And Cenez said: Shall we burn these precious stones also with fire, or sanctify them to you, for among us there are none like to them? And God said to him: If God should receive in his own name any of the accursed thing, what should man do? Therefore now take these precious stones and all that was found, both books and men: and when you dealest so with the men, set apart these stones with the books, for fire will not avail to burn them, and afterwards I will shew you how you must destroy them. But the men and all that was found you shall burn with fire. And you shall assemble all the people, and say to them: Thus shall it be done to every man whose heart turneth away from his God. And when the fire has consumed those men, then the books and the precious stones which cannot be burned with fire, neither cut with iron, nor blotted out with water, lay them upon the top of the mount beside the new altar; and I will command a cloud, and it shall go and take up dew and shed it upon the books, and shall blot out that which is written in it, for they cannot be blotted out with any other water than such as has never served men. And thereafter I will send my lightning, and it shall burn up the books themselves. But as concerning the precious stones, I will command mine angel and he shall take them and go and cast them into the depths of the sea, and I will charge the deep and it shall swallow them up, for they may not continue in the world because they have been polluted by the idols of the Amorites, And I will command another angel, and he shall take for me twelve stones out of the place whence these seven were taken; and you, when you findest them in the top of the mount where he shall lay them, take and put them on the shoulder-piece over against the twelve stones which Moses set in it in the wilderness, and sanctify them in the breastplate (lit. oracle) according to the twelve tribes: and say not, How shall I know which stone I shall set for which tribe? Lo, I will tell you the name of the tribe answering to the name of the stone, and you shall find both one and other graven. And Cenez went and took all that had been found and the men with it, and assembled all the people again, and said to them: Behold, you have seen all the wonders which God has shewed us to this day, and lo, when we sought out all that had subtilly devised evil against the Lord and against Israel, God has revealed them according to their works, and now cursed be every man that deviseth to do the like among you, brethren. And all the people answered Amen, Amen. And when he had so said, he burned all the men with fire, and all that was found with them, saving the precious stones. And after that Cenez desired to prove whether the stones could be burned with fire, and cast them into the fire. And it was so, that when they fell in it, forthwith the fire was quenched. And Cenez took iron to break them, and when the sword touched them the iron of it was melted; and thereafter he would at the least blot out the books with water; but it came to pass that the water when it fell upon them was congealed. And when he saw that, he said: Blessed be God who has done so great wonders for the children of men, and made Adam the first-created and shewed him all things; that when Adam had sinned thereby, then he should deny him all these things, lest if he shewed them to the race of men they should have the mastery over them. And when he had so said, he took the books and the stones and laid them on the top of the mount 106 by the new altar as the Lord had commanded him, and took a peace-offering and burnt-offerings, and offered upon the new altar 2000, offering them all for a burnt sacrifice. And on that day they kept a great feast, he and all the people together. And God did that night as he spoke to Cenez, for he commanded a cloud, and it went and took dew from the ice of paradise and shed it upon the books and blotted them out. And after that an angel came and burned them up, and another angel took the precious stones and cast them into the heart of the sea, and he charged the depth of the sea, and it swallowed them up. And another angel went and brought twelve stones and laid them hard by the place whence he had taken those seven. And he graved thereon the names of the twelve tribes. And Cenez arose on the morrow and found those twelve stones on the top of the mount where himself had laid those seven. And the graving of them was so as if the form of eyes was portrayed upon them. And the first stone, whereon was written the name of the tribe of Ruben, was like a sardine stone. The second stone was graven with a tooth (or ivory), and in it was graven the name of the tribe of Simeon, and the likeness of a topaz was seen in it; and on the third stone was graven the name of the tribe of Levi, and it was like to an emerald. But the fourth stone was called a crystal, wherein was graven the name of the tribe of Juda, and it was likened to a carbuncle. The fifth stone was green, and upon it was graven the name of the tribe of Isachar, and the colour of a sapphire stone was in it. And of the sixth stone the graving was as if it had been inscribed, (or as a chrysoprase) speckled with diverse markings, and thereon was written the tribe of Zabulon, And the jasper stone was likened to it. Of the seventh stone the graving shone and shewed within itself, as it were, enclosed the water of the deep, and in it was written the name of the tribe of Dan, which stone was like a ligure. But the eighth stone was cut out with adamant, and in it was written the name of the tribe of Neptalim, and it was like an amethyst. And of the ninth stone 108 the graving was pierced, and it was from Mount Ophir, and in it was written the tribe of Gad, and an agate stone was likened to it. And of the tenth stone the graving was hollowed, and gave the likeness of a stone of Theman, and there was written the tribe of Aser, and a chrysolite was likened to it. And the eleventh stone was an elect stone from Libanus, and thereon was written the name of the tribe of Joseph, and a beryl was. likened to it. And the twelfth stone was cut out of the height of Sion 109 (or the quarry), and upon it was written the tribe of Benjamin; and the onyx stone was likened to it. And God said to Cenez: Take these stones and put them in the ark of the covenant of the Lord with the tables of the covenant which I gave to Moses in Oreb, and they shall be there with them until Jahel arise 110 to build an house in my name, and then he shall set them before

me upon the two cherubim, and they shall be in my sight for a memorial of the house of Israel. And it shall be when the sins of my people are filled up, and their enemies have the mastery over their house, that I will take these stones and the former together with the tables, and lay them up in the place whence they were brought forth in the beginning, and they shall be there until I remember the world, and visit the dwellers upon earth. And then will I take them and many other better than they, from that place which eye has not seen 111 nor ear heard neither has it come up into the heart of man, until the like comes to pass to the world, and the just shall have no need for the light of the sun nor of the shining of the moon, for the light of the precious stones shall be their light. And Cenez arose and said: Behold what good things God has done for men, and because of their sins have they been deprived of them all. And now know I this day that the race of men is weak, and their life shall be accounted as nothing. And so saying, he took the stones from the place where they were laid, and as he took them there was as it were the light of the sun poured out upon them, and the earth shone with their light. And Cenez put them in the ark of the covenant of the Lord with the tables as it was commanded him, and there they are to this day. And after this he armed of the people 300,000 men and went up to fight against the Amorites, 113 and slew on the first day 800,000 men, and on the second day he slew about 500,000. And when the third day came, certain men of the people spoke evil against Cenez, saying: Lo now, Cenez alone lieth in his house with his wife and his concubines, and sendeth us to battle, that we may be destroyed before our enemies. And when the servants of Cenez heard, they brought him word. And he commanded a captain of fifty, and he brought of them thirty-seven men 114 who spoke against him and shut them up in ward. And their names are these: Le and Uz, Betul, Ephal, Dealma, Anaph, Desac, Besac, Gethel, Anael, Anazim, Noac, Cehec, Boac, Obal, Iabal, Enath, Beath, Zelut, Ephor, Ezeth, Desaph, Abidan, Esar, Moab, Duzal, Azath, Phelac, Igat, Zophal, Eliesor, Ecar, Zebath, Sebath, Nesach and Zere. And when the captain of fifty had shut them up as Cenez commanded, Cenez said: When the Lord has wrought salvation for his people by my hand, then will I punish these men. And so saying, Cenez commanded the captain of fifty, saying: Go and choose of my servants 300 men, and as many horses, and let no man of the people know of the hour when I shall go forth to battle; but only in what hour I shall tell you, prepare the men that they be ready this night. And Cenez sent messengers, spies, to see where was the multitude of the camp of the Amorites. And the messengers went and spied, and saw that the multitude of the camp of the Amorites was moving among the rocks devising to come and fight against Israel. And the messengers returned and told him according to this word. And Cenez arose by night, he and 300 horsemen with him, and took a trumpet in his hand and began to go down with the 300 men. And it came to pass, when he was near to the camp of the Amorites, that he said to his servants: Abide here and I will go down alone and view the camp of the Amorites. And it shall be, if I blow with the trumpet you shall come down, but if not, wait for me here. And Cenez went down alone, and before he went down he prayed, and said: O Lord God of our fathers, you hast shewn to your servant the marvellous things which you hast prepared to do by your covenant in the last days: and now, send to your servant one of your wonders, and I will overcome yours adversaries, that they and all the nations and your people may know that the Lord delivereth not by the multitude of an host, neither by the strength of horsemen, when they shall perceive the sign of deliverance which you shall work for me this day (or horsemen, and that you, Lord, will perform a sign of salvation with me this day). Behold, I will draw my sword out of the scabbard and it shall glitter in the camp of the Amorites: and it shall be, if the Amorites perceive that it is I, Cenez, then I shall know that you hast delivered them into mine hand. But if they perceive not that it is I, and think that it is another, then I shall know that you hast not hearkened to me, but hast delivered me to mine enemies. But and if I be indeed delivered to death, I shall know that because of mine

iniquities the Lord has not heard me, and has delivered me to mine enemies; but he will not destroy, his inheritance by my death. And he set forth after he had prayed, and heard the multitude of the Amorites saying: Let us arise and fight against Israel: for we know that our holy Nymphs are there among them and will deliver them into our hands. And Cenez arose, for the spirit of the Lord clothed him as a garment, and he drew his sword, and when the light of it shone upon the Amorites like sharp lightning, they saw it, and said: Is not this the sword of Cenez which has made our wounded many? Now is the word justified which we spoke, saying that our holy Nymphs have delivered them into our hands. Lo, now, this day shall there be feasting for the Amorites, when our enemy is delivered to us. Now, therefore, arise and let everyone gird on his sword and begin the battle. And it came to pass when Cenez heard their words, he was clothed with the spirit of might and changed into another man, and went down into the camp of the Amorites and began to smite them. And the Lord sent before his face the angel Ingethel (or Gethel), who is set over the hidden things, and worketh unseen, (and another) angel of might helping with him: and Ingethel smote the Amorites with blindness, so that every man that saw his neighbour counted them his adversaries, and they slew one another. And the angel Zeruel, who is set over strength, bore up the arms of Cenez lest they should perceive him; and Cenez smote of the Amorites forty and five thousand men, and they themselves smote one another, and fell forty and five thousand men. And when Cenez had smitten a great multitude, he would have loosened his hand from his sword, for the handle of the sword clave, 115 that it could not be loosed, and his right hand had taken into it the strength of the sword. Then they that were left of the Amorites fled into the mountains; but Cenez sought how he might loose his hand: and he looked with his eyes and saw a man of the Amorites fleeing, and he caught him and said to him: I know that the Amorites are cunning: now therefore shew me how I may loose my hand from this sword, and I will let you go. And the Amorite said: Go and take a man of the Hebrews and kill him, and while his blood is yet warm hold yours hand beneath and receive his blood, so shall yours hand be loosed. And (Zenez said: As the Lord liveth, if you hadst said, Take a man of the Amorites, I would have taken one of them and saved you alive: but forasmuch as you saidest “of the Hebrews” that you mightest show yours hatred, your mouth shall be against thyself, and according as you hast said, so will I do to you. And when he had thus said Cenez slew him, and while his blood was yet warm, he held his hand beneath and received it in it, and it was loosed. And Cenez departed and put off his garments, and cast himself into the river and washed, and came up again and changed his garments, and returned to his young men. Now the Lord cast upon them a heavy sleep in the night, and they slept and knew not any thing of all that Cenez had done. And Cenez came and awaked them out of sleep; and they looked [upon him] with their eyes and saw, and behold, the field was full of dead bodies: and they were astonished in their mind, and looked every man on his neighbour. And Cenez said to them: Why marvel you? Are the ways of the Lord as the way of men? For with men a multitude prevaileth, but with God that which he appointeth. And therefore if God has willed to work deliverance for this people by my hands, why marvel you? Arise and gird on every man your swords, and we will go home to our brethren. And when all Israel heard the deliverance that was wrought by the hands of Cenez, all the people came out with one accord to meet him, and said: Blessed be the Lord which has made you ruler over his people, and has shown that those things are sure which he spoke to you: that which we heard by speech we see now with our eyes, for the work of the word of God is manifest. And Cenez said to them: Ask now your brethren, and let them tell you how greatly they laboured with me in the battle. And the men that were with him said: As the Lord liveth, we fought not, neither knew we anything, save only when we awaked, we saw the field full of dead bodies. And the people answered: Now know we that when the Lord appointeth to work deliverance for his people, he has no need of a multitude, but only of sanctification. And Cenez said to the captain of fifty which had shut up those men in prison: Bring forth those men that we may hear their words. And when he had brought them forth, Cenez said to them: Tell me, what saw you in me that you murmured among the people? And they said: Why askest you us? Why askest you us? Now therefore command that we be burned with fire, for we die not for this sin that we have now spoken, but for that former one wherein those men were taken which were burned in their sins; for then we did consent to their sin, saying: Peradventure the people will not perceive us; and then we did escape the people. But now have we been (rightly) made a public example 116 by our sins in that we fell into slandering of you. And Cenez said: If you yourselves therefore witness against yourselves, how shall I have compassion upon you? And Cenez commanded them to be burned with fire, and cast their ashes into the place where they had burned the multitude of the sinners, even into the brook Phison. And Cenez ruled over his people fifty and seven years, and there was fear upon all his enemies all his days. And when the days of Cenez drew nigh that he should die, he sent and called all men (or all the elders), and the two prophets Jabis and Phinees, and Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest, 117 and said to them: Behold now, the Lord has showed me all his marvellous works which he has prepared to do for his people in the last days. And now will I make my covenant with you this day, that you forsake not the Lord your God after my departing. For you have seen all the marvels which came upon them that sinned, and all that they declared, confessing their sins of their own accord, and how the Lord our God made an end of them for that they transgressed his covenant. why now spare you them of your house and your sons, and abide in the ways of the Lord your God, that the Lord destroy not his inheritance. And Phinees, the son of Eleazar the priest, said: If Cenez the ruler bid me, and the prophets and the people and the elders, I will speak a word which I heard of my father when he was a- dying, and will not keep silence concerning the commandment which he commanded me when his soul was being received. And Cenez the ruler and the prophets said: Let Phinees say on. Shall any other speak before the priest which keepeth the commandments of the Lord our God, and that, seeing that truth proceedeth out of his mouth, and out of his heart a shining light? Then said Phinees: My father, when he was a-dying, commanded me saying: Thus shall you say to the children of Israel when they, are gathered together to the assembly: The Lord appeared to me the third day before this in a dream in the night, and said to me: Behold, you hast seen, and your father before you, how greatly I have laboured for my people; and it shall be after your death that this people shall arise and corrupt their ways, departing from my commandments, and I shall be exceeding wroth with them. Yet will I remember the time which was before the ages, even in the time when there was not a man, and in it was no iniquity, when I said that the world should be, and they that should come should praise me in it, and I will plant a great vineyard, and out of it will I choose a plant, and order it and call it by my name, and it shall be mine for ever. But when I have done all that I have spoken, nevertheless my planting, which is called after me, will not know me, the planter of it, but will corrupt his fruit, and will not yield me his fruit. These are the things which my father commanded me to speak to this people. And Cenez lifted up his voice, and the elders, and all the people with one accord, and wept with a great lamentation until the evening and said: Shall the shepherd destroy his flock to no purpose, except it continue in sin against him? And shall it not be he that shall spare according to the abundance of his mercy, seeing he has spent great labour upon us? 118 Now while they were set, the holy spirit that dwelt in Cenez leapt upon him and took away from him his bodily sense, and he began to prophesy, saying: Behold now I see that which I looked not for, and perceive that I knew not. Hearken now, you that dwell on the earth,

even as they that sojourned in it prophesied before me, when they saw this hour, even before the earth was corrupted, that you may know the prophecies appointed aforetime, all you that dwell in it. Behold now I see flames that burn not, and I hear springs of water awaked out of sleep, and they have no foundation, neither do I behold the tops of the mountains, nor the canopy of the firmament, but all things unappearing and invisible, which have no place whatever, and although mine eye knows not what it seeth, mine heart shall discover that which it may learn (or say). Now out of the flame which I saw, and it burned not, I beheld, and lo a spark came up and as it were builded for itself a floor under heaven, and the likeness of the floor of it was as a spider spinneth, in the fashion of a shield. And when the foundation was laid, I beheld, and from that spring there was stirred up as it were a boiling froth, and behold, it changed itself as it were into another foundation; and between the two foundations, even the upper and the lower, there drew near out of the light of the invisible place as it were forms of men, and they walked to and fro: and behold, a voice saying: These shall be for a foundation to men and they shall dwell in it 7000 years. And the lower foundation was a pavement and the upper was of froth, and they that came forth out of the light of the invisible place, they are those that shall dwell in it, 119 and the name of that man is [Probable restoration: Adam]. And it shall be, when he has (or they have) sinned against me and the time is fulfilled, that the spark shall be quenched and the spring shall cease, and so they shall be changed. And it came to pass after Cenez had spoken these words that he awaked and his sense returned to him: but he knew not that which he had spoken neither that which he had seen, but this only he said to the people: If the rest of therighteous be such after they are dead, it is better for them to die to the corruptible world, that they see not sin. And when Cenez had so said, he died and slept with his fathers, and the people mourned for him 30 days.

XXIX And after these things the people appointed Zebul ruler over them, and at that time he gathered the people together and said to them: Behold now, we know all the labour wherewith Cenez laboured with us in the days of his life. Now if he had had sons, they should have been princes over the people, but inasmuch as his daughters are yet alive, let them receive a greater inheritance among the people, because their father in his life refused to give it to them, lest he should be called covetous and greedy of gain. And the people said: Do all that is right in yours eyes. Now Cenez had three daughters whose names are these: Ethema the firstborn, the second Pheila, the third Zelpha. And Zebul gave to the firstborn all that was round about the land of the Phœnicians, and to the second he gave the olive yard of Accaron, and to the third all the tilled land that was about Azotus. And he gave them husbands, namely to the firstborn Elisephan, to the second Odiel, and to the third Doel. Now in those days Zebul set up a treasury for the Lord and said to the people: Behold, if any man will sanctify to the Lord gold and silver, let him bring it to the Lord’s treasury in Sylo: only let not any that has stuff belonging to idols think to sanctify it to the Lord’s treasures, for the Lord desireth not the abominations of the accursed things, lest you disturb the synagogue of the Lord, for the wrath that is passed by sufficeth. And all the people brought that which their heart moved them to bring, both men and women, even gold and silver. And all that was brought was weighed, and it was 20 talents of gold, and 250 talents of silver. And Zebul judged the people twenty and five years. And when he had accomplished his time, he sent and called all the people and said: Lo, now I depart to die. Look you to the testimonies which they that went before us testified, and let not your heart be like to the waves of the sea, but like as the wave of the sea under standeth not save only those things which are in the sea, so let your heart also think upon nothing save only those things which belong to the law. And Zebul slept with his fathers, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

XXX Then had the children of Israel no man whom they might appoint as judge over them: and their heart fell away, and they forgot the promise, and transgressed the ways which Moses and Jesus the servants of the Lord had commanded them, and were led away after the daughters of the Amorites, and served their gods. And the Lord was wroth with them, and sent his angel and said: Behold, I chose me one people out of all the tribes of the earth, and I said that my glory should abide with them in this world, and I sent to them Moses my servant, to declare to them my great majesty and my judgements, and they have transgressed my ways. Now therefore behold I will stir up their enemies and they shall rule over them, and then shall all the people[s] say: Because we have transgressed the ways of God and of our fathers, therefore are these things come upon us. Yet there shall a woman rule over them which shall give them light 40 years. And after these things the Lord stirred up against them Jabin king of Asor, and he began to fight against them, and he had as captain of his might Sisara, who had 8000 chariots of iron. And he came to the mount Effrem and fought against the people, and Israel feared him greatly, and the people could not stand all the days of Sisara. And when Israel was brought very low, all the children of Israel gathered together with one accord to the mount of Juda and said: We did call ourselves blessed more than all people, and now, lo, we are brought so low, more than all nations, that we cannot dwell in our land, and our enemies bear rule over us. And now who has done all this to us? Is it not our iniquities, because we have forsaken the Lord God of our fathers, and have walked in those things which could not profit us? Now therefore come let us fast seven days, both men and women, and from the least (sic) even to the sucking child. Who knows whether God will be reconciled to his inheritance, that he destroy not the planting of his vineyard? And after the people had fasted 7 days, sitting in sackcloth, the Lord sent to them on the 7th day Debbora, who said to them: Can the sheep 121 that is appointed to the slaughter answer before him that slayeth it, when both he that slayeth [Probable restoration: . . . ] and he that is slain keepeth silence, when he is sometimes provoked against it? Now you were born to be a flock before our Lord. And he led you into the height of the clouds, and subdued angels beneath your feet, and appointed to you a law, and gave you commandments by prophets, and chastised you by rulers, and shewed you wonders not a few, and for your sake commanded the luminaries and they stood still in the places where they were bidden, and when your enemies came upon you he rained hailstones upon them and destroyed them, and Moses and Jesus and Cenez and Zebul gave you commandments. And you have not obeyed them. For while they lived, you shewed yourselves as it were obedient to your God, but when they died, your heart died also. And you became like to iron that is thrust into the fire, which when it is melted by the flame becometh as water, but when it is come out of the fire returneth to its hardness. So you also, while they that admonish you burn you, do show the effect, and when they are dead you forget all things. And now, behold, the Lord will have compassion upon you this day, not for your sakes, but for his covenant’s sake which he made with your fathers and for his oath’s sake which he

sware, that he would not forsake you for ever. But know you that after my decease you will begin to sin in your latter days. why the Lord will perform marvellous things among you, and will deliver your enemies into your hands. For your fathers are dead, but God, which made a covenant with them, is life. And Debbora sent and called Barach and said to him: Arise and gird up your loins as a man, and go down and fight against Sisara, For I see the constellations greatly moved in their ranks and preparing to fight for you. I see also the lightnings unmoveable in their courses, and setting forth to stay the wheels of the chariots of them that boast in the might of Sisara, who says: I will surely go down in the arm of my might to fight against Israel, and will divide the spoil of them among my servants, and their fair women will I take to me for concubines. Therefore has the Lord spoken concerning him that the arm of a weak woman shall overcome him, and maidens shall take his spoil, and he also himself shall fall into the hands of a woman. And when Debbora and the people and Barach went down to meet their enemies, immediately the Lord disturbed the goings of his stars, and spoke to them saying: Hasten and go you, for our (or your) enemies fall upon you: confound their arms and break the strength of their hearts, for I am come that my people may prevail. For though it be that my people have sinned, yet will I have mercy on them. And when this was said, the stars went forth as it was commanded them and burned up their enemies. And the number of them that were gathered (or burned) and slain in one hour was go times 97,000 men. But Sisara they destroyed not, for so it was commanded them. And when Sisara had fled on his horse to deliver his soul, Jahel the wife of Aber the Cinean decked herself with her ornaments and came out to meet him: now the woman was very fair: and when she saw him she said: Come in and take food, and sleep: and in. the evening I will send my servants with you, for I know that you will remember me and recompense me. And Sisara came in, and when he saw roses scattered upon the bed he said: If I be delivered, O Jahel, I will go to my mother and you shall (or Jahel shall) be my wife. And thereafter was Sisara athirst and he said to Jahel: Give me a little water, for I am faint and my soul burneth by reason of the flame which I beheld in the stars. And Jahel said to him: Rest a little while and then you shall drink. And when Sisara was fallen asleep, Jahel went to the flock and milked milk therefrom. And as she milked she said: Behold now, remember, O Lord, when you didst divide every tribe and nation upon the earth, didst you not choose out Israel only, and didst not liken him to any beast save only to the ram that goes before the flock and leadeth it? Behold therefore and see how Sisara has thought in his heart saying: I will go and punish the flock of the Most Mighty. And lo, I will take of the milk of the beasts whereunto you didst liken your people, and will go and give him to drink, and when he has drunk he shall become weak, and after that I will kill him. And this shall be the sign that you shall give me, O Lord, that, whereas Sisara sleepeth, when I go in, if he wake and ask me forthwith, saying: Give me water to drink, then I shall know that my prayer has been heard. So Jahel returned and entered in, and Sisara awaked and said to her: Give me to drink, for I burn mightily and my soul is inflamed. And Jahel took wine and mingled it with the milk and gave him to drink, and he drank and fell asleep. But Jahel took a stake in her left hand and drew near to him saying: If the Lord give me this sign I shall know that Sisara shall fall into my hands. Behold I will cast him upon the ground from off the bed whereon he sleepeth, and it shall be, if he perceive it not, that I shall know that he is delivered up. And Jahel took Sisara and pushed him from off the bed upon the earth, but he perceived it not, for he was exceeding faint. And Jahel said: Strengthen in me, O Lord, mine arm this day for your sake and your people’s sake, and for them that put their trust in you. And Jahel ‘took the stake and set it upon his temple and smote with the hammer. And as he died Sisara’ said to Jahel: Lo, pain has come upon me, Jahel, and I die like a woman. And Jahel said to him: Go boast thyself before your father in hell, and tell him that you hast fallen into (or say, I have been delivered into) the hands of a woman. And she made an end and slew him and laid his body there until Barach should return. Now the mother of Sisara was called Themech, and she sent to her friends saying: Come, let us go forth together to meet my son, and you shall see the daughters of the Hebrews whom my son will bring hither to be his concubines. But Barach returned from following after Sisara and was greatly vexed because he found him not, and Jahel came forth to meet him, and said: Come, enter in, you blessed of God, and I will deliver you yours enemy whom you followedst after and hast not found. And Barach went in and found Sisara dead, and said: Blessed be the Lord which sent his spirit and said: Into the hands of a woman shall Sisara be delivered. And when he had so said he cut off the head of Sisara and sent it to his mother, and gave her a message saying: Receive your son whom you didst look for to come with spoil. Then Debbora and Barach the son of Abino and all the people together sang an hymn to the Lord in that day, saying: Behold, from on high has the Lord shewn to us his glory, even as he did aforetime when he sent forth his voice to confound the tongues of men. And he chose out our nation, and took Abraham our father out of the fire, and chose him before all his brethren, and kept him from the fire and delivered him from the bricks of the building of the tower, and gave him a son in the latter days of his old age, and brought him out of the barren womb, and all the angels were jealous against him, and the orderers of the hosts envied him. And it came to pass, when they were jealous against him, God said to him: Slay for me the fruit of your belly and offer for my sake that which I gave you. And Abraham did not gainsay him and set forth immediately. And as he went forth he said to his son: Lo, now, my son, I offer you for a burnt offering and deliver you into his hands who gave you to me. And the son said to his father: Hear me, father. If a lamb of the flock is accepted for an offering to the Lord for an odour of sweetness, and if for the iniquities of men sheep are appointed to the slaughter, but man is set to inherit the world, how then sayest you now to me: Come and inherit a life secure, and a time that cannot be measured? What and if I had not been born in the world to be offered a sacrifice to him that made me? And it shall be my blessedness beyond all men, for there shall be no other such thing; and in me shall the generations be instructed, and by me the peoples shall understand that the Lord has accounted the soul of a man worthy to be a sacrifice to him. And when his father had offered him upon the altar and had bound his feet to slay him, the Most Mighty hasted and sent forth his voice from on high saying: Kill not your son, neither destroy the fruit of your body: for now have I showed forth myself that I might appear to them that know me not, and have shut the mouths of them that always speak evil against you. And your memorial shall be before me for ever, and your name and the name of this your son from one generation to another. And to Isaac he gave two sons, which also were from a womb shut up, for at that time their mother was in the third year of her marriage. And it shall not be so with any other woman, neither shall any wife boast herself so, that comes near to her husband in the third year. And there were born to him two sons, even Jacob and Esau. And God loved Jacob, but Esau he hated because of his deeds. And it came to pass in the old age of their father, that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him into Mesopotamia, and there he fathered 12 sons, and they went down into Egypt and dwelled there. And when their enemies dealt evilly with them, the people cried to the Lord, and their prayer was heard, and he brought them out thence, and led them to the mount Sina, and brought forth to them the foundation of understanding which he had prepared from the birth of the world; and then the foundation was moved, the hosts sped forth the lightnings upon their courses, and the winds sounded out of their storehouses, and the earth was stirred

from her foundation, and the mountains and the rocks trembled in their fastenings, and the clouds lifted up their waves against the flame of the fire that it should not consume the world. Then did the depth awake from his springs, and all the waves of the sea came together. Then did Paradise give forth the breath of her fruits, and the cedars of Libanus were moved from their roots. And the beasts of the field were terrified in the dwellings of the forests, and all his works gathered together to behold the Lord when he ordained a covenant with the children of Israel. And all things that the Most Mighty said, these has he observed, having for witness Moses his beloved. And when he was dying God appointed to him the firmament, 124 and shewed him these witnesses whom now we have, saying: Let the heaven whereinto you hast entered and the earth wherein you hast walked until now be a witness between me and you and my people. For the sun and the moon and the stars shall be ministers to us (or you). And when Jesus arose to rule over the people, it came to pass in the day wherein he fought against the enemies, that the evening drew near, while yet the battle was strong, and Jesus said to the sun and the moon: O you ministers that were appointed between the Most Mighty and his sons, lo now, the battle goes on still, and do you forsake your office? Stand still therefore to-day and give light to his sons, and put darkness upon our enemies. And they did so. And now in these days Sisara arose to make us his bondmen, and we cried to the Lord our God, and he commanded the stars and said: Depart out of your ranks, and burn mine enemies, that they may know my might. And the stars came down and overthrew their camp and kept us safe without any labour. Therefore will we not cease to sing praises, neither shall our mouths keep silence from telling of his marvellous works: for he has remembered his promises both new and old, and has shown us his deliverance,: and therefore does Jahel boast herself among women, because she alone has brought this good way to success, in that with her own hands she slew Sisara. O earth, go you, go, you heavens and lightnings, go, you angels and hosts, [go you] and tell the fathers in the treasure-houses of their souls, and say: The Most Mighty has not forgotten the least of all the promises which he made with us, saying: Many wonders will I perform for your sons. And now from this day forth it shall be known that whatever God has said to men that he will perform, he will perform it, even though man die. Sing praises, sing praises, O Debbora (or, if man delay to sing praises to God, yet sing you, O Debbora), and let the grace of an holy spirit awake in you, and begin to praise the works of the Lord: for there shall not again arise such a day, wherein the stars shall bear tidings and overcome the enemies of Israel, as it was commanded them. From this time forth if Israel fall into a strait, let him call upon these his witnesses together with their ministers, and they shall go upon an embassy to the most High, and he will remember this day, and will send a deliverance to his covenant. And you, Debbora, begin to speak of that you sawest in the field: how that the people walked and went forth safely, and the stars fought on their part (or, how that, like peoples walking, so went forth the stars and fought). Rejoice, O land, over them that dwell in you, for in you is the knowledge of the Lord which buildeth his stronghold in you. For it was of right that God took out of you the rib of him that was first formed, knowing that out of his rib

Israel should be born. And your forming shall be for a testimony of what the Lord has done for his people. Tarry, O you hours of the day, and hasten not onward, that we may declare that which our understanding can bring forth, for night will come upon us. And it shall be like the night when God smote the firstborn of the Egyptians for the sake of his firstborn. And then shall I cease from my hymn because the time will be hastened (or prepared) for his righteous ones. For I will sing to him as in the renewing of the creation, and the people shall remember this deliverance, and it shall be for a testimony to them. Let the sea also bear witness, with the deeps of it, for not only did God dry it up before the face of our fathers, but he did also overthrow the camp from its setting and overcame our enemies. And when Debbora made an end of her words she went up with the people together to Silo, and they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings and sounded upon the broad trumpets. And when they sounded and had offered the sacrifices, Debbora said: This shall be for a testimony of the trumpets between the stars and the Lord of them. And Debbora went down thence, and judged Israel 40 years. And it came to pass when the day of her death drew near, that she sent and gathered all the people and said to them: Hearken now, my people. Behold, I admonish you as a woman of God, and give you light as one of the race of women; obey me now as your mother, and give ear to my words, as men that shall yourselves die. Behold, I depart to die by the way of all flesh, whereby you also shall go: only direct your heart to the Lord your God in the time of your life, for after your death you will not be able to repent of those things wherein you live. For death is now sealed up, and accomplished, and the measure and the time and the years have restored that which was committed to them. For even if you seek to do evil in hell after your death, you will not be able, because the desire of sin shall cease, and the evil creation 126 shall lose its power, and hell, which receiveth that that is committed to it, will not restore it unless it be demanded by him that committed it. Now, therefore, my sons, obey you my voice while you have the time of life and the light of the law, and direct your ways. And when Debbora spoke these words, all the people lifted up their voice together and wept, saying: Behold now, mother, you diest and forsakest your sons; and to whom dost you commit them? Pray you, therefore, for us, and after your departure your soul shall be mindful of us for ever. And Debbora answered and said to the people: While a man yet liveth he can pray for himself and for his sons; but after his end he will not be able to entreat nor to remember any man. Therefore, hope not in your fathers, for they will not profit you unless you be found like to them. But then your likeness shall be as the stars of the heaven, which have been manifested to you at this time. And Debbora died and slept with her fathers and was buried in the city of her fathers, and the people mourned for her 70 days. And as they bewailed her, thus they spoke a lamentation, saying: Behold, a mother is perished out of Israel, and an holy one that bore rule in the house of Jacob, which made fast the fence about her generation, and her generation shall seek after her. And after her death the land had rest seven years. And at that time there came up a certain Aod 127 of the priests of Madian, and he was a wizard, and he spoke to Israel, saying: why give you ear to your law? Come and I will shew you such a thing as your law is not. And the people said: What can you shew us that our law has not? And he said to the people: Have you ever seen the sun by night? And they said: Nay. And he said: Whensoever you will, I will shew it to you, that you may know that our gods have power, and will not deceive them that serve them. And they said: Shew us. And he departed and wrought with his magic, commanding the angels that were set over sorceries, because for a long time he did sacrifice to them. [Probable restoration: For this was formerly in the power of the angels and was] performed by the angels before they were judged, and they would have destroyed the unmeasurable world; and because they transgressed, it came to pass that the angels had no longer the power. For when they were judged, then the power was not committed to the rest: and by these signs (or powers) do they work who minister to men in sorceries, until the unmeasurable age shall come. And at that time Aod by art magic shewed to the people the sun by night. And the people were astonished and said: Behold, what great things can the gods of the Madianites do, and we knew it not! And God, willing to try Israel whether they were yet in iniquity, suffered the angels, and their work had good success, and the people of Israel were deceived and began to serve the gods of the Madianites. And God said: I will deliver them into the hands of the Madianites, inasmuch as by them are they deceived. And he delivered them into their hands, and the Madianites began to bring Israel into bondage. Now Gedeon was the son of Joath, the most mighty man among all his brethren. And when it was the time of summer, he came to the mountain, having sheaves with him, to thresh them there, and escape from the Madianites that pressed upon him. And the angel of the Lord met him, and said to him: Whence comest you and where is yours entering in? He said to him: Why askest you me whence I come? for straitness encompasseth me, for Israel is fallen into affliction, and they are verily delivered into the hands of the Madianites. And where are the wonders which our fathers have told us, saying: The Lord chose Israel alone before all the peoples of the earth? Lo, now he has delivered us up, and has forgotten the promises which he made to our fathers. For we should have chosen rather to be delivered to death once for all, than that his people should be punished thus time after time. And the angel of the Lord said to him: It is not for nothing that you are delivered up, but your own inventions have brought these things upon you, for like as you have forsaken the promises which you received of the Lord, these evils are come upon you, and you have not been mindful of the commandments of God, which they commanded you that were before you. Therefore are you come into the displeasure of your God. But he will have mercy upon you, as no man has mercy, even upon the race of Israel, and that not for your sakes, but because of them that are fallen asleep. And now come, I will send you, and you shall deliver Israel out of the hand of the Madianites. For thus says the Lord: Though Israel be not righteous, yet because the Madianites are sinners, therefore, knowing the iniquity of my people, I will forgive them, and after that I will rebuke them for that they have done evil, but upon the Madianites I will be avenged presently. And Gedeon said: Who am I and what is my father’s house, that I should go against the Madianites to battle? And the angel said to him: Peradventure you thinkest that as is man’s way so is the way of God. For men look upon the glory of the world and upon riches, but God looketh upon that which is upright and good, and upon meekness. Now therefore go, gird up your loins, and the Lord shall be with you, for you has he chosen to take vengeance of his enemies, like as, behold, he has bidden you. And Gedeon said to him: Let not my Lord be wroth if I speak a word. Behold, Moses, the first of all the prophets, besought the Lord for a sign, and it was given him. But who am I, except the Lord that has chosen me give me a sign that I may know that I go aright. And the angel of the Lord said to him: Run and take for me water out of the pit yonder and pour it upon this rock, and I will give you a sign. And he went and took it as he commanded him. And the angel said to him: Before you pour the water upon the rock, ask what you wouldst have it to become, either blood, or fire, or that it appear not at all. And Gedeon said: Let it become half of it blood and half fire. And Gedeon poured out the water upon the rock, and it came to pass when he had poured it out, that the half part became flame, and the half part blood, and they were mingled together, that is, the fire and the blood, yet the blood did not quench the fire, neither did the fire consume the blood. And when Gedeon saw that, he asked for yet. other signs, and they were given him. Are not these written in the book of the Judges? And Gedeon took 300 men and departed and came to the uttermost part of the camp of Madian, and he heard every man speaking to his neighbour and saying: you shall sec a confusion above reckoning, of the sword of Gedeon, coming upon us, for God has delivered into his hands the camp of the Madianites, and he will begin to make an end of us, even the mother with the children, because our sins are filled up, even as also our gods have shewed us and we believed them not. And now arise, let us succour our souls and fly. And when Gedeon heard these words, immediately he was clothed with the spirit of the Lord, and, being endued with power, he said to the 300 men: Arise and let every one of you gird on his sword, for the Madianites are delivered into our hands. And the men went down with him, and he drew near and began to fight. And they blew the trumpet and cried out together and said: The sword of the Lord is upon us. And they slew of the Madianites about 120,000 men, and the residue of the Madianites fled. And after these things Gedeon came and gathered the people of Israel together and said to them: Behold, the Lord sent me to fight your battle, and I went according as he commanded me. And now I ask one petition of you: turn not away your face; and let every man of you give me the golden armlets which you have on your hands. And Gedeon spread out a coat, and every man cast upon it their armlets, and they were all weighed, and the weight of them was found to be 12 talents (or 12,000 shekels). And Gedeon took them., and of them he made idols and worshipped them. And God said: One way is verily appointed, 129 that I should not rebuke Gedeon in his lifetime, even because when he destroyed the sanctuary of Baal, then all men said: Let Baal avenge himself. Now, therefore, if I chastise him for that he has done evil against me, you will say: It was not God that chastised him, but Baal, because he sinned aforetime against him. Therefore now shall Gedeon die in a good old age, that they may not have whereof to speak. But after that Gedeon is dead I will punish him once, because he has transgressed against me. And Gedeon died in a good old age and was buried in his own city. And he had a son by a concubine whose name was Abimelech; the same slew all his brethren, desiring to be ruler over the people. [A leaf gone.] 130 Then all the trees of the field came together to the fig-tree and said: Come, reign over us. And the fig-tree said: Was I indeed born in the kingdom or in the rulership over the trees? or was I planted to that and that I should reign over you? And therefore even as I cannot reign over you, neither shall Abimelech obtain continuance in his rulership. After that the trees came together to the vine and said: Come, reign over us. And the vine said: I was planted to give to men the sweetness of wine, and I am preserved by rendering to them my fruit. But like as I cannot reign over you, so shall the blood of Abimelech be required at your hand. And after that the trees came to the apple and said: Come, reign over us. And he said: It was commanded me to yield to men a fruit of sweet savour. Therefore I cannot reign over you, and Abimelech shall die by stones. Then came the trees to the bramble and said: Come, reign over us. And the bramble said: When the thorn was born, truth did shine forth in the semblance of a thorn. And when our first father was condemned to death, the earth was condemned to bring forth thorns and thistles. And when the truth enlightened Moses, it was by a thorn bush that it enlightened him. Now therefore it shall be that by me the truth shall be heard of you. Now if you have spoken in sincerity to the bramble that it should in truth reign over you, sit you under the shadow of it: but if with dissembling, then let fire go forth and devour and consume the trees of the field. For the apple-tree was made for the chastisers, and the fig-tree was made for the people, and the vine[yard] was made for them that were before us. And now shall the bramble be to you even as Abimelech, which slew his brethren with wrong, and desireth to rule over you. If Abimelech be worthy of them (or Let Abimelech be a fire to them) whom he desireth to rule, let him be as the bramble which was made to rebuke the foolish among the people. And there went forth fire out of the bramble and devoured the trees that are in the field. After that Abimelech ruled over the people for one year and six months, and he died hard by a certain tower, whence a woman cast down upon him the half of a millstone. [A gap of uncertain length in the text.] (Then did Jair judge Israel 22 years.) The same built a sanctuary to Baal, and led the people astray saying: Every man that sacrificeth not to Baal shall die. And when all the people sacrificed, seven men only would not sacrifice whose names are these: Dephal, Abiesdrel, Getalibal, Selumi, Assur, Jonadali, Memihel. The same answered and said to Jair: Behold, we remember the precepts which they that were before us commanded us, and Debbora our mother, saying: Take heed that you turn not away your heart to the right hand or to the left, but attend to the law of the Lord day and night. Now therefore why dost you corrupt the people of the Lord and deceive them, saying: Baal is God, let us worship him? And now if he be God as you sayest, let him speak as a God, and then we will sacrifice to him. And Jair 131 said: Burn them with fire, for they have blasphemed Baal. And his servants took them to burn them with fire. And when they cast them upon the fire there went forth Nathaniel, the angel which is over fire, and quenched the fire and burned up the servants of Jair: but the seven men he made to escape, so that no man of the people saw them, for he had smitten the people with blindness. And when Jair came to the place (or it came to the place of Jair) he also was burned. But before he burned him, the angel of the Lord said to him: Hear the word of the Lord before you diest. Thus says the Lord: I raised you up out of the land of Egypt, and appointed you ruler over my peoples. But you hast risen and corrupted my covenant, and hast led them astray, and hast sought to burn my servants in the flame, because they reproved you, which though they be burned with corruptible fire, yet now are they quickened with living fire and are delivered. But you shall die, says the Lord, and in the fire wherein you shall die, in it shall you have your dwelling. And thereafter he burned him, and came even to the pillar of Baal and overthrew it, and burned up Baal with the people that stood by, even 1000 men. And after these things came the children of Ammon and began to fight against Israel and took many of their cities. And when the people were greatly straitened, they gathered together in Masphath, saying every man to his neighbours: Behold now, we see the strait which encompasseth us, and the Lord is departed from us, and is no more with us, and our enemies have taken our cities, and there is no leader to go in and out before our face. Now therefore let us see whom we may set over us to fight our battle. Now Jepthan the Galaadite was a mighty man of valour, and because he was jealous of his brothers, they had cast him out of his land, and he went and dwelt in the land of Tobi. And vagrant men gathered themselves to him and abode with him. And it came to pass when Israel was overcome in battle, that they came into the land of Tobi to Jepthan and said to him: Come, rule over the people. For who knows whether you wast therefore preserved to this day or wast therefore delivered out of the hands of your brethren that you mightest at this time bear rule over your people? And Jepthan said to them: does love so return after hatred, or does time overcome all things? For you did cast me out of my land and out of my father’s house; and now are you come to me when you are in a strait? And they said to him: If the God of our fathers remembered not our sins, but delivered us when we had sinned against him and he had given us over before the face of our enemies, and we were oppressed by them, why will you that art a mortal man remember the iniquities which happened to us, in the time of our affliction? Therefore be it not so before you, lord. And Jepthan said: God indeed is able to be unmindful of our sins, seeing he has time and place to repose himself of his long-suffering, for he is God; but I am mortal, made of the earth: whereunto I shall return, and where shall I cast away mine anger, and the wrong wherewith you have injured me? And the people said to him: Let the dove instruct you, whereunto Israel was likened, for though her young be taken away from her, yet departeth she not out of her place, but spurneth away her wrong and forgetteth it as it were in the bottom of the deep. And Jepthan arose and went with them and gathered all the people, and said to them: you know how that when our princes were alive, they admonished us to follow our law. And Ammon and his sons turned away the people from their way wherein they walked, to serve other gods which should destroy them. Now therefore set your hearts in the law of the Lord your God, and let us entreat him with one accord. And so will we fight against our adversaries, and trust and hope in the Lord that he will not deliver us up for ever. For although our sins do overabound, nevertheless his mercy filleth all the earth. And the whole people prayed with one accord, both men and women, boys and sucklings. And when they prayed they said: Look, O Lord, upon the people whom you hast chosen, and spoil not the vine which your right hand has planted; that this people may be before you for an inheritance, whom you hast possessed from the beginning, and whom you hast preferred alway, and for whose sake you hast made the habitable places, and brought them into the land which you swarest to them; deliver us not up before them that hate you, O Lord. And God repented him of his anger and strengthened the spirit of Jepthan. And he sent a message to Getal the king of the children of Ammon and said: why vexest you our land and hast taken my cities, or why afflictest you us? you hast not been commanded of the God of Israel to destroy them that dwell in the land. Now therefore restore to me my cities, and mine anger shall cease from you. But if not, know that I will come up to you and repay you for the former things, and recompense your wickedness upon yours head: rememberest you not how you didst deal deceitfully with the people of Israel in the wilderness? And the messengers of Jepthan spoke these words to the king of the children of Ammon. And Getal said: Did Israel take thought when he took the land of the Amorites? Say therefore: Know you that now I will take from you the remnant of your cities and will repay you your wickedness and will take vengeance for the Amorites whom you hast wronged. And Jepthan sent yet again to the king of the children of Ammon saying: Of a truth I perceive that God has brought you hither that I may destroy you, unless you rest from yours iniquity wherewith you will vex Israel. And therefore I will come to you and show myself to you. For they are not, as you say, gods which have given you the inheritance that you possess. But because you have been led astray after stones, fire shall follow after you to vengeance. And because the king of the children of Ammon would not hear the voice of Jepthan, Jepthan arose and armed all the people to go forth and fight in the borders saying: When the children of Ammon are delivered into my hands and I am returned, any that first meeteth with me shall be for a burnt offering to the Lord. And the Lord was very wroth and said: Behold, Jepthan has vowed that he will offer to me that which meeteth with him first. Now therefore if a dog meet with Jepthan first, shall a dog be offered to me? And now let the vow of Jepthan be upon his firstborn, even upon the fruit of his body, and his prayer upon his only begotten daughter. But I will verily deliver my people at this time, not for his sake, but for the prayer which Israel has prayed. And Jepthan came and fought against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivered them into his hand, and he smote threescore of their cities. And Jepthan returned in peace. And the women came out to meet him with dances. And he had an only begotten daughter; the same came out first in the dances to meet her father. And when Jepthan saw her he fainted and said: Rightly is your name called Seila, 132 that you shouldest be offered for a sacrifice. And now who will put my heart in the balance and weigh my soul? and I will stand and see whether one will outweigh the other, the rejoicing that is come or the affliction which comes upon me? for in that I have opened my mouth to my Lord in the song of my vows, I cannot call it back again. And Seila his daughter said to him: And who is it that can be sorrowful in their death when they see the people delivered? Rememberest you not that which was in the days of our fathers, when the father set his son for a burnt offering and he gainsaid him not, but consented to him rejoicing? And he that was offered was ready, and he that offered was glad. Now therefore annul not anything of that you has vowed, but grant to me one prayer. I ask of you before I die a small request: I beseech you that before I give up my soul, I may go into the mountains and wander (or abide) among the hills and walk about among the rocks, I and the virgins that are my fellows, and pour out my tears there and tell the affliction of my youth; and the trees of the field shall bewail me and the beasts of the field shall lament for me; for I am not sorrowful for that I die, neither does it grieve me that I give up my soul: but whereas my father was overtaken in his vow, [and] if I offer not myself willingly for a sacrifice, I fear lest my death be not acceptable, and that I shall lose my life to no purpose. These things will I tell to the mountains, and after that I will return. And her father said: Go. And Seila the daughter of Jepthan went forth, she and the virgins that were her fellows, and came and told it to the wise men of the people. And no man could answer her words. And after that she went into the mount Stelac, and by night the Lord thought upon her, and said: Lo, now have I shut up the tongue of the wise among my people before this generation, that they could not answer the word of the daughter of Jepthan, that my word might be fulfilled, and my counsel not destroyed which I had devised: and I have seen that she is more wise than her father, and a maiden of understanding more than all the wise which are here. And now let her life be given her at her request, and her death shall be precious in my sight at all times. And when the daughter of Jepthan came to the mount Stelac, she began to lament. And this is her lamentation wherewith she mourned and bewailed herself before she departed, and she said: Hearken, O mountains, to my lamentation, and look, O hills, upon the tears of mine eyes, and be witness, O rocks, in the bewailing of my soul. Behold how I am accused, but my soul shall not be taken away in vain. Let my words go forth into the heavens, and let my tears be written before the face of the firmament, that the father overcome not (or fight not against) his daughter whom he has vowed to offer up, that her ruler may hear that his only begotten daughter is promised for a sacrifice. Yet I have not been satisfied with my bed of marriage, neither filled with the garlands of my wedding. For I have not been arrayed with brightness, sitting in my maidenhood; I have not used my precious ointment, neither has my soul enjoyed the oil of anointing which was prepared for me. O my mother, to no purpose hast you borne yours only begotten, and begotten her upon the earth, for hell is become my marriage chamber. Let all the mingling of oil which you hast prepared for me be poured out, and the white robe which my mother wove for me, let the moth eat it, and the crown of flowers which my nurse plaited for me aforetime, let it wither, and the coverlet which she wove of violet and purple for my virginity, let the worm spoil it; and when the virgins, my fellows, tell of me, let them bewail me with groaning for many days. Bow down your branches, O you trees, and lament my youth. Come, you beasts of the forest, and trample upon my virginity. For my years are cut off, and the days of my life are waxen old in darkness. And when she had so said, Seila returned to her father, and he did all that he had vowed, and offered burnt offerings. Then all the maidens of Israel gathered together and buried the daughter of Jepthan and bewailed her. And the children of Israel made a great lamentation and appointed in that month, on the 14th day of the month, that they should come together every year and lament for the daughter of Jepthan four days. And they called the name of her sepulchre according to her own name Seila. And Jepthan judged the children of Israel ten years, and died, and was buried with his fathers. And after him there arose a judge in Israel, Addo the son of Elech of Praton, and he also judged the children of Israel eight years. In his days the king of Moab sent messengers to him saying: Behold now, you knowest that Israel has taken my cities: now therefore restore them in recompense. And Addo said: Are you not yet instructed by that which has befallen the children of Ammon, unless peradventure the sins of Moab be filled up? And Addo sent and took of the people 20,000 men and came against Moab, and fought against them and slew of them 45,000 men. And the remnant fled before him. And Addo returned in peace and offered burnt offerings and sacrifices to his Lord, and died, and was buried in Ephrata his city. And at that time the people chose Elon and made him judge over them, and he judged Israel twenty years. In those days they fought against the Philistines and took of them twelve cities. And Elon died and was buried in his city. But the children of Israel forgat the Lord their God and served the gods of the dwellers in the land. Therefore were they delivered to the Philistines and served them forty years. Now there was a man of the tribe of Dan, whose name was Manue, the son of Edoc, the son of Odo, the son of Eriden, the son of Phadesur, the son of Dema, the son of Susi, the son of Dan. And he had a wife whose name was Eluma, the daughter of Remac. And she was barren and bore him no child. And when Manue her husband said to her day by day: Lo, the Lord has shut up your womb, that you shouldest not bear; set me free, therefore, that I may take an other wife lest I die without issue. And she said: The Lord has not shut up me from bearing, but you, that I should bear no fruit. And he said to her: Let the law make plain our trial. And as they contended day by day and both of them were sore grieved because they lacked fruit, upon a certain night the woman went up into the upper chamber and prayed saying: Do you, O Lord God of all flesh, reveal to me whether to my husband or to me it is not given to beget children, or to whom it is forbidden or to whom allowed to bear fruit, that to whom it is forbidden, the same may mourn for his sins, because he continueth without fruit. Or if both of us be deprived, reveal this also to us, that we may bear our sin and keep silence before you. And the Lord hearkened to her voice and sent her his angel in the morning, and said to her: you art the barren one that bringeth not forth, and you art the womb which is forbidden, to bear fruit. But now has the Lord heard your voice and looked upon your tears and opened your womb. And behold you shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Samson, for he shall be holy to your Lord. But take heed that he taste not of any fruit of the vine, neither eat any unclean thing, for as himself has said, he shall deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines. And when the angel of the Lord had spoken these words he departed from her. And she came to her husband into the house and said to him: Lo, I lay mine hand upon my mouth and will keep silence before you all my days, because it was in vain that I boasted myself, and believed not your words. For the angel of the Lord came to me to-day, and showed me, saying: Eluma, you art barren, but you shall conceive and bear a son. And Manue believed not his wife. And he was ashamed and grieved and went up, he also, into the upper chamber and prayed saying: Lo, I am not worthy to hear the signs and wonders which God has wrought in us, or to see the face of his messenger. And it came to pass while he thus spoke, the angel of the Lord came yet again to his wife. Now she was in the field and Manue was in his house. And the angel said to her: Run and call to yours husband, for God has accounted him worthy to hear my voice. And the woman ran and called to her husband, and he hasted and came to the angel in the field in Ammo (?), which said to him: Go in to your wife and do quickly all these things. But he said to him: Yet see you to it, Lord, that your word be accomplished upon your servant. And he said: It shall be so. And Manue said to him: If I were able, I would persuade you to enter into mine house and eat bread with me, and know that when you goest away I would give you gifts to take with you that you mightest offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God. And the angel said to him: I will not go in with you into yours house, neither eat your bread, neither will I receive

your gifts. For if you offerest a sacrifice of that which is not yours, I can not show favour to you. And Manue built an altar upon the rock, and offered sacrifices and burnt offerings. And it came to pass when he had cut up the flesh and laid it upon the holy place, the angel put forth his hand and touched it with the end of his sceptre. And there came forth fire out of the rock and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices. And the angel went up from him with the flame of the fire. But Manue and his wife when they saw that, fell upon their faces and said: We shall surely die, because we have seen the Lord face to face. And it sufficed me not that I saw him, but I did also ask, his name, knowing not that he was the minister of God. Now the angel that came was called Phadahel. And it came to pass in the time of those days, that Eluma conceived and bore a son and called his name Samson. And the Lord was with him. And when he was begun to grow up, and sought to fight against the Philistines, he took him a wife of the Philistines. And the Philistines burned her with fire, for they were brought very low by Samson. And after that Samson entered into (or was enraged against) Azotus. And they shut him in and compassed the city about and said: Behold, now is our adversary delivered into our hands. Now therefore let us gather ourselves together and succour the souls one of another. And when Samson was arisen in the night and saw the city closed in he said: Lo, now, these fleas have shut me up in their city. And now shall the Lord be with me, and I will go forth by their gates and fight against them. And he went and set his left hand under the bar of the gate and shook it and threw down the gate of the wall. One of the gates he held in his right hand for a shield, and the other he laid upon his shoulders and bore it away, and because he had no sword he pursued after the Philistines with it, and killed with it 25,000 men. And he lifted up all the purtenances of the gate and set them up on a mountain. Now concerning the lion which he slew, and the jawbone of the ass wherewith he smote the Philistines, and the bands which he brake off from his arms as it were of themselves, and the foxes which he caught, are not these things written in the book of the Judges? Then Samson went down to Gerara, a city of the Philistines, and saw there an harlot whose name was Dalila, and was led away after her, and took her to him to wife. And God said: Behold, now Samson is led astray by his eyes and has forgotten the mighty works which I have wrought with him, and is mingled with the daughters of the Philistines, and has not considered my servant Joseph which was in a strange land and became a crown to his brethren because he would not afflict his seed. Now therefore shall his concupiscence be a stumbling-block to Samson, and his mingling shall be his destruction, and I will deliver him to his enemies and they shall blind him. Yet in the hour of his death will I remember him, and will avenge him yet once upon the Philistines. And after these things his wife was importunate to him, saying to him: Show me your strength, and wherein is your might. So shall I know that you lovest me. And when Samson had deceived her three times, and she continued importunate to him every day, the fourth time he showed her his heart. But she made him drunk, and when he slumbered she called a barber, and he shaved the seven locks of his head, and his might departed from him, for so had himself revealed to her. And she called the Philistines, and they smote Samson, and blinded him, and put him in prison. And it came to pass in the day of their banqueting, that they called for Samson that they might mock him. And he being-bound between two pillars prayed saying: O Lord God of my fathers, hear me yet this once, and strengthen me that I may die with these Philistines: for this sight of the eyes which they have taken from me was freely given to me by you. And Samson added saying: Go forth, O my soul, and be not grieved. Die, O my body, and weep not for thyself. And he took hold upon the two pillars of the house and shook them. And the house fell and all that was in it and slew all them that were round about it, and the number of them was 40,000 men and women. And the brethren of Samson came down and all his father’s house, and took him and buried him in the sepulchre of his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. And in those days there was no prince in Israel: but every man did that which was pleasing in his sight. At that time Michas arose, the son of Dedila the mother of Heliu, and he had 1000 drachms of gold and four wedges of molten gold, and 40 didrachms of silver. And his mother Dedila said to him: My son, hear my voice and you shall make you a name before your death: take you that gold and melt it, and you shall make you idols, and they shall be to you gods, and you shall become a priest to them. And it shall be that whoso will inquire by them, they shall come to you and you shall answer them. And there shall be in yours house an altar and a pillar built, and of that gold you hast, you shall buy you incense for burning and sheep for sacrifices. And it shall be that whoso will offer sacrifice, he shall give for sheep 7 didrachms, and for incense, if he will burn it, he shall give one didrachm of silver of full weight. And your name shall be Priest, and you shall be called a worshipper of the gods. And Michas said to her: you hast well counselled me, my mother, how I may live: and now shall your name be greater than my name, and in the last days these things shall be required of you. And Michas went and did all that his mother had commanded him. And he carved out and made for himself three images of boys, and of calves, and a lion and an eagle and a dragon and a dove. And it was so that all that were led astray came to him, and if any would ask for wives, they inquired of him by the dove; and if for sons, by the image of the boys: but he that would ask for riches took counsel by the likeness of the eagle, and he that asked for strength by the image of the lion: again, if they asked for men and maidens they inquired by the images of calves, but if for length of days, they inquired by the image of the dragon. And his iniquity was of many shapes, and his impiety was full of guile. Therefore then, when the children of Israel departed from the Lord, the Lord said: Behold I will root out the earth and destroy all the race of men, because when I appointed great things upon mount Sina, I showed myself to the children of Israel in the tempest and I said that they should not make idols, and they consented that they should not carve the likeness of gods. And I appointed to them they should not take my name in vain, and they chose this, even not to take my name in vain. And I commanded them to keep the sabbath day, and they consented to me to sanctify themselves. And I said to them that they should honour their father and mother: and they promised that they would so do. And I appointed to them not to steal, and they consented. And I bade them do no murder, and they received it, that they should not. And I commanded them not to commit adultery, and they refused not. And I appointed to them to bear no false witness, and not to covet every man his neighbour’s wife or his house or anything that is his: and they accepted it. And now, whereas I spoke to them that they should not make idols, they have made the works of all those gods that are born of corruption by the name of a graven image. And also of them through whom all things have been corrupted. For mortal men made them, and the

fire served in the melting of them: the act of men brought them forth, and hands have wrought them, and understanding contrived them. And whereas they have received them, they have taken my name in vain, and have given my name to graven images, and upon the sabbath day which they accepted, to keep it, they have wrought abominations therefrom. Because I said to them that they should love their father and mother, they have dishonoured me their maker. And for that I said to them they should not steal, they have dealt thievishly in their understanding with graven images. And whereas I said they should not kill, they do kill them when they deceive. And when I had commanded them not to commit adultery, they have played the adulterer with their jealousy. And where they did choose not to bear false witness, they have received false witness from them whom they cast out, and have lusted after strange women. Therefore, behold, I abhor the race of men, and to the end I may root out my creation, they that die shall be multiplied above the number of them that are born. For the house of Jacob is defiled with iniquities and the impieties of Israel are multiplied and I cannot [some words lost] wholly destroy the tribe of Benjamin, because that they first were led away after Michas. And the people of Israel also shall not be unpunished, but it shall be to them an offence for ever to the memory of all generations. But Michas will I deliver to the fire. And his mother shall pine away in his sight, living upon the earth, and worms shall issue forth out of her body. And when they shall speak one to the other, she shall say as it were a mother rebuking her son: Behold what a sin hast you committed. And he shall answer as it were a son obedient to his mother and dealing craftily: And you hast wrought yet greater iniquity. And the likeness of the dove which he made shall be to put out his eyes, and the likeness of the eagle shall be to shed fire from the wings of it, and the images of the boys he made shall be to scrape his sides, and for the image of the lion which he made, it shall be to him as mighty ones tormenting him. And thus will I do not only to Michas but to all them also that sin against me. And now let the race. of men know that they shall not provoke me by their own inventions. Neither to them only that make idols shall this chastisement come, but it shall be to every man, that with what sin he has sinned with it shall he be judged. Therefore if they shall speak lies before me, I will command the heaven and it shall defraud them of rain. And if any will covet the goods of his, neighbour, I will command death and it shall deny them the fruit of their body. And if they swear by my name falsely I will not bear their prayer. And when the soul parteth from the body, then they shall say: Let us not mourn for the things which we have suffered, but because whatever we have devised, that shall we also receive. And it came to pass at that time that a certain man of the tribe of Levi came to Gabaon, and when he desired to abide there, the sun set. And when he would enter in there, they that dwelt there suffered him not. And he said to his lad: Go on, lead the mule, and we will go to the city of Noba, peradventure they will suffer us to enter in there. And he came thither and sat in the street of the city. And no man said to him: Come into my house. But there was there a certain Levite whose name was Bethac. The same saw him and said to him: Art you Beel of my tribe? And he said: I am. And he said to him: Knowest you not the wickedness of them that dwell in this city? Who counselled you to enter in hither? Haste and go out hence, and come into my house wherein I dwell, and abide there to- day, and the, Lord shall shut up their heart before us, as he shut up the men of Sodom before the face of Lot. And he entered into the city and abode there that night. And all the dwellers in the city came together and said to Bethac: Bring forth them that came to you this day, and if not we will burn them and you with fire. And he went out to them and said to them: Are not they our brethren? Let us not deal evilly with them, lest our sins be multiplied against us. And they answered: It was never so, that strangers should give commands to the indwellers. And they entered in with violence and took out him and his concubine and cast them forth, and they, ‘Let the man go, but they abused his concubine until she died; for she had transgressed against her husband at one time by sinning with the Amalekites, and therefore did the Lord God deliver her into the hands of sinners. And when it was day Beel went out and found his concubine dead. And he laid her upon the mule and hasted and went out and came to Gades. And he took her body and divided it and sent it into all parts (or by portions) throughout the twelve tribes, saying: These things were done to me in the city of Noba, for the dwellers in it rose up against me to slay me and took my concubine and shut me up and slew her. And if this is pleasing before your face) keep you silence, and let the Lord be judge: but if you will avenge it, the Lord shall help you. And all the men, even the twelve tribes, were confounded. And they gathered together to Silo and said every man to his neighbour: has such iniquity been done in Israel? And the Lord said to the Adversary: 138 Seest you how this foolish people is disturbed? In the hour when they should have died, even when Michas dealt craftily to deceive the people with these, that is, with the dove and the eagle and with the image of men and calves and of a lion and of a dragon, then were they not moved. And therefore because they were not provoked to anger, let their counsel now be vain and their heart moved, that they who allow evil may be consumed as well as the sinners. And when it was day the people of Israel were greatly moved and said: Let us go up and search out the sin that is done, that the iniquity may be taken away from us. And they spoke thus, and said: Let us inquire first of the Lord and learn whether he will deliver our brethren into our hands. And if not, let us forbear. And Phinees said to them: Let us offer the Demonstration and the Truth. And the Lord answered them and said: Go up, for I will deliver them into your hands. But he deceived them, that he might accomplish his word. And they went up to battle and came to the city of Benjamin and sent messengers saying: Send us the men that have done this wickedness and we will spare you, but requite to every man his evil doing. And the people of Benjamin hardened their heart and said to the people of Israel: why should we deliver our brethren to you? If you spare them not, we will even fight against you. And the people of Benjamin came out against the children of Israel and pursued after them, and the children of Israel fell before them and they smote of them 45,000 men. And the heart of the people was very sore vexed, and they came weeping and mourning to Silo and said: Behold, the Lord has delivered us up before the dwellers in Noba. Now let us inquire of the Lord which among us has sinned. And they inquired of the Lord and he said to them: If you will, go up and fight, and they shall be delivered into your hands; and then it shall be told you why you fell before them. And they went tip the second day to fight against them. And the children of Benjamin came out and pursued after Israel and smote of them 46,000 men. And the heart of the people was altogether melted and they said: has God willed to deceive his people? or has he so ordained because of the evil that is done that as well the innocent should fall as theythat do evil? And when they spoke thus they fell down before the ark of the covenant of the Lord and rent their clothes and put ashes upon their heads both they and Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest, which prayed and said: What is this deceit wherewith you hast deceived us, O Lord? If it be righteous before your face which the children of Benjamin have done, why didst you not tell us, that we might consider it? But if it was not pleasing in your sight, why didst you suffer us to fall before them? And Phinees added and said: O God of our fathers, hear my voice, and tell your servant this day if it is well done in your sight, or if peradventure the people have sinned and you wouldest destroy their evil, that you mightest correct among us also them that have sinned against you. For I remember in my youth when Jambri sinned in the days of Moses your servant, and I verily entered in, and was zealous in my soul, and lifted up both of them upon my sword, and the remnant would have risen against me to put me to death, and you sentest yours angel and didst smite of them 24,000 men and deliver me out of their hands. And now you hast sent the eleven tribes and brought them hither saying: Go and smite them. And when they went they were delivered up. And now they say that the declarations of your truth are lying before you. And now, O Lord God of our fathers, hide it not from your servant, but tell us why you hast done this iniquity against us. And when the Lord saw that Phinees prayed earnestly before him, he said to him: By myself have I sworn, says the Lord, that had I not sworn, I would not have remembered you in that you hast spoken, neither would I have answered you this day. And now say to the people: Stand up and hear the word of the Lord, Thus says the Lord: There was a certain mighty lion in the midst of the forest, and to him all the beasts committed the forest that he should guard it by his power, lest perchance other beasts should come and lay it waste. And while the lion guarded it there came beasts of the field from another forest and devoured all the young of the beasts and laid waste the fruit of their body, and the lion saw it and held his peace. Now the beasts were at peace, because they had entrusted the forest to the lion, and perceived not that their young were destroyed. And after a time there arose a very small beast of those that had committed the forest to the lion, and devoured the least of the whelps of another very evil beast. And lo, the lion cried out and stirred up all the beasts of the forest, and they fought among themselves, and every one fought against his neighbour. And when many beasts were destroyed, another whelp out of another forest like to it, saw it, and said: Hast you not destroyed as many beasts? What iniquity is this, that in the beginning when many beasts and their young were destroyed unjustly by other evil beasts, and when all the beasts should have been moved to avenge themselves, seeing the fruit of their body was despoiled to no purpose, then you didst keep silence and spakest not, but now one whelp of an evil beast has perished, and you hast stirred up the whole forest that all the beasts should devour one another without cause, and the forest be diminished. Now therefore you oughtest first to be destroyed, and so the remnant be established. And when the young of the beasts heard that, they slew the lion first, and put over them the whelp in his stead, and so the rest of the beasts were subject together. Michas arose and made you rich by that which he committed, both he and his mother. And there were evil things and wicked, which none devised before them, but in his subtlety he made graven images, which had not been made to that day, and no man was provoked, but you were all led astray, and did see the fruit of your body spoiled, and held your peace even as that evil lion. And now when you saw how that this man’s concubine which suffered evil, 139 died, you were moved all of you and came to me saying: will you deliver the children of Benjamin into our hands? Therefore did I deceive you and said: I will deliver them to you. And now I have destroyed them which then held their peace, and so will I take vengeance on all that have done wickedly against me. But you, go you up now, for I will deliver them to you. And all the people arose with one accord and went. And the children of Benjamin came out against them and thought that they would over come them as heretofore. And they knew not that their wickedness was fulfilled upon them. And when they had come on as at first, and were pursuing after them, the people fled from the face of them to give them place, and then they arose out of their ambushes, and the children of Benjamin were in the midst of them. Then they which were fleeing turned back, and the men of the city of Noba were slain, both men and women, even 85,000 men, and the children of Israel burned the city and took the spoils and destroyed all things with the edge of the sword. And no man was left of the children of Benjamin save only 600 men which fled and were not found in the battle. And all the people returned to Silo and Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest with them. Now these are they that were left of the race of Benjamin, the princes of the tribe, of ten families whose names are these: of the 1st family: Ezbaile, Zieb, Balac, Reindebac, Belloch; and of the 2nd family: Nethac, Zenip, Phenoch, Demech, Geresaraz; and of the 3rd family: Jerimuth, Veloth, Amibel, Genuth, Nephuth, Phienna; and of the 4th city: Gemuph, Eliel, Gemoth, Soleph, Raphaph, and Doffo; and of the 5th family: Anuel, Code, Fretan, Remmon, Peccan, Nabath; and of the 6th family: Rephaz, Sephet, Araphaz, Metach, Adhoc, Balinoc; and of the 7th family: Benin, Mephiz, Araph, Ruimel, Belon, Iaal, Abac; and (of) the (8th, 9th and) 10th family: Enophlasa, Melec, Meturia, Meac; and the rest of the princes of the tribe which were left, in number threescore. And at that time did the Lord requite to Michas and to his mother all the things that he had spoken. And Michas was melted with fire and his mother was pining away, even as the Lord had spoken concerning them. At that time also Phinees laid himself down to die, and the Lord said to him: Behold you hast overpassed the 120 years that were ordained to all men. And now arise and go hence and dwell in the mount Danaben and abide there many years, and I will command mine eagle and he shall feed you there, and you shall not comedown any more to men until the time come and you be proved in the time. And then shall you shut the heaven, and at your word it shall be opened. And after that you shall be lifted up into the place whither they that were before you were lifted up, and shall be there until I remember the world. And then will I bring you and you shall taste what is death. And Phinees went up and did all that the Lord commanded him. Now in the days when he appointed him to be priest, he anointed him in Silo. And at that time, when he went up, then it came to pass that the children of Israel when they kept the passover commanded the children of Benjamin saying: Go up and take wives for yourselves by force.. because we cannot give you our daughters, for we sware in the time of our anger: and it cannot be that a tribe perish out of Israel. And the children of Benjamin went up and seized for themselves wives and built Gabaon for them selves and began to dwell there. And whereas in the meanwhile the children of Israel were at rest, they had no prince in those days, and every man did that which was right in his own eyes. These are the commandments and the judgments and the testimonies and the manifestations that were in the days of the judges of Israel, before a king reigned over them.

XLIX And at that time the children of Israel began to inquire of the Lord, and said: Let us; all cast lots, that we may see who there is that can rule over us like Cenez, for peradventure we shall find a man that can deliver us from our afflictions, for it is not expedient that the people should be without a prince. And they cast the lot and found no man; and the people were greatly grieved and said: The people is not worthy to be heard by the Lord, for he has not answered us. Now therefore let us cast lots even by tribes, if perchance God will be appeased by a multitude, for we know that he will be reconciled to them that are worthy of him. And they cast lots by tribes, and upon no tribe did the lot come forth. And Israel said: Let us choose one of ourselves, for we are in a strait, for we perceive that God abhorreth his people, and that his soul is displeased at us. And one answered and said to the people, whose name was Nethez: It is not he that hateth us, but we ourselves have made ourselves to be hated, that God should forsake us. And therefore, even though we die, let us not forsake him, but let us flee to him for refuge; for we have walked in our evil ways and have not known him that made us, and therefore will our device be vain. For I know that God will not cast us off for ever, neither will he hate his people to all generations: therefore now be you strong and let us pray yet again and cast lots by cities, for although our sins be enlarged, yet will his long-suffering not fail. And they cast lots by cities, and the lot came upon Armathem. And the people said: Is Armathem accounted righteous beyond all the cities of Israel, that he has chosen her thus before all the cities? And every man said to his neighbour: In that same city which has come forth by lot let us cast the lot by men, and let us see whom the Lord has chosen out of her. And they cast the lot by men, and it took no man save Elchana, for upon him the lot leapt out, 142 and the people took him And said: Come and be ruler over us. And Elchana said to the people: I cannot be a prince over this people, neither can I judge who can be a prince over you. But if my sins have found me out, that the lot should leap upon me, I will slay myself, that you defile me not; for it is just that I should die for my own sins only and not have to bear the weight of the people. And when the people saw that it was not the will of Elchana to take the leadership over them, they prayed again to the Lord saying: O Lord God of Israel, why hast you forsaken your people in the victory of the enemy 143 and neglected yours heritage in the time of trouble? Behold even he that was taken by the lot has not accomplished your commandment; but only this has come about, 144 that the lot leapt out upon him, and we believed that we had a prince. And lo, he also contendeth against the lot. Whom shall we yet require, or to whom shall we flee, and where is the place of our rest? For if the ordinances are true which you madest with our fathers, saying: I will enlarge your seed, and they shall know of this,

then it were better that you said to us, I will cut off your seed, than that you shouldest have no regard to our root. And God said to them: If indeed I recompensed you according to your evil deeds, I ought not to give ear to your people; but what shall I do, because my name comes to be called upon you? And now know you that Elchana upon whom the lot has fallen cannot rule over you, but it is rather his son that shall be born of him; he shall be prince over you and shall prophesy; and from henceforth there shall not be wanting to you a prince for many years. And the people said: Behold, Lord, Elchana has ten sons, and which of them shall be a prince or shall prophesy? And God said: Not any of the sons of Phenenna can be a prince over the people, but he that is born of the barren woman whom I have given him to wife, he shall be a prophet before me, and I will love him even as I loved Isaac, and his name shall be before me for ever. And the people said: Behold now, it may be that God has remembered us, to deliver us from the hand of them that hate us. And in that day they offered peace offerings and feasted in their orders. Now [whereas] Elchana had two wives, the name of the one was Anna and the name of the other Phenenna. And because Phenenna had sons, and Anna had none, Phenenna reproached her, saying: What profiteth it you that Elchana yours husband loveth you? but you art a dry tree. I know moreover that he will love me, because he delighteth to see my sons standing about him like the planting of an oliveyard. And so it was, when she reproached her every day, and Anna was very sore at heart, and she feared God from her youth, it came to pass when the good day of the passover drew on, and her husband went up to do sacrifice, that Phenenna reviled Anna saying: A woman is not indeed beloved even if her husband love her or her beauty. Let not Anna therefore boast herself of her beauty, but he that boasteth let him boast when he seeth his seed before his face; and when it is not so among women, even the fruit of their womb, then shall love become of no account. For what profit was it to Rachel that Jacob loved her? except there had been given her the fruit of her womb, surely his love would have been to no purpose? And when Anna heard that, her soul was melted within her and her eyes ran down with tears. And her husband saw her and said: why art you sad, and eatest not, and why is your heart within you cast down? Is not your behaviour 145 better than the ten sons of Phenenna? And Anna hearkened to him and arose after she had eaten, and came to Silo to the house of the Lord where Heli the priest abode, whom Phinees the son of Eleazar the priest had presented as it was commanded him. And Anna prayed and said: Hast not you, O Lord, examined the heart of all generations before you formedst the world? But what is the womb that is born open, or what one that is shut up dieth, except you will it? And now let my prayer go up before you this day, lest I go down hence empty, for you knowest my heart, how I have walked before you from the days of my youth. And Anna would not pray aloud as do all men, for she took thought at that time saying: Lest perchance I be not worthy to be heard, and it shall be that Phenenna will envy me yet more and reproach me as she daily says: Where is your God in whom you trustest? And I know that it is not she that has many sons that is enriched, neither she that lacketh them is poor, but whoso aboundeth in the will of God, she is enriched. For they that know for what I have prayed, if they perceive that I am not heard in my prayer, will blaspheme. And I shall not only have a witness in mine own soul, for my tears also are handmaidens of my prayers. And as she prayed, Heli the priest, seeing that she was afflicted in her mind and carried herself like one drunken, said to her: Go, put away your wine from you. And she said: Is my prayer so heard that I am called drunken? Verily I am drunken with sorrow and have drunk the cup of my weeping. And Heli the priest said to her: Tell me your reproach. And she said to him: I am the wife of Elchana, and because God has surely shut up my womb, therefore I prayed before him that I might not depart out of this world to him Without fruit, neither die without leaving mine own image. And Heli the priest said to her: Go, for I know why you hast prayed, and. your prayer is heard. But Heli the priest would not tell her that a prophet was foreordained to be born of her: for he had heard when the Lord spoke concerning him. And Anna came to her house, and was consoled of her sorrow, yet she told no man of that for which she had prayed. And in the time of those days she conceived and bore a son and called his name Samuel, which is interpreted Mighty, according as God called his name when he prophesied of him. And Anna sat and gave suck to the child until he was two years old, and when she had weaned him, she went up with him bearing gifts in her hands, and the child was very fair and the Lord was with him. And Anna set the child before the face of Heli and said to him: This is the desire which I desired, and this is the request which I sought. And Heli said to her: Not you only didst seek it, but the people also prayed for this. It is not your request alone, but it was promised aforetime to the tribes; and by this child is your womb justified, that you shouldest set up prophecy before the people, and appoint the milk of your breasts for a fountain to the twelve tribes. And when Anna heard that, she prayed and said: Come you at my voice, all you peoples, and give ear to my speech, all you kingdoms, for my mouth is opened that I may speak, and my lips are commanded that I may sing praises to the Lord. Drop, O my breasts, and give forth your testimonies, for it is appointed to you to give suck. For he shall be set up that is suckled by you, and by his words shall the people be enlightened, and he shall shew to the nations their boundaries, and his horn shall be greatly exalted. And therefore will I utter my words openly, for out of me shall arise the ordinance of the Lord, and all men shall find the truth. Haste you not to talk proudly, neither to utter high words out of your mouth, but delight yourselves in boasting when the light shall come forth out of which wisdom shall be born, that they be not called rich which have most possessions, neither they that have borne abundantly be termed mothers: for the barren has been satisfied, and she that was multi plied in sons is become empty; For the Lord killeth with judgement, and quickeneth in mercy: for the ungodly are in this world: therefore quickeneth he the righteous when he will, but the ungodly he will shut up in darkness. But to the righteous he preserveth their light, and when the ungodly are dead, then shall they perish, and when the righteous are fallen asleep, then shall they be delivered. And so shall all judgement endure until he be revealed which holdeth it. Speak you, speak you, O Anna, and keep not silence: sing praises, O daughter of Bathuel, be cause of your wonders which God has wrought with you. Who is Anna, that a prophet should come out of her? or who is the daughter of Bathuel, that she should bring forth a light foil the peoples? Arise you also, Elchana, and gird up your loins. Sing praises for the signs of the Lord: For of your son did Asaph prophesy in the wilderness saying: Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among them. Behold the word is accomplished and the prophecy come to pass. And these things endure thus, until they give an horn to his anointed, and power cleaveth to the throne of his king. Yet let my son stand here and minister, until there arise a light to this people. And they departed thence and set forth with mirth, rejoicing and exulting in heart for all the glory that God had wrought with them. But the people went down with one accord to Silo with timbrels and dances, with lutes and harps, and came to Heli the priest and offered

Samuel to him, whom they set before the face of the Lord and anointed him and said: Let the prophet live among the people, and let him be long a light to this nation. But Samuel was a very young child and knew nothing of all these things. And whilst he served before the Lord, the two sons of Heli, which walked not in the ways of their fathers, began to do wickedly to the people and multiplied their iniquities. And they dwelt hard by the house of Bethac, and when the people came together to sacrifice, Ophni and Phinees came and provoked the people to anger, seizing the oblations before the holy things were offered to the Lord. And this thing pleased not the Lord, neither the people, nor their father. And their father spoke thus to them: What is this report that I hear of you? Know you not that I have received the place that Phinees committed to me? And if we waste that we have received, what shall we say if he that committed it require it again, and vex us for that which he committed to us? Now therefore make straight your ways, and walk in good paths, and your deeds shall endure. But if you gainsay me and refrain not from your evil devices, you will destroy yourselves, and the priesthood will be in vain, and that which was sanctified will come to nought. And then will they say: To no purpose did the rod of Aaron spring up, and the flower that was born of it is come to nothing. Therefore while you are yet able, my sons, correct that you have done ill, and the men against whom you have sinned will pray for you. But if you will not, but persist in your iniquities, I shall be guiltless, and I shall not only sorrow lest (or and now I shall not blot out these great evils in you, lest) I hear of the day of your death before I die, but also if this befall (or but even if this befall not) I shall be clear of blame: and though I be afflicted, you shall nevertheless perish. And his sons obeyed him not, for the Lord had given sentence concerning them that they should die, because they had sinned: for when their father said to them: Repent you of your evil way, they said: When we grow old, then will we repent. And for this cause it was not given to them that they should repent when they were rebuked of their father, because they had always been rebellious, and had wrought very unjustly in despoiling Israel. But the Lord was angry with Heli. But Samuel was ministering before the Lord and knew not as yet what were the oracles of the Lord: for he had not yet heard the oracles of the Lord, for he was 8 years old. But when God remembered Israel, he would reveal his words to Samuel, and Samuel did sleep in the temple of the Lord. And it came to pass when God called to him, that he considered first, and said: Be hold now, Samuel is young that he should be (or though he be) beloved in my sight; nevertheless because he has not yet heard the voice of the Lord, neither is he confirmed to the voice of the Most Highest, yet is he like to Moses my servant: but to Moses I spoke when he was 80 years old, but Samuel is 8 years old. And Moses saw the fire first and his heart was afraid. And if Samuel shall see the fire now, how shall he abide it? There fore now shall there come to him a voice as of a man, and not as of God. And when he under standeth, then I will speak to him as God. And at midnight a voice out of heaven called him: and Samuel awoke and perceived as it were the voice of Heli, and ran to him and spoke saying: why hast you awaked me, father? For I was afraid, because you didst never call me in the night. And Heli said: Woe is me, can it be that an unclean spirit has deceived my son Samuel? And he said to him: Go and sleep, for I called you not. Nevertheless, tell me if you remember, how often he that called you cried. And he said: Twice. And Heli said to him: Say now, of whose voice wast you aware, my son? And he said: Of yours, therefore ran I to you. And Heli said: In you do I behold the sign that men shall have from this day forward for ever, .that if one call to another twice in the night or at noonday, they shall know that it is an evil spirit. But if he call a third time, they shall know that it is an angel. And Samuel went away and slept. And he heard the second time a voice from heaven, and he arose and ran to Heli and said to him: why called he me, for I heard the voice of Elchana my father? Then did Heli under stand that God did begin to call him. And Heli said: In those two voices wherewith God has called to you, he likened himself to your father and to your master, but now the third time he will speak as God. And he said to him: With your right ear attend and with your left refrain. For Phinees the priest commanded us, saying: The right ear heareth the Lord by night, and the left ear an angel. Therefore, if you hear with your right ear, say thus: Speak what you will, for I hear you, for you hast formed me; but if you hear with the left ear, come and tell me. And Samuel went away and slept as Heli had commanded him. And the Lord added and spoke yet a third time, and the right ear of Samuel was filled with the voice. And when he perceived that the speech of his father had come down to him, Samuel turned upon his other side, and said: If I be able, speak, for you hast formed me (or knowest well concerning me). And God said to him: Verily I enlightened the house of Israel in Egypt and chose to me at that time Moses my servant for a prophet, and by him I wrought wonders for my people, and avenged them of mine enemies as I would, and I took my people into the wilderness, and enlightened them as they beheld. And when one tribe rose up against another tribe, saying: why are the priests alone holy? I would not destroy them, but I said to them: Give you every one his rod, and it shall be that he whose rod flourisheth I have chosen him for the priesthood. And when they had all given their rods as I commanded, then did I command the earth of the tabernacle that the rod of Aaron should flourish, that his line might be manifested for many days. And now they which did flourish have abhorred my holy things. Therefore, lo, the days shall come that I will cut off (lit. stop) the flower that came forth at that time, and I will go forth against them because they do transgress the word which I spoke to my servant Moses, saying: If you meet with a nest, you shall not take the mother with the young, therefore it shall befall them that the mothers shall die with the children, and the fathers perish with the sons. And when Samuel heard these words his heart was melted, and he said: has it thus come against me in my youth that I should prophesy to the destruction of him that fostered me? and how then was I granted at the request of my mother? and who is he that brought me up? how has he charged me to bear evil tidings? And Samuel arose in the morning and would not tell it to Heli. And Heli said to him: Hear now, my son. Behold, before you wast born God promised Israel that he would send you to them to prophesy. And now, when your mother came hither and prayed, for she knew not that which had been done, I said to her: Go forth, for that which shall be born of you shall be a son to me. Thus spoke I to your mother, and thus has the Lord directed your way. And even if you chasten your nursing-father, as the Lord liveth, hide you not from me the things that you hast heard. Then Samuel was, afraid, and told him all the words that he had heard. And he said: Can the thing formed answer him that formed it? So also can I not answer when he will take away that which he has given, even the faithful giver, the holy one which has prophesied, for I am subject to his power. And in those days the Philistines assembled their camp to fight against Israel, and the children of Israel went out to fight with them. And when the people of Israel had been put to flight in the first battle, they said: Let us bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord, peradventure it Will fight with us, because in it are the testimonies of the Lord which he ordained to our fathers in Oreb. And as the ark went up with them, when it was come into the camp, the Lord thundered and said: This time shall be likened to that which was in the wilderness, when they took the ark without my commandment, and destruction befel them. So also, at this time, shall the people fall, and the ark shall be taken, that I may punish the adversaries of my people because of the ark, and rebuke my people because they have sinned. And when the ark was come into the battle, the Philistines went forth to meet the children of Israel, and smote them. And there was there a certain Golia 148, a Philistine, which came even to the ark, and Ophni and Phinees the sons of Heli and Saul the son of Cis held the ark. And Golia took it with his left hand and slew Ophni and Phinees. But Saul, because he was light on his feet, fled from before him; and he rent his clothes, Sam. and put ashes on his head, and came to Heli the priest. And Heli said to him: Tell me what has befallen in the camp? And Saul said to him: Why askest you me these things? for the people is overcome, and God has forsaken Israel. Yea, and the priests also are slain with the sword, and the ark is delivered to the Philistines. And when Heli heard of the taking of the ark, he said: Behold, Samuel prophesied of me and my sons that we should die together, but the ark he named not to me. And now the testimonies are delivered up to the enemy, and what can I more say? Behold, Israel is perished from the truth, for the judgements are taken away from him. And because Heli despaired wholly, he fell off from his seat. And they died in one day, even Heli and Ophni and Phinees his sons. And Heli’s son’s wife sat and travailed; and when she heard these things, all her bowels were melted. And the midwife said to her: Be of good cheer, neither let your soul faint, for a son is born to you. And she said to her: Lo now is one soul born and we four die, that is, my father and his two sons and his daughter-in-law. And she called his name, Where is the glory? saying: The glory of God is perished in Israel because the ark of the Lord is taken captive. And when she had thus said she gave up the ghost. But Samuel knew nothing of all these things, because three days before the battle God sent him away, saying to him: Go and look upon the place of Arimatha, there shall be your dwelling. And when Samuel heard what had befallen Israel, he came and prayed to the Lord) saying: Behold, now, in vain is understanding denied to me that I might see the destruction of my people. And now I fear lest my days grow old in evil and my years be ended in sorrow, for whereas the ark of the Lord is not with me, why should I yet live? And the Lord said to him: Be not grieved, Samuel, that the ark is taken away. I will bring it again, and them that have taken it will I overthrow, and will avenge my people of their enemies. And Samuel said: Lo, even if you avenge them in time, according to your longsuffering, yet what shall we do which die now? And God said to him: Before you diest you shall see the end which I will bring upon mine enemies, whereby the Philistines shall perish and shall be slain by scorpions and by all manner of noisome creeping things. And when the Philistines had set the ark of the Lord that was taken in the temple of Dagon their god, and were come to enquire of Dagon concerning their going forth, they found him fallen on his face and his hands and feet laid before the ark. And they went forth on the first morning, having crucified his priests. And on the second day they came and found as on the day before, and the destruction was greatly multiplied among them. Therefore the Philistines gathered together in Accaron, and said every man to his neighbour: Behold now, we see that the destruction is enlarged among us, and the fruit of our body perisheth, for the creeping things that are sent upon us destroy them that are with child and the sucklings and them also that give suck. And they said: Let us see why the hand of the Lord is strong against us. Is it for the ark’s sake? for every day is our god found fallen upon his face before the ark, and we have slain our priests to no purpose once and again. And the wise men of the Philistines said: Lo, now by this may we know if the Lord have sent destruction upon us for his ark’s sake or if a chance affliction 150 is come upon us for a season? And now, whereas all that are with child and give suck die, and they that give suck are made childless, and they, that are suckled perish, we also will take kine that give suck and yoke them to a new cart, and set the ark upon it, and shut up the young of the kine. And it shall be, if the kine indeed go forth, and turn not back to their young, we shall know that we have suffered these things for the ark’s sake; but if they refuse to go, yearning after their young, we shall know that the time of our fall is come upon us. And certain of the wise men and diviners answered: Assay you not only this, but let us set the kine at the head of the three ways that are about Accaron. For the middle way leadeth

to Accaron, and the way on the right hand to Judæa, and the way on the left hand to Samaria. And direct you the kine that bear the ark in the middle way. And if they set forth by the right- hand way straight to Judæa, we shall know that of a truth the God of the Jews has laid us waste; but if they go by those other ways, we shall know that an evil (lit. mighty) time 152 has befallen us, for now have we denied our gods. And the Philistines took milch kine and yoked them to a new cart and set the ark thereon, and set them at the head of the three ways, and their young they shut up at home. And the kine, albeit they lowed and yearned for their young, went forward nevertheless by the right- hand way that leadeth to Judæa. And then they knew that for the ark’s sake they were laid waste. And all the Philistines assembled and brought the ark again to Silo with timbrels and pipes and dances. And because of the noisome creeping things that laid them waste, they made seats of gold and sanctified the ark. And in that plaguing of the Philistines, the number was of them that died being with child 75,000, and of the sucking children 65,000, and of them that gave suck 55,000, and of men 25,000. And the land had rest seven years. And at that time the children of Israel required a king in their Just. And they gathered together to Samuel, and said: Behold, now, you art grown old, and your sons walk not in the ways of the Lord; now, therefore, appoint a king over us to judge betwixt us, for the word is fulfilled which Moses spoke to our fathers in the wilderness, saying: you shall surely appoint over you a prince of your brethren. And when Samuel heard mention of the kingdom, he was sore grieved in his heart, and said: Behold now I see that there is no more (or not yet) for us a time of a perpetual kingdom, neither of building the house of the Lord our God, inasmuch as these desire a king before the time. And now, if the Lord refuse it altogether (or But even if the Lord so will), it seemeth to me that a king cannot be established. And the Lord said to him in the night: Be not grieved, for I will send them a king which shall lay them waste, and he himself shall be laid waste thereafter. Now he that shall come to you to-morrow at the sixth hour, he it is that shall reign over them. And on the next day, Saul, the son of Cis, was coming from Mount Effrem, seeking the asses of his father; and when he was come to Armathem, he entered in to inquire of Samuel for the asses. Now he was walking hard by Baam, and Saul said to him: Where is he that seeth? For at that time a prophet was called Seer. And Samuel said to him: I am he that seeth. And he said: can you tell me of the asses of my father? for they are lost. And Samuel said to him: Refresh thyself with me this day, and in the morning I will tell you that whereof you camest to inquire. And Samuel said to the Lord: Direct, O Lord, your people, and reveal to me what you hast determined concerning them. And Saul refreshed himself with Samuel that day and rose in the morning. And Samuel said to him: Behold, know you that the Lord has chosen you to be prince over his people at this time, and has raised up your ways, and your time shall be directed. And Saul said to Samuel: Who am 1, and what is my father’s house, that my lord should speak thus to me? For I understand not what you sayest, because I am a youth. And Samuel said to Saul: Who will grant that your word should come even to accomplishment of itself, that you may live many days? 153 but consider this, that your words shall be likened to the words of a prophet, whose name shall be Hieremias. And as Saul went away that day, the people came to Samuel, saying: Give us a king as you didst promise us. And he said to them: Behold, the king shall come to you after three days. And lo, Saul came. And there befell him all the signs which Samuel had told him. Are not these things written in the book of the Kings? And Samuel sent and gathered all the people, and said to them: Lo, you and your king are here, and I am betwixt you, as the Lord commanded me. And therefore I say to you, before the face of your king, even as my lord Moses; the servant of God, said to your fathers in the wilderness, when the synagogue of Core arose against him: you know that I have not taken aught of you, neither have I wronged any of you; and because certain lied at that time and said, you didst take, the earth swallowed them up. Now, therefore, do you whom the Lord has not punished answer before the Lord and before his anointed, if it be for this cause that you have required a king, because I have evil entreated you, and the Lord shall be your witness. But if, now the word of the Lord is fulfilled, I am free, and my father’s house. And the people answered: We are your servants and our king with us; because we are unworthy to be judged by a prophet, therefore said we: Appoint a king over us to judge us. And all the people and the king wept with a great lamentation, and said: Let Samuel the prophet live. And when the king was appointed they offered sacrifices to the Lord. And after that Saul fought with the Philistines one year, and the battle prospered greatly. And at that time the Lord said to Samuel: Go and say to Saul: you art sent to destroy Amalech, that the words may be fulfilled which Moses my servant spoke saying: I will destroy the name of Amalech out of the land whereof I spoke in mine anger. And forget not to destroy every soul of them as it is commanded you. And Saul departed and fought against Amalech, and , saved alive Agag the king of Amalech because he said to him: I will shew you hidden treasures. Therefore he spared him and saved him alive and brought him to Armathem. And God said to Samuel: Hast you seen how the king is corrupted with money even in a moment, and has saved alive Agag king of Amalech and his wife? Now therefore suffer Agag and his wife to come together this night, and to-morrow you shall slay him; but his wife they shall preserve till she bring forth a male child, and then she also shall die, and he that is born of her shall be an offence to Saul. But you, arise on the morrow and slay Agag: for the sin of Saul is written before my face alway. And when Samuel was risen on the morrow, Saul came forth to meet him and said to him: The Lord has delivered our enemies into our hands as he said. And Samuel said to Saul: Whom has Israel wronged? for before the time was come that a king should rule over him, he demanded you for his king, and you, when you wast sent to do the will of the Lord, hast transgressed it. Therefore he that was saved alive by you shall die now, and those hidden treasures whereof he spoke he shall not show you, and he that is born of him shall be an offence to you. And Samuel came to Agag with a sword and slew him, and returned to his house. And the Lord said to him: Go, anoint him whom I shall tell you, for the time is fulfilled wherein his kingdom shall come. And. Samuel said: Lo, will you now blot out the kingdom of Saul? And he said: I will blot it out. And Samuel went forth to Bethel, and sanctified the elders, and Jesse, and his sons. And Eliab the firstborn of Jesse came. And Samuel said: Behold now the holy one, the anointed of the Lord. And the Lord said to him: Where is your vision which yours heart has seen? Art not you he that said to Saul: I am he that seeth? And how knowest you not whom you must anoint? And now let this rebuke suffice you, and seek out the shepherd, the least of them all, and anoint him. And Samuel said to Jesse: Hearken, Jesse, send and bring hither your son from the flock, for him has God chosen. And Jesse sent and brought David, and Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Lord was with him from that day forward. Then David began to sing this psalm, and said: In the ends of the earth will I begin to glorify him, and to everlasting days will I sing praises. Abel at the first when he fed the sheep, his sacrifice was acceptable rather than his brother’s. And his brother envied him and slew him. But it is not so with me, for God has kept me, and has delivered me to his angels and his watchers to keep me, for my brethren envied me, and my father and my mother made me of no account, and when the prophet came they called not for me, and when the Lord’s anointed was proclaimed they forgat me. But God came near to me with his right hand, and with his mercy: therefore will I not cease to sing praises all the days of my life. And as David yet spoke, behold a fierce lion out of the wood and a she-bear out of the mountain took the bulls of David. And David said: Lo, this shall be a sign to me for a mighty beginning of my victory in the battle. I will go out after them and deliver that which is carried off and will slay them. And David went out after them and took stones out of the wood and slew them. And God said to him: Lo, by stones have I delivered you these beasts in your sight. And this shall be a sign to you that hereafter you shall slay with stones the adversary of my people. And at that time the spirit of the Lord was taken away from Saul, and an evil spirit oppressed (lit. choked) him. And Saul sent and fetched David, and he played a psalm upon his harp in the night. And this is the psalm which he sang to Saul that the evil spirit might depart from him. There were darkness and silence before the world was, and the silence spoke, and the darkness became visible. And then was your name created, even at the drawing together of that which was stretched out, whereof the upper was called heaven and the lower was called earth. And it was commanded to the upper that it should rain according to its season, and to the lower that it should bring forth food for man that should be made. And after that was the tribe of your spirits made. Now therefore, be not injurious, whereas you art a second creation, but if not, then remember Hell (lit. be mindful of Tartarus) wherein you walkedst. Or is it not enough for you to hear that by that which resoundeth before you I sing to many? Or forgettest you that out of a rebounding echo in the abyss (or chaos) your creation was born? 156 But that new womb shall rebuke you, whereof I am born, of whom shall be born after a time of my loins he that shall subdue you. And when David sung praises, the spirit spared Saul. And after these things the Philistines came to fight against Israel. And David was returned to the wilderness to feed his sheep, and the Madianites came and would have taken his sheep, and he came down to them and fought against them and slew of them 15,000 men. This is the first battle that David fought, being in the wilderness. And there came a man out of the camp of the Philistines by name Golia, and he looked upon Saul and upon Israel and said: Art not you Saul which fleddest before me when I took the ark from you and slew your priests? And now that you reignest, will you come down to me like a man and a king and fight against us? If not, I will come to you, and will cause you to be taken captive, and your people to serve our gods. And when Saul and Israel heard that, they feared greatly. And the Philistine said: According to the number of the days wherein Israel feasted when they received the law in the wilderness, even 40 days, I will reproach them, and after that I will fight with them. And it came to pass when the 40 days were fulfilled, and David was come to see the battle of his brethren, that he heard the words which the Philistine spoke, and said: Is this peradventure the time whereof God said to me: I will deliver the adversary of my people into your hand by stones? And Saul heard these words and sent and took him and said: What was the speech which you spakest to the people? And David said: Fear not, O king, for I will go and fight against the Philistine, and God will take away the hatred and reproach from Israel. And David went forth and took 7 stones and wrote upon them the names of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, and his own name, and the name of the Most Mighty. And God sent Cervihel, the angel that is over strength. And David went forth to Golia and said to him: Hear a word before you diest. Were not the two women of whom you and I were born sisters? and your mother was Orpha 158 and my mother was Ruth. And Orpha chose for herself the gods of the Philistines and went after them, but Ruth chose for herself the ways of the Most Mighty and walked in them. And now you and your brethren are born of Orpha, and as you art arisen this day and come to lay Israel waste, behold, I also that am born of your kindred am come to avenge my people. For your three brethren also shall fall into my hands after your death. And then shall you say to your mother: He that was born of your sister has not spared us. And David put a stone in his sling and smote the Philistine in his forehead, and ran upon him and drew his sword out of the sheath and took his head from him. And Golia said to him while his life was yet in him: Hasten and slay me and rejoice. And David said to him: Before you diest, open yours eyes and behold your slayer which has killed you. And the Philistine looked and saw the angel and said: you hast not killed

me by thyself, but he that was with you, whose form is not as the form of a man. And then David took his head from him. And the angel of the Lord lifted up the face of David and no man knew him. And when Saul saw David he asked him who he was, and there was no man that knew him who he was. And after these things Saul envied David and sought to kill him. But David and Jonathan, Saul’s son, made a covenant together. And when David saw that Saul sought to kill him, he fled to Armathem; and Saul went out after him. And the spirit abode in Saul, and he prophesied, saying: Why art you deceived, O Saul, or whom dost you persecute in vain? The time of your kingdom is fulfilled. Go to your place, for you shall die and David shall reign. shall not you and your son die together? And then shall the kingdom of David appear. And the spirit departed from Saul, and he knew not what he had prophesied. But David came to Jonathan and said to him: Come and let us make a covenant before we be parted one from the other. For Saul, your father, seeketh to slay me without cause. And since he has perceived that you lovest me he telleth you not what he deviseth concerning me. But for this cause he hateth me, because you lovest me, and lest I should reign in his stead. And whereas I have done him good he requiteth me with evil. And whereas I slew Golia by the word of the Most Mighty, see you what an end he purposeth for me. For he has determined concerning my father’s house, to destroy it. And would that the judgement of truth might be put in the balance, that the multitude of the prudent might hear the sentence. And now I fear lest he kill me and lose his own life for my sake. For he shall never shed innocent blood without punishment. why should my soul suffer persecution? For I was the, least among my brethren, feeding the sheep, and why am I in peril of death? For I am righteous and have none iniquity. And why does your father hate me? Yet the righteousness of my father shall help me that I fall not into your father’s hands. And seeing I am young and tender of age, it is to no purpose that Saul envieth me. If I had wronged him, I would pray him to forgive me the sin. For if God forgiveth iniquity, how much more your father who is flesh and blood? I have walked in his house with a perfect heart, yea, I grew up before his face like a swift eagle, I put mine hands to the harp and blessed him in songs, and he has devised to slay me, and like a sparrow that fleeth before the face of the hawk, so have I fled before his face. to whom have I spoken this, or to whom have I told the things that I have suffered save to you and Melchol your sister? For as for both of us, let us go together in truth. And it were better, my brother, that I should be slain in battle than that I should fall into the hands of your father: for in the battle mine eyes were looking on every side that I might defend him from his enemies. O my brother Jonathan, hear my words, and if there be iniquity in me, reprove me. And Jonathan answered and said: Come to me, my brother David, and I will tell you your righteousness. My soul pineth away sore at your sadness because now we are parted one from another. And this have our sins compelled, that we should be parted from one another. But let us remember one another day and night while we live. And even if death part us, yet I know that our souls will know one another. For yours is the kingdom in this world, and of you shall be the beginning of the kingdom, and it comes in its time. And now, like a child that is weaned from its mother, even so shall be our separation. Let the heaven be witness and let the earth be witness of those things which we have spoken together. And let us weep each with the other and Jay up our tears in one vessel and commit the vessel to the earth, and it shall be a testimony to us. And they bewailed each one the other sore, and kissed one another. But Jonathan feared and said to David: Let us remember, O my brother, the covenant that is made betwixt us, and the oath which is set in our heart. And if I die before you and you indeed reign, as the Lord has spoken, be not mindful of the anger of my father, but of the covenant which is made betwixt me and you. Neither think upon the hatred wherewith my father hateth you in vain but upon my love wherewith I have loved you. Neither think upon that wherein my father was unthankful to you, but remember the table whereat we have eaten together. Neither keep in mind the envy wherewith my father envied you evilly, but the faith which I and you keep. Neither care you for the lie wherewith Saul has lied, but for the oaths that we have sworn one to another. And they kissed one another. And after that David departed into the wilderness, and Jonathan went into the city. At that time the priests that dwelt in Noba were polluting the holy things of the Lord and making the firstfruits a reproach to the people. And God was wroth and said: Behold, I will wipe out the priests that dwell in Noba, because they walk in the ways of the sons of Heli. And at that time came Doech the Syrian, which was over Saul’s mules, to Saul and said to him: Knowest you not that Abimelec the priest taketh counsel with David and has given him a sword and sent him away in peace? And Saul sent and called Abimelec and said to him: you shall surely die, because you hast taken counsel with mine enemy. And Saul slew Abimelec and all his father’s house, and there was not so much as one of his tribe delivered save only Abiathar his son. The same came to David and told him all that had befallen him. And God said: Behold, in the year when Saul began to reign, when Jonathan had sinned and he would have put him to death, this people rose up and suffered him not, and now when the priests were slain, even 385 men, they kept silence and said nothing. Therefore, lo, the days shall come quickly that I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies and they shall fall down wounded, they and their king. And to Doech the Syrian thus said the Lord: Behold, the days shall come quickly that the worm shall come up upon his tongue and shall cause him to pine away, and his dwelling shall be with Jair for ever in the fire that is not quenched. Now all that Saul did, and the rest of his words, and how he pursued after David, are they not written in the book of the kings of Israel? And after these things Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned him, and buried him. Then Saul took thought, saying: I will surely take away the sorcerers out of the land of Israel. So shall men remember me after my departure. And Saul scattered all the sorcerers out of the land. And God said: Behold, Saul has taken away the sorcerers out of the land, not because of the fear of me, but that he might make himself a name. Behold, whom he has scattered, to them let him resort, and get divination from them, because he has no prophets. At that time the Philistines said every man to his neighbour: Behold, Samuel the prophet is dead and there is none that prayeth for Israel. David, also, which fought for them, is become Saul’s adversary and is not with them. Now, therefore, let us arise and fight mightily against them, and avenge the blood of our fathers. And the Philistines assembled themselves and came up to battle. And when Saul saw that Samuel was dead and David was not with him, his hands were loosened. And he inquired of the Lord, and he hearkened not to him. And he sought prophets, and none appeared to him. And Saul said to the people: Let us seek out a diviner and inquire of him that which I have in mind. And the people answered him: Behold, now there is a woman named Sedecla, 159 the daughter of Debin (or Adod) the Madianite, which deceived the people of Israel with sorceries: and lo she dwelleth in Endor. And Saul put on vile raiment and went to her, he and two men with him, by night and said to her: Raise up to me Samuel. And she said: I am afraid of the king Saul. And Saul said to her: you shall not be harmed of Saul in this matter. And Saul said within himself: When I was king in Israel, even though the Gentiles saw me not, yet knew they that I was Saul. And Saul asked the woman, saying: Hast you seen Saul at any time? And she said: Oftentimes. And Saul went out and wept and said: Lo, now I know that my beauty is changed, and that the glory of my kingdom is passed from me. And it came to pass, when the woman saw Samuel coming up, and beheld Saul with him, that she cried out and said: Behold, you art Saul, why hast you deceived me? And he said to her: Fear not, but tell me what you sawest. And she said: Lo, these 40 years have I raised up the dead for the Philistines, but this appearance has not been seen, neither shall it be seen hereafter. And Saul said to her: What is his form? And she said: you inquirest of me concerning the gods. For, behold, his form is not the form of a man. For he is arrayed in a white robe and has a mantle upon it, and two angels leading him. And Saul remembered the mantle which Samuel had rent while he lived, and he smote his hands together and cast himself upon the earth. And Samuel said to him: Why hast you disquieted me to bring me up? I thought that the time was come for me to receive the reward of my deeds. Therefore boast not thyself, O king, neither you, O woman. For it is not you that have brought me up, but the precept 161 which

God spoke to me while I yet lived, that I should come and tell you that you hadst sinned yet the second time in neglecting God. For this cause are my bones disturbed after that I had rendered up my soul, that I should speak to you, and that being dead I should be heard as one living. Now therefore to-morrow shall you and your sons be with me, when the people are delivered into the hands of the Philistines. And because your bowels have been moved with jealousy, therefore that that is yours shall be taken from you. And Saul heard the words of Samuel, and his soul melted and he said: Behold, I depart to die with my sons, if perchance my destruction may be an atonement 162 for mine iniquities. And Saul arose and departed thence. And the Philistines fought against Israel. And Saul went out to battle. And Israel fled before the Philistines: and when Saul saw that the battle grew hard exceedingly, he said in his heart: why strengthenest you thyself to live, seeing, Samuel has proclaimed death to you and to your sons? 163 And Saul said to him that bore his armour: Take your sword and slay me before the Philistines come and abuse me. And he that bore his armour would not lay hands upon him. And he himself bowed upon his sword, and he could not die. And he looked behind him and saw a man running and called to him and said: Take my sword and slay me. For my life is yet in me. And he came to slay him. And Saul said to him: Before you kill me, tell me, who art you? And he said to him: I am Edab, the son of Agag king of the Amalechites. And Saul said: Behold, now the words of Samuel are come upon me even as he said: He that shall be born of Agag shall be an offence to you. But go you and say to David: I have slain yours enemy. And you shall say to him: Thus says Saul: Be not mindful of my hatred, neither of mine unrighteousness. . . .