Starve.Org White Noise Usenet Archive: "Re: UFO Activities from Biblical Times"

Junk Junk Junk of no value and complete waste of time writing.
Complete waste of time posting also. A little green men story book.

"Kazmer Ujvarosy" <Ujvarosy@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message

news:2XtGb.527839$0v4.22184883@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
C H A R I O T S
OF
L I G H T

Reports of Special Activities
From Biblical Times

Selected and Edited by

Kazmer Ujvarosy

This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

CONTENTS

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a.. PART ONE -- CHARIOTS OF LIGHT BEFORE CHRIST

1. Chariots of Light in the Lives of the Patriarchs . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. The Coming of the Messiah Revealed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. The Assyrian Captivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. The Babylonian Captivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. The Visions of Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6. The Prediction of Zaradosht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a.. PART TWO -- CHARIOTS OF LIGHT IN THE CHRISTIAN ERA

7. The Star of Bethlehem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8. Clouds of Light in the Lives of the Apostles . . . . . . . . . . .

9. The Ascension of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10. Clouds of Light in the Lives of the Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Illustration Credits and Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PREFACE

The Bible consists of a collection of books, which were recognized or
accepted as canonical, i.e. of divine inspiration. The "Chronicles of the
Kings of Israel," containing the story of Elijah, were selected for
inclusion in that collection. There we find that "a chariot of fire and
horses of fire" took the prophet Elijah up to heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12).
However other books, deemed spiritually unworthy for inclusion in the Bible,
record even more striking and detailed descriptions of fiery chariots and
clouds of light. From the rejected literature we may learn a lot more about
the nature and purpose of the mystery visitors than from any of the books
which the authorities considered inspired or sacred.

In this book you will find, among others, the following information:

a.. People coming in a chariot of light contacted Adam and Eve.
b.. A fiery chariot drawn by fiery chargers took Enoch up to heaven.
c.. Abraham was taken to the air on a chariot of the cherubim.
d.. The Virgin Mary, the child Jesus and his nurse were taken for a ride
on a cloud of light.
e.. A chariot of light carried Jesus up to heaven.
f.. An army of angels was present on the Mount of Olives with flaming
chariots of fire and horses of light.
g.. The angels burned up with tongues of fire some of the people of
Jerusalem who wished to go up to the mountain.

In this book, in short, I gathered a mass of reports which indicate that
some of the angels--coming in chariots of light--played an intimate part in
the formation of the people of Israel, moreover in their transformation into
Christians.

Since most of the reports come from saints and other trustworthy characters,
the integrity of these witnesses and the antiquity of the reports make it
practically impossible to explain away the sightings of chariots of light
and clouds of light as satellites, helicopters, or simply fabrications
engineered by publicity-seeking cranks.

The excerpted texts that make up this book correspond exactly with the
original texts, with certain exceptions. In most cases the original titles
were not used. Words written in foreign characters were edited out. Remarks
in footnotes or brackets were also edited out, or were incorporated into the
texts. Words or passages italicized or written in capital letters were
changed. Finally, the omission of a paragraph or more--required to give only
the essential information--is not indicated by a full line of ellipsis
marks, only by a terminal period at the end of the quotation, with three
ellipsis marks following.

These changes were needed to make the book more readable. Care was taken,
however, not to change the original meaning of the texts in any way.

In order to give continuity to the book, in some places it was necessary to
insert a few connecting or explanatory sentences between the texts. These
connecting lines are printed with a different typeface, and/or between three
stars, so they are easily distinguishable from the original texts.

Kazmer Ujvarosy

INTRODUCTION

When we are faced with the subject of visitations from space, we are also
faced with the question of the purpose of these visitations: Why is our
planet being visited by people from other worlds?

I searched the records of mankind to find an answer to that enigma and
studied a mass of relevant information. The conclusion I reached is
striking. Based on the available information I have found that the primary
purpose of the visits has been the improvement of the human race.

The ancient records I studied, in other words, indicate that from the
remotest times cultivators of the human race have paid visits to our planet
to breed desirable human types, similarly as we breed plants and animals on
this planet.

As a first step the breeders of the human race, referred to as "good
shepherds" or "angels of humanity," selected Adam for the creation of a
genetically desirable line of families. From this artificially improved line
Abraham was selected for an intensive breeding program that involved
selection and inbreeding for many generations.

Sarah, the half-sister of Abraham, was given in marriage to Abraham. Abraham
confirms this fact by saying, "indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter
of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife."
(Genesis 20:12).

Abraham's chosen line was subject to further inbreeding. His son, Isaac,
married an Aramean relative, "Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of
Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother." (Genesis 24:15).

Rebekah conceived and gave birth to twins named Esau and Jacob. Then Isaac
called Jacob, blessed him and charged him: "You shall not marry one of the
Canaanite women. Arise, go to ... the house of Bethuel your mother's father;
and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's
brother." (Genesis 28:1-2).

So Jacob went to Laban's house. There he fell in love with Rachel, but had
to marry Leah first. When finally he married Rachel, she bore two sons to
Jacob, namely Joseph and Benjamin.

Although Genesis 41:45 states that Joseph married Asenath, the daughter of
an Egyptian priest, we know from other sources that Asenath was only the
foster-daughter of Potipherah, who was high priest of the city of On. When
Joseph introduced Asenath to his father, Jacob recognized her as the
daughter of his own daughter Dinah. So actually Joseph married the daughter
of his own sister. All in all Jacob's wives bore twelve sons to Jacob who
became the progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

We know from breeding experiments that properly conducted selection and
inbreeding--i.e. the mating of genetically closely related individuals--is a
useful technique where a line of individuals is required to have certain
fixed standards or a special uniformity of genetic traits. But while
inbreeding has many advantages, it also must be recognized that it may
result in certain undesirable effects. It may thus be said that no matter
how good an inbred stock may be, great improvement can be brought about when
two pure breeds are crossed to produce hybrid offspring of superior
excellence. The way the cultivators of the human race transformed the inbred
people of Israel into crossbred people or Christians is discernible from the
early Christian records.

It is nowhere explicitly stated, but may be inferred, that when the people
of Israel reached a plateau of genetic perfection beyond which the
continuation of inbreeding became undesirable, Gabriel, the chief of the
angels, artificially inseminated the Virgin Mary with his own seed. That act
of crossbreeding produced a cross or hybrid seed in the person of Jesus
Christ, which seed initiated the development of Christians.

In summary, from the information we have we may infer that when the
inhabitants of a planet reach full development by mastering space travel,
they search the universe for other inhabited planets that might furnish
persons with valuable genetic characters for the production of superior
hybrid individuals. In other words apparently their intention is to find or
to build up by selection and inbreeding pure-line families of superior
genetic qualities, and to crossbreed that pure-line stock with their own
seed or hereditary resources in order to produce offspring with exceptional
genetic characters. As Pierre Grimal observed in his Larousse World
Mythology: "It was as if the gods had attempted to create an increasingly
perfect human race, and undergone the same evolution themselves." (Second
impression 1969, p. 472.)

In many cases our visitors from space are characterized as "invaders" or
"intruders," suggesting that they interfere in our internal affairs without
invitation, and force their presence on us without permission. But as the
sacred writings indicate, these highly advanced extraterrestrial visitors
played an intimate role in the civilization and improvement of mankind, and
entered into agreements or compacts with the rulers of the people of Israel.
Thus it appears that they established not merely a legal right but a duty on
their part to intervene in the affairs of mankind.

As a matter of fact King David's prayers suggest that he was conscious of
the fact that the people of Israel were the product of an extraterrestrial
power. He calls the Lord his shepherd (Psalm 23), that makes him and his
people the Lord's sheep. This analogy suggests that just as a good shepherd
keeps a close watch over the sheep, and intervenes on their behalf in times
of danger, so the civilizing spacemen keep a close watch over their "crop"
of humans till the time of the human "harvest."

We might add that in Psalm 24:1 David declares that "The earth is the
Lord's,
and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

Regarding the activities of the civilizing spacemen it appears that in many
respects their mode of operation is comparable to the activities of the
Central Intelligence Agency. Similarly to the CIA, they carry out overt and
covert intervention in foreign territories; they execute both intelligence
and special operational missions; they engage in overt and covert collection
of intelligence within enemy territory and conduct clandestine activities;
they develop and recruit foreign agents and work with resistance forces;
they produce and disseminate propaganda; they operate according to a
strategic and secret plan.

These and other similarities definitely indicate that our visitors from
space are the intelligence agents of a heavenly power. As the texts in this
book shall make it evident, ultimately their mission is to secure the
progress and final victory of Christianity through the manipulation of
terrestrial affairs. In this light their discretion is understandable: just
as the agents of the terrestrial intelligence organizations desire to keep
their identity, plans, methods and activities secret, so desire to remain
under deep cover the agents of God.

Although the evidence is overwhelming that visitors from space come to earth
since ancient times, in 1966 the Secretary of the Air Force, Harold Brown,
testified before the House Armed Services Committee of the United States
Congress that there was no evidence that the earth ever had been visited by
strangers from outer space. Dr. Brown assured the nation's lawmakers that
the over 10,000 unidentified flying object reports on record with the Air
Force were "easily explained." He and other government officials attributed
the sightings of strange flying objects in the airspace of the United States
to marsh gases, pranks, planets, balloons, satellites, comets, meteors,
secret weapons, fireballs, aurora streamers and you name it.

Not long after this official attempt to calm the concerned citizens,
Chariots of the Gods? hit the market. The book became an instant success and
an international bestseller. Its Swiss author, Erich von Daniken, startled
the world by claiming that extraterrestrial astronauts had visited our
planet in prehistoric times. He directed his readers' attention to numerous
strange markings, drawings, artifacts, ruins and other mysteries of the past
which, in his opinion, constitute evidence that eons ago there was an "Era
of the Gods" on earth.

Similarly to Chariots of the Gods?, the purpose of this book is to give
credibility to the idea that individuals from space played a role in the
formation and civilization of the human race. But in this work, in contrast
with von Daniken's book, the supporting evidence is not provided by
reference to archaeological findings, but by a roundup of reports describing
special operations from outer space.

Part One

CHARIOTS OF LIGHT BEFORE CHRIST

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels....
--Psalm 68:17

1 CHARIOTS OF LIGHT IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES

* * *

It is generally believed that the first sightings of flying saucers or
unidentified flying objects (UFOs) took place in June 1947, when Kenneth
Arnold, a private pilot, observed and reported nine disk-shaped objects
flying over Mount Rainier in the State of Washington. Ancient records,
however, credit the first sightings of strange flying objects to Adam and
Eve.

The records tell us that when Moses received the tablets of the law of the
covenant from the hand of the Lord on Mount Sinai, he also received the
narrative of the Life of Adam and Eve. In that narrative Adam reveals that
on one occasion, when he and Eve were at prayer, suddenly Michael the
archangel, a messenger from heaven, appeared before them.

* * *

And I [Adam] saw a chariot like the wind and its wheels were fiery and I was
caught up into the Paradise of righteousness, and I saw the Lord sitting and
his face was flaming fire that could not be endured. And many thousands of
angels were on the right and the left of that chariot.

* * *

Also in the same record we find that at Adam's death the angel of humanity
came to Eve, saying: "Raise thyself from the things of earth."

* * *

And Eve gazed up into heaven, and saw a chariot of light coming, under four
shining eagles-and it was not possible for anyone born [into this world] to
tell the glory of them, or to see the face of them-and the angels going
before the chariot. And when they came to the place where Adam was lying,
the chariot stood still, and the seraphim were between Adam and the
chariot.... After all these things ... God commanded that all the angels
should gather before His presence, each according to his rank. And all the
angels came together, some with censers, some with trumpets. And the Lord of
Hosts mounted His chariot and the winds drew Him, and cherubim riding upon
the winds, and the angels of heaven went before Him; and they came to where
the body of Adam was, and took it. And they came into paradise....

* * *

Adam's family increased over the face of the earth, and one of his
descendants, Enoch, had found favor with God. He became the father of
Methuselah, and lived on this planet for three hundred and sixty-five years.

* * *

On a certain day, while Enoch was giving audience to his followers, an angel
appeared and made known unto him that God had resolved to install him as
king over the angels in heaven, as until then he had reigned over men. He
called together all the inhabitants of the earth, and addressed them thus:
"I have been summoned to ascend into heaven, and I know not on what day I
shall go thither. Therefore I will teach you wisdom and righteousness before
I go hence." A few days yet Enoch spent among men, and all the time left to
him he gave instruction in wisdom, knowledge, God-fearing conduct, and
piety, and established law and order, for the regulation of the affairs of
men. Then those gathered near him saw a gigantic steed descend from the
skies, and they told Enoch of it, who said, "The steed is for me, for the
time has come and the day when I leave you, never to be seen again." So it
was. The steed approached Enoch, and he mounted upon its back, all the time
instructing the people, exhorting them, enjoining them to serve God and walk
in His ways. Eight hundred thousand of the people followed a day's journey
after him. But on the second day Enoch urged his retinue to turn back:

"Go ye home, lest death overtake you, if you follow me farther." Most of
them heeded his words and went back, but a number remained with him for six
days, though he admonished them daily to return and not bring death down
upon themselves. On the sixth day of the journey, he said to those still
accompanying him, "Go ye home, for on the morrow I shall ascend to heaven,
and whoever will then be near me, he will die." Nevertheless, some of his
companions remained with him, saying: "Whatever place you go, we will go. By
the living God, death alone shall part us."

On the seventh day Enoch was carried into the heavens in a fiery chariot
drawn by fiery chargers. The day thereafter, the kings who had turned back
in good time sent messengers to inquire into the fate of the men who had
refused to separate themselves from Enoch, for they had noted the number of
them. They found snow and great hailstones upon the spot whence Enoch had
risen, and, when they searched beneath, they discovered the bodies of all
who had remained behind with Enoch. He alone was not among them; he was on
high in heaven.

* * *

It happened after Enoch's departure to heaven that his son, Methuselah, took
a wife for his son Lamech, and she became pregnant by him and bore a son.

* * *

And his body was white as snow and red as the blooming of a rose, and the
hair of his head and his long locks were white as wool, and his eyes
beautiful. And when he opened his eyes, he lighted up the whole house like
the sun, and the whole house was very bright. And thereupon he arose in the
hands of the midwife, opened his mouth, and conversed with the Lord of
righteousness. And his father Lamech was afraid of him and fled, and came to
his father Methuselah. And he said unto him: "I have begotten a strange son,
diverse from and unlike man, and resembling the sons of the God of heaven;
and his nature is different, and he is not like us, and his eyes are as the
rays of the sun, and his countenance is glorious. And it seems to me that he
is not sprung from me but from the angels, and I fear that in his days a
wonder may be wrought on the earth. And now, my father, I am here to
petition you and implore you that you may go to Enoch, our father, and learn
from him the truth, for his dwelling-place is amongst the angels." And when
Methuselah heard the words of his son, he came to me to the ends of the
earth; for he had heard that I was there, and he cried aloud, and I heard
his voice and I came to him. And I said unto him: "Behold, here am I, my
son, wherefore have you come to me?" And he answered and said: "Because of a
great cause of anxiety have I come to you, and because of a disturbing
vision have I approached. And now, my father, hear me: unto Lamech my son
there has been born a son, the like of whom there is none, and his nature is
not like man's nature, and the color of his body is whiter than snow and
redder than the bloom of rose, and the hair of his head is whiter than white
wool, and his eyes are like the rays of the sun, and he opened his eyes and
thereupon lighted up the whole house. And he arose in the hands of the
midwife, and opened his mouth and blessed the Lord of heaven. And his father
Lamech became afraid and fled to me, and did not believe that he was sprung
from him, but that he was in the likeness of the angels of heaven; and
behold I have come to you that you may make known to me the truth." And I,
Enoch, answered and said unto him: "The Lord will do a new thing on the
earth, and this I have already seen in a vision, and make known to thee that
in the generation of my father Jared some of the angels of heaven
transgressed the word of the Lord. And behold they commit sin and transgress
the law, and have united themselves with women and commit sin with them, and
have married some of them, and have begotten children by them. And they
shall produce on the earth giants not according to the spirit, but according
to the flesh, and there shall be a great punishment on the earth, and the
earth shall be cleansed from all impurity. Yea, there shall come a great
destruction over the whole earth, and there shall be a deluge and a great
destruction for one year. And this son who has been born unto you shall be
left on the earth, and his three children shall be saved with him: when all
mankind that are on the earth shall die he and his sons shall be saved. And
now make known to thy son Lamech that he who has been born is in truth his
son, and call his name Noah; for he shall be left to you, and he and his
sons shall be saved from the destruction, which shall come upon the earth on
account of all the sin and all the unrighteousness, which shall be
consummated on the earth in his days. And after that there shall be still
more unrighteousness than that which was first consummated on the earth; for
I know the mysteries of the holy ones; for He, the Lord, has showed me and
informed me, and I have read them in the heavenly tablets.

And I saw written on them that generation upon generation shall transgress,
till a generation of righteousness arises, and transgression is destroyed
and sin passes away from the earth, and all manner of good comes upon it.
And now, my son, go and make known to thy son Lamech that this son, which
has been born, is in truth his son, and that this is no lie." And when
Methuselah had heard the words of his father Enoch-for he had shown to him
everything in secret-he returned and showed them to him and called the name
of that son Noah; for he will comfort the earth after all the
destruction....

And in those days the word of God came unto me, and He said unto me: "Noah,
thy lot has come up before Me, a lot without blame, a lot of love and
uprightness. And now the angels are making a wooden building, and when they
have completed that task I will place My hand upon it and preserve it, and
there shall come forth from it the seed of life, and a change shall set in
so that the earth will not remain without inhabitant. And I will make fast
thy seed before me for ever and ever, and I will spread abroad those who
dwell with thee: it shall not be unfruitful on the face of the earth, but it
shall be blessed and multiply on the earth in the name of the Lord."

* * *

Many generations later the Lord brought Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans to
the land of Canaan, to give him and his descendants all the land around
them. When Abraham lived all the years of his life, the Lord God called his
archangel Michael and said to him: "Michael, chief-captain, go down to
Abraham and tell him about his death, so that he may arrange for the
disposition of his possessions." The chief-captain departed, went down to
Abraham's house, and tactfully conveyed the message to Abraham that he was
destined to leave the world.

* * *

Then the holy and just Abraham stood up and with many tears he fell at the
feet of the archangel Michael, and besought him saying: "I beg thee,
chief-captain of the powers above, ... to be the medium of my word ... unto
the Most High, and thou shalt say unto Him: 'Thus saith Abraham, thy
servant: "O Lord God, in every deed and word which I have asked of thee thou
hast heard me, and hast fulfilled every desire of mine. Now, O Lord, I
resist not thy might, for I also know that I am not immortal but mortal.
Even so, to thy command, all things yield, and shudder, and quake at the
presence of thy might, so I too. Yet one boon ask I of thee. Now, Lord God,
hear my request; while I am yet in this body, I wish to see all the world
and all created things which thou established, through one word; and when I
have seen these things, then cheerfully will I depart from life."'" So the
chief-captain departed ..., and stood before God and told him all, saying:
"Thus saith thy friend Abraham: 'I wish to behold all the world in my life,
before I die.'" When the Most High heard this request, he again commanded
the archangel Michael, and said unto him: "Take a cloud of light and those
angels that bear command over the chariots, and go down, and take the just
man Abraham on a chariot of the cherubim and exalt him into the air of
heaven so that he may see all the world."

Then went down the archangel Michael, and took Abraham upon a chariot of
cherubim, and exalted him into the air of heaven, and led him with sixty
angels on the cloud. And Abraham went up on the chariot over all the earth.

[When Abraham saw all that was going on in the world,] ... the chief-captain
turned back the chariot and the cloud, and brought Abraham to his house. And
departing to his chamber he sat him down upon his couch. And Sarah his wife
came and embraced the feet of the spirit, and spake as a supplicant, saying:
"I give thee thanks, my lord, that thou hast brought back my lord Abraham;
for behold we thought he had been taken up from us.

* * *

In due time it came to pass that Isaac knew his wife, Rebekah. She conceived
two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob became the progenitor of twelve sons and the
Lord changed his name to Israel. Israel's favorite son, Joseph, was sold
into slavery by his jealous brothers. The merchantmen carried Joseph to
Egypt, where he won a name for himself.

* * *

[In those days there lived] ... a great man named Potipherah, who was high
priest of the city of On in Egypt; and he and his wife had no children. One
day he went into the temple to offer sacrifice, as was his custom. He went
alone, and when he entered the great courtyard of the temple, in the middle
of which stood the altar, he was astonished to see a little child lying upon
the altar. Without waiting to offer his sacrifice, he hurried back to his
wife. "What is the matter," said she, "that you come back so hastily?" "I
have seen a wonderful thing," he said; "the gods have given us a child. The
gates of the temple were locked, so that no one could get into the court;
yet there is a child there, lying on the altar!" "What say you?" said his
wife; "what can be the meaning of it?" So they both hastened to the temple,
and when Potipherah opened the door of the courtyard, they saw, partly at
least, how the wonder had happened; for now there was an eagle perched upon
the altar with its wings spread out over the child-it was a little girl,
quite newly born-to protect it. They guessed that it was the eagle that had
brought the child, but, of course, they could not tell whose it was. It was
wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and these Potipherah's wife kept carefully by
her; for she thought the time might come when they might be recognised by
the parents of the little child; and indeed, years afterwards, this proved
to be the case.

In the meantime Potipherah and his wife kept the child and brought her up,
and treated her as their daughter; and they called her Asenath.

She grew up to be very beautiful; she was quite unlike an Egyptian girl, and
might have been taken for a Hebrew maiden: tall as Sarah and lovely as
Rebekah or Rachel; so beautiful, in fact, that all the sons of the princes
and nobles of Egypt were in love with her, and even the son of King Pharaoh
himself said to his father, "Give me Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, to
wife." But Pharaoh said, "Nay, my son, she is not your rank; you must marry
a queen; remember, the daughter of the King of Moab is affianced to you."

But besides being very beautiful, Asenath was exceedingly proud. There was
not a man of all the young nobles whom she would hear of, much less look at.
Indeed, hardly any man in Egypt except her own father had ever seen her
face; for she lived apart with the maidens who waited on her, in a lofty
tower which her father had built specially for her. It was really a noble
palace, with ten great rooms, one over the other. The first room was paved
with porphyry and lined with slabs of coloured marbles, and the roof was of
gold: and it was a kind of chapel for Asenath. It had golden and silver
images of all the gods of Egypt, and Asenath worshipped them and burnt
incense to them every day. The second chamber was Asenath's own. In it were
all her jewels and rich robes and fine linen. In the third were stored the
provisions of the house and every delicious fruit or sweetmeat that could be
got from any part of the world. The other seven chambers belonged to the
seven maidens who lived with Asenath and tended her. They were all of one
age, and as fair as the stars of heaven, and Asenath loved them dearly.

But to come back to Asenath's own chamber, which was the most splendid of
all. It had three windows, one looking out upon the garden of the tower
towards the east, and another towards the south, and the third towards the
high-road. Opposite the eastern window stood a golden bed, with a coverlet
woven of gold and purple and fine linen. And no one but Asenath herself had
ever even sat upon that bed, so magnificent and so sacred was it.

Besides all this, the tower had all around it a garden with a high wall of
squared blocks of stone. The gates (there were four of them) were of iron,
and each was guarded by eighteen stalwart men in armour. The garden itself
was full of shady trees, bearing splendid fruit; and there was a springing
fountain at one side of it, whose water ran first into a marble trough, and
then out of that into a stream which watered all the garden and kept it
fresh and green.

Here Asenath lived until she was eighteen years old, beautiful and proud and
caring for no one except her father and mother and her seven maidens. Now
the year in which she became eighteen was the first of the seven years of
plenty, of which King Pharaoh had dreamt in the dream of the seven cows and
the seven ears of corn, which is written in the Bible. And Joseph was now
travelling over all the land of Egypt to gather together corn to store up
against the seven years of famine which were to follow the seven of plenty.
And upon a certain day in harvest-time, Potipherah and his wife, who had
been away at an estate which they possessed in the country, returned to the
city of On; and no sooner had they done so than they received a message from
Joseph, saying, "Let me come and rest at your house during the heat of the
day." Whereupon Potipherah was greatly rejoiced, and thanked the gods for
the honour which Joseph did him by visiting him, and ordered a great banquet
to be prepared.

Just at this time, Asenath, who had heard that her father and mother were
returned, came to meet them. She had put on her most beautiful robe, of
linen woven with gold, and a golden girdle, and necklace and bracelets of
precious stones upon which were engraved the names of the gods of Egypt. And
she had a golden diadem on her head, and over it a delicate veil. She
hastened to meet her father and mother, and they rejoiced at her wonderful
beauty, and made her sit by them, and showed her the gifts they had brought
to her from the country-grapes and figs, pomegranates and fresh dates, and
young doves and quails for her to tame, to her great delight. Then her
father said to her, "My child, sit here with us: I want to speak to you." So
she sat down between her father and mother, and her father took her hand and
kissed her, and said, "My darling child, do you know that Joseph, the lord
of all this land, the man who is going to save the country from the famine
that is coming, the man whom Pharaoh trusts and honours above all others, is
coming to this house to-day? What would you say if I were to offer to give
you in marriage to him, to live happily with him for the rest of your life?"

Then Asenath was very angry; she blushed as red as fire, and darted an ugly
glance at her father sideways, and said, "How can you talk to me so, father?
Would you give me to a creature like that, the son of a Canaanitish
labourer, who has been in prison-yes, and sold as a slave-and only got out
of prison because he contrived to explain a dream of Pharaoh's, for all the
world like the old women? Certainly not! If I marry any one it will be
Pharaoh's eldest son." So Potipherah, disappointed as he was, said no more;
and Asenath hurried away to her own chamber. But she looked out of the
window.

As she went out, there ran in a young man, one of Potipherah's servants, and
said, "My lord, Joseph is just stopping before our gates." So Potipherah and
his wife and all their retinue rose and went forth to meet Joseph; and the
gates of the court towards the east were thrown open, and the chariot drove
in, drawn by four milk-white horses with harness of gold; and in the chariot
stood Joseph, clad in a tunic of white linen and a blood-red mantle shot
with gold. On his head was a crown with twelve great gems, and above each
gem was a ray of gold; in his hand was an olive branch with leaves and
fruit. But fairer than all his equipment was his face, for he was more
beautiful than any of the sons of men. And just as all the young nobles of
Egypt were mad about Asenath, so all the ladies of Egypt were in love with
Joseph; but he had not a word to say to any of them, for they were all
worshippers of idols, and Joseph worshipped the true God-the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob.

So the chariot entered the courtyard of Potipherah's palace, and the gates
were shut. Now Asenath stood at her window, and when she saw Joseph and the
beauty of his countenance, she was smitten to the heart, her knees trembled,
and she almost swooned. A great fear came upon her, and she heaved a deep
sigh and said, "Alas, alas, what have I said? what have I done? Pity me, O
God of Joseph, for it was in ignorance that I spoke against him. Did I not
call him a Canaanitish labourer's son? and lo, now he has come into our
house like the sun out of heaven. Fool that I was to rail against him as I
did! If only my father would give me to him as his slave and drudge, I would
serve him till I dropped dead at his feet."

Meanwhile Joseph, who had caught sight of Asenath standing at her window,
had come into the house, and they had washed his feet and set a table for
him by himself (for Joseph would not eat with the Egyptians). And he said to
Potipherah, "Who was the woman whom I saw looking out of the window when I
came in? Some stranger? If so, she must leave this house." "Nay, my lord,"
said Potipherah, "she is our daughter." And he went on to tell how Asenath
disliked the company of men, and indeed had hardly seen a strange man before
that day; and Joseph was glad to hear that she hated strange men, and said,
"If she be your daughter, I will love her from this day forth as a sister."

Accordingly, Asenath's mother went and fetched Asenath, and she greeted
Joseph, and he her. Then said Potipherah, "Come near, my child, and kiss
your brother." But when she drew near, Joseph put out his hand and thrust
her away, and spoke thus: "It is not right for one who worships the living
God, and eats the bread of life and drinks the cup of immortality, to kiss
one that praises with her lips dead idols, and eats the bread of death from
their tables and drinks the cup of deceit." At these harsh words Asenath was
bitterly grieved: she shrank back and looked piteously at Joseph, and her
eyes filled with tears; and when he saw how hurt she was, Joseph, who was
full of kindness, raised his hand over her head and blessed her, praying
that God, who gives life to all and brings us out of darkness into light,
might give life and light to her soul, and number her among His chosen
people, and bring her into the everlasting rest which He has promised to
them. So Asenath went back to her chamber, full of mingled joy and sorrow;
and she cast herself down on her bed and wept. And that same evening Joseph
left the house of Potipherah and set forth on his journey again. "But," said
he, "I will come back to you in eight days' time." Potipherah also and his
wife and their servants went back to their country house; and Asenath and
her seven maidens were left alone. And the sun went down and all was quiet.

When everyone else in the tower was asleep, Asenath, who had remained
weeping on her bed, rose up stealthily and crept downstairs to the gate of
the tower, where the woman who kept the door was asleep with her children;
and as quietly as she could she unhooked the heavy leather curtain that hung
in the doorway, and spreading it out on the floor, heaped up upon it all the
cinders and ashes out of the hearth, folded the corners together, dragged it
upstairs and threw it down on the floor. Then she barred the door of her
room securely, and burst into bitter weeping. It so happened that the maiden
whom Asenath loved the best of all her seven companions was awake, and heard
the sounds of crying. She was alarmed, and flew to wake up the other
attendants, and all of them came to the door of Asenath's chamber, which was
locked and barred. They called to her, "What is the matter, dear mistress?
Open to us and let us come in and comfort you." But Asenath answered from
within, "It is nothing but a violent headache. I am in bed, and too tired
and ill to get up and open the door. Go back all of you to your beds. I
shall be well to-morrow." So they dispersed to their rooms.

And when they were safely gone, Asenath got up and opened the door of the
room in which she kept her dresses and jewels, taking care to make no noise;
and from among all her robes she chose out a black one ... And she cast off
her royal robe and her diadem and veil and girdle, and put on the black robe
and girded it with a rope. Next she went to the shrine wherein stood all the
golden and silver images of her gods, and took them and threw them out of
the window for the wayfarers to pick up; and she took the supper that had
been laid out for her of all manner of delicate meats, and threw that into
the highway for the dogs to eat. And she emptied the ashes out of the
leather curtain upon the floor; she let down her hair and cast some of the
ashes upon her head; she smote her breast and wept; and thus she sat in
silence and misery till seven days and nights were accomplished.

And on the morning of the eighth day, when it was just dawning, and the
birds had begun to twitter in the trees of the garden, and the dogs to bark
at the passers-by, Asenath raised herself a little from her crouching
posture among the ashes and turned herself to the window that looked towards
the east. She was faint and ill and weary from her long fasting and
watching; her tongue was dry as horn, her eyes were glazed, and her fair
face was haggard. She bent her head down and clasped her hands together, and
crouched down again among the ashes, and said to herself, "It is all over. I
have no one to turn to now. My father and mother will cast me off, for I
have dishonoured their gods; they will say, 'Asenath is no daughter of ours.
' My kindred will hate me, and all the youths whom I have despised and
rejected will rejoice at my humiliation; and Joseph will have nothing to say
to me because I am a foul worshipper of idols. Yet," she went on to say, "I
have heard that the God of the Hebrews is a merciful God, long-suffering and
compassionate, not hard upon those that have sinned ignorantly, if they are
sorry for what they have done. Why should I not turn to Him? Who knows if He
will not have pity upon my loneliness and protect me? For they say He is the
Father of the fatherless, and cares for those who are in trouble." So she
rose and knelt upon her knees, with her face turned towards the east, and
looked up into heaven and prayed ....

And, when Asenath had ceased making confession to the Lord, lo! the
morning-star also arose out of the heaven in the east; and Asenath saw it
and rejoiced and said: "Hath the Lord God then heard my prayer? for that
this star is a messenger and herald of the light of the great day." And lo!
hard by the morning-star the heaven was rent and a great and ineffable light
appeared. And when she saw it Asenath fell upon her face upon the cinders,
and straightway there came to her a man from heaven, sending forth rays of
light, and stood above her head. And, as she lay on her face, the divine
angel said to her, "Asenath, stand up." And she said: "Who is he that called
me? for that the door of my chamber is shut and the tower is high, and how
then hath he come into my chamber?" And he called her again a second time,
saying, "Asenath, Asenath." And she said, "Here am I, lord, tell me who thou
art." And he said: "I am the chief captain of the Lord God and commander of
all the host of the Most High: stand up and stand upon thy feet, that I may
speak to thee my words." And she lifted up her face and saw, and lo! a man
in all things like unto Joseph, in robe and wreath and royal staff, save
that his face was as lightning, and his eyes as the light of the sun, and
the hairs of his head as the flame of fire of a burning torch, and his hands
and his feet like iron shining from fire, for as it were sparks proceeded
both from his hands and from his feet. Seeing these things Asenath feared
and fell on her face, unable even to stand upon her feet, for she became
greatly afraid and all her limbs trembled. And the man said to her: "Be of
good cheer, Asenath, and fear not; but stand up and stand upon thy feet,
that I may speak to thee my words." Then Asenath stood up and stood upon her
feet, and the angel said to her: "Go without impediment into thy second
chamber and lay aside the black tunic wherein thou art clad, and cast off
the sackcloth from thy loins, and shake out the cinders from thine head, and
wash thy face and thine hands with pure water and put on a white untouched
robe and gird thy loins with the bright girdle of virginity, the double one,
and come again to me, and I will speak to thee the words that are sent to
thee from the Lord." Then Asenath hastened and went into her second chamber,
wherein were the chests of her adorning, and opened her coffer and took a
white, fine, untouched robe and put it on, having first put off the black
robe, and ungirded also the rope and the sackcloth from her loins and girded
herself in a bright, double girdle of her virginity, one girdle about her
loins and another girdle about her breast. And she shook out also the
cinders from her head and washed her hands and face with pure water, and she
took a mantle most beautiful and fine and veiled her head.

And thereupon she came to the divine chief captain and stood before him, and
the angel of the Lord saith to her: "Take now the mantle from thine head,
for that thou art to-day a pure virgin, and thine head is as of a young
man." And Asenath took it from her head. And again the divine angel saith to
her: "Be of good cheer, Asenath, the virgin and pure, for lo! the Lord God
heard all the words of thy confession and thy prayer, and he hath seen also
the humiliation and affliction of the seven days of thine abstinence, for
that from thy tears much clay hath been formed before thy face upon these
cinders. Accordingly, be of good cheer, Asenath, the virgin and pure, for
lo! thy name hath been written in the book of life and shall not be blotted
out for ever; but from this day thou shalt be renewed and refashioned and
re-quickened, and thou shalt eat the blessed bread of life and drink a cup
filled with immortality and be anointed with the blessed unction of
incorruption. Be of good cheer, Asenath, the virgin and pure, lo! the Lord
God hath given thee to-day to Joseph for a bride, and he himself shall be
thy bridegroom for ever. And no more henceforth shalt thou be called
Asenath, but thy name shall be 'City of Refuge,' for that in thee many
nations shall seek refuge and they shall lodge under thy wings, and many
nations shall find shelter by thy means, and upon thy walls they who cleave
unto God Most High through penitence shall be kept secure .... And lo! for
my part I go to Joseph and will speak to him all these words concerning
thee, and he will come to thee to-day and see thee and rejoice over thee and
love thee and be thy bridegroom, and thou shalt be his beloved bride for
ever. Accordingly hear me, Asenath, and put on a wedding robe, the ancient
and first robe that is yet laid up in thy chamber from of old, and put all
thy choice adorning also about thee, and adorn thyself as a good bride and
make thyself ready to meet him; for lo! he himself cometh to thee to-day and
will see thee and rejoice." And, when the angel of the Lord in the shape of
a man had finished speaking these words to Asenath, she rejoiced with great
joy over all the things that were spoken by him, and fell upon her face upon
the earth, and made obeisance before his feet and said to him: "Blessed is
the Lord thy God who sent thee to deliver me from the darkness and to bring
me from the foundations of the abyss itself into the light, and blessed is
thy name for ever. If then I have found grace, my lord, in thy sight and
shall know that thou wilt perform all the words which thou hast said to me
so that they be accomplished, let thine handmaid speak to thee." And the
angel saith to her, "Say on." And she said: "I pray thee, lord, sit down a
little time upon this bed, because this bed is pure and undefiled, for that
another man or other woman never sat upon it, and I will set before thee a
table and bread, and thou shalt eat, and I will bring thee also wine old and
good, the odour whereof shall reach unto heaven, and thou shalt drink
thereof and thereafter shalt depart upon thy way." And he saith to her:
"Haste and bring it quickly."

And Asenath hasted and set an empty table before him; and, as she was
starting to fetch bread, the divine angel saith to her: "Bring me also an
honeycomb." And she stood still and was perplexed and grieved for that she
had not a bee's comb in her storehouse. And the divine angel saith to her:
"Wherefore standest thou still?" And she said: "My lord, I will send a boy
to the suburb, because the possession of our inheritance is near, and he
will come and bring one quickly thence, and I will set it before thee." The
divine angel saith to her: "Enter thy storehouse and thou wilt find a bee's
comb lying upon the table; take it up and bring it hither." And she said,
"Lord, there is no bee's comb in my storehouse." And he said, "Go and thou
wilt find." And Asenath entered her storehouse and found an honeycomb lying
upon the table; and the comb was great and white like snow and full of
honey, and that honey was as the dew of heaven, and the odour thereof as the
odour of life. Then Asenath wondered and said in herself: "Is this comb from
the mouth of this man himself?" And Asenath took that comb and brought it
and set it forth upon the table, and the angel said to her: "Why is it that
thou saidst, 'There is no honeycomb in mine house,' and lo! thou hast
brought it me?" And she said: "Lord, I have never put an honeycomb in mine
house, but as thou saidst so it hath been made. Came this forth from thy
mouth? for that the odour thereof is as the odour of ointment." And the man
smiled at the woman's understanding. Then he calleth her to himself, and,
when she came, he stretched out his right hand and took hold of her head,
and, when he shook her head with his right hand, Asenath feared the angel's
hand greatly, for that sparks proceeded from his hands after the manner of
red-hot iron, and accordingly she was all the time gazing with much fear and
trembling at the angel's hand. And he smiled and said: "Blessed art thou,
Asenath, because the ineffable mysteries of God have been revealed to thee;
and blessed are all who cleave to the Lord God in penitence, because they
shall eat of this comb, for that this comb is the spirit of life, and this
the bees of the paradise of delight have made from the dew of the roses of
life that are in the paradise of God and every flower, and of it eat the
angels and all the elect of God and all the sons of the Most High, and
whosoever shall eat of it shall not die for ever." Then the divine angel
stretched out his right hand and took a small piece from the comb and ate,
and with his own hand placed what was left in Asenath's mouth and said to
her, "Eat," and she ate. And the angel said to her: "Lo! now thou hast eaten
the bread of life and hast drunk the cup of immortality and been anointed
with the unction of incorruption; lo! now to-day thy flesh produceth flowers
of life from the fountain of the Most High, and thy bones shall be made fat
like the cedars of the paradise of delight of God and unwearing powers shall
maintain thee; accordingly thy youth shall not see old age, nor shall thy
beauty fail for ever, but thou shalt be as a walled mother-city of all." And
the angel incited the comb, and many bees arose from the cells of that comb,
and the cells were numberless, tens of thousands of tens of thousands and
thousands of thousands. And the bees also were white like snow, and their
wings as purple and crimson stuff and as scarlet; and they had also sharp
stings and injured no man. Then all those bees encircled Asenath from feet
to head, and other great bees like their queens arose from the cells, and
they circled round upon her face and upon her lips, and made a comb upon her
mouth and upon her lips like the comb that lay before the angel; and all
those bees ate from the comb that was upon Asenath's mouth. And the angel
said to the bees, "Go now to your place." Then all the bees rose and flew
and departed to heaven; but as many as wished to injure Asenath fell upon
the earth and died. And thereupon the angel stretched his staff over the
dead bees and said to them: "Rise and depart ye also into your place." Then
all the dead bees rose and departed into the court that adjoined Asenath's
house and took up their lodging upon the fruit-bearing trees.

And the angel saith to Asenath, "Hast thou seen this thing?" And she said,
"Yea, my lord, I have seen all these things." The divine angel saith to her:
"So shall be all my words as many as I have spoken to thee to-day." Then the
angel of the Lord for the third time stretched forth his right hand and
touched the side of the comb, and straightway fire came up from the table
and devoured the comb, but the table it injured not a whit. And, when much
fragrance had come forth from the burning of the comb and filled the
chamber, Asenath said to the divine angel: "Lord, I have seven virgins who
were brought up with me from my youth and were born on one night with me,
who wait upon me, and I love them all as my sisters. I will call them and
thou shalt bless them too, even as thou blessedst me." And the angel said to
her: "Call them." Then Asenath called the seven virgins and set them before
the angel, and the angel said to them: "The Lord God Most High shall bless
you, and ye shall be pillars of refuge of seven cities, and all the elect of
that city who dwell together shall upon you rest for ever." And after these
things the divine angel saith to Asenath: "Take away this table." And, when
Asenath turned to remove the table, straightway he departed from her eyes,
and Asenath saw as it were a chariot with four horses that were going
eastward to heaven, and the chariot was as a flame of fire, and the horses
as lightning, and the angel was standing above that chariot. Then Asenath
said: "Silly and foolish am I, the lowly one, for that I have spoken as that
a man came into my chamber from heaven, and I knew not that God came into
it; and lo! now he goeth back to heaven to his place." And she said in
herself: "Be gracious, Lord, to thy bondmaid, and spare thine handmaid,
because, for my part, I have in ignorance spoken rash things before thee."

And, while Asenath was yet speaking these words to herself, lo! a young man,
one of the servants of Joseph, saying: "Joseph, the mighty man of God,
cometh to you to-day." And straightway Asenath called the overseer of her
house and said to him: "Haste and prepare mine house and make a good dinner
ready, for that Joseph, the mighty man of God, cometh to us to-day." And the
overseer of the house when he saw her (for her face had shrunk from the
seven days' affliction and weeping and abstinence) sorrowed and wept; and he
took hold of her right hand and kissed it tenderly and said: "What aileth
thee, my lady, that thy face is thus shrunken?" And she said: "I have had
great pain about mine head, and sleep departed from mine eyes." Then the
overseer of the house went away and prepared the house and the dinner. And
Asenath remembered the angel's words and his injunctions, and hasted and
entered her second chamber, where the chests of her adorning were, and
opened her great coffer and brought out her first robe like lightning to
behold and put it on; and she girded herself also with a girdle bright and
royal that was of gold and precious stones, and on her hands she put golden
bracelets, and upon her feet golden buskins, and a precious ornament about
her neck, and a golden wreath she put about her head; and on the wreath as
upon its front was a great sapphire stone, and round the great stone six
stones of great price, and with a very marvellous mantle she veiled her
head. And, when Asenath remembered the words of the overseer of her house,
for that he said to her that her face had shrunk, she sorrowed exceedingly,
and groaned and said: "Woe is me, the lowly one, since my face is shrunken.
Joseph will see me thus and I shall be set at naught by him." And she saith
to her handmaid, "Bring me pure water from the fountain." And, when she had
brought it, she poured it out into the basin, and, bending down to wash her
face, she seeth her own face shining like the sun, and her eyes as the
morning-star when it riseth, and her cheeks as a star of heaven, and her
lips as red roses, the hairs of her head were as the vine that bloometh
among his fruits in the paradise of God, her neck as an all-variegated
cypress. And Asenath, when she saw these things, marvelled in herself at the
sight and rejoiced with exceeding great joy and washed not her face, for she
said, "Lest I wash off this great and comely beauty." The overseer of her
house then came back to tell her, "All things are done that thou
commandedst"; and, when he beheld her, he feared greatly and was seized with
trembling for a long time, and he fell at her feet and began to say: "What
is this, my mistress? What is this beauty that surroundeth thee that is
great and marvellous? Hath the Lord God of Heaven chosen thee as bride for
his son Joseph?"

And, while they were yet speaking these things, a boy came saying to
Asenath: "Lo! Joseph standeth before the doors of our court." Then Asenath
hasted and went down the stairs from her loft with the seven virgins to meet
Joseph and stood in the porch of her house. And, Joseph having come into the
court, the gates were shut and all strangers remained outside. And Asenath
came out from the porch to meet Joseph, and when he saw her he marvelled at
her beauty, and said to her: "Who art thou, damsel? Quickly tell me." And
she saith to him: "I, lord, am thine handmaid Asenath; all the idols I have
cast away from me and they perished. And a man came to me to-day from heaven
and hath given me bread of life and I ate, and I drank a blessed cup, and he
said to me: 'I have given thee for a bride to Joseph, and he himself shall
be thy bridegroom for ever; and thy name shall not be called Asenath, but it
shall be called "City of Refuge," and the Lord God shall reign over many
nations, and through thee shall they seek refuge with God Most High.' And
the man said: 'I will go also to Joseph that I may speak into his ears these
words concerning thee.' And now thou knowest, lord, if that man hath come to
thee and if he hath spoken to thee concerning me." Then Joseph saith to
Asenath: "Blessed art thou, woman, of God Most High, and blessed is thy name
for ever, for that the Lord God hath laid the foundation of thy walls, and
the sons of the living God shall dwell in thy city of refuge, and the Lord
God shall reign over them for ever. For that man came from heaven to me
to-day and said these words to me concerning thee. And now come hither to
me, thou virgin and pure, and wherefore standest thou afar off?" Then Joseph
stretched out his hands and embraced Asenath, and Asenath Joseph, and they
kissed one another for a long time, and both lived again in their spirit....

And as they were talking together, Potipherah and his wife and their
household entered the palace, having returned from the country; and they
were amazed, and rejoiced at the sight of Joseph and Asenath. And when they
learnt all that had happened, they rejoiced yet more; and Potipherah said,
"To-morrow I will call together all my kinsfolk and prepare your marriage
feast." But Joseph said, "Nay, but I will first go to Pharaoh and speak to
him concerning Asenath, that I may take her to wife; for he is to me as a
father."

So on the next day Joseph departed to see Pharaoh, and forthwith Pharaoh
sent for Potipherah and his wife and Asenath; and in their presence he
blessed Asenath, and joined her hand with the hand of Joseph, and crowned
them with golden crowns, and made a great feast for them lasting seven days;
and all the land of Egypt rejoiced. So Joseph and Asenath were married; and
after that two sons were born to them, even Ephraim and Manasseh, in the
house of Joseph.

Now when the seven years of plenty were over, the years of famine began, and
Jacob and his sons came to dwell in Egypt in the land of Goshen, as it is
told in the Bible. Then Asenath said to Joseph, "Let me go and see your
father and greet him." So Joseph brought her to Jacob, and his brethren met
him and did him obeisance at the door of the house, and they entered in. And
when they saw Jacob, who was sitting upon his bed, Asenath was struck with
amazement at the sight of him, for he was noble to look upon. His head was
white as snow, his beard was long, flowing over his bosom, his eyes were
bright and flashing, and his muscles and limbs were those of a giant. And
Asenath fell on her face before him; and Israel said, "Is this thy wife, my
son Joseph? Blessed shall she be of the Most High God." Then he called her
to him, and she fell on his breast and he kissed her, and they rejoiced
together. After that he inquired of her concerning her parents; and Asenath
told him how an eagle had brought her and laid her upon the altar of the
temple of On; and she showed him the swaddling-clothes in which she had been
wrapped. And Jacob knew that they belonged to his own daughter Dinah; and
thus it was made known to him that Asenath was of his own race, and he was
the more glad.

* * *

In due time Joseph died, and Moses took the bones of Joseph with him when he
led the Israelites out of Egypt.

* * *

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along
the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light...."

When they camped before Mt. Sinai, and Moses went up to God, the Lord said
to Moses:

"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles'
wings and brought you to myself."

On the day when Moses was to vanish out of the sight of the people of
Israel, he went to Mt. Abarim, which is a high mountain overlooking Jericho.
As he was going to embrace those who accompanied him, "a cloud stood over
him on the sudden, and he disappeared...." According to another account "at
Moses' death a bright cloud so dazzled the eyes of the bystanders that they
saw neither when he died nor where he was buried."

* * *

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven, Elijah and Elisha
were on their way to the Jordan river.

* * *

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you,
before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "I pray you, let me inherit a
double share of your spirit." And he said, "You have asked a hard thing;
yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but
if you do not see me, it shall not be so." And as they still went on and
talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of
them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and
cried, "My father, my father! the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And
he saw him no more.

* * *

It came to pass that Elisha spied on the king of Syria, and the king sent a
great army to capture Elisha.

* * *

When the servant of Elisha rose early in the morning and went out, behold,
an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And the servant
said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" He said, "Fear not, for those who
are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed, and
said, "O Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see." So the Lord
opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was
full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when the Syrians
came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, "Strike this
people, I pray thee, with blindness." So he struck them with blindness in
accordance with the prayer of Elisha.... And the Syrians came no more on
raids into the land of Israel.

* * *

One day when Job, the ruler of Uz, felt that his end was near, he called
together his seven sons and his three daughters to divided his wealth among
them.

* * *

And I, Nahor, the brother of Job, who wrote this testament, sat by and heard
them; and that which I could I wrote down in a book, to be for them that
come after, that they might know something of the wonders of the Lord.

Now after three days wherein Job kept his bed-yet without pain or sickness,
for no disease had power over him since the day when he put on that heavenly
girdle [which the angel of the Lord gave him]--after three days, I say, he
was aware of those that were coming to bear away his soul. And he arose, and
gave to his eldest daughter a harp, and to the second a censor, and to the
third an instrument of music, that they might welcome those that were on
their way. And even as they took them into their hands they saw the chariots
of light approaching; and they uttered hymns of praise and thanksgiving,
each one in the language of them that dwell in the holy places. Then He that
sat in the great chariot came near and took the soul of Job, embracing it in
His arms in the sight of his daughters; but no man else saw that sight. And
He took it into the chariot and departed towards the sunrising.

And after three days we made ready the body of Job to the burial.... And we
laid him in the tomb as it were sleeping a fair sleep; and verily he left
after him a name that shall be famous and renowned in all generations.

2 THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH REVEALED

* * *

So the Israelites were dwelling in the land which the Lord promised to
Moses. But when the men of Judah and the tribes of Israel anointed David
king over all the children of Israel, the Lord promised a more desirable
land for the chosen people, moreover an everlasting kingdom for David's
offspring. It came to pass one night, when the king was in his house, that
the Lord came to Nathan the prophet saying:

* * *

"Go and tell my servant David, ... 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you
from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over
my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut
off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name,
like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for
my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own
place, and be disturbed no more; ... and I will give you rest from all your
enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a
house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I
will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body,
and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I
will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and
he shall be my son.... And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure
for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.'"

[Note that this prediction must refer to Jesus. When he was baptized in the
Jordan, the heavens opened and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my
beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."]

3 THE ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY

* * *

When David's time to die drew near, he made his son, Solomon, king over
Israel. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. King
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel also for forty years.

It came to pass during those years that Solomon did what was evil in the
sight of the Lord. And the Lord, through the prophet Ahijah, promised to
tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and give Jeroboam, a servant of
Solomon, ten tribes (or nine and a half, if Manasseh is counted as a half
tribe). Nevertheless, for David's sake, the kingdom remained undivided until
Solomon lived. After his death Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
Rehoboam refused to lighten the burden that Solomon put upon the people of
Israel. As a result ten tribes rebelled against the house of David and
elected Jeroboam king over the ten tribes of Israel. Only the house of Judah
and the tribe of Benjamin followed Rehoboam and remained loyal to the house
of David. Jerusalem in the south stayed as the capital city for the
two-tribed kingdom of Judah. For the ten-tribed kingdom of Israel the
capital became the northern city of Samaria.

Many years later it came to pass that the kings who reigned over Israel in
Samaria did many evil things in the sight of God and did not depart from the
sin of Jeroboam, the first king of the ten tribes of Israel. Therefore the
Lord was very angry with Israel. He stirred up the kings of Assyria and sent
them against Israel.

First the two and a half tribes on the east of Jordan, the Reubenites,
Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, suffered defeat from the hand of the
Assyrians. In 734 BC the most able members of these tribes were carried away
captive to Assyria. Twelve years later, in 722 BC, Assyria annexed the
entire kingdom of Israel and carried away the whole population. The captives
were settled mostly into depopulated areas in northern Mesopotamia.

In 701 BC a portion of Judah suffered at the hand of Sennacherib. No less
than 200,150 men, women and children were carried away captives. The King of
Judah himself became one of the vassals of Assyria. The captives of Judah
were also transplanted into the northern provinces of Assyria.

* * *

But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the
multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never
mankind dwelt, that they might there keep their statutes, which they never
kept in their own land. And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow
passages of the river. For the most High then shewed signs for them, and
held still the flood, till they were passed over. For through that country
there was a great way to go, namely, of a year and a half: and the same
region is called Ar-Saret. Then dwelt they there until the latter time.

[The Ar-Saret region is probably the territory along the Sereth or Szeret
(i.e. "Love") river. The Sereth flows for about 340 miles from its
Transylvanian source through Moldavia and meets the Danube near Galatz or
Galati, not far from the Black Sea.]

4 THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

* * *

It came to pass that in about 626 BC the tribes, coming from the regions
north and north-east of the Black Sea, swept over Asia. They threatened
Egypt and Judah, exacted fines from Pharaoh and eventually returned to their
own land.

Soon thereafter the Assyrian Empire rapidly declined. A new empire emerged,
the Neo-Babylonian or Chaldean Empire. It completed the downfall of the
kingdom of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar besieged and captured Jerusalem. He carried
away to Babylon the king of Judah, his family, all the nobles and the most
capable inhabitants of the land. The objective of the deportation was not
only to weaken the conquered country, but also to strengthen that of the
conquerors.

The deportation took place in three stages, in the years 606, 598 and 587
BC. Among the captives were youths from the royal seed and family of David.
They were to be educated for three years at Nebuchadnezzar's court.

* * *

And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar,
Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he
called Abednego....

As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all letters
and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the
end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in,
the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king
spoke with them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they stood before the king. And in every
matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king enquired of
them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers
that were in all his kingdom....

Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him
ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the
wise men of Babylon. [As the chief magistrate over the magi, Daniel acquired
the title of Zarathustra, Zaradosht, or Zardusht, i.e. "Head of the Magi"
(Old Persian sar, head + dastur, priest)]. Daniel made request of the king,
and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the
province of Babylon; but Daniel remained at the king's court.

5 THE VISIONS OF DANIEL

* * *

The exiles prospered in Babylonia. It came to pass during the reigns of
Darius (538 BC) and Cyrus (536 BC) that Daniel experienced strange visions.

* * *

Daniel said, "... As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient
of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning
fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him.... I saw in
the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like
a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before
him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples,
nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be
destroyed.

"As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my
head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the
truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the
interpretation of the things...."

In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me,
Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. And I saw in the
vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the capital, which is in the province
of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was at the river Ulai....

When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold,
there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man'
s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, "Gabriel, make this
man understand the vision." So he came near where I stood; and when he came,
I was frightened and fell upon my face. But he said to me, "Understand, O
son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end."...

And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I rose and went
about the king's business; but I was appalled by the vision and did not
understand it.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by birth a Mede, who
became king over the realm of the Chaldeans-in the first year of his reign,
I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years which, according to
the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of
the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and
supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my
God and made confession, saying, ... "To thee, O Lord, belongs
righteousness, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of
Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are
near and those that are far away, in all the lands to which thou hast driven
them, because of the treachery which they have committed against thee....
Yea, all Israel has transgressed thy law and turned aside, refusing to obey
thy voice....

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people
Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy
hill of my God; while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had
seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of
the evening sacrifice. He came and said to me, "O Daniel, I have now come
forth to give you wisdom and understanding.

"... Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to
restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah the Prince there
shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks.... And after sixty-two weeks the
Messiah shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the
prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.... But you,
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end...."

6 THE PREDICTION OF ZARADOSHT

* * *

In due time Daniel-who in this text is referred to as Zaradosht (i.e. Head
of the Magi)--called for a meeting his three companions from the royal seed
of Judah to instruct them in the hidden mysteries concerning the coming of
the King of Light. Seated near the source of a fountain of water, where the
royal bath had been erected, he said to his trusted companions:

* * *

"Listen, that I may reveal to you the prodigious mystery concerning the
great King who must come into the world. At the end of times, and at the
final dissolution, a child shall be conceived in the womb of a virgin, and
shall be formed in her members, without any man approaching her. And he
shall be like a tree with beautiful foliage and laden with fruit, standing
in a parched land; and the inhabitants of that land shall be gathered
together to uproot it from the earth, but shall not be able. Then they will
take him and crucify him upon a tree, and heaven and earth shall sit in
mourning for his sake; and all the families of nations shall be in grief for
him. He will begin to go down to the depths of the earth, and from the depth
he will be exalted to the height; then he will come with the armies of
light, and be borne aloft upon white clouds; for he is a child conceived by
the Word [i.e. by the Logos spermatikos or Cosmic Seed] which engenders all
things.... He shall descend from my family [i.e. from the seed and family of
king David]; I am he, and he is I; he is in me, and I am in him. At the
manifest commencement of his coming great prodigies will appear in the sky.
A star will be seen shining in the midst of the sky: its light will outshine
that of the sun. So then, my sons, you who are the Seed of Life issuing from
the Treasury of the Light and of the Spirit, who have been sown in the soil
of fire and of water, you must be on your guard and watch ... for you will
know beforehand of the coming of the great king for whom the captives [of
Israel] are waiting to be freed. Now, my sons, guard this secret which I
have revealed to you, and let it be kept in the treasure-houses of your
souls. And when that star rises of which I have spoken, let ambassadors
bearing offerings be sent by you, and let them offer worship to him. Watch,
and take heed, and despise him not, that he destroy you not with the sword;
for he is the king of kings, and all kings receive their crowns from him. He
and I are one."...

In accord with Zaradosht's instructions, twelve Magi were selected to take
their place on a high tower, where they watched constantly for the
appearance of the star that had been foretold. When one of the twelve Magi
died, another was chosen to take his place, so that their number was never
diminished.

Generations passed like the links of a chain going down the hold of a ship,
but twelve Magi ceaselessly watched for the sign given them by the master
Zaradosht.

Part Two

CHARIOTS OF LIGHT IN THE CHRISTIAN ERA

Woe to the unbelievers when Christ shall come as judge, with angels, a fiery
chariot, a mighty wind: the stars shall fall, the heavens open, the books be
brought forward.
--The Revelation of Stephen

7 THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

* * *

When Herod the Great ruled in Judea with an iron hand, there lived in the
city of Nazareth Mary, a sixteen-year-old temple virgin. She sprung from the
royal stock and family of David. In due time she was betrothed to Joseph, a
man of great age. One day it came to pass that the angel Gabriel appeared to
the virgin and she miraculously conceived. As Mary herself relates:

* * *

"When I lived in the temple of God and received my food from the hand of an
angel, one day there appeared to me one in the form of an angel; but his
face was indescribable and in his hand he had neither bread nor cup, as had
the angel who came to me before. And immediately the veil of the temple was
rent and there was a violent earthquake, and I fell to the earth, for I
could not bear the sight of him. But he took me with his hand and raised me

up. And I looked toward heaven; and there came a cloud of dew on my face and
sprinkled me from head to foot, and he wiped me with his robe. Then he said
to me: 'Hail, you who are highly favoured, the chosen vessel.' And then he
struck the right side of his garment and there came forth an exceedingly
large loaf, and he placed it upon the altar of the temple, and first ate of
it himself and then gave to me also. And again he struck his garment, on the
left side, and I looked and saw a cup full of wine. And he placed it upon
the altar of the temple, and drank from it first himself and gave it also to
me. And I looked and saw that the bread did not diminish and the cup was
full as before. Then he said: 'Three years more, and I will send my word
[i.e. his Logos spermatikos or seed] and you shall conceive my son, and
through him the whole world shall be saved. But you will bring salvation to
the world. Peace be with you, favoured one, and my peace shall be with you
for ever.' And when he had said this, he vanished from my eyes and the
temple was as before."...

Now when Mary was in her sixth month, behold, Joseph came from his house and
found her with child. And he smote his face, threw himself down on
sackcloth, and wept bitterly, saying: "With what countenance shall I look
towards the Lord my God? What prayer shall I offer for this maiden? For I
received her as a virgin out of the temple of the Lord my God and have not
protected her. Who has deceived me? ..." And Joseph arose from the sackcloth
and called Mary and said to her: "You who are cared for by God, why have you
done this and forgotten the Lord your God? Why have you humiliated your
soul, you who were brought up in the Holy of Holies and received food from
the hand of an angel?" But she wept bitterly, saying: "I am pure, and know
not a man." And Joseph said to her: "Whence then is this in your womb?" And
she said: "As the Lord my God lives, I do not know whence it has come to
me."

And Joseph feared greatly and parted from her, pondering what he should do
with her. And Joseph said: "If I conceal her sin, I shall be found opposing
the law of the Lord. If I expose her to the children of Israel, I fear lest
that which is in her may have sprung from the angels and I should be found
delivering up innocent blood to the judgment of death. What then shall I do
with her? I will put her away secretly." And the night came upon him. And
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: "Do not
fear because of this child. For that which is in her is of the Holy Spirit
[i.e. from Gabriel's seed]. She shall bear a son, and you shall call his
name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." And Joseph arose
from sleep and glorified the God of Israel who had bestowed his grace upon
him, and he watched over her....

And it came to pass some little time after, that an enrollment was made
according to the edict of Caesar Augustus, that all the world was to be
enrolled, each man in his native place. This enrollment was made by Cyrinus,
the governor of Syria. It was necessary, therefore, that Joseph should
enroll with the blessed Mary in Bethlehem, because to it they belonged,
being of the tribe of Judah, and of the house and family of David. [And
Joseph saddled his ass and sat Mary on it.] When, therefore, Joseph and the
blessed Mary were going along the road which leads to Bethlehem, Mary said
to Joseph: "I see two peoples before me, the one weeping, and the other
rejoicing." And Joseph answered: "Sit still on thy beast, and do not speak
superfluous words." Then there appeared before them a beautiful youth,
clothed in white raiment, who said to Joseph: "Why didst thou say that the
words which Mary spoke about the two peoples were superfluous? For she saw
the people of the Jews weeping, because they have departed from their God;
and the people of the Gentiles rejoicing, because they have now been added
and made near to the Lord, according to that which He promised to our
fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for the time is at hand when in the seed
of Abraham all nations shall be blessed."

And when he had thus said, the angel ordered the beast to stand, for the
time when she should bring forth was at hand; and he commanded the blessed
Mary to come down off the animal, and go into a recess under a cavern, in
which there never was light, but always darkness, because the light of day
could not reach it. And when the blessed Mary had gone into it, it began to
shine with as much brightness as if it were the sixth hour of the day. The
light from God so shone in the cave, that neither by day nor night was light
wanting as long as the blessed Mary was there. And there she brought forth a
son, and the angels surrounded Him, when He was being born. And as soon as
He was born, He stood upon His feet, and the angels adored Him, saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good pleasure."
Now, when the birth of the Lord was at hand, Joseph had gone away to seek
midwives. And when he had found them, he returned to the cave, and found
with Mary the infant which she had brought forth....

As Joseph, Zelomi and Salome approached the cave, they saw a luminous cloud
hanging like a shining curtain over the entrance.

Zelomi was awed by the sight. She closed her eyes and prayed: "My soul has
been magnified this day, and mine eyes have seen strange things. Surely the
Lord has brought forth salvation for the Children of Israel."

When she opened her eyes the cloud was gone, and she could see a great light
glowing within the cave, more splendid than the light of the sun.... But the
light gradually decreased, until the infant appeared, and sucked the breast
of his mother Mary....

And Joseph said to the blessed Mary: "I have brought thee two
midwives-Zelomi and Salome; and they are standing outside before the
entrance to the cave, not daring to come in hither, because of the exceeding
brightness." And when the blessed Mary heard this, she smiled; and Joseph
said to her: "Do not smile; but prudently allow them to visit thee, in case
thou shouldst require them for thy cure." Then she ordered them to enter.
And when Zelomi had come in, Salome having stayed without, Zelomi said to
Mary: "Allow me to touch thee." And when she had permitted her to make an
examination, the midwife cried out with a loud voice, and said: "Lord, Lord
Almighty, mercy on us! It has never been heard or thought of, that any one
should have her breasts full of milk, and that the birth of a son should
show his mother to be a virgin. But there has been no spilling of blood in
his birth, no pain in bringing him forth. A virgin has conceived, a virgin
has brought forth, and a virgin she remains." And hearing these words,
Salome said: "Allow me to handle thee, and prove whether Zelomi has spoken
the truth." And the blessed Mary allowed her to handle her. And when she had
withdrawn her hand from handling her, it dried up, and through excess of
pain she began to weep bitterly, and to be in great distress, crying out,
and saying: "O Lord God, Thou knowest that I have always feared Thee, and
that without recompense I have cared for all the poor; I have taken nothing
from the widow and the orphan, and the needy have I not sent empty away.
And, behold, I am made wretched because of mine unbelief, since without a
cause I wished to try Thy virgin."

And while she was thus speaking, there stood by her a young man in shining
garments, saying: "Go to the child, and adore Him, and touch Him with thy
hand, and He will heal thee, because He is the Saviour of the world, and of
all that hope in Him." And she went to the child with haste, and adored Him,
and touched the fringe of the cloths in which He was wrapped, and instantly
her hand was cured. And going forth, she began to cry aloud, and to tell the
wonderful things which she had seen, and which she had suffered, and how she
had been cured; so that many through her statements believed.

And some shepherds also affirmed that they had seen angels singing a hymn at
midnight, praising and blessing the God of heaven, and saying: "There has
been born the Saviour of all, who is Christ the Lord, in whom salvation
shall be brought back to Israel."

Moreover, a great star, larger than any that had been seen since the
beginning of the world, shone over the cave from the evening till the
morning. And the prophets who were in Jerusalem said that this star pointed
out the birth of Christ, who should restore the promise not only to Israel,
but to all nations.

And on the third day after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most
blessed Mary went forth out of the cave, and entering a stable, placed the
child in the stall, and the ox and the ass adored Him. Then was fulfilled
that which was said by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The ox knoweth his
owner, and the ass his master's crib ...." In the same place Joseph remained
with Mary three days.

And on the sixth day they entered Bethlehem, where they spent the seventh
day. And on the eighth day they circumcised the child, and called His name
Jesus; for so He was called by the angel before He was conceived in the
womb....

And behold there came wise men from the country of the East, and they came
into Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He Who is born King of the Jews? for we
have seen His star, and have come to worship Him." Now these wise men were
... diviners, and astrologers, and they watched the stars, and held converse
with them.

And it was written in their books ... that Christ, the King of the Jews, was
to be born.... And God in the operation of His wisdom made these diviners to
understand, and he made those who were astrologers to believe in Him. And He
shewed them this star, and when they saw it they rejoiced, for its
appearance was different in many respects from that of the other stars. Now
its appearance was this: That star had the form of a virgin embracing a
child in her bosom, and it travelled from left to right, and it travelled by
day, and disappeared by night. When the wise men travelled, the star
travelled; and when they stood still it stood still. And it was visible to
them in one place, and was hidden from them in another. When they came into
Jerusalem it became hidden, and when it was hidden from them they were
exceedingly sorry, and did not know what to do. And then they came into
Jerusalem and asked for Him that had been born. And the number of those
diviners was three thousand, and their kings were three, and each of them
had one thousand and seventy horses. And when Herod heard about the diviners
who had come to Jerusalem on account of the King Who had been born, he was
dismayed and was afraid for his kingdom, for he heard from the Jews about
him, that the Messiah would be born in the flesh. And he gathered together
all the chief priests, and the scribes of the people, and he said unto them,
"Where is the Messiah to be born?" And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of
Judea, for even thus is it written in the prophet: 'And thou Bethlehem, in
the land of Ephratah, thou shalt not be for ever the least important and
smallest of the principalities of Judah, for in thee shall be born and go
forth a king and a governor who shall supervise My people Israel.'" Then
Herod summoned unto him the diviners by themselves in secret ....

And he questioned the wise men and said to them: "What sign did you see
concerning the new-born king?" And the wise men said: "We saw how an
indescribably greater star shone among these stars and dimmed them, so that
they no longer shone; and so we knew that a king was born for Israel. And we
came to worship him."...

[And Herod sent the Magi] ... to Bethlehem, saying, "When ye have departed
enquire carefully about the Child and where He is born, and when ye have
found Him come back to me, and tell me so that I may come and worship Him."
Now these words came from him with deceit, for when the wise men had found
Him, he determined to kill Him. And when the wise men heard these words from
the king, they departed, and that star which they had seen in the East
guided them until it brought them to the cave and it stood over the cave
where the Child was....

As touching the nature of that star, whether it was a star in its nature, or
in appearance only, it is right to know that it was not of the other stars,

but a secret power which appeared like a star; for all the other stars that
are in the firmament, and the sun and the moon, perform their course from
east to west. This one, however, made its course from north to south, for
Palestine lies thus, over against Persia. This star was not seen by them at
night only, but also during the day, and at noon; and it was seen at the
time when the sun is particularly strong, because it was not one of the
stars. Now the moon is stronger in its light than all the stars, but it is
immediately quenched and its light dissipated by one small ray of the sun.
But this star overcame even the beams of the sun by the intensity of its
light. Sometimes it appeared, and sometimes it was hidden entirely. It
guided the Magi as far as Palestine. When they drew near to Jerusalem, it
was hidden; and when they went forth from Herod, and began to journey along
the road, it appeared and shewed itself. This was not an ordinary movement
of the stars, but a rational power. Moreover, it had no fixed path. It did
not remain always in the height of heaven, but sometimes it came down, and
sometimes it mounted up; and it also stood over the head of the Child....

And it was two years after He was born when the diviners came to Him....

And by the Will of God Joseph and Mary and the Child our Lord Jesus, went
out that day to the cave....

When Joseph looked out with his eyes, he saw a crowd of pilgrims who were
coming in company to the cave, and he said: "I will arise and go out to meet
them." And when Joseph went out, he said ... : "It seems to me as if those
coming were soothsayers, for lo, every moment they look up to heaven and
confer one with another. But they seem also to be strangers, for their
appearance differs from ours; for their dress is very rich and their
complexion quite dark; they have caps on their heads and their garments seem
to me to be silky, and they have breeches on their legs. And lo, they have
halted and are looking at me, and lo, they have again set themselves in
motion and are coming here."...

[So] ... at length the diviners found them; ... and when they entered the
cave they found the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and
worshipped Him, and they embraced Him, and they opened their treasures and
brought and gave Him the gold which was His tribute, for He was a king, and
incense because He was God, and myrrh, which was a symbol of His life-giving
death. And the angel appeared unto them again and told them in a dream not
to go back to Herod, but to depart by another road and journey to their own
country. And they departed and became preachers and announcers of the
appearance of God in the flesh....

Now when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to
Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, and take the young child and his mother,
and flee into Egypt, and remain thou there until I bring thee word: for
Herod will seek the young child, to destroy him." And he arose and took the
young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and remained
there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled what the prophet
had spoken of the Lord, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."...

And when Herod saw that he had been made sport of by the Magi, his heart
swelled with rage, and he sent through all the roads, wishing to seize them
and put them to death. But when he could not find them at all, he sent anew
to Bethlehem and all its borders, and slew all the male children whom he
found of two years old and under, according to the time that he had
ascertained from the Magi....

* * *

While the child Jesus is living with his parents in Egypt, the child
John-knowing that Herod is also searching for him-wanders through the desert
with his mother Elizabeth.

* * *

After five years the pious and blessed old mother Elizabeth passed away, and
the holy John sat weeping over her, as he did not know how to shroud her and
bury her, because on the day of her death he was only seven years and six
months old. And Herod also died the same day as the blessed Elizabeth.

The Lord Jesus Christ who with his eyes sees heaven and earth saw his
kinsman John sitting and weeping near his mother, and he also began to weep
for a long time, without anyone knowing the cause of his weeping. When the
mother of Jesus saw him weeping, she said to him: "Why are you weeping? Did
the old man Joseph or any other one chide you?" And the mouth that was full
of life answered: "No, O my mother, the real reason is that your kinswoman,
the old Elizabeth, has left my beloved John an orphan. He is now weeping
over her body which is lying in the mountain."

When the Virgin heard this she began to weep over her kinswoman, and Jesus
said to her: "Do not weep, O my Virgin mother, you will see her in this very
hour." And while he was still speaking with his mother, behold a luminous
cloud came down and placed itself between them. And Jesus said: "Call Salome
and let us take her with us." And they mounted the cloud which flew with
them to the wilderness of Ain Karim and to the spot where lay the body of
the blessed Elizabeth, and where the holy John was sitting.

The Saviour said then to the cloud: "Leave us here at this side of the
spot." And it immediately went, reached that spot, and departed. Its noise,
however, reached the ears of Mar John, who, seized with fear, left the body
of his mother. A voice reached him immediately and said to him: "Do not be
afraid, O John.... I am your kinsman Jesus, and I came to you with my
beloved mother in order to attend to the business of the burial of the
blessed Elizabeth, your happy mother, because she is my mother's kinswoman."
When the blessed and holy John heard this, he turned back, and Christ the
Lord and his virgin mother embraced him. Then the Saviour said to his virgin
mother: "Arise, you and Salome, and wash the body." And they washed the body
of the blessed Elizabeth in the spring from which she used to draw water for
herself and her son. Then the holy virgin Mart Mary got hold of the blessed
John and wept over him, and cursed Herod on account of the numerous crimes
which he had committed. Then Michael and Gabriel came down from heaven and
dug a grave ... in order that they may ... bury the body....

And Jesus Christ and his mother stayed near the blessed and the holy John
seven days, and condoled with him at the death of his mother, and taught him
how to live in the desert. And the day of the death of the blessed Elizabeth
was the 15th of February.

Then Jesus Christ said to his mother: "Let us now go to the place where I
may proceed with my work." The Virgin Mary wept immediately over the
loneliness of John, who was very young, and said: "We will take him with us,
since he is an orphan without anyone." But Jesus said to her: "This is not
the will of my Father who is in the heavens. He shall remain in the
wilderness till the day of his showing unto Israel. Instead of a desert full
of wild beasts, he will walk in a desert full of angels and prophets, as if
they were multitudes of people. Here is also Gabriel, the head of the
angels, whom I have appointed to protect him and to grant to him power from
heaven...."

These words the Christ our Lord spoke to his mother, while John was in the
desert. And they mounted the cloud, and John looked at them and wept, and
Mart Mary wept also bitterly over him, saying: "Woe is me, O John, because
you are alone in the desert without anyone. Where is Zacharias, your father,
and where is Elizabeth, your mother? Let them come and weep with me today."

And Jesus Christ said to her: "Do not weep over this child, O my mother. I
shall not forget him." And while he was uttering these words, behold the
clouds lifted them up and brought them to Nazareth....

[Years later] John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out unto
him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was
clothed with camel's hair, and had a leather girdle around his waist, and
ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who
is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down
and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and
was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water,
straightway he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit descending upon him
like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with
thee I am well pleased."...

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned ... to Nazareth, where he had
been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the
Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of
the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was
written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me ...