The Queen of Sheba and her only son Menyelek: the Kebra Nagast (chapters 77. Concerning the King of Persia–97. Concerning the Murmuring of Israel)

The Queen of Sheba and her only son Menyelek: the Kebra Nagast

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Chapter 77. Concerning the King of Persia

1 And the King of Persia is likewise of the seed of Shem, and we will inform you concerning the matters that relate to him. Judah begot two sons, and he brought in Tē'mār (Tamar) for his eldest son, and he died. And Judah sent his younger son to her that he might raise up seed to his brother by his brother's wife. And he did that which God hated, and he did not wish to raise up seed to his brother as his father Judah had commanded him. Now when he lay with Tamar he made his seed to go into the ground, so that it might not germinate in her womb and be called the seed of his brother, but he wished to raise up seed by his own wife in his own name. And when God saw his evil act He turned His face away from him and slew him. And Judah, the father-in-law of Tamar, brought her back, and set her in the house of her father, and said unto her kinsfolk, "Keep carefully this Israelitish woman, and let her not defile herself with an alien. For I have a little son, and if God will let him grow up I will give him to her. And whilst Tamar was living as a widow in her father's house, behold, Judah her father-in-law came to the place where his sheepfolds were to shear wool with great satisfaction and pleasure.

2 And when Tamar heard that her father-in-law had come, she cast away from her the apparel of widowhood, and she put herself in splendid apparel, and she veiled herself after the manner of a harlot, and she followed him and sat down. And he sent a message to her, saying, "I wish to company with thee. And she said unto him, "What wilt thou give me for my hire? And he said unto her, "I will send to thee in the morning early a sucking lamb"; and she said unto him, "Give me a pledge until thou givest me the lamb. And he gave her [his] staff, and ring, and the close-fitting cap that was under his headdress. And he companied with her, and she took [the things] and departed unto her house. And he sent the lamb unto her early in the morning. And his servants enquired and said, "Where is the house of the harlot? And they said unto him, "There is no harlot in our town"; and they returned into their city and told him that there was no harlot in their town. And Judah said, "Leave ye [it]; the Will of God be done."

3 Then Tamar conceived and they told her father-in-law that she had conceived. And he went and took the elders of Israel to the father of Tamar, and he said unto him, "Bring to me thy daughter who hath conceived that we may stone her with stones even as Moses commanded, for she hath brought reproach upon the house of Israel." And the father and kinsfolk of Tamar told her that her father-in-law spake thus. And she brought out the ring, and the staff, and the cap, and gave [them] to her father and her kinsfolk, and she said unto them, "The owner of these things hath seduced me; let them stone me with him with stones." And when Judah saw his possessions he recognized [them], and he said, "Tamar is more righteous than I"; and he left her and came to his house. And Tamar brought forth twins, two nations, Fârês (Perez) and Zârâ. And Fârs (Persia) was founded in the name of Fârês, and he ruled over it and his seed after him, and they were called "Farasâwîyân" (Persians). Behold now, it is proved that the King of Persia is of the seed of Shem.

Chapter 78. Concerning the King of Moab

1 And the King of Moab is of the seed of Shem, and we will inform you how this hath come to pass. When God made Abraham to depart from his father's country into the land of Kârân (Harran), He made Lot to pass over into the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when God wished to blot out the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, He sent His Angels Michael and Gabriel to bring out Lot and to burn up the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; and they destroyed them and brought out Lot with his children. And his wife turned round so that she might see the city of her father and her mother. Now the wrath of God came down on the city of Sodom [in the form of] a rain of fire from heaven, which burned up mountains, and hills, and stones, and earth. And lightnings, and forked lightnings, and peals of thunder came down mingled with the crashing of the wrath of God, and a cloud of fire which made the heat to emit smoke. And when all this uproar was being heard the Angels said unto Lot, "Turn not round after ye have gone forth from the city, turn not round that ye die not the death. But when 'Akmâbâ, the wife of Lot, heard this, she turned round, and she became a pillar of salt, and she existeth to this day, to this very day. And as for Lot, God made him to dwell in the mountains of Ararat.

2 And he planted a new vineyard, and his daughters made their father to drink wine, and they plotted a wicked plot, and they said, "How (i.e. why) shall the possession of our father be wasted (or, blotted out)? Our mother hath been destroyed on the road, and there is no one to marry us here. And they made their father drunk, and his elder daughter lay with him whilst his mind was clouded with wine, and Lot the righteous man did not know when his daughter lay with him and when she rose up from him, for his mind was clouded with strong drink. And Noah was drunk and naked before his wife and children, and he cursed his son who laughed at him; and [the act of lying with his daughter] was not reckoned against Lot as sin, for he did it unknowingly. And his elder daughter conceived and brought forth a child, and she called him "Moab," which is, being interpreted, "From my father on my knee. And he was the father of the Moabites and the Agarenes. Behold now, it is clear that the King of Moab is of the seed of Shem.

Chapter 79. Concerning the King of Amalek

1 And it came to pass that when the elder daughter of Lot had brought forth her son, she said unto the younger daughter, "Come now, let us make our father drink wine, so that thou also mayest company with him that, peradventure, thou mayest get offspring." And again they prepared wine, and again they spoke to him the words of foolishness, and said unto him, "Drink wine, O our father, so that thy heart may be comforted"; and he, the simple man, drank and became drunk. And again, when he had drunk and his mind was clouded with wine, the younger daughter came and lay with him, and again he did not know of her lying with him, or of her rising up from him. And she also conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name "Ammon," and he is the father of the Amalekites. Christ casting a devil out of a man in the presence of the Jews and His Apostles The following table is a simple diagram and cannot be extracted.

2 Behold now, it is clear that the King of Amalek is of the seed of Shem.

Chapter 80. Concerning the King of the Philistines

1 And behold, the seed of Samson reigned over the Philistines. And Samson was of the seed of Dan, [one] of the twelve sons of Jacob, and he was the son of a handmaiden of Jacob; and we will inform you how this Samson came into being. The Angel of the Lord appeared to the mother of Samson and said unto her, "Keep thyself from all pollution, and company with no man except thy husband, for he who shall be born of thee shall be a Nazarite, holy to the Lord, and he shall be the deliverer of Israel from the hand of the Philistines." And then she brought forth Samson. And again the Angel appeared unto her and said unto her, "Thou shalt not let a razor go upon his head, and he shall neither eat flesh nor [drink] wine, and he shall marry no strange woman but only a woman of his own kin and from the house of his father." And how God gave him strength ye have heard in the Book of Judges. But he transgressed the commandment of God, and came and married a daughter of the uncircumcised Philistines. And because of this God was wroth, and He delivered him into the hands of men of the uncircumcised Philistines, and they blinded his eyes, and they made him act the buffoon in the house of their king. And he pulled the roof down upon them, and slew seven hundred thousand of them, and during his life he slew seven hundred thousand of them with iron, and stone, and [his] staff, and the jaw-bone of an ass. For their number was as that of the locusts, until he released Israel from the service of the Philistines.

2 And then Dalīlā (Delilah) conceived by Samson, and whilst she was with child Samson died with the Philistines; and Delilah brought forth a son and she called his name "Menahem," which is, being interpreted, "Seed of the strong man." Now Delilah was the sister of Maksâbâ, the wife of the King of the Philistines, and when Samson slew the King of the Philistines in the house with his people and his household, and he died with him, Delilah went to her sister Maksâbâ, the Queen of the Philistines. Now both women were beautiful, and they had no children, but both had conceived; Maksâbâ had been with child six months by Kwôlâsôn, the King of the Philistines, and Delilah had been with child four months by Samson; and the husbands of both were dead. And the two women loved each other exceedingly. And their love for each other was not like the love of sisters, but like that of the mother for the child, and of the child for the mother; even so was their love. And they lived together. And the dominion over those who were left of the slaughter [made] by Samson in the house of the king was in the hands of Maksâbâ, for none of the mighty men of war of the kingdom of the Philistines were left, and therefore Maksâbâ ruled over those that were left. And they spake unto her morning and evening, saying, "We have no other king except thyself, and except that one that shall go forth from thy belly. If our Lord Dâgôn will do a favour unto us that which is in thy belly shall be a son, who shall reverence our god Dâgôn and shall reign over us. And if it be a daughter we will make her to reign over us, so that thy name and the name of Kwôlâsôn our lord shall be your memorial over us."

3 And then Maksâbâ brought forth a man-child and all the men of the Philistines rejoiced, and they did homage to her and sang, saying, "Dâgôn and Bêl have honoured her and loved Maksâbâ, and the seed of Kwôlâsôn is found again from Maksâbâ." And Delilah also bore a son, and the two women brought up the children in great state and dignity. And when the children were five years old they ate and played together before them, and the mothers made garments of costly stuff for them, and [set] daggers above their loins, and chains on their necks. And the people seated the son of Maksâbâ on the throne of his father, and made him king over the Philistines.

Chapter 81. How the Son of Samson Slew the Son of the King of the Philistines

1 Now that other son Akamhel, the son of Samson, spake unto his mother Delilah, saying, "Why am I not reigning and sitting upon this throne?" And his mother said unto him, "Cease, my son. This throne did not belong to thy father, and this city was not thy father's city; when the God of thy father hath let thee grow up thou shalt go to thy father's throne." And her son said unto her, "Nay, I will neither forsake thee, my mother, nor Maksâbâ my mother, and I will be king here." And one day the two youths were drunk after [their] meal was ended, and the doors were shut. And the two women were sitting together about to eat flesh, and the two youths were playing before them, and they ate with them, and a maidservant held the dish between them. And 'Akêmêhel, the son of Delilah, took from the dish [a piece of] flesh, which would fill both his hands, and put it to his mouth, and Tebrelês, the son of Maksâbâ, the King of the Philistines, snatched away that part of the flesh that was outside his mouth. And Akêmêhel drew his sword and cut off his head, and it fell into the dish before he could swallow what he had seized; and his body fell upon the paving of the house; and his hands and his feet twitched convulsively, and he died straightway. And fear and dismay laid hold upon their two mothers, and they spake never a word to anyone because they were afraid, but they swallowed the food which was in their mouths, and they looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

2 And that handmaiden rose up from them, and she took the head of Tebrêles out of the dish, and put it back on its neck and covered it over with her garment. And Delilah rose up and seized the sword of the dead son of her sister, and went to kill 'Akêmêhêl, but he saved himself by hiding behind a pillar. And he made ready to kill his mother. And her sister rose up and seized her, saying, "Why should we be destroyed through their [quarrel?]. This [youth] is [sprung] from a bad root, and cannot [bear] good fruit; come, my sister, let him not destroy thee also." And she took the sword from her hand, and drew up from her pillow (?) rich purple clothing which kings wear, and she gave it to him, and she spake kindly words unto him, saying, "Take the apparel, my son, and thou thyself shalt sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Philistines." And 'Akêmêhêl raged like a savage bear, for he wished to slay both women until he made them to leave the house. And they went out, and when he had made them leave the house he took the purple apparel, and went out. And the two women came back, and made the dead body ready for burial, and they buried it secretly.

3 And when the time for the evening meal had come, the young men and the stewards sought for [their king] and found him not, and they asked about him, and his mother said unto them, "Your king is sick, and this man will sit in place of him." And they took him and set him on the throne, and they prepared a feast, and rejoiced. And from that time onward the son of Samson reigned over them, and there was none who transgressed his commandment—now he committed this act [of murder] fif[teen] winters after he was born—and the kingdom of the Philistines became his and his seed's after him. Therefore, beloved, it is well known that the kingdom of the Philistines belongeth to the seed of Shem.

Chapter 82. Concerning the Going Down of Abraham Into Egypt

1 And we could also inform you that when God had given unto Abraham glory and riches, he lacked a son. And Sârâh and Abraham talked together on their bed, and he said unto her, "Thou art barren," and she said unto him, "It is not I who am barren but thyself"; and they continued to discuss the matter and to dispute together about it. And there came a famine in the land of Canaan, and Abraham heard that there was some food in the land of Egypt, the country of Pharaoh. And when he had spent all his possessions in charity to the poor during the days of the famine, without providing for the morrow, the famine waxed strong in the land of Canaan, and he lacked food to eat. And he said, "I give thanks unto God that what He hath given unto me I have expended on my servants. But as for thee, my sister Sârâh, come, let us go into the land of Egypt in order to save ourselves from death by famine." And she said unto him, "Thy will be done, O my lord, and if thou die I will die with thee, and if thou live I will live with thee; it is not for me to gainsay thy word for ever." And then they rose up and set out on their journey.

2 And when they drew nigh [to Egypt] Abraham said unto Sârâh, "One thing I must ask of thee, and do thou what I ask of thee"; and Sârâh said, "Speak, my lord." And he said unto her, "I have heard that the habits of the Egyptians are lawless, and that they live in idolatry and fornication. And when they have seen thee they will plot evil against me, and slay me because of the goodliness of thy beautiful form; for there is among them no one that can be compared unto thee. And now, in order that thou mayest save my life, do thou say, if they happen to ask thee questions about me, 'I am his sister,' so that thou mayest save my soul from death by the hand of the strangers." And Sârâh said, "Thy will shall be done. The word which thou tellest me I will speak, and what thou tellest me to do I will do." And they wept and worshipped God, and they came into the great city of the King of Egypt.

3 And when the Egyptians saw Abraham and Sârâh they marvelled at the beauty of their appearance, for they imagined that they had been brought forth by the same mother. And they said unto Abraham, "What is this woman to thee? And Abraham said unto them, "She is my sister. And they also asked Sârâh "What is this man to thee? And she said unto them, "He is my brother. Therefore did the people make a report to Pharaoh that a pair of goodly form had arrived, one a woman and the other a young man, and that there was no one like unto them in all the land. And Pharaoh rejoiced, and he sent a message to Abraham, saying, "Give me thy sister that I may betroth her to myself. And Abraham pondered in his mind, saying, "If I keep her back he will kill me and take her"; and he said, "Do so, provided that thou dost make me well content. And Pharaoh gave him one thousand silver taşlâhet, and took Sârâh to make her his wife. And he brought her into his house, and set her upon his bed and Pharaoh the King of Egypt would have companied with her. But the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him by night carrying a sword of fire, and he drew nigh unto him, and he lighted up the whole chamber with his fiery flame, and he wished to slay Pharaoh.

4 And Pharaoh fled from one wall of the chamber to the other, and from one corner of the chamber to the other; wheresoever he went the Angel followed him; and there was no place left whereto he could flee and hide himself. Then Pharaoh stretched out his hands and said unto the Angel, "O lord, forgive me this my sin. And the Angel said unto him, "Why dost thou attack the wife of [another] man? " And Pharaoh said unto him, " O lord, slay thou not innocent blood. For he said unto me ' She is my sister,' and therefore I took her to myself innocently. What shall I do to deliver myself from thy hands? " And the Angel said unto him, " Give Abraham's wife back to him, and give him a gift, and send him away to his own country. And straightway Pharaoh called Abraham, and gave unto him his wife Sârâh, together with a handmaiden whose name was 'Agâr (Hagar), and he gave unto him gold, and silver, and costly apparel, and sent him away in peace.

5 And Abraham and his wife returned to their country in peace. And Sârâh said unto Abraham, " I know that I am barren. Go thou in to this my handmaiden whom Pharaoh gave unto me; peradventure God will give thee seed in her. As for me, my person is shrunk and withered, and the flower of my body hath dried up." And she gave 'Agâr unto him. And Abraham went in to Agâr, and she conceived by him, and she brought forth a son and called his name Ishmael, which is, being interpreted, " God hath heard me." And afterwards God gave Abraham seed from his wife Sârâh and he begat Isaac. And afterwards Sârâh became jealous of Ishmael, the son of her handmaiden, because he would reach manhood before her son, and she said, " Peradventure he will slay my son and inherit his father's house." And Abraham offered up offerings to God and said, " Lord, what shall I do in respect of Ishmael, my son, my firstborn? I wish him to live for me before Thee, but Sârâh, my sister, is jealous because Thou hast given me seed in her old age." Now Ishmael was fourteen years old before Isaac was born. And God said unto Abraham, " What Sârâh saith is true; cast out the handmaiden with her son Ishmael. Let Ishmael live before Me, and I will make him a great nation, and he shall beget twelve nations and shall reign over them. And I will establish My covenant with Isaac My servant, the son of Sârâh, and in him I will bless all the nations of the earth, and I will make for him a great kingdom over all the nations of the earth, and in the heavens also I will make him king."

Chapter 83. Concerning the King of the Ishmaelites

And therefore the children of Ishmael became kings over Tereb, and over Kebet, and over Nôbâ, and Sôba, and Kuergue, and Kîfî, and Mâkâ, and Môrnâ, and Fînkânâ, and 'Arsîbânâ, and Libâ, and Mase'a, for they were the seed of Shem. And Isaac reigned over Judah and over Amôrêwôn, and over Kêtêwôn, and Îyâbûsêwôn, and Fêrzêwôn, and Eêwêwôn, and Kêkêdêwôn, and Rômyâ, and Anşôkyâ (Antiochia), and Sôryâ (Syria), and Armenia, and Felesteêm (Palestine), and Ethiopia, and Edom, and Philistia, and Îyôâb, and Amalek, and Phrygia, and Babylon, and Yônânest, and Ebrâyast. For as God sware He gave all kingdoms to the seed of Shem, and an exalted throne and dominion to the seed of Shem, even as his father Noah, by the word of God, blessed his son Shem, saying, "Be lord to thy brethren and reign over them." And this that he said had reference to the Redeemer, the King of us all, Jesus Christ the King of heaven and earth, Who magnifieth kings, and Who when He pleaseth abrogateth their power; for unto Him belong power and dominion over all created things for ever and ever. Amen.

Chapter 84. Concerning the King of Ethiopia and How He Returned to his Country

And the King of Ethiopia returned to his country with great joy and gladness; and marching along with their songs, and their pipes, and their wagons, like an army of heavenly beings, the Ethiopians arrived from The Transfiguration. Christ in converse with Moses and Elias on Mount Tabor Jerusalem at the city of Wakêrôm in a single day. And they sent messengers in ships to announce [their arrival] to Mâkedâ, the Queen of Ethiopia, and to report to her how they had found every good thing, and how her son had become king, and how they had brought the heavenly Zion. And she caused all this glorious news to be spread abroad, and she made a herald to go round about in all the country that was subject unto her, ordering the people to meet her son and more particularly the heavenly Zion, the Tabernacle of the God of Israel. And they blew horns before her, and all the people of Ethiopia rejoiced, from the least to the greatest, men as well as women; and the soldiers rose up with her to meet their King. And she came to the city of the Government, which is the chief city of the kingdom of Ethiopia; now in later times this [city] became the chief city of the Christians of Ethiopia. And in it she caused to be prepared perfumes innumerable from India, and from Bâltê to Gâltêt, and from 'Alsâfu to Azazat, and had them brought together there. And her son came by the Azyâbâ road to Wakêrôm, and he came forth to Masas, and ascended to Bûr, and arrived at the city of the Government, the capital [city] of Ethiopia, which the Queen herself had built and called "Dabra Mâkedâ," after her own name.

Chapter 85. Concerning the Rejoicing of Queen Mâkedâ

1 And David the King came with great pomp unto his mother's city, and then he saw in the height the heavenly Zion sending forth light like the sun. And when the Queen saw this she gave thanks unto the God of Israel, and praised Him. And she bowed low, and smote her breast, and [then] threw up her head and gazed into the heavens, and thanked her Creator; and she clapped her hands together, and sent forth shouts of laughter from her mouth, and danced on the 2 K ground with her feet; and she adorned her whole body with joy and gladness with the fullest will of her inward mind. And what shall I say of the rejoicing which took place then in the country of Ethiopia, and of the joy of the people, both of man and beast, from the least to the greatest, and of both women and men? And pavilions and tents were placed at the foot of Dabra Mâkedâ on the flat plain by the side of good water, and they slaughtered thirty-two thousand stalled oxen and bulls. And they set Zion upon the fortress of Dabra Mâkedâ, and made ready for her three hundred guards who wielded swords to watch over the pavilion of Zion, together with her own men and her nobles, the mighty men of Israel. And her own guards were three hundred men who bore swords, and in addition to these her son David had seven hundred [guards]. And they rejoiced exceedingly with great glory and pleasure [being arrayed] in fine apparel, for the kingdom was directed by her from the Sea of 'Alêbâ to the Sea of Ôsêkâ, and everyone obeyed her command. And she had exceedingly great honour and riches; none before her ever had the like, and none after her shall ever have the like. In those days Solomon was King in Jerusalem, and Mâkedâ was Queen in Ethiopia. Unto both of them were given wisdom, and glory, and riches, and graciousness, and understanding, and beauty of voice (or, eloquence of speech), and intelligence. And gold and silver were held as cheaply as brass, and rich stuffs wherein gold was woven were as common as linen garments, and the cattle and the horses were innumerable.

Chapter 86. How Queen Mâkedâ Made her Son King

And on the third day Mâkedâ delivered over to her son seventeen thousand and seven hundred chosen horses, which were to watch the army of the enemy, and would again plunder the cities of the enemy, and seven thousand and seven hundred mares that had borne foals, and one thousand female mules, and seven hundred chosen mules, and apparel of honour, gold and silver measured by the gômôr, and measured by the kôr, some six and some seven, and she delivered over to her son everything that was his by law, and all the throne of her kingdom.

Chapter 87. How the Nobles (or Governors) of Ethiopia Took the Oath

1 And the Queen said unto her nobles: "Speak ye now, and swear ye by the heavenly Zion that ye will not make women queens or set them upon the throne of the kingdom of Ethiopia, and that no one except the male seed of David, the son of Solomon the King, shall ever reign over Ethiopia, and that ye will never make women queens." And all the nobles of the king's house swore, and the governors, and the councillors, and the administrators. And she made Êlmêyâs and 'Azâryâs (Azariah) the chief of the priests and the chief of the deacons, and they made the kingdom anew, and the sons of the mighty men of Israel performed the Law, together with their King David, in the Tabernacle of Witness, and the kingdom was made anew. And the hearts of the people shone at the sight of Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, and the people of Ethiopia cast aside their idols, and they worshipped their Creator, the God Who had made them. And the men of Ethiopia forsook their works, and loved the righteousness and justice that God loveth. They forsook their former fornications, and chose purity in the camp that was in the sight of the heavenly Zion. They forsook divination and magic, and chose repentance and tears for God's sake. They forsook augury by means of birds and the use of omens, and they returned to hearken unto God and to make sacrifice unto Him. They

2 K 2 forsook the pleasures of the gods who were devils, and chose the service and praise of God. The daughters of Jerusalem suffered disgrace, and the daughters of Ethiopia were held in honour; the daughter of Judah was sad, whilst the daughter of Ethiopia rejoiced; the mountains of Ethiopia rejoiced, and the mountains of Lebanon mourned. The people of Ethiopia were chosen [from] among idols and graven images, and the people of Israel were rejected. The daughters of Zion were rejected, and the daughters of Ethiopia were honoured; the old men of Israel became objects of contempt, and the old men of Ethiopia were honoured. For God accepted the peoples who had been cast away and rejected Israel, for Zion was taken away from them and she came into the country of Ethiopia. For wheresoever God is pleased for her to dwell, there is her habitation, and where He is not pleased that she should dwell she dwelleth not; He is her founder, and Maker, and Builder, the Good God in the temple of His holiness, the habitation of His glory, with His Son and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

3 And Mâkedâ, the Queen of Ethiopia, gave the kingdom to her son David, the son of Solomon, the King of Israel, and she said unto him, "Take [the kingdom]. I have given [it] unto thee. I have made King him whom God hath made King, and I have chosen him whom God hath chosen as the keeper of His Pavilion. I am well pleased with him whom God hath been pleased to make the envoy of the Tabernacle of His Covenant and His Law. I have magnified him whom God hath magnified [as] the director of His widows, and I have honoured him whom God hath honoured [as] the giver of food to orphans." And the King rose up and girded up his apparel, and he bowed low before his mother, and said unto her, "Thou art the Queen, O my Lady, and I will serve thee in every thing which thou commandest me, whether it be to death or whether it be to life. Where-soever thou sendest me I will be sent, and wheresoever thou orderest me to be there will I be, and whatsoever thou commandest me to do that will I do. For thou are the head and I am the foot, and thou art the Lady and I am thy slave; everything shall be performed according to thy order, and none shall transgress thy commandment, and I will do everything that thou wishest. But pray for me that the God of Israel may deliver me from His wrath. For He will be wroth—according to what they tell us—if we do not make our hearts right to do His Will, and if we do not readily observe all His commands in respect to Zion, the habitation of the glory of God. For the Angel of His host is with us, who directed us and brought us hither, and he shall neither depart from us nor forsake us.

4 "And now, hearken unto me, O my Lady. If I and those who are after me behave rightly and do His Will, God shall dwell with us, and shall preserve us from all evil and from the hand of our enemy. But if we do not keep our hearts right with Him He will be wroth with us, and will turn away His face from us, and will punish us, and our enemies will plunder us, and fear and trembling shall come to us from the place whence we expect them not, and they will rise up against us, and will overcome us in war, and will destroy us. On the other hand, if we do the Will of God, and do what is right in respect of Zion, we shall become chosen men, and no one shall have the power to treat us evilly in the mountain of His holiness whilst His habitation is with us.

5 "And behold, we have brought with us the whole Law of the kingdom and the commandment of God, which Zadok the high priest declared unto us when he anointed me with the oil of sovereignty in the house of the sanctuary of God, the horn of oil, which is the unguent of priesthood and royalty, being in his hand. And he did unto us that which was written in the Law, and we were anointed; Azariah to the priesthood and I to the kingdom, and 'Almēyās, the mouth of God, keeper of the Law, that is to say, keeper of Zion, and the Ear of the King in every path of righteousness. And they commanded me that I should do nothing except under their advice, and they set us before the King and before the elders of Israel, and all the people heard whilst Zadok the priest was giving us the commands. And the horns and the organs were blown, and the sounds of their harps and musical instruments, and the noise of their outcries which were made at that time were in the gates of Jerusalem. But what shall I tell unto you, O ye who were present there? It seemed to us that the earth quaked from her very foundations, and that the heavens above our heads thundered, and the heart trembled with the knees."

Chapter 88. How He Himself Related to his Mother How They Made Him King

1 "And when these had become silent there rose up the priest who gave us the Commandments, with the fear of God, and he shed tears whilst our bodies quaked and our tears flowed down. God is indeed, without falsehood, in our hearts, and He dwelleth in His commandment. And His commandment is uttered, and it removeth itself not from those who love Him and who keep His commandment, and He is with them continually. And now, hearken to the judgment and laws which the elders and the sons of the mighty men of Israel brought, which they wrote before King Solomon and have given unto us, so that we may not turn aside either to the right hand or to the left from what they have commanded us. And also they told us and made us to understand that we bear death and life, and that we are like unto a man who hath fire in his left hand and water in his right, and who can put his hand into whichever he pleaseth. For punishment and life are written therein; for those who have done evil, punishment, and for those who have done good, life."

2 And 'Elmēyās and Azariah brought forth that writing which was written before God and before the King of Israel, and they read it before Mākēdā and before the great men of Israel. And when they heard these words all those who were round about, both small and great, bowed down and made obeisance, and they glorified God Who had made them hear these words and had given them this commandment, so that they might perform the justice and judgment of God. And moreover, He made them members of His house, for Zion was among them, and she is the habitation of the glory of God, and she delivered them from all evil, and blessed the fruit of their lands, and multiplied their sheep and cattle, and blessed their wells of water, and blessed their labours, and the fruit of their gardens, and made their children to grow up, and protected their aged men, and became the foreguard and rearguard wheresoever they dwelt, and vanquished their enemies wheresoever they went. And all the people of Ethiopia rejoiced.

3 And the Queen said unto her son, "My son, God hath given unto thee the right, walk thou therein and withdraw not thyself from it, neither to the right hand nor the left. And love thou the Lord thy God, for He is merciful unto the simple-minded. For His way is known from His commandment, and His goodness is comprehended through the guidance of His word." Then she turned towards 'Elmēyās and Azariah and all the mighty men of Israel [saying], "Do ye protect him and teach him the path of the kingdom of God, and the honour of our Lady Zion. And whatsoever our Lady loveth not let us not do. Tell us [this] truly and carefully for ever and from generation to generation, so that she may not be wroth with us, if we do not perform her service well, so that God may dwell with us. And thou, my son, hearken unto the word of thy fathers, and walk in their counsel. And let not drink make thee foolish, nor women, nor pride of apparel, nor the bridles and trappings of horses, nor the sight of the weapons of war of those who are at the head or at the rear. But let thy confidence be in God and in Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, thy Creator, so that thou mayest vanquish thine enemy, and so that thy seed upon the earth may multiply, and so that thy foes and adversaries, near and far, may be overthrown."

4 And those sons of mighty men answered and said with one voice, "O our Lady, we are with you always, and we will remember the lord, the King. Behold, what is written and the performance thereof shall take place if the God of Israel shall be unto him a helper, and if he hearkeneth to the word of his mother; and we will inform him about the path of doing good works. For there is no one to be found in these days as wise as thyself, except our lord the King. Thou hast drawn us hither as thy servants with our Lady, the heavenly Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of the Lord our God, just as a man draweth a camel that is loaded with valuable possessions with a little piece of thin, tough cord fastened over his nose. And now, reject us not and treat us not as strange people, but make us like unto thy slaves who wash thy feet, for whether we die or whether we live we are with thee; we have no longer any hope in the country of our birth, but only in thee and in our Lady, the heavenly Zion, the habitation of the glory of God."

Chapter 89. How the Queen Talked to the Children of Israel

1 And the Queen answered and said unto them, "Not as servants as ye say, but as a father and a teacher will we treat you. For ye are the guardians of the Law of God, and the guides of the commandment of the God of Israel, and the men of the house of God, and the guardians of Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, and we do not wish to transgress your commandments, for ye shall be unto us a guide to the path of God away from all evil. At your words we will withdraw from that wherewith God is not well-pleased, and we will draw nigh unto every good thing wherewith God is well-pleased at your commandment. Only do ye instruct all this people, and teach them the words of knowledge, for never before have they heard such things as they have heard this day. It is only those who have understanding in them that wisdom and understanding illumine like the light of the sun. As for me, up to this present I have not drunk deeply of the water of knowledge.

2 Now it is sweeter than honey, and quench-eth the thirst more than wine, and it satisfieth and maketh wisdom to bubble up, and it stimulateth the understanding, and maketh a man to pour forth words like a drunken man, and maketh the unsteady man like one who flieth, and maketh a man as hot as he that carrieth a heavy load on a difficult road in a parched land that is burnt up by a blazing sun. When the hearts of the wise are open to prophecy and to knowledge, they do not fear the king because of the greatness of his glory if he turneth himself aside from the way of God. And mark this: The word of the Law, which hath been uttered, is indeed understanding unto those who wish for it, and who drink it in and soak themselves therein. I pray Thee, O Lord God of Israel, Thou Holiest of the Holy, grant unto me that I may follow wisdom, and may not become a castaway; grant unto me that I may make her a wall unto myself, and may never fall down; grant that I may make her a foundation for me, and may never be overthrown; grant that I may stand upon her as [firmly as] a pillar, and may never shake; grant that I may hide in her, and never have her stripped from me; grant that I may build myself upon her, and may not topple over; grant that I may become vigorous through her, and not suffer from exhaustion;

3 grant that I may stand through her, and may not fall; grant that I may lay hold upon her, and may not slip away; grant that I may grasp her firmly, and may not slide; grant that I may dwell in her in her peace; [grant that] I may be satisfied at her table, and may not vomit, and drink her and not get drunk upon her, and may be satisfied with her and not spit her out." 4 "I have drunk of her, but have not tottered; I have tottered through her, but have not fallen; I have fallen because of her, but have not been destroyed. Through her I have dived down into the great sea and have seized in the place of her depths a pearl whereby I am rich. I went down like the great iron anchor whereby men anchor ships for the night on the high seas, and I received a lamp which lighteth me, and I came up by the ropes of the boat of understanding. I went to sleep in the depths of the sea, and not being overwhelmed with the water I dreamed a dream. And it seemed to me that there was a star in my womb, and I marvelled thereat, and I laid hold upon it and made it strong in the splendour of the sun; I laid hold upon it, and I will never let it go. I went in through the doors of the treasury of wisdom and I drew for myself the waters of understanding. I went into the blaze of the flame of the sun, and it lighted me with the splendour thereof, and I made of it a shield for myself, and I saved myself by confidence therein, and not myself only but all those who travel in the footprints of wisdom, and not myself only but all the men of my country, the kingdom of Ethiopia, and not those only but those who travel in their ways, the nations that are round about.

5 For the Lord hath given us seed in Zion and a habitation in Jerusalem. And moreover, there hath come to us a portion with those whom He hath chosen, the seed of Jacob, for He hath set His habitation to abide with us. From this time forth they are set down, and from this time forth we are set upright. From this time forth they are despised and rejected, and from this time forth we shall be honoured and loved for ever and ever, and throughout all the generations that are to come. 6 "And ye, O noble ones, hearken unto me, and learn well what cometh forth from my mouth and my words. Love ye what is right and hate falsehood, for what is right is righteousness and falsehood is the head of iniquity. And ye shall not use fraud and oppression among yourselves, for God dwelleth with you, and the habitation of His glory is among you; for ye have become members of His household. And from this time onward cease ye to observe your former customs, [namely] making auguries from birds, and from signs, and the use of charms, and incantations, and portents, and magic. And if after this day there be found any man who observeth all his former customs, his house shall be plundered, and he and his wife and his children shall be condemned." And the Queen said unto Azariah, "Speak and declare how much thou lovest our Lady with her Heavenly King."

Chapter 90. How Azariah Praised the Queen and her City

1 And Azariah rose up and said unto the Queen, "O our Lady, verily there is no one like unto thee in wisdom and understanding—the which have been given unto thee by God—except my lord the King, who hath brought us unto this land with our Lady Zion, the holy and heavenly Tabernacle of the Law of God. Now we and our fathers of olden time have said, God hath chosen none except the House of Jacob, us hath He chosen, us hath He multiplied, us hath He held to please Him, and He hath made us kings and made us members of His household, and councillors of His glory and of the Tabernacle of His covenant. And as for a country, we say that He hath chosen no country except ours, but now we see that the country of Ethiopia is better than the country of Judah. And from the time that we arrived in your country everything that we have seen hath appeared good to us. Your waters are good and they are given without price (or, payment), and [we have] air without fans, and wild honey is as [plentiful as] the dust of the market place, and cattle as the sand of the sea. And as for what we have seen there is nothing detestable, and there is nothing malign in what we hear, and in what we walk upon, and in what we touch, and in what we taste with our mouths. But there is one matter that we would mention: ye are black of face, and I only mention this because I have seen it, and if God lighteth up your hearts there is nothing that can do you harm."

2 "And withdraw ye yourselves from meat that dieth of itself, and from blood, and from bodies torn by wild animals, and from fornication, and from everything that God hateth, so that we may rejoice in you when we see you fearing God and trembling at His word; even as God commanded our fathers and said unto Moses, 'Give them commands about everything, and tell them to keep My Law and My Ordinance.' And turn ye not aside, neither to the right hand nor to the left, from that which we command you this day; and now [we command] you that ye worship God, the Holy One of Israel, and do His good pleasure; for He hath rejected our nation even as our prophets prophesied, and hath chosen you. Doth not God your Creator belong to all of you? In what will God find it difficult if He loveth us and hateth them? For everything belongeth to Him, and everything is His handiwork, and there is nothing impossible for the Lord God of Israel.

3 "And hearken ye unto His command, which I will declare unto you. Let not one overcome his fellow by violence. Plunder not the possessions of your neighbours. Ye shall not revile each other, and ye shall not oppress each other, and ye shall not quarrel with each other. And if by chance an animal belonging to your neighbour come among your property, be not blind to the fact but make it go back to him. And if ye do not know who is the owner of the property, take care of it for him, and as soon as one hath found out to whom it belongeth return his property to him. And if the property of your neighbour hath fallen into a pit, or into a well, or into a hollow or into a ravine, do not pass on and go not by it until ye have told him and helped him to drag out the animal. And if a man hath dug a well or hath built a tower (or, shelter), he shall not leave the well without a cover nor the tower without a roof. And if there is a man who is carrying a heavy load, or if the load hath slipped from the man who is carrying it, ye shall not pass on your way until ye have helped him to lift it up or to lighten it for him; for he is your brother. Ye shall not cook a young animal in the milk of his mother. Ye shall not turn aside the right of the poor and the orphans. Ye shall not accept the person, and ye shall not take bribes to turn aside the right and bear false witness.

4 "And when ye find a bird in your land with her young ones, ye shall spare her life and shall not take away her young, so that your days may be long upon the earth, and your seed may be blessed with (or, for) length of days. And when ye reap the harvest of your food, ye shall not be careful to reap all of it. Gather not up what falleth from it, and the sheaves which ye have forgotten leave when ye go back, and take them not up, but leave them for the stranger in your city, so that God may bless the fruit of your land. And ye shall not work impurity, and ye shall not judge with partiality, and ye shall not deal oppressively with one another in anything, so that ye may be blessed, and so that the fruit of your land may increase, and so that ye may be saved from the curse of the Law which God hath commanded, saying, 'They shall curse the worker of evil.' And He wrote, saying, 'He who leadeth the blind man out of his path is accursed. And he who addresseth vile words to a deaf (or, dumb) man is accursed. And he who defileth his father's bed is accursed. And he who beateth his neighbour with fraud is accursed. And he who perverteth justice for the alien so that he may slay innocent blood is accursed. And he who treateth his father and his mother lightly is accursed.

5 And he who maketh a filthy graven image of stone or smelted metal, the work of a man's hand, and setteth it up and hideth it in his house, and worshippeth it as a god, not believing that God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who made Adam in His own image and likeness, and set him over everything which He had created, we all being His work—the man who doth not believe [this] accursed let him be! Amen. And he who lieth with a beast, let him be accursed. And he who lieth with a man as with a woman, let him be accursed. And he who slayeth a life, innocent blood, with fraud and violence, let him be accursed.' 6 "And over and above all these things ye shall worship no other gods, for God is jealous concerning those who despise Him and do thus, and He setteth His face upon them until He rooteth out their lives from the earth, and blotteth out their memory for ever. Blessed are those who hearken to the voice of God, and perform and keep [His commandments]. And blessed are those who turn aside from those who do evil, so that none of the punishments which shall come upon sinners shall fall upon them. And if it be that thou wilt keep the word of God, withdraw thyself from the way of sinners, so that thou mayest not be beaten with the rod wherewith they shall be beaten. Even as David the grandfather of our lord David saith, 'God will not let the rod of sinners [fall] upon the portion of the righteous,' so that the righteous may not lift up their hands in violence (or, oppression). When a man hath the power to do that which is good, and he watcheth himself and telleth his neighbour, he becometh as it were the owner of two talents, and yet other two talents are added to him, and he getteth abundant reward from God. For he hath done it himself and taught his neighbour to do it, and because of this his reward shall be exceedingly great. And again, blessed shall ye be if ye give your possessions, without usury and not as loans."

Chapter 91. This is What Ye Shall Eat : the Clean and the Unclean

1 "And this is what ye shall eat: the clean and that which is not clean. The ox, the sheep, the goat, the ram, the stag, the gazelle, the buffalo, the deskěna antelope, the we'elā antelope, the oryx, the zěrāt gazelle, and every creature with a cleft hoof and nails eat ye, and the creatures that chew the cud. And these which ye shall not eat among those that chew the cud and have a cleft hoof are the camels and the hare and the kârgělyôn (coney?), for they chew the cud but their hoofs are not cleft. The wolf and the pig ye shall not eat, for their hoofs are cleft but they do not chew the cud: ye shall not eat what is unclean. Whatsoever is in the waters with fins and scales eat ye; whatsoever is unclean therein eat ye not. Among birds everything that is clean eat ye, but ye shall not eat the following: the eagle, the vulture, the 'ělyāťān eagle, the osprey, the hawk, and the like, the raven, ostrich, the owl, the seagull, the heron, the swan, the ibis, the pelican, the hawk, the hoopoe, the night raven, the hornbill, the water-piper, the water-hen, and the bat; these are unclean. And ye shall not eat the locust nor anything of his kind, nor the akāṭān nor anything of his kind, nor the grass-hopper nor anything of his kind, nor the field locust nor anything of his kind. Of the things that fly (or, spring) and have two or four or six feet, their flesh is unclean, ye shall not eat thereof. And ye shall not touch their dead bodies, and whosoever toucheth them shall be unclean until the evening.

2 "Now these things we have declared unto you in order that ye may keep and perform the fear of God so that ye may be blessed in this your country, which God hath given unto you because of the heavenly Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, for because of her have ye been chosen. And our fathers have been rejected, because God took from them Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, to keep you and your seed for ever. And He will bless the fruit of your land, and He will multiply your cattle, and will protect them in everything wherein they are to be protected. "And as for thee, O my Lady, thy wisdom is good, and it surpasseth the wisdom of men. There is none that can be compared with thee in respect of thy intelligence, not only in the matter of the intuition of the women who have been created up to this present, but the understanding of thine heart is deeper than that of men, and there is none who can be compared with thee in the abundance of thine understanding, except my lord Solomon. And thy wisdom so far exceedeth that of Solomon that thou hast been able to draw hither the mighty men of Israel, and the Tabernacle of the Law of God, with the ropes of thine understanding, and thou hast overthrown the house of their idols, and destroyed their images, and thou hast cleansed what was unclean among thy people, for thou hast driven away from them that which God hateth.

3 Christ riding into Jerusalem on an ass on the "Day of Hosanna" (Palm Sunday) "And as concerning thy name, God hath prepared it [especially], for He hath called thee 'Mâkedâ,' whereof the interpretation is 'Not thus.' Consider thou [the people] of thy nation with whom God was not well pleased, and thou wilt say 'Not thus [is it] good, but it is right that we should worship God'; 'Not thus is it good to worship the sun, but it is right to worship God,' thou wilt say. 'Not thus is it good to enquire of the diviner, but it is better to trust in God,' thou wilt say. 'Not thus is it good to resort to the working of magic, but it is better to lean upon the Holy One of Israel,' thou wilt say. 'Not thus is it good to offer up sacrifices to stones and trees, but it is right to offer up sacrifices to God,' thou wilt say. 'Not thus is it good to seek augury from birds, but it is right to put confidence in the Creator,' thou wilt say.

4 "And besides, inasmuch as thou hast chosen wisdom she hath become to thee a mother; thou didst seek her, and she hath become unto thee a treasure. Thou hast made her a place of refuge for thyself, and she hath become to thee a wall. Thou hast desired her eagerly, and she hath loved thee above everything. Thou hast placed thy confidence in her, and she hath taken thee to her bosom like a child. Thou hast loved her, and she hath become unto thee as thou didst desire. Thou hast laid hold upon her, and she will not let thee go until the day of thy death. Thou hast been sorrowful on her account, and she hath made thee to rejoice for ever. Thou hast toiled for her sake, and she hath made thee vigorous for ever. Thou hast hungered for her sake, and she hath filled thee with food for ever. Thou hast thirsted for wisdom, and she hath given thee drink in abundance for ever. Thou hast suffered tribulation for the sake of wisdom, and she hath become unto thee a healing for ever. Thou hast made thyself deaf for the sake of wisdom, and she hath made thee to hear for ever. Thou hast made thyself blind for the sake of wisdom, and

5 L she hath illumined thee more than the sun for ever. And all this hath happened from God because thou hast loved wisdom for ever. For wisdom, and knowledge, and understanding are from the Lord. Understanding and knowledge, and the beginning of wisdom, and the fear of the Lord, and knowledge, and the perception of good, and sympathy, and compassion that existeth for ever, all these things thou hast found, O my Lady, with the God of Israel, the Holy of the holiest, the Knower of hearts, Who searcheth out what is in the heart of man; from Him everything is. And it came to pass by the Will of God, that Zion hath come unto this country of Ethiopia, and it shall be a guide to our King David, the lover of God, the guardian of her pavilion, and the director of the habitation of His glory."

Chapter 92. How They Renewed the Kingdom of David

1 And Azariah said, "Bring hither the jubilee trumpets, and let us go to Zion, and there we will make new the kingdom of our lord David." And he took the oil of sovereignty and filled the horn [therewith], and he anointed David with the unguent, that is to say, with the oil of sovereignty. And they blew horns and pipes and trumpets, and beat drums, and sounded all kinds of musical instruments, and there were singing and dancing and games, and [displays] with horses and shield [-men], and all the men and women of the people of the country of Ethiopia were present, small and great, and the little Blacks, six thousand in number, and virgin women whom Azariah had chosen for the women of Zion by the law, whom David the King had destined for [the service of] the table and banquets in the royal fortress when he should go up thereto [clad in] raiment of fine gold. And in this wise was renewed the kingdom of David, the son of Solomon the king of Israel, in the capital city, in Mount Mâkedâ, in the House of Zion, when the Law was established for the first time by the King of Ethiopia.

2 And then when he had completed the stablishing of the Law, they made, according to what they had seen in Jerusalem, the Law in the House of Zion for the nobles of the kingdom, and for those who were inside, and for those that were outside, and for the people, and for the islands, and for the cities, and for the provinces; and for all the inhabitants and for all their tribal kinsfolk they made ordinances in the same manner. And thus the eastern boundary of the kingdom of the King of Ethiopia is the beginning of the city of Gâzâ in the land of Judah, that is, Jerusalem; and its boundary is the Lake of Jericho, and it passeth on by the coast of its sea to Lêbâ and Sâbâ; and its boundary goeth down to Bîsîs and 'Asnêt; and its boundary is the Sea of the Blacks and Naked Men, and goeth up Mount Kêbêrênêyôn into the Sea of Darkness, that is to say, the place where the sun setteth; and its boundary extendeth to Fênê'êl and Lasîfâlâ; and its borders are the lands [near] the Garden (i.e. Paradise), where there is food in plenty and abundance of cattle, and [near] Fênêkên; and its boundary reacheth as far as Zâwêl and passeth on to the Sea of India; and its boundary is as far as the Sea of Tarsîs, and in its remote (?) part lieth the Sea of Medyâm, until it cometh to the country of Gâzâ; and its boundary is the place where [our enumeration] began. And moreover, the dominion of the King of Ethiopia belongeth to him and to his seed for ever.

Chapter 93. How the Men of Rômê Destroyed the Faith

1 And after they had waited for three months—now Zion came into the country of Ethiopia at the beginning of the first month in the language of the Hebrews, and in Greek Târmôn and in Gê'êz (Ethiopic) Mîyâzyâ, on the sixth (or, seventh) day—they wrote down the Law and the names, and they deposited [the writing] for a memorial for the later days, so that what was right should be done for the pavilion [of Zion] L 2 thereby, and so that the glory of the kings of Ethiopia and the glory of the kings of Rômê might be well known. For the kings of Ethiopia and the kings of Rômê were brethren and held the Christian Faith. Now first of all they believed in an orthodox manner in the preaching of the Apostles up to [the time of] Constantine, and 'Êlênî (Helena) the Queen, who brought forth the wood of the Cross, and they (i.e. the kings of Rômê) continued [to believe for] one hundred and thirty years.

2 And afterwards, Satan, who hath been the enemy of man from of old, rose up, and seduced the people of the country of Rômê, and they corrupted the Faith of Christ, and they introduced heresy into the Church of God by the mouth of Nestorius. And Nestorius, and Arius, and Yabâsô (?) were those into whose hearts he cast the same jealousy as he had cast into the heart of Cain to slay his brother Abel. In like manner did their father the Devil, the enemy of righteousness and the hater of good, cast jealousy, even as David saith, "They speak violence in the heights of heaven, and set their mouths in the heavens, and their tongue waggeth on the earth." And those same men who know not whence they came, and know not whither they are going, revile their Creator with their tongues, and blaspheme His glory, while He is God, the Word of the Lord. He came down from the throne of His Godhead, and put on the body of Adam, and He is God the Word. And in that body He was crucified so that He might redeem Adam in his iniquity, and He went up into the heavens, and sat upon the throne of His Godhead in that body, which He had taken. And He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and shall reward every man according to his work, for ever and ever. Amen.

3 And we believe thus and we adore the Holy Trinity. And those who do not believe thus are excommunicated by the Word of God, the King of heaven and earth, both in this world and in that world which is to come. And we are strong in the Orthodox Faith which the Fathers the Apostles have delivered unto us, the Faith of the Church. And thus Ethiopia continued to abide in her Faith until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Chapter 94. The First War of the King of Ethiopia

1 And after three months they (i.e. David and his soldiers) rose up to wage war from the city of the Government, with Mâkedâ his mother and Zion his Lady. And the Levites carried the Tabernacle of the Law, together with the things that appertained to their office, and they marched along with great majesty, and as in times of old when God on Mount Sinai made Zion to come down in holiness to Moses and Aaron, even so did Azariah and 'Elmiyâs bear along the Tabernacle of the Law. And the other mighty men of war of Israel marched on the right side of it and on the left, and close to it, and before it and behind it, and although they were beings made of dust they sang psalms and songs of the spirit like the heavenly hosts. And God gave them beautiful voices and marvellous songs, for He was well pleased to be praised by them.

2 And they came from the city of the Government, and encamped at Mâya 'Abaw, and on the following morning they laid waste the district of Zâwâ with Hadêyâ, for enmity had existed between them from olden time; and they blotted out the people and slew them with the edge of the sword. And they passed on from that place and encamped at Gêrrâ, and here also they laid waste the city of vipers that had the faces of men, and the tails of asses attached to their loins. 3 And [the Queen] returned and encamped in the city of Zion, and they remained therein three months, then their wagons moved on and came to the city of the Government. And in one day they came to the city of Sâbâ, and they laid waste Nôbâ; and from there they camped round about Sâbâ, and they laid it waste as far as the border of Egypt. And the majesty (or, awe) of the King of Ethiopia was so great that the King of Mêdyâm and the King of Egypt caused gifts to be brought unto him, and they came into the city of the Government, and from there they encamped in 'Ab'ât, and they waged war on the country of India, and the King of India brought a gift and a present (or, tribute), and himself did homage to the King of Ethiopia. He (i.e. David) waged war wheresoever he pleased; no man conquered him, on the contrary, whosoever attacked him was conquered. And as for those who would have played the spy in his camp, in order to hear some story and relate it in their city, they were unable to run by the wagons, for Zion herself made the strength of the enemy to be exhausted. But King David, with his soldiers, and the armies of his soldiers, and all those who obeyed his word, ran by the wagons without pain or suffering, and without hunger or thirst, and without sweat or exhaustion, and travelled in one day a distance which [usually] took three months to traverse.

4 And they lacked nothing whatsoever of the things which they asked God through Zion the Tabernacle of the Law of God to give them, for He dwelt with her, and His Angel directed her, and she was His habitation. And as for the king who ministered to His pavilion—if he were travelling on any journey, and wished something to be done, everything that he wished for and thought about in his heart, and indicated with his finger, everything [I say] was performed at his word; and everyone feared him. But he feared no one, for the hand of God was with him, and it protected him by day and by night. And he did His Will, and God worked for him and protected him from all evil for ever and ever. Amen. 5 This I found among the manuscripts of the Church of Sophia in Constantinople. And the Archbishops who were there said unto him [Domitius?], "This is what is written from the days of Solomon the King." And Domitius of Antioch said, "Yea, that which is written up to the day of the death of Solomon is to be accepted, and that which hath been written by other prophets after his death is to be accepted likewise."

Chapter 95. How the Honourable Estate of the King of Ethiopia was Universally Accepted

1 Now through the KEBRA NAGAST we know and have learned that of a surety the King of Ethiopia is honourable, and that he is the King of Zion, and the firstborn of the seed of Shem, and that the habitation of God is in Zion, and that He there breaketh the might and power of all his enemies and foes. And after him the King of Rômê was the anointed of the Lord because of the wood of the Cross. And as concerning the kingdom of Israel—when the Pearl was born of them, and of the Pearl again was born the Sun of Righteousness, Who hid Himself in her body—now had He not hidden Himself in the body of a man He could not have been seen by mortal eyes—and having put on our body He became like unto us, and He walked about with [men]. And He wrought signs and wonders in their midst.

2 He raised their dead, and He healed their sick folk, and He made the eyes of their blind to see, and He opened the ears of their deaf folk, and He cleansed the lepers, and He satisfied the hungry with food, and He performed many miracles, some of which are written down and some of which are not, even as saith John the Evangelist, the son of Zebedee, "If everything which Jesus did were written down, the whole world would not be able to hold all the writings that would have to be written.' And when the wicked children of Israel saw all this they thought that He was a man, and they were envious of Him because of what they saw and heard, and they crucified Him upon the wood of the Cross, and they killed Him. And He rose from the dead on the third day, and went up into heaven in glory, [and sat] on the throne of the Godhead. And He received from the Father a kingdom incorruptible for ever and ever over the beings of the spirit, and the beings of earth, and over every created being, so that every tongue shall adore His Name, and every knee bow to Him; and He shall judge the living and the dead and reward every man according to his work. So therefore when the Jews shall see Him they shall be put to shame, and shall be condemned to the fire which is everlasting.

3 But we who believe in the Orthodox Faith shall be upon our throne, and we shall rejoice with our teachers the Apostles, provided that we have walked in the way of Christ and in His commandments. And after the Jews crucified the Saviour of the world, they were scattered abroad, and their kingdom was destroyed, and they were made an end of and rooted out for ever and ever. 4 And all the saints who were gathered together said, "Assuredly, in very truth the King of Ethiopia is more exalted, and more honourable than any other king upon the earth, because of the glory and greatness of the heavenly Zion. And God loveth the people of Ethiopia, for without knowing about His Law, they destroyed their idols, whereas those unto whom the Law of God had been given made idols and worshipped the gods which God hateth. And in the later times when He was born to redeem Adam He wrought signs and wonders before them, but they did not believe in Him, neither in His preaching nor in the preaching of His fathers. But the people of Ethiopia believed in one trustworthy disciple, and for this reason God hath loved exceedingly the people of Ethiopia." An angel bringing the Cross and the cup to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. By Him are Peter,

5 John, and James asleep Philip Plate Xxiii CALIFORNIA The image is too blurry to recognize any text content. And the Bishops answered and said unto him (Gregory), "Well hast thou spoken, and thy word is true, and what thou hast expounded and interpreted to us is clear. Even as Paul saith, 'Hath not the seed of Abraham exalted the seed of Shem?' They are all kings of the earth, but the chosen ones of the Lord are the people of Ethiopia. For there is the habitation of God, the heavenly Zion, the Tabernacle of His Law and the Tabernacle of His Covenant, which He hath made into a mercy-seat through [His] mercy for the children of men; for the rains and the waters from the sky, for the planted things (or, vegetation) and the fruits, for the peoples and the countries, for the kings and nobles, for men and beasts, for birds and creeping things."

6 And Gregory the Bishop, the worker of wonders, answered and said unto them, "Verily, salvation hath been given unto all of us Christian people, unto those who have believed in our Lady Mary, the likeness of the heavenly Zion. For the Lord dwelt in the womb of the Virgin, and was brought forth by her without carnal union. And the Ten Words (Decalogue) of the Law were written by the Finger of God, and made (i.e. placed) in Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God. And now, come ye, and we will declare from the Law of Moses the prophecies of the Prophets our Fathers, the holy men of olden time, and the prophecies concerning Christ our Redeemer, so that the generations of posterity may hear the interpretation (or, explanation) of the story, and we will relate unto them the narrative of the interpretation of the Scriptures. We will begin then with the beginning of the Book, and we will make [you] to understand in the Spirit, as David saith, through the Holy Spirit, 'In the beginning the Book was written because of me.'"

7 And one answered and said, "What is the beginning of the Book?" And they answered and said unto him, It is the Law which was written concerning Christ, the Son of God. And it saith, 'In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth'; and they existed from olden time. Now the earth was formless, but there were mixed together darkness, and winds, and water, and mist, and dust; all of these were mixed together. And the Spirit of God hovered above the waters. This meaneth that by the Word of God the heavens and the earth were created; and these words mean that the Spirit of God dwelt over all creation."

Chapter 96. Concerning the Prophecy About Christ

1 Moreover Moses proclaimed in the Law and said, "A prophet like myself shall rise up for you from your brethren, and hearken ye unto him; and every soul that will not hearken unto that prophet ye shall root out from among the people." And this he said concerning Christ the Son of God. And he also prophesied concerning His Crucifixion, and said, "When the serpents afflicted the children of Israel they cried out to Moses, and Moses cried out to God to deliver them from the serpents. And God said unto him, Make an image of brass of a serpent and suspend it in a place where it can be known as a sign, and let every one whom a serpent hath bitten look upon that image of brass, and he shall live. And when they failed to look at it they died, and those who looked on it and believed lived." And in like manner was it with Christ; those who paid no heed to Him and did not believe in Him perished in Sheôl, and those who believed and hearkened unto Him inherited the land of everlasting life, where there will never be pain or suffering.

2 And now we will make known unto you how they paid no heed to Christ, the Word of God. When the children of Israel spake against Moses, saying, "Is it that God hath spoken to Moses only? How is it that we also do not hear the Word of God that we may believe on Him? And God, Who knoweth the hearts of men, heard the murmuring of the children of Israel, and He said unto Moses, "Thou dost ask forgiveness for thy people, and yet they murmur against thee, saying, Why doth not God speak with us? And now, if they believe in Me, let them come hither to Me with thee. And tell them to purify themselves, and to wash their apparel, and let the great men of Israel go up to hear what commands I will give them, and let them hear My voice and perform the commandments which I shall give them. And Moses told the children of Israel what he had been commanded, and the people bowed low before God, and they purified themselves on the third day. And the seventy elders of Israel went up into Mount Sinai, and they departed from the encampment and ascended Mount Sinai. And they were distant from each other the space of the flight of an arrow, and they stood still, each facing his neighbour.

3 Now, though there were many of them and they used their endeavours, they were not able to ascend into the cloud with Moses, and fear and trembling seized upon them, and the shadow of death enveloped them; and they heard the sound of the horn and pipes, and [they felt] the darkness and the winds. And Moses went into the cloud and held converse with God, and all the great men of Israel heard that Voice of God, and they were afraid and quaked with terror, and because of the overwhelming terror which was in their hearts they were unable to stand up. And when Moses came forth they said unto him, "We will not hear this word of God so that we may not die of terror. And behold, we know that God holdeth converse with thee. And if there be anything that He would say unto us, do thou hearken thereto and declare it unto us. Be thou unto us a mouth in respect of God, and we will be unto Him His own people. Do ye not see that they denied Christ and said, "We will not hearken to that Voice so that we may not die in terror"? Now Christ was the Word of God, and therefore when they said, "We will not hearken to that Voice," they meant, "We do not believe in Christ."

4 And again Moses spake unto God and said, "Shew me Thy Face." And God said unto Moses, "No one can look upon My Face and live, but only as in a mirror. Turn thy face to the west and thou shalt see in the rock the mirroring of My Face." And when Moses saw the shadow of the Face of God, his own face shone with a brightness which was seven times brighter than the sun, and the light was so strong that the children of Israel could not look upon his face except through a veil. And thereupon he saw that they did not desire to look upon the Face of God, for they said unto him, "Make unto us a veil so that we may not see thy face." And having said these words it is evident that they hated the hearing of His words and the sight of His Face.

5 And moreover, when Abraham took his son Isaac up into Mount Karmelēwōs (Carmel), God sent down from heaven a ram for the redemption of Isaac. And Isaac was not slaughtered, but the ram which had come down from heaven was slaughtered. Now Abraham is to be interpreted God the Father, and Isaac is to be interpreted as a symbol of Christ the Son. And when He came down from heaven for the salvation of Adam and his sons, the Godhead which had come down from heaven was not slain, but His body which He had put on for our sakes, that earthly body which He had put on from Mary, was slain. Can ye understand and know that likeness and similitude for the earthly being Isaac, the son of Abraham, who was an offering of the will of his father? The heavenly ram became a redemption (or, substitute), and the son of Abraham was redeemed. And as for Him Who came down, the Son of God, He became the redemption of the Godhead, His body for the earthly, and He died in His body, the Godhead suffering in no wise and remaining unchanged; and the mortal became living in the Resurrection with the Godhead. And it is clearly manifest: in that Christ, the Son of God, hath redeemed us, He hath magnified us men. And we must honour especially, both upon the earth and in heaven, this our Lady Mary the Virgin, the Mother of God.

6 And hearken ye to this explanation concerning the first man, who is our father Adam. Eve was created from a man, from a bone in his side, without carnal embrace and union, and she became his companion. And having heard the word of guile, from being the helpmeet of Adam she became a murderess by making him to transgress the command. And in His mercy God the Father created the Pearl in the body of Adam. He cleansed Eve's body and sanctified it and made for it a dwelling in her for Adam's salvation. She [i.e. Mary] was born without blemish, for He made her pure without pollution, and she redeemed his debt without carnal union and embrace. She brought forth in heavenly flesh a King, and He was born of her, and He renewed his life in the purity of His body. And He slew death with His pure body, and He rose without corruption, and He hath raised us up with Him to immortality, the throne of divinity, and He hath raised us up to Him, and we have exchanged life in our mortal body and found the life which is immortal. Through the seduction of Adam we suffered affliction, and by the patient endurance of Christ we are healed. Through the transgression of Eve we died and were buried, and by the purity of Mary we receive honour, and are exalted to the heights.

7 And Ezekiel also prophesied concerning Mary and said, "I saw a door in the east which was sealed with a great and marvellous seal, and there was none who went into it except the Lord of hosts; He went in through it and came forth therefrom." Hear ye now this explanation: When he saith, "I saw a door," it was the door of the gate of heaven, the entrance of the saints into the kingdom of the heavens. And when he saith that it was "in the east" he referreth to her purity and her beauty. Men call her the "Gate of Salvation," and also "the East" whereunto the saints look with joy and gladness. And the "closedness" of which he speaketh referreth to her virginity and her body. And when he saith that she was sealed with "a great, wonderful seal," this showeth plainly that she was sealed by God, the Great and Wonderful, through the Holy Ghost. And when he saith, "None goeth through it except the Lord of hosts, He goeth in and cometh out," [he meaneth] the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Creator of the angels and men and the lords. The Lord of hosts is the fruit of the Godhead, Who put on our body from her, Christ. He went into and came forth from her without polluting her.

8 And Moses also prophesied concerning Mary, saying, "I saw a bramble bush on Mount Sinai which the devouring fire consumed not." And the signification of this fire is the Godhood of the Son of God; and the bramble bush, which burned without the leaves thereof being shrivelled, is Mary.

Chapter 97. Concerning the Murmuring of Israel

1 And once again the children of Israel murmured concerning the ministration of the priests before the Lord, saying, "Are we not Israel, we the seed of Abraham, and why cannot we also offer up sacrifice like them in the Tent of Witness by the Tabernacle of the Law of God, the holy Zion, with censers and incense and the holy instruments? Why should Moses, and his brother Aaron, and their children alone do this? Are we not people whom God hath chosen as much as they are, and shall we not do His Will? " And when Moses heard [this] he said unto them, " Do ye whatsoever ye will." And the elders of Israel went and had made seventy censers wherewith to cense Zion and to praise God, and they took incense and coals in the censers, and went and came into the Holy of Holies to offer up incense. And immediately they threw the incense into the censers, at the first swing of them fire came forth from the censers, and they were burned up straightway and melted away. And as wax melteth before the face of the fire, even so did they melt away; and as grass withereth when flame approacheth it, even so were they consumed, together with their instruments, and there was nothing left of them except their censers. And God said, " Sanctify to Me these censers for My Tent (or, Pavilion), and they shall be used for My offerings, for they are consecrated by the death of those men."

2 Now the censer is Mary, and Christ, the Son of God, the Godhead, is the coals, and the odour of the incense is the perfume of Christ, and through the perfume of Him Apostles, and Prophets, and Martyrs, and Monks, have rejected the world and inherited the kingdom of heaven. And the chains of the censers are the ladder which Jacob saw, to which [the angels] clung as they went up and came down; and upon the perfume of the incense the prayers of the pure go up to the throne of God. 3 And when the flame had burned up the sinners, the people who were kinsmen of these who had been destroyed reviled Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, " Ye have made our elders to perish "; and they took up stones to stone Moses and Aaron. And God was exceedingly wroth with Israel, and He abominated as a filthy rag the counsel of Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Korah. And the Word of God made a sign to the earth, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, together with all their companions, and their wives, and their children, and their beasts. They went down into Sheôl alive, and the earth shut herself up over them. And as for the people who had been associated with them and had heard their revilings [of Moses] God sent upon them a plague, and they died forthwith. And Moses and Aaron came with incense and censers, and they wept before God, and entreated Him for forgiveness for the people, saying, "Remember, O Lord, Abraham Thy friend, and Isaac Thy servant, and Israel Thy holy one, for we are their seed, and the children of Thy people. Cool Thy wrath in respect of us, and make haste to hear us, destroy us not, and remove Thy punishment from upon Thypeople." And God the Merciful saw the sincerity of Moses, and had compassion upon them.

4 And God spake unto Moses and said unto him, "Speak thou to this people and say unto them, 'Sanctify ye yourselves, and bring ye for each of the houses of your fathers a rod,' and write ye [the name] upon it so that ye may know their rods, thou and thy brother Aaron. Now of your houses let Aaron write upon his rod, but upon thine own rod make no mark, for it shall be a perfect miracle for the children of thy people, a vindication for the wicked, and a sign of life for all those who believe. If thou didst write [thy name] now with them, they would say unto thee, 'This hath been a worker of miracles from of old by the word of God'; let them say this when I have shown them a miracle by it (i.e. the rod). But for the house of thy father write upon the rod of Aaron."