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a fierce spirit and winged, and with a single wing, plotting against every spirit under heaven. I was present
when Moses went in before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I hardened his heart. I am he whom Iannes and
Iambres invoked homing [1] with Moses in Egypt. I am he who fought against Moses [2] with wonders
with signs."
[1. oíkoyxúmenoi in the MS., a vox nihili. If we had the apocryph of Iannes and Iambres we might
understand the reference. 2. 2 Tim. iii. 8.]
126. I said therefore to him: "How wast thou found in the Red Sea?" And he answered: "In the exodus of
the sons of Israel I hardened the heart of Pharaoh. And I excited his heart and that of his ministers. And I
caused them to pursue after the children of Israel. And Pharaoh followed with (me) and all the Egyptians.
Then I was present there, and we followed together. And we all came up upon the Red Sea. And it came to
pass when the children of Israel had crossed over, the water returned and hid all the host of the Egyptians
and all their might. And I remained in the sea, being kept under this pillar. But when Ephippas came, being
sent by thee, shut up in the vessel of a flask, he fetched me up to thee."
127. I, therefore, Solomon, having heard this, glorified God and adjured the demons not to disobey me, but
to remain supporting the pillar. And they both sware, saying: "The Lord thy God liveth, we will not let go
this pillar until the world's end. But on whatever day this stone fall, then shall be the end of the world [1]."
[1. This legend of the heavy cornerstone and of the spirits supporting a column in the Temple reappears in
the Georgian Acts of Nouna in the fourth century. There it is a huge wooden column that is lifted by spirit-
agency, when the king and workmen had failed to move it into place. The spirits support it in the air before
letting it sink into its place. These Acts will shortly appear in an English translation by Miss Wardrop in the
forthcoming number of the Studie Biblica, Clarendon Press, 1898.]
128. And I Solomon glorified God, and adorned the Temple of the Lord with all fair-seeming. And I was
glad in spirit in my kingdom, and there was peace in my days. And I took wives of my own from every
land, who were numberless. And I marched against the Jebusaeans, and there I saw Jebusaean, daughter of
a man: and fell violently in love with her, and desired to take her to wife along with my other wives. And I
said to their priests: "Give me the Sonmanites (i.e. Shunammite) to wife [1]." But the priests of Moloch
said to me: "If thou lovest this maiden, go in and worship our gods, the great god Raphan and the god
called Moloch." I therefore was in fear of the glory of God, and did not follow to worship. And I said to
them: "I will not worship a strange god. What is this proposal, that ye compel me to do so much?" But they
said: ". . . . . [2] by our fathers."
[1. Song of Sol. vi. 12. 2. utheìs (sic) stands in the MS.; perhaps taîs theaîs should be read.]
129. And when I answered that I would on no account worship strange gods, they told the maiden not to
sleep with me until I complied and sacrificed to the gods. I then was moved, but crafty Eros brought and
laid by her for me five grasshoppers, saying: "Take these grasshoppers, and crush them together in the
name of the god Moloch; and then will I sleep with you." And this I actually did. And at once the Spirit of
God departed from me, and I became weak as well as foolish in my words. And after that I was obliged by
her to build a temple of idols to Baal [1], and to Rapha, and to Moloch, and to the other idols.
[1. Fem. So Rom. xi. 4.]
130. I then, wretch that I am, followed her advice, and the glory of God quite departed from me; and my
spirit was darkened, and I became the sport of idols and demons. Wherefore I wrote out this Testament, that
ye who get possession of it may pity, and attend to the last things [1], and not to the first. So that ye may
find grace for ever and ever. Amen.
[1. Cp. Rev. ii. 19.] [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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a fierce spirit and winged, and with a single wing, plotting against every spirit under heaven. I was present
when Moses went in before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I hardened his heart. I am he whom Iannes and
Iambres invoked homing [1] with Moses in Egypt. I am he who fought against Moses [2] with wonders
with signs."
[1. oíkoyxúmenoi in the MS., a vox nihili. If we had the apocryph of Iannes and Iambres we might
understand the reference. 2. 2 Tim. iii. 8.]
126. I said therefore to him: "How wast thou found in the Red Sea?" And he answered: "In the exodus of
the sons of Israel I hardened the heart of Pharaoh. And I excited his heart and that of his ministers. And I
caused them to pursue after the children of Israel. And Pharaoh followed with (me) and all the Egyptians.
Then I was present there, and we followed together. And we all came up upon the Red Sea. And it came to
pass when the children of Israel had crossed over, the water returned and hid all the host of the Egyptians
and all their might. And I remained in the sea, being kept under this pillar. But when Ephippas came, being
sent by thee, shut up in the vessel of a flask, he fetched me up to thee."
127. I, therefore, Solomon, having heard this, glorified God and adjured the demons not to disobey me, but
to remain supporting the pillar. And they both sware, saying: "The Lord thy God liveth, we will not let go
this pillar until the world's end. But on whatever day this stone fall, then shall be the end of the world [1]."
[1. This legend of the heavy cornerstone and of the spirits supporting a column in the Temple reappears in
the Georgian Acts of Nouna in the fourth century. There it is a huge wooden column that is lifted by spirit-
agency, when the king and workmen had failed to move it into place. The spirits support it in the air before
letting it sink into its place. These Acts will shortly appear in an English translation by Miss Wardrop in the
forthcoming number of the Studie Biblica, Clarendon Press, 1898.]
128. And I Solomon glorified God, and adorned the Temple of the Lord with all fair-seeming. And I was
glad in spirit in my kingdom, and there was peace in my days. And I took wives of my own from every
land, who were numberless. And I marched against the Jebusaeans, and there I saw Jebusaean, daughter of
a man: and fell violently in love with her, and desired to take her to wife along with my other wives. And I
said to their priests: "Give me the Sonmanites (i.e. Shunammite) to wife [1]." But the priests of Moloch
said to me: "If thou lovest this maiden, go in and worship our gods, the great god Raphan and the god
called Moloch." I therefore was in fear of the glory of God, and did not follow to worship. And I said to
them: "I will not worship a strange god. What is this proposal, that ye compel me to do so much?" But they
said: ". . . . . [2] by our fathers."
[1. Song of Sol. vi. 12. 2. utheìs (sic) stands in the MS.; perhaps taîs theaîs should be read.]
129. And when I answered that I would on no account worship strange gods, they told the maiden not to
sleep with me until I complied and sacrificed to the gods. I then was moved, but crafty Eros brought and
laid by her for me five grasshoppers, saying: "Take these grasshoppers, and crush them together in the
name of the god Moloch; and then will I sleep with you." And this I actually did. And at once the Spirit of
God departed from me, and I became weak as well as foolish in my words. And after that I was obliged by
her to build a temple of idols to Baal [1], and to Rapha, and to Moloch, and to the other idols.
[1. Fem. So Rom. xi. 4.]
130. I then, wretch that I am, followed her advice, and the glory of God quite departed from me; and my
spirit was darkened, and I became the sport of idols and demons. Wherefore I wrote out this Testament, that
ye who get possession of it may pity, and attend to the last things [1], and not to the first. So that ye may
find grace for ever and ever. Amen.
[1. Cp. Rev. ii. 19.] [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]