Ethiopic Didascalia

Ethiopic Didascalia — Platt English translation page 48

was cast into the sea, and the whale swallowed him up, yet aftei-wards he came forth from the belly of the whale, and was saved from death. And Hezekiah also, although, when he lifted up his heart, chastisement came upon him, yet, when he humbled himself, and departed from the exaltation of his heart, and wept before the Lord, then He had mercy upon him. Hear, O ye Bishops, that which is profitable in this matter : for it is written in the Fourth Book of Kings, And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead ; twelve years old was Manasseh when he began to reign, and fifty and five years reigned he over Israel in Jeru- salem ; and his mother's name was Haphsaba ; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Moreover, it is written in the Second Book of Chronicles, saying. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, above all the abo- minations of the Gentiles whom the Lord rooted out before the Children of Israel. And he turned and built on the high places the altars which Hezekiah his father had pulled down, and raised pillars to Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven and served them, and built an altar in the House of the Lord at Jerusalem, of which He had said. My name shall be there for ever. And he built an altar to all the stars of heaven in the two courts of the House of the Lord ; and himself made his son to serve in the fire, in the land of Benonim, and he used signs, and made himself like an ass, and used magic, and set up diviners 48