Book of the Bee

Historical scan page 116

88 THE BOOK OF THE BEE. swaddling bands of our Lord, she poured out the water used in washing in a certain place, and there grew up there apursam 1 (that is to say balsam) trees, a species of tree not found anywhere else save in this spot in Egypt. Its oil has (divers) properties ; if a man dips iron into it, ‘and brings (the iron) near a fire, it shines like wax ; if some of it is thrown upon water, it sinks to the bottom ; and if a drop of it is dropped upon the hollow of a man’s hand, it goes through to the other side. Our Lord remained two years in Egypt, until Herod had died an evil death. He died in this manner. First of all he slew his wife and his daughter, and he killed one man of every family, saying, ‘ At the time of my death there shall be mourning and weeping and lamen¬ tation in the whole city.’ His bowels and his legs were swollen with running sores, and matter flowed from them, and he was consumed by worms. He had nine wives and thirteen children. And he commanded his sister Salome and her husband, saying, ‘ I know that the Jews will hold a great festival on the day of my death ; when they are gathered together [as^] with the weepers and mourners, slay them, and let them not live after my death.’ There was a knife in his hand, and he was eating an apple ; and by reason of the severity of his pain, he drew the knife across his throat, and cut it with his own hand ; and his belly burst open2, and he died and went to perdition. After the death of Herod who slew the children, his son Herod Archelaus reigned, who cut off the head of John. And the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt and said to him, ‘Arise, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the life of the Child are dead.’ So Joseph took the Child and His mother, and came to Galilee; and they dwelt in the city of Nazareth, that what was said in the prophecy might be fulfilled, ‘ He shall be called a Nazarene.’ In the tenth year of the reign of Archelaus the kingdom of the Jews was divided into four parts. To Philip (were assigned) two parts, Ituraea and Trachonitis; to Lysanias one part, which was Abilene; and to 1 See Low, Aram. PJlanzennamen, p. 73, no. 53. 2 The marginal note in A, fol. 66 b, reads : ‘ Know, O my brother readers, that in the copy of Murad the priest is written ; but I say that ll &U is correct. Say, my brethren, which is correct.’