Joseph and Aseneth

Historical English source page 28

24 JOSEPH AND ASENATH [m purple stuff interwoven with gold, the bed being woven of scarlet and crimson stuff and fine linen. On this bed Asenath alone slept, and never had man or other woman sat thereon. And there was also a great court adjoining the house all round, and an exceeding high wall round the court built of great rectangular stones ; and there were also four gates in the court overlaid with iron, and these were kept each by eighteen strong young men armed ; and there were also planted along the wall fair trees of all kinds and all bearing fruit, their fruit being ripe, for it was the season of har- vest; and there was also a rich fount of^ water springing from the right of the same court ; and beneath the fount was a great cistern receiving the water of that fount, whence there went, as it were, a river through the midst of the court and it watered all the trees of that court. Joseph announces his Coining to Pentephres. III. And it came to pass in the first year of the seven years of plenty, in the fourth month, on the twenty-eighth^ of the month, that Joseph came to the borders of Heliopolis collecting the corn of that district. And, when Joseph drew near to that city, he sent twelve men before him to Pentephres, the priest of Heliopolis, saying : " I will come in to thee to-day, because it is the time of noon and of the midday meal, and there is great heat of the ^ Lat. Syr. insert " living," Slav. " abundant " ; Arm. om. " of water." * Versions " eighteenth."