Joseph and Aseneth

Historical English source page 55

xvi] ASENATH FINDS A HONEYCOMB 51 upon the table ; and the comb was great and white like snow and full of honey, and that honey was as the dew of heaven, and the odour thereof as the odour of life. Then Asenath wondered and said in herself: "Is this comb from the mouth of this man himself?" And Asenath took that comb and brought it and set it forth upon the table, and the angel said to her : " Why is it that thou saidst, ' There is no honeycomb in mine house,' and lo ! thou hast brought it me ? " And she ^ said : " Lord, I have never put an honey- comb in mine house, but as thou saidst so it hath been made. Came this forth from thy mouth .' for that the odour thereof is as the odour of oint- ment."^ And the man smiled at ■" the woman's ' understanding. Then he calleth her to himself, and, ''when she came,* he stretched out his right hand and took hold of her head, and, '"when he shook her head with his right hand,* Asenath feared the angel's hand greatly, for that sparks proceeded from his hands after the manner of red- hot ^ iron, and accordingly she was all the time gazing with much fear and trembling at the angel's hand. And he smiled and said : " Blessed art thou, Asenath, because the ineffable mysteries of ^ B D versions " Asenath." * Lat. Syr. Arm. " thy mouth " ; Slav. " ointment like thy mouth." 3 Lat. Syr. Arm. "Asenath's"; Slav. om. "smiled . . . came, he." * Lat. Syr. Arm. om. ' Versions om.; Slav. om. fif. to "smiled and." ^ I follow Syr. Arm. ; 6x>^dCovTos ("crowding") must be wrong.