Book of the Bee

Historical scan page 63

OF MELCHIZEDEK. 35 Noah died, he commanded Shem concerning the bones of Adam, for they were with them in the ark, and were removed from [ca\] the land of Eden to this earth. Then Shem entered the ark, and sealed it with his father’s seal, and said to his brethren, ‘ My father commanded me to go and see the sources of the rivers and the seas and the structure of the earth, and to return.’ And he said to Malah the father of Melchizedek, and to Yozadik his mother, ‘Give me your son that he may be with me, and behold, my wife and my children are with you.5 Melchizedek’s parents said to him, ‘ My lord, take thy servant ; and may the angel of peace be with thee, and protect thee from wild beasts and desolation of the earth.5 Shem went by night into the ark, and took Adam’s coffin ; and he sealed up the ark, saying to his brethren, ‘ My father commanded me that no one should go into it.5 And he journeyed by night with the angel before him, and Melchizedek with him, until they came and stood upon the spot where our Lord was crucified. When they had laid the coffin down there, the earth was rent in the form of a cross \ and swallowed up the coffin, and was again sealed up and re¬ turned to its former condition. Shem laid his hand upon Melchizedek’s head, and blessed him and delivered to him the priesthood, and commanded him to dwell there until the end of his life. And he said to him, ‘ Thou shalt not drink wine nor any intoxicating liquor, neither shall a razor pass over thy head ; thou shalt not offer up to God an offering of beasts, but only fine flour and olive oil and wine ; thou shalt not build a house for thyself ; and may the God of thy fathers be with thee.5 And Shem returned to his brethren, and Melchizedek’s parents said to him, ‘Where is our son?5 Shem said, ‘He died while he was with me on the way, and I buried him;5 and they mourned for him a month of days ; but Melchizedek dwelt in that place until he died. When he was old, the kings of the earth heard his fame, and eleven of them gathered together and came to see him ; and they entreated him to go with them, [cv.\] but he would not be persuaded. And when he did not conform to their wishes, they built a city for him there, and he called it Jerusalem; and the kings said to one another, ‘This is the king of all the earth, and the father of nations.5 When Abraham came 1 See also Bezold, Die Scha/zhoh/e, p, 28. f 2