צב A.M. 5290.- ZEPHATH AND DAMASCUS. 161 "(he spake unto his lad RUN *;') when about the middle of the night, a deep sleep fell "upon met, and behold, the old man, whom 66 I had seen before in a vision, came unto "me and said, My son, I am come to make "thee understand what will happen unto the na 66 66 tions in the midst of whom thou art. Come with me unto the ruins of Jerusalem, where thou wast "at first.' And he took me, and led me unto a 66 place of two mountains, which are in the plea"sant land, between Mount Zion and Jerusalem, " and between Zephath‡ and Damascus; for I "had already seen them in a vision long ago, and "their likeness is upon my seal above the two "lameds which are in my name§ and surname ||; "for from the day I had seen them, I put them * Rabbi Joseph quotes here 1 Sam. xx. 36, 7, but is the only word which contains the number. his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah." Jud. i. 17. § Salomo. VOL. II. Molcho, or as Jost writes: Malchu. M 162 upon my seal for a sign. And the right one of "these two mountains, which is over against Ze 66 66 66 phath and Damascus, is the smaller; and the left one, which is over against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, is the larger. And as we were there, he "made me to stand upon my feet upon the top of "the right mountain, and said unto me, Lift up " thine eyes, I pray thee, towards the left mountain, and tell me what thou seest.' And I said, "I see a man clothed in white raiment, in whose "hands are the balances, and above him, a man "who is greater than he, clothed in linen, whiter " and costlier than that which I saw first. And the 66 66 man in whose hands were the balances was upon "the top of the mountain, and above him the second 66 66 man, according as it had been in the first vision; "and as I spake with him, the mountains approached one unto the other, and the taller man was left between the earth and the heavens above "our heads. And as I was upon the smaller mountain, the legs of the man who was upon the top "of the left mountain lengthened, until my head 66 66 was between his knees. And the old man said "unto me, 6 Open thy mouth, and thou shalt speak unto him, and ask him what will be the judgment of the nation, whence I have taken 66 66 66 thee.' I said unto him, How can the servant "of my Lord speak with this, my lord, since I צב 66 66 am unworthy? for what am I, and what is my life, or what is the righteous and upright work "of mine hands, that I should come and intrude 66 myself to ask from before the face of my lord, a "small or a great thing?' But the man said unto 66 me, Fear not, peace be unto thee, my son; "ask of me, and I shall give it*, for therefore am "I come.' And I bowed down and worshipped "with my face toward the ground. And I said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favor in the sight of my lord; I pray, let my lord 66 6 66 speak in the ears of his servant†, and tell me the "judgment of the nation, among whom I was "upon the bridge.' And he answered and said "unto me, This is the book in which is written. "what shall happen in time to come, because of all "the evil which is done. Speak unto the old 66 man, and he will tell it unto thee.' And he gave the book into the hand of the old man, and "who would give that I had permission to write the vision of that book! And he read therein, " and he gave it back unto the man, and the man said unto him, Go, and tell the young man "who is with thee what thou hast read.' And 66 " he took me by the hand, and said, Let us go 164 C'RUM, MOTHER OF MONSTERS. צב "to the place where thou stoodst;' and we went "unto the bridge, and I sat down in my place as "at the first. And as I was there, I lifted up mine "eyes, and saw a great beast, and her likeness "was that of a winged fowl of many colors, 66 And it came up from upon the citadel which And I said unto the old man, What is this, my lord?' And he said "unto me, This is the mother of the great sea"monsters which sitteth in the cities of the sea, "whose name is C'rum*, which causeth vilenesst "to the sons of men, and she receiveth strength "from the end of all flesh; and when this bird "removeth, the windows of the heavens are opened, and the rains come on all the places "over which she hovers. And were it not for the covenant, which God hath made between him 66 * The Rabbi makes a name of the word in Ps. xii. 8. (Heb. 9). O fuligo. "Berach, fol. 6. 2. legitur: est quædam avis in urbibus maritimis, 10 D1, et Kerum nomen ejus est, quæ quando sol oritur mutatur in varios colores. Præterea est lapidis pretiosi nomen, cæruleam vel vel aquæ marinæ colorem referentis, unde vocatur ? Turcicus marinus Thalassius. Chrysolitum, Septuaginta reddunt. Legitur pro Hebræo 7, Exod. xxviii. 20. Forte est Amethystus. Extat et Esth. viii. 15." Buxtorf Lex. Chald. Talmudicum et Rabbinicum, s. v. . זלות + i. e. This bird feeds upon dead carcasses. צב SHADI. 165 "self and all flesh, when they were sinners on the "earth, the world would return into nothingness*. "And as I stood, I saw again the likeness of a 66 small bird, in fashion like unto the first, of a white color, exceedingly beautiful. And it went "out from the great ocean, and rested above its fellow, the other bird; and I said, What is 66 66 this, my lord?' and he said unto me, This is "the beast of the field, which sitteth upon "the wonderful rocks which are sunk in the 66 deep; whence issue sweet showers, and rains "of blessing and life, and every good thing. "And there the birds make their nests§, that there might be deliverance on earth, and to satisfy man with fruit of the work of God. It is con 66 66 stantly against the fowl, which cometh up from "the salt sea to break her strength; and under “both of them are smaller and greater animals. "And at the time when God judges, the one 66 becometh lower, and the other higher; when "he judgeth with justice, the smaller is lowered; "and when with mercy, the greater is lowered. "But now they both are lifted up, to work out righteousness and judgment; righteousness to "Israel; and judgment to all the nations: for the 66 + Companion. may mean either field or Almighty; but field in Ps. viii. 8; 1. 11; lxxx. 14. § Ps. civ. 17. |