--- id: pseudobib1758chronbensaddi short_title: Chronicles of Nathan Ben Saddi title: "A Fragment of the Chronicles of Nathan Ben Saddi ; A Rabbi of the Jews, Lately Discovered in the RUINS of Herculaneum : And Translated from the Original, into the Italian Language. By Command of the King of the Two Sicilies, AND Now first publish'd in English." author: year: 1758 place: Philadelphia source: "https://archive.org/details/fragmentofchroni00penn" status: CLEAN+1 --- A FRAGMENT OF THE CHRONICLES OF Nathan Ben Saddi ; A Rabbi of the Jews. Lately discovered in the Ruins of HERCULANEUM: And Translated from the Original, into the ITALIAN LANGUAGE. By the Command of the King of the Two-Sicilies, AND Now first publish'd in English. CONSTANTINOPLE: Printed, in the Year of the Vulgar Æra, 5707 PI. II A Fragment of the CHRONICLES of Nathan Ben Saddi. BOOK I. CHAP I. AND it came to pass in the days of Isaac, judge over Judah that many woes happened, and there was great murmuring of the people; for the number of the Gentiles was encreased much in the land. 2 And the Jews said amongst themselves; Now is our power gone from us, and her glory departed from Judah. 3 Then came these words unto the ears of Isaac the judge, and he was grieved. 4 Wherefore he sent unto his counsellors, bidding them come unto him that he might take counsel concerning these things; and they came and stood before him. 5 Now there was amongst his counsellors a certain man, a scribe, called Adonis, which, being interpreted, is beautiful. For the length of his hair was comely, and when he polled his head (because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it) he weighed the hair of his head, at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight. 6 And Adonis the scribe was a learned man, after the learning of the Jews; for he had read over the seven volums of the Talmud, containing the dreams and visions of those who hated truth; and from thence he learnt to say the things that was not. 7 He likewise had perused the jargums of the law, tho' not in the original; for he understood it not; but the translations thereof, by Jacobs the translator, those he perused. 8 And whatever dropped from Jacobs the translator, that he swallowed; and Dell-warr, Shaw-an and Cherocks; from Docan (which is by the river of Grief) even Allegh in the mountains, and the inhabitants of the inner plains. 17 And the people mutter many mutterings, saying, The Jews are unjust rulers, and care not for the Gentiles, if Jerusalem be safe. We must needs die; but is not life as a precious ornament, opened to the air, which cannot be collected again? 18 We have neither helmets on our heads, nor spears in our hands, nor coats of mail, of mail for war! but as a fool falleth before wicked men, so we fall. 19 Now, therefore, that I speak of these things to my Lord the judge, it is because the people have made me afraid. 20 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Judah. The sword is hateful to my eyes, and gun-powder stinketh in my nostrils. If any man draweth a cane cross my mouth, I lick the dirt as a serpent; and if any man call me rascal in one ear, I turn the other, and bid him say on. 21 Peace be unto us and to our helpers. The noise of the drum and the trumpet is terrible: I love no sound but MY OWN. 22 This thing then shall my Lord the judge do, and the thing will serve us well; and the complaints of the people shall be turn'd into praises, and their revilings into thanksgivings. 23 Let us send out false prophets among the people, to every city and to every village, and to each part of the country, divers; and let them cry aloud with a great voice, saying, 24 Arise, arise, O ye people! be watchful and spare not; for the man that ruleth over you is a man of a wicked heart, and seeketh to make you eaters of grass and drinkers of water. 25 He longeth to yoke you unto his chariot, and to drive you with the burthends as one driveth mules. 26 He hateth your counsellors, because they watch over you as faithful dogs watch over sheep, and will not suffer you to be devoured of the beast. 27 Arise, arise then, O ye people! and strengthen the hands of your counsellors. Let the Philistines ravage in the borders, it is better to die than to live, and NOT DO AS WE PLEASE. 28 And it shall come to pass, when these words shall be heard of the people, that they will be wroth against their ruler, and they say; This man is the cause of our evils; cast him out from among us. 29 For the people will speak in simplicity, and will not know the thing. 30 And it shall not be said any more that the Jews are unjust rulers; nor shall be remembered in the land that war is an abomination unto them. 31 But the crime shall lie upon the head of the wicked ruler, even upon his head shall the innocent blood lie; but from my Lord the judge, and from his seed, and from his HOUSE, shall it be taken quite away. 32 And when the people shall send up their counsellors to Jerusalem, thus shall it happen: There will be none that can turn to the right or to the left, from ought that my Lord shall speak. 33 And my Lord shall observe all the rites and ceremonies of the Jews which he hath long neglected, and shall go into the temple, and pray in publick, after the manner of the Pharisees; and the people will take notice of it, and be pleased. 34 Then shall my Lord counsel a tribute to be raised over all Judah, and it shall be so: for the counsels which my Lord counselleth in these days shall be as tho' a man had enquired at an Oracle. 35 And it will be said, my Lord careth for the people; but my Lord will hold the bag, and bear what is put therein, as did some rulers in the days of Old. 36 And when the tribute shall be raised, then shall my Lord set one counsellor over a post, and another over an office; so the men shall be pleased, and cleave unto thee, and give thee a GREAT NAME. 37 Let my Lord the judge do according to these sayings, and his authority shall be established in his House, and his HOUSE, will govern the people. 38 And the saying of Adonis the scribe pleased Isaac the judge well; and he turn'd unto Daniel the Æthiopian, and said unto him, What sayset thou? shall it be done after the sayings of Adonis the scribe? 39 And Daniel the Æthiopian opened his mouth, and said, YEA: for Daniel was not eloquent, but of a slow tongue. CHAP. II. NOW these are others of the counsellors of Isaac the judge, with whom he counselleth wise counsels. 2 GRUBAN, the son of Ashbosheth, sirnamed the Noisy. 3 For he spake, and said nothing; and he talked, and no reason was found. 4 And SHIPTOL, named Hermaphrodite. For some said he was a man, some said he was a woman, and there were others who said he was both: therefore he was sirnamed Hermaphrodite. 5 And he never did eat of the bread of the land, for he had none of his own to eat; but he lived on the juice of my Lord's bag, which he sucked; even as a Louse or Leech sucketh the blood of a man, so sucked he it. 6 And HUGHALL, the son of Gomarg, who was knowing in fire; for he baked puddings and pies, and the children called to one another at play in the streets, "Whose cakes are like unto the cakes of Hughall the son of Gomrag?" 7 And MASTERAL, of the suburbs, who was a wise man; for he never spoke. 8 And ASBER the son of Amittai. He was stiff but not stately, gloomy but not grave; and he walked as one in a meditaiton. 9 And TOCHAL the son of Stentor. His voice was thunder, but without lightning; for no man saw whither it aimed. 10 And ASA, the son of Hagi, of the street of the butchers, near the place Golgotha, that is the skull. 11 And WA-NERETH the stupid, and PERONAL the beastly. And when a debate was debated, Isaac the judge counted those men as a man counted his asses, whom he leadeth to the crib, and feedeth with provender. 12 And Isaac the judge did according to the sayings of Adonis the scribe, and he mouldeth the counsellors in his hands, even as a potter mouldeth his clay. 13 So they gave him a great report among the people; and he grew proud in heart, saying to himself, 14 I bid one go and he goeth, and another run and he runneth. Am not I great in authority? If any man stand up against my sayings, thus and thus shall be done to him. 15 And he became haughty, and his mind swelled within him; and he went from the ways of David his father. 16 And he made an Image of paper, in the shape of a Calf; and the body seemed as tho' thirty calves were joined together, but there was only one head, and the head was like unto the head of Isaac the judge. 17 He likewise went after the ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: for the lowest of the people he made Priests of the High Places. 18 And he gathered together the captains, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the people. 19 Then PI. IX. CHRONICLES. Chap. II. peradventure it should be said, that he judged in his own cause, and Shiptol the Hermaphrodite went up in his stead. 29 And Shiptol the Hermaphrodite burned with the love of Isaac the judge, and he spake wrathfully, saying: 30 Is it true, O Shimei and Morat, that ye do not worship the image which my lord the judge hath set up, nor acknowledge its power. 31 And they answered and said, we are not careful to answer thee in this thing; we confess the images is like unto a calf, and the calf's head is like unto my lord the judge's head. 32 But heaven forbid it, we should say the Image hath life and power, or is infallible as a God: For the thing is not so. 33 Upon this we stand, that it is contrary to the religion of our fathers, to worship in this manner, neither canst thou make black, white; nor that lawful which is unlawful; moreover it is contrary to the covenant of the Rights, covenanted unto the chosen people to be extracted in this fort. 34 Know therefore, that we will not worship the calf which my lord the judge hath set up, nor acknowledge its power, we cannot do this evil thing to our own consciences and live; Nor are we afraid of my Lord the judge, nor of his deep and dirty dungeon. 35 And a multitude of the people shouted for joy, and were pleased with the words which Shimei the Levit, and Morat the son of Abimiaz, had said. 36 And my Lord the judge and Shiptol the Hermaphrodite, and all his counsellors were astonished with the astonishment! and they became full of fury, and the form of their visage was changed and became pale, and lengthen'd exceedingly. 37 And they would have put the men Shimei and Morat, and all that shouted, to death, but they were afraid; for that by the law of the Jews no man might suffer death for this thing. 38 And Shiptol the Hermaphrodite sent a message to the governor of the city, in the name of my Lord the judge, and all his counsellors, saying, Come and join thy strength to our strength, and avenge us of our enemies. Cut Shimei the Levit, and morat the son of Abimiaz in pieces. 39 And we will fell the birth-rights of the people unto my Lord the governor, and we and our children will become his servants, and his servants servants until the last generation. 40 Then the governor of the city answered and said, Wherefore will you ask this wicked thing of me, that I should cut in pieces Shimei the Levit and Morat the son of Abimiaz, without cause? How can I do this great crime against the law? 41 Or why do you request me to take away the birth-rights of the people and to kill justice. As I hope for good things I will not. 42 Then Shiptol the Hermaphrodite commanded Daniel the Æthiopian and Asa of the butchers, to seize on Shimei and Morat, and bind them and throw them into the darkest and dirtiest dungeon, and they did so. 43 And Shiptol the Hermaphrodite came down from his seat, and sat no more thereon. But Isaac the judge went up thereon; as he sat of old, so did he sit now. 44 And Isaac the judge made a proclamation, saying, Thus shall be done to the man that saith ought against my Lord or his Calf. CHAP. III. AND it came to pass in the eight year of Isaac the judge, that he dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleep brake from him. 2 Then Isaac the judge commanded to call his counsellors to shew his dreams. So they came and stood before him. 3 And Isaac the judge said unto them, I dreamed a dream, but the thing is gone from me: Now therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof and ye shall receive great gifts and reward. 4 But the counsellors could not show the dream. For they were no conjurers. 5 Therefore Isaac was very angry and furious, and his wrath boiled in him, and he spoke violently. Hitherto have ye spoken many lying and corrupt words before me, but now the times are changed. There is no proof in you. 6 And they answered and said, My Lord's servants are not wise men, neither do they deal in wisdom: as they have served my Lord until this time, even so will they still serve. 7 But never before did my Lord ask this thing of his counsellors, that they should speak truth. 8 Now there was a certain man, named Kerak, who stood at the door of the Sanhedrim, and watched there: and he knew concerning what Isaac the judge was in wrath. 9 And Kerak was wiser than all the counsellors of Isaac the judge, howbeit he sat not in the Sanhedrim with them. Because he served in the Temple. 10 And he came and bowed himself before Isaac the judge, and said, O judge, live for ever! 11 The secret which thou hast demanded is revealed unto me, and thy dream and the visions of thy dream are these. 12 Thy thoughts, O judge, in the night, were upon all that thou and thy counsellors have done in this house, from the very beginning of troubles until this day: but chiefly upon the trap and the plot that thou and Masterol, and Adonis the scribe, laid together, to catch Shimei the Levit, and Morat the son of Ahimiaz. 13 And then thy thoughts turned upon what should came to pass hereafter; and this was thy dream. 14 Thou sawest, O JUDGE, and behold a great multitude; and the multitude was like unto the sands on the seashore, or the leaves in the forest of Basan, for numbers. 15 And some were footmen, and some were horsemen: and they encompassed thee about: but my Lord was exalted and rode in an open chariot, that he might be seen of all the people. 16 On the right hand sat Adonis the scribe, and on the left was Masterol of the suburbs. 17 And the multitude moved very slowly: as an army marching that is encumbered with much plunder: or as the cedars on mount Lebanon bow down their high heads with a heavy wind, and raise them up again, when it is past and gone; even so they moved. 18 In this wise they travelled, and when they had gone a little space out of the city, my Lord looked, and, lo! there was a strange tree. 19 The tree was strong and straight and tall, and it had two trunks that went into the ground; so that there was no tree in the wilderness like unto it. 20 And people marvelled, because it had two trunks, that it had no leaves nor fruit, for it was barren. 21 But, behold! the trunks had no roots, and therefore was it barren. 22 And when Adonis the scribe, and Masterol of the suburbs, saw the tree, their knees smote together and their teeth talked to one another. 23 Then also my Lord became astonished, and his countenance changed, and the people said, What smell is this? And the multitude went on, and the chariot came and halted under the tree and rested there. 24 And, after some time the chariot moved again, but behold my Lord the judge, and Adonis the scribe, and Masterol of the suburbs, went not with it, but staid behind. 25 For their heads caught hold of the tree and they were taken up between heaven and earth, even as Absalom was taken up in the boughs of the oak, in the wood of Ephraim, save that they were not taken up by the hair. 26 These are the visions which my Lord the judge saw, in the night upon his bed. Now the interpretation thereof is. 27 And Isaac the judge cried out suddenly, Enough, enough, O Kirak! This is my dream, and the interpretation needeth not, for in the meaning thereof a child is as an astrologer, and a suckling child, as a Chaldean. 28 So Kerak was promoted and made keeper of the prison, and it was a great promotion: for in these days if one commun'd with a man that was hateful to Isaac the judge, tho' he were a father of a near friend, he was shut up amongst the criminals and a dungeon became his dwelling. 29 So he kept the people in fears, and fear kept them in silence, and silence kept them in slavery, an slavery kept them in every thing unbecoming MAN, who was made in the image of his Creator. 30 Isaac the judge was sore troubled with the dream, which he had dreamed, and he went to his own house and put ashes on his head, and mourned sixty days and sixty nights and wou'd not be seen of any one. And the rest of the Acts of Isaac, and all the foolish things that he spake, are they not written in the minutes of chronicles of the Judges of Judah? Here endeth the FIRST BOOK of the CHRONICLES.