Enemy

Kebra Nagast

and put it into the inner part of a box and commanded her to throw him into the sea (i.e. river), without anyone knowing about it; for she was afraid of her husband. And in the same night two women brought forth, [the merchant’s wife] and the wife of the King, and at daybreak the two women sent their handmaidens to cast their children into the river.

And by the Will of God these two handmaidens met each other before they had thrown the children into the river, and they talked together. And the handmaiden of the King asked the handmaiden of the merchant, saying, “What is in thy box?” and she showed her the beautiful child. And the King’s handmaiden said unto her, “Why hast thou brought him here?” And the merchant’s handmaiden said unto her, “Because the wife of my lord hath gone astray with a certain Israelite, and she conceived and brought forth a child, and she hath commanded me to throw him into the river.” And the King’s handmaiden said unto her, “Why doth she not bring up a child who is so beautiful?” And the merchant’s handmaiden said unto her, “Her husband left her with child, and she brought forth a child, and is rearing him; how then can she rear this child who is of strange and alien seed?” And the merchant’s handmaiden asked the King’s handmaiden, saying, “What hast thou in thy box?” And the King’s handmaiden said unto her, “My lady hath brought forth a child that hath not the appearance of a man but of a wingless eagle, and she hath commanded me to throw it into the river. And now, give me this child of thine that I may give it to my mistress, and do thou take this bird, and cast it into the river”; and they did so. And the handmaiden of the King took the child [of Karmîn] to her mistress, and the Queen rejoiced, and it was reported to the King that the Queen had borne a son. And the Queen gave the boy to the nurses, and he grew up in the house of the King, and she called his name “Nâbûkëdnâs.ar” (Nebuchadnezzar), which is, being interpreted, “By the luck of the bird.”

And through this it is well known that the King of Babylon is the seed of Shem. And he came and overthrew Jerusalem by the Will of God, and he carried away captive the children of Israel, and he made them to wander in the town of Babylon with the grandchildren of Manasseh. And lie was so very rich that he set up a pillar of gold on the plain of Babylon sixty cubits

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Kebra Nagast

high, and he was very arrogant, and he used to say, “I make the sun to shine in the heavens”; and he worshipped idols. And God abased him so that he might know Him, and He set his portion with the beasts of the field. And when he knew the Name of the Lord after seven years He had compassion upon him, and brought him back in repentance. And the kingdom of Babylon was his, and it belonged to those who were of his seed for ever.

77. Concerning the King of Persia

And the King of Persia is likewise of the seed of Shem, and we will inform you concerning the matters that relate to him. Judah begot two sons, and he brought in Të’mar (Tamar) for his eldest son, and he died. And Judah sent his younger son to her that he might raise up seed to his brother by his brother’s wife. And he did that which God hated, and he did not wish to raise up seed to his brother as his father Judah had commanded him. Now when he lay with Tamar he made his seed to go into the ground, so that it might not germinate in her womb and be called the seed of his brother, but he wished to raise up seed by his own wife in his own name. And when God saw his evil act He turned His face away from him and slew him. And Judah, the father-in-law of Tamar, brought her back, and set her in the house of her father, and said unto her kinsfolk, “Keep carefully this Israelitish woman, and let her not defile herself with an alien. For I have a little son, and if God will let him grow up I will give him to her.” And whilst Tamar was living as a widow in her father’s house, behold, Judah her father-in-law came to the place where his sheepfolds were to shear wool with great satisfaction and pleasure. And when Tamar heard that her father-in-law had come, she cast away from her the apparel of widowhood, and she put herself in splendid apparel, and she veiled herself after the manner of a harlot, and she followed him and sat down. And he sent a message to her, saying, “I wish to company with thee.” And she said unto him, “What wilt thou give me for my hire?” And he said unto her, “I will send to thee in the morning early a sucking lamb”; and she said unto him, “Give me a pledge until thou givest me the lamb.” And he gave her

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