Persons

Kebra Nagast

And when they arrived in the presence of the King Benyâs brought them forward, and the King questioned them, and they repeated to him all their lying counsel. And he asked them—according as they had surmised on the road—the occasion, and the day, and the hour of their drinking [wine] and their sitting [in the hall], and they told him. Now, God hath commanded that kings, and governors, and all those who occupy a high position shall investigate an accusation, even as God commanded Moses.

And when the King had enquired into all this matter, he called the captain of his host who stood before him, and said unto him, “Go at dawn of day to-morrow and surround the house of Karmîn and let not anyone of his people escape thee, neither man nor woman, and slay [them all] with the sword. And as for Karmîn, cut off his head, and bring hither all his possessions, and his goods, and all his flocks and herds, and his gold and silver.”

And those liars rejoiced and returned to their district, and they went into the house of Karmîn and held converse with him with words of peace, and they paid him compliments, and they made jests before his face, evil being in their hearts. And then was fulfilled on them the prophecy of David, who said, “Those who speak words of peace with their neighbour, and [have] evil in their hearts, reward them according to the evil of their works and according to the evil of their thoughts.”76 And they drank themselves drunk in the house of Karmîn, and they slept together with him. And when they had fallen asleep, behold, the Angel of God was sent to Karmîn, and he awoke him and said unto him, “Leave all thy possessions and save thyself, for men have been commanded by Manasseh the King to cut off thy head. Take as much of thy riches as thou canst carry, and flee into another country, for this Manasseh is a slayer of the prophets, and a seeker after the blood of innocent men.”

Then Karmîn rose up straightway, and sought out his treasure in gold and took it, and he awoke his wife and his two sons, and he also awoke his chosen servants, and loaded them with possessions of great value, and went forth by night. And he sent off his wife and his sons with two

76Psalm xxviii, 3, 4

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Kebra Nagast

servants to go to Jerusalem, and departed with two of his servants to a remote country—a distance of three months’ journey—and he arrived at Babylon. And he came to Balâ’ôn, the King of Babylon, and gave him a gift, and related unto him what had happened to him. And Balâ’ôn loved Karmîn, and gave him a habitation near the house of his merchant, who had departed to a far country for a period of three years.

And those men who had borne lying testimony they killed in bed in Karmîn’s house.

And the wife of the merchant loved Karmîn, and she was seduced by him, and became with child; now the behaviour of women is bad. And the husband of the woman had left her when she was with child, and she brought forth and gave the child to a nurse who brought it up. And in the second year she went astray and became with child by Karmîn, for the person of Karmîn was exceeding goodly in Israel. And the woman wished to throw the child whom she had conceived into the river when he was born and to wait for the merchant her husband as if she had not gone astray, and had not done anything [wrong]. Even as Solomon the wise man saith, “There are three things which are difficult to me in my mind, and the fourth of these I cannot comprehend:—The track of the eagle in the heavens, the path of the serpent on the rock, the track of a ship on the sea.”77 Now the fourth of them of which he speaks concerneth the wicked woman, who, having wronged her husband, and washed herself, sitteth down like a woman who hath done nothing, and she sweareth an oath falsely.

And at that time the wife of Balâ’ôn, the King of Babylon, conceived and brought forth something which was like unto an eagle, a perfect bird but altogether without wings. And she called a handmaiden who was a favourite, and sent the thing away in a wicker-basket and commanded her to cast it into the sea (i.e. river), without letting anyone know about it. And the time for the bringing forth of the wife of the merchant arrived, and she brought forth a man child, comely in form [and worthy of] compassion. And without suckling it she called to a handmaiden who was a favourite,

77Proverbs xxx, 18.

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