Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends
This is the pelican’s note: “Praise the Lord in heaven and earth.”
The dove chants, “The fashion of this world passeth away, but God
remaineth eternal.”
The kata says, “Silence is the best safeguard.”
The cry of the eagle is, “However long life may be, yet its inevitable
term is death.”
The croak of the raven is, “The further from man, the happier I.”
The cock crows before the dawn and in the day, “Remember thy Creator, O
thoughtless man!”
Solomon chose the cock and the peewit to be his constant companions—the
first because of its cry, and the second because it can see through the
earth as through glass, and could therefore tell him where fountains of
water were to be found.
After he had stroked the dove, he bade her dwell with her young in the
temple he was about to build to the honour of the Most High. This pair
of doves, in a few years, multiplied to such an extent, that all who
sought the temple moved through the quarter of the town it occupied
under the shadow of the wings of doves.
When Solomon was again alone, an angel appeared to him, whose upper half
was like to earth, and whose lower half was like to water. He bowed
himself before the king and said, “I am created by God to do His will on
the dry land and in the watery sea. Now, God has sent me to serve thee,
and thou canst rule over earth and water. At thy command the highest
mountains will be made plain, and the level land will rise into steep
heights. Rivers and seas will dry up, and the desert will stream with
water at thy command.” Then he gave to him a precious stone, with the
legend engraved thereon, “Heaven and earth serve God.”
Finally, an angel presented to him another stone, whereon was cut,
“There is no God save God, and Mohammed is the messenger of God.”
“By means of this stone,” said the angel, “thou shalt have dominion over
the whole world of spirits, which is far greater than that of men and
beasts, and occupies the space between earth and heaven. One portion of
the spirits is faithful, and praises the One only God; the other portion
is unfaithful: some adore fire, others the sun, others worship the
planets, many revere winter. The good spirits surround the true
believers among men, and protect them from all evil; the evil spirits
seek to injure them and deceive them.”
Solomon asked to see the Jinns in their natural and original shape. The
angel shot like a column of flame into heaven, and shortly returned with
the Satans and Jinns in great hosts: and Solomon, though he had power
over them, shuddered with disgust at their loathsome appearance. He saw
men’s heads attached to the necks of horses, whose feet were those of an
ass; the wings of an eagle attached to the hump of a dromedary; the
horns of a gazelle on the head of a peacock.[659]
2. HOW SOLOMON FEASTED ALL FLESH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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