[487] The author leaves us in a total uncertainty about the words to which he alludes; if to those of Isaiah, chap. LIII, vv. 2-12, the prophet would have predicted his own sufferings. According to the learned Jew, Isaac Orobio (see _Israel vengé, ou Exposition naturelle des Prophéties que les Chrétiens appliquent à Jésus, leur prétendu Messie_), the words of Isaiah, chap. LIII, are not to be referred to a single individual, but to the whole people of Israel. CHAPTER V. Of the religion of the Tarsá[488], containing three sections. _Section I_――an account of the Lord Aisíá (Jesus). _Section II_――of the creed of the Nasárá. _Section III_――of the works of the Tarsá. Of the Tarsá I saw several learned individuals, such as the Padrî Fransaî, who is highly esteemed by the Portuguese in Goa, and by those who are in Surat, a maritime place in India. In the year of the Hejira 1057 (A. D. 1647) the author of this book found him in the port of Surat. SECTION THE FIRST: AN ACCOUNT OF THE LORD AISIA (JESUS).――They say that the birth of the Lord Mesîah took place in the year 3199 of the creation of the world,[489] 2957 after the deluge of Noah,[490] 2015 years after the birth of Ibráhím,[491] and 1510 from the coming of Mosîah (Moses);[492] and when the children of Israél were in the 65th week, which the prophet Dáníel had announced, 752 years after the building of Rome,[493] in the 42nd year of the reign of Cæsar _Tiberius_. When Aísía appeared, the high priest said: “We charge thee, upon thy oath by the living God, say, art thou the son of God?” The blessed and holy Lord Aísîâ replied to him: “I am what thou hast said. Verily, we say unto you, you shall see the son of man seated at the right hand of God, and he shall descend in the clouds of heaven.” They said: “Thou utterest a blasphemy, because, according to the creed of the Yahuds, God never descends in the clouds of heaven.” Ishâîá the prophet has announced the birth of Aîsîá in words the translation of which is as follows: “A branch from the root of Ishaî shall spring up, and from this branch shall come forth a flower in which the spirit of God shall dwell: verily, a virgin shall be pregnant and bring forth a son.” Isháî is the name of the father of Dávid. When they had apprehended Aisîa, they spit upon his blessed face and smote him. Ishâa had predicted it: “I shall give up my body to the smiters, and my cheek to the diggers _of wounds_; I shall not turn my face from those who will use bad words, and throw spittle upon me.” When Aflátes (Pilatus), a judge of the Yahuds, scourged the Lord Aîsiâ in such a manner that his body from head to foot became but one wound, so was it as Ishâía had predicted: “He was wounded for our transgressions; I struck him for his people.” When Pilatus saw that the Yahuds insisted upon the death and the crucifixion of Jesus, he said: “I take no part in the blood of this man; I wash my hands clean of this blood.” The