Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
At the command of God these sinners and all their possessions were
burnt with fire at the brook of Pishon. Only the Amorite books and the
idols of precious stones remained unscathed. Neither fire nor water
could do them harm. Kenaz decided to consecrate the idols to God, but a
revelation came to him, saying: "If God were to accept what has been
declared anathema, why should not man?" He was assured that God would
destroy the things over which human hands had no power. Kenaz, acting
under Divine instruction, bore them to the summit of a mountain, where
an altar was erected. The books and the idols were placed upon it, and
the people offered many sacrifices and celebrated the whole day as a
festival. During the night following, Kenaz saw dew rise from the ice
in Paradise and descend upon the books. The letters of their writing
were obliterated by it, and then an angel came and annihilated what was
left. (11) During the same night an angel carried off the seven gems,
and threw them to the bottom of the sea. Meanwhile a second angel
brought twelve other gems, engraving the names of the twelve sons of
Jacob upon them, one name upon each. No two of these gems were alike:
(12) the first, to bear the name of Reuben, was like sardius; the
second, for Simon, like topaz; the third, Levi, like emerald; the
fourth, Judah, like carbuncle; the fifth, Issachar, like sapphire; the
sixth, Zebulon, like jasper; the seventh, Dan, like ligure; the eighth,
Naphtali, like amethyst; the ninth, Gad, like agate; the tenth, Asher,
like chrysolite; the eleventh, Joseph, like beryl; and the twelfth,
Benjamin, like onyx.
Now God commanded Kenaz to deposit twelve stones in the holy Ark, and
there they were to remain until such time as Solomon should build the
Temple, and attach them to the Cherubim. (13) Furthermore, this Divine
communication was made to Kenaz: "And it shall come to pass, when the
sin of the children of men shall have been completed by defiling My
Temple, the Temple they themselves shall build, that I will take these
stones, together with the tables of the law, and put them in the place
whence they were removed of old, and there they shall remain until the
end of all time, when I will visit the inhabitants of the earth. Then I
will take them up, and they shall be an everlasting light to those who
love me and keep my commandments." (14)
When Kenaz bore the stones to the sanctuary, they illumined the earth
like unto the sun at midday.
CAMPAIGNS OF KENAZ
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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