The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
And whan men passen this desert, in comynge toward Jerusalem, thei comen to
Bersabee, that was wont to ben a fulle fair town and a delytable of
Cristene men: and zit there ben summe of here chirches. In that town
dwelled Abraham the patriark, a long tyme. In that toun of Bersabee,
founded Bersabee the wife of Sire Urye, the knyghte; on the whiche Kyng
David gatt Salomon the wyse, that was king aftre David, upon the 12
kynredes of Jerusalem, and regned 40 zeer. And fro thens gon men to the
cytee of Ebron, that is the montance [Footnote: Amount.] of a gode myle.
And it was clept somtyme the Vale of Mambree, and sumtyme it was clept the
Vale of Teres, because that Adam wepte there, an 100 zeer, for the dethe of
Abelle his sone, that Cayn slowghe. Ebron was wont to ben the princypalle
cytee of Philistyenes; and there duelleden somtyme the geauntz. And that
cytee was also Sacerdotalle, that is to seyne, seyntuarie, of the tribe of
Juda: and it was so fre, that men resceyved there alle manere of fugityfes
of other places, for here evyl dedis. In Ebron, Josue, Calephe, and here
companye comen first to aspyen, how thei myghte wynnen the lond of Beheste.
In Ebron regned first Kyng David, 7 zeer and an half: and in Jerusalem he
regnede 33 zeer and an half. And in Ebron ben alle the sepultures of the
patriarkes, Adam, Abraham, Ysaac, and of Jacob; and of here wyfes, Eve,
Sarre, and Rebekke, and of Lya: the whiche sepultures the Sarazines kepen
fulle curyously, and han the place in gret reverence, for the holy fadres,
the patriarkes, that lyzen there. And thei suffre no Cristene man entre in
to that place, but zif it be of specyalle grace of the Soudan. For thei
holden Cristen men and Jewes as dogges. And thei seyn, that thei scholde
not entre in to so holy place. And men clepen that place, where thei lyzn,
double spelunke, or double cave or double dyche; for als meche as that on
lyethe above that other. And the Sarazines clepen that place in here
langage Karicarba; that is to seyn, the place of patriarkes. And the Jewes
clepen that place Arbothe. And in that same place was Abrahames hous: and
there he satt and he saughe 3 persones, and worschipte but on; as Holy
Writt seyethe, _Tres vidit et unum adoravit_: that is to seyne, _He soughe
3, and worschiped on_: and of tho same resceyved Abraham the aungeles in to
his hous. And righte faste by that place is a cave in the roche, where Adam
and Eve duelleden, whan thei weren putt out of Paradyse; and there goten
thei here children. And in thai same place, was Adam formed and made; aftre
that that sum men seyn. For men werein wont for to clepe that place, the
feld of Damasce; because that it was in the lordschipe of Damask. And fro
thens was he translated in to paradys of delytes, as thei seyn: and aftre
that he was dryven out of Paradys, he was there left. And the same day that
he was putt in Paradys, the same day he was putt autt: for anon he synned.
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