The writings of the Apostolic FathersClement I, Pope
General
The writings of the Apostolic Fathers
Clement I, Pope
Apostolic Fathers; Christian literature, Early
I saw six men come, tall, and distinguished, and similar in appearance,
and they summoned a multitude of men. And they who came were also tall
men, and handsome, and powerful; and the six men commanded them to build
a tower above the rock. And great was the noise of those men who came to
build the tower, as they ran hither and thither around the gate. And the
virgins who stood around the gate told the men to hasten to build the
tower. Now the virgins had spread out their hands, as if about to
receive something from the men. And the six men commanded stones to
ascend out of a certain pit, and to go to the building of the tower. And
there went up ten shining rectangular stones, not hewn in a quarry. And
the six men called the virgins, and bade them carry all the stones that
were intended for the building, and to pass through the gate, and give
them to the men who were about to build the tower. And the virgins put
upon one another the ten first stones which had ascended from the pit,
and carried them together, each stone by itself.
CHAP. IV.
And as they stood together around the gate, those who seemed to be
strong carried them, and they stooped down under the corners of the
stone; and the others stooped down under the sides of the stones. And in
this way they carried all the stones.[1748] And they carried them
through the gate as they were commanded, and gave them to the men for
the tower; and they took the stones and proceeded with the building. Now
the tower was built upon the great rock, and above the gate. Those ten
stones were prepared as the foundation for the building of the tower.
And the rock and gate were the support of the whole of the tower. And
after the ten stones other twenty [five] came up out of the pit, and
these were fitted into the building of the tower, being carried by the
virgins as before. And after these ascended thirty-five. And these in
like manner were fitted into the tower. And after these other forty
stones came up; and all these were cast into the building of the tower,
[and there were four rows in the foundation of the tower,[1749]] and
they ceased ascending from the pit. And the builders also ceased for a
little. And again the six men commanded the multitude of the crowd to
bear stones from the mountains for the building of the tower. They were
accordingly brought from all the mountains of various colours, and being
hewn by the men were given to the virgins; and the virgins carried them
through the gate, and gave them for the building of the tower. And when
the stones of various colours were placed in the building, they all
became white alike, and lost their different colours. And certain stones
were given by the men for the building, and these did not become
shining; but as they were placed, such also were they found to remain:
for they were not given by the virgins, nor carried through the gate.
These stones, therefore, were not in keeping with the others in the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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