Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil (21 page)

68 Then dogs, foxes, and wild boars began to devour them, until
again
another sheep [Saul] arose, the master of the flock, one of themselves, a ram, to conduct them. This ram began to butt on every side those dogs, foxes, and wild boars, until they all perished.

69 But the
former
sheep opened his eyes, and saw the ram in the midst of them, who had laid aside his glory.

70 And he began to strike the sheep, treading upon them, and behaving himself without dignity.

71 Then their Lord sent the
former
sheep
again
to a still different sheep [David], and raised him up to be a ram, and to conduct them instead of that sheep who had laid aside his glory.

72 Going therefore to him, and conversing with him alone, he raised up that ram, and made him a prince and leader of the flock. All the time that the dogs [the Philistines] troubled the sheep,

73 The first ram paid respect to this latter ram.

74 Then the latter ram arose, and fled away from before his face. And I saw that those dogs caused the first ram to fall.

75 But the latter ram arose, and conducted the smaller sheep.

76 That ram likewise begat many sheep, and died.

77 Then there was a smaller sheep [Solomon], a ram, instead of him, which became a prince and leader, conducting the flock.

78 And the sheep increased in size, and multiplied.

79 And all the dogs, foxes, and wild boars feared, and fled away from him.

80 That ram also struck and killed all the wild beasts, so that they could not again prevail in the midst of the sheep, nor at any time ever snatch them away.

81 And that house was made large and wide; a lofty tower being built upon it by the sheep, for the Lord of the sheep.

82 The house was low, but the tower was elevated and very high.

83 Then the Lord of the sheep stood upon that tower, and caused a full table to approach before him.

84 Again I saw that those sheep wandered, and went various ways, forsaking that their house;

85 And that their Lord called to some among them, whom he sent [the prophets] to them.

86 But these the sheep began to kill. And when one of them was saved from slaughter [Elijah] he leaped, and cried out against those who were desirous of killing him.

87 But the Lord of the sheep delivered him from their hands, and made him ascend to him, and remain with him.

88 He sent also many others to them, to testify, and with lamentations to exclaim against them.

89 Again I saw, when some of them forsook the house of their Lord, and his tower; wandering on all sides, and growing blind,

90 I saw that the Lord of the sheep made a great slaughter among them in their pasture, until they cried out to him in consequence of that slaughter. Then he departed from the place
of his habitation,
and left them in the power of lions, tigers, wolves, and the zeebt [hyenas (Knibb, p. 209)], and in the power of foxes, and of every beast.

91 And the wild beasts began to tear them.

92 I saw, too, that he forsook the house of their fathers, and their tower; giving them all into the power of lions to tear and devour them; into the power of every beast.

93 Then I began to cry out with all my might, imploring the Lord of the sheep, and showing him how the sheep were devoured by all the beasts of prey.

94 But he looked on in silence, rejoicing that they were devoured, swallowed up, and carried off; and leaving them in the power of every beast for food. He called also seventy shepherds, and resigned to them
the care of
the sheep, that they might overlook them;

95 Saying to them and to their associates, Every one of you henceforwards overlook the sheep, and whatsoever I command you, do; and I will deliver
them
to you numbered.

96 I will tell you which of them shall be slain; these destroy. And he delivered the sheep to them.

97 Then he called to another, and said, Understand, and watch everything which the shepherds shall do to these sheep; for many more of them shall perish than I have commanded.

98 Of every excess and slaughter, which the shepherds shall commit,
there shall be
an account; as, how many may have perished by my command, and how many they may have destroyed of their own heads.

99 Of all the destruction
brought about by
each of the shepherds there shall be an account; and according to the number I will cause a recital to be made before me, how many they have destroyed of their own heads, and how many they have delivered up to destruction, that I may have this testimony against them; that I may know all their proceedings; and that, delivering
the sheep
to them, I may see what they will do; whether they will act as I have commanded them, or not.

100
Of this,
however, they shall be ignorant; neither shalt thou make any explanation to them, neither shalt thou reprove them; but there shall be an account of all the destruction
done
by them in their respective seasons. Then they began to kill, and destroy more than it was commanded them.

101 And they left the sheep in the power of lions, so that very many of them were devoured and swallowed up by lions and tigers; and wild boars preyed upon them. That tower they burnt, and overthrew that house.

102 Then I grieved extremely on account of the tower, and because the house of the sheep was overthrown.

103 Neither was I afterwards able to perceive whether they
again
entered that house.

104 The shepherds likewise, and their associates, delivered them to all the wild beasts, that they might devour them. Each of them in his season, according to his number, was delivered up; each of them, one with another, was described in a book, how many of them, one with another, were destroyed, in a book.

105 More, however, than was ordered, every
shepherd
killed and destroyed.

106 Then I began to weep, and was greatly indignant, on account of the sheep.

107 In like manner also I saw in the vision him who wrote, how he wrote down one, destroyed by the shepherds, every day. He ascended, remained, and exhibited each of his books to the Lord of the sheep,
containing
all which they had done, and all which each of them had made away with;

108 And all which they had delivered up to destruction.

109 He took the book up in his hands, read it, sealed it, and deposited it.

110 After this, I saw shepherds overlooking for twelve hours.

111 And behold three of the sheep [Zerubbabel, Joshua, and Nehemiah] departed, arrived, went in; and began building all which was fallen down of that house.

112 But the wild boars [the Samaritans] hindered them, although they prevailed not.

113 Again they began to build as before, and raised up that tower, which was called a lofty tower.

114 And again they began to place before the tower a table, with every impure and unclean kind of bread upon it.

115 Moreover also all the sheep were blind, and could not see; as were the shepherds likewise.

116 Thus were they delivered up to the shepherds for a great destruction, who trod them under foot, and devoured them.

117 Yet was their Lord silent, until all the sheep in the field were destroyed. The shepherds and the sheep were all mixed together; but they did not save them from the power of the beasts.

118 Then he who wrote the book ascended, exhibited it, and read it at the residence of the Lord of the sheep. He petitioned him for them, and prayed, pointing out every act of the shepherds, and testifying before him against them all. Then taking the book, he deposited it with him, and departed.

1 And I observed during the time, that thus thirty-seven
[129]
shepherds were overlooking, all of whom finished in their respective periods as the first. Others then received them into their hands, that they might overlook them in their respective periods, every shepherd in his own period.

2 Afterwards I saw in the vision, that all the birds of heaven arrived; eagles, the avest, kites and ravens. The eagle instructed them all.

3 They began to devour the sheep, to peck out their eyes, and to eat up their bodies.

4 The sheep then cried out; for their bodies were devoured by the birds.

5 I also cried out, and groaned in my sleep against that shepherd which overlooked the flock.

6 And I looked, while the sheep were eaten up by the dogs, by the eagles, and by the kites. They neither left them their body, nor their skin, nor their muscles, until their bones alone remained; until their bones fell upon the ground. And the sheep became diminished.

7 I observed likewise during the time, that twenty-three shepherds
[130]
were overlooking; who completed in their respective periods fifty-eight periods.

8 Then were small lambs born of those white sheep; who began to open their eyes and to see, crying out to the sheep.

9 The sheep, however, cried not out to them, neither did they hear what they uttered to them; but were deaf, blind, and obdurate in the greatest degrees.

10 I saw in the vision that ravens flew down upon those lambs;

11 That they seized one of them; and that tearing the sheep in pieces, they devoured them.

12 I saw also, that horns grew upon those lambs; and that the ravens lighted down upon their horns.

13 I saw, too, that a large horn sprouted out on an animal among the sheep, and that their eyes were opened.

14 He looked at them. Their eyes were wide open; and he cried out to them.

15 Then the dabela [the ibex, probably symbolizing Alexander the Great (Laurence, p. 140)] saw him; all of whom ran to him.

16 And besides this, all the eagles, the avest, the ravens and the kites, were still carrying off the sheep, flying down upon them, and devouring them. The sheep were silent, but the dabela lamented and cried out.

17 Then the ravens contended, and struggled with them.

18 They wished among them to break his horn; but they prevailed not over him.

19 I looked on them, until the shepherds, the eagles, the avest, and the kites came.

20 Who cried out to the ravens to break the horn of the dabela; to contend with him; and to kill him. But he struggled with them, and cried out, that help might come to him.

21 Then I perceived that the man came who had written down the names of the shepherds, and who ascended up before the Lord of the sheep.

22 He brought assistance, and caused every one to see him descending to the help of the dabela.

23 I perceived likewise that the Lord of the sheep came to them in wrath, while all those who saw him fled away; all fell down in his tabernacle before his face; while all the eagles, the avest, ravens, and kites assembled, and brought with them all the sheep of the field.

24 All came together, and strove to break the horn of the dabela.

25 Then I saw, that the man, who wrote the book at the word of the Lord, opened the book of destruction, of that destruction which the last twelve shepherds [the native princes of Judah after its delivery from the Syrian yoke] wrought; and pointed out before the Lord of the sheep, that they destroyed more than those who preceded them.

26 I saw also that the Lord of the sheep came to them, and taking in his hand the sceptre of his wrath seized the earth, which became rent asunder; while all the beasts and birds of heaven fell from the sheep, and sunk into the earth, which closed over them.

27 I saw, too, that a large sword was given to the sheep, who went forth against all the beasts of the field to slay them.

28 But all the beasts and birds of heaven fled away from before their face.

29 And I saw a throne erected in a delectable land;

30 Upon this sat the Lord of the sheep, who received all the sealed books;

31 Which were open before him.

32 Then the Lord called the first seven white ones, and commanded them to bring before him the first of the first stars, which preceded the stars whose form partly resembled that of horses; the first star, which fell down first; and they brought them all before him.

33 And he spoke to the man who wrote in his presence, who was one of the seven white ones, saying, Take those seventy shepherds, to whom I delivered up the sheep, and
who
receiving them killed more of them than I commanded. Behold, I saw them all bound, and all standing before him. First came on the trial of the stars, which, being judged, and found guilty, went to the place of punishment. They thrust them into
a place,
deep, and full of flaming fire, and full of pillars of fire. Then the seventy shepherds were judged, and being found guilty, were thrust into the flaming abyss.

34 At that time likewise I perceived, that one abyss was thus opened in the midst of the earth, which was full of fire.

35 And to this were brought the blind sheep; which being judged, and found guilty, were all thrust into that abyss of fire on the earth, and burnt.

36 The abyss was on the right of that house.

37 And I saw the sheep burning, and their bones consuming.

38 I stood beholding him immerge that ancient house, while they brought out its pillars, every plant in it, and the ivory infolding it. They brought it out, and deposited it in a place on the right side of the earth.

39 I also saw, that the Lord of the sheep produced a new house, great, and loftier than the former, which he bounded by the former circular spot. All its pillars were new, and its ivory new, as well as more abundant than the former ancient
ivory,
which he had brought out.

40 And while all the sheep which were left were in the midst of it, all the beasts of the earth, and all the birds of heaven, fell down and worshipped them, petitioning them, and obeying them in everything.

41 Then those three, who were clothed in white, and who, holding me by my hand, had before caused me to ascend, while the hand of him
who
spoke held me; raised me up, and placed me in the midst of the sheep, before the judgment took place.