Book of Jasher 61
Chapter 61
1.
And it came to pass at that time
Pharaoh king of
all his people to make for him a strong palace in
2.
And he also commanded the sons of
Jacob to assist the Egyptians in the building, and the Egyptians made a
beautiful and elegant palace for a royal habitation, and he dwelt therein and
he renewed his government and he reigned securely.
3.
And Zebulun the son of Jacob died in
that year, that is the seventy-second year of the going down of the Israelites
to
died a hundred and fourteen years old, and was put into a coffin and given into
the hands of his children.
4.
And in the seventy-fifth year died
his brother Simeon, he was a hundred and twenty years old at his death, and he
was also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
5.
And Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son
of Esau, captain of the host to Angeas king of Dinhabah, was still daily
enticing Angeas to prepare for battle to fight with the sons of Jacob in
was unwilling to do this thing, for his servants had related to him all the
might of the sons of Jacob, what they had done unto them in their battle with
the children of Esau.
6.
And Zepho was in those days daily
enticing Angeas to fight with the sons of Jacob in those days.
7.
And after some time Angeas hearkened
to the words of Zepho and consented to him to fight with the sons of Jacob in
Egypt, and Angeas got all his people in order, a people numerous as the sand
which is upon the sea shore, and he formed his resolution to go to Egypt to
battle.
8.
And amongst the servants of Angeas
was a youth fifteen years old, Balaam the son of Beor was his name and the
youth was very wise and understood the art of witchcraft.
9.
And Angeas said unto Balaam, Conjure
for us, I pray thee, with the witchcraft, that we may know who will prevail in
this battle to which we are now proceeding.
10.
And Balaam ordered that they should
bring him wax, and he made thereof the likeness of chariots and horsemen
representing the army of Angeas and the army of Egypt, and he put them in the
cunningly prepared waters that he had for that purpose, and he took in his hand
the boughs of myrtle trees, and he exercised his cunning, and he joined them
over the water, and there appeared unto him in the water the resembling images
of the hosts of Angeas falling before the resembling images of the Egyptians
and the sons of Jacob.
11.
And Balaam told this thing to Angeas,
and Angeas despaired and did not arm himself to go down to
and he remained in his city.
12.
And when Zepho the son of Eliphaz saw
that Angeas despaired of going forth to battle with the Egyptians, Zepho fled
from Angeas from
and came unto Chittim.
13.
And all the people of Chittim
received him with great honor, and they hired him to fight their battles all
the days, and Zepho became exceedingly rich in those days, and the troops of
the king of Africa still spread themselves in those days, and the children of
Chittim assembled and went to Mount Cuptizia on account of the troops of Angeas
king of Africa, who were advancing upon them.
14.
And it was one day that Zepho lost a
young heifer, and he went to seek it, and he heard it lowing round about the
mountain.
15.
And Zepho went and he saw and behold
there was a large cave at the bottom of the mountain, and there was a great
stone there at the entrance of the cave, and Zepho split the stone and he came
into the cave and he looked and behold, a large animal was devouring the ox;
from the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle downward it
resembled an animal, and Zepho rose up against the animal and slew it with his
swords.
16.
And the inhabitants of Chittim heard
of this thing, and they rejoiced exceedingly, and they said, What shall we do
unto this man who has slain this animal that devoured our cattle?
17.
And they all assembled to consecrate
one day in the year to him, and they called the name thereof Zepho after his
name, and they brought unto him drink offerings year after year on that day,
and they brought unto him gifts.
18.
At that time Jania the daughter of
Uzu wife of king Angeas became ill, and her illness was heavily felt by Angeas
and his officers, and Angeas said unto his wise men, What shall I do to Jania
and how shall I heal her from her illness? And his wise men said unto him,
Because the air of our country is not like the air of the
water is not like their water, therefore from this has the queen become ill.
19.
For through the change of air and
water she became ill, and also because in her country she drank only the water
which came from Purmah, which her ancestors had brought up with bridges.
20.
And Angeas commanded his servants,
and they brought unto him in vessels of the waters of Purmah belonging to
Chittim, and they weighed those waters with all the waters of the land of
found those waters lighter than the waters of
21.
And Angeas saw this thing, and he
commanded all his officers to assemble the hewers of stone in thousands and
tens of thousands, and they hewed stone without number, and the builders came and
they built an exceedingly strong bridge, and they conveyed the spring of water
from the land of Chittim unto Africa, and those waters were for Jania the queen
and for all her concerns, to drink from and to bake, wash and bathe therewith,
and also to water therewith all seed from which food can be obtained, and all
fruit of the ground.
22.
And the king commanded that they
should bring of the soil of Chittim in large ships, and they also brought stones
to build therewith, and the builders built palaces for Jania the queen, and the
queen became healed of her illness.
23.
And at the revolution of the year the
troops of Africa continued coming to the land of Chittim to plunder as usual,
and Zepho son of Eliphaz heard their report, and he gave orders concerning them
and he fought with them, and they fled before him, and he delivered the land of
Chittim from them.
24.
And the children of Chittim saw the
valor of Zepho, and the children of Chittim resolved and they made Zepho king
over them, and he became king over them, and whilst he reigned they went to
subdue the children of Tubal, and all the surrounding islands.
25.
And their king Zepho went at their
head and they made war with Tubal and the islands, and they subdued them, and
when they returned from the battle they renewed his government for him, and
they built for him a very large palace for his royal habitation and seat, and
they made a large throne for him, and Zepho reigned over the whole land of
Chittim and over the land of Italia fifty years.
