Then she bade summon the wisest of the dwellers
in the cities among the Jews, far and wide, each
man of them, to come unto a council for deliberation,
those who knew how to expound justly and
fully the hidden things of God. And there was 280
gathered together from far ways no small multitude
of those who could expound the law of Moses.
They were in number three thousand men, chosen 285
for teaching.
Then the well-beloved woman spake unto the
men of the Hebrews in these words:--'This have I
learned well by the mystic sayings of prophets in
the books of God, that in days of yore ye were 290
dear unto the King of glory, loved of the Lord
and strong in his service. And lo! ye of this
knowledge unwisely and perversely cast Him forth
when ye cursed Him who thought to loose you from
your curse, your torture of fire, your servile bondage, 295
through the might of His glory. Foully ye
spat upon the face of Him who by his noble spittle
wrought anew the light of your eyes, the cure of 300
your blindness, and saved you oft from the unclean
spirits of devils. Ye doomed Him to death who
among a multitude of men roused from death itself
unto their former life a number of your own race. 305
Ye blind of soul, thus have ye confounded false
with sooth, light with darkness, hate with reverence,
and have woven a crime from your evil thoughts.
Therefore doth this curse weigh you down in your
sin--ye judged that pure Power, and until this day 310
ye have lived with clouded thoughts in heresy. Go
ye now quickly, and think upon the men most sage
in wisdom and skilled in speech, who, versed in the
knowledge of your law, hold it foremost in their 315
hearts, and who may declare unto me truly and
devise an answer for each token whereof I may
ask them.'
Then, sorely grieved and saddened, and burdened 320
with fear, the men wise in law went apart, and earnestly
sought the deepest mystic words wherewith
they might answer the queen whatsoever she asked
of them, whether of good or of bad. And they 325
found among their number a thousand of exceeding
wisdom, who most fully knew the traditions of old
among the Jews. In a great crowd they hastened
to where, upon a royal throne in majesty, the kinswoman 330
of the emperor waited, a stately queen of
battle adorned with gold. And Elene spake before
the folk:--'Hearken, ye wise of soul, unto a holy
mystery, the word and the wisdom. Lo! ye had the
teaching of prophets how the Prince of life and Lord 335
of might should be born in the likeness of a child.
Of him sang Moses, leader of the Israelites, and
spake this word:--"Unto you is born a child of
wondrous might in mystery, for his mother conceived 340
him not through the love of man." Of him
king David, father of Solomon, ruler of men, a
prophet with the wisdom of age, chanted a psalm
and spake this word:--"In times afore I beheld the 345
God of creation, the Lord of victories. He was
before my sight upon my right hand, the King of
might and Prince of majesty. Thence will I never
turn my eyes more unto life." Likewise again 350
Isaiah the prophet, deeply moved by the Spirit of
God, spake concerning you before the multitudes in
these words: "I raised up sons and I begat children,
and unto them I gave possessions, and holy balm
for their souls; but they scorned me, loathed me 355
with their hate, and they had no forethought, no
skill of wisdom. Even the wretched oxen, which
man doth each day drive and beat, know their well-wisher,
and in their revenge for wrong hate not
their friend who giveth them fodder. But never 360
would the men of the Israelites take knowledge of
me, though I wrought many wonders for them
throughout my life in the world." Lo! this have
we learned in holy books, that God the Creator
gave unto you spotless glory and wealth of power, 365
and said unto Moses how ye should hearken unto
the King of heaven, and follow His teaching. But
ye soon became weary of this, and withstood that
righteous one; ye scorned the pure Maker of all,
the Lord of lords, and pursued error against the 370
law of God. Now go ye quickly and find once
more those who know best by wisdom's craft the
ancient scriptures, your righteous law, that with 375
depth of soul they may give me answer.'
Then a throng of the proud leaders, saddened in
heart, went forth as the queen had bidden them,
and found five hundred wise men of their own race
who held learning in their memory, most wisdom 380
in their mind. And again within a little space the
lords of the city were summoned unto the hall. And
the queen, looking upon them all, spake unto them 385
in these words:--'Oft have ye wrought foolish
deeds, ye wretched in misfortune, and scorned the
Scriptures, the lore of your fathers, but never worse
than now when ye have refused the cure of your
blindness, and withstood the truth and the right--that 390
the Son of the Mighty One, the only-begotten
Ruler and King of kings, was born in Bethlehem.
Though ye knew the law, the words of the prophets,
yet because of your sin ye have not been willing to
confess the truth.' 395
And with one accord they answered:--'Lo! we
have learned the Hebrew law that from the ark
of God our fathers knew in days of yore; but we
know not in sooth wherefore, O lady, thou hast
become thus angry with us. We know not the sin 400
that we have wrought in this province, the wrong
we have ever done to thee.'
Then Elene spake before the people openly, before
the multitudes this woman spake aloud:--'Go ye 405
now quickly, and seek far and near those who have
the power of wisdom and the most skill of thought
among you, that they may show forth to me without
reserve whatsoever I ask of them.' 410
And they went forth from the council as the
mighty queen, strong in her cities, had bidden them,
and earnestly pondered, sad of heart, and sought
shrewdly what that sin might be that they had 415
wrought in the province against the emperor, wherewith
the queen reproached them.