After the death of Joshua the Israelites inquired to God whether they
were to go up against the Canaanites in war. They were given the
answer: "If ye are pure of heart, go forth unto the combat; but if your
hearts are sullied with sin, then refrain." They inquired furthermore
how to test the heart of the people. God ordered them to cast lots and
set apart those designated by lot, for they would be the sinful among
them. Again, when the people besought God to give it a guide and
leader, an angel answered: "Cast lots in the tribe of Caleb." The lot
designated Kenaz, and he was made prince over Israel. (1)
His first act was to determine by lot who were the sinners in Israel,
and what their inward thought. He declared before the people: "If I and
my house be set apart by lot, deal with us as we deserve, burn us with
fire." The people assenting, lots were cast, and 345 of the tribe of
Judah were singled out, 560 of Reuben, 775 of Simon, 150 of Levi, 665
of Issachar, 545 of Zebulon, 380 of Gad, and 665 of Asher, 480 of
Manasseh, 448 of Ephraim, and 267 of Benhamin. (2) So 6110 (3) persons
were confined in prison, until God should let it be know what was to be
done with them. The united prayers of Kenaz, Eleazar the high priest,
and the elders of the congregation, were answered thus: "Ask these men
now to confess their iniquity, and they shall be burnt with fire."
Kenaz thereupon exhorted them: "Ye know that Achan, the son of Zabdi,
committed the trespass of taking the anathema, but the lot fell upon
him, and he confessed his sin. Do ye likewise confess your sins, that
ye may come to life with those whom God will revive on the day of the
resurrection." (4)
One of the sinful, a man by the name of Elah, (5) said in reply
thereto: "If thou desirest to bring forth the truth, address thyself to
each of the tribes separately." (6) Kenaz began with his own, the tribe
of Judah. The wicked of Judah confessed to the sin of worshipping the
golden calf, like unto their forefathers in the desert. The Reubenites
had burnt sacrifices to idols. The Levites said: "We desired to prove
whether the Tabernacle is holy." Those of the tribe of Issachar
replied: "We consulted idols to know what will become of us." (7) The
sinners of Zebulon: "We desired to eat the flesh of our sons and
daughters, to know whether the Lord loves them." The Danites admitted,
they had taught their children out of the books of the Amorites, which
they had hidden then under Mount Abarim, (8) where Kenaz actually found
them. The Naphtalites confessed to the same transgression, only they
had concealed the books in the tent of Elah, and there they were found
by Kenaz. The Gadites acknowledged having led an immoral life, and the
sinners of Asher, that they had found, and had hidden under Mount
Shechem, the seven golden idols called by the Amorites the holy nymphs
the same seven idols which had been made in a miraculous way after the
deluge by the seven sinners, Canaan, Put, Shelah, Nimrod, Elath, Diul,
and Shuah. (9) They were of precious stones from Havilah, which
radiated light, making night bright as day. Besides, they possessed a
rare virtue: if a blind Amorite kissed one of the idols, and at the
same time touched its eyes, his sight was restored. (10) After the
sinners of Asher, those of Manasseh made their confession they had
desecrated the Sabbath. The Ephraimites owned to having sacrificed
their children to Moloch. Finally, the Benjamites said: "We desired to
prove whether the law emanated from God or from Moses."
At the command of God these sinners and all their possessions were
burnt with fire at the brook of Pishon. Only the Amorite books and the
idols of precious stones remained unscathed. Neither fire nor water
could do them harm. Kenaz decided to consecrate the idols to God, but a
revelation came to him, saying: "If God were to accept what has been
declared anathema, why should not man?" He was assured that God would
destroy the things over which human hands had no power. Kenaz, acting
under Divine instruction, bore them to the summit of a mountain, where
an altar was erected. The books and the idols were placed upon it, and
the people offered many sacrifices and celebrated the whole day as a
festival. During the night following, Kenaz saw dew rise from the ice
in Paradise and descend upon the books. The letters of their writing
were obliterated by it, and then an angel came and annihilated what was
left. (11) During the same night an angel carried off the seven gems,
and threw them to the bottom of the sea. Meanwhile a second angel
brought twelve other gems, engraving the names of the twelve sons of
Jacob upon them, one name upon each. No two of these gems were alike:
(12) the first, to bear the name of Reuben, was like sardius; the
second, for Simon, like topaz; the third, Levi, like emerald; the
fourth, Judah, like carbuncle; the fifth, Issachar, like sapphire; the
sixth, Zebulon, like jasper; the seventh, Dan, like ligure; the eighth,
Naphtali, like amethyst; the ninth, Gad, like agate; the tenth, Asher,
like chrysolite; the eleventh, Joseph, like beryl; and the twelfth,
Benjamin, like onyx.
Now God commanded Kenaz to deposit twelve stones in the holy Ark, and
there they were to remain until such time as Solomon should build the
Temple, and attach them to the Cherubim. (13) Furthermore, this Divine
communication was made to Kenaz: "And it shall come to pass, when the
sin of the children of men shall have been completed by defiling My
Temple, the Temple they themselves shall build, that I will take these
stones, together with the tables of the law, and put them in the place
whence they were removed of old, and there they shall remain until the
end of all time, when I will visit the inhabitants of the earth. Then I
will take them up, and they shall be an everlasting light to those who
love me and keep my commandments." (14)
When Kenaz bore the stones to the sanctuary, they illumined the earth
like unto the sun at midday.