HIM, AND WHAT THERE BEFELL HIM.
When the word was brought to Jerusalem that Tyre was taken, and
that Alexander was on the march towards the city to punish it for
its disobedience, there was heavy grief and woe, and Jaddua the
bishop was in great awe, for he said to himself: “Now have I but a
few days ago refused to obey this great warrior, and when he the
most needed help I denied it him; better had it been for me that
anything should have happened before I grieved this man, and did
not his command. Woe is me and my city.” And Jaddua called together
the men of the city, and said: “Now is Alexander at hand, and will
destroy our city and us unless heaven help us.”
So men went through the streets, and it was ordered that all the
inhabitants of the city should fast for three days, men, women
and children, and that they should appear in the temple and cry
with clean hearts to the King of Heaven to keep them safe from
this mighty conqueror. And so it was that the whole city fell to
prayers and fasting, and woe was on every face. But on the third
night, when all the city was asleep and the sacrifices ended, then
a shining one stood by the bishop and spoke joyful words to him,
saying: “Sir Bishop, I bring thee tidings of bliss and solace. I am
sent to thee from the Master of men to bid thee be not cast down.
Now, therefore, rise up early and array all thy city, its streets
and its houses, in fair attire, open its gates wide, let every man
be apparelled in clean and milk-white clothes. And as for thee and
thy priests and prelates, clothe thee in the dress of thy rule, and
when this conqueror comes, go ye forth to meet him. And fear not to
greet him nobly, for he must ride and reign over the round world to
the day of his death.”
Then when the day broke the bishop rose and called together all the
chief of the people, and told them his vision and what the voice
had bade him do; and all his clergy and the city assented that so
it should be, that the city should be adorned and that all men
should go forth to meet this their sovereign. So all the people
hurried home and brought out their richest treasure to adorn the
city.
The broad streets were arched over with awnings of rich and rare
stuffs. The ground was covered with Tartary silk and with taffeta,
that so noble a ruler should not tread on bare earth. The pavement
was covered over with woven stuffs, and canopies of fine linen
were stretched on high over the gates of the city to keep off the
heat of the sun, and they were gathered on either side with silken
ropes, and drawn back like curtains, while the houses were hung
with Indian stuff of bright blue embroidered with stars, even to
the eaves. Thus was the town adorned, and when the gates were
opened, men without might deem that they looked in on one of the
seven heavens.
And now the people of the city began to come out in procession,
clothed in their richest robes. First came the bishop with the
priests of the temple, dressed in royal magnificence. He wore under
all a long robe covered with birds and beasts embroidered in blue
and purple, and on that a robe with gold skirts, with many shining
stones sprinkled all over, and set stiff with sapphires and other
gems, and powdered with pearls of the purest hue. Over this he cast
on a cope of chestnut colour with rich ribands of gold, and round
the hem a border of violet flowers, embroidered with satyrs and
fauns and the wild beasts of the forest. And on his head he wore
a great mitre forged out of pure gold, bordered with pearls, and
covered with such precious stones that no man might look upon it,
for it struck out shimmering shafts of light like the beams of the
bright sun. And with the bishop came the doctors of law, the judges
of the city, and they were all dressed in tunics of scarlet silk
brought from Tartary, and were loaded with their golden chains of
office; and after them the clergy, all clothed in their brightest
dress. Such a sight had never been seen before, nor will it be seen
again.
After the bishop and his attendants the whole city came in order,
Mayor, merchants, masters and men, widows and wives, all came with
their companies, and each of them dressed in white linen pure as
the driven snow. Then a company of children came forth with bells
and banners and blazing torches; some bore censers with silver
chains and burning spices within, whose smoke rose to the clouds,
two bore a cushion of brown velvet embroidered with pearls to
be held before the bishop for his book to rest on, others bore
candlesticks of gold and of silver, and the relics of the temple,
the richest of the world. And all the procession went on till they
came to a little place outside the town whence they could see the
temple, and there they abode the coming of the king.
And now they heard the tramp of feet and the distant sound of
arms and horses, for all men kept silence in fear and doubt and
half-hope, and they knew not how soon they might be ridden down
and slain or made slaves, or whether they should indeed be saved
as the bishop had told them. Then they saw Alexander riding up
with a host of dukes and princes and earls, and at the same time
the king caught sight of their array, and when Alexander saw this
multitude of men in milk-white clothes he thought it a marvel, and
he turned and saw the crowd of priests in maniples and stoles, and
the doctors of the law and the prelates in their robes; and amidst
them all, the chief amongst them, the bishop, dressed in his array
of gold and purple and fine linen; and the king’s eyes fixed on him
and looking up he beheld on his mitre a plate of fine gold, and on
it was graven the great name of The Maker of Men. Then the king
commanded his knights to approach no nearer on pain of their lives,
but all, great and small, to remain behind, and he spurred on his
horse till he came up to the spot where the bishop was standing,
and then jumping down he fell on his knees before the bishop on the
cold earth, and beating his breast worshipped the Holy Name that he
saw written on his head.
Then all the people bowed themselves down before Alexander as he
stood up, and meekly kneeling they cried with a keen voice: “Long
may he live, long may he live.” Then the fairest lady of them
all came out and cried: “Lo, Alexander, the noblest lord under
heaven, long may he live, the mighty emperor, the wielder of all
the world, the mightiest on the earth.” And all the people of
the city answered her with one voice: “Long may he live, long may
he live.” Then stepped out a man and he cried out: “Lo, he that
overcometh all men, who shall be overcome never; The greatest, the
most glorious, that ever was made by God.” And all the people cried
out at once: “Long may he live, long may he live.”
Now there were with Alexander many of the rulers of the land of
Syria who had yielded up their lands to him, and when they saw him
bow down, as they thought, to the bishop of the Jews, they held it
a great wonder. Then Parmeon, one of Alexander’s princes, went up
to him, and asked him why he bowed down to the bishop of Jews, when
all other men bowed before him instead. And Alexander answered him:
“Nay, I neither hailed him nor bowed down to him, but to the King
of Heaven alone, the Father of gods and of men. For many days ago,
when I was in Macedon, one appeared to me in such a dress and shape
as this man now wears. And I mused in my mind how I might win Asia,
and he bade me fear not, but that all the land should be mine, and
when I saw this man, verily he seemed the same god who had spoken
to me. Now have I good hope, by the help of this God whose Name is
written yonder, to conquer Darius and to destroy the empire of the
Persians.”
And now the bishop had greeted Alexander full lowly, and all men
had done him homage, and they prayed the king to enter into the
town, and Alexander marvelled to see how fair a city it was, and
the people of the land received him with reverence and joy as he
were the leader of them all, or as one come down from the gods.
Then went they through the town, and the bishop brought them to the
temple that the great knight and king, Dan Solomon, had built, and
the wise men of the temple came forth, and Alexander heard of their
lore. Then came one of the oldest of them all and spoke words to
the bishop, and he arose and bowed down before Alexander and said:
“O king, verily there are words concerning thee and thy deeds in
the books of our holy place,” and he ordered the temple guardians,
and they brought out a huge roll, a broad book full of dark sayings
of the times to be, and there was the saying of a mighty seer, one
Daniel by name, and Alexander read how that the men out of Greece
should utterly destroy the people of Persia.
Thereupon was Alexander merry of heart, for he deemed that the
time had come, and that he should indeed beat down Persia, and
he ordered his men to fetch great gifts, and to each man he gave
chains of gold, and jewels of pearls and of rubies, and to the
bishop he gave store of bezants, great round heavy golden coins,
such as bishops love, and he showed him a heap of golden talents,
but the bishop feared to take such riches. Then said the king: “O
Bishop, ask what thou wilt in this world, anything mayest thou ask
that I may give, and I will grant it thee ere I go hence.” And the
bishop bowed him down to the ground and said: “O King Alexander,
this thing of all others I deeply desire, durst I name it, that
thou wouldst grant us the use of our law, as our fathers before us
have obeyed it, and if it may be, grant us that we pay no tribute
for seven years, in memory of the joy of thy coming, then shall all
men pray for thee and serve thee, and, if I may but add one thing,
grant to those of Media and of Babylon that they may freely obey
our law.”
“That grant I thee,” said the king, “ask now for thyself, and be
served.” “Nay, lord, no more, if I may have your love and your
lordship while my life lasts,” said the bishop, and he and all men
meekly thanked Alexander. And Alexander appointed a lord to dwell
in the town, hear what men said, and be his viceroy, and the bishop
blessed him, and he departed into the cities near at hand, and all
of them came out to welcome him and to acknowledge him their lord.
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