The vision of the flying volume, and of the woman in the vessel.
5:1. And I turned and lifted up my eyes: and I saw, and behold a volume
flying.
A volume.... That is, a parchment, according to the form of the ancient
books, which, from being rolled up, were called volumes.
5:2. And he said to me: What seest thou? And I said: I see a volume
flying: the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof
ten cubits.
5:3. And he said to me: This is the curse that goeth forth over the
face of the earth: for every thief shall be judged as is there written:
and every one that sweareth in like manner shall be judged by it.
5:4. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts: and it shall come
to the house of the thief, and to the house of him that sweareth
falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and
shall consume it, with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof.
5:5. And the angel went forth that spoke in me, and he said to me: Lift
up thy eyes, and see what this is, that goeth forth.
5:6. And I said: What is it? And he said: This is a vessel going forth.
And he said: This is their eye in all the earth.
This is their eye.... This is what they fix their eye upon: or this is
a resemblance and figure of them, viz., of sinners.
5:7. And behold a talent of lead was carried, and behold a woman
sitting in the midst of the vessel.
5:8. And he said: This is wickedness. And he cast her into the midst of
the vessel, and cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
5:9. And I lifted up my eyes and looked: and behold there came out two
women, and wind was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings
of a kite: and they lifted up the vessel between the earth and the
heaven.
5:10. And I said to the angel that spoke in me: Whither do these carry
the vessel?
5:11. And he said to me: That a house may be built for it in the land
of Sennaar, and that it may be established, and set there upon its own
basis.
The land of Sennaar.... Where Babel or Babylon was built, Gen. 11.,
where note, that Babylon in holy writ is often taken for the city of
the devil: that is, for the whole congregation of the wicked: as
Jerusalem is taken for the city and people of God.