PHILONIS IVDAEI Philo Judaeus

A decorative initial "A" introduces the text.

I have built them for Myself. Therefore, I command the generation of My people to give Me tithes from their fruits, so that it may be in My sight as a memorial of how many labors I have removed from them. And when Moses descended and announced these things to the people, they wept and mourned, and they lived around the wilderness for two years. And Moses sent twelve men to scout the land, for so it had been commanded to him.

When they went up and saw the land, they returned to him and laid down fruits from the produce of the land, and they afflicted the heart of the people, saying, "You will not be able to inherit the land, for it is closed off by iron bars by its powerful inhabitants." However, two men of the twelve did not speak thus, but said, "Just as iron cannot overcome the stars, or as weapons conquer lightning, or as thunders are extinguished by birds, so will these be unable to fight against the Lord." For they saw that as they ascended, the lightning of the stars shone, and thunders followed in harmony with them. And these are their names: Caleb, son of Jephunneh, son of Beri, son of Batuel, son of Galipha, son of Cenen, son of Selunun, son of Selon, son of Ride. The second, Joshua, son of Nun original: "Iesus filius Naue", son of Eliphat, son of Gal, son of Nephelien, son of Emon, son of Saul, son of Dabra, son of Ephraim, son of Joseph.

The people, however, did not hear the voice of the two, but were greatly troubled, and they spoke, saying, "Are these the words which God spoke to us, saying, 'I will lead you into a land flowing with milk and honey'? And how does He now lift us up so that we may fall by the sword, and our women will be in captivity?" And at these words, the glory of God suddenly appeared and said to Moses, "Thus the people persist, so that they do not listen to Me at all. Behold, now the thought that went out from Me will not be in vain. I will send the angel of My wrath upon them, so that he may consume their bodies with fire in the wilderness. I, however, will command My angels who guard them not to pray for them, because I will lock their souls in the treasuries of darkness. And I will say to My servants, their fathers: 'Behold, this is the seed of whom I spoke, saying: Your seed will come into a land not their own, and the nation whom they will serve I will judge.' And I have fulfilled My words, and I have wasted their enemies, and I have subjected the angels under their feet, and I have placed a cloud as a tabernacle for their heads, and I commanded the sea, and with the abysses broken before their face, walls of water stood. And nothing similar has been done to this word, from the day I said, 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered into one place,' until this day, and I led them out. Their enemies, however, I killed, and I brought them into My sight up to Mount Sinai. And I bowed the heavens and descended to light a lamp for My people and to set boundaries for the creation. And I taught them to perform holiness for Me, so that I might dwell among them, but they abandoned Me, and became unbelieving of My words, and their sense vanished. And now, behold, the days will come, and I will do to them as they wished, and I will cast down their bodies in the wilderness."

And Moses said, "Did I establish their ways before You took the seed by which You made man upon the earth? And therefore, may Your mercy now sustain us until the end, and Your piety unto the length of days." In that time, He commanded him regarding the fringes.

And then Korah stood against him, and two hundred men with him, and they spoke, saying, "What if an unbearable law is imposed upon us?" And God was angered and said, "I commanded the earth, and it gave Me man, and in the beginning, two sons were born to him: and the elder arose and killed the younger, and the earth, hastening, swallowed his blood. I, however, drove out Cain, and cursed the earth, and spoke to Zion, saying: 'Do not add to swallow blood.' And now, the thoughts of men are strongly contaminated. Behold, I command the earth, and it will swallow body and soul alike, and their habitation will be in darkness and in perdition, and they will not die, but they will waste away, until..."