# Folk-lore of the Holy Land

FOLK-LORE OF THE
HOLY LAND
MOSLEM, CHRISTIAN AND JEWISH
BY
J. E. HANAUER
EDITED BY MARMADUKE PICKTHALL
LONDON
DUCKWORTH & CO.
3 HENRIETTA STREET, W.C.
1907
Dedication
Introduction by Marmaduke Pickthall A Mohammedan Legend
CONTENTS
SECTION I
CONCERNING THE CREATION AND DIVERS SAINTS AND MIRACLES
PAGE
I. A Learned Moslem’s Ideas on Cosmogony 3 The Tablet of Destiny, and the great fountain-pen.—The creation of water, of Allah’s throne, of the atmosphere, of the great serpent, of the solid earth and the mountains, the “Kaf” range, and the seven seas and continents.—How the universe is upheld.—The cause of earthquakes and of eclipses.—How all these things became known.
II. Our Father Adam 9 Adam formed out of various kinds of dust.—Disobedience of Iblis. —Adam’s first troubles.—“El Karineh,” Lilith, or “El Brûsha.”—Creation of Eve.—Iblis bribes the serpent, and thus gets back into Paradise.—Adam’s forethought.—The fall of Man, and the ejection from Eden.—Increase and origin of various evil spirits.—Repentance of Adam and his reunion with Eve.—He is shown his posterity.—His great stature.—His death.—Place of Adam’s burial.
III. Noah and Og 13 Idris.—Birth and dwelling-place of Noah.—The “Nakus.”—Opposition.—The Deluge. —Iblis gets into the Ark.—A donkey in Paradise. —Og.—Voyage of the Ark.—Noah’s daughter and her supposed sisters.—Noah buried at Kerak.
IV. Job and his Family 17 Job.—His wife’s’ patience.—El Hakim Lokman identified with Aisop.—Account of a surgical operation.
V. Abraham, “The Friend of God” 22 Circumstances of his birth.—Impiety of Nimrid.—The child’s precocity. His longing for spiritual knowledge.—Destruction of Idols. —The furnace.—The flying-machine. — Death of Nimrûd.—Flight of Ibrahim.—His buildings. —The sheep-skin jacket.—Ibrahim’s hospitality.—A false friend.—A churl.—Several customs attributed to Ibrahim.—His death.—He is still alive.—His posthumous protection of the Jews at Hebron. ​VI. Lot and the Tree of the Cross 36
VII. The Last Hours or Aaron and Moses 39 Aaron’s shrine on Mount Hor.—Legend concerning his death.—Different accounts of the death of Moses.—Legend of Moses’ shepherd.
VIII. David and Solomon 44 David's piety.—Learns a trade.—His presumption and fall.—His remorse.—Solomon and the two birds.—The carob-tree.—Solomon’s death.
IX. El Khudr 51 The fountain of youth.—Dhuw’lkarnein and his companions.—El Khudr popularly identified with various saints.—His haunts and habits.—The insane asylum near the “Pools of Solomon.” —The holy stone.—Other shrines. —Elijah’s cave on Carmel.—An English doctor’s story.—St George and the Dragon. —Elijah’s Synagogue at Jerusalem.—El Khudr and Moses.
X. Simon the Just 62 His so-called tomb.—Biographical sketch.—Simon the Just and Ptolemy Philopator.—Simon and the Nazarite.—Rabbi Galanti and the great drought.
Notes 68
SECTION II
CONTAINING LEGENDS AND ANECDOTES POSSIBLY FOUNDED ON FACT
I. “Bab el Khalìl” or the Jaffa Gate 79 Origin of Name.—Antichrist.—Two cenotaphs.—Jeremiah and Nebuchadnezzar. — El ’Ozair.— An ass in Paradise.—El Edhemìeh.—Rabbi Judah ha Levi.—Mezuzah at Jaffa Gate.
II. “Turbet Birket Mamilla”—Johha 83 Kubbet el ’Abd,—Legends,—Johha and his mother.—Johha and the donkeys.—Johha’s peg.—The baby saucepan and the defunct cauldron.—Johha’s neighbours.
III. “En Nebi Dâud” 89 En Nebi Daûd and Ibn Faraj.—The dagger.—The Jewish washerwoman. ​IV. “Bâb el Asbât” 94 Traditional names.—The lions.—Sultan Selim’s dream.—The Legend of the Bath-house of Belkis.
V. Detective Stories 99 Kolonimos.—Incident at house of a rabbi.—Two anecdotes of Ibrahim Pasha.
VI. Scraps of Unwritten History 105 Traces of the Essenes.—Female Recluses.—A Legend of El Hakim bi amr Ilah.—The Avengers of Blood.—Massacre of Kurds at Hebron.—Faction-fights.—Massacre at Artass.—A petty despot.
VII. Judgements of Karakash 120 The weaver.—The red gown.—The miser.
VIII. The Saragossan Purim 124
IX. Sultan Mahmud’s Autograph 126
X. A Wise Answer 127
Notes 129
SECTION III STORIES AND ANECDOTES ILLUSTRATING SOCIAL IDEAS, SUPERSTITIONS, ETC.
I. Folks Gentle and Simple 141 Ahmad Almuttafakhir.—The two Wazirs.—The Emperor of China’s pig.
II. The Secret of Success 147
III. Three Proverbs 153 Keep your legs stretched according to the length of your coverlet.—Moving a tent peg.—“Shûrûlûb.”
IV. Moral Tales 161 Honourable old age.—Trust in Allah.—Benevolence.—Disinterestedness.—An upright judge.—The surety. ​ V. Azrael 176 His appointment.—His son.—Francesco.
VI. The Underground Folk—our betters—The name of Allah be round about usǃ 188 Their creation, etc.—The name of Allah.—Intercourse with human beings. — Mysterious thefts.—Khuneyfseh. — The abducted wife.—A shepherd’s experience.—Experiences of a good woman.—Of a chieftain’s son.—The frog.—The wedding procession.
VII. Nursery Tales 214 Ijbeyneh.—Uhdeydûn.—Bluebeard.—Snowmaiden.
VIII. Satire 234 Invention of a shrine.—The patriarch.—A learned clergyman.—An almanac.—The fasting monk.—The endangered poultry.—The ill-used camels.
IX. About Woman 246 Treatment of a mother-in-law.—A cunning old woman.—The rebellious owl.—Stories told by a rebellious hoopoe.—The mourner,—The partners.—The merchant and the animals.
X. About Animals 261 The dog.—The cat.—The hyæna,.—The fox.—The dib-dib, —The serpent.
XI. About Plants 286 The olive.—The storax.—The sage.—The lotus and the tamarisk.—The tortoise herb.
XII. About Coffee 290 Its discovery—First uses.—Subject of religious controversy. —Customs among the desert Arabs. — Esh-Sheykh esh Shadhilly.—The Bedawi and the Memlûk.
XIII. Some Magic Cures 297 Mûmmia. —Indûlko.—Freakûra.—Charms.—Translation of a typical Kanii.
XIV. A Popular Calendar and some sayings 303
Notes 311
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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