# Chapters From the New Apocrypha/Lamor on Mount Sinai

Published in the November 23, 1893 edition of The Open Court.
Now when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, and were come into the wilderness of Sinai, Behold upon Mount Sinai the Lord descended in fire;
And the Lord said unto Moses, Charge the people lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish; set bounds about the mount and sanctify it. For I, the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, I, even I, am a consuming fire. And Moses did as the Lord commanded, and sanctified the mount, and set bounds about it, and charged the people that they break not through. But Lamor came unto Moses, saying, I desire to see God's face; suffer me, I pray thee to go forth into the wilderness, even unto the mount which thou hast sanctified, and to go past the bounds which thou hast set. Moses answered and said unto Lamor, Heardest thou not what the Lord God hath commanded? And Lamor said, I heard; but I heard also that the Lord our God hath brought us out of the house of bondage. And Moses said again unto Lamor, Heardest thou not what God said,—I am a consuming fire? And Lamor said, I heard; but yet I fear not, and I would see God face to face, suffer me to go. And when Moses would not suffer him to go Lamor departed by night into the wilderness, even beyond the bounds towards Mount Sinai which Moses had set and sanctified unto the Lord. And in the morning Lamor came unto the mount, and he toiled all the day upward. And on the second night it grew cold, and frost and snow and ice were round about him in the wilderness. And Lamor looked up and beheld a cloud that covered the mount; and out of the cloud proceeded thunder and lightning and hail and a stormy wind; and the voice of God was heard speaking out of the cloud: Lamor, Lamor, why seekest thou to see my face? And Lamor answered, I freeze because of the cold, but though I perish yet would I seek thee. And the Lord God said unto Lamor, Because of thy faith, yea even because of thy desire, thou shalt see my face; Go to now and gather wood and lay it on a heap  And Lamor did as he was commanded, and gathered wood and laid it on a heap. And again the voice of God was heard out of the cloud saying, Take thy rod and look beside thee at thy feet. And Lamor took his rod, and looked beside him at his feet and there was a little pool filled with yellow slime. And God said, Dip now thy rod in the pool of slime. And Lamor dipped his rod in the yellow slime, and God said unto him again, Take the rod, and even as Moses smote the rock in Horeb, smite thou the rock which is at thy right hand, That thou mayest know that I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and that I, the Lord thy God am a consuming fire. And Lamor did as God commanded, and smote the rock and the fire gushed out. And God said unto Lamor, Put the fire unto the wood which thou hast laid on a heap; and the fire took hold upon the wood and burned exceeding fierce, insomuch that Lamor went back for the heat thereof. And God said unto Lamor, why goest thou back? And Lamor answered and said, I go back lest I burn, for the fire burneth exceeding fierce. And God said again unto Lamor, Why goest thou not farther back? And Lamor answered and said, I go not farther back lest I freeze again. Then God said unto Lamor, Behold thou hast seen my face. Return back down the mount whence thou camest, and see thou tell no man what thou hast seen and heard, Lest seeing they should see and should not perceive, and hearing they should hear and not understand.