Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-22
NEW LINKS IN BIBLE LEGENDS
Remarkable and Unique Manuscript Found
in the Bodlein Library.
OLD STORIES GIVEN FRESH COLOR
Chronicles of JcrnhmelI Come to
LiEht-What Became of the Ten
Lost Tribes, and Many other
supplementary Tales.

| A most remarkable and unique manu-
script has been discovered in the famous
| Bodlein library by the well known Hebrew
scholar Dr. NJ. Caster. 1t is nothing less
than chronicle dating from about CEN
tury before the Christian era.
DR.. Caster in publishing translation OF
his find for the Royal Aeiatic society and
calls it the CHRONICLES of Jerahmell."
Every reader OF the bible has felt, from
time to time, as If there were gaps in the
narrative. This feeling was responded 10
by the ancient Hebrews in the creation OF
a large number of legends, which are scat
/ tered through infinite volumes of rabbinical
! law.
The "Chroucles of Jerahmell" embody
many of these ancient legends and include
also large number OF interesting tales
| hitherto unknown.
The compilation OF the present manuscript
| is due to a certain Eleasar ben Asher, the
Leyte. who lived at the beginning OF the
fourteenth century; but his chief source OF
Information was Jerahmell, the most an
cient Of those who attempted to fill out
the lacunae in the biblical narrative.
He did not repeat the bible stories at all.
Those he knew, were in the reach OF every
one but he tried in every case to supply
what seemed to him lacking in those stories.
He took up the problems which suggest
themselves to the minds OF most readers
of the bible and for which they look to the
bible for light and very often in vain.
There Is no detail of life too small for a
legend and one OF the most interesting of
these is that relating to the seven ages of
man.
The Seven Ages of Man.
"And why does the child cry at birth?
u 80 ;t hae. 1,sft hah Ind"
For at that moment seven new worlds are
awaiting it. In the first world it is like
unto king after whose welcome all people
ask; all desire to see it and embrace it and
kiss it, because it is in the first year. In
the second world it is like unto a swine
which wallows in mire; a child does the
same until 1t reaches two years. In the
third world it is like unto kid that skips
and gambos about on the meadows Thus
child skips about here and there until it
is five years OF age. In the fourth world 1t
is like unto a horse, which strives along
haughtily. In the same way does child
walk along. proud of his youth, until he is
IS years old. In the fifth world he is like
unto an ass, upon whose shoulders burdens
are placed. In the same manner burdens
are hoaped upon mans shoulders; he is
| to and fro in order to obtain food for them
| until he is about 40 years old. In the sixth
stage he is like unto a dog, insolent and
wandering about in all places for food; steal
| ing and robbing in one place and enjoying
| it in another. In the seventh stage he i:
! like unto an ape, whose appearance Is
| changed in every respect. All the household
curse him and desire his death; even thu
young children make fun of him and evel
the smallest bird wakes him from his sleep.
Paradise Described.
A description of paradise, nowhere plainl
mentioned in the Old Testament, Is mos
striking
Paradise has two gates Of carbuncle an
sixty myriads of minstering angels kee
watch over them Each of these angel
shines with a luster of the heaven. Whe
the lust man approaches them they dives
him of the clothes in which he had bee
buried and clothe him with eight cloth:
woven out OF clouds Of glory and place upo
his head two crowns, one of precious stone
and pearls and the other Of gold and the
, | place eight myrtles in his hand and prals
him and say to him, Go and eat thy prea
with Joy And they lead him to plac
! full of rivers surrounded by 800 species
roses and myrtles. Each one has canop
according to his merits, as 1t Is said TN IN
bible) for over all the glory shall be sprea
a canopy
"And through it flow four rivers, one
OIL the other of balsam, the thlrd OF VIII
and the fourth of honey. Every canopy
c oyergrown by a vine OF gold and thirt
/ rearls hanging down from 1t, each OF thei
! shining like the morning stars. In ever
+hnr ic a
S and pearls and sixty angels stand at IN
S head of every just man, saying 10 MIN
t GO and eat with Joy of the honey, Tor tho
hast worked assiduously in the law
r which It is said And it Is sweeter tina
o honey, and drink OF the wine preserve
- from the sixth day OF creation LOT tho
hast worked in the law, which is compare
, with the wine as it is said, I would caus
+ ! thee to drink of spiced wine. Inc ieas
fair of them is as beautiful as joseph an
Johanan, and as the grains Of the pome
s granate lit up by the rays OF lhe SUI
3 There is no night, as 1t Is sad. ana u
light of the righteous is as OF the shinin
d light .,-
p "And they undergo four transformation
according to the four watches OF the ia!
q In the first watch the dust is changed in'
G a child. and he enters the compartment
q | children and tastes the JOY OF chlldhoo'
a In the second watch he is changed into
q youth. and there he enjoys the deilghts
a | youth. In the third watch he becomes
middle-aged man. and rejoices accordlngi'
In the fourth watch he is changed into a
= old man; he enters the compartment OF u
old and enjoys the pleasure OF mature age
d The Tower of Babel.
The process of the confusion Of Language
@ at the Tower OF Babel has always been a
r, interesting question and Jerahmeil suppli'
" the following account, as supplemehtln
5, the bible story: "And it came to pass |he
II they commenced to build the tower that &c
6 confused their tongues and changed the
d form into that of monkeys, so that or
a could not recognize his own brother, NJ
e could one man understand the language
s his neighbor, so that when the builders Of
n dered the people to bring stones the
% brought water, and when they told them
)f bring water they brought stubble. In tn
h way their evil intentions were illustrate
n and they ceased building the tower and Il
W Lord scattered them over the face Of u
ia whole earth. For they had said, Come al
s. let us build for ourselves city and let
is take axes and break open the hrm
rs ment so that the water flow from there u
l. same as below, that he may not do to
r as he did in the generation Of the Hoo
M | Lot wifi n