The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-04

its inattention was turned by God into
a stone and win not be released from
its transformation till the last day. 1T.
later turned black and is the sacred stone
of the Kaaba.
This is the Mussulman story, but the
legend of the Talmud differs and is far
more beautiful. According to the Talmud
God said to Adam In Ceylon. Il have
made this world thy prison, but l send
thee out of heaven a house of rubes, in
order that thou mayest enter in and
walk round it and therein find repose
for they heart. Then there descended
from heaven the visited house. and it
was placed where now stands the temple
of Mecca The black stone, which was
originally white. was placed in the house
and remained there after the house had
disappeared. Whoever within distance
of 40 miles looked in the direction of the
visited house would see it shining like
fire reaching to heaven and in the midst
of the red light shone the white stone
like a star. 1t was the most beautiful
thing upon this earth and the world has
seen nothing half SO handsome since.
After the house had been placed upon its
thither that he might go in procession
around it. Wherever he left a footprint
in the pilgrimage verdant oases with
flowers and trees and running water
sprang up, but all the space between
was a desert
Then the archangel taught Adam the
mysteries Of the procession and every
year until his death Adam returned 10
Mecca to perform this rite. The house Is
gone in all its glory but the blackened
stone is still there yet / should have dear
ly loved to see both in their original be-
wildering spendor When the flood came,
the house had been caught up into heaven.
It appears that while ON the way from
Ceylon to Mecca Adam must have passed
by Hebron, for ] have visited the Vale
de Lagrme (vale OF Tears in that local
ity where Adam IS said TO have shed Bit
ter tears over his transgressions and pun
ishment.
| cannot omit several interesting ana
charming legends anent the first man.
Nowhere in the whole world Is the at.
mosphere said TO be so redolcnt with
sweet perfumes as in CeYlon and a
Mohammedan writer says that when
Adam fell he left his garment of zig
leaves upon the island which crumbled
to dust and being scattered by the winds
caused the springing up of oderiferous
plants
More beautiful still is the legend of
the Treasure Cave in which Adam took
refuge during his meanderinga While in
this cavern God sent him by an angel
gold rings, incense and myrrh and said TO
him. Preserve these things and they
viii give you at night light and fragrance.
and when | shall come down on qarfb
to save YOU, clothed in human flesh kings
shall bring me these three tokens. These
were the offerings of the Magi and hence
the cave received it's name
But more curious still is The Oriental
story of the crux ansata. that strange
handled cross whose meaning has mys-
titled scholar and savant Extravagant
as is the story in imagery it's study may
solve the meaning of the design Of the
crux ansata. The Archangel Raphael
gave Adam "A magic ring to be used By
himself and his descendants Ia reading
mysteries. Tie circle Of tho cross is sal
TO symbolic the apple. but as rings are
worn upon the finger. if the crux ansafa
rs ring, for what more probable purpose
could the circle have been designed but
to accommodate the fnger2 Even the
transmission of the gift is recorded for
Adam gave it TO Seth, from whom IL
passed TO Fnoch, Noah. Ham and Miz-
rain (EgypD successively The ANGEL
or death appeared to Adam III the form
of goat and ran between his legs
God had intended 10 give Adam 1000 years
of life. but in will our first parent had
beaueathed David 20 years. SO he died
at the age of $50 Years The angel Ga-
hriei brought winding sheets from hea-
ven and Seth buried his father
Eve died one year later
The place of Adams grave is a sub