Volume 2

28 Life of Jesus Christ
who had formerly encamped here, and of Josue and
Moses who had instructed thenl, applying it to the present
time and to His own teaching. Bethjesimoth was not a
large place, but it was very fruitful, especially in wine.
Just as Jesus arrived, some demoniacs, who had been
confined together in a house, were led out into the open
air. All at once they began to rage and to cry: "There He
comes, the Prophet! He will drive us out!" Jesus turned,
enjoined silence upon them, commanded their fetters to
fall, and that they should follow Him into the synagogue.
Their chains fell miraculously and the poor creatures
became quite calnl. They cast themselves down before
Jesus, thanked Him, and followed Him into the synagogue.
There He taught in parables of the culture of the
vine and its fruitfulness, after which He visited and cured
many sick in their homes. Bethjesimoth did not lie on
any highroad. The people had to carry their fruit to
market themselves.
Jesus healed here for the first time since His return
from the desert. On account of the cures wrought among
them, the people were instant in their prayers for Him to
remain. But He departed. With Andrew, Saturnin, Joseph
of Arimathea's nephews, and others, about twelve in all,
He went in an oblique line toward the north until He
reached the public ferry leading to the highroad of
Dibon, over which He had crossed in going from Gilgal
to Dibon at the Feast of Tabernacles. It takes tolerably
long to cross the river at this point, because the steep
bank directly opposite does not afford a landing place.
From here Jesus and His little company journeyed on for
about an hour over the base of a mountain in the direction
of Samaria, until they arrived at a small place consisting
of only one row of houses and which had no
school.
It was occupied entirely by shepherds and kind-hearted
people, who were habited in almost the same style as the