Volume 2

336 Life of Jesus Christ
souls in all. They could not go to the Baptism at Ennon,
for fear of missing the caravan. They asked Jesus where
they should take up their future residence, and He indicated
to them the place. I never heard Him speaking to
the heathens of circumcision, but He always insisted on
continence and the obligation of having but one wife.
These heathens were at once baptized by Saturnin and
Judas Barsabas. They stepped into a bathing cistern, and
bowed over a large basin in front of it which Jesus had
blessed. The water was thrice poured over their head.
All were clothed in white. After the ceremony they
presented to Jesus golden bracelets and earrings for the
money box of the disciples. Those articles formed the
principal part of their commerce. They were changed
into money, which by Jesus' orders was distributed to the
poor. Jesus taught again in the synagogue, cured the sick,
and dined with the Levites.
After the meal, accompanied by several people, Jesus
went a couple of hours farther on to the north to a little
place named Azo, where were many people gathered for
the celebration of a feast commemorative of Gideon's
victory begun that evening. Jesus was received outside
the city by the Levites. They washed His feet and offered
Him to eat, after which He went into the synagogue and
taught.
In Jephte's time, Azo was a fortified city, but was
destroyed during the war that called him from the land of
Tob. It was in Jesus' time a very clean little place, the
houses in one long row. There were no heathens in it,
and the inhabitants were singularly good, industrious, and
well-behaved. They had many olive trees skillfully
planted on terraces outside the city, and which they
carefully tended. Stuffs were also fabricated and
embroidered here. The manner of living was the same as
at Arga. The people of Azo looked upon themselves as
Jews of exceptional purity, since they lived entirely apart