Volume 2

Aser-Machmethat
409
put up outside the place with a family whose mode of life
was patriarchal in its simplicity. The father was named
abed. Jesus and all the disciples were very lovingly entertained
by him. The road through the country from
Thanath-Silo to this place was far wider and better than
that through Akrabis to Jericho. The latter was so very
narrow, so uneven and rocky that beasts of burden could
with difficulty traverse it with their loads of merchandise.
It was under the tree near Abrahanl's Well that, in the
time of the Judges, the false prophetess carried on her
sorcery and gave advice that always turned out disastrously.
She used to perform all kinds of ceremonies
there at night by the light of torches, calling up by her
incantations singular figures of animals, etc. She was
nailed to a board by the Madianites at Azo. This took
place under the same tree beneath which Jacob buried
the idols plundered from the Sichemites.
Joseph with the Blessed Virgin and Jesus had lain concealed
a day and a night near that tree on their flight into
Egypt, for Herod's persecution had been proclaimed and
it was very unsafe to travel in these parts. I think too
that, on the journey to Bethlehem when Mary \vas so
chilled by the cold, it was near this tree she suddenly
became warm.
Aser-Machmethat lay across a mountain ridge that descends
toward the valley of the Jordan. The southern side
of the mountain belonged to Ephraim; the northern, to
Manasses. On the former stood Machmethat, on the latter
Aser, the two forming but one city called Aser­
Machmethat. The boundary ran between them. The synagogue
was in i\ser. The inhabitants of the two quarters
were dissimilar in their customs, and had little communication.
Machmethat, the quarter belonging to the tribe
of Ephraim, extended up the mountain in one long line
of houses; below in the valley was the little stream by
which Jesus had instructed the Samaritans who had pre­