Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

ALEXANDER AND THE ANGEL CONVERSE. 249
became like nothing, and he fell down, and his
heart became black by reason of what he had
seen and heard. Then the Two-horned' asked
the angel a second time, saying, "Why dost thou
"keep fast hold upon this mountain? Is it that
"it desireth to leap out of thy hands.''" The angel
said unto him, "How many times must I tell thee
"that the creation of the earth belongeth unto God's throne
"God Almighty? The throne of God is placed =^'°°"''"-
"upon the waters,^ and the Spirit of God hovereth
"over them. God created the heavens, and exalted
"Himself above them—to Him be glory! and He
"created us, the angels, out of fire and light, and creation of
"afterwards He ascended into heaven and took^f^j^^^/"''
' Read Hgh. '
^ According to Muhammadan tradition the first thing which
God created was water, and the divine throne rests thereon
-tU\ ^ A.io^ i^Ki; from the water arose a mist, out of which
He made the heavens. He next dried up the water and
turned it into solid earth, which He divided into seven parts.
The earth was placed on a fish, both the fish and the water
were set upon the rocks, the rocks were set upon an angel's
back, the angel was set upon a rock, and the rock upon the
wind. The movements of the fish make the earth shake, and
God set mountains upon it that it might keep firm. The vapour
which God made into heaven He divided into seven parts. The
seventh heaven is of fire, wherein live the angels who sing praises
to God, their heads are beneath the throne, but do not touch
it, and the soles of their feet rest on the earth. The distance
between the throne and the earth would require five hundred
years to traverse. Under the throne is a sea, whence floweth
subsistence for all living creatures. See Mas'udi, torn. i.
p. 47. ff.