16.10.2013 Views

Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

THE TRAVELS OF GERASIMAS. 567<br />

''dwellers in holes and caves, and some dwelt as<br />

"coenobites [p. 364], who watched with fasting and<br />

"with prayer, and they made supplication on be-<br />

"half of [their] own nation and on behalf of the<br />

"heathen. And some dwelt on the tops of the<br />

"mountains, saying, 'Jesus Christ was crucified for<br />

"us, and we will crucify ourselves for His sake,<br />

"and for love of Him.' And some dwelt among<br />

"the heathen and worked salvation [for them], and<br />

"taught [them] peace, and love, and charity, and<br />

"the true faith, and they lived upon their own<br />

"food, and they would not take anything [for their<br />

"use] that was not their own."<br />

And the people answered and said to Gerasimas, The narra-<br />

"Thou hast related to us an excellent story, O saint elessed.<br />

"of God Almighty, and we will relate to thee also<br />

"the manner of our life in this country. Now God<br />

"Almighty brought us out and delivered us from<br />

"the pollution, and apostasy, and worship of the<br />

"children of Israel, and He set us in [this] Island.<br />

"And He hath clothed us and our wives with<br />

"heavenly apparel, and our food we take from<br />

"these trees, and our drink is from this stream.<br />

"Our wives live apart from one year to the other;<br />

"we have no union with them except at a .stated<br />

"time, and they never see our faces." And Ge-<br />

rasimas said unto them, "Know ye how to reckon<br />

"a fast.?" And they said unto him, "God Al-<br />

"mighty hath commanded us to fast for forty days The life led<br />

"and forty nights." And Gerasimas said unto them,''^^"''^'"^'<br />

"How do ye know the time for fasting.?" And

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!