Enoch, the Philistine : a traditional romance of Philistia, Egypt and the Great Pyramid

Foreword

Whosoever shall do me the honor, and himself what I trust will be the pleasure, of reading this archaic romance will do well to remember, as he reads, the following hints :

1. That venerable document, ''The Roll of Enoch," written by Enoch the Elder, before the Flood, and introduced at some length in this narrative, is probably not now in existence.

2. The account of the lock built at the end of the canal in Gizeh, certainly the first engineering work of the kind ever made by man, is not to be discredited because the foundation of the Pyramid is now one hundred feet above the level of the Nile. There are evidences to show that at some far distant period an earthquake, or other cosmic disturbance, elevated the country to the west of the Nile. Witness, the * 'river without water," whose bed is yet plainly to be seen several miles westward from the Nile and parallel to its course. In that early convulsion of nature the plateau on the west was thrown up so high that the waters once flowing in the now dry river bed, and fertilizing the soil bordering upon it, found way to the sea through the

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IV

FOREWORD.

channel of the Nile and left the plateau a desert. In all probability the rock whereon Enoch founded the Pyramid was not more than thirty feet above the level of the river at the time of building.

3. The ** cubit" used in Enoch's measurements was evidently the ancient sacred cubit, equal to twenty-five of our modern inches and a small fraction more.

With boundless gratitude I acknowledge my indebtedness to many learned writers on Egypt and the Pyramid, and to the venerable Hebrew Talmudists.

The Author.

Chapter I

At the noontide of a day in summer I was reclining under the shadow of my pavilion. The heat was exceeding great, and I was burdened in spirit with a foreboding of evil ; but wherefore I could not tell. The God of Heaven had prospered me in every way. I knew not anything to make me afraid.

Admon, my father, was the chiefest of all the shepherd-kings of Philistia. Of man-servants and maid-servants and men trained to the sword, the javelin and the bow he had a greater number than any. His flocks and herds covered the plain whereon we were encamped as far as the eye could see. Of his camels and dromedaries and horses there were a great multitude.

Moreover, there was none like my father for wisdom and righteousness, so that when there was any dispute between the other shepherd-kings concerning the pasture lands or the mixing in of cattle and sheep, t

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or for any cause whatsoever, and they could not come to an agreement among themselves, then they said: Let Admon judge between us, and we will abide by his decree.

By reason of his diligence and his wisdom in all things, my father had fame in all Philistia, and in Babylon, and in Damascus, and in Salem of the Jebusites, and in Tadmor of the desert, and in Thebes and Memphis of Egypt. The merchants thereof sought him out that they might buy of him cattle and sheep for the slaughter, and fine wool for the weavers of Babylon, and camels for burden, and horses and swift-footed dromedaries for the use of kings and princes and men of war.

And so it came to pass that my father waxed rich in silver and gold and precious stones ; and in garments of price made in Babylon ; and in shields and swords and bows of steel, excellent in workmanship and of cunning device, wrought by the artificers of Damascus.

Because my father was grown old — ^he was an hundred and fourscore years of age — we had built a palace near to the springing of the mountain, about a day's journey from the plain where we pastured our flocks and herds. This we did, albeit we were shepherds and lived in tents, that my father, in the infirmity of his age, might dwell at ease.

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Now, I was the youngest and only remaining son of this Admon of Philistia ; for my six brothers were all slain by Hanac the Robber and his men. I was tall of stature, and was come to the full strength of my life, being two score years of age. Men said of me: He is straight like a goodly cedar; the wild roe is not fleeter of foot, neither is the lion stronger than Enoch the son of Admon. And I was greatly beloved of my father; for I was the child of his old age; and beside me there was none to come after him and inherit the great riches he had gathered together, nor to multiply his seed in the earth.

I was at peace with all the people of the plain save Hanac the Robber. Him I hated because he was a midnight thief, and stole from my father's flocks and herds. But I hated him most of all because he slew my brothers when they pursued after him to take again the beasts he had stolen. This he did while. I was yet a child. Every day thereafter I prayed the God of Heaven to bring me, in due time, face to face with Hanac.

Howbeit, it was passing strange that my soul was cast down within me on that day when I reclined under my pavilion at noontide. For my heart's desire was to be fulfilled on the morrow. My father had sent forth Salmon the scribe, and with him

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a band of ten armed with sword and spear, to bring to the palace Zillah, the daughter of my mother's brother, that I might take her to wife. Five days' journey had they gone forth; and the eventide of the morrow would fulfil the time of their coming again.

Now, of all the daughters of Philistia, Zillah was the fairest. She was delicately formed and tall, like the thrifty willows by the water-brook. Her cheeks were dusky and red like the evening cloud when the sun is low. Her eyes shone as they were polished adamants set in onyx and alabaster, and the light of them was for brightness as the sun, but soft and tender as the moon. The roses of Sharon were not more fragrant than her breath, nor the opening buds thereof more beautiful than her lips. Sweet and soft, like the answering of the turtle dove to her mate in spring-time, was her voice. Among women there was none so fair as Zillah ; among men there was none so blessed as I ; for I was to have her to wife. At the going down of the sun on the morrow I was to meet her at the gate, and bring her in to my father, that he might lay his hands upon us and bless us in the name of the God of Heaven.

Notwithstanding all these things which were for my good, I was not joyful, but contrariwise my soul was burdened above measure.

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Chapter II

As I reclined, and was sad, there came in unto me Gomer, the captain of my father's men of war, and he looked on my face, and said : Wherefore is my lord heavy of heart? And I answered, I cannot tell thee. A foreboding of evil is upon me, and it resteth on my soul as a horror of great darkness. Go, I pray thee, to the top of the little hill and look toward the east, and tell me if thou seest aught.

Then Gomer went forth and looked long toward the east, and came again, saying: My lord, there is the appearance of one riding this way, but so far off that I cannot tell whether a stranger cometh or one of my lord's own people.

Whereupon I arose and took my swiftest horse and rode forth to meet him that came. While he was yet a great way off I knew it was Salmon the scribe that came, and saw that he rode as one in haste and in distress. When we were come near together Salmon caused his dromedary to kneel, and when he had alighted, ran and stood beside my horse and bowed himself down to the ground; but I was speechless and could not ask him wherefore he came lO

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to me alone and in distress. Then Salmon lifted himself up, and looking on my face with tears, said : Oh, let not my lord be angry with his servant, for I bring evil tidings. In that instant my speech returned to me, and I cried out, vehemently, What be thy tidings? And he answered:

Alas, my lord, we were journeying homeward, I and the band of ten, and Zillah, thy wife that was to be, and her two handmaidens, with the camels laden with her apparel and her jewels and all that her father gave her ; for he did not send her unto thee empty handed. And last night, while we were encamped at the ford of the great river, we were set upon at midnight by Hanac the Robber and more than two score of his men. They came upon us like a whirlwind, or ever we were aware, and smote thy father's men of war that they died there, all of them, by the ford of the great river. And they took captive Zillah and her handmaidens, with the horses and the camels and all the treasure that her father had given to Zillah, and carried them away toward the mountains where Hanac hath his stronghold. In the confusion and the darkness I escaped alive, and made haste to come to thee with the tidings rather than to go to thy father, for he is an old man and feeble.

Then my wrath against Hanac raged in me as a

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II

Storm ready to break forth ; but I held it in restraint, awaiting the time when I should find him and reckon with him for my brothers and for the virgin Zillah. Unto Salmon the scribe I said:

Thou hast well done to bring this to me, and not to my father. Peradventure there is yet time to deliver the beasts and the treasure and Zillah out of the hands of Hanac, and to return to the palace gate before the going down of the sun to-morrow. This is what thou shalt do. Thou shalt come with me to the encampment, and there abide and refresh thyself and thy beast until morning. And then thou shalt ride toward the palace at such speed as will bring thee, at eventide, to the palm trees thou knowest of — about a furlong from the gate. But take thou good heed that neither my father, nor any of the people of the palace, see thee. If the God of Heaven be with me I will come to thee under the palm trees at the going down of the sun to-morrow ; and will bring with me Zillah and her maidens and all that Hanac carried away. Then we will go in to my father at the appointed time, as though all had been well with thee in thy journey ; and afterward, when he shall know assuredly of the welfare of Zillah, and of my welfare, we will tell him of all that Hanac did at the ford of the great river. But if I come not to thee, thou shalt wait under the palm

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trees until the stin is well down, and then go into the palace and show thyself to my father. And when thou tellest him of what befell thee and them that were with thee at the ford, see that thou speak wisely, lest my father die of his sorrow for Zillah and for me. Tell him how thou camest to me with all speed, and that I have gone forth to overtake Hanac and his men. Tell him that I will surely deliver the captives and the treasure out of his hand; and that I will purge the world of Hanac before I return.

When we came to the encampment I called Gomer the captain, and told him of all that Hanac had done. Then I sent him out to gather together a score of men that had been tried in battle. These I armed each with a sword and shield, and a bow of steel and a full quiver of arrows. Also I gave to each man a horse, strong and fleet; albeit I purposed that when it came to the battle, they should fight on foot. Moreover, I made the men prepare food for themselves and for the horses, to take with them, lest they should be faint with hunger.

When all was made ready we rode forth a half day's journey, to a point at the foot of the mountains where I knew a path by which I could get before Hanac on the way to his stronghold ; for he was cumbered with the spoil he had taken at the

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ford. And I knew, also, that near to the place where I would get before him there is a valley so strait that only four horsemen can ride abreast in passing through it, the sides thereof being naked rock, and exceeding high and steep. There I purposed to meet Hanac, and to deal with him as he had dealt with my brothers and with my father's servants and with the maiden Zillah.

The sun had not yet gone down when we came to the foot of the moimtains. But because the beasts were weary, and because we did not desire to be at the head of the valley before the dawn, we tarried there, at the foot of the mountains, until midnight. And there I called upon the God of Heaven to be with me in that which I had undertaken to do. I built an altar of stones, and kindled thereon a fire of olive wood. Then, with my own hands, I slaughtered a firstling of the flock, which I had made one of the men carry before him as he rode. And when the sun was sinking out of our sight, I laid the parts of the firstling upon the live coals; and, as the smoke of the burnt sacrifice went up, I stood before the altar and prayed to the God of Heaven, and said:

If thou wilt hear me now. Oh Lord God, and wilt keep the virgin Zillah while she is in the hand of Hanac that she come to no harm; and will bring me to meet this Hanac in the valley; and wilt make my

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hand and the hands of them that are with nie^?" be strong against him, to discomfit and slay him, a^pu to deliver the virgin Zillah and bring her to my^ father in safety, then will I be thy servant, to do thy will in all things whatsoever thou shalt command me to do, all the days of my life.

When I had made an end of my prayer, I caused Gomer and all the men of war to stand round about the altar, and I made each man draw his sword and point it into the smoke of the altar, and I made them swear by God that they would stand with me in the battle and would strike and spare not until Hanac and his band should be cut off.

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Chapter III

At the break of day we came to the head of the valley, and I sent the men aside to put the horses in a safe place where we might find them again after the battle.

Now, there was with me Jason the trumpeter, one of my father's herdsmen; and he was skillful to find the strayed cattle, for he followed the marks of their feet by the sight of his eyes as a dog followeth by the scent of his nostrils. Him I sent into the valley alone, that he might look on the marks therein and tell me whether Hanac had already gone by. When he had gone but a little way he turned again and said : My lord, it is now three days since the foot of man, or of any beast, hath passed this way; and then they went toward the plain, and not toward the stronghold in the mountains. When I knew that we had got before Hanac and would take him unawares, I was glad, and gave thanks to the God of Heaven.

The length of that valley is about three furlongs.

At the end of it that is toward the east, where it

groweth broader, on either side are wide clefts in

the rock. There, in the spaces behind the cloven 2 i6

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rocks, I hid Gomer and ten of the men with him ; and I charged them :

Lie ye here in wait until Hanac and all that are with him have passed by, and until ye hear the sound of the trumpet. Then get ye up and pursue hard after them into the valley, and shoot them with your arrows until your quivers be empty ; and when ye shoot see that ye find the life. When ye have no more arrows cast away your bows and your quivers, lest ye be cumbered, and smite with the sword. Suffer no man to pass by you out of the valley; neither spare ye any, but slay until there be none left alive. And if it be so, in the heat of the battle, that any of you come near unto Zillah and her handmaidens beware that ye harm not them when ye shoot with the arrow and smite with the sword. And do ye nothing at all to Hanac, save to keep him from going your way out of the valley; for Hanac is for me alone.

Then I returned to the head of the valley, and when I had charged the ten who were to be with me what they were to do, I hid eight of them. But Jason the trumpeter and Enos the giant I kept to stand with me in the middle of the way; for they were men of valor, and were skillful archers, so that they could pierce with their arrows the wild roe, running never so swiftly, and the eagle flying in

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heaven. To Enos I gave charge : Do nothing else but keep watch over the life of Zillah to the end of the battle, lest Hanac in his wrath, and to be revenged on me, should seek to slay her. And unto Jason I said:

Thou also, after thou hast sounded the trumpet, shalt be joined with Enos to care for the life of Zillah; for, if she perish this day, it will be death to me and to my father also. Therefore be ye strong-hearted and vigilant, and if the hand of any man be lifted against her let your arrows be quick, like the lightning out of heaven, to pierce him before his hand can strike. And when ye shall see me in battle with Hanac, then press ye in to the place wheresoever Zillah and her damsels shall be, and stand one of you before and the other behind them. So shall ye separate them from the fury of the battle until ye shall be able to take them out past the head of the valley; there shall ye guard them until I come to you.

While I was yet speaking I lifted up my eyes, and lo ! Hanac and his company were already advanced more than a furlong into the valley ; but they had not perceived that we three stood in the way. When at last they saw us, they stood still where they were, all of them save Hanac and two of his men ; these came near unto us. And Hanac reviled us, and cried in a terrible voice : Who are ye that stand in the way that Hanac goeth? And I answered him :

I am Enoch the son of Admon, as thou well knowest. And thou art Hanac the Robber, a man of blood and a ravisher of women. Thou shalt go this way no farther. Neither shalt thou return by the way thou camest; for this hour thou shalt stand and answer to me for my brothers and for the virgin Zillah.

Then, in exceeding wrath, Hanac roared upon me like a wild bull of Bashan, and shouted : As I dealt with thy brothers, so will I deal with thee also, thou last whelp of Admon ! I will cleave thee in twain where thou standest.

Thereupon he drew his great two-handed sword out of the scabbard, and caused his horse to spring toward me. But I made a sign to the men in hiding, and straightway they stood with me, facing Hanac, each man having his arrow drawn to the head. When he saw that we were the stronger, and that we had bows of steel, whereas his men had nothing but swords, Hanac stayed his horse, and beckoned to those he had left behind that they should come to him.

Because I greatly desired to remove Zillah out of the peril of the battle I spoke again to Hanac, saying: I have thee snared in this valley that thou canst not escape me. But if thou wilt now deliver

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into my hand Zillah and her handmaidens, and all the beasts and the treasure thou didst take at the ford of the great river, peradventure I will treat with thee for thy life. But he raged against me so much the more, and swore by his many gods that he would have Zillah brought straightway, and would slay her before my eyes.

Then I made Jason sound the trumpet. And when I heard a tumult of battle at the rear, and saw that those in front were amazed and terrified thereat, I gave the word, and my men let fly their arrows into the horsemen and the footmen.

I went before and alone to meet Hanac. I carried in my right hand my naked sword, and in my left hand a dagger. When we were come near together, Hanac caused his horse to rear upon me, and he struck at me furiously once and again and many times; but I warded off the blows, awaiting my time, for I knew what I would do. At last, when his sword was sweeping downward and backward with the great force of the blow he had delivered, I sprang in upon him and passed quickly to his left side. As I passed, I struck my dagger into his horse, even into his heart, and he sank beneath his rider. And before Hanac could recover himself I was upon him, and thrust my sword through his body three times — once for Zillah, and once for

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my brothers, and once for my father, whose name he had contemned.

When I knew that Hanac would rise no more I made haste to see how it fared with Zillah. And I saw that she and her maidens, with Jason before them and Enos behind them, stood midway between them that fought with Gomer and them that fought with me. And I saw that our enemies had no spirit left in them because that Hanac was slain, and they were beset behind and before, and were being shot through with arrows, while, as yet, they could not come at us with their swords.

But I saw also that Enos and Jason had been sore wounded in pressing in to the place where the damsels were. Then I called Nathan, one of the eight who were with me, and bade him cast away his bow and quiver and come with me to the defense of the women. So we two fell upon Hanac's men furiously with our swords, at the right side of the valley, and they were fain to press over to the other side and let us pass. But I made Nathan face toward the women, and I faced the other way, going backward, lest they should strike us from behind. So we came to the place, and I stood with Jason before the women, and Nathan stood with Enos behind them ; and the hand of God was with us so that we kept them from all harm, and slew of the

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robbers as many as were next us. When the arrows were all shot away, my men drew the sword, as I had commanded, and smote them that remained until they all lay dead in the valley — Hanac, and forty and five men.

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Chapter IV

When the battle was come to a full end I made haste to the place where Zillah was, and bowed myself before her, and said. Is it well with thee, my beloved? And is it well with thy damsels? And she answered. It is, indeed, well with us, my lord Enoch, since we see thee and thy servants round about us, and are delivered out of the hand of Hanac. There hath no evil befallen us, save that we have been in great fear, and are famished with hunger, and weary.

Whereupon I began to say unto one of my servants. Go quickly and bring hither food and wine, — but Zillah cut short my words and cried, vehemently. Not so, my lord! Not so! See, I pray thee, how grievously wounded and ready to faint are thy two servants that stood between us and death until thou camest! As the Lord liveth we will neither eat bread, nor drink wine, nor refresh ourselves in any wise until their wounds be bound up !

Then I perceived that Enos and Jason were hurt nigh unto death. So I caused the men to open a path through the dead, for they cumbered the way. And we carried Enos and Jason out of the valley

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and laid them tenderly under the shade of a great tree, and gave them wine. Then Zillah called for water, and she and her maidens cleansed the wounds; and when they had stanched the blood and poured in oil they bound them up; so Enos and Jason were comforted.

Afterward I caused the men to search among the spoil until they found a tent, and of skins enough to cover the ground under it. When I had pitched the tent and made the ground soft with skins I prayed Zillah and her maidens to recline there while we prepared food and wine that they might eat and drink. When they had so refreshed themselves I besought them to sleep until mid-day ; for then we must needs set forth and ride swiftly toward the palace, so that we could go in to my father at the appointed time.

While the maidens slept I called Gomer and asked of him how it had fared with the men. And he said, Alas, my lord, beside Enos and Jason, who are wounded, other two of thy servants lie dead in the valley ; but they have all approved themselves men of valor, as witness thine enemies who have this day bitten the dust.

I was grieved exceedingly for the dead ; but I was comforted in that I had delivered the captives, and had requited Hanac for the evil he had wrought to

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my father's house, and for all he had purposed in his heart concerning the virgin Zillah. Before my departure I commanded Gomer what he should do, saying: Thou shalt carry Enos and Jason some way from this valley, down the mountain side. And when thou hast found a pleasant place pitch there the tent wherein the damsels are now sleeping; and thou and two of the men shall abide with Enos and Jason, and nourish them until they can be removed to the encampment without harm. And thou shalt send five of the men to take again the horses we brought hither to the encampment ; and they shall carry with them my father's servants that were slain in the battle, and bury them among their own people. After three days the five men shall return to thee on the mountain side with food and wine and horses enough for the journey, when ye shall remove Enos and Jason to the encampment. But go now and gather together all that was Zillah's and all my father's beasts that were taken at the ford of the great river. And separate nine of the men, under Nathan, to ride with Zillah to the palace. But take thou nothing that was Hanac's; for I purpose that he, and all that were with him, and all that was his, shall rot in this valley. And when we shall be well on our way thou shalt slaughter all the beasts that remain in the valley; for they were Hanac's,

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As the day waxed toward its noontide I wakened the maidens out of their slumber, and gave them food. Then I sent them forth, with the camels bearing Zillah*s apparel and the treasure her father had given her, under the care of Nathan and the nine men separated by Gomer to ride with them. And I charged Nathan to ride at such speed as would bring them to the palm trees, where Salmon would be in waiting, before the going down of the sun.