The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Complete. William Wake

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ I am a martyr for God, and

       if ye shed my blood, the Lord will

       receive my soul.

      15 Besides know that ye shed

       innocent blood.

      16 However Zacharias was murdered

       in the entrance of the temple

       said altar, and about the partition;

      17 But the children of Israel

       knew not when he want killed.

      18 Then at the hour of salutation

       the priests went into the temple

       but Zacharias did not according

       to custom, meet them and bless them.

      19 Yet they still continued

       waiting for him to salute them;

      20 And when they found he did

       not in a long time come, one of

       them ventured into the holy place

       where the altar was, and he saw

       blood lying upon the ground

       congealed:

      21 When, behold, a voice from

       heaven said, Zacharias is murdered,

       and his blood shall not be

       wiped away, until the revenger

       of his blood come.

      22 But when he heard this, he

       was afraid; and went forth and told

       the priests what he had seen and

       heard; and they all went in, and

       saw the fact.

      23 Then the roofs of the temple

       howled, and were rent from the

       top to the bottom:

      24 And they could not find the

       body, but only blood made hard

       like stone.

      25 And they went away, and

       told the people, that Zacharias

       was murdered, and all the tribes

       of Israel heard thereof, and mourned

       for him, and lamented three days:

      26 Then the priests took

       council together concerning

       a person to succeed him.

      27 And Simeon and the other

       priests cast lots, and the lot fell

       upon Simeon.

      28 For he had been assured by

       the Holy Spirit, that he should not

       die, till he had seen Christ come in

       the flesh.

      (I James wrote this History in Jerusalem: and when the disturbance

       was I retired into a desert place, until the death of Herod, and the

       disturbances ceased at Jerusalem. That which remains is, that I

       glorify God that he hath given me such wisdom to write unto you who

       are spiritual, and who love God: to whom (be ascribed) glory and

       dominion for ever and ever. Amen.)

      THE PROTEVANGELION.

       Note on the death of Zacharias in Chap. 16.

      There is a story both in the Jerusalem and Babylonish Talmud very similar

       to this. It is cited by Dr. Lightfoot, Talmud, Hierosol, in Taanith, fol.

       69; and Talmud. Babyl. in Sanhedr., fol. 96. "O Rabbi Jochanan said,

       Eighty thousand priests were slain for the blood of Zacharias. Rabbi

       Judas asked Rabbi Achan, Where did they kill Zacharias? Was it in the

       woman's court, or in the court of Israel? He answered, Neither in the

       court of Israel, nor in the court of women, but in the court of the

       priests; and they did not treat his blood in the same manner as they were

       wont to treat the blood of a ram or young goat. For of these it is

       written, He shall pour out his blood, and cover it with dust. But it is

       written here, The blood is in the midst of her: she set it upon the top

       of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground. (Ezek. xxiv. 7.) But why

       was this? That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance: I have

       set his blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

       They committed seven evils that day: they murdered a priest, a prophet,

       and a king; they shed the blood of the innocent; they polluted the court:

       that day was the Sabbath: and the day of expiation. When therefore

       Nebuzaradan came there (viz. to Jerusalem,) he saw his blood bubbling,

       and said to them, What meaneth this? They answered, It is the blood of

       calves, lambs, and rams, which we have offered upon the altar. He

       commanded then, that they should bring calves, and lambs, and rams, and

       said I will try whether this be their blood: accordingly they brought

       and slew them, but the blood of Zacharias still bubbled, but the blood of

       these did not bubble. Then he said, Declare to me the truth of this

       matter, or else I will comb your flesh with iron combs. Then said they to

       him, He was a priest, prophet, and judge, who prophesied to Israel all

       these calamities which we have suffered from you; but we arose against

СКАЧАТЬ