Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology

(Nora) #1
Dec.5] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1893.

" When I beheld this vision, I related it unto my father Jacob,
and he said unto' me : ' My son, it is only a dream, whichwill not
cometo pass (will neitherascendnor descend), for it hath not been
repeated.
" Theredid not pass, however,a long timeafterthat,beforeI saw
another vision. We were standing all together with our father
Jacob,at the shore of the Great Sea. And,behold,therewas a ship
sailingin the middle of the sea without a sailor and a man (pilot).
Our fathersaidto us : ' Do ye see, what I am seeing? ' We
answered' We see it.'
" He then said to us : ' Look whatI am doing and do the same.'
He took off his clothes, threwhimselfintothe sea, and we all
followedhim. The first were Leviand Judah and they jumpedin
(to the ship), and Jacob withthem. In that ship therewas all the
goodness of the world. Jacob said : ' Look at the mast and see
whatis written on it ; for there is no ship on which the name of the
mastershouldnot be written on the mast.'
" Levi and Judah lookedup, and they saw there was written :
' This ship belongs to the son of Berachel (the one whom Godhad
blessed)! and all the good therein.' WhenJacobheardthat, he
rejoiced very much, boweddownand thanked God,and said : 'Not
enoughthat Thou hast blessed me on earth, Thouhast blessedme on
the sea too! ' He then said : ' My children, be men, and what
ever each one of you will seize, that shall be his share.'
"ThereuponLeviascended the big mast and sat upon it; the
secondafterhim to ascend the other mastwas Judah, and he sat
uponit. My other brothers thentookeach his oar, and Jacob
our father grasped the two rudders to steer the ship by them.
Josephalonewas left, and Jacob said unto him : ' My son Joseph,
take thoualso thineoar.' But Josephrefused. Whenmy father saw
Chat Joseph refusedto take his oar, he said untohim : ' Come here,
my son, and grasp one of the rudders whichI hold in my hands,
and steer the ship, whilstthy brothers row with the oars until you
reachland. And he taught each one of us, and he said to us :
' Thus ye shall steerthe ship, and ye will not be afraid of the waves
of the sea, nor of the blast of the wind, whenit shall rise againstyou.'
" When he had made an end of speaking, he disappeared from
us. Josephgraspedboththe rudders, one with the right handand
one with the left, and my other brotherswererowing,and the ship
sailedon and floated over the waters. Leviand Judah sat upon
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