And In That House Our Lord
Forgave Mary Magdalene Her Sins:
There she washed his feet with
her tears, and wiped them with her hair.
And there served Saint
Martha our Lord. There our Lord raised Lazarus from death to life,
that was dead four days and stank, that was brother to Mary
Magdalene and to Martha. And there dwelt also Mary Cleophas. That
castle is well a mile long from Jerusalem. Also in coming down
from the mount of Olivet is the place where our Lord wept upon
Jerusalem. And there beside is the place where our Lady appeared
to Saint Thomas the apostle after her assumption, and gave him her
girdle. And right nigh is the stone where our Lord often-time sat
upon when he preached; and upon that same he shall sit at the day
of doom, right as himself said.
Also after the mount of Olivet is the mount of Galilee. There
assembled the apostles when Mary Magdalene came and told them of
Christ's uprising. And there, between the Mount Olivet and the
Mount Galilee, is a church, where the angel said to our Lady of her
death.
Also from Bethany to Jericho was sometime a little city, but it is
now all destroyed, and now is there but a little village. That
city took Joshua by miracle of God and commandment of the angel,
and destroyed it, and cursed it and all them that bigged it again.
Of that city was Zaccheus the dwarf that clomb up into the sycamore
tree for to see our Lord, because he was so little he might not see
him for the people. And of that city was Rahab the common woman
that escaped alone with them of her lineage: and she often-time
refreshed and fed the messengers of Israel, and kept them from many
great perils of death; and, therefore, she had good reward, as holy
writ saith: QUI ACCIPIT PROPHETAM IN NOMINE MEO, MERCEDEM
PROPHETAE ACCIPIET; that is to say, 'He that taketh a prophet in my
name, he shall take meed of the prophet.' And so had she. For she
prophesied to the messengers, saying, NOVI QUOD DOMINUS TRADET
VOBIS TERRAM HANC; that is to say, 'I wot well, that our Lord shall
betake you this land': and so he did. And after, Salomon,
Naasson's son, wedded her, and from that time was she a worthy
woman, and served God well.
Also from Bethany go men to flom Jordan by a mountain and through
desert. And it is nigh a day journey from Bethany, toward the
east, to a great hill, where our Lord fasted forty days. Upon that
hill the enemy of hell bare our Lord and tempted him, and said, DIC
UT LAPIDES ISTI PANES FIANT; that is to say, 'Say, that these
stones be made loaves.' In that place, upon the hill, was wont to
be a fair church; but it is all destroyed, so that there is now but
an hermitage, that a manner of Christian men hold, that be clept
Georgians, for Saint George converted them. Upon that hill dwelt
Abraham a great while, and therefore men clepe it Abraham's Garden.
And between the hill and this garden runneth a little brook of
water that was wont to be bitter; but, by the blessing of Elisha
the prophet, it became sweet and good to drink. And at the foot of
this hill, toward the plain, is a great well, that entereth into
from Jordan.
From that hill to Jericho, that I spake of before, is but a mile in
going toward flom Jordan. Also as men go to Jericho sat the blind
man crying, JESU, FILI DAVID, MISERERE MEI; that is to say, 'Jesu,
David's Son, have mercy on me.' And anon he had his sight. Also,
two mile from Jericho, is flome Jordan. And, an half mile more
nigh, is a fair church of Saint John the Baptist, where he baptised
our Lord. And there beside is the house of Jeremiah the prophet.
CHAPTER XII
OF THE DEAD SEA; AND OF THE FLOME JORDAN. OF THE HEAD OF SAINT
JOHN THE BAPTIST; AND OF THE USAGES OF THE SAMARITANS
AND from Jericho, a three mile, is the Dead Sea. About that sea
groweth much alum and of alkatran. Between Jericho and that sea is
the land of Engeddi. And there was wont to grow the balm; but men
make draw the branches thereof and bear them to be grafted at
Babylon; and yet men clepe them vines of Geddi. At a coast of that
sea, as men go from Arabia, is the mount of the Moabites, where
there is a cave, that men clepe Karua. Upon that hill led Balak,
the son of Beor, Balaam the priest for to curse the people of
Israel.
That Dead Sea parteth the land of Ind and of Arabia, and that sea
lasteth from Soara unto Arabia. The water of that sea is full
bitter and salt, and, if the earth were made moist and wet with
that water, it would never bear fruit. And the earth and the land
changeth often his colour. And it casteth out of the water a thing
that men clepe asphalt, also great pieces, as the greatness of an
horse, every day and on all sides. And from Jerusalem to that sea
is 200 furlongs. That sea is in length five hundred and four score
furlongs, and in breadth an hundred and fifty furlongs; and it is
clept the Dead Sea, for it runneth nought, but is ever unmovable.
And neither man, ne beast, ne nothing that beareth life in him ne
may not die in that sea. And that hath been proved many times, by
men that have deserved to be dead that have been cast therein and
left therein three days or four, and they ne might never die
therein; for it receiveth no thing within him that beareth life.
And no man may drink of the water for bitterness.
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