A large part of the Israelitish
population believed in him. But when the King indeed heard of all this
pretender's power, and that he proposed to join battle with him, he sent
to the Jews who lived thereabouts and notified them that unless they
deserted this man, and came oui; from all association with him, they
certainly should be slain, every one of them, with the sword, and
afterward the children and the women should perish. Then the whole
population of Israel assembled, and argued with this man, and threw
themselves down before him on the ground, strongly supplicating him,
with clamour and tears, to depart from them. Why, indeed, should he
put them and others in danger? Had not the King already sworn that they
should perish by the sword, and wherefore should he bring affliction
upon all the Jewish inhabitants of Persia? Responding, he said: "I have
come to serve you, and ye will not have me. Whom do ye fear? Who dares
stand in front of me, and what doth this Persian King that he dare not
oppose me and my sword?" The Jews asked him what sign he had that he
was the Messiah. He answered: "My mission prospers: the Messiah needs no
other sign." They answered that many had acted likewise, and that none
had reached success.
Pages:
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392