Kebra Nagast

fathers had asked for a king, the Philistines carried Zion away captive into [their] camp God having neglected Israel in the battle, and its priests 'Afni (Hophni) and Pinahas (Phinehas) having fallen by the edge of the sword. And the Philistines carried away the Tabernacle of the Law of God, and brought it into their city, and set it in the house of their god Dagon. And Dagon was broken to pieces and destroyed, and became like dust, and their land became a desert through mice, and they ate up all the fruit of their land, and their persons became sores and boils. And they gathered together their priests, and magicians, and star-gazers, and they entreated them and said unto them, How can we relieve ourselves of these sores and the tribulation which have come upon And those magicians us, and upon our country ? meditated and withdrew themselves to be alone, and they brought their magical instruments, and pondered, and considered, and planned how they could relieve them from tribulation of their city and their persons. And they discovered that this punishment had come upon them and their city because of Zion. And they went to their kings and their governors, and they said unto them, All these things have befallen you through the heavenly Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God. And now, know ye how ye will take her back into her And we must by city, and her country, and her house. no means send her away empty, but must give her an offering, so that she may forgive you your sins, and do away your tribulation when she hath returned to her And if ye will not send her to her city, no good city. will come of making her to live with you, but ye shall ' ' * continue to be punished until ye are destroyed.' " And their kings and governors said unto their priests, ' What gift now say ye that we ought to give her, and how shall we send her back ? Find out, and tell us what we must do.' And the priests of the Philistines took counsel together again, and they said unto their kings and