Kebra Nagast

Concerning Mary, Our Lady of Salvation were the firstborn, and came to Abraham. And it did not go from Abraham into his firstborn Ishmael, but And it it tarried and came into Isaac the pure. did not go into his firstborn, the arrogant Esau, but it went into Jacob the lowly one. And it did not enter from him into his firstborn, the erring Reuben, but into Judah, the innocent one. And it did not go forth from Judah until four sinners had been born, but it came to Fares (Perez), the patient one. And from him this Pearl went to the firstborn until it came into the belly of Jesse, the father of thy father. And then it waited until six men of wrath had been born, and after that it came to the seventh, David, 1 thy innocent and humble father ; for God hateth the arrogant and proud, and loveth the innocent and humble. And then it waited in the loins of thy father until five erring fools had been born, when it came into thy loins because of thy wisdom and understanding. And then the Pearl waited, and it did not go forth into thy firstborn. For those good men of his country neither Him nor denied crucified Him, like Israel thy people ; when they saw Him Who wrought miracles, Who was to be born from the Pearl, they believed on Him when they heard the report of Him. And the Pearl did not go forth into thy youngest son 'Adrami. For those good men neither Him nor denied Him when they saw the of miracles and wonders by Him that was to working be born from the Pearl, and afterwards they believed in Him through His disciples. " Now the Pearl, which is to be your salvation, went forth from thy belly and entered into the belly of 'lyorbe'am (Rehoboam) thy son, because of the wickedness of Israel thy people, who in their denial and in their wickedness crucified Him. But if He had not been crucified He could not have been your salvation. For crucified 1 David was the eighth of Jesse's sons. Ill