RECORD OF THE ERECTION OF THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY; THE DELIVERANCE OF HARÛN, U. W. B., ETC., AND THE STORY OF THE COW, WITH THE EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED ON THAT OCCASION.

In the month Tashrin the first, which was the seventh month of the eighty-first year of the age of Mûsa, u. w. b., etc., the mandate of the Lord arrived to construct an ark,* and to deposit therein the tables containing the ten com­mandments, to erect above the ark a cupola thirty cubits long and ten broad, and to leave around it a court one hun­dred cubits long and fifty broad, and that, after all these arrangements had been completed, the ark to be entrusted to Harûn and to his sons. Mûsa then issued orders accord­ing to the command he had received; the ark was prepared of red gold, the cupola of brocade of seven different colours, and around it gold-embroidered curtains were suspended. All the vessels were made of gold and silver, and inlaid with precious jewels and exquisite rubies. The box con­taining the Tables was surnamed ‘the Ark of the Testimony,’ the cupola was called ‘the Temple,’ and the court, with its appendages, bore the name of ‘the Holy House.’ The place for Harûn, for the Emâms, and for the descendants of Harûn, was appointed within the courtyard around the Temple. The places of sacrifice, of fumigation and of per­fumes, were also fixed. When the construction of the holy house had been finished, a brilliant light descended from heaven and surrounded that courtyard, the circuit whereof was permeated by a thin and pure cloud. The radiation and splendour of its light were so dazzling that no created being, except Mûsa and Harûn, could go in and out of that place. The light within the cupola was more intense than that of the court, and on the 23rd day of the month Adar, Mûsa ordered the children of Esrâil to make sacrifice; he offered it also personally during seven days, and was engaged in that occupation till the end of the month Adar. When the morn of the 8th day, which was the beginning of the month Nisân, dawned, the Lord Mûsa called Harûn, transferred to him the Emâmship and Khalifate,* and this dignity remained in the family of Harûn from generation to generation. He also appointed him over the arrange­ments connected with the illuminations, lamps, fumigations with incense, the characteristic marks of office-bearers, etc. He called all the children of Esrâil to bear witness, forbade them to rebel against Harûn and his children, and enjoined it to be lawful to exterminate those who would disobey him and his descendants. After that they offered sacrifice, upon which fire from heaven descended, and consumed it all. The Jews solemnize this day and attribute many virtues to it, because it is Sunday and the anniversary on which the creation of the world had begun. It is the first week and the beginning of the first month of the year. It is also the first day on which the people assembled and paid a visit to the holy house. It is the first day on which they offered sacrifice for the governorship and successorship of Harûn, when the fire came down and devoured all the sacrifices. The children of Esrâil were on this day very happy and joyous, and Harûn was perfectly satisfied after obtaining the highest dignity; but a great misfortune happened, which became an occasion of grief and sorrow to many. Two sons of Harûn were to become his worthy successors, and had, on the occasion when fire descended from heaven and devoured the sacrifice, with the greatest propriety requested their father to be allowed to fill the censer with incense and to set it up in the congregation. After obtaining permission, they took some fire not pertain­ing to the holy house, placed it on the incense, and at that very moment a smoke arose from the censer, ascended into their brains, and entirely consumed the internal parts of those two descendants of prophets, without producing any outward signs. Mûsa, Harûn, and all the children of Esrâil were much distressed by this catastrophe. They were sad and melancholy, but at last took hold of the skirts of patience, and interred both the corpses in their garments as they were. The next day Harûn appointed his other son, whose name was Ab-ul-ghâzâr, to be his successor, and on the same day A’amil, the son of Rahîl, was killed. A’amil was one of the children of Esma’il, distinguished by great riches and possessions. He had poor nephews to whom he gave nothing; therefore two of them killed him secretly with their swords, for the sake of his riches. When the night set in, they threw the corpse between two tribes of the children of Esrâil, and at dawn the assassins were found sitting in mourning apparel and [pretending to be] inquiring about the murderer. When the event had been reported to Mûsa, and the culprits had not been discovered, he divided the inheritance in the same way as is done also under the law of our own prophet; nevertheless a dispute arose among the people, and they said to Mûsa: ‘As the murderer of A’amil is not known to anyone, except to Him who is aware of the secrets of the visible and the invisible world, He ought to be implored to make him known.’ Mûsa accordingly prayed, and a revelation came that a cow must be slaughtered and the corpse be struck with a piece of the flesh thereof, in order to resuscitate it to life, whereon it would reveal the homicide.* The children of Esrâil then endeavoured to find a cow, and after they had asked con­cerning the qualities of the animal, Jebrâil descended and informed them that, as they were embarrassed about her specialities, they should find one which was neither old nor young, of yellow colour, which had never ploughed or drawn water, whose neck had borne no yoke, who had not pastured in an impure place, and who had from her birth till this day never been harrassed with any toilsome work. After much trouble the sons of Esrâil found a cow endowed with the required characteristics. As the owner of the animal was a poor devout youth who made his livelihood by gathering wood, the people imagined that on account of his necessities and indigent condition, he would part with the cow for a small price. They pressed him to sell it; drove up the price from three dirhems to one thousand, and then to a hundred thousand; lastly they agreed to fill the hide of the cow with pure gold. Mûsa then reproved the people, and said: ‘Because you are so anxious in all matters, they become difficult. Now, make haste to pur­chase the cow for the price you have settled, or else you will have to give an account of this discord on the day of the resurrection.’ Then the children of Esrâil paid the price, slaughtered the cow, struck the corpse of A’amil with a piece of the flesh, whereon it revived and sat up straight. Mûsa then asked: ‘Who has slain thee?’ He replied: ‘My nephews.’ Therefore his lordship the speaker [with Allah] got the murderers executed, and that very moment A’amil again expired. The Jews assert that the cow was burnt, and her ashes given to the descendants of Harûn— who became leaders of the people—that they might on any future occasion, when an event like the one just mentioned occurred, take some of the ashes, and by throwing them on the person murdered, ascertain who had perpetrated the deed; and this miracle continued for a long time to be repeated among the children of Esrâil.