In the name of the Great Living God, glorified be the exalted Light.

A child was sent from on high, a mystery was revealed in Jerusalem. The priests saw dreams, a stupor fell upon his children, a stupor fell upon Jerusalem. In the morning he went early to the temple. He opened his mouth in wickedness and his lips in falsehood. He opened his mouth in wickedness and said to all the priests: "In my vision of the night I saw, I saw in my vision. As I lay there, I did not sleep and did not rest, and sleep did not come upon me by night. I did not sleep and did not rest, and I saw that a star appeared and stood still over Enishbai. Fire burned upon Aba Saba Zakhria; three heavenly lights appeared. The sun went down, and the lights arose. Fire hung over the house of the people, smoke rose over the temple. A tremor shook the heavenly chariot, so that the earth moved from its place. A star flew across Judea, a star flew across Jerusalem. The sun appeared by night, and the moon rose by day."

When the priests heard this, they cast dust upon their heads. Jaqif the priest weeps, and the tears of Beni-Amin flow. Silai and Salbai cast dust upon their heads. Elizar opened his mouth and said to all the priests: "Who can take the book of dreams, and to whom is the book of visions open? Who can take the book of dreams, that he may interpret for you the dreams you have seen?" Then Elizar opened his mouth and said to all the priests: "Jaqif interprets dreams, yet until now he does not understand these. Beni-Amin interprets dreams; is he not a man who conceals your secrets? Tab-Jomin reveals nothing to us, of whom you claim that he can give account of everything that is and is not."

The earth murmurs out of season and is rolled about by the heavenly spheres. The earth opens its mouth and says to Elizar: "Go to Liljukh, that he may interpret for you the dreams you have seen." Then Elizar opened his mouth and said to all the priests: "Who will go to Liljukh, that he may interpret for you the dreams you have seen?" Then they wrote a letter and laid it in the hand of Tab-Jomin. Tab-Jomin took the letter and went to Liljukh. Liljukh was lying on his bed; sleep had not yet fled from him. A tremor came into his heart, broke his heart and brought it down from its support. Tab-Jomin approached Liljukh. Tab-Jomin came up to Liljukh, shook him from his sleep and said to him: "The priests saw dreams, a stupor fell upon Jerusalem. In the morning he went early to the temple. He opened his mouth in wickedness and his lips in falsehood. He opened his mouth and said to the priests: 'In my vision of the night, as I lay there, I saw, I saw in my vision. As I lay there, I did not sleep and did not rest, and sleep did not come upon me by night. I did not sleep and did not rest, and I saw that a star appeared and stood still over Enishbai. Fire burned upon Aba Saba Zakhria. Three heavenly lights were seen. The sun went down, and the lights arose. Fire hung over the house of the people, smoke rose over the temple. A tremor shook the heavenly chariot, the earth moved from its place. A star flew across Judea, a star flew across Jerusalem. The sun appeared by night, and the moon rose by day.'"

When Liljukh heard this, he cast dust upon his head. Naked Liljukh rose from his bed and brought the book of dreams. He opens it and reads in it and looks to see what is written in it. He opens it and reads in it and interprets them (the dreams) silently, without reading the interpretations aloud. He writes to them in a letter and explains to them on a leaf. He says to them in it: "Woe to you, priests all, for Enishbai shall bear a child. Woe to you, rabbis, for a child shall be born in Jerusalem. Woe to you, teachers and boys, for Enishbai shall bear a child. Woe to you, mistress Torah, for Yohana shall be born in Jerusalem. Yohana shall receive the Jordan and be called a prophet in Jerusalem."

Liljukh writes to them in the letter and says to them: "The star that came and stood still over Enishbai (means): A child is planted from the height above, he comes and is given to Enishbai. The fire that burned upon Aba Saba Zakhria (means): Yohana will be born in Jerusalem."

Tab-Jomin took the letter and set out quickly for Jerusalem. He went and found all the priests sitting in mourning. He took the letter and laid it in the hand of Elizar. He opens it and reads it and finds wondrous words in it. He opens it and reads it and sees what is written in it. He reads it silently and gives them no answer concerning it. Elizar then took it and laid it in the hand of Aba Saba Zakhria. He opens it and reads it and sees what is written in it. He reads it silently and gives no answer concerning it. Rather he took the letter and laid it in the hand of Elizar. Elizar then opened his mouth and said to Aba Saba Zakhria: "O Aba Saba, go away from Judea, lest you stir up strife in Jerusalem!" Then Aba Saba raised his right hand and struck Elizar on the head. He said to him: "O Elizar, great house, head of all the priests. If you knew your mother in your inner self, you would not be allowed to enter our synagogue. If you knew your mother in your inner self, you would not be allowed to read the Torah. For your mother was a harlot. She was a harlot, who did not suit the house of her father-in-law. Since your father did not have the 100 staters of money to write her the bill of divorce, he left her at once and did not ask after her. Is there a day on which I come and look out and do not see Moses, the son of Amram? Indeed, is there a day on which I come without praying in your synagogue, that you should now be untrue and insincere and say a word that you have not heard concerning me? Where is there a dead man who became living again, that Enishbai should bear a child? Where is there a blind man who became seeing, where is there a lame man to whom

is made supple, and where is there a dumb man who learns a book, that Enishbai should bear a child? It is twenty-two years today since I have seen a woman. No, neither through me nor through you will Enishbai bear a child."

Then all the priests rose and said murmuring to Aba Saba Zakhria: "Be calm and remain seated, Aba Saba, and let the composure of the good rest upon you. O Aba Saba, if there were no dreams in Judea, if there were no visions in Jerusalem, then everything that Moses said would be a lie. Rather your word and our word will be preserved, and the dreams that we have seen. Yohana will receive the Jordan and be called a prophet in Jerusalem."

Aba Saba then withdrew from their midst, and Elizar followed after him. Then three lamps were seen accompanying him. They ran up, seized Aba Saba by the hem of his garment and said to him: "O Aba Saba! What is it that goes before you, and what is it that follows you?" He answered them: "O Elizar, great house, head of all the priests! I do not know whom the lamps that go before me are guarding. I do not know with whom the fire goes that follows me. Neither through me nor through you will Enishbai bear a child." Then all the priests rose and said murmuring to Aba Saba Zakhria: "O Aba Saba Zakhria, be calm, firm and composed, for the child is planted from the highest height and is granted to you in your old age. Yohana will be born, Yohana will receive the Jordan and be called a prophet in Jerusalem. We will be baptized with his baptism and marked with his pure sign. We will receive his sacred bread, drink his water of blessing and ascend with him to the place of light."

All the priests rose and said murmuring to Aba Saba Zakhria: "O Aba Saba! We will inform you about your tribe and the fathers from whom you have sprung. Moses, son of Amram, sprang from your tribe. Silai and Silbait sprang from your tribe. Abraham and Israel sprang from your tribe. Bnai and Beni-Amin sprang from your tribe. Risai and Rath sprang from your tribe. Risai and Bazrai sprang from your tribe. Zakkai and Zakunai sprang from your tribe. Ramis and Mahramir sprang from your tribe. Rabin (Reuben?) and Judah sprang from your tribe. Ezairab and Razai sprang from your tribe. Hannai and Hananai sprang from your tribe. The man who wrote the Torah, Tus the Great is his name, sprang from your tribe. Rama and Samuel sprang from your tribe. Rab Hannai and Rab Hananai sprang from your tribe. Bne-Risa and Samuel sprang from your tribe. Tab-Jomin and the schoolteachers sprang from your tribe. The blessed princes, who are your forefathers, Aba Saba, all of them took no wife and begot no sons. Yet in old age each one had a son. They had sons, and they became prophets in Jerusalem. If now a prophet also comes forth from you, you take up this tribe again. Yes, Yohana will be born and be called a prophet in Jerusalem."

Elizar then opened his mouth and said to Aba Saba: "O Aba Saba! If Yohana receives the Jordan, I will be his servant, be baptized with his baptism and marked with his pure sign. We will take his sacred bread, drink his water of blessing and ascend with him to the place of light." Aba Saba then opened his mouth and said to all the priests: "If the child comes from the highest height, what will you then do in Jerusalem? By God's command the child was fetched from the basin of the Jordan and laid in the womb of Enishbai."

God is victorious, and victorious is the righteous man who has come here.