Collected Works of Poe | Page 5

contrary, between the level of the ditch and the
basement of the rampart sprang up a perpendicular cliff of two hundred
and fifty cubits, forming part of the precipitous Mount Moriah. So that
when Simeon and his associates arrived on the summit of the tower
called Adoni-Bezek-the loftiest of all the turrets around about
Jerusalem, and the usual place of conference with the besieging
army-they looked down upon the camp of the enemy from an eminence
excelling by many feet that of the Pyramid of Cheops, and, by several,
that of the temple of Belus.

"Verily," sighed the Pharisee, as he peered dizzily over the precipice,
"the uncircumcised are as the sands by the seashore-as the locusts in the
wilderness! The valley of the King hath become the valley of
Adommin."
"And yet," added Ben-Levi, "thou canst not point me out a
Philistine-no, not one-from Aleph to Tau-from the wilderness to the
battlements---who seemeth any bigger than the letter Jod!"
"Lower away the basket with the shekels of silver!" here shouted a
Roman soldier in a hoarse, rough voice, which appeared to issue from
the regions of Pluto---"lower away the basket with the accursed coin
which it has broken the jaw of a noble Roman to pronounce! Is it thus
you evince your gratitude to our master Pompeius, who, in his
condescension, has thought fit to listen to your idolatrous importunities?
The god Phoebus, who is a true god, has been charioted for an hour-and
were you not to be on the ramparts by sunrise? Aedepol! do you think
that we, the conquerors of the world, have nothing better to do than
stand waiting by the walls of every kennel, to traffic with the dogs of
the earth? Lower away! I say--and see that your trumpery be bright in
color and just in weight!"
"El Elohim!" ejaculated the Pharisee, as the discordant tones of the
centurion rattled up the crags of the precipice, and fainted away against
the temple -"El Elohim!--who is the god Phoebus?--whom doth the
blasphemer invoke? Thou, Buzi-BenLevi! who art read in the laws of
the Gentiles, and hast sojourned among them who dabble with the
Teraphim!--is it Nergal of whom the idolater speaketh?----or
Ashimah?--or Nibhaz,--or Tartak? --or Adramalech?--or
Anamalech?--or Succoth-Benith?---or Dagon?---or Belial?---or
Baal-Perith? -or Baal-Peor?---or Baal-Zebub?"
"Verily it is neither-but beware how thou lettest the rope slip too
rapidly through thy fingers; for should the wicker-work chance to hang
on the projection of Yonder crag, there will be a woful outpouring of
the holy things of the sanctuary."
By the assistance of some rudely constructed machinery, the heavily

laden basket was now carefully lowered down among the multitude;
and, from the giddy pinnacle, the Romans were seen gathering
confusedly round it; but owing to the vast height and the prevalence of
a fog, no distinct view of their operations could be obtained.
Half an hour had already elapsed.
"We shall be too late!" sighed the Pharisee, as at the expiration of this
period he looked over into the abyss-"we shall be too late! we shall be
turned out of office by the Katholim."
"No more," responded Abel-Phittim----"no more shall we feast upon
the fat of the land-no longer shall our beards be odorous with
frankincense--our loins girded up with fine linen from the Temple."
"Racal" swore Ben-Levi, "Racal do they mean to defraud us of the
purchase money? or, Holy Moses ! are they weighing the shekels of the
tabernacle ?"
"They have given the signal at last!" cried the Pharisee-----"they have
given the signal at last!pull away, Abel-Phittim!-and thou,
Buzi-Ben-Levi, pull away!-for verily the Philistines have either still
hold upon the basket, or the Lord hath softened their hearts to place
therein a beast of good weight!" And the Gizbarim pulled away, while
their burden swung heavily upward through the still increasing mist.
"Booshoh he!"-as, at the conclusion of an hour, some object at the
extremity of the rope became indistinctly visible-"Booshoh he!" was
the exclamation which burst from the lips of Ben-Levi.
. . . . . . . . . .
"Booshoh he!--for shame!-it is a ram from the thickets of Engedi, and
as rugged as the valley of jehosaphat!"
"It is a firstling of the flock," said Abel-Phittim, "I know him by the
bleating of his lips, and the innocent folding of his limbs. His eyes are
more beautiful than the jewels of the Pectoral, and his flesh is like the

honey of Hebron."
"It is a fatted calf from the pastures of Bashan," said the Pharisee, "the
heathen have dealt wonderfully with us ----let us raise up our voices in
a psalm --let us give thanks on the shawm and on the psaltery-on the
harp and on the huggab-on the cythern and on the sackbut!"
It was not until the basket had arrived within