Break Two

The Conception of YASHA’UĂ

And the coming forth of YASHA’U existed in this way: and it occurred that when his mother was betrothed to Ya’u’saph, before he knew ath-her, she was discovered to be pregnant from the RA’UCH HA’QUDASH. And Ya’u’saph existed as a righteous man and he did not intend to settle down to dwell with her, but did not wish to banish her, to bring her to shame, and not to bind her over to death. However, it existed that, grieving, he wanted to make a covering over her.

And as he meditated in his heart on this matter, that behold, a Mala’ak of YAHAUAHA appeared toward him in a dream and declared, “Ya’u’saph ban Da’ud, you will not fear to take her as your covenant-woman. She is pregnant from the RA’UCH HA’QUDASH. And she will bear a son, and she will call out his name, “YASHA’UĂ,” for He will deliver ath-my people from their guilt contracted by sinning.” All this completed what was written from ath-the prophet upon the mouth of YAHAUAHA, “Behold! The damsel—she will conceive, and she will bear a Son, and you will call out His name, Ămanu’u’AL, which is ‘ALAQUYAM^[1] with us.’”

And Ya’u’saph rose from his slumber, and he fashioned like all which the Mala’ak [of] YAHAUAHA had commanded ath-him. And he took her as ath-his covenant woman, but he knew her not until she had brought forth her Son, the Firstborn, and he called out His name, “YASHA’UĂ.”

Break Three

The Birth of YASHA’UĂ

And it existed like this: YASHA’U was born in Bayath Lacham of Yaha’u’dah, in the days of Herodes the King. And—behold—seers in the stars came from the rising of the sun unto Yara’u’shalam, to declare, “Where is He, the One to be born, the Malak of the Yaha’u’dayam? We have observed his circuit in the rising of the sun, and have come near with important gifts, to bow down, giving homage unto him.”

And Herodes the King heard and responded. And he was startled and all the inhabitants of Yara’u’shalam with him. And he gathered together all his great ones, and he demanded from them if they knew in what standing place that the Mashayach would be born. And they responded toward him, “In Bayath Lacham of Yaha’u’dah, as was written upon the mouth of prophet, ‘And you, Bayath Lacham of Yaha’u’dah, place of Apharath^[2] in the land of Yaha’u’dah—you who are little in Yaha’u’dah, from you shall come forth to Me [the One] Who shall exist to Me a Ruler in Yashar’AL.”

Then Herodes the King called out to the soothsayers—in secret—[to ask] at what time they had observed the star. And he sent them forth unto Bayath Lacham. And he declared toward them, “Walk. And investigate well, treading about, seeking the boy. And upon your discovery of ath-him, bring him forth to me, and I also will come toward him to bow down, doing homage.”

And they heard and responded toward the King, and they walked, and—behold—the star which they had observed in the rising sun walked before their faces until they had come unto the standing place. And just as they came unto Bayath Lacham, it stood over against the standing place, there where the boy was. And it existed just as they observed ath-the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

And they came toward the house, and they found Him and ath-Marayam, His mother, and they knelt before His face and bowing down, did homage to Him. Then they opened to Him ath-their pouches, and they brought toward him gold, and white frankincense, and myrrh (which in a foreign, barbarous tongue is “mira”).

But, being commanded in a dream from the Mala’ak not to turn back toward Herodes, they returned to their land in another pathway.

Break Four

YASHA’UĂ’s Sojourn in Matsarayam

It was while they were walking that—behold—the Mala’ak [of] YAHAUAHA appeared toward Ya’u’saph: “Rise up! Take ath-the boy and ath-His mother and run away unto Matsarayam. And stay there until I declare toward you. For Herodes will seek ath-the Boy, to murder Him.” And he took ath-the Boy and ath-His mother and existed there until the death of Herodes, to complete what was said upon the mouth of the prophet, “And from Matsarayam I have called out to My Son.”

Break Five

The Revenge of Herodes

When Herodes realized that the soothsayers had dealt unkindly toward him, and being very much grieved in his heart, then he commanded and he sent forth [word] to all his noble princes to kill all the young boys which were in Bayath Lacham and her borders, the ones born from the time which the soothsayers had declared to him the boy was born. So was made complete the words which were spoken by the prophet Yaramayah: “We have heard a voice in Ramah, wailing, bitter crying—Rachal mourning over her sons,” and so on.^[3]

And it existed that, just as Herodes the King died, that Mala’ak [of] YAHAUAHA appeared toward Ya’u’saph in a dream in Matsarayam to declare, “Rise up! Take ath-the Boy and ath-His mother and walk toward the inhabited lands, for he is dead, the ones who trampled about, seeking ath-the Boy for [His] death.”

And he [Ya’u’saph] rose up and he took ath-the Boy and ath-His mother and he turned back towards the inhabited lands. But when he heard the Ha’uraqunu’us (his name is Aragaya) was malak for the people in Yaha’u’dah in his father Herodes’ stead, he [Ya’u’saph] feared to walk [there]. So, he—being urged by the Mala’ak in a dream—he turned his face toward the land of Galagal. And he came, and he settled down to dwell in a city called Nazarath, in order to confirm what was declared of the prophet, “He shall be called Nazarath.”

[1] ALAQUYAM means “The EVER-LIVING AL.”

[2] “Fruitfulness.”

[3] In this manuscript, the author uses this term with the implication that his reader knows this quote and can fill in the blanks. I have tried to faithfully translate what is in the manuscript and there is meant no disrespect. —P. G.