162 |
THE
INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY AND |
|
raised [his crook] to smite them, and his hand remained
aloft. And I looked to the torrent and saw kids, and
their mouths were applied to the water and not drinking,
and all things astounded."
The incident of Mary and the palm-tree as related
above (Surah XIX., Maryam, 23-6) is apparently taken
from the apocryphal work entitled "History of the
Nativity of Mary and the Infancy of the Saviour,"
although, as we shall see, we can trace both accounts
to a probably more ancient source. In the book to which
we have just referred, the event is connected with the
Flight into Egypt. The tale records how the Holy Family
started on the journey and for two days travelled on
quietly. It then continues:—
"But
on the third day after he had set out, it came to pass
that Mary became exhausted in the desert through the
excessive heat of the sun. When therefore she saw a
tree, she said unto Joseph, ‘Let us rest a little while
under the shadow of this tree.’ And Joseph hasted and
brought her to that palm-tree, and took her down off
her beast. When Mary sat down, she looked up to the
top of the palm-tree, and seeing it full of fruit said
to Joseph, ‘I desire, if it be possible, to take of
the fruit of this palm-tree.’ And Joseph said unto her,
‘I marvel that thou speakest thus, since thou seest
how high the branches of this palm-tree are. But |
|
|
CHRISTIAN
APOCRYPHAL BOOKS. |
163 |
|
I am extremely anxious about water, for it has now
been exhausted in our skin-bottles, and we have nowhere
whence we can fill them and quench our thirst.’ Then
the Child Jesus, who with joyful countenance lay in
His mother the Virgin Mary's bosom, said to the palm-tree,
‘O tree, lower thy branches and refresh My mother with
thy fruit.’ Instantly the palm-tree at this word bowed
its head to the sole of Mary's feet: and they plucked
the fruit which it bore, and were refreshed. And afterwards,
when all its fruit had be plucked, the tree still remained
bent, since it was waiting to rise up at the command
of Him, whose command it had bowed down. Then Jesus
said unto it, ‘O palm-tree, arise and be of good cheer,
and be thou a companion of My trees that are in My Father's
Paradise. But with thy roots open the spring that is
hidden in the ground, and let water flow forth from
that spring to quench our thirst.’ And the palm-tree
instantly stood erect, and streams of very clear, cool,
and very sweet water began to come forth from amid its
roots. And when they beheld those streams of water,
they rejoiced with exceeding great joy; and they with
all their quadrupeds and attendants were satisfied and
thanked God."
Instead of connecting the palm-tree and the stream
that flowed from beneath it with the account of the
Flight into Egypt, the Qur'an, we have seen, connects
them very closely with |
|