to him in a dream, and was going to strangle him. In his terror he asked why? and was informed “that King David wanted to avenge his subjects.” Having begged long and piteously to be spared, his life was granted, on condition that he left Jerusalem and the Holy Land at sunrise next morning.[1]
Another Moslem Governor of Jerusalem, being on a visit to En Nebi Daûd greatly, desired to see the tomb itself. He therefore went into the room immediately above it, and looked through a hole in the floor. While so doing a jewelled dagger slipped from his girdle and fell into the vault. Concerned at the loss, he had one of his attendants let down by a rope to search for it. This man remained below so long that the others, growing anxious, pulled in the rope. They brought up his lifeless body. A second and third attempt to recover the dagger failed in like manner; till the governor, determined not to lose the pretty weapon, bade the sheykh of En Neb Daûd himself go down and fetch it.
The sheykh replied that it was clear the prophet did not like Mohammedans to enter his tomb; but, since he was known to be fond of Jews, the Pasha would do better to ask the chief rabbi. Accordingly, an urgent message was forthwith sent to that dignitary, who at once called the Jews together to fast and pray for deliverance from the anger of the Moslems on the one hand, and on the other from that of King David whom the Jews believe to be “alive and
- ↑ Rabbi Schwartz, “Das Heilige Land,” footnote, pp. 402-403.
