便西拉的字母
维基百科,自由的百科全书
《便西拉的字母》(The Alphabet of Ben-Sira)是中世紀時期一份佚名的小說作品,講述到《舊約聖經》次經裡的《便西拉智訓》的作者、希伯來先知便西拉的生平,由受孕、出生、受教育到長大成人。《便西拉的字母》用希伯來語書寫,成書時間估計在公元7世紀至11世紀。
[编辑] 有關莉莉絲的記述
本小說最重要的地方,在於揭露猶太人在被虜到巴比倫的這段時期,曾一度有過莉莉絲的信仰。這在本書的結尾部份出現。當時,巴比倫國王尼布甲尼撒二世在法庭上向便西拉揭示四道神諭,並要求便西拉解釋這四道神諭的意思。便西拉於是利用了希伯來語的22個字母作開首,講述了22個故事來回應國王的問題。當中第五個故事,就是和莉莉絲有關。內容記述如下:(英譯本)
后来国王的小儿子病了。尼布甲尼撒二世对便西拉说:“把我的儿子治好,不然你就得死”。便西拉立刻坐了下来并将神的名字写在护身符上,并同时记下负责医疗的天使的名字、外型、肖像以及他们的翅膀、手脚。尼布甲尼撒看着这个护身符问:“这些是谁?”
负责医疗的三个天使:Snvi,Snsvi以及Smnglof。上帝创造了孤独的亚当之后,他说“那人独居不好、我要为他造一个配偶帮助他(创世纪 2:18)”。于是他利用创造亚当的方法,用泥土为亚当创造了一个女人,唤她做莉莉丝。亚当和莉莉丝打斗起来。莉莉丝说“我不可在下”,而亚当说“我当在上,不可在你之下;你当在下,我在你之上”。莉莉丝回答说:“我们皆是从土里生的,故而你我无差”。他们两个都不接受对方的意见。莉莉丝见状,说了Ineffable Name逃走了。亚当向造物主祈祷:“万物的主啊!你赐给我的女人跑了。”主立刻给了他祝福,派三个天使把莉莉丝带回来。
神对亚当说,“如果她愿意回来最好,否则,以后每天就会有她的100个子孙死掉”。天使告别了神去追莉莉丝。他们在红海中央找到了她。他们将神的话告诉她,但是她还是不愿回来。天使说“我们要将你溺死在大海之中”。
“躲开!”她说,“我以致初生小儿于病而受造,若为男孩,我当主他生后8天,若为女孩,则20天”。
天使听到了莉莉丝的话,他们坚持要她回去。但是莉莉丝以永恒之神的名向他们启誓:“无论何时我在护身符上看到你们的名字、形象,我会失去了给小儿致病的力量”。并且,她同意日后每天有100个她的子孙死去。从此,每天有100个魔鬼死去,并由于同样的原因,我们将天使的名写在小孩子的护身符上。当莉莉丝看到他们的名字时,她便记起了她的誓言,于是小孩就痊愈了。
- Soon afterward the young son of the king took ill. Said Nebuchadnezzar, "Heal my son. If you don't, I will kill you." Ben Sira immediately sat down and wrote an amulet with the Holy Name, and he inscribed on it the angels in charge of medicine by their names, forms, and images, and by their wings, hands, and feet. Nebuchadnezzar looked at the amulet. "Who are these?"
- "The angels who are in charge of medicine: Snvi, Snsvi, and Smnglof. After God created Adam, who was alone, He said, 'It is not good for man to be alone' (Genesis 2:18). He then created a woman for Adam, from the earth, as He had created Adam himself, and called her Lilith. Adam and Lilith immediately began to fight. She said, 'I will not lie below,' and he said, 'I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.' Lilith responded, 'We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the earth.' But they would not listen to one another. When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air. Adam stood in prayer before his Creator: 'Sovereign of the universe!' he said, 'the woman you gave me has run away.' At once, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent these three angels to bring her back.
- "Said the Holy One to Adam, 'If she agrees to come back, fine. If not, she must permit one hundred of her children to die every day.' The angels left God and pursued Lilith, whom they overtook in the midst of the sea, in the mighty waters wherein the Egyptians were destined to drown. They told her God's word, but she did not wish to return. The angels said, 'We shall drown you in the sea.'
- "'Leave me!' she said. 'I was created only to cause sickness to infants. If the infant is male, I have dominion over him for eight days after his birth, and if female, for twenty days.'
- "When the angels heard Lilith's words, they insisted she go back. But she swore to them by the name of the living and eternal God: 'Whenever I see you or your names or your forms in an amulet, I will have no power over that infant.' She also agreed to have one hundred of her children die every day. Accordingly, every day one hundred demons perish, and for the same reason, we write the angels names on the amulets of young children. When Lilith sees their names, she remembers her oath, and the child recovers."
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