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About this period the king of the Saracens died, and the peace which
had previously existed between that nation and the Romans was
dissolved. Mania, the widow of the late monarch, after attaining to
the government of her race, led her troops into Phoenicia and
Palestine, as far as the regions of Egypt lying to the left of those
who sail towards the source of the Nile, and which are generally
denominated Arabia. This war was by no means a contemptible one,
although conducted by a woman. The Romans, it is said, considered
it so arduous and so perilous, that the general of the Phoenician
troops applied for assistance to the general of the entire cavalry and
infantry of the East. This latter ridiculed the summons, and
undertook to give battle alone. He accordingly attacked Mania, who
commanded her own troops in person; and he was rescued with difficulty
by the general of the troops of Palestine and Phoenicia. Perceiving
the extremity of the danger, this general deemed it unnecessary to obey
the orders he had received to keep aloof from the combat; he therefore
rushed upon the barbarians, and furnished his superior an opportunity
for safe retreat, while he himself yielded ground and shot at those who
fled, and beat off with his arrows the enemies who were pressing upon
him. This occurrence is still held in remembrance among the people of
the country, and is celebrated in songs by the Saracens.
As the war was still pursued with vigor, the Romans found it
necessary to send an embassy to Mania to solicit peace. It is said
that she refused to comply with the request of the embassy, unless
consent were given for the ordination of a certain man named Moses,
who practiced philosophy in a neighboring desert, as bishop over her
subjects. This Moses was a man of virtuous life, and noted for
performing the divine and miraculous signs. On these conditions being
announced to the emperor, the chiefs of the army were commanded to
seize Moses, and conduct him to Lucius. The monk exclaimed, in the
presence of the rulers and the assembled people, "I am not worthy of
the honor of bearing the name and dignity of chief priest; but if,
notwithstanding my unworthiness God destines me to this office, I
take Him to witness who created the heavens and the earth, that I
will not be ordained by the imposition of the hands of Lucius, which
are defiled with the blood of holy men." Lucius immediately
rejoined, "If you are unacquainted with the nature of my creed, you
do wrong in judging me before you are in possession of all the
circumstances of the case. If you have been prejudiced by the
calumnies that have been circulated against me, at least allow me to
declare to you what are my sentiments; and do you be the judge of
them." "Your creed is already well known to me," replied Moses;
"and its nature is testified by bishops, presbyters, and deacons,
who are suffering grievously in exile, and the mines. It is clear
that your sentiments are opposed to the faith of Christ, and to all
orthodox doctrines concerning the Godhead." Having again protested,
upon oath, that he would not receive ordination from them, he went to
the Saracens. He reconciled them to the Romans, and converted many
to Christianity, and passed his life among them as a priest, although
he found few who shared in his belief.
This is the tribe which took its origin and had its name from
Ishmael, the son of Abraham; and the ancients called them
Ishmaelites after their progenitor. As their mother Hagar was a
slave, they afterwards, to conceal the opprobrium of their origin,
assumed the name of Saracens, as if they were descended from Sara,
the wife of Abraham. Such being their origin, they practice
circumcision like the Jews, refrain from the use of pork, and observe
many other Jewish rites and customs. If, indeed, they deviate in
any respect from the observances of that nation, it must be ascribed to
the lapse of time, and to their intercourse with the neighboring
nations. Moses, who lived many centuries after Abraham, only
legislated for those whom he led out of Egypt. The inhabitants of the
neighboring countries, being strongly addicted to superstition,
probably soon corrupted the laws imposed upon them by their forefather
Ishmael. The ancient Hebrews had their community life under this law
only, using therefore unwritten customs, before the Mosaic
legislation. These people certainly served the same gods as the
neighboring nations, honoring and naming them similarly, so that by
this likeness with their forefathers in religion, there is evidenced
their departure from the laws of their forefathers. As is usual, in
the lapse of time, their ancient customs fell into oblivion, and other
practices gradually got the precedence among them. Some of their tribe
afterwards happening to come in contact with the Jews, gathered from
them the facts of their true origin, returned to their kinsmen, and
inclined to the Hebrew customs and laws. From that time on, until
now, many of them regulate their lives according to the Jewish
precepts. Some of the Saracens were converted to Christianity not
long before the present reign. They shared in the faith of Christ by
intercourse with the priests and monks who dwelt near them, and
practiced philosophy in t the neighboring deserts, and who were
distinguished by the excellence of their life, and by their miraculous
works. It is said that a whole tribe, and Zocomus, their chief,
were converted to Christianity and baptized about this period, under
the following circumstances: Zocomus was childless, and went to a
certain monk of great celebrity to complain to him of this calamity;
for among the Saracens, and I believe other barbarian nations, it
was accounted of great importance to have children. The monk desired
Zocomus to be of good cheer, engaged in prayer on his behalf, and
sent him away with the promise that if he would believe in Christ, he
would have a son. When this promise was confirmed by God, and when a
son was born to him, Zocomus was initiated, and all his subjects with
him. From that period this tribe was peculiarly fortunate, and became
strong in point of number, and formidable to the Persians as well as
to the other Saracens. Such are the details that I have been enabled
to collect concerning the conversion of the Saracens and their first
bishop.
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