The Pilgrimage of Arculfus in the Holy Land (Volume 3, No. 1); About the Year A.D. 670

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889. Excerpt: ... IV.--The Napkin Of The Head Of The Lord, And ANOTHER LARGER LINEN CLOTH WOVEN BY ST. MARY. Pp. Ims. After the Resurrection of the Lord, the napkin that had been about His head was stolen by a Jew, who soon after became a true Christian and retained it by him till his death, and whp meanwhile became rich. When dying, Pp. ii, u, 13. he asks his sons, which of them wished to receive the napkin of the Lord, which to possess the rest of his father's wealth. The elder chose the earthly treasure, the younger the napkin. And straightway the former decreases until the elder son comes to poverty; while with faith his brother's wealth increases, and his faithful descendants therefore retained it even to the fifth generation. Afterwards it came into the possession of impious persons, whose wealth it so greatly increased that it occasioned great quarrels for a long time; the Christian Jews claiming to be the heirs of Christ, while unbelieving Jews claimed to be the heirs of their fathers; until, after long contention, Mauvias,1 the King of the Saracens in bur own time, was called on to act as judge. Lighting a great fire, he prays to Christ to judge who was worthy to possess this napkin which He had deigned to wear about His head for their salvation. He then cast it into the fire, when it was snatched suddenly and flew upwards, and remained for a very long time at a great height, flying in the air as if at play, and at last, while all were gazing on it from both sides, it descended lightly and deposited itself in the bosom of one of the Christians, being saluted and kissed immediately by the whole people with the greatest reverence. It P. 16. is eight feet in length. Another linen cloth of much larger size, is venerated in the church, which is said to have been woven ...