edful to the host, as victual, gold and silver, much that was
taken out of the treasury of the kings. And so went to many realms which
he subdued; and occupied a great part of the orient till he came
approaching the land of Israel. And when the children of Israel heard
thereof they dreaded sore lest he should come among them into Jerusalem
and destroy the temple, for Nebuchadnezzar had commanded that he should
extinct all the gods of the earth, and that no god should be named ne
worshipped but he himself, of all the nations that Holofernes should
subdue.

Eliachim, then priest in Israel, wrote unto all them in the mountains
that they should keep the strait ways of the mountains, and so the
children of Israel did as the priest had ordained. Then Eliachim, the
priest, went about all Israel and said to them: Know ye that God hath
heard your prayers, if ye abide and continue in your prayers and
fastings in the sight of God. Remember ye of Moses, the servant of God,
which overthrew Amalek trusting in his strength, and in his power, in
his host, in his helmets, in his chariots, and in his horsemen; not
fighting with iron, but with praying of holy prayers. In like wise shall
it be with all the enemies of Israel if ye persevere in this work that
ye have begun. With this exhortation they continued praying God. They
persevered in the sight of God, and also they that offered to our Lord
were clad with sackcloth, and had ashes on their heads, and with all
their heart they prayed God to visit his people Israel. It was told to
Holofernes prince of the knighthood of the Assyrians that the children
of Israel made them ready to resist him, and had closed the ways of the
mountains, and he was burned in overmuch fury in great ire. He called
all the princes of Moab and dukes of Ammon and said to them: Say ye to
me, what people is this that besiege the mountains, or what or how many
cities have they? And what is their virtue, and what multitude is of
them? Or who is king of their knighthood? Then Achior, duke of all of
them of Ammon, answering said: If thou deignest to hear me I shall tell
thee truth of this people that dwelleth in the mountains, and there
shall not issue out of my mouth one false word. This people dwelled
first in Mesopotamia, and was of the progeny of the Chaldees, but would
not dwell there for they would not follow the gods of their fathers that
were in the land of Chaldees, and going and leaving the ceremonies of
their