The Treatise of Mark (Mimar Marqe Book 2 Chapter 3)

A continuation in our series from John MacDonald's (1963) translation of the most important book in the Samaritan tradition after the Pentateuch. The central 'revelation' - not merely a midrash but a revelation given around the beginning of the second century - from which 'Samaritanism' itself is derived.

The elements of the world number four. They served the congregation of the Lord from the day that Moses, upon him be peace, came to the Mount of God, Mount Horeb, when the Lord sent him with spectacular wonders - vengeance on the Egyptians and deliverance for the host of the Lord.

Three occasions clearly manifest the issue of the mighty FIRE from the Lord out of heaven, to serve the children of His servants from Horeb as far as the Desert of Shur. WIND ten times served the favoured tribes and thwarted their enemies, until they had gone forth into the Red Sea. WATER fourteen times served them as far as the Desert of Shur, Earth also served them - six times.

All these elements recognized them with understanding, differentiating between friends and foes. All the servants of the Lord rejoice at the words of God.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The elements thirty three times helped the friends and thwarted foes.

THE FIRE of the Glory which appeared to Moses in the bush in order to deliver the tribes, and the FIRE of the hail which flashed continually there - mercy for the Hebrews and vengeance for the Egyptians. The FIRE which appeared among the waves of the Red Sea and consumed the enemies of God and of Israel.

These are the three occassions when the FIRE of the Lord served the servants of the Lord of the Lord God.

As for the WIND which served ten times, let those with understanding hearken to the explanation of it.

The first bore many winged creatures to crush the enemies of God by means of the infliction of the flies (Ex. viii. 24).
The second, the destructive wind that brought a serious plague on the cattle of the Egyptians (Ex. ix. 6)
The third spread the boils from Moses' hand throughout the land of Egypt (Ex. ix. 10)
The fourth bore locusts and deposited them in all Egypt's borders, so that they ate what the hail had left (Ex. x. 15).
The fifth was a very strong west wind that bore the locusts and shook them off into the Red Sea (Ex. x. 19).
The sixth brought darkness to the sight of the Egyptians, so that for three days no one could stand in his place (Ex. x. 23).
The seventh: the Lord drove the sea forward with an east wind all night and made the sea into dry land (Ex. xiv. 21).
The eighth; by the blast of His nostrils the water piled up (Ex. xv. 8) and the wind became like columns for them.
The ninth restored the sea to its normal state (Ex. xiv. 27), and made it compact and loosed it both for death and for safety.
The tenth: He blew with His glorious wind; the sea covered them (Ex. xv. 10) after the redemption of His servants.

Greatness is Thine, O Lord who worketh wonders. Who can do the like of Thy deeds and like Thy mighty acts?

There were SIX OCCASSIONS for the earth, which we shall recount to increase wisdom for all who seek.
The first: Moses' rod became a serpent before him. This contains a secret that teach us that Pharaoh was in his power.
The second: there was a serpent before Pharaoh that swallowed the other rods and yet it did not increase or decrease in size.
The third: all the dust of the earth became gnats - vengeance on the Egyptians and relief for all the Hebrews from having to manufacture bricks.
The fourth: all the beasts of the land came from the forest to the city to savage the wicked.
The fifth: Moses scattered the ashes of the brick-kiln as boils breaking out in sores (Ex. ix. 9).
The sixth: The land of the Red Sea engulfed the wicked. Thou didst stretch out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them (Ex. xv. 12).

Greatness is Thine, O Lord the doer of wonders.

Commemorate well Moses the Man of God, who redeemed the congregation of the Hebrews at the command of the Lord and His majestic might. There has never arisen, nor will arise the like of him!

FOURTEEN TIMES WATER through him served all the hosts of the Lord.
The first: He took some of the water of the Nile and shed it on the dry land in the sight of the people, so that they might believe and know that in the same way the blood of Pharaoh and his people would be shed. Greatness belongs to Thee, O Lord who keepeth the covenant and favour!

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The second: He turned the water of the Nile into blood as vengeance on all the Egyptians. In this one miracle are contained the ten great miracles, providing relief for the servants of the Lord, that their enemies should know that

the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The third: the water which became red blood throughout the whole of Egypt was for a period of seven days undrinkable for men, but to the Hebrews it was water of life, on the one hand punishment to the Egyptians, and on the other life for the children of the Hebrews.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The fourth: The blood turned back into water after seven days, and then it swarmed with frogs newly created. Then they swarmed and came forth squadron by squadron into the places of the Egyptians - very weak creatures, but it was as though they possessed intelligence, enabling them to differentiate accurately between friends and foes. Kings submitted and mighty men yielded to them.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The fifth: He rained hail and along with it He brought exceedingly loud thunder. Fire travelled the land, and it was said, "There is fire in the midst of the hail, yet the water in the hail surrounds it!" It was also said, "In the midst of the hail it was, burning flames to Him who did all this.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The sixth: The Red Sea was split when it saw the sea of prophethood at the Lord's command. There was a way prepared in the midst of it for the hosts of the Lord - such a wonder as never was and never will be.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The seventh: A wall was set up before the moving waters, so that they were thrown up like a mountain; they were heaped up high to protect Israel's path, so that they should walk on it safely.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The eighth: The sea was changed into a dry state. He made the sea into dry land, as though there had not been any water flowing over it since the day it was created, so that Israel would not be smitten while passing through it. We ascribe greatness to God.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The ninth: The wonted flow of all the water in the Red Sea was changed. It rose up and up from the bottom to the top yet the water's wonted flow is to move from the top to the bottom, for water (normally) descends! The water stood up as walls to protect the tribes. Blessed is the Lord of might,

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The tenth: The water at that time was set up as a righteous judge. It judged between righteous and evil, and cast the evil before the righteous and killed him with many strokes. It redeemed the righteous from the evil, differentiating between the two of them at the command of the great Lord.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The eleventh: When the servants of the Lord came out (of the sea) and the Egyptians set out to encounter them, He clogged the wheel of his (i.e. Pharaoah's) chariot and overturned walls (of water) before them, so that their heads vanished into a prison. They sought for room, but could find none there. All of them realized then that

The Lord is greater than all the gods.

The twelfth: The sea returned to its normal state before Pharaoh and all his servants, while they were all still alive. They looked, but there was no room for them to escape. The Lord lifted them up with a wind, so that they saw the Israelites safe on the shore of the sea. After that the Egyptians sank like a stone.

For the Lord is greater than all the gods.

The thirteenth: His voice was heard in all directions at the time when the Israelites walked in the water, so that even the nations heard it. By this the great prophet Moses was recognized in his prophethood in the section 'Then sang' (Ex. xv. 1 cf. chapter 7 of this book) which makes known to those who hear that

The Lord is greater than all the gods.

The fourteenth: The water closed in over Pharaoh and all his people. Not even one of them survived, while all the Israelites went forth like kings after having been slaves, exulting in their redemption, giving thanks to the Lord of the world, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, who remembered for them the covenant made with them. And they believed in the Lord and in Moses His servant.

These are the THIRTY THREE occasions when the elements served Israel and brought death to all the Egyptians.