A philologist has mailed to THE SCRAPBOOK this fragment of a previously unknown Hebrew manuscript recently discovered near Qumran:
. . . AND IT CAME TO PASS IN AN EVENINGTIDE, THAT DAVID AROSE FROM OFF HIS BED, AND WALKED UPON THE ROOF OF THE KING'S HOUSE: AND FROM THE ROOF HE SAW A WOMAN PAINTING HERSELF; AND THE WOMAN WAS FAIR TO LOOK UPON. AND DAVID SENT AND ENQUIRED AFTER THE WOMAN. AND ONE SAID, IS NOT THIS BATHSHEBA DAUGHTER OF ONAN THE THEODOLITE? AND DAVID SENT MESSENGERS AND TOOK HER; AND SHE CAME IN TO HIM AND DID UNTO HIM ACCORDING TO THE MANNER OF THE CUSHITES, GREAT OF FLESH, AND SHE RETURNED TO HER HOUSE. AND BATHSHEBA ROSE AND SOUGHT JAEL HER MISTRESS AND TOLD HER WHAT HAD BEFALLEN HER AND SHOWED UNTO HER THE TOKENS THEREOF.
NOW WHEN DAVID LEARNED THAT JAEL HAD SEEN THE TOKENS HE WAS SORE AFRAID, FOR THE WOMEN OF THE PLACE SAID, SAUL HATH SKEWERED HIS THOUSANDS AND DAVID HIS TENS OF THOUSANDS. AND NATHAN THE PROPHET CAME BEFORE DAVID AND SAID DIDST THOU GO IN TO THAT WOMAN? AND DAVID SWARE AND SAID NOT IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE. AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAID AMEN.
THEN WAXED THE WIFE OF DAVID EXCEEDING WROTH AND SPAKE UNTO THE ELDERS SAYING) FOR THEY ARE IN LEAGUE AGAINST MY LORD, YEA, EVEN THE SONS OF GOG AND MAGOG, AND SHE CURSED NATHAN BY HIS GODS. AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAID AMEN. THEN DAVID SENT UNTO JOAB THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST AND SAID GO THOU AND JOIN BATTLE WITH THE MIDIANITE, THAT THE EYES OF THE PEOPLE MIGHT TURN AND NOT LOOK UPON THE TOKENS OF BATHSHEBA. AND JOAB ROSE AND DID ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF DAVID HIS LORD. AND THE WIFE OF DAVID CALLED UNTO HER TWO MEN, SONS OF BELIAL, AND SAID I WILL THAT YOU FETCH ME THE HEAD OF NATHAN THE PROPHET UPON A CHARGER, FOR HE HATH BLASPHEMED AGAINST GOD AND AGAINST ME WHICH COMETH TO THE SAME THING. AND THE TWO MEN WENT AND TOOK NATHAN THE PROPHET AND SLEW HIM AND BROUGHT HIS HEAD TO THE WIFE OF THE KING.
BUT WHEN THEY DREW NIGH UNTO THE KING'S HOUSE THE ELDERS SPIED THEM AND SPAKE SAYING, WHEREFORE IS NATHAN DEAD AND WHEREIN GUILTY THAT YOU HAVE BEHEADED HIM? AND THE MEN ANSWERED AND SAID FOR NATHAN AND SHIMEI SON OF GERA HAVE CAST STONES AT THE KING, SEEKING HIS LIFE. AND THE ELDERS CAME INTO THE PRESENCE OF DAVID AND SAID LET THY WORDS BE TRUE AND WREAK NO FALSEHOOD AGAINST US, WAST THOU STONED INDEED? AND DAVID RENT HIS GARMENTS AND SWARE, NOT IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE. AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAID AMEN.