{"product_id":"2940012222909","title":"CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE AGES","description":"Contents:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI. The Wandering Jew\u003cbr\u003eII. Prestor John\u003cbr\u003eIII. The Divining Rod\u003cbr\u003eIV. The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus\u003cbr\u003eV. William Tell\u003cbr\u003eVI. The Dog Gellert\u003cbr\u003eVII. Tailed Men\u003cbr\u003eVIII. Antichrist and Pope Joan\u003cbr\u003eIX. The Man in the Moon\u003cbr\u003eX. The Mountain of Venus\u003cbr\u003eXI. Fatality of Numbers\u003cbr\u003eXII. S. Patrick's Purgatory\u003cbr\u003eXIII. The Terrestrial Paradise\u003cbr\u003eXIV. S. George\u003cbr\u003eXV. S. Ursula And The Eleven Thousand Virgins\u003cbr\u003eXVI. The Legend Of The Cross\u003cbr\u003eXVII. Schamir\u003cbr\u003eXVIII. The Piper Of Hameln\u003cbr\u003eXIX. Bishop Hatto\u003cbr\u003eXX. Melusina\u003cbr\u003eXXI. The Fortunate Isles\u003cbr\u003eXXII. Swan-Maidens\u003cbr\u003eXXIII. The Knight Of The Swan\u003cbr\u003eXXIV.The Sangreal\u003cbr\u003eXXV. Theophilus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAppendix A (The Wandering Jew)\u003cbr\u003eAppendix B (Mountain of Venus)\u003cbr\u003eAppendix C (Pre-Christian Crosses)\u003cbr\u003eAppendix D (Shipping the Dead)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e***\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn excerpt from the beginning of:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Seven Sleepers of Ephesus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most picturesque myths of ancient days is that told by Jacques de Voragine, in his “Legenda Aurea”:—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The seven sleepers were natives of Ephesus. The Emperor Decius, who persecuted the Christians, having come to Ephesus, ordered the erection of temples in the city, that all might come and sacrifice before him; and he commanded that the Christians should be sought out and given their choice, either to worship the idols, or to die. So great was the consternation in the city, that the friend denounced his friend, the father his son, and the son his father.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Now there were in Ephesus seven Christians, Maximian, Malchus, Marcian, Dionysius, John, Serapion, and Constantine by name. These refused to sacrifice to the idols, and remained in their houses praying and fasting. They were accused before Decius, and they confessed themselves to be Christians. However, the Emperor gave them a little time to consider what line they would adopt. They took advantage of this reprieve to dispense their goods among the poor, and they retired, all seven, to Mount Celion, where they determined to conceal themselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“One of their number, Malchus, in the disguise of a physician, went to the town to obtain victuals. Decius, who had been absent from Ephesus for a little while, returned, and gave orders for the seven to be sought. Malchus, having escaped from the town, fled, full of fear, to his comrades, and told them of the Emperor’s fury. They were much alarmed; and Malchus handed them the loaves he had bought, bidding them eat, that, fortified by the food, they might have courage in the time of trial. They ate, and then, as they sat weeping and speaking to one another, by the will of God they fell asleep.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The pagans sought every where, but could not find them, and Decius was greatly irritated at their escape. He had their parents brought before him, and threatened them with death if they did not reveal the place of concealment; but they could only answer that the seven young men had distributed their goods to the poor, and that they were quite ignorant as to their whereabouts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Decius, thinking it possible that they might be hiding in a cavern, blocked up the mouth with stones, that they might perish of hunger.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Three hundred and sixty years passed, and in the thirtieth year of the reign of Theodosius, there broke forth a heresy denying the resurrection of the dead. . . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Now, it happened that an Ephesian was building a stable on the side of Mount Celion, and finding a pile of stones handy, he took them for his edifice, and thus opened the mouth of the cave. Then the seven sleepers awoke, and it was to them as if they had slept but a single night. They began to ask Malchus what decision Decius had given concerning them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“‘He is going to hunt us down, so as to force us to sacrifice to the idols,’ was his reply. ‘God knows,’ replied Maximian, ‘we shall never do that.’ Then exhorting his companions, he urged Malchus to go back to the town to buy some more bread, and at the same time to obtain fresh information. Malchus took five coins and left the cavern. On seeing the stones he was filled with astonishment; however, he went on toward the city; but what was his bewilderment, on approaching the gate, to see over it a cross! He went to another gate, and there he beheld the same sacred sign; and so he observed it over each gate of the city. He believed that he was suffering from the effects of a dream. Then he entered Ephesus, rubbing his eyes, and he walked to a baker’s shop. He heard people using our Lord’s name, and he was the more perplexed. ‘Yesterday, no one dared pronounce the name of Jesus, and now it is on every one’s lips. Wonderful! I can hardly believe myself to be in Ephesus.’ He asked a passer-by the name of the city,...","brand":"OGB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47145279127792,"sku":"2940012222909","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012222909_p0.jpg?v=1763553763","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012222909","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}