20 pfant "bore, bege^/, cmi. Isijric/. 



There is another somewhat similar Greek legend, in which 

 Abraham takes the place of Adam, and the Pine supersedes the 

 Olive. According to this version, a shepherd met Abraham on the 

 banks of the Jordan, and confessed to him a sin he had committed. 

 Abraham listened, and counselled the erring shepherd to plant 

 three stakes, and to water them carefully until they should bud. 

 After forty days the three stakes had taken the form of a Cypress, a 

 Cedar, and a Pine, having different roots and branches, but one 

 indivisible trunk. This tree grew until the time of Solomon, who 

 wished to make use of it in the construction of the Temple. After 

 several abortive attempts, it was at length made into a seat for 

 visitors to the Temple. The Sibyl Erythraea (the Queen of Sheba) 

 refused to sit upon it, and exclaimed: "Thrice blessed is this wood, 

 on which shall perish Christ, the King and God." Then Solomon 

 had the wood mounted on a pedestal and adorned with thirty rings 

 or crowns of silver. These thirty rings became the thirty pieces of 

 silver, the price of Judas, the betrayer, and the wood was eventually 

 used for the Saviour's Cross. 



