LIFE OF MOHAMMED; 243 



occupied in the religious duties of shaving and puri- 

 fication, with a zeal and rivalry altogether marvellor.e. 

 Their melancholy was entirely dissipated and har- 

 mony restored, by the descent of a new revelatioj.;, 

 wliich assured them of speedy victory, though in 

 the present enterprise they had anticipated the prom- 

 ised success. 



The Jews were the doomed victims on wliich fhes 

 fury of the rapacious believers was again to be let 

 loose. Though weakened by exile and confiscation, 

 several places of strength remamed in their posses- 

 sion. With a body of 1400 infantry, and 200 horse, 

 he directed his march to Khaibar, a fortress of pro- 

 digious strength, distant six days' journey to the 

 north-east of Medina, and the capital of the Jewish 

 Arabs. It was protected by eight castles, some of 

 which were deemed impregnable. The besiegers 

 opened their trenches ; but all their assaults were 

 vigorously repulsed. The gallant behaviour on both 

 sides protracted the siege to a considerable length ; 

 and the Prophet was finally compelled to sound a 

 retreat, in order to give his troops a few days relax- 

 ation. 



This interval was signalized by some remarkable 

 traits of individual courage. Abu Beker and Omar 

 had successively mounted the breach, with a chosen 

 detachment ; but were forced to retire amid a 

 shower of darts and arrows. The standard was com- 

 mitted to Ali, who fought with a valour more than 

 human. In single combat he encountered Marhab, 

 a gigantic Hebrew, governor of the castle, a man of 

 prodigious strength and ferocity ; and with a blow 

 of his resistless sabre, called the piercer, he cleft 

 him to the teeth, though his head was defended by 

 a ponderous helmet, lined witli a double turban. In 

 the fray, the lance of his antagonist had struck his 

 buckler to the ground ; but the undaunted Mussul- 

 man supplied its place, by tearing from its hinges a 

 gate of the fortress, which he wielded in his left 



