Volume 2

298 Life of Jesus Christ
Tower of Babel. They were told of the building of that
Tower, of its destruction, of the confusion of tongues,
and of the dispersion of men now become enemies to one
another. All this recalled to the youthful minds of the
scholars the impiety of the giants on that high mountain,
those wicked, powerful men, those dealers in witchcraft,
and they saw the fatal consequences of unions forbidden
by the La\v of God. Necromancy and idolatry were practiced
likewise at the Tower of Babel.
By such teachings were the converted Gentile maidens
warned against alliances with idolaters, idle efforts after
necromancy and the hidden arts, against the seductions of
the world, sensual delights, vain adornments-in a word,
against all that did not lead to God. They were taught to
look upon such things as tending to those sins on whose
account God had once destroyed mankind. They were, on
the other hand, instructed in the fear of God, obedience,
subjection, and in the faithful, simple exercise of all
duties devolving upon the pastoral life. They were also
taught the Commandments that God gave to Noe, for instance,
abstinence from uncooked meat. They learned of
God's h2.ving made choice of the race of Abraham, to
make of his descendants His chosen people from whom
the RedeeIller was to be born. For this purpose He had
called Abraham from the land of Ur, and had set him
apart from the infidel races. They were told of God's
sending white men to Abraham, that is, men who appeared
white and luminous. These men had confided to
Abraham the Mystery of God's Blessing, owing to which
his posterity was to be great above all the nations of the
earth. The transmitting of that Mystery they referred to
only in general terms, as of a Blessing from which
Redemption should spring. They were told also about
Melchisedech's being a white man like those sent to
Abraham, of his sacrifice of bread and wine, and of his
blessing Abraham. The chastisement inflicted by God