That was
all his story. Now, having buried his mother, he desired to rejoin the
brotherhood, if any of them were left alive.
After Gallus had left the tent, since it was not lawful that she should
speak of their secrets in the presence of any man who was not of the
order, Miriam, having first satisfied herself that he was in truth
a brother, told this Samuel all she knew of the hiding-place of the
Essenes beyond the ancient quarry, and asked him if he was willing to
try to seek it out. He said yes, for he desired to find them; also he
was bound to give her what help he could, since should the brethren
discover that he had refused it, he would be expelled from their order.
Then, having pledged him to be faithful to her trust, not by oath, which
the Essenes held unlawful, but in accordance with their secret custom
which was known to her, she took from her hand the ring that Marcus had
sent her, bidding him find out the Essenes, and, if their Roman prisoner
was yet alive, and among them, to deliver it to him with a message
telling him of her fate and whither she had gone. If he was dead, or
not to be found anywhere, then he was to deliver the ring to the Libyan
woman named Nehushta, with the same message.
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