Section 80
And behold, the seed of Shimshon reigned over the Philistines. And Shimshon was of the seed of Dan, [one] of the twelve sons of Ya'aqov, and he was the son of a handmaiden of Ya'aqov; and we will inform you how this Shimshon came into being. The Malak of the Yahuah appeared to the mother of Shimshon and said to her, “ Keep thyself from all pollution, and company with no man except your husband, for he who shall be born of you shall be a Nazarite, qodesh to the Yahuah, and he shall be the deliverer of Yisra'el from the hand of the Philistines.” And then she brought forth Shimshon. And again the Malak appeared to her and said to her, “ you shall not let a razor go upon his head, and he shall neither eat flesh nor [drink] wine, and he shall marry no strange woman but only a woman of his own kin and from the house of his father.” And how Elohim gave him strength you have heard in the Book of Judges. But he transgressed the Mitswah of Elohim, and came and married a daughter of the uncircumcised Philistines. And because of this Elohim was wroth, and He delivered him into the hands of men of the uncircumcised Philistines, and they blinded his eyes, and they made him act the buffoon in the house of their king. And he pulled the roof down upon them, and slew seven hundred thousand of them, and during his life he slew seven hundred thousand of them with iron, and stone, and [his] staff, and the jaw-bone of an ass. For their number was as that of the locusts, until he released Yisra'el from the service of the Philistines. And then Dalila (Delilah) conceived by Shimshon, and whilst she was with child Shimshon died with the Philistines; and Delilah brought forth a son and she called his name “ Menahem,” which is, being interpreted, “ Seed of the strong man.” Now Delilah w T as the sister of Maksaba, the wife of the King of the Philistines, and when Shimshon slew the King of the Philistines in the house with his people and his household, and he died with him, Delilah went to her sister Maksaba, the Queen of the Philistines. Now both women were beautiful, and they had no children, but both had conceived; Maksaba had been with child six months by Kwolason, the King of the Philistines, and Delilah had been with child four months by Shimshon; and the husbands of both were dead. And the two women loved each other exceedingly. And their love for each other was not like the love of sisters, but like that of the mother for the child, and of the child for the mother; even so was their love. And they lived together. And the dominion over those who were left of the slaughter [made] by Shimshon in the house of the king was in the hands of Maksaba, for none of the mighty men of war of the kingdom of the Philistines were left, and therefore Maksaba ruled over those that were left. And they spoke to her morning and evening, saying, “ We have no other king except thyself, and except that one that shall go forth from your belly. If our Yahuah Dagon will do a favour to us that which is in your belly shall be a son, who shall reverence our Elohim Dagon and shall reign over us. And if it be a daughter we will make her to reign over us, so that your name and the name of Kwolason our Yahuah shall be your memorial over us.” And then Maksaba brought forth a man-child and all the men of the Philistines rejoiced, and they did homage to her and sang, saying, “ Dagon and Be] have honoured her and loved Maksaba, and the seed of Kwolason is found again from Maksaba.” And Delilah also bore a son, and the two women brought up the children in great state and dignity. And when the children were ♦ • five years old they ate and played together before them, and the mothers made garments of costly stuff for them, and [set] daggers above their loins, and chains on their necks. And the people seated the son of Maksaba on the throne of his father, and made him king over the Philistines.