All the Essenes were assembled there, and he learnt that they looked upon this prayer of thanksgiving for the return of light as the important event of the day.  He joined in it, though he suspected a certain idolatry in the prayer.  It seemed to him that the Essenes were praying for the sun to rise; but to do this would be to worship the sun in some measure, and to look upon the sun as in some degree a God, he feared; but the Essenes were certainly very pious Jews.  What else they were, time would reveal to him:  a few days would be enough; and long before the prayer was finished he was thinking of his father in Galilee and what his face would tell, were he to see his son bowing before the sun.  But the Essenes were not really worshipping the sun but praying to God that the sun might rise and give them light again to continue their daily work.  One whole day at least he must spend in the cenoby, and—­feeling that he was becoming interested again in the Essenes—­he began to form a plan to stay some time with them.

On rising from his knees, he thought he might stay for some weeks.  But if the Essene brotherhood succeeded in persuading him that his fate was to abandon his father and the trade that awaited him in Galilee and the wife who awaited him somewhere?  His father often said:  Joseph, you are the last of our race.  I hope to see with you a good wife who will bear you children, for I should like to bless my grandchildren before I die.  The Essenes would at least free him from the necessity of telling his father that there was no heart in him for a wife; and if he did not take a wife, he might become——­ One of the curators whispered to him the use he should make of the little axe, and he followed the other proselytes; and having found a place where the earth was soft, each dug a hole about a foot deep, into which they eased themselves, afterwards filling up the hole with the earth that had been taken out.  Joseph then went down with them to a source for purifications, and these being finished the proselytes grouped themselves round Joseph, anxious to become acquainted with the last recruit, and asking all together what provision of food he had made for himself for that day:  if he had made none, he would have to go without food, for only those who were admitted into the order were suffered to the common repasts.  A serious announcement, he said, to make to a man at break of day who knew nothing of these things yesterday, and he asked how his omission might be repaired.  He must ask for permission to go to Jericho to buy food.  As he was going there on a mule, he might bring back food not only for himself but for all of them:  enough lentils to last a week; and he inquired what else they were permitted to eat—­if eggs were forbidden?  At which the proselytes clapped their hands.  A basket of eggs!  A basket of eggs!  And some honey! cried another.  Figs! cried a third; we haven’t tasted any for a month.  But my mule’s back will not bear all that you