cularly Nabateans, who had previously
visited the holy mountain in order to sacrifice on its summit to their
gods, the sun, moon, and planets. At the outlet, towards the north, stood
a castle, which ever since the Syrian Prefect, Cornelius Palma, had
subdued Arabia Petraea in the time of Trajan, had been held by a Roman
garrison for the protection of the blooming city of the desert against
the incursions of the marauding Saracens and Blemmyes.

But the citizens of Pharan themselves had taken measures for the security
of their property. On the topmost cliffs of the jagged crown of the giant
mountain--the most favorable spots for a look-out far and wide--they
placed sentinels, who day and night scanned the distance, so as to give a
warning-signal in case of approaching clanger. Each house resembled a
citadel, for it was built of strong masonry, and the younger men were all
well exercised bowmen. The more distinguished families dwelt near the
church-hill, and there too stood the houses of the Bishop Agapitus, and
of the city councillors of Pharan.

Among these the Senator Petrus enjoyed the greatest respect, partly by
reason of his solid abilities, and of his possessions in quarries,
garden-ground, date palms, and cattle; partly in consequence of the rare
qualities of his wife, the deaconess Dorothea, the granddaughter of the
long-deceased and venerable Bishop Chaeremon, who had fled hither with
his wife during the persecution of the Christians under Decius, and who
had converted many of the Pharanites to the knowledge of the Redeemer.

The house of Petrus was of strong and well-joined stone, and the palm
garden adjoining was carefully tended. Twenty slaves, many camels, and
even two horses belonged to him, and the centurion in command of the
Imperial garrison, the Gaul Phoebicius, and his wife Sirona, lived as
lodgers under his roof; not quite to the satisfaction of the councillor,
for the centurion was no Christian, but a worshipper of Mithras, in whose
mysteries the wild Gaul had risen to the grade of a 'Lion,' whence his
people, and with them the Pharanites in general, were wont to speak of
him as "the Lion."

His predecessor had been an officer of much lower rank but a believing
Christian, whom Petrus had himself requested to live in his house, and
when, about a year since, the Lion Phoebicius had taken the place of the
pious Pankratius, the senator could not refuse him the quarters, which
had become a right.

He