These Mishnayot ["Records"] were written by
five righteous men. They are: Shimur the Levite, Hizkiyah, Zidkiyah, Chaggai
the Prophet and Zechariah, son of Ido the Prophet. They concealed the vessels
of the Temple and the wealth of the treasures that were in Jerusalem which
will not be discovered until the day of the coming of Mashiach, son of David,
speedily in our times, Amen, and so it will be.
Mishnah 1
These are the vessels dedicated and concealed when the Temple was
destroyed: The Tabernacle and the Curtain, the Holy Menorah, the Ark of
Testimony, the golden forehead Nameplate, the golden crown of Aharon the
Cohen, the Breastplate of Judgment, the silver Trumpets, the Cherubim, and the
Altar of burnt offerings, the Curtain of the Communion Tent, the forks and the
bread molds, the Table [of the Showbread], the Curtain of the Gate, the Copper
Altar, the sacred garments of Aharon which were worn by the Cohen HaGadol
(High Priest) on the Day of Atonement, Pa'amonim (bells) and Rimonim
(pomegranates) on the hem of the robe [of the Cohen Gadol], the holy vessels
that Moses made on Mount Sinai by the command of the Holy One, the Staff, and
the Jar of the Manna.
Mishnah 2
These are the holy vessels and the vessels of the Temple that were in
Jerusalem and in every place. They were inscribed by Shimur HaLevi and his
companions, on a "Luach Nehoshet" (Copper Plate), with all the
Vessels of the Holy of Holies that Shlomo son of David made. And together with
Shimur were Hizkiyahu, Zidkiyah, Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah, son of
Berachiah, son of Ido the Prophet.
Mishnah 3
These are the Vessels that were taken by (buried in) the ground: the
locking rods, the pegs, the boards, the rings, the standing pillars of the
courtyard. These are the Vessels: 1,200,000 silver Mizrakot (sacrificial
basins); 50,000 Mizrakot of fine gold; 600,000 (?) of fine gold, and 1,200,000
of silver. These five [men] inscribed these Mishnayot in Babylon together with
the other prophets that were with them, including Ezra the Cohen, the Scribe.
Mishnah 4
Of the Levites, 130 were killed and 100 escaped with Shimur HaLevi and his
companions. These [men] concealed 500,000 trays of fine gold, and 1,200,000 of
silver; 500,000 bread molds of fine gold, and 1,200,000 of silver. On each of
the molds, there were 5 Margaliot (pearls?) and 2 precious gem stones. The
value of each precious stone was 100 talents of gold, and the total value of
all the Margaliot was 200,000 talents of gold. There were also 36 golden
Trumpets. All of these were hidden and concealed in a tower in the land of
Babylon, in the great city called Bagdat. [There was also a 7-branched]
Menorah of fine gold, [worth] 100,000 [talents], with 7 lamps on each
[branch], 26 precious gem stones on each Menorah, each Margalit (pearl? gem?)
priceless, and between every gem stone, 200 [smaller] stones, also priceless.
Mishnah 5
There were 77 tables of gold, and gold [hangings] from the walls of the
Garden of Eden that was revealed to Shlomo. Their radiance was like the
brilliance of the sun and the moon that shine above the world. And all the
silver and gold that ever existed in the world, from the six days of creation
until the day that Zidkiyahu became king, did not equal the value of the gold
that was overlaid on the Temple from within and from without. There is no end,
no measure, no set amount, and no weighing of the gold that overlaid the
Temple and the face of the Temple. All this, plus another 7,000 talents of
gold, were brought and concealed in the "Segel Habar" (?) with
precious stones with which the Temple was built, besides 3 rows of priceless
stones and one row of Almogim (coral?) trees. [Of] the three rows of priceless
stones, the length of each row was 7 cubits, and width 5 cubits, [of the
cubits] established by David. The length of one Margalit (pearl? gem? building
stone?) was 10 cubits. David prepared all of these for the Great House
(Temple), for Shlomo, his son.
Mishnah 6
The number of [building?] stones was 36,000, the same as the number of gem
stones. From all these the Temple was built. There were also three-plus-one
rows of Almugim trees, overlaid with fine gold and placed in the building. All
those were hidden from Nebuchadnezzar by the fittest [men] of Israel. The
Almugim shine like the brilliance of the firmament (sky).
Mishnah 7
The counting of precious stones, Margaliot gems, silver, and gold that King
David dedicated to the Great Temple was: 1,000,000 talents of silver, 100,000
talents of gold and trees made of "Parvaim Gold" which bore fruit,
600,000 talents of fine gold from beneath the Tree of Life in the holy Garden.
All these were revealed to Hilkiyah the Scribe, who gave them into the
safekeeping of the angel Shimshiel to guard until King David arises, to whom
he will hand over the silver and gold, including the gold that Shlomo
contributed, and the talents of gold and priceless precious stones. All these
were concealed, hidden, and safeguarded from the army of the Chaldeans in a
place called Borseef.
Mishnah 8
There were 7 golden Curtains that contained 12,000 talents of gold. There
were 12,000 garments of the Levites with their belts, and the Ephod (vest) and
Meil (robe) of the Cohen Gadol which he wore when he performed the Temple
service. In addition, there were 70,000 garments worn by the Cohanim, with
their belts, their turbans, and their pants. David made all of these for them
to atone for Israel. And the fittest [men] of Israel took them secretly, as
they had been instructed. All this service-gear was [concealed] until the
future to atone for Israel [in the end of days].
Mishnah 9
David [also] made 1,000 lyres and 7,000 harps to atone for Israel. He had
Zilzalim (cymbals) for singing, extolling, thanksgiving, and praising the G-d
of Israel which were handed down to him from Moses, from Sinai. The words,
"From beneath the legs of the Throne of Glory, sapphire stone, in the
likeness of the Throne" (cf. Exodus 24:10), were inscribed upon them. The
lyres were made of Almugim wood, overlaid with fine gold, with 8 stones on
each lyre, carried by the clouds, the demons and the spirits that were under
Shlomo's dominion. On each lyre was a bell of "Nehoshet Kalal"
(burnished copper) from before the Throne of Glory, together with a priceless,
precious stone that Moses quarried on Mount Sinai from under the Throne of
Glory which was upon the Sapphire Stone. All these were hidden and concealed
in "Ein Zidkiyah" that the fittest [men] of Israel knew in secret,
lest they fall, G-d forbid, into the hands of the enemy who hated Israel. For
these vessels are not to be used except to atone for Israel. Baruch [ben
Neriah] and Zidkiyahu thus concealed them to prevent the Chaldeans from using
them, G-d forbid. They hid them until the day when Israel will return to their
former stature and reclaim [eternal] honor and wordly glory, and they find a
man whose name is David, son of David. The silver and gold shall then be
unearthed to him, when all Israel shall gather and make a complete Aliyah
(ascent) to Jerusalem. Amen.
Mishnah 10
These are the weights of silver concealed at "Ein Kahal" by
Baruch and Zidkiyah: 1,200,000 talents of silver, 1,600,000 of fine silver.
Copper vessels: 2,000,000 pots of fine copper, and 1,100,000 of iron;
[Countless] Shefatim (type of pot) without Metzukim (ladles) and copper
Metzukim around the copper gate; countless Cherubim; countless copper
sinks/lavers; 3,000 frying pans of fine gold; 70 priceless tables of fine gold
from beneath the Tree of Life standing in the holy Garden, upon which were
placed the Showbread. Golden Shekamim (type of tree) with all manner of
delicacies hanging from them. They are all made of refined gold which David,
King of Israel, refined. All those were concealed by Zidkiyah.
Mishnah 11
Treasures of gold and silver [stored away] from the days of David until
Zidkiyah and until Israel was exiled to Babylon: Hundreds of thousands of
golden shields, and countless silver [shields]; 1, 353,000 precious stones and
fine stones. All of these were hidden and concealed in the wall of Babylon and
in Tel Bruk under the big willow tree in Babylon upon which they hung their
lyres (cf. Psalm 137:2). And from the House of the Forest of Lebanon (i.e. the
Temple), they took 1,900,000 Korin (measures) of gold. All the prophets, wise
men, and scribes [in the world] could not calculate the wealth and the glory
that was in Jerusalem.
Mishnah 12
Hiluk, son of Shimur HaLevi, was given twelve more precious stones in order
to hide them so that they could [eventually] be restored to the Tribes [of
Israel]. The names of the Tribes were engraved on them, and they shone on the
Tribe's heads, excellent and precious, one more than the other. No king,
prophet, or anyone else knew where they were hidden, excepting Hiluk, son of
Shimur HaLevi. The remainder of the wealth and glory that was in Jerusalem was
taken by angel Shimshiel. Shimur, Hiluk, and their companions, the Levites,
later went and showed it to Michael and Gavriel. All Israel concealed the
Vessels until a righteous king arises over Israel. What's more, they all swore
a solemn vow never to reveal the whereabouts of these vessels until David, son
of David, arises. All silver, gold, and Margaliot (precious stones) which was
ever hidden away will be handed over to him when the exiles of Israel will be
gathered from the four ends of the earth, and they ascend with greatness and
exaltation to the land of Israel. At that time, a great river will issue forth
from the Holy of Holies of the Temple. Its name is Gihon, and it will flow to
the great and dreadful desert, and become mixed with the Euphrates River.
Immediately, all the Vessels will float up and be revealed.
