The Shepherd of Hermas

And the fifth mountain had green herbs and was steep. And the sixth mountain was altogether full of cracks, some small and some great. And the cracks had herbage, but the herbage was not very flourishing, but rather as if it were fading.

And the seventh mountain had vigorous herbage, and the whole mountain was flourishing, and all kinds of cattle and birds were feeding on that mountain. And the more the cattle and birds were feeding, the more the herbage of that mountain flourished. And the eighth mountain was full of springs, and every kind of creature of the Lord was given to drink from the springs of that mountain.

But the ninth mountain had no water at all, and wai quite desert. But it had in it wild beasts and deadly reptiles destroying men. And the tenth mountain

And the eleventh mountain was full of trees and those trees had fruit, and were each adorned with different fruits, so that whoever saw them desired to eat of their fruits. And the twelfth mountain was all white, and its appearance was joyful, and the mountain was in itself very beautiful.

In the middle of the plain he showed me a great white rock, which had risen out of the plain.[*](The great stone in the plain) and the rock was higher than the hills, four-square, so that it could hold the whole world.

And that rock was old, and had a door hewn out of it. But it seemed to me that the cutting of the door was recent. And the door glistened so in the sun, that I marvelled at the brightness of the door.

And round the door there stood twelve maidens; the four who stood at the[*](The Maidens) corner, seemed to me to be the more glorious, but the others also were glorious, and they stood at the four parts of the door, each with two other maidens on each side.[*](The arrangement meant is { AbbAbbbbAbbA} so that the door, must have been a sort of porch, cut out of the rock, and the tower was built directly above it.)

And they were clothed in linen mantles,