5249. CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE DESTRUCTION OF BABEL. After these things were accomplished, there came continuous infestations from the northern side verging to the western, nearly where those parts are there joined by the mountain where the vast multitude was. In that place were monks of various orders, and there were others who had assembled in that place from the first origin of Babel;* and I wondered how such a multitude could have existed upon one mountain. I was conducted thither, and it was then discovered that there were cities there one under another; and [I passed] thence through a great shaft towards the lower places, and [noticed] that there, also, was a vast multitude, and that they who were below were in the greater distinction, because they were thus in greater security than the ones above: also, that, from them, those who were above had their more important commands. They dwelt in this manner: At A [Fig. 2] was a precipice; the highest habitation, or city, was at BC; a second, at BD; a third, at DE; the shaft, made by windings, through which they descended, at FG; and the lower habitation, where were those of the greater consequence, was at IK. In that place were some from ancient times; but they were separated from the moderns of a similar disposition. There was shown me, there, what sort of dwelling those had who were in the west: more in front, were some who were of the ancients, thus, who were idolaters. * At this point in the manuscript is a rough diagram to which the letters refer.