But Solomon, who must needs have all that was rare and costly to adorn his temple, cast his eyes upon this precious tree, and ordered it to be cut down.18 It was duly felled, and squared, and trimmed, and it measured thirty cubits in length.19 But when the carpenters came to put it into a place of that length, it was a cubit too short, and when it was fitted into a place of twenty-nine cubits, lo! it measured thirty, and the carpenters marvelled much, and were greatly astonished, and so, being useless, it was laid aside.20 Yet the people came to see this wonderful tree, and amongst them was a maid named Maximilla, who sat down upon it, and instantly her clothes were in a blaze.21 Then she began to lift up her voice, and prophesy, crying, “My God, and my Lord Jesu Christ.”22 Then the Jews took her, and scourged her to death.23
The Jews, not knowing what to do with this miraculous tree, laid it across a brook,24 and, when the Queen of Sheba came to visit Solomon, she recognized the virtue of the wood; and, refusing to defile it with her feet, she dismounted, and adored it, and waded through the brook.25 Then, when she met Solomon, she reproved him, and told him that on that tree would the Saviour of the world suffer death.26 And Solomon commanded the holy wood to be taken up,27 and caused it to be carried into the Temple, there to be placed over the door, so that all men might bless, and adore it, and he coated it over with gold and silver.28 There it remained until Abias stripped it of its costly coverings,29 and the Jews buried it deep in the earth.30