babylon 4

I saw that the Holy Family had to subsist [moest leven] on fruits and bad water. They had been so long without good water, that Joseph resolved to saddle the ass, take his leathern bottle, and start for the balsam spring in the desert in order to get some. 

But the Blessed Virgin was told in prayer by an angelic apparition, that she should seek and find a spring at the back of their present abode. I saw her going over the hill in which they dwelt, to a deep vacant lot, that lay at some distance between ruined walls. 

A large, old tree stood on that ground. Mary had in her hand a rod provided with a little scoop [schepje], such as the people of that country commonly carry on journeys. She stuck it into the ground near the tree, and a beautiful, clear stream of water instantly gushed forth. 

She hurried back joyfully to call Joseph, who soon removed the upper crust of earth, and disclosed a well which had long ago been dug out and lined with masonry, but which for some time had been choked up and dry. 

He soon restored it... 

and paved it around very beautifully with stones. 

At the side of the well toward which Mary had approached... 

lay a great stone, almost like an altar. I think it was used for that purpose in former times.

The Blessed Virgin after that, often washed Jesus’ clothes and bands here, and dried them in the sun. The well remained unknown and was used only by the Holy Family, until Jesus had grown large enough to go on little errands [boodschappen] and even to bring water for His Mother. 

Once I saw Him taking other children to the well, and giving them a drink of the water which He scooped up [opschepte] in a hollow, crooked leaf. The little ones told this to their parents, and so the well became known. Others now began to go to it, though it remained principally in the use of the Jews. 

Even in the time of the Holy Family... 

it possessed healing properties for the leprous. 

Later, when a little chapel had been built...

over the dwelling of the Holy Family... 

there was near the high altar a flight of steps leading down to their first abode. There I saw the spring. It was surrounded by dwellings, and its waters used for the cure of leprosy and similar diseases. 

Even the Turks kept a light burning in the little chapel, and dreaded [vreesden] being overtaken by some misfortune if they neglected it. But the last I saw of the spring, it was lying solitary, surrounded only by trees.

~bron~