heliopolis -2-

The Holy Family now entered the city unmolested... 

and put up, near an idolatrous temple, a large stone building containing many rooms. 

Some of the idols in the temples of the city were likewise overturned [omvergeworpen].

Heliopolis is also called On. 

Aseneth, wife of the Egyptian Joseph, resided here with the pagan priest Putiphar, and here also Dionysius the Areopagite studied. The city extends to a great distance around the many-branched river. One sees it from afar lying high above the general level. 

The river flows through it under the arches that support some of the buildings. Great logs lie in some parts of the river branches, placed there to enable the inhabitants to cross. I saw the ruins of enormous buildings, huge masses of heavy masonry, towers half standing, and even temples almost entire. I saw, too, pillars like towers, around the outside of which one could mount to the top.

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The Holy Family dwelt under a low colonnade...

in which there were other dwellings besides their own. 

The supporting pillars were rather low, some round, some square, and above ran a highway for the accommodation of vehicles and pedestrians. Opposite this colonnade was a pagan temple with two courts. 

Joseph put up before their little abode a screen of light woodwork. There was room for the ass also. The screen, or light wall that Joseph put up, was of the same kind as he was accustomed to make. I remarked behind a similar screen and set up against the wall, an altar consisting of a small table, covered with red, and over that a white, transparent cloth. On it stood a lamp.

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I saw St. Joseph working at home... 

and often also abroad. 

He made long rods [staven] with round knobs at the ends, little three-legged stools with a handle by which to grasp them, and a certain kind of basket. He made also a great many light, wicker partitions [rieten scheidingswanden] and little, light towers [lichtmasten], some hexagonal, others octagonal. 

They were formed of long, thin boards [planken], tapering toward the top and ending in a knob. They had an entrance, and were large enough to allow a man to sit inside as in a sentry box [wachthuisje]. They had steps outside, up which one could mount. I saw little towers like these standing here and there before the pagan temples, also on the flat roofs of the houses. People used to sit in them. Perhaps they were watch houses, or maybe they were intended as screens from the sun.

~bron~