Lyrics Act 3 - The Cave of Machpelah - Steve Reich , Paul Hillier

He bought a cave
He bought a cave
He bought a cave to bury Sarah
It has no particular meaning to me
I have no idea
No idea
I have no idea
I knew growing up all along that I was Indian
I knew I was Hopi, but I have no idea
No idea
I never heard of it
Never heard of it
Nothing, it never rang a bell
Never, never rang a bell
Never rang a bell
He eventually was buried in it himself
Isaac and Ishmael come together to bury Abraham
You're talking about our common ancestor, so
The stakes are fairly high in a place like that
And the Lord appeared to Abraham
By the oaks of Mamre
As he was sitting at the opening of his tent
In the heat of the day
And he raised his eyes and looked, and behold
Three men standing by him
He saw them, ran from the entrance of his tent
And bowed to the ground
Why some particular cave would have been chosen is hard
To say, but somebody must have been buried there before
And he said, "My lords, if it please you
Do not pass by your servant
Let a little water be brought
Bathe your feet and recline
Under the tree"
And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said
"Quick, three measures of fine flour
Knead and make cakes"
And Abraham ran to the herd
Took a calf tender of choice
Three strangers come and Abraham, without
Asking a question, offers them hospitality
When the angels came revealed to him
He thought they were three travellers
From among the ordinary people of the land
He went to meet them
And wished to prepare a feast for them
Other mythologies take place in sort of a
Never-never land or off on Mount Olympus
It really was an Ur of the Chaldees
Every city was right
There really were herdsman like Abraham
He ran to fetch a calf
But the calf ran before him
And into the cave of Machpelah
And he went in after it
And found Adam and Eve on their knees
And he took bread and milk
And the cup that was prepared
And set these before them
And he stood by them under the tree as they ate
And he stood by them under the tree as they ate

And the sweet scent was upon them
And Abraham returned to his guests
And he took bread and milk
And the cup that was prepared
And set these before them
And he stood by them under the tree as they ate
And he stood by them under the tree as they ate

And he took bread and milk
And the cup that was prepared
And set these before them
And he stood by them under the tree as they ate
And he stood by them under the tree as they ate