_ 331 _ day’s journey from this city. The Kurdish Moor, the lord of it the city, the one who killed his uncle, as already related, removed the rings which were buried with her, and a gold cross from the King’s grave. This was called in Armenian surpnixan, which means “holy sign”, for it had such virtue, that when he bore it into war, no weapon could do him harm, but Our Lord provided that he should die most miserably, with all his flesh rotting and becoming corrupt. When this was seen by this brother of his, he manifested great veneration and reverence for this cross and had it placed in a church of Armenians which is on the top of a mountain, half a day’s journey from this city of Hizu in a northerly direction, and he provides it with a certain income every day for the oil for a lamp which is always alight there. This King David was such a great and powerful lord that he ruled, apart from all Armenia, many other lands reaching as far as Turkey; and the Sultan of Great Cairo paid him tribute. The whole region of this city, which is large, is called Samson. The name is taken both from the great power and strengths of this king who always resided here, and also because in a small, ancient castle nearby are the lance and shield of Samson.
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