Harvesting the Baaras Root
"Its colour is like that of flame, and toward evening it sends out a certain ray like
lightening: it is not easily taken by such as would do it, but recedes from their hands,
nor will yield itself to be taken quietly, until either the urine of a woman, or blood,
be poured upon it; nay, even then it is certain death to those that touch it, unless
anyone take and hang the root itself down from his hand, and so carry it away. It may
also be taken another way, without danger, which is this: they dig a trench quite round
about it, till the hidden part of the root be very small, then they tie a dog about it,
and, when the dog tries hard to follow him that tied him, this root is easily plucked up,
but the dog dies immediately, as if it were instead of the man that would take the plant
away; nor after this need anyone be afraid of taking it into their hands. Yet, after all
this pains in getting, it is only valuable on account of one virtue it hath, that if it be
only brought to sick persons, it quickly drives away those called demons, which are no
other than the spirits of the wicked, that enter into any men that are alive and kill
them, unless they can obtain some help against them." (Josephus, Wars of the Jews,
Book VII, Chap iv, 3.)
