When ʾAšmedai the King of the Šedim finishes
his daily studies at the Celestial Yeshiva he retires
to his mountain of solitude deep in the desert
where he drinks wine and hymns Yahō Elōaie Sabaōth
until evening turns into night; from night until
morning he is on the prowl with his hostile host.

Although the mountain is difficult to find and difficult
to traverse, one day in the month of Tishrei ʾAšmedai
returned to find Dionysos Lord of the Se’irim waiting
for him in a tent of greenery he had constructed for shelter
against the brutal heat of the Sun.

To forestall any angry outbursts Dionysos Sabai offered
his fiery host an amphora of wine, and not just any wine
but some made from the vineyards of Eškōl, the finest
in the region. ʾAšmedai was drunk before he drained
his first cup, and cup upon cup followed until the demon
was dancing, and singing, and discussing aggadah with his guest.

Then ʾAšmedai went silent and somber, until Dionysos Eubouleos
was able to carefully draw the cause from him. “My mother.
All of our kind are evil, but she excels everyone since hatred of sad
Mevakkalta has turned her heart harder than a stone. I fear that this
will bring her into conflict with you, because of this crusade
you are waging.”

“I war not against evil, but something far worse; that which
would unmake all that exists. As long as she gives me no cause,
I will not consider Agrat daughter of Maḥalat an enemy.
This I swear to you, ʾAšmedai son of David.”

“And I swear to you, Dionysos son of Zeus, that I will come
to the aid of any of your Bakchai who inscribe a letter shin
and call upon my secret name, which is Šamdon. Especially
if they are being harassed by one of the Mevakkalta-demons;
against her I will send the entire nation of Šedim.”

And to solemnize their oath the two drank more
of the harvest of Eškōl, and have returned
to the mountain each year on Sukkoṯ
to renew it. Amen and amen. Selah!