קֹר֤וֹת בָּתֵּ֙ינוּ֙ אֲרָזִ֔ים רחיטנו [רַהִיטֵ֖נוּ] בְּרוֹתִֽים׃
Unseres Hauses Balken sind aus Zedern, unser Getäfel aus Tannen.
Tosefta Yoma
What was the miracle that occurred with [the Gates of Nicanor]? They said that Nicanor was bringing them from Alexandria, which is in Egypt. There arose a storm [capable of] drowning them (i.e., those on the ship with Nicanor), and they took one of them and cast it into the sea, and they sought to cast the second one [as well], and Nicanor could not put them at ease. He said to them, if you cast the second one, then cast me along with it. He was distressed all the way until he arrived at the port of Jaffa. No sooner had he arrived at the port of Jaffa, then bubbles started rising from under the ship, and there are those who say, that one of the sea creatures swallowed it, and as soon as Nicanor arrived at the port of Jaffa, it vomited it up and spewed it out onto dry land, and on their account it is explicitly stated in the received [scripture] (Songs 1:17, JPS Tr.), "Cedars are the beams of our house [and] cypresses the rafters."*Note: Per the Bavli, Yoma 38a:4, the word for "cypresses" (בְּרוֹתִֽים) may instead be read as "covenant of the sea" (בְּרִית יָם), a reference to this event.