Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, Part 2

Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, Part 2

Translated by E. A. Wallis Budge

Manuscripts of the 5th–10th century

The last six of the eighteen Coptic texts that Budge first published: an encomium on the archangel Michael, the histories of the monks of the Egyptian desert by Paphnutius, the prayer of Athanasius when dying, a discourse of Timothy of Alexandria on Michael, an encomium on Raphael, and a Coptic Apocalypse of Paul. Several are legendary or incomplete, and the names of the authors are those that the manuscripts give.

XIII. The Encomium of Theodosius, Archbishop of Alexandria, on Saint Michael

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7021) The encomium which our holy father, who is honourable in every respect, apa theodosius, archbishop of rakote, pronounced on the festival of the holy archangel michael, which is the twelfth day of the month athor. HE RELATED ALSO VERY MANY APHORISMS CONCERNING ALMS AND OBLATIONS. HE SAID, 'IT IS THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL WHO SERVETH EVERY ONE WHO GIVETH ALMS, AND HE TAKETH THEIR ALMS AND THEIR COMMEMORATION INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND HE FULFILLETH ALL THEIR PETITIONS'; AND HE SAID, 'THE CHEERFUL GIVER IS HE WHOM GOD LOVETH'. AND HE DISCOURSED ALSO CONCERNING ALL THE SAINTS WHO ARE [MENTIONED] IN THE SCRIPTURES, AND WHOM THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL ASSISTED IN ALL THEIR TRIBULATIONS, AND DELIVERED FROM ALL THEIR AFFLICTIONS. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. BLESS US. AMEN. I RECEIVE the first-fruits of the speech of my mouth from the hand of Him Who shall give me consolation and encouragement in everything, Who knoweth everything,

2 Who openeth the door of speech to those who seek Him, Who giveth wisdom to the wise, Who alloweth Himself to be seen by every one that seeketh Him with benevolent cagerness. Who is this, except the Word of the Good Father, Who is broken in His Holy Body by my sinful hands, Whose precious Blood I pour out into the cup and administer unto those who crave for it, my Lord and my God, Jesus the Christ, the God and Saviour of us all? He crieth out, saying, 'Every one who asketh shall receive, and he who seeketh shall find, and to him who knocketh it shall be opened.' And now I have seen the munificence of my Lord with gladness, and I will go unto Him this day, and I will ask that I may receive in large measure, and I will knock so that He shall open unto me. But now, O thou who art listening, and who lovest to be instructed, thou wilt say,

3 'What is this petition which thou wilt ask of Him this day, after what thou hast already received? Thou hast previously uttered a Discourse on the New Moon, which is the beginning of all the festivals of each year in the Lord. Similarly thou hast already pronounced an Encomium on the life of him than whom among those who were born of women none hath arisen who is greater, the holy forerunner of our Lord Jesus the Christ, and His kinsman, John the Baptist. And thou now sayest, "I am going to ask for something else." O my holy father, dost thou not know that moderation in everything is good, and whether thou eatest, or whether thou drinkest, or whether thou prayest, there must be moderation in everything, even according to what the master Paul saith, "The worship of God in a sufficient degree is a great advantage (or profit)?"'

4 And I will make answer unto thee straightway, O beloved friend, saying, 'Right well doest thou in speaking, for thou hast revealed friendly anxiety on my account. Nevertheless, I shall make bold to speak, even as did the "Friend of God" who became the father of a multitude of nations, namely, our father Abraham the Patriarch, who said, Since I have already once taken upon myself to speak to my Lord, I will speak this time also.' And even though it may be over [bold] on my part to make myself equal unto him with whom God and His angels sojourned, I will nevertheless make a petition unto Him even thrice, and He will not repulse me, for this God is the same God, and this Lord is the same Lord, and this loving-kindness is the same, and it abideth for ever. Behold, I will further prove to thy mind that it is God Who hath commanded us to receive from His hand, and if it be not so, why did ye ask me to bring into your midst on this great festival to-day not only the whole world, but all the heavens likewise? Ye all cry out to me, whether small or great, or male or female, saying, 'We beseech thee not to defraud us of this great benefit, but to lead us to this great festival this day. We wish to hold converse with him, and to enjoy the honour of thy commemoration of him this day. He it is who serveth on behalf of all of us before God, Who sheweth compassion upon all mankind. He it is who is full of mercy and loving-kindness towards all the images of God.' Who is this? It is the great Archangel Michael, the Commander-in-Chief of the hosts of heaven.

5 I conjure you, O my beloved, my God-loving children, to stretch out your hands to me this day to help me in this great undertaking, lest, having set sail on this boundless sea, I shall not be able to guide my little boat to land; now ye all know my poverty, and that I have not great stores laid up in my barns. [Help me] to load up a great ship which shall be able to sail over the sea, and to bear up under gales of winds. But my cargo is a little one, and my boat is very small, and I fear lest, when I have begun to sail my boat with its cargo out of this harbour into the next, it will approach the quarter whence the winds blow, and the squalls will capsize my boat, and hurl my cargo and myself into the sea. And alas! I know not how to swim and to save even my own life. And assuredly every one will say, [if I escape,] that I have found favour (i.e. been fortunate), for the soul of man is better than the whole world filled with money. For this very reason I am afraid to launch my boat on the sea, for I know that [my] boat is frail, and that I do not know how to swim, and that perhaps if I were to set out I should not be able to return to shore in comfort.

6 And besides, even if I were able to endure all the dangers and all the sufferings of the sea, I should not be able to bear the ridicule, that is to say, the following words which men would most assuredly cast at me, saying: 'O thou man, who was it that compelled thee to attempt to do a piece of work that was beyond thy power? Since thou knowest that thou art a wretched creature, set not thy hand to a task which is wholly beyond thy capacity. Behold, there are large numbers of shipping merchants who are well versed in the craft of seamanship, and if thou hadst committed thy little freight to them they would have traded with it, and thou wouldst have had thy profit on the price of its sale; and besides, thine own boat would have been safe. And thou dost not know how to swim.'

7 Now I will shew you, O brethren, what manner of boat mine is, and of what kind is the freight thereof, and what I mean by [my ignorance of] swimming. My boat is my sinful body, which I have never been able to steer properly; the freight, which is very insignificant, is the blindness of my heart; the art of swimming, [which] I know [not], is the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures of which I have no [adequate] understanding. And [yet] ye compel me this day to set my hand [to a task] which is beyond my power, especially as ye have asked me to make a discourse about the honourableness of this great and holy Archangel Michael. Still more especially is this the case seeing that Michael doth not belong to the earth as do we, and that he is a denizen of the heavens and not a being of flesh like unto ourselves. On the contrary, he is an angel of light, and he is not a creature of the earth but of the Holy Spirit. He is not a messenger of the earth who shall come to an end, but he is a ministrant, a flame of fire. He is not an archon who will perish, but an archangel in the heavens. He is not an earthly Commander-in-Chief who will come to an end, and whom the king can dismiss whensoever he pleaseth, but he is the Commander-in-Chief of the hosts of heaven, and he shall endure, with the King thereof, for ever. He is not one who taketh counsel about souls to destroy them, but he is a minister unto both souls and bodies at all times before God the Creator. He maketh no accusation, but is a messenger of

8 glad tidings unto every one. He is not a foe of man, but a friend that loveth the image of God. He is not an enemy against us, but one who ensueth peace for every one. He is not haughty (or, arrogant), but gracious, and all the qualities of compassion of the Father abide in him. His arrival is not announced unto the King, but he is wont to go before the throne of his Lord with boldness, because of his being known unto Him. His rule is not over one order [of angels] only, but all orders of heaven are subject unto him, according to the command of the Almighty. In short, his station is not on the left hand, but he standeth on the right hand of God at all times, and he taketh counsel for the salvation of man, who is the image and likeness of the Living God.

9 And who is this being who is clothed with such great honours as these, and with the glories that are never-ending? Hearken, and I will tell you. It is Michael, the great archangel of the King of all the denizens of heaven, and of all the beings of earth, and all virtues befit him, that is to say, Michael, the archangel of the hosts of heaven. And who is this being on whom the King of kings bestoweth such majestic rank and royal dignities as these? It is Michael, the governor of the kingdom. And who is this being to whom the Great King giveth such great glories, and such splendid consolations as these? He hath girded him with a girdle set with precious stones of great price, and hath arrayed him in a glorious mantle, of the measure of the majesty of which no man can describe, for it is immeasurably superior to anything which man can compare with it. It is Michael who contended against and seized the Enemy who opposed his Lord, and chastised him. And who is this with whom all the ranks of heaven rejoice when they have crowned themselves with crowns? It is Michael the archangel whom God hath this day established to be the governor over all His kingdom. And who is this being who giveth commands unto the heavens, and they obey him? It is Michael the arch-

10 angel, who obeyed the word of his King, and cast out the i Accuser who worked evil round about him. And who is this being for whose sake the whole world standeth idle, and every handicraftsman ceaseth work in order that they may celebrate his festival with great honour? It is Michael the archangel, the comforter of the denizens of the heavens, and he delivereth those who are on the earth, and bringeth them to our God the Creator, in his love towards us which is very great. But assuredly ye will say unto me, 'The denizens of the heavens indeed celebrate the festival [of Michael] this day, and they rejoice because God hath appointed over them their Commander-in-Chief, but why should the beings of earth rejoice in exactly the same manner? And why should they celebrate the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? He is not formed in exactly the same way as those who are upon the earth. In his glory he is unable to stand upon the earth, according to what is written in another place. For he is a spirit, and he is [not] flesh. Michael is an incorporeal being, and no corporeal being is able to look upon him and to abide his glory.'

11 And I will make answer to thee, and I will give thee satisfactory proofs that it is most right for the beings of earth to rejoice [over Michael]. Now the denizens of heaven do not commit sin, and they have in them neither hatred, nor envy, nor enmity, nor backbiting, nor murder, nor theft, nor impurity, nor fornication, nor any evil quality whatsoever, but they are holy, and they dwell in holiness and rest in holiness, through Him that is exalted for ever. And they celebrate an endless festival with Him at all times, because there hath been cast out from them him that made accusations against them, him that was the Enemy of Him that created them, the Enemy of all righteousness, the Hater and the Satan, that is to say, the Devil. Therefore this day do they celebrate the festival of the archangel, for it was he who fought and prevailed, and it was he who humbled the haughty one speedily. And when he had made him helpless he cast him out into a place from which there was no escape on the earth. And the Archangel Michael did not [only defeat] this [being] and set him down upon the earth, but he received power from the Lord in such wise that he came down and seized him, and bound him with fetters which cannot be loosed.

12 And he did not leave him merely bound on the earth, but it is written that he cast him into the lake of fire, which blazeth with flames of fire and sulphur (or, bitumen), wherein he shall be kept until the day of the Great Judgement. For if he had been left upon the earth no creature of flesh would have been able to escape from his snare. But I think that when it is said that he was cast down into the lake of fire, and [into] the abyss, and [into] the darkness, it is [said so] that thou mayest know the truth, for it is written, 'Those who are in the heavens, and those who are on the earth, and those who are below the earth.' And I say unto you that 13 from that time until this present he hath been punished in the lake of fire. Now thou wilt say unto me, 'O friend, if the Devil is fettered [as we read] in the Book of Job, why was he able to inflict all these evils upon Job at the moment when the angels of God were standing [near]?' Listen with attention and I will shew you [why], not with my own words, but with those that come unto me from another place, for it saith that 'The Devil taketh upon himself the form of an angel of light.' But if one [testimony] be not [sufficient for thee], the Master Paul saith, 'The messenger of Satan inflicteth buffetings upon me, lest I become exalted above measure.' And our Saviour said as He drove him away, 'Get thee behind me, Satan,' and Scripture saith also that the Devil tempted

14 Him. And David also said, 'Let the Devil stand at his right hand.' And the Apostle also saith in the Catholic Epistle, 'From the beginning the Devil received disgrace, and was a worker of sin.' I must not, however, tarry in [my] discourse because of him who hateth our race, but hearken, and I will describe [the matter to] you. When a king, or a governor, or any one whatsoever who is under authority, sendeth an order to one of his fortresses, those who go [to the garrison] take great pains to carry out their orders, because it is the business of the king upon which they have come. And they say, 'Let us perform the orders of the master, lest he revile and abuse us.' In precisely the same way is the existence of the evil with the good. However, at the moment when the Devil was cast out of heaven, a multitude of angels followed him; now these were they who loved cursing, and they …and they came to the end of their glory, and they were …Moreover, the Devil had meditated

15 so much upon his own greatness in his heart that he dared to say concerning Him that created him, 'I will become like unto Him.' And in his pride he set himself to appoint certain orders of angels under his authority, and to make himself like unto his Lord. And straightway God sent His great Archangel Michael, and he bound him in fetters and placed him in a region of darkness under the earth, and those who were in his following became devils along with him. For this reason they are called by a name that indicateth their close association with him, that is to say 'demon', which is 'devil', and until this day they have assisted him in all his evil deeds; now in his pride he had massed armies under his authority, and he made himself to be like unto his God. And straightway God sent His great governor, His Archangel Michael, [who] curtailed his power and placed him in a region of darkness which was under the earth, together with those who were in his following, even as it is written, 'The [evil ones], and the [wicked], and [the abominable], and the perverse.'

16 Behold now, I have shewn thee, O friend, that the Devil is fettered; but the demons still perform his will, according to his envy and his hatred towards us. But let the words of the fable (or, legend) which we have just uttered concerning these matters suffice us, and let us return to the consideration of the victorious warrior bearing the crown of victory, the mighty one, the greatest of the great masters of war, the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the heavens, who hath made for us the heavens to be the table of his great festival, which is spread for us this day in the heavens and on the earth, according to the command of our Lord Jesus the Christ. For He is One God and One Lord, and One Kingdom, which endureth [for ever], and which is the type of the Holy Trinity, and is One substance with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, inseparable, unchangeable, indivisible, incomprehensible, cannot be searched out, inscrutable…

17 the heavens, and those who are on the earth. And as for us, O my beloved, inasmuch as we know, O my beloved, that great is the joy of this great feast which is spread for us this day, let us also keep the feast which God and His angels are celebrating in his honour. Let us array ourselves gloriously within and without this day, and let us this day go into the great banquet of the great warrior of the King of kings, the holy Archangel Michael. But ye will say, 'Since this is a royal banquet, is it not meet that we should keep ourselves in the background until those who are great nobles have been summoned first of all into the hall of the King and of His Commander-in-Chief Michael, and then for us to follow in after them?' Right well is it that ye asked the question, O my beloved, for humility exalteth and directeth rightly; but come ye, follow me, for the great nobles have already gone into the banquet with Michael, and have taken their places. These are the nobles who went in first of all, hearken ye attentively: Adam, and

18 Seth and Abel, his sons. Enoch, and Methuselah, and Noah. Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph his son. Moses, and Aaron, and Joshua the son of Nun. Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah. David, and Solomon, and Hezekiah, the righteous kings. Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and the three holy men, and Elijah and Daniel, these great prophets. Zacharias the priest and John his son. The Twelve Apostles. And Stephen the archdeacon. And the holy and aged priest Simeon. And the martyrs and all the righteous. And why should I speak [only] of the beings of earth, for there are there the Lord in glory, and all the Hosts of heaven, the Angels and the Archangels, the Cherubim and the Seraphim, the Principalities and Powers, the Thrones and 19 Dominions; and all these hosts are there. And they ascribe glory unto God and unto His great and holy Archangel Michael. Verily the great and holy men who have lived upon earth feast with us, and I will enquire of them concerning this great feast which is spread out for us this day throughout the whole world, and I know well that I myself shall rejoice with those who rejoice, according to the words of Paul the Apostle. And more than this, I will begin first of all with our father of all mankind, whom God created in His image and likeness, our father Adam, for I see that he is the first at the feast this day in the place where those who belong to the earth are reclining at meat. What shall I, peradventure, be bold enough to say unto him? I am afraid and I tremble with awe. And behold, now, I observe also that all those who are with him this day at this banquet yield place to him, and I reckon myself among their number. And though I be a sinner I will also give unto him joy (i. e. congratulations) with my tongue in these words, saying, 'Hail, my holy father, lord! Hail, thou father of my fathers and of all the men who have been and who shall be!' And

20 if I give unto him these three congratulations, which are appropriate to his glory, assuredly he will cry out like a father to his son, saying, 'My son, come thou and rejoice with me at this great banquet this day.' And finding freedom of speech before him I ask him, saying, 'My lord father, art thou not he whom God formed with His own hand? And did He not fill thee with the glory of His own image and likeness? Art thou not he concerning whom God [spake] unto all His hosts in heaven, saying, "Come ye, and worship the work of My hands, My image and My likeness?"' And Adam answereth and saith, 'Yea, my son, I am indeed he to whom all these things have happened.' And I make answer to him also, and I say unto him, 'My lord father, did not all these things take place, that is to say, that all the angels bowed down in homage before thee with the exception of one only and his host?' And Adam [answereth and saith], 'Yea, my Lord made everything subject unto

21 ii me when He placed me in the Paradise.' And I make bold and say unto him, 'Why art thou at this banquet this day? The angels are not more exalted than thyself, [for] thou art the likeness and the complete image of God.' Adam saith, 'Hearken unto me, O my son, and I will inform thee concerning [my] honour at this great banquet this day, for I have more knowledge than thou, and I was present when these things happened. At the time when [my] Lord and my God and my Creator made me in His own likeness and image He fashioned me splendidly. He breathed into my face a breath of life, He set me upon an exceedingly glorious throne, and He commanded all the hosts of heaven who were in truth under His power, saying, "Come ye, and worship the work of My hands, My likeness and My image." And there was there [a hateful being], who was of the earlier

22 creation, that is to say, Satanaël, who is called the Devil, [R]b and he was an archangel. Furthermore, when the command had issued from the mouth of God, Michael, the archangel, who was one of the Seven Archangels, and his host came and worshipped first of all God our King, Jesus the Christ, and afterwards they worshipped me; and they answered and said, "We worship Thee, O God the Creator of the Universe, and we worship the work of Thy hands, Thy likeness and Thy exact image." And afterwards Gabriel the archangel and his host came, and they bowed low in homage even as did Michael, and so likewise did all the hosts of angels, each rank in its proper order. Finally the Master said unto that Mastêma, the interpretation of which is "hater", "Come thou also, and worship the work of My hands, which I have fashioned in Mine own likeness and image, even as have thy companions all the other ministrants." And Satanaël

23 answered boldly and said, "There is no rank under Thine [R]c which is superior to mine, Thine own alone excepted. And besides, I am in glory, and I am [of] the first creation, and shall I come and worship a thing of earth? Far be it from Thee to make me worship this thing! On the contrary, it is he who should worship me, for I existed before he was." 'And the compassionate God said unto him, "Satanaël, hearken unto Me! I am thy Lord, I am thy Creator. Come now, and worship the work of My hands." And the Mastêma said, "Far be it from me! Neither myself nor any of my legion will do so. Far be it from us to worship that which is inferior to us! Moreover, we are beings of spirit, but this creature is of the earth, and we will not worship him." And God spake unto him the third time, saying, "O thou who dost belong to My first creation, was it not I Who appointed thee to be a general under My

24 authority, and made My angels subject unto thee in this place? Wouldst thou now set in revolt My kingdom? [R] Wouldst thou now display disobedience, which shall be [an example] for ever? Wouldst thou now make foolish servants to rise up against their masters? Wouldst thou now point out the way to disobedience, O Mastêma? Art thou not My servant? Am I not thy Lord? Have I not the power to cast thee away from before My face, and to take away from thee thy great glory, O thou with whom there is no equal in all My kingdom except Myself, and My Father, and the Holy Spirit? Now hearken unto Me, Come thou and worship My clay." And that boastful and envious being said unto Him unto Whom all Creation is in subjection, "Far be it from me for ever to worship two Lords! I and all my host will never do so, especially since, besides Thyself, there is no one greater than myself in all the kingdom of heaven. And if I should be willing to do so, I should not be able to make my host do so, for they worship me only. Far be it from me to worship a being who is inferior to myself!"

25 'And straightway God was angry, and He commanded a mighty Cherubim (sic), who smote him and reduced him to [R] Re helplessness. And He ordered Michael to take away from him his sceptre, and his crown, and his staff which was of light, and his girdle of sapphire, and He removed from him all his glory, and He gave him a staff of darkness, and He expelled all those who were with him from His kingdom. And Michael did everything which he had been commanded to do, and he seized him, and he broke him by his power, and he cast him and all those who were with him forth from heaven. And the Good God cried out unto Michael when He saw the archangel's good will and compassion towards His clay, and said unto him as he stood in the midst of all the hosts of the heavens, "Michael" [now the interpretation of this name is] the 'strength of Él', "come, O My holy general

26 Michael. Come, O thou who hast contended and prevailed. Come unto Me, O Michael, thou minister of the commands of thy King. For behold, I know thy desire towards Me, and towards all My created beings, and I also will make straight My desire towards thee. And thy mouth shall be opened, O Michael, and thou shalt receive all My loving-kindnesses within thee, so that thou mayest continue to make supplication unto Me at all times on behalf of My likeness and My image, and I will shew mercy unto them. For I know that the Mastêma will fight against My created being, wishing to cast him away from Me even as I cast Mastêma forth from My kingdom. But behold, I entrust My created beings unto thee so that thou mayest deliver them from his snares. And thou shalt entreat Me on their behalf when they shall commit sin, for I am long-suffering. Behold, O Michael, I appoint thee this day to be the General-in-Chief of all the hosts of the

27 heavens, and with the exception of Myself, and My Father, and the Holy Spirit, among all the ranks of angels which are in the heavens there is none so great as thou, O thou General-in-Chief Michael. Come, stand thou at My right hand, and strengthen thou My throne at all times, and thou shalt command all the hosts in the heavens, and they shall obey thee in everything, O Michael. It is thou who shalt teach all the ranks of angels in the heavens to serve thee with integrity, O Michael, the object of [My] boasting, thou rectitude of My kingdom. Come, lift up thy head which thou didst bow low, and with which thou didst worship My created being, and I will put upon it this great crown, which I removed from the head of the Enemy. Stretch out thy [right] hand, and receive the staff of office, and thou shalt be Commander-in-Chief in the place of the Accuser of shame. O Michael, stretch out thy left hand and receive this mighty armour, and be thou prepared to fight against the enemies of thy King. O Michael, take the girdle of sapphire, and [gird it] about thy loins, so that when those who are waging war against thy Lord see thee they may be quickly overcome. Open thou thy mouth, O My minister, and receive strength, so that thy word may become like the sound of the roar of a multitude. Come, array thyself in My glory, O Michael, so that thou mayest teach every one to glorify Me.

28 Behold, I know, O Michael, all thy desire towards My clay, come now, and serve Me during the whole life of My image. Behold now, thou seest that Adam is alone and that he hath no one with him of his own kind, but behold, I have placed a mark on his side which shall become a being like unto himself. And since, O Michael, I have said, It is not good for man to remain alone, let us make for him a helper of his own kind, O Michael the helper, and she shall be of the same kind as himself at the moment when I fashioned him, before I bring her unto him. O Michael, if I had created Adam and made him to remain by himself, it would have been unnecessary for Me to have planted the Paradise. O Michael thou Archangel, all this world which is beneath My throne I will make to be inhabited by the likeness of Adam, that is to say, by My image. And now, O Michael, I have appointed thee to be the steward of my

29 Ko kingdom, so that thou mayest minister compassionately unto My clay. O Michael, the whole of the race of Adam shall know God through thee, O Michael, thou Commander-in-Chief of My kingdom. Thou, Michael, art the governor of the denizens of heaven, and also of the beings of the earth. O Michael, thou art the sweet-smelling savour at the moment of the Holy Sacrifice, and thou, O Michael, art he who shall present the Offering on behalf of the whole race of the sons of Adam. Very many things shall arise through the sons of Adam, and thou, O Michael, art he who shall make supplication unto Me on their behalf and I will forgive them. The sons of the race of Adam shall blaspheme Me through him A that shall lead them astray, but I will forgive them through thy supplication, O Michael." And when the Lord had said all these things unto Michael, He stretched out His hand, and put upon Michael's head the crown, and He made him an archangel. And he set upon it three seals in the form of the Holy Trinity, and the similitude of His image was upon the seals, so that the Archangel Michael might continue to invoke God at all times on behalf of His image, that is to say, of myself. For this reason I, your father Adam, have come to the banquet of Michael.'

30 And thou, O Abel, the righteous man, the little sinless child, I entreat thee also [to tell me why thou art rejoicing] at this great festival this day, which is the festival of the holy Archangel Michael. Abel saith, 'I rejoice because he whose festival we celebrate this day was [the angel] who made supplication [to God] on behalf of my father and my mother, and God forgave them their transgressions, and it was he who took my gifts up to God, Who received my sacrifice from me, and Who paid not attention [to that of my brother, because he brought it not] with a right heart. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' And I see thee, Seth, this day, and I see that thou art rejoicing at the festival of the holy Archangel Michael. [Why dost thou rejoice?] Seth saith, 'I am rejoicing because, when Kaein (Cain) had slain Abel my brother, God gave me as a gift to my parents. And my mother could not find milk to suckle me, for she had ceased to produce any on account of her grief for my brother Abel. But the holy Archangel Michael gave me every kind of spiritual food from heaven. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

31 O Enoch, thou righteous man whom God removed from [the earth], wherefore art thou present at this great festival this day, which is the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? The righteous man saith, 'I am rejoicing because it is I who write with my own hands in the register the sins, and the wickednesses, and the good deeds which are committed in the whole world. And the holy Archangel Michael taketh them into the presence of God, and presenteth unto Him the good deeds, and for the bad deeds he maketh supplication unto Him, and He forgiveth those who belong to my race. For this reason I rejoice this day.' O Methuselah, thou righteous old man, who didst wax exceedingly old in days, is not thy joy this day genuine, for I see that thou art very glorious in the midst of this banquet this day? Methuselah saith, 'Wherefore should I not rejoice? I am the eighth from Adam. The Archangel Michael took my prayer up to God, and He bestowed upon me so long a life that my age and my years exceeded those of our father Adam by thirty-nine years. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

32 O Noah, thou righteous man, I see that thou art rejoicing this day. Noah saith, 'Hearken, wherefore should I not rejoice and be glad? For when God was wroth, [and wished] to destroy the world, He put me, and my wife, and my children, and all the creatures that move on the earth, into the Ark, and shut the door of the Ark. And the cataracts of the heavens and of the earth were opened, and they surrounded us for forty days and forty nights, and we saw neither sun, nor moon, nor star. But the holy Archangel Michael acted as steersman for us and the Ark, and he continued to make supplication to God until the waters diminished, and [the land] that was dry appeared, and I and those who were with me were delivered. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' And dost thou, O thou patriarch Abraham, rejoice this day at the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? 'Yea,' saith Abraham, 'I do rejoice this day; for I am the first man with whom Michael, and my Lord, and his fellow Archangel Gabriel became friends. And Michael made supplication to God on my behalf, and He gave me my son Isaac. And I ate with him—would that I had been worthy!—under the tree of Mabrè (Mamre). Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

33 And thou, Isaac, thou righteous man, thou son of a holy promise, the holy sacrifice which was accepted by the living God, why art thou so splendidly arrayed at the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? Isaac saith, 'I am arrayed thus gloriously because I was the only son of my father and my mother. My mother was a barren woman, and she had no child except myself, neither did she give birth to any child after me. My father bound my hands and my feet, and offered me up on a stone [which was set] upon a desert mountain. I saw with my eyes the sacrificial knife in the hand of my father as he was about to drive it into me, when straightway the Archangel Michael came, and snatched the sacrificial knife from the hand of my father, and he provided a sheep for the offering in my stead, and my sacrifice was completed. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

34 And thou, O patriarch Jacob, who prevailedst with God, and wast a mighty one with men, dost thou also rejoice this day at the festival of the Archangel Michael? Jacob saith, 'I rejoice exceedingly this day, because when my brother Esau pursued me to slay me I departed to Mesopotamia of Syria to the feet of Laban. And Michael came to me, and apportioned to me [my wages from the cattle], and blessed me, and my children, and my wives, and because of this Israel took the name from me. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' And thou, O Joseph, thou righteous man, thou man of understanding, who wast envied [by thy brethren], what art thou doing in this place this day? Dost thou rejoice at the festival of the Archangel Michael? Joseph the righteous man saith, 'Verily I am right in rejoicing this day. For when my brethren, who were envious of me, sold me into a strange land, and when I became a miserable outcast, and was without friends in my great tribulations, the Archangel Michael came to me, and delivered me, and made me king. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

35 O Moses, and Aaron, and Joshua, the son of Nun, why do ye rejoice so greatly at the festival of the Archangel Michael? The saints say, 'The festival assuredly belongeth unto us, and we rejoice therein, for it was Michael who walked with us and with his people, and who captured our enemies, and guided us into the land of promise. Therefore do we rejoice this day.' And thee also, O Gideon, do I see rejoicing at the banquet of Michael? Gideon saith, 'I rejoice this day because it was Michael who came to me, and filled me with his power, and went and crushed Midian, and delivered my people.' O Manoah, and Anna thy wife, how great is your joy this day! And the judges say, 'Because we were barren from our youth, and had no children, we continued to pray and to offer up offerings to God, that they might be a memorial for us; and God gave us Samson, the strong man, and our son also rejoiceth with us this day.'

36 And thee, O David, thou father of the Christ according to the flesh, thou righteous king, do I see this day striking a ten-stringed harp of the spirit at the banquet of Michael? David saith, 'Yea, I do rejoice, and I am arrayed in rich Apparel, because all the verses of the words of God and His Words are [inscribed] upon the tablet of my heart, and the verse which is appropriate to this festival is this: The angel of God campeth round about those who fear Him and delivereth them. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' Solomon, thou wise man, dost not thou rejoice this day in the joy of the holy Archangel Michael? Solomon saith, 'Yea, I do rejoice this day, for it was Michael the archangel who stood by my side from my youth up, and he made peace to be in my days, and he took my prayer up to God, and I builded His house.'

37 Hezekiah, thou righteous king, dost thou rejoice this day at the festival of Michael, the Commander-in-Chief? Hezekiah saith, 'Yea, I do rejoice, for when the Assyrians camped round about me and my people, Michael the archangel went and crushed them by night. And their number amounted to eighteen and a half times ten thousand men, and I and my people were delivered. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' O Isaiah, thou great Prophet, hast thou occasion for rejoicing at the festival of the Archangel Michael? Isaiah saith, 'This is the occasion of my joy: Through all the revilings and abuse which were heaped upon me by Manasseh and those who were with him, it was Michael who stood by my side, and it was he who gave me strength to endure even up to the point when they sawed me down in twain with a woodsaw. Therefore do I rejoice this day, O my holy father.'

38 And do I see thee also this day, O thou holy man Jeremiah, with thy great lamp of light, rejoicing at the festival of the Archangel Michael? Jeremiah saith, 'Yea, I do rejoice greatly this day, because I passed seven years in captivity with my people, and the holy Archangel Michael made supplication [on my behalf] unto Him that liveth for ever, and He put mercy into the hearts of the Babylonian men, and they set me free, and I returned to Jerusalem with my people. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' Come, Ezekiel the Prophet, and shew us what is the reason that thou dost leap with joy and boldness at the festival this day of the holy Archangel Michael. Ezekiel saith, 'I leap and I rejoice [this day] because it was Michael, the great archangel, who brought unto me the roll of the books, and he commanded me, and I ate it, and the prophecies were revealed unto me. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

39 And, O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, peradventure ye are rejoicing this day at the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? 'Yea,' say the three holy saints, 'we rejoice and are glad because it was he, whose festival we are celebrating this day, who came into the midst of the blazing fiery furnace and quenched the flames for us, and he made the king to believe in God. Our martyrdom was completed, and we rejoice this day at this great festival.' [And thou Daniel,] I think that thou art rejoicing exceedingly, and what kind of joy is thine? Daniel saith, 'Neither once is it, nor twice, that I have seen Michael, who is the governor in very truth. And at the moment when I was cast into the den of lions, it was the Commander-in-Chief, Michael, who came to us, and shut the mouths of the lions. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

40 O ye Twelve Apostles, do ye rejoice this day at this great festival, and are ye rejoicing greatly? They say, 'We do rejoice, for after the great sorrow which came upon us at the time when they crucified our Lord Jesus the Christ, and we hid ourselves through fear of the Jews, Mary the Virgin came and informed us, saying, I and those who were with me went to see the tomb at the break of day on the first day of the week, and we found the holy Archangel Michael. He had rolled away the stone, and was sitting upon it, and he gave us the good news, "The Lord hath risen." Therefore do we rejoice this day.' 3 N And thou, O holy priest Zacharias, and John thy son, do ye rejoice at the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? The holy men say, 'We rejoice because the holy archangel was appointed to be Commander-in-Chief, and I am priest unto him, and my son John is the son of Elisabeth the kinswoman of Mary; and the mother of Jesus is my kinswoman, according to the flesh. Therefore do I rejoice this day.'

41 And thou Stephen, thou archdeacon and protomartyr, dost thou rejoice this day at the festival of the Archangel Michael? Stephen saith, 'Yea, my joy is great. For when they were stoning me, I lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and I saw the heavens open, and I saw the Archangel Michael and all his angels, and they were making supplication on my behalf. And I saw Jesus standing by the right hand of God the Father. Therefore do I rejoice this day.' O all ye Martyrs and Righteous, do ye rejoice at the festival of Michael this day? The saints say, 'Yea, verily, we do rejoice this day because in all the tribulations that came upon us, and in all the tortures which they inflicted upon us, it was the Archangel Michael who gave us strength, and we bore them until at length we completed our strife; and we received great honours because of him. Therefore do we rejoice this day.'

42 O all ye orders of angels who are in the heavens, do ye rejoice this day with us at the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? They say, 'Yea, all joy is ours because on the day when our Creator rebuked the Proud One, He set us at the feet of the Humble One, the great and holy Archangel Michael. Therefore do we rejoice this day.' 43 Verily, O my beloved, great is the honour of this great feast which is spread out for us this day, not only upon earth, but in the heavens also. Now therefore, O [my] listeners, who love instruction, let us hasten to betake ourselves to the feast of the Archangel Michael, so that we ourselves may partake of the multitude of good things that shall be laid out before us and before all the saints whose names we have enumerated. Perhaps, O my beloved, if we dare to go into the banquet of the Commander-in-Chief, and we are not arrayed in rich-apparel, and we enter in [dressed] in mean attire, with our bodies full of imperfections, we shall find ourselves in a state of shame among those who wear their rich garments draped about them. And they will thrust us away so that we may not approach them, and so that they may not be defiled by us, and after looking upon us with looks of disgust and contempt they will betake themselves to casting us forth [from the hall]. And assuredly those who are arrayed in splendid attire will reproach us with words of abuse as follows: 'O ye fools of men, are ye not ashamed to be in this state? And if ye are not ashamed, are ye not afraid of Him Who is the King in truth, the Christ, and of His holy Archangel Michael? Is it possible that ye do not know unto Whom this hall belongeth, and whose banquet this is?

44 If ye do not, then learn that the hall belongeth to the King, and the banquet is that of the holy Archangel Michael, who conquered in the war in the presence of his Lord, Who, because of his valour, hath bestowed upon him all these honours. Verily, I am stricken with wonder that ye were so bold as to come into the inner hall, and especially so seeing that your bodies are uncovered. Have ye never heard Him say, "Come not into My marriage chamber without being arrayed in the wedding garment? Have 45 ye not heard Him [speak] concerning the man who was so bold as to go therein dressed in mean apparel, like unto your own? Ye know well what happened unto him, for it is written, He made them bind his hands and his feet, and he cast him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and the gnashing of teeth.' Now therefore, O brethren, rise up and withdraw yourselves into the outer hall, a little way from the door, so that when our Lord the King cometh in with His holy archangel we may make supplication unto him. Peradventure he will shew a little mercy unto us, even as he doth unto those others who beg for alms at the door of the hall, for the archangel is compassionate, and if ye shall keep the festival in his honour he will never forsake you in any matter whatsoever. But take heed to your outward apparel, and do not let them find us in an unprepared state in the midst of this festival this day, so that we may not depart to the sufferings of the others. Behold, I have told you, and ye have heard, O my beloved, the rebukes which these men suffered, more especially [because] they were men [like unto themselves] who spake unto them, and not God. But perhaps one will say unto me, 'What kind of mean garments are these to which ye refer, and what are these imperfections of the body? There is no respect of persons with God, and God doth not care more for the rich man than the poor man. Cannot I wear what I like? No man wisheth to receive an insult.'

46 O my beloved, the matter is not in this wise at all. Far be it from us to cause any man to say that God is a respecter of persons, or that He hath more pleasure in a rich man than in a poor man. Hearken, and I will tell thee what is goodly and what is mean apparel. When thou goest to enter into the banquet of Michael, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, and cast away from thee hypocrisy, and thou wilt do what is very useful for thyself. When they invite thee to the banquet of Michael, cleanse thy heart wholly from every kind of wickedness, and cast away from thee backbiting gossip, and thine apparel shall be splendid, and thou shalt rejoice, and shalt do very well for thyself. When thou goest into the church of God, that is to say, into the house of Michael, strip off thyself fornication and every kind of foul passion, and array thyself in gentleness, and in purity, and in righteousness. And thou shalt go into the hall with joy, and thou shalt keep the feast with the holy Archangel Michael. When they summon thee to the wedding of the

47 King and His great general, let thine alms and thy charities open for thee the door of the bride-chamber; and the things which thou shalt give thou shalt find tenfold on thy table. If thou wishest to glorify Michael, the King's Commander-in-Chief, let the widows and the orphans come away from thee with their faces joyful, and their hearts happy, and arrayed in apparel according to thy ability. And I say unto thee that thy gift shall be great before God and the holy Archangel Michael. If thou wishest to go into the banquet of Michael joyfully, receive strangers into thy house on the festival of the Archangel Michael, and do thou acts of kindness unto them, and Michael shall come forth with joy, and shall take thee into the hall of his King in peace. If any man maketh supplication unto thee, and asketh thee for something in the name of Michael, refuse not to give it unto him. I tell thee, O my beloved, that whatsoever thou shalt give to men, Michael shall take into his hands and present before God on thy behalf, and He shall reward thee twofold upon earth in everything, and God shall shew

48 mercy unto thee in His kingdom, for it is written, 'Mercy shall enable a man to triumph over judgement,' and again, 'Shew mercy, and mercy shall be shewn unto you.' If thou shalt continue to keep the festival of the holy Archangel Michael once each month, that is to say, on the twelfth day, the day on which it is celebrated, and thou shalt keep in remembrance his offering, and an oblation, and an act of service, according to thine ability, the archangel shall continue to make supplication to God on thy behalf at all times, and he shall bestow upon thee everything of which thou hast need, as the thought thereof ariseth in thy mind. 49 But perhaps there is some one who will say unto me, If I must give alms and oblations I will give them to God. Michael is not God that I should offer up sacrifices unto him. There is no god except the God of heaven, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.' And I on my part will make answer unto thee, saying, Thou speakest well; a faithful man indeed is he whose faith is right towards his Lord. But hearken, and I will tell thee. Let us take the case of a king who hath taken possession of a certain (? country, and who hath a vast number of soldiers (or, armies) with him; wilt not thou find among all these hosts one man who is superior to all the rest, even though the king is over them all? And if it happen that the king hath an affection for some individual among these royal troops he will bestow upon him honours and possessions. And these will not be given unto him because of the troop of which he is a member, but they will be bestowed upon him because the king knoweth well that his company is mighty. And he hath power to approach the king at all times, and he is able to deliver him from every [evil] thing, and from every danger, and he is such a valuable member of his body-guard that other folk find favour through [him].

50 And thus it is with every man who giveth alms and oblations unto God on the day of Michael; for the archangel taketh the sacrifices and gifts from his hands, and presenteth them unto God as a sweet-smelling savour, and he receiveth commands from God concerning these men, and he prepareth for them a multitude of good things, and he offereth them up before God as acceptable gifts, and they escape punishment for ever. Furthermore, if ye wish to know what things men give as alms and oblations to God on the day of the holy Archangel Michael, and how he is wont to minister unto them whilst they are in the world, listen to the following great and wonder-worthy history which redoundeth to the glory of God and of His holy Archangel Michael. 51 There was a certain righteous man who was a lover of God, and who loved to give alms, and he lived in close agreement with his wife, who was a prudent and pious woman, and who was as wholly devoted to works of charity and almsgiving as was her husband. And these two people were devoted followers of the holy Archangel Michael; now the name of the man was Dorotheus, and the name of his wife was Theopistè. And from the time when they were married—now both of them were still quite young—they had each possessed a large and certain income, which had descended to them from their parents, and they possessed flocks and herds, and also other necessary goods of this world. And these two people observed a good custom in respect of the holy Archangel Michael on the twelfth day of each month. When the twelfth day was drawing nigh they prepared offerings on the eleventh day of each month, and on the morning of the twelfth day, at

52 daybreak, they used to send their first-fruits and their offerings with gladness to the shrine of the holy Archangel Michael. And afterwards they used to kill a sheep, and stew the meat thereof with pot-herbs in a cooking pot, and they baked as much bread as was likely to be required. And when they had made an end of these preparations they would receive the Holy Mysteries, and then they would summon every needy person whom they could find and bring him into their house, and the blind, and the halt, and the widows, and the orphans, and the strangers (i. e. pilgrims), and every one whom they could find. And when they had brought them into their houses they would stand by them, and both Dorotheus and Theopistè would minister unto their wants until they had eaten, and then they gave them wine in abundance. And when the [guests] saw fit to come out they would anoint their heads with oil, and set them on their way with joy, saying, 'Depart ye in peace, O beloved brethren, for we esteem your coming unto us as a great act of grace.' And these things they did on the twelfth day of each month, until at length the sweet savour of their alms and charities entered

53 into the presence of God in the heavens, and every man glorified them in their turn because of their excellent dispositions. And they hid their virtues entirely, and sought not for any glory from men; on the contrary, all their hope was in God and in the Archangel Michael. And it came to pass that after they had acted in this manner for a very long time God gave the command for a cessation to take place, and He prevented the waters [of the river] from coming upon the land, in order to admonish the children of men concerning their sins. Moreover, He made this to happen in the country for three successive years, and at length there was exceedingly great distress in the land of Egypt; and those who lived there forgot wholly the former abundance (or, plenty) of Egypt, even as it is written. Furthermore, multitudes of men and cattle died because the waters did not come upon the land for three successive years. And this holy man and his wife did not cease to do that which they had been in the habit of doing every month, and they made supplication unto God and unto His holy Archangel Michael, saying, 'Let not cease [materials for] thy gift and thy offering in the hands of thy servants.' And thus were they when they themselves began to be in want,

54 and a very large number of their beasts died. In brief, they had passed through the second year [of scarcity], and they entered upon the third year, and everything which they had came to an end, and all their sheep died one after the other. And the pious and believing man said unto his wife, 'My sister, bestir thyself, for to-morrow will be the twelfth day of the month Paone, and let us take care to prepare the offering. Let us kill the sheep and celebrate the festival of the holy Archangel Michael, for if we die we belong unto God, and if we live we belong unto God.' And she said unto him, 'As the lord my brother liveth, this duty hath been present in my mind for the last two days, but I found no opportunity to ask thee about it. See what hath happened unto us. I rejoice greatly this day that thou hast not forgotten the sacrifice of God; do, O my brother, according to what thou sayest.' And Dorotheus rose up early in the morning on the twelfth day of the month of Paone, and they performed all their service; but of their former abundance they had no remains whatsoever, and there was nothing at all left them except a little bread and a very small quantity of wine. And all the apparel which they had were the garments wherein they partook of the Sacrament, and in these they returned thanks unto God and the holy Archangel Michael.

55 And they prayed and blessed God by day and by night with tears, saying, 'O holy Archangel Michael, entreat thou God on our behalf, and beseech Him to open His hand for us for blessing, so that there may not cease from us the hope of thy alms and sacrifice which we give in thy name. O Michael, thou great and holy archangel, thou knowest well our heart and our good will towards thee, and that we have no protection whatsoever except thine. Thou hast been our protector from our earliest youth until this present, and thou hast ministered on our behalf before God our King. And now, we beseech thee, O our good guardian Michael, if it be that this great sorrow of heart is really to continue with us to our death, notwithstanding these agreements which we have established with thee and with God not to make to cease thy sacrifices and thy oblations, then let thy goodness intercede for all the likenesses (or, images) of God, and do thou perform this great favour for us. Entreat thou God, the King of kings, on our behalf, so that He may shew mercy unto us, and remove us from this life, even as He hath removed all our fathers. For behold, O our protector, thou seest the misery that hath come upon us. But all these things have come upon us in return for our sins. And it is far better for us to

56 die than to forget thy sacrifice and thy offering. For poverty is very many times worse than [death], because it maketh those who are suffering from it to deny out of sheer fear the Name of Him Who created them. And now, also, we cast ourselves down before thee, O thou holy Commander-in-Chief Michael; forget not thou us, [for] we are thy servants. For we know well that thou dost go into the presence of the King at all times, and that thou art never afar off from those who call upon thee, and that thou dost draw nigh unto them, as it is written, 'The angel of the Lord encampeth round about those who fear Him, and delivereth them.' And he saith in another place, 'He sheweth mercy, and he giveth all the day long.' Behold then, O thou ministrant Michael, thou seest that all our necessity resteth upon us, and that we have no words to utter with the exception of these, "We are utterly destitute; help us, O God our Saviour, and relieve us for the glory of Thy Name." And there is yet one other thing which we must say with thanksgiving: It is the Lord Who gave, it is the Lord Who hath taken away; what hath come to pass is that which hath pleased the Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord for ever! Amen.'

57 And when the holy man and woman had said these things, they continued in supplication to God and to His holy Archangel Michael from the twelfth day of the month Paope to the ninth hour of the twelfth day of the month Athôr, which is [the day of] the great festival of the holy Archangel Michael. And when the morning had come—now the time for their making ready the offering was from the evening of the eleventh day, and they had always been in the habit of preparing it early in the festival—the holy and truly believing man went to his wife, and said unto her in humility and shamefacedness of heart, 'My sister, what art thou doing sitting down? Knowest thou not what kind of a festival it is to-morrow? Do not, O my sister, forget our good custom, and do not let the remembrance of the holy Archangel Michael cease from thy heart. Do not, my sister, do not, I say, fall into despair and abandon hope.' Hearken now to the words of consolation which this blessed woman addressed to her husband with understanding. She said unto him, 'Right well is it that thou hast come, O my lord brother! Right well is it that thou hast come hither to me now with the comfort of our wealth, that is to say, the joy of our souls united!

58 Verily, O my brother, from the first hour of this day until the moment wherein thou hast come to me hither, a fountain of tears hath not ceased to flow from my eyes. A fire consumeth my innermost parts because of the remembrance of our protector and our ambassador, the holy Archangel Michael. Now therefore, O my brother, consider what we shall do, so that our sacrifice may not cease from us; let us give unto him anything which we have left unto us. Furthermore, I have heard our master Paul the Apostle say, Whosoever hath begun [to do] a good work, let him complete it until the day of the being present of our Lord Jesus the Christ. Now behold [we have begun], let us fulfil our quest.' 59 And her husband said unto her, 'What is there [left] to us [to give], O my sister? [Tell me] so that we may know if it will be sufficient for our wants or not.' And she said unto him, 'We have some broken pieces of bread left, but they are not sufficient to set before the brethren to eat, and there is a little oil in the flask which might be sufficient for us to use in anointing the head[s] of the guests after their meal, but there is not a loaf of bread nor any flour left.' And her husband said, 'In truth, my sister, even if we had these there is no sheep to kill; nevertheless, let God's Will be done! God will not demand from us anything which is beyond our strength, and it is far better for us to give a little than not to give at all. Moreover, that which hath entered into my mind I will carry out, and I will tell thee what it is. Behold, we each have still left to us the apparel in which we receive the Sacrament. I will arise, and will take the cloak that is mine first of all, and I will exchange it for flour for the offering. Its price, however, will hardly suffice [to buy sufficient flour] for the guests, because it is very much torn.

60 If we succeed in exchanging the cloak, I will go and see if God will provide us with a sheep, and I will give thy cloak in exchange for it, and we will slay it for the festival, and we will celebrate the festival of the archangel to-morrow gloriously, for this is his great festival. If we find [a sheep] we shall eat, and if we do not find [it], it is the dispensation of the Lord.' And the wise and understanding woman said unto him, 'My lord brother, not only will I sell my cloak together with thine, but I will sell my very soul for my lord the archangel.' And her husband said unto her, 'My sister, very right is the good disposition which thou hast exhibited towards the holy Archangel Michael.' 61 Thereupon the man took his cloak, and sold it, and bought some wheat, and he gave it to the miller to grind, and he returned to his house rejoicing, and he said to his wife, 'Behold, God hath arranged the matter of the offering for us.' And, moreover, when they came to the twelfth day of Athôr, the worthy woman went to her husband early in the morning, and she said unto him, 'My brother, take my cloak, and get thee gone and sell it, and see if thou canst find a sheep, so that we may be able to provide for the feast for the brethren who will come unto us.' And he, wishing to find out the extent of her [good] disposition towards Michael, said unto her, 'My sister, if I take away thy cloak, how wilt thou be

62 able to go and partake of the Sacrament on this great festival this day? Now I am a man, and I can go about just as I am everywhere, but it is seemly for a woman to take good heed to herself in respect of her body, and most of all in church.' And she lifted up her voice and wept, saying, 'Woe is me, my brother! What is this thing which thou hast said unto me this day? Am I to make myself a stranger unto thee this day? Are we to separate ourselves this day and become two people? Am I not of the same flesh as thyself? Have I not a portion with thee in the sacrifices? Wouldst thou rob me this day of my love towards the holy Archangel Michael? Do not, my brother, do not, I say, think in thy heart that I can abandon my purpose towards the Archangel Michael. The Apostle hath already fully proved to us that there is neither male nor female in Christ.' And as she spake these words she wept, and her soul was sorely disquieted within her. The man, however, rejoiced very greatly over the greatness of her faith, and he took the cloak from her hands, saying, 'Make ready the offering, and the first-fruits, and the oil, so that we may send them to the Church; and set out the table in the midst and the bread, and make ready the vegetables by the time I return, according to the Will of God, with the sheep.'

63 And the man went out, and as he walked along he supplicated the holy archangel to make straight his ways before him. And as he was walking along he came upon a shepherd, and he said unto him, 'Hail, friend!' And the shepherd said unto him, 'Peace be unto thee, O honourable man!' And the believing man said unto him, 'Can I find with thee this day a sheep [suitable] for this great man who is coming unto us this day?' And the shepherd said, 'A sheep of what price dost thou wish for?' And the believing man said unto him, 'I want one worth a termésion.' And the shepherd said unto him, 'Give me the price and I will give thee the sheep.' And the believing man reached out to him the cloak of his wife, saying, 'Take the cloak, which belongeth to my wife, and keep it in thy hands for three days; if I do not bring the money to thee [before the end of that time], I will assign it to thee.' And the shepherd answered and said, 'What can I do with this thing? There is nothing in my house except wool and stuff; I will not take it.'

64 And when the believing man saw that the shepherd spurned both him and the cloak, he turned away on his road with great sorrow of heart and abundant tears. And whilst he was walking along sadly and thinking what he should do, or what he should say to his wife, suddenly he looked straight before him and saw the Archangel Michael riding upon a white horse, and he was in the form of one of the chief imperial noblemen. And the believing man was greatly afraid, and he withdrew himself to one side out of the way of the archangel's path until he should have passed by. And when the archangel in the form of a nobleman came up to him, he pulled his horse's bridle, and stood still and said unto the man, 'Hail, Dorotheus! Whither walkest thou by thyself?' And with trembling Dorotheus said unto him, 'Hail, master, my lord archon!

65 Welcome is thy coming unto us this day.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto him, 'Is Theopistè thy wife still alive?' And Dorotheus, with his face turned towards the ground through shame, said unto him, 'Yea, thy servant is alive.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto him, 'What is this which thou art carrying?' And Dorotheus said unto him with confusion, 'It is a cloak which belongeth to my wife.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto him, 'What art thou doing with it in this place?' And Dorotheus said unto him, 'A very great man is coming to visit me this day, and I have not been able to find everything which I wanted, and there is no gold in my possession. And because of the time of suffering whereunto we have come, I brought the cloak hither to give in exchange for a sheep, but no one will take it from me, and I do not know what to do.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto Dorotheus, 'I will make myself surety for a sheep, and I will obtain it for thee, and thou shalt cook it for me and for those who are with me this day.' And Dorotheus answered, 'Yea, very gladly will I do so, my lord. May I be found worthy! Come thou into my habitation.'

66 And Michael said unto one of the angels who were journeying with him under the forms of soldiers, 'Walk thou with Dorotheus, and go to this shepherd, and say unto him thus: The nobleman who passed thee by recently saith, Send me a sheep of the value of a termésion. I will be responsible for it, and will send unto thee the price thereof by the hour of noon this day.' And the soldier walking with Dorotheus went unto the shepherd in the name of the nobleman, and they brought away the sheep. And the nobleman said unto Dorotheus, 'Behold, the sheep is ready for the need of the great man whom thou hast invited. See now if thou canst find some wood and a fish for my need, because I do not eat [the flesh of] sheep.' And Dorotheus said unto him, 67 'I only wish that I could find a fish, my father, and [if] I could obtain one I would rejoice.' And the nobleman said unto Dorotheus, 'What wouldst thou give for a fish?' And Dorotheus said, 'I would deposit my wife's cloak as a surety for one until I could send the price for the same.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto him, 'If the matter be thus, let the cloak stay with thee. I will send in my own name, and I will take the fish until thou art able to send the price thereof.' And the nobleman called one of the soldiers who, in the forms of angels, were travelling with him, [and said unto him], 'Get thee to the river, and cry out to the fishermen there, and say unto them, The nobleman who came and passed by you and spake to you this day saith, Send me a fine fish worth a termésion, and I will send you the price thereof by the hand of Dorotheus the husbandman, by the hour of noon this day.' And the soldier went to the fishermen, and spake unto them in the name of the nobleman according to the message which he spake to him. And the fishermen gladly gave him a large fish, which was still alive, and he brought it quickly to the nobleman, who was Michael.

68 And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto Dorotheus, 'What more dost thou wish for? Is not the matter good? Is not the need supplied? Is not the material for the dinner provided?' And Dorotheus answered and said, 'Yea, my lord. Thou hast performed for me this day a very kind act. The day hath advanced, and our business hath prospered well, and thou hast done a very great favour to thy servant.' And the nobleman said, 'Let us make haste'; and they took the sheep and the fish, and they departed. And as Dorotheus was walking along he was thinking about the price of the sheep and of the fish, and where he would be able to find the things required by the nobleman, both apparel and wine, and where he could get bread suitable for him; in short, multitudes of thoughts were surging up in him. And he made supplication to God with his whole heart, saying, 'O Archangel Michael, my protector, stand thou by thy servant this day, for I am doing all these things in thy name, and in that of thy Lord, this day'; and whilst he was pondering these things the archangel knew his thoughts and his patient long-suffering.

69 And after these things they knocked at the door of the house of Dorotheus, and Michael was the first to knock, and he saw that it (i.e. the house) was decorated with garlands. And he walked inside [the courtyard], and the God-loving woman came out to him and said, 'Welcome, O my lord nobleman!' And the nobleman said unto her, 'Hail, Theopistê,' the interpretation of which [name] is 'she who believeth in God'; 'what art thou doing in these days?' And Theopistê answered, saying, 'Thou art welcome, my lord, and we glorify God and thy grace. Come thou in, O nobleman, and do not stand outside.' And whilst she was saying these words, behold, Dorotheus brought in the sheep, and the large fish, and the cloak, and set them before her. And she said unto him, 'Whence hast thou obtained these things (i. e. the sheep and the fish), my brother? For I see that thou hast brought back the cloak.' And Dorotheus said unto her, 'The nobleman made himself responsible for me, and they were given unto me.' And Theopistê said, 'Well spoken, my brother! God and the archangel have brought the nobleman and those who are with him unto us this day.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, said unto them, 'We are going to the Sacrament, for it is a festival, and the time of service hath come, but remain ye here, both thou and thy wife. Kill the sheep, make [your] preparations here carefully and suitably. And look to this fish, and do not touch him until I come, when I will dress him according to my own liking.' And they said, 'As my lord nobleman commandeth even so shall it be.'

70 And the nobleman went forth from them. And Dorotheus and his wife did not know who he was, but they thought that he was a nobleman of the district. Then Dorotheus said unto Theopistê, 'My sister, what shall we do? How shall we be able to prepare for the nobleman's reception? Where shall we find bread or wine suitable for him? Would that we could do as we did in the days that are past, when our path was prosperous!' And Theopistê said, 'My brother, God will not forsake us. Meanwhile arise, and let a man kill the sheep, and we two will do what is necessary here'; and they did so. And Theopistê said unto him (i. e. the servant), 'Let us go and bring out a little wine, and let us see if it be suitable for the nobleman or not.' And when they went [to the wine cellar] and opened the door they found that it was filled with [jars of] wine up to the very door. And Dorotheus was greatly disturbed, and he said unto his wife, 'Hath any man been bringing [jars of] wine in here since I went out this morning?' And his wife

71 said unto him, 'As the Lord liveth, since the time when I brought out the offering of first-fruits this morning, only one jar of wine hath been brought in here.' And Dorotheus said unto her, 'Be patient, my sister, until we see what is the end of the matter.' Afterwards he said unto Theopistê, 'Let us go in and fetch out a little oil for the meal and for the needs of the brethren.' And they both went into the cellar, and they found seven jars filled with oil up to their very brims, and they found there also large vessels and jars filled with every kind of rich meats and sweets according to the need of the house. And very great fear fell upon Dorotheus and Theopistê. And afterwards they went also into the house and into their bedchamber, and they found there the boxes wherein they kept their clothing filled with splendid apparel of every kind, which was similar to that which they had worn in the time of their wealth, and one might almost say that, in very truth, they were the actual garments. And after these things they went into the chamber wherein the bread was kept, and they found it full of loaves of bread of the finest quality and of whiteness like unto snow. Then straightway they perceived that it was the favour of God which had come unto them, and they glorified God and the holy Archangel Michael.

72 Then Dorotheus said unto Theopistê, 'Behold, God hath prepared everything. Let us make ready for the nobleman, because it is time for us to go to the Sacrament'; and they did everything that was necessary. And they made ready their large broad cushions whereon the nobleman might recline at meat, and they covered them with costly cloths befitting his exalted rank; and they set out the tables for the brethren in their places, according to their custom. And they dressed themselves carefully in fair white apparel, and went to the Sacrament in the shrine of the holy Archangel Michael with great fervour and with great joy. And when they had gone into the church they cast themselves down upon their faces together before the holy place, and they prayed to God and made great thanksgivings unto Him. And they gave thanks unto the holy Archangel Michael with great earnestness, saying, 'We render thanks unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus the Christ, and we glorify Thy Good Father, and we render thanks unto Thy great, holy Archangel Michael, because Thou hast neither deprived us of Thy mercy, nor been unmindful of our supplication, but hast quickly sent unto us Thy loving-kindness.' Then after these things they partook of the Sacrament and received the benediction.

73 And they made haste and went home and opened with great zeal their house to the brethren who were in attendance upon the nobleman. Moreover, they compelled to come into it every one, that is to say, men, and women, and children, in such numbers that the whole hall was full. And Dorotheus and Theopistè his wife girded up their loins, and stood and ministered unto the brethren in all their wants, and they supplied them with wine in great abundance. And whilst matters were happening in this way, behold, the nobleman, who was Michael, and who was with all his company of soldiers, knocked at the door of the house. And Dorotheus and his wife made haste and came forth therefrom rejoicing, and they bowed low in homage before him, saying, 'Right well is it that thou hast come to us this day, together with all thy company of soldiers, O our lord nobleman. Verily we rejoice exceedingly that we have been held worthy for thee to come unto us on a day that is especially glorious. May the Archangel Michael rejoice with thee! Come in, O blessed man! The Lord be with thee!' And the archangel, who was the nobleman, went into the hall of the house, and he found it to be filled with men, and women, and children, both small and great. And pretending to be astonished, he said unto Dorotheus and Theopistè his wife, 'Brethren, why have ye with you this company of people

74 whom I see in such great numbers here? Peradventure ye are giving yourselves additional trouble on my account, because I have come to you this day. Do ye not perceive what serious difficulty and trouble arise therefrom? Surely ye could only, with the greatest difficulty, have made [such a feast as] this in the days when ye were prosperous and wealthy.' And Dorotheus and Theopistè answered and said, 'O our lord nobleman, forgive us. We have not added to our trouble because of thee--thanks be unto God and unto the holy Archangel Michael--and among all these people whom thou seest here this day there is no stranger present, for they all belong to our family, and all are descended from our fathers.' And as they said these words the Archangel Michael rejoiced over their perfect dispositions, and he said unto them, 'Come, the time hath arrived when I and those who are with me would take the food we need.' And they went into the place which they had prepared for him, and when they had entered the dining hall the nobleman took his seat upon a chair, and he commanded, saying, 'Bring hither the fish to me so that I may prepare it for dressing according to my wish'; and they made haste and brought the fish to

75 him. And the nobleman said unto Dorotheus, 'Open his belly'; and he did so. And the nobleman said unto him, 'Take out his stomach'; and when he had taken it out it was very large. And the nobleman said unto Dorotheus, 'Open it'; and he opened it, and he found inside the stomach a large bag which was sealed with a seal. And Dorotheus was struck with wonder at the matter, saying, 'What is this, O nobleman, which I have found in this stomach?' And the nobleman said unto him, 'It happeneth that large fish swallow everything which they find; meanwhile open the bag, and let us see what is inside it.' And Dorotheus said unto him, 'My lord, how can I possibly open it? Behold, it is sealed.' And Michael, that is to say, the nobleman, stretched out his hand, and took the bag, and opened it, and he found it full of choice pieces of gold; and they counted the gold pieces and found that they amounted to three hundred oboli with heads. And afterwards he found under all the gold pieces three termésia, one under the other. And Dorotheus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, 'Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and Thy Name is true; there is no limit [to Thy gifts] for those who love Thee.' And the nobleman, who was Michael, cried out to Dorotheus and Theopistè his wife, and said unto them, 'Come hither to me, O brethren.

76 Since ye are compassionate folk ye have obtained a large sum of money through me; I came to you indeed, but, behold, God prepared you. And I know these gold pieces and the seal, and I find that they belong to my Lord the King. Now therefore, in return for the hospitality which ye have shewn to me and to my company this day, behold, I will bestow upon you three hundred oboli and also the three termésia. Take them, and give one to the shepherd [in payment for the sheep], and one to the fisherman in payment for the fish; now I made myself responsible for them on your behalf, and, behold, the time of noon hath arrived when, according to the agreement [the money is to be paid], and as for the third take it and give it to the man with whom thou didst deposit thy cloak, and from whom thou didst take the wheat for the offering.'

77 And Dorotheus and Theopistè cast themselves down before the nobleman, saying, 'What is this which thou sayest unto us, O our lord nobleman? We are thy servants. Didst thou come unto us that we should take anything from thy hand? Is it not an honour for us to receive into our house any officer of the Imperial Army? Art thou not master of our bodies, and canst thou not do what thou wishest with us? And besides these [considerations] also we cannot accept anything except the gift of God. Thou well knowest, O our lord, what day this day is. The little bread which we eat this day with our kinsfolk doth not belong unto us, but unto God and His great and holy Archangel Michael, whose festival we are celebrating this day. Nevertheless, if it be thy will, O our lord, we will accept the [three] termésia only, wherewith we will pay for the sheep and the fish, and redeem the cloak [pledged for the flour of] the offering, according to thy command.' And the nobleman said unto them, 'Verily, by God's Truth and by the salvation of my Lord the King, ye shall take everything, leaving nothing whatsoever behind. And lest ye be afraid that should the King hear about this He may threaten you with punishment, I myself will explain the matter on your behalf to my Lord the King, and He shall bestow upon you also other great honours. And if ye would persuade yourselves that these are all the things which ye have to take from my hands [ye are mistaken], for this is only the interest on the same. When, however, I return to my city, by the Will of God, I will send to you in full measure the principal and the great honours which I wish to give to you.'

78 And Dorotheus and his wife Theopistè rejoiced when they heard these words, and they said unto the nobleman, 'O our lord, we beseech thee not to lead us thy servants astray by these words, for we, O our lord, we are thy servants. Take back from us the words, for they are beyond our measure [of understanding]. Where could thy servants obtain money [to give thee?] And besides, how can we accept interest [for money which we never lent]? On what day did our lord, unto whom we minister, come to us? For, by God's Truth, we have never seen thee enter our house [before]. We did not even know thy face before this day. And how canst thou possibly say unto us, O our lord, that thou hast received anything from us?' And the nobleman answered and said, 'It is I who will explain to you how I entered into your house, and when I did so. From the day whereon your parents died, and ye obtained possession of their substance, I have been coming into your house once every month. And after I entered your house ye sent very great gifts to my city, to my Lord the King. And your names are written upon all of them, in order that when ye shall go to the city of the King He will reward you for them twofold.'

79 And Dorotheus and Theopistè answered, saying, 'We entreat thee, O our lord, to do us a very great favour and to tell us thy name, for then, perhaps, we shall understand the matter, and be able to find an explanation for thy words which thou speakest unto us.' And the nobleman, that is to say, Michael, answered and said, 'I will tell thee my name, and the Name of my King, and the name of my city Jerusalem; and if ye wish to learn them hearken, and I will declare them unto you. I am Michael, the governor of the beings of heaven and the beings of the earth. I am Michael, the Commander-in-Chief of the hosts of heaven. I am Michael, the archangel of the worlds of light. I am Michael, the victorious warrior in battle before his King. I am Michael, the comforter and the object of boasting of the denizens of heaven and of the beings on the earth. I am Michael, in whose face is placed the loving-kindness of God. I am Michael, the archangel of the world of light, and the steward of the kingdom of heaven. I am Michael, and I receive the sacrifices and the supplications of men, and present them unto God, the King in truth, Jesus the Christ, our Saviour. I am Michael, who walk with all the men whose hope is in God.

80 I am Michael, the archangel who ministereth unto all mankind with joy, and who hath ministered unto you, O Dorotheus and Theopistè, from your youth up even until this present. And I will never cease to minister unto you until I present you to the King of the denizens of heaven and of the beings of earth. Inasmuch as ye have ministered unto us ourselves, as well as unto my Lord, with great strenuousness, I will not forget your sacrifices and your charities, which ye have been wont to give unto God in my name. Was I not standing by you yesterday, and did I not hear you holding converse together concerning myself and the customary offering and gifts which ye give in my name during my festival? I was not remote from you (i. e. very close to) at the moment when ye were weeping and making supplication to me, saying, "Entreat thou and beseech God for us that He may remove us out of the [world] rather than that [our] sacrifices and charity towards the archangel shall come to an end. Did I not see you at the moment when ye bartered away your cloaks wherein ye were wont to receive the Sacrament, and gave them in exchange for the offering for my festival? I declare unto you that I was with you on all these occasions. Moreover, all the things which from your youth up ye have given in my name I have never forgotten;

81 on the contrary, I have presented them all to God on your behalf. 82 Verily, I have taken your sacrifices from you in truth, and your gifts, even as I did those of Abel, because ye gave them with a true intent. O Dorotheus and Theopistê, blessed are ye, yea and ye shall be blessed, even as it is written, and according to your names, which are also a blessing unto you, for Dorotheus [meaneth] the "gift of God", and Theopistê meaneth "she who believeth in God". I am Michael the archangel whom ye have appointed to be your protector before God. I am Michael, who take your prayers, and your sacrifices, and your tithes up to God, even as I did for Cornelius in olden time. And also, as regards Cornelius, I went to him, and I taught him the way of salvation, that is to say, baptism, which he put on through Peter. Fear not, I am not remote from you (i. e. I am very near you) even as ye yourselves have drawn nigh unto me and unto my Lord, since it is written, "Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh unto you." And now, O Dorotheus and Theopistê, take to yourselves strength, and arise, stand up, and accept these gifts from my hands, for, as I have already declared unto you, these things are merely the interest, and when ye shall remove yourselves from this life I will give unto you the principal in the Jerusalem of the heavens, the city of all the saints. For I have already received you to favour at the hand of God in return for your sacrifices and your pious charities.'

83 And when the Archangel Michael had said these things to Dorotheus and Theopistê as they lay prostrate on the ground like dead folk, he took hold of their hands, and raised them up, and dispelled their fear. And he gave unto them the gold pieces, saying, '[Your offerings and charities] shall neither come to an end nor cease. And ye shall not be last in any good thing, and ye shall not fall behind in your sacrifices and your charities, which ye shall continue with praiseworthy zeal from this day, this festival, until ye end [your lives]. Now ye shall end [your lives] with joy. And ye shall send away [satisfied] the brethren who shall come unto you at my commemoration. Thou shalt send to the [owners] the price of the sheep, and the price of the fish, and thou shalt redeem the cloak. And the three hundred oboli, and also the three termêsia, whereon is the seal (i. e. the Sign of the Cross), are given unto thee as a reward in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One perfect Godhead.' And when he had said these things unto them he gave them the salutation of peace, and went up into heaven with glory, and all his angels with him; and Dorotheus and Theopistê continued to gaze after him until he entered into heaven, in peace. Amen. And Dorotheus and Theopistê his wife did as the holy Archangel Michael had commanded them. And they kept the festival to the end of their lives with great zeal, and they did not cease to offer what they had been wont to offer in respect of sacrifices and offerings, in the name of the holy Archangel Michael, until the end of their lives.

84 Oh And, O my beloved, do ye fulfil even a very little of all the things which ye have just heard. Are not these profound proofs (or, examples) sufficient to convince your hearts? Is it possible that ye will hesitate any longer to give gifts to God on the festival of the holy Archangel Michael? Will ye not obtain boldness through the things which ye have given on the festival of the holy Archangel Michael, and which he shall give [back] to you, together with their increase (i. e. interest)? For behold, O my beloved, ye have seen the great gift of God which reached these holy people Dorotheus and his wife Theopistè, and how, since their hearts were right with God and His holy Archangel Michael, God Himself directed His love (or, charity) to them, and sent unto them His great Archangel Michael, and prepared for them great and unending riches, as well as the consolation of the riches of the heavens. And, O my beloved, my brethren, behold, we know in very truth that everything which we shall give unto God in the name of the Archangel Michael we shall Fó. receive twofold in this world, before we arrive at the things that appertain to heaven.

85 Now therefore, O my hearers, let us not hesitate to give according to our ability, for we know that whatsoever we shall give unto the Archangel Michael he will employ in ministering unto us with gladness, and that whether it be little, or whether it be much, he will accept the good motive from us. For God doth not demand from you anything that is beyond thine ability, but it is the good intent which He requireth. If [ye think this is] not so, hearken: In days of old [when] our Saviour was in the world with us, all the rich men brought [gifts] and cast them into the treasury, yet God did not hold them to be justified over much. But when the poor widow woman had gone round about in her house, and had found two lepta, that is to say, two nomisma, and had brought them quickly and cast them into the treasury, God accepted her intention, and ascribed blessing to her, saying, 'Everything which she found in her house hath she given to the Lord.'

86 And do thou thyself, O my beloved, use all care and diligence in giving gifts unto God on the festival of the holy Archangel Michael, and God shall give unto thee a multitude of benefits, and Michael shall minister unto thee therewith. If thou shalt give an offering unto God in the name of the holy Archangel Michael, God will feed thee with the bread of life in the heavens. If thou shalt clothe a naked man on the festival of the Archangel Michael, God Himself will array thee in apparel of light in the heavens. If thou shalt give a cup of wine to a man on the festival of the holy Archangel Michael, God Himself will give thee to drink of the produce of the True Vine. And if thou hast not wine wherewith to do this, give a man a drink of water in the name of Michael, and God Himself will give thee to drink of the fountain of the Water of Life, which floweth forth from the holy throne. And if thou shalt go and shalt visit any one who is sick on the day of the Archangel Michael, God Himself will send Michael to visit thee on the day of thy great sickness, that is to say, the sickness whereof thou shalt die.

87 And if thou shalt go to any one who is in prison on the day of the festival of Michael, and shalt comfort him, God will send unto thee Michael, and he will deliver thee from the prison of Amente, and God Himself will say unto thee, 'I was in prison, and ye visited me.' And if thou shalt build a church upon earth in the name of Michael, God Himself will build for thee a house not made with hands in the heavens. If thou shalt see a man who is helpless through disease, or who hath a wound in his body, and thou shalt treat him with medicines on the festival of the Archangel Michael, God Himself will shew compassion unto thee, and will heal thee of the wounds of Amente. For it is written, 'Blessed are the merciful, for unto them shall mercy be shewn.' And again, 'Shew mercy, and mercy shall be shewn unto you.' And 'Mercy shall make a man to triumph over judgement.' And again, 'Charity covereth a multitude of sins.'

88 O my beloved, my brethren, let us call upon God, and let us take care and be diligent to love charity on the day of the Archangel Michael, for we know that he is an efficient being, and that he entereth into the presence of God at all times, and that he giveth unto every man according to his works. Let us follow after love, O my beloved, for love is from God, and God is Love. It was love which God shewed to our father Adam, and to Eve, and He accepted their repentance through the supplication of Michael, and forgave them their transgression. It was love which He shewed to Abel, the righteous man, when He accepted his sacrifice from him through the supplication of Michael. It was love which God shewed to Enoch, [when] He removed him and did not let him see death, through the supplication of Michael. It was love which God shewed to Noah, [when] He made him an ark, and kept him and all his house safe amid the waters of the Flood, through the supplication of Michael and his angelic hosts. It was love which God shewed to our father Abraham, [for] He established a covenant with him, and He bestowed upon him Isaac, through the supplication of Michael and his hosts. And it was love which God shewed to Isaac, [for] He accepted his sacrifice, and took a sheep in his stead, through the supplication of Michael.

89 [And it was] love which God shewed to Jacob, for He gave him favour in the sight of Esau his brother, through the supplication of Michael and his hosts. It was love which God shewed to Joseph, [for] He delivered him from the hands of his brethren, and out of the hand of the Egyptian woman, through the prayer of Michael and his supplication. It was love which God shewed unto Moses the Prophet, [for] He delivered him from the servitude of Pharaoh, and filled him with more grace than any other man, through the supplication of Michael and his host. It was love which God shewed unto Joshua [the son] of Nun, [when] He made the sun to stand still in Gabaon (Gibeon), and Joshua destroyed all his enemies by the prayer of Michael and all his host. And it was love which God shewed to Moses [when] He gave unto him His Law, and Moses gave it unto the children of Israel. It was also love which God shewed unto King David, [when] He chose him from among his brethren, and set him to be king over Israel, through the supplication of Michael and his host. And it was also love which God shewed unto David's son Solomon, when He commanded him to build a house to the Lord, through the supplication of Michael, the holy archangel.

90 And it was also love which God shewed unto Hezekiah, the righteous king, [when] he added fifteen years to the years of his life, through the supplication of Michael, the greatest of the governors, and of his host. It is love also which God shewed unto the race of Adam when He esteemed it to be worthy for Him to invite us to this great festival this day with Him Who took flesh in the holy Virgin Mary, and when He gave Him for us all so that He might withdraw us from Amente and forgive us our sins, through the supplication of Michael and all his host. And it was also love which God shewed unto our Fathers the Apostles, whom He chose from the whole world, and through whose preaching we all have come into the knowledge of the truth, through the supplication of Michael, the great and holy archangel.

91 Now therefore, O my beloved, behold, we know that the Will of God existeth in love and charity, and that the Archangel Michael is our helper and minister with God. Let us follow after love and charity, for it is written, 'Charity (or, love) shall make a man to triumph over judgement,' and 'Charity exalteth, and love maketh straight.' And the Compassionate said, 'Be merciful, and mercy shall be shewed unto you. Give, and it shall be given unto you. For with the measure wherewith ye measure, it shall be meted out to you.' Let us measure with good measure this day, on the a festival of the Archangel Michael, in order that he may measure for us with a generous and abundant measure in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us keep a spiritual festival this day, on the festival of the Archangel Michael, in order that he may keep the festival with us and with our Lord at the festival which shall endure for ever in the heavens. Let us then cast behind us the works of darkness this day at the festival of the Archangel Michael, in order that he may put upon us the armour of light. Let us glorify God this day at the festival of His mighty governor, in order that He may glorify us with His great and perfect glory.

92 Let us go to the holy Archangel Michael at his festival this day, with our bodies cleansed with holy water, and arrayed in garments [made from] the sheep, and our hands filled with branches of sweet-smelling trees. And let us make supplication unto him, saying, 'O thou archangel and Commander-in-Chief of the hosts of heaven, Michael, do thou entreat God on our behalf to forgive us our sins. O thou archangel, entreat God on our behalf to allot unto us our food and our apparel, according to His wish. O Michael, thou great archangel, entreat God on our behalf, so that He may graciously grant unto us peace with one another, for thou thyself art peace. Thou, O our helper, knowest well that we are dust and ashes, and that our nature is prone to fall (or, slide). But God is the Compassionate and the Forgiver. Unto us belongeth the attribute of committing sin, and unto thee belongeth the attribute of making supplication on our behalf before God to forgive us our sins. Unto us it belongeth to make supplication to God, and unto thee it belongeth to invoke God on our behalf to forgive us, O Michael our governor. Unto us it belongeth to go out of the right way, and unto thee it belongeth to set us in the right way before God our King.'

93 O Archangel Michael, of a truth we know that thou art our treasury of the compassion of God, and that thou dost minister on behalf of us all at this moment before God the Christ, the God of all supplication, Who is blessed for ever. May He forgive us all our sins which we have committed, may He make it acceptable unto us to cast behind us the things which are behind, and to separate ourselves from those which are useless. And do thou present us to Him [as] holy folk, without blemish before Him, in love. For thou, O our great Archangel Michael, art he who careth for us, in order that we may live in thy place of rest in the heavens. Happily indeed hast thou come unto us, O great Archangel Michael. Happily hast thou come unto us, coming with our Lord, thy King! Happily hast thou come unto us, coming with our Lord, our King! Happily have all thine angelic hosts come at this great festival, which is spread before us this day, O Michael.

94 And the banquet which thou hast made for us is not a banquet for poor men, but a banquet for the rich men of an Emperor. They are not governors who are sitting at meat at this banquet, but the Lord of the denizens of heaven and of the beings of earth. And they are not mere human beings who are waiting upon us, but those who serve us are angels. And this table is not a material table, but a spiritual, and it is a similitude which is filled with life for ever. Those who keep the festival with us this day are not men only, but it is God in very truth, Who stretcheth out His holy hand, saying, 'Right well is it that ye have come unto Us this day! Peace be unto you, O My brethren. And I rejoice with you all, for it is written, "Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in their midst." Furthermore, if He spake in this manner about two or three only, how very great must be the joy of the Lord our King and of His holy angels at this moment this day, when they are in our midst and are celebrating the festival with us at this great banquet, and with this great assembly of men, and women, and little children, and great men, and believers, who are present at this great festival this day, which is the festival of Michael, the great and holy archangel! Besides [this] He glorifieth every one who keepeth the feast to Him in the festival of the holy Archangel Michael, the great, holy general.

95 Verily, O my brethren, I have set my hand to a task which is beyond my strength, and I have set sail upon a great and wide sea which I am unable to traverse. Now, I said at the beginning of this Encomium that my boat was a small one, and that my cargo was light, and that I did not understand the craft of the mariner, and that the sea, that is to say, the Encomium on the great, holy Archangel Michael, was exceedingly difficult. I entreat you, O my brethren, to give me your help in order that I may be delivered in the depth of [this] boundless sea, and may come to you on shore once more without mishap (or, directly). Furthermore, I undertook to speak unto you the words of praise and honour which are proper for him whose festival we celebrate this day, the great Archangel Michael. But my tongue is flesh, and my body is a body of earth, and I am not able to describe adequately the measure of his splendour and the fullness of his glory. O thou who, after God, art my lord! O Michael, thou art the joy of my heart! O holy archangel, thou art the comfort of my tongue! O Michael, thou art the word of my mouth and the comfort of my heart, and my prayer before God! What tongue, or what heart, or what understanding is there that can know or comprehend the perfectness of thine honourable rank and the glory wherewith God hath endued thee!

96 All these words which I have uttered, O thou governor of the kingdom which is in the heavens, and those which are like unto them, are appropriate to thy great glory; but, forgive me, O archangel, because I am a sinful man, and I am exceedingly weak in my deeds. I beseech thee, O my helper Michael, accept from me my prayer and my supplication, that is to say, my insignificant offering which I have taken pains to give unto thee at thy festival. Blame not thy servant because my gift is little, but let my willing intent be before thee like the two lepta [of the widow], for I know that thou art merciful and long-suffering, and therefore I come to thee. I know that I have no other help but thine before God, O holy Archangel Michael. If thou wilt shew mercy unto me, and wilt accept my prayer at my hands, and my little gift, [good and well,] and if it be still too poor, I will be diligent in presenting unto thee as a gift my tongue and my heart at all times, all the days of my life. And indeed I am confident that, if I treasure up all these things rightly in my heart at the mention of thine angelic name at all times, I shall not be without reward and without fruit before God. The remembrance of thy name, O holy Archangel Michael, is as sweet upon my tongue as is honey in my mouth.

97 The mention of thy holy name, O holy Archangel Michael, is to me an equipment in my lying down and in my rising up. O great and holy Archangel Michael, the race of Adam hath found freedom of speech before God through thee. O holy Archangel Michael, the sweet scent of our prayers riseth up to God through thee; O Michael, thou holy archangel, it is thou who dost lift [them] up to God until He sheweth compassion upon us. And this day also, on thy great festival, mayest thou minister on our behalf before God the Father, and may He accept our intention which we bring 98 unto Him at thy holy commemoration. O thou great helper, Michael, make supplication on our behalf before God, and make us to walk in those [paths] that are pleasing unto Him at all times. May He deliver us from the snares of the Devil, may He make us to be to Him a kingdom, and a priesthood, and a holy nation, and a people [destined] to life, through the prayers which the great and holy Archangel Michael, whose festival we celebrate this day, maketh on our behalf; and through the ministrations of our Lady, the pure God-bearer, Saint Mary, who in very truth gave birth to God; and through the prayers also of his fellow archangel, the bearer of good tidings of the worlds of light, through the grace and love to man of our Lord Jesus the Christ, unto Whom, and His Good Father, and the Holy, Vivifying and Consubstantial Spirit, be glory, now, and always, and for ever. Amen.

99 [Here follow in Oriental 6781 the texts of the passages from the Old and New Testaments which are ordered to be read on Saint Michael's Day.] This book was produced by the zeal and care of our noble and God-loving brother, Sirê, the son of the blessed Phêu (?), who liveth on the plain to the south of the city of Snê (Asnâ), in the village which is called Pkourosê (?), with [money obtained by] his own labour. He hath given it to the shrine of the holy Archangel Michael in the district of Tbô for the salvation of his soul, and in order that the God of the Archangel Michael might bless him, and his wife, and his children, and his flocks and herds, and every possession which he hath. And when he goeth forth from the body may he also be held worthy to hear with joy [the words], 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, and inherit the kingdom which hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Amen. So be it.

100 [The date is obliterated.]