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

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

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XV. The Prayer of Saint Athanasius when Dying

1 The prayer which saint athanasius uttered at the moment when he was about to lay down the body, that is to say, on the seventh day of the month pashons. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! BLESS US. AMEN. I AM departing into the hands of God, and not into the hands of men. Therefore, O Lord God of Powers, hearken Thou unto the prayer of Thy servant Athanasius, and send Foli. not Thou them after my soul. For I am a man of blood and flesh, and Thou knowest the weakness of the sons of Adam, and how when even a slight wound is inflicted upon any one [of them] he is laid low and is in danger [of death]. And what an awful thing it is to fall into the hands of God, wherein are the tortures which Thou hast made for the punishment of sinners, and the Gehenna of, fire, and the cold, and the worm which never sleepeth. If I say, 'I am a righteous man, and I have endured suffering for Thy Name's sake,' Thou wouldst find that I had committed sin even in this case. And if the angels whom Thou didst create of holy spirit and fire are considered to be perverse [by Thee], then how much more will it be the case with me, for I am dust and ashes. I am a creature of flesh which shall dissolve away and become dust and ashes. And Thou didst fashion me in the womb of a woman, Thou didst plant me like a thistle which shrivelleth up in the fire, Thou didst give me bones, Thou didst gird me about with sinews and flesh, Thou didst spread over me a skin, Thou didst put into me breath, and a holy spirit, and [the other things] …

2 [Two lines illegible] …the earth shook to its foundation, Who sitteth upon the Cherubim of light, before Whom stand thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands [of angels], ascribing glory unto His Majesty, Who stablished the Seven Heavens and the Seven Firmaments by the word of His power, Who set a boundary to the sea which it hath been unable to pass over, Who dissolveth all souls, Who raiseth them up and placeth them under His compassion, Whom no angel whatsoever dare oppose, except His Good Son, and His Holy Spirit, and before Whose Godhead my miserable and sinful soul cannot appear, except through Thy compassion. O Lord of my soul, and my body, and my spirit, hearken unto me. O God of my life, accept from my hand my confession, and shew mercy upon my soul. I come unto Thee, O Lord and Master of the Universe, Who didst accept the prayer of the first man Adam, and didst give him repentance, accept Thou my prayer from me, and send Thou after my soul at this fitting moment, with loving-kindness and tenderness of heart. O Thou Who didst hear the prayer of the first martyr Abel, hearken Thou unto my prayer, and send the angel of righteousness after my soul. O Thou Who didst hear the prayer of Abraham our father, when he was in the land of Canaan and slew mighty kings, whose hosts were far more numerous than his own, hearken Thou unto me this day. O Thou Who didst hear the prayer of Isaac, and didst deliver him from the hands of the Philistines, hearken Thou unto me this day, and graciously grant unto me a favourable reception. O Thou Who didst hear the prayer of Jacob,

3 pne when he had departed into Syria, and didst appear unto him, the God, and didst give him the riches of Laban, hearken Thou unto me this day. O Thou Who didst hear [the prayer of] Joseph in Egypt, hearken Thou unto me this day. I come unto Thee, O Thou Who didst hear the prayer of the great Prophet Moses, who brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, hearken Thou unto me this day. I am Thy servant Athanasius. O Thou Who didst hear the prayer of Joshua, the son of Nun, [when] he was fighting against his enemies, and didst send to him the General-in-Chief of the powers (or, hosts) of heaven to enable him to take vengeance upon his enemies, hearken Thou unto me this day. I come unto Thee, O my Lord, for this is the road of all men, but I go by a road which I have not known before, neither to-day, nor yesterday, nor the day before, a road wherein there is …

4 [Two lines illegible] 5 …my soul is afflicted like a round cake before the fire, and is like a thing in the furnace; for this reason I make my confession unto Thee, O God of my life. I know, moreover, that Thou dost hearken unto the cry of Thy servants. Hearken Thou unto my cry, O my God, Who hast brought me out of the night of ignorance, and do Thou bring my soul out of my body quickly and without suffering, for Thou art the Good God. O Thou Who didst hearken unto the prayer of the Judges, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, Gideon, and Deborah, Gothoniel (Othniel), and Aôth (Achsah), so that they judged Thy people and shepherded them in the desert, do Thou hearken unto my prayer, which I pray to Thy Goodness, O Lord God of Israel. Thou Who didst hearken unto the prayer of Jeremiah the prophet when he was in the pit, in the mud, do Thou hearken unto me and unto my prayer wherein I make supplication unto Thee, O God, [Thou] hearer [of prayer]. Thou Who didst also hearken unto Isaiah, the great prophet, when he cried unto Thee, and prayed on behalf of Thy people, and didst deliver him from destruction, do Thou hearken unto me, and deliver my soul from destruction. Thou Who didst hearken also unto the prayer of Ezekiel the prophet, and didst breathe (?

6 upon the [dry bones], and didst raise them up, and the breath of life came to them again, do Thou hearken unto my prayer, and have mercy upon my soul, O Lord God of my life. Thou Who didst hear Daniel the prophet when he was in the pit of the lions, and didst send Habakkuk unto him with the dinner, [do Thou hearken unto me this day]. Thou Who didst hear Jonah when he was in the body of the great fish for three days and three nights without any to give him food to eat, and didst make the great fish to cast him up on the dry land, do Thou hearken unto me this day. 7 O God, Who hast delivered me in every tribulation [hitherto], do Thou deliver me on this terrible occasion also. O Thou Who didst hearken unto the prayer of Elijah, the great Prophet, and didst shut up the heavens for three years and six months, do Thou hearken unto me this day. O Lord of heaven and earth, Who didst hearken unto Elijah, who raised up the son of the Sômanite (Shunammite) woman to her, hearken unto me as I cry out to Thee at my departure from my body, O God of my salvation. Thou Who didst hearken unto the prayer of David when he was fleeing before his enemies, do Thou deliver my soul out of the hand of the Accuser. Thou Who wast with our Fathers the Prophets, and with our Fathers the Apostles until they had performed all these mighty works, and these wonders, and these [signs?], and these [mighty deeds], do Thou be with me, O God of my life. I am Thy servant Athanasius. I know that Thou didst hearken unto me in many tribulations when I cried unto Thee, hearken then unto me now, my Lord. Send Thou unto me Michael, Thy great archangel, in loving-kindness, and receive my soul into rest, and let him make of no effect the cunning device of the Accuser, who meditateth to make accusation against us before Thee. Receive no accusation against Thy servant. Crush and destroy those who are on my left hand, and extinguish the flame of the fire.

8 Permit me to stand up before Thee, O Thou that judgest the whole world, with a face wherein there is no shame. Let those who are on the left hand be ashamed, and let those who are on the right hand stand by me. Let the fire that cannot be quenched be extinguished, and do Thou heap fire upon the Shameless One and his Powers. Graciously grant that I may make entreaty through [my] shame and fear, for Thou alone art the True God, before Whom are fear, and trembling, and terror. O Thou Who art God alone, in Whose hands are my soul and my spirit, I make supplication unto Thee. 9 O my Lord, I come into Thy hands, O Thou before Whom are fear and trembling, and at Whose Word the heavens and the earth melt away, and the mountains shake to their very foundations, and the [powers] that are in the abyss quake, and Tartarus trembleth. This is the Invisible God. A mere thing of naught is the soul of Athanasius before this great and terrible [God]. Whether I say 'I am a righteous man', or whether I say 'I am a sinner', who is there that can prevent Him from casting my soul into Tartarus? Who is there that can oppose Him in His power? If He willeth to raise [men] up again, unto Him belongeth the power so to do. None of the things that are hidden in the heart of a man are hidden from Him. He scrutinizeth the heart and the reins. He understandeth the good qualities and the bad qualities that are in the heart of man. He is God. He is the Lord of my virtue whilst I am in this flesh. Thou hast permitted me to perform my wish upon earth for cursing and for blessing. When I go forth from this body it is Thy power which shall be my Master, to speak and not to speak.

10 For this reason so long as I am in the flesh I will never cease to praise, and to bless, and to glorify Thee. For I have been held worthy to worship Thy Law, and to stand before Thy people unto whom I have ministered from my youth up until this present day. I will have confidence under His wing, and I will not be afraid of the evil hap, nor of the devil of the midday hour. [Nearly two lines broken and illegible]... those who boast themselves upon earth, saying, 'This world is what we know. Let us live delicately, and eat, and drink, and enjoy ourselves with fleeting pleasures, for we do not know on what day we shall die'; those who nourish their souls on the day of their slaughter; those who set their hope upon vastness of riches, which shall not help them on the day of their tribulation, neither shall it relieve them in the least degree in an attack of fever, nor utter a word [in their defence] before the judgement-seat of the Christ. Therefore their portion is a portion which is diminished, and their visitation is a visitation of anger and wrath.

11 For I have been a servant of the Christ from my youth even to my old age, and I will never cease to bless God and His beloved Son, of Whom I have been a follower during all my time. Who is as glorious as Thou art, O Christ, Whom every one eagerly desireth to see? Thou art Jesus, the mighty Power of the Father. Thou art the Offspring of the Virgin, without [the help of] a man. I will never cease to bless Thee, O Thou Holy Pearl. I will never cease to bless Thee, O Thou Who endurest for ever. Thou art Jesus, the Son of the Father. Yea, Amen. Thou art He Who commandeth the Cherubim and the Seraphim. Yea, Amen. Thou hast existed with the Father, in truth, always. Yea, Amen. Thou rulest the angels. Yea, Amen. Thou art the Power of the Heavens. Yea, Amen.

12 Thou art the Crown of the Martyrs. Yea, Amen. Thou art the deep counsel of the Saints. Yea, Amen. Thou art He in Whom the deep counsel of the Father is hidden. Yea, Amen. Thou art the Mouth of the Prophets. Yea, Amen. Thou art the Tongue of the Angels. Yea, Amen. Thou art Jesus, my life. Yea, Amen. Thou art Jesus, the object of the boast of the world. Yea, Amen. O Jesus, the Christ, the hope of every one who setteth his mind on Thee, who is as glorious as Thou art, or who can be compared unto Thee? [Thou art] the King Who sittest above the Cherubim, and the Seraphim stand before Thee. Heaven and earth await Thy mercy. O Thou Who dispensest life to men and cattle, and to wild beasts and the feathered fowl, Thou feedest them all. Thou art He Whose [Name] they interpreted Emmanuel, the translation of which is 'God, with us'. Thou art He Who was called Rabboni, God and Master. Thou wast of lowly birth, but mighty in Thy Godhead. If I would ascribe blessing unto Thee, blessing is Thy attribute. If I would ascribe glory unto Thee, glory is Thy attribute …compassion, my God...

13 [One line illegible]... Thy Holy Blood gathered them together into one flock, and Thou didst gather them together into one safe fold, which the wolf shall never find. Thou hast appointed over them faithful shepherds, who shall shepherd them in righteousness. Be not Thou far from me, O Christ, for Thou art merciful, and a Lover of souls. Thou didst deliver me because of the apathy of my fathers, and didst place me to be the shepherd of Thy people, whom I have shepherded according to Thy wish. I will bless Thee, O Thou my Deliverer; I will bless Thee, of Whom all these blessings are Thy attribute, Thou subject of boasting of the saints, Jesus, the Power of the Cherubim and Seraphim. I will bless thee, O Thou Who dost make fat the earth, and it increaseth, Jesus, the Wise One of the valiant ones. I will bless Thee, Thou Sceptre of righteous kings, Thou Crown that never fadeth, the Life of every one. I will bless Thee, the Resurrection of every one, and the Light that proceeded from Light. Heaven and earth hang upon His word, even as a drop of water hangeth from the potter's vessel.

14 [Thou art] the Father of the universe, Who spoiled Amente, and destroyed Edôm, and brought up Adam and his sons, and crushed the Enemy and all his power, and gave light to the sun, and ordained the revolutions of the moon, and gave names to the multitude of the stars, and ordered the Seven Heavens and the Seven Firmaments, and laid the foundations of the earth on the waters, and placed the waters upon (?) the earth and the abyss under the earth. I will bless Thee, O Thou Who didst make all Creation by Thy word, and didst rest on the seventh day. I will bless Thee, O Thou Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and the End. I will not cease to bless Thee, O Jesus, into Whose hands I am about to come, for Thou art my succourer, and the strength of my salvation. Put Thou me not to shame, for I put my trust in Thee. Hearken, O Lord, unto my prayer this day, and send Thou unto me Michael Thy archangel that he may receive my soul in rest, and do Thou establish it in the city of Thy loving-kindness, for Thine is the glory, and the power, for ever and ever. Amen.

15 And when Apa Athanasius had finished [his] holy prayer he yielded up his spirit, like one who falleth asleep, on the seventh day of the month Pashons. And I, Timothy the deacon, was standing by the side of the holy man Athanasius pâc when he was about to lay down the body, and I testify unto you, in the presence of God …[Three lines illegible] 16 …[as white] as snow, I saw Michael take the soul of Athanasius, and ascend into the height of heaven therewith, and it was of the selfsame form as Athanasius. I saw the choirs of the angels blessing God and saying, 'Let us ascribe glory unto God because He glorifieth His saints.' And as for us, O my beloved, let us follow the teachings of our father Athanasius, and ascribe glory unto God. And even if we are not able to attain to the measure of our fathers, nevertheless let us be exceedingly diligent in the matter, and God shall help us, and we shall bring it to perfection. Ye must consider, O my beloved, how strenuously this mighty athlete fought until he met God face to face, and received the crown of life, and how God held converse with him, mouth to mouth, and how he was on very many occasions carried up above the Cherubim, and how he put kings and heretics to shame through the might of God, which was with him. Consider also what an awful thing it is to fall into the hands of the Living God. Therefore, if thou committest sin against Him, He will punish thee, and if thou doest what is good, He will rejoice with thee, and will cause thee to meet Him face to face, and will accord thee a gracious reception, and will give unto thee …in this [world] and life everlasting through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, to Whom be all glory and all honour as is meet for Him, and to His good Father, and to the vivifying and consubstantial Holy Spirit, now and always, and for ever.

XVI. The Discourse of Timothy, Archbishop of Alexandria, on Saint Michael

1 The discourse which saint timothy, the archbishop of rakote, pronounced on the festival of the holy archangel michael, that is to say, on the twelfth day of this month of paône. AND HE DISCOURSED ALSO ON THE CAVERNS OF THOSE WHO ARE UNDERGOING PUNISHMENTS, AND ON THE SOULS WHO ARE IN THEM. AND HE DISCOURSED ALSO ON REPENTANCE, AND THE RISING [OF THE NILE]. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! BLESS US! AMEN. ZAMEN (sic). AMEN. This day is a great festival, O my beloved. Let us assemble together, and let us rejoice, and let us be glad therein. I behold this day the mighty archangel, the holy Michael, placing in our hands spiritual food, according to the words of the holy singer David, who said, 'Judah, celebrate thy festival, and pay thou the things which thou hast vowed.' And again [he saith], 'The angel of the Lord campeth round about those who fear Him, and delivereth them.' Now this merciful angel who campeth round about those who fear Him and delivereth them [is Michael]

2 [Two lines illegible] …Michael striveth on their behalf, and he maketh supplication to God until He re-establisheth them in these worlds of light. And [this he doth], not for the righteous only, but also for the sinners who have turned their hearts to Him, even those who have once only offered up an offering in the Name of God and that of the Archangel Michael. And Michael the compassionate will never forget that man who shall give unto the poor even one loaf of bread or one cup of cold water. If thou wishest to hear [it] I will relate [a story] unto thee. Now it came to pass that I, the least of all men, Timothy your father, went up to Jerusalem to worship the Cross of our Saviour, and [His] life-giving tomb, and the holy places wherein our Saviour walked about. Afterwards I went into the house with the mother of Proclus, the disciple of Iônên (sic) the Evangelist, and I dwelt therein, and I found a parchment book which Proclus, the disciple of John, had written; and the people who were in the house had taken it and were using it as a phylactery. And I read therein, and I found this great consolation, which was like unto that about which the Evangelist testifieth, and he said: It came to pass that I John with whom the angel walked...

3 [Two lines illegible] …up on a lake which was exceedingly terrible. And that lake was situated amongst lakes, and the depth and the breadth of that lake were greater than the depth and breadth of all [the other] lakes. And I heard great noises therein, which were like unto the roar of mighty waters. And I asked the angel who walked with me, saying, 'My lord, what is the meaning of this pit which I see? Up from the midst thereof there riseth such a great smoke of fire that the fiery fumes of its smoke go up for a distance of three hundred stadia.' I saw lions of fire which made [me] ill, and dragons of fire, and serpents, and scorpions, and the bear of fire, and the worm which never sleepeth coiling itself in folds, and vipers and asps of frightful aspect. And there was a wheel (?), and thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of fiery lightnings leaped forth, and shot down into the chaos of Tartarus, that burned with fire.

4 And this angel said unto me, 'O beloved of God, John, thou seest this punishment, which is the most terrible of all punishments. Woe be unto all those sinners who shall be cast into this punishment, for it is exceedingly severe …[Two lines illegible] …I will tell thee about it. The wheel (?) of fire which thou hast seen beareth down the sinners who are on it, and it submergeth them for three hundred days; only with the greatest difficulty can a man remain fast in the lower part thereof, [for] afterwards they are cast up again, like a wheel, in the third year. All those who are to be punished are bound thereto, and the path of all of them leadeth to the bottom of that pit.' And I wept for a long time over the destruction of the sinners. And the angel said unto me, 'Weep thou not, O John, beloved of God, for, behold, thou shalt this day see a mighty miracle wrought by the Archangel Michael and his great boldness.'

5 Then, whilst I was talking with him, behold, Michael the archangel came forth from heaven sitting upon the chariot of the Cherubim. The angels went before him singing, and there followed him all the righteous, and the Patriarchs, and all the Prophets, and they were decked with great splendour and with great glory. And there were …in their hands, and branches of sweet-smelling shrubs, and they went before him dancing and singing praises to him. And he came [and stood] over [those who were suffering] punishments, and straightway the flames [were extinguished], and all the wild beasts which were in them... [Two lines broken and illegible] and they disappeared. And straightway Michael the archangel lowered [into the lake] his right wing, and there came up on it a multitude of souls, whereof the number could not be told, [for they reached] from the arm of the compassionate archangel to the extreme tip of his wing, and he brought them up out of [their] tortures, and set them down upon the earth, and he filled twelve meadows [therewith]. And again Michael, the mighty one, lowered his wing into [the lake], and he seized a larger number of souls than on the first occasion, and brought them up. And afterwards the Cherubim, and the Seraphim, and all the righteous who had come forth and followed him, bowed low before him, and they entreated him to lower [his wing into the lake] for the third time. And Michael, who is full of compassion, did so, and he brought up [on it] an exceedingly great number of souls, [whom] he delivered from unending tortures. And straightway the angels, and all the righteous who had come forth with Michael, [took] them [and carried them] into the Jerusalem [which is in the heavens]...

6 [Two lines broken and illegible] …Michael brought them before the Father of goodness, and all the souls worshipped Him; and straightway the Archangel Michael took them into the rest which is everlasting. And I John marvelled exceedingly at the compassion of God and His Archangel Michael, and I ascribed glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, and I gave thanks unto God, and unto the Archangel Michael. And the angel who was accompanying me said, 'O John, thou beloved of God, take good heed unto the day which is the day of the festival of the Archangel Michael. Now the first is the twelfth day of the month of Athôr, wherein the Father established him over the kingdom that is in the heavens, because of the victory which he gained, and because he bound in fetters the Enemy who was fighting against his Lord. The second festival is on the twelfth day of the month of Paône, whereon [God] gave this never-ending gift …

7 [Four lines broken and illegible]... when they had seen the insolent contempt which the Jews shewed to Him, [which was so great that even] the heaven of heavens was not able to bear His sorrow of heart. And when He had risen from the dead …It was Michael who suffered with Him from the door of the tomb to Amente. And again, it was Michael who bound Beliar (i.e. Satan) in fetters, by the order of his Lord, and it was Michael who brought to the Saviour all the captive souls over whom the Devil had tyrannized, and our Saviour went up to the Father with the captive souls. And after the Resurrection the Father rejoiced over His beloved Son, and kissed Him, and granted to Him the power to judge the living and the dead. Unto Him belongeth the power of the Godhead henceforth and for ever. Then the Son of Goodness, Jesus the Christ, arrayed Michael in great and indescribable splendour, which was greater than the glory that He had bestowed upon him on the first occasion, when He established Him as Governor over the kingdom which is in the heavens …

8 [Four lines broken and illegible]... over all the tortures, and each of the angels is arrayed splendidly in his place. And when the Archangel Michael cometh forth from the veil of the Father all ranks of angels, from Adam His created being, are gathered together unto him, and they sing hymns of praise before him, even as thou hast seen them, O John the Theologian, until he cometh to [the place of] all the tortured. And forthwith the way of all the tortured is open, and the great torture which is excruciating and is most terrible [is relaxed]. And all the souls that are undergoing torture assemble together in this lake year by year, according to the compassion of God the Father. And the Archangel Michael cometh to these [beings who are] tortured, and lowereth his right wing into the lake three times, and bringeth up a multitude of souls, and setteth them down upon the earth. Now, when his wing is filled (i.e. covered) with souls in this manner, their number amounteth to two hundred times ten thousand, and nine times ten thousand, and a half of ten thousand, and eight hundred and seventy (i.e. 2,095,870 souls).

9 Now the first... [Two lines wanting]... and the poor, and those who have kept [the day of] the Resurrection of our Saviour, that is to say, the Lord's Day, and those who have given a crust of bread and a cup of cold water to the poor on the holy day of the Lord's Day. The second [class] he bringeth up in the name of the Archangel Michael, and it includeth those who have been merciful to the poor in respect of the crust of bread which they gave to the needy in the Name of God, and [that of] the Archangel Michael. And our Lord Jesus the Christ crieth to the class of tortured souls so that they may obtain rest whether they be Christian, or Gentile, or Jew. Those who have partaken of (?) the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus, the Christ, doth God let alone. And straightway all the righteous, and all the hosts which are in the heavens, invoke the Archangel Michael, even as thou hast now seen them do, in order that he may shew compassion upon all the souls that have remembered his name upon the earth. After these things he doeth in this manner a second time...

10 ... the supplications of the saints, and the compassion of God. And the Archangel Michael hath acted in this wise from [the time of] the Resurrection of our Saviour until this day, and moreover, he will not cease to do so on every twelfth day of the month Paône until the end of this world. And he taketh them (i. e. the souls) each into the place which it hath merited; furthermore, Michael goeth inside the veil on the same day, and casteth himself down at the feet of the Father, and worshippeth Him, and doth not rise up [again] until the Father hath accepted his supplications and until He provideth the means of subsistence for men and beasts, and water in the river [Nile]. For all the angels who are over the Powers of the earth are gathered together every twelfth day of the month Paône, outside the veil of the Father, [and wait there] until the Archangel Michael cometh forth from inside the veil. Immediately the angels see his face and the kind of apparel which the Father of Good hath put upon him, straightway the angels who are over the operations of the earth know what [manner of crops] shall be upon the earth; this they know through the kind of apparel wherein Michael is arrayed. And the angels rejoice with an exceedingly great joy on behalf of all mankind because God the Father hath had compassion upon them, through the supplication of the merciful Michael, and hath provided for their sustenance, and for the river to rise for men and beasts.

11 Now therefore, O John, blessed are those who shall remember the poor in the name of the Archangel Michael. I declare unto thee, O John, that if a man shall provide for making a copy of this book, or shall have copied a similar work of instruction, and shall give it to a church in the name of the Archangel Michael, or shall give an offering to the house of God, or shall light a lamp in the church in the name of the Archangel Michael, or shall offer up incense for his name's sake, or even if he give a loaf of bread in remembrance v Paa of him, whether he be the greatest of all sinners, or whether he be a man who is utterly careless, when he cometh forth from the body, [and he is borne to the places of] punishment, he shall not feel the torture of the place of punishment wherein he shall be, because of the deeds of charity which he did in the name of the Archangel Michael. But he shall be in the places of punishment as one who is in a house which is comfortably warm until God shall visit him and shall shew mercy unto him, and bring him out of the places of punishment, and take him to a place of rest through the supplication of Michael.

12 Now therefore, O John, the beloved of God, if a man shall provide a copy of the glorious Covenant (i.e. the New Testament), and shall have one written, and shall give it to a church in the name of the Archangel Michael, or if he hath one written, and keepeth it in his own possession, neither sickness, nor pestilence, nor ill luck shall enter the house wherein it is for ever. And upon his beasts and cattle, and upon his fields, and upon his fruit trees and vineyards no harm shall fall through any wild animal or rat, and there shall be no wastage in his fields, and there shall be no privation in his house, and his children and his children's children shall lack nothing, even to the fourth generation. The name of Michael shall be over them like a strong coat of armour. If a man shall write down the following legends, [or shall paint them] upon the [wall?] of his house, that is to say:

13 no harmful thing of the adversary shall fall upon that house, and no device whatsoever of evil men shall prevail against it. Now, let every man who shall have written [a copy of] the Covenant (i. e. the New Testament) keep it carefully as a phylactery, and not lay it in a place wherein there is any unclean thing, for mighty is the power of these wonderful Names. And when the angel of the Lord had said these things unto me he brought me down upon the earth, and I John stood upon the Mount of Olives, and he went up into the heavens. And I marvelled exceedingly at the things which had been revealed unto me, and I ascribed glory to God and to His great Archangel Michael. 14 These are the things which I found in Jerusalem in the house of the mother of Proclus, the disciple of John the Evangelist; and I, your father Timothy, returned to my city Rakote in great joy. Now therefore, O my beloved, inasmuch as we have heard these great and imperishable [words] from the mouth of the angel, according to the testimony which the Evangelist hath borne to us, be not apathetic in shewing mercy to the poor and to those who are needy, each one of you according to his ability, in the name of the Archangel Michael. Through the supplication of Michael we obtain this great freedom of speech before our Saviour. We, miserable sinners that we are, obtain through the supplication of Michael the waters of the river Nile, and the dew, and the rain. We obtain through the supplication of Michael a fine climate, and the growth of the fruits of the earth. We obtain through the supplication of Michael sweet spiritual foods. We obtain through the supplication of Michael the wine which we drink, and the other kinds of sweet spiritual foods, and all the rest of the drinks which we drink to the love of God. If thou wishest to make the name of Michael protect thee in every temptation, write thou the name of Michael upon the four corners of thy house, inside and outside.

15 And also write it upon the edge of thy garment so that it may protect thee from every evil which shall rise up against thee, both that which is hidden and that which is manifest. Write thou the name of Michael upon the table at which thou eatest, …[thy] bread, [and] it will make it …Write pue it also upon the platter wherefrom thou eatest, so that it may give sweetness to thy mouth and satisfaction. Write it also upon the cup wherefrom thou drinkest, in order that it may bring thee joy and gladness without drunkenness and arrogance; there must be no drunkenness. When we drink wine we should sing psalms and make a merry noise, according to the words of Paul: 'He who would rejoice, let him sing psalms.' Who is mighty in his strength and in his wisdom except Him concerning Whom the Psalmist saith, 'The Lord hath risen up like a man from sleep, and like a mighty man drunk with wine?' The righteous man Noah was drunk with wine, even as the Scripture saith, 'He planted a vineyard, he ate of the fruit thereof, he became drunk.' When a man drinketh wine, and becometh drunk, he uttereth obscene and foul words, nay, more than this, he committeth fornication, or doeth disgraceful and bold and impudent deeds, and he staggereth about from one side of the road to the other in the market-place and streets of the city.

16 Such is the man who is drunk indeed, and who is full of disgrace, and our holy fathers knew of the danger of wine before they gave us admonitions about it; do not, under any circumstances, O my beloved sons of the Holy Church, [get drunk]. For this matter (or, habit) clingeth … 17 [One line wanting] …Let us keep watch over our feet at all times, and pray pu with our faces cast down to the earth, and let us make entreaty, saying, 'O Archangel Michael, abase thyself before the Good Father that He may forgive us our sins and our transgressions. We beseech thee, O Michael, to make supplication to the Master, the Christ, on our behalf, so that He may bless our days, and [give us] peaceful years. O our helper, Michael, entreat Him Whose mercy is according to His desire, the God of the universe, so that He may make the storm which [is blowing] over us to sink to rest. O compassionate Archangel Michael, make entreaty to the Lord for us that He may bring up the water in the river Nile, and that God, the Compassionate, may open unto us His right hand, which is full of good things of all kinds and which giveth food unto all flesh, even as it is written, When Thou openest Thy hand they shall become filled with Thy goodness.' O Archangel Michael, Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the Lord, entreat God the Merciful One to keep guard over and to bring up our little sons until they arrive at a full and perfect state of manhood. We beseech thee, O Archangel Michael, of thy compassion to make supplication on our behalf to the Father, Who forgiveth, that we may be guarded from every temptation of the Adversary, and that He may permit us to repent, and that we may be saved before we bring to an end our life in lying vanities.

18 I beseech you, O beloved brethren, O Christ-loving congregation, to withdraw yourselves from injustice of every kind, and from slander, and impurity, and envy, and hatred, and strife, and theft, and enmity, and slaughter, and fornication, and pollution, and uncleanness, and guile. And ye must make haste to lift up your hands and your souls, and to go with boldness, and with purity, and with honest intent to the Commander-in-Chief of the armies that are in the heavens, that is to say, Michael. And may it happen unto us, O brethren, that as we gather ourselves together in this holy place on this great festival this day, even so He may gather us together in His kingdom, and that having made us all worthy we may hear that blessed voice, saying, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, and inherit the kingdom which hath been prepared Piia for you from the foundation of the world,' through the grace and love of man of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to Whom be all glory and honour, which befit Him, and His Good Father, and the [Holy] Spirit, [life-giving and consubstantial, for ever and ever. Amen.]

Colophon

19 [This book was copied] through the zeal and care of the [p h ] most God-fearing deacon whose name God knoweth. He provided the money for the copying of the volume of this book by his own labour, and he had it written, and he gave it to the shrine of Apa Aaron in the mountain of Tebô (Edfû), so that the God of this blessed and righteous man Apa Aaron, and of the Patriarch and Apostolic Archbishop Athanasius, and of the Archangel Michael, might bless our God-loving and charitable [deacon] with every perfect and spiritual blessing, even as He blessed our Fathers, the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from whom all the nations have received light, and that He might deliver and save him from all the wiles of the Devil, and from all the evil designs of wicked men, and gird him about with patient endurance. And after the stablishing (?) of this festival of the saints which he hath commemorated may he receive favour from their King, the Christ, and may they cause him to be worthy to hear the voice which is full of joy and gladness of every kind, saying, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom which hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' Amen. Zamen (sic). So be it! Amen. Amen.

20 It was written on the twenty …day of the month [p c ] Epép, in the seven hundred and eighth year of the Era of Diocletian (i. e. A. D. 992), by …[Zôkratôr] …the least of all men, the son of the blessed Archdeacon Joseph. Pray for me a sinner. 21 I, Zôkratôr, the least of all men, the son of the blessed Joseph, the archdeacon of the city of Snê (Asnâ), may God give him rest! beg you to remember me, of your love, O my fathers and brethren. Behold my repentance. Entreat ye God on my behalf that He may forgive me a few of my sins, which are exceedingly many, and that He may lead me henceforward in the right way, according to His holy and blessed wish. And do ye yourselves forgive me all my blunders, because I am not very learned, and I only received my instruction from the school teachers. Behold my repentance. Do an act of grace and forgive me. In this year wherein we have written this volume, which is the seven hundred and eighth year [of the Era of Diocletian] (i. e. A. D. 992) and the three hundred and seventy-second year of the Saracens (i. e. of the Era of the Hijrah = A. D. 982), a great miracle took place in connection with the rise of the river Nile. On the fifteenth day of the month of Mesore, we were taxed (?) on a cubit of water, but afterwards it (i. e. the flood) …until it …two cubits. Thus through the prayers which Saint Mary, the Lady of us all, made on our behalf, God visited us through His compassion towards [us] …Mesore …

XVII. Encomium on the Archangel Raphael by Saint John Chrysostom (incomplete)

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7022) The Discourse Which SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, THAT IS TO SAY, HE OF THE TONGUE OF GOLD, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, PRONOUNCED CONCERNING THE HOLY ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL, ON THE DAY OF HIS FESTIVAL, WHICH IS CELEBRATED ON THE FOURTH OF THE EPAGOMENAL DAYS. THIS DISCOURSE WAS PRONOUNCED IN THE SHRINE THAT HAD BEEN NEWLY BUILT BY THE GOD-LOVING EMPEROR ARCADIUS IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY. AND AFTER THE DEDICATION IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE GOD-LOVING EMPEROR CAME TO PRAY AND TO BOW DOWN IN THE NEW SHRINE WHICH HIS BROTHER HAD BUILT, AND HE (CHRYSOSTOM) CONSECRATED IT. AND THE PIOUS EMPERORS HONORIUS AND ARCADIUS WERE IN ACCORD, AND THEY INVITED THE GREAT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM TO PRONOUNCE A FEW WORDS OF LAUDATION ON THE HOLY ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL. AND THE HOLY CHRYSOSTOM, OR RATHER, THE HOSTEL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, UTTERED THIS DISCOURSE. AND HE RELATED A FEW OF THE MIGHTY DEEDS, AND SIGNS, AND MIRACLES, WHICH TOOK PLACE THROUGH THE HOLY ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL, AND EXPLAINED WHEREFORE HE WAS CALLED THE REED OF THE SPIRIT. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. MAY HIS HOLY BLESSING COME UPON US, AND MAY WE ALL BE SAVED TOGETHER. BLESS US. AMEN.

2 My beloved, 'the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them,' and in very truth the holy Archangel Raphael did encamp round about those who fear Him, [that is to say, the family of] Tobit, and delivered him. And again the Scripture saith, 'He will give His angels charge concerning thee, that they keep thee, and bear thee up on their hand, lest thou strike a stone with thy feet.' For in truth the Lord did give His holy Archangel Raphael charge concerning Tobias, the son of Tobit, to keep him in all his ways, 'lest thou strike a stone with thy feet.' When the husbands of Sarra (Sara) struck a stone, and fell down, He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them out of all their tribulations. The Psalmist David saith, 'Verily God sent His word,' that is to say, His great Archangel Raphael. He healed Sarra, the daughter of Raguel, of the cruel disease of barrenness, and delivered her from the revilings of the servants of her father, according to the word of the holy Apostle Paul, who said, 'Are they not all ministers of the Spirit who are sent out to [perform] service for those who shall inherit salvation?'

3 My beloved, when I think of the loving-kindness of God towards man, which is very great, and especially towards the righteous, I marvel exceedingly. Now the righteous Lord, even as it is written, 'putteth away the sins of the sinners,' even as hath been said by the mouth of the Lord, which cannot lie, 'There is joy in heaven before God and His angels over a sinner when he repenteth.' In truth the holy angels merit honour, and it is meet especially for us to rejoice with them. Now it is the righteous who minister unto them, through the command of the Creator God Almighty, with willingness and trembling. The blessed angels rejoice in the conversion of sinners, and they also minister unto the righteous with exceedingly great gladness. Even so is it with a king of [this] earth. When a tyrant, or an arrogant oppressor, riseth up in his province, and committeth lawless acts and doeth deeds of aggression, the king straightway meditateth in his heart, saying, 'By what means can I put down this tyranny?' Then he summoneth to him one of his chief captains in whom he hath confidence, and he dispatcheth him to depose the adversary of the king. And when the captain hath done this he returneth to his lord with joy and gladness, the tyrant of yesterday being vanquished and lashed to his horse. Then doth the joy of the king rise up, because his enemy hath fallen before his general, and he bestoweth upon his chief captain honours and gifts which are greater than any which he hath ever bestowed on any one before. And in this manner doth the man-loving God act in this world.

4 Now Michael, and Gabriel, and Raphael are they who are the greatest of all the angelic hosts. As concerning this Michael, God sent him in primeval time, and he smote the Old Serpent, that is to say, Satanaël, and he vanquished him, and bound him in fetters for one thousand years, and because of this God bestowed upon him this great and exalted position. And as for Gabriel, because of his faculty of knowing things beforehand, the Lord, and His Father, and the Holy Spirit decided that he should go to the Virgin with the good news. Raphael [goeth] to the righteous men, and serveth them, and acteth as guide to them, and healeth them [of their sicknesses], and [it belongeth to him] to bind the wicked demon Asmodeus with fetters. For God hath appointed unto each of the angels the work which is associated with the meaning of their names. Michael He appointed to act as a minister to men [before Him] because of his faculty of watchfulness (or, keeping awake). If thon wouldst translate [the name] Michael [its signification is] 'The Compassion of God Almighty'. [The name] Gabriel [meaneth] 'God and man', and for this reason God made him the minister and the messenger of the good tidings of what God is about to do unto man. The meaning of [the name] Raphael is 'God Who guideth men'. And God gave unto these angels these names through His foreknowledge of those who were about to be before they came into being.

5 And now let us return to the subject of the discourse and speak about Tobit, the son of Tobiel. Tobit saith, 'I Tobit was walking on the road at midday. Righteousness was in my hands at all times all the days of my life.' Verily Tobit was a traveller on the ways of truth, and a doer of charity with a benevolent mind, and the son of Tobiel gave first-fruits and tithes to the house of God. For this reason the Devil became envious of him, and made him blind. God Himself saith by the mouth of the holy Prophet David, 'Behold, I have become old, and I never saw a righteous man whom God had forsaken.' Subsequently God sent His holy Angel Raphael, and he bestowed upon him the light of his eyes. And also, when he wished to send his son Tobias into a region afar off, He made the good angel to act as his guide. And in the place whereunto he departed he healed Sarra, the daughter of Raguel, and bound the demon Asmodeus with fetters. Thus he filled the house of the poor man with joy, and the house of the rich man he filled with gladness, and the house of chiding and abuse he filled with singing and music, and he made the grief and sighing of Raguel to flee away. And he wiped away also the tears from the eyes of Sarra, and took up her prayers to the Seventh Heaven, to God Almighty.

6 For, O my beloved, this [Raphael] is a good angel, he is a minister, he is a flame of fire, he is a spirit, he is a faithful guide, he is incorporeal, he is also an archangel. He is a good servant (?), he is a wakeful watcher (?), he is a workman who is to be trusted. He is a physician who healeth and accepteth no fee. All these things which I declare unto you this merciful archangel doeth at the command of his Handicraftsman, God. And if ye wish to know, O beloved brethren, how it is that all these names are applicable to this compassionate archangel, I will make the matter manifest to you. Now I have already told you that the [arch]angel is a good being. Behold, his loving-kindness manifesteth itself openly, because the archangel serveth [man with] obedience, even to the preparation of food for him. He is a man, he is a minister who standeth before the deathless King, the Christ.

7 He ministereth at His command, according to the word of the sweet-smelling tongue of Paul, 'Are they not all ministers of the Spirit who are sent out to [perform] service for those who shall inherit salvation?' Thou seest the faithful testimony! He is a spirit, according to the prophecy of David, saying, 'Who maketh His angels spirits'; he is a flame of fire, even as it is written, 'His ministers a flame of fire.' He is a guide, and therefore he guided Tobias in a foreign land, without any injury whatsoever. He is a chief cook, for he cooked the fish for the young man. He is an angel. He is a master of the bridal ceremonies, for he spake unto Tobias, and he made a marriage. He is a being without body, for he tasted no food whatsoever all the days wherein he was travelling with him. He is a messenger, for he made supplication to the Treasury of Compassion, the Christ, on behalf of Tobit and Tobias his son, and Sarra. He was a …when Tobias was in the bride-chamber. He took a camel to Ecbatana and brought back silver. He is a physician, for he healed the eyes of Tobit, who was a charitable man, for he said unto his son, 'According to what thou hast, and according to thy superabundance, do acts of charity, for charity delivereth a man from death.' He is a Commander-in-Chief, for he bound Asmodeus in fetters.

8 He is an unpaid [minister], for he would not take the hire which had been agreed upon with him. He is a good servant, for he performed service for all those who needed it from him. He is a [faithful] minister, for he stood before him and served like a loyal servant. O how deep is the sea of the compassion of God! O how great is the obedience of this archangel, who standeth before the Lord of Hosts, and standeth [as] ever a man to serve! 9 Now therefore, permit us, O my beloved, to bring forward and to declare unto you a few matters concerning this martyrium wherein we are gathered together in the name of the archangel. It happened to me one day, when I John was celebrating my Eucharist at the sixth hour, that a great light rose up in the house wherein I was, and, behold, a young man with an exceedingly beautiful countenance came in to me. He was enveloped in great splendour, and he had a staff of gold, surmounted by a cross, in his right hand, and he called unto me three times, saying, 'John, thou reed of the Holy Spirit! John, thou tongue that healeth the souls which have been shattered by sin! John, thou tongue of the speaker who is able to persuade God in the Seventh Heaven!' And when I heard these words I was troubled, and I fell down at ix

10 his feet that I might worship him. And he took hold of my hand, and raised me up, and said unto me, 'Fear not. Do not [worship me], for I am thy fellow servant, but worship God.' And I said unto him with fear and trembling, 'Who art thou, O my lord, who art enveloped in such great splendour? I have never seen any one like unto thee.' And he removed fear from me, and he said unto me, 'I am Raphael, one of the Seven Archangels. I am Raphael whom my Master joined to Philotheus, and I presented him and his father and his mother to the Christ Jesus. I am Raphael the archangel, and the Christ gave thee into my hand from the time when thou wast a child. And moreover, from the time when thou wast born until this day, I have never left thee for an hour, or for half an hour, or even for the twinkling of an eye. And I will never leave thee until the day [cometh] when I shall take thee to the King, the Christ. He gave thee into my hand when thou wast spotless. [I was with thee] in the house of the learned man who taught thee letters, and also when thou didst make thy passage by sea to Athens and

11 ib Bêrût, into which cities thou didst enter. I walked with thee and I prepared the path whereon thou wast to travel, and I prepared for thee the instruction which was peculiarly suitable for thy mind and heart, even as the husbandman prepareth his seed beforehand, and diggeth his furrows in the water. And now, be strong and prevail. Fear thou not, O thou marvellous confessor, for I am not one to strike fear into souls; on the contrary, I am one who giveth comfort unto souls, for I am called by my fellow angels, "The merciful angel." Be strong, let thy heart be bold, and fear thou not, for I am not associated with disturbance, but with peace. Now therefore, O John, behold the Emperor Arcadius will ask thee about a matter which concerneth me, for he would like to build a martyrium in my name. Encourage him with thy softest speech, for it is written, "The tongue of the righteous man is more excellent than gold and silver"; and make him to be happy in the building of my shrine. When thou shalt consecrate my shrine and the gifts of great price and beauty which the God-loving Emperor shall give unto it (?) …Declare these words unto the pious Emperor [IV] …the Christ …the Holy Spirit, which is like unto a sweet odour that floweth from his mouth. Be of good cheer, and the peace of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit be with thee.' And when he had said these things unto me he went up into heaven with great glory.

12 And I John neither ate nor drank that day because of the joy which was in my heart through the archangel's talk with me. And it came to pass on the following day that the pious Emperor Arcadius came unto my lowliness in the Patriarch's house and received a blessing from my hand. And I said unto him, 'Sit thou down, O lover of the Christ, O thou who art troubled in thy mind about the building of the shrine of the holy Archangel Raphael, whose gracious remembrance [of the saint] driveth away sleep from thee, whose remembrance of the service of the saints maketh thee to forget the enjoyment of the Empire. Blessed (?) [art thou who …] that which is good, …shall be [IV] unto thee. In very truth is fulfilled in thee the word of the ineffable Paul, "Minister to the saints"; and again, "God is not unjust to forget your labour, and the love which ye manifest in His Name."' And when I had said these words unto him the blessed Emperor [was astonished] for a long time. And he answered and said unto me, 'We are blessed, O Israel, because the things which are pleasing unto God are manifest unto us. And blessed are we also because God hath raised up unto us such a spiritual father as thyself. Verily thou art an angel who dost walk upon earth with men.

13 Furthermore, in thee is fulfilled the word of David, the holy psalmist, saying, "The generation of the upright shall receive blessing." Furthermore, O my holy father, behold for many days my heart hath been troubling me concerning the building of the shrine of the holy Archangel Raphael. I swear by thy holy prayers that I have not slept at all during the past night because of this matter. Behold, behold the Spirit... [About sixty-four pages wanting]