The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

continued

The Epistle of Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy

1 The Homiletic Epistle, which was sent by the holy and blessed Dionysius, the Areopagite, to Timothy, the apostle and disciple of Paul the elect, concerning the conclusion of the testimonies of Peter and Paul, the holy Apostles, in the city of Rome on the fifth day of the month Hamlé, in the peace of God the Father. May his prayer and blessing be with His handmaiden Wakatta Madhan! Amen. Verily salutation [be] to the divine disciple, and to the spiritual son, and to the vigilant heart who standeth firm, the shepherd who shepherdeth the flock, and fulfillet the ordinances of his God, who abideth patiently his trials and afflictions,, who is over all priests and teachers, who is sincere and careful, the spiritual father Timothy, from Dionysius. This [man Paul] is [our] joy. O thou who hast put on God, for he was crucified with Jesus Christ, and he suffered with Him, and he laboured in His spiritual mission. He was the sea of wisdom, the father of tongues, the light of the churches, the teacher of the sheep which have been scattered abroad, the axe wherewith the doors of sin were broken to pieces and dashed to the ground, the diamond which cut out and destroyed the errors of evil, the loadstone which blotteth out sin, and destroyeth the foolish, and dissolveth their folly upon them. He was the earthly angel and man, the heavenly man, the valiant one, the victorious soldier, the divine likeness, the God-like and Christ-like image, the foe of the Jews, the scatterer of the Jews who were gathered together, the majesty of the churches, the might of the Spirit, the shield of righteousness, the messenger of Christ, the preacher of the Gospel, the rooter out of idolaters, the joy of the churches, the divine mouth and the tongue of the Spirit. He was the gatherer to- gether of the scattered, the consoler of those who had transgressed, the father of those who were orphans, the support of the widows, the raiser up of those who had fallen, the strengthener of those who were standing, the healer of those who were sick, the vivifier of the bones which were broken, the spotless body, who gathered together [men in] cities, who made the plains to be inhabited, the ship of salvation, the skilful sailor, the orderer of the deeds of evil-doers, and he rooted out and ordered the arrangement of things which are below.

2 Behold, our teacher hath left us in the toil of afflictions, and he hath gone to Christ Jesus. O my brother Timothy, where then is thy watchful teacher? Where is thy spiritual father? Where is the disciple who was beloved of his teacher? Whence shall he come unto us henceforth in peace? Shall he come from out of the sea? or from the desert? or from Galatia? or from Spain? or from Corinth? or from Asia? O my brother Timothy, behold, from henceforth thou shalt be an orphan, and one who is alone; behold, thy career hath been cut off suddenly. Henceforth he will not write unto thee with his holy hands, saying, "O my beloved son", and he will never again send a message to thee that thou shouldst go to thy teacher in divers cities. O my brother Timothy, where now hast thou heard that thy father Paul existeth this day? according to the word of our Lord which saith, "Verily I say unto you, ye shall desire to see him, that is to say, your teacher, [for] a season, and ye shall see him not". O my brother Timothy, behold, there have come this day sorrow and joy, a day of cloud and darkness. Who now will weep with [thee even] as the Prophet saith, "Who will give me water for my head, and a fountain of tears for mine eyes? And I will continue to weep both by day and by night by reason of the [extinction of the] light of the Church.

3 O my brother Timothy, gather now together all thy Scriptures, for from henceforth thou wilt find no man who will be able to interpret for thee the prophecies of the Prophets. From now and henceforth say, even as the prophet Amos said, "I am a keeper of cattle". And henceforth thou wilt never desire to minister unto him in his fetters, and thou wilt no longer read his honourable and blessed messages which were wont to come unto thee. For he will never again send unto thee an epistle, [saying] that he hath been scourged, or that he is naked; and thou wilt not be terrified by hearing that he is in the midst of great tribulations. And he will never write another epistle unto thee, saying, "From 'Paul, a prisoner for Christ; and he will never again desire thee to preach in the cities, saying, "Receive 'my beloved son Timothy. O my brother Timothy, bring forth with thee [the Book of] Jeremiah the prophet, for it is that which saith, "My heart is sad, and bitter, 'and broken, and it cannot rest.'" Who is there who when he knoweth will not suffer sorrow and pain, and be in grief and in mourning? Who is there whom the agonies of death will not compass when he heareth this cry of woe? O ye priests, put on sackcloth! O ye who minister at the altar of the sanctuary, weep ye and lament!

4 For a voice of wailing hath been heard in Rāmā, and lamentation, and not of lamentation only, but of lamentation and death, for in one day bitter scourgings have come. In one day two terrible sorrows [have come upon us], and at one time was heard the news of breakings, and of sorrow which was more than all [other] sorrows, and of lamentation which was greater than all [other] lamentations. Now are fulfilled the words of Israel Jacob, saying, "I have lost Joseph, and Simeon I have not found"; for Paul, the light of the Church, hath no longer being, and Peter, the foundation of the Church, and the hope of those who believe, can no longer be found. Behold, now are fulfilled the words of the prophet, saying, "The stone of holy things hath been rejected and 5 This day have been fulfilled the words of the prophet David, saying, "They gave the dead bodies of Thy servants as food for the fowl of the heavens, and the flesh of Thy righteous ones unto the beasts of the wilderness".

6 Where now is the career which Paul was hastening to run? Behold, it hath ceased! And behold, his holy feet rest from the toil of the roads; his feet stumbled (literally, fell) not, but were agile, and swift, and beautiful amid the uproar which was in the house of darkness. He shall not [again] be shut up in prison, and his pure hands shall never [again] be bound behind [him]; henceforth he shall neither journey to the city of the Nations, nor enter into [foreign] countries and islands. He shall not [again] stretch out his hands in the ropes which cause pain, and he shall not again be imprisoned in the instruments of torture. Into what country did he not enter? And in what region did he not travel round about? What labour was too heavy for his holy hands? How many were the godly Epistles which he wrote? How long, though bound with chains, did he keep the Law of the Most High, and at the same time teach it and honour it by day and by night, and write [his Epistles] as he toiled for it and laboured for it? And how many times did the people of the Jews receive it? [And his hands] were bound and tied behind [him], and yet he remembered the life-giving sufferings of Christ! Where is that holy body which received scourgings, and which endured patiently severe afflictions? Where is that mouth which spake? and the tongue which was fashioned by the Spirit? Where is that master of wisdom who declaimed the teachings of philosophy? Where is the soul which was clothed with God? O my brother Timothy, let us celebrate the feast, the feast of feasts, and let us offer up unto that man an offering, yea, an acceptable offering. And be thou mindful of the memorial of him, the glory of the saints!

7 And who is there that will not lament over those men who, though being fit for the honourable estate of heaven, were handed over unto death, even as if they had been workers of iniquity? O my brother Timothy, hadst thou seen that marvellous conflict, or hadst thou heard thereof at thy place on the Euphrates the magnitude of thy grief might have been imagined. But now, let not thy sorrow be multiplied, for thou wast not present at the time when they brought them out to receive [the stroke of] the sword and to finish their martyrdom. What man can there be who would not have been in great tribulation in that sad hour, or who would not have been in despair of soul, and withered in heart? especially when their hands were fettered with chains like those who were to be slain. And round about the Emperor were gathered together crowds of venerable men, and aged men, and honourable men of the Jews, and of the peoples who were accursed idolaters, to see those marvellous men. And who would not have wept in that hour when they spat in their faces, and cast filthy spittle upon them, and when they received cruel blows on their bodies from this side and from that and from round about? Yet Peter and Paul uttered no word and kept silence, and they bore [everything] in patience, and were even as two simple lambs. And each of them was exhorting the other to be cheerful in spiritual love, as they were being handed over to death, and they were brethren of one body [which was about to become] a pure sacrifice; and one of them they delivered over unto crucifixion, and the other unto death by the sword. What heart is there that will not lament when it heareth these two brethren Peter and Paul, who were, in very truth, righteous, and just, and perfect, saying one to the other, "Go forth in peace, O head of the Church"?

8 The heavens were terrified when these [two] sainted men took their departure; and the earth quaked when it received the blood of the souls of these pure and righteous men; and the souls [of the righteous] suffered pain by reason of the death of these spiritual and sainted men; and the princes of the angels trembled at the strife of the aged and honourable men. And who could be so destitute of intelligence and understanding that, when he saw Peter, the chief of the Apostles—unto whom had been given the keys of the kingdom of heaven, who had power and permission to bind and to loose the bonds of sin for the righteous, and for the penitent, and for the just souls—hanging upon a cross, with his head downwards, he would not suffer pain on his behalf? If a man did not thus suffer he must be one whose heart had withered.

9 O my brother Timothy, I was not nigh unto him when he received the sentence of death in that hour and on that day, for I had gone away with Paul my master; now the two were not in one place where they could finish their testimony together. And oh, what cruel and bitter woe was there to me, my brother Timothy, when the swordsman ordered Saint Paul to bow his head beneath the sword! now his blessed eyes were filled with tears. And woe be unto me, O my brother [Timothy], for I saw him at that hour looking towards heaven, and making over his face the holy sign of the Cross of life, and then holding his peace, he bowed his head and moved it not beneath [the stroke of] the sword. And woe be unto me, O my brother Timothy, for in that hour I saw him bathed in his own blood. And woe be unto me, O Paul my spiritual father, that thou wast prepared for this death. Woe be unto me, O my pure and shining father. Woe be unto me, O my gracious and honourable master. Woe be unto me, because he hath left me alone. Where hast thou gone, and [why] hast thou cast me off? Whither hast thou removed thysself, and [why] hast thou forsaken me? Whither hast thou removed thyself, thou glory of Christ-like men and of Christians, thou teacher of the polluted Gentiles? Who can keep silent from proclaiming the grace which magnified the Church? Who can restrain himself from proclaiming thy understanding whereby thou didst bring forth the instruction of heavenly and divine words? How can I go to thy disciples, O just master, and what shall I say unto them when they enquire of me concerning thee? Shall I tell them that thou art confined in a place of restraint, or shut up in a prison? And what dost thou desire from those to whom I shall declare thy message? Henceforth we have no desire towards any one of them. In Jerusalem I received [my] fetters, and after two years I removed myself from thee into Rome.

10 The prophet David mourned in his lamentation, saying, "Woe be unto me, O my son!" And like unto him this day I mourn, saying, "Woe be unto me, O my father; woe be unto me, O my master!". For, for this blow no healing whatsoever can be found, and for this grief there is no consolation, and for this sickness (or pain) there is no healing. [O Peter and Paul,] in the days of your lives ye were joined together in your works, but in your deaths ye were separated, each from the other; and ye were rejected and cast forth like the carcases of beasts upon the highways. How many churches looked forward to your coming? How many priests watched for your salutations! How many people awaited eagerly the arrival of your epistles, and your homilies! But this day the sending of your disciples from Rome your city hath come to an end, and this day your disciples have become orphans. Henceforth who shall go up and make peace to exist among those who are at enmity with one another? Henceforth who shall search out and interpret for us the Divine Scriptures? Henceforth we shall not hasten to go to the city of Rome, and we shall no longer say, "Come, let us gather together, and let us go to Saint Paul, our master, that we may hear from him the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures". And henceforth we shall have no desire for the Books of the Prophets, for we shall not be able to find any one who can interpret [them] unto us. Unto whom wilt thou entrust thy disciples, O righteous master? Blessed be the city of Rome because it was worthy to be the dwelling-place of these martyrs, who were in very truth heavenly martyrs.

11 Behold now, the holy city of Rome is to be compared unto the holy city of Jerusalem, [which is] free indeed. Jerusalem received Christ, the King of Glory, and the city of Rome received His blessed Apostles; Jerusalem is adored by reason of Him that was crucified therein, and the city of Rome is rich by reason of him that was crucified in her. O my brother Timothy, I saw a great marvel on the day wherein the two disciples Peter and Paul were crowned. When the one separated from the other at the time when they finished their testimony, I saw them entering in before me through a gate, the one holding the hand of the other, and they were clothed in the apparel of the kingdom [of heaven], and upon their heads two richly decorated crowns of the kingdom [of heaven] were placed, and their crowns shone brightly, and lightnings and flames of fire shot forth therefrom over their heads, even as light and fire shoot forth from the sun when he riseth in heaven in the month of Marmûdâ. Now, I was not the only one who was worthy of this wonderful sight, for there was a certain blessed woman, of the family of the unbelieving Emperor Nero, [who also saw it] and this woman was she whom Paul the Apostle had baptized, and had brought in [among] the Christians. And it came to pass that, when the wicked men brought him forth that he might yield up his soul, and finish his testimony, he took her garment from her, and said unto her, "When I return unto thee I will bring it to thee". And when they came to the place wherein he was to finish his testimony, with patience, and quietness, and silence, he bowed down his head beneath the sword, [and he remained] motionless, with his face shrouded in the [woman's] garment. And it came to pass that, when the soldiers who had taken Paul away and slain him, returned, the woman from whom he had taken her garment said unto them, "Where is Paul? And they answered and said unto her, "We left him in the 'armatēn', slain and cast down upon the ground; with him is thy garment, and his face is wrapped therein".

12 And the woman, who was in very truth a Christian, said unto them, "Verily ye lie, for Paul and Peter have at this moment passed before me [coming] towards me. They were arrayed in apparel which was more beautiful than royal raiment, and upon their heads were two royal and richly ornamented crowns, and their appearance was exceedingly venerable, and hard for the sight to bear. And as for me, I looked until I was terrified at the sight of them. And Paul restored to me my garment which he took out of my hand, and behold here it is; and straightway she took it in her hand, and shewed it unto them, saying, "Behold, here is my garment which he took from me out of my hand". And when they saw it they were astonished with a great astonishment, and they gave glory unto God, saying, "Verily, His power is great, and His Majesty is exceedingly terrible, and His work is marvellous; by reason of the praise which is ascribed unto Him He is greatly to be feared, and He is glorified by His saints". And it came to pass that in that hour the Christians believed in God, the Lord Jesus Christ, by reason of this great miracle.

13 And now, O my brother Timothy, behold, thy master hath departed unto our Lord Jesus Christ, Whom he loved greatly and exceedingly. As Saul the king and Jonathan his son were separated neither in the days of their life nor in the day of their death, so shall we not be separated from them against our will. And in this separation there is no despair, for the separation wherein there is despair of hope is when the angels of death separate the one from the other, but not from their kindred; and even if they were remote from the following (or train) of the blessed, that is, the pure and spiritual disciples of the Lord, this would not be the cutting off of hope. But the cutting off of hope would be separation from God, for which there can never be any consolation, and no one among the friends of a man who could draw nigh unto him would be able to console him in his trouble. [The souls of the righteous] converse together, and they possess memory, and honour, and they have understanding of deeds, and they comprehend words. And verily, the two Apostles and envoys, Peter and Paul, have their habitation in that exalted and heavenly abode, and their souls are held to be worthy of the immortal life which endureth for ever.

14 And no soul whatsoever of all the souls [which are there] is able to join itself unto the souls of the two Apostles, for they are surrounded and shrouded by terrible majesty, and by angels who strike awe into [those who see them]. Now Paul was one who cursed God through the Law of Moses, but he became one who honoured and glorified Him beyond measure, and above the Law of Moses. And again Paul was a foe and a calumniator of Christ through the Law of the Jews, but he became a calumniator, and a persecutor, and an enemy of the Jews on behalf of Christ; and besides, he became an ally and a friend of Christ, and a teacher, and a preacher, and a legislator for the peoples of the Gentiles, and a pillar of the Church. Paul was the region of the sunrise unto those who believed, and he gathered together the wicked peoples who were scattered abroad. Paul was shut up in prison and stoned with stones by the people who were evil. Paul was the delight of those who were in sorrow, and he was the light of Christian folk. O the depth of the riches of the knowledge [and] wisdom of God! Aforetime Paul laid waste and tore down the churches, but afterwards he became one who built them up, and an heir of the kingdom of heaven.

15 And do thou, O my brother Timothy, understand how to act, and read thou all the Scriptures; and God Almighty, the Father of all mercies, shall make rich thy soul speedily in the heavens. Where is Paul? And where is Peter? Where are these prophets who were indeed divine? Woe unto the children who have lost their fathers and mothers! Woe unto the disciples who cannot find their master! Woe unto the sheep when they have not their shepherd! Woe unto those who are sick when they cannot find the physician to heal them! O thou Tongue which fashionedst celestial words! O thou foundation of divine rule which canst [not] be described! Thou Sea which canst not be fathomed! Thou Depth which canst not be found out! Paul was a fortress which could not be overturned, and he was the enricher of the poor and needy, and he was the ravisher and the careful searcher out of the Heavenly Scriptures. If thou hadst told us that thou wouldst remove thyself from us, and that we should be forsaken men and cast away, and that thou wouldst depart speedily to Christ, we might have sought out and found some one who would interpret for us thy homilies, and epistles, and discourses.

16 And what shall we do now that we have lost the opportunity of meditating upon thy writings which were wont to give us consolation? Woe unto us because of this grief which hath come upon us! O my brother Timothy, thou shalt not read the ancient Scriptures [only], but keep in remembrance the spiritual canons which Paul the chosen one commanded us to observe, and understand that every word which Paul our master spake from God is a portion which will redeem with power [our] souls, for even thus did the expounder of divine words command. Now the divine Paul commanded, saying, "Unless there shall be in the church two interpreters, the Scriptures shall not be read overmuch;" behold now, the master-workman hath taken away the knowledge of all interpretations. 17 O my brother Timothy, fast, and pray, and keep watch, and make supplication that Christ may make us worthy of the salvation of the divine kingdom, together with Paul our master. Now the disciple of Elijah the prophet enquired of his master with an enquiry which was exalted above the flesh; do thou then take heed that thou art not kept back from the gift of grace. And why did he become worthy of all gifts? Because he did the will (or pleasure) of his master in such a way that the whole 'anāsēr trembled before him; now [the word] anāsēr meaneth "the four quarters of the world". And Elisha neither removed himself nor departed from the service of his master, and although all men made a mock at him and shewed enmity towards him he never left him. And behold, that same Elijah had many disciples, but of them all there was only one who was nigh unto him, and that was Elisha. And the children of Israel hated him and said unto him, "This is the disciple of the false prophet, this is the disciple of him that contendeth against the Law." But Elisha did not answer them a word concerning this, and for this reason he became worthy of the gift which he asked for from his master.

18 And again, O my brother Timothy, know thou that Paul had many disciples, yet none of them except thyself endured patiently all the tribulations [which he endured]. Verily thou art [worthy] of the gift of grace, and of the good reward, and of the wages of thy toil, and He will reward thee therewith in return for the hardship, and toil, and labour which thou didst endure patiently, together with the blessed and honourable Apostles Peter and Paul, through the prayers of all those who ministered unto them in their imprisonment. And may God the Father of all, the Stablesher of all, and the Sustainer of all, the Guide and Light of all through His only Son and His Holy Ghost, open the heart so that thou mayest celebrate his festivals, and mayest keep his words in E such wise that thou mayest rejoice with him when he cometh in glory with his Creator.

19 And now, thou shalt write unto all the churches which shall come after us, generation after generation, that they may pay honour unto this day, and may celebrate the festival with joy, and with the carefulness which is born of the Spirit, even as [the angels] in heaven celebrate a festival in honour of Peter and of Paul, and of all their disciples. But this day of the festival is not the day of the festival of all the Apostles, for the day of the festival of each of the Apostles is well known, and hath been set apart, and is recognized and understood, even as it is written in "GADLA ḤAWÂRYÂT", and the day of the ending of the testimony of each one of the Apostles is well known, and hath been set apart and recognized. And they shall honour and magnify this day with joy and gladness, because of the honour and majesty of Peter and Paul who revealed the light, and were the wall, and the pillar, and the ornament, and the joy of the Church. Now on the twelfth day of the month Ḥadâr is the festival of the mighty, and holy, and exalted Archangel Michael, whereon all the heavenly hosts are gathered together to celebrate with joy and gladness the festival to the honour and majesty of the angel of their mighty one, and the captain of their army, Michael the angel of powers. And similarly, all the holy Apostles shall on the fifth day of the month Ḥamlê celebrate a festival both in the heavens and in the earth, and in all the churches, and wheresoever their memorial abideth, and wheresoever [the history of] their contendings, and their discourses are read, and all the Apostles shall celebrate a festival of our gracious and beloved masters, Peter and Paul, with joy. And do ye likewise, O children of the holy Church, if ye desire the salvation of your souls, celebrate their festival, and honour their memory with holy care and with spiritual desire on the day of the festival of the Apostles, so that your souls may be sanctified and your bodies redeemed. And celebrate ye the festival of the Apostles on this day with praise, and prayer, and thanksgiving, and glorifying, and sanctification, and vigils by night and by day unceasingly; in this manner ye shall celebrate a spiritual festival. And again, celebrate ye the festival of the body with joy; and satisfy with food the hungry, and clothe ye the naked, and comfort ye those who are in sorrow, so that your festival may be celebrated to the full. For He saith in the [book of the] prophet of our Lord, "Blessed is he who hath seed in Zion and houses in Jerusalem"." [Now let your] seed be in the belly of the poor and needy who hunger, [in the form of] meat, and drink, and good things, that it may take root, and grow up, and bear fruit, and heap up riches for you in Zion, the holy city of the king of kings, and that ye may find spiritual houses in Jerusalem, the holy city and the free, which is in the heavens.

20 And build ye churches in the names of the Apostles, and in the names of all the saints, and martyrs, and archangels. And ye shall not only build churches, but ye shall ornament them with all honour and with care, and in the love and fear of God Almighty, with all your strength, and with all your heart[s], like the bride Compare Zechariah viii. 21 E* of a king who is about to give his daughter to the son of a king. In this wise shall ye make beautiful a church A..25b. when ye have built it, so that God Almighty may see the beauty of your works, and may accept your labour, and may multiply your reward, and may give unto you His good things so that ye may inherit His kingdom, even as it is written, "He will reward every man according to his work, whether it be good or whether it be evil". And as for you, may He do for you according to the multitude of His mercy; and may He help those of you who do His will; and may He make pure your bodies and sanctify your souls, and heal the sickness of your souls, and your bodies, and lengthen your days, and multiply His blessing in the houses of all those of you who are here. And of those who are gathered together here to celebrate the festival of the blessed Apostles He will enlighten the eyes of your hearts, through the prayer and petition of the pure Virgin, the mother of God, MARY the holy woman who brought life unto all creation; and through A..26a. the supplications of the exalted Archangels Michael and Gabriel; and through the prayer of Saint John, who is more exalted than all the saints and prophets and than all those who are born of women; and by the contendings and the blood of the victorious martyrs. And may He put an end to, and destroy, and keep away from you the works of devils. And now to the Father be praise, and to the Son be thanksgiving, and to the Holy Spirit be dominion, and worship, and blessing, as is meet always and at every season, on earth and in heaven, and at all times, and henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

22 Here endeth the Homiletic Epistle of Abba Dionysius [mhich was written] to be a consolation to Abba Timothy [at] the time of his sorrow, by the help of Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen.

Colophon.

23 The honourable, and spiritually minded, and blessed, and pure father, Abbūna Mark of Dabra Sabrā, was concerned in the preparation of this book for the Ethiopian brethren [and] monks, and our brother Krēstadālū (Christodoulos) was wont to read [it] unto them, and to bring them consolation thereby. May our good God lengthen his days, and make beautiful the days of his life, and may his prayer be received according to the greatness of his love, even as He received the son of the wise man who repented and returned unto his father, by the intercession of the angels [and] spiritual beings, and by the contendings of the victorious martyrs, and by the prayers of all the saints who have pleased God for ever and ever! Amen. O ye my brethren who have gathered yourselves together to hear the words of this book, may God make your portion to be with the blessed Apostles! Amen.

The Preaching of Simon, the Son of Cleopas

1 In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit [one god]. IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS TRINITY, THE SUSTAINER OF ALL, THE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS. The preaching of the blessed Saint Simon, the son of Cleopas, who was surnamed Judas, which is interpreted Nathaniel, who became Bishop of Jerusalem after James, the brother of our Lord. May his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! In the peace of God, Amen. 2 And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together on the Mount of Olives that they might divide all the countries of the world among them, and as they were praying and blessing God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ came among them and said unto them, "May the peace of My Father dwell upon you, O My holy disciples." And they cast lots, and the lot went forth to Judas the Galilean to go to the country of Samaria, and to preach therein the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Simon answered and said unto our Lord, "Be Thou but with us, O Master, in whatever place we may be, and we will endure whatsoever cometh; only let our father Peter go with us, so that he may bring me unto the country of Samaria." And God (or the Lord) said unto him, "Peter's lot is to go to the country of Rome and to preach therein; but he shall go with thee until he shall have brought thee [to thy country] in peace. And after thou hast made an end of thy preaching and of thy tidings which thou shalt proclaim among the people thereof, thou shalt return to Jerusalem; and after the death of James the Just thou shalt be appointed Bishop therein; and after him thou shalt finish thy strife; even as James the Just finished his strife in that same place. Behold now, O My chosen one Simon, go forth in peace; and may the might of My Father give thee help;" and our Lord blessed him and all the [other] Apostles, and He went up into heaven with great glory.

3 And it came to pass after our Lord had gone up into heaven that Simon rose up and prayed; and he came to Jerusalem, and Peter also was with him. And they went first of all to Samaria and preached unto the people there the story of the Gospel; and Simon the Apostle went among their assemblies and preached unto them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it came to pass that, when the Jews who dwelt in that place heard [thereof], they rose up against him, and they beat him sorely and with many stripes, and then they dragged him outside the city; and Peter laid hold upon him and went forth therefrom. But Simon returned unto the people, and stood up among those who were gathered together [there], and he dwelt with them for three days and preached unto them the Name of Christ; and among them were certain men who would not believe. Now at the end of the three days the son of the chief of the synagogue, whose name was James, fell sick and died. And a certain man among those who had believed upon the word of Simon came unto the father of the young man who was dead, and said unto him, "Behold, there

4 "is an Apostle of Christ here; let him pray over the young "man." And the man went quickly and called the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he came with joy, and stood over the young man who was dead. And he said unto the father of the young man who was dead, "Dost thou believe in Him Whom they crucified, and that "He is the Son of God, and that through Him thou wilt "see the glory of God?" And the father of the young man who was dead said unto him, "If thou raise up my "son from the dead, and I see him alive "[again], I will believe in Jesus Christ Who was crucified, "and [will believe] that He is the Son of the Living God." Then the Apostle turned his face to the East and prayed, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who wast crucified in

5 "the days of Pontius Pilate, Who didst prepare me for "this work that I might preach in Thy blessed and "Holy Name, Who didst suffer for our sakes that Thou "mightest redeem us out of the hands of those that hate "us, look now upon this young man who hath died, and "in Thy good pleasure command that he may be raised "up; and let him praise Thy Name this day among the "people of this city, so that they may believe in Thy "holy Name." 6 And it came to pass that when Simon, the blessed Apostle, had said those words he turned his face towards the place where the young man was, and he said, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, rise up, so that all those who are gathered together may see thee alive, and may believe in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then straightway the young man opened his eyes and rose up and sat down; and Simon commanded that they should bring unto him food that he might eat. Now when those who were gathered together saw this wonderful thing they marvelled; and they all drew nigh and bowed down to the ground before the Apostle, and they all believed in God, and said, "O God, the God of Simon, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, we believe in Jesus Christ, [and we believe] that He is the son of the Living God." And the father of the young man and all those [who were gathered together there] bowed down at the feet of the holy man, the Apostle, and said unto him, "O master, how shall we be saved?" And he said unto them, "Believe ye with all your hearts, and ye shall be saved." Then he taught them the Holy Scriptures, and he baptized all those who dwelt in the city in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and he administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, and commanded them to build churches. And he appointed the chief of the synagogue, whose name was Cornelius, to be their Bishop; and he set over them priests and deacons, and he gave them the Holy Gospel, and he dwelt with them for thirty days, teaching them the Law of God.

7 And it came to pass after these things that he returned to Jerusalem. And when the Jews had slain Saint James, his disciples who were in Jerusalem took Simon, and appointed him to be Bishop in Jerusalem; and he taught them the Word of God, and declared unto them that which was in the Gospel, and he brought salvation unto their souls. Now the Jews were exceedingly angry with him; but he continued in Jerusalem, glorifying God our Lord Jesus Christ at all seasons and every day. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

The Martyrdom of Simon, the Son of Cleopas

In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit [one god]. IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS TRINITY, THE SUSTAINER OF ALL, THE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS! Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Simon, the son of Cleopas, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now he finished his contending on the tenth day of the month Fami; may his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! In the peace of God. Amen. And it came to pass after the death of Saint James the Just, Simon, the son of Cleopas (now his name was judas), was appointed Bishop in Jerusalem after him, and his days were one hundred and twenty years; and at the end of his days he said, "I wish that my blood may be shed in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." And he built churches in Jerusalem, and he appointed priests and deacons to them, that they might redeem the children of men from the dominion of Satan, and make them ready for God's kingdom. The first church which he built he called by the name of MARY, the holy Virgin, the bearer of our Lord; [the second church which he built he called by the name of …]; the third church he called by the name of Michael, the Archangel, who intercedeth for the whole race of the sons of men, that [God] may put away punishment from them and that His blessing and mercy may descend upon them; and the fourth church he called by the name of the Apostles. And it came to pass that Simon wished to destroy the faith of the Jews, and their polluted worship, and their evil rule; therefore he continued to teach all the people the Word of God, [and admonished them] to fill the church[es] which he had built, [and instructed them] in the knowledge of God, and it was plain unto all alike, from the greatest even unto the least. Then all their men believed in the preaching of the Apostle, and at length all the people of the city forsook the assembly of the people of the Jews and followed after the righteousness which the Apostle taught them from God Almighty. And when the Jews heard the fair words of the story of the blessed Apostle, and how he desired to put an end to their Law (or religion) and their gods, they gathered themselves together, both great and small, and they all came together against the Apostle that they might kill him. Now the Jews were a people who wrought evil, and therefore they all gathered themselves together against Simon in anger and indignation; and they bound him and brought him before Daryánós (i. e. Trajan) the governor. And they were all testifying against him before the governor, and they said unto him, "Hear-ken unto us, and we will tell thee what this sorcerer hath been doing." Then the governor believed all the words which they spake unto him, and he was angry with the Apostle, and said unto him, "Unto thee I speak, O worker of iniquity. Tell me, art thou not a magician, and dost thou not work sorceries upon all the people of the city?" And the Apostle said unto him, "Hearken thou unto what I shall say unto thee, O governor; thou hast a heart, but it is without understanding. I am not a magician, and I have no knowledge of the art of sor-cery, but I am a servant of Jesus Christ, the God of all creation, the King of kings, the mighty God, Who hath power over all the gods of the nations to destroy them." And it came to pass that when the governor heard these words from the Apostle he was angry with him with a great anger, and he delivered him over unto evil men that they might crucify him. Then the Jews gathered themselves together against him, and they took out the blessed Apostle Simon, the son of Cleopas, that they might crucify him, even as the wicked governor had commanded; and they hung him upon a cross, and scourged him with scourgings until he died. Now he finished his testimony [on the tenth day of] the month Hamlè, by the good pleasure of God Almighty, the Sustainer of all, to Whom be glory and honour for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

The Preaching of Saint James the Just

1 Here beginneth the Preaching of James the Just, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was surnamed the brother of our Lord in the flesh. Now the lot which went out to him was that he should preach in Jerusalem, and after he had preached unto the people thereof, he became Bishop in Jerusalem, and he died therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the peace of God, Amen. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together that the countries of the world might be divided among them, our Lord Jesus Christ sat in their midst and said unto them, "My peace be upon you, O My holy Apostles! As My Father sent Me to the world, even so do I send you that ye may preach 2 "throughout the whole world the knowledge of My heavenly Father." And for this reason they cast lots, and the lot came to James to preach the Holy Gospel in Jerusalem and in all the districts thereof. Therefore did he bow down before God and say, "O God, Thou knowest that the Jews will seek to kill us when we preach Thy resurrection and the Holy Gospel. And are not the command and the lot which have gone forth to me great? Yet I am only one, and I know that the Jews will not listen unto the words which I shall speak unto them. I beseech Thee then, O Lord, send me to the Gentiles, together with my brethren, and I will do everything which Thou shalt command me to do, and I will bear patiently all the sufferings which shall come upon me for Thy Name's sake." And our Lord answered and said unto James, "Hearken, and I will, tell thee; but thou must needs preach [the Gospel] in the place which hath gone forth to thee by lot. Behold, I have left Peter, [My] chosen one, to toil for your sakes. Thou shalt, however, be Bishop in Jerusalem, and [the Jews] shall hearken unto thy words, and thou shalt end thy contending nobly, and thy grave shall be therein. Rise up and finish that for which I have prepared thee."

3 And James said unto Him, "O Lord, let but my father Peter help me; and I will bear everything which shall befall me for Thy honourable Name's sake;" and our Lord gave them the salutation of peace, and went up into heaven with great glory. Now the Apostles were filled with the power of the Spirit, and they prayed in the Mount of Olives. And Peter answered and said unto the Apostles, "Let us go with our brother James, so that we may establish him in his bishopric." Then Peter rose up and all those who were with him, and they stretched out their hands and prayed, saying, "O God, Who dost sustain all creation, hearken unto us. We know that Thou wilt not be far from us in whatsoever we require of Thee. Grant Thou unto our brother "James the power to give consolation unto Thy people whom Thou hast brought back to him, and may he console them, even as Thou hast consoled him." And it came to pass that when they had prayed their prayer, and each of them had given him the salutation of peace, they brought James into Jerusalem, and he preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and many men believed in his story.

4 Now, when the Jews saw James preaching in the Name of Christ, certain of them wished to slay him, and they were not able to find an opportunity to do this, because of those who had believed in God through him; and when he knew that they were conspiring together against him, he went forth to the regions round about the city, and he preached unto them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it came to pass that when he had come into those regions he found a certain aged man [there], and he said unto him, "I desire that thou wilt let me abide with thee; and the aged man said unto him, "Take thy rest until to-morrow. And the Apostle departed to come unto him in his house, and on the way [thither] he found a man who had a devil in him. Now when Satan saw James the Apostle, he cried out and said, "What hast thou to do with me, O Apostle of Christ? Hast thou come hither to destroy me? And the Apostle said unto him, "O unclean spirit, make an end of thy speech, and go forth from this man; therefore Satan went forth from the man in the form of fire. And it came to pass that when the aged man saw this miracle he fell at the feet of the Apostle and said, "I am not worthy that thou shouldst come into my house:

5 but tell me what I shall do that I and all the people of my house may be saved. Therefore the Apostle glorified the name of Jesus Christ, and said, "Master, I give thanks unto thee that thou hast made fair my way; and he returned to the man and spake unto him the word which would save him, and he taught him that our Lord Jesus Christ [is God]. So the aged man brought him into his house; and all the people thereof were gathered together unto him, and he taught them and made them to know the faith, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and he made them to be heirs in the Holy Mysteries, that is to say, the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood. 6 And it came to pass that, when the people of the country heard [of James], they brought unto him all their folk who were sick with sicknesses of every kind, and he healed them; and he appointed priests and deacons for them, and he made the old man bishop, and he gave him the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then James went forth into all the districts which were round about Jerusalem, and preached therein; and then he returned to Jerusalem. And the faithful heard of the coming of James (now he was [surnamed] the Just) into Jerusalem, and they all came to him, praising God our Lord Jesus Christ, with His Father, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.

The Martyrdom of Saint James the Just

1 Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint James the Just, the blessed Apostle, which took place on the eighteenth day of the month of Hamli. In the peace of our Lord, Amen. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! 2 And it came to pass that when James returned to Jerusalem he preached unto the people in that city in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and many believed on him by reason of the signs and wonders which God made to go forth by the hand of His holy Apostle, and God our Lord made him worthy of the episcopal throne in Jerusalem. And when he had become Bishop God made manifest the healing of many folk who were sick of every kind of disease. Now the governor of the city was a lover of money, and he hated Saint James because Satan stirred him up against him; and he had no children because God Almighty, Whose Name is great, was rebuk- 115b. ing him for the multitude of his sins. And meanwhile his wife was entreating God to give her children, and she was wont to do deeds of kindness unto all those who were in affliction, and to send gifts and offerings to the sanctuary of the church daily without her husband having knowledge thereof, because of his great greed, and every day of her life she sorrowed exceedingly, and made entreaty [to God] for children. And it came to pass that although her entreaty waxed great the glorious and holy God did not grant her desire, because He knew that good was about to come upon her.

3 And when the glorious fame of Saint James and of his faith had come [to the city], now God was with him in all his work, she rose up with joy and gladness, and came to Saint James in true belief that at the request of the saint God would give her that which she desired. And it came to pass that when the saint knew that Téryô-bastâ (or Piobsata), the wife of 'Ammânyôs (Aumanius or Ananus) the governor, wished to come to him to be blessed by him his wonder increased, and he said, "This is a great matter; now he well knew her husband's wickedness, and that he had commanded her [not] to come to him. And when she had come into his presence she bowed her head, and prostrated herself at his feet, and said unto him, "O holy father, I beseech thee to grant the request of thy handmaiden, and to hearken unto her words: I have dwelt with my husband for twenty years and I have not gotten a child, and by reason of this matter I am exceedingly sorrowful."

4 And Saint James said unto her, "Dost thou believe in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that He is able to give thee children?" And she answered with her whole heart, and said unto him, "I do believe." And he said unto her, "If thou believest it shall be unto thee according to thy belief;" and she gave unto him the "blessing" (i. e., alms), which was with her, that he might give it unto those who were in sorrow and affliction; and she came unto her house glorifying God. Now what the holy man had said came to pass, for after this thing God hearkened unto her petition and gave unto her that which she desired, and she conceived and gave birth unto a son whom she called James, according to the name of Saint James; then she took her son and much possess- ions, and came to the saint, and he blessed her. And she said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, behold, God hath hearkened unto thy petition, and He hath given unto me that I asked for; and this child, this fruit which thou seest in my arms [hath come] through thy prayer; and I beseech thee, O my father, to bless him with all thy heart." And the saint took him from her hands, and he blessed him with all his heart, and he gave him back to his mother and sent them away to their house in peace.

5 And it came to pass that when Aumanius (or Ananus) heard [of it], he was angry with an exceedingly great anger because his wife had done [this thing]. And he gathered together unto him all the nobles of the city, and said unto them, "Are ye going to do nothing in this matter? Behold, the Bishop is destroying the city and leading astray all the people, and he wisheth that all those who are in our territories shall be of his opinion, and [under] his teaching." And they all rose up and came together, and said, "What then can we do unto him?" And certain men of them said, "Behold, he will come to the feast, and if ye desire to lay hold upon him we will lie in wait [for him] in the synagogue." 6 Now many men were called James, but James the Just was not of them. And besides this God Almighty had chosen him and had sanctified him from his mother's womb, like Jeremiah the prophet, and he neither drank wine all the days of his life nor ate meat wherefrom the blood had gone not forth; and a razor had never gone up upon his head, and he never took a bath, and he put on no clothing except one loose garment all the days of his life. And he continued in the sanctuary always, and he stood up, and watched, and prayed humbly unto God that He would forgive the sins of the people, until at length his foot swelled by reason of his prolonged standing and prostrations; and it was for this reason he was called "James the Just." Now the Jews knew that he was both just and sincere towards them, and that he was of the type of the Prophets. And this James was the youngest of the sons of Joseph the carpenter, who had four male children and two daughters; and all Joseph's children married except James, and he became an orphan. And it came to pass that, when our Lady MARY became the bride of Joseph, she found James as a little boy in [his house], and she tended him and taught him the fear of God, and for this reason they used to call our Lady MARY the "mother of James."

7 And it came to pass that, when James had been appointed Bishop in Jerusalem, multitudes believed on our Lord through him, because they became convinced of his sincerity. Then a great uproar took place among the Jews, and among the Scribes, and among the Pharisees, because all the people said that Jesus was the Christ; and they came to James that they might take counsel with him concerning Him. And they said unto him, "We beseech thee to set thyself at the head of all the multitude, for they will not believe that Jesus is the Christ Who shall come. Now behold, all the people will come unto Jerusalem at the Passover, do thou then speak unto them and make their hearts to rejoice, for we know that thou dost not speak any false thing whatsoever; and besides, thou art unto them as a prophet. And we will make them to hear concerning thy graciousness, and that there is no unchastity in thee; accept now our petition, and let them all hear thy voice; and thou shalt go up unto the upper portion of the synagogue, and we will stand there until all the people shall hear thy voice."

8 And, behold, of the children of Israel multitudes of the people, of the tribes and of the Scribes and Pharisees, went up [to the synagogue] wishing that James would tell them that Jesus was the son of Joseph, and that He was his brother; and they commanded the deputy of the congregation to order the multitudes to keep silence and to hearken unto the voice of [James] the Just. And they all cried out, and said, "We have upon us the desire to hear, and we will not be denied, for the people are made to err by the evilness of the teaching of the Jews, and they have a love for the belief in Jesus Who was crucified; tell us now, O just one, Who is Jesus the King?" And James answered and said unto them in a loud voice, "Why do ye enquire of me concerning Jesus the Lover of men? Behold, He sitteth on the right hand [of God in] the majesty of the Father, and He shall come upon a cloud of heaven and shall judge both the living and the dead." And many people believed by reason of what they had heard from James, and they glorified Christ, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David."

9 And it came to pass that when the priests and the Pharisees heard these words, although they pretended to.32b. be afraid in the presence of the people, yet were they filled with wrath in their hearts against James the Just; and they went back and cried out to him, and said unto him, "Tell us now, of whom is Jesus the Son?" Then he said unto them, "He is in truth the Son of God the Father, Who begot Him before the world, and the Virgin MARY gave birth to Him after [the appointed number of] days. I believe in Him, and in His Father, Who is of old, and [in] the Holy Spirit, the glorious Trinity which shall have its being unto the end of the world, and for ever." 10 And it came to pass that when the chief priests, and the Scribes, and the Pharisees heard these words from him, they gnashed their teeth at him, and they stopped their ears, so that they might not hear the voice of God from the mouth of Saint James. Then they took counsel together each with the other, and said, "We have done evil, for we have made him to be a witness unto the people that Jesus is the Son of God Almighty; but let us go up against him, and slay him, so that the multitude,may not believe in Christ." Then was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet who said, "The righteous man shall be rewarded, for he that is a harsh man shall not be the anointed one over us; and they shall eat the fruit of their evil work." And the Jews went up against James in wrath, and they thrust him off from the pinnacle of the temple and threw him down therefrom, and he fell upon his face, and he knelt down upon his knees like Stephen Protomartyr, and he made supplication unto God, saying, "O God, Thou merciful One, be merciful unto them, and shew compassion unto them, for they know not what they do;" and they cast him down as he was making this petition.

11 Now there was a certain priest of the children of Ahaz who bore witness on his behalf. And Jeremiah the prophet cried out unto them, saying, "Wait ye a little, What then is this which ye will do unto the man of God the Good? Behold, he prayeth unto God that He will forgive you your sins." And there was among the Jews a certain beater of clothes (i. e., fuller) who withdrew not at the voice of James, and he seized the piece of wood wherewith he was wont to beat clothes, and smote James the Just upon his head with it; and James yielded up his spirit on the eighteenth day of the month Ḥamlê, and he ended his contending, and they buried him in the synagogue. And it came to pass after the death of James the Just, the Apostle, and Martyr, and Bishop, who died in the Name of Jesus Christ, there came great wrath upon all the Jews and upon those who dwelt in Jerusalem, but it was the greater upon those who had sought to slay James the Just, the Apostle. And 'Esbâsyânôs (Vespasian) the Emperor besieged them and spoiled their city and country, and carried them away captives, and every day their disgrace was increased, and they were brought lower by reason of the evil which they had wrought against our Lord Jesus Christ and against His saints. And may it be that we and all Christians who call themselves by His new Name may find mercy and forgiveness at the awful place, when our Lord Jesus Christ cometh to judge the living and the dead; to Him be glory and honour for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

12 Here endeth the Martyrdom of Saint James the Just. May his prayer protect us all the children of this place for ever! Amen.

The Preaching of Saint Bartholomew

1 Here beginneth the preaching of the blessed Bartholomew, the Apostle, and the history [of his life] in the country of 'Elwāḥ.' In the peace of God. May his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Wafatta Madhan! Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together to divide the countries of the world [among them], the lot went forth to Bartholomew to depart into the country of the Oasis and to preach therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he said unto Peter, the chief of the Apostles, "O my father Peter, I have neither entered into this country, nor do I know the speech of those who dwell therein; I beseech thee 2 "to go forth with me, and to bring me thereunto; then shall the will of God Almighty be done." And Peter answered and said unto him, "I may not go forth with thee alone, for I am commanded by God Almighty to bring each and every one of you into the country [wherein he shall preach]."

3 Then Peter and Bartholomew arose and went forth to seek out the country of the Oasis. And it came to pass that, as they were journeying through the desert country, they found a certain man who was the possessor of [merch. andize]; now he had servants with him, and ten camels. And when Peter and Bartholomew saw him, they went to him, and said unto him, "Peace be unto thee, O master of camels; and he said unto them, "Peace be unto you. And Peter said unto him, "Whither goest thou, O man, with these camels? Then the man said unto them, "To the country of the Oasis. And Peter said unto him, "Perform unto us an act of kindness, and take us, and set us down in [that] country. And the master of the camels said unto them, "What thing seek ye [to do] by entering into this country? for ye have no merchandize wherewith to traffic therein. And Peter said unto him, "It is not with us as thou thinkest, for we have no merchandize to sell, and we do not wish to buy [any]. We are the servants of God the Good, Whose Name is Jesus Christ, and we are His chosen ones. We are twelve men, and we teach His commandments;

4 and He hath placed in our hands [the power] to heal those who are sick of every kind of disease, and He hath commanded us to journey through all countries, and to tell the story [of the Gospel] in His Name, and we command men not to abide in their sins and error, but to repent through Him so that He may forgive them their transgressions, and may make them fit for His kingdom. And it is by reason of this command that we have entered into [this] country, to bring unto those who are therein this command which our Master (or Teacher) hath taught us, so that they may hear, and may forsake their works of time past, and may repent, and may receive the life which is for ever." 5 And it came to pass that when the man had heard these words he said unto them, "Then ye belong to the people of Jesus! We cannot allow you to come into our country. For we have heard concerning you that ye lead astray the people, and that ye separate wives from their husbands, and that ye say that a man cannot have life except he have purity and that without it he is not able to see God Almighty..." Formerly when I "went forth from my friend and returned unto him, as soon as he saw me he was wont to rejoice in me; but this time he hath not lifted up his head even to say unto me, 'Peace be unto thee,' by reason of the greatness of his sorrow. And I asked him for what reason he was in sorrow, and he said unto me, 'I have been thus sorrowful in mind for the last ten days by reason of my wife.' Now certain men of your company came into his country, and commanded all the people thereof according to the words which ye speak; and his wife received their words and forsook her husband. And I am afraid for myself lest, when ye have arrived

6 "in my country and ye teach the people [thereof] according to your doctrine, my wife will hearken unto you, and will believe in you, and will separate herself from me." 7 And it came to pass that when the Apostles heard the words of this man they wished to go back [to Jerusalem], being exceedingly sorrowful. And Bartholomew said unto Peter, "How can we by going back arrive in the country [of the Oasis]?" And Peter said, "I would give thee counsel on one thing. I am afraid that when suffering shall come upon thee thou wilt say, 'It was Peter who counselled me [to come hither].' This country, however, is thy portion, and by the will of God Jesus Christ, Who desireth to bring salvation unto all mankind, I will not separate myself from thee until I have brought thee into the country." And Bartholomew said unto him, "Rise up, O beloved father, let us change our apparel and disguise ourselves, and let us gird up our loins, and journey quickly along the road, so that we may get in front of the master of the camels without his knowing who we are. And it shall come to pass that when he findeth us (now we will at the same time look for him), we will ask him to carry us upon his camels and to bring us into the city. And if he make enquiries of us, and say unto us, 'What is your business in the country?' thou shalt say unto him, 'I have a desire to sell this slave therein.' And if he shall say unto thee, What is his trade?' thou shalt say unto him, 'He is a vineyard keeper.' And when I have entered into the country which God hath given unto me I will perform the work which He hath commanded me to do therein."

8 And Peter said unto Bartholomew, "The counsel which thou hast spoken is good;" and [they performed all] concerning which they had taken counsel, and they went on their way in front of the man [with the camels and waited] until he came up to them. And it came to pass that when they met together Peter said unto him, "O good man, wilt thou let us ride with thee on these camels to the country of the Oasis?" And the man said unto them, "What is thy business in the city?" And Peter said unto him, "I desire to enter therein and to sell this my slave." Now when the man heard these words he rejoiced with great joy, and he made his camels to kneel down and said, "This day is a happy (or lucky) one for me. For I, and those who are with me, and my camels, have been far away from my habitation for many days looking for a slave whom I could buy, but I have not found one, and now God hath brought thee unto me." And the man said unto Peter, "Tell me what his trade is, and I will buy him from thee, and will give thee his price." And Peter said unto him, "He is a vineyard keeper, and he hath the knowledge and skill how to renew those which have fallen under a blight." And the man said unto him, "Since it is thus I wish to make him chief of the keepers of the vineyards, for I have many vines;" and as they agreed with each other for thirty staters, the man gave the money unto Peter, and Peter gave Bartholomew over unto the man.

9 Then the man said unto Peter, "Come with me into my house, for, behold, thou hast taken from me the price of thy slave, and thou hast handed him over unto me; there remaineth one other thing which I wish to do unto thee, and that is to shew thee kindness and hospitality in my habitation." And Peter said unto him, "May God Almighty reward thee with an abundant reward because of the gracious manner in which thou hast acted towards me; deal [well] now with this thy slave, and sell him not, and vex him not with labour overmuch, so that thanks may be thine at his end." Then Peter gave unto Bartholomew secretly the whole of the price which he had received for him, so that the master of the camels might not see him do it, and he said unto him, "If thou findest any poor man, take [him] with thee, and give unto him thereof." And he commanded him with all the commandments of God, and gave him the salutation of peace, and sent him away; and Peter returned [unto his own country].

10 And Bartholomew departed with the master of the camels, who was wishing [to go] to the city, and as he was journeying along through the desert with the master of the camels they wandered out of the path, and the water came to an end; and the men [of the caravan] were aweary, and the camels strayed hither and thither, and died upon the road. Then the master of the camels and those who were with him wept, and said, "Woe unto us! What is this which hath come upon us by reason of this slave? Either he did not do that which was good in his own country, and therefore his god thrust him out therefrom unto this country, which is afar off, or else he was altogether useless [there]. And my sorrow is not for [my] camels [only], but I grieve for myself and for those who are with me, lest we perish from thirst in this desert." Now Bartholomew was weeping openly, and was praying in his heart, and he was wishing that they might not know that he was an Apostle of our Lord, lest they should keep him out of that city. And he laid hold upon the camels, and said, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God indeed, let these camels be raised up, so that these men may not know who I am, and that they may not think about me except what they please." And in that hour the camels rose up alive, and they were as they had been aforetime; and [the men] marvelled, but they answered not a word, and they mounted them and went on their journey to the city.

11 And it came to pass that, when they drew nigh thereunto, Bartholomew descended [from his camel] and girded up his loins, and ran in front of his master, on his way. Now when they had come outside the city there was sitting in the gate a blind man, and the Spirit of God came down upon him, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Have mercy upon me, O servant of our Lord, Bartholomew, thou Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, and give light unto mine eyes, for thou hast the power [so to do];" and when Bartholomew heard the words of the blind man he held his peace. Then the blind man said unto him, "Art thou an Apostle of the Apostles of Christ? [If thou art] I will bring thee into the city, and no man shall know thee." And Bartholomew said unto him, "I will not tell thee that I am an Apostle of Christ until thou hast seen the marvellous things which shall be made manifest in this city by my hands." Then the blind man cried out with a loud voice, and said, "Have mercy upon me, O Apostle of Christ, and give light unto mine eyes." And Bartholomew said unto him, "May He who hath commanded thee to speak [thus] give light unto thine eyes!" And in that hour his eyes were opened, and the man marvelled greatly, and told [the story] unto those who were with him.

12 And it came to pass that when the nobleman (i. e., the master of the camels) had come into his house, he invited his friends the elders of the city and said unto them, "Come and look at the slave whom I have bought, for [his master] declared that he was a vineyard keeper, and that he was able to make wine, but many marvellous things have been revealed unto us by him. On the road, as we were travelling through the desert, we lost our way, and the camels died; but he raised them up, and made them to live and to become even as they were formerly. When we arrived at the gate of the city there was a blind man sitting by the road through the gate, and ye must know that this slave opened his eyes; now what would ye counsel me to do with this man? His master declared that he was greatly skilled in the treatment of vineyards which had fallen into decay, and that he knew how to renew the vines." And his friends said unto him, "If he be indeed skilled, and knoweth how to treat vineyards in this manner, put him to the work and make trial of his skill; and if he be not able to do [as he saith], then sell him, and get back his price."

13 Now by reason of this [advice the nobleman] called unto him all the vine-dressers who tended his vines, and G he sent for Bartholomew, and he set him in the midst of them and said unto them, "Behold, I have set this man among (i. e., over) you, and unto everything which he shall say unto you ye shall hearken;" and Bartholomew went forth to his lord's vineyard and worked therein. And he worked in the vineyard every day, and when the evening came he used to come into the city and continue to teach for the rest of the night, according as he was able; and he dwelt [there] forty days, and was teaching in this wise, but there was no man who listened unto him. And after forty days Bar- 134b. tholomew wept, and [spake] unto God, saying, "O Jesus Christ, how long shall I abide here in this [city]?" Then he stood up and prayed with great fervour that strength might be given unto him, and that marvellous things might be made manifest through him. And it came to pass that, when he had finished his prayer, he spake unto the blind man, whose eyes he had opened, who was with Bartholomew, and who had never separated from him during the whole time in which he had dwelt in the city, even from the time when he first came therein, [saying, "go into the city]."

14 And the nobleman (i. e., the master of the camels) said unto Bartholomew, "When shall I invite my friends to come to the vineyard and see the new method by which thou art treating the grapes this day?" Now the [blind] man departed into the city even as he had commanded him. And it came to pass that when he had departed, the Apostle took three branches of a [withered] vine and suspended them upon props of wood forthwith, and immediately he had suspended them they bore fine fruit. Now when the nobleman came with his friends, he saw that all the branches of the vine had begun to sprout as soon as they were suspended upon the wooden props by the slave Bartholomew, and that the vine was bearing clusters of grapes. Then they fell upon their hands before the slave Bartholomew, and they prostrated themselves before him, and said unto him, "Thou art our Lord, Art thou a god who hast revealed thyself upon the earth? Who art thou among the gods? Peradventure thou art Kûrônôs (Kronos)? Declare unto us what sacrifice thou desirest, and we will offer it up unto thee." And the Apostle answered and said unto them, "I am not one of these beings [as] ye imagine, but I am a servant of Jesus."

15 And Bartholomew commanded that they should bring canes (or reeds) unto him so that he might suspend the rest of the [branches of the] vines upon them, and the nobleman went to fetch canes for him; and a great snake which was among the canes coiled itself round his hands and bit him, and he fell down upon the ground in great pain, and his servants wept. And Bartholomew said unto them, "Why do ye weep? Is there not a physician [here] who can heal him?" And one of the servants of the nobleman went quickly to his wife and told her, and a physician came to heal him, but he found him to be dead. Then Bartholomew commanded that all the people should be gathered together unto him, and he baptized them, saying, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." And he took a bunch of grapes from the vine which had sprouted, and had borne fruit through him, and he squeezed out the juice thereof into a cup; and he brought forth pure bread, and he made a prayer and gave thanks, and he brake [the bread], and gave unto the multitudes the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood.

16 And all the friends of the nobleman rent their garments and wept for him. Now meanwhile the Apostle was working with the canes, and was singing, and those who were seated [there] said, "Look at this wicked slave, for instead of weeping for his master he rejoiceth greatly [at his death]; and as for the speech which he uttereth we have no knowledge of its meaning. Then other men who were among them answered and said, "He is not a wicked slave, for we have seen marvellous things [wrought] by him, the like of which our fathers neither heard nor saw. And Bartholomew made haste to finish his work, and when he had done so, he washed his hands, and said unto them that wept, "Ye have wept tears enough; get ye away to a distance from the man that ye may see the glory of my God, and His might; and they did as he had commanded them, and went away some distance from the body of the nobleman.

17 Then Bartholomew stretched out his hand, saying, "O my God, Thou Sustainer of all things, Who dwellest in the habitation of Thy glory, Who hast created the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and all that therein is, Who through Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ hast not left us in bondage to our enemy Satan, and hast redeemed us by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the holy Seed which beareth fruit in the bodies of the pure, Who did go forth into the desert to seek the sheep that was cast away until He did bring him back into the beautiful fold; unto Thee I pray, O my Lord Jesus Christ, and I make supplication unto Thee on behalf of this man whom the snake hath bitten, and I beseech Thee that the snake may come back and remove her poison which she hath cast into the body of this man, and that the man may come to life [again], and may glorify Thy Name in this city."

18 And it came to pass that whilst Bartholomew was praying, the serpent came forth from the place wherein she dwelt, and stood up before Bartholomew, and said unto him, "Why dost thou command me to withdraw the poison from the man? [For if I do] I shall die, and he will live." Then Bartholomew answered and said unto her, "Why dost thou multiply speech? since thou knowest who thou art and who is thy father. But in order that [these people] may know the Father, [do thou even as thou art bidden." Therefore did the snake come forth to the place where the dead man was, and she withdrew the poison from him]; and thereupon he came to life again, and rose up, [and became] as he was formerly. And it came to pass that when they saw this marvellous thing, the people fell down at the feet of the saint, and said unto him, "Verily, thy God is a great God and a mighty God, since He can raise the dead." Then the nobleman who had returned to life rose up, and said, "Observe ye these marvellous things which have been made manifest. The man whom I 136a.

19 "bought, thinking that he was a man, is a god; and he whom I bought and declared to be a slave is a nobleman!" Then the nobleman went to the Apostle, and said unto him, "O master, I adjure thee by our Lord Jesus Christ, our God Whom I saw standing by thee at the moment when thou didst raise me up from the dead: I "adjure thee in His Name not to refuse me the request which I make unto thee, and to give me an answer thereto." And the Apostle said unto him, "If that which thou shalt ask of me be a fair request, I will deal with thee in a fair manner; but tell me now, what is thy request?" And the nobleman said unto him, "I would that thou didst command me to do away with the vineyard, and to build a fair church in the place thereof, for in that place I learned to know God, and in that place I died, and in that place I came to life [again]." And the Apostle said unto him, "It shall be even as thou sayest." Then straightway the nobleman commanded them to dig up the vineyard; and they brought dry reeds (or stubble), and he made a trench in the surface of the ground for the foundations of the church, and he commanded them to bring masons and workmen of every kind who are employed in building, and a beautiful church was built from the beginning even unto the completion thereof. And Bartholomew appointed as priest the nobleman whom he had raised from the dead, and he appointed deacons [for the congregation]. And he dwelt in the city for [three] months teaching the people, and he healed all those who were sick therein, and he brought them unto God Almighty; and [when] he went forth [from] them they sent him away in peace, saying unto him, "There is no God but Jesus Christ Who hath sent thee unto us to cleanse us from our sins." So Bartholomew departed from Elwāḥ, and journeyed to the country of N'īndōs (Naidas) to preach therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and honour for ever and ever! Amen, and Amen.