The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

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The Acts of Saint Andrew and Saint Bartholomew

1 Here begin the Acts of the two blessed disciples Andrew and Bartholomew the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, which they wrought in the city of Nārṭōs after their return from the city (or country) of Dēwā, which is called 'Atwāh. In the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 2 And it came to pass after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, that He became King over (literally between) the heavens and the earth, and He appeared unto Bartholomew in the country of the Gentiles, in the district of Maḳāṭrān, that is to say, the city (or country) of 'Azrēyānōs. And He spake unto him thus, "Peace be unto thee, O good Bartholomew, fear thou not, thou shalt be conqueror in every place whereunto thou shalt go; for he who laboureth for Me is worthy of his hire, and he shall acquire the life which is everlasting. Ye are faithful labourers who have toiled hard in the fields of your Lord, and when ye go forth from this world ye shall receive your reward. Rise up, O good Bartholomew, and go unto the countries of the Greeks, and preach thou unto them the story of the Gospel, and teach them the place of salvation, so that they may forsake the evil of their works, and the service of their gods, and may repent in such wise that they may inherit the life which is everlasting. Behold, I will tell thee beforehand what shall come upon thee in this city, yea, even before thou shalt enter therein. They shall burn thy body with fire, until such time as they hang it upon a cross; and they shall saw it in pieces with a saw for a long time; and they shall cast thee forth unto the beasts of prey, that they may feed upon thee;

3 and they shall tie a stone to thy feet and shall cast thee into the sea. But take heed to thyself, and fear thou not, and be strong, for thou shalt be victorious, and no evil or corrupt person shall get dominion over thee. O good one, endure patiently, and bear thou in mind what things the people of the Jews did unto Me, and the wicked things which they wrought upon Me, and how I was suspended upon a wooden cross. Yet I did not reward them according to their works, for I am a compassionate God, and I will forgive the sins of all those who turn unto Me, and I will accept their repentance. And behold, I will send Andrew unto thee, and he shall bring thee into this city, and mighty deeds and wonderful things shall be made manifest through thee, and many shall believe through thee. And having made an end of His words unto Bartholomew, our Lord gave him the salutation of peace, and He went up into heaven with great glory; and Bartholomew departed unto the place whither God had commanded him to go.

4 And our Lord appeared unto Andrew in the night in the city wherein he was, and He commanded him to go unto the city of 'Azrēyānōs, to Bartholomew, and He commanded that the two of them should go unto the city of Bārtōs and should preach therein the story of the Gospel which He had given unto them, that is to say, that the people should forsake the evil of their deeds, and the service of their [false] gods, and repent in such wise that at length they might inherit the life which is for ever. [And He said] "Hurry them not, but multiply thy patience, and be thou longsuffering, and remember Me, thy Master and thy God. Thou knowest all the pain and suffering which came upon Me through the Jews, and that I rewarded them not according to what they did unto Me, on the contrary, I shewed longsuffering unto them that they might be saved from their sins. And now, O thou good one, fear not, and let not thy spirit be cast down, but bear patiently with them until thou hast led them away from their exceedingly great error by thy quiet longsuffering. And behold, I will send unto you a man of terrible appearance, whose face shall be like unto the face of a dog, and many shall believe in your words through fear of him, and he shall follow you and shall be a helper [unto you] all the days of your [preaching] the story [of the Gospel]. And when the men of Bārtōs have believed, take him forth with you unto the city of Al-Mēkōs, and the people thereof shall believe also by reason of the multitude of the miracles and wonderful things which shall take place through you." And the Lord having thus encouraged Andrew went up into heaven with great glory.

5 70s. And on the morrow Andrew and his two disciples Rōkōs (i. e., Rufus) and Alexander rose up, and they went forth from the city wherein they dwelt, and they wished to go to Bartholomew in the city of 'Azrēyānōs, so that they all might depart unto the cities of Bārtōs and Mēkōs, to preach therein the story of the Holy Gospel, even as God had commanded them. And it came to pass that, when they had arrived at the sea, they found no ship wherein they could embark, and Andrew was very sad and greatly disturbed by reason of this thing, and he sat down upon the sea-shore until the third hour. And at this [time] Andrew said unto his two disciples, "Rise up, O my brethren, and let us stretch out our hands unto God, and let us ask Him to prosper our way, for I know that He will not forsake us." So they rose up together, and they prayed a prayer in the Hebrew language; and when they had ended their prayer they sat down upon the sea-shore under a tree, and slumber came upon them and they slept. And God commanded a whale to go forth out of the sea, and he did so, and opened his mouth and swallowed up Andrew and his two disciples, who knew nothing whatsoever about it, for they were asleep, and they remained in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. Then, by the good pleasure of God Almighty, the whale cast them forth on the sea-shore of the country of Azrēyānōs, on the

6 70s. road which leadeth unto the city, at the break of day, on the fourth day of the week; and they tarried there. Now the distance of the city of 'Azrēyánôs from where they had been was forty days' journey. And it came to pass that, when Andrew and his two disciples awoke, they were on the sea-shore of the country of 'Azrēyánôs, and they knew nothing whatsoever of what 7ob. had come upon them. Then Andrew said unto his two disciples, "O my brethren, how long are we going to remain in this country without finding a ship to bring us unto the country of Azrēyánôs? for my spirit is shut in.' And he said, Was it not Thou, O God, Who didst appear 'unto me and command me to go unto the city of Azrē-yánôs?' Then Andrew said unto his disciples, Let us 'now return unto the city until it please God that we should set out on our journey, and until He bring us a ship;' and his disciples said unto him, Let it be according to thy will."

7 Now whilst Andrew was conversing in this wise with his disciples, one of the two called Rufus saw a ship coming to the sea-[shore], and he told Andrew his master; and by reason of this thing they rejoiced exceedingly, and they rose up together and [went to] meet the ship. And 7ob. it came to pass that when the ship came into the harbour, they sought out the captain thereof, and they said unto him, "Whither art thou wishing [to go], O good man?" Now our Lord Jesus Christ had made for them a spiritual ship, wherein also were a [spiritual] crew and captain, before it came unto them. And Andrew rose up and met the ship, and he cried out unto the captain, saying, "The peace of God be with thee, O thou good 'captain.' And our Lord Jesus Christ, Who had taken the form of the captain of the ship, answered and said unto him, The peace of God be with thee also, O beloved brother!" Then Andrew said unto Him, "Unto what country goest Thou?" And our Lord Jesus, that is to say the captain of the ship, answered and said unto him, "By the good pleasure of God, I am going unto the city of

8 "Bártós." And Andrew said unto Him, "O good Man, peradventure Thou hast lost Thy way at sea, for this city in which I am is Bártós." Then the captain of the ship, that is to say, our Lord, said unto him, "This city is not Bártós, but Azréyánós, and to-day is the third day since I was at Bártós, whither I went seeking to sell the goods which [God] had given unto Me. Now if ye are seeking the city of Bártós it is a journey of forty days and forty nights, for I have been there many times." [Then Andrew said unto him, "O good Man, from what country comest thou?"] And our Lord answered and said unto Him, "I am from Bethlehem of Judaea." And Andrew spake with Him, saying, "Dost Thou not think that we might preach for this day in the city? We would rise up at the earliest dawn and come to the shore, and would seek a ship which would bring us across to 'Azréyánós."

9 Now whilst they were talking the matter over again among themselves they saw, coming from the country of Macedonia and seeking for the city of 'Azréyánós, the men whom the governor of the country of Macedonia had sent unto Bartholomew to bring him with them to their city, that he might cast out the devil who had seized the wife of the governor of the country of Macedonia. And they looked at our Lord Jesus Christ [Who was] on the shore, and He said unto them when they had arrived, Tell us what is the city which is opposite to us." And the men answered and said unto Him, "This is the city of 'Azrēyānós." And Jesus said unto them, "For what purpose have ye come hither?" And they said unto Him, "The governor of the country [of Macedonia] hath sent us unto Bartholomew, that he may come thither with us and cast out the devil who hath laid hold upon the wife of the governor of Macedonia." Then Andrew was greatly astonished and said in his heart, "I marvel whether these men are speaking the truth?"

10 Then the men from Macedonia came into the city, [and when they had dwelt therein] but a few [days] they brought Bartholomew [out] with them. And when Bartholomew and the men who were with him came to the ship they saw Jesus sitting therein, and they thought that it was He who was to bring them over into Macedonia. And Bartholomew said unto Him, "The peace of God be with Thee, good Master! We desire and entreat Thee to take us over to the coast of Macedonia." And Jesus, Who was in the form of the captain of the ship, answered and said unto them, "We [are going] unto the country of Bártós. But go ye unto those men who are sitting under the tree there, and since they belong to the ship they will take you across." So Bartholomew went, even as our Lord had commanded him, to the tree, and he saw Andrew and his two disciples sitting [there]. And when Andrew saw him, he made haste to receive Bartholomew, and he embraced him, and said unto him, "Whence comest thou? And what city is this?" And Bartholomew said unto him, "This city is 'Azrēyānós, and it hath fallen to my lot to preach therein." And Andrew marveiled greatly, and said, "With what words can my tongue speak and give thanks unto God, the Merciful One, Who hath wrought these gracious things for me? For He hath brought me unto this city in one night, and we have been made to meet with thee so that we may go [together] unto the cities of Bártós and Mélkós, and may preach in them the story of the Holy Gospel."

11 Now whilst Andrew was conversing with Bartholomew, the pilot of the ship went up from the crew and came unto them. And he said unto Andrew, "O good man, knowest thou of a certainty that this city is 'Azrēyánós?" And Andrew said unto him, "O master, forgive me, for I spoke against thy words in ignorance." Then the captain of the ship answered and [said unto him], "How many days is it since thou didst come from the country of the Greeks?" And Andrew said unto Him, "As my Lord and Redeemer liveth, (for we are thy servants!) did we not live in that country? And behold, as Thou seest, we [only] arrived in this city this day." Then the captain of the ship answered and said unto him, "What god dost thou worship? And in whom dost thou believe, O man? Now I see a manifestation of thy God in the majesty which dwelleth upon thee." Then Andrew said unto him, "We are the servants of the Good God, Whose Name is Jesus." Then the Saviour, that is to say, the captain of the ship, said unto him, "True, thy God is God Almighty in very truth. But what is thy purpose in coming into this city, and what seekest thou to do?" And Andrew answered and said unto Him, "Behold I have found him whom I sought; I found him before I sought him, and 'when as yet I had not come into the city." And our Lord Jesus answered and said unto him, "He who hath delivered thee, and hath brought thee unto the city of 'Azrēyānós, will also bring thee unto the cities of Bártós and Mátyás" (i. e., Mēkós).

12 And it came to pass that when the two disciples heard these words, they rejoiced and said unto Him, "We desire to go unto the cities of Bártós and Mátyás. Then the master of the ship answered and said unto them, "Verily a great gift of grace hath descended upon Me, [seeing] that I have become worthy for disciples of Christ to embark with Me in My ship; and if your God bringeth you unto these great cities in safety [I shall thank Him]. Now, if ye have any thing to do in this city which must be done, hasten ye to do it, and meanwhile I will make the ship ready for you by the time ye return unto Me. And Bartholomew answered and said unto Him, "We desire that Thou wilt set out with us forthwith on the journey and bring us unto the coast of Macedonia; but there is a matter which we must first finish before we go unto these cities. And the master of the ship said unto them, "For what purpose do ye go thereto? Then those men who had been sent from Macedonia answered and said unto him, "The wife of the governor of the city hath gathered together unto her the poor folk of the city, among whom were those who were needy and in misery, that she might give alms unto them;

13 and as she was [standing] among them, and was giving alms unto them, behold, a foul spirit laid hold upon her, and she became mad, and began to stone all those who were in her house with stones. Then the governor seized her and placed her in a strong place, and he sent us unto this city to Bartholomew, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he might come and cast out Satan from his wife. And the master of the ship answered, and said unto Andrew, "Whosoever shall forsake this world, and everything which is therein, and shall follow our Lord Jesus Christ, Christ shall become his helper, and He shall make him to cast out devils even as ye do. Then Andrew said unto him, "True, for whosoever shall forsake this world and all that is therein, and shall take up his cross, and follow Him, he shall say to this mountain, 'Rise up,' and the mountain shall be lifted up. And the master of the ship said unto him, "Now if I forsake this world and all that therein is, and take up my cross and follow this Good God, is it possible that I shall be able, like you, to cast out Satan from the wife of this governor of Macedonia? Then Andrew said unto him, "This would not be fitting for thee.

14 But bring us [first] unto the city of Bártós, and then sell this ship and give the price thereof unto the poor and needy and the widows and the orphans, and then come and be with us in every place whithersoever we go, and Thou shalt do the things which we ourselves do. At this present Thou hast not the power to do anything, [and Thou wilt not have] until the help of the Holy Spirit shall descend upon Thee. Then the man, who was Jesus, made answer, "If it be thus as ye tell Me, may the Spirit of Jesus descend upon Me also! Rise up now, and let us ask in the Name of Jesus that He will work with His power in each one of us, and that God Almighty will receive [our] petition, and make the help of the Holy Spirit to descend upon him. For I perceive that the grace of God may descend upon Me, and that Jesus Christ will be with every man who loveth Him, and that He will perform for him everything which he wisheth."

15 And Andrew arose and stood up, and he stretched out his hands, and prayed, saying, "I command thee, O thou sea, which God created before all other things, and I desire thee to carry me and to bear me, and all those who are with me in this place, and to bring us over unto the coast of Macedonia." And in that same hour the sea became full of water, and it came unto the place wherein the Apostles were, and it surrounded them, and they sat down in it as if it had been a ship, and it brought them over unto the shore of Macedonia, that is to say, Andrew, and Bartholomew, and the people who had come [with them], and the master of the ship, that is to say, Jesus. And they said [unto] Andrew, "Verily thou art a servant of the good God!" And the "messengers who had been sent from the country of Macedonia bowed down before Andrew, and said unto him, There is no god but thy God."

16 And after these things Bartholomew rose up and prayed, saying, "O my Lord and God Jesus Christ, send Thy good messenger unto the house of the governor of Macedonia, that he may cast out Satan from the wife of the governor of that country, and let him heal her before we come into the country." And in that same hour Michael the Archangel descended from heaven and came into the house of the governor, and he took hold of the hands of the wife, and of her husband, and of the men of the house, and brought them to the sea whereon were the Apostles. Then when Satan saw the Man, the Master of the ship, that is to say, our Lord Jesus Christ, he N wanted to cry out and to make known unto the people concerning Jesus; but our Lord was angry with him, and He commanded him not to say any thing whatsoever, but to go forth from the woman. Then Bartholomew answered and said unto Andrew, "O my father Andrew, behold the woman who is possessed of a devil, rise up and heal her;" and Andrew said unto him, "Do thou thyself heal her." And Bartholomew said unto him, "Rise up and lay thine hand upon me, and I will do whatsoever thou commandest me." And Andrew said unto him, "May God, Whose Name is sweet, and in Whom all blessing shall be made perfect, bless us together!"

17 Then Bartholomew rose up, and drew nigh unto the woman, and said unto the foul spirit which dwelt in her, "I say unto thee, O thou foul spirit, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sustainer of all things, Whose Apostle I am, Go out from this woman, and go down into the depths of the sea until the day wherein God shall pass judgment upon thee, and upon thy father Satan, and thou shalt never again return unto her." And whilst Bartholomew was saying these words Satan went forth from the woman and went down into the depths of the sea. And in that same hour the woman recovered, and she rose up and bowed down before the Apostles, she and her people, and the people of her house, and they said, "There is no God besides Thee, O Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the God of heaven and of earth;" and the Apostles blessed her. Then the woman answered and said, "O my lords, if I have found grace with you, come ye with me into the city and rest yourselves in the house of thy servants" (literally, masters); and Andrew said unto her, "If we stay this day in the city we will come unto thy habitation." And Lydia, the wife of the governor, answered and said unto him, "By the life of that God in Whose Name ye did this deed, and Who hath performed unto me this act of grace, and hath redeemed me by your hands, I will not separate myself from you until ye come into the city with me;" and Lydia sent her servants on before her to her abode that they might make ready and beautify it for them.

18 And after these things the Man, Who was Jesus, rose up, and He said unto Andrew and Bartholomew, "Since your God is God indeed, and there is no other god besides Him, I entreat you to give Me instruction also that I may become like unto you, and that I may do mighty thing[s] in the Name of your God, and may become a disciple unto Him." And the Man, Who was Jesus, said, "Bear Thou Me by Thy Name, O Christ, and Andrew, and Bartholomew, and their disciples, and bring us unto the place whither they wish to go." And in that same hour the Apostles [obtained] wings of light, and they arrived at the city of Bártós; now Jesus was going in front of them, but they did not know that He was Jesus. And they stood on the great tower(?) of the city wherein a multitude of people were gathered together, for that day was the day in which they were celebrating the festival of their gods; and the people were gathered together there, and they ate, and they drank, and they rejoiced on the day of their festival. And it came to pass that when the people saw the Apostles standing at the top of the theatre they marvelled greatly, for 'Aklabiyôn the governor had not arrived, and the people were waiting

19 N* for him. Then Andrew answered and said unto the Man, Who was Jesus, "Tell me, O Man, whence comest thou? Whom and what dost Thou worship? And what is Thy faith which hath brought Thee [to do] these wonderful things?" And our Lord Jesus smiled at Andrew, and said unto him, "Why are your hearts thus covered over? Lift up your eyes, and know Me;" and thereupon our Lord appeared unto them in the form in which they used to know Him. And He said unto them, "Gird up [your loins] and be strong, O My holy Apostles, for I will be with you wheresoever ye go. I commanded the whale and it swallowed you up whilst ye were sleeping, and ye knew nothing whatsoever about it, until I brought you unto the coast of 'Azrēyānós, and then I brought you unto the city of Bártós. Be ye patient and longsuffering, O My holy Apostles, for I have in this city many people, but they will not believe quickly; they will only do so by the mighty power of the miracles and wonderful things which shall take place through you." And when our Lord had said these words He gave them the salutation of peace, and He went up into heaven with great glory.

20 Now the Apostles were standing at the top of the theatre, and all the people were looking at them, and saying, "Who made these [men] to go up into that great place? And some of the people said, "These are the gods of this city, and they wish to perform marvellous things. And if the priests do not approve of their work, behold, they will become angry and wish to go forth from the city; but let us hasten and give the king word concerning them. Now whilst the people were saying these things among themselves, and were lifting up their eyes and looking at the Apostles, Aikbegos, the governor of the city, came with all the soldiers of his guard, and took his seat upon his throne. Then the people cried out unto him, but he was angry with them, for he thought within himself that they were crying out unto him because a revolt was going to take place in the temple. And they said unto the governor, "Lift up thine eyes, and look at the gods who are wishing to depart from the city. It is meet that thou make enquiries into this matter, for peradventure the priests have diminished somewhat their ministrations unto them. If they depart from our city, our enemies will conquer us and will make war upon us, and we shall find no one to help us. Then the governor commanded them to bring the gods.

21 And in that hour the priests arrayed themselves in their finest apparel, and they bore in their hands [images of] four gods, and brought them into the theatre, whilst men blew the trumpet before them, and at length they set them down upon thrones. And it came to pass that when the people saw their gods, they lifted up their voices and gave praise unto them; for this day was the day of their festival. Now when the Apostles saw that all the men who were in the city had entered into the theatre, they came down from the top of the theatre, and when the people saw them, they laid hold of them and brought them into the governor's presence. And when the governor saw them he asked them questions, and said unto them, "Whence are ye? And Andrew answered and said unto him, "We are Apostles of the Good God Whose 'Name is Jesus.' Then certain of the people said, 'These [men] are of the twelve sorcerers who go round about throughout all countries and make separation between husband and wife;

22 send them away from us, that they may not lead us astray and separate us from our wives and children.' And the governor said unto them, 'Wait ye a little, and disturb not yourselves until I obtain information from them by asking them questions.' Then he turned his face towards the Apostles, and said unto them, 'Since your God is indeed God, and He is almighty and doeth that which He willeth, I desire you to perform some miracle or marvellous thing here before me, so that I may know the truth of your words.' 23 Then Andrew came unto the place where the gods were, and he commanded the people to hold their peace [and they held their peace], even as he had ordered them. [And when the people had become quiet Andrew cried out with a loud voice unto the gods, and said unto them, 'How can ye be gods as these people imagine concerning you?'] And the gods made answer unto [his] words, saying, 'We are not gods, but only the work of the hands of the children of men, and the people are in error concerning us.' And Andrew answered with wrath, and said unto them, 'By the might of our Lord Jesus, the Son of the Living God, the King of kings, get ye up on the top of this theatre until I command you to go down into Gehenna; and in that same hour the gods went up on the top of the building (literally temple), and all the people were looking at them. Then Andrew said unto the people, "If the gods can hear (i. e., if they are obedient to) what their priests say they will come back and take their seats upon their thrones; and when the people saw this act on the part of the Apostles they marvelled exceedingly. And the governor said unto [the priests], "Cry ye out unto our gods that they return and take up their seats upon their thrones;

24 and the priests multiplied their entreaties unto their gods to come down from the top of the temple, but they were unable to make them do so, and they could not be moved by their priests. Then the Satans who dwelt in the images of the gods spake through their mouths, saying, "O men of the city, if ye do not lay hold upon these men and burn their bodies with fire, and if ye refuse to do [what we command] we will depart from this city. Why do ye hearken unto these wicked and evil-doing men who lead the world into error? If we depart from you the city will be destroyed; O accept ye not then their words. And it came to pass that when the people heard these words from the devils they were exceedingly angry, and they took up stones and cast them at the Apostles; and the governor ordered them to shut the Apostles up in prison and to bind them with iron fetters, and to suspend them upon crosses of wood that they might burn them with fire in the presence of their gods. And in that same hour 181b.

25 the angel of God came down and delivered them out of the hands of the people, and released them from [their] chains. Then the gods spake a second time and said unto [the people], "Ye should not burn them in this wise, but should cast them into a burning fiery furnace until ye have consumed them;" and they did as the devils had commanded them, but the angel of God came down into the furnace and delivered them from the flaming fire. Then the people cried out with loud cries, for they were perturbed, and were exceedingly afraid. Now the angel of God had brought out the Apostles [from the furnace], and had set them among the people, but they saw them not, for they were talking against the gods, and were making a mock of them, and deriding both them and the devils who were dwelling in them. Then the governor said unto the people, "What shall we do unto these men? Behold, three times have we cast them into the fire, but it hath not consumed them and they are uninjured. And behold, they have now passed away from our sight, and we are unable to find them in order to work our will [upon them]."

26 And Andrew answered and said unto them, "We are standing in your midst, and either ye must conquer us [by the might of your gods], or we must overcome you by the power of our God. Then the governor answered and said unto them, "It is not meet for us to destroy the law (or religion) of our gods; and the captain of the guard and the soldiers of the governor laid hold upon the Apostles and brought them unto the company of the judges, and all the people were casting stones in great numbers at them. Then Andrew was wroth in his spirit, and he wished to curse the city and all those who were therein, and to send them down into Gehenna by reason of their little faith, but he had patience [with them], and he remembered the commandment of God Who said unto him, "Reward them not according to their little faith. And the governor commanded the people to hold their peace, and said unto the Apostles, "What now is this abominable work whereby ye lead men astray? I will strip your skins from your limbs, and I will cast your bodies unto fierce lions that they may swallow you up alive. Then Andrew answered and said unto him, "With what excuse (or reason) wilt thou do this thing unto us? And the governor said unto them, "Because when ye entered into our city it happened that our gods saw you, and they departed from us.

27 And Andrew answered and said unto them, "Your gods are not gods as ye imagine, but they are the work of the hands of the children of men; and there is no god except the Father, and the Son, Who is the Living God. And it came to pass that when the people heard these words they spake to the governor, and said unto him, "We desire thee to slay these men; and if thou refusest [to do so] we will burn thee and all the men of thy house. Now when the governor saw that the nobles of the city and the people were greatly moved, and that their voices were words increased [in violence], he said unto them, "What wish ye that I should do unto them? And they said unto him, "Saw them in pieces with a saw, and then lay them in a brass cauldron [over a fire], until their bodies are melted away, and then we will cast them into the sea. Then the governor commanded them to bind the holy Apostles with chains, and to fasten them firmly unto a wooden wheel in that same hour; and men came to them and brought them a large saw wherewith they might saw the Apostles in pieces. And it came to pass that when they took hold of the saw their hands withered, and they were unable to move it; and those whose hands had withered cried out, saying, "Woe unto us, woe unto us;

28 for the condition of being unable to do anything hath come upon us." 29 And the governor said unto the people, "What do ye wish me to do unto them? I have no power over them at all." Nevertheless the governor commanded once again that they should bring wheels nigh unto the holy men, and that they should place them upon them, and should tie ropes to them and drag them along the high road of the city, and that after these things they should cast them into the sea, being still bound to the wheels. And it came to pass that when the messengers of the governor wished to lay hold upon the cords, their flesh melted, and their hands were cut off from their arms and fell upon the ground; and there was great sorrow and very much weeping in the city on that day. Then again the governor said unto the people, "What do ye wish me to do with these men? Behold, ye see how we have treated them, and that we are not able to do unto them anything whatsoever which will cause them suffering. Then the multitudes of people who were gathered together said unto him, "Rise up, and we also will rise up; and let us ask them to accept our entreaty and to depart from our city. And the governor went with all the people unto the Apostles, and said unto them, "O blessed brethren, consider what possessions ye wish for, and we will give [them] unto you, so that ye depart from our city; [if ye will do this,] peradventure our gods will return unto us, and if ye will do it not, then we and all the city shall perish. And the Apostles answered and said, "We have no desire whatsoever either for gold or for silver; and the people were exceedingly wroth with them, and they drove the Apostles out of the city, and stoned them with stones, and they were cast out and lay upon the ground like dead men.

30 Then because of this thing did our Lord Jesus Christ appear unto them, and say, "Rise up, O My holy Apostles, and endure ye in patience, and fear not; a great tumult because of you hath indeed taken place in this city to-day, but now depart into the desert, and I will be with you; and be not afraid, for I will send unto you the man whose face is like unto that of a dog, and whose appearance is exceedingly terrible, and ye shall take him with you unto the city. And after our Lord had given this command unto His disciples He went up from them into heaven with great glory. 31 And the Apostles went forth into the desert, being exceedingly sorrowful because the men of the city had not believed; and they had only sat down for a little space to rest themselves when they slumbered and fell asleep, and the angel of God lifted up the Apostles and brought them unto the City of Cannibals, and having set them down under a rock he departed from them. Now when they rose up out of their slumber, they marvelled exceedingly, and gave glory unto God. And whilst they were talking among themselves beneath a rock, behold, there came from the City of Cannibals a certain man who was looking for a man to eat, and he had [wandered about all] that day until the evening, but had found nothing to eat. And the angel of God appeared and said unto him, "O thou man, whose face is like unto that of a dog, I say unto thee, Behold, thou shalt find two men sitting under a rock, and with them are their disciples; and when thou hast arrived at the place where they are let no evil thing befall them through thee (for they are the servants of God), lest their God be wroth with thee and He smite thee in twain." And it came to pass that, when the man whose face was like unto that of a dog heard these things, he trembled exceedingly, and he answered and said unto the angel, "Who art thou? I know neither thee nor thy God; but tell me who is the God concerning Whom thou speakest unto me."

32 And the angel answered and said unto him, "He Who hath created the heavens and the earth is God in very truth. These heavens which are spread abroad like a tabernacle over thy head, and this earth which thou treadest upon with thy feet did He create, as well as the Sun, and the Moon and the stars, and all created things; He created the sea, and the rivers, and all that is therein, and He created the beasts of the field, and the feathered fowl of the heavens, and all the things which creep, and all green herbs and plants. He created everything which hath been created, and He hath the power to take away their breath from them. Then the man with the face of a dog said unto him, "I wish to see [some sign], so that I may believe in all His miraculous powers concerning which I have heard from thee. Then in that same hour fire came down from heaven and surrounded the man with a face like unto that of a dog, and he was unable to withdraw himself therefrom, for he was standing in the midst of the fire, not being able to go forth therefrom. And he was exceedingly afraid, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "O Thou God, Whom I know not, have compassion upon me, and save me from this tribulation, and I will believe on Thee.

33 And the angel answered and said unto him, "If God saveth thee from the affliction of this fire, wilt thou follow the Apostles into every place whithersoever they may go, and wilt thou hearken unto everything which they shall command thee? And the man with a face like unto that of a dog answered and said unto the angel, "O my Lord, I am not like all other men, for my face is not like that of a man, and I have no knowledge of their speech. Now, if I go with them, where shall I find food? And if I be hungry, where shall I find men to eat? I should certainly then fall upon them and devour them. Behold, I have told thee my habit (literally work), and I would not entreat them evilly, lest their God should be angry with me." 34 And the angel said unto him, "God will give unto thee the nature of the children of men, and He will restrain in thee the nature of the beasts;" and in that same hour the angel stretched out his hands and brought out the man with a face like unto that of a dog from the fire, and he made over him the sign of the cross, and cried out unto him in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Then straightway did the nature of the beast go forth out of him, and he became as gentle as a lamb. And the angel said unto him, "Rise up and go unto the rock, and thou shalt find [four] men sitting under the shadow thereof; follow them, and bring thou no evil upon them, for God hath sent thee to do mighty work[s] in every place whithersoever [they] shall go;" and the angel of God was no more seen of him. Then the man with a face like unto that of a dog rose up and went unto the place wherein the Apostles were, and he was rejoicing and was glad because he had learned to know the right faith. Now his appearance was exceedingly terrible. He was four cubits in height, and his face was like unto the face of a great dog, and his eyes were like unto lamps of fire which burnt brightly, and his teeth were like unto the tusks of a wild boar, or the teeth of a lion, and the nails of his hands were like unto curved reaping hooks, and the nails of his toes were like unto the claws of a lion, and the hair of his head came down over his arms like unto the mane of a lion, and his whole appearance was awful and terrifying.

35 And it came to pass that the Apostles woke up out of their sleep, being sad at heart on account of the city and the little knowledge [of the faith] which was possessed by the men that were therein; and as they were sitting down there came unto them the man with a face like unto that of a dog, and when Alexander, the disciple of Andrew, saw him coming towards them he became like a dead man by reason of his fear of him. Now the Apostles thought that he was an unclean spirit which had appeared unto them, and they made the sign of the cross over him in the Name of God, and they also made the sign of the cross before his face; and after this Andrew looked at the man who had a face like unto that of a dog, and he trembled at his appearance, and made a sign unto Bartholomew with his hands. Now when Bartholomew saw him, both he and Andrew fled together, and they left behind them their disciples Rufus and Alexander under the rock.

36 And it came to pass that when the man who had a face like unto that of a dog had come to where they had been, he found there their disciples who had become as it were dead men through fear of him. Then he laid hold upon them with his hands, and said unto them, "Be not afraid, O my spiritual fathers," and thereupon God removed fear from their hearts, and sent upon them the power of the Holy Spirit, and they were not afraid of him. And he did homage unto them, and entreated them to cry unto their fathers Andrew and Bartholomew, and to tell them what our Lord Jesus Christ had commanded him [to do]; so they went to seek them. And it came to pass that when Rufus and Alexander found them they said unto them, "A man whom God hath sent seeketh you." Then the Apostles came unto the place where was the man with a face like unto that of a dog, and they were not able to look upon him because he was exceedingly terrible to look upon. And when he had looked upon them he bowed down before them on the ground, and said unto them, "Be not afraid of my appearance, O ye servants of God the Most High, for your God hath sent me unto you that I may go with

37 B you whithersoever ye wish to go, and to hear (or obey) every command which ye shall give me;" and the Apostles marvelled at the words of the man whose face was like unto that of a dog. Then Andrew said unto him, "May God bless thee, O my son! I know that through thee we shall have great respite from grief; but tell me what is thy name." And the man with a face like unto that of a dog said unto him, "My name is 'Hasûm,' i. e., the 'Abominable'." And Andrew said unto him, "Rightly [thou speakest], for thy name is even as thyself; but [here] there is a hidden mystery which is both honourable and pleasant, for from this day onwards thy name shall be 'Christian'." And as he was saying these words they rose up and prayed, and then departed from that country; and God sent His angel, [who went] with them and guided [them] on their way.

38 And on the third day they arrived at the city of Bârtôs, and they sat down outside the city to rest them- 165a. selves. Now Satan had gone before them unto the men of the city, and having made himself to take the form of one of the rich and honourable nobles of the city, he came to the governor, unto whom were gathered together the elders of the people, and said unto him, "Behold, the men on whom thou didst pass sentence of death, and whom thou didst cast outside the city have come [here] again, and wish to enter into the city. Now as soon as the gods have knowledge of this, they will immediately depart from our city, and when all the people hear of it they will rise up against us, and make prisoners of us and of our children." And it came to pass that when the governor heard these words he commanded them to shut all the gates of the city, and he set guards over each of them.

39 And when the Apostles were wishing to enter into the city, the man whose face was like unto that of a dog said unto them, "Cover over my face before ye enter into the city, that the people may not see me, and may not flee from me;" so they covered over his face. And Andrew rose up and prayed, saying, "Hearken, O Lord, unto my prayer." Then he drew nigh unto the gate of the city, and said, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath broken the gates of brass, and hath dashed in pieces the bolts of iron, let all the gates of this city be opened quickly." And as Andrew spake these words the gates of the city fell down, and the Apostles and the man who had a face like unto that of a dog entered in, and the men who were on guard at the gates made haste, and told the governor what had taken place. And it came to pass that when the men of the city heard [these things], they were greatly perturbed, and they all came rushing forward carrying their swords, and their spears, and their shields, and their bows, each man [carrying whatever weapon] he could [find], and they went out to seek the Apostles to slay them. Then the governor commanded them to bring the Apostles before the people; and he commanded them to bring [hungry and] savage beasts to attack them, that is to say, seven lions, and three young lions, and a lioness which had just brought forth young, and two tigers, and they wished them to throw themselves upon the Apostles. And the servants of the king laid hold of Andrew to throw him [and the other men] to the savage animals,

40 O and when he that had a face like unto that of a dog saw all that they were doing, he said unto Andrew, "O thou good servant of God, wilt thou command me to uncover my face?" And Andrew said unto him, "Whatsoever God commandeth thee that do." Then he whose face was like unto that of a dog prayed, saying, "I beseech Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst take me from my vile nature into the knowledge of Thyself, and hast given me understanding like unto other men, and hast made me worthy to follow Thy Apostles, I beseech Thee, O my Lord, to turn me back again into my former nature, so that all the people may see me; and strengthen Thou me with Thy power, so that they may know that there is no other god besides Thee." And in that same hour his former nature returned unto him, and he became exceedingly wroth, and anger filled his heart, and he uncovered his face and looked at the people with great fury, and he leaped upon all the wild beasts that were among the multitudes of people who were gathered together, and he slew them forthwith, and tore out their bowels and devoured their flesh.

41 And it came to pass that when the men of the city saw this act they feared exceedingly, and they were greatly moved, and they fled, and every man among them sought to escape from the city, and from the tribulation and outcry which had come upon them; and seven [hundred] men and three of the nobles of the city died, and those who were left and who had saved themselves sought out a place where they could hide themselves, and they departed from the city. And God sent from heaven a great fire which surrounded the city, and not one of the people was able to flee from it. Then the people, and the governor, and the elders of the city gathered themselves together, and came unto the Apostles, and they were in fear and in trembling, and they wept with great weeping, and said, "We believe and we know that there is no god but your God, our Lord Jesus Christ, above the heavens and above the earth. And we entreat you to have compassion upon us, and to 8ob. save us from this death, and from the double affliction of the fire and of him whose face is like unto that of a dog." Then the Apostles had compassion upon them, and they asked our Lord Jesus Christ to take up the fire from them. And Bartholomew said unto the governor, "Gather together unto us all the people of the city, both men and women, and let them bring unto us all the gods which are in their habitations, that they may know that they are not gods at all, but the work of the hands of the children of men, and that they are only stones in which there is no soul."

42 Then the governor commanded that the people should gather together all the gods and bring them [unto him]. And the Apostles rose up and prayed, and they smote the earth with their feet, saying, "O God Almighty, Thou Who hast existed throughout all days, and Who didst command the earth, and it opened [its mouth] and swallowed up Dathan, and buried the tabernacles of Abiram, and all the people who behaved insolently towards Thy Name; as in that day so let the earth in this same hour open its mouth, and swallow up these gods and take them down into Gehenna;" and even whilst the people were looking on this thing came to 8ob. O* 186b. pass quickly. Then the governor and all the people, both male and female, lifted up their voices and said, "The Lord God of the Christians, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is One, and there is no other god besides Him;" and they entreated the Apostles to give them the sign of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Apostles said unto them, "Let us come together unto the theatre, for in that place ye shall receive the consummation of the faith." Then the people and the governor made supplication unto the Apostles, saying, "Masters, have compassion upon us, for we cannot come unto that place through fear of the man whose face is like unto that of a dog, lest he eat us up, even as he devoured the wild beasts."

43 And Bartholomew said unto them, "Fear ye not, but follow us, so that ye may see a mighty miracle in the city this day;" so the multitude followed them unto the theatre. And the Apostles drew nigh unto the man whose face was like unto that of a dog, and they laid their hands upon him, and said unto him, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, let the nature of the wild beast remove itself from thee, and let the nature of the children of men return unto thee; what thou hast done is sufficient for thee, O my son, for behold, thou hast completed the purpose wherefor thou wast sent." And in that same hour the nature of the children of men returned unto him, and he became as gentle as a lamb, and he came and bowed down before the Apostles. And it came to pass that when the people and the governor saw this wonderful thing, they took olive branches in their hands, and bowed down before the Apostles, and said unto them, "Have compassion upon us, [and bless us] with your blessing, and baptize us." And the Apostles said unto them, "Preserve ye your souls in patience; behold, the grace of God hath descended upon you."

44 Now there was in the city a theatre wherein was [a statue of] loadstone, and it came to pass that when Andrew came [there] he lifted up his foot and smote the ground therewith, and at that moment a cleft appeared in the statue; and sweet water flowed forth therefrom. Then the Apostles stood up in the midst of the water, and baptized the people in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And when all the people had been baptized, the man whose face was like unto that of a dog asked Andrew, and said unto him, "O good father, let thy mercy descend upon those who have died, so that they may come to life again, and may be baptized, and may rejoice with their brethren, that they may know that God Almighty hath the power to do this thing and to give the gracious gift of life unto the dead." Then Andrew rose up and made supplication unto God. And a voice cried from heaven unto the man whose face was like unto that of a dog, and said unto him, "O beloved Christian, thou hast received the gracious gift of power to raise up those who are [dead]. Through fear of thee they died, and their coming to life must be through thee." And in that same hour God Almighty gave the command, and the spirit of life returned unto them, and they received baptism, together with the [other] men of the city.

45 Now the Apostles wrought many mighty deeds and miracles [in that city]. The blind opened their eyes, the lame walked, the deaf heard with their ears, the dumb spake, the devils went forth [from men], and there was no sick person left in the city, for the Apostles healed them all in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And after this they built a church for them, and appointed for them a Bishop, and priests, and deacons, and servants for the church; and they taught them the Holy Gospel and all Christian ordinances. And they offered up the Holy Mysteries, and completed over them the prayer of sanctification, and [then] they gave to the people of the Offerings and Holy Mysteries. And there was great rejoicing in that city because the people had been made worthy of baptism and of the Holy Mysteries, that is to say the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood, and they became strong in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then the Apostles departed from them, blessing and glorifying God, to Whom are meet praise, and thanksgiving, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the life-giving, Holy Spirit, now, henceforth, always, and for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen. So be it.

The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew in Scythia

1 Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Andrew, the blessed and holy disciple, the Apostle of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. Now he finished his contending and received his crown of victory from the Lord Jesus Christ on the fourth day of the month Tâhsâsâs. In the peace of God the Father. Amen. And the blessed Andrew continued to travel about in the country of 'Askâtyâ (Scythia), and in the country of Argyânôs (Garanius), and in the country of Sûkes (Axis). Now these cities were the abodes of iniquitous and evil men who had made a covenant and a league with each other, and they were situated in that portion [of the world] wherein it had fallen unto him by lot to preach the story of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And these cities were the last of those unto which he went [to preach], and his departure from this world was drawing nigh.

2 And it came to pass that, when he had entered into these countries, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Whosoever hath not left his father, and his mother, and his son, and his daughter, and his brother, and his sister, "and his gold, and his silver, and his raiment, and his lands, and his estates, and all the gain of this world, whosoever [I say] hath not left [them] and will not follow after me is not able to be yoked unto me." And he commanded them to believe in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ with the right faith; and they enquired of him much concerning what they remembered of their past life; and [he told them that those] who did not do these things would be unfit for the kingdom of heaven, and that they would not have life everlasting. Now the men of these cities were exceedingly wicked, and they were puffed up with pride, and possessed but little under- standing. And it came to pass that, when they heard the blessed Andrew speaking after this manner, they were angry with him with a great anger; [but some believed] by reason of the multitudes of miracles and wonderful things which our Lord Jesus Christ wrought [by his hands], for Andrew went with all those who asked him, and healed them by his gift of grace. And his name went forth into all countries, and many believed in him, and he brought nigh unto God all those who turned unto Him with their whole heart. Now by reason of these things Satan entered into the heart of the people of that city wherein Andrew was preaching the knowledge of God, and they gathered themselves together, and sent wicked messengers to attack him, and they said each to the others, "Come, let us join ourselves together in one counsel because of the commandment of this perverted man, who hath destroyed our Law, and who hath brought unto us the name of a new god whom we know not, for neither ourselves nor our fathers have known his name, and they never spake unto us concerning him." And one of them answered and said, "Let us send a message unto him and tell him to depart from our city, that there may not be any tumult in it, for many men of this country have believed his words. And if we do not make haste and do according to that which we desire, we shall be destroyed by these people who dwell in this city." And having thus spoken of the matter in their assemblies, they sent certain trusty men of high and noble rank to Andrew, and they went unto him joyfully; now this took place by the will of God, that the messengers whom the people had sent unto Andrew might also believe.

3 And it came to pass that, when the messengers had come unto the blessed Apostle, Andrew met them, and said unto them, "The peace of God be with you, O brethren;" and those men who were there said, "May thy peace be with us," and they conversed with him with words of peace. Then Andrew said unto them, "Sit ye down, O good men, whom God hath called unto His holy city." And they answered and said unto him, " Forgive thou us, O good man, thou servant of God, in whom we have found the knowledge of God; thou righteous man against whom, through the wickedness which Satan sowed in our hearts, we took counsel; "thou man who art like unto a lamb without blemish, who dost wish to heal those who wish to slay thee. Now that we see thee do thou put away from us every evil thought, and make our hearts to rejoice in the fear of God, though we took counsel against thee wickedly, and have come unto thee to entreat thee to depart from our city. We said in the madness of our hearts that it was thou who didst lead into error the people of our city, but behold, we believe that it is thou who shalt deliver us from our enemies, and shalt intercede on our behalf with God, so that He may pardon us our sins. And now, O holy father, we will not separate ourselves from thee, and we ask thee to place us among thy disciples." And Andrew blessed them and sent them away in peace unto their habitations, and he commanded each one of them to be faithful unto our Lord Jesus Christ; and they departed from him praising God, and they went about in all the cities and proclaimed the glory of God. Thus they left the blessed Apostle.

4 And it came to pass that, when the wicked men who had sent the messengers unto Andrew heard these things, they were exceedingly dismayed, and they conversed together concerning the matter [and said], "Rise up, and let us go together unto the place where Andrew is, and let us burn him with fire, so that he may not come back into our city; then shall every man of the people who have believed in him be afraid of us when they hear about it. So they went forth unto the place wherein Andrew was, and they surrounded it, and they said unto him, "We are going to burn thee alive. And when Andrew saw that they were making haste to do evil, he looked at them and spake unto them with words of peace, and said unto them, "O perverted men, do not perform the evil deed which ye wish to do, and which Satan hath counselled you [to do], but turn ye unto God. And if ye will not hearken unto me, and ye refuse [to do as I say], then I will entreat God Almighty to send, instead of the fire with which ye wish to burn me, fire from heaven which shall burn up both you and your city, so that ye may know that there is no God either in the heavens or in the earth, except our Lord Jesus Christ, our God. Then those men began to utter blasphemies against our Lord Jesus, and to curse and revile His holy Apostle.

5 And it came to pass that when Andrew heard them blaspheming, he was angry with a great anger, and he lifted up his eyes to heaven and made supplication unto God, saying, "O Jesus, my Lord and God, hearken Thou unto my petition, and send fire from heaven to burn up these wicked men who have blasphemed Thy holy Name; and as Andrew was finishing his prayer, fire came down from heaven and burnt up those wicked people. 6 And Andrew preached the story of the holy Gospel in all cities and countries, but those of the wicked who remained unbelievers again took counsel to work evil against him, and they said, "If this man dwell in our city he will lead us astray by his sorcery, and he will work strenuously against us in separating wives from their husbands, and we fear that he will separate us from our wives. Then they sent cunning [letters] unto him with sweet words, and at length he came into their midst, and they gathered themselves together against him. And they beat him with many stripes and dragged him round about on the highway of the city naked, and then they cast him into prison, until they could take counsel by what means they were to kill him. Now it was a custom in that city for the people thereof to crucify upon a tree any man whom they wished to kill, and then to stone him with stones. And it came to pass that, when they had put Andrew in prison, he rose up and prayed in anger, and made entreaty unto God that He would make fire to descend from heaven and burn up these three cities, even as He had done in times of old, because the people thereof had beaten him and reviled him. Thereupon our Lord appeared into him in the prison-house, and said unto him, "Peace be unto thee, O Andrew, My beloved Apostle, be not wroth.

7 Behold, thou hast finished thy contend-ing, and thou hast brought thy service [to a close], and in this place thou shalt end thy contending and thy martyrdom, and thou shalt inherit the kingdom of heaven, together with the righteous who have pleased Me. And it came to pass that when Andrew heard these words of our Lord Jesus Christ he rejoiced and was glad, and he continued to pray the whole night through unto our Lord, the Maker of all, God Almighty. 8 And it came to pass that when the morrow had come they brought Andrew out from the prison-house, and they crucified him upon a cross, and stoned him until [his contending] was accomplished, and he gave back his soul unto his Creator, and after these things certain believing men took him down and laid his body in a grave. Here endeth his martyrdom which took place on the fourth day of the month Tâhshaah. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, henceforward, and for ever and ever. Amen.