The Queen of Sheba and her only son Menyelek: the Kebra Nagast (chapters 98. Concerning the Rod of Moses and the Rod of Aaron–116. Concerning the Chariot of Ethiopia)

The Queen of Sheba and her only son Menyelek: the Kebra Nagast

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Chapter 98. Concerning the Rod of Moses and the Rod of Aaron

1 And Moses spake these words unto them, and they brought a rod into each of the houses of their fathers which they had chosen for purity, and there were twelve rods. And Moses wrote upon their rods the names of their fathers: on the rod of Aaron was written the name of Levi, and on the rod of Karmîn was written the name of Judah, and on the rod of Adônyâs was written the name of Reuben, and on the rod of every man of all the houses of Israel was written in like manner the name of his father. And God said unto Moses, "Carry [the rods] to Zion, to the Tent of Witness, and shut them up therein until the morning, and [then] take them out before the men and give unto each of them his rod, according to the houses of their fathers whose names are written on the rods, and the man on whose rod a mark shall be found is he whom I have chosen to be priest to Me." And Moses told the people these words, and they did according as God had commanded them. And then, when the morning had come, Moses took the rods, and all the elders of Israel and Aaron came. And Moses came before them, and he lifted up the rods and brought them before all the people, and the rod of Aaron was found with the fruit and flower of an almond which emitted a fragrant perfume. And Moses said unto them, "Look ye now. This is the rod which the Lord your God hath chosen, fear ye Him and worship Him"; and all the people bowed down before God.

2 Now this rod is Mary. And the rod which without water burst into bloom indicateth Mary, from whom was born, without the seed of man, the Word of God. And that He saith "I have chosen, I will make manifest a miracle, and he shall be priest to Me," meaneth that God chose Mary out of all the congregation of Israel, M even as David her father prophesied, saying, "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the habitations of Jacob," and he further said, "Marvellous is His speech concerning thee, O city of God." And when he saith, "more than all the habitations of Israel" and "her gates" [he referreth to] the silence of her mouth, and the purity of her lips, and the praise which goeth forth from her mouth, like honey which floweth from her lips, and the purity of her virginity which was without spot or blemish or impurity before she brought forth; and after she had brought forth she was pure and holy, and so shall it be, even as it was, unto all eternity. And in the heavens she goeth about with the angels a pure thing; and she is the rod of Aaron. She liveth in Zion with the pot which is filled with manna, and with the two tables that were written with the Finger of God. And the heavenly, spiritual Zion is above them, the Zion, the making and constitution of which are wonderful, of which God Himself is her Maker and Fashioner for the habitation of His glory.

3 And God spake unto Moses [saying], "Make a Tabernacle of wood which is indestructible [by worms and rot], and cover it over with plates of fine gold, every part thereof." And the gold is the fineness of the Godhead that came down from heaven, for the Godhead comprehendeth all heaven and earth; and in like manner is plated with gold the Tabernacle, the abode of the heavenly Zion. And the Tabernacle is to be interpreted as Mary, and the wood which is indestructible is to be interpreted as Christ our Redeemer. And the Gômôr, which is the pot of gold inside the Tabernacle, is to be interpreted as Mary, and the manna which is in the pot is to be interpreted as the Body of Christ which came down from heaven, and the Word of God which is written upon the two tables is to be interpreted as Christ, the Son of God. And the spiritual Zion is to be interpreted as the light of the Godhead. The spiritual Pearl which is contained in the Tabernacle is like a brilliant gem of great price, and he who hath acquired it holdeth it tightly in his hand, grasping it and hiding it in his hand, and whilst the gem is in his hand its owner goeth into the Tabernacle, and he is an inmate therein. And he who possesseth the Pearl is interpreted as the Word of God, Christ. And the spiritual Pearl which is grasped is to be interpreted as Mary, the Mother of the Light, through whom "Akrâtôs," the "Unmixed," assumed a body. In her He made a Temple for Himself of her pure body, and from her was born the Light of Light, God of God, Who was born of His own freewill, and was not made by the hand of another, but He made a Temple for Himself through an incomprehensible wisdom which transcendeth the mind of man.

4 And on another occasion, when God brought Israel out of Egypt, they thirsted for water in Kâdês, and they murmured and wept before Moses; and Moses went to God and made Him to know this. And God said unto him, "Take thy rod and smite this rock"; and Moses smote the rock lengthwise and breadthwise in the form of the Cross, and water flowed forth, twelve streams. And they drank their fill of the water, their people and their beasts, and when they had drunk that rock followed after them. And the rock is to be interpreted as Christ, and the streams of water as the Apostles, and that which they drank as the teaching of the Apostles, and the rod is the wood of the Cross. And the rock is stable, as it saith in the Gospel, "He who buildeth upon a rock shall not be moved by the demons." And again He saith, "I am the gate," and again He saith, "I am the door." And observe ye that when speaking He distinguished between his disciples even as He did between those who [came] after them, the Bishops and the Christian Community. "Thou art the rock," He said unto Peter, "and upon thee I will build the Christian people." And again He said, "I am the Shepherd of the sheep," and He said unto him thrice, "Feed my sheep." And again He said, "I am the stem of the vine," and unto them He said, "Ye are its branches and its clusters of fruit."

5 And the rod of Moses by means of which he performed the miracle is to be interpreted as the wood of the Cross, whereby He delivered Adam and his children from the punishment of devils. And as Moses smote the water of the river therewith, and turned it into blood, and slew their fish, in like manner Christ slew Death with His Cross, and brought them out of Sheôl. And as Moses smote in the air with his rod, and the whole land of Egypt became dark for three days and three nights with a darkness which could be felt so that [the Egyptians] could not rise from their couches, so also Christ, being crucified upon the Cross, lightened the darkness of the hearts of men, and rose up from the dead on the third day and third night. And as the rod of Moses changed itself and transformed itself by the Word of God, being dry yet possessing life, and possessing life yet became a dry thing, even so Christ with the wood of His Cross made life for the Christian people who believed on Him, and with the Sign of the Cross made them to drive away devils. For the demons and the Christians became changed; the spiritual beings became reprobates, and through transgressing the commandment of their Lord they became exiled ones by the might of His Cross.

6 And we have become spiritual beings through receiving His Body and Blood in the place of those spiritual beings who were exiled, and we have become beings worthy of praise who have believed in His Cross and in His holy Resurrection. And as Moses smote the mountains by stretching out his hands with his rod, and brought forth punishments by the command of God, even so Christ, by stretching out His hands upon the wood of the Cross, drove out the demons from men by the might of His Cross. When God said unto Moses, "Smite with thy rod," He meant, "Make the Sign of the Cross of Christ," and when God said unto Moses, "Stretch out thy hand," He meant that by the spreading out of His hand Christ hath redeemed us from the servitude of the enemy, and hath given us life by the stretching out of His hand upon the wood of the Cross.

7 And when Amalek fought with Israel, Moses went up into the mountain, and Aaron was with him; they went up to pray because Amalek was prevailing. And God commanded Moses and said unto him, "Stretch out thy hand until Israel obtaineth the power [over Amalek]." And it saith in the Tôrâh that the hands of Moses were held out until the sunset; but the hands of Moses became heavy, and being aweary he dropped his hands that had been stretched out, and then Israel ceased to prevail and their enemies overcame them. And when Moses kept his hand up and stretched out straight, Amalek was overcome, and Israel put to flight and vanquished their enemy Amalek. And when Aaron and Hôr (Hur) saw this, they piled up stones on the right and on the left of Moses, and they made the hands of Moses to rest on the stones which they had built up, and Aaron on his right and Hôr on his left held Moses up with their shoulders, so that his hands might not drop from their stretched out position.

8 And now I will explain this to you. The war of Amalek against Israel is the war of believers against the demons, and before Christ was crucified the demons conquered the believers. But when He stretched out His hand on the wood of the Cross because of the sin of Adam and his children, and when He stretched out His hand and His palm was pierced [with the nails], those who were sealed with the Sign of the Cross of Christ conquered them (i.e. the demons). The stretching out of the hand of Moses indicateth the Cross of Christ; and that Aaron and Hôr builded up stones indicateth the wood of the Cross and the nails. And Aaron indicateth the thief on the right, and Hôr the thief on the left; and Amalek indicateth the demons, and the king of Amalek indicateth Satan. And as concerning that they (the Amalekites) were conquered, this indicateth that we have conquered the demons and Satan by the Resurrection of Christ and by His Cross.

9 And again when Israel went out of Egypt they came to bitter water, and they lacked drink because the water was bitter; and first of all they murmured because of the bitterness of the water. And God said unto Moses, "Lift up thy rod, and cast it into the water, and sign it with the Sign of the Cross right and left." Now mark what followeth. Had God said unto him, "Let it become sweet," then would the water not have become sweet? But He made manifest that by the Sign of the Cross everything becometh good, and bitter water becometh sweet, and that by the might of the Cross of Jesus Christ every polluted thing becometh good and pleasant. And here I will declare unto thee yet other matters from the rest of the Prophets concerning His Crucifixion. David saith, "They have pierced for me my hands and my feet'; now this referreth clearly to the nails of His hands and His feet. And again he saith, They made me drink vinegar for my thirst," and this showeth clearly that He drank vinegar because of the sin of Adam. The Breath of Life that had breathed upon Adam drank vinegar, and the Hand that had founded the earth was pierced with a nail. He Who for the sake of Adam abased Himself was born, and took the form of a servant.

Chapter 99. Concerning the Two Servants

1 Now [it is said] that a certain king had two slaves: the one was arrogant and strong, and the other was humble and weak. And the arrogant slave overcame the humble one, and smote him and all but slew him, and robbed him, and the king upon his throne saw them. And the king descending seized the arrogant slave, and beat him, and crushed him, and bound him in fetters, and cast him into a place of darkness. And he raised up his humble and weak slave, and embraced him, and brushed away the dust from him, and washed him, and poured oil and wine into his wounds, and set him upon his ass, and brought him into his city and set him up on his throne, and seated him on his right hand. Now the king is in truth Christ, and the arrogant servant whom I have mentioned is Satan, and the humble servant is Adam. And when Christ saw how the arrogant servant overcame the humble one, and cast him down in the dust, He came down from His throne and raised up Adam, His servant, and bound Satan in fetters in the terror of Sheôl. And He seated the body of Adam upon the throne of His Godhead, and magnified him, and exalted him, and honoured him; and he was praised by all the beings whom He had created, the angels and the archangels, thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of thousands of spiritual beings.

2 For He brought low the arrogant and raised up the humble, and reduced the arrogant to shame and exalted to honour the humble, and rejected the arrogant and loved the humble, and scorned the haughty and had pity on the lowly. He cast down the arrogant from his high place, and lifted the poor up out of the dust. He snatched away the mighty one from his honour, and raised up the poor from corruption, for with Him are honour and disgrace. Whom He wisheth to honour He honoureth, and whom He wisheth to disgrace He disgraceth.

Chapter 100. Concerning the Angels who Rebelled

1 And there were certain angels with whom God was wroth—now He, the Knower of the heart knew them—and they reviled Adam, saying, "Since God hath shown love to him He hath set us to minister unto him, and the beasts and creeping things, and the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and all fruits, and the trees of the field, and the heavens and the earth also; and He hath appointed the heavens to give him rain, and the earth to give him fruits. And the sun and the moon also hath He given him, the sun to give him light by day and the moon to give him light in the night season. He hath fashioned him with His fingers, and He hath created him in His own image, and He hath kissed him and breathed upon him the spirit of life; and He saith unto him, 'My son, My firstborn, My beloved.' And He hath set him in a garden to eat and enjoy himself without sickness or suffering, and without toil or labour, but He hath commanded him not to eat from one tree. And being given all these things by God, Adam hath transgressed and eaten of that tree, and he hath become hated and rejected, and God hath driven him out of the Garden, and from that time Adam hath abandoned his hope, for he hath transgressed the commandment of his Creator."

2 And God answered the angels who reviled Adam in this wise, and He said unto them, "Why do ye revile Adam in this wise? For he is flesh, and blood, and 3 The soldiers tying Christ's hands and spitting in His face ashes and dust." And the angels answered and said unto Him, "May we declare before Thee the sin of Adam?" And God said unto them, "Declare ye [his sin], and I will hearken unto you, and I Myself will answer you in respect of Adam My servant." For God had worked on behalf of Adam. And God said, "I created him out of the dust, and I will not cast away that which I have fashioned. I brought him forth out of non-existence, and I will not make My handiwork a laughingstock for his enemies." And those angels said, "Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. For Thou, the Knower of hearts, knowest that we have reviled Adam because he hath transgressed Thy commandment that he was not to eat of one tree after Thou hadst made him lord over everything which Thou hast created, and hadst set him over every work of Thy hands. And if Thou hadst not told him, and if Thou hadst not commanded him not to eat of one tree there would have been no offence [on his part]; and if he had eaten because of a lack of food there would have been no offence [on his part]. But Thy word made him to know, and Thou didst say, 'As surely as thou eatest of this tree thou shalt die.' And he, after hearing this, made bold and ate. Thou didst not let him lack sweet fruits to eat from the Garden, and Thou didst not let him lack one to comfort him and a companion like unto himself. And these things we say and make known unto Thee, and we have revealed unto Thee how he hath transgressed Thy commandment."

4 And the Merciful One and the Lover of mercy answered them on behalf of Adam, and said unto them, "You have I created out of fire and air with the one intent [that ye should] praise [Me]. Him have I created of twice as many elements as you—of dust and water, and of wind and fire; and he became [a being] of flesh and blood. And in him are ten thoughts (or, intentions), five good, and five bad. And if his heart inciteth him to good, he walketh with good intent; and if the Devil seduceth him, he walketh with him on an evil path. As for you, ye have no other object in your minds but praise of Me, with the exception of that arrogant one who produced evil, and became an evil being, and was driven forth from your assembly. And now, why do ye magnify yourselves over Adam? If ye were as he is, and I had created you of water and dust, ye would have been flesh and blood, and ye would have transgressed My commandment more than he hath done, and denied My word." And the angels said unto Him, "Praise be unto Thee, O Lord! Far be it from us! We will not transgress Thy commandment, and we will not oppose Thy word; for we are spiritual beings for life, and he is a creature of dust [doomed] to folly. And now try us well, and put us to the test so that Thou mayest know whether we are able to keep Thy word."

5 And when they had vaunted themselves in this manner God, the Lover of men, said unto them, "If now ye go astray so far as this in transgressing My word, the wrong will be upon your own heads, [for] Jahannam (or, hell), and fire, and sulphur, and fervent heat, and whirlwind shall be your habitation until the Great Day: ye shall be kept in chains which can neither be loosened nor broken for ever. But if ye keep truly My word, and ye do My commandment, ye shall sit upon My right hand and upon My left. For everyone who hath conquered is mighty, and he who is conquered shall be overpowered. Now Satan hath no power whatsoever, for he hath only what he maketh to germinate in the mind; and he cannot grasp firmly, and he cannot perform anything, and he cannot beat, and he cannot drag, and he cannot seize, and he cannot fight; he can only make thoughts to germinate silently in the mind. And him who is caught by the evil mind he prepareth for destruction; and if [a man] hath conquered the evil mind he findeth grace and hath a reward which is everlasting. And to you, according to what ye wish, there shall be upon you the mind of a man and the body of a man. But take good heed to yourselves that ye transgress not My word and break not My commandment; and defile not ye yourselves with eating, or drinking, or fornication, or with any other thing whatsoever; and transgress ye not My word."

6 And straightway there were given unto them with His word flesh, and blood, and a heart of the children of men. And they were content to leave the height of heaven, and they came down to earth, to the folly of the dancing of the children of Cain with all their work of the artisan, which they had made in the folly of their fornication, and to their singings, which they accompanied with the tambourine, and the flutes, and the pipes, and much shouting, and loud cries of joy and noisy songs. And their daughters were there, and they enjoyed the orgies without shame, for they scented themselves for the men who pleased them, and they lost the balance in their minds. And the men did not restrain themselves for a moment, but they took to wife from among the women those whom they had chosen, and committed sin with them. For God hath no resting-place in the hearts of the arrogant and those who revile, but He abideth in the hearts of the humble and those who are sincere. And He spake in the Gospel, saying, "Woe be unto those who make themselves righteous, and despise their neighbours.' And again He saith, God loveth the humble, and He holdeth lightly those who magnify themselves."

7 And straightway God was wroth with them, and He bound them in the terror of Sheôl until the day of redemption, as the Apostle saith, "He treated His angels with severity. He spared them not, but made them to dwell in a state of judgement, and they were fettered until the Great Day. The word of God conquered, Who had fashioned Adam in His likeness (or, form), and those who had reviled and made a laughing-stock of Adam were conquered. And the daughters of Cain with whom the angels had companied conceived, but they were unable to bring forth their children, and they died. And of the children who were in their wombs some died, and some came forth; having split open the bellies of their mothers they came forth by their navels. And when they were grown up and reached man's estate they became giants, whose height reached unto the clouds; and for their sakes and the sakes of sinners the wrath of God became quiet, and He said, "My spirit shall only rest on them for one hundred and twenty years, and I will destroy them with the waters of the Flood," them and all sinners who have not believed the word of God. And to those who believed the word of their fathers, and did His Will, no injury came from the waters of the Flood, but He delivered them, saying, "If thou believest My word thou canst save thyself from the Flood.

8 And Noah said, "O Lord, I believe Thy word, make me to know by what means I can be saved. And God said unto him, "Thou canst be saved from the water by wood. And Noah said, "How, O Lord? And God said unto him, "Make thyself a four-sided ark, and build it with the work of the carpenter, and make for it three storeys inside, and go into it with all thy house. And Noah believed the word of God, and made [the ark], and was saved. 9 Now hearken ye unto me, and I will explain to you concerning this thing. When God gave the command He could have given unto Noah a wing like the eagle and transported him to the country of the living, with all his house, until His anger with the sinners who had not believed the word of God and the word of their fathers, had abated, or He could have lifted him up into the air, or He could have commanded the water of the Flood—[which was] like a wall—not to approach the one mountain where He would make Noah to dwell with his sons and not to submerge the beasts and cattle which he wanted. But know ye this—God was well pleased that by means of wood which had been sanctified the salvation of His creation should take place, that is to say, the ark and the wood of the Cross. God said unto Noah, "Make that whereby thou shalt be saved," that is to say, the Tabernacle of the Church; and when He said unto him, "Make it foursided," He showed that the Sign of the Cross was fourfold. Now the four corners of the ark are the horns of the altar; and He commanded Moses to make the ark out of indestructible wood. He said, "I will sanctify thee by that heavenly and spiritual work of My hand. And do thou sanctify thyself from filth, and impurity, and fornication, and vindictiveness, and falsehood, together with thy brother and thy house.

10 And sacrifice unto Me a clean sacrifice with cleanness, and I will accept thee after thou hast sanctified thyself and thy house; command all the people to sanctify themselves, for My holy things [must be offered] by holy ones. And this thou shalt seek, the Tabernacle of My Covenant which I have created for My praise. And if ye come with purity of heart, with love, and with peace, without mockery and reviling, and if ye will make right your hearts in respect of Me and your neighbours, I will hear your prayers, and I will listen to your petitions about everything which ye submit to Me, and I will come and be with you, and I will walk among you, and I will dwell in your hearts, and ye shall be unto Me My people, and I will be your God in truth."

Chapter 101. Concerning Him that Existeth in Everything and Everywhere

1 And again God said unto Moses: " Make for Me an open space before the courtyard of the Tabernacle; no man who is impure sexually and unclean shall come there, and no one who is not pure. For I am there, and not only there, but in every place like thereunto where My Name is invoked in purity. I was with Daniel in the den [of lions], and I was with Jonah in the belly of the great fish, and I was with Joseph in the pit, and I was with Jeremiah in the well [fed from] the lake. I stand under the deepest deep so that the mountains may not sink down under the waters; and I am under the waters so that they may not sink down upon the fire, and sulphur; I stand under the fire and sulphur so that they may not sink down upon the winds and the rust. I am under the winds and the rusty fog so that they may not sink down under the darkness. And I stand under the deepest darkness and under the abysses, and every created thing supporteth itself on Me, and every thing which I have created cometh to Me as a place of refuge.

2 " I am above the earth, and I am at the ends of the world, and I am Master of everything. I am in the air, My place of abode, and I am above the chariot of the Cherubim, and I am praised everlastingly by all the angels and by holy men. And I am above the heights of heaven, and I fill everything. I am above the Seven Heavens. I see everything, and I test everything, and there is nothing that is hidden from Me. I am in every place, and there is no other god besides Me, neither in the heaven above nor in the earth beneath; there is none like unto Me, saith God; My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath made strong the heavens; I and My Son and the Holy Spirit."

Chapter 102. Concerning the Beginning

1 As David prophesied by the mouth of the Holy Spirit, saying, "With Thee was the headship on the day of might.' Now what do these words, day of might" mean? Is it not the day whereon Christ, the Word of the Father, created heaven and earth? For Moses saith in the beginning of the Book, "In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth.' Understand then In the beginning" meaneth "in Christ"; the interpretation of "beginning" is Christ. John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, saith concerning Christ, "This is the first (or, beginning) Whom we have heard and seen, Whom we have known, and Whom our hands have felt.' And we will relate unto you how we have a portion with Him, and ye who believe our words shall have a portion with us. And Luke the disciple saith in the Acts of the Apostles, In the beginning we make speech concerning everything,' and this that he saith [sheweth] that Christ was the redemption of all, and we believe in Him. And Mark the Evangelist in the beginning of his Book wrote, saying, The beginning of the Gospel is Jesus Christ, the Son of God'; and these words mean that Christ was the glad tidings for the Prophets and the Apostles, and that we all have participated in His grace. And again John the Evangelist wrote, saying, In the beginning was the Word, and that Word was with God";

2 and in another place his word showeth [this] plainly, and he saith, "And likewise in the beginning was God the Word.' And now observe that that Word of the Father is Christ, whereby He made the heavens and the earth and every created thing. It is He Who created, and without Him nothing that came came into being, nothing whatsoever: He spake, and they came into being; He commanded, and they were created. And the third glorious thing, hearken [to it]: "Through the breath of His mouth He created all their host. This maketh manifest the Holy Spirit, Who is clearly referred to. 3 And what shall we say? Let us weep for them. Woe be unto the Jews and unto the pagans ('Aramî) who have wandered from the truth and have refused to submit to the love of God, with which in His goodness He hath loved man. For after Adam was rejected through his sin He saved him by the greatness of His mercy, being crucified on the wood of the Cross, His hands being pierced with nails. With His palm stretched out in humility, and His head bowed on one side, for our sakes He, to Whom suffering was unfitting, suffered in the everlasting majesty of His Godhead. He died that He might destroy death; He suffered exhaustion that He might give strength to the wearied being of dust; athirst He drank vinegar, He was crowned with a crown of thorns; He feared not and was not ashamed of the contumely and hatred and spitting of the polluted Jews. He suffered beating, He was buffeted with fists, He was pierced, He was transfixed with nails, He was reviled and mocked, being God and the King of Death, and the Bestower of glory, and because of this He endured patiently all disgrace. Wearied and miserable, they made Him sad when they rejected Him and hated Him; but strong and glorious, what could sadden Him when they brought false charges against Him? For He Himself knew His Godhead, and He knew His glory, and He knew Himself. And there was none who knew Him, for He was the Creator of everything. And if they had known Him they would not have crucified the Lord of praise (or, glory). And He said in His mercy, "Forgive them, Father, for they From Brit Mus. MS. Orient, No. 510, fol. 72a

4 How the Jews crucified our Lord. The Virgin Mary stands on His right and St. John on His left. Between the Virgin and the Cross stands Longinus, the soldier who pierced our Lord's side. The Crusaders are said to have found the body of Longinus in the church of St. Peter at Antioch in the XIth century know not what they do." They likened their Creator to something that had been created, and they slew a sojourner who did not belong to mortal creatures, and He was not a thing that had been made with the hand. But He Himself was the Maker, and He Himself was the Creator, Light of Light, God of God, Son of the Father, Jesus Christ. 5 He was the Refuge, He was the Feeder, He was the Director; He, Whose domain was above what is on high, and above everything, abased Himself. Even as Isaiah, the man of keen words among the Prophets, saith, "He was a humble man, and His appearance was rejected, like a root He hid Himself in parched ground, He came in the flesh, a being of the earth, [though He was] the Sustainer of the universe and the Saviour of the universe." And David ascribeth beauty to Him, saying, "On Thy beauty and in Thy goodliness of form." And again he saith, "His form is more goodly than that of the children of men." And again he saith, "Graciousness is poured forth from Thy lips." And again he saith, "Direct aright with prosperity, and reign through righteousness, and justice, and sincerity." And again he saith concerning the Jews, the enemies of the truth, "Thine arrows are sharp and strong in the hearts of the haters of the King"; "it is right that they should transfix their hearts," He saith "unto those who did not wish Me to be King, and they shall be brought before Me and pierced" [with spears]. And again Isaiah saith concerning the Jews, "I have sought for them and found them not; I have called unto them and they have not answered Me; I have loved them and they have hated Me." And again David saith, "They returned unto me evil for good, and they hated me in return for my love for them." And again Isaiah saith, "With their lips they profess love for Me, but in their hearts they keep afar from Me, and their worshipping of Me is an empty thing." And as Moses saith, "They have moved Me to wrath with their gods, and I will move them to jealousy with that which is not a nation, for they are a people whose counsel is destroyed."

6 And those who said, "We have no Law," unto them hath the Law been given, for God is the Giver of the Law unto every one. And God rewarded the Jews according to their wickedness, and He treated the Gentiles according to their simplicity. For He is merciful and compassionate to those who call upon Him and who take refuge in Him, and who purify themselves from all uncleanness in the Church and in the Tabernacle of the Law of God; and He loveth those who weep and repent even as Stephen, [one] of the Seventy Disciples saith. Now among the Seventy Disciples there were seven who were chosen for service with the Twelve Apostles, to perform service with Sīlās, and Barnabas, and Mark and Luke and Paul. And this Stephen spake unto the Jews whilst he was standing up to martyrdom and the Jews were killing him, and said unto them as he showed them their folly in not having kept the commandment of God, "Ye have not kept the Tōrāh according to the ordinance of the angels, as ye received it. And it saith in the Acts [of the Apostles], "When they heard this they went mad with anger and gnashed their teeth. Now hearken ye unto me.

7 In his saying "Ye have not kept the Tōrāh according to the order of the angels," [we have] a form and a [fore] shadowing of what is in the heavens, that is to say, the heavenly and free Jerusalem, the habitation of the Most High, whereof the situation and construction are incomprehensible to mortal heart. And in it is the throne of the Most High, which is surrounded with fire, and four beasts bear it in their place, which is the sixth heaven. And a throne goeth up to the seventh heaven, the habitation of the Father, and there dwelleth He Who is with His Father and the Holy Spirit, Who vivifieth everything. And the Tabernacle of the Church is a similitude of the Jerusalem which is in the heavens, and the Church of the Gentiles is a similitude of the Jerusalem which is in the heavens.

Chapter 103. Concerning the Horns of the Altar

1 Now, the Tabernacle symbolizeth the horns of the altar, where the holy priests offer up sacrifice, whereon they place the ṭarapīzā, (i.e. table), the similitude of the grave wherein He (i.e. Christ) was buried in Golgotha. And what is on the table, that is, the offering, is a symbol of the firstling, that is to say, the Body of Emmanuel, [or] "'Akrāṭōs," the "pure," the "unmixed," which our Saviour took from Mary, of the which He said unto His holy Apostles, "Eat ye My Body; whosoever eateth not of My Body hath no portion with Me, and no everlasting life. But he who hath eaten My Body, even though he be dead, shall live for ever, [for] he is associated with My Body and My Blood, and he hath become My heir, and he shall say to My Father, 'Our Father which art in heaven,'" and the Father shall answer him, saying, "Thou art My Son," and the crown (i.e. the covering), which is above the offering, is a similitude of the stone with which the Jews sealed the grave. And when the priest saith, "Send the Holy Spirit," the Holy Spirit shall be sent, and the Body of our Lord shall be perfect (or, complete). And when we have received we shall be participators in the Body and Blood of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and the Holy Spirit, henceforth and for ever.

2 Speak ye then to one another so that the Jews, who are blind in heart, and who are our enemies and the enemies of our Lord God, may not boast themselves over us. And they say, "Your gods are many, and ye worship wood" (i.e. the Cross), and they say, preaching openly the word of Isaiah the Prophet, "Ye worship the half of it, and with the other half ye cook the body and eat [it]. Now Isaiah speaketh thus in respect of those who worship graven images and idols. And they say [that we say], "These are our gods, and they have created us"; and that we talk to them and worship them as the Lord our God. And these also are they whom the devils lead into error in their wickedness, and David saith, concerning them, "The gods of the heathen are devils, but God hath created the heavens; truth and goodness are before Him."

Chapter 104. More Concerning the Ark and the Talk of the Wicked

1 And as concerning the Ark: God saved Noah in the Ark. And God held converse with Abraham in the wood of Manbar, that is to say the wood that cannot be destroyed; and He saved Isaac by means of the ram which was caught in the thicket; and He made Jacob rich by means of three rods of woods which he laid in running water; and through the top of his staff Jacob was blessed. And He said unto Moses, "Make a tabernacle of wood which cannot be destroyed, in the similitude of Zion, the Tabernacle of the Covenant." And when David took it from the city of Samaria, he placed the Tabernacle of the Law in a new Tabernacle, and rejoiced before it. For from the beginning God had made the Tabernacle the means of salvation, and very many signs and wonders were performed through it by its form and similitude. Hearken ye now unto me, and I will show you plainly how God had ordained salvation through the wood of His Cross, in the Tabernacle of His Law, from the beginning to the end.

2 Salvation came unto Adam through the wood. For Adam's first transgression came through the wood, and from the beginning God ordained salvation for him through the wood. For God Himself is the Creator and Giver of life and death, and everything is performed by His Word, and He created everything, and He maketh righteous him that serveth Him in purity in His pure Tabernacle of the Law. For it is called "mercy-seat," and it is also called "place of refuge," and it is also called "altar," and it is also called "place of forgiveness of sins," and it is called "salvation," and it is called "gate of life," and it is called "glorification," and it is called "city of refuge," and it is called "ship," and it is called "haven of salvation," and it is called "house of prayer," and it is called "place of forgiveness of sins for him that prayeth in purity in it," so that [men] may pray therein in purity and not defile their bodies. God loveth the pure, for He is the habitation for the pure. Those who come into His habitation, and are accepted in the holy Tabernacle, and who pray unto Him with all their hearts, He will hear and will save in the day of their tribulation, and He will fulfil their desire. For He hath made the holy Tabernacle to be a similitude of His throne.

3 But there are some among those whom ye have brought unto us who are like unto us Christians, but who have not abandoned the sin which their father the Devil hath made to spring up in them. And he said, "Thus it is right that we should pray in Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God; she was at the first and is even now. The similitude thereof and the fruit thereof are the Mother of the Redeemer, Mary; it is right that we should worship her, for in her name is blessed the Tabernacle of the Law of God. And it is right that we should worship Michael and Gabriel." 4 And the Archbishop Cyril answered and said unto them: And if he hath said this unto them, we also will say unto them: What did our Lord Jesus Christ say when He was teaching those who believed in Him? One came from outside and said unto Him, " Behold them, Thy father and Thy mother outside seeking Thee." And Christ the Lover of men answered and, stretching out His hand towards those whom He was teaching, said, without making any distinction or difference between man and woman, " Behold them, My father, and My mother, and My brother. Whosoever hath heard My word and hath done the Will of My Father, that same is My father, and My mother, and My sister." O thou blind-hearted Jew, canst thou not see His mercy and His love for men when He spake thus? He neither separated nor made a distinction, but He said unto them, " My brother." For He loveth those who love Him and keep His commandment, especially the martyrs, who for His sake delivered themselves over to death, though they knew the bitterness of death; and the solitary monks who keep the commandment of God, and love Him with all their hearts, and He loveth them. And their graves which are built, that is to say, the martyriums, and the churches which are built in their names, and the tabernacles which the Bishops consecrate in their names; every one is holy in the house of the Sanctuary of God. And the man who prayeth in their names God heareth. And those who pray in purity, without uncleanness and blemish, and in humility and sincerity in a tabernacle which hath been consecrated—whether it be in the name of a martyr, or in the name of an angel, or in the name[s]

5 of the righteous, or in the name of a virgin, or in the name of holy women—if it be consecrated, the Holy Spirit cometh down upon them and changeth the wood so that it becometh a spiritual being. In this wise God transformed the rod of Moses by His word, and it became a thing of life and made Moses fear his Lord. And in like manner Joseph worshipped the top of the rod of Jacob when he was before him; none forced him, but through the belief of his father he worshipped the top of his rod. And this which Moses wrote is a prophecy for the last days, so that we may know that tabernacles in the name[s] of martyrs and righteous men are holy, namely, when he saw him he worshipped the top of his rod. 6 And I will also declare unto you what is written concerning the pride of Pharaoh. Moses did as God commanded him, and turned his rod into a serpent; and Pharaoh commanded the magicians, the sorcerers, to do the same with their rods. And they made their rods into three serpents which, by means of magic, wriggled before Moses and Aaron, and before Pharaoh and the nobles of Egypt. And the rod of Moses swallowed up the rods of the magicians, for these deceivers had worked magic for the sight of the eyes of men. Now that which happeneth through the word of God overcometh every [kind of] magic that can be wrought. And no one can find him to be evil, for it is the Holy Spirit Who guideth and directeth him that believeth with an upright heart without negligence. Even as Paul saith, "By believing the fathers of olden time were saved.' He wished to make known each by his name from Adam, and Noah, and Abraham, to Rahab the harlot who received the spies. And thou, O blind Jew, canst thou not understand from what thou readest in the Law, that is to say, the Tôrâh wherein thou believest, that inasmuch as thou canst not perform its commandments thou art cursed thereby? For when He saith, All those who walk therein, if they do not keep what is written therein, accursed shall they be," He saith it to thee. But us, who believe in Christ, the Son of God, the grace of God hath chosen, saying, "He who believeth and is baptized shall be saved."

Chapter 105. Concerning the Belief of Abraham

1 And thou dost not understand that they were justified by faith—Abraham, and David and all the Prophets, one after the other, who prophesied concerning the coming of the Son of God. And Abraham said, "Wilt Thou in my days, O Lord, cast Thy word upon the ground?" And God said unto him, "By no means. His time hath not yet come, but I will shew thee a similitude of His coming. Get thee over the Jordan, and dip thyself in the water as thou goest over, and arrive at the city of Sâlêm, where thou shalt meet Melchizedek, and I will command him to show thee the sign and similitude of Him." And Abraham did this and he found Melchizedek, and he gave him the mystery of the bread and wine, that same which is celebrated in our Passover for our salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the desire and the joy of Abraham as he went round the altar which Melchizedek had made, carrying branch and palm on the day of the Sabbath. See how he rejoiced in his belief, and see how he was justified by his belief, O blind Jew, who though having eyes seest not, and having ears hearest not, even as the Prophet Isaiah saith concerning you, "Their eyes are blind, and their hearts are covered with darkness, so that they may not understand and God may not show compassion unto them."

2 Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the Cross

Chapter 106. A Prophecy Concerning the Coming of Christ

1 And now hearken how each one of them hath prophesied concerning Him, [for the narrative] is pleasant to hear. Isaiah the Prophet prophesied concerning His coming and said, "A Son is born unto us. A Child is given unto us. Dominion is written upon His shoulder. He is God, strong in rule, King, great Counsellor is His name.' Now the meaning of this is manifest: the Son of God is born, Whose sovereignty was written down before the world was, and He is wiser than anyone else: [this is what] he saith unto thee. And again Isaiah prophesied and said, Behold My servant Whom I have chosen, on Whom is the delight of My soul, and the nations shall put their confidence in Him.' And these words give us to understand that Christ is the Spirit of God, the Word of the Father Who put on our flesh and was born for us: and the peoples of Rômê and Ethiopia and all other nations have believed in Him. And he spake unto the people of Israel, and again he prophesied, saying, Many shall follow after Thee with their loins girded up, and their backs bound with fetters, and they shall pray to Thee and worship Thee, for thou art God, and we have not recognized Thee.' Now this he spake concerning the martyrs, and those who became monks in the desert and solitary monks, whose hearts were fettered with His commandment, and who prayed to Him, meaning that reward was meet for both the martyrs and the solitary monks.

2 And we did not recognize Thee": Israel made itself blind, and crucified Him, and refused to walk in His righteousness. And again Isaiah prophesied and said, "God shall come, and the heathen shall put their trust in Him and shall know Him; this meaneth that Christ shall come, and the Jews shall reject Him, but the heathen shall believe in Him. And again he prophesied and said, "Be strong ye weak hands and tired knees, and rejoice ye hearts that are cast down, for God hath come, Who shall requite our debt, and save us. And He shall open the eyes of the blind, and He shall make the ears of the deaf to hear, and the feet that are lame shall run, and the tongues of the dumb shall speak.' These words are spoken in respect of those who err in worshipping idols, and those who are dead in sin, and those whose hearts are darkened, and of you who do not know that God created you. Rejoice ye this day: He hath come Who will redeem the sin of Adam, and make Adam's debt His own. He was crucified being sinless. He hath killed Death by means of His own death, and the blind see, and the lame walk, and the deaf hear, and the dumb speak unhaltingly, and besides all these things the dead are raised. This is the meaning of this prophecy.

3 Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "God shall come in visible form, and our God will not keep silence.' Thus Jeremiah prophesied and said, "God shall come down upon the earth, and shall walk about with men like us.' Thus Ezekiel the Prophet prophesied and said, "I your God will come, and I will walk about among them, and they shall know Me that I am their God.' Thus David prophesied and said, "Blessed is He Who cometh in the name of God: we have blessed you in the Name of the Lord.' Thus Habakkuk prophesied and said, "God shall come from the South, and the Holy One from Mount Fârân and from the cities of Judah.' Thus Elijah the Prophet prophesied and said, With a new covenant shall God come unto us." Thus Joel the Prophet prophesied and said, "The heavenly Emmanuel shall come and shall deliver the work which He hath fashioned with His own hand from the hand of the Devil, the deceiver, and his devils which lead astray."

4 Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "The God of gods shall show Himself in Zion. The people say out of Zion, A man is born therein, and He the Most High hath founded it." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, "Verily God shall be with men, and He shall walk about upon the earth." Thus his father David prophesied and said, "He shall come down like the dew upon wool, and like the drop which droppeth upon the earth, and righteousness shall spring into being in his days." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, "A Saviour shall be born out of Zion, and He shall remove sin from Jacob." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, "I will come to thee, O Zion, and I will walk about in thee, Jerusalem, saith God, the Holy One of Israel." Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said, "The Word of God shall appear in Jerusalem, and the Law shall go forth from Zion."

5 Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, "God shall appear upon the earth, and shall dwell with men like us." Thus Jeremiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "A saviour shall be sent from Zion, and He shall remove sin from the people of Israel." Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said, "God shall come from the heavens and dwell in His temple (or, citadel)." Thus Zechariah the Prophet prophesied and said, "Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Behold, I am alive, and I will dwell in thee, saith God, the Holy One of Israel." Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said, "Behold, God shall come, and shall shine upon those who fear Him; Sun of righteousness is His Name." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, "God shall come upon thee, Jerusalem, and shall appear in the midst of thee." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "And He shall live, and they shall give Him of the gold of Arabia, and they shall pray for Him continually, and He shall be the stay of all the earth upon the tops of the mountains."

6 Thus Job the just prophesied and said, "God shall walk about upon the earth, and He shall travel over the sea as upon the dry land." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "He bowed the heavens and came down." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a Son, and she shall call His name Emmanuel." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "I brought Thee forth from the womb before the star of the morning." And again he said, "God said unto me: Thou art my Son, and I have this day brought Thee forth." Thus Gideon prophesied and said, "Behold, He shall come down like dew upon the earth." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, and from the temple of His sanctuary." Thus Moses the Prophet prophesied and said, "And all the children of God shall say: He is strong, for He avengeth the blood of His sons."

7 Thus David prophesied and said, "And there will I make a horn to David to rise up, and I will prepare a lamp for Mine Anointed, and I will clothe His enemies with shame, and in Him shall My holiness flourish." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, "Fear not, for Thou shalt not be put to shame. And be not dismayed because of Thy praise." And again he said, "Hearken unto Me, hearken unto Me, My people, for My judgement (or, justice) is right. I will come and I will dwell with you, and the nations shall put their trust in My light; for the nations shall be the loved ones of Christ." Thus David the Prophet said, "A people whom I do not know shall serve Me; at the mere hearing of the ear they shall answer Me." And to the Jews he said, "The children of the stranger have been false to me, the children of the stranger have become old and have travelled haltingly on their path. God liveth, and blessed [is] my God." When he saith unto thee, "God liveth," he speaketh of His Godhead, and when he saith unto thee "and blessed [is] my God," he speaketh concerning His putting on the flesh. And again he speaketh concerning His putting on the flesh in Isaiah the Prophet, saying, "Who is this glorious One who cometh forth from Edom, Adônâi, Who came down from heaven, and put on the things of Basôr, glorious in majesty?" When he saith "glorious" he refereth to His sweet odour; and when he saith "Adônâi," he meaneth the Word of the Father Who was before the world, the Son of God; when he saith "He put on the things of Basôr, the glorious in majesty," he indicateth clearly the body of Adam.

8 Thus David the Prophet prophesied saying concerning Christian folk, "Declare ye to the nations that God is King, and that He hath made fast the world so that it shall never be moved." And he also prophesied concerning His coming to the nations, and said, "Before the face of God shall He come, He shall come and shall judge the earth, and He shall judge the world in righteousness, and the nations with justice." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "The Lord of hosts hath planned to destroy the contumely of the nations, and He shall bring to nothing the nobles and the mighty ones of the earth." And continuing his prophecy he said, "He shall come and shall build His house, and He shall deliver His people." And he added other words, saying, "And at that time there shall spring from the root of Jesse One Who shall be set over the nations, and the nations shall put their trust in Him, and the place where He shall abide shall be glorious for ever."

9 Thus David prophesied, and said, "Sing ye unto God Who dwelleth in Zion, and declare ye to the nation His work." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and spake concerning our Saviour Emmanuel, the Sun of righteousness, "He brought Me forth before the hills, and before He made the lands and set them in order, and founded Me before the world; before He made the earth, and before He made the abysses, and before the waterfloods came forth, and the beauty of the flowers appeared, and before the winds blew, God created His work before His face, and I existed conjointly with My Father." Thus his father David prophesied and said, "His name was before the sun, and before the moon, generation to generation." Thus his son Solomon prophesied and said, "When He made strong the firmament above the clouds, and when He set in position the walls of the boundaries of the heavens, and when He set the sea in its appointed place, and before He founded His throne above the winds, and when He made strong the foundations of the earth, I existed conjointly with Him. I was that wherein He rejoiced continually, and day by day, and I exulted with Him at all times before His face."

10 Thus Job the Prophet prophesied and said, "The face of my God is in the East, and His light is before [that of] the sun, and the nations put their trust in His Name." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "Remember ye not the things of the past, and think not about the things of olden time; behold, I will make a new thing, which shall now spring up, so that ye may know that I make a road through the desert and water floods in the wilderness; and the beasts of the field shall follow after Me, and the young birds, and the ostriches. For I have given water in the desert, and made streams of water to flow in the wilderness, so that I may give drink to My people and to My chosen ones whom I have gotten, so that they may declare My glory, and perform My commandment."

11 Thus Solomon prophesied and said, "Who hath gone up into heaven and come down? And who hath gathered together the winds in his bosom? And who hath collected the waters in his garment? And who hath measured the waters of the sea in his hand, and the heavens on the palm of his hand? And what is his name and what is the name of his son?" Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said unto the Jews, "I have no pleasure in you, saith God Who ruleth all things. And I have no pleasure in your offerings, and I will accept no gift from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to the setting thereof shall My Name be praised among all peoples, and in all countries incense shall be offered up to my great Name among all peoples, saith Almighty God." And again Micah the Prophet said, "A new covenant shall appear upon the mountain of God, and it shall be prepared upon the tops of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall say, 'Come ye, let us go up into the mountain of God.' And many nations shall go thereto and shall say, 'Come ye, let us go up into the mountain of God,' and they shall declare unto us His way, and we will walk therein.'"

12 Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "Hearken unto Me, O My people, and I will speak unto thee, Israel, and will bring testimony to thee; I am God, thy God." Thus Moses the Prophet prophesied and said concerning the Trinity, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is One." And this is to be explained thus: Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit are One God, Whose kingdom is one, Whose dominion is one, and as One men shall worship Them in the heavens and in the earth, in the sea and in the abysses. And to Him be praise for ever and ever! Amen. Christ taking Adam out of Sheol and trampling the Devil under His feet

Chapter 107. Concerning his Entrance Into Jerusalem in Glory

1 And the Prophets have prophesied concerning His glorious entry into Jerusalem, and Isaiah the Prophet said, "Shine thou, shine thou, Jerusalem, thy light hath come and the glory of God hath risen upon thee." Thus the Prophet Zechariah prophesied and said, "Rejoice, rejoice, daughter of Zion, and let Jerusalem shout for joy." Thus David prophesied and said, "Out of the mouth of children and babes Thou hast prepared praise because of the enemy, so that Thou mightest overthrow the enemy and the avenger." Thus Solomon prophesied and said, "The children are taught by God, and the peoples rejoice within thee." Thus David his father prophesied and said, "Blow ye the horn in Zion, on the day of the new moon, on the appointed day of our festival, for it is an ordinance for Israel." Thus Ezra the Scribe prophesied and said, "Get ye out, make ye a festival in gladness, and say unto the daughter of Zion, Rejoice thou, behold thy King hath come."

2 Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "Rejoice thou, Jerusalem, rejoice thou. Behold, thy King hath come riding upon an ass. His reward is with Him, and His work is before His face." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord." Thus Jacob the son of Isaac prophesied and said, "Judah, thy brethren have praised thee. Thine hand is upon the back of thine enemy, and the children of thy mother shall worship thee. And the dominion shall not diminish from Judah, and the government shall not depart from his kin, until he shall find Him Who hath been waited for, and Who is the Hope of the nations." And he also prophesied and said, "His teeth are white as with snow, and His eyes are glad as with wine, and He shall wash His apparel in wine and His tunic in the blood of clusters of grapes." And again he prophesied, saying, "Judah is a lion's whelp; thou hast lain down, and thou hast slept; no one shall wake him up except him that hunteth until he findeth him; rise up from thy strong place." And again Jacob blessed his son Judah, and said unto him, "There is a King who shall go forth from thee and shall wash His apparel in wine, and glorious is the place of rest of the Beloved"; now, by "Beloved" Christ is meant, and by "Messiah" Christ is meant, and Jesus meaneth "Saviour of the people." Now the Prophets mention Christ under a secret name and they call Him "the Beloved."

3 And Isaiah spake concerning His Ascension in his prophecy, saying, "On that day the Beloved shall come down from heaven, and shall choose for Himself twelve Apostles." And again he said, "I have seen the ascension of the beloved Son to the seventh heaven, and the Angels and the Archangels receiving Him, He being very much higher than they." And David said, "The beloved is like the son of the unicorn"; and again he said, "And thine only one from the horns of the unicorn." And again he said, "Let my horn be exalted like that of the unicorn." "Horns" meaneth the kingdoms of the world; and "unicorn" meaneth He Who is over His kingdom Whom no one can resist, for He is the governor of kings; He destroyeth whom He will and He setteth up him whom He will. Even as David saith, "I will make thee to rejoice more than those who are mighty through their horns," which meaneth, "Thou art nobler than the noble kings, and thou dost rejoice."

4 And Habakkuk prophesied, saying, "Horns are in his hands, and he hath placed the beloved in the strength of his power," which meaneth, "The palms of the hand, wherein the life of all is held, of the holder of the dominion of kings, are pierced with nails, which Christ, the beloved, hath endured in the strength of His might."

Chapter 108. Concerning the Wickedness of the Iniquitous Jews

1 And the Prophets prophesied concerning the wickedness of the Jews. And David said concerning it, "The man of violence hunteth iniquity to destroy himself." And again he saith, "His sorrow shall return upon his head, and his iniquity upon his forehead" (or, skull). Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, "The foolish man and the man of iniquity travel by paths that are not straight. He winketh with the eye, and tappeth with the foot, and he giveth a sign by movements of the fingers and motion of the lips, and his perverted heart meditateth evil at all times; a man who is like this will make to come tumult and murder, and the shedding of blood through double-dealing, and he shall not escape the judgement." And David his father prophesied and said, "They brought forth against me the word of error; he who sleepeth shall he not awake? Shall then the man of my peace (i.e., my friend), whom I trusted, who ate my food, lift up his foot against me?"

2 Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "Woe be unto the man of iniquity who bringeth wrath." And again he said, "Let them remove the sinner so that he may not see the glory of God." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "The sinner speaketh what will condemn him, and there is no fear of God before his eyes." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, "The man of iniquity bringeth tumult to the city; and he willingly maketh to come destruction, and beating, and calamity which cannot be healed, for he rejoiceth in everything which God hateth." Thus prophesied Moses the Prophet and said, "God wisheth not to forgive him but rather to increase vengeance upon him; and He will make punishments to rest upon him, and the curse which is written in this book shall come upon him; and his name shall be blotted out from under heaven."

3 Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "His heart is ready for slaughter; he preferreth cursing and it shall come to him; he refuseth blessing and it shall be far from him." Thus Jeremiah the Prophet prophesied concerning him and said, "The man of iniquity shall be destroyed because of the love of money, and he looketh upon darkness because of his fraud." Thus Job prophesied and said concerning him, "His Creator will destroy his fair work, and his root shall dry up under him, and his flower shall be beaten down upon him, and his memorial shall be blotted out from the earth, and his name shall be cast far away, and men shall remove him into the darkness so that he may not see the light, and the house of the man of iniquity shall be blotted out." Thus Hosea prophesied and said concerning him, "Hearken unto me, O children of Israel, for there is no righteousness, and no mercy, and no fear of God in his heart, but falsehood, and theft, and murder, and fornication."

4 And David the Prophet prophesied and said, "Satan standeth at his right hand"; and again he said, "Let another take his office." And Moses cursed in the Law and said, "Cursed be every one who taketh bribes to slay innocent blood; and all the people said, Amen. And Amen." Thus Habakkuk the Prophet prophesied and said, "The governor maketh [men] wise concerning this perversion of the Law, and no right judgement cometh forth; for the sinner corrupteth the righteous man, and therefore a perverted judgement cometh forth." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "The sinner seeth and becometh wrathful, and he gnasheth with his teeth and is dissolved." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, "A false balance is a hateful thing to God." Thus Jeremiah prophesied and said concerning Judah, "My hire is ready (or, weighed) for me—thirty [pieces of] silver."

Chapter 109. Concerning his Crucifixion

1 And the Prophets also prophesied concerning the Crucifixion of Christ. Thus Moses, the servant of God, prophesied and said, "Ye shall see your salvation crucified upon the wood, and shall not believe." Thus David prophesied and said, "Many dogs have seized Me; and they drove nails through My hands and My feet; and they counted all My bones; though they knew Me they despised Me; and they divided My garments among themselves; and they cast lots for My apparel." Thus Isaiah prophesied concerning the Incarnation and Crucifixion of Christ, and said, "Who believeth our word, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? And we spake like a child before Him: and He is like a root in parched ground, He hath no beauty and no form; and His form is more rejected and abased than [that of] any man. He is a broken man and a man of suffering; for He hath turned away His face, and they treat Him with contempt and esteem Him as nothing."

2 Thus Solomon prophesied and said, "Let us kill the righteous man, for he is a burden unto us; he setteth himself up against our works, he resisteth our intentions continually, and we are an abomination unto him because of our sins." And he continued, saying, "My son, let not wicked men lead thee astray; if they say unto thee, 'Come with us, be a partner with us, let us hide innocent blood and take plunder from him; and let there be one purse common to us all': withdraw thyself from their footsteps, for let it not be through thee that the birds find the net." Thus David prophesied and said, "They cast gall into My meat, and they gave Me vinegar to drink to [quench] My thirst." Thus prophesied Isaiah the Prophet and said, "He hath taken our disease and carried our sickness, and by His wound we are healed; and we saw Him suffering, and wounded in his pain; and He opened not His mouth in His pain, and He came to be slaughtered; like a lamb before his shearer He opened not His mouth in His suffering until they took away His life; and they knew not His birth; through the sin of My people have I come even unto death."

3 Thus Jeremiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "And they took the price of the honourable one thirty [pieces of] silver, whom they had honoured among the children of Israel. And God said unto me, Cast it into the melting pot, and test it [and see] if it be pure; and they gave it for the field of the potter; as God hath commanded me I will speak." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, "They counted Him with the sinners, and brought Him to death." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "Those who hate Me wrongfully are many, and they have rewarded Me with evil for good." Thus Zechariah the Prophet prophesied and said, "And they shall look upon Him Whom they have crucified and pierced." Now there are still very many passages which have been written and many prophecies which might be mentioned concerning His coming, and His Crucifixion, and His death, and His Resurrection, and His second coming in glory. But we have only mentioned a few of the prophecies of the prophets—we have mentioned one of each kind—so that ye may hear, and believe, and understand, even as it is said in the Acts of the Apostles, "By the Gospel Thou hast guided us, and by the Prophets Thou hast comforted us; for the words of the Prophets make right the faith of those who doubt."

Chapter 110. Concerning his Resurrection

1 And the prophet David also prophesied concerning His Resurrection and said, "I will arise, saith the Lord, and I will make salvation and manifest it openly." And again he saith, "Rise up, O Lord, and judge the earth, for Thou shalt inherit among the nations." And he also prophesied and said, "Rise up, O Lord, help us, and deliver us for Thy Name's sake." And again he said, "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let His enemies flee from before His face." And he also prophesied and said, "God hath risen up like one who hath woke up from sleep, and like a mighty man who hath left [his] wine." Thus Isaiah the prophet prophesied and said, "He will remove sickness from his soul, for he hath not committed sin, and falsehood hath not been found in his mouth. And to him that hath served righteousness and good will he show light and he will justify him; and he shall do away the sins of many, for he hath not committed sin, and falsehood is not found in his mouth."

2 Thus prophesied David the Prophet and said, "For My soul shall not be left in hell." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, "The Sun of righteousness shall arise, and shall travel towards the right, and shall return into His place."

Chapter 111. Concerning his Ascension and his Second Coming

1 Thus all the Prophets and many of the early Fathers prophesied concerning His Ascension and His Second Coming to judge the living and the dead. And David said concerning His Resurrection, "He hath gone up into the heights. Thou hast made captive captivity, and hast given grace to the children of men." And he also said, "Having gone forth, I will Christ ascending into heaven and being received by angels. Below are the Virgin Mary and the Apostles The cock crowing after St. Peter's denial of our Lord. The figures to the left are those of Mary and John come back, and I will return from the abyss of the sea." And again he said, "Sing ye unto God Who hath gone up into the heavens, the heavens which are opposite the morning." Thus Amos the Prophet prophesied and said, "The Messiah, Who made the time of the morning, hath come and is exalted from the earth into the heights: and His Name is God Who ruleth all things."

2 Thus prophesied David the Prophet and said, "Thou art exalted, O Lord, by Thy might, and we will praise and hymn Thy strength." Thus prophesied Zechariah the Prophet and said, "His foot standeth on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem. And He rideth upon the Cherubim, and He flieth upon the wing of the winds." Thus David said, "Open ye the gates of the princes, and let the doors which were from the creation be opened, and the King of glory shall come! Who is this King of glory? God, the mighty and strong One, God, the mighty One in battle." And he also made known and said, "Open ye the gates of princes, and let the doors which were from the creation be opened, and the King of glory shall come! Who is this King of glory? The Lord God of Hosts is this King." And again concerning His coming—He shall judge the living and the dead—He to Whom belongeth glory for ever and ever. Amen.

3 Thus Zechariah the Prophet prophesied and said, "That day the Lord my God shall come, and all His saints with Him." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, "God spake once, and this according [to what] I have heard: Compassion belongeth unto God. And Thine, O Lord, is the power, for Thou wilt reward every man according to his work." Thus spake Daniel the Prophet and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, there came [one] like unto the Son of man to the Ancient of Days, and there were given unto him dominion, and glory, and sovereignty, and all the nations and peoples and countries shall serve Him, and His dominion shall have no end for ever and ever. Amen." And all the Prophets prophesied, and nothing that hath happened hath been without the prophecy of the Prophets. And they have declared everything that hath happened, and what shall happen, what hath been done and what shall be done, and that which belongeth to the times of old and that which belongeth to the latter days up to His Second Coming. And this they have done not only by what they have prophesied and declared, but together with their prophecies they have given manifestations of Him in their bodies. And there was a famine in the land of Canaan, and our father Abraham went down to Egypt, and came back with much riches and honour without blemish. And in like manner our Redeemer went down and delivered the Church, the Assembly of the Nations, and He went up [again], having gotten honour and praise.

Chapter 112. How the Prophets Foreshadowed Him in their Persons

1 Isaac commanded his father, saying, "Bind me"; and he was offered up as a sacrifice, though he did not die, being redeemed by the ram which came down from heaven. And in like manner the Son of God was obedient to His Father even unto death. And He was bound with the love of men, and He was nailed [to the Cross] and was pierced, and the Son of God became our ransom, and His Godhead suffered not. Thus Jacob his son departed to the land of Lâbâ (Laban), the country of his mother's brother, with his staff only, and there he made many cattle, and acquired beasts both clean and unclean, and he begot twelve sons, and he revealed baptism, and returned to his own country where he received a blessing from Isaac his father. And in like manner our Lord Christ came down from heaven, the Word of Godhead by Itself; and the staff of Jacob wherewith he pastured his sheep is our Lady Mary our salvation. And moreover, the staff signifieth the wood of the Cross whereby, being crucified upon it, He redeemed His flock and took possession of us from among the Jews, and the heathen, and the Gentiles. And He chose for Himself Twelve Apostles, and they made the people believe in all the earth and in every country, and He went up to heaven to His Father.

2 Thus Moses departed to the country of Midian, and there he held converse with God, Who made him to learn and to know the belief in the resurrection from the dead of his fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And by means of his staff (or, rod) He endowed him with the power to perform miracles; and he begot two sons. And this showeth clearly that we shall be saved by the Trinity. As the mouth of God proclaimed, "I am the God of Abraham"—this of the Father—"and the God of Isaac"—this of the Son—"and the God of Jacob"—when He saith this it is of the Holy Ghost—indicating the Trinity clearly and plainly. "I am not the God of the dead, but the God of the living," for they all are alive with God; and by this the Resurrection of the dead is to be understood. Jonah was swallowed up and cast into the belly of the great fish; and our Redeemer went down into the heart of the earth, and rose again the third day. And Daniel was cast into the pit of the lions, and [the king and the lords] sealed it with their seals; and he rose up therefrom without the lions devouring him. And similarly our Lord was cast into the grave, and the Jews sealed it with their seals, imagining that they were sealing up the rising of the sun so that it should not shine. O ye foolish, wicked, blasphemous, blind, and weak-minded men, would ye assert that the Spirit of Life should not appear and come forth? And the Jews were put to shame, and He went forth to illumine us who have believed upon Him.

3 Joseph was sold by the hand of his brethren, and our Lord was sold by the hand of Judah. And Joseph where he was sold delivered his brethren from the famine, and Christ hath delivered us who believed upon Him and hath made us His heirs and His brethren. And as Joseph gave an inheritance unto his kinsfolk in the land of Gêsham (Goshen), so shall [Christ] give unto His righteous ones a habitation, an everlasting inheritance. 4 And moreover, in order that ye may know, and understand, and be certain about the resurrection of the dead, I will give you a sign, which ye shall understand by the guidance of His word. When Abraham had come unto the land of [his] inheritance he bought first of all a tomb wherein to gather together the dead bodies of his kinsfolk, and his children, and his wife, so that he might join them in the resurrection; and there he buried his wife Sarah and he himself was buried. For he was a prophet, and he knew that he would be raised up with his kin. And Isaac and Rebekah his wife were also buried there. And it remained their possession from the time when Jacob went down to the land of Egypt with seventy-seven souls, because of the famine and because Joseph his son [was there], until their number became six hundred thousand marching men who were equipped for war, without [reckoning] women and children. And Jacob died in Egypt at a good old age, and he said unto Joseph his son, "I adjure thee by the life of my father and by my God, Who is the renewer of my life, that thou bury me not in this country, but in the tomb of my fathers, so that my death may be with them and my life subsequently with them." Know then by this similitude of the word. And Joseph his son carried Israel and buried him by the grave of his fathers, for he reverenced the oath which Jacob had made him to swear.

5 And again, when Jacob fell sick in Egypt he called his brethren and his children, and made them to swear that they would not leave his bones in the land of Egypt, and said, "When God maketh you to return take ye my bones with you and mingle them in the grave of my fathers."

Chapter 113. Concerning the Chariot and the Vanquisher of the Enemy

1 And the Archbishops (or, Patriarchs) answered and said unto Gregory, the Worker of Wonders, "Behold now, we know well, and thou hast made us to understand that the Kings of Ethiopia have become glorious and great through Zion. And the Kings of Rômê also have become great because of the nails [of the Cross] that Helena made into a bridle, which hath become the vanquisher of the enemy for the King of Rômê. And the chariot belongeth to the King of Ethiopia, and it hath vanquished his enemy. And tell us also how long the vanquisher of the enemy shall remain with the King of Rômê, and the chariot containing Zion with the King of Ethiopia. Tell us, for God hath revealed unto thee what hath been, and what shall be, vision and prophecy, like Moses and Elijah." 2 And Gregory answered and said unto them, "I will reveal unto you concerning the King of Rômê when he shall transgress and shall provoke God to wrath in the faith. This faith which we have ordered and laid down shall a king transgress who shall come in Rômê, and there shall be associated with him a certain archbishop, and they shall change and pervert the word of the Twelve Apostles, and they shall cast it aside in the desire of their heart[s], and they shall teach what they wish, and they shall turn the Scriptures to suit their own nature, even as the Apostle saith, 'They have behaved themselves like [the people of] Sodom and Gomorrah.' And our Lord said unto His disciples in the Gospel, 'Guard ye yourselves against those who shall come unto you in the apparel of sheep, and who are inwardly wolves that tear.' And when they have destroyed the faith the vanquisher of the enemy shall be taken away from them, and there shall be none of those who have changed our faith who shall sit upon the throne of Peter, and the bowels of their Archbishops shall be emptied out if they have taken their seat upon it in perverted faith. For the Angel of God hath been commanded to protect the throne of Peter in Rômê.

3 And God shall take away the vanquisher of the enemy from the king who shall not guard the faith, and the Persians shall make war upon him and defeat him, and it seemeth to me that his name is Marcion the Apostate. And the King of Persia, whose name is Harênêwôs (Irenaeus) shall conquer (? him, and the king shall carry him away, together with his horse, and by the Will of God the horse on which is the vanquisher of the enemy shall be stirred up, and shall go into the sea and perish therein. But the nails shall shine there in the sea until Christ shall come again in great glory upon a cloud of heaven, together with power. 4 "Now this hath God showed me in the pit. And as concerning the King of Ethiopia, and Zion, the Bride of heaven, and her chariot whereby they move, I will declare unto you that which my God hath revealed unto me and hath made me to understand. [Ethiopia] shall continue in the orthodox faith until the coming of our Lord, and she shall in no way turn aside from the word of the Apostles, and it shall be so even as we have ordered until the end of the world. And one answered and said unto the Worker of Wonders (i.e. Gregory), "Now when Samályál cometh, who is the False Christ (Antichrist), will the faith of the people of Ethiopia be destroyed by his attack?" And Gregory answered and said, "Assuredly not. Hath not David prophesied saying, 'Ethiopia shall make her hands come to God?' And this that he saith meaneth that the Ethiopians will neither pervert nor change this our faith and what we have ordered, and the faith of those who were before us, the teachers of the Law of the Apostles."

Chapter 114. Concerning the Return of Zion

And the Tabernacle of the Law of God, the Holy Zion, shall remain here until that day when our Lord shall dwell on Mount Zion; and Zion shall come and shall appear unto all prepared, with three seals—even as Moses gave her—as it saith in the Old Law and in the New, "At the testimony of two or three [witnesses] everything shall stand." And then, saith Isaiah the Prophet, "The dead shall be raised up, and those who are in the graves shall live, for the dew which [cometh] from Thee is their life." And when the dead are raised up, His mercy whereby He watereth the earth shall cease; they shall stand up before Him with the works which they have done. And Enoch and Elias shall come, being alive, so that they may testify, and Moses and Aaron from the dead shall live with everyone. And they shall open the things that fetter her (i.e. Zion), and they shall make to be seen the Jews, the crucifiers, and they shall punish them and chide them because of all that they have done in perverting the Word of God. And the Jews shall see what He wrote for them with His hand—the Words of His Commandment, and the manna wherewith He fed them without toil [on their part], and the measure thereof, the Gômôr, and the spiritual Zion, which came down for their salvation, and the rod of Aaron, which blossomed after the manner of Mary.

Chapter 115. Concerning the Judgement of Israel

1 And He shall answer and say unto them, "Why did ye deny Me, and entreat Me evilly and crucify Me, [seeing that] I did all this for you, and that by My coming down [from heaven] I delivered you from Satan and from the slavery of Satan, and that I came for your sakes? Look ye and see how ye pierced Me with nails and thrust the spear through Me." And the Twelve Apostles shall be raised up, and they shall pass judgement upon them, and shall say unto them, "We would have made you hear, but ye would not hear the prophecy of the Prophets and the preaching of us the Apostles." And the Jews shall weep and repent when it shall be useless to do so, and they shall pass into everlasting punishment; and with the Devil, their father who had directed them, and his demons who had led them astray, and with the wicked they shall be shut in.

2 And those who have believed and who have been baptized in the Holy Trinity, and have received His Body and His Blood, shall become His servants with their whole heart, for "there is no one who can hate His Body altogether." The Body of Christ crieth out in our Body, and He hath compassion because of His Body and Blood, for they have become His sons and His brethren. And if there be some who have sinned they shall be judged in the fire according to the quantity of their sins; he whose burden of sin is light his punishThe Last Judgement. God Almighty, holding a standard with flags attached to it, sits in the centre with His angels about Him. On His right are seated the blessed, clothed, and on His left are the damned in the form of naked men and women. At His feet lie "Diabolus, the lover of iniquity" and two other fiends ment shall be light, and he whose burden of sin is heavy, exceedingly great shall his punishment be. One day with God is as a period of ten thousand years; some there shall be who shall be punished for a day; and some for half a day, and some for three hours of a day, and some for one hour of a day; and some there shall be who shall be tested and who shall be absolved from their transgressions.

Chapter 116. Concerning the Chariot of Ethiopia

And the Archbishops answered and said unto Gregory, the Worker of Wonders, "Behold now, thou hast told us concerning the vanquisher of the enemy of Rômê, and now [tell us] of the chariot of Ethiopia and whether it shall remain henceforward, to the Coming of Christ, as thou hast told us concerning Zion, and concerning the faith of the people of Ethiopia, and likewise if their chariot shall remain." And Gregory said unto them, "It shall assuredly not disappear. And again, hearken ye unto me and I will declare this unto you: A few Jews shall lift up their heads against our faith in Nâgrân and in Armenia in the days after this, and this God will do by His Will so that He may destroy them, for Armenia is a territory of Rômê and Nâgrân is a territory of Ethiopia."