The Contendings of the Apostles (Budge translation) (part 1 of 2)

The Apostles And OF CERTAIN OF THE SE-VENTY AND TWO LESSER DISCIPLES, AND OF THE ACCOUNTS OF ALL THAT HAPPENED UNTO THEM IN EVERY COUNTRY, AND OF THE RECORD OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED MARTYRDOM, AND OF THOSE OF THEM WHO DIED A NATURAL DEATH. MAY THEIR PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS KEEP US THY SERVANTS FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Here beginneth the Book wherein have been gathered together the acts of the chosen disciples, [who were] the servants of our Lord and God and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Voice of the Living God, [and the accounts] of the Twelve pure and holy Apostles, and of their journeys ings and wanderings through all the world; and of how the story of them and of their preaching, among all peoples in every country and in all the ends of the earth, hath come down [to us]; and of how their teaching was a confession of belief in the Holy Trinity — Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, One God — and One of the Three Who took upon Himself flesh of the Virgin Mary, the holy Godsbearer, for the redemption of Adam and of his progeny. And in this Book are [the accounts also] of the acts which they wrought, both signs and wonders, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the might of His glorious Cross; and of how they drove out devils; and of how they raised the dead to life; and of how they healed the sick of every kind of disease; and of how by the help of the Holy Ghost they wrought the wondrous deeds which shed light upon the hearts of men; and of what happened unto them when they made answer unto mighty kings; and of how they endured patiently scourgings and beatings with many stripes;

and of how they suffered long with depraved peoples until they converted them to the belief of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who was of olden time, and Who was before the world; and of how they died or suffered martyrdom, each in the country [to which he had gone], by the hands of kings and governors, and of when, and on what day, and in what months their deaths and martyrdoms took place. May their prayer and blessing, and the prayer of our Lady Mary, and the blessing and prayer of the company of the saints keep us always and for ever and ever. Amen.

With thanks unto God, and with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, we begin [to write] the preaching of the blessed Saint Peter, the chief of the Apostles, the chosen one who was acceptable [unto God], and the story of his life and preaching unto the people who were in the city of Rome. May their prayers keep us all, always and for ever and ever. Amen. And it came to pass that when Peter had arrived in the city of Rome, which is the principal abode of the Roman Emperors, he entered into the TATRĀBĪŌN, that is to say, the Four Gates, or the great abode wherein there were gathered together the prefects, and all the nobles of the Roman Emperors, and he cried out forthwith, saying:— "Blessed are the merciful, for on them shall mercy be shewn." "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

"Blessed are the pure in body, for they shall become the habitation of the Holy Spirit." "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called and shall become the children of God." "Blessed are those who give to the poor, for unto them shall God give in return." "Blessed are those who have wives, and who are as if they had them not, for they shall become the children of life, and shall inherit everlasting life." . And it came to pass that when they heard the voice going in among and round about the pillars of the four sides (or corners) of the habitation (or throne), the pillars cried out and said, "Amen"; and the voice remained in the hearing of those who were assembled there. Now there was there a certain man in whom Satan had dwelt for [seventy] years, and at that moment he threw him down upon the ground among those who were gathered together there; and he went forth from him in the sight of all the people by reason of his hearing the voice which had come out from the pillars. And the prefects were greatly disturbed by reason of this thing, and they were afraid with an exceedingly great fear, and they came into their habitations wondering with a great wonder, and every man of those who had heard [the voice] told each his wife. And it came to pass that among the nobles there was a certain prefect called Kewestôs, who had a

wife whose name was 'Akrôsyâ. And her husband said unto her, "Knowest thou not what hath happened this day?" And she answered and said unto him, "What [hath happened], O my lord?" And he answered and said unto her, "This day we were gathered together in the Taṭrâbîlôn, I and the assembly of the prefects, and all the elders of the kingdom, when there came and entered into our midst a man called Peter. And he spake unto us words, the like of which neither we nor our fathers ever heard, and at length stone pillars spake in answer unto him. Now there was there a certain man in whom Satan had dwelt for seventy years, and Satan went forth from him when the stone pillars said 'Amen'." And his wife, 'Akrōsyā answered and said unto him, "O my lord, tell me everything which thou didst hear of the words of Peter, that I also may believe thereon." And Kewesṭōs her husband said unto her, "Peter spake, saying:—

'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 'Blessed are the merciful, for on them shall mercy be shewn. 'Blessed are the pure in body, for they shall become the habitation of the Holy Spirit.' 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called and shall become the children of God'. 'Blessed are those who give to the poor, for unto them shall God give in return'." But he hid from her and did not tell her of the words which Peter spake concerning him that had a wife, because he was afraid that his wife would not receive him. Now because God had opened her mind, and had lightened the eyes of her understanding, she said unto him, "Of all the words which thou didst hear from Peter is there not one which thou hast hidden from me?" Then Kewesṭōs said unto her, "There is one word which I have not told thee; but now, if thou wishest that I should tell thee what remaineth of the words of Peter, shall I tell thee?". And she said unto him, "Yea, O my master, tell me everything that thou didst hear from him". Then Kewesṭōs answered and said unto her, "I heard him say, 'Blessed are those who have wives, and who are as if they had them not, for they shall inherit the life which is ever-lasting". And his wife answered and said unto him, "O my brother, what can be better than this saying? And now, I would look upon his face, and I, even I, entreat thee, O my brother, to grant me the petition which I make unto thee"; and KewesŢŌs said, "Speak thou". Then she said unto him, "We have dwelt to-gether for a long time, and we have lived in the plea-

"sure and delights of the flesh, which is full of pollution, and we have begotten three male children; one of them is dead, but two of them remain [alive], and through them have we set aside our grief. Doth it please thee that we should desire to become like unto those con-cerning whom Peter said, 'They shall inherit the land of life which is everlasting'?" And her husband answered and said unto her, "I consent"; and he repeated the saying, and said unto her, "If thou desirest that it shall be so, come thou with me into the temple, that we may make "a covenant together to keep our bodies pure unto God and [without] intercourse until our death." So they hastened forth together into the temple, and they made a covenant according to what they had said, and as they were coming out from the temple, after they had made their covenant, KewesŢŌs said unto his wife, "If it be that we are to keep this one saying of Peter, it is right that we should observe all that he spake. For besides this I heard him say, 'Blessed are those who give to the poor, for God shall give

"'unto them in return'!. Dost thou wish us to give all our possessions unto the poor and the orphans so that God may give unto us gifts in return?" And she said Kewestōs GIVES ALL HIS GOODS TO THE POOR. 11 unto him, "This saying is a good one". Then Kewestōs called the steward of his house, and all his overseers, and said unto them, "Go ye and open my storehouses, and give ye all my possessions unto the poor and needy, and unto the orphans. And ye shall not seek from them any price or pledge whatsoever in return, and ye shall not write it against them in [your] books, so that they may be called upon to pay it back; but it is meet for you to give [the things] unto them in the fear of God. And God, the God of Peter, shall be witness for you that ye have favoured neither the great nor the man of lowly estate, and that ye have not accepted the person of any man. And we desire that this work [be carried out forthwith], for it is good." Then his overseers went straightway, and opened all his storehouses, and they gave everything which was therein unto the poor, and unto the orphans, and unto all those who were in distress and difficulty. And Kewestōs and his wife 'Akrōsyā gave away everything which they had in their houses, gold, and silver, and apparel, and other things, and they left nothing at all for themselves; and they set at liberty the best men among their slaves. And they became like people who possessed nothing at all except their daily bread, and they gave thanks unto God, and laid hold upon the teaching of Peter.

And it came to pass after those days that the Emperor sent messengers unto Kewestōs, [bidding him] to come to him in order that he might take counsel with him concerning certain anxious business in connexion with his kingdom, for his speech was wiser and his understanding was greater than that of any other of his senate; now when Kewesṭṭōs saw the messengers of the emperor, he was afraid with a great fear. And he came into his house, and said unto his wife, "What shall I do?" "For behold, the emperor hath sent unto me and commanded me to come to him, and I have nothing in my hand wherewith to make a gift unto his mighty majesty and most honourable excellency so that he may not be angry with me." Then his wife 'Akrōsyā answered and said unto him, "Fear not, O my lord, for God, the God of Peter, in Whom we have believed,

"will prosper thy way, and will give thee grace before the emperor." Then Kewesṭṭōs said unto her, "Behold; I have found a device which will save me; I will hide myself. Do thou, this night, go forth with thy ser- "vants, and having caused a lamp to be lit, thou shalt wander about through the streets of the city seeking me and saying, 'My husband hath become mad, and I know not whither he hath gone'. And thou shalt shed tears, and shalt utter cries and say, 'If only I could find his body that I might prepare it for the grave and bury it, so that wild beasts might not devour it, [I should rejoice']. Then will the envoys hear [thy cries], and will go back to the emperor and tell him this thing, and he will cease to seek for me further. Now, I am afraid of him."

Then 'Akrōsyā his wife answered and said unto him, "O my lord, act not in this way, [and carry not out] this device, for it is not a good thing; and thou must not become a stumblingblock to those of the men of the city of Rome who believe in the God of Peter. For if thou doest thus the multitude will say of thee, That which he spake unto Peter was not true, and the desire which he had was not of God in the matter of the thing which he gave unto the poor and needy, and unto the orphans; and he goeth out of his mind whenever he remembereth his possessions which have departed from him'; this is the cause of his madness. And this thing is not a good thing." And she spake unto him saying, "Thou must not let thy faith suffer diminution, for a thing of this kind tendeth to destroy souls. But rise up, now, and go to the house of thy brother, and ask him to lend thee a little of his money until thou shalt return from the emperor and bring back his money; and if he will not do [this] for thee, take thy servants which are left, and let those whom he wisheth to have be a pledge unto him [for thy debt]."

Then Kewestōs, having hearkened unto the voice of his wife, went unto the house of his brother; and when his brother saw him afar off, he went into his house and shut his door. And when Kewestōs drew nigh thereunto, he cried out unto him, saying, "Rise up, O my brother, and help me, for one brother should help the other, even as the city wherein is a strong man armed"; but his brother would have none of him. And he made answer to him, and after many words—now he conversed with Kewestōs from the roof of his house—he looked at him, and said unto him, "What wouldst thou have, O madman? Thou hast wasted all thine own possessions among(?) all the people of Rome, and because thou didst hearken unto the voice of a deluded man thou hast scattered abroad all thy riches, and hast given them unto the poor and unto the orphans; and now that thou hast destroyed thyself, and hast made an end of thine own riches, thou hast come to make an end of me, and of the possessions which are mine. Depart now from me lest thou hear that which will make sad thy heart, for the emperor hath sent [me] to thee to cut off thy head. Now, I shall shew no compassion upon thee, for thou hast appointed the poor to be thy children, notwithstanding all the people who dwell in this city."

Then K̓ewest̓ôs returned to his house being grievously sore at heart, and tears streamed from his eyes because of the things which he had heard from his brother. And he said unto his wife 'Akrôsyâ, "Dost thou know what my brother hath done? He would not hearken unto my request at all, and he hath given me nothing: on the contrary, he hath made my heart sad by the words which he spake unto me, and by his insults and abuse of me". And his wife said unto him, "I desire thee, O my brother, not to vex thine heart, for "the God of Peter, in Whom we have believed, will help us; He is a mighty God, and He will not cast us off." And she said unto him further, "Wait a little while I go into the house, for I may find one who will "provide thee with what is necessary for thy journey." Then 'Akrôsyâ went quickly and lit a lamp, and searched

in the window which was in her house and found two 'astâra, that is to say, two dînôra (or staters) which she had not found previously when she gave her money to the poor. And she brought them out to her husband, and said unto him, "O my lord, I have found these in the window; take these with thee to provide what is necessary for thee on thy journey, and depart in peace. And God, the God of Peter, in Whom we have placed our confidence, will guide thee, and He will make thy way prosperous, and He will fulfil thy petition, and will bring thee unto the king. And he shall give thee gifts to mark his favour to thee, and thou shalt come back speedily unto us in peace".

Then K̲ewest̲ōs took the two tin 'astāra (staters), and all the goods which he had need of for his journey; and he took two of his servants, and departed to the king. And as he was going along upon the road he was thinking anxiously in his heart, and saying, "How is it possible for me to meet the emperor in this travel-stained apparel? But I have only these garments in which I am and no change of apparel". Now whilst he was sadly thinking these things within himself on the road, he saw two men fighting. And he said within himself, "I hearkened unto everything which Peter said, and I have given everything which I had unto the poor and needy, and I have accepted his words. Now he said, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called and shall become the children of God"; and behold I, "even I, will go to these two men, and will make them to be friends, each with the other, so that I also may become a child of God. So K̲ewest̲ōs turned aside out of the path whereon he was travelling, and drew nigh unto the two men who were fighting, and said unto them, "Wherefore do ye fight together? And one of them answered and said, "My lord, judge thou between us, for it is God Who hath sent thee to us to make us to be at peace each with the other.

Know thou, then, O my lord, that we were journeying together along the road, he and I, and that I was in front whilst he was behind me. And I saw in front of me this stone, and I stretched out my hand and seized it before he could do so; now, he is stronger than I am, and he wisheth to take it away from me by force, and it is for this reason that we are fighting together. He saith, 'It belongeth to me'; and I say, 'It belongeth to me'. Then KewesŢŐs answered and said unto them, "How do ye know what this stone is? And they said, "We do not know, for the knowledge thereof is hidden from us, and we know not what it is". And KewesŢŐs said unto them, "I have two fine 'astāra (staters), take them, and let each of you have one, and give me this stone; in this manner ye shall put away enmity from between you, and peace shall be between you both". So they gave him the stone and received from him the two 'astāra (staters), and then they embraced each other according as he had commanded them. Then KewesŢŐs went on his way to the emperor, together with the messengers. And it came to pass that when he had drawn nigh unto Jerusalem, he answered and said unto those who were travelling with him, "Come, let us go up into Jerusalem that we may worship in the temple";

and they consented, and went up with him, and they entered into the temple, and fulfilled (i. e., said) their prayers.

And KewesŢŐs departed and came unto a certain man who worked in gold, and he shewed him the stone, and said unto him, "O my brother, look at this stone, for I know not what it is". And when the worker in gold had looked at the stone he praised God, and said unto Kewestōs, "Where didst thou find this stone? And Kewestōs said unto him, "I will tell thee, O my brother; and he told him everything which had happened concerning the stone. Then the worker in gold said, "O my beloved brother, for many years past Dēmās the priest hath not offered up incense by reason of this stone. For he [wished] to have found twelve stones, and but for wanting this stone he would have completed the number of twelve, which is according to the [number of the twelve] tribes of Israel; and now, I will instruct thee how thou mayest bring this stone to the priest, and whatsoever thou desirest of all his possessions will he give unto thee". Then Kewestōs went with the stone to the priest. And it came to pass that when the high priest saw the stone, he fell down upon the earth, and worshipped, and said, "I give thanks unto God Almighty; and he commanded that all the people should be gathered together unto him.

And he said unto them, "O my brethren, behold, I will make known unto you the number of the years which have elapsed since I was able to offer up incense in the temple because of this stone. When Nebuchadnezzar seized all the possessions of the house of God, this stone was missed, and it hath never been found until this day. And behold, God hath had compassion upon us, and He hath sent to us both this man and this stone which we have sought diligently, so that our prayer might come unto God Almighty; and it is meet that we should make an offering unto God, every man according to his ability, from his own possessions". So the people rose up and departed from him, and every man came and brought as much as he was

B able [for his offering]; and much possessions were gathered together, both of gold and of silver. And it came to pass that when these things had been gathered together, the high priest gave them to Kewestós, and blessed him, and said, "This is a gift from God Almighty unto thee in return for this stone; may He give thee a reward according to His good pleasure". And Kewestós received all the blessed things which the high priest gave him, and it was double the amount of his own riches which he had given to the poor; and he gave thanks unto God, and became strong in the faith. Then Kewestós set out with the messengers on the road to the emperor, and in him were fulfilled the words which [Peter] spake , "Whosoever sheweth compassion upon the poor and needy, unto him shall God give gifts in return."

And it came to pass that as Kewestós was journeying along the road, he heard a Voice from heaven which cried out, saying, "O Kewestós, Kewestós"; and he answered, "Here am I, O my Lord". And the Voice answered and said, "Inasmuch as thou hast hearkened unto the voice of My Apostle Peter, and hast believed the words which he spake, saying, Whosoever sheweth compassion upon the poor and needy, unto them shall God give gifts in return, this blessing hath come upon thee; and not this alone but [other] blessings shalt thou have. For it shall come to pass when thou diest, and dost depart from out of this old world, that thou shalt attain unto rest, and absence of sorrow, and beautiful things which the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, and which the heart of man hath never been able to imagine". Then Kewestôs rejoiced in his spirit, and his faith was increased, and his heart became strong, and he departed to the king, who received him with an honourable reception, and made him a beautiful habitation with him, and commanded that he should abide with him for three years.

And it came to pass that after Kewestôs had gone away from his own abode, his brother came unto his wife 'Akrôsyâ with a devilish counsel which Satan had sown in his heart, and he said unto her, "My brother will never come back again , for the emperor will punish him because he hath hearkened unto the voice of a sorcerer, and hath scattered his possessions among the poor and needy, and the orphans, and hath made the poor and needy, who belong not to his kin, his children. And behold, I wish thee to become my wife. And I will gather together all the riches which formerly belonged to my brother, and I will make those among whom he wasted his possessions to bring back whatsoever they have in their hands, for [I know] that thou art a woman who cannot [endure] a deed like unto this". Then 'Akrôsyâ answered and said unto him, "O fool, and most abominable man, how can the evil thought of going up upon thy brother's bed have ever entered into thy heart? Shouldst thou not rather have been desirous of comforting thy brother's children during their father's absence, and of driving away their grief by means of thy riches until their father returned to them?" Now the brother of Kewestôs wished to take her by force, and when 'Akrôsyâ knew that he was able to do so, and would carry out his evil desire, she answered him with words according to his wish, and appointed him a time

B* three days hence; so he departed from her with this understanding. Then she called her chosen handmaiden and said unto her, "Thou shalt by no means let any man know where I have gone." And she called her two children and said unto them, "O my children, hearken unto my voice, and go forth with me to 'Etnôsyâ (Athens?), that ye may be instructed in wisdom and learn discipline, until your father shall return unto you;" and she took her servants with her, and came to the sea-coast, where she found a ship ready to sail, and she departed [therein]. And it came to pass that, when she had gone a distance of thirty cubits from the harbour, a mighty wind blew violently on the sea, and the ship was broken to pieces, but one of 'Akrôsyâ's children climbed up upon one of the timbers of the ship, and by the good pleasure of God Almighty, the sea washed him ashore at Alexandria. And the younger child and his mother also clung to a piece of wood belonging to the ship, and God delivered them from the billows of the sea, which washed them on to a little island in the sea, and the island had

the name of Keprâ (Cyprus). And God called to Peter, and commanded him to go to the city of Alexandria to seek out the chosen servants of God who were meet to receive mercy; so Peter went to the city of Alexandria. And it came to pass that when he was coming [nigh to the city], he first of all went round about it, even as he did in the city of Rome, saying :— "Blessed are the merciful, for on them will God shew mercy. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called and shall become the children of God. "Blessed are those who give to the poor and needy, for unto them will God give in return". "Blessed are they who have wives, and who are as if they had them not, for they shall inherit the land of life which is for ever."

And there was no man among all the people of the city of Alexandria who accepted his words except the young man who had escaped from the waves of the sea, the son of Kewestôs, and he came to Peter, and fell down before him, and embraced his feet. And Peter said unto him, "Who art thou? For of all this multitude not one hath hearkened unto my words except thyself. And the young man answered and said unto him, "O my father, I am from the city of Rome, and whilst I was there a man like unto thee came to the city of Rome, and discoursed with words like unto those which thou speakest. And my father and mother believed his words, and distributed all their possessions among the poor and needy, and the orphans. Now after they had given away all that they had, the emperor sent [messengers] to seek out my father, and he departed to him, and he hath tarried there a long time. And Satan sowed the thought of evil in the heart of my father's brother, and he rose up against my mother and wished her to be a wife unto him; but she rejected him and refused to do his will. Then she took me and my brother, wishing to bring us to 'Etñeyâs (Athens?), that we might be instructed in knowledge and taught discipline until our father should come back to us, and to keep us at a distance since [her] enemy wished to act thus [unto her].

Now when we were leaving the harbour, and were at no great distance therefrom, a mighty wind rose up against us at sea, and the ship was broken to pieces. But by the will of God Almighty I was enabled to seize upon a piece of wood belonging to the ship, and the waves of the sea washed me to this city; but what hath become of my mother and my brother I know not. And Peter said unto him, "Dost thou wish to become my disciple? And the young man answered and said, "I do"; so he became a companion unto Peter, and there was no man among the people of that city who answered him a word.

And the Spirit of God sent a message to Peter to go forth from Sadôm to Egypt, and He commanded him, saying, "In this city the blood of the saints shall be poured out in the last days, and the days wherein thy voice shall be heard in this city are not yet fulfilled. Rise up thou, and this thy disciple, and come to Keprâ (Cyprus), for there are there servants who are ready to enter into submission unto Me." So Peter made haste to go down [to the sea] with his disciple, and he came to the sea-coast and found a ship ready to sail; and he embarked therein, wishing to travel on his way, and to arrive at the city of Keprâ (Cyprus). And it came to pass that when Peter had arrived at the harbour of the city he saw a large number of people on the sea-coast, walking to the east and to the west and looking into the sea. And he said unto all those who were with him in the ship, "O my children, when we arrive in port, wishing to go down [from the ship], do not hurry to disembark, because I would see what those people are doing, for I would not that the Enemy should see any obstacle before me; but after I know [this] let all the people go on their way."

Then Peter went down out of the ship and came to those people [on the shore], and behold, there was a woman weeping, and a number of people were following after her. And Peter answered and said unto her , "O noble lady, why weepest thou, and what seekest thou here that thou walkest along the shore of this sea?" Then the woman answered and said, "O my Lord, I and my two children were journeying together in a ship, and the ship was broken to pieces at sea; and the waves of the sea washed my younger son and myself to this city, but I know not what hath become of my elder son. Every day I come to the sea, and call upon God to hear me, and to shew me the body of my son, that I may take it out of the water and prepare it for burial and bury it. Now I know that I weary the hearts of the people of this city both by weeping myself and by making them weep, but I have hope in God Almighty, and in the prayers of Saint Peter, and He will give them a good reward for that they have mourned for me. Now I am a woman who have come hither from a foreign country." Then did Peter know that it was she who had given birth to his disciple, and he said unto her, "Come thou to this young man, and peradventure thou wilt know if he be thy son." And she said, "Willingly, O my lord." So Peter went with her to the ship, and he cried out, saying, "O Clement, rise up and come down out of the ship."

and as soon as he saw his mother and his brother he knew them, and because of this they fell down upon the ground at the feet of Peter and were afraid. Then Peter lifted them up, and said unto them, "Rise up, O my children, and acknowledge the grace of the gift of God unto you which hath not permitted your bodies to perish in the sea. And I command you to return to your city of Rome, for, behold, your father hath arrived before the king who hath received him graciously, and he will return unto you in peace; and your father's brother is dead, and ye shall in no wise be sorrowful." And Peter gave them his disciple and sent them back to their city in peace. And after Peter [had taught the people] the mysteries of life he dwelt in that city preaching unto them the belief in God, and in His Only Son, and in His Holy and Life-giving Spirit, until all those who were in that city believed; and the wife of Kewestós came to the city of Rome, with her two children, in peace.

Now there would have been none who knew what things had happened unto 'Akrósyá, unless she herself had told her chosen handmaid who ministered unto her everything which had befallen her, how the ship was dashed to pieces, and how God Almighty restored her and her sons to each other, after they had been overwhelmed by the sea and cast away destitute, and how, through the prayers of Saint Peter, after thirteen days they were dwelling in their own home again, and they remembered the might of God always.

And the two sons of the lady 'Akrósyá drank water out of an uncovered vessel in which there was poison, and they died straightway; and their mother wept bitter tears over them, saying, "Woe is me, O my children, that ye were not able to escape from the writing which was written concerning you; for your death was to be through water, and for this reason did the ship perish the first time. Now God did not wish to inflict sorrow upon me, and to destroy your lives by the sea, for I believed in the words of Peter the holy Apostle, and he restored your bodies unto me alive; but behold, O my children, as soon as ye were restored to your home, ye died through water. Nevertheless I give thanks unto God for His great glory; for He it is Who created you, and He it is Who hath taken you." Then she rose up quickly and took the dead bodies of her sons, and made them ready for burial with her own hands, and her chosen handmaid brought them into the innermost part of her house, [and placed them] in the storehouse thereof which was full of sweet odours; then she shut the doors of her chamber and went forth into her dwelling room, and she abode there and proclaimed the majesty of God Almighty. And she commanded her handmaid to keep secret the matter of how her sons had died, so that no man might know it, and also that she should not tell the children's father when he should come that they were dead, so that his heart might not be pained; "When God wisheth it, then we shall find a way to tell him without other men knowing it," [she said].

And it came to pass that when three years were ended Kewestôs returned from the emperor, and all the prefects and nobles of the city of Rome heard [it and said], "Kewestôs the noble prefect hath arrived in his city alive. Then the people of the city dressed themselves in their fine apparel, and all those who dwelt in his neighbourhood took branches of trees in their hands, [and went] outside the city to receive him. Now in former times the two sons of Kewesṭōs had each a white horse, and whensoever they heard that their father was coming from the presence of the emperor they used to put on fine apparel, and mount their horses, which they had decorated with trappings of gold and silver, and then ride out to meet their father and escort him until he came into the city. And it came to pass that when Kewesṭōs came into the city to his habitation, and did not see his two sons who in times past had been wont to go out from the city to meet him, he questioned his wife 'Akrōsyā, and said unto her, "Where are my sons that I do not see them with the other people? And what hath happened to them that they have not come to meet me according to their use and wont? And 'Akrōsyā his wife answered and said unto him, "Fear not, O my brother, for their absence is not due unto evil intent. .

Thou knowest that long ago we gave away all our possessions to the poor and needy, and to the orphans, and that we have nothing left of all our rich things which is fit for them to adorn themselves with like the rest of the folk. When I knew of thy coming and of thy drawing nigh to the city, I sent the children to my sister that she might give them fine apparel, wherewith they might adorn themselves, and which would be of service to make glad thy habitation, together with these people who are gathered together that they may say unto thee, Peace, O thou who hast come'. Now when they have returned from my sister's house they shall come into thy presence". Then those who were gathered together unto KewesŢôs led the discourse on to the matter of the emperor, and of the kind of life which he lived.

And it came to pass that when the sons of KewesŢôs tarried long in coming, he spake a second time and said unto his wife, "Behold, for three years past I have remained without seeing my sons, and my love for them is exceedingly great." Then Akrôsyâ answered and said unto him, "They have not been able to come unto thee by reason of the press of the multitude; but when the people have departed they will come unto thee."

And it came to pass that when the sun had set, and the time for the evening meal had drawn nigh, all the nobles of the city and all the prefects made ready much food for the supper, and they sent it to the habitation of KewesŢôs, where they would have eaten it together. But 'Akrôsyâ, the wife of KewesŢôs, went forth to them, and restrained them, saying, "Know ye not that I have not seen my lord for many days—for he was not with me—and that I would be with him this night, so that I might tell him everything which hath happened unto me since he departed from me. To-morrow, however, by God Almighty's good pleasure, ye shall gather together unto him, and everything which ye wish shall be [done]. And it came to pass that when all the people had come into their houses 'Akrôsyâ his wife shut all the doors of her house, and she brought nigh unto him a table and said unto him, "Rise up, O my lord, and eat what hath been brought [unto thee], for the time of the evening meal is past. Then KewesŢôs answered and said unto her, "As God, the God of Peter, liveth, I will eat no bread whatsoever until I know why my two sons have tarried, and why they have not come to meet me".

And his good wife answered and said unto him, "Make thou a covenant with me that when I have told thee the matter thou wilt receive my words, and wilt not reject me by reason of them; and afterwards I will bring thy children unto thee. And he said unto her, "If they be sufficient [to explain the matter] unto me I will not reject thee: speak on. Then 'Akrósya answered and said unto him, "O my lord, as soon as thou hadst set out on thy wanderings, there came unto me a certain rich man and he placed with me a jewel, a pearl most precious, the price of which man knoweth not, and he commanded me to keep watch over it. So I took the pearl from him into my keeping, and it was of brilliant beauty, for it shot out rays of light by night as well as by day. And my soul loved it, and my spirit longed for it, and I thought within my heart, saying, When the owner of the precious jewel cometh I will deny [that I have received] it'. And behold, he came back from his journeying and sought from me that which he had given me, but I denied [that I had] the pearl. Then he said unto me, 'I will not quarrel with thee, lest the people of this city make a mock of me because I am quarrelling with a noble and honourable, and freeborn lady whose husband is away from her;

but I will wait until thy husband returneth from his journey, for I know that he is a man who feareth God Almighty, and that when he knoweth of the matter of the pearl he will restore it unto me'.

"Now I know that the man hath knowledge of thy arrival from thy journeying, and that he will come and seek for that which belongeth unto him; and I ask thee that when he cometh thou wilt help me, so that I shall not be obliged to give up anything unto him."

And it came to pass that when Kewestôs heard his wife's words he answered and said unto her, "O abominable woman, how did this evil thought of denying that which belongeth to the man ever enter into thy heart? But when he cometh I will command thee to restore to him that which is his; and if I only knew where he was, I would go to him [and tell him] to come and take from thee that which belongeth unto him before I eat [my] food. Knowest thou not that those who desire the possessions of others [commit] great sin? And when 'Akrôsyâ heard these words from him, and knew the firmness of his belief and faith, she took hold of his hand and brought him into the inner chamber of her house, and going in front she opened the curtains of the place where her children were. Then she said unto Kewestôs, "Look at what is in this treasure-chamber and thou shalt see thy sons"; and straightway when he saw his dead sons he lifted up his voice, and wept aloud. And his wife answered and said unto him, "Remember, O my lord, what thou didst say unto me, for thou saidst, 'When the owner of the pearl cometh, and seeketh that which is his, thou shalt not withhold it from him'. Behold, thou seest their bodies perfect as they were in times of old, their hands, and their feet, and all their members;

and nothing of their bodies whatsoever is wanting, except the souls which dwelt in thy sons and which are now with God Almighty. These, then, are the pearl, and these are the things which He gave to be guarded in the flesh, until such time as He [wished] to take them [again]: no man can restrain Him when He wisheth [to act]. God gave, and God hath taken; as God wisheth so let it be! May God's name be blessed, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen."

Then 'Akrōsyā said unto Kewestōs, "Rise up quickly, and let us ask God to put away grief from us; our sons are dead. So they rose up quickly, and they stretched out their hands in [prayer in] the inner chamber of their house with unity of will and lowliness of heart, to God Almighty, the Living One, the Omnipotent, Who doeth whatsoever He pleaseth. And it came to pass that when they had prayed a long time they heard a Voice going round about them in a bright cloud which spake, saying, "O Kewestōs, Kewestōs, inasmuch as ye have hearkened unto and have accepted the voice of Peter, My disciple, ye shall not be angry at all the sorrow which hath come upon you, and ye shall not grieve by reason of the death of your sons, for I will deal graciously with you and will give them back to you alive. Haste ye then, and rise up, and make supplication unto Almighty God, saying, 'O God of Peter who came to the city of Rome, the man in whom we believed, and whose power through Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, we knew, in his name we ask Thee to make our sons Aklamāṭōs (Clement) and Kanāyōs to live again'; and they repeated their petition even as the Voice commanded them. Then straightway their two sons rose up from the dead and lived again, because they (i. e., their father and mother) had put their trust in God.

And they went round about in the city and in all the country, saying, Blessed be God Almighty, the God of Peter, the holy Apostle of Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Living One, Who giveth life to the dead! He it is Who healeth all who are sick, and He is the Physician of souls and of bodies. Now this story went forth into all lands, and all those who heard it praised God, to Whom, Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. And 'Akla-mitôs (Clement) prepared himself and became a bishop, and he appointed his brother a deacon; may their prayers and blessing come to us and preserve us for ever and ever! Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, One God. Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint Peter, the Chief of the Apostles, the chosen one of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ended his strife in the city of Rome. May his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan. And it came to pass that Peter was in the city of Rome rejoicing in God, together with his brethren, and he was giving thanks by day and by night, and was praising God because of the multitudes of the people that were coming unto him the whole day long, and that were believing in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now among the crowds of people who came unto Peter were four women who were concubines of 'Aḳrēpōs (Agrippa[?]), the governor of the city, and whose names were Aḳmāba, Aḳrābānyā, Kariyā, and Dēwerīs. And when they heard the teaching of Peter, and everything which he commanded therein—for he commanded that they should keep

themselves pure, and that they should not pollute their bodies with sinful acts—they received it with gladness, and they made a covenant among themselves that they would not go up into the bed of 'Aḳrēpōs, and that they would keep themselves undefiled. And it came to pass that when this news came unto 'Aḳrēpōs he was exceedingly sorry, for he loved these women dearly; and he sent his messengers to follow them, so that he might know whither they went, [and if they went] to Peter. And he sent a message unto them, saying, "Wherefore hath Peter taught you not to dwell with me, and to keep away from my bed? Know ye, then, that I will blot you out of existence, and that I will burn him alive with fire." But the women refused to do for him that which he wished, and they were not in any way afraid of his words; and none of them did according to his will, for they were strong in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now there was an exceedingly beautiful woman whose name was 'Aksentiyān (i. e., Xanthippe), the wife of one of the emperor's friends who was called Altā-biyōs, (i. e., Albinus), and she came forth continually, along with these four women, to Peter and listened unto his teaching; and she also withdrew herself from her husband's bed. Then was Altābiyōs wroth with Peter with a great wrath like unto that of a lion, and he wished to kill him, for he knew that it was he who taught them to keep themselves undefiled. And many of the women who heard the teaching of Peter withdrew themselves from their husbands, and in like manner a great number of men withdrew themselves from their wives, and they kept themselves pure in humility. And there arose a great tumult in the city of Rome by reason of this thing, and Altābyōs cried out to Aḳrēpōs and said unto him,

C Give me judgment against Peter the Christian who hath been the means of putting me away from my wife, and if thou wilt not give me judgment I will punish him rightly for myself." Then 'Akrēpōs answered and said unto him, "My suffering is very much greater than thine, for he hath made those whom I love to be separated from me." And 'Altābyōs said unto him, "Why delayest thou to seize him and to slay him as thou desirest? Now, he is a magician. And let us bring back our women to ourselves, and take mighty vengeance upon him by reason of those whom he hath seduced. Have we not power over this man, seeing that we are the prefects of the city?" And it came to pass, whilst they were taking counsel together over this matter, that 'Aknēstiyān (Xanthippe) learned all their counsel, and she sent to Peter and made him to know everything which they had counselled concerning him, so that he might go forth from the city of Rome, he and all his brethren who believed. Then Markalyōs (Marcellus) the believer and his brethren entracted Peter to go forth from the city; and Peter

hearkened unto their words, and went forth out of the city alone, and he changed his garb and his apparel, so that no man should know him. And it came to pass that as he was going out through the gates of the city, he met our Lord coming into the city, and He was in the form in which he had seen Him aforetime in the flesh. And when Peter saw Him he worshipped Him, and said unto Him, "Whither goest Thou, O my Lord?" And our Lord said unto him, "I am going into the city of Rome to be crucified therein." And Peter said unto Him, "Wilt Thou be crucified a second time, O my Lord?" Then as our Lord went up from Peter, and all his senses returned to him, he saw our Lord ascending into heaven; and he sorrowed not in his mind, but went back into the city rejoicing and giving praise unto God Almighty because our Lord said that they would crucify Him, and because it must needs be that they would find him (i. e., Peter). Now aforetime when He was in the flesh He spake unto Peter, saying, "When thou art old, another shall gird thee and shall carry thee whither thou wishest not to go".

And it came to pass that, when he returned to the city, he told his brethren all that he had seen, and all that he had heard from our Lord Jesus Christ, and everything which He had spoken unto him. And when the brethren heard [these things] their souls were sorrowful, and they wept bitter tears, and said, "We entreat thee, O our father Peter, to teach us, for our knowledge of the knowledge of God is little, and our faith is not strong." And Peter answered and said unto them, "If God hath willed it so let it be. But whether we wish it, or whether we wish it not, God Almighty shall strengthen you in His faith and in His knowledge, and He will strengthen those whose hearts are in fear, so that they will be able to teach the others among you. And as for me, if God Almighty be pleased for me to remain in the body, I am powerless to refuse [to do so]; and if He desire to take me unto Himself, I will rejoice and be glad." And it came to pass that, when Peter spake and told them these things, the brethren were exceedingly sorrowful, and they were sad in their hearts.

And by reason of these things 'Akrēpōs, the governor of the city, sent four of his soldiers and commanded them to seize Peter, and to bring him unto him—[now] Peter saw the strength of their wrath—and he ordered them to crucify him on account of [his] faith and belief. And it came to pass that, when the company of the believing brethren heard [these things], they made haste and came together with all the people of the city, and the rich and the poor, and the widows, and the strong and the infirm, and they wished to take Peter away from that place. And they cried out, and shouted with a loud voice, saying, "What offence hath Peter committed, O Akrēpōs? And what work of evil hath gone forth from him? Now tell us this, and if thou wilt not declare it unto us we will set thy city on fire before thou shalt crucify this man.' Then Peter beckoned to them to be silent, and he answered and said unto them, 'O men, who have given yourselves unto the Great King, that is to say, Jesus Christ, upon Whose faith ye have laid hold, remember the miracles which ye have seen God Almighty work by my hand. Remember ye that which I have taught you concerning the suffering of our Lord. Remember ye the miracles which ye have seen [wrought] in His name, and do ye patiently wait, for He will come to reward each man according to his deeds.

And curse ye not Akrepōs, for he is an emissary of his father Satan; and all this matter which hath arisen shall be ended in myself. And why should I be perturbed at going up upon the cross? And he stood up before them, and set [before them these words], saying, "In the name of the cross, the hidden mystery, the gracious gift which the tongue of the children of men cannot describe, which is found in the Name of the cross, in the Creation which put on human form, and which cannot be comprehended—God Almighty. O memorial of the Sublimity which cannot be understood, and which the children of men cannot describe with [their] polluted lips! It is meet in this hour, which is the conclusion of my life, that I should reveal Who Thou art, and that I should relate Thy history and should not keep silent concerning the cross, which is a glorious mystery, and that I should make mention of its majesty unto all the people who shall hearken unto my words. O ye men, whose hope is in Christ, besides Whom no one hath been revealed unto us, it is through the belief which is His that ye have been able to contend. And behold, this hour is indeed the end of my life;

hearken ye unto my words, and make yourselves to be remote from all evil works, and turn away your eyes from every kind of vanity, O ye my brethren and children, whom I have made to know Christ and the mystery of His salvation."

And it came to pass after these words that Saint Peter turned his face to the captain of the soldiers, and said unto them, "Perform ye what they have commanded you [to do]; but I entreat you to crucify me with my head downwards, and lift ye my feet upwards." So they lifted him up on to the cross, and they did even as he wished; may his prayer and blessing keep us! Amen. And after they had hung him upon the cross, even as he had asked, he began to speak in a loud voice, and to say unto them, "O ye men who have the power to hear, hearken ye diligently unto what I shall say unto you. And now ye shall know that my being hung upon the cross is the mystery of every thing which hath been created, and that to everything which hath been made there must be an end, [even as there was] a beginning. For the old man, which made itself manifest in me, descended upon me in its person, and shewed forth that the birth which was aforetime was like unto death; and this moved, and came down, and its power to break was lost in the earth, and it shewed forth its two forms in me and appeared in power. By this it came to pass that the right was like unto the left, and the left was like unto the right, and it changed its nature and the signs thereof, so that a man might imagine that it was good and excellent, even as God Almighty spake in a mystery, saying, 'Ye shall not make the right

"as the left, nor that which is above as that which is below, nor that which is in front as that which is below or is behind, so that ye may not know the kingdom of God'. This thought now hath been upon me and known of me from times of old; and this form in which ye see me, that is to say my being hung upon the cross, is the manifestation of the man which was born first of all, that is to say, Adam. And now, O my beloved, ye who are hearkening unto me at this moment, cast ye away your former error, and flee therefrom, so that ye may ascend straightly the Cross of Jesus Christ. For He it is of Whom it is written that He only is the Word, and it is of Him that the Holy Spirit spake, 'Who is Christ but the Word and the Speech of God Almighty?' He is the Word so that He might become the Being Who straightly ascended the Wood whereon He was crucified; and He is the Speech, which was of old time, and which created man, and it was He Who was nailed to the cross . . . . ."

And the blessed Peter, whilst he was upon the wood of the cross, prayed and spake thus, "I give thanks unto Thee, O Thou Holy Word, Christ, the Lord of the universe, not with a tongue of guile and not with the lips wherefrom go forth the words of falsehood and truth, and out of which proceedeth the speech of folly, but we give thanks wholly unto thee with that voice, O King, Thou Holy Word, Jesus Christ, which, though it keepeth silent, yet is heard, and being manifest and heard is yet unheard, which goeth not forth and yet by grace cometh forth, and the nature of which, although unknown, is beautiful. With this voice we give thanks unto thee, O Jesus Christ, and Thou hearkenest thereunto and Thou keepest silence, O Thou Whom the Spirit hath made to be king over us, inasmuch as Thou knowest [it]. Thou art our Father, and our Mother, and our Friend, and our Brother; Thou art our Steward, and Thou art He Who giveth [unto us]. In Thee is everything made perfect, Thou art He Who holdeth [in His hand] the universe, and besides Thee there is none other at all, O Christ, the holy Word, the Tree of Life. In this Being then have I taken refuge. And as for you, [if ye do thus] ye shall comprehend that which He spake aforetime, saying, 'Things which the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive';

for these I entreat Thee, O Lord, because Thou didst declare that Thou wouldst give [them unto us]. We entreat Thee, and we make supplication unto Thee, and we give praise unto Thee, and we bless Thee, O Thou Who dost never come to an end, and we give thanks unto Thee, O Thou Who art holy, and we put our trust in Thee with heart and soul, O Thou Who slumberest not. We are beings of no account, but Thou only art holy, and art in the Father, Who is immortal, and the Father is in Thee, and to Thee be glory for ever and ever! Amen and Amen". And many people made answer, and they all said, "Amen and Amen".

Then straightway did the blessed Peter, the chief of the Apostles, the noble man, who was betrayed, the guide to the kingdom of heaven, yield up his soul to God Almighty, being crucified upon the wood of the cross. May his prayer and his intercession keep us for ever and ever. Amen and Amen. Then Marcellus, the disciple of Saint Peter, came and took him down from the cross and washed his body with one thousand [measures] of milk and wine. And he brought one hundred and fifty-seven manchs of myrrh, and one hundred and fiftyseven manchs of spice, and another hundred and fifty-seven manchs of aloes, and with these he anointed the body of Peter; and next he brought a long coffin, and having filled it full of honey he laid him therein, and buried him in his own grave.

And Peter appeared unto Makélós (Marcellus) in a vision of the night, and said unto him, "Hast thou not 'heard that our Lord said, Let the dead bury their dead'?" And Marcellus said unto him, "Yes". And Peter said unto him, "Whatsoever be the amount which 'thou hast just expended upon the dead thou hast lost it, for thou being a living being hast [spent it] upon thy dead brother.'" And when Marcellus awoke from his sleep he told the brethren concerning the vision which [ he had seen, so that they might be strong in the faith of Christ and in Jesus; and he himself awaited anxiously the coming of Paul to Rome. And it came to pass that after a while Nero the Emperor knew that Peter had perished, and all people (literally, the world) threw the blame upon 'Akrépós (Agrippa) the prefect, for it was through his counsel that Nero had slain him. And Nero desired earnestly to pass a heavy sentence of punishment upon him, and to inflict many pains and penalties upon him, for many of the people who followed Peter, as well as those who were remote from the faith, had Agrippa treated in like manner; and for this reason Nero continued in a state of wrath for many days, and he would not speak unto him. Then Nero sought out all those who had been instructed by Peter [that he might slay them]. And there appeared unto him by night a man who tormented him and said unto him, "O Nero, hence-forward do not slay the servants of Christ, for thy per-secution is killing them; and now cease thou to harass

"them"; and Nero the Emperor, being afraid at these col 1. words, ceased to harass the servants of Christ in those days. And the blessed Peter, the chosen one, the glorious one, the chief of the Apostles, departed from this world before the fifteenth day of the Calends of June, or according to the Ethiopian reckoning, on the fifth day of the month Hamlé. May his prayer, and his blessing, and his intercession be with us for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen. Glory be to the Father Who chose Peter and appointed him [to be] the chief of the Apostles; and adoration [be] to the Son Who gave him the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and thanksgiving [be] to the Holy Spirit Who made his tongue to be keen as a knife which cutteth; and to God Almighty be the praise, and the thanksgiving, and the majesty, and the honour, and the adoration which are meet for Him for ever and ever! Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint Paul, who was the first to teach the Gentiles, which took place on the fifth day of the month of Hamsi. In the peace of God, Amen. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden (Wakatta Madhan). And first of all he taught the multitude and said [unto them], "O men in whom there is understanding, hearken ye, and know, and lay this to your hearts, so that ye all may know the mystery of the first creation , and every work that belonged to the first man which took place. Now, I am in bondage to the Emperor, but this my life belongeth not to my Emperor, even though it be my life which shall have an end; but my life which is for ever shall have no end. And although thou hast commanded that they cut off my head, I shall again appear unto thee and shall be alive [again], so that thou mayest know the truth of my words. For I have my life in my King Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead, and shall reward every man according to his work, whether it be good or whether it be evil."

And it came to pass that, when the Emperor Nero had heard these words from Paul, he made a sign to his executioner wrathfully, and commanded him to make haste to slay him; and when Kesitōs (Acestus?) and Likōs (Longinus?), the Emperor's nobles, heard [these words] they took Paul out so that might cut off his head. And they said unto Paul, "Where is thy king in whom thou trustest? Hast thou no wish to forsake him, for "whose sake thou bearest all [these] tortures?" And Paul answered and said unto them, "O men whose ob-ject of worship is error, and who lack the knowledge of God, turn ye and repent, so that ye may be saved from the punishment which shall come upon those who deny Him; it is not as ye imagine, that we shall gather to-gether the army of an earthly king like unto yourselves, but we shall be rewarded in the palace of the heavenly King. Because of the sins of the world He Himself will come to judge the world; and unto all those who be-lieve in Him He will give the life which is everlasting."

And it came to pass that, when the Emperor's nobles heard this, they bowed down unto him and said, "Work thou on our behalf so that we may be of those who are worthy of this King, and we will set thee free [to go] whithersoever thou wishest." And Paul said unto them, "I am neither afraid of nor am I terrified at your torturings, that I should flee from God Almighty, nay, I am the servant of our Lord Jesus "Christ, the Living King. And, since I know that this [King] Who [liveth] for ever died, I cannot do according to what ye say unto me. But I shall live with my God, Who [liveth] for ever, and I shall do His will, for unto Him shall I return, and with Him I shall dwell when He cometh in His glory." And the Emperor's nobles said unto him, "How is it possible for thee to do this after they have cut off thy head? Hast thou the power to come alive again?" Now whilst they were conversing together in this wise the Emperor sent [men] to find out whether Paul's head had been cut off or not; and it came to pass that they [came and] saw him alive. And Paul said unto them, "Believe ye in the Living God Who shall deliver all those who believe in Him from death". And they answered and said unto him, "Behold now, thou must certainly die, and when we see that thou hast risen from the dead we will believe"; and they returned to the Emperor. Now Kistôs (Titus) and Lúkás (Luke) besought Paul earnestly, saying, "Teach us the way of salvation".

And Paul said unto them, "To-morrow come ye at daybreak unto the grave wherein they shall have deposited my body, and there ye shall find two men praying; these shall be Titô (Titus) and Lúkás (Luke), and they shall teach you the doctrine of salvation, and shall bring you nigh unto our Lord Jesus Christ, our God in truth." Then Paul, [who was standing] among all the multitudes that were gathered together to see his martyrdom, looked towards the East, and he spread out his hand[s], and prayed a long time in the Hebrew tongue. And it came to pass that, when he had made an end of his prayer, he spake again unto the multitude of people who tarried [there] with faithful words in our Lord, and many of them believed by reason of the graciousness of his speech, and the light which was in his countenance, and the grace which was upon him.

And the two messengers returned to Nero the Emperor, and told him how they had found Paul and Kisṭōs (Titus) and Lūk̥ās (Luke) talking together, and how Paul was teaching them the faith. Then was the Emperor exceedingly wroth, and he sent a mighty man of valour with a sword to cut off Paul's head quickly. And it came to pass that, when the swordsman arrived, the holy man bowed his head, and remained silent and spake no word; and he continued thus with his head bowed for a long time with the swordsman standing before him; and when the swordsman had drawn his sword from its sheath his hands shook to such a degree that he could not bring it down upon Paul. Then finally he strengthened his heart and smote him, and the head of Saint Paul fell upon the ground; and there went forth from the body of the saint milk and blood in such quantities that they reached unto the garments of the swordsman. And those who were gathered together [there] marvelled, and they glorified God Who had given such a great and gracious gift unto His holy disciple Paul.

And the swordsman returned and told the Emperor everything which had taken place, and the Emperor Nero marvelled, and all his prefects and governors who were sitting with him were greatly terrified. And it came to pass that at the ninth hour of the day Paul appeared unto the Emperor, and said unto him, "I am the disciple of Jesus Christ who came to thy city, and I have taken therefrom certain of the people thereof for my King; behold now, I am alive at this present, and I am not dead. And as for thee, behold, much affliction shall come upon thee because thou hast shed the blood of many righteous people; and after a few days there shall come upon thee everything which I have said unto thee". And as Paul was saying these words he disappeared from him. Then Nero the Emperor commanded that all those who were shut up in prison and who believed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ should go forth therefrom, together with Baṭrēk, the servant of the Emperor, and him who was called Barsēyōs (Justus?), and him who was called Lūk̥ās (Luke), and K̥ūst̥ōs (Acestus?), and K̥īst̥ōs (Titus).

And the chosen friends of the Emperor went early in the morning to the grave of Paul, and when they drew nigh thereunto they saw two men standing [there] praying, and Paul also was standing between them in great glory; and they who saw him were terrified, and they trembled by reason of their great fear at his glorious appearance. And Titō (Titus) and Lūk̥ās (Luke) were afraid of them, and they took to flight. Now those servants of the Emperor, whom we have already mentioned, sought to find Titō (Titus) and Lūk̥ās (Luke) again, and [when] they had found them they said unto them, "We have sought you not to put you to death, but that ye may give us life everlasting, even as Paul, who was standing between you at this hour, commanded us". And it came to pass that when Titus and Luke heard these words from them, they straightway rejoiced exceedingly; and they spake unto them the words of instruction, and they taught them the truth in our Lord Jesus Christ, and they gave unto them the doctrine of the life which is for ever and for ever. Amen.

Here endeth the Martyrdom of Saint Paul. May his prayer and his blessing keep us! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here followeth the work which Addâ Dionysius, Bishop of the country of the East, translated concerning the twelve Apostles, who were of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The father of Simon, who was surnamed Peter, and of Andrew his brother, was of the house of Rôbêl (Reuben), and his mother's mother was of the house of Simon (Simeon); Simon Peter's mother loved him greatly, and she named him Simon after the name of her father's family, and because Andrew's father loved him greatly he counted him among the family of his father Reuben. Zebedee was of the house of Levi and he took to wife a woman of the house of Judah, who bore [to him] two sons, called James and John. Now because the father of James loved him greatly he counted him among the family of his father Levi, and similarly, because the mother of John loved him greatly she counted him among the family of her father Judah; and for this reason she brought him forth to Jesus, for she herself was of the house of Judah, and Christ also was of the house of Judah, according to the flesh. And they were surnamed "Children of thunder", for they were of both the priestly house and of the royal house. And Philip was of the house of Zebulun. And Bartholomew was of the house of Naphtali; now his name was formerly John, but our Lord changed his name because of John the son of Zebedee, His beloved. And Matthew was of the house of Issachar. And Thomas was of the house of Asher. And James, the son of Alphaeus, was of the house of Gad. And Thaddaeus was of the house of Joseph. And Simon, the son of Cleopas, who is the same as Nathaniel, was of the house of Benjamin. And Judas Iscariot was of the house of Dan; now Dan sold his brother Joseph for twenty pieces of silver, and in like manner Judas sold our Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Glory [be] to the Father, Who loved Jacob, and Who multiplied his seed upon the earth; and adoration [be] to the Son Who chose unto Himself Twelve Apostles that they might dwell with Him in His kingdom; and thanksgiving [be] to the Holy Spirit Who gave them knowledge and understanding to preach throughout the whole world concerning the Holy Trinity, One God, to Whom be glory, and majesty, and honour, for ever and ever. Amen, and Amen.

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

gether of the scattered, the consoler of those who had transgressed, the father of those who were orphans, the support of the widows, the raiser up of those who had 103b. fallen, the strengthener of those who were standing, the healer of those who were sick, the vivifier of the bones which were broken, the spotless body, who gathered together [men in] cities, who made the plains to be inhabited, the ship of salvation, the skilful sailor, the orderer of the deeds of evil-doers, and he rooted out and ordered the arrangement of things which are below.

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

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

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

1 Compare Jeremiah xxiii. 9. 2 Genesis xlii. 36. "rolled away." This day have been fulfilled the words of the prophet David, saying, "They gave the dead bodies of Thy servants as food for the fowl of the heavens, and the flesh of Thy righteous ones unto the beasts of the wilderness".

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

And who is there that will not lament over those men who, though being fit for the honourable estate of heaven, were handed over unto death, even as if they had been workers of iniquity? O my brother Timothy, hadst thou seen that marvellous conflict, or hadst thou heard thereof at thy place on the Euphrates the magnitude of thy grief might have been imagined. But now, let not thy sorrow be multiplied, for thou wast not present at the time when they brought them out to receive [the stroke of] the sword and to finish their martyrdom. What man can there be who would not

have been in great tribulation in that sad hour, or who would not have been in despair of soul, and withered in heart? especially when their hands were fettered with 105a. chains like those who were to be slain. And round about the Emperor were gathered together crowds of venerable men, and aged men, and honourable men of the Jews, and of the peoples who were accursed idolaters, to see those marvellous men. And who would not have wept in that hour when they spat in their faces, and cast filthy spittle upon them, and when they received cruel blows on their bodies from this side and from that and from round about? Yet Peter and Paul uttered no word and kept silence, and they bore [everything] in patience, and were even as two simple lambs. And each of them was exhorting the other to be cheerful in spiritual love, as they were being handed over to death, and they were brethren of one body [which was about to become] a pure sacrifice; and one of them they delivered over unto crucifixion, and the other unto death by the sword. What heart is there that will not lament when it heareth these two brethren Peter and Paul, who were, in very truth, righteous, and just, and perfect, saying one to the other, "Go forth in peace, O head of the Church"?

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

O my brother Timothy, I was not nigh unto him when he received the sentence of death in that hour and on that day, for I had gone away with Paul my master; now the two were not in one place where they could finish their testimony together. And oh, what cruel and bitter woe was there to me, my brother Timothy, when the swordsman ordered Saint Paul to bow his head beneath the sword! now his blessed eyes were filled with tears. And woe be unto me, O my brother [Timothy], for I saw him at that hour looking towards heaven, and making over his face the holy sign of the Cross of life, and then holding his peace, he bowed his head and moved it not beneath [the stroke of] the sword. And woe be unto me, O my brother Timothy, for in that hour I saw him bathed in his own blood. And woe be unto me, O Paul my spiritual father, that thou wast 105b. prepared for this death. Woe be unto me, O my pure and shining father. Woe be unto me, O my gracious and honourable master. Woe be unto me, because he hath left me alone. Where hast thou gone, and [why] hast thou cast me off? Whither hast thou removed thysself, and [why] hast thou forsaken me? Whither hast thou removed thyself, thou glory of Christ-like men and of Christians, thou teacher of the polluted Gentiles? Who can keep silent from proclaiming the grace which magnified the Church? Who can restrain himself from proclaiming thy understanding whereby thou didst bring forth the instruction of heavenly and divine words? How can I go to thy disciples, O just master, and what shall I say unto them when they enquire of me concerning thee? Shall I tell them that thou art confined in a place

of restraint, or shut up in a prison? And what dost thou desire from those to whom I shall declare thy message? Henceforth we have no desire towards 106a. any one of them. In Jerusalem I received [my] fetters, and after two years I removed myself from thee into Rome.

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

Behold now, the holy city of Rome is to be compared unto the holy city of Jerusalem, [which is] free indeed. Jerusalem received Christ, the King of Glory, and the city of Rome received His blessed Apostles; Jerusalem is adored by reason of Him that was crucified therein, and the city of Rome is rich by reason of him that was crucified in her. O my brother Timothy, I saw a great marvel on the day wherein the two disciples Peter and Paul were crowned. When the one separated from the other at the time when they finished their testimony, I saw them entering in before me through a gate, the one holding the hand of the other, and they were clothed in the apparel of the kingdom [of heaven], and upon their heads

two richly decorated crowns of the kingdom [of heaven] were placed, and their crowns shone brightly, and lightnings and flames of fire shot forth therefrom over their heads, even as light and fire shoot forth from the sun when he riseth in heaven in the month of Marmûdâ. Now, I was not the only one who was worthy of this wonderful sight, for there was a certain blessed woman, of the family of the unbelieving Emperor Nero, [who also saw it] and this woman was she whom Paul the Apostle had baptized, and had brought in [among] the Christians. And it came to pass that, when the wicked men brought him forth that he might yield up his soul, and finish his testimony, he took her garment from her, and said unto her, "When I return unto thee I will bring it to thee". And when they came to the place wherein he was to finish his testimony, with patience, and quietness, and silence, he bowed down his head beneath the sword, [and he remained] motionless, with his face shrouded in the [woman's] garment. And it came to pass that, when the soldiers who had taken Paul away and slain him, returned, the woman from whom he had taken her garment said unto them, "Where is Paul? And they answered and said unto her, "We left him in the 'armatēn', slain and cast down upon the ground; with him is thy garment, and his face is wrapped therein".

And the woman, who was in very truth a Christian, said unto them, "Verily ye lie, for Paul and Peter have at this moment passed before me [coming] towards me. They were arrayed in apparel which was more beautiful than royal raiment, and upon their heads were 107a. two royal and richly ornamented crowns, and their appearance was exceedingly venerable, and hard for the sight to bear. And as for me, I looked until I was terrified at the sight of them. And Paul restored to me my garment which he took out of my hand, and behold here it is; and straightway she took it in her hand, and shewed it unto them, saying, "Behold, here is my garment which he took from me out of my hand". And when they saw it they were astonished with a great astonishment, and they gave glory unto God, saying, "Verily, His power is great, and His Majesty is exceedingly terrible, and His work is marvellous; by reason of the praise which is ascribed unto Him He is greatly to be feared, and He is glorified by His saints". And it came to pass that in that hour the Christians believed in God, the Lord Jesus Christ, by reason of this great miracle.

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

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

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

And what shall we do now that we have lost the opportunity of meditating upon thy writings which were wont to give us consolation? Woe unto us because of this grief which hath come upon us! O my brother Timothy, thou shalt not read the ancient Scriptures [only], but keep in remembrance the spiritual canons which Paul the chosen one commanded us to observe, and understand that every word which Paul our master spake from God is a portion which will redeem with power [our] souls, for even thus did the expounder of divine words command. Now the divine Paul commanded, saying, "Unless there shall be in the church two interpreters, the Scriptures shall not be read overmuch;" behold now, the master-workman hath taken away the knowledge of all interpretations.

O my brother Timothy, fast, and pray, and keep watch, and make supplication that Christ may make us worthy of the salvation of the divine kingdom, together with Paul our master. Now the disciple of Elijah the prophet enquired of his master with an enquiry which was exalted above the flesh; do thou then take heed that thou art not kept back from the gift of grace. And why did he become worthy of all gifts? Because he did the will (or pleasure) of his master in such a way that the whole 'anāsēr trembled before him; now [the word] anāsēr meaneth "the four quarters of the world". And Elisha neither removed himself nor departed from the service of his master, and although all men made a mock at him and shewed enmity towards him he never left him. And behold, that same Elijah had many disciples, but of them all there was only one who was nigh unto him, and that was Elisha. And the children of Israel hated him and said unto him, "This is the disciple of the false prophet, this is the disciple of him that contendeth against the Law." But Elisha did not answer them a word concerning this, and for this reason he became worthy of the gift which he asked for from his master.

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

And now, thou shalt write unto all the churches which shall come after us, generation after generation, that they may pay honour unto this day, and may celebrate the festival with joy, and with the carefulness which is born of the Spirit, even as [the angels] in heaven celebrate a festival in honour of Peter and of Paul, and of all their disciples. But this day of the festival is not the day of the festival of all the Apostles, for the day of the festival of each of the Apostles is well known, and hath been set apart, and is recognized and understood, even as it is written in "GADLA ḤAWÂRYÂT", and the day of the ending of the testimony of each one of the Apostles is well known, and hath been set apart and recognized. And they shall honour and magnify this day with joy and gladness, because of the honour and majesty of Peter and Paul who revealed the light, and were the wall, and the pillar, and the ornament, and the joy of the Church. Now on the twelfth day of the month Ḥadâr is the festival of the mighty, and holy, and exalted Archangel Michael, whereon all the heavenly hosts are gathered together to celebrate with joy and gladness the festival to the honour and majesty of the angel of their mighty one, and the captain of their army, Michael the angel of powers. And similarly, all the holy Apostles shall on the

fifth day of the month Ḥamlê celebrate a festival both in the heavens and in the earth, and in all the churches, and wheresoever their memorial abideth, and wheresoever [the history of] their contendings, and their discourses are read, and all the Apostles shall celebrate a festival of our gracious and beloved masters, Peter and Paul, with joy. And do ye likewise, O children of the holy Church, if ye desire the salvation of your souls, celebrate their festival, and honour their memory with holy care and with spiritual desire on the day of the festival of the Apostles, so that your souls may be sanctified and your bodies redeemed. And celebrate ye the festival of the Apostles on this day with praise, and prayer, and thanksgiving, and glorifying, and sanctification, and vigils by night and by day unceasingly; in this manner ye shall celebrate a spiritual festival. And again, celebrate ye the festival of the body with joy; and satisfy with food the hungry, and clothe ye the naked, and comfort ye those who are in sorrow, so that your festival may be celebrated to the full. For He saith in the [book of the] prophet of our Lord, "Blessed is he who hath seed in Zion and houses in Jerusalem"." [Now let your] seed be in the belly of the poor and needy who hunger, [in the form of] meat, and drink, and good things, that it may take root, and grow up, and bear fruit, and heap up riches for you in Zion, the holy city of the king of kings, and that ye may find spiritual houses in Jerusalem, the holy city and the free, which is in the heavens.

And build ye churches in the names of the Apostles, and in the names of all the saints, and martyrs, and archangels. And ye shall not only build churches, but ye shall ornament them with all honour and with care, and in the love and fear of God Almighty, with all your strength, and with all your heart[s], like the bride Compare Zechariah viii.

E* of a king who is about to give his daughter to the son of a king. In this wise shall ye make beautiful a church A..25b. when ye have built it, so that God Almighty may see the beauty of your works, and may accept your labour, and may multiply your reward, and may give unto you 109b. His good things so that ye may inherit His kingdom, even as it is written, "He will reward every man according to his work, whether it be good or whether it be evil". And as for you, may He do for you according to the multitude of His mercy; and may He help those of you who do His will; and may He make pure your bodies and sanctify your souls, and heal the sickness of your souls, and your bodies, and lengthen your days, and multiply His blessing in the houses of all those of you who are here. And of those who are gathered together here to celebrate the festival of the blessed Apostles He will enlighten the eyes of your hearts, through the prayer and petition of the pure Virgin, the mother of God, MARY the holy woman who brought life unto all creation; and through A..26a. the supplications of the exalted Archangels Michael and Gabriel; and through the prayer of Saint John, who is more exalted than all the saints and prophets and than all those who are born of women; and by the contendings 110a. and the blood of the victorious martyrs. And may He put an end to, and destroy, and keep away from you the works of devils. And now to the Father be praise, and to the Son be thanksgiving, and to the Holy Spirit be dominion, and worship, and blessing, as is meet always and at every season, on earth and in heaven, and at all times, and henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

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

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

In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit [one god]. IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS TRINITY, THE SUSTAINER 111a. OF ALL, THE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS. The preaching of the blessed Saint Simon, the son of Cleopas, who was surnamed Judas, which is interpreted Nathaniel, who became Bishop of Jerusalem after James, the brother of our Lord. May his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! In the peace of God, Amen.

And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together on the Mount of Olives that they might divide all the countries of the world among them, and as they were praying and blessing God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ came among them and said unto them, "May the peace of My Father dwell upon you, O My holy disciples." And they cast lots, and the lot went forth to Judas the Galilean to go to the country of Samaria, and to preach therein the Gospel of our Lord 111a. Jesus Christ. And Simon answered and said unto our Lord, "Be Thou but with us, O Master, in whatever place we may be, and we will endure whatsoever cometh; only let our father Peter go with us, so that he may bring me unto the country of Samaria." And God (or the Lord) said unto him, "Peter's lot is to go to the country of Rome and to preach therein; but he shall go with thee until he shall have brought thee [to thy country] in peace. And after thou hast made an end of thy preaching and of thy tidings which thou shalt proclaim among the people thereof, thou shalt return to Jerusalem; and after the death of James the Just thou shalt be appointed Bishop therein; and after him thou shalt finish thy strife; even as James the Just finished his strife in that same place. Behold now, O My chosen one Simon, go forth in peace; and may the might of My Father give thee help;" and our Lord blessed him and all the [other] Apostles, and He went up into heaven with great glory.

And it came to pass after our Lord had gone up into heaven that Simon rose up and prayed; and he came to Jerusalem, and Peter also was with him. And they went first of all to Samaria and preached unto the 111b. people there the story of the Gospel; and Simon the Apostle went among their assemblies and preached unto them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it came to pass that, when the Jews who dwelt in that place heard [thereof], they rose up against him, and they beat him sorely and with many stripes, and then they dragged him outside the city; and Peter laid hold upon him and went forth therefrom. But Simon returned unto the people, and stood up among those who were gathered together [there], and he dwelt with them for three days and preached unto them the Name of Christ; and among them were certain men who would not believe. Now at the end of the three days the son of the chief of the synagogue, whose name was James, fell sick and died. And a certain man among those who had believed upon the word of Simon came unto the father of the young man who was dead, and said unto him, "Behold, there

"is an Apostle of Christ here; let him pray over the young "man." And the man went quickly and called the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he came with joy, 111b. and stood over the young man who was dead. And he said unto the father of the young man who was dead, "Dost thou believe in Him Whom they crucified, and that "He is the Son of God, and that through Him thou wilt "see the glory of God?" And the father of the young man who was dead said unto him, "If thou raise up my "son from the dead, and I see him alive "[again], I will believe in Jesus Christ Who was crucified, "and [will believe] that He is the Son of the Living God." Then the Apostle turned his face to the East and prayed, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who wast crucified in

"the days of Pontius Pilate, Who didst prepare me for "this work that I might preach in Thy blessed and "Holy Name, Who didst suffer for our sakes that Thou "mightest redeem us out of the hands of those that hate "us, look now upon this young man who hath died, and "in Thy good pleasure command that he may be raised "up; and let him praise Thy Name this day among the "people of this city, so that they may believe in Thy "holy Name."

And it came to pass that when Simon, the blessed Apostle, had said those words he turned his face towards the place where the young man was, and he said, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, rise up, so that all those who are gathered together may see thee alive, and may believe in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then straightway the young man opened his eyes and rose up and sat down; and Simon commanded that they should bring unto him food that he might eat. Now when those who were gathered together saw this wonderful thing they marvelled; and they all drew nigh and bowed down to the ground before the Apostle, and they all believed in God, and said, "O God, the God of Simon, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, we believe in Jesus Christ, [and we believe] that He is the son of the Living God." And the father of the young man and all those [who were gathered together there] bowed down at the feet of the holy man, the Apostle, and said unto him, "O master, how shall we be saved?" And he said unto them, "Believe ye with all your hearts, and ye shall be saved." Then he taught them the Holy Scriptures, and he baptized all those who dwelt in the city in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and he administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, and commanded them to build churches. And he appointed the chief of the synagogue, whose name was Cornelius, to be their Bishop; and he set over them priests and deacons, and he gave them the Holy Gospel, and he dwelt with them for thirty days, teaching them the Law of God.

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

In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit [one god]. IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS TRINITY, THE SUSTAINER OF ALL, THE MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS! Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Simon, the son of Cleopas, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now he finished his contending on the tenth day of the month Fami; may his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! In the peace of God. Amen. And it came to pass after the death of Saint James the Just, Simon, the son of Cleopas (now his name was judas), was appointed Bishop in Jerusalem after him, and his days were one hundred and twenty years; and at the end of his days he said, "I wish that my blood may be shed in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." And he built churches in Jerusalem, and he appointed priests and deacons to them, that they might redeem the children of men from the dominion of Satan, and make them ready for God's kingdom. The first church which he built he called by the name of MARY, the holy Virgin, the bearer of our Lord; [the second church which he 113a. built he called by the name of . . . . .]; the third church he called by the name of Michael, the Archangel, who intercedeth for the whole race of the sons of men, that [God] may put away punishment from them and that His blessing and mercy may descend upon them; and

the fourth church he called by the name of the Apostles. And it came to pass that Simon wished to destroy the faith of the Jews, and their polluted worship, and their evil rule; therefore he continued to teach all the people the Word of God, [and admonished them] to fill the church[es] which he had built, [and instructed them] in the knowledge of God, and it was plain unto all alike, from the greatest even unto the least. Then all their men believed in the preaching of the Apostle, and at length all the people of the city forsook the assembly of the people of the Jews and followed after the righteousness which the Apostle taught them from God Almighty. And when the Jews heard the fair words of the story of the blessed Apostle, and how he desired to put an 113b. end to their Law (or religion) and their gods, they gathered themselves together, both great and small, and they

all came together against the Apostle that they might kill him. Now the Jews were a people who wrought evil, and therefore they all gathered themselves together against Simon in anger and indignation; and they bound him and brought him before Daryánós (i. e. Trajan) the governor. And they were all testifying against him before the governor, and they said unto him, "Hear-ken unto us, and we will tell thee what this sorcerer hath been doing." Then the governor believed all the words which they spake unto him, and he was angry with the Apostle, and said unto him, "Unto thee I speak, O worker of iniquity. Tell me, art thou not a magician, and dost thou not work sorceries upon all the people of the city?" And the Apostle said unto him, "Hearken thou unto what I shall say unto thee, O governor; thou hast a heart, but it is without understanding. I am not a magician, and I have no knowledge of the art of sor-cery, but I am a servant of Jesus Christ, the God of all creation, the King of kings, the mighty God, Who hath power over all the gods of the nations to destroy them." And it came to pass that when the governor heard these words from the Apostle he was angry with him with a great anger, and he delivered him over unto 113b. evil men that they might crucify him. Then the Jews gathered themselves together against him, and they took out the blessed Apostle Simon, the son of Cleopas, that they might crucify him, even as the wicked governor had commanded; and they hung him upon a cross, and scourged him with scourgings until he died. Now he finished his testimony [on the tenth day of] the month Hamlè, by the good pleasure of God Almighty, the Sustainer of all, to Whom be glory and honour for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Preaching of James the Just, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was surnamed the brother of our Lord in the flesh. Now the lot which went out to him was that he should preach in Jerusalem, and after he had preached unto the people thereof, he became Bishop in Jerusalem, and he died therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the peace of God, Amen. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together that the countries of the world might be divided among them, our Lord Jesus Christ sat in their midst and said unto them, "My peace be upon you, O My holy Apostles! As My Father sent Me to the world, even so do I send you that ye may preach

"throughout the whole world the knowledge of My heavenly Father." And for this reason they cast lots, and the lot came to James to preach the Holy Gospel in Jerusalem and in all the districts thereof. Therefore did he bow down before God and say, "O God, Thou knowest that the Jews will seek to kill us when we preach Thy resurrection and the Holy Gospel. And are not the command and the lot which have gone forth to me great? Yet I am only one, and I know that the Jews will not listen unto the words which I shall speak unto them. I beseech Thee then, O Lord, send me to the Gentiles, together with my brethren, and I will do everything which Thou shalt command me to do, and I will bear patiently all the sufferings which shall come upon me for Thy Name's sake." And our Lord answered and said unto James, "Hearken, and I will , tell thee; but thou must needs preach [the Gospel] in the place which hath gone forth to thee by lot. Behold, I have left Peter, [My] chosen one, to toil for your sakes. Thou shalt, however, be Bishop in Jerusalem, and [the Jews] shall hearken unto thy words, and thou shalt end thy contending nobly, and thy grave shall be therein. Rise up and finish that for which I have prepared thee."

And James said unto Him, "O Lord, let but my father Peter help me; and I will bear everything which shall befall me for Thy honourable Name's sake;" and our Lord gave them the salutation of peace, and went up into heaven with great glory. Now the Apostles were filled with the power of the Spirit, and they prayed in the Mount of Olives. And Peter answered and said unto the Apostles, "Let us go with our brother James, so that we may establish him in his bishopric." Then Peter rose up and all those who were with him, and they stretched out their hands and prayed, saying, "O God, Who dost sustain all creation, hearken unto us. We know that Thou wilt not be far from us in whatsoever we require of Thee. Grant Thou unto our brother 114b. "James the power to give consolation unto Thy people whom Thou hast brought back to him, and may he console them, even as Thou hast consoled him." And it came to pass that when they had prayed their prayer, and each of them had given him the salutation of peace, they brought James into Jerusalem, and he preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and many men believed in his story.

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

but tell me what I shall do that I and all the people of my house may be saved. Therefore the Apostle glorified the name of Jesus Christ, and said, "Master, I give thanks unto thee that thou hast made fair my way; and he returned to the man and spake unto him the word which would save him, and he taught him that our Lord Jesus Christ [is God]. So the aged man brought him into his house; and all the people thereof were gathered together unto him, and he taught them and made them to know the faith, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and he made them to be heirs in the Holy Mysteries, that is to say, the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood.

And it came to pass that, when the people of the country heard [of James], they brought unto him all their folk who were sick with sicknesses of every kind, and he healed them; and he appointed priests and deacons for them, and he made the old man bishop, and he gave him the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then James went forth into all the districts which were round about Jerusalem, and preached therein; and then he returned to Jerusalem. And the faithful heard of the coming of James (now he was [surnamed] the Just) into Jerusalem, and they all came to him, praising God our Lord Jesus Christ, with His Father, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint James the Just, the blessed Apostle, which took place on the eighteenth day of the month of Hamli. In the peace of our Lord, Amen. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan!

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

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

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

And it came to pass that when Aumanius (or Ananus) heard [of it], he was angry with an exceedingly great anger because his wife had done [this thing]. And he gathered together unto him all the nobles of the city, and said unto them, "Are ye going to do nothing in this matter? Behold, the Bishop is destroying the city and leading astray all the people, and he wisheth that all those who are in our territories shall be of his opinion, and [under] his teaching." And they all rose up and came together, and said, "What then can we do unto him?" And certain men of them said, "Behold, he will come to the feast, and if ye desire to lay hold upon him we will lie in wait [for him] in the synagogue."

Now many men were called James, but James the Just was not of them. And besides this God Almighty had chosen him and had sanctified him from his mother's womb, like Jeremiah the prophet, and he neither drank wine all the days of his life nor ate meat wherefrom the blood had gone not forth; and a razor had never gone up upon his head, and he never took a bath, and he put on no clothing except one loose garment all the days of his life. And he continued in the sanctuary always, and he stood up, and watched, and prayed humbly unto God that He would forgive the sins of the people, until at length his foot swelled by reason of his prolonged standing and prostrations; and it was for this reason he was called "James the Just." Now the Jews knew that he was both just and sincere towards them, and that he was of the type of the Prophets. And this James was the youngest of the sons of Joseph the carpenter, who had four male children and two daughters; and all Joseph's children married except James, and he became an orphan. And it came to pass that, when our Lady MARY became the bride of Joseph, she found James as a little boy in [his house], and she tended him and taught him the fear of God, and for this reason they used to call our Lady MARY the "mother of James."

And it came to pass that, when James had been appointed Bishop in Jerusalem, multitudes believed on our Lord through him, because they became convinced of his sincerity. Then a great uproar took place among the Jews, and among the Scribes, and among the Pharisees, because all the people said that Jesus was the Christ; and they came to James that they might take counsel with him concerning Him. And they said unto him, "We 117a. beseech thee to set thyself at the head of all the multitude, for they will not believe that Jesus is the Christ Who shall come. Now behold, all the people will come unto Jerusalem at the Passover, do thou then speak unto them and make their hearts to rejoice, for we know that thou dost not speak any false thing whatsoever; and besides, thou art unto them as a prophet. And we will make them to hear concerning thy graciousness, and that there is no unchastity in thee; accept now our petition, and let them all hear thy voice; and thou shalt go up unto the upper portion of the synagogue, and we will stand there until all the people shall hear thy voice."

And, behold, of the children of Israel multitudes of the people, of the tribes and of the Scribes and Pharisees, went up [to the synagogue] wishing that James would tell them that Jesus was the son of Joseph, and that He was his brother; and they commanded the deputy of the congregation to order the multitudes to keep silence and to hearken unto the voice of [James] the Just . And they all cried out, and said, "We have upon us the 117a. desire to hear, and we will not be denied, for the people are made to err by the evilness of the teaching of the Jews, and they have a love for the belief in Jesus Who was crucified; tell us now, O just one, Who is Jesus the King?" And James answered and said unto them in a loud voice, "Why do ye enquire of me concerning Jesus the Lover of men? Behold, He sitteth on the right hand [of God in] the majesty of the Father, and He shall come upon a cloud of heaven and shall judge both the living and the dead." And many people believed by reason of what they had heard from James, and they glorified Christ, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David."

And it came to pass that when the priests and the Pharisees heard these words, although they pretended to .32b. be afraid in the presence of the people, yet were they filled with wrath in their hearts against James the Just; and they went back and cried out to him, and said unto him, "Tell us now, of whom is Jesus the Son?" Then he said unto them, "He is in truth the Son of God the Father, Who begot Him before the world, and the Virgin 117b. MARY gave birth to Him after [the appointed number of] days. I believe in Him, and in His Father, Who is of old, and [in] the Holy Spirit, the glorious Trinity which shall have its being unto the end of the world, and for ever."

And it came to pass that when the chief priests, and the Scribes, and the Pharisees heard these words from him, they gnashed their teeth at him, and they stopped their ears, so that they might not hear the voice of God from the mouth of Saint James. Then they took counsel together each with the other, and said, "We have done evil, for we have made him to be a witness unto the people that Jesus is the Son of God Almighty; but let us go up against him, and slay him, so that the multitude ,may not believe in Christ." Then was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet who said, "The righteous man shall be rewarded, for he that is a harsh man shall not be the anointed one over us; and they shall eat the fruit of their evil work." And the Jews went up against James in wrath, and they thrust him off from the pinnacle of the temple and threw him down therefrom, and he fell upon his face, and he knelt down upon his knees like Stephen Protomartyr, and he made supplication unto God, saying, "O God, Thou merciful One, be merciful unto them, and shew compassion unto them, for they know not what they do;" and they cast him down as he was making this petition.

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

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

Here beginneth the preaching of the blessed Bartholomew, the Apostle, and the history [of his life] in the country of 'Elwāḥ.' In the peace of God. May his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Wafatta Madhan! Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together to divide the countries of the world [among them], the lot went forth to Bartholomew to depart into the country of the Oasis and to preach therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he said unto Peter, the chief of the Apostles, "O my father Peter, I have neither entered into this country, nor do I know the speech of those who dwell therein; I beseech thee 1 I. c., the Oasis. 'Elwāḥ = الواح (plural, واحلت). Coptic ΟΤΑΖΩ. The Oasis here referred to is probably the Oasis of Al-Bahnasā, واح البينسا, Coptic ΟΤΑΖ ΠΟΙΝΩ. I. c., Oasis Parva, where there was a church named after Bartholomew. Abū Ṣāliḥ (ed. Evetts, p. 215) says that this saint was martyred there, and that his body is in the church of Karbīl. The Oases are described by Yāḥūt, tom iv. p. ٨٧٣. See LIPSIUS, Apostelgeschichten, vol. i., part 2, p. 86.

"to go forth with me, and to bring me thereunto; then shall the will of God Almighty be done." And Peter answered and said unto him, "I may not go forth with thee alone, for I am commanded by God Almighty to bring each and every one of you into the country [wherein he shall preach]."

Then Peter and Bartholomew arose and went forth to seek out the country of the Oasis. And it came to pass that, as they were journeying through the desert country, 132a. they found a certain man who was the possessor of [merch. andize]; now he had servants with him, and ten camels. And when Peter and Bartholomew saw him, they went to him, and said unto him, "Peace be unto thee, O master of camels; and he said unto them, "Peace be unto you. And Peter said unto him, "Whither goest thou, O man, with these camels? Then the man said unto them, "To the country of the Oasis. And Peter said unto him, "Perform unto us an act of kindness, and take us, and set us down in [that] country. And the master of the camels said unto them, "What thing seek ye [to do] by entering into this country? for ye have no merchandize wherewith to traffic therein. And Peter said unto him, "It is not with us as thou thinkest, for we have no merchandize to sell, and we do not wish to buy [any]. We are the servants of God the Good, Whose Name is Jesus Christ, and we are His chosen ones. We are twelve men, and we teach His commandments;

and He hath placed in our hands [the power] to heal those who are sick of every kind of disease, and He hath commanded us to journey through all countries, and to tell the story [of the Gospel] in His Name, and we command men not to abide in their sins and error, but to repent through 132b. Him so that He may forgive them their transgressions, and may make them fit for His kingdom. And it is by reason of this command that we have entered into [this] country, to bring unto those who are therein this command which our Master (or Teacher) hath taught us, so that they may hear, and may forsake their works of time past, and may repent, and may receive the life which is for ever."

And it came to pass that when the man had heard these words he said unto them, "Then ye belong to the people of Jesus! We cannot allow you to come into our country. For we have heard concerning you that ye lead astray the people, and that ye separate wives from their husbands, and that ye say that a man cannot have life except he have purity and that without it he is not able to see God Almighty . . ." Formerly when I "went forth from my friend and returned unto him, as soon as he saw me he was wont to rejoice in me; but 132b. this time he hath not lifted up his head even to say unto me, 'Peace be unto thee,' by reason of the greatness of his sorrow. And I asked him for what reason he was in sorrow, and he said unto me, 'I have been thus sorrowful in mind for the last ten days by reason of my wife.' Now certain men of your company came into his country, and commanded all the people thereof according to the words which ye speak; and his wife received their words and forsook her husband. And I am afraid for myself lest, when ye have arrived

1 A number of words have been dropped by the scribe here. "in my country and ye teach the people [thereof] according to your doctrine, my wife will hearken unto you, and will believe in you, and will separate herself from me."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"bought, thinking that he was a man, is a god; and he whom I bought and declared to be a slave is a nobleman!" Then the nobleman went to the Apostle, and said unto him, "O master, I adjure thee by our Lord Jesus Christ, our God Whom I saw standing by thee at the moment when thou didst raise me up from the dead: I "adjure thee in His Name not to refuse me the request which I make unto thee, and to give me an answer thereto." And the Apostle said unto him, "If that which thou shalt ask of me be a fair request, I will deal with thee in a fair manner; but tell me now, what is thy request?" And the nobleman said unto him, "I would that thou didst command me to do away with the vineyard, and to build a fair church in the place thereof, for in that place I learned to know God, and in that place I died, and in that place I came to life [again]." And the Apostle said unto him, "It shall be even as thou sayest." Then straightway the nobleman commanded them to dig up the vineyard; and they brought dry reeds (or stubble), and he made a trench

in the surface of the ground for the foundations of the church, and he commanded them to bring masons and workmen of every kind who are employed in building, and a beautiful church was built from the beginning even unto the completion thereof. And Bartholomew appointed as priest the nobleman whom he had raised from the dead, and he appointed deacons [for the congregation]. And he dwelt in the city for [three] months teaching the people, and he healed all those who were sick therein, and he brought them unto God Almighty; and [when] he went forth [from] them they sent him away in peace, saying unto him, "There is no God but Jesus Christ Who hath sent thee unto us to cleanse us from our sins." So Bartholomew departed from Elwāḥ, and journeyed to the country of N'īndōs (Naidas) to preach therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and honour for ever and ever! Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ; now his death took place on the first day of the month Maskarram. In the peace of God, Amen. May his prayer and blessing be with His handmaiden Walatta Madhan! And it came to pass that when Bartholomew had journeyed to Nasmêfin and Niêndôs (Naidas), [which were two] great cities built upon the sea shore, [he found] that the people thereof had no knowledge of God Almighty, and that they were like unto sheep which had lost themselves through the greatness of their foolish simplicity. And when Bartholomew, the blessed Apostle, had come to them he preached unto them the Gospel of God, and when he had entered into the city he preached unto those who were therein, saying, "Hearken, O ye who dwell in this city. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the king-dom of heaven.

"Blessed are the merciful, for unto them shall [men] shew mercy. "Blessed are the makers of peace, for they shall be called the children of God. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are those who give unto the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. These are they who give a pledge unto God |. "Blessed are those who have wives, but are as those who have them not, for they shall inherit the earth."

Now as the people were listening unto this doctrine from Saint Bartholomew, God Almighty, the Father and the Sustainer of all things, opened their hearts, and they accepted the commandments of God Almighty the Sustainer of all things, Who desireth that the sinner shall receive life, and shall return unto Him that He may forgive him. In this wise He gave unto the people of [that] city the power of the knowledge of Him, and a right mind, from the greatest of them even unto the least, and they hearkened and believed in God Almighty and in His Gospel, and in the word of Bartholomew, which became sweet in the hearts, even as is honey in the belly, of all those who listened [thereto]. And the people of the cities and of all the countries round about them forsook the service of idols, and believed in God Almighty Who hath the desire to save the seed of Adam; and He turned their hearts to receive the faith which is in Him, that He might save their souls and grant forgiveness unto them, and every man among them remitted his neighbour's debt to him. Then the people of the city and of the regions round about it called upon Bartholomew to bless them, and all the inhabitants thereof, both male and female, and they loved God, and they submitted unto His command, and they forsook all the works of Satan in this transitory world, and they loved purity.

And it came to pass that the story of Saint Bartholomew and of his preaching went forth into every place, and all those who heard the preaching of the Gospel believed in God Almighty with all their hearts. And the renown of Bartholomew came unto 'Akrēpās (Acarpus) the king, and when the wife of the king heard thereof she departed from his bed and from 137b. pollution by the king. And it came to pass that, when the king knew that his wife had left him because of the words of Bartholomew, who commanded every one in the knowledge of righteousness in the faith of Jesus Christ [so to do], he sent [orders] that they should bring him unto him quickly. And when he had come the king said unto him, "Art thou Bartholomew the sorcerer and the man (i. e., follower) of Jesus Christ?" Then Bartholomew made answer unto him with great boldness and readiness, and said unto him, "I am not, O king, a sorcerer as thou sayest, for sorcery cannot be wrought in the Name of Jesus; but all sorcery, and the evil works of every kind which are wrought perish when the Name of Jesus is mentioned." Then the king commanded them to take him out of his presence, and he ordered those who were with him to bring his wife unto him.

Then Saint Bartholomew stood up at a little distance from the king, and he stretched out his hands, and prayed the prayer of the Gospel, and said "Amen." And a certain man, who was blind in his right eye, (now he could see nothing whatever therewith) and whose hand and arm had been dried up from the day of his birth, came towards the Apostle, and drew nigh unto him, and besought him to heal him; and immediately the Apostle had looked upon the man his eye was opened and it became like unto its fellow. And the Apostle said unto him, "I say unto thee, Give me thy hand and arm, that the might of Christ may be revealed, and that all men may see and may believe in His holy Name;" and as the man was putting them forth from his apparel, he found that the [withered] hand and arm were living and were like unto the other hand and arm . Thereupon the man went forth among the people glorifying God, and giving thanks unto Him, and he preached in the blessed name of the Apostle; and he went about throughout the whole country preaching and making known unto the people the fair deed which God had done for him, and the power which God had made to appear at the hands of Saint Bartholomew.

Then 'Akripōs (Acarpus) the king said unto the nobles of his kingdom and unto all his servants, "If [we allow] this disciple to dwell and to live in these districts, he will lead us all into his fair path [of life]; it is for us to kill him, and we must do away his body so that it may not be found;" and they answered and said unto him, "Let it be as the king hath commanded." Now their hearts were sad, and they were unwilling to slay him, for they were rejoicing because they had seen the multitudes of marvellous things which God Almighty had revealed at his hands. And they said unto the king, If it please thee, O king, let us drive him from our "district;" now the people of the city wished to save the Apostle from the hands of the king. Then was the king angry with a great anger, and he swore with a mighty oath that he would not hearken unto their words, and that, on the contrary, he wished to kill him by means of an evil death; and they were unable to answer him a word.

And Bartholomew went round about through the country and preached unto them the preaching of the Gospel, and he taught the multitudes, and commanded them to learn the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And by reason of this thing a certain evil man came unto the king and said unto him, "Knowest thou not that Bartholomew is going round about the whole country disobeying thy commandment and blaspheming thy gods?" And it came to pass that when the king heard thereof, he was wroth with a great wrath because of this thing, and he sent certain captains of his host, together with a large number of men, to seek out Bartholomew. And he commanded them that wheresoever they found him they were to bind his hands and his feet, and to cast him into the sea, so that he might not again be found [on the earth].

And it came to pass that, when the messengers had set out on their way, they found Bartholomew casting out a devil from a man who had been subject unto him for a very long time past, and he was teaching the multitude and commanding them to believe in God, our Lord Jesus Christ. And when the messengers had come up to the blessed Apostle, he met them with the salutation of peace, and said unto them, "Peace! May God be with you, O my brethren!" And they stood before him talking together and marvelling at his simplicity, and at the beauty of his appearance. Then they said unto him, "Wilt thou be pleased to come with us unto the king? Now he calleth for thee. If thou be not pleased so to do we will not command thee to come with us; against thy will we do not wish thee to come, for we believe that God is with thee in all thy work." Then the Apostle said within himself (or in the spirit), "It is not meet for me to transgress the command of God Almighty, Who saith, 'Ye shall enter into the presence of kings and governors for My Name's sake.'" Therefore they desired this thing and he went with them into the presence of 'Akrēpōs the king [who] looked at him, and said unto him, "Art thou he that troubleth the city and all the districts thereof, and that separateth wives from their husbands?" And Saint Bartholomew answered and said, "It is not I who trouble the city, and it is not I who tempt wives from their husbands; but those who believe in God with all their hearts and with all their souls doth He endow with purity. And moreover, 'Akrēpōs, if thou wilt hearken unto me, thou shalt deliver thyself, and shalt inherit the kingdom of heaven in the place of this fleeting kingdom."

And it came to pass that when 'Akrēpōs heard these words from him, he was angry with a great anger, for he had kept in his mind how his wife had separated herself from him. Then he commanded the officers of See St. Matt. x. 18; St. Mark. xiii. 9; St. Luke xxi. 12. his guards to fill a sack with sand, and to put Saint Bartholomew therein and to cast him into the sea; and they did as the king had commanded them. Now he died on the first day of the month Maskarram, and afterwards the waves of the sea cast him up, and on the day following certain believing men, who had confessed the faith in God through him, swathed him in swathings, and laid him in a fair place. 1392. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now, henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen, and Amen. So be it!

Here begin the Acts which Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist, wrought in the city of Kahēnât. In the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Wafatta Madḥan! Amen.

And it came to pass that Peter and Andrew returned from the country of Greece [where] they had strengthened [the people] in the faith, and taught them the Law of belief; now as they were journeying along the road Matthew met them and they embraced each other in a spiritual embrace. Then Matthew said unto them, "[Whence have ye come?" And they said unto him, "From Greece]." And Matthew said unto them, "And I have come from the country of Pērākōmnōs," which is, being interpreted, Those who rejoice;" and they each described unto the others all the sufferings which had befallen them. Then Matthew said unto them, "In the city where I have been our Lord Jesus Christ doth dwell always, and He doth keep the feast with them, and He hath stablished His 149a. seat in their church, in the east thereof, and He teacheth them His commandment. And it came to pass that when I entered into their city, I preached unto them, and I told them the story of the Gospel in His Name. And they said unto me, 'We know this Name.' And I said unto them, 'Who hath told it unto you?' and they said unto me, 'Have patience until to-morrow, and thou shalt see Him of Whom thou hast told us.' And it came to pass that, when the morrow had come, our Lord Jesus Christ arrived, and He was seated upon a shining cloud, and all the powers of heaven were blessing Him. Now when I had seen Him, by reason of the greatness of [my] gladness—for I rejoiced in the Holy Spirit—I cried out, saying, 'Ascribe praise and glory unto the king, and exalt ye His Sublimity unto all eternity.' For three days we blessed [Him] in the church, and when the three days were ended He blessed us, and then ascended into heaven with great glory.

"And I said unto them, 'How did ye make yourselves worthy of the great honour of our Lord Jesus Christ 149a. keeping the festival with you?' And they said unto me, 'Hast thou not heard the story concerning the nine tribes and the half tribe whom God Almighty brought into the land of inheritance? We are they! And it came to pass that when it was mid-day Gabriel, the Angel of God, came unto us, and there came with him the four hundred and forty thousand and four hundred "children whom Herod had slain, and who had not defiled "their hearts in the world; and when they were ascribing "praises [unto Him], we also ascribed praises [unto "Him] with them, and when they said, 'Hallelujah,' we "also said, 'Hallelujah,' with them. As for gold and silver "we desire it not in our country; we eat not flesh and "we drink not wine in our country, for our food is honey

"and our drink is the dew. And we do not look upon "the face of women with sinful desire, and our firstborn "children do we offer as a gift unto God that they may "minister in the church and in the sanctuary all the days "of their life until they be thirty years [of age]. The "water which we drink [floweth] not from cisterns which 149b. "have been hewn by the hand of man, but [we drink] "of the water which floweth from Paradise. We do not "array ourselves in apparel which hath been made by the "hand of man, but our raiment is made of the leaves of "trees. No word of lying hear we in our land, and no "man knoweth another who speaketh that which is false. "No man taketh to wife two women in our country, and "the son dieth not before his father, and the young man

"speaketh not in the presence of the aged, "the lions dwell with us, but they do no harm unto us, "and we do no harm unto them. When the winds are "lifted up we smell the scent of Paradise, and in our "country there is neither spring, nor cold, nor ice; but "there are winds and they are [always] pleasant.' And it came to pass that when I heard [these words] I wished that my dwelling-place had been with them, until mine eyes were weary [with the sight of them, and mine ears] with listening unto the sweet sound of their voice." And after these things Peter and Andrew blessed God Almighty, and they entreated Him to reveal unto them the place whither they should go. Then our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto them standing in their midst, and He said unto them, "Peace be unto you, O My holy disciples, whom My Father hath chosen out of all creation; be strong and believe that I will be with you always, and I will never be remote from you whatever may be the place to which ye have journeyed." And the Apostles bowed low before Him

even to the ground, and they said [unto Him], "We bless Thy Name, O Lord, and we give thanks unto Thee always. Command us and declare unto us the way wherein we should go." Then our Lord spake unto Peter, and commanded him to go to the city of Rome, and He commanded Andrew to go to the city of Mesyâ, and Matthew unto the City of Kâhenât. And Matthew said unto our Lord, "Nay, but I know not Kâhenât, and I have never entered into the city of its people." And our Lord said unto him, "Hitherto thou hast been of little faith. But set thou out on the road, and it shall bring thee unto two roads; of these journey thou upon that which is on thy right hand, and it shall bring thee unto their city." And as they were talking together in this wise a cloud made its appearance, and it bore Peter and Andrew away and brought them unto their places wherein our Lord had commanded them to preach.

And Matthew journeyed along a little way, and he lifted up his eyes unto heaven, and he prayed and said, "O Thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst converse with Abraham; and didst make perfect his progeny in Isaac; and didst stablish a testimony in Jacob, and Thy gift of grace in Joseph, and Thy Law in Moses; and didst keep Thy people in the desert for forty years, and didst overshadow them by day with a cloud, and didst give them light by night by a pillar of fire; and didst blot out for them their enemies under their feet; and didst bring them forth from the Red Sea, and didst lead them out into a land prepared for them, which Thou didst promise [to give] unto their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; be Thou unto me a guide on this road." And straightway a cloud came and bore away Matthew and brought him unto the City of Kâhenât; and it came to pass that when he had seen the city he rejoiced and desired to enter [therein].

And Matthew saw before him a young man who was a keeper of sheep, and when he had come up with him he said unto him, "I say unto thee, O thou young man, thou keeper of sheep, Which is the road which will bring me into this city?" And the young man said unto him, "This road [will take thee into the city], but thou wilt not be able to enter therein dressed in this apparel, for it is not like unto the apparel of [the men of] our city; now thy raiment is dirty, and if thou hast the desire to come into the city take off the apparel which is upon thee, and array thyself in the garb of the priests. And next shave off the hair of thy head and beard, and gird up thy loins, and take in thy 11* right hand a palm branch of Hosanna, and make unto thyself sandals of palm leaves and shoe thy feet therewith; then shall thy apparel be like unto that of the men of the city, and thou mayest enter therein."

And it came to pass that when Matthew heard these words from him (or them) his heart was sad, and he went back along the road whereon he had travelled, and he did not desire to enter into the city. Now the young man who had spoken to him was our Lord Jesus Christ, and when Matthew was going back along the road He followed him for a little way, and stretched out His hand,

and made him to turn round. And Matthew said unto Him, "How knowest Thou me? Who told Thee my name?" Then the young man said unto him, "I know thee, O Matthew. Turn back, and travel on to the city, and enter into it. I am Jesus thy God, do therefore that which I have commanded thee, and let not thine heart be sad; if, however, thou dost not do as I have said unto thee, thou wilt not be able to enter into the city." Then Matthew did as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded him, and our Lord Jesus walked with him, and brought him to the gate of the city, and said unto him, "Be strong, O Matthew, My Apostle, and hold fast, and endure patiently, for the king of this city shall scourge thee with many scourgings, and they shall cast thee into prison; and afterwards they shall burn thy body with fire. Keep thyself firm, and fear not; be not terrified, neither be dismayed. For the king shall be converted, and shall believe in Me, together with all those who dwell in the city . Now for this reason the people shall wish to burn thee with fire, [but the flames of fire] wherewith [they would do so] shall leap up and shall consume their god Apollo. And as for thee, endure thou patiently and cry out upon My Name, for I will hearken unto thee, and I [will be] with thee at all times, and I will be remote neither from thee nor from thy brother Apostles in any place whithersoever thou goest." And as our Lord was saying these words unto Matthew, He went up from him into heaven in great glory.

Then Matthew rose up and came into the city, and he asked the people of the city, saying, "Where is the temple?" And they said unto him, "Where is thine own city?" and he said unto them, "I am a handicraftsman from the country of Egypt." And they said unto him, "For what purpose hast thou come [hither]? And what seekest thou?" And he said unto them, "I have come to learn (literally, see) the doctrine of your god, and what he teacheth you." And they said unto the Apostle, "It is not our god who teacheth us anything, 151a. and we never hear a word from him, and as for the offerings which we offer unto him we know not who eateth them, for it is the men who minister unto him who receive [our] gifts from us." Then the Apostle said unto them, "Do ye yourselves not belong to the body of the priests?" And they said unto him, "Yea, we are of the great ones among the priests who minister unto the gods." And Matthew said unto them, "Are all your gods of one rank and equality?" And they said unto him, "Apollo is the greatest." Then the Apostle said unto them, "Apollo loveth the rich and hateth the poor, this god Apollo is a balance which doth not act justly.

"Now I should like to see the face of your god, and to hold converse with him, and I would ask him, 'Wherefore lovest thou the rich and hatest the poor? For they all are thy servants, and it is meet that thou shouldst pay '[equal] honour unto them all.'" 151a. And it came to pass that when the people of the city heard the words of the Apostle, they divided themselves into two companies; and they spake the one unto the other, saying, "Let us go with him into the temple that we may hear his words." So they went with Matthew, and they came into the temple, and brought him unto the priest, and said unto him, "Behold, this man hath arrived from the country of Egypt; come forth and hold "converse with him." And when Matthew came unto him, he embraced him with a spiritual embrace, for he desired to save him. Now when Matthew had embraced 'Armis the priest, the hand (or might) of God Almighty came down upon him, and he said unto the Apostle, "Whence art thou? Whence comest thou? And who art thou? For when I had been embraced by thee there came down upon me great grace; tell me who thou art, O my Lord." And the Apostle said unto him, "I belong to a noble tribe, and I am a priest of God;" and Matthew rejoiced because of the grace which had descended upon 'Armis the priest. And Armis the priest

said unto him, "I wish to know how thou didst find the way, and didst come into this city; and Matthew said unto him, "My God brought me herein. [And 'Armis the priest] said unto him, "How did it happen? [And the Apostle said unto him], "He took hold of my hand, and set me down at the gate of the city. And 'Armis said unto him, "I desire to see thy God. And the Apostle said unto him, "If thou believest in Him, and dost keep His commandment, and dost believe in everything which I say unto thee, and art certain that He [is], then will I cause my God to hold converse with thee; for my Lord is a righteous God, and He revealeth not Himself unto the man of folly, on the contrary, from the man who is impure He is hidden, and [not] manifest. And 'Armis the priest said unto him, "Where dwelleth thy God?"; and the Apostle said unto him, "In my country. Then 'Armis said unto him, "Where is thy country? And Matthew said unto him, "My country is in the holy country, and all the ways [of the people] are in righteousness. And the country is the country of light; and those who dwell therein die not; in my country there is no darkness, for the whole of it is light, and my God illumineth all those who are therein; and death [cometh] 151b. not upon the people of my country.

The whole of my country is furnished with seats (or habitations), and it is full of sweet scents, and in it are very many gardens into which the righteous may enter. In my country there is no one who hath the desire of sin, but all the dwellers therein are righteous. In my country no man is a slave, but all men are free; my God is both merciful and compassionate, and He giveth unto the poor and maketh them to have possessions in abundance. In my country there is no man who hateth another, but all are friends; in my country there is neither backbiting nor calumny, but all are well-pleasing, each to the other; in my country there is neither evil nor transgression, but every man is at peace; in my country there is no oppressor, but all men are lowly; in my country there is no sound of sorrow, but every man rejoiceth and is glad."

And it came to pass that when 'Armis the priest heard [these words] from Matthew he said unto him, "How can it be that there is no unclean person in thy country?" And Matthew answered and said unto him, "Because my God Himself is pure." Then 'Armis the priest said unto him, "I wish to come with thee into thy country." And Matthew said unto him, "Thou shalt both come into my country, and see my God, if thou 152a. wilt become a partner with me in the faith [of Christ] and in the Holy Mysteries." And when the evening was come Matthew said unto 'Armis the priest, "Hasten thy work;" and 'Armis said unto him, "Tarry for me whilst I go and light the lamp of Apollo before I go to my evening meal;" and Matthew said unto him, "Dost thou light a lamp for thy god?" And 'Armis said unto him, "I not only light a lamp for him, but I wash him, and I decorate him until he is beautiful [to look upon], and I carry him about from place to place." And Matthew said unto him, "My God giveth light unto me, and all those who minister unto Him do shine with His light at all times, and all

"those who minister unto Him doth He surround with light; and all those who glorify Him array themselves in apparel of light." And 'Armis said unto him, "I will go with thee into thy city;" and Matthew said unto 152a. him, "Seek not to go forth with me into my city, for I call upon the Name of my God, and when I have called He cometh unto me; and when He hath come unto me He maketh the temple, (or synagogue) to be bright with light." And 'Armis said unto him, "I desire to see this wonderful thing." Then Matthew lifted up his eyes to heaven and spake, saying, "I beseech Thee, O my Lord, Thou Sustainer of all things; Who dwellest in the habitation of the glory of Thy Father; my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the King of glory; Who clothest the naked with raiment; thou King of the righteous, Thou Light of the blind, Thou Light of the World, Thou Lamp that canst not be extinguished, Thou Light nigh unto which no darkness can come; Thou Axe that cuttest down every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit; Thou Fire that consumest every god which is the work of the hand of man; Thou Tree of Life that givest life unto all the world, my Lord and my God Jesus Christ; let Thy mercy come unto me; and hearken unto my prayer, and send Thy light and Thy righteousness upon me; and drive away sorrow from my soul; and make Thy light, and Thy righteousness, and Thy mercy to rise like the Sun upon me."

And it came to pass that, when Matthew had finished his prayer, there rose upon them a mighty light, and when 'Armis saw it he fell on his face upon the ground. Then a mighty commotion took place in the city by reason of the exceedingly great light, and the earth trembled and was moved; and Apollo fell down, and he and all the images [of the gods] which were in the temple were broken in pieces, and none of them was left whole, and they were all dashed into small pieces. Then Matthew lifted up Armis from the ground, and said unto him, "Look now at your god! How can he who is not able to save himself save others?" And Armis rose up, and came unto the place where Apollo was, and he found him overthrown and broken in pieces; and he spurned him with his foot, and said unto him, "O Apollo, thou canst not save thyself, how then canst thou save others? Good is the name which [this man] hath called thee."

Then Matthew said unto him, "Come forth now, and leave this contemptible thing which hath fallen upon his face;" and 'Armis went forth and took hold of the hand of Matthew, and said unto him, "Come with me into my habitation, that thou mayest eat bread." And Matthew said unto him, "Yes, let us eat [but what shall we eat?] "Let us tell Apollo to make ready for us something that we may eat." Then 'Armis said unto him, "Whilst he was in his glory and majesty he never .45b.

"at any time did the like of this; how, then, after he hath been broken and dashed into pieces, and hath come into the hand of a man that he may spurn him with his foot, can he do this thing?" And Matthew said, "My God hath the power to send unto us that which we may eat;" and 'Armis said unto him, "I entreat thee [to ask Him to do so], for I believe that which thou sayest unto me concerning the Light which came down unto us, and I wish that He would send [food] unto us." And Matthew said unto him, "I will bring unto thee that which thou hast asked of me," and he stretched out his hands, and he made supplication, saying, "O God of the sinners who repent and turn away [from their sin]; Who convertest the souls which have been cast away unto the knowledge of Himself; Who sanctifiest soul and body together; Thou Word that camest down from heaven; Thou manna that wast made to come down in the desert; Thou Word who art exalted above all things; Thou Guide of the souls which have been lost; Who didst bring the celestial food into the desert which the children of Israel did eat when fasting with gladness; Thou Food of the famishing; Thou Vivifier of the soul and of the body; Thou, my Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast held me to be worthy 153a. of this spiritual service, do Thou send upon me Thy glory, and Thy blessing, and Thy honour, for ever and ever! Amen."

And it came to pass that by reason of this prayer there came unto them a table of light, whereupon was bread as white as snow, and a leather bottle of wine. And Matthew said unto 'Armis, "Thou art not worthy to eat of this bread until thou hast become a partaker with me in the belief (or faith), and in the Holy Mysteries;" and 'Armis said unto him, "Haste thee, and make me worthy to receive them." Thereupon Matthew taught him the word of life, and revealed unto him the knowledge of the faith; and he baptized him in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and he gave unto him of the holy bread and wine. And Matthew prayed a second time, and made the table to ascend unto its own place. Then Matthew and 'Armis went out and covered over [with earth] the place where Apollo was, and they closed the doors of the temple and they came to the house of Armis together; and Matthew taught the people therein the knowledge [of Christ], and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and there was great joy in the house of Armis. 153a.

And it came to pass that when the morrow had come the king came forth to go into the temple, but he found the gates shut; and he commanded them to bring 'Armis the priest there. And when he stood before him, the king said unto him, "Why hast thou dared to close the gates of the temple? And why hast thou covered over [with earth] the place of Apollo, the great god?" And 'Armis said unto him, "He was not able to save A..46b. himself: how then hath he the power to save others?" And the king said unto him, "Who is able to save himself?" And 'Armis said unto the king, "Apollo hath not the power to save himself. Only Jesus, the Son of God, the Living One, the Saviour of souls, the Raiser of the dead, the Glory of the righteous, Who hath brought to nought all the counsel of the Enemy, Who hath seized 153b. Satan and hath set him under His feet, can do this." Then the king said unto 'Armis, "Where hast thou learned the Name of Jesus?" And 'Armis said unto him, "I heard it from His disciple Matthew, who found me out and made me worthy to know it; and He hath made His light to shine upon me, and upon all those who are in my habitation." Now when the king heard these words from him he was angry with a great anger, and he commanded them to bind the feet of 'Armis and of Matthew with cords, and to drag them round about A..46b. through the city until their limbs were cut to pieces, and their blood flowed, and pieces of their flesh clung to the road , and to beat them with sticks; and when the people had done this the king commanded them to cast Armis and Matthew into prison.

And the king went into the temple, wherein Apollo was, and he found that all the images which were in the temple had been broken to pieces, and that Apollo himself had been dashed into small pieces. Then by reason of this thing was the king dismayed, and he and all those who were with him rent their garments; and he commanded them to bring 'Armis and Matthew thither that they might burn them in fire. And there was a great tumult in the city, for an earthquake took place, and all the images fell down upon their faces and were dashed in pieces; and they (i. e., the people) cried out with a loud voice, saying, "There is no god but Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the First and the Last. Now the people of the city were divided into two companies, the one believing on Jesus, and the other on Apollo. And the people who were the followers of Apollo were saying, "Let them bring these sorcerers forth and burn them in fire; and those who believed in Christ said, "We will not give these men up [to you]. Then the king commanded them to bring out much wood, and to kindle a fire that they might burn 'Armis and Matthew alive therein; but those who believed in our Lord Jesus Christ armed themselves with weapons, and they made themselves helpers of Armis and Matthew, and delivered them.

And they said unto the followers of Apollo, "We will not let the servants of God be burnt in the fire, for it is not just [so to do]. And the king said unto them, "Why do ye act thus hostilely against Apollo and all the gods? And they said unto him, "Because Apollo had not the power to save himself from the destruction which came upon him, and behold, all the idols that were in our houses have been broken in pieces; how then can he save others?" . Then the king commanded them to burn the bodies of the disciples 'Armis and Matthew, and [not] to let them remain [alive] for a single hour. And there was great dissension in the city between the men of Christ and the men of Apollo, and through the same Matthew cried out with a loud voice, saying, "O brethren, seek ye not to give pleasure unto men by provoking God Almighty to wrath. Now whilst they were conversing together messengers came from the house of the king, and told Matthew that the only son of the king was

dead; and he hastened back into his habitation, he and all those who dwelt therein. And those who believed in Apollo, and those who believed in Christ stood up with the 154a. Apostle, (now they were in number about four thousand souls) and Matthew taught them and spake unto them, and commanded them, saying, "Your belief shall be [made] perfect, and ye shall see new wonders." Then Matthew went unto the king and said unto him, "I see that thy heart is sorrow-stricken because thy son hath died; call now upon Apollo that he may raise him up [again] for thee." And the king said unto Matthew, "Which of the gods can make the dead to live again?" And the Apostle said unto him, "My Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, [can do this]; and if thou wilt believe in Him He will raise up thy son alive from

"the dead for thee." Then the king swore a mighty oath unto the Apostle and said unto him, "If I see this marvellous thing [wrought] by thy God Jesus Christ, and He raise up my son from the dead, I will never again worship Apollo, nor any other idol whatsoever."

154b. And when Matthew had heard [these] words from the king, he became strong in the strength of the Holy Spirit, and he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and stretching out his hands he prayed, saying, "I bless Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, at all times, O Thou Whose habitation, which is exalted above the heights, groweth not old . And I give praise unto Thee because Thou didst not conceal Thyself [but didst give Thyself] for sinners, and didst make us to be participators [in] the faith; and I give thanks unto Thee because Thou Thyself alone canst raise up the dead [to life]. And I beseech Thee, O Sustainer of all, Thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to send Thy exalted and sublime power to break the thorn of death, and to destroy all its power; and may the keepers of the gates of Sheol fall down; and may the guardians [thereot] be destroyed and put to shame; and may all the deceits of devils be brought to nought, and may the head of the Serpent be broken! Send Thou Thy hand from above, O my Lord Jesus Christ, and raise up the young man so that the king and all those who dwell in this city may believe. And it came to pass 154b.

that when Saint Matthew had made an end of his prayer, he rose up and went to the place wherein was the dead man, and taking him by his hand, he said unto him, "O thou young man, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, rise up and live! And by reason of this the young man made haste [to rise up], and he took hold of Matthew's hand at that moment, and said unto him, "I beseech thee, O servant of God Almighty, to baptize me, and I entreat thee, O good one, to make me a participator in the Holy Mysteries, and not to send me back again into Sheol."

And it came to pass that, when the king saw this wonderful thing which God had brought forth in the days of the Apostle Saint Matthew, he rose up without delay, and in that same hour he commanded all those who were in the city to be baptized, together with all the people who were in his house, by the hands of Matthew, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And there was great rejoicing in the city, and 155a. the king burnt Apollo in the fire which he had made in order to burn Matthew; and the fire did not separate itself from Apollo until it had turned him into ashes. Now by reason of this thing the people of the city believed in our Lord Jesus Christ through Matthew, the blessed Apostle. And after these things our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto Matthew the blessed Apostle [and said unto him], "Strengthen and fortify thy faith, and keep thou in remembrance the words which I have spoken unto thee; and be not dismayed, and fear not, but abide patiently, for I have in this city certain elect souls who believe on Me through thy words." And Matthew said unto Him, "Yea, my Lord!" And He said unto Matthew and unto 'Armis, "Baptize ye the people, and strengthen them against their sins;" and then having finished conversing

with them our Lord went up into heaven with great 155a. glory, whilst all the people of the city were looking at Him. Then the king and the people of the city overthrew the temple of Apollo, and they built a church [which] Matthew consecrated; and he appointed 'Armis to be their Bishop, and he established priests and deacons over them, and gave them the Gospel, and he dwelt with them until their faith grew strong, when he went forth from them in peace. And when he had gone outside the city, he turned his face to them, and said unto them, "The grace and the peace of God be with you for ever and ever." Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint Matthew the good Evangelist; now the end of his testimony took place on the twelfth day of the month Telem. In the peace of God. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! Amen. And it came to pass that, when Matthew the Evangelist had come unto Jerusalem and the country of Judah, he wrote a Gospel in the Hebrew language. And he went forth unto 'Apâyange, and told the people thereof concerning Christ, and he confirmed them in the true faith, and when he knew that the faith of all those who were in the city and in the districts thereof was sure, he went forth from them in gladness and rejoicing, because God had graciously granted unto him that they should believe. And he declared and preached unto them the vivifying Word of God, and how He was born of the holy Virgin MARY, the God-bearer; and he told them concerning His death which, indeed, maketh [men] to live, and concerning His resurrection; but first of all he taught all men that God Almighty took up an abode in a Body which He received from the Virgin without carnal union, and that He became One, without mingling, without mixture, and without division. And Saint Matthew was wont to go about in the prison house and to heal all those who were therein, without either payment or recompense. [And he used to heal all those who were sick], for he gave healing unto every one by his word in the Name of our Lord Jesus. [And he said], "May ye have salvation;" and in that same hour wherein he ended his words he made to be delivered (or saved) all those who believed in God Almighty.

Now in that hour Matthew came into the prison house, and he found there a man from whom certain people demanded much money, and the keeper of the gaol had condemned him to suffer much. And when Matthew looked at him, and saw that he was suffering great tribulation, the Saint had compassion upon him, and said unto him, "O man, why do I see thee in such great sorrow, and in such trouble and tears?" And he said unto Matthew, " Hearken unto me, O my lord, and "I will tell thee everything which hath befallen me. I was a servant of one Kēstos, and I was a trusted man before him. And he hearkened unto my voice, and he gave me much goods and commanded me to depart by sea, and to traffic with the merchandize; and I did even as he commanded me. And I went forth and went up into a ship, and as it was sailing on its way, the sea was violently moved by reason of a mighty wind which blew upon it, and great waves rose up upon it, and the ship went to the bottom of the sea. Then was I in great tribulation, and I lost all hope of saving my life, until at length God Almighty shewed compassion upon me, and He sent a little ship, and He brought me up on the sea-shore, and I returned to my master 'Αὐκόσθός,' and I told him everything which had taken place. And he said unto me in anger, 'Whence comest thou?' and I told him everything which had happened, and [all] that had befallen me at sea. And he was exceedingly wroth with me, for he loved [his] possessions dearly, and it is on this pretext that he hath cast me into • 156a. prison, and he now asketh me to give back to him some col 2. of his goods."

And it came to pass that, when Matthew heard [these words], he was sorrowful, and he said unto him, "Weep not, and be not sad, but believe in God Almighty, Who will put strength into the hearts of all those who believe in Him." Then the man said unto him, "What dost thou wish me to do for thee? I have been, indeed, in great trouble, and, O servant of God, for years past I have wanted many times to kill myself by reason of the frequent scourgings wherewith they have scourged me." And the Apostle said unto him, "Hearken unto me, and I will tell thee a great mystery; only thou must swear unto me that when that which I have to say unto thee is ended thou wilt believe in God all the days of thy life." And the man bowed low to 1 Augustus, or Festus(?).

the ground, and said unto the Apostle, "[I] hear [and obey]; and may God be upon me! If good come unto me through thee by reason of that which thou hast commanded me, I will believe in Christ Who was crucified." Then the Apostle said unto him, "On the morrow thy master 'Akûsôs will enquire for thee, and he will have thee brought out according to his wont, that he may scourge thee. When he hath seen thee, and hath given orders to the men to scourge thee, speak thou unto him, saying, I entreat thee, O my lord, to wait and to stay thy hand from me this day; for, if God should be pleased to shew His mercy upon me and upon the heart[s] of the men of this city, they will help me and deliver me.' Now, if when thy master cometh into his habitation, he release thee from prison for two days, go thou to the place where the ship went down, and thou shalt find all the goods which were swallowed up in the sea: take them, and pay that which thou owest, and free thyself and all those who are in thy house."

And it came to pass that, when the morrow had come, 'Akûsôs sent for the man, and had him brought out of prison; and when he had seen him he looked upon him with wrath and gave orders that he should be made to stand up for scourging. Then the man answered and spake unto him everything which the Apostle had commanded him, and all that the Apostle had told him came to pass, as he said; and Akûsôs granted his request. Then the man went out unto the place where the ship had sunk, believing that everything which the Apostle had told him would be fulfilled; and he looked 156b. on his right hand, on the sea-shore, and he found there a bag filled with gold, and he took [it] and came back into the city blessing God Almighty, and giving thanks unto the blessed Apostle.

And when he came to 'Akûsôs, he gave him the [bag] which was full of gold, and he opened it and counted [therein] two thousand dinârs. Then Akûsôs said unto him, "What is this?" And the man said unto him, "It is the price of the ship which sank, together with all that was in it, in the sea." Then 'Akûsôs said unto him, "Where didst thou find this money?" And the man said unto him, "When they had cast me into prison I found there a man full of compassion [for me], and he saw that I was in trouble, and he said unto me, 'Why do I see thee in this trouble?' Then I told him everything which had befallen me. And all the words which he spake unto me have come to pass, for he commanded me to go to the place where the ship went down, and I went, and I found this money; and I testify unto thee, O my lord, that no man like unto him can be found on all the earth." And 'Akûsôs said unto him, 157a. "How canst thou expect me to listen unto such mad words from thee? How am I to know that thou didst not go to a certain place [where treasure is hidden], and dig [it] up, and steal the money, and bring it hither to me?" And the man said unto him, "It is not as thou sayest. I swear unto thee in the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Matthew, that I did not find any place [of hidden treasure]; nay, everything which I have told thee is true. And if thou wishest to see Matthew, behold, he is in the prison house healing all those who are sick, and casting out devils from all who are possessed of them."

Now whilst the man was saying these words, there came a certain wicked man who was a hater of good A works, and who cried out, saying, "Hear, O ye people of Rome, and I will describe unto you [the cause of] the tumult which hath arisen in this city. It is a certain man who is a wandering stranger, who preacheth on his journey a God Whose Name is Jesus the Nazarene ; [and if] 'Akōstōs, the governor of this city, alloweth him [to continue to do this] he will destroy the city and all those who dwell therein." Then 'Aksetōs, the governor of the city, brought this matter 157a. before the king, and when the king heard thereof he was angry with a great anger against the Apostle, and he said unto the captains of his guard, "Go ye forth quickly to where he is, and when and wheresoever ye find him cut off his head, and cast his body out upon the ground, so that it may become food for the birds of heaven." Then the captains of the guard went out and did as the king had commanded them, and they cut off his head, and left his body lying on the ground, so that the birds of heaven might eat it. But God, Who loveth mankind, sent unto him two of the elect, and they took the head of the saint and buried it with his body; and they swathed it in clean grave-clothes, and laid it in the grave of his fathers. And it came to pass that when the man whom the Apostle had delivered from Akōstōs heard how he had slain the Apostle, [he sat down] for three days sorrowing for him; and fifteen 157b. days after the death of Saint Matthew, the man died also.

Here endeth the contending of Saint Matthew, the good Evangelist, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the consummation of his martyrdom took place on the twelfth day of the month Tēkīmt; glory, and honour, and majesty, and dominion, as are meet, be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit the Vivifier, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen, Amen. So be it.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint Luke the Evangelist, which took place on the twenty-second day of the month Tōfēmt. In the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. May his prayer and blessing be with his handmaiden Wafatta Madhan! And it came to pass that, when the Apostles divided the countries of the world amongst them, the city of Rome became the portion of Peter; and certain of the Apostles dwelt with him; their names were Titus of the country of Galilā (Gallia), and Luke of the country of Dalmātyā (Dalmatia). Now when the blessed Peter died in the city of Rome, in the days of Nero the Emperor, the Apostles were scattered abroad, and they preached the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in all countries. And Nero, the Emperor, who was surnamed Caesar, laid hold upon Paul and cut off his head in the city of Rome; but Saint Luke fled from before the face of the Emperor and escaped, and he was preaching in all the countries and in all the cities which were in those regions. Now he was the scribe of the blessed Peter, and he wrote [the history of] all the beautiful acts which he did [in the countries] wherein he preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; [and he wrought] many marvellous things, and God cast out devils through him, and he healed the sick, and he opened the eyes of the blind, and the lame walked, and he cleansed the lepers, and he made the deaf to hear, and he healed those who were sick, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And it came to pass that, when the story of him went forth into all lands, believers were multiplied therein. And he built with his own hands many churches and places [for prayer] in all the lands wherein the people believed in our Lord Jesus Christ; and the believers increased daily, and they observed the rule and the teaching of Saint Luke. And it came to pass that, when the priests of the temple of the gods of the heathen saw the beauty of the faith of the multitude, Satan entered into their hearts, and they took counsel with the Jews who dwelt in those regions; and they gathered themselves together in the temple which was in the great city that was in that region. Now this gathering took place on the twentieth day of the month Maskarram. And it came to pass that, when they were gathered together with the Jews in the temple, the priests and their gods were adorned with rich apparel, and in the temple were draperies (or curtains), and lamps, and sweet scents of every kind; and all the nobles of the kingdom came and took their seats upon their thrones.

Then the high priest came unto them, and said, "A certain man, a sorcerer, one of the Twelve men of Galilee, and [some of] the Seventy-two [disciples] whom Jesus, Who is called Christ, appointed to be Apostles unto Himself, have come into our city, and they have multiplied marvellous acts, and all [the people] of Rome have turned unto their doctrine because of their manifold errors and sorceries. Now behold, the Emperor Nero slew many of them, but this man Luke fled and escaped from the Emperor, and he hath led astray many of the people of this region." Thereupon rose up a certain Jew, whose name was Isaac (now he was the chief among the Jewish folk who were in that district), and he 158b. said, "Before I came unto this country I lived in Jerusalem with a good man whose name was Gamaliel; and Annas, and Caiaphas, and Alexander, and Rayôlēyôs (Aurelius), were the elders of the people. And they laid hold upon a certain man Whose Name was Jesus, and they passed upon Him sentence of death, and they crucified Him upon a tree, and they killed Him, and they laid Him in the grave; but He rose from the dead on the third day, and it is this Man in Whose Name Luke preacheth." Then all the people answered with one voice, and said unto him, "How could this [Man], Whose Name was Jesus Christ, rise from the dead?" And it came to pass that when all the gods that were in the temple heard the Name of Jesus they fell down and were dashed to pieces. And when the priests saw the destruction of their gods, they rent their garments, and plucked out the hair of their heads, and went forth into the city of Rome. And they cried out unto the Emperor, 158b.

saying, "Behold, these men whom they call after Jesus work many sorceries." And the Emperor said unto them, "I have killed all those who believe in this Name, except one man who is called Luke, and he hath escap- "ed out of my hands." Then the people answered and said unto him, "Behold, he hath led astray all the people who live in our country by his teaching, and by making them to believe on Jesus; in our city he healeth those that are sick, whatsoever be their disease, and he healeth multitudes." And it came to pass that, when the Emperor heard these words, he was exceedingly angry, and he gnashed his teeth, and he commanded one of his captains to go with two hundred soldiers to the place where Saint Luke was, and to bring him before him. Now Saint Luke was sitting and teaching the multitude the commandments of the Gospel, and when he had finished his discourse the people dispersed unto their handicrafts. Then the holy man rose up and went forth to the sea, and he found upon the sea-shore an aged man seated catching fish. And he said unto him, "I say unto thee, O man who dost catch fish, come unto me, and I will tell thee what it is necessary for thee to do;" and when the old man had drawn nigh unto him, he saw the grace of God in his face, and

he fell down and bowed himself before him. Then the holy man lifted him up, and said unto him, "Behold, the Emperor hath sent unto me a captain with soldiers to bring me unto him, and behold, I know that he hath commanded them to slay me; and I must fulfil the will of God. Take now this book, and lay it up in thy habitation in a pure place, and it shall teach thee the way of life." And the old man took the book from him in faith, and the power of God came down upon him; now his name was Silas, and he was a bold man, and was chosen of God, and he preached in God's Name throughout all the land. Now whilst Saint Luke was holding converse [with the old man] the soldiers of the Emperor came, and they laid hold upon him, and he went with them to Rome, and [came] into the presence of the Emperor; now he had been put in bonds, but he was blessing the Name of God Almighty in his heart. Then the Emperor commanded them to cast him into prison until the morrow.

And it came to pass that when the morrow had come he ordered them to bring him into his presence, and to make him to stand bound before him; but Saint Luke ceased not to ascribe praise unto God the whole time, saying, "I give thanks unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, because Thou hast made me worthy of this honourable position." Now when Saint Luke had come into the presence of the Emperor, he said unto him, "Art thou Luke who hast destroyed all the cities of Rome, and who wouldst restrain the worship of the gods by thy sorcery?" Then Saint Luke answered and said unto him, "Our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ saith in the Gospel, If they drive you out from [one] city go ye unto another. Blessed are ye when they shall speak against you all manner [of evil] falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad: for great shall be your reward in heaven. The work of my father Peter is a good work, and this have I learned from him; as for sorcery I have no knowledge thereof, but I do know the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ." And the Emperor said unto the men of his kingdom who were gathered together round about him, "Make ye no mention of the Name of Jesus before my throne;" whereupon straightway all the graven images and idols, which the Emperor used to think were gods and which were about the throne, fell down quickly. And it came to pass that, when the Emperor and all those who were with him saw the mighty deed which Saint Luke had wrought, they cried out, and said, "Drive out this man from our country."

And in that same hour the Emperor commanded that they should make Saint Luke to stand up to be scourged, and they beat him with whips of untanned leather until his blood flowed upon the ground like water. Then the Emperor commanded them to cut off his right hand and arm; and straightway the swordsman came and smote at his right hand and arm and cut them off. And the Emperor said unto Saint Luke, "Is this the hand and arm wherewith thou didst write books and 159b. lead into error Rome and the people of my kingdom?" And Saint Luke said unto him, "Do not imagine that my God is One Who hath no strength, for I will shew thee His power." And he prayed and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Whom the world hath rejected and Whom we have followed, Thou art the Saviour of souls; Thou dost not desire that error should go forth from me knowingly or unknowingly; now, I am of the children of men, do not Thou therefore perform this mighty act which I beseech Thee to do [for my sake], for I am a sinner, but for the sake of Thy holy Name, and for the sake of Thine exalted power, so that the multitudes may not say, 'Where is their God?' Grant now this act of grace unto Thy servant, and let his arm be healed, and let it become even as it was formerly, for Thine is the glory, and the power for ever. Amen." Then, having made an end of his prayer, he stretched out his left hand and laid hold of his right hand, which had been cut off, and made it to adhere to its [proper] place; and by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ it became alive again (or healed).

And it came to pass that, when the Emperor and all those who were sitting with him saw this wonderful thing, they marvelled and said, "Observe ye the might of the work of this sorcerer;" and Saint Luke said unto him, "O my lord, I am not a sorcerer; may my God keep me from becoming one! But I would that thou mightest know the power of my Lord Jesus Christ, and that I am not unwilling [to suffer] the death of this world;" then Saint Luke took hold of his right hand with his left and cut it off again. Now when İnâṭölê, (Anatolius) a prefect of the Emperor, saw this marvel, he, and his wife, and the men of his house, and all his servants (now they were in number two hundred and eighty-seven souls), believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Emperor commanded [his servants] to write down their names, and he passed an order for them [all] to be executed in one day; and this order was carried out on the twenty-second day of the month Ṭēḵemt.

160a. Then the Emperor commanded them to cut off the head of Saint Luke, and to put it in a sack made of dark [wool or hair], and to fill the sack with sand and to cast it into the sea.

Now when the blessed man had heard this command the Emperor's servants took him out to the sea, so that they might cut off his head, and he said unto the captain of the soldiers, "I entreat you by him that is the greatest, and by him that is the least among you, to bear patiently with me for a little while, until I have prayed unto my God. Then he prayed, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst create everything by Thy wisdom and according to Thy will; that is to say, the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and everything which moveth therein, grant unto Thy servant power, and grace, and forgiveness of sins and offences, and make him to inherit a portion together with my father Peter. And it came to pass that when the saint had ended his prayer, one of the captains of the soldiers, who was blind in one of his eyes, drew nigh unto him, and came to the saint to cut off his head before he had finished his prayer; and because of this thing he saw with his [blind] eye, and he fell down upon the ground, and said unto the saint, "Forgive me, O thou servant of the good God, for I have blasphemed thee. And the other swordsman drew his sword, and smote Saint Luke on the head and cut it off from his body;

and he cut off the head of his fellow captain who had believed also, thus the captain and Saint Luke finished their testimony together. And they placed the body of the saint in a sack made of hair, and cast it into the sea, but by the commandment of God the waves washed it up upon an island; and a certain man who believed in God found it, and took it up out of the water, and buried it, [having swathed it] in fine linen. Now Saint Luke finished his testimony on the twenty-second day of the month Ṭēḵēmt, in the days of the Emperor Nero. Glory be unto God, and unto our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and sovereignty, and power, and honour, and holiness be unto His kingdom, which shall never, never, change; and unto the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be praise for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen. So be it. So be it. Hallelujah.

160b. Here beginneth the Book of the Preaching of Philip, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he preached in the country of Africa (Phrygia?). In the peace of God. May his prayer and his blessing be with his handmaiden Walatta Madhan! Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together on the Mount of Olives, and as they were declaring among themselves the praise of God, our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ appeared unto them, and said unto them, "Peace be unto you, O My beloved ones; why dwell ye here? And why have ye not gone forth into the world to preach unto the people thereof the Gospel of the Kingdom? And now, cast lots among yourselves, and divide the world into twelve parts, so that ye may go forth and preach unto the people thereof, and give them peace." And He ascended into heaven

with great glory. Then the Apostles cast lots, and the lot fell upon Philip to go forth unto the country of Africa (Phrygia?); now he was not loath [to depart]. And he said unto Peter, "Behold, God hath commanded that thou shalt go forth with each one of us unto the country where he is to go; now I wish thee to go forth with me unto my country." And Peter said unto him, "I consent." So Peter and Philip set out on their journey together, and our Lord appeared unto them, and said unto them, "Peace be unto you, O ye chosen Apostles, go ye and tell the story of the Gospel unto all creation, that ye may deliver them from the hand of Satan. Verily I say unto you that ye shall toil in this world until ye shall have brought the people thereof out from darkness into the knowledge of righteousness. Verily I say unto you that your reward shall be great, that ye shall enter into [your] rest, and that ye shall forget your sufferings." And speaking unto them in this wise He gave them the salutation of peace, and went up from them into heaven with glory and splendour.

Then Peter and Philip, in the strength of their hearts, journeyed together on their way, and it came to pass that when the two Apostles had drawn nigh unto the city there came in their path a certain man who was possessed of an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, "O Apostles of Christ, I will not let you enter into the city." And Peter knew that the spirit was a devil, and in that same hour he adjured him, and Satan went forth from him, and the man was made whole, and followed the Apostles unto the city. Now there [stood] upon the top of the gate [of the city] a certain very high pillar, and when Peter and Philip came to the gate, Peter made supplication unto God, saying, "I entreat thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that this gate and this high pillar, and the things which are upon it, may be hurled down to the earth as soon as my hand cometh upon it and layeth hold upon it." Then in that same hour the gate, and the pillar, and the things that were thereon came down upon the ground, and they lay upon it as flat as (or level

with) the surface thereof. And Peter spake unto the man out of whom the unclean spirit had gone, and commanded him to go up on the pillar and to declare and to utter with his mouth certain words whereby awful things might come upon the people of the city; and the man went up on the pillar which was over the gate, and on the things that were [there]. Then Peter said, "In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, let [this pillar] be raised up even as it was before;" and in that same hour the gate, and the pillar, and the things which were upon it, were raised up until they became of the same height as they were formerly . And the man cried out with a loud voice, and said, "O ye men who are in this city, return ye to the place wherein are the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they may bless you, and may make supplication for you, that He may forgive you your sins." And it came to pass that, when the man who was standing on the top of the pillar had said these words, there were thunders and

lightnings; and the people of the city were terrified and afraid exceedingly, and they went into caverns, and into holes in the earth, and to the islands, but the lightnings followed hard upon them wherever they went. And many men, and many women likewise, died through the sound [of the thunders], and the earthquake, and the lightnings. Now by reason of this multitudes of the people came unto the Apostles, and they looked upon them, and their hands were stretched out, and they were praying unto God; and the people fell down upon the ground and prostrated themselves before the Apostles, weeping and saying unto them, "O servants of God, we beseech you to shew com-passion upon us, and may the new gods whom we know not have mercy upon us. And tell us what ye desire, and what offerings ye would have, so that we may offer them unto you, and we entreat you to remove from us these fearful and terrible things."

Then the Apostles besought God Almighty on their behalf, and the earthquake ceased, and the lightning departed, and the man held his peace, and the gate came down with the pillar, [and was] even as it had been; and the man came down from the top of the pillar. And it came to pass that, when those who were assembled there saw that the man was holding his peace, and that the fearful things had passed away, they said, "This man is God. Then they cried out with one voice, saying, "Art thou God Al-mighty or not? Let us know who thou art. And the man said unto them , "I am not God. I should be a man like unto yourselves were it not for this word which the Spirit of God hath spoken from my mouth, and for the commandments of the holy Apostles. But come unto the holy disciples, Peter and Philip, O all ye who dwell [here], and hearken [unto them], and gain knowledge, and ye shall be saved. Then the people rose up and came unto the Apostles, and embraced their feet, and said unto them, "Who are ye? And Philip said unto them, "Which of the gods do ye worship? And they said unto him, We worship the image of an eagle of gold. And Philip said unto them, "Go ye and bring him unto me; and they did even as he had commanded them.

Then the priests cried out, saying, "Do not destroy the gods of the city who bring you salvation at all times, so that when war riseth up against you ye may cry out unto them, and they shall help you. And the men of the city said unto them, "It is better for us to accept the words of the disciples than your words. These gods are the work of the hand of man, and they see not, and they hear not, and they smell not, and they walk not."

And it came to pass that, when they had brought the gods unto the Apostles, the priests cried out and said unto the Apostles, "Ye are leading astray men by your enchantments, and ye say concerning a man the Man to Whom MARY gave birth, and Whom Pilate slew that He is God. Hath there ever been a god whom a man could scourge? Hath there ever been a god who could die? And as for these figures of gold and silver which we fashion and call gods, they cannot suffer pain, and they cannot feel." Then the power of the Holy Spirit descended upon Philip, and our Lord Jesus Christ strengthened him with His own power, and he made supplication, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, by Thy will let fire descend from heaven and consume these evil and unjust priests, so that [the people] may know that they are deceivers even unto this day." And in that same hour a cloud of fire came down from heaven, and encircled those wicked and unjust priests, that [the people] might know [them to be deceivers]; and it smote them without doing any harm to the people. Now the priests within the fire were weeping by reason of their tribulation and fear. Then Philip said unto them, "Why weep ye?" And they cried out and said, "[Because] when war riseth up against you, and ye cry out unto your gods to save you and your cities (or countries) [they will not do so.]"

Then Peter took up the image of gold and cast it into the fire to the place wherein were the priests. And the image of gold answered and said, "O disciples of Jesus Christ, punish ye me not, but have compassion upon me, and judge ye between me and these sinful men. I am of the matter of the earth, but these men have fashioned me, and purified me, and they have made me by their skill into the form in which ye now see me; and they set me in a temple, and they used to sacrifice beasts unto me, and to mix their blood with wine, and they led men astray by telling them that I ate up these sacrifices. Now I neither eat, nor drink, nor hold converse with anyone, and verily I am not a being who should hold converse with you; but it is the power which dwelleth in you that maketh me worthy to speak with this people, and to chide them concerning the wickedness of their works." And when the figure had spoken these words it held its peace.

Then the priests made fervent supplication unto the Apostles that they would cause them to come forth from the fire so that it might not consume them utterly, and [they promised] to do all that they commanded them. And Philip said unto them, "If ye forsake your evil gods, and will say, 'We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ,' we will, in this same hour, speak the word in His Name whereby this cloud of fire shall go up from you." Then they all cried out with a loud voice, and said, "We believe in God Almighty thy God, and in Jesus His Word, and in the Holy Spirit;" and in that same hour the flame of fire was lifted up from them, and [the place] became like a lake of water, sweet and white like milk, so that they all marvelled. 1632. And those who were assembled there fervently entreated the Apostles to command them what it was necessary for them to do that they might make right their belief; and Philip said unto them, "We command you to build a church in this place wherein we may teach men, for it is in this place that ye have [first] believed;" and they

consented [to do] even as he had said unto them. Then Philip commanded them to bring unto him dried grass (or reeds), and he marked out the foundations of the church, and he ordered them to dig out the foundations; thus Philip founded the church. And it came to pass that when they had performed his behests and they had finished their work, Philip came unto the gate of the city whereon stood the pillar. And he said, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Nazarene, I command thee to depart from this place unto the church which hath been called after the Name of God;" and in that same hour the gate fell down, and the pillar which stood upon it formerly came down from it, and they moved onwards in front of the multitudes unto the place where they had built the church, 1632. and no sound was heard to proceed from them, and no dust rose up. Then the multitudes said, "There is no god except the God of Peter and Philip, the servants of Jesus Christ."

Then Philip turned towards those who were gathered together there, and said unto them, "Behold, we have already built a church and a house of God, I now desire ye to gather together young women who are virgins to carry water, and men, both old and young, and all the people of the city, that each one, according to his power, may work in the house of God;" and there was no man among the multitudes who refused [to do] that which Philip commanded him. And the Apostles were dwelling in the house of Kērōn, a nobleman (or governor) of the city, and they were rejoicing because the multitudes had so speedily accepted the faith.

And our Lord Jesus Christ took the form of a man of shining appearance, and He appeared unto the Apostles, and said unto them, "My peace be with you, O My chosen Apostles! Behold, I have seen that the faith of the men of this city is good, why then do ye remain in the house? Get ye forth to them that ye may teach them the word 163b. of life and the command of righteousness, and be not unmindful of them [i. e., of the other peoples of the world]. Whatsoever ye shall ask of Me, that will I give unto you." And when our Lord Jesus Christ had spoken [these words] unto them (now He was in the form of a man radiant with light), He went up into heaven with great glory. Then the faces of Peter and Philip were bright with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who had appeared unto them in the house. And when they had gone forth unto the multitude and the people saw the light of their faces, they fell down prostrate before them upon the ground; and the Apostles blessed them, and lifted them up, and they taught them and confirmed them in the true faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and commanded them not to return unto their sins. And as the people received the blessing from the Apostles the number of the multitudes increased; and they marvelled at the glory of God which rested upon their faces.

Now there was a certain man among them upon whom a devil had laid hold, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "I beseech you, O ye servants of Christ, not to inflict punishment upon me, and I will go forth from him." And that unclean spirit cast the man down upon the ground, and then went forth from him; and Peter and Philip commanded the devil to depart from him and never again to return into him; and the man who had been made whole bowed down at the feet of the Apostles, and embraced Peter and Philip. Then the people gathered themselves together unto the lake which had formed in the place, where had been the cloud of fire that had surrounded the priests, which had now become water, and they were baptized therein in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And the Apostles said unto the multitudes, "God hath remitted unto you your sins which ye committed without knowledge; now therefore press onward towards good works, so that ye may be worthy of the beautiful kingdom of heaven which abideth [for ever]."

Then the people cried out with a loud voice, saying, "We give thanks unto Thee, O Lord God of Peter and Philip, because Thou hast had compassion upon us, and hast taught us, and because the Apostles have con-secrated a church [for us], whereto the people gather themselves together in joy and in gladness." Then Philip read unto them the Books of the Law and the Prophets, and Peter interpreted them unto them in the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then straightway did the people of the multitudes rejoice in the knowledge of the faith, and they were prepared to receive the Mysteries, and the Apostles having first of all prayed the prayer of consecration and brought it to an end, gave unto the people of the Body of our Lord, and of His precious Blood. And the multitudes came forward and received the Body and the precious Blood in faith, and he gave them the salutation of peace; and he dwelt with them for six days, teaching them the commandments of God until they had learned [them]. Then the Apostles appointed them Bishops, and priests, and deacons, and they departed from them, glorifying God, and marvelling at the mighty acts which they had wrought in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory and honour which are meet for Him, and for His Father, and for the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of the blessed Apostle Philip who nobly ended his contending on the eighteenth day of the month Hadar. In the peace of God. Amen. May his prayer and his blessing be with [his] handmaiden, Walatta Madhan.

And it came to pass that as Philip was entering into the country of Africa (Phrygia?), and was going to the inhabitants of that country, he preached unto them a new God, Whose Name was not known unto them, that is to say, Jesus; and they made haste to come unto him so that they might hear his words. Now when they heard him preaching in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the God of heaven and of earth, the multitudes answered and said unto him, "Who is Jesus Christ? We have never heard of Him except from thee; and they were wont to worship the gods [of the heathen] and devils. Then Philip answered and said unto them, "Hearken unto me, O ye men who are gathered together here, for I see that the grace of God will be with you. The God Whom I preach unto you is God Almighty. 161b. and besides Him there is no other god; He is the Living God, and He giveth life unto all those who believe in Him. And there is a Son with the Father, and a Holy Spirit, Who proceeded from the Father, but the Spirit and the Father and the Son are One, that is to say, One God. [He existed] before all days, and He shall endure for ever; He is the First, and He is the Last, and He is invisible. It is He Who created all things by His wisdom;

it is He Who created the sea, and the rivers of water, and all that therein is, and they are in subjection unto Him. It is He Who is the Maker of all things which are visible, as well as of those which are invisible. And aforetime He took dust from the ground and made from it a man in His own form and appearance, and called him 'Adám', and He blessed him, and made him the father of all created things which talk. And He said unto him, 'Increase and multiply, and 165a. fill the face of the earth with thy seed, and rule over all those who dwell therein."

Then the multitudes said unto Philip, "Where is the God Who hath created all things concerning Whom thou speakest?" And Philip said unto them, "He dwelleth in the heavens, and in the earth, and in all the men who do His will." And it came to pass that, when Satan saw how [valiantly] Philip was contending, and how he was turning the people to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, he made haste and sowed the thought of evil in their hearts and multiplied wickedness within them; and he made them to attack the Apostle Philip, and they shut him up in the prison house and wished to kill him. Now the eyes of all those who lifted up their hands against Philip became blind. And when the people saw this wonderful thing they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "The God of Philip is One God. Why will ye slay this blessed disciple through whom God hath brought us out from the darkness into the light of [the [true] faith?" In this wise did the multitude deliver Philip out of the hands of those who wished to slay him.

And Philip went forth and preached the Name of Christ in all that country through which he travelled round about; and he was preaching the word of God the whole day long. And he healed all those who were sick, and at length all the people of the city, and of the regions round about gathered themselves together unto him, and he taught them, and made them to believe, and he preached unto them the kingdom of heaven. For when the blind drew nigh unto him he made their eyes to see; and he made straight the legs of the lame by his word; and when he went round about those who were deaf they heard; and the dumb spake by the might of our Lord Jesus Christ which dwelt in him; and the [lepers were cleansed when he stretched out his hands and made supplication unto God on their behalf; and those who were possessed of devils drew nigh unto him, and he drove them out from them by the [sign of the most honourable Cross; and he gave thanks unto God for the gift of grace

.59b. .60a. which He had given him; and he healed all those who were sick through any disease whatsoever.

And it came to pass that when the nobles of the city saw Philip working all these miracles which God Almighty had made manifest through him, and how [the people] were relieved from suffering of every kind, and how their beloved ones, and their sons, and their daughters, and their acquaintances were rejecting their gods and entering into the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, because Philip had commanded them [so to do], because of these things, I say, those who did not believe in the preaching of Philip gathered themselves together, and they held meetings secretly, and certain men among those who came to those meetings decided to lay hold upon Philip, and to shut him up in prison, and to kill him secretly, so that the whole country might not be destroyed. And they were making a boast to the king that they would not allow an alien to enter into their city, and to destroy their Law (or religion), and they tarried in his presence until this thing was accomplished; and he sent [men] to slay [the Apostles] who were destroying (or corrupting) their city. Then the king said unto them, "Why are ye doing nothing whilst this man is leading astray the people, and paying no heed unto my command?" Then those men made an agreement together concerning this matter, and they laid hold upon Saint Philip and shut him up in prison. And they spake words of cursing and blasphemy against him, but the Apostle laughed in their faces and rejoiced. Then said they unto each other, "See how he laugheth and jesteth at us, and [how] he wisheth to lead us astray, and to make us to depart from the right way, even as he did the people whom he made to forsake the imperial gods, and to separate themselves from their wives!"

And it came to pass that when Philip heard their words, he said unto them, "Indeed, [I speak] my words that I may perfect [my work] upon you, and not that I should offend you, but that ye may turn unto God, Who will give you remission of your sins, and will make you worthy of His kingdom which never passeth away." Then one of them answered and said unto them, "Kill him, for if we let him go he will lead us astray." Therefore was their wrath kindled, and they laid hold upon him and raised him up on a cross (now they placed his head downwards and his feet upwards), and they tied him [to it], so that he could not move his body. Then they scourged him sorely and inflicted severe tortures upon him, and they ceased not to beat him with cruel blows until he yielded up his spirit on the cross. Then they took his body down from the cross, and they gathered together in crowds and spake among themselves, saying, "Let us kindle a great fire and cast his body into it, so that we may consume him utterly and he may no more be found."

Now when they had lit the fire wherein they were going to cast the body of the saint, our Lord Jesus Christ sent His angel, and he took the holy body out of their hands at noontide from the city; and all those who dwelt therein saw his body as it ascended with joy, and with great glory, and honour, until it went up from their sight into heaven, and the angel brought the body of Philip to Jerusalem, and hid it in a tree (or wood). And it came to pass that, when all the people saw this wonderful thing, and they remembered the multitude of wonderful deeds and miracles which God had wrought through him, and all the sick folk whom he had healed, they lifted up their voices, both men and women, and said, "The God of Philip, the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, is One God; He is God, the God of heaven and of earth, He is the Mighty One, and He is the exalted God, Who is honoured both by the denizens of heaven, and by the beings of of earth. And the men of the city and of the regions round about it believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, from the least of them even unto the greatest; and the God-fearing men of the city sent messengers into the heights of the mountains, and they continued to go round about in the desert for many days seeking the body of Saint Philip;

and the men of the city fasted and prayed, and made supplication unto God that He would restore it unto them. Now when God saw their faith and their repentance, and that the evilness of their works had passed away, He sent unto them the angel that he might tell them where [the body of] Philip the Apostle was, and that they might take it and deposit it in the city. And it came to pass that when they saw it they rejoiced with great joy, and they brought it into the city with glory, and thanksgiving, and honour; and they swathed it in fine linen and laid it in a new and beautiful sarcophagus. Now the consummation of the martyrdom of Saint Philip took place on the eighteenth day of the month Ḥadār. In the peace of God the Father. Amen. Glory and honour be unto our Lord Jesus Christ, and unto His Father, and unto the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Here beginneth the Preaching of the blessed disciple Andrew, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the story of what happened unto him in the cities of 'Almāḍpā (Almāḍpō, i. e., the Kurds), and in the city of Eḗḍpā (Eydia). In the peace of God the Father. Amen. Now when the disciples were about to go forth into the world and to preach the story of the kingdom of heaven, our Lord appeared unto them, and held converse with them, and spake unto them, saying, "Peace be unto you, O My beloved brethren, ye heirs of the kingdom! Know ye that I will never separate Myself from you, and that I will give you strength." Then He turned unto Matthias, and said unto him, "Go thou unto the City of the Cannibals; and Andrew thy brother shall go unto the country of Lḗḍyā (Lydia), and shall preach therein; and Philemon, the son of Philip, shall go down there also, for I have in that city many people whom I have chosen." And the Apostles answered and said unto our Lord, "O Lord, be Thou with us in whatsoever 167a. place we go to preach;" and our Lord gave them the salutation of peace, and went up into heaven whilst they were looking at Him.

Then straightway Peter went unto the place whereto our Lord had commanded him [to go]. And Matthias asked Andrew to allow the two men Rufus and Alexander to go with him unto the city of Tīṭārān, and Andrew and Philemon went unto the country of Lydia. Now Philemon had a beautiful voice, and his speech was soft, and [in respect of these] there was no man like unto him; and he taught unto all [men] the wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit which had come down upon him, and among the disciples there was none like unto him, with the exceptions of Peter and John.

And it came to pass that when the Apostles were gathered together they chose [these] two [men] to stand up and declare the praise of God Almighty, so that [when the people] heard the sweetness of their words [they might believe]. So Andrew went with Philemon unto Lydia |, where one half of [the people of] the city 167a. had believed through Peter, and the other half had not. And Andrew came into the church of the Christians which was in the city of Lydia, and two [men] came and received him, and they carried branches of trees in their hands for joy. Now when Andrew had come into the church and had taken his seat upon the bishop's throne, he commanded Philemon to go up into the pulpit, and to sing praises, and to cry out Hallelujah, so that the people might receive the word from him. And when the priests of the heathen heard the sound of the [singing of the] Christians, they said unto each other, "What is happening in the city this day? And the people said, "A disciple of Jesus Christ is in the church of the Christians, and he is teaching them, and commanding them to reject the gods [of the heathen], and not to enter into their temples. Then the priests took their swords and came unto the church where they heard the sound of the singing, so that if they (i. e., the disciples of Christ) cursed their gods they (i.

e., the heathen priests) might go in and cut off [their heads]. And it came to pass that they heard the sweet voice of Philemon declaiming and saying thus, "The gods of the heathen are [made] of gold and silver, [and are] the work of the hand of man. They have mouths, but speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; hands have they, but they feel not; feet have they, but they walk not; they speak not with their throats, and there is no breath in their nostrils. Like unto them are all those who made them, and even so are those who put their trust in them."

And it came to pass that, when the priests heard these words from the voice of Philemon, and the sweetness of his preaching, they wept and came into the church, and embraced his feet. And when he saw the multitude he said unto Andrew, "O father, these men are of the priests of the temple." Then Andrew made a sign to the people to keep silence until the song of praise was ended; now when [the Christians] saw men having swords they were exceedingly afraid of them, and they held their peace until he had made an end of his song of praise. And Andrew stood up, and first of all prayed a prayer on their behalf, and when he had finished his prayer he said unto the priests of the temple, "Sit down." Then Andrew said unto them, "O my children, whom I would take to my breast, tell me now, I pray, how is that ye have entered into this church in this wise this day? For on every other day whenever Christians pass you [in the streets] ye take good heed that ye do not touch them even with your garments. I desire you to tell me that which is in your heart." And all the priests answered and said unto him, "O father Andrew, we will

"declare it unto thee truthfully. When we heard of thy coming into this city to teach, and heard also the sound of many people gathered together, we enquired what 168a. was happening in this city this day, and they told us of thy arrival in the city. Then fifty men of our number made an agreement together to come and see and hear whether ye were heaping abuse upon our gods [or not], and, if ye were so doing, to slay every one who was in the church; and behold, we have arrived according to what we have said. But when we heard the sweetness of the voice of this youth our hearts were carried away [from our purpose] and we have come to thee. And now we beseech thee, O disciple, to give unto us this day [instruction], even as thou hast given it unto this multitude, so that those who have drawn nigh unto thy God may become worthy of Him, and we hope that we may never be absent from this youth."

And it came to pass that when Andrew heard these words from them, he rose up and kissed the head of Philemon, saying, "Verily thou art he concerning whom the Holy Spirit spake aforetime, saying, 'The people shall be gathered together unto him that hath a sweet voice.' Verily it is meet that thou shouldst be called the 'Saviour of souls;' and as our Lord changed our 168a. names and made others for us, even so shall it be with thee." Now when the people saw Andrew kissing the head of Philemon, they all came unto him, and embraced him; and when Andrew saw the people thronging about him and pressing him, he commanded them to go forth unto an open place, and they went to the sea-shore. Then Andrew answered and said unto those who believed, "Whosoever among you is wishful to please God, let him come unto me that he may be washed by my hand;" so all the people came unto him, and he baptized them all in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now the number of those who were baptized was four thousand, four hundred souls; and besides these the fifty priests also were baptized.

Now after these things Satan came into the city and found two young men who were fighting together and struggling each to overcome the other, and the son of John, the priest, smote the other young man, and he 168b. fell down, and died immediately. Then the father of the dead man laid hold upon John the priest, and said unto him, "Deliver to me thy son that I may kill him in the stead of my son whom he hath killed; and if thou dost not, I will deliver thee unto Rāwēkās, the governor, that he may kill thee in the stead of thy sén who hath killed mine." Then John wept with a great weeping before the multitude. And the people answered and said unto him, "What dost thou wish, O father, that we should do for thee? If they seek money from thee then will we give it for thy sake. Or, do they wish thee to give thyself up for the murder?" Then John answered and said unto them, "I want neither gold nor silver from you, but I want the elders of the people to give a pledge for me', whilst I go unto Andrew [to ask him] to raise the man from the dead."

Then the people went with John the priest unto the father of the young man who was dead, and they said unto him, "We will keep John secure for thee whilst he goeth to the city of Lydia unto Andrew, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, [to entreat him] to come and raise up alive for thee thy son who is dead"; and the father of the dead man did for them even as they wished," and he sat down and mourned for his son. And John went unto Andrew the Apostle, and he found him baptizing the people, and he fell down and did homage to him. Then he said unto him, "Have compassion on my old age, and let me not die this evil death." And Andrew answered and said unto him, "Believe in God, and be not afraid, and tell me all that hath befallen thee;" and John told him all that had happened unto him, and how it had come upon him. And Andrew answered and said unto him, "It is not possible for me to go with thee at this season because of these people whom I am baptizing, but take Philemon with thee,

* Literally, "to redeem me." * l. e., he accepted the pledge of the elders of the city. "and he shall raise up for thee him who hath died." And Andrew sent Philemon with him to raise up the young man from the dead, and they went forth from Andrew into the city.

Now as they were journeying along, Satan, having taken upon himself the form of an old man, came unto the governor of the city, and cried out unto him, saying, "O Rûkôs (Raukas), dost thou sit here [and do nothing] whilst a man is murdered and cast forth? Rise up, now, and enquire in this city who it is that hath slain [him]. If thou art unwilling [to do this], behold, I myself will go unto the king and tell him concerning the matter. And it came to pass that when Rûkôs (Raukas) heard these words he rose up in great anger, and he told those who were round about him to bring him an animal whereon he could ride outside the city; and he departed, being angry with a great anger. Now when the men of the city heard that the governor had come, no man remained therein except him who had died. Then John and Philemon came from Andrew, and they found the multitude outside the city; and the people said unto John the priest, "Thou hast tarried long in thy coming, and we are afraid, for behold, the governor will make [the men of] the city prisoners. Now when John heard these words, he wept bitterly, and said, "Woe is me. What shall I do? For I sorrow very greatly because of the dead man who lieth unburied. And Philemon answered and said unto him, "Weep not, for I will go and raise him up;

but the people said unto him, "Come thou not into the city, that the governor may not slay thee. And Philemon said unto them, "It is not possible for me to disobey my master, therefore I will go and raise up the dead man, even as my master hath commanded me; and do ye sit down here, and when ye hear that the governor hath slain me send ye [word] to my master that he may come and raise me up, and the young man who is dead with me."

And Philemon went into the city and came unto the place where the governor was, and he cried out, saying, . "O Rôkôs (Raukas), thou governor, thou hast been appointed unto this city to destroy it; where are the men of the city who did not [come forth to] receive thee when thou didst come thereunto?" And it came to pass that when the governor heard his voice, he commanded the captain of his guard to seize him, and to crucify him in the place where punishments were inflicted; and the governor said unto them, "It may be that this man slew him that hath died, and that, in consequence thereof, his blood will not let him hold his peace." Then Philemon answered and said unto Rôkôs the governor, "Why dost thou inflict punishment upon me? I am little (i. e., young, or of no account), and I have not transgressed, and nothing [worthy of] punishment hath been found in me. Now, I was with my father Adam when he was in Paradise, before Eve went forth from his side. Where is my teacher Andrew that he may see the things which they are going to do unto his disciple? Is there no compassion in thy heart, O governor, when thou seest how little (or young) I am? Hast thou no son, so that [in thinking of him] thou canst shew compassion upon me? Know thou that however much thou lovest thy son my father loveth me more."

Then Philemon turned his face towards the captain and his soldiers, and said unto them, "Is there not one merciful man among you who will have compassion upon me, and will go unto the city of Lydia to my master Andrew, and will speak unto him, saying, 'They have crucified thy disciple and are torturing him?'" And it came to pass that when the captain and the soldiers heard these words they wept bitterly at the sound of Philemon's [sweet] voice. Then Philemon spake again unto them, and said, "Is there not even a bird in this city which I can send unto the city of Lydia, to my master Andrew, [to ask] him to come to me that I may see him before I die? Now when he had said these words many birds gathered themselves together, and they spake unto Philemon, even as they used to speak with Noah in days of old, and said unto him, "Behold, here we are, send whichever one of us thou pleasest. Then a little bird drew nigh unto him, and said unto him, "I am smaller in body than all the other birds |; let me go unto thy teacher that I may bring him unto thee. And Philemon said unto her, "As for thee, thou art a whore. Haste not to come back to me, but if thou canst find one of thy kith and kin abide with him, and haste not to return unto me.

Then a raven drew nigh unto him, and said unto him, "I will go unto him; and Philemon said unto the raven, "In days of old when thou wast sent forth by Noah thou didst not return unto him who sent thee forth; therefore I shall not send thee. And Philemon called unto the dove, and said unto her, "O beautiful wanderer, who by reason of thy sweet gentleness wast named by God above all [other] birds; who didst bring tidings unto Noah when he was living in the ark in the days of the Flood; and who wast blessed by our father Noah, the righteous man; go thou unto the city of Lydia to my master Andrew, and tell him to come and see his son Philemon, for they have crucified him, and are torturing him. And the dove answered and said unto him, "Be of good courage, and fear not; behold, Andrew shall come and shall himself hear thy words."

And it came to pass that when Rōkōs (Raukas) heard [these words] he rose up quickly, and with his own hands he released Philemon from his punishment, and he said unto him, "Verily, if there were ten dead men in this city I would leave off making enquiries concerning [who killed] them, for thy sake." Now when Satan heard that Rōkōs had believed, he cried out unto his devils and evil spirits, and said unto them, "Behold, our beloved Rōkōs and all the men of the city have rejected (or denied) us. Now I command one of you to go into the house of Rōkōs and to lay hold upon his wife, and to make her to act like a mad woman, and cause her to become like one who hath no understanding, and he shall give her orders to rise up against her own son and to slay him." And in that same hour Satan did even as Diabolus, the accursed one, had commanded him; and he went into the house of the governor, and made the woman to become like one who was mad and who had no understanding, and

he ordered her to slay her child. 170b. And it came to pass that when her servants knew what she had done they gathered themselves together, and seized her, and placed her in a strong place, and they sent messengers unto their lord and told him what his wife had done, and how she had slain her child. Then Rôkôs the governor said unto those who were round about him, "Even if the house had fallen upon them, and all those who were in my abode were dead, I would not separate myself from this young man." And Rôkôs the governor went back to Philemon, and said unto him, "O my lord, hast thou not heard what this messenger hath said? I entreat thee to go with me to my dwelling-place, but if thou wilt not, then I will not go." Then Philemon answered and said unto him, "Let us finish the matter whereon we are now occupied, and after this we will go to thy house." And Philemon cried unto the dove and said unto her, "Go thou into the house of Rôkôs, and say unto those who are therein, Do nothing of any kind whatsoever in my dwellingplace until I come;" and the dove went as he had commanded her, and brought her message [to the house]. And it came to pass that when the people heard the dove speaking they were struck with exceedingly great astonishment.

And Philemon asked the governor to send for the men of the city to come, so that he might raise him that was dead; and the governor sent the captain and his soldiers, and they brought the people, and when they had come they all went together unto the place where the dead man was. And Philemon found Andrew in the city, and he said unto him, "Come, O my master, that thou mayest raise the dead man;" and Andrew said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee that thou shalt raise him." Then Philemon came into the place wherein was the man that was dead, and he bowed his knees even upon the ground, and made supplication unto God Almighty, saying, "Hear Thou me, O Lord my God, Thou Good Shepherd, Who hast not left us to be possess-ions in the hands of the Adversary, but hast delivered us by Thy precious Blood; hear Thou me, Thy servant; I entreat Thee, according to the multitude of Thy mercy, to let this young man be raised from the dead." And saying these words he lifted himself up, and cried out with a loud voice, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise up, O young man;" and the young man rose up quickly from the dead. And when the people saw that the young man had risen up and was alive, their faith was increased, and they became strong [in their belief] in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Then Philemon made known unto Andrew concerning the wife of the governor and concerning the murder of her son; and Andrew, and Philemon, and all those who were gathered together there went unto the abode of Rôkôs, and the widows and orphans followed after them asking them to give them gifts. And it came to pass that when Andrew came into the house of the governor, he found the child of the governor [lying 171a. dead,] and many people were standing round about him and weeping for him, and the dove was standing by the A side of his head. Then Andrew said unto the dove, "How many are thy days?" And she said unto him, "Sixty years [are] the days [of my life]." Then Andrew said unto her, "Since thou hast obeyed the voice of Philemon my disciple, depart thou into the desert, and thou shalt be free of the work of the men of this world, and no man shall have power over thee;" so the dove went forth into the desert, even as Andrew had commanded her .

Then Andrew cried unto him that was dead, saying, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ Who hath sent us into the world to preach His holy Name, rise up and live in this same hour; and he that was dead rose up, and he bowed himself down between (i. e., beneath) the hands of Andrew. And Andrew lifted him up, and said unto him, "Believe in our Lord, O my son; and he who had been made to live [again] answered and said unto him, "Behold, I have believed. But I entreat thee, O my father Andrew, to give me permission to declare everything which I have seen". Then Andrew said unto him, "Speak. And the young man answered and said unto his father, "O father, give thou a portion of thy riches unto the poor, and to the orphans, and to the widows, and to those who are in want. Wilt thou not pay back a little of that which it is meet for thee to pay back for the gracious gift of God which hath come down upon thee? And wilt thou not give unto those who are in affliction for thy soul's sake? I declare unto thee, O my father, that in that same hour wherein my mother rose up and killed me, many most pleasant things happened unto me. There came unto me many men who had wings which were like unto the wings of eagles, and they took my soul and cast it into a place called 'Gehenna'.

And I saw a great house which was a building of sulphur and bitumen, and the number of those who were building it was forty; and there were with them [men with] lighted (or brilliant) lamps. And these builders were surrounded by those who were giving them orders concerning the building, and who said, 'When will this house be finished? for we have been ordered to burn it with these lamps.' And the builders said unto them, 'What is this? Ye would not surely burn down the house before it is finished?' And they said unto them, 'By what time will the building thereof be finished?' And they said, 'By the time the master of the house shall die, and then they will burn him therein.'"

"Then the angel, who had my soul in his keeping, said unto me, 'Hast thou seen these [beings]?' And I said unto him, 'Yea.' And I asked him, saying, 'For whom hath this house of sulphur and bitumen been built?' And he answered and said unto me, 'Dost thou see this great house?' And I said unto him, 'Yea, my lord.' And he said unto me, 'This is the sin which thy father hath committed, and this house will continue to be built for him until the time when he shall die, and then they will cast him into it, and consume him.' 172a. And when I heard these things concerning thee, I wept exceedingly, and I said, 'Woe is me! Woe is me! How can I inform my father of these things?' Now as I 'was weeping, he who was with me said unto me, Weep not.' And as he was conversing with me there came an aged man, and one hundred men were following after him; and there was with him a young man, the days of whose life were twelve years, and his aspect was most beautiful, and he conversed with those who were building in a language which I knew not. And after this he ordered them to pull down the house, and he also commanded the angel who was going with me to take me forth into an exceedingly wide and open place.

Then two men came, each of whom had in his hands a threefold rod of gold which he laid upon the great house in thy name; now the breadth and the height of the house were equal, and the length of each side (literally face) was twelve rods. And the angel said, { 'Fill [the house]'. And a builder answered and said, 'I cannot fill it now, for the grain hath not yet come into the granary; when the grain hath come into the granary I shall be able to fill it a hundred times over.'"

And Andrew said unto Rōkōs, "Hearken unto that which thy son saith. Had any other man spoken these words unto thee thou wouldst not have believed him; but he is thy son." Then Rōkōs answered and said unto Andrew, "I beseech thee, O man of God, to take all my possessions and to give them unto those who are in want, and to those who are poor and in misery." And Andrew answered and said unto him, "Rise up, and take my disciple into thy house, so that he may heal thy wife;" so Philemon did even as Andrew had commanded him. And he went unto the habitation of Rōkōs, and found his wife standing like a pillar and holding in her hands a black hairy [devil] who wished to escape from her, but she was unwilling to let him go. Then Philemon took hold of her right hand, and brought her unto the place where Andrew was, and she was holding the black hairy devil with her left hand. And it came to pass that when the multitude saw the black [devil] they were greatly moved, and they cried

M out, and became like a flock of sheep among which a wolf hath entered. Then Andrew said unto the multitude, "Fear ye not, but come nigh unto me and make strong your hearts, so that we learn who he is." And Andrew commanded the woman to let him go, and he made over her face the sign of the Cross, and laid his hands upon her head, and said, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, in Whose Name we preach, let everything which moveth in thy body hold its peace, and let thy understanding return unto thee;" then the woman became quiet, and she sat down close by (literally, between the hands of) the disciple. Then the disciple turned his face to the black [devil], and said unto him, "With what "work hast thou laid hold upon this woman?" And the black [devil] said unto him, "I will tell thee truly. When a strong young man who dwelleth with a feeble king cometh against him into battle, because the young man is strong he gaineth the victory over the feeble king in the fight; and it is not to be wished that the king should vanquish the young man, on the contrary, it is to be wished that the young man should conquer the king. But although I [like the king] have great power among the fiends and devils, behold, I have come into thy hand (or power)." And Andrew said unto him, "What shall I say concerning thee, O thou foul author of evil works? The time for thee to go forth hath come; but thou shalt be crucified, and thou shalt [not] go forth unto the outside of this city until tomorrow." And Andrew, having first of all prayed and made an end of his prayer, administered unto the believing people the Holy Mysteries, and sent them away in peace.

And it came to pass that when the morning had come, the people gathered themselves together, and Andrew came and cried out unto that black [devil], saying, "O thou foul and evil being, thou spirit of darkness, I say unto thee, 'Make manifest thy acts in the presence of this multitude of people, so that they may see thee.'" And the black [devil] answered and said unto Andrew, 173a. "It is not thou who shalt judge me and shalt do unto me this thing. Nevertheless my deeds are evil, for I have destroyed my glory and have blotted out mine honour." Then Andrew said unto him, "O thou foul being of darkness, how was it that thou didst possess honour?" And the black [devil] said unto him, "Thou callest me 'black [devil]', and black indeed I am, but thou knowest well that my nature was not thus at the time when I was created; but thou wishest to shew this multitude who I am. Woe is me, for who will deliver me from this plight in which I am?" And he began to call upon the names of the powers which are in the height. Then Andrew said unto him, "Thou shalt keep silence and thou shalt not speak, except to declare unto this multitude who thou art." And the black [devil] answered and said unto him, "I am one of the two hundred angels whom God Almighty sent to inspect col 2. the earth, and when we had seen it, we loved it, and we did not return unto Him that sent us; now I am 173a. their chief, and my name is Makár." And Andrew said unto him, "Hold thy peace, lest the abundant trouble [which thou hast caused], and thine error, and the loss

M* [which thou hast inflicted] come back upon thee, and thy pride shall be unto thee the cause of thy "destruction. What sayest thou, O unclean spirit? In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, depart thou into Gehenna, and never again shalt thou make thy appearance [upon this earth];" and in that same moment he was no more seen. And Rōkōs the governor said unto Andrew, "Dost thou command me to give my possessions unto the poor and unto those who are in want and in misery?" Then he caused all his possessions to be brought unto Andrew, and he gave them away according to his word. Then a rumour came unto the king, saying, "Rōkōs the governor hath distributed his riches among the poor, and he hath "left the office which he held, and he neither overseeth 173b. the people of the city nor judgeth among them, but saith, As far as I am able I will judge [my own self, for in times past I have erred]." Now when the nobleman Selkiyōs saw that the king was wishing to remove Rōkōs, and to kill him, he spake unto the king and entreated him to desist from his desire. And [the king] said unto him, "If it be that he hath turned into a good man, and hath become one of the servants of the God, Who worketh miracles and marvellous things in the country of the Hebrews, perhaps thou mayest have power over him. But write unto him [and ask him] if he desireth [this] faith, [and if he doth] he must give up unto thee all his possessions, and they must come into the king's treasury."

Then straightway Selkiyōs wrote a letter and sent unto Rōkōs by messengers, but when the messengers arrived with the letter at his house they could not find him in his dwelling; then they sought for him, and a certain man guided them and told them where he was, saying, "| He is with a certain man whose name is Andrew, and he teacheth a new doctrine, and it is not the doctrine of Rome." Then they came on to the road of the city, and they found Rōkōs and Andrew casting devils out of a man who had been possessed of them for [seventy] years; now when the messengers of the king saw this miracle they also believed in God, and they gave the letters unto Rōkōs, and he read them. And it came to pass that when he heard that they were going to take all his possessions and place them among the treasures of the king, Andrew laughed and said unto Rōkōs, "O Rōkōs, is thine heart grieved because the king desireth to take all thy possessions?" And Rōkōs answered and said unto him, "Thou thyself knowest whether I [am grieved or not]. But I will not separate myself from thee, and I will not leave any place whatsoever into which thou goest. What need have I of the things which perish, and which turn unto | corruption, and which cause him that gathereth them together to be destroyed?" Then Andrew said unto him, "All the waters are gathered together again in the sea, and yet the sea is not filled; and everything which a man putteth into the belly goeth out into the desert place."

And as Andrew was holding converse with Rōkōs, he heard a voice near him which commanded him to send away the people, and it commanded him to go forth and to depart unto the city which was before him; and he knew that [it was the voice of] a great and honourable message. Then after these things [he returned unto the city], and they (i. e., the people) revealed unto him that there was great fear therein on account of the king, [who was wroth] because of the messengers who had believed, [for he feared] lest the believers would be strengthened . . . . . . in my name, and that they shall know that I am with them, and that I will be in them. And Andrew blessed the people, saying, "May the Lord God make you to be strong in the right faith, and may He make you to be strong in His perfection!" Then the people made answer unto him, saying, "| Depart in 'peace, but let not thy habitation be far from us. And we have heard the voice which cried unto thee, and [seen] how great fear hath come upon this city through the king, [who is wroth] by reason of the messengers who have believed." Then Andrew made strong their hearts, and said unto them, "Fear ye not, for God Almighty in Whom ye have believed is mighty, and He hath the power to protect you;" and thus saying he went forth from them in peace, giving praise unto God. May his prayer and his blessing be with us, and may it protect us for ever and ever! Amen.

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.

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;

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.

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.

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

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."

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

"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."

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?"

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."

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).

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;

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 178a. 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.

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 178b. 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."

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."

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!"

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.

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

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.

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, Αἰκβήγός, 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.

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;

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.'

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;

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.

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 181b. [upon them]."

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.

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;

for the condition of being unable to do anything hath come upon us."

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 182b. 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.

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.

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."

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.

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."

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 184a. 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, 184a. 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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,

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.

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."

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."

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."

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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; 189a. "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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Here beginneth the Book of the Preaching and Travels (literally, road) of Saint John, the son of Zebedee, the good Evangelist, and of his departure from this world unto God Almighty. It was written by Saint Prochorus, who was of the family of Stephen, the Archdeacon and Protomartyr, and who was [one] of the seven messengers whom the Apostles appointed for service among the newcomers. In the peace of God the Father. Amen.

And it came to pass that after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ unto heaven the Apostles were gathered together unto the grave of Mary. And Peter said unto them, "Ye know, O brethren, everything which our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us [to do], and that He ordered us to teach the Faith unto the Gentiles, and to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Holy Ghost, and since He hath sent upon us the Holy Spirit there is none [among us] who can dispute concerning that which our Master hath commanded us. Now great sorrow [hath come upon us] by reason of the departure of His Mother from the world, for she was the mother of us all, and the mother of all believers. But now, O beloved brethren, come, and let us, by the grace of the Trinity, bring unto all peoples the commandments with which our Teacher commanded us. And remember ye His words which He said, 'I am sending you [forth] like lambs among wolves; be ye then as wise as the serpent, and as gentle as the dove.' Now, ye know that when a man wisheth to kill a serpent the serpent maketh all its body to wriggle and that it hideth its head; in like manner let us, O brethren, give ourselves unto death and preserve our soul which is the true faith; and let us also be like unto the dove which, when her masters take away her young, doth not make any resistance against them. Behold, ye know that our Lord said, Since they persecuted Me, you also will they persecute." And again He said, "In the world ye shall have much tribulation, but He for Whose sake they persecute you will be with you."

And James, the brother of our Lord, answered and said, "Beautiful is thy striving in this work, O my father Peter." And Peter answered and said unto him, "Inasmuch as thy lot hath gone forth to dwell in this city thou shalt not pass a night away therefrom." And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon John to depart and preach in the country of Asia, but the lot was exceedingly bitter unto him, and he sighed deeply three times, and his tears fell upon the ground, and he threw himself down before the Apostles. Then Peter laid hold upon him, and raised him up, and said unto him, "We have watched thee continually and have seen that thou art like unto a father, and because of thy patient endurance we have likened thee [thereto]. Why then hast thou acted in this manner and put us all to shame?" And John answered with tears and said unto him, "O my father Peter, I have greatly sinned in this hour. Many tribulations shall befall me in this country, but pray ye for me, O beloved brethren, that God may give me forgiveness." Then the assembly of the Apostles made haste and prayed, and in that hour they asked the brother of our Lord to pray over them. And when he had done this they embraced each other in a spiritual embrace, and they embraced each and every one of the Seventy-two lesser disciples, among whom fell the lot upon me to follow my teacher.

And it came to pass that when we had departed from Jerusalem we arrived at Joppa, and we sat down on the shore(?) for a day, and then we embarked in a ship which had arrived from Egypt, and which was laden with merchandize; and [when] we had embarked in the ship we sat down therein. Then John began to weep, and he said unto me, "O my son Prochorus, on [this] sea great tribulation shall come upon me, and my soul shall come into judgment, but whether it shall be for death or for life hath not been revealed unto me by God. Now if I be saved, O my son, from the tribulation of the sea, do thou go to Asia, and make thy way unto the city of the Ephesians, and dwell therein for [two] months, until I return unto thee; and after two months we will complete our mission. But if two months pass by, and [I come not unto thee], go back to Jerusalem, O my son, to James, the brother of our Lord, and do according to what he shall say unto thee."

And it came to pass that when John spake these words in conversing with Prochorus it was the time of the tenth hour of the day, but immediately afterwards a mighty wind rose up on the sea, and the ship was tossed about with great violence. And we continued in this tribulation from the tenth hour of that day until the third hour of the night, and the ship was broken in pieces, and all the crew clung to the planks thereof, and Prochorus clung with them, and all the merchandize, and everything which was in the ship were scattered about [on the waves]. But God, Who watcheth everything, and Who comforteth His creatures, like the good shepherd that goeth about [seeking] after his lambs, saved each and every one of us who was clinging to the planks (now the waves of the sea had made them to spring from their places), and at the [seventh] hour of the day the waves of the sea cast us up at Salawegya (Seleucia), which is situated about seventeen stadia from the province of Antioch. Now the number of the men who were saved was forty-seven (or, forty-six). And when we arrived at the sea-shore we were unable to converse with each other by reason of hunger, and fright, and fatigue; and we cast ourselves down upon the face of

P the ground, and lay prostrate there from the seventh until the ninth hour. And it came to pass that when our spirit returned unto us, those men who had been cast into the sea with me rose up and spake unto me with every kind of foul and abominable words, saying, "This man who was with thee is a sorcerer, and inasmuch as he hath done evil deeds the ship hath been wrecked; and now he hath seized all the possessions which were therein and hath taken to flight. If thou dost not restore unto "us our possessions we will take thee to the governor of the city, and he will slay thee; for all those who were in the ship have come hither, thy companion alone excepted." Then the people of the country sided with them against me, and believed their words, and they placed me in the prison-house. And on the morrow they took me out unto a large, open place where the elders of the city were sitting, and they [all] spake unto me with words of abuse, and they said unto me, "Whence comest thou? Of what tribe art thou? What is thy handicraft? And by what name art thou called? Tell us before we inflict punishment upon thee." And I said unto them, "I am a Christian, and am [one] of those

"who live in Judah, and Prochorus is my name. I was 191b. wrecked at sea, together with those who are gathered together here, and behold, I dwelt with them." Then the elders said unto me, "How is that all in the ship except thy companion were saved? Is it true, even as they say, that ye are sorcerers and that ye have made the ship to be no more seen by means of your enchantments, and that ye will not let any man know [where it is]? As for thee, thou hast been found, but now thy companion hath taken away all the merchandize (i. e., money) which was in the ship, even as ye made the agreement between you. Indeed ye are workers of evil, and there is much blood which hath been shed by murder upon your necks. And, behold, the sea hath swallowed up thy companion, and the evilness of thy works is the greater upon thee; but since thou hast been saved from the sea thou shalt perish in this city."

And those men terrified me, and they made me to be afraid, and they said unto me, "Where is thy companion?" Thereupon I wept bitter tears, and I said unto them, "I have already told you that I am the disciple and Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. The lot went forth for my master to go out into the regions of the country of Asia, and it came to pass that when we had embarked in the ship he told me of everything which hath happened unto me before it took place. And he commanded me to come unto the city of the Ephesians, and to wait therein a certain number of days, and if, when these days were ended, he did not come unto me I was to return unto my own country. My teacher is not a sorcerer, neither am I, but we are Christians openly and in truth." And there arrived from Antioch a certain officer, who was one of the king's guards, (now his name was Salawēgyōs [Seleukos]), to 1928.

strengthen the works [of the government], and when he heard from me these words he commanded the elders to drive me away, and they did even as he had commanded them. Then I travelled on for forty days, and at length I arrived in the country of Asia, and I came into a broad tract of land upon the sea-coast; now the name of that land is Marmará'án (Mareon). And I sat down upon a lofty piece of land which jutted out over the sea to rest myself from [my] tribulation and sorrow, and I laid myself down and I slept a little; and when I opened my eyes [again] I saw a mighty wave in the sea, and it cast John up from out of itself. Now when I saw this I rose up quickly that I might lay hold of his hands, and help to rescue him, but I was not then certain that the man was John. And when I drew nigh unto him, I stretched

out my hands that he might grasp them, but he quickly escaped from me. And it came to pass that, when I saw [that the man was John], I rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy, and I embraced him, and we shed tears together, and we gave thanks unto God for His grace which had brought us together after we had lost all hope [of meeting again]. And when he had rested a little, his heart returned unto him, and we conversed together concerning all that had happened unto us. Then he informed me that he had remained for forty days and forty nights in the depths of the sea; and I told him everything which had happened unto me. And we continued together and came unto the border of this land which is called Marmará'án (Mareon), even unto the city thereof; and we begged food, and [the people] gave us bread and water, and we ate, and our hearts were made strong. Then we journeyed along on the road until [we arrived at the city of the] Ephesians, and we entered into the city and dwelt in a place the name of which is the "Fort of 'Ardâmis (Artemis)," and it is situated in the front of the city. Now there was in that place a house of washing (i. e., bath), which belonged to the governor of the city, whose name was Dioscorides. And John said unto me, "O my son, inform not any [man] in this city who we are, and why we are here, until God wisheth us to find an opportunity for making ourselves known, and we can preach herein."

Now whilst John was saying these words unto me there came unto us a woman of most terrible appearance, and she was the keeper of the bath; and she was a barren woman and had never given birth unto a child, and her body was large and round like unto that of a she-mule. And she had great confidence in her strength, and she used to beat severely with her hands those who were her servants in the bath-house, and she never let them rest even for a moment. And they used to say concerning this woman that she used to go out to fight, and that she picked quarrels with folk and then beat them to death, and that she could throw stones with great force with her hands; and she was wont to boast and glory in her deeds, and imagine that she was a woman of understanding, and she used to deck herself out in fine apparel so as to lead astray those who stayed with her in the bath. And it came to pass that when she looked, and saw us sitting down in our dirty garments, she meditated within herself and knew that we were wandering strangers, and she did her utmost to drive us into the bath. And she said unto John, "O fellow, whence art thou? And he said unto her, "I am from a far country. And she said unto him, "To what race dost thou belong? And he said unto her, "I am a Christian.

And she said unto him, "Wilt thou come and be a fireman, and heat the bath? I will give thee both hire and food. And John said unto her, "I consent. Then the woman turned and said unto me, "And thou, what sayest thou? And John said unto her, "He is my brother; and she said unto him, "I wish him to be a washer in the bath. Then she brought us together to the bath, and she appointed John fireman of the bath, and me she made a washer; and she gave us three loaves of bread, and we tarried there four days.

Now John did not heat the bath well, and the woman laid hold of him and threw him on the ground, and beat him most unmercifully with many stripes, and said

unto him, "O thou wicked man, thou fugitive who hast fled from thine own country, thou art not fit to live! If thou didst know that thou wast not able to do the work, why hadst thou the impudence to undertake it? My opinion of thy doings is that thou hast come hither 193a. that thou mayest overcome Rōmnā, whose fame hath reached even unto the city of Rome; but thou shalt not be able to escape from my hands. Thou art my slave as long as thou eatest and drinkest [at my expense]; thou art strong, and yet when it is time for work thou art lazy. Put away from thee this evil habit, and perform the work of Rômnâ, which is good work." And when I heard these abominable words which she spake unto John, and saw the beating which she gave him I was sorry with a great sorrow. And John said unto me, "When thou seest me thus sorrowful, O my son Prochorus, why dost thou meditate in this wise? Knowest thou not that I was swallowed up in the sea, and that I remained in the depths thereof for forty days [and forty nights], and that by the mercy of God I was saved? Wilt thou then be grieved because of one beating by a foolish woman whose anger is but a small thing? Go back to thy work, and labour quickly. Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator, was beaten, and they spat in His face, and they scourged Him, and 193a. crucified Him, and He redeemed us, His creatures, with His precious blood, and He was like unto us in everything, sin alone excepted, and He foretold unto us how all these things should happen unto us; but let us possess our souls in our patience." And when I heard these things from him I returned unto my work which Rômnâ had commanded me to do.

And on the following day Rômnâ came unto John, and said unto him, "If thou wouldst have some apparel to put on I will give it unto thee; only do thy work better." And John answered and said unto her, "What thou hast given me is sufficient for me, and as for my work I will do it better." And Rômnâ said unto him, "Why do the people, who are gathered together here, chide thee because thou dost not perform thy work better?" And John answered and said unto her, "This work is the first of the kind which I have done, therefore my knowledge thereof is little. When I have continued at the work for some time thou wilt learn that there is good work in me, but at the beginning every kind of work is difficult;" and when she heard these words from him she returned unto her abode. Then Satan, the enemy of all good, forthwith took upon himself the form of Rômnâ, and he appeared unto John, and said unto him, "Why dost thou not improve in thy work, O thou foolish and lazy man? Behold, thou art doing thy work badly, and I am not able to endure thee. Improve thy manner of feeding the furnace, lest I cast thee therein and thou never again see the light of this world; thou art not worthy to live, and I do not wish to see thee [again]. Get thee forth, O corrupt one, and take thy man [with thee], and depart unto thy city, wherefrom they cast thee out by reason of thine evil deeds."

And Satan took hold of a rod of iron, wherewith the men stirred up the fire, to smite John, and he said unto him, "I will kill thee. Get out of this place, for I do not wish thee to perform service of any kind here." Now when John heard these words he knew within himself that it was Satan, and he cried out, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost!" and in that same hour Satan fled out of his hands, and ran away. And on the morrow Rômnâ met John and said unto him, "A certain man hath spoken unto me concerning thee, and hath told me many things about thee, that thou art not skilful at thy work, and that thou art always devising excuses for me to let thee off [thy work]; dost thou wish me not to leave in thy body one bone which I have not broken?" And whilst she was saying all these things [to him] he answered her never a word. Now when she saw his patient endurance and his meekness, she thought that he was a simpleton and a man without sense, and all the time that she was uttering words of abominable abuse and insults she was throwing dust in his face. Then she said unto him, "Thou art my slave; dost thou not believe it |"? And John said unto her, "Yea, we are thy servants; I am the fireman of the bath, and Prochorus is the washer."

Now this cursed Rómná had a lover (or friend) among the officers of the governor, and to him she went and said unto him, "There were two slaves who ran away from me and my parents a long time ago, and they escaped, but to-day they have come back to me, and they acknowledge that they are truly my servants. Now I wish thee to write for me a deed" declaring that "they are my slaves." Then the officer said unto her, "If these men acknowledge that they are indeed the slaves of thy father, make thou three faithful witnesses to bear testimony concerning them, and then let them write for thee a deed declaring that they are thy slaves." And John knew through the Holy Ghost all that the woman did, and he said unto me, "O my son, although this woman wisheth that we should be in actual servitude unto her, let not thine heart be grieved, O my son, by reason of this thing. Nay, rejoice greatly, and do for her whatsoever she pleaseth. For behold, our Lord Jesus Christ is almighty, and behold,

Literally, "a writing of servitude." "He knoweth who and what we are." And before John had finished that which he had been commanded to do, Rómnà came with great violence, and laying hold of John she said unto him, "O thou wicked slave, when thy mistress cometh why dost thou not hasten to come to meet her, and to bow down before her even unto the ground? Art thou not my slave, O thou wicked fugitive?" Then she beat him and said unto him, "Tell me [, is it not so?]" And John said unto her, "Did I not tell thee that we were thy slaves? I am the fireman of the bath, and Prochorus is the washer." And she 1942. spoke unto him a second time and said, "Tell me, of whom are ye the slaves?" And John said unto her, "Behold, three times already have I acknowledged unto thee that we both are thy slaves;" and the woman brought us unto the temple of the city unto three witnesses, and they wrote a deed of servitude concerning us.

Now there was in that bath-house a company of devils, and they had remained there from the beginning, even from the time when it had been built. For when the builders were making the foundations thereof they placed a girl beneath them, and they built up the walls over her whilst she was alive; and because of this deed the company of devils dwelt in the bath-house, and three times each year Satan strangled a living soul therein, and Dioscorides, the master of the bath-house, knew those days whereon these things took place in it. Now Dioscorides had a son who was exceedingly handsome in stature and appearance, and his father used to prevent him from entering into the bath-house on the day whereon the work of Satan was performed therein. And after we had dwelt in the bath-house three months, the son of Dioscorides came to the bath-house by himself to bathe there; and I went in with him according to my custom to minister unto him. Now he went into the bath before me, and Satan forthwith laid hold upon him, and strangled him, and killed him. And when his servants knew this they came forth, saying, "Woe unto us! Woe unto us!" (and thus also said all the enemies of our father Gabra Mar'āwī) "Woe unto us! Woe unto us, for our master is dead."

And it came to pass that when Rōmnā heard this, she rent her garments and plucked out the hair of her head, and she said, "Woe is me! Woe is me, O miserable woman that I am!" (and thus also said those who were the enemies of the soul of our father Gabra Mar'āwī) "What shall I do? And what manner of face shall I lift up unto that of Dioscorides? And what shall I say unto him concerning the death of his son? For he himself, when he heareth that his son whom he loveth is dead, will die of grief." And Rōmnā was crying out unto the idols who were in the temple, and saying, "O Artemis, help me, and hearken thou unto my petition, and bring back to life for me my master Dōmōs, for all we who are Ephesians know that thou art the consoler of the whole world." And thus saying she plucked out the hair of her head from the third even unto the ninth hour,

In the Latin text he is called "Domnos." and she wept; and many people gathered themselves together, and some of them sorrowed for the boy, and some for the great grief of Rōmnā. Then John went forth from the place where he heated the bath, and he said unto me, "O my son Prochorus, what now is the cause of sorrow, and of the outcry which this woman is making in the city?" And it came to pass that when Rōmnā saw John conversing with me, she made haste and laid hold upon him, and said unto him, "O thou sorcerer, my gods have gone afar off from me, and there is none who will hearken unto my supplication." And she buffeted John and said unto him, "O wicked slave, hast thou come hither to make signs of joy with thine eyes at me, and to rejoice because of what hath overtaken my master?

"What hast thou to say, O wicked slave?" And when 195a. John heard these words from Rōmnā he entered into the bath-house, and stood at the head of the boy who was dead, and he laid his hands upon the unclean spirit, for he had found him, and he rebuked him and cast him out from the boy. Then he made the sign of the cross over his face, and he took him by the hand and lifted him up, and brought him forth alive out of the bath- house, and [gave him] into the hands of those who were gathered together there. Then he said unto Rōmnā, "Take thy master, for he is whole and alive, and there is no injury whatever upon him. Behold, he hath come to life through the might of my God Jesus Christ."

And when Rōmnā saw what had happened, she was utterly dismayed, and her senses departed from her, and fear and trembling laid hold upon her, and upon all the men of the city who were there, and who had seen the marvellous things which John had wrought; and Rômna was not able to lift up her face to that of John by reason of shame and fear. And she remained in this state, saying, "Woe is me by reason of what I have done unto this man, whom I treated as a slave, although he was not my slave, and by reason of all the abuse which I heaped upon him continually. I have acted very wrongly concerning him, and I am suffering great tribulation because of the buffetings and blows which I inflicted upon him;" and she was so exceedingly sorrowful that she wished to die rather than live. And when John looked into the face of the woman and saw that sorrow, and shame, and penitence had come upon her, he took hold of her hands, and made the sign of the glorious cross over her face in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Then straightway her limbs became quiet, and she threw herself into the hands of Saint John, and said unto him, "I entreat thee to make me to know who thou art. Art thou God, or art thou the Son of God, that thou art able to do this thing?" And John said unto her, I am "neither God, nor the Son of God, as thou sayest, but I am the servant of the Son of God; and if thou wilt believe upon Him thou shalt become His handmaiden."

And Rômna answered and said unto him with fear and trembling, "O servant of the Good God, forgive me all the evil which I have done unto thee, and the abuse, and the revilings, and the lies." And John said unto her, "Believe in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that all these things, of which thou hast spoken, may be forgiven thee." Then the woman answered and said unto him, "O servant of the A..90a." "Good God, I believe everything which I have heard from thee." Now one of the servants of Dioscorides had made haste and told him that his son was dead, for John had not brought him to life until the time that the people who had gathered together were with him. And when Dioscorides heard that he was dead, he fell down on the ground and became like a dead person. Then that same servant went back to the bath-house where John and Dómós were teaching Rómnà, and he said unto Dómós, "O my lord, thy father Dioscorides is dead;" and when he heard that his father was dead he went forth from John unto the place where his father was, and he found him lying there dead.

And Dómós went back to John and said unto him, "O thou servant of the Good God who didst bring me to life after I had died, behold, when my father heard 195b. that I was dead he also died; I entreat thee to have compassion upon him. Then John answered and said unto him, "Fear not, for thy father hath not died the A..90a. "death, but is alive. And John went with him unto the place where his father was, and Rómnà and great multitudes of people were following after them. And when he had drawn nigh unto him, he took him by the hand, and said unto him, "Dioscorides, Dioscorides, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, rise up and stand upon thy feet; and in that same hour he rose up, being whole and without any injury whatsoever. And they all marvelled at the mighty deeds and wonderful things which John wrought. Now among the people who were gathered together were some who said, "He is a god; and others said, "He is a sorcerer; and others said, "A sorcerer cannot raise the dead. And the limbs of Dioscorides became still, and he cast himself down at the feet of John, and said unto him, "Thou art God who didst bring to life my son, and myself also.

And John said unto him, "I am not what thou thinkest I am, for I am only His servant and disciple, and I had no power to bring thee to life except by that of my Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. Then Dioscorides turned and bowed down before the Apostle, and said unto him, "Command me what to do that I may live; and John said unto him, "Believe in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and be baptized; and thou shalt find everlasting life. Then Dioscorides said unto him, "Behold, I am in thy hand; command thou the men of my house according to thy will. And he brought Saint John into his house and shewed him all his possessions, and said unto him, "Take all these things and make me and all the men of my house Christians. And John answered and said unto him, "Neither my God nor myself desire thy possessions, for we have already forsaken everything which we had and followed our God; and he declared unto him many words out of the Holy Scriptures. Then Dioscorides bowed down before Saint John, and said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, have compassion upon us, and baptize us in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And John said unto him, "Bring hither unto me all those who are in thy house, and I will admonish them and teach them the True Law (i.

e., Religion), and then I will baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and they shall receive the Law of Life."

And after these things Rômna came bearing in her hands the deed of servitude of John, wherein she had caused it to be written that John was her slave, and she fell down at his feet with weeping, and she repented with bitter tears, and said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, I entreat thee to give me the sign of the faith of Christ, and to receive from me the writing of sin." Then John took from her the writing, and tore it in pieces, and baptized her in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And after these things John departed from the house of Dioscorides and went into the bath-house, and he drove out therefrom the unclean spirit which strangled the people, and then went back into the house of Dioscorides; now very

many men had gathered together unto us, but when we had entered into the house the multitudes dispersed. And Dioscorides made ready for us a table [of food], and we gave thanks unto God and took our food, and we dwelt in that place until the second day. And the men of that city were celebrating a great festival [in honour of] their goddess whom they call 'Ardâmis (Artemis). Now John was sitting by that place, and he stood up opposite the idol which they call Artemis, and all the men of the Ephesians were sitting [there], and they were arrayed in fine apparel because it was the day of the festival, and John also was sitting there. Now the apparel which he had on him was that which he wore when he used to feed the furnace fire in the bath-house. And it came to pass that when the followers of the heathen goddess saw him, they threw stones at him, but not a stone touched him; and the stones fell upon the idol until it was broken in pieces. Then John answered and said unto them, "O men of the Ephesians, why do ye commit such folly as to celebrate a festival | [in honour] of unclean devils? Why do ye forsake God, the Maker of all created things, the great and honourable God?" And wrath laid hold upon the people by reason of [the words of] John. Then John said unto them, "Behold, your goddess hath been broken in pieces by the great number of the stones which ye have thrown at me; but if ye wish to see the power of my God, get understanding, and awake, and hasten to receive Him Whom ye shall see."

Then John stood up, and prayed and made supplication, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, set Thou Thy fear in the hearts of these men, that they may know there is no other god besides Thee." And in that same hour the people heard a voice which went round about over the ground, and the voice struck terror into the people, and two hundred of them fell upon the ground and became like dead men. And those who were left came back and bowed down before John, and said unto him, "We entreat thee to raise up those who are dead, for we believe in God." Then John answered and said unto them, "O men of the Ephesians, that ye are stubborn (literally thick) of heart I know, but if the dead be raised up will ye not believe in the Living God? For ye are stubborn of heart, and your

Q hearts are like unto that of Pharaoh." Then John lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "I entreat Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, thou Son of the Living God, that these dead men may be raised up by Thy power, and may believe in Thy Name." And in that same hour a mighty earthquake took place, and fear and trembling were in the land; and the two hundred men who were dead rose up, and fell upon the ground, and bowed down before John, and said unto him, "What dost thou command us [to do], O good man?" Then John admonished them, and taught them the Law of Faith, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, 197a. and of the Holy Spirit.

And after these things we dwelt in an open place in the midst of the city, and a multitude of people were gathered together unto John. And a certain woman came and bowed down before him, and said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, I have a son, upon whom an unclean Satan laid hold eight days ago, and he hath fallen into tribulation by reason of this Satan, and he suffereth exceedingly; I beseech and entreat thee to have compassion upon my son, and to deliver him, for I and his father believe in thy God." Then John and Dioscorides rose up together, and they came unto the house of that woman, and they saw the youth lying upon his couch, and he was speechless; and the mother of the youth bowed down before John, and said unto him, "I adjure thee by the Name of God, Whom thou servest, to have mercy on my son." Then John took hold of his right hand, and said unto him, "In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ I command thee, O young man, to rise up from this place;" [and straightway] he rose up, and bowing low he gave praise unto God. And John admonished them, and baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Then the Jews rose up against John like savage dogs, wishing to kill him, but Dioscorides delivered him out of their hands. So we went forth from that place, and we arrived at another which was called the "Luck" of the city, and there was there a certain man who had been bedridden for twelve years, and he was not able to stand upon his feet. And when he saw John he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "O Apostle of our Lord, have mercy upon me;" and when John saw the steadfast faith of this man he said unto him, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, rise up," and immediately the man rose up quickly and gave praise unto God. Now when Satan, together with those who dwelt in the temple of Artemis, saw the wonderful works which God had wrought, he transformed himself and became like unto one of the officers of the king, and he had a written paper with him. Then he sat down in a certain public place and wept, and as he was weeping two men who belonged to those who were in the king's service passed by, and when they saw him in that place they drew nigh unto him, and said unto him, "Peace be upon thee." And they said unto him, "Friend, what is it that maketh thee weep?" and then he shewed them the written paper, that is to say, that which they imagined 1982.

to be such, for it was not a written paper at all, but it was some written thing of Satan's own handiwork. And the men said unto him, "What is this? What is in it? Wherefore dost thou weep? Who is it that hath wronged thee?" Then Satan wept with much groaning and moaning, and said unto them, "I have fallen into great tribulation, and no one hath the power to relieve me; but if ye have the power when I have made known unto you what my business is, then help me." And they said unto him, "We will help thee." Then Satan said unto them, "Swear ye unto me by the great [goddess] Artemis, that whether it be for life or whether it be for death, ye will devote yourselves to service on my behalf, and then I will tell you my busi- "ness;" and they swore unto him that they would be with him in all his business. Then Satan, even as he had at first made them [to see] a written paper, now also made them [to see] something which was like unto a large purse filled with gold, and he said unto them, "I will give unto you this gold as a reward for that which ye are going to do for me." And they said unto him, "Reveal unto us thy business, and we will make thee to be satisfied [with us]." And Satan said unto them, "I am a poor man from the city of Caesarea which is in the country of Palestine, and I am one of the children (or servants) of the king's palace. Now the king gave into my keeping two sorcerers from Jeru-

1982. "salem, the name of the one being John and that of the other Prochorus, and I took them and put them in the prison-house. And on the fourth day the judges of the city made enquiries concerning them, and I brought them before them, and [when] they had made certain of the wickedness of their deeds, which was very great, they commanded me to take them back to the prisonhouse until the time when the judges of the city should assemble to pass upon them their sentence of death. And it came to pass that when I was taking them back to the prison-house, according as the judges had commanded me, they slipped through my hands by means of their enchantments, and escaped. Now when I told the judges what they had done, they had compassion upon me, and said unto me, Go, O wretched man, and seek for them, and know that if thou find them not thou shalt die a terrible death; and if thou canst not find them here, come not back to us until thou hast gone round about through the whole country." Then Satan brought out the gold before them, and he said unto them, "Behold, the king hath set [people] to lie in wait for them on the roads, and several men have told me that they are in this city, and therefore have I sought for them [here]." And he continued to weep, and said, "I myself have left my children and my house for their sake, and behold, I am a stranger in a foreign land; I entreat you, O my beloved ones, to have compassion upon my condition as a stranger."

Then the servants of the king said unto him, "Grieve not, O man; are [these] sorcerers in this city?" And Satan said unto him, "Yea, and I am afraid that they will escape from the place by means of their sorcery. But I entreat you that when ye find them ye will put them in some hidden place of which no man knoweth anything, and will slay them there; and ye shall accept this gold." And the men said unto Satan, "If we kill them now, how will ye be able to return unto the city? It would be better for thee if we were to lay hold upon them and for thee to take them with thee to thy house." And Satan said unto them, "Kill them, for I am sorrowing to return to my city and to go back to my family;" so they covenanted with him to slay them secretly, and they took the gold.

Now Saint John knew through the Spirit the things which Satan wished to do, and he said unto me, "O my son Prochorus, strengthen thy soul and endure patiently, for Satan is in the temple of Artemis. And behold, he hath raised up a great tumult against us, and two men who are of the principal officers in the army have risen up, and are uttering calumnies and lies against us. And behold, my Lord Jesus Christ hath revealed unto me everything which Satan is saying unto them; but make strong thy heart, and fear not." Now whilst John was saying these things unto me, the two men came and gave us orders [to go with them] at the moment when Dioscorides was not sitting with us; and John said unto them, "Why do ye lay hold upon us?" And they said unto him, "Because of thy sorcery." And John said unto them, "Who hath borne testimony against us to this effect?" And they said unto him, "We are going to put thee in the prison-house until those who are seeking thee shall arrive." Then John said unto them, "Ye have no power to treat me thus wrongfully unless a trustworthy witness come with you." And they beat John, and they seized us, and put us into the prisonhouse, and they brought us into a waste and desolate place wherein no man lived, that they might kill us, even as they had covenanted with Satan to do.

Then Rômnâ made haste to go unto Dioscorides, and she told him what had befallen us, and when he heard these words he rose up quickly, and sought for us until he found us, and he delivered us out of their hands; and he spake harsh words unto the two men, and said unto them, "Why do ye proceed against innocent men with cunning plots [like these], when as yet no accusers have appeared to make accusations against them? And why have ye brought them into a desert place instead of into the governor's prison? that ye might kill them in secret? Behold, these two men [shall remain] in my house until their accusers come and accuse them, and then let them argue the matter, even as the law ordereth us [to do]." And the two men said each within himself, and each unto the other, "It will be better for us to bring their accusers, so that we may be strong against each of them, and then we can seize them as may be necessary, for they may run away from us." And they came to the place where Satan had been sitting, but they found him not, [and although] they went round about the whole city they could hear (literally find) no rumour of him; and they were afraid to return unto Dioscorides because he was the lord of the city, and they sat down in great sorrow. And after these things Satan appeared unto them, and said unto them, "O beloved, why are ye disturbed? Tell ye me everything which hath happened unto you." And they said unto him, "Dioscorides hath delivered them out of our hands, but if thou wilt dwell with us we shall be able

.93b. "[to prevail over] each of them." Then Satan went about with them weeping, and he was exceedingly sorrowful, and many people gathered themselves together [unto him], and he told them the same story which he had already told the two men. And the people were exceedingly wroth with John, and many of them, that is to say the Jews, who came unto the house of Dioscorides, broke down the gates and came into [the courtyard] in anger, and they said unto

Dioscorides, "Thou art the governor of the city, and it is unseemly for thee to allow sorcerers to dwell in thy house. If thou wilt not send them back to us, we will burn down thy house, and will plunder all thy possessions, and will slay thyself and thy children, and will take them prisoners against thy will, and the people shall declare the story thereof in the city." And many people were gathered together in the house of Dioscorides, seeking for John and his disciple. And when John saw the multitudes of people who had gathered themselves together and come there, he said unto Dioscorides, "We neither wish for possessions, nor are we afraid of punishment 199b. in our bodies, but thou art sorrowful for the destruction of thy goods. As for us, our Teacher taught us to bear the cross of our death and to follow Him." Then Dioscorides said unto John, "Behold, they will burn my house and plunder my possessions, and they will slay both me and my children for thy sake." And John said unto him, "Neither thou, nor thy children [shall be slain], nor anything which is thine [shall be plundered], nor one hair of thy head shall fall [to the ground], and as for us, take us back to these men who are seeking us, for these people who are gathered together are well disposed towards us; and do thou and thy children take refuge in your habitations until ye see the power of God." Then Dioscorides took us unto the [two] men, and they placed us in the temple of Artemis.

And it came to pass that when John had drawn nigh unto the temple, he said unto those who were holding him, "O men of the Ephesians, what is this temple?" And they said unto him, "This is the temple of Artemis." And John said unto them, "Let us stand here for a little space;" so they stood [there] as John had said unto them. Then John lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, through Thy power let this temple fall down, but let not one of these people die;" and according as he said even so did it come to pass, for the temple fell down straightway. Then John said unto Satan, who was in the temple, "O thou unclean Satan!" And Satan answered and said unto him, "What dost thou desire?" And John said unto him, "How many years hast thou been in this temple?" And Satan said unto him, "Nine and forty years." And John said unto him, "Art thou he who did raise up the servants of the king against us?" and Satan said unto him, "Yea, I am." And John said unto him, "I command thee in the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene to depart from this city, and never to return unto it again;" and Satan went forth quickly. And because of this thing which they had seen the multitudes were dismayed, and they all gathered themselves together in a certain place, and said among themselves each to each, "We have never seen things like unto those which these men

] "have done. Come, let us seize them, and let us hand them over to the governor of the city, and let us punish them according to the Law of the Books of Moses." Now there was with them a certain Jew whose name was Marāwan, and he said unto the people, "Both of these men are sorcerers, and they know all manner of evil arts; it is better that we should kill them and that we should not make enquiries concerning them." And the people said unto him, "Thou sayest well;" but [although] Marāwan stirred up all the multitudes [to do this] they did not accept his words, but took us to the governor of the city, and they delivered us over into his hands.

And the judges (or magistrates) said unto the people, "Under what pretext have ye brought these two men unto us? and the people said unto them, "They are sorcerers. And the judges said unto them, "What work of sorcery have they done? and the people said unto them, "The man Marāwan [said that one] of the officers of the king hath come from their city seeking for them, and he hath given us information concerning the wickedness of their deeds. And the judges said unto Marā- 200b. wan, "Let the man who hath spoken concerning these men come hither to us, and let him declare the words of truth; and, as for these men, let them put them in the prison-house until their accusers come. So they brought us into the prison-house, and they shut us up there and bound us in fetters. And the multitudes went forth into every road of the city and made enquiries for the servants of the king, but they found them not in the city; and then a herald went through the city and in the districts round about for three days, but they found not the man whom they sought. Then they returned unto the judges and said unto them, "We have not found the man. And the elders of the city answered and said unto them, "It is not necessary for us that these men who are strangers should dwell in the prison-house, for we have not found any true witness or any accusers who can put them to the test.

Then the judges sent messengers unto us and brought us [unto them] secretly, and they threatened us, and commanded us neither to dwell in the city, nor to teach therein anything whatsoever of our doctrine. And they made us to depart from the city, and they sent with us soldiers of the guard to make us to depart from all the districts thereof, and we arrived at a place which is called Marmar'án (Marmareon), whither John went up when he came forth from the sea, and we dwelt there three days.

And our Lord Jesus Christ spake unto John in a dream, and said unto him, "Behold, John, I am thy Lord." And our Lord said unto him, "Rise up, and go unto the city of the Ephesians, and after three days [the sailors shall bring thee] unto an island which hath need of thee; and behold, much tribulation shall come upon thee, and thou shalt dwell [there] many days." And for this reason we rose up quickly, and we went back to the Ephesians; and as soon as we had come there, all the temples in that place fell down, and not one of them 2013. remained [standing]. Now all these things did John do in the city of the Ephesians before they carried him [to the island]. And the false accusations which came upon him from the Jews, and the written paper concerning him which Satan made people to be certain [they had seen], and all the wonderful things which were made manifest by him, and the beatings which fell upon him in the Island of Patmos, are written in an exceedingly large book, the name of which is "Kâmâdagî". Therefore praise be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Book of the Death of John, the son of Zebedee, the disciple and friend of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin and Evangelist, wherein are described his divinity and his departure from this world, which took place in the Island of Patmos on the fourth day of the month Ter. May his peace protect his handmaiden Walatta Madhan for ever and ever. Amen.

Now the going forth of each of the holy Apostles unto the country which had come unto him as his portion from God took place after the [giving of] the commandments by God, the Redeemer of the whole world, and after His Ascension into heaven with great glory. And the portion which came unto John, the son of Zebedee, was Asia. And when he had come unto Epheson (Ephesus), which is the mother-city of the Ephesians, he preached unto them, and told them the story [of the Gospel] in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, amid great striving, and privation, and fatigue, and [did] wonderful things without number. And even after his patient endurance, and the tribulations, and the trials (or plots) which came upon him from the men of this city, they multiplied their worship of false gods, more than the men of every [other] country, even as saith the scribe who is one of us. And the city of Ephesus, the story of which is told in the "Acts of the Apostles," [continued thus to do] until at length the people thereof would take oaths by things which were lies, and [until] there was nothing true [in it], even as [the book] saith, "The men of the Ephesians perform worship unto the goddess of the temple, Artemis the great. And afterwards John overthrew that unclean temple and destroyed it by his preaching, and he wrought miracles and wonderful things innumerable in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And he cleansed the country from the uncleanness of idols, and he delivered the people from a bitter worship wherein there was no profit, and he brought them to the knowledge of God our Lord Jesus Christ, and of His glorious Father, and of the Holy and Life-giving Spirit. And he built churches everywhere in the country in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and appointed unto them bishops, and priests, and deacons; and the faith in and the knowledge of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ increased among them, and righteousness multiplied in the land.

And after all the Apostles had finished their work, and had gone forth from this world—now Peter had been crucified in the city of Rome, and they had cut off the head of Paul in the same city, and Mark they had flayed alive in the city of Alexandria and it was two days before he died, and in this wise each of the Apostles [suffered] in the country which he had gone to convert, and they all had contended with tribulations and with abundant punishments, each according to his own way—the blessed John still continued to live in the world for many years, and he lived until the reign of Dōmāti'anōs (Domitian), and he lived seventy years after the Recorrection of our Lord. And he became an exceedingly old man, and he tasted death neither by the sword nor by any violence whatsoever, for God loved him exceedingly because of his purity, even as it is written in his Gospel that he was the friend of the Lord who was worthy to rest upon the breast of the Son, the One Who sitteth in the bosom of His Father in the heavens, by reason of the purity of his soul and body.

And after he had written [his] divine Gospel which exalteth all hearts, and the Apocalypse which he saw in Patmos, and which is full of the mysteries of God, God Almighty—may His Name be blessed!—wished to deliver him from the fatigue of this world which he had endured patiently for His Name's sake, for the blessed John was rejoicing exceedingly in God. Now there were multitudes of the brethren who were dwelling with him in Ephesus, and they were glad and rejoiced in the sight of him even as if they had seen God, our Lord Jesus Christ. And on each Sabbath day all [these] people would come together, and would rejoice in the Spirit, and would sing psalms and spiritual hymns, even as they were sung in the churches by the children of the Jerusalem which is in the heavens. Then would John the Evangelist begin to address the people with words of the spirit, and to say unto them, "Behold, O my beloved brethren in the spirit, ye heirs unto me in the service of the King-dom of God our Lord Jesus Christ, behold, ye have seen how many mighty deeds our Lord Jesus Christ hath wrought by my hand among you, and what great gifts of spiritual grace, and how many miracles, and what exalted doctrine, and what great knowledge, and what abundant admonitions, and comfort, and honour, and greatness, [have come] from Him, and how great is the multitude of His mercies towards you, even as your eyes have seen, and your ears have heard.

And be not open 202b. in respect of your eyes [only], through fear, but be ye also open in respect of your hearts. And be ye watchful to complete [your] work so that ye may be meet to be called 'blessed', concerning whom the Book saith, 'Blessed are ye when ye labour, and when ye become strong in God, and ye shall become workers unto Him at all times without trepidation.' And ye know the consolation which is the foundation of the Great Mystery which our Lord Jesus Christ wrought to effect your salvation. And He entreateth you, O brethren, by my tongue, to become learned in His judgment, holding Him in fear, and neither to grieve His spirit, nor to sin against Him, nor to provoke Him to anger, nor to reject Him with contumely. For He knoweth the mysteries (or hidden things) of your hearts, and the things which proceed from you, and all your works, and all your transgressions of His commandments. And grieve ye not God the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Patient, the Most Holy of those who are holy, Who maketh holy, in Whom there is neither blemish, nor impurity, nor malice, nor wrath. He alone is, and He loveth and regardeth with pleasure him that rejecteth Him not. God is His Name, a Name which is to be named above all names, and He doth not exist for time only but for eternity.

This is the Name upon which it is necessary for you to lay hold, so that He may rejoice in your acceptance thereof, and in the integrity of your paths; He is well pleased with your lives, for He loveth gentleness and patience, and He accepteth these; He rejoiceth in your good works and in your patient endurance of many tribulations; He taketh pleasure in your purity, and in your love for Him; He putteth your compassion to the test, and He accepteth your repentance; be ye not then moved from following His commandments. And although ye commit tens of thousands of wickednesses, if ye turn unto Him with a pure (or sincere) mind, He will accept your petition, for He grieveth for the wickedness of the children of men. If a fornicator turn to Him in truth He will receive him as if he were a virgin. And although the man shall turn again to his evil deeds, and go back unto wickedness, yet if once again he be converted, and repent, and make straight his ways, God through His abundant mercy will have compassion upon him, and will receive him. But if a man continue in the wickedness of his works, and nevertheless put his trust in the mercy of God [to save him], God will know thereof, for He will lay hold upon the man in whom He findeth iniquity, and He will never, never, shew mercy upon him.

These things I speak unto you, O brethren, but I myself endeavour to fulfil the commandments wherewith God hath commanded me."

And as Saint John was giving commandments unto the brethren, he rose up and stood [on his feet], and stretched out his hand[s] to heaven, and he gave thanks and made supplication, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast mingled the crown which is fleeting with that which is abiding, Who art the one sweet-smelling Flower wherein are mingled all [other] flowers, Who hast sown in our hearts Thy life-giving Word which alone maketh beautiful with sweet odour the souls and the bodies of those who are gentle and lowly of heart, Who art compassionate, and Who shewest love unto man, Who art alone the righteous Judge, Who hast existed always, Whom no place can contain; O my Lord Jesus Christ, do Thou in the multitude of Thy mercy preserve all those who put their hope in Thy Name, for Thou knowest the cunning and the crafty devices of him that leadeth [men] into error which are spread abroad in every place, and we beseech Thee by Thy power to put an end to them."

And it came to pass that when he had ended his prayer he took bread, and gave thanks, saying thus:—"What blessing, and what speech [which] ascribeth praise, and what word, and what speech of gratitude, and what thanksgiving, and what Name shall be pronounced over this bread which is now broken except Thy Name, O Jesus Christ, Whose Name giveth life and salvation? 2032. "This is the bread of life which came down from heaven for the salvation of the world. We bless Thee, O Thou Who hast become for us a way unto the place of life. We give thanks unto Thee, O Thou Who by Thy word hast created all things, Thou art the Guide, Thou art the Gate of grace, Thou art the Salt, Thou art the Treasury of the Pearl, Thou art the Net of the life of righteousness, Thou art the Power of wisdom, Thou art the Refuge of Rest, Thou art the Prop of life; and Thou permittest Thyself to be called by these names for the sake of men, so that they may be saved and become new [men] from out of the wickedness of their former works into the sin of which they had fallen; and to Thee be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

And it came to pass that when Saint John had finished breaking the blessed bread, he first partook thereof himself, and [then] gave it to those who were gathered together there, and he entreated them to become worthy thereof, and he gave them the salutation of peace, and sent them to their habitations. And after these things he told Prochorus his disciple to take with him two of the brethren, and picks and spades, and Prochorus did as he had commanded him. Then John went out with them from the city in secret and walked outside it, and he said unto us, "Dig here"; and we received his commands, and dug a hole even as he had commanded us. And he put off his apparel and laid [it] in the grave, and he stood above it; and he put on a linen garment, and stretched out his hands upwards, and he looked towards the east, and prayed, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast chosen my poor person to

R* 2042. "be Thy disciple and to preach in Thy holy Name those things which Thou didst [declare] aforetime by the tongue[s] of Thy holy Prophets, whom Thou didst deliver at all times; Who desirest the salvation of all those [who believe on Thee] with all their hearts; Who first gavest unto all created beings their souls that they might know that Thou art the Comforter of all Thy people, and that Thou dost not reject either great or small; Who didst give unto [my] soul understanding and meekness; Who didst appear thereunto when it was dead; Who didst receive it when it was besmirched with the pollution of sin; Who didst make it Thy pure bride, after it had been defiled with the wickedness of sin, and brought low by Satan; Who didst take it into Thy hand, and didst raise it up from the fallen estate [into which] the Enemy [had cast it]; and didst deliver it from [the hands of] its Enemy, and didst make him to be a feeble thing beneath its feet; Who alone

"art holy among the saints, O Jesus Christ my Lord, Whose Name is sweet; Who rejectest not from His memory the joy of heaven[ly beings]; Who art the Protector of those who fear Him upon the earth, and of those who are beneath it; Who art the Joy of those who are good; Who art the Protector of those whose hearts are true; Who receivest those who are worthy and who praise [Thy Name] together according to Thy word and commandment; O Lord, it is necessary that Thou shouldst deliver me from the fatigue of this fleeting world. I give thanks unto Thee, O my Lord, that Thou hast preserved me in purity from all the contaminations of the world, and that Thou hast set the fear of Thee deep down in my heart. Thou hast made to be remote from me all the lusts of sin, and I have had dominion over them; I have destroyed the motions of the flesh, and Thou hast driven out the temptations of sin from my body. Thou hast made my soul to refuse to perform outwardly the evil which is in my flesh, and the sin which encompasseth the members of my body. Thou hast made my path straight, and free from turning aside; and Thou hast given me of old a faith which is straight and is free from error; and Thou hast written Thy Law within me; and Thou hast not permitted me to desire any other [god] save Thyself.

And what is there greater, or more honourable, or sweeter, or more to be desired than Thyself? And who is [there that can be compared] with Thee? Turn, O Lord, unto that which is Thine, and accept the soul of John, Thy servant, who putteth his hope in Thee. Behold, I have ended the service which Thou didst give unto me to perform. And behold, I have come 204b. unto Thee, having put away grief, and unto the rest which is nigh unto Thee, for I know, O my Lord, that Thou wilt order in peace my way into the habitation of Thy glory. And when the blessed John had spoken all these words he fell upon his face on the ground, and he worshipped and said, "I bow down before Thee, O Thou unto Whom every knee boweth, and unto Whom all glory belongeth, Thou the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen."

Then John said unto us, "My children, may the peace of God be with you! Go ye into the city, and tell the brethren [therein] to keep all the words which I have commanded them, for concerning these we shall 204b. "be obliged to justify ourselves; and of the will of God I have hidden nothing whatsoever from you. Ye shall be rewarded [according to your works], and I am innocent of your blood. I have concealed naught of doctrine [of Christ] from you, and there is naught of the knowledge of Him which I have not declared unto you; ye have hearkened thereunto from me, and I have informed you concerning Him. Take good care that ye be not cast away, and that ye suffer not condemnation in the judgment, and that ye be not obliged to endure a twofold penalty, for from those unto whom He hath given much [He will require much], even as our Lord said. And may our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits for ever, and may He strengthen you, and may He fulfil all your desires in His sinless judgment."

Now from this time forward John dwelt not with them in the flesh. And when we had heard these words from him, we embraced his hands, and feet, and wept bitterly; and we left him in the grave and departed to the city, and we told the brethren everything that had happened. Then they went forth quickly with us unto the place [where we left] Saint John, and we could not find him, but we did find in the earth his apparel, and also his sandals filled with dust. Now the grave which we had dug was not visible, and we were unable to make certain where its place had been, because of the dust which had filled it up and which lay about over it in abundance. And we came back to the city and were giving thanks unto God Who had bestowed the gifts of grace upon those who were worthy thereof, and especially because He had shewn honour unto His beloved John, the Evangelist, and had delivered him by his wonderful death. Therefore let us ascribe the praise which is meet to the Lord, and to His Father, and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint James, the son of Alphaeus, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, who finished his contending on the tenth day of the month Dakotit. In the peace of our Lord. Amen. And it came to pass that, when James the Apostle was coming into Jerusalem to preach therein the Holy Gospel, and all the wonderful things of the Divinity [of Christ], so that all those who heard thereof from him might believe in God with a pure heart, and obtain salvation, he meditated within himself, and said, "How shall these people hearken unto [these words] from me and believe?" Then he came into the synagogue wherein the multitudes were gathered together, and there were very many Jews sitting there, and he began to tell the story [of the Gospel] among them all, with great joy and gladness, and he multiplied his words and revealed

the faith without fear. And he testified concerning the 209b. Only Son of God, the Word of Life, the Lord of all the 1 L. c., February 4. world, Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of God in very truth, for He existed with the Father before all the world, and He was with the Father and the Father was in Him, and He was the Word, even as it saith, "Let us make 'man in Our own image and likeness.'" It is He Who dwelleth in heaven, and it is He Who existeth with His Father, and He sitteth upon the chariots of the Cherubim and of the Seraphim who praise Him. It is He Who [sitteth] at the right hand of the Majesty in the heights of heaven. It is He Who was carried in the womb of the Virgin MARY. It is He Who is the God Jesus Christ, to Whom the Virgin MARY gave birth. It is He Who is the Lord, Who rose from the dead.

These are the words which the Apostle spake in the midst of the multitudes who were gathered together, and he was afraid of no man. And he was testifying concerning the birth of the only Son of God, and His Death, and His Resurrection, and His Ascension to His Father in heaven, and he taught all the people who were together there the faith [which] is in Christ. And it came to pass that, when the multitudes heard the words of the Apostle, they became exceedingly angry with the anger which is of Satan, who was with them against the Apostle of God Jesus Christ, and all the people were seeking after his blood. Then those who had heard his speech laid hold upon the blessed Apostle, and they brought him before Claudius the king, and they set up against him lying witnesses who said unto the king, "This is the 'man who corrupteth [men], and who goeth round about 100a.

"in the provinces and in the cities and saith unto the people [thereof], 'I am a servant of Jesus Christ,' and he preventeth them from being subject unto the king." And when the king heard these things concerning the blessed Apostle he commanded them to stone him with stones until he died, and the Jews (may God curse them!) stoned him with stones, even as the king had commanded them. In this wise did the martyrdom of the blessed Apostle, James the son of Alphaeus, take place, on the tenth day of the month Yakâtît; and he was buried by the sanctuary in Jerusalem. Glory and honour be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Preaching of Saint Matthias, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he preached in the City of the Cannibals; who finished his contending on the eighth day of the month Magâsit. In the peace of God the Father. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were dividing the countries of the world [among them], and they were casting lots concerning them, the lot of Matthias went forth that he should go unto the City of the Cannibals. Now in that city they neither eat bread nor drink water, nor any other kind of food, but they feed upon the flesh and blood of men. And every traveller who cometh into that city they seize and put out his eyes, and then they bind him in fetters until he hath lost his senses, and then they put him in a dark place and feed him upon grass like an animal for forty days, and after this period they bring him out and devour him.

And when the blessed Matthias had come unto this city, they seized him and blinded his eyes by means of a certain drug with which they were acquainted, and they gave him grass to eat, (now he would not eat thereof because the power of God was in him), and they cast him into prison. Then he prayed and made supplication unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and said, "O my Lord, "for Whose sake we have rejected the world and followed Thee so that we might know Thee, besides Whom we have no helper, look and see what they have done to Thy servant, and how they have treated him like the beast of the field. Thou, O Lord, knowest what hath been, and what shall be; if it be Thy will that I shall die in this city, let Thy good pleasure be done. But if this be not Thy will, then grant graciously light unto my eyes, and let not [these men] gain the victory over me in such wise that they may be able to eat my flesh like that of the beast of the field." And when he had ended his prayer his eyes were opened, and he could look about everywhere, and he could see even as he did before. Then a voice came unto him, and said unto him, "Be strong, O Matthias, and fear thou not, for I will not forsake thee; nay, I

"will be with thee in every place whithersoever thou goest. Bear patiently until ten days be ended, and then I will send unto thee Andrew, and he shall bring thee out from this prison."

Then Matthias gave thanks unto God and ascribed praise unto Him, and his soul rejoiced and was glad; and he remained in the prison even as our Lord had commanded Him. And it came to pass that, when the men of the city came into the prison-house to take out a man to kill, Matthias shut (or covered up) his eyes so that they might not see [that they had been opened]. Now the people had the custom, when they placed a man in the prison-house, of writing on the first day when they brought him there a tablet which they hung round his neck; and when thirty (sic) days were ended they brought him out according to their habit [and ate him]. In this wise did they treat Matthias also. And when Matthias had been in the prison-house for seven and twenty days, our Lord revealed Himself unto Andrew when he was in the country of the Greeks, and said unto him, "Rise up and go unto Matthias in the City of the Cannibals that thou mayest bring him out from the prison-house, for the people of that city will in three days' time lead him out therefrom and eat him." And Andrew said unto Him, "If it be only three days [before they eat him] I cannot come unto him; but send Thine angel and let him bring him out quickly from the prisonhouse, for how can I get there in the next three days?" And our Lord answered and said unto Andrew, "Hearken, O thou who art one of those whom I have chosen. If I were to say unto this city, 'Come unto Me forthwith', it would come, together with all those who dwell therein. When the morrow hath come,

1012. 2112. "do thou and thy two disciples rise up, and thou shalt find a ship ready to sail; embark therein, and it shall bring thee [unto the place where Matthias is]." Then He gave Andrew the salutation of peace, and ascended into heaven with great glory.

And Andrew rose up even as our Lord had commanded him, and came unto the sea-coast; and our Lord had made for him a beautiful ship, and He Himself was sitting there as the captain of it, and two angels were with Him in the forms of sailors. And Andrew went to the ship and found our Lord sitting therein, and although he looked at Him he did not know Him to be our Lord. And he said unto Him, "Peace be unto Thee, O captain of the ship; and our Lord said unto him, "Peace! Our Lord be with thee. Then Andrew said unto Him, "Whither goest thou in this ship? And our Lord said unto him, "To the City of the Cannibals. And Andrew said unto Him, "Everyone fleeth from this city, and will ye go thither? And the captain of the ship said unto him, "We have business in that city, and we must needs go thither. Then Andrew said unto Him, "I entreat thee, O beloved brother, to carry us to that city; and He said, "Come [up into the ship]. And Andrew said unto Him, "[Know Thou] before Thou dost take us that we have no money wherewith to pay Thee Thy fare; nay, we must eat of Thy food with Thee.

And our Lord, Who was in the form of the captain of the ship, said unto him, "Since ye must eat of our bread and ye cannot give us the hire of the ship, tell us how it happeneth that ye have no bread with you, and why ye have no money wherewith to pay your fare. And Andrew said unto Him, "We are not men of high estate, neither are we drunkards or gluttons, but we are the servants of the Good God Whose Name is Jesus: He hath chosen us Twelve Apostles, and He hath given us commandments, and hath sent us to preach in His Name in the world. He hath commanded us to possess neither gold, nor silver, nor any of the goods of this world, nor food, and he hath commanded us not to labour therefor; it is for this reason that we are even as Thou seest us. Now if Thou art pleased to allow us to embark Thou wilt do good (or a kindness) unto us, but if Thou wilt not do this thing then tell us, so that we may seek out another ship. And He said unto them, "Had ye been able to pay your fare I should have wished you to embark in another ship, [but as ye cannot] ye are better with Me, for it is a great joy for Me [to know] that I am worthy that the Apostles of Jesus Christ should embark with Me.

Then Andrew said unto Him, "May God bless Thee with a spiritual bless-ing; and Andrew and his two disciples embarked in the ship.

And our Lord said unto one of the angels who were in the form of sailors, "Bring bread and let these brethren eat, for they have come from a place which is afar off;" and he did as our Lord had commanded him. Then our Lord said unto Andrew, "Stand up, O My brethren, ye disciples of Christ, and eat bread before we put out to sea in the ship;" so Andrew said unto his disciples, "Rise up, and let us eat," but they were not able to speak unto him through fear of the sea. Then Andrew returned to the captain and said unto Him, 102a. "May Jesus Christ give Thee a good reward in the kingdom of heaven! Bear with me a little in that I do not eat, and in that my disciples do not eat with me, for they are afraid of the sea, and they have never before embarked in a ship." And our Lord said unto Andrew, "Rise up and journey unto the place to which thou hast been sent, and make thy way thither by thyself." And Andrew said unto his two disciples, "Get ye up to the sea-shore, and abide there, until I go to the place whither I have been sent and come back to you;" and they said unto him, "We will not separate ourselves from thee, that we transgress not the commandment of God." And our Lord said unto Andrew, "If thou art a disciple of Christ, command them not to be afraid of the sea, for we wish to set out." Whereupon

our Lord said unto one of the angels who were in the form of sailors, "Unfurl (literally, let down) the sails of the ship," and our Lord Himself went and took hold of the rudder of the ship as if He had been the captain thereof, and the two angels stood one on each side of Him. Now Andrew and his disciples were sitting in the ship, and he was trying to still their grief, and he said unto them, "O my children, fear ye not, for our Lord will not forsake us. He hath stablished the heavens, and hath gathered together the waters of the sea, and He is the Creator of them all. Fear ye not, for He will abide with us in every place whithersoever we may go, even as He hath commanded us."

And it came to pass that when Andrew had spoken in this wise he prayed unto God, and asked that his disciples might sleep, and that they might not be afraid of the sea; and they fell asleep quickly; and while they were sleeping He made their souls to ascend into Paradise, and they ate of the fruit thereof. Then when Andrew knew that his disciples were asleep, he said unto our Lord—now he knew not that the Captain was our Lord—"I beseech thee, O good Man, to tell me what manner of ship Thine is, for I have never seen the like thereof. I have embarked in a ship many times, but never before have I embarked in a ship like unto this. Verily, I am sitting in it as if I were on land, for the ship rolleth not, even though we have come out on the open sea; there can be no sailors who are better than Thine in working the ship out on its course and in bringing it back. And our Lord Jesus Christ said unto him, "We have sailed often and often in this ship on the sea, but we never before saw it behave in this manner; since it knoweth that an Apostle of Christ is in it it doth not roll as formerly. And Andrew said, "May the Name of Jesus Christ be blessed, Whose abundant mercy hath made it possible for me to sail with a man who knoweth His Name.

Then our Lord said unto him, "If thou art an Apostle of Christ, tell me why the children of Israel did not believe in Him, and why they did not call him Lord? I have heard concerning Him that He made manifest marvellous things unto His disciples in the Mount of Olives. And Andrew said unto Him, "Hearken unto me and I will tell you of His work. He opened the eyes of the blind, the dumb spake, He made the deaf to hear, He cast out devils, 213a.

"He raised the dead, He placed a few loaves of bread upon the grass, and the grass became bread, and He satisfied five thousand [men with food], besides women and children, and He filled twelve baskets with what remained of the bread; all these things did the children of Israel see, and yet they did not believe upon Him." And our Lord said unto him, "Perhaps He did not do all these wonderful things before the chief priests, and on that account they would not believe on Him, but rose up against Him, and slew Him?" Then Andrew said unto Him, "It was in their own assemblies that He worked [these miracles for them], and not only openly did He work miracles, but also in secret." And our Lord Jesus said unto him, "What now is it that [He did] in secret?" And Andrew said unto Him, "Tell me, O Thou that askest: wishest Thou to know for truth's sake, or that Thou mayest scoff?" And our Lord Jesus said unto him, "If thou didst know the joy which was in My heart [thou wouldst not speak thus]; but if thou dost not tell Me I shall laugh at thee, for I am glad and I rejoice with all those who remember the Name of Jesus." And Andrew said, "May God bless Thee! hearken unto me, and I will tell Thee;" and whilst Andrew was conversing with our Lord they arrived at the city. Then our Lord Jesus laid Himself down as if He were about to sleep, and when Andrew looked at Him and saw that He was asleep, he returned unto one of his disciples, and they slept. And in that same hour our Lord commanded His angels to lift up Andrew and his two disciples, and to lay them down upon the sea shore; and He went up to heaven in great glory with His angels.

And when Andrew woke up from his sleep and looked towards the sea shore, and found no ship [there] his heart beat fast, and he said, "I must have been sitting with our Lord, but I knew it not, although I was look-ing at our Lord whilst He was talking unto me, His servant; verily this is a blessed day for me. When I embark on my ship, I will look at the place where He humbled himself to His servant." And thus saying Andrew roused up [his] disciples from their sleep, and said unto them, "Rise up, O my servants. We have been in the ship with our Lord, and we knew Him not." Then his disciples said unto him, "At the time when thou didst pray we saw [two] shining eagles which overshadowed us, and they took our souls up into Paradise, and we saw our Lord sitting (literally speaking) upon His throne, and the angels surrounding it. And we saw the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy-two Disciples, and angels round about you, and from that time until this moment when we rose up from our slumber we have seen many wonderful things.

And Andrew rejoiced when [he knew] that his disciples had seen this spiritual vision, and he rose up and bowed low on the ground and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, I will not move from this place until Thou comest unto me, for I know that Thou art not far from me; forgive Thou that which I have spoken in my folly, and I beseech Thee, O my Lord, to reveal Thyself unto Thy servant." And when he had said these words our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the form of a young Man of beautiful appearance Who was coming out of the city, and He said unto Andrew, "O My S* 214a.

"beloved one." And Andrew fell upon his face on the ground, and said unto Him, "I give thanks unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, for what have I done that Thou shouldst appear unto me on the sea?" And our Lord said unto him, "Fear not. This hast thou done. Thou didst say, 'We cannot come unto the city in three days'; therefore did I wish thee to know that I am mighty [to do] all things, and that there is nothing which is too hard for Me. Rise up, and come into the city, and bring Matthias and all those who are with him out of the prison-house. In [this city] there shall come upon you much suffering, but bear it patiently, for I will be with you. Remember ye the mercy [which] My Father [sheweth] unto His creatures, and make yourselves like unto Him, and remember how they said of Me, 'He casteth out devils by Beelzebub'." I had the "power to command the earth to rend itself asunder and to carry them down into its depths quickly, as it were in the twinkling of an eye, but I bore with them, for I knew that evil should be with you upon the earth, and I knew that by means of your patient endurance of suffering in this city, many should believe therein." And Andrew said unto Him, "Only be Thou with me, my Lord, and I will do even as Thou shalt command me"; and our Lord gave him the salutation of peace, and went up into heaven with great glory.

Then Andrew and his two disciples entered into the city, and there was none who saw them, and they came unto the gate of the prison-house wherein was Matthias. 1 St. Matthew xii. 24; St Mark iii. 22; St. Luke xi. 15. And when they had laid hold upon the gate it opened unto them, and they went inside and found Matthias sitting down and singing psalms, and they embraced him. And Andrew said unto him, "Dost thou say, O Matthias, that, 'After the second day (i. e., on the third day) they will take me out, and slay me, and devour my flesh like [that of] a beast?' Hast thou forgotten the mystery which we saw from our Lord wherein I spake [unto Him], and wherein the heavens quaked?" Then Matthias said unto him, "Behold, I know thereof, O my brother; but I say that if it be the will of God that I come to an end in this city [it shall come to pass]. Hast thou not heard His voice in the Holy Gospel, saying, 'I send you forth like lambs among wolves?' As for me, when they threw me into the prison-house I cried out unto our Lord, and revealed my heart unto Him, and He said unto me, 'Fear not. At the end of [certain] days I will send Andrew unto thee, and he shall bring thee, and all those who are with Thee, out of the prison-house;" "and behold thou hast come to do this."

Then Andrew looked at the men who were in the prison-house, and saw that they were bound like animals; and he straightway anathematized Satan, and all his host; and he and Matthias began to make supplication unto God, Who hearkened unto their petition. And they laid their hands upon the men who were in the prison-house, and their eyes were opened, and their minds returned unto them. And Andrew commanded them to go out from the city, and he told them that they St. Matthew x. 16. 104b. would find on their road a certain fig-tree, and that they were to sit down under it until the Apostles came to them; now the fruit which was on the tree could not be counted. And the men who were in the prison-house said unto them, "Come ye also out with us, lest the people of the city find us, and bring us back again here." Then the Apostles said unto them, "Go ye forth in peace, for ye shall not be evilly entreated." So they departed from the city, and they found the fig-tree even as the Apostles had told them; now the number of the men who went forth from the prison-house was one hundred and twenty and three. And Andrew and Matthias told the two disciples Rufus and Alexander to go forth from the city. Then the two Apostles Andrew and Matthias, and their two disciples with them rose up, and prayed and entreated God to send a cloud to carry away Rufus and Alexander, and to bring them unto the place where Peter was; and God heard their entreaty, and sent a cloud, and it bore them away. And Andrew and Matthias went out into the highway of the city, [and waited there] until they knew what would take place |.

Now meanwhile the soldiers of the guard had been sent to take men into the prison-house to slay [those who were therein], according to their rule daily, and they found the doors of the prison-house wide open, and the keepers, who were seven in number, were dead, and there was no one left in the prison-house. And they went back and told the magistrates, and the magistrates said, "What shall we live upon? How can we live this day without food? And they took counsel among themselves, and they said, "Shall we be obliged to eat the dead? Or shall we gather together the aged men in the city, and let lots be cast, and according as the lot shall fall upon each of them let him be killed on his day? We shall then have food to eat until the messengers return. Now they had certain men whom they used to send away in a ship to gather together men from every region unto their city, that they might eat them; but meanwhile they took the people who were dead to eat for food. And they had in their city a certain place which was full of water, and whensoever they wished they used to kill a man, or a woman, in the water and pour their blood into a stone bowl in the water, and when they had brought the bodies into that place they took a knife to cut them in pieces.

And Andrew saw them [doing thus], and he made supplication, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Lover of men, let these knives be broken in their hands; and in that same hour their hands dried up and they were unable to move [them]. And when the magistrates saw what had happened, they wept and said, "The men who have come forth from the prison-house are sorcerers, and they have escaped by means of their sorceries, and we are unable to do them any harm. Then the old men of the city, who were twelve in number, were gathered together, and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon seven of them to be killed and eaten. And one of the seven upon whom the lot had fallen said, "I have a son, take him, and let me go free; and the soldiers of the guard said unto him, "We cannot take thy son until we have spoken to the magistrates. [And when they had spoken to the magistrates] they said unto them, "Since he hath given you his son instead of himself, take him, and let the old man go; so the old man delivered unto them his son. And when they laid hold upon the boy to kill him, he wept before the face of his father, and said unto him, "I beseech thee, O my father, let them not slay me, for I am only a child;

but let me live until I become as old as thou art, and when I have become an old man, let them eat me. And the boy cried out and said to the soldiers of the guard, "Why are ye so hard of heart? But, alas, it is my father who hath delivered me over unto death. Now the custom of the people of the city was to cut in pieces every one who died, and to eat him, and they brought those upon whom the lot had fallen [to do thus unto them]. And Andrew prayed unto our Lord, and said, "I praise Thee, and I beseech Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that, inasmuch as Thou didst hearken unto me in respect of the dead, Thou hear me also in respect of these living ones, and let them not be delivered over to be slain; and through these words the swords [of the soldiers] became like wax before the fire. Now when the magistrates saw this they wept bitterly, and said, "Woe unto us by reason of that which hath come upon us."

Then Satan appeared unto them in the form of a wise and aged man, and he cried out, and said, "Woe be unto you! Ye shall die of hunger, for ye shall not be able to eat anything after to-day, and your dead shall be cast abroad in your streets, and shall remain there until they become rotten, and ye shall not be able to eat them. Rise up, and seek ye this man whose name is Matthias, and kill him, for if ye do not kill him ye will not be able to do as ye desire. It was he who brought the men who believe [in Christ] out of the prison-| house; he is in the city, therefore seek ye him, and slay him, so that your works may prosper. And when Andrew saw Satan conversing with them in this wise he said unto him, "O thou Enemy of our Lord, O thou Enemy of His creatures, God the Most High shall bring thee down under our feet. Now when Satan heard these words from him, he said, "I hear his voice, but I do not see his body. And Andrew appeared unto him and said, "O blind one , for indeed thou art blind if thou art not able to see the servants of Christ and the messengers of God! And Satan cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Behold, these [are] the men, seize them.

Then the multitudes of the people scattered themselves about the city, and they shut the gates thereof, and began to make a search, saying, "Where are Matthias and Andrew? Seize them for us, so that we may work our will upon them. And our Lord commanded the Apostles, and said unto them, "Rise up and shew yourselves unto them, so that they may know the littleness of their power; and they went forth from under the roof [where they were], and said unto the people, "Behold, we are those whom ye seek. Then the people rose up against them, and seized them, and they said unto the Apostles, "We will deal with you as ye have dealt with us. And certain men among them said, "Let us cut off their heads and give them unto the elders of the city; but others said, "Nay, do not do thus, but let us cut them up into very small pieces, and distribute their bodies among the people of the city. Thereupon they dragged the Apostles along the highways of the city until their blood dropped from them in the streets, and after this they cast them into the prison-house and bound them in fetters, and they put them in a dark place, and set a large number of strong men to keep guard over them.

And it came to pass that when the Apostles had entered into the prison-house they prayed, and said, "O Lord Jesus Christ, be not Thou far from us. We are Thy disciples, and Thou hast commanded us not to make haste; do not Thou let the Enemy rejoice over us." Thereupon our Lord appeared unto them, and said unto them, "I will be with you; fear not." And whilst they were in the prison-house Satan, having taken with him seven of his servants, appeared unto the Apostles and spake unto them words of violence, and heaped curses upon them, and said unto them, "Behold, I have brought you into my hand. Who can deliver you from me? Where [now] is the power wherewith ye overcame me in all the cities and destroyed [my] temples? I will let them kill you, even as they killed your Master." And Satan said unto his servants, "Rise up, and slay these men who have fought against you, that ye may have rest from them, and that the whole neighbourhood may be your own." Then the devils rose up against the Apostles, and wished to slay them, but the Apostles waited patiently, and then made the sign of the honourable cross over them, and blew in their faces, when they fell upon their backs. And their father Satan said unto them, "What hath happened to you?" And they said unto him, "We saw in their hands a sign, and we were afraid of them. Act thou, if thou art able, against them, for we are afraid; act thou, for we are afraid;" and they departed, having been put to shame.

And it came to pass that when the men of the city had arrived [at the prison-house] they took out the Apostles, and dragged them through the city, and Andrew and Matthias cried out to God, saying, "Have mercy upon us, O Lord, for we are [only] flesh and blood, and we know that Thou art not far from us. And when Andrew and Matthias had said these words they heard a voice near them speaking in the Hebrew tongue, and saying unto them, "O Andrew and Matthias, heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass away. Then the men of the city cast the Apostles into the prison-house, saying. "They shall die immediately. And the Apostles said, whilst their blood was dripping upon the ground, "O Lord Jesus Christ, help us, and deliver this city and all those who are there-in. And at that moment the Apostles looked upon a stone image (or statue) which was upon a pillar in the prison-house, and they made the sign of the cross over it, and stretched out their hands and prayed, and when they had ended their prayer they drew nigh unto the pillar whereon was the image, and said unto it, "Be thou afraid at the sign of the cross which we have made over thee, and send out from thy lowermost part water as abundant as the waters of the Flood upon this city and upon all those who dwell therein.

Thereupon [the pillar] was rent asunder in its lowermost part, and water poured out in abundance, and it was exceedingly bitter, and like gall, and it at once flooded the city, and all those who were therein. And the men of the city took their sons and their daughters, and wished to depart therefrom. And Matthias said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, accept the petition of Thy servants, and send Michael the Archangel upon a cloud of darkness wherewith [to cover] over this city, so that no one may escape therefrom."

And it came to pass that, when Matthias knew God had received his petition, he smote the pillar, and said, "Fulfil now the command with which I commanded thee." Then the pillar poured forth more water until it came up to the necks of the people, and it was about to drown them. And the people wept and said, "Woe unto us! This wrath hath come upon us through the two men who are chosen servants of God, whom we have thrown into the prison-house, and because of our evil acts towards them. Behold, we shall die a terrible death in this water; make haste then and let us cry out unto their God, and say, 'We believe in Thee, O Thou Lord God of these two strangers; deliver Thou us from this water.'" Thereupon Andrew answered and said unto the pillar, "It shall suffice for thee, and behold, the time for the flood hath passed, and the season for sowing in the hearts of the men of this city the right [faith] hath arrived. I declare unto thee that, when I have built a church in this city, I will place thee therein, and they shall put a roof over thee;" and because of these words the water which was flowing out from under the pillar ceased to flow. And when the men of the city saw that the water had ceased to flow, some of the elders of the city, together with a number of the young men thereof, rose up and went unto the prison-house (now the water [reached] up to their necks), and they saw the Apostles with their hands stretched out, and they were making supplication unto God. And Andrew and Matthias went out to them, and the water was divided before them; and when the elders saw this they were afraid, and they cried out, saying, "Have compassion upon us, O servants of God."

Now among the elders was the old man upon whom the lot to be slain had fallen, who had given his son over [unto death] instead of himself and had saved himself thereby; and he came with them, saying, "Have compassion upon me, O servants of God." And Matthias said unto him, "I marvel that thou canst say unto me, Have pity upon me, seeing that thou hadst no mercy on thy son. I say unto thee that, on that day when the water shall return into the depths of the earth, thou and the seven men who slay men shall go down [therewith]; and ye shall be in the depths of the earth, until thou hast seen what befalleth him that hateth his own son, and the seven men also [shall be there], until they have seen what befalleth those who slay men." And Andrew said unto the young men who were holding the old man, "Go ye unto the place where they slay men, until the water shall return unto its place;" and they went with the Apostles, and the water fled from before them. And when they had come unto the place 108a.

which was full of water, they stood up and prayed, and because of their prayer the earth was rent asunder, and it swallowed up the men who slew men and the old man who had delivered over his son unto death. And all the people were looking at the water which was in the city, and they feared greatly, and said, "Let fire come down and consume us for the evil which we have done unto them" (i. e., the Apostles). Then the Apostles said unto them, "Fear ye not, but confess the true faith and ye shall see the glory of God, for we will not leave in the earth those whom it hath swallowed up, but will bring them forth therefrom." Then Matthias and Andrew commanded them to bring unto them all the people who were dead in the water, that they might pray over them and raise them up, but they were not able to gather them together there because of their great number; so the Apostles entreated our Lord to send a cloud and rain from Himself over the dead, and they all

rose up. And after this Andrew placed the sick folk in the church which he had built, and he gave them the commandments of the Law and of the Gospel, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and he administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, and he healed all the sick folk. And he said unto them, "Keep ye all the commandments which we have given unto you until the end of your days, and teach [them] unto your children who shall come after you. And make supplication unto God that He will take away from you the custom which ye have had of eating human flesh;" and he made them to know how to eat the [common] food of man.

And after these things the Apostles departed from them, and as the people were sending them away they said unto them, "O servants of the Good God, abide ye with us for a little space that we may rejoice in you, for we are but new plants. Then the Apostles said unto them, "Fear ye not, and be not grieved, for by the good pleasure of God we shall not be far from you. And as the Apostles were going forth from the city our Lord appeared unto them in the form of a young man of beautiful appearance, and said unto them, "Have compassion upon those who dwell in this [city], and accept their petition, and tarry with them some days, for I have heard their supplications unto you, and the words which they have spoken, saying, 'We are new plants.' Why have ye given unto the men the commandments of the Law and sent them forth into the deep? Then the Apostles said unto Him, "O Master, forgive us. We will return to the city, and will bring them forth in Thy Name from the deep. And our Lord said unto them, "Go back into the city and dwell therein for seven days, and then depart therefrom. And Andrew, together with his disciples, went to the country of the Greeks, and he said unto our Lord, "Bless me, O Lord; and our Lord blessed them, and then went up into heaven with great glory.

Then the Apostles entered into the city, even as our Lord had commanded them, and they dwelt therein for seven days; and the men whom the earth had swallowed up came up [therefrom], and they made their faith to prosper, and they strengthened their knowledge in the commandments of God. And the Apostles departed from them glorifying God, Who had not left the people in error. And a number of men went 218b. forth with them to set them on their way, and they were saying, "One is the Lord God of Andrew and Matthias, [that is to say] Jesus Christ, to Whom, and to the Father, the Sustainer of all things, and to the Holy and Vivifying Spirit, be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen. So be it! So be it."

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Matthias, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ; now he finished his contending on the eighth day of the month Magâbit in the peace of our Lord. Amen. And it came to pass that when Judas Iscariot had betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ [to the Jews] that they might crucify Him, Satan and his host were put to shame by reason of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the heavens and of the earth. And when Judas, the most miserable and shameful being in all creation, had betrayed his Lord to the wicked Jews, he went and killed himself and destroyed his own honour. And he was driven forth from the company of the Apostles, who elected (literally, placed) Matthias in his stead; and Matthias went forth and preached in the city of Damascus, for the lot had fallen to him to go and preach in that city; and he preached to them the story of the Holy Gospel.

And it came to pass that when Matthias had entered into the city, he preached unto the people and said, "O sinful men, who are cast away (or, lost) in your sins, and who know not God your Creator, why have ye forsaken the Lord Who is God indeed, [and why do ye worship] your gods of stone which are the work of the hand of man? And why do ye desire that all men should be even as ye are, that is to say, cast away in sin? Hearken ye unto my words, O ye men who dwell in the city of Damascus, and forsake ye the worship of [false] gods, and put away from you your error, and your evil deeds, and turn ye unto God your Creator. Receive ye from me my words, and I will bring you nigh unto the Lord your God, and He shall make you worthy of His kingdom. Turn ye unto me, and I will teach you the laws of the angels. Turn ye unto me, and I will give you the Bread of Life, that ye may live for ever.

Refuse ye [to worship] the gods which are the work of the hand of man, and break through the wiles [of Satan], that ye may become the servants of God, Who is the Lord in truth, Jesus Christ, the Lord of heaven and of earth, the Word, Who was in the beginning, the Word of God Who came down into the womb of MARY the Virgin, who was not united unto man. He bore suffering until He had delivered the race of Adam from the dominion of Satan, and He did not appear in His glory and majesty. He had no father upon earth like the children of the flesh, for He existed with His Father in heaven, and He was inseparable from Him. He comforteth all by His wisdom, and it was He Who took the dust from the earth and created therefrom our father Adam, the first father. He is the God in Whose hands are the spirits of all created beings, and He it is Who loveth them, and Who maketh them meet to turn unto Him, and He bringeth them back into the true faith, and into the condition of mind which is good; and He, and His Father, and the Holy Spirit are one honourable Trinity, Whose Godhead is One, and Whose Power is One.

Now first of all I command you to make yourselves to be remote from all uncleanness, and not to multiply your intercourse with women, so that God may look upon your purity, and may bless you with a spiritual blessing, and may shew compassion upon you in the day of judgment."

And it came to pass that when the men of the city had heard these words from him Satan entered into their hearts with his wiles and evil deeds, and they said among themselves, "Verily this man is one of these Twelve men who are sorcerers, and who go about throughout the world and in all the countries [thereof], and separate wives from their husbands; consider ye now how ye shall treat him." Then the men of the city were gathered together [against him], and they seized the Apostle and put him in prison, and they fastened him firmly upon a bed of iron, and kindled a fire beneath him, [and kept him there] until the smell of his [burnt] flesh issued therefrom. And all the people looked on and wondered when they saw the flames of fire rise to I. e., a large gridiron with legs. T\* 220a. the height of twelve cubits above the bed, and those who were gathered together and were standing there said, "If this man be a sorcerer, behold, he will be destroyed;" but after three days their evil acts became known and made manifest.

And it came to pass that when the three days had gone by, the people came to the place where was the bed of iron on which they had set the holy man and burnt him with fire, and they found him alive and with his eyes open, [and the fire had not] touched his body; and they found him safe and sound, and harm had not in any way touched him, and there was no smell of fire upon him, and his garments had not been burnt. And when the men of the city had seen this wonderful thing, and how God had shewn compassion upon His Apostle, many of them believed upon God, and they said, "This man is a god. And the holy man continued to lie upon the bed until seven or eight days had passed, and all the men of the city who were of the true faith believed in the words of the Apostle Matthias, but there remained some who did not believe in his words. Now for twenty-four whole days the fire continued to blaze under the bed, both by day and by night, and our Lord Jesus Christ, upon Whose Name His Apostle called, did not permit any injury whatsoever to come to him, for he was suffering for His Name's sake. And after these things He brought him out of the fire, and the people saw that his body was unharmed, and that his face was like the face of a child.

Then all those who looked upon him said, "This [man] who was in the fire [is not a sorcerer], for his whole body is unharmed, from the hair of his head even unto the nails of his feet. And in that same hour all the men of the city and of the districts round [about] believed, and they cried out and said, "There is no god in heaven or in earth except the Lord God of Matthias, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who delivereth all those who trust in Him, and those who believe in His holy Name."

And [after] these things Matthias, the blessed Apostle, commanded [the people] to destroy all the temples of the gods, and to throw [the gods] into the sea; and no remnant whatsoever of them could be found by reason of the evil which the people wrought upon them. Then Matthias built them a church in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and he baptized the people of the city, men, women, and children, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, consubstantial, indivisible, and unchangeable. And after he had baptized them he consecrated a church for them, and he admonished them and gave them the commandments of life, and he taught them the Law and the Gospel; then he departed from them, and they all set him upon his way in peace. For he had taught them the knowledge of the truth, and he had taught them the path of righteousness, and he had brought them forth out of error into the knowledge of the faith of Jesus Christ our Lord; and after he had preached and told the story of the Gospel, he slept the good sleep. And he died in one of the cities of Judaca which was called Pelwôn, on the eighth day of the month Magâbit, in the grace of God and of the Lover of men, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise and honour for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Book of the Acts of Saint James, the son of Iskeder, the brother of John the Evangelist, and of what took place through his preaching of the story of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the country of Hendaelē (India). In the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles divided [among them] the countries of the world, each one of them knew that the portion which had fallen unto him was from God (may His Name be blessed exceedingly!); and the lot fell upon James to go to the country of India, and John his brother was to go to the country of Dasyā (Dacia). And James said unto Peter, "O my father Peter, go forth with me until thou hast brought me into my country;" and Peter said unto him, "Not thyself only, but each of you will I bring unto his country, even as God hath commanded me." So Peter 224a.

and James set out for that country (i. e., India), and as they were going on their way they were speaking of the glory of God, and their souls were rejoicing because our Lord had told them of the great reward which they should have in the kingdom of heaven. And they said, "It is meet for us not to be slothful, but to hasten to continue our journey, and to declare Him and to preach Him in the world, that we may be worthy to find our hope and our deliverance from the tribulation of fire;" and Peter and James spake thus [as they were going] on their way, and they were strengthening each other for [the] strife. And as they were conversing in this wise, our Lord appeared unto them in the form of a young man of beautiful appearance, and He was rejoicing in their words, and He laughed before their faces, and said unto them, "Come unto Me, O ye devoted and chosen ones, and I will teach you, and will give you your reward. Know, O ye My disciples, that all the sufferings which ye endure in this world are not to be compared with one hour of the rest which ye shall enjoy in the kingdom of heaven;" and our Lord made bright the eyes of their understanding, and He made to appear unto them all the righteous who have gone to their rest, from Adam until John, and from John until the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. And being radiant and brilliant with light [and arrayed] in the apparel of bright light, He drew nigh unto them, and embraced them with a spiritual embrace; and then He disappeared from them in peace.

And when His two blessed disciples had seen this spiritual vision, their hearts were strengthened, and they rejoiced and were glad, and they cast themselves upon the ground, and worshipped, saying, "We give thanks unto Thee, O God, our Lord Jesus Christ, [because] Thou hast dealt graciously with us." Then our Lord lifted them up and gave them the salutation of peace, and said unto James, "Be strong and fulfil thy ministration with an upright heart, and preach thou in the world in the Name of our Lord, [Who hath created men] in His | image and in His likeness, for thereby shalt thou gain great reward." And the Apostles rose up, and their faces were shining like the sun, and our Lord departed from their presence, and went up into heaven with great glory. Then Peter said unto James, "It is meet for us to contend in this glorious matter so that we may gather together all the sheep of the race of Israel which are scattered abroad, and also that this great reward may be ours;" then they set out together. And it came to pass that when they had come into the city they found on the highway a blind man who was begging for bread, and when he knew that the Apostles had arrived the grace of God came down upon him, and he cried out with a loud voice, and said, "O ye Apostles of Jesus Christ, grant unto me light for mine eyes." And James said unto Peter, "O my father, have compassion upon him, for he crieth out after us;" and Peter said unto him, "Thou thyself shalt give healing unto him in this [thy] city." And James said unto Peter, "If the command be according as thou sayest, bless me, O my father;" and Peter said unto him, "May our Lord Jesus Christ effect a healing by thy hands."

Then James cried out unto the blind man, and said unto him, "If thine eyes shall be opened, and thou shalt see [the light], wilt thou believe on our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was crucified?" And the blind man said unto him, "I will confess Him with a perfect faith." Then James said unto him, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God in truth, on Whom thou hast believed, let thine eyes be opened, and thou shalt see clearly and openly;" 112a. and this thing came to pass according to his word. And when the people who were gathered together came and saw him, they glorified God. Now there were some of them who believed, but some said, "[They are] sorcerers," and these went to the elders of the city and told them what they had heard and seen. Then the magistrates ordered them to bring the Apostles to them, and they stood up in their midst. And one of the magistrates enquired of them, saying, "From what country are ye? 225a. Whence are ye come? And what do ye want?" And Peter answered and said, "We are the servants of the Good God Whose Name is Jesus." And it came to pass that when the magistrates heard the Name of Jesus, they rent their garments, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, "O men who dwell in this city, guard ye these men, for they are sorcerers of whom we have heard 112b. the report for many days past. For behold, there went forth from Jerusalem twelve men who were the servants of the sorcerer whose name is Jesus, for thus they call His Name." Then the magistrates commanded them to put cords round their necks and to drag them through all the highways of the city; but when the guards went to them and wished to place the ropes round their necks, their hands dried up, and they remained [standing]

upon their feet. Then the magistrates were angry with them, and they said unto them, "Why do ye not do as we commanded you?" And the guards said unto them, "We have not the power to move, for behold, we have become like unto stones." Then the magistrates said unto them, "Did we not tell you that they were sorcerers?" And the Apostles said unto them, "We are not sorcerers, but the servants of the Good God." Then the men whose hands had dried up entreated the Apostles, saying, "O servants of God, have compassion upon us." And the Apostles said unto them, "The Lord our God hath commanded us not to reward evil for evil, but good for evil;" then they drew nigh unto the men, and said unto them, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose servants we are and Whose Name we preach, we command you to become sound and well, even as ye were formerly." And in that same hour the guards rose up sound and well, and they bowed down before the Apostles, and were crying out and saying, "There is no god but Jesus Christ, the God of these chosen men."

And it came to pass that when the people saw what had happened, they were dismayed, and they repeated the words of the soldiers of the guard, saying, "One is the God Whom these blessed men preach; but the magistrates did not believe, for their hearts were hard. Now there was among the magistrates a certain man [called Theophilus], who had a son whose two feet were withered, and he was unable to walk. And the magistrate said in his heart, "I will bring my son unto them, and if they have the power to make my son whole I will believe in their God. So he commanded one of his servants to bring his son unto them, and he made haste, and brought him unto them, and set him down in front of the Apostles. Then the Apostles rose up together, and stretched out their hands and prayed, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, Who art the Resurrection of souls and of bodies, Thou Good Shepherd, Who bringest back the souls which have been cast away wholly, I beseech Thee, O Lord, Who art nigh unto him that calleth upon Thee, to hear us Thy servants (inasmuch as Thou hast been graciously pleased not to separate Thyself from us), that Thy glory may be revealed this day in this city, and that [the people] may know that Thou art God, and that there is no god besides Thee.

And it came to pass that, when the Apostles had finished their prayer, James said unto the young man who was helpless, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Nazarene, in Whose holy Name we preach, rise up [and become] like unto all [other] men. Thereupon the young man hastened and rose up, having been made whole, and he made haste and walked. And when the multitude saw the wonderful things which the Apostles had wrought, they cried out, saying, "One is the Lord God of these men. Then the magistrate, who was the father of the young man, bowed down at the feet of the Apostles, and said unto them, "I entreat you to come unto my habitation that ye may eat food; and he sent his son back to his wife sound and whole. Now when the mother of the young man saw her son walking along the road she cried out, saying, "One is the Lord God of these men Who hath made whole my son; and she wished the Apostles to come into her habitation. And she sent her son to his father and commanded him to bring them with him, and the magistrate sent two of his servants to make ready their abode, and thus it came to pass even as he had desired.

And it came to pass that, when the Apostles had entered into the abode of the magistrate, in that same hour the gods which were in his house fell down and were broken in pieces. Now when the judge and his wife saw these wonderful things their faith was strengthened, and they brought many possessions unto the Apostles, and said unto them, "Take ye these goods from us and give [them] unto the poor and needy;" and James said, "Give [them] thyself with thine own hand;" and the magistrate did as James had commanded him; and he made ready a table for the Apostles, and they ate. Now the name of the magistrate was Theophilus, and he asked the Apostles to baptize him, and his children, and his wife, and when the Apostles saw the strength of his faith, they gave him the commandment of life, and they baptized him, and his children and his wife, and all those who were in his house, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now the number of those who were baptized was thirty souls.

And after these things James said unto Peter, "Rise up, O my father Peter, and let us go forth from this city and journey round about in the other cities, and let us tell those who dwell therein the story of the Holy Gospel, and let us preach unto them, that peradventure 226b. "they may hear and repent." Then the Apostles went out from that city unto an open space (or hall), where the magistrates were wont to gather together, and they began to teach the multitude the commandments of the Holy Spirit, and they taught the people concerning the Passion of our Lord, and His Resurrection and Ascension, and His second Coming to judge the living and the dead. Then the people who heard their words, and also the remainder of the magistrates of the city when they saw that their companions had believed, drew nigh and bowed down at the feet of the Apostles, and said unto them, "O ye chosen servants of God, we beseech you to give unto us of that grace which ye have bestowed upon our companions." And when the story was proclaimed abroad that the magistrates of the city had believed through the preaching of the Apostles, all the people cried out with a loud voice, saying, "We beseech you, O disciples of Christ, to give us the grace of Christ, and to bestow upon us the signs of the belief which is in Him."

And it came to pass that when the Apostles saw the strength of their faith they said unto them, "Whosoever hath in him the true faith let him follow us." Then the Apostles walked on in front of the people until they came to a great stream (or watercourse) which was in the city, and they offered up a prayer; and after the prayer they gave them the gracious gift of faith, and baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And when the people had received baptism they rejoiced with great joy and were exceedingly glad, and straightway the Apostles commanded them to build a church. And the Apostles dwelt with them until their faith had become strong, and they appointed priests over them, and administered unto them the Holy Mysteries. Then James read unto them the Book of the Law and the Book of the Prophets, and Peter translated them for them into the language which they knew; and they dwelt with them many days, that is to say, until their faith had become strong, and they appointed a bishop over them [and priests and deacons], and they became ministers of the church. And James and Peter went forth from them ascribing praise unto the God Who is One, and Who is a Trinity of Three [Persons], to Whom praise, and thanksgiving, and honour are meet for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

114b.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.Here beginneth the Martyrdom of James the son of Zebedee, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now his martyrdom was finished on the seventeenth day of the month Μίναρχο. In the peace of God. Amen. And it came to pass that when James, the son of Zebedee, had gone forth unto the Twelve Tribes which were scattered abroad, he preached unto them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God in truth. Now all these tribes did not worship the One God, but belonging unto every tribe were idols which they had chosen for themselves as gods, and each tribe had graven images of false gods which led them into error. And these tribes were under the dominion of Herod, and they were wont to render service unto him such as he found [it needful to demand], and the possessions which they brought to him as tribute were so many, that at length his rank was magnified and his kingdom became exceedingly great. Now when James came unto them he

1 L. c., April 12. preached unto the people of each tribe in the tongue of their native land, for our Lord had given unto the Apostle the knowledge of every tongue, and by the help of the Holy Spirit the Apostle [James] understood the languages not only of men, but also those of the beasts, and of the animals of the wilderness, and of the birds of heaven when they conversed in their own speech. And James preached among them and admonished them to forsake their evil works, and to believe in the Living God, and in His Only Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy and Vivifying Spirit, Who giveth life unto all created beings, and in Whose hands are the spirits of them all, and Who judgeth both the living and the dead. And he said unto them, "Give not all your possessions unto the kings of the earth, but give [some of them] unto the poor and needy for the salvation of your souls;" and in that same hour the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit dwelt in them, and the fear of God entered into their hearts.

And the story of the Gospel was preached in all their countries, and at the word of James the Apostle the people believed in God, and their faith was strengthened in our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven and of earth, Who rejecteth not those who seek Him and who turn unto Him with a right mind. Then they cast aside all those idols which they had worshipped, and their evil deeds which they were wont to do, and they turned unto God with a true mind, and received the words which James had declared unto them. And James loved them exceedingly because they had hastened to receive his preaching, and because they had forsaken the evil deeds U . 115a.

which they had done in their error. Then James the Apostle made haste and built churches for them in all their countries; and when he saw the beauty of their faith he baptized them in the Name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and they rejoiced and were glad together. And he gave unto them the commandments of the Gospel and of the Law of faith, and he said unto them, "Hearken, O ye my blessed children, who have turned from error unto the knowledge of righteousness, who have chosen [as your God] God Almighty, Who hath made you worthy to receive His Body and Blood, behold, I give unto you the righteousness of God which God hath entrusted to me, and He hath commanded me to give it unto all the peoples who will receive it with joy, so that at His second Coming they may be prepared for the Garden (i. e., Paradise) of God, which He hath made ready for you and for each tribe of the Church . I beseech you, O each tribe, to give of your income unto the church, of the firstfruits of your crops, and of your vineyards, and of your fields, and of your cattle, so that through God they may become the food of the poor and needy among you." And the people answered and said unto him, "We wish to do whatsoever thou commandest us to do, for we believe on the Name of the Lord thy God with all our hearts, both those who are the greatest among us and those who are the least;" and each tribe brought of the firstfruits of their riches unto the church.

And it came to pass that when Herod heard of everything which James had done he marvelled, both as concerning the faith of the people and their offerings unto the church, and he knew that there had come unto them a disciple of Jesus Christ who had commanded them not to pay tribute unto the kings of the earth, and to serve neither Nero the Emperor nor the Imperial governor Herod, but to give their gifts unto our Lord Jesus Christ the King of heaven and of earth. And when the king heard these things he commanded [his soldiers] to bring James the Apostle unto him.

And when Herod saw him, he said unto him, "Of what race art thou? and in Whom dost thou believe, O man?" Then the blessed Apostle answered and said unto him, "I believe in the Lord God of the Christians, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who is the God of all who are in the heavens and of all who are on the earth, and in Whose hands are their souls, and Who hath sovereign dominion over your kingdoms, O thou Herod and thou Emperor Nero." And when Herod heard these words he was exceedingly wroth with James the Apostle, and he said unto him, "I will not wait for thee to utter a word against me a second time;" and the Emperor Nero and Herod heard concerning James the Apostle, and how he spake words of contempt against their kingdom, and blasphemed their gods, and a certain man rose up quickly and smote Saint James with a sword and cut off his head; and in that same hour his spirit departed. Thus James the son of Zebedee finished his martyrdom on the seventeenth day of the month Miyāzyā; and they buried him in Kōṭ of Māmrēkē. May his prayer and blessing preserve all of us children of baptism for ever and ever! Amen, and Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Mark, the Evangelist of Alexandria. May his prayer preserve us all! Amen. Now the end of his martyrdom took place in the thirtieth year after the suffering of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ. In the peace of God. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the countries of the world were divided [among the Apostles], the lot came to Saint Mark to go unto the countries of Egypt, and the Evangelist, by the good pleasure of God, dwelt therein for the stablishing of the Church in peace. Now he was the first who preached in all the cities of the Land of Egypt, and in Lonyá (Libya), and in Markiyá (Marmarika), and he preached the Gospel unto the people therein, and declared unto them the faith of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. And the people of all those 228b. countries were hard (or dense) of heart, and they used to worship with impurity the gods which could be felt with the hands in the dominion of Satan, and in every place, and in every highway, they built temples, and houses of gods, and images of magicians and adulterers; and they used to slay children and work magic by means of their blood.

And it came to pass that when Mark left the Apostles he set out and came unto the Bālkā, for his kinsmen belonged unto that tribe; and he preached unto them the knowledge of God, and he wrought in their midst miracles and wonderful deeds in abundance, for he healed the sick and he cleansed the lepers, and by means of the gracious gift which descended upon him he cast out multitudes of unclean spirits. Then many believed in our Lord Jesus Christ through him, and they broke their gods in pieces, and were baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now [when he was] in that place the Holy Spirit revealed unto them that he should go forth unto the city of Alexandria, unto the Takwām, and that the good seed, which is the word of God, should be sown therein. Now the blessed Mark the Evangelist was like unto a young man who was ready to be slain, and he embraced the brethren, and said unto them, "Our Lord hath commanded me, and Jesus Christ hath told me to go unto the city of Alexandria, and to preach the Gospel in that place." And the brethren sent him off on his journey, and he embarked on a ship and went unto the city of Alexandria.

And it came to pass that when he had arrived at Alexandria, and had entered into the gate of the city, the latchet of his sandal broke, and he said, "Truly it 'hath sped my way;" and he looked out for a leather dresser that he might sit down [in his shop], and he gave him his sandals to mend. And the leather dresser pierced his left hand with the awl, and he cast aside the tool and the sandals and grasped his hand and said, "In the Name of God, the One God." And it came to pass that when the blessed Mark heard the man say "One 'God' he smiled, and he looked towards the east , and said, O Master, Jesus Christ, prosper Thou my 'way.' Then he turned his face unto the leather dresser, and said unto him, If thou knowest that God is One, 'why dost thou serve these many gods?" And the leather dresser said unto him, "We say '[In] the Name of God' 'with our mouth, but we do not know who the One God is." Then Saint Mark put a little spittle on his fingers, and took a little dust, and anointed the [left hand of the] leather dresser therewith, and said, "In the Name of 'Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, let thy hand be healed;" and because of these words it became whole forthwith. Now when the leather dresser had seen the wonderful and mighty deed which the Apostle had wrought by his word, he said unto him, "I entreat thee, 'O servant of the Good God, to come and rest this day in the house of thy servant; and let us eat together, for thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant." And the blessed Mark rejoiced, and said unto him, "May God give unto thee the heavenly bread of life;" then the leather dresser took the Apostle and brought him into his abode with rejoicing.

And it came to pass that when the Apostle had entered into the house he said unto the man, "May the blessing of God be in this house;" then the brethren prayed, and after the prayer they sat down, and ate, and rejoiced. And the leather dresser said unto the blessed Mark, "I entreat thee [to tell me], O good father, Who is this Being of Whom thou speakest, and what is His Name?" Then Saint Mark spake unto him, saying, "I am the servant of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God." And the leather dresser said unto him, "I wish to see Him," and the holy man said unto him, "I will shew [Him] unto you." And Saint Mark began to recite the beginning of the Gospel, saying, "The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham;" and he told him about the prophecies which the prophets had prophesied concerning Him in the Scriptures. And the leather dresser said unto him, "I beseech thee [to give me] this book concerning which thou speakest, for I have not heard [it read] at any time, and I only know that the children of the Egyptians are instructed therein." Then Saint Mark began to converse with him concerning the word of God, saying, "The wisdom of the world is that which is with the word of God." And the leather dresser believed in God when he heard the words of Saint Mark, and as soon as he knew him and had seen the mighty and wonderful deeds [which he wrought], he, and all his house, and many of the people of the city, were baptized. Now the name of the leather dresser was Anianus.

And when the believers in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ had increased in number, and the men of the city heard that a Galilean had come thereunto, and that he had changed the offerings unto the gods, and had diminished the worship which was offered unto them, they sought him that they might kill him, and they multiplied their search for him that they might overthrow him. Now when the blessed Mark had learned their plans he appointed Anianus to be [their] bishop, and three priests whose names are Malyós, Kórdónós, and Barimós, together with seven deacons, and fourteen men for the service of the church. And Mark departed unto [the city of] Barká and dwelt there for some years, and he appointed bishops and priests in all the districts thereof; then he returned to Alexandria and multiplied grace therein. And [the people thereof] believed in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they built a church in the spot which is called the "Field of the Ox (or Bull)," in a place above the sea shore, in a large [open] place in a stone quarry beneath the rocks. And the righteous man praised God because of the beauty of His faith.

230a. And it came to pass that, when many days were ended, and the Christians had multiplied, and the people treated the gods of the heathen with contempt, and the Gentiles knew that Saint Mark had come unto the city, their hearts were filled with wrath by reason of the many wonderful things which they heard he had wrought (for he healed the sick, and cleansed the lepers, and made the deaf to hear, and the blind received their sight, and he preached unto them the Gospel of good hope) and they sought to lay hold upon him. And they gnashed their teeth upon him in their assemblies and in their temples, and they cried out therein, saying, "We will overcome this sorcerer." And when the feast of the blessed Passover had come (now the Sabbath whereon the believers kept the festival that year fell on the seventeenth day of the month Mīyāzyā, and the festival of the birthday of Serapis took place on the selfsame day), the heathen found that day to be favourable [for their plan], and they sent men unto him to seize him as he was finishing the prayer of consecration, and they bound him with cords and dragged him into the road, saying, "We will drag the bull into 'the Field of the Ox (or Bull.)" Now whilst they were dragging Saint Mark along he was giving thanks unto God, and saying, "I thank Thee, O my Lord and God 'Jesus Christ, that Thou hast made me worthy to suffer for Thy holy Name's sake;" and the flesh of his body was torn to pieces by the ground, and his blood besmeared the stones of the streets. And when it was night they cast him into prison, until they could take counsel together how to kill him.

And it came to pass that at midnight, when the doors [of the prison] were shut fast and the guards were asleep, a great earthquake took place, and the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and touched the body of Saint Mark. And the angel said unto Mark, "Thou art the servant of God, and the master who dost give consolation unto all the countries of Egypt. Behold, thy name is written in the Book of Life in the heavens, and thou art numbered among the number of the Apostles; and men shall not forget the commemoration of thee, for behold, God hath given thee upon the earth dominion, and grace, and power which cannot be reckoned, and thy soul is in heaven, and thy body shall not perish in the earth." And when Saint Mark had seen this vision he lifted up his hands to heaven, and said, "I thank Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast not cast me away from before Thy face, and hast placed me in the assembly of Thy saints. I beseech Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, to receive my soul in peace, and let not Thy grace forsake me." And when he had said these words, our Lord appeared unto him in the form in which He was when He was among the Apostles, before His life-giving Passion and before they had placed Him in the grave, and He said unto him, "My peace be with thee, O thou Mark, My chosen one, who preachest My Gospel! Behold, I have appeared unto thee in the form in which I was with thy brethren the Apostles, before [My Passion], when I was not at any time separated from them." And the saint said, "I give thanks unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, for Thy great act of grace, in that Thou hast held me to be worthy to see Thee as Thou wast in Thy flesh, and

"because [Thou] hast given me patience [to endure] 231a. suffering for Thy holy Name's sake;" and our Lord gave him the salutation of peace and went up into heaven with great glory.

And when the morrow had come, the men of the 118b. city gathered together and brought Mark out from the prison-house, and they bound him with cords, and dragged him through the city, saying, "Let us again drag the bull into the Field of the Ox (or Bull); and the blessed Mark was sending thanksgivings into the heights of heaven. And after they had made an end of dragging him about, all the city was filled with his blood, and all the highways of the city were full thereof, and the borders round about it were full of his precious blood; and he said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, into Thy hands I commit my spirit," and having said these words he died. Now when all the heathen saw that Saint Mark was dead, they kindled a great fire in the place which is called 'Awbākalyōn,' that they might burn up his body 231a. there. Then by the good pleasure of our Lord Jesus Christ, darkness came on, and a cold wind [blew], and the sun hid his light, and there were lightnings and 119a. thunders, and rain, and hail, until the evening of that day; and a great number of the noblemen of the city fell down headlong, and many of them died.

Then straightway the people of the city became afraid, and they went and laid the body of the holy man [on the fire], and some of them who had mocked him said, "The great Serapis hath received the soul of this man this day, which is the birth-day of the god. And certain believing men came and took the body of the saint from the fire, and they bore it unto a place wherein they used to make their prayers, and they made supplications over him and thanksgivings, and they buried him according to the custom of the people of the city, and they laid him in a place which they had chosen for him. And they celebrated the commemoration of him frequently with gladness, and with prayers, and with sanctifications, as a great storehouse [of good things] which they had found in him. Now they laid him [in a grave] to the east of the city. Thus Saint Mark the Evangelist was the first of the martyrs who died and shed their blood in the country of Egypt, in the Name of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, in the great city of Alexandria. And he ended his martyrdom on the thirtieth day of the month Miyāzyā, that is to say, on the twenty-seventh day of the Hebrew month Nēšān (Nisān), in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius.

Thus Saint Mark finished his contending, and fulfilled his testimony, and he is [now] in the heights of heaven, together with the righteous, praising the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. May his prayer and blessing protect us for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Book of the Preaching of Saint Thomas, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he preached in the country of India. In the peace of our Lord. Amen. And it came to pass that, after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, He appeared unto His holy disciples, and said unto them, "The peace of My Father be with you. What He gave Me I have not hidden from you; gather yourselves together, and divide ye the world into twelve portions, and let each one of you go unto his portion. And fear ye not, for I will be with you, and I know everything which shall come upon you, both the suffering and the tribulation which ye shall endure from men in this world; but bear ye patiently with them, for at length ye shall bring them back from error into faith in My Name. And remember ye the sufferings which came upon Me, and everything which they did unto Me for the sake of the children of men."

Now the lot went forth to Thomas to go unto the country of India. And he bowed down before the Lord, and said unto Him, "Why hath the lot gone forth that I should go unto the country of India? The people thereof are as strong as wild beasts, and their hearts are too hard to hear the Word of the Gospel; but be Thou with me, O my Lord, [until I arrive] in that country." And our Lord said unto him, "Behold, Peter will guide thee, and he will go forth with thee unto that country." Then all the Apostles made ready to go forth, each one of them unto the country which had fallen to him by lot, and Peter was going forth unto the city of Rome and the regions round about it, and Matthias unto the country of Persia. And Thomas said unto Peter, "O my father, rise up and go with me and my brother Matthias until thou hast brought us unto our countries;" and Peter said unto him, "I consent," and he went forth with them; and our Lord went up from them into heaven with great glory.

And it came to pass that after they had journeyed for forty days, they came unto a city which was half way [on the road] to the parts [of the world] wherein Thomas and Matthias had been ordained by lot [to preach the Gospel]; now as they were entering into the city they sat down in the highroad to the city like travellers. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared into them in the guise of a learned man, and He said unto them, "Peace be upon you, O brethren; and they said unto Him, "And upon Thee also be peace; and He sat down to the right of them at no great distance from them. Then Thomas said unto Peter, "O my father, let us enter into this city and preach therein in the Name of God, for it is the first city unto which we have come; peradventure we shall be able to save the people and bring them back unto the rule of God. For God said, Whosoever shall preach in a great city and shall save many men shall have great reward in the kingdom of heaven. Now whilst they were sitting down there came unto them a certain officer of king Ḳanṭukōrōs (Gundaforus), king of India. And he looked at the Apostles as they were seated like travellers, and he said unto them, "Whence are ye, O brethren? And they said unto him, "Ask what ye desire; and he said unto them, "It is not evil but good [that I desire].

Now, I see that ye are men of exceedingly fine stature, and I am wanting to buy a slave who shall be like unto you. And Peter said unto him, "We are three servants of One God, Whose Name is Jesus Christ, Who is coming unto this city; and when He hath come He will sell unto you whichever one of us thou desirest; for our country is good, and all those who dwell in the districts thereof are of fine stature. Now our Lord Himself was listening unto what they were saying among themselves, and in that same hour our Lord appeared unto them, and held converse with them in a language which they understood, and said unto them, "Peace be unto you.

"O noble Peter and Thomas, ye believing ones, and thou wise and meek Matthias! Behold, I know you, for I am never separated from you, but am with you always. Behold, I have come, even as I told you, and I will go before you into every place whithersoever ye shall go." And it came to pass that, although the officer of the king of India was close by them, he did not understand the language wherein our Lord was conversing with them.

Then afterwards our Lord appeared unto the Apostles in the form of a rich man, and He sat down in a place in the midst of the city. Then the Apostles said unto the man who was the servant of the king, "Behold our Lord concerning Whose coming we informed thee; look and see which one of us thou desirest, and He will sell him to thee." And the royal officer said unto our Lord, "Peace be unto Thee, O good Man! The rumour of Thee and Thine appearance betoken Thee to be a man of noble rank; art Thou willing to sell me one of these men?" And our Lord said unto him, "[Tell Me] which of these two I am to sell unto thee. Now this one, the eldest, was born in a great country, and I cannot sell him." Then the man looked at Thomas and liked him, for he was a man whose body was strong and full of power, and he said unto our Lord, "Sell me this slave of thine." And our Lord said unto him, "His price is [three] artāl of gold;" and the man said unto Him, "Behold, I have bought him from Thee;" and he gave Him his price. Then he said unto our Lord, "Write me a bill of his price, according to the custom of the country." And our Lord said unto him, "Do not seek for a man to write the bill for thee, for I will myself write it with My own hands, and it shall be declared therein for thee that this servant, who was Mine, I have sold unto thee 'Arbásôs,' an officer of Kônṭôrôs (Gundaforus), the king of India." And He finished the writing as the officer desired, and then went up from them into heaven with great glory.

And after this our Lord appeared unto Thomas, and said unto him, "Take the price of thy sale and distribute it among the poor, and the needy, and the widows, and the orphans, in the place whither thou art going, for I sold thee for three artûl of gold because thou art the servant of the Holy Trinity of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost." And Thomas answered and said unto Him, "Let Thy grace be with me;" and when our Lord had spoken these words unto Thomas, He departed from him. Then Thomas girded up his loins after the manner of a slave, and he came unto Peter and Matthias, and said unto them, "Remember me in your prayers;" and they embraced each other in a spiritual embrace, for this was the last of their meetings in this world, and each and all gave thanks together, and in peace, with a spiritual embrace, they parted. And Thomas went with his lord, and Peter and Matthias went on their way.

Then the royal servant enquired of Thomas concerning his handicraft, and Thomas said unto him, "I corruption of the name 'Aββάνης, in Arabic حَبَّان. X* am a stone-mason, and a carpenter, and a physician 233b. ". As a carpenter I am skilled in making measures, and balances, and mattocks, and hoes, and spades for digging up from the ground thorns, and whatever else men may wish to dig up therefrom. As a stone-mason I am skilled in building temples, and fortresses, and lofty towers which are excellent for kings; and as a physician I can heal the wounds which work decay in the flesh." Now when the officer heard these words from Thomas he rejoiced and said, "Right and good; the king seeketh a man of this kind;" and after 121b. many days they came unto the country of India. Then the officer entered into the king's presence and told him concerning Thomas, and he shewed him the writing which [his Master] had written for him with His own hand; and when the king saw Thomas he marvelled. Then the officer told the king all the handicrafts wherein Thomas was skilled, and he rejoiced because of this exceedingly, and said unto him, "Take this man and bring him to Lûkiyânôs (Vecius) the governor, and let him give him the materials which he requireth, so that he may build a great palace for me;" so the officer went to the 233b. governor and told him everything which the king had commanded him, and Lûkiyânôs (Vecius) gave unto Thomas everything which he desired.

Now after these things Lûkiyôs (Vecius) departed to the city of the king, [but before he went] he commanded his wife 'Arsônwâ (Arsenia), and said unto her, "Let not this man who hath come unto us in these [last] days do work like the [other] slaves, but let him work at his handicraft until I come back from the presence of the king. And after Lúkiyós had departed Thomas came to 'Arsónwá (Arsenia) the wife of the governor, and read to her the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the prophecies of the Prophets. And he said unto her, "I see that thou art in great darkness and art serving these gods of gold and silver, and thou sayest that they are gods, but they are not gods. What thou doest with them profiteth thee nothing whatsoever, for they can neither speak nor hear, nor see, and if the earth were to be shaken they would have no power to help themselves, but would fall down and break in pieces. I beseech thee to bring me unto the temple wherein ye bow down before them that I may see their strength; so the woman [went] to shew Thomas her gods.

And when Thomas saw them he lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed, saying, "O God, the Sustainer of the universe, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son and Thy beloved One, and [of] the Holy Spirit, Whom when they hear all the devils tremble, Thou art the Good Shepherd, Thou art the good Lamb, Thou art the true Light which shineth in our hearts, Thou art He Whose Name all creation feareth, Thou art He Who did send me into this city that I might bring back unto Thee those who dwell therein, Thou art the Creator of all the races of the children of men, and all created things are subject unto Thee. When Thou lookest upon the earth it trembleth; and the sea, and all that therein is, and all 234a. the creatures thereof, and all the waves thereof are silent when they hear Thy voice; and vipers and all reptiles bow low before Thee, because Thou art He Who judgeth them. Yea, O my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, make manifest through me wonders and marvellous signs in this city, so that [the people thereof] may praise Thee; for unto Thee belong glory and thanksgiving for ever and ever. Amen."

122a. Now as the Apostle was praying thus the house wherein were all the gods trembled, and all the gods who were resting upon their stands fell down upon their faces on the earth, and the devils that dwelt in them cried out, saying, "Woe unto us! Woe unto us! For behold, our power is destroyed, and our shame is multiplied; and henceforward there shall be no God except Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. And when 'Arsōnwā (Arsenia) had seen what had befallen the gods she feared exceedingly, and she fell upon the earth before (literally, between) the hands of Saint 234b. Thomas, and he stretched out his hands and raised her up. Then she took hold of him, and made supplication unto him, and said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, who hast come into my house, art thou, O man, a slave, or a god? And what is this Name of Jesus whereon thou didst call? For when thou didst make mention of His Name the house shook, and all the 122b. gods wherein I was putting my hope fell down upon their faces on the ground, and they became like wind. Hide not thou from me this power which is with thee, O servant of the Good God, for behold, from this hour I will put away the dominion of false gods from me, and I will go up in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and I will believe in thy God.

Then Thomas, the blessed Apostle, answered and said unto her, "O 'Arsônwá (Arsenia), if thou believest with all thy heart, forsake this fleeting world which quickly passeth away, and know thou that thy glorying in gold and in silver, and in beautiful apparel which perisheth, and which the moth consumeth, and in the perishable beauty of the flesh, and in everything in which man glorieth in this world, quickly cometh to an end. For when a man looketh upon one after the beauty [hath passed away], he seeth that the appearance and the face are miserable, and that the eyes have become blind, and that the tongue speaketh not. And where shall man be then? For he goeth unto his everlasting home. Seek God, O Arsônwá, and thou shalt find Him; and be not remote from those who seek Him with all their hearts. Concerning God the prophet saith, I am the Living God, and I cling close to thee like the garment which thou dost put on.' And again he saith, Repent, O ye children of Israel, for I am a God Who desireth not the death of a sinner, and I desire that he will return and save his soul alive.' And again he saith, Turn ye unto Me, O ye children who have transgressed against Me; return, and ye shall find Me, for he who seeketh after God shall find Him, and unto him that calleth upon Him He hearkeneth.'"

123a.

And it came to pass that when 'Arsōnwâ, the wife of the governor, had hearkened unto him, her heart was turned unto the fear of God, and He opened the eyes of her heart; and all those who were in her house believed in God, and many of the men of the city also believed in Him. Then she went into her habitation, and threw off her beautiful apparel, and bowed down upon her face, and sprinkled ashes about (literally, under) her; and made supplication, and gave thanks unto God, saying, "I believe in Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou God of this stranger who hath come into my house, and hath become my guide into the path of life. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, Thou merciful One, Whom I have only learned to know this day (and yet, behold, Thou hast held me worthy of the knowledge of Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God), to forgive me all the sins which I have in times past committed, and the error wherein I have dwelt until this day under the dominion of impure gods. And behold now, I have turned unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art my Light and my Deliverer, Thou art my Hope and my Strength, Thou art my hiding-place, and in Thee have I put my trust.

And it came to pass that when she had finished her prayer she went out to the Apostle, having her face covered [literally, filled] with ashes, and she said unto Thomas, "O servant of the Good God, rise up and baptize me in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, whereby thou canst deliver me. And the Apostle rejoiced at her faith, and he said unto her, "O good woman, behold the grace of God hath descended upon thee. Then the woman answered and said unto him, "The faith of thy God dwelleth in my heart, and mind, and soul, and I give thanks unto my Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath brought back the sheep which were cast away."

Then Thomas rose up quickly and baptized her, and all those who dwelt in her abode, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And he took pure bread, and a cup full of wine, and he gave thanks, and brake [the bread], and gave unto the people who had been baptized the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood; and he and all the brethren who had been baptized sang the Psalms of David far into the night (or all night), and prayed. Then they brought unto him all those who were sick of divers kinds of diseases, and those who were possessed of devils, and the blind, and the lame, and the lepers, and he healed them all. And Thomas went out into the city every day and preached in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and told them the story of the Holy Gospel; and he said unto them, "Bring forth unto me all the sick folk, and I will heal them for nought, and I wish for no reward from any man." Then they were all gathered together unto the house of 'Arsônwa, the wife of the governor, who had believed on the words of Thomas, and all the men of the city became believers and Christians. And the Apostle used to read unto them the Gospel, and the books of the Prophets, and to teach them the Law of Faith, and after these things he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And he dwelt with them from the time that he had entered into the city, that is to say, four years, and their faith waxed strong in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And it came to pass that Lúkiyós (Vecius), who had been with the king, returned unto his city, and his wife and all the people went forth to meet him. Now when he looked at his wife and saw that she was clothed in wretched apparel, he was greatly grieved thereat, for he imagined that thieves had stolen everything which he had in his dwelling. Then he called one of her servants and said unto him, "What hath happened in my abode?" And the servant said unto him, "Nothing evil, and only good hath happened [therein] since thou hast gone away from it;" so Lúkiyós went to the bath, and then returned to his abode. And he called for his wife 'Arsónwá (Arsenia), and when she had come unto him he spake unto her according to the custom of the men of this world, concerning union with her. Then she answered and said unto him with tears, "O my lord, behold, God hath removed from my heart this impure thing wherein there is no profit, and this day is the Sabbath of God." And he answered in great wrath and said unto her, "What are these words which thou sayest to me? I never heard [the like] from thee [before]. Thou shalt not separate thyself from me this day until I have known thee. Woe be unto thee! Peradventure that strange slave who hath come unto us during these [last] days hath bewitched thee."

Then 'Arsónwá answered and said unto him, "O my lord, God forbid that thou shouldst say thus concerning him, for sorcerers cannot heal dead bodies, but this man healeth not only dead bodies but souls also. Speak thou not one foul word against him, but do thou thyself also hear his words." And when Lûkiyôs heard these words from his wife the wrath of Satan filled his heart, and he answered and said unto her, "If he be a sorcerer and a worker of magic let him heal himself of the scourgings which shall come upon him." And in that same hour he commanded the soldiers of his guard to bring unto him all the executioners who were in the city, and they brought them unto him. And he cried out unto Thomas, and said unto him, "O thou wicked slave, thou sorcerer, where is the work of thy handicraft concerning which thou didst tell me, 'I can do it?' Where are the temples (or shrines) which thou wast to build? Where are the palaces concerning which thou didst say, 'I will build [them] for the king'? Where are the measures, and the balances, and the mattocks, and the hoes, and the spades, concerning which thou didst say, 'I can make [them]'? Where is the work, and the healing by medicines, and the good which thou hast wrought?" And Thomas answered, saying, "Behold, I have finished all my handiwork, and I have made an end thereof." Then Lûkiyôs said unto him, "Wouldst thou make a mock of me? I will scourge thee, O thou wicked servant, until thou diest." And Thomas said unto him, "I will inform thee rightly without scourging concerning the things which I have not made known unto thee until this day, and I will tell thee truly. The temples and palaces which I have built are the souls who have made themselves pure and have believed;

"these are the palaces which I have made beautiful for the heavenly King who liveth in them. And the mattocks, and the hoes, and the spades are the Holy Gospels, wherewith all hatred is dug out from the hearts of those who believe and who seek God with all their hearts. And the work which belongeth to the craft of the physician are the Holy Mysteries which root out every evil thought, and every pain, and every desire, from the hearts of all those who seek after purity. This is the honourable craft which God hath taught me." And Lúkiyós said unto him in wrath, "O thou wicked slave, where is [the fulfilment of] the word which thou didst speak unto me?" Then he commanded them to put Thomas in prison, and they stretched him out there.

And they made a wheel in the ground and bound him upon it, and Lúkiyós commanded the executioners to strip the skin from his body, and said unto him, "I will torture thee, and I will not let thee die quickly, but only when I please." Then the men of the city wept with a sore weeping and said, "Woe be unto us, for what can we do for this righteous man who hath healed us of every kind of sickness? If we lay our hands upon him his God will be wroth with us, and will make His anger to descend upon us, and He will send fire from heaven which will consume us, yet, if we do not do what this wicked man hath commanded us, he will kill us. Behold, we have seen many wonderful deeds [wrought] by this holy man. One day a boar of the desert came into the fields of a poor old woman, and the young men were unable to drive him away. Then the woman herself came and bowed down before this righteous man, and entreated him, saying, 'O my lord, help me,' and he had compassion upon her. For he went out into the field and said unto the wild beast, 'Get thee out from the fields of this poor woman, and destroy not her standing crop;' and when the boar refused to depart in that same hour fire came down [from heaven] and consumed him. Now we are exceedingly afraid of this man's God."

Then Saint Thomas answered and said unto them, "Rise up and fulfil the commands which he hath given you, for I know that ye have received your commands, and that ye perform them not of your own will, but through fear of the foolish governor;" so Lúkiyós commanded them to flay the holy Apostle. Then Thomas lifted up his eyes to heaven, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the Living God, help me in this hour, [and save me] from this tribulation." And when 'Arsónwá heard the words of the executioners and of the people who were weeping (now she was looking at them from a hidden window in her habitation), and saw the skin being stripped off the body of the Apostle, she was greatly moved, and she fell down upon her face and died straightway. Then Lúkiyós cried out and said, "Behold, my wife has died for thy sake, O thou wicked slave, but I will remove all my strength from thee' until I know the full wickedness of the work which thou hast done."

And it came to pass that when the parents and the brethren [of 'Arsónwá] heard these things they came and wept, and made lamentation over her, and cried out, and I. e., "I will desist in my harsh treatment of thee." said, "Woe be unto us! Woe be unto us! Thy death would not have taken place except for this stranger; still our hearts rejoice at thy death, because it hath taken place in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the commands of His blessed Apostle." Then Thomas answered and said unto them, "Weep ye not, but be silent. Since she hath died through me I will raise her up." And Lúkiyós said unto him, "Think not that thou shalt end [thy sufferings in this way], for I will torture thee as I wish, and I will not let thee escape."

Then he commanded them to bring unto him vinegar and salt that he might rub them into the body of the saint. And the Apostle cried out, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, help me in this mine hour of tribulation, for behold, my heart, and my body, and my spirit, are on fire, and they have become very weak. O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou merciful and compassionate God, let Thy help draw nigh unto me, and be Thou mindful that I am a stranger, and that I have no kinsfolk [here] . I have here neither father, nor mother, nor brethren, I have no kinsman in this city, and I have no acquaintance therein. O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the Living God, Thou art my Helper, and in Thee have I put my trust; Thou art my Redeemer; it is Thou Who hast sent me into this city, and I have not transgressed Thy commandments, O my Lord and God. I have hated everything of this world for Thy Name's sake; my father, and my mother, and my kinsfolk, and everything which I have I forsook as soon as I heard Thy voice. It is Thou Who hast sent me into this city to deliver the people [thereof], and behold, Thou seest what hath come upon me therein. Since Thou, O God, didst suffer for me, it is meet that I also should bear patiently and with joy the suffering which hath come upon me here.

Remember Thou Thy Word on the day wherein Thou didst appear unto Thy beloved Apostles, when Thou didst rise from the dead. Now I was not with them, and when they told me that they had seen Thee [I did not believe them], for I remembered Thy word which said, 'Make trial of the spirits, for many shall come in My Name, and shall lead astray many.' Then I spake unto my brethren the Apostles and said unto them, 'Unless I see our Lord, and unless I see His hands wherein they drove the nails, and put my fingers in the places wherein the nails were driven, and put my hand into [the wound] in His side, I will not believe.' And Thou didst appear unto me and didst shew me what I sought from Thee, and I believed in Thy Resurrection and was reproached for the littleness of my faith. And if on my account Thou didst suffer this thing, O my Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech Thee, O Lord, to forgive me, for Thou art the Good God, and the Merciful God, and dost turn unto those who turn unto Thee with all their heart" .

And it came to pass that when he had spoken these words and was weeping, our Lord had compassion upon him, and He appeared unto him upon a shining cloud, and said unto him, "O My beloved Thomas, bear patiently and with joy, and be strong, for thou shalt overcome thine enemies and all those who fight against thee. St. Matthew xxiv. 5; St. Mark xiii. 6; St. Luke xxi. 8. 126a. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, all the weariness, and all the scourgings which shall come upon thee for the sake of the sons of men, until I have delivered them from the hands of the Enemy, are not [to be compared with] one hour of the rest which I shall make thee to feel, or with the gift which I shall give thee, or with the position which thou shalt have at My right hand in My kingdom; now thou wast surnamed 'Twin', and thou art beloved by Me. Endure patiently, for thy reward shall be abundant, and thine honour shall be great with Me, and through thy skin a multitude of wonderful deeds shall be made manifest. Let thine heart be strong, and haste thee to make manifest thy true faith and My dominion in this city. And after these things thou shalt depart and go out unto a city in the East which is called Kantōryā (Quantaria), and thou shalt dwell therein, and shalt turn the people [thereof] unto the faith in My Name. Behold, the whole world is filled with the grace of My Father, and His mercy is upon all created beings through My Blood, which was shed for the salvation of the world." And saying these words unto Thomas our Lord laid [His hand] upon him, and touched his flesh, and healed his wounds; and then He was no longer seen by him.

And Thomas, having been made whole, rose up, and came unto the place where the wife of Lūkiyōs was, and he laid upon her the skin which they had flayed off him, and said, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of His Father, and of the Holy Spirit, let the word which came to Lazarus raise thee up. And in that same hour she opened her eyes, and saw the Apostle standing by her head, and she rose up and bowed down before him. And it came to pass that when Lûkiyôs saw this wonderful thing, and the great miracle which had been made manifest by Thomas the Apostle, he rose up in fear and bowed down before him, and said, "In truth there is no god except thy God, Whom thou servest. I beseech thee, O servant of the Good God, to forgive me the evil which I have done unto thee, for I did it in ignorance. Then Thomas raised him up, and said unto him, "Fear thou not, for God doth not take vengeance upon those who repent and confess their sins. And in that same hour Lûkiyôs and all the other men of his dominion believed, and forthwith Thomas baptized him and all the nobles of the city, for they all had believed with him. Then Thomas commanded them to bring forth bread and a cup [of wine], and he prayed and administered unto them all the Holy Mysteries, and they all became Christians.

And Thomas appointed Lûkiyôs over them, and gave them the commandments of the Law of Faith and the admonitions of the Gospel; and he dwelt with them three days, teaching them each day from the Holy Scriptures. And he said unto them, "If it be the will of God I shall return unto you, but behold, our Lord hath commanded me to go unto Him in a certain city which lieth to the east of you. And he departed from them, and with tears they sent him away, saying unto him, "Stay not away from us too long, for we are only young plants. And the Apostle prayed over them, and blessed them, and gave them the salutation of peace, and departed unto Kan-

Y ṭīryā (Quantaria) that he might preach therein, even as our Lord had commanded him. And it came to pass that when he had arrived at the city he entered in through the gates thereof, and found an old man [there] who was shedding tears in abundance, and his apparel was rent, and his appearance was miserable . And the Apostle came up to him, and said unto him, "O aged man, why do I see thee in such a state of sorrow, and shedding tears so

"abundantly? Behold, thou art inflicting sorrow on thine heart. Then the old man said unto him, "Depart from me, O my brother, for my sorrow is great. And the Apostle said unto him, "I beseech thee to tell me what hath happened to thee, for peradventure my Lord Jesus Christ will work [thy] healing through my hands. And the old man said unto him, "Hearken unto my words. I had three sons, and I betrothed the eldest of them to the daughter of an elder of the city that she might become his wife. And it came to pass that when the time for the marriage had come, he said unto me, 'O my father, be not angry with me because of the marriage, for I will not marry [any] woman. Behold, I have forsaken this world and all the lust thereof.' And when I heard this from him, I was grieved in my heart, and he seemed to me to be mad (or foolish) when he spake these words unto me, and I said unto him, 'Behold, the time hath arrived when I wish to bring thy wife for thee to marry, and yet thou speakest these words unto me.' Then he said unto me, 'I have sworn by the Majesty of the King, Who is the King of kings, '| Jesus Christ, that inasmuch as thou hast commanded me concerning this thing I will depart into the desert, and that thou shalt never again see me after this day.' And I said unto him, 'Tell me;

what is it thou hast seen?' And he said unto me, 'I will tell thee what I have seen. Last night I was sleeping on my couch, and I saw a young Man with a beautiful face Who was dressed in apparel which was brighter than the sun, and the odour of flowers went forth from Him, and the place was filled with the scent thereof. On His head was a royal crown and in His hand was a sceptre of gold, and when I saw Him I was afraid of Him exceedingly, and I fell down upon my face at His feet, like a dead man. And He stretched out His hands and lifted me up, and said unto me, Take good heed unto thyself, and hearken not unto those who would counsel thee to marry a wife, but guard thy body that it may be pure, and that thou mayest become like unto Myself, and mayest be the head of the Church. Behold, the Apostle Saint Thomas shall come into this city, and he shall bring thee into the faith, and shall give unto thee the sign thereof, and shall devote himself to thee, and shall make thee worthy to receive the Holy Mysteries. And know that I am the God who made Himself incarnate for your sakes, and it is meet that ye should not be slothful concerning the salvation and life of your souls.

And as He was saying these words unto me He laid his hands upon my head, and blessed me, and went up into heaven with great glory until He went beyond my sight. For this reason, O my father, I shall not forsake the gift of grace which God hath given unto me, so

Y° that this King may not be wroth with me, and may not blot me out because of my transgression of His word." "And it came to pass that when I heard these words from my son I was silent, and was deeply grieved in my heart, [thinking] that perhaps it was the god of this city who had made himself manifest unto him. So I came unto certain men among the nobles of the city, and I told them all which my son had told me, and I sent to the father of the damsel and told him all which they had heard from me. Now he was exceedingly angry, and said unto me, 'Dost thou treat my rank and dignity with contempt? Wouldst thou put to shame my daughter by such lying words as these?' Then he came to the king, and he took us, that is to say, myself and my son, into his presence, and said, 'They have stolen the property of the temple;' and the king sent and killed all my seven children at one time. This is the reason why thou seest me weeping and sorrowful. And besides this, the money which I had borrowed (and which I gave to the damsel), they now require of me, and since the death of my children I am smitten with fear, and I have no means whereby I can restore their money. If only one of my sons had been left to me he would have helped me to give them what they demand from me."

Now when the Apostle heard these words from him, he answered and said unto him, "Weep not, O aged man. Behold, I have heard thy words, and thou must bring me, Thomas, unto the place where thy children are, and my Lord Jesus Christ will graciously grant unto them the gift of life." Then the old man went unto the place where his children were buried, and many people followed them, saying, "If this counsel be right we our-selves will believe in the God of this man." And it came to pass that when they had come unto the grave, the Apostle gave his flesh (i. e., skin) unto the old man, and said unto him, "Go thou into the grave and lay this skin upon all thy children, and thou shalt say, 'In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, rise up, O my children, and become living beings as ye were formerly;' for Thomas may not do [this] lest they say of me, 'He is a sorcerer!'" So the old man did as Thomas had commanded him, and he laid the Apostle's skin upon his children, and they became as they had been formerly. Now there were in the grave a number of children of other folk who had died before his own children, and because of what was done they all rose up alive; and they were in number fifteen men. And they went forth unto the place where the blessed Apostle was, and they bowed down before him, and said unto him, "We beseech thee, O Apostle of our God, to give unto us baptism, which is the fulfilment of life."

And when the multitude saw these wonderful things they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Truly there is no god but Jesus Christ, the Son of the One Living God, the God of Thomas. Then certain of those men went to the temple of Apollo, and told the priest of the temple everything which had happened. Now when the priest heard the Name of Jesus he rent his garments and said, "Woe unto me! This man is one of the disciples of Jesus who came forth from the land of Judaea, and who go round about all the world and lead 128b. into error all those who hearken unto them. They are the disciples of the Man called Jesus, Who was a sorcerer, Whom, as we have heard, Pilate crucified; and these men stole His Body, and they go about in the world, and say that He hath risen from the dead. Then the priests said unto them, "Rise up, O people, and let us go forth unto him and heap curses upon him, and revile him, and tell him that his words are not true, and that all that he doeth is by means of sorcery. So the priest rose up, and all the people with him, [and they 240b. went] unto the place where Thomas was, and they found him in the highway of the city, and the people were gathered together [there], for he was casting out Satan from a man who had been possessed of him.

Then the priests said unto Thomas, "What doest thou in this city, O thou sorcerer and deceiver? Were not the land of Judaea and those who dwell therein sufficient for thee but thou must come [also] into this city? Who is this Jesus? If He was God, why did He not deliver Him- 128b. self from the cross? [And why did] ye steal His Body, and why have ye all become witnesses unto all created beings that He rose from the dead? Know thou that the people of this city are men of understanding, and that they cannot be led astray like the other peoples whom thou hast made to err. Then turning his face towards the people he said unto them, "Let each of you take a stone in his hands and cast it at this sorcerer, so that he may not find an opportunity of leading astray the people after these days; and they did even as the priest had commanded them, and stooped to take up stones to throw at Saint Thomas, but at that same moment their hands withered, [and they could not take up] the stones, and they were unable to stand. Then they all cried out with a loud voice, and said, "We entreat thee, O servant of the Good God, to beseech thy Lord God to have mercy upon us, and to deliver us [from this evil], that we may rise up and stand upon our feet.

Then will we also believe in thy God, and behold, we shall know that there is no God but thine, either in heaven or upon the earth; do not thou reward us according to our folly."

Then the Apostle prayed and said, "I give thanks unto thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, for behold, Thou hast not slept [in performing for me that] which I requested of Thee, and I have made manifest Thy story unto these multitudes which are gathered together before Thee. I beseech Thee to send down from the heights of heaven Thy divine power, which shall make this heathen man to be suspended head downwards in the air, for he hath blasphemed Thy holy Name." And straightway the priest was suspended in mid-air head "downwards, [and he was carried] round about among the people;" and the people saw the might of God the Exalted One, which had worked this thing upon him. Then he who was suspended [in mid-air] cried out, saying, "I believe in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I do not believe in the gods. For indeed Thou art my God, Whom I blasphemed in my folly, and Thou art not a god of the gods which are the work of the hand of man, which it is not seemly for men to call gods. Nay, Thou alone art God [Who didst exist] before all the world, and Thou, O God of heaven, and of earth, and of whatsoever is under the earth, Thou, O Jesus Christ, art He in Whom I have placed my confidence, Thou art my King, and Thou art my hope."

And it came to pass when the priest had made this confession of faith, being suspended in midair, and whilst the people were looking at him, he descended to the earth. And the people who had seen him believed and were saved, and they asked the Apostle to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And when they were con- firmed in the faith he took them to the temple and rooted up all the stands whereon the gods rested, and they made the temple into a church. And Thomas appointed the priest [of Apollo] to be bishop over them, and the seven (sic) brethren, the sons of the old man, whom he had raised from the dead, he appointed to be priests and deacons, and he placed them in the church that they might minister in the holy place. And he dwelt many days in the city, teaching the people all the mysteries of the faith, and many wonderful deeds were made manifest through him, and he used to carry his skin on his neck [and shoulders], and to take it about with him unto every place whithersoever he went. And after these things he departed from the city, giving thanks unto God and praising Him. Then afterwards our Lord appeared unto him, and took his skin and arrayed his body therein, and Thomas became as he was formerly. And He embraced him, and did away his grief and said unto him, "Sit thou

"upon this cloud, and it shall bring thee unto the place where thy brethren the Apostles are in peace. And I will be with thee [and them] in every place wherein thou shalt be, for ye are those whom my Father hath chosen to preach in the world;" and our Lord went up from him into heaven with great glory. Then Thomas mounted upon the cloud as our Lord had commanded him, and it bore him along and brought him to Mount Iya'onâdin- 'Ensis,' and he found the Apostles gathered together there, and Paul, and MARY, who gave birth to God, were among them. And he embraced them with a spiritual embrace, and they made mention of the wonderful things which God had wrought through them, and they remained assembled there for eighty days, and they glorified God among themselves. To God be glory, and honour, and thanksgiving, for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

241b.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, who finished his contending on the twenty-sixth day of the month Genf. In the peace of our Lord. Amen. And it came to pass that, after Thomas the Apostle had departed unto the country of India, he preached among the people thereof faithfully, and he declared unto them the Law of the Holy Gospel. Now Lúkiyós (Vecius) the governor had stripped off Thomas' skin from him, but the Apostle continued to carry it upon his neck for many days; and he went round about through [all] the countries, and laid it upon the dead and upon those who were sick; and our Lord opened the hearts of the people, and they believed. Then Thomas built for them a church, and he strengthened them in the Law of the Faith, and appointed unto them a bishop, and priests, and deacons, and administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, and he departed from them in the peace of God. Then our Lord appeared unto him and restored his skin, even as it was aforetime.

Now after these things he departed unto the city of Ḥakīt, which is by Macedonia, and he preached among the people thereof the knowledge of God; and when the magistrates heard thereof they were filled with wrath in their hearts, and they laid hold of Thomas and cast him into prison. Then Ṭerṭēbānī, the wife of [Mazdaī] the king, and Marḥanā his daughter, came unto him in prison, and many believers followed them ; and the gates were opened unto them, and they cried out to the Apostle, and Thomas went forth to them, and said unto them, "O my beloved brethren and children, ye servants of Christ and ministers of God, hearken ye unto my words this day, and unto the end of my teaching, for I shall not see you again in the flesh in this world after this day. Behold, the Lord wisheth to remove me from this world, and to take me away from the weariness thereof into [His] rest. He gave Himself for us to save us from the service of Satan, and He chose unto Himself [us] Apostles, and made us worthy to preach in His Name in all the world. Behold, I have finished the strife and I have brought [to an end] my service, even as He hath commanded me. And behold, He desireth to make me to rest from the sufferings of this world, and to give unto me my reward which is laid up with Him;

for He is rich, and He hath gifts in abundance, and He giveth His grace in the measure which it pleaseth Him unto those who ask Him. Now I am the servant of Jesus Christ and a doer of His will. And behold, He desireth, even as ye have heard from me, that ye should take good heed and should not let an opportunity occur for [the entrance of] Satan into your hearts, and that he should not draw nigh unto you. Be ye watchful and await the second Coming of our Lord, so that He may receive you into His kingdom, which is in the heavens. And saying these things he left the women and went unto the prison-house, and they departed weeping; and they knew that he had delivered himself unto the magistrates, and that they would kill the holy man.

And it came to pass that when he had gone into the prison-house the doors thereof were closed as they had been formerly; and when the keepers saw [this] they cried out among themselves, and they were dismayed, and they marvelled, and said, "This man is a sorcerer. He opened the gates of the prison-house and wished to set free all those who were therein, but he could not find the way. Come ye, let us go unto the king and inform him concerning this matter, and concerning both his wife and his daughter who came unto Thomas." Now whilst they were conversing in this wise Thomas answered them never a word. And it came to pass that when the day had come, they went unto the king and said unto him, "O lord the king, bring forth this sorcerer out of this prison-house, and put him in another, for we are not able to guard him safely.

"Behold, twice have we seen the doors of the prison-house thrown open and it was he who opened them; moreover thy wife and thy daughter come unto him every day." Then the king looked at the door of the gate of the prison-house, and saw that it was sealed with his seal. And he said unto them, "Ye are mistaken, and neither my wife nor my daughter has been unto him;" but they took an oath to him that they had been unto the Apostle. Then the king sat upon the judgment seat in the hall of the magistrates, and he commanded them to bring Saint Thomas before him, and they removed his garments, and, having made him put a cloth round his loins, set him before the face of the king. And the king said unto him, "Art thou a free man or a slave?" And Thomas said unto him, "I am a servant of my God, over whom thou hast no dominion." Then the king said unto him, "Why didst thou flee from thy country? Why didst thou come unto this place?" And Thomas said unto him, "I came unto this place that I might bring back this people from their error, and when this hath been done I shall depart from this world." Then the king said unto him, "What is the name of thy God? And from what country comest thou?" And Thomas said unto him, "My God is the God of heaven and earth; His hidden Name thou art not able to hear, but the Name which hath been revealed is Jesus Christ." Then the king said unto him, "I do not wish to destroy thee, for indeed I have endured thee patiently; but thou hast multiplied evil, and hast made manifest thy sorcery in this city, and at length all those who dwell in the 243a.

"country of India have heard thereof. But I must slay thee, so that all thy sorcery may be destroyed, and that both thy name and thy magic may be forgotten throughout the country." And Thomas said unto him, "My work shall stand fast after my departure from this world." Then Mastayós (Mazdai) the king said, "Where shall we kill him?" Now he was afraid of the people who were round about him, for many of the magistrates, and many of the nobles of the city and country, had believed in the story of Saint Thomas. And the king rose up and took Thomas, and they went forth from the city, and with him there marched many soldiers bearing swords and spears; and the rest of the people said, "The king wisheth to talk with him alone; come away from him." And it came to pass that, when Thomas had departed from the

city a distance of two marches, the king gave him into the hands of his son, and of the chief magistrate of the city, and of fifteen soldiers, and he told them to go to a certain high mountain and to slay Thomas there; and the king returned to the city. Now when the people knew this they set out on the road wishing to follow after the holy man, and to deliver him; but the soldiers who were with him made haste to slay him. And there were two soldiers standing on his right hand and two on his left with spears in their hands, and the magistrate laid his hand upon him. Then the holy Apostle said, "A hidden mystery shall now be accomplished, that is to say, by the exalted gift of grace my body shall not be given over to corruption. These four men are ready to overthrow the temple of my body, and they are types on this earth of the four created things wherefrom my strength hath been made."

And it came to pass that, when Thomas had come to the place where they were to kill him, he answered and said unto them, "Hearken ye unto my words on my departure from this world. Let not the eyes of your hearts be blind, and let not your ears be deaf, but believe ye in God Whom I have declared unto you. Let my words enter into your hearts, and into your ears, and let the days of your life [be passed] in purity, that is to say, in the life which will bring you nigh unto God. Then Thomas said unto Maytewanyánós, the son of the king, "Since thou art a servant of Jesus Christ give thou unto these men a gift, so that they may let me pray unto my God; and the king's son commanded them to do this thing. Then the blessed Apostle spread out his hands, and made supplication unto God, saying, "O my Lord and my God, my hope and my consolation, and my Saviour, Who hast made me strong, and hast made my heart meet for judgment, Who hast given unto me the power to endure patiently from my youth up, Who hast been to me a place of life, Who hast given me understanding that I might not defile my body with women, and from the impurity which maketh unclean I have kept my temple holy unto Thee, and my mouth and my tongue have made known Thy praise, and Thy mercy upon me hath been abundant:

I have not desired riches, for Thou didst say, 'The riches of this world are vanity unto those who desire them,' and I have desired poverty in this world, because Thou hast made me worthy to be with Thee, and hast opened unto me and unto all those who have believed in Thee Thine everlasting kingdom. I have fulfilled Thy will and Thy commandments, and every kind of torture which Thou didst endure hath been multiplied upon me, and I have suffered weariness patiently; but all these things were sweet unto me for

2442. "Thy Name's sake. Thou art my hope, and in Thee doth my soul put her trust, and my toil shall not be in vain. Receive thou my petition and cast me not away from before Thy face; and let not the Enemy root up the precious plants which Thou hast sown in my heart. 1322. "The talents which Thou didst give me I have paid back with interest tenfold, for I traded and made profit with them. I have forsaken the world and followed thee; O help me. I looked unto Thy salvation, and I fulfilled the commandments which Thou didst give unto me; the service on which Thou didst send me I have brought to a successful ending, like a strenuous servant who feareth Thy Name. I have girded up my loins in all good things, and Thou hast made wide my steps in the way of the Gospel of Peace. I yoked my oxen, I laid hold upon the plough, I ploughed my field, and I looked not behind me, lest my furrow should be crooked. The earth hath sent up shoots, and the time of harvest

2442. "hath arrived, and I shall receive my reward, and I shall bring to an end in rest the weariness which hath come upon me. I have taken heed to the days of old, and to those which came after them, and to those which came last, that I might see Thy face and bow down before Thy glory. I have cast away that which is evil, that I might satisfy myself with the things that are good. I have fulfilled all Thy will, and I have not turned behind me; nay, I have gone forward that I might not become a stumbling-block unto another, and might receive the crown of Thy glory, and the heavenly reward. Let not the serpent rise up in my path, let not the young adders rise up against me, and let not the power of darkness draw nigh unto me, but let them be remote from me. For to Thee, and to Thy Good Father, and to the Holy and Vivifying Spirit, be glory! Amen."

And it came to pass that when the blessed Thomas had ended his prayer he turned his face to the soldiers, and said unto them, "Fulfil ye the will of your king;" and four of the soldiers approached him, and pierced him with spears, whereupon he fell upon the earth and yielded up his spirit. And the brethren who were sitting [there] wept over him, and brought pure and clean apparel and put on him, and having made him ready for burial they laid him in the sepulchre of the kings. Now Sekūrā and 'Awēsyās did not come into the city, but they remained there by the grave that day. Then Saint Thomas appeared and said unto them, "Behold now, I am alive. Why sit ye [here] watching? 132b. "Behold, Jesus Christ my King hath received me, and behold, I have received from God all the gifts for which I hoped. Rise up, then, from this place, and know that in the days which are to come ye also must depart from this world. And be ye not careless concerning the salvation of your souls, for then ye shall return unto me."

Now Mastayōs (Mazdai, or Mastius), the king and Zirāyāsōs (Charisius) took their wives Tērtēbānyā (Tertia) and 'Aṭbānā (Mygdonia), and chastised them sorely because 244b. they wished to forsake the couches of their lords, and to return unto a state of purity, and because they refused to have intercourse with them. Thereupon Saint Thomas revealed himself, and said unto them, "Forget ye not the words which I spake unto you, saying, The Lord Jesus Christ will help you.'" And when Mastayōs (Mazdai) and Zeryās (Charisius) knew that their wives would have nought to do with them they commanded that they should leave their husbands and live as they pleased. 133a. And all the brethren gathered themselves together and taught the commandments of God among themselves, and they rejoiced in the gift of God and in the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then 'Astayōs, the king's son, became possessed of a devil, and the king meditated within himself, saying, "What shall I do in this matter? For I have made myself an enemy of the Apostle, and I would not receive his words." Then he went unto the

grave of Thomas that he might take away therefrom a 245a. portion of his grave clothes to hang on the neck of his son, and he said, "I believe that God will heal my son."

Thereupon Saint Thomas appeared unto him, and said unto him, "O Mastēyōs (Mazdai), thou didst not believe in me when I was alive; how then canst thou believe in me after I am dead? But be not afraid, for God will have compassion upon thee, and He will not withhold His grace from thee." Now it came to pass that when he had opened the grave he was unable to take any thing whatsoever from the body of the holy man, and then he went and took [some of] the dust from the place where the saint had been, and tied it to the neck of his son, and said, "I believe that, peradventure, this unclean spirit shall depart from my son through the prayers of the holy man;" and in that same hour Satan went forth from his son. Then the king believed, and he bowed down before 'Awētyōs Kōrōs, the priest, and entreated him and his brother to seek forgiveness on his behalf from God. And the priests said unto his brother, "Pray for the king that he may be accepted by God, and that God may forgive him all his sins." Then they did so with joy and gladness because they saw the faith of the king in God, the Lover of men, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, Who gave unto Mātsēyōs (Mazdai) the king right faith and firm hope. And the faith of the king and his goodness were noised abroad in all the country, and the people paid honour unto all the brethren, and ascribed blessing to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Now [this] took place after the four soldiers pierced Thomas with the four spears. And Thomas ended his strife on the highway of a city of India on the twenty-sixth day of the month

Z* Genbôt. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, henceforth, and for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Here beginneth the Preaching of the blessed Judas, the brother of our Lord, [who was surnamed] Thaddeus, which he preached in Syria and in Dacia; and he finished his testimony on the second day of the month Hamfi. In the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were gathered together on the Mount of Olives, and they had cast lots and divided the whole world into portions wherein they were to go about and preach the Gospel of Christ, the lot fell upon Thaddeus to go unto the country of Syria. Then Thaddeus said unto Peter, "O my father Peter, come thou with me into that country;" and Peter said unto him, "Be patient, and I will bring thee [thither] in peace." Now whilst they were talking together our Lord Jesus Christ, in the form of a young man of most beautiful appearance, stood in their midst, and He said, "Peace be unto thee, O Peter, thou gover249b.

"nor of the Church. Peace be unto thee, O Thaddeus, My beloved; depart, and fear not. Why are ye cast down? I will be with you, and will be your Comforter until ye finish your strife." And they said unto Him, "O Lord, be Thou with us and we will preach the Gospel in every place." Then our Lord gave them the salutation of peace and went up from them into heaven with great glory. So Peter and Thaddeus departed in the peace of God.

And it came to pass that when they had drawn nigh unto the country [of Syria] Thaddeus said unto Peter, "I would that I knew what would befall us in this country. Then Peter said unto him, "I know not. But behold, I am looking at an old man who is ploughing the fields. Let us go and say unto him, 'If thou hast bread with thee, give us [some] to eat.' And if he shall say unto us, 'I will give you [some],' then we shall know that good fortune hath befallen us; but if he shall say unto us, 'I have none,' then shall we be aweary in this country. Now when they had drawn nigh unto the man, Peter said unto him, "Peace be unto thee, O aged one! If thou hast bread with thee, give us [some] to eat. And the old man said unto him, "I have none here, but sit ye down with these oxen whilst I go and bring you bread which ye can eat here. Then Peter said unto him, "Since thou wilt bring us what we may eat we will sit down here by the side of these oxen. And again Peter said unto him, "Are these oxen thine? And the old man said, "No, I have only hired them. Then Peter said unto him, "Are these fields thine? and the old man said unto him, "Yea, they are mine. And Peter said unto him, "Go in peace, and return in peace.

And it came to pass that when the old man had departed Peter said unto Thaddeus, "It is shameful for us to sit down here, and keep the oxen [standing idle], for the man hath gone to do us a kindness. Then Peter girded up his loins, and took hold of the handle of the plough, and called to the oxen to plough. And Thaddeus said unto him, "What is this great command which thou wouldst perform? Thou art an aged man, and thou hast attained unto an exceedingly exalted grade, and many matters of weight rest on thine arms. It is not for thee to work in this wise whilst I remain here [idle]. Shalt thou, who art a great man, toil whilst I take my rest? So Thaddeus took the handle of the plough from Peter and ploughed. Then Peter took the baskets which were full of wheat, and blessed them, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, let Thy blessing descend upon these fields; and Thaddeus said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, let the blessing of the earth be upon these fields. Now in the time during which the man had gone to bring bread for the Apostles they ploughed thirty furrows, and in that same hour the seed [which they sowed] sprouted, and the ears became full of wheat.

And it came to pass that, when the man returned to the fields and saw what the Apostles had done, he said unto them, "O my lords, who are you? Tell me whence ye come, that I may follow you whithersoever ye go." Then he fell down at the feet of the Apostles, and said unto them, "Verily ye are as gods who have come down from heaven to earth." And Peter lifted him up, and said 134b. unto him, "Stand up, O man, for we are not gods, but only servants and Apostles of our Lord, Who hath graciously bestowed upon us spiritual knowledge that we may teach [it] unto men, and unto the children of men, that they may repent them of their sins, and inherit life everlasting." Then the man said unto him, "What shall "I do that I may obtain everlasting life?" And Peter said unto him, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Then Peter farther spake unto him, saying, "Hast thou a wife and children?" And the man said unto him, "Yea."

Then Peter spake again unto him, saying, "Thou shalt not commit murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not take an oath to a lie. What thou dost not wish men to do unto thee, that thou shalt not do unto men. If thou doest the things which I have now commanded thee thou shalt inherit life everlasting." And the man said unto Peter, "Now, although I have done this (i. e., brought bread) for you, what [more] can I do in return for the good which ye have done for me? Since ye have made my fields to sprout with corn in this wise, and out of season, I will leave these oxen, and will follow you whithersoever ye go." Then Peter said unto him, "It is not necessary for thee to do thus, but take the oxen and lead them back to their master, and make known unto thy wife that we

"are [here], and let her make ready for us to eat in her house; for we desire to enter into this city this day and to dwell therein, for our Lord Jesus Christ calleth unto us [so to do]." Then the man took an ear of corn in his hands from the field wherein the Apostles had sown the seed, and he went into the city, together with the oxen.

And it came to pass that, when he had come into the gates of the city, the people looked at him as he held the ear of corn in his hands, and they said unto him, "Where didst thou find this ear of green corn, for 'it is as yet only the season for ploughing?" But he answered them never a word. And it came to pass that he drove the oxen [before him], and he rejoiced as he went, and he brought them back to their owner, and then returned unto his habitation; and with such things as he had he courteously entreated the Apostles. Now the report of him came unto the magistrates of the city, and by reason thereof they sent unto him, saying, "Where 'hast thou found this green ear of corn? Tell us the story thereof. And if thou dost not tell us we will kill thee by a cruel death.' Then the man said unto them, 'I fear not [death], for I have found life; but if ye wish to learn the truth, hearken unto the testimony which I will declare unto you. Two men passed by me whilst I was ploughing, and they said unto me, If thou hast with thee bread which we can eat, give [it] unto us, and let us eat.' And I said unto them, 'I have nothing of any kind whatsoever here, but tarry ye with these oxen, whilst I go and bring for you that which ye can eat.' Now when I had departed to my 'habitation I took some bread for them, and came back to the field, and I found that it had been sown [with grain], and that it was full of green corn in the ear which had shot up, and I plucked this green ear from among them. And those men went forth outside the 135b.

"city." Then the magistrates said unto him, "Go and bring them into our presence." And the man said unto them, "Have patience with me for a season, for I have made ready my habitation that they may come and rest therein, and if ye will come [there] ye yourselves can see them;" and having said these words unto them he returned unto his habitation. Then Satan defiled the hearts of the magistrates with an evil intent, and they said, "Woe be unto us! Woe be unto us! Peradventure these two men are of those twelve sorcerers concerning whom we have heard that they go round about in every place, and corrupt men by their sorceries. What shall we do? We must not let them enter into our city." And some of the magistrates said, "If they be sorcerers, let us rise up and go forth against them and slay them;" but others answered and said, "We shall not be able to slay them, for we have heard concerning them that their God Jesus performeth for them whatsoever they ask of him. [Let us not do thus] lest He bring down upon us fire [from heaven], or a flood of water which shall destroy us; we may not be able to slay them, but we need not let them enter into our city. Now, we have heard concerning them that they hate fornicators [or adulterers], let us, then, take a woman who is a harlot, and let us strip off her apparel and set her naked outside the city, so that when they wish to come into the city they may see the woman and not come in."

Then they brought a woman who was a harlot, and having stripped off her apparel from her they set her by the gate; and when the Apostles came to the gate of the city they saw the naked woman, and she herself made known unto them her evil deeds. Then Thaddeus said unto Peter, "O my father, look upon this woman," and see how Satan hath counselled her to tempt "God and his servants." And Peter said unto him, "The power is thine, therefore command her [to do] even as thou wilt." Then Thaddeus prayed, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech thee to send Michael the archangel, and to let him suspend this woman in mid-air by the hair of her head until we have entered into the city; and when we desire to come forth do Thou bring her down again [to the ground]." And in that same moment the woman was suspended in mid-air by the hair of her head, and although all the magistrates were looking at her they could not see what it was which held her fast. Now the woman herself was crying out with loud cries, saying, "O God, judge Thou the magistrates of this city, for it is they who have done me this evil. For if I had remained in my own house and [continued] in my sin until the Apostles of our Lord had come into the city, they who save all sinners would have saved me, the sinful woman, also. Come, O ye young men whom I have corrupted by my fornications, and repent, and make supplication unto the Apostles of God on my behalf, that they may shew mercy upon me." Now although the woman was saying these words none of the men of the city believed, because Satan had hardened their hearts.

And Peter said unto Thaddeus, "Let us rise up, and pray and entreat God to help us, for behold, Satan hath corrupted the hearts of the people." So they rose "up together, and prayed, saying, O Lord God, Thou upholder of all things, Who hast commanded [Thy people] to call upon Thee in the time of tribulation, and hast said, 'I will hear them,' hearken unto us, O Lord, and have compassion upon us, and give us strength so that we may be able to contend against Satan, who hath risen up against us in this place." And whilst the Apostles were making supplication Michael the Archangel came down to them, and drove away the evil spirits which had afflicted the souls of the people of the city. Then Peter and Thaddeus went forth and journeyed round about in the highways of the city, preaching in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and because thereof all the men of the city believed, and at length there was left no one of those who had corrupted their hearts [who did not believe]; and Michael also brought down the woman who was suspended in the air. Then after these things [Peter] appointed bishops and priests over them, and he baptized all of them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and they made the woman who had been suspended in the air to minister in the church. And they healed the sick, and they opened the eyes of the blind, and the dumb spake, and the deaf heard, and the lame walked, and they cast out devils, and they raised the dead, and at length all the people of the city believed and entered into the knowledge of God, Whose Name is most glorious.

Then was Satan wroth, and he returned to his wiles and crafts, and entered into the heart of a rich young man, and made him an enemy of the Apostles, and sent him unto them. And when he had arrived, he bowed down before them and said unto them, "O ye chosen servants of God, what would ye have me to do that I may have life?" Then Peter said unto the young man, "Love God thy Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not swear falsely. What thou wouldst not that men should do unto thee that thou shalt not do unto others." Then the young man said unto them, "If I do these things, shall I be able to work miracles like unto you?" And the Apostles said unto him, "Tell us everything about thyself. Hast thou a wife?" Then he said unto them, "I have no wife. I am a handicraftsman (or carpenter), and I have great possessions. Tell me what ye would have me to do." And Peter said unto him, "Go, cast away thy possessions, and distribute them among the poor of this city." Now when the young man heard these words from Peter he was angry with him with a great anger, and he leaped upon Thaddeus and seized him by the throat, and said unto him, "Wouldst thou counsel me to destroy my possessions?" And Thaddeus said unto him, "Our Lord spake thus concerning one who was like unto thee: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Then was the young man the more angry with Thaddeus, and 253a.

he gripped his neck with a mighty grip, and he would have killed him had it not been for the power of God, Who kept his eyes from starting out of his head through the pain of the rich man's grip upon his neck. And Peter said unto him, "Why dost thou choke the Apostle of Christ in this manner because he hath spoken one true word unto thee? I also would that thou didst cast away thy possessions. But if thou wilt not cast away even one of the things which are thine, and wilt not hate [them, thou canst not possess life]. And if thou wouldst say that his words are not true, as to what he hath said concerning the camel in the needle's eye, [look and see]." Now at that moment a certain man, who had a camel with him, passed by them; and Peter and Thaddeus stopped them, and they asked a man who sold needles for a needle; and the seller of needles wished to help the Apostles, and he sought for a needle with a large eye. Then Peter said unto him, "God shall bless thee, O my son, and thy faith shall be accepted; but look thou for a needle which hath an exceedingly small eye, so that the glory and the majesty of God may be made manifest in this city." And the man did as Peter had commanded him, and he found a needle with a very small eye. Then the Apostles rose up and stretched out their hands, and prayed, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, unto Whom be longeth the power over all things, we beseech Thee to hearken unto our petition, and supplication, and to make manifest Thy power, so that all these people may know that everything which Thou sayest is true. Yea, O Lord, hearken Thou unto the prayer of Thy servants.

"Behold, Thou seest what Thine Apostles would do, be pleased then, O God, that this camel shall enter in through the eye of this needle, and I will praise Thy Name." And Peter said unto the man who was holding the camel, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, do thou and thy camel enter in through the eye of this needle;" and in that same moment the man, together with his camel, went in through the eye of the needle. Then Peter said unto him, "Go in a second time, so that all these people may know the matter of a certainty, and may glorify God, and may understand that there is nothing which is too hard for His power to do." And when the people saw this wonderful thing they lifted up their voices, and said, "There is no god save the Lord God of these two Apostles, Peter and Thaddeus."

And it came to pass that when the rich young man saw this thing he rent his garments, and smote his face, and said, "Woe is me! Woe is me! because of what I have done unto this righteous man." Then he bowed down with his face to the ground at the feet of the Apostles, and he wept and besought them to take all his possessions, and to divide them among the poor and the needy, and to cause him to be forgiven by God; and they did for him even as he had asked them. And they admonished him and taught him the commandments of the Law of Faith, and they baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that is to say, him and all the people of the city. Then they administered unto them the Mysteries of the Body of our Lord and His precious Blood, and they built them a church, and appointed over 254a.

them bishops and priests, and they wrote for them a Gospel and a Book of commandments; then they departed from them and were accompanied a short distance on their way by them in peace. Thus was the work of making them to believe performed by our Lord Jesus Christ; and immediately after they had made their confession of faith Thaddeus died, on the second day of the month Hamlé, glorifying the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, [Who shall endure] for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen. Here endeth the "[Book of the] Contendings of the Twelve Apostles and of the Seventy-two Disciples." And they prayed and said, "We have laboured and we have been scourged for Thy sake; what is our reward?" Then our Lord said unto them, "Ye shall pass boldly [into heaven at the last day]." And the Twelve Apostles said unto our Lord, "What shall be the reward of the man who putteth his confidence in our prayers, and celebrateth the commemoration of us, and causeth the book [of our acts] to be written?" And again our Lord said unto them, "Whosoever shall put his confidence in your prayers, and shall celebrate the commemoration of you, and shall write the book of your contendings, and shall praise your sufferings, shall pass with you boldly [into heaven] at the last day." And now, O brethren, let us celebrate the commemoration of the Apostles, and let us put our confidence in their prayers, so that we may attain unto a portion with them in the kingdom of the heavens. Amen.

And let our father Gabra Mar'āwī receive a tithe of mercy without shame on that day, together with his children, for ever and ever! Amen. And may God shew mercy alike upon him that wrote [this book], and upon him that had it written, and upon him that had it read, and upon him that translated it, and upon him that hath listened unto the words thereof, for ever and ever! Amen, Amen. And as for those who had this book of the "Con-tendings of the Apostles" written, that is to say Sophonias, and Dorotheus, and our prince, Krestōs-Arde'ēt, and Victor the scribe, because of their love for the Twelve Apostles, having confidence in the prayers of the Twelve Apostles and in those of the Seventy-two Disciples, may God write their names upon a pillar of light in letters of gold in the place where Christ the Lord shall be glorified with profound hymns of glory and praise, for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen. So be it! So be it!

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, [One God.] And it came to pass in those days that the holy Apostles were gathered together in Jerusalem (now they were all assembled in one place), and they divided the countries of the world among themselves, and they cast lots, so that each of them might go unto the place which fell to him by his lot; and it fell upon the blessed Matthias to go to the city of the Cannibals. Now in that city the people eat neither bread nor drink water, but only the flesh of men do they eat, and their drink is the blood of men. And whensoever any man goeth into their country they put out his eyes, and give him certain medicine to drink whereby he becometh bewitched, and when he hath drunk the poison for seven days his heart changeth, and his mind changeth, and his understanding becometh like unto that of a beast. Then they carry him to prison, and bring him grass (or hay) to eat, and he dwelleth there for thirty days; and after this time they bring him out, and slay him, and then they divide his flesh [among] the people of the city.

Now when Matthias had come into the gate of the city, the people thereof laid hold upon him, and put out his eyes, and made him to drink enchanted medicines, and they put him into the prison-house, and brought him grass (or hay) to eat, but Matthias would not eat thereof; and although he had drunk their medicine his heart (or understanding) remained unchanged, and his mind was in no wise altered. And Matthias began to weep, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, for Whose sake we have left all and followed Thee, I know that Thou wilt be my helper. Look and see what they have done unto Matthias Thy servant , and how they have treated me like a beast of the field; but Thou knowest everything. Since Thou didst command me to come into this city, if the sinful men thereof [wish] to devour my flesh [let them do so], and I shall not flee from Thy command; but give only light unto mine eyes so that I may see what the sinful men of this city will do unto me. Be not deaf unto my petition, O my Lord Jesus Christ, and deliver Thou me not over unto a cruel death." And saying these words Matthias wept and groan-ed aloud. Then straightway there came a great light which illumined the inside of the prison-house, and a Voice went forth from that light which said, "O Matthias, My beloved, look with thine eyes;" and Matthias looked, and he was able to see, and he rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy, and he fell upon his face and worshipped that light. Then again a Voice went forth from that light which said, "Be strong, O Matthias, and fear

AA* 119a. "not, for I will not forsake thee, and I, even I, will deliver thee; and not thyself only, but all those who are with thee, for I will be with thee every day, and for ever. And now, wait thou patiently seven and twenty days for deliverance by man, and after this period I will send unto thee thy brother Andrew, and he shall bring thee out from this place, and not thyself only but all those who are with thee here." Then the Voice said unto him, "Peace be unto thee, O Matthias," and the light passed away into the heavens. And Matthias, being full of joy said, "Let Thy grace come to me and be with me, O Jesus Christ, my Lord;" and having said these words he sat down.

And the officers of the prison-house came to bring out men for the food of the people of the city; and Matthias was there, and he kept his eyes shut so that they should not see that he had the power of sight. And the officers came to where he was, and they read out the writing of the tablet which was on his hand, and said among themselves, "Three days are still left unto him, and then we will bring him out, and slay him for the food [of the people]. Now it was the custom of that country for the people thereof whenever they seized a stranger (or traveller) to cast him into the prison-house, and they kept account of the day wherein they had brought him in [there], by tying a written tablet to his hand for thirty days; and then, when he had become fat, they would bring him out, and kill him and eat him. And when Matthias had completed [his thirty days] they laid hold upon him [to bring him out, and to kill and eat him]. Then our Lord appeared unto Andrew and his disciples in the country wherein they were teaching, and He said unto Andrew, "Andrew. And Andrew answered and said unto Him, "What is it, Lord? Then the Lord said unto him, "Rise up and depart unto 'the city of the Cannibals,' unto the place which I will 'shew thee, and bring out Matthias from thence.

Three days are [still] left unto him, but after that time sinful men will lay hold upon him, so that they may perform the work of wickedness and kill him.' Then Andrew answered and said unto him, 'Lord, how can I perform the journey, and arrive [there], and find him in three days? And besides, I know not the road, for I have never travelled thereon. Send an angel [endowed] with power to bring him forth thence, for I am only a being of flesh, and Thou knowest what the flesh of man is, and I am afraid to go thither.' And our Lord answered and said unto Andrew, 'Hearken, O Andrew, if I had the wish I could speak one word unto Matthias and his dis-ciples, and I could bring them hither forthwith. But now, rise up and depart at daybreak unto the sea-coast, where thou shalt find a ship ready [to sail]; and thou shalt ask those who are in the ship where they are going, so that thou mayest go [with them] and ful-fil My command.' Then Andrew rose up at daybreak and went to the sea, and he saw a little 1203.

ship and three men sitting therein; now it was our Lord Jesus Christ and His power that had made the ship, and He had caused His glory to be hidden, and He appeared in the form of a man. And our Lord had brought three angels [with Him] and He made [them to appear] as if they were wishing to treat the Apostles with roughness. Then Andrew said unto them, "We may not give slumber "[unto our eyes], for we are the disciples of Jesus Christ, and servants of the Good God. When He chose us Twelve He gave us a commandment, saying, 'When ye travel ye shall preach and teach, and ye shall not take with you nor shall ye carry either gold, or silver, or wallet, or staff, or two changes of raiment, or any piece of money in your wallet, except that which [is sufficient to buy] one loaf of bread;' therefore we have no [money] in our hand. Now, if ye will deal graciously

1403. "[with us], tell us quickly; and if ye will not, behold, we will go and enquire [if we can sail] in other ships." And Jesus answered and said, "Is the command which your Lord hath given you indeed thus? Verily I say unto you, Get ye up into My ship, O ye Apostles of Jesus Christ, for I would rather have you in it than those who would give Me money. Is it not meet for 1203.

"Me [to be] with the Apostles of the Lord God, and to travel with them unto Mine own country? Then Andrew answered and said unto Him, "May Jesus Christ keep thee, and give Thee glory and praise, O my beloved Brother; and Andrew went up into the ship with his disciples, and [stood on] the deck(?). And Jesus answered and said unto the angels, "Rise up and go down into the body of the ship, and bring up three loaves of bread which [these men] may eat; and they brought [them] unto Him. And Jesus answered and said, "O my brother Andrew, rise up and take [this] bread, so that ye may be able to bear the waves of the sea; and Andrew said unto his disciples, "We have found in this Man great love for His fellow creatures. Then Andrew answered and said, "O my Brother, may God give unto Thee bread in the kingdom of heaven! And now, leave me, O my Brother. And Jesus answered and said unto Andrew, "Compel these thy men to take some food," but a voice answered Him, saying, "They are not able to eat anything whatsoever, for they have been greatly frightened since they saw the sea, and they are not accustomed to travel thereon. Then Jesus answered and said unto Andrew, "Fear thou not, for nothing [shall harm] thy disciples in passing over the sea.

But enquire of them if they wish to descend to the land [again], and to wait there until thou hast gone and performed what thou hast been commanded [to do], after which thou wilt return unto them. So Andrew asked his disciples, saying, "O my children, do ye desire to descend to the land, and to wait there whilst I go and fulfil my mission and return unto you? Then Andrew's disciples answered and said [unto him], "If we were to dissemble in our heart, and were to say with our mouth 'We are not afraid', we should be liars; but, inasmuch as if we were remote from thee we should become strangers to the good things which thou hast given unto us, we will go with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Then Jesus answered and said unto him, "If thou art the disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, teach thy disciples with sweet words how to make their hearts to rejoice, and to forget the billows of the sea, for behold, we are going to take the ship away some distance from the land. And Jesus commanded the angels, saying, "Let go the ship from the land," and they let the ship go from the land. Then Jesus went and sat down upon the place for steering that He might steer the ship, and meanwhile Andrew admonished and taught his disciples, and encouraged them, saying, "O my children who have delivered yourselves over [to tribulation] for the sake of Christ, let not your hearts be moved, for our Lord will not forsake us, and He will be with us and will preserve us for ever. Now, in times past, we the Twelve Apostles embarked in a ship, and our Lord was with us; and our Lord went down into the body of the ship, and lay down to sleep, wishing to try us, but He did not go to sleep. And a very mighty wind arose, and the waves of the sea dashed over the ship, and great fear laid hold upon us; then He arose and rebuked the sea and the winds, and there came a great calm over the sea, for all things fear Him because they are the work of His hands. Fear not then, O my children, for God will not neglect you.

Then whilst Andrew was admonishing them with these words, and praying in his heart that sleep might overtake his disciples, they fell asleep. And whilst Andrew was praying on their behalf his disciples fell into a slumber, and slept a deep sleep, and when Andrew knew that they were asleep he rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy. Then Andrew turned towards Jesus, Who was in the form of the master of the ship, and he began to hold converse with Him; now He knew not that the Man was Jesus. And he said unto Him, "O my Brother, verily Thou art cunning in Thy craft, and the steering of a ship is well suited to Thee, for no man can steer a ship as Thou canst. Verily, I say unto thee, I have crossed the sea seventeen times, behold, seventeen times, and I never saw a mariner as skilled as Thou art, for Thou steerest this ship as well on the sea as if it were upon land. Then Jesus answered and said unto Andrew, "O my brother, in travelling over this sea we have been in tribulation many times, but the sea knoweth that thou art a disciple of Christ and a righteous man, and it doeth honour unto thee [now], and it will not lift up its waves against thee. Then Andrew cried out with a loud voice, saying, "I give thanks unto Thee, and I bless Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that I am holding converse with a Man Who doth glorify Thee.

And Jesus answered and said unto Andrew, "Tell Me, O disciple of the Lord Jesus, why the unbelieving Jews did not believe in Jesus, and why they said, 'He is not the Son of God, but a man.' Reveal the matter to Me then, O thou who art a disciple of Jesus, for we have heard that He made Himself manifest to His disciples in the mountain. Then Andrew answered and said unto Him, "Yea, He did, O my Brother, and I will tell Thee how God revealed Himself unto us. It was He Who made man, and Who for our salvation became Man, and was crucified, and rose in the form of God, for He is God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Why then was it that the Jews did not believe?

121b. "Dost thou know whether it was because He did not work [miracles] before them?" Then Andrew answered and said unto Him, "Hast thou never heard how our Lord wrought mighty deeds before them? How He opened the eyes of the blind, and made the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear, and how He raised the dead, and cleansed the lepers, and turned water into wine, and how He took five [loaves] of bread, and two fishes, and commanded the multitudes of the people to sit down upon the grass, and how having broken the bread [He gave it to them,] and they were all filled? Now the number of those people was five thousand, but even after this [the Jews] did not believe." And Jesus answered, and said unto him, "I think that this miracle which He wrought [was done] among the people and not before the priests." Then Andrew said unto Him, "Not only openly did He work [miracles], but He did so in secret also; and still they did not believe in Him." And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Tell me now, truly, what your Master did in secret." Then Andrew answered and said, "I believe that Thou wouldst put me to the test." And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Tell Me, O my brother, so that My soul may rejoice."

Then Andrew answered and said unto Him, "O my son, may God perfect for Thee every good work! And now, hearken unto [the story of] the miracle which our Lord Jesus Christ wrought in secret. The Twelve Apostles were with our Lord, and when the chief priests saw us following Him, they said unto us, 'Woe be unto you, O accursed ones, for ye follow after this Man who saith, I am the Son of God. Who among you hath seen God and conversed with Him? Is not MARY His mother? And are not James and Simon His brethren? "Now when we heard these words our hearts turned towards unbelief. Then Jesus knew that our hearts were turning away from Him, and our Lord took us and carried us away into a desert place, and He wrought a mighty miracle and performed a most wonderful thing before us, and made manifest His Divinity unto us. Then we said unto the chief priests, 'Come ye and see for yourselves if ye will not believe us;' and the chief priests came with us, and we went with them into one of their heathen temples. And when we had entered in we saw a similitude of the heavens [which was so exact] that we believed that it was God [Who had made it]; and there came in with us three men from among the people, and four of the chief priests.

Then, having come inside the temple, Jesus saw two images which were hewn out of stone, the one on the right hand, and the other on the left of the temple. And our Lord made us to turn round and said unto the men, Do ye see the similitude (or figure) of the heavens? Those which ye see are the figures of the Seraphim and Cherubim, which are in heaven above, but they are the work of men upon the earth.' Then Jesus turned to the figure which was at the right of the place where the cunning work was, and said unto it, 'I say unto thee, O thou figure of a heavenly being which hath been fashioned by a handicraftsman, remove thyself, and come down from the place whereon thou art, and tell the chief priests whether I am God or no, and rebuke them.' Then straightway, in that same hour, the statue leaped down, and spake after the manner of a man, and said, 'O ye foolish Jews, who live always in blindness, and are never able to cease therefrom! moreover, there are others who wish to be as blind as ye are, and who say that [He Who is] God is [only] a man. But it is He Who fashioned man in the beginning, and Who gave unto him His own breath of life; it is He Who causeth to move everything which moveth; it is He Who held converse with Abraham; it is He Who brought Jacob back to his own country;

it is He Who is the God of the living and of the dead; it is He Who is ready [to bestow] blessings upon those who call upon Him; and it is He Who is ready to punish those who do not submit unto Him. Can ye not see that I am only a [piece of] carved stone? I say unto you that we are [pieces of] carved stone which have been hewn into shape by the hand of the handicraftsman, and yet they call us, and give us the name of gods.' But this they say because they know not God; and their priests who minister with sacrifices make themselves pure that they may minister at their altars because they are afraid of devils; and for this reason they have given us the name of 'gods,' and they call us by this name because they know not God. For when the priests have had intercourse with devils (i. e., women) they purify themselves [for seven days], and then they bring in offerings to me through fear. Ye commit fornication, and then ye take the Law of God in your hand, and come into your synagogues, and perform the service, and read the services, and yet fear not the glorious Word of God. Therefore shall your synagogues be destroyed, and they shall become churches to the Name of the One Who is the Son of the Lord God.'

"And having said these things the image held its peace. Then we answered and said unto the chief priests, 'Do ye believe? Behold, ye must speak what is right [before] this stone image, and ye must shew yourselves to be ashamed.' And the chief priests answered and said, 'Ye must see and understand that this stone speaketh only by means of [your] sorceries, and ye must not imagine that it is God Who speaketh unto us; and if ye think that it is the stone itself which speaketh, [ye err] and ye must know that it is only by means of [your] sorceries that [it doeth so]. For behold, ye heard the stone say, It was He Who spake with Abraham. Where now, did the stone find Abraham? It is not a few days since Abraham died, nay, it must have been before he (i. e., the figure in the stone) was born. How then could he have known Abraham?' And having again turned Himself towards the statue, Jesus said unto it, 'Inasmuch as they do not believe what thou didst say unto them concerning Abraham, whose body is in the grave, and whose soul is in the Garden of Joy (i. e., Paradise), go thou and speak unto them, saying, Thus saith He Who fashioned man at the creation, and Who made thee to be [His] friend,' Rise up, and come

The allusion here is to the Bible passages in which Abraham is called the "Friend" of God; see 2 Chronicles xx. 7; Isaiah xli. 8. "forth, thou and thy son Isaac, and Jacob, thy son's son, and come into the three temples of Bāsyōs, and rebuke the priests, and let them know that I know thee, and that thou knowest Me.' "And when the image heard these words from our Lord it straightway passed by us, as we were all looking on, and it departed and journeyed unto the land of the Canaanites, and came unto the grave of Abraham; "and it stood up outside the grave, and cried out and 143a. declared the command which [it had received] from our Lord. Then straightway the twelve patriarchs came "forth alive from the grave, and they said unto the 123b. image, 'Unto whom among us hast thou been sent?' And the statue answered and said unto them, 'Unto

"three of the patriarchs [only]; get ye in and sleep until the time of the resurrection;' and when they [the nine other patriarchs] heard [this] they went into their graves. Then the [three] patriarchs departed with the image, and they came unto the chief priests, and rebuked them; and after this Jesus' said unto them, 'Depart ye unto your places and sleep, O fathers.' And having turned Himself towards the image, Jesus said unto it, 'Return thou unto thy place;' and straightway it returned to its place, and remained as it had been aforetime. Now the chief priests, although they had seen these things, did not believe. And besides this thing there were many other "things which our Lord shewed unto us in secret, and 143b. if I were to tell [them] to Thee, O my Brother, Thou (אֲבָרָה אַהֲבִי). Among the Arabs Abraham is usually called إبراهيم التخليل "Ibrahim al-Khalīl;" see Masūdī (ed. B. de Meynard), tom. 1. p. 83; Sale, Koran, p. 67.

"wouldst not be able to understand them." And Jesus "answered and said unto him, I am able to understand every hidden thing, and everything which belongeth unto faith; for a few words suffice for the wise man, but the soul of the fool will not believe whatsoever a man telleth him until the day of his death."

And Jesus knew within Himself that the ship was nigh to arrive at the shore, and He ceased to talk with Andrew, and having laid down his head he also fell asleep. Now when Jesus knew that Andrew was asleep, He said unto His angels, "Make flat your hands, and lift up Andrew and his disciples, and depart, and set them down outside the City of the Cannibals, and when ye have set them down, then come back to Me. Then they laid flat [their hands], as Jesus had commanded them, and they lifted up Andrew and his disciples, and they flew up into the air [with them], and laid them down outside the City of the Cannibals; then Jesus went back into heaven, together with His angels. And when the morning had come Andrew awoke, and opened his eyes, and he saw that he was upon dry land, and he sat and gazed at the gates of the city; and turning round he saw that his disciples were [still] sleeping. Then he woke them up, and said unto them, "Rise up, O my children, and learn ye concerning the work of mercy which the Lord wrought for us on the sea, but we did not recognize Him, for He turned away his face; and He appeared in the form of a man [wishing] to try us. Then Andrew said, "O Lord, I know the beauty of Thy works and word, but Thou didst not reveal Thyself unto me, and therefore I did not recognize Thee.

And Andrew's disciples answered and said unto him, "We know that whilst thou wast talking with Him we fell asleep, and three eagles swooped down and snatched away our souls into heaven. And we saw a great marvel, for we saw our Lord Jesus Christ sitting on the throne of His glory, and all His angels were round about Him. And we saw Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the saints, and David singing psalms to his harp, and we saw you, and the [other] Apostles, standing before our Lord Jesus Christ; and by the side of you were [twelve] angels, and behind you was [one] angel in your form. And we heard God saying unto His angels, 'Hearken ye unto whatsoever My Apostles shall say unto you.' This is what we saw, O our father Andrew, and at length thou didst wake us up, and we arose, and our souls returned into our bodies. Then when Andrew had heard these words he rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy, because God had made his disciples worthy to see this wonderful thing. And Andrew lifted up his eyes into heaven, "I was on the ship I held converse with Thee pridefully, thinking that Thou wast a man whom I could teach; and now, O my Lord, appear Thou unto me and make Thyself manifest."

And whilst Andrew was speaking thus the Lord came unto him, and He appeared in the form of a beautiful Child. Then Jesus answered and said unto him, "Hail, My friend Andrew! And Andrew [looked and] saw great majesty, and the Child standing there, and he knew that He was Jesus; and Andrew bowed low before Him, saying, "Forgive me, O my Lord Jesus Christ, in that I thought Thee to be a man on the ship, and because I held converse with Thee [as such]. How could I help sinning against Thee, O Lord? For Thou didst not reveal Thyself openly unto me. Then Jesus answered and said unto him, "Thou hast not sinned, O Andrew, but I have done all these things unto thee because thou didst say that thou couldst not go to this city in three days. Therefore have I shewn thee that I am able to do everything, and that I can make Myself to appear in any form I please. And now, rise up, and enter into the City of the Cannibals, and go to the prisonhouse wherein Matthias is, and bring him and all the other men out therefrom. Behold, I tell Thee what shall happen [unto thee]. Thou shalt endure suffering, and in this city they shall treat thee with contumely and disgrace; and they shall bring judgments upon thee, and shall strew the flesh of thy body about in the streets and open places in the city.

They shall pour out thy blood like water, but they shall not be able to slay thee, and they shall bring many judgments upon thee, but bear thou them patiently; O My friend Andrew, and act not as do those who have no faith. Remember how they scourged Me, and spat in My face, saying, 'He casteth out devils by means of Beelzebub.' Was I not able, in the twinkling of an eye, to shake down the heavens and the earth upon those who sinned

St. Matthew xii. 24. Bb 125a. "against Me? Yet I endured patiently that I might give the example of Myself unto you. But know, O Andrew, and endure, for those who will shew themselves hostile to thee in this city are those who have no understanding." And having said these words Jesus went up into heaven. Then Andrew rose up and came into the city, together with his disciples, and there was none who saw them. And when they arrived at the prison-house, Andrew saw seven men standing by [and guarding] the door of the prison-house, and he prayed a prayer, and these men fell down upon the ground, and died; and the Apostles drew nigh unto the doors, and by the might of Christ they opened wide of themselves. Then Andrew went into the prison-house with his disciples, and they saw Matthias sitting and singing psalms; and when Matthias saw him, he rose up, and they embraced each other. And Andrew answered and said unto him, "O my brother Matthias, how findest thou thyself [here]? Behold, there are only three days left unto thee before they bring thee out to eat thee. What hath become of the mighty deeds which [our] Master hath wrought? If I were to tell thee the earth would quake." And Matthias said unto him, "O my brother, hast thou not heard our Lord say, 'Behold, I send you forth like sheep among wolves?' Now, our Lord came and entered into the prison-house, and appeared unto me, and said unto me, Bear patiently for seven and twenty days, and after that time I will send Andrew to bring thee out of the prison-house, and not thee only, but all those who are

St. Matthew x. 16. "with thee;" and behold, according as our Lord spake "unto me I see thee this day. Look at these things and see, O Andrew." Then Andrew turned and saw men and women naked, and they were all eating hay like animals. And Andrew smote his breast, and said, "Look and see how they treat these people who are like unto ourselves, for they treat them like the beasts." Then Andrew began to curse the Devil, and he said unto him, "Woe be unto thee, O thou Devil, thou enemy of God, thou foe of all the saints, for these rational beings have done no evil whatsoever! How couldst thou bring upon them this cruel treatment? How long hast thou fought [with us]? Even from the time of the Garden of Delight [which was] in [this] earth. Thou hast given them to eat of hay which was sown in the earth, and thou hast placed a stone upon the table in the place of bread. And, moreover, thou didst enter into the minds of the angels in such wise that they desired women wherewith they might work uncleanness, and they begot sons [who were] giants. And besides, thou didst enter into the heart of the giants in such wise that they devoured men upon the earth, and God was wroth with them, and brought a flood and blotted out everything which He had created upon the earth, except the righteous man Noah and his house. And besides, thou hast come hither and hast made [the people] to devour men. Dost thou imagine that God cannot blot thee out because the waters of a flood shall not come [again] upon the earth? But beyond doubt thy doom shall come upon thee."

Then Andrew and Matthias prayed, and after they BB* 145b.

had prayed, Andrew laid his hand on the faces of those who were in the prison-house, both men and women, and straightway they were able to see; and then, again, he laid his hand upon their bodies (literally, livers), and their hearts turned again into those of men. And Andrew answered and said unto them, "Rise up and depart unto the lower parts of the city, and ye shall find on the way a large fig tree; sit ye down under it, and eat of the fruit thereof, until I come unto you. And however long I•tarry [in coming], ye shall find thereon food for you to eat, for the fruit which is upon that fig tree is without number, and the more ye eat of the fruit of that fig tree the more will the fruit thereof increase, according as God hath commanded." Then those people answered and said unto Andrew, "Come thou also with us, lest, when the people of the city see us, they treat us again as enemies and inflict upon us much more injury than they have hitherto done." And Andrew said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, that as ye go on your way not even a dog shall lift up his tongue against you." So they all went forth from the prison-house, even as the blessed Andrew had told them [to do]. Now those people who were in the prison-house were both men and women, and the number of the men was one thousand and forty-nine, and that of the women was forty-nine, and [all] these Andrew made to go forth from the prison-house. And Matthias and his disciples set out to go towards the eastern part of the city. Then Andrew said, "Let a cloud descend and take up Matthias and the disciples of Andrew, and carry them unto the place where Peter sitteth and teacheth [the people];" and the cloud brought them unto him.

And Andrew went forth from the prison-house and departed unto the market-place of the city, and no man saw him; and as he was going along he saw a pillar of brass whereon [stood] an image, and he went and sat down by the side of it in order that he might see what it was. Then certain men departed to go unto the prison-house to bring forth people for the food of the [men of the] city, according to their ancient wont and usage, and they found the doors thereof wide open, and the keepers lying dead outside them; and when they had come into the prison-house they found no one there at all, and they departed and told the magistrates of the city what had happened. And they said unto them, "We went to the prison-house, and found the doors wide open, and those who had guarded them were lying dead upon the ground; and when we went inside we found no one at all [there]." Now when the magistrates of the city heard this, they said, "What hath happened? Many people had gone into the prison-house, and where shall we find our food?" Then they gave orders unto the soldiers of the guard, and said unto them, "Bring hither unto us those seven men who died, and let them be our food this day. To-morrow we will gather together the aged men of the city and they shall cast lots, and the seven men upon whom the lot shall fall shall be our tribute, and they shall be our food, until we can send and gather together stranger folk and people from the districts and borders of the city, and bring them [here]

"that we may eat them." So the soldiers of the guard went to fetch the men who were dead. Now there was in the middle of the city a burning, fiery furnace, above which was a huge stone in the form of a shallow trough, and upon this stone they slaughtered men and women, and distributed their blood; and they brought the [seven] dead men and laid them upon the stone slab to cut them up. Then Andrew heard a voice which said, "Andrew, see what [great] sin is committed in this city!" And when Andrew had seen it, he prayed to the Lord God, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, I have come to live in this city, and let not the deeds of violence which are wrought therein be multiplied in any way. Let the slaughtering knives slip "out of their hands, and, as wax melteth at the fire, even so let [the bodies of the slaughterers] melt away." Then the soldiers of the guard of the city put forth their

hands to cut up the dead bodies, but their knives fell from them. Now when the magistrates saw these things they wept, and said, "Woe be unto us! Sorcerers have come into our city and have wrought all these things, and they have caused the knives to fall from their hands; what shall we do? Let us gather together the aged men of the city, for we are hungry." Then the guards of the city went and gathered together all the aged men (now the number of those who were thus gathered together was two hundred and ten), and they brought them to the magistrates, and they made them to cast lots for seven men. And [one] of those upon whom 1 LIPSIUS (ibid.) gives 217.

the lot fell said unto the guards of the city, "I have a son, prithee, take him, and slaughter him instead of me, and let me go free;" and the guards said unto him, "We may not take thy son without first of all telling the magistrates." So the guards went and told the magistrates, and they answered and said unto the guards, "If he will give you his son in his place, take him, and let the father go free." And the guards came and told the old man what the magistrates had said, and he said unto them, "I have a daughter [also]; take them both and slaughter them, and let me go free." And he gave his children to the guards that they might slaughter them, and they took the children to the stone slab to do so. Then the children of the man wept and cried out, and made supplication unto the guards, praying, "We beseech you not to kill us at this season of our lives, but let us be free for a little while longer, and let us live until we arrive at our maturity, and then ye can slaughter us;" but the guards would not consent [to this]. And, moreover, these people had yet another sinful habit: if anyone died belonging to them they used to eat them and did not bury them, and for this reason they have no graves in their country. Now the guards would not consent to what the children asked them, but they made them go forth to the place where they intended to slaughter them without mercy.

And when Andrew saw what had taken place, he wept, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, hasten Thy mercy, for Thou seest [these] children weeping and groaning." And Saint Andrew wept, and looked up into heaven, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst hear me in the matter of the seven dead men, and didst not permit these guards to lift up their hands against them, hear me now, I beseech Thee, and permit not these guards to lift up their hands against these children." Then when the guards lifted up their hands against the children their slaughtering knives fell from their hands, and they (i. e., the men) melted away as doth wax before the face of the fire. Now when the magistrates saw [these things] they feared exceedingly; and when Andrew saw the miracle which had taken place, he blessed God with a salutation of peace. Amen.

And when the magistrates saw what had taken place, they wept with a great weeping, saying, "Woe unto us! Woe unto us! What shall we do? And behold, the Devil came in the form of an old man, and stood up in their midst, and he began to say unto them, "Woe unto you! Woe unto you! Now shall ye die for want of food, for what shall sheep and ox profit you, seeing that ye cannot eat them? And now, rise up, and seek in the city for a man whose name is Andrew, and slay ye him, for if ye do not this there is nothing whatsoever left for you to do. He it is who hath entered into the prison-house and set free the strangers whom ye had shut up therein, and he hath been living in the city, yet ye knew him not! And now, deal cunningly with him and seek him out, and rise up and kill him, so that henceforth ye may be able to gather together your food [without hindrance]. Then Andrew, who was listening, said unto the Devil, "Woe unto thee, O Bērāhēl, thou enemy of all created beings, who dost wage war [against them] continually, for our Lord Jesus Christ shall bring thee down into Sheol [and] Gehenna. And when the Devil had heard [these words], he said, "I hear his voice, but I see no man.

Then Andrew answered and said unto him, "It is because thou art 'blind that thou hast been named Semā'ēl', and thou 'shalt never see the saints.'' And on hearing this the Devil said unto the men of the city, Now, seek ye after 'him that speaketh unto me, for he is the man [who hath bewitched the men of the guard];' and the people of the city ran and shut the gates. Then Andrew said unto them, Here am I whom ye seek; and they all ran towards him, and they came up to him and laid hold upon him, and said unto him, "According as thou 'hast done evil unto us even so will we do evil unto thee.'' And they said among themselves, If we cut 'off his head his death will not be [sufficiently] cruel. Then one of them, whose heart had been entered and filled by the Devil, answered and said, "Hearken unto me, all of you. Let us tie a rope round 'his neck and drag him through the market-place of the city and through the squares thereof, and let us drag him about the streets until he die, and [then] we will divide his body among the people of the city.'' And when they heard these words they did even as the Devil had said unto them, and they tied a rope round the neck of the blessed Andrew, and began to drag him about through the squares and the market-place of the city.

Now as they were dragging him about [portions of] his flesh clave unto the ground, and his blood flowed down like water upon the earth; and when the evening had come they bound him in chains, and fastened his hands in fetters, 148a.

and cast him into the prison-house, where they inflicted grievous sufferings and cruel injuries upon him. And as soon as the morning was come they tied a rope round his neck and dragged him about the streets, and again [portions of] his flesh clave unto the ground. Now whilst they were dragging him about the second time, the blessed Andrew wept, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, "look upon me, and see what these sinful men are doing unto me; but I am bearing [all] patiently because of the command which Thou didst give me, saying, 'Act not like unto those who have no faith.' And now, O my Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen Thou my soul, for the sufferings which these men are inflicting upon me are not a few. And behold, my soul waxeth weak, and Thou Thyself knowest well what the flesh of man is, and how if but a small wound be made in his body he suffereth pain in every part thereof. O my Lord, my whole body hath become dead because of the multitude of tortures [which it hath endured]. But make strong my soul and see what they have done unto me, for I

"know that Thou wilt be remote neither from me nor from Thy servants, and I will not refuse [to obey] the command which Thou hast given unto me. And if it be that Thou wilt not make these men to go down into the abyss, even then far be it from me to forsake Thy commandment until I die. For Thou art my God, therefore let not mine adversary the Devil have me in derision, and smite Thou him upon the mouth, so that he may not be able to speak." And as soon as the evening was come they again bound him in chains, and cast him into the prison-house.

Then the Devil went unto the prison-house to the blessed Andrew, taking seven devils with him, and they went in before Andrew, and began to laugh and to mock at him exceedingly. And the seven devils and the Devil answered and said unto Andrew, "Andrew, now hast thou 'come into our hand[s]. Where is thy strength, and thy might, and the glory, and [the greatness] wherewith thou hast magnified thy face? Thou hast disgraced us, and driven us away and hast declared our works unto all men. Thou hast made our altars houses of desolation, and no offerings wherein we might delight ourselves enter therein, and because of this thing we are going to kill thee, even as was killed thy Master Jesus Christ, Whom the Jews slew.' And the Devil said unto his devils, 'Go ye and slay this man who put us to shame, that all countries [of the world] may be ours;' so the devils came before Andrew wishing to kill him. Now when they saw in his forehead the mark which our Lord had given him, they were afraid, and were not able to draw nigh unto him; and Andrew blew at the devils, and they fled. And the Devil said unto them, 'Why do ye flee without having slain him?' Then the devils answered and said unto him, 'We were not able to kill him, for we saw the sign of the cross in his forehead, and we were afraid, for we know that without [it] he must have suffered this pain. But do thou thyself go and kill him, if thou art able so to do, for we cannot obey thee ; and unless God shall give us strength he (i. e., the Apostle) will be the victor.' And one who dwelt in the devils answered and said unto them, 'To kill him we are not able, but we will go and 1292.

"make a mock of him." Then the devils went with the Devil, and they stood up before Andrew, and made a mock of him, and said unto him, "Behold, O Andrew, 'thou hast come into shame and disgrace; who is able to deliver thee?" Then a voice came unto Andrew which said, "Wherefore weepest thou?" Now that voice was the voice of the Devil who had turned (i. e., changed) his voice, and had made it to appear to be that of another man, but it was that of the Devil. And Andrew answered and said, "I am not weeping, for my Lord 'gave me [His] commandment, saying, Bear patiently, for no evil whatsoever shall be done unto thee by them, and if it be otherwise then ye shall see what I will do unto them." Then the Devil answered and said, "Whatsoever thou canst do, that do." And Andrew answered and said, "Now ye would kill me, but 'your will shall not be performed unless it be the will of my Lord Jesus Christ. Ye would make me to for-sake the commandment of my God, but my Lord keepeth watch over me in this city, and He will judge you according as it shall be necessary for you to be judged."

1492. And when the seven devils and the Devil had heard [these things] they took to flight. And when the morning had come they brought forth Andrew, and again they tied a rope round his neck and dragged him about [thereby]. Now as they were dragging him along he wept, and cried out, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, [this] 'torture consumeth me; O my Lord, my body becometh feeble, and my soul waxeth faint. Behold, O my Lord, Thou seest how the Enemy hath acted towards me with his devils. O my Lord, when Thou wast being killed, and Thy soul was waxing faint, Thou didst say, Father, why hast Thou forsaken Me?' Thou Thyself hast tried and hast had experience of the flesh of the children of men, and Thou knowest well what is the suffering which is upon me; O command Thou, my Lord, that my soul be taken away from me, and then let me rest. Where are Thy words, O Lord, wherewith Thou didst speak to give me strength, saying, 'If ye come unto Me not one hair of your heads shall be destroyed?' And behold, both my flesh and my hair are mingled [with] the dust, and behold, [I have endured] this torture for three days, and yet Thou hast not appeared unto me to strengthen my soul, for it waxeth very faint." Now he spake thus whilst they were dragging him [round about the city].

Then a voice came unto Andrew which spake unto him in the Hebrew tongue, saying, "Andrew, heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word shall not pass away. Look in front of thee and see what thy members, and the hairs of thy head which have fallen to the ground, have become upon the earth;" and Andrew turned, and saw a mighty tree which was full of fruit. Then Andrew said, "I know, O Lord, that Thou wilt not forsake me." And when the evening was come they cast him into the prison-house. Now when they saw that he was becoming weaker and weaker, they said among themselves, "His body is perishing little by little, and presently 130a. "he will die; we think that it may be this night." Then our Lord Jesus Christ came into the prison-house, and stretching out His right hand He said unto Andrew, "Give Me thine hand, O My beloved, and rise up whole." And when Andrew saw Him he rejoiced greatly, and he gave Him his hand, and he rose up, having been made whole. Then Andrew fell down and worshipped the Lord and said, "I thank Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast appeared unto me and given me strength." And Jesus said unto him, "Peace be unto thee, O Andrew;" and He departed into heaven.

And Andrew turned round from the prison-house, and saw a pillar, which was like unto marble, standing [there], and he stretched out his hand, and said unto the pillar, "Pour forth water upon the ground, and let the mouth of the image which is on the top of the pillar send out water in abundance, like unto the waters of a flood, so that those who are in the city may be rebuked and may turn unto God. Fear thou not, O pillar, and say not, 'I am a stone, and it is not meet for me to praise God.'" And Andrew said, "Yea, ye are stone[s] which have been hewn, but God made you in the earth, and ye are pure. For God gave the Law unto Israel [written] upon stone; and it was not written with gold and silver, but it was [cut] upon tables of stone, therefore shalt thou perform this command, O thou image. And when Andrew had said these words water poured forth in abundance from the image which was on the top of the pillar, like unto the waters of a river which had overflowed, and the waters rose to a [great] height in the city. Now the water was exceedingly bitter, and it consumed the flesh of the people, and killed their children and their wives; and they all wished to flee from the city.

Then Andrew said unto God, "O Lord, since Thou art performing this sign, forsake me not, O my Lord Jesus Christ, but send Thine angel Michael with a cloud of fire that he may surround this city with fire as with a wall, so that he who wisheth to escape from the fire may not be able so to do. Then straightway fire came down and surrounded the whole city as with a wall, from the one side thereof even unto the other; and Andrew knew then that God [had wrought] a miracle, [and] he blessed Him. And the marble pillar [continued] to pour out water from its mouth like a torrent, and the water rose up to the height of the necks of men, and it swallowed them up; now it was very bitter. Then the people cried out in lamentation, and wept, and said, "Woe be unto us by reason of all the things which have come to pass and which have befallen us because of the stranger in the prison-|house who hath come unto us, and because of the multitude of the judgments which have come upon us! What shall we do? Let us go and bring him out from the prison-house, lest we die in this place through the waters of this flood, and let us cry out, saying, 'We believe in the God of this stranger,' so that He may remove from us this flood of waters.

And they all cried out unto God, and they went forth wailing with loud voices, and the sound of their outcries came in unto Andrew, and he knew that their souls had been made subject unto him. And Andrew said unto the marble image, from the mouth of which the water was flowing, Thou hast poured forth sufficient [water], for behold, "the time of [thy] service hath passed. Behold, I will go forth, and I will preach concerning the word, and behold, O pillar, I say unto thee, that if the people in this city believe, I will build a church and will carry thee into it because thou hast fulfilled for me my work, O marble pillar, from the mouth of which water has poured. [And thereupon water ceased to flow from the mouth of the statue].

And the people of the city came unto the door of the prison-house, and they all cried out, saying, "O God of this stranger, have compassion upon us, and do not unto us according as we have done unto this stranger, and remove from us this water." Then Andrew went forth from the prison-house and thrust aside the water with his feet; and all the multitude came unto him, and there came also the old man who had given his children to be slaughtered instead of himself and on his behalf, and he made supplication unto Andrew, and said unto him, "Have compassion upon me." Then Andrew answered and said unto him, "I marvel how thou canst say unto me, 'Have compassion on me,' see-ing that in the time past thou hadst no compassion on thine own son, for when the lot to die fell upon thee thou didst give thy son unto death instead of thyself. Behold, I tell thee that thou and the soldiers of the guard who put strangers to death every day shall dwell in Gehenna, until the time when I shall return and bring you out therefrom. And now, depart ye that ye may see the men of the guard and the place of their slaughter, and the place of peace; and this old man shall [see]

"the place where are the children whom he loveth; follow ye me, then, all of you." Then Andrew departed, and they all followed him. And Andrew, thrusting aside the water with his foot, came unto the slab where they slaughtered the people, and he stretched out his hands, and looking up into heaven he began to pray, and all the multitude was looking on; and the earth opened herself and swallowed up the water, and the old man and the men of the guard went down into Sheol. Then when the people saw what had happened they were afraid, and they began to say, "Woe unto us! for this man is a man of God, and behold, he will kill us because of the evil which we did unto him; for behold, what he said unto the men of the guard and unto the old man [was true], and see what hath come upon them."

And when Andrew heard these words he said unto them, "O my children, fear not, for it is not an evil reward which hath come through me, but good. And as for those who have gone down into Sheol I will not leave them there; for they have only departed thither that ye might believe." Then Andrew commanded the people to bring [unto him] all those who had died through the water, but they were unable to do so because those who had died, both men and women, and children, and animals, were very many; and Andrew prayed, and they all came to life [again]. And he marked out a church upon the ground and commanded them to build [one there], and he gave unto them the commandments of the Law, and said unto them, "Stand ye in these, and after ye have kept these I will give unto you the hidden things of God; at this present I cannot

Cc 131b. "give them unto you, because your works are more [evil] than those of all other men, but when I return I will give them unto you." And they made supplication unto him, saying, "We beseech thee to be graciously pleased to abide with us for a few days, so that we may flourish in the faith, for [at this present] we are new plants." And although they besought him to do so he refused them, saying, "I must go forthwith unto my disciples and children," and although they followed after him, and made supplication unto him, and cast ashes upon their heads, he did not consent. Then he said unto them, "I must go unto my disciples, but afterwards I will come [again] unto you;" and so Andrew departed on his way.

Then Jesus Christ came down from heaven in the form of a little child, and He said unto Andrew, "Why dost thou depart from and forsake these little children who make supplication unto thee, and the men of the city who cry out unto thee, saying, 'Stay with us a few days'? Behold, their voice, and their cry, and their weeping, have ascended into heaven, and when I heard their cry and their weeping I came down, and Mine eyes shed tears before My Father because of their repentance. And now, come back into the city, and tarry there seven days, until the faith of the people shall wax strong; after this time thou shalt go forth from their city, and depart unto the country Barbárós, both thou and thy disciples, and after thou hast entered into that country thou shalt depart and come hither, and bring out those people who are in Sheol." Then Andrew returned [to the city], saying, "Blessed art Thou, O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who dost desire the salvation of all created beings, and Who hast not permitted me to depart in mine anger." So Andrew came into the city, and when the people saw him they rejoiced with a great joy, and they [i. e., Andrew and his disciples] dwelt there for seven days, teaching them and strengthening them [in the faith] of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when the [seven] days were fulfilled Andrew set out upon his way, and all the people, from the greatest unto the least, came together and sent him and his disciples on their way, saying, "Praise be unto the God of Andrew for ever and for ever! Amen."

CC*

Of what happened unto Thomas, the Apostle, when 151. he went to teach, and to preach, and to journey in the country of India.

And it came to pass in those days that all we Apostles were in Jerusalem, that is to say, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, and Philip and Bartholomew, and Thomas and Matthew, and Thaddeus and James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the son of James. And we counted up the countries [of the world] together and divided them among us, and we departed unto that which had come unto us by lot when our Lord sent us forth among the nations. Now the country of India had fallen to the share of Judas Thomas, who [is surnamed] Didymus, and he was unwilling to go there, and said, "I cannot go [there] because of the weariness of the flesh, for I am a Hebrew. How can I possibly depart to India and preach the faith [there]? And whilst he was thinking in this wise and saying [these words], our Redeemer appeared unto him by night, and said unto him, "Fear thou not, O Thomas; depart unto India, and preach thou My word [therein], for I Myself am with thee. Then Thomas said unto Him, "I do not wish to go, but if Thou wilt, I desire that Thou wouldst send me unto another country, for unto the country of India I cannot go.

Now whilst Thomas was speaking in this wise a certain merchant who was from the county of India came nigh unto them, and his name was Abnès, and he was from the king of Gônâ, who had sent him to bring [back to India] workmen and tools. And as our Lord was standing by his side He saw Abnès in the market, and he was going to his workshop. Then He said unto him, "Dost thou wish to obtain a workman? And Abnès said unto Him, "Yea, my Lord, I wish to buy a workman. Now when he had said these words unto Him, our Lord shewed him Thomas in the distance, and He made a covenant with Abnès to sell him for one pound of silver. Then He wrote for him a deed, saying, "I [Jesus], the Son of Joseph, hand over to thee to keep, and I sell unto thee my slave the workman Thomas, to journey unto Gônâ. And when the deed was finished according to the law [of the land] the Saviour took Judas, and gave him unto Abnès, and said unto him, "Behold thy master. Then the Apostle answered and said unto Him, "Yea, he is my master;"

and Abnès said unto him, "I have taken thee," and the Apostle held his peace.

And when the morrow had dawned the Apostle prayed unto the Lord and said, "I will go whithersoever Thou wishest, O Jesus, and Thy will be done; then he departed with Abnès the merchant, who took nothing whatsoever with him except what he had bought. And our Lord gave him [the salutation of peace], and said unto him, "Behold, thou hast thy merchandize with thee, and My grace shall be with thee wheresoever thou goest. Now the Apostle found Abnès taking his goods into a ship, and he was his slave. And when they had gone up into the ship and had sat down therein Abnès enquired of the Apostle, and said unto him, "In what handicraft art thou skilled? Then the Apostle said unto him, "In wood I can make the things which are used in ploughing, such as yokes [for cattle], and the bent ends of ploughs, and oars and steering poles for ships, and wheels; and in stone I can make picks(?), and spades(?), and columns, round ornaments for pillars, and tombs, and sepulchres for kings. And Abnès the merchant said unto him, "Thy knowledge of thy handicraft is sufficient for my needs. So they put forth and travelled on their journey with fair winds, and they sailed on happily until they arrived in the country of India, and came to the city of the king.

And when they had come down from the ship and had entered into the city, they heard the sounds of flutes and organs which rent the heavens, and they were mingled with the blasts of horns, and the blare of trumpets, and the sounds of the harp, and voices singing sweet songs of divers kinds. Then the Apostle enquired, and said, "What is the festival which [they are celebrating] in this city to-day? And the men said unto him, "The angels have brought thee hither so that thou mayest take part [in it with the people of] this city. Now the king hath a daughter, and he hath married her and given her unto the bridegroom, and so there is great rejoicing this day; this is the cause of the festival concerning which thou didst speak and make enquiries. The king hath sent a herald round to proclaim and to publish abroad to everyone [that they shall come] unto the marriage feast, [both rich and] poor, and bondman and freeman, and stranger and citizen; and if there be any who will not come unto the feast he shall be doomed to suffer punishment according to the king's pleasure. Now when Abnès the merchant heard this, he said unto the Apostle, "Come, let us also go [to the feast], lest we be punished by the king; and besides, we are men recently come. And the Apostle said unto him, Yea, let us go;

and having gone into the house for strangers they rested there for a little, and then they went to the feast. Now those who had taken their seats looked at the Apostle as he took his place among them, and they all saw that he had the manner of a stranger [who was poor], and of one who had come from another country; and Abnès having the manner of a noble took 1532.

his seat in another place, and having eaten their meal they drank their wine, but the Apostle tasted no food whatsoever. Then those who were sitting with him said unto him, "Why hast thou come hither? for thou neither eatest nor drinkest." And the Apostle answered and said unto him, "I did not come hither for the sake of the meat and drink, but because it was the will of the king that I should do so, for the herald who went round crying said, 'If there be any man who doth not come to the feast he shall be punished with the punishment of the king.'"

And when they had eaten and drunk [the servants brought] unto them sweet scents, and unguents, and garlands, and crowns of flowers; and they came and every man took one, and some of them anointed their faces, and some their beards, and some their bodies. And the Apostle anointed the top of his head, and his head, and he placed a little of the unguent in each of his nostrils, and in each of his ears. Now the flowers in the garland which had come to the Apostle were the flowers of the lentil plant, and of other sweet smelling herbs, and he took the garland and put it on his head; and he took the reed, and held it in his hand. Then a certain singing woman took her tambourine in her hand, and went round about among the company singing, and when she came unto the place where the Apostle was she stood still near him, and sang a song before him; now the singing woman was of the people of the Hebrews. And as the Apostle was keeping his gaze [fixed] upon the ground, one of those who had eaten with him lifted up his hand and smote him; and the Apostle lifted up his eyes, and looked at the man who had struck him, and said, "My God may set aside (i. e., keep) for thee the hand wherewith thou hast smitten me in the world which is to come, [and may He forgive thee] this injury; but in the present world He will shew thee His wonders, and I shall see the dogs dragging away the hand wherewith thou didst smite me." And having thus spoken unto him the Apostle began to sing this song concerning the congregation (i. e., the Church): —

"The Church is she who hath become the splendour of the kingdom; and she is pleasant of aspect, and lovely, and beautiful unto him that beholdeth [her]. Her garments are like unto flowers of every kind, and the odour thereof goeth forth and anointeth the crown of the head. The King giveth food with joy unto those who are with him, the mighty ones; Truth is upon His head, and joy is at His feet, and appeareth in His mouth, which openeth as becometh it. And two-fold are the praises with which she is praised by this tongue in this wise; whosoever shall forget [so to do] shall become ... straightway, and he who rejoiceth according to the mind ... |. [Her] neck, which towereth upwards, [is like unto brass, which the God thereof hath made. Her two hands make manifest and reveal the places of beauty which He hath made, and proclaim where they are; and her fingers shew where the ante-chamber [thereof] is. The bride chamber is made of light, and the sweet 1412.

"smell thereof is on the tongue, together with beautiful odour of divers kinds, and incense, and sweet spice, and every sweet whatsoever the savour of which ariseth from its essence. And the Bridegroom shall be adorned, and He shall hold the reed of the Seven whom He hath chosen; and the guardians of the Bride are Seven [also]. Those who follow her and [those who] are before her every[where] are twelve [in number]; and they hope to see the Bridegroom, and to be baptized, and to live with Him for ever. And they shall go and wait for Him in that great assembly with righteousness; and it is meet for them to array themselves in the apparel of the kingdom; and they shall dress themselves in shining raiment with joy and gladness; and they all shall belong unto Him to Whom belongeth great splendour. And they shall be received in heaven and shall shine through (or in) the Divinity of God; and [they shall be changed], and shall receive food which is without spot or blemish of any kind whatsoever, and they shall drink wine which never causeth them to suffer thirst again. And He (i. e., the King) shall give them the desire of their souls, and they shall sing praises and glorify [Him] with the living ones, and with the souls of the fathers who have gone to their rest in the confidence which is of wisdom, and henceforth they shall praise [Him] with perfect praise."

1542.

And when he had [said] these words all those who were there were looking at him, and they saw that the form of his visage was different, and his whole aspect appeared unto them to be changed; but what he was saying unto them they did not understand, for he was a Hebrew and his speech was Hebrew, and the singing woman alone heard (i. e., understood) everything which he was saying, for she was a Hebrew. Then having withdrawn herself from near him she continued to sing and to beat the tambourine; and she was thinking about him, and she was looking at him continually, and was watching him at every moment, and she loved him because she found him to be a man of her own nation; now he was more handsome in appearance than all those who were there. And it came to pass that when the singing woman had finished her song everyone gave signs of his approval [except the Apostle], and she went and sat down in front of him, and she continued to look at him, and to watch him with great care; but the Apostle never allowed his eyes to wander away from the ground for a moment, and he waited for the opportunity when he might escape from the place.

Then the man who had sat at me at with him and who had struck him went down to the fountain to draw some water, and a lion came there by chance and slew him, and left him [lying] there torn limb from limb. And the dogs carried away the members of his body, and one of them, a black dog, took his right hand in his mouth, and brought it into the feast chamber unto those who were sitting at me at there. Now when they saw this they were all dismayed, and they were asking questions, and saying, "Who is he that hath died? And they knew that it was the hand of the man who had ministered unto them, and who had smitten the Apostle. Then the singing woman took her tambourine and cast it away from her, and she went and sat down at the feet of the Apostle, saying, "This man is either God or the Apostle of God. For I 141b.

"heard him speaking in Hebrew unto him that was ministering, and I now see the dog carrying about the hand wherewith he smote him; and behold, ye all see that according to what he spake even so hath it come to pass." And some believed, but some did not believe. Now when the king heard this he drew nigh unto the Apostle, and said unto him, "Rise up, and come with me, and pray for my daughter, for she is the only child I have, and this day I have given her in marriage." Now the Apostle refused to go with him, because our Lord had, as yet, not revealed Himself unto him in that place; but the king, notwithstanding his refusal, compelled him [to go, and] he took the Apostle into the chamber of the bride that he might pray on their behalf [there]. And the Apostle stood up, and he began to pray thus: —

"O my Lord and God, Who art the Guide of Thy servants, Who dost lead them, and dost toil on behalf of those who believe on Thee, Thou Refuge and Restingplace of those who are afflicted, Thou Hope of the poor, Thou Deliverer of captives, Thou Healer of the souls that are sick, Thou Saviour of all created beings, Thou Life-giver of all the world, Thou Strengthener of souls Who dost give them might, Thou, O God, knowest what is about to come to pass, and what shall be fulfilled by means of us. Thou, O our Lord, art a hidden Mystery, and Thou dost teach [hidden] words unto those who know Thee not. Thou, O my Lord, art the Planter of good trees, and through Thine hands they bring to perfection good works. Thou, O my Lord, art in our every hope, Thou livest in all Thy work, and all Thy works conceal Thee, Jesus Christ, the God of mercy, the perfect Saviour, Christ, Son of the Living One, God Almighty, the Mighty One, Who canst not be conquered by the Enemy. Thou art the Word which was heard by Principalities, and which made Powers and all Dominions (or Rulers) to tremble; Thou wast sent down from on high and didst come down to Sheol, and didst at length open the gates thereof and take up from thence those who had been captive there for many years, and who had been dwelling in the mansions of darkness;

and to those who would be guided Thou didst shew the way whereby to return. O my Lord Jesus Christ, I entreat Thee, and I offer [unto Thee my petition on behalf of myself] and these young folk, that Thou mayest be pleased to help them, and to grant unto them the things which are good and excellent, and that Thou wilt lay Thine hand upon them. Then the Apostle said [unto them], "My Lord be with you; and he left them in their place.

Now when the king had gone forth he besought the friends of the bridegroom to depart from their chamber, and when they had all gone forth, and had closed the doors, the bridegroom drew back the curtains of the doors that he might take the bride to himself. And he saw our Lord Jesus Christ in the form of Judas Thomas, and He was talking with [the bride], even as did Thomas [when] he blessed the bridegroom and bride, [and he seemed] not to have gone forth [from the chamber]. [And the bridegroom said unto Him that appeared unto him, "Didst Thou not depart first of all? How then hast Thou returned, and come hither?"] Then our Lord said 142b. col. I. col. I.

unto him, "I am not Judas Thomas, but I am his brother. And our Lord sat down in the room, and He commanded them to sit down on the footstool, and He said unto them, "Remember, O ye my children, what my brother hath said unto you, and unto Whom he committed you. And know ye that if ye forsake the intercourse in which the polluted [indulge], ye shall afterwards become holy, and perfect in purity; and [ye shall spare] yourselves labour and sufferings, both those which are seen and those which are unseen; and ye shall be delivered from the anxiety of this world; and the children which should be your posterity shall never exist. If ye have many children, for their sakes ye will become oppressors and avaricious folk, and ye will afflict orphans and widows, and ye will become men of violence. All these things will ye do, and ye will bring yourselves under sore chastisement, for the greater number of children become evil and fall into error. And they are either attacked by devils in secret or openly, or they become mad, or foolish, or deaf, or left-handed, or lame, or paralysed. And if they escape all these things, they become doers of evil in whom there is no benefit, or they do the things which it is abominable to do, or they become the companions of avaricious men and thieves; and by reason of all these things ye suffer labour and sorrow.

But if ye be firm and keep yourselves pure unto God there shall be born unto you living children who shall be free from all these pains, concerning which I have spoken unto you, through your own strength. Ye shall be [at] rest, and shall not be separated in the beautiful abode(?), ye shall be without sorrow and without pain, ye shall hope for [the time when] ye shall receive (i. e., enjoy) the marriage which shall never be brought to an end. And ye shall be there the friend of the Bridegroom, by Whom ye shall be known when ye come unto that never ending marriage feast and into the perfect light."

And when the young man and the young woman had heard these words, they believed on our Lord, and gave themselves unto Him; and they forsook the impurity of their lust, and they remained as they were in that place the whole night praying. And our Lord passed away from their presence, saying unto them, "The grace of God be with you. Now when the morning had dawned the king came and made ready a table, and he entered into the presence of the bridegroom and bride and found them sitting and talking together; and the face of the bride was uncovered, and the bridegroom himself was exceedingly happy (literally: bright). Then the mother of the bride came and drew nigh unto her, and said unto her, "Why art thou sitting in this manner, O my daughter, and art not ashamed? Ye sit [and talk] as if ye had been in the habit of behaving like married folk for many days. And her father said unto her, "Is it because of thy love for him unto whom thou art married that thou dost not cover thy face? Then the bride answered and said unto him, "O my father, verily I am in love with God Almighty, and I pray that I may abide in this my love which I have [learned] to know this night, and that I may possess this man, concerning whom I have got understanding this day .

Therefore too, I am not ashamed, for the mirror of shame hath passed away from me, and from this time forth I shall never be ashamed, and I shall never veil myself, for the works of shame have departed, and they have removed themselves to a great distance and are hidden from me. Henceforth I shall not make myself a stranger, and there shall be no making strange with me, for I shall live in light and in joy. On the day of my joy I shall not be moved, for I have rejected this man, and I have not been united to him up to this present; but I shall be united unto the true Husband Who shall come at last, Whose soul is full of mercy, and I shall, moreover, henceforth have greater enjoyment."

And as the bride was thus speaking the bridegroom answered and said, "I give thanks unto thee, O God, because through this stranger Thou hast glorified Thyself before us, and hast revealed Thyself unto us, and hast removed me from vanity, and hast sowed life upon me, and hast taken me away from the sickness which is without healing, and which abideth for ever. Thou hast graciously bestowed upon me the life of abstinence, O Thou Who hast shewn Thyself unto me, and Thou hast revealed to me [the evil of] all the works wherein I lived, and hast delivered me from stumbling and hast guided me into that which is good. Thou hast led me out from destruction, and hast brought me into [a land] wherein I shall neither die nor be overcome. And when Thou didst abase Thyself and didst descend to my humble estate Thou didst do so that Thou mightest give me joy and gladness, O Thou Who didst not withhold Thy mercy from me, the sinner.

"And Thou didst shew me [how] to seek myself, for I did not know who (or where) I was, and the works which were alien unto me Thou hast now put away from me. Then again, I have become like unto one who knoweth Thee, for Thou didst seek me when I knew Thee not, and Thou wilt receive me into the place where Thou now art. And now, I am not able to forget this, for love moveth me, and I am not able to speak [against] Thee; and now I desire to speak a few mighty things concerning Thee. And my confidence [in Thee] is equal unto Thy praise; but boldness is not seemly for me before Him, yet if it were that I knew Him not I would say unto Him that which I want to say because of this my love for Him." Now when the king heard these words from the bridegroom and bride he rent his garments, and said unto those who were standing near him, "Go ye out quickly, and journey round about through the city and lay hold upon that man, and bring hither that worker of sorcery, who with evil intent hath come into this city, and whom I myself brought into my house and told to pray over my wretched daughter. And," he added, "whosoever shall find him and shall bring him hither to me to him will I give whatsoever he asketh from me." Then they departed, one and all, and they went round about the city, seeking him; [but they found him not] for he had journeyed into another city. And they went also into the house wherein he had lodged in that city, and there they found the dancing woman who was weeping and lamenting because the Apostle had refused to take her with him; and they told her of everything

Dd which he had done unto the young man. Now when she heard those things she rejoiced greatly, and forsook her sorrow, and said, "Now shall I find rest here." And she rose up and went unto the bridegroom and bride, and tarried with them for many days, even until the Apostle returned unto the king. And many of the brethren who were with him believed, and when they heard where the Apostle was, and that he was living in the country of India and teaching the people thereof, they departed and joined themselves unto him.

How Thomas built a palace for the king. Now when the Apostle had entered into the country of India with ʿAbnēs the merchant, ʿAbnēs departed to salute Gondapór (Gondaforus) the king; and he told him concerning the workman whom he had brought with him, and the king rejoiced and commanded ʿAbnēs to bring him unto him. And when the Apostle had come into his presence, the king said unto him, "What is thy handicraft?" And the Apostle said unto him, "I am a carpenter and stone mason." Then the king said unto him, "What dost thou know how to make in wood, and what in stone?" And the Apostle said unto him, "In wood [I can make] ploughs, and yokes, and measures, and wheels, and ships, and oars, and steering poles; and in stone I can make statues, and build houses with halls and courts [fit for] kings." Then straightway the king said unto him, "Canst thou build me a palace?" And 157a. the Apostle said unto him, "Yea, I can build [one] and finish it, for I have come hither for the purpose of working at my trade of stone mason and carpenter."

And the king took them and they went out through 144a. the gates of the city, and he began to converse with the Apostle about building the palace, and about how and where he would dig out and lay the foundations, and at length he came to the place wherein the king had thought to build [his palace]. Then the king said, "See, here is the place where I wish to build it." And the Apostle said unto him, "Yea, this place is very suitable and excellent for the purpose;" now the place was swampy and marshy, and there was much water in it. Then the king said unto him, "Begin to build [here]." [And the Apostle answered and said, "I cannot begin to build now], but only at the [proper] season." Then the king said unto him, "When then wilt thou be able [to begin]?" And the Apostle said, "After two months. [I will begin it] at the new moon of the month Ḥadār, and I will finish it in the month of Miyāzyā." Now the king was silent and marvelled at him, and said unto him, "All buildings are built in the summer, and canst

"thou build and set up thy palace in the winter?" And 157b. the Apostle said unto him, "It must be [done] in this wise, for there is no other [way]." Then the king said, "If it seemeth that it must be thus unto thee, mark out 144b. for me [on the ground the place] where the buildings of the palace will come; then [after] the lapse of a certain time I will come [back] here." Then the Apostle took a reed and divided and measured the ground into lengths, and marked out the position of the foundations of the building and of its hall, and he set the building to face the east whence cometh the light of the sun, and he placed the windows thereof to face the west whence come the winds, and the door of the bakehouse (or kitchen) [faced] the south, and the best water [flowed] by the side of the bakehouse. And when the king saw him, he said unto the Apostle, "Verily, thou art a cunning handicraftsman, and it is meet for thee to be in the service of the kingdom;" and he gave him much money, and passed on. And straightway the Apostle went on building, and the king sent unto him silver (or money) and every thing which was necessary for himself, and for the other workmen who were performing the work with him; and he received it all and took it and began to go about teaching and giving alms to the poor, and the sick, and the needy, and the wretched, and thus he gave them relief. And he said, "What belongeth unto the king shall be given unto the king; and there shall be relief (or rest) unto many." Thus was his desire.

Then after all these things the king sent a messenger unto the Apostle, and he wrote unto him, saying thus:—"Write to me [an account of] everything, and what I shall say unto thee, and concerning whatsoever thou desirest send me word, and I will despatch it unto thee." And the Apostle wrote unto him, saying, "The palace is finished, but the roof thereof is wanting." Now when the king heard this, he sent unto him much gold and silver, and he wrote unto the Apostle, saying, "I have built the palace, and I will finish the roof thereof." Then the Apostle prayed unto God and said, "I give thanks unto Thee, O God, for all things, and because 158a. through Thy death I shall live for ever, and because Thou didst sell me so that Thou mightest set free from bondage many." And the Apostle ceased not to teach and to comfort those who were in sorrow, saying, "Do Thou, O God, bestow gifts of grace upon them;" for it is He Who feedeth and keepeth in safety the orphans, 145a. and it is He Who supporteth the widows and all those who are cast away, and it is He Who causeth them to have rest and peace.

And when the king came into the city he made enquiries of his friends concerning the palace which Judas Thomas had built for him, and they said unto him, "He hath neither built a palace nor anything else, and," they added, "He hath done nothing at all except go about through the city and the country round about it, and everything that thou didst give him, and everything which he had, he hath given to the poor and needy. And he hath been teaching the people a new God, and healing the sick, and casting out devils, and besides 158a. these things he hath been performing many wonderful things. Now we think that he is a sorcerer, only the things which come from his hands are mercy, and grace, and healing; and moreover, the humility and wisdom which he maketh manifest for the sake of [his] faith make us believe that he is truly the Apostle of the God Whom he preacheth, for he fasteth and 145a. prayeth always. With his bread he eateth nothing except salt, his drink is water, and his apparel, both in summer and in winter, consisteth of nothing but one garment; he taketh nothing from any man, and that which he hath he giveth unto others." Now when the king heard this, he rubbed his face with his hands, and he smote his head, being filled with wrath.

And in that same hour he sent and caused the Apostle to be brought unto him, and also the merchant who had brought Judas Thomas to him. Then the king said unto him, "Hast thou built the palace for me?" And the Apostle answered and said unto him, "Yea, I have built [it]." Then the king said unto him, "When can we go and see it?" And the Apostle answered [and said unto him], "Thou canst not go to see it now, but only when thou hast departed from this world wilt thou be able to see it." Then was the king exceedingly wroth, and he commanded them to put the merchant and Judas Thomas in prison, and they took him to the prison-house that they might question him and find out unto whom he had given the king's money; and when they had questioned him they were to kill him and the merchant who had brought him [there]. And Judas Thomas went unto the prison-house with rejoicing, and he said unto the merchant, "Fear thou nothing whatsoever, only believe in the God Whom I preach, and thou shalt be saved in this world, and in that which is to come thou shalt receive life [everlasting]."

Meanwhile the king was meditating upon the manner in which he would punish them, and he determined to do so by means of fire, after they had been flayed alive. And it came to pass on that same night that 158b.

Gādōn (Gad). the brother of the king, fell sick and ill by reason of his sorrow for the grief and fraud which had come upon the king. Then the king's brother sent for the king, and said unto him, "I commit my house and my children into thy safe keeping, for by reason of the fraud which hath come upon thee am I stricken with sorrow, and I shall die because of this; and if thou dost not seize and slay that worker of sorcery thou wilt [not] give my soul rest in death. And the king said unto his brother, "I have been think-ing this very-night by what means I should kill him, and I have determined that I will burn him in a blazing fire, after he and the merchant who brought him have been flayed alive. Now whilst the king was speaking in this wise the soul of Gādōn (Gad), the brother of the king, departed. Then the king mourned for his brother, for he loved him dearly, and he commanded that he should be buried with a royal burial and at great expense. And whilst all these things were being performed, the angels took the soul of Gādōn (Gad), the brother of the king, and bore it unto heaven, and they shewed it the place of its abode, and they asked him, saying, "In which of these places wouldst thou dwell?

Now when he had come to the building which Thomas had built for the king [in heaven], and had looked upon it, Gādōn said unto the angels, "I beseech you, O my lords, to allow me to dwell in this mansion. And the angels said unto him, "Thou canst not dwell in this building; and he said unto them, "Why [not]? Then they said unto him, "Because this is the palace which the Christian hath built for thy brother; and he said unto them, "I beseech you, O my lords, to allow me to go unto my brother, and to buy this palace from him, for he knoweth nothing whatever concerning it, and he will sell it unto me."

And it came to pass that, when the angels had let the soul of Gādōn go free, it returned unto his body as they were swathing it for burial, and it spake and said unto those who were standing by it, "Call ye for me my brother, that I may ask him a certain question." Then straightway they went and related the matter unto him, and said unto him, "Thy brother hath returned whence he had departed and hath come back to life." And the king ran, together with many people, and when he had arrived at the place where his brother was, and had entered in, he stood up by the bier of his brother in wonderment, and he was unable to speak with him. Then his brother answered and said unto him, "Thou must know, O my brother, and be sure that if thou wilt grant unto me the petition which I shall ask of thee for myself I will give thee even unto the half of my kingdom; so now, grant unto me my one request for a price." And the king answered and said unto him, "What is the petition which thou wouldst have me sell unto thee?" Then his brother said unto him, "Swear thou unto me by thy faith that thou wilt grant it unto me;" and the king sware an oath unto him, saying, "Whatsoever thou askest of me, if I possess it, I will give unto thee." Then he said unto the king, "This palace which thou hast in the heavens sell thou unto me;" and the king said unto him, "Where have I a 159b.

"palace in the heavens?" Then his brother said unto him, "I mean this palace which the Christian hath built. This Christian is the man who is now in the prison-house, and he was brought unto thee by the merchant who bought him from a Man Whose name was Jesus; this Christian is the Hebrew slave whom thou wishest to condemn to death because he defrauded thee, and because of whom through sorrow for thee I died. But behold, I am now alive." And straightway the king perceived, and understood, and knew of a certainty that the good deeds would endure for ever, and that they would benefit him, and he said unto him, "I cannot sell this palace, nay, I pray and entreat [God] that I may enter therein and dwell there, and then He will grant unto me a portion like unto that which He hath given unto those who are therein. And as for thyself, if thou thinkest to make such a palace as this, behold, he who built it is [still] alive, and he can build a better one for thee."

Then straightway the king sent and brought out the Apostle, and the merchant who was shut up with him in the prison-house, and he said unto him, "I entreat thee, even as one who maketh entreaty to a priest of God, to pray on my behalf and to beseech Him, Whose messenger thou art, to remit unto me and to forgive everything which I have done unto thee, and everything which I have meditated concerning thee, and to let me dwell in that palace, at [the building] of which I have in no way toiled, for thou alone hast laboured therein, grace being thy helper. And let me, even me, become the minister of this God Whom thou preachest, and let me serve Him. Then the brother of the king bowed down before the Apostle, and said unto him, "I beseech and entreat thee in the presence of thy God that I also may become the minister of Him Whose angels have made Him known unto me. And the Apostle rejoiced and said, "I give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, because Thou hast revealed Thy righteousness, and because Thou, the God of righteousness, art God alone, and there is no other god besides Thee. Thou knowest all hidden things, and Thou shewest mercy unto all, and Thou art pitiful unto men; and those who are wicked, and who have no understanding, forgive Thou them [because they] have no knowledge.

And now, I pray and beseech Thee, accept the king and his brethren, and lead Thou them among Thy flock, and purify them in Thy compassion, that which is right being over them, and guard them against the Satans, and bring them into Thy haven, and give them to drink of Thy gracious gifts and from Thine own fountain, which never faileth. And let them beseech and entreat Thee, and ask Thee mercifully to grant them escape from the Enemy Who hath in times past hated them, and who would have slain them, even as for our sakes all these things did come upon Thee. And forgive us, O Thou Who art indeed the Shepherd, and grant unto them that they may come to their right minds with Thee, and that they may obtain help from Thee. Let them wait for the hope of their salvation from Thee, and let them abide in Thy mystery, and let them receive Thy gracious gifts, and fulfil what Thou wouldst [they should do], and let them rejoice in serving Thee, and

, , finally let them array themselves in apparel which is 147a. "from Thy Father, because they have believed in Thine Apostles." And when the Apostle had thus spoken Gandápór (Gondaforus) the king and his brother Gádón (Gad) departed, and they withdrew themselves, and waited for the Apostle to ask them for whatsoever he wished, and they became a place of rest for everyone, and asked that they might receive the seal of his words. Then he said unto them, "Prepare your souls, and desire 160a. it greatly from God, and then I will give unto you the seal itself." And they said unto him, "We have heard thee say that the God Whom thou preachest knoweth His own sheep by His own seal." Then the Apostle answered and said unto them, "I rejoice, and I beseech [you] to receive this seal and to associate yourselves with me in this fasting, and giving of thanks, in the blessing of God, and to become perfect wholly in [our] God, Jesus Christ, in Whose Name I preach, and to believe in the Name of the Father of righteousness, con-

"cerning Whom I have taught you." And he commanded 147a. them to bring oil and to receive the seal, and they brought oil and lit many lamps, for it was night. Then the Apostle rose up and recited prayers over them with [his] voice, saying, "Peace be unto you, O my brethren;" now

they heard the voice only, but they did not see the 160b. form, for as yet they had not received baptism. And the Apostle took the oil, and poured it over their heads, and recited prayers over them; and he answered and said, "Let the Name of Christ, which is over all things, come! Let the Name which is holy, and exalted, and of perfect mercy, come, and let Thy mercy come, and let Thine excellent participation [with us] come! And let that which is a hidden mystery come! And let the mother of seven habitations come, so that Thy rest may be in the eighth habitation! And let the intercession of wisdom, and of counsel, and of understanding come and associate itself with these young men! Let the Holy Spirit come and cleanse their heart and reins!" and he recited prayers over them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And when the exorcisms had been said a young Man appeared unto them, and He held a lighted lamp [in His hand], whereupon all the [other] lamps flickered, and went out, and became extinguished. Then the Apostle said unto the Lord, "O Thou Who art able [to do] all things, we are not able to bear Thy light which Thou hast revealed unto us, for the grace which is Thine is mighty compared with the grace which is ours." And when the earth had become bright, and the morning had come, he dispensed unto them the bread of association, and they stood up in thanksgiving unto Christ, and they rejoiced and were glad.

Then many other people believed, and were added unto them, and came into the refuge of Christ. But the Apostle ceased not to teach and to preach, and he said unto them, "O men and women, and young men and maidens, and aged men and youths, whether ye be bond, or whether ye be free, flee from injustice, and fornication, and the service of the belly, for under these three heads are [grouped] iniquities of every kind. For fornication burneth up the mind, and it darkeneth the 161a. "eyes of the soul, and it maketh the doing of good works by the body to cease, for ye know that a woman turneth the mind of a man away from them, and leadeth him into suffering. And avarice bringeth the soul into fear and shame, and this [vice] it is which dwelleth in the body, and which plundereth the possessions of others, and it is this which thinketh that it should not restore the possessions of others, and it maketh the soul not to give them unto their owners. And the service of the belly cloudeth over the mind, and casteth sorrow into the soul; for it is this [vice] which meditateth whether it will be in need of such and such things, and it asketh for the things which are remote from it, and it wondereth whether it will be saved from the things which are to come, and whether it shall have rest. Therefore ye shall dwell without sorrow and without fear, and this Saviour of Whom I speak shall dwell with you; and ye shall take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

"And remember ye these words which were spoken concerning the ravens in olden time: — 'Look at the birds of heaven, for they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and God feedeth them; how little is the faith which ye have!' But ye must accept Him Who shall come, that is to say, our Lord, in Whom your hope shall be. And believe in His Name, for He shall be the Judge of the living and of the dead, and He shall reward every man according to his work. And at His coming and at His appearance at the last day, there shall be St. Matthew vi. 26; St. Luke xii. 24, 28. "no word which a man can utter that will excuse him, for He shall judge according to the Law, [and it will avail men naught to say that] they did not hear. The word of His preaching is in the four quarters of the world. Understand ye then that which is preached, and believe ye at this present these words, and take upon you the easy yoke and the burden which is light, so that ye may live and not die. Keep ye these things, and confirm yourselves in these commandments, and go forth from the darkness, so that ye may be received into the light. Come ye unto the Good One that ye may receive of His gracious gift, and may fill your souls with the doctrine which is His."

And when the Apostle had said these things, some of those who were standing [there] said unto him, "It is time for those to whom a debt is due to be paid;" and he answered and said unto them, "God always taketh from others so that He may remit [the debt] to him that wisheth [it]; but let us give unto Him that which is meet." And he blessed them, and took bread, and oil, and sheep's flesh(?), and salt, and gave unto them, but he himself continued his fast until the dawn of the Christian Sabbath came. And in the night our Lord came and stood by the Apostle, near his pillow, and said unto him, "Rise up forthwith, O Thomas, and at daybreak, at the time of prayer, go forth along the road which goeth towards the east for a distance of two stages, and there I will shew thee My glory, and because of thy going there shall be many who shall come and take refuge in Me, and the might and mind of the Enemy shall be rebuked." And when he had 148b.

risen up from his slumber he said unto the brethren who were with him, "O my children and brethren, God hath the desire to work miracles and to do wonders by me. But let us pray and entreat Him that there may be no cessation to them through us, but on the contrary, that they may never cease; and now, let it happen unto us according to His counsel and His will." Then having said these words, he laid his hand upon them, and blessed them, and said unto them, "Let this thanksgiving be with you, and mercy, and compassion, and may it not be for judgment;" and they said, Amen.

The miracle of the snake. And the Apostle departed to go forth unto the place whither our Lord had commanded him. And when he had drawn nigh thereto, being about one stage from it, he withdrew a little from the way and saw by chance a young man of very handsome appearance [lying] dead. And the Apostle said unto our Lord, "Was it because of this, O Lord, that Thou didst make me to go forth and come hither, that Thou mightest make me to experience this trial? But, inasmuch as Thou hast sent me, let Thy will be done in this matter." Then he began to pray, saying, "O God, Thou Judge of the quick and of the dead, the quick being those who are standing, and the dead those who are [lying down], Thou God of all, Who art the Father of those who are 205b.

"in the body, and of those who are in the spirit but have departed [from the body], O Lord, Thou art the Judge in this hour, and therefore I cry unto Thee; let me see Thy glory through this [young man] who is here. Then he turned to those who were following him, and said, "The matter is not a light one, but one which the Enemy himself hath performed that he might bring [the young man to him]; but see, he shall not have the power to do it unto any one else, and he shall not do it unto any other man except him that shall be obedient unto him. Now when he had said these words a large snake, which was by the side of a stone, put forth its head and shook it, and its tail was in the earth. And it cried out with a loud voice, saying, "I will declare before thee in the following words the story of the quarrel which I had with this [young man], for," he continued, "I know that thou hast come hither that thou mayest rebuke my deeds. And the Apostle said unto him, "Yea, speak. Then the serpent said, "There was a certain beautiful woman who lived in the village opposite [this place], and because she lived there I saw her, and I loved her, and I followed her, and I watched her;

and I found that this young man was wont to kiss her, and to lie with her, and to work other things with her, which it would be easy for me to declare, but it is not meet for me to reveal them before thee, for I know that thou art the twin of Christ Who doth continually do away our souls. At the time when he was with her I did not slay him, but I watched her until the evening had come, and then I smote him, and killed him, because he was wont to do this thing on the Sabbath of the Christians."

And the Apostle answered and said unto him, "Of what kith and kin art thou?" Then the serpent said, "I am he who moveth and who is moved, and I am an oppressor and have the power to oppress, and I am the son of him who sitteth upon the throne in the heavens, and who gathereth together those belonging unto him who have been avenged. I am the son of him that fettereth the drunken man. I am the kinsman of him who is on the outside of the Ocean, and whose tail is in his mouth. I am he who was born in the Garden, and who dwelt therein, and I came in with Eve, and I held converse with her, and I spake the things which my father commanded me to speak. I am he who incited Cain and made him burn to slay his brother, and because of me the thorn and the thistle sprouted and blossomed on the earth. I am he who made the angels to come down from on high, and I snared them with the lust for women so that the children of earth might arise from them, and I wrought my will [upon them]. I am he who hardened the heart of Pharaoh that he might slay the children of Israel, and make them serve under a cruel yoke. I am he who corrupted the multitudes in the desert when they made the gravenimage. I am he who inflamed Herod, and I incited Caiaphas when [the Jews] made false accusations before Pilate against Him Whom it is meet [I should] worship. I am he who caused Judas to sell Christ and to deliver Him over unto death. I am he who layeth hold upon the depth of the cold, although the Son of God desireth it not. I am he who hath led the way, and whatsoever He hath chosen from me He hath chosen. I am the

EE* 206a. "kinsman of Him Who shall come from the east, and to Whom hath been given the power to do in the earth whatsoever He pleaseth." Now these things did the serpent say whilst all the multitude was listening. And the Apostle answered and said unto him, "Be silent, and [hearken unto] what I shall say unto thee, O abominable one, and thou shalt be put to shame. For the time for thee to be destroyed hath arrived, and thou shalt never "again speak these words wherein thou didst proclaim what thou didst do for those who listened unto thy speech. I command thee in the Name of Jesus Who hath lived until this present, and Who shall live for ever, and because of these chosen men, to suck out and withdraw from this [young man] the poison which thou hast cast into him." And the snake spake again, saying, "The time hath not yet come for [my] destruction as thou sayest, and why wilt thou make me to take [back] that which I have cast into this young man? [Why]

"should I die before my time? For it was [my] father himself who made the poison, and who took it and cast it into the world, and the destruction thereof took place." Then the Apostle said, "Shew me now what thy father made." And the serpent, having drawn nigh, put his mouth into the wound, and in the presence of all the multitude sucked out his poison and, little by little, the appearance of the young man, which was like unto purple, changed and became white even as it had been formerly . Now the serpent became puffed out as he collected within himself the poison which he took from the young man, but the young man leaped up and embraced the feet of the Apostle; and straightway the serpent became filled out full, and he burst asunder, and all his venom and poison were poured out. And the place where the poison was poured out was rent asunder to a great depth in the earth, and the serpent was swallowed up. Then the Apostle commanded the king and his brother, and they brought hirelings and covered over the place, and they laid the foundations, and built upon it houses wherein the poor might dwell.

Then the young man spake unto the Apostle, saying, "In what have I sinned against thee, O thou man, whose grace is twofold? What thou thinkest upon that thou obtainest, and there is nothing impossible unto thee, even as I see [from] this man who is standing by thee. And moreover, he telleth me that I shall see many miracles through thee, and that by thee I shall perform many mighty works, and that I shall fulfil them in such wise that there shall be a reward [unto me], and that many shall be saved by them, and shall attain unto the rest and the light which is for ever, and shall become children of God. Now thou hast given life unto me, a young man who was held fast by the Enemy, and thou hast placed me under thine own protection; thy advent among us was for good, and unto good things thou wilt guide us. I have become free from sorrow and trouble, and I have returned from the darkness into the light. I have rested from the service of the world, and I have been saved from him that would urge me to perform the deeds of error; and I have forsaken him that was born with the darkness, and who would have forced me to commit sin by my acts. But now I have found Him Who will give me light, and Who will be a kinsman 163b.

"and a Redeemer unto me, and He will [cover] our eyes, and will draw those who hearken unto Him that they may have knowledge, and may work, and may be ashamed, and shewing themselves penitent may be saved(?). And now I have seen this deed, which is of the light, and is one which, indeed, cannot be put to shame. I am delivered from this work of darkness and error, and I shall not be put to shame. I have found him who will do good unto me, and who will drive away evil from me, and I have come unto him that is indeed the son and kinsman of the Wonder, Who will dispel the cloud, and illumine the world, and heal our wounds and overthrow hatred of Him. O servant of God, I beseech thee to shew Him again unto me so that I may know Him, and may hear His marvellous voice, which it is impossible to describe, for the music of [His] Person is beyond that of nature."

And the Apostle answered and said unto him, "If thou art saved, and hast placed thy trust as thou hast known how to do, even as thou sayest, Who is he who hath wrought this upon thee, and hath given thee knowledge and testimony? Because thy love is certain unto thee, thou desirest to see Him, and to be with Him for ever, and to abide among His own creatures, and to have thy rest in his joy. And if it be untrue that thou hast fled unto Him for refuge, and if thou hast returned again unto the work which thou didst aforetime, then forsake the beauty of the work of His goodness which hath now appeared unto thee, and the light of His baptism which thou now desirest. And if thou forgettest Him thou shalt lose not only this life which perisheth, but also that which is to come, and thou shalt return to thy former state which is behind thee of which thou speakest. And when the Apostle had thus spoken, he came into the city holding the young man [by the hand, and he was saying unto him all these things: — "[What thou hast seen] are only a few out of many of the things which are with God, and He doth not give you information concerning the things which are seen, but He sheweth you things which are greater.

As long as we belong to the body we are not able to declare and manifest openly the things which He hath prepared for those who believe on Him; and if I would declare unto you the Light [it would be a hard thing for me to do . And if we say unto you that He is rich, since His riches do not appear in this world we can only make mention [thereof] and cannot seek them. For He said, 'It belongeth unto what is difficult if a rich man entereth into the kingdom of heaven.' And it hath been heard and said, 'Those who wear fine raiment are found in the palace.' And because of those who are pure the suppers which we have been wont to take have been spoken and declaimed against, that we might know within ourselves that we must not overload our bodies either with strong drink or with the care of this world. Take not thought for yourselves what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, nor for your bodies [what ye shall put on; for the soul is of more account than the food, and your bodies are of more account than the raiment. If we speak of the pleasure "[which is caused by] a little food, a judgment is waiting thereupon. But we speak concerning Him that is above the world, and concerning God and His Angels, and concerning the saints and those who keep vigil, and

"concerning the way of joy, and concerning the drinking of the wine of the true Vine, and concerning the putting on of apparel which abideth and which groweth not old, which the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, and which it hath not entered into the heart of sinful man to imagine, and which God hath made ready for those who love Him." Of these things we speak, and of such "do we preach. Believe thou then in Him that thou mayest live, that thy hope may be upon Him, and thou mayest not die. For He desireth not a gift, and with a gift He cannot be appeased if thou wouldst give Him [one]; and He asketh not thee to offer up sacrifices unto Him. But put thy trust in Him, and He will not reject thee; and turn unto Him, and He will not forsake thee.

"For His goodness will induce thee to love him, and when thou hast turned unto Him He will never forsake thee." Now when the Apostle had said these things unto the young man, many people came unto him. And the Apostle looked at them, and saw that they were stretching up their heads that they might see him, and that they were going up unto a place which was higher than he was that they might observe him. Then 1 St. Matthew vi. 25. 2 Isaiah lxiv. 4; 1 Corinthians ii. 9.

he said unto them, "O ye men who have come that ye may believe in the works of Christ, henceforth know ye and understand that unless ye raise yourselves a little above the ground ye cannot see me who am a man like unto yourselves. How then will ye be able to see Him Who dwelleth in the height and in the depths unless, first of all, ye withdraw yourselves from your former habits, and from the works wherein there is no benefit? I desire that ye keep yourselves from that wherein there is no profit, and from the riches which perish, and from the possessions which grow old and fall into decay in the earth, and from [fine] apparel, and [from] the flesh which groweth old and decayeth; and moreover, all your bodies also wax old, and are buried in the ground, and become dust, and return to their former state and become ashes. This is the body which worketh! But believe ye, and be baptized in Christ Jesus, Whom we preach, so that He may become your hope. Then shall your life be everlasting, for He shall be your guide in this land of violence, and He shall become unto you a haven amid the billows of the sea. He shall be unto you a fountain of pure water in this land of thirst, and He shall be unto you food in every place, and a resting-place for your souls, and a healing for your bodies."

Then the multitudes of the people who had gathered themselves together wept [when] they heard [these things], and they said unto him, "O man of the God Whom thou preachest, of the God Who is God, it is not meet for us to say that we are His, for the works which we have been wont to do are alien unto Him, and remote from 165a. "Him, and they are not well-pleasing unto Him. But if He will have compassion upon us, and will shew mercy unto us, and will redeem us, and will deliver us from our former works, and from all the evil and from the error wherein we have erred and gone astray, and will neither keep in mind nor remember against us our transgressions of former times, we will conform unto His will, and we will keep His commandments perfectly." Then the Apostle answered and said unto them, "He will neither keep in mind, nor remember against you your transgressions, nor the error wherein ye have lived, and He will not keep beneath His eye the sins which ye have committed."

How an ass spake to the Apostle.

Now whilst the Apostle was standing in that place and talking with the multitude, the colt of an ass came and stood before him; and he opened his mouth, and said unto the Apostle, "O kinsman of Christ, and Apostle of the Most High! Thou art full of the word of Christ, thou art he that knoweth hidden things; thou who wast a free man, like unto the Son of God, didst turn thyself into a slave, even as He did, that thou mightest redeem many; thou who art of noble race didst bind thyself unto an enemy, and didst deliver his chosen one, and didst become the means of life unto many in the country of India; and thou didst come unto the sinful men, who at the appearance of thee and through the voice of God have turned unto the things which God sent thee to teach them. If thou wilt mount and ride upon me thou canst have rest until thou enterest the city. And the Apostle answered and said, "O Jesus, by Whose desire Thy mercy is given for the perfecting of patience, Who speakest by means of animals which speak not, Who 165a. art the hidden rest, and Who art [only] revealed by divers means, our Redeemer and our Nourisher, and our Guardian, Who giveth us rest in the body and salvation unto our souls, sweet spring and pure fountain which never fail, and never become befouled!

Thou art the Merciful One, and Thou art the Helper of those who are Thy servants and who fight for Thee, Thou turnest back the Enemy, and makest him to withdraw from us, and Thou dost wage war on our behalf in many combats, and we overcome [through Thee], Who art indeed [the Athlete] and Angel Who cannot 208b. be overcome, Thou holy, victorious, and glorious God! Thou givest unto Thy chosen ones the joy which never endeth, and the rest which is without labour; Thou didst give Thyself on behalf of Thy sheep, and didst vanquish the wolf, and didst deliver us Who are the sheep of Thy pasture, and Thou dost lead them in the ordinances which are good. Thee we glorify, and Thee we praise, together with Thy Father, Who is invisible, and the Holy Spirit, for Thou art the Righteous One in all the world."

And when the Apostle had said these things unto him, the multitudes who were there were looking at the Apostle and waiting anxiously [to hear] what answer he 165b. would make unto the ass's colt. Then when he had stood for a long time in astonishment, and with his gaze fixed upon heaven, the Apostle said unto him, "Who art thou? Unto whom dost thou belong? For that which hath gone forth from thy mouth is astonishing, and glorious, and thereby many most marvellous and hidden things [are made known]. And the ass's colt answered and said unto him, "I am of the generations of the ass which served Balaam, and upon my father, from whose offspring I have come, did thy Lord and teacher sit. And now, I have been sent unto thee that I might give thee rest, and that thou mightest ride upon me. Then the Apostle believed, and said in his heart, "This is my portion which hath come unto me through thy labour; I will go; rise up. And the Apostle said [unto the ass, "He Who hath given unto thee this gracious gift is able to make it perfect for thee from generation to generation, for the matter is too honourable for me, and I am not meet therefor; and he refused to ride upon the colt of the ass.

Then the colt of the ass asked and entreated the Apostle that he might receive a blessing from him, and he stood still, and the Apostle mounted upon him, and told him [to journey on]. And all the people followed him, some running in front of him, and some behind him, that they might see the conclusion of the matter and how he would leave the colt of the ass. Now when he came to the gates of the city, he threw himself off him, and said unto him, "Go, and take heed where thou goest; and straightway the ass's colt fell down before him and died. And all those who were there were terrified, and said unto the Apostle, "Bring him to life, and raise him up again. Then the Apostle answered and said unto them, "I have the power to raise him up through the might of Jesus Christ, but he is better thus; and He Who gave him a voice to speak with is able to make him not to die and to raise him up again, but He wisheth it not. This state is best for him. And the Apostle commanded those who were standing there to dig a hole and bury the body of the colt of the ass.