LIBRARY
yv T^ eological Seminary,
r, : , / ll^INCETON, N.J.
A I /iooA,
ANTE-NICENE
CHEISTIAN LIBRARY;
TRANSLATIONS OF
THE WRITINGS OF THE FATHERS
DOWN TO A.D. 325.
EDITED BY THE
REV. ALEXANDER ROBERTS, D.D.,
AND
JAMES DONALDSON, LL.D.
VOL. XVI.
APOCEYPHAL GOSPELS, ACTS, AND
EEVELATIONS.
EDINBURGH:
T. & T. CLARK, 3 8, GEORGE STREET.
MDCCCLXXIII.
V
APOCRYPHAL
GOSPELS, ACTS, AND REVELATIONS.
TRANSLATED BY
ALEXANDER WALKER, Esq.,
OXE OF
HER majesty's INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS FOR SCOTLAND.
EDINBURGH:
T. & T. CLARK, 38, GEORGE STREET.
MDCCCLXXin.
PF.IXTED DY MVnr.AY AXD GIBB,
T. k T. CLARK, EDINBURGH.
LONDON",
DTTELIX,
>:ew yoi:k.
HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO,
JOHN' ROBERTSON AND CO.
SCBIBNER AND CO.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Intkoductioit, . . . . . . . vii
The Protevangelium of James, ..... 1
The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, ..... 16
The Gospel of the Nativity of Mart, .... 53
The History of Joseph the Carpenter, . . , . 62
The Gospel of Thomas —
First Greek Form : The Infancy of the Lord, ... 78
Second Greek Form : The Childhood of the Lord, . . 86
Latin Form : The Boyhood of Jesus, .... 90
The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour, . . 100
The Gospel of Nicodemus —
The Acts of Pilate-
First Greek Form, ..... 125
Second Greek Form, . . . , . 149
The Descent of Christ into Hell —
Greek Form, ...... 169
The Acts of Pilate-
Latin Form, . . , . ■ . .177
The Descent of Christ into Hell-
First Latin Version, ..... 198
Second Latin Version, . . . . .213
The Letter of Pontius Pilate, which he wrote to the Roman
Emperor concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, . . 223
The Report of Pilate the Procurator concerning our Lord
Jesus Christ, sent to Rome to Tiberius C^sar —
First Greek Form, ..... 224
Second Greek Form, ..... 228
CONTENTS.
PAGB
The Giving up of Poxtius Pilate, .... 231
The Death of Pilate, ...... 23-i
The Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea, . . . 237
The Avenging of the Saviour, .... 245
The Acts of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, . . 256
The Story of Perpetua, ..... 276
The Acts of Paul and Thecla, ..... 279
The Acts of Barnabas, .... . 293
The Acts of Philip, ...... 301
The Acts of Philip when he went to Upper Hellas, . . 317
The Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Andrew, . 335
The Acts of Andrew and Matthias in the City of the Man-
eaters, ....... 348
The Acts of Peter and Andrew, .... 368
The Acts and Martyrdom of Matthew the Apostle, . . 373
The Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas, . . . 389
The Consummation of Thomas the Apostle, . . . 423
The Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew, 429
The Acts of the Holy Apostle Thadd^us, . . . 440
The Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John, . . 444
The Revelation of Moses, ...... 454
The Revelation of Esdras, ..... 468
The Revelation of Paul, ...... 477
The Revelation of John, ...... 493
The Book of John concerning the Falling Asleep of Mary, . 504
The Passing of Mary —
First Latin Form, ...... 515
Second Latin Form, ...... 522
Indexes —
Texts of Scripture quoted or referred to,
Priueipal Matters,
.531
634
APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS.
not in
INTRODUCTION.
lUR aim in these translations has been to give a
rendering of the original as literal as possible ; and
to this we have adhered even in cases-and they
-^ are not a few— in which the Latin or the Greek is
iiuu iu strict accordance with grammatical rule. It was thought
advisable in all cases to give the reader the means of forming
an accurate estimate of the style as well as the substance of
these curious documents.
PAKT I.— APOCEYPHAL GOSPELS.
The first part of the volume, extending to page 255, com-
prising the Apocryphal Gospels properly so called, consists of
iwent^-two separate documents, of which ten are written m
Greek and twelve in Latin. These twenty-two may be classed
under three heads: {a) those relating to the _ history of Joseph
and of the Virgin Maiy, previous to the birth «^ Christ; (6)
those relating to the infancy of the Saviour ; and (c) those
relating to the history of Pilate. The origines of the traditions
are the Protevangelium of James, the Gospel of Thomas, and
the Acts of Pilate. All or most of the others can be referred
to these three, as compHations, modifications, or amplifications.
There is abundant evidence of the existence of many of these
traditions in the second century, though it cannot be made ou
that any of the books were then in existence m their present
form The greater number of the authorities on the subject,
viu INTRODUCTION.
however, seem to agree in assigning to the first four cen-
turies of the Christian era, the following five books: 1. The
Protevangelium of James ; 2. The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew ;
4. The History of Joseph the Carpenter; 5. The Gospel of
Thomas ; 9. The Gospel of Nicodemus.
We proceed to give a very brief notice of each of them.
I. TJie Protevangelium of James. — The name of Protevan-
gelium was first given to it by Postel, whose Latin version
was published in 1552. The James is usually referred to St.
James the Less, the Lord's brother ; but the titles vary very
much. Origen, in the end of the second century, mentions a
book of James, but it is by no means clear that he refers to
the book in question. Justin Martyr, in two passages, refers
to the cave in which Christ was born ; and from the end of the
fourth century down, there are numerous allusions in ecclesias-
tical writings to statements made in the Protevangelium.
Por his edition Tischendorf made use of seventeen Mss., one
of them belonging to the ninth century. The Greek is good of
the kind, and free from errors and corruptions. There are trans-
lations of it into English by Jones (1722) and Cowper (18G7).
II. The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.— ThQ majority of the mss.
attribute this book to Matthew, though the titles vary much.
The letters prefixed, professing to be ^vritten to and by St.
Jerome, exist in several of the mss. ; but no one who is ac-
quainted with the style of Jerome's letters will think this one
authentic. There are, however, in his works many allusions to
some of the legends mentioned in this book. Chapters i.-xxiv.
were edited by Thilo, chapters xxv. to the end are edited for
the first time by Tischendorf It is not very clear whether the
Latin be original, or a direct translation from the Greek. In
most part it seems to be original. The list of epithets, how-
ever, applied to the triangles of the Alpha in chapter xxxi.
are pretty obviously mistranslations of Greek technical terms,
which it might not be difficult to reproduce.
III. Gospel of the Nativity ofMary.—TMB work, which is in
substance the same as the earlier part of the preceding, yet
INTRODUCTION. ix
differs from it in several important points, indicating a later
date and a different author. It has acquired great celebrity
from having been transferred almost entire to the Historia
Lomhardica or Legenda Aurea in the end of the thirteenth cen-
tury. Mediaeval poetry and sacred art have been very much
indebted to its pages.
The original is in Latin, and is not a direct translation from
the Greek. In many passages it foUows very closely the Vul-
gate translation.
IV. The History of Joseph the Carioenter. — The original lan-
guage of this history is Coptic. From the Coptic it was trans-
lated into Arabic. The Arabic was published by Wallin in
1722, with a Latin translation and copious notes. Wallin's
version has been republished by Fabricius, and later in a some-
what amended form by Thilo. This amended form of Walliri's
version is the text adopted by Tischendorf Chapters xiv.-xxiii.
have been published in the Sahidic text by Zoega in 1810 with
a Latin translation, and more correctly by Dulaurier in 1835
with a French translation.
Tischendorf employs various arguments in support of his
opinion that the work belongs to the fourth century. It is
found, he says, in both dialects of the Coptic : the eschatology
of it is not inconsistent with an early date : the feast of the
thousand years of chapter xxvi. had become part of heretical
opinion after the third century. The death of the Virgin
Mary in chapter v. is inconsistent with the doctrine of the
assumption, which began to prevail in the fifth century.
v., VI., VII. The Gospel of Thomas.— UkQ the Protevange-
lium of James, the Gospel of Thomas is of undoubted anti-
quity. It is mentioned by name by Origen, quoted by Irenseus
and the author of the PhUosophumena, who says that it was
used by the JSTachashenes, a Gnostic sect of the second cen-
tury. Cyril of Jerusalem (f 386) attributes the authorship
not to the apostle, but to a Thomas who was one of the three
disciples of Manes. This fact, of course, indicates that Cyril
knew nothing of the antiquity of the book he was speaking of
This Manichtean origin has been adopted by many writers.
X INTRODUCTION.
of wliom the best known are in recent times E. Simon and
Mingarelli.
The text of the first Greek form is obtained from a Bologna
MS. published by Mingarelli with a Latin translation in 1764,
a Dresden MS. of the sixteenth century edited by Tliilo, a
Viennese fragment edited by Lambecius, and a Parisian fragment
first brought to light by Coteler in his edition of the Aposto-
lical Constitutions, and translated into English by Jones.
The second Greek form is published for the first time by
Tischendorf, who got the MS., which is on paper, of the four-
teenth or fifteenth century, from one of the monasteries on
Mount Sinai.
The Latin form is also published for the first time, from a
Vatican MS. There is another Latin text existing in a palimpsest,
which Tischendorf assigns to the fifth century, and asserts to be
nmch nearer the ancient Greek copy than any of the other MSS.
It seems pretty clear, from the contents of the book, that its
author was a Gnostic, a Docetist, and a Marcosian ; and it was
held in estimation by the Nachashenes and the Manichseans.
Its bearing upon Christian art, and to some extent Christian
dogma, is well known.
The Greek of the original is by no means good, and the
Latin translator has in many cases mistaken the meaning of
common Greek w^ords.
VIII. Arabic Gospel of the Saviour's Infancy. — Chapters
i.-ix. are founded on the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, and
on the Protevangelium of James ; chapters xxxvi. to the end
are compiled from the Gospel of Thomas ; the rest of the book,
chapters x. to xxxv., is thoroughly Oriental in its character,
reminding one of the tales of the Arabian Nights, or of the
episodes in the Golden Ass of Apuleius.
It is evident that the work is a compilation, and that the
compiler was an Oriental. Various arguments are adduced to
prove that the original language of it was Syriac.
It was first published, with a Latin translation and copious
notes, by Professor Sike of Cambridge in 1697, afterwards by
Fabricius, Jones, Schmid, and Thilo. Tischendorf's text is
Sike's Latin version amended by Fleischer.
INTRODUCTION. xi
There are not sufficient data for fixing with any accuracy
the time at which it was composed or compiled.
IX.-XIV. Tlie Gospel of Nicodemus. — The six documents in-
serted under this name are various forms of two books — two
in Greek and one in Latin of the Acts of Pilate ; one in Greek
and two in Latin of the Descent of Christ to the world below.
Of twelve Mss., only two or three give the second part con-
secutively with the first, nor does it so appear in the Coptic
translation. The title of Gospel of Nicodemus does not appear
before the thirteenth century.
Justin Martyr mentions a book called the Acts of Pilate,
and Eusebius informs us that the Emperor Maximin allowed
or ordered a book, composed by the pagans under this title,
to be published in a certain portion of the empire, and even
to be taught in the schools ; but neither of these could have
been the work under consideration.
Tischendorf attributes it to the second century, which is pro-
bably too early, though without doubt the legend was formed by
the end of the second century. Maury {Mem. de la Societe dcs
Antiq. de France, t. xx.) places it in the beginning of the fifth
century, from 405 to 420 ; and Eenan {Etudes d'Hist. Belig. p.
177) concurs in this opinion. An able writer in the Quarterly
Review (vol. cxvi.) assigns it to 439 ; the author of the article
Pilate, in Smith's Bible Dictionary, gives the end of the third
century as the probable date.
The author was probably a Hellenistic Jew converted to
Christianity, or, as Tischendorf and Maury conclude, a Chris-
tian imbued with Judaic and Gnostic beliefs. The original
language was most probably Greek, though, as in the case of
Pseudo-Matthew, the History of Joseph the Carpenter, etc.,
the original language is, in many of the prefaces, stated to
have been Hebrew. Some think that Latin was the original
language, on the ground that Pilate would make his report to
the Emperor in that, the official, language. The Latin text we
have, however, is obviously a translation, made, moreover, by
a man to whom Greek was not very familiar, as is obvious
from several instances specified in our notes to the text.
The editio princeps of the Latin text is without place or date.
xii INTRODUCTION.
and it has been re-edited by Jones, Birch, Fabricius, Thilo, and
others. The Greek text of Part I., and of a portion of Part II.,
was first published by Birch, and afterwards in a much im-
proved form, with the addition of copious notes and prolego-
mena, by Thilo. The latter part of his prolegomena contains
a fuU account of the English, French, Italian, and German
translations. For his edition Tischendorf consulted thirty-nine
ancient documents, of which a full account is given in his pro-
legomena, pp. Ixxi.-lxxvi.
For an interesting account of these documents, see the in-
troduction to Mr. B. H. Cowper's translation of the Apocryphal
Gospels, pp. Ixxxv.-cii.
XV. The Letter of Pontius Pilate. — The text is formed from
four authorities, none of them ancient. A translation of the
Greek text of the same letter will be found at p. 264.
XVI., XVII. The Bcport of Pilate.— ThQ first of these docu-
ments was first published by Fabricius with a Latin transla-
tion ; the second by Birch, and then by Thilo. Tischendorf
has made iise of five mss., the earliest of the twelfth century.
It does not seem possible to assign the date.
XVIII. The Paradosis of Pilate. — It has been well remarked
by the author of the article in the Quarterly Review above
referred to, that the early church looked on Pilate with no
unfavourable eye; that he is favourably shown in the cata-
combs ; that the early fathers interpreted him as a figure of
the early church, and held him to be guiltless of Christ's
death; that the creeds do not condemn him, and the Coptic
Church has even made him a saint. He remarks also that
Dante finds pmiishments for Caiaphas and Annas, but not for
Pilate.
The text was first edited by Birch, and afterwards by Thilo.
Tischendorf makes use of five mss., of which the earliest belongs
to the twelfth century.
XIX. The Death of P?7a^c.— This is published for the first
time by Tischendorf from a Latin MS. of the fourteenth cen-
INTRODUCTION. xiii
tiiry. The language shows it to be of a late date. It appears
almost entire in the Legcnda Aurea.
XX. The Narrative of Joseph. — This history seems to have
been popular in the middle ages, if we may judge from the
number of the Greek MSS. of it which remain.
It was first published by Birch, and after him by Thilo.
For his edition Tischendorf made use of three MSS., of which
the oldest belongs to the twelfth century.
XXI. The Avenging of the Saviour. — This version of the
Legend of Veronica is written in very barbarous Latin, pro-
bably of the seventh or eighth century. An Anglo-Saxon
version, which Tischendorf concludes to be derived from the
Latin, was edited and translated for the Cambridge Antiquarian
Society, by C. W. Goodwin, in 1851. The Anglo-Saxon text
is from a MS. in the Cambridge Library, one of a number
presented to the Cathedral of Exeter by Bishop Leofric in
the beginning of the eleventh century.
The reader will observe that there are in this document two
distinct legends, somewhat clumsily joined together — that of
Nathan's embassy, and that of Veronica.
PART II.— THE APOCRYPHAL ACTS OF THE
APOSTLES.
This portion of the volume, extending from page 256 to page
454, presents us with documents written in a style consider-
ably different from that of the Apocryphal Gospels properly
so caUed. There we have without stint the signs that the
Jews desired; here we begin to have some glimpses of the
wisdom which the Greeks sought after, along with a consider-
able share of
Quidquid Graecia mendax
Audet iu histoiia.
We have less of miracle, more of elaborate discourse. The
Apocryphal Gospels were suited to the vilis -pleleeula, from
xiv INTRODUCTION.
which, as Jerome said, the church originated ; the Apocrjrphal
Acts appeal more to the Academia.
We have in ancient literature, especially Greek literature, a
long series of fabulous histories attached to the names of men
who made themselves famous either in arts or arms. This
taste for the marvellous became general after the expedition
of Alexander ; and from that time down we have numerous
examples of it in the lives of Alexander, of Pythagoras, of
Apollonius of Tyana, of Homer, of Virgil, and others without
number ; and we all know how much fabulous matter is apt
to gather round the names of popular heroes even in modern
times.
It is not to be wondered at, then, that round the names
of Christ and His apostles, who had brought about social
changes greater than those effected by the exploits of any
hero of old, there should gather, as the result of the wondering
awe of simple-minded men, a growth of tlie romantic and the
fabulous.
These stories came at length to form a sort of apostolic cycle,
of which the documents following are portions. They exist
also in a Latin form in the ten books of the Acts of the
Apostles, compiled probably in the sixth century, and falsely
attributed to Abdias, the first bishop of Babylon, by whom it
w^as, of course, written in Hebrew.
We shall now give a brief account of each of the thirteen
documents which make up this part of the volume.
I. The Ads of Peter and Paul. — This book was first pub-
lished in a complete form by Thilo in 1837 and 1838. A
portion of it had already been translated into Latin by the
famous Greek scholar Constantine Lascaris in 1490, and had
been made use of in the celebrated controversy as to the situa-
tion of the island Melita, upon which St. Paul was ship^vrecked.
For his edition Tischendorf collated six MSS., the oldest of the
end of the ninth century.
Some portions at least of the book are of an early date. The
Lomine quo vadis story, p. 275, is referred to by Origen, and
others after him. A book called the Acts of Peter is con-
demned in the decree of Pope Gelasius.
INTRODUCTION. xv
II. Acts of Paul and Thecla. — This book is of undoubted
antiquity. There seems reason to accept the account of it
o-iven by TertuUian, that it was written by an Asiatic pres-
byter in glorification of St. Paul (who, however, unquestion-
ably occupies only a secondary place in it), and in support of
the heretical opinion that women may teach and baptize. It
is expressly mentioned and quoted by a long line of Latin and
Greek fathers. The quotations are inserted in Tischendorf's
Frolegomena, p. xxiv.
The text was first edited in 1698 by Grabe from a Bodleian
MS., republished by Jones in 1726. A blank in the Bodleian
MS. was supplied in 1715 by Thomas Hearne from another
Oxford MS. Tischendorf's text is from a recension of three
Paris Mss., each of the eleventh century.
III. Acts of Barnabas. — This book has more an air of truth
about it than any of the others. There is not much extrava-
gance in the details, and the geography is correct, showing that
the writer knew Cyprus well. It seems to have been written
at aU events before 478, in which year the body of Barnabas is
said to have been found in Cyprus.
Papebroche first edited the book in the Acta Sanctorum in
1698, with a Latin translation. The Vatican MS. which he
used was an imperfect one. Tischendorf's text is from a
Parisian MS. of the end of the ninth century.
IV. Acts of Philip. — A book under this name was condemned
in the decree of Pope Gelasius ; and that the traditions about
Philip were well known from an early date, is evident from
the abundant references to them in ancient documents. The
writings of the Hagiographers also, both Greek and Latin, con-
tain epitomes of Philip's life.
The Greek text, now first published, is a recension of two
MSS., — a Parisian one of the eleventh century, and a Venetian
one. The latter is noticeable, from being superscribed From
the Fifteenth Act to the end, leaving us to infer that we have
only a portion of the book.
V. Acts of Philip in Hellas. — This also is published for the
xvi INTRODUCTION.
first time by Tiscliendorf. It is obviously a later document
than the preceding, though composed in the same style. It is
from a Parisian MS. of the eleventh century.
VI. Acts of Andreiv. — In the decree of Pope Gelasius
(t 496), a book under this name is condemned as apocryphal.
Epiphanius (f 403) states that the Acts of Andrew were in
favour with the Encratites, the Apostolics, and the Origenians ;
Augustine (f 430) mentions that the Acts of the Apostles
written by Leucius Charinus — discipulus didboli, as Pope
Gelasius calls him — were held in estimation by the Manichseans.
The authorship generally is attributed to Leucius by early
writers; Innocentius I. (f 417), however, says that the Acts of
Andrew were composed by the philosophers Nexocharis and
Leonidas. This book is much the same in substance with the
celebrated Preshyterorum et Diaconorum Achaice de martyrio
S. Andrew apostoli epistola encyclica, first edited in Greek by
Woog in 1749, and by him considered to be a genuine writing
of the apostolic age, composed about a.d. 80. Thilo, while
dissenting from this opinion of Woog's, concludes that it is a
fragment from the Acts of Leucius, expurgated of most of its
heresy, and put into its present shape by an orthodox writer.
Cardinals Baronius and BeUarmine assign the epistle to the
apostolic age ; Eabricius thinks it much later.
The probability is that the book was written by Leucius,
following earlier traditions, and that it was afterwards revised
and fitted for general reading by an orthodox hand.
Though some of the traditions mentioned in the book are
referred to by authors of the beginning of the fifth century,
there does not seem to be any undoubted quotation of it before
the eighth and the tenth centuries. Some portions of Pseudo-
Abdias, however, are almost in the words of our Greek Acts.
The text is edited chiefly from two MSS., — the one of the
eleventh, the other of the fourteenth century.
The Greek of the original is good of the kind, and exhibits
considerable rhetorical skill.
VII. Acts of Andrew and Matthias. — Thilo assigns the
authorship of these Acts also to Leucius, and the use of them
INTRODUCTION. xvii
to the Gnostics, ManicliEeans, and other heretics. Pseudo-
Abdias seems to have derived his account of Andrew and
Matthias from the same source. Epiphanius the monk, who
wrote in the tenth century, gives extracts from the history.
There is, besides, an old English — commonly called Anglo-
Saxon — poem, Andrew and Helene, published by Jacob Grimm
in 1840, the argument of which in great part coincides with
that of the Acts of Andrew and Matthias.
There is considerable doubt as to whether it is Matthias or
Matthew that is spoken of. Pseudo-Abdias, followed by all
the Latin %vriters on the subject, calls him Matthew. The
Greek texts hesitate between the two. Tischendorf edits
Matthias, on the authority of his oldest MS. There is also
some discrepancy as to the name of the town. Some MSS.
say Sinope, others Myrmene or Myrna : they generally, how-
ever, coincide in calling it a town of Ethiopia.
Thilo, and Tischendorf after him, made use chiefly of three
MSS., only one of which, of the fifteenth century, contains the
whole book. The oldest is an uncial MS. of about the eighth
century.
The Acts of Peter and Andrew, from the Bodleian MS., are
inserted as an appendix to the Acts of Andrew and Matthias.
VIII. Acts of Mattheio. — This book is edited by Tischendorf
for the first time. It is a much later production than the last,
written in bad Greek, and in a style rendered very cumbrous
by the use of participial phrases.
On the authority of the oldest MS., Matthew, not Matthias,
is the name here. It is probably owing to this confusion
between the names, that there is much uncertainty in the
traditions regarding St. Matthew.
Tischendorf gives, in his Prolegomena, a long extract from
Nicephorus, which shows that he was acquainted with this
book, or something very like it.
The text is edited from two MSS., — a Parisian of the eleventh
century, and a Viennese of a later date.
IX. Acts of Thomas. — The substance of this book is of great
antiquity, and in its original form it was held in great estima-
b
X viii IN TROD UCTION.
tion \)j the heretics of the first and second centuries. The
main heresy which it contained was that the Apostle Thomas
baptized, not with water, but with oil only. It is mentioned
by Epiphanius, Turribius, and Mcephorus, condemned in the
decree of Gelasius, and in the Synopsis of Scripture ascribed to
Athanasius, in which it is placed, along wdth the Acts of Peter,
Acts of John, and other books, among the Antilegomena. St.
Augustine in tliree passages refers to the book in such a way as
to show that he had it in something very like its present form.
Two centuries later, Pseudo-Abdias made a recension of the
book, rejecting the more heretical portions, and adapting it
generally to orthodox use. Photius attributes the authorship
of this document, as of many other apocryphal Acts, to Leucius
Charinus,
The Greek text was first edited, with copious notes and pro-
legomena, by Thilo in 1823. The text from which the present
translation is made is a recension of five Mss., the oldest of the
tenth century,
X, Consummation of TJiomas. — This is properly a portion of
the preceding book, Pseudo-Abdias follows it very closely,
but the Greek of some chapters of his translation or compilation
has not yet been discovered.
The text, edited by Tischendorf for the first time, is from a
MS, of the eleventh century.
XI, Martyrdom of Bartholomew. — This Greek text, now for
the first time edited by Tischendorf, is very similar to the
account of Bartholomew in Pseudo-Abdias, The editor is
inclined to believe, not that the Greek text is a translation of
Abdias, which it probably is, but that both it and Abdias are
derived from the same source, Tischendorf seems inclined to
lay some weight upon the mention made by Abdias of a certain
Crato, said to be a disciple of the Apostles Simon and Judas,
having written a voluminous history of the apostles, which
was translated into Latin by Julius Africanus, The whole
story, however, is absurd. It is very improbable that Julius
Africanus knew any Latin ; it is possible, however, that he may
have compiled some stories of the apostles, that these may have
INTRODUCTION. xix
been translated into Latin, and that Pseudo-Crato and Pseudo-
Abdias may have derived some of their materials from this
source.
The Greek text is edited from a Venetian MS. of the thir-
teenth century.
XII. Acts of Thaddcetis. — This document, of which our text
is the editio princeps, is of some consequence, as giving in
another form the famous letters of Christ to Abgarus. Eusebius
(H. E. i. 13) says he found in the archives of Edessathe letters
viTfitten by their own hands, and that he translated them from
the Syriac. The story of the portrait was a later invention.
It is found in Pseudo-Abdias (x. 1), and with great detail in
Nicephorus {H. K ii. 7). There is considerable variety in the
texts of the letters. They were probably written in Syriac in
the third century by some native of Edessa, who wished to add
to the importance of his city and the antiquity of his church.
See the whole subject discussed in Dr. Cureton's Ancient Syriac
Documents relative to the earliest establishment of Christianity in
Edessa.
The Greek text, which is probably of the sixth or seventh
century, seems, from allusions to the synagogue, the hours of
prayer, the Sabbath-day, etc., to have been written by a Jew.
It is edited from a Paris MS. of the eleventh century, and a
Vienna one of a later date.
XIII. Acts of John. — A book under this title is mentioned by
Eusebius, Epiphanius, Photius, among Greek writers ; Augus-
tine, Philastrius, Innocent I., and Turribius among Latin writers.
The two last named and Photius ascribe the authorship to
Leucius, discipulus diaboli, who got the credit of all these here-
tical brochures. It is not named in the decree of Gelasius.
Augustine {Tractat. 124 in Johannem) relates at length the
story of John going down alive into his grave, and of the fact
of his being alive being shown by his breath stirring about the
dust on the tomb. This story, which has some resemblance to
the Teutonic legend of Barbarossa, is repeated by Photius.
There is a Latin document published by Fabricius, Pseudo-
Melitonis liber de Fassione S. Johannis Evangelistce, which the
XX INTRODUCTION.
author professed to write with the original of Leucius before
his eyes. It has considerable resemblances in some passages
to the present text. The only passages in Pseudo-Abdias that
appear to have any connection with the present document are
those which refer to the apostle's burial.
The text is edited from a Paris MS. of the eleventh century,
and a Vienna one, to which no date is assigned.
It is doubtful whether the narrative part of the Acts of
John be by the same hand as the discourses.
PAET III.— APOCEYPHAL APOCALYPSES.
This portion of the volume, extending from page 454 to the
end, consists of seven documents, four of which are called
Apocalypses by their authors. Of these, the Greek text of
the first three is edited for the first time ; the fourth, the
Apocalypse of John, has appeared before. The fifth, The
Tailing Asleep of Mary, appears for the first time in its Greek
form, and in the first Latin recension of it.
The MSS. of these documents are characterized by extreme
variety of readings ; and in some of them, especially the earlier
portion of the Apocalypse of Esdras, the text is in a very
corrupt state.
I. The Apocalypse of Ifoses. — This document belongs to the
Apocrypha of the Old Testament rather than to that of the
New. We have been unable to find in it any reference to any
Christian writing. In its form, too, it appears to be a portion
of some larger work. Parts of it at least are of an ancient
date, as it is very likely from this source that the writer of
the Gospel of Nicodemus took the celebrated legend of the
Tree of Life and the Oil of Mercy. An account of this legend
will be found in Cowper"s ApocrijpJial Gospels, xcix.-cii. ; in
Maury, Croyances ct Lerjcndes de VAntiquite, p. 294; in Eenan's
commentary to the Syriac text of the Penitence of Adam, edited
and translated by Eenan in the Journal Asiatique for 1853.
There appeared a poetical rendering of the legend in Black-
wood's Magazine ten or twelve years ago.
INTRODUCTION. xxi
Tischendorf s text is made from four MSS. : A, a Venice MS.
of the thirteenth century ; B and C, Vienna MSS. of the thir-
teenth and twelfth centuries respectively ; and D, a Milan MS.
of about the eleventh century.
II. Tlie Apocalypse of Esdras. — This book is a weak imita-
tion of the apocryphal fourth book of Esdras. Thilo, in his
prolegomena to the Acts of Thomas, p. Ixxxii., mentions it,
and doubts whether it be the fourth book of Esdras or not.
Portions of it were published by Dr. Hase of the Paris Library,
and it was then seen that it was a different production. The
MS. is of about the fifteenth century, and in the earlier portions
very difficult to read.
III. The Apocalypse of Paul. — There are two apocryphal
books bearing the name of Paul mentioned by ancient writers :
The Ascension of Paul, adopted by the Cainites and the
Gnostics ; and the Apocalypse of Paul, spoken of by Augus-
tine and Sozomen, There seems to be no doubt that the pre-
sent text, discovered by Tischendorf in 1843, and published by
him in 1866, is the book mentioned by Augustine and Sozo-
men. It is referred to by numerous authorities, one of whom,
however, ascribes it to the heretic Paul of Samosata, the founder
of the sect of the Paulicians.
There appear to be versions of it in Coptic, Syriac, and
Arabic. One of the Syriac versions, from an Urumiyeh MS.,
was translated into English by an American missionary in
1864. This translation, or the greater portion of it, is printed
by Tischendorf along with his edition of the text.
Tischendorf, upon what seems to be pretty good evidence,
ascribes it to the year 380. It is from a Milan MS. of not
earlier than the fifteenth century. There is another MS. two
centuries older ; but they both seem to be copied from the same
original. The Syriac seems to be later than the Greek, and,
accordiog to Eastern fashion, fuUer in details.
IV. The Ap>ocalypse of John. — In the scholia to the Grammar
of Dionysius the Thracian, ascribed to the ninth century, im-
mediately after the ascription of the Apocalypse of Paul to
xxii INTRODUCTION.
Paul of Samosata, there occurs the following statement : ' And
there is another called the Apocalypse of John the Theologian.
We do not speak of that in the island of Patmos, God forbid,
for it is most true ; but of a supposititious and spurious one/
This is the oldest reference to this Apocalypse. Asseman says
he found the book in Arabic in three mss.
The document was first edited by Birch in 1804, from a
Vatican MS., collated with a Vienna MS. For his edition
Tischendorf collated other five mss., two of Paris, three of
Vienna, of from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centiu-y.
Of other Apocalypses, Tischendorf in his Prolegomena gives
an abstract of the Apocalypse of Peter, the Apocalypse of
Bartholomew, the Apocalypse of Mary, and the Apocalypse of
Daniel. The Apocalypse of Peter professes to be written by
Clement. There is an Arabic MS; of it in the Bodleian Library.
It is called the Perfect Book, or the Book of Perfection, and
consists of eighty-nine chapters, comprising a history of the
world as revealed to Peter, from the foundation of the world to
the appearing of Antichrist.
The Apocalypse of Bartholomew, from a MS. in the Paris
Library, was edited and translated by Dulaurier in 1835. The
translation appears in Tischendorf s Prolegomena.
The Apocalypse of Mary, containing her descent to the
lower world, appears in several Greek MSS. It is of a late date,
the work of some monk of the middle ages.
The Apocalypse of Daniel, otherwise called the Eevelation
of the Prophet Daniel about the consummation of the world, is
also of a late date. About the half of the Greek text is given
in the Prolegomena. We have not thought it necessary to
translate it.
v., VI., VII. The Assumption of Mary. — It is' somewhat
strange that the Greek text of this book, which has been trans-
lated into several languages both of the East and the West,
is edited by Tischendorf for the first time. He assigns it to
a date not later than the fourth century. A book under this
title is condemned in the decree of Gelasius. The author of
the Second Latin Form (see p. 522, note), writing under the
name of Melito, ascribes the authorship of a treatise on the
INTRODUCTION. xxiii
same subject to Leucius. This, however, cannot be the book
so ascribed to Leucius, as Pseudo-Melito affirms that his book,
which is in substance the same as the Greek text, was written
to condemn Leucius' heresies.
There are translations or recensions of our text in Syriac,
Sahidic, and Arabic. The Syriac was edited and translated
by Wright in 1865, in his Contributions to the Apocryphal
Literature of the New Testament. Another recension of it was
published in the Journal of Sacred Literature for January and
April 1864. An Arabic version of it, resembling more the
Syriac than the Greek or Latin, was edited and translated by
Enger in 1854, The Sahidic recension, published and trans-
lated by Zoega and Dulaurier, is considerably different from
our present texts. The numerous Latin recensions also differ
considerably from each other, as will be seen from a comparison
of the First Latin Form with the Second. They are all, how-
ever, from the same source, and that probably the Greek text
which we have translated. The Greek texts, again, exhibit
considerable variations, especially in the latter portions.
In the end of the seventh century, John Archbishop of
Thessalonica wrote a discourse on the falling asleep of Mary,
mainly derived from the book of Pseudo-John; and in some
MSS. this treatise of John of Thessalonica is ascribed to John
the Apostle. Epiphanius, however, makes distinctive mention
of both treatises.
For his edition of the Greek text, Tischendorf made use of
five MSS., the oldest of the eleventh century.
The First Latin Form is edited from three Italian mss., the
oldest of the thirteenth century.
The Second Latin Form, which has been previously published
elsewhere, is from a Venetian MS. of the fourteenth century.
We have now concluded our notices, compiled chiefly from
Tischendorf 's Prolegomena, of the Apocryphal Literature of the
New Testament.
While these documents are of considerable interest and
value, as giving evidence of a widespread feeling in early
times of the importance of the events which form the basis of
our belief, and as affording us curious glimpses of the state of
xxiv INTRODUCTION.
the Christian conscience, and of modes of Christian thought,
in the first centuries of our era, the predominant impression
which they leave on our minds is a profound sense of the
immeasurable superiority, the unapproachable simplicity and
majesty, of the Canonical Writings.
St. Andrews, 26<A March 1870.
THE PROTEYANGELIUM OF JAMES.
THE BIRTH OF MARY THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, AND VERY
GLORIOUS MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST.
N the records of the twelve tribes of Israel was
Joachim, a man rich exceedingly ; and he brought
his offerings double/ saying : There shall be of my
superabundance to all the people, and there shaU be
the offering for my forgiveness ^ to the Lord for a propitiation
for me.' For the great day of the Lord was at hand, and the
sons of Israel were bringing their offerings. And there stood
over against him Eubim, saying : It is not meet for thee first
to bring thine offerings, because thou hast not made seed in
Israel."* And Joachim was exceedingly grieved, and went away
to the registers of the twelve tribes of the people, saying: I
shall see the registers of the twelve tribes of Israel, as to
whether I alone have not made seed in Israel. And he searched,
and found that all the righteous had raised up seed in Israel.
And he called to mind the patriarch Abraham, that in the last
day^ God gave him a son Isaac. And Joacliim was exceedingly
grieved, and did not come into the presence of his wife ; but he
' Susanna i. 4.
2 The readings vary, and the sense is doubtful. Thilo thinks that the sense
is : What I ofEer over and above what the law requires is for the benefit of the
■whole people ; but the offering I make for my oWn forgiveness (according to
the law's requirements) shall be to the Lord, that He may be rendered merciful
to me.
3 The Church of Eome appoints March 20 as the Feast of St. Joachim. His
liberality is commemorated in the prayers, and the lessons to be read are Wisd.
xxxi. and Matt. i.
* 1 Sam. i. 6, 7 ; Hos. ix. 14.
• * Another reading is : In his last davs.
2 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
retired to the desert,^ and there pitched his tent, and fasted forty
days and forty nights/ saying in liimself : I will not go down
either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall look
upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink.
2. And his wife Anna^ mourned in two mournings, and
lamented in two lamentations, saying: I shall bewail my widow-
hood ; I shall bewail my childlessness. And the great day of
the Lord was at hand ; and Judith * her maid-servant said :
How long dost thou humiliate thy soul? Behold, the great
day of the Lord is at hand, and it is unlawful for thee to
mourn. But take this head-band, which the woman that made
it gave to me; for it is not proper that I should wear it, because
I am a maid-servant, and it has a royal appearance.^ And
Anna said : Depart from me ; for I have not done such things,
and the Lord has brought me very low. I fear that some
wicked person has given it to thee, and thou hast come to make
me a sharer in thy sin. And Judith said : Why should I curse
thee, seeing that^ the Lord hatli shut thy womb, so as not to
give thee fruit in Israel ? And Anna was grieved exceedingly,
and put off her garments of mourning, and cleaned her head,
and put on her wedding garments, and about the ninth hour
went down to the garden to walk. And she saw a laurel, and
sat under it, and prayed to the Lord, saying: 0 God of our
fathers, bless me and hear my prayer, as Thou didst bless the
womb of Sarah, and didst give her a son Isaac'
3. And gazing towards the heaven, she saw a sparrow's nest
in the laurel,^ and made a lamentation in herself, saying: Alas !
who begot me ? and what womb produced me ? because I have
become a curse in the presence of the sons of Israel, and I have
been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out of
the temple of the Lord. Alas ! to what have I been likened ?
1 Another reading is : Into the hill-country.
^ Moses : Ex. xxiv. 18, xxxiv. 28 ; Deut. ix. 9. Elijah : 1 Kings xix. S.
Christ : Matt. iv. 2.
3 The 26th ot July is the Feast of St. Anna in the Church of Eome.
■^ Other forms of the name are Juth, Juthin.
^ Some Mss. have : For I am thy maid-servant, and thou hast a regal appear-
ance.
'* Several mss. insert : Thou hast not listened to my voice ; for.
1 Cf. 1 Sam. i. 9-18. s Tobit ii. 10.
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES. 3
I am not like the fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls
of the heaven are productive before Thee, 0 Lord. Alas ! to
what have I been likened ? I am not like the beasts of the
earth, because even the beasts of the earth are productive be-
fore Thee, 0 Lord. Alas ! to what have I been likened ? I
am not like these waters, because even these waters are pro-
ductive before Thee, 0 Lord. Alas ! to what have I been
likened ? I am not like this earth, because even the earth
bringeth forth its fruits in season, and blesseth Thee, 0 Lord.-^
4. And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, saying: Anna,
Anna, the Lord hath heard thy prayer, and thou shalt conceive,
and shalt bring forth ; and thy seed shall be spoken of in all the
world. And Anna said : As the Lord my God liveth, if I beget
either male or female, I wiU bring it as a gift to the Lord my
God ; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days
of its lile.^ And, behold, two angels came, saying to her : Be-
hold, Joachim thy husband is coming with his flocks.^ For an
angel of the Lord went down to him, saying : Joachim, Joachim,
the Lord God hath heard thy prayer. Go down hence ; for, be-
hold, thy wife Anna shall conceive. And Joachim went dow^n
and called his shepherds, saying: Bring me hither ten she-lambs
without spot or blemish, and they shall be for the Lord my God;
and bring me twelve tender calves, and they shall be for the
priests and the elders ; and a hundred goats for aU the people.
And, behold, Joachim came with his flocks ; and Anna stood
by the gate, and saw Joachim coming, and she ran and hung
upon his neck, saying : Now I know that the Lord God hath
blessed me exceedingly ; for, behold, the widow no longer a
widow, and I the childless shall conceive. And Joachim
rested the first day in his house.
5. And on the following day he brought his offerings, saying
in himself: If the Lord God has been rendered gracious to me,
the plate* on the priest's forehead will make it manifest to me.
1 Many of the Mss. here add : Alas ! to what have I been likened ? I am
not like the waves of the sea, because even the waves of the sea, in calm and
storm, and the fishes in them, bless Thee, 0 Lord.
2 1 Sam. i. 11.
^ One of the mss. : With his shepherds, and sheep, and goats, and oxen.
* Ex. xxviii. 32. For traditions about the petalon, see Euseb. B. E. ii. 23,
iiL 31, V. 24 ; Epiph. Har. 78.
4 THE ArOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
And Joacliim brought his offerings, and observed attentively
the priest's plate when he M^ent up to the altar of the Lord, and
he saw no sin in himself. And Joachim said : Now I know
that the Lord has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all
my sins. And he went down from the temple of the Lord
justified, and departed to his own house. And her months
were fulfilled, and in the ninth ^ month Anna brought forth.
And she said to the midwife : What have I brought forth ? and
she said : A girl. And said Anna : My soul has been magnified
this day. And she laid her down. And the days having been
fulfilled, Anna was purified, and gave the breast to the child,
and^ called her name Mary.
6. And the child grew strong day by day ; and when she
was six ® months old, her mother set her on the ground to try
whether she could stand, and she walked seven steps and came
into her bosom ; and she snatched her up, saying : As the Lord
my God liveth, thou shalt not walk on this earth until I bring
thee into the temple of the Lord. And she made a sanctuary
in her bed-chamber, and allowed nothing common or unclean
to pass through her. And she called the undefiled daughters
of the Hebrews, and they led her astray.* And when she was
a year old, Joachim made a great feast, and invited the priests,
and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel.
And Joachim brought the child to the priests ; and they blessed
her, saying: 0 God of our fathers, bless this child, and give
her an everlasting name to be named in all generations. And
all the people said : So be it, so be it, amen. And he brought
her to the chief priests ; and they blessed her, saying : 0 God
most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost
blessing, which shall be for ever. And her mother snatched
her up, and took her into the sanctuary of her bed-chamber,
and gave her the breast. And Anna made a song to the Lord
God, saying : I will sing a song to the Lord my God, for He
hath looked upon me, and hath taken away the reproach of
mine enemies ; and the Lord hath given me the fruit of His
1 Various readings are : Sixth, seventh, eighth.
^ One of the mss. inserts : On the eighth day.
3 One of the Mss. has nine.
* This is the reading of most mss. ; but it is difficult to see any sense in it
One MS. reads : They attended on her. Fabricius proposed : They bathed her.
7 HE PROTE VA NGELI UM OF J A MES. 5
rigliteousness, singular in its kind, and richly endowed before
Him. Who will tell the sons of Eubim that Anna gives suck ?
Hear, hear, ye twelve tribes of Israel, that Anna gives suck.
And she laid her to rest in the bed-chamber of her sanctuary,
and went out and ministered unto them. And when the suj^per
was ended, they went down rejoicing, and glorifying the God
of Israel.^
7. And her months were added to the child. And the child
was two years old, and Joachim said : Let us take her up to
the temple of the Lord, that we may pay the vow that we have
vowed, lest perchance the Lord send to us,^ and our offering
be not received. And Anna said: Let us wait for the third
year, in order that the child may not seek for father or mother.
And Joachim said : So let us wait. And the child was three
years old, and Joachim said : Invite the daughters of the
Hebrews that are undefiled, and let them take each a lamp,
and let them stand with the lamps burnmg, that the child may
not turn back, and her heart be captivated from the temple of
the Lord. And they did so until they went up into the temple
of the Lord. And the priest received her, and kissed her, and
blessed her, saying : The Lord has magnified thy name in all
generations. In thee, on the last of the days, the Lord will
manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel. And he set her
down upon the third step of the altar, and the Lord God sent
grace upon her ; and she danced with her feet, and aU the house
of Israel loved her.
8. And her parents went down marvelling, and praising the
Lord God, because the child had not turned back. And Mary
was in the temple of the Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt
there, and she received food from the hand of an angel. And
when she was twelve ^ years old there was held a council of the
priests, saying: Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve
years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with
1 Two of the Mss. add : And tliey gave her the name of Mary, because her
name shall not fade for ever. This derivation of the name — from the root mar,
fade — is one of a dozen or so.
2 This is taken to mean : Send some one to us to warn us that we have been
too long in paying our vow. One Ms. reads, lest the Lord depart from us ;
another, lest the Lord move away from us.
2 Or, fourteen. Postel's Latin version has ten.
6 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
lier, lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord ? And
they said to the high priest : Thou standest by the altar of the
Lord ; go in, and pray concerning her ; and whatever the Lord
shall manifest unto thee, that also will we do. And the high
priest went in, taking the robe ^ with the twelve bells into the
holy of holies ; and he prayed concerning her. And behold an
angel of the Lord stood by him, saying unto him : Zacharias,
Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and
let them bring each his rod ; and to whomsoever the Lord shall
show a sign, his wife shall she be. And the heralds went out
through all the circuit of Judea, and the trumpet of the Lord
sounded, and all ran.
9. And Joseph, throwing away his axe, went out to meet
them ; and when they had assembled, they went away to the
high priest, taking with them their rods. And he, taking the
rods of all of them, entered into the temple, and prayed ; and
having ended his prayer, he took the rods and came out, and
gave them to them : but there was no sign in them, and Joseph
took his rod last ; and, behold, a dove came out of the rod, and
flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, Thou
hast been chosen by lot to take into thy keeping the virgin of
the Lord. But Joseph refused, saying : I have children, and I
am an old man, and she is a young girl. I am afraid lest I
become a laughing-stock to the sons of Israel. And the priest
said to Joseph : Fear the Lord thy God, and remember what
the Lord did to Dathan, and Abiram, and Korah ; ^ how the
earth opened, and they were swallowed up on account of their
contradiction. And now fear, 0 Joseph, lest the same things
happen in thy house. And Joseph was afraid, and took her
into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary : Behold, I have
received thee from the temple of the Lord ; and now I leave
thee in my house, and go away to build my buildings, and I
shall come to thee. The Lord will protect thee.
10. And there was a council of tlie priests, saying: Let us
make a veil for the temple of the Lord. And the priest said :
Call to me undefiled virgins of the family of David. And the
officers went away, and sought, and found seven virgins. And
the priest remembered the child Mary, that she was of the
' Ex. xxviii. 28 ; Sirach xlv. 9 ; Justin, Tryph. xlii. ^ ]Nfum. xvi. 31.
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES. 7
family of David, and undefiled before God. And the officers
went away and brought her. And they brought them into the
temple of the Lord. And the priest said : Choose for me by
lot who shall spin the gold, and the white,^ and the fine linen,
and the silk, and the blue,^ and the scarlet, and the true
purple.^ And the true purple and the scarlet fell to the lot of
Mar}'-, and she took them, and went away to her house. And
at that time Zacharias was dumb, and Samuel was in his place
until the time that Zacharias spake. And Mary took the
scarlet, and span it.
11. And she took the pitcher, and went out to fill it with
water. And, behold, a voice saying : Hail, thou who hast re-
ceived grace ; the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among
women !* And she looked round, on the right hand and on
the left, to see whence this voice came. And she went away,
trembling, to her house, and put down the pitcher ; and taking
the purple, she sat down on her seat, and drew it out. And,
behold, an angel of the Lord stood before her, saying : Fear not,
Mary ; for thou hast found grace before the Lord of all, and
thou shalt conceive, according to His word. And she hearing,
reasoned with herself, saying : Shall I conceive by the Lord, the
living God ? and shall I bring forth as every woman brings
forth ? And the angel of the Lord said : Not so, Mary ; for
the power of the Lord shall overshadow thee : wherefore also
that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of the Most High. And thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. And Mary said :
Behold, the servant of the Lord before His face : let it be unto
me according to thy word.
12. And she made the purple and the scarlet, and took them
to the priest. And the priest blessed her, and said : Mary, the
Lord God hath magnified thy name, and thou shalt be blessed
in all the generations of the earth. And Mary, with great joy,
went away to Elizabeth her kinswoman,' and knocked at the
door. And when Elizabeth heard her, she threw away the
• Lit., undefiled. It is difficult to say what colour is meant, or if it is a
colour at aU. The word is once used to mean the sea, but with no reference to
colour. It is also the name of a stone of a greenish hue.
2 Lit., hyacinth. 3 Ex. xxv. 4. * Luke i. 28. 5 Luke i. 39.
8 THE APOCliYPIIAL GOSPELS.
scarlet/ and ran to the door, and opened it ; and seeing Mary,
she blessed her, and said: Whence is this to me, that the mother
of my Lord should come to me ? for, behold, that which is in
me leaped and blessed thee.^ But Mary had forgotten the
mysteries of which the archangel Gabriel had spoken, and
gazed up into heaven, and said : Who am I, 0 Lord, that all
the generations of the earth should bless me ?^ And she re-
mained three months with Elizabeth ; and day by day she grew
bigger. And Mary being afraid, went away to her own house,
and hid herself from the sons of Israel. And she was sixteen*
years old when these mysteries happened,
13. And she was in her sixth month; and, behold, Joseph
came back from his building, and, entering into his house, he
discovered that she was big with child. And he smote* his
face,^ and threw himself on the ground upon the sackcloth, and
wept bitterly, saying : With what face shall I look upon the
Lord my God ? and what prayer shall I make about this
maiden ? because I received her a virgin out of the temple of
the Lord, and I have not watched over her. Who is it that
has hunted me^ down ? Wlio has done this evil thing in my
house, and defiled the virgin ? Has not the history of Adam
been repeated in me ? Tor just as Adam was in the hour of his
singmg praise," and the serpent came, and found Eve alone,
"and completely deceived her, so it has happened to me also.
And Joseph stood up from the sackcloth, and called Mary,
and said to her : O thou who hast been cared for by God,
why hast thou done this, and forgotten the Lord thy God ?
Why hast thou brought low thy soul, thou that wast brought
up in the holy of hohes, and that didst receive food from
the hand of an angel ? And she wept bitterly, saying : I
am innocent, and have known no man. And Joseph said to
her : Whence then is that which is in thy womb ? And she
^ Other readings are : the wool — what she had in her liand.
"" Luke i. 43. ^ L^ke i. 56.
■• Six Mss. \\a.we sixteen ; one, fourteen ; two, f /teen ; and one, seventeen.
^ The Latin translation has hung down.
6 Ezek. xxi. 12 ; Jer. xxxi. 19.
7 Two MSS. : her.
* Another reading is : As Adam was in Pai-adise, and in the hour of the sing-
ing of praise (doxology) to God was with the angels, the serpent, etc.
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES. 9
said : As the Lord my God liveth, I do not know whence it is
to me.
1 4. And Joseph was greatly afraid, and retired from her, and
considered what he should do in regard to her.^ And Joseph
said: If I conceal her sin, I find myself fighting against the
law of the Lord ; and if I expose her to the sons of Israel, I am
afraid lest that which is in. her be from an angel,^ and I shall
be found giving up innocent blood to the doom of death. What
then shall I do with her ? I will put her away from me
secretly. And night came upon him ; and, behold, an angel of
the Lord appears to him in a dream, saying : Be not afraid for
this maiden, for that which is in her is of the Holy Spirit ; and
she wiU bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins.^ And Joseph
arose from sleep, and glorified the God of Israel, who had given
him this grace ; and he kept her.
15. And Annas the scribe came to him, and said : Why hast
thou not appeared in our assembly ? And Joseph said to him :
Because I was weary from my journey, and rested the first day.
And he turned, and saw that Mary was with child. And he
ran away to the priest,^ and said to him : Joseph, whom thou
didst vouch for, has committed a grievous crime. And the
priest said : How so ? And he said : He has defiled the virgin
whom he received out of the temple of the Lord, and has
married her by stealth, and has not revealed it to the sons of
Israel. And the priest answering, said : Has Joseph done this ?
Then said Annas the scribe : Send officers, and thou wilt find
the virgin with child. And the officers went away, and found
it as he had said ; and they brought her along with Joseph to
the tribunal. And the priest said : Mary, why hast thou done
this ? and why hast thou brought thy soul low, and forgotten
the Lord thy God ? Thou that wast reared in the holy of
holies, and that didst receive food from the hand of an angel,
and didst hear the hymns, and didst dance before Him, why
hast thou done this ? And she wept bitterly, saying : As the
1 Matt. i. 18.
2 Lit., angelic; one MS. has holy ; the Latin translation, following a slightly
different reading, that it would not he /air to her.
3 Matt. i. 20. * Three Mss. have high priest.
10 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Lord my God liveth, I am pure before Him, and know not a
man. And the priest said to Joseph : Why hast thou done
this ? And Joseph said : As the Lord liveth, I am pure con-
cerning her. Then said the priest : Bear not false witness, but
speak the truth. Thou hast married her by stealth, and hast
not revealed it to the sons of Israel, and hast not bowed thy
head under the strong hand, that thy seed might be blessed.
And Joseph was silent.
16. And the priest said: Give up the virgin whom thou didst
receive out of the temple of the Lord. And Joseph burst into
tears. And the priest said : I will give you to drink of the
water of the ordeal of the Lord,^ and He shall make manifest
your sins in your eyes. And the priest took the water, and
gave Joseph to drink, and sent him away to the hill-country ;
and he returned unhurt. And he gave to Mary also to drink,
and sent her away to the hill-country ; and she returned unhurt.
And all the people wondered that sin did not appear in them.
And the priest said : If the Lord God has not made manifest
your sins, neither do I judge you. And he sent them away.
And Joseph took Mary, and went away to his own house, re-
joicing and glorifying the God of Israel.
1 7. And there was an order from the Emperor Augustus, that
all in Bethlehem of Judea should be enrolled.^ And Joseph
said: I shall enrol my sons, but what shall I do with this
maiden ? How shall I enrol her ? As my wife ? I am ashamed.
As my daughter then ? But all the sons of Israel laiow that
she is not my daughter. The day of the Lord shall itself bring
it to pass^ as the Lord will. And he saddled the ass, and set
her upon it ; and his son led it, and Joseph followed.* And
when they had come within three miles, Joseph turned and
saw her sorrowful ; and he said to himself : Likely that which
is in her distresses her. And again Joseph turned and saw her
laughing. And he said to her : Mary, how is it that I see in
thy face at one time laughter, at another sorrow ? And Mary
said to Joseph : Because I see two peoples with my eyes ; the
' Num. V. 11. 2 i^^xte ii. 1.
•* Or : On this day of the Lord I will do, etc.
* Another reading is : And his son Samuel led it, and James and Simon
followed.
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES. 11
one weeping and lamenting, and the other rejoicing and exult-
ing. And they came into the middle of the road, and Mary-
said to him : Take me down from off the ass, for that which is
in me presses to come forth. And he took her down from off
the ass, and said to her : Whither shall I lead thee, and cover
thy disgrace ? for the place is desert.
18. And he found a cave^ there, and led her into it; and
leaving his two sons beside her, he went out to seek a midwife
in the district of Bethlehem.
And I Joseph was walking, and was not walking ; and I
looked up into the sky, and saw the sky astonished; and I
looked up to the pole of the heavens, and saw it standing, and
the bh'ds of the air keeping still. And I looked down upon
the earth, and saw a trough lying, and work-people reclining :
and their hands were in the trough. And those that were
eating did not eat, and those that were rising did not carry it
up, and those that were conveying anything to their mouths
did not convey it ; but the faces of all were looking upwards.
And I saw the sheep walking, and the sheep stood still ; and
the shepherd raised his hand to strike them, and his hand re-
mained up. And I looked upon the current of the river, and
I saw the mouths of the kids resting on the water and not
drinking, and all things in a moment were driven from their
course.
19. And I saw a woman coming down from the hill-country,
and she said to me : 0 man, whither art thou going ? And I
said : I am seeking an Hebrew midwife. And she answered
and said unto me: Art thou of Israel? And I said to her: Yes.
And she said : And who is it that is bringing forth in the cave ?
And I said : A woman betrothed to me. And she said to me :
Is she not thy wife ? And I said to her : It is Mary that was
reared in the temple of the Lord, and I obtained her by lot as
1 BetUehem . . . Tised to be overshadowed by agi-ove of Thammuz, i.e.
Adonis ; and in the cave where Christ formerly wailed as an infant, they used
to mourn for the beloved of Venus {Jerome to Paulhius). In his letter to
Sabinianus the cave is repeatedly mentioned : "That cave in which the Son of
God was born;" "that venerable cave," etc., "within the door of what was
once the Lord's manger, now the altar." "Then you run to the place of the
shepherds." There appears also to have been above the altar the iigure of au
angel, or angels. See also Justin, Ti-yph. 78.
12 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
my Avife. And yet she is not my wife, but has conceived of
the Holy Spirit.
And the midwife said to him : Is this true ? And Joseph
said to her : Come and see. And the midwife went away with
him. And they stood in the place of the cave, and behold a
luminous cloud overshadowed the cave. And the midwife said:
My soul has been magnified this day, because mine eyes have
seen strange things — because salvation has been brought forth
to Israel. And immediately the cloud disappeared out of the
cave, and a great light shone in the cave, so that the eyes could
not bear it. And in a little that light gradually decreased, until
the infant appeared, and went and took the breast from his
mother Mary. And the midwife cried out, and said : This is a
great day to me, because I have seen this strange sight. And
the midwife went forth out of the cave, and Salome met her.
And she said to her : Salome, Salome, I have a strange sight to
relate to thee : a virgin has brought forth — a thing which her
nature admits not of Then said Salome: As the Lord my
God liveth, unless I thrust in my finger, and search the parts
I will not believe that a virgin has brought forth,
20. And the midwife went in, and said to ]\Iary : Show thy-
self; for no small controversy has arisen about thee. And
Salome put in her finger, and cried out, and said : Woe is me
for mine iniquity and mine unbelief, because I have tempted
the living God; and, behold, my hand is dropping off as if
burned with fire. And she bent her knees before the Lord,
saying : 0 God of my fathers, remember that I am the seed of
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob ; do not make a show of me to
the sons of Israel, but restore me to the poor; for Thou knowest,
0 Lord, that in Thy name I have performed my services, and
that I have received my reward at Thy hand. And, behold, an
angel of the Lord stood by her, saying to her : Salome, Salome,
the Lord hath heard thee. Put thy hand to the infant, and
carry it, and thou wilt have safety and joy. And Salome went
and carried it, saying : I will worship Him, because a great King
has been born to Israel. And, behold, Salome was immediately
cured, and she went forth out of the cave justified. And be-
hold a voice saying : Salome, Salome, tell not the strange things
thou hast seen, until the child has come into Jerusalem.
THE PROTEVANGELIUM OF JAMES. 13
21, And, behold, Joseph was ready to go into Judea. And
there was a great commotion in Bethlehem of Judea, for Magi
came, saying : Where is he that is born king of the Jews ? for
we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship
him. And when Herod heard, he was much disturbed, and
sent officers to the Magi. And he sent for the priests, and
examined them,. saying: How is it written about the Christ?
where is He to be born ? And they said : In Bethlehem of
Judea, for so it is written.^ And he sent them away. And he
examined the ]\Iagi, saying to them : What sign have you seen
in reference to the king that has been bom ? And the Magi
said : We have seen a star of great size shining among these
stars, and obscuring their light, so that the stars did not appear;
and we thus knew that a king has been bom to Israel, and we
have come to worship him. And Herod said: Go and seek
him ; and if you find him, let me know, in order that I also
may go and worship him. And the Magi went out. And,
behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before
them until they came to the cave, and it stood over the top
of the cave. And the Magi saw the infant with His mother
Mary ; and they brought forth from their bag gold, and frank-
incense, and myrrh. And having been warned by the angel
not to go into Judea, they went into their own country by
another road.^
22. And when Herod knew that he had been mocked by the
Magi, in a rage he sent murderers, saying to them : Slay the
children* from two years old and under. And Mary, having
heard that the children were being killed, was afraid, and took
the infant and swaddled Him, and put Him into an ox-stall.
And Elizabeth, having heard that they were searching for John,
took him and went up into the hiU-country, and kept looking
where to conceal him. And there was no place of conceal-
ment. And Elizabeth, groaning with a loud voice, says : 0
mountain of God, receive mother and child. And imme-
diately the mountain was cleft, and received her. And a light
' Two Mss. here add : And tliou Betlileliem, etc., from Mic. v. 2.
' Matt. ii. 1-12. One of the mss. here adds Matt. ii. 13-15, with two or
three slight variations.
3 Four MSS. have all the male children, as in Matt. ii. 16.
14 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
shone about them, for an angel of the Lord was with them,
watching over them.
23. And Herod searched for John, and sent officers to Zacha-
rias, saying : Where hast thou hid thy son ? And he, answer-
ing, said to them : I am the servant of God in holy things, and
I sit constantly in the temple of the Lord: I do not know
where my son is. And the officers went away, and reported
all these things to Herod. And Herod was enraged, and said :
His son is destined to be king over Israel. And he sent to
him again, saying : Tell the truth ; where is thy son ? for thou
knowest that thy life is in my hand. And Zacharias said : I
am God's martyr, if thou sheddest my blood ; for the Lord will
receive my spirit, because thou sheddest innocent blood at the
vestibule of the temple of the Lord. And Zacharias was
murdered about daybreak. And the sons of Israel did not
know that he had been murdered.^
24. But at the hour of the salutation the priests went away,
and Zacharias did not come fortli to meet them with a blessing,
according to his custom.^ And the priests stood waiting for
Zacharias to salute liim at the prayer,^ and to glorify the Most
High. And he still delaying, they were all afraid. But one of
them ventured to go in, and he saw clotted blood beside the
altar ; and he heard a voice saying : Zacharias has been mur-
dered, and his blood shall not be wiped up until his avenger
come. And hearing this saying, he was afraid, and went out
and told it to the priests. And they ventured in, and saw what
had liappened ; and the fretwork of the temple made a wailing
noise, and they rent their clothes* from the top even to the
bottom. And they found not his body, but they found his
blood turned into stone. And they were afraid, and went out
and reported to the people that Zacharias had been murdered.
And aU the tribes of the people heard, and mourned, and
lamented for him three days and three nights. And after the
three days, the priests consulted as to whom they should put
' Another reading is : And Herod, enraged at this, ordered him to be slain
in the midst of the altar before the dawn, that the slaying of him might not be
prevented by the peopic.
2 Lit. , the blessing of Zacharias did not come forth, etc.
2 Or, with prayer.
* Another reading is : And was rent from the top, etc.
THE PROTEVANGELIVM OF JAMES. 15
in his place ; and the lot fell upon Simeon, For it was he who
had been warned by the Holy Spirit that he should not see
death until he should see the Christ in the flesh.^
25. And I James that wrote this history in Jerusalem, a
commotion having arisen when Herod died, withdrew myself
to the wilderness until the commotion in Jerusalem ceased,
glorifying the Lord God, who had given me the gift and the
wisdom to write this history. And grace shall be with them
that fear our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory to ages of
ages. Amen.^
1 Luke ii. 26, One of the Mss. here adds Matt. ii. 19-23, with two or three
verbal changes,
^ The MSS. vary much in the doxology.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW.
EEE beginneth the book of the Birth of the Blessed
Mary and the Infancy of the Saviour. Written
in Hebrew by the Blessed Evangelist Matthew,
and translated into Latin by the Blessed Pres-
byter Jerome.
To their well-beloved brother Jerome the Presbyter, Bishops
Cromatius and Heliodorus in the Lord, greeting.
The birth of the Virgin Mary, and the nativity and infancy
of our Lord Jesus Christ, we find in apocryphal books. But
considering that in them many things contrary to our faith are
written, we have believed that they ought all to be rejected,
lest perchance we should transfer the joy of Christ to Anti-
christ. While, therefore, we were considermg these things,
there came holy men, Parmenius and Varinus, who said that
your Holiness had found a Hebrew volume, written by the
hand of the most blessed Evangelist Matthew, in which also
the birth of the virgin mother herself, and the infancy of our
Saviour, were written. And accordingly we entreat your affec-
tion by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, to render it from the
Hebrew into Latin,^ not so much for -the attainment of those
things which are the insignia of Christ, as for the exclusion
of the craft of heretics, who, in order to teach bad doctrine,
have mingled their own lies with the excellent nativity of
Christ, that by the sweetness of life they might hide the bitter-
ness of death. It will therefore become your purest piety,
either to listen to us as your brethren entreating, or to let us
have as bishops exacting, the debt of aftection which you may
deem due.
' Lit., to Latin ears.
16
THE G OS PEL OF PSE UD 0-MA TTHE W. 1 7
Eeply to their Letter hy Jerome.
To my lords the holy and most blessed Bishops Cromatius
and Heliodorus, Jerome, a humble servant of Christ, in the
Lord greeting.
He who digs in ground where he knows that there is gold,^
does not instantly snatch at whatever the uptorn trench may
pour forth ; but, before the stroke of the quivering spade raises
aloft the glittering mass, he meanwhile lingers over the sods to
turn them over and lift them up, and especially he who has not
added to his gains. An arduous task is enjoined upon me, since
what your Blessedness has commanded me, the holy Apostle
and Evangelist Matthew himself did not write for the purpose
of publishing. For if he had not done it somewhat secretly,
he would have added it also to his Gospel which he published.
But he composed this book in Hebrew ; and so little did he
publish it, that at this day the book written in Hebrew by his
own hand is in the possession of very religious men, to whom
in successive periods of time it has been handed down by those
that were before them. And this book they never af any time
gave to any one to translate. And so it came to pass, that when
it was published by a disciple of Manichseus named Leucius,
who also wrote the falsely styled Acts of the Apostles, this
book afforded matter, not of edification, but of perdition ; and
the opinion of the Synod in regard to it was according to its
deserts, that the ears of the church should not be open to it.
Let the snapping of those that bark against us now cease ; for
we do not add this little book to the canonical writings, but we
translate what was ^VTitten by an apostle and evangelist, that
we may disclose the falsehood of heresy. In this work, then,
we obey the commands of pious bishops as well as oppose im-
pious heretics. It is the love of Christ, therefore, which we
fulfil, believing that they will assist us by their prayers, who
through our obedience attain to a knowledge of the holy
infancy of our Saviour.
There is extant another letter to the same bishops, attributed
to Jerome : —
' Lit., conscious of gold.
B
18 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
You ask me to let you know what J think of a book held by
some to be about the nativity of St. Mary. And so I wish you
to know that there is much in it that is false. For one Seleucus,
who wrote the Sufferings of the Apostles, composed this book.
But, just as he wrote what was true about their powers, and
the miracles they worked, but said a great deal that was false
about their doctrine ; so here too he has invented many un-
truths out of his own head. I shall take care to render it word
for word, exactly as it is in the Hebrew, since it is asserted
that it was composed by the holy Evangelist Matthew, and
written in Hebrew, and set at the head of his Gospel. Whether
this be true or not, I leave to the author of the preface and the
trustworthiness of the writer : as for myself, I pronounce them
doubtful ; I do not affirm that they are clearly false. But this
I say freely— and I think none of the faithful will deny it—
that, whether these stories be true or inventions, the sacred
nativity of St. Mary was preceded by -great miracles, and suc-
ceeded by the greatest ; and so by those who believe that God
can do these things, they can be believed and read without
damaging their faith or imperilling their souls. In short, so
far as I can, following the sense rather than the words of the
writer, and sometimes walking in the same path, though not in
the same footsteps, sometimes digressing a little, but still keep-
ing the same road, I shall in this way keep by the style of the
narrative, and shall say nothing that is not either written
there, or might, following the same train of thought, have been
written.
Chap, 1.^— In those days there was a man in Jerusalem,
Joachim by name, of the tribe of Judah. He was the shepherd
of his own sheep, fearing the Lord in integrity and singleness
of heart. He had no other care than that of his herds, from
the produce of which he supplied with food all that feared God,
offering double gifts in the fear of God to all who laboured in
1 Two of the Mss. have this prologiie : I James, the son of Joseph, living in the
fear of God, have written all that with my own eyes I saw coming to pass m the
time of the nativity of the holy virgin Mary, or of the Lord the Saviour ; giving
thanks to God, who has given me wisdom in the accounts of His Advent, show-
ing His abounding grace to the twelve tribes of Israel.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 19
doctrine, and who ministered unto Him. Therefore his lambs,
and his sheep, and his wool, and all things whatsoever he pos-
sessed, he used to divide into three portions : one he gave to the
orphans, the widows, the strangers, and the poor ; the second to
those that worshipped God ; and the third he kept for himself
and all his house.^ And as he did so, the Lord multiplied to
him his herds, so that there was no man like him in the people
of Israel. This now he began to do when he was fifteen years old.
And at the age of twenty he took to wife Anna, the daughter
of Achar, of his own tribe, that is, of the tribe of Judah, of
the family of David. And though they had lived together for
twenty years, he had by her neither sons nor daughters.^
Chap. 2. — And it happened that, in the time of the feast,
among those who were offering incense to the Lord, Joachim
stood getting ready his gifts in the sight of the Lord. And
the priest, Euben by name, coming to him, said : It is not law-
ful for thee to stand among those who are doing sacrifice to
God, because God has not blessed thee so as to give thee seed
in Israel. Being therefore put to shame in the sight of the
people, he retired from the temple of the Lord weeping, and
did not return to his house, but went to his flocks, taking with
him his shepherds into the mountains to a far country, so that
for five months his wife Anna could hear no tidings of him.
And she prayed with tears, saying : 0 Lord, most mighty God
of Israel, why hast Thou, seeing that already Thou hast not
given me children, taken from me my husband also ? Behold,
now five months that I have not seen my husband ; and I
know not where he is tarrying j^ nor, if I knew him to be dead,
could I bury him. And wliile she wept excessively, she entered
into the court of His house ; and she fell on her face in prayer,
and poured out her supplications before the Lord. After this,
rising from her prayer, and lifting her eyes to God, she saw a
sparrow's nest in a laurel tree,^ and uttered her voice to the
' Tobit i. 7.
2 One of the Mss. hcos : Only they vowed that, if God should give them off-
spring, they would devote it to the service of the temple ; and because of this,
they were wont to go to the temple of the Lord at each of the yearly festivals.
3 Another reading is : Where he has died — reading mortuus for moratus.
* Cf. Tobit ii. 10.
20 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Lord with groaning, and said : Lord God Almighty, who hast
given offspring to every creature, to beasts wild and tame, to
serpents, and birds, and fishes, and they all rejoice over their
young ones, Thou hast shut out me alone from the gift of Thy
benignity. For Thou, 0 God, knowest my heart, that from the
beginning of my married life I have vowed that, if Thou, 0
God, shouldst give me son or daughter, I would offer them to
Thee in Thy holy temple. And while she was thus speaking,
suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared before her, saying : Be
not afraid, Anna, for there is seed for thee in the decree of God;
and all generations even to the end shall wonder at that which
shall be born of thee. And when he had thus spoken, he
vanished out of her sight. But she, in fear and dread because
she had seen such a sight, and heard such words, at length went
into her bed-chamber, and threw herself on the bed as if dead.
And for a whole day and night she remained in great trembling
and in prayer. And after these things she called to her her
servant, and said to her : Dost thou see me deceived in my
widowhood and in great perplexity, and hast thou been unwill-
ing to come in to me ? Then she, with a slight murmur, thus
answered and said : If God hath shut up thy womb, and hath
taken away thy husband from thee, what can I do for thee ?
And when Anna heard this, she lifted up her voice, and wept
aloud.
Chap. 3. — At the same time there appeared a young man on
the mountains to Joachim while he was feeding his flocks, and
said to him : Why dost thou not return to thy wife ? And
Joachim said : I have had her for twenty years, and it has not
been the will of God to give me children by her. I have been
driven with shame and reproach from the temple of the Lord :
why should I go back to her, when I have been once cast off
and utterly despised ? Here then will I remain with my sheep;
and so long as in this life God is willing to grant me light,
I shall willingly, by the hands of my servants, bestow their
portions upon the poor, and the orphans, and those that fear
God. And when he had thus spoken, the young man said to
him : I am an angel of the Lord, and I have to-day appeared to
thy wife when she was weeping and praying, and have consoled
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 21
her ; and know that she has conceived a daughter from thy seed,
and thou in thy ignorance of this hast left her. She will be in
the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit shall abide in her ; and
her blessedness shall be greater than that of all the holy women,
so that no one can say that any before her has been like her, or
that any after her in this world will be so. Therefore go down
from the mountains, and return to thy wife, whom thou wilt
find with child. For God hath raised up seed in her, and for
this thou wilt give God thanks ; and her seed shall be blessed,
and she herself shall be blessed, and shall be made the mother
of eternal blessing. Then Joachim adored the angel, and said
to him : If I have found favour in thy sight, sit for a little in
my tent, and bless thy servant.^ And the angel said to him :
Do not say servant, but fellow-servant ; for we are the servants
of one Master.^ But my food is invisible, and my drink can-
not be seen by a mortal. Therefore thou oughtest not to ask
me to enter thy tent ; but if thou wast about to give me any-
thing,^ offer it as a burnt-offering to the Lord. Then Joachim
took a lamb without spot, and said to the angel : I should not
have dared to offer a burnt-offering to tlie Lord, unless thy
command had given me the priest's right of offering." And
the angel said to him : I should not have invited thee to offer
unless I had known the will of the Lord. And when Joachim
was offering the sacrifice to God, the angel and the odour of the
sacrifice went together straight up to heaven with the smoke.^
Then Joachim, throwing himself on his face, lay in prayer
from the sixth hour of the day even until evening. And his
lads and hired servants who were with him saw him, and not
knowing why he was lying down, thought that he w\as dead ;
and they came to him, and with difficulty raised him from the
ground. And when he recounted to them the vision of the
angel, they were struck with great fear and wonder, and ad-
vised him to accomplish the vision of the angel without delay,
and to go back with all haste to his wife. And when Joachim
was turning over in his mind whether he should go back or
1 Gen. xviii. 3. ^ Rev. xix. 10. 3 Judg. xiii. 16.
* Faustus the Manichaean said that Joachim was of the tribe of Levi (August
xxiii. 4, Contra Faustum). As belonging to the tribe of Judah, he had not the
right of sacrifice.
5 Cf. Judg. xiii. 20.
22 ■ THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
not, it happened that he was overpowered by a deep sleep;
and, behold, the angel who had already appeared to him when
awake, appeared to him in his sleep, saying : I am the angel
appointed by God as thy guardian : go down with confidence,
and return to Anna, because the deeds of mercy which thou
and thy wife Anna have done have been told in the presence
of the Most High ; and to you will God give such fruit as no
prophet or saint has ever had from the beginning, or ever will
have. And when Joachim awoke out of his sleep, he called
all his herdsmen to him, and told them his dream. And they
worshipped the Lord, and said to him : See that thou no farther
despise the words of the angel. But rise and let us go hence,
and return at a quiet pace, feeding our flocks.
And when, after thirty days occupied in going back, they
were now near at hand, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
to Anna, who was standing and praying, and said ■} Go to the
gate which is called Golden,''' and meet thy husband in the
way, tor to-day he will come to thee. She therefore went
towards him in haste with her maidens, and, praying to the
Lord, she stood a long time in the gate waiting for him. And
when she was wearied with long waiting, she lifted up her
eyes and saw Joachim afar off coming with his flocks ; and she
ran to him and hung on his neck, giving thanks to God, and
saying : I was a widow, and behold now I am not so : I was
barren, and behold I have now conceived. And so they wor-
shipped the Lord, and went into their own house. And when
this was heard of, there was great joy among all their neigh-
bours and acquaintances, so that the whole land of Israel
congratulated them.
Chap. 4. — After these things, her nine months being fulfilled,
Anna brought forth a daughter, and called her Mary. And
having weaned her in her third year, Joachim, and Anna his
wile, went together to the temple of the Lord to offer sacrifices
to God, and placed the infant, Mary by name, in the community
of virgins, in which the virgins remained day and night praising
1 Ct. Acts ix. 11,
^ This is the Beautiful gate of Acts iii. 2, to wliieh, according to Josephus,
there was au ascent by many steps from the valley ot Kedron. .
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 23
God. And when she was put down before the doors of the
temple, she went up the fifteen steps ^ so swiftly, that she did
not look back at all ; nor did she, as children are wont to do,
seek for her parents. Whereupon her parents, each of them
anxiously seeking for the child, were both alike astonished,
until they found her in the temple, and the priests of the
temple themselves wondered.
Chap. 5. — Then Anna, filled with the Holy Spirit, said before
them all : The Lord Almighty, the God of Hosts, being mindful
of His word, hath visited His people with a good and holy
visitation, to bring down the hearts of the Gentiles who were
rising against us, and turn them to Himself. He hath opened
His ears to our prayers : He hath kept away from us the exult-
ing of all our enemies. The barren hath become a mother, and
hath brought forth exultation and gladness to Israel. Behold
the gifts which I have brought to offer to my Lord, and mine
enemies have not been able to hinder me. For God hath
turned their hearts to me, and Himself hath given me ever-
lasting joy.
Chap. 6. — And Mary was held in admiration by all the
people of Israel ; and when she was three years old, she walked
with a step so mature, she spoke so perfectly, and spent her
time so assiduously in the praises of God, that all were
astonished at her, and wondered ; and she was not reckoned
a young infant, but as it were a grown-up person of thirty
years old. She was so constant in prayer, and her appearance
was so beautiful and glorious, that scarcely any one could look
into her face. And she occupied herself constantly with her
wool-work, so that she in her tender years could do all that
old women were not able to do. And this was the order that
she had set for herself : ^ From the morning to the third hour
1 Corresponding with the fifteen Songs of Degrees, Ps. cxx.-cxxxiv. See
Smith's Diet. — art. Songs of Degrees. Another reading is: And there were
about the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms of Degrees, fifteen steps of
ascent: the temple was on a mountain, and there had been there built the altar
of burnt-offering, which could not be reached but by steps.
2 For the hours of prayer, see Apost. Const, oh. xl. ; Jerome's letters to L&ta,
Demetrias, etc.
24 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
she remained in prayer ; from the third to the ninth she was
occupied with her weaving ; and from the ninth she again
applied herself to prayer. She did not retire from praying
until there appeared to her the angel of the Lord, from whose
hand she used to receive food ; and thus she became more and
more perfect in the work of God. Then, when the older virgins
rested from the praises of God, she did not rest at all ; so that
in the praises and vigils of God none were found before her,
no one more learned in the wisdom of the law of God, more
lowly in humility, more elegant in singing, more perfect in all
virtue. She was indeed stedfast, immoveable, unchangeable,
and daily advancing to perfection. No one saw her angry, nor
heard her speaking evil. All her speech was so full of grace,
that her God was acknowledged to be in her tongue. She was
always engaged in prayer and in searching the law, and she
was anxious lest by any word of hers she should sin with
regard to her companions. Then she was afraid lest in her
laughter, or the sound of her beautiful voice, she should
commit any fault, or lest, being elated, she should display any
wrong-doing or haughtiness to one of her equals.^ She blessed
God without intermission ; and lest perchance, even in her
salutation, she might cease from praising God ; if any one
saluted her, she used to answer by way of salutation : Thanks
be to God. And from her the custom first began of men say-
ing. Thanks be to God, when they saluted each other. She
refreshed herself only with the food which she daily received
from the hand of the angel ; but the food which she obtained
from the priests she divided among the poor. The angels of
God were often seen speaking with her, and they most dili-
gently obeyed her. If any one who was unwell touched her,
the same hour he went home cured.
Chap. 7. — Then Abiathar the priest offered gifts without
end to the high priests, in order that he might obtain her as
wife to his son. But Mary forbade them, saying: It cannot
1 One of the Mss. has: She was anxious about her companions, lest any of
them should sin even in one word, lest any of them should raise her voice in
laughing, lest any of them should be in the wrong, or proud to her father or her
mother.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 25
"be that I should know a man, or that a man should know me.
For all the priests and all her relations kept saying to her :
God is worshipped in children and adored in posterity, as has
always happened among the sons of Israel. But Mary answered
and said unto them : God is worshipped in chastity, as is proved
first of all.-^ For before Abel there was none righteous among
men, and he by his offerings pleased God, and was without
mercy slain by him who displeased Him. Two crowns, there-
fore, he received — of oblation and of virginity, because in his
flesh there was no pollution. Elias also, when he was in the
flesh, was taken up in the flesh, because he kept his flesh un-
spotted. Now I, from my infancy in the temple of God, have
learned that virginity can be sufficiently dear to God. And so,
because I can offer what is dear to God, I have resolved in my
heart that I should not know a man at all.
Chap. 8. — Now it came to pass, when she was fourteen ^ years
old, and on this account there was occasion for the Pharisees'
saying that it was now a custom that no woman of that age
should abide in the temple of God, they fell upon the plan of
sending a herald through all the tribes of Israel, that on the
third day all should come together into the temple of the Lord.
And Avhen all the people had come together, Abiathar the high
priest rose, and mounted on a higher step, that he might be
seen and heard by all the people ; and when great silence had
been obtained, he said : Hear me, 0 sons of Israel, and receive
my words into your ears. Ever since this temple was built by
Solomon, there have been in it virgins, the daughters of kings
and the daughters of prophets, and of high priests and priests ;
and they were great, and worthy of admiration. But when
they came to the proper age they were given in marriage, and
followed the course of their mothers before them, and were
pleasing to God. But a new order of life has been found out
by Mary alone, who promises that she will remain a virgin to
God. Wlierefore it seems to me, that through our inquiry and
the answer of God we should try to ascertain to whose keeping
she ought to be entrusted. Then these words found favour with
all the synagogue. And the lot was cast by the priests upon
1 Or, by the first of all. « Or, twelve.
26 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the twelve tribes, and the lot fell upon the tribe of Judah.
And the priest said : To-morrow let every one who has no wife
come, and bring his rod in his hand. Whence it happened
that Joseph ^ brought his rod along with the young men.
And the rods having been handed over to the high priest, he
offered a sacrifice to the Lord God, and inquired of the Lord.
And the Lord said to him : Put all their rods into the holy
of holies of God, and let them remain there, and order them
to come to thee on the morrow to get back their rods ; and
the man from the point of whose rod a dove shall come forth,
and fly towards heaven, and in whose hand the rod, when
given back, shall exliibit this sign, to him let Mary be deli-
vered to be kept.
On the following day, then, all having assembled early, and
an incense-offering having been made, the high priest went into
the holy of holies, and brought forth the rods. And when he
had distributed the rods,=' and the dove came forth out of none
of them, the high priest put on the twelve bells ^ and the sacer-
dotal robe ; and entering into the holy of holies, he there made
a burnt-offering, and poured forth a prayer. And the angel of
the Lord appeared to him, saying : There is here the shortest
rod, of which thou hast made no account : thou didst bring it
in with the rest, but didst not take it out with them. When
thou hast taken it out, and hast given it him whose it is, in it
will appear the sign of which I spoke to thee. Now that was
Joseph's rod ; and because he was an old man, he had been cast
off, as it were, that he might not receive her, but neither did he
himself wish to ask back his rod." And when he was humbly
standing last of aU, the high priest cried out to him ^^th a loud
voice, saying : Come, Joseph, and receive thy rod ; for we are
waiting for thee. And Joseph came up trembling, because the
high priest had caUed him with a very loud voice. But as soon
as°he stretched forth his hand, and laid hold of his rod, imme-
1 One of the MSS. adds: Seeing that he had not a wife, and not wishing to
slight the order of the high priest.
- One of the MSS. inserts : To the number of three tliousand.
3 See Protev. James 8. , , , j u
4 Another and more probable reading is : And this was Joseph s rod ; and he
was of an abject appearance, seeing that he was old, and he would not ask back
his rod, lest perchance he might be forced to receive her.
THE G OSPEL OF PSE UD 0-MA TTHE \V. 27
diatelyfrom the top of it came forth a dove whiter than snow,
beautiful exceedingly, which, after long flying about the roofs
of the temple, at length flew towards the heavens. Then all
the people congratulated the old man, saying : Thou hast been
made blessed in thine old age, 0 father Joseph, seeing that God
hath shown thee to be fit to receive Mary. And the priests
having said to him. Take her, because of all the tribe of Judah
thou alone hast been chosen by God ; Joseph began bashfully
to address them, saying : I am an old man, and have children ;
why do you hand over to me this infant, who is younger than
my grandsons ? Then Abiathar the high priest said to him :
Eemember, Joseph, how Dathan and Abiron and Core perished,
because they despised the will of God. So will it happen to
thee, if thou despise this which is commanded thee by God.
Joseph answered him : I indeed do not despise the will of God ;
but I shall be her guardian until I can ascertain concerning
the will of God, as to which of my sons can have her as his
wife. Let some virgins of her companions, with whom she
may meanwhile spend her time, be given for a consolation
to her. Abiathar the high priest answered and said : Five
virgins indeed shall be given her for consolation, until the
appointed day come in which thou mayst receive her ; for to
no other can she be joined in marriage.
Then Joseph received Mary, with the other five virgins who
were to be with her in Joseph's house. These virgins were
Eebecca, Sephora, Susanna, Abigea, and Gael; to whom the
high priest gave the silk, and the blue,^ and the fine linen, and
the scarlet, and the purple, and the fine flax. For they cast
lots among themselves what each virgin should do, and the
purple for the veil of the temple of the Lord fell to the lot of
Mary. And when she had got it, those virgins said to her :
Since thou art the last, and humble, and younger than all, thou
hast deserved to receive and obtain the purple. And thus
saying, as it were in words of annoyance, they began to call
her queen of virgins. While, however, they were so doing,
the angel of the Lord appeared in the midst of them, saying :
These words shall not have been uttered by way of annoyance,
but prophesied as a prophecy most true. They trembled,
^ Or, hyacinth.
28 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
therefore, at the siglit of the angel, and at his words, and asked
her to pardon them, and pray for them.
Chap. 9. — And on the second day, while Mary was at the
fountain to fill her pitcher, the angel of the Lord appeared to
her, saying: Blessed art thou, Mary; for in thy womb thou
hast prepared an habitation for the Lord. For, lo, the light
from heaven shall come and dwell in thee, and by means of
thee will shine over the whole world.
Again, on the third day, while she was working at the purple
with her fingers, there entered a young man of ineffable beauty.
And when Mary saw him, she exceedingly feared and trembled.
And he said to her: Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is
with thee : blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the
fruit of thy womb.^ And when she heard these words, she
trembled, and was exceedingly afraid. Then the angel of the
Lord added : Fear not, Mary ; for thou hast found favour with
God : Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring
forth a King, who fills not only the earth, but the heaven, and
who reigns from generation to generation.
Chap. 1 0. — While these things were doing, Joseph was occu-
pied with his work, house-building, in the districts by the sea-
shore; for he was a carpenter. And after nine months he
came back to his house, and found Mary pregnant. Where-
fore, being in the utmost distress, he trembled and cried out,
saying : 0 Lord God, receive my spirit ; for it is better for me
to die than to live any longer. And the virgins who were with
]\Iary said to him : Joseph, what art thou saying ? We know
that no man has touched her ; we can testify that she is still
a virgin, and untouched. We have watched over her ; always
has she continued with us in prayer ; daily do the angels of
God speak with her ; daily does she receive food from the hand
of the Lord. We know not how it is possible that there can
be any sin in her. But if thou wishest us to tell thee what
we suspect, nobody but the angel of the Lord^ has made her
pregnant. Then said Joseph : Why do you mislead me, to
believe that an angel of the Lord has made her pregnant?
1 Luke i. 23. ^ Another reading is : The Holy Spirit.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 29
But it is possible that some one has pretended to be an angel
of the Lord, and has beguiled her. And thus speaking, he
wept, and said : With what face shall I look at the temple of
the Lord, or with what face shall I see the priests of God ?
What am I to do ? And thus saying, he thought that he would
flee, and send her away
--.Chap. IL — And when he was thinking of rising up and
hiding himself, and dwelling in secret, behold, on that very
night, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in sleep, saying :
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not ; receive Mary as thy wife :
for that which is in her womb is of the Holy Spirit. And she
shall bring forth a son, and His name shall be called Jesus, for
He will save His people from their sins. And Joseph, rising
from his sleep, gave thanks to God, and spoke to Mary and
the virgins who were with her, and told them his vision. And
he was comforted about Mary, saying : I have sinned, in that
I suspected thee at all.
Chap. 12. — After these things there arose a great report that
Mary was with child. And Joseph was seized by the officers
of the temple, and brought along with Mary to the high priest.
And he with the priests began to reproach Mm, and to say :
Why hast thou beguiled so great and so glorious a virgin, who
was fed like a dove in the temple by .the angels of God, who
never wished either to see or to have a man, who had the most
excellent knowledge of the law 'of God ? If thou hadst not
done violence to her, she would still have remained in her
virginity. And Joseph vowed, and swore that he had never
touched her at all. And Abiathar the high priest answered
him : As the Lord liveth, I will give thee to drink of the water
of drinking of the Lord, and immediately thy sin will appear.
Then was assembled a multitude of people which could not
be numbered, and Mary was brought to the temple. And the
priests, and her relatives, and her parents wept, and said to
Mary: Confess to the priests thy sin, thou that wast like a
dove in the temple of God, and didst receive food from the
hands of an angel. And again Joseph was summoned to the
30 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
drink And when any one that had lied drank this water, and
walked seven times round the altar, God used to show some
sign in his face. When, therefore, Joseph had drunk in safety,
and had walked round the altar seven times, no sign of sin
appeared in him. Then all the priests, and the officers, and
the people justified him, saying : Blessed art thou, seeing that
no charge has been found good against thee. And they sum-
moned Mary, and said : And what excuse canst thou have ? or
what greater sign can appear in thee than the conception of
thy womb, which betrays thee ? This only we require of thee,
that since Joseph is pure regarding thee, thou confess who it
is that has beguiled thee. For it is better that thy confession
should betray thee, than that the wrath of God should set a
mark on thy face, and expose thee in the midst of the people.
Then Mary said, stedfastly and without trembling: 0 Lord
God, King over all, who knowest all secrets, if there be any
pollution in me, or any sin, or any evil desires, or unchastity,
expose me in the sight of all the people, and make me an
example of punishment to all. Thus saying, she went up to
the altar of the Lord boldly, and drank the water of drinking,
and walked round the altar seven times, and no spot was found
in her.
And when all the people were in the utmost astonishment,
seeing that she was with child, and that no sign had appeared
in her lace, they began to be disturbed among themselves by con-
flicting statements : some said that she was holy and unspotted,
others that she was wicked and defiled. Then Mary, seeing
that she was still suspected by the people, and that on that
account she did not seem to them to be wholly cleared, said in
the hearing of all, with a loud voice, As the Lord Adonai liveth,
the Lord of Hosts before whom I stand, I have not known
man; but I am known by Him to whom from my earliest
years I have devoted myself. And this vow I made to my
God from my infancy, that I should remain unspotted in Him
who created me, and I trust that I shall so live to Him alone,
and serve Him alone ; and in Him, as long as I" shall live,
will I remain unpolluted. Then they all began to kiss her feet
and to embrace her knees, asking her to pardon them for their
wicked suspicions. And she was led down to her house with
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 31
exultation and joy by the people, and the priests, and all the
virgins. And they cried out, and said : Blessed be the name of
the Lord for ever, because He hath manifested thy holiness to
all His people Israel.
Chap. 13. — And it came to pass some little time after,
that an enrolment was made according to the edict of Ceesar
Augustus, that all the world was to be enrolled, each man in
his native place. This enrolment was made by Cyrinus, the
governor of Syria.^ It was necessary, therefore, that Joseph
should enrol with the blessed Mary in Bethlehem, because to
it they belonged, being of the tribe of Judah, and of the house
and family of David. When, therefore, Joseph and the blessed
Mary were going along the road which leads to Betlilehem,
Mary said to Joseph : I see two peoples before me, the one
weeping, and the other rejoicing. And Joseph answered : Sit
still on thy beast, and do not speak superfluous words. Then
there appeared before them a beautiful boy, clothed in white
raiment, who said to Joseph : Why didst thou say that the words
wliich Mary spoke about the two peoples were superfluous ?
For she saw the people of the Jews weeping, because they
have departed from their God ; and the people of the Gentiles
rejoicing, because they have now been added and made near to
the Lord, according to that which He promised to our fathers
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob : for the time is at hand when in
the seed ol Abraham all nations shall be blessed.'^
And when he had thus said, the angel ordered the beast to
stand, for the time when she should bring forth was at hand ;
and he commanded the blessed Mary to come down off the
animal, and go into a recess under a cavern, in which there
never was light, but always darkness, because the light of day
could not reach it. And when the blessed Mary had gone into
it, it began to shine with as much brightness as if it were the
sixth hour of the day. The light from God so shone in the
cave, that neither by day nor night was light wanting as long
as the blessed Mary was there. And there she brought forth a
son, and the angels surrounded Him when He was being born.
And as soon as He was bora. He stood upon His feet, and the
1 Lnke ii. 1-6. ^ Gen. xii. 3.
32 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
angels adored Him, saying : Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace to men of good pleasure.^ ISTow, when the birth
of the Lord was at hand, Joseph had gone away to seek mid-
wives. And when he had found them, he returned to the cave,
and found with Mary the infant which she had brought forth.
And Joseph said to the blessed Mary : I have brought thee two
mid wives — Zelomi^ and Salome; and they are standing outside
before the entrance to the cave, not daring to come in hither, be-
cause of the exceeding brightness. And when the blessed Mary
heard this, she smiled ; and Joseph said to her : Do not smile ;
but prudently allow them to visit thee, in case thou shouldst
require them for thy cure. Then she ordered them to enter.
And when Zelomi had come in, Salome having stayed without,
Zelomi said to Mary : Allow me to touch thee. And when she
had permitted her to make an examination, the midwife cried
out with a loud voice, and said : Lord, Lord Almighty, mercy
on us ! It has never been heard or thought of, that any one
should have her breasts full of milk, and that the birth of a son
should show his mother to be a virgin. But -there has been no
spilling of blood in his birth, no pain in bringing him forth. A
virgin has conceived, a virgin has brought forth, and a virgin
she remains. And hearing these words, Salome said : Allow
me to handle thee, and prove whether Zelomi have spoken the
truth. And the blessed Mary allowed her to handle her. And
when she had withdrawn her hand from handling her, it dried
up, and through excess of pain she began to weep bitterly, and
to be in great distress, crying out, and saying: 0 Lord God,
Thou knowest that I have always feared Thee, and that with-
out recompense I have cared for all the poor; I have taken
nothing from the widow and the orphan, and the needy have
I not sent empty away. And, behold, I am made wretched
because of mine vmbelief, since without a cause I wished to try
Thy virgin.
And while she was thus speaking, there stood by her a
young man in shining garments, saying : Go to the child, and
adore Him, and touch Him with thy hand, and He will heal
thee, because He is the Saviour of the world, and of all that
hope in Him. And she went to the child with haste, and
* See Alford's Greek Testament on Luke ii. 14. ^ Or Zelemi.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 33
adored Him, and touched the fringe of the cloths in which lie
was wrapped, and instantly her hand was cured. And going
forth, she began to cry aloud, and to tell the wonderful things
which she had seen, and which she had suffered, and how she
had been cured ; so that many through her statements believed.
And some shepherds also affirmed that they had seen angels
singing a hymn at midnight, praising and blessing the God
of heaven, and saying: There has been born the Saviour of
all, who is Christ the Lord, in whom salvation shall be brought
back to Israel.^
Moreover, a great star, larger than any that had been seen
since the beginning of the world, shone over the cave from
the evening till the morning. And the prophets who were in
Jerusalem said that this star pointed out the birth of Christ,
who should restore the promise not only to Israel, but to all
nations.
Chap. 1 4. — And on the third day after the birth of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the most blessed Mary went forth out of the cave,
and entering a stable, placed the child in the stall, and the ox
and the ass adored Him. Then was fulfilled that which was
said by Isaiah the prophet, saying : The ox knoweth his owner,
and the ass his master's crib.^ The very animals, therefore, the
ox and the ass, having Him in their midst, incessantly adored
Him. Then was fulfilled that which was said by Abacuc the
prophet, saying:^ Between two animals thou art made manifest.
In the same place Joseph remained with Mary three days.
Chap. 15. — And on the sixth day they entered Bethlehem,
where they spent the seventh day. And on the eighth day
they circumcised the child, and called His name Jesus ; for so
He was called by the angel before He was conceived in the
womb.^ Now, after the days of the purification of Mary were
fulfilled according to the law of Moses, then Joseph took the
infant to the temple of the Lord. And when the infant had re-
» Luke ii. 8-12. ^ Isa. i. 3.
' Hab. iii. 2, according to the LXX. reading, D''^n D^Jti' two living crea-
tures, for in^jn D'^JtJ', years make alive,
3 Luke ii. 21-24.
C
34 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
ceived parhithomns ^ — loarhithomiis, that is, circumcision — they
offered for Him a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.^
Now there was in the temple a man of God, perfect and
just, whose name was Symeon, a hundred and twelve years old.
He had received the answer from the Lord, that he should not
taste of death till he had seen Christ, the Son of God, living in
the flesh. And having seen the child, he cried out with a loud
voice, saying : God hath visited His people, and the Lord hath
fulfilled His promise. And he made haste, and adored Him.
And after this he took Him up into his cloak and kissed His
feet, and said : Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in
peace, according to Thy word : for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all
peoples, to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of
Thy people Israel.^
There was also in the temple of the Lord, Anna, a prophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who had lived
with her husband seven years from her virginity ; and she had
now been a widow eighty-four years. And she never left the
temple of the Lord, but spent her time in fasting and prayer.
She also likewise adored the child, saying : In Him is the
redemption of the world.^
Chap. 1G. — And when the second year was past,^ magi came
from the east to Jerusalem, bringing great gifts. And they
made strict inquiry of the Jews, saying : Where is the king
who has been born to you ? for we have seen his star in the
east, and have come to worship him. And word of this came
to King Herod, and so alarmed him that he called together the
scribes and the Pharisees, and the teachers of the people,
asking of them where the prophets had foretold that Christ
should be born. And they said : In Betlilehem of Judah. For
it is written : And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art
by no means the least among the princes of Judah ; for out of
thee shall come forth a Leader who shall rule my people Israel.®
1 This shows the extent of the writer's, or transcriber's, knowledge of Greek.
2 Lev. xii. 8. ^ L^^kg ii. 22-35. * Luke ii. 36-3S.
* One MS. lias : When two days were past. Another : On the thirteenth day.
«Mic. V. 2.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 35
Then King Herod summoned the magi to him, and strictly-
inquired of them when the star appeared to them. Then,
sending them to Bethlehem, he said : Go and make strict
inquiry about the child ; and when ye have found him, bring
me word again, that I may come and worship him also. And
while the magi were going on their way, there appeared to
them the star, which was, as it were, a guide to them, going
before them until they came to where the child was. And
when the magi saw the star, they rejoiced with great joy; and
going into the house, they saw the child Jesus sitting in His
mother's lap. Then they opened their treasures, and presented
great gifts to the blessed Mary and Joseph. And to the child
Himself they offered each of them a piece of gold.^ And like-
wise one gave gold, another frankincense, and the third myrrh.^
And when they were going to return to King Herod, they were
warned by an angel in their sleep not to go back to Herod ;
and they returned to their own covmtry by another road.^
Chap. 1 7. — And when Herod * saw that he had been made
sport of by the magi, his heart swelled with rage, and he sent
through all the roads, wishing to seize them and put them to
death. But when he could not find them at all, he sent anew
to Bethlehem and all its borders, and slew all the male children
whom he found of two years old and under, according to the
time that he had ascertained from the magi.^
Now the day before this was done Joseph was warned in his
sleep by the angel of the Lord, who said to him : Take Mary
and the child, and go into Egypt by the way of the desert.
And Joseph went according to the saying of the angel.^
Chap. 18. — And having come to a certain cave, and wishing
to rest in it, the blessed ^ Mary dismounted from her beast, and
sat down with the child Jesus in her bosom. And there were
1 The siclus aureus, or gold shekel, was worth £1, 16s. 6d.
2 One MS. has : Caspar gave myrrh, Melchior frankincense, Balthusar gold.
3 Matt. ii. 1-12.
■* One MS. has : And when Herod, coming back from Rome the year after, saw.
* Matt. ii. 16. 6 jj^tt. ii. 14.
7 One of the mss. has : Then Joseph put the blessed virgin and the boy upon a
beast, and himself mounted another, and took the road through the hill country
30 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
with Joseph three boys, and with Mary a girl, going on the
journey along with them. And, lo, suddenly there came forth
from the cave many dragons ; and when the children saw them,
they cried out in great terror. Then Jesus went down from
the bosom of His mother, and stood on His feet before the
dragons ; and they adored Jesus, and thereafter retired. Then
was fulfilled that which was said by David the prophet, saying :
Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons ; ye dragons, and all
ye deeps.^ And the young child Jesus, walking before them,
commanded them to hurt no man. But Mary and Joseph were
very much afraid lest the child should be hurt by the dragons.
And Jesus said to them : Do not be afraid, and do not consider
me to be a little child ; for I am and always have been perfect ;
and all the beasts of the forest must needs be tame before me.
Chap. 19. — Lions and panthers adored Him likewise, and
accompanied them in the desert. Wherever Joseph and the
blessed Mary went, they went before them showing them the
way, and bowing their heads ; and showing their submission
by wagging their tails, they adored Him with great reverence.
Now at first, when Mary saw the lions and the panthers, and
various kinds of wild beasts, coming about them, she was very
much afraid. But the infant Jesus looked into her face with a
joyful countenance, and said : Be not afraid, mother ; for they
come not to do thee harm, but they make haste to serve both
thee and me. With these words He drove all fear from her
heart. And the lions kept walking with them, and with the
oxen, and the asses, and the beasts of burden which carried
their baggage, and did not hurt a single one of them, though
they kept beside them ; but they were tame among the sheep
and the rams which they had brought with them from Judea,
and which they had with them. They walked among wolves,
and feared nothing ; and no one of them was hurt by another.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet :
AVolves shall feed with lambs ; the lion and the ox shall eat
straw together.^ There were together two oxen drawing a
and the desert, that he might get safe to EgN-pt ; for they did not want to go by
the shore, for fear of being waylaid.
' ?s. cxlviii. 7. 2 isa. Ixv. 25.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 37
waggon with provision for the journey, and the lions directed
them in their path.
Chap. 20. — And it came to pass on the third day of their
journey, while they were walking, that the blessed Mary was
fatigued by the excessive heat of the sun in the desert ; and
seeing a palm tree, she said to Joseph : Let me rest a little
under the shade of this tree. Joseph therefore made haste, and
led her to the palm, and made her come down from her beast.
And as the blessed Mary was sitting there, she looked up to the
foliage of the palm, and saw it full of fruit, and said to Joseph :
I wish it were possible to get some of the fruit of this palm.
And Joseph said to her : I wonder that thou sayest this, when
thou seest how high the palm tree is ; and that thou thinkest of
eating of its fruit. I am thinking more of the want of water,
because the skins are now empty, and we have none where-
with to refresh ourselves and our cattle. Then the child Jesus,
with a joyful countenance, reposing in the bosom of His mother,
said to the palm : 0 tree, bend thy branches, and refresh my
mother with thy fruit. And immediately at these words the
palm bent its top down to the very feet of the blessed Mary ;
and they gathered from it fruit, with which they were all re-
freshed. And after they had gathered all its fruit, it remained
bent down, waiting the order to rise from Him who had com-
manded it to stoop. Then Jesus said to it : Eaise thyself, 0
palm tree, and be strong, and be the companion of my trees,
which are in the paradise of my Father ; and open from thy
roots a vein of water which has been hid in the earth, and let
the waters flow, so that we may be satisfied from thee. And it
rose up immediately, and at its root there began to come forth
a spring of water exceedingly clear and cool and sparkling.
And when they saw the spring of water, they rejoiced with
great joy, and were satisfied, themselves and all their cattle
and their beasts. Wherefore they gave thanks to God.
Chap. 21. — And on the day after, wlien they were setting
out thence, and in the hour in which they began their journey,
Jesus turned to the palm, and said: This privilege I give thee,
0 palm tree, that one of thy branches be carried away by my
38 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
angels, and planted in the paradise of my Father. And this
blessing I will confer upon thee, that it shall be said of all
who conquer in any contest, You have attained the palm of
victory. And while He was thus speaking, behold, an angel of
the Lord appeared, and stood upon the palm tree ; and taking
off one of its branches, flew to heaven with the branch in his
hand. And when they saw this, they fell on their faces, and
became as it were dead. And Jesus said to them : Why are
your hearts possessed with tear ? Do you not know that this
palm, which I have caused to be transferred to paradise, shall
be prepared for all the saints in the place of delights, as it has
been prepared for us in this place of the wilderness ? And they
were filled with joy ; and being strengthened, they all rose up.
Chap. 22. — After this, while they were going on their
journey, Joseph said to Jesus: Lord, it is a boiling heat; if
it please Thee, let us go by the sea-shore, that we may be able
to rest in the cities on the coast. Jesus said to him: Fear
not, Joseph ; I will shorten the way for you, so that what you
w^ould have taken thirty days to go over, you shall accom-
plish in this one day. And while they were thus speaking,
behold, they looked forward, and began to see the mountains
and cities of Egypt.
And rejoicing and exulting, they came into the regions of
Hermopolis, and entered into a certain city of Egypt which is
called Sotinen;^ and because they knew no one there from
whom they could ask hospitality, they went into a temple
which was called the Capitol of Egypt. And in this temple
there had been set up three hundred and fifty-five idols,^ to
each of which on its own day divine honours and sacred rites
were paid. • For the Egyptians belonging to the same city
entered the Capitol, in which the priests told them how-
many sacrifices were offered each day, according to the honour
in which the god was held.
Chap. 23. — And it came to pass, when the most blessed
' Or Sotrina.
- No nation was so given to idolatry, and woi'shipped such a countless num-
ber of monsters, as the Egyptians. — Jerome on Isakih.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 39
Mary went into the temple with the little child, that all the
idols prostrated themselves on the ground, so that all of them
were lying on their faces shattered and broken to pieces ; ^ and
thus they plainly showed that they were nothing. Then was
fulfilled that which was said by the prophet Isaiah : Behold,
the Lord will come upon a swift cloud, and will enter Egypt,
and all the handiwork of the Egyptians shall be moved at His
presence.^ ,
Chap. 24. — Then Affrodosius, that governor of the city, when
news of this was brought to him, went to the temple with
all his army. And the priests of the temple, when they saw
Affrodosius with all his army coming into the temple, thought
that he was making haste only to see vengeance taken on those
on whose account the gods had fallen down. But when he
came into the temple, and saw all the gods lying prostrate on
their laces, he went up to the blessed Mary, who was carrying
the Lord in her bosom, and adored Him, and said to all his
army and all his friends: Unless this were the God of our gods,
our gods would not have fallen on their faces before Him ; nor
would they be lying prostrate in His presence : wherefore they
silently confess that He is their Lord. Unless we, therefore,
take care to do what we have seen our gods doing, we may run
the risk of His anger, and all come to destruction, even as it
happened to Pharaoh king of the Egyptians, who, not believ-
ing in powers so mighty, was drowned in the sea, with all his
army.^ Then all the people of that same city believed in the
Lord God through Jesus Christ.
Chap. 25. — After no long time the angel said to Joseph :
Eeturn to the land of Judah, for they are dead who sought the
child's life.*
Chap. 26. — And it came to pass, after Jesus had returned out
» Cf. 1 Sam. V. 3. 2 Isa. xix. 1. ' Ex. xv. 4.
* Matt. ii. 26. One of the mss. here has : And Joseph and Mary went to
] ive in the house of a certain widow, and spent a year there ; and for the events
of the year it gives a number of the miracles recorded in the early chapters of
the Latin Gospel of Thomas.
40 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
of Egypt, when He was in Galilee, and entering on the fourth
year of His age, that on a Sabbath-day He was playing with
some children at the bed of the Jordan. And as He sat there,
Jesus made to Himself seven pools of clay, and to each of them
He made passages, through which at His command He brought
water from the torrent into the pool, and took it back again.
Then one of those children, a son of the devil, moved with
envy, shut the passages which supplied the pools with water,
and overthrew what Jesus had built up. Then said Jesus to
him : Woe unto thee, thou son of death, thou son of Satan !
Dost thou destroy the works which I have wrought ? And im-
mediately he who had done this died. Then with great uproar
the parents of the dead boy cried out against Mary and Joseph,
saying to them : Your son has cursed our son, and he is dead.
And when Joseph and Mary heard this, they came forthwith
to Jesus, on account of the outcry of the parents of the boy,
and the gathering together of the Jews. But Joseph said
privately to Mary : I dare not speak to Him ; but do thou
admonish Him, and say : Why hast Thou raised against us the
hatred of the people ; and why must the troublesome hatred
of men be borne by us ? And His mother having come to Him,
asked Him, saying : My Lord, what was it that he did to bring
about his death ? And He said : He deserved death, because he
scattered the works that I had made. . Then His mother asked
Him, saying : Do not so, my Lord, because all men rise up
against us. But He, not wishing to grieve His mother, with
His right foot kicked the hinder parts of the dead boy, and said
to him : Eise, thou son of iniquity ; for thou art not worthy
to enter into the rest of my Father, because thou didst destroy
the works which I had made. Then he wholiad been dead rose
up, and went away. And Jesus, by the word of His power,
brought water into the pools by tlie aqueduct.
Chap. 27. — And it came to pass, after these things, that in
the sight of all Jesus took clay from the pools which He had
made, and of it made twelve sparrows. And it was the Sab-
bath when Jesus did this, and there were very many children
with Him. When, therefore, one of the Jews had seen Him
doing this, he said to Joseph : Joseph, dost thou not see the
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 41
child Jesus working on the Sabbath at what it is not lawful
for him to do ? for he has made twelve sparrows of clay.
And when Joseph heard this, he reproved him, saying: Where-
fore doest thou on the Sab])ath such things as are not lawful
for us to do ? And when Jesus heard Joseph, He struck His
hands together, and said to His sparrows : Fly ! And at the
voice of His command they began to fly. And in the sight and
hearing of all that stood by, He said to the birds : Go and fly
through the earth, and through all the world, and live. And
when those that were there saw such miracles, they were filled
with great astonishment. And some praised and admired Him,
but others reviled Him. And certain of them went away to
the chief priests and the heads of the Pharisees, and reported
to them that Jesus the son of Joseph had done great signs and
miracles in the sight of all the people of Israel. And this was
reported in the twelve tribes of Israel.
Chap. 28. — And again the son of Annas, a priest of the
temple, who had come with Joseph, holding his rod in his
hand in the sight of all, with great fury broke down the dams
which Jesus had made witli His own hands, and let out the
water which He had collected in them from the torrent. More-
over, he shut the aqueduct by which the water came in, and
then broke it down. And when Jesus saw this, He said to
that boy who had destroyed His dams : 0 most wicked seed
of iniquity ! 0 son of death ! 0 workshop of Satan ! verily the
fruit of thy seed shall be without strength, and thy roots without
moisture, and thy branches withered, bearing no fruit. And
immediately, in the sight of all, the boy withered away, and died.
Chap. 29. — Then Joseph trembled, and took hold of Jesus,
and went with Him to his own house, and His mother with
Him. And, behold, suddenly from the opposite direction a boy,
also a worker of iniquity, ran up and came against the shoulder
of Jesus, wishing to make sport of Him, or to hurt Him, if he
could. And Jesus said to him : Thou shalt not go back safe
and sound from the way that thou goest. And immediately he
fell down, and died. And the parents of the dead boy, who had
seen what happened, cried out, saying : AVhere does this child
42 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
come from ? It is manifest that every word that he says is
true; and it is often accomplished before he speaks. And
the parents of the dead boy came to Joseph, and said to him :
Take away that Jesus from this place, for he cannot live with
us in this town ; or at least teach him to bless, and not to
curse. And Joseph came up to Jesus, and admonished Him,
saying : "Why doest thou such things ? For already many are
in grief and against thee, and hate us on thy account, and we
endure the reproaches of men because of thee. And Jesus
answered and said unto Joseph : No one is a wise son but he
whom his father hath taught, according to the knowledge of this
time ; and a father's curse can hurt none but evil-doers. Then
they came together against Jesus, and accused him to Joseph.
When Joseph saw this, he was in great terror, fearing the vio-
lence and uproar of the people of Israel. And the same hour
Jesus seized the dead boy by the ear, and lifted him up from
the earth in the sight of all : and they saw Jesus speaking to
him like a father to his son. And his spirit came back to him,
and he revived. And all of them wondered.
Chap. 30. — Now a certain Jewish schoolmaster named
Zachyas ^ heard Jesus thus speaking ; and seeing that He could
not be overcome, from knowing the power that was in Him,"
he became angry, and began rudely and foolishly, and without
fear, to speak against Joseph. And he said : Dost thou not
wish to entrust me with thy son, that he may be instructed in
human learning and in reverence ? But I see that Mary and
thyself have more regard for your son than for what the elders
of the people of Israel say against him. You should have
given more honour to us, the elders of the whole church of
Israel, both that he might be on terms of mutual affection
with the children, and that among us he might be instructed
in Jewish learning. Joseph, on the other hand, said to him :
And is there any one who can keep this child, and teach him ?
But if thou canst keep him and teach him, we by no means
hinder him from being taught by thee those things which are
learned by all. And Jesus, having heard what Zachyas had
1 Other forms of the name are : Zachias, Zachameus, Zacheus, Zachaeus.
2 Or, seeing that there was in Him an insuperable knowledge of virtue.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 43
said, answered and said unto him: The precepts of the law
which thou hast just sj)oken of, and all the things that thou
hast named, must be kept by those who are instructed in
human learning; but I am a stranger to your law-courts,
because I have no father after the flesh. Thou who readesfc
the law, and art learned in it, abidest in the law ; but I was
before the law. But since thou thinkest that no one is equal
to thee in learning, thou shalt be taught by me, that no other
can teach anything but those things which thou hast named.
But he alone can who is worthy.^ For when I shall be exalted
on earth, I will cause to cease all mention of your genealogy.
For thou knowest not when thou wast born: I alone know
when you were born, and how long your life on earth will be.
Then all who heard these words were struck with astonish-
ment, and cried out : Oh ! oh ! oh ! this marvellously great and
wonderful mystery. Never have we heard the like ! Never
has it been heard from any one else, nor has it been said or at
any time heard by the prophets, or the Pharisees, or the scribes.
We know whence he is sprung, and he is scarcely five years
old ; and whence does he speak these words ? The Pharisees
answered : We have never heard such words spoken by any
other child so young. And Jesus answered and said unto
them : At this do ye wonder, that such things are said by
a child ? Why, then, do ye not believe me in those things
which I have said to you? And you all wonder because I
said to you that I know when you were born. I will tell you
greater things, that you may wonder more. I have seen
Abraham, whom you call your father, and have spoken with
him ; and he has seen me.^ And when they heard this they
held their tongues, nor did any of them dare to speak. And
Jesus said to them : I have been among you with children,
and you have not known me ; I have spoken to you as to wise
men, and you have not understood my words ; because you are
younger than I am,^ and of little faith.
' Tiscliendorf thinks that the text is corrupt. But the meaning seems to be :
You are not a whit better than your neighbours ; for all of you teach what you
have named, and you can teach nothing else. But he alone {ipse, i.e. Christ)
can teach more who is worthy.
^ Ci. John viii. 56-58. 2 Or, literally, inferior to me.
44 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Chap. 31. — A second time the master Zacliyas, doctor of the
law, said to Joseph and Mary: Give me the boy, and I shall
hand him over to Master Levi, who shall teach him his letters
and instruct him. Then Joseph and Mary, soothing Jesus,
took Him to the schools, that He might be taught His letters
by old Levi. And as soon as He went in He held His tongue.
And the master Levi said one letter to Jesus, and, beginning
from the first letter Aleph, said to Him : Answer. But Jesus
was silent, and answered nothing. Wherefore the preceptor
Levi was angry, and seized his storax-tree rod, and struck
Him on the head. And Jesus said to the teacher Levi : Why
dost thou strike me ? Thou shalt know in truth, that He who
is struck can teach him who strikes Him more than He can be
taught by him. For I can teach you those very things that
you are saying. But all these are blind who speak and hear,
like sounding brass or tinkling cymbal, in which there is no
perception of those things which are meant by their sound.^
And Jesus in addition said to Zachyas : Every letter from
Aleph even to Thet ^ is known by its arrangement. Say thou
first, therefore, what Thet is, and I will tell thee what Aleph
is. And again Jesus said to them : Those who do not know
Aleph, how can they say Thet, the hypocrites ? Tell me what
the first one, Aleph, is ; and I shall then believe you when you
have said Beth. And Jesus began to ask the names of the
letters one by one, and said : Let the master of the law tell us
what the first letter is, or why it has many triangles, gradate,
subacute, mediate, obduced, produced, erect, prostrate, curvi-
strate.^ And when Levi heard this, he was thunderstruck at
such an arrangement of the names of the letters. Then he
• 1 Cor. xiii. 1, xiv. 7.
2 Tau, and not Teth, is the last lettei' of the Hebrew alphabet.
2 The original — triangulos gradatos, subacutos, mediatos, ohdudos, productos,
credos, stratos, curvistratos — is hopelessly corrupt. Compare the passages in the
following Apocrypha. It obviously, however, refers to the Pentalpha, Pentacle,
or Solomon's Seal, celebrated in the remains of the magical books that have come
down to us under the names of Hermes and the Pythagoreans. The Pentalpha
was fonned by joining by straight lines the alternate angles of a regular penta-
gon, and thus contained numerous triangles. The Pythagoreans called it the
Hygiea or symbol of health, and it was frequently engraved on amulets and
coins. It is still, if the books are to be trusted, a symbol of power in the liigher
grades of freemasonry.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 45
began in the hearing of all to cry out, and say : Ought such
a one to live on the earth ? Yea, he ought to be hung on the
great cross. For he can put out fire, and make sport of other
modes of punishment. I think that he lived before the flood,
and was born before the deluge. For what womb bore him ?
or what mother brought him forth ? or what breasts gave him
suck ? I flee before liim ; I am not able to withstand the
words from his mouth, but my heart is astounded to hear such
words. I do not think that any man can understand what he
says, except God were with him. Now I, unfortunate wretch,
hrve given myself up to be a laughing-stock to him. For
when I thought I had a scholar, I, not knowing him, have
found my master. What shall I say ? I cannot withstand
the words of this child : I shall now flee from this town, be-
cause I cannot understand them. An old man like me has
been beaten by a boy, because I can find neither beginning
nor end of what he says. For it is no easy matter to find a
beginning of himself.^ I tell you of a certainty, I am not
lying, that to my eyes the proceedings of this boy, the com-
mencement of his conversation, and the upshot of his inten-
tion, seem to have nothing in common with mortal man.
Here then I do not know whether he be a wizard or a god ;
or at least an angel of God speaks in him. Whence he is, or
where he comes from, or who he will turn out to be, I know
not. Then Jesus, smiling at him with a joyful countenance,
said in a commanding voice to all the sons of Israel standing
by and hearing : Let the unfruitful bring forth fruit, and the
blind see, and the lame walk right, and the poor enjoy the
good things of this life, and the dead live, that each may re-
turn to his original state, and abide in Him who is the root of
life and of perpetual sweetness. And when the child Jesus had
said this, forthwith all who had fallen under malignant diseases
were restored. And they did not dare to say anything more
to Him, or to hear anything from Him.
Chap. 32. — After these things, Joseph and Mary departed
thence with Jesus into the city of Nazareth ; and He remained
^ i.e.. It is not wonderful that we do not understand what he says, for we do
not know what he is.
46 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
there with His parents. And on tlie first of the week, when
Jesus was playing with the children on the roof of a certain
house, it happened that one of the children pushed another
down from the roof to the ground, and he was killed. And
the parents of the dead boy, who had not seen this, cried out
against Joseph and Mary, saying : Your son has thrown our
son down to the ground, and he is dead. But Jesus was silent,
and answered them nothing. And Joseph and Mary came in
haste to Jesus ; and His mother asked Him, saying : My lord,
tell me if thou didst throw him down. And immediately
Jesus went down from the roof to the ground, and called the
hoy by his name, Zeno. And he answered Him : My lord.
And Jesus said to him : Was it I that threw thee down from
the roof to the ground ? And he said : Ko, my lord. And
the parents of the boy who had been dead wondered, and
honoured Jesus for the miracle that had been wrought. And
Joseph and Mary departed thence with Jesus to Jericho.
Chap. 33. — Now Jesus was six years old, and His mother
sent Him with a pitcher to the fountain to draw water with
the children. And it came to pass, after He had drawn the
water, that one of the children came against Him, and struck
the pitcher, and broke it. But Jesus stretched out the cloak
which He had on, and took up in His cloak as much water as
there had been in the pitcher, and carried it to His mother.
And when she saw it she wondered, and reflected within her-
self, and laid up all these things in her heart.^
Chap. 34. — Again, on a certain day. He went forth into the
field, and took a little wheat from His mother's barn, and sowed
it Himself. And it sprang up, and grew, and multiplied exceed-
ingly. And at last it came to pass that He Himself reaped it,
and gathered as the produce of it three kors," and gave it to
His numerous acquaintances.^
Chap. 35. — There is a road going out of Jericho and leading
1 Luke ii. 19.
2 The kor or chomer was, according to Jahn, eipal to 32 pecks 1 pint.
3 Multiplicibiis suis.
THE GOSPEL OF. PSEUDO-MATTHEV/. 47
to the river Jordan, to tlie place where the children of Israel
crossed: and there the ark of the covenant is said to have
rested. And Jesus was eight years old, and He went out of
Jericho, and went towards the Jordan. And there was beside
the road, near the bank of the Jordan, a cave where a lioness
was nursing her cubs ; and no one was safe to walk that way.
Jesus then, coming from Jericho, and knowing that in that
cave the lioness had brought forth her young, went into it in
the sight of all. And when the lions saw Jesus, they ran to
meet Him, and adored Him. And Jesus was sitting in the
cavern, and the lion's cubs ran hither and thither round His
feet, fawning upon Him, and sporting. And the older lions,
with their heads bowed down, stood at a distance, and adored
Him, and fawned upon Him with their tails. Then the people
who were standing afar off, not seeing Jesus, said : Unless he
or his parents had committed grievous sins, he would not of
his own accord have offered liimseK up to the lions. And
when the people were thus reflecting within themselves, and
were lying under great sorrow, behold, on a sudden, in the
sight of the people, Jesus came out of the cave, and the lions
went before Him, and the lion's cubs played with each other
before His feet. And the parents of Jesus stood afar off, with
their heads bowed down, and watched; likewise also the people
stood at a distance, on account of the lions ; for they did not
dare to come close to them. Then Jesus began to say to the
people : How much better are the beasts than you, seeing that
they recognise their Lord, and glorify Him ; while you men,
who have been made after the image and likeness of God, do
not know Him ! Beasts know me, and are tame ; men see me,
and do not acknowledge me.
Chap. 36. — After these things Jesus crossed the Jordan, in
the sight of them all, with the lions; and the water of the
Jordan was divided on the right hand and on the left.^ Then
He said to the lions, in the hearing of all: Go in peace, and
hurt no one; but neither let man injure you, until you return
to the place whence you have come forth. And they, bidding
Him farewell, not only with their gestures but with their
' Josh. iii. 16 ; 2 Kings ii. 8.
48 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
voices, went to their own place. But Jesus returned to His
mother.
Chap. 37. — Now Joseph^ was a carpenter, and used to make
nothing else of wood but ox-yokes, and ploughs, and imple-
ments of husbandry, and wooden beds. And it came to pass
that a certain young man ordered him to make for him a couch
six cubits long. And Joseph commanded his servant^ to cut
the wood with an iron saw, according to the measure which he
had sent. But he did not keep to the prescribed measure, but
made one piece of wood shorter than the other. And Joseph
was in perplexity, and began to consider what he was to do
about this. And when Jesus saw him in this state of cogita-
tion, seeing that it was a matter of impossibility to him, He
addresses him with words of comfort, saying : Come, let us take
hold of the ends of the pieces of wood, and let us put them
together, end to end, and let us fit them exactly to each other,
and draw to us, for we shall be able to make them equal.
Then Joseph did what he was bid, for he knew that He could
do whatever He wished. And Joseph took hold of the ends of
the pieces of wood, and brought them together against the wall
next himself, and Jesus took hold of the other ends of the pieces
of wood, and drew the shorter piece to Him, and made it of the
same length as the longer one. And He said to Joseph : Go
and work, and do what thou hast promised to do. And Joseph
did what he had promised.^
Cpiap. 38. — And it came to pass a second time, that Joseph
and Mary were asked by the people that Jesus should be taught
His letters in school. They did not refuse to do so ; and
according to the commandment of the elders, they took Him
to a master to be instructed in human learning. Then the
master began to teach Him in an imperious tone, saying : Say
' One of tlie MSS. tells the story, not of Joseph, but of a certain builder, a
worker in wood.
2 Lit., boy.
3 One of the MSS. here inserts : And when Jesus was with other children. He
rejieatedly went up and sat down upon a balcony, and many of them began to
do likewise, and they fell down and broke their legs and arms. And the Lord
Jesus healed them all.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 49
Alpha.^ And Jesus said to him : Do thou tell me first what
Betha is, and I will tell thee what Alpha is. And upon this
the master got angry and struck' Jesus ; and no sooner had he
struck Him, than he fell down dead.
And Jesus went home again to His mother. And Joseph,
being afraid, called Mary to him, and said to her : Know of a
surety that my soul is sorrowful even unto death on account
of this child. For it is very likely that at some time or other
some one will strike him in malice, and he will die. But
Mary answered and said : 0 man of God ! do not believe that
this is possible. • You may believe to a certainty that He
who has sent him to be born among men will Himself guard
him from all mischief, and will in His own name preserve
him from evil.
Chap. 39.— Again the Jews asked Mary and Joseph a third
time to coax Him to go to another master to learn. And
Joseph and Mary, fearing the people, and the overbearing of
the princes, and the threats of the priests, led Him again to
school, knowing that He could learn nothing from man, because
He had perfect knowledge from God only. And when Jesus
had entered the school, led by the Holy Spirit, He took the
book out of the hand of the master who was teaching the law,
and in the sight and hearing of all the people began to read,'
not indeed what was written in their book ; but He spoke in
the Spirit of the living God, as if a stream of water were
gushing forth from a living fountain, and the fountain remained
always fuU. And with such power He taught the people the
great things of the living God, that the master himself fell to
the ground and adored Him. And the heart of the people who
sat and heard Him saying such things was turned into astonish-
ment. And when Joseph heard of this, he came running to
Jesus, fearing that the master himself was dead. And when
the master saw him, he said to him: Thou hast given me not
a scholar, but a master; and who can withstand his words?
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the Psalmist :
The river of God is fuU of water : Thou hast prepared them
corn, for so is the provision for it.^
' Note that the letters are Greek here. 2 Ps_ i^v. 9.
D
50 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Chap. 40.— After these things Joseph departed thence with
Mary and Jesus to go into Capernaum by the sea-shore, on
account of the malice of his adversaries. And when Jesus was
living in Capernaum, there was in the city a man named
Joseph, exceedingly rich. But he had wasted away under his
iniarmity, and died, and was lying dead in his couch. And
when Jesus heard them in the city mourning, and weeping, and
lamenting over the dead man, He said to Joseph : Why dost
thou not afford the benefit of thy favour to this man, seeing that
he is called by thy name ? And Joseph answered him : How
have I any power or ability to afford him>a benefit? And
Jesus said to him : Take the handkerchief which is upon thy
head, and go and put it on the face of the dead man, and say to
him : Christ heal thee ; and immediately the dead man will be
healed, and will rise from his couch. And when Joseph heard
this, he went away at the command of Jesus, and ran, and
entered the house of the dead man, and put the handkerchief
which he was wearing on his head upon the face of him who
was lying in the couch, and said : Jesus heal thee. And forth-
with the° dead man rose from his bed, and asked who Jesus
was.^
Chap. 41.— And they went away from Capernaum into the
city which ' is called Bethlehem ; and Joseph lived with Mary
in his own house, and Jesus with them. And on a certain day
Joseph called to him his first-born son James,^ and sent him
into the vegetable garden to gather vegetables for the purpose
of making broth. And Jesus followed His brother James into
the garden ; but Joseph and Mary did not know this. And
while James was collecting the vegetables, a viper suddenly
came out of a hole and struck his hand,^ and he began to cry
out from excessive pain. And, becoming exhausted, he said,
with a bitter cry : Alas ! alas ! an accursed viper has struck my
^ In place of this chapter, one of the Mss. has a number of miracles copied
from the canonical Gospels— the walking on the sea, the feeding of the five
thousand, the healing of a blind man, the raising of Lazarus, and the raising of
a certain young man. n • t
^ According to the tradition preserved by Hegesippus and TertuUian, James
and Judas were husbandmen. See Const. Apost. ch. Ixvii.
3 Cf. Acts xxviii. 3.
THE GOSPEL OF PSEUDO-MATTHEW. 51
hand. And Jesus, who was standing opposite to him, at the
bitter cry ran up to James, and took hold of his hand ; and all
that He did was to blow on the hand of James, and cool it :
and immediately James was healed, and the serpent died. And
Joseph and Mary did not know what had been done ; but at
the cry of James, and the command of Jesus, they ran to the
garden, and found the serpent already dead, and James quite
cured.
Chap; 42. — And Joseph having come to a feast with his sons,
James, Joseph, and Judah, and Simeon and his two daughters,
Jesus met them, with Mary His mother, along with her sister
Mary of Cleophas, whom the Lord God had given to her father
Cleophas and her mother Anna, because they had offered Mary
the mother of Jesus to the Lord. And she was called by the
same name, Mary, for the consolation of her parents.^ And
when they had come together, Jesus sanctified and blessed
them, and He was the first to begin to eat and drink ; for none
of them dared to eat or drink, or to sit at table, or to break
bread, until He had sanctified them, and first done so. And
if He happened to be absent, they used to wait until He should
do this. And when He did not wish to come for refreshment,
' One of the MSS. has : And when Joseph, worn out with old age, died and
was buried with his parents, the blessed Mary [lived] with her nephews, or with
the children of her sisters ; for Anna and Emerina were sisters. Of Emerina
was born Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. And as Anna, the mother
of the blessed Mary, was very beautiful, when Joachim was dead she was married
to Cleophas, by whom she had a second daughter. She called her Mary, and
gave her to Alphseus to wife ; and of her was bom James the son of Alphaeus,
and Philip his brother. And her second husband having died, Anna was mar-
ried to a third husband named Salome, by whom she had a third daughter. She
called her Mary likewise, and gave her to Zebedee to wife ; and of her were born
James the son of Zebedee, and John the Evangelist.
Another passage to the same effect is prefixed to the Gospel. It reads Emeria
for Emerina, and Joseph for Philip.- It ends with a quotation from Jerome's
sermon upon Easter : — We read in the Gospels that there were four Marys —
first, the mother of the Lord the Saviour ; second. His maternal aunt, who was
called Mary of Cleophas ; third, Mary the mother of James and Joseph ; fourth,
Mary Magdalene — though some maintain that the mother of James and Joseph
was His aunt.
The same ms. thus concludes : The holy Apostle and Evangelist John with
his own hand wrote this little book in Hebrew, and the learned doctor Jerome
rendered it from Hebrew into Latin,
52 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
neither Joseph nor Mary, nor the sons of Joseph, His brothers,
came. And, indeed, these brothers, keeping His life as a lamp
before their eyes, observed Him, and feared Him. And when
Jesus slept, whether by day or by night, the brightness of God
shone upon Him. To whom be all praise and glory for ever
and ever. Amen, amen.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MAEY.
CHAPTEE I.
HE blessed and glorious ever-virgin Mary, sprung
from the royal stock and family of David, born
in the city of Nazareth, was brought up at Jeru-
salem in the temple of the Lord. Her father was
named Joachim, and her mother Anna. Her father's house was
from Galilee and the city of Nazareth, but her mother's family
from Bethlehem. Their life was guileless and right before the
Lord, and irreproachable and pious before men. For they
divided all their substance into three parts. One part they
spent upon the temple and the temple servants ; another
they distributed to strangers and the poor ; the third they
reserved for themselves and the necessities of their family.
Thus, dear to God, kind to men, for about twenty years they
lived in their own house, a chaste married life, without having
any children. Nevertheless they vowed that, should the Lord
happen to give them offspring, they would deliver it to the
service of the Lord ; on which account also they used to visit
the temple of the Lord at each of the feasts during the year.
Chap. 2. — And it came to pass that the festival of the
dedication^ was at hand; wherefore also Joachim went up to
Jerusalem with some men of his own tribe. Now at that time
Isaschar^ was high priest there. And when he saw Joachim
1 1 Mace. iv. 52-59 ; 2 Mace. x. 1-8 ; John x. 22 ; Josephus, Antiq. xii. 7.
* The spelling in the text is that in the Hebrew, the Samaritan Codex, the
Targums, and the Textus Receptus. There is no Issachar in the list of high
priests.
£3
54 TEE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
with his offering among his other fellow-citizens, he despised
him, and spurned his gifts, asking why he, who had no off-
spring, presumed to stand among those who had; saying that
his gifts could not by any means be acceptable to God, since
He had deemed him unworthy of offspring ': for the Scripture
said, Cursed is every one who has not begot a male or a female
in Israel.^ He said, therefore, that he ought first to be freed
from this curse by the begetting of children; and then, and
then only, that he should come into the presence of the Lord
with his offerings. And Joachim, covered with shame from
this reproach that was thrown in his teeth, retired to the shep-
herds, who were in their pastures with the flocks ; nor would
he return home, lest perchance he might be branded with the
same reproach by those of his own tribe, who were there at the
time, and had heard this from the priest.
Chap. 3. Now, when he had been there for some time, on
a certain day when he was alone, an angel of the Lord stood
by him in a great light. And when he was disturbed at his
appearance, the angel who had appeared to him restrained his
fear, saying : Fear not, Joachim, nor be disturbed by my appear-
ing ; for I am the angel of the Lord, sent by Him to thee to tell
thee that thy prayers have been heard, and that thy charitable
deeds have gone up into His presence.=^ For He hath seen thy
shame, and hath heard the reproach of unfruitfulness which has
been unjustly brought against thee. For God is the avenger
of sin, not of nature : and, therefore, when He shuts up the
womb of any one, He does so that He may miraculously open
it again ; so that that which is born may be acknowledged to
be not of lust, but of the gift of God. For was it not the case
that the first mother of your nation— Sarah— was barren up
to her eightieth year ? « And, nevertheless, in extreme old age
she brought forth Isaac, to whom the promise was renewed of
the blessing of all nations. Rachel also, so favoured by the
Lord, and so beloved by holy Jacob, was long barren ; and yet
she brought forth Joseph, who was not only the lord of Egypt,
« This statement does not occur in Scripture in so many words ; but sterility
was looked upon as a punishment from God.
■^ Compare Acts x. L ' Gen. xvii. 17. Sarah was ninety years old.
TEE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 55
but the deKverer of many nations who were ready to perish
of hunger. Who among the judges was either stronger than
Sampso'k, or more holy than Samuel? And yet the mothers
of both were barren. If, therefore, the reasonableness of my
words does not persuade thee, believe in fact that conceptions
very late in life, and births in the case of women that have
been barren, are usually attended with something wonderful.
Accordingly thy wife Anna will bring forth a daughter to thee,
and thou shalt call her ^ name Mary: she shall be, as you have
vowed, consecrated to the Lord from her infancy, and she shall
be mied with the Holy Spirit, even from her mother's womb.
She shall neither eat nor drink any unclean thing, nor shall
she spend her life among the crowds of the people without,
but in the temple of the Lord, that it may not be possible
either to say, or so much as to suspect, any evil concernmg
her. Therefore, when she has grown up, just as she herself
shall be miraculously born of a barren woman, so in an incom-
parable manner she, a virgin, shall bring forth the Son of the
Most High, who shall be caUed Jesus, and who, according to
the etymology of His name, shall be the Saviour of aU nations.
And this shall be the sign to thee of those things which I
announce : When thou shalt come to the Golden gate in Jeru-
salem, thou shalt there meet Anna thy wife, who, lately anxious
from the delay of thy return, will then rejoice at the sight of
thee. Having thus spoken, the angel departed from him.
• Chap. 4.— Thereafter he appeared to Anna his wife, saying :
Fear not, Anna, nor think that it is a phantom which thou
seest. For I am that angel who has presented your prayers
and alms before God; and now have I been sent to you to
announce to you that thou shalt bring forth a daughter, who
shall be called Mary, and who shaU be blessed above all women.
She, fuU of the favour of the Lord even from her birth, shall
remain three years in her father's house until she be weaned.
Thereafter, being delivered to the service of the Lord, she shall
not depart from the temple until she reach the years of dis-
cretion. There, in fine, serving God day and night in fastings
and prayers, she shall abstain from every unclean thing ; she
shall never know man, but alone, without example, immaculate,
56 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
uncorrupted, without intercourse with man, she, a virgin, shall
bring forth a son ; she. His handmaiden, shall bring forth the
Lord — both in grace, and in name, and in work, the Saviour
of the world. Wherefore arise, and go up to Jerusalem ; and
when thou shalt come to the gate which, because it is plated
with gold, is called Golden, there, for a sign, thou shalt meet
thy husband, for whose safety thou hast been anxious. And
when these things shall have so happened, know that what I
announce shall without doubt be fulfilled.
Chap. 5. — Therefore, as the angel had commanded, both of
them setting out from the place where they were, went up to
Jerusalem ; and when they had come to the place pointed out
by the angel's prophecy, there they met each other. Then,
rejoicing at seeing each other, and secure in the certainty of the
promised offspring, they gave the thanks due to the Lord, who
exalteth the humble. And so, having worshipped the Lord,
they returned home, and awaited in certainty and in gladness
the divine promise. Anna therefore conceived, and brought,
forth a daughter ; and according to the command of the angel,
her parents called her name Mary.
Chap. 6. — And when the circle of three years had rolled
round, and the time of her weaning was fulfilled, they brought
the virgin to the temple of the Lord with offerings. Now
there were round the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms
of Degrees,^ fifteen steps going up ; for, on account of the
temple having been built on a mountain, the altar of burnt-
offering, which stood outside, could not be reached except by
steps. On one of these, then, her parents placed the little
girl, the blessed virgin Mary. And when they were putting
off the clothes which they had worn on the journey, and were
putting on, as was usual, others that were neater and cleaner,
the virgin of the Lord went up all the steps, one after the
other, without the help of any one leading her or lifting her, in
such a manner that, in this respect at least, you would think
that she had already attained full age. For already the Lord
' Ps. cxx.-cxxxiv. The fifteen steps led from the court of the women to that
of the men.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 57
in the infancy of His virgin wrought a great thing, and by
the indication of this miracle foreshowed how great she was to
be. Therefore, a sacrifice having been offered according to the
custom of the law, and their vow being perfected, they left the
virgin within the enclosures of the temple, there to be educated
with the other virgins, and themselves returned home.
Chap. 7. — But the virgin of the Lord advanced in age and in
virtues ; and though, in the words of the Psalmist, her father
and mother had forsaken her, the Lord took her up.^ Tor
daily was she visited by angels, daily did she enjoy a divine
vision, which preserved her from all evil, and made her to
abound in all good. And so she reached her fourteenth year ;
and not only were the wicked unable to charge her with any-
thing worthy of reproach, but all the good, who knew her life
and conversation, judged her to be worthy of admiration.
Then the high priest publicly announced that the virgins who
were publicly settled in the temple, and had reached this time
of life, should return home and get married, according to the
custom of the nation and the ripeness of their years. The
others readily obeyed this command ; but Mary alone, the virgin
of the Lord, answered that she could not do this, saying ' both
that her parents had devoted her to the service of the Lord,
and that, moreover, she herself had made to the Lord a vow of
virginity, which she would never violate by any intercourse
with man. And the high priest, being placed in great per-
plexity of mind, seeing that neither did he think that the vow
should be broken contrary to the Scripture, which says. Vow
and pay,^ nor did he dare to introduce a custom unknown to
the nation, gave order that at the festival, which was at hand,
all the chief persons from Jerusalem and the neighbourhood
should be present, in order that from their advice he might
know what was to be done in so doubtful a case. And when
this took place, they resolved unanimously that the Lord should
be consulted upon this matter. And when they all bowed them-
selves in prayer, the high priest went to consult God in the usual
way. Nor had they long to wait : in the hearing of all a voice
issued from the oracle and from the mercy-seat, that, according
» Ps. xxvii. 10. * Ps. Lsxvi. 11.
58 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
to the prophecy of Isaiah, a man should be sought out to whom
the virgin ought to be entrusted and espoused. For it is clear
that Isaiah says : A rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse,
and a flower shall ascend from his root ; and the Spirit of the
Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under-
standing, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of wisdom
and piety ; and he shall be filled with the spirit of the fear of
the Lord/ According to this prophecy, therefore, he predicted
that all of the house and family of David that were unmarried
and fit for marriage should bring their rods to the altar ; and
that he whose rod after it was brought should produce a flower,
and upon the end of whose rod the Spirit of the Lord should
settle in the form of a dove, was the man to whom the virgin
ought to be entrusted and espoused.
Chap. 8. — Now there was among the rest Joseph, of the
house and family of David, a man of great age : and when all
brought their rods, according to the order, he alone withheld
his. Wherefore, when nothing in conformity with the divine
voice appeared, the high priest thought it necessary to consult
God a second time ; and He answered, that of those who had
beeh designated, he alone to whom the virgin ought to be
espoused had not brought his rod. Joseph, therefore, was found
out. For when he had brought his rod, and the dove came
from heaven and settled upon the top of it, it clearly appeared
to all that he was the man to whom the virgin should be
espoused. Therefore, the usual ceremonies of betrothal having
been gone through, he went back to the city of -Bethlehem to
put his house in order, and to procure things necessary for the
marriage. But Mary, the virgin of the Lord, with seven other
virgins of her own age, and who had been weaned at the same
time, whom she had received from the priest, returned to the
house of her parents in Galilee.
Chap. 9. — And in those days, that is, at the time of her first
coming into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to her by God,
to announce to her the conception of the Lord, and to explain
to her the manner and order of the conception. Accordingly,
' Isa. xi. 1,2.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 59
going in, he filled the chamber where she was with a great
light ; and most courteously saluting her, he said : Hail, Mary !
0 virgin highly favoured by the Lord, virgin full of grace, the
Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou above all women, blessed
above all men that have been hitherto born.^ And the virgin,
who was already well acquainted with angelic faces, and was
not unused to the light from heaven, was neither terrified by
the vision of the angel, nor astonished at the greatness of the
light, but only perplexed by his words ; and she began to
consider of what nature a salutation so unusual could be, or
what it could portend, or what end it could have. And the
angel, divinely inspired, taking up this thought, says : Fear not,
Mary, as if anything contrary to thy chastity were hid under
this salutation. For in choosing chastity, thou hast found
favour with the Lord; and therefore thou, a virgin, shalt conceive
without sin, and shalt bring forth a son. He shall be great,
because He shall rule from sea to sea^ and from the river even
to the ends of the earth f and He shall be called the Son of
the Most High, because He who is born on earth in humilia-
tion, reigns in heaven in exaltation; and the Lord God will
give Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign
in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall
be no end;^ forasmuch as He is King of kings and Lord of
lords,* and His throne is from everlasting to everlasting. The
virgin did not doubt these words of the angel ; but wishing to
know the manner of it, she answered : How can that come to
pass ? For while, according to my vow, I never know man,
how can I bring forth without the addition of man's seed ? To
this the angel says : Think not, Mary, that thou shalt conceive
in the manner of mankind: for without any intercourse with man,
thou, a virgin, wilt conceive ; thou, a virgin, wilt bring forth ;
thou, a virgin, wilt nurse : for the Holy Spirit shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee;'
'without any of the heats of lust ; and therefore that which
shall be born of thee shall alone be holy, because it alone, being
conceived and born without sin, shall be called the Son of God.
Then Mary stretched forth her hands, and raised her eyes to
1 Luke i. 26-38. ^ Ps. Ixxii. 8. 3 Luke i. 32, 33.
* Kev. xix. 16. & Luke i. 35.
60 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS. .
heaven, and said : Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, for I
am not worthy of the name of lady ; let it be to me according
to thy word.
It will be long, and perhaps to some even tedious, if we in-
sert in this little work everything which we read of as having
preceded or followed the Lord's nativity : wherefore, omitting
those things which have been more fully written in the Gospel,
let us come to those which are held to be less worthy of being
narrated.
Chap. 10. — Joseph therefore came from Judea into Galilee,
intending to marry the virgin who had been betrothed to him ;
for already three months had elapsed, and it was the beginning
of the fourth since she had been betrothed to him. In the
meantime, it was evident from her shape that she was pregnant,
nor could she conceal this from Joseph. For in consequence
of his being betrothed to her, coming to her more freely and
speaking to her more familiarly, he found out that she was
with child. He began then to be in great doubt and perplexity,
because he did not know what was best for him to do. For,
being a just man, he was not willing to expose her; nor, being
a pious man, to injure her fair fame by a suspicion of fornica-
tion. He came to the conclusion, therefore, privately to dis-
solve their contract, and to send her away secretly. And
while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, thou son of
David, fear not ; that is, do not have any suspicion of fornica-
tion in the virgin, or think any evil of her ; and fear not to take
her as thy wife : for that which is begotten in her, and which
now vexes thy soul, is the work not of man, but of the Holy
Spirit. For she alone of all virgins shall bring forth the Son
of God, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, that is. Saviour ;
for He shall save His people from their sins. Therefore Joseph,
according to the command of the angel, took the virgin as his
wife ; nevertheless he knew her not, but took care of her, and
kept her in chastity.^ And now the ninth month from her
conception was at hand, when Joseph, taking with him his wife
along with what things he needed, went to Bethlehem, the city
1 Matt. i. IS 24.
THE GOSPEL OF THE NATIVITY OF MARY. 61
from which he came. And it came to pass, while they were
there, that her days were fulfilled that she should bring forth ;
and she brought forth her first-born son, as the holy evangelists
have shown, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and
the Son^ and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns God from ever-
lasting to everlasting.
' Thus in the original.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CAEPENTER.
N the name of God, of one essence and three persons.
The History of the death of our father, the holy
old man, Joseph the carpenter.
May his blessings and prayers preserve us all,
0 brethren ! Amen.
His whole life was one hundred and eleven years, and his
departure from this world happened on the twenty-sixth of the
month Abib, which answers to the month Ab. May his prayer
preserve us! Amen. And, indeed, it was our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself who related this history to His holy disciples on the
Mount of Olives, and all Joseph's labour, and the end of his
days. And the holy apostles have preserved this conversation,
and have left it written down in the library at Jerusalem.
May their prayers preserve us ! Amen.^
1. It happened one day, when the Saviour, our Master, God,
and Saviour Jesus Christ, was sitting along with His disciples,
and they were all assembled on the Mount of Olives, that He
said to them : 0 my brethren and friends, sons of the Father
who has chosen you from all men, you know that I have often
told you that I must be crucified, and must die for the salva-
tion of Adam and his posterity, and that I shall rise from the
1 The Cojitic has : The 26th day of Epep. This is the departure from the
body of our father Joseph the carpenter, the father of Christ after the flesh, wlio
was 111 years old. Our Saviour narrated all his life to His apostles on Mount
Olivet ; and His apostles wrote it, and put it in the library which is in Jeru-
salem. Also that the day on which the holy old man laid down his body was
the 26th of the month Epep. In the peace of God, amen.
His day is the 19tli of March in the Roman calendar.
62
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 63
dead. Now I shall commit to you the doctrine of the holy
gospel formerly announced to you, that you may declare it
throughout the whole world. And I shall endow you with
power from on high, and fill you with the Holy Spirit.^ And
you shall declare to all nations repentance and remission of
sins.^ For a single cup of water,' if a man shall find it in the
world to come, is greater and better than all the wealth of this
whole world. And as much ground as one foot can occupy in
the house of my Father, is greater and more excellent than all
the riches of the earth. Yea, a single hour in the joyful dwell-
ing of the pious is more blessed and more precious than a thou-
sand years among sinners :* inasmuch as their weeping and
lamentation shall not come to an -end, and their tears shall not
cease, nor shall they find for themselves consolation and repose
at any time for ever. And now, 0 my honoured members, go
declare to all nations, tell them, and say to them : Verily the
Saviour diligently inquires into the inheritance which is due,
and is the administrator of justice. And the angels will cast
down their enemies', and will fight for them in the day of con-
flict. And He will examine every single foolish and idle word
which men speak, and they shall give an account of it.' For
as no one shall escape death, so also the works of every man
shall be laid open on the day of judgment, whether they have
been good or evil.* Tell them also this word which I have said
to you to-day : Let not the strong man glory in his strength,
nor the rich man in his riches; but let him who wishes to
glory, glory in the Lord.'
2. There M^as a man whose name was Joseph, sprung from a
family of Bethlehem, a town of Judah, and the city of King-
David. This same man, being well furnished with wisdom and
learning, was made a priest in the temple of the Lord. He
was, besides, skilful in his trade, which was that of a carpenter ;
and after the manner of all men, he married a wife. Moreover,
he begot for himself sons and daughters, four sons, namely, and
two daughters. Now these are their names — Judas, Justus,
James, and Simon. The names of the two daughters were
I Luke xxiv. 49. 2 Luke xxiv. 47. ^ Cf. Matt. x. 42.
* Cf. Ps. Ixxxiv. 10. 5 Matt. xii. 36. « 2 Cor. v. 10.
7 Jer. ix. 23, 24 ; 1 Cor. i. 31 ; 2 Cor. x. 17.
64 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Assia and Lydia. At length the wife of righteous Joseph, a
woman intent on the divine glory in all her works, departed
this life. But Joseph, that righteous man, my father after the
flesh, and the spouse of my mother Mary, went away with his
sons to his trade, practising the art of a carpenter.
3. Now when righteous Joseph became a widower, my
mother Mary, blessed, holy, and pure, was already twelve years
old. For her parents offered her in the temple when she was
three years of age, and she remained in the temple of the Lord
nine years. Then when the priests saw that the virgin, holy
and God-fearing, was growing up, they spoke to each other,
saying : Let us search out a man, righteous and pious, to whom
Mary may be entrusted until the time of her marriage ; lest, if
she remain in the temple, it happen to her as is wont to happen
to women, and lest on that account we sin, and God be angry
with us.
4. Therefore they immediately sent out, and assembled twelve
old men of the tribe of Judah. And they wrote down the
names of the twelve tribes of Israel. And the lot fell upon the
pious old man, righteous Joseph. Then the priests answered,
and said to my blessed mother : Go with Joseph, and be with
him till the time of your marriage. Eighteous Joseph there-
fore received my mother, and led her away to his own house.
And Mary found James the Less in his father's house, broken-
hearted and sad on account of the loss of his mother, and she
brought him up. Hence Mary was called the mother of James.^
Thereafter Joseph left her at home, and went away .to the shop
where he Wrought at his trade of a carpenter. And after the
holy virgin had spent two years in his house her age was
exactly fourteen years, including the time at which he received
her.
5. And I chose her of my own will, with the concurrence of
my Father, and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. And I was made
flesh of her, by a mystery which transcends the grasp of created
reason. And three months after her conception the righteous
man Joseph returned from the place where he worked at his
trade ; and when he found my virgin mother pregnant, he was
greatl}' perplexed, and thought of sending her away secretly.^
1 Luke xxiv. 10. 2 jix^tt, L 19.
THE HISTOP.Y OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. Go
But from fear, and sorrow, and the anguish of his heart, he
could endure neither to eat nor drink that day.
6. But at mid-day there appeared to him in a dream the
prince of the angels, the holy Gabriel, furnished with a com-
mand from my Father; and he said to him: Joseph, son of
David, fear not to take Mary as thy wife: for she. has conceived
of the Holy Spirit ; and she will bring forth a son, whose name
shall be called Jesus. He it is who shall rule all nations with
a rod of iron.^ Having thus spoken, the angel departed from
him. And Joseph rose from his sleep, and did as the angel of
the Lord had said to. him ; and Mary abode with him.^
7. Some time after that, there came forth an order from
Augustus Cciesar the king, that all the habitable world should
be enrolled, each man in his own city. The old man therefore,
righteous Joseph, rose up and took the virgin Mary and came
to Bethlehem, because the time of her bringing forth was at
hand. Joseph then inscribed his name in the list; for Joseph
the son of David, whose spouse Mary was, was of the tribe of
Judah. And indeed IMary, my mother, brought me forth in
Bethlehem, in a cave near the tomb of Eachel the wife of the
patriarch Jacob, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
8. But Satan went and told this to Herod the Great, the
father of Archelaus. And it was this same Herod ^ who
ordered my friend and relative John to be beheaded. Accord-
ingly he searched for me diligently, thinking that my kingdom
was to be of this world." But Joseph, that pious old "man,
was warned of this by a dream. Therefore he rose and took
Mary my mother, and I lay in her bosom. Salome ^ also was
their fellow-traveller. Having therefore set out from home,
he retired into Egypt, and remained there the space of one
whole year, until the hatred of Herod passed away.
9. Now Herod died by the worst form of death, atoning for
the shedding of the blood of the children whom he wickedly
cut off, though there was no sin in them. And that impious
^ Ps. ii. 9 ; Rev. xii. 5, xix. 15. 2 jjatt. i. 20-24.
3 It was Herod Antipas who ordered John to be beheaded.
* John xviii. 36.
^ The Salome here mentioned was, according to two of the Mss. of Pseudo-
Matthew, the third husband of Anna, Mary's mother, and the father of ilary
the wife of Zebedee. But compare Matt, xxvii. 56 with Mark xv. 40,
E
66 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
tyrant Herod being dead, they returned into tlie land of Israel,
and lived in a city of Galilee which is called Nazareth. And
Joseph, going back to his trade of a carpenter, earned his
living by the work of his hands ; for, as the law of Moses had
commanded, he never sought to live for nothing by another's
labour.^
10. At length, by increasing years, the old man arrived at
a very advanced age. He did not, however, labour under any
bodily weakness, nor had his sight failed, nor had any tooth
perished from his mouth. In mind also, for the whole time of
his life, he never wandered ; but like a boy he always in his
business displayed youthful vigour, and his limbs remained
unimpaired, and free from all pain. His life, then, m all,
amounted to one hundred and eleven years, his old age being
prolonged to the utmost limit.
11. Now Justus and Simeon, the elder sons of Joseph, were
married, and had families of their own. Both the daughters
were likewise married, and lived in their own houses. So there
remained in Joseph's house, Judas and James the Less, and my
virgin mother. I moreover dwelt along with them, not other-
wis°e than if I had been one of his sons. But I passed all
my life without fault. Mary I called my mother, and Joseph
father, and I obeyed them in all that they said ; nor did I ever
contend against them, but complied with their commands, as
other men whom earth produces are wont to do; nor did I
at any time arouse their anger, or give any word or answer in
opposition to them. On the contrary, I cherished them with
great love, like the pupil of my eye.
12. It came to pass, after these things, that the death of
that old man, the pious Joseph, and his departure from this
world, were approaching, as happens to other men who owe
their origin to this earth. And as his body was verging on
dissolution, an angel of the Lord informed him that his death
was now close at hand. Therefore fear and great perplexity
came upon him. So he rose up and went to Jerusalem ; and
going into the temple of the Lord, he poured out his prayers
there before the sanctuary, and said :
13. 0 God! author of all consolation, God of all compas-
• Gen. iii. 19.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 67
sion, and Lord of the whole human race ; God of my soul, body,
and spirit ; with supplications I reverence thee, 0 Lord and
my God. If now my days are ended, and the time draws near
when I must leave this world, send me, I beseech Thee, the
great Michael, the prince of Thy holy angels : let him remain
with me, that my wretched soul may depart from this afflicted
body without trouble, without terror and impatience. For
great fear and intense sadness take hold of all bodies on the
day of their death, whether it be man or woman, beast wild or
tame, or whatever creeps on the ground or flies in the air. At
the last all creatures under heaven in whom is the breath of
life are struck with horror, and their souls depart from their
bodies with strong fear and great depression. Now therefore,
0 Lord and my God, let Thy holy angel be present with his
help to my soul and body, until they shall be dissevered from
each other. And let not the face of the angel, appointed my
guardian from the day of my birth,^ be turned away from me ;
but may he be the companion of my journey even until he
bring me to Thee : let his countenance be pleasant and glad-
some to me, and let him accompany me in peace. And let not
demons of frightful aspect come near me in the way in which
1 am to go, until I come to Thee in bliss. And let not the door-
keepers hinder my soul from entering paradise. And do not
uncover my sins, and expose me to condemnation before Thy
terrible tribunal. Let not the lions rush in upon me ; nor let
the waves of the sea of fire overwhelm my soul — for this must
every soul pass through ^ — before I have seen the glory of Thy
Godhead. 0 God, most righteous Judge, who in justice and
equity wilt judge mankind, and wilt render unto each one
according to his works, 0 Lord and my God, I beseech Thee, be
present to me in Thy compassion, and enlighten my path that
I may come to Thee ; for Thou art a fountain overflowing with
all good things, and with glory for evermore. Amen.
14. It came to pass thereafter, when he returned to his own
^ On the subject of guardian angels, see Shepherd of Hermas, iii. 4 ; Justin,
Apol. ii. 5, Tryph. 5 ; Athenagoras, Legat. 10, 20 ; Clem. Alex. Strom, vi. 17.
2 This clause looks like an interpolation. But the doctrine of purgatory was
held from an early date. Clem. Alex. Padag. iii. 9 ; Strom, vii. 6 ; Origen
against Celsus, v. 14, 15,
68 ' THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
house in the city of Nazareth, that he was seized by disease,
and had to keep his bed. And it was at tliis time that he died,
according to the destiny of all mankind. For this disease was
very heavy upon him, and he had never been ill, as he now
was, from the day of his birth. And thus assuredly it pleased
Christ^ to order the destiny of righteous Joseph. He lived
forty years unmarried ; thereafter his wife remained under his
care forty-nine years, and then died. And a year after her
death, my mother, the blessed Mary, was entrusted to him by
the priests, that he should keep her until the time of her
marriage. She spent two years in his house ; and in the third
year of her stay with Joseph, in the fifteenth year of her age,
she brought me forth on earth by a mystery which no creature
can penetrate or understand, except myself, and my Father and
the Holy Spirit, constituting one essence with myseU?
15. The whole age of my father, therefore, that righteous old
man, was one hundred and eleven years, my Father in heaven
having so decreed. And the day on which liis soul left his
body was the twenty-sixth of the month Abib. For now the
fine gold began to lose its sj)lendour, and the silver to be worn
down by use^— I mean his understanding and his wisdom. He
also loathed food and drink, and lost all his skill in his trade of
carpentry, nor did he any more pay attention to it. It came to
pass, then, in the early dawn of the twenty-sixth day of Abib,
that Joseph, that righteous old man, lying in his bed, was
giving up his unquiet soul. Wherefore he opened his mouth
with many sighs, and struck his hands one against the other,
and with a loud voice cried out, and spoke after the following
manner : —
1 6. Woe to the day on which I was born into the world !
Woe to the womb which bare me ! Woe to the bowels which
admitted me ! Woe to the breasts which suckled me ! Woe
to the feet upon which I sat and rested ! Woe to the hands
^ Note the change from the first person.
* Here the Coptic has : This is the end of the life of my beloved father Joseph.
When forty years old he married a wife, with whom he lived nine (? forty-nine)
years. After her death he remained a widower one (or two) year ; and my
mother lived two years in his house before she was married to him, since he had
been ordered by the priests to take charge of her until the time of her marriage.
And my mother Mary brought me forth in the third year that she was in
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. ^9
which carried me and reared me until I grew np !^ For I was
conceived in iniquity, and in sins did my mother desire me.^
Woe to my tongue and my lips, which have brought forth and
spoken vanity, detraction, falsehood, ignorance, derision, idle
tales, craft, and hypocrisy ! Woe to mine eyes, which have
looked upon scandalous things ! Woe to mine ears, which
have delighted in the words of slanderers ! Woe to my hands,
which have seized what did not of right belong to them ! Woe
to my belly and my bowels, which have lusted after food un-
lawful to be eaten ! Woe to my throat, which like a fire has
consumed all that it found ! Woe to my feet, which have too
often walked in ways displeasing to God ! Woe to my body ;
and woe to my miserable soul, which has already turned aside
from G od its Maker ! What shall I do when I arrive at that
place where I must stand before the most righteous Judge, and
when He shall call me to account for the works which I have
heaped up in my youth ? Woe to every man dying in his
sins ! Assuredly that same dreadful hour, which came upon
my father Jacob,^ when his soul was flying forth from his body,
is now, behold, near at hand for me. Oh ! how wretched I am
this day, and worthy of lamentation ! But God alone is the
disposer of my soul and body; He also will deal with them
after His own good pleasure.
17. These are the words spoken by Joseph, that righteous
old man. And T, going in beside him, found his soul exceed-
ingly troubled, for he was placed in great perplexity. And I
said to him : Hail ! my father Joseph, thou righteous man ;
how is it with thee ? And he answered me : All hail ! my
well-beloved son. Indeed, the agony and fear of death have
already environed me ; but as soon as I heard Thy voice, my
soul was at rest. 0 Jesus of Nazareth ! Jesus, my Saviour !
Jesus, the deliverer of my soul ! Jesus, my protector ! Jesus !
0 sweetest name in my mouth, and in the mouth of all those
Joseph's house, in the fifteenth year of her age. My mother bore me in a cave
(this seems a mistranslation for mystery), which it is unlawful either to name
or seek, and there is not in the whole creation a man who knows it, except me
and my Father and the Holy Spirit. It is to be noted that the last clause is
omitted in the Coptic. The phrase one essence was first used in regard to the
doctrine of the Trinity by Augustine.
1 Cf. Job iii. = Cf. Ps. li. 5. 3 Matt. i. IG.
70 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
tliat love it ! 0 eye which seest, and ear which hearest, hear
me ! I am Thy servant ; this day I most humbly reverence
Thee, and before Thy face I pour out my tears. Thou art
altogether my God ; Thou art my Lord, as the angel has told
me times without number, and especially on that day when
my soul was driven about with perverse thoughts about the
pure and blessed Mary, who was carrying Thee in her womb,
and whom I was thinking of secretly sending away. And
while I was thus meditating, behold, there appeared to me in
my rest angels of the Lord, saying to me in a wonderful mys-
tery : O Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take Mary as
thy wife ; and do not grieve thy soul, nor speak unbecoming
words of her conception, because she is with child of the Holy
Spirit, and shall bring forth a son, whose name shall be called
Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Do not
for this cause wish me evil, 0 Lord ! for I was ignorant of the
mystery of Thy birth. I call to mind also, my Lord, that day
when the boy died of the bite of the serpent. And his rela-
tions wished to deliver Thee to Herod, saying that Thou hadst
killed him; but Thou didst raise him from the dead, and restore
him to them. Then I went up to Thee, and took hold of Thy
hand, saying : My son, take care of thyself. But Thou didst
say to me in reply : Art thou not my father after the flesh ?
I shall teach thee who I am.^ Now therefore, 0 Lord and
my God, do not be angry with me, or condemn me on account
of that hour. I am Thy servant, and the son of Thine hand-
maiden f but Thou art my Lord, my God and Saviour, most
surely the Son of God.
18. When my father Joseph had thus spoken, he was unable
to weep more. And I saw that death now had dominion over
him. And my mother, virgin undefiled, rose and came to me,
saying : 0 my beloved son, this pious old man Joseph is now
dying. And I answered: Oh, my dearest mother, assuredly
upon all creatures produced in this world the same necessity
' The Saliidic has : Joseph entreats Jesus to pardon him likewise, because
when, once upon a time, He had recalled to life a boy bitten by a cerastes, he
(Joseph) had pulled His right ear, advising Him to refrain from works that
brought hatred upon Him. See Second Gospel of Thomas, ch. 5.
- Fs. c.xvi. 16.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 71
of death lies; for death holds sway over the whole human
race. Even thou, 0 my virgin mother, must look for the same
end of life as other mortals. And yet thy death, as also the
death of this pious man, is not death, but life enduring to
eternity. Nay more, even I must die, as concerns the body
which I have received from thee. But rise, 0 my venerable
mother, and go in to Joseph, that blessed old man, in order that
thou mayst see what will happen as his soul ascends from his
body,
19. My undefiled mother Mary, therefore, went and entered
the place where Joseph was. And I was sitting at his feet
looking at him, for the signs of death already appeared in his
countenance. And that blessed old man raised his head, and
kept his eyes fixed on my face ; but he had no power of speak-
ing to me, on account of the agonies of death, which held him
in their grasp. But he kept fetching many sighs. And I held
his hands for a whole hour ; and he turned his face to me, and
made signs for me not to leave him. Thereafter I put my
hand upon his breast, and perceived his soul now near his
throat, preparing to depart from its receptacle.
20. And when my virgin mother saw me touching his body,
she also touched his feet. And finding them already dead and
destitute of heat, she said to me : 0 my beloved son, assuredly
his feet are already beginning to stiffen, and they are as cold
as snow. Accordingly she summoned his sons and daughters,
and said to them : Come, as many as there are of you, and go
to your father ; for assuredly he is now at the very point of
death. And Assia, his daughter, answered and said: Woe's
me, 0 m.y brothers, this is certainly the same disease that my
beloved mother died of And she lamented and shed tears ;
and all Joseph's other children mourned along with her. I
also, and my mother Mary, wept along with them.^
21. And turning my eyes towards the region of the south, I
saw Death already approaching, and all Gehenna with him,
closely attended by his army and his satellites; and their
clothes, their faces, and their mouths poured forth flames.
1 The argument of the Sahidic is : He sends for Joseph's sons and daughters,
of whom the oldest was Lysia the purple-seller. They all weep over their dying
father.
72 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
And when my father Joseph saw them coming straight to
him, his eyes dissolved in tears, and at the same time he
groaned after a strange manner. Accordingly, when I saw
the vehemence of his sighs, I drove back Death and all the
host of servants which accompanied him. And I called upon
my good Father, saying : —
22. 0 Father of all mercy, eye which seest, and ear which
hearest, hearken to my prayers and supplications in behalf of
the old man Joseph ; and send Michael, the prince of Thine
angels, and Gabriel, the herald of light, and all the light of
Thine angels, and let their whole array walk with the soul of
my father Joseph, until they shall have conducted it to Thee.
This is the hour in which my father has need of compassion.
And I say unto you, that all the saints, yea, as many men as
are born in the world, whetlier they be just or whether they
be perverse, must of necessity taste of death.
23. Therefore Michael and Gabriel came to the soul of my
father Joseph, and took it, and wrapped it in a shining wrapper.
Thus he committed his spirit into the hands of my good Father,
and He bestowed upon him peace. But as yet none of his
children knew that he had fallen asleep. And the angels pre-
served his soul from the demons of darkness which w^ere in
the way, and praised God even until they conducted it into
the dwelling-place of the pious.
24. Now his body was lying prostrate and bloodless; where-
fore I reached forth my hand, and put right his eyes and shut
his mouth, and said to the virgin Mary : 0 my mother, where
is the skill which he showed in all the time that he lived in
this world ? Lo ! it has perished, as if it had never existed.
And when his children heard me speaking with my mother,
the pure virgin, they knew that he had already breathed his
last, and they shed tears, and lamented. But I said to them :
Assuredly the death of your father is not death, but life ever-
lasting : for he has been freed from the troubles of this life,
and has passed to perpetual and everlasting rest. When they
heard these words, they rent their clothes, and wept.
25. And, indeed, the inhabitants of Nazareth and of Galilee,
having heard of their lamentation, flocked to them, and wept
from the third hour even to the ninth. And at the ninth hour
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 73
they all went together to Joseph's bed. And they lifted his
body, after they had anointed it with costly imguents. But I
entreated my Father in the prayer of the celestials — that same
prayer which with my own hand I made before I was carried
in the womb of the virgin Mary, my mother. And as soon as
I had finished it, and pronounced the amen, a great multitude
of angels came up ; and I ordered two of them to stretch out
their shining garments, and to wrap in them the body of Joseph,
the blessed old man.
26. And I spoke to Joseph, and said: The smell or corrup-
tion of death shall not have dominion over thee, nor shall a
worm ever come forth from thy body. 'Not a single limb of
it shall be broken, nor shall any hair on thy head be changed.
Nothing of thy body shall perish, 0 my father Joseph, but it
will remain entire and uncorrupted even until the banquet of
the thousand years.i And whosoever shall make an offering on
the day of thy remembrance, him will I bless and recompense
in the congregation of the virgins ; and whosoever shall give
food to the wretched, the poor, the widows, and orphans from
the work of his hands, on the day on which thy memory shall
be celebrated, and in thy name, shall not be in want of good
things all the days of his life. And whosoever shall have
given a cup of water, or of wine, to drink to the widow or
orphan in thy name, I will give him to thee, that thou mayst
go in with him to the banquet of the thousand years. And
every man who shall present an off'ering on the day of thy
commemoration will I bless and recompense in the church of
the virgins : for one I will render unto him thirty, sixty, and a
hundred. And whosoever shall write the history of thy life, of
thy labour, and thy departure from this world, and this narra-
tive that has issued from my mouth, him shall I commit to
thy keeping as long as he shall have to do with this life. And
when his soul departs from the body, and when he must leave
this world, I will burn the book of his sins, nor will I torment
him with any punishment in the day of judgment ; but he
1 Barnabas, 15 ; Hermas, i. 3 ; Irenseus, Contra Hcer. v. 33 ; Justin, Tryph. 81 ;
TertuUian, Adv. Marc. iii. 24. Caius and Dionysius imputed grossness and
sensuality to Cerinthus, because he spoke of the wedding feast of the tliousand
years.
74 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
shall cross the sea of flames, and shall go through it without
trouble or pain.^ And upon every poor man who can give
none of those things which I have mentioned this is incumbent :
viz., if a son is born to him, he shall call his name Joseph. So
there shall not take place in that house either poverty or any
sudden death for ever.
27. Thereafter the chief men of the city came together to the
place where the body of the blessed old man Joseph had been
laid, bringing with them burial-clothes ; and they wished to
wrap it up in them after the manner in which the Jews are
wont to arrange their dead bodies. And they perceived that
he kept his shroud fast ; for it adhered to the body in such a
way, that when they wished to take it off, it was found to be
like iron — impossible to be moved or loosened. Nor could they
find any ends in that piece of linen, which struck them with
the greatest astonishment. At length they carried him out to
a place where there was a cave, and opened the gate, that they
might bury his body beside the bodies of his fathers. Then
there came into my mind the day on which he walked with me
into Egypt, and that extreme trouble which he endured on my
account. Accordingly, I bewailed his death for a long time ;
and lying upon his body, I said :
28. 0 Death! who makest all knowledge to vanish away,
and raisest so many tears and lamentations, surely it is God
my Father Himself who hath granted thee this power. For
men die for the transgression of Adam and his wife Eve, and
Death spares not so much as one. Nevertheless, nothing hap-
pens to any one, or is brought upon him, without the command
of my Father. There have certainly been men who have pro-
longed their life even to nine hundred years ; but they died.
Yea, though some of them have lived longer, they have, not-
withstanding, succumbed to the same fate ; nor has any one of
them ever said : I have not tasted death. For the Lord never
sends the same punishment more than once, since it hath
pleased my Father to bring it upon men. And at the very
' All the fathers placed the purgatorial fires, as the , Greek Church does now,
at the day of judgment. Augustine was the first who brought toi'ward the sup-
position tliat the purification took place in Hades before the day of judgment.
Haa^,. Ilintoire des Dogmes, ii. 323.
THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTER. 75
moment when it, going forth, beholds the command descending
to it from heaven, it says : I will go forth against that man,
and will greatly move him. Then, without delay, it makes an
onset on the soul, and obtains the mastery of it, doing with it
whatever it will. For, because Adam did not the will of my
Father, but transgressed His commandment, the wrath of my
Father was kindled against him, and He doomed him to death ;
and thus it was that death came into the world. But if Adam
had observed my Father's precepts, death would never have
fallen to his lot. Think you that I can ask my good Father
to send me a chariot of fire,^ which may take up the body of
my father Joseph, and convey it to the place of rest, in order
that it may dwell with the spirits ? But on account of the
transgression of Adam, that trouble and violence of death has
descended upon all the human race. And it is for this cause
that I must die according to the flesh, for my work which I
have created, that they may obtain grace.
29. Having thus spoken, I embraced the body of my father
Joseph, and wept over it; and they opened the door of the
tomb, and placed his body in it, near the body of his father
Jacob. And at the time when he fell asleep he had fulfilled
a hundred and eleven years. Never did a tooth in his mouth
hurt him, nor was his eyesight rendered less sharp, nor his body
bent, nor his strength impaired ; but he worked at his trade of
a carpenter to the very last day of his life ; and that was the
six-and-twentieth of the month Abib.
30. And we apostles, when we heard these things from our
Saviour, rose up joyfully, and prostrated ourselves in honour
of Him, and said : 0 our Saviour, show us Thy grace. Now
indeed we have heard the word of life : nevertheless we wonder,
0 our Saviour, at the fate of Enoch and Elias, inasmuch as
they had not to undergo death. For truly they dwell in the
habitation of the righteous even to the present day, nor have
their bodies seen corruption. Yet that old man Joseph the
carpenter was, nevertheless. Thy father after the flesh. And
Thou hast ordered us to go into all the world and preach the
holy gospel ; and Thou hast said : Eelate to them the death of
my father Joseph, and celebrate to him with annual solemnity
^ 2 Kings ii. 11.
76 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
a festival and sacred day. And whosoever shall take anything
away from this narrative, or add anything to it, commits sin.-^
We wonder especially that Joseph, even from that day on which
Thou wast born in Bethlehem, called Thee his son after the
flesh. Wherefore, then, didst Thou not make him immortal
as well as them, and Thou sayest that he was righteous and
chosen ?
31. And our Saviour answered and said: Indeed, the pro-
phecy of my Father upon Adam, for his disobedience, has now
been fulfilled. And all things are arranged according to the
will and pleasure of my Father. For if a man rejects the
commandment of God, and follows the works of the devil by
committing sin, his life is prolonged ; for he is preserved in
order that he may perhaps repent, and reflect that he must be
delivered into the hands of death. But if any one has been
zealous of good works, his life also is prolonged, that, as the
fame of his old age increases, upright men may imitate him.
But when you see a man whose mind is prone to anger, as-
suredly his days are shortened ; for it is these that are taken
away in the flower of their age. Every prophecy, therefore,
which my Father has pronounced concerning the sons of men,
must be fulfilled in every particular. But with reference to
Enoch and Elias, and how they remain alive to this day, keep-
ing the same bodies with which they were born; and as to
what concerns my father Joseph, who has not been allowed as
well as they to remain in the body : indeed, though a man
live in the world many myriads of years, nevertheless at some
time or other he is compelled to exchange life for death. And
I say to you, 0 my brethren, that they also, Enoch and Elias,'*
must towards the end of time return into the world and die —
in the day, namely, of commotion, of terror, of perplexity, and
affliction. For Antichrist will slay four bodies, and will pour
out their blood like water, because of the reproach to which
they shall expose him, and the ignominy with which they, in
their lifetime, shall brand him when they reveal his impiety.
32. And we said: 0 our Lord, our God and Saviour, who
are those four whom Thou hast said Antichrist will cut off
from the reproach they bring upon him ? The Lord ansAvered :
1 Rfv. xxii. 18, 19. ^ Cl. Rev. xi. 3-12.
TTJE HISTORY OF JOSEPH THE CARPENTEB. 77
They are Enoch, Elias, Schila, and Tabitha.^ When we heard
this from our Saviour, we rejoiced and exulted ; and we offered
air glory and thanksgiving to the Lord God, and our Saviour
Jesus Christ. He it is to whom is due glory, honour, dignity,
dominion, power, and praise, as well as to the good Father
with Him, and to the Holy Spirit that givetli life, henceforth
and in all time for evermore. Amen.
* Acts ix. 36. Schila is proLably meant for the widow of Nain's sou.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
FIEST GREEK FORM.
THOMAS THE ISRAELITE PHILOSOPHER'S ACCOUNT OF
THE INFANCY OF THE LORD.
THOMAS, an Israelite, write you this account,
that all the brethren from among the heathen
may know the miracles of our Lord Jesus
Christ in His infancy, which He did after His
birth in our country. The beginning of it is as follows : —
2. This child Jesus, when five years old, was playing in the
ford of a mountain stream; and He collected the flowing waters
into pools, and made them clear immediately, and by a word
alone He made them obey Him. And having made some soft
clay. He fashioned out of it twelve sparrows. And it was the
Sabbath when He did these things. And there were also
many other children playing with Him. And a certain Jew,
seeing what Jesus was doing, playing on the Sabbath, went off
immediately, and said to liis father Joseph : Behold, thy son
is at the stream, and has taken clay, and made of it twelve
birds, and has profaned the Sabbath. And Joseph, coming to
the place and seeing, cried out to Him, saying: Wherefore
doest thou on the Sabbath what it is not lawful to do ? And
Jesus clapped His hands, and cried out to the sparrows, and
said to them : Off you go ! And the sparrows flew, and went
off crying. And the Jews seeing this were amazed, and went
away and reported to their chief men what they had seen
Jesus doing.^
3. And the son of Annas the scribe was standing there with
' Pseudo-Matt. 26, etc.
7S
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 79
Joseph ; and lie took a willow branch, and let out the waters
which Jesus had collected. And Jesus, seeing what was done,
was angry, and said to him : 0 wicked, impious, and foolish !
what harm did the pools and the waters do to thee ? Behold,
even now thou shalt be dried up like a tree, and thou shalt
not bring forth either leaves, or root,^ or fruit. And straight-
way that boy was quite dried up. And Jesus departed, and
went to Joseph's house. But the parents of the boy that had
been dried up took him up, bewailing his youth, and brought
him to Joseph, and reproached him because [said they] thou
hast such a child doing such things.^
4. After that He was again passing through the village ;
and a boy ran up against Him, and struck His shoulder. And
Jesus was angry, and said to him : Thou shalt not go back the
way thou earnest. And immediately he fell down dead. And
some who saw what had taken place, said : Whence was this
child begotten, that every word of his is certainly accomplished ?
And the parents of the dead boy went away to Joseph, and
blamed him, saying : Since thou hast such a child, it is im-
possible for thee to live with us in the village ; or else teach
him to bless, and not to curse ■} for he is killing our children.
5, And Joseph called the child apart, and admonished Him,
saying : Why doest thou such things, and these people sufter,
and hate us, and persecute us ? And Jesus said : I know that
these words of thine are not thine own;"* nevertheless for thy
sake I will be silent ; but they shall bear their punishment.
And straightway those that accused Him were struck blind.
And those who saw it were much afraid and in great per-
plexity, and said about Him : Every v/ord which he spoke,
whether good or bad, was an act, and became a wonder. And
when they saw that Jesus had done such a thing, Joseph rose
and took hold of His ear, and pulled it hard. And the child
was very angry, and said to him : It is enough for thee to
seek, and not to find ; and most certainly thou hast not done
' Another reading is, branches.
2 One MS. has : And Jesus, at the entreaty of all of them, healed him.
3 Or, either teach him to bless, and not to curse, or depart with him from this
place ; for, etc.
* Or, are not mine, but thine.
80 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
wisely. Knowest thou not that I am thine ? Do not trouble
me.^
6. And a certain teacher, Zacchgeus by name, was standing
in a certain place, and heard Jesus thus speaking to his father ;
and he wondered exceedingly, that, being a child, he should
speak in such a way. And a few days thereafter he came to
Joseph, and said to him : Thou hast a sensible child, and he
has some mind. Give him to me, then, that he may learn
letters ; and I shall teach him along with the letters all know-
ledge, both how to address all the elders, and to honour them
as forefathers and fathers, and how to love those of his own
age. And He said to him all the letters from the Alpha even
to the Omega, clearly and with great exactness. And He looked
upon the teacher Zacchseus, and said to him : Thou who art
ignorant of the nature of the Alpha, how canst thou teach
others the Beta ? Thou hypocrite ! first, if thou knowest, teach
the A, and then we shall believe thee about the B. Then He
began to question the teacher about the first letter, and he was
not able to answer Him. And in the hearing of many, the
child says to Zacchseus : Hear, 0 teacher, the order of the first
letter, and notice here how it has lines, and a middle stroke
crossing those which . thou seest common ; (lines) brought to-
gether ; the highest part supporting them, and again bringing
them under one head ; with three points [of intersection] ; of
the same kind ; principal and subordinate ; of equal length.
Thou hast the lines of the A.^
7. And when the teacher Zacchseus heard the child speak-
ing such and so great allegories of the first letter, he was at
a great loss about such a narrative, and about His teaching.
And he said to those that were present : Alas ' I, wretch that
I am, am at a loss, bringing shame upon myself by having
1 Pseudo-Matt. 29.
2 Pseud. :Matt. 30, 31. Various explanations have been given of this difiRcult
passage by annotators, who refer it to the A of the Hebrew, or of the Greek,
or of the Armenian alphabet. It seems, however, to answer very closely to the
old Phenician A, which was written <{ or Y-
The Paris MS. has : And he sat down to teach Jesus the letters, and began
the first letter Aleph ; and Jesus says the second, Beth, Gimel, and told him
all the letters to the end. And shutting the book, He taught the master the
prophets.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 81
dragged this child hither. Take him away, then, I beseech
thee, brother Joseph. I cannot endure the sternness of his
look ; I cannot make out his meaning at all. That child does
not belong to this earth ; he can tame even fire. Assuredly he
was born before the creation of the world. What sort of a belly
bore him, what sort of a womb nourished him, I do not know.
Alas ! my friend, he has carried me away ; I cannot get at his
"meaning: thrice wretched that I am, I have deceived myself.
I made a struggle to have a scholar, and I was found to have a
teacher. My mind is filled with shame, my friends, because I,
an old man, have been conquered by a child. There is nothing
for me but despondency and death on account of this boy, for
I am not able at this hour to look him in the face ; and when
everybody says that I have been beaten by a little child, what
can I say ? And how can I give an account of the lines of the
first letter that he spoke about ? I know not, 0 my friends ;
for I can make neither beginning nor end of him. Therefore,
I beseech thee, brother Joseph, take him home. What great
thing he is, either god or angel, or what I am to say, I know
not.i
8. And when the Jews were encouraging Zacchseus, the
child laughed aloud, and said: Now let thy learning bring
forth fruit, and let the blind in heart see. I am here from
above, that I may curse them, and call them to the things that
are above, as He that sent me on your account has commanded
me. And when the child ceased speaking, immediately all
were made whole who had fallen under His curse. And no
one after that dared to make Him angry, lest He should curse
him, and he should be maimed.
9. And some days after, Jesus was playing in an upper room
of a certain house, and one of the children that were playing
with Him fell down from the house, and was killed. And,
when the other children saw this, they ran away, and Jesus
alone stood still. And the parents of the dead child coming,
' Instead of this chapter, the Paris MS. has : And he was ashamed and per-
plexed, because he knew not whence he knew the letters. And he arose, and
went home, in great astonishment at this strange thing.
It then goes on with a fragment of the history of the dyer's shop, as given ia
the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy, ch. 37.
82 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
reproaclieu^ . . . and tliey threatened Him. And Jesus leaped
down from the roof, and stood beside the body of the child,
and cried with a loud voice, and said : Zeno— for that was his
name— stand up, and tell me ; did I throw thee down ? And
he stood up immediately, and said : Certainly not, my lord ;
thou didst not throw me down, but hast raised me up. And
those that saw this were struck with astonishment. And the_
child's parents glorified God on account of the miracle that had
happened, and adored Jesus.^
10. A few days after, a young man was splitting wood in
the corner,^ and the axe came down and cut the sole of his foot
in two, and he died from loss of blood. And there was a great
commotion, and people ran together, and the child Jesus ran
there too. And He pressed through the crowd, and laid hold
of the young man's wounded foot, and he was cured imme-
diately. And He said to the young man : Kise up now, split
the wood, and remember me. And the crowd seeing what had
happened, adored the child, saying : Truly the Spirit of God
dwells in this child.
11. And when He was six years old, his mother gave Him
a pitcher, and sent Him to draw water, and bring it into the
house. But He struck against some one in the crowd, and the
pitcher was broken. And Jesus unfolded the cloak which He
had on, and filled it with water, and carried it to His mother.
And His mother, seeing the miracle that had happened, kissed
Him, and kept within herself the mysteries which she had seen
Him doing.*
12. And again in seed-time the child went out with His
father to sow corn in their land. And while His father was
sowing, the child Jesus also sowed one grain of corn. And
when He had reaped it, and threshed it, He made a hundred
kors;" and calling all the poor of the village to the threshing-
floor, He gave them the corn, and Joseph took away what was
» One of the mss. of the Latin Gospel inserts here— Jesus, saying : Indeed, you
made him fall down. And Jesus said : I never made him fall.
2 Pseudo-Matt. 32.
3 A better reading would be h Tj5 yurovict, in the neighbourhood, for lj/ t>j
yuvic», in the corner.
* Pseudo-Matt. 33.
^ The kor or chomer was, according to Jahn, 32 pecks 1 pint
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 83
left of the corn. And He was eight years old when He did this
miracle.^
1 3. And His father was a carpenter, and at that time made
ploughs and yokes. And a certain rich man ordered him to
make him a couch. And one of what is called the cross pieces
being too short, they did not know what to do. The child
Jesus said to His father Joseph : Put down the two pieces of
wood, and make them even in the middle. And Joseph did
as the child said to him. And Jesus stood at the other end,
and took hold of the shorter piece of wood, and stretched it,
and made it equal to the other. And His father Joseph saw it,
and wondered, and embraced the child, and kissed Him, saying:
Blessed am I, because God has given me this child.^
14. And Joseph, seeing that the child was vigorous in mind
and body, again resolved that He should not remain ignorant
of the letters, and took Him away, and handed Him over to
another teacher. And the teacher said to Joseph : I shall first
teach him the Greek letters, and then the Hebrew. For the.
teacher was aware of the trial that had been made of the
child, and was afraid of Him. Nevertheless he wrote out the
alphabet, and gave Him all his attention for a long time, and
He made him no answer. And Jesus said to him : If thou art
really a teacher, and art well acquainted with the letters, tell
me the power of the Alpha, and I will tell thee the power of
the Beta. And the teacher was enraged at this, and struck
Him on the head. And the child, being in pain, cursed him ;
and immediately he swooned away, and fell to the ground
on his face. And the child returned to Joseph's house; and
Joseph was grieved, and gave orders to His mother, saying : Do
not let him go outside of the door, because those that make
him angry die.^
15. And after some time, another master again, a genuine
friend of Joseph, said to him : Bring the child to my school ;
perhaps I shall be able to flatter him into learning his letters.
And Joseph said : If thou hast the courage, brother, take him
with thee. And he took Him with him in fear and great
agony ; but the child went along pleasantly. And going boldly
into the school. He found a book lying on the reading-desk;
' Pseudo-Matt. 34. 2 Pseudo-Matt. 37. * Pseudo-Matt. 38.
84 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and taking it, He read not the letters that were in it, but
opening His mouth, He spoke by the Holy Spirit, and taught
the law to those that were standing round. And a great crowd
having come together, stood by and heard Him, and wondered
at the ripeness of His teaching, and the readiness of His words,
and that He, child as He was, spoke in such a way. And Joseph
hearing of it, was afraid, and ran to the school, in doubt lest
this master too should be without experience.^ And the master
said to Joseph : Know, brother, that I have taken the child
as a scholar, and he is full of nmch grace and wisdom ; but I
beseech thee, brother, take him home. And when the child
heard this. He laughed at him directly, and said : Since thou
hast spoken aright, and witnessed aright, for thy sake he also
that was struck down shall be cured. And immediately the
other master was cured. And Joseph took the child, and went
away home.''
16. And Joseph sent his son James to tie up wood and
bring it home, and the child Jesus also followed him. And
when James was gathering the fagots, a viper bit James'
hand. And when he was racked [with pain], and at the point
of death, Jesus came near and blew upon the bite ; and the
pain ceased directly, and the beast burst, and instantly James
remained safe and sound.®
17. And after this the infant of one of Joseph's neighbours
fell sick and died, and its mother wept sore. And Jesus heard
that there was great lamentation and commotion, and ran in
haste, and found the child dead, and touched his breast, and
said : I say to thee, child, be not dead, but live, and be with
thy mother. And directly it looked up and laughed. And He
said to the woman : Take it, and give it milk, and remember
me. And seeing this, the crowd that was standing by won-
dered, and said : Truly this child was either God or an angel of
God, for every w^ord of his is a certain fact. And Jesus went
out thence, playing with the other children.*
18. And some time after there occurred a great commotion
while a house was building, and Jesus stood up and w^ent away
to the place. And seeing a man lying dead. He took him by
' Tischendorf suggests eei/axojaof, maimed, for uTreipoi.
2 Pseudo-Matt. 39. ^ Pseudo-Matt. 41. * Pseudo-Matt. 40.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 85
the hand, and said : Man, I say to thee, arise, and go on with
thy work. And directly he rose up, and adored Him. And
seeing this, the crowd wondered, and said : This child is from
heaven, for he has saved many souls from death, and he con-
tinues to save during all his life.
19. And when He was twelve years old His parents went as
usual to Jerusalem to the feast of the passover with their fel-
low-travellers. And after the passover they were coming home
again. And while they were coming home, the child Jesus
went back to Jerusalem. And His parents thought that He
was in the company. And having gone one day's journey, they
sought for Him among their relations ; and not finding Him,
they were in great grief, and turned back to the city seeking
for Him. And after the third day they found Him in the
temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing the
law and asking them questions. And they were all attending
to Him, and wondering that He, being a child, was shutting the
mouths of the elders and teachers of the people, explaining the
main points of the law and the parables of the prophets. And
His mother Mary coming up, said to Him : Why hast thou
done this to us, child ? Behold,' we have been seeking for thee
in great trouble. And Jesus said to them : Why do you seek
me ? Do you not know that I must be about my Father's
business ? And the scribes and the Pharisees said : Art thou
the mother of this child? And she said: I am. And they
said to her: Blessed art thou among women, for God hath
blessed the fruit of thy womb ; for such glory, and such virtue
and wisdom, we have neither seen nor heard ever. And Jesus
rose up, and followed His mother, and was subject to His
parents. And His mother observed all these things that had
happened. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, and stature, and
grace.^ To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
' Luke ii. 41-52.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
SECOND GREEK FORM.
THE WRITING OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THOMAS
CONCERNING THE CHILDHOOD OF THE LORD.
THOMAS the Israelite have deemed it necessary
to make known to all the brethren of the heathen
the great things which our Lord Jesus Christ
did in His childhood, when He dwelt in the
hody in the city of Nazareth, going in the fifth year of His age.
2. On one of the days, there heing a rain-storm, He went out
of the house where His mother was, and played on the ground
where the waters were flowing. And He made pools, and
brought in the waters, and the pools were filled with water.
Then He says : It is my will that you become clear and excel-
lent waters. And they became so directly. And a certain
boy, the son of Annas the scribe, came past, and with a willow
branch which he was carrying threw down the pools, and the
water flowed out. And Jesus turning, said to him : 0 impious
and wicked, how have the pools wronged thee, that thou hast
emptied them ? Thou shalt not go on thy way, and thou shalt
be dried up like the branch which thou art carrying. And as
he went along, in a short time he fell down and died. And
when the children that were playing with him saw this, they
wondered, and went away and told the father of the dead boy.
And he ran and found his child dead, and he went away and
reproached Joseph.
3. And Jesus made of that clay twelve sparrows, and it was
the Sabbath. And a child ran and told Joseph, saying : Behold,
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 87
thy cliild is playing about the stream, and of the clay he has
made sparrows, which is not lawful. And when he heard this,
he went, and said to the child : Why dost thou do this, pro-
faning the Sabbath? But Jesus gave him no answer, but
looked upon the sparrows, and said : Go away, fly, and live,
and remember me. And at this word they flew, and went up
into the air. And when Joseph saw it, he wondered.
4. And some days after, when Jesus was going through the
midst of the city, a boy threw a stone at Him, and struck Him
on the shoulder. And Jesus said to him : Thou shalt not go
on thy way. And directly falling down, he also died. And
they that happened to be there were struck with astonishment,
saying : Whence is this child, that every word he says is cer-
tainly accomplished ? And they also went and reproached
Joseph, saying : It is impossible for thee to live with us in this
city ; but if thou wishest to do so, teach thy child to bless, and
not to curse : for he is killing our children, and everything that
he says is certainly accomplished.
5. And Joseph was sitting in his seat, and the child stood
before him ; and he took hold of Him by the ear, and pinched
it hard. And Jesus looked at him steadily, and said : It is
enough for thee.
6. And on the day after he took Him by the hand, and led
Him to a certain teacher, Zacchseus by name, and says to him :
O master, take this child, and teach him his letters. And he
says : Hand him over to me, brother, and I shall teach him the
Scripture ; and I shall persuade him to bless all, and not to
curse. And Jesus hearing, laughed, and said to them: You
say what you know; but I know more than you, for I am
before the ages. And I know when your fathers' fathers were
born ; and I know how many are the years of your life. And
hearing this, they were struck with astonishment. And again
Jesus said to them : You wonder because I said to you that I
knew how many are the years of your life. Assuredly I know
when the world was created. Behold, you do not believe me
now. When you see my cross, then will ye believe that I
speak the truth. And they were struck with astonishment
when they heard these things.
7. And Zacchseus, having written the alphabet in Hebrew,
88 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
says to Him : Alpha. And the child says : Alpha. And again
the teacher : Alpha ; and the child likewise. Then again the
teacher says the Alpha for the third time. Then Jesus, looking
in the master's face, says : How canst thou, not knowing the
Alpha, teach another the Beta? And the child, beginning from
the Alpha, said by Himself the twenty-two letters. Then also
He says again : Hear, 0 teacher, the order of the first letter,
and know how many entrances and lines it has, and strokes
common, crossing and coming together. And when Zaccheeus
heard such an account of the one letter, he was so struck with
astonishment, that he could make no answer. And he turned
and said to Joseph: This child assuredly, brother, does not
belong to the earth. Take him, then, away from me.
8. And after these things, on one of the days Jesus was
playing with other children on the roof of a house. And one
boy was pushed by another, and hurled down upon the ground,
and he died. And seeing this, the boys that were playing with
him ran away; and Jesus only was left standing upon the
roof from which the boy had been hurled down. And when
the news was brought to the parents of the dead boy, they ran
weeping ; and finding their boy lying dead upon the ground,
and Jesus standing above, they supposed that their boy had
been thrown down by Him ; and fixing their eyes upon Him,
they reviled Him. And seeing this, Jesus directly came down
from the roof, and stood at the head of the dead body, and says
to him : Zeno, did I throw thee down ? Stand up, and tell us.
For this was the name of the boy. And at the word the boy
stood up and adored Jesus, and said : My lord, thou didst not
throw me down, but thou hast brought me to life when I was
dead.
9. And a few days after, one of the neighbours, when splitting
wood, cut away the lower part of his foot with the axe, and was
on the point of death from loss of blood. And a great number
of people ran together, and Jesus came with them to the place.
And He took hold of the young man's wounded foot, and cured
him directly, and says to him : Eise up, split thy wood. And
he rose up and adored Him, giving thanks, and splitting the
wood. Likewise also all that were there wondered, and gave
thanks to Him.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 89
10. And when He was six years old, Mary His mother sent
Him to bring water from the fountain. And as He went along,
the pitcher was broken. And going to the fountain He un-
folded His overcoat, and drew water from the fountain, and
fiUed it, and took the water to His mother. And seeing this,
she was struck with astonishment, and embraced Him, and
kissed Him.
11. And when Jesus had come to the eighth year of His age,
Joseph was ordered by a certain rich man to make him a couch.
For he was a carpenter. And he went out into the field to get
wood ; and Jesus went with him. And having cut two pieces
of wood, and smoothed them with the axe, he put the one
beside the other ; and in measuring he found it too short. And
when he saw this he was grieved, and sought to find another
piece. And seeing this, Jesus says to him: Put these two
pieces together, so as to make both ends even. And Joseph, in
doubt as to what the child should mean, did as he was told.
And He says to him again : Take a firm hold of the short piece.
And Joseph, in astonishment, took hold of it. Then Jesus also,
taking hold of the other end, drew it towards Himself, and
made it equal to the other piece of wood. And He says to
Joseph : Grieve no more, but do thy work without hindrance.
And seeing this, he wondered greatly, and says to himself:
Blessed am I, because God has given me such a boy. And
when they came back to the city, Joseph gave an account of
the matter to Mary. And when she heard and saw the strange
miracles of her son, she rejoiced and glorified Him, with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and for evermore.
Amen.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS.
LATIN FORM.
HEKE BEGINNETH THE TREATISE OF THE BOYHOOD
OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THOMAS.
Chap. 1. — How Mary and Joseph fied with Him into Egypt.
HEN a commotion took place in consequence of the
search made by Herod for our Lord Jesus Christ to
kill Him, then an angel said to Joseph : Take Mary
and her boy, and flee into Egypt from the face of
those who seek to kill Him. And Jesus was two years old
when He went into Egypt.
And as He was walking through a field of corn. He stretched
forth His hand, and took of the ears, and put them over the
fire, and rubbed them, and began to eat.
And when they had come into Egypt, they received hospi-
tality in the house of a certain widow, and they remained in
the same place one year.
And Jesus was in His third year. And seeing boys playing,
He began to play with them. And He took a dried fish, and
put it into a basin, and ordered it to move about. And it
began to move about. And He said again to the fish : Throw
out thy salt which thou hast, and walk into the water. And
it so came to pass. And the neighbours, seeing what had been
done, told it to the widow woman in whose house Mary His
mother lived. And as soon as she heard it, she thrust them
out of her house with great haste.
Chap. 2. — How a schoolmaster thrust Him out of the city.
And as Jesus was walking with Mary His mother through
the middle of the city market-place. He looked and saw a
90
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 01
schoolmaster teaching his scholars. And behold twelve spar-
rows that were quarrelling fell over the wall into the bosom of
that schoolmaster, who was teaching the boys. And seeing this,
Jesus was very much amused, and stood still. And when that
teacher saw Him making merry, he said to his scholars with
great fury: Go and bring him to me. And when they had
carried Him to the master, he seized Him by the ear, and said :
What didst thou see, to amuse thee so much ? And He said
to him : Master, see my hand full of wheat. I showed it to
them, and scattered the wheat among them, and they carry it
out of the middle of the street where they are in danger ; and
on this account they fought among themselves to divide the
wheat. And Jesus did not pass from the place until it was
accomplished. And this being done, the master began to thrust
Him out of the city, along with His mother.
Chap. 3. — How Jesus went out of Egij'pt.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord met Mary, and said to her :
Take up the boy, and return into the land of the Jews, for
they who sought His life are dead. And Mary rose up with
Jesus ; and they proceeded into the city of Nazareth, which is
among the possessions of her father. And when Joseph went
out of Egypt after the death of Herod, he kept Him in the
desert until there should be quietness in Jerusalem on the
part of those who were seeking the boy's life. And he gave
thanks to God because He had given him understanding, and
because he had found favour in the presence of the Lord God.
Amen.
Chap, 4. — Wliat the Lord Jesus did in the city of Nazareth.
It is glorious that Thomas the Israelite and apostle of the
Lord gives an account also of the works of Jesus after He came
out of Egypt into Nazareth. Understand all of you, my dearest
brethren, what the Lord Jesus did when He was in the city of
Nazareth ; the first chapter of which is as follows : —
And when Jesus was five years old, there fell a great rain
upon the earth, and the boy Jesus walked up and down through
it. And there was a terrible rain, and He collected it into a
fish-pond, and ordered it by His word to become clear. And
92 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
immediately it became so. Again He took of the clay whicli
was of that fish-pond, and made of it to the number of twelve
sparrows. And it was the Sabbath when Jesus did this among
the boys of the Jews. And the boys of the Jews went away,
and said to Joseph His father : Behold, thy son was playing
along with us, and he took clay and made sparrows, which it
was not lawful to do on the Sabbath ; and he has broken it.
And Joseph went away to the boy Jesus, and said to Him :
Why hast thou done this, which it was not lawful to do on the
SablDath ? And Jesus opened His hands, and ordered the spar-
rorws, saying : Go up into the air, and fly ; nobody shall kill you.
And they flew, and began to cry out, and praise God Almighty.
And the Jews seeing what had happened, wondered, and went
away and told the miracles which Jesus had done. But a
Pharisee who was with Jesus took an olive branch, and began
to let the water out of the fountain which Jesus had made.
And when Jesus saw this, He said to him in a rage : Thou im-
pious and ignorant Sodomite, what harm have my works the
foimtains of water done thee ? Behold, thou shalt become like
a dry tree, having neither roots, nor leaves, nor fruit. And
immediately he dried up, and fell to the ground, and died.
And his parents took him away dead, and reproached Joseph,
saying : See what thy son has done ; teach him to pray, and
not to blaspheme.
Chap. 5. — Iloiu the citizens were enraged against Joseph on
account of the doings of Jesus.
And a few days after, as Jesus was walking through the
town with Joseph, one of the children ran up and struck Jesus
on the arm. And Jesus said to him : So shalt thou not finish
thy journey. And immediately he fell to the ground, and died.
And those who saw these wonderful things cried out, saying :
Whence is that boy ? And they said to Joseph : It is not
right for such a boy to be among us. And Joseph went and
brought Him. And they said to him : Go away from this
place ; but if thou must live with us, teach him to pray, and
not to blaspheme : but our children have been killed. Joseph
called Jesus, and reproved Him, saying : Wliy dost thou blas-
pheme ? For these people who live here hate us. And Jesus
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 93
said : I know that these words are not mine, but thine ; but I
will hold my tongue for thy sake : and let them see to it in
their wisdom. And immediately those who were speaking
against Jesus became blind. And they walked up and down,
and said: All the words which proceed from his mouth are
accomplished. And Joseph seeing what Jesus had done, in a
fury seized Him by the ear ; and Jesus said to Joseph in anger :
It is enough for thee to see me, not to touch me. For thou
knowest not who I am ; but if thou didst know, thou wouldst
not make me angry. And although just now I am with thee,
I was made before thee.
Chap. 6. — How Jesus was treated ly the schoolmaster.
Therefore a certain man named Zacheus listened to all that
Jesus was saying to Joseph, and in great astonishment said
to himself: Such a boy speaking in this way I have never
seen. And he went up to Joseph, and said : That is an intelli-
gent boy of thine; hand him over to me to learn his letters;
and when he has thoroughly learned his letters, I shall teach
him honourably, so that he may be no fool. But Joseph
answered and said to him: No one can teach him but God
alone. You do not believe that that little boy will be of little
consequence? And when Jesus heard Joseph speaking in
this way. He said to Zacheus : Indeed, master, whatever pro-
ceeds from my mouth is true. And before all I was Lord,
but you are foreigners. To me has been given the glory of the
ages, to you has been given nothing ; because I am before the
ages. And I know how many years of life thou wilt have,
and that thou wilt be carried into exile : and my Father hath
appointed this, that thou mayest understand that whatever
proceeds from my mouth is true. And the Jews who were
standing by, and hearing the words which Jesus spoke, were
astonished, and said: We have seen such wonderful things,
and heard such words from that boy, as we have never heard,
nor are likely to hear from any other human being, — either
from the high priests, or the masters, or the Pharisees. Jesus
answered and said to them : Why do you wonder ? Do you
consider it incredible that I have spoken the truth ? I know
when both you and your fathers were born, and, to tell you
94 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
more, when the world was made ; I know also who sent me
to you.^ And when the Jews heard the words which the child
had spoken, they wondered, because that they were not able
to answer. And, communing with Himself, the child exulted
and said : I have told you a proverb ; and I know that you are
weak and ignorant.
And that schoolmaster said to Joseph : Bring him to me,
and I shall teach him letters. And Joseph took hold of the
boy Jesus, and led Him to the house of a certain schoolmaster,
where other boys were being taught. Now the master in soothing
words began to teach Him His letters, and wrote for Him the
first line, which is from A to T,^ and began to stroke Him and
teach Him. And that teacher struck the child on the head ;
and when He had received the blow, the child said to him :
I should teach thee, and not thou me ; I know the letters
which thou wishest to teach me, and I know that you are to
me like vessels from which there come forth only sounds, and
no wisdom. And, beginning the line, He said the letters from
A to T in full, and very fast. And He looked at the master,
and said to him : Thou indeed canst not tell us what A and B
are ; how dost thou wish to teach others ? 0 hypocrite, if
thou knowest and will tell me about the A, then will I tell
thee about the B. And when that teacher began to telP about
the first letter, he was unable to give any answer. And Jesus
said to Zacheus : Listen to me, master ; understand the first
letter. See how it has two lines; advancing in the middle,
standing still, giving, scattering, varying, threatening; triple
intermingled with double; at the same time homogeneous,
having all common.*
And Zacheus, seeing that He so divided the first letter, was
stupefied about the first letter, and about such a human being
and such learning ; and he cried out, and said : Woe's me, for
I am quite stupefied; I have brought disgrace upon myself
through that child. And he said to Joseph : I earnestly en-
' A slight alteration is here made upon the punctuation of the original.
* This refers to the Hebrew alphabet.
3 Better, perhaps : And when He began to tell that teacher.
* This passage is hopelessly corrupt. The writer of this Gospel knew very
little Greek, and probably the text from which he was translating was also
here in a bad state.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 95
treat thee, brother, take him away from me, because I cannot
look upon his face, nor hear his mighty words. Because that
child can tame fire and bridle the sea : for he was born before
the ages. What womb brought him forth, or what mother^
nursed him, I know not. Oh, my friends, I am driven out of
my senses ; I have become a wretched laugliing-stock. And I
said that I had got a scholar ; but he has been found to be my
master. And my disgrace I cannot get over, because I am an
old man ; and what to say to him I cannot find. All I have
to do is to fall into some grievous illness, and depart from this
world; or to leave this town, because all have seen my dis-
grace. An infant has deceived me. What answer can I give
to others, or what words can I say, because he has got the
better of me in the first letter? I am struck dumb, 0 my
friends and acquaintances ; neither beginning nor end can I
find of an answer to him. And now I beseech thee, brother
Joseph, take him away from me, and lead him home, because
he is a master, or the Lord, or an angel. What to say I do not
know. And Jesus turned to the Jews who were with Zacheus,
and said to them : Let all not seeing see, and not understand-
ing understand ; let the deaf hear, and let those who are dead
through me rise again ; and those who are exalted, let me call
to still higher things, as He who sent me to you hath com-
manded me. And when Jesus ceased speaking, all who had
been affected with any infirmity through His words were made
whole. And they did not dare to speak to Him.
Chap. 7. — Hoiu Jesus raised a loy to life.
One day, when Jesus was climbing on a certain house, along
with the children, He began to play with them. And one of
the boys fell down through a back-door, and died immediately.
And when the children saw this, they all ran away ; but Jesus
remained in the house.^ And when the parents of the boy
who had died had come, they spoke against Jesus : Surely it
was thou who made him fall down; and they reviled Him.
And Jesus, coming down from the house, stood over the dead
' The Greek original has uriTfa, which he seems to have confounded with
" Or, on the house.
96 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
child, and with a loud voice called out the name of the child :
Sinoo, Sinoo, rise and say whether it was I that made thee fall
down. And suddenly he rose up, and said: No, my lord.
And his parents, seeing such a great miracle done by Jesus,
glorified God, and adored Jesus.
Chap. 8. — How Jesus healed a hoy's foot.
And a few days thereafter, a boy in that town was splitting
wood, and struck his foot. And a great crowd went to him,
and Jesus too went with them. And He touched the foot
which had been hurt, and immediately it was made whole.
And Jesus said to him: Pdse, and split the wood, and remember
me. And when the crowd saw the miracles that were done
by Him, they adored Jesus, and said : Indeed, we most surely
believe that Thou art God.
Chap. 9. — How Jesus carried ivater in a cloak.
And when Jesus was six years old. His mother sent Him to
draw water. And when Jesus had come to the fountain, or
to the well, there were great crowds there, and they broke His
pitcher. And He took the cloak which He had on, and filled
it with water, and carried it to His mother Mary. And His
mother, seeing the miracles which Jesus had done, kissed Him,
and said : 0 Lord, hear me, and save my son.
Chap. 10. — How Jesus sowed wheat.
In the time of sowing, Joseph went out to sow wheat, and
Jesus followed him. And when Joseph began to sow, Jesus
stretched out His hand, and took as much wheat as He could
hold in His fist, and scattered it. Joseph therefore came at
reaping-time to reap his harvest. Jesus came also, and col-
lected the ears which He had scattered, and they made a hun-
dred pecks ^ of the best grain ; and He called the poor, and the
widows, and the orphans, and distributed to them the wheat
which He had made. Joseph also took a little ot the same
wheat, for the blessing of Jesus to his house.
1 The modim or modium was almost exactly two gallons.
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS. 97
Chap. 11. — Hoio Jesus made a short piece of wood of the
same length as a longer one.
And Jesus reached the age of eight years. Joseph was a
master builder/ and used to make ploughs and ox-yokes. And
one day a rich man said to Joseph : Master, make me a couch,
both useful and beautiful. And Joseph was in distress, be-
cause the wood which he had brought ^ for the work was too
short. And Jesus said to him : Do not be annoyed. Take
hold of this piece of wood by one end, and I by the other ; and
let us draw it out. And they did so ; and immediately he found
it useful for that which he wished. And He said to Joseph :
Behold, do the work which thou wishest. And Joseph, seeing
what He had done, embraced Him, and said : Blessed am I,
because God hath given me such a son.
Chap. 12. — How Jesus was handed over to learn His letters.
And Joseph, seeing that He had such favour, and that He
was increasing in stature, thought it right to take Him to learn
His letters. And He handed Him over to another teacher to
be taught. And that teacher said to Joseph : What letters
dost thou wish me to teach that boy ? Joseph answered and
said: First teach Him the Gentile letters, and then the Hebrew.
For the teacher knew that He was very intelligent, and will-
ingly took Him in hand. And writing for Him the first line,
which is A and B, he taught Him for some hours.^ Bvit Jesus
was silent, and made him no answer. Jesus said to the master:
If thou art indeed a master, and if thou indeed knowest the
letters, tell me the power * of the A, and I shall tell thee the
power of the B. Then His master was filled with fury, and
struck Him on the head. And Jesus was angry, and cursed
him ; and he suddenly fell down, and died.
And Jesus returned home. And Joseph gave orders to Mary
His mother, not to let Him go out of the court of his house.
^ But probably architector here is equal to rixrcov, a carpenter.
^ Perhaps sectum, cut, is the true reading, and not actum.
2 This is his translation of Itt) -jroXkiiv upav.
* Here again he makes a mistranslation — ^vva/ns, fortitudo.
98 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Chap. 1 3. — How He was handed over to another master.
Many days after came another teacher, a friend of Joseph,
and said to him: Hand him over to me, and I with much
sweetness will teach him his letters. And Joseph said to
him : If thou art able, take him and teach him. May it be
attended with joy. When the teacher had taken Him, he went
along in fear and in great firmness, and held Him with exulta-
tion. And when He had come to the teacher's house, He found
a book lying there, and took it and opened it, and did not read
what was written in the book ; but opened His mouth, and
spoke from the Holy Spirit, and taught the law. And, indeed,
all who were standing there listened to Him attentively ; and
the master sat down beside Him, and listened to Him with
pleasure, and entreated Him to teach them more. And a great
crowd being gathered together, they heard all the holy teach-
ing which He taught, and the choice words which came forth
from the mouth of Him who, child as He was, spake such
things.
And Joseph, hearing of this, was afraid, and running ^ . . .
the master, where Jesus was, said to Joseph : Know, brother,
that I have received thy child to teach him or train him ; but
he is filled with much gravity and wisdom. Lo, now, take
him home with joy, my brother; because the gravity which
he has, has been given him by the Lord. And Jesus, hearing
the master thus speaking, became cheerful, and said : Lo,
now, master, thou hast truly said. For thy sake, he who is
dead shall rise again. And Joseph took Him home.
Chap. 14. — Hoiv Jesus delivered James from the lite of a
serpent.
And Joseph sent James to gather straw, and Jesus followed
him. And while James was gathering the straw, a viper bit
him ; and he fell to the ground, as if dead from the poison. And
Jesus seeing this, blew upon liis wound ; and immediately James
was made whole, and the viper died.
' Some words liave been omitted here in the MS., but the sense is obvious
enough.
THE GOSPEL OF TH03JAS. 99
Chap. 15. — Roiv Jesus raised a hoy to life.
A few days after, a child, His neighbour, died, and his
mother mourned for him sore. Jesus, hearing this, went and
stood over the boy, and knocked upon his breast, and said : I
say to thee, child, do not die, but live. And immediately the
child rose up. And Jesus said to the boy's mother : Take thy
son, and give him the breast, and remember me. And the
crowd, seeing this miracle, said : In truth, this child is from
heaven ; for already has he freed many souls from death, and
he has made whole all that hope in him.
The scribes and Pharisees said to Mary : Art thou the mother
of this child ? And Mary said : Indeed I am. And they said
to her : Blessed art thou among women,^ since God hath blessed
the fruit of thy womb, seeing that He hath given thee such a
glorious child, and such a gift of wisdom, as we have never
seen nor heard of. Jesus rose up and foUowed His mother.
And Mary kept in her heart all the great miracles that Jesus
had done among the people, in healing many that were diseased.
And Jesus grew in stature and wisdom ; and aU who saw Him
glorified God the Father Almighty, who is blessed for ever and
ever. Amen.
After all these things I Thomas the Israelite have written
what I have seen, and have recounted them to the Gentiles and
to our brethren, and many other things done by Jesus, who was
born in the land of Judah. Behold, the house of Israel has
seen all, from the first even to the last ; how great signs and
wonders Jesus did among them, which were exceedingly good,
and invisible to their father,^ as holy Scripture relates, and the
prophets have borne witness to His works in aU the peoples of
Israel. And He it is who is to judge the world according to
the will of immortality, since He is the Son of God throughout
all the world. To Him is due all glory and honour for ever,
who lives and reigns God through all ages of ages. Amen.
i Luke i. 28.
^ This,. I think, means : and which their father Israel, i.e. their fathers gene-
rally, had not seen.
THE AEABIC GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY
OF THE SAYIOUE.
jN the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, one God.
With the help and favour of the Most High we
begin to write a book of the miracles of our Lord
and Master and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is called the
Gospel of the Infancy : in the peace of the Lord. Amen.
1. We find^ what follows in the book of Joseph the high
priest, who lived in the time of Christ. Some say that he is
Caiaphas.^ He has said that Jesus spoke, and, indeed, when
He was lying in His cradle said to Mary His mother : I am
Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom tho* hast brought
forth, as the angel Gabriel announced to thee ; and my Father
has sent me for the salvation of the world.
2. In the three hundred and ninth year of the era of Alex-
ander, Augustus put forth an edict, that every man should be
enrolled in his native place. Joseph therefore arose, and
taking Mary his spouse, went away to ' Jerusalem, and came
to Bethlehem, to be enrolled along with his family in his native
city. And having come to a cave, Mary told Joseph that the
time of the birth was at hand, and that she could not go into
the city; but, said she, let us go into this cave. This took
place at sunset. And Joseph went out in haste to go for a
^ Or, have found.
2 He is called Joseph Caiaphas in Josephiis, Antiq. xviii. 2. 2.
3 The Latin translation in Tischendorf has Hierosolyma, which, as the form
in the rest of the translation is feminine, means "from Jerusalem." But as the
Arabic can mean only " to Jer\isaleni," the ace. plural of the neut. form may be
here intended.
100
ATiABlC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. 101
woman to be near her. When, therefore, he was busy about
that, he saw an Hebrew old woman belonging to Jerusalem,
and said : Come hither, my good woman, and go into this cave,
in which there is a woman near her time.
3. Wherefore, after sunset, the old woman, and Joseph with
her, came to the cave, and they both went in. And, behold,
it was filled with lights more beautiful than the gleaming of
lamps and candles,-^ and more splendid than the light of the
sun. The child, enwrapped in swaddling-clothes, was sucking
the breast of the Lady Mary His mother, being placed in a
stall. And when both were wondering at this light, the old
woman asks the Lady Mary : Art thou the mother of this
child ? And when the Lady Mary gave her assent, she says :
Thou art not at all like the daughters of Eve. The Lady INIary
said : As my son has no equal among children, so his mother
lias no equal among women. The old woman replied : My
mistress, I came to get payment ; I have been for a long time
affected with palsy. Our mistress the Lady Mary said to her :
Place thy hands upon the child. And the old woman did so,
and was immediately cured. Then she went forth, saying :
Henceforth I will be the attendant and servant of this child all
the days of my life.
4. Then came shepherds ; and when they had lighted a fire,
and were rejoicing greatly, there appeared to them the hosts of
heaven praising and celebrating God Most High. And while
the shepherds were doing the same, the cave was at that time
made like a temple of the upper world, since both heavenly and
earthly voices glorified and magnified God on account of the
birth of the Lord Christ. And when that old Hebrew woman
saw the manifestation of those miracles, she thanked God, say-
ing : I give Thee thanks, 0 God, the God oi Israel, because
mine eyes have seen the birth of the Saviour of the world.
5. And the time of circumcision, that is, the eighth day,
being at hand, the child was to be circumcised according to the
law. Wherefore they circumcised Him in the cave. And the
old Hebrew woman took the piece of skin ; but some say that
she took the navel-string, and laid it past in a jar of old oil oi
1 Or, with the lights of lamps and candles, more beautiful than lightning,
and more splendid than sunlight.
102 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
nard. And she had a son, a dealer in unguents, and she gave
it to him, saying : See that thou do not sell this jar of unguent
of nard, even although three hundred denarii ^ should be offered
thee for it. And this is that jar which Mary the sinner bought
and poured upon the head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which thereafter she wiped with the hair of her head.^ Ten
days after, they took Him to Jerusalem ; and on the fortieth
day^ after His birth they carried Him into the temple, and
set Him before the Lord, and offered sacrifices for Him, accord-
ing to the commandment of the law of Moses, which is : Every
male that openeth the womb shall be called the holy of God.*
6. Then old Simeon saw Him shining like a pillar of light,
when the Lady Mary, His virgin mother, rejoicing over Him,
was carrying Him in her arms. And angels, praising Him,
stood round Him in a circle, like life guards standing by a
king. Simeon therefore went up in haste to the Lady Mary,
and, with hands stretched out before her, said to the Lord
Christ : Now, 0 my Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace,
according to Thy word ; for mine eyes have seen Thy compas-
sion, which Thou hast prepared for the salvation of all peoples,
a light to all nations, and glory to Thy people Israel. Hanna
also, a prophetess, was present, and came up, giving thanks to
God, and calling the Lady Mary blessed.^
7. And it came to pass, when the Lord Jesus was born at
Bethlehem of Judea, in the time of King Herod, behold, magi
came from the east to Jerusalem, as Zeraduscht^ had predicted ;
and there were with them gifts, gold, and frankincense, and
myrrh. And they adored Him, and presented to Him their
gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling-bands,
and, on account of the smallness of her means, gave it to them ;
and they received it from her with the greatest marks of honour.
And in the same hour there appeared to them an angel in the
form of that star which had before guided them on their journey;
and they went away, following the guidance of its light, until
they arrived in their own country.^
• John xii. 5. The denarius was worth about 7f d. 2 L^ke vii. 37, 38.
3 Lev. xii. 4. * Ex. xiii. 2 ; Luke ii. 23. ^ Luke ii. 25-38.
6 For this prediction of Zoroaster, see Smith's Diet, of the Bible, art. Magi.
7 Matt. ii. 1-12.
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. 103
8. And their kings and chief men came together to them,
asking what they had seen or done, how they had gone and
come back, what they had brought with them. And they
showed them that swathing-cloth which the Lady Mary had
given them. Wherefore they celebrated a feast, and, according
to their custom, lighted a fire and worshipped it, and threw
that swathing-cloth into it ; and the fire laid hold of it, and
enveloped it. And when the fire had gone out, they took out
the swathing-cloth exactly as it had been before, just as if the
fire had not touched it. Wherefore they began to kiss it, and
to put it on their heads and their eyes, saying : This verily is
the truth without doubt. Assuredly it is a great thing that
the fire was not able to burn or destroy it. Then they took it,
and with the greatest honour laid it up among their treasures.
9. And when Herod saw that the magi had left him, and not
come back to liim, he summoned the priests and the wise men,
and said to them : Show me where Christ is to be born. And
when they answered, In Bethlehem of Judea, he began to
think of putting the Lord Jesus Christ to death. Then appeared
an angel of the Lord to Joseph in his sleep, and said : Eise,
take the boy and His mother, and go away into Egypt.-^ He
rose, tlierefore, towards cock-crow, and set out.
10. While he is reflecting how he is to set about his journey,
morning came upon him after he had gone a very little way.
And now he was approaching a great city, in which there was
an idol, to which the other idols and gods of the Egyptians
offered gifts and vows. And there stood before this idol a
priest ministering to him, who, as often as Satan spoke from
that idol, reported it to the inhabitants of Egypt and its terri-
tories. This priest had a son, three years old, beset by several
demons; and he made many speeches and utterances; and when
the demons seized him, he tore his clothes, and remained naked,
and threw stones at the people. And there was a hospital in
that city dedicated to that idol. And when Joseph and the
Lady Mary had come to the city, and had turned aside into
that hospital, the citizens were very much afraid ; and all the
chief men and the priests of the idols came together to that
idol, and said to it : What agitation and commotion is this that
' .Matt. ii. 13, 14.
104 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
lias arisen in our land ? The idol answered them : A God has
come here in secret, who is God indeed ; nor is any god be-
sides Him worthy of divine worship, because He is truly the
Son of God. And when this land became aware of His pre-
sence, it trembled at His arrival, and was moved and shaken ;
and we are exceedingly afraid from the greatness of His power.
And in the same hour that idol fell down, and at its fall all,
inhabitants of Egypt and others, ran together.
11. And the son of the priest, his usual disease having come
upon him, entered the hospital, and there came upon Joseph
and the Lady Mary, from whom all others had fled. The Lady
Mary had washed the cloths of the Lord Christ, and had spread
them over some wood. That demoniac boy, therefore, came
and took one of the cloths, and put it on his head. Then the
demons, fleeing in the shape of ravens and serpents, began to go
forth out of his mouth. The boy, being immediately healed at
the command of the Lord Christ, began to praise God, and then
to give thanks to the Lord who had healed him. And when his
father saw him restored to health. My son, said he, what has
happened to thee ? and by what means hast thou been healed ?
The son answered : When the demons had thrown me on the
ground, I went into the hospital, and there I found an august
woman with a boy, whose newly- washed cloths she had thrown
upon some wood: one of these I took up and put upon my
head, and the demons left me and fled. At this the father
rejoiced greatly, and said : My son, it is possible that this boy
is the Son of the living God who created the heavens and the
earth : for when he came over to us, the idol was broken, and
all the gods fell, and perished by the power of his magnificence.
12. Here was fulfilled the prophecy which says, Out of Egypt
have I called my son.^ Joseph indeed, and Mary, when they
heard that that idol had fallen down and perished, trembled,
and were afraid. Then they said : When w^e were in the land
of Israel, Herod thought to put Jesus to death, and on that
account slew all the children of Bethlehem and its confines ;
and there is no doubt that the Egyptians, as soon as they have
heard that this idol has been broken, wiU burn us with fire.^
' Hos. xi. 1 ; Matt. ii. 15.
2 Burning to death was the pxinishment of those convicted of sacrilege and
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. 105
1 3. Going out thence, they came to a place where there were
robbers who had phmdered several men of their baggage and
clothes, and had bound them. Then the robbers heard a great
noise, like the noise of a magnificent king going out of his city
with his army, and his chariots and his drums ; and at this the
robbers were terrified, and left all their plunder. And their
captives rose up, loosed each other's bonds, recovered their bag-
gage, and went away. And when they saw Joseph and Mary
coming up to the place, they said to them : Where is that king,
at the hearing of the magnificent sound of whose approach the
robbers have left us, so that we have escaped safe ? Joseph
answered them : He will come behind us.
14. Thereafter they came into another city, where there was
a demoniac woman whom Satan, accursed and rebellious, had
beset, when on one occasion she had gone out by night for
water. She could neither bear clothes, nor live in a house ;
and as often as they tied her up with chains and thongs, she
broke them, and fled naked into waste places ; and, standing
in cross-roads and cemeteries, she kept throwing stones at
people, and brought very heavy calamities upon her friends.
And when the Lady Mary saw her, she pitied her ; and upon
this Satan immediately left her, and fled away in the form of
a young man, saying : Woe to me from thee, Mary, and from
thy son. So that woman was cured of her torment, and being
restored to her senses, she blushed on account of her naked-
ness ; and shunning the sight of men, went home to her friends.
And after she put on her clothes, she gave an account of the
matter to her father and her friends ; and as they were the
chief men of the city, they received the Lady Mary and Joseph
with the greatest honour and hospitality.
15. On the day after, being supplied by them with provision
for their journey, they went away, and on the evening ot that
day arrived at another town, in which they were celebrating a
marriage ; but, by the arts of accursed Satan and the work of
enchanters, the bride had become dumb, and could not speak
a word. And after the Lady Mary entered the town, carrying
her son the Lord Christ, that dumb bride saw lier, and stretched
tlie practice of magic. It was inflicted also on slaves for grave offences against
their masters.
106 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
out her hands towards the Lord Christ, and drew Him to her,
and took Him into her arms, and held Him close and kissed
Him, and leaned over Him, moving His body back and forwards.
Immediately the knot of her tongue was loosened, and her ears
were opened ; and she gave thanks and praise to God, because
He had restored her to health. And that night the inhabitants
of that town exulted with joy, and thought that God and His
angels had come down to them.
16. There they remained three days, being held in great
honour, and living splendidly. Thereafter, being supplied by
them with provision for their journey, they went away and
came to another city, in which, because it was very populous,
they thought of passing the night. And there was in that city
an excellent woman : and once, when she had gone to the river
to bathe, lo, accursed Satan, in the form of a serpent, had leapt
upon her, and twisted himself round her belly ; and as often as
night came on, he tyrannically tormented her. This woman,
seeing the mistress the Lady Mary, and the child, the Lord
Christ, in her bosom, was struck with a longing for Him,
and said to the mistress the Lady Mary : 0 mistress, give me
this child, that I may carry him, and kiss him. She therefore
gave Him to the woman ; and when He was brought to her,
Satan let her go, and fled and left her, nor did the woman ever
see him after that day. Wherefore all who were present praised
God Most High, and that woman bestowed on them liberal gifts.
17. On the day after, the same woman took scented water
to wash the Lord Jesus ; and after she had washed Him, she
took the water with which she had done it, and poured part
of it upon a girl who was living there, whose body was white
with leprosy, and washed her with it. And as soon as this
was done, the girl was cleansed from her leprosy. And the
townspeople said : There is no doubt that Joseph and Mary
and that boy are gods, not men. And when they were getting
ready to go away from them, the girl who had laboured under
the leprosy came up to them, and asked them to let her go
with them.
18. When they had given her permission, she went with
them. And afterwards they came to a city, in which was the
castle of a most illustrious prince, who kept a house lor the
ABA ETC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOURS INFANCY. 107
entertainment of strangers. They turned into this place ; and
the girl went away to the prince's wife; and she found her
weeping and sorrowful, and she asked wdiy she was weeping.
Do not be surprised, said she, at my tears; for I am over-
whelmed by a great affliction, which as yet I have not endured
to tell to any one. Perhaps, said the girl, if you reveal it and
disclose it to me, I may have a remedy for it. Hide this secret,
then, replied the princess, and tell it to no one. I was married
to this prince, who is a king and ruler over many cities, and I
lived long with him, but by me he had no son. And when at
length I produced him a son, he was leprous ; and as soon as
he saw him, he turned away with loathing, and said to me :
Either kill him, or give him to the nurse to be brought up
in some place from which we shall never hear of him more.
After this I can have nothing to do with thee, and I will never
see thee more. On this account I know not what to do, and I
am overwhelmed with grief. Alas ! my son. Alas ! my hus-
band. Did I not say so ? said the girl. I have found a cure
for thy disease, and I shall tell it thee. For I too was a leper ;
but I was cleansed by God, who is Jesus, the son of the Lady
Mary. And the woman asking her where this God was whom
she had spoken of. Here, with thee, said the girl; He is
living in the same house. But how is this possible ? said she.
Where is he ? There, said the girl, are Joseph and Mary ;
and the child who is with them is called Jesus ; and He it is
who cured me of my disease and my torment. But by what
means, said she, wast thou cured of thy leprosy ? Wilt thou
not tell me that ? Why not ? said the girl. I got from His
mother the water in which He had been washed, and poured
it over myself ; and so I was cleansed from my leprosy. Then
the princess rose up, and invited them to avail themselves of
her hospitality. And she prepared a splendid banquet for
Joseph in a great assembly of the men of the place. And
on the following day she took scented water with which to
wash the Lord Jesus, and thereafter poured the same water
over her son, whom she had taken with her ; and immediately
her son was cleansed from his leprosy. Therefore, singing
thanks and praises to God, she said: Blessed is the mother
who bore thee, 0 Jesus ; dost thou so cleanse those who share
108 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the same nature with thee with the water in which thy body
has been washed ? Besides, she bestowed great gifts upon the
mistress the Lady Mary, and sent her away with great honour.
19, Coming thereafter to another city, they wished to spend
the night in it. They turned aside, therefore, to the house of
a man newly married, but who, under the influence of witch-
craft, was not able to enjoy his wife; and when they had
spent that night wdth him, his bond was loosed. And at day-
break, when they were girding themselves for their journey,
the bridegroom would not let them go, and prepared for them
a great banquet.
20. They set out, therefore, on the following day; and as
they came near another city, they saw three women weeping
as they came out of a cemetery. And wdien the Lady Mary
beheld them, she said to the girl who accompanied her : Ask
them what is the matter with them, or what calamity has
befallen them. And to the girl's questions they made no reply,
but asked in their turn: Whence are you, and whither are
you going ? for the day is already past, and night is coming
on apace. We are travellers, said the girl, and are seeking
a house of entertainment in which we may pass the night.
They said : Go with us, and spend the night with us. They
followed them, therefore, and were brought into a new house
with splendid decorations and furniture. Now it was winter ;
and the girl, going into the chamber of these women, found
them again w^eeping and lamenting. There stood beside them
a mule, covered with housings of cloth of gold, and sesame was
put before him ; and the women were kissing him, and giving
him food. And the girl said : What is all the ado, my ladies,
about this mule ? They answered her with tears, and said : This
mule, which thou seest, was our brother, born of the same
mother with ourselves. And when our father died, and left
us great wealth, and this only brother, we did our best to get
him married, and were preparing his nuptials for him, after the
manner of men. But some women, moved by mutual jealousy,
bewitched him unknown to us ; and one night, a little before
daybreak, when the door of our house was shut, we saw that
this our brother had been turned into a mule, as thou now be-
holdest him. And we are sorrowful, as thou seest, having no
AEABTC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOURS INFANCY. 109
father to comfort us : there is no wise man, or magician, or
enchanter in the world that we have omitted to send for ; but
nothing has done us any good. And as often as our hearts
are overwhelmed with grief, we rise and go away with our
mother here, and weep at our father's grave, and come back
again.
21. And when the girl heard these things, Be of good
courage, said she, and weep not : for the cure of your calamity
is near ; yea, it is beside you, and in the middle of your own
house. For I also was a leper ; but when I saw that woman,
and along with her that young child, whose name is Jesus,
I sprinkled my body with the water with which His mother
had washed Him, and I was cured. And I know that He can
cure your affliction also. But rise, go to Mary my mistress ;
bring her into your house, and tell her your secret ; and en-
treat and supplicate her to have pity upon you. After the
women had heard the girl's words, they went in haste to the
Lady Mary, and brought her into their chamber, and sat down
before her weej)ing, and saying: 0 our mistress, Lady Mary,
have pity on thy handmaidens ; for no one older than our-
selves, and no liead of the family, is left — neither father nor
brother — to live with us ; but this mule which thou seest was
our brother, and women have made him such as thou seest by
witchcraft. We beseech thee, therefore, to have pity upon us.
Then, grieving at their lot, the Lady Mary took up the Lord
Jesus, and put Him on the mule's back ; and she wept as well
as the women, and said to Jesus Christ : Alas ! my son, heal
this mule by Thy mighty power, and make him a man endowed
with reason as he was before. And when these words were
uttered by the Lady Mary, his form was changed, and the mule
became a young man, free from every defect. Then he and
his mother and his sisters adored the Lady Mary, and lifted
the boy above their heads, and began to kiss Him, saying:
Blessed is she that bore Thee, 0 Jesus, 0 Saviour of the
world; blessed are the eyes which enjoy the felicity of seeing
Thee.
22. Moreover, both the sisters said to their mother: Our
brother indeed, by the aid of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by
the salutary intervention of this girl, who pointed out to us
1 1 0 THE A PO CR YPHA L G OSPELS.
Mary and her son, has been raised to human form. Now,
indeed, since our brother is unmarried, it would do very well
for us to give him as his wife this girl, their servant. And
having asked the Lady Mary, and obtained her consent, they
made a splendid wedding for the girl ; and their sorrow being
changed into joy, and the beating of their breasts into dancing,
they began to be glad, to rejoice, to exult, and sing — adorned,
on account of their great joy, in most splendid and gorgeous
attire. Then they begin to recite songs and praises, and to
say : 0 Jesus, son of David, who turnest sorrow into gladness,
and lamentations into joy ! And Joseph and Mary remained
there ten days. Thereafter they set out, treated with great
lionours by these people, who bade them farewell, and from
bidding them farewell returned weeping, especially the girl.
23. And turning away from this place, they came to a desert ;
and hearing that it was infested by robbers, Joseph and the
Lady Mary resolved to cross this region by night. But as they
go along, behold, they see two robbers lying in the way, and
along with them a great number of robbers, who were their
associates, sleeping. Now those two robbers, into whose hands
they had fallen, were Titus and Dumachus. Titus therefore
said to Dumachus: I beseech thee to let these persons go freely,
and so that our comrades may not see them. And as Duma-
chus refused, Titus said to him again : Take to thyself forty
drachmas from me, and hold this as a pledge. At the same
time he held out to him the belt which he had had about his
waist, to keep him from opening his mouth or speaking. And
the Lady Mary, seeing that the robber had done them a kind-
ness, said to him : The Lord God will sustain thee by His right
hand, and will grant thee remission of thy sins. And the Lord
Jesus answered, and said to His mother : Thirty years hence,
0 my mother, the Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem, and these
two robbers will be raised upon the cross along with me, Titus
on my right hand and Dumachus on my left ; and after that
day Titus shall go before me into Paradise. And she said:
God keep this from thee, my son. And they went thence to-
wards a city of idols, which, as they came near it, was changed
into sand-hills.
24. Hence they turned aside to that sycamore which is now
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. Ill
called Matarea/ and the Lord Jesus brought forth in Matarea a
fountain in which the Lady Mary washed His shirt. And from
the sweat of the Lord Jesus which she sprinkled there, balsam
was produced in that region.
25. Thence they came down to Memphis, and saw Pharaoh,
and remained three years in Egypt ; and the Lord Jesus did in
Egypt very many miracles which are recorded neither in the
Gospel of the Infancy nor in the perfect Gospel.
26. And at the end of the three years He came back out of
Egypt, and returned. And when they had arrived at Judea,
Joseph was afraid to enter it ; but hearing that Herod was
dead, and that Archelaus his son had succeeded him, he was
afraid indeed, but he went into Judea. And an angel of the
Lord appeared to him, and said : 0 Joseph, go into the city of
Nazareth, and there abide.
Wonderful indeed, that the Lord of the world should be thus
borne and carried about through the world !
27. Thereafter, going into the city of Bethlehem, they saw
there many and grievous diseases infesting the eyes of the
children, who were dying in consequence. And a woman was
there with a sick son, whom, now very near death, she brought
to the Lady Mary, who saw him as she was washing Jesus
Christ. Then said the woman to her : 0 my Lady Mary, look
upon this son of mine, who is labouring under a grievous
disease. And the Lady Mary listened to her, and said : Take
a little of that water in which I have washed my son, and
sprinkle him with it. She therefore took a little of the water,
as the Lady Mary had told her, and sprinkled it over her son.
And when this was done his illness abated ; and after sleeping
a little, he rose up from sleep safe and sound. ■ His mother re-
joicing at this, again took him to the Lady Mary. And she
said to her : Give thanks to God, because He hath healed this
thy son.
■ Matarea, or Matariyeli, the site of Heliopolis or On, is a little way to the
N.E. of Cairo. Ismail Pasha is said to have presented, on his visit to the Paris
Exhibition of 1867, the tree and the ground surrounding it to the Empress of
the French. For some interesting particulars about the tree, see a paragraph,
by B. H. C. {i.e. Mr. B. Harris Cowper, who has translated the Apocryphal
Gospels), in the Leisure Hour for 2d November 1867.
112 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
28. There was in the same place another woman, a neighbour
of her whose son had lately been restored to health. And as
her son was labouring under the same disease, and his eyes
were now almost blinded, she wept night and day. And the
mother of the child that had been cured said to her : Why dost
thou not take thy son to the Lady Mary, as I did with mine
when he was nearly dead ? And he got well with that water
with which the body of her son Jesus had been washed. And
when the woman heard this from her, she too went and got
some of the same water, and washed her son with it, and his
body and his eyes were instantly made well. Her also, when
she had brought her son to her, and disclosed to her all that had
happened, the Lady Mary ordered to give thanks to God for her
son's restoration to health,, and to tell nobody of this matter.
29. There were in the same city two women, wives of one
man, each having a son ill with fever. The one ^ was called
Mary, and her son's name was Cleopas. She rose and took
up her son, and went to the Lady Mary, the mother of Jesus,
and offering her a beautiful mantle, said : 0 my Lady Mary,
accept this mantle, and for it give me one small bandage.
Mary did so, and the mother of Cleopas went away, and made
a shirt of it, and put it on her son. So he was cured of his
disease; but the son of her rival died. Hence there sprung
up hatred between them ; and as they did the house-work
week about, and as it was the turn of Mary the mother of
Cleopas, she heated the oven to bake bread ; and going away
to bring the lump that she had kneaded, she left her son
Cleopas beside the oven. Her rival seeing him alone — and the
oven was very hot with the fire blazing under it— seized him
and threw him into the oven, and took herself off. Mary com-
ing back, and seeing her son Cleopas lying in the oven laugh-
ing, and the oven quite cold, as if no fire had ever come near it,
knew that her rival had thrown him into the fire. She drew
him out, therefore, and took him to the Lady Llary, and told
her of what had happened to him. And she said: Keep silence,
and tell nobody of the affair ; for I am afraid for you if you
divulge it. After this her rival went to the well to draw
water ; and seeing Cleopas playing beside the well, and nobody
near, she seized him and threw him into the well, and went
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. 113
home herself. And some men who had gone to the well for
water saw the boy sitting on the surface ot the water ; and so
they went down and drew him out. And they were seized
with a great admiration of that boy, and praised God. Then
came his mother, and took him up, and went weeping to the
Lady Mary, and said : 0 my lady, see what my rival has done
to my son, and how she has thrown him into the well ; she
will be sure to destroy him some day or other. The Lady Mary
said to her : God will avenge thee upon her. Thereafter, when
her rival went to the well to draw Avater, her feet got entangled
in the rope, and she fell into the well. Some men came to
draw her out, but they found her skull fractured and her bones
broken. Thus she died a miserable death, and in her came to
pass that saying: They have digged a well deep, but have
fallen into the pit which they had prepared.^
30. Another woman there had twin sons who had fallen into
disease, and one of them died, and the other was at his last
breath. And his mother, weeping, lifted him up, and took him
to the Lady Mary, and said : 0 my lady, aid me and succour
me. For I had two sons, and I have just buried the one, and
the other is at the point of death. See how I am going to
entreat and pray to God. And she began to say : 0 Lord, Thou
art compassionate, and merciful, and full of affection. Thou
gavest me two sons, of whom Thou hast taken away the one :
this one at least leave to me. Wherefore the Lady Mary, see-
ing the fervour of her weeping, had compassion on her, and
said : Put thy son in my son's bed, and cover him with his
clothes. And when she had put him in the bed in which
Christ was lying, he had already closed his eyes in death ;
but as soon as the smell of the clothes of the Lord Jesus Christ
reached the boy, he opened his eyes, and, calling upon his
mother with a loud voice, he asked for bread, and took it and
sucked it. Then his mother said : 0 Lady Mary, now I know
that the power of God dwelleth in thee, so that thy son heals
those that partake of the same nature with himself, as soon as
they have touched his clothes. This boy that was healed is
he who in the Gospel is called Bartholomew.
3L Moreover, there was there a leprous woman, and she
1 Ps. vii. 15, Ivii. 6.
H
114 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
went to the Lady ^lary, the mother of Jesus, and said : Mj
lady, help me. And the Lady Mary answered : "Wliat help dost
thou seek ? Is it gold or silver ? or is it that thy body be made
clean from the leprosy ? And that woman asked : Who can
grant me this ? And the Lady Mary said to her : Wait a little,
until I shall have washed my son Jesus, and put him to bed.
The woman waited, as Mary had told her ; and when she had
put Je^us to bed, she held out to the woman the water in which
she had washed His body, and said : Take a little of this water,
and pour it over thy body. And as soon as she had done so,
she was cleansed, and gave praise and thanks to God.
32. Therefore, after staying with her three days, she went
away ; and coming to a city, saw there one of the chief men,
who had married the daughter of another of the chief men.
But when he saw the woman, he beheld between her eyes the
mark of leprosy in the shape of a star; and so the marriage
was dissolved, and became null and void. And when that
woman saw them in this condition, weeping and overwhelmed
with sorrow, she asked the cause of their grief. But they said :
Inquire not into our condition, for to no one living can we
teU our grief, and to none but ourselves can we disclose it.
She urged them, however, and entreated them to entrust it to
her, saying that she would perhaps be able to tell them of a
remedy. And when they showed her the girl, and the sign of
leprosy which appeared between her eyes, as soon as she saw
it, the woman said : I also, whom you see here, laboured under
the same disease, when, upon some business which happened
to come in my way, I went to Bethlehem. There going into
a cave, I saw a woman named Mary, whose son was he who
was named Jesus; and when she saw that I was a leper, she
took pity on me, and handed me the water with which she
had washed her son's body. With it I sprinkled my body,
and came out clean. Then the woman said to her : Wilt thou
not, 0 lady, rise and go with us, and show us the Lady ]\Iary ?
And she assented ; and they rose and went to the Lady Mary,
carrying with them splendid gifts. And when they had gone
in, and presented to her the gifts, they showed her the leprous
girl whom they had brought. The Lady ]\Iary therefore said :
May the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ descend upon
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOURS INFANCY. 115
you ; and handing to them also a little of the water in which
she had washed the hody of Jesus Christ, she ordered the
wretched woman to be bathed in it. And when this had been
done, she was immediately cured ; and they, and all standing
by, praised God. Joyfully therefore they returned to their own
city, praising the Lord for what He had done. And when the
chief heard that his wife had been cured, he took her home,
and made a second marriage, and gave thanks to God for the
recovery of his wife's health.
33. There was there also a young woman afflicted by Satan;
for that accursed wretch repeatedly appeared to her in the
form of a huge dragon, and prepared to swallow her. He also
sucked out all her blood, so that she was left like a corpse.
As often as he came near her, she, with her hands clasped over
her head, cried out, and said : Woe, woe's me, for nobody is
near to free me from that accursed dragon. And her father
and mother, and all who were about her or saw her, bewailed
her lot ; and men stood round her in a crowd, and all wept
and ' lamented, especially wh,en she wept, and said : Oh, my
brethren and friends, is there no one to free me from that
murderer ? And the daughter of the chief who had been
healed of her leprosy, hearing the girl's voice, went up to the
roof of her castle, and saw her with her hands clasped over her
head weeping, and all the crowds standing round her weeping
as well. She therefore asked the demoniac's husband whether
his wife's mother were alive. And when he answered that
both her parents were living, she said : Send for her mother to
come to me. And when she saw that he had sent for her, and
she had come, she said : Is that distracted girl thy daughter ?
Yes, 0 lady, said that sorrowful and weeping woman, she
is my daughter. The chief's daughter answered : Keep my
secret, for I confess to thee that I was formerly a leper ; but
now the Lady Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, has healed
me. But if thou wishest thy daughter to be healed, take her
to Bethlehem, and seek Mary the mother of Jesus, and believe
that thy daugliter will be healed ; I indeed believe that thou
wilt come back with joy, with thy daughter healed. As soon
as the woman heard the words of the chief's daughter, she led
away her daughter in haste ; and going to the place indicated,
116 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS,
she went to the Lady Mary, and revealed to her the state of
her daughter. And the Lady Mary hearing her words, gave
her a little of the water in which she had washed the body
of her son Jesus, and ordered her to pour it on the body of
her daughter. She gave her also from the clothes of the Lord
Jesus a swathing-cloth, saying: Take this cloth, and show it to
thine enemy as often as thou shalt see him. And she saluted
them, and sent them away.
34. Wlien, therefore, they had gone away from her, and
returned to their own district, and the time was at hand at
which Satan was wont to attack her, at this very time that
accursed one appeared to her in the shape of a huge dragon,
and the girl was afraid at the sight of him. And her mother
said to her : Fear not, my daughter ; allow him to coriie near
thee, and then show him the cloth which the Lady INIary hath
given us, and let us see what will happen. Satan, therefore,
having come near in the likeness of a terrible dragon, the body
of the girl shuddered for fear of him; but as soon as she took
out the cloth, and placed it on her head, and covered her eyes
with it, flames and live coals began to dart forth from it, and
to be cast upon the dragon. 0 the great miracle which was
done as soon as the dragon saw the cloth of the Lord Jesus,
from which the fire darted, and was cast upon his head and
eyes ! He cried out with a loud voice : AVhat have I to do
with thee, 0 Jesus, son of Mary ? Whither shall I fly from
thee ? And with great fear he turned his back and departed
from the girl, and never afterwards appeared to her. And the
girl now had rest from him, and gave praise and thanks to God,
and along with her all who were present at that miracle.
35. Another woman was living in the same place, whose
son was tormented by Satan. He, Judas by name, as often as
Satan seized him, used to bite all who came near him ; and
if he found no one near him, he used to bite his own hands
and other limbs. The mother of this wretched creature, then,
hearing the fame of the Lady Mary and her son Jesus, rose up
and brought her son Judas with her to the Lady Mary. In the
meantime, James and Joses had taken the child the Lord Jesus
with them to play with the other children ; and they had gone
out of the house and sat down, and the Lord Jesus with them.
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. 117
And the demoniac Judas came np, and sat down at Jesus' right
hand : then, being attacked by Satan in the same manner as
usual, he wished to bite the Lord Jesus, but was not able;
nevertheless he struck Jesus on the right side, whereupon He
began to weep. And immediately Satan went forth out of that
boy, fleeing like a mad dog. And this boy who struck Jesus,
and out of whom Satan went forth in the shape of a dog, was
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him to the Jews ; and that^'same
side on which Judas struck Him, the Jews transfixed with a
lance. ^
36. Now, when the Lord Jesus had completed seven years
from His birth, on a certain day He was occupied with boys of
His own age. For they were playing among clay, from which
they were making images of asses, oxen, birds, and other ani-
mals ; and each one boasting of his skill, was praising his own
work. Then the Lord Jesus said to the boys : The images that
I have made I will order to walk. The boys asked Him whether
then he were the son of the Creator ; and the Lord Jesus bade
them walk. And they immediately began to leap ; and then,
when He had given them leave, they again stood still. And
He had made figures of birds and sparrows, which flew when
He told them to fly, and stood still when He told them to stand,
and ate and drank when He handed them food and drink. After
the boys had gone away and told this to their parents, their
fathers said to them : My sons, take care not to keep company
with him again, for he is a wizard : flee from him, therefore,
and avoid him, and do not play with him again after this.
37. On a certain day the Lord Jesus, running about and
playing with the boys, passed the shop of a dyer, whose name
was Salem ; and he had in his shop many pieces of cloth which
he was to dye. The Lord Jesus then, going into his shop, took
up all the pieces of cloth, and threw them into a tub full of
indigo. And when Salem came and saw his cloths destroyed,
he began to cry out with a loud voice, and to reproach Jesus,'
saying: Why hast thou done this to me, 0 son of Mary?
Thou hast disgraced me before all my townsmen : for, seeing
that every one wished the colour that suited himself, thoi!
mdeed hast come and destroyed them aU. The Lord Jesus
' John xix. 34.
118 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
answered : I shall change for thee the colour of any piece of
cloth which thou shalt wish to be changed. And immediately
He began to take the pieces of cloth out of the tub, each of
them of that colour which the dyer wished, until He had
taken them all out. Wlien the Jews saw this miracle and
prodigy, they praised God.
38. And Joseph used to go about through the whole city,
and take the Lord Jesus with him, when people sent for him
in the way of his trade to make for them doors, and milk-
pails, and beds, and chests ; and the Lord Jesus was with him
wherever he went. As often, therefore, as Joseph had to make
anything a cubit or a span longer or shorter, wider or narrower,
the Lord Jesus stretched His hand towards it ; and as soon as
He did so, it became such as Joseph wished. Nor was it neces-
sary for him to make anything with his own hand, for Joseph
was not very skilful in carpentry.
39. Now, on a certain day, the king of Jerusalem sent for
him, and said : I wish thee, Joseph, to make for me a throne
to fit that place in which I usually sit. Joseph obeyed, and
began the work inmiediately, and remained in the palace two
years, until he finished the work of that throne. And when he
had it carried to its place, he perceived that each side wanted
two spans of the prescribed measure. And the king, seeing
this, was angry with Joseph ; and Joseph, being in great fear
of the king, spent the night without supper, nor did he taste
anything at all. Then, being asked- by the Lord Jesus why
he was afraid, Joseph said : Because I have spoiled all the
work that I have been two years at. And the Lord Jesus said
to him : Fear not, and do not lose heart ; but do thou take
hold of one side of the throne ; I shall take the other ; and we
shall put that to rights. And Joseph, having done as the Lord
Jesus had said, and each having drawn by his own side, the
throne was put to rights, and brought to the exact measure of
the place. And those that stood by and saw this miracle were
struck with astonishment, and praised God. And the woods
used in that throne were of those which are celebrated in the
time of Solomon the son of David ; that is, woods of many and
various kinds.
40. On another day the Lord Jesus went out into the road,
ARABIC G OS PEL OF THE SA VIO VES IN FA NCY. 119
and saw the boys that had come together to play, and followed
them ; but the boys hid themselves from Him. The Lord Jesus,
therefore, having come to the door of a certain house, and seen
some women standing there, asked them where the boys had
gone ; and when they answered that there was no one there, He
said again : Who are these whom you see in the furnace ? ^
They replied that they were kids of three years old. And the
Lord Jesus cried out, and said : Come out hither, 0 kids, to
your Shepherd. Then the boys, in the form of kids, came out,
and began to dance round Him ; and the women, seeing this,
were very much astonished, and were seized with trembling,
and speedily supplicated and adored the Lord Jesus, saying:
0 our Lord Jesus, son of Mary, Thou art of a truth that good
Shepherd of Israel ; have mercy on Thy handmaidens who
stand before Thee, and who have never doubted: for Thou
hast come, 0 our Lord, to heal, and not to destroy. And when
the Lord Jesus answered that the sons of Israel were like the
Ethiopians among the nations, the women said : Thou, 0 Lord,
knowest all things, nor is anything hid from Thee ; now, in-
deed, we beseech Thee, and ask Thee of Thy affection to re-
store these boys Thy servants to their former condition. The
Lord Jesus therefore said : Come, boys, let us go and play.
And immediately, while these women were standing by, the
kids were changed into boys.
41. Now in the month Adar, Jesus, after the manner of a
king, assembled the boys together. They spread their clothes
ou the ground, and He sat down upon them. Then they put
on His head a crown made of flowers, and, like chamber-ser-
vants, stood in His presence, on the right and on the left, as if
He were a king. And whoever passed by that way was forcibly
dragged by the boys, saying : Come hither, and adore the king ;
then go thy way.
42. In the meantime, while these things were going on, some
men came up carrying a boy. For this boy had gone into the
mountain with those of his own age to seek wood, and there he
found a partridge's nest; and when he stretched out his hand
to take the eggs from it, a venomous serpent bit him from the
middle of the nest, so that he called out for help. His com-
1 Perliaps the correct reading is fornice, archway, and not fornace.
120 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS. ■
rades accordingly went to him with haste, and found him lying
on the ground like one dead. Then his relations came and
took him up to carry him back to the city. And after they
had come to that place where the Lord Jesus was sitting like
a king, and the rest of the boys standing round Him like His
servants, the boys went hastily forward to meet him who had
been bitten by the serpent, and said to his relations : Come
and salute the king. But when they were unwilling to go, on
account of the sorrow in which they were, the boys dragged
them by force against their will. And when they had come up
to the Lord Jesus, He asked them why they were carrying the
boy. And when they answered that a serpent had bitten
him, the Lord Jesus said to the boys : Let us go and kill that
serpent. And the parents of the boy asked leave to go away,
because their son was in the agony of death ; but the boys
answered them, saying : Did you not hear the king saying :
Let us go and kill the serpent ? and will you not obey him ?
And so, against their will, the couch was carried back. And
when they came to the nest, the Lord Jesus said to the boys :
Is this the serpent's place ? They said that it was ; and the
serpent, at the call of the Lord, came forth without delay, and
submitted itself to Him. And He said to it: Go away, and
suck out all the poison which thou hast infused into this boy.
And so' the serpent crawled to the boy, and sucked out all its
poison. Then the Lord Jesus cursed it, and immediately on
this being done it burst asunder ; and the Lord Jesus stroked
the boy with his hand, and he was healed. And he began to
weep ; but Jesus said : Do not weep, for by and by thou shalt
be my disciple. And this is Simon the Canauite, of whom
mention is made in the Gospel.^
43. On another day, Joseph sent his son James to gather
wood, and the Lord Jesus went with him as his companion.
And when they had come to the place where the wood was,
and James had begun to gather it, behold, a venomous viper
bit his hand, so that he began to cry out and weep. The Lord
Jesus then, seeing him in this condition, went up to him, and
blew upon the place where the viper had bitten him ; and this
being done, he was healed immediately.
1 Matt. X. 4, etc.
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOUR'S INFANCY. 121
44. One day, when the Lord Jesus was again with the boys
playing on the roof of a house, one of the boys fell down from
above, and immediately expired. And the rest of the boys fled
in all directions, and the Lord Jesus was left alone on the roof.
And the relations of the boy came up and said to the Lord Jesus :
It was thou who didst throw our son headlong from the roof.
And when He denied it, they cried out, saying : Our son is dead,
and here is he who has killed him. And the Lord Jesus said
to them : Do not bring an evil report against me ; but if you do
not believe me, come and let us ask the boy himself, that he
may bring the truth to light. Then the Lord Jesus went down,
and standing over the dead body, said, with a loud voice : Zeno,
Zeno, who threw thee down from the roof ? Then the dead boy
answered and said : My lord, it was not thou who didst throw
me down, but such a one cast me down from it. And when the
Lord commanded those who were standing by to attend to His
words, all who were present praised God for this miracle.
45. Once upon a time the Lady Mary had ordered the Lord
Jesus to go and bring her water from the well. And when He
had gone to get the water, the pitcher already full was knocked
against something, and broken. And the Lord Jesus stretched
out His handkerchief, and collected the water, and carried it to
His mother ; and she was astonished at it. And she hid and
preserved in her heart all that she saw.
46. Again, on another day, the Lord Jesus was with the
boys at a stream of water, and they had again made little
fish-ponds. And the Lord Jesus had made twelve sparrows,
and had arranged them round His fish-pond, three on each
side. And it was the Sabbath-day. Wherefore a Jew, the son
of Hanan, coming up, and seeing them thus engaged, said in
anger and great indignation : Do you make figures of clay on
the Sabbath-day? And he ran quickly, and destroyed their
fish-ponds. But when the Lord Jesus clapped His hands over
the sparrows which He had made, they flew away chirping.
Then the son of Hanan came up to the fish-pond of Jesus
also, and kicked it with his shoes, and the water of it vanished
away. And the Lord Jesus said to him: As that water has
vanished away, so thy life shall likewise vanish away. And
immediately that boy dried up.
122 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
47. At another time, when the Lord Jesus was returning home
with Joseph in the evening, He met a boy, who ran up against
Him with so much force that He fell. And the Lord Jesus said
to him : As thou hast thrown me down, so thou shalt fall, and
not rise again. And the same hour the boy fell down, and expired.
48. There was, moreover, at Jerusalem a certain man named
Zachasus, who taught boys. He said to Joseph : Why, 0 Joseph,
dost thou not bring Jesus to me to learn his letters ? Joseph
agreed to do so, and reported the matter to the Lady Mary.
They therefore took Him to the master ; and he, as soon as he
saw Him, wrote out the alphabet for Him, and told Him to say
Aleph. And when He had said Aleph, the master ordered Him
to pronounce Beth. And the Lord Jesus said to him : Tell me
first the meaning of the letter Aleph, and then I shall pronounce
Beth. And when the master threatened to flog Him, the Lord
Jesus explained to him the meanings of the letters Aleph and
Beth; also which figures of the letters were straight, which
crooked, which drawn round into a spiral, which marked with
points, which without them, why one letter went before another;
and many other things He began to recount and to elucidate
which the master himself had never either heard or read in any
book. The Lord Jesus, moreover, said to the master : Listen,
and I shall say them to thee. And He began clearly and
distinctly to repeat Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, on to Tau.
And the master was astonished, and said : I think that this boy
was born before Noah. And turning to Joseph, he said : Thou
hast brought to me to be taught a boy more learned than all
the masters. To the Lady Mary also he said: This son of
thine has no need of instruction.
49. Thereafter they took Him to another and a more learned
master, who, when he saw Him, said : Say Aleph. And when
He had said Aleph, the master ordered him to pronounce Beth.
And the Lord Jesus answered him, and said : First tell me the
meaning of the letter Aleph, and then I shall pronounce Beth.
And when the master hereupon raised his hand and flogged
Him, immediately his hand dried up, and he died. Then said
Joseph to the Lady Mary : From this time we shall not let him
go out of the house, since every one who opposes him is struck
dead.
ARABIC GOSPEL OF THE SAVIOURS INFANCY. 123
50. And when He was twelve years old, they took Him to
Jerusalem to the feast. And when the feast was finished, they
indeed returned ; but the Lord Jesus remained in tho temple
among the teachers and elders and learned men of the sons of
Israel, to whom He put various questions upon the sciences,
and gave answers in His turn.^ For He said to them : Whose
son is the Messias ? They answered Him : The sou of David.
AVherefore then, said He, does he in the Spirit call him his lord,
when he says, The Lord said to my lord. Sit at my right hand,
that I may put thine enemies under thy footsteps V Again the
cliief of the teachers said to Him : Hast thou read the books ?
Both the books, said the Lord Jesus, and the things contained
in the books. And He explained the books, and the law, and
the precepts, and the statutes, and the mysteries, which are
contained in the books of the prophets — things which the
understanding of no creature attains to. That teacher there-
fore said : I hitherto have neither attained to nor heard of such
knowledge : Who, pray, do you think that boy will be ?
5L And a philosopher who was there present, a skilful
astronomer, asked the Lord Jesus whether He had studied
astronomy. And the Lord Jesus answered him, and explained
the number of the spheres, and of the heavenly bodies, their
natures and operations ; their opposition ; their aspect, trian-
gular, square, and sextile ; their course, direct and retrograde ;
the twenty-fourths,^ and sixtieths of twenty-fourths ; and other
things beyond the reach of reason.
52. There was also among those philosophers one very skilled
in treating of natural science, and he asked the Lord Jesus
whether He had studied medicine. And He, in reply, explained
to him physics and metaphysics, hyperphysics and hypophysics,
the powers likewise and humours of the body, and the ejffects
of the same ; also the number of members and bones, of veins,
arteries, and nerves ; also the effect of heat and dryness, of
cold and moisture, and what these give rise to ; what was the
operation of the soul upon the body, and its perceptions and
1 Luke ii. 42-47. * Ps. ex. 1 ; Matt. xxii. 42-45.
3 The scripulum was the twenty-fourth part of the as. It is likely here put
for the motion of a planet during one hour. Pliny, N. H. ii. 10, uses the word
to signify an undefined number of degrees, or parts of a degree.
124 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
powers; what was the operation of the faculty of speech, of
anger, of desire ; lastly, their conjunction and disjunction, and
other things beyond the reach of any created intellect. Then
that philosopher rose up, and adored the Lord Jesus, and said :
0 Lord, from this time I will be thy disciple and slave.
53. While they were speaking to each otlier of these and
other things, the Lady Mary came, after having gone about seek-
ing Him for three days along with Joseph. She therefore,
seeing Him sitting among the teachers asking them questions,
and answering in His turn, said to Him : My son, why hast
thou treated us thus ? Behold, thy father and I have sought
thee with great trouble. But He said : Why do you seek me ?
Do you not know that I ought to occupy myself in my Father's
house ? But they did not understand the words that He spoke
to them. Tlien those teachers asked Mary whether He were
her son; and when she signified that He was, they said : Blessed
art thou, 0 Mary, who hast brought forth such a son. And
returning with them to Nazareth, He obeyed them in all things.
And His mother kept all these words of His in her heart.
And the Lord Jesus advanced in stature, and in wisdom, and in
favour with God and man.^
54. And from this day He began to hide His miracles and
mysteries and secrets, and to give attention to the law, until
He completed His thirtieth year, when His Father publicly
declared Him at the Jordan by this voice sent down from
heaven : This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ;
the Holy Spirit being present in the form of a white dove.^
55. This is He whom we adore with supplications, who hath
given us being and life, and who hath brought us from our
mothers' wombs ; who for our sakes assumed a human body, and
redeemed us, that He might embrace us in eternal compassion,
and show to us His mercy according to His liberality, and bene-
fxence, and generosity, and benevolence. To Him is glory,
and beneficence, and power, and dominion from this time forth
for evermore. Amen.
Here endeth the whole Gospel of the Infancy, with the aid of
God Most High, according to what we have found in the original.
» Luke ii. 46-52. 2 ^latt. iU. 13-17 : Luke iii. 21-23.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
PAET I.— THE ACTS OF PILATE.
FIRST GREEK FORM.
MEMORIALS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, DONE IN
THE TIME OF PONTIUS PILATE.
Pkologue.
ANANIAS, of tlic proprietor's body-giiard, being
learned in the law, knowing our Lord Jesus Christ
from the Holy Scriptures, coming to Him by faith,
and counted worthy of the holy baptism, searching
also the memorials written at that time of wliat was done in
the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Jews had laid up
in the time of Pontius Pilate, found these memorials written in
Hebrew, and by the favour of God have translatQii them into
Greek for the information of all who call upon the name of
our Master Jesus Christ, in the seventeenth year of the reign
of our lord Flavins Theodosius, and the sixth of Flavins Valen-
tinianus, in the ninth indiction.
All ye, therefore, who read and transfer into other books,
remember me, and pray for me, that God may be merciful to
me, and .pardon my sins which I have sinned against Him.
Peace be to those who read, and to those who hear and to
their households. Amen.
In the fifteenth year^ of the government of Tiberius Caesar,
emperor of the Romans, and Herod being king of Galilee, in
'* The 15tli year of Tiberius, reckoning from the death of Augustus, was a.d.
29, A.U.C. 782, the Jirst year of the 202d Olympiad, in the consulship of C.
125
126 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the nineteenth year of his rule, on the eighth day before the
Kalends of April, which is the twenty-fifth of March, in the
consulship of Eufus and Eubellio, in the fourth year of the two
hundred and second Olympiad, Joseph Caiaphas being high
priest of the Jews.
The account that Nicodemus wrote in Hebrew, after the
cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour God,
and left to those that came after him, is as follows : —
Chap. 1. — Having called a council, the high priests and scribes
Annas and Caiaphas and Semes and Dathaes, and Gamaliel,
Judas, Levi and Nephthalim, Alexander and Jairus,' and the
rest of the Jews, came to Pilate accusing Jesus about many
things, saying : We know this man to be the son of Joseph the
carpenter, born of Mary ; and he says that he is the Son of God,
and a king ; moreover, he profanes the Sabbath, and wishes to
do away with the law of our fathers. Pilate says : And what
are the things which he does, to show that he wishes to do
away with it ?^ The Jews say : We have a law not to cure
any one on the Sabbath ; but this man ^ has on the Sabbath
cured the lame and the crooked, the withered and the blind
and the paralytic, the dumb and the demoniac, by evil prac-
tices. Pilate says to them : What evil practices ? They say
to him: He is a magician, and by Beelzebul prince of the
demons he casts out the demons, and all are subject to him.
Pilate says to them : This is not casting out the demons by an
linclean spirit, but by the god Esculapius.
The Jews say to Pilate : We entreat your highness that he
stand at thy tribunal, and be heard.* And Pilate having called
them, says : Tell me how I, being a procurator, can try a king ?
They say to him : We do not say that he is a king, but he
Fufius Geminiis and L. Eubellins Geminus, and the 34th year of Herod Antipas.
Other readings are : In the eighteenth year — In the nineteenth year.
1 There is in the Mss. great variation as to tliese names.
2 Lit., and wishes to do away with it.
^ Compare with this, Lactantius, iv. 17. Tlie Jews bronght charges against
Jesus, that He did away with the law of God given by Moses, that is, that He
did not rest on the Sabbath, etc.
* Another reading is : We entreat your highness to go into the praetorium,
and (iuestiou him. For Jesus was standing outside with the crowd.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 127
himself says that he is. And Pilate having called the runner,
says to him : Let Jesus be brought in with respect. And the
runner going out, and recognising Him, adored Him, and took
his cloak into his hand, and spread it on the ground, and says
to Him : My lord, walk on this, and come in, for the procurator
calls thee. And the Jews seeing what the runner had done,
cried out against Pilate, saying : Why hast thou ordered him
to come in by a runner, and not by a crier 1 for assuredly the
runner, when he saw him, adored him, and spread his doublet on
the ground, and made him walk like a king.
And Pilate having called the runner, says to him: Why
hast thou done this, and spread out thy cloak upon the earth,
and made Jesus walk upon it ? The runner says to him : My
lord procurator, when thou didst send me to Jerusalem to
Alexander,^ I saw him sitting upon an ass, and the sons of the
Hebrews held branches in their hands, and shouted ; and other
spread their clothes under him, saying, Save now, thou who
art in the highest : blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord.^
The Jews cry out, and say to the runner : The sons of the
Hebrews shouted in Hebrew; whence then hast thou the Greek?
The runner says to them : I asked one of the Jews, and said,
What is it they are shouting in Hebrew ? And he interpreted
it for me. Pilate says to them : And what did they shout in
Hebrew ? The Jews say to him : Hosanna onemhrome haruch-
amma adonai.^ Pilate says to them : And this hosanna, etc.,
how is it interpreted ? The Jews say to him : Save now in the
highest; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Pilate says to them : If you bear witness to the words spoken
by the children, in what has the runner done wrong ? And
they were silent. And the procurator says to the runner : Go
out, and bring him in what way thou wilt. And the runner
going out, did in the same manner as before, and says to Jesus :
My lord, come in ; the procurator calleth thee.
And Jesus going in, and the standard-bearers holding their
standards, the tops of the standards were bent down, and adored
* Probably the Alexander mentioned in Acts iv. 6.
2 Matt. xxi. 8, 9.
3 Ps. cxviii. 25: Hosyah na bimromim baruch hahbd [b'shcm) Adonai,
128 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Jesus. And the Jews seeing the bearing of the standards, how
they were bent down and adored Jesus, cried ^ out vehemently
against the standard-bearers. And Pilate says to the Jews :
Do you not wonder how the tops of the standards were bent
down, and adored Jesus ? The Jews say to Pilate : We saw
how the standard-bearers bent them down, and adored him.
And the procurator having called the standard-bearers, says to
them : Why have you done this ? They say to Pilate : We are
Greeks and temple-slaves, and how could we adore him ? and
assuredly, as we were holding them up, the tops bent down of
their own accord, and adored him.
Pilate says to the rulers of the synagogue and the elders of
the people: Do you choose for yourselves men strong and
powerful, and let them hold up the standards, and let us see
whether they will bend down with them. And the elders of
the Jews picked out twelve men powerful and strong, and
made them hold up the standards six by six ; and they were
placed in front of the procurator's tribunal. And Pilate says
to the runner : Take him outside of the prsetorium, and bring
him in again in whatever way may please thee. And Jesus
and the runner went out of the prsetorium. And Pilate, sum-
moning those who had formerly held up the standards, says
to them: I have sworn by the health of Ceesar, that if the
standards do not bend down when Jesus comes in, I will
cut off your heads. And the procurator ordered Jesus to
come in the second time. And the runner did in the same
manner as before, and made many entreaties to Jesus to walk
on his cloak. And He walked on it, and went in. And as
He went in, the standards were again bent down, and adored
Jesus.
Chap. 2. — And Pilate seeing this, was afraid, and sought to
go away from the tribunal; but when he was still thinking
of going away, his wife sent to him, saying : Have nothing to
do with this just man, for many things have I suffered on his
account this night.^ And Pilate, summoning the Jews, says
1 Another reading is : Annas and Caiaphas and Joseph, the three false wit-
DessiK, began to ciy out, etc.
^'Matt.'xxvii. 19.
THE GOSPEL OF N ICO DEM US. 129
to them: You know that my wife is a worshipper of God,
and prefers to adhere to the Jewish religion along with you.
They say to him : Yes ; we know. Pilate says to them : Be-
hold, my wife^ has sent to me, saying. Have nothing to do
with this just man, for many things have I suffered on account
of him this night. And tlie Jews answering, say unto Pilate :
Did we not tell thee that he was a sorcerer ?^ behold, he has
sent a dream to thy Avife.
And Pilate, having summoned Jesus, says to Him : What
do these witness against thee ? Sayest thou nothing ? And
Jesus said : Unless they had the power, they would say no-
thing ; for every one has the power of his own mouth to speak
both good and evil. They shall see to it.^
And the elders of the Jews answered, and said to Jesus :
What shall we see ? first, that thou w^ast born of fornication ;
secondly, that thy birth in Bethlehem was the cause of the
murder of the infants ; thirdly, that thy father Joseph and thy
mother Mary fled into Egypt because they had no confidence
in the people.
Some of the bystanders, pious men of the Jews, say : We
deny that he was born of fornication ; for we know that Joseph
espoused Mary, and he was not born of fornication. Pilate
says to the Jews who said that he was of fornication :
This story of yours is not true, because they were betrothed,
as also these fellow-countrymen of yours say. Annas and
Caiaphas say to Pilate : All the multitude of us cry out that
he was born of fornication, and are not believed ; these are
proselytes, and his disciples. And Pilate, calling Annas and
Caiaphas, says to them : What are proselytes ? They say to
him : They are by birth children of the Greeks, and have now
become Jews. And those that said that He was not born of
fornication, viz. — Lazarus, Asterius, Antonius, James, Amnes,
Zeras, Samuel, Isaac, Phinees, Crispus, Agrippas, and Judas* —
say : We are not proselytes, but are children of the Jews, and
1 One MS. adds : Procla, — the traditional name of Pilate's wife.
2 Three Mss. add : And by Beelzebul, prince of the demons, he casts out the
demons, and they are all subject to him.
2 i.e. let them see to it.
* There is considerable variation in the mss. as to these names.
130 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
speak of tlie truth ; for we were present at the betrothal of
Josejph and Mary.
And Pilate, calling these twelve men who said that He was
not born of fornication, says to them: I adjure you by the
health of Csesar, to tell me whether it be true that you say,
that he was not born of fornication. They say to Pilate : "We
have a law against taking oaths, because it is a sin ; but they
will swear by the health of Csesar,^ that it is not as we have
said, and we are liable to death. Pilate says to Annas and
Caiaphas : Have you nothing to answer to this ? Annas and
Caiaphas say to Pilate : These twelve are believed when they
say that he was not born of fornication ; all the multitude of
us cry out' that he was born of fornication, and that he is a
sorcerer, and he says that he is the Son of God and a king, and
we are not believed.
And Pilate orders all the multitude to go out, except the
twelve men who said that He was not born of fornication, and
he ordered Jesus to be separated from them. And Pilate says
t-o them : For what reason do they wish to put him to death ?
They say to him : They are angry because he cures on the
Sabbath. Pilate says : For a good work do they wish to put
him to death ? They say to him : Yes.
Chap. 3. — And Pilate, filled with rage, went outside of tlie
prsetorium, and said to them: I take the sun to witness" that
I find no fault in this man. The Jews answered and said to
the procurator : Unless this man were an evil-doer, we should
not have delivered him to thee. And Pilate said, Do you
take him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews
said to Pilate : It is not lawful for us to put any one to death.
Pilate said : Has God said that you are not to put to death,
but that I am ?
And Pilate went again into the pr?etorium, and spoke to
Jesus privately, and said to Him : Art thou the king of tlie
Jews ? Jesus answered Pilate : Dost thou say this of thyself,
^ Or, let them swear.
* See Ap. Const, ii. 56. At last be who is going to pronounce sentence of
death upon the culprit raises his hands aloft, and takes the sun to witness that
he is innocent of his blood.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 131
or have others said it to thee of me ? Pilate answered Jesus :
Am I also a Jew ? ^ Thy nation and the chief priests have
given thee up to me. What hast thou done ? Jesus answered:
My kingdom is not of this world ; for if my kingdom were of
tliis world, my servants would fight in order that I should not
be given up to the Jews : but now my kingdom is not from
thence. Pilate said to Him: Art thou then a king? Jesus
answered him: Thou sayest that I am a king.. Because for
this have I been born, and have I come, in order that every
one who is of the truth might hear my voice. Pilate says to
Him : What is truth ? Jesus says to him : Truth is from
heaven. Pilate says : Is truth not upon earth ? Jesus says to
Pilate : Thou seest how those who speak the truth are judged
by those that have the power upon earth.
Chap. 4. — And leaving Jesus within the prsetorium, Pilate
went out to the Jews, and said to them : I find no fault in
him. The Jews say to him: He said, I can destroy this
temple, and in three days build it. Pilate says : What temple ?
The Jews say : The one that Solomon^ built in forty-six years,
and this man speaks of pulling it down and building it in
three days. Pilate says to them : I am innocent of the blood
of this just man. See you to it. The Jews say : His blood
be upon us, and upon our children.
And Pilate having summoned the elders and priests and
Levites, said to them privately : Do not act thus, because no
charge that you. bring against him is worthy of death ; for
your charge is about curing and Sabbath profanation. The
elders and the priests and the Levites say : If any one speak
evil against Caesar, is he worthy of death or not ? Pilate
says : He is worthy of death. The Jews say to Pilate : If any
one speak evil against Caesar, he is worthy of death ; but this
man has spoken evil against God.
And the procurator ordered the Jews to go outside of the
prsetorium; and sumrnoning Jesus, he says to Him: What shall
I do to thee ? Jesus says to Pilate : As it has been given to
1 The full force of the expression is : You do not mean to say that I too am
a Jew?
2 Comp. John ii. 20.
132 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
thee. Pilate says : How given ? Jesus says : Moses and the
prophets have proclaimed beforehand of my death and resur-
rection. And the Jews noticing this, and hearing it, say to
Pilate : What more wilt thou hear of this blasphemy ? Pilate
says to the Jews : If these words be blasphemous, do you take
him for the blasphemy, and lead him away to your synagogue,
and judge him according to your law. The Jews say to Pilate:
Our law bears that a man who wrongs his fellow-men is worthy
to receive forty save one ; but he that blasphemeth God is to
be stoned with stones.^
Pilate says to them : Do you take him, and punish him in
whatever way you please. The Jews say to Pilate : We wish
that he be crucified. Pilate says: He is not deserving of
crucifixion.
And the procurator, looking round upon the crowds of the
Jews standing by, sees many of the Jews weeping, and says :
All the multitude do not wish him to die. The elders of the
Jews say : For this reason all the multitude of us have come,
that he should die. Pilate says to the Jews : Why should he
die ? The Jews say : Because he called himself Son of God,
and King.
Chap. 5, — And one Nicodemus, a Jew, stood before the pro-
curator, and said : I beseech your honour, let me say a few words.
Pilate says : Say on. Nicodemus says : I said to the elders and
the priests and Levites, and to all the multitude of the Jews in
the synagogue, What do you seek to do with this man ? This
man does many miracles and strange things, which no one has
done or will do. Let him go, and do not wish any evil against
him. If the miracles which he does are of God, they will stand ;
but if of man, they will come to nothing.^ For assuredly
Moses, being sent by God into Egypt, did many miracles,
which the Lord commanded him to do before Pharaoh king
of Egypt, And there were there Jannes and Jambres, servants
of Pharaoh, and they also did not a few of the miracles which
Moses did; and the Egyptians took them to be gods — this
Jannes and this Jambres.^ But, since the miracles which they
did were not of God, both they and those who believed in
» Deut. XXV. 3 ; Lev. xxiv. 16. " Acts v. 38. » 2 Tim. iii. 8, 9.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 133
them were destroyed. And now release this man, for he is not
deserving of death.
The Jews say to Nicodenms : Thou hast become his disciple,
and therefore thou defendest him. Nicodemus says to them :
Perhaps, too, the procurator has become his disciple, because
he defends him. Has the emperor not appointed him to this
place of dignity ? And the Jews were vehemently enraged,
and gnashed their teeth against Mcodemus. Pilate says to
them : Why do you gnash your teeth against him when you
hear the truth ? The Jews say to Nicodemus : IMayst thou
receive his truth and his portion. Nicodemus says : Amen,
amen ; may I receive it, as you have said.
Chap. 6. — One of the Jews, stepping up, asked leave of the
procurator to say a word. The procurator says : If thou wishest
to say anything, say on. And the Jew said : Thirty-eight years
I lay in my bed in great agony. And when Jesus came, many
demoniacs, and many lying ill of various diseases, were cured
by him. And some young men, taking pity on me, carried me,
bed and all, and took me to liim. And when Jesus saw me, he
had compassion on me, and said to me : Take up thy couch and
walk. And I took up my couch, and walked. The Jews say to
Pilate : Ask him on what day it was that he was cured. He
that had been cured says : On a Sabbath.-^ The Jews say : Is
not this the very thing that we said, that on a Sabbath he
cures and casts out demons ?
And another Jew stepped up and said : I was born blind ; I
heard sounds, but saw not a face. And as Jesus passed by, I
cried out with a loud voice. Pity me, 0 son of David. And
he pitied me, and put his hands upon my eyes, and I instantly
received my sight.^ And another Jew stepped up and said : I
was crooked, and he straightened me with a word. And another
said : I was a leper, and he cured me with a word.^
Chap. 7. — And a woman * cried out from a distance, and said :
I had an issue of blood, and I touched the hem of his garment,
and the issue of blood which I had had for twelve years was
' John V. 5-9. 2 ]\iark x. 46, etc.
2 Matt. viii. 1-4, etc. ■* Some Mss. add the name Beniice, or Veronica.
134 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
stopped.^ The Jews say : We have a law, that a woman's
evidence is not to be received.^
Chap. 8. — And others, a multitude both of men and women,
cried out, saying : This man is a prophet, and the demons are
subject to him. Pilate says to them who said that the demons
were subject to Him : Why, then, were not your teachers also
subject to him ? They say to Pilate : We do not Imow. And
others said : He raised Lazarus from the tomb after he had
been dead four days.* And the procurator trembled, and said
to all the multitude of the Jews : Why do you wish to pour out
innocent blood ?
Chap. 9. — And having summoned Mcodemus and the twelve
men that said He was not born of fornication, he says to them :
What shall I do, because there is an insurrection among the
people ? They say to him : We know not ; let them see to it.
Again Pilate, having summoned all the multitude of the Jews,
says : You know that it is customary, at the feast of unleavened
bread, to release one prisoner to you. I have one condemned
prisoner in the prison, a murderer named Barabbas, and this
man standing in your presence, Jesus, in whom I find no fault.
Which of them do you wish me to release to you ? And they
cry out : Barabbas. Pilate says : What, then, shall we do to
Jesus who is called Christ ? The Jews say : Let him be cruci-
fied. And others said : Thou art no friend of Caesar's if thou
release this man, because he called himseK Son of God and
king. You wish, then, this man to be king, and not Csesar ? *
And Pilate, in a rage, says to the Jews : Always has your
nation been rebellious, and you always speak against your
benefactors. The Jews say : What benefactors ? He says to
them : Your God led you out of the land of Egypt from bitter
slavery, and brought you safe through the sea as through dry
land, and in the desert fed you with manna, and gave you
quails, and quenched your thirst with water from a rock, and
gave you a law ; and in all these things you provoked your
God to anger, and sought a molten calf. And you exasperated
' Matt. ix. 20-26. - Jos. Ant. iv. 8, § 15.
3 John xi. 1-16. * Matt, xxvii. 15-26, etc.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 135
your God, and He sought to slay you. And Moses prayed for
you, and you were not put to death. And now you charge me
with hating the emperor.^
And rising up from the tribunal, he sought to go out. And
the Jews cry out, and say : We know that Csesar is king, and
not Jesus. For assuredly the magi brought gifts to him as to
a king. And when Herod heard from the magi that a king
had been born, he sought to slay him ; and his father Joseph,
knowing this, took him and his mother, and they fled into
Egypt. And Herod hearing of it, destroyed the children of the
Hebrews that had been born in Bethlehem.^
And when Pilate heard these words, he was afraid ; and
ordering the crowd to keep silence, because they were crying
out, he says to them : So this is he whom Herod sought ? The
Jews say : Yes, it is he. And, taking water, Pilate washed his
hands in the face of the sun, saying : I am innocent of the
blood of this just man ; see you to it. Again the Jews cry out :
His blood be upon us, and upon our children.
Then Pilate ordered the curtain of the tribunal where he
was sitting to be drawn,® and says to Jesus : Thy nation has
charged thee with being a king. On this account I sentence
thee, first to be scourged, according to the enactment of vene-
rable kings, and then to be fastened on the cross in the garden
where thou wast seized. And let Dysmas and Gestas, the two
malefactors, be crucified with thee.
Chap. 10. — And Jesus went forth out of the prsetorium, and
the two malefactors with Him. And when they came to the
place, they stripped Him of His clothes, and girded Him with
a towel, and put a crown of thorns on Him round His head, '
And they crucified Him ; and at the same time also they himg
up the two malefactors along with Him. And Jesus said :
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And
the soldiers parted His clothes among them ; and the people
stood looking at Him. And the chief priests, and the rulers
' Lit. , king. Other readings are : with wishing another king ; with seeking
Jesus for king.
2 One MS. adds : from two years old and under.
' This was customary before pronouncing sentence. See Const. Apost. ii. 56.
136 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
with them, mocked Him, saying : He saved others ; let him
save himself. If he be the Son of God, let him come down
from the cross. And the soldiers made sport of Him, coming
near and offering Him vinegar mixed with gall, and said : Thou
art the king of the Jews ; save thyself.^
And Pilate, after the sentence, ordered the charge made
against Him to be inscribed as a superscription in Greek, and
Latin, and Hebrew, according to what the Jews had said : He
is king of the Jews.
And one of the malefactors hanging up spoke to Him, saying :
If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us. And Dysmas
answering, reproved him, saying : Dost thou not fear God,
because thou art in the same condemnation ? And we indeed
justly, for we receive the fit punishment of our deeds ; but this
man has done no evil. And he said to Jesus : Eemember me.
Lord, in Thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him : Amen, amen ;
I say to thee, To-day shalt thou be ^ with me in Paradise.
Chap. 11. — And it was about the sixth hour, and there was
darkness over the earth until the ninth hour, the sun being
darkened ; and the curtain of the temple was split in the
middle. And crying out with a loud voice, Jesus said : Father,
haddach ephkid ruel, which is, interpreted : Into Thy hands I
commit my spirit.^ And having said this. He gave up the
ghost. And the centurion, seeing what had happened, glorified
God, and said : This was a just man. And all the crowds that
were present at this spectacle, when they saw wliat had hap-
pened, beat their breasts and went away.
And the centurion reported what had happened to the pro-
curator. And when tlie procurator and his wife heard it, they
were exceedingly grieved, and neither ate nor drank that day.
And Pilate sent for the Jews, and said to them : Have you
seen what has happened ? And they say : Tliere has been an
eclipse of the sun in the usual way.*
" Some of the Mss. add : And the soldier Longimis, taking a spear, pierced His
side, and there came forth blood and water.
" Lit., art.
3 Luke xxiii. 46. Ps. xxxi. 5 is, h'ljadcha aphkkl ruchi.
* One MS. adds: Pilate said to them : You scoundrels ! is this the way you
tell the truth about everything ? I know that that never happens but at new
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 137
And -His acquaintances were standing at a distance, and the
women who came with Him from Galilee, seeing these things.
And a man named Joseph, a councillor from the city of Arima-
thea, who also waited for the kingdom of God, went to Pilate,
and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and
wrapped it in clean linen, and placed it in a tomb hewn out
of the rock, in which no one had ever lain.
Chap. 12. — And the Jews, hearing that Joseph had begged
the body of Jesus, sought him and the twelve who said that
Jesus was not born of fornication, and Nicodemus, and many
others who had stepped up before Pilate and declared His good
works. And of all these that were hid, Nicodemus alone was
seen by them, because he was a ruler of the Jews. And Nico-
demus says to them : How have you come into the synagogue ?
The Jews say to him : How hast thou come into the synagogue ?
for thou art a confederate of his, and his portion is with thee
in the world to come. Nicodemus says : Amen, amen. And
likewise Joseph also stepped out and said to them : Why are
you angry against me because I begged the body of Jesus ?
Behold, I have put him in my new tomb, wrapping him in
clean linen ; and I have rolled a stone to the door of the tomb.
And you have acted not well against the just man, because you
have not repented of crucifying him, but also have pierced him
with a spear. And the Jews seized Joseph, and ordered him
to be secured until the first day of the week, and said to him :
Know that the time does not allow us to do anything against
thee, because the Sabbath is dawning ; and know that thou
shalt not be deemed worthy of burial, but we shall give thy
flesh to the birds of the air. Joseph says to them : These are
the words of the arrogant Goliath, who reproached the hving
God and holy David.^ For God has said by the prophet, Ven-
geance is mine, and I will repay, saith the Lord.^ And now he
that is uncircumcised in flesh, but circumcised in heart, has
taken water, and washed his hands in the face of the sun,
saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man ; see ye
moon. Now you ate your passover yesterday, the fourteenth of the month, and
you say that it was an eclipse of tlie sun.
' 1 Sam. xvii. 44. 2 Deut. xxxii. 35; Kom. sii. 19; Heb. x. 30.
138 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
to it. And you answered and said to Pilate, His blood he
upon us, and upon our children. And now I am afraid lest the
wrath of God come upon you, and upon your children, as you
have said. And the Jews, hearing these words, were embittered
in their souls, and seized Joseph, and locked him into a room
where there was no window ; and guards were stationed at the
door, and they sealed the door where Joseph was locked in.
And on the Sabbath, the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites, made a decree that all should be found
in the synagogue on the first day of the week. And rising up
early, all the multitude in the synagogue consulted by what
death they should slay him. And when the Sanhedrim M^as
sitting, they ordered him to be brought with much indignity.
And having opened the door, they found him. not. And all the
people were surprised, and struck with dismay, because they
found the seals unbroken, and because Caiaphas had the key.
And they no longer dared to lay hands upon those who had
spoken before Pilate in Jesus' behalf.
Chap. 13. — And while they were still sitting in the syna-
gogue, and wondering about Joseph, there come some of the
guard whom the Jews had begged of Pilate to guard the tomb
of Jesus, that His disciples might not come and steal Him.
And they reported to the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites, what had happened : how there had
been a great earthquake ; and we saw an angel coming down
from heaven, and he rolled away the stone from the mouth of
the tomb, and sat upon it ; and he shone like snow, and like
lightning. And we were very much afraid, and lay like dead
men ; and we heard the voice of the angel saying to the women
who remained beside the tomb, Be not afraid, for I know that
you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here : He is risen,
as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay : and go
quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead,
and is in Galilee.^
The Jews say : To what women did he speak ? The men of
the guard say : We do not know who they were. The Jews
say : At what time was this ? The men of the guard say : At
' Matt, xxviii. 5-7.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 139
midnight. The Jews say : And wherefore did you not lay hohl
of them ? The men of the guard say : We were like dead men
from fear, not expecting to see the light of day, and how could
we lay hold of them ? The Jews say : As the Lord liveth, we
do not believe you. The men of the guard say to the Jews :
You have seen so great miracles in the case of this man, and
have not believed ; and how can you believe us ? And assur-
edly you have done well to swear that the Lord liveth, for
indeed He does live. Again the men of the guard say : We
have heard that you have locked up the man that begged the
body of Jesus, and put a seal on the door ; and that you have
opened it, and not found him. Do you then give us the man
whom you were guarding, and we shall give you Jesus. The
Jews say : Joseph has gone away to his own city. The men
of the guard say to the Jews : And Jesus has risen, as we
heard from the angel, and is in Galilee.
And when the Jews heard these words, they were very much
afraid, and said : We must take care lest this story be heard, and
all incline to Jesus. And the Jews called a council, and paid
down a considerable sum of money, and gave it to the soldiers,
saying : Say, while we slept, his disciples came by night and
stole him ; and if this come to the ears of the procurator, we
shall persuade him, and keep you out of trouble. And they
took it, and said as they had been instructed.^
Chap. 14. — And Phinees a priest, and Adas a teacher, and
Haggai a Levite, came down from Galilee to Jerusalem, and
said to the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests and the
Levites : We saw Jesus and his disciples sitting on the
mountain called Mamilch ; ^ and he said to his disciples. Go
into all the world, and preach to every creature: he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth
1 Three of the Latin versions say: And they took the money, but could not
hide the truth. For they wanted to say, His disciples stole him while we slept,
and could not utter it ; but said, Truly the Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the
dead ; and we saw an angel of God coming down from heaven, and he rolled
back the stone, and sat on it. And this saying has been spread abroad amon»
the Jews even to this day.
2 Others readings are : Malek, Mophek, Mambre, Mabrech. Vid. 2 Kin^-s
xxiii. 13.
140 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
not shall be condemned. And these signs shall attend those
who have believed : in my name they shall cast out demons,
speak new tongues, take up serpents ; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall by no means hurt them ; they shall lay
hands on the sick, and they shall be well. And while Jesus Avas
speaking to his disciples, we saw him taken up into heaven.^
The elders and the priests and Levites say : Give glory to
the God of Israel, and confess to Him whether you have heard
and seen those things of which you have given us an account.
And those who had given the account said : As the Lord
liveth, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we
heard these things, and saw him taken up into heaven. The
elders and the priests and the Levites say to them : Have you
come to give us this announcement, or to offer prayer to God ?
And they say : To offer prayer to God. The elders and the
chief priests and the Levites say to them : If you have come
to offer prayer to God, why then have you told these idle tales
in the presence of all the people?^ Says Phinees the priest, and
Adas the teacher, and Haggai the Levite, to the rulers of the
synagogues, and the priests and the Levites : If what we have
said and seen be sinful, behold, we are before you ; do to us as
seems good in your eyes. And they took the law, and made
them swear upon it, not to give any more an account of these
matters to any one. And they gave them to eat and drink,
and sent them out of the city, having given them also money,
and three men with them; and they sent them away to Galilee.
And these men having gone into Galilee, the chief priests,
and the rulers of the synagogue, and the elders, came together
into the synagogue, and locked the door, and lamented with a
great lamentation, saying : Is this a miracle that has happened
in Israel? And Annas and Caiaphas said: Why are you so
much moved ? Why do you weep ? Do you not know that
his disciples have given a sum of gold to the guards of the
tomb, and have instructed them to say that an angel came
down and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb ?
And the priests and the elders said : Be it that liis disciples
have stolen his body ; how is it that the life has come into his
1 [Mark xvi. 15-18.]
" Lit., why llieu this trilling \\ hlch yc have trilk-J, etc.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 141
"body, and that he is going about in Galilee ? And they being
unable to give an answer to these things, said, after great hesi-
tation : It is not lawful for us to believe the uncircumcised.
Chap. 15. — And Nicodemus stood up, and stood before the
Sanhedrim, saying : You say well ;^ you are not ignorant, you
people of the Lord, of these men that come down from Galilee,
that they fear God, arid are men of substance, haters of covet-
ousness, men of peace ; and they have declared with an oath,
We saw Jesus upon the mountain Mamilch with his disciples,
and he taught what we heard from him, and we saw him
taken up into heaven. And no one asked them in what form
he went up. For assuredly, as the book of the Holy Scrip-
tures taught us, Helias also was taken up into heaven, and
ElissfBus cried out with a loud voice, and Helias threw his
sheepskin upon Elissseus, and Elissaus threw his sheepskin
upon the Jordan, and crossed, and came into Jericho. And the
children of the prophets met him, and said, 0 Elissseus, where
is thy master Helias ? And he said. He has been taken up
into heaven. And they said to Elissseus, Has not a spirit
seized him, and thrown him upon one of the mountains ? But
let us take our servants ^ with us, and seek him. And they
persuaded Elissceus, and he went away with them. And they
sought him three days, and did not find him ; and they kne\v
that he had been taken up.^ And now listen to me, and let
us send into every district of Israel, and see lest perchance
Christ has been taken up by a spirit, and thrown upon one of
the mountains. And this proposal pleased all. And they sent
into every district of Israel, and sought Jesus, and did not find
Him ; but they found Joseph in Arimathea, and no one dared
to lay hands on him.
And they reported to the elders, and the priests, and the
Levites : We have gone round to every district o± Israel, and
have not found Jesus ; but Joseph we have found in Arimathea.
And hearing about Joseph, they were glad, and gave glory to
the God of Israel. And the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites, having held a council as to the manner
' Ferhaps better as a question.
* Lit., boys. 3 2 Kings ii. 12-18.
142 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
in which they should meet with Joseph, took a piece of paper,
and wrote to Joseph as follows :
Peace to thee ! We know that we have sinned against God,
and against thee ; and we have prayed to the God of Israel,
that thou shouldst deign to come to thy fathers, and to thy
children, because we have all been grieved. For having opened
the door, we did not find thee. And we know that we have
counselled evil counsel against thee ; but the Lord has defended
thee, and the Lord HimseK has scattered to the winds our
counsel against thee, 0 honourable father Joseph.
And they chose from all Israel seven men, friends of Joseph,
M^hom also Joseph himseK was acquainted with ; and the rulers
of the synagogue, and the priests and the Levites, say to them :
Take notice : if, after receiving our letter, he read it, know that
he will come with you to us ; but if he do not read it, know
that he is iU-disposed towards us. And having saluted him in
peace, return to us. And having blessed the men, they dis-
missed them. And the men came to Joseph, and did reverence
to him, and said to him : Peace to thee ! And he said : Peace
to you, and to all the people of Israel ! And they gave him the
roll of the letter. And Joseph having received it, read the
letter and rolled it up, and blessed God, and said : Blessed be
the Lord God, who has delivered Israel, that they should not
shed innocent blood ; and blessed be the Lord, wdio sent out
His angel, and covered me under his wings. And he set a
table for them ; and they ate and drank, and slept there.
And they rose up early, and prayed. And Joseph saddled
his ass, and set out with the men ; and they came to the holy
city Jerusalem. And aU the people met Joseph, and cried
out : Peace to thee in thy coming in ! And he said to all the
people : Peace to you ! and he kissed them. And the people
prayed with Joseph, and they were astonished at the sight
of liim. And Nicodemus received him into his house, and
made a great feast, and called Annas and Caiaphas, and the
elders, and the priests, and the Levites to his house. And they
rejoiced, eating and drinking with Joseph; and after singing
hymns, each proceeded to his own house. But Joseph remained
in the house of Mcodemus.
And on the following day, which was the pre^Daration, the
THE GOSPEL OF NIC ODEMUS. M3
rulers of the synagogue and the priests and the Levites went
early to the house of Nicodemus ; and Nicodemus met them,
and said : Peace to you ! And they said : Peace to thee, and to
Joseph, and to all thy house, and to all the house of Joseph !
And he brought them into his house. And all the Sanhedrim
sat down, and Joseph sat down between Annas and Caiaphas ;
and no one dared to say a word to him. And Joseph said :
Why have you called me ? And they signalled to Nicodemus
to speak to Joseph. And Nicodemus, opening his mouth, said
to Joseph : Father, thou knowest that the honourable teachers,
and the priests and the Levites, seek to learn a word from thee.
And Joseph said: Ask. And Annas and Caiaphas having
taken the law, made Joseph swear, saying : Give glory to the
God of Israel, and give Him confession ; for Achar being made
to swear by the prophet Jesus,^ did not forswear himself, but
declared unto him all, and did not hide a word from him. Do
thou also accordingly not hide from us to the extent of a word.
And Joseph said : I shall not hide from you one word. And
they said to him : With grief were we grieved because thou
didst beg the body of Jesus, and wrap it in clean linen, and
lay it in a tomb. And on account of this we secured thee in a
room where there was no window ; and we put locks and seals
upon the doors, and guards kept watching where thou wast
locked in. And on the first day of the week we opened, and
found thee not, Elnd were grieved exceedingly ; and astonish-
ment fell upon all the people of the Lord until yesterday. And
now relate to us what has happened to thee.
And Joseph said : On the preparation, about the tenth hour,
you locked me up, and I remained all the Sabbath. And at
midnight, as I was standing and praying, the room where you
locked me in was hung up by the four corners, and I saw a
light like lightning into my eyes.^ And I was afraid, and fell
to the ground. And some one took me by the hand, and re-
moved me from the place where I had fallen ; and moisture of
water was poured from my head even to my feet, and a smell
of perfumes came about my nostrils. And he wiped my face,
and kissed me, and said to me, Pear not, Joseph ; open thine
eyes, and see who it is that speaks to thee. And looking up, I
1 i.e. Joshua. Josh. vii. 19, 20. ^ Cf. Acts x. 11.
144 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
saw Jesus. And I trembled, and thoiiglit it was a pliantom ;
and I said the commandments, and he said them with me.-^
Even so you are not ignorant that a phantom, if it meet any-
body, and hear the commandments, takes to flight. And seeing
that he said them with me, I said to him. Rabbi Helias. And
he said to me, I am not Helias. And I said to him, Wlio
art thou, my lord ? And he said to me, I am Jesus, whose
body thou didst beg from Pilate ; and thou didst clothe me with
clean linen, and didst put a napkin on my face, and didst lay
me in thy new tomb, and didst roll a great stone to the door of
the tomb. And I said to him that was speaking to me. Show
me the place wliere I laid thee. And he carried me aM^ay, and
showed me the place where I laid him ; and the linen cloth was
lying in it, and the napkin for his face. And I knew that it
was Jesus. And he took me by the hand, and placed me,
though the doors were locked, in the middle of my house, and
led me away to my bed, and said to me. Peace to thee ! And
he kissed me, and said to me. For forty days go not forth out
of thy house ; for, behold, I go to my brethren into Galilee.
Chap. 16. — And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests
and the Levites, when they heard tliese words from Joseph,
became as dead, and fell to the ground, and fasted until the
ninth hour. And Nicodemus, along with Joseph, exhorted
Annas and Caiaphas, the priests and the Levites, saying : Else
up and stand upon your feet, and taste bread, and strengthen
your souls, because to-morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord. And
they rose up, and prayed to God, and ate and drank, and de-
parted every man to his own house.
And on the Sabbath our teachers and the priests and Levites
sat questioning each other, and saying : What is this \vratli
that has come upon us ? for we know his father and mother.
Levi, a teacher, says : I know that his parents fear God, and do
not withdraw themselves from the prayers, and give the tithes
thrice a year.^ And when Jesus was born, his parents brought
him to this place, and gave sacrifices and burnt-offerings to God.
^ Or, and lie spoke to me.
~ This would seem to confirm the opiniou that there were three tithes paid in
the year. Vid. Smith's Diet, sub voce.
THE GOSPEL OF N ICO DEM US. 145
And when the great teacher Symeon took him into his arms,
he said, Now Tliou sendest away Thy servant, Lord, according
to Thy word, in peace ; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all the peoples : a
light for the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy
people Israel. And Symeon blessed them, and said to Mary
his mother, I give thee good news about this child. And Mary
said, It is well, my lord. And Symeon said to her. It is well ;
behold, he lies for the fall and rising again of many in Israel,
and for a sign spoken against ; and of thee thyself a sword
shall go through the soul, in order that the reasoning of many
hearts may be revealed.^
They say to the teacher Levi : How knowest thou these
things ? Levi says to them : Do you not know that from him I
learned the law ? The Sanhedrim say to him : We wish to see
thy father. And they sent for his father. And they asked
him; and he said to them: Why have you not believed my
son? The blessed and just Symeon himself taught him the
law. The Sanhedrim says to Eabbi Levi : Is the word that you
have said true ? And he said : It is true. And the rulers of
the synagogue, and the priests and the Levites, said to them-
selves : Come, let us send into Galilee to the three men that
came and told about his teaching and his taking up, and let them
tell us how they saw him taken up. And this saying pleased
all. And they sent away the three men who had already gone
away into Galilee with them ; and they say to them : Say to
Rabbi Adas, and Eabbi Phinees, and Eabbi Haggai : Peace to
you, and all who are with you ! A great inquiry having taken
place in the Sanhedrim, we have been sent to you to call you to
this holy place, Jerusalem.
And the men set out into Galilee, and found them sitting
and considering the law; and they saluted them in peace. And
the men who were in Galilee said to those who had come to
them : Peace upon all Israel ! And they said : Peace to you !
And they again said to them : Why have you come ? And
those who had been sent said : The Sanhedrim call you to the
holy city Jerusalem. And when the men heard that they were
sought by the Sanhedrim, they prayed to God, and reclined
• Luke ii. 25-35.
146 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
■with, the men, and ate and drank, and rose up, and set out in
peace to Jerusalem.
And on tlie following day the Sanhedrim sat in the syna-
gogue, and asked them, saying : Did you really see Jesus sit-
ting on the mountain Mamilch teaching his eleven disciples,
and did you see him taken up ? And the men answered them,
and said : As we saw him taken up, so also we said.
Annas says : Take them away from one another, and let us
see whether their account agrees. And they took them away
from one another. And first they call Adas, and say to him :
How didst thou see Jesus taken up ? Adas says : While he
was yet sitting on the mountain Mamilch, and teaching his
disciples, we saw a cloud overshadowing both liim and his
disciples. And the cloud took him up into heaven, and his
disciples lay upon their face upon the earth. And they call
Phinees the priest, and ask him also, saying : How didst thou
see Jesus taken up ? And he spoke in like manner. And
they again asked Haggai, and he spoke in like manner. And
the Sanhedrim said : The law of Moses holds : At the mouth
of two or three every word shall be established.^ Buthem, a
teacher, says : It is written in the law, And Enoch walked with
God, and is not, because God took him.^ Jairus, a teacher,
said : And the death of holy Moses we have heard of, and have
not seen it; for it is written in the law of the Lord, And
Moses died from the mouth of the Lord, and no man knoweth
of his sepulchre unto this day.^ And Eabbi Levi said : Why
did Eabbi Symeon say, when he saw Jesus, " Behold, he lies
for the lall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign
spoken against ?"* And Rabbi Isaac said : It is written in the
law, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall go
before thee to keep thee in every good way, because my name
has been caUed upon him.^
Then Annas and Caiaphas said : Eightly have you said what
is written in the law of Moses, that no one saw the death of
Enoch, and no one has named the death of Moses ; but Jesus
was tried before Pilate, and we saw him receiving blows and
spittings on his face, and the soldiers put about him a crown
1 Deut. xvii. 6. 2 Qen. v. 24 ; Heb. xi. 5. ' Deut. xxxiv. 5, 6.
* Luke iL 34. ^ Ex. xxiii. 20, 21 ; Mai. iii. 1 ; Matt. xi. 10.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 147
of thorns, and he was scourged, and received sentence from
Pilate, and was crucified upon the Cranium, and two robbers
with him ; and they gave him to drink vinegar with gall, and
Longinus the soldier pierced his side with a spear ; and Joseph
our honourable father begged his body, and, as he says, he is
risen; and as the three teachers say. We saw him taken up
into heaven ; and Eabbi Levi has given evidence of what was
said by Eabbi Symeon, and that he said. Behold, he lies for
the fall [and] rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign
spoken against. And all the teachers said to all the people of
the Lord : If this was from the Lord, and is wonderful in your
eyes,^ knowing you shall know, 0 house of Jacob, that it is
written, Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree.'^ And
another scripture teaches : The gods which have not made the
heaven and the earth shaU be destroyed.^ And the priests and
the Levites said to each other: If his memorial be until the
[year] that is called Jobel,* know that it shall endure for ever,
and he hath raised for himself a new people. Then the rulers
of the synagogue, and the priests and the Levites, announced to
all Israel, saying : Cursed is that man who shall worship the
work of man's hand, and cursed is the man who shall worship
the creatures more than the Creator. And aU the people said.
Amen, amen.^
And aU the people praised^ the Lord, and said: Blessed is
the Lord, who hath given rest to His people Israel, according to
all that He hath spoken; there hath not fallen one word ot
every good word of His that He spoke to Moses His servant.
May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers :
let Him not destroy us. And let Him not destroy us, that we
may incline our hearts to Him, that we may walk in all His
ways, that we may keep His commandments and His judg-
ments which He commanded to our fathers.'^ And the Lord
shall be for a king over aU the earth in that day; and there
shall be one Lord, and His name one.^ The Lord is our king :
» Ps. cxviii. 23. "^ Deut. xxi. 23 ; Gal. iii. 13. ' Jer. x. 11.
* i.e. the year of jubilee. The original, 'ius roZ a-ufi/jLov, is not Greek. It is
not easy to see what the passage means. It may refer to Isa. Ixi. 1-3.
5 Deut. xxvii. 15 ; Rom. i. 25. ^ Or, sang hymns to.
7 1 Kings viii. 56-58. * Zech. xiv. 9.
148 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
He shall save us.-^ There is none like Thee, 0 Lord.^ Great
art Thon, 0 Lord, and great is Thy name. By Thy power heal
us, 0 Lord, and we shall be healed : save us, 0 Lord, and we
shall he saved ;^ because we are Thy lot and heritage. And
the Lord will not leave His people, for His great name's sake ;
for the Lord has begun to make us into His people.*
And all, having sung praises, went away each man to his
own house, glorifying God ; for His is the glory for ever and
ever. Amen.
' Isa. xxxiii. 22. 2 Ps_ Ixxxvi. 8.
3 Cf. Jer. xvii. 14. « Cf. 1 Sam. xii. 22.
THE GOSPEL OF NTCOBEMUS.
PAET I.— ACTS OF PILATE.
SECOND GREEK FORM.
NARPtATIVE about the suffering of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and His holy resurrection.
Written by a Jew, ^neas by name, and trans-
lated out of the Hebrew tongue into the Romaic
language by Nicodemus, a Roman toparch.
After the dissolution of the kingdom of the Hebrews, four
hundred years having run their course, and the Hebrews also
coming at last under the kingdom of the Romans, and the
king of the Romans appointing them a king ; when Tiberius
Csesar at last swayed the Roman sceptre, in the eighteenth
year of his reign, he appointed as king in Judea, Herod, the
son of the Herod who had formerly slaughtered the infants in
Bethlehem, and he made Pilate procurator in Jerusalem ; when
Annas and Caiaphas held the high-priesthood of Jerusalem,
Nicodemus, a Roman toparch, having summoned a Jew, ^neas
by name, asked him to write an account of the things done in
Jerusalem about Christ in the times of Annas and Caiaphas.
The Jew accordingly did this, and delivered it to Nicodemus ;
and he, again, translated it from the Hebrew writing into the
Bomaic language. And the account is as follows : —
Chap. 1. — Our Lord Jesus Christ having wrought in Judea
many and great and extraordinary miracles, and on account of
this being hated by the Hebrews, while Pilate was procurator
in Jerusalem, and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, there came
149
150 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
of the Jews to the chief priests, Judas, Levi, Nephthalim, Alex-
ander, Syrus, and many others, speaking against Christ. And
these chief priests sent them away to say these things to Pilate
also. And they went away, and said to him : A man walks
about in this city whose father is called Joseph, and his mother
Mary ; and he calls himself king and Son of God ; and being a
Jew, he overturns the Scriptures, and does away with the Sab-
bath. Pilate then asked, in order to learn from them in what
manner he did away with the Sabbath. And they answered,
saying : He cures the sick on the Sabbath, Pilate says : If he
makes the sick whole, he does no evil. They say to him : If
he effected the cures properly, small would be the evil ; but by
using magic he does these things, and by having the demons
on his side. Pilate says : To cure a person that is ill is not a
diabolic work, but a grace from God.
The Hebrews said : We beseech your highness to summon
liim, in order that thou mayst make accurate inquiry into
what we say. Pilate therefore, throwing off his cloak, gave it
to one of his officers,^ saying : Go away, and show this to Jesus,
and say to him, Pilate the procurator calls thee to come before
him. The officer accordingly went away, and finding Jesus,
summoned Him, having unfolded on the ground also Pilate's
mantle, and urged Him to walk upon it. And the Hebrews,
seeing this, and being greatly enraged, came to Pilate, murmur-
ing against him, how he had deemed Jesus worthy of so great
honour.
And he, having inquired of the officer who had been sent
how he had done so, the officer answered: When thou didst
send me to the Jew Alexander, I came upon Jesus entering
the gate of the city, sitting upon an ass. And I saw that the
Hebrews spread their garments in the way, and the ass walked
upon the garments ; and others cut branches, and they went
forth to meet him, and cried out, Hosanna in the highest !
Thus, therefore, it was necessary for me also to do.
The Jews, hearing these words, said to him : How didst thou,
being a Roman, know what was said by the Hebrews ? The
officer answered : I asked one of the Hebrews, and he told me
these things. Pilate said : What means Hosanna ? The Jews
' One MS. inserts: by name Kachaab, the messenger.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. l.U
said : Save us, 0 Lord. Pilate answered : Since you confess
that your children said so, how now do you bring charges, and
say against Jesus what you do say ? The Jews were silent,
and had nothing to answer.^
Now, as Jesus was coming to Pilate, the soldiers of Pilate
adored Him. And others also were standing before Pilate
holding standards. And as Jesus was coming, the standards
also bowed down, and adored Him. As Pilate, therefore, was
wondering at what had happened, the Jews said to him : My
lord, it was not the standards that adored Jesus, but the
soldiers who were holding them carelessly.
Pilate says to the ruler of the synagogue : Choose twelve
powerful men, and give them the standards, so that they may
hold them firmly. And this having taken place, Pilate ordered
the officer to take Jesus outside, and bring Him in again. And
as He was coming in, the standards again bowed down, and
adored Him. Pilate therefore wondered greatly. But the
Jews said : He is a magician, and through that he does these
things.
Chap. 2. — Pilate says to Jesus : Hearest thou what these
testify against thee, and answerest thou not ? ^ And Jesus
answered and said : Every man has power to speak either good
or bad, as he wishes ; these also, therefore, having power, say
what they wish.®
The Jews said to Him : What have we to say about thee ?
First, that thou wast begotten from sin ; second, that on ac-
count of thee, when thou wast born, the infants * were mur-
1 Instead of these four sections, MS. C has a minute account of the suicide of
Judas, of which the following specimen may he given : — And he went home to
make a halter to hang himself, and he foimd his wife roasting a cock on the
coals. And he says to her : Rise, wife, and get a rope ready for me ; for I mean
to hang myself, as I deserve. And his wife said to him : Why do you speak
like that ? And Judas says : Know in truth that I unjustly betrayed my
Master, etc. , and that he is going to rise on the third day ; and woe to us !
And his wife says : Do not speak or think in that way. It is just as likely as
that this cock roasting on the coals will crow, that Jesus will rise, as you say.
No sooner said than the cock flapped his wings, and crew thrice. This decided
Judas, and he immediately made the halter, and hanged himself.
* Matt, xxvii. 13, 14. 3 cf. John xix. 11.
* MS. A, 14,000 infants ; B, 44,000 infants.
152 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
dered ; third, that thy father and thy mother fled into Egypt,
because they had no confidence in the people.
To these the Jews who were there present, God-fearing men,
answered and said : We say that his birth is not from sin ;
lor we know that Joseph received into keeping his mother
Mary, according to the practice of betrothal. Pilate said:
Consequently you lie who say that his birth is from sin.
They say again to Pilate : All the people testify that he is a
magician. The God-fearing Jews answered and said : We also
were at the betrothal of his mother, and we are Jews, and
know all his daily life ; but that he is a magician, that we do
not know. And the Jews that thus said were these : Lazarus,
Astharii^p, Antonius, James, Zaras, Samuel, Isaac, Phinees,
Crispus, Dagrippus, Amese, and Judas.
Pilate therefore says to them : By the life of Csesar, I wish
you to swear whether the birth of this man is without sin.
They answered : Our law lays down that we are to swear not
at all, because an oath is great sin. Notwithstanding, by the
life of Caesar we swear that his birth is without sin ; and if we
lie, order us all to be beheaded. And when they had thus
spoken, the Jews that were bringing the charge answered Pilate,
and said : And dost thou believe these twelve single Jews more
than all the multitude and us, who know for certain that he is
a magician and blasphemer, and that he names himself Son of
God?
Then Pilate ordered them all to go forth out of the praetorium
except the said twelve alone. And when this had been done,
Pilate says to them privately : As to this man, it appears that
from envy and madness the Jews wish to murder him : for of
one thing — that he does away with the Sabbath — they accuse
him ; but he then does a good work, because he cures the sick.
For this, sentence of death is not upon the man. The twelve
also say to him : Assuredly, my lord, it is so.
Chap. 3. — Pilate therefore went outside in rage and anger, and
says to Annas and Caiaphas, and to the crowd who brought
Jesus : I take the sun to witness that I find no fault in this
man. The crowd answered : If he were not a sorcerer, and a
magician, and a blasphemer, we should not have brought him
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 153
to your highness. Pilate said : Try him yourselves ; and since
you have a law, do as your law says. The Jews said : Our law
permits to put no man to death.^ Pilate says : If you are
unwilling to put him to death, how much more am I !
Then Pilate returned to the palace, and says to Jesus : Tell
me, art thou the king of the Jews ? Jesus answered : Dost
thou say this, or have the other Jews said this to thee, that
thou mightst question me ? Pilate said : Thou dost not think
that I am a Hebrew ? I am not a Hebrew. Thy people and
the chief priests have delivered thee into my hands ; and tell
me if thou art king of the Jews ? Jesus answered : My king-
dom is not of this world ; for if my kingdom were in this
world, my soldiers would not be unconcerned at my being
seized: wherefore my kingdom is not in this world. Pilate
says : But art thou a king ? Jesus said : Thou hast said : for
this was I born, to bear witness to the truth ; and if any one
be a man of the truth, he believes my word, and does it. Pilate
says : What is the truth ? ^ Jesus answered : The truth is from
the heavens. Pilate says : On earth, then, is there no • truth ?
Christ says : I am the truth ; and how is the truth judged on
earth by those that have earthly power !
Chap. 4. — Pilate therefore, leaving Christ alone, went out-
side, and says to the Jews : I find no fault in this man. The
Jews answered : Let us tell your highness what he said. He
said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and in three
days to build it. Pilate says : And what temple did he say
that he was to destroy? The Hebrews say: The temple of
Solomon, which Solomon built in forty-six years.^
Pilate says privately to the chief priests and the scribes and
the Pharisees : I entreat you, do nothing evil against this man ;
for if you do evil against him, you will do unjustly : for it is
not just that such a man should die, who has done great good
to many men. They said to Pilate : If, my lord, he who has
dishonoured Ceesar is worthy of death, how much more this
[man] who dishonours God !
Then Pilate dismissed them, and they aU went outside.
Thereupon he says to Jesus : What dost thou wish that I
' John xix. 6, 7. ^ John xviii. 33-38. ^ cf. Jolin ii. 20.
154 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
shall do to thee ? Jesus says to Pilate : Do to me as is deter-
mined. Pilate says : How is it determined ? Jesus answered :
Moses and the prophets wrote about me being crucified, and
rising again. The Hebrews, hearing [this], said to Pilate : Why
do you seek to hear a greater insult out of him against God ?
Pilate says : These words are not an insult against God, since
they are written in the books of the prophets. The Hebrews
said : Our Scripture says. If a man offend against a man, that
is to say, if he insult him, he is worthy to receive forty strokes
with a rod ; but if any one insult God, to be stoned.^
Then came a messenger from Procle, the wife of Pilate, to
him ; and the message said : Take care that thou do not agree
that any evil should happen to Jesus the good man ; because
during this night I have seen fearful dreams on account of
him.^ And Pilate spoke to the Hebrews, saying : If you hold
as insult against God the words which you declare Jesus to
have spoken, take and judge him yourselves according to your
law.* The Jews said to Pilate : We wish that you should
crucify him. Pilate says : This is not good.
And Pilate, turning towards the people, saw many weeping,
and said: To me it seems that it is not the wish of all the
people that this man should die. The priests and the scribes
say : We on this account have brought all the people, that thou
mightst have full conviction that aU wish his death. Pilate
says : For what evil hath he done ? The Hebrews said : He
says that he is a king, and the Son of God.
Chap. 5. — A God-fearing Jew, therefore, Nicodemus by
name, stood up in the midst, and said to Pilate : I entreat
your highness to permit me to say a few words. Say on, said
Pilate. Nicodemus says : I, being present in the synagogue,
said to the priests, and the Levites, and the scribes, and the
people. What have you to say against this man ? This man
does many miracles, such as man has never yet done nor will
do. Let him go, therefore; and if indeed what he does be
from God, it will stand ; but if from man, it will be destroyed.*
Just as happened also when God sent Moses into Egypt, and
1 Deut. XXV. 3 ; Lev. xxiv. 16. » Matt, xxvii. 19.
» John xviii. 31. * Cf. Acts v. 38.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 155
Pharaoli king of Egypt told him to do a miracle, and he did it.
Then Pharaoh had also two magicians, Jannes and Jambres ;
and they also did miracles by the use of magic art, but not
such as Moses did.^ And the Egyptians held these magicians
to be gods ; but because they were not from God, what they
did was destroyed. This Jesus, then, raised up Lazarus, and
he is aKve, On this account I entreat thee, my lord, by no
means to allow this man to be put to death.
The Hebrews were enraged against Nicodemus, and said :
Mayst thou receive the truth of Jesus, and have a portion with
him. Nicodemus says : Amen, amen ; be it to me as you say.
Chap. 6. — And when Nicodemus had thus spoken, another
Hebrew rose up, and said to Pilate : I beg of thee, my lord
Pilate, hear me also. Pilate answered : Say what thou wishest.
The Hebrew says : I lay sick in bed thirty-eight years ; and
when he saw me he was grieved, and said to me, Eise, take
up thy couch, and go into thine house. And while he was
saying the word to me, I rose and walked about. The
Hebrews say: Ask him on what day of the week this hap-
pened. He says : On Sabbath.^ The Jews said : And con-
sequently we say truly, that he does not keep the Sabbath.
Another, again, standing in the midst, said : I was born
blind ; and as Jesus was going along the road, I cried to him,
saying. Have mercy upon me. Lord, thou son of David. And
he took clay, and anointed mine eyes ; and straightway I re-
ceived my sight.'* Another said : I was crooked ; and seeing
him, I cried. Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord. And he took
me by the hand, and I was immediately raised.* Another
said : I was a leper, and he healed me merely by a word.*
Chap. 7. — There was found there also a woman named
Veronica, and she said: Twelve years I was in an issue of
blood, and I only touched the edge of his garment, and
directly I was cured.^ The Jews say: Our law does not
admit the testimony of a woman.''
1 Ex. vii. 10-14. 2 John v. 5-9. ^ John ix. 6, 7.
♦ Cf. Acts iii. 7. 6 Luke xvii. 11-19. « Matt. ix. 20-22.
^ See note, p. 131
156 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Chap. 8. — Other men cried : This man is a prophet, and the
demons are afraid of him. Pilate says : And how were the
demons not at all thus afraid of your parents also ? They say :
We do not know. Others, again, said : Lazarus, after having
been four days in the tomb, he raised by a single word.^
Pilate therefore, hearing of the raising of Lazarus, was afraid,
and said to the people : Why do you wish to shed the blood
of a just man ?
Chap. 9. — Then he summoned Nicodemus and the twelve
God-fearing Jews, and said to them : What do you say that I
should do ? because the people are in commotion. They say :
AVe do not know : do as thou wilt ; but what the people «do,
they do unjustly, in order to kill him. Pilate again went out-
side, and said to the people : You know that in the feasts of un-
leavened bread it is customary that I free on your account one
of the criminals kept in custody. I have, then, one malefactor
in the prison, a robber named Barabbas. I have also Jesus,
who has never done any evil. Which of the two, then, do you
wish that I release to you ? The people answered : Pielease to
us Barabbas. Pilate says : Wliat then shall I do with Jesus ?
They say : Let him be crucified.^ Again, others of them cried
out : If thou release Jesus, thou art no friend of Csesar,^ be-
cause he calls himseK Son of God, and king. And if thou free
him, he becomes a king, and will take Ccesar's kingdom.
Pilate therefore was enraged, and said : Always has your
nation been devilish * and unbelieving ; and ever have you
been adversaries to your benefactors. The Hebrews say : And
who were our benefactors ? Pilate says : God, who freed you
out of the hand of Pharaoh, and brought you through the Eed
Sea as upon dry land, and fed you with quails, and gave you
water to drink out of the dry rock, and who gave you a law,
wliich, denying God, you broke ; and if Moses had not stood
and entreated God, you would have perished by a bitter death.
All these, then, you have forgotten. Thus also, even now, you
say that I do not at all love Csesar, but hate him, and wish to
plot against his kingdom.
" John xi. 43. s Matt, xxvii. 15-18, 21-23.
» Johu xi.\. 12. ♦ Or, slanderous.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 157
And having thus spoken, Pilate rose np from the throne with
anger, wishing to flee from them. The Jews therefore cried
out, saying : We wish Csesar to be king over us, not Jesus, be-
cause Jesus received gifts ^ from the magi. And Herod also
heard this — that there was going to be a king — and wished to
put him to death, and for this purpose sent and put to death
all the infants that were in Betlilehem. And on this account
also his father Joseph and his mother fled from fear of him
into Egypt.^
So then Pilate, hearing [this], silenced all the people, and said :
This, then, is the Jesus whom Herod then sought that he might
put him to death ? They say to him : Yes. Pilate therefore,
having ascertained that he was of the jurisdiction of Herod, as
being derived of the race of the Jews, sent Jesus to him. And
Herod, seeing Him, rejoiced greatly, because he had been long
desiring to see Him, hearing of the miracles which He did. He
put on Him, therefore, white garments. Then he began to ques-
tion Him. But Jesus did not give him an answer. And Herod,
wishing to see also some miracle or other done by Jesus, and
not seeing it, and also because He did not answer him a single
word, sent Him back again to Pilate.' Pilate, seeing this,
ordered his officers to bring water. Washing, then, his hands
with the water, he said to the people : I am innocent of the
blood of this good man. See you to it, that he is unjustly put
to death, since neither I have found a tault in him, nor Herod ;
for because of this he has sent him back again to me. The
Jews said : His blood be upon us, and upon our children.*
Then Pilate sat down upon his throne to pass sentence. He
gave order, therefore, and Jesus came before him. And they
brought a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and a reed
into His right hand.^ Then he passed sentence, and said to
Him: Thy nation says, and testifies against thee, that thou
wishest to be a king. Therefore I decree that they shall beat
thee first with a rod forty strokes, as the laws ot the kings
' The word here, x"'?"H''^i is used in the New Testament only of gifts and
graces bestowed by God, and specially of the miracidous gifts imparted to the
early Christians by the Holy Ghost. The word in Matt. ii. 11 is lupa.
2 Matt. ii. 14-16. 3 Luke xxiii. 6-11.
* Matt, xxvii. 25. * John xis. 2, 3 ; Matt, xxvii. 29.
158 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
decree, and that they shall mock thee ; and finally, that they
shall crucify thee.
Chap. 10. — The sentence to this effect, then, having been
passed by Pilate, the Jews began to strike Jesus, some with
rods, others with [their] hands, others with [their] feet ; some
also spat in His face. Immediately, therefore, they got ready
the cross, and gave it to Him, and flew to take the road. And
thus going along, bearing also the cross, He came as far as the
gate of the city of Jerusalem. But as He, from the many
blows and the weight of the cross, was imable to walk, the
Jews, out of the eager desire they had to crucify Him as
quickly as possible, took the cross from Him, and gave it to a
man that met them, Simon by name, who had also two sons,
Alexander and Eufus. And he was from the city of Cyrene.-^
They gave the cross, then, to him, not because they pitied
Jesus, and wished to lighten Him of the weight, but because
they eagerly desired, as has been said, to put Him to death
more speedily.
Of His disciples, therefore, John followed Him there. Then
he came fleeing to the mother of God,^ and said to her : Where
hast thou been, that thou hast not come to see what has hap-
pened ? She answered : What is it that has happened ? John
says : Know that the Jews have laid hold of my Master, and
are taking Him away to crucify Him. Hearing this, His
mother cried out with a loud voice, saying : My son, my son,
what evil then hast thou done, that^ they are taking thee away
to crucify thee ? And she rose up as if blinded,* and goes
along the road weeping. And women followed her — Martha,
and Mary Magdalene, and Salome, and other virgins. And
John also was with her. When, therefore, they came to the
multitude of the crowd, the mother of God says to John:
Where is my son ? John says : Seest thou Him bearing the
' Mark xv. 21.
^ BiorUos — a -word used several times by Athanasius (died 373), e.g. in Orat.
iii. Contra Arianos, c. 14 and 29. The refusal of Nestorius to give this epithet to
Mary was tlie commencement, in 428, of the long struggle between the rival sees
of Constantinople and Alexandria. See Haag, Hlstoire des Dogmes Chrdilens,
i. 190. The paragraphs about the eioToxos in this chapter are interpolations.
3 Lit., and, 4 Lit darkened.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. loO
crown of thorns, and having His hands bound? And the
mother of God, hearing this, and seeing Him, fainted, and fell
backwards to the ground, and lay a considerable time. And
the women, as many as followed her, stood round her, and
wept. And as soon as she revived and rose up, she cried out
with a loud voice : My Lord, my son, where has the beauty of
thy form sunk ? how shall I endure to see thee suffering such
things ? And thus saying, she tore her face Math her nails, and
beat her breast. Where are they gone, said she, the good deeds
which thou didst in Judea ? What evil hast thou done to the
Jews ? The Jews, then, seeing her thus lamenting and crying,
came and drove her from the road ; but she would not flee, but
remained, saying : Kill me first, ye lawless Jews.
Then they got safe to the place called Cranium, which was
paved with stone ;^ and there the Jews set up the cross. Then
they stripped Jesus, and the soldiers took His garments, and
divided them among themselves ; and they put on Him a
tattered robe of scarlet, and raised Him, and drew Him up on
the cross at the sixth hour of the day. After this they brought
also two robbers, the one on His right, the other on His left.
Then the mother of God, standing and looking, cried out
with a loud voice, saying : My son ! my son ! And Jesus, turn-
ing to her, and seeing John near her, and weeping with the
rest of the w^omen, said : Behold thy son ! Then He says also
to John : Behold thy mother ? And she wept much, saying :
For this I weep, my son, because thou sufferest unjustly, be-
cause the lawless Jews have delivered thee to a bitter death.
Without thee, my son, what will become of me ? How shall I
live without thee ? What sort of life shall I spend ? Where
are thy disciples, who boasted that they would die with thee ?
Where those healed by thee ? How has no one been found to
help thee ? And looking to the cross, she said : Bend down,
0 cross, that I may embrace and kiss my son, whom I suckled
at these breasts after a strange manner, as not having known
man. Bend down, 0 cross; I wish to throw my arms round my
son. Bend down, 0 cross, that I may bid farewell to my son
like a mother. The Jews, hearing these words, came forward,
and drove to a distance both her and the women and John.
' A mistaken reference to John xix, 13. * John xix. 26, 27.
160 TEE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying : Father, let
not this sin stand against them ; for they know not what they
do.^ Then He says : I thirst. And immediately there ran one
of the soldiers, and took a sponge, and filled it with gall and
vinegar mixed, and put it on a reed, and gave Jesus to drink.
And having tasted it. He would not drink it.^ And the Jews
standing and looking on laughed at Him, and said: If thou
truly sayst that thou art the Son of God, come down from the
cross, and immediately, that we may believe in thee. Others
said, mocking : Others he saved, others he cured, and he healed
the sick, the paralytic, the lepers, the demoniacs, the blind, the
lame, the dead ; and himself he cannot cure.^
In the same manner also, the robber crucified on His left
hand said to Him : If thou art the Son of God, come down and
save both thyself and us. His name was Gistas. And he that
was crucified on the right, Dysmas by name, reproved that
robber, saying : 0 wretched and miserable man, dost thou not
fear God ? We suffer the due punishment of M^hat we have
done ; but this man has done no evil at all. And turning to
Jesus, he says to Him : Lord, when Thou shalt reign, do not
forget me. And He said to him : To-day, I tell thee truth, I
shall have thee in paradise with me.*
Chap, 11. — Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, Father,
into Thy hands I shall commit my spirit, breathed His last.*
And immediately one could see the rocks rent : for there was
an earthquake over aU the earth; and from the earthquake
being violent and great, the rocks also were rent. And the
tombs of the dead were opened, and the curtain of the temple
was rent, and there was darkness from the sixth hour till the
ninth. And from all these things that had happened the Jews
were afraid, and said: Certainly this was a just man. And
Longinus, the centurion who stood by, said : Truly this was a
son of God. Others coming and seeing Him, beat their breasts
from fear, and again turned back.^
1 Luke xxiii. 34 ; cf. Acts vii. 60, 2 John xix. 28 ; Matt, xxvii. 48,
3 Cf. Matt, xxvii. 40-42.
* Luke xxiii. 39-43, MS. C here inserts the early history of the robber Dysmas.
6 Luke xxiii. 46. e cf_ Lyj^g xxiii, 44-49.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 161
And tlie centurion having perceived all these so great
miracles, went away and reported them to Pilate. And when
he heard, he wondered and was astonished, and from his fear
and grief would neither eat nor drink that day. And he sent
notice, and all the Sanhedrim came to him as soon as the dark-
ness was past ; and he said to the people : You know how the
sun has been darkened; you know how the curtain has been
rent. Certainly I did well in being by no means willing to
put to death the good man. And the malefactors said to
Pilate : This darkness is an eclipse of the sun, such as has hap-
pened also at other times. Then they say to him : We hold
the feast of unleavened bread to-morrow; and we entreat thee,
since the crucified are still breathing, tliat their bones be
broken, and that they be brought down. Pilate said : It shall
be so. He therefore sent soldiers, and they found the two
robbers yet breathing, and they broke their legs ; but finding
Jesus dead, they did not touch Him at all, except that a soldier
speared Him in the right side, and immediately there came
forth blood and water.^
And as the [day of the] preparation was drawing towards
evening, Joseph, a man well-born and rich, a God-fearing Jew,
finding Nicodemus, whose sentiments his foregoing speech
had shown, says to him : I know that thou didst love Jesus
when living, and didst gladly hear his words, and I saw thee
fighting with the Jews on his account. If, then, it seem good
to thee, let us go to Pilate, and beg the body of Jesus for burial,
because it is a great sin for him to lie unburied. I am afraid,
said Nicodemus, lest Pilate should be enraged, and some evil
should befall me. But if thou wilt go alone, and beg the dead,
and take him, then will I also go with thee, and help thee to
do everything necessary for the burial. Nicodemus having thus
spoken, Joseph directed his eyes to heaven, and prayed that he
might not fail in his request; and he went away to Pilate, and
having saluted him, sat down. Then he says to him : I entreat
thee, my lord, not to be angry with me, if I shall ask anything
contrary to what seems good to your highness. And he said :
And what is it that thou askest ? Joseph says : Jesus, the
good man whom through hatred the Jews have taken away to
• John xix. 31-34.
L
162 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
crucify, liim I entreat that thou give me for burial. Pilate
says : And what has happened, that we should deliver to be
honoured again the dead body of him against whom e"<^idence
of sorcery was brought by his nation, and who was in suspi-
cion of taking the kingdom of Csesar, and so was given up by
us to death ? And Joseph, weeping and in great grief, fell at
the feet of Pilate, saying : My lord, let no hatred fall upon a
dead man ; for all the evil that a man has done should perish
with him in his death. And I know your highness, how eager
thou wast that Jesus should not be crucified, and how much
thou saidst to the Jews on his behalf, now in entreaty and
again in anger, and at last how thou didst wash thy hands,
and declare that thou wouldst by no means take part with
those who wished him to be put to death ; for all which [rea-
sons] I entreat thee not to refuse my request. Pilate, there-
fore, seeing Joseph thus lying, and supplicating, and weeping,
raised him up, and said : Go, I grant thee this dead man ; take
him, and do whatever thou wilt.
And then Joseph, having thanked Pilate, and kissed his hands
and his garments, went forth, rejoicing indeed in heart as having
obtained his desire, but carrying tears in his eyes. Thus also,
though grieved, he was glad. Accordingly he goes away to
Nicodemus, and discloses to him all that had happened. Then,
having bought myrrh and aloes a hundred pounds, and a new
tomb,^ they, along with the mother of God and Mary Magda-
lene and Salome, along with John, and the rest of the women,
did what was customary for the body with white linen, and
placed it in the tomb.^
And the mother of God said, weeping : How am I not to
lament thee, my son ? How should I not tear my face with my
nails ? This is that, my son, which Symeon the elder foretold
to me when I brought thee, an infant of forty days old, into
the temple. This is the sword which now goes through my
soul.^ Who shall put a stop to my tears, my sweetest son ?
No one at all except thyself alone, if, as thou saidst, thou slialt
rise again in three days.
Mary Magdalene said, weeping : Hear, 0 peoples, tribes, and
tongues, and learn to what death the lawless Jews have de-
• Cf. Matt, xxvii. 60. « Jolin xix. 38-42. ^ Lu^g jj. 35^
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 163
livered him who did them ten thousand good deeds. Hear, and
be astonished. Who will let these things be heard by all the
world ? I shall go alone to Eome, to the Caesar. I shall show
him what evil Pilate hath done in obeying the lawless Jews.
Likewise also Joseph lamented, saying : Ah, me ! sweetest
Jesus, most excellent of men, if indeed it be proper to call thee
man, who hast wrought such miracles as no man has ever done.
How shall I enshroud thee ? How shall I entomb thee ?
There should now have been here those whom thou fedst with
a few loaves ; for thus should I not have seemed to fail in what
is due.
Then Joseph, along with Mcodemus, went home ; and hke-
wise also the mother of God, with the women, John ^ also being
present with them.
Chap. 1 2. — When the Jews were made acquainted with these
things done by Joseph and Nicodemus, they were greatly stirred
up against them. And the chief priests Annas and Caiaphas
sent for Joseph, and said : Why hast thou done this service to
Jesus ? Joseph says : I know that Jesus was a man just, and
true, and good in all respects ; and I know also that you,
through hatred, managed to murder him : and therefore I buried
him. Then the high priests were enraged, and laid hold of
Joseph, and threw him into prison, and said to him : If we
had not to-morrow the feast of unleavened bread, to-morrow
also should we have put thee, like him, to death ; but being
kept in the meantime, early in the morning of the Lord's day^
thou shalt be given up to death. Thus they spoke, and affixed
their seal to the prison, having secured it by fastenings of all
sorts.
Thus, therefore, when the preparation was ended, early on
the Sabbath the Jews went away to Pilate, and said to him :
My lord, that deceiver said, that after three days he should rise
again. Lest, therefore, his disciples should steal him by night,
and lead the people astray by such deceit, order his tomb to be
guarded. Pilate therefore, upon this, gave them five hundred
1 It is to be observed that John's Gospel is mucli more freriueutly quoted in
this book than any of the others.
* Observe the anachronism.
164 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
soldiers, who also sat round the sepulchre so as to guard it,
after having put seals upon the stone of the tomb.^
The Lord's day, then, having dawned, the chief priests, along
with the Jews, called a council, and sent to take Joseph out of
the prison, in order to put him to death. But having opened
it, they found him not. And they were astonished at this — how,
with the doors shut, and the bolts safe, and the seals unbroken,
Joseph had disappeared.
Chap. 1 3. — And upon this there came up one of the soldiers
guarding the tomb, and he said in the synagogue : Learn that
Jesus has risen. The Jews say : How ? And he said : First
there was an earthquake ; then an angel of the Lord, clothed
with lightning, came from heaven, and rolled the stone from the
tomb, and sat upon it. And from fear of him, all of us soldiers
became as dead, and were able neither to flee nor speak. And
we heard the angels saying to the women who came there to
see the tomb : Be not you afraid, for I know that you seek
Jesus. He is not here, but is risen, as He told you before.
Bend down and see the tomb where His body lay ; but go and
tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and let them
go into Galilee, for there shall they find Him. For this reason
I tell you this first.^
The Jews say to the soldiers : What sort of women were they
who came to the tomb ? and why did you not lay hold of them ?
The soldiers say : From the fear and tlie mere sight of the
angel, we were able neither to speak nor move. The Jews
said : As the God of Israel liveth, we do not believe a word you
say. The soldiers say : Jesus did so great wonders, and you
believed not, and are you going to believe us ? You say truly
that God liveth; and certainly he whom you crucified tridy
liveth. But we have heard that you had Joseph shut up in the
prison, and that you afterwards opened the doors, and did not
find him. Do you then present Joseph, and so we also shall
present Jesus. The Jews say : Joseph, that fled from the prison,
you will find in Arimathea, his own country. And the soldiers
say : Go you too into Galilee, and you will find Jesus, as the
angel said to the women.
1 JMutt. xxvii. 62-66. * Matt, xxviii. 1-8.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 165
At these [words] the Jews were afraid, and said to the
soldiers : See that you tell this story to nobody, or all will
believe in Jesus. And for this reason they gave them also
much money. And the soldiers said : We are afraid lest by any
chance Pilate hear that w^e have taken money, and he will kill
us. And the Jews said : Take it ; and we pledge ourselves
that we shall speak to Pilate in your defence. Only say that
you were asleep, and in your slumber the disciples of Jesus
vjame and stole him from the tomb. The soldiers therefore took
the money, and said as they were bid. And up to this day
this same lying tale is told among the Jews,^
Chap. 14. — And a few days after there came from Galilee to
Jerusalem three men. One of them was a priest, by name
Phinees ; the second a Levite, by name Aggai ; and the third a
soldier, by name Adas. These came to the chief priests, and
said to them and to the people : Jesus, whom you crucified, we
have seen in Galilee with his eleven disciples upon the Mount
of Olives, teaching them, and saying. Go into all the world,
and proclaim the good news ; and whosoever will believe and
be baptized shall be saved ; but whosoever will not believe
shall be condemned. And having thus spoken, he went up
into heaven.^ And both we and many others of the five hun-
dred ^ besides were looking on.
And when the chief priests and the Jews heard these things,
they said to these three : Give glory to the God of Israel, and
repent of these lies that you have told. They answered : As
the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob liveth, we
do not lie, but tell you the truth. Then the high priest spoke,
and they brought the old [covenant] of the Hebrews out of the
temple, and he made them swear, and giving them also money,
he sent them into another place, in order that they might not
proclaim in Jerusalem the resurrection of Christ.
And Avhen these stories had been heard by all the people, the
crowd came together into the temple, and there was a great
commotion. For many said : Jesus has risen from the dead, as
we hear, and why did you crucify him ? And Annas and
Caiaphas said : Do not believe, ye Jews, what the soldiers say ;
1 Matt, xxviii. 11-15. « Mark xvi. IG. 3 j Cor. xv. 6.
166 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and do not believe that tliey saw an angel coming down from
heaven. For we have given money to the soldiers, in order
that they should not tell such tales to any one ; and thus also
have the disciples of Jesus given them money, in order that
they should say that Jesus has risen from the dead.
Chap. 15. — Nicodemus says: O children of the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, the prophet Helias went up into the height of
heaven with a fiery chariot, and it is nothing incredible if Jesus
too has risen ; for the prophet Helias was a prototype of Jesus,
in order that you, hearing that Jesus has risen, might not dis-
believe. 1 therefore say and advise, that it is befitting that we
send soldiers into Galilee, to that place where these men testify
that they saw him with his disciples, in order that they may go
round about and find him, and that thus we may ask pardon of
him for the evil which we have done to him. This proposal
pleased them; and they chose soldiers, and sent them away
into Galilee. And Jesus indeed they did not find ; but they
found Joseph in Arimathea,
When, therefore, the soldiers had returned, the chief priests,
having ascertained that Joseph was found, brought the people
together, and said : What shall we do to get Joseph to come
to us ? After deliberating, therefore, they wrote to him a
letter to the following effect : — 0 father Joseph, peace [be] to
thee and all thy house, and thy friends ! We know that we
have offended against God, and against thee His servant. On
account of this, we entreat thee to come here to us thy chil-
dren. For we have wondered much how thou didst escape
from the prison, and we say in truth that we had an evil
design against thee. But God, seeing that our designs against
thee were unjust, has delivered thee out of our hands. But
come to us, for thou art the honour of our people.
This letter the Jews sent to Arimathea, with seven soldiers,
friends of Joseph. And they went away and found him ; and
having respectfully saluted him, as they had been ordered, they
gave him the letter. And after receiving it and reading it, he
glorified God, and embraced the soldiers ; and having set a table,
ate and drank with them during all the day and the night.
And on the following day he set out with them to Jeru-
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 167
salem ; and the people came forth to meet him, and embraced
him. And Mcodemus received him into his own house. And
the day after, Annas and Caiaphas, the chief priests, having
summoned him to the temple, said to him : Give glory to the
God of Israel, and tell us the truth. For we know that thou
didst bury Jesus ; and on this account we laid hold of thee,
and locked thee up in the prison. Thereafter, when we sought
to bring thee out to be put to death, we did not find thee,
and we were greatly astonished and afraid. Moreover, we
prayed to God that we might find thee, and ask thee. Tell
us therefore the truth.
Joseph said to them: In the evening of the preparation,
when you secured me in prison, I fell a-praying throughout
the whole night, and throughout the whole day of the Sab-
bath. And at midnight I see the prison-house that four angels
lifted it up,^ holding it by the four corners. And Jesus
came in like lightning, and I fell to the ground from fear.
Taking hold of me, therefore, by the hand, he raised me, say-
ing, Fear not, Joseph. Thereafter, embracing me, he kissed
me, and said. Turn thyself, and see who I am. Turning my-
self, therefore, and looking, I said. My lord, I know not who
thou art. He says, I am Jesus, whom thou didst bury the
day before yesterday. I say to him, Show me the tomb, and
then I shall believe. He took me, therefore, by the hand, and
led me away to the tomb, which had been opened. And seeing
the linen and the napkin, and recognising him, I said. Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord;^ and I adored
him. Then taking me by the hand, and accompanied by the
angels, he brought me to my house in Arimathea, and said to
me. Sit here for forty days ; for I go to my disciples, in order
that I may enable them fully to proclaim my resurrection.
Chap. 1 6. — When Joseph had thus spoken, the chief priests
cried out to the people : We know that Jesus had a father and
mother ; how can w^e believe that he is the Christ ? One of
the Levites answered and said : I know the family of Jesus,
1 Iff'tKOKrav, which should be Ufixuffav, is a modern Greek word, the aorist of
cvtxovca.
2 Ps. cxviii. 26 : Matt. xxi. 9.
168 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
noble-minded men/ great servants of God; and receiving tithes
from the people of the Jews. And I know also Symeon the
elder, that he received him when he was an infant, and said
to him : Now thou sendest away Thy servant, 0 Lord.
The Jews said : Let ns now find the three men that saw him
on the Mount of Olives, that we may question them, and learn
the truth more accurately. They found them, and brought
them before all, and made them swear to tell the truth. And
they said : As the God of Israel liveth, we saw Jesus alive on
the Mount of Olives, and going up into heaven.
Then Annas and Caiaphas took the three apart, one by one,
and questioned them singly in private. They agreed with one
another, therefore, and gave, even the three, one account. The
chief priests answered, saying : Our Scripture says that every
word shall be established by two or three witnesses.^ Joseph,
then, has confessed that he, along with Nicodemus, attended
to his body, and buried him, and how it is the truth that he
has risen.*
' Or, literally, men of good family. ^ Deut. xix. 15 ; Matt, xviii. 16.
3 This last clause would be better as a question : And how is it the truth
that he has risen ?
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
PAET II.— THE DESCENT OF CHEIST INTO HELL.
GREEK FORM.
CHAPTER I (17.)
jjOSEPH says : And why do you wonder tliat Jesus
has risen ? But it is wonderful that He has not
risen alone, but that He has also raised many others
of the dead, who have appeared in Jerusalem to
many.^ And if you do not know the others, Symeon at least,
who received Jesus, and his two sons whom Jle has raised up
— them at least you know. Eor we buried them not long ago ;
but now their tombs are seen open [and] empty, and they are
alive, and dwelling in Arimathea. They therefore sent men,
and they found their tombs open and empty. Joseph says :
Let us go to Arimathea and find them.
Then rose up the chief priests Annas and Caiaphas, and
Joseph, and Nicodemus, and Gamaliel, and others with them,
and went away to Arimathea, and found those whom Joseph
spoke of. They made prayer, therefore, and saluted each other.
Then they came with them to Jerusalem, and brought them
into the synagogue, and secured the doors, and placed in the
midst the old [covenant] of the Jews ; and the chief priests
said to them : We wish you to swear by the God of Israel and
Adonai, and so that you tell the truth, how you have risen, and
who has raised you from the dead.
The men who had risen having heard this, made upon their
faces the sign of the cross, and said to the chief priests : Give
' Matt, xxvii. 53.
169
170 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
us paper and ink and pen. These therefore they brought.
And sitting down, they wrote thus : —
Chap. 2 (18). — 0 Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection and
the life of the world, grant us grace that we may give an ac-
count of Thy resurrection, and Thy miracles which Thou didst
in Hades. "We then were in Hades, with all who had fallen
asleep since the beginning of the world. And at the hour of
midnight there rose a light as if of the sun, and shone into
these dark [regions] ; and we were all lighted up, and saw each
other. And straightway our father Abraham was united with
the patriarchs and the prophets, and at the same time they were
filled with joy, and said to each other : This light is from a great
source of light. The prophet Hesaias, who was there present,
said : This light is from the Father, and from the Son, and from
the Holy Spirit; about whom I prophesied when yet alive,
saying. The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, the
people that sat in darkness, have seen a great light.-^
Then there came into the midst another, an ascetic from the
desert ; and the patriarchs said to him : AVlio art thou ? And
he said : I am John, the last of the prophets, who made the
paths of the Son of God straight,^ and proclaimed to the people
repentance for the remission of sins.^ And the Son of God
came to me ; and I, seeing Him a long way off, said to the
people : Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of
the world.* And with my hand I baptized Him in the river
Jordan, and I saw like a dove also the Holy Spirit coming
upon Him;^ and I heard also the voice of God, even the Father,®
thus saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.'' And on this account He sent me also to you, to pro-
claim how the only begotten Son of God is coming here, that
whosoever shall believe in Him shall be saved, and whosoever
shall not believe in Him shall be condemned.^ On this account
I say to you all, in order that when you see Him you all may
adore Him, that now only is for you the time of repentance
1 Isa. ix. 1,2. 2 j^jatt. iii. 3. 3 Mark i. 4. « John i. 29.
^ Or : and I saw, as it were, a dove and the Holy Spirit, etc.
« Or, of tlie God and Father. 7 Luke iii. 22.
8 [Mark xvi. IC] ; John iii. 18.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 171
for having adored idols in the vain upper world, and for the
sins you have committed, and that this is impossible at any-
other time.
Chap. 3 (19). — While John, therefore, was thus teaching
those in Hades, the first created and forefather Adam heard,
and said to his son Seth : My son, I wish thee to tell the fore-
fathers of the race of men and the prophets where I sent thee,
when it fell to my lot to die. And Seth said : Prophets and
patriarchs, hear. When my father Adam, the first created,
was about to fall once upon a time into death, he sent me to
make entreaty to God very close by the gate of paradise, that
He would guide me by an angel to the tree of compassion, and
that I might take oil and anoint my father, and that he might
rise up from his sickness : which thing, therefore, I also did.
And after the prayer an angel of the Lord came, and said to
me : What, Seth, dost thou ask ? Dost thou ask oil which
raiseth up the sick, or the tree from which this oil flows, on
account of the sickness of thy father ? This is not to be found
now. Go, therefore, and tell thy father, that after the accom-
plishing of five thousand five hundred years ^ from the creation
of the world, then shall come into the earth the only begotten
Son of God, being made man ; and He shall anoint him with
this oil, and shall raise him up ; and shall wash clean, with
water and with the Holy Spirit, both him and those out of
him, and then shall he be healed of every disease ; but now
this is impossible.^
When the patriarchs and the prophets heard these words,
they rejoiced greatly.
Chap. 4 (20). — And when all were in such joy, came Satan
the heir of darkness, and said to Hades : 0 all-devouring and
insatiable, hear my words. There is of the race of the Jews
one named Jesus, calling himself the Son of God ; and being a
man, by our working with them the Jews have crucified him :
and now when he is dead, be ready that we may secure him
' 5500 B.C. was the date commonly assigned to the creation. See Clem.
Strom, i. ; Tlieoph. Ant. ad Autol. iii. ; of. Just. Apol. xxxix.
* For this legend, see the Eevelatiou of Moses.
172 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
here. For I know that he is a man, and I heard him also say-
ing, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.^ He
has also done me many evils when living with mortals in the
upper world. For wherever he found my servants, he perse-
cuted them ; and whatever men I made crooked, blind, lame,
lepers, or any such thing, by a single word he healed them ;
and many whom I had got ready to be buried, even these
through a single word he brought to life again.
Hades says : And is this [man] so powerful as to do such
things by a single word ? or if he be so, canst thou withstand
him ? It seems to me that, if he be so, no one will be able to
withstand him. And if thou sayest that thou didst hear him
dreading death, he said this mocking thee, and laughing, wish-
ing to seize thee with the strong hand ; and woe, woe to thee,
to all eternity !
Satan says : 0 all-devouring and insatiable Hades, art thou
so afraid at hearing of our common enemy ? I was not afraid
of him, but worked in the Jews, and they crucified him, and
gave him also to drink gall with vinegar.^ ]\Iake ready, then,
in order that you may lay fast hold of him when he comes.
Hades answered: Heir of darkness, son of destruction, devil,
thou hast just now told me that many whom thou hadst made
ready to be buried, he brought to life again by a single word.
And if he has delivered others from the tomb, how and with
what power shall he be laid hold of by us ? For I not long
ago swallowed down one dead, Lazarus by name ; and not long
after, one of the living by a single word dragged him up by
force out of my bowels : and I think that it was he of whom
thou speakest. If, therefore, we receive him here, I am afraid
lest percliance we be in danger even about the rest. For, lo,
all those that I have swallowed from eternity I perceive to be
in commotion, and I am pained in my belly. And the snatch-
ing away of Lazarus beforehand seems to me to be no good
sign : for not like a dead body, but like an eagle, he flew out
of me ; for so suddenly did the earth throw him out. Where-
fore also I adjure even thee, for thy benefit and for mine, not
to bring him here ; for I think that he is coming here to raise
all the dead. And this I tell thee : by the darkness in which
' ilaik XV. 34. * Matt, xxvii. 34.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 173
we live, if thou bring him here, not one of the dead will be
left behind in it to me.
Chap. 5 (21). — While Satan and Hades were thus speaking
to each other, there was a great voice like thunder, saying:
Lift up your gates, 0 ye rulers ; and be ye lifted up, ye ever-
lasting gates ; and the King of glory shall come in.^ When
Hades heard, he said to Satan : Go forth, if thou art able,
and withstand him. Satan therefore went forth to the outside.
Then Hades says to his demons : Secure well and strongly the
gates of brass and the bars of iron, and attend to my bolts, and
stand in order,^ and see to everything ; for if he come in here,
woe will seize us.
The forefathers having heard this, began all to revile him,
saying : 0 all-devouring and insatiable ! open, that the King of
glory may come in. David the prophet says : Dost thou not
know, 0 blind, that I when living in the world prophesied this
saying : Lift up your gates, 0 ye rulers ? Hesaias said : I, fore-
seeing this by the Holy Spirit, wrote: The dead shall rise up,
and those in -their tombs shall be raised, and those in the earth
shall rejoice.^ And where, 0 death, is thy sting ? where, 0
Hades, is thy victory ? ^
There came, then, again a voice saying : Lift up the gates.
Hades, hearing the voice the second time, answered as if for-
sooth he did not know, and says : Who is this king of glory ?
The angels of the Lord say : The Lord strong and mighty, the
Lord mighty in battle.^ And immediately with these words
the brazen gates were shattered, and the iron bars broken, and
all the dead who had been bound came out of the prisons, and
we with them. And the King of glory came in in the form of
a man, and all the dark places of Hades were lighted up.
Chap. 6 (22). — Immediately Hades cried out: We have
been conquered : woe to us ! But who art thou, that hast such
power and might ? and what art thou, who comest here without
sin, who art seen to be small and yet of great power, lowly and
exalted, the slave and the master, the soldier and the king,
* Ps. xxiv. 7. ^ Lit., erect. 3 Xg^. xxvi. 19, according to the LXX.
4 Hos. xiii. 14. ^ p^. xxiv. 8.
174 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
who hast power over the dead and the living? Thou wast
nailed on the cross, and placed in the tomb; and now thou art
free, and hast destroyed all our power. Art thou then the
Jesus about whom the chief satrap Satan told us, that through
cross and death thou art to inherit the whole world ?
Then the King of glory seized the chief satrap Satan by the
head, and delivered him to His angels, and said: With iron
chains bind his hands, and his feet, and his neck, and his
mouth. Then He delivered him to Hades, and said : Take him,
and keep him secure till my second appearing.
Chap. 7 (23). — And Hades receiving Satan, said to him:
Beelzebul, heir of fire and punishment, enemy of the saints,
through what necessity didst thou bring about that the King
of glory should be crucified, so that he should come here and
deprive us [of our power] ? Turn and see that not one of the
dead has been left in me, but all that thou hast gained through
the tree of knowledge, all hast thou lost through the tree of the
cross : and all thy joy has .been turned into grief; and wishing
to put to death the Ejng of glory, thou hast put thyself to death.
For, since T have received thee to keep thee safe, by experi-
ence shalt thou learn how many evils I shall do unto thee. 0
arch-devil, the beginning of death, root of sin, end of all evil,
what evil didst thou find in Jesus, that thou shouldst compass
his destruction ? how hast thou dared to do such evil ? how
hast thou busied thyseK to bring down such a man into this
darkness, through whom thou hast been deprived of all who
have died from eternity ?
Chap. 8 (24). — ^While Hades was thus discoursing to Satan,
the King of glory stretched out His right hand, and took hold
of om' forefather Adam, and raised him. Then turning also to
the rest, He said : Come all with me, as many as have died
through the tree which he touched ; for, behold, I again raise
you all up through the tree of the cross. Thereupon He brought
them all out, and our forefather Adam seemed to be filled with
joy, and said: I thank Thy majesty, 0 Lord, that Thou hast
brought me up out of the lowest Hades.^ Likewise also all
1 Ps. Ixxxvi. 13.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 175
the prophets and the saints said: We thank Thee, 0 Christ,
Saviour of the world, that Thou hast brought our life up out of
destruction.^
And after they had thus spoken, the Saviour blessed Adam
with the sign of the cross on his forehead, and did this also to
the patriarchs, and prophets, and martyrs, and forefathers ; and
He took them, and sprang up out of Hades. And while He was
going, the holy fathers accompanying Him sang praises, saying:
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord :^ Alleluia ;
to Him be the glory of all the saints.
Chap. 9 (25). — And setting out to paradise. He took hold of
our forefather Adam by the hand, and delivered him, and all
the just, to the archangel Michael. And as they were going
into the door of paradise, there met them two old men, to
whom the holy fathers said : Who are you, who have not seen
death, and have not come down into Hades, but who dwell
in paradise in your bodies and your souls? One of them
answered, and said: I am Enoch, who was well-pleasing to
God, and who was translated hither by Him; and this is
Helias the Thesbite; and we are also to live until the end
of the world ; and then we are to be sent by God to with-
stand Antichrist, and to be slain by him, and after three days
to rise again, and to be snatched up in clouds to meet the
Lord.^
Chap. 10 (26). — While they were thus speaking, there came
another lowly man, carrying also upon his shoulders a cross, to
whom the holy fathers said : Who art thou, who hast the look
of a robber; and what is the cross which thou bearest upon
thy shoulders ? He answered : I, as you say, was a robber and
a thief in the world, and for these tilings the Jews laid hold
of me, and delivered me to the death of the cross, along with
our Lord Jesus Christ. While, then. He was hanging vipon
the cross, I, seeing the miracles that were done, believed in
Him, and entreated Him, and said. Lord, when Thou shalt
be King, do not forget me. And immediately He said to
me. Amen, amen : to-day, I say unto thee, shalt thou be with
1 Cf. Ps. ciii. 4. ^Ps. cxviii. 26. ^l Tliess. iv. 17 ; Rev, xi. 3-12.
176 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
me in paradise. Therefore I came to paradise carrying my
cross ; and finding the archangel Michael, I said to him, Our
Lord Jesus, who has been crucified, has sent me here ; bring
me, therefore, to the gate of Eden. And the flaming sword,
seeing the sign of the cross, opened to me, and I went in.
Then the archangel says to me. Wait a little, for there cometh
also the forefather of the race of men, Adam, with the just,
that they too may come in. And now, seeing you, I came to
meet you.
The saints hearing these things, all cried out with a loud
voice : Great is our Lord, and great is His strength.^
Chap. 11 (27). — All these things we saw and heard; we, the
two brothers, who also have been sent by Michael the arch-
angel, and have been ordered to proclaim the resurrection of
the Lord, but first to go away to the Jordan and to be baptized.
Thither also we have gone, and have been baptized with the
rest of the dead who have risen. Thereafter also we came to
Jerusalem, and celebrated the passover of the resurrection.
But now we are going away, being unable to stay here. And
the love of God, even the Father, and the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with
you all.^
Having written these things, and secured the rolls, they gave
the half to the chief priests, and the half to Joseph and Nico-
demus. And they immediately disappeared : to the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
^ Ps. cxlvii. 5. 2 2 Qqj._ j^jjj j^^
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
PAET I.— ACTS OF PILATE.
LATIN FORM. •
^NEAS was at first a protector of the Hebrews,
and follower of the law; then the grace of the
Saviour and His great gift took possession of me.
I recognised Christ Jesus in holy Scripture ; I came
to Him, and embraced His faith, so that I might become
worthy of His holy baptism. First of all I searched for the
memoirs written in those times about our Lord Jesus Christ,
which the Jews published in the age of Pontius Pilate, and
we found them in Hebrew writings, drawn up in the age of
the Lord Jesus Christ ; and I translated them into the language
of the Gentiles, in the reign of the eminent Theodosius, who
was fulfilling his seventeenth consulship, and of Valentinian,
consul for the fifth time in the ninth indiction. Whosoever
of you read this book, and transfer it to other copies, remember
me, and pray for me, ^Eneas, least of the servants of God, that
He be merciful to me, and pardon my sins which I have com-
mitted against Him. Peace be to all who shall read these, and
to all their house, for ever ! Amen.
Now it came to pass, in the nineteenth year of the reign of
Tiberius Csesar, emperor of the Eomans, and of Herod, son of
Herod king of Galilee, in the nineteenth year of his rule, on
the eighth day before the kalends of April, which is the twenty-
fifth day of the month of March, in the consulship of Eufinus
and Eubellio, in the fourth year of the 2 02d. Olympiad, under
the rule of Joseph and Caiaphas, priests of the Jews: the things
done by the chief priests and the rest of the Jews, which
M
178 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Nicodemiis recorded after the cross and passion of the Lord,
Nicodemus himself committed to Hebrew letters.
Chap. 1. — Annas and Caiaphas, Summas and Datam, G amaliel,
Judas, Levi, Neptalim, Alexander and Jairus, and the rest of the
Jews, came to Pilate, accusing the Lord Jesus Christ of many
things, and saying : We know him [to be] the son of Joseph the
carpenter, born of Mary; and he says that he is the Son of God,
and a king. Not only so, but he also breaks the Sabbath, and
wishes to do away with the law of our fathers. Pilate says :
What is it that he does, and wishes to destroy the law ? The
Jews say : We have a law, not to heal any one on the Sabbath ;
but he, by evil arts, heals on the Sabbath the lame and the
hunchbacked, the blind, the palsied, the lepers, and the de-
moniacs. Pilate says to them : By what evil arts ? They say
to him : He is a sorcerer ; and by Beelzebub, prince of the
demons, he casts out demons, and they are all subject to him.
Pilate says to them : It is not in an unclean spirit to cast out
demons, but in the god of Scolapius.
The Jews say : We pray thy majesty to set him before thy
tribunal to be heard. Pilate, calling the Jews to him, says to
them : How can I, seeing that I am a governor,^ hear a king ?
They say to him : We do not say that he is a king, but he
himself says he is. And Pilate, calling a runner, says to him :
Let Jesus be brought in with kindness. And the runner, going
out and recognising Him, adored Him, and spread on the
ground the cloak which he carried in .his hand, saying : My
lord, walk upon this, and come in, because the governor calls
thee. But the Jews, seeing what the runner did, cried out
against Pilate, saying: Why didst not thou make him come
in by the voice of a crier, but by a runner ? for the runner,
too, seeing him, has adored him, and has spread out before
him on the ground the cloak which he held in his hand, and
has said to him : My lord, the governor calls thee.
And Pilate, calling the runner, says to him : Wherefore hast
thou dorie this, and honoured Jesus, who is called Christ?
The runner says to him: When thou didst send me into
^ The word in the original is the general term pneses, which the Vulgate uses
for procurator.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 179
Jerusalem to Alexander, I saw him sitting upon an ass, and
the children of the Hebrews breaking branches from the trees,
strewing them in the way ; and others held branches in their
hands ; and others spread their garments in the way, shouting
and saying. Save, therefore. Thou who art in the highest ;
blessed [is He] that cometh in the name of the Lord !
The Jews cried out, saying against the runner : The children
of the Hebrews indeed cried out in Hebrew. How canst thou,
a Gentile, know this ? The runner says to them : I asked one
of the Jews, and said, What is it that they cry out in Hebrew ?
and he explained to me. Pilate says to them : And how did
they cry out in Hebrew ? The Jews said : Osanna in the
highest ! Pilate says to them : What is the meaning of Osanna
in the highest ? They say to him : Save us, Thou who art in
the highest. Pilate says to them: If you yourselves bear
witness to the terms and words in which the children cried
out, in what has the runner sinned ? And they were silent.
The governor says to the runner: Go out, and lead him in,
in whatever way thou wilt. And the runner, going forth, did
after the same form as before, and says to Jesus: My lord,
go in, because the governor calls thee.
As Jesus, then, was going in, and the standard-bearers
bearing the standards, the heads of the standards were bowed
of themselves, and adored Jesus. And the Jews, seeing the
standards, how they bowed themselves and adored Jesus, cried
out the more against the standard-bearers. And Pilate says
to the Jews : Do you not wonder at the way in which the
standards have bowed themselves and adored Jesus? The Jews
say to Pilate : We saw how the men carrying the standards
bowed themselves and adored Jesus. And the governor, call-
ing the standard-bearers, says to them : Why have you so
done ? They say to Pilate : We are Gentile men, and slaves of
the temples : how had we ^ to adore him ? for when we were
holding the figures,^ they themselves bowed and adored him.
Pilate says to the chiefs of the synagogue and the elders of
the people : Choose ye men powerful and strong, and let them
hold the standards, and let us see whether they will bow of
* i.e. was it possible for lis.
* Vultus. He seems to have read wpoffwra, and not Tporoficei, as in the Greek.
1«0 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
themselves. And the elders of the Jews, taking twelve men
very strc^ng and powerful, made them hold the standards, six
and six ; ^nd they stood before the governor's tribunal. Pilate
says to the runner : Take out Jesus outside of the prsetorium,
and bring him in again,'i£' whatever way thou wilt. And Jesus
and the runner went outsiJ^^ of the prsetorium. And Pilate,
calling those who had formeSf l^eld the standards, said to
them: By the health of Ciesar, it t^^ standards do not bow
themselves when Jesus comes in, I ^'}^ cut off your heads.
And the governor ordered Jesus to com^f; ^^ ^ second time.
And the runner did after the same form as befere, and besought
Jesus much that He would go up and walk upP^ ^^^ cloak.
And He walked upon it, and went in. And as"^,J^sus was
going in, immediately the standards bowed themsei',ves, and
adored Jesus. '''
Chap. 2. — And Pilate seeing, fear seized him, and in^^®"
diately he wished to rise from the tribunal. And while he V^^^
thinking of this, [viz.] to rise and go away, his wife sent ^
him, saying : Have nothing to do with that just man,^ for ^
have suffered much on account of him this night. And Pilate,^,
calling the Jews, said to them : Ye know that my wife is a
worshipper of God, and in Judaism thinks rather with you.
The Jews say to him : So it is, and we know. Pilate says to
them : Lo, my wife has sent to me, saying : Have nothing to
do with that just man,^ for I have suffered much on account of
him this night. And the Jews answering, said to Pilate : Did
we not say to thee that he is a magician ? Lo, he has sent a
vision of dreams to thy wife.
Pilate called Jesus, and said to him : What is it that these
witness against thee, and sayst thou nothing to them ? And
Jesus answered : If they had not the power, they would not
speak. Every one has power over his own mouth to say good
and evil ; let them see ^ [to it].
And the elders of the Jews answering, say to Jesus : What
shall we see ? Pirst, that thou wast born of fornication ;
second, that at tliy birth in Bethlehem there took place a
^ Lit., nothing to thee and that just man.
* Lit., they will see.
THE GOSPEL OF NICOBEMUS. 181
massacre of infants ; third, that thy father Joseph and thy
mother Mary fled into Egypt, because they had no confidence
in the people.
Some of the bystanders, kind [men] of the Jews, say : We
say that he was not born of fornication ; but we know that
Mary was espoused to Joseph, and that he was not born of
fornication. Pilate says to the Jews who said that he was of
fornication : This speech of yours is not true, seeing that the
betrothal took place, as these of your nation say. Annas and
Caiaphas say to Pilate : AVe with all the multitude say that he
was born of fornication, and that he is a magician ; but these
are proselytes, and his disciples. And Pilate, calling Annas
and Caiaphas, says to them : What are proselytes ? They say
to him : They have been born sons of the Gentiles, and then
have become Jews. Then answered those who testified that
Jesus was not born of fornication, Lazarus and Asterius, Anto-
nius and James, Annes and Azaras, Samuel and Isaac, Pinees
and Crispus, Agrippa and Judas : We were not born proselytes,
but are sons- of the Jews, and we speak the truth ; for we were
present at the betrothal of Mary.
And Pilate, calling to him those twelve men who proved
that Jesus had not been born of fornication, said to them : I
adjure you by the health of Caesar, tell me if it be true that
Jesus was not born of fornication. They say to Pilate : We
have a law not to swear, because it is a sin; but let them
swear by the health of Ceesar that it is not as we say, and we
are worthy of death. Then said Pilate to Annas and Caiaphas :
Answer you nothing to those things which these testify ? Annas
and Caiaphas say to Pilate : Those twelve are believed that he
is not born of fornication ; w^e — all the people — cry out that he
was born of fornication, and is a magician, and says that he
himself is the Son of God and a king, and we are not believed.
And Pilate ordered all the multitude to go outside, except
the twelve men who said that He was not born of fornication,
and ordered to separate Jesus from them. And Pilate says to
them : For what reason do the Jews wish to put Jesus to death ?
And they say to him : They are angry because he heals on the
Sabbath. Pilate said : For a good work do they wish to put
him to death ? They say to him : Yes, my lord.
182 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
Chap. 3. — Pilate, filled with fury, went forth outside of the prre-
torium, and says to them : I take the sun to witness that I find
in this man not even one fault. The Jews answered and said
to the governor : If he were not an evil-doer, we should never
have delivered him to thee. Pilate says to them : Take him,
and judge him according to your law. The Jews answered : It
is not permitted to us to put any one to death. Pilate says to
them : Has God said to you not to put any one to death ? has
He therefore said to me that I am to kill ?
Pilate having again gone into the prsetorium, called Jesus to
him privately, and said to Him : Art thou the king of the
Jews ? Jesus answered Pilate : Speakest thou this of thyself,
or have others said [it] to thee of me ? Pilate answered : Am
I a Jew ? Thy nation and the chief priests have delivered
thee to me. What hast thou done ? Jesus answering, said :
My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this
world, my servants would assuredly strive that I should not be
delivered to the Jews ; but now my kingdom is not from hence.
Pilate said to Him : Art thou then a king ? Jesus said to
him : Thou sayest that I am a king. For I for this was born,
and for this have I come, that I should bear witness to the
truth; and every one who is of the truth hears my voice.
Pilate says to him : What is truth ? Jesus says : Truth is from
heaven. Pilate says : Is not there truth upon earth ? Jesus
says to Pilate : Notice how the truth-speaking are judged by
those who have pov^er upon earth.
Chap. 4. — Pilate therefore, leaving Jesus within the prse-
torium, went out to the Jews, and says to them : I find not
even one fault in him. The Jews say to him : He said, I can
destroy that temple, and in three days raise it again. Pilate
said to them : What temple ? The Jews say to him : [The
temple] which Solomon built in forty and six years ; and he
says [that he can] destroy and build it in three days. Pilate
says to them : I am innocent of the blood of this man ; see ye
[to it]. The Jews say to him : His blood [be] upon us, and
upon our children.
And Pilate, calling the elders and priests and Levites, says
to them privately : Do not do so ; for in nothing, though you
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 183
accuse liim, do I find him deserving of death, not even about
the healing and the breaking of the Sabbath. The priests and
Levites and elders say : Tell us, if any one blaspheme Csesar,
is he deserving of death or not ? Pilate says to them : He
deserves to die. The Jews answered him : How much more
is he who has blasphemed God deserving to die !
And the governor ordered the Jews to go outside of the
preetorium ; and calling Jesus, said to Him : What am I to do
to thee ? Jesus says to Pilate : As it has been given [thee].
Pilate says : How has it been given ? Jesus says : Moses and
the prophets made proclamation of my death and resurrection.
And the Jews, hearing this, say to Pilate : Why do you desire
any more to hear blasphemy ? And Pilate said : If this speech
is blasphemous, do you take him, and lead him to your syna-
gogue, and judge him according to your law. The Jews say to
Pilate : Our law holds, If a man have sinned against a man,
he is worthy to receive forty less one ; but he who has blas-
phemed against God, to be stoned.
Pilate says to them : Then judge him according to your law.
The Jews say to Pilate : We wish that he be crucified. Pilate
says to them : He does not deserve to be crucified.
And the governor, looking upon the people of the Jews
standing round, saw very many of the Jews weeping, and said :
All the multitude does not wish him to die. The elders say
to Pilate : And for this reason have we come — the whole mul-
titude— that he should die. Pilate said to the Jews : What
has he done that he should die ? They say : Because lie said
that he was the Son of God, and a king.
Chap. 5. — But one Nicodemus, a Jew, stood before the
governor, and said: I .entreat, mercifully allow me to say a
few words. Pilate says to him : Say on. Nicodemus says : I
said to the elders and the priests and the Levites, and to all
the multitude of the Jews, in the synagogue, What have you
[to do] with this man? This man does many wonders and
signs, which no one of men has done or can do. Let him go,
and do not devise any evil against him : if the signs which he
does are of God, they will stand ; but if of men, they will come
to nothing. For Moses also, being sent by God into Egypt,
184 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
did many signs, which God told him to do before Pharaoh king
of Egypt. And'the sorcerers Jamnes and Mambres were there
healing, and they did, they also, the signs which Moses did,
but not all ; and the Egyptians deemed them as gods, Jamnes
and Mambres. And since the signs which they did were not of
God, they perished, both they and those who believed in them.
And now let this man go, for he is not deserving of death.
The Jews say to Nicodemus : Thou hast become his dis-
ciple, and takest his part.^ Nicodemus says to them: Has
the governor also become his disciple, and does he take his
part ? Has not Caesar set him over that dignity ? And the
Jews were raging and gnashing with their teeth against Nico-
demus. Pilate says to them : Why do you gnash with your
teeth against him, [when you are] hearing the truth? The
Jews say to Nicodemus : Mayst thou receive his truth, and a
portion with him ! Nicodemus says : Amen, amen, amen ; may
I receive [it], as you have said !
Chap. 6. — And of the Jews a certain other one, starting up,
asks the governor that he might say a word. The governor
says : What thou wishest to say, say. And he said : For thirty-
eight years I lay in infirmity in my bed in very grievous pain.
And at the coming of Jesus, many demoniacs, and [persons]
held down by divers infirmities, were healed by him. And
some young men had pity on me ; and carrying me in my bed,
laid me before him. And Jesus, seeing, had pity on me, and
said the word to me. Take up thy bed, and walk. And im-
mediately I was made whole ; I took up my bed, and walked.
The Jews say to Pilate : Ask him what was the day on which
he was healed. He said : The Sabbath. The Jews say : Have
we not so informed thee, that on the . Sabbath he heals, and
drives out demons ?
And a certain other Jew starting up, said : I was born blind;
I heard a voice, and saw no man. And as Jesus was passing
by, I cried out with a loud voice. Have pity upon me, thou
son of David. And he had pity upon me, and laid his hands
upon my eyes, and I saw immediately. And another Jew
starting up, said : I was hunchbacked, and he straightened me
' Lit., makest a word for him.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 185
with a word. And another said : I was leprous, and he liealed
me with a word.
Chap. 7. — And also a certain woman, Veronica by name,
from afar off cried out to the governor: I was flowing with
blood for twelve years ; and I touched the fringe of his gar-
ment, and immediately the flowing of my blood stopped. The
Jews say : We have a law, that a woman does not come to bear
witness.
Chap. 8. — And certain others, a multitude of men and
women, cried out, saying : That man is a prophet, and the
demons are subject to him. Pilate says to those who said the
demons are subject to him : And your masters, why are they
not subject to him ? They say to Pilate : We do not know.
And others said to Pilate : He raised up dead Lazarus from
the tomb after four days. The governor, hearing this, said
trembling to all the multitude of the Jews : Why do you wish
to shed innocent blood ?
Chap. 9. — And Pilate, calling l^icodemus and the twelve
men who said that he was not born of fornication, says to them:
Wliat am I to do, seeing that there is a sedition among the
people? They say to him: We do not know; let them see to it.
Again Pilate, calling all the multitude of the Jews, said : You
know that you have a custom during the day of unleavened
bread, that I should release to you one that is bound. I have a
notable one bound in the prison, a murderer who is called Bar-
abbas, and Jesus who is called Christ, in whom I find no cause
of death. Whom do you wish that I should release unto you ?
And they all cried out, saying: Kelease unto us Barabbas.
Pilate says to them : What, then, am I to do with Jesus who
is called Christ? They all say: Let him be crucified. Again
the Jews said : Thou art no friend of Csesar's if thou release
this man, for he called himself the Son of God, and a king;
unless, perhaps, thou wishest this man to be king, and not
Csesar.
Then, filled with fury, Pilate said to them : Always has your
nation been seditious, and always have you been opposed to
186 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
those who were for you. The Jews answered : Who are for us ?
Pilate says to them : Your God, — who rescued you from the
hard slavery of the Egyptians, and led you forth out of Egypt
through the sea as if through dry land, and fed you in the
desert with manna and quail, and brought water to you out of
the rock, and gave you to drink, and gave you a law ; and in
all these things you provoked your God, and sought for your-
selves a god, a molten calf And you exasperated your God,
and He wished to slay you ; and Moses made supplication for
you, that ye should not die. And now you say that I hate the
king.
And rising up from the tribunal, he wished to go outside.
And the Jews cried out, and said to him : We know that Csesar
is king, and not Jesus. For the magi also presented gifts to
him as to a king; and Herod, hearing from the magi that a
king was born, wished to slay him. But when this was known,
his father Joseph took him and his mother, and fled into Egypt ;
and Herod hearing, destroyed the infants of the Jews which
were born in Bethlehem.
Pilate hearing those words, was afraid. And silence being
made among the people, who were crying out, Pilate said : This,
then, is he whom Herod sought ? They say to him : It is he.
And taking water, Pilate washed his hands in presence of the
people, saying : I am innocent of the blood of this just man ;
see ye to it. Again the Jews cried out, saying : His blood [be]
upon us, and upon our children.
Then Pilate ordered the veil to be loosened,^ and said to
Jesus : Thine own nation have brought charges against thee as
a king; and therefore I have sentenced thee first to be scourged
on account of the statutes of the emperors, and then to be
crucified on a cross.
Chap. 10. — And when Jesus was scourged, he delivered Him
to the Jews to be crucified, and two robbers with Him ; one
by name Dismas, and the other by name Gestas. And when
they came to the place, they stripped Him of His garments,
and girt Him about with a linen cloth, and put a crown of
thorns upon His head. Likewise also they hanged the two
• See note, p. 135.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 187
robbers with Him, Dismas on the right and Gestas on the
left. And Jesus said : Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do. And the soldiers parted His garments among
them. And the people stood waiting ; and their chief priests
and judges mocked Him, saying among themselves : He saved
others, now let him save himself; if he is the Son of God, let
him come down from the cross. And the soldiers mocked
Him, falling prostrate^ before Him, and offering vinegar with
gall, and saying : If thou art the Eling of the Jews, set thyself
free.
And Pilate, after sentence, ordered a title to be written in
Hebrew, Greek, and Latin letters, according to what the Jews
said : This is the King of the Jews.
And one of the robbers [who were] hanged, by name Gestas,
said to Him : If thou art the Christ, free thyself and us. And
Dismas answering, rebuked him, saying : Dost not even thou
fear God, who art in this condemnation ? for we justly and de-
servedly have received those things which we endure ; but He
has done no evil. And he kept saying to Jesus : Eemember
me. Lord, in Thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him : Verily I
say unto thee, that to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Chap. 11. — And it was about the sixth hour, and there was
darkness over the whole earth ; and the sun was obscured, and
the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And crying out
with a loud voice. He said : Father, into Thy hands I commend
my spirit. And thus saying. He gave up the ghost. And the
centurion, seeing what was done, glorified God, saying : This
was a just man. And all the people who were present at that
spectacle, seeing what was done, beating their breasts, returned.
And the centurion reported to the governor what was done.
And the governor and his wife hearing, were very sorrowful,
and neither ate nor drank that day. And Pilate, calling to-
gether the Jews, said to them : Have you seen what has been
done ? And they said to the governor : There has been an
eclipse of the sun, as is usual.
And his acquaintances also stood afar off, and the women
> Procidentes ; but this, according to the Greek, should he procedentes, coming
before Him.
188 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
who had followed Him from Galilee, seeing these things. And
lo, a certain man, by name Joseph, holding office, a man good
and just, who did not consent to their counsels nor their deeds,
from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, waiting, he also, for the
kingdom of God, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus.
And taking Him down from the cross, he wrapt Him in clean
linen, and laid Him in his own new tomb, in which no one
had been laid.
Chap. 12. — And the Jews, hearing that Joseph had begged
the body of Jesus, sought for him ; and those twelve men who
had said that He was not born of fornication, and Nicodemus,
and many others, who had stood before Pilate and declared
His good works. And all of them being hid, Nicodemus alone
appeared to them, because he was a chief man of the Jews ;
and he says to them :. How have ye come into the synagogue ?
The Jews say to him : And thou, how hast thou come into the
synagogue, seeing that thou consentest with him? May his
portion be with thee in the world to come ! Nicodemus said :
Amen, amen, amen. Likewise also Joseph, coming forth, said
to them : Why are you enraged against me because I begged
the body of Jesus ? Lo, I have laid him in my own new
tomb, wrapping him in clean linen ; and I have rolled a stone
to the door of the cave. And ye have not acted well against
a just man, since you have not borne in mind how you cruci-
fied him, and pierced him with a lance. The Jews therefore,
laying hold of Joseph, ordered him to be imprisoned because
of the Sabbath-day ; and they say to him : Know that the hour
compels us not to do anything against thee, because the Sab-
bath is dawning. But understand that thou art worthy not
even of burial, but we will give thy flesh to the birds of the
air and the beasts of the earth. Joseph says to them : That is
the speech of proud Goliath, who reviled the living God against
holy David. And God hath said. Vengeance is . mine ; I will
repay, saith the Lord. And Pilate, intercepted ^ in his heart,
* Another reading is compundus, pricked. The reading in the text, obstructus,
is a curious mistranslation of the word in the Greek, ■jnpiTiTf/.r,fiivos, cwt awaj all
round, i.e. circumcised ; or, by an obvious transition, hemmed in — the meaning
adopted in the version before us.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 189
took water, and washed his hands before the sun, saying, I
am innocent of the blood of this just man ; see ye to it. And
you answered and said to Pilate, His blood be upon us, and
upon our children. And now I fear that some time or other
the wrath of God will come upon you and your children, as
you have said. And the Jews, hearing tliis, were embittered
in heart; and taking Joseph, shut him up in a house where
there was no window, and set guards at
the gate where Joseph had been shut up.
And on the Sabbath morning they took counsel with the
priests and the Levites, that they should all be assembled after
the Sabbath-day. And awaking at dawn, all the multitude in
the synagogue took counsel by what death they should slay him.
And when the assembly was sitting, they ordered him to be
brought with much indignity ; and opening the gate, they found
him not. All the people therefore were in terror, and wondered
with exceeding astonishment, because they found the seals
sealed, and because Caiaphas had the keys. And no longer
did they dare to lay hand upon those who spoke before Pilate
in Jesus' defence.
Chap. 1 3. — And while they were sitting in the synagogue, and
recriminating about Joseph, there came certain of the guards
whom they had asked from Pilate to guard the sepulchre of
Jesus, lest His disciples coming should steal Him. And they
reported, saying to the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests
and the Levites, what had happened : how there had happened
a great earthquake, and we saw how an angel of the Lord came
down from heaven, and rolled away the stone from the door
of the tomb, and sat upon it ; and his countenance was like
lightning, and his raiment like snow. And for fear, we be-
came as dead. And we heard the voice of the angel speaking
to the women who had come to the sepulchre, and saying, Be
not ye afraid ; for I know that ye seek Jesus who was cruci-
fied : He is not here ; He has risen, as He said : come and see
the place where the Lord was laid. And go immediately and
tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and will go
before you into Galilee, as He said to you.
The Jews say : To what women was he speaking ? The
190 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
soldiers say : We do not know who the women were. The
Jews say : At what hour was it ? The guards say : At mid-
night. The Jews say : And why did you not detain them ?
The guards say : We became as dead from fear of the angel,
not hoping now to see the light of day ; and how could we
detain them ? The Jews say : [As] the Lord God liveth, we
do not believe you. And the guards said to the Jews: You
have seen so great signs in that man, and have not believed ;
and how can you believe us, that the Lord lives ? For well
have ye sworn that the Lord Jesus Christ lives. Again the
guards say to the Jews : AVe have heard that you have shut up
Joseph, who begged the body of Jesus, in the prison, and have
sealed it with your rings ; and on opening, that you have not
found, him. Give us Joseph, then, and we shall give you
Jesus Christ. The Jews said : Joseph has gone to Arimathea,
his own city. The guards say to the Jews : And Jesus, as we
have heard from the angel, is in Galilee.
And the Jews, hearing these sayings, feared exceedingly,
saying : Lest at some time or other this saying be heard, and
all believe in Jesus. And the Jews, taking counsel among
themselves, brought forth a sufficient number of silver pieces,
and gave to the soldiers, saying : Say that, while we slept, his
disciples came and stole him. And if this be heard by the
governor, we shall persuade ^ him, and make you secure. And
the soldiers, taking [the money], said as they were advised by
the Jews ; and their saying was spread abroad among all.
Chap. 14. — And Finees a certain priest, and Addas a teacher,
and Egias a Levite, coming down from Galilee to Jerusalem,
reported to the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests and
the Levites, how they had seen Jesus sitting, and his disciples
with him, on the Mount of Olivet, which is called Mambre, or
Malech. And he said to his disciples : Go into all the world,
and declare to every creature the gospel of the kingdom of God.
He who believeth and is baptized shall be sav^d ; but he who
believeth not shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow
them who believe : In my name shall they cast out demons ;
they shall speak in new tongues ; they shall take up serpents ;
^ ConfirmaUmua.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 191
and if tliey have drunk any deadly thing, it shall not hnrt
them ; they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall be
well. And as Jesus was thus speaking to his disciples, we
saw him taken up into heaven.
The priests and the Levites and the elders say to them : Give
glory to the God of Israel, and give confession to Him, whether
you have both heard and seen those things which you have
related. Those who had made the report say: As the Lord
God of our fathers liveth, the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, we have heard and seen. The
Jews say to them : Have you come for this — to tell us ? or
have you come to give prayer to God ? They said : We have
come to give prayer to God. The elders and chief priests and
Levites say to them : And if you have come to give prayer to
God, why have you murmured before all the people about that
foolish tale ? Finees the priest, and Addas the teacher, and
Egias the Levite, say to the rulers of the synagogue, and the
priests and the Levites : If those words which we have spoken,
which we have seen and heard, be sin, behold, we are in your
presence ; do unto us according to that which is good in your
eyes. And they, taking the law, adjured them to report the
words to no one thereafter. And they gave them to eat and
drink, and put them outside of the city, giving them silver
pieces, and three men with them, who should conduct them as
far as Galilee.
Then the Jews took counsel among themselves when those
men had gone up into Galilee ; and the rulers of the synagogue
shut themselves in, and were cut up^ with great fury, saying :
What sign is this which hath come to pass in Israel ? And
Annas and Caiaphas say : AVhy are your sovils sorrowful ? Are
we to' believe the soldiers, that an angel of the Lord came down
from heaven, and rolled away the stone from the door of the
tomb ? [No] ; but that his disciples have given much gold to
those who were guarding the sepulchre, and have taken Jesus
away, and have taught them thus to say : Say ye that an angel
of the Lord came down from heaven, and rolled away the stone
from the door of the tomb. Do you not know that it is unlaw-
' Conddebantur, a mistranslation from considering IxsVrovro as passive, they
were cut, instead of middle, they beat their breasts.
192 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
fill for Jews to believe foreigners in a single word, knowing
that these same who received sufficient 'gold from us have said
as we taught them ?
Chap. 15. — And Nicodemus rising up, stood in the midst of
the council, and said : You have said rightly. And are not the
men who have come down from Galilee God-fearing, men of
peace, hating a lie ? And they recounted with an oath, how
" we saw Jesus sitting on Mount Mambre with his disciples,
and he taught them in our hearing," and that they saw him
taken up into heaven. And no one asked them this : How he
was taken up into heaven. And, as the Avriting of the holy
book teaches us, holy Elias too was taken up into heaven, and
Elisseus cried out with a loud voice, and Elias threw his sheep-
skin over Elisaeus ; and again Elisseus threw that sheepskin
over the Jordan, and went over and came to Jericho. And the
sons of the prophets met him, and said to Elisa3us, Where is
thy master Elias ? And he said. He has been taken up into
heaven. And they said to Elisseus, Has a spirit snatched him
away, and thrown him upon one of the mountains ? But rather
let us take our boys ^ with us and seek him. And they per-
suaded Elisa3us, and he went with them. And they sought him
for three days and three nights, and found him not, because he
was taken up. And now, men, hear me, and let us send into
all Israel, and see lest Jesus can have been taken up somewhere
or other, and thrown upon one of the mountains. And that
saying pleased all. And they sent to all the mountains of
Israel to seek Jesus, and they found Him not ; but they found
Joseph of Arimathea, and no one dared to lay hold of him.
And they reported to the elders and priests and Levites : We
have gone round all the mountains of Israel, and not found
Jesus ; but we have found Joseph in Arimathea. And hearing
of Joseph, they rejoiced, and gave glory to the God of Israel.
And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests and the Levites,
taking counsel in what manner they should send to Joseph,
took paper, and wrote to Joseph : —
Peace to thee and all that is thine ! We know that we have
sinned against God, and against thee ; and thou hast prayed to
' i.e. servants.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 193
the God of Israel, and He has delivered thee out of our hands.
And now deign to come to thy fathers and thy children, be-
cause we have been vehemently grieved. We have all sought for
thee — we who opened the door, and found thee not. We know
that we counselled evil counsel against thee ; but the Lord
hath supplanted our counsel against thee. Thou art worthy to
be honoured, father Joseph, by all the people.
And they chose out of all Israel seven men friendly to Joseph,
whom also Joseph knew to be friendly; and the rulers of the
synagogue and the priests and the Levites say to them : See, if
he take the letter and read it, for certain he will come with you
to us ; but if he do not read it, you may know that he is ill-
disposed toward us, and, saluting him in peace, return to us.
And blessing them, they sent them away. And they came to
Arimathea to Joseph, and adored him on their face upon the
ground, and said : Peace to thee and all thine ! And Joseph
said : Peace to you, and to all the people of Israel ! And they
gave him the roll of the letter. And Joseph took and read it,
and rolled up the letter, 'and blessed God, and said: Blessed
[be] the Lord God, who hath delivered Israel from shedding
innocent blood ; and blessed [be] God, who sent His angel, and
covered me under his wings. And he kissed them, and set a
table for them ; and they ate and drank, and slept there.
And they rose in the morning ; and Joseph saddled his ass,
and travelled with them, and they came into the holy city
Jerusalem. And there met them all the people, crying out,
and saying : Peace [be] in thy coming in, father Joseph ! To
whom he answered and said : The peace of the Lord [be] upon
all the people ! And they all kissed him. And they prayed
with Joseph, and were terrified at the sight of him. And Nico-
demus took him into his house, and made a great feast, and
called Annas and Caiaphas, and the elders and chief priests
and Levites, to his house. And making merry, and eating
and drinking with Joseph, they blessed God, and went every
one to his own house. And Joseph remained in the house of
Nicodemus.
And on the next day, which is the preparation, the priests
and the rulers of the synagogue and the Levites rose early, and
came to the house of Nicodemus. And Nicodemus met them,
N
194 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and said to tliem: Tcace to you! And tliey said to liim:
Peace to thee and Joseph, and to thy house and Joseph's
house ! And Nicodemus brought them into his house. And the
council sat ; and Joseph sat between Annas and Caiaphas, and
no one dared to say a word. And Joseph said to them : Why
have you called me ? And they made signs with their eyes
to Nicodemus, that he should speak with Joseph. And Nico-
demus opening his mouth, said : Father Joseph, thou knowest
that the reverend teachers, priests, and Levites seek to hear a
word from thee. And Joseph said : Ask, And Annas and
Caiaphas, taking up the law, adjured Joseph, saying : Give glory
to the God of Israel, and give confession to Him, that thou wilt
not hide any word ^ from us. And they said to him : With
grief were we grieved that thou didst beg the body of Jesus,
and wrap it in clean linen, and lay it in a tomb. Therefore
we shut thee up in a house where there was no window, and
put a lock and a seal on the gate ; and on the first day of the
week we opened the gates, and found thee not. We were
therefore exceedingly grieved, and astonishment came over all
the people of God. And therefore hast thou been sent for;
and now tell us what has happened.
Then said Joseph : On the day of the preparation, about the
tenth hour, you shut me in, and I remained there the whole
Sabbath in full. And when midnight came, as I was standing
and praying, the house where you shut me in was hung up by
the four corners, and there was a flashing of light in mine eyes.
And I fell to the ground trembling. Then some one lifted me
up from the place where I had fallen, and poured over me an
abundance of water from the head even to the feet, and put
round my nostrils the odour of a wonderful ointment, and
rubbed my face with the water itself, as if washing me, and
kissed me, and said to me, Joseph, fear not ; but open thine
eyes, and see who it is that speaks to thee. And looking, I saw
Jesus ; and being terrified, I thought it was a phantom. And
with prayer and the commandments I spoke to him, and he
spoke with me. And I said to him : Art thou Kabbi EHas ?
And he said to me : I am not Elias. And I said : Who art
thou, my lord ? And he said to me : I am Jesus, whose body
^ Tlie Greek fr.fia means thing as well as word.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 195
thou didst beg from Pilate, and wrap in clean linen ; and thou
didst lay a napkin on my face, and didst lay me in thy new-
tomb, and roll a stone to the door of the tomb. Then I said to
him that was speaking to me : Show me. Lord, where I laid
thee. And he led me, and showed me the place where I laid
him, and the linen which I had put on him, and the napkin
which I had wrapped upon his face ; and I knew that it was
Jesus. And he took hold of me with his hand, and put me in
the midst of my house though the gates were shut, and put me
in my bed, and said to me : Peace to thee ! And he kissed
me, and said to me : For forty days go not out of thy house ;
for, lo, I go to my brethren into Galilee.
Chap. 1 6. — And the rulers of the synagogue, and the priests
and the Levites, hearing these words from Joseph, became as it
were dead, and fell to the ground, and fasted until the ninth
hour. And Joseph and Nicodemus entreated them, saying:
Arise and stand upon your feet, and taste bread, and comfort
your souls, seeing that to-morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord.
And they arose, and entreated the Lord, and ate and drank,
and went every man to his own house.
And on the Sabbath the teachers and doctors sat questioning
each other, and saying: What is this wrath that has come
upon us ? because we know his father and mother. Levi the
teacher said: I know that his parents fear God, and never
depart from prayer, and give tithes thrice a-year. And when
Jesus was born, his parents brought him up to this place, and
gave to God sacrifices and burnt-offerings. And assuredly the
great teacher Simeon took him into his arms, saying: Now
Thou sendest away Thy servant, 0 Lord, according to Thy
word, in peace ; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which
Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, a light
for the revealing of the nations, and the glory of Thy people
Israel. And he blessed Mary his mother, and said, I make
an announcement to thee concerning this child. And Mary
said, Well, my lord.^ And Simeon said. Well. And he said
again, Lo, he has been set for the fall and rising again of
many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against ;
1 Perhaps this would be better as a question: Is it good ?
196 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
and a sword shall pierce thine own soul, that the thoughts of
many hearts may be revealed.
And the Jews said to Levi : And how know^est thou these
things ? Levi says : Do you not know that from him I learned
the law ? They of the council say : We wish to see thy
father. And they searched out his father, and got information;
for he said : "Why did you not believe my son ? The blessed
and just Simeon taught him the law. The council says to
Eabbi Levi : The saying which thou hast spoken is true. The
chief priests and rulers of the synagogue, and Levites, said to
each, other : Come, let us send into Galilee to the three men
who came hither and gave an account of his teaching and his
being taken up, and let them tell us how they saw him taken
up into heaven. And that saying pleased all. Then they sent
three men into Galilee ; and Go, said they, say to Eabbi Addas
and Eabbi Finees and Eabbi Egias, Peace to you and yours !
Many investigations have been made in the council concerning
Jesus; therefore have we been instructed to call you to the
holy place, to Jerusalem.
The men went to Galilee, and found them sitting, and medi-
tating on the law. And they saluted them in peace. And
they said : Why have you come ? The messengers said : The
council summon you to the holy city Jerusalem. And the men,
hearing that they were sought for by the council, prayed to
God, and reclined with the men, and ate and drank with them.
And rising in the morning, they went to Jerusalem in peace.
And on the morrow the council sat; and they questioned
them, saying: Did you plainly see Jesus sitting on Mount
Mambre teaching his disciples, and taken up into heaven ?
First Addas the teacher says : I really saw him sitting on
Mount Mambre teaching his disciples ; and a shining cloud
overshadowed him and his disciples, and he went up into
heaven ; and his disciples prayed upon their faces on the
ground. And calling Finees the priest, they questioned him
also, saying: How didst thou see Jesus taken up? And he
said the same as the other. And again they called the third,
Eabbi Egias, and questioned him, and he said the same as the
first and second. And those who were in the council said :
The law of Moses holds that by the mouth of two or three
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 197
every word should stand. Abudem, a teacher, one of the
doctors, says : It is written in the law, Enoch walked with God,
and was translated ; for God took him. Jairus, a teacher, said :
And we have heard of the death of holy Moses, and have not
seen (it) ; for it is written in the law of the Lord, And Moses
died according to the word^ of the Lord, and no man knoweth
of his burying even to the present day, Eabbi Levi said:
Wliat is it that Eabbi Simeon said : Lo, he lies for the fall and
rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be
spoken against ? Eabbi Isaac said : It is written in the law,
Lo, I send mine angel, who shall go before thy face to keep
thee in every good way, because I have brought his^ new
name.
Then Annas and Caiaphas said : Eightly have ye said that
these things are written in the law of Moses, that no one saw
the death of Enoch, and no one has named the burying of holy
Moses. And Jesus gave account to ® Pilate, and we saw him
scourged, and receiving spitting on his face ; and the soldiers
put a crown of thorns on him, and he received sentence from
Pilate ; and then he was crucified, and they gave him gall and
vinegar to drink, and two robbers were crucified with him,
and the soldier Longinus pierced his side with a lance; and
our honourable father Joseph begged his body, and he has risen
again, and, as they say, the three teachers have seen him taken
up into heaven. And Eabbi Levi has borne witness to what
was said by Simeon the elder — that he has been set for the
fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which
shall be spoken against.
Then Didas, a teacher, said to all the assembly ; If all the
things which these have borne witness to have come to pass
in Jesus, they are from God, and let it not be wonderful in our
eyes.'' The chiefs of the synagogue, and the priests and the
Levites, said to each other how our law holds, saying: His
name shall be blessed for ever : His place endureth before the
sun, and His seat before the moon : and all the tribes of earth
shall be blessed in Him, and all nations shall serve Him ; and
kings shall come from far, adoring and magnifying Him."
* Lit., mouth. 2 q^^ j^s. The text of the clause is corrupt.
3 i,e. was tried before. * Cf. Ps, cxviii, 23. ^ Ps, Ixxii, 11, 17.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
PAET IL — CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO HELL.
LATIN. FIRST VERSION.
CHAPTER L (17.)
ND Joseph rose up and said to Annas and Caiaphas :
Truly and well do you wonder, since you have
heard that Jesus has been seen alive from the
dead, ascending up into heaven. But it is more
to be wondered at that he is not the only one who has risen
from the dead ; but he has raised up alive out of their tombs
many others of the dead, and they have been seen by many
in Jerusalem. And hear me now, that we all know the blessed
Simeon, the great priest, who took up with his hands Jesus,
when an infant, in the temple. And Simeon himself had two
sons, full brothers ; and we aU were at their falling asleep, and
at their burial. Go, therefore, and see their tombs : for they
are open, because they have risen ; and, behold, they are in the
city of Arimathea, living together in prayers. And, indeed,
they are heard crying out, but speaking with nobody, and
they are silent as the dead. But come, let us go to them;
let us conduct them to us with all honour and respect. And
if we adjure them, perhaps they will speak to us of the mystery
of their resurrection.
At hearing this they all rejoiced. And Annas and Caia-
phas, Nicodenms, and Joseph, and Gamaliel, went, and did not
find them in their sepulchres ; but, walking into the city of
Arimathea, they found them there, on their bended knees, and
198
THE GOSPEL OF NIC OD EM US. 199
spending their time in prayer. And kissing them, they con-
ducted them to Jerusalem, into the synagogue, with all venera-
tion and fear of God. And shutting the doors, and lifting up
the law of the Lord, they put it in their hands, adjuring them
by the God Adonai, and the God of Israel, who by the law
and the prophets spoke to our fathers, saying : Do you believe
that it was Jesus who raised you from the dead ? Tell us how
you have risen from the dead.
Karinus and Leucius, hearing this adjuration, trembled in
their body, and groaned, being disturbed in heart. And together
they looked towards heaven, and with their fingers made the
sign of the cross on their tongues, and immediately they spoke
together, saying : Give each of us sheets of paper, and let us
write what we have seen and heard. And they gave it to
them. And they sat down, and each of them wrote, saying :
Chap. 2 (18). — 0 Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the
life of the dead, permit us to speak mysteries through the death
of Thy cross, because we have been adjured by Thee. For
Thou didst order Thy servants to relate to no one the secrets
of Thy divine majesty which Thou didst in Hades. And
when we were, along with all our fathers, lying in the deep, in
the blackness of darkness, suddenly there appeared a golden
heat^ of the sun, and a purple royal light shining upon us.
And immediately the father of all the human race, with all
the patriarchs and prophets, exulted, saying : That light is the
source of eternal light, which hath promised to transmit to us
co-eternal light. And Esaias cried out, and said : This is the
light of the Father, the Son of God, as I predicted when I was
alive upon earth : The land of Zabulon and the land of Neph-
thalim across Jordan, Galilee of the nations, the people who sat
in darkness, have seen a great light; and light was shining
among those who are in the region of the shadow of death.
And now it has come and shone upon us sitting in death.
And when we were all exulting in the light which shone
over us, there came up to us our father Simeon ; and he said,
exulting: Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
because I took Him up when born, an infant, in my hands in
' Color J another MS. lias color, hue.
200 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
the temple ; and instigated by the Holy Spirit, I said to Him,
confessing: Now mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which
Thou hast prepared in the sight of all peoples, a light for the
revealing of the nations, and the glory of Thy people Israel.
When they heard this, all the multitude of the saints exulted
more.
And after this there comes up, as it were, a dweller in the
desert ; and he is asked by all : Who art thou ? To whom
he says in answer : I am John, the voice and prophet of the
Most High, going before the face of His coming to prepare His
ways, to give the knowledge of salvation to His people for
the remission of their sins. And seeing Him coming to me,
instigated by the Holy Spirit, I said: Behold the Lamb of
God ! behold Him who taketh away the sins of the world !
And I baptized Him in the river of Jordan, and I saw the
Holy Spirit descending upon Him in the form of a dove ; and
I heard a voice from the heavens saying. This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. And now I have gone before
His face, and have descended to announce to you that the
rising Son of God is close at hand to visit us, coming from
on high to us sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.
Chap. 3 (19). — And when the first created, father Adam,
had heard this, that Jesus was baptized in Jordan, he cried out
to his son Seth: Tell thy sons, the patriarchs and the prophets,
all that thou heardest from Michael the archangel when I sent
thee to the gates of paradise to implore God that He might
send thee His angel to give thee oil from the tree of mercy,
with which to anoint my body when I was sick. Then Seth,
coming near to the holy patriarchs and prophets, said : When
I, Seth, was praying to the Lord at the gates of paradise, behold
Michael, the angel of the Lord, appeared to me, saying, I have
been sent to thee by the Lord. I am set over the human race.^
And to thee, Seth, I say, do not labour with tears in prayers
and supplications on account of the oil of the tree of mercy to
anoint thy father Adam for the pain of his body, because in
no wise shalt thou receive of it, except in the last days and
times, except when five thousand and five hundred years have
' Lit., body.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 201
been fulfilled : then will come upon the earth the most beloved
Son of God, to raise up again the body of Adam, and the bodies
of the dead; and He, when He comes, will be baptized in
Jordan. And when He shall have come out of the water of
Jordan, then with the oil of His mercy shall He anoint all
that believe on Him ; and that oil of mercy shall be for the
generation of those who shall be born out of water and the
Holy Spirit into life eternal. Then, descending upon earth,
Christ Jesus, the most beloved Son of God, will lead our father
Adam into paradise to the tree of mercy.
And when they heard all these things from Seth, all the
patriarchs and prophets exulted with great exultation.
Chap. 4 (20). — And when all the saints were exulting, lo,
Satan, the prince and leader of death, said to Hades: Make
thyself ready to receive Jesus, who boasts himself to be the
Son of God, and is a man fearing death, and saying. My soul
is sorrowful, even unto death. And he has withstood me
much, doing me evil; and many whom I made blind, lame,
deaf, leprous, and demoniac, he has healed with a word ; and
those whom I have brought to thee dead, he has dragged away
from thee.
Hades, answering, said to Prince Satan : Who is he that is
so powerful, when he is a man in fear of death ? For all the
powerful of the earth are kept in subjection by my power,
whom thou hast brought into subjection by thy power. If,
then, thou art powerful, what is that man Jesus like, who,
though fearing death, withstands thy power ? If he is so
powerful in humanity, verily I say unto thee, he is all-power-
ful in divinity, and his power can no one resist. And when
he says that he fears death, he wishes to lay hold on thee, and
woe will be to thee to the ages of eternity. And Satan, prince
of Tartarus, answered and said : Why hast thou doubted, and
feared to receive this Jesus, thy adversary and mine ? For I
have tempted him, and I have roused up my ancient people
the Jews with hatred and anger against him; I have sharpened
a lance to strike him ; I have mixed gall and vinegar to give
him to drink ; and I have prepared wood to crucify him, and
202 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
nails to pierce liim, and his death is near at hand, that I may
bring him to thee, subject to thee and me.
Tartarus answered and said : Thou hast told me that it is
he himself who has dragged away the dead from me. Now
there are many who are here kept by me, who, while they
lived on earth, took the dead from me, not by their own
powers, but by godly prayers, and their almighty God dragged
them away from me. Who is that Jesus, who by his word
has withdrawn the dead from me without prayers ? Perhaps
he is the same who, by the word of his command, brought alive
Lazarus, after he had been four days in stench and corruption,
whom I kept dead. Satan, prince of death, answered and said:
That Jesus is the same. And when Hades heard this, he said
to him : I adjure thee by thy powers and mine, do not bring
him to me. For I at that time, when I heard the command
of his word, trembled with terror and dismay, and all my
officers at the same time were confounded along with me.
Nor could we keep that Lazarus ; but, shaking himself like an
eagle, he sprang out, and went forth from us with all activity
and speed, and the same ground which held the dead body of
Lazarus immediately gave him forth alive. So now, I know
that that man who could do these things is God, strong in
authority, powerful in humanity, and He is the Saviour of the
human race. But if thou bring Him to me, all who are here
shut up in the cruelty of the prison, and bound by their sins
in chains that cannot be loosened. He will let loose, and will
bring to the life of His divinity for ever.
Chap. 5 (21). — And as Prince Satan and Hades were thus
speaking to each other in turn, suddenly there was a voice as
of thimders, and a shouting of spirits : Lift up your gates, ye
princes; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting gates; and the
King of glory shall come in.^ Hades hearing this, said to
Prince Satan : Eetire from me, and go outside of my realms :
if thou art a powerful warrior, fight against the King of glory.
But what hast thou to do with Him? And Hades thrust
Satan outside of his realms. And Hades said to his impious
officers : Shut the cruel gates of brass, and put up the bars of
' Ps. xxiv. 7.
• THE GOSPEL OF N I COD EM US. 203
iron, and resist- bravely, that we, holding captivity, may not
take [Him] captive.^
And all the multitude of the saints, hearing this, said to
Hades, with the voice of reproach : Open thy gates, that the
King of glory may come in. And David cried out, saying:
Did I not, when I was alive upon earth, prophesy to you : Let
them confess to the Lord His tender mercies and His wonder-
ful works to the children of men: for He has shattered the
brazen gates, and burst the iron bars ; He has taken them up
out of the way of their iniquity V And after this, in like
manner, Esaias said : Did not I, when I was alive upon earth,
prophesy to you : The dead shall rise up, and those who are
in their tombs shall rise again, and those who are upon earth
shall exult ; because the dew, which is from the Lord, is their
health?^ And again I said. Where, 0 Death, is thy sting?
where, 0 Hades, is thy victory ?*
And when all the saints heard this from Esaias, they said
to Hades: Open thy gates. Since thou art now conquered,
thou wilt be weak and powerless. And there was a great
voice, as of thunders, saying : Lift up your gates, ye princes ;
and be ye lifted up, ye infernal gates ; and the King of glory
shall come in. Hades, seeing that they had twice shouted
out this, says, as if not knowing : Who is the king of glory ?
David says, in answer to Hades : I recognise those words of
the shout, since I prophesied the same by His Spirit. And
now, what I have said above I say to thee. The Lord strong
and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle; He is the King of
glory.* And the Lord Himself hath looked down from heaven
upon earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, and to release
the sons of the slain.^ And now, most filthy and most foul
Hades, open thy gates, that the King of glory may come in.
While David was thus speaking, there came to Hades, in the
form of a man, the Lord of majesty, and lighted up the eternal
darkness, and burst asunder the indissoluble chains ; and the
' Ps. Ixviii. 18. Captivemus in the text is probably a misprint for captivemur,
may not be taken captive.
^ Ps. cvii. 15-17, according to the LXX. and the Vulgate.
3 Isa. xxvi. 19, according to the LXX. ^ Hos. xiii. 14 ; 1 Cor. xv. 55.
s Ps. xxiv. 7, 8. 6 Ps. cii. 19, 20.
204 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
aid of unconquered power visited us, sitting in tlie profound
darkness of transgressions, and in the shadow of death of sins.-'
Chap. 6 (22).t— When this was seen by Hades and Death,
and their impious officers, along with their cruel servants, they
trembled at perceiving in their own dominions the clearness of
so great a light, when they saw Christ suddenly in their abodes;
and they cried out, saying : We have been overcome by thee.
Who art thou, that to the Lord directest our confusion ?^ Who
art thou, that, undestroyed by corruption, the uncorrupted proof
of thy majesty, with fury condemnest our power ? Who art
thou, so great and little, lowly and exalted, soldier and com-
mander, wonderful warrior in the form of a slave, and the king
of glory dead and alive, whom slain the cross has carried ?
Thou, who didst lie dead in the sepulchre, hast come down to
us alive ; and in thy death every creature trembled, and the
stars in a body were moved ; and now thou hast been made
free among the dead, and disturbest our legions. Who art
thou, that settest free those who art held captive, bound by
original sin, and recallest them to their former liberty ? Who
art thou, who sheddest a divine, and splendid, and illuminating
light upon those who have been blinded by the darkness of
their sins ? In like manner, also, all the legions of the demons,
terror-stricken with like fear from their fearful overthrow, cried
out, saying : Whence art thou, 0 Jesus, a man so powerful and
splendid in majesty, so excellent, without spot, and free from
guilt ? For that world of earth which has been subject to us
always until now, which used to pay tribute for our uses, has
never sent us such a dead man, has never destined such gifts
for the powers below. Who therefore art thou, that hast so
intrepidly entered our bounds, and who hast not only no fear
of our punishments, but, moreover, attemptest to take all away
from our chains ? Perhaps thou art that Jesus of whom our
prince Satan said, that by thy death of the cross thou wast
destined to receive the dominion of the whole world.
^ Cf. Isa. ix. 2 ; Luke i. 79.
* Some Mss. have : Who art tlioii, 0 man, that to God directest thy prayer to
our confusion ? The coiTect reading may be : Who art thou, that bringest con-
fusion upon our master ?
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 205
Then the King of glory, trampling on death by His majesty,
and seizing Prince Satan, delivered him to the power of Hades,
and drew Adam to His brightness.
Chap. 7 (23). — Then Hades, receiving Prince Satan, said to
him, with vehement revilings : 0 prince of perdition, and leader
of extermination, Beelzebub, derision of angels, to be spit upon
by the just, why didst thou wish to do this ? Didst thou wish
. to crucify the .King of glory, in whose death thou didst promise
us so great spoils ? Like a fool, thou didst not know what thou
wast doing. Por, behold, that Jesus by the splendour of His
divinity is putting to flight all the darkness of death, and He
has broken into the strong lowest dej)ths of our dungeons, and
has brought out the captives, and released those who were
bound. And all who used to groan under our torments insult
us, and by their prayers our dominions are taken by storm,
and our realms conquered, and no race of men has now any
respect for us. Moreover, also, we are grievously threatened
by the dead, who have never been haughty to us, and who have
not at any time been joyful as captives. 0 Prince Satan, father
of all impious wretches and renegades, why didst thou wish to
do this ? Of those who from the beginning, even until now,
have despaired of salvation and life, no bellowing after the
usual fashion is now heard here ; and no groaning of theirs
resounds, nor in any of their faces is a trace of tears found.
0 Prince Satan, possessor of the keys of the lower regions, all
thy riches which thou hadst acquired by the tree of trans-
gression and the loss of paradise, thou hast now lost by the
tree of the cross, and all thy joy has perished. When thou
didst hang up that Christ Jesus the King of glory, thou wast
acting against thyself and against me. Henceforth thou shalt
know what eternal torments and infinite punishments thou art
to endure in my everlasting keeping. 0 Prince Satan, author
of death, and source of all pride, thou oughtest first to have
inquired into the bad cause of that Jesus. Him in whom thou
perceivedst no fault, why, without reason, didst thou dare
unjustly to crucify ? and why hast thou brought to our regions
one innocent and just, and lost the guilty, tlie impious, and the
unjust of the wliole world i
206 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
And when Hades had thus spoken to Prince Satan, then the
King of glory said to Hades : Satan the prince will be in thy
power for ever, in place of Adam and Ids sons, my just ones.
Chap. 8 (24). — And the Lord stretched out His hand, and
said : Come to me, all my saints, who have my image and like-
ness. Do you, who have been condemned through the tree
and the devil and death, now see the devil and death con-
demned through the tree. Immediately all the saints were ,
brought together under the hand of the Lord. And the Lord,
holding Adam by the right hand, said to him: Peace be to
thee, with all thy children, my righteous ones! And Adam fell
down at the knees of the Lord, and with tearful entreaty pray-
ing, said with a loud voice: I will extol Thee, 0 Lord; for Thou
hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over
me. 0 Lord God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me,
0 Lord, Thou hast brought out my soul from the powers below;
Thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit. Sing
praises to the Lord, all His saints, and confess to the memory
of His holiness ; since there is anger in His indignation, and life
in His goodwill.^ In like manner also all the saints of God,
falling on their knees at the feet of the Lord, said with one
voice : Thou hast come, 0 Eede.emer of the w^orld : as Thou hast
foretold by the law and Thy prophets, so hast Thou fulfilled by
Thy deeds. Thou hast redeemed the living by Thy cross ; and
by the death of the cross Thou hast come down to us, to rescue
us from the powers below, and from death, by Thy majesty. 0
Lord, as Thou hast set the title of thy glory in heaven, and hast
erected as the title of redemption Thy cross upon earth, so, 0
Lord, set in Hades the sign of the victory of Thy cross, that
death may no more have dominion.
And the Lord, stretching forth His hand, made the sign of
the cross upon Adam and upon all His saints ; and holding
Adam by the right hand, went up from the powers below : and
all the saints followed Him. Then holy David cried out aloud,
saying: Sing unto the Lord a new song, for He hath done
wonderful things; His right hand and His holy arm have
brought salvation to Himself. The Lord hath made known
> Ps. XXX. 1-6 (Vulg.).
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 207
His salvation ; His righteousness hath He revealed in the sight
of the heathen.^ And all the multitude of the saints answered,
saying : This is glory to all His saints. Amen, alleluia.
And after this the prophet Habacuc cried out, saying: Thou
wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, to deliver Thine
elect.^ And all the saints answered, saying : Blessed is He
who cometh in the name of the Lord ; God is the Lord, and
He hath shone upon us.^ Amen, alleluia. In like manner
after this the prophet Michseas also cried out, saying : Who is
a God like unto thee, 0 Lord, taking away iniquities and pass-
ing by sins ? And now Thou dost withhold Thine anger for a
testimony [against us], because Thou delightest in mercy. And
Thou turnest again, and hast compassion upon us, and pardonest
all our iniquities; and all our sins hast Thou sunk in the multi-
tude of death,* as Thou hast sworn unto our fathers in the days
of old.^ And all the saints answered, saying : This is om^ God
to eternity, and for ever and ever ; and He will direct us for
evermore.^ Amen, alleluia. So also all the prophets, quoting
the sacred [writings] concerning His praises,'' and all the saints
crying. Amen, alleluia, followed the Lord.
Chap. 9 (25). — And the Lord, holding the hand of Adam,
delivered him to Michael the archangel: and all the saints
followed Michael the archangel, and he led them all into the
glorious grace of paradise. And there met them, two men,
ancient of days. The saints asked them : Wlio are you, that
have not yet been dead along with us in the regions below, and
have been placed in paradise in the body? One of them
answered, and said : I am Enoch, who by the word of the Lord
have been translated hither ; and he who is with me is Elias
the Thesbite, who was taken up by a fiery chariot. Here also
even untH now we have not tasted death, but have been reserved
to the coming of Antichrist, by divine signs and wonders to do
battle with him, and, being killed by him in Jerusalem, after
' Ps. xcviii. 1, 2. 2 Hab. iii. 13. ^ Ps. cxviii. 26, 27.
4 So the text, muUitudine mortis; but the Mss. must have had aliitudine
maris, in the depth of the sea, with tlie LXX. and the Hebrew.
5 Mic. vii. 18-20. 6 pg. xlviii. 14.
^ Or, bringing sacred words from their praises.
208 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
three days and half a day to be taken up alive again in the
clouds.^
Chap. 10 (26). — And while the saints Enoch and Elias were
thus speaking, behold, there came up another man, most
wretched, carrying on his shoulders the sign of the cross. And
seeing him, all the saints said to him : Who art thou ? because
thy appearance is that of a robber. And what is the sign
which thou carriest on thy shoulders ? In answer to them, he
said : Truly have you said that I was a robber, doing all sorts
of evil upon the earth. And the Jews crucified me along with
Jesus; and I saw the miracles in created things which were
done through the cross of Jesus crucified, and I believed Him to
be the Creator of all created things, and the King omnipotent ;
and I entreated Him, saying. Be mindful of me. Lord, when
Thou shalt have cohae into Thy kingdom. Immediately He
accepted my entreaty, and said to me. Amen ; I say to thee.
To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.^ And He gave me
this sign of the cross, saying, Walk into paradise carrying
this ; and if the guardian angel of paradise will not let thee go
in, show him the sign of the cross, and thou shalt say to him,
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who has now been crucified, has
sent me. Having done so, I said all this to the guardian angel
of paradise. And when he heard this, he immediately opened,
and led me in, and j)laced me at the right of paradise, saying,
Lo, hold a little, and there will come in the father of the whole
human race, Adam, with all his children, holy and just, after
the triumph and glory of the ascension of Christ the crucified
Lord. Hearing aU these words of the robber, all the holy
patriarchs and prophets with one voice said : Blessed art Thou,
0 Lord Almighty, Father of everlasting benefits, and Father of
mercies, who hast given such grace to Thy sinners, and hast
brought them back into the grace of paradise, and into Thy
rich pastures ; for this is spiritual life most sure. Amen, amen.
Chap. 11 (27). — These are the divine and sacred mysteries
which we saw and heard, I Karinus, and Leucius. More we
are not allowed to tell of the other mysteries of God, as Michael
' Rev. xi. 3-12; 1 Thcss. iv. 17. » Luke xxiii. 42, 43.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 209
the archangel adjured us, and said : You shall go into Jerusalem
with your brethren, and continue in prayers, and you shall cry
out, and glorify the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
has raised you up again from the dead with Himself. And with
none of men shall you speak; and you shall sit as if dumb,
until the hour shall come when the Lord Himself shall permit
you to relate the mysteries of His divinity. And Michael the
archangel ordered us to walk across Jordan into a place rich
and fertile, where there are many who rose again along with us
for an evidence of the resurrection of Christ the Lord ; because
only three days were allowed to us who have risen from the
dead to celebrate in Jerusalem the passover of the Lord, with
our living relations, for an evidence of the resurrection of Christ
the Lord : and we have been baptized in the holy river of
Jordan, receiving each of us white robes. And after three
days, when we had celebrated the passover of the Lord, all
who rose again along with us were snatched up into the clouds,
and taken across the Jordan, and were no longer seen by any
one. But we were told to remain in the city of Arimathea in
prayers.
These are the things which the Lord commanded us to relate
to you. Give Him praise and confession, and be penitent, that
He may have mercy upon you. Peace be to you from the
same Lord Jesus Clirist, and the Saviour of all of us ! Amen.
And after they had finished all, writing on separate sheets of
paper, they arose. And Karinus gave what he wrote into the
hands of Annas and Caiaphas and Gamaliel; in like manner
also Leucius gave what he wrote into the hands of Nicodemus
and Joseph. ^ And being suddenly transfigured, they became
exceedingly white, and were seen no more. And their writings
were found exactly the same, not one letter more or less.
All the synagogue of the Jews, hearing aU these wonderful
sayings of Karinus and Leucius, said to each other : Truly all
these things have been done by the Lord, and blessed be the
Lord for ever and ever. Amen. And they all went out with
great anxiety, beating their breasts with fear and trembling;
and they went away, each to his own house.
All these things which were said by the Jews in their
synagogue Joseph and Nicodemus immediately reported to the
210 TIJE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
proconsul. And Pilate himself wrote all which had been done
and said concerning Jesus by the Jews, and he placed all the
words in the public records of his prsetorium.
Chap. 12 (28). — After this, Pilate going into the temple of
the Jews, assembled all the chief priests, and learned men, and
scribes, and teachers of the law, and went in with them into the
sanctuary of the temple, and ordered that all the gates should
be shut, and said to them : We have heard that you have a
certain great collection of books in this temple : therefore I ask
you that it be presented before us. And when four officers
brought in that collection of books, adorned with gold and pre-
cious gems, Pilate said to all : I adjure you by the God of your
fathers, who ordered you to build this temple in the place of
his sanctuary, not to conceal the truth from me. You all
know what is written in that collection of books ; but now say
whether you have found in the writings that Jesus, whom you
have crucified, to be the Son of God that was to come for the
salvation of the human race, and in how many revolutions of
the seasons he ought to come. Declare to me whether you
crucified him in ignorance of this, or knowing it.
Being thus adjured, Annas and Caiaphas ordered all the
others who were with them to go out of the sanctuary ; and
themselves shut all the gates of the temple and the sanctuary,
and said to Pilate : We have been adjured by thee, 0 good
judge, by the building of this temple, to give thee the truth, and
a clear account [of this matter]. After we had crucified Jesus,
not knowing Him to be the Son of God, thinking that He did
miracles by means of some charm, we made a great synagogue
in this temple. And conferring with each other of the signs of
the miracles which Jesus had done, we found many witnesses
of our nation who said that they had seen Jesus alive after
suffering death, and that He had penetrated into the height of
heaven. And we have seen two witnesses, whom Jesus raised
up again from the dead, who told us many wonderful things
that Jesus did among the dead, which we have in our hands,
written out. And our custom is, every year before our syna-
gogue, to open that holy collection of books, and seek out the
testimony of God. And we have found in the first book of the
THE GOSPEL OF I^ICODEMUS. 211
LXX., where the archangel Michael spoke to the third son of
Adam, the first man, of five thousand and five hundred years,
in which the Christ, the most beloved Son of God, was to come
from the heavens ; and upon this we have considered that per-
haps He was the God of Israel who said to Moses,^ Make to
thee the ark of the covenant, two cubits and a half in length,
one cubit and a half in breadth, one cubit and a half in height.
In these five and a half cubits we have understood and recog-
nised, from the structure of the ark of the old covenant, that
in five and a half thousands of years, Jesus Christ was to come
in the ark of the body ; and we have found Him to be the God
of Israel, the Son of God. Because after His passion, we, the
chief priests, wondering at the signs which happened on account
of Him, opened this collection of books, searching out all the
generations, even to the generation of Joseph, and reckoning
that Mary the mother of Christ was of the seed of David ;
and we have found that from the time that God made the
heaven and. the earth and the first man, to the deluge, are two
thousand two hundred and twelve ^ years ; and from the deluge
to the building of the tower, five hundred and thirty-one'
years ; and from the building of the tower to Abraham, six
hundred and six * years ; and from Abraham to the arrival of
the children of Israel from Egypt, four hundred and seventy
years ; from the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt
to the building of the temple, five hundred and eleven years ;
and from the building of the temple to the destruction of the
same temple, four hundred and sixty-four years. Thus far
have we found in the book of Esdras. After searching, we find
that from the burning of the temple to the advent of Christ,
and His birth, there are six hundred and thirty-six^ years, which
together were five thousand five hundred years, as we have
found written in the book that Michael the archangel foretold
to Seth the third son of Adam, that in five and a half thousands
of years Christ the Son of God would come.* Even until now
we have told no one, that there might be no dissension in our
synagogues. And now thou hast adjured us, 0 good judge, by
1 Ex. XXV. 10. '^ Should be 2262— /3<roj3 in place of /i<r;/3.
3 This includes the second Cainan. * Should be 676.
* Should be 586— dlxxxvi. instead of DCXXXVI. * Lit., has come.
212 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
tliis lioly book of the testimonies of God, and we make it mani-
fest to thee. And now we adjure thee, by tby life and safety,
to make manifest these words to no one in Jerusalem.
Chap. 13 (29). — Pilate, hearing these words of Annas and
Caiaphas, laid them all up in the acts of our Lord and Saviour,
in the public records of his prsetorium, and wrote a letter to
Claudius, king of the city of Rome, saying : —
Pontius Pilate to Claudius his king, greeting. It has lately
happened, as I myself have also proved, that the Jews, through
envy, have punished themselves and their posterity by a cruel
condemnation. In short, when their fathers had a promise
that their God would send them from heaven his holy one,
who should deservedly be called their king, and promised
that he would send him by a virgin upon the earth : when,
therefore, while I was procurator, he had come into Judea,
and when they saw him enlightening the blind, cleansing the
lepers, curing the paralytics, making demons flee from men,
even raising the dead, commanding the winds, walking dry-
shod upon the waves of the sea, and doing many other signs of
miracles ; and when aU the people of the Jews said that he was
the Son of God, the chief priests felt envy against him, and
seized him, and delivered him to me ; and, telling me one lie
after another, they said that he was a sorcerer, and was acting
contrary to their law.
And I believed that it was so, and delivered him to be
scourged, according to their will. And they crucified him, and
set guards over him when buried. And he rose again on the
third day, while my soldiers were keeping guard. But so fla-
grant was the iniquity of the Jews, that they gave money to
my soldiers, saying. Say that his disciples have stolen his body.
But after receiving the money they could not keep secret what
had been done ; for they bore witness both that he had risen
again, that they had seen him,^ and that they had received
money from the Jews. *
This accordingly I have done, lest any one should give a
diiferent and a false account of it, and lest thou shouldst think
that the lies of the Jews are to be believed.
' Or, that they had suen that he rose from the dead.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS.
PART II.— THE DESCENT OF CHEIST INTO HELL
- LATIN. SECOND VERSION.
CHAPTER I. (17).
HEN Rabbi Addas, and Rabbi Finees, and Rabbi
Egias, the three men who had come from Galilee,
testifying that they had seen Jesus taken up into
heaven, rose up in the midst of the multitude of the
chiefs of the Jews, and said before the priests and the Levites,
who had been called together to the council of the Lord : When
we were coming from Galilee, we met at the Jordan a very
great multitude of men, fathers ^ who had been some time dead.
And present among them we saw Karinus and Leucius. And
they came up to us, and we kissed each other, because they
were dear friends of ours ; and we asked them. Tell us, friends
and brothers, what is this breath of life and flesh ? and who
are those with whom you are going ? and how do you, who
have been some time dead, remain in the body ?
And they said in answer : We have risen again along with
Christ from the lower world, and He has raised us up again
from the dead. And from this you may know that the gates
of death and darkness have been destroyed, and the souls of the
saints have been brought out thence, and have ascended into
heaven along with Christ the Lord. And indeed to us it has
been commanded by the Lord Himself, that for an appointed
time we should walk over the banks of Jordan and the moun-
tains; not, however, appearing to every one, nor speaking to
' A bhaforum. •
213
214 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
every one, except to those to whom He has permitted us. And
just now we could neither have spoken nor appeared to you,
unless it had been allowed to us by the Holy Spirit.
And when they heard this, all the multitude who were pre-
sent in the council were struck with fear and trembling, and
wondered whether these things had really happened which
these Galileans testified. Then Caiaphas and Annas said to
the council : What these have testified, first and last, must
shortly be altogether made clear: If it shall be found to be
true that Karinus and Leucius remain alive in the body, and
if we shall be able to behold them with our own eyes, then
what they testify is altogether true ; and if we find them, they
will inform us of everything ; but if not, you may know that it
is all lies.
Then the council having suddenly risen, it pleased them to
choose men fit for the duty, fearing God, and who knew when
they died, and where they were buried, to inquire diligently,
and to see whether it was as they had heard. The men there-
fore proceeded to the same place, fifteen in number, who through
all were present at their falling asleep, and had stood at their
feet when they were buried, and had beheld their tombs. And
they came and found their tombs open, and very many others
besides, and found a sign neither of their bones nor of their
dust. And they returned in all haste, and reported what they
had seen.
Then all their synagogue was in great grief and perplexity,
and they said to each other : What shall we do ? Annas and
Caiaphas said : Let us turn to where we have heard that they
are, and let us send to them men of rank, asking and entreating
them : perhaps they will deign to come to us. Then they sent
to them Mcodemus and Joseph, and the three men, the Galilean
rabbis who had seen them, asking that they should deign to
come to them. And they went, and walked round all the
region of Jordan and of the mountains, and they were coming
back without finding them.
And, behold, suddenly there appeared coming down from
Mount Amalech a very great number, as it were, twelve
thousand men, who had risen with the Lord. And though
they recognised very many there, they were not able to say
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 215
anytliing to them for fear and the angelic vision; and they
stood at a distance gazing and hearing them, how they walked
along singing praises, and saying : The Lord has risen again
from the dead, as He had said ; let us all exult and be glad,
since He reigns for ever. Tlien those who had been sent
were astonished, and fell to the ground for fear, and received
the answer from them, that they should see Karinus and
Leucius in their own houses.
And they rose up and went to their houses, and found them
spending their time in prayer. And going in to them, they
fell on their faces to the ground, saluting them; and being
raised up, they said: 0 friends of God, all the multitude of
the Jews have directed us to you, hearing that you have risen
from the dead, asking and beseeching you to come to them,
that we all may know the great things of God which have
happened around us in our times. And they immediately, at
a sign from God, rose up, and came with them, and entered
their synagogue. Then the multitude of the Jews, with the
priests, put the books of the law in their hands, and adjured
them by the God Heloi, and the God Adonai, and by the law
and the prophets, saying: Tell us how you have risen from
the dead, and what are those wonderful things which have
happened in our times, such as we have never heard to have
happened at any other time ; because already for fear all our
bones have been benumbed, and have dried up, and the earth
moves itself under our feet : for we have joined all our hearts
to shed righteous and holy blood.
Then Karinus and Leucius signed to them with their hands
to give them a sheet of paper and ink. And this they did,
because the Holy Spirit did not allow them to speak to them.
And they gave each of them paper, and put them apart, the
one from the other in separate ceUs. And they, making with
their fingers the sign of the cross of Christ, began to write on
the separate sheets ; and after they had finished, as if out of
one mouth from the separate cells, they cried out, Amen. And
rising up, Karinus gave his paper to Annas, and Leucius to
Caiaphas ; and saluting each other, they went out, and returned
to their sepulchres.
Then Annas and Caiaphas, opening the sheet of paper, began
216 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
each to read it in secret. But all tlie people took it ill, and so
all cried out : Eead these writings to us openly ; and after they
have been read through we shall keep them, lest perchance
this truth of God be turned through wilful blindness, by un-
clean and deceitful men, into falsehood. At this Annas and
Caiaphas fell a-trembling, and delivered the sheet of paper to
Eabbi Addas, and Eabbi Finees, and Kabbi Egias, who had
come from Galilee, and announced that Jesus had been taken
up into heaven. All the multitude of the Jews trusted to
them to read this writing. And they read the paper containing
these words : —
Chap. 2 (18). — I Karinus. 0 Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the
living God, permit me to speak of Thy wonders which Thou
hast done in the lower world. When, therefore, we were kept
in darkness and the shadow of death in the lower world,
suddenly there shone upon us a great light, and Hades and
the gates of death trembled. And then was heard the voice
of the Son of the Father most high, as if the voice of a great
thunder ; and loudly proclaiming. He thus charged them : Lift
up your gates, ye princes; lift up the everlasting gates; the
King of glory, Christ the Lord, will come up to enter in.
Then Satan, the leader of death, came up, fleeing in terror,
saying to his officers and the powers below : My officers, and
all the powers below, run together, shut your gates, put up
the iron bars, and fight bravely, and resist, lest they lay hold
of us, and keep us captive in chains. Then all his impious
officers were perplexed, and began to shut the gates of death
with all diligence, and by little and little to fasten the locks
and the iron bars, and to hold all their weapons^ grasped
in their hands, and to utter bowlings in a direful and most
hideous voice.
Chap. 3 (19).— Then Satan said to Hades: Make thyself
ready to receive him whom I shall bring down to tliee. There-
upon Hades thus replied to Satan: That voice was from nothing
else than the cry of the Son of the Father most high, because
the earth and all the places of tlie world below so trembled
' Ornamenta ; another MS. lias armamenta.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 217
tinder it : wherefore I think that myself and all my dungeons
are now lying open. But I adjure thee, Satan, head of all
evils,^ by thy power and my own, bring him not to me, lest,
while we wish to take him, we be taken captive by him. For
if, at his voice only, all my power has been thus destroyed,
what do you think he will do when he shall come in person ?
To him Satan, the leader of death, thus replied : What art
thou crying out about ? Do not be afraid, my old most wicked
friend, because I have stirred up the people of the Jews against
him ; I have told them to strike him with blows on the face,
and I have brought upon him betrayal by one of his disciples ;
and he is a man in great fear of death, because from fear
he said. My soul is sorrowful, even unto death; and I have
brought him to this, that he has just been lifted up and hanged
on the cross.
Then Hades said to him : If he be the same who, by the
mere word of his command, made Lazarus fly away like an
eagle from my bosom, when he had already been dead four
days, he is not a man in humanity, but God in majesty. I
entreat thee not to bring him to me. And Satan says to him :
Make thyself ready nevertheless ; be not afraid ; because he is
already hanging on the cross, I can do nothing else. Then
Hades thus replied to Satan : If, then, thou canst do nothing
else, behold, thy destruction is at hand. I, in short, shall
remain cast down and dishonoured; thou, however, wilt be
tortured under my power.
Chap. 4 (20). — And the saints of God heard the wrangling
of Satan and Hades. They, however, though as yet not at all
recognising each other, were, notwithstanding, in the possession
of their faculties. But our holy father Adam thus replied to
Satan at once : 0 captain of death, why dost thou fear and
tremble ? Behold, the Lord is coming, who will now destroy
all thy inventions; and thou shalt be taken by Him, and bound
throughout eternity.
Then all the saints, hearing the voice of our father Adam,
how boldly he replied to Satan in all points, were strengthened
m joy ; and all running together to father Adam, were crowded
* Or, of all the wicked.
218 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
in one place. Tlien our father Adam, gazing on all that multi-
tude, wondered greatly whether all ot them had been begotten
from him into the world. And embracing those who were
standing everywhere around him, and shedding most bitter
tears, he addressed his son Seth, saying : Eelate, my son Seth,
to the holy patriarchs and prophets what the guardian of
paradise said to thee, when I sent thee to bring to me of that
oil of compassion, in order to anoint my body when I was iU.
Then he answered : I, when thou sentest me before the gates
of paradise, prayed and entreated the Lord with tears, and
called upon the guardian of paradise to give me of it therefrom.
Then Michael the archangel came out, and said to me, Seth,
why then dost thou weep ? Know, being informed beforehand,
that thy father Adam will not receive of this oil of compassion
now, but after many generations of time. For the most beloved
Son of God will come down from heaven into the world, and
will be baptized by John in the river Jordan ; and then shall
thy father Adam receive of this oil ^ of compassion, and all that
believe in him. And of those who have believed in him, their
kingdom will endure for ever.
Chap. 5 (21). — Then all the saints, hearing this again, exulted
in joy. And one of those standing round, Isaias by name,
cried out aloud, and thundered : Father Adam, and all standing
round, hear my declaration. When I was on earth, and by the
teaching of tlie Holy Spirit, in prophecy I sang of this light :
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light ; to them
dwelling in the region of the shadow of death light has arisen.
At these words father Adam, and all of them, turned and asked
him : Who art thou ? because what thou sayest is true. And
he subjoined, and said : My name is Isaias.
Then appeared another near him, as if a hermit. And they
asked him, saying : Who art thou, who bearest such an appear-
ance in thy body ?^ And he firmly answered : I am John the
Baptist, voice and prophet of the Most High. I went before
the face of the same Lord, that I might make the waste and
rough ]3laces into plain ways. I with my finger pointed out
' The text has deo, God, obviously a misprint for oleo, oil.
^ Or, who wearest such (things) on thy body.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 219
and made manifest the Lamb of the Lord, and Son of God, to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I baptized Him in the river
Jordan, I heard the voice of the Father from heaven thun-
dering over Him, and proclaiming, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased. I received from Him the answer
that He would descend to the lower world.
Then father Adam, hearing this, cried with a loud voice, ex-
claiming : Alleluia ! which is, interpreted. The Lord is certainly-
coming.
Chap. 6 (22). — After that, another standing there, pre-emi-
nent as it were, with a certain mark of an emperor, David by
name, thus cried out, and said : When I was upon earth, I
made revelations to the people of the mercy of God and His
visitation, prophesying future joys, saying through all ages.
Let them make confession to the Lord of His tender mercy and
His wonderful works to the sons of men, because He has shat-
tered the gates of brass, and broken the bars of iron. Then the
holy patriarchs and prophets began mutually to recognise each
other, and each to quote his prophecies.
Then holy Jeremias, examining his prophecies, said to the
patriarchs and prophets : When I was upon earth, I prophesied
of the Son of God, that He was seen upon earth, and dwelt with
men.
Then all the saints, exulting in the light of the Lord, and
in the sight of father Adam, and in the answering of all the
patriarchs and prophets, cried out, saying : Alleluia ! blessed is
He who Cometh in the name of the Lord ; so that at their cry-
ing out Satan trembled, and sought a way of escape. And he
could not, because Hades and his satellites kept him bound in
the lower regions, and guarded at all points. And they said to
him : Why dost thou tremble ? We by no means allow thee
to go forth hence. But receive this, as thou art worthy, from
Him whom thou didst daily assail ; but if not, know that thou,
bound by Him, shall be in my keeping.
Chap. 7 (23). — And again there came the voice of the Son of
the Father most high, as it were the voice of a great thunder,
saying : Lift up your gates, ye princes ; and be ye lifted up, ye
220 THE APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS.
everlasting gates, and the King of glory will come in. Then
Satan and Hades cried out, saying : Who is the king of glory?
And it was answered to them in the voice of the Lord : The
Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
After this voice there came a man, whose appearance was
that of a robber, carrying a cross on his shoulder, crying from
the outside of the door, and saying : Open to me, that I may
come in. And Satan, opening to him a little, brought him
inside into his dwelling,^ and again shut the door after him.
And all the saints saw him most clearly, and said to him forth-
with : Thy appearance is that of a robber. Tell us what it is
that thou carriest on thy back. And he answered, and said
with humility : Truly I was a robber altogether ; and the Jews
hung me up on a cross, along with my Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of the Father most high. I, in fine, have come heralding *
Him ; He indeed is coming immediately behind me.
Then holy David, inflamed with anger against Satan, cried
out aloud : Open thy gates, most vile wretch, that the King of
glory may come in. In like manner also all the saints of God
rose up against Satan, and would have seized him, and divided
him among them. And again a cry was heard within : Lift
up your gates, ye princes ; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting
gates ; and the King of glory shall come in. Hades and Satan,
at that clear voice, again asked, saying : Who is this king of
glory ? And it was said to them by that wonderful voice :
The Lord of powers, He is the King of glory.
Chap. 8 (24). — And, behold, suddenly Hades trembled, and
the gates of death and the bolts were shattered, and the iron
bars were broken and fell to the ground, and everything was
laid open. And Satan remained in the midst, and stood con-
founded and downcast, bound with fetters on his feet. And,
behold, the Lord Jesus Christ, coming in the brightness of light
from on liigh, compassionate, great, and lowly, carrying a chain
in His hand, bound Satan by the neck ; and again tying his
hands behind him, dashed him on his back into Tartarus, and
placed His holy foot on his throat, saying : Through all ages
^ Hospitio.
2 PrcuconcUus, corrected to prceconaius, or aiis.
THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS. 221
thou hast done many evils ; thou hast not in any wise rested.
To-day I deliver thee to everlasting fire. And Hades being
suddenly summoned. He commanded him, and said : Take this
most wicked and impious one, and have him in thy keeping
even to that day in which I shall command thee. And he, as
soon as he received him, was plunged under the feet of the
Lord along with him into the deptli of the abyss.
Chap. 9 (25). — Then the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of all, affec-
tionate and most mild, saluting Adam kindly, said to him :
Peace be to thee, Adam, with thy children, through immeasur-
able ages of ages ! Amen. Then father Adam, falling forward
at the feet of the Lord, and being raised erect, kissed His hands,
and shed many tears, saying, testifying to all : Behold the hands
which fashioned me ! And he said to the Lord : Thou hast
come, O King of glory, delivering men, and bringing them into
Thy everlasting kingdom. Then also our mother Eve in like
manner fell forward at the feet of the Lord, and was raised
erect, and kissed His hands, and poured forth tears in abun-
dance, and said, testifying to all : Behold the hands which
made me !
Then all the saints, adoring Him, cried out, saying : Blessed
is He who cometh in the name of the Lord ! The Lord God
hath shone upon us — amen — through all ages. Alleluia for
ever and ever ! Praise, honour, power, glory ! because Thou
hast come from on high to visit us. Singing Alleluia con-
tinually, and rejoicing together concerning His glory, they ran
together under the hands of the Lord. Then the Saviour, in-
quiring thoroughly about all, seized Hades,^ immediately threw
some down into Tartarus, and led some with Him to the upper
world.
Chap. 10 (26).— Then all the saints of God asked the Lord
to leave as a sign of victory the sign of His holy cross in the
lower world, that its most impious officers might not retain as
an offender any one whom the Lord had absolved. And so it
was done. And the Lord set His cross in the midst of Hades,
1 Momordtdit infernum, whicli is obviously corrupt. The translator may-
have read lihrixi «hv, bit Hades, for 'Siluxi «Sjjv, brought Hades to light.
222 THE AFOCUYPHAL GOSPELS.
which is the sign of victory, and which will remain even to
eternity.
Then we all went forth thence along with the Lord, leaving
Satan and Hades in Tartarus. And to ns and many others it
was commanded that we should rise in the body, giving in the
world a testimony of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and of those things which had been done in the lower world.
These are the things, dearest brethren, which we have seen,
and which, adjured by you, we testify, He bearing witness who
died for us, and rose again ; because, as it was written, so has it
been done in all points.
Chap. 11 (27). — And when the paper was finished and read
through, all that heard it fell on their faces, weeping bitterly,
and cruelly beating their breasts, crying out, and saying through
all : Woe to us ! Why has this happened to us wretched ?
Pilate flees ; Annas and Caiaphas flee ; the priests and Levites
flee ; moreover also the people of the Jews, weeping and saying.
Woe to us wretched ! we have shed sacred blood upon the
earth.
For three days, therefore, and three nights, they did not taste
bread and water at all ; nor did any of them return to the syna-
gogue. But on the third day again the council was assembled,
and the other paper of Leucius was read tlirough ; and it was
found neither more nor less, to a single letter, than that which
the writing of Karinus contained. Then the synagogue was
perplexed ; and they all lamented forty days and forty nights,
looking for destruction from God, and the vengeance of God.
But He, pitier affectionate and most high, did not immediately
destroy them, bountifully giving them a place of repentance.
But they were not found worthy to be turned to the Lord.
These are the testimonies of Karinus and Leucius, dearest
brethren, concerning Christ the Son of God, and His holy
deeds in the lower world ; to whom let us all give praise and
glory through immeasurable ages of ages. Amen.
THE LETTER OF PONTIUS PILATE,
WHICH HE WROTE TO THE ROMAN EMPEROR, CONCERNING
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
[ONTIUS PILATE to Tiberius Casar the emperor,
greeting.
Upon Jesus Christ, whose case I had clearly set
forth to thee in my last, at length by the will of the
people a bitter punishment has been inflicted, myself being in a
sort unwilling and rather afraid. A man, by Hercules, so pious
and strict, no age has ever had nor will have. But wonderful
were the efforts of the people themselves, and the unanimity
of all the scribes and chief men and elders, to crucify this
ambassador of truth, notwithstanding that their own prophets,
and after our manner the sibyls, warned them against it ; and
supernatural signs appeared while he was hanging, and, in the
opinion of philosophers, threatened destruction to the whole
world. His disciples are flourishing, in their work and the
regulation of their lives not belying their master ; yea, in his
name most beneficent. Had I not been afraid of the rising of
a sedition among the people, who were just on the point of
breaking out, perhaps this man would still have been alive to
us ; although, urged more by fidelity to thy dignity than in-
duced by my own wishes, I did not according to my strength
resist that innocent blood free from the whole charge [brought
against it], but unjustly, through the malignity of men, should
be sold and suffer, yet, as the Scriptures signify, to their own
destruction, Farewell. 28th March.
223
THE KEPOET OF PILATE THE PEOCURATOR
CONCERNING QUE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
SENT TO THE AUGUST^ C^ESAE IN HOME.
FIRST GREEK FORM.
N those days, our Lord Jesus Christ having been
crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Pales-
tine and Phoenicia, these records were made in Jieru-
salem as to what was done by the Jews against the
Lord. Pilate therefore, along with his private report, sent them
to the Csesar in Eome, writing thus : —
To the most mighty, venerable, most divine, and most ter-
rible, the august^ Caesar, Pilate the governor of the East [sends
greeting]. I have, 0 most mighty, a narrative to give tliee, on
account of which I am seized with fear and trembling. For in
this government of mine, of which one of the cities is called
Jerusalem, all the people of the Jews have delivered to me a
man named Jesus, bringing many charges against him, which
they were not able to convict him of by the consistency of their
evidence. And one of the heresies they had against him was,
that Jesus said that their Sabbath should not be a day of
leisure, and should not be observed. For he performed many
cures on that day : he made the blind receive their sight, the
lame walk ; he raised up the dead, he cleansed the lepers ; he
healed paralytics that were not at all able to make any move-
ment of their body, or to keep their nerves steady, but who had
only speech and the modulation of their voice, and he gave
them the power of walking and running, removing their illness
by a single word. Another thing again, more powerful stUl,
' Or, Aiisustus.
22-t
THE REPORT OF PILATE. 225
which is strange even with our gods : he raised up one that
had been dead four days, summoning him by a single word,
when the dead man had his blood corrupted, and when his
body was destroyed by the worms produced in it, and when
it had the stink of a dog. And seeing him lying in the tomb,
he ordered liim to run. Nor had he anything of a dead body
about him at all ; but as a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
so he came forth from the tomb filled with very great fragrance.
And strangers that were manifestly demoniac, and that had
their dwelling in deserts, and ate their own flesh, living like
beasts and creeping things, even these he made to be dwellers
in cities, and by his word restored them to soundness of mind,
and rendered them wise and able and reputable, eating with all
the enemies of the unclean spirits that dwelt in them for their
destruction, which he cast down into the depths of the sea.
And again there was another having a withered hand ; and not
the hand only, but rather the half of the body of the man, was
petrified, so that he had not the form of a man, or the power of
moving his body. And him by a word he healed, and made
sound. And a woman that had an issue of blood for many
years, and whose joints^ and veins were drained by the flowing
of the blood, so that she did not present the appearance of a
human being, but was like a corpse, and was speechless every
day, so that all the physicians of the district could not cure her.
For there was not any hope of life left to her. And when
Jesus passed by, she mysteriously received strength through
his overshadowing her ; and she took hold of his fringe behind,
and immediately in the same hour power filled up what in her
was empty, so that, no longer suffering any pain, she began to
run swiftly to her own city Kepharnaum, so as to accomplish
the journey in six days.
And these are the things which I lately had in my mind to
report, which Jesus accomplished on the Sabbath. And other
signs greater than these he did, so that I have perceived that
the wonderful works done by him are greater than can be done
by the gods whom we worship. .
And him Herod and Archelaus and Philip, Annas and
Caiaphas, with .all the people, delivered to me, making a great
' Codex A has a better reading — arteries.
P
226 THE REPORT OF PILATE
uproar against me that I should try him. I therefore ordered
him to be crucified, having first scourged him, and having
found against him no cause of evil accusations or deeds.
And at the time he was crucified there was darkness over
all the world, the sun being darkened at mid-day, and the stars
appearing, but in them there appeared no lustre ; and the moon,
as if turned into blood, failed in her light. And the world was
swallowed up by the lower regions, so that the very sanctuary
of the temple, as they call it, could not be seen by the Jews in
their fall ; and they saw below them a chasm of the earth, with
the roar of the thunders that fell upon it.^ And in that terror
dead men were seen that had risen, as the Jews themselves
testified ; and they said that it was Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, and Moses and Job, that had
died, as they say, three thousand five hundred years before.
And there were very many whom I also saw appearing in the
body ; and they were making a lamentation about the Jews, on
account of the wickedness that had come to pass through them,
and the destruction of the Jews and of their law.
And the fear of the earthquake remained from the sixth
hour of the preparation until the ninth hour. And on the
evening of the first day of the week there was a sound out of
the heaven, so that the heaven became enlightened sevenfold
more than all the days. And at the third hour of the night
also the sun was seen brighter than it had ever shone before,
lighting up all the heaven. And as lightnings come suddenly
in winter, so majestic men appeared^ in glorious robes, an in-
numerable multitude, whose voice was heard as that of a very
great thunder, crying out : Jesus that was crucified is risen :
come up out of Hades, ye that have been enslaved in the under-
ground regions of Hades. And the chasm of the earth was as
if it had no bottom ; but it was as if the very foundations of the
earth appeared along with those that cried out in the heavens,
and walked about in the body in the midst of the dead that
had risen. And he that raised up all the dead, and bound
Hades, said : Say to my disciples, He goes before you into
Galilee ; there shall you see him.
And all that night the light did not cease shining. And
* The text here is very corrapt. ^ Or, so men appeared on high.
CONCERNING OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 227
many of the Jews died, swallowed up in the chasm of the earth,
so that on the following day most of those who had been
against Jesus could not be found. Others saw the appearing
of those that had risen, whom no one of us had ever seen.^
And only one^ synagogue of the Jews was left in this Jeru-
salem, since all disappeared in that fall.
With that terror, being in perplexity, and seized with a most
frightful trembling, I have written what I saw at that time,
and have reported to thy majesty. Having set in order also
what was done by the Jews against Jesus, I have "^f^^^- it mv
"•ord, to thy divinity.
' Tliis sentence also is very corrupt.
* Another and more probable reading is, not on«-
THE REPORT OF PONTIUS PILATE,
PROCURATOR OF JUDEA,
SENT TO ROME TO TIBERIUS CiESAR,
SECOND GREEK FORM.
0 the most miglity, venerable, awful, most divine, the
august, — Pilatus Pontius, the governor of the East :
I have to report to thy reverence, through this
writing of mine, being seized with great trembling
and fear, 0 most mighty emperor, the conjuncture of the pre-
sent times, as the end of these things has shown. For while I,
my lord, according to the commandment of thy clemency, was
discharging the duties of my government, which is one of the
cities of the East, Jerusalem by name, in which is built the
temple of the Jewish nation, all the multitude of the Jews
came together, and delivered to me a certain man named Jesus,
bringing against him many and groundless charges ; and they
were not able to convict him in anything. And one heresy of
theirs against him was, that he said that the Sabbath was not
their right rest. And that man wrought many cures, in addition
to good works. He made the blind see; he cleansed lepers; he
raised the dead ; he healed paralytics who could not move at
all, except that they only had their voice, and the joining of
their bones ; and he gave them the power of walking about and
running, commanding [them] by a single word. And another
mightier work he did, which was strange even with our gods :
he raised up a dead man, Lazarus, who had been dead four
days, by a single word ordering the dead man to be raised,
although his body was already corrupted by the worms that
grow in wounds ; and that ill-smelling body lying in the tomb
he ordered to run ; and as a bridegroom from the bridal cham-
ber, so he came forth out of the tomb, filled with exceeding
fragrance. And some that were cruelly vexed by demons, and
228
THE REPORT OF PILATE. 229
liad their dwellings in deserts, and ate the flesh of their own
limbs, and lived along with reptiles and wild heasts, he made
to be dwellers in cities in their own houses, and by a word he
rendered them sound-minded ; and he made those that were
troubled by unclean spirits to be intelligent and reputable ; and
sending away the demons in them into a herd of swine, he
suffocated them in the sea. Another man, again, who had a
withered hand, and lived in sorrow, and had not even the half
of his body sound, he rendered sound by a single word. And
a woman that had a flow of blood for many years, so that, in
consequence of the flowing of her blood, all the joinings of her
bones appeared, and were transparent like glass ; and assuredly
all the physicians had left her without hope, and had not
cleansed her, for there was not in her a single hope of health :
once, then, as Jesus was passing by, she took hold of the
fringe of his clothes behind, and that same hour the power of
her body was completely restored, and she became whole, as
if nothing were the matter with her, and she began to run
swiftly to her own city Paneas.-'
And these things indeed were so. And the Jews gave in-
formation that Jesus did these things on the Sabbath. And I
also ascertained that the miracles done by him were greater
than any which the gods whom we worship could do.
Him then Herod and Archelaus and Philip, and Annas and
Caiaphas, with all the people, delivered to me to try liim. And
as many were exciting an insurrection against me, I ordered
him to be crucified.
And when he had been crucified, there was darkness over
the whole earth, the sun having been completely hidden, and
the heaven appearing dark though it was day, so that the stars
appeared, but had at the same time their brightness darkened,
as I suppose your reverence is not ignorant of, because in all
the world they lighted lamps from the sixth hour until even-
ing. And the moon, being like blood, did not shine the whole
night, and yet she happened to be at the full. And the stars
also, and Orion, made a lament about the Jews, on account of
the wickedness that had been done by them.^
' This is a conjecture of Thilo's. The Mss. have Spania.
* Instead of this last sentence, one of the Mss. has : And the whole world was
230 THE REPORT OF PILA TE.
And on the first of the week, about the third hour of the
night, the sun was seen such as it had never at any time shone,
and all the heaven was lighted up. And as lightnings come
on in winter, so majestic men of indescribable splendour of
dress and of glory appeared in the air, and an innumerable
multitude of angels crying out, and saying : Glory in the
highest to God, and on earth peace, among men goodwill :
come up out of Hades, ye who have been kept in slavery in
the underground regions of Hades. And at their voice all the
mountains and hills were shaken, and the rocks were burst
asunder; and great chasms were made in the earth, so that
also what was in the abyss appeared.
And there were seen in that terror dead men raised up,^ as
the Jews that saw them said : We have seen Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, that died two
thousand five hundred years ago ; and we have seen Noah
manifestly in the body. And all the multitude walked about,
and sang praises to God with a loud voice, saying : The Lord
our God that has risen from the dead has brought to life all
the dead, and has plundered Hades, and put him to death.
All that night therefore, my lord, 0 king, the light ceased
not. And many of the Jews died, and were engulphed and
swallowed up in the chasms in that night, so that not even
their bodies appeared. Those, I say, of the Jews suffered that
had spoken against Jesus. And one synagogue was left in
Jerusalem, since all those synagogues that had been against
Jesus were engulphed.
From that fear, then, being in perplexity, and seized with
much trembling, at that same hour I ordered what had been
done by them all to be written ; and I have reported it to thy
mightiness.
shaken by unspeakable miracles, and all the creation was like to be swallowed
up by the lower regions ; so that also the sanctuary of their temple ^yas rent
from top to bottom. And again there was thunder, and a mighty noise from
heaven, so that all our land shook and trembled. Another : And there began
to be earthquakes in the hour in which the nails were fixed in Jesus' hands and
feet, until evening.
' One MS. adds : To the number of five hundred.
THE GIVING UP OF PONTIUS PILATE.
ND the writings having come to the city of the
Eomans, and having been read to the Caesar, with
not a few standing by, all were astounded, because
through the wickedness of Pilate the darkness and
the earthquake had come over the whole world. And the
Csesar, filled with rage, sent soldiers, and ordered them to bring
Pilate a prisoner.
And when he was brought to the city of the • Eomans, the
Caesar, hearing that Pilate had arrived, sat in the temple of the
gods, in the presence of all the senate, and with all the army,
and all the multitude of his power ; and he ordered Pilate to
stand forward.^ And the Caesar says to him : Why hast thou,
0 most impious, dared to do such things, having seen so great
miracles in that man ? By daring to do an evil deed, thou hast
destroyed the whole world.
And Pilate said : 0 almighty ^ king, I am innocent of these
things ; but the multitude of the Jews are violent and guilty.
And the Caesar said : And who are they ? Pilate says : Herod,
Archelaus, Pliilip, Annas and Caiaphas, and all the multitude
of the Jews. The Caesar says : For what reason didst thou
foUow out their counsel ? And Pilate says : Their nation is
rebellious and insubmissive, not submitting themselves to thy
power. And the Caesar said: When they delivered him to
thee, thou oughtest to have made him secure, and to have sent
him to me, and not to have obeyed them in crucifying such a
man, righteous as he was, and one that did such good miracles,
as thou hast said in thy report. For from such miracles Jesus
was manifestly the Christ, the King of the Jews.
And as the Caesar was thus speaking, when he named the
name of Christ, all the multitude of the gods fell down in a
1 Or, in the entrance. 2 auToxpurap.
231
232 THE GIVING UP OF PILATE.
body, and became as dust, where the Csesar was sitting with
the senate. And the people standing beside the Csesar all
began to tremble, on account of the speaking of the word, and
the fall of their gods ; and being seized with terror, they all
went away, each to his own house, wondering at what had
happened. And the Ccesar ordered Pilate to be kept in secu-
rity, in order that he might know the truth about Jesus.
And on the following day, the Caesar, sitting in the Capitol
with all the senate, tried again to question Pilate. And the
Caesar says : Tell the truth, 0 most impious, because through
thy impious action which thou hast perpetrated against Jesus,
even here the doing of thy wicked deeds has been shown by
the gods having been cast down. Say, then, who is he that
has been crucified; because even his name has destroyed all
the gods ? Pilate said : And indeed the records of him are
true ; for assuredly I myself was persuaded from his works
that he was greater than all the gods whom we worship. And
the Csesar said : For what reason, then, didst thou bring against
him such audacity and such doings, if thou wert not ignorant
of him, and altogether devising mischief against my kingdom ?
Pilate said : On account of the wickedness and rebellion of the
lawless and ungodly Jews, I did this.
And the Caesar, being filled with rage, held a council with all
his senate and his power, and ordered a decree to be written
against the Jews as follows :— To Licianus, the governor of the'
chief places of the East, greeting. The reckless deed which
has been done at the present time by the inhabitants of Jeru-
salem, and the cities of the Jews round about, and their wicked
action, has come to my knowledge, that they have forced Pilate
to crucify a certain god named Jesus, and on account of this
great fault of theirs the world has been darkened and dragged
to destruction. Do thou then speedily, with a multitude of
soldiers, go to them there, and make them prisoners, in accord-
ance with this decree. Be obedient, and take action against
them, and scatter them, and make them slaves among all the
nations ; and having driven them out of the whole of Judea,
make them the smallest of nations, so that it may not any
longer be seen at all, because they are full of wickedness.^
1 The text is very corrupt.
THE GIVING UP OF PILATE. 233
And this decree having come into the region of the East,
Licianus, obeying from fear of the decree, seized all the nation
of the Jews ; and those that were left in Judea he scattered
among the nations, and sold for slaves:^ so that it was known
to the Caesar that these things had been done by Licianus
against the Jews in the region of the East ; and it pleased him.
And again the Csesar set himself to question Pilate ; and he
orders a captain named Albius to cut off Pilate's head, saying :
Just as he laid hands upon the just man named Christ, in like
manner also shall he fall, and not find safety.
And Pilate, going away to the place, prayed in silence,
saying: Lord, do not destroy me along with the wicked
Hebrews, because I would not have laid hands upon Thee,
except for the nation of the lawless Jews, because they were
exciting rebellion against me. But Thou knowest that I did
it in ignorance. Do not then destroy me for this my sin ; but
remember not evil against me, 0 Lord, and against Thy servant
Procla, who is standing with me in this the hour of my death,
whom Thou didst appoint to prophesy that Thou shouldest be
nailed to the cross. Do not condemn her also in my sin ; but
pardon us, and make us to be numbered in the portion of Thy
righteous.
And, behold, when Pilate had finished his prayer, there came
a voice out of the heaven, saying : All the generations and
families of the nations shall count thee blessed, because under
thee have been fulfilled all those things said about me by the
prophets ; and thou thyself shalt be seen as my Mdtness at my
second appearing, when I shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel,
and those that have not owned my name. And the prefect
struck off the head of Pilate ; and, behold, an angel of the Lord
received it. And his wife Procla, seeing the angel coming and
receiving his head, being filled with joy herself also, immediately
gave up the ghost, and was buried along with her husband.^
' Lit., he made to be slaves in the dispersion of the Gentiles.
2 One of the Mss. adds : By the will and good pleasiire of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom be the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
THE DEATH OF PILATE WHO CONDEMNED JESUS.
;ISrD when Tiberius Csesar, the emperor of the Eomans,
was labouring under a grievous disease, and under-
standing that there was at Jerusalem a certain
physician, Jesus by name, who by a single word
cured all infirmities, he, not knowing that the Jews and Pilate
had put Him to death, ordered a certain friend of his named
Volusianus : Go as quickly as possible across the seas ; and
thou shalt tell Pilate, my servant and friend, to send me
this physician, that he may restore me to my former health.
And this Volusianus, having heard the emperor's command,
immediately departed, and came to Pilate, as he had been
commanded. And he related to the same Pilate what had
been entrusted to him by Tiberius Ccesar, saying: Tiberius
Csesar, the emperor of the Eomans, thy master, having heard
that in this city there is a physician who by his word alone
heals infirmities, begs thee earnestly to send him to him for
the curing of his infirmity. Pilate, hearing this, was very
much afraid, loiowing that through envy he had caused Him
to be put to death. Pilate answered the same messenger thus,
saying : This man was a malefactor, and a man who drew to
himself all the people; so a council of the wise men of the
city was held, and I caused him to be crucified. And this
messenger returning to his inn, met a certain woman named
Veronica, who had been a friend of Jesus; and he said: 0
woman, a certain physician who was in this city, who cured
the sick by a word alone, why have the Jews put him to
death ? And she began to weep, saying : Ah me ! my lord,
my God and my Lord, whom Pilate for envy delivered, con-
demned, and ordered to be crucified. Then he, being exceed-
ingly grieved, said : I am vehemently grieved that I am unable
to accomplish that lor which my lord had sent me. And
Veronica said to him : When my Lord was going about
preaching, and I, much against my will, was deprived of His
presence, I wished His picture to be painted tor me, in order
234 ■
THE DEATH OF PILATE. 235
that, while I was deprived of His presence, the figure of His
picture might at least afford me consolation. And when I was
carrying the canvas to the painter to be painted, my Lord met
me, and asked whither I was going. And when I had disclosed
to Him the cause of my journey. He asked of me the cloth,
and gave it back to me impressed with the image of His vene-
rable face. Therefore, if thy lord will devoutly gaze upon His
face,^ he shall obtain forthwith the benefit of health. And he
said to her : Is a picture of such a sort ptrocurable by gold or
silver ? She said to him : No ; but by the pious influence of
devotion. I shall therefore set out with thee, and shall carry
the picture to be seen by Caesar, and shall come back again.
Volusianus therefore came with Veronica to Eome, and said
to Tiberius the emperor : Jesus, whom thou hast been longing
for, Pilate and the Jews have delivered to an unjust death,
and have through envy affixed to the gibbet of the cross.
There has therefore come with me a certain matron, bringing
a picture of Jesus himself; and if thou wilt devoutly look upon
it, thou shalt immediately obtain the benefit of thy health.
Caesar therefore ordered the way to be strewn with silk cloths,
and the picture to be presented to him ; and as soon as he had
looked upon it, he regained his former health.
Pontius Pilate, therefore, by the command of Caesar, is taken
and brought through to Eome. Caesar, hearing that Pilate had
arrived at Eome, was filled with exceeding fury against him,
and caused him to be brought to him. But Pilate brought
down with him the seamless tunic of Jesus ; and he wore it on
him in presence of the emperor. And as soon as the emperor
saw him, he laid aside all his anger, and forthwith rose up to
meet him. Nor was he able to speak harshly to him in any-
thing ; and he who seemed so terrible and fierce in his absence,
now in his presence is somehow found to be mild. And when
he had sent him away, immediately he blazed out against him
terribly, crying out that he was a wretch, inasmuch as he had
not at all shown him the fury of his heart. And immediately
he made him be called back, swearing and declaring that he
was the son of death, and that it was infamous that he should
live upon the earth. And as soon as he saw him, he forthwith
'Or, upon the siglit of this.
236 THE DEATH OF PILATE.
saluted him, and threw away all the ferocity of his mind. All
wondered ; and he himself wondered that he should thus blaze
out against Pilate when he was absent, and that while he was
present he could say nothing to him roughly. Then, by a
divine impulse, or perhaps by the advice of some Christian,^ he
caused Mm to be stripped of that tunic, and immediately re-
sumed against him his former ferocity of mind. And when at
this the emperor wondered very much, it was told him that
that tunic had belonged to the Lord Jesus. Then the emperor
ordered him to be kept in prison, until he should deliberate in
a council of the wise men what ought to be done with him.
And a few days after, sentence was therefore passed upon
Pilate, that he should be condemned to the most disgraceful
death. Pilate, hearing this, killed himself with his own knife,
and by such a death ended his life.
When Csesar knew of the death of Pilate, he said : Truly he
has died by a most disgraceful death, whom his own hand has
not spared. He is therefore bound to a great mass, and sunk
into the river Tiber. But malignant and filthy spirits in his
malignant and filthy body, all rejoicing togetlier, kept moving
themselves in the waters, and in a terrible manner brought
lightnings and tempests, thunders and hail-storms, in the air,
so that all men were kept in horrible fear. Wherefore the
Romans, drawing him out of the river Tiber, in derision carried
him down to Vienna, and sunk him in the river Elione. For
Vienna is called, as it were, [Via Gehennse], the way of Gehenna,
because it was then a place of cursing. But there evil spirits
were present, working the same things in the same place.
Those men therefore, not enduring such a visitation of demons,
removed from themselves that vessel of malediction, and sent
him to be buried in the territory of Losania.^ And they, seeing
that they were troubled by the aforesaid visitations, removed
him from themselves, and sunk him in a certain pit surrounded
by mountains, where to this day, according to the account of
some, certain diabolical machinations are said to bubble up.
^ This is the first appearance of the word Christian in these writings.
* Losonium was the Roman name of Lausanne. For a discussion of this
legend concerning Mont Pilate, near Lucerne, see Smith's Dictionary oj the Bible^
under Pilate.
THE NAKKATIVE OF JOSEPH.
NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, THAT BEGGED THE
LORD'S BODY; IN WHICH ALSO HE BRINGS IN THE
CASES OF THE TWO ROBBERS.
CHAPTEE I.
[AM] Joseph of Arimathea, wlio begged from Pilate
the body of the Lord Jesus for burial, and who for
^1 this cause was kept close in prison by the mur-
derous and God-fighting ^ Jews, who also, keeping
to the law, have by Moses himself become partakers in tribu-
' lation ; and having provoked their Lawgiver to anger, and not
knowing that He was God, crucified Him, and made Him mani-
fest to those that knew God. In those days in which they
condemned the Son of God to be crucified, seven days before
Christ suffered, two condemned robbers were sent from Jericho
to the procurator Pilate ; and their case was as follows : —
The first, his name Gestas, put travellers to death, murdering
them with the sword, and others he exposed naked. And he
hung up women by the heels, head down, and cut off their
breasts, and drank the blood of infants' limbs, never having
known God, not obeying the laws, being violent from the be-
ginning, and doing such deeds.
And the case of the other was as follows : He was called
Demas, and was by birth a Galilean, and kept an inn. He
made attacks upon the rich, but was good to the poor — a thief
like Tobit, for he buried the bodies of the poor.^ And he set
his hand to robbing the multitude of the Jews, and stole the
1 MS. C has God-killing. * Tobit i. 17, 18.
237
238 THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPIL
law ^ itself in Jerusalem, and stripped naked the daughter of
Caiaphas, who was priestess of the sanctuary, and took away
from its place the mysterious deposit itself placed there by
Solomon. Such were his doings.
And Jesus also was taken on the third day before the pass-
over, in the evening. And to Caiaphas and the multitude ot
the Jews it was not a passover, but it was a great mourning to
them, on account of the plundering of the sanctuary by the
robber. And they summoned Judas Iscariot, and spoke to him,
for he was [son] of the brother^ of Caiaphas the priest. He
was not a disciple before the face of Jesus ; but all the multi-
tude of the Jews craftily supported him, that he might follow
Jesus, not that he might be obedient to the miracles done by
Him, nor that he might confess Him, but that he might betray
Him to them, wishing to catch up some lying word of Him,
giving him gifts for such brave, honest conduct to the amount
of a half shekel of gold each day. And he did this for two
years with Jesus, as says one of His discijjles called John.
And on the third day, before Jesus was laid hold of, Judas
says to the Jews : Come, let us hold a council ; for perhaps it
was not the robber that stole the law, but Jesus himself, and
I accuse him. And when these words had been spoken, Nico-
demus, who kept the keys of the sanctuary, came in to us, and
said to all : Do not do such a deed. For Nicodemus was true,
more than all the multitude of the Jews. And the daughter of
Caiaphas, Sarah by name, cried out, and said : He himself said
before all against this holy place, I am able to destroy this
temple, and in three days to raise it. The Jews say to her :
Thou hast credit with all of us. For they regarded her as a
prophetess. And assuredly, after the council had been held,
Jesus was laid hold of.
Chap. 2. — And on the following day, the fourth day of the
week, they brought Him at the ninth hour into the hall of Caia-
phas. And Annas and Caiaphas say to Him : Tell us, why hast
thou stolen our law, and renounced ^ the ordinances of Moses
* Perhaps the true reading is vaiv, and not voV«i' : plundered the temple.
* MS. B has : And they say that he was of the family of the sister, etc.
* Tischendorf suggests utr'iKfv-^as, hidden, for i-riKrtpvlas,
THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH. 239
and the prophets ? And Jesus answered nothing. And again
a second time, the multitude also being present, they say to
Him: The sanctuary which Solomon built in forty and six
years, why dost thou wish to destroy in one moment ? And to
these things Jesus answered nothing. For the sanctuary of the
synagogue had been plundered by the robber.
And the evening of the fourth day being ended, all the mul-
titude sought to burn the daughter of Caiaphas, on account of
the loss of the law ; for they did not know how they were to
keep the passover. And she said to them : Wait, my children,
and let us destroy this Jesus, and the law will be found, and
the holy feast will be fully accomplished. And secretly Annas
and Caiaphas gave considerable money to Judas Iscariot, saying:
Say as thou saidst to us before, I know that the law has been
stolen by Jesus, that the accusation may be turned against
him, and not against this maiden, who is free from blame. And
Judas having received this command, said to them : Let not all
the multitude know that I have been instructed by you to do
this against Jesus ; but release Jesus, and I persuade the mul-
titude that it is so. And craftily they released Jesus.
And Judas, going into the sanctuary at the dawn of the fifth
day, says to all the peeple : What will you give me, and I will
give up to you the overthrower ^ of the law, and the plunderer
of the prophets ? The Jews say to him : If thou wilt give him
up to us, we will give thee thirty pieces of gold. And the
people did not know that Judas was speaking about Jesus, for
many of them confessed that he was the Son of God. And
Judas received the thirty pieces of gold.
And going out at the fourth hour, and at the fifth, he finds
Jesus walking in the street. And as evening was coming on,
Judas says to the Jews : Give me the aid of soldiers with swords
and staves, and I will give him up to you. They therefore
gave him officers for the purpose of seizing Him. And as they
were going along, Judas says to them : Lay hold of the man
whom I shall kiss,. for he has stolen the law and the prophets.
Going up to Jesus, therefore, he kissed Him, saying : Hail,
Eabbi ! it being the evening of the fifth day. And having laid
hold of Him, they gave Him up to Caiaphas and the chief priests,
1 Or, taker away.
240 THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH.
Judas saying : This is he who stole the law and the prophets.
And the Jews gave Jesus an unjust trial, saying : Why hast
thou done these things ? And he answered nothing.
And Nicodemus and I Joseph, seeing the seat of the plagues/
stood ofi' from them, not wishing to perish along with the
counsel of the ungodly.
Chap. 3. — Having therefore done many and dreadful things
against Jesus that night, they gave Him up to Pilate the pro-
curator at the dawn of the preparation, that he might crucify
Him; and for this purpose they all came together. After a
trial, therefore, Pilate the procurator ordered Him to be nailed
to the cross, along with the two robbers. And they were nailed
np along with Jesus, Gestas on the left, and Demas on the
right.
And he that was on the left began to cry out, saying to
Jesus : See how many evil deeds I have done in the earth ; and
if I had known that thou wast the king, I should have cut o£f
thee also. And why dost thou call thyself Son of God, and
canst not help thyself in necessity ? how canst thou afford it
to another one praying for help ? If thou art the Christ, come
down from the cross, that I may believe in thee. But now I
see thee perishing along with me, not like a man, but like a
wild beast. And many other things he began to say against
Jesus, blaspheming and gnashing his teeth upon Him. For the
robber was taken alive in the snare of the devil.^
But the robber on the right hand, whose name was Demas,
seeing the Godlike grace of Jesus, thus cried out: I know Thee,
Jesus Christ, that Thou art the Son of God. I see Thee, Christ,
adored by myriads of myriads of angels. Pardon me my sins
which I have done. Do not in my trial make the stars come
against me, or the moon, when Thou shalt judge all the world ;
because in the night I have accomplished my wicked purposes.
Do not urge the sun, which is now darkened on account of
Thee, to tell the evils of my heart, for no gift can I give Thee
for the remission of my sins. Already death is coming upon
me because of my sins ; but Thine is the propitiation. Deliver
me, 0 Lord of all, from Thy fearful judgment. Do not give the
^ Following the reading of the LXX. in Ps. i. 1. * 2 Tim. ii. 26.
THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH. 241
enemy power to swallow me up, and to become heir of my soul,
as of that of him who is hanging on the left ; for I see how the
devil joyfully takes his soul, and his body disappears. Do not
even order me to go away into the portion of the Jews ; for I
see Moses and the patriarchs in great weeping, and the devU
rejoicing over them. Before, then, 0 Lord, my spirit departs,
order my sins to be washed away, and remember me the sinner
in Thy kingdom, when upon the great most lofty throne ^ Thou
shalt judge the twelve tribes of Israel.^ Tor Thou hast pre-
pared great punishment for Thy world on account of Thyself.
And the robber having thus spoken, Jesus says to him:
Amen, amen ; I say to thee, Demas, that to-day thou shalt be
with me in paradise.' And the sons of the kingdom, the chil-
dren of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, shall be
cast out into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnash-
ing of teeth.* And thou alone shalt dwell in paradise until my
second appearing, when I am to judge those who do not confess
my name. And He said to the robber : Go away, and tell the
cherubim and the powers, that turn the flaming sword, that
guard paradise from the time that Adam, the first created, was
in paradise, and sinned, and kept not my commandments, and I
cast him out thence. And none of the first shall see paradise
until I am to come the second time to judge living and dead.
And He wrote thus : Jesus Christ the Son of God, who have
come down from the heights of the heavens, who have come
forth out of the bosom of the invisible Father without being
separated from Him,^ and who have come dow^n into the world
to be made flesh, and to be nailed to a cross, in order that I
might save Adam, whom I fashioned, — to my archangelic powers,
ihe gatekeepers of paradise, to the officers of my Father : I will
and order that he who has been crucified along with me should
go in, should receive remission of sins through me ; and that he,
having put on an incorruptible body, should go in to paradise,
and dwell where no one has ever been able to dwell.
And, behold, after He had said this, Jesus gave up the ghost,
on the day of the preparation, at the ninth hour. And there
was darkness over all the earth ; and from a great earthquake
1 Or, upon the great throne of the Most High. « Matt. xix. 28.
3 Luke xxiii. 43. * Matt. viii. 11, 12. ^ Lit., inseparably.
Q
242 THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH.
that happened, the sanctuary fell down, and the wing of the
temple.
Chap. 4. — And I Joseph hegged the body of Jesus, and put
it in a new tomb, where no one had been put. And of the
robber on the right the body was not found ; but of him on the
left, as the form of a dragon, so was his body.
And after I had begged the body of Jesus to bury, the Jews,
carried away by hatred and rage, shut me up in prison, where
evil-doers were kept imder restraint. And this happened to
me on the evening of the Sabbath, whereby our nation trans-
gressed the law. And, behold, that same nation of ours en-
dured fearful tribulations on the Sabbath.
And now, on the evening of the first of the week, at the fifth
hour of the night, Jesus comes to me in the prison, along with
the robber who had been crucified with Him on the right, whom
He sent into paradise. And there was a great light in tlie
building. And the house was hung up by the four corners,
and the place was opened, and I came out. Then I first recog-
nised Jesus, and again the robber, bringing a letter to Jesus.
And as we were going into Galilee, there shone a great light,
which the creation did not produce. And there was also with
the robber a great fragrance out of paradise.
And Jesus, having sat down in a certain place, thus read :
We, the cherubim and the six-winged, who have been ordered
by Thy Godhead to watch the garden of paradise, make the
following statement through the robber who was crucified along
with Thee, by Thy arrangement : When we saw the print of the
nails of the robber crucified along with Thee, and the shining
light of the letter of Thy Godhead,^ the fire indeed was extin-
guished, not being able to bear the splendour of the print ;^
and we crouched down, being in great fear. For we heard that
the Maker of heaven and earth, and of the whole creation, had
come down from on high to dwell in the lower parts of the
earth, on account of Adam, the first created. And when we
beheld the undefiled cross shining like lightning from the
* Or, the shiuing light of the letter, the fire of the Godhead, we indeed were
extinguished.
a i.e. of the nails.
THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH. 243
robber, gleaming with sevenfold the light of the sun, trembling
fell upon us. We felt a violent shaking of the world below ; ^
and with a loud voice, the ministers of Hades said, along with
us : Holy, holy, holy is He who in the beginning was in the
highest. And the powers sent up a cry : 0 Lord, Thou hast
been made manifest in heaven and in earth, bringing joy to the
world ; and, a greater gift than this, Thou hast freed Thine own
image from death by the invisible purpose of the ages.
Chap. 5. — After I had beheld these things, as I was going
into Galilee with Jesus and the robber, Jesus was transfigured,
and was not as formerly, before He was crucified, but was alto-
gether light ; and angels always ministered to Him, and Jesus
spoke with them. And I remained with Him three days.
And no one of His disciples was with Him, except the robber
alone.
And in the middle of the feast of unleavened bread. His dis-
ciple John comes, and we no longer beheld the robber as to
what took place. And John asked Jesu^ : Who is this, that
Thou hast not made me to be seen by him ? But Jesus
answered him nothing. And falling down before Him, he said :
Lord, I know that Thou hast loved me from, the beginning, and
why dost Thou not reveal to me that man 1 Jesus says to him :
Why dost thou seek what is hidden ? Art thou still without
understanding 1 Dost thou not perceive the fragrance of para-
dise filling the place ? Dost thou not know who it is ? The
robber on the cross has become heir of paradise. Amen, amen ;
I say to thee, that it shall belong to him alone until that the
great day shall come. And John said : Make me worthy to
behold him.
And while John was yet speaking, the robber suddenly
appeared ; and John, struck with astonishment, fell to the
earth. And the robber was not in his first form, as before John
came ; but he was like a king in great power, having on him the
cross. And the voice of a great multitude was sent forth : Thou
hast come to the place prepared for thee in paradise. We have
been commanded by Him that has sent thee, to serve thee
imtil the great day. And after this voice, both the robber and
^ The text is liere corrupt ; but tliis seems to be the meaning.
244 THE NARRATIVE OF JOSEPH.
I Josepli vanished, and I was found in my own house ; and I
no longer saw Jesus.
And I, having seen these things, have written them down, in
order that all may believe in the crucified Jesus Christ our
Lord, and may no longer obey the law of Moses, but may be-
lieve in the signs and wonders that have happened through
Him, and in order that we who have believed may inherit
eternal life, and be found in the kingdom of the heavens. For
to Him are due glory, strength, praise, and majesty for ever and
ever. Amen.
THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUE.
[This version of the legend of Veronica is written in very
barbarous Latin, probably of the seventh or eighth century.
An Anglo-Saxon version, which Tischendorf concludes to be
derived from the Latin, was edited and translated for the
Cambridge Antiquarian Society, by C. W. Goodwin, in 1851.
The Anglo-Saxon text is from a MS. in the Cambridge Library,
one of a number presented to the Cathedral of Exeter by
Bishop Leofric in the beginning of the eleventh century.
The reader will observe that there are in this document two
distinct legends, somewhat clumsily joined together — that of
Nathan's embassy, and that of Veronica.]
HERE BEGINNETH THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
N the days of the Emperor Tiberius Caesar, when
Herod was tetrarch, Christ was delivered under
Pontius Pilate by the Jews, and revealed by
Tiberius.
In those days Titus ^ was a prince under Tiberius in the
region of Equitania, in a city of Libia which is called Burgi-
dalla. And Titus had a sore in his right nostril, on account
of a cancer, and he had his face torn even to the eye. There
went forth a certain man from Judea, by name Nathan the
son of Nahum ; for he was an Ishmaelite who went froiji land
to land, and from sea to sea, and in all the ends of the earth.
Now Nathan was sent from Judea to the Emperor Tiberius,
to carry their treaty to the city of Eonie. And Tiberius was
' The Saxon version has Tiius.
245
246 THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
ill, and full of ulcers and fevers, and had nine kinds of leprosy.
And Nathan wished to go to the city of Eome. But the north
wind bleAv and hindered his sailing, and carried him down to
the harbour of a city of Libia. Now Titus, seeing the ship
coming, knew that it was from Judea ; and they all wondered,
and said that they had never seen any vessel so coming from
that quarter. And Titus ordered the captain to come to him,
and asked him who he was. And he said : I am Nathan the
son of Nahum, of the race of the Ishmaelites, and I am a sub-
ject of Pontius Pilate in Judea. And I have been sent to go
to Tiberius the Eoman emperor, to carry a treaty from Judea.
And a strong wind came down upon the sea, and has brought
me to a country that I do not know.
And Titus says : If thou couldst at any time find anything
either of cosmetics or herbs which could cure the wound that
I have in my face, as thou seest, so that I should become
whole, and regain my former health, I should bestow upon
thee many good things. And Nathan said to him : I do not
know, nor have I ever known, of such things as thou speakest
to me about. But for all that, if thou hadst been some time
ago in Jerusalem, there thou wouldst have found a choice
prophet, whose name was Emanuel, for He will save His people
from their sins. And He, as His first miracle in Cana of Galilee,
made wine from water; and by His word He cleansed lepers. He
enlightened the eyes of one born blind, He healed paralytics,
He made demons flee, He raised up three dead; a woman caught
in adultery, and condemned by the Jews to be stoned, He
set free ; and another woman, named Veronica, who suffered
twelve years from an issue of blood, and came up to Him
behind, and touched the fringe of His garment. He healed ; and
with five loaves and two fishes He satisfied five thousand men,
to say nothing of little ones and women, and there remained
of the fragments twelve baskets. All these things, and many
others, were accomplished before His passion. After His re-
surrection we saw Him in the flesh as He had been before.
And Titus said to him: How did he rise again from the
dead, seeing that he was dead ? And Nathan answered and
said : He was manifestly dead, and hung up on the cross, and
again taken down from the cross, and for three days He lay
THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR. 217
in the tomb ; thereafter He rose again from the dead, and went
down to Hades, and freed tlie patriarchs and the prophets,
and the whole human race ; thereafter He appeared to His
disciples, and ate with them ; thereafter they saw Him going
up into heaven. And so it is the truth, all this that I tell
you. For I saw it with my own eyes, and all the house of
Israel. And Titus said in his own words : Woe to thee, 0
Emperor Tiberius, full of ulcers, and enveloped in leprosy,
because such a scandal has been committed in thy kingdom ;
because thou hast made such laws^ in Judea, in the land of
the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they have seized the
King, and put to death the Euler of the peoples ; and they have
not made Him come to us to cure thee of thy leprosy, and
cleanse me from mine infirmity : on which account, if they
had been before my face, with my own hands I should have
slain the carcases of those Jews, and hung them up on the
cruel tree, because they have destroyed my Lord, and mine
eyes have not been worthy to see His face. And when he
had thus spoken, immediately the wound fell from the face
of Titus, and his flesh and his face were restored to health.
And all the sick who were in the same place were made
whole in that hour. And Titus cried out, and all the rest
with him, in a loud voice, saying: My King and my God,
because I have never seen Thee, and Thou hast made me
whole, bid me go with the ship over the waters to the land
of Thy birth, to take vengeance on Thine enemies ; and help
me, 0 Lord, that I may be able to destroy them, and avenge
Thy death : do Thou, Lord, deliver them into my hand. And
having thus spoken, he ordered that he shouW be baptized.
And he called Nathan to him, and said to him: How hast
thou seen those baptized who believe in Christ? Come to
me, and baptize me in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.^ For I also firmly believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ wdth all my heart, and with all my
1 Reges, kings, instead of leges, as suggested by Mr. Cowper, is a much better
reading.
^ Sax. : Then Nathan came, and baptized him in the name of the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and took away from him his name of Tiius,
and called him in his baptism Titus, which is in our language Pius.
248 THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
soul ; because nowhere in the whole world is tliere another who
has created me, and made me whole from my wounds.
And having thus spoken, he sent messengers to Vespasian
to come with all haste with his bravest men, so prepared as
if for war.
Then Vespasian brought with him five thousand armed men,
and they went to meet Titus. And when they had come to
the city of Libia, he said to Titus : Why is it that thou hast
made me come hither ? And he said : Know that Jesus has
come into this world, and has been born in Judea, in a place
which is called Bethlehem, and has been given up by the Jews,
and scourged, and crucified on Mount Calvary,^ and has risen
again from tlie dead on the third day. And His disciples have
seen Him in the same flesh in which He was born, and He has
shown Himself to His disciples, and they have believed in Him.
And we indeed wish to become His disciples. Now, let us go
and destroy His enemies from the .earth, that they may now
know that there is none like the Lord our God on the face of
the earth.
With this design, then, they went forth from the city of
Libia which is called Burgidalla,^ and went on board a ship,
and proceeded to Jerusalem, and surrounded the kingdom of
the Jews, and began to send them to destruction. And when
the kings of the Jews heard of their doings, and the wasting of
their land, fear came upon them, and they were in great per-
plexity. Then Archelaus ® was perplelxed in his words, and
said to his son : My son, take my kingdom and judge it ; and
take counsel with the other kings who are in the land of
Judah, that you may be able to escape from our enemies.
And having thus said, he unsheathed his sword and leant ujDon
it ; and turned his sword, which was very sharp, and thrust it
into his breast, and died. And his sou allied himself with the
other kings who were under him, and they took counsel among
themselves, and went into Jerusalem with their chief men who
were in their counsel, and stood in the same place seven years.
And Titus and Vespasian took counsel to surround their city.
^ Note the popular but erroneous appellation of Mount.
* Sax. omits which is called Burgldalla.
' Sax. : And Herod the king was so terrified, that he said to Archelaus his son.
TEE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR. 249
And they did so. And tlie seven years being fulfilled, there
was a very sore famine, and for want of bread they began to
eat earth. Then all the soldiers who were of the four kings
took counsel among themselves, and said : Now we are sure
to die : what will God do to us .? or of what good is our life
to us, because the Eomans have come to take our place and
nation ? It is better for us to kill each other, than that the
Eomans should say that they have slain us, and gained the
victory over us. And they drew their swords and smote them-
selves, and died, to the number of twelve thousand men of them.
Then there was a great stench in that city from the corpses of
those dead men. And their kings feared with a very great fear
even unto death ; and they could not bear the stench of them,
nor bury them, nor throw them forth out of the city. And they
said to each other : What shall we do ? We indeed gave up
Christ to death, and now we are given up to death ourselves.
Let us bow our heads, and give up the keys of the city to the
Eomans, because God has already given us up to death. And
immediately they went up upon the walls of the city, and all
cried out with a loud voice, saying : Titus and Vespasian, take
the keys of the city, which have been given to you by Messiah,
who is called Christ.
Then they gave themselves up into the hands of Titus and
Vespasian, and said : Judge us, seeing that we ought to die,
because we judged Christ ; and he was given up without cause.
Titus and Vespasian seized them, and some they stoned, and
some they hanged on a tree, feet up and head down, and struck
them through with lances ; and others they gave up to be sold,
and others they divided among themselves, and made four parts
of them, just as they had done of the garments of the Lord.
And they said : They sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver,
and we shall sell thirty of them for one denarius. And so
they did. And having done so, they seized all the lands of
Judea and Jerusalem.
Then they made a search about the face or portrait^ of Jesus,
how they might find it.^ And they found a woman named
Veronica who had it. Then they seized Pilate, and sent him
^ Lit., countenance.
' Sax. : And they inquired diligently whether perchance there were there any
250 THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
to prison, to be guarded by four quaternions of soldiers at the
door of the prison. Then they forthwith sent their messengers
to Tiberius, the emperor of the city of Eome, that he should
send Velosianus to them. And he said to him : Take all that
is necessary for thee in the sea, and go down into Judea, and
seek out one of the disciples of him who was called Christ
and Lord, that he may come to me, and in the name of his
God cure me of the leprosy and the infirmities by which I
am daily exceedingly burdened, and of my wounds, because
I am iU at ease. And send iipon the kings of the Jews, who
are subject to my authority, tliy forces and terrible engines,
because they have put to death Jesus Christ our Lord, and
condemn them to death. And if thou shalt there find such a
man as may be able to free me from this infirmity of mine, I
will believe in Christ the Son of God, and will baptize myself
in his name. And Velosianus said : My lord emperor, if I find
such a man as may be able to help and free us, what reward
shall I promise him ? Tiberius said to him : The half of my
kingdom, without fail, to be in his hand.
Then Velosianus immediately went forth, and went on board
the ship, and hoisted the sail in the vessel, and went on sailing
through the sea. And he sailed a year and seven days, after
which he arrived at Jerusalem. And immediately he ordered
some of the Jews to come to his power, and began carefully to
ask what had been the acts of Christ. Then Joseph, of the
city of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, came at the same time.
And Nicodemus said : I saw Him, and I know indeed that He
is the Saviour of the world. And Joseph said to him : And I
took Him down from the cross, and laid Him in a new tomb,
which had been cut out of the rock. And the Jews kept me
shut up on the day of the preparation, at evening ; and while
I was standing in prayer on the Sabbath-day, the house was
hung up by the four corners, and I saw the Lord Jesus Christ
like a gleam of light, and for fear I fell to the groimd. And
He said to me. Look upon me, for I am Jesus, whose body
thou buriedst in thy tomb. And I said to Him, Show me
the sepulchre Nvhere I laid Thee. And Jesus, holding my
one who had miraculous relics of the Saviour, of His clothing, or other precious
things ; and they sought so diligently, that tliey fuund a woniiui, etc.
THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR. 231
hand in His right hand, led me to the place where I buried
Him.^
And there came also the woman named Veronica, and said
to him : And I touched in the crowd the fringe of His garment,
because for twelve years I had suffered from an issue of blood ;
and He immediately healed me. Then Velosianus said to
Pilate : Thou, Pilate, impious and cruel, why hast thou slain
the Son of God ? And Pilate answered : His own nation,
and the chief priests Annas and Caiaphas, gave him to me.
Velosianus said: Impious and cruel, thou art worthy of death
and cruel punishment. And he sent him back to prison. And
Velosianus at last sought for the face or the countenance of
the Lord. And all who were in that same place said : It is
the woman called Veronica who has the portrait of the Lord
in her house. And immediately he ordered her to be brought
before his power. And he said to her : Hast thou the por-
trait of the Lord in thy house ? But she said, No. Then
Velosianus ordered her to be put to the torture, until she
should give up the portrait of the Lord. And she was forced
to say : I have it in clean linen, my lord, and I daily adore it.
Velosianus said : Show it to me. Then she showed the portrait
of the Lord. When Velosianus saw it, he prostrated himself
on the ground ; and with a ready heart and true faith he took
hold of it, and wrapped it in cloth of gold, and placed it in a
casket, and sealed it with his ring. And he swore with an
oath, and said : As the Lord God liveth, and by the health of
Coesar, no man shall any more see it upon the face of the
earth, until I see the face of my lord Tiberius. And when
he had thus spoken, the princes, who were the chief men of
Judea, seized Pilate to take him to a seaport. And he took
the portrait of the Lord, with all His disciples, and all in his
pay, and they went on board the ship the same day. Then
the woman Veronica, for the love of Christ, left all that she
1 111 the Saxon, Joseph's speech is : I know that they took Him down from
the cross, and laid Him in the tomb which I had cut out of the rock. And I
was one of those who guarded His tomb ; and I bent my head and thought 1
sliouhl see Him, but I beheld nothing of Him, but saw two angels, one at the
head and the other at the foot, and they asked me whom I was seeking. 1
answered and said to tliem, I seek Jesus who was crucified. Again they said
to me, Go into Galilee ; there shall you see Him, as He said to you before.
252 THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
possessed, and followed A''elosianus. And Velosianus said to
her: What dost thou wish, woman, or what dost thou seek?
And she answered: I am seeking the portrait of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who enlightened me, not for my own merits, but
through His own holy affection.^ Give back to me the portrait
of my Lord Jesus Christ; for because of this I die with a
righteous longing. But if thou do not give it back to me, I
will not leave it until I see where thou wilt put it, because
I, most miserable woman that I am, will serve Him all the
days of my life; because I believe that He, my Eedeemer,
liveth for everlasting.
Then Velosianus ordered the woman Veronica to be taken
down with him into the ship. And the sails being hoisted,
they began to go in the vessel in the name of the Lord, and
they sailed through the sea. But Titus, along with Vespasian,
went up into Jadea, avenging all nations upon their land.^ At
the end of a year Velosianus came to the city of Eome, brought
his vessel into the river which is called Tiberis, or Tiber, and
entered the city which is called Eome. And he sent his
messenger to his lord Tiberius the emperor in the Lateran
about his prosperous arrival.
Then Tiberius the emperor, when he heard the message of
Velosianus, rejoiced greatly, and ordered him to come before
his face. And when he • had come, he called him, saying :
.Velosianus, how hast thou come, and what hast thou seen in
the region of Judea of Christ the Lord and his disciples ?
Tell me, I beseech thee, that he is going to cure me of mine
infirmity, that I may be at once cleansed from that leprosy
which I have over my body, and I gi^^e up my \\'hole kingdom
into thy power and his.
And Velosianus said : My lord emperor, T found thy servants
Titus and Vespasian in Judea fearing the Lord, and they were
' A few lines of the text are here very connipt, and are omitted by Tischendorf.
The meaning of them is : And woe's me, because, contrary to the Law, thou
hast treated me most unjustly. Ah ! vvoe's me, because thou hast taken my
Lord from me ; just as the Jews did contrary to the law in crucifying in this
■world the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the eyes of your Ctesar have not seen. But
woe's me ! have I done contrary to the law ? Have I deserved to sutler tliis
punishment ?
^ Or, taking vengeance upon all the nations of ilieir land.
THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR. 253
cleansed from all their ulcers and sufferings. And I found
that all the kings and rulers of Judea have been hanged by
Titus ; Annas and Caiaphas have been stoned, Archelaus has
killed himself with his own lance ; and I have sent Pilate to
Damascus in bonds, and kept him in prison under safe keeping.
But I have also found out about Jesus, whom the Jews most
wickedly attacked with swords, and staves, and weapons ; and
they crucified him who ought to have freed and enlightened
us, and to have come to us, and they hanged him on a tree.
And Joseph came from Arimathea, and Nicodemus with him,
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds,
to anoint the body of Jesus ; and they took him down from the
cross, and laid him in a new tomb. And on the third day he
most assuredly rose again from the dead, and showed himself
to his disciples in the same flesh in which he had been born.
At length, after forty days, they saw him going up into heaven.
Many, indeed, and other miracles did Jesus before his passion
and after. First, of water he made wine ; he raised the dead,
he cleansed lepers, he enlightened the blind, he cured paralytics,
he put demons to flight; he made the deaf hear, the dumb
speak ; Lazarus, when four days dead, he raised from the tomb ;
the woman Veronica, who suffered from an issue of blood twelve
years, and touched the fringe of his garment, he made whole.
Then it pleased the Lord in the heavens, that the Son of God,
who, sent into this world as the first-created, had died upon
earth, should send his angel; and he commanded Titus and
Vespasian, whom I knew in that place where thy throne is.
And it pleased God Almighty that they went into Judea and
Jerusalem, and seized thy subjects, and put them under that
sentence, as it were, in the same manner as they did when thy
subjects seized Jesus and bound him. And Vespasian after-
wards said : What shall we do about those who shall remain ?
Titus answered : They hanged our Lord on a green tree, and
struck him with a lance ; now let us hang them on a dry tree,
and pierce their bodies through and through with the lance.
And they did so. And Vespasian said: What about those
who are left ? Titus answered : They seized the tunic of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and of it made four parts ; now let us seize
them, and divide them into four parts, — to thee one, to me
254 THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR.
one, to tliy men another, and to my servants the fourth part.
And they did so. And Vespasian said : But what shall we do
about those who are left ? Titus answered him : The Jews
sold our Lord for thirty pieces of silver : now let us sell thirty
of them for one piece of silver. And they did so. And they
seized Pilate, and gave him np to me, and J. put him in prison,
to he guarded by four quaternions of soldiers in Damascus.
Then they made a search with great diligence to seek the
portrait of the Lord ; and they fomid a woman named Veronica
who had the portrait of the Lord. Then the Emperor Tiberius
said to Velosianus : How hast thou it ? And he answered : I
have it in clean cloth of gold, rolled up in a shawl. And the
Emperor Tiberius said: Bring it to me, and spread it before
my face, that I, falling to the ground and bending my knees,
may adore it on the ground. Then Velosianus spread out his
shawl with the cloth of gold on which the portrait of the Lord
had been imprinted; and the Emperor Tiberius saw it. And
he immediately adored the image of the Lord with a pure heart,
and his flesh Avas cleansed as the flesh of a little child. And
all the blind, the lepers, the lame, the dumb, the deaf, and
those possessed by various diseases, who were there present,
were healed, and cured, and cleansed. And the Emperor
Tiberius bowed his head and bent his knees, considering that
saying : Blessed is the womb which bore Thee, and the breasts
which Thou hast sucked ; and he groaned to the Lord^ saying
with tears : God of heaven and earth, do not permit me to
sin, but confirm my soul and my body, and place me in Thy
kingdom, because in Thy name do I trust always: free me
from all evils, as Thou didst free the three children from the
furnace of blazing fire.
Then said the Emperor Tiberius to Velosianus : Velosianus,
hast thou seen any of those men who saw Christ ? Velosianus
answered : I have. He said : Didst thou ask how they baptize
those who believed in Christ ? Velosianus said : Here, my
lord, we have one of the disciples of Christ himself. Then he
ordered Nathan to be summoned to come to him. Nathan
therefore came and baptized him in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Immediately the
Emperor Tiberius, made whole from all his diseases; ascended
THE AVENGING OF THE SAVIOUR. 2.55
upon his throne, and said : Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord God
Almighty, and worthy to be praised, who hast freed me from
the snare of death, and cleansed me from all mine iniquities ;
because I have greatly sinned before Thee, 0 Lord my God,
and I am not worthy to see Thy face. And then the Emperor
Tiberius was instructed in all the articles of the faith, fully, and
with strong faith.
May that same God Almighty, who is King of Idngs and
Lord of lords, Himself shield us in His faith, and defend us,
and deliver us from all danger and evil, and deign to bring us
to life everlasting, when this life, which is temporary, shall
fail : who is blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
PETER AND PAUL.
jIT came to pass, after Paul went out of the island
Gaudomeleta/ that he came to Italy ; and it was
heard of by the Jews who were in Eome, the elder
of the cities, that Paul demanded to come to Csesar.
Having fallen, therefore, into great grief and much despond-
ency, they said among themselves : It does not please him that
he alone has afflicted all our brethren and parents in Judea
and Samaria, and in all Palestine ; and he has not been pleased
with these, but, behold, he comes here also, having through
imposition asked Csesar to destroy us.
Having therefore made an assembly against Paul, and having
considered many proposals,^ it seemed good to them to go to
Nero the emperor, [to ask him] not to allow Paul to come
to Eome. Having therefore got in readiness not a few pre-
sents, and having carried them with them, with supplication
they came before him, saying : We beseech thee, 0 good
emperor, send orders into all the governments of your worship,
to the effect that Paul is not to come near tliese parts ; because
this Paul, having afflicted all the nation of our fathers, has been
seeking to come hither to destroy us also. And the affliction,
0 most worshipful emperor, which we have from Peter is
enough for us.
And the Emperor Nero, having heard these things, answered
' Lambeciiis proposes to read Gaudos and Melita. In the Latin version of
tlie famous Greek scholar Lascaris, 1490, it is a Melita et Gaudisio insulis.
2 TpaxTaia-avris : from the Byzantine verb Tpaxrai^tiy — tractate. The various
readings in the Mss. are : Being very disorderly; having been much disturbed.
256
ACTS OF PETER AND PAUL. 257
them: It is^ according to your wish. And we write to all
our governments that he shall not on any account come to
anchor in the parts of Italy. And they also informed Simon
the magian, having sent for him, that, as has been said, he should
not come into the parts of Italy.
And while they were thus doing, some of those that had
repented out of the nations, and that had been baptized at the
preaching of Peter, sent 'elders to Paul with a letter to the
following effect : Paul, dear servant of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and brother of Peter, the first of the apostles, we have heard
from the rabbis of the Jews that are in this Eome, the greatest
of the cities, that they have asked Caesar to send into all his
governments, in order that, wherever thou mayst be found, thou
mayst be put to death. But we have believed, and do believe,
that as God does not separate the two great lights which He
has made, so He is not to part you from each other, that is,
neither Peter from Paul, nor Paul from Peter ; but we positively
believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, into whom we have been
baptized, that we have become worthy also of your teaching.
And Paul, having received the two men sent with the letter
on the twentieth of the month of May, became eager [to go],
and gave thanks to the Lord and Master Jesus Christ. And
having sailed from Gaudomeleta, he did not now come through
Africa to the parts of Italy, but ran to Sicily, until he came to
the city of Syracuse with the two men who had been sent from
Eome to him. And having sailed thence, he came to Ehegium
of Calabria, and from Ehegium he crossed to Mesina, and there
ordained a bishop, Bacchylus by name. And when he came
out of Mesina he sailed to Didymus, and remained there one
night. And having sailed thence, he came to Pontiole ^ on the
second day.
And Dioscorus the shipmaster, who brought him to Syracuse,
sympathizing with Paul because he had delivered his son from
death, having left his own ship in Syracuse, accompanied him
to Pontiole. And some of Peter's disciples having been found
there, and having received Paul, exhorted him to stay with
them. And he stayed a week, in hiding, because of the com-
mand of Ctesar. And all 'the toparchs were watching to seize
' Various reading: Let it be . . . and we will write, etc. '' Puteoli.
258 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
and kill him. But Dioscorus the shipmaster, being liimself
also bald, wearing his shipmaster's dress, and speaking boldly,
on the first day went out into the city of Pontiole. Thinking
therefore that he was Paul, they seized him, and beheaded him,
and sent his head to Csesar.
Caesar therefore, having summoned the first men of the Jews,
announced to them, saying : Eejoice with great joy, for Paul
your enemy is dead. And he showed them the head. Having
therefore made great rejoicing on that day, which was the
fourteenth of the month of June, each of the Jews fully be-
lieved it.
And Paul, being in Pontiole, and having heard that Dioscorus
had been beheaded, being grieved with great grief, gazing into
the height of the heaven, said : 0 Lord Almighty in heaven,
who hast appeared to me in every place whither I have gone
oh account of Thine only-begotten Word, our Lord Jesus Christ,
punish this city, and bring out all who have believed in God
and followed His word. He said to them therefore : Follow
me. And going forth from Pontiole with those who had be-
lieved in the word of God, they came to a place called Baias ;^
and looking up with their eyes, they all see that city called
Pontiole sunk into the sea-shore about one fathom ; and there
it is until this day, for a remembrance, under the sea.
And having gone forth from Baias, they went to Gaitas, and
there he taught the word of God. And he stayed there three
days in the house of Erasmus, wdiom Peter sent from Eome to
teach the gospel of God. And having come forth from Gaitas,
he came to the castle called Taracinas, and stayed there seven
days in the house of Csesarius the deacon, whom. Peter had
ordained by the laying on of hands. And sailing thence, he
came by the river to a place called Tribus Tabernes.
And those who had been saved out of the city of Pontiole,
that had been swallowed up, reported to Csesar in Eome that
Pontiole had been swallowed up, wdth all its multitude. And
the emperor, being in great grief on account of the city, having
summoned the chief of the Jews, said to them: Behold, on
account of what I heard from you, I have caused Paul to be
^ The geographical names are given in the peculiar forms of the text. Occa-
aionaUy the usual forms, such as Bai«, occur.
PETER AND PAUL. 259
beheaded, and on account of this the city has been swallowed
lip. And the chief of the Jews said to Csesar : Most worshipful
emperor, did we not say to thee that he troubled all the country
of the East, and perverted our fathers ? It is better therefore,
•most worshipful emperor, that one city be- destroyed, and not
the seat of thine empire ; for this had Kome to suffer. And
the emperor, having heard their words, was appeased.
And Paul stayed in Tribus Tabernes four days. And depart-
ing thence, he came to Appii Forum, which is called Vicusa-
rape ; and having slept there that night, he saw one sitting on
a golden chair, and a multitude of blacks standing beside him,
saying : I have to-day made a son murder his father. Another
said : And I have made a house fall, and kill parents with chil-
dren. And they reported to him many evil deeds — some of
one kind, some of another. And another coming, reported to
him : I have managed that the bishop Juvenalius, whom Peter
ordained, should sleep with the abbess Juliana. And having
heard all these things when sleeping in that Appii Forum, near
Vicusarape, straightway and immediately he sent to Eome one
of those who had followed him from Pontiole to the bishop
Juvenalius, telling him this same thing which had just been
done. And on the following day, Juvenalius, running, threw
himself at the feet of Peter, weeping and lamenting, and saying
what had just befallen ; and he recounted to him the matter,
and said : I believe that this is the light which thou wast
awaiting. And Peter said to him : How is it possible that it
is he when he is dead ? And Juvenalius the bishop took to
Peter him that had been sent by Paul, and he reported to him
that he was alive, and on his way, and that he was at Appii
Forum. And Peter thanked and glorified the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Then having summoned his disciples that believed, he sent
them to Paul as far as Tribus Tabernes. And the distance
from Eome to Tribus Tabernes is tliirty-eight miles.^ And
Paul seeing them, having given thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ,
took courage ; and departing thence, they slej)t in the city
called Aricia.
J The distance was thirty-three mile's. In the Antonine liinerary, "To Aricia
is sixteen miles, to Tres Tahernse seventeen miles, to Appii Forum teia miles."
260 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
And a report went about in the city of Eome that Paul the
brother of Peter was coming. And those that believed in God
rejoiced with great joy. And there was great consternation
among the Jews ; and having gone to Simon the magian, they
entreated him, saying : Report to the emperor that Paul is not
dead, but that he is alive, and has come. And Simon said to
the Jews : What head is it, then, which came to Caesar from
Pontiole ? Was it not bald also ?
And Paul having come to Rome, great fear fell upon the
Jews. They came together therefore to him, and exhorted him,
saying : Vindicate the faith in which thou wast born ; for
it is not right that thou, being a Hebrew, and of the Hebrews,
shouldst call thyself teaclier of Gentiles, and vindicator of
the uncircumcised ; and, being thyself circumcised, that thou
shouldst bring to nought the faith of the circumcision.^ And
when thou seest Peter, contend against his teaching, because
lie has destroyed all the bulwarks of our law; for he has
prevented the keeping of Sabbaths and new moons, and the
holidays appointed by the law. And Paul, answering, said to
them : That I am a true Jew, by this you can prove ; because
also you have been able to keep the Sabbath, and to observe
the true circumcision ; for assuredly on the day of the Sabbath
God rested from all His works. We have fathers, and patri-
archs, and the law. What, then, does Peter preach in the king-
dom of the Gentiles ? But if he shall wish to bring in any
new teaching, without any tumult, and envy, and trovible, send
him word, that we may see, and in your presence I shall convict
him. But if his teaching be true, supported by the book and
testimony of the Hebrews, it becomes all of us to submit to him.
Paul saying these and such like things, the Jews went and
said to Peter : Paul of the Hebrews has come, and entreats thee
to come to him, since those who have brought him say that he
cannot meet whomsoever he may wish until he appear before
Csesar. And Peter having heard, rejoiced with great joy ; and
rising up, immediately went to him. And seeing each other,
they wept for joy ; and long embracing each other, they bedewed
each other with tears.
And when Paul had related to Peter the substance - of all
1 Or, do away with, belief in cii-cumcision. * Lit., web or tissue.
PETER AND FA UL. 261
liis doings, and how, through the disasters of the ship, he had
come, Peter also told him what he had suffered from Simon
the magian, and all his plots. And having told these things,
he went away towards evening.
And in the morning of the following day, at dawn, behold,
Peter coming, finds a multitude of the Jews before Paul's door.
And there was a great uproar between the Christian Jews and
the Gentiles. For, on the one hand, the Jews said : We are a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, the friends of Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, with whom God spake,
to whom He showed His own mysteries and His great wonders.
But you of the Gentiles are no great thing in your lineage ; if
otherwise, you have become polluted and abominable by idols
and graven images.
While the Jews were saying such things, and such-like, those
of the Gentiles answered, saying : We, when we heard the
truth, straightway followed it, having abandoned our errors.
But you, both knowing the mighty deeds of your fathers, and
seeing the signs of the prophets, and having received the law,
and gone through the sea with dry feet, and seen your enemies
sunk in its depths, and the pillar of. fire by night and of cloud
by day shining upon you, and manna having been given to
you out of heaven, and w^ater flowing to you out of a rock, —
after all these things you fashioned to yourselves the idol of
a calf, and worshipped the graven image. But we, having seen
none of the signs, believe to be a Saviour the God whom you
have forsaken in unbelief.
While they were contending in these and such-like words,
the Apostle Paul said that they ought not to make such attacks
upon each other, but that they should rather give heed to
this, that God had fulfilled His promises which He swore to
Abraham our father, that in his seed he should inherit all the
nations.^ For there is no respect of persons with God.^ As
many as have sinned in law shall be judged according to law,
and as many as have sinned without law shall perish without
law.^ But we, brethren, ought to thank God that, according
to His mercy, He has chosen us to be a holy people to Himr
* Gen. xii. 3, xvii. 5.
s Eom. ii. 11 ; Eph. vi. 9; Col. iii. 25; Jas. ii. I. ' Kom. ii. 12,
262 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
self: so that in this we ought tb boast, whether Jews or Greeks ;
for you are all one in the belief of His name.
And Paul having thus spoken, both the Jews and they of
the Gentiles were appeased. But the rulers of the Jews as-
sailed Peter. And Peter, when they accused him of having
renounced their synagogues, said : Hear, brethren, the Holy
Spirit about the patriarch David, promising, Of the fruit of thy
womb shall He set upon thy throne.^ . Him therefore to whom
the Father said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten
Thee, the chief priests through envy crucified; but that He
might accomplish the salvation of the world, it was allowed
that He should suffer all these things.^ Just as, therefore,
from the side of Adam Eve was created, so also from the side
of Christ was created the church, which has no spot nor
blemish. In Him,^ therefore, God has opened an entrance to all
the sons of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in order that they
may be in the faith of profession towards Him,^ and have life
and salvation in His name. Turn, therefore, and enter into the
joy of your father Abraham, because God hath fulfilled what
He promised to him. Whence also the prophet says, The
Lord hath sworn, and will not repent : Thou art a priest for
ever, after the order of Melchizedec* For a priest He became
upon the cross, when He offered the whole burnt-offering of
His own body and blood as a sacrifice for all the world.
And Peter saying this and such-like, the most part of the
people believed. And it happened also that Nero's wife Libia,
and the yoke-feUow of Agrippa the prefect, Agrippina by name,
thus believed, so that also they went away from beside their own
husbands. And on account of the teaching of Paul, many, despis-
ing military life, clung to God ; so that even from the emperor's
bed-chamber some came to him, and having become Christians,
were no longer willing to return to the army or the palace.
When, consequently, the people were making a seditious mur-
muring, Simon, moved with zeal, rouses himself, and began to
* Ps. cxxxii. 11.
2 Or, He allowed Himself to suffer all these things. ' Qr, by Him.
* i.e., That all may profess their faith iu Him. For similar expressions, see
2 Cor. ix. 13, Heb. x. 23.
5 Ps. ex. 4 ; Heb. vii. 21.
PETER AND PAUL. 263
say many evil things about Peter, saying that he was a wizard
and a cheat. And they believed him, wondering at his miracles ;
for he made a brazen serpent move itseK, and stone statues to
laugh and move themselves, and himself to run and suddenly to
be raised into the air. But as a set-off to these, Peter healed
the sick by a word, by praying made the blind to see, put
demons to flight by a command ; sometimes he even raised the
dead. And he said to the people that they should not only
flee from Simon's deceit, but also that they should expose him,
that they might not seem to be slaves to the devil.
And thus it happened that all pious men abhorred Simon
the magian, and proclaimed him impious. But those who
adhered to Simon strongly affirmed Peter to be a magian, bear-
ing false witness as many of them as were with Simon the
magian ; so that the matter came even to the" ears of Nero the
Csesar, and he gave order to bring Simon the magian before
him. And he, coming in, stood before him, and began suddenly
to assume different forms, so that on a sudden he became a
child, and after a little an old man, and at other times a young
man; for he changed himself both in face and stature into
different forms, and was in a frenzy, having the devil as his
servant. And Nero beholding this, supposed him to be truly
the son of God ; but the Apostle Peter showed him to be both
a liar and a wizard, base and impious and apostate, and in aU
things opposed to the truth of God, and that nothing yet re-
mained except that his wickedness, being made apparent by the
command of God, might be made manifest to them all.
Then Simon, having gone in to Nero, said: Hear, 0 good
emperor : I am the son of God come down from heaven. Until
now I have endured Peter only calling himself an apostle;
but now he has doubled the evil : for Paul also himself teaches
the same things, and having his mind turned against me, is
said to preach along with him ; in reference to whom, if thou
shalt not contrive their destruction, it is very plain that thy
kingdom cannot stand.
Then Nero, fiUed with concern, ordered to bring them speedily
■ before him. And on the following day Simon the magian, and
Peter and Paul the apostles of Christ, having come in to Nero,
Simon said : These are the disciples of the Nazarene, and it is
264 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
not at all well that they should be of the people of the Jews.
Nero said : What is a Nazarene ? Simon said : There is a city
of Judah which has always been opposed to us, called Nazareth,
and to it the teacher of these men belonged. Nero said : God
commands us to love every man ; why, then, dost thou perse-
cute them ? Simon said : This is a race of men who have
turned aside all Judea from believing in me. Nero said to
Peter : Why are you thvis unbelieving, according to your race ?^
Then Peter said to Simon: Thou hast been able to impose
upon all, but upon me never; and those who have been de-
ceived, God has through me recalled from their error. And
since thou hast learned by experience that thou canst not get
the better of me, I wonder with what face thou boastest thyself
before the emperor, and supposest that through thy magic art
tliou shalt overcome the disciples of Christ. Nero said : Who
is Christ ? Peter said : He is what this Simon the magian
affirms himself to be ; but this is a most wicked man, and his
works are of the devil. But if thou wishest to know, 0 good
emperor, the things that have been done in Judea about Christ,
take the writings of Pontius Pilate sent to Claudius, and thus
thou wilt know all. And Nero ordered them to be brought,
and to be read in their presence ; and they were to the follow-
ing effect:^ —
Pontius Pilate to Claudius, greeting. There has lately hap-
pened an event which I myself was concerned in. For the
Jews through envy have inflicted on themselves, and those
coming after them, dreadful judgments. Their fathers had
promises that their God would send them his holy one from
heaven, who according to reason should be called their king,
and he had promised to send him to the earth by means of a
virgin. He, then, when I was procurator, came into Judea.
And they saw^ him enlightening the blind, cleansing lepers,
healing paralytics, expelling demons from men, raising the
dead, subduing the winds, waUcing upon the waves of the sea,
^ i.e.. How do you happen, as a race, to be so unbelieving ? The Latin trans-
lation has : against your race — Kara roZ y'lvous for Kccra ro yiyas.
2 For another translation of this letter, see Latin Gospel of Nicodemus, oh.
xiii. (xxix.)
3 Or, 1 saw.
PETER AND PAUL. 265
and doing many other wonders, and all the people of the Jews
calling him Son of God. Then the chief priests, moved with
envy against him, seized him, and delivered him to me ; and
telling one lie after another, they said that he was a wizard,
and did contrary to their law. And I, having believed that
these things were so, gave him up, after scourging him, to their
will;^ and they crucified him, and after he was buried set guards
over liim. But he, while my soldiers were guarding him, rose
on the third day. And to such a degree was the wickedness
of the Jews inflamed against him, that they gave money to the
soldiers, saying. Say his disciples have stolen his body. But
they, having taken the money, were not able to keep silence as
to what had happened ; for they have testified that they have
seen him (after he was) risen, and that they have received
money from the Jews. These things, therefore, have I reported,
that no one should falsely speak otherwise, and that thou
shouldest not suppose that the falsehoods of the Jews are to be
believed.
And the letter having been read, ISTero said : Tell me, Peter,
were all these things thus done by him ? Peter said : They
were, with your permission, 0 good emperor. For this Simon
is full of lies and deceit,- even if it should seem that he is what
he is not — a god. And in Christ there is all excellent victory
through God and through man,^ which that incomprehensible
glory assumed which through man deigned to come to the
assistance of men. But in this Simon there are two essences,
of man and of devil, who through man endeavours to ensnare
men.
Simon said : I wonder, 0 good emperor, that you reckon this
man of any consequence — a man uneducated, a fisherman of
the poorest, and endowed with power neither in word nor by
rank. But, that I may not long endure him as an enemy, I
shall forthwith order my angels to come and avenge me upon
him. Peter said: I am not afraid of thy angels; but they
shall be much more afraid of me in the power and trust of my
Lord Jesus Christ, whom thou falsely declarest thyself to be.
Nero said : Art thou not afraid, Peter, of Simon, who con-
firms his godhead by deeds ? Peter said : Godhead is in Him
^ Or, to tlieir council. 2 ,•_ g_ human nature.
2G6 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
who searcheth the hidden things of the heart.^ Now then, tell
me what I am thinking about, or what I am doing. I disclose
to thy servants who are here what my thought is, before he
tells lies about it, in order that he may not dare to lie as to
what I am thinking about. Nero said : Come hither, and tell
me what thou art thinking about. Peter said : Order a barley
loaf to be brought, and to be given to me secretly. And when
he ordered it to be brought, and secretly given to Peter, Peter
said: Now tell us, Simon, what has been thought about, or
what said, or what done.
Nero said : Do you mean me to believe that Simon does not
know these things, who both raised a dead man, and presented
himself on the third day after he had been beheaded, and who
has done whatever he said he would do? Peter said: But he did
not do it before me. N^ro said: But he did all these before me.
For assuredly he ordered angels to come to him, and they came.
Peter said : If he has done what is very great, why does he not
do what is very small ? Let him tell what I had in my mind,
and what I have done. Nero said : Between you, I do not know
myself. Simon said : Let Peter say what I am thinking of, or
what I am doing. Peter said : What Simon has in his mind
I shall show that I know, by my doing what he is thinking
about. Simon said : Know this, 0 emperor, that no one knows
the thoughts of men, but God alone. Is not, therefore, Peter
lying ? Peter said : Do thou, then, who sayest that thou art
the Son of God, teU what I have in my mind; disclose, if thou
canst, what I have just done in secret. For Peter, having
blessed the barley loaf which he had received, and having
broken it with Ms right hand and his left, had heaped it up in
his sleeves. Then Simon, enraged that he was not able to tell
the secret of the apostle, cried out, saying : Let great dogs come
forth, and eat him up before Csesar. And suddenly there ap-
peared great dogs, and rushed at Peter. But Peter, stretching
forth his hands ^ to pray, showed to the dogs the loaf which he
had blessed; which the dogs seeing, no longer appeared. Then
Peter said to Nero : Behold, I have shown thee that I knew
what Simon was thinking of, not by words, but by deeds ; for
he, having promised that he would bring angels against me,
1 Jer. xvii. 10 ; Eev. ii. 23. * Lam. iii. 41 ; Mark xi. 25 ; 1 Tim. ii. S.
PETER AND PAUL. 2G7
has brought dogs, in order that he might show that he had not
god-like but dog-like angels.
Then Nero said to Simon : What is it, Simon ? I think we
have got the worst of it. Simon said : This man, both in Judea
and in all Palestine and Csesarea, has done the same to me;^
and from very often striving with me, he has learned that this is
adverse to them. This, then, he has learned how to escape from
me ; for the thoughts of men no one knows but God alone. And
Peter said to Simon : Certainly thou feignest thyself to be a
god; why, then, dost thou not reveal the thoughts of every man?
Then Nero, turning to Paul, said: Why dost thou say no-
thing, Paul ? Paul answered and said : Know this, 0 emperor,
that if thou permittest this magician to do such things, it will
bring an access of the greatest mischief to thy country, and
will bring down thine empire from its position. Nero said to
Simon : What sayest thou ? Simon said : If I do not mani-
festly hold myself out to be a god, no one will bestow upon me
due reverence. Nero said : And now, why dost thou delay, and
not show thyself to be a god, in order that these men may be
punished ? Simon said : Give orders to build for me a lofty
tower of wood, and I, going up upon it, will call my angels, and
order them to take me, in the sight of all, to my father in
heaven ; and these men, not being able to do this, are put to
shame as^ uneducated men. And Nero said to Peter: Hast
thou heard, Peter, what has been said by Simon ? From this
will appear how much power either he or thy god has. Peter
said : 0 most mighty emperor, if thou wert willing, thou mightst
perceive that he is full of demons. Nero said : Why do you
make to me roundabouts of circumlocutions ? To-morrow will
prove you.
Simon said : Dost thou believe, 0 good emperor, that I who
was dead, and rose again, am a magician ? For it had been
brought about by his own cleverness that the unbelieving
Simon had said to Nero : Order me to be beheaded in a dark
place, and there to be left slain ; and if I do not rise on the
third day, know that I am a magician; but if I rise again,
know that I am the Son of God.
1 See the Clementines, Homilies ii., iii., vi., xvi., xx.
* Or, are proved to be.
268 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
And Nero having ordered this, in the dark, by his magic
art he managed that a ram should be beheaded. And for so
long did the ram appear to be Simon until he was beheaded.
And when he had been beheaded in the dark, he that had
beheaded him, taking the head, found it to be that of a ram ;
but he would not say anything to the emperor, lest he should
scourge him, having ordered this to be done in secret. There-
after, accordingly, Simon said that he had risen on the third
day, because he took away the head of the ram and the limbs
— but the blood had been there congealed — and on the third
day he showed himseK to Nero, and said : Cause to be wiped
away my blood that has been poured out ; for, behold, having
been beheaded, as I promised, I have risen again on the third
day.
And when Nero said. To-morrow will prove you, turning to
Paul, he says : Thou Paul, why dost thou say nothing ? Either
who taught thee, or wdiom thou hast for a master, or how thou
hast taught in the cities, or what things have happened through
thy teaching ? For I think that thou hast not any wisdom,
and art not able to accomplish any work of power. Paul
answered : Dost thou suppose that I ought to speak against a
desperate man, a magician, who has given his soul up to death,
-whose destruction and perdition will come speedily ? For he
ought to speak who pretends to be what he is not, and deceives
men by magic art. If thou consentest to hear his words, and
to shield him, thou shalt destroy thy soul and thy kingdom,
for he is a most base man. And as the Egyptians Jannes and
Jambres led Pharaoh and his army astray until they were
swallowed up in the sea, so also he, through the instruction of
his father the devil, persuades men to do many evils to them-
selves, and thus deceives many of the innocent, to the peril of
thy kingdom. But as for the word of the devil, which I see
has been poured out through this man, with groanings of my
heart I am dealing with the Holy Spirit, that it may be clearly
shown what it is ; for as far as he seems to raise himself
towards heaven, so far will he be sunk down into the depth of
Hades, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. But
about the teaching of my INlaster, of which thou didst ask me,
none attain it except the pure, who allow faith to come into
PETER AND PA UL. • 269
tlieir heart.^ For as many things as belong to peace and love,
these have I taught. Eound about from Jerusalem, and as far
as Illyricum/ I have fulfilled the word of peace. For I have
taught that in honour they should prefer one another ; ^ I have
taught those that are eminent and rich not to be lifted up, and
hope in uncertainty of riches, but to place their hope in God ; *
I have taught those in a middle station to be content with food
and covering ; * I have taught the poor to rejoice in their own
poverty ; I have taught fathers to teach their children instruc-
tion in the fear of the Lord, children to obey their parents
in wholesome admonition ; ^ I have taught wives to love their
own husbands, and to fear them as masters, and husbands to
observe fidelity to their wives ; I have taught masters to treat
their slaves with clemency, and slaves to serve their own
masters faithfully ; '' I have taught the churches of the believers
to reverence one almighty, invisible, and incomprehensible
God. And this teaching has been given me, not from men,
nor through men, but through Jesus Christ,^ who spoke to me
out of heaven, who also has sent me to preach, saying to me.
Go forth, for I will be with thee ; and all things, as many as
thou shalt say or do, I shall make just.
Nero said: What sayest thou, Peter? He answered and
said : All that Paul has said is true.^ For when he was a per-
secutor of the faith of Christ, a voice called him out of heaven,
and taught him the truth ; for he was not an adversary of our
faith from hatred, but from ignorance. For there were before
us false Christs, like Simon, false apostles, and false prophets,
who, contrary to the sacred writings, set themselves to make
void the truth ; and against these it was necessary to have in
readiness this man, who from his youth up set himself to no
other thing than to search out the mysteries of the divine law,
^ Or, the pure in heart admitting the faith. ^ Rom. xv. 19.
» Rom. xii. 10. * 1 Tim. vi. 17.
^ Or, those who have a moderate quantity of food and covering to be content
(1 Tim. vi. 8).
6 Or, in the admonition of the Saviour (Eph. vi. 4).
7 Col. iii. 18-22. 8 Gal. i. 1.
" Four of the Mss. and the Latin version here add: For assuredly I have for
a long time past received letters from our bishops throughout all the world about
the things done and said by him.
270 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
by wliicli ^ he might become a vindicator of truth and a per-
secutor of falsehood. Since, then, his persecution was not on
account of hatred, but on account of the vindication of the law,
the very truth out of heaven held intercourse with him, saying,
I am the truth which thou persecutest ; cease persecuting me.
When, therefore, he knew that this was so, leaving off that
which he was vindicating, he began to vindicate this way of
Christ which he was persecuting.
Simon said : 0 good emperor, take notice that these two
have conspired against me ; for I am the truth, and they pur-
pose evil against me. Peter said : There is no truth in thee ;
but all thou sayest is false.
Nero said : Paul, what sayest thou ? Paul said : Those
things which thou hast heard from Peter, believe to have been
spoken by me also ; for we purpose the same thing, for we
have the same Lord Jesus the Christ. Simon said : Dost thou
expect me, 0 good emperor, to hold an argument with these
men, who have come to an agreement against me ? And
having turned to the apostles of Christ, he said : Listen, Peter
and Paul : if I can do nothing for you here, we are going to
the place where I must judge you. Paul said : 0 good emperor,
see what threats he holds out against us. Peter said : Why
was it necessary to keep from laughing outright at a foolish
man, made the sport of demons, so as to suppose that he cannot
be made manifest ?
Simon said : I spare you until I shall receive my power.
Paul said : See if you wiU go out hence safe. Peter said : If
thou do not see, Simon, the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
thou wilt not believe thyself not to be Christ. Simon said :
Most sacred emperor, do not believe them, for they are circum-
cised knaves. Paul said : Before we knew the truth, we had
the circumcision of the flesh ; but when the truth appeared, in
the circumcision of the heart we both are circumcised, and cir-
cumcise. Peter said : If circumcision be a disgrace, why hast
thou been circumcised, Simon ?
Nero said : Has, then, Simon also been circumcised ? Peter
said : For not otherwise could he have deceived souls, unless
he feigned himseK to be a Jew, and made a show of teaching
1 i.e. mysteries
PETER AND PAUL. 271
the law of God. Nero said : Simon, tlioii, as I see, being
carried away with envy, persecutest these men. For, as it
seems, there is great hatred between thee and their Christ ; and
I am afraid that thou wilt be worsted by them, and involved
in great evils. Simon said: Thou art led astray, 0 emperor.
ISTero said : How am I led astray ? What 1 see in thee, I say.
I see that thou art manifestly an enemy of Peter and Paul and
their master.
Simon said : Christ was not Paul's master. Paul said : Yes ;
through revelation He taught me also. But tell me what I
asked thee — Why wast thou circumcised ? Simon said : Why
have you asked me this ? . Paul said : We have a reason for
asking you this. Nero said : Why art thou afraid to answer
them ? Simon said : Listen, 0 emperor. At that time circum-
cision was enjoined by God when I received it. Por this reason
was I circumcised.
Paul said : Hearest thou, 0 good emperor, what has been
said by Simon ? If, therefore, circumcision be a good thing,
why hast thou, Simon, given up those who have been circum-
cised, and forced them, after being condemned, to be put to
death ? Nero said : Neither about you do I perceive anything
good. Peter and Paul said : Whether this thought about us be
good or evil has no reference to the matter ; but to us it was
necessary that what our Master promised should come to pass.
Nero said : If I should not be willing ? Peter said : Not as
thou wiUest, but as He promised to us.
Simon said : 0 good emperor, these men have reckoned upon
thy clemency, and have bound thee, Nero said : But neither
hast thou yet made me sure about thyself. Simon said : Since
so many excellent deeds and signs have been shown to thee by
me, I wonder how thou shouldst be in doubt. Nero- said : I
neither doubt nor favour any of you ; but answer me rather
what I ask.
Simon said: Henceforward I answer thee nothing. Nero
said : Seeing that thou liest, therefore thou sayest this. But
if even I can do nothing to thee, God, who can, will do it..
Simon said : I no longer answer thee. Nero said : Nor do I
consider thee to be anything : for, as I perceive, thou art a
liar in everything. But why do I say so much ? The three
272 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
of you show that your reasoning is uncertain ; and thus in
all tilings you have made me doubt, so that I find that I can
give credit to none of you.^
Peter said : We preach one God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that has made the heaven and the earth and the
sea, and all that therein is, who is the true King ; and of His
kingdom there shall be no end.* Nero said : What king is
lord? Paul said : The Saviour of all the nations. Simon said : I
am he whom you speak of. Peter and Paul said : May it never
be well with thee, Simon, magician, and full of bitterness.
Simon said : Listen, 0 Csesar ISTero, that thou mayst know
that these men are liars, and that I have been sent from the
heavens : to-morrow I go up into the heavens, that I may
make those who believe in me blessed, and show my wrath
upon those who have denied me. Peter and Paul said : Us
long ago God called to His own glory ; but thou, called by
the devil, hastenest to punishment. Simon said : Ca3sar ISTero,
listen to me. Separate these madmen from thee, in order that
when I go into heaven to my father, I may be very merciful
to thee. Nero said : And whence shall we prove this, that
thou goest away into heaven ? Simon said : Order a lofty
tower to be made of wood, and of great beams, that I may go
up upon it, and that my angels may find me in the air ; for
they cannot come to me upon earth among the sinners. Nero
said : I will see whether thou wilt fulfil what thou sayest.
Then Nero ordered a lofty tower to be made in the Campus
Martins, and all the people and the dignities to be present at
the spectacle. And on the following day, aU the multitude
having come together, Nero ordered Peter and Paul to be pre-
sent, to wliom also he said : Now the truth has to be made
manifest. Peter and Paul said : We do not expose him, but
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom he has falsely
declared himself to be.
And Paul, having turned to Peter, said : It is my part to
bend the knee, and to pray to God ; and thine to produce the
effect, if thou shouldst see him attempting anything, because
thou wast first taken in hand ^ by the Lord. ■ And Paul, bend-
ing his knees, prayed. And Peter, looking stedfastly upon
' Or, to nothing. ^ Luke i. 33. 3 Or, choseu.
PETER AND PAUL. 273
Simon, said : Accomplish what thou hast begun ; for both thy
exposure and our call is at hand : for I see my Christ calling
both me and Paul. Nero said : And where will you go to
against my will ? Peter said : Whithersoever our Lord has
called us. ISTero said : And who is your lord ? Peter said :
Jesus the Christ, whom I see calling us to Himself Nero
said : Do you also then intend to go away to heaven ? Peter
said : If it shall seem good to Him that calls us. Simon said :
In order that thou mayst know, 0 emperor, that these are de-
ceivers, as soon as ever I ascend into heaven, I will send my
angels to thee, and will make thee come to me. Nero said :
Do at once what thou sayest.
Then Simon went up upon the tower in the face of all, and,
crowned with laurels, he stretched forth his hands, and began
to fly. And when Nero saw him flying, he said to Peter : This
Simon is true ; but thou and Paul are deceivers. To whom
Peter said : Immediately shalt thou know that we are true
disciples of Christ ; but that he is not Christ, but a magician>
and a malefactor. Nero said : Do you still persist ? Behold,
you see him going up into heaven. Then Peter, looking sted-
fastly upon Paul, said : Paul, look up and see. And Paul,
having looked up, full of tears, and seeing Simon flying, said :
Peter, why art thou idle ? finish what thou hast begun ; for
already our Lord Jesus Christ is calling us. And Nero hear-
ing them, smiled a little, and said : These men see themselves
worsted already, and are gone mad. Peter said: Now thou
shalt know that we are not mad. Paul said to Peter : Do at
once what thou doest.
And Peter, looking stedfastly against Simon, said : I adjure
you, ye tingels of Satan, who are carrying him into the air, to
deceive the hearts of the unbelievers, by the God that created
all things, and by Jesus Christ, whom on the third day He
raised from the dead, no longer from this hour to keep him up,
but to let him go. And immediately, being let go, he feU into
a place called Sacra Via, that is, Holy Way, and was divided
into four parts, having perished by an evil fate.
Then Nero ordered Peter and Paul to be put in irons, and
the body of Simon to be carefully kept three days, thinking
that he would rise on the third day. To whom Peter said : He
s
274 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
will no longer rise, since lie is truly dead, being condemned to
everlasting punishment. And Nero said to him : Who com-
manded thee to do such a dreadful deed ? Peter said : His
reflections and blasphemy against my Lord Jesus Christ have
brought him into this gulf of destruction. Nero said : I will
destroy you by an evil taking off. Peter said : This is not
in thy power, even if it should seem good to thee to destroy
us ; but it is necessary that what our Master promised to us
should be fulfilled.
Then Nero, having summoned Agrippa the propraetor, said
to him: It is necessary that men introducing mischievous re-
ligious observances should die. Wherefore I order them to
take iron clubs,^ and to be killed in the sea-fight. Agrippa
the propraetor said : Most sacred emperor, what thou hast or-
dered is not fitting for these men, since Paul seems innocent
beside Peter. Nero said : By what fate, then, shall they die ?
Agrippa answered and said : As seems to me, it is just that
Paul's head should be cut off, and that Peter should be raised
on a cross as the cause of the murder. Nero said : Thou hast
most excellently judged.
Then both Peter and Paul were led away from the presence
of Nero. And Paul was beheaded on the Ostesian road.^
And Peter, having come to the cross, said : Since my Lord
Jesus Christ, who came down from the heaven upon the earth,
was raised upon the cross upright,® and He has deigned to call
to heaven me, who am of the earth, my cross ought to be fixed
head downmost, so as to direct my feet towards heaven ; for I
am not worthy to be crucified like my Lord. Then, having
reversed the cross, they nailed his feet up.
And the multitude was assembled reviling Caesar, and wish-
ing to kill him. But Peter restrained them, saying : * A few
' The text has xtvapoeg, artichokes, for which I have read xopvvas, clubs. Sea-
fights were a favourite spectacle of the Iloman emperors (Suet. Kero, xii. ;
Claud, xxi. ; Dom. iv. ). The combatants were captives, or persons condemned
to death (Dion Cass. Ix. 33).
2 For the episode of Perpetua, contained in three of the Greek mss., but not
in the Latin versions, see the end of this book.
^ i.e. head uppermost.
* One of the mss. here inserts : Do not be hard upon him, for he is the servant
of liis father Satan ; bat I must fulfil the command of my Lord.
PETER AND PA UL. 275
days ago, being exhorted by the brethren, I was going away ;
and my Lord Jesus Christ met me, and having adored Him, I
said, Lord, whither art Thou going ? And He said to me, I
am going to Eome to be crucified. And I said to Him, Lord,
wast Thou not crucified once for all ? And the Lord answering,
said. I saw thee fleeing from death, and I wish to be crucified
instead of thee. And I said. Lord, I go; I fulfil Thy command.
And He said to me, Fear not, for I am with thee.^ On this
account, then, children, do not hinder my going ; for already
my feet are going on the road to heaven. Do not grieve, there-
fore, but rather rejoice with me, for to-day I receive the fruit
of my labours. And thus speaking, he said : I thank Thee,
good Shepherd, that the sheep wliich Thou hast entrusted to
me, sympathize with me ; I ask, then, that with me they may •
have a part in Thy kingdom.^ And having thus spoken, he
gave up the ghost.
And immediately there appeared men glorious and strange
in appearance ; and they said : We are here, on account of the
holy and chief apostles, from Jerusalem. And they, along with
Marcellus, an illustrious man, who, having left Simon, had
believed in Peter, took up his body secretly, and put it under
the terebinth near the place for the exhibition of sea-fights in
the place called the Vatican.^
And the men who had said that they came from Jerusalem
said to the people : Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, because you
have been deemed worthy to have great champions. And
know that Nero himself, after these not many days, will be
utterly destroyed, and his kingdom shall be given to another.
And after these things the people revolted against him ; and
when he knew of it, he fled into desert places, and through
hunger and cold he gave up the ghost, and his body became
food for the wild beasts.
And some devout men of the resrions of the East wished to
* Some of the mss. insert : Until I bring thee into my Father's house.
2 Several of the mss. here add : I commend unto Thee the sheep whom Thou
didst entrust unto me, that they may not feel that they are without me, having
for a shepherd Thee, through whom I have been able to feed this flock.
* In three of the Greek mss., but not in the Latin versions, the story of Per-
petua is here continued.
276 ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
carry off the relics of the saints, and immediately there was a
great earthquake in the city ;^ and those that dwelt in the city
having become aware of it, ran and seized the men, but they
fied. But the Eomans having taken them, put them in a place
three miles from the city, and there they were guarded a year
and seven months, until they had built the place in which they
intended to put them. And after these things, all having
assembled with glory and singing of praise, they put them in
the place built for them.
And the consummation of the holy glorious Apostles Peter
and Paul was on the 29th of the month of June — in Christ
Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and strength.
THE STOPtY OF PERPETUA.
And as Paul was being led away to be beheaded at a place
about three miles from the city, he was in irons. And there
were three soldiers guarding him who were of a great family.
And when they had gone out of the gate about the length
of a bow-shot, there met them a God-fearing woman; and
she, seeing Paul dragged along in irons, had compassion on
him, and wept bitterly. And the name of the woman was
called Perpetua; and she was one-eyed. And Paul, seeing
her weeping, says to her: Give me thy handkerchief, and
when I turn back I shall give it to thee. And she, having
taken the handkerchief, gave it to him willingly. And the
soldiers laughed, and said to the woman : Why dost thou wish,
woman, to lose thy handkerchief? Knowest thou not that
he is going away to be beheaded ? And Perpetua said to
them : I adjure you by the health of Csesar to bind his eyes
with this handkerchief when you cut off his head. Which
• Several MSS. here add : And the people of the Romans ran, and took them
into the place called the Catacombs on the Appian Way, at the third milestone ;
and there the bodies of the saints were guarded a year and six months, until
places were built for them in which they might be put. And the body of St.
Peter was put into the Vatican, near the place for the sea-fights, and that of St.
Paul into the Vostesian (or Ostesian) Way, two miles from the city ; and in
these places, through their prayets, many good deeds are wrought to the faithful
in tlie name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
PETER AND PA UL. 277
also was done. And they beheaded him at the place called
Aquse Salvise, near the pine tree. And as God had willed,
before the soldiers came back, the handkerchief, having on it
drops of blood, was restored to the woman. And as she was
carrying it, straightway and immediately her eye was opened.
CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF PEEPETUA.
And the three soldiers who had cut off the head of Saint
Paul, when after three hours they came on the same day with
the hulla bringing it to Nero, having met Perpetua, they said to
her : "What is it, woman ? Behold, by thy confidence thou hast
lost thy handkerchief. But she said to them : I have both got
my handkerchief, and my eye has recovered its sight. And as
the Lord, the God of Paul, liveth, I also have entreated him
that I may be deemed worthy to become the slave of his Lord.
Then the soldiers who had the hulla, recognising the handker-
chief, and seeing that her eye had been opened, cried out with
a loud voice, as if from one mouth, and said : We too are the
slaves of Paul's master. Perpetua therefore having gone away,
reported in the palace of the Emperor Nero that the soldiers
who had beheaded Paul said : We shall no longer go into the
city, for we believe in Christ whom Paul preached, and we are
Christians. Then Nero, filled with rage, ordered Perpetua, who
had informed him of the soldiers, to be kept fast in irons ; and
as to the soldiers, he ordered one to be beheaded outside of the
gate about one mile from the city, another to be cut in two, and
the third to be stoned. And Perpetua was in the prison ; and
in this prison there was kept Potentiana, a noble maiden, be-
cause she had said : I forsake my parents and all the substance
of my father, and I wish to become a Christian. She therefore
joined herself to Perpetua, and ascertained from her everything
about Paul, and was in much anxiety about the faith in Christ.
And the wife of Nero was Potentiana's sister ; and she secretly
informed her about Christ, that those who believe in Him see
everlasting joy, and that everything here is temporary, but
there eternal : so that also she fled out of the palace, and some
of the senators' wives with her. Then Nero, having inflicted
278 ACTS OF PETER AND PAUL.
many tortures upon Perpetua, at last tied a great stone to her
neck, and ordered her to be thrown over a precipice. And her
remains lie at the Momentan^ gate. And Potentiana also
underwent many torments ; and at last, having made a furnace
one day, they burned her.
* This is a slip for Nomentan.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA.
IS Paul was going up to Iconium after the flight from
Antioch, his fellow-travellers were Demas and Ermo-
genes, full of hypocrisy ; and they were importunate
with Paul,^ as if they loved him. But Paul, look-
ing only to the goodness of Christ, did them no harm, but loved
them exceedingly, so that he made the oracles of the Lord
sweet to them in the teaching both of the birth and the resur-
rection of the Beloved ; and he gave them an account, word for
word, of the great things of Christ, how He^ had been revealed
to him.
And a certain man, by name Onesiphorus, hearing that Paul
had come to Iconium, went out to meet him with his children
Silas and Zeno, and his wife Lectra, in order that he might
entertain him ; for Titus had informed him what Paul was like
in appearance ; for he had not seen him in the flesh, but only
in the spirit. And he went along the road to Lystra, and stood
waiting for him, and kept looking at the passers-by according
to the description of Titus. And he saw Paul coming, a man
small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well built,^ with eye-
brows meeting, rather long-nosed, full of grace. For sometimes
he seemed like a man, and sometimes he had the countenance
of an angel. And Paul, seeing Onesiphorus, smiled ; and Onesi-
phorus said : Hail, 0 servant of the blessed God ! And he said :
Grace be with thee and thy house. And Demas and Ermo-
genes were jealous, and showed greater hypocrisy; so that
Demas said : Are not we of the blessed God, that thou hast not
thus saluted us ? And Onesiphorus said : I do not see in you
the fruit of righteousness ; but if such you be, come you also
into my house and rest yourselves.
^ Or, persisted in staying with Paul. * Or, how they. 3 Or, healthy.
■I7d
280 ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA.
And Paul having gone into the house of Onesiphorus, there
was great joy, and bending of knees, and breaking of bread,
and the word of God about self-control and the resurrection ;
Paul saying : Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God :^ blessed are they that have kept the flesh chaste, for they
shaU. become a temple of God:^ blessed are they that control
themselves, for God shall speak with them : blessed are they
that have kept aloof from this world, for they shall be called
upright :^ blessed are they that have wives as not having them,
for they shall receive God for their portion : ^ blessed are they
that have the fear of God, for they shall become angels of God:^
blessed are they that have kept the baptism, for they shall rest
beside the Father and the Son : blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy ,^ and shall not see the bitter day of
judgment : blessed are the bodies of the virgins, for they shall
be well pleasing to God, and shall not lose the reward of their
chastity ; for the word of the Father shall become to them a
work of salvation against the day of His Son, and they shall
have rest for ever and ever/
And while Paul was thus speaking in the midst of the
church in tlie house of Onesiphorus, a certain virgin Tliecla, the
daughter of Theocleia, betrothed to a man (named) Thamyris,
sitting at the window close by, listened night and day to the
discourse of virginity and prayer, and did not look away from
the window, but paid earnest heed to the faith, rejoicing ex-
ceedingly. And when she still saw many women going in
beside Paul, she also had an eager desire to be deemed worthy
to stand in the presence of Paul, and to hear the word of
Christ ; for never had she seen his figure, but heard his word
only.
And as she did not stand away from the window, her mother
sends to Thamyris ; and he comes gladly, as if already receiv-
1 Matt. V. 8. 2 Cump. 1 Cor. vi. 18, 19. ^ Comp. Rom. xii. 2.
* ComiJ. 1 Cor. vii. 29. ^ Comp. Luke xx. 36. ^ ^^tt. v. 7.
7 Some Mss. add the following beatitudes : Blessed are tliey that tremble at
the words of God, for they shall be comforted : blessed are they that have I'e-
ceived the wisdom of Jesus Christ, for they shall be called the sons of the Most
High : blessed are they that through love of Christ have come out from con-
formity with the world, for they shall judge the augels, and shall be blessed at
the right hand of the Father.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA. 281
ing her in marriage. And Theocleia said: I have a strange
story to tell thee, Thamyris ; for assuredly for three days and
three nights Thecla does not rise from the window, neither to
eat nor to drink; but looking earnestly as if upon some plea-
sant sight, she is so devoted to a foreigner teaching deceitful
and artful discourses, that I wonder how a virgin of such
modesty is so painfully put about. Thamyris, this man will
overturn the city of the Iconians, and thy Thecla too besides ;
for all the women and the young men go in beside him, being
taught to fear God and to live in chastity. Moreover also my
daughter, tied to the window like a spider, lays hold of what is
said by Paul with a strange eagerness and awful emotion ; for
the virgin looks eagerly at what is said by him, and has been
captivated. But do thou go near and speak to her, for she has
been betrothed to thee.
And Thamyris going near, and kissing her, but at the same
time also being afraid other overpowering emotion, said: Thecla,
my betrothed, why dost thou sit thus ? and what sort of feel-
ing holds thee overpowered ? Turn round to thy Thamyris,
and be ashamed. Moreover also her mother said the same
things : Why dost thou sit thus looking down, my child, and
answering nothing, but like a mad woman? And they wept
fearfully, Thamyris indeed for the loss of a wife, and Theocleia
of a child, and the maid-servants of a mistress : there was
accordingly much confusion in the house of mourning.-^ And
while these things were thus going on, Thecla did not turn
round, but kept attending earnestly to the word of Paul.
And Thamyris starting up, went forth into the street, and
kept watching those going in to him and coming out. And
he saw two men bitterly contending with each other ; and he
said : Men, tell me who this is among you, leading, astray the
souls of young men, and deceiving virgins, so that they do not
marry, but remain as they are. I promise, therefore, to give
you money enough if you tell me about him ; for I am the first
man^ of the city. And Demas and Ermogenes said to him :
Who this is, indeed, we do not know ; but he deprives young
men of wives, and maidens of husbands, saying. There is for
1 Or, a great outpouring of lameutation in the house.
"^ Or, a chief man.
282 ACTS OF PAUL AND THE C LA.
you a resurrection in no other way, unless you remain chaste,
and pollute not the flesh, but keep it chaste. And Thamyris
said to them : Come into my house, and rest yourselves. And
they went to a sumptuous dinner, and much wine, and great
wealth, and a splendid table ; and Thamyris made them drink,
from his love to Thecla, and his wish to get her as his wife.
And Thamyris said during the dinner : Ye men, what is his
teaching, tell me, that I also may know ; for I am no little dis-
tressed about Thecla, because she thus loves the stranger, and
I am prevented from marrying.
Demas and Ermogenes said : Bring him before the governor
Castelios on the charge of persuading the multitudes to em-
brace the new teaching of the Christians, and he will speedily
destroy him, and thou shalt have Thecla as thy wife. And we
shall teach thee that the resurrection of which this man speaks
has taken place, because it has already taken place in the
children which we have ;^ and we rose again when we came to
the knowledge of the true God.
And Thamyris, hearing these things, being filled with anger
and rage, rising up early, went to the house of Onesiphorus with
archons and public officers, and a great crowd with batons,
saying : Thou hast corrupted the city of the Iconians, and her
that was betrothed to me, so that she will not have me : let us
go to the governor Castelios. And all the multitude said : Away
with the magician ; for he has corrupted all our wives, and the
multitudes have been persuaded (to change their opinions).
And Thamyris, standing before the tribunal, said with a
great shout : 0 proconsul, this man, who he is we know not,
who makes virgins averse to marriage ; let him say before thee
on what - account he teaches these things. And Demas and
Ermogenes said to Thamyris : Say that he is a Christian, and
thus thou wilt do away with him. But the proconsul stayed
his intention, and called Paul, saying : Who art thou, and what
dost thou teach ? for they bring no small charges against tliee.
And Paul lifted up his voice, saying : Since I am this day
examined as to what I teach, listen, 0 proconsul : A living God,
a God of retributions, a jealous God, a God in need of nothing,
consulting for the salvation of men, has sent me that I may
' j.e. we rise afraiii iu oui- cliildieu. 2 Qr, whose.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA. 283
reclaim them from corruption and imcleanness, and from all
pleasure, and from death, that they may not sin. Wherefore
God sent His own Son, whom I preach, and in whom I teach
men to rest their hope, who alone has had compassion upon a
world led astray, that they may be no longer under judgment,
O proconsul, but may have faith, and the fear of God, and the
knowledge of holiness, and the love of truth. If, therefore, I
teach what has been revealed to me by God, wherein do I do
wrong ? And the proconsul having heard, ordered Paul to be
bound, and sent to prison, until, said he, I, being at leisure,
shall hear him more attentively.
And Thecla by night having taken off her bracelets, gave them
to the gatekeeper ; and the door having been opened to her, she
went into the prison ; and having given the jailor a silver
mirror, she went in beside Paul, and, sitting at his feet, she
heard the great things of God. And Paul was afraid of nothing,
but ordered his life in the confidence of God. And her faith
also was increased, and she kissed his bonds.
And when Thecla was sought for by her friends, and Thamyris,
as if she had been lost, was running up and down the streets,
one of the gatekeeper's fellow-slaves informed him that she had
gone out by night. And having gone out, they examined the
gatekeeper ; and he said to them : She has gone to the foreigner
into the prison. And having gone, they found her, as it were,
enchained by affection. And having gone forth thence, they
drew the multitudes together, and informed the governor of the
circumstance. And he ordered Paul to be brought to the tribunal ;
but Thecla was wallowing on the ground^ in the place where he
sat and taught her in the prison ; and he ordered her too to be
brought to the tribunal. And she came, exulting with joy. And
the crowd, when Paul had been brought, vehemently cried out :
He is a magician ! away with him ! But the proconsul gladly
heard Paul upon the holy works of Christ. And having called
a council, he summoned Thecla, and said to her: Why dost
thou not obey Thamyris, according to the law of the Iconians ?
But she stood looking earnestly at Paul. And when she gave
no answer, her mother cried out, saying : Burn the wicked
[wretch] ; burn in the midst of the theatre her that will not
' i.e. in sii?n of si'itif-
284 ACTS OF PA UL AND TIIECLA.
marry, in order that all the women tliat have been taught by
this man may he afraid.
And the governor was greatly moved ; and having scourged
Paul, he cast him out of the city, and condemned Thecla to he
burned. And immediately the governor went away to the
theatre, and all the crowd went forth to the spectacle of Thecla.
But as a lamb in the wilderness looks round for the shepherd,
so she kept searching for Paul. And having looked upon the
crowd, she saw the Lord sitting in the likeness of Paul, and
said : As I am unable to endure my lot, Paul has' come to see
me. And she gazed upon him with great earnestness, and he
went up into heaven. But the maid-servants ^ and virgins
brought the faggots, in order that Thecla might be burned. And
when she came in naked, the governor wept, and wondered at
the power ^ that was in her. And the public executioners
arranged the faggots for her to go up on the pile. And she,
having made the sign of the cross, went up on the faggots ; and
they lighted them. And though a great fire was blazing, it did
not touch her ; for God, having compassion upon her, made an
underground rumbling, and a cloud overshadowed them from
above, full of water and hail ; and all that was in the cavity of
it was poured out, so that many were in danger of death. And
the fire was put out, and Thecla saved.
And Paul was fasting with Onesiphorus and his wife, and his
children, in a new tomb, as they were going from Iconium to
Daphne. And when many days were past, the fasting children
said to Paul : We are hungry, and we cannot buy loaves ; for
Onesiphorus had left the things of the world, and followed
Paul, with all his house. And Paul, having taken off his
cloak, said : Go, my child, buy more loaves, and bring them.
And when the child was buying, he saw Thecla their neighbour,
and was astonished, and said : Thecla, whither art thou going ?
And she said : I have been saved from the fire, and am follow-
ing Paul. And the boy said : Come, I shall take thee to him ;
for he is distressed about thee, and is praying six days. And
she stood beside the tomb where Paul was with bended knees,
and praying, and saying : 0 Saviour Christ, let not the fire
touch Thecla, but stand by her, for she is Thine. And she,
' One MS. has, boys. 2 Qj.^ vii'tue.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA. 285
standing "behind liim, cried out : 0 Father, who hast made the
heaven and the earth, the Father of Thy holy Son, I bless Thee
that Thou hast saved me that I may see Paul. And Paul,
rising up, saw her, and said : 0 God, that knowest the heart,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I bless Thee that Thou,
having heard me, hast done quickly what I wished.
And they had five loaves, and herbs, and water ; and they
rejoiced in the holy works of Christ. And Thecla said to Paul :
I shall cut my hair, and follow thee wdiithersoever thou mayst
go. And he said : It is a shameless age, and thou art beautiful.
I am afraid lest another temptation come upon thee worse than
the first, and that thou withstand it not, but be cowardly. And
Thecla said : Only give me the seal ^ in Christ, and temptation
shall not touch me. And Paul said : Thecla, wait with patience,
and thou shalt receive the water.
And Paul sent away Onesiphorus and all his house to Ico-
nium ; and thus, having taken Thecla, he went into Antioch.
And as they were going in, a certain Syriarch, Alexander by
name, seeing Thecla, became enamoured of her, and tried to gain
over Paul by gifts and presents. But Paul said : I know not
the woman whom thou speakest of, nor is she mine. But he,
being of great power, himself embraced her in the street. But
she would not endure it, but looked about for Paul. And she
cried out bitterly, saying: Do not force the stranger; do not
force the servant of God. I am one of the chief persons of the
Iconians ; and because I would not have Thamyris, I have been
cast out of the city. And taking hold of Alexander, she tore
his cloak, and pulled off his crown, and made him a laughing-
stock. And he, at the same time loving her, and at the same
time ashamed of what had happened, led her before the governor;
and when she had confessed that she had done these things, he
condemned her to the wild beasts. And the women were struck
with astonishment, and cried out beside the tribunal : Evil
judgment ! impious judgment ! And she asked the governor,
that, said she, I may remain pure until I shall fight with the
wild beasts. And a certain Trypha^na,^ whose daughter was
dead, took her into keeping, and had her for a consolation.
And when the beasts were exhibited, they bound her to a
1 2 Cor. i. 22; Eph. i. 13, iv. 30. " Some mss. add: A widow, very rich.
286 ACTS OF PAUL AND TIIECLA.
fierce lioness ; and Tryphsena accompanied her. But the lioness,
with Thecla sitting upon her, licked her feet ; and all the mul-
titude was astonished. And the charge on her inscription was :
Sacrilegious. And the women cried out from above : An im-
pious sentence has been passed in this city ! And after the
exhibition, Tryphaena again receives her. For her daughter
Falconilla had died, and said to her in a dream : Mother, thou
shalt have this stranger Thecla in my place, in order that she
may pray concerning me, and that I may be transferred to the
place of the just.
And when, after the exhibition, Tryphsena received her, at
the same time indeed she grieved that she had to fight with the
wild beasts on the day following ; and at the same time, lo\dng
her as much as her daughter Falconilla, she said : My second
child Thecla, come and pray for my child, that she may live for
ever ; for this I saw in my sleep. And she, nothing hesitating,
lifted up her voice, and said : God most high,^ grant to this
woman according to her wish, that her daughter Falconilla may
live for ever. And when Thecla had thus spoken, Tryphaena
lamented, considering so much beauty thrown to the wild beasts.
And when it was dawn, Alexander came to take her, for it
was he that gave the hunt,^ saying : The governor is sitting,
and the crowd is in uproar against us. Allow me to take away
her that is to fight with the wild beasts. And Tryphsena cried
aloud, so that he even fled, saying : A second mourning for my
Falconilla has come upon my house, and there is no one to
help ; neitlier child, for she is dead, nor kinsman, for I am a
Avidow. God of Thecla, help her !
And immediately the governor sends an order that Thecla
should be brought. And Tryphsena, taking her by the hand,
said : My daughter Falconilla, indeed, I took away to the tomb;
and thee, Thecla, I am taking to the wild-beast fight. And
Thecla wept bitterly, saying : 0 Lord, the God in whom I
believe, to whom I have fled for refuge, who deliveredst me
from the fire, do Thou grant a recompense to Tryphsena, who
' One MS. has: God of our fiithcrs, Son of the Most High. Another : 0 Lord
God, who hast made the heaven and the earth, Son of the Most High, Lord
Jesus Christ.
* i. €. the exhibition of wild beasts.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA. 287
has had compassion on Thy servant, and because she has kept
me pure. Then a tumult arose, and a cry of the people, and
the women sitting together, the one saying : Away with the
sacrilegious person ! the others saying : Let the city be raised ^
against this wickedness. Take off all of us, 0 proconsul ! Cruel
sight ! evil sentence !
And Thecla, having been taken out of the hand of Tryphsena,
was stripped, and received a girdle,^ and was thrown into the
arena, and lions and bears and a fierce lioness were let loose
upon her ; and the lioness having run up to her feet, lay down ;
and the multitude of the women cried aloud. And a bear ran
upon her ; but the lioness, meeting the bear, tore her to pieces.
And again a lion that had been trained against men, which
belonged to Alexander, ran upon her ; and she (the lioness),
encountering the lion, was killed along with him. And the
women made great lamentation, since also the lioness, her pro-
tector, was dead.
Then they send in many wild beasts, she standing and
stretching forth her hands, and praying. And when she had
finished her prayer, she turned and saw a ditch full of water,
and said : Now it is time to wash myself. And she threw her-
seK in, saying : In the name of Jesus Christ I am baptized on
my last day. And the women seeing, and the multitude, wept,
saying : Do not throw thyself into the water ; so that also the
governor shed tears, because the seals were going to devour
such beauty. She then threw herself (in) in the name of Jesus
Christ ; but the seals having seen the glare of the fire of light-
ning, floated about dead. And there was round her, as she was
naked, a cloud of fire ; so that neither could the wild beasts
touch her, nor could she be seen naked.
And the women, when other wild beasts were being thrown
in, wailed. And some threw sweet-smelling herbs, others nard,
others cassia, others amomum, so that there was abundance of
perfumes. And all the wild beasts that had been thrown in,
as if they had been withheld by sleep, did not touch her ; so
that Alexander said to the governor : I have bulls exceedingly
terrible ; let us bind to them her that is to fight with the beasts.
And the governor, looking gloomy, turned, and said : Do what
' Or, be taken off, i.e. put to death. 2 Or, drawers.
288 ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA.
thou wilt. And they bound her by the feet between them, and
put red-hot irons under the privy parts of the bulls, so that
they, being rendered more furious, might kill her. They rushed
about, therefore; but the burning flame consumed the ropes,
and she was as if she had not been bound. But Tryphsena
fainted standing beside the arena, so that the crowd said:
Queen Tryphsena is dead. And the governor put a stop to the
games, and the city was in dismay. And Alexander entreated
the governor, saying : Have mercy both on me and the city,
and release this woman. For if Csesar hear of these things, he
will speedily destroy the city also along with us, because his
kinswoman Queen Tryphsena has died beside the abaci}
And the governor summoned Thecla out of the midst of the
wild beasts, and said to her : Who art thou ? and what is there
about tliee, that not one of the wild beasts touches thee ? And
she said : I indeed am a servant of the living God ; and as to
what there is about me, I have believed in the Son of God, in
whom He is well pleased ; wherefore not one of the beasts has
touched me. For He alone is the end ^ of salvation, and the
basis of immortal life ; for He is a refuge to the tempest-tossed,
a solace to the afflicted, a shelter to the despairing ; and, once
for all, whoever shall not believe on Him, shall not live for
ever.
And the governor having heard this, ordered her garments
to be brought, and to be put on. And Thecla said : He that
clothed me naked among the wild beasts, will in the day of
judgment clothe thee with salvation. And taking the gar-
ments, she put them on. The governor' therefore immediately
issued an edict, saying : I release to you the God-fearing Thecla,
the servant of God. And the women shouted aloud, and with
one mouth returned thanks to God, saying : There is one God,
(the God) of Thecla ; so that the foundations of the theatre
were shaken by their voice. And Tryphsena having received
the good news, went to meet the holy Thecla, and said : Now I
believe that the dead are raised ; now I believe that my child
lives. Come within, and I shall assign to thee aU that is mine.
She therefore went in along with her, and rested eight days,
having instructed her in the word of God, so that most even of
^ A part of tlie aucieut theatres on or near tlie stage. * Or, way.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA. 289
the maid-servants believed. And there was great joy in the
house.
And Thecla kept seeking Paul ; and it was told her that he
was in Myra of Lycia. And taking young men and maidens,
she girded herself ; and having sewed the tunic so as to make
a man's cloak, she came to Myra, and found Paul speaking the
word of God. And Paul was astonished at seeing her, and the
crowd with her, thinking tliat some new trial was coming upon
her. And when she saw him, she said : I have received the
baptism, Paul ; for He that wrought along with thee for the
gospel has wrought in me also for baptism. And Paul, taking
her, led her to the house of Hermseus, and hears everything
from her, so that those that heard greatly wondered, and were
comforted, and prayed over Tryphtena. And she rose up, and
said : I am going to Iconium. And Paul said : Go, and teach
the word of God. And Tryphsena sent her much clothing and
gold, so that she left to Paul many things for the service of the
poor.
And she went to Iconium. And she goes into the house of
Onesiphorus, and fell upon the pavement where Paul used to
sit and teach her, and wept, saying : God of myself and of this
house, where Thou didst make the light to shine upon me,
O Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God, my help in the fire,
my help among the wild beasts. Thou art glorified for ever.
Amen. And she found Thamyris dead, but her mother alive.
And having sent for her mother, she said : Theocleia, my mother,
canst thou believe that the Lord liveth in the heavens ? Por
whether thou desirest wealth, God gives it to thee through me ;
or thy child, I am standing beside thee. And having thus
testified, she departed to Seleucia, and dwelt in a cave seventy-
two years, living upon herbs and water. And she enlightened
many by the word of God.
And certain men ol the city, being Greeks by religion, and
physicians by profession, sent to her insolent young men to
destroy ^ her, For they said : She is a virgin, and serves
Artemis, and from this she has virtue in healing. And by the
providence of God she entered into the rock alive, and went
under ground. And she departed to Eome to see Paul, and
' Or, corrupt,
T
290 ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA.
found that he had fallen asleep.^ And after staying there no
long time, she rested in a glorious sleep; and she is buried
ahout two or three stadia from the tomb of her master Paul.
She was cast, then, into the fire when seventeen years old,
and among the wild beasts when eighteen. And she was an
ascetic in the cave, as has been said, seventy-two years, so that
all the years of her life were ninety. And having accomplished
many cures, she rests in the place of the saints, having fallen
asleep on the twenty-fourth of the month of September in
Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and strength for ever
and ever. Amen.
Instead of the last two sections, the MS. which Dr. Grabs
used has the following : —
And a cloud of light guided her. And having come into
Seleucia, she went forth outside of the city one stadium. And
she was afraid of them also, for they worshipped idols. And
it guided her to the mountain called Calamon or Ehodeon ;
and having there found a cave, she went into it. And she was
there many years, and underwent many and grievous trials by
the devil, and bore them nobly, being assisted by Christ. And
some of the well-born women, having learned about the virgin
Thecla, went to her, and learned the oracles of God. And
many of them bade adieu to the world, and lived an ascetic
life with her. And a good report was spread everywhere con-
cerning her, and cures were done by her. All the city, there-
fore, and country roimd, having known this, brought their sick
to the mountain; and before they came near the door they
were speedily released from whatever disease they were afflicted
by; and the unclean spirits went out shrieking, and aU received
their own in health, glorifying God, who had given such grace
to the virgin Thecla. The physicians, therefore, of the city of
the Seleucians were thought nothing of, having lost their trade,
and no one any longer had regard to them ; and being fiUed
with envy and hatred, they plotted against the servant of Christ,
what they should do to her. The devil then suggests to them
a wicked device ; and one day, being assembled, and having
1 i.e. that he was dead.
ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA. 291
taken counsel, they consult with each other, saying : This virgin
is a priestess of the great goddess Artemis ; and if she ask any-
thing of her, she hears her as being a virgin, and all the gods
love her. Come, then, let us take men of disorderly lives, and
make them drunk with much wine, and let us give them much
gold, and say to them, If you can corrupt and defile her, we
shall give you even more money. The physicians therefore
said to themselves, that if they should be able to defile her,
neither the gods nor Artemis would listen to her in the case
of the sick. They therefore did so. And the wicked men,
having gone to the mountain, and rushed upon the cave like
lions, knocked at the door. And the holy martyr Thecla
opened, emboldened by the God in whom she believed ; for
she knew of their plot beforehand. And she says to them:
What do you want, my children ? And they said : Is there
one here called Thecla ? And she said : What do you want
with her ? They say to her : We want to sleep with her. The
blessed Thecla says to them : I am a humble old woman, but
the servant of my Lord Jesus Christ ; and even though you
want to do something to me out of place, you cannot. They
say to her : It is impossible for us not to do to thee what we
want. And having said this, they laid fast hold of her, and
wished to insult her. And she says to them with mildness :
Wait, my children, that you may see the glory of the Lord.
And being laid hold of by them, she looked up into heaven,
and said : God, terrible and incomparable, and glorious to Thine
adversaries, who didst deliver me out of the fire, who didst
not give me up to Thamyris, who didst not give me up to
Alexander, who didst deliver me from the wild beasts, . who
didst save me in the abyss, who hast everywhere worked with
me, and glorified Thy name in me, now also deliver me from
these lawless men, and let me not insult my virginity, which
through Thy name I have preserved till now, because I love
Thee, and desire Thee, and adore Thee, the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen. And there came
a voice out of the heaven, saying : Fear not, Thecla, my true
servant, for I am with thee. Look and see where an opening
has been made before thee, for there shall be for thee an ever-
lasting house, and there thou shalt obtain shelter. And the
292 ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA.
blessed Thecla regarding it, saw the rock opened as far as to
allow a man to enter, and did according to what had been said
to her : and nobly fleeing from the lawless ones, entered into
the rock ; and the rock was straightway shut together, so that
not even a joining appeared. And they, beholding the extra-
ordinary wonder, became as it were distracted ; and they were
not able to detain the servant of God, but only caught hold of
her veil, and were able to tear off a certain part ; and that by
the permission of God for the faith of those seeing the vener-
able place, and for a blessing in the generations afterwards to
those that believe in our Lord Jesus Christ out of a pure
heart.
Thus, then, suffered the first martyr of God, and apostle, and
virgin, Thecla, who came from Iconium at eighteen years old ;
and with the journeying, and the going round, and the retire-
ment in the mountain, she lived other seventy-two years. And
when the Lord took her, she was ninety years old. And thus
is her consummation. And her holy commemoration is on the
twenty-fourth of the month of September, to the glory of the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and
to ages of ages. Amen.
THE ACTS OF BAKNABAS.
THE JOURNEYINGS AND MARTYRDOM OF ST. BARNABAS
THE APOSTLE.
INCE from the descent of the presence of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, the unwearied and benevolent and
mighty Shepherd and Teacher and Physician, I be-
held and saw the ineffable and holy and unspotted
mystery of the Christians, who hold the hope in holiness, and
who have been sealed ; and since I have zealously served Him,
I have deemed it necessary to give an account of the mysteries
which I have heard and seen.
I John, accompanying the holy apostles Barnabas and Paul,
being formerly a servant of Cyrillus the high priest of Jupiter,
but now having received the gift of the Holy Spirit through
Paul and Barnabas and Silas, (who were) worthy of the call-
ing, and who baptized me in Iconium. After I was baptized,
then, I saw a certain man standing clothed in white raiment ;
and he said to me : Be of good courage, John, for assuredly thy
name shall be changed to Mark, and thy glory shall be pro-
claimed in all the world. And the darkness in thee has passed
away from thee, and there has been given to thee understand-
ing to know the mysteries of God.
And when I saw the vision, becoming greatly terrified, I went
to the feet of Barnabas, and related to him the mysteries which
I had seen and heard from that man. And the Apostle Paul
was not by when I disclosed the mysteries. And Barnabas
said to me : Tell no one the miracle which thou hast seen.
For by me also this night the Lord stood, saying, Be of good
courage : for as thou hast given thy life for my name to death
and banishment from thy nation, thus also shalt thou be made
293
294 THE ACTS OF BARNABAS.
perfect. Moreover, as for tlie servant who is with you, take
him also with thyself; for he has certain mysteries. Now
then, my child, keep to thyself the things which thou hast seen
and heard ; for a time will come for thee to reveal them.'-
And .1, having been instructed in these things by him, re-
mained in Iconium^ many days; for there was there a holy
man and a pious, who also entertained us, whose house also
Paul had sanctified. Thence, therefore, we came to Seleucia,
and after staying three days sailed away to Cyprus ; and I was
ministering to them until we had gone round all Cyprus. And
setting sail from Cyprus, we landed in Perga of Pamphylia.
And there I then stayed about two months, wishing to sail to
the regions of the West ; and the Holy Spirit did not allow me.
Turning, therefore, I again sought the apostles; and having
learned that they were in Antioch, I went to them.
And I found Paul in bed in Antioch from the toil of the
journey, who also seeing me, was exceedingly grieved on ac-
count of my delaying in Pamphylia. And Barnabas coming,
encouraged him, and tasted bread, and he took a little of it.
And they preached the word of the Lord, and enlightened
many of the Jews and Greeks. And I only attended to them,
and was afraid of Paul to come near him, both because he held
me as having spent much time in Pamphylia, and because he
was quite enraged against me. And I gave repentance on my
knees upon the earth to Paul, and he would not endure it.
And when I remained for three Sabbaths in entreaty and
prayer on my knees, I was unable to prevail upon him about
myself; for his great grievance against me was on account of
my keeping several parchments in Pamphylia.
And when it came to pass that they finished teaching in
Antioch, on the first of the week they took counsel together
to set out for the places of the East, and after that to go
into Cyprus, and oversee all the churches in which they had
spoken the word of God. And Barnabas entreated Paul to go
first to Cyprus, and oversee his own in his village ; and Lucius*
* Or, will come to reveal thee.
* One MS. has Jerusalem, and adds, and we came to Antioch, which suits the
geography better.
^ Acts xiii. 1 : Rom. xvi. 21.
THE ACTS OF BARNABAS. 295
entreated him to take the oversight of his city Cyrene. And a
vision was seen by Paul in sleep, that he should hasten to Jeru-
salem, because the brethren expected him there. But Barna-
bas urged that they should go to Cyprus, and pass the winter,
and then that they should go to Jerusalem at the feast. Great
contention, therefore, arose between them.^ And Barnabas
urged me also to accompany them, on account of me being
their servant from the beginning, and on account of me having
served them in all Cyprus until they came to Perga of Pam-
phylia ; and I there had remained many days. But Paul cried
out against Barnabas, sayiiig : It is impossible for him to go
with us. And those who were with us there urged me also to
accompany them, because there was a vow upon me to follow
them to the end. So that Paul said to Barnabas : If thou wilt
take John who also is surnamed Mark with thee, go another
road ; for he shall not come with us. And Barnabas coming
to himself, said : The grace of God does not desert^ him who
has once served the gospel and journeyed with us. If, there-
fore, this be agreeable to thee, Father Paul, I take him and go.
And he said : Go thou in the grace of Christ, and we in the
power of the Spirit,
Therefore, bending their knees, they prayed to God. And
Paul, groaning aloud, wept, and in like manner also Barnabas,
saying to one another : It would have been good for us, as at
first, so also at last, to work in common among men ; but since
it has thus seemed good to thee. Father Paul, pray for me that
my labour may be made perfect to commendation: for thou
knowest how I have served thee also to the grace of Christ that
has been given to thee. For I go to Cyprus, and hasten to be
made perfect;^ for I know that I shall no more see thy face, 0
Father Paul. And falling on the ground at his feet, he wept
long. And Paul said to him : The Lord stood by me also this
night, saying, Do not force Barnabas not to go to Cyprus, for
there it has been prepared for him to enlighten many ; and do
thou also, in the grace that has been given to thee, go to Jeru-
salem to worship in the holy place, and there it shall be shown
thee where thy martyrdom has been prepared. And we saluted
one another, and Barnabas took me to himself.
' Acts XV. 39. 2 Or, turn away. ^ i.e. to finish my course.
296 THE A CTS OF BA RNA BA S.
And having come down to Laodiceia/ we sought to cross to
Cyprus; and having found a ship going to Cyprus, we em-
barked. And when we had set sail, the wind was found to be
contrary. And we came to Corasium;^ and having gone down
to the shore where there was a fountain, we rested there, show-
ing ourselves to no one, that no one might know that Barnabas
had separated from Paul. And having set sail from Corasium,
we came to the regions of Isauria, and thence came to a cer-
tain island called Pityusa;* and a storm having come on, we
remained there three days; and a certain pious man enter-
tained us, by name Euphemus, whom also Barnabas instructed
in many things in the faith, with all his house.
And thence we sailed past the Aconesise,* and came to the
city of Anemurium ; and having gone into it, we found two
Greeks. And coming to us, they asked whence and who we
were. And Barnabas said to them : If you wish to know
whence and who we are, throw away the clothing which you
have, and I shall put on you clothing which never becomes
soiled ; for neither is there in it anything filthy, but it is alto-
gether splendid. And being astonished at the saying, they
asked us : What is that garment which you are going to give
us ? And Barnabas said to them : If you shall confess your
sins, and submit yourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, you shall
receive that garment which is incorruptible for ever. And
being pricked at heart by the Holy Spirit, they fell at his feet,
entreating and saying : We beseech thee, father, give us that
garment ; for we believe in the living and true God whom thou
proclaimest. And leading them down to^ the fountain, he
baptized them into the name of Father, and Son, and Holy
Ghost. And they knew that they were clothed with power,
and a holy robe. And having taken from me one robe, he put
it on the one ; and his own robe he put on the other. And
they brought money to him, and straightway Barnabas dis-
tributed it to the poor. And from them also the sailors were
able to gain many things.®
And they having come down to the shore, he spoke to them
' This is the Syrian Laodiceia, opposite C3'prus. ^ Perhaps Corycus.
s Or, Pityussa, close to the Zephyrian promontory.
* Perhaps Aphrodisias. ^ Or, into. * To make much profit.
THE ACTS OF BARNABAS. 297
the word of God ; and he having blessed them, we saluted them,
and went on board the ship. And the one of them who was
named Stephanus wished to accompany us, and Barnabas did
not permit him. And we, having gone across, sailed down to
Cyprus by night ; and having come to the place called Crom-
myacita,^ we found Timon and Ariston the temple servants, at
whose house also we were entertained.
And Timon was afflicted by much fever. And having laid
our hands upon him, we straightway removed his fever, having
called upon the name of the Lord Jesus. And Barnabas had
received documents from Matthew, a book of the word^ of God,
and a narrative of miracles and doctrines. This Barnabas laid
upon the sick in each place that we came to, and it imme-
diately made a cure of their sufferings.
And when we had come to Lapithus,^ and an idol festival*
being celebrated in the theatre, they did not allow us to go into
the city, but we rested a little at the gate. And Timon, after
he rose up from his disease, came with us. And having gone
forth from Lapithus, we travelled through the mountains, and
came to the city of Lampadistus, of which also Timon was a
native ; in addition to whom, having found also that Heracleius
was there, we were entertained by him. He was of the city of
Tamasus,^ and had come to visit his relations ; and Barnabas,
looking stedfastly at him, recognised him, having met with
him formerly at Citium with Paul; to whom also the Holy
Spirit was given at baptism, and he changed his name to Hera-
cleides. And having ordained him bishop over Cyprus, and
having confirmed the church in Tamasus, we left him in the
house of his brethren that dwelt there.
And having crossed the mountain called Chionodes,^ we
came to Old Paphos, and there found Ehodon, a temple ser-
vant, who also, having himself believed, accompanied us. And
we met a certain Jew, by name Barjesus, coming from Paphos,
who also recognised Barnabas, as having been formerly with
' Crommyon Pr. * Lit., the voice.
3 Lapethus.
* Lit., an idol-frenzy, — a term often applied to the worship of Bacchus.
* Tamassus.
^ i.e. snowy, an epithet of Olympus, the mountain they crossed.
208 THE ACTS OF Bj>^aBAS.
Paul. He did not wish us to go ini Paplios ; but having
turned away, we came to Curium.-^
And we found that a certain abominablocace was being
performed^ in the road near the city, where .multitude of
women and men naked were performing the race. A.nd there
was great deception and error in that place. AnoBarnabas
turning, rebuked it ; and the western part fell, so tht. many
were wounded, and many of them also died ; and the resAed
to the temple of Apollo, which was close at hand in the [c.y]
which was called sacred.^ And when we came near the temph
a great multitude of Jews who w^ere there, having been put up
to it by Barjesus, stood outside of the city, and did not allow
us to go into the city ; but we spent the evening under a tree
near the city, and rested there.
And on the following day w^e came to a certain village where
Aristoclianus dwelt. He being a leper, had been cleansed in
Antioch, whom also Paul and Barnabas sealed to be a bishop,
and sent to his village in Cyprus, because there were many
Greeks there. And we were entertained in the cave by him
in the mountain, and there we remained one day. And thence
we came to Amathus, and there was a great multitude of
Greeks in the temple in the mountain, low women and men
pouring libations. There also Barjesus, getting the start of
us, gained over the nation of the Jews, and did not allow us
to enter into the city ; but a certain widow woman, eighty
years old, being outside of the city, and she also not worship-
ping the idols, coming forward to us, took us into her house one
hour. And when we came out we shook the dust off our feet
over against that temple where the libation of the abominable
took place.
And having gone out thence, we came through desert places,
and Timon also accompanied us. And having come to Citium,
and there being a great uproar there also in their hippodrome,
having learned this, we came forth out of the city, having all
shaken the dust off our feet ; for no one received us, except
that we rested one hour in the gate near the aqueduct.
• Perhaps Ciirtium, -which was nearer Palceo Paphos than Curias Pr. was.
* i.e. as a religious service.
8 Another reading is : In the city called Curium.
THE ACTS OF BARNABAS. 299
And having set sail in a ship from " Citium, we came to
Salamis, and landed in the so-called islands, where there was
a place full of idols ; and there there took place high festivals ^
and libations. And having found Heracleides there again, we
instructed him to proclaim the gospel of God, and to set up
churches, and ministers in them. And having gone into Sala-
mis, we came to the synagogue near the place called Biblia ;
and when we had gone into it, Barnabas, having unrolled the
gospel which he had received from Matthew his fellow-labourer,
began to teach the Jews.
And Barjesus, having arrived after two days, after not a few
Jews had been instructed, was enraged, and brought together
all the multitude of the Jews ; and they having laid hold of
Barnabas, wished to hand him over to Hypatius, the governor
of Salamis. And having bound him to take him away to the
governor, and a pious Jebusite,^ a kinsman of Nero, having
come to Cyprus, the Jews, learning this, took Barnabas by
night, and bound him with a rope by the neck ; and having
dragged him to the hippodrome from the synagogue, and
having gone out of the city, standing round him, they burned
him with fire, so that even his bones became dust. And
straightway that night, having taken his dust, they cast it
into a cloth ; and having secured it with lead, they intended
to throw it into the sea. But I, finding an opportunity in the
night, and being able along with Timon and PJiodon to carry
it, we came to a certain place, and having found a cave, put it
down there, where the nation of the Jebusites formerly dwelt.
And having found a secret place in it, we put it away, with the
documents which he had received from Matthew. And it was
the fourth hour of the night of the second of the week.^
And when we were hid in the place, the Jews made no little
search after us ; and having almost found us, they pursued us
as far as the village of the Ledrians ; and we, having found
there also a cave near the village, took refuge in it, and thus
•Lit., assemblies of the whole nation.
' Another reading is : Eusebius the Jehusite. There is a legend that the
Jebusites colonized Cyprus after they were driven out of Palestine by King
David.
3 The Vatican MS. adds: on the I7th of the month Paiin according to the
Egyptians, and according to the Romans the 11th of the month of June.
300 THE ACTS OF BARNABAS.
escaped them. And we were hid in the cave three days ; and
the Jews having gone away, we came forth and left the place
by night. And taking with us Ariston and Khodon, we came
to the village of Limnes/
And having come to the shore, we found an Egyptian ship ;
and having embarked in it, we landed at Alexandria. And
there I remained, teaching the brethren that came the word of
the Lord, enlightening them, and preaching what I had been
taught by the apostles of Christ, who also baptized me into the
name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost ; who also changed
my name to Mark in the water of baptism, by which also I
hope to bring many to the glory of God through His grace ;
because to Him is due honour and everlasting glory. Amen,
The journeyings and martyrdom of the holy apostle Barna-
bas have been fulfilled through God.
■ This place does not appear on the ancient maps, but there is a modern C.
Limuiti.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
or THE JOUENEYINGS OF PHILIP THE APOSTLE.
FROM THE FIFTEENTH ACT UNTIL THE END, AND
AMONG THEM THE MARTYRDOM.
|BOUT the time when the Emperor Trajan received
the government of the Ptomans, after Simon the
son of Clopas, who vi^as bishop of Jerusalem, had
suffered martp-dom in the eightli yea,r of his reign,
being the second bishop of the church there after James who
bore the name of brother of the Lord/ Philip the apostle,
going through the cities and regions of Lydia and Asia, preached
to all the gospel of Christ.
And having come to the city of Ophioryma, which is called
Hierapolis of Asia, he was entertained by a certain believer,
Stachys by name. And there was with him also Bartholo-
mew, one of the seventy disciples of the Lord, and his sister
Mariamme, and his disciples that followed him. All the men
of the city therefore, having left their work, ran to the house
of Stachys, hearing about the works which Philip did. And
many men and women having assembled in the house of
Stachys, Philip along with Bartholomew taught them the
things of Jesus.
And Philip's sister Mariamme, sitting in the entry of the
house of Stachys, addressed herself to those coming, persuading
them to listen to the apostles, saying to them : Our brethren,
and sons of my Father in heaven, ye are the excellent riches,
and the substance of the city above, the delight of the habita-
tion which God has prepared for those that love Him. Trample
under foot the snares of the enemy, the writhing serpent. For
his path is crooked, since he is the son of the wicked one,
1 Comp. Euseb. H. E. iii. 32.
302 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
and the poison of wickedness is in him ; and his father is the
devil, the author of deatli, and his mother corruption ; rage in
his" eyes and destruction in his mouth, and his path is Hades.
Wherefore flee from him that has no substance, the shape-
less one that has no shape in all the creation, whether in
the heaven or in the earth, whether in the flying creatures
or the beasts. For everything is taken away from his shape ;
for among the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the heaven
is the knowledge of him, that the serpent trails his belly and
his breast ; and Tartarus is his dwelling-place, and he goes in
the darkness, since he has confidence in nothing.^ Flee there-
fore from him, that his poison may not be poured out into
your mouth. But be rather believing, holy, of good works,
having no deceit. Take away from yourselves the wicked dis-
position, that is, the evil desires through which the serpent, the
wicked dragon, the prince of evil, has produced the pasture
of destruction and death for the soul, since all the desire of
the wicked has proceeded from him. And this is the root of.
iniquity, the maintenance of evils, the death of souls ; for the
desire of the enemy is armed against the believers, and comes
forth from the darkness, and walks in the darkness, taking in
hand to war with those who are in the light. For this is the
beginning of concupiscence.^ Wherefore you who wish to
come to us, and the rather that God has come through us to
you as a father to his own children, wishing to have mercy
upon you, and to deliver you from the wicked snare of the
enemy, flee from the evil lusts of the enemy, and cast them
completely out of your mind, hating openly the father of evils,
and loving Jesus, who is light, and life, and truth, and the
Saviour of all who desire Him. Having run, therefore, to Him,
take hold of Him in love, that He may bring you up out of
the pit of the wicked, and having cleansed you, set you blame-
less, living in truth, in the presence of His Father.
And all these things Philip said to the multitudes that had
come together to worship as in old times the serpents and the
viper, of which also they set up images and worsliipped them.
Wherefore also they called Hierapolis Ophioryma.^ And these
things having been said by Philip, Bartholomew and Mari-
' Or, in no one. * Or, covetousness. ' i.e. Serpent's town.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 803
amme and his disciples and Stachys being along with him, all
the people gave ear, and a great multitude of them fleeing from
the enemy were turned to Jesus, and were added to Philip and
those about him. And the faithful were the more confirmed
in the love of Christ.
And Nicanora, the wife of the proconsul, lying in bed under
various diseases, especially of the eyes, having heard about the
Apostle Philip and his teaching, believed in the Lord. For
she had even before this heard about Him ; and having called
upon His name, she was released from the troubles that afflicted
her. And rising up, she went forth out of her house through
the side door, carried by her own slaves in a silver litter, and
went into the house of Stachys, where the apostles were.
And when she came before the gate of the house, Mariamme,
the sister of Philip the apostle, seeing her, spoke to her in
the Hebrew tongue before Philip and Bartholomew, and all
the multitude of those who had believed, saying: Alemahan,
ikasame, marmare, nachaman} mastranan, achaman ; which is,
Daughter of the father, thou art my mistress, thou hast been
given as a pledge to the serpent ; but Jesus our Kedeemer has
come to deliver thee through us, to break thy bands, and cut
them, and to remove them from thee from their root, because
thou art my sister, one mother brought us forth twins. Thou
hast forsaken thy father, thou hast forsaken the path leading
thee to the dwelling-place of thy mother, being in error ; thou
hast left the temple of that deception, and of the temporary
glory, and hast come to us, fleeing from the enemy, because he
is the dwelling-place of death. Behold, now thy Eedeemer has
come to redeem thee ; Clmst the Sun of righteousness has risen
upon thee, to enlighten thee.^
And when Mcanora, standing before the door, heard these
things, she took courage before all, crying out, and saying : I
am a Hebrew, and a daughter of the Hebrews; speak with me
in the language of my fathers. For, having heard the preach-
ing of my fathers, 1 was straightway cured of the disease and
the troubles that encompassed me. I therefore adore the good-
ness of God, who has caused you to be spoiled even to this city,
on account of His true stone^ held in honour, in order that
• Or, iachaman. * Comp. Mai. iv. 2. 3 jga. xxviii. 16 ; 1 Pet. ii. 4, etc.
304 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
through you we may receive the knowledge of Him, and may
live with you, having believed in Him.
Nicanora having thus spoken, the Apostle Philip, along with
Bartholomew and Mariamme and those with them, prayed for
her to God, saying : Thou who bringest the dead to life, Christ
Jesus the Lord, who hast freed us through baptism from the
slavery of death,^ completely deliver also this woman from the
error, the enemy ; make her alive in Thy life, and perfect her
in Thy perfection, in order that she may be found in the
country of her fathers in freedom, having a portion in Thy
goodness, 0 Lord Jesus.
And all having sent up the amen along with the Apostle
Philip, behold, there came the tyrant, the husband of Nicanora,
raging like an unbroken horse; and having laid hold of his
wife's garments, he cried out, saying: 0 Nicanora, did not I
leave thee in bed ? how hadst thou so much strength as to
come to these magicians ? And how hast thou been cured of
the inflammation of thine eyes ? Now, therefore, unless thou
tell me who thy physician is, and what is his name, I shall
punish thee with various punishments, and shall not have com-
passion upon thee. And she answering, says to him : 0 tyrant,
cast out from thee this tyranny of thine, forsake this wicked-
ness of thine ; abandon this life lasting only for a season ;
run away from the brutality of thy worthless disposition ; flee
from the wicked dragon and his lusts; throw from thee the
works and the dart of the man-slaying serpent ; renounce the
abominable and wicked sacrifices of the idols, which are the
husbandry of the enemy, the hedge of darkness ; make for
thyself a life chaste and pure, that being in holiness thou
mayst be able to know my Physician, and to get His name.
If therefore thou wishest me to be beside thee, prepare thyself
to live in chastity and self-restraint, and in fear of the true
God, and I shall live with thee all my life ; only cleanse thy-
self from the idols, and from all their filth.
And when the gloomy tyrant her husband heard these words
of hers, he seized her by the hair of her head, and dragged her
along, kicking her, and saying : It will be a fine thing for thee
to be cut off by the sword, or to see thee from beside me com-
1 Comp. Kom. vi. 3, 4,
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 305
mitting fornication with these foreign magicians ; for I see that
thou hast fallen into the madness of these deceivers. Thee
first of them, therefore, I shall cut off by an evil death ; and
then, not sparing them, I shall cut their sinews, and put them
to a most cruel death. And having turned, he said to those
about him: Bring out for me those impostors of magicians.
And the public executioners having run into the house of
Stachys, and laid hold of the Apostle Philip, and Bartholomew
and Mariamme, dragged them along, leading them to where
the proconsul was. And the most faithful Stachys followed,
and all the faithful.
And the proconsul seeing them, gnashed his teeth, saying :
Torture these deceivers that have deceived many women, and
young men and girls, saying that they are worshippers of God,
while they are an abomination. And he ordered thongs of
raw hide to be brought, and Philip and Bartholomew and
jNIariamme to be beaten; and after they had been scourged
with the thongs, he ordered their feet to be tied, and them to
be dragged through the streets of the city as far as the gate
of their temple. And a great crowd was assembled, so that
scarcely any one stayed at home; and they all wondered at
their patience, as they were being violently and inhumanly
dragged along.
And the proconsul, having tortured the Apostle Philip and
the saints who were with him, ordered them to be brought, and
secured in the temple of the idol of the viper by its priests,
until he should decide by what death he should destroy each of
them. And many of tVie crowd believed in the grace of Christ,
and were added to the Apostle Philip, and those with him,
having renounced the idol of the viper, and were confirmed in
the faith, being magnified by the endurance of the saints ; and
all together with their voice glorified God, saying the amen.
And when they were shut up in the temple of the viper —
both Philip the Apostle, and Bartholomew and Mariamme —
the priests of the viper assembled to the same place, and
a great crowd, about seven- thousand men ; and having run
to the proconsul, they cried out, saying: Avenge us of the
foreigners, and magicians, and corrupters and seducers of men.
For ever since they came to us, our city has been filled with
u
306 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
every evil deed; and they have also killed the serpents, the
sons of our goddess ; and they have also shut the temple, and
the altar has been desolated ; and we have not found the wine
which had been brought in order that the viper, having drunk
of it, might go to sleep. But if thou wishest to know that they
are really magicians, look and see how they wish to bewitch
us, saying, Live in chastity and piety, after believing in God ;
and how also they have come into the city ; and how also the
dragons have not struck them blind, or even killed them ; and
how also they have not drunk their blood ; but even they who
keep our city from every foreigner have been cast down by
these men.
And the proconsul having heard these things, was the more
inflamed "wdth rage, and filled with wrath and threatening ; and
he was exceedingly enraged, and said to the priests: Why
(need you speak), when they have bewitched my own wife ?
And from that time she has spoken to me with strange words ;
and praying all the night through, she speaks in a strange
tongue with a light shining round her ; and groaning aloud, she
says, Jesus the true light has come to me. And I, having
gone forth from my chamber, wished to look down through the
window and see Jesus, the light which she spoke of; and like
lightning it came upon me, so that I was within a little of
being blinded; and from that time forth I am afraid of my
wife, on account of her luminous Jesus. Tell me, ye priests,
what I *am to do. And they said to him: 0 proconsul, as-
suredly we are no longer priests; for ever since thou didst
shut them up, in consequence of them praying, not only has
the temple been shaken from the foundations, but it is also
assuredly falling down.
Then the proconsul ordered to bring Philip and those with
him forth out of the temple, and to bring them up to the
tribunal, saying to the public executioner: Strip Philip and
Bartholomew and Mariamme, and search thoroughly to try
to find their enchantments. Having therefore first stripped
Philip, then Bartholomew, they came also to Mariamme ; and
dragging her along, they said : Let us strip her naked, that all
may see her, how she follows men ; for she especially deceives
all the women. And the tyrant says to the priests : Proclaim
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 307
throiigliout the whole city round about that all should come,
men and women, that they may see her indecency, that she
travels about with these magicians, and no doubt commits
adultery with them. And he ordered Philip to be hanged, and
his ankles to be pierced, and to bring also iron hooks, and his
heels also to be driven through, and to be hanged head down-
wards, opposite the temple on a certain tree ; and stretch out
Bartholomew opposite Philip, having nailed his hands on the
wall of the gate of the temple.
And both of them smiled, seeing each other, both Philip and
Bartholomew ; for they were as if they were not tortured : for
their punishments were prizes and crowns. And when also
they had stripped Mariamme, behold, straightway the sem-
blance of her body was changed in the presence of all, and
straightway there was about her a cloud of fire before all ; and
they could not longer look at all on the place in which the
holy Mariamme was, but they all fled from her.
And Philip spoke with Bartholomew in the Hebrew tongue,
saying : Where is our brother John ? for, behold, I am being
released from the body ; and who is he that has prayed for us ?
Because they have also laid hands on our sister Mariamme,
contrary to what is meet ; and, behold, they have set fire to the
house of Stachys, saying, Let us burn it, since he entertained
them. Dost thou wish then, Bartholomew, fire to come from
heaven, and that we should burn them up ?
And as Philip was thus speaking, behold, also John entered
into the city like one of their fellow-citizens; and moving about
in the street, he asked : Who are these men, and why are they
punished ? And they say to him : It cannot be that thou art
of our city, and askest about these men, who have wronged
many: for they have shut up our gods, and by their magic
have cut off both the serpents and the dragons ; and they have
also raised many of the dead, who have struck us with amaze-
ment, detailing many punishments (against us) ; and they wish
also, these strangers who are hanging, to pray for fire out of
heaven, and to burn up us and our city.
Then says John: Let us go, and do you show me them.
They led John, therefore, as their fellow-citizen, to where
Philip was ; and there was there a great crowd, and the pro-
308 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
consul, and tlie priests. And Philip, seeing John, said to Bar-
tholomew in Hebrew : Brother, John has come, who was in
Barek, where the living water is.^ And John saw Philip hang-
ing head downwards both by the ankles and the heels ;^ and
he also saw Bartholomew stretched out on the wall of the
temple ; and he said to them : The mystery of him that was
hanged between the heaven and the earth shall be with you.
And he said also to the men of that city: Ye men who
dwell in Ophioryma Hierapolis, great is the ignorance which
is among you, for you have erred in the path of error. The
dragon breathing has breathed upon you, and blinded you in
three ways ; that is, he has made you blind in body, and blind
in soul, and blind in spirit: and you have been struck by
the destroyer. Look upon the whole creation, whether in the
earth, or in the heaven, or in the waters, that the serpent has
no resemblance to anything above f but he is of the stock of
corruption, and has been brought to nothing by God ; and on
this account he is twisted and crooked, and there is no life in
him ; and anger, and rage, and darkness, and fire, and smoke are in
all his members. And now, therefore, why do you punish these
men because they have told you that the serpent is your enemy?
And when they heard these words from John, they raised
their hands against him, saying : We thought thee to be a
fellow-citizen, but now thou hast shown thyself that thou art
their companion. Like them, so also thou shalt be put to
death ; for the priests have intended to squeeze out your blood,
and having mixed it with wine, to bring it to the viper to
drink it. When, therefore, the priests attempted to lay hold
of John, their hands were paralyzed. And John said to Philip :
Let us not at all render evil for evil. And Philip said to
John: Behold now, where is my Lord Jesus, who told me not
to avenge myself? But for my part, I shall not endure it
longer ; but I will accomplish upon them my threat, and will
destroy them all.*
• Another and more probable reading is : He who is the son of Barek, which
means living water.
2 Or, hams.
' One of the MSS. has : has no resemblance to a man in anything.
* A Bodleian MS. adds : for because I am wrathful, Jesus named me Son of
Tliuuder.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 809
And John and Bartholomew and Mariamme restrained him,
saying : Our Master was beaten, was scourged, was extended
(on the cross), was made to drink gall and vinegar, and said.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.^ And
this He taught, saying : Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly
in heart.^ Let us also therefore be patient. Philip says : Go
away, and do not mollify me ; for I will not bear that they
have hanged me head down, and pierced my ankles and my
heels with irons. And thou, John, beloved of God, how much
hast thou reasoned with them, and thou hast not been listened
to ! Wherefore go away from me, and I will curse them,
and they shall be destroyed utterly to a man. And he began
to curse them, invoking, and crying out in Hebrew : Abalo,
aremun, idutJmel, tharseleon, nachoth, aidunaph, teleteloi:^ that
is, 0 Father of Christ, the only and Almighty God ; 0 God,
whom all ages dread, powerful and impartial Judge, whose
name is in Thy dynasty Sabaoth,* blessed art Thou for ever-
lasting ; before Thee tremble dominions and powers of the
celestials, and the fire-breathing threats of the cherubic living
ones ; the King, holy in majesty, whose name came upon the
wild beasts of the desert, and they were tamed, and praised
Thee with a rational voice ; who lookest upon us, and readily
grantest our requests; who knewest us before we were fashioned;
the Overseer of all : now, I pray, let the great Hades open its
mouth ; let the great abyss swallow up these the ungodly, who
have not been willing to receive the word of truth in this city.
So let it be, Sabaoth. And, behold, suddenly the abyss was
opened, and the whole of the place in which the proconsul was
sitting was swallowed np, and the whole of the temple, and
the viper which they worshipped, and gTeat crowds, and the
priests of the viper, about seven thousand men, besides women
and children, except where the apostles were : they remained
unshaken. And the proconsul was swallowed up into the
abyss ; and their voices came up from beneath, saying, with
weeping : Have mercy upon us, 0 God of Thy glorious apostles,
» Luke xxiii. 34. 2 Matt. xi. 29.
* The Bodleian ms. has the Hebrew thus : Saballon, prumeni, duthael,
tharsdi, annachathaei ; adonah batelo teloe.
* The Bodleian MS. has Ailoel.
310 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
because we now see the judgments of those who have not
confessed the crucified One : behold, the cross illumines us.
0 Jesus Christ, manifest Thyself to us, because we" are all
coming down alive into Hades, and are being scourged because
we have unjustly crucified Thine apostles. And a voice was
heard of one, saying : I shall be merciful to you in the cross
of light.
And there remained both Stachys and all his house, and the
wife of the proconsul, and fifty other women who had believed
with her upon the Lord, and a multitude besides, both of men
and women, and a hundred virgins who had not been swal-
lowed up because of their chastity, having been sealed with
the seal of Christ.
Then the Lord, having appeared unto Philip, said : 0 Philip,
didst thou not hear : Thou shalt not render evil for evil ? and
why hast thou inflicted such destruction ? 0 Philip, whoso-
ever putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh backwards,'
is his furrow well set ? or who gives up his own lamp to an-
other, and himself sits in darkness ? or who forsakes his own
dwelling-place, and dwells on a dunghill himself ? And who,
giving away his own garment in winter, goes naked ? or what
enemy rejoices in the joy of the man that hates him ? and what
soldier goes to war without a full suit of armour ? and what
slave who has fulfilled his master's order will not be com-
mended ? and who in the racecourse, having nobly run, does
not receive the prize ? and who that has washed his garments
willingly defiles them ? Behold, my bridechamber is ready ;
but blessed is he who has been found in it wearing the
shining garment : ^ he it is who receives the crown upon his
head. Behold, the supper is ready ; and blessed is he who is
invited, and is ready to go to Him that has invited him. The
harvest of the field is mucli,^ and blessed is the good labourer.
Behold the lilies and all the flowers, and it is the good hus-
bandman who is the first to get a share of them. And how
hast thou become, 0 Philip, unmerciful, having cursed thine
enemies in wrath ?
Philip says : Why art Thou angry with me. Lord, because I
have cursed mine enemies ? for why dost Thou not tread them
' Comp. Luke ix. 62. ^ Comp. Matt. xxii. 11. ^ Comp. Matt. ix. 37.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 311
under foot, because they are yet alive in the abyss ? And
knowest Thou, Lord, that because of Thee I came into this city,
and in Thy name I have persecuted all the error of the idols,
and all the demons ? The dragons have withered away, and
the serpents. And since these men have not received Thy
light, therefore have I cursed them, and they have gone down
to Hades alive.
And the Saviour says to Philip : But since thou hast dis-
obeyed me, and hast requited evil for evil, and hast not kept
my commandment, on this account thou shalt finish thy course
gloriously indeed, and shalt be led by the hand by my holy
angels, and shalt come with them even to the paradise of de-
light ; and they indeed shall come beside me into paradise, but
thee will I order to be shut outside of paradise for forty days,
in terror under the flaming and turning sword, and thou shalt
groan because thou hast done evil to those who have done
evil to thee. And after forty days I shall send my archangel
Michael ; and he, having taken hold of the sword guarding
paradise, shall bring thee into it, and thou shalt see all the
righteous who have walked in their innocence, and then thou
shalt worship the glory of my Father in the heavens. Never-
theless the sign of thy departure shall be glorified in my cross.
And Bartliolomew having gone away into Lycaonia, shall there
also be himself crucified ; and Mariamme shall lay her body
in the river Jordan. But I, 0 Philip, will not endure thee,
because thou hast swallowed up the men into the abyss ; but,
behold, my Spirit is in them, and I shall bring them up from
the dead ; and thus they, seeing thee, shall believe in the glory
of Him that sent thee.
And the Saviour having turned, stretched up His hand, and
marked a cross in the air coming down from above even to the
abyss, and it was full of light, and had its form after the like-
ness of a ladder. And all the multitude that had gone down
from the city into the abyss came up on the ladder of the
luminous cross ; but there remained below the proconsul, and
the viper which they worshipped. And when the multitude
had come up, having looked upon Philip hanging head down-
wards, they lamented with a great lamentation at the lawless
action which they had done. And they also saw Bartholomew,
312 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
and Mariamme having her former appearance. And, behold,
the Lord went up into the heavens in the sight of Philip, and
Bartholomew and Mariamme, and Stachys, and all the un-
believing people, and silently they glorified God in fear and
trembling. And all the multitudes cried out, saying : He alone
is God, whom these men proclaim in truth ; He alone is God,
who sent these men for our salvation. Let us therefore truly
repent for our great error, because we are by no means worthy
of everlasting life. Now we believe, because we have seen
great wonders, because the Saviour has brought us up from
the abyss. And they all fell upon their face, and adored
Philip, and entreated him, ready to flee : Do not do another
miracle, and again send us away into the abyss. And they
prayed .that they might become worthy of the appearing of
Christ.
And Philip, yet hanging, addressed -them, and said : Hear
and learn how great are the powers of my God, remembering
what you have seen below, and how your city has been over-
turned, with the exception of the house which received me ;
and now the sweetness of my God has brought you up out of
the abyss, and I am obliged to walk round paradise for forty
days on your account, because I was enraged against you into
requiting you. And this commandment alone I have not kept,
in that I did not give you good in return for evil. But I say
unto you, Prom this time forth, in the goodness of God, reject
the evil, that you may become worthy of the thanksgiving^ of
the Lord.
And some of the faithful ran up to take down Philip, and
take off him the iron grapnels, and the hooks out of his ankles.
But Philip said : Do not, my children, do not come near me
on account of this, for thus shall be my end. Listen to me,
ye wdio have been enlightened in the Lord, that I came to this
city, not to make any merchandise, or do any other tiling;
but I have been destined to go out of my body in this city in
the case in which you see me. Grieve not, then, that I am
hanging thus; for I bear the stamp ^ of the first man, who was
brought to the earth head downwards, and again, through the
wood of the cross brought to life out of the death of the trans-
1 Or, the Eucharist. '^ Or, type.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 313
gression. And now I accomplish that which hath been enjoined
upon me; for the Lord said to me, Unless you shall make
that of you which is down to be up, and that which is on the
left to be on the right, you shall not enter into my kingdom.
Be ye not therefore likened to the unchanged type, for all the
world has been changed, and every soul dwelling in a body is
in forgetfulness of heavenly things ; but let not us possessing
the glory of the heavenly seek that which is without, which
is the body and the house of slavery. Be not unbelieving, but
believing, and forgive each other's faults. Behold, I hang six
days, and I have blame from the true Judge, because I altogether
requited you evil, and put a stumbling-block in the way of my
rectitude. And now I am going up on high ; be not sorrowful,
but rather rejoice, because I am leaving this dwelling-place,
my body, having escaped from the corruption of the dragon,
who punishes every soul that is in sins.
And Philip, having looked round upon the multitudes, said :
0 ye who have come up out of the dead from Hades, and the
swallowing up of the abyss, — and the luminous cross led you
up on high, through the goodness of the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Ghost, — He being God became man, having been
made flesh out of the Virgin Mary, immortal, abiding in flesh ;
and having died, He raised the dead, having had pity on man-
kind, having taken away the sting of sin. He was great, and
became small for our sake, until He should enlarge the small,
and bring them into His greatness. And He it is who has
sweetness ; and they spat upon Him, giving Him gall to drink,
in order that He might make those who were bitter against
Him to taste of His sweetness. Cleave then to Him, and do
not forsake Him, for He is our life to everlasting.
And when Philip had finished this announcement, he says
to them. Loose Bartholomew ; and having gone up, they loosed
him. And after loosing him, Philip says to him: Bartholomew,
my brother in the Lord, thou knowest that the Lord has sent
thee with me to this city, and thou hast shared with me in all
the dangers with our sister Mariamme ; but I know that the
going forth from thy body has been appointed in Lycaonia, and
it has been decreed to Mariamme to go forth from the body in
the river Jordan. Now therefore I command you, that when
314 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
I have gone forth from my body, you shall build a church in
this place ; and let the leopard and the kid of the goats ^ come
into the church, for a sign to those that believe; and let
Nicanora provide for them until they shall go forth from the
body ; and when they shall have gone forth, bury them by the
gate of the church. And lay your peace upon the house of
Stachys, as Christ laid His peace on this city. And let all
the virgins who believe stand in that house each day, watching
over the sick,walkmg two and two; but let them have no com-
munication with young men, that Satan may not tempt them : ^
for he is a creeping serpent, and he caused Adam by means of
Eve to slip into death. Let it not be so again in this time as
in the case of Eve. But do thou, 0 Bartholomew, look to them
well;^ and thou shalt give these injunctions to Stachys, and
appoint him bishop. Do not entrust the place of the bishopric
to a young man, that the gospel of Christ may not be brought
to shame; and let every one that teacheth have his works equal
to his words. But I am going to the Lord, and take my body
and prepare it for burial with Syriac sheets of paper ; and do
not put round me flaxen cloth, because the body of my Lord
was wrapped in linen. And having prepared my body for
burial in the sheets of paper, bind it tight with papyrus reeds,
and bury it in the church; and pray for me* forty days, in
order that the Lord may forgive me the transgression wherein
I transgressed, in requiting those who did evil to me. See,
0 Bartholomew, where my blood shall drop upon the earth,
a plant shall spring up from my blood, and shall become a
vine, and shall produce fruit of a bunch of grapes ; and having
taken the cluster, press it into the cup ; and having partaken of
it on the third day, send up on high the Amen, in order that
the offering may be complete.
And Philip, having said these things, prayed thus : 0 Lord
Jesus Christ, Father of the ages, King of the light, who hast
made us wise in Thy wisdom, and hast given us Thine under-
standing, and hast bestowed upon us the counsel of Thy good-
1 Alludint^ to Isa. xi. 6. ^ Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 5. 3 LJt.^ be a good trier.
* On the subject of the immemorial practice of prayers for the dead, see
Ajiostolical Constitutions, vi. 30, viii. 47. Comp. 2 Mace. xii. 44 and 2 Tim.
i. 18.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 315
ness, who hast never at any time left us, Thou art He who
taketh away the disease of those who flee to Thee for refuge ;
Thou art the Son of the living God, who hast given us Thy
presence of wisdom, who hast given us signs and wonders, and
hast turned those who have gone astray ; who crownest those
who overcome the adversary. Thou excellent Judge.^ Come
now, Jesus, and give me the everlasting crown of victory against
every adverse dominion and power, and do not let their dark
air hide me when I shall cross the waters of fire and all the
abyss. 0 my Lord Jesus Christ, let not the enemy have ground
to accuse me at Thy tribunal ; but put on me Thy glorious
robe. Thy seal of light that ever shines, until I shall pass by
all the powers of the world, and the wicked dragon that lieth
in wait for us. Now therefore, my Lord Jesus Christ, make me
to meet Thee in the air, having forgiven me the recompense
which I recompensed to my enemies ; and transform the form
of my body into angelic glory, and give me rest in Thy blessed-
ness ; and let me receive the promise from Thee which Thou
hast promised to Thy saints to everlasting.
And having thus spoken, Philip gave up the ghost, while all
the multitudes were looking upon him, and weeping, and saying :
The life of this spirit has been accomplished in peace. And
they said the Amen.
And Bartholomew and Mariamme took down his body, and
did as Philip had commanded them, and buried it in that place.
And there was straightway a voice out of the heavens : Philip
the apostle has been crowned with an incorruptible crown by
Jesus Christ, the Judge of the contest. And all shouted out
the Amen.
And after the three days the plant of the vine sprouted up
where the blood of the holy Philip had dropped. And they
did all that had been commanded them by him, offering an
offering for forty days, praying without ceasing. And they
built the church in that place, having appointed Stachys
bishop in the church. And Nicanora and all the faithful
assembled, and did not cease, all of them, glorifying God on
account of the wonders that had happened among them. And
all the city believed in the name of Jesus. And Bartholomew
* Lit., president of tlie games.
316 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
commanded Stachys to baptize those who believed into the
name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
And after the forty days, the Saviour, having appeared in
the form of Philip, said to Bartholomew and Mariamme : My
beloved brethren, do you wish to rest in the rest of God ?
Pai^adise has been opened to me, and I have entered into the
glory of Jesus. Go away to the place appointed for you ; for
the plant that has been set apart and planted in this city shall
bear excellent fruit. Having therefore saluted the brethren,
and prayed for each of them, they departed from the city of
Ophioryma, the Hierapolis of Asia ; and Bartholomew departed
into Lycaonia, and Mariamme proceeded to the Jordan ; and
Stachys and those with him remained, maintaining the church
in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and strength for
ever and ever. Amen.
ACTS OF SAINT PHILIP THE APOSTLE
WHEN HE WENT TO UPPER HELLAS.
ND it came to pass in those days, when Philip en-
tered into the city of Athens called Hellas, there
assembled to him three hundred pliilosophers, say-
ing: Let us go and see what his wisdom is; for
they say about the wise men of Asia, that their wisdom is
great. For they thought that Philip was a philosopher, since he
was travelling in the dress of a recluse ; and they did not know
that he was an apostle of Christ. For the dress which Jesus
gave to His disciples was a mantle only, and a linen cloth.^
Thus, then, Pliilip was going about. On this account, therefore,
when the philosophers of Hellas saw him, they were afraid.
They assembled therefore into one place, and said to each other :
Come, let us look into our books, lest somehow this stranger
overcome us, and put us to shame.
And having done so, they came together to the same place,
and say to Philip : We have doctrines of our fathers in which
we are pleased, seeking after knowledge ; but if thou hast any-
thing new, 0 stranger, show it to us without envy boldly : for
we have need of nothing else, but only to hear something new.^
And Philip answering, said to them : 0 philosophers of
Hellas, if you wish to hear some new thing, and are desirous
of something new, you ought to throw away from you the dis-
position of the old man ; as my Lord said, It is impossible to
put new wine into old bottles, since the bottle is burst, and
the wine spilled, and the bottle destroyed.^ But they put new
wine into fresh bottles, so that both may be preserved. And
1 Comp. Matt. x. 10 ; Mark vi. 9. ^ Acts xvii. 21.
3 Cf. Matt. ix. 17, etc.
317
318 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
these things the Lord said in parables, teaching us in His holy
wisdom, that many will love the new wine, not having a bottle
fresh and new. And I love you, 0 men of Hellas, and I con-
gratulate you for having said. We love something new. For
instruction really new and fresh my Lord has brought into
the world, in order that He might sweep away all worldly
instruction.
The philosophers say : Who is it that thou callest thy Lord ?
Philip says : My Lord is Jesus in heaven. And they said to
him : Show him to our comprehension without envy, that we
also may believe in him. And Philip said: He with whom
I am about to make you acquainted as Lord, is above every
name ; there is no other.^ And this only I say : As you have
said, Do not refuse us through envy, let it not be that I
should refuse you ; but rather in great exultation and in great,
joy I have to reveal to you that name, for I have no other
work in this world than this proclamation.^ For when my
Lord came into this world, He chose us, being twelve in num-
ber, having filled us with the Holy Spirit ; from His light He
made us know who He was, and commanded us to preach all
salvation through Him, because there is no other name named
out of heaven than this.^ On this account I have come to
you, to make you fully assured, not in word only, but also in
the showing forth of wonderful works in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
And when the philosophers heard this, they say to Philip :
This name that has been heard of by us from thee we have
never found in the books of our fathers ; now, therefore, how
can we know about thy words ? And moreover, in addition,
they say to him : Allow us three days, that we may consult with
each other about this name ; for we lay no little stress upon
this — to apostatize from our fathers' religion. Philip therefore
says to them: Consult as you wish; for there is no deceit in
the matter.
And the three hundred philosophers having assembled, spoke
with each other, saying : You know that this man has brought
a strange philosophy, and the words spoken by him bring us
to distraction. What, then, shall we do about him, or about
1 Eph. L 21. 2 Or, preaching. 3 ^Qts. iv. 12.
THE A CTS OF PHILIP. 3 1 9
the name of him who is called Jesus, the king of the ages,
whom he speaks of ? And moreover they say to each other :
Assuredly we cannot reason with him, but the high priest of
the Jews can. If therefore it seem good, let us send to him,
in order that he may stand up to this stranger, and that we
may learn accurately the name that is preached.
They wrote therefore to Jerusalem after this manner : —
The philosophers of Hellas to Ananias, the great high priest
of the Jews in Jerusalem. There being between thee and us
at all times great ^ ... as thou knowest that we Athenians
are searchers after truth. A certain foreigner has come to
Hellas, Phnip by name ; and, in a word, he has disturbed us
exceedingly, both by words and by extraordinary miracles, and
he introduces a glorious name, Jesus, professing himself to be
his disciple. And he does also wonders of which we write to
you, in that he has cast out demons that have been long in
men, and makes the deaf hear, the blind see; and what is
more wonderful — which also we should have first mentioned —
he has raised up men after they were dead, that have fairly
completed the number of their days.^ And the fame of him
has gone abroad into all Hellas and Macedonia ; and there are
many coming to him from the cities round about, bringing
those who are ill with various diseases, and he heals them all
through the name of Jesus. On this account, therefore, come
to us without any reluctance, that thou thyself mayst announce
to us what Jesus, this name which he teaches, means. For on
this account also we have sent this letter to thee, 0 high priest.
And when he had read, he was filled with great wrath, and
rent his clothes, and said : Has that deceiver gone even to
Athens, among the philosophers, to lead them astray ? And
the Mansemat — that is, Satan — entered into Ananias unawares,
and filled him with anger and rage ; and he said : If I allow
that Philip himself, and those with him, to live, the law will
be entirely destroyed, and their teaching will likely fiU the
whole earth. And the high priest went into his own house,
and the teachers of the law, and the Pharisees ; and they con-
sulted with each other, saying : What shall we do about these
> Tliere seems to be some omission in the mss. here.
«Lit., of life.
320 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
things ? ^ And they say to the high priest Ananias : Stand up
and arm thyself, and five hundred able men out of the people,
and go away to Athens, and by all means kill Philip, and thus
thou shalt overturn his teaching.
And having put on the high priest's robe, he came to Hellas
in great pomp, with the five hundred men. And Philip was in
the house of a certain chief man of the city, with the brethren
who had believed. And the high priest and those with him,
and the three hundred philosophers, went up to the gateway of
the house where Philip was ; and it was told Philip that they
were outside. And he rose up and went out. And when the
high priest saw him, he says to him : 0 Philip, sorcerer and
magician, for I know thee, that in Jerusalem thy master the
deceiver called thee Son of Thunder.^ Was not the whole of
Judea sufficient for you, but you have come here also to deceive
men who are searchers after wisdom ? And Philip said : Would
that, 0 Ananias, thy covering of unbelief were taken away
from thy heart, that thou mightst know my words, and from
them learn whether I am a deceiver, or thou !
Ananias having heard this, said to Philip : I shall give
answer to all. And Philip said : Speak. The high priest says :
0 men of Hellas, this Philip believes in a man called Jesus,
who was born among us, who also taught this heresy, and
destroyed the law and the temple, and brought to nought the
purification through Moses, and the new moons, because he
says, These have not been commanded by God. And when
we saw that he thus destroyed the law, we stood up against
him, and crucified him, that his teaching might not be fulfilled.
For many changes were brought in by him ; and he gave an
evil testimony, for he ate all things in common, and mixed
with blood, after the manner of the Gentiles.^ And having
given him up, we put him to death, and buried him in a tomb ;
and these disciples of his having stolen him, have proclaimed
everywhere that he has risen from the dead, and have led astray
a great multitude by professing that he is at the right hand of
1 Or, tliese men.
2 It was James and Jolin who were called sons of thunder (Mark iii. 17).
3 This last sentence is very corrupt in the original. A few changes give it
the meaning above.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 821
God in heaven.' But now these men, themselves having the
circumcision as we also have, have not followed it, since they
began to do many deeds of power in Jerusalem through the
name of Jesus ; and having been cast out of Jerusalem, they
go about the world, and deceive all men by the magic ot
that Jesus, as also now this Philip has come to you to deceive
y©u by the same means. But I shall carry him away with
myself to Jerusalem, because Archelaus the king is also search-
ing for him to kill him.
And when the multitude standing round heard this, those
indeed who had been confirmed in the faith were not shaken
nor made to waver ; for they knew that Philip would conquer
in the glory of Jesus. Philip therefore stated his case in the
power of Christ with great boldness, exulting and saying : I, 0
men of Athens, and those of you who are philosophers, have
come to you, not to teach you with words, but by the showing
forth of miracles ; and in part you have quickly seen ^ the
things that have come to pass through me, in that name by
which the high priest himself is cast off.* Por, behold, I shall
cry to my God, and teach you, and you will prove the words
of both.
The high priest having heard this, ran to Philip, wishing to
scourge him, and that same hour his whole hand was dried up,
and his eyes were blinded ; and in like manner also the five
hundred who were with him were also themselves blinded.
And they reviled and cursed the high priest, saying : Coming
out of Jerusalem we said to thee. Refrain ; for, being men, we
cannot fight against God.* But we entreat thee, 0 Philip,
apostle of the God Jesus, give us the light that is through
him, that we also may truly be his slaves.
And Philip, having seen what had come to pass, said: 0
weak nature ! which has thrown itself upon us, but straightway
has been brought down low into itself; 0 bitter sea! which
rouses its waves against us, and thinks to cast us out, but
which by itself lulls its waves to rest. Now therefore, 0 our
' Eom. viii. 34, etc.
' Better Tax «" Siitriah—^cjxi. will perhaps see.
3 Or, which the high priest casts ofl for himself.
* Comp. Acts V. 39 and xxiii. 9 in Textus Receptus.
X
322 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
good steward Jesus, the holy light, Thou hast not overlooked
us who are all together crying up to Thee in all good works,
but hast come to finish them through us. Now therefore
come. Lord Jesus ; reprove the folly of these men.
The high priest says to Philip : Dost thou then think to turn
us away from the traditions of our fathers, and the God of the
desert, and Moses ; and dost thou imagine that thou wilt make
us followers of Jesus the Nazarene ? Then Philip says to him :
Behold, I shall pray to my God to come and manifest Himself
before thee and the five hundred, and before all here ; for per-
haps thou wilt change thy mind, and believe. But if even to
the end thou remain in unbelief, there is coming upon thee an
extraordinary thing, which shall be spoken of to generations
of generations — that also thou shalt go down alive, down into
Hades, before the face of all seeing thee, because thou yet
abidest in unbelief, because also thou seekest to turn away
this multitude from the true life. And Philip prayed, saying :
0 holy Father of the holy Son Jesus Christ, who hast granted
to me to believe in Him, send Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ to
reprove the unbelieving high priest, that Thy name may be
glorified in Christ the Beloved.
And while Philip was yet crying out this, suddenly the
heavens were opened, and Jesus appeared coming down in most
excellent glory, and in lightning ; and His face was shining
sevenfold more than the sun, and His garments were whiter
than snow, so that also all the idols of Athens fell suddenly to
the ground. And the people fled in anguish ; and the demons
dwelling among them cried out : Behold, we also flee because
of Him who has appeared to the city, Jesus the Son of God.
Then Philip says to the high priest : Hearest thou the demons
crying out because of Him who has been seen, and believest
thou not in Him who is present, that He is Lord of all ? The
liigh priest says: I have no other God than the one in the
desert.
And as Jesus was going up into heaven there happened a
very great earthquake, so that the place on which they stood
was cleft ; and the crowds ran and fell at the feet of the apostle,
crying out: Have mercy upon us, 0 man of God! In like
manner also the five hundred men cried out themselves also
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 323
again : Have mercy upon us, 0 Philip, tliat we may know thee,
and through thee Jesus the light of life : for we said to tliis
unbelieving high priest, Being sinful men, we cannot fight
against God.
Then Philip says : There is no hatred in us, hut the grace of
Christ will make you receive your sight ; but I will make the
high priest receive his sight before you, that at this you may
the more believe. And a voice out of heaven was brought to
Philip : 0 Philip, son once of thunder, but now of meekness,
whatever thou mayst ask of my Father, He shall do for thee.
And all the crowd was terror-struck at the voice, for the sound
of it was greater than that of thunder. Then Philip says to
the high priest : In the name of the power of the voice of my
Lord, receive thy sight, Ananias. And immediately he received
his sight, and looked round, and said : What is there in the
magic of Jesus, that this Philip within a short time has made
me blind, and again within a short time has made me receive
my sight ? Dost thou then, said Philip, believe in Jesus ? The
high priest says : You do not think, do you, that you can be-
witch me, and persuade me ? And the five hundred who were
with him, having heard that their high priest, having received
his sight, was yet unbelieving, said to the bystanders to pray
Philip that he should make them receive their sight, that (said
they) we may cut off this unbelieving high priest.
And Philip said : Do not avenge yourselves' upon the
wicked. And he says to the high priest : There will be a cer-
tain great sign upon thee. He says to Philip : I know that
thou art^a sorcerer and a disciple of Jesus: thou dost not
bewitch me. And the apostle said to Jesus : Saharthan, saba-
tliabt, hramanuch, come quickly. And immediately the earth
was cleft in the place where Ananias was, and swallowed him
up as far as the knees. And Ananias cried out : 0 great (is
the) power of the true witchcraft, because it has cleft the earth,
when Philip threatened it in Hebrew, and adjured it ; and it
holds me even to the knees, and by the heels some hooks as it
were drag me downwards, that I may believe in Philip ; but
he cannot persuade me, for from Jerusalem I know his magic
tricks.
And Philip, enraged, said : 0 earth, lay fast hold of him, even
324 THE ACTS OF FBI LIP.
to the navel. And immediately it dragged him down. And he
said : The one of my feet underneath is turned into ice, and the
other is frightfully hot ; but by thy magic, Philip, I will not be
overcome. Except, therefore, that I am sore tortured under-
neath, I do not believe at all. And the crowds wished to stone
him. And Philip says : Not so ; for this has in the meantime
happened, that he has been swallowed up as far as the navel,
that the salvation of your souls may be effected, because he
would almost have drawn you by his wicked words into un-
belief. But if even he repented, I should bring him up out of
the earth to the salvation of his soul ; but assuredly he is not
worthy of salvation. If, then, he remain in unbelief, you shall
see him sunk down into the abyss, unless the Lord intends to
raise those who are in Hades, that they may confess that Jesus
is Lord. For in that day every tongue shall confess that Jesus
is Lord,^ and that there is one glory of the Father, and the Son,
with the Holy Spuit for evermore.
And Philip, having said this, extended his right hand,
stretching it through the air over the five hundred men in the
name of Jesus. And their eyes were opened, and they aD
praised God with one mouth, saying : We bless Thee, 0 Christ
Jesus, the God of Philip, that Thou hast driven the blindness
away from us, and hast given vis Thy light, the gospel. And
Philip rejoiced exceedingly at their words, because they were
thus confirmed in the faith. And after this, Philip, having
turned to the high priest, said : Confess thou also in a pure
heart that Jesus is Lord, that thou mayst be saved, like those
with thee. But the high priest laughed at Philip, and remained
in unbelief.
Philip then, seeing that he remained in unbelief, having
looked at him, says to the earth : Open thy mouth, and
swallow liim up as far as his neck in the presence of those
who have believed in Christ Jesus. And in the same hour the
earth, having opened its mouth, received him as far as the neck.
And the multitude communed with each other on account of
the wonders that had happened.
A certain chief man of the city came crying out, and saying :
0 blessed apostle, a certain demon has assailed my sou, and
' Phil. ii. 11.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 325
cried out, sa3ang to me, Since thou hast allowed a foreigner to
come into your city, thou who hast been the first to do away
with ^ our worship and our sacrifices, what shall I do for thee,
except to kill this thine only begotten son ? And after he said
this, he strangled my son. Now therefore, I beseech thee, 0
apostle of Christ, do not .allow my joy to be turned into sorrow,
because I also have believed thy words.
And the apostle, having heard this, said : I wonder at the
activity of the demons, that it is active in every place, and
dares to assail those to whose help I have not been able to
come,^ as now they have tried you, wishing to cause you to
offend. And he says to the man : Bring me thy son, and I will
give him to thee alive, through my Christ. And rejoicing, he
ran to bring his son. And when he came near his house, he
cried out, saying : My son, I have come to thee to carry thee
to the apostle, so that he may present thee to me living. And
he ordered his slaves to carry the bed ; and his son was twenty-
three years old. And when Philip saw him, he was moved ;
and he turned to the high priest, and said : This has happened
as a chance for thee : if, therefore, I shall raise him iip, wilt
thou henceforth believe ? And he says : I know your magic
arts, that thou wilt raise him up ; but I will not believe thee.
And Philip, enraged, said : A curse upon thee ! then go down
altogether into the abyss before the face of all these. And at
the same hour he went down into Hades alive, except that
the high priest's robe flew off from him ; and because of this,
from that day, no one knew what became of the priest's robe.
And the apostle turned round and prayed for the boy ; and
having driven the demon away from him, he raised him up,
and set him beside his father alive.
And the multitude having beheld this, cried out : The God
of Philip is the only God, who has punished the unbelief of the
high priest, and driven away the demon from the young man,
and raised him up from the dead. And the five hundred
having seen the high priest swallowed up into the abyss, and
the other miracles, besought Philip, and he gave them the seal
in Christ. And Philip abode in Athens two years ; and having.
' Or, thou being a chief man who has done away wiUi.
* There is some doubt about the reading here.
326 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
founded a cliurch, appointed a bishop and a presbyter, and so
went away to Parthia, preaching Christ. To whom be glory
for ever. Amen.
ADDITION TO ACTS OF PHILIP. '
FROM A PARIS MS.
And he taught them thus : My brethren, sons of my father —
for you are of my family as to Christ, substance of my city,
the Jerusalem above, the delight of my dwelling-place — why
have you been taken captive by your enemy the serpent,
twisted, crooked, and perverse, to whom God has given neither
hands nor feet? And crooked is his going, since he is the
son of the wicked one ; for his father is death, and his mother
corruption, and ruin is in his body. Do not go then into his
destruction ; for you are in bondage by the unbelief and decep-
tion of his son, who is without order, and has no substance ; ^
formless, and has no form in the whole creation, either in the
heaven or in the earth, or among the fishes that are in the
waters. But if you see him, flee from him, since he has no
resemblance to men : his dwelling is the abyss, and he walks
in darkness. Flee, then, from him, that his venom may not be
poured out upon you : if his venom be poured out upon your
body, you walk in his wickedness. But remain rather in the
true worship, being faithful, reverent, and good, without guile.
Flee from Satan the dragon, and remove from you his wicked
seed, namely desire, by which he begets disease in the soul,
which is the venom of the serpent. For desire is of the ser-
pent from the beginning, and she it is who arms herself against
the faithful ; for she came forth out of the darkness, and re-
turns to the darkness. You ought therefore, after coming to
us, or rather through us to God, to throw out the venom of tlie
devil from your bodies.
And as the apostle was saying this, behold, Nicanora came
forth from her house, and went with her slaves into the house
of Stachys. And when she came near the door of the house,
behold, Mariamme spoke to her in the Syriac language : Heli-
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 327
komaei, Jcosma, etaa, mariaclia. And she explained her •words,
saying : 0 daughter of the Spirit, thou art my lady, who hast
been given in pledge to the serpent ; but I have come to de-
liver thee : I shall break thy bonds, and cut them from their
root. Behold, the Deliverer that frees thee has come : behold,
the Sun of Eighteousness has risen to enlighten thee.
And when she was thus speaking, the gloomy tyrant came
running and panting. And Nicanora, who was before the door,
heard this, and took courage before them all, crying out and
saying: I am a Hebrew, a daughter of the Hebrews; speak
with me in the language of my fathers, because I have heard
your preaching, and have been cured of this my disease. I
reverence and glorify the goodness of God, in that He hath
made you to be utterly spoiled in this earth.
And when she said this, the tyrant came, and took hold of
her garments, and said : 0 Nicanora, did I not leave thee lying
on the bed from thy disease ? Whence, then, hast thoii found
this power and strength, so as to be able to come to these
magicians ? Unless, then, thou tell who is the healer, I shall
punish thee most severely. And Nicanora answered, and said :
0 rearer of tyrants, cast away from thyself this tyranny, and
forget thy wicked works, and abandon this temporary life,
and put away vainglory, because it passes like a shadow : seek
rather what is everlasting, and take away from thyself the
beastly and impious work of base desire, and reject vain inter-
course, which is the husbandry of death, the dark prison ; and
overturn the middle wall of corruption, and prepare for thyself
a life chaste and spotless, that we may altogether live in sanc-
tity. If, then, thou wishest me to remain with thee, I will live
with thee in continence.
And when the tyrant heard these words, he seized her by
the hair of the head, and dragged her along, kicking her, and
saying: It would be better for thee to be put to death by
my sword, than to be seen with these foreign magicians and
deceivers. I will punish thee, therefore, and put to death
those who have deceived thee. And he turned in a rage to
the executioners who followed him, and said : Bring me these
impostors. And the executioners ran to the house of Stachys,
. and laid hold of Philip, and Bartholomew, and Mariamne, with
828 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
the leopard and the kid of the goats, and dragged them along,
and brought them.
When the tyrant saw them, he gnashed his teeth against
them, and said : Drag along these magicians and deceivers that
have» deceived many souls of women by saying. We are wor-
shippers of God. And he caused thongs to be brought, and
bound their feet. And he ordered them to be dragged along
from the gate as far as the temple. And great multitudes came
together to that place. And they wondered exceedingly at the
leopard and the kid ; for they were speaking like men, and
some of the multitude believed the words of the apostles.
And the priests said to the tyrant : These men are magicians.
And when he heard that, he burned with rage, and was filled
with anger; and he ordered Philip, and Bartholomew, and
Mariamne to be stripped, saying : Search them. Perhaps you
will find their sorcery. And the executioners stripped them,
and laid hold of Mariamne, and dragged her along, saying:
Uncover her, that they may learn that it is a woman who fol-
lows them. And he ordered to bring clubs and strong cords ;
and after piercing Philip's ankles they brought hooks, and put
the cords through his ankles, and hung him head downwards
on a tree that was before the door of the temple ; and they
fixed pegs into the temple wall, and left him. And after bind-
ing Bartholomew hand and foot, they extended him naked on
the wall ; and when they had stripped Mariamne, the appear-
ance of her body was changed, and became a glass chest filled
with light, and they could not come near her.
And Philip spoke with Bartholomew in Hebrew : Where is
John to-day, in the day of our need ? for, behold, we are
being delivered from our bodies. And they have laid hands on
Mariamne beyond what is seemly, and they have scourged the
leopard and the kid of the goats, and have set fire to the house
of Stachys, because he took us in. Let us therefore speak, that
fire may come down from heaven and burn them up.
And as Philip was thus speaking, behold, John came into
the city, and walked about the street, and asked those in the
city : What is the commotion, and who are these men, and
why are they punished ? And they say to him : Art thou not
of this city ? And dost thou not know about these men, how
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 329
tliey disturbed our houses, and the whole city? Moreover,
they have even persuaded our wives to go away from us on the
pretence of religion, proclaiming a foreign name, viz. Christ's ;
and they liave also shut our temples by the sorcery they have,
and they have put to death the serpents that are in the -city
by foreign names that we have never known. And they have
fixed their abode in the house of Stachys the blind man, whom
they made to recover his sight through the spittle of a woman
who accompanies them; and it is perhaps she who has all
the sorcery : and there accompany them a leopard and a kid,
speaking like men. But if ever you have seen such doings,
you wiU not be put about by them. And John answered, and
said to them : Show me them. And they brought him to the
temple where Philip was hanging. And when Philip saw
John, he said to Bartholomew : 0 my brother, behold the son
of Barega — that is, the living water — has come. And John
saw Philip hanging head down, tied by his ankles ; and saw
Bartholomew also bound to the temple wall.
And he said to the men of the city : 0 children of the ser-
pent, how great is your folly ! for the way of deceit has deceived
you, the wicked dragon breathing has breathed upon you:
why do you punish these men for saying the serpent is your
enemy?
And when they heard these words from John, they laid their
hands upon him, saying : We called thee our fellow-citizen, but
now thy speech has made thee manifest that thou also art in
communion with them. Thou also, therefore, shalt be put to
the same death as they, for the priests have decided thus : Let
us drain out their blood as they hang head downward, and
mix it with wine, and offer it to the viper.
And when they were thus speaking, behold, Mariamne rose
up from the place in which she was, and came back to her
former appearance. And the priests reached forth their hands
towards John, wishing to lay hold of him, and they could not.
Then Philip with Bartholomew said to John : Where is Jesus,
who enjoins upon us not to take into our own hands vengeance
on those that torture us ? for after this I will not endure
them. And Philip spoke in Hebrew, and said: My Father
Uthael, i.e., 0 Christ, Father of majesty, whose name all the
330 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
ages^ fear, who art powerful, and the power of the universe,
whose name goes forth in lordship,^ Eloa : Blessed art Thou to
the ages ; Thou whom dominions and powers fear, trembling
before Thy face ; King of honour ! Father of majesty ! whose
name has gone forth to the wild beasts of the desert, and they
have become quiet because of Thee, and through Thee the ser-
pents have departed from us : Hear us before we ask. Thou
who seest us before we call, who knowest our thoughts, the
All-surveyor^ of all, who sends forth from Himself unnumbered
compassions ; let the abyss open its mouth, and swallow up
tliese godless persons who will not accept the word of Thy
truth.
And in that very hour the abyss opened its mouth, and all
that place was violently shaken, from the proconsul to all the
multitude along with the priests ; and they were all sunk down.
And the places where the apostles and all who were with them
were remained unshaken, and the house of Stachys, and Nica-
nora the tyrant's wife, and the twenty-four wives who fled from
their husbands, and the forty virgins who had not known men.
These alone did not go down into the abyss, because they had
become servants, and had received the word of God, and His
seal ; but all the rest of the city were swallowed down into the
abyss.
And the Saviour having appeared at that hour, said to Philip :
Who is it that has put his hand to the plough, and has turned
back from making the furrow straight ? or who gives his light
to others, and himself remains sitting in darkness ? or who
dwells in the dirt, and leaves his dwelling-place to strangers ?
or who lays down his garment, and goes out in the days of
winter naked ? or what slave that has done his master's service,
shall not be called by him to supper ? or who runs with zeal
in the racecourse, and does not get the prize ? Philip, behold
my bridal chamber is ready, and blessed is he who has his
own shining garment ; for he it is who gets the crown of joy
upon his head. Behold, the supper is ready, and blessed is he
who is called by the bridegroom. Great is the harvest of the
field ; blessed is the able workman.
And when Philip heard these words from the Saviour, he
' Or. .BOnS. ^ luva.ffruf. ^ ■ravs^nVxo'^-aj.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 331
answered and said to Him : Thou didst give us leave, 0 Jesus
of Nazareth, and dost Thou not enjoin us to smite those who
do not wish Thee to reign over them ? But this we know, that
Thy name has not been proclaimed in all the world, and Thou
hast sent us to this city. And I did not intend to come
into this city, and Thou didst send me, after giving me Thy
true commandment, that I should drive away all deceit, and
bring to nothing every idol and demon, and all the power of
the unclean one. And when I came here, the demons fled from
our faces through Thy name, and the dragons and the serpents
withered away, but these men did not take to themselves Thy
true light ; and for this reason I resolved to bring them low,
according to their folly.
And the Saviour said : 0 Philip, since thou hast forsaken
this commandment of mine, not to render evil for evil,^ for this
reason thou shalt be debarred in the next world for forty years
from being in the place of my promise : besides, this is the end
of thy departure from the body in this place ; and Bartholomew
has his lot in Lycaonia, and shall be crucified there ; and
Mariamne shall lay down her body in the river Jordan.
And the Saviour turned and stretched out His hand, and
made the sign of the cross in the air ; and it was full of light,
and had its form after the likeness of a ladder. And all the
multitude of the men of the city who had gone down into the
abyss came up upon the ladder of the cross of light, and none
of them remained in the abyss, but only the tyrant and the
priests, and the viper which they worshipped. And when the
multitudes came up from the abyss, they looked and saw Philip
hanging head down, and Bartholomew upon tlie wall of the
temple, and they also found Mariamne in her first shape. And
the Saviour went up into heaven in the sight of Philip and
Bartholomew and Mariamne, and the leopard and the kid of
the goats, and Nicanora and Stachys; and they all with a loud
voice glorified God with fear and trembling, crying out : There
is one God who has sent us His salvation, whose name these
men proclaim : we repent therefore of the error in which we
were before yesterday, not being worthy of eternal life ; and we
believe, having seen the wonderful things that have come to
^ :Matt. V. 39 : 1 Pet. iii. 9.
332 THE ACTS OF PHILIP,
pass tlirough us. And some of them threw themselves on their
faces, and worshipped the apostles ; and others made ready to
flee, saying : There may be another earthquake like the one
that has just happened.
And stretching out his hands, the Apostle Philip, hanging
head down, said : Men of the city, hear these words which I
am going to say to you, hanging head down. Ye have learned
how great are the powers of God, and the wonders which you
saw when your city was destroyed by the earthquake which
came upon it. And this was manifest to you, that the house
of Stachys was not destroyed, and that he did not go down into
the abyss, because he believed on the true God, and received
us His servants. And I, having fulfilled all the will of my God,
am His debtor for what I requited to him that did evil to me.
And some of those who had been baptized ran to loose Philip
hanging head down. And he answered and said to them :
My brethren, . . .^ those who are virgins in the membtrs
of their flesh and commit fornication in their hearts, and the
fornication of their eyes, shall abound like the deluge. And
they grow immoderate from listening to persuasive pleasures,
forgetting tlie God of the knowledge of the gospel ; and their
hearts are full of arrogance, eating and drinking in their worship,
forgetting the holy commandment, and despising it. That
generation is turned aside ; but blessed is he that retires into
his retreat, for he shall obtain rest in his departure. Knowest
thou not, Bartholomew, that the word of our Lord is true
life and knowledge ? for the Lord said to us in His teaching,
Every one who shall look upon a woman, and lust after her in
his heart, has completed adultery.^ And on this account our
brother Peter fled from every place in which a woman was,
1 Here a good deal of the text is wanting. The Bodleian MS. fills up the
blank to some extent : — Walking two and two, but let them not talk with the
young men, lest Satan tempt them. For he is a creeping serpent, and made
Adam be destroyed even to death. And thus shall it be again at this time, for
the time and the season shall be wicked. Many women and men shall leave
the work of marriage, and the women shall assume the name of virginitj', but
knowing nothing at all about it, and that it has a great and glorious seal. And
there shall be many men in those days in word only, and not in its power ; for
they shall observe virginity in the members of their flesh, and commit loruica-
tion in their hearts, etc.
^* Matt. v. 28.
THE ACTS OF PHILIP. 333
and yet there was scandal on account of his own daughter ; and
he prayed to the Lord, and she had paralysis of her side, that
she niight not be deceived. Thou seest, brother, that the sight
of the eyes brings gainsaying, and the beginning of sin, as it is
written,^ She looked, and saw the tree, that it was pleasing
to her eyes, and good for food, and she was deceived. Let the
hearing, then, of the virgins be holy ; and in their going out let
them walk two and two, for many are the wiles of the enemy.
Let their walk and conversation be well ordered, that they may
be saved ; but if not, let their fruit be common.
My brother Bartholomew, give these promises to Stachys,
and appoint him ruler and bishop in the church, that he may
be like thee, teaching well. Do not entrust the office to a man
too young : appoint not such a one to the chair of the teachers,
lest thou profane the witness of Christ. For he that teaches
should have his works corresponding to his words, that the
word may be ready on every occasion in its own glory. But
I am being released from my body, hanging head down. Take,
then, my body, and prepare it for burial in Sp'ian paper, and
do not put about it linen cloth, since they put it upon the body
of our Lord, and wrap it close in paper and papyrus, and put it
in the vestibule of the holy church. And pray over me for
forty days, that God may forgive the transgression which I did,
in that I requited evil to him that did evil to me, and there
may not be for me in the world to come the forty years.
And after thus speaking, Philip prayed, saying: My Lord
Jesus Christ, Father of the ages, King of all light, who makest
us wise in Thy wisdom, who hast given us the exalted know-
ledge, who hast graciously conferred upon us the counsel of
Thy goodness, who hast never departed from us ; Thou who
takest away disease from those who take refuge in Thee ; Thou
who hast given us the Word, to turn unto Thee those who
have been led astray ; Thou who hast given us signs and
wonders on behalf of those of little faith ; Thou who presentest
the crown to those who have conquered ; Thou who art the
judge of the games, who hast given us the crown of joy, who
speakest with us, that we may be able to withstand those that
hurt us ; Thou art He who sows and reaps, and completes, and
1 Gen. iii, 6,
334 THE ACTS OF PHILIP.
increases, and vivifies all Thine own servants : reproaches and
threats are to us help and power through those who turn to
Thee through us, who are Thy servants. Come, Lord, and gixQ
me the crown of victory in the presence of men. Let not their
dark air envelope me, nor their smoke burn the shape of my
soul, that I may cross the waters of the abyss, and not sink in
them. My Lord Jesus Christ, let not the enemy find anything
that he can bring against me in the presence of Thee, the true
Judge, but clothe me in Thy shining robe, and , . . [The rest
is wanting.]
ACTS AND MAETYEDOM OF THE HOLY
APOSTLE ANDEEW.
HAT we have all, both presbyters and deacons of
the churches of Achaia, beheld with our eyes, we
have written to all the churches established in the
name of Christ Jesus, both in the east and west,
north and south. Peace to you, and to all who believe in one
God, perfect Trinity, true Father unbegotten, true Son only-
begotten, true Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father, and
abiding in the Son, in order that there may be shown one Holy
Spirit subsisting in the Father and Son in precious Godhead.
This faith we have learned from the blessed Andrew, the apostle
of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose passion also we, having seen
it set forth before our eyes, have not hesitated to give an ac-
count of, according to the degree of ability we have.
Accordingly the proconsul ^geates,^ having come into the
city of Patras, began to compel those believing in Christ to
worship the idols ; to whom the blessed Andrew, running up,
said: It behoved thee, being a judge of men, to acknowledge
thy Judge who is in the heaven, and having ackowledged Him,
to worship Him ; and worshipping Him who is the true God,
to turn away thy thoughts from those which are not true gods.
To whom ^geates said ; Art tliou Andrew, who destroyest
the temples of the gods, and persuadest men about the religion
which, having lately made its appearance, the emperors of the
Eomans have given orders to suppress ?
The blessed Andrew said : The emperors of the Piomans have
never recognised the truth. And tins the Son of God, who
' Another reading is iEgor-.s.
335
336 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
came on account of the salvation of men, manifestly teaches —
that these idols are not only not gods, but also most shameful
demons,^ and hostile to the human race, teaching men to offend
God, so that, by being offended, He turns away and will not
hearken ; that therefore, by His turning away and not hearken-
ing, they may be held captive by the devil; and that they might
work til em to such a degree, that when they go out of the body
they may be found deserted and naked, carrying nothing with
them but sins.
^geates said : These are superfluous and vain words : as for
your Jesus, for proclaiming these things to the Jews they
nailed him to the tree of the cross.
The blessed Andrew answering, said : Oh, if thou wouldst
recognise the mystery of the cross, with what reasonable love
the Author ^ of the life of the human race for our restoration
endured this tree of the cross, not unwillingly, but willingly !
^geates said : Seeing that, betrayed by his own disciple,
and seized by the Jews, he was brought before the procurator,
and according to their request was nailed up by the procura-
tor's soldiers, in what way dost thou say that he willingly
endured the tree of the cross ?
The holy Andrew said : For this reason I say willingly, since
I was with Him when He was betrayed by His disciple. For
before He was betrayed, He spoke to us to the effect that He
should be betrayed and crucified for the salvation of men, and
foretold that He should rise again on the third day. To whom
my brother Peter said,' Far be it from Thee, Lord ; let this
by no means be. And so, being angry. He said to Peter, Get
thee behind me, Satan ; for thou art not disposed to the things
of God. And in order that He might most fully explain that
He willingly underwent the passion, He said to us,* I have
power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again.
And, last of all, while He was supping with us. He said,^ One
of you will betray me. At these words, therefore, all becoming
exceedingly grieved, in order that the surmise might be free
from doubt, He made it clear, saying, To whomsoever I shall
give the piece of bread out of my hand, he it is who betrays
' Dtmt. xxxii. 17 ; 1 Cor. x. 20, 21. 2 Or, Prince.
' Matt. xvi. 22. * Jolm x. 18. * Matt. xxvi. 21.
THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW. 337
me. When, therefore, He gave it to one of our fellow-disciples,
and gave an account of things to come as if they were already-
present, He showed that He was to be willingly betrayed. For
neither did He run away, and leave His betrayer at fault ; but,
remaining in the place in which He knew that he was. He
awaited him.
^geates said : I wonder that thou, being a sensible man,
shouldst wish to uphold him on any terms whatever ; for,
whether willingly or unwillingly, all the same, thou admittest
that he was fastened to the cross.
The blessed Andrew said : This is what I said, if now thou
apprehendest, that great is the mystery of the cross, which,
if thou wishest, as is likely, to hear, attend to me.^
jEgeates said : A mystery it cannot be called, but a punish-
ment.
The blessed Andrew said : This punishment is the mystery
of man's restoration. If thou wilt listen with any attention,
thou wilt prove it.
-^geates said : I indeed will hear patiently ; but thou, unless
thou submissively obey me, shalt receive " the mystery of the
cross in thyself.
The blessed Andrew answered : If I had been afraid of the
tree of the cross, I should not have proclaimed the glory of the
cross.
^geates said : Thy speech is foolish, because thou pro-
claimest that the cross is not a punishment, and through thy
foolhardiness thou art not afraid of the punishment of death.
The holy Andrew said : It is not through foolhardiness, but
through faith, that I am not afraid of the punishment of death;
for the death of sins^ is hard. And on this account I wish
thee to hear the mystery of the cross, in order that thou per-
haps, acknowledging it, mayst believe, and believing, mayst
come somehow or other to the renewing of thy soul.
^geates said : That which is shown to have perished is for
' Another reading is : This is what I spoke of, as you know — that great is
the mystery of the cross ; and if so be that you are willing to listen, I will
reveal it.
* Perhaps we should read avaSi/|£/, shalt exhibit, for «vaSs^ii.
5 Two Mss., of sinners.
Y
338 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
renewing. Do you mean that my soul has perished, that thou
makest me come to the renewing of it through the faith, T
know not what, of which thou hast spoken ?
The blessed Andrew answered: This it is which I desired
thee to learn, which also I shall teach and make manifest,
that though the souls of men are destroyed, they shall be re-
newed through the mystery of the cross. For the first man
through the tree of transgression brought in death ; and it was
necessary for the human race, that through the suffering of the
tree, death, which had come into the world, should be driven
out. And since the first man, who brought death into the world
through the transgression of the tree, had been produced from
the spotless earth, it was necessary that the Son of God should
be begotten a perfect man from the spotless virgin, that He
should restore eternal life, which men had lost through Adam,
and should cut off ^ the tree of carnal appetite through the tree
of the cross. Hanging upon the cross, He stretched out His
blameless hands for the hands which had been incontinently
stretched out ; for the most sweet food of the forbidden tree
He received gall for food ; and taking our mortahty upon Him-
self, He made a gift of His immortality to us.
-^geates said : With these words thou shalt be able to lead
away those who shall believe in thee; but unless thou hast
come to grant me this, that thou offer sacrifices to the almighty
gods, I shall order thee, after having been scom-ged, to be fastened
to that very cross which thou coramendest.
The blessed Andrew said : To God Almighty, who alone is
true,, I bring sacrifice day by day; not the smoke of incense, nor
the flesh of bellowing buUs, nor the blood of goats, but sacrificing
a spotless lamb day by day on the altar of the cross; and though
all the people of the faithful partake of His body and drink
His blood, the Lamb that has been sacrificed remains after this
entire and alive. Truly, therefore, is He sacrificed, and truly
is His body eaten by the people, and His blood is likewise
drunk; nevertheless, as I have said. He remains entire, and
spotless, and alive.
iEgeates said : How can this be ?
The blessed Andrew said : If thou wouldest know, take the
1 Or, shut out.
THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW. 339
form of a disciple, that thou mayst learn what thou art inquir-
ing after,
^geates said : I will exact of thee through tortures the gift
of this knowledge.
The blessed Andrew declared : I wonder that thou, being an
intelligent man, shouldest fall into^ the folly of thinking that
thou mayst be able to persuade me, through thy tortures, to
disclose to thee the sacred things of God. Thou hast heard the
mystery of the cross, thou hast heard the mystery of the sacri-
fice. If thou believest in Christ the Son of God, who was
crucified, I shall altogether disclose to thee in what manner
the Lamb that has been slain may live, after having been
sacrificed and eaten, remaining in His kingdom entire and
spotless,
^geates said : And by what means does the lamb remain in
his kingdom after he has been slain and eaten by all the people,
as thou hast said ?
The blessed Andrew said : If thou believest w^ith all thy
heart, thou shalt be able to learn; but if tliou believest not,
thou shalt not by any means attain to the idea of such truth.
Then ^geates, enraged, ordered him to be shut up in prison,
where, when he was shut up, a multitude of the people came
together to him from almost all the province, so that they
wished to kill ^Egeates, and by breaking down the doors of the
prison to set free tbe blessed Andrew the apostle.
Them the blessed Andrew admonished in these words, saying:
Do not stir up the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ into seditious
and devilish uproar. For my Lord, when He was betrayed,
endured it with all patience; He did not strive, He did not
cry out, nor in the streets did any one hear Him crying out.^
Therefore do ye also keep silence, quietness, and peace; and
hinder not my martyrdom, but rather get yourselves also ready
beforehand as athletes to the Lord, in order that you may over-
come threatenings by a soul that has no fear of man, and that
you may get the better of injuries through the endurance of
the body. For this temporary fall is. not to be feared; but that
should be feared which has no end. The fear of men, then, is
like smoke which, while it is raised and gathered together, dis-
' Lit., be rolled towards. ^ Matt, xii. 19.
340 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
appears. And those torments ought to be feared which never
have an end. For these torments, which happen to be some-
what light, any one can bear ; but if they are heavy, they soon
destroy life. But those torments are everlasting, where there
are daily weepings, and mournings, and lamentations, and
never-ending torture, to which the proconsul ^geates is not
afraid to go. Be ye therefore rather prepared for this, that
through temporary afflictions ye may attain to everlasting rest,
and may flourish for ever, and reign with Christ.-^
The holy Apostle Andrew having admonished the people with
these and such like words through the whole night, when the
light of day dawned, Jjlgeates having sent for him, ordered the
blessed Andrew to be brought to him; and having sat down
upon the tribunal, he said : I have thought that thou, by thy
reflection during the night, hast turned away thy thoughts
from folly, and given up thy commendation of Christ, that
thou mightst be able to be with us, and not throw away the
pleasures of life ; for it is folly to come for any purpose to the
suffering of the cross, and to give oneself up to most shameful
punishments and burnings.
The holy Andrew answered : I shall be able to have joy with
thee, if thou wilt believe in Christ, and throw away the worship
of idols ; for Christ has sent me to this province, in which I
have acquired for Christ a people not the smallest.
^geates said: For this reason I compel thee to make a
libation, that these people who have been deceived by thee
may forsake the vanity of thy teaching, and may themselves
offer grateful libations to the gods ; for not even one city has
remained in Achaia in which their temples ^* have not been
forsaken and deserted. And now, through thee, let them be
again restored to the worship of the images, in order that the
gods also, who have been enraged against thee, being pleased by
this, may bring it about that thou mayst return to their friend-
ship and ours. But if not, thou awaitest varied tortures, on
account of the vengeance of the gods ; and after these, fastened
to the tree of the cross which thou commendest, thou shalt die.
The holy Andrew said: Listen, 0 son of death and chaff
made ready for eternal burnings,^ to me, the servant of God
1 Cf. 2 Cor. iv. 17. ^ Or, their sacred rites. 3 Cf. Matt. iii. 12.
THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW. 341
and apostle of Jesus Christ. Until now I have conversed
with thee kindly about the perfection of the faith, in order
that thou, receiving the exposition of the truth, being made
perfect as its vindicator, mightst despise vain idols, and wor-
ship God, who is in the heavens ; but since thou remainest in
the same shamelessness at last, and thinkest me to be afraid
because of thy threats, bring against me whatever may seem to
thee greater in the way of tortures. For the more shall I be
well pleasing to my King, the more I shall endure in tortures
for the confession of His name.
Then the proconsul ^geates, being enraged, ordered the
apostle of Christ to be afflicted by tortures. Being stretched
out, therefore, by seven times three ^ soldiers, and beaten with
violence, he was lifted up and brought before the impious
^geates. And he spoke to him thus : Listen to me, Andrew,
and withdraw thy thoughts from the outpouring of thy blood ;
but if thou wilt not hearken to me, I shall cause thee to perish
on the tree of the cross.
The holy Andrew said : I am a slave of the cross of Christ,
and I ought rather to pray to attain to the trophy of the cross
than to be afraid; but for thee is laid up eternal torment,
which, however, thou mayst escape after thou hast tested my
endurance, if thou wilt believe in my Christ. For I am afflicted
about thy destruction, and I am not disturbed about my own
suff"ering. For my suffering takes up a space of one day, or
two at most ; but thy torment for endless ages shall never come
to a close. Wherefore henceforward cease from adding to thy
miseries, and lighting up everlasting fire for thyself.
^geates then being enraged, ordered the blessed Andrew to
be fastened to the cross.^ And he having left them all, goes
up to the cross, and says to it with a clear voice : Eejoice, 0
cross, which has been consecrated by the body of Christ, and
adorned by His limbs as if with pearls. Assuredly before my
Lord went up on thee, thou hadst much earthly fear ; but now
' Another reading is, seven qiiaternions.
"^ One of tlie mss. lias here : Giving orders to the centurions that he should be
bound hand and foot as if he were stretched on the rack, and not pierced with
nails, that he might not die soon, but be tormented with long-continuing
torture.
342 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
invested with heavenly longing, thou art fitted up ^ according to
my prayer. For I know, from those who believe, how many
graces thou hast in Him, how many gifts prepared beforehand.
Free from care, then, and with joy, I come to thee, that thou
also exulting mayst receive me, the disciple of Him that was
hanged upon thee ; because thou hast been always faithful to
me, and I have desired to embrace thee. O.good cross, which
hast received comeliness and beauty from the limbs of the
Lord ; 0 much longed for, and earnestly desired, and fervently
sought after, and already prepared beforehand for my soul
longing for thee, take me away from men, and restore me to
my Master, in order that through thee He may accept me who
through thee has redeemed me.
And having thus spoken, the blessed Andrew, standing on
the ground, and looking earnestly upon the cross, stripped him-
self and gave his clothes to the executioners, having urged the
brethren that the executioners should come and do what had
been commanded them ; for they were standing at some dis-
tance. And they having come up, lifted him on the cross ; and
having stretched his body across with ropes, they only bound
his feet, but did not sever his joints,^ having received this order
from the proconsul : for he wished him to be in distress while
hanging, and in the night-time, as he was suspended, to be eaten
up alive by dogs.*
And a great multitude of the brethren stood by, nearly twenty
thousand ; and having beheld the executioners standing off, and
that they had done to the blessed (one) nothing of what those
who were hanged up suffer, they thought that they would again
hear something from him ; for assuredly, as he was hanging, he
moved his head smiling. And Stratocles inquired of him:
Why art thou smiling, Andrew, servant of God ? Thy laughter
makes us mourn and weep, because we are deprived of thee.
And the blessed Andrew answered him : Shall I not laugh at
all, my son Stratocles, at the empty stratagem of ^geates,
' Another reading is : I am attached to thee.
» The original is obscure. The meaning seems to be that he was tied only,
not nailed. The nailing, however, seems to have been an essential part of the
puniblmient of crucifixion.
* It was common to let loose wild beasts on the crucified (Sueton. Nero, 49).
THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW. 343
through which he thinks to take vengeance upon us ? "VVe
have nothing to do with him and his plans. He cannot hear ;
for if he could, he would be aware, having learned it by ex-
perience, that a man of Jesus is unpunished.^
And having thus spoken, he discoursed to them all in common,
for the people ran together enraged at the unjust judgment of
^geates : Ye men standing by me, and women, and children,
and elders, bond and free, and as many as will hear ; I beseech
you, forsake all this life, ye who have for my sake assembled
here ; and hasten to take upon you my life, which leads to
heavenly things, and once for all despise all temporary things,
confirming the purposes of those who believe in Christ. And
he exhorted them all, teaching that the sufferings of this
transitory life are not worthy to be compared with the future
recompense of the eternal life.
And the multitude hearing what was said by him, did not
stand off from the place, and the blessed Andrew continued the
rather to say to them more than he had spoken. And so much
was said by him, that a space of three days and nights was
taken up, and no one was tired and went away from him. And
when also on the fourth day they beheld his nobleness, and
the unweariedness of his intellect, and the multitude of his
words, and the serviceableness of his exhortations, and the sted-
fastness of his soul, and the sobriety of his spirit, and the fixed-
ness of his mind, and the perfection of his reason, they were
enraged against ^geates; and all with one accord hastened
to the tribunal, and cried out against ^geates, who was sitting,
saying: What is thy judgment, 0 proconsul? Thou hast judged
wickedly ; thy awards are impious. In what has the man done
wrong ? what evil has he done ? The city has been put in an
uproar ; thou grievest us all ; do not betray Caesar's city. Grant
willingly to the Achaians a just man ; grant willingly to us a
God-fearing man ; do not put to death a godly man. Four days
he has been hanging, and is alive ; having eaten nothing, he has
^ Instead of this paragraph, one MS. has : And there ran up a great multitude,
about twi-nty thousand in number, among whom was the brother of iEgeas,
Stratocles by name ; and he cried out with the people, It is an unjust judgment.
And the holy Andrew, hitting upon the thoughts of tie believers, exhorted tliem
to endure the temporary trial, saying that the suffering counted for nothing
when compared with the eternal recompense.
344 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
filled ns all. Take down the man from the cross, and we shall
all seek after wisdom ; release the man, and to all Achaia will
mercy be shown, It is not necessary that he should suffer
this, because, though hanging, he does not cease proclaiming the
truth.
And when the proconsul refused to listen to them, at first
indeed signing with his hand to the crowd to take themselves
off, they began to be emboldened against him, being in number
about twenty thousand. And the proconsul having beheld that
they had somehow become maddened, afraid that something
frightful would befall him, rose up from the tribunal and went
away with them, having promised to set free the blessed
Andrew. And some went on before to tell the apostle the
cause for which they came to the place.
While all the crowd, therefore, was exulting that the blessed
Andrew was going to be set free, the proconsul having come up,
and all the brethren rejoicing along with MaximiUa,^ the blessed
Andrew, having heard this, said to the brethren standing by :
What it is necessary for me to say to him, when I am departing
to the Lord, that will I also say. For what reason hast thou
again come to us, J^^geates ? On what account dost thou, being
a stranger to us,^ come to us ? What wilt thou again dare to
do, what to contrive ? Tell us. Hast thou come to release us,
as having changed thy mind ? I would not agree with thee
that thou hadst really changed thy mind. Nor would I believe
thee, saying that thou art my friend. Dost thou, 0 proconsul,
release him that has been bound ? By no means. For I have
One with whom I shall be for ever ; I have One with whom I
shall live to countless ages. To Him I go ; to Him I hasten,
who also having made thee known to me, has said to me, Let
not that fearful man terrify thee ; do not think that he will lay
hold of thee, who art mine : for he is thine enemy. Therefore,
having known thee through him who has turned towards me,
I am delivered from thee. But if thou wishest to believe in
Christ, there will be opened up for thee, as I promised thee, a
way of access ; but if thou hast come only to release me, I shall
not be able after this to be brought down from this cross alive in
* One MS. calls her the proconsul's wife.
• i. e. having nothing to do with us.
THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW. 345
the body. For I and my kinsmen depart to onr own, allowing
thee to be what thou art, and what thou dost not know about
thyself. I'or already I see my King, already I worship Him,
already I stand before Him, where the fellowship ^ of the angels
is, where He reigns the only emperor, where there is light
without night, where the flowers never fade, where trouble is
never known, nor the name of grief heard, where there are
cheerfuhiess and exultation that have no end. 0 blessed cross !
without the longing for thee, no one enters into that place.
But I am distressed, ^geates, about thine own miseries, because
eternal perdition is ready to receive thee. Eun then, for thine
own sake, 0 pitiable one, while yet thou canst, lest perchance
thou shouldst wish then when thou canst not.
When, therefore, he attempted to come near the tree of the
cross, so as to release the blessed Andrew, with all the city
applauding him, the holy Andrew said with a loud voice : Do
not suffer Andrew, bound upon Thy tree, to be released, 0 Lord ;
do not give me who am in Thy mystery to the shameless devil.
0 Jesus Christ, let not Thine adversary release me, who have
been hanged by Thy favour; 0 Father, let this insignificant
man no longer humble him who has known Thy greatness.
The executioners, therefore, putting out their hands, were not
able at all to touch him. Others, then, and others endeavoured
to release him, and no one at all was able to come near him ;
for their arms were benumbed.
Then the blessed Andrew, having adjured the people, said :
1 entreat you earnestly, brethren, that I may first make one
prayer to my Lord. So then set about releasing me. All the
people therefore kept quiet because of the adjuration. Then
the blessed Andrew, with a loud cry, said : Do not permit, 0
Lord, Thy servant at this time to be removed from Thee ; for it
is time that my body be committed to the earth, and Thou shalt
order me to come to Thee. Thou who givest eternal life, my
Teacher whom I have loved, whom on this cross I confess, whom
I know, whom I possess, receive me, 0 Lord ; and as I have
confessed Thee and obeyed Thee, so now in this word hearken
to me ; and, before my body come down from the cross, receive
me to Tliyself, that through my departure there may be access
346 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
to Thee of many of my kindred, finding rest for themselves in
Thy majesty.
When, therefore, he had said this, he became in the sight of
all glad and exulting ; for an exceeding splendour like light-
ning coming forth out of heaven shone down upon him, and
so encircled him, that in consequence of such brightness mortal
eyes could not look upon him at all And the dazzling light
remained about the space of half an hour. And when he had
tlms spoken and glorified the Lord still more, the light with-
drew itself, and he gave up the ghost, and along with the
brightness itself he departed to the Lord in giving Him thanks.
And after the decease of the most blessed Andrew the
apostle, Maximilla being the most powerful of the notable
women,^ and continuing among those who had come, as soon
as she learned that the apostle had departed to the Lord, came
up and turned her attention to the cross, along with Stratocles,
taking no heed at all of those standing by, and with reverence
took down the body of the most blessed apostle from the cross.
And when it was evening, bestowing upon him the necessary
care, she prepared the body for burial with costly spices, and
laid it in her own tomb. For she had been parted from
^geates on account of his brutal disposition and lawless con-
duct, having chosen for herself a holy and quiet life ; and
having been united to the love of Christ, she spent her life
blessedly along with the brethren.
^geates had been very importunate with her, and promised
that he would make her mistress of his wealth ; but not having
been able to persuade her, he was greatly enraged, and was
determined to make a public charge against all the people, and
to send to Csesar an accusation against both Maximilla and all
the people. And while he was arranging these things in the
presence of his officers, at the dead of night he rose up, and
unseen by all his people, having been tormented by tlie devil,
he fell down from a great height, and rolling into the midst of
the market-place of the city, breathed his last.
And this was reported to his brotlier Stratocles ; and he sent
his servants, having told them that they should bury him
among those who had died a violent death. But he sought
• Lit. , females.
THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW. 347
nothing of his substance, saying : Let not my Lord Jesus Christ,
in whom I have believed, suffer me to touch anything whatever
of the goods of my brother, that the condemnation of him who
dared to cut off the apostle of the Lord may not disgrace me.
These things were done in the province of Achaia, in the city
of Patras, on the day before the kalends of December,^ where
his good deeds are Ivept in mind even to this day, to the glory
and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever
and ever. Amen.^
^ i.e. SOtli November, St. Andrew's day.
2 One MS_ thus ends : These things were done in the province of Achaia, in
the city of Patras, on the day before the kalends of December ; where also his
glorious good deeds are shown even to this day ; and so great fear came upon all,
that no one remained who did not believe in God our Saviour, who wishes all
to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. To Him be glory to
ages of ages. Amen.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS'
IN THE CITY OF THE MAN-EATERS.
jlBOUT that time all the apostles had come together
to the same place, and shared among themselves
the countries, casting lots, in order that each might
go away into the part that had fallen to him. By
lot, then, it fell to Matthias to set out to the country of the man-
eaters. And the men of that city used neither to eat bread nor
drink wine; but they ate the flesh of men, and drank their
blood. Every man, therefore, who came into their city they
laid hold of, and digging they thrust out his eyes, and gave
him a drug to drink, prepared by sorcery and magic ; and from
drinking the drug his heart was altered and his mind deranged.
Matthias then having come into the gate of their city, the
men of that city laid hold of him, and thrust out his eyes ; and
after putting them out they made him drink the drug of their
magical deception, and led him away to the prison, and put
beside him grass to eat, and he ate it not. For when he had
partaken of their drug, his heart was not altered, nor his mind
deranged ; but he kept praying to God, weeping, and saying :
Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake we have forsaken all things
and have followed Thee, knowing that Thou art the helper of
all who hope in Thee, attend then and behold what they have
done to Matthias Thy servant, how they have made me nigh to
the brutes ; for Thou art He who knowest all things. If, there-
fore, Thou hast ordained that the wicked men in this city should
eat me up, I will not by any means flee from Thy dispensation.
Afibrd to me then, 0 Lord, the light of mine eyes, that at least
^ The oldest .Ms. has JLitthias ; the four or live otliers have Matthew.
348
A CTS OF A NDEE W AND MA TTHIA S. 349
I may behold what the wicked men in this city have in hand
for me ; do not forsake me, 0 my Lord Jesus Christ, and do
not give me up to this bitter death.
While Matthias was thus praying in the prison, a light shone,
and there came forth out of the light a voice saying : Beloved
Matthias, receive thy sight. And immediately he received his
sight. And again there came forth a voice saying : Be of good
courage, our Matthias, and be not dismayed ; for I shall not by
any means forsake thee, for I shall deliver thee from all danger;
and not only thee, but also all thy brethren who are with thee :
for I am with thee everywhere and at all times. But remain
here twenty-seven days for the edification ^ of many souls ; and
after that I shall send forth Andrew to thee, and he shall lead
thee forth out of this prison ; and not thee only, but also all who
hear. Having said this, the Saviour said again to Matthias,
Peace be to thee, our Matthias, and went into heaven. Then
Matthias having beheld Him, said to the Lord : Let thy grace
abide with me, 0 my Lord Jesus.
Then Matthias therefore ^ sat down in the prison, and sang.
And it came to pass that, when the executioners came into
the prison to bring forth the men to eat them, Matthias also
shut his eyes, that they might not behold that he saw. And
the executioners having come to him, read the ticket in his
hand, and said among themselves : Yet three days, and we shall
bring out this one also from the prison, and slay him. Because
in the case of every man whom they laid hold of, they noted
that day on which they laid hold of him, and tied a ticket to
his right hand, that they might know the completion of the
thirty days.
And it came to pass when the twenty-seven days were ful-
filled since Matthias was seized, the Lord appeared in the
country where Andrew was teaching, and said to him : Else up,
and set out with thy disciples to the country of the man-eaters,
and bring forth Matthias out of that place ; for yet three days,
and the men of the city will bring him forth and slay him for
their food. And Andrew answered and said : ]\Iy Lord, I shall
not be able to accomplish the journey thither before the limited
period of the three days ; but send Thine angel quickly, that he
^ Lit., oeconomy. * One ms. inserts : having given thanks to God.
350 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
may bring him out thence : for thou knowest, Lord, that I also
am flesh, and shall not he able to go there quickly. And He
says to Andrew : Obey Him who made thee, and Him who is
able to say in a word, and that city shall be removed thence,
and all that dwell in it. For I command the horns of the
winds,^ and they drive it thence. But rise up early, and go
down to the sea with thy disciples, and thou shalt find a boat
upon the shore, and thou shalt go aboard with thy disciples.
And having said this, the Saviour again said : Peace to thee,
Andrew, along with those with thee ! And He w^ent into the
heavens.
And Andrew having risen up early, proceeded to the sea
along with his disciples ; and having come down to the shore,
he saw a little boat, and in the boat three men sitting. For
the Lord by His own power had prepared a boat, and He it
was in human shape a pilot in the boat ; and He brought two
angels whom He made to appear like men, and they were in
the boat sitting.^ Andrew, therefore, having beheld the boat,
and the three who were in it, rejoiced with exceeding great
joy ; and having gone to them, he said : "Where are you going,
brethren, with this little boat ? And the Lord answered and
said to him : We are going to the country of the man-eaters.
And Andrew having beheld Jesus, did not recognise Him ; for
Jesus was hiding His Godhead, and He appeared to Andrew
like a pilot. And Jesus having heard Andrew saying, I too
am going to the country of the man-eaters, says to him : Every
man avoids that city, and how are you going there ? And
Andrew answered and said : We have some small business to
do there, and we must get through with it ; but if thou canst,
do us this kindness to convey us to the country of the man-
eaters, to which also you intend to go. Jesus answered and
said to them : Come on board.
And Andrew said : I wish to make some explanation to thee,
young man, before we come on board thy boat. And Jesus
said : Say what thou wilt. And Andrew said to Him : AVe
have no passage-money to give thee ; we have not even bread
* The winds from the four quarters of tlie heavens.
* One MS. has : And the Lord })re])ared a small boat, and put angels in it for
sailors ; and Jesus was, as it were, the master of the boat.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 301
for our nourishment. And Jesus answered and said to him :
How, then, are you going away without giving us the passage-
money, and without having bread for your nourishment ? And
Andrew said to Jesus, Listen, brother ; do not think that it is
through masterfulness that we do not give thee our passage-
money, but we are disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, the good
God. For He chose for Himself us twelve, and gave us such a
commandment, saying, When you go to preach, do not carry
money in the journey, nor bread, nor bag, nor shoes, nor staff,
nor two coats.^ If, therefore, thou wilt do us the kindness,
brother, tell us at once ; if not, let us know, and we shall go
and seek another boat for ourselves. And Jesus answered and
said to Andrew : If this is the commandment which you re-
ceived, and you keep it, come on board my boat with all joy.
For I really wish you, the disciples of Him who is called Jesus,
to come on board my boat, rather than those who give me of
their silver and gold; for I am altogether worthy that the
apostle of the Lord should come on board my boat. And
Andrew answered and said : Permit me, brother, may the Lord
grant thee glory and honour. And Andrew went on board the
boat with liis disciples.
And having gone on board, he sat down by the boat's sail.
And Jesus answered and said to one of the angels : Else and go
down to the hold of the boat, and bring up three loaves, that the
men may eat, lest perchance they be hungry, from having come
to us off a long journey. And he rose and went down to the
hold of the boat, and brought up three loaves, as the Lord com-
manded him ; and he gave them the loaves. Then Jesus said
to Andrew : Else up, brother, with thy friends ; partake of food,
that you may be strong to bear the tossing of the sea. And
Andrew answered and said to his disciples : My children, we
have found great kindness from this man. Stand up, then, and
partake of the nourishment of bread, that you may be strong
to bear the tossing of the sea. And his disciples were not able
to answer hini a word, for they v/ere in distress because .of the
sea. Then Jesus forced Andrew to partake himself also of the
nourishment of bread along with his disciples. And Andrew
answered and said to Jesus, not knowing that it was Jesus :
' Matt. X. 10 ; Ma-V -i. 9.
352 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
Brother, may the Lord give thee heavenly bread out of His
kingdom. Allow me then, brother; for thou seest the chil-
dren, that they are distressed because of the sea. And Jesus
answered and said to Andrew: Assuredly the brethren are
without experience of the sea; but inquire of them whether
they want to go to land, and thyself to remain, until thou
shalt finish thy business, and again come back to them. Then
Andrew said to his disciples : My children, do you wish to go
to the land, and me to remain here until I shall finish my
business for which I have been sent ? And they answered and
said to Andrew : If we go away from thee, may we become
strangers to the good things which the Lord hath provided for
us. Now, therefore, we are with thee, wherever thou mayst go.
Jesus answered and said to Andrew: If thou art truly a
disciple of Him who is called Jesus, tell thy disciples the
miracles which thy Teacher did, that their soul may rejoice,
and that they may forget the fear of the sea ; for, behold, we are
going to take the boat off from the land. And immediately
Jesus said to one of the angels : Let go the boat ; and he let
go the boat from the land. And Jesus came and sat down
beside the rudder, and steered the boat. Then Andrew ex-
horted and comforted his disciples, saying : ^My children, who
have given up your life to the Lord, fear not; for the Lord
will not at all forsake you for ever. For at that time when I
was along with our Lord, we went on board the boat with Him,
and He lay down to sleep in the boat, trying us ; for He was
not^ fast asleep. And a great wind having arisen, and the
sea being stormy, so that the waves were uplifted, and came
under the sail of the boat, and when we were in great fear, the
Lord stood up and rebuked the winds, and there was a calm in
the sea ; for all things feared Him, as being made by Him.'
Now, therefore, my children, fear not. For the Lord Jesus
wiU not at aU forsake us. And having said this, the holy
Andrew prayed in his heart that his disciples might be led to
sleep. And as Andrew was praying, his disciples fell asleep.
And Andrew, turning round to the Lord, not knowing that
it was the Lord, said to Him : Tell me, 0 man, and show me
the skill of thy steering; for I have never seen any man so
' One MS. omits the negative. ' Cf. Matt. viii. 26.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 353
steering in the sea as I now see thee. Por sixteen years have
I sailed the sea, and behold this is the seventeenth, and I have
not seen such skill ; for truly the boat is just as if on land.
Show me then, young man, thy skill. Then Jesus answered
and said to Andrew : We also have often sailed the sea, and
been in danger ; but since thou art a disciple of Him called
Jesus, the sea has recognised thee that thou art righteous, and
has become calm, and has not lifted its waves against the boat.
Then Andrew cried out with a loud voice, saying: I thank
Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, that I have met a man who
glorifies Thy name.
And Jesus answered and said: 0 Andrew, tell me, thou
disciple of Him called Jesus, wherefore the unbelieving Jews
did not believe in Him, saying that He was not God, but man.
Show me, 0 disciple of Him called Jesus; for I have heard
that He showed His Godhead to His disciples. And Andrew
answered and said : Truly, brother. He showed us that He was
God. Do not think, then, that He is man. For He made the
heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that is in them.
And Jesus answered and said: How then did the Jews not
believe Him ? Perhaps He did not do miracles before them ?
Andrew said : Hast thou not heard of the miracles which He
did before them ? He made the blind see, the lame walk, the
deaf hear; He cleansed lepers, He changed water into wine; and
having taken five loaves and two fishes. He made a crowd re-
cline on the grass, and having blessed. He gave them to eat; and
those that ate were five thousand men,^ and they were filled :
and they took up what was over to them twelve baskets of frag-
ments.^ And after all these things they did not believe Him.
And Jesus answered and said to Andrew : Perhaps He did
these miracles before the people, and not before the chief
priests, and because of this they did not believe Him.
And Andrew answered and said : Nay, brother. He did them
also before the chief priests, not only openly, but also in secret,
and they did not believe Him. Jesus answered and said :
What are the miracles which He did in secret ? Disclose
them to me. And Andrew answered and said: 0 man, who
hast the spirit of inquisitiveness, why dost thou put me to the
' Oue MS. inserts, besides women and children. * Mark vi. 37-44.
Z
354 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
test ? And Jesus answered and said : I do not put tliee to the
test by saying this, 0 disciple of Him called Jesus ; but my
soul rejoices and exults, and not only mine, but also every soul
that hears the wonders of Jesus.
And Andrew answered and said : 0 child, the Lord shall fill
thy soul with all joy and all good, as thou hast persuaded me
now to relate to thee the miracles which our Lord did in secret.
It came to pass as we, the twelve disciples, were going with
our Lord into a temple of the Gentiles, that He might make
known to us the ignorance of the devil, that the chief priests,
having beheld us following Jesus, said to us, 0 wretches, why
do you walk with him who says, I am the Son of God ? Do
you mean to say that God has a son ? Which of you has ever
at any time seen God associating with a woman ? Is not this
the son of Joseph the carpenter, and his mother is Mary, and
his brothers James and Simon ?^ And when we heard these
words, our hearts were turned into weakness. And Jesus,
having known that our hearts were giving way, took us into
a desert place, and did great miracles before us, and displayed
to us all His Godhead. And w^e spoke to the chief priests, say-
ing. Come ye also, and see ; for, behold, He has persuaded us.
And the chief priests having come, went with us ; and when
we had gone into the temple of the Gentiles, Jesus showed us
the heaven,^ that we might know whether the things were
true or not. And there went in along with us thirty men of
the people, and four chief priests. And Jesus, having looked
on the right hand and on the left of the temj)le, saw two
sculptured sphinxes, one on the right and one on the left.
And Jesus having turned to us, said. Behold the sign of the
cross ; for these are like the cherubim and the seraphim which
are in heaven. Then Jesus, having looked to the right, where
the sphinx was, said to it, I say unto thee, thou image of
that which is in heaven, which the hands of craftsmen have
sculptm-ed, be separated from thy place, and come down, and
answer and convict the chief priests, and show them whether
I am God or man.
^ Mark vi. 3.
'^ There seems to be something wrong here. One MS. has, the structure of
the temple, and omits the following clause.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 355
And immediately at that very time the sphinx removed from
its place, and having assumed a human voice, said, 0 foolish
sons of Israel, not only has the blinding of their own hearts
not been enough for them, but they also wish others to be
blind like themselves, saying that God is man, who in the
beginning fashioned man, and put His breath into all, who
gave motion to those things which moved not ; He it is who
called Abraham, who loved his son Isaac, who brought back
his beloved Jacob into his land ; He is the Judge of living and
dead ; He it is who prepareth great benefits for those who obey
Him, and prepareth punishment for those who believe Him
not. Heed not that I am an idol that can be handled ; for I
say unto you, that the sacred places of your synagogue are
more excellent.^ For though we are stones, the priests have
given us only the name of a god ; and those, priests who serve
the temple purify themselves, being afraid of the demons : for
if they have had intercourse with women, they purify them-
selves seven days, because of their fear ; so that they do not
come into the temple because of us, because of the name which
they have given us, that we are a god. But you, if you have
committed fornication, take up the law of God, and go into
the synagogue of God, and purify, and read, and do not re-
verence the glorious words of God. Because of this, I say
unto you, that the holy things purify your synagogues, so that
they also become churches of His only begotten Son. The
sphinx having said this, ceased speaking.
And we said to the chief priests. Now it is fitting that you
should believe, because even the stones have convicted you.
And the Jews answered and said. By magic these stones speak,
and do not you think that it is a god ? Tor if you have tested
what has been said by the stone, you have ascertained its
deception. For where did he find Abraham, or how did he see
him ? For Abraham died many years before he was born, and
how does he know him ?
And Jesus, having again turned to the image, said to it.
Because these believe not that I Imve spoken with Abraham,
go away into the land of the Canaanites, and go away to the
> One MS. has : Do not say that I am a carved stone, and that you alone have
a name, and are called high priests.
356 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
double^ cave in tlie field of Mamre, where the body of Abraham
is, and cry outside of the tomb, saying, Abraham, Abraham,
whose body is in the tomb, and whose soul is in paradise, thus
speaks He who fashioned man, who made thee from the be-
ginning his friend, Eise up, thou and thy son Isaac, and the
son of thy son Jacob, and come to the temples of the Jebusites,
that we may convict the chief priests, in order that they may
know that I am acquainted with thee, and thou with me. And
when the sphinx heard these words, immediately she walked
about in the presence of us all, and set out for the land of the
Canaanites to the field of Mamre, and cried outside of the
tomb, as God had commanded her. And straightway the
twelve patriarchs^ came forth alive out of the tomb, and
answered and said to her, To which of us hast thou been sent ?
And the sphinx answered and said, I have been sent to the
three patriarchs for testimony ; but do ye go in, and rest until
the time of the resurrection. And having heard, they went
into the tomb and fell asleep. And the three patriarchs set
out along with the sphinx to Jesus, and convicted the chief
priests. And Jesus said to them, Go away to your places ; and
they went away. And He said also to the image, Go up to thy
place ; and straightway she went up and stood in her place.
And He did also many other miracles, and they did not believe
Him ; which (miracles), if I shall recount, thou wilt not be
able to bear. And Jesus answered and said to him : I can
bear it ; for I prudently listen to profitable words.
•And when the boat was about to come near the land, Jesus
bent down His head upon one of His angels, and was quiet.
And Andrew ceased speaking ; and he also, reclining his head
upon one of his disciples, fell asleep. And Jesus said to His
angels : Spread your hands under him, and carry Andrew and
his disciples, and go and put them outside of the city of the
man-eaters ; and having laid them on the ground, return to me.
And the angels did as Jesus commanded them, and the angels
returned to Jesus : and He went up into the heavens with His
angels.
' Gen. xxiii. 9, 17, following the version of the LXX. and the older inter-
preters.
2 Not one of the twelve patriarchs was buried in Machpelah.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 357
And when it was morning, Andrew, having awakened and
looked up, found himself sitting on the ground; and having
looked,^ he saw his disciples sleeping on the ground ; and he
wakened them, and said to them : Eise up, my children, and
know the great dispensation that has happened to us, and learn
that the Lord was with us in the boat, and we knew Him not ;
for He transformed Himself as if He were a pilot in the boat,
and humbled Himself, and appeared to us as a man, putting us
to the test. And Andrew, recovering himself, said : Lord, I re-
cognised Thy excellent words, but Thou didst not manifest Thy-
self to me, and because of this I did not know Thee. And his
disciples answered and said to him: Father Andrew, do not think
that we knew when thou wast speaking with Him in the boat,
for we were weighed down by a most heavy sleep ; and eagles
came down out of the heavens, and lifted up our souls, and
took them away into the paradise in heaven, and we saw great
wonders. For we beheld our Lord Jesus sitting on a throne
of glory, and all the angels round about Him. We beheld also
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the saints ; and David
praised Him with a song upon his harp. And we beheld there
you the twelve apostles standing by in the presence of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and outside of you twelve angels round about
you, and each angel standing behind each of you, and they
were like you in appearance. And we heard the Lord saying
to the angels. Listen to the apostles in all things whatsoever
they shall ask you. These are the things which we have seen,
father Andrew, until thou didst awake us ; and angels, who
appeared like eagles, brought our souls into our bodies.
Then Andrew, having heard, rejoiced with great joy that his
disciples had been deemed worthy to behold these wonderful
things. And Andrew looked up into heaven, and said : Ap-
pear to me. Lord Jesus Christ ; for I know that Thou art not
far from Thy servants. Pardon me, Lord, for what I have
done ; for I have beheld Thee as a man in the boat, and I
have conversed with Thee as with a man. Now therefore,
Lord, manifest Thyself to me in this place.
And when Andrew had said this, Jesus appeared to him
in the likeness of a most beautiful little child. And Jesus
^ One MS. inserts : And he saw the gate of tliat city.
358 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
answered and said : Hail, our Andrew ! And Andrew, having
beheld Him, worshipped Him, saying : Pardon me. Lord Jesus
Christ, for I saw Thee like a man on the sea, and conversed
■with Thee. What is there, then, wherein I have sinned, my
Lord Jesus, that Thou didst not manifest Thyself to me on the
sea ? And Jesus answered and said to Andrew : Thou hast
not sinned, but I did this to thee because thou saidst, I shall
not be able to go to the city of the man-eaters in three days ;
and I have showed thee that I am able to do all things, and
to appear to every one as I wish. Now therefore rise up, go
into the city to Matthias, and bring him forth out of the prison,
and all the strangers that are with him. For, behold, I show
thee, Andrew, what thou must suffer before going into this city.
They will heap upon thee tortures and insults, and scatter thy
flesh in the ways and the streets, and thy blood shall flow to
the ground, but they are not able to put thee to death ; but
endure, just as thou sawest me beaten, insulted, and crucified :
for there are those who are destined to believe in this city.
And having said this, the Saviour went into the heavens.
And Andrew went into the city along with his disciples, and
no one beheld him. And when he came to the prison, he saw
seven warders standing at the gate guarding, and he prayed
within himself, and they fell down and expired ; and he marked
the gate with the sign of the cross, and it opened of its own
accord. And having gone in with his disciples, he found
Matthias sitting and singing; and seeing him, he stood up,
and they saluted each other with a holy kiss ; and he said to
Matthias : Brother, how hast thou been found here ? For yet
three days, and they will bring thee out to be food for them.
Where are the great mysteries which thou hast been taught, and
the wonderful things which we have believed ? And ]\Iatthias
said to him: Didst thou not hear the Lord saying, I shall
send you like sheep into the midst of wolves ?^ They straight-
way brought me into the prison, and I prayed to the Lord ; and
He said to me, Eemain here twenty-seven days, and I shall
send thee Andrew, and he will bring thee forth out of the
prison. And now, behold, it has come to pass as the Lord said.
Then Andrew, having looked, saw three men shut up eating
1 Matt. X. 16.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 359
grass naked ; and he beat his breast, and said : Consider, 0
Lord, what the men suffer ; how have they made them like the
irrational brutes? And he says to Satan: Woe to thee, the
devil, the enemy of God, and to thine angels, because the
strangers here have done nothing to thee ; and how hast thou
brought upon them this punishment ? how long dost thou war
against the human race ? Thou didst bring forth Adam out of
paradise, and didst cause men to be mixed up with transgres-
sion ; and the Lord was enraged, and brought on the deluge so
as to sweep man away. And again hast thou made thy appear-
ance in this city too, in order that thou mayst make those who
are here eat men,^ that the end of them also may be in execra-
tion and destruction, thinking in thyself that God will sweep
away the work of His hands. Hast thou not heard that God
said, I will not bring a deluge upon the earth ?^ but if there
is any punishment prepared, it is for the sake of taking ven-
geance upon thee.
Then he stood up, and Andrew and Matthias prayed ; and
after the prayer Andrew laid his hands upon the faces of the
blind men who were in the prison, and straightway they all
received their sight. And again he laid his hand upon their
hearts, and their mind was changed into human reason. Then
Andrew answered them : Eise up, and go into the lower parts
of the city, and you shall find in the way a great fig-tree, and
sit under the fig-tree, and eat of its fruit, until I come to you ;
but if I delay coming there, you will find abundance of food
for yourselves : for the fruit shall not fail from the fig-tree, but
according as you eat it shall produce more fruit, and nourish
you, as the Lord has said. And they answered and said to
Andrew : Go along with us, 0 our master, lest perchance the
wicked men of this city again see us, and shut us up, and
inflict upon us greater and more dreadful tortures than they
have inflicted upon us. And Andrew answered and said to
them : Go ; for in truth I say to you, that as you go, not a
dog shall bark with his tongue against you. And there were
in all two hundred and seventy men and forty-nine women ^
whom Andrew released from the prison. And the men went
» Another MS. has : make men eat their like. * Gen. ix. 11.
' Two Mss. have : two hundred and forty-nine men.
360 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
as the blessed Andrew said to them ; and he made Matthias
go along with his disciples out of the eastern gate of the city.
And Andrew commanded a cloud, and the cloud took up
Matthias and the disciples of Andrew ; and the cloud set them
down on the mountain where Peter was teaching/ and they
remained beside him.
And Andrew, having gone forth from the prison, walked
about in the city ; and having seen a brazen pillar, and a statue
standing upon it, he came and sat down behind that pillar
until he should see what should happen. And it happened
that the executioners went to the prison to bring out the men
for their food,^ according to the custom ; and they found the
doors of the prison opened, and the guards that guarded it
lying dead upon the ground. And straightway they went, and
reported to the rulers of the city, saying : We found the prison
opened, and having gone inside we found nobody;'' but we
found the guards lying dead upon the ground. And the rulers
having heard this, said among themselves : What, then, has
happened ? You do not mean to say that some persons have
gone into the prison of the city, and have killed the warders,
and taken away those that were shut up ? And they spoke to
the executioners, saying : Go to the prison, and bring the men
that are dead, that we may eat them up to-day. And let us
go to-morrow, and bring together all the old men of the city,
that they may cast lots upon themselves, until the seven lots
come, and we slay seven each day. And they shall be to us
for food until we may choose young men, and put them in
boats as sailors, that they may go away to the countries round
about, and attack them, and bring some men here, that they
may be for food to us.
And the executioners went to the prison, and brought the
seven men that were dead ; and there Avas an oven built in the
midst of the city, and there lay in the oven a large trough in
which they killed the men, and their blood ran down into the
trough, and they drew out of the blood and drank it. And
they brought the men, and put them into the trough. And
when the executioners were lifting their hands against them,
' Another reading is, praying. * i.e. to be eaten by them.
» Cf. Acts V. 20-25.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 3G1
Andrew heard a voice, saying : Behold, Andrew, what is hap-
pening in this city. And Andrew having beheld, prayed to
the Lord, saying : Lord Jesus Christ, who didst order me to
come into this city, do not suffer those in this city to do any
evil, but let the knives go out of the hands of the wicked ones.
And straightway the knives of the wicked men fell, and their
hands were turned into stone. And the rulers, having seen
what had happened, wept, saying : Woe unto us, for here are
the magicians who have gone into the prison, and brought out
the men ; for, behold, they have bewitched these also. What,
then, shall we do ? Let us go now, and gather together the old
men of the city, seeing that we are hungry.
And they went and gathered them together, and found two
hundred and seventeen ; and they brought them to the rulers,
and they made them cast lots, and the lot came upon seven
old men. And one of those taken by lot answered and said to
the officers : I pray you, I have for myself one son ; take him,
and slay him instead of me, and let me go. And the of&cers
answered and said to him : We cannot take thy son, unless we
bring him first to our superiors. And the officers went and
told the rulers. And the rulers answered and said to the
officers : If he give us his son instead of himseK, let him go.
And the officers went and told the old man. And the old man
answered and said to them : I have also a daughter along with
my son; take them, and kill them,. only let me go. And he
gave his children to the officers, that they might kill them.
And the children wept to each other, and prayed the officers,
saying : We pray you do not kill us, as we are of so small a
size ; but let us complete our size, and so kill us. For it was
a custom in tliat city, and they did not bury the dead, but ate
them up. And the officers did not hearken to the children,
nor take pity upon them, but carried them to the trough
weeping and praying.
And it happened, as they were leading them away to kill
them, that Andrew, having beheld what happened, shed tears ;
and weeping, he looked up to heaven and said : Lord Jesus
Christ, as Thou didst hear me in the case of the dead men, and
didst not suffer them to be eaten up, so also now hear me, that
the executioners may not inflict death upon these children, but
3G2 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
that the knives may be loosened out of the hands of the execu-
tioners.^ And straightway the knives were loosened, and fell
out of the hands of the executioners. And when this came to
pass, the executioners, having beheld what had happened, were
exceedingly afraid. And Andrew, seeing what had happened,
glorified the Lord because He had listened to him in every
work.
And the rulers, having beheld what had happened, wept with
a great weeping, saying : Woe unto us ! what are we to do ?
And, behold, the devil appeared in the likeness of an old man,
and began to say in the midst of all : Woe unto you ! because
you are now dying, having no food ; what can sheep and oxen
do for you ? They will not at all be enough for you. But rise
up, and make a search here for one who has come to the city,
a stranger named Andrew, and kill him ; for if you do not, he
will not permit you to carry on this practice longer : for it was
he who let loose the men out of the prison. Assuredly the
man is in this city, and you have not seen ^ him. Now, there-
fore, rise and make search for him, in order that henceforward
you may be able to collect your food.
And Andrew saw the devil, how he was talking to the multi-
tudes ; but the devil did not see the blessed Andrew. Then
Andrew answered the devil, and said : 0 Belial most fiendish,
who art the foe of every creature ; ^ but my Lord Jesus Christ
will bring thee down to the abyss. And the devil, having heard
this, said : I hear thy voice indeed, and I know thy voice, but
where thou art standing I know not. And Andrew answered
and said to the devil: Why, then, hast thou been called
Amael ? * is it not because thou art blind, not seeing all the
saints ? And the devil, having heard this, said to the citizens :
Look round now for him speaking to me, for he is the man.
And the citizens, having run in different directions, shut the
gates of the city, and searched for the blessed one, and did not
see him.* Then the Lord showed Himself to Andrew, and said
1 One MS. adds : like wax before fire. ^ Qj.^ Jq jjq^ know.
3 One MS. has : Thou art always warring against the race of the Christians.
* One of the Mss. has Samael.
^ One MS. adds : And Andrew answered and said : 0 Belial ! foe of the whole
creation, thou hast always been a robber, waning against the race of men . thou
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 3G3
to Mm : Andrew, rise up and show thyself to them, that they
may learn my power, and the powerlessness of the devil working
in them.
Then Andrew rose up, and said in presence of all : Behold, I
am Andrew whom you seek. And the multitudes ran upon
him, and laid hold of him, saying : 'W^iat thou hast done to us,
we also will do to thee. And they reasoned among themselves,
saying : By what death shall we kill him ? And they said to
each other : If we take off his head, his death is not torture ;
and if we burn him, he will not he for food to us. Then one
of them, the devil having entered into him, answered and said
to the multitudes : As he has done to us, so let us also do to
him. Let us rise up, then, and fasten a rope to his neck, and
drag him through all the streets and lanes of the city; and
when he is dead, we shall share his body. And they did as
he said to them ; and having fastened a rope round his neck,
they dragged him through all the streets and lanes of the city,
and the flesh of the blessed Andrew stuck to the ground, and
his blood flowed to the ground like water. And when it was
evening they cast him into the prison, having bound his hands
behind him ; and he was in sore distress.
And in the morning again they brought him out, and having
fastened a rope round his neck, they dragged him about ; and
again his flesh stuck to the ground, and his blood flowed. And
the blessed one wept and prayed, saying : Do not forsake me,
my Lord Jesus Christ ; for I know that Thou art not far from
Thy servants. And as he was praying, the devil walked be-
hind, and said to the multitudes : Strike him on the mouth,
that he may not speak.'
And when it was evening they took him again to the prison,
having bound his hands behind him, and left him till the
morrow again. And the devil having taken with himself seven
demons ^ whom the blessed one had cast out of the countries
round about, and having gone into the prison, they stood before
him, wishing to kill him. And the demons answered and said
in the 'beginning didst cause Adam to be cast out of paradise ; thou didst cause
the loaves upon the table to be turned into stones ; and again thou hast appeared
in this city, to cause the people here to eat up men.
1 Cf. Acts xxiii. 2. 2 ci. Matt. xii. 45.
364 A CTS OF A NDEE W A ND MA TTIIIA S.
to Andrew : Now hast thou fallen into our hands ; where is
thy glory and thy exultation, thou that raisest thyself up
against us, and dishonourest us, and tellest our doings to the
people in every place and country, and hast made our work-
shops and our temples to become desolate, in order that sacri-
fices may not be brought to them ? Because of this, then, we
shall also kill thee, like thy teacher called Jesus, and John
whom Herod beheaded.^
And they stood before Andrew, wishing to kill him; and
having beheld the seal upon his forehead which the Lord gave
him, they were afraid, and did not come near him, but fled.
And the devil said to them : Why have you fled from him, my
children, and not killed him ? And the demons answered and
said to the devil : We cannot kill him, but kill him if thou art
able ; for we knew him before he came into the distress of his
humiliation. Then one of the demons answered and said : We
cannot kill him, but come let us mock him in the distress of
his humiliation. And the demons came and stood before him,
and scoffed at him. And the blessed one hearing, wept ; and
there came to him a voice saying : Andrew, why weepest thou ?
And it was the voice of the devil changed. And Andrew
answered and said : I am weeping because God commanded
me, saying. Be patient toward them. And the devil said : If
thou canst do anything, do it. And Andrew answered and
said : Is it for this, then, that you do these things to me ? But
forbid it that I should disobey the commandment of my Lord ;
for if the Lord shall make for me a charge ^ in this city, I
shall chastise you as you deserve. And having heard this,
they fled.
And when it was morning they brought him out again, and
having fastened a rope about his neck, they dragged him ; and
again his flesh stuck to the ground, and his blood flowed to
the ground like water. And the blessed one, as he was being
dragged along, wept, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, be not dis-
pleased with me ; for Thou knowest, Lord, what the fiend has
inflicted upon me, along with his demons. These tortures are
• One MS. adds : And tlie devil answered and said to the seven wicked demons.
My children, kill him that dishonours us.
^ Or, a bishopric.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 3G5
enough, my Lord ; for, behold, I am dragged about for tliree
days. But do Thou, Lord, remember that Thou wast three
hours upon the cross, and didst cry out to the Father, My
Father, why hast Thou forsaken me ? ^ Where are Thy words.
Lord, which Thou spakest to us, confirming us, when we
walked about with Thee, saying to us. Ye shall not lose one
hair ? ^ Consider, then, Lord, what has become of my flesh, and
the hairs of my head. Then Jesus said to Andrew: 0 our
Andrew, the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away.^ Turn thyself then, Andrew, and
behold thy flesh that has fallen, and thy hair, what has become
of them. And Andrew turned, and saw great trees springing
up, bearing fruit; and he glorified God.
And when it was evening they took him up again, and cast
him into the prison, having bound his hands behind him ; and
he was exceedingly exhausted. And the men of the city said
among themselves : Perhaps he dies in the night, and we do
not find him alive on the following day ; for he was languid,
and his flesh was spent.
And the Lord appeared in the prison, and having stretched
out His hand, said to Andrew : Give me thy hand, and rise up
whole. And Andrew, having beheld the Lord Jesus, gave Him
his hand, and rose up whole. And falling down, he worshipped
Him, and said : I thank Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, that
Thou hast speedily brought help to me. And Andrew, having
looked into the middle of the prison, saw a pillar standing, and
upon the pillar there stood an alabaster statue. And Andrew,
having gone up to the statue, unfolded his hands seven times,
and said to the pillar, and the statue upon it : Fear the sign of
the cross, which the heaven and the earth dread ; and let the
statue set upon the pillar bring up much water through its
mouth, until all who are in this city be punished. And say
not, I am stone, and am not worthy to praise the Lord, for the
Lord fashioned iis from the earth ; but you are pure, because
that out of you He gave the tables of the law.* When the
1 Matt, xxvii. 46. 2 cf_ jviatt. x. 30. 3 Matt. v. 18.
* One MS. has : Yea, for assuredly you have been honoured ; for God did not
■write the law for His people on plates of gold or silver, but on plates of stone.
Now therefore, 0 statue, do this that I require of thee.
366 ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS.
blessed Andrew had said this, straightway the stone statue
cast out of its mouth water in abundance, as if out of a canal.
And the water stood high upon the earth ; and it was exceed-
ingly acrid, eating into the flesh of men.
And when it was morning, the men of the city saw it, and
began to flee, saying in themselves : Woe to us ! because we
are now dying. And the water killed their cattle and their
children ; and they began to flee out of the city. Then Andrew
prayed, saying : Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have hoped that
this miracle should come upon this city, forsake me not, but
send Michael Thy archangel in a cloud of fire, and be a wall
round the city, that no one may be able to escape out of the
fire. And straightway a cloud of fire came down and encircled
the city like a wall ; and the water was as high as the neck of
those men, and it was eating them up exceedingly. And they
wept, saying : Woe to us ! for all these things have come upon
us because of the stranger who is in the prison. Let us go and
release him, lest perchance we die.
And they went out, crying with a loud voice : God of the
stranger, take away from us this water. And the apostle knew
that they were in great afiliction, and said to the alabaster
statue : Stop the water, for they have repented. And I say to
thee, that if the citizens of this city shall believe, I will build
a church, and place thee in it, because thou hast done me this
service. And the statue ceased flowing, and no longer brought
forth water. And the men of the city, having come out to the
doors of the prison, cried out, saying : Have pity upon us, God
of the stranger, and do not according to our unbelief, and
according to what we have done to this man, but take away
from us this water. And Andrew came forth out of the prison ;
and the water ran this way and that from the feet of the
blessed Andrew. Then all the multitude seeing him, all cried
out : Have pity upon us.
And the old man having come who gave up his children
that they should slay them instead of him, prayed at the feet
of the blessed Andrew, saying : Have pity upon me. And the
holy Andrew answered and said to the old man : I wonder how
thou sayest, Have pity upon me ; for thou hadst no pity upon
thy children, but gavest them up to be slain instead of thee.
ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS. 8G7
Therefore I say unto thee, At what hour this water goes away,
into the abyss shalt thou go, with the fourteen ^ executioners
who slay the men every day. And he came to the place of the
trough, where they used to slay the men. And the blessed
one, having looked up to heaven, prayed before all the multi-
tude ; and the earth was opened, and swallowed up the water,
along with the old man. He was carried down into the abyss,
with the executioners. And the men, having seen wdiat had
happened, were exceedingly afraid, and began to say : Woe
unto us ! because this man is from God ; and now he will kill
us because of the afflictions which we have caused him. For,
behold, what he said to the executioners and the old man has
befallen them. Now, therefore, he will command the fire, and it
will burn us. And Andrew, having heard, said to them : Fear
not, children ; for I shall not send these also to Hades ; but
those have gone, that you may believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Then the holy Andrew ordered to be brought up all who had
died in the water. And they were not able to bring them ; for
there had died a great multitude both of men, and women, and
children, and cattle.
Then Andrew prayed, and they all came to life. And after
these things he drew a plan of a church, and he caused the
church to be built. And he baptized them, and gave them the
ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying to them : Stand by
these, in order that you may know the mysteries of our Lord
Jesus Christ. And they all prayed him : We pray thee, stay
with us a few days, that we may be hlled with thy fountain,
because we are newly planted.^ And he did not comply with
their request, but said to them : I shall go first to my disciples.
And the children followed after weeping and praying, with the
men ; and they cast ashes ^ upon their heads. And he did not
comply with them, but said : I shall go to my disciples, and
after that I shall come again to you. And he went his way.
And the Lord Jesus came down, being like a comely little
child, and met Andrew, and said : Andrew, why hast thou
come out and left them without fruit, and hast not had com-
passion upon the children that followed after thee, and the
men entreating thee. Stay with us a few days ? For the cry of
1 One MS. has, four. 2 j_g_ neophytes. ^ Or, dust.
368 ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW.
them and the weeping has come up to heaven. Now therefore
return, and go into the city, and remain there seven days, until
I shall confirm their souls in the faith ; and then thou shalt
go away into the country of the harbarians, thou and thy dis-
ciples. And after going into this city, thou shalt proclaim my
gospel, and bring up the men who are in the abyss. And thou
shalt do what I command thee.
Then Andrew turned and went into the city, saying : I thank
Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, who wishest to save every soul,
that Thou hast not allowed me to go forth out of this city in
mine anger. And when he had come into the city, they, seeing
him, rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And he stayed there
seven days, teaching and confirming them in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And the seven days having been fulfilled, it came to
pass, while the blessed . Andrew was going out, all came to-
gether to him, from the child even to the elder, and sent him
on his way, saying : There is one God, (the God) ot Andrew,
and one Lord Jesus Christ, who alone doeth wonders ; to whom '•
be glory and strength for ever. Amen.
ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW.
FROM A BODLEIAN MS.
Ads of the Holy Apostles Peter and Andrew.
It came to pass when Andrew the apostle of Christ went
forth from the city of the man-eaters, behold a luminous cloud
snatched him up, and carried him away to the mountain where
Peter and Matthew and Alexander were sitting. And when
he saw them, they saluted him with great joy. Then Peter
says to him: What has happened to thee, brother Andrew?
Hast thou sown the word of truth in the country of the man-
^ One MS. adds : "With the Father, and the Son, and the all-holy and good
and life-giving and holy Spirit. Another MS. ends thus : Then the Apostle
Andrew wished to go out again to preach. And they assembled from small to
great of them, and said : [There is] one God and Father of all, one Lord, one
laith, one baptism, which we have been taught by our father Andrew, the first
called in (or by) Christ Jesus our Lord ; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW. 869
eaters or not ? Andrew says to him : Yes, father Peter, through
thy prayers; hut the men of that city have done me many
mischiefs, for they dragged me through their street three days,
so that my hlood stamed the whole street. Peter says to him :
Be a man in the Lord, brother Andrew, and come hither, and
rest from thy labour. For if the good husbandman laboriously
till the ground, it will also bear fruit, and straightway all his
toil will be turned into joy; but if he toil, and his land bring
forth no fruit, he has double toil.
And while he was thus speaking, the Lord Jesus Christ ap-
peared to them in the form of a cliild, and said to them : Hail^
Peter, bishop of the whole of my church ! hail, Andrew ! My
co-heirs, be courageous, and struggle for mankind ; for verily I
say unto you, you shall endure toils in this world for mankind.
[But be bold ; I will give you rest] in one hour of repose in
the kingdom of my Father. Arise, then, and go into the city
of the barbarians, and preach in it ; and I will be with you in
the wonders that shall happen in it by your hands. And the
Lord Jesus, after saluting them, went up into the heavens in
glory.
And Peter, and Andrew, and Alexander, and Ptufus, and
Matthias, went into the city of the barbarians. And after they
had come near the city, Andrew answered and said to Peter :
Father Peter, have we again to undergo toils in this city, as in
the country of the man-eaters ? Peter says to him : I do not
know. But, behold, there is an old man before us sowing in
his field : if we go up to him, let us say to him, Give us bread ;
and if he give us bread, we may know that we are not to suffer
in this city ; but if he say to us. We have no bread, on the other
hand, we shall know that suffering again awaits us. And when
they came up to the old man, Peter says to him : Hail, farmer !
And the farmer says to them : Hail you too, merchants ! Peter
says to him : Have you bread to give to these children, for we
have been in want ? The old man says to them : Wait a little,
and look after the oxen, and the plough, and the land, that I
may go into the city, and get you loaves. Peter says to him :
If you provide hospitality for us, we shall look after the cattle
and the field. The old man says : So be it. Peter says to him :
Are the oxen your own ? The old man says : No ; I have them
2 A
370 ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW.
on hire. Peter says to him : Go into the city. And the old
man went into the city. And Peter arose, and girded up his
cloak and his under-garment, and says to Andrew : It is not
right for us to rest and be idle ; above all, when the old man is
working for us, having left his own work. Then Peter took
hold of the plough, and sowed the wheat. And Andrew was
behind the oxen, and says to Peter: Father Peter, why dost
thou bring toil upon us, especially when we have work enough
already ? Then Andrew took the plough out of Peter's hand,
and sowed the wheat, saying : 0 seed cast into the ground in
the field of the righteous, come up, and come to the light. Let
the young men of the city therefore come forth, whom I found
in the pit of destruction until to-day ; for, behold, the apostles
of Christ are coming into the city, pardoning the sins of those
who believe in them, and healing every disease, and every sick-
ness. Pray ye for me, that He may have mercy upon me, and
that I may be delivered from this strait.
And many of the multitude believed in Christ, because of
the saying of the woman ; ^ and they fell at the feet of the
apostles, and adored them. And they laid their hands upon
them. And they healed those in the city that were sick, and
gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, and drove out
the demons. All the multitude glorified the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
And there was a certain rich man in the city, by name
Onesiphorus. He, having seen the miracles done by the apostles,
says to them : If I believe in your God, can I also do a miracle
like you ? Andrew says to him : If thou wilt forsake all that
belongs to thee, and thy wife and thy children, as we also have
done, then thou also shalt do miracles. When Onesiphorus
heard this, he was filled with rage, and took his scarf and threw
it over Andrew's neck, and struck him, and said to him : Thou
art a sorcerer. How dost thou force me to abandon my wife,
and my children, and my goods ? Then Peter, having turned
and seen him striking Andrew, says to him: Man, stop now
striking Andrew. Onesiphorus says to him : I see that thou
art more sensible than he. Do thou then tell me to leave my
wife, and my children, and my goods. What dost thou say ?
^ Something seems to have fallen out here.
ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW. 371
Peter says to him : One thing I say imto thee : It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man
to go into the kingdom of heaven.^ When Onesiphorus heard
this, he was even more filled with rage and anger, and took his
scarf off the neck of Andrew, and threw it npon the neck of
Peter ; and so he dragged him along, saying : Verily thou art
a great sorcerer, more than the other ; for a camel cannot go
through the eye of a needle. But if thou wilt show me this
miracle, I will believe in thy God ; and not only I, but also
the whole city. But if not, thou shalt be grievously punished
in the midst of the city. And when Peter heard this, he was
exceedingly grieved, and stood and stretched forth his hands
towards heaven, and prayed, saying : 0 Lord our God, listen
to me at this time ; for they will ensnare us from Thine own
words : for no prophet has spoken to set forth this his explana-
tion, and no patriarch that we might learn the interpretation of
it ; and now we seek for ourselves the explanation with bold-
ness. Do Thou then, Lord, not overlook us : for Thou art He
who is praised by the cherubim.
And after he had said this, the Saviour appeared in the form
of a child of twelve years old, wearing a linen garment ; and
He says to them : Be courageous, and tremble not, my chosen
disciples ; for I am with you always. Let the needle and the
camel be brought. And after saying this, He went up into the
heavens. And there was a certain merchant ^ in the city who
had believed in the Lord through the Apostle Philip ; and when
he heard of this, he ran and searched for a needle with a big eye,
to do a favour to the apostles. "When Peter learned this, he said :
My son, do not search for a big needle ; for nothing is impos-
sible with God : rather bring us a small needle. And after the
needle had been brought, and all the multitude of the city were
standing by to see, Peter looked up and saw a camel coming.
And he ordered her to be brought. Then he fixed the needle
in the ground, and cried out with a loud voice, saying : In the
name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
I order thee, 0 camel, to go through the eye of the needle.
Then the eye of the needle was opened like a gate, and the
camel went through it, and all the multitude saw it. Again
' Matt. xix. 24, etc. ^ 'Tra.MTo.-xuXTtt.
372 ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW.
Peter says to the camel : Go again through the needle. And
the camel went a second time. When Onesiphoms saw this,
he said to Peter : Truly thou art a great sorcerer ; but I do not
believe unless I send and bring a camel and a needle. And he
called one of his servants, and said to him privately : Go and
bring me here a camel and a needle ; find also a polluted
woman, and force her to come here : for these men are sorcerers.
And Peter having learned the mystery through the Spirit, says
to Onesiphorus : Send and bring the camel, and the woman,
and the needle. And when they brought them, Peter took the
needle, and fixed it in the ground. And the woman was sitting
on the camel. Then Peter says : In the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ the crucified, I order thee, 0 camel, to go through
this needle. And immediately the eye of the needle was
opened, and became like a gate, and the camel went through
it. Peter again says to the camel: Go through it again, that
all may see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order that
some may believe on Him. Then the camel agam Avent through
tlie needle. And Onesiphorus seeing it, cried out, and said :
Truly great is the God of Peter and Andrew, and I from this
time forth believe in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now
then, hear my -words, 0 Peter. I have corn lands, A^neyards,
and fields ; I have also twenty-seven pounds of gold, and fifty
pounds of silver; and I have very many slaves. I give my
possessions to the poor, that I also may do one miracle like
you. And Peter was grieved lest the powers should not work
in him, seeing that he had not received the seal in Christ.
And while he was considering this, behold, a voice out of the
heaven saying to him : Do to him wdiat he wishes, because I
will accomplish for him what he desires. Peter says to him :
My son, come hither; do as we do. And Onesiphorus came
up, and stood before the camel and the needle, and said : In the
n . . . (Here the MS. ends.)
ACTS AND ]\JAETYRDOM OF ST. MATTHEW
THE APOSTLE.
BOUT that time Mattliew, the holy apostle and
evangelist of Christ, was abiding in the mountain
resting, and praying in his tunic and apostolic robes
without sandals ; and, behold, Jesus came to Mat-
thew in the likeness of the infants who sing in paradise, and
said to him : Peace to thee, Matthew ! And Matthew having
gazed upon Him, and not known who He was, said : Grace to
thee, and peace, 0 child highly favoured ! And why hast thou
come hither to me, having left those Avho sing in paradise,
and the delights there ? Because here the place is desert ; and
what sort of a table I shall lay for thee, 0 child, I know not,
because I have no bread nor oil in a jar. Moreover, even
the winds are at rest, so as not to cast down from the trees to
the ground anything for food ; because, for the accomplishing
of my fast of forty days, I, partaking only of the fruits falling
by the movement of the winds, am glorifying my Jesus. Now,
therefore, what shall I bring thee, beautiful boy ? There is not
even water near, that I may wash thy feet.
And the child said : What sayest thou, 0 Matthew ? Under-
stand and know that good discourse is better than a calf, and
words of meekness better than every herb of the field, and a
sweet saying as the perfume of love, and cheerfulness of coun-
tenance better than feeding, and a pleasant look is as the
appearance of sweetness. Understand, IMatthew, and know
that I am paradise, that I am the comforter, I am the power of
the powers above, I the strength of those that restrain them-
selves, I the crown of the virgins, I the self-control of the once
married, I the boast of the widowed, I the defence of the
373
374 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
infants, I the foundation of the church, I the kingdom of the
bishops, I the glory of the presbyters, I the praise of the
deacons. Be a man, and be strong, Matthew, in these words.
And Matthew said : The sight of thee has altogether de-
lighted me, 0 child ; moreover also, thy words are full of life.
For assuredly thy face shines more than the lightning, and
thy words are altogether most sweet. And that indeed I saw
thee in paradise when thou didst sing with the other infants
who were killed in Bethlehem, I know right well; but how
thou hast suddenly come hither, this altogether astonishes me.
But I shall ask thee one thing, 0 child : that impious Herod,
where is he ? The child says to him : Since thou hast asked,
hear his dwelling-place. He dwells, indeed, in Hades ; and
there has been prepared for him fire unquenchable, Gehenna
without end, bubbling mire, worm that sleeps not,' because
he cut off three ^ thousand infants, wishing to slay the child
Jesus, the ancient of the ages ; but of all these ages I am
father. Now therefore, 0 Matthew, take this rod of mine, and
go down from the mountain, and go into Myrna, the city of the
man-eaters, and plant it by the gate of the church which thou^
and Andrew founded ; and as soon as thou hast planted it, it
shall be a tree, great and lofty and with many branches, and
its branches shall extend to thirty cubits, and of each single
branch the fruit shall be different both to the sight and the
eating,* and from the top of the tree shall flow down mvich
honey ; and from its root there shall come forth a great foun-
tain, giving drink to this country round about, and in it
creatures that swim and creep ; and in it the man-eaters shall
wash themselves, and eat of the fruit of the trees of the vine
and of the honey ; and their bodies shall be changed, and their
forms shall be altered so as to be like those of other men ; and
they shall be ashamed of the nakedness of their body, and they
shall put on clothing of the rams of the sheep, and they shall
no longer eat unclean things ; and there shall be to them fire
in superabundance, preparing the sacrifices for offerings, and
^ Or, that (lies not. ~ The other MS. has, eleven.
' In some of the mss. of the previous book the nanie of Matthew appears in
place of that of Matthias — Matthaios for Mattheias.
* Cf. llev. xxii. 2.
ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. 375
they shall bake their bread with fire ; and they shall see each
other in the likeness of the rest of men, and they shall acknow-
ledge me, and glorify my Father who is in the heavens. Now
therefore make haste, Matthew, and go down hence, because
the departure from thy body through fire is at hand, and the
crown of thy endurance.
And the child having said this, and given him the rod, was
taken up into the heavens. And Matthew went down from
the mountain, hastening to the city. And as he was about to
enter into the city, there met him Fulvana the wife of the
king, and his son Fulvanus and his wife Erva, who were pos-
sessed by an unclean spirit, and cried out shouting : Who has
brought thee here again, Matthew ? or who has given thee the
rod for our destruction ? for we see also the child Jesus, the
Son of God, who is with thee. Do not go then, 0 Matthew, to
plant the rod for the food, and for the transformation of the
man-eaters ; for I have found what I shall do to thee. For
since thou didst drive me out of this city, and prevent me from
fulfilling my wishes among the man-eaters, behold, I wiU raise
up against thee the king of this city, and he will burn thee
alive. And Matthew, having laid his hands on each one of
the demoniacs, put the demons to flight, and made the people
whole ; and they followed him.
And thus the affair being made manifest, Plato the bishop,
having heard of the presence of the holy Apostle Matthew, met
him with all the clergy ; and having fallen to the ground, they
kissed his feet. And Matthew raised them, and went with them
into the church, and the child Jesus was also with him. And
Matthew, having come to the gate of the church, stood upon
a certain lofty and immoveable stone; and when the whole
city ran together, especially the brethren who had believed,
began to say : Men and women who appear in our sight, here-
tofore believing in the universe,^ but now knowing Him who
has upheld and made the universe ; until now worshipping
the Satyr, and mocked by ten thousand false gods, but now
through Jesus Christ acknowledging the one and only God, Lord,
Judge ; who have laid aside the immeasurable greatness of evil,
and put on love, which is of like nature with affectionateness,
' The other MS. has : heretofore worshipping every evil thing.
376 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
towards men ; once strangers to Christ, but now confessing Him
Lord and God; formerly without form, but now transformed
through Christ ; — behold, the staff which you see in my hand,
which Jesus, in whom you have believed and will believe, gave
me ; perceive now what comes to pass through me, and acknow-
ledge the riches of the greatness which He will this day make
for you. For, behold, I shall plant this rod in this place, and
it shall be a sign to your generations, and it shall become a
tree, great and lofty and flourishing, and its fruit beautiful to
the view and good to the sight; and the fragrance of perfumes,
shall come forth from it, and there shall be a vine twining
round it, full of clusters ; and from the top of it honey com-
ing down, and every flying creature shall find covert in its
branches ; and a fountain of water shall come forth from the
root of it, having swimming and creeping things, giving drink
to all the country round about.
And having said this, and called upon the name of the Lord
Jesus, he fixed his rod in the ground, and straightway it sprung
up to one cubit; and the sight was strange and wonderful.
For the rod having straightway shot up, increased in size, and
grew into a great tree, as Matthew had said. And the apostle
said : Go into the fountain and wash your bodies in it, and
then thus partake both of the fruits of the tree, and of the vine
and the honey, and drink of the fountain, and you shall be
transformed in your likeness to that of men ; and after that,
having gone into the church, you will clearly recognise that
you have believed in the living and true God. And having
done all these things, they saw themselves changed into the
likeness of Matthew ; then, having thus gone into the church,
they worshipped and glorified God. And when they had been
changed, they knew that they were naked ; and they ran in
haste each to his own house to cover their nakedness, because
they were ashamed.
And Matthew and Plato remained in the church spending
the night, and glorifying God. And there remained also the
king's wife, and his son and his wife, and they prayed the
apostle to give them the seal in Christ. And jMatthevv gave
orders to Plato ; and he, having gone forth, baptized them in
the water of the fountain of the tree, in the name of the Father,
ST. 3IATTIIEW THE APOSTLE. 377
and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And so thereafter, having
gone into the church, they communicated in the holy myste-
ries of Christ;^ and they exulted and passed the night, they
also, along with the apostle, many others having also come with
them ; and all in the church sang the whole night, glorifying
God.
And when the dawn had fully come, the blessed Matthew,
having gone along with the bishop Plato, stood in the place in
which the rod had been planted, and he sees the rod grown
into a great tree, and near it a vine twined round it, and honey
coming down from above even to its root ; and that tree was
at once beavitiful and flourishing, like the plants in paradise,
and a river proceeded from its root watering ^ all the land of
the city of Myrna.^ And all ran together, and ate of the fruit
of the tree and the vine, just as any one wished.
And when what had come to pass was reported in the
palace, the king Fulvanus, having learned what had been done
by Matthew about his wife, and his son, and his daughter-in-
law, rejoiced for a time at their purification; but seeing that
they were inseparable from Matthew, he was seized with rage
and anger, and endeavoured to put him to death by fire. And
on that night ^ in which the king intended to lay hands on
Matthew, Matthew saw Jesus saying to him : I am with thee
always to save thee, Matthew ; be strong, and be a man.
And the blessed Matthew, having awoke, and sealed himself
over all the body, rose up at dawn, and proceeded into the
church ; and having bent his knees, prayed earnestly. Then
the bishop having come, and the clergy, they stood in common
in prayer, glorifying God. And after they had ended the
prayer, the bishop Plato said : Peace to thee, Matthew, apostle
of Christ ! And the blessed Matthew said to him : Peace to
you ! And when they had sat down, the apostle said to the
bishop Plato, and to all the clergy : I wish you, children, to
know, Jesus having declared it to me, that the king of this city
is going to send soldiers against me, the devil having entered
^ The other MS. has : having communicated in the Eucharist.
' Or, giving drink to.
3 The otlier MS. has Smyrna. Nicephorus calls it Myrmeue.
« Cf. Acts xviii. 9, xxiii. 11.
378 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
into him, and manifestly armed liim against us. But let us
give ourselves up to Jesus, and He will deliver us from every
trial, and all who have believed in Him.
And the king, plotting against the blessed Matthew how he
should lay hands on him, and seeing also that the believers
were very many, was very much at fault, and was in great
difficulty.
Therefore the wicked and unclean devil who had come forth
from the king's wife, and his son, and his daughter-in-law, put
to flight by Matthew, having transformed himself into the
likeness of a soldier, stood before the king, and said to him :
0 Idng, why art thou thus put to the worse by this stranger
and sorcerer ? Knowest thou not that he was a publican, but
now he has been called an apostle ^ by Jesus, who was crucified
by the Jews ? For, behold, thy wife, and thy sou, and thy
daughter-in-law, instructed by him, have believed in him, and
along with him sing in the church. And now, behold, Matthew
is going forth, and Plato with him, and they are going to
the gate called Heavy; but make haste, and thou wilt find
them, and thou shalt do to him all that may be pleasing in
thine eyes.
The king having heard this, and being the more exasperated
by the pretended soldier, sent against the blessed Matthew four
soldiers, having threatened them, and said : Unless you bring
Matthew to me, I shall burn you alive with fire ; and the
punishment which he is to undergo, you shall endure. And
the soldiers, having been thus threatened by the king, go in
arms to where the Apostle Matthew and the bishop Plato are.
And when they came near them, they heard their speaking
indeed, but saw no one. And having come, they said to the
king : We pray thee, 0 king, we went and found no one, but
only heard the voices of persons talking. And the king, being
enraged, and having blazed up like fire, gave orders to send
other ten soldiers — man-eaters — saying to them : Go stealthily
to the place, and tear them in pieces alive, and eat up INIatthew,
and Plato, who is with him. And when they were about to
come near the blessed Matthew, the Lord Jesus Christ, having
come in the likeness of a most beautiful boy, holding a torch
^ Or, as an apostle.
ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. 379
of fire, ran to meet them, burning ont their eyes. And they,
having cried out and thrown their arms from them, fled, and
came to the king, being speechless.
And the demon who had before appeared to the king in the
form of a soldier, being again transformed into the form of a
soldier, stood before the king, and said to him : Thou seest,
0 king, this stranger has bewitched them all. Learn, then, how
thou shalt take him. The king says to him : Tell me first
wherein his strength is, that I may know, and then I will draw
up against him with a great force. And the demon, compelled
by an angel, says to the king : Since thou wishest to hear
accurately about him, 0 king, I will tell thee all the truth.
Eeally, unless he shall be willing to be taken by thee of his
own accord, thou labourest in vain, and thou wilt not be able
to hurt him ; but if thou wishest to lay hands on him, thou wilt
be struck by him with blindness, and thou wilt be j)aralyzed.
And if thou send a multitude of soldiers against him, they also
will be struck with blindness, and will be paralyzed. And we
shall go, even seven unclean demons, and immediately make
away with thee and thy whole camp, and destroy all the city
with lightning, except those naming that awful and holy name
of Christ ; for wherever a footstep of theirs has come, thence,
pursued, we flee. And even if thou shalt apply fire to him, to
him the fire will be dew ; and if thou shalt shut him up in
a furnace, to him the furnace will be a church ; and if thou
shalt put him in chains in prison, and seal up the doors,
the doors will open to him of their own accord, and all who
believe in that name will go in, even they, and say. This prison
is a church of the living God, and a holy habitation of those
that live alone.^ Behold, 0 king, I have told thee all the truth.
The king therefore says to the pretended soldier: Since I do
not know Matthew, come with me, and point him out to me
from a distance, and take from me gold, as much as thou mayst
wish, or go thyself, and with thy sword kill him, and Plato his
associate.^ The demon says to him : I cannot kill him. I dare
not even look into his face, seeing that he has destroyed all our
generation through the name of Christ, proclaimed through
him.
1 i.e. monks. ^ Lit., of the same form with him.
380 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
The king says to him : And who art thou ? And he says :
I am the demon who dwelt in thy wife, and in thy son, and in
thy daughter-in-law ; and my name is Asmodfeus ; and this
Matthew drove me out of them. And now, behold, thy wife,
and thy son, and thy daughter-in-law sing along mth him in
the church. And I know, 0 king, that thou also after this
wilt beKeve in him. The king says to him: Whoever thou
art, spirit of many shapes, I adjure thee by the God whom he
whom thou callest Matthew proclaims, depart hence without
doing hurt to any one. And straightway the demon, no longer
like a soldier, but like smoke, became invisible ; and as he fled
he cried out : 0 secret name, armed against us, I pray thee,
Matthew, servant of the holy God, pardon me, and I will no
longer remain in this city. Keep thou thine own ; but I go
away into the fire everlasting.
Then the king, affected with great fear at the answer of the
demon, remained quiet that day. And the night having come,
and he not being able to sleep because he was hungry,^ leaped
up at dawn, and went into the church, with only two soldiers
without arms, to take jNIatthew by craft, that he might kill
him. And having summoned two friends of Matthew, he said
to them : Show to Matthew, says he, that I wish to be his dis-
ciple. And Matthew hearing, and knowing the craft of the
tyrant, and having been warned also by the vision of the Lord
to him, went forth out of the church, led by the hand by Plato,
and stood in the gate of the church.
And they say to the king : Behold Matthew in the gate !
And he says : Who he is, or where he is, I see not. And they
said to him : Behold, he is in sight of thee. And he says : All the
while I see nobody. For he had been blinded by the power of
God. And he began to cry out : Woe to nie, miserable ! what
evil has come upon me, for my eyes have been blinded, and all
my limbs paralyzed ? 0 Asmodeeus Beelzebul Satan ! all that
thou hast said to me has come upon me. But I pray thee,
Matthew, servant of God, forgive me as the herald of the good
God ; for assuredly the Jesus proclaimed by thee three days
ago through the night appeared to me altogether resplendent
1 Thu otlier Ms. has : For lie ueitlier ate nor drank, in his concern about these
things.
ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. 381
as with liglitning, like a beautiful young man, and said to me,
Since thou art entertaining evil counsels in the wickedness of
thine heart in regard to my servant Matthew, know I have dis-
closed to him that through thee will be the release of his body.
And straightway I saw him going up into heaven. If there-
fore he is thy God, and a true God, and if he wishes thy body
to be buried in our city for a testimony of the salvation of the
generations after this, and for the banishing ^ of the demons, I
shall know the truth for myself by this, by thee laying on
hands upon me, and I shall receive my sight. And the apostle
having laid his hands npon his eyes, and saying Uplijohatha,
Jesus,^ he made him receive his sight instantly.
And straightway the king, laying hold of the apostle, and
leading him by the right hand, brought him by craft into the
palace ; and Plato was on Matthew's left hand, going along with
him, and keeping hold of him.^ Then Matthew says : 0 crafty
tyrant, how long dost thou not fulfil the works of thy father
the devil ? And he was enraged at what had been said ; for
he perceived that he would inflict upon him a more bitter
death. For he resolved to put him to death by fire. And he
commanded several executioners to come, and to lead him away
to the place by the sea-shore, where the execution of malefac-
tors was wont to take place, saying to the executioners : I hear,
says he, that the God whom he proclaims delivers from fire
those who believe in him. Having laid him, therefore, on the
ground on his back, and stretched him out, pierce his liands
and feet with iron nails, and cover him over with paper, having
smeared it with dolphins' oil, and cover him up with brimstone
and asphalt and pitch, and (put) tow and brushwood above.
Thus apply the fire to him ; and if any of the same tribe with
him rise up against you, he shall get the same punishment.
And the apostle exhorted the brethren to remain undismayed,
and that they should rejoice, and accompany him with great
meekness, singing and praising God, because they were deemed
^ The word thus translated is used by the LXX. in the sense of an asyhiiii, or
place of refuge.
■^ Cf. Mark vii. 34. The addition of Jesus here shows that the writer did not
know the meaning of the Aramaic word.
^ Or, holding him back.
382 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
wortliy to have the relics of the apostle. Having therefore
come to the place, the executioners, like most evil wild beasts,
pinned down to the ground Matthew's hands and feet with long
nails ; and having done everything as they had been bid, ap-
plied the fire. And they indeed laboured ^ closely, kindling it
all round ; but all the fire was changed into dew, so that the
brethren, rejoicing, cried out : The only God is the Christians',
who assists Matthew, in whom also we have believed : the only
God is the Christians', who preserves His own apostle in the
fire. And by the voice the city was shaken. And some of
the executioners, having gone forth, said to the king : We in-
deed, 0 king, by every contrivance of vengeance, have kindled
the fire ; but the sorcerer by a certain name puts it out, calling
upon Christ, and invoking his cross : and the Christians sur-
rounding him play with the fire, and walking (in it) with naked
feet, laugh at us,^ and we have fled ashamed.
Then he ordered a multitude to carry coals of fire from the
furnace of the bath in the palace, and the twelve gods of gold
and silver ; and place them, says he, in a circle round the sor-
cerer, lest he may even somehow bewitch, the fire from the
furnace of the palace. And there being many executioners
and soldiers, some carried the coals; and others, bearing the
gods, brought them. And the king accompanied them, watch-
ing lest any of the Christians should steal one of his gods, or
bewitch the fire. And when they came near the place where
the apostle was nailed down, his face was looking towards
heaven, and all his body was covered over with the paper, and
much brushwood over his body to the height of ten cubits.
And having ordered the soldiers to set the gods in a circle
round Matthew, five cubits off, securely fastened that they
might not fall, again he ordered the coal to be thrown on, and
to kindle the fire at all points.
And Matthew, having looked up to heaven, cried out,
Aclonai eloi sahaoth marmari marmunth ; that is, 0 God the
Father, 0 Lord Jesus Christ, deliver me, and burn down their
gods which they worship ; and let the fire also pursue the king
even to his palace, but not to his destruction : for perhaps he
^ I should be disposed to read 'ix.aiov, set fire to, fur ixa^vai', laboured.
2 The other MS. has : at our gods.
ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. 383
will repent and be converted. And when he saw the fire to
be monstrous in height, the king, thinking that Matthew was
burnt up, laughed aloud, and said : Has thy magic been of any
avail to thee, Matthew ? Can tliy Jesus now give thee any
help ?
And as he said this a dreadful wonder appeared ; for all the
fire along with the wood went away from Matthew, and was
poured round about their gods, so that nothing of the gold or
the silver was any more seen; and the king fled, and said: Woe's
me, that my gods are destroyed by the rebuke of Matthew, of
which the weight was a tliousand talents of gold and a thou-
sand talents of silver. Better are the gods of stone and of
earthenware, in that they are neither melted nor stolen.^
• And when the fire had thus utterly destroyed their gods,
and burnt up many soldiers, there came to pass again another
stranger wonder. Tor the fire, in the likeness of a great and
dreadful dragon, chased the tyrant as far as the palace, and ran
hither and thither round the king, not letting him go into the
palace. And the king, chased by the fire, and not allowed to
go into his palace, turned back to where Matthew was, and cried
out, saying : I beseech thee, whoever thou art, 0 man, whether
magician or sorcerer or god, or angel of God, whom so great a
pyre has not touched, remove from me this dreadful and fiery
dragon ; forget the evil I have done, as also when thou madest
me receive my sight. And Matthew, having rebuked the fire,
and the flames having been extinguished, and the dragon having
become invisible, stretching his eyes to heaven, and praying in
Hebrew, and commending his spirit to the Lord, said : Peace
to you ! And having glorified the Lord, he went to his rest
about the sixth hour.
Then the king, having ordered more soldiers to come, and the
bed to be brought from the palace, which had a great show of
gold, he ordered the apostle to be laid on it, and carried to the
palace. And the body of the apostle was lying as if in sleep,
and his robe and his tunic unstained by the fire ; and sometimes
they saw him on the bed, and sometimes following, and some-
times going before the bed, and with his right hand put upon
^ The other MS. adds : How my forefathers toiled, and with great trouble
made the gods ; and now, behold, they have been destroj'ed by one magician.
384 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
Plato's head, and singing along with the multitude, so that
both the king and the soldiers, with the crowd, were struck
with astonishment. And many diseased persons and demoniacs,
having only touched the bed, were made sound ; and as many
as were savage in appearance, in that same hour were changed
into the likeness of other men.
And as the bed was going into the palace, we^ all saw
Matthew rising up, as it were, from the bed, and going into
heaven, led by the hand by a beautiful boy ; and twelve men
in shining garments came to meet him, having never-fading
and golden crowns on their head ; and we saw how that child
crowned Matthew, so as to be like them, and in a flash of
lightning they went away to heaven.
And the king stood at the gate of the palace, and ordered
that no one should come in but the soldiers carrying the bed.
And having shut the doors,^ he ordered an iron coflin to be
made, put the body of Matthew into it, and sealed it up with
lead ; through the eastern gate of the palace at midnight put
it into a boat, no one knowing of it, and threw it into the deep
part of the sea.
And through the whole night the brethren remained before
the gate of the palace, spending the night, and singing ; and
when the dawn rose there was a voice : O bishop Plato, carry
the Gospel and the Psalter of David ; go along with the multi-
tude of the brethren to the east of the palace, and sing the
Alleluia, and read the Gospel, and bring as an offering the holy
bread ; and having pressed three clusters from the vine into a
cup, communicate with me, as the Lord Jesus showed us how
to offer up when He rose from the dead on the third day.
And the bishop having run into the church, and taken the
Gospel and the Psalter of David, and having assembled the
presbyters and the multitude of the brethren, came to the
east of the palace at the hour of sunrise ; and having ordered
the one who was singing to go up upon a certain lofty stone,
^ The change of person is noticeable.
2 In the other MS. the king praj's : And now, since there is still in me a little
unbelief, I beseech thee that thou wilt bring the body of Matthew from the sea.
For, behold, I will order the body to be thrown into the depths of the sea ; and if
thou deliver it as thou didst deliver it in the funeral pile, I will forsake all my
gods at once, and believe in thee alone.
ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. 385
he began to praise in singing of a song to God : Precious in the
sight of God is the death of His saints.^ And again : I laid
me down and slept ; I arose : because the Lord will sustain
me.^ And they listened to the singing of a song of David:
Shall he that is dead not rise again ? Now I shall raise
him up for myself, saith the Lord. And all shouted out the
Alleluia. And the bishop read the Gospel, and all cried out :
Glory to Thee, Thou who hast been glorified in heaven and
on earth. And so then they offered the gift of the holy offer-
ing for Matthew; and having partaken for thanksgiving* of
the undefiled and life-giving mysteries of Christ, they all
glorified God.
And it was about the sixth hour, and Plato sees the sea
opposite about seven furlongs off; and, behold, Matthew was
standing on the sea, and two men, one on each side, in shining
garments, and the beautiful boy in front of them. And all the
brethren saw these things, and they heard them saying Amen,
Alleluia. And one could see the sea fixed like a stone of
crystal, and the beautiful boy in front of them, when out of
the depth of the sea a cross came up, and at the end of the
cross the coffin going up in which was the body of Matthew ;
and in the hour of the piercing on the cross,* the boy placed
the coffin on the ground, behind the palace towards the east,
where the bishop had offered the offering for Matthew.
And the king having seen these things from the upper part
of the house, and being terror-struck, went forth from the
palace, and ran and worshipped towards the east at the coffin,
and fell down before the bishop, and the presbyters, and the
deacons, in repentance and confession, saying:* Truly I believe
in the true God, Christ Jesus. I entreat, give me the seal in
Christ, and I will give you my palace, in testimony of Matthew,
1 Ps. cxvi. 15. 2 Ps. iii. 5 according to the LXX.
3 Or, of tlie Eucharist.
^ The meaning is not clear. The other MS. has : After one hour he sees in
that place an image of a cross coming up from the deptli of the sea.
^ The other Ms. is much fuller here : And the cry of the multitude came to
the king. And he asked: What is the uproar and shouting among the people ?
And he learned that Matthew's cofSn had come of itself. Then, filled with
great joy, the king straightway goes to the coffin, crying out, and saying with
a loud voice : The God of Matthew is the only God, and there is none other but
2 B
386 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF
and you shall j^ut the coffin upon my golden bed, in the great
dining-room ; only, having baptized me in it, communicate to
me the Eucharist of Christ. And the bishop having prayed,
and ordered him to take off his clothes, and having examined
him for a long time, and he having confessed and wept over
what he had done, having sealed him, and anointed him with
oil, put him down into the sea, in the name of Father, and Son,
and Holy Ghost. And when he came up from the water he
ordered him to put on himself splendid garments, and so then
having given praise and thanks, communicating the holy bread
and mixed cup, the bishop first gave them to the king, saying :
Let this body of Christ, and this cup, His blood shed for us, be
to thee for the remission of sins unto life. And a voice was
heard from on high : Amen, amen, amen. And when he had
thus communicated in fear and joy, the apostle appeared and
said : King Fulvanus, thy name shall no longer be Fulvanus ;
but thou shalt be called Matthew. And thou, the son of the
king, shalt no longer be called Fulvanus, but Matthew also ;
and thou Ziphagia, the wife of the king, shalt be called Sophia;^
and Erva, the wife of your son, shall be called Synesis.^ And
these names of yours shall be written in the heavens, and there
shall not fail of your loins from generation to generation. And
in that same hour Matthew appointed the king a presbyter,
and he was thirty-seven years old ; and the king's son he
appointed deacon, being seventeen years old; and the king's
wife he appointed a presbyteress ; and his son's wife he ap-
pointed a deaconess,^ and she also was seventeen years old.
And then he thus blessed them, saying : The blessing and the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be with you to time ever-
lasting.
Then the king, having awakened out of sleep, and rejoiced
Him. And he fell on his face near the coffin, saying : Pardon me, Lord Jesus
Christ, for what I have done against this holy man, for I was in ignorance.
And the bishop, seeing the repentance and tears of the king, gave him a hand,
and raised him from the ground, and said to him : Rise up, and be of good
courage ; for the Lord God hath accepted thy repentance and conversion through
the good offices of His servant and apostle Thomas. And the king rose up from
the ground, and lell at the bishop's feet, etc. — as in the text.
^ "Wisdom. 2 Understanding.
3 The other MS. has : And likewise his wife and his dauditer-iu-law deaconesses.
ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE. 387
■with all bis house at the vision of the holy Apostle Matthew,
praised God.
And the king, having gone into his palace, broke all the idols
to pieces, and gave a decree to those in his kingdom, writing
thus : King Matthew, to all those under my kingdom, greeting.
Christ having appeared upon earth, and having saved the human
race, the so-called gods have been found to be deceivers, and
soul-destroyers, and plotters against the human race. Whence,
divine grace having shone abroad, and come even to us, and
we having come to the knowledge of the deception of the idols,
that it is vain and false, it has seemed good to our divinity
that there should not be many gods, but one, and one only, the
God in the heavens. And you, having received this our decree,
keep to the purport of it, and break to pieces and destroy every
idol; and if any one shall be detected from this time forth
serving idols, or concealing them, let such an one be subjected
to punishment by the sword. Farewell all, because we also
are well.
And when this order was given out, all, rejoicing and exult-
ing, broke their idols to pieces, crying out and saying : There
is one only God, He who is in the heavens, who does good to
men.
And after all these things had come to pass, Matthew the
apostle of Christ appeared to the bishop Plato, and said to
him : Plato, servant of God, and our brother, be it known unto
thee, that after three years shall be thy rest in the Lord, and
exultation to ages of ages. And the king himself, whom after
my own name I have called Matthew, shall receive the throne
of thy bishopric, and after him his son. And he, having said
Peace to thee and all the saints, went to heaven.
And after three years the bishop Plato rested in the Lord.
And King Matthew succeeded him, having given up his king-
dom willingly to another, whence there was given him grace
against unclean demons, and he cured every afiliction. And
he advanced his son to be a presbyter, and made him second
to himself.
And Saint Matthew finished his course in the country of
the man-eaters, in the city of Myrna, on the sixteenth of the
month of November, our Lord Jesus Christ reigning, to whom
388 ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF MATTHEW.
be glory and strength, now and ever, and to ages of ages.
Amen.^
1 The other MS. ends differently : And there came a voice, Peace to yon, and
joy, for there shall not be war nor stroke of sword in this city, because of
Matthew, mine elect, whom I have loved for ever. Blessed are they who observe
his memory, for they shall be glorified to ages of ages.
And the day of his commemoration shall be the fourteenth of the month of
Gorpiffius.^ Glory, honour, and worship to God, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages.
^ Gorpiffius was the eleventh month of the Macedonian year, and fell partly in
August and partly in September.
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THOMAS.
JT that time we the apostles were all in Jerusalem —
^"^^1 Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother ; James
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother ; Philip
and Bartholomew ; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-
gatherer ; James of Alphseus and Simon the Canansean ; and
Judas of James ; ^ — and we portioned out the regions of the
world, in order that each one of us might go into the region
that fell to him, and to the nation to which the Lord sent him.
By lot, then, India fell to Judas Thomas,* also called Didymus.
And he did not wish to go, saying that he was not able to go
on account of the weakness of the flesh ; and how can I, being
an Hebrew man, go among the Indians to proclaim the truth ?
And while he was thus reasoning and speaking, the Saviour
appeared to him through the night, and said to him : Fear not,
Thomas ; go away to India, and proclaim the word ; for my
grace shall be with thee. But he did not obey, saying : "Wher-
ever Thou wishest to send me, send me elsewhere ; for to the
Indians I am not going.
And as he was thus speaking and growing angry, there
happened to be there a certain merchant come from India, by
name Abbanes, sent from the king Gundaphoros, and having
received an order from him to buy a carpenter and bring him
to him. And the Lord, having seen him walking about in the
market at noon, said to him: Dost thou wish to buy a car-
penter? And he said to Him: Yes. And the Lord said to him:
I have a slave a carpenter, and I wish to sell him. And having
1 This list is a transcript of Matt. x. 2-4, except in the last name.
2 This double name is in accordance with a tradition preserved by Eusebius
{H. E. i. 13), that the true name of Thomas was Judas.
3fea
390 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
said this, He showed him Thomas at a distance, and agreed
with him for three pounds of uncoined silver ; and He wrote a
bill of sale, saying : I Jesus, the son of Joseph the carpenter,
declare that I have sold my slave, Judas by name, to thee
Abbanes, a merchant of Gundaphoros, the king of the Indians.
And the purchase ^ being completed, the Saviour taking Judas,
who also is Thomas, led him to Abbanes the merchant ; and
Abbanes seeing him, said to him : Is this thy master ? And
the apostle answered and said : Yes, He is my Lord. And he
says : I have bought thee from him. And the apostle held his
peace.
And at dawn of the following day, the apostle having prayed
and entreated the Lord, said : I go wherever Thou wishest, O
Lord Jesus ; Thy will be done. And he went to Abbanes the
merchant, carrying nothing at all with him, but only his price.
For the Lord had given it to him, saying : Let thy worth also
be with thee along with my grace, wherever thou mayst go.
And the apostle came up with Abbanes, who was carrying his
effects into the boat. He began therefore also to carry them
along with him. And when they had gone on board and sat
down, Abbanes questioned the apostle, saying : What kind of
work dost thou know ? And he said : In wood, ploughs, and
yokes, and balances,^ and boats, and boats' oars, and masts, and
blocks ; in stone, slabs,^ and temples, and royal palaces. And
Abbanes the merchant said to him : Of such a workman, to be
sure, we have need. They began, therefore, to sail away. And
they had a fair wind, and they sailed fast until they came to
Andrapolis, a royal city.
And having gone out of the boat, they went into the city.
And, behold, the voices of flute-players, and of water-organs,
and trumpets, sounding round them ; and the apostle inquired,
saying : What festival is this in this city ? And those who
were there said to him : The gods have brought thee also, that
thou mayst be feasted in this city. For the king has an only-
begotten daughter, and he is now giving her to a husband in
marriage: this festival, then, which thou seest to-day, is the
rejoicing and public assembly for the marriage. And the king
has sent forth heralds to proclaim everywhere that all are to
^ Or, bill of sale. * Or, scales. * i.e. monuments.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS 301
come to the marriage, rich and poor, bond and free, strangers
and citizens. And if any one shall refuse and not come to the
marriage, he will be answerable to the king.^ And Abbanes
having heard, said to the apostle : Let us also go, then, that we
may not offend the king, and especially as we are strangers.
And he said : Let us go. And having turned into the inn, and
rested a little, they went to the marriage. And the apostle
.seeing them all reclining, reclined he also in the midst. And
they all looked at him as a stranger, and coming from a foreign
land. And Abbanes the merchant, as being a lord, reclined in
another place.
And when they had dined and drunk, the apostle tasted
nothing. Those, then, about him said to him : Why hast thou
come hither, neither eating nor drinking ? And he answered
and said to them : Tor something greater than food or even
drink have I came hither, even that I might accomplish the
will of the King. For the heralds proclaim the wishes of the
King, and whoever will not hear the heralds will be liable to
the judgment of the King. When, therefore, they had dined
and drunk, and crowns and perfumes had been brought, each
took perfume, and one anointed his face, another his cheek,^
and one one part of his body, and another another. And the
apostle anointed the crown of his head, and put a little of the
ointment in his nostrils, and dropped it also into his ears, and
applied it also to his teeth, and carefully anointed the parts
round about his heart ; and having taken the crown that was
brought to him wreathed of myrtle and other flowers, he put
it on his head, and took a branch of reed in his hand, and
held it.
And the flute-girl, holding the flutes in her hand, went round
them all ; and when she came to the place where the apostle
■w^as, she stood over him, playing the flute over his head a long
time. And that flute-girl was Hebrew by race.
And as the apostle looked away to the ground, a certain one
of the wine-pourers^ stretched forth his hand and struck him.
And the apostle, having raised his eyes, and regarded him who
had struck him, said : My God will forgive thee this wrong in
the world to come, but in this world He will show His wonders,
1 Cf. ]\Iatt. x.\ii. 3-14. * Or, chiu. ^ Qr, cup-bearers.
S92 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
and I shall soon see that hand that struck me dragged along
by a dog. And having thus spoken, he began to sing and to
repeat this song : —
Maiden, daughter of the light, in whom there exists and
abides the majestic splendour of kings ; and delightsome is the
sight of her, resplendent with brilliant beauty. Her garments
are like spring flowers, and the odour of a sweet smell is given
forth from them ; and on the crown of her head the king is
seated, feeding with his own ambrosia those who are seated
beside him; and truth rests upon her head, and she shows
forth joy with her feet; and becomingly does she open her
mouth ; thirty-and-two are they who sing her praises, and their
tongue is like a curtain of the door which is drawn for them
who go in ; and her neck is made in the likeness of the stairs
which the first Creator created ; and her two hands signify and
represent the choral dance of the blessed ages, proclaiming it ;
and her fingers represent the gates of the city. Her chamber
lighted up breathes forth scent from balsam and every perfume,
and gives forth a sweet odour of myrrh and savoury herbs ; and
within are strewn myrtles and sweet-smelling flowers of all
kinds; and the bridal chambers are adorned with calamus.^
And her groomsmen, of whom the number is seven, whom she
has chosen for herself, surround her like a wall ; and her brides-
maids are seven, who dance before her ; and twelve are they in
number who minister before her and are at her bidding, having
their gaze and their sight upon the bridegroom, that through
the sight of him they may be enlightened. And they shall be
with him to everlasting in that everlasting joy, and they shall
sit down in that wedding to which the great ones are gathered
together, and they shall abide in the festivities of which the
eternals are deemed worthy ; and they shall be arrayed in royal
raiment, and shall put on shining robes ; and in joy and exul-
tation both of them shall be, and they shall glorify the Father
of the universe, whose majestic light they have received, and
they have been enlightened by the sight of Him their Lord,
whose ambrosial food they have received, of which there is no
failing at all; and they have drunk also of the wine which
brings to them no thirst, neither desire of the flesh ; and they
1 Ex. XXX. 23 : Caut. iv. 14 : Ezek. xxvii. 19.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 393
have with the living spirit glorified and praised the father of
truth and the mother of wisdom.
And when he had sung and finished this song, all who were
there present looked upon him and kept silence, and they also
saw his form changed ; and what had been said by him they
did not understand, since he was a Hebrew, and what had been
said by him had been said in Hebrew. But the flute-girl alone
heard all, for she was Hebrew by race, and standing off from
him she played the flute to the others ; but at him she mostly
turned her eyes and looked, for she altogether loved him as a
man of the same nation with herself, and he was also beautiful
in appearance above all who were there. And when the flute-
girl had come to the end of all her flute-playing, she sat down
opposite him, and looked and gazed upon him. But he looked
at no one at all, neither did he regard any one, but only kept
his eyes on the ground, waiting until he should depart thence.
And that wine-pourer that struck him came down to the foun-
tain to draw water ; and there happened to be a lion there, and
it came forth and killed him, and left him lying in the place,
after tearing up his limbs ; and dogs immediately seized his
limbs, among which also one black dog, laying hold of his right
hand in his mouth, brought it to the place of the banquet.
And all seeing were terror-struck, inquiring which of them
had been taken off. And when it was clear that it was the
hand of the wine-pourer who had struck the apostle, the flute-
girl broke her flutes in pieces, and threw them away, and went
and sat down at the feet of the apostle, saying : This man is
either God or God's apostle ; for I heard him saying in Hebrew
to the wine-pourer, I shall soon see the hand that struck me
dragged about by dogs, which also you have now seen ; for as
he said, so also it has come to pass. And some believed her,
and some not. And the king, having heard, came up and said
to him : Pdse up, and go with me, and pray for my daughter ;
for she is my only child, and to-day I give her away. And the
apostle would not go with him; for his Lord had not at all
been revealed to him there. And the king took him away
against his will to the bridal-chamber, that he might pray for
them.
And the apostle stood, and began to pray and speak thus :
394 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
My Lord and my God, who accompanies His servants on their
way, guiding and directing those who trust in Him, the refuge
and the repose of the afflicted, the hope of the mourners, and
the deliverer of the captives, the physician of the souls that are
lying under disease, and Saviour of every creature, who gives
life to the world, and invigorates our souls ! Thou knowest
what will come to pass, who also for our sakes makest these
things perfect; Thou, Lord, who revealest hidden mysteries,
and declarest unspeakable words; Thou, Lord, the planter of
the good tree, also through the tree makest works to spring
up ; Thou, Lord, who art in all, and camest through all, and
existest in all Thy works, and makest Thyself manliest through
the working of them all ; Jesus Christ, the Son of compassion,
and perfect Saviour; Christ, Son of the living God, the un-
daunted Power which has overthrown the enemy; and the
voice heard by the rulers,^ which shook all their powers ; the
ambassador who was sent to them from on high, and who
wentest down even to Hades ; who also, having opened the
doors, didst bring out thence those that had been shut in for
many ages by the controller of the world, and didst show them
the way up that leads up on high : I beseech Thee, Lord Jesus
Christ, I offer Thee supplication for these young persons, that
Thou mayst make what happens and befalls them to be for
their good. And having laid his hands on them, and said.
The Lord will be with you, he left them in the place, and went
away.^
And the king requested the groomsmen to go out of the
bridal-chamber ; and all having gone forth, and the doors hav-
ing been shut, the bridegroom raised the curtain of the bridal-
chamber, that he might bring the bride to himself. And he
saw the Lord Jesus talking with the bride, and having the
appearance of Judas Thomas, who shortly before had blessed
them, and gone out from them ; and he says to him : Didst
thou not go out before them all ? And how art thou found
here ? And the Lord said to him : I am not Judas, who also
is Thomas ; I am his brother. And the Lord sat down on the
^ Cf. Ps. xxiv. 7 according to the LXX.
^ Three of the five Mss. either omit the prayer altogether, or give it very
briefly.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 395
bed, and ordered them also to sit down on the seats ;^ and He
began to say to them :
Keep in mind, my children, what my brother said to you,
and to whom he commended you ; and this know, that if you
refrain from this filthy intercourse, you become temples holy
(and) pure, being released from afflictions and troubles, known
and unknown, and you will not be involved in the cares of life,
and of children, whose end is destruction ; but if you get many
children, for their sakes you become grasping and avaricious,
plundering orphans, coveting the property of widows, and by
doing this you subject yourselves to most grievous punish-
ments. Tor many children become unprofitable, being harassed
by demons, some openly and others secretly : for they become
either lunatics, or half-withered, or lame, or deaf, or dumb, or
paralytics, or idiots ; and even if they be in good health, they
will be again good-for-nothing, doing unprofitable and abomin-
able works : for they will be detected either in adultery, or in
murder, or in theft, or in fornication, and by all these you wiU
be afilicted. But if you will be persuaded, and preserve your
souls pure to God, there will be born to you living children,
whom these hurtful things do not touch ; and you will be with-
out care, spending an untroubled life, free from grief and care,
looking forward to receive that marriage incorruptible and true ;
and you will be in it companions of the bridegroom, going in
along with Him into that bridal- chamber full of immortality
and light.^
And when the young people heard this, they believed the
Lord, and gave themselves over into His keeping, and refrained
from filthy lust, and remained thus spending the night in the
place. And the Lord went out from before them, having spoken
thus to them : The grace of the Lord shall be with you. And
the dawn having come on, the king arrived, and having sup-
plied the table, brought it in before the bridegroom and the
bride ; and he found them sitting opposite each other, and he
found the face of the bride uncovered, and the bridegroom was
quite cheerful. And the mother having come to the bride,
said : Wherefore dost thou sit thus, child, and art not ashamed,
1 Or, couclies.
* The text of this exhortation also varies much in the four MSS. which give it.
396 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
but thus as if thou hadst for a long time lived with thine own
husband ? And her father said : Is it because of thy great love
to thy husband that thou art uncovered ?
And the bride answered and said: Truly, father, I am in
great love, and I pray to my Lord to continue to me the love
which I have experienced this night, and I shall beg for myseK
this husband whom I have experienced to-day. For this reason,
then, I am no longer covered, since the mirror ^ of shame has
been taken away from me, and I am no longer ashamed nor
abashed, since the work of shame and bashfulness has been
removed far from me ; and because I am not under any violent
emotion, since violent emotion does not abide in me ; and be-
cause I am in cheerfulness and joy, since the day of joy has not
been disturbed ; and because I hold of no account this husband,
and these nuptials that have passed away from before mine
eyes, since I have been joined in a different marriage; and
because I have had no intercourse with a temporary husband,
whose end is with lewdness and bitterness of soul, since I have
been united to a true Husband.
And when the bride is saying yet more, the bridegroom
answers and says : I thank Thee, Lord, who hast been proclaimed
by the stranger and found by us ; ^ who hast put corruption
far from me, and hast sown life in me ; who hast delivered me
from this disease, hard to heal, and hard to cure, and abiding
for ever, and established in me sound health ; who hast shown
Thyself to me, and hast revealed to me all that concerns me,
in which I am ; who hast redeemed me from falling, and hast
led me to something better, and who hast released me from
things temporary, and hast deemed me worthy of things im-
mortal and ever existing ; who hast brought Thyself down even
to me and to my littleness, in order that, having placed me
beside Thy greatness. Thou mightest unite me to Thyself; who
hast not withheld Thine own compassion from me lost, but hast
shown me how to search myself, and to know what^ I was,
and what* and how I am now, in order that I may again become
as I was ; whom I indeed did not know, but Thou Thyself
whom I knew not hast sought me out and taken me to Thyself ;
•whom I have experienced, and am not now able to forget, whose
* Or, look. " Or, in us. ^ Or, who.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 397
love is fervent in me ; and speak indeed as I ought I cannot.
But what I have time to say about Him is short, and altogether
little, and not in proportion to His glory ; but He does not find
fault with me for not being ashamed to say to Him even what
I do not know ; because it is through the love of Him that I
say even this.
And the king, having heard these things from the bride-
groom and the bride, rent his garments, and said to those
standing near him : Go out quickly, and go round the whole
city, and seize and bring me that man, the sorcerer, who has
come for evil into this city : for I led him with my own hands
into my house, and I told him to pray for my most unfortunate
daughter ; and whoever shall find him and bring him to me,
whatever service he shaU ask of me, I give him. They went
away, therefore, and went round seeking him, and found him
not ; for he had sailed. They went, therefore, also into the inn
where he had stayed, and found there the flute-girl weeping
and in distress, because he had not taken her with him. And
they having recounted what had happened in the case of the
young people, she was altogether glad when she heard it, and
dismissed her grief, and said : Now have I found, even I, repose
here. And she arose and went to them, and was with them a
long time, until they had instructed the king also. And many
also of the brethren were gathered together there, until they
heard word of the apostle, that he had gone down to the cities
of India, and was teaching there. And they went away, and
joined him.
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THOMAS,
WHEN HE CAME INTO INDIA, AND BUILT THE PALACE IN THE
HEAVENS.
And when the apostle came into the cities of India, with
Abbanes the merchant, Abbanes went away to salute Gunda-
phoros the king, and reported to him about the carpenter
whom he had brought with him ; and the king was glad, and
ordered him to come in to himself. And when he had come
398 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
in, tlie king said to him : What trade knowest thou ? The
apostle says to him : The carpenter's and housebuilder's. The
king says to him: What work in wood knowest thou, then,
and what in stone ? The apostle says : In wood, ploughs,
yokes, balances, pulleys, and boats, and oars, and masts ; and
in stone, monuments, temples, royal palaces. And the king
said : Wilt thou build me a palace ? And he answered : Yes,
I shaU build it, and finish it ; for because of this I came, to
build houses, and to do carpenter's work.
And the king having taken him, went forth out of the gates
of the city, and began to talk with him on the way about the
building of the palace, and about the foundations, how they
should be laid, until they came to that place in which he
wished the building to be. And he said: Here I wish the
building to be. And the apostle says : Yes ; for assuredly this
place is convenient for the building. For the place was well
wooded, and there was much water there. The king therefore
says : Begin to build. And he said : I cannot begin to build
at this time.
And the king says : When wilt thou be able ? And he says :
I shall begin in Dius and end in Xanthicus.^ And the king
wondering, said : Every building is built in summer ; but canst
thou build and make a palace in winter itself? And the
apostle said : Thus it must be, and otherwise it is impossible.
And the king said : If, therefore, this be thy opinion, mark out
for me how the work is to be, since I shall come here after
some time. And the apostle, having taken a reed, measured
the place, and marked it out ; and he set the doors towards the
rising of the sun, to look to the light, and the windows towards
its setting, to the winds; and he made the bakehouse to be
towards the south, and the water-tank, for abundance, towards
the north. And the king seeing this, said to the apostle : Thou
art a craftsman indeed, and it is fitting that thou shouldst serve
kings. And having left many things for him, he went away.
^ Dius was tlie first, and. Xantliicus the sixth, of the twelve hmar months of
the Macedonian calendar, which after the time of Alexander was adopted by
the Greek cities of Asia generally. Dius fell partly in October and partly in
November; Xanthicus answered generally to April. — Smith's Diet, of Antiq.,
8.V. Mensis.
Another reading is : I shall begin iu Hyperberetieus — the twelfth month.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS 309
And from time to time he also sent the money that was
necessary, for the living both of him and the other workmen.
And he taking it, dispenses it all, going about the cities and
the places round, distributing and doing kindnesses to the poor
and the afflicted, and gave them rest,^ saying : The king knows
how to obtain royal recompense, and it is necessary for the
poor to have repose for the present.
And after this, the king sent a messenger to the apostle,
having written to him as follows : Show me what thou hast
done, or what I am to send thee, or what thou needest. The
apostle sends to him, saying : The palace is built, and only the
roof remains to be done. And the king, having heard, sent
him again gold and silver uncoined, and wrote to him: Let
the palace, if it be done, be roofed. And the apostle said to
the Lord : I thank Thee, Lord, as to all things, that Thou didst
die for a short time, that I might live in Thee for ever ; and
hast sold me, so that Thou mayst deliver many through me.
And he did not cease to teach and refresh the afflicted, saying :
These things the Lord hath dispensed to us, and He gives to
each his food ; for He is the support of the orphans, and the
provider of the widows, and to all that are afflicted He is rest
and repose.
And when the king came into the city, he inquired of his
friends about the palace which Judas, who also is Thomas, had
built; and they said to him: He has neither built a palace,
nor done anything else of what he promised to do ; but he goes
round the cities and the districts, and if he has anything he
gives all to the poor, and teaches one new God,^ and heals the
diseased, and drives out demons, and does many other extra-
ordinary things ; and we think that he is a magician. But his
acts of compassion, and the cures done by him as a free gift,
and still more, his singie-mindedness, and gentleness, and
fidelity, show that he is a just man, or an apostle of the new
God whom he preaches; for he continually fasts and prays,
and eats only bread with salt, and his drink is water, and he
carries one coat, whether in warm weather or in cold, and he
takes nothing from any one, but gives to others even what he
1 Or, remission.
2 One of the Mss. has : that there is one God, namely Jesus.
400 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
has. The king having heard this, stroked his face with his
hands, shaking his head for a long time.
And he sent for the merchant that had brought him, and for
the apostle, and said to him : Hast thou built me the palace ?
And he said : Yes, I have built it. And the king said : When,
then, are we to go and see it ? And he answered and said :
Now thou canst not see it ; but when thou hast departed this
life, thou shalt see it. And the king, quite enraged, ordered
both the merchant, and Judas who also is Thomas, to be put
in chains, and to be cast into prison, until he should examine,
and learn to whom he had given the king's property. And
thus I shall destroy him along with the merchant. And the
apostle went to prison rejoicing, and said to the merchant:
Fear nothing at all, but only believe in the God proclaimed by
me, and thou shalt be freed from this world, and thou shalt
obtain life in the world to come.
And the king considered by what death he should kill them ;
and when it seemed good to him to flay them, and burn them
with fire, on that very night Gad the king's brother fell ill,
and through the grief and imposition which the king suffered
he was grievously depressed ; and having sent for the king, he
said to him: My brother the king, I commend to thee my
house and my children; for I, on account of the insult that
has befallen thee, have been grieved, and am dying ; and if
thou do not come down with vengeance upon the head of that
magician, thou wilt give my soul no rest in Hades. And the
king said to his brother : During the whole night I have con-
sidered this, how I shall put him to death ; and this has seemed
good to mQ — to flay him and burn him up with fire, both him
and with him the merchant that brought him.
And as they were talking together, the soul of Gad his
brother departed. And the king mourned for Gad exceedingly,
for he altogether loved him. And he ordered him to be pre-
pared for burial in a royal and costly robe. And as this was
being done, angels received the soul of Gad the king's brother,
and took it up into heaven, showing him tlie places and dwell-
ings there, asking him : In what sort of a place dost thou wish
to dwell ? And when they came near the edifice of Thomas
the apostle, which he had built for the king. Gad, seeing it.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 401
said to the angels, I entreat you, my lords, permit me to dwell
in one of the underground chambers of this palace. And they
said to him : Thou canst not dwell in this building.^ And he
said : Wherefore ? They say to him : This palace is the one
which that Christian built for thy brother. And he said: I
entreat you, my lords, permit me to go to my brother, that I
may buy this palace from him ; for my brother does not know
what it is like, and he will sell it to me.
Then the angels let the soul of Gad go. And as they were
putting on him the burial robe, his soul came into him. And
he said to those standing round him : Call my brother to me,
that I may beg of him one request. Straightway, therefore,
they sent the good news to their king, saying : Thy brother
has come alive again. And the king started up, and along
with a great multitude went to his brother, and went in and
stood beside his bed as if thunderstruck, not being able to
speak to him. And his brother said: I know and am per-
suaded, brother, that if any one asked of thee the half of thy
kingdom, thou wouldst give it for my sake ; wherefore I entreat
thee to grant me one favour, which I beg of thee to do me.
And the king answered and said : And what is it that thou
askest me to do for thee ? And he said : Assure me by an
oath that thou wilt grant it me. And the king swore to him :
Of what belongs to me, whatever thou shalt ask, I will give
thee. And he says to him : Sell me that palace which thou
hast in the heavens. And the king said: Whence does a
palace in the heavens belong to me ? And he said : That
which the Christian who is now in the prison, whom the
merchant bought from a certain Jesus, and brought to thee,
built for thee. And as he was at a loss, he says to him again :
I speak of that Hebrew slave whom thou didst wish to punish,
as having suffered some imposition from him, on account of
whom I also w^as grieved and died, and now have come alive
again.
Then the king, having come to know, understood about the
^ One MS. has : But if thou buy it, thou shalt live in it. And he said to
them : Can I buy it ? And they said to him : See that thou obtain one like
this which thou seest, or better if thou wilt, that when thou coraest hither
again, thou mayst not be driven into the darkness.
20
402 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
eternal benefits that were conferred upon him and destined for
him, and said : That palace I cannot sell thee, but I pray thee
to go into it, and dwell (there), and become worthy to be of its
inhabitants ; but if thou really wishest to buy such a palace,
behold, the man is alive, and will build thee a better than that.^
And having sent immediately, he brought out of the prison the
apostle, and the merchant who had been shut up along with
him, saying : I entreat thee, as a man entreating the servant of
God, that thou wilt pray for me, and entreat him whose servant
thou art, to pardon me, and overlook what I have done to thee,
or even what I meant to do, and that I may be worthy to be
an inhabitant of that house for which indeed I have laboui'ed
nothing, but which thou labouring alone hast built for me, the
grace of thy God working with thee ; and that I may become
a servant, I also, and slave of this God whom thou proclaimest.
And his brother, falling down before the apostle, said : I entreat
thee, and supplicate before thy God, that I may become worthy
of this ministry and service, and may be allotted to become
worthy of those things which were shown me by his angels.
And the apostle, seized with joy, said : I make full confes-
sion ^ to Thee, Lord Jesus, that Thou hast revealed Thy truth in
these men : for Thou alone art a God of truth, and not another ;
and Thou art He who knowest all things that are unknown to
many : Thou art He, Lord, who in all things showest compas-
sion and mercy to men ; for men, through the error that is in
them, have overlooked Thee, but Thou hast not overlooked
them. And now, when I am entreating and supplicating Thee,
accept the king and his brother, and unite them into Thy fold,
having cleansed them by Thy purification, and anomted them
with Thy oil, from the error which encompasseth them ; and
1 One of the Mss. here ends the history in these words: — And he sent, and
■brought out Thomas, and said to him : Pardon us if we have in ignorance heen
in any way harsh to thee ; and make us to be partakers of him whom thou
preachest. And the apostle says: I too rejoice with you, that you are made
partakers of His kingdom. And he took and enlightened them, having given
them the washing of grace in the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, to
whom is due all glory and kingdom without end. And when they had gone up
straightway out of the water, the Saviour appeared to them, so that the apostle
wondered, and a great light shone brighter than the rays of the sun. And
luiving confirmed their faith, he went out, going on his way in the Lord.
* i,e. give thanks, as in Matt. xi. 25, Luke x. 21, etc.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 403
protect them also from the wolves, bringing them into Thy
meadows ; and give them to drink of Thy ambrosial fountain,
that is never muddy and never faileth : for they entreat Thee,
and supplicate, and wish to become Thy ministers and servants ;
and on account of this they are well pleased even to be perse-
cuted by Thine enemies, and for Thy sake to be hated by them,
and insulted, and to die; as Thou also for our sakes didst
suffer all these things, that Thou mightst gain us to Thyself, as
being Lord, and truly a good shepherd. And do Thou grant
them that they may have confidence in Thee alone, and aid
from Thee, and hope of their salvation, which they obtain from
Thee alone, and that they may be confirmed in Thy mysteries ;
and they shall receive the perfect benefits of Thy graces and
gifts, and flourish in Thy service, and bear fruit to perfection
in Thy Father.
King Gundaphoros, therefore, and Gad, having been alto-
gether set apart by the apostle, followed him, not at all going
back, they also providing for those that begged of them, giving
to all, and relieving all. And they entreated him that they
might also then receive the seal of baptism ; and they said to
him : As our souls are at ease, and as we are earnest about
God, give us the seal ; for we have heard thee saying that the
God whom thou proclaimest recognises through his seal his
own sheep. And the apostle said to them: And I am glad,
and entreat you to receive this seal, and to communicate with
me in this thanksgiving ^ and blessing of God, and to be made
perfect in it ; ^ for this Jesus Christ whom I proclaim is Lord
and God of all, and He is the Father of truth, in whom I have
taught you to believe. And he ordered to bring them oil, in
order that through the oil they might receive the seal. They
brought the oil, therefore, and lighted many lamps, for it was
night.^
And the apostle arose, and sealed them ; and the Lord was
revealed to them, through a voice saying, Peace to you,
brethren ! And they heard His voice only, but His form they
1 Or, Eucharist. ^ le. by it.
3 One MS. for this whole section has : The two brothers having been sel apart
by the apostle, said to him, Give us the seal in Christ. And he ordered them
to bring him oil. And ends the history thus : And he arose, and sealed them in
404 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
saw not; for they had not yet received the ratification' of the
seal. And the apostle, having taken oil, and poured it over
their head, and salved and anointed them, began to say : Come,
holy name of Christ, which is above every name ; come, power
of the Most High, and perfect compassion; come, grace most
high ; come, compassionate mother ; come, thou that hast
charge^ of the male child; come, thou who revealest secret
mysteries ; come, mother of the seven houses, that there may
be rest for thee in the eighth house ; come, thou presbyter of
the five members — intelligence, thought, purpose, reflection,
reasoning — communicate with these young persons ; come.
Holy Spirit, and purify their reins and heart, and seal them
in the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. And when
they had been sealed, there appeared to them a young man
holding a burning torch, so that their lamps were even darkened
by the approach ^ of its light. And he went out, and disap-
peared from their sight. And the apostle said to the Lord:
Thy light, Lord, is too great for us, and we cannot bear it ; for
it is too much for our sight. And when light came, and it was
dawn, having broken bread, he made them - partakers of the
thanksgiving* of Christ. And they rejoiced and exulted; and
many others also believed, and were added, and came to the
refuge of the Saviour.
And the apostle ceased not proclaiming, and saying to them :
Men and women, boys and girls, young men and maidens,
vigorous and aged, both bond and free, withhold yourselves from
fornication, and covetousness, and the service of the belly ; for
under these three heads all wickedness comes. For fornication
maims the mind, and darkens the eyes of the soul, and becomes
a hindrance of the due regulation of the body, changing the
the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, and baptized them. And the
Lord was revealed to them, through a voice saying to them, Peace unto you !
And the apostle sealed also all that were with them. And they all believed in
our Lord Jesus Christ ; and the whole of India became believing.
The last sentence in the text seems to be an interpolation. The oil was not
for the lamps, but for the ceremony of baptism. The practice of baptizing
with oil instead of water — one of the "notable and execrable" heresies of the
Manichfflans— is said to have been founded on this passage.
^ Lit. , the sealing up. ^ Lit. , the administi-ation.
3 Perhaps for !r/!oo-/5oX>; we should read f>rfop,ox7., projection or emanation.
* Or, communicants of the Eucharist.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 405
whole man into feebleness, and throwing the whole body into
disease. And insatiableness puts the soul into fear and shame,
existing by what pertains to the body,^ and forcibly seizing
what belongs to another; . . . and the service of the belly
throws the soul into cares and troubles and griefs. . . . Since,
therefore, you have been set free from these, you are without
care, and without grief, and without fear; and there remains
to you that which was said by the Saviour : Take no care for
the morrow, for the morrow will take care of itself.^ Keep in
mind also that saying before mentioned : Look updn the ravens,
and behold the fowls of the heaven, that they neither sow nor
reap, nor gather "into barns, and God takes care of them ; how
much more you, 0 ye of little faith ! ^ But look for His appear-
ing, and have your hopes in Him, and believe in His name :
for He is the Judge of living and dead, and He requites to each
one according to his deeds ; and at His coming and appearance
at last no one will have as a ground of excuse, when he comes
to be judged by Him, that he has not heard. For His heralds
are proclaiming in the four quarters of the world. Eepent,
therefore, and believe the message,* and accept the yoke of
gentleness and the light burden,^ that you may live and not die.
These things lay hold of, these things keep ; come forth from
the darkness, that the light may receive you ; come to Him
who is truly good, that from Him you may receive grace, and
place His sign upon your souls.
"When he had thus said, some of the bystanders said to him :
It is time for this debtor to receive his debt. And he said to
them: The creditor,^ indeed, always wishes to receive more;
but let us give him what is proper. And having blessed them,
he took bread and oil, and herbs and salt, and gave them to
eat. But he continued in his fasting, for the Lord's day was
about to dawn. And on the night following, while he was
asleep, the Lord came and stood by his head, saying : Thomas,
rise up early and bless them all; and after the prayer and
service go along the eastern road two miles, and there I shall
show in thee my glory. For because thou goest away, many
1 Or, arising from the things of the body. * Cf. Matt. vi. 34.
3 Luke xii. 24. * Or, announcement. * Matt. xi. 30.
«5 Lit., master of the debt.
406' ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
shall flee to me for refuge, and thou shalt reprove the nature
and the power of the enemy. And having risen up from sleep,
he said to the brethren who were with him : Children and
brethren, the Lord wishes to do something or other to-day-
through me; but let us pray and entreat Him that nothing
may be a hindrance to us towards Him, but as at all times let
it now also be done unto us according to His purpose and will.
And having thus spoken, he laid his hands upon them and
blessed them. And having broken the bread of the Eucharist,
he gave it to «them, saying : This Eucharist shall be ^ to you for
compassion, and mercy, and recompense, and not for judgment.
And they said : Amen.
ABOUT THE DEAGON AND THE YOUNG MAN,
And the apostle went forth to go where the Lord had bidden
him. And when he came near the second milestone he turned
a little out of the way, and saw the body of a beautiful youth
lying ; and he said : Lord, was it for this that Thou broughtest
me out to come here, that I might see this trial ? Thy will there-
fore be done, as Thou purposest. And he began to pray, and to
say: Lord, Judge of the living, and of those that are lying dead,
and Lord of all, and Father — Father not only of the souls that
are in bodies, but also of those that have gone out of them ;
for of the souls that are in pollutions Thou art Lord and Judge
— come at this time, when I call upon Thee, and show Thy
glory upon him that is lying down here. And he turned and
said to those that followed him : This affair has not happened
idly; but the enemy has wrought and effected this, that he
might make an assault upon him ; and you see that he has
availed himself of no other form, and has wrought through no
other living being, but through his subject.
And when the apostle had thus spoken, behold, a great dragon
came forth from his den, knocking his head, and brandishing
his tail down to the ground, and, using a loud voice, said to
the apostle : I shall say before thee for what cause I have put
him to death, since thou art here in order to reprove my works.
* i.e. be.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 407
And tlie apostle says : Yes, say on. And the dragon : There is
a certain woman in this place exceedingly beautiful ; and as
she was once passing by, I saw her, and fell in love with her,
and I followed and watched her ; and I found this young man
kissing her, and he also had intercourse with her, and did with
her other shameful things. And to me indeed it was pleasant
to tell thee this, for I know that thovi art the twin-brother of
Christ, and always bringest our race to nought. But, not wish-
ing to harass her, I did not at this time put him to death ; but
I watched him passing by in the evening, and struck him, and
killed him, and especially as he had dared to do this on the
Lord's day.^ And the apostle inquired of him, saying: Tell
me, of what seed and of what race art thou ?
And he said to him : I am the offspring of the race of the
serpent, and hurtful of the hurtful ; I am son of him who hurt
and struck the four brothers that stood ; I am son of him who
sits on the throne of destruction, and takes his own from what
he has lent;^ I am son of that apostate who encircles the globe;
I am kinsman to him who is outside of the ocean, whose tail
lies in his mouth ; I am he who went into paradise through the
hedge, and spoke with Eve what my father bade me speak to
her ; I am he who inflamed and fired Cain to kill his brother,
and through me thorns and prickles sprang up in the ground ;
I am he who cast down the angels from above, and bound them
down by the desires of women, that earth-born^ children might
be produced from them, and that I might work my will in
them ;* I am he who hardened the heart of Pharaoh, that he
should murder the children of Israel, and keep them down by
the hard yoke of slavery ; I am he who caused the multitude
to err in the desert when they made the calf; I am he who
inflamed Herod and incited Caiaphas to the lying tales of
falsehood before Pilate, for this became me; I am he who
inflamed Judas, and bought him, that he should betray Christ ;
I am he who inhabits and holds the abyss of Tartarus, and the
Son of God has wronged me against my will, and has gathered
his own out of me ; I am the kinsman of him who is to come
1 In this passage we have one of the data for fixing the date of the writing.
2 Or, from those to whom he was lent.
3 And, by implication, gigantic. * Or, by them.
408 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
from the east, to whom also power has been given to do what-
ever he will upon the earth.
And that dragon having thus spoken in the hearing of all
the multitude, the apostle raised his voice on high, and said :
Cease henceforth, 0 thou most unabashed, and be ashamed and
altogether put to death ; for the end of thy destruction is at
hand, and do not dare to say wKat thou hast done through thy
dependants. And I order thee, in the name of that Jesus who
even until now makes a struggle against you for the sake of
His own human beings, to suck out the poison which thou hast
put into this man, and to draw it forth, and take it out of him.
And the dragon said : The time of our end is by no means at
hand, as thou hast said. Why dost thou force me to take
out what I have put into him, and to die before the time ?
Assuredly, when my father shall draw forth and suck out
what he has put into the creation, then his end will come.
And the apostle said to him: Show us, therefore, now the
nature of thy father. And the dragon went up, and put his
mouth upon the wound of the young man, and sucked the
gall out of it. And in a short time the skin of the young
man, which was like purple, grew white, and the dragon
swelled. And when the dragon had drawn up all the gaU
into himself, the young man sprang up and stood, and ran
and fell at the apostle's feet. And the dragon, being swelled
up, shrieked out and died, and his poison and gall were poured
forth; and in the place where his poison was poured forth
there was made a great chasm, and that dragon was swallowed
up. And the apostle said to the king and his brother : Take
workmen, and fill up the place in which the dragon has been
swallowed up, and lay foundations, and build houses above it,
that it may be made a dwelling-place for the strangers.
And the young man said to the apostle, with many tears : I
have sinned against the God proclaimed by thee, and against
thee, but I ask pardon of thee ; for thou art a man having two
forms, and wherever thou wishest there art thou found, and
thou art held in by no one, as I see. For I beheld that man,
when I stood beside thee, who also said to thee, I have many
wonders to show by means of thee, and I have great works to
accomplish by means of thee, for which thou shalt obtain a
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 409
reward ; and thou shalt make many to live, and tliey shall be
in repose and eternal light as the children of God : do thou
therefore bring alive — he says, speaking to thee about me —
this young man who has been cast down by the enemy, and in
all time be the overseer of him. Thou hast, then, well come
hither, and again thou shalt well go away to him, he being
not at all forsaken by thee. And I am without care and re-
proach, for the dawn has risen upon me from the care of the
night, and I am at rest ; and I have also been released from
him who exasperated me to do these things : for I have sinned
against Him who taught me the contrary, and I have destroyed
him who is the kinsman of the night, who forced me to sin by
his own practices ; and I have found that kinsman of mine who
is like the light. I have destroyed him who darkens and
blinds those who are subject to him, lest they should know
what they are doing, and, ashamed of their works, withdraw
themselves from them, and their deeds have an end; and I
have found Him whose works are light, and whose deeds are
truth, of which whoever does them shall not repent. I have
been set free also from him in whom falsehood abides, whom
darkness as a covering goes before, and shame conducting her-
self impudently in idleness follows after. And I have found
also Him who shows me what is beautiful, that I should lay
hold of it, the Son of the truth, who is kinsman of concord,
who, driving away the mist, enlightens His own creation, and
heals its wounds, and overturns its enemies. But I entreat
thee, 0 man of God, make me again to behold and see Him,
now become hidden from me, that I may also hear His voice,
the wonders of which I cannot declare; for it is not of the
nature of this bodily organ.
And the apostle said to him: If, as thou hast also said,
thou hast cast off the knowledge of those things which thou
hast received, and if thou knowest who has wrought these
things in thee, and if thou shalt become a disciple and hearer
of Him of whom, through thy living love, thou now desirest
the sight, thou shalt both see Him, and shalt be with Him for
ever, and shalt rest in His rest, and shalt be in His joy. But
if thou art rather carelessly disposed towards Him, and again
returnest to thy former deeds, and lettest go that beauty and
410 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
that beaming countenance which has now been displayed to
thee, and if the splendour of the light of Him whom thou now
desirest be forgotten by thee, thou shalt be deprived not only
of this life, but also of that which is to come ; and thou shalt
go to him whom thou hast said thou hast destroyed, and shalt
no longer behold Him whom thou hast said thou hast found.
And when the apostle had thus spoken, he went into the
city, holding that young man by the hand, and saying to him :
Those things which thou hast beheld, my child, are a few out
of the many which God has : for it is not about these things
that appear that the good news is brought to us, but greater
things than these are promised to us ; but inasmuch as we are
in the body, we cannot tell and speak out what He will do for
our souls. If we say that He affords us light, it is seen by us,
and we have it ; and if riches, they exist and appear in this
world, and we name them, since it has been said. With diffi-
culty will a rich man enter into the kingdom of the heavens.^
And if we speak of fine clothing, which they who delight in
this life put on, it has been said. They that wear soft things
are in kings' palaces ; ^ and if costly dinners, about these we
have received a commandment to keep away from them, not to
be burdened by carousing and drunkenness and the cares of
life ; ® as also in the Gospel it has been said. Take no heed for
your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor for
your body, what ye shall put on : because the life is more than
food, and the body than clothing.'* And if we speak of this rest
lasting only for a season, its judgment has also been ordained.
But we speak about the upper world, about God and angels,
about ambrosial food, about garments that last and become
not old, about those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, nor hath there come into the heart of sinful men what
God has prepared for those that love Him.* Do thou also
therefore believe in Him, that thou mayst live ; and have con-
fidence in Him, and thou shalt never die. For He is not
persuaded by gifts, that thou shouldst offer them to Him ; nor
does He want sacrifices, that thou shouldst sacrifice to Him.
But look to Him, and thou shalt not look in vain, for His come-
1 Matt. xix. 23, 2 Matt. xi. 8. ^ Roin. xiii. 13 ; Luke xxi. 34.
♦ Matt, vi, 25. 6 1 Cor. ii. 9 : Isa. Ixiv. 4,
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 411
liuess and desirable beauty will make thee love Him ; and
neither will He allow thee to turn thyself away from Him.
And when the apostle was thus speaking to that young man,
a great multitude joined them. And the apostle looked, and
saw them lifting themselves up that they might see him ; and
they went up into elevated places. And the apostle said to
them : Ye men w^ho have come to the assembly of Christ, and.
who wish to believe in Jesus, take an example from this, and
see that if you do not get high up, you cannot see me, who am
small, and cannot get a look of me, who am like yourselves.
If, then, you cannot see me, who am like yourselves, unless
you raise yourselves a little from the earth, how can you see
Him who lives above, and is now found below, unless you
first raise yourselves out of your former behaviour, and unpro-
fitable deeds, and troublesome desires, and the riches that are
left behind here, and created things that are of the earth, and
that grow old, and the garments that are destroyed, and the
beauty that ages and vanishes away, yea, even out of the whole
body in which all these have been stored past, and which
grows old, and becomes dust, returning into its own nature ?
for all these things the body itself sets up.-^ But rather believe
in our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we proclaim to you, in order
that your hope may be upon Him, and that you may have life
in Him to ages of ages, that He may be your fellow-traveller
in this land, and may release you from error, and may become^
a haven for you in this troublous sea. And there shall be for
you also a fountain welling out in this thirsty land, and a fold
full of food in the place of the hungry, and rest for your souls,
and also a physician for your bodies.
Then the multitude of those assembled that heard, wept,
and said to the apostle : 0 man of God, as for the God whom
thou proclaimest, we dare not say that we are his, because our
works which we have done are alien from him, not pleasing
to him ; but if he has compassion upon us, and pities us, and
delivers us, overlooking our former doings ; and if he set us
free from the evil things which we did when we were in error,
and shall not take into account nor keep the recollection of
our former sins, we shall become liis servants, and we shall do
1 Or, establishes. * Or, and that there may be.
412 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
his will to the end. And the apostle answered and said to
them : He does not reckon against you the sins which you did,
being in error ; but He overlooks your transgressions which
you have done in ignorance.^
ABOUT THE DEMON THAT DWELT IN THE WOMAN.
And the apostle went into the city, all the multitude accom-
panying him ; and he thought of going to the parents of the
young man whom, when killed by the dragon, he had brought
to life ; for they earnestly entreated him to come to them, and
to enter into their house.
And a certain woman, exceedingly beautiful, suddenly uttered
a loud cry, saying : 0 apostle of the new God, who hast come
into India, and servant of that holy and only good God — for
through thee he is proclaimed the Saviour of the souls that
come unto him, and through thee he heals the bodies of those
that are punished by the enemy, and thou hast become the
cause of life to all who turn to him — order me to be brought
before thee, that I may declare to thee what has happened to
me, and that perhaps there may be hope to me from thee, and
those who stand beside thee may have more and more hope in
the God whom thou proclaimest. For I am not a little tor-
mented by the adversary, who has assailed me for now a period
of five years. As a woman, I formerly sat down in peace, and
peace encompassed me on all sides ; and I had nothing to
trouble me, for of nothing else^ had I a care. And it hap-
pened on one of the days as I was coming forth from the bath,
there met me one like a man troubled and disturbed ; and his
voice and utterance seemed to me to be indistinct and very
weak. And he said, standing over against me. Thou and I
shall be in one love, and we shall have intercourse with each
other, as a man is coupled with his wife. And I answered
him, saying, To my betrothed I consented not, entreating him
not to marry me ; and to thee, wishing to have intercourse
with me as it were in adultery, how shall I give myself up ?
And having thus spoken, I went away from him. And to my
^ Cf. Acts xvii. 30. ^ Or, uo oue else.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 413
maid I said, Hast thou seen the young man and his shame-
lessness, how shamelessly and boldly he talks to me ? And
she said to me, It was an old man I saw talking with thee.
And when I was in my own house, and had supped, my mind
suggested to me some suspicion, and especially because he had
appeared to me in two forms. I fell asleep, having this same
thing in my thoughts. And he came that night, and made me
share in his filthy commerce. And I saw him when it was
day, and fled from him ; but, according to his wont, he came
at night and abused me. And now, as thou seest me, I have
been tormented by him five years, and he has not departed
from me. But I know and am persuaded that even demons,
and spirits, and avenging deities, are subject to thee, and
tremble at thy prayer. Pray, then, for me, and drive away
from me the demon that torments me, that I also may become
free, and may be brought to my former nature, and I shall
receive the gift ^ that has been granted to my kindred.
And the apostle said : 0 irrepressible wickedness ! 0 the
shamelessness of the enemy ! 0 the sorcerer that is never at
rest ! 0 the ill-favoured one, bringing to subjection the well-
favoured ! 0 the many-formed one ! He appears just as he
may wish, but his essence cannot be changed. 0 offspring of
the crafty and insatiable one ! 0 bitter tree, which also his
fruits are like ! 0 thou who art of the devil, who fights over
those who do not belong to him ! 0 thou who art of the deceit
that uses shamelessness ! 0 thou who art of the wickedness
that creeps like a serpent, and art thyself his kindred ! And
when the apostle had thus spoken the fiend stood before him,
no one seeing him but the woman and the apostle, and with a
very loud voice he said in the hearing of all : Wliat have we to
do with thee, 0 apostle of the Most High ? What have we to
do with thee, 0 servant of Jesus Christ ? What have we to do
with thee, 0 thou that sittest in council with the Holy Spirit.
Wherefore dost thou wish to destroy us, when our time has not
yet come ? On what account dost thou wish to take away our
power ? for until the present hour we have had hope and time
left us.^ What have we to do with thee ? Thou hast power
over thine own, and we ovet our own. Why dost thou wish
» Or, grace. ' Cf. Matt, viii, 29.
41 4 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
to use tyranny against us, and especially thou who teachest
others not to use tyranny ? Why dost thou want those who
do not belong to thee, as if thou wert not satisfied with thine
own ? Why dost thou liken thyself to the Son of God, who
has done us hurt ? For thou art like him altogether, just as
if thou hadst been brought forth by him. For we thought to
bring him also under the yoke, like the rest; but he turned,
and held us under his hand. For we did not know him ; but
he deceived us by the form which he had put on, and his
poverty and his want ; for when we saw him such, we thought
him to be a man clothed with flesh, not knowing that it was
he who makes men live. And he gave us power over our own,
and, in the time in which we live, not to let our own go, but
to employ ourselves about them. But thou wishest to get
more than is necessary, or than has been given thee, and to
overpower us.
And having thus spoken, the demon wept, saying: I let
thee go, my most lovely yoke-fellow,^ whom I found long ago.
and was at rest ; I leave thee, my beloved and trusty sister,
in whom I was well pleased. What I shall do I know not, or
whom I shall call upon to hear me and protect me. I know
what I shall do. I shall go to some place where the fame of
this man has not been heard, and perhaps I shall call thee, my
beloved, by a new name.^ And lifting up his voice, he said :
Abide in peace, having received an asylum with a greater than
I ; but I, as T have said, will go away and seek thy like, and if
I find her not I shall again return to thee : for I know that
when thou art beside this man, thou hast an asylum in him ;
but when he has gone away, thou shalt be as thou wast before
he made his appearance, and him indeed wilt thou forget, and
to me there will again be opportunity and boldness ; but now I
am afraid of the name of him who has delivered thee. And
having thus said, the demon disappeared. And just when he
had disappeared, fire and smoke were seen there, and all there
present were struck with amazement.
And the apostle seeing this, said to them : Nothing strange
or unusual has that demon shown, but his own nature, in
which also he shall be burnt up; for the fire shall consume
' Or, wife. * i.e. get another instead of tliee, my beloved.
A CTS_ OF THE A POSTLE TH 031 A S. 415
him, and tlie smoke of him shall be scattered abroad. And he
began to say : 0 Jesus Christ, the secret mystery which has
been revealed to us, Thou art He who disclosest to us all
manner of mysteries, who hast set me apart from all my com-
panions, and who hast told me three words with which I am
set on fire, and I cannot tell them to others ; 0 Jesus, man
slain, dead, buried ; Jesus, God of God, and Saviour who
bringest the dead to life, and healest those who are diseased ; 0
Jesus, who appearest to be in want, and savest as if in want of
nothing, catching the fishes for the morning and the evening
meal, and establishing all in abundance with a little bread;
Jesus, who didst rest from the toil of the journey as a man,
and walk upon the waves as God;^ Jesus Most High, voice
arising from perfect compassion. Saviour of all, the right hand
of the light overthrowing him that is wicked in his own kind,
and bringing all his kind into one place ; Thou who art only
begotten, the first-born of many brethren,^ God of God Most
High, man despised until now ; Jesus Christ, who overlookest
us not when we call upon Thee ; who hast been shown forth to
all in Thy human life ; who for our sakes hast been judged and
kept in prison, and freest all that are in bonds ; who hast been
called a deceiver,^ and who deliverest Thine own from decep-
tion : I entreat Thee in behalf of those standing and entreating
Thee, and those that believe in Thee ; for they pray to obtain
Thy gifts, being of good hope in Thine aid, occupying Thy
place of refuge in Thy majesty; they give audience, so as to
hear from us the words that have been spoken to them. Let
Thy peace come and dwell in them, that they may be purified
from their former deeds, and may put off the old man with his
deeds, and put on the new now declared to them by me.*
And having laid his hands on them, he blessed them, saying :
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you for ever!*
And they said, Amen. And the woman begged of him, saying :
Apostle of the Most High, give me the seal, that that foe
may not come back upon me again. Then he made her come
near him ; and putting his hand upon her, he sealed her in the
name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost. And many others
1 Matt. xiv. 17; John xxi. 11; John iv. 6; Matt. xiv. 25. * Eom. viii. 29.
3 Matt, xxvii. 63. * Col. iii. 9. ^ Koni. xvi. 20.
416 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
also were sealed along with her. And the apostle ordered his
servant ^ to set out a table ; and they set out a bench ^ which
they found there. And having spread a linen cloth upon it, he
put on it the bread of the blessing. And the apostle standing
by it, said : Jesus Christ, Son of God, who hast deemed us
worthy to communicate of the Eucharist of Thy sacred body
and honourable blood, behold, we are emboldened by the
thanksgiving ^ and invocation of Thy sacred name ; come now,
and communicate with us. And he began to say : Come, per-
fect compassion ; come, communion with mankind ; come. Thou
that knowest the mysteries of the chosen one ; come, Thou that
communicatest in aU the combats* of the noble combatant;
come, peace that revealest the great things of aU greatness ;
come. Thou that disclosest secrets, and makest manifest things
not to be spoken ; the sacred dove which has brought forth
twin young ; come, thou secret mother ; come, Thou who art
manifest in Thy deeds, and givest joy and rest to those who
are united to Thee; come and communicate with us in this
Eucharist, which we make in Thy name, and in the love* in
which we are united in calling upon Thee.^ And having thus
said, he made the sign of the cross upon the bread, and broke
it, and began to distribute it. And first he gave it to the
woman, saying : This shall be to thee for remission of sins, and
the ransom of everlasting transgressions. And after her, he
gave also to all the others who had received the seal.
4.B0UT THE YOUNG MAN WHO KILLED THE MAIDEN.
And there was a certain young man who had done a nefarious
deed ; and having come to the apostle, he took the bread of
the Eucharist into his mouth, and his two hands immediately
withered, so that he could no longer bring them to his mouth.
And those who were present and saw him told the apostle what
had happened. And he, having summoned him, said : Tell me,
' Or, deacon.
2 trv/u.y^ikXiov, wliich is not Greek, is obviously the Latin subselUum.
^ Or, Eucharist. * Or, prizes.
^ Or, love-feast. « Or, in Thy calling.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 41 7
my child, and be ashamed of nothing/ what thou hast done,
and why thou hast come hither ; for the Eucharist of the Lord
has convicted thee. For this gracious gift coming to many is
especially healing to those who approach it through faith and
love ; but thee it has withered away, and what has happened
has happened not without some working cause. And the
young man who had been convicted by the Eucharist of the
Lord came up, and fell at the apostle's feet, and prayed him,
saying : An evil deed has been done by me, yet I thought to
do something good. I was in love with a certain woman living
outside of the city in an inn, and she loved me. And I having
heard from thee, and believed that thou proclaimest the living
God, came and received the seal from thee along with the
others ; and thou saidst, Whoever shall indulge in filthy inter-
course, and especially in adultery, shall not have life with the
God M^hom I proclaim.^ Since, then, I altogether loved her, I
begged of her, and persuaded her to live with me in chaste and
pure intercourse, as thou thyself teachest ; but she would not.
When therefore she would not, I took a sword and killed her ;
for I could not see her living in adultery with another.
The apostle, having heard this, said : 0 maddening inter-
course, into what shamelessness dost thou lead ! 0 unrestrained
lust, how hast thou brought him into subjection to do this !
0 work of the serpent, how dost thou rage in thine own ! And
the apostle ordered water to be brought him in a dish. And
when the water had been brought, he said : Come waters from
the living waters, existing from the existing, and sent to us ;
the fountain sent to us from repose, the power of salvation
coming from that power that subdues all things, and subjects
them to its own will ; come and dwell in these waters, that
the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit may be fully perfected in
them. And he said to the young man : Go, wash thy hands in
these waters. And when he had washed, they were restored.
And the apostle said to him : Dost thou believe in our Lord
Jesus Christ, that He can do all things ? And he said : Even
though I am least of all, I believe ; but this I did, thinking to
do a good thing : for I implored her, as also I told thee ; but
she would not be persuaded by me to keep herselt chaste.
1 Or, stand in awe of no one. ^ 1 Cor. vi. 9.
418 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
And tlie apostle said to him : Come, let us go to the inn
where thou didst this deed, and let us see what has happened.
And the young man went before the apostle on the road ; and
when they came to the inn, they found her lying. And the
apostle, seeing her, was disheartened, for she was a beautiful
maiden ; and he ordered her to be brought into the middle of
the inn. And having put her on a couch, they brought it, and
set it in the midst of the court-yard of the inn. And the
apostle laid his hand on her, and began to say : Jesus, who
always appearest to us — for this Thou always wishest, that we
should seek Thee — and Thou Thyself hast given us tliis power
of asking and receiving;^ and not only hast Thou given us this,
but hast also taught us how to pray ;^ who art not seen by
bodily eyes, but who art not altogether hidden from those of
our soul, and who art hidden in Thy form, but manifested to
us by Thy works ; and by Thy many deeds we have recognised
Thee as we go on, and Thou hast given us Thy gifts without
measure, saying, Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye
shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.^ We pray,
therefore, having suspicion of our sins ;* and we ask of Thee
not riches, nor gold, nor silver, nor possessions, nor any of
those things that come from the earth and go into the earth
again ; but this we beg of Thee, and entreat that in Thy holy
name Thou raise this woman lying here by Thy power, to the
glory and faith of those standing by.
And when he had thus prayed, he sealed the young man,
and said to him : Go, and take her by the hand, and say to
her, I through my hands killed thee with the sword ; ^ and
again I raise thee by my hands, in the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ. And the young man went and stood by her, saying :
I have believed in Thee, 0 Christ Jesus. And looking upon
Judas Thomas the apostle, he said to him : Pray for me, that
my Lord, upon whom also I call, may come to my help. And
having laid his hand on her hand, he said : Come, Lord Jesus
Christ, giving this woman life, and me the earnest of Thy
faith. And immediately, as he drew her hand, she sprang up,
1 Matt. vii. 7; Luke xi. 9. ^ Matt. vi. 9 ; Luke xi. 2.
^ Matt. vii. 7. * Or, having oui- sins in view.
* Lit., with iron.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 419
and sat, looking at the great multitude standing round. And
she also saw the apostle standing opposite to her ; and having
left the couch, she sprang up, and fell at his feet, and took hold
of his garments, saying : I pray thee, my lord, where is that
other who is with thee, who has not left me to remain in that
fearful and grievous place, but has given me up to thee, saying,
Do thou take her, that she may be made perfect, and thereafter
brought into her own place ?
And the apostle says to her : Tell us where thou hast been.
And she answered : Dost thou, who wast with me, to whom
also I was entrusted, wish to hear ? And she began to say :
A certain man received me, hateful in appeara.nce, all black,
and his clothing exceedingly filthy ; and he led me away to a
place where there were many chasms, and a great stench and
most hateful odour were given forth thence ; and he made me
bend down into each chasm, and I saw in the chasm blazing
fire ; and wheels of fire ran there, and souls were hung upon
those wheels, and were dashed against each other. And there
was there crying and great lamentation, and there was none
released. And that man said to me. These souls are of thine
own nation, and for a certain number of days^ they have been
given over to punishment and torture; and then others are
brought in instead of them ; and likewise also these are again
succeeded by others. These are they who have exchanged the
intercourse of man and wife. And again I looked down, and
saw infants heaped upon each other, and struggling and lying
upon each other ; and he answered and said to me, These are
their children, and for this have they been placed here for a
testimony against them.
And he brought me to another chasm, and I bent down and
saw mud, and worms spouting forth, and souls wallowing there;
and a great gnashing of teeth was heard thence from them.
And that man said to me, These are the souls of women that
left their own husbands, and went and committed adultery
with others, and who have been brought to this torment. He
showed me another chasm, into which I bent down and saw
souls hung up, some by the tongue, some by the hair, some by
the hands, some by the feet, head downwards, and smoked with
' Lit., days of number.
420 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
smoke and sulphur ; about whom that man who was with me
answered me, These souls which are hung up by the tongue
are slanderers, and such as have uttered false and disgraceful
words; [those that are hung up by the hair^] are those that
are shameless, and that have gone about with uncovered heads
in the world ; these hung up by the hands are those who have
taken what belongs to others, and have stolen, and who have
never given anything to the poor, nor assisted the afflicted;
but they so acted, wishing to get everything, and giving no
heed at all to justice and the laws ; and these hung up by the
feet are those who lightly and eagerly ran in wicked ways, and
disorderly wickedness, not looking after the sick, and not aiding
those departing this life, and on account of this each individual
soul is requited for what has been done by it.
Again leading me away, he showed me a cavern, exceedingly
dark, exhaling a great stench ; and many souls were peeping out
thence, wishing to get some share of the air, but their keepers
would not let them peep out. And he who was with me said,
This is the prison of those souls which thou seest ; for when
they shall complete their punishments for those things which
each one has done, afterwards again others succeed them — and
there are some also quite used up — and are given up to other
punishments. Those, then, who guarded the souls that were in
the dark cave said to the man that had charge of me, Give her
to us, that we may take her in beside the others, until the time
comes for her to be given up to pimishment. And he answered
them, I will not give her to you, for I am afraid of him who
gave her up to me ; for I received no orders to leave her here,
and I shall take her up with me until I get some injunction
about her. And he took me and brought me to another place,
in which were men who were bitterly tortured. And he that
is like thee took me and gave me up to thee, having thus said
to thee. Take her, since she is one of the creatures that have
been led astray. And I was taken by thee, and am now before
thee. I beg, therefore, and supplicate thee that I may not go
into those places of punishment which I saw.
And the apostle said to the multitudes standing by : You
have heard, brethren, what this woman has recounted ; and
^ Obviously omitted either in the mss. or in the text.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS. 421
these are not the only punishments, but there are others worse
than these ; and if you do not turn to this God whom I pro-
claim, and refrain from your former works and deeds which
you have done without knowledge, in these punishments you
shall have your end. Believe, therefore, in our Lord Jesus
Christ, and He will forgive you the sins done by you hereto-
fore, and will purify you from all the bodily desires that abide
in the earth, and will heal you from the faults that follow after
you, and go along with you, and are found before you. And
let each of you put off the old man, and put on the new, and
leave your former course of conduct and behaviour ; and let
those that steal steal no more, but let them live, labouring and
working ; ^ and let the adulterers no more commit adultery, lest
they give themselves up to everlasting punishment ; for adul-
tery is with God an evil altogether grievous above other evils.
Put away also from yourselves covetousness, and lying, and
drunkenness, and slandering, and requiting evil for evil : for all
these are alien and strange to the God proclaimed by us ; but
^rather live in faith, and meekness, and holiness, and hope, in
which God rejoices, that ye may become His servants, having
received from Him gracious gifts, which few or none receive.
All the people therefore believed, and presented their souls
obedient to the living God and Christ Jesus, enjoying His
blessed works, and His holy service. And they brought much
money for the service of the widows; for he had them collected
in the cities, and he sent to all of them by his own servants ^
what was necessary, both clothing and food. But he did not
cease proclaiming and saying to them, and showing that this
is Jesus the Christ, concerning whom the Scriptures proclaimed
that He should come, and be crucified, and be raised from the
dead after three days. And he showed them a second time,
beginning from the prophets, and explaining the things con-
cerning Christ, and that it was necessary for Him to come, and
for all things to be fulfilled that had been said to us before-
hand concerning Him.^
And the report of him ran through all the cities and coun-
tries ; and all who had persons sick or tormented by unclean
spirits brought them, and they were healed. Some also they
1 Eph. iv. 28. ^ Or, deacons. ^ Cf. Luke xxiv. 46.
422 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
laid on the road by which he was to pass, and he healed them
all by the power of the Lord.^ Then said all with one accord
who had been healed by him, with one voice : Glory to Tliee,
Jesus, who givest Thy healing to all alike by means of Thy
servant and apostle Thomas. And being in good health, and
rejoicing, we pray Thee that we may be of Thy flock, and be
numbered among Thy sheep ; receive us, therefore, 0 Lord,
and consider not our transgressions and former oflences which
we did, being in ignorance.
And the apostle said : Glory to the only-begotten from the
Father ; ^ glory to the first-born of many brethren ; ^ gloiy to
Thee, the defender and helper of those who come to Thy place
of refuge ; Thou that sleepest not, and raisest those that are
asleep ; that livest and bringest to life those that are lying in
death ; 0 God Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, redeemer
and helper, refuge and rest of all that labour in Thy work,
who affordest health to those who for Thy name's sake bear the
burden of the day, and the icy coldness of the night ; we give
thanks for the gracious gifts that have been given us by Thee,
and for the help from Thee bestowed upon us, and Thy provi-
dential care that has come upon us from Thee. Perfect these
things upon us, therefore, unto the end, that we may have con-
fidence in Thee ; look upon us, because for Thy sake we have
left our homes, and for Thy sake have become strangers gladly
and willingly ; look upon us, 0 Lord, because for Thy sake we
have abandoned our possessions, that we may have Thee for a
possession that shall not be taken away ; look upon us, 0 Lord,
because we have left those related to us by ties of kindred, in
order that we may be united in relationship to Thee ; look
upon us, 0 Lord, who have left our fathers and mothers, and
those that nourished us, that we may behold Thy Father, and
be satisfied with His divine nourishment ; look upon us, 0
Lord, because for Thy sake we have left our bodily yoke-fel-
lows,* and our earthly fruit, in order that we may share in
that intercourse which is lasting and true, and bring forth true
fruits, whose nature is from above, the enjoyment of which no
one can take away from us, with which we abide, and they
abide with us.
1 Cf. Acts V. 15. « John i. 14. 3 K^m. yiii. 29. * i.e. wivts.
CONSUMMATION OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
jT the command of King Misdeus ^ the blessed Apostle
Thomas was cast into prison ; and he said : I glorify
God, and I shall preach the word to the prisoners,
so that all rejoiced at his presence. When, there-
fore, Juzanes the king's son, and Tertia his mother, and Myg-
donia, and Markia, had become believers, but were not yet
^ The following translation of a Ms. in the Bodleian Library, transcribed by
Tischendorf {Apocal. Apocr. p. 158), gives a fuller account of the martyrdom
of St. Thomas :—
MAKTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND ALL-REXOWNED
APOSTLE THOMAS.
After the apostle had gone forth, according to the command of our Lord, and
God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Lord appeared to him, saying : Peace to
thee, my disciple and apostle ! And the apostle fell on his face on the ground,
and prayed the Lord to reveal to him the circumstances of his precious de-
parture. And the Lord said to him : Misdaeus is contriving a plan to destroy
thee very soon ; but, behold, he will come to me. And after having sealed
him, He ascended into the heavens. And the apostle taught the people, anil
there was added unto the flock of Christ. But some men who hated Christ
accused him before King Misdeus, saying : Destroy this sorcerer, who corrupts
and deceives the people in this new one God whom he proclaims. Moreover,
[he has deceived] thy lady and thy son. On hearing this, Misdeus, without
inquiry, ordered him to be laid hold of, and shut up in prison. And they did
quickly what they were ordered, and threw him into the prison, and sealed it.
And when the women who believed in God had heard that Judas was shut up,
they gave a great sum of money to the warders, and went in to him in the
prison. And the apostle says to them : My daughters, handmaidens of Jesus
Christ, listen to me. In my last day I address you, because I shall no more
speak in the body ; for, lo, I am taken up to my Lord Jesus Christ, who has
had pity upon me, who humbled Himself even to my littleness. And I rejoice
that the time is at hand for my change from this, tliat I may depart and receive
2 Pseudo-Abdias, in his Histories of the Apostle/^, has as follows : ^Vlle^efore,
in a rage, Mesdeus king of India thrust into prison the Apostle Thomas, and
Zuganes his son, and several others.
423
424 CONSUMMATION OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
tliouglit worthy of baptism, they took it exceedingly ill that
the blessed one had been shut up. And having come to the
prison, and given much money to the jailor,^ they went in to
him. And he, seeing them, was glad, and glorified the Lord,
and blessed them. And they entreated and begged the seal in
the Lord, a beautiful young man having appeared to them in a
dream, and ordered the apostle into the house of Juzanes.
And again the beautiful young man coming to them and
Thomas, bade them do this on the coming night. And he ran
before them, and gave them light on the way, and without
noise opened the doors that had been secured, until all the
mystery was completed. And having made them communicate
in the Eucharist, and having talked much with them, and con-
firmed them in the faith, and commended them to the Lord, he
went forth thence, leaving the women, and again went to be
shut up.^ And they grieved and wept because Misdeus the
king was to kill him.
my reward in the end ; for my Lord is just. And at the end of his discourse to
them, he said: 0 my Saviour, who hast endured much for our sake, let Thy
mercies be upon us. And he sent them away, saying : The grace of the Holy
Spirit be with you ! And they grieved and wept, knowing that King Misdeus
was going to put him to death. And Judas heard the warders contending with
each other, and saying : Let us go and tell the king, Thy wife and thy son are
going to the prison to this sorcerer, and for their sakes thou shouldst put him
to death soon. And at dawn they arose and went to King Misdeus, and said :
My lord, release that sorcerer, or cause him to be shut up elsewhere ; for though
we shut in the prisoners, and secure the doors, when we rise we find them
opened. Nay, more ; thy wife and son will not keep away from the man any
more than the rest of them. And when the king heard this, he went to look
at the seals. And he looked all about them on the doors, and found them as
they were. Then he says to the jailors : What are you telling lies about ? for
certainly these seals are quite safe ; and how do you say that Tertia, and Myg-
donia, and my son go within the prison ? And the warders said : We have told
thee the truth, 0 king. And after this the king went into the prison, and sent
for the apostle. And when he came, they took off his girdle, and set him before
the tribunal. And the king said: Art thou a slave, or free? And Thomas
said : I am One's slave. Thou hast no power over me whatever. And Misdteus
^ Abdias: Treptia, who was the king's wife, and Mygdonia the wife of Chari-
sius, one of the king's friends, and Narchia the nurse, gave the jailor 360 pieces
of silver, and were let in to the apostle.
^ Abdias : Thomas stood in the prison, and said : Lord Jesus, who didst
endure very much for us, let the gates be shut as they were before, and the
seals be made again on the same doors.
CONSUMMATION OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE. 425
And Thomas went and found the jailors fighting, and sayino- :
What wrong have we done to that sorcerer, that, availing him-
self of his magic art, he has opened the doors of the prison,
and wishes to set all the prisoners free ? But let us go and let
the king know about his wife and his son.^ And when he
came they stripped him, and girded him with a girdle; and
thus they stood before the king.
And Misdeus said to him : Art thou a slave, or a freeman ?
And Thomas answered and said to him : I am not ^ a slave, and
thou hast no power against me at all. And how, said Misdeus,
hast thou run away and come to this country ? And Thomas
said : I came here that I might save many, and that I might
by thy hands depart from this body. Misdeus says to him :
Who is thy master ? and what is his name ? and of what
country, and of whom is he ? My Lord, says Thomas, is my
Master and thine, being the Lord of heaven and earth. And
Misdeus said : What is he called ? And Thomas said : Thou
snys: Didst thou run away and come to this country? Thomas: I came here
to save many, and I am to depart from my body by thy hands. Misdreus says
to him: Who is thy master? and what is his name? and what country dost
■thou belong to ? Thomas: Thou canst not hear His true name at this time;
but I tell thee the name that has been given Him for the time: it is Jesus the
Christ. And Misdaeus says : I have been in no hui-ry to put thee to death, but
have restrained myself ; but thou hast made a display of thy works, so that thy
sorceries have been heard of in every country. But no; I shall bring thee to
an end, that thy sorceries may be destroyed, and our nation purified. And
Thomas said : What thou callest sorceries shall abound in me, and never be
removed from the people here. And after this was said, Misdeus reflected in
what manner he should put the apostle to death, for he was afraid of the people
standing by who believed. And he arose and took Thomas outside of the city ;
and he was accompanied by a few armed soldiers. And the multitude suspected
that the king was plotting about him, and stood and addressed themselves to
him. And when they had gone forth three stadia, he delivered him to four
soldiers and one of the polemarchs, and ordered them to spear him on the
mountain ; and he returned to the city. And those who were present ran to
Tliomas, eager to rescue him. And he was led away, accompanied by the
soldiers, two on each side. . . . And Thomas, walking along, said : 0 Thy
secret mysteries, 0 Jesus ! for even unto the end of life are they fulfilled in us.
0 the riches of Thy grace ! . . . for, lo, how four have laid hold of me, since
of ibur elements . . . [Here the fragment ends.]
^ Abdias gives an account of the king going to the prison, and disbelieving
the report of the warders, because he found the seals on the doors as he had left
them.
* The not should, by the context, be omitted.
4-_>6 CONSUMMATION OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
canst not know His true name at this time ; but I tell thee the
name that has been given Him for a season — Jesus the Christ.
And Misdeus said: I have not been in a hurry ^ to destroy
thee, but have restrained myself; but thou hast made a dis-
play of works, so that thy sorceries have been heard of in all
the country. But now this will I do,^ that thy sorceries may
also perish with thee, that our nation may be purified from
them. And Thomas said : Dost thou call these things which
will follow me sorceries ? They shall never be removed from
the people here.
And while these things were saying, Misdeus was considering
in what manner he should put him to death ; for he was afraid
of the multitude standing round, many, even some of the chief
men, having believed in him. And he arose, and took Thomas
outside of the city ; and a few soldiers accompanied him with
their arms. And the rest of the multitude thought that the
king was wishing to learn something from him ; and they stood
and observed him closely. And when they had gone forth
three stadia, he delivered him to four soldiers, and to one of
the chief officers,^ and ordered them to take him up into the
mountain and spear him ; but he himself returned to the city.
And those present ran to Thomas, eager to rescue him ; but
he was led away by the soldiers who were with him. For
there were two on each side having hold of him, because of
sorcery. And the chief officer held him by the hand, and led
him with honour. And at the same time the blessed apostle
said : 0 the hidden mysteries of Thee, 0 Lord ! for even to
the close of life is fulfilled in us the riches of Thy grace, which
does not allow us to be without feeling as to the body. For,
behold, four have laid hold of me, and one leads me, since I
belong to One, to whom I am going always invisibly. But now
I learn that my Lord also, since He was a stranger, to whom I
am going, who also is always present with me invisibly, was
struck by one ; but I am struck by four.*
' Reading yi-nix^yi^ for a.v'nx^yi^- -i.e. I will so act.
3 Lit., polemarchs, who in tlie early times of Athens combined the duties of
Foreign Secretary and War Secretary, and sometimes took the command in tlie
lield.
•* Abdias : The apostle said that gieat and divine mydtciies were revealed in
CONSUMMATION OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE. l-_'7
And wlien they came to that place where they were to spear
him, Thomas spoke thus to those spearing him : Hear me now,
at least, when I am departing from my body ; and let not your
eyes be darkened in understanding, nor your ears shut up so as
not to hear those things in which you have believed the God
whom I preach, after being delivered in your souls from rash-
ness ; and behave in a manner becoming those who are free,
being void of human glory, and live the life towards God. And
he said to Juzanes : Son of an earthly king, but servant of
Jesus Christ, give what is due to those who are to fulfil the
command ^ of Misdeus, in order that I may go apart from them
and pray. And Juzanes having paid the soldiers, the apostle
betook himself to prayer ; and it was as follows : —
My Lord, and my God, and hope, and leader, and guide in
all countries, I follow Thee along with all that serve Thee,
and do Thou guide me this day on my way to Thee. Let no
one take my soul, which Thou hast given to me. Let not
publicans and beggars look upon me, nor let serpents slander
me, and let not the children of the dragon hiss at me. Behold,
I have fulfilled Thy work, and accomplished what Thou gavest
me to do. I have become a slave, that I might receive freedom
from Thee ; do then give it to me, and make me perfect. And
this I say not wavering, but that they may hear who need to
hear. I glorify Thee in all. Lord and Master ; for to Thee is
due glory for ever. Amen.
And when he had prayed, he said to the soldiers : Come and
finish the work of him that sent you. And the four struck
him at once, and killed him. And all the brethren wept, and
wrapped him up in beautiful shawls, and many linen cloths,
and laid him in the tomb in which of old the kings used to be
buried.
And Syphor and Juzanes did not go to the city, but spent
the whole day there, and waited during the night. And Thomas
appeared to them, and said : I am not there ; why do you sit
watching ? for I have gone up, and received the things I hoped
his death, since he was led by four soldiers, because he consisted of four ele-
ments ; and the Lord Jesus had been struck by one man, because He knew that
one Father had begotten Him.
^ lit., the servants of the order.
428 CONSUMMATION OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE.
for ; but rise up and walk, and after no long time you shall
be brought beside me. And Misdeus and Charisius ^ greatly
afflicted Tertia and Mygdonia, but did not persuade them to
abandon their opinions. And Thomas appeared, and said to
them : Forget not the former things, for the holy and sanctify-
ing Jesus Himself will aid you. And Misdeus and Charisius,
when they could not persuade them not to be of this opinion,
granted them their own will. And all the brethren assembled
together. For the blessed one had made Syphorus^ a pres-
byter in the mountain, and Juzanius ^ a deacon, when he was
led away to die. And the Lord helped them, and increased
the faith by means of them.
And after a long time, it happened that one of the sons of
Misdeus was a demoniac ; and the demon being stubborn, no
one was able to heal him. And Misdeus considered, and said :
I shall go and open the tomb, and take a bone of the apostle's
body, and touch my son with it, and I know that he will be
healed. And he went to do what he had thought of. And
the blessed apostle appeared to him, and said : Thou didst not
believe in me when alive ; how wilt thou believe in me when I
am dead ? Fear not. Jesus Christ is kindly disposed to thee,
through His great clemency. And Misdeus, when he did not
find the bones (for one of the brethren had taken them, and
carried them into the regions of the West^), took some dust
from where the bones had lain, and touched his son with it,
and said : I believe in Thee, Jesus, now when he has left me
who always afflicts men, that they may not look to Thy light
which giveth understanding, 0 Lord, kind to men. And his
son being healed in this manner, he met with the rest of the
brethren who were under the rule of Syphorus, and entreated
the brethren to pray for him, that he might obtain mercy from
our Lord Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
1 The husband of MygJonia.
* These names are slightly different in form in this paragraph.
3 Abdias : and buried them in the city of Edessa.
MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS
APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW.
TSTOEIANS declare that India is divided into three
parts ; and the first is said to end at Ethiopia, and
the second at Media, and the third completes the
country ; and the one portion of it ends in the dark,
and the other in the ocean. To this India, then, the holy Bar-
tholomew the apostle of Christ went, and took up his quarters
in the temple of Astaruth, and lived there as one of the pilgrims
and the poor. In this temple, then, there was an idol called
Astaruth, which was supposed to heal the infirm, but rather
the more injured all. And the people were in entire ignorance
of the true God ; and from Avant of knowledge, but rather from
the difficulty (of going to any other), they all fed for refuge to
the false god. And he brought upon them troubles, infirmi-
ties, damage, violence, and much affliction ; and when any one
sacrificed to him, the demon, retiring, appeared to give a cure
to the person in trouble ; and the foolish people, seeing this,
believed in him. But the demons retired, not because they
wished to cure men, but that they might the more assail them,
and rather have them altogether in their power ; and thinking
that they were cured bodily, those that sacrificed to them were
the more diseased in soul.
And it came to pass, that while the holy apostle of Christ,
Bartholomew, stayed there, Astaruth gave no response, and was
not able for curing. And when the temple was full of sick
persons, who sacrificed to him daily, Astaruth could give no
response ; and sick persons who had come from far countries
were lying there. When, therefore, in that temple not even
one of the idols was able to give a response, and was of benefit
neither to those that sacrificed to them nor to those who were
429
430 MAnTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS
iu tlie agonies of deatli on their account, they were compelled
to go to another city, where there was a temple of idols, where
their great and most eminent god was called Becher.^ And
having there sacrificed, they demanded, asking why their god
Astaruth had not responded to them. And the demon Becher
answered and said to them : From the day and hour that the
true God, who dwelleth in the heavens, sent his apostle Bar-
tholomew into the regions here, your god Astaruth is held fast
by chains of fire, and can no longer either speak or breathe.
They said to him : And who is this Bartholomew ? He an-
swered : He is the friend of the Almighty God, and has just
come into these parts, that he may take away all the worship
of the idols in the name of his God. And the servants of the
Greeks said to him : Tell us what he is like, that we may be
able to find him.
And the demon answered and said : He has black hair, a
shaggy head, a fair skin,^ large eyes, beautiful nostrils, his ears
hidden by the hair of his head, with a yellow beard, a few
grey hairs, of middle height, and neither tall nor stunted, but
middling, clothed with a white undercloak bordered with purple,
and upon his shoulders a very white cloak; and his clothes
have been worn twenty-six years, but neither are they dirty,
nor have they waxed old. Seven times ^ a day he bends the
knee to the Lord, and seven times ^ a night does he pray to
God. His voice is like the sound of a strong trumpet ; there
go along with him angels of God, who allow him neither to be
weary, nor to hunger, nor to thirst ; his face, and his soul, and
Ids heart are always glad and rejoicing; he foresees everything,
he knows and speaks every tongue of every nation. And be-
hold now, as soon as you ask me, and I answer you about him,
behold, he knows ; for the augels of the Lord tell him ; and if
you wish to seek him, if he is willing he will appear to you ;
but if he shall not be willing, you will not be able to find him.
I entreat you, therefore, if you shall find him, entreat him not
to come here, lest his angels do to me as they have done to
my brother Astaruth.
^ The history of Abdias gives the name as Berith, after Judg. ix. 46.
* Lit., white flesh.
^ Pseudo-Abdias .says : a hundred times.
APOSTLE BAETHOLO^IEW. 431
And when the demon had said this, he lield his peace. And
they returned, and set to work to look into every face of the
pilgrims and poor men, and for two days they could find him
nowhere. And it came to pass, that one who was a demoniac
set to work to cry out : Apostle of the Lord, Bartholomew, thy
prayers are burning me up. Then said the apostle to him :
Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And that very hour,
the man Avho had suffered from the demon for many years was
set free.
And Polymius, the king of that country, happened to be
standing opposite the apostle ; and he had a daughter a de-
moniac, that is to say, a lunatic. And he heard about the
demoniac that had been healed, and sent messengers to the
apostle, saying : My daughter is grievously torn ; I implore
thee, therefore, as thou hast delivered him^ who suffered for
many years, so also to order my daughter to be set free. And
the apostle rose up, and went with them. And he sees the
king's daughter bound with chains, for she used to tear in
pieces all her limbs ; and if any one came near her, she used
to bite, and no one dared to come near her. The servants say
to him : And who is it that dares to touch her ? The apostle
answered them : Loose her, and let her go. They say to him
again : We have her in our power when she is bound with all
our force, and dost thou bid us loose her ? The apostle says to
them : Behold, I keep her enemy bound, and are you even now
afraid of her ? Go and loose her ; and when she has partaken
of food, let her rest, and early to-morrow bring her to me. And
they went and did as the apostle had commanded them ; and
thereafter the demon was not able to come near her.
Then the king loaded camels with gold and silver, precious
stones, pearls, and clothing, and sought to see the apostle ; and
having made many efforts, and not found him, he brought
everything back to his palace.
And it happened, when the night had passed, and the fol-
lowing day was dawning, the sun having risen, the apostle
appeared alone with the king in his bed-chamber, and said to
him : Why didst thou seek me yesterday the whole day with
gold and silver, and precious stones, pearls, and raiment ? For
1 Abdias calls liira Pseustius.
432 MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS
these gifts those persons long for who seek earthly things ; but
I seek nothing earthly, nothing carnal. Wherefore I wish to
teach thee that the Son of God deigned to be born as a man
out of a virgin's womb. He was conceived in the womb of the
virgin; He took to Himself her who was always a virgin, having
within herself Him who made the heaven and the earth, the
sea, and all that therein is. He, born of a virgin, like mankind,
look to Himself a beginning in time. He who has a beginning
neither of times nor days ; but He Himself made every begin-
ning, and everything created, whether in things visible or invi-
sible. And as this virgin did not kn6w man, so she, preserving
her virginity, vowed a vow^ to the Lord God. And she was the
first who did so. For, from the time that man existed from the
beginning of the world, no woman made a vow of this mode of
life ; but she, as she was the first among women who loved this
in her heart, said, I offer to Thee, 0 Lord, my virginity. And,
as I have said to thee, none of mankind dared to speak this
word ; but she being called for the salvation of many, observed
this — that she might remain a virgin through the love of God,
pure and undefiled. And suddenly, when she was shut up in
her chamber, the archangel Gabriel appeared, g>eaming like
the sun; and when she was terrified at the sight, the angel
said to her. Fear not, Mary ; for thou hast found favour in the
sight of the Lord, and thou shalt conceive. And she cast off
fear, and stood up, and said. How shall this be to me, since
I know not man ? The angel answered her. The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall
overshadow thee ; wherefore also that holy thing which is born
of thee shall be called Son of God.^ Thus, therefore, when the
angel had departed from her, she escaped the temptation of the
devil, who deceived the first man when at rest. For, having
tasted oi the tree of disobedience, when the woman said to
him. Eat, he ate ; and thus the first man was cast out of para-
dise, and banished to this life. From him have been born the
whole human race. Then the Son of God having been born of
' Or, prayed a prayer.
^ Cf. Luke i. 26-38. Abdias goes on : He then, after His birth, suffered
Hiinsell to be tempted by that devil who had overcome the first n)an, persuading
liim to eat of the tree forbidden by God.
APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW. 433
tlie virgin, and having become perfect man, and having been
baptized, and after His baptism having fasted forty days, the
tempter came and said to Him : If thou art the Son of God,
tell these stones to become loaves. And He answered : Not on
bread alone shall man live, but by every word of God.^ Thus
therefore the devil, who through eating had conquered the first
man, was conquered through the fasting of the second man ;
and as he through want of self-restraint had conquered the first
man, the son of the virgin earth, so we shall conquer through
the fasting of the second Adam, the Son of the Virgin Mary.
The king says to him : And how is it that thou saidst just
now that she was the first virgin of whom was born God and
man ? And the apostle answered : I give thanks to the Lord
that thou hearest me gladly. The first man, then, was called
Adam ; he was formed out of the earth. And the earth, his
mother out of which he was, was virgin, because it had neither
been polluted by the blood of man nor opened for the burial
of any one. The earth, then, was like the virgin, in order
that he who conquered the son of the virgin earth might be
conquered by the Son of the Virgin Mary. And, behold, he
did conquer; for his wicked craft, through the eating of the
tree by which man, being deceived, came forth from paradise,
kept paradise shut. Thereafter this Son of the virgin conquered
all the craft of the devil. And his craft was such, that when
he saw the Son of the virgin fasting forty days, he knew in
truth that He was the true God. The true God and man,
therefore, hath not given Himself out to be known, except to
those who are pure in heart,^ and who serve Him by good
works. The devil himself, therefore, when he saw that after
the forty days He was again hungry, was deceived into thinking
that He was not God, and said to ' Him, Why hast thou been
hungry ? tell these stones to become loaves, and eat. And the
Lord answered him. Listen, devil; although thou mayst lord
it over man, because he has not kept the commandment of
God, I have fulfilled the righteousness of God in having fasted,
and shall destroy thy power, so that thou shalt no longer lord
it over man. And when he saw himself conquered, he again
takes Jesus to an exceeding high mountain, and shows Him all
1 Cf. Luke iv. 1-13. ^ Matt. v. 8.
2E
434 MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS
the kingdoms of the world, and says, All these will I give
thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. The Lord says
to him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve. And there was a third temptation for the Lord ; for he
takes Him up to the pinnacle of the temple, and says. If thou
art the Son of God, cast thyself down. The Lord says to him.
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And the devil dis-
appeared. And he indeed that once conquered Adam, the son
of the virgin earth, was thrice conquered by Christ, the Son of
the Virgin Mary.
And when the Lord had conquered the tyrant. He sent His
apostles into all the world, that He might redeem His people
from the deception of the devil; and one of these I am, an
apostle of Christ. On this account we seek not after gold and
silver, but rather despise them, because we labour to be rich in
that place where the kingdom of Him alone endureth ^ for ever,
where neither trouble, nor grief, nor groaning, nor death, has
place; where there is eternal blessedness, and ineffable joy,
and everlasting exultation, and perpetual repose. Wherefore
also the demon sitting in your temple, who makes responses
to you, is kept in chains through the angel of the Lord who
has sent me. Because if thou shalt be baptized, and wishest
thyself to be enlightened, I will make thee behold Him, and
learn from how great evils thou hast been redeemed. At the
same time hear also by what means he injures all those who
are. lying sick in the temple. The devil himself by his own art
causes the men to be sick, and again to be healed, in order that
they may the more believe in the idols, and in order that he
may have place the more in their souls, in order that they may
say to the stock and the stone. Thou art our God.^ But that
demon who dwells in the idol is held in subjection, conquered
by me, and is able to give no response to those who sacrifice
and pray there. And if thou wishest to prove that it is so, I
order him to return into the idol, and I will make him confess
with his own mouth that he is bound, and able to give no
response.
The king says to him : To-morrow, at the first hour of the
1 Lit., reigneth. ^ Jer. ii. 27.
APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW. 435
day, the priests are ready to sacrifice in the temple, and I shall
come there, and shall be able to see this wonderful work.
-And it came to pass on the following day, as they were
sacrificing, the devil began to cry out: Eefrain, ye wretched
ones, from sacrificing to me, lest ye suffer worse for my sake ;
because I am bound in fiery chains, and kept in subjection by
an angel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom the
Jews crucified : for, being afraid of him, they condemned him
to death. And he put to death Death himself, our king, and
he bound our prince in chains of fire ; and on the third day,
having conquered death and the devil, rose in glory, and gave
the sign of the cross to liis apostles, and sent them out into
the four quarters of the world ; and one of them is here just
now, who lias bound me, and keeps me in subjection. I implore
you, therefore, supplicate him on my accoimt, that he may set
me free to go into other habitations.
Then the apostle answered : Confess, unclean demon, who is
it that has injured all those that are lying here from heavy
diseases ? The demon answered : The devil, our ruler, he who
is bound, he sends us against men, that, having first injured
their bodies, we may thus also make an assault upon their
souls when they sacrifice to us. For then we have complete
power over them, when they believe in us and sacrifice to us.
And when, on account of the mischief done to them, we retire,
we appear curing them, and are worshipped by them as gods ;
but in truth we are demons, and the servants of him who was
crucified, the Son of the virgin, have bound us. For from that
day on which the Apostle Bartholomew came I am punished,
kept bound in chains of fire. And for this reason I speak,
because he has commanded me. At the same time, I dare not
utter more when the apostle is present, neither I nor our rulers.
The apostle says to him : Why dost thou not save all that
have come to thee ? The demon says to him : When we injure
their bodies, unless we first injure their souls, we do not let
their bodies go. The apostle says to him : And how do you
injure their souls ? The demon answered him : When they
believe that we are gods, and sacrifice to us, God withdraws
from those who sacrifice, and we do not take away the sufferings
of their bodies, but retire into their souls.
436 MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLT AND GLORIOUS
Then the apostle says to the people : Behold, the god whom
you thought to cure you, does the more mischief to your souls
and bodies. Hear even now your Maker who dwells in the
heavens, and do not believe in lifeless stones and stocks. And
if you wish that I should pray for you, and that all these may
receive health, take down this idol, and break it to pieces ; and
when you have done this, I will sanctify this temple in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and having baptized all of you
who are in it in the baptism of the Lord, and sanctified you, I
will save all.
Then the king gave orders, and all the people brought ropes
and crowbars, and were not at all able to take down the idol.
Then the apostle says to them: Unfasten the ropes. And
when they had unfastened them, he said to the demon dwelling
in it : In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, come out of this
idol, and go into a desert place, where neither winged creature
utters a cry, nor voice of man has ever been heard. And
straightway he arose at the word of the apostle, and lifted it
up from its foundations ; and in that same hour all the idols
that were in that place were broken to pieces.
Then all cried out with one voice, saying : He alone is God
Almighty whom Bartholomew the apostle proclaims. Then the
holy Bartholomew, having spread forth his hands to heaven,
said : God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, who for
the salvation of men hast sent forth Thine only begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, in order that He might redeem by His
own blood all of us enslaved by sin, and declare us to be Thy
sons, that we may know Thee, the true God, that Thou existest
always to eternity God without end : one God, the Father,
acknowledged in Son and Holy Spirit; one God, the Son,
glorified in Father and Holy Spirit ; one God, the Holy Spirit,
worshipped in Father and Son ; and acknowledged to be truly
one,^ the Father unbegotten, the Son begotten, the Holy Spirit
proceeding ; and in Thee the Father, and in the Holy Spirit,
Thine only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ is, in whose
name Thou hast given us power to heal the sick, to cure para-
lytics, to expel demons, and raise the dead : for He said to us,
Verily I say unto you, that whatever ye shall ask in my name
J Or, unity.
APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW. 437
ye shall receive.^ I entreat, then, that in His name all this
multitude may be saved, that all may know that Thou alone
art God in heaven, and in the earth, and in the sea, who seekest
the salvation of men through that same Jesus Christ our Lord,
with whom Thou livest and reignest in unity of the Holy SjDirit
for ever and ever.
And when all responded to the Amen, suddenly there appeared
an angel of the Lord, shining brighter than the sun, winged,
and other four angels holding up the four corners of the
temple ; and with his finger the one sealed the temple and the
people, and said : Thus saith the Lord who hath sent me. As
you have all been purified from all your infirmity, so also this
temple shall be purified from all uncleanness, and from the
demons dwelling in it, whom the apostle of God has ordered
to go into a desert place ; for so hath God commanded me, that
I may manifest Him to you. And when ye behold Him, fear
nothing ; but when I make the sign of the cross, so also do ye
with your finger seal your faces, and these evil things will flee
from you. Then he showed them the denion who dwelt in the
temple, like an Ethiopian, black as soot ; his face sharp like a
dog's, thin-cheeked, with hair down to his feet, eyes like fire,
sparks coming out of his mouth ; and out of his nostrils came
forth smoke like sulphur, with wings spined like a porcupine ;
and his hands were bound with fiery chains, and he was firmly
kept in. And the angel of the Lord said to him : As also tlie
apostle hath commanded, I let thee go ; go where voice of man
is not heard, and be there until the great day of judgment.
And when he let him go, he flew away, groaning and weeping,
and disappeared. And the angel of the Lord went up into
heaven in the sight of all.
Then the king, and also the queen, with their two sons, and
with all his people, and with all the multitude of the city, and
every city round about, and country, and whatever land his
kingdom ruled over, were saved, and believed, and were bap-
tized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. And the king laid aside his diadem, and followed
Bartholomew the apostle of Christ.
And after these things the unbelievers of the Greeks, having
» Matt. xxi. 22.
438 MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS
come together to Astreges^ tlie king, who was the elder brother
of the king who had been baptized, say to him : 0 king, thy
brother Polymius has become disciple to a certain magician,
who has taken down our temples, and broken our gods to
pieces. And while they were thus speaking and weeping,
behold, again there came also some others from the cities
round about, both priests^ and people ; and they set about
weeping and making accusations^ before the king. Then King
Astreges in a rage sent a thousand armed men along with those
priests, in order that, wherever they should find the apostle,
they might bring him to him bound. And when they had
done so, and found him, and brought him, he says to him :
Art thou he who has perverted my brother from the gods ?
To whom the apostle answered: I have not perverted him,
but have converted him to God. The king says to him : Art
thou he who caused our gods to be broken in pieces ? The
apostle says to him : I gave power to the demons who were in
them, and they broke in pieces the dumb and senseless idols,
that all men might believe in God Almighty, who dwelleth in
the heavens. The king says to him : As thou hast made my
brother deny his gods, and believe in thy God, so I also will
make thee reject thy God and believe in my gods. The apostle
says to him : If I have bound and kept in subjection the god
which thy brother worshipped, and at my order the idols were
broken in pieces, if thou also art able to do the same to my
God, thou canst persuade me also to sacrifice to thy gods ; but
if thou canst do nothing to my God, I will break all thy gods
in pieces ; but do thou believe in my God.
And when he had thus spoken, the king was informed that
his god Baldad * and all the other idols had fallen down, and
were broken in pieces. Then the king rent the purple in
which he was clothed, and ordered the holy apostle Bartho-
lomew to be beaten with rods; and after having been thus
scourged, to be beheaded.
And innumerable multitudes came from all the cities, to the
• Abdias calls him Astyages ; elsewhere he is called Sanathrugus.
2 Lit., no-priests — fitifii; for fih 'npiTs — a name given in scorn to heathen priests
by Christian writers.
3 Lit., calling out * Abdias calls him Vualdath.
APOSTLE BARTHOLOMEW. 439
number of twelve thousand, who had believed in him along
with the king ; and they took ujd the remains of the apostle
with singing of praise and with all glory, and they laid them
in the royal tomb, and glorified God. And the king Astreges
having heard of this, ordered him to be thrown into the sea ;
and his remains were carried into the island of Liparis.
And it came to pass on the thirtieth day after the apostle
was carried away, that the king Astreges was overpowered by
a demon and miserably strangled; and all the priests were
strangled by demons, and perished on account of their rising
against ^ the apostle, and thus died by an evil fate.
And there was great fear and trembling, and all came to the
Lord, and were baptized by the presbyters who had been
ordained by the holy apostle Bartholomew. And according
to the commandment of the apostle, all the clergy of the people
made King Polymius bishop; and in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ he received the grace of healing, and began to do
signs. And he remained in the bishopric twenty years ; and
having prospered in all things, and governed the church well,
and guided it in right opinions,^ he fell asleep in peace, and
went to the Lord : to whom be glory and strength for ever and
ever. Amen.
' Or it may mean : that the apostle might be established.
2 Or, in orthodoxy.
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THABDJIUS,
ONE OF THE TWELVE.
EBB.^US, who also is Thaddseus, was of the city of
Edessa — and it is the metropolis of Osroene, in
the interior of the Armenosyrians — an Hebrew by
race, accomplished and most learned in the divine
writings. He came to Jerusalem to worship in the days of
John the Baptist ; and having heard his preaching and seen his
angelic life, he was baptized, and his name was called Thad-
dseus. And having seen the appearing of Christ, and His
teaching, and His wonderful works, he followed Him, and be-
came His disciijle ; and He chose him as one of the twelve, the
tenth apostle according to the Evangelists Matthew and Mark.
In those times there was a governor of the city of Edessa,
Abgarus by name. And there having gone abroad the fame of
Christ, of the wonders which He did, and of His teaching,
Abgarus having heard of it, was astonished, and desired to see
Christ, and could not leave his city and government. And
about the days of the Passion and the plots of the Jews,
Abgarus, being seized by an incurable disease, sent a letter to
Christ by Ananias the courier,^ to the following effect: — To
Jesus called Christ, Abgarus the governor of the country of the
Edessenes, an unworthy slave. The multitude of the wonders
done by thee has been heard of by me, that thou healest the
blind, the lame, and the paralytic, and curest all the demoniacs ;
and on this account I entreat thy goodness to come even to
us, and • escape from the plottings of the wicked Jews, which
through envy they set in motion against thee. My city is
small, but large enough for both. Abgarus enjoined Ananias
^ Lit., tlie swift ruiiuer.
440
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THADD^US. 441
to take accurate account of Christ, of what appearance He was,
and His stature, and His hair, and in a word everything.
And Ananias, having gone and given the letter, was care-
fully looking at Christ, but was unable to fix Him in his mind.
And He knew as knowing the heart, and asked to wash Him-
self; and a towel ^ was given Him; and when He had washed
Himself, He wiped His face with it. And His image having
been imprinted upon the linen, He gave it to Ananias, saying :
Give this, and take back this message, to him that sent thee :
Peace to thee and thy city ! For because of this I am come, to
suffer for the world, and to rise again, and to raise up the fore-
fathers. And after I have been taken up into the heavens I
shall send thee my disciple Thaddseus, who shall enlighten thee,
and guide thee into all the truth, both thee and thy city.
And having received Ananias, and fallen down and adored
the likeness, Abgarus was cured of his disease before Thad-
dseus came.
And after the passion, and the resurrection, and the ascen-
sion, Thaddseus went to Abgarus ; and having found him in
health, he gave him an account of the incarnation of Christ,
and baptized him, with all his house. And having instructed
great multitudes, both of Hebrews and Greeks, Syrians and
Armenians, he baptized them in the name of the Father, and
Son, and Holy Spirit, having anointed them with the holy per-
fume ; and he communicated to them of the undefiled mysteries
of the sacred body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
delivered to them to keep and observe the law of Moses, and
to give close heed to the things that had been said by the
apostles in Jerusalem. For year by year they came together
to the passover, and again he imparted to them the Holy
Spirit.
And Thaddceus along with Abgarus destroyed idol-temples
and built churches; ordained as bishop one of his disciples,
and presbyters, and deacons, and gave them the rule of the
psalmody and the holy liturgy. And having left them, he
went to the city of Amis, great metropolis of the Mesechal-
deans and Syrians, that is, of Mesopotamia-Syria, beside the
river Tigris. And he having gone into the synagogue of the
^ Lit., doubled in ioitr.
442 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THADDJEUS.
Jews along witli his disciples on the Sabbath-day, after the
reading of the law the high priest said to Thaddeeus and his
disciples : Men, whence are you ? and why are you here ?
And Thaddseus said : No doubt you have heard of what has
taken place in Jerusalem about Jesus Christ, and we are His
disciples, and witnesses of the wonderful things which He did
and taught, and how through hatred the chief priests delivered
Him to Pilate the procurator of Judsea. And Pilate, having
examined Him and found no case,^ wished to let Him go;
but they cried out. If thou let him go, thou art not Csesar's
friend, because he proclaims himself king. And he being
afraid, washed his hands in the sight of the multitude, and said,
I am innocent of the blood of this man ; see ye to it. And
the chief priests answered and said, His blood be upon us and
our children. And Pilate gave Him up to them. And they
took Him, and spit upon Him, with the soldiers, and made
a great mock of Him, and crucified Him, and laid Him in
the tomb, and secured it well, having also set guards upon
Him. And on the third day before dawn He rose, leaving His
burial-clothes in the tomb. And He was seen first by His
mother and other women, and by Peter and John first of my
fellow-disciples, and thereafter to us the twelve, who ate and
drank with Him after His resurrection for many days. And
He sent us in His name to proclaim repentance and remission
of sins to all the nations, that those who were baptized, having
had the kingdom of the heavens preached to them, would rise
up incorruptible at the end of this age ; and He gave us power
to expel demons, and heal every disease and every malady, and
raise the dead.
And the multitudes having heard this, brought together their
sick and demoniacs. And Thaddseus, having gone forth along
with his disciples, laid his hand upon each one of them, and
healed them all by calling upon the name of Christ. And the
demoniacs were healed before Thaddseus came near them, the
spirits going out of them. And for many days the people ran
together from different places, and beheld what was done by
Thaddseus. And hearing his teaching, many believed, and
were baptized, confessing their sins.
' Or, fault.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE THADDJEUS. 443
Having therefore remained with them for five years, he
built a church; and having appointed as bishop one of his
disciples, and presbyters, and deacons, and prayed for them,
he went away, going round the cities of Syria, and teaching,
and healing all the sick ; whence he brought many cities and
countries to Christ through His teaching. Teaching, therefore,
and evangelizing along with the disciples, and healing the sick,
he went to Bery tus, a city of Phoenicia by the sea ; ^ and there,
having taught and enlightened many, he fell asleep on the
twenty-first^ of the month of August. And the disciples hav-
ing come together, buried him with great honour ; and many
sick were healed, and they gave glory to the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
' The other MS. here adds : And having gone into it, he preached Christ, say-
ing to them all with tears, Ye men who have ears to hear, hear from me the
word of life ; hear attentively, and understand. Cast off your many opinions,
and believe and come to the one living and true God, the God of the Hebrews.
For He only is the true God and Maker of the whole creation, searching the
hearts of mankind, and knowing all about each one before their birth, as being
the Maker of them all. To Him alone, fixing your eyes upon heaven, fall down
evening and morning, and at noon, and to Him alone off'er the sacrifice of praise,
and give thanks always, refraining from what you yourselves hate ; because
God is compassionate and benevolent, and recompenses to each one according to
his works.
« The Paris MS. has 20th.
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN.
ABOUT HIS EXILE AND DEPARTURE.
HEN" Agrippa, whom, on account of his plotting
against Peace, they stoned and put to death, was
king of the Jews, Vespasian Csesar, coming with a
great army, invested Jerusalem ; and some prisoners
of war he took and slew, others he destroyed by famine in the
siege, and most he banished, and at length scattered up and
down. And having destroyed the temple, and put the holy
vessels on board a ship, he sent them to Eome, to make for
himself a temple of peace, and adorned it with the spoils of
war.
And when Vespasian was dead, his son Domitian, having
got possession of the kingdom, along with his other wrongful
acts, set himself also to make a persecution against the right-
eous men. Tor, having learned that the city was filled with
Jews, remembering the orders given by his father about them,
he purposed casting them all out of the city of the Romans.
And some of the Jews' took courage, and gave Domitian a book,
in which was written as follows : —
O Domitian, Csesar and king of all the world, as many of us
as are Jews entreat thee, as suppliants we beseech of thy power
not to banish us from thy divine and benignant countenance ;
for we are obedient to thee, and the customs, and laws, and
practices, and policy, doing wrong in nothing, but being of the
same mind with the Romans. But there is a new and strange
nation, neither agreeing with other nations nor consenting to
the religious observances of the Jews, ujicircumcised, inhuman,
Hi
ACTS OF THE APOSTLE JOHN. 445
lawless, subverting whole houses, proclaiming a man as God,
all assembling together ^ under a strange name, that of Christian.
These men reject God, paying no heed to the law given by Him,
and proclaim to be the Son of God a man born of ourselves,
Jesus by name, whose parents and brothers and all his family
have been connected with the Hebrews ; whom on account of
his great blasphemy and his wicked fooleries we gave up to
the cross. And they add another blasphemous lie to their first
one : him that was nailed up and buried, they glorify as having
risen from the dead ; and, more than this, they falsely assert
that he has been taken up by ^ clouds into the heavens.
At all this the king, being affected with rage, ordered the
senate to publish a decree that they should put to death all
who confessed themselves to be Christians. Those, then, who
were found in the time of his rage, and who reaped the fruit of
patience, and were crowned in the triumphant contest against
the works of the devil, received the repose of incorruption.
And the fame of the teaching of John was spread abroad in
Eome ; and it came to the ears of Domitian that there was a
certain Hebrew in Ephesus, John by name, who spread a report
about the seat of empire of the Romans, saying that it would
quickly be rooted out, and that the kingdom of the Eomans
would be given over to another. And Domitian, troubled by
what was said, sent a centurion with soldiers to seize John,
and bring him. And having gone to Ephesus, they asked
where John lived. And having come up to his gate, they
found him standing before the door ; and, thinking that he w^as
the porter, they inquired of him where John lived. And he
answered and said : I am he. And they, despising his common,
and low, and poor appearance, were filled with threats, and
said : Tell us the truth. And when he declared again that he
was the man they sought, the neighbours moreover bearing
witness to it, they said that he was to go with them at once to
the king in Eome. And, urging them to take provisions for
the journey, he turned and took a few dates, and straightway
went forth.
1 Tischendorf gives a conjectural reading : who is present to them when they
assemble ; but the Mss. reading will bear the interpretation given above.
2 Or, in.
446 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
And the soldiers, having taken the public conveyances,
travelled fast, having seated him in the midst of them. And
when they came to the first change, it being the hour of break-
fast, they entreated him to be of good courage, and to take
bread, and eat with them. And John said: I rejoice in soul
indeed, but in the meantime I do not wish to take any food.
And they started, and were carried along quickly. And when
it was evening they stopped at a certain inn ; and as, besides, it
was the hour of supper, the centurion and the soldiers being
most kindly disposed, entreated John to make use of what was
set before them. But he said that he was very tired, and in
want of sleep more than any food. And as he did this each
day, all the soldiers were struck with amazement, and were
afraid lest John should die, and involve them in danger. But
the Holy Spirit showed him to them as more cheerful. And
on the seventh day, it being the Lord's day, he said to them :
Now it is time for me also to partake of food. And having
washed his hands and face, he prayed, and brought out the
linen cloth, and took one of the dates, and ate it in the sight
of aU.
And when they had ridden a long time they came to the end
of their journey, John thus fasting. And they brought him
before the king, and said : Worshipful king, we bring to thee
John, a god, not a man ; for, from the hour in which we appre-
hended him, to the present, he has not tasted bread. At this
Domitian being amazed, stretched out his mouth on account of
the wonder, wishing to salute him with a kiss ; but John bent
down his head, and kissed his breast. And Domitian said : Why
hast thou done this ? Didst thou not think me worthy to kiss
thee ? And John said to him : It is right to adore the hand of
G-od first of all, and in this way to kiss the mouth of the king ;
for it is written in the holy books. The heart of a king is in
the hand of God.^
And the king said to him : Art thou John, who said that my
kingdom would speedily be uprooted, and that another king,
Jesus, was going to reign instead of me ? And John answered
and said to him : Thou also shalt reign for many years given
thee by God, and after thee very many others ; and when the
^ Prov. xxi. 1.
JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN. 447
times of the tilings upon earth have been fulfilled, out of heaven
shall come a King, eternal, true, Judge of living and dead, to
whom every nation and tribe shall confess, through whom
every earthly power and dominion shall be brought to nothing,
and every mouth speaking great things shall be shut. This is
the mighty Lord and King of everything that hath breath and
flesh,^ the Word and Son of the living One, who is Jesus Christ.
At this Domitian said to him : What is the proof of these
things ? I am not persuaded by words only; words are a sight
of the unseen.^ What canst thou show in earth or heaven by
the power of him who is destined to reign, as thou sayest?
For he will do it, if he is the Son of God. And immediately
John asked for a deadly poison. And the king having ordered
poison to be given to him, they brought it on the instant.
John therefore, having taken it, put it into a large cup, and
filled it with water, and mixed it, and cried out with a loud
voice, and said : In Thy name, Jesus Christ, Son of God, I
drink the cup which Thou wilt sweeten ; and the poison in it
do Thou mingle with Thy Holy Spirit, and make it become a
draught of life and salvation, for the healing of soul and body,
for digestion and harmless assimilation, for faith not to be
repented of, for an undeniable testimony of death as the cup
of thanksgiving.^ And when he had drunk the cup, those
standing beside Domitian expected that he was going to fall to
the ground in convulsions. And when John stood, cheerful,
and talked with them safe, Domitian was enraged against those
who had given the poison, as having spared John. But they
swore by the fortune and health of the king, and said that
there could not be a stronger poison than this. And John,
imderstanding what they were whispering to one another, said
to the king : Do not take it ill, 0 king, but let a trial be made,*
and thou shalt learn the power of the poison. Make some
condemned criminal be brought from the prison. And when
he had come, John put water into the cup, and swirled it round,
and gave it with all the dregs to the condemned criminal.
1 Lit., of all breath and flesh.
^ Equal to our proverb, Seeing is believing.
3 i.e. the Eucharist.
* Tischendorf conjectures this clause, as the original is illegible.
448 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
And he, having taken it and drunk, immediately fell down and
died.
And when all wondered at the signs that had been done,
and when Domitian had retired and gone to his palace, John
said to him : 0 Domitian, king of the Eomans, didst thou con-
trive this, that, thou being present and bearing witness, I might
to-day become a murderer ? What is to be done about the
dead body which is lying ? And he ordered it to be taken and
thrown away. But John, going up to the dead body, said : 0
God, Maker of the heavens, Lord and Master of angels, of
glories, of powers, in the name of Jesus Christ, Thine only
begotten Son, give to tliis man who has died for this occasion
a renewal of life, and restore him his soul, that Domitian may
learn that the Word is much more powerful than poison, and is
the ruler of life. And having taken him by the hand, he raised
him up alive.
And when all were glorifying God, and wondering at the
faith of John, Domitian said to him : I have put forth a decree
of the senate, that all such persons should be summarily dealt
with, without trial ; but since I find from thee that they are
innocent, and that their religion is rather beneficial, I banish
thee to an island, that I may not seem myself to do away with
my own decrees. He asked then that the condemned criminal
should be let go ; and when he was let go, John said : Depart,
give thanks to God, who has this day delivered thee from prison
and from death.
And while they were standing, a certain home-born slave of
Domitian's, of those in the bed-chamber, was suddenly seized
by the unclean demon, and lay dead ; and word was brought
to the ' king. And the king was moved, and entreated John to
help her. And John said : It is not in man to do this ; but
since thou knowest how to reign, but dost not know from whom
thou hast received it, learn who has the power over both thee
and thy kingdom. And he prayed thus : 0 Lord, the God of
every kingdom, and master of every creature, give to this
maiden the breath of life. And having prayed, he raised her
up. And Domitian, astonished at all the wonders, sent him
away to an island, appointing for him a set time.
And straightway John sailed to Patmos, where also he was
JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN. 449
deemed worthy to see the revelation of the end. And when
Domitian was dead, Nerva succeeded to the kingdom, and re-
called all who had been banished ; and having kept the king-
dom for a year, he made Trajan his successor in the kingdom.
And when he was king over the Eomans, John went to Ephesus,
and regulated all the teaching of the church, holding many
conferences, and reminding them of what the Lord had said to
them, and what duty he had assigned to each. And when he
was old and changed, he ordered Polycarp to be bishop over
the church.
And what like his end was, or his departure from men, who
cannot give an account of ? For on the following day, which
was the Lord's day, and in the presence of the brethren, he be-
gan to say to them : Brethren, and fellow-servants, and co-heirs,
and copartners of the kingdom of the Lord, know the Lord
what miracles He hath shown you through me, what wonders,
what cures, what signs, what gracious gifts, teachings, ruli'ngs,
rests, services, glories, graces, gifts, faiths, communions ; how
many things you have seen with your eyes, that ear hath not
heard. Be strong, therefore, in Him, remembering Him in all
your doings, knowing the mystery of the dispensation that has
come to men, for the sake of which the Lord has worked. He
then, through me, exhorts you : Brethren, I wish to remain
without grief, without insult, without treachery, without punish-
ment. For He also knows insult from you. He knows also dis-
honour. He knows also treachery. He knows also punishment
from those that disobey His commandments. Let not therefore
our God be grieved, the good, the compassionate, the merciful,
the holy, the pure, the undefiled, the only, the one, the im-
mutable, the sincere, the guileless, the slow to anger. He that
is higher and more exalted than every name that we speak or
think of — our God, Jesus Christ. Let Him rejoice along with
us because we conduct ourselves well ; let Him be glad because
we live in purity ; let Him rest because we behave reverently ;
let Him be pleased because we live in fellowship ; let Him smile
because we are sober-minded ; let Him be delighted because we
love. These things, bretliren, I communicate to you, pressing
on to the work set before me, already perfected for me by the
Lord. For what else have I to say to you ? Keep the sureties
450 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
of your God ; keep His presence, that shall not be taken away
from you. And if then ye sin no more, He will forgive you
what ye have done in ignorance ; but if, after ye have known
Him, and He has had compassion upon you, you return to the
like courses, even your former offences will be laid to your
charge, and ye shall have no portion or compassion before His
face.^
And when he had said this to them, he thus prayed : Jesus,
who didst wreathe this crown by Thy twining, who hast in-
serted these many flowers into the everlasting flower of Thy
countenance, who hast sown these words among them, be Thou
Thyself the protector and healer of Thy people. Thou alone art
benignant and not haughty, alone merciful and kind, alone a
Saviour, and just ; Thou who always seest what belongs to all,
and art in all, and everywhere present, God Lord Jesus Christ ;
who with Thy gifts and Thy compassion coverest those that
hope in Thee ; who knowest intimately those that everywhere
speak against us, and blaspheme Thy holy name, do Thou alone,
0 Lord, help Thy servants with Thy watchful care. So be it,
Lord.
And having asked bread, he gave thanks thus, saying : What
praise, or what sort of offering, or what thanksgiving, shall we,,
breaking the bread, invoke, but Thee only ? We glorify the
name by which Thou hast been called by the Father; we
glorify the name by which Thou hast been called through the
Son ; we glorify the resurrection which has been manifested to
us through Thee ; of Thee we glorify the seed,^ the word, the
grace, the true pearl, the treasure, the plough, the net,' the
majesty, the diadem, Him called Son of man for our sakes, the
truth, the rest, the knowledge, the freedom, the place of refuge
in Thee. For Thou alone art Lord, the root of immortality,
and the fountain of incorruption, and the seat of the ages ; Thou
who hast been called all these for our sakes, that now we, call-
ing upon Thee through these, may recognise Thine illimitable
majesty, presented to us by Thy presence, that can be seen
only by the pure, seen in Thine only Son,
And having broken the bread, he gave it to us, praying for
each of the brethren, that he might be worthy of the Eucharist
1 Cf. Heb. X. 26. ^ Or, sowing. ^ Cf, Matt. xiii.
JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN. 451
of the Lord. He also therefore, having likewise tasted it, said :
To me also let there be a portion with you, and peace, 0 be-
loved. And having thus spoken, and confirmed the brethren,
he said to Eutyches, also named Verus : Behold, I appoint thee
a minister ^ of the church of Christ, and I entrust to thee the
flock of Christ. Be mindful, therefore, of the commandments
of the Lord ; and if thou shouldst fall into trials or dangers, be
not afraid : for thou shalt fall under many troubles, and thou
shalt be shown to be an eminent witness ^ of the Lord. Thus,
then, Verus, attend to the flock as a servant of God, until the
time appointed for thy testimony.
And when John had spoken this, and more than this, hav-
ing entrusted to him the flock of Christ, he says to him : Take
some brethren, with baskets and vessels, and follow me. And
Eutyches, without considering,^ did what he was bid. And
the blessed John having gone forth from the house, went out-
side of the gates, having told the multitude to stand off from
him. And having come to the tomb of one of our brethren,
he told them to dig. And they dug. And he says : Let the
trench be deeper. And as they dug, he conversed with those
who had come out of the house with him, building them up,
and furnishing them thoroughly into the majesty of the Lord.
And when the young men had finished the trench, as he had
wished, while we knew * nothing, he takes off the clothes he
had on, and throws them, as if they were some bedding, into
the depth of the trench ; and, standing in only his drawers,^
stretched forth his hands, and prayed.
0 God, who hast chosen us for the mission ® of the Gentiles,
who hast sent us out into the world, who hast declared Thyself
through the apostles ; who hast never rested, but always savest
from the foundation of the world; who hast made Thyself
known through all nature ; who hast made our wild and savage
nature quiet and peaceable ; who hast given Thyself to it when
thirsting after knowledge ;^ who hast put to death its adversary,
1 Or, deacon. ^ i.e. martyr.
' The other ms. has : not without concern. ■* Or, saw.
6 The word liypaxrity is not to be found in any of the dictionaries. Peril aps
it is a misreading of "hiccXuvrpa.
* Or, apostleship. ' Lit., words or reasons.
452 ACTS OF THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
when it took refuge in Thee ; who hast given it Thy hand, and
raised it from the things done in Hades ; who hast shown it its
own enemy ; who hast in purity turned its thoughts upon Thee,
0 Christ Jesus, Lord of things in heaven, and law of things on
earth, the course of things aerial, and guardian of things etherial,
the fear of those under the earth, and grace of Thine own people,
receive also the soul of Thy John, which has been certainly
deemed worthy by Thee, Thou who hast preserved me also till
the present hour pure to Thyself, and free from intercourse
with woman ; who, when I wished in my youth to marry, didst
appear to me, and say, I am in need of thee, John ; who didst
strengthen for me beforehand my bodily weakness ; who, when
a third time I wished to marry, didst say to me at the third
hour, in the sea, John, if thou wert not mine, I would let thee
marry ; who hast opened up the sight of my mind, and hast
favoured my bodily ^ eyes ; who, when I was looking about me,
didst call even the gazing upon a woman hateful; who didst
deliver me from temporary show, and preserve me for that
which endureth for ever ; who didst separate me from the filthy
madness of the flesh ; who didst stop up ^ the secret disease of
the soul, and cut out its open actions ; who didst afflict and
banish him who rebelled in me ; who didst establish my love
to Thee spotless and unimpaired ; who didst give me undoubting
faith in Thee ; who hast drawn out for me pure thoughts towards
Thee ; who hast given me the due reward of my works ; who
hast set it in my soul to have no other possession than Thee
alone : for what is more precious than Thou ? Now, 0 Lord,
when I have accomplished Thy stewardship with which I
was entrusted, make me worthy of Thy repose, having wrought
that which is perfect in Thee, which is ineffable salvation.
And as I go to Thee, let the fire withdraw, let darkness be over-
come, let the furnace be slackened, let Gehenna be extinguished,
let the angels follow, let the demons be afraid, let the princes
be broken in pieces, let the powers of darkness fall, let the
places on the right hand stand firm, let those on the left abide
not, let the devil be muzzled, let Satan be laughed to scorn, let
his madness be tamed, let his wrath be broken, let his children
be trodden under foot, and let all his root be uprooted; and
' Or, visible. ^ Or, muzzle.
JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN. 453
grant to me to accomplish the journey to Thee, not msulted,
not despitefully treated, and to receive what Thou hast promised
to those that live in purity, and that have loved a holy life.
And gazing towards heaven, he glorified God ; and having
sealed himself altogether, he stood and said to us, Peace and
grace be with you, brethren ! and sent the brethren away. And
when they went on the morrow they did not find him, but his
sandals, and a fountain welling up. And after that they re-
membered what had been said to Peter by the Lord about him:
For what does it concern thee if I should wish him to remain
until I come ? ^ And they glorified God for the miracle that
had happened. And having thus believed, they retired praising
and blessing the benignant God ; because to Him is due glory
now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
» John xxi. 22.
KEVELATION OF MOSES.
iJCCOUNT and life of Adam and Eve, the first-created,
revealed by God to His servant Moses, when he
received from the hand of the Lord the tables of
the law of the covenant, instructed by the arch-
angel Michael.
This is the account of Adam and Eve. After they went
forth out of paradise, Adam took Eve his wife, and went up
into the east. And he remained there eighteen years and two
months ; and Eve conceived and brought forth two sons, Dia-
photus called Cain, and Amilabes ^ called Abel.
And after this, Adam and Eve were with one another ; and
when they lay down. Eve said to Adam her lord : My lord, I
have seen in a dream this night the blood of my son Amilabes,
who is called Abel, thrown into the mouth of Cain his brother,
and he drank it without pity. And he entreated him to grant
him a little of it, but he did not listen to him, but drank it all
up ; and it did not remain in his belly, but came forth out of
his mouth. And Adam said to Eve : Let us arise, and go and
see what has happened to them, lest perchance the enemy
should be in any way warring against them.
And having both gone, they found Abel killed by the hand
of Cain his brother. And God says to the archangel Michael :
Say to Adam, Do not relate the mystery which thou knowest
to thy son Cain, for he is a son of wrath. But grieve thyself
not ; for I will give thee instead of him another son, who shall
show thee all things, as many as thou shalt do to him ; but do
thou tell him nothing. This God said to His angel ; and Adam
1 There is great variety as to these names in the Mss. The true reading was
probably lia^vrup or 'iia/punuTri;, a planter, and finXaTi; or fitiXofiirtit, a keeper
of sheep.
454
REVELA TION OF MOSES. 455
kept the word in liis heart, and with him Eve also, having
grief about Abel their son.
And after this, Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived
and brought forth Seth. And Adam says to Eve : Behold, we
have brought forth a son instead of Abel whom Cain slew ; let
us give glory and sacrifice to God.
And Adam had ' thirty sons and thirty daughters.^ And he
fell into disease, and cried with a loud voice, and said : Let all
my sons come to me, that I may see them before I die. And
they were all brought together, for the earth was inhabited in
three parts ; and they all came to the door of the house into
which he had entered to pray to God. And his son Seth said :
Father Adam, what is thy disease ? And he says : My children,
great trouble has hold of me. And they say : What is the
trouble and disease ? And Seth answered and said to him : Is
it that thou rememberest the (fruits) of paradise of which thou
didst eat, and grievest thyself because of the desire of them ?
If it is so, tell me, and I will go and bring thee fruit from
paradise. For I will put dung upon my head, and weep and
pray, and the Lord will hearken to me, and send His angel ;
and I shall bring (it) to thee,^ that thy trouble may cease from
thee. Adam says to him : No, my son Seth ; but I have
disease and trouble. Seth says to him : And how have they
come upon thee ? Adam said to him : When God made us,
me and your mother, for whose sake also I die, He gave us
every plant in paradise ; but about one he commanded us not
to eat of it, because on account of it we should die. Aad the
hour was at hand for the angels who guarded your mother to
go up and worship the Lord ; and the enemy gave to her, and
she ate of the tree, knowing that I was not near her, nor the
holy angels ; then she gave me also to eat. And when we
had both eaten, God was angry with us. And the Lord, coming
into paradise, set His throne, and called with a dreadful voice,
saying, Adam, where art thou ? and why art thou hidden from
I Lit, made.
■^ One MS. adds : And Adam lived 930 years ; and when he came to his end
he cried, etc.
■* One MS. has : and he will bring to me of the tree in which compassion
f ows, and thy trouble shall cease from thee.
456 RE VELA TION OF MOSES.
my face ? shall the house be hidden from him that built it ?
And He says, Since thou hast forsaken my covenant, I have
brought upon thy body seventy strokes.^ The trouble of the
first stroke is the injury of the eyes ; the trouble of the second
stroke, of the hearing; and so in succession, all the strokes
shall overtake thee.
And Adam thus speaking to his sons, groaned out loud, and
said : What shall I do ? I am. in great grief. And Eve also
wept, saying : My lord Adam, arise, give me the half of thy
disease, and let me bear it, because throvigh me this has hap-
pened to thee ; through me thou art in distresses and troubles.
And Adam said to Eve : Arise, and go with our son Seth near
paradise, and put earth upon your heads, and weep, beseeching
the Lord that He may have compassion upon me, and send
His angel to paradise, and give me of the tree in which flows
the oil out of it, and that thou mayest bring it to me ; and I
shall anoint myself, and have rest, and show thee the manner
in which we were deceived at first.
And Seth and Eve went into the regions of paradise. And
as they were going along. Eve saw her son, and a wild beast
fighting with him. And Eve wept, saying : Woe's me, woe's
me ; for if I come to the day of the resurrection, all who have
sinned will curse me, saying. Eve did not keep the command-
ment of God. And Eve cried out to the wild beast, saying :
0 thou evil wild beast, wilt thou not be afraid to fight with
the image of God ? How has thy mouth been opened ? how
have thy teeth been strengthened ? how hast thou not been
mindful of thy subjection, that thou wast formerly subject to
the image of God ? Then the wild beast cried out, saying : 0
Eve, not against us thy upbraiding nor thy weeping, but against
thyself, since the beginning of the wild beasts was from thee.
How was thy mouth opened to eat of the tree about which
God had commanded thee not to eat of it ? For this reason
also our nature has been changed. Now, therefore, thou shalt
not be able to bear up, if I begin to reproach thee. And Seth
says to the wild beast: Shut thy mouth and be silent, and
stand off from the image of God till the day of judgment.
Then the wild beast says to Seth : Behold, I stand off, Seth,
^ Or, plagues.
REVELATION OF MOSES. Abl
from the image of God. Then the wild beast fled, and left him
wounded, and went to his covert.
And Seth went with his mother Eve near paradise; and
they wept there, beseeching God to send His angel, to give ^
them the oil of compassion. And God sent to them the arch-
angel Michael, and he said to them these words : Seth, man of
God, do not weary thyself praying in this supplication about
the tree in which flows the oil to anoint thy father Adam ; for
it will not happen to thee now, but at the last times. Then
shall arise all flesh from Adam even to that great day, as many
as shall be a holy people ; then shall be given to them all the
delight of paradise, and God shall be in the midst of them ;
and there shall not any more be sinners before Him, because
the wicked heart shall be taken from them, and there shall be
given to them a heart made to understand what is good, and
to worship God only. Do thou again go to thy father, since
the measure of his life has been fulfilled, equal to^ three days.
And when his soul goes out, thou wilt behold its dreadful
passage.
And the angel, having said this, went away from them.
And Seth and Eve came to the tent where Adam was lying.
And Adam says to Eve : Why didst thou work mischief against
us, and bring upon us great wrath, which is death, holding
sway over all our race ? And he says to her : Call all our
children, and our children's children, and relate to them the
manner of our transgression.
Then Eve says to them : Listen, all my children, and my
children's children, and I shall relate to you how our enemy
deceived us. It came to pass, while we were keeping paradise,
that we kept each the portion allotted to him by God. And I
was keeping in my lot the south and west. And the devil
went into the lot of Adam where were the male wild beasts ;
since God parted to us the wild beasts, and had given all the
males to your father, and all the females He gave to me, and
each of us watched his own. And the devil spoke to the
' Lit. , and he will give.
* Perhaps for JVav we should read i1<ru, within. Another reading is : for the
days of his life have been fulfilled, and he will live from to-day three days, and
he will die.
458 REVELATION OF MOSES.
serpent, saying, Arise, come to me, and I shall teU you a thing
in which thou mayst be of service. Then the serpent came to
him, and the devil says to him, I hear that thou art more
sagacious than aU the wild beasts, and I have come to make
thy acquaintance;^ and I have found thee greater than all the
wild beasts, and they associate with thee ; notwithstanding,
thou doest reverence to one far inferior. Why eatest thou of
the tares ^ of Adam and his wife, and not of the fruit of para-
dise ? Arise and come hither, and we shall make him be cast
out of paradise through his wife, as we also were cast out
through him. The serpent says to him, I am afraid lest the
Lord be angry with me. The devil says to him. Be not afraid ;
only become my instrument, and I will speak through thy
mouth a word by which thou shalt be able to deceive him.
Then straightway he hung by the walls of paradise about the
hour when the angels of God went up to worship. Then Satan
came in the form of an angel, and praised God as did the
angels ; and looking out from the wall, I saw him like an angel.
And says he to me. Art thou Eve ? And I said to him, I
am. And says he to me. What doest thou in paradise ? And
I said to him, God has set us to keep it, and to eat of it. The
devil answered me through the mouth of the serpent, Ye do
well, but you do not eat of every plant. And I say to him.
Yes, of every plant we eat, but one only which is in the midst
of paradise, about which God has commanded us not to eat of it,
since you will die the death. Then says the serpent to me. As
God liveth, I am grieved for you, because you are like cattle.
For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this ; but rise, come
hither, listen to me, and eat, and perceive the value of the tree,
as He told us. But I said to him, I am afraid lest God be angry
with me. And he says to me. Be not afraid ; for as soon as
thou eatest, thine eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods
in knowing what is good and what is evil. And God, knowing
this, that ye shall be like Him, has had a grudge against you,
and said, Ye shall not eat of it. But do thou observe the plant,
' C has : I take counsel with thee.
2 It seems to be settled that the zizania of the Greeks, the zaivdn of the Arabs,
was darnel ; but, from the associations connected with the word, it is better to
keep the common translation.
REVELATION OF MOSES. 459
and thou shalt see great glory about it. And I observed the
plant, and saw great glory about it. And I said to him, It is
beautiful to the eyes to perceive; and I was afraid to take
of the fruit. And he says to me, Come, I will give to thee :
follow me. And I opened to him, and he came inside into
paradise, and went through it before me. And having walked
a little, he turned, and says to me, I have changed my mind,
and will not give thee to eat. And this he said, wishing at
last to entice and destroy me. And he says to me. Swear to
me that thou wilt give also to thy husband. And I said to
him, I know not by what oath I shall swear to thee ; but what
I know I say to thee. By the throne of the Lord, and the
cherubim, and the tree of life, I will give also to my husband
to eat. And when he had taken the oath from me, then he
went and ascended upon it. And he put upon the fruit whicli
he gave me to eat the poison of his wickedness, that is, of his
desire ; for desire is the head ^ of all sin. And I bent down
the branch to the ground, and took of the fruit, and ate. And
in that very hour mine eyes were opened, and I knew that I
was stripped^ of the righteousness with which I had been
clothed ; and I wept, saying, What is this thou hast done to
me, because I have been deprived of the glory with which I
was clothed ? And I wept too about the oath. And he came
down out of the tree, and went out of sight. And I sought
leaves in my portion,' that I might cover my shame ; and I
did not find them from the plants of paradise, since, at the
time that I ate, the leaves of all the plants in my portion fell,
except of the fig alone. And having taken leaves off it, I
made myself a girdle, and it is from those plants of which I
ate. And I cried out with a loud voice, saying, Adam, Adam,
where art thou ? Arise, come to me, and I shall show thee a
great mystery. And when your father came, I said to him
words of wickedness, which brought us down from great glory.
For as soon as he came I opened my mouth, and the devil
spoke ; and I began to advise him, saying, Come hither, my
lord Adam, listen to me, and eat of the fruit of the tree of
which God said to us not to eat of it, and thou shalt be as God.
And your father answered and said, I am afraid lest God be
1 C has, root and origin. *-Lit., naked. ^ i.e. of the garden.
460 REVELATION OF MOSES.
angry with me. And I said to him, Be not afraid, for as soon
as thou shalt eat thou shalt know good and evil. And then I
quickly persuaded him, and he ate ; and his eyes were opened,
and he was aware, he also, of his nakedness. And he says to
me, 0 wicked woman, why hast thou wrought mischief in us ?
Thou hast alienated me from the glory of God. And that same
hour we heard the archangel Michael sounding his trumpet,
calling the angels, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Come with me
to paradise, and hear the word in which I judge Adam. And
when we heard the archangel sounding, we said. Behold, God
is coming into paradise to judge us. And we were afraid, and
hid ourselves. And God came up into paradise, riding upon a
chariot of cherubim, and the angels praising Him. When God
came into paradise, the plants both of Adam's lot and of my
lot bloomed, and all lifted themselves iip ; and the throne of
God was made ready where the tree of life was. And God
called Adam, saying, Adam, where art thou hidden, thinking
that I shall not find thee ? Shall the house be hidden from
him that built it ? Then your father answered and said. Not,
Lord, did we liide ourselves as thinking that we should not
be found by Tliee ; but I am afraid, because I am naked, and
stand in awe of Thy power, 0 Lord. God says to him, AVho
hath shown thee that thou art naked, unless it be that thou
hast forsaken my commandment which I gave thee to keep it ?
Then Adam remembered the word which I spake to him when
I wished to deceive him, I will put thee out of danger from
God. And he turned and said to me. Why hast thou done
this ? And I also remembered the word of the serpent, and
said, The serpent deceived me. God says to Adam, Since thou
hast disobeyed my commandment, and obeyed thy wife, cursed
is the ground in thy labours. For whenever thou labourest it,
and it will not give its strength, thorns and thistles shall it
raise for thee ; and in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy
bread. And thou shalt be in distresses of many kinds. Thou
shalt weary thyself, and rest not; thou shalt be afflicted by
bitterness, and shalt not taste of sweetness ; thou shalt be
afflicted by heat, and oppressed by cold ; and thou shalt toil
much, and not grow rich ; and thou shalt make haste,^ and
' 1 have read ra^^^uv^rto-u for va;^tj>f^irig-ii, thou shalt grow fat.
REVELATION OF MOSES. 461
not attain thine end ; and the wild beasts, of which thou wast
lord, shall rise up against thee in rebellion, because thou hast
not kept my commandment. And baving turned to me, the
Lord says to me. Since thou hast obeyed the serpent, and dis-
obeyed my commandment, thou shalt be in distresses ^ and
unbearable pains ; thou shalt bring forth children with great
tremblings ; and in one hour shalt thou come (to bring them
forth ^), and lose thy life in consequence of thy great straits
and pangs. And thou shalt confess, and say. Lord, Lord, save
me ; and I shall not return to the sin of the flesh. And on
this account in thine own words I shall judge tliee, on account
of the enmity which the enemy hath put in thee ; and thou
shalt turn again to thy husband, and he shall be thy lord.^
And after speaking thus to me. He spoke to the serpent in
great wrath, saying to him, Since thou hast done this, and hast
become an ungracious instrument until thou shouldst deceive
those that were remiss in heart, cursed art thou of all the
beasts. Thou shalt be deprived of the food which thou eatest ;
and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life ; upon thy
breast and belly shalt thou go, and thou shalt be deprived both
of thy hands and feet ; there shall not be granted thee ear, nor
wing, nor one limb of all which those have whom thou hast
enticed by thy wickedness, and hast caused them to be cast
out of paradise. And I shall put enmity between thee and
between his seed. He shall lie in wait for * thy head, and thou
for his heel, until the day of judgment. And having thus said,
He commands His angels that we be cast out of paradise.
And as we were being driven along, and were lamenting, your
father Adam entreated the angels, saying. Allow me a little,
that I may entreat God, and that He may have compassion
upon me, and pity me, for I only have sinned. And they
^ The text has ftaraioi;, vain ; the true reading is probably xu/uiiTois or
2 Inserted from MS. C.
3 MS. B inserts : And Eve was twelve years old when the demon deceived her,
and gave her evil desires. For night and day he ceased not to bear hatred
against them, because he himself was formerly in paradise ; and therefore he
supplanted them, because he could not bear to see them in paradise.
■^ This is after the version of the LXX., and it is also the interpretation of
Gesenius of the Hebrew shilph, Gen. iii. 15.
462 REVELATION OF MOSES.
stopped driving him. And Adam cried out with weeping,
saying. Pardon me, Lord, what I have done. Then says the
Lord to His angels, Why have you stopped driving Adam out
of paradise ? It is not that the sin is mine, or that I have
judged ill ? Then the angels, falling to the ground, worshipped
the Lord, saying, Just art Thou, Lord, and judgest what is
right. And turning to Adam, the Lord said, I will not permit
thee henceforth to be in paradise. And Adam answered and
said, Lord, give me of the tree of life, that I may eat before I
am cast out. Then the Lord said to Adam, Thou shalt not now
take of it, for it has been assigned to the cherubim and the
flaming sword, which turneth to guard it on account of thee,
that thou mayst not taste of it and be free from death for ever,
but that thou mayst have the war which the enemy has set in
thee. But when thou art gone out of paradise, if thou shalt
keep thyself from all evil, as being destined to die, I will again
raise thee up when the resurrection ' comes, and then there
shall be given thee of the tree of life, and thou shalt be free
from death for ever. And having thus said, the Lord com-
manded us to be cast out of paradise. And your father wept
before the angels over against paradise. And the angels say
to him, What dost thou wish that we should do for thee,
Adam? And your father answered and said to the angels.
Behold, you cast me out. I beseech you, allow me to take
sweet odours out of paradise, in order that, after I go out, I
may offer sacrifice to God, that God may listen to me. And
the angels, advancing, said to God, Jael, eternal King, order to
be given to Adam sacrifices ^ of sweet odour out of paradise.
And God ordered Adam to go, that he might take perfumes of
sweet odour out of paradise for his food. And the angels let
him go, and he gathered both kinds — saffron and spikenard,
and calamus ^ and cinnamon, and other seeds for his food ; and
having taken them, he went forth out of paradise. And we
came to the earth.^
Now then, my children, I have shown you the manner in
^ Or, incense.
* This is the " sweet cane" of Isa. xliii. 24, Jer. vi. 20. See also Ex. xxx. 23 ;
Cant. iv. 14 ; Ezek. xxvii. 19.
3 Or, and we were upon the earth.
REVELATION OF MOSES. 4G3
which we were deceived. But do ye watch over yourselves, so
as not to forsake what is good.
And when she had thus spoken in the midst of her sons, and
Adam was lying in his disease, and he had one other day before
going out of the body. Eve says to Adam : Why is it that thou
diest, and I live ? or how long time have T to spend after thou
diest ? tell me. Then says Adam to Eve : Do not trouble thy-
self about matters ; for thou wilt not be long after me, but we
shall both die alike, and thou wilt be laid into my place.^ And
when I am dead you will leave ^ me, and let no one touch me,
until the angel of the Lord shall say something about me ; for
God will not forget me, but will seek His own vessel which He
fashioned. Arise, rather, pray to God until I restore my spirit
into the hands of Him who has given it ; because we know not
how we shall meet Him who made us, whether He shall be
angry with us, or turn and have mercy upon us. Then arose
Eve, and went outside ; and falling to the ground, she said : I
have sinned, 0 God; I have sinned, 0 Father of all; I have
sinned to Thee, I have sinned against Thy chosen angels, I
have sinned against the cherubim, I have sinned against Thine
unshaken throne ; I have sinned, 0 Lord, I have sinned much, I
have sinned before Thee, and every sin ^ through me has come
upon the creation. And while Eve was still praying, being on
her knees, behold, there came to her the angel of humanity, and
raised her up, saying : Arise, Eve, from thy repentance ; for, be-
hold, Adam thy husband has gone forth from his body; arise and
see his spirit carried up to Him that made * it, to meet Him.
And Eve arose, and covered her face with her hand ; and
the angel says to her : Eaise thyself from the things of earth.
And Eve gazed up into heaven, and she saw a chariot of light
going along under four shining eagles — and it was not possible
for any one born of woman ^ to tell the glory of them, or to see
the face of them — and angels going before the chariot. And
when they came to the place where your father Adam was
lying, the chariot stood still, and the seraphim between your
father and the chariot. And I saw golden censers, and three
1 Perhaps raipov, tomb, would be better than TeTov. ^ Or, anoint.
* Or, all sin. * The text has •xoiwa.tra, a misprint for -xoiwittTx.
5 Lit. , of a womb.
464 REVELATION OF MOSES.
vials ; and, behold, all tlie angels with incense, and the censers,
and the vials, came to the altar, and blew them up, and the
smoke of the incense covered the firmaments. And the angels
fell down and worshipped God, crying out and saying : Holy
Jael, forgive; for he is Thine image, and the work of Thine
holy hands.
And again, I Eve saw two great and awful mysteries stand-
ing before God. And I wept for fear, and cried out to my son
Seth, saying : Arise, Seth, from the body of thy father Adam,
and come to me, that thou mayst see what the eye of no one
hath ever seen ; and they are praying for thy father Adam.'^
Then Seth arose and went to his mother, and said to her :
What has befallen thee ? and why weepest thou ? She says to
him : Look up with thine eyes, and see the seven firmaments
opened, and see with thine eyes how the body of thy father
lies upon its face, and all the holy angels with him, praying
for him, and saying : Pardon him, 0 Father of the universe ;
for he is Thine image. What then, my child Seth, will this
be ? and when will he be delivered into the hands of our in-
visible Father and God ? And who are the two dark-faced
ones who stand by at the prayer of thy father ? And Seth
says to his mother : These are the sun and the moon, and
they are falling down and praying for my father Adam. Eve
says to him : And where is their light, and why have they
become black-looking ? And Seth says to her : They cannot
shine in the presence of the Light of the universe,^ and for
this reason the light from them has been hidden.
And while Seth was speaking to his mother, the angels lying
upon their faces sounded their trumpets, and cried out with
an awful voice, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord upon
what He has made, for He has had compassion upon Adam, the
work of His hands. When the angels had sounded this forth,
there came one of the six-winged seraphim, and hurried Adam
to the Acherusian lake, and washed him in presence of God.
And he spent three hours' lying, and thus the Lord of the
' The last clause is not in C.
* MS. A here ends thus : the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now
and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
* The Mss. originally had days, and /tours is substituted in another hand.
RE VELA TION OF MOSES. 465
universe, sitting upon His holy throne, stretched forth His
hands, and raised Adam, and delivered him to the archangel
Michael, saying to him : Eaise him into paradise, even to the
third heaven, and let him be there until that great and dreadful
day which I am to bring upon the world. And the archangel
Michael, having taken Adam, led him away, and anointed him
as God said to him at the pardoning of Adam.
After all these things, therefore, the archangel asked about
the funeral rites of the remains ; and God commanded that all
the angels should come together into His presence, each accord-
ing to his rank. And all the angels were assembled, some
with censers, some with trumpets. And the Lord of Hosts
went up,^ and the winds drew Him, and cherubim riding
iipon the winds, and the angels of heaven went before Him ;
and they came to where the body of Adam was, and took it.
And they came to paradise, and all the trees of paradise were
moved so that all begotten from Adam hung their heads in
sleep at the sweet smell, except Seth, because he had been
begotten according to the appointment of God.
The body of Adam, then, was lying on the ground in para-
dise, and Seth was grieved exceedingly about him. And the
Lord God says : Adam, why hast thou done this ? If tliou
hadst kept my commandment, those that brought thee down
to this place would not have rejoiced. Nevertheless I say
unto thee, that I will turn their joy into grief, but I will turn
thy grief into joy ; and having turned, I will set thee in thy
kingdom, on the throne of him that deceived thee ; and he shall
be cast into this place, that thou mayst sit upon him. Then
shall be condemned, he and those who hear him ; and they shall
be much grieved, and shall weep, seeing thee sitting upon his
glorious throne.
And then He said to the archangel Michael : Go into para-
dise, into the third heaven, and bring me three cloths of fine
linen and silk. And God said to Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and
Eaphael : ^ Cover Adam's body with the cloths, and bring olive
oil of sweet odour, and pour upon him. And having thus done,
' i.e. mounted His chariot.
2 According to a Jewish tradition, these were the four angels who stood round
the throne of God.
2 O
466 REVELATION OF MOSES.
they prepared his body for burial. And the Lord said : Let
also the body of Abel be brought. And having brought other
cloths, they prepared it also for burial, since it had not been
prepared for burial since the day on which his brother Cain
slew him. For the wicked Cain, having taken great pains to
hide it, had not been able ; for the earth did not receive it,
saying : I will not receive a body into companionship ^ until
that dust which was taken up and fashioned upon me come to
me. And then the angels took it up, and laid it on the rock
until his father died. And both were buried, according to the
commandment of God, in the regions of paradise, in the place
in which God found the dust.^ And God sent seven angels
into paradise, and they brought many sweet-smelling herbs, and
laid them in the earth ; and thus they took the two bodies, and
buried them in the-place which they had dug and built.
And God called Adam, and said : Adam, Adam. And the
body answered out of the ground, and said : Here am I, Lord.
And the Lord says to him : I said to thee. Dust ^ thou art, and
unto dust thou shalt return. Again I promise thee the resur-
rection. I will raise thee up in the last day in the resurrection,
with every man who is of thy seed.
And after these words God made a three-cornered seal, and
sealed the tomb, that no one should do anything to him in the
six days, until his rib should return to him. And the bene-
ficent God and the holy angels having laid him in his place,
after the six days Eve also died. And while she lived she
wept about her falling asleep, because she knew not where her
body was to be laid. For when the Lord was present in para-
dise when they buried Adam, both she and her children fell
asleep, except Seth, as I said. And Eve, in the hour of her
death, besought that she might be buried where Adam her
husband was, saying thus : My Lord, Lord and God of all
virtue, do not separate me. Thy servant, from the body of
Adam, for of Ms members Thou madest me ; but grant to me,
even me, the unworthy and the sinner, to be buried by his
body. And as I was along with him in paradise, and not sepa-
^ Probably the reading sliould be srspv, another, and not lra//>av. Or it may
mean: I will not receive a friendly body, i.e. one upon which 1 have no claims.
* t.e. of which Adam was made. ^ Lit., earth.
REVELATION OF MOSES. 4G7
rated from him after the transgression, so also let no one sepa-
rate us. After having prayed, therefore, she looked up into
heaven, and stood up, and said, beating her breast : God of all,
receive my spirit. And straightway she gave up her spirit to
God.
And when she was dead, the archangel Michael stood beside
her; and there came three angels, and took her body, and
buried it where the body of Abel was. And the archangel
Michael said to Seth : Thus bury every man that dies, until the
day of the resurrection. And after having given this law, he
said to him: Do not mourn beyond six days. And on the
seventh day, rest, and rejoice in it, because in it God and we
the angels rejoice in the righteous soul that has departed from
earth. Having thus spoken, the archangel Michael went up
into heaven, glorifying, and saying the Alleluia : ^ Holy, holy,
holy Lord, to the glory of God the Father, because to Him is
due glory, honour, and adoration, with His unbeginning and
life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
^ MS. D ends here with : To whom be glory and strength to ages of ages.
Amen.
EEVELATION OF ESDRAS.
WORD AND REVELATION OF ESDRAS, THE HOLY PROPHET
AND BELOVED OF GOD.
|T came to pass in tlie thirtieth year, on the twenty-
second of the month, I was in my house. And I
cried out and said to the Most High : Lord, give
the glory,^ in order that I may see Thy mysteries.
And when it was night, there came an angel, Michael the arch-
angel, and says to me : 0 Prophet Esdras, refrain from bread
for seventy (weeks ^). And I fasted as he told me. And there
came Eaphael the commander of the host, and gave me a storax
rod. And I fasted twice sixty ^ weeks. And I saw the mys-
teries of God and His angels. And I said to them : I wish to
plead before God about the race of the Christians. It is good
for a man not to be born rather than to come into the world.
I was therefore taken up into heaven, and I saw in the first
heaven a great army of angels ; and they took me to the judg-
ments. And I heard a voice saying to me : Have mercy on us,
0 thou chosen of God, Esdras. Then began I to say : Woe to
sinners when they see one who is just more than the angels,
and they themselves are in the Gehenna of fire ! And Esdras
said : Have mercy on the works of Thine hands, Thou who art
compassionate, and of great mercy. Judge me rather than the
souls of the sinners ; for it is better that one soul should be
^ i.e. reveal.
^ Supplied by Tischendorf. Perhaps it should be days.
^ Perhaps this should be five — i instead of |' — which would make seventy days,
as above.
REVELATION OF ESDEAS. 469
punished, and that the whole world should not come to destruc-
tion. And God said : I will give rest in paradise to the right-
eous, and I have become ^ merciful. And Esdras said : Lord,
why dost Thou confer benefits on the righteous ? for just as one
who has been hired out, and has served out his time, goes and
again works as a slave when he comes to his masters, so also
the righteous has received his reward in the heavens. But
have mercy on the sinners, for we know that Thou art merciful.
And God said : I do not see how I can have mercy upon them.
And Esdras said : They cannot endure Thy wrath. And God
said : This' is (the fate) of such. And God said : I wish to
have thee like Paul and John, as thou hast given me uncor-
rupted the treasure that cannot be stolen, the treasure of vir-
ginity, the bulwark^ of men. And Esdras said : It is good for
a man not to be born. It is good not to be in life. The irra-
tional (creatures) are better than man, because they have no
punishment ; but Thou hast taken us, and given us up to judg-
ment. Woe to the sinners in the world to come ! because their
judgment is endless, and the flame unquenchable. And while
I was thus speaking to him, there came Michael and Gabriel,
and all the apostles ; and they said : Eejoice, 0 faithful man of
God ! And Esdras said : ^ Arise, and come hither with me,
0 Lord, to judgment. And the Lord said : Behold, I give thee
my covenant between me and thee, that you may receive it.
And Esdras said : Let us plead in Thy hearing.* And God
said : Ask Abraham your father how a son pleads with his
father,* and come plead with us. And Esdras said : As the
Lord liveth, I will not cease pleading with Thee in behalf of the
race of the Christians. Where are Thine ancient compassions,
0 Lord ? Where is Thy long-suffering ? And God said : As
1 have made night and day, I have made the righteous and the
sinner ; and he should have lived like the righteous. And the
prophet said : Who made Adam the first-formed ? And God
said: My undefiled hands. And I put him in paradise to
1 Or, lam. « Lit, wall.
3 Tischendorf supplies this clause from conjecture, and adds that some more
seems to have fallen out.
* Lit., to Thine ear.
5 This seems to be the meaning of the text, which is somewhat corrupt. It
obviously refers to Abraham pleading for Sodom.
470 REVELATION OF ESDRAS.
guard the food of the tree of life ; and thereafter he became
disobedient, and did this in transgression. And the prophet
said : Was he not protected by an angel ? and was not his life
guarded by the cherubim to endless ages ? and how was he
deceived who was guarded by angels ? for Thou didst command
all to be present, and to attend to what was said by Thee.^
But if Thou hadst not given him Eve, the serpent would not
have deceived her;^ but whom Thou wilt Thou savest, and
whom Thou wilt Thou destroyest.^ And the prophet said
Let us come, my Lord, to a second judgment. And God said
I cast fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah. And the prophet said
Lord, Thou dealest with us according to our deserts. And God
said : Your sins transcend my clemency. And the prophet
said : Call to mind the Scriptures, my Father, who hast mea-
sured out Jerusalem, and set her up again. Have mercy,
0 Lord, upon sinners ; have mercy upon Thine own creature ; *
have pity upon Thy works. Then God remembered those
whom He had made, and said to the prophet : How can I have
mercy upon them ? Vinegar and gall did they give me to
drink,^ and not even then did they repent. And the prophet
said : Eeveal Thy cherubim, and let us go together to judg-
ment ; and show me the day of judgment, what like it is. And
God said : Thou hast been deceived, Esdras ; for such is the
day of judgment as that in which there is no rain upon the
earth ; for it is a merciful tribunal as compared with that day.
And the prophet said : I will not cease to plead with Thee,
unless I see the day of the consummation. And God said : ®
Number the stars and the sand of the sea ; and if thou shalt be
able to number this, thou art also able to plead with me. And
the prophet said : Lord, Thou knowest that I wear human flesh;
and how can I count the stars of the heaven, and the sand of
the sea ? And God said : My chosen prophet, no man will
know that great day and the appearing ^ that comes to judge
the world. For thy sake, my prophet, I have told thee the
1 This passage is very corrupt in the text ; but a few emendations bring out
the meaning above.
2 Better, him. ^ Comp. Ex. xxxiii. 19 ; Rom. ix. 18.
* Lit., framing, or fashioning. * Matt, xxvii. 34.
6 This is inserted by Tischendorf. 7 Cf. 2 Tim. iv. 1, 8; Tit. ii. 13.
REVELATION OF ESDRAS. 471
day; but the hour have I not told thee. And the prophet
said : Lord, tell me also the years. And God said : If I see
the righteousness of the world, that it has abounded, I will
have patience with them ; but if not, I will stretch forth my
hand, and lay hold of the world by the four quarters, and bring
them all together into the valley of Jehoshaphat,' and I will
wipe out the race of men, so that the world shall be no more.
And the prophet said : And how can Thy right hand be glori-
fied ? And God said : I shall be glorified by my angels. And
the prophet said : Lord, if Thou hast resolved to do this, why
didst Thou make man ? Thou didst say to our father Abraham,^
Multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven,
and as the sand that is by the sea-shore ; ^ and where is Thy
promise ? And God said : First will I make an earthquake for
the fall of four-footed beasts and of men ; and when you see
that brother gives up brother to death, and that children shall
rise up against their parents, and that a woman forsakes her
own husband, and when nation shall rise up against nation in
war, then will you know that the end is near.* For then neither
brother pities brother, nor man wife, nor children parents, nor
friends friends, nor a slave his master ; for he who is the adver-
sary of men shall come up from Tartarus, and shall show men
many things. What shall I make of thee, Esdras ? and wilt
thou yet plead with me ? And the prophet said : Lord, I shall
not cease to plead with Thee. And God said : Number the
flowers of the earth. If thou shalt be able to number them,
thou art able also to plead with me. And the prophet said :
Lord, I cannot number (them). I wear human fiesh ; but
I shall not cease to plead with Thee. I wish, Lord, to see
also the under parts of Tartarus. And God said : Come
down and see. And He gave me Michael, and Gabriel, and
other thirty-four angels ; and I went down eighty-five steps,
and they brought me down five hundred steps, and I saw a
fiery throne, and an old man sitting upon it ; and his judgment
was merciless. And I said to the angels : Who is this ? and
what is his sin ? And they said to me : This is Herod, who
for a time was a king, and ordered to put to death the children
1 Joel iii. 2, 12. ^ Gen. xxii. 17.
3 Lit., the lip of the sea. * Conip. Matt. xxiv.
472 REVELATION OF ESDRAS.
from two years old and under.^ And I said : Woe to liis soul !
And again they took me down thirty steps, and I there saw
boilings up of fire, and in them (there was) a multitude of
sinners ; and I heard their voice, but saw not their forms.
And they took me down lower many steps, which I could not
measure. And I there saw old men, and fiery pivots turning
in their ears. And I said : Who are these ? and what is their
sin ? And they said to me : These are they who would not
listen.^ And they took me down again other five hundred
steps, and I there saw the worm that sleeps not, and fire burn-
ing up the sinners. And they took me down to the lowest part
of destruction, and I saw there the twelve plagues of the abyss.
And they took me away to the south, and I saw there a man
hanging by the eyelids ; and the angels kept scourging him.
And I asked : Who is this ? and what is his sin ? And Michael
the commander said to me : This is one who lay with his
mother ; for having put into practice a small wish, he has been
ordered to be hanged. And they took me away to the north,
and I saw there a man bound with iron chains. And I asked :
Who is this ? And he said to me : This is he who said, I am
the Son of God, that made stones bread, and water wine. And
the prophet said : My lord, let me know what is his form, and
I shall tell the race of men, that they may not believe in him-
And he said to me : The form of his countenance is like that
of a wild beast ; his right eye like the star that rises in the
morning, and the other without motion ; his mouth one cubit ;
his teeth span long ; his fingers like scythes ; the track of his
feet of two spans ; and in his face an inscription. Antichrist.
He has been exalted to heaven ; he shall go down to Hades.^
At one time he shall become a child ; at another, an old man.
And the prophet said : Lord, and how dost Thou permit him,
and he deceives the race of men ? And God said : Listen, my
prophet. He becomes both child and old man, and no one
believes him that he is my beloved Son. And after this a
trumpet, and the tombs shall be opened, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible.* Then the adversary, hearing the dreadful
threatening, shall be hidden in outer darkness. Then the
^ Matt. ii. 16. ^ Or, who heard wrong.
3 Comp. Matt. xi. 23. * 1 Cor. xv. 52.
REVELATION OF ESDRAS. 473
heaven, and the earth, and the sea shall be destroyed. Then
shall I burn the heaven eighty cubits, and the earth eight hun-
dred cubits. And the prophet said : And how has the heaven
sinned ? And God said : Since ^ . . . there is evil. And the
prophet said : Lord, and the earth, how has it sinned ? And
God said : Since the adversary, having heard the dreadful
threatening, shall be hidden, even on account of this will I
melt the earth, and with it the opponent of the race of men.
And the prophet said : Have mercy. Lord, upon the race of
the Christians. And I saw a woman hanging, and four wild
beasts sucking her breasts. And the angels said to me : She
grudged to give her milk, but even threw her infants into the
rivers. And I saw a dreadful darkness, and a night that had
no stars nor moon ; nor is there there young or old, nor brother
with brother, nor mother with child, nor wife with husband.
And I wept, and said : 0 Lord God, have mercy upon the
sinners. And as I said this, there came a cloud and snatched
me up, and carried me away again into the heavens. And I
saw there many judgments ; and I wept bitterly, and said : It
is good for a man not to have come out of his mother's womb.
And those who were in torment cried out, saying : Since thou
hast come hither, 0 holy one of God, we. have found a little
remission. And the prophet said : Blessed are they that weep
for their sins. And God said : Hear, 0 beloved Esdras. As a
husbandman casts the seed of the corn into the ground, so also
the man casts his seed into the parts of the woman. The first
(month) it is all together ; the second it increases in size ; the
third it .gets hair ; the fourth it gets nails ; the fifth it is turned
into milk ; ^ and the sixth it is made ready, and receives life ; ^
the seventh it is completely furnished ; the ninth the barriers
of the gate of the woman are opened ; and it is born safe and
sound into the earth. And the prophet said : Lord, it is good
for man not to have been born. Woe to the human race then,
when Thou shalt come to judgment ! And I said to the Lord :
Lord, why hast Thou created man, and delivered him up to
judgment ? And God said, with a lofty proclamation : I will
not by any means have mercy on those who transgress my
1 There is something wanting here in the text.
2 So in the text. 3 Or, the souL
474 REVELATION OF ESDRAS.
covenant. And the prophet said : Lord, where is Thy goodness?
And God said : I have prepared all things for man's sake, and
man does not keep my commandments. And the prophet said :
Lord, reveal to me the judgments and paradise. And the angels
took me away towards the east, and I saw the tree of life. And
I saw there Enoch, and Elias, and Moses, and Peter, and Paul,
and Luke, and Matthias, and all the righteous, and the patri-
archs. And I saw there the keeping of the air within bounds,
and the blowing of the winds, and the storehouses of the ice,
and the eternal judgments. And I saw there a man hanging
by the skull. And they said to me : This man removed land-
marks. And I saw there great judgments.^ And I said to the
Lord : 0 Lord God, and what man, then, who has been born
has not sinned ? And they took me lower down into Tartarus,
and I saw all the sinners lamenting and weeping and mourning
bitterly. And I also wept, seeing the race of men thus tor-
mented. Then God says to me : Knowest thou, Esdras, the
names of the angels at the end of the world ? Michael, Gabriel,
Uriel, Eaphael, Gabuthelon, Aker, Arphugitonos, Beburos,
Zebuleon. Then there came a voice to me : Come hither and
die, Esdras, my beloved ; give that which hath been entrusted
to thee.^ And the prophet said : And whence can you bring
forth my soul? And the angels said: We can put it forth
through the mouth. And the prophet said : Mouth to mouth
have I spoken with God,^ and it comes not forth thence. And
the angels said : Let us bring it out through thy nostrils. And
the prophet said : My nostrils have smelled the sweet savour
of the glory of God. And the angels said : We can bring it
out through thine eyes. And the prophet said : Mine eyes
have seen the back parts of God.* And the" angels said : We
can bring it out through the crown of thy head. And the pro-
phet said : I walked about with Moses also on the mountain,
and it comes not forth thence. And the angels said : We can
put it forth through the points of thy nails. And the prophet
said : My feet also have walked about on the altar. And the
^ Or, tribunals.
2 Or, thy trust, or pledge. Cf. 1 Tim. vi. 20, 2 Tim. i. 14, iu Textus Ke-
ceptus.
* Comp. Deut. xxxiv. 10. * Comp. Ex. xxxiii. 23.
REVELATION OF ESDRAS. 475
angels went away without having done anything, saying : Lord,
we cannot get his soul. Then He says to His only begotten
Son : Go down, my beloved Son, with a great host of angels,
and take the soul of my beloved Esdras. For the Lord, having
taken a great host of angels, says to the prophet : Give me the
trust which I entrusted to thee ; the crown has been prepared
for thee.^ And the prophet said : Lord, if Thou take my soul
from me, who will be left to plead with Thee for the race of
men ? And God said : As thou art mortal, and of the earth,
do not plead with me. And the prophet said : I will not cease
to plead. And God said : Give up just now the trust ; the
crown has been prepared for thee. Come and die, that thou
mayst obtain it. Then the prophet began to say with tears :
0 Lord, what good have I done pleading with Thee, and I am
going to fall down into the earth ? Woe's me, woe's me, that
1 am going to be eaten up by worms ! Weep, aU ye saints and
ye righteous, for me, who have pleaded much, and who am deli-
vered up to death. Weep for me, all ye saints and ye righteous,
because I have gone to the pit of Hades. And God said to
him : Hear, Esdras, my beloved. I, who am immortal, endured
a cross ; I tasted vinegar and gall ; I was laid in a tomb, and
I raised up my chosen ones ; I called Adam up out of Hades,
that (I might save^) the race of men. Do not therefore be
afraid of death : for that which is from me — that is to say, the
soul — goes to heaven ; and that which is from the earth — that
is to say, the body — goes to the earth, from which it was taken.'
And the prophet said : Woe's me ! woe's me ! what shall I set
about ? what shall I do ? I know not. And then the blessed
Esdras began to say : 0 eternal God, the Maker of the whole
creation, who hast measured the heaven with a span, and who
boldest the earth as a handful,* who ridest upon the cherubim,
who didst take the prophet Elias to the heavens in a chariot of
fire,^ who givest food to all flesh, whom all things dread and
tremble at from the face of Thy power, — listen to me, who have
^ Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 8. * The word is wanting in the MS.
3 Eccles. xii. 7.
* Or, in a measure. A^axu'w in the text should be ^ptKoi, Comp. Isa. xl. 12
in the LXX.
^ Comp. 1 Kings ii. 11 ; Ecclus. xlviii. 9.
476 REVELATION OF ESDRAS.
pleaded much, and give to all who transcribe this book, and
have it, and remember my name, and honour my memory, give
them a blessing from heaven ; and bless him^ in all things, as
Thou didst bless Joseph at last, and remember not his former
wickedness in the day of his judgment. And as many as
have not believed this book shall be burnt up like Sodom and
Gomorrah. And there came to him a voice, saying : Esdras,
my beloved, all things whatever thou hast asked will I give to
each one. And immediately he gave up his precious soul with
much honour, in the month of October, on the twenty-eighth.
And they prepared him for burial with incense and psalms-,
and his precious and sacred body dispenses strength of soul
and body perpetually to those who have recourse to him from
a longing desire. To whom is due glory, strength, honour, and
adoration, — to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
^ So the MS. Perhaps them would be better. ■
EEYELATION OF PAUL.
EVELATION of the holy Apostle Paul : the things
which were revealed to him when he went up
even to the third heaven, and was caught up into
paradise, and heard unspeakable words.-^
There dwelt a certain nobleman in the city of Tarsus, in the
house of St. Paul the apostle, in the government of Theodosius
the worshipful king, and of the most illustrious Gratianus ;^
and there was revealed to him an angel of the Lord, saying :
Upturn the foundation of this house, and lift up what thou
shalt find. But he thought that he had had a dream. And
the angel having persisted even to a third vision, the nobleman
was compelled to upturn the foundation ; and having dug, he
found a marble^ box containing this revelation; and having,
taken it, he showed it to the ruler of the city. And the ruler,
seeing it sealed up with lead, sent it to the King Theodosius,
thinking that it was something else.* And the king having
received it, and transcribed it, sent the original writing to
Jerusalem. And there was written in it thus :
The word of the Lord came to me, saying : Say to this people.
Till when do you sin, and add to your sin, and provoke to
anger the God who made you, saying that you are children to
Abraham,^ but doing the works of Satan, going on in speaking
against God, boasting only in your addressing (of God), but
poor on account of the substance of sin ? Know, ye sons of
1 2 Cor. xii. 4. ^ The Mss. have Kontianus.
3 Or, according to the primary meaning of the word, shining, sparkling.
The translation of the Syriac version has, "a box of white glass."
* Syr., Thinking that there was something of gold within it.
5 Syr., of the living God.
477
478 REVELATION OF PA UL.
men, that tlie whole creation has been made subject to God ;
but the human race alone, by sinning, provokes God to anger.
For often the great light, the sun, has come before God, saying
against men : Lord God Almighty, how long dost Thou endure
all the sin of men ? Command me, and I will burn them up.
And there came a voice to him : My long-suffering endures
them all, that they may repent ; but if not, they shall come to
me, and I will judge them. And often also the moon and the
stars have come before God, saying : Lord God Almighty, Thou
hast given us the dominion of the night, and we no longer
cover the thefts, and adulteries, and blood-sheddings of men ;
command us, and we shall do marvels against them. And
there came a voice : My long-suffering bears with them, that
they may turn to me ; but if not, they shall come to me, and
I will judge them. And in like manner also the sea cried out,
saying : Lord God Almighty, the sons of men have profaned
Thy holy name ; command me, and I shall rise up and cover
the earth, and wipe out from it ^ the sons of men. And there
came a voice, saying: My long-suffering bears with them,
that they may repent ; but if not, they shall come to me, and
I will judge them. You see, ye sons of men, that the whole
creation has been made subject to God, but the human race
alone sins before God. On account of all these things, bless
God without ceasing, and yet more when the sun is setting.
For at this hour all the angels come to God to adore Him,
and they bring before Him the works of men, of each what
he has done from morning even to evening, whether good or
evil. And one angel goes rejoicing on account of man when
he behaves well, and another goes with a sad countenance.
All the angels at the appointed hour meet for the worship of
God, to bring each day's works of men. But do ye men bless
God without ceasing. Whenever, therefore, at the appointed
hour the angels of pious men come, rejoicing and singing
psalms, they meet for the worship of the Lord ; and, behold,
the Spirit of God (says) to them : Whence do ye come rejoic-
ing? And they answered and said: We are here from the
pious men, who in all piety spend their life, fearing the name
of God. Command them. Lord, to abide even to the end in
^ Or, sweep off it.
REVELATION OF PAUL. 479
Thy righteousness. And there came to them a voice : I have
both kept and will keep them void of offence in my kingdom.
And when it came to pass that they went away, there came
other angels with a cheerful countenance, shining like the sun.
And behold a voice to them : Whence have ye come ? And
they answered and said : We have come from those who have
held themselves aloof from the world and the things in the
world for Thy holy name's sake, who in deserts, and moun-
tains, and caves, and the dens of the earth, in beds on the
ground, and in fastings, spend their life.^ Command us to be
with them. And there came a voice : Go with them in peace,
guarding them. Moreover, when they went away, behold,
there came other angels to worship before God, mourning and
weeping. And the Spirit went forth to meet them, and there
came a voice to them : Whence have ye come ? And they
answered and said : We have come from those who have been
called by Thy name, and are slaves to the matter of sin.^ Why,
then, is it necessary to minister unto them ? And there came
a voice to them: Do not cease to minister unto them; perhaps
they will turn ; but if not, they shall come to me, and I wall
judge them. Know, sons of men, that all that is done by you
day by day, the angels write in the heavens. Do you therefore
cease not to bless God.
And I was in the Holy Spirit, and an angel says to me:
Come, follow me, that I may show thee the place of the just,
where they go after their end. And I went along with the
angel, arid he brought me up into the heavens under the fir-
mament ; and I perceived and saw powers great and dreadful,
full of wrath, and through the mouth of them a flame of fire
coming out, and clothed in garments of fire. And I asked the
angel : Who are these ? And he said to me : These are they
who are sent away to the souls of the sinners in the hour of
necessity ; for they have not believed that there is judgment
and retribution. And I looked up into the heaven, and saw
angels, whose faces shone like the sun, girded with golden
girdles, having in their hands prizes, on which the name of
the Lord was inscribed, full of all meekness and compassion.
1 Comp. Heb. xi. 38.
2 i.e. to sinful matter— 1/Xji— the source of the aZfix in the Gnostic doctrine.
480 RE VELA TION OF PA UL.
And I asked the angel : Wlio are these ? And he answered
and said to me : These are they who are sent forth in the day
of the resurrection to brmg the souls of the righteous/ who
intrepidly walk according to God.^ And I said to the angel :
I wish to see the souls of the righteous and of the sinners, how
they go out of the world. And the angel said to me : Look to
the earth. And I looked, and saw the whole world as nothing
disappearing before me. And I said to the angel : Is this the
greatness of men ? And he said to me : Yes ; for thus every
unjust man disappears. And I looked, and saw a cloud of fire
wrapped over all the world; and I said: What is this, my lord?
And he said to me : This is the unrighteousness mingled with
the destruction of the sinners. And I wept, and said to the
angel : I wished to see the departures of the righteous and of
the sinners, in what manner they go out of the world. And
the angel says to me : Paul, look down, and see what thou hast
asked. And I looked, and saw one of the sons of men falling
near death. And the angel says to me : This is a righteous
man, and, behold, all his works stand beside him in the hour
of his necessity.^ And there were beside him good angels, and
along with them also evil angels. And the evil angels indeed
found no place in him, but the good took possession of * the
soul of the righteous man, and said to it : Take note of the
body whence thou art coming out ; for it is necessary for
thee again to return to it in the day of the resurrection, that
thou mayst receive what God hath promised to the righteous.
And the good angels who had received the soul of the righteous
man, saluted it, as being well known to them. And it went
with them ; and the Spirit came forth to meet them, saying :
Come, soul, enter into the place of the resurrection, which God
hath prepared for His righteous ones. And the angel said
to me : Look down to the earth, and behold the soul of the
impious, how it goes forth from its tabernacle, which has pro-
voked God to anger, saying, Let us eat and drink ; ^ for who is
it that has gone down to Hades, and come up and announced
that there is judgment and retribution ? And take heed, and
see all his works which he has done standing before him. And
^ Comp. Matt. xiii. 41. ^ Or, come to God. ^ Comp. Kev. xiv. 13.
* Or, bare rule over. ^ Isa. xxii. 13; 1 Cor. xv. Z-2.
RE VELA TION OF PAUL. 481
the evil angels came, and the good. The good therefore found
no place of rest in it, but the evil took possession of it, saying :
0 wretched soul, pay heed to thy flesh; take note of that
whence thou art coming forth, for thou must return into thy
flesh in the day of the resurrection, that thou mayst receive the
recompense of thy sins. And when it had gone forth from its
tabernacle, the angel who had lived along with it ran up to it,
saying to it : 0 wretched soul, whither goest thou ? I am he
who each day wrote down thy sins. Thou hast destroyed the
time of repentance; be exceedingly ashamed. And when it
came, all the angels saw it, and cried out with one voice, sa3dng :
Woe to thee, wretched soul ! what excuse hast thou come to
give to God ? And the angel of that soul said : Weep for it,
all of you, along with me. And the angel came up, and wor-
shipped the Lord, saying : Lord, behold the soul which has
dwelt in wickedness in its time, and in its temporary life ; do
to it according to Thy decision. And there came a voice to
that soul, saying : Where is the fruit of thy righteousness ?
And it was silent,^ not being able to give an answer. And
again there came a voice to it : He who has shown mercy will
have mercy shown to him ; " he who has not shown mercy will
not have mercy shown to him. Let this soul be delivered to
the merciless angel Temeluch, and let it be cast into outer
darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. And
there was a voice as of tens of thousands, saying : Eighteous
art Thou, 0 Lord, and righteous is Thy judgment.* And more-
over I saw, and, behold, another soul was led by an angel ; and
it wept, saying : Have mercy upon me, 0 righteous Judge, and
deliver me from the hand of this angel, because he is dreadful
and merciless. And a voice came to it, saying : Thou wast
altogether merciless, and for this reason thou hast been deli-
vered up to such an angel. Confess tliy sins which thou hast
done in the world. And that soul said : I have not sinned,
0 righteous Judge. And the Lord said to that soul : Verily
thou seemest as if thou wert in the world, and wert hiding thy
deeds from men. Knowest thou not that whensoever any one
dies, his deeds run before him, whether they are good or evil ?
And when it heard this, it was silent. And I heard the Judge
1 Lit, shut up. 2 iiatt. V. 7. ^ Ps. fixix. 137.
2 U
482 REVELATION OF PAUL.
saying : Let the angel come, having in his hands the record of
thy sins. And the Judge says to the angel : I say to thee the
angel, Disclose all. Say what he has done five years before his
death. By myself I swear to thee, that in the first period of
his life there was forgetfulness of all his former sins. And the
angel answered and said : Lord, command the souls to stand
beside their angels ; and that same hour they stood beside
them. And the lord of that soul said : Take note of these souls,
and whether thou hast in any way sinned against them. And
it answered and said : Lord, a year has not been completed
since I killed the one, and lived with the other. And not only
this, but I also wronged it. And the Lord said to it : Knowest
thou not that he who wrongs any one in the world is kept, as
soon as he dies, in the place until he whom he has wronged
come, and both shall be judged before me, and each receive
according to his works ? And I heard a voice saying : Let
this soul be delivered to the angel Tartaruch, and guarded till
the great day of judgment. And I heard a voice as of tens of
thousands saying : Eighteous art Thou, 0 Lord, and righteous
Thy judgment.
And the angel says to me : Hast thou seen all these things ?
And I answered : Yes, my lord. And again he said to me :
Come, follow me, and I shall show thee the place of the right-
eous. And I followed him, and he set me before the doors of
the city. And I saw a golden gate, and two golden pillars
before it, and two golden plates upon it full of inscriptions.
And the angel said to me : Blessed is he who shall enter into
these doors ; because not every one goeth in, but only those who
have single-mindedness, and guiltlessness, and a pure heart.^
And I asked the angel : For what purpose have the inscriptions
been graven on these plates ? And he said to me : These are
the names of the righteous, and of those who serve God. And
I said to him : Is it so that their names have been inscribed in
heaven itself while they are yet alive ? And the angel said to
me : . . J of the angels, such as serve Him well are acknow-
* Comp. Ps. xxiv. 3.
2 The hiatus is thus filled up in the Syriac : Yes, not only are their names
written, but their works from day to day : the angel their minister brings
tidings of their works every day from morning to morning ; they are known to
REVELATION OF PAUL. 483
ledged by God. And straightway the gate was opened, and
there came forth a hoary-headed man to meet us ; and he said
to me : Welcome, Paul, beloved of God ! and, with a joyful
countenance, he kissed me with tears. And I said to him :
Father, why weepest thou ? And he said to me : Because God
hath prepared many good things for men, and they do not His
will in order that they may enjoy them. And I asked the
angel : My lord, who is this ? And he said to me : This is
Enoch, the witness of the last day.^ And the angel says to
me : See that whatever I show thee in this place thou do not
announce, except what I tell thee. And he set me upon ^ the
river whose source springs up in the circle of heaven ; and it is
this river which encircleth the whole earth. And he says to
me : This river is Ocean. And there was then a great light.
And I said : My lord, what is this ? And he said to me : This
is the laud of the meek. Knowest thou not that it is written,
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth ? ^ The
souls of the righteous, therefore, are kept in this place. And I
said to the angel : When, then, will they be made manifest ?
And he said to me : When the Judge shall come in the day of
the resurrection, and sit down. Then, accordingly, shall he
command, and shall reveal the earth, and it shall be lighted up ;
and the saints shall appear in it, and shall delight themselves
in the good* that have been reserved from the foundation of
the world. And there were by the bank of the river, trees
planted, full of different fruits. And I looked towards the
rising of the sun, and I saw there trees of great size full of
fruits ; and that land was more brilliant than silver and gold ;
and there were vines growing on those date-palms, and myriads
of shoots, and myriads of clusters on each branch. And I said
to the archangel : What is this, my lord ? And he says to me :
This is the Acherusian lake, and within it the city of God.
All are not permitted to enter into it, except whosoever shall
repent of his sins ; and as soon as he shall repent, and alter his
God by their hearts and their works. And after they are recorded, if tliere
happen to them a matter of sin or deficiency, it is purified by chastisement
according to their sin, that there be not unto them any defect in tlieir strivings.
■ 1 Rev. xi. 3-12. Enoch and Elijah were supposed to be the two witnesses
there mentioned.
2 Or abova. ^ Matt. v. 5. * Or, the good things.
484 REVELATION OF PAUL.
life, he is delivered to Michael, and they cast him into the Ache-
rusian lake, and then he brings him into the city of God, near
the righteous. And I wondered and blessed God at all that I
saw. And the angel said to me : Follow me, that I may bring
thee into the city of God, and into its light. And its light was
greater than the light of the world, and greater than gold, and
walls encircled it. And the length and the breadth of it were
a hundred stadia. And I saw twelve gates, exceedingly orna-
mented, leading into the city; and four rivers encircled it, flow-
ing with milk, and honey, and oil, and wine. And I said to
the angel : My lord, what are these rivers ? And he said to
me : These are the righteous who, when in the world, did not
make use of these things, but humbled themselves for the
sake of God ; and here they receive a recompense ten thousand
fold.
And I, going into the city, saw a very lofty tree before the
doors of the city, having no fruit, and a few men under it ; and
they wept exceedingly, and the trees bent down to them. And
I, seeing them, wept, and asked the angel : "Who are these, that
they have not turned to go into the city ? And he said to me :
Yes, the root of all evils is vainglory. And I said : And these
trees, why have they thus humbled themselves ? And the
angel answered and said to me : For this reason the trees are
not fruit-bearing, because they have not withheld themselves
from vaunting. And I asked the angel : My lord, for what
reason have they been put aside before the doors of the city ?
And he answered and said to me : On account of the great
goodness of God, since by this way Christ is going to come
into the city, and that those who go along with Him may
plead for these men, and that they may be brought in along
with them. And I was going along, guided by the angel, and
he set me upon the river. And I saw there all the prophets ;
and they came and saluted me, saying : Welcome, Paul, beloved
of God. And I said to the angel : My lord, who are these ?
And he said to me : These are all the prophets, and these are
the songs of all the prophecies,^ and of whoever hath grieved
his soul, not doing its will, for God's sake. Having departed,
^ Syr., This is the place of the prophets. A very slight change in the Greek,
text would give this reading.
REVELATION OF PA UL. 485
then, he comes here, and the prophets salute him. And the
angel brought me to the south of the city, where the river of
milk is. And I saw there all the infants that King Herod
slew for the Lord's name's sake. And the angel took me again
to the east of the city, and I saw there Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
And I asked the angel : My lord, what place is this ? And he
said to me : Every one who is hospitable to men comes hither
when he comes out of the world, and they salute him as a
friend of God on account of his love to strangers. And again
he took me away to another place, and I saw there a river like
oil on the north of the city, and I saw people there rejoicing
and singing praises. And I asked : Who are these, my lord ?
And he said to me : These are they who have given themselves
up to God ; for they are brought into this city. And I looked,
and saw in the midst of the city an altar, great and very lofty ;
and there was one standing near the altar, whose face shone
like the sun, and he had in his hands a psaltery and a harp,
and he sung the Alleluia delightfully, and his voice filled all
the city. And all with one consent accompanied him, so that
the city was shaken by their shouting. And I asked the
angel : Who is this that singeth delightfully, whom all accom-
pany ? And he said to me : This is the prophet David ; this
is the heavenly Jerusalem. When, therefore, Christ shall
come in His second appearing, David himself goes forth with
all the saints. For as it is in the heavens, so also upon earth :
for it is not permitted without David to offer sacrifice even
in the day of the sacrifice of the precious body and blood of
Christ; but it is necessary for David to sing the Alleluia.
And I asked the angel : My lord, what is the meaning of
Alleluia ? It is called in Hebrew, Thebel tnarematha — speech
to God who founded all things; let us glorify Him in the
same. So that every one who sings the Alleluia glorifies God.
When these things, therefore, had been thus said to me by
the angel, he led me outside of the city, and the Acherusiau
lake, and the good land, and set me upon the river of the
ocean that supports the firmament of the heaven, and said to
me : Knowest thou where I am going ? And I said : No, my
lord. And he said to me : Follow me, that I may show thee
where the souls of the impious and the sinners are. And he
486 REVELATION OF PAUL.
took me to the setting of the sun, and (where) the beginning
of the heaven had been founded upon the river of the ocean.
And I saw beyond the river, and there was no light there, but
darkness, and grief, and groaning ; and I saw a bubbling river,
and a great multitude both of men and women who had been
cast into it, some up to the knees, others up to the navel, and
many even up to the crown of the head. And I asked : Wlio
are these ? And he said to me : These are they who have lived
unrepenting in fornications and adulteries. And I saw at the
south-west of the river another river, where there flowed a
river of fire, and there Avas there a multitude of many souls.
And I asked the angel : Who are these, my lord ? And he
said to me : Tliese are the thieves, and slanderers, and flatterers,
who did not set up God as their help, but hoped in the vanity
of their riches. And I said to him : What is the depth of this
river ? And he said to me : Its depth has no measure, but it
is immeasurable. And I groaned and wept because of man-
kind. And the angel said to me : Why weepest thou ? Art
thou more merciful than God ? for, being holy, God, repenting
over men, waits for their conversion and repentance ; but they,
deceived by their own will, come here, and are eternally
punished. And I looked into the fiery river, and saw an old
man dragged along by two, and they pulled him in up to the
knee. And the angel Temeluch coming, laid hold of an iron
with his hand, and with it drew up the entrails of that old
man through his mouth. And I asked the angel : My lord,
who is this that suffers this punishment ? And he said to me :
This old man whom thou seest was a presbyter ; and when he
had eaten and drunk, then he performed the service of God.
And I saw there another old man carried in haste by four
angels; and they threw him into the fiery river up to the
girdle, and he was frightfully burnt by the lightnings. And
I said to the angel : Who is this, my lord ? And he said to
me : This whom thou seest was a bishop, and that name indeed
he was well pleased to have ; but in the goodness of God he did
not walk, righteous judgment he did not judge, the widow and
the orphan he did not pity, he was neither affectionate nor
hospitable ;^ but now he has been recompensed according to
' Ct. 1 Tim. iii. 1-4.
RE VEL A TION OF PA UL, 487
his works. And I looked, and saw in the middle of the river
another man up to the navel, having his hands all bloody,
and worms were coming up through his mouth. And I asked
the angel : Who is this, my lord ? And he said to me : This
whom thou seest was a deacon, who ate and drank, and
ministered to God. And I looked to another place where
there was a brazen wall in flames, and within it men and
women eating up their own tongues, dreadfully judged. And
I asked the angel : Who are these, my lord ? And he said to
me: These are they who in the church speak against their
neighbours, and do not attend to the word of God. And I
looked, and saw a bloody pit. And I said: What is this
pit ? And he said to me : This is the place where are cast
the wizards, and sorcerers, and the whoremongers, and the
adulterers, and those that oppress widows and orphans. And
I saw in another place women wearing black, and led away
into a dark place. And I asked : Who are these, my lord ?
And he said to me: These are they who did not listen to
their parents, but before their marriage defiled their virginity.
And I saw women wearing white robes, being blind, and
standing upon obelisks of fire ; and an angel was mercilessly
beating them, saying : Now you know where you are ; you did
not attend when the Scriptures were read to you. And the
angel said to me : These are they who corrupted themselves
and killed their infants. Their infants therefore came crying
out : Avenge us of our mothers. And they were given to an
angel to be carried away into a spacious place, but their parents
into everlasting fire.
And the angel took me up from these torments, and set me
above a well, which had seven seals upon its mouth. And the
angel who was with me said to the angel at the well of that
place : Open the well, that Paul the beloved of God may see,
because there has been given to him authority to see the
torments. And the angel of the place said to me : Stand afar
off, until I open the seals. And when he had opened them,
there came forth a stench which it was impossible to bear.
And having come near the place, I saw that well filled with
darkness and gloom, and great narrowness of space in it. And
the angel who was with me said to me : This place of the well
488 RE VELA Tl ON OF PA UL.
which thou seest is cast off from the glory of God, and none of
the angels is importunate in behalf of them ; and as many as
have professed that the holy Mary is not the mother of God,
and that the Lord did not become man out of her, and that
the bread of the thanksgiving and the cup of blessing are not
His flesh and blood,^ are cast into this well: and, as I said
before, no angel is importunate in their behalf. And I saw
towards the setting of the sun, where there is weeping and
gnashing of teeth, many men and women there tormented.
And I said to the angel : Who are these, my lord ? And he
said to me: These are they who say that there is no resurrection
of the dead ; and to them mercy never conies.
Having heard this, I wept bitterly ; and looking up into the
firmament, I saw the heaven opened, and the archangel Gabriel
coming down wdth hosts of angels, who were going round about
all the torments. And they who were judged in the torments
seeing them, all cried out with one loud voice : Have mercy
upon us, Gabriel, who standest in the presence of God ; for we
heard that there was a judgment : behold, we know it. And
the archangel Gabriel answered and said : As the Lord liveth,
beside whom I stand, night and day without ceasing I plead
in behalf of the race of men ; but they did not do any good
when in life, but spent the period of their life in vanity. And
now I shall weep, even I, along with the beloved Paul ; per-
haps the good Lord may have compassion, and grant you re-
mission. And they assented with one voice : Have mercy
upon us, 0 Lord. And they fell down before God, and sup-
plicated, saying : Have mercy, 0 Lord, upon the sons of men
whom Thou hast made after Thine image. And the heaven
was shaken like a leaf, and I saw the four and twenty elders
lying on their face ; and I saw the altar, and the throne, and
' The Syriac has : Those who do not confess Jesus Christ, nor His resurrection,
nor His humanity, but consider Him as all mortal, and who say that the sacra-
ment of the body of our Lord is bread.
The word heroKos in the text was the occasion of the three years' struggle
between Nestorius and Cyril of Alexandria, which ended by the condemnation
of the former by the Council of Ephesus, a.d. 431.
The view of the Eucharist in the text is not inconsistent with an early date,
though it must be remembered that the idea of a substantial presence became
the orthodox doctrine ou]^ after the Second Council of Nicrea in a.d. 787.
REVELATION OF PAUL. 489
the veil ; and all of them entreated the glory of God ; ^ and I
saw the Son of God with glory and great power coming down
to the earth.^ And when the sound of the trumpet took place,
all who were in the torments cried out, saying : Have mercy
upon us. Son of God ; for to Thee has been given power over
things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the
earth. And there came a voice saying : What good work have
you done, that you are asking for rest ? For you have done as
you wished, and have not repented, but you have spent your
life in profligacy. But now for the sake of Gabriel, the angel
of my righteousness, and for the sake of Paul my beloved, I
give you a night and the day of the holy Lord's day, on which
I rose from the dead, for rest. And all who were in the tor-
ments cried out, saying : We bless Thee, 0 Son of the living
God ; better for us is such rest than the life which we lived
when spending our time in the world.
And after these things the angel says to me : Behold, thou
hast seen all the torments : come, follow me, that I may lead
thee away to paradise, and that thou mayst change thy soul
by the sight of the righteous ; for many desire to salute thee.
And he took me by an impulse of the Spirit, and brought me
into paradise. And he says to me : This is paradise, where
Adam and Eve transgressed. And I saw there a beautiful tree
of great size, on which the Holy Spirit rested ; and from the
root of it there came forth all manner of most sweet-smelling
water, parting into four channels. And I said to the angel :
My lord, what is this tree, that there comes forth from it a
great abundance of this water, and where does it go ? And he
answered and said to me: Before the heaven and the earth
existed. He divided them into four kingdoms and heads, of
which the names are Phison, Gehon, Tigris, Euphrates. And
having again taken hold of me by the hand, he led me near the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And he says to me :
This is the tree by means of which death came into the world,
and Adam took of the fruit of it from his wife, and ate ; and
thereafter they were cast out hence. And he showed me
another, the tree of life, and said to me : This the cherubim and
the flaming sword guard. And when I was "closely observing
> Rev. iv. i. ^ Matt. xxiv. 30.
490 REVELATION OF PAUL.
the tree, and wondering, I saw a woman coming from afar off,
and a multitude of angels singing praises to her. And I asked
the angel : Who is this, my lord, who is in so great honour and
beauty ? And the angel says to me : This is the holy Mary,
the mother of the Lord. And she came and saluted me, say-
ing : Welcome, Paul, beloved of God, and angels, and men ;
thou hast proclaimed the word of God in the world, and estab-
lished churches, and all bear testimony to thee who have been
saved by means of thee : for, having been delivered from the
deception of idols through thy teaching, they come here.
While they were yet speaking to me, I gazed, and saw other
three men coming. And I asked the angel: Who are these,
my lord ? And he said to me : These are Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, the righteous forefathers. And they came and saluted
me, saying : Welcome, Paul, beloved of God God did
not grieve us. But we knew thee in the flesh, before thou
camest forth out of the world. And in succession they told
me their names from Abraham to Manasseh. And one of them,
Joseph who was sold into Egypt, says to me : Hear me, Paul,
friend of God : I did not requite my brethren who cursed me.
For blessed is he who is able to endure trial, because the Lord
will give him in requital sevenfold reward in the world to come.^
And while he was yet speaking with me, I saw another coming
afar off, and the appearance of him was as the appearance of an
angel. And I asked the angel, saying : My lord, who is this ?
And he said to me : This is Moses the lawgiver, by whom God
led forth the children of Israel out of the slavery of Egypt.
And when he came near me, he saluted me weeping. And I
said to him : Father, why weepest thou, being righteous and
meek ? ^ And he answered and said to me : I must weep for .
every man, because I brought trouble upon a people that does
not understand, and they have not borne fruit ; and I see the
sheep of which I was shepherd scattered, and the toil which I
toiled for the children of Israel has been counted for nothing ;
and they saw powers * and hosts in the midst of them, and they
did not understand ; and I see the Gentiles worshipping, and
believing through thy word, and being converted, and coming
here, and out of my people that was so great not one has under-
' Cf. Matt. xix. 29. * Num. xii. 3. * Or, miraclea.
HE VELA TION OF FA UL. 491
stood. For, when the Jews hanged the Son of God upon the
cross, all the angels and archangels, and the righteous, and
the whole creation of things in heaven, and things in earth,
and things under the earth, lamented and mourned with a great
lamentation, but the impious and insensate Jews did not under-
stand; wherefore there has been prepared for them the fire
everlasting, and the worm that dies not.
While he was yet speaking, there came other three, and
saluted me, saying : Welcome, Paul, beloved of God, the boast
of the churches, and model of angels. And I asked : Who are
you ? And the first said : I am Isaiah, whom Manasseh sawed
with a wood saw.^ And the second said : I am Jeremiah, whom
the Jews stoned, but they remained burnt up with everlasting
fire. And the third said : I am Ezekiel, whom the slayers of
the Messiah pierced ; all these things have we endured, and
we have not been able to turn the stony heart of the Jews.
And I threw myself on my face, entreating the goodness of
God, because He had had mercy upon me, and had delivered
me from the race of the Hebrews. And there came a voice
saying : Blessed art thou, Paul, beloved of God ; and blessed
are those who through thee have believed in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, because for them has been prepared ever-
lasting life.
While this voice was yet speaking, there came another, cry-
ing : Blessed art thou, Paul. And I asked the angel : Who is
this, my lord ? And he said to me : This is Noah, who lived
in the time of the deluge. And when we had saluted each
other, I asked him : Who art thou ? And he said to me : I
am Noah, who in a hundred years built the ark, and without
putting off the coat which I wore, or shaving my head ; more-
over, I practised continence, and did not come near my wife ;
and in the hundred years my coat was not dirtied, and the hair
of my head was not diminished. And I ceased not to proclaim
to men, Eepent, for, behold, a deluge is coming. And no one
paid heed ; but all derided me, not refraining from their law-
less deeds, until the water of the deluge came and destroyed
them all.
1 For tliis tradition, see the Bible Dictionaries under Manasseh. Comp. ir-h.
xi. 37.
492 REVELATION OF PAUL.
And looking away, I saw other two from afar off. And I
asked the angel : Who are these, my lord ? And he said to
me : These are Enoch and Elias. And they came and saluted
me, saying : Welcome, Paul, beloved of God ! And I said to
them : Who are you ? And Elias the prophet answered and
said to me : I am EHas the prophet, who prayed to God, and
He caused that no rain should come down upon the earth for
three years and six months, on account of the unrighteousness
of the sons of men. For often, of a truth, even the angel besought
God on account of the rain ; and I heard. Be patient until Elias
my beloved shall pray, and I send rain upon the earth. ^
' Here the MS. abruptly ends. The Syriac thus continues: — And He gave not
until I called upon Him again ; then He gave unto them. But blessed art
thou, 0 Paul, that thy generation and those thou teachest are the sons of the
kingdom. And know thou, 0 Paul, that every man who believes through thee
hath a great blessing, and a blessing is reserved for him. Then he departed
from me.
And the angel who was with me led me forth, and said unto me : Lo, unto
thee is given this mystery and revelation. As thou pleasest, make it known
unto the sons of men. — And then follow details of the depositing of the revela-
tion under the foundation of the house in Tarsus, — details which Tischendorf
says the translator of the Syriac did not find in his original.
EEVELATION OF JOHN.
REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN THE THEOLOGIAN.
FTEE the taking up of our Lord Jesus Christ, I John
was alone upon Mount Tabor,^ where also He showed
us His undefiled Godhead ; and as I was not able
to stand, I fell upon the ground, and prayed to the
Lord, and said : 0 Lord my God, who hast deemed me wortliy
to be Thy servant, hear my voice, and teach me about Thy
coming. When Thou shalt come to the earth, what will
happen ? The heaven and the earth, and the sun and the
moon, what will happen to them in those times ? Eeveal to
me all ; for I am emboldened, because Thou listenest to Thy
servant.
And I spent seven days praying ; and after this a cloud of
light caught me up from the mountain, and set me before the
face of the heaven. And I heard a voice saying to me : Look
up, John, servant of God, and know. And having looked up,
I saw the heaven opened, and there came forth from within
the heaven a smell of perfumes of much sweet odour ; and I
saw an exceeding great flood of light, more resplendent than
the sun. And again I heard a voice saying to me : Behold,
righteous John. And I directed my sight, and saw a book
lying, of the thickness, methought, of seven mountains ;^
and the length of it the mind of man cannot comprehend,
having seven seals. And I said : 0 Lord my God, reveal to
1 For the history of the tradition that the transfiguration occurred on Mouut
Tabor, see Robinson's Researches, ii. 358
2 One MS. has : 700 cubits.
493
494 REVELATION OF JOHN.
me what is written in this book. And I heard a voice saying
to me : Hear, righteous John. In this book which thou seest
there have been written the things in the heaven, and the
things in the earth, and the things in the abyss, and the judg-
ments and righteousness of all the human race.^ And I said :
Lord, when shall these things come to pass ? and what do those
times bring ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, right-
eous John.^ There shall be in that time abundance of corn
and wine, such as there hath never been upon the earth, nor
shall ever be until those times come. Then the ear of corn
shall produce a half choenix,^ and the bend of the branch shall
produce a thousand clusters, and the cluster shall produce a
half jar of wine ; and in the following year there shall not be
found upon the face of all the earth a half choenix of corn or a
half jar of wine.
And again I said : Lord, thereafter what wilt Thou do ?
And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John.
Then shall appear the denier, and he who is set apart in the
darkness, who is called Antichrist. And again I said : Lord,
reveal to me what he is like. And I heard a voice saying to
me : The appearance of his face is dusky ; * the hairs of his
head are sharp, like darts ; his eyebrows like a wild beast's ;
his right eye like the star which rises in the morning, and the
other like a lion's ; his mouth about one cubit ; his teeth span
long ; his fingers like scythes ; tlie print of his feet of two
spans ; and on his face an inscription. Antichrist ; he shall be
exalted even to heaven, and shall be cast down even to Hades,
making false displays.* And then will I make the heaven
' MS. B adds : And they shall be manifested at the consummation of the age,
in the judgment to come. Just as the prophet Daniel saw the judgment, I sat,
and the books were opened. Then also shall the twelve apostles sit, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel. And when I heard this from my Lord, I again
asked : Show me, my Lord, when these things shall come to pass, etc.
* MS. B here inserts Luke xxi. 11.
3 The choenix ot corn was a man's daily allowance. It was equal to two pints
according to some, a pint and a half according to others.
* Or, gloomy.
s MS. B adds : And he will love most of all the nation of the Hebrews ; and
the righteous shall hide themselves, and flee to mountains and caves. And he
shall take vengeance on many of tlie righteous ; and blessed is he who shall not
believe in him.
REVELATION OF JOHN. 495
brazen, so that it shall not give moisture * upon the earth ;
and I will hide the clouds in secret places, so that they shall
not bring moisture upon the eartli ; and I will command the
horns of the wind, so that the wind shall not blow upon the
earth.^
And again I said : Lord, and how many years will he do this
upon the earth ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear,
righteous John. Three years shall those times be ; and I wiU
make the three years like three months, and the three months
like three weeks, and the three weeks like three days, and the
three days like three hours, and the three hours like three
seconds, as said the prophet David, His throne hast Thou
broken down to the ground ; Thou hast shortened the days of
his time ; Thou hast poured shame upon him.^ And then I
shall send forth Enoch and Elias to convict him; and they
shall show him to be a liar and a deceiver ; and he shall kill
them at the altar, as said the prophet. Then shall they offer
calves upon Thine altar/
And again I said : Lord, and after that what will come to
pass ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous
John. Then all the human race shall die, and there shall not
be a living man upon all the earth. And again I said : Lord,
after that what wilt Thou do ? And I heard a voice saying
to me : Hear, righteous John. Then will I send forth mine
angels, and they shall take the ram's horns that lie upon the
cloud ; and Michael and Gabriel shall go forth out of the
heaven and sound with those horns, as the prophet David fore-
' Or, dew.
* To the description of Antichrist, MS. E adds : He holds in his hand a cup
of death ; and all that worship hira drink of it. His right eye is like the
morning star, and his left like a lion's ; because he was taken prisoner by the
archangel Michael, and he took his godhead from him. And 1 was sent from
the bosom of my Father, and I drew up the head of the polluted one, and his
eye was consumed. And when they worship him, he writes on their right
hands, that they may sit with him in the outer fire ; and lor all who have not
been baptized, and have not believed, have been reserved all anger and wrath.
And I said : My Lord, and what miracles does he do ? Hear, rigiiteous John :
He shall remove mountains and hills, and he shall beckon with his polluted
hand, Come all to me ; and through his displays and deceits they will be
brought together to his own place. He will raise the dead, and show in every-
thing like God.
=> Ps. Ixxxi.x. 44, 45. * Ts. li. 21.
496 REVELATION OF JOHN.
told, With the voice of a trumpet of hom.^ And the voice of
the trumpet shall be heard from the one quarter of the world
to the other ; ^ and from the voice of that trumpet all the earth
shall be shaken, as the prophet foretold, And at the voice of
the bird every plant shall arise ; ^ that is, at the voice of the
archangel all the human race shall arise.*
And again I said : Lord, those who are dead from Adam
even to this day, and who dwell in Hades from the beginning
of the world, and who die at the last ages, what like shall they
arise ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous
John. All the human race shall arise thirty years old.
And again I said : Lord, they die male and female, and some
old, and some young, and some infants. In the resurrection
what like shall they arise ? And I heard a voice saying to me :
Hear, righteous John. Just as the bees are, and differ not one
from another, but are all of one appearance and one size, so
also shall every man be in the resurrection. There is neither
fair, nor ruddy, nor black ; neither Ethiopian nor different
countenances ; but they shall all arise of one appearance and
one stature. All the human race shall arise without bodies, as
I told you that in the resurrection they neither marry nor are
given in marriage, but are as the angels of God.^
And again I said : Lord, is it possible in that world to re-
cognise each other, a brother his brother, or a friend his friend,
or a father his own children, or the children their own parents ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, John. To the righteous
there is recognition, but to the sinners not at all ; they cannot
^ Ps. xcviii. 6 according to the LXX.
2 Lit., from quarters even to quarters of the world.
* Adapted from Eccles. xii. 4.
* To this section MS. E adds many details : — They that have gold and silver
shall throw them into the streets, and into every place in the world, and no one
will heed them. They shall throw into the streets ivory vessels, and robes
adorned with stones and pearls ; kings and rulers wasting away with hunger,
patriarchs and governors (or abbots), elders and peoples. Where is the fine
wine, and the tables, and the pomp of the world ? They shall not be found in
all the world ; and men shall die in the mountains and in the streets, and in
every place of the world. And the living shall die from the stink of the dead,
etc. Whosoever shall not worship the beast and his pomp shall be called a
witness (or martyr) in the kingdom of heaven, and shall inherit eternal life
with my holy ones.
<* Cf. Matt. xxii. 30, ami par.
REVELATION OF JOHN. 497
in the resurrection recognise each other. And again I John
said: Lord, is there there recollection of the things that are
here, either fields or vineyards, or other things here ? And I
heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous John. The prophet
David speaks, saying, I remembered that we are dust : as for
man, his days are as grass ; as a flower of the field, so he shall
flourish : for a wind hath passed over it, and it shall be no more,
and it shall not any longer know its place.^ And again the
same said: His spirit^ shall go forth, and he returns to his
earth ; in that day all his thoughts shall perish.'
And again I said : Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous John. Then
will I send forth mine angels over the face of all the earth,
and they shall lift off the earth everything honourable, and
everything precious, and the venerable and holy images, and
the glorious and precious crosses, and the sacred vessels of the
churches, and the divine and sacred books ; and all the pre-
cious and holy things shall be lifted up by clouds into the air.
And then will I order to be lifted up the great and venerable
sceptre,* on which I stretched forth my hands, and all the
orders of my angels shaU do reverence to it. And then shall
be lifted up all the race of men upon clouds, as the Apostle
Paul foretold.* Along with them we shall be snatched up in ^
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And then shall come forth
every evil spirit, both in the earth and in the abyss, wherever
they are on the face of all the earth, from the rising of the sun
even to the setting, and they shall be united to him that is
served by the devil, that is, Antichrist, and they shall be lifted
up upon the clouds.
And again I said : Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous John. Then
shall I send forth mine angels over the face of all the earth,
and they shall burn up the earth eight thousand five hundred ^
cubits, and the great mountains shall be burnt up, and all the
rocks shall be melted and shall become as dust, and every tree
1 Ps. ciii. 14-16 according to LXX. " Or, breath.
» Ps. cxlvi. 4 according to LXX. * Another reading is cross.
5 1 Thess. iv. 17. " Or, by.
1 Two MSS. have this number ; the other four have 500, 1800, 30, 60-100th3.
2 I
498 REVELATION OF JOHN.
shall be burnt up, and every beast, and every creeping thing
creeping upon the earth, and everything moving upon the face
of the earth, and every flying thing flying in the air ; and there
shall no longer be upon the face of all the earth anything
moving, and the earth shall be without motion.
And again I said : Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous John. Then
shall I uncover the four parts of the east, and there shall come
forth four great winds, and they shall sweep * all the face of
the earth from the one end of the earth to the other ; and the
Lord shall sweep sin from off the earth, and the earth shall be
made white like snow, and it shall become as a leaf of paper,
without cave, or mountain, or hill, or rock ; but the face of the
earth from the rising even to the setting of the sun shall be
like a table, and white as snow; and the reins of the earth
shall be consumed by fire, and it shaU cry unto me, saying, I
am a virgin before thee, 0 Lord, and there is no sin in me ;
as the prophet David said aforetime, Thou shalt sprinkle me
with hyssop, and I shall be made pure ; Thou shalt wash me,
and I shall be made whiter than snow.^ And again he ^ said :
Every chasm shall be filled up, and every mountain and hOl
brought low, and the crooked places shall be made straight, and
the rough ways into smooth ; and aU flesh shall see the salva-
tion of God.*
And again I said : Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do ?
And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John.
Then shall the earth be cleansed from sin, and all the earth
shall be filled with a sweet smell, because I am about to come
down upon the earth ; and then shall come forth tlie great and
venerable sceptre, with thousands of angels worshipping it, as I
said before ; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man
from the heaven with power and great glory.* And then the
worker of iniquity with his servants shall behold it, and gnash
his teeth exceedingly, and all the unclean spirits shall be
turned to flight. And then, seized by invisible power, having
no means of flight, they shall gnash their teeth against him,
1 Or, winnow. ^ pg. jj, 7,
3 MS. D has : Again another prophet has said. * Isa. xl. 4.
* Cf. Matt. xxiv. 30.
REVELATION OF JOHN. 499
saying to him : Where is thy power ? How hast thou led us
astray ? and we have fled away, and have fallen away from the
glory which we had beside Him who is coming to judge us,
and the whole human race. Woe to us ! because He banishes
us into outer darkness.
And again I said : Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : Then will I send an angel
out of heaven, and he shall cry with a loud voice, saying. Hear,
0 earth, and be strong, saith the Lord ; for I am coming down
to thee. And the voice of the angel shall be heard from the
one end of the world even to the other, and even to the re-
motest part of the abyss. And then shall be shaken all the
power of the angels and of the many-eyed ones, and there shall
be a great noise in the heavens, and the nine regions of the
heaven shall be shaken, and there shall be fear and astonish-
ment upon all the angels. And then the heavens shall be rent
from the rising of the sun even to the setting, and an innu-
merable multitude of angels shall come down to the earth ; and
then the treasures of the heavens shall be opened, and they
shall bring down every precious thing, and the perfume of in-
cense, and they shall bring down to the earth Jerusalem robed
like a bride.^ And then there shall go before me myriads of
angels and archangels, bearing my throne, crying out. Holy,
holy, holy. Lord of Sabaoth ; heaven and earth are full of Thy
glory.^ And then will I come forth with power and great
glory, and every eye in* the clouds shall see me; and then
every knee shall bend, of things in heaven, and things on earth,
and things under the earth.* And then the heaven shall
remain empty ; and I will come down upon the earth, and all
that is in the air shall be brought down upon the earth, and
all the human race and every evil spirit along with Antichrist,
and they shall all be set before me naked, and chained by the
neck.
And again I said : Lord, what will become of the heavens,
and the sun, and the moon, along with the stars ? And I heard
a voice saying to me : Behold, righteous John. And I looked,
and saw a Lamb having seven eyes and seven horns.* And
1 Rev. xxi. 2. " Cf. Isa. vi. 3. ^ Or, upon.
♦ PhU. ii. 10. * Rev. v. 6.
500 REVELATION OF JOHN.
again I heard a voice saying to me : I will bid the Lamb come
before me, and will say, Who will open this book ? And all
the multitudes of the angels will answer, Give this book to
the Lamb to open it. And then will I order the book to be
opened. And when He shall open the first seal, the stars of
the heaven shall fall, from the one end of it to the other. And
when He shall open the second seal, the moon shall be hidden,
and there shall be no light in her. And when He shall open
the third seal, the light of the sun shall be withheld, and there
shall not be light upon the earth. And when He shall open
the fourth seal, the heavens shall be dissolved, and the air
shall be thrown into utter confusion, as saith the prophet : And
the heavens are the works of Thy hands; they shall perish,
but Thou endurest, and they shall all wax old as a garment.^
And when He shall open the fifth seal, the earth shall be rent,
and all the tribunals upon the face of all the earth shall be
revealed. And when He shall open the sixth seal, the half of
the sea shall disappear. And when He shall open the seventh
seal. Hades shall be uncovered.
And I said : Lord, who will be the first to be questioned,
and to receive judgment ? And I heard a voice saying to me.
The unclean spirits, along with the adversary. I bid them go
into outer darkness, where the depths ^ are. And I said : Lord,
and in what place does it lie ? And I heard a voice saying to
me : Hear, righteous John. As big a stone as a man of thirty
years old can roll, and let go down into the depth, even falling
down for twenty years will not arrive at the bottom of Hades ;
as the prophet David said before, And He made darkness His
secret place.'
And I said : Lord, and after them what nation * will be ques-
tioned ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous
John. There will be questioned of Adam's race those nations,
both the Greek and those who have believed in idols, and in
the sun, and in the stars, and those who have defiled the faith
by heresy, and who have not believed the holy ® resurrection,
and who have not confessed the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Ghost : then will I send them away into Hades, as the
1 Ps. cii. 27. "^ Or, regions sunk in water. ^ Ps. xviii. 11.
* Lit, tongue. ' us. D inserts. Trinity and.
nEVELATION OF JOHN. 501
prophet David foretold, Let the sinners be turned into Hades,
and all the nations that forget God.^ And again he said : They
were put in Hades like sheep ; death shall be their shepherd.^
And again I said : Lord, and after them whom wilt Thou
judge ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous
John, Then the race of the Hebrews shall be examined, who
nailed me to the tree like a malefactor. And I said : And
what punishment will these get, and in what place, seeing that
ihey did such things to Thee ? And I heard a voice saying to
Me : They shall go away into Tartarus, as the prophet David
foretold. They cried out, and there was none to save ; to the
Lord, and He did not hearken to them.^ And again the
Apostle Paul said : As many as have sinned without law shall
also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in law
shall be judged by means of law.'*
And again I said : Lord, and what of those who have re-
ceived baptism ? And I heard a voice saying to me : Then the
race of the Christians shall be examined, who have received
baptism ; and then the righteous shall come at my command,
and the angels shall go and collect^ them from among the
sinners, as the prophet David foretold : The Lord will not
suffer the rod of the sinners in the lot of the righteous;® and
all the righteous shall be placed on my riglit hand,^ and shall
shine like the sun.^ As thou seest, John, the stars of heaven,
that they were all made together, but differ in light,^ so shall
it be with the righteous and the sinners ; for the righteous
shall shine as lights and as the sun, but the sinners shall stand
in darkness.
And again I said : Lord, and do all the Christians go into
one punishment ? — kings, high priests, priests, patriarchs, rich
and poor, bond and free ? And I heard a voice saying to me :
Hear, righteous John. As the prophet David foretold, The ex-
pectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.^'^ Now about
kings : they shall be driven like slaves, and shall weep like
infants ; and about patriarchs, and priests, and Levites, of those
1 Ps. ix. 17. " Ps. xlix. 14. ^ Ps. xviii. 41.
* Rom. ii. 12. * Lit, heap up, ^ Ps. cxxv. 3.
1 Matt. XXV. 33. « Matt. xiii. 43, ^ 1 Cor. x\. 41.
w Ps. ix. 18.
502 REVELATION OF JOHN.
that have sinned, they shall be separated in their punishments,
according to the nature ^ of the peculiar transgression of each,
— some in the river of fire, and some to the worm that dieth
not, and others in the seven-mouthed pit of punishment. To
these punishments the sinners will be apportioned.
And again I said : Lord, and where will the righteous dwell ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : Then shall paradise be re-
vealed, and the whole world and paradise shall be made one,
and the righteous shall be on the face of all the earth with my
angels, as the Holy Spirit foretold through the prophet David :
The righteous shall inherit the earth, and dwell therein for
ever and ever.^
And again I said : Lord, how great is the multitude of the
angels ? and which is the greater, that of angels or of men ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : As great as is the multi-
tude of the angels, so great is the race of men, as the prophet
has said, He set bounds to the nations according to the number
of the angels of God.*
And again I said : Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do ?
and what is to become of the world ? Eeveal to me all. And
I heard a voice saying to me : Hear, righteous John. After that
there is no pain, there is no grief, there is no groaning ; there
is no recollection of evils, there are no tears, there is no envy,
there is no hatred of brethren, there is no unrighteousness, there
is no arrogance, there is no slander, there is no bitterness, there
are none of the cares of life, there is no pain from parents
or children, there is no pain from gold, there are no wicked
thoughts, there is no devil, there is no death, there is no
night, but all is day.* As I said before. And other sheep I
have, which are not of this fold, that is, men who have been
made like the angels through their excellent course of life ;
them also must I bring, and they will hear my voice, and there
shall be one fold, one shepherd.^
And again I heard a voice saying to me : Behold, thou hast
heard all these things, righteous John ; deliver them to faithful
men, that they also may teach others, and not think lightly of
^ Lit. , proportion or analogy. * Ps. xxxvii. 29.
» Deut. xxxii. 8 according to the LXX. * Rev. vii. 17, xxi. 4.
» John X. 16.
REVELATION OF JOHN. 503
them/ nor cast our pearls before swine, lest percliance they
should trample them with their feet.^
And while I was still hearing this voice, the cloud brought
me down, and put me on Mount Thabor. And there came a
voice to me, saying : Blessed are those who keep judgment and
do righteousness in all time.* And blessed is the house where
this description lies, as the Lord said, He that loveth me keepeth
my sayings * in Christ Jesus our Lord ; to Him be glory for
ever. Amen."
^ i.e. the things heard. 2 Matt. vii. 6.
3 Ps. cvi. 3. •* John xiv. 23.
^ As a specimen of the eschatology of these documents, Tischendorf gives the
following extracts from the termination of ms. E : —
Hear, righteous John : All these shall be assembled, and they shall be in the
pit of lamentation ; and I shall set my throne in the place, and shall sit with
the twelve apostles and the four and twenty elders, and thou thyself an elder
on account of thy blameless life ; and to finish three services thou shalt receive
a white robe and an unfading crown from the hand of the Lord, and thou shalt
sit with the four and twenty elders, etc. And after this the angels shall come
forth, having a golden censer and shining lamps ; and they shall gather together
on the Lord's right hand those that have lived well, and done His will, and He
shall make them to dwell for ever and ever in light and joy, and they shall
obtain life everlasting. And when He shall separate the sheep from the goats,
that is, the righteous from the sinners, the righteous on the right, and the
sinners on the left ; then shall He send the angel Raguel, saying : Go and
sound the trumpet for the angels of cold and snow and ice, and bring together
every kind of wrath upon those that stand on the left. Because I wUl not
pardon them when they see the glory of God, the impious and unrepentant,
and the priests who did not what was commanded. You who have tears, weep
for the sinners. And Temeluch shall call out to Taruch : Open the punish-
ments, thou keeper of the keys ; open the judgments ; open the worm that dietli
not, and the wicked dragon ; make ready Hades ; open the darkness ; let loose
the fiery river, and the frightful darkness in the depths of Hades. Then the
pitiful sinners, seeing their works, and having no consolation, shall go down
weeping into streams as it were of blood. And there is none to pity them,
neither father to help, nor mother to compassionate, but rather the angels going
against them, and saying : Ye poor wretches, why are you weeping ? In the
world you had no compassion on the weak, you did not help them. And thesf
go away into everlasting punishment. There you will not be able to bear the
sight of Him who was born of the virgin ; you lived unrepenting in the world,
and you will get no pity, but everlasting punishment. And Temeluch says to
Taruch : Rouse up the fat three-headed serpent ; sound the trumpet for the
frightful wild beasts to gather them together to feed upon them (i.e. the sin-
ners) ; to open the twelve plagues, that all the creeping things may be brought
together against the impious and unrepenting. And Temeluch will gatlier to-
gether the multitude of the sinners, and will kick the earth ; and the earth will
be split up in diverse places, and the sinners will be melted in fi-ightful punish-
THE BOOK OF JOHN
CONCERNING THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY.
The Account of St. John the Theologian ^ of the Falling Asleep
of the Holy Mother of God.
S the all-holy glorious mother of God and ever- virgin
Mary, as was her wont, was going to the holy tomb
of our Lord to burn incense, and bending her holy
knees, she was importunate that Christ our God
who had been born of her should return to her. And the Jews,
seeing her lingering by the divine sepulchre, came to the chief
priests, saying : Mary goes every day to the tomb. And the
chief priests, having summoned the guards set by them not to
allow any one to pray at the holy sepulchre, inquired about
her, whether in truth it were so. And the guards answered and
said that they had seen no such thing, God having not allowed
them to see her when there. And on one of the days, it being
the preparation, the holy Mary, as was her wont, came to the
sepulchre ; and while she was praying, it came to pass that the
ments. Then shall God send Michael, the leader of His hosts ; and having
sealed the place, Temeluch shall strike tliem with the precious cross, and the
earth shall be brought together as before. Then their angels lamented exceed-
ingly, then the all-holy (Virgin) and all the saints wept for them, and they
shall do them no good. And John says : Why are the sinners thus punished ?
And I heard a voice saying to me : They walked in the world each after his own
will, and therefore are they thus punished.
Blessed is the man who reads the writing : blessed is he who has transcribed
it, and given it to other catholic churches : blessed are all who fear God. Hear,
ye priests, and ye readers ; hear ye people, etc.
^ The titles vary considerably. In two Mss. the author is said to be James
the Lord's brother ; in one, John Archbisliop of Thessalonica, who lived in the
seventh century.
504
THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY. 505
heavens were opened, and the archangel Gabriel came down to
her, and said : Hail, thou that didst bring forth Christ our God !
Thy prayer having come through to the heavens to Him who
was born of thee, has been accepted ; and from this time, accord-
ing to thy request, thou having left the world, shalt go to the
heavenly places to thy Son, into the true and everlasting life.
And having heard this from the holy archangel, she returned
to holy Bethlehem, having along with her three virgins who
ministered unto her. And after having rested a short time, she
sat up and said to the virgins : Bring me a censer, that I may
pray. And they brought it, as they had been commanded.
And she prayed, saying: My Lord Jesus Christ, who didst
deign through Thy supreme goodness to be born of me, hear
my voice, and send me Thy apostle John, in order that, seeing
him, I may partake of joy ; and send me also the rest of Thy
apostles, both those who have already gone to Thee, and those
in the world that now is, in whatever country they may be,
tlirough Thy holy commandment, in order that, having beheld
them, I may bless Thy name much to be praised ; for I am con-
fident that Thou hearest Thy servant in everything.
And while she was praying, I John came, the Holy Spirit
having snatched me up by a cloud from Ephesus, and set me
in the place where the mother of my Lord was lying. And
having gone in beside her, and glorified Him who had been
born of her, I said : Hail, mother of my Lord, who didst bring
forth Christ our God, rejoice that in great glory thou art going
out of this life. And the holy mother of God glorified God,
because I John had come to her, remembering the voice of the
Lord, saying : Behold Thy mother, and, Behold thy son.-' And
the three virgins came and worshipped. And the holy mother
of God says to me : Pray, and cast incense. And I prayed
thus : Lord Jesus Christ, who hast done wonderful things, now
also do wonderful things before her who brought Thee forth ; and
let Thy mother depart from this life; and let those who crucified
Thee, and who have not believed in Thee, be confounded. And
after I had ended the prayer, holy ]\Iary said to me : Bring me
the censer. And having cast incense, she said, Glory to Thee,
my God and my Lord, because there has been fulfdled in me
1 John six. 26, 27.
506 THE BOOK OF JOHN CONCERNING
whatsoever Thou didst promise to me before Thou didst ascend
into the heavens, that when I should depart from this world
Thou wouldst come to me, and the multitude of Thine angels,
with glory. And I John say to her : Jesus Christ our Lord
and our God is coming, and thou seest^ Him, as He promised
to thee. And the holy mother of God answered and said to
me : The Jews have sworn that after I have died they will
burn my body. And I answered and said to her : Thy holy
and precious body will by no means see corruption. And she
answered and said to me : Bring a censer, and cast incense, and
pray. And there came a voice out of the heavens saying the
Amen. And I John heard this voice ; and the Holy Spirit said
to me : John, hast thou heard this voice that spoke in the
heaven after the prayer was ended ? And I answered and said :
Yes, I heard. And the Holy Spirit said to me: This voice
which thou didst hear denotes that the appearance of thy
brethren the apostles is at hand, and of the holy powers tiiat
they are coming hither to-day.
And at this I John prayed.
And the Holy Spirit said to the apostles : Let all of you to-
gether, having come by the clouds from the ends of the world,
be assembled to holy Bethlehem by a whirlwind, on account of
the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ ; Peter from Eome, Paul
from Tiberia,^ Thomas from Hither India, James from Jeru-
salem. Andrew, Peter's brother, and Philip, Luke, and Simon
the Canansean, and Thaddaeus who had fallen asleep, were raised
by the Holy Spirit out of their tombs ; to whom the Holy Spirit
said : Do not think that it is now the resurrection ; but on this
account you have risen out of your tombs, that you may go to
give greeting to the honour and wonder-working of the mother
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because the day of her
departure is at hand, of her going up into the heavens. And
Mark likewise coming round, was present from Alexandria ; he
also with the rest, as has been said before, from each country.
And Peter being lifted up by a cloud, stood between heaven and
earth, the Holy Spirit keeping him steady. And at the same
time, the rest of the apostles also, having been snatched up in
^ i.e. wilt see.
" A place near Kome ; one MS. calls it Tiberis.
THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY. 507
clouds, were found along with Peter. And thus by the Holy
Spirit, as has been said, they all came together.
And having gone in beside the mother of our Lord and God,
and having adored, we said: Fear not, nor grieve; God the
Lord, who was born of thee, will take thee out of this world
with glory. And rejoicing in God her Saviour, she sat up in
the bed, and says to the apostles : Now have I believed that
our Master and God is coming from heaven, and I shall behold
Him, and thus depart from this life, as I have seen that you
have come. And I wish you to tell me how you knew that
I was departing and came to me, and from what countries and
through what distance you have come hither, that you have
thus made haste to visit me. For neither has He who was
born of me, our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the universe,
concealed it ; for I am persuaded even now that He is the Sou
of the Most High.
And Peter answered and said to the apostles : Let us each,
according to what the Holy Spirit announced and commanded
us, give full information to the mother of our Lord. And I
John answered and said : Just as I was going in to the holy
altar in Ephesus to perform divine service, the Holy Spirit says
to me. The time of the departure of the mother of thy Lord is
at hand ; go to Bethlehem to salute her. And a cloud of light
snatched me up, and set me down in the door where thou art
lying. Peter also answered: And I, living in Eome, about
dawn heard a voice through the Holy Spirit saying to me, The
mother of thy Lord is to depart, as the time is at hand ; go to
Betlilehem to salute her. And, behold, a cloud of light snatched
me up ; and I beheld also the other apostles coming to me on
clouds, and a voice saying to me. Go all to Bethlehem. And
Paul also answered and said : And I, living in a city at no
great distance from Eome, called the country of Tiberia, heard
the Holy Spirit saying to me. The mother of thy Lord, having
left this world, is making her course to the celestial regions
through her departure;^ but go thou also to Bethlehem to
salute her. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me
up, set me down in the same place as you. And Thomas also
answered.and said: And I, traversing the country of the Indians,
1 Or, (lissolutiou.
508 THE BOOK OF JOHN CONCERNING
when the preaching was prevailing by the grace of Christ, and
the king's sister's son, Labdanus by name, was about to be
sealed by me in the palace, on a sudden the Holy Spirit says
to me. Do thou also, Thomas, go to Bethlehem to salute the
mother of thy Lord, because she is taking her departure to the
heavens. And a cloud of light having snatched me up, set me
down beside you. And Mark also answered and said : And
when I was finishing the canon ^ of the third [day] in the city of
Alexandria, just as I was praying, the Holy Spirit snatched me
up, and brought me to you. And James also answered and
said : While I was in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit commanded
me, saying, Go to Bethlehem, because the mother of thy Lord
is taking her departure. And, behold, a cloud of light having
snatched me up, set me beside you. And Matthew also
answered and said : I have glorified and do glorify God, because
when I was in a boat and overtaken by a storm, the sea raging
with its waves, on a sudden a cloud of light overshadowing the
stormy billow, changed it to a calm, and having snatched me
up, set me down beside you. And those M^ho had come before
likewise answered, and gave an account of how they had come.
And Bartholomew said : I was in the Thebais proclaiming the
word, and behold the Holy Spirit says to me. The mother of
thy Lord is taking her departure ; go, then, to salute her in
Bethlehem. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me
up, brought me to you.
The apostles said all these things to the holy mother of God,
why they had come, and in what way ; and she stretched her
hands to heaven, and prayed, saying : I adore, and praise, and
glorify Thy much to be praised name, 0 Lord, because Thou
hast looked upon the lowliness of Thine handmaiden, and
because Thou that art mighty hast done great things for me ;
and, behold, all generations shall count me blessed.^ And after
the prayer she said to the apostles : Cast incense, and pray.
And when they had prayed, there was thunder from heaven,
and there came a fearful voice, as if of chariots ; and, behold,
a miiltitude of a host of angels and powers, and a voice, as if of
^ A canon is a part-of the church service consisting of nine odes. The canon
of the third day is the canon for Tuesday.
2 Luke i. 48.
THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MAUY. 509
the Son of man, was heard, and the seraphim in a circle round
the house where the holy, spotless mother of God and virgin
was lying, so that all who were in Bethlehem beheld all the
wonderful things, and came to Jerusalem and reported all the
wonderful things that had come to pass. And it came to pass,
when the voice was heard, that the sun and the moon suddenly
appeared about the house ; and an assembly ^ of the first-born
saints stood beside the house where the mother of the Lord
was lying, for her honour and glory. And I beheld also that
many signs came to pass, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing,
the lame walking, lepers cleansed, and those possessed by un-
clean spirits cured ; and every one who was under disease and
sickness, touching the outside of the wall of the house where
she was lying, cried out : Holy Mary, who didst bring forth
Christ our God, have mercy upon us. And they were straight-
way cured. And great multitudes out of every country living
in Jerusalem for the sake of prayer, having heard of the signs
that had come to pass in Bethlehem through the mother of the
Lord, came to the place seeking the cure of various diseases,
which also they obtained. And there was joy unspeakable on
that day among the multitude of those who had been cured, as
well as of those who looked on, glorifying Christ our God and
His mother. And all Jerusalem from Bethlehem kept festival
with psalms and spiritual songs.
And the priests of the Jews, along with their people, were
astonished at the things which had come to pass ; and being
moved ^ with the heaviest hatred, and again with frivolous
reasoning, having made an assembly, they determine to send
against the holy mother of God and the holy apostles who
were there in Bethlehem. And accordingly the multitude of
the Jews, having directed their course to Bethlehem, when at
the distance of one mile it came to pass that they belield a
frightful vision, and their feet were held fast ; and after this
they returned to their fellow-countrymen, and reported all the
frightful vision to the chief priests. And they, still more
boiling with rage, go to the procurator, crying out and saying :
The nation of the Jews has been ruined by this woman ;
chase her from Bethlehem and the province of Jerusalem.
1 Or, a church. ' Burning— Ms. B.
510 THE BOOK OF JOHN CONCERNING
And the procurator, astonished at the wonderful things, said
to them : I will chase her neither from Bethlehem nor from
any other place. And the Jews continued crying out, and
adjuring him by the health of Tiberius Csesar to bring the
apostles out of Bethlehem. And if you do not do so, we shall
report it to the Caesar. Accordingly, being compelled, he sends
a tribune of the soldiers^ against the apostles to Bethlehem.
And the Holy Spirit says to the apostles and the mother of
the Lord : Behold, the procurator has sent a tribune against
you, the Jews having made an uproar. Go forth therefore
from Bethlehem, and fear not : for, behold, by a cloud I shall
bring you to Jerusalem ; for the power of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit is with you. The apostles therefore
rose up immediately, and went forth from the house, carrying
the bed of the Lady the mother of God, and directed their
course to Jerusalem ; and immediately, as the Holy Spirit had
said, being lifted up by a cloud, they were found in Jerusalem
in the house of the Lady. And they stood up, and for five
days made an unceasing singing of praise. And when the
tribune came to Bethlehem, and found there neither the mother
of the Lord nor the apostles, he laid hold of the Betlilehemites,
saying to them : Did you not come telling the procurator and
the priests all the signs and wonders that had come to pass,
and how the apostles had come out of every country ? "Where
are they, then ? Come, go to the procurator at Jerusalem. For
the tribune did not know of the departure of the apostles and
the Lord's mother to Jerusalem. The tribune then, having
taken the Bethlehemites, went in to the procurator, saying
that he had found no one. And after five days it was known
to the procurator, and the priests, and all the city, that the
Lord's mother was in her own house in Jerusalem, along with
the apostles, from the signs and wonders that came to pass
there. And a multitude of men and women and virgins came
together, and cried out: Holy virgin, that didst bring forth
Christ our God, do not forget the generation of men. And
when these things came to pass, the people of the Jews, with
the priests also, being the more moved with hatred, took wood
and fire, and came up, wishing to burn the house where the
' Lit., chiliarch, i.e. commander of a thousand.
THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY. 511
Lord's mother was living with the apostles. And the pro-
curator stood looking at the sight from afar off. And when
the people of the Jews came to the door of the house, behold,
suddenly a power of fire coming forth from within, by means
of an angel, burnt up a great multitude of the Jews. And
there was great fear throughout all the city ; and they glorified
God, who had been born of her. And when the procurator
saw what had come to pass, he cried out to all the people,
saying : Truly he who was born of the virgin, whom you
thought of driving away, is the Son of God ; for these signs are
those of the true God. And there was a division among the
Jews; and many believed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
in consequence of tlie signs that had come to pass.
And after all these wonderful things had come to pass
through the mother of God, and ever-virgin Mary the mother
of the Lord, while we the apostles were with her in Jeru-
salem, the Holy Spirit said to us : You know that on the
Lord's day the good news was brought to the Virgin Mary
by the archangel Gabriel ; and on the Lord's day the Saviour
was born in Bethlehem ; and on the Lord's day the children
of Jerusalem came forth with palm branches to meet Him,
saying, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is ^ He that cometh in
the name of the Lord f and on the Lord's day He rose from
the dead ; and on the Lord's day He will come to judge the
living and the dead ; and on the Lord's day He will come out
of heaven, to the glory and honour of the departure of the holy
glorious virgin who brought Him forth. And on the same^
Lord's day the mother of the Lord says to the apostles : Cast
incense, because Christ is coming with a host of angels ; and,
behold, Christ is at hand, sitting on a throne of cherubim.
And while we were all praying, there appeared innumerable
multitudes of angels, and the Lord mounted upon cherubim
in great power ; and, behold, a stream of light * coming to the
holy virgin, because of the presence of her only-begotten Son,
and all the powers of the heavens fell down and adored Him.
And the Lord, speaking to His mother, said : Mary. And slie
answered and said : Here am I, Lord. And the Lord said to
1 Or, be. * Matt. xxi. 9; Luke xix. 38; Ts. cxviii. 26.
» The holy— MS. A. * Lit, a going forth of illumination.
512 THE BOOK OF JOHN CONCERNING
her: Grieve not, but let thy heart rejoice and be glad; for
thou hast found grace to behold the glory given to me by my
Father, And the holy mother of God looked up, and saw in
Him a glory which it is impossible for the mouth of man to
speak of, or to apprehend. And the Lord remained beside her,
saying : Behold, from the present time thy precious body will
be transferred to paradise, and thy holy soul to the heavens to
the treasures of my Father in exceeding brightness, where there
is peace and joy of the holy angels, — and other things besides.^
And the mother of the Lord answered and said to Him : Lay
Thy right hand upon me, 0 Lord, and bless me. And the
Lord stretched forth His undefiled right hand, and blessed
her. And she laid hold of His undefiled right hand, and kissed
it, saying : I adore this right hand, which created the heaven
and the earth ; and I call upon Thy much to be praised name
Christy 0 God, the King of the ages, the only-begotten of the
Father, to receive Thine handmaid, Thou who didst deign to
be brought forth by me, in a low estate, to save the race of men
through Thine ineffable dispensation ; do Thou bestow Thine
aid upon every man calling upon, or praying to, or naming
the name of. Thine handmaid. And while she is saying this,
the apostles, having gone up to her feet and adored, say: 0
mother of the Lord, leave a blessing to the world, since thou
art going away from it. For thou hast blessed it, and raised
it up when it was ruined, by bringing forth the Light of the
world. And the mother of the Lord prayed, and in her prayer
spoke thus : 0 God, who through Thy great goodness hast sent
from the heavens Thine only -begotten Son to dwell in my
humble body, who hast deigned to be born of me, humble (as
I am), have mercy upon the world, and every soul that calls
upon Thy name. And again she prayed, and said : 0 Lord,
King of the heavens. Son of the living God, accept every man
who calls upon Thy name, that Thy birth may be glorified.
And again she prayed, and said : 0 Lord Jesus Christ, who
art all-powerful in heaven and on earth, in this appeal I im-
plore Thy holy name ; in every time and place where there is
made mention of my name, make that place holy, and glorify
' Perhaps the true reading is : fhou shalt dwell where there is peace and joy
of the holy angels.
THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY. 513
those that glorify Thee through my name, accepting of such
persons all their offering, and all their supplication, and all
their prayer. And when she had thus prayed, the Lord said
to His mother : Let thy heart rejoice and be glad ; for every
favour ^ and every gift has been given to thee from my Father
in heaven, and from me, and from the Holy Spirit : every soul
that calls upon thy name shall not be ashamed, but shaU find
mercy, and comfort, and support, and confidence, both in the
world that now is, and in that which is to come, in the pre-
sence of my Father in the heavens. And the Lord turned and
said to Peter : The time has come to begin the singing of the
hymn. And Peter having begun the singing of the hymn, all
the powers of the heavens responded with the Alleluiah. And
then the face of the mother of the Lord shone brighter than
the light, and she rose up and blessed each of the apostles with
her own hand, and all gave gloiy to God; and the Lord stretched
forth His undefiled hands, and received her holy and blameless
soul. And with the departure of her blameless soul the place
was filled with perfume and ineffable light; and, behold, a voice
out of the heaven was heard, saying : Blessed art thou among
women. And Peter, and I John, and Paul, and Thomas, ran
and wrapped up her precious feet for the consecration; and
the twelve apostles put her precious and holy body upon a
couch, and carried it. And, behold, while they were carrying
her, a certain well-born Hebrew, Jephonias by name, running
against the body, put his hands upon the couch ; and, behold,
an angel of the Lord by invisible power, with a sword of fire,
cut off his two hands from his shoulders, and made them hang
about the couch, lifted up in the air. And at this miracle
which had come to pass all the people of the Jews who beheld
it cried out : Verily, He that was brought forth by thee is the
true God, 0 mother of God, ever- virgin Mary. And Jephonias
himself, when Peter ordered him, that the wonderful things of
God might be showed forth, stood up behind the couch, and
cried out: Holy Mary, who broughtest forth Christ who is
God, have mercy upon me. And Peter turned and said to
him: In the name of Him who was born of her, thy hands
which have been taken away from thee, will be fixed on again.
^ Or, grace.
2K
514 THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY.
And immediately, at the word of Peter, the hands hanging
by the couch of the Lady came, and were fixed on Jephonias.
And he believed, and glorified Christ, God who had been born
of her.
And when this miracle had been done, the apostles carried ^
the couch, and laid down her precious and holy body in Geth-
semane in a new tomb. And, behold, a perfume of sweet
savour came forth out of the holy sepulchre of our Lady the
mother of God ; and for three days the voices of invisible
angels were heard glorifying Christ our God, who had been
born of her. And when the third day was ended, the voices
were no longer heard ; and from that time forth all knew that
her spotless and precious body had been transferred to paradise.
And after it had been transferred, behold, we see Elizabeth
the mother of St. John the Baptist, and Anna the mother of
the Lady, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and David, sing-
ing the Alleluiah, and all the choirs of the saints adoring the
holy relics of the mother of the Lord, and the place full of
light, than which light nothing could be more brilliant, and an
abundance of perfume in that place to which her precious and
holy body had been transferred ' in paradise, and the melody of
those praising Him who had been born of her — sweet melody, of
which there is no satiety, such as is given to virgins, and them
only, to hear. We apostles, therefore, having beheld the sudden
precious translation of her holy body, glorified God, who had
shown us His wonders at the departure of the mother of our
Lord Jesus Christ, whose ^ prayers and good of&ces may we all
be deemed worthy to receive,^ under her shelter, and support,
and protection, both in the world that now is and in that which
is to come, glorifying in every time and place her only-begotten
Son, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and
ever. Amen.
' Four of the Mss. give a different account here : While the apostles were
going forth from the city of Jerusalem carrying the couch, suddenly twelve
clouds of light snatched up the apostles, with the body of our Lady, and trans-
lated them to paradise.
* i. e. the mother's,
' One MS. has : To find mercy and remission of sins from our Lord Jesus
Christ.
THE PASSING OF MAKY.
FIRST LATIN FORM.
Concerning the Passing'^ of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
jN" that time before the Lord came to His passion, and
among many words which the mother asked of the
Son, she began to ask Him about her own departure,
addressing Him as follows : — 0 most dear Son, I
pray Thy holiness, that when my soul goes out of my body,
Thou let me know on the third day before ; and do Thou, be-
loved Son, with Thy angels, receive it.^ Then He received the
prayer of His beloved mother, and said to her : 0 palace and
temple of the living God, 0 blessed mother,' 0 queen of all
saints, and blessed above all women, before thou carriedst me
in thy womb, I always guarded thee, and caused thee to be fed
daily with my angelic food,* as thou knowest: how can I desert
thee, after thou hast carried me, and nourished me, and brought
me down in flight into Egypt, and endured many hardships for
me ? Know, then, that my angels have always guarded thee,
and will guard thee even until thy departure. But after I
undergo suffering for men, as it is written, and rise again on
the third day, and after forty days ascend into heaven, when
thou shalt see me coming to thee * with angels and archangels,
with saints and with virgins, and with my disciples, know for
certain that thy soul will be separated from the body, and I
shall carry it into heaven, where it shall never at aU have
' MS. B, the assumption.
2 MS. C adds: And cause all the apostles to be present at my departure.
3 Puerpera. * Protevangelmm of James, ch. 8.
s MS. C has : When, therefore, thou shalt see my archangel Gabriel coming to
thee with a palm which I shall send to thee from heaven, know that I shall
soon come to thee, my disciples, and angels, etc.
515
516 THE PASSING OF MARY.
tribulation or anguisli. Then she joyed and gloried, and kissed
the knees of her Son, and blessed the Creator of heaven and
earth, who gave her such a gift through Jesus Christ her Son.
In the second year, therefore, after the ascension of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the most blessed Virgin Mary continued always
in prayer day and night. And on the third day before she
passed away, an angel of the Lord came to her, and saluted
her, saying : Hail, Mary, full of grace ! the Lord be with thee.
And she answered, saying : Thanks to God. Again he said to
her : Eeceive this palm which the Lord promised to thee. And
she, giving thanks to God, with great joy received from the
hand of the angel the palm sent to her. The angel of the Lord
said to her : Thy assumption will be after three days. And she
answered : Thanks to God.-^
Then she called Joseph of the city of Arimathea, and the
other ^ disciples of the Lord ; and when they, both relations and
acquaintances, were assembled, she announced her departure to
all standing there. Then the blessed Mary washed* herself,
and dressed herself like a queen, and waited the advent of her
Son, as He had promised to her. And she asked all her rela-
tions to keep beside * her, and give her comfort. And she had
along with her three virgins, Sepphora, Abigea, and Zael ; but
the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ had been already dis-
persed throughout the whole world to preach to the people of
God.
Then at the third hour ^ there were great thunders, and rains,
and lightnings, and tribulation, and an earthquake,^ while
queen Mary was standing in her chamber. John' the evan-
gelist and apostle was suddenly brought from Ephesus, and
entered the chamber of the blessed Mary, and saluted her, and
said to her : Hail, Mary, full of grace ! the Lord be with thee.
And she answered : Thanks to God. And raising herself up,
she kissed Saint John. And the blessed Mary said to him : 0
1 MS. C : And she began to give gi-eat thanks to God in these words : My
soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
2 Or, other. ^ MS. A, raised. Levavit instead of lavit.
* Lit., guard.
^ MS. C inserts : of tlie second day after the angel had come to her with the
palm.
* Or, earthquakes.
THE PASSING OF MARY. 517
my dearest son, why hast thou left me at such a time, and hast
not paid heed to the commands of thy Master, to take care of me,
as He commanded thee while He was hanging on the cross ?
And he asked pardon with bended knee. Then the blessed
Mary gave him her benediction, and again kissed him. And
when she meant to ask him whence he came, and for what
reason he had come to Jerusalem, behold, all the disciples of
the Lord, except Thomas who is called Didymus, were brought
by a cloud to the door of the chamber of the blessed Mary,
They stood and went in, and saluted the queen with the fol-
lowing words, and adored her : Hail, Mary, full of grace ! the
Lord be with thee. And she eagerly rose quickly, and bowed
herself, and kissed them, and gave thanks to God. These are
the names of the disciples of the Lord who were brought thither
in the cloud : John the evangelist and James his brother, Peter
and Paul, Andrew, Philip, Luke, Barnabas, Bartholomew and
Matthew, Matthias who is called Justus,^ Simon the Chanan^an,
Judas and his brother, Mcodemus and Maximianus, and many
others who cannot be numbered. Then the blessed, Mary said
to her brethren : What is this, that you have all come to Jeru-
salem ? Peter, answering, said to her : We had need to ask
this of thee, and dost thou question us ? Certainly, as I think,
none of us knows why we have come here to-day with such
rapidity. I was at Antioch, and now I am here. All declared
plainly the place where they had been that day. And they all
wondered that they were there when they heard these tilings.
The blessed Mary said to them : I asked my Son, before He
endured the passion, that He and you should be at my death ;
and He granted me this gift. Whence you may know that my
departure will be to-morrow.'' Watch and pray with me, that
when the Lord comes to receive my soul. He may find you
watching. Then all promised that they would watch. And
they watched and prayed the whole night, with psalms and
chants, with great illuminations.
And when the Lord's day came, at the third hour, just as the
1 It was Joseph, the otlier candidate for the apostleship, who was called
Justus (Acts i. 23).
2 MS. C adds : And she showed them the palm which the Lord had sent her
from heaven by His angel.
518 THE PASSING OF MARY.
Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in a cloud/ so Christ
descended with a multitude of angels, and received the soul of
His beloved mother. For there was such splendour and per-
fume of sweetness, and angels singing the songs of songs, where
the Lord says. As a lily among thorns, so is my love among
the daughters,^ that all who were there present fell on their
faces, as the apostles fell when Christ transfigured Himself
before them on Mount Thabor, and for a whole hour and a half
no one was able to rise. But when the light went away, and
at the same time with the light itself, the soul of the blessed
virgin Mary was taken up into heaven with psalms, and hymns,
and songs of songs. And as the cloud went up the whole earth
shook, and in one moment all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
openly saw the departure of St. Mary.
And that same hour Satan entered into them, and they
began to consider what they were to do with her body. And
they took up weapons, that they might burn her body and kill
the apostles, because from her had gone forth the dispersions of
Israel, on account of their sins and the gathering together of
the Gentiles. But they were struck with blindness, striking
their heads against the walls, and striking each other.' Then
the apostles, alarmed by so much brightness, arose, and with
psalms carried the holy body down from Mount Zion to the
Valley of Jehoshaphat. But as they were going in the middle
of the road, behold, a certain Jew,^ Eeuben by name, wishing
to throw to the ground the holy bier with the body of the
blessed Mary. But his hands dried up, even to the elbow ;
whether he would or not, he went down even to the Valley of
Jehoshaphat, weeping and lamenting because his hands were
raised to the bier, and he was not able to draw back his hands
to himself. And he began to ask the apostles " that by their
1 MS. C has : just as the Holy Spirit appeared in a cloud to His disciples,
viz. Peter, James, and John, when He was transfigured, so, etc.
2 Cant. ii. 2.
3 MS. C : By the divine vengeance, at that very instant they began to strike
and slay each other with their weapons, and struck their heads against the walls
like madmen.
•* MS. C inserts : a scribe of the tribe of Dan.
6 MS. C adds : and firmly to promise that, if he were made whole by their
prayers, he would become a Christian.
THE PASSING OF MARY. 519
prayer he might be saved and made a Christian. Then the
apostles, bending their knees, asked the Lord to let him loose.
And he, being healed that same hour, giving thanks to God
and kissing the feet of the queen of all the saints and apostles,
was baptized in that same place, and began to preach the name
of our God Jesus Christ.
Then the apostles with great honour laid the body in the
tomb, weeping and singing through exceeding love and sweet-
ness. And suddenly there shone round them a light from
heaven, and they fell to the ground, and -the holy body was
taken up by angels into heaven.
Then the most blessed Thomas was suddenly brought to the
Mount of Olivet, and saw the most blessed body going up to
heaven, and began to cry out and say : 0 holy mother, blessed
mother, spotless mother, if I have now found grace because I
see thee, make thy servant joyful through thy compassion,
because thou art going to heaven. Then the girdle with which
the apostles had encircled the most holy body was thrown down
from heaven to the blessed Thomas. And taking it, and kissing
it, and giving thanks to God, he came again into the Valley of
Jehoshaphat. He found all the apostles and another great
crowd there beating their breasts on account of the brightness
which they had seen. And seeing and kissing each other, the
blessed Peter said to him : Truly thou hast always been obdu-
rate and unbelieving, because for thine unbelief it was not
pleasing to God that thou shouldst be along with us at the
burial of the mother of the Saviour. And he, beating his
breast, said : I know and firmly believe that I have always
been a bad and an unbelieving man ; therefore I ask pardon of
all of you for my obduracy and unbelief. And they all prayed
for him. Then the blessed Thomas said : Where have you laid
her body? And they pointed out the sepulchre with their
finger. And he said : The body which is called most holy is
not there. Then the blessed Peter said to him : Already on
another occasion thou wouldst not believe the resurrection of
our Master and Lord at our word, unless thou went to touch
Him with thy fingers, and see Him ; how wilt thou believe us
that the holy body is here ? Still he persists saying : It is not
here. Then, as it were in a rage, they went to the sepulchre.
520 THE PASSING OF MAUY.
which was a new one hollowed out in the rock, and took up
the stone ; but they did not find the body, not knowing what to
say, because they had been convicted by the words of Thomas.
Then the blessed Thomas told them how he was singing mass
in India — he still had on his sacerdotal robes. He, not knowing
the word of God, had been brought to the Mount of Olivet, and
saw the most holy body of the blessed Mary going up into
heaven, and prayed her to give him a blessing. She heard his
prayer, and threw him her girdle which she had about her.
And the apostles seeing the belt which they had put about her,
glorifying God, all asked pardon of the blessed Thomas, on
account of the benediction which the blessed Mary had given
him, and because he had seen the most holy body going up
into heaven. And the blessed Thomas gave them his benedic-
tion, and said : Behold how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity ! ^
And the same cloud by which they had been brought carried
them back each to his own place, just like Philip when he bap-
tized the eunuch, as is read in the Acts of the Apostles ; ^ and
as Habakkuk the prophet carried food to Daniel, who was in
the lions' den, and quickly returned to Judea.^ And so also
the apostles quickly returned to where they had at first been,
to preach to the people of God. Nor is it to be wondered at
that He should do such things, who went into the virgin and
came out of her though her womb was closed ; who, though the
gates were shut, went in to His disciples ; * who made the deaf
to hear, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the
blind,'* and did many other wonderful things. To believe this
is no doubtful matter.
I am Joseph who laid the Lord's body in my sepulchre, and
saw Him rising again ; and who, before the ascension and after
the ascension of the Lord, always kept His most sacred temple
the blessed ever-virgin Mary, and (who have kept) in writing
and in my breast the things which came forth from the mouth
of God, and how the things mentioned above were done by the
judgment of God. And I have made known to all, Jews and
1 Ps. cxxxiii. 1. 2 j^cts viii. 39.
^ Bel and the Dragon, vers. 33-39. ■♦ John xx. 19. •
^ MS. C adds : and in Cana of Galilee made wine out of water.
THE PASSING OF MART. 621
Gentiles, tliose things which I saw with my eyes, and heard
with my ears ; and as long as I live I shall not cease to
declare them. And her, whose assumption is at this day
venerated and worshipped throughout the whole world, let us
assiduously entreat that she be mindful of us in the presence
of her most pious Son in heaven, to whom is praise and glory
through endless ages of ages. Amen.'^
1 MS. C has this last section as follows : For I am Joseph, who laid the body
of our Lord Jesus Christ in my sepulchre, and saw Him and spoke with Him
after His resurrection ; who afterwards kept His most pious mother in my house
until her assumption into the heavens, and served her according to my power ;
who also was deemed worthy to hear and see from her holy mouth many secrets,
which I have written and keep in my heart. That which I saw with mine eyes,
and heard with mine ears, of her holy and glorious assumption, I have written
for faithful Christians, and those that fear God ; and while I live I shall not
cease to preach, speak, and write them to all nations. And let every Christian
know, that if he keep this writing by him, even in his house, whether he be
cleric, or lay, or a woman, the devil vdW not hurt him ; his son will not be
lunatic, or demoniac, or deaf, or blind ; no one will die suddenly in his house ;
in whatever tribulation he cries to her, he v;ill be heard ; and in the day of his
death he will have her with her holy virgins for his help. I beseech continually
that the same most pious and merciful queen may be always mindful of me ;
and all who believe in her and hope before her most pious Son, our Lord Jesiis
Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns God through
endless ages of ages. Amen.
THE PASSING OF MAKY.
SECOND LATIN FORM.
Here heginneth the Passing of the Blessed Mary.
HEEEFORE, when the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ was hanging on the tree fastened by the
nails of the cross for the life of the whole world,
He saw about the cross His mother standing,
and John the evangelist, whom He peculiarly loved above the
rest of the apostles, because he alone of them was a virgin in the
body. He gave him, therefore, the charge of holy Mary, saying
to him : Behold thy mother ! and saying to her: Behold thy son P
From that hour the holy mother of God remained specially in the
care of John, as long as she had her habitation in this life. And
when the apostles had divided the world by lot for preaching,
she settled in the house of his parents near Mount Olivet.
^ The other MS. has the following introductory chapter : Melito, servant of
Christ, bishop of the church of Sardis, to the venerable brethren in the Lord
appointed at Laodicea, in peace greeting. I remember that I have often written
of one Leucius, who, having along with ourselves associated with the apostles,
turned aside through alienated feelings and a rash soul from the path of recti-
tude, and inserted very many things in his books about the acts of the apostles.
Of their powers, indeed, he said many and diverse things ; but of their teaching
he gave a very false account, affirming that they taught otherwise than they did,
and establishing his own impious statements, as it were, by their words. Nor
did he think this to be enough ; but he even vitiated, by his impious writing, the
assumption of the blessed ever-virgin Mary, the mother of God, to such a degi-ee
that it would be impious not only to read it in the church of God, but even to
hear it. When you ask us, therefore, what we heard from the Apostle John, we
simply write this, and have directed it to your brotherhood ; believing, not the
strange dogmas hatched by heretics, but the Father in the Son, the Son in
the Father, while the threefold person of the Godhead and undivided substance
remains ; (believing) not that two human natures were created, a good and a
bad, but that one good nature was created by a good God, which by the craft of
the serpent was vitiated through sin, and restored through the grace of Christ.
2 John xix. 26, 27.
THE PASSING OF MARY. 523
2. In the second year, therefore, after Christ had vanquished
death, and ascended up into heaven, on a certain day, Mary,
burning with a longing for Christ, began to weep alone, within
the shelter of her abode. And, behold, an angel, shining in a
dress of great light, stood before her, and gave utterance to ^
the words of salutation, saying : Hail ! thou blessed by the
Lord, receive the salutation of Him who commanded safety to
Jacob by His prophets. Behold, said He, a palm branch — I
have brought it to thee from the paradise of the Lord — which
thou wilt cause to be carried before thy bier, when on the
third day thou shalt be taken up from the body. For, lo, thy
Son awaits thee with thrones and angels, and all the powers
of heaven. Then Mary said to the angel : I beg that aU the
apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ be assembled to me. To
whom the angel said : Behold, to-day, by the power of my
Lord Jesus Christ, all the apostles wiU come to thee. And
Mary says to him : I ask that thou send upon me thy blessing,
that no power of the lower world may withstand me in that
hour in which my soul shall go out of my body, and that I
may not see the prince of darkness. And the angel said : No
power indeed of the lower world will hurt thee ; and thy Lord
God, whose servant and messenger I am, hath given thee eternal
blessing ; but do not think that the privilege of not seeing the
prince of darkness is to be given thee by me, but by Him whom
thou hast carried in thy womb ; for to Him belongeth power
over all for ever and ever. Thus saying, the angel departed
with great splendour. And that palm shone with exceeding
great light. Then Mary, undressing herself, put on better gar-
ments. And, taking the palm which she had received from
the hands of the angel, she went out to the moimt of Olivet,
and began to pray, and say : I had not been worthy, 0 Lord,
to bear Thee, unless Thou hadst had compassion on me ; but
nevertheless I have kept the treasure which Thou entrustedst
to me. Therefore I ask of Thee, 0 King of glory, that the
power of Gehenna hurt me not. For if the heavens and the
angels daily tremble before Thee, how much more man who is
made from the ground, who possesses no good thing, except as
much as he has received from Thy benignant bounty ! Thou
^ Lit., sprung forward to.
524 THE PASSING OF MARY.
art, 0 Lord, God always blessed for ever. And thus saying,
she went back to her dwelling.
3. And, behold, suddenly, while St. John was preaching in
Ephesus, on the Lord's day, at the third hour of the day, there
was a great earthquake, and a cloud raised him and took him
up from the eyes of all, and brought him before the door of the
house where Mary was. And knocking at the door, he im-
mediately went in. And when Mary saw him, she exulted in
joy, and said : I beg of thee, my son John, be mindful of the
words of my Lord Jesus Christ, in which He entrusted me to
thee. For, behold, on the third day, when I am to depart from
the body,^ I have heard the plans of the Jews, saying. Let us
wait for the day when she who bore that seducer shall die, and
let us burn her body with fire. She therefore called St. John,
and led him into the secret chamber of the house, and showed
him the robe of her burial, and that palm of light which she had
received from the angel, instructing him that he should cause it
to be carried before her couch when she was going to the tomb.
4. And St. John said to her : How shall I alone perform thy
funeral rites, unless my brethren and fellow-apostles of my
Lord Jesus Christ come to pay honour to thy body ? And,
behold, on a sudden, by the command of God, all the apostles
were snatched up, raised on a cloud, from the places in which
they were preaching the word of God, and set down before the
door of the house in which Mary dwelt. And, saluting each
other, they wondered, saying : What is the cause for which the
Lord hath assembled us here ? '
1 The other MS. has a better reading : For, behold, on the third day I am to
depart from the body ; and I have heard, etc.
2 The other ms. here adds : And there came with them Paul, converted from
the circumcision, who had been selected along with Barnabas for the ministry
of the Gentiles. And when there was a pious contention among them as to
which of them should be the first to pray to the Lord to show them the reason,
and Peter was urging Paul to pray first, Paul answered and said : That is thy
duty, to begin first, especially seeing that thou hast been chosen by God a
pillar^ ot the church, and thou hast precedence of all in the apostleship ; but it
is by no means mine, for I am the least of you all, and Christ was.seen by me
as one born out of due time ;* nor do I presume to make myself equal to you :
nevertheless by the grace of God I am what I am. '
1 Gal. ii. 9. * 1 Cor. xv. 8. 3 1 Cor. xv. 10.
THE PASSING OF MARY. 525
5. Then all the apostles, rejoicing ^ with one mind, finished
their prayer. And when they had said the Amen, behold, on
a sudden, there came the blessed John, and told them all these
things. The apostles then, having entered the house, found
Mary, and saluted her, saying : Blessed art thou by the Lord,
who hath made heaven and earth. And she said to them :
Peace be with you, most beloved brethren ! How have you
come hither ? And they recounted to her how they had come,
each one raised on a cloud by the Spirit of God, and set down
in the same place. And she said to them : God hath not de-
prived me of the sight of you. Behold, I shall go the way of
all the earth, and I doubt not that the Lord hath now con-
ducted you hither to bring me consolation for the anguish
which is just coming upon me. Now therefore I implore you,
that without intermission you all with one mind watch, even
tiU that hour in which the Lord will come, and I shall depart
from the body.
6. And when they had sat down in a circle consoling her,
when they had spent three days in the praises of God, behold,
on the third day, about the third hour of the day, a deep sleep
seized upon all who were in that house, and no one was at all
able to keep awake but the apostles alone, and only the three
virgins who were there. And, behold, suddenly the Lord Jesus
Christ came with a great multitude of angels; and a great
brightness came down upon that place, and the angels were
singing a hymn, and praising God together. Then the Saviour
spoke, saying : Come, most precious pearl, within the receptacle
of life eternal.
7. Then Mary prostrated herself on the pavement, adoring
God, and said : Blessed be the name of Thy glory, 0 Lord my
God, who hast deigned to choose me Thine handmaid, and to
entrust to me Thy hidden mystery. Be mindful of me, there-
fore, 0 King of glory, for Thou knowest that I have loved Thee
with aU my heart, and kept the treasure committed to me.
Therefore receive me. Thy servant, and free me from the power
of darkness, that no onset of Satan may oppose me, and that
I may not see filthy spirits standing in my way. And the
Saviour answered her: When I, sent by my Father for the
1 The other MS. adds : at the hiuuility of Paul
526 THE PASSING OF MARY.
salvation of the world, was hanging on the cross, the prince of
darkness came to me ; but when he was able to find in me no
trace of his work,^ he went off vanquished and trodden under
foot. But when thou shalt see him, thou shalt see him indeed
by the law of the human race, in accordance with which thou
hast come to the end of thy life ; but he cannot hurt thee, be-
cause T am with thee to help thee. Go in security, because the
heavenly host is waiting for thee to lead thee in to the joys of
paradise. And when the Lord had thus spoken, Mary, rising
from the pavement, reclined upon her couch, and giving thanks
to God, gave up the ghost. And the apostles saw that her soul
was of such whiteness, that no tongue of mortals can worthily
utter it; for it surpassed aU the whiteness of snow, and of
every metal, and of gleaming silver, by the great brightness of
its light.
8. Then the Saviour spoke, saying : Eise, Peter, and take
the body of Mary, and send it to the right hand side of the
city towards the east, and thou wilt find there a new tomb, in
which you will lay her, and wait until I come to you. And
thus saying, the Lord delivered the soul of St. Mary to Michael,
who was the ruler of paradise, and the prince of the nation
of the Jews ;* and Gabriel went with them. And immediately
the Saviour was received up into heaven along with the angels.
9. And the three virgins, who were in the same place, and
were watching, took up the body of the blessed Mary, that
they might wash it after the manner of funeral rites. And
when they had taken off her clothes, that sacred body shone
with so much brightness, that it could be touched indeed for
preparation for burial, but the form of it could not be seen for
the excessive flashing light : except that the splendour of the
Lord appeared great, and nothing was perceived, the body,
when it was washed, was perfectly clean, and stained by no
moisture of filth.* And when they had put the dead-clothes
on her, that light was gradually obscured. And the body of
the blessed Mary was like lily flowers ; and an odour of great
1 Comp. John xiv. 30. 2 Comp. Dan. x. 21, xii. 1.
3 This does not seem to make very good sense. Another reading is : And the
splendour appeared great, and nothing was perceived, while the body, perfectly
clean, and unstained by any horror oi filth, was being washed.
THE PASSING OF MARY. 527
sweetness came forth from it, so that no sweetness could be
found like it,
10. Then, accordingly, the apostles laid the holy body on
the bier, and said to each other : Who is to carry this palm
before her bier ? Then John said to Peter : Thou, who hast
precedence of us in the apostleship, shouldst carry this palm
before her couch. And Peter answered him : Thou wast the
only virgin among us chosen by the Lord, and thou didst find
so great favour that thou didst recline upon His breast.^ And
He, when for our salvation He was hanging upon the stem of
the cross, entrusted her to thee with His own mouth. Thou
therefore oughtest to carry this palm, and let us take up that
body to carry it even to the place of sepulture.^ After this,
Peter, raising (it), (and saying,) Take the body, began to sing
and say : Israel hath gone forth out of Eg}TDt. AUeluiah.
And the other apostles along with him carried the body of
the blessed Mary, and John bore the palm of light before the
bier. And the other apostles sang with a most sweet voice.
11. And, behold, a new miracle. There appeared above the
bier a cloud exceeding great, like the great circle which is
wont to appear beside the splendour of the moon ; and there
was in the clouds an army of angels sending forth a sweet
song,^ and from the sound of the great sweetness the earth
resounded. Then the people, having gone forth from the city,
about fifteen thousand, wondered, saying: Wliat is that sound of
so great sweetness? Then there stood up one who said to them:
Mary has departed from the body, and the disciples of Jesus
are singing * praises around her. And looking, they saw the
couch crowned with great glory, and the apostles singing with
a loud voice. And, behold, one of them, who was chief of the
priests of the Jews in his rank, filled with fury and rage, said
to the rest : Behold, the tabernacle of him who disturbed us
and all our race, what glory has it received ? And going up,
he wished to overturn the bier, and throw the body down to
^ John xiii. 23.
2 The other MS. inserts : And Patil said to him : And I, who am younger than
any of you, will carry along with thee. And when all had agreed, Peter, raising
the bier at the head, began to sing and say.
» Lit., a song of sweetness. * Lit., saying.
528 THE PASSING OF MARY.
the ground. And immediately his hands dried up from his
elbows, and stuck to the couch. And when the apostles raised
the bier, part of him hung, and part of him adhered to the
couch; and he was vehemently tormented with pain, while
the apostles were walking and singing. And the angels who
were in the clouds smote the people with blindness.
12. Then that chief cried out, saying : I implore thee.
Saint Peter, do not despise me, I beseech thee, in so great an
extremity, because I am exceedingly tortured by great tor-
ments. Bear in mind that when, in the prastorium, the maid
that kept the door^ recognised thee, and told the others to
revile thee, then I spoke good words in thy behalf. Then
Peter answering, said : It is not for me to give other to thee ;
but if thou believest with thy whole heart on the Lord Jesus
Christ, whom she carried in her womb, and remained a virgin
after the birth, the compassion of the Lord, which with profuse
benignity saves ^ the unworthy, will give thee salvation.^
To this he replied : Do we not believe ? But what shall we
do ? The enemy of the human race has blinded our hearts,
and confusion has covered our face, lest we should confess the
great things of God, especially when we ourselves uttered
maledictions against Christ, shouting : His blood be upon us,
and upon our children.* Then Peter said : Behold, this male-
diction will hurt him who has remained unfaithful to Him;
but to those who turn themselves to God mercy is not denied.
And he said : I believe all that thou sayest to me ; only I
implore, have mercy upon me, lest I die.
13. Then Peter made the couch stand still, and said to him:
If thou believest with all thy heart upon the Lord Jesus Christ,
thy hands will be released from the bier. And when he had
said this,* his hands were immediately released from the bier,
and he began to stand on his feet ; but his arms were dried up,
and the torture did not go away from him. Then Peter said
to him : Go up to the body, and kiss the couch, and say : I
believe in God, and in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom
she bore, and I believe all whatsoever Peter the apostle of God
has said to me. And going up, he kissed the couch, and im-
1 John xviii. 17. " Or, heals. ' Or, health. * Matt, xxvii. 25.
^ The other MS. has : And when he had said this, " I believe."
THE PASSING OF MARY. 529
mediately all pain went away from him, and his hands were
healed. Then he began greatly to bless God, and from the
books of Moses to render testimony to the praises of Christ,
so that even the apostles themselves wondered, and wept for
joy, praising the name of the Lord.
14. And Peter said to him: Take this palm from the hand
of our brother John, and going into the city thou wilt find
much people blinded, and declare to them the great things of
God; and whosoever shall believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
thou shalt put this palm upon their eyes, and they shall see ;
but those who will not believe shall remain blind. And when
he had done so, he found much people blinded, lamenting
thus : "Woe unto us, because we have been made like the
Sodomites struck with blindness.'^ Nothing now is left to
us but to perish. But when they heard the words of the
chief who had been cured speaking, they believed in the Lord
Jesus Christ ; and when he put the palm over their eyes, they
recovered sight. Five of them remaining in hardness of heart
died. And the chief of the priests going forth, carried back
the palm to the apostles, reporting all things whatsoever had
been done.
15. And the apostles, carrying Mary, came to the place of the
Valley of Jehoshaphat which the Lord had showed them ; and
they laid her in a new tomb, and closed the sepulchre. And
they themselves sat down at the door of the tomb, as the Lord
had commanded them ; and, behold, suddenly the Lord Jesus
Christ came with a great multitude of angels, with a halo of
great brightness gleaming, and said to the apostles : Peace be
with you ! And they answered and said : Let thy mercy, 0
Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in Thee.^ Then the
Saviour spoke to them, saying : Before I ascended to my Father
I promised to you, saying that you who have followed me in
the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne
of His majesty, will sit, you also, upon twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.^ Her, therefore, did I choose out
of the tribes of Israel by the command of my Father, that I
should dwell in her. What, therefore, do you wish that I
should do to her ? Then Peter and the other apostles said :
1 Gen. xix. 11 ; Wisd. xix. 17. ^ ps. xxxiii. 22. " Matt. xix. 28.
2 L
530 THE PASSING OF MARY.
Lord, Thou didst choose beforehand this Thine handmaid to
become a spotless chamber for Thyself, and us Thy servants to
minister unto Thee. Before the ages Thou didst foreknow all
things along with the Father, with whom to Thee and the
Holy Spirit there is one Godhead, equal and infinite power.
If, therefore, it were possible to be done in the presence of the
power of Thy grace, it had seemed to us Thy servants to be
right that, just as Thou, having vanquished death, reignest
in glory, so, raising up again the body of Thy mother, Thou
shouldst take her with Thee in joy into heaven.
16. Then the Saviour said: Let it be according to your
opinion. And He ordered the archangel Michael to bring the
soul of St. Mary, And, behold, the archangel Michael ^ rolled
back the stone from the door of the tomb ; and the Lord said :
Arise, my beloved and my nearest (relation) ; thou who hast
not put on corruption by intercourse with man, suffer not
destruction of the body in the sepulchre. And immediately
Mary rose from the tomb, and blessed the Lord, and falling
forward at the feet of the Lord, adored Him, saying : I cannot
render sufficient thanks to Thee, 0 Lord, for Thy boundless
benefits which Thou hast deigned to bestow upon me Thine
handmaiden. May Thy name, 0 Eedeemer of the wodd, God
of Israel, be blessed for ever.
17. And kissing her, the Lord went back, and delivered her
soul to the angels, that they should carry it into paradise.
And He said to the apostles : Come up to me. And when they
had come up He kissed them, and said : Peace be to you ! as I
have always been with you, so will I be even to the end of
the world. And immediately, when the Lord had said this. He
was lifted up on a cloud, and taken back into heaven, and
the angels along with Him, carrying the blessed Mary into
the paradise of God. And the apostles being taken up in the
clouds, returned each into the place allotted ^ for his preaching,
telling the great tilings of God, and praising our Lord Jesus
Christ, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, in perfect unity, and in one substance of Godhead, for
ever and ever. Amen.
^ The other MS. has GabrieL ^ Lit., the lot.
INDEXES.
L— TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE QUOTED OR REFERRED TO.
Genesis.
iii. 6, .
iii. 15, .
iii. 19, .
V. 24, .
ix. 11, .
xii. 3, .
xvii. 5, .
xvii. 17,
xviii. 3,
xix. 11, .
xxii. 17,
xxiii. 9, 17,
. 461
. 66
. 46
. 359
31, 261
. 261
. 54
. 21
. 529
. 471
. 356
Exodus.
vii. 10-14,
xiii. 2, .
XV. 4,
xxiii. 20, 21,
xxiv. 18,
XXV. 4, .
XXV. 10,
xxviir. 28,
xxviii. 32,
XXX. 23,
xxxiii. 23,
xxxiv. 28,
xxxviii. 19,
156
. 102
. 39
. 46
2
7
. 211
6
3
292, 462
. 474
2
. 470
Leviticus.
viii. 12, . . . 34
xii. 4, . .
102
2 Kings.
xxiv. 16, . 132
154
ii. 8.
ii. 11
•
Numbers.
ii. 12-18,
v. 11, .
10
xxiii.
13, .
xii. 3, . . .
490
xvi. 31,
7
iii.,
Job.
Deuteronomy.
ix.9, .
2
Psalms.
xvii. 6, .
146
i. 1,
xix. 10, .
168
ii. 9,
xxi. 23, .
XXV. 3, .
xxvii. 15,
xxxii. 8,
xxxii. 17,
xxxii. 25,
xxxiv. 5, 6, .
xxxiv. 10,
Joshua.
iii. 16, .
vii. 19, 20, .
ix. 46,
xiii. 16,
xiii. 20,
Judges.
1 Samuel.
i. 6, 7,
i. 9-18,
i. 11,
V. 3,
xii. 22,
xvii. 24,
147
154
147
502
336
137
146
474
47
143
430
21
21
1
2
3
39
148
137
1 Kings.
ii. 11, . . . 475
viii. 56-58, . . 147
xix. 8, . . . 2
47
69
240
65
iii. 5,
vii. 15, .
ix. 17, .
ix. 18, .
xviii. 11,
xviii. 41,
xxiv. 3, .
xxiv. 7, . 1
xxiv. 7, 8,
xxiv. 8, .
xxvii. 10,
xxxi. 5,
xxxiii. 22,
xxxvii. 49,
xlviii. 14,
xlix. 14,
Ii. 5, .
Ii. 7, .
Ii. 21, .
Ivii. 6, .
Ixv. 9, .
Ixxii. 8, .
Ixxii. 11, 17,
Ixxvi. 11,
Ixxviii. 18,
Ixxxiv. 10,
Ixxxvi. 8,
Ixxxvi. 1.3,
Ixxxix. 44, 45,
xcviii. 1, 2,
xcviii. 6,
cii. 19, 20,
cii. 27, .
ciii. 4, .
ciii. 14-16,
cvi. 3, .
cvii. 15-17,
ex. 1, .
ex. 4,
exvi. 15,
cxvi. 16,
ex viii. 23,
cxviii. 25,
385
113
501
501
500
501
482
;02, 394
203
173
57
136
529
502
202
501
69
498
495
113
49
59
169
57
203
63
148
174
495
207
496
203
500
175
497
503
203
123
262
385
70
147
127
531
532
INDEX OF TEXTS.
cxviii. 26,
167
HOSEA.
ii. 14, .
. 35
cxviii. 26, 27,
207
ix. 14, .
1
ii. 14-10,
. 157
cxix. 137, .
481
xi. 1, . . .
104
ii. 15, .
. 104
cxx.-cxxxiv., 23, 56
xiii. 14, . 173
203
ii. 16, .
13, 35, 472
cxxv. 3,
501
ii. 20, .
. 39
cxxxii. 11, .
262
Joel.
iii. 3, ,
. 170
cxxxiii. 1,
520
iu. 2, 12,
471
iii. 12, .
. 340
cxlvi. 4,
497
iii. 13-17,
. 124
cxlvii. 5,
176
MiCAH.
iv. 2, .
2
cxlviii. 7,
36
V. 2, . . .
34
V. 5, .
'. 483
vii. IS, 20, .
207
V. 7, .
280, 481
Pkoverbs.
V. 8, .
280, 433
xxi. 1, .
446
Habakkuk.'
V. 18, .
. 365
iii. 2, . . .
33
V. 28, .
. 332
ECCLESIASTES
iii. 13, .
207
V. 39, .
. 331
xii. 4, .
496
vi. 9, .
. 418
xii. 7, . . .
475
Malachi.
vi. 24, .
. 404
iii. 1, . . .
146
vi. 25, .
. 410
Canticles.
iv. 2, . . .
303
vii. 6, .
. 503
iv. 14, . . 392, 462
vii. 7, .
418 6ts
Zechariah.
viii. 1-4,
. 133
Isaiah.
xiv. 9, .
147
viii. 11, 12,
. 241
i. 3, .
33
viii. 26, .
. 352
vi. 3, .
499
1 Maccabees.
viii. 29, .
. 413
ix. 1, 2,
170
iv. 52-59,
53
ix. 17, .
. 317
ix. 2, .
204
X. 1-8, .
53
ix. 20-22,
. 155
xi. 1, 2,
58
ix. 20-26,
. 134
xi. 4, .
498
2 Maccabees.
ix. 37, .
. 310
xi. 6, . .
314
xii. 44, ,
314
X. 2-4, .
. 389
xix. 1, .
39
X. 4, .
. 120
xxii. 13,
480
TOBIT.
X. 10, .
. 317, 351
xxvi. 19, . 173, 203
i. 7, .
19
X. 16, .
. 358
xxviii. 16,
303
ii. 10, .
2, 19
X. 30, .
. 365
xxxiii. 22,
148
X. 42, .
. 63
xl. 12, .
475
Wisdom.
xi. 8, .
. 410
xliii. 24,
462
xix. 17,
529
xi. 10, .
. 146
Ixi. 1-3,
147
xi. 23, .
. 472
Ixiv. 4, .
410
ECCLESIASTICUS,
or
xi. 25, .
. 402
Ixv. 25, .
36
Sirach.
xi. 29, .
.• 309
xlv. 9, . . .
465
xi. 30, .
. 404
Jeremiah.
xlviii. 9,
475
xii. 19, .
. 339
ii. 27, .
434
xii. 36, .
. 63
vi. 20, .
462
Susanna.
xiii. ,
. 415
ix. 23, 24, .
63
V.4, . . .
1
xiii. 43, .
. 501
X. 11, .
147
xiii. 45,.
. 363
xvii. 10,
266
Bel and the Dragon.
xiv. 17, .
. 415
xvii. 14,
148
33-39, . . .
520
xiv. 25, .
. 415
xxxi. 19,
8
Matthew.
xvi. 22, .
xviii. 16,
. 336
. 168
Lamentation
s.
i. 16, .
69
xix. 23, .
. 410
iu. 41, .
266
i. 18, .
9
xix. 24, .
. 371
i. 18-24,
60
xix. 28, .
. 241, 529
Ezekiel.
i. 19, .
G4
xix. 29, .
. 490
xxi. 12, .
8
i. 20, .
9
xxi. 8, 9,
. 127
xxvii. 19, . 39
2, 462
i. 20-24,
65
xxi. 9, .
. 167, 511
ii. 1-12, . 13, 35
, 102
xxi. 22, .
. 437
Daniel.
ii. 11, .
157
xxi. 3-14,
. . .391
X. 21, .
526
ii. 13, 14, .
103
xxii. 11,
. 310
xii. 1, .
526
ii. 13-15,
13
xxii. 30,
. 496
INDEX OF TEXTS.
533
xxii. 42-45,
123 1
ii. 26, .
xxiv.,
471
ii. 34, .
xxiv. 30,
4S9, 498
ii. 35, .
XXV. 33,
501
ii. 36-38,
xxvi. 21,
336
ii. 41-52,
xxvii. 13, 14,
151
ii. 42-47,
xxvii. 15, 16,
134
ii. 46-52,
xxvii. 15, 18,
21-23, 156
iii. 22, .
xxvii. 19,
128, 154
iv. 1-13,
xxvii. 25,
157, 528
vii. 37, 38,
xxvii. 29,
157
ix. 62, .
xxvii. 34,
172, 470
X. 21, .
xxvii. 40-42,
160
xi. 2, .
xxvii. 46,
365
xii. 24, .
xxvii. 48,
160
XV. 40, .
xxvii. 53,
169
xvii. 11-19,
xxvii. 56,
65
xix. 38, .
xxvii. 60,
162
XX. 36, .
xxvii. 62, 66,
164
xxi. 11, .
xxvii. 63,
415
xxi. 24, .
xxviii. 1-8,
164
xxiii. 6-11,
xxviii. 5-17,
138
xxiii. 34,
xxviii. 11-15,
165
xxiii. 39-43,
xxiii. 42, 43,
Mar
K.
xxiii. 43,
i. 4, .
170
xxiii. 44-49,
iii. 17, .
320
xxiii. 46,
vi. 3, .
354
xxiv, 10,
vi. 9, .
31
7, 351
xxiv. 46,
vi. 37, 44,
353
xxiv, 47,
vii. 34, .
381
xxiv. 49,
X. 46, .
133
xi. 25, .
266
Joi
XV. 21, .
158
i. 14, .
XV. 34, .
172
i. 29, .
xvi. 15-18,
140
ii. 20, .
xvi. 16,.
16
5, 170
iii. 18, .
iv. 6, .
LUK
E.
V. 2, .
i. 26-28,
59
V. 5-9, .
i. 26-38,
432
viii. 56-58,
i. 28, .
'. 7,
28, 99
ix. 6, 7,
i. 32, 33,
59
X. 16, .
i. 33, .
272
X. 18, .
i. 35, .
59
X. 22, .
i. 39, .
7
xi. 1-16,
i. 43, .
8
xi. 43, .
i. 48, .
508
xiii. 23, .
i. 56, .
8
xiv. 23, .
i. 79, .
204
xiv. 30, .
ii. 1,
10
xviii. 17,
ii. 1-6, .
32
xviii. 31,
ii. 8-12, .
. 33
xviii. 33-38,
ii. 19, .
. 46
xviii. 36,
ii. 21-24,
, 33
xix. 2, 3,
ii. 22-35,
. 34
xix. 6, 7,
ii. 23, .
. 102
xix. 11, .
ii. 25-35,
. 145
xix. 12, .
ii. 25-38,
. 102
xix. 13, .
160,
15
146
162
34
85
123
124
170
433
102
310
402
418
405
65
155
511
280
494
410
157
309
160
208
241
160
160
64
421
63
63
422
170
153
170
415
102
133, 155
43
155
502
336
53
134
156
527
503
526
528
154
153
65
157
153
151
1.56
159
131
xix. 26, 27, 159,505,522
xix. 28, .
. 160
xix. 31-34,
. 161
xix. 34, .
117, 161
xix. 38-42,
. 162
XX. 19, .
. 520
xxi. 11, .
. 415
xxi. 22, ,
. 453
Acts.
i. 23, .
. 517
iii. 7, .
. 155
iv. 6, .
. 127
iv. 12, .
. 318
V. 15, .
. 422
V. 20-25,
. 360
V. 38, .
152, 154
vii. 60, .
. 160
viii. 39, .
. 520
ix. 11, .
. 22
ix. 36, .
. 77
X. 4, .
. 54
X. 11, .
. 143
xiii. 1, .
. 294
XV. 39, .
. 295
xvii. 21,
. 317
xvii. 30.
. 412
xviii. 9,
. 377
xxiii. 2,
. 363
xxiii. 11,
. 377
xxviii. 3,
. 50
Roma
NS.
i. 25, .
. 147
ii. 11, .
. 261
ii. 12, .
261, 501
vi. 3, 4,
. 304
viii. 29,
415, 422
viii. 34,
. . 321
ix. IS, .
. 470
xii. 2, .
. 280
xii, 10, .
. 269
xii. 19, .
. 137
xiii. 13, .
. 410
XV. 19, .
. 269
xvi. 21, .
. 294
1 CORIN'I
HIANS.
i. 31, .
. 63
ii. 9, .
. . 410
vi. 9, .
. 417
vi. 18, 19,
. 280
vii. 5, .
. 314
vii. 29, .
. 280
X. 20, 21,
. 336
xiii. 1, .
. 44
xiv. 7, .
. 44
XV. 5, .
. 165
534
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
XV. 8, . . .
524
Philippians.
Hebrews.
XV. 10, .
524
ii. 10, .
499
vii. 21,
262
XV. 32, .
480
ii. 11, .
324
X. 23,
262
XV. 41, .
501
X. 26,
450
XV. 52, .
472
COLOSSIANS.
X. 30,
137
XV. 55, .
203
iii. 9, . . .
415
xi. 37,
491
xvi. 20, .
415
iii. 18, 22, .
269
xi. 38,
479
2 Corinthians
iii. 25, .
261
James.
261
i. 22 .
285
1 Thessalonians.
ii. 1,
•
i'v.^17, '. '. '.
340
iv. 17, . 175, 208
497
I Peter.
v. 10, .
63
ii. 4,
303
ix. 13, .
262
1 Timothy.
iii. 9,
331
X. 17, .
63
ii. 8, . . .
266
xii. 4, . . .
477
iii. 1-4, .
486
Revelation.
xiii. 14, .
176
vi. 8, .
269
iv. 4,
489
vi. 17, .
269
V. 6,
.
499
Galatians.
vi. 20, .
474
vii. 17,
502
i. 1,
269
xi. 3-12,
76, 175
, 208
ii. 9, . . .
424
2 TiMOTHV.
xi. 23,
266
iii. 13, .
147
i. 14, .
474
xii. 5,
.
65
i. 18, .
314
xiv. 13,
.
480
Ephesians.
ii. 26, .
240
xix. 10,
21
i. 13, .
285
iii. 8, 9, . .
152
xix. 15,
65
i. 21, .
318
iv. 1, 8, . .
470
xix. 16,
.
59
iv. 20, .
421
iv. 8, . . .
475
xxi. 2,
.
499
iv. 30, .
255
xxi. 4,
.
502
vi. 4, .
269
Titus.
xxii. 2,
374
Yi. 9, . . .
261
ii. 13, .
470
xxii. 18,
19,
76
II.— PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
Abbanes, a merchant, buys the Apostle
Thomas from the Lord, to be a car-
penter for Gundaphoros, an Indian
king, 389, 390 ; thrown into prison
by Gundaphoros, 400 ; released, 402.
Abel, killed by Cain, 454 ; buried by
angels, 466.
Abgarus king of Edessa, suffering
from a disease, sends a letter to
Jesus, 440 ; Jesus sends him an
image of Himself on a towel, which
heals him, 441 ; Thaddaeus visits,
441.
Abiathar the high priest, wishes to
obtain Mary as wife for his son, 24 ;
proclaims that a protector should
be sought for Mary, 25 ; gives to
Mary and Joseph "the water of
drinking of the Lord " to drink,
29, 30.
Abudem, 197.
Acherusian Lake, the, 483.
Adam, in Hades testifies to Jesus, 171 ;
delivered from Hades, 174, 175 ;
brought into paradise, 175, 200,
217, 218 ; and Eve, and the family
of, 444, 445 ; sickness of, 455 ; sends
Seth and Eve for the " oil of mercy, "
456 ; the death of, 463 ; the body
of, seen by Eve lying on the face,
and angels praying for, 464 ; raised
into paradise, 464, 465 ; funeral
rites for, and burial of, performed
by angels, 465, 466.
Adas, Phineas, and Haggai, the testi-
mony of, to the ascension of Jesus,
139, 145, 146, 165, 190, 191, 196,
197 ; report the resurrection of Ka-
rinus and Leucius, 213.
Advent, the second, of Christ, 498,
499.
Jilgeates, or .(Egeas, proconsul, and
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
535
the Apostle Andrew, 335 ; threatens
Andrew with crucifixion unless ho
sacrifices to the gods, 338, 339 ;
threatened with violence by the
people for his harsh treatment of
Andrew, 339 ; calls Andrew before
his tribunal, and again threatens
him, 340, 341 ; tortures Andrew,
and orders him to be crucified, 341 ;
the people cry out against, 343, 344;
visits Andrew on the cross, and de-
sires to release him, 344, 345 ; the
miserable death of, 34G.
Affrodosius, an Egyptian governor,
convinced that the child Jesus is a
god, 39.
Alexander, the Syriarch, falls in love
with Thecla, and brings her before
the governor of Antioch, 285 ; his
atrocious conduct towards her, 287,
288.
Amis, the city of, 441.
Ananias, the high priest of the Jews,
a letter to, from the philosophers of
Hellas respecting Philip, 319 ; comes
to Hellas to oppose Philip, 320 ;
discussion of, with Philip, 320, 321 ;
has his hand dried up and his eyes
blinded, 321 ; Jesus appears visibly
before, yet he remains in unbelief,
322 ; receives his sight through
Philip's prayer, yet is still impeni-
tent, 323 ; the earth swallows him
up to the knees, 323, 324 ; swal-
lowed up as far as the neck, 324 ;
a demon cast out in the presence of,
but he will not believe, 325 ; goes
down into Hades, 325.
Ananias, a cousin of king Abgarus,
sent to Jesus, 440 ; returns with a
picture of Jesus to the king, 441.
Andrew, a conversation between,
and iSgeates, 336 ; threatened by
^geates with crucifixion, 338 ; cited
before the tribunal of ^geates, 340 ;
apostrophizes the cross, 341, 342 ;
tortured and crucified, 342 ; dis-
courses to the people from the cross,
342, 343 ; addresses yEgeates from
the cross, 344 ; refuses to be released
from the cross, 345, 346 ; surrounded
with splendour on the cross — his
dead body taken down by Maxi-
milla, 340 ; another account of—
Jesus appears to, and sends him to
Matthew, to the country of the
man-eaters, 349; the Lord, in the
disguise of a pilot, conducts him by
sea to the place of his destination,
350, etc. ; requested by the pilot, he
relates the miracles of his Teacher,
and the cause of the Jews' rejection
of Him, 352, 353; gives a curious
narrative of the ministry of Jesus,
and of the opposition of men to
Him, 354-356 ; carried by angels
from the boat to the city of the
man-eaters, 356; vision of his dis-
ciples, 357 ; Jesus appears to, as a
child, 357, 358; enters the city of
the man-eaters, and visits Matthew
in prison, 358; lays his hands on
the men deprived of sight in prison,
and heals them, 359; walks about
the city, and beholds its abomina-
tions, 360 ; by prayer stays the hand
of inhuman executioners, 361, 362 ;
rebukes the devil, 362; sought for
by the man-eaters, he shows him-
self to them, 363 ; dragged repeatedly
by ropes through the city, till his
hair and flesh are torn off, 363, 364;
causes an alabaster statue to send
forth water, and flood the city and
drown the inhabitants, 305; sends
down certain bad men into the abyss,
366, 367 ; brings to life the men
that were drowned, 367; when he
is leaving the city, Jesus appears to
him as a child, and sends him back,
367, 368 ; caught up in a luminous
cloud, and conveyed to a mountain,
where were Peter and others, 368,
369; Jesus appears to, and sends
him into a city of the barbarians,
369 ; what befell him there, 370, etc.
Anemurium, the city of, Barnabas
preaches at, 296, 297.
Angel, an, appears to Anna, 3 ; to
Mary, 7 ; to Joseph, 9 ; to Joachim,
20.
Angel, an, shows to the people the vile
demon that dwelt in the temple of
Astaruth, 437.
Angels, guardian, give in to God, at
sunsetting, their report of the con-
duct of men, 478 ; good and evil,
attend men at their death, 480.
Angels, the number of, 502.
Anna the wife of Joachim bewails
her barrenness, 2, 3, 19 ; is visited
by an angel, and promised a child,
3, 20 ; gives birth to Mary— her
song of praise, 4, 23; married to
Cleophas alter the death of Joachim,
51, note.
Annas, the son of, killed by the chdd
Jesus, 41, 78, 79.
53(
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
Annas and Caiaphas, various references
to, 126, 142, 143, 144, 146, 165, 197,
etc., 338, etc.
Antichrist, seen by Esdras in Tar-
tarus, a description of, 472 ; seen
and described by John, 494 ; time
of the continuance of, 495.
Apostles, the, apportion the regions
of the world between them, 389 ;
miraculously brought together to
Bethlehem to Mary before her as-
sumption, 506 ; miraculously con-
veyed back to their respective
spheres, 520.
Archelaus commits suicide, 248.
Aristoclianus, Bishop, 298.
Ascension of Jesus, the, 140, 141, 165,
190.
Assumption, the, of Mary, 514, 519.
Astaruth, an Indian god, silenced by
Bartholomew, 429.
Astreges, brother of King Polymius,
incited against Bartholomew, per-
secutes and kills him, 438, 439.
Bacchylus, 257.
Barabbas preferred to Jesus, 134, 135,
185.
Barjesus met by Barnabas and Mark,
297 ; opposes Barnabas, 298, 299.
Barnabas, 293 ; the contention be-
tween Paul and, 294, 295 ; with
Mark, 296, comes to Anemurium,
and preaches there, 296, 297 ; or-
dains Heracleius bishop of Cyprus,
297 ; visits Lapithus and Lampa-
distus, 297 ; reaches Paphos, and
meets Barjesus there, 297 ; visits
Curium, 298 ; entertained by Aris-
toclianus, 298 ; opposed by Bar-
jesus, 298 ; comes to Citium, 298 ;
irom Citium sails to Salamis, 299 ;
the Jews, excited by Barjesus, burn
him ; his ashes deposited by Mark
in a cave, 299.
Bartholomew, when a boy, restored
to life by the child Jesus, 113 ; visits
with Thomas the city of Ophioryma,
301, 302 ; beaten and shut up in
the temple of the viper, 305 ; his
hands are nailed to the gate of the
temple, 307, 328; delivered, Philip's
directions to, 311, 312, 331, 333 ;
goes to India, where the god Asta-
ruth is silenced at his presence,
429 ; the god Becher acknowledges
him to be a servant of the true
God, 430 ; description of, 430 ; casts
out a demon, 431 ; King Polymius
sends for him to heal his demoniac
daughter, which he does, refusing
reward, 431 ; preaches to the king,
432 ; compels a demon to confess
Christ, 435, and to confess the mali-
cious works of the devil, 435, 436 ;
by a word destroys the idols, 436 ;
his prayer to God, 436, 437 ; King
Astreges, incited against him, orders
him to be cast into the sea, 439.
Becher, an Indian god, acknowledges
the true God, and Bartholomew as
His servant, 430.
Bethlehem, Joseph goes to, with Mary,
and Jesus is born in, 10, 11 ; the
cave of, in which Jesus was born,
11, note, 31.
Blind man, a, healed by Jesus, bears
witness of Him before Pilate, 133,
155, 185.
Book, the great seven-sealed, seen by
John, 493 ; opened, 500.
Caesarius the deacon, 258.
Cain and Abel, 454, 455.
Caiaphas, the daughter of, 238. See
Sarah.
Camel, Peter causes a, to go through
the eye of a needle, and does so a
second time, 371, 372 ; causes a
second, to do so,' 372.
Carpenter, Joseph follows the trade
of, and is aided by Jesus, 48, 83,
89, 97, 118.
Cave, the, in Bethlehem, in which
Jesus was born, 11 and note, 31.
Christ. See Jesus.
City of God, the, 483, 484, 485.
Claudius Ccesar, the letter of Pilate
to, respecting Jesus, 212.
Cleopas, the mother of, and her rival,
112, 113.
Cleophas, marries Anna after the death
of Joachim, 51, note.
Cross, the sign of the, 169, 170, 175,
176, 199, 206, 219; Andrew's ad-
dress to, 341, 342.
Cross, the luminous, which delivered
the people of Ophioryma, who had
been swallowed up in the abyss,
311, 312.
Darkness, the, at the crucifixion of
Jesus, 187, 229.
David, prophesies in Hades, 219, 220 ;
seen by Paul in the city of God,
485.
Dead, the multitudes of, who rose
with Jesus, 213, 230.
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
537
Death, tlje approach of, with his re-
tinue, to Joseph, the husband of
Mary, 71.
Death, all must taste,' 76, 77.
Demas and Ermogenes, 279 ; their evil
counsel against Paul and Thecla,
282.
Demas and Gestas, robbers, the his-
tory of, given by Joseph of Ari-
mathea, 237, etc. ; atrocities per-
petrated by, 237, 238 ; their con-
duct towards Jesus on the cross,
240, 241 ; Jesus sends Demas to para-
dise,— transformation of, 242, 243.
Demon, an unclean, which had tor-
mented a woman five years, expelled
by the Apostle Thomas, 412-416.
Demon, the, called Becher, acknow-
ledges the true God, and Bartholo-
mew as the servant of God, 430 ;
describes Bartholomew, 430 ; is com-
pelled to acknowledge Christ, and
confess the malicious deeds of the
devil, 435 ; exhibited by an angel
in the temple black as an Ethiopian,
437.
Demoniacs healed by Jesus, 103, 104,
105 ; by Matthew, 375 ; by John,
448.
Devil, the, in the likeness of an old
man, stirs up the people against
Andrew, 362 ; rebuked by Andrew,
362 ; transforms himself into the
likeness of a soldier, 378, 379 ; Eve
relates how she was tempted by,
457-459.
Dioscorus, a shipmaster, sympathizes
with Paul, and mistaken for him, is
beheaded by the people of Pontiole,
257, 258.
Domitian the emperor is excited by
the Jews against the Christians,
444, 445 ; issues an edict against
the Christians, 445 ; sends soldiers
to Ephesus to arrest John, 445, 446 ;
his interview with John, 446, 447 ;
entreats John to heal a female slave
seized by a demon, 448 ; sends John
to Patmos, 448, 449.
Dragon, story of the, which killed a
young man, and is destroyed by
Thomas, 400-408.
Dragon, the fiery, which pursued the
king of Myrna, 383.
Dragons, adore the infant Jesus, 36.
Dumachus and Titus, robbers, their
interview with j\Iary and Jesus in
Egypt, and after-fate, 110.
Dyer, visit of the child Jesus to the
shop of a, and the wonder He per-
formed there, 117, 118.
Dysmas, or Dismas, or Demas, and
Gestas, the malefactors crucified
with Jesus, 135, 136, 186, 187 [see
Dumachus and Titus] ; history of,
given by Joseph of Arimathea, 237,
238, 240, 241.
Earth, the, to be burned up and
purified, 498 ; and paradise, to be
made one, 502 ; the blessedness to
be enjoyed in, ib'td.
Earthquake, the, at the crucifixion of
Jesus, 226.
Edessa, Bartholomew a native of, 440 ;
Abgarus king of, ibid.; visited by
Thaddseus, 441.
Egypt, the iiight into, 35, etc., 65, 90,
103 ; wonders wrought by the child
Jesus in, 36-39, 103-111.
Elias met lay Paul in paradise, 492.
Elizabeth, Mary's visit to, 78 ; escapes
with her son from Herod's wrath, 13.
Emerina, sister of Anna, 51.
End, signs of the, 471.
Enoch met by Paul in the place of
the righteous, 485.
Enoch and Elias, themselves, must die
at last, 76, 77, 175, 202.
Eve, her dream, 454 ; bears Seth, 455 ;
sympathy with Adam when sick —
sent by him to paradise for the " oil
of compassion," 456 ; sees Seth fight-
ing with a wild beast, 456, 457 ; at
jjaradise, beseeches God for the "oil
of compassion" — the answer she re-
ceived, 457 ; returns to Adam, and
is reproached by him, 457 ; relates
to her children the history of her
temptation and fall, 457-463 ; her
prayer, 463 ; her vision of a chariot
of light, 463, 464 ; her vision of
Adaiu's body, and the angels pray-
ing for him, 464 ; her death, and
burial at the side of Adam, 466, 467.
Esdras, the prophet, prays to be per-
mitted to see the mj^steries of God,
468 ; pleads with God for sinners,
468-470 ; asks to see the day of
judgment, 470 ; is given signs of the
time of the end, 471 ; is conducted
down to Tartarus to see the punish-
ments of the wicked, 471-473, 474 ;
his soul is demanded of him, but the
angel sent to demand it is unable to
Tiring it forth, 474, 475 ; God sends
His Son and a host of angels for the
soul of, but he is unwilling to relin-
538
IXDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
quish it, 475 ; he submits, and gives
up his soul, 476.
Eatychus, appointed by John minister
of Ephesus, 451.
Eye of a needle, the, Peter causes a
camel to pass through, 371 ; causes
a second camel to do so, 372.
Father, an unnatural, 361 ; the punish-
ment of, 366.
Fever, a child cured of, by a bandage
from the child Jesus, 112.
Flute-girl, the Hebrew, and the Apostle
Thomas, 391, 393.
Fulvana, Fulvanus, and Erva, de-
moniac nobles, are healed by Mat-
thew, 375 ; are baptized, 376, 377 ;
the king is enraged with, 377.
Gabriel, sent to Mary to announce the
birth of Jesus, 58, 59 (see also 7,
28) ; sent to Joseph, 65 ; receives
the soul of Joseph, 72 ; pleads for
men, 488, 489.
Gad, the brother of King Gundaphoros,
his sickness and death, 400 ; caught
away by angels, he is shown the
heavenly palace built for his brother
by the Apostle Thomas, 400, 401 ; is
allowed to return to the earth to
obtain the heavenly palace for the
king, 401 ; is permitted by the king
to occupy the palace, 401, 402 ; is
sealed by Thomas, 403, 404.
Gaudomeleta, 256.
Girl, a, cured of the leprosy by the
water in which the infant Jesus
was washed, 106.
Graves, the, of many, opened at the
crucifixion of Jesus, 213.
Gundaphoros king of India, the
Apostle Thomas bought for, as a
carpenter, 389 ; engages Thomas to
build a palace for him, 397 ; seeing
no palace built, he throws Thomas
and the merchant who bought him
into prison, 399, 400 ; on the death
of his brother, he resolves to put
Thomas to death, 400 ; the brother
of, sees the palace in heaven built
by Thomas, and obtains liberty to
return to secure it for himself, 400,
401 ; grants his brother permission
to dwell in the heavenly palace, 402 ;
is baptized and sealed, 403, 404.
Hades, the descent of Jesus into,
premonitory signs of, 170, 199 ;
announced in, by Isaiah and John
the Baptist, 170, 171, 199, 200 ;
announced by Adam, 200, 201 ; alter-
cation between Satan and, when
Jesus was coming down to, 171, 172,
201, 202, 216; reply of, to Satan,
172, 201 ; a voice announces the
approach of Jesus to, which is
taken up by the forefathers, 173,
174, 202, 203, 217, 219 ; Satan cast
into, by the King of Glory, 174,
204 ; reviles Satan, 205 ; rejoicing
of the saints in, at the anticijmted
coming of Jesus to, 217, 218, 219 ;
Adam and his descendants delivered
from, 174, 207, 208, 220, 221 ; the
saints rejoice in Jesus, and adore
Him when he has come to, 221 ;
Jesus sets up His cross in the midst
of, 221.
Hell, the descent of Jesus into. See
Hades.
Hellas, Philip's visit to, and interview
with the philosophers there, 317, etc.
Heracleius, or Heracleides, ordained
bishop of Cyprus, 297.
Heretics, the peculiar place assigned to,
in the region of the damned, 487, 488.
Herod, mocked by the Magi, seeks to
kill Jesus, 65, 90, 103 ; slaughters
the infants in Bethlehem, 13, 14,
35, 135 ; Jesus sent to, by Pilate,
157 ; the death of, 65 ; in Tartarus,
471, 472.
Hierapolis, or Ophioryma, 301, 302.
Impotent man, the, before Pilate bears
witness to Jesus, 133, 155, 184.
Infants, the slaughter of, in Bethlehem
by Herod, 13, 14, 35, 65, 135, 157 ;
the number slain, 374.
Isaiah, in Hades, announces the com-
ing thither of Jesus, 170, 199, 218.
Isaschar, the high priest, reproaches
Joseph on account of his childless-
ness, 53, 54.
Jairus, 197.
James, healed by the child Jesus, of a
viper's bite, 50, 51, 120.
Jephonias purposely runs against the
couch on which the body of Mary is
carried to burial, — his punishment
and forgiveness, 513, 527-529.
Jesus, the nativity of, 10-12 ; wonders
which occur at the birth of, 11, 31-
33, 100, 103 ; angels hymn the birth
of, 33 ; a bright star shines over
the cave in which He is born, ibid. ;
adored by an ox and an ass, ibid. ;
INDEX OF PRINCIPA L MA TIERS.
539
circumcised and presented in the
temple, 33, 34, 101, 102; Simeon
and Anna's words respecting, 34,
102 ; visited by the Magi, 34, 35,
102, 103 ; Herod seeks to destroy, 13,
65, 90, 103, 135 ; is carried into Egypt,
35, 65, 90, 103 ; adored by dragons,
escorted by lions and panthers,
which are tamed and made gentle
by Him, 35, 36 ; causes a tall palm
tree to bend down to His mother,
that she might pluck its fruit, 37 ;
causes a fountain to spring up at the
root of the palm tree, ibid. ; confers
a peculiar privilege on the palm
tree, 37, 38 ; shortens the journey
for His parents, 38 ; the idols of
Egypt fall prostrate at His coming,
38, 39, 103, 104 ; miracles wrought
by, in Egypt, 104, 105, 106, 107,
110; encounter with robbers, 110;
return from Egypt, 39, 91, 111 ;
miracles wrought by, in Bethlehem,
111, 112-114; other miracles wrought
by, 114-117 ; strikes a boy dead, and
restores him to life again, 40 ; kills
the son of Annas, 41, 86 ; makes
sparrows and images of other animals
of clay, and causes them to fly, and
walk, and eat, 40, 41, 78, 86, 87, 91,
92, 117, 121 ; kills a boy who strikes
H im, and restores him to life again,
87, 122 ; placed in the hands of a
schoolmaster, whom He confounds,
42, 43, 80, 87, 88, 93, 94; placed
under Levi, whom He astonishes by
His wisdom, 44, 45 ; wonders per-
formed by, at Nazareth, 45, 46, 81-
83, 89, 91, 95, 96 ; tames a lioness
and her cubs, 46, 47, 48 ; placed
under a second schoolmaster, who,
striking Him, falls down dead, 48,
49, 83, 97 ; aids His father in his
work, 48, 118 ; sent a third time to
a schoolmaster, and pours forth His
wisdom so as to excite the admira-
tion of all, 49, 83, 97 ; raises to life
Joseph of Capernaum, 50 ; cures His
brother James of a viper's bite, 50,
51, 120 ; blesses the food before any
eat of it, 51 ; raises to life a child and
a man, 84, 85, 99 ; goes with His
parents to Jerusalem, and tarries
after them, 85, 123; makes a dried
tish live, 90 ; feat of, in the dyer's
shop, 117; turns three boys into
kids, 118, 119; crowned king by
boys, 119 ; heals a boy of a serpent's
bite, 119, 120.
Jesus, the priests and scribes conspire
against, and accuse before Pilate,
126, 127, 149-151, 238; Judas be-
trays, 238, 239 ; the standards of
the soldiers bend down before, 127,
128, 179 ; message of Pilate's wife
respecting, 128, 129, 154, ISO ;
Pilate desires to release, 129-133,
152, 153 ; Nicodemus and others ap-
pear as witnesses for, 132-134, 154-
156, 183, 184; is sentenced to death,
135, 157, 186 ; is led forth to cruci-
fixion, 158; the accusation of, placed
over His cross, 136, 187 ; crucified be-
tween two malefactors, 135, 159, 186 ;
wonderful events which occurred at
His crucifixion, 136, 160, 101, 187,
188, 226, etc., 299; Joseph of Ari-
mathea begs and takes down the
body of, 137, 162, 188 ; the guard
placed at the tomb of, report His
resurrection, and are bribed by the
Jews to lie, 139, 164, 189, 190;
other witnesses of His resurrection
are also persuaded, and bribed to
be silent, 140, etc., 165, 190, 191 ;
Nicodemus projjoses to the council
that search be made for, which is
accordingly done, but in vain, 141,
166, 192 ; lamentation of Mary and
the other women for, 162, 163 ;
raised others when He rose Himself,
169 ; the testimony of those raised
by, 170, etc. ; the descent of, into
Hades, 170, 173, 174, 218, 22j);
triumphs over Satan in Hades, 174,
220 ; delivers Adam and his posterity
from Hades, 174, 175, 206, 220, 221 ;
sets up His cross in Hades, 221 ; the
miracles of, reported by Pilate, 225,
etc., 228, etc. ; at the mention of the
name of, the gods fall in the senate-
house in Eome, 231 ; Veronica's
portrait of, 234, 235 ; seamless tunic
of, worn by Pilate in the presence of
Tiberius — its strange effect, 235,
236 ; the wonderful works wrought
by, related by Nathan to Titus, 246 ;
and by \'elosiauus to Tiberius, 253.
Jesus, meets Peter departing from
Rome to avoid persecution, and tells
him He is coming to be crucified for
him, 275 ; appears to Philip at
Ophioryma, and rebukes his re-
vengeful spirit, 310, 311, 3,30, 331 ;
Philips prayer to, 314, 315 ; a])-
pears to Andrew to send him to the
country of the man-eaters, 349 ; ap-
pears again to Andrew as a pilot,
540
INDEX OF PPJNCIFAL .MATTERS.
and conducts him by sea to the
place of his destination, 350, etc. ;
Andrew's narrative of the ministry
and works of, 353-356 ; appears to
Andrew as a beautiful little child,
357, 358 ; appears again to Andrew
in prison, 365 ; appears to Andrew
and Peter as a child, 371 ; appears
as a child to Matthew on the moun-
tains, 373 ; Abgarus' letter to, 440 ;
sends His picture to Abgarus, 441 ;
appears at the burial of Mary, 529 ;
raises Mary from the tomb, and
brings her to paradise, 530.
Joachim, his wealth, charity, and
offerings, 18, 19, 53 ; taunted by
the high priest on account of his
childlessness ; grieved, he goes away
to the mountains, 1, 2, 19, 53, 54 ;
his wife Anna, 2, etc., 19; visited
by an angel, who announces the birth
of a child to him, 3, 20, 21, 54, 55 ;
his offerings of gratitude, 3, 4.
John, the Apostle, informs Mary of
the sentence of death passed on
Jesus, 158 ; at the cross, 159 ; visits
Ophioryma, and pleads for Philip
and his companions, 307, 308, 328,
329 ; Domitian sends soldiers to
Ephesus to apprehend, 445 ; accom-
panies the soldiers to Rome, and
inspires them with reverence for
him, 445, 446 ; his interview with
Domitian, 446, 447 ; takes deadly
poison before Domitian without in-
jury, 447 ; restores to life the con-
demned criminal, whom the wash-
ing of the poison cup had killed,
447, 448 ; cures a slave of the em-
peror's who was tormented by a
demon, 448 ; sent to Patmos, 448,
449 ; in the reign of Trajan goes
to Ephesus, 449 ; his ministry in
Ephesus, ibid. ; appoints Eutychus
minister, 451 ; strange disappear-
ance of, 451-453 ; sees the undetiled
Godhead, and asks a revelation,
493 ; sees heaven opened, and a
great seven-sealed book, 493, 494 ;
the likeness of Antichrist revealed
to, and the time of his continuance,
494, 495 ; the time of the end made
known to, 495, 496 ; the resurrec-
tion and the fact of future recogni-
tion revealed to, 496, 497 ; the judg-
ment revealed to, 497 ; the biirning
up of the earth, and its puriKcation
from sin, revealed to, 497, 498 ; the
coming of the Lord and His church
to the earth made known to, 498,
499 ; is shown what shall become of
the heavens, and the hosts thereof,
499, 500 ; the depths of Hades, and
the order in which spirits and
nations shall be judged, revealed to,
500, 501 ; abodes of the bad and
good shown to, 501, 502 ; final hap-
piness displayed to, 502 ; miracu-
lously conveyed from Ephesus to
Bethlehem to Mary, 506.
John, the Baptist, saved by his mother
from Herod's wrath, 13 ; in Hades
announces the coming thither of
Jesus, 170, 200, 218, 219.
John Mark, 293 ; contention between
Paul and Barnabas respecting, 294,
295 ; accompanies Barnabas, 295 ;
comes with Barnabas, on whose mar-
tyrdom he deposits his ashes in a
cave, 299 ; takes refuge from his
enemies, 299 ; comes to Alexandria,
and labours there, 300 ; relates the
occasion of the change of his name,
ibid.
Joseph, son of Jacob, met by Paul in
paradise, 490.
Joseph, a rich man in Capernaum,
raised from the dead by the child
Jesus, 50.
Joseph of Arimathea, begs the body of
Jesus, 137, 161, 162, 242; seized
and imprisoned by the Jews, but
miraculously liberated by Jesus,
137, 138, 168, 188, 189 ; found by
the Jews in Arimathea, 141, 192 ;
written to, ' and sent for, by the
Jewish rulers, 141, 142, 166, 192,
193 ; explains how he was delivered
from prison, 143, 144, 167, 193 ;
effect of the narrative given by, on
the Jews, 144, 167, 168, 199 ; the
" narrative " of, 237-244 ; testifies to
the assumption of Mary, 520,. 521.
Joseph the husband of Mary, the
birth, character, and trade of, 63,
64 ; Mary the Virgin committed to
the care of, by divine intimation —
the sign given, 6, 26, 27, 64 ; dis-
tressed at finding Mary pregnant,
8 ; resolves to divorce Mary pri-
vately, but prevented by an angel,
9, 65 ; accused to the priests of de-
tiliug Mary, 9, 29 ; is tested by the
"water of the ordeal of the Lord,"
and proved innocent, 10, 29, 30 ; his
visit to Bethlehem, 10, 31 ; conducts
Mary to a cave, and goes in search
of a midwife, 11, 12, 31, 32 ; as a
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
541
carpenter, is assisted by Jesus in his
trade, 48, 118 ; history of, narrated
by Jesus to His disciples on the
Mount of Olives, 63, etc. ; his prayer
before death, 68 ; his age, ihid. ;
his lamentation before death, ibid. ;
his address to Jesus, 69, etc. ;
manner and circumstances of his
death, 71 ; approach of death to,
with all his retinue, 71, 72 ; words
of Jesus to, 72 ; Gabriel receives
the soul of, 72 ; lamentation for,
72, 73 ; the body of, rendered in-
corruptible, 73 ; the burial of, 74 ;
Jesus bewails the death of, ihid. ;
why he, being the father of Jesus,
died, 75, 76.
Judas Iscariot, not a disciple of Jesus,
but craftily pretends to be, 238 ;
plots against Jesus, ihid. ; covenants
with the Jews to deliver up Jesus
to .them, 239 ; delivers up Jesus,
239, 240.
Judgment, the day of, Esdras prays
to see, 470 ; signs of the approach
of, 471 ; foretold to John, 500 ; order
of procedure on, 500, 501.
Just, the place of the, 479, 480, 482-
485.
Juvenalius, Bishop, 259.
Karinus and Lucius, sons of Simeon,
who were raised from the dead when
Jesus rose, their narrative of the
descent of Christ into Hades, and
the deliverance He wrought there,
199-209, 216, 213-222.
King, Jesus crowned as, by boys, 119,
120.
Lampadistus, the city of, 297.
Lapithus, the city of, 297.
Lazarus, raised by Jesus, 224, 225, 228.
Leprosy, healed by Jesus, 106, 107, 113,
114.
Levi, a master under whom the child
Jesus was placed, his admiring tes-
timony to Jesus, 144, 145.
Levi, Rabbi, his testimony to Jesus
before the Sanhedrim, 144, 145,
195, 196.
Licianus commanded by Tiberius to
seize and destroy the Jews who
procured the death of Jesus, 232,
233.
Lioness, a, and cubs, tamed by Jesus,
47, 48.
Lions and panthers worship and escort
Jesus, 47, 48.
Losania, the body of Pilate sent thither
to be buried, 236.
Magi, the visit of the, to Jesus, 13,
34, 35.
Mamber, or Malech, Mount, Jesus seen
on, after His resurrection, 139, 190.
Man-eaters, the city of the, the horrid
customs of its citizens, 348 ; visited
by Matthias, where his eyes are put
out, and he is cast into prison, 348,
349 ; the works of Andrew and
Peter in, 350, etc. ; blind prisoners
doomed to be eaten, are restored to
sight by Andrew, 359 ; the citizens
eat the dead warders, 360 ; the
citizens collect the old men to eat
them, in lieu of others, 301 ; an
unnatural father in, his punishment,
361, 366 ; the executioners miracu-
lously bereft of power, 361, 362 ;
the citizens seek for Andrew to kill
him, 362 ; Andrew dragged repeat-
edly by ropes through the streets
of, 363, etc. ; Andrew causes an ala-
baster statue to send forth water
and flood the city, 363 ; the citizens
repent, 366 ; certain of the citizens
sent down into the abyss, 306, 367 ;
the drowned citizens restored to life
by Andrew, 367 ; a church founded
there, 367.
Mariamne, sister of the Apostle Philip,
301, 302 ; tortured, 305 ; ordered to
be stripped naked, but miraculously
transfigured, 306, 307, 328, 329, 331.
Mary of Cleophas, 51.
Mary, the mother of Cleopas, and her
rival, 112, 113.
Mary, the Virgin, the parents of, 1-3,
19-22 ; her birth, and presentation
to the priests, 4, 22, 23, 55, 56 ; left
by her parents in the temple, 5, 56 ;
is held in great veneration for her
goodness, etc., 23, 24; sought in
marriage by Abiathar, the high
priest, for his son, 24 ; is styled
"Queen of Virgins," 25, 26 ; daily
visited by angels, she resolves to
remain a virgin, 57 ; the priests
take counsel what they shall do
with her, 5, 6, 57 ; by divine inti-
mation, entrusted to the care of
Joseph the carpenter, 6, 26, 27, 58 ;
spins the true purple and the scar-
let for the veil of the temple, 6, 7,
27 ; an angel announces to, her con-
ception, 7, 28, 58, 59; visits Eliza-
beth, 7, 8 ; her conception, 8, 64,
542
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
G5 ; Joseph's grief on findiDg her
pregnant, 8, 28 ; questioned by Jo-
seph, 9 ; Joseph resolves to dismiss
her privately, 9, 60, 61, 64, 65 ; the
priests, suspecting sin, administer
the ordeal to Joseph and to her,
■when both are proved innocent, 9,
10, 29, 30 ; her journey to Beth-
lehem with Joseph, 9, 31, 65 ; gives
birth to Jesus in a cave — wonders
that accompany His birth, 11, 12,
31, 32, 33 ; Salome's doubt as to the
virginity of, punished, 12, 32 ; goes
into Egypt with Joseph and the
child, 35, etc. ; Jesus causes a palm
tree to bend down to, that she may
pluck its fruit, 37 ; sojourn in Egypt,
35, 37, etc., 103-111; adored, 109;
■with Joseph at his death, 71, etc.;
informed by John of the sentence
passed on Jesus by Pilate, 158; at
the cross, 159; goes every day to
the tomb of Jesus to burn incense,
and is invisible to the guards, 604 ;
Gabriel appears to, and announces
her removal shortly to heaven, 504,
505 ; returns to Bethlehem, and
prays for the presence of John, who
is miraculously conveyed from Ephe-
sus to, 405 ; all the apostles are
miraculously brought together to
her, 506, 507, 516, 517 ; the apostles
tell her, each in his turn, what the
Holy Spirit had revealed to them
concerning her, 507 ; the glorious
and wonderful occurrences which
took place round the house where
she was, 508, 509 ; hostility shown
by the priests to, and the terrific
vision ■which confounds them, 509 ;
a tribune sent against — she is mira-
culously conveyed to Jerusalem,
510 ; the Jews at Jerusalem attempt
to burn the house of, 510, 511 ;
visited by the Lord on cherubim,
and a multitude of angels, 511, 512 ;
asks Jesus respecting the departure
of her soul — His answer, 515, 516 ;
apprised by an angel that her as-
sumption is now at band, 516 ; pre-
pares for her assumption, 516; Christ
descends and receives the soul of,
518 ; the apostles carry the body
of, to burial — incidents by the ■way,
518, 519 ; Jesus raises the body
of, and takes it to paradise, 530 ;
Thomas sees her body ascending —
her girdle falls to him, 519 ; another
account of her departure and as-
sumption, ■with the attendant cir-
cumstances, 522-530 ; meets Paul
in paradise, and is worshipped by
angels, 490.
Masters, the, under ■whom the child
Jesus was placed, 42, 43, 44, 45, 49,
50, 51, 80, 83, 84.
Matarea, or Matariyeh, 111.
Matthew, the apostle, on the mountain
visited by Jesus in the form of a
little child, 373 ; receives a rod
from Jesus to plant in the city of
the man-eaters, to produce fruit,
and honey, and water, 374 ; pro-
ceeds to Myrna and heals demoniacs
there, 375 ; preaches in Myrna, 375,
376 ; plants in Myrna the rod given
him by Jesus — its wonderful growth,
376, 377 ; proceeds to the church,
377 ; the devil incites the king
against, 378, 379, 380; the king,
struck blind, is restored to sight by,
380, 381 ; the king tries in various
■ways to destroy, 381, 382 ; prays
that the fire may destroy all the
idols, -which is done— dies, 382, 383 ;
his body is brought to the palace,
and works miracles, 383, 384 ; is
seen rising to heaven, and crowned,
384 ; his body is placed in an iron
coffin, and is cast into the sea, ibid. ;
is seen afterwards standing on the
sea, 385.
Matthias, visits the city of the man-
eaters, who put out his eyes and
cast him into prison, 348, 349 ;
in the prison he is miraculously re-
stored to sight, 349 ; Andrew sent to,
349 ; Andrew visits him in prison, 358.
Maximilla, wife of ^geates, takes the
body of Andrew down from the
cross, 346.
Miracles performed by the child Jesus,
35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48, 49, 50,
81, 87, 89, 95, 96, 97.
Misdeus, king of India, and the Apostle
Thomas, 425 ; orders Thomas to be
put to death, 427 ; a demoniac son
of, healed by a bone of Thomas, 428.
Moses met by Paul in paradise, 490.
"Mother of God," Mary the, 488, 504 ;
worshipped in paradise by angels,
490.
Mule, a, young man transformed into,
by magic, restored to his proper
shape by Jesus, 108, 109, 110.
Myrna, the city of the man-eaters,
strange occurrences in, 374-387.
Nathan sent to Tiberius, 245 ; meets
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
543
with Titus, and relates to him the
wonderful works of Jesus, and bap-
^ tizes him, 246-248.
Needle, Peter causes a camel to go
through the eye of a, and causes a
second to do so, 371, 372.
Nero, applied to by the Jews to pre-
vent Paul coming to Rome, his com-
pliance, 256, 257 ; tellsthe Jews that
Paul is dead, 258 ; Peter and Paul
accused before, by Simon Magus,
263, 264 ; is referred by Peter to
the letter of Pilate to Claudius, 264 ;
discussion between Peter and Paul
and Simon Magus before, 264, 265,
etc. ; orders Peter and Paul to be
put to death, 273, 274.
Nioanora, wife of the proconsul of
Hierapolis, converted by Mariamne,
Philip's sister, 303 ; avows her faith,
303, 304 ; her husband's brutal
treatment of, 304 ; regarded by her
husband as having been bewitched
by the apostles, 306 ; another ver-
sion of the story of, 326, 327.
Nicodemus, appears before Pilate in
defence of Jesus, 132, 133, 154, 155,
183, 184 ; his conduct after the cruci-
fixion of Jesus, 137 ; proposes to
the Sanhedrim that search should
be made for Jesus, 141, 166, 192 ;
Pilate summons him before him,
156 ; the character of, 328.
Noah, met by Paul in paradise, 491.
Onesiphorus receives Paul, 279, 280.
Onesiphorus, a rich man, ill-treats
Peter and Paul, 370, 371 ; challenges
Peter respecting the words of Jesus
about a camel going through the eye
of a needle, 271 ; he believes, 272.
Ophioryma, the city of, Philip at, 301 ;
Philip and his companions tortured
at, 305 ; shut up in the temple of,
306, 307 ; Philip crucified at, John
conies to, 307 ; the inhabitants of,
swallowed up in the abyss, but de-
livered by the Saviour, 311, 312.
See also 326-334.
Palace, the, built by IMatthew the
apostle for King Gundaphoros, 399,
400.
Palm tree, a, made by Jesus to bend
down, that Mary might pluck the
fruit of, 37 ; a spring wells forth at
the root of, ibid. ; the privilege con-
ferred on, by Jesus, 37, 38.
Faphos, 297, 298.
Paradise, Adam and all the just intro-
duced to, by Jesus, 175 ; the peni-
tent robber admitted to, 175, 176,
241 ; Paul conducted to — a descrip-
tion of, 489 ; persons whom Paul
meets there, 490, 491.
Patmos, John sent to, by Domitian,
448, 449.
Paul, his coming to Ptome opposed by
the Jews, 256 ; invited by the Chris-
tians, he sets out for Rome, and
reaches Syracuse, 257 ; the Jews
kill Dioscorus, mistaking him for,
257, 258 ; his journey towards
Rome, 258, 259 ; his vision at Tribus
Tabernes, 259 ; reaches Rome, 260 ;
the Jews strive to incite him to
speak against Peter — his re^jly, 260 ;
appeases the contentious between
Jews and Gentiles, 261, 262 ; with
Peter opposes Simon Magus, 267,
etc. ; by prayer arrests the flight of
Simon, so that he falls, and is killed,
273 ; ordered to be put in irons,
273, 274 ; sentenced to be beheaded,
274 ; meets Perpetua on his way to
execution, and obtains a handker-
chief from her, which is miraculously
returned and restores her sight,
276, 277 ; the conversion and mar-
tyrdom of his executioners, 277, 27S;
received as he is going to Iconium by
Onesiphorus — his personal appear-
ance described, 279, 280 ; converts
Thecla, 280 ; cast into prison by the
governor of Lystra, 283 ; visited in
prison by Thecla, 283 ; cast out of
the city, 284 ; fasts with Onesi-
phorus, 284 ; goes with Thecla to
Antioch, 285 ; contention with Bar-
nabas, 294, 295 ; the " Revelation "
of, found under the foundation of his
house at Tarsus, 477 ; conducted to
the "place of the just," 482, etc. ;
conducted to the " place of the
wicked," 485, etc. ; conducted to
paradise, 489, etc.
Penitent thief (robber), the, his first
meeting with Jesus, 1 10 ; character
and deeds of, 237 ; on the cross, re-
bukes his companion and confesses
Jesus, 240, 241 ; Jesus promises
paradise to, and writes respecting
him to His " archangelic powers,"
241 ; with Jesus in Galilee, seen
transformed by John, 343, 344 ; en-
trance of, into Hades, 220 ; entrance
of, into paradise, 175, 208.
Perpetua, the story of, 276-273.
544
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
Peter, hears with joy of Paul's coming
to Rome, 259 ; the Jews strive to
stir up Paul to speak against, 260 ;
comes to Paul, ibid. ; assailed by the
Jews, he defends himself, 262; Simon
Magus speaks against, 263 ; Simon
excites Nero against, 263, 264 ; dis-
putes with Simon before Nero, 264,
etc. ; by prayer causes Simon, who
attempts to fly, to fall and be killed,
273 ; sentenced to be crucified, 274 ;
curious story of the Lord's meeting
him when he was escaping from
Rome, 274, 275 ; the burial of, 275,
276 ; on a mouutain with Matthew
and Alexander, 368 ; Christ appears
to, and salutes as bishop of the
whole church, 369 ; asks an old
husbandman for bread, and ploughs
and sows for him, 369, 370 ; ill-
treated by one Onesiphorus, 370 ;
causes a camel to go through the
eye of a needle, 371 ; causes a second
camel to go through the eye of a
needle, 372 ; miraculously conveyed
to the couch of Mary at Bethlehem,
506, 507 ; heals Jejjhonias, 513.
Philip, the apdstle, at Ophioryma,
301, etc. ; the sister of, 301, 306 ;
his preaching, 302, 326 ; visited by
Nicanora, wife of the proconsul,
303 ; tortured by the proconsul of
Ophioryma, 305 ; shut up in the
temple of the viper, ihid.; vengeance
demanded against, by the people,
306 ; stripped before the tribunal,
and ordered to be hanged, 306, 307,
328 ; speech of, to Bartholomew,
307 ; visited by John, 307, 308, 328,
etc. ; restrained by John from in-
flicting vengeance on his enemies,
308, 309 ; curses his enemies, who
are forthwith swallowed up in the
abyss, 309, 330, 331 ; rebuked by
the Lord for returning evil for evil,
310, 330; his reply to Jesus, 310,
311 ; the punishment ordained for
his unforgiving spirit, 311, 331 ;
from the cross addresses the Ophio-
rymites, and refuses to be released,
312, 314, 332 ; addresses Bartholo-
mew, and gives directions to, 313,
314, 333 ; prayer of, 314, 315, 333 ;
gives up the ghost, while a voice is
heard proclaiming thathe is crowned,
315 ; a vine springs up, and a church
is built on the spot on which he was
crucifled, ihkl. ; is admitted to para-
dise, 316 ; the visit of, to Hellas,
and interviews with the philoso-
phers, 317 ; the philosophers write
to the high priest at Jerusalem
about, 319 ; the high priest comes
to Hellas to oppose, 320 ; discussion
with the higki priest, 320, 321 ;
shows many miracles before the high
priest, and inflicts punishment on
him to converc him, tut in vain,
322-326.
Philosophers of Hellas, the, and Philip,
317, etc.
Pilate, the Jews accuse Jesus to, 126,
etc., 178, etc., 182, etc. ; takes the
part of Jesus, 129, 130, ISO, etc. ;
questions Jesus, 153, 182; declares
Jesus innocent, 182, 183 ; rebukes
the Jews, 156, 185, 186 ; sends
Jesus to Herod, 157 ; washes his
hands, 157, 186 ; yields to the
clamour of the Jews, and sentences
Jesus to death, 135, 157, 186 ; as-
sembles the chief priests in the
temple to inquire about Jesus, 210,
etc. ; writes an account of Jesus to
the Emperor Claudius, 212 ; the
letter of, to Tiberius Csesar, 223 ;
report of, to Augustus Cajsar re-
specting Jesus Christ, 224, etc.,
228, etc. ; sent for lay Tiberius
CiBsar to be examined on account of
putting Jesus to death, 231, etc. ;
ordered to be beheaded — his prayer
to Jesus, 233 ; according to another
account, cited before Tiberius, who
is magically calmed by the tunic of
Jesus worn by, 235, 236 ; sentenced
to death, but commits suicide in
prison, 236 ; his strange burial,
ibid. ; further particulars concern-
ing, 251-254.
Pilate's wife, her message to Pilate,
128, 129, 154, 180.
Place of the righteous, the, 479, 480,
482-485.
Place of the wicked, the, 485-489.
Plato, Bishop of Myrua, 375, 376,
377, 385, 387.
Polymius, a king of India, sends for
Bartholomew to heal his demoniac
daughter, 431 ; seeks to reward
Bartholomew, 431, 432 ; destroys
his idol, 436 ; believes and is bap-
tized, 437 ; the brother of, perse-
cutes and kills Bartholomew, 438,
439 ; is made bishop, 439.
Pontiole, Paul at, 257, 258 ; is swal-
lowed up on account of the murder
of Dioscorus, 258.
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
515
Potentiana and Perpetua, 277.
Prince, the son of a, cured of the
leprosy by the water in which the
child Jesus was washed, 107.
Procla, Pilate's wife, her message to
Pilate, 128, 129, 154, 180.
Punishments of the wicked in hell,
the, 418, 420 ; more fully described
as witnessed by Esdras, 471-473,
474, 485-489.
Queen of Virgins, Mary the, 27.
Race, an abominable, performed at
Paphos, 298.
Recognition in a future state, 496.
Resurrection, the, 496.
Resurrection of Jesus, witnesses of
the, 139, 145, 146, 164, 165, etc.
"Resurrection, the, of saints when
Jesus rose, who they were who
participated in, 169 ; some of those
shared in, questioned by the Jews,
the testimony of, 169, 170, etc.,
198, etc.
Reuben, a Jew, strikes against the
bier on which Mary is carried to
burial — his jjunishment, 518, 519.
Revelation, the, of Paul, found under
the foundations of his house in
Tarsus, 477.
Righteous, the place of the, 482, 485,
etc.
Righteous, the, and the wicked, the
manner of the death of, 480-482.
River, the fiery, in the place of the
wicked, 486.
Robbers, the, met by .Jesus and His
parents in Egypt, 110.
Robbers, the two, crucified with Jesus,
240 ; the impenitence of one of, ibid. ;
the penitence of the other, and the
promise of Jesus to, 240, 241 ; the
entrance of the latter into Hades,
220 ; and into paradise, 175, 208.
Rod, the, of Joseph the carpenter, 6,
26, 27.
Rod, the miraculous, given by Jesus
to Matthew to plant in the city of
the man-eaters, o74, 375 ; the won-
derful growth of, 370.
Rubim, or Euben, the high priest,
reproaches Joachim with his child-
lessness, 1, 19.
Salome, called in as midwife for Mary
— her unbelief punished, 11, 12, 32 ;
her hand, which was dried up, re-
stored by Jesus, 32, 33.
2
Sarah, daughter of the high priest
Caiaphas, stripped naked by Demas,
238 ; accuses Jesus, 238, 2;j9.
Satan and Hades, the altercation be-
tween, when Jesus was ay)out to
descend into Hades, 172, 210 ; ex-
horts Hades to prepare to receive
Jesus, 201, 216, 217; reviled by
Hades, 205.
Schoolmasters, the, to whom Jesus
was successively sent, 42, 43, 44,
45, 49, 50, 51, 80, S3, 84.
Sea, the, testifies against the sins of
men, 478.
Sealing, 285, 403, 404.
Serpent, the, used by Satan in tempt-
ing Eve, 457, 458 ; the curse pro-
nounced on, 461.
Seth, sent by Adam when dying to
paradise to obtain for him the "oil
of mercy," 456, 457 ; and Adam in
Hades, 171.
Simeon, the two sons of, raised by
Jesus, 198 ; relate the descent of
Jesus into Hades, and His doings
there, 169, 170, etc., 198, 199, etc.
Simeon, the aged, his testimony to
Jesus in Hades, 199, 200.
Simon Magus, his lying miracles, 262,
203 ; speaks against Paul, and ex-
cites Nero against him, 263, 2(>4 ;
disputes with Paul and Peter before
Nero, 264, etc. ; the knowledge of,
tested by Peter, and proved want-
ing, 266 ; the trick practised by, to
make Nero. believe he had been be-
headed, and had come to life again,
267, 268 ; asks Nero to build for
him a lofty tower, from which he
might fly to heaven, 267, 272 ; be-
gins to fly, but is arrested by the
prayers of Peter and Paul, and falls
down and is killed, 273.
Soldiers, the, who guard the tomb of
Jesus, testify to His resurrection,
but are bribed to lie, 164, 189, 190.
Son of man, the, the second advent of,
498, 499.
Souls of the righteous and the wicked,
how they go out of the body, 4b0.
Sparrows made of clay by the child
Jesus, 40, 41, 121.
Sphinx, a, in a heathen temple, re-
bukes the unbelief of men in relation
to Jesus, 355 ; the testimony of, to
Jesus, 356.
Stachys, 301 ; receives Philip to his
house, ai)pointed bishop of Ophio-
ryma, 315, 333.
31
646
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
Standards, the Roman, miraculously
bow down to Jesus, 179, 180.
Steps, the fifteen, of the temple, 56.
Stratocles, brother of ^geates, 346.
Sun and moon, the, bear testimony
against the sins of men, 478.
Sunsetting, the time when the angels
give in to God their report of the
conduct of men, 478.
Symeon. See Simeon.
Syracuse, Paul at, 257.
Tartarus, a description of the punish-
ments endured in, given by a young
woman who had been raised from
the dead, 318-320 ; by Esdras, 471,
472 ; by Paul, 485, 486-489.
Tartarus, Satan cast into, 220, 222. '
Temeluch, the merciless angel, 481,
486.
Thadd^eus, the apostle, 440 ; visits
Abgarus — hia ministry in Edessa,
441 ; goes to the city of Amis, and
preaches Christ there, 441, 442 ; his
miracles, 442 ; proceeds to Berytus,
where he dies, 443.
Thamyris, provoked by the conduct
of thecla, his betrothed, 280, 281 ;
brings Paul before the governor,
282.
Thecla, hears Paul preaching, and is so
entranced by him, that she hearkens
not to mother or lover, 280, 281 ;
evil counsels of Demas and Ermo-
genes against, 282 ; visits Paul in
prison, 283; condemned to be burned,
but is miraculously delivered, 284 ;
goes with Paul to Antioch, 285 ;
vile conduct of Alexander the Syri-
arch towards, 285 ; condemned to
be thrown to wild beasts, she re-
ceives the sympathy of Tryphena,
285, 286 ; thi'own to the wild beasts,
but they have no power to hurt her,
287 ; bound between two fierce bulls,
but remains unhurt, 287, 288 ; is set
at liberty, 288 ; goes to Myra seek-
ing Paul, 289 ; visits her mother at
Iconium, ibid. ; takes up her abode
in a cave, where she performs many
cures, 289, 290 ; plot laid for her by
certain young men, from which she
is miraculously delivered, 290-292 ;
periods into which her life is divided,
and age, 292.
Thomas, the apostle, — India falls to the
lot of, 389 ; refuses to go, and is
sold by his Master as a carpenter
for Gundaphoros, an Indian king.
389, 390 ; submits to his Master's
will, 390 ; reaches Andrapolis, and
is obliged to attend a royal marriage
feast, 390, 391 ; struck by a wine-
pourer, 391 ; the song of, 392 ; taken
by the king to the bridal chamber
to pray for the married couple, 293,
294 ; the Lord converses with the
bride and bridegroom in the form
of, 395, 396 ; the king is enraged
with, 397 ; undertakes to buihl a
palace for King Gundaphoros, 397,
398 ; expends the money entrusted
to him for the palace on the poor
and afHicted, 399 ; the king, finding
no palace built, throws him into
prison, resolving to flay and burn
him, 400 ; curious story of his re-
lease from prison, 402 ; baptizes
King Gundaphoros, 403, 404 ; con-
tinues preaching, 404, 405 ; the Lord
appears to, 405, 406 ; story of, in
relation to the young man and the
dragon, 406-412 ; a young woman
tormented by an unclean demon
delivered by, 412-416 ; story of, in
relation to the young man who killed
the maiden, 416, etc. ; raises the
maiden to life, who relates what she
saw in the unseen world, 418-420;
his preaching, miracles, and success,
420-422 ; martyrdom of, by order of
King Misdeus, 424-427 ; a bone of,
heals a demoniac son of Misdeus,
428 ; witnesses the assumption of
Mary, and receives her girdle, 519.
Throne, the, misraade by Joseph, rec-
tified by the child Jesus, 118.
Tiberius Csesar, Pilate's letter to, 223 ;
report of Pilate to, respecting Jesus,
224, etc., 228, etc.; summons Pilate
to Rome, and censures him for putting
Jesus to death, 231 ; commands Lici-
anus to seize and punish the Jews
who procured the death of Jesus,
232, 233; orders Pilate to be be-
headed, 233 ; sends, according to
another account, Volusianus to Jeru-
salem, to bring Jesus to heal him,
234 ; having found that Pilate had
put him to death, he orders Pilate
to come to Rome, 235 ; orders Pilate
to be put to death, 236 ; another
account of the mission of Velosianus,
250-253.
Timon of Anemurium, 297, 298.
Title, the, placed by Pilate over the
cross of Jesus, 136, 137.
Titus, son of Vespasian, afflicted with
INDEX OF PRINCIPAL MATTERS.
547
a grievous disease, 245 ; told by
Nathan of the power of Jesus to
heal diseases, and how Pilate had
crucified Him, 24G; believes in Jesus,
and is immediately healed, and re-
ceives baptism, 247, 24S ; sends
armies to pun\sh the Jews for putting
Jesus to death, 248 ; inflicts punish-
ment on the Jews and their rulers,
249, 250.
Titus and Dumachus, robbers, their
interview with Jesus and His parents
■when going into Egypt, 110.
Torments of the wicked, the, 418-420,
471-473, 485-489.
Tryphena, how she befriends Thecla,
285, 286, 287, 288.
Tunic, the seamless, worn by Pdate
•when cited before Tiberius — its mar-
vellous influence on Tiberius, 235,
236.
Veil of the temple, the, Mary spins
the true purple and scarlet for, 6,
7, 27.
Veil of the tribunal, the lowering or
drawing of the, 135, 186.
Veronica bears witness to Jesus before
Pilate, 135, 185, 251 ; how she ob-
tained a picture of Jesus, 234, 235 ;
found by Velosianus to have a por-
trait of Jesus, 235, 251 ; taken by
Velosianus with the picture of
Jesus, and brought to Rome — the
Emperor Tiberius healed by the
picture, 251, 252, 254. .
Vespasian destroys Jerusalem, 444 ; is
succeeded bv Domitian, ibid.
Vienne, Pilate's body sent to be sunk
in the ilhone near, 235. ^
Vine, a, sprouts up where Philips
blood dropped, 315.
Viper, the temple of the, 305.
Virginity, a new order of life founded
by Mary, 25, 57.
Virginity and chastity, 332, 3o3, 4bJ.
Virgins in the temple, 25, 57-
Virgins, five, assigued to Mary as
companions, 27.
Volusianus, or Velosianus, sent by
Tibfrius to Jerusalem to bring Jesus
to heal him, 234 ; finds that Jesus
has been crucified, but meets Ve-
ronica, whom, with her picture of
Jesu^, he brings to Pvome, 234, 235,
251, 252 ; his report to Tiberius,
235, 252-254 ; presents Veronica's
picture of Jesus to Tiberius, by
which he is completely healed, 254.
Watch, the, who were placed at the
tomb of Jesus, bribed by the Jews
to give lying testimony, 138, 139,
164, 189, 19IJ.
Wicked, the place and the punish-
ments of, 408, 409, 418-420, 471-473.
Witnesses, the, who appeared for
Jesus before Pilate, 132, 133, 134,
154-156, 181, etc., 183, 184.
Witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus,
139, 145, 146, 164, 165.
Woman, the, with the issue of blood
healed by Jesus, 225, 229 ; is Ve-
ronica, 155, 185.
Young man, the, killed by a dragon,
and restored to life by Jesus, the
story of, 406-408.
Young man, the, who killed a maiden,
the story of, 416-418.
Zachaeus, or Zachyas, a doctor of the
law, Jesus placed under, 44, 80, 81,
Zacharias, father of John the Baptist,
slain in the temple by order of
Herod, 14.
Zelomi and Salome called in as mid-
wives to Mary, 32.
Zeno, a boy, falls from a house and
is killed, but is restored to life by
Jesus, SO, 81.
THE END.
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A COLLECTION OF ALL THE WORKS OF THE FATHERS OF THE
CHRLSTIAN CHURCH, PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL OF NIC^A.
EDITED BY
ALEXANDER ROBERTS, D.D.,
Professor of Humanity in the University of St. Andrews,
AND
JAMES DONALDSON, LL.D.,
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' Early Christian Literature and Doctrine.'
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First Year—
The 'City of God.' Two Volumes.
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The anti-Pelagian Works of St. Augustine.
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' Letters.' Vol. i. And
TREATISES AGAINST FAUSTUS THE MANICH-^EAN.
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LANG E'S
COMMENTARIES ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.
Messrs. CLARK have now pleasure in intimating their arrangements, under
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There are now ready (in imperial 8vo, double column),
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF GENESIS, One Volume.
COMMENTARY ON JOSHUA, JUDGES, AND RUTH, in One
Volume.
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOKS OF KINGS, in One Volume.
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS, in One Volume.
COMMENTARY ON PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, AND
THE SONG OF SOLOMON, in One Volume.
COMMENTARY ON JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS,
in One Volume.
Other Volumes on the Old Testament are in active preparation, and will be
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Messrs. Clark have already published, iu the Foreign Theological Library,
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T. and T. Claris Publications.
New and Cheaper Edition of Lange's Life of Christ.
Just puhlished^ in Four Volumes, Demy ^m, price '28s. (Subscription price),
THE LIFE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
A COMPLETE CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE ORIGIN,
CONTENTS, AND CONNECTION OF THE GOSPELS.
Translated from the German of J. P. Lange, D.D., Professor of Divinity in
the University of Bonn. Edited, with additional notes, by the Eev. Maecus
DODS, M.A.
EXTRACT FROM EDITOR'S PREFACE.
' The v/ork of Dr. Lange, translated in the accompanying volumes, holds among books
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works which more thoroughly investigate the au; iienticity of the Gospel records, some
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portant of histories, and some which present a more formal and elaborate exegetical
treatment of the sources ; but there is no single work in which all these branches are so
fully attended to, or in which so much matter bearing on the main subject is brought
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had been propagated by Negative Criticism, and to substitute that authentic and con-
sistent history which a truly scientific and enlightened criticism educes from the Gospels.'
'We have arrived at a most favourable conclusion regarding the importance and ability
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the latter on the wide range of the work itself ; the singixlarly dispassionate judgment
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pressibly holy. . . . We have great pleasure iu recommending this work to our readers.
We are convinced of its vahie and enormous rauge.' — Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette.
THE COMMENTARIES, ETC., OF JOHN CALVIN,
IN 48 VOLUMES, DEMY 8vo.
Messrs. CLAEK beg respectfully to announce that the whole Stock and Copyrights of
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The Contents of the Series are as follow: —
Tracts on the Keformation, 3 vols. j Commentary on Zechariah and Malachi, 1
Commentary on Genesis, 2 vols. i vol.
Harmony of the last Four Books of the | Hannony of the Synoptical Evangelists,
Pentateuch, 4 vols. j 3 vols.
Commentary on Joshua, 1 vol. ] Commentary on John's Gospel, 2 vols.
jr on the Psalms, 5 vols. I ^ on Acts of the Apostles, 2
^ on Isaiah, 4 vols.
r on Jeremiah and Lamentations, 5 vols.
AT on Ezekiel, 2 vols.
jr on Daniel, 2 vols.
jt on Hosea, 1 vol.
-r on Joel, Amos, and Obadiah, 1 vol.
jr on Jonah, Micah, and Nahvmi, 1 vol.
*• on Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai,
1vol.
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on Corinthians, 2 vols.
on Galatians and Ephesians, 1 vol.
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salonians, 1 vol.
on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, 1
vol.
on Hebrews, 1 vol.
on Peter, John, James, and Jude, 1 vol.
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