Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

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VIII. The Life of John the Monk

1 Here beginneth the life of the blessed john, the perfect monk, whose parents made for him a gospel of gold, and who ended his life, with the most excellent patient endurance, on the fourth day of the month mekhir. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. PRAY FOR US ALL! AMEN. This life which I will now describe unto you is that of a man of God, who lived in our time, and it must be regarded with wonder. This man lived in the city of Rome, and he was exceedingly rich; he was the Archon of the city. His name was Eutropius, and the name of his wife was Theodora; and both of them had been worshippers of God from their youth up. And they had three children. Now two of these had been appointed to high positions in the Palace of the Emperors, and the youngest had been sent to receive instruction in the works of God. And after these things he learned the teachings of the wise men, and associated with them. Moreover he learned the works of God, and attached himself to the church, making enquiries concerning God by day and by night.

2 And it came to pass on a day that a certain brother, who was a monk, and who belonged to a Monastery which was inland (or, to the south), and was called after the name of those who sleep not', passed by; and he was wishing to depart to Jerusalem to pray in the Holy Place. And this monk spake unto John inside his house with the words of God, and John marvelled exceedingly when he saw the monkish brother, and his garb, and perceived his pleasant manner of speech, and his internal thought about God, which was like fire. And John said, 'My lord father, what is thy native place, or where is thy monastery?' The monkish brother said unto him, 'I live in the Monastery of the Sleepless Ones. And if God pleaseth I wish to go to Jerusalem so that I may pray there in the Holy Place, and, by the will of God, I will return again to my place.' And the monk informed him concerning everything about which John enquired of him.

3 And when John had heard these words he laid hold upon the hand of the monkish brother, and took him to a place which was quiet and secret, and he made him to swear great oaths, saying unto him, 'My beloved brother, when thou hast gone to Jerusalem, and hast returned in peace, thou shalt not hide thyself from me, neither shalt thou depart to thy monastery and forsake me, and I will not hide anything from thee during the whole course of my life. My parents, however, love me very much more than they love my brethren, for they have placed me in the hands of instructors, and my father saith, "I will give thee high offices." Moreover, according to what is in his heart, he wisheth to give me seven offices, each of which is more exalted than his own. After these things he wisheth to make me a bridegroom. And, moreover, when I go into the church I hear them proclaiming and saying, "Everything in this world is contemptible," and "Let him that despiseth this world follow the Christ with a right heart," and even so he shall hardly be saved. Surely, my brother, it will be especially difficult for a sinner like myself to be saved. Therefore, I beseech thee, O mighty father, to take me with thee to thy monastery.' And when the monkish brother had heard these things he took an oath, saying, 'When I return I will take thee with me to my monastery'; and straightway they made a firm compact with each other to this effect very readily, and then each departed to his abode in peace.

4 And after these things the blessed John took counsel within himself, saying, 'First of all let me go to my parents, so that I may make them prepare for me a Gospel wherein I may read, for I do not know the commandments of Christ, and I would find Him in the place whither I am going.' And he came to the house of his parents, and he told them the reason [for his desire], and he spake unto them thus: 'Behold, O my parents, I am put to shame among my fellow scholars, for of all those who are at school with me each one hath his own Gospel of gold, which their parents have prepared for them to read in. As for me I am like a beggar in their midst, and like one who hath neither father nor mother.' And John threw himself down upon his face before his parents, saying, 'I beseech you most earnestly, O my parents, to prepare for me a Gospel, so that I may have it in my hands, and receive instruction therefrom.'

5 And when his mother heard [these words] she rejoiced exceedingly, for it was her wish that he should be well instructed. And when she had thought over these things she spake unto her husband, saying, 'My lord brother, make a Gospel of gold for our son John. Do not have it beautifully written only, but decorate it also beautifully with really precious stones of great value.' And straightway his father commanded, and one brought to him five hundred holokottinoi (oboli) and precious stones of great beauty, and he gave them to a cunning goldsmith, and he made for him very beautiful decorations for the Gospel which he had caused to be written. And John's father took it and gave it to his son, and John took it, and rejoiced over it, and he studied it with great diligence. And he waited for that brother who was a monk to come in order to depart with him; and after a few days that brother who was a monk arrived, according to the compact which they had previously made with each other.

6 And when John saw the brother who was a monk he rejoiced exceedingly, and was glad, and he saluted him, and he was in a state of great joy. And he said unto him, 'My lord father, I know the wishes of my parents, and their love towards me, and especially the wish and love of my mother. If she were to hear of such a thing as this in connection with me she would weep, and suffer greatly because of me. I therefore beseech thee to let us arrange that we go away secretly, and not to let any one know of our departure.' And the monk said unto him, 'Whatsoever pleaseth thee that will I do with thee, and that which thou desirest may God fulfil for thee.' 7 And John and the monk rose up, and they departed secretly. And they arrived at the sea, and they searched for a boat wherein to embark. And John spake unto the captain of a ship, saying, 'I charge thee, my brother, to halve the fare in our case, for then thou wilt be able to take the two of us to the Monastery of the Sleepless Ones.' And the captain of the ship said unto them, 'Sit ye down until I have loaded my ship with its freight, and then, by the will of God, we will set sail.' And John said unto the captain, 'Tell me how much the fare is'; and the captain said unto him, 'One hundred oboli is the passage money for my ship.' Then John said unto him, 'I will give them to thee'; and when John had said this he came to the place where was the brother who was a monk, and he said unto him, 'My father, the ship's fare is large, and it is meet for thee that we should depart quickly, lest some people meet us, and they recognize us, and they seize us, and we be put to shame. Therefore let us flee secretly.'

8 Then John went into his house to his mother, and he said unto her, 'I make entreaty unto thee, O my beloved mother. I know well that thou fulfillest all my wishes, but there is one thing that I lack, [and which if granted] would cause us both to be praised.' And his mother said unto him, 'Whatsoever thou wishest ask at my hand, and I will fulfil thy desire for thee.' And John said unto his mother, 'Thou knowest that all the youths who are with me at school have provided me with meals, and that not once, nor twice, and that I have eaten often of their provisions. Now there is nothing at all which I can do for them in return for what they have given unto me, and I am in truth ashamed to peab enter the school again because of this matter.' His mother saith unto him, 'Whatsoever thou wishest I will do for thee. When thy father cometh into the house at the hour of noon I will make him to give it (i. e. money) to thee, so that thou and thy companions mayest do what thou wishest therewith.' And when his father came into the house at the hour of noon she told him everything which John had said unto her. And his father answered and said, 'I will give unto him everything that he wisheth for, but let us set apart a servant to watch over him, for he is young, lest he squander [the money] in works of wickedness.' And these words pleased them both, and they called their son John, and they gave him the money, and appointed a servant to attend him. And when John had taken the money he went to the place wherein was the monk, both he and the servant who accompanied him, and he said unto the monk, 'My lord brother, this servant whom

9 thou seest belongeth to me. I beseech thee to do me an act peac of grace, and let him tarry with thee, whilst I go to the place where some neighbours of mine are to enquire concerning a certain person who was coming to me at this hour.' Then the old man, the monk, understood that he was talking to him concerning the captain of the ship, and that he wished to go away by himself by reason of the servant who accompanied him. 10 And John took the hundred oboli, and came to the place of the captain of the ship, and he said unto him, 'I beseech thee, O my lord brother, to make ready to sail, and let us depart quickly, I and my brother.' And when the captain heard this, [and knew] that John wished to depart secretly, he said unto him, 'I have already finished making my ship ready to sail, and I have already told you that the passage money by my ship is high. However, if thou wilt remain in this place until I have loaded up my vessel, I will embark thee.' And John said, 'I have already told thee that I will give thee the passage money, according to what thou didst say.' And straightway he brought out the hundred oboli in his hand, rejoicing greatly, and he gave them to the captain, saying, 'Whatsoever thou informest me [is needed] more than these I will give unto thee. But observe now, ~~pax~~ if by the favour of God the weather be favourable for us, thou must put out to sea quickly, and we will depart secretly.' And when the captain of the ship heard these words he took the hundred oboli in his hand, and rejoiced exceedingly, and he said unto John, 'Go and bring thy companion, and come [back]; if it be the will of God I will take most excellent care of you.' And John returned, and informed the brother who was a monk about everything that had happened unto him.

11 And after two days John said unto the monk, 'Rise up, and let us depart by sea, because this is the day whereon I ought to make ready the meal for my fellow learners, and I ought to seek for some small fish for them.' And they came to the sea-shore by the will of God, and a favourable wind arose, and the captain embarked on the ship, and stood on the side of it, and he stooped down and beckoned to John and the monk, saying, 'Arise come ye and embark.' Now L They were troubled, for they wished to send away the servant from them, and to leave him behind, but they could not find any satisfactory means for doing so. And John said unto the servant who was accompanying him, 'Rise up and go to the palace, to the scholars, and see if they have all assembled there, and then come back quickly and let me know; behold, I will wait for thee here'; and the servant departed. And they themselves went up into the ship, which set sail at once, and they arrived at the monastery by the will of God. And the servant returned to the sea-shore and did not find them, and he was disturbed exceedingly in his mind, saying, 'Shall I take to flight and not tell my master?' Then he said, 'I am afraid that they will make search for me and that they will find me, and inflict many evils upon me; so I will go and inform my masters, lest perhaps they seek him at my hands, and I shall be without anxiety and free from blame.'

12 And it came to pass that when his mother heard these things she rent her garments, and she scattered dust upon her head, and she wept with a great weeping, saying, 'Woe is me, O my beloved son John! What hath become of thee, O my sweet son? Woe is me, O my son! For thy face is O John, my beloved son! Woe is me! Who hath carried away the light of my body? I know not. Woe is me! Who hath carried away my beloved son, the darling of my soul? O John, my beloved son! O light of mine eyes! Why did I send thee forth after wisdom in this manner [to meet] the fate which hath come upon thee? Woe be unto me, O my son, who wast sweet to every one! Woe be unto me, my son, my sweet one, thou face full of joy! Woe unto me, thou who resemblest the angels! Woe unto me! What shall I do from this day henceforth?'

13 And thus also did his father weep, with groanings, and sighings, and sorrow of heart, and he cried out, saying, 'What hath happened unto thee, O my beloved son? I know not what hath happened unto thee suddenly.' And whilst the seven days of weeping were being fulfilled the whole city mourned with them. Then his father rose up and went into the palace, and informed the king of everything which had happened, and he entreated him to send out an order to every part of his kingdom, so that the people might seek for his son, and, peradventure, might find him. And when the king heard these things he was greatly grieved, and was very sorrowful because he loved him exceedingly for his beauty and for his intelligence, and he ate with him at his table because of the greatness of his liking for him. Then the king sent out a command into every part [of his kingdom], and soldiers to seek after him, and they went about in every place, but they found him not; so they returned to the palace. And [although] his parents had worn themselves out in going round about without finding him they ascribed glory to God.

14 And John came to the monastery, he and the monk also who accompanied him, and he carried with him the Gospel of gold which his parents had made for him, and he (i. e. the monk) informed the head of the monastery of everything which had happened to the young man John, and about his great belief in God. And the Archimandrite said unto the young man, 'My son, behold, I see that thou art young in years, but exceedingly well-doing in thy works. Moreover, my son, every one who wisheth to withdraw himself from this world, if he be of thine age, waiteth patiently for forty days, and after that period the hair of his head is shaved off, and then he assumeth the garb of the monk.' And John said unto him, 'I adjure thee, O my holy father, by the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity, and by the prayers of the monastery, that thou shave my head this day, and especially, as God knoweth, my heart burneth with desire for the life of the monk, and for the garb of the angels.'

15 And the Archimandrite was persuaded, and straightway he prayed over him, and he placed upon him the angelic garb. And the heart of John rejoiced within him exceedingly, and he prayed to God by day and by night with such exceedingly long prayers that his praying, and his daily contest, and his asceticism were far in excess of a very great many of those who were his neighbours. And for six years he led this kind of life of abstinence and ascetic excellence in the fear of God, and besides this he engaged in many contests of self-abnegation, and practised many habits of self-repression. And the Archimandrite saw him, and marvelled exceedingly. And the Archimandrite said unto him, 'My son, thou art pue a very young man, but behold, I see thee practising very many mighty works of abstinence; thou wilt thyself destroy thine own body, and wilt not be able to stand up, neither to pray, nor to fast. For overmuch ascetic labour exhausteth a man greatly, and maketh him weak.' But John did not cease to practise the labours which he had begun to perform.

16 And when the hater of what is good, that is to say, the Devil, saw him, he became angry with a very great anger, for he could not contain himself when he saw the great ascetic labours which John performed in his daily life, and the great renown [which he obtained]. Therefore the Devil brought into his mind the remembrance of his parents, and he endeavoured continually to make him remiss in his exercises. And moreover he made him to become more and more apathetic in the observance of his frequent fastings, and his vigils which lasted the whole night long. And the body of John became weak and infirm, and he became more and more emaciated. And when the Archimandrite saw him he marvelled at the weakness which had come upon him, for he was wellnigh ready to die, and he said unto him, 'Have I not told thee from the very beginning that God doth not demand from us anything which is beyond our strength, and yet thou hast

17 made thyself weak and helpless through the exhaustion pu caused by thine excessive labours?' And John said unto him, Forgive thou me, O my lord father, it is not the excess of ascetic labour which hath increased weakness in me, but the remembrance of my parents which Satan hath cast into my heart, and the thought of the misery which is in my house. And besides there is this matter also which I do not understand. The [Devil] maketh me more and more apathetic so that I may depart to them. But I believe in God and in thy holy prayers: that I shall trample down all his power, and that I shall not go aside from that which is between me and God. And, moreover, I know that God shall put him to shame.' And the Archimandrite said unto him, 'Have I not told thee already that the Devil possesseth multitudes of wiles? But thy crown of patient endurance is great.' Then the old man, the Archimandrite, wept for the blessed man John, because he thought that perhaps he might turn aside from his patient endurance.

18 And on the morrow John rose up and came to the Archimandrite, and cast himself down at his feet, and wept, saying, 'O my lord father, I wish to see my parents, but I entreat thee to pray for my wretched state, and perhaps thou wilt continue to do so, that God may make me perfect in patient endurance until I trample upon all the power of the Enemy; besides the command [hath come] to me to go.' Then the Archimandrite assembled all the brethren that they might pray mighty prayers over him, and weep over him many tears, and after that he sent him away, saying, 'My son, go thou in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; for it is He Who shall go with thee, and it is He Who shall guide thee.' And John rose up and took the Gospel of gold which his parents had prepared for him, and he entreated the remainder of the old men to pray for him. And they all together spread out their hands on the head of John, saying, The prayers of the saints shall go with thee, and shall make thee to tread upon all the power of the Enemy.' And at that moment John rose up, and saluted

19 pna pne all the brethren, saying, 'Pray for me, O my fathers and my brethren; I salute you all, O ye blessed people, who did receive me, and did feed me with holy doctrine. I am not worthy of you.' And having received the salutation of the brethren he came forth from the monastery and departed. And when he had travelled a short distance from the monastery he turned his face round and looked at the monastery, and he wept bitterly and shed many tears. And after the weeping he went on his way until he drew nigh to the entrance of the city. And whilst he was travelling along he met a very infirm man who was dressed in ragged garments, and in pieces of shrivelled leather (?). And John said unto him, 'Hail, my brother! Come and walk with me.' And the brother said unto him, 'Hail, my lord brother! As soon as ever I had seen thee I rejoiced. Let us walk together.' And John said unto him, 'I see that thou art exceedingly weary, and that the apparel which is on thee is in rags. I beseech thee to give them to me, and I will give unto thee the apparel which I am wearing.' And straightway John stripped his apparel off him and stood naked, and gave it unto the infirm man.

20 pne And the infirm man blessed John, and they marched on together until they arrived at the city into which the infirm man was going; and they straightway saluted each other, and each man went his own way. And when John had arrived at the city wherein his parents were he cast himself down upon his face and wept, and he worshipped the Lord, saying, 'O my Lord Jesus the Christ, forsake Thou me not.' And straightway he came into the gateway of his parents, and he cast himself down by the threshold of the door, and he worshipped the Lord, saying, 'O Lord Jesus the Christ, behold, it is the house of my parents which I see; do Thou give me strength until I trample upon all the might of the Enemy.' And straightway John sat down by the door of the gateway of the house of his parents, and he slept there until the morning. And on the following morning the porter opened the door of the gateway, according to custom, and when he saw John sitting by the door, dressed in very ragged apparel, he said unto him, 'O man, what hath come to thee that thou darest to come into this place, and to sit down herein dressed in such filthy garments? Get up out of the place wherein thou art sitting, and let me clean it before my master cometh down, for if thou do not, and he see thee, he will quarrel with me.' And John said unto him, 'I entreat thee, O my brother, do not cast me outside, for I am an infirm and miserable man.' And the porter had compassion upon him, and allowed him to sit inside his parents' gateway.

21 And at the time of dawn his parents came out, and John saw them, and he wept tears in such great quantities that his whole body was soaked thereby, and John communed with himself, saying, 'Behold my parents! Thou hast seen them. Now I believe that thou shalt trample upon all the might of the Enemy.' And straightway John wept another flood of tears, saying, 'My Lord Jesus the Christ, forsake Thou me not.' And he sat in the gateway of his parents for a full year. And his father sent unto him his food every day from his own table, not knowing that he was his son. And his father used to say, 'As the Lord liveth, my heart troubleth me about this infirm man, who sitteth naked outside in the cold by day and by night without clothes.' And John stayed in that place, and did not wish to come forth therefrom, and his father said, 'The Lord is merciful, and He will deal graciously with us for his sake.' And he gave him a little clothing to put on for God's sake, for he was naked by day and by night.

22 And it came to pass on a certain day that his mother came down, and she saw the wretched state in which he lived, and the filthy state of his body, and her stomach turned, and she vomited because of the loathsomeness of his body. For his body was pinched and shrivelled up, and was covered with putrefying sores caused by the severe and prolonged labours of asceticism which he practised, and by the affliction of heart wherein he lived; and he was like unto a dead man. And she said unto her servant, 'Cast this man forth from this place so that I can go out, for unless ye cast him forth from this place I shall not be able to pass by the spot wherein he is.' And straightway the servants cast him forth from the place where he was. And he rose up from that place, and pne he withdrew himself a short distance, but he did not go away as if he were leaving the place, for he kept near the gateway.

23 And when the keeper at the door saw him he disputed with him, saying, 'Go away from this place, O man, because of my mistress, for she must not see thee or she will turn back because of thee.' And John said unto him, 'My brother, I beseech thee do not thou withdraw from me thy gracious kindness which thou hast shewn me hitherto, but do thou make for me a little hut, and a little space wherein I can go, so that thy lady may not quarrel with thee.' And the door-keeper was not indifferent about the matter, but he prepared a small hut for him, and he remained therein, and his father sent to him his food daily from his table. And the things which were sent unto John every day he gave away in charity to the poor and to those who were in want, and he ate no part of them himself except bread and salt. And the brethren in the city who were helpless came to him, and he fed pne them.

24 And the body of John through his excessive labours became so greatly emaciated that his bones became ever more and more apparent [through his skin]. And after ten years of days, when the Good God had seen the greatness of his self-abnegation, and his ascetic labours, and his fortitude, the Lord appeared unto him by night in a vision, and said unto him, 'Hail, John! Inasmuch as, according to the name which hath been given unto thee, that is to say, John, thou hast lived the life of a virgin as did he (i. e. John the Apostle), and hast forsaken this world, and all the glory thereof, behold, the period of the sufferings which thou hast suffered hath come to an end, and all the contendings which thou hast undertaken in My Name. Three days longer remain unto thee in this world before thou art to come up to Me in the heavens, wherein thou shalt rest with My saints.' And John rose up from the vision, and he wept, saying, 'I bless Thee, my Lord Jesus the Christ. I am wholly unworthy to live, [and I am not] worthy to look upon the faces pnn of the saints. But I beseech Thee, my Lord, on behalf of my parents, that Thou mayest incline to be gracious unto them, and to forgive them their sins, for Thou, O Almighty God, art alone sinless.'

25 And when the blessed John had said these things he called to the gate-keeper and said unto him, 'I know that thou hast shewn thyself careful to do good unto me. There is, however, yet one other thing which I would ask of thee, namely, that thou wouldst go and inform thy mistress of a small matter which I will declare unto thee.' The gate-keeper said unto him, 'Everything that thou wishest to tell me I will declare unto her.' And John said unto him, 'Go, and say unto her thus: This poor and diseased man, who is outside the door, and of whom thou didst say, "Cast him outside," saith: "I beseech thee, my lady, even though thou dost loathe me because I am sick and diseased, yet grant unto me that for which I ask, for God's sake, and consider it worth thy while to come to me in the place where I am, for I have a matter to declare unto thee."' And the door-keeper went in and told the lady everything which John had said unto him. Then she said unto him, 'What is it that this beggar wisheth pno to say unto me? I cannot bear to look upon him or to see him.' And she went in and told her husband, and the members of her house, what John had said to the door-keeper. And her husband said unto her, 'Go to him, my sister, so that thou mayest learn what it is that he hath to say unto thee.

26 3 M And do not treat him with scorn, for he is a human being like unto ourselves, for it is the weak ones of the world whom God hath chosen.' But she did not wish to go to John. And again John sent a message unto her a second time, saying, 'I would have thee to know that there remain unto me in this world [only] three more days. If thou wilt come I will talk with thee, and will tell thee the matter before I die; and if thou wilt not come thou wilt grieve when I am dead.' And when she heard about his death she rose up and came down, and she said unto her servant, 'Go on, take me to this place.' Then the servant called John unto her, but his mother did not recognize him by reason of the excessive ascetic labours which he had been in the habit

27 of performing. And John her son said unto her, 'Have not the good things which thou hast done ascended unto God, even as it is written, "That which ye have done unto one [of these], it is unto Me that ye have done it?"' I am a sick man, and poor, and I have nothing whatsoever wherewith to reward thee and my lord the Archon in return for the things which ye have done for me, but ye will remember me after my death. Now rise up, and swear an oath to me that whatsoever I say thou wilt do, and that thou wilt not neglect it, and I will give unto thee whatsoever the Lord shall allot me.' And she said unto him, 'As the Lord liveth, I will do whatsoever thou tellest me.' And he said unto her, 'First of all swear an oath unto me'; and she swore an oath. And he said unto her, 'I adjure thee by the Living God that, when I shall be dead, thou wilt not strip off me the clothes which are on me, leaving me naked, but that thou wilt bury me inside this little hut just as I am.'

28 And when John had said these things unto her he brought forth the Gospel of gold, and gave unto her the book which 29 had been made for him before he had become a monk, saying, Let this be unto thee a remembrance both of this world and of that which is to come.' And she kept turning over the Gospel from side to side, saying, 'This Gospel is like unto the Gospel which my lord had made for my beloved son John.' Then she remembered, and she wept bitterly, and her heart was disturbed exceedingly, and she went straightway to her husband, and she shewed him the Gospel, saying, 'Is this thine? Find out to whom it belongeth.' And he recognized the Gospel immediately, and he said, 'Verily, this is the Gospel of our beloved son John, and besides this there is no other. Where did this sick man find it? In any case he must certainly know where our beloved son John is.' Then the two of them came out, and they were greatly moved; and they came to the place wherein their son was lying asleep. And they said unto him, 'We adjure thee by the Unchangeable and Holy Trinity, and by the great need by which thou art surrounded, to inform us where thou didst find this Gospel.' And their hearts were beating wildly within them, and their tears were flowing on the ground, and they were not able to stand upright by reason of excessive weeping.

30 And John said unto them, 'Do ye not know who I am?' And they said unto him, 'How is it possible for us to know thee?' And he said unto them, 'I am John, thy son, and this Gospel of gold is that for which I entreated you, and I took it to the place whither I went; but I desired the Lord, and I arrayed myself in His holy strength, in this humble garb.' And when his parents heard these words their bowels were greatly moved, and they were unable to keep back their tears, and they wept bitterly. Then they threw themselves on his breast, and they mourned over him for a very long time, from the first watch of the night until the sixth hour. And at length all the nobles of the palace came and wept with them because John had been found in such a miserable condition. And at the very moment when his parents cast themselves upon him the blessed John opened his mouth, and yielded up his spirit into the hands of God.

31 O how great was the mourning which took place in all the city on that day! O how great were the outbursts of grief which took place among the nobles of the city! And rich and poor, and men and women, and little and great, all came wishing to see the blessed John. And his mother, through the greatness of her sorrow, and through the disturbance caused by the multitude, forgot the oath which she had sworn to her son, and she had the ragged apparel which was upon him stripped off, and the pieces of old skins, and she arrayed him in fine raiment, such as befitted [his position] in the state. And straightway an angel came and touched the feet of his mother, and they struck together violently causing her great pain, because [she had broken] the oath which her son John made her swear, and which she had forgotten. Then his father came and saw her as she was suffering torture, and he said unto her, 'In truth, O my sister, this hath happened unto thee because thou hast treated lightly the oath which our son John made thee to swear.' Then this matter caused them anxiety, and they removed the goodly apparel which was on him, and they dressed him again in his ragged garments as before; and straightway the pain ceased in her feet. And she lifted up her face and wept, with great sorrow of heart, saying, 'Woe is me, O my beloved son John! Alas, for what hath happened unto thee! Thou wast the light of mine eye until thou didst enter upon this great state of humility wherein I see thee, and this great poverty. Blessed be my womb which bore thee, and my breasts which suckled thee, O my holy son!'

32 And all the multitude marvelled how it was possible for so young a man to have attained to such a degree of patient endurance (or, self-abnegation), and they glorified God. And his parents buried him in the hut according to what John had said unto them, and they built over him a martyrium. And they took everything which belonged to him and distributed it among the poor and the needy. And afterwards his parents lived a holy life, and they ascribed glory to God, and to the prayers of our holy fathers. Here endeth the strife of Saint John, wherein he was mighty and prevailed. He became a servant of the Lord Jesus the Christ in patient endurance, in order that he might receive favour on our behalf before God, and that He might forgive us the multitude of our sins, to Whom, and His Good Father, and the Holy Spirit, be glory for ever and ever! Amen.

Colophon

33 Written on the twenty-third day of the month Mesore (August 16) of the First Indiction, in the seven hundred and nineteenth year of the Era of the Martyrs (i. e. A. D. 1003), year [of the Saracens] 363 (i. e. A. D. 985). I, the wretched sinner, the least of all men, Victor the deacon, the son of the blessed Mercurius the deacon, the son of the blessed Epônuchos, archdeacon of the church of Saint Mercurius, the general-in-chief, of the city of Latopolis (i. e. Esnâ, or Asnâ), wrote [this] book. Remember Thou me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom! Amen. 34 ... by the zeal and care of our God-loving brother …Zacharias, the deacon and monk of Saint Mercurius, in the Mountain of Atbô (Apollinopolis, Edfû, or Uṭfû). He had this book made with [the fruit of] his own labour, he gave it to the sanctuary of Saint Mercurius in the Mountain of Atbô, wherein he lived, for the salvation of his own soul, in order that Saint Mercurius, and all the other saints whose memorials are written in this book, one by one, according to his name, may bless him with every spiritual and celestial blessing, and may graciously grant unto him the power to endure patiently, and may deliver him from all the wiles of the Devil and of evil-doing men, and may enable him to fulfil the service in the Holy Place, with him that hath inherited it, that is to say, as deacon and monk. And when he shall have fulfilled the disposition of this life in accordance with what is ordered in respect of every man, may Saint Mercurius and the other saints whose names are written in this book beseech the Christ on his behalf, [so that] He may set him in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and that he may receive an inheritance with the fathers of the community, [namely], Palamôn, Pahômio (Pachomius), and Horsiesios, and Apa Petronius, and Theodore, and Apa Shenoute, and all the saints; and that he may be worthy to hear [the words], 'Well [done], thou servant good and faithful. Since thou hast been faithful in little things, I will set thee over many. Enter into the joy of thy Lord.' Amen. So let it be! Amen.

35 Matt.. 21.

IX. The Life of Apa Onnophrios the Anchorite

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7027) The life and conversation of our holy father, who was glorious in every way, apa onnophrios the anchorite, who ended his life on the sixteenth day of the month paône. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! BLESS US! AMEN. A certain brother who was an anchorite, and whose name was Apa Pa[p]noute, made a discourse to the God-loving brethren, and these were the words which he addressed to them. I, [your] brother, was thinking one day, and I determined to go into the inner desert, so that I might see if there were any brethren who were monks living in the most remote parts of it. I marched four days and four nights, and I neither ate bread nor drank water. I marched on into the inner desert, and at the end of a [further number] of days I came upon a cave. And when I had drawn nigh thereto I knocked at the door at midday, and no one answered me, and I thought in my mind 'there is no brother in this place'. And I saw a brother seated inside it, and he was silent, and I took hold of his arm, and his arm came off in my hands, and became particles of dust; and I felt his body all over, and I found that he was dead, and that the skin had perished (?). And I looked and I saw a short-sleeved shirt hanging up inside the cave, and when I felt it with my hands, it also fell to pieces and became dust. And I stood up, and I prayed, and I took my garment and wrapped the body up in it, and I dug a hole in the earth with my hands, and I buried him [in it]. And I came forth from that place.

2 And I marched on into the desert, and I came upon another cave, and my courage came to me, and I thrust open the door [and cried out], and no one answered me. And I went in and I found no man, and I came forth, saying, 'The place of a servant of God; he will soon return to this place.' And I remained in that place, and I prayed until the day ran to its close, and I recited the books which I had learned by heart. And afterwards, just as the sun was about to set, I looked up and I saw a herd of buffaloes in the far distance coming towards me, and that brother was among them, and when he approached me he was naked, and his hair covered his shame, and it served as raiment to clothe him. And when he had come to the place where I was he was exceedingly afraid, for he thought that I was a spirit, and he stood up and prayed, for very often spirits used to come to tempt him, according to what he himself subsequently said. And I perceived that he was afraid, and I went to him, and I said unto him, 'Wherefore art thou afraid, O servant of God? Look, and thou wilt see my footprints, and that I am a man. Touch me, and [thou wilt find] that I am flesh and blood.' And when he had gazed upon me he repeated the prayer in the Gospel.

3 And I urged him to take me into the cave. And he asked me, 'Wherefore didst thou come to this place?' And I said, 'I came to this place because I wished to see the servants of God who live in this desert, and God hath not denied me that which I asked of Him.' And I asked him, saying, 'How didst thou come to this place? And how long ago is it since thou didst come here? And what dost thou usually eat? And why dost thou go naked and wear no clothing on thy body?' And he began to talk with me, saying, 'I was a monk, and I lived among a congregation of monks in Thebaïs. And there came into my heart a thought of this kind: Rise up, go forth, and abide in a place by thyself. And thou shalt lead a life of peaceful contemplation. Thou shalt become an anchorite, and shalt receive the brethren. Thou shalt shew abundant hospitality to strangers, and thou shalt find abundant wages by the work of thy hands. And that which I thought in my mind I carried into effect. I came away from the house of the monks, I built myself a habitation in a place apart, and I took up my abode therein. And men employed me, and what they gave me for the work of my hands I used to give away in charity to strangers.

4 At that time the Devil became envious of me, because of the wages which I was earning before the Lord in respect of what I did for strangers and for other folk who were in want, for he saw how diligent I was in manual labour, and he was exceedingly jealous of me. And he entered into a certain woman who was a nun, and who came to me, and employed me to do certain hand work, and when I had finished it I gave it to her, and she talked to me about further work. And it became a customary thing for us to meet each other, and the Enemy put it into my heart to take work of the hands from her. And when we had learned to talk freely to each other we ate bread together, and the affair continued to grow until at last we brought forth death, and produced iniquity. And when once I had fallen with her into folly we remained in this wicked state for six months. Afterwards I meditated in my heart upon what I had done, and I grieved, and wept exceedingly, and I was always heaving sighs. And I thought in my heart when I was alone, saying, "If I were to die to-day or to-morrow they would punish us with a severe punishment, with the gnashing of teeth, and with outer darkness, and with the fire that cannot be quenched, and with the worm that never sleepeth, and that devoureth

5 the soul. Rise up, let us escape from this place, let us get away into the desert." And I wished to escape from the sin. 'And I rose up and came forth, and I departed into the desert, and I have never been with that woman since I have been here. And I found this spring of water, and this palm-tree, and this cave. This palm-tree yieldeth twelve bunches of dates each year, a bunch for each month, and one bunch of dates is sufficient to last me for the month. I possess nothing, neither raiment nor the food of bread. My hair increaseth, and as my clothes were worn out utterly long ago, I clothe myself, as is most seemly, with the raiment of my hair. And behold, it is thirty years since I came to this place, and the climate thereof bestoweth upon me health uniformly. And I never eat bread.'

6 And I asked him, 'At first when thou didst come to this place, didst thou suffer greatly?' And he said unto me, 'Yea, I did suffer greatly, so much so in fact that sometimes through the intensity of my sorrow I used to throw myself on the ground, and cry up to God because of my manifold sins. And I also suffered great pain through an infirmity which was upon me. [One day] I looked and I saw a man who was exceedingly splendid standing by me, and he said unto me, "In what part of the body art thou ill?" And my strength returned unto me a little, and I said unto him, "I am ill in my liver." And he said unto me, "Shew me the place wherein thou art ill," and I shewed him the place where my liver was in pain. And he stretched out his hand upon me, and his fingers rested upon each other, and he made an opening between my ribs as with a sword (or, knife), and he brought forth my liver, and he shewed me the wounds that were in it, and he relieved the pains in them, and bound the wounds up, and he put my liver back into its place again. And he rubbed my body lightly with his hands, and he rejoined the sides of the opening which he had made in my side, and he said unto me, "Behold, thou art healed. Sin not again, lest evil more severe than this come upon thee. But make thyself a servant of God from this time for ever." From that day all my bowels have remained in a healthy condition, and I have ceased to suffer in my liver, and I have lived in this place in the desert without pains. And he taught me what the medicament was wherewith he treated my liver.'

7 And I entreated him to let me stay in the cave wherein I had seen him at first, and he said unto me, 'Thy strength is not sufficient to enable thee to resist the attacks of the devils.' And I urged him to tell me his name, and he said unto me, 'Timothy is my name. Remember me, O my beloved brother, [in thy prayers], so that the Lord may make me to bring to an end the good fight whereto He hath summoned me.' And I cast myself down at his feet so that he might remember and bless me. And he blessed me, saying, 'The Lord bless thee! May He deliver thee from the snares of the Devil, and may He set thee on all His good paths at all times, and mayest thou escape to the saints.' 8 And when he had finished blessing me my strength came to me to such a degree that I never felt when I was hungry or when I was thirsty. And when I perceived the great marvel that had come to me I rose up, and I journeyed into the mountain. And when four days had passed by I felt pain, and I stretched out my hands to heaven, and I prayed, and behold the man who had come unto me at first again came unto me, and he gave unto me strength as at the first. In short, when four days had passed I journeyed on into [the desert]. And straightway I looked, and I saw a man in the distance, and he was an exceedingly terrifying object, for his hair was spread out over his body like that of a panther, and he was naked, and his privy parts were covered with leaves. And when he had come nigh unto me I was afraid, and I went up on a pinnacle of the mountain, [thinking that] perhaps he was a man in delirium. And when he had come he cast himself down for a little time under the shadow of the pinnacle of the mountain, and he was greatly distressed because of the pain which he was suffering, and he was in great danger of dying of hunger and thirst. And he lifted up his eyes to the pinnacle of the mountain, and when he saw me he cried out, saying, 'Come down to me, O thou holy man. I also am a man of the mountain like unto thyself, and I am living in the desert because of my sins.' And he said unto me, 'Thou art a friend (?) of God.' And I sat down before him, and I conjured him to tell me his name.

9 And he said unto me, 'Onnophrios is my name. And ib behold, I have lived in this desert for sixty years. I wander about in the mountains like the wild animals, and I never see any man who recognizeth me. I lived at one time in a habitation of monks, in the mountain of Shmûn of the Thebaid. And the name of that monastery was Erête. We all lived together, and each of us was of the same mind, and peace dwelt in our midst. We lived with each other a life of quiet contemplation, and we ascribed glory unto God. And I passed nights in vigil with them, and I learned the rules of God from them; and their chief men were perfect even as the angels of the Lord. And I heard them speaking about our father Elijah, the Tishbite, and saying that he was wholly powerful in God. And there lived in this desert John the ix Baptist also, than whom of all those who have been born of women none hath arisen who is greater than he. He lived in the desert-places until the day of his manifestation before Israel. And I said unto them: My fathers, are not then those who are in the desert more excellent than we are? For behold, we see each other daily, and we partake of the Sacrament together. When we are hungry we make use of the food which is prepared for us. When we are thirsty we take water to drink.

10 When we are weak our brethren reach out their hands to help us, and when we wish for the loan of a vessel to eat from we make use of those belonging to each other, for the love of God. But where shall those who are living in the desert, for God's sake, find a man if trouble come upon them? If they are hungry where can they find food? If they are thirsty where can they find water to drink? When they begin to lead the life of the anchorite they rejoice exceedingly because of hunger, and thirst, and the excellence of their manner of life. And the Adversary who fighteth with them to tempt them thereby doth not wish them to continue the life of the anchorite, for he knoweth that the reward is great which they will receive from God when they shall come forth from the body. When they are preaching ascetic labours the compassion of God cometh upon them, and He maketh the angels to serve them in respect of their food, and He bringeth for them water out of the rock. For it is written in Isaiah, Those who abide patiently in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall spread out their wings like the eagles in flight. They shall fly away and shall not fall, they shall journey and shall not suffer hunger. He saith, Water shall be brought to them out of the rock.

11 When they suffer hunger He will make the grass which is in the field to be sweet to their mouths, even as honey is sweet. If tribulation come upon them, or danger rise up against them, straightway they spread out their hands and they pray to the King Jesus until there cometh to them speedily His help which He sendeth forth, and straightway He strengtheneth them because of the integrity of their heart in respect to Him. 12 'Hast thou never heard that which is written, "The Lord will not forsake His people, and the patient endurance of the miserable man shall not fail utterly?" And again, "The poor man crieth out, and the Lord heareth him, and delivereth him in all his tribulations." The Lord giveth unto every man according to what he hath suffered. Blessed is the man who shall do the will of God upon the earth! I say unto thee that the angels shall serve him from the time when he entereth the body, and they shall comfort him at all times in his need. 'And to me, your brother, when I had heard these things from these perfect men of God, they became like unto honey, which is sweet in my belly, and a mighty ecstasy took place within me, and I became like unto those whose minds are carried away into another world. And I rose up straightway, and I took a few bread cakes with me, sufficient for the four days' journey, so that I might eat of them until [I arrived at] the place which God should appoint for me.

13 'And when I had come forth from the monastery I looked, and I saw a being of light before me, and I was afraid, and I thought in my mind that I would turn back to the place to which I came first of all, and remain there (?). And when he knew that I was afraid, he said unto me, "Fear not, for I am the angel that dwelleth with thee, and that hath travelled with thee from thy childhood; this stewardship, which the Lord hath appointed to thee, thou shalt be able to fulfil." And when I had come into the mountain, and I had journeyed in the desert for six or seven miles, I saw a cave, and I turned towards it, for I saw that there was a man inside it. And a very great saint of God came out to me; now his form (or, behaviour) was goodly, and there was a fine graciousness over his countenance, and when I had seen him I made obeisance unto him. And he raised me up, and he saluted me, and he said unto me, "Thou art Onno-

14 phrios, my fellow worker in the Lord; come in. The Lord be with thee. Thou shalt succeed in the good work whereunto He hath invited thee." And I went inside, and I sat down there with him for a few days, and I learned the rules of the doctrine of God from him, and he taught me the regulations which governed the life of the monk in the desert. And when he saw that I was acquainted with the hidden and terrible fighting which existed in the desert, he said unto me, "Rise up, my son, and let me take thee to a desolate place in the inner desert, and thou shalt abide therein by thyself for God's sake. Since God hath appointed thee to this work thou must dwell in the desert." 'And straightway he rose up, and journeyed with me into the desert for a distance of four days' journey, and at the end of the four days we came to a small hut, and he said unto me, "This is the place which the Lord hath appointed thee to live in"; and he sat down with me for a month of days, until I understood the good work which it was meet for me to do. And afterwards he departed from me, and we never saw each other again until this year when I saw him once on the day whereon he laid down the body, and I buried him inside the place wherein he was.'

15 And I (i. e. Papnoute) said unto him, 'My good and beloved father, at the beginning, when thou didst first come to this place, didst thou suffer from the weather?' And the blessed old man said unto me, 'I suffered greatly on several occasions from hunger, and thirst, and the heat outside in the daytime, and the great cold by night, and my flesh was wasted away by the dews of heaven. And when God [saw] that I endured patiently in my good strife of fasting, and that I gave my heart to ascetic practices, He made holy angels serve me, and bring to me my daily food, and an angel gave it to me evening by evening, and he stood by my body. And the palm-tree yielded unto me each year twelve bunches of dates, and I ate one bunch every month. And, moreover, he made the herbs (or, grasses) which grow in the desert to be sweet to my mouth, even as honey. For it is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which cometh forth from the mouth of God doth man live." If

16 thou doest the will of God, He shall take care of thee in every place. For He hath said in the Holy Gospel, "Take no care for what ye shall eat, or for what ye shall drink, or with what raiment ye shall clothe yourselves, for your Father Who is in heaven knoweth of what things ye have need without your asking Him. Seek ye His kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added unto you." And when I had heard these things I marvelled exceedingly, and I said unto him, "O my holy father, where dost thou partake of the Sacrament on the Sabbath Day and on the First Day of the week?" And he said unto me, "O my holy father, an angel of God cometh, and he administereth to me the Sacrament on the Sabbath Day and on the First Day of the week. And the angel cometh and administereth the Sacrament to every one who is in the desert, and who liveth there for God's sake, and who seeth no man, and he giveth unto them consolation. And, moreover, when they desire to see any one, they are taken up into the heights of heaven, and they see all the saints, and they salute them, and thereby their hearts receive light, and they rejoice, and are glad with God in those good things. And when they see them they receive consolation, and they forget that they have suffered in any way; and afterwards they return to their bodies, and they continue to feel comforted for a very long time. And if they are transferred to another world through the joy which they have seen they do not even remember that the world existeth."

17 And when I heard these things I rejoiced exceedingly that I was held to be worthy to hear them from him. And I forgot all the sufferings which I had endured when I was journeying in the desert, and strength came into my body, and renewed power came to my body and to my soul. And I said unto him, "Blessed am I that I am held to be worthy to see thy holy face, and to hear thy sweet words." Then he said unto me, "Rise up, O my brother, and let us depart to the place wherein we are to be." And we rose up, and we journeyed along together two or three miles, and this blessed old man and athlete was one to marvel at exceedingly. And we journeyed on, and we came to a hut, and when we had entered into the hut he stood up and prayed with me. And when we had finished the prayer we gave (i.e. said) the "Amen ", and we sat down together and talked on about the majesty of God.

18 And at the time when the sun was about to set I looked, and I saw a loaf of bread and a vessel of water. And he said unto me, "Rise up, my brother, and eat, and drink this small quantity of water, for I see that thou art exhausted by hunger and thirst, and by the toil of the road." And I said unto him, "As God Almighty liveth, I will neither eat nor drink unless we stretch ourselves out and eat the bread together." And when I continued to press him with difficulty [he agreed], and we stretched ourselves out together, and we divided the bread, and ate, and put back some of it; and the two of us drank from the vessel of water, and we were satisfied, and we left some of it in the vessel. And we passed the whole night in prayer, and we prayed to God until the morning.

19 And when it was morning I saw that his face was changed, and was altogether transformed, and that it was like unto that of another man, and that it seemed to be [made] wholly of fire. And his form terrified me exceedingly. And he said unto me, "Fear thou not, O my brother in God, for the Lord hath sent thee to care for my body, and to bury it. In a day or two I shall fulfil my stewardship, and shall go to the place of everlasting rest." Now that day was the sixteenth day of the month Paône. And he also said unto me, "When thou departest into Egypt proclaim the remembrance of me as a sweet-smelling thing to the brethren. Whosoever shall make an offering in my name, and keep me in remembrance, Jesus Himself shall bring him in the first hour of a thousand years." And I said unto him, "If he be a poor man he will not be able to give an offering in thy name." And he said unto me, "Let him feed a poor brother in my name." And I said unto him, "If he be a poor man he will not be able to feed him; wilt thou not take him in to the feast at the first hour of a thousand years?" And he said unto me, "Let him give a little scent in my name." And

20 I said unto him, "If he be a poor man he will not be able R G to give scent in thy name because of [his] poverty. O my good father, let thy grace be with us all, for whatsoever thou shalt ask of God that will God give unto thee." And he said unto me, "Let him stand up and say three times prayers to God in my name, and the Lord Jesus shall bring him to the thousand years, and he shall receive an inheritance with all the saints." And I said unto him, "O my holy father, if I am worthy of it, I should like to be present in thy holy abode when thou shalt cease [to be] in this body." And he said unto me, "Certainly thou shalt, my son. For thou hast not been appointed to the stewardship, but the Lord hath appointed thee to console the holy brethren who live in the desert, and to proclaim their sweet odour among the brethren who worship

21 God for the benefit of those who hearken unto thee. Get thee R H forth to Egypt, O my son, and do thou continue to carry on the good work." And straightway I fell down upon the ground, and I said unto him, "Bless me, O my father, that I may be made to stand before God, and that as I have been held worthy to see thee upon the earth, I may also be held worthy to see thee in the Other World before the Lord Jesus the Christ." And he said unto me, "O my son, may God not cause thee to grieve about any matter whatsoever, and may He strengthen thee in His love, so that thine eyes may receive the light of His Godhead, and so that thou mayest neither lean to one side nor fall, but mayest end successfully the work whereunto thou hast set thy hand. May the angels shelter thee, and deliver thee from the plottings of the Jews, and may no accusation fall upon thee when thou hast to meet God."

22 And when he had made an end of saying these things he rose up, and prayed to God with sighings and many tears; and afterwards he laid himself upon the ground, and he completed his stewardship in God, and yielded up his spirit into the hand of God on the sixteenth day of the month Paône. And I heard the voices of the angels singing hymns before the blessed Apa Onnofrios, and there was great joy at his meeting God. And I took off the garment wherewith I was clothed, and tore it into two pieces; in the one I wrapped up [the holy man] for burial, and the other I used as raiment, so that I might not be naked. And I placed his body down in a cleft in the rock, and I heard the sounds of a multitude of angels rejoicing, and crying out, "Alleluia"; and I said my prayer over him, and I rolled several stones upon him. And I stood up and prayed the second time, and straightway the palm-tree fell down, and I marvelled exceedingly at what had taken place; and I ate what was left of the bread, and I drank of the water which was left to us.

23 And when I perceived that it was not according to the will of God for me to remain in this place, I spread out my hands, and I prayed unto the Lord; and behold, the man who had come to me at the first, and who had given me strength, came to me again as he had done before. And he said unto me, "My God, our Lord, informed us this day that thou wast coming to us in this place. Behold, for six years we have seen no man except thyself." And when we had talked together for a long time …said unto him, "O our brother, stablish thy heart with a little bread, for thou hast travelled from a place afar off. The Lord hath ordained that we are to remain with each other for some days, and we will rejoice with thee, O our beloved brother." And whilst we were talking to each other, behold, five loaves of bread were brought in, and they were warm and soft as if they had been [just] baked in the oven, and straightway there were also brought in other articles of food, and we sat down and ate together. And he said unto me, "Behold, this is the sixth year since we came to this place, and four loaves of bread have been allotted to us daily, and these came to us through God; but as soon as thou didst come unto us this day, behold, a fifth loaf hath been brought for thee. And we have never known whence they came, but when we came in we found them placed here."

24 And when we had finished eating together we passed the whole night in praying, and we prayed till morning. And when the morning had come I entreated them to let me remain with them until the day of my death. And they said unto me, "O our brother labourer, it is not ordained for thee to tarry in this place. But rise up, and go into Egypt, and tell those whom thou shalt see there that the brethren [here] remember them; and it shall be a benefit unto those who hearken." And I entreated them to tell me their names, but they would not be persuaded to utter them, and although I pressed them to do so they would not tell me their names. And they answered and said, "He Who hath given names unto everything, and Who knoweth everything, He it is Who knoweth our names." Now therefore, O our brother, keep us in thy memory until we see thee in the House of God. And be thou most careful and let not the world lead thee astray as it hath led astray many." And when they had finished [saying] these things they blessed me, and they saluted me, and I came forth from their mountain.

25 And when I had journeyed away from them for some days I came to a well of water, and I sat down there for a little because of [my] fatigue; and large trees were growing by the well. And when I had refreshed myself, and had rested a little, I walked among the trees, and I marvelled, and I said unto myself, "Who was it that planted them in this place?" And among them were date-palms, loaded with fruit, and citron-trees, and pomegranate-trees, and fig-trees, and apple-trees, and vines, and dorakion-trees, and kisma-trees, and trees which emitted sweet odours. And the well supplied water, and it watered all the trees which were growing in that place. And whilst I was marvelling at the trees, and was looking at them, and at the fruit that was on them, behold, four young men appeared in the distance, and their forms were goodly, and they were dressed in fine skin garments which, as it were, covered all their bodies. And when they had come up to me they said unto me, "Hail, thou man of God, O our beloved brother!" And I cast myself upon the ground and made obeisance unto them, but they raised me up and kissed me. And they remained in a state of great dignity (?), and they were like unto beings who had transferred themselves from another world in respect of the joy and comfort which they displayed towards me; and they gathered fruit from the trees and placed it in my mouth. And as for me my heart rejoiced because of the affection which they shewed towards me, and I passed seven days with them eating of the fruit of the trees.

26 And I asked them, saying, "Whence have ye come to this place? And of what region are ye natives?" And they said unto me, "O our brother, God hath sent thee unto us so that we may declare unto thee our whole manner of life. For we are natives of a city of Egypt called Pendje (Oxyrhynchus). Our fathers were councillors (or, magistrates) of the city, and they sent us to the school there to have us educated; and we were all in the same school together, and we were all of the same mind. And when we had finished our education in the school they sent us on to the college, and when we had been thoroughly well taught there and had learned therein all the learning (?) and all the wisdom of this world, we wished to be instructed in the wisdom of God. And it came to pass on a certain day that whilst we were talking together about these things a good resolution stirred

27 in our inner man, and we four rose up, and we set ourselves for sixty years we have not known the taste of bread, or And I said unto them, "Where do ye receive the Eucharist?" And they said unto me, "We assemble here for that purpose, for an angel of God cometh hither every Sabbath, and he administereth unto us the Eucharist on the Sabbath and on the First Day of the week." And I stayed with them, and I rejoiced exceedingly. [And they said unto me], "On the seventh day the angel of the Lord will come, and he will administer the Eucharist to thee and to us together. And the man who shall receive the Eucharist at the hand of that angel shall be cleansed from all sin, and smell, the like whereof I never smelled before. And immediately the sweet smell reached us we rose up, and we stood on our feet, and we blessed God. And afterwards the angel came, and he administered unto us the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of the Lord. And I became like unto those who sleep, because of the awesome sight which I saw. And he blessed us, and he went up into heaven, and we watched him with our eyes. And when he had gone up they comforted me, and said unto me, "Be of good cheer, for thou shalt prevail, and thou shalt become a man of might"; and straightway I became of good cheer, even as those who are under [the influence of] wine.

28 And we stood on our feet during the [eve of] the First Day of the week, and we prayed the whole night long until the morning. And when the light appeared at dawn on the First Day of the week, behold, we smelled that exceedingly sweet smell again, and we enjoyed it, and we rejoiced after the manner of those who are in another world. And afterwards the angel came, and he administered unto us the Eucharist, and he blessed each one of us, saying, "Everlasting life shall be unto thee, and [the power of] prophecy which shall never be destroyed." And we all, with one mouth and with one accord, answered and said, "Amen; so be it!" And afterwards the angel turned to me, and said unto me, "Arise, and depart thou to Egypt, and tell the God-loving brethren the things which thou hast seen, so that they may emulate the life and conversation of the saints." And I entreated him to let me remain with them, but he said unto me, "The Lord doth not allot unto us the work which is imagined by the heart, but God giveth unto each man according to what he is able to bear. Now, therefore, arise and depart, for that is what the Lord hath ordained for thee." And he blessed me, and went up into the heavens in great glory.

29 And they brought a large number of plums, and we ate them together, and I came forth from them, and they accompanied me on my way for a distance of six miles. And I entreated them, saying, "Declare unto me your names," and they declared me their names, each one of them. The name of the first was John, of the second Andrew, of the third Heraklamôn, and of the fourth Theophilus; and they commanded me to declare their names unto the brethren, [so that] they might remember them [in their prayers]. And I on my part entreated them to keep my name in remembrance. And we prayed and we kissed each other. And I journeyed forth, and aaa I grieved exceedingly; nevertheless, because of the blessing which the holy men had bestowed upon me, I rejoiced. And I came into Egypt after a journey of three days, and having found certain God-loving brethren I rested with them for ten days, and I described unto them what had happened unto me; and they said unto me, "Verily thou art worthy of a great reward."

30 Now those brethren were lovers of God, and they contended strenuously in the ascetic life, and they were worshippers of God with their whole hearts; and their place of abode was Shiët (Scete). And they made haste and they wrote down these things which they had heard from Apa Papnoute, and they quickly put them in a book, which they sent to Shiët, where it was deposited in the church for the benefit of those who should hear it [read]. And they spoke about it, and it was the subject of meditation in the mouth of every one. And aab they glorified God, and blessed His saints, through the grace and love to man of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to Whom be glory, and His Good Father, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever! Amen.

Colophon

31 I, Victor, the least of all men, the deacon, the son of the blessed Mercurius, the deacon of [the church of] Saint Mercurius, the general-in-chief, of the city of Latopolis, wrote this book. Remember me, Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom! Written [in the month of] Tybi, the third day (December 30), in the Third Indiction, in the seven hundred and twenty-first year of the Era of the Martyrs (i.e. A.D. 1005), year [of the Saracens] 365 (i.e. A.D. 987)…by the zeal and care of our fathers and beloved brethren, Abba Abraham, the governor, and Abba Khaël, the archdeacon, and the warden Zacharias, deacon and monk of the Monastery of Saint Mercurius, the general-in-chief, which is in the Mountain of Tbô (Edfû, or Utfû). They made the book with [the proceeds of] their own labour, and they deposited it in their monastery in order that [the brethren] may read therein, and that those who read therein, and those who hear it read with attention, may profit to the full thereby, and that our Good Saviour and Saint Apa Onnophrios, the anchorite, may bless them, and all those who are assembled in their monastery, with the blessing of heaven, and the blessing of earth, in the most complete fulfilment. May He give blessing, and fullness, and abundance, and lasting salvation in this Monastery. May He deliver them from the wiles of the Devil and of evil-doing men, and when they come forth from the body, according to what is ordained for every man, may they hear [the words], Well [done], servants good and faithful; since ye have been faithful in a few things, I will set you over many. Enter into the joy of thy (sic) Lord.' May they be worthy of an inheritance with all the saints. Amen. So be it!

32 3 P