Coptic Apocrypha in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Apocrypha in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

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The Life of Saint Bartholomew, from the Ethiopic Synaxarium

1 (From the Ethiopic Synaxarium, Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 660,)

First Day of Maskarram.

2 And on this day died the holy Apostle Bartholomew, who was [one] of the Twelve Apostles. Now the lot fell upon this Apostle to go to the city of Al-Wâh, and he and Peter went together to them (i.e. to the people of Al-Wâh), and they preached to them, and they called them to the knowledge of God, and afterwards they worked signs and great wonders before them, which terrified their hearts. And after this Peter made a pretence that he was going into the country, and straightway he sold Bartholomew as a slave, and Bartholomew laboured in a vineyard with his master, and as soon as they had trained up the vine branches in the vineyard [on the poles], they bore fruit immediately. When the son of the governor of that city died, the Apostle Bartholomew raised him up from the dead, and all [the people] believed, and he confirmed them in the knowledge of God. And after this our Lord Jesus Christ commanded him to go to the country of the Barbarians, and He sent to him Andrew the Apostle, with his disciple, that he might help him. And the men of that city were of an exceedingly evil disposition, and they would not receive the Apostles, [although] they worked signs and wonders before them. And God commanded one of the man-eating Dog-Faces to put himself into submission to the Apostles, and to obey them in everything which they commanded him; and they took him with them to that country.

3 And the men of that country brought out savage beasts against the Apostles that they might devour them. And straightway that Dog-Face rose up against those beasts, and tore them to pieces, moreover, he slew many of the people of that country. Because of this deed all [the people] were afraid, and they prostrated themselves at the feet of the Apostles, and they were subject unto them, and they entered into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise! And [the Apostles] appointed priests for them, and they built churches for them, and they departed from them praising God. 4 And Bartholomew the Apostle departed to the countries which were along the sea-shore, whereof the people knew not God. And he preached to them, and turned them to the knowledge of God, and they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and did the works which are well pleasing to Christ. And Bartholomew the Apostle used to command the people to be pure, and to keep themselves remote from adultery. Now when Agrippa the king heard about him he was exceedingly angry, and he commanded [his people] to put the Apostle Bartholomew in a hair sack, and to fill it with sand, and to cast him into the sea. And they did even as he commanded. And Bartholomew finished his testimony (i. e. martyrdom) and his striving on this day. Peace (be) to Bartholomew, whom they rolled up in a sack; then they cast him into the deep sea, in the presence of the assembled peoples. The doctrine of this righteous man,

5 which appeared in his hand, was like unto the rich, full fruit of an old vine, from which a cluster has been cut off.

The Repose of Saint John the Evangelist and Apostle

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 6782)

The Repose of Saint John the Evangelist and Apostle of the Christ. in the Peace of God. Amen.

2 The blessed John was in Ephesus with the brethren, rejoicing in the Lord. Now on the first day of the week all the brethren were gathered together, and John began to speak to them, saying, 'My brethren, my fellow heirs, and my partners in the Christ Jesus, our Lord, know ye that unto you hath the Lord given from His hand power, [and] that He hath wrought for you very many mighty works, and miracles, and acts of grace. And ye know of what kind are the teachings, and the guiding directions, and the refreshing, and the service, and the gracious acts, and the gifts, and all the other things which ye see with your eyes, which are given unto you from the hand of our Master. He hath never made Himself manifest unto you through the eyes of the body, neither have ye hearkened unto Him through the ears of the body, but He hath made Himself visible unto you through the integrity of your heart, and by visions, and by works which are holy. Strengthen ye yourselves, then, in Him, and ye shall remember Him at all times; moreover, ye shall also remember the mystery and the association (or, partnership) which hath come unto you, and which our Lord hath fulfilled.

3 'And now, O brethren, He maketh supplication to you through Himself, and He appealeth unto you, wishing to make you to cease to grieve Him overmuch, or to despise Him, or to conspire against Him, for He knoweth the despising which taketh place through you. He knoweth also the reviling, and He hath knowledge of the treachery, and the punishment wherewith ye punish Him. When ye shall hearken unto His holy commandment to obey it, He will shew compassion upon you. Do not make to grieve through you the Good God, the Merciful, the Long-suffering, Him Who is without spot, Him Who is without blemish, the Ineffable, the God Who is One alone, the Unchanging One, Him Who is without guile, Him Who is without wrath, the Name which is above every name which men can comprehend. Let Him but rejoice with you, and ye enjoy free and happy citizenship with Him. Let Him but have gladness with you, and ye live in happiness and innocency. Let Him but repose in your hearts, and ye are turned into beings who rejoice in holiness of life. Let Him but shew Himself unmindful of you, and ye must live in painful restraint. Let Him but have pleasure [in you], and ye become participators in good things and in the things which are offered [to Him]. Let Him but live delicately, and ye love Him. Let Him but laugh, and ye become ready [to follow Him].

4 I say these things, then, unto you, O my brethren, because I hasten to embark on a certain matter which hath been laid upon me, and of which the completion shall be unto me by the help of God. For of what kind is the other matter which I shall say unto you, there being for you the pledge of your God? There is for you the pledge of His kingdom, there is for you His presence, which cannot be entreated. If ye cease from the habit of sinning from this time [onwards], then the deeds which ye have committed through want of understanding He will remit to you; [but] if even after ye have had knowledge of Him ye continue and persist in the doing of these same works, they shall first of all try you in the judgement, and [then] they shall deliver you over to the fire.'

5 And having said these things, [Saint John] prayed, saying: 'Jesus, Who didst weave the crown which was in Thine own garland (?). O Thou Who didst make the crown of all the saints, and these plants which are of many kinds, and hast changed men into Thy flowers which do not wither and fade! O Thou Who hast spoken Thy words in our hearts! O Thou Who alone dost have a care for Thy servants! O Thou Physician of our bodies, Who dost heal them all for nothing! O Thou Who alone dost do good unto us! O Thou in Whom there is no pride (or, upliftedness of heart) whatsoever! O Thou Who alone art the Compassionate, and art the Lover of all mankind! O Thou Who alone art the Saviour, and the Righteous One, Who existest in every place, Who hast existed from everlasting, God, the Christ Jesus! Thou art He Who sheltereth every one who putteth his hope in Thee, with Thy gift, and with Thy compassion. Thou For. knowest every wile and every crafty deed of the Enemy who doth wage war against us at all times.'

6 And when Saint John the Evangelist had made an end of saying these words, he took bread, and he gave thanks unto God in this manner, saying, 'What other blessing is there? Or what other word can be spoken? Or what other giving of thanks is there which we can pronounce over this bread [which] we break, except Thou alone, the Lord Jesus, the Christ? 'We ascribe glory unto Thee, O Lord Jesus the Christ, For. Whose Name hath been made manifest by the Father. 'We ascribe glory unto Thee because of Thy coming in through the door. 'We ascribe glory unto Thee for Thy holy resurrection from the dead, which hath been made known unto us through Thee. 'We ascribe glory unto Thee, the Way. 'We ascribe glory unto Thee, the Seed, the Word, the Salt, the True Gem, the Holy Storehouse, the Plough, the Net, the Majesty, Who was sent for the sake of us, the children of men, that He might deliver the race of man.

7 'We ascribe glory unto Thee, the Truth, the Rest, the Glory, the Mighty Power, the Commandment, the Boldness of speech, the Freedom, [and] our place of refuge. 'For Thou art the Lord, the Root of immortality. Thou art the Fountain which cannot be destroyed. Thou art the Strength which endureth throughout the Ages. Thy Name hath been set upon all these things here, so that we also may make our cry unto Thee through them. For we know Thy Majesty which is invisible, and which doth not make itself manifest unto us at this time. When Thou shalt have purified us, then we shall see Thee alone in the body which Thou hast changed from oldness into newness.' And as John was breaking the bread, he prayed over each one of his brethren, so that they might be worthy of the Grace of the Lord. Similarly Saint John himself, when he had tasted the bread, [prayed for himself]. John the Theologian spake after this manner saying, 'Let me, even me, have

8 a portion with you, O my beloved.' Then he said to Birros (sic), 'Take with thee two brethren, and let them have baskets in their hands, and digging tools, and follow ye me.' Now Bibros (sic) was not by any means neglectful, and he did according to what he had been commanded by Saint John the Theologian, and the servant of God. And when the blessed John had come forth from his house, he went outside the gate of the city, and he gave orders that the exceedingly great multitude, which were following him and pressing upon him, should be made to withdraw, and to depart from him. And when he had arrived at a place in the region wherein were the tombs, he said to one of the brethren, [Speak] unto the young men, saying, 'My sons, dig a grave in this place,' and those who were there dug down into the ground. Then John the Theologian was commanding them, saying, 'Dig the grave very deep.' And he was saying, 'Dig ye down much deeper'; and those who were there dug down deeper still. And he spake with them, and addressed words to them, and encouraged them, and counselled them unto edification, and he instructed them, and he persuaded them [to enter] into the Kingdom of God. And he prayed over each one of them.

9 Now when the young men had finished making the grave in the place wherein they had dug it, they arranged everything connected therewith in a seemly manner, according to what [Saint John] wished. Now we had no knowledge whatsoever [of what he was about to do]. Then he took off the clothes which were upon him, and having stripped them off himself, he threw them down into the place which they had dug deep in the ground, and which was in the form of a chamber which spread out. 10 Then John stood on his feet—now the only garment which he had on him was a tunic which came down on both sides—and having spread out his hands he prayed thus saying, '[O Thou] God, Who hast chosen me for Thyself to be an Apostle to the heathen, and hast sent me forth into the world, Who hast made manifest the Prophets and His Apostles, Who hast never ceased from doing that which is good since the foundation of the world, Who deliverest every one who hath no strength, Who hast made Thyself to be apprehended by every man of reason, unto Whom every living thing ministereth through His foreknowledge, Who didst make our soul to have longings, and dost make it to be tranquil, or solitary and savage, Who dost Thyself make it to laugh to scorn its enemy, Who didst fashion it like unto Thyself when it was dead, Who didst make for it a law which it could distinguish in the abyss of lawlessness, Who didst make it to vanquish its enemy by causing it to flee from him; Who didst give it Thy hand and didst deliver it from Amente; Who didst not leave it to become a citizen of this world, Who didst teach it to escape from its enemy; Who didst make Thy knowledge to illumine every place;

11 Thou Son of God, Thou Saviour, Thou Lord, Thou Orderer of the things which are in the celestial heights, Thou Guardian of the things which are on the earth, Thou Grace and Gladness of those who belong to Thee: receive Thou the soul of John, which belongeth to Thee, which Thou hast made to be worthy of the knowledge of Thee, for it is Thou Who hast kept me up to this hour, and I have never at any time polluted myself with women. 12 'Thou didst appear unto me at the time when I was wishing to marry a wife in the period of my youth, and Thou didst say unto me, "John, I have need of thee." Thou didst in the beginning act as the steward of my body, when the desires caused by the sicknesses of the body arose, and it was Thou Who didst prevent me from gratifying them on many occasions when I was wishing to marry a wife. Afterwards Thou didst speak to me at the third hour of the day on the sea, saying, "John, if it be that thou dost not in truth belong to Me, I will withdraw Myself from thee. Take thou a wife, and thou shalt make thyself to become blind in both thine eyes; thou shalt suffer grief, [then] thou wilt pray unto Me." Thou it was Who didst open my heart three times in the same year, and Thou didst graciously bestow upon me other eyes, which did not make themselves visible. Thou it

13 was Who didst make the joyful expectation of the contemplation of women to become to me an abomination. Thou it was Who didst deliver me from a fleeting phantasy, and didst keep me for the life which endureth for ever. Thou it was Who didst make me to become a stranger to the madness of evil which ariseth in the flesh, and didst make me to be remote from the death which is bitter. Thou it was Who didst deliver me from the second death, that is to say, the Gehenna of fire, and didst make me to stand up, being a pure man. Thou it was Who didst stop the mouth of the disease which appertained to my soul, and didst prevent the committal of the act which appertained thereto, or rather the outward and manifest works which are wont to be performed by the body. Thou it was Who didst deliver me, and didst cast out from my heart that which disturbed me sorely. Thou it was Who didst prepare me to come unto Thee in a state of innocency (or, holiness). Thou it was Who didst make my thoughts concerning Thee to be unpolluted. Thou it was who didst graciously grant unto me the faith in Thee which was undivided. Thou it was Who didst make my thoughts and my counsels to incline ever more and more towards Thee. Thou dost give unto each man according to his works.

14 It was Thou Who didst deposit in my soul the intention not to permit anything whatsoever except Thyself to enter into me. For what can I find which is more choice or more pure than Thee? And now I have found Thee. And I have fulfilled the stewardship which Thou didst commit to me; make me therefore worthy to enjoy rest in Thy holy repose. Do thou bestow upon me graciously the perfection which is in Thee, that is to say, the sinlessness and the salvation, which cannot be described, and which cannot be pried into, and which are beyond the comprehension [of man]. I come unto Thee, my Lord Jesus, the Christ. Let the fire die down, and let the darkness withdraw itself, and let Chaos become helpless, and let the furnace of blazing fire be without power, and let Gehenna be extinguished, and let the holy angels accompany me, and let the demons shake with fear. Let them (i.e. the holy angels) wound the Principalities, and let the Powers of darkness withdraw themselves and fall down headlong. Let the Places which are on the right hand stand on their feet. May Diabolos be put to shame, and Satan made an object of ridicule. May his wrath be quenched, and may his raving madness be suppressed. May his honour be disgraced, and his pride wounded; may his sons be dragged downwards, and may all their roots be pulled out.

15 Grant Thou unto me the power to walk, and strengthen me so that I may complete my course without suffering and without trouble. I come unto Thee, my Lord, that I may receive the good things of those who live in holiness.' 16 And when John the Theologian had said these things, he looked towards the east, and he ascribed glory to God, and stretching out his hands again he prayed, saying, 'Be Thou with me, O my Lord Jesus, the Christ.' Then straightway he cast himself down into the pit which they had dug, the place wherein his apparel was spread out, and when he had said to them, 'Peace and grace,' he dismissed the brethren, and they departed. And they came out [of the city] on the morrow, and they could not find him, but they found his sandal, and the newly-dug ground in the place where he had gone down into the earth. Finally they remembered the word which the Lord had spoken to Peter, saying, 'If I will to make him remain until I come, what [is that] to thee? Follow thou Me.' And they ascribed glory to the Lord Jesus, the Christ, because of His miracle which took place in the blessed Apostle, and Evangelist, and Theologian, and holy virgin, Saint John, the beloved of the Christ, Jesus our Lord, and our God, and our Saviour, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy, and universally vivifying and consubstantial Spirit, all glory is seemly, now, and always, and for ever and for ever. Amen.

The Mysteries of Saint John the Apostle and the Holy Virgin

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7026)

Alpha Omega Jesus Christ.

2 These are the mysteries of john the apostle, the holy virgin, which he learned in heaven. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. AMEN. And it came to pass that when the Saviour had risen from the dead, He came on to the Mount of Olives, and sat down. And He made a cloud to envelop all the countries wherein were the Apostles, and it gathered them together into the presence of the Saviour upon the Mount of Olives. And John answered and said unto the Saviour, 'My Lord, behold Thou didst say unto me: Thou art My beloved one, and thou hast found grace before Me. Now therefore, my Lord, I wish Thee to take me into heaven, and shew me all [the mysteries] so that I may know them.' And the Saviour made answer and said unto him, 'John, enquire thou of Me fully, and I on My part will hide nothing from thee. Rise up, and let us pray to My Father, Who is blessed, and He shall hear us.'

3 Then the Saviour and the Apostle [John] rose up, and He prayed a long, blessed prayer. And when He had said (literally, given) the Amen, the heavens moved away upon this side and on that, and they opened out one beyond the other even to the seventh heaven. And behold, a great Cherubim came out from heaven, and the whole place shone with bright light, and the whole of his body was full of eyes, and flashes of lightning shot out from him. Then the Apostles became like unto dead men, and they fell down upon the earth through fear; but the Saviour took hold of their hands, and raised them up, and removed the fear from them, and stablished their hearts for them. And John answered [and said], 'My Lord, explain to me the order of the Cherubim, which is exceedingly terrible.' The Saviour made answer and said unto John, 'Hearken unto Me, and I will shew you everything. Thou seest the Cherubim. The words of the Father are hidden within him, from their beginning until their fulfilment. Behold, I will make him to come to thee so that he may explain everything, O My beloved John.'

4 And the Saviour turned Himself towards the Cherubim, and He said unto him, 'I tell thee to take My beloved John into heaven. And thou shalt explain unto him every question which he shall ask thee.' Then straightway the Cherubim lifted up John upon his wing of light, and he bore him up unto heaven. And when he arrived at the first gate the gatekeepers opened the door to him with readiness and fear. Now I, John, saw great mysteries in the First Heaven. I saw twelve men seated upon twelve thrones, within the great gate, in great glory and dignity. And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Master, who are these who are seated in such majestic dignity?' The Cherubim said unto me, 'Seest thou these twelve men? These are the twelve Rulers of the worlds of light, and each one of them ruleth for one year at a time; but Michael is he who ordereth their operations, so that the earth bringeth forth its fruit all the same.' [And I said], 'There doth come a year sometimes when there is a famine in one place or another.' The Cherubim answered and said unto me, 'Behold, I have shewn thee that which thou didst [ask] me.'

5 And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, there cometh a year when water is scarce, and yet there is plenty, and there cometh a year when water is exceedingly plentiful, and yet there is a famine; [how is this?]' [The Cherubim] answered and said unto me, 'Seest thou that the water is under the feet of the Father? If the Father lifteth up His feet, the water riseth upwards; but if at the time when God is about to bring the water up, man sinneth against Him, He is wont to make the fruit of the earth to be little because of the sins of men. Now if at the time when He is about to bestow a little fullness, and men keep guard over themselves so as not to commit sin, the Father is wont to bless the earth so that it may bring forth fruit, and abundance cometh through the supplication of Michael. If only men were to know of the supplications of Michael at the time when the water should come upon the earth, they would never commit sin at all. However, Michael taketh with him twelve times ten thousand angels, and they go into the presence of the Father, and they cast themselves down before Him, and they do not rise up again until God sendeth the waters down upon the world.'

6 Then I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'I have heard one say that "God created the heavens and the earth", and again, that "God created the waters from the beginning". And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will inform thee concerning everything. Before ever God created the heavens and the earth, water was in existence, and there is no one whatsoever who knoweth anything about the creation of water except God Himself. For this reason whosoever shall take an oath which is false, in the name of water, shall never receive forgiveness. And whosoever shall take an oath [which is false] by the wheat-plant, [shall also never receive forgiveness, for], the same ordinance applieth to both the water and the wheat-plant.' And I said to the Cherubim, 'My Lord, I wish that thou wouldst inform me concerning the matter of the wheat-plant, and tell me where, in the beginning, before the earth had been cultivated, it was found that man might live upon it.'

7 The Cherubim said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will inform thee concerning everything. Now it came to pass that God having created Adam placed him in the Paradise of joy, and He gave him a command saying thus: "Of every tree which is in Paradise thou shalt eat, with the exception of the tree of the knowledge of that which is good and of that which is evil; of that thou shalt not eat. And on the day wherein thou shalt eat thereof thou shalt certainly die."' Now the Devil was jealous of Adam when he saw with what great glory he was surrounded. The Sun and the Moon, the two great luminaries, used to come daily and worship Adam before they rose above the earth. And the Devil went and led astray Adam and his wife, until at length they were cast forth out from Paradise; and they were banished to the land of Eueilat, where Adam lived a life of care and anxiety. Now after all these things, Adam was an hungered, and he could not find food to eat similar to that which they were wont to eat daily in Paradise. And he cried out to the Lord in grief and in tribulation of heart. And the Son of graciousness (or, goodness), Who acted as sponsor for him, had compassion upon him, and He spake unto His Good Father, the Lord of the Angels and of the Spirits, saying, 'Behold, the man whom We have created in Our image and likeness is an hungered, and I am sorrowful on his account, O My Father. Now, if it be Thy will, do not let him die before Thy face.'

8 And in this wise did His Father of Compassion answer and say unto His beloved Son, 'If it be that Thou art moved with compassion for the man whom We have created, and who hath cast [My] commandment behind him, go Thou and give him Thy flesh and let him eat thereof, for it is Thou who hast undertaken to act as his advocate.' And the Son of Goodness made answer and said unto His Father, 'Blessed be Thy word. That which Thou hast said I will do.' Then the beloved Son came forth from the presence of His Good Father, and He took a little piece of His right side, of His divine flesh, and He rubbed it down into small pieces, and brought it to His Holy Father. His Father said unto Him, 'What is this?' And He said, 'This is My flesh, according to what Thou didst say unto Me.' His Father answered and said unto Him, 'Yea, certainly, My Son. Wait, and I will give unto Thee some of My own flesh, which is invisible.'

9 Then His Father took out a portion of His own body, and He made it into a grain of wheat, and He brought forth the seal of light wherewith He set a seal upon the worlds of light, and He sealed the grain of wheat in the middle thereof. And He said unto His beloved Son, 'Take this, and give Thou it unto Michael, the Archangel, and let him give it unto Adam, and let him tell Adam that he and his sons shall live thereon. And Michael shall teach him to sow it, and to gather it in at harvest.' Then Jesus called Michael, and said unto him, 'Take this [grain], and give it unto Adam so that he and all his sons may live thereon.' And Michael came to Adam, and he was on the Jordan, and it was the eighth day since he had eaten anything, and he was crying out to the Lord [for food]. And Michael said unto him, 'Peace be to thee! The Lord hath heard thy prayer, and He hath sent unto thee a seed of grain.' And when Adam heard these words from Michael, his body recovered its strength, and he came from the water, and cast himself down at the feet of Michael. And Michael gave unto him the grain which had been sealed with the seal of light, and he taught him how to sow it and to reap it, and he went up into heaven with [great] glory. Therefore the water, and the wheat-plant, and grain, and the throne of the Father stand in one category, and they are the equals of the Son of God. Now I John saw these things, and I rejoiced when I had heard them.

10 And it came to pass after these things that the Cherubim raised me up upon his wing of light, and carried me into the Seventh Heaven, and I saw mighty miracles take place therein. I saw [there] all the ranks of the angels. The first rank [contained] the Seraphim, who were dressed in the grain-plant, and they had golden censers in their hands, and they said, 'Hallelujah!' The angels in the second rank had golden phials in their hands, and they were filled with dew, and they were emptying them out on to the fields. Now Michael was the governor who was over them, and he appointed unto each one of them his work. 11 And I saw another great and wonderful thing. Whilst I John was looking at the angels as they were all divided into ranks, I found that the name of Michael was written upon all their garments, and that the angels were crying out his name always. And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'How doth it come to pass that the name of Michael is written upon their garments? And wherefore do they cry it out?' And the Cherubim answered and said unto me, 'No angel is allowed to come upon the earth unless the name of Michael is written upon his garments, for otherwise the Devil would lead them astray.' After this I saw a great fountain of water, whereof the waters were as white as snow, or as I might say, its waters were like unto milk, and there was an angel standing above it, and his wings were dipped in the water. And the place round about the fountain was planted with trees which were laden with fruit, and the fruits thereof were of a very great many different kinds. And this fountain was like unto a sea, and every tree which grew by the side of it consisted entirely of one branch.

12 And I, John, saw another great and wonderful thing there. I saw the root of a tree which emitted water into the fountain. And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, explain to me the matter of this fountain, the water whereof is white, and the matter of this angel, which standeth above it.' The Cherubim said unto me, 'This is the fountain which poureth out the dew upon the earth.' I said unto him, 'How is it that this angel is standing above it, with his wings always dipped in the waters of the fountain?' The Cherubim said unto me, 'Seest thou this angel? His work is this. Every time the trumpet soundeth he riseth up, and he shaketh his wings which are full of dew, and he smiteth the heavens therewith, and the heavens open, one beyond the other, so that the dew may distil through them upon the earth.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'In what way do these Seven Heavens open, one beyond the other, so that the daylight may penetrate them and fall upon the world?' And the Cherubim answered and said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will explain everything to you. There are seven trumpets appointed over the dew, and all these are wont to sound before the dew cometh upon the earth. When the first trumpet soundeth, and the second, and so on until the seventh, the dew followeth the sound of the trumpets from one heaven to the other. The seventh trumpet belongeth to Michael, and when Michael bloweth his trumpet, the dew runneth swiftly, and all the governors withdraw, until it cometh upon

13 the earth in order to make all the fruits to swell (or, increase).' Now, whilst I was marvelling [at these things], I saw another angel coming from a distance in wrath, and he stood up by the fountain which was filled with dew; he wept, and his eyes dropped blood into the fountain which was full of dew. For he was filled with wrath against all mankind, and the whole of the place trembled and shook when he stood up there. Then the heavens opened on this side and on that and everywhere, and I saw a great and mighty angel come forth from the heavens, and they called his name Michael, and he was girt about the loins with a girdle of gold. There was a sponge in his hand, wherewith he wiped away all the tears of the angel of wrath, and he drove the Angel of Wrath afar off, saying, 'Get thee gone from this fountain, thou Angel of Wrath, for thou wishest to bring a famine upon the earth.'

14 And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, shew me the matter of the Angel of Wrath whose eyes drop blood into the fountain.' He said unto me, 'Seest thou the Angel of Wrath? He is the Angel of Famine. If Michael were to cease from the wiping away of his tears [of blood] which he letteth drop, and were to allow them to enter the fountain, the [water thereof] would come to an end and the dew which falleth down upon the earth, and diseases and dissensions would break out, and the land would be smitten with famine.' And moreover, he said unto me, 'There are forty legions of angels, each legion containing ten thousand angels, who sing hymns over the dew until it cometh upon the earth, without any blemish at all in it.' After these things he brought me to the Land of Edem. He placed me upon his wing of light, and he brought me to the place where the sun riseth, by the side of the fountain which supplieth water to the four rivers, Phisôn, Tigris, Géôn (the Nile), and the Euphrates. I saw the Paradise of joy, which was filled with all kinds of trees which bore fruits of all kinds. And I said to the Cherubim, 'My Lord, I would that thou wouldst shew me the tree [of the fruit] whereof Adam ate, and became naked, and God was afterwards wroth with him.' The Cherubim answered and said unto me, 'Thou askest a question which concerneth great mysteries, but I will hide nothing whatsoever from thee. Now therefore, rise up, set thyself behind me, and I will explain to thee everything, and I will shew thee the tree [of the fruit] of which Adam ate.'

15 Then I rose up and I followed him. I walked through the Paradise, and I looked round about, and I saw the tree in the middle of Paradise; now it had no fruit upon it, and thorns grew all over it, and the trunk went down into the ground a very long way. And I answered and said to the R Cherubim, 'Make me to understand the matter of this tree which hath no fruit on it, and which is grown over with thorns.' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'This is the tree [of the fruit] of which Adam ate and became naked.' And I said unto him, 'There is no fruit on it; where did he find the fruit which he ate?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'A kind of fruit did grow on it, and it was not without fruit [at that time].' And I said unto him, 'Of what kind was its fruit?' He said unto me, 'It was a kind of apple.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Shall it remain wholly without fruit, or not?' And he said unto me, 'This is the order which God laid upon it from the beginning.'

16 Now whilst I was marvelling at these things I saw Adam. He was coming along at a distance, and he was like unto a man who was weeping. He was spreading out his garment, and he was carrying away in his garment [the leaves] which were under the tree, and pouring them out on the ground, and burying them. And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Why is Adam spreading out his garment, and putting in it the dried leaves which have been blown off the tree, and digging a hole in the ground and burying them therein?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'From the moment when the Devil entered into Paradise, and seduced Adam, and Eve his wife, the trees, which up to that time had possessed a sweet smell, ceased to have any smell at all, and their leaves [began to] fall off. And Adam used to dress himself in the leaves, and to make them be witnesses for him in the judgement because of what he had done.' Then I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, by what means did the Devil enter into Paradise, and seduce Adam and Eve? Unless this matter had been permitted by God he could not have

17 entered in, for nothing can take place without [the consent of] God.' Then the Cherubim said unto me, 'Four and twenty angels are appointed to Paradise daily, and twelve go in there daily to worship God. Now at the moment when the Devil went into Paradise, and seduced Adam, there was no angel at all in Paradise, but an agreement took place [that they should remain outside it] until Adam had eaten of the tree.' And I said to the Cherubim, 'If they agreed to this, with the consent of God, then no sin rests upon Adam.' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'By no means. If Adam had been patient for a short time, God would have said to him, "Eat thou of the tree." God removed the righteousness wherewith he was arrayed, and He cast him forth from Paradise, in order that the things which He spake might be fulfilled [when] He should send His Son into the world.'

18 And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, of what kind was this righteousness wherein Adam was arrayed, and which he received from His hand?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'On the day wherein God created Adam, Adam was twelve cubits in height, and six cubits in width, and his neck was three cubits long. And he was like unto an alabaster stone wherein there is no blemish whatsoever. But when he had eaten [of the fruit] of the tree, his body diminished in size, and he became small, and the righteousness wherein he was arrayed departed and left him naked, even to the tips of his fingers, that is to say, to his very nails. If he was not cold in the winter, he was not hot in the summer.' 19 And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, at the time when God created Adam, He also created Eve with him from the heavens (?). But, on the other hand, I have heard that God created Adam and Eve from the beginning, and, again, I have heard that God brought a deep sleep upon Adam, and that when he was unconscious, He took one of the ribs from his side, and made it into a woman, and that He filled up the place where the rib was in his side with flesh. The Almighty did not then create two bodies, there being [only] one body.' And the Cherubim answered and said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will explain unto you everything. At the time when God created Adam, He created Eve also with him, in one body, for at the time when the Master was working at Adam, the thought concerning Eve was with Him. For this reason two bodies came from one body, but He did not separate them from each other immediately. At the time when He brought slumber upon Adam, and Adam fell asleep, and slept heavily, He brought Eve forth from him, and she became his wife. She was, of a surety, hidden in the rib of the left side [of Adam] from the day wherein God created him. Consider, then, with great attention the sign which is in the sons of Adam.'

20 And I said unto the Cherubim, 'O my Lord, what is the sign which is in the sons of Adam?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'At the moment when the ice (or, cold) was about to come upon the earth, the first things which went cold in the body of the man were his finger nails. Because at the time when God deprived Adam of the righteousness wherein he was arrayed, the first things which grew cold were his finger nails. And he wept, and cried out to the Lord, saying, Woe is me, O my Lord. At the time when I kept the commandments of God, and before I did eat of the [fruit of] the tree, my whole body was white like my nails. For this reason every time Adam looked upon his nails, he used to cry out and weep, even as Hezekiah, when he was sick, used to turn towards the wall, and weep.'

21 [And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'When Hezekiah] was weeping, why did he not look at a man [instead of a wall]?' And the Cherubim said unto me, '[Hearken], and I will make everything manifest to you, O faithful virgin. Now it came to pass in the time of Solomon that the king compelled all the demons to describe R̥ṭ to him all the various kinds [of sicknesses], and the remedies which were to be employed in healing them all, and the various kinds of herbs which must be used in relieving the pains of sicknesses, and Solomon wrote them all down upon the wall in the House of God. And any man who was attacked by a sickness [or, disease], no matter of what kind, used to go into the temple, and look upon the wall, until he found there written the remedy which was suitable for his sickness; then he would take that remedy, and would go into his house, ascribing glory to God. And it came to pass that, after Solomon the king was dead, Hezekiah plastered over the walls of the temple with lime, and the prescriptions for the relief of sickness could no longer be found. Now when Hezekiah the king had fallen sick, and was sick unto death, he could not find the prescription whereby to heal his sickness, because it was he himself who had plastered over

22 the walls of the temple with lime. And when the prescriptions R̥ṭ which had been written upon them could not be found again, he went into the house of the Lord, and lay down there, and he looked upon the wall, and he wept, saying, "My Lord, let not that which I have done in the matter of plastering over with lime the walls, whereon were inscribed the prescriptions for healing, be held to be a sin [by Thee], for I said, Let men make supplication to God with hope, and they shall find healing. Never shall I find a prescription for healing whereby I may be made whole." And the Lord heard [him], and had compassion upon him, and sent unto him Isaiah the Prophet, and he spake unto him, saying, "Take the fruit (?) of the wild fig-tree, and plaster it over thy body, and thou shalt find relief." Now therefore, O John, God will never forsake the man who performeth [His commandments].'

23 And again I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, I would that thou didst make me to understand the matter of the Cherubim, whose voices cry so loudly in heaven that mankind tremble upon earth [at the sounds thereof].' 24 And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Dost thou see these great winds which are shut up inside their storehouses, over which the angels are set? When the trumpet soundeth inside the covering (or, veil), the gentle winds come forth, and they breathe upon the wings of the angel who is over the fountain of the dew; then the angel moveth his wings, and the dew cometh upon the earth, and the seed (or, grain) groweth in the earth, and the trees, and the crops, and the fruit. If the trumpet doth not sound, a harsh, strong noise cometh forth from heaven, and thereupon the waters of rain come upon the earth in great quantities, which make the fruits grow, and rain-storms, and thunders of which men are afraid. For it is the sound of the rustling of the wings of the Seraphim which governs the waters of rain, until they come down into the firmament; and they fall on the earth gently, for if they were to descend upon the earth in their [full] violence they would lay waste the earth just as did the waters of Noah and the lightnings which came with them. [This would happen] if the Seraphim did not come down to govern the waters of the rain, for all the waters are in the sky and the heavens. Behold, I have made clear to you all mysteries.' And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, I would that thou didst make me to know what it is which supporteth the sky and maketh it to be suspended thus.' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'It is suspended by faith, and by the ordinance of God.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'What is it that supporteth the earth?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'It is four pillars which support the earth, and they are sealed with seven seals.'

25 And I said unto him, 'My Lord, be not wroth with me when I ask thee this matter also; shew me, what is it that beareth up the four pillars?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'He Who created them knoweth what appertaineth to them.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, what is the ordinance concerning the hours of the night and day?' He said unto me, 'Hearken, I will shew thee. God ap-A h pointed twelve Cherubim to stand outside the curtain (or, inner veil), and they were not to toil in any way, but were to sing twelve hymns daily. When the first Cherubim had finished [singing] his hymn, the first hour came to an end. When the second Cherubim had finished [singing] his hymn, the second hour came to an end, and so on until the twelfth Cherubim. When the twelfth [Cherubim had finished singing his hymn], the twelve hours were ended.'

26 Then I said to the Cherubim, 'As concerning the twelve hours of the night: are there Seraphim appointed over them, or not?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Assuredly not, but when the beasts, and the birds, and the reptiles pray, the A v first hour is ended. When the second hour is ended, the beasts pray [again], and so on until the twelfth hour of the night; it is the animals of God which set limits to them.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Doth the sun know when the twelve hours have come to an end, so that he may depart to the place where he setteth or riseth?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'When the angels who blow the trumpets have finished, Michael knoweth that the twelfth hymn is finished, and he speaketh to the Angel of the Sun, who goeth and bringeth to an end his course.'

27 And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, is it God Who ordaineth the life of a man from the time when he was in his mother's womb, or not?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Know thou that [one] man is wont to perform very many superfluous works, [and another] very many acts of goodness, from the time when he is born to the end of his life. God, however, setteth a sign on the righteous man before He fashioneth him, for it is impossible to cause anything to happen without God. But sin is an alien thing (or, stranger) to God, for He Who created man was without sin. It is man who himself committeth sin, according to his wish, and according to the desire of the Devil.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Man hath been born to suffering, according to what Job said, "My mother brought me forth for suffering."' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'God is a compassionate Being, and He doth not forsake man utterly, but He sheweth mercy upon him, for he is His own form, and His own image, and is the work of His own hands. And now, O John, He will not forsake him that doeth the will of God, and he who doeth good things shall receive them doubled many times over in the House of God.'

28 And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, at the moment when God is about to create man, doth He give him the name "righteous" or "sinner", or not?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will shew thee. At the moment when God is about to create a man, before He placeth him in the womb of his mother, He calleth all the angels, and they come and stand round about. If the Father blesseth the soul, the angels make answer "Amen". If there come from His mouth the words, "This soul shall give Me rest," the angels make answer "Amen". If the Father saith, "This soul shall commit iniquity," the angels make answer "Amen". Whatsoever cometh forth from the mouth of the Father, that cometh to pass.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Is the matter of which man is fashioned more excellent than that of the beasts?' The Cherubim said unto me, 'Yes. Now when men die, each one of them is taken to the place of which he is worthy, but so far as beasts are concerned, whether they die, or whether they live, their place is the earth.'

29 And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Are there souls in them?' He said unto me, 'Every created thing hath a soul in it. Now therefore, the soul of every created thing is its blood.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Will they then be punished, or will rest be given unto them?' He said unto me, 'Let it not be that rest be not given unto them, and let them suffer not; but man is a being who can suffer, and can enjoy rest.' And it came to pass that when I had heard all these things, I marvelled at the works which God performeth in connexion with man. And I said unto the Cherubim, '[My Lord], be not wroth with me if I ask this matter also. I would that thou didst inform me concerning the stars which we see in the firmament, and tell me why it is that we cease to see them when the sun hath risen. I would that thou didst inform me where it is they go until it is time for them to perform their service again.' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'The stars are of different orders. There are some stars which remain in the heavens until noon, but they cannot be

30 seen because of the light of the sun. There are seven stars which come in the north of the world, and they remain there in the heavens always. And there are seven stars in the heavens which are called keekter; those which are there are not permitted to emerge from their place of storehouse, except when death cometh upon the earth.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Why is it that one star differeth from another? And why is it that a star is wont to transfer itself from the place which it had originally [to another]? And the Cherubim said unto me, Hearken, and I will make known unto you everything. There are very many orders of stars which move from the place wherein they were placed originally, but the decree of God which directeth them abideth for ever. Behold now, I have made manifest unto thee all things, O beloved one of God. Arise, get thee down into the world, and tell therein everything which thou hast seen.'

31 Then straightway the Cherubim brought me down on the Mount of Olives, where I found the Apostles gathered together. And I told them of the things which I had seen, and when we had saluted (or, kissed) each other, each departed to his country, ascribing glory to God. And they preached in the Name of the Christ, through Whom be glory to Him, and His Good Father, and the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen. L 1