Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, Part 1

Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, Part 1

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III. The Discourse of Demetrius, Archbishop of Antioch, on the Birth of Christ and on the Virgin Mary

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7027) The Discourse Which APA DEMETRIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH, WHO ORDAINED THE GREAT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM TO BE AN ELDER, PRONOUNCED ON THE BIRTH, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, OF GOD THE WORD, ON THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY OF THE MONTH KHOIAKH, AND ON MARY HIS MOTHER, THE VIRGIN WHO BROUGHT HIM FORTH. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! AMEN. Now the beginning of the month of Khoiak is a joy unto us, and the end thereof is a subject of gladness for all mankind. For if we go [back] to the beginning of this month our whole body is wont to rejoice, because it indicateth to us the happiness of keeping a feast, for it was in this month that the Devil lost his power and strength, and was put to shame. The beginning of the month is the blossom of the fruits of the field, and the end thereof is the stablishing of our souls, and all mankind is occupied in keeping the feast. For the beginning of this month indicateth to us the birth, according to the flesh, of God the Word, and the end thereof indicateth to us manifestly that the Word of the Father was [then] brought forth. And who is it that sheweth us that the beginning of this month is a time for keeping a festival?

2 It is David, the father, according to the flesh, of the Christ, who saith, 'Blow ye blasts on your trumpets in your new moons, the day which is appointed, which is our festival; for it was a statute unto Israel, and a decree from the God of Jacob.' And the matter is manifest, that He Whom the Virgin brought forth is He Who shall be the Only-begotten of all mankind. Now the Psalm of David also saith 'new moons and sabbaths'. And, moreover, the Psalm of David maketh [us] to remember the Sabbath, and the day whereon this great mystery took place, for the day whereon the holy Virgin brought forth for us the Only-begotten of the Father was the day of the new moon of Khoiak, which in that year was Sunday, and according to what we have found written in a book which treateth of Chronology, He was born on that day. [The writer] saith, 'The Psalm of David calleth to remembrance the Sabbath as if he would proclaim to all creation, saying, "Keep in remembrance this great festival, and do not forget this great festival this day."' He said, On

3 the fifth, on the Sabbath.' For I desire, O brethren, to reveal unto you a great and marvellous mystery. If the commemoration of the one righteous man shall produce a good report, how much greater good, and how many more kinds of benefits shall there arise through the commemoration of all the righteous? However, let us lay aside mystery, and let us begin [our discourse] wherein we will glorify the Only-begotten of the Father. And we must bring into the midst the birth of the Virgin, who was the Ark of the Governor, out of whom arose the Word of the Father, that is to say, the holy Virgin Mary. 4 There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Joakim, and he had a wife, whose name was Susanna (sic), and both of them were old, and they had become aged in their days. And they drew nigh to God, now they were both together, and they made supplication to God, saying, 'O Thou Good and man-loving God, let not my wife be called "barren", but give unto us the seed of men, for it was Thou Who didst say through the speech of Moses Thy servant, There shall no barren or childless person be in Israel.' And whilst he was saying these things, behold, a man of light appeared unto him from out of the darkness, saying, 'Joakim, Joakim, what aileth thee, and why is thy heart so grievously afflicted?' And Joakim said unto him, 'My Lord, I have become old in days, both I and my wife, and we have no child.' And the man of light said unto him, 'Behold, thy wife shall conceive, and she shall bring forth a female child, the like of which no woman hath ever produced, neither shall any woman bring forth a daughter like unto her. Now take good heed, for on the day wherein she shall be born there shall be great joy unto thee, and thou shalt dedicate her to the Temple of the Lord, and thou shalt call her name "Mary".' And when the man of light had finished talking with him, Joakim rose up, and awoke Anna his wife, and told her all the words which had been said concerning her. And his wife became white of face, and she said unto him, 'May the Will of God be done.'

5 And after these things Anna his wife conceived, and she gave birth to this Great Gift. And the day wherein she gave birth to her was the Sabbath, that is to say, the fifteenth day of the month Athôr, a day whereon the people of the Jews were celebrating a festival. And on the eighth day, which fell on the [following] Sabbath, they registered her name and the gift of her [to the Temple], and they dedicated her to the Temple, for she was the first-born child. For this is the Law of the Hebrews: they give the name to the newly born child on the eighth day after his birth, and it was for this reason that they treated the woman child thus. And when Mary had grown, and had completed her third year, and they were about to give her to the Temple of the Lord, a great miracle happened, the like of which had never taken place from the foundation of the world. At the moment when her mother Anna set her upon her feet, inside the door of the Temple, before the priests, she walked by herself into the Temple, and went on until she arrived in the place behind the veil of the altar, whereon were offered up the sacrifices of the Lord. And when she had gone into [this place] she did not turn back to come out again, neither did one thought of her parents rise up in her heart, nor any thought of any earthly thing. She progressed daily, and she was praised by the other virgins who were in the Temple. And when she had grown, and was eight or ten years old, she became a type to the priests, and they were afraid to meet her, for her whole body was pure, and her heart was firm in the Lord.

6 She was pure in her body and in her soul, she never put her face outside the door of the Temple, she never looked at a strange man, and she never moved herself to gaze upon the face of a young man. And she lived in chastity, and in the service of God, and in the ordered service of the Temple. Her apparel was dainty. Her tunic came down over her seal, and her head-cloth came down over her eyes; she wore a girdle round her tunic, and her tunic was never soiled or torn. She never put antimony (eye-paint) on her eyes, and she did not lay the unguent made from the crocus flower on her cheeks. She did not put slippers on her feet as ornaments, and she wore neither armlets nor bracelets, nor trinkets nor jewellery on her arms and hands. She never craved for a large quantity of food, neither did she ever walk about in the market-place of her city. She never lusted for the works of this world. She never stripped herself naked, and she never washed in the [public] bath, and she never examined with careful attention the members of her body. But she was experienced in the fear of God, and the Christ walked with her, and watched over her in every place, for He knew that He had fashioned her to be for Him an ark and a dwelling-place.

7 And she lived in the Temple in this holy manner until she had completed her twelfth year. And when the priests who were in the Temple looked at her, and saw that she had become large of stature (i. e. grown up), they were afraid lest the way of women would come to her in the Temple, for they did not know of the dispensation which God had arranged should come to her. Then the priests took counsel and decided to commit her to the care of a man who would guard her until they saw what was to become of her. And they sat down, and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon the house of David; and they cast lots again for all those who belonged to that house, and the lot fell upon Joseph. Now Joseph was an old man, and he was a carpenter by trade, and he feared God, and he never at any time ate the bread of idleness. And he had no wife, for his wife was dead, and she had left him some wise sons and two daughters.

8 And the priests called him, and said unto him, 'The lot hath fallen upon thee that Mary the virgin, the daughter of Joakim, shall be thy wife. Behold, we deliver her into thy hands; take care of her until the time when we can make a marriage feast.' And the holy old man, whose grey hair was like unto the shoots of the tree of Paradise, that is to say, the Tree of Life which is in the middle of Paradise, made himself the protector of the garden wherein the Pearl stone was hidden. And he carried her to Nazareth, and took her into his own house, and she made his house into a place for prayer and a monastery. He took a virgin into his house to make her his wife, and she made his house into a church, and psalms, and prayers, and spiritual songs were said and sung therein. He took to himself a wife, and she became unto him salvation.

9 And it came to pass that after he had taken her into his house she went into her own room and took up her abode therein, and she never came down the stairs except on the day wherein she departed to Torinê, and also on the day wherein Joseph took her to Bethlehem to register his own name, and the names of herself and her Child. And the registration read thus: 'Joseph, the son of David, and Mary his wife, and Jesus their Son.' Behold, O my beloved, and consider this great miracle. A woman, who is a virgin, with child, and it is not known what is in her. I marvel at thee, O thou aged Joseph, thou blessed carpenter. What was it that came into thy heart when thou didst write down [the name of] this young Child after thine, even though thou didst not know whence He came? Thou wast bound to write down [the name of thy] wife after thine own, because she was committed to thy care, but didst thou know whence was the Son she was carrying in her womb? [And Joseph replieth,] 'Faithful is He Who spake to me, saying, Take

10 Mary, thy wife, into thy house, for that which shall be born of her is of the Holy Ghost.' Then must we not turn to the matter from another aspect? The old man, the carpenter, took a door that was sealed into his house. He who had tasted marriage kept watch over the maiden who had never known man. The father of sons received to himself the Word of the Father. He who had had experience of the marriage in this world became the servant of the Spotless Lamb who carried the Only-begotten Son of God. When Joseph took Mary into his house the man unconsciously took to himself God. 11 And she sat in his house, and she worked at weaving purple into the veil of the Temple, according to the rule concerning virgins. She never saw any man whatsoever, but the angels came and ministered unto her, and they passed the whole day standing before her in the form of young doves, and they gave her courage, and they comforted her. And she sat in Joseph's house for three years, and his sons ministered unto her, and the angels were round about her at all times, for they earnestly desired to remain with her because of her purity, and they were in the form of doves or some other kind of holy bird. They flew about her in the place where she used to sit working at her handicraft, and they would alight upon the window of her room, and they longed to hear her holy voice, which was sweet, and pretty, and holy. She blessed God, and she never ceased to do so by day and by night. She blessed the Almighty, and great tranquillity and the fear of God were round about the place wherein she lived her life of quiet contemplation. And all the Powers who were in the heavens were in a state of wonderment at her purity and her chastity, and they said, 'We never before saw a woman like unto this.' Sarra (Sarah), the wife of Abraham, cannot compare with her, and she did not occupy herself with works of this kind.

12 Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, resembled her somewhat, but she cannot compare with this virgin. Leah and Rachel were married women, and they bore sons, and they never attained the honourable estate of this virgin. And Anna, the mother of Samuel, only laboured for one day; she poured out her tears before God, and He granted to her her petition. As for the Virgin, from the day wherein they placed her in the Temple, she never ceased from her regular rule in respect of her prayers, and her fastings, and her acts and works, and her numerous habits of asceticism. 13 And it came to pass after these things that the time arrived for God to remember His words to our holy fathers, the Prophets. And the Father took counsel with His Holy Word, Who had proceeded from Him, and Who was of like substance with Himself, and Who had lived with Him in the same honourable estate from the beginning, and in the same glory, and in the same strength, and in the same power, and with the same nature, I mean His Only-begotten Son, Who was like unto Him in the substance of His Godhead, saying, 'The time hath arrived, My beloved Son, for Thee to go down and to seek after Thy sheep who have gone astray in the world through sin. I wish Thee to take good heed to Adam, and to open to him the gate of Paradise. Remember, My Son, that the time hath arrived for Thee to complete the sacrifice of Isaac, which was insufficient to save the world. The daughter of Jephthah was offered up, but her blood [only] saved herself. For the blood of Abel crieth out, and it awaiteth Thee to go down into the world, and to shed Thy Blood, in order that Thy Blood may cry out and Abel's blood hold its peace. All the Prophets have awaited Thee, saying, How long, O Lord, before Thou wilt turn Thyself, and come down, and fulfil our prophecies and our visions? Now, therefore, O My Son, be not unmindful of Thy creation, and let it not perish.

14 Behold, Thy throne is prepared for Thee, O My beloved Son, until Thou hast vanquished the Devil. Behold, Thine abode is prepared for Thee on the earth, that is to say, the Virgin Mary, whom Thou hast fashioned with Thine own hands. Behold, I have prepared for Thee a father on the earth, that is to say, the old man Joseph, the blessed carpenter, who shall be unto Thee a servant and an attendant. When Thou goest down upon the earth it shall rejoice to its foundations, and the Devil shall take to flight. Depart, My Son, in peace, and Thou shalt return in peace. None compelleth Thee to depart. It is I Who command Thee to fulfil My command. Be not unmindful of the work of Thy hands, which is about to perish. I declared with My own mouth that a flood of water should not [again] come upon the earth, but a deluge of sins hath increased on the earth, and hath swallowed up all people in the water-floods of iniquity. The ark of Noah preserved a seed upon the earth, and behold, I have prepared for Thee the womb of the Virgin Mary, and I will make Thee to be therein for nine months, so that Thou mayest deliver the whole world through her. We destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the cities that were round about them, and up to this present they have not ceased to commit sin. Now therefore, O My beloved Son, make haste, get Thee down, and save the rest of mankind.

15 We sent Jonah the prophet to Nineveh, the great city, and he preached unto her repentance, but his preaching was not sufficient to save them after they had repented, and they made themselves corrupt again. One part of the world having been destroyed, [we might think] that the other parts would be afraid, and would abandon their sins; but they were not afraid; on the contrary, they continue in their sins. Now therefore, O My beloved Son, come, get Thee down into the world, and save the rest of mankind. I gave the Law by Moses, but until Thou goest down into the world and fulfillest the Law, it will never be fulfilled (or, completed). All the Prophets prophesied concerning Thee, but all their prophecies will be things of naught until Thou goest down and dost confirm them. The whole world is expecting Thee, and all the earth is polluted with the error of idols; if Thou dost not go down, and pour out Thy Blood upon it, it will never be purified. Those who are in the nethermost Amente await Thee, so that Thou mayest go and give them redemption. The time hath arrived for Thee to open the gate of Paradise, and to make Adam to enter it again. Eve, the mother of all the living, awaiteth Thy departure into the body of Mary, and Thy taking upon Thyself a human body in her womb, and Thy giving of freedom unto the whole race of women.

16 When Thou goest, My Son, Thou shalt give rest (or, satisfaction) unto all nations. Get Thee gone, My Son, and pay diligent attention to the vine that hath become barren.' After these things the Only-begotten hearkened unto the command of His Father, and of His own free-will made Himself ready to come down upon the earth, to fulfil the work which had been announced by the Law and the Prophets. 17 For Paul, the chosen vessel, said, 'When the time was fulfilled, God sent His Son, He proceeded from a woman, [and] He made Himself to be under the Law, that He might purchase those who were under the Law.' What man is there who, on hearing these words of wonder, doth not marvel greatly thereat? Now when I consider what happened to this virgin, my mind is disturbed, and I am seized with trembling, and I drop my hands helplessly, for I am unable to do anything. Many, many have wished to investigate this controversy, in the same way [as myself], but they have fallen into despair, and have known not [what to do]. For the matter is beyond the comprehension of human nature if one enquireth how did the Word become flesh or how did the Word become man? It belongeth to us to believe that He is Perfect God and in no way inferior to His Father. He is the Only-begotten of

18 God the Father. He is the First-born of the womb of Mary His Mother, a Virgin. He is God, He became man, and He fulfilled every [function] appertaining to human nature, with the exception of sin. He was of like substance with His Father, and He was not different from His Father according to the substance of divinity. He was a man, He was God, He advanced in every matter of childhood. He obeyed His parents. And when He wished to come to us, He spake unto the Archangel Gabriel, and said unto him, 'Come, fulfil the command of thy Lord. Come, perform the ministration of My service, and get thee gone to the holy Virgin Mary. Thou shalt indicate to her My presence. Thou shalt inform her that I will dwell in her. Take good heed how thou shalt talk to her. Do not frighten her by thy appearance. Disturb her not by thy words. Trouble not her mind, for she is a young maiden, and cannot bear any fright from thee. She will be a great marvel by producing a man-child, for hearken, a virgin shall give birth to a child without [the help of] male seed. Do not put before her any [threat of] punishment, as thou didst to Za[cha]rias. Appear unto her with joy and gladness, speak to her with words of tenderness, tell her about My glory, which shall be to her. It is good to hide the private affairs of the king, but it is a good thing to make manifest with glory the works of God.'

19 And when Gabriel came unto her, he did not appear unto her in his glory, neither did he go into her presence in the form of a man, for he knew that it was not her custom to see strange men. But he stood outside the door of her chamber, and he cried out to her, saying, 'Hail, thou maiden who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.' And when she heard the strange voice she was disturbed, and she said, 'Of what kind is this salutation?' And she was agitated about these things, and she marvelled concerning the voice which she had heard. And Gabriel cried out yet a second time, saying, 'Hail, thou maiden who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.' And when the angel saw that she was disturbed at [his] words, he began to enter into her presence with a joyful bearing, saying, 'Fear not, O Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. For behold, thou shalt conceive, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call Him Jesus.'

20 And the Virgin marvelled, saying, 'In what way can this possibly happen to me? I have never known a man, for I am a virgin.' And the archangel answered and said unto her, 'Fear not, O Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. Be strong, and of good cheer, for that which thou shalt bring forth is holy, and He shall be called the Son of God. 'Hail, Mary, thou woman whose fruit shall give salvation to the world and to all mankind! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou spotless dove! in whom there is no blemish, to whom is sent the choice, sweet odour by me, Gabriel. Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee! 'Hail, Mary, who shalt clothe the whole world in the apparel of salvation! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.

21 'Hail, Mary, through whom salvation shall come to the whole world, because of thy walking in it! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, who art the choicest thing in heaven and upon earth! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou tower in which is the King's treasure! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, who hast given unto us a way of entrance into heaven! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, who hast opened to us the door of Paradise, after it had been closed through the transgression of Adam and Eve! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, thou second ark, which hath saved the world from the destruction of impiety! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.

22 'Hail, thou beautiful Lamb, who hast made to spring up for us the pure wool and the apparel of incorruption! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, thou vase of gold, wherein was the manna! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, thou who didst remove the enmity which existed between God and us! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou sweet odour that hath mounted up before God Almighty until God hath become reconciled to His creation which He hath created! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, thou who art the tent of the Godhead, wherein the Only-begotten of the Father hath reposed! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou ark, whereof every part is covered with gold, and wherein God the Father sojourned in the form of His Holy Word! [Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.]

23 'Hail, Mary, thou bread that hath come forth from heaven, to satisfy the hungry and to fill souls with good things! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, who dost deliver every one from the storm of the Devil, and dost bring them into the haven of salvation. Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou unpolluted bride without blemish, who hast prepared for us the path of salvation! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, through whom and by whom all the women in the world have acquired freedom of speech with her Lord! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou holy table, whereon the rational sacrifice is slain! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. Hail, Mary, the light of whose Son hath filled the whole world! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.

24 'Hail, Mary, whose holy birth-pangs were awaited by heaven and by earth! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, thou good root, who hast made to blossom for us the fruit of righteousness! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. 'Hail, Mary, who hast made to blossom the blessed seed of the fruit of righteousness of the Tree of Life! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. Hail, Mary, thou golden candlestick! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee. Hail, Mary, thou new cistern wherein is salt, which will make sweet that which is bitter! Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee.' 25 Verily, if all [the peoples of] the world were to come to one place, and verily, if I were to go round about in every direction, I should never come to the end of the [recital of the] blessings which are thy due, O thou holy turtle-dove, who hast come forth from the dovecot of the Great King, and who hast produced the Bridegroom of the whole world. And even if all the wise men in all the world, and all the men learned in books, and all the orators in every part of all the world were to gather themselves together, they would not be able to declare sufficiently the honour that belongeth unto thee. Or, what could they say concerning the great glory which thou hast acquired through thy Son that would be adequate? They might say, 'Heaven is high,' but it is not thy equal, for thy womb was loaded with Him Who filleth the heavens and the earth. And if people say unto me, 'The earth is great,' I reply, 'The earth is His footstool.' And if people would set the hosts of the heavens in comparison with thee, thou art greater than they in thy purity. They call thee the 'ark', but the ark of old preserved only Noah and his sons, whilst thou hast saved the whole world, which was being destroyed by wickedness. They call thee the 'ark of the Covenant', but in that ark there were [only] the Two Tables which had been written by the fingers of God,

26 or (sic) or whilst thou didst carry [the Lord of] the Universe, in the Word of His power. They call thee 'the vessel of gold', but that vessel only held a very little manna, which served as a memorial for the children of Israel, whilst thou didst contain Him that fed the whole world with the manna of the mind, which is His Body of God and His Blood of truth, which He gave for us until He redeemed us from our sins. 27 And it came to pass after these things that Mary said unto the archangel, 'Behold, thou art speaking to me in words that are beyond the measure of all men's understanding, and thou art proclaiming to me a marvellous mystery. For I am a virgin, and can this thing possibly come to me who have never known man?' And the angel answered and said unto her, 'If thou wishest to verify the words which I have spoken unto thee, rise up and go to Elisabeth, the wife of Zacharias the priest, who dwelleth in Torinè, for she is thy kinswoman, and thou shalt be convinced of the truth of the words which I have spoken, by her example. For I was sent unto Zacharias her husband, some days ago, and I proclaimed to him also tidings of great joy, saying, "Behold, Elisabeth thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John." And when Zacharias shewed that he did not believe my words, I inflicted upon him the punishment of dumbness. Now Elisabeth conceived a son, and Zacharias was dumb according to the word of my mouth, and there was great joy in the house of Zacharias. And this is the sixth month since Elisabeth conceived a son, according to the word which I announced to him. And thou, O wise virgin, art exalted above all the created beings and things which God hath formed; but I am unable to pronounce [upon thee] a decree of judgement in the same manner as I did concerning him, inasmuch as thou art the treasury of my Lord. For the mystery that hath come to Zacharias hath come unto others before him; but the mystery which hath come to thee hath never before happened, even from the beginning of creation, and it shall never happen again.'

28 And when Mary heard these things she spake unto Gabriel with a face of gladness, saying, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to thy word.' And the angel departed from her. And Mary in no wise forgot to do what she had been told to do, and she rose up quickly to go to Torinê. And she took with her the daughter (sic) of Joseph to be a companion on the road, and she set out on the journey, and undertook the fatigue and hardship of the road from Nazareth to Torinê. And she went into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. I marvel at thee, O virgin, how thou didst know where Torinê was, and who shewed thee the house of Zacharias, and why thou didst not lose thy way to the town, or wander into a strange house, for thou hadst not been shewn how to enter it, since thou wast not in the habit of frequenting it. The virgin saith: 'I went to see this marvellous mystery which had been pointed out to me. When I found Elisabeth she was with child. And I saw with my own eyes that her womb, which had been barren, was thrust forward through the weight of the child which she was carrying in it, and that her breasts, which had been dry, were heavy with milk. And when I saw the joy and gladness about the delivery [that was to take place] in the house of the barren woman, and when I saw Zacharias dumb and his mouth closed, I believed that the words which had

29 been spoken unto me [by the angel] were true. Nevertheless I did marvel at the statement that I should give birth to a child without [the help of] a man.' It was not merely a matter of making a woman who had been barren to conceive, for Isaac was given to Abraham when he was one hundred years old, and Sarra (Sarah) herself was ninety years old; and Isaac was sixty years old when he begat Jacob and Esau, and Rebecca was fifty years old; and Rachel was a barren woman, and she bore Benjamin and Joseph; and Anna, the mother of Samuel, was a barren woman, and she gave birth to a prophet; but to make a virgin to bear a child without [the help of] a man was, indeed, a wonderful mystery. 30 And Mary went and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth, and she found that Elisabeth was with child, and that Zacharias was dumb, and that all the signs [of an approaching delivery] were present; and she saw that Zacharias had received the punishment of dumbness, and that he was sitting in silence. And she saw also that the aged barren woman was bowed by reason of the great weight of the child, and she saw that her breasts, which had been shrivelled and dried up for a long time past, were full and large and dripping with milk, and she saw that her womb, which had been shrivelled and dried up, was thrust forward, and she saw that she was carrying a child. And she saw the gladness and festivity which were in the house of Zacharias. And straightway, when she had gone in to Elisabeth, and had saluted her, she (i. e. Elisabeth) leaped up like a girl through the Holy Spirit Who had come upon her, and as she stood up John moved through gladness within her. And straightway she cried out with a loud voice, and said, 'Blessed art thou among women! And blessed is the fruit which is in thee! As for me, who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' And behold, when the sound of thy salutation reached my ears, the child moved within me through gladness.' And blessed was the woman who believed that there would be a fulfilment of the words which were said unto her by the Lord.

31 O Elisabeth, whence didst thou know that the child which thou hadst conceived could bear witness, and that he moved in thy womb? For such a thing hath never been for a woman to know what is in her womb, before she hath brought it forth and hath seen what kind of a child it is which she beareth. However, Zacharias cannot have told her what the angel had said unto him, for from the time when Zacharias shewed himself unbelieving in respect of the angel dumbness appeared in him, and from the time when he was in the Temple he never spoke to Elisabeth. O Elisabeth, thou wast bound to take care for that which thou wast to bring forth; but whence didst thou know the words which the angel had spoken to Mary, saying, 'And blessed is she because she hath believed that the words which have been spoken to her shall come to pass through the Lord?' Was she, peradventure, present when Gabriel spake unto her? Assuredly not. It was the Holy Spirit that came upon her, and she prophesied concerning the things that were hidden. And the two young women had known each other from the time when they were in their mother's wombs, and they looked upon each other, and they rejoiced, and they wished to come forth before the time came. For this reason the Holy Spirit came upon them and Elisabeth prophesied. And when Mary was certain about the words of the angel she said, 'My soul is exalted in the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my

32 Saviour; for He hath looked upon the humility of His servant. For behold, from henceforth, all generations shall hold me to be justified. For He Who is mighty hath done great things for me, and His Name is holy. His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him. He hath performed a mighty deed with His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the thought of their hearts. He hath overthrown the dynasts on their thrones, and hath exalted those who are humble. He hath satisfied the hungry with good things, and He hath sent the rich away empty. He hath helped Israel, keeping in remembrance mercy, according to what He spake unto our fathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.' And Mary remained with Elisabeth for three months, and returned to her house. That Mary remained with Elisabeth for three months is an evident matter; but did she not then remain with her until she brought forth? Now although the Evangelist doth not make this [fact] perfectly clear, yet behold, the words that follow these statements will shew us [that she did]. He saith that 'the days of Elisabeth were fulfilled for her to bring forth', and it is manifest that Mary would not have left her without seeing Elisabeth's joy in the little child to whom she was about to give birth, for which very purpose Mary had gone thither.

33 For if the man who is invited to a banquet, whether it be a feast for a birthday or for some other day of rejoicing, cannot possibly leave the man who hath bidden him to the banquet until he hath seen the end of the rejoicings and the festivities, how much more would the mother of Him Who is life, and Who filleth the heavens and the earth, be obliged to remain until she had completed the matter for the purpose of which she had come! Therefore most certainly Mary remained with Elisabeth until she had seen the little child, and had spoken to Zacharias. 'And after these things,' Scripture saith, 'Mary returned to her house,' and sat down [there] composedly until she had fulfilled eight months. 34 And what happened after these things? 'It came to pass,' Scripture saith, 'that in those days an order came forth from the Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered for taxation, each according to his village; this was the first registration which took place, and Cyrenius was the governor of Syria. And every one went to have his name registered according to his city, and Joseph went up also.' And Joseph said unto Mary, 'What shall we do? Behold, they will lay hands on us, and make us go up to Bethlehem and have our names registered in the taxing-list.' And she said unto him, 'How can we go up? For, behold, the days are fulfilled for me to bring forth.' And the good old man said unto her, 'I believe that God will direct the journey for us.' And they rose up and left Nazareth, and they took the road to go up to Bethlehem, and they happened to arrive there on the Day of the Preparation, which is the great [day] of the fast. On that day no one asked them questions, and also they did not enquire for a place wherein to sojourn. And they found a caravanserai within the city where strangers lodged, and they also went in and camped there; but they could not find any room wherein to sleep because of the large number of people who were [already lodged therein]. And at dawn on the following morning, which was the Sabbath, and the first day of the new moon of the month of Khoiak, they unrolled their bedding by the side of a cattle-manger. And the whole of

35 that day was passed by them in waiting for their turn to come for their names to be registered. And that which was written above them in the register of taxes was as follows: 'Joseph the carpenter, of the tribe of David, and Mary his wife, and Jesus their Son.' Blessed art thou, O Joseph, for thou didst attain to a position which had never before been reached by man. Thou didst attain to the honour of writing the Name of the Logos of the Father after thy name, as if He were [thy] Son. From what didst thou come, and to what didst thou attain? From being a carpenter, working at thy handicraft, with thy tools in thy hands, thou didst attain to making thyself the father of Him that hath created everything! When a man acquireth the rank of a king, or weareth a crown, after a time he passeth away, and his rank also passeth away with him. As for thee, not only shall thy sovereignty not pass away from thee after thy death, but it

36 shall endure for ever. And we ourselves who are sitting upon lofty thrones, when our days are fulfilled, and we are obliged to sleep with our fathers, our honourable rank and our names sink into oblivion together. But as for thee, O righteous old man, thy name shall remain and endure for ever! How canst thou conceal the fact that thou wast the father and servant of Him that created everything with His own hands? Then after all these things and the registration of their names on the twenty-seventh day, on the day of the …, on the twenty-eighth day, which was the great day of the fast, they were not able to travel until the Sabbath was ended. And at midday of the twenty-eighth day Joseph looked into the face of Mary, and he saw that her whole body was shining brightly, and that she was greatly moved. And he spake unto her tenderly, saying, 'Why art thou disturbed this day?' And she said unto him in a terrified manner, 'O help me, for behold, the hidden fruit wisheth to come forth.' And

37 he said unto her, 'Fear not, but be strong, for He Who shall come forth from thy womb is He Who shall help thee.' And after these things she was again greatly moved, because it was her first time of bringing forth, and she was a stranger in the place, and there was neither acquaintance nor kinswoman with her, and she had never seen a woman in this condition, and she had never been instructed in matters of this kind. And there was a very large star in the middle of the heavens, and it illumined the whole world, and the men who were in Bethlehem were examining it with much attention, and they spake unto one another, saying, 'This star [indicateth] that a king is going to be born.' And Mary and Joseph heard all the words that were spoken about this matter, and Mary rejoiced [as] they marvelled, for there is a caravanserai in heaven wherein God and His angels dwell. And Mary passed the whole of that night in a restless condition, and she was greatly perturbed. And

38 at the moment of dawn on the twenty-ninth day of the month Khoiak, the fleecy cloud of light which overshadowed the good servant said, 'Do an act of kindness for Me; enquire after a woman who knoweth how to take care of children who are newly born from the womb.' And Joseph said unto Mary, 'Fear not Him that spake unto thee, for thou shalt bear a faithful son, for He spake unto me, saying, He Who shall be brought forth by her is of the Holy Spirit.' 39 And when he had said these things unto her he walked out from the caravanserai, and he knew not whither he was walking. And he looked up, and he saw a tent outside the city, and there were a number of men in it. And he walked towards it, and he looked up, and he saw a woman standing on the roof of her house, and looking over the wall. And Joseph cried out unto her, saying, 'I adjure thee, O thou woman, tell me if there be in this place a woman who knoweth how to act as a midwife; and let her come and sit with this young woman until she bringeth forth, and I will give her her hire.' And straightway the Holy Spirit came upon this woman, and she said unto him, 'Thou art Joseph, the blessed and righteous old man, the husband of Mary, from whose womb the Word of the Father shall come forth.' And he said unto her, 'Come down'; and straightway, by the Holy Spirit Who came upon her, she made haste, and came down, and put on her finest apparel as if she knew that she was going to meet God. And she came outside the door, and she stretched out her hands upwards to heaven, saying, 'O Jesus, the Word of the Father, as I have left my door open, and followed Thee, even so do Thou open unto me a place of abode in Thy kingdom.' And whilst Joseph was outside the holy Virgin Mary brought forth the Son of her first labour; and she wrapped Him round with strips of stuff, and laid Him to rest in the cattle-manger, for there was no room for them in the caravanserai. Hail, thou caravanserai, which thus became the Church wherein the Christ abideth! Hail, thou manger, thou first altar whereon the Christ offered up His sacrifice! Hail, ye strips of stuff of incorruptibility,

40 X X which God the Word wore until He had reconciled us to Him, and to His Father! Hail, thou manger! Hail, thou caravanserai, which became [an abode] upon earth and a holy Temple for God the Word! Hail, thou manger, which became a place of rest for God and men, through the journey which He made to us! Hail, ye strips of stuff which protected us against the destruction of the Devil! May he never approach me again! 41 And it came to pass after these things that Joseph arrived walking with that woman, whose name was Salome. And they looked and saw the little Child in the manger, and they marvelled. And they saw also the Virgin sitting in a state of poverty, whilst her face was emitting rays of light, and they saw an ox and an ass protecting the little Child, and they saw that the whole caravanserai was filled with joy, for the Son of God was therein. And Salome went in to the manger, and she worshipped the Lord, saying, 'Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, O Lord, which hath come to deliver all the sinners who are on the earth, of whom I am the first.' And after these things she went in to the Virgin, and she worshipped before her hands and her feet, saying, 'Blessed art thou, O Mary the Virgin, who hast set the whole world free from the curse which was on us through the transgression of Eve. O Mary, thou art the woman who hath been awaited during all the long ages which have passed. And as for me, I shall never again return to my own house.' Now this woman Salome was the first who recognized the Christ, and who worshipped Him, and believed on Him when He came upon the earth; and she did not return to her own house until the day of her death.

42 Whithersoever Christ went to preach, with His mother the Virgin, there she followed Him with His disciples until the day when they crucified Him and [the day of] His holy Resurrection. She saw them all, with His mother the Virgin. I wish very much that I might describe unto you fully the life of that woman, and her acts and deeds, and tell you from whom she was descended, and who were her kinsfolk; but we must not scatter our words in another direction, and we must not forget the plan which we have laid down. For this reason I return to the subject of this feast which is spread out for us this day. 43 And now, come thou into our midst, O Isaiah, thou mighty voice among the Prophets, and inform us this day what is the meaning of this manger, and the import of these ragged strips of stuff, and of these animals. 'The ox,' he saith, 'knoweth his master, and the ass knoweth his master's manger; [but] My people do not know Me, and Israel hath not found out who I am.' And then the Evangelist said, 'There were shepherds in that country who were in the fields, keeping watch by night over their flocks of sheep, and when they had seen the star they were afraid, for they were unable to sleep all that night. But they spake unto each other, saying, This [star] which hath appeared unto us is a great mystery. And just as they were saying these words, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone upon them, and they were afraid with an exceedingly great fear.' And what man is there who would not be afraid if he saw an angel of the Lord standing in front of him, especially if he was arrayed in marvellous apparel? But through the visit of our Lord which He made to us, the angel straightway removed from them their fear, and he said unto them, 'Fear not. For behold, I proclaim unto you a great joy which shall be unto all people, for there is born unto you this day a Saviour, Who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.

44 And a sign (or, proof) unto you is this: Ye shall find the young Child wrapped in ragged strips of stuff, and lying in a manger.' And straightway their eyes were opened, and they saw a multitude of angels blessing God, saying, 'Glory be to God in the heights, and His peace [be] upon the earth, in men, according to His wish.' And when the angels had made this confession, they straightway departed into heaven. And when the senses of the shepherds had returned to them, they said unto each other, 'These beings who spake unto us were angels. Now therefore let us rise up and go to Bethlehem, and let us see this great mystery by which the Lord hath appeared unto us.' Thereupon they came into Bethlehem, and the star drew onwards above them until it came over the place wherein the young Child was. And they saw Him with Mary His mother, and Joseph, and they knew that what had been told them was true; and the shepherds returned ascribing blessing and glory to God because of all the things that they had seen. And Mary kept all these words, and laid them up in her heart.

45 And when Herod saw the star, he knew that it was the star of a king, and he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, saying, 'What is the meaning of this mystery which hath taken place? Then behold certain Magi came out of the east, asking, Where is the King of the Jews Who hath been born? For we have seen His star in the east, and we have come to worship Him.' And when Herod heard these things he marvelled. Then he called the Magi secretly, and enquired of them concerning the time of the star that had appeared. And he said unto them, 'Come ye, and shew me by means of your art who this King is that hath been born.' And the Magi answered, 'He is not a king of this world, but a King Who will never come to an end, and His Kingdom shall never pass away. He is the King Who setteth all kings [upon their thrones], and Who removeth them [therefrom]. He is the King at Whose command heaven and earth shall pass away. He is the King Who shall give judgement to the whole world in righteousness. He is the King Who exalteth one man and humbleth another. If thou wishest to know, then we will tell thee: He is Jesus the Christ, concerning Whom it is written, "He shall be born in Bethlehem of Judea. When Herod heard these things from the Magi he was greatly disturbed, and he said unto them, 'It is impossible.

46 Ye shall [not] find rest until ye find him. Accept ye [these] gifts, and ye shall go secretly and enquire, and ye shall search carefully and diligently for the place wherein the great King hath been born, and ye shall give gifts unto Him; and when ye find Him, tell me also so that I may come and worship Him.' And he said these things unto them with deceit, for he wished to kill Him. And when the Magi had received the order from Herod the king they departed, and when they had journeyed a short distance from the city, behold, the star which they had seen in the east retreated before them, until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was. And they worshipped Him that had created everything which existeth, as He lay in a cattle-manger wrapped about in strips of ragged stuff, like [the child of] a poor man, for there was no room in the caravanserai wherein they could sleep. And the Magi said, 'Assuredly a piece of great good fortune hath come upon us despite our evil deeds.'

47 And I myself marvel, O Magi, at what ye were and at what ye became. From being supporters (i. e. followers) of the books of Magianism, and from fighting against God, and provoking Him to wrath, ye were the first to come and worship Him. From corrupting the souls of kings, and deceiving them, and leading astray the souls of many, ye were the first to come and worship the King Christ. For this reason, having attained these great miracles, they brought unto Him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And in the night that followed they departed to their house. And behold, on the morrow the angel of the Lord appeared unto pa pb pc them in a dream, saying, 'Whither are ye going?' And they said, 'Thou, the Lord, art He Who knoweth what we are going to do.' And the angel said unto them, 'Return not to Herod, but depart into your own country by another road.' And they said unto him, 'We know not the road by which we shall depart.' And the angel guided them, and they did not know whither they were going until he had taken them into their city, and [into] all the country of Persia. And a great fear came upon Herod, and he sought no more either the Christ or the Magi. And when each of the Magi had entered his own district, they made haste and burned their books dealing with Magianism, and they a preached Christ Jesus in all the city, and in all the country of Persia.

48 Then the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph after the Magi had departed, and said unto him, 'Rise up, and get thee into Egypt, thou and the young Child and His mother, until I tell thee; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' And Joseph arose by night, and took Mary and Jesus and Salome, and they rose up and departed into Egypt. Whither didst thou go, O Thou of Whom God called Himself the Father? Or, whither didst Thou go, O Thou, before Whom heaven, and earth, and creation quake? Why didst Thou flee from this wolf? Hẹ saith, 'I fled in order that I might fulfil the whole nature of men, with the exception of sin only.' He Who, if He but look upon the earth, maketh it to tremble to its foundations, He Who, if He but touch the hills, they smoke, fled before the man whose breath was in His hand! 'I did not,' He saith, 'flee because I was afraid; but in order that I might go into the land of Egypt, and destroy therein the worship of idols, and prepare for Myself therein a people who were pure.'

49 Come thou into our midst this day, O Isaiah, thou greatest of the Prophets, [come] into this festival this day and tell us the things which thou didst prophesy concerning the Christ and His mother the Virgin, from the beginning. He saith, 'Behold, the Lord of Hosts cometh into Egypt, sitting upon the light cloud, and all the images graven by the hand [of man] in Egypt shall be shaken.' And again he saith, 'And all the men of Egypt shall become like unto women through fear and trembling, because of the hand of the Lord of Hosts which hath been brought upon them.' Before ever the Lord came into the world the Egyptians were mighty, and their sceptre was over a multitude of nations. It was a strong nation which, as was to be expected, was to be humbled, for the Egyptians were worshippers of idols, but they were neither afraid of God nor of any other people. And when the Christ came into the world, and came down into Egypt, the fear of Him, and the trembling caused by Him, came upon them. He purified the people, He was holy, He purified the nations, and He made the Sceptre of all the nations to come over them. Therefore he saith, 'Egypt's labour [and] the merchandise of the people of Kûsh, and of the Sabeans, men of high stature, shall come to thee, and they shall pray unto thee, [saying,] For thou art the God, and they know not

50 that the God of Israel is our Saviour.' Ye see, [my beloved,] how the prophecy hath made itself manifest. When the Word of the Father came down into Egypt, He came in humility. He did not come as one of high rank and dignity, neither did He wear the royal purple; but His kingdom is for ever and ever, and His dominion from generation to generation. He did not come seated on a waggon, but He walked on His feet, and His waggon was the cattle-manger. He, Who gave unto us the road whereby we may enter into heaven, instead of being arrayed in purple and in apparel unsoiled, was wrapped in strips of ragged stuff, even as we pc py are. For this reason every man who is a servant of Him cannot possibly walk in pride. Then he saith again, 'There shall be an altar to the Lord in Egypt, near the country of Kúsh, and they shall offer up a gift upon it unto the Lord.'

51 Now the sweetness of thy words, O Isaiah the Prophet, maketh us to forget the other portions of the narrative which we have begun to relate. Because Herod found that the Magi had made a laughing-stock of him, and that he was unable to overtake them on their road, he was filled with wrath by his father the Devil, for he was afraid, inasmuch as they were masters in the arts of the sorcerer, lest they should do evil things to him, and he did not know where the Christ was so that he might seek Him out. Thus he continued to feel two evil passions, anger because the Magi had made him a laughing-stock, and hatred towards the Christ, Whom he wished to kill. And he continued to expect the Magi to return to him until fully two years had passed. Now it was not Herod who put restraint upon himself, but God Who set a restraint upon his heart, and prevented him from searching out the Christ at once, and He held him back until all the things that were written concerning the Christ were fulfilled. And they circumcised Christ on the eighth day, and they performed on Him all that the observance of the Law demanded. And they took Him into the Temple, and Simeon the priest received Him in his bosom, and he blessed Him. And He increased in stature like [any other] child, and He obeyed His parents, and performed all the other things which it was right for Him to do. After these things He departed into Egypt, Joseph being with Him.

52 And when Herod saw that the Magi did not return unto him, he was exceedingly angry, and he sent and slew all the young children who were in Bethlehem and the region round about of two years of age and under. For the Evangelist saith, 'According to the time when he enquired of the Magians,' and it is evident that he delayed before he slew the young children. And when the sacrifice was made, all the people who belonged to Bethlehem, and to the region round about, mourned for their little children who had been slain. But all the denizens of heaven rejoiced over the sacrifice of the children which had taken place after the departure of Christ, [Who] said unto His Father, with rejoicing, 'Behold My first sacrifice which I have offered up unto Thee after My coming upon the earth. Now therefore, O My Father, accept from My hand My sacrifice [of the children] in place of the animals which are slaughtered for devils. Behold, I send up to Thee a great quantity of innocent blood, and I give these precious gifts unto Thee, O My Father, so that they may bless Thee and Thy holy angels until I come unto Thee. Forsake not the world, O My Father, and those who dwell therein. Remember that Our hands have made them, and that all these creatures are the work of Our hands.' And Herod saw that he had two sons whom he had called by his name Herod.

53 And when he was about to yield up his spirit, the soldiers of his army spake unto him, saying, 'Which of thy sons shall reign after thee?' Then Herod looked at his elder son, and said unto him, 'Rule thy people.' And the soldiers of the army set the royal crown upon his head, and they abolished his first name of Herod, and called him Archelaus, according to that which his father had given unto him. And the Lord removed from his mind the intention of seeking out Jesus. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in Egypt, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and get ye into the land of Israel; for he who sought for the soul of the young Child is dead.' And straightway the good old man rose up, and took the young Child and Mary His mother, and departed into the land of Israel. And the young Child called Joseph 'My father', and Joseph instructed Him like a son, and the Child obeyed him like a good son.

54 Now Archelaus had two sons; the elder was called Philip, and the younger was called Herod, according to the name of his father; and Philip had a wife whose name was Herodias. And after a few days Archelaus died and Herod was set up in his place. And he was a young man of goodly presence, and all the army loved him, but he had no wife, and he committed very great sin, for he slept with his brother's wife whilst his brother was still alive, but no one knew of this secret thing except John, the son of Zacharias the priest. And John lived in the desert of Torinê in those days, because at that time Herod was slaying the young children who were in Bethlehem. In seeking for the Christ, he sought also for John so that he might kill him, but his mother took him, and fled with him to the wilderness of Torinê. And Herod sent a message to Zacharias, the father of John, in the Temple, saying, 'Tell me where thy son is so that I may kill him.' And Zacharias said, 'I know not. His mother hath taken him and fled with him.' And Herod was angry, and he sent and killed Zacharias the priest, in the inner part of the apse, in the holy place on the steps [leading up to] the altar.

55 And it came to pass after these things that Philip died, and he left a daughter who was skilled as a dancer. And Herod continued in sin, and John rebuked him, and sent warnings unto him daily through a messenger, saying, 'It is not lawful for thee to take thy brother's wife'. O John, than whom among those who are born of women none is greater, I would that thou didst inform me who was the messenger by whom thou didst send warnings daily to Herod! For this took place before thou didst reveal thyself to men, and there existed no [other] man who would dare to utter words of this kind to the face of the king. I think, O my brethren, that it was an angel who acted as John's messenger, and who sent to Herod and spake unto him the secrets of John. Therefore Herod did not know where John was, and he could not lay hold upon an envoy whom he could not see, and whose voice alone he heard. And, afterwards, when the holy forerunner [of Christ] had revealed himself unto men, he again rebuked Herod, but Herod was unable to speak unto him according to his evil wish, because the multitude regarded John as a prophet. Now I should very much like to describe unto you what took place between Herod and John, but I am afraid that if I discuss this matter I shall entirely forget this great festival wherein we are engaged this day, namely, the festival of the holy Virgin Mary, who gave birth to God.

56 There hath never been any other miracle as great as this on the earth; the finding of a virgin who was with child and who brought forth a man-child. And more miraculous still is it that when they did what was decreed for her, and when they had given her to a man, he neither knew her nor was he scandalized to find that she was with child by some one else. More miraculous still is it that the man accepted the paternity [of the Child], and ministered unto the Child she brought forth. Now had it been myself I should have said unto her, 'I wish to understand this matter which hath taken place. Thou wast delivered over unto me as a virgin, and pīr I was going to make a marriage feast for thee. But now, before this feast could take place, I walk with thee, and I discover that thou art with child, and that thou hast come to thy time for bringing forth.' However, no such [thoughts as] these rose up in his heart.

57 O Isaiah, thou greatest of the Prophets, thou who hast talked with God on several occasions, and hast never kept silence concerning the miraculous virgin, what dost thou say? He saith, 'Before she felt the pangs of childbirth she brought forth. Before the pains of childbirth came upon her she was delivered, and gave birth to a man-child. Who hath ever heard of such a thing? Or, who hath ever seen a woman bring forth, and produce a whole nation at once?' And this is a most marvellous thing: she was obliged to go through the process of parturition, just like all other women, but, although she brought forth with pain and trouble, the terror which is usually present in all women who are in childbirth for the first time was absent from her. O Mary, what didst thou intend to do when thou didst find thyself alone in the caravanserai, in a strange country, when thou hadst no man who was known to thee near thee, and when thou couldst not find a place wherein to lie down in the caravanserai? Didst thou remain alone without agitation, and without terror? Didst thou not, peradventure, say in thine heart, 'I am a woman like any other woman. I see that I am with child, although I am a virgin, for that which hath happened to me is a wonderful mystery. I feel [my] fruit moving. I feel the birthpangs flowing over me like the droppings of rain water.

58 I feel myself to be in a state of great misery, and I am sorrowing because of my absence from home and friends. I know not what to say, and I do not see any person who will take care of me and provide me with oil and wine, and the other necessary things which are prepared for women who are about to bring forth children for the first time. More especially do I feel at this moment that I am without kinsfolk and am a stranger, and that I am obliged to entrust myself to a caravanserai. For when all other women who are about to bring forth for the first time arrive at the period of the ninth month, their parents attend to their wants, but I see no one round about me, and there is no other house except the caravanserai wherein I can take up my abode.'

59 Nevertheless, why art thou disturbed, O Mary? Behold, all the hosts of heaven stand before thee instead of parents according to the flesh. Behold, God, the Lord of all creation, is unto thee a Father, in the place of brethren and kinsfolk. Behold, He Who hath created the whole world with His own hands is present, and He will protect thee and will take the place of wine, and oil, and the other necessaries of the body, and He it is Who will give nourishment to the hungry Child Who shall come forth from thee. Instead of a house and a habitation the heaven of heavens shall be a house for thee and a habitation. Instead of couches, and feather pillows, and padded quilts and cushions, behold, the incorruptible, celestial clothing hath been prepared for thee, and instead of attendants and servants, behold, the old man Joseph, the blessed carpenter, hath prepared himself to be unto thee a servant and attendant. Be not afraid, O Mary, the Lord is with thee, even as He hath been in the time that is past, for the words of Gabriel unto thee were, 'Hail, thou who hast found favour! The Lord is with thee'; and the abundance of every good thing that is in the heavens shall suffice for thee. What other woman in all the world hath found favour as thou hast, O thou holy city, wherein is set even the throne of the Great King? Verily, O holy Virgin Mary, thou art far more highly exalted than all those who are

60 pr pr exalted in the heavens and upon the earth. When I think of that which happened unto thee, I am as much stricken with amazement as I should be if I were to be transported from earth up to heaven. Now very many learned bishops, and theologians, and inspired men have wished to describe thy blessed and honourable estate, and they have laboured hard and abandoned their task, because they could not find any end to thy honour and thy virtue, and they could not discover how to effect their plan, for they became powerless before the height of thy attainment. Behold, the impious Nestorius, [that ignorant] mouth that deserved to be shut, and lo, it is already stopped with the unquenchable fire of Amente, meditated continually 61 upon the great mystery which had taken place, but he became præb stupefied, and his mind became wholly unbalanced. And he fell into a depth of wickedness, and he received the sentence of judgement which he deserved. He became a stranger to [his] diocese in this world, and he made himself a stranger to the glory of the kingdom of heaven; and his name was clothed with darkness (or, oblivion), and another received his bishoprick. Whilst he was still alive he received the excommunication which he deserved, and the banishment of shame which was his just due. Therefore, for this reason, O my beloved, let us not seek to pry into the dispensation of the Son of God, or into the manner in which it was effected. For he saith in the Book of Proverbs, 'If thou forcest matters, fighting (or, strife) shall arise.' It must be said: The Virgin brought forth the Word of the Father without the assistance of a man, and the fact is evident, but the investigation of the manner in which He came down, and of the means whereby he entered into the womb of the Virgin, is a thing

62 that is difficult for us to understand. Moreover, another præ mystery is that which Gabriel spake unto her, saying, 'It is the Holy Spirit that shall come upon thee, and the might of the Most High that shall envelop thee. Therefore He Whom thou shalt bring forth is holy, and He shall be called the Son of God'. These were the words that were entrusted to him to speak to the Virgin, and besides these he knew nothing whatsoever. And moreover, the Virgin herself also was marvelling at the salutation (or, greeting), and she was troubled, saying in her heart, 'Behold, the sweet odour hath reached me through the angel. And behold, his word is fulfilled, for lo, I have conceived, lo, my breasts are full of milk, and lo, my womb is swollen. But I know not whence this hath come to me.' 63 And now, O unbelieving heretic, if thou wilt not believe after all these things which are full of wonder, arise, come with me, and let us go into the town of Bethlehem, and pH I will make thee to know Him as He lieth in the cattle-manger, and I will compel thee to believe through the ox and the ass, which protected Him in the manger. Behold, the shepherds put to shame thy impiety because the hosts of heaven appeared unto them as they blessed God, and all the denizens of the heavens rejoiced in His holy birth. Behold, the Magi also who came out of the east with His star going before them from the east until it came to Bethlehem, they saw Him and worshipped Him, and [when] they saw Him they presented unto Him their gifts, and confessed their sins unto Him. The God to Whom the Virgin gave birth tore in pieces the bill of indictment of their sins through the burning of their books on Magianism, and they regarded Him as the King of earth, and acknowledged Him as the King of pH heaven.

64 Behold, Mary the Virgin sat in the caravanserai, and she gave her breast to the Son of God Whom she had brought forth. And behold, Salome, who had forsaken her own house, and her previous manner of life and conversation, [said], 'Blessed art thou, O Mary, out of whose soul a sword hath come forth, in order that the thoughts (or, cogitations) of many hearts may be revealed! The sword that hath come from thy soul is the Word of the Father, and the thoughts [of many hearts are the thoughts of the] heretics who are lovers of vainglory, and who would separate the Divinity of the Only-begotten of the Father from Him, and of the Jews who lie concerning His holy resurrection, and [of the holders of] all the other impious dogmas which that sword shall make manifest. I entreat thee, O Holy Virgin, to come and give me thy hand during this great and holy festival this day, and hide not thy power from me, in order that we may eat of the good things, and be filled, and rejoice, for it is the meat and drink of the Spirit which thou hast set before us on the table of the Son of God. O gracious David, come and rejoice with us this day on this great festival. He saith, I have come. I cry out, Stablish the festival with those that make answer, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, I will praise Thee, and I will make Thee manifest.

65 Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee.' O thou Isaiah, thou greatest voice of the Prophets, come hither and tell us what thou didst foretell concerning the Virgin, who produced God. He saith, 'Open the gates, and let the people who keep righteousness, and who keep truth and judgement, enter in; they shall hope in Thee, O God, for ever.' Verily great is the festival this day, for [it is in honour of] the woman who gave birth to God, Whom no place can contain, Whom the earth cannot support! The womb of Mary the Virgin embraced Him that made the heavens to stand fast by His word, and all the powers [thereof] by the Spirit of His mouth. Come ye, and let us look upon Him now seated upon the knees of Mary the Virgin, who giveth Him her breast. Him Who brought water out of the hard rock, and gave those who were athirst to drink in the desert, behold Him, I say, now sucking at the breast! And He Who created the earth, and the men who are upon it, [lieth] now like a little child in the bosom of Mary the Virgin. Behold, He is now lying in a caravanserai without a place whereon to lay His head. Well did He say, 'The foxes have their holes, and the birds of the heavens have their nests, but the son of man hath no place whereon to lay His head.'

66 This day, O my beloved, is Christ born unto us, and let us [this day] renew our birth through repentance. He came down unto us through His own wish to us-ward, and let us go towards Him with purity. He rested Himself in the manger out of which the cattle ate, and let us make ourselves perfect in incorruptibility. He increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour before His Father in the heavens, and with men upon the earth, and let us increase in the stature of perfection, and in virtue before God and His angels. He obeyed His father and His mother like a man, and let us obey His commandments and His statutes which He hath given unto us. He ate and drank like a man, so that He might make man eat and drink at His table in His kingdom. He suffered [as] He walked on the way, so that we might learn to suffer with Him, until at length we go up into heaven with Him. He rested at the fountain, so that we too might rest by the rivers of the water of life which flowed down from Him. He held converse with the Samaritan woman, so that we might become the sons of His mother the Virgin. He opened the eyes of the man who was blind from his birth, so that we might open the eyes of our heart and soul and make ourselves to rise up out of the ruin [caused by]

67 Pho the Devil. He raised the dead, so that He might raise us up in our defeated state. He permitted sinful men to smite Him in the face, so that He might teach us to forgive those who sin against us. He permitted sinful men to revile Him, so that we might [do likewise] and receive honour before His Father and His holy angels. They stripped His apparel off Him, and it was divided among the soldiers, so that He might array us in incorruptible raiment in the heavens. They set a crown of thorns upon His head, so that He might set up on our [heads] the good crown of His never-failing mercy when we shall go to meet His Good Father Who is in the heavens. They placed a reed in His hand, and He was mocked by the unbelieving Jews, so that He might place in our hands the sceptre of dominion over the Devil and his wicked fiends. They placed upon Him a purple robe, so a that He might array us in glory and honour, and so that He might strip the Devil naked, and leave him in a state of shame and disgrace. He stood up before Pilate, so that He might bring us to stand up boldly in the holy resurrection. They cast Him into prison, so that He might bring us up out of the prison of Amente, and might give us as a gift to His Good Father.

68 He ascended the wood of the Cross to be crucified for us, so that He might destroy in us sin, and teach us to spread out our hands, and to pray to Him and to His Good Father. They placed Him in a tomb, so that He might raise us up with Him, and forgive us our sins which we had committed in ignorance. He rose from the dead, so that He might teach us concerning His glorious resurrection. He went up into heaven, so that He might take us with Him at His second appearance. He took His seat on the right hand of His Father, so that He might make us to sit with Him upon the throne on the day when He shall judge the living and the dead. 69 O my beloved, behold, let us understand this great sea of goodness which hath come to us this day through the holy Virgin Mary, who gave birth to God. Come, O all ye women who have borne children, and give glory to the Virgin who brought forth God. Come, all ye who have tasted marriage, and give glory to her who hath brought forth a child without the help of a man. Come, O ye widows, and rejoice this day, because the Judge of the widow and the Helper of the needy hath arrived. Come, O ye virgins, and gaze at the King of glory, and at the glorious Virgin, [the mother of] the Christ, Who glorifieth all virgins, and Who was born this day from the womb of the holy Virgin Mary, the Queen and Mother of all virgins, and the Lady of all creation. Come, O ye old men, and look at the mighty Sceptre, whereby ye establish yourselves, coming forth this day from the womb of Mary, the spotless Virgin. Come, O ye young men and children, and gaze upon this maiden who brought forth God. Come, O ye strangers, and look upon Him that made Himself a stranger, for our sakes, and upon His mother the virgin. Come, O all ye tribes of the earth, and all ye nations also, and look upon Him Who was born unto us this day in a caravanserai, and Who when a babe was like the child of poor and needy [parents], and was wrapped in strips of ragged stuff, and was laid in a cattle-manger. O all ye people of divers tongues in all the world, come ye and look upon Him Who

70 confounded all tongues so that no man could hear (i. e. understand) the tongue of his neighbour, coming forth this day from the womb of Mary the Virgin. The whole world rejoiceth this day, because He Who created it hath come down upon it. All the denizens of heaven rejoice this day, because He Who created the heavens by His wisdom came forth this day from the womb of Mary the Virgin. The Prophets rejoice this day, because He Who shall fulfil their prophecies came forth from Mary this day. Abel rejoiceth this day, because He Who shall avenge his blood on his brother hath come. In short, all creation rejoiceth this day at this great festival, which extendeth throughout the whole world, because the Word of the Father hath appeared in the little town of Bethlehem, and hath risen upon us from the holy Virgin Mary. 71 Now therefore, O my brethren, as far as we can participate in this great mystery this day, which is the birthday of the Christ, the Word of the Father and the King of kings, let us perform the good deeds that appertain to this great and holy festival. Let this festival be unto us a twofold occasion for joy; first, because we are called Christians, and secondly, because we are servants of the Christ. Let us not go forth from [this] church wherein we have been listening to His holy words, and have been instructed thereby, and forget them before we arrive at the doors of our houses. Let us put on splendid apparel, suitable to the honour that befitteth this great festival this day, that is to say, righteousness, and charity, and judgement, and every good [quality]. For this is the apparel that pleaseth God, and this it is that is befitting for us to put on at this festival. Let us never permit

72 ourselves to be stripped bare of it through carelessness (or, apathy). Woe be unto those whom the Bridegroom shall see without the wedding garment on them when He cometh! For although they are seated in the midst of all those who have been invited to the feast according to their rank, He shall threaten them with a threat of severe punishment in the midst of all those who are sitting at meat, and He shall say unto them, 'My friend, by what means hast thou entered this place not being arrayed in the wedding garment?' And his mouth shall be stopped in the midst of all who are sitting at meat. And the King shall command those who are standing in attendance to bind his feet, and to cast him forth into the outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Woe unto those who have fallen asleep through listlessness, and to whom shall come the voice, 'Behold the Bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet Him.' Those who are ready shall go in to the wedding feast, and He shall shut the door. And those whose lamps have burned out shall come and shall knock, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open unto us.' And they shall hear the voice full of threatening and terror, saying, 'Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.'

73 Now therefore let [the women] hearken to the following words which are spoken by the great master of the Church, Peter, the pillar of truth, who saith, 'Let there be no adorning which is outward, and scents, and gold ornaments, and [rich] apparel, and precious stones; but [let the adorning be of] the hidden man of the heart, with incorruptibility, and meekness of spirit, which before God is that which is precious. For after this manner did the women of old, and they adorned themselves, following the example of those who had been before them, and they inherited great riches, saying, In this way did the holy women who trusted in God adorn themselves, even as Sarah, the holy wife of Abraham, who obeyed Abraham her husband, and she called him "My lord". And he gave a proof to them in these words, saying, Ye shall be her daughters if ye do that which is good, and ye shall not be afraid with any fear whatsoever.' So therefore every woman who followed good deeds of holy women like Sarah in the place wherein she was is now in the kingdom of heaven, and she shall obtain the selfsame good things in the habitation of those who rejoice, from which all sorrow of heart, and grief, and sighing have fled. But in any case, when ye have been into the church, and have displayed your works of vanity, and boasted yourselves over your observance of the festival, and when afterwards ye go out of the church, and ye depart unto your houses, and ye see the tables laden with good things of every kind, whilst a multitude of poor people stand outside your doors in great need and in want of food and clothing, and hungering and athirst, and ye do not turn your

74 faces towards them, and do not pay the smallest regard to them, what profit do ye gain in observing this festival as ye are doing? For assuredly Isaiah, the mightiest voice among the Prophets, calleth this thing to mind in the following words, and speaketh as if he were God, saying, 'Your new moons and your festivals doth my soul hate. Ye have become to me a satiety, and therefore I will not forgive you your sins'. 75 Behold now, I see many standing among you here in this place with their faces made sad by what they have heard, and their eyes are filled with tears, but yet so soon as they are outside the church they will forget forthwith the things which they have heard, and they will turn again to their former works, nay, they will even add to them. But why do I say 'When they have come out of church?' For before the tears which are in their eyes are dried, they will find themselves thinking about those who are coming out, and they will be directing their looks outside the church, thinking that they may perhaps find some foolish persons there like unto themselves. And they will stretch out their fingers to each other in order to display the gold rings that are on their fingers, and they will wave their hands to each other by way of speech [to shew] that they are not passing them by [without notice]. They make promises with their mouths whilst their hearts are filled with [thoughts of] adultery. Their hearts leap by reason of their excessive adulteries and lusts, and their lips speak words of depravity. Through their excess of error they desire to leave the church before they have received the benediction (or, peace). And such are the people who say, 'We are Christians.

76 We stand up in church, and we pray, and we celebrate the festival of the Christ.' Let now those who belong to this class come and hearken unto Isaiah the Prophet, who saith, 'When ye shall stretch out your hands to me, I will turn mine eyes away from you; when ye shall multiply your supplications, I will not hearken unto you, for your hands are filled with blood, and your lips speak wickedness, and your tongues meditate violence.' Are not these the rebukes which such men ought to hear? If thou wishest to keep the feast, O beloved, and to include thyself among the servants of the Christ, abandon thy former deeds, even as did the Magians, bless with the angels, even as did the shepherds, and leave the door open, even as did Salome. Follow thou Him, as did Joseph, and thou shalt obtain for- 77 giveness of thy sins as did they of old. Hearken unto Solomon; what doth he say? 'Make ready works in thy way, and prepare thy field, and [then] build thy house.' For the settlement and arrangement of matters beforehand is the acquiring of the whole armour of salvation. Do thou follow after the Christ, Who is the new building. For what shall we give Him in exchange for this great reaching out which He hath made towards us? Verily, if we were to forsake the world, and to depart into the desert, we should not by any means be giving unto Him a recompense for this deed, and still less for all the sufferings which He bore for us willingly. For this reason, and since we know well that we are not able to offer him any excuse (or, explanation) or any recompense, let us give thanks unto Him for being permitted to suffer with Him, so that we may be able to destroy the snares of the Devil and his evil passion.

78 Now there will most certainly be some one among the well-fed and pleasure-loving people here present who will say unto me, 'In what way shall I be saved? For I am worn out, and I have not sufficient strength to suffer in my body. Moreover, I am a townsman (or, citizen), and I am delicate in my body, and I have become weak because of my old age. What can I do?' And I say unto such an one, Thou art using thy blindness of heart as a pretext when thou sayest these things, for what He demandeth from us is always the same, that is to say, we must give up doing the evil works which we have been in the habit of doing, and we must not turn to them again. For the Word of God inviteth us at all times, saying, 'Turn ye unto Me, O sons who have gone astray, and I will receive you, and will not reject you, saith God, the Almighty.' It is not men who have said these things, but God Almighty, Who hath spoken them by the mouth of His holy prophets. For behold, the prophet Isaiah is witness concerning the things which He hath spoken, saying, 'For the mouth of the Lord of Hosts it is that sayeth these things.' For again in another place the Lord saith by His holy prophets, '[As] I live, saith the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should turn from his sin, and live'; and thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God.

79 For when once a man hath cast God behind him, he committeth a multitude of sins, and he will go so far as to worship idols, but God doth not forsake him utterly, and He looketh out for his repentance. For very many are corrupt, especially at this present time, but these are they who deserve to be hated because of their evil deeds which they have committed from the beginning, for the evil deeds which they have committed from the beginning are so evil that every one who heareth of them placeth his hands over his ears. Nevertheless, the man loving God desireth to make their hearts incline to repentance, and to make them to turn from their state of carelessness, and to do the things that are good. Afterwards, their name, which is internal, is covered up in the earth, and [their] good name followeth them, and at length every man thinketh well of them and desireth to hear of their good deeds, which are theirs at the last. Get thee outside this city a little way, and go into the monastery, and thou wilt see a multitude of men who in days gone by passed their lives in the theatres, and in places where races and feats of horsemanship were performed, and in committing fornication, but who subsequently renounced their former courses of life, and who at length became the equals of the angels, and who make people marvel at all their works.

80 O my beloved, may we be made to stand up with Him, so that we may become like unto those who are chosen [to be] with Him Who hath drawn nigh for their salvation. Now I was not willing to utter the words of sorrow of heart during this great festival which extendeth this day throughout the whole world, but the Word of the Father Who hath honoured [me] hath come unto us for the salvation of our souls, in order that He may set us before Him being spotless. May the God of truth, Jesus the Christ, our Lord, Who hath come forth from this holy Virgin this day, make us all to be chosen before Him when we meet Him. For we all have need of His mercy, whether it be those who speak or those who hear, or whether they be small or great, or male, or female, or old man, or little child. Whosoever shall dedicate his heart to instruction (or, rebuke) shall be filled with good

81 things. 'Come, my children,' he saith, 'hearken ye unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.' For the fear of the Lord worketh for life, and the love of God is made manifest in man. We speak many things to your charity because of the coming to us of God the Word and His mother the Virgin, but chiefly because of our excessive carelessness (or, apathy) about this multitude of sorrowful words. May it be that we all shall find boldness of speech before Him when we meet Him, and that after our removal from this life He may receive us to Himself in His tabernacle for ever! peec peec Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen. Bless us! [The Coptic text of the Colophon is published in Coptic Martyrdoms, London, 1914, pp. 223, 224, and see Plates and XXVI; the English translation will be found on pp. 472, 473 of the same work.]