The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

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The Preaching of Saint John the Evangelist

1 Here beginneth the Book of the Preaching and Travels (literally, road) of Saint John, the son of Zebedee, the good Evangelist, and of his departure from this world unto God Almighty. It was written by Saint Prochorus, who was of the family of Stephen, the Archdeacon and Protomartyr, and who was [one] of the seven messengers whom the Apostles appointed for service among the newcomers. In the peace of God the Father. Amen. 2 And it came to pass that after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ unto heaven the Apostles were gathered together unto the grave of Mary. And Peter said unto them, "Ye know, O brethren, everything which our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us [to do], and that He ordered us to teach the Faith unto the Gentiles, and to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Holy Ghost, and since He hath sent upon us the Holy Spirit there is none [among us] who can dispute concerning that which our Master hath commanded us. Now great sorrow [hath come upon us] by reason of the departure of His Mother from the world, for she was the mother of us all, and the mother of all believers. But now, O beloved brethren, come, and let us, by the grace of the Trinity, bring unto all peoples the commandments with which our Teacher commanded us. And remember ye His words which He said, 'I am sending you [forth] like lambs among wolves; be ye then as wise as the serpent, and as gentle as the dove.' Now, ye know that when a man wisheth to kill a serpent the serpent maketh all its body to wriggle and that it hideth its head; in like manner let us, O brethren, give ourselves unto death and preserve our soul which is the true faith; and let us also be like unto the dove which, when her masters take away her young, doth not make any resistance against them. Behold, ye know that our Lord said, Since they persecuted Me, you also will they persecute." And again He said, "In the world ye shall have much tribulation, but He for Whose sake they persecute you will be with you."

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 strengthen the works [of the government], and when he heard from me these words he commanded the elders to drive me away, and they did even as he had commanded them. Then I travelled on for forty days, and at length I arrived in the country of Asia, and I came into a broad tract of land upon the sea-coast; now the name of that land is Marmará'án (Mareon). And I sat down upon a lofty piece of land which jutted out over the sea to rest myself from [my] tribulation and sorrow, and I laid myself down and I slept a little; and when I opened my eyes [again] I saw a mighty wave in the sea, and it cast John up from out of itself. Now when I saw this I rose up quickly that I might lay hold of his hands, and help to rescue him, but I was not then certain that the man was John. And when I drew nigh unto him, I stretched out my hands that he might grasp them, but he quickly escaped from me. And it came to pass that, when I saw [that the man was John], I rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy, and I embraced him, and we shed tears together, and we gave thanks unto God for His grace which had brought us together after we had lost all hope [of meeting again]. And when he had rested a little, his heart returned unto him, and we conversed together concerning all that had happened unto us. Then he informed me that he had remained for forty days and forty nights in the depths of the sea; and I told him everything which had happened unto me. And we continued together and came unto the border of this land which is called Marmará'án (Mareon), even unto the city thereof; and we begged food, and [the people] gave us bread and water, and we ate, and our hearts were made strong. Then we journeyed along on the road until [we arrived at the city of the] Ephesians, and we entered into the city and dwelt in a place the name of which is the "Fort of 'Ardâmis (Artemis)," and it is situated in the front of the city. Now there was in that place a house of washing (i. e., bath), which belonged to the governor of the city, whose name was Dioscorides. And John said unto me, "O my son, inform not any [man] in this city who we are, and why we are here, until God wisheth us to find an opportunity for making ourselves known, and we can preach herein."

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

11 And she said unto him, "Wilt thou come and be a fireman, and heat the bath? I will give thee both hire and food. And John said unto her, "I consent. Then the woman turned and said unto me, "And thou, what sayest thou? And John said unto her, "He is my brother; and she said unto him, "I wish him to be a washer in the bath. Then she brought us together to the bath, and she appointed John fireman of the bath, and me she made a washer; and she gave us three loaves of bread, and we tarried there four days. 12 Now John did not heat the bath well, and the woman laid hold of him and threw him on the ground, and beat him most unmercifully with many stripes, and said unto him, "O thou wicked man, thou fugitive who hast fled from thine own country, thou art not fit to live! If thou didst know that thou wast not able to do the work, why hadst thou the impudence to undertake it? My opinion of thy doings is that thou hast come hither that thou mayest overcome Rōmnā, whose fame hath reached even unto the city of Rome; but thou shalt not be able to escape from my hands. Thou art my slave as long as thou eatest and drinkest [at my expense]; thou art strong, and yet when it is time for work thou art lazy. Put away from thee this evil habit, and perform the work of Rômnâ, which is good work." And when I heard these abominable words which she spake unto John, and saw the beating which she gave him I was sorry with a great sorrow. And John said unto me, "When thou seest me thus sorrowful, O my son Prochorus, why dost thou meditate in this wise? Knowest thou not that I was swallowed up in the sea, and that I remained in the depths thereof for forty days [and forty nights], and that by the mercy of God I was saved? Wilt thou then be grieved because of one beating by a foolish woman whose anger is but a small thing? Go back to thy work, and labour quickly. Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator, was beaten, and they spat in His face, and they scourged Him, and crucified Him, and He redeemed us, His creatures, with His precious blood, and He was like unto us in everything, sin alone excepted, and He foretold unto us how all these things should happen unto us; but let us possess our souls in our patience." And when I heard these things from him I returned unto my work which Rômnâ had commanded me to do.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 "What hast thou to say, O wicked slave?" And when John heard these words from Rōmnā he entered into the bath-house, and stood at the head of the boy who was dead, and he laid his hands upon the unclean spirit, for he had found him, and he rebuked him and cast him out from the boy. Then he made the sign of the cross over his face, and he took him by the hand and lifted him up, and brought him forth alive out of the bath- house, and [gave him] into the hands of those who were gathered together there. Then he said unto Rōmnā, "Take thy master, for he is whole and alive, and there is no injury whatever upon him. Behold, he hath come to life through the might of my God Jesus Christ." 21 And when Rōmnā saw what had happened, she was utterly dismayed, and her senses departed from her, and fear and trembling laid hold upon her, and upon all the men of the city who were there, and who had seen the marvellous things which John had wrought; and Rômna was not able to lift up her face to that of John by reason of shame and fear. And she remained in this state, saying, "Woe is me by reason of what I have done unto this man, whom I treated as a slave, although he was not my slave, and by reason of all the abuse which I heaped upon him continually. I have acted very wrongly concerning him, and I am suffering great tribulation because of the buffetings and blows which I inflicted upon him;" and she was so exceedingly sorrowful that she wished to die rather than live. And when John looked into the face of the woman and saw that sorrow, and shame, and penitence had come upon her, he took hold of her hands, and made the sign of the glorious cross over her face in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Then straightway her limbs became quiet, and she threw herself into the hands of Saint John, and said unto him, "I entreat thee to make me to know who thou art. Art thou God, or art thou the Son of God, that thou art able to do this thing?" And John said unto her, I am "neither God, nor the Son of God, as thou sayest, but I am the servant of the Son of God; and if thou wilt believe upon Him thou shalt become His handmaiden."

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

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

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

25 e., Religion), and then I will baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and they shall receive the Law of Life." 26 And after these things Rômna came bearing in her hands the deed of servitude of John, wherein she had caused it to be written that John was her slave, and she fell down at his feet with weeping, and she repented with bitter tears, and said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, I entreat thee to give me the sign of the faith of Christ, and to receive from me the writing of sin." Then John took from her the writing, and tore it in pieces, and baptized her in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And after these things John departed from the house of Dioscorides and went into the bath-house, and he drove out therefrom the unclean spirit which strangled the people, and then went back into the house of Dioscorides; now very many men had gathered together unto us, but when we had entered into the house the multitudes dispersed. And Dioscorides made ready for us a table [of food], and we gave thanks unto God and took our food, and we dwelt in that place until the second day. And the men of that city were celebrating a great festival [in honour of] their goddess whom they call 'Ardâmis (Artemis). Now John was sitting by that place, and he stood up opposite the idol which they call Artemis, and all the men of the Ephesians were sitting [there], and they were arrayed in fine apparel because it was the day of the festival, and John also was sitting there. Now the apparel which he had on him was that which he wore when he used to feed the furnace fire in the bath-house. And it came to pass that when the followers of the heathen goddess saw him, they threw stones at him, but not a stone touched him; and the stones fell upon the idol until it was broken in pieces. Then John answered and said unto them, "O men of the Ephesians, why do ye commit such folly as to celebrate a festival [in honour] of unclean devils? Why do ye forsake God, the Maker of all created things, the great and honourable God?" And wrath laid hold upon the people by reason of [the words of] John. Then John said unto them, "Behold, your goddess hath been broken in pieces by the great number of the stones which ye have thrown at me; but if ye wish to see the power of my God, get understanding, and awake, and hasten to receive Him Whom ye shall see."

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

28 Q hearts are like unto that of Pharaoh." Then John lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "I entreat Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, thou Son of the Living God, that these dead men may be raised up by Thy power, and may believe in Thy Name." And in that same hour a mighty earthquake took place, and fear and trembling were in the land; and the two hundred men who were dead rose up, and fell upon the ground, and bowed down before John, and said unto him, "What dost thou command us [to do], O good man?" Then John admonished them, and taught them the Law of Faith, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 29 And after these things we dwelt in an open place in the midst of the city, and a multitude of people were gathered together unto John. And a certain woman came and bowed down before him, and said unto him, "O servant of the Good God, I have a son, upon whom an unclean Satan laid hold eight days ago, and he hath fallen into tribulation by reason of this Satan, and he suffereth exceedingly; I beseech and entreat thee to have compassion upon my son, and to deliver him, for I and his father believe in thy God." Then John and Dioscorides rose up together, and they came unto the house of that woman, and they saw the youth lying upon his couch, and he was speechless; and the mother of the youth bowed down before John, and said unto him, "I adjure thee by the Name of God, Whom thou servest, to have mercy on my son." Then John took hold of his right hand, and said unto him, "In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ I command thee, O young man, to rise up from this place;" [and straightway] he rose up, and bowing low he gave praise unto God. And John admonished them, and baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

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

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

32 1982. "salem, the name of the one being John and that of the other Prochorus, and I took them and put them in the prison-house. And on the fourth day the judges of the city made enquiries concerning them, and I brought them before them, and [when] they had made certain of the wickedness of their deeds, which was very great, they commanded me to take them back to the prisonhouse until the time when the judges of the city should assemble to pass upon them their sentence of death. And it came to pass that when I was taking them back to the prison-house, according as the judges had commanded me, they slipped through my hands by means of their enchantments, and escaped. Now when I told the judges what they had done, they had compassion upon me, and said unto me, Go, O wretched man, and seek for them, and know that if thou find them not thou shalt die a terrible death; and if thou canst not find them here, come not back to us until thou hast gone round about through the whole country." Then Satan brought out the gold before them, and he said unto them, "Behold, the king hath set [people] to lie in wait for them on the roads, and several men have told me that they are in this city, and therefore have I sought for them [here]." And he continued to weep, and said, "I myself have left my children and my house for their sake, and behold, I am a stranger in a foreign land; I entreat you, O my beloved ones, to have compassion upon my condition as a stranger."

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

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

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

36 .93b. "[to prevail over] each of them." Then Satan went about with them weeping, and he was exceedingly sorrowful, and many people gathered themselves together [unto him], and he told them the same story which he had already told the two men. And the people were exceedingly wroth with John, and many of them, that is to say the Jews, who came unto the house of Dioscorides, broke down the gates and came into [the courtyard] in anger, and they said unto 37 Dioscorides, "Thou art the governor of the city, and it is unseemly for thee to allow sorcerers to dwell in thy house. If thou wilt not send them back to us, we will burn down thy house, and will plunder all thy possessions, and will slay thyself and thy children, and will take them prisoners against thy will, and the people shall declare the story thereof in the city." And many people were gathered together in the house of Dioscorides, seeking for John and his disciple. And when John saw the multitudes of people who had gathered themselves together and come there, he said unto Dioscorides, "We neither wish for possessions, nor are we afraid of punishment in our bodies, but thou art sorrowful for the destruction of thy goods. As for us, our Teacher taught us to bear the cross of our death and to follow Him." Then Dioscorides said unto John, "Behold, they will burn my house and plunder my possessions, and they will slay both me and my children for thy sake." And John said unto him, "Neither thou, nor thy children [shall be slain], nor anything which is thine [shall be plundered], nor one hair of thy head shall fall [to the ground], and as for us, take us back to these men who are seeking us, for these people who are gathered together are well disposed towards us; and do thou and thy children take refuge in your habitations until ye see the power of God." Then Dioscorides took us unto the [two] men, and they placed us in the temple of Artemis.

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

39 ] "have done. Come, let us seize them, and let us hand them over to the governor of the city, and let us punish them according to the Law of the Books of Moses." Now there was with them a certain Jew whose name was Marāwan, and he said unto the people, "Both of these men are sorcerers, and they know all manner of evil arts; it is better that we should kill them and that we should not make enquiries concerning them." And the people said unto him, "Thou sayest well;" but [although] Marāwan stirred up all the multitudes [to do this] they did not accept his words, but took us to the governor of the city, and they delivered us over into his hands. 40 And the judges (or magistrates) said unto the people, "Under what pretext have ye brought these two men unto us? and the people said unto them, "They are sorcerers. And the judges said unto them, "What work of sorcery have they done? and the people said unto them, "The man Marāwan [said that one] of the officers of the king hath come from their city seeking for them, and he hath given us information concerning the wickedness of their deeds. And the judges said unto Marā- 200b. wan, "Let the man who hath spoken concerning these men come hither to us, and let him declare the words of truth; and, as for these men, let them put them in the prison-house until their accusers come. So they brought us into the prison-house, and they shut us up there and bound us in fetters. And the multitudes went forth into every road of the city and made enquiries for the servants of the king, but they found them not in the city; and then a herald went through the city and in the districts round about for three days, but they found not the man whom they sought. Then they returned unto the judges and said unto them, "We have not found the man. And the elders of the city answered and said unto them, "It is not necessary for us that these men who are strangers should dwell in the prison-house, for we have not found any true witness or any accusers who can put them to the test.

41 Then the judges sent messengers unto us and brought us [unto them] secretly, and they threatened us, and commanded us neither to dwell in the city, nor to teach therein anything whatsoever of our doctrine. And they made us to depart from the city, and they sent with us soldiers of the guard to make us to depart from all the districts thereof, and we arrived at a place which is called Marmar'án (Marmareon), whither John went up when he came forth from the sea, and we dwelt there three days. 42 And our Lord Jesus Christ spake unto John in a dream, and said unto him, "Behold, John, I am thy Lord." And our Lord said unto him, "Rise up, and go unto the city of the Ephesians, and after three days [the sailors shall bring thee] unto an island which hath need of thee; and behold, much tribulation shall come upon thee, and thou shalt dwell [there] many days." And for this reason we rose up quickly, and we went back to the Ephesians; and as soon as we had come there, all the temples in that place fell down, and not one of them 2013. remained [standing]. Now all these things did John do in the city of the Ephesians before they carried him [to the island]. And the false accusations which came upon him from the Jews, and the written paper concerning him which Satan made people to be certain [they had seen], and all the wonderful things which were made manifest by him, and the beatings which fell upon him in the Island of Patmos, are written in an exceedingly large book, the name of which is "Kâmâdagî". Therefore praise be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

The History of the Death of Saint John the Evangelist

1 Here beginneth the Book of the Death of John, the son of Zebedee, the disciple and friend of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin and Evangelist, wherein are described his divinity and his departure from this world, which took place in the Island of Patmos on the fourth day of the month Ter. May his peace protect his handmaiden Walatta Madhan for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Now the going forth of each of the holy Apostles unto the country which had come unto him as his portion from God took place after the [giving of] the commandments by God, the Redeemer of the whole world, and after His Ascension into heaven with great glory. And the portion which came unto John, the son of Zebedee, was Asia. And when he had come unto Epheson (Ephesus), which is the mother-city of the Ephesians, he preached unto them, and told them the story [of the Gospel] in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, amid great striving, and privation, and fatigue, and [did] wonderful things without number. And even after his patient endurance, and the tribulations, and the trials (or plots) which came upon him from the men of this city, they multiplied their worship of false gods, more than the men of every [other] country, even as saith the scribe who is one of us. And the city of Ephesus, the story of which is told in the "Acts of the Apostles," [continued thus to do] until at length the people thereof would take oaths by things which were lies, and [until] there was nothing true [in it], even as [the book] saith, "The men of the Ephesians perform worship unto the goddess of the temple, Artemis the great. And afterwards John overthrew that unclean temple and destroyed it by his preaching, and he wrought miracles and wonderful things innumerable in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3 And he cleansed the country from the uncleanness of idols, and he delivered the people from a bitter worship wherein there was no profit, and he brought them to the knowledge of God our Lord Jesus Christ, and of His glorious Father, and of the Holy and Life-giving Spirit. And he built churches everywhere in the country in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and appointed unto them bishops, and priests, and deacons; and the faith in and the knowledge of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ increased among them, and righteousness multiplied in the land. 4 And after all the Apostles had finished their work, and had gone forth from this world—now Peter had been crucified in the city of Rome, and they had cut off the head of Paul in the same city, and Mark they had flayed alive in the city of Alexandria and it was two days before he died, and in this wise each of the Apostles [suffered] in the country which he had gone to convert, and they all had contended with tribulations and with abundant punishments, each according to his own way—the blessed John still continued to live in the world for many years, and he lived until the reign of Dōmāti'anōs (Domitian), and he lived seventy years after the Recorrection of our Lord. And he became an exceedingly old man, and he tasted death neither by the sword nor by any violence whatsoever, for God loved him exceedingly because of his purity, even as it is written in his Gospel that he was the friend of the Lord who was worthy to rest upon the breast of the Son, the One Who sitteth in the bosom of His Father in the heavens, by reason of the purity of his soul and body.

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

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

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

8 These things I speak unto you, O brethren, but I myself endeavour to fulfil the commandments wherewith God hath commanded me." 9 And as Saint John was giving commandments unto the brethren, he rose up and stood [on his feet], and stretched out his hand[s] to heaven, and he gave thanks and made supplication, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Who hast mingled the crown which is fleeting with that which is abiding, Who art the one sweet-smelling Flower wherein are mingled all [other] flowers, Who hast sown in our hearts Thy life-giving Word which alone maketh beautiful with sweet odour the souls and the bodies of those who are gentle and lowly of heart, Who art compassionate, and Who shewest love unto man, Who art alone the righteous Judge, Who hast existed always, Whom no place can contain; O my Lord Jesus Christ, do Thou in the multitude of Thy mercy preserve all those who put their hope in Thy Name, for Thou knowest the cunning and the crafty devices of him that leadeth [men] into error which are spread abroad in every place, and we beseech Thee by Thy power to put an end to them."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Martyrdom of Saint James, the Son of Zebedee

1 Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Saint James, the son of Alphaeus, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, who finished his contending on the tenth day of the month Dakotit. In the peace of our Lord. Amen. And it came to pass that, when James the Apostle was coming into Jerusalem to preach therein the Holy Gospel, and all the wonderful things of the Divinity [of Christ], so that all those who heard thereof from him might believe in God with a pure heart, and obtain salvation, he meditated within himself, and said, "How shall these people hearken unto [these words] from me and believe?" Then he came into the synagogue wherein the multitudes were gathered together, and there were very many Jews sitting there, and he began to tell the story [of the Gospel] among them all, with great joy and gladness, and he multiplied his words and revealed the faith without fear. And he testified concerning the Only Son of God, the Word of Life, the Lord of all the 1 L. c., February 4. world, Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of God in very truth, for He existed with the Father before all the world, and He was with the Father and the Father was in Him, and He was the Word, even as it saith, "Let us make 'man in Our own image and likeness.'" It is He Who dwelleth in heaven, and it is He Who existeth with His Father, and He sitteth upon the chariots of the Cherubim and of the Seraphim who praise Him. It is He Who [sitteth] at the right hand of the Majesty in the heights of heaven. It is He Who was carried in the womb of the Virgin MARY. It is He Who is the God Jesus Christ, to Whom the Virgin MARY gave birth. It is He Who is the Lord, Who rose from the dead.

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

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