The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

The Contendings of the Apostles, Part 1

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The Preaching of Saint Matthias in the City of the Cannibals

1 Here beginneth the Preaching of Saint Matthias, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he preached in the City of the Cannibals; who finished his contending on the eighth day of the month Magâsit. In the peace of God the Father. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles were dividing the countries of the world [among them], and they were casting lots concerning them, the lot of Matthias went forth that he should go unto the City of the Cannibals. Now in that city they neither eat bread nor drink water, nor any other kind of food, but they feed upon the flesh and blood of men. And every traveller who cometh into that city they seize and put out his eyes, and then they bind him in fetters until he hath lost his senses, and then they put him in a dark place and feed him upon grass like an animal for forty days, and after this period they bring him out and devour him.

2 And when the blessed Matthias had come unto this city, they seized him and blinded his eyes by means of a certain drug with which they were acquainted, and they gave him grass to eat, (now he would not eat thereof because the power of God was in him), and they cast him into prison. Then he prayed and made supplication unto the Lord Jesus Christ, and said, "O my Lord, "for Whose sake we have rejected the world and followed Thee so that we might know Thee, besides Whom we have no helper, look and see what they have done to Thy servant, and how they have treated him like the beast of the field. Thou, O Lord, knowest what hath been, and what shall be; if it be Thy will that I shall die in this city, let Thy good pleasure be done. But if this be not Thy will, then grant graciously light unto my eyes, and let not [these men] gain the victory over me in such wise that they may be able to eat my flesh like that of the beast of the field." And when he had ended his prayer his eyes were opened, and he could look about everywhere, and he could see even as he did before. Then a voice came unto him, and said unto him, "Be strong, O Matthias, and fear thou not, for I will not forsake thee; nay, I

3 "will be with thee in every place whithersoever thou goest. Bear patiently until ten days be ended, and then I will send unto thee Andrew, and he shall bring thee out from this prison." 4 Then Matthias gave thanks unto God and ascribed praise unto Him, and his soul rejoiced and was glad; and he remained in the prison even as our Lord had commanded Him. And it came to pass that, when the men of the city came into the prison-house to take out a man to kill, Matthias shut (or covered up) his eyes so that they might not see [that they had been opened]. Now the people had the custom, when they placed a man in the prison-house, of writing on the first day when they brought him there a tablet which they hung round his neck; and when thirty (sic) days were ended they brought him out according to their habit [and ate him]. In this wise did they treat Matthias also. And when Matthias had been in the prison-house for seven and twenty days, our Lord revealed Himself unto Andrew when he was in the country of the Greeks, and said unto him, "Rise up and go unto Matthias in the City of the Cannibals that thou mayest bring him out from the prison-house, for the people of that city will in three days' time lead him out therefrom and eat him." And Andrew said unto Him, "If it be only three days [before they eat him] I cannot come unto him; but send Thine angel and let him bring him out quickly from the prisonhouse, for how can I get there in the next three days?" And our Lord answered and said unto Andrew, "Hearken, O thou who art one of those whom I have chosen. If I were to say unto this city, 'Come unto Me forthwith', it would come, together with all those who dwell therein. When the morrow hath come,

5 1012. 2112. "do thou and thy two disciples rise up, and thou shalt find a ship ready to sail; embark therein, and it shall bring thee [unto the place where Matthias is]." Then He gave Andrew the salutation of peace, and ascended into heaven with great glory. 6 And Andrew rose up even as our Lord had commanded him, and came unto the sea-coast; and our Lord had made for him a beautiful ship, and He Himself was sitting there as the captain of it, and two angels were with Him in the forms of sailors. And Andrew went to the ship and found our Lord sitting therein, and although he looked at Him he did not know Him to be our Lord. And he said unto Him, "Peace be unto Thee, O captain of the ship; and our Lord said unto him, "Peace! Our Lord be with thee. Then Andrew said unto Him, "Whither goest thou in this ship? And our Lord said unto him, "To the City of the Cannibals. And Andrew said unto Him, "Everyone fleeth from this city, and will ye go thither? And the captain of the ship said unto him, "We have business in that city, and we must needs go thither. Then Andrew said unto Him, "I entreat thee, O beloved brother, to carry us to that city; and He said, "Come [up into the ship]. And Andrew said unto Him, "[Know Thou] before Thou dost take us that we have no money wherewith to pay Thee Thy fare; nay, we must eat of Thy food with Thee.

7 And our Lord, Who was in the form of the captain of the ship, said unto him, "Since ye must eat of our bread and ye cannot give us the hire of the ship, tell us how it happeneth that ye have no bread with you, and why ye have no money wherewith to pay your fare. And Andrew said unto Him, "We are not men of high estate, neither are we drunkards or gluttons, but we are the servants of the Good God Whose Name is Jesus: He hath chosen us Twelve Apostles, and He hath given us commandments, and hath sent us to preach in His Name in the world. He hath commanded us to possess neither gold, nor silver, nor any of the goods of this world, nor food, and he hath commanded us not to labour therefor; it is for this reason that we are even as Thou seest us. Now if Thou art pleased to allow us to embark Thou wilt do good (or a kindness) unto us, but if Thou wilt not do this thing then tell us, so that we may seek out another ship. And He said unto them, "Had ye been able to pay your fare I should have wished you to embark in another ship, [but as ye cannot] ye are better with Me, for it is a great joy for Me [to know] that I am worthy that the Apostles of Jesus Christ should embark with Me.

8 Then Andrew said unto Him, "May God bless Thee with a spiritual bless-ing; and Andrew and his two disciples embarked in the ship. 9 And our Lord said unto one of the angels who were in the form of sailors, "Bring bread and let these brethren eat, for they have come from a place which is afar off;" and he did as our Lord had commanded him. Then our Lord said unto Andrew, "Stand up, O My brethren, ye disciples of Christ, and eat bread before we put out to sea in the ship;" so Andrew said unto his disciples, "Rise up, and let us eat," but they were not able to speak unto him through fear of the sea. Then Andrew returned to the captain and said unto Him, "May Jesus Christ give Thee a good reward in the kingdom of heaven! Bear with me a little in that I do not eat, and in that my disciples do not eat with me, for they are afraid of the sea, and they have never before embarked in a ship." And our Lord said unto Andrew, "Rise up and journey unto the place to which thou hast been sent, and make thy way thither by thyself." And Andrew said unto his two disciples, "Get ye up to the sea-shore, and abide there, until I go to the place whither I have been sent and come back to you;" and they said unto him, "We will not separate ourselves from thee, that we transgress not the commandment of God." And our Lord said unto Andrew, "If thou art a disciple of Christ, command them not to be afraid of the sea, for we wish to set out." Whereupon our Lord said unto one of the angels who were in the form of sailors, "Unfurl (literally, let down) the sails of the ship," and our Lord Himself went and took hold of the rudder of the ship as if He had been the captain thereof, and the two angels stood one on each side of Him. Now Andrew and his disciples were sitting in the ship, and he was trying to still their grief, and he said unto them, "O my children, fear ye not, for our Lord will not forsake us. He hath stablished the heavens, and hath gathered together the waters of the sea, and He is the Creator of them all. Fear ye not, for He will abide with us in every place whithersoever we may go, even as He hath commanded us."

10 And it came to pass that when Andrew had spoken in this wise he prayed unto God, and asked that his disciples might sleep, and that they might not be afraid of the sea; and they fell asleep quickly; and while they were sleeping He made their souls to ascend into Paradise, and they ate of the fruit thereof. Then when Andrew knew that his disciples were asleep, he said unto our Lord—now he knew not that the Captain was our Lord—"I beseech thee, O good Man, to tell me what manner of ship Thine is, for I have never seen the like thereof. I have embarked in a ship many times, but never before have I embarked in a ship like unto this. Verily, I am sitting in it as if I were on land, for the ship rolleth not, even though we have come out on the open sea; there can be no sailors who are better than Thine in working the ship out on its course and in bringing it back. And our Lord Jesus Christ said unto him, "We have sailed often and often in this ship on the sea, but we never before saw it behave in this manner; since it knoweth that an Apostle of Christ is in it it doth not roll as formerly. And Andrew said, "May the Name of Jesus Christ be blessed, Whose abundant mercy hath made it possible for me to sail with a man who knoweth His Name.

11 Then our Lord said unto him, "If thou art an Apostle of Christ, tell me why the children of Israel did not believe in Him, and why they did not call him Lord? I have heard concerning Him that He made manifest marvellous things unto His disciples in the Mount of Olives. And Andrew said unto Him, "Hearken unto me and I will tell you of His work. He opened the eyes of the blind, the dumb spake, He made the deaf to hear, He cast out devils, 213a. 12 "He raised the dead, He placed a few loaves of bread upon the grass, and the grass became bread, and He satisfied five thousand [men with food], besides women and children, and He filled twelve baskets with what remained of the bread; all these things did the children of Israel see, and yet they did not believe upon Him." And our Lord said unto him, "Perhaps He did not do all these wonderful things before the chief priests, and on that account they would not believe on Him, but rose up against Him, and slew Him?" Then Andrew said unto Him, "It was in their own assemblies that He worked [these miracles for them], and not only openly did He work miracles, but also in secret." And our Lord Jesus said unto him, "What now is it that [He did] in secret?" And Andrew said unto Him, "Tell me, O Thou that askest: wishest Thou to know for truth's sake, or that Thou mayest scoff?" And our Lord Jesus said unto him, "If thou didst know the joy which was in My heart [thou wouldst not speak thus]; but if thou dost not tell Me I shall laugh at thee, for I am glad and I rejoice with all those who remember the Name of Jesus." And Andrew said, "May God bless Thee! hearken unto me, and I will tell Thee;" and whilst Andrew was conversing with our Lord they arrived at the city. Then our Lord Jesus laid Himself down as if He were about to sleep, and when Andrew looked at Him and saw that He was asleep, he returned unto one of his disciples, and they slept. And in that same hour our Lord commanded His angels to lift up Andrew and his two disciples, and to lay them down upon the sea shore; and He went up to heaven in great glory with His angels.

13 And when Andrew woke up from his sleep and looked towards the sea shore, and found no ship [there] his heart beat fast, and he said, "I must have been sitting with our Lord, but I knew it not, although I was look-ing at our Lord whilst He was talking unto me, His servant; verily this is a blessed day for me. When I embark on my ship, I will look at the place where He humbled himself to His servant." And thus saying Andrew roused up [his] disciples from their sleep, and said unto them, "Rise up, O my servants. We have been in the ship with our Lord, and we knew Him not." Then his disciples said unto him, "At the time when thou didst pray we saw [two] shining eagles which overshadowed us, and they took our souls up into Paradise, and we saw our Lord sitting (literally speaking) upon His throne, and the angels surrounding it. And we saw the Twelve Apostles and the Seventy-two Disciples, and angels round about you, and from that time until this moment when we rose up from our slumber we have seen many wonderful things.

14 And Andrew rejoiced when [he knew] that his disciples had seen this spiritual vision, and he rose up and bowed low on the ground and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, I will not move from this place until Thou comest unto me, for I know that Thou art not far from me; forgive Thou that which I have spoken in my folly, and I beseech Thee, O my Lord, to reveal Thyself unto Thy servant." And when he had said these words our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto him in the form of a young Man of beautiful appearance Who was coming out of the city, and He said unto Andrew, "O My S* 214a. 15 "beloved one." And Andrew fell upon his face on the ground, and said unto Him, "I give thanks unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, for what have I done that Thou shouldst appear unto me on the sea?" And our Lord said unto him, "Fear not. This hast thou done. Thou didst say, 'We cannot come unto the city in three days'; therefore did I wish thee to know that I am mighty [to do] all things, and that there is nothing which is too hard for Me. Rise up, and come into the city, and bring Matthias and all those who are with him out of the prison-house. In [this city] there shall come upon you much suffering, but bear it patiently, for I will be with you. Remember ye the mercy [which] My Father [sheweth] unto His creatures, and make yourselves like unto Him, and remember how they said of Me, 'He casteth out devils by Beelzebub'." I had the "power to command the earth to rend itself asunder and to carry them down into its depths quickly, as it were in the twinkling of an eye, but I bore with them, for I knew that evil should be with you upon the earth, and I knew that by means of your patient endurance of suffering in this city, many should believe therein." And Andrew said unto Him, "Only be Thou with me, my Lord, and I will do even as Thou shalt command me"; and our Lord gave him the salutation of peace, and went up into heaven with great glory.

16 Then Andrew and his two disciples entered into the city, and there was none who saw them, and they came unto the gate of the prison-house wherein was Matthias. 1 St. Matthew xii. 24; St Mark iii. 22; St. Luke xi. 15. And when they had laid hold upon the gate it opened unto them, and they went inside and found Matthias sitting down and singing psalms, and they embraced him. And Andrew said unto him, "Dost thou say, O Matthias, that, 'After the second day (i. e., on the third day) they will take me out, and slay me, and devour my flesh like [that of] a beast?' Hast thou forgotten the mystery which we saw from our Lord wherein I spake [unto Him], and wherein the heavens quaked?" Then Matthias said unto him, "Behold, I know thereof, O my brother; but I say that if it be the will of God that I come to an end in this city [it shall come to pass]. Hast thou not heard His voice in the Holy Gospel, saying, 'I send you forth like lambs among wolves?' As for me, when they threw me into the prison-house I cried out unto our Lord, and revealed my heart unto Him, and He said unto me, 'Fear not. At the end of [certain] days I will send Andrew unto thee, and he shall bring thee, and all those who are with Thee, out of the prison-house;" "and behold thou hast come to do this."

17 Then Andrew looked at the men who were in the prison-house, and saw that they were bound like animals; and he straightway anathematized Satan, and all his host; and he and Matthias began to make supplication unto God, Who hearkened unto their petition. And they laid their hands upon the men who were in the prison-house, and their eyes were opened, and their minds returned unto them. And Andrew commanded them to go out from the city, and he told them that they St. Matthew x. 16. would find on their road a certain fig-tree, and that they were to sit down under it until the Apostles came to them; now the fruit which was on the tree could not be counted. And the men who were in the prison-house said unto them, "Come ye also out with us, lest the people of the city find us, and bring us back again here." Then the Apostles said unto them, "Go ye forth in peace, for ye shall not be evilly entreated." So they departed from the city, and they found the fig-tree even as the Apostles had told them; now the number of the men who went forth from the prison-house was one hundred and twenty and three. And Andrew and Matthias told the two disciples Rufus and Alexander to go forth from the city. Then the two Apostles Andrew and Matthias, and their two disciples with them rose up, and prayed and entreated God to send a cloud to carry away Rufus and Alexander, and to bring them unto the place where Peter was; and God heard their entreaty, and sent a cloud, and it bore them away. And Andrew and Matthias went out into the highway of the city, [and waited there] until they knew what would take place.

18 Now meanwhile the soldiers of the guard had been sent to take men into the prison-house to slay [those who were therein], according to their rule daily, and they found the doors of the prison-house wide open, and the keepers, who were seven in number, were dead, and there was no one left in the prison-house. And they went back and told the magistrates, and the magistrates said, "What shall we live upon? How can we live this day without food? And they took counsel among themselves, and they said, "Shall we be obliged to eat the dead? Or shall we gather together the aged men in the city, and let lots be cast, and according as the lot shall fall upon each of them let him be killed on his day? We shall then have food to eat until the messengers return. Now they had certain men whom they used to send away in a ship to gather together men from every region unto their city, that they might eat them; but meanwhile they took the people who were dead to eat for food. And they had in their city a certain place which was full of water, and whensoever they wished they used to kill a man, or a woman, in the water and pour their blood into a stone bowl in the water, and when they had brought the bodies into that place they took a knife to cut them in pieces.

19 And Andrew saw them [doing thus], and he made supplication, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Lover of men, let these knives be broken in their hands; and in that same hour their hands dried up and they were unable to move [them]. And when the magistrates saw what had happened, they wept and said, "The men who have come forth from the prison-house are sorcerers, and they have escaped by means of their sorceries, and we are unable to do them any harm. Then the old men of the city, who were twelve in number, were gathered together, and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon seven of them to be killed and eaten. And one of the seven upon whom the lot had fallen said, "I have a son, take him, and let me go free; and the soldiers of the guard said unto him, "We cannot take thy son until we have spoken to the magistrates. [And when they had spoken to the magistrates] they said unto them, "Since he hath given you his son instead of himself, take him, and let the old man go; so the old man delivered unto them his son. And when they laid hold upon the boy to kill him, he wept before the face of his father, and said unto him, "I beseech thee, O my father, let them not slay me, for I am only a child;

20 but let me live until I become as old as thou art, and when I have become an old man, let them eat me. And the boy cried out and said to the soldiers of the guard, "Why are ye so hard of heart? But, alas, it is my father who hath delivered me over unto death. Now the custom of the people of the city was to cut in pieces every one who died, and to eat him, and they brought those upon whom the lot had fallen [to do thus unto them]. And Andrew prayed unto our Lord, and said, "I praise Thee, and I beseech Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that, inasmuch as Thou didst hearken unto me in respect of the dead, Thou hear me also in respect of these living ones, and let them not be delivered over to be slain; and through these words the swords [of the soldiers] became like wax before the fire. Now when the magistrates saw this they wept bitterly, and said, "Woe unto us by reason of that which hath come upon us."

21 Then Satan appeared unto them in the form of a wise and aged man, and he cried out, and said, "Woe be unto you! Ye shall die of hunger, for ye shall not be able to eat anything after to-day, and your dead shall be cast abroad in your streets, and shall remain there until they become rotten, and ye shall not be able to eat them. Rise up, and seek ye this man whose name is Matthias, and kill him, for if ye do not kill him ye will not be able to do as ye desire. It was he who brought the men who believe [in Christ] out of the prison- house; he is in the city, therefore seek ye him, and slay him, so that your works may prosper. And when Andrew saw Satan conversing with them in this wise he said unto him, "O thou Enemy of our Lord, O thou Enemy of His creatures, God the Most High shall bring thee down under our feet. Now when Satan heard these words from him, he said, "I hear his voice, but I do not see his body. And Andrew appeared unto him and said, "O blind one, for indeed thou art blind if thou art not able to see the servants of Christ and the messengers of God! And Satan cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Behold, these [are] the men, seize them.

22 Then the multitudes of the people scattered themselves about the city, and they shut the gates thereof, and began to make a search, saying, "Where are Matthias and Andrew? Seize them for us, so that we may work our will upon them. And our Lord commanded the Apostles, and said unto them, "Rise up and shew yourselves unto them, so that they may know the littleness of their power; and they went forth from under the roof [where they were], and said unto the people, "Behold, we are those whom ye seek. Then the people rose up against them, and seized them, and they said unto the Apostles, "We will deal with you as ye have dealt with us. And certain men among them said, "Let us cut off their heads and give them unto the elders of the city; but others said, "Nay, do not do thus, but let us cut them up into very small pieces, and distribute their bodies among the people of the city. Thereupon they dragged the Apostles along the highways of the city until their blood dropped from them in the streets, and after this they cast them into the prison-house and bound them in fetters, and they put them in a dark place, and set a large number of strong men to keep guard over them.

23 And it came to pass that when the Apostles had entered into the prison-house they prayed, and said, "O Lord Jesus Christ, be not Thou far from us. We are Thy disciples, and Thou hast commanded us not to make haste; do not Thou let the Enemy rejoice over us." Thereupon our Lord appeared unto them, and said unto them, "I will be with you; fear not." And whilst they were in the prison-house Satan, having taken with him seven of his servants, appeared unto the Apostles and spake unto them words of violence, and heaped curses upon them, and said unto them, "Behold, I have brought you into my hand. Who can deliver you from me? Where [now] is the power wherewith ye overcame me in all the cities and destroyed [my] temples? I will let them kill you, even as they killed your Master." And Satan said unto his servants, "Rise up, and slay these men who have fought against you, that ye may have rest from them, and that the whole neighbourhood may be your own." Then the devils rose up against the Apostles, and wished to slay them, but the Apostles waited patiently, and then made the sign of the honourable cross over them, and blew in their faces, when they fell upon their backs. And their father Satan said unto them, "What hath happened to you?" And they said unto him, "We saw in their hands a sign, and we were afraid of them. Act thou, if thou art able, against them, for we are afraid; act thou, for we are afraid;" and they departed, having been put to shame.

24 And it came to pass that when the men of the city had arrived [at the prison-house] they took out the Apostles, and dragged them through the city, and Andrew and Matthias cried out to God, saying, "Have mercy upon us, O Lord, for we are [only] flesh and blood, and we know that Thou art not far from us. And when Andrew and Matthias had said these words they heard a voice near them speaking in the Hebrew tongue, and saying unto them, "O Andrew and Matthias, heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass away. Then the men of the city cast the Apostles into the prison-house, saying. "They shall die immediately. And the Apostles said, whilst their blood was dripping upon the ground, "O Lord Jesus Christ, help us, and deliver this city and all those who are there-in. And at that moment the Apostles looked upon a stone image (or statue) which was upon a pillar in the prison-house, and they made the sign of the cross over it, and stretched out their hands and prayed, and when they had ended their prayer they drew nigh unto the pillar whereon was the image, and said unto it, "Be thou afraid at the sign of the cross which we have made over thee, and send out from thy lowermost part water as abundant as the waters of the Flood upon this city and upon all those who dwell therein.

25 Thereupon [the pillar] was rent asunder in its lowermost part, and water poured out in abundance, and it was exceedingly bitter, and like gall, and it at once flooded the city, and all those who were therein. And the men of the city took their sons and their daughters, and wished to depart therefrom. And Matthias said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, accept the petition of Thy servants, and send Michael the Archangel upon a cloud of darkness wherewith [to cover] over this city, so that no one may escape therefrom." 26 And it came to pass that, when Matthias knew God had received his petition, he smote the pillar, and said, "Fulfil now the command with which I commanded thee." Then the pillar poured forth more water until it came up to the necks of the people, and it was about to drown them. And the people wept and said, "Woe unto us! This wrath hath come upon us through the two men who are chosen servants of God, whom we have thrown into the prison-house, and because of our evil acts towards them. Behold, we shall die a terrible death in this water; make haste then and let us cry out unto their God, and say, 'We believe in Thee, O Thou Lord God of these two strangers; deliver Thou us from this water.'" Thereupon Andrew answered and said unto the pillar, "It shall suffice for thee, and behold, the time for the flood hath passed, and the season for sowing in the hearts of the men of this city the right [faith] hath arrived. I declare unto thee that, when I have built a church in this city, I will place thee therein, and they shall put a roof over thee;" and because of these words the water which was flowing out from under the pillar ceased to flow. And when the men of the city saw that the water had ceased to flow, some of the elders of the city, together with a number of the young men thereof, rose up and went unto the prison-house (now the water [reached] up to their necks), and they saw the Apostles with their hands stretched out, and they were making supplication unto God. And Andrew and Matthias went out to them, and the water was divided before them; and when the elders saw this they were afraid, and they cried out, saying, "Have compassion upon us, O servants of God."

27 Now among the elders was the old man upon whom the lot to be slain had fallen, who had given his son over [unto death] instead of himself and had saved himself thereby; and he came with them, saying, "Have compassion upon me, O servants of God." And Matthias said unto him, "I marvel that thou canst say unto me, Have pity upon me, seeing that thou hadst no mercy on thy son. I say unto thee that, on that day when the water shall return into the depths of the earth, thou and the seven men who slay men shall go down [therewith]; and ye shall be in the depths of the earth, until thou hast seen what befalleth him that hateth his own son, and the seven men also [shall be there], until they have seen what befalleth those who slay men." And Andrew said unto the young men who were holding the old man, "Go ye unto the place where they slay men, until the water shall return unto its place;" and they went with the Apostles, and the water fled from before them. And when they had come unto the place 108a.

28 which was full of water, they stood up and prayed, and because of their prayer the earth was rent asunder, and it swallowed up the men who slew men and the old man who had delivered over his son unto death. And all the people were looking at the water which was in the city, and they feared greatly, and said, "Let fire come down and consume us for the evil which we have done unto them" (i. e., the Apostles). Then the Apostles said unto them, "Fear ye not, but confess the true faith and ye shall see the glory of God, for we will not leave in the earth those whom it hath swallowed up, but will bring them forth therefrom." Then Matthias and Andrew commanded them to bring unto them all the people who were dead in the water, that they might pray over them and raise them up, but they were not able to gather them together there because of their great number; so the Apostles entreated our Lord to send a cloud and rain from Himself over the dead, and they all rose up. And after this Andrew placed the sick folk in the church which he had built, and he gave them the commandments of the Law and of the Gospel, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and he administered unto them the Holy Mysteries, and he healed all the sick folk. And he said unto them, "Keep ye all the commandments which we have given unto you until the end of your days, and teach [them] unto your children who shall come after you. And make supplication unto God that He will take away from you the custom which ye have had of eating human flesh;" and he made them to know how to eat the [common] food of man.

29 And after these things the Apostles departed from them, and as the people were sending them away they said unto them, "O servants of the Good God, abide ye with us for a little space that we may rejoice in you, for we are but new plants. Then the Apostles said unto them, "Fear ye not, and be not grieved, for by the good pleasure of God we shall not be far from you. And as the Apostles were going forth from the city our Lord appeared unto them in the form of a young man of beautiful appearance, and said unto them, "Have compassion upon those who dwell in this [city], and accept their petition, and tarry with them some days, for I have heard their supplications unto you, and the words which they have spoken, saying, 'We are new plants.' Why have ye given unto the men the commandments of the Law and sent them forth into the deep? Then the Apostles said unto Him, "O Master, forgive us. We will return to the city, and will bring them forth in Thy Name from the deep. And our Lord said unto them, "Go back into the city and dwell therein for seven days, and then depart therefrom. And Andrew, together with his disciples, went to the country of the Greeks, and he said unto our Lord, "Bless me, O Lord; and our Lord blessed them, and then went up into heaven with great glory.

30 Then the Apostles entered into the city, even as our Lord had commanded them, and they dwelt therein for seven days; and the men whom the earth had swallowed up came up [therefrom], and they made their faith to prosper, and they strengthened their knowledge in the commandments of God. And the Apostles departed from them glorifying God, Who had not left the people in error. And a number of men went forth with them to set them on their way, and they were saying, "One is the Lord God of Andrew and Matthias, [that is to say] Jesus Christ, to Whom, and to the Father, the Sustainer of all things, and to the Holy and Vivifying Spirit, be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen. So be it! So be it."

The Martyrdom of Saint Matthias

1 Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Matthias, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ; now he finished his contending on the eighth day of the month Magâbit in the peace of our Lord. Amen. And it came to pass that when Judas Iscariot had betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ [to the Jews] that they might crucify Him, Satan and his host were put to shame by reason of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the heavens and of the earth. And when Judas, the most miserable and shameful being in all creation, had betrayed his Lord to the wicked Jews, he went and killed himself and destroyed his own honour. And he was driven forth from the company of the Apostles, who elected (literally, placed) Matthias in his stead; and Matthias went forth and preached in the city of Damascus, for the lot had fallen to him to go and preach in that city; and he preached to them the story of the Holy Gospel.

2 And it came to pass that when Matthias had entered into the city, he preached unto the people and said, "O sinful men, who are cast away (or, lost) in your sins, and who know not God your Creator, why have ye forsaken the Lord Who is God indeed, [and why do ye worship] your gods of stone which are the work of the hand of man? And why do ye desire that all men should be even as ye are, that is to say, cast away in sin? Hearken ye unto my words, O ye men who dwell in the city of Damascus, and forsake ye the worship of [false] gods, and put away from you your error, and your evil deeds, and turn ye unto God your Creator. Receive ye from me my words, and I will bring you nigh unto the Lord your God, and He shall make you worthy of His kingdom. Turn ye unto me, and I will teach you the laws of the angels. Turn ye unto me, and I will give you the Bread of Life, that ye may live for ever.

3 Refuse ye [to worship] the gods which are the work of the hand of man, and break through the wiles [of Satan], that ye may become the servants of God, Who is the Lord in truth, Jesus Christ, the Lord of heaven and of earth, the Word, Who was in the beginning, the Word of God Who came down into the womb of MARY the Virgin, who was not united unto man. He bore suffering until He had delivered the race of Adam from the dominion of Satan, and He did not appear in His glory and majesty. He had no father upon earth like the children of the flesh, for He existed with His Father in heaven, and He was inseparable from Him. He comforteth all by His wisdom, and it was He Who took the dust from the earth and created therefrom our father Adam, the first father. He is the God in Whose hands are the spirits of all created beings, and He it is Who loveth them, and Who maketh them meet to turn unto Him, and He bringeth them back into the true faith, and into the condition of mind which is good; and He, and His Father, and the Holy Spirit are one honourable Trinity, Whose Godhead is One, and Whose Power is One.

4 Now first of all I command you to make yourselves to be remote from all uncleanness, and not to multiply your intercourse with women, so that God may look upon your purity, and may bless you with a spiritual blessing, and may shew compassion upon you in the day of judgment." 5 And it came to pass that when the men of the city had heard these words from him Satan entered into their hearts with his wiles and evil deeds, and they said among themselves, "Verily this man is one of these Twelve men who are sorcerers, and who go about throughout the world and in all the countries [thereof], and separate wives from their husbands; consider ye now how ye shall treat him." Then the men of the city were gathered together [against him], and they seized the Apostle and put him in prison, and they fastened him firmly upon a bed of iron, and kindled a fire beneath him, [and kept him there] until the smell of his [burnt] flesh issued therefrom. And all the people looked on and wondered when they saw the flames of fire rise to I. e., a large gridiron with legs. T\* 220a. the height of twelve cubits above the bed, and those who were gathered together and were standing there said, "If this man be a sorcerer, behold, he will be destroyed;" but after three days their evil acts became known and made manifest.

6 And it came to pass that when the three days had gone by, the people came to the place where was the bed of iron on which they had set the holy man and burnt him with fire, and they found him alive and with his eyes open, [and the fire had not] touched his body; and they found him safe and sound, and harm had not in any way touched him, and there was no smell of fire upon him, and his garments had not been burnt. And when the men of the city had seen this wonderful thing, and how God had shewn compassion upon His Apostle, many of them believed upon God, and they said, "This man is a god. And the holy man continued to lie upon the bed until seven or eight days had passed, and all the men of the city who were of the true faith believed in the words of the Apostle Matthias, but there remained some who did not believe in his words. Now for twenty-four whole days the fire continued to blaze under the bed, both by day and by night, and our Lord Jesus Christ, upon Whose Name His Apostle called, did not permit any injury whatsoever to come to him, for he was suffering for His Name's sake. And after these things He brought him out of the fire, and the people saw that his body was unharmed, and that his face was like the face of a child.

7 Then all those who looked upon him said, "This [man] who was in the fire [is not a sorcerer], for his whole body is unharmed, from the hair of his head even unto the nails of his feet. And in that same hour all the men of the city and of the districts round [about] believed, and they cried out and said, "There is no god in heaven or in earth except the Lord God of Matthias, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who delivereth all those who trust in Him, and those who believe in His holy Name." 8 And [after] these things Matthias, the blessed Apostle, commanded [the people] to destroy all the temples of the gods, and to throw [the gods] into the sea; and no remnant whatsoever of them could be found by reason of the evil which the people wrought upon them. Then Matthias built them a church in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and he baptized the people of the city, men, women, and children, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, consubstantial, indivisible, and unchangeable. And after he had baptized them he consecrated a church for them, and he admonished them and gave them the commandments of life, and he taught them the Law and the Gospel; then he departed from them, and they all set him upon his way in peace. For he had taught them the knowledge of the truth, and he had taught them the path of righteousness, and he had brought them forth out of error into the knowledge of the faith of Jesus Christ our Lord; and after he had preached and told the story of the Gospel, he slept the good sleep. And he died in one of the cities of Judaca which was called Pelwôn, on the eighth day of the month Magâbit, in the grace of God and of the Lover of men, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise and honour for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.

The Acts of Saint James in India

1 Here beginneth the Book of the Acts of Saint James, the son of Iskeder, the brother of John the Evangelist, and of what took place through his preaching of the story of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the country of Hendaelē (India). In the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the Apostles divided [among them] the countries of the world, each one of them knew that the portion which had fallen unto him was from God (may His Name be blessed exceedingly!); and the lot fell upon James to go to the country of India, and John his brother was to go to the country of Dasyā (Dacia). And James said unto Peter, "O my father Peter, go forth with me until thou hast brought me into my country;" and Peter said unto him, "Not thyself only, but each of you will I bring unto his country, even as God hath commanded me." So Peter 224a.

2 and James set out for that country (i. e., India), and as they were going on their way they were speaking of the glory of God, and their souls were rejoicing because our Lord had told them of the great reward which they should have in the kingdom of heaven. And they said, "It is meet for us not to be slothful, but to hasten to continue our journey, and to declare Him and to preach Him in the world, that we may be worthy to find our hope and our deliverance from the tribulation of fire;" and Peter and James spake thus [as they were going] on their way, and they were strengthening each other for [the] strife. And as they were conversing in this wise, our Lord appeared unto them in the form of a young man of beautiful appearance, and He was rejoicing in their words, and He laughed before their faces, and said unto them, "Come unto Me, O ye devoted and chosen ones, and I will teach you, and will give you your reward. Know, O ye My disciples, that all the sufferings which ye endure in this world are not to be compared with one hour of the rest which ye shall enjoy in the kingdom of heaven;" and our Lord made bright the eyes of their understanding, and He made to appear unto them all the righteous who have gone to their rest, from Adam until John, and from John until the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. And being radiant and brilliant with light [and arrayed] in the apparel of bright light, He drew nigh unto them, and embraced them with a spiritual embrace; and then He disappeared from them in peace.

3 And when His two blessed disciples had seen this spiritual vision, their hearts were strengthened, and they rejoiced and were glad, and they cast themselves upon the ground, and worshipped, saying, "We give thanks unto Thee, O God, our Lord Jesus Christ, [because] Thou hast dealt graciously with us." Then our Lord lifted them up and gave them the salutation of peace, and said unto James, "Be strong and fulfil thy ministration with an upright heart, and preach thou in the world in the Name of our Lord, [Who hath created men] in His image and in His likeness, for thereby shalt thou gain great reward." And the Apostles rose up, and their faces were shining like the sun, and our Lord departed from their presence, and went up into heaven with great glory. Then Peter said unto James, "It is meet for us to contend in this glorious matter so that we may gather together all the sheep of the race of Israel which are scattered abroad, and also that this great reward may be ours;" then they set out together. And it came to pass that when they had come into the city they found on the highway a blind man who was begging for bread, and when he knew that the Apostles had arrived the grace of God came down upon him, and he cried out with a loud voice, and said, "O ye Apostles of Jesus Christ, grant unto me light for mine eyes." And James said unto Peter, "O my father, have compassion upon him, for he crieth out after us;" and Peter said unto him, "Thou thyself shalt give healing unto him in this [thy] city." And James said unto Peter, "If the command be according as thou sayest, bless me, O my father;" and Peter said unto him, "May our Lord Jesus Christ effect a healing by thy hands."

4 Then James cried out unto the blind man, and said unto him, "If thine eyes shall be opened, and thou shalt see [the light], wilt thou believe on our Lord Jesus Christ, Who was crucified?" And the blind man said unto him, "I will confess Him with a perfect faith." Then James said unto him, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God in truth, on Whom thou hast believed, let thine eyes be opened, and thou shalt see clearly and openly;" and this thing came to pass according to his word. And when the people who were gathered together came and saw him, they glorified God. Now there were some of them who believed, but some said, "[They are] sorcerers," and these went to the elders of the city and told them what they had heard and seen. Then the magistrates ordered them to bring the Apostles to them, and they stood up in their midst. And one of the magistrates enquired of them, saying, "From what country are ye? Whence are ye come? And what do ye want?" And Peter answered and said, "We are the servants of the Good God Whose Name is Jesus." And it came to pass that when the magistrates heard the Name of Jesus, they rent their garments, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, "O men who dwell in this city, guard ye these men, for they are sorcerers of whom we have heard the report for many days past. For behold, there went forth from Jerusalem twelve men who were the servants of the sorcerer whose name is Jesus, for thus they call His Name." Then the magistrates commanded them to put cords round their necks and to drag them through all the highways of the city; but when the guards went to them and wished to place the ropes round their necks, their hands dried up, and they remained [standing]

5 upon their feet. Then the magistrates were angry with them, and they said unto them, "Why do ye not do as we commanded you?" And the guards said unto them, "We have not the power to move, for behold, we have become like unto stones." Then the magistrates said unto them, "Did we not tell you that they were sorcerers?" And the Apostles said unto them, "We are not sorcerers, but the servants of the Good God." Then the men whose hands had dried up entreated the Apostles, saying, "O servants of God, have compassion upon us." And the Apostles said unto them, "The Lord our God hath commanded us not to reward evil for evil, but good for evil;" then they drew nigh unto the men, and said unto them, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose servants we are and Whose Name we preach, we command you to become sound and well, even as ye were formerly." And in that same hour the guards rose up sound and well, and they bowed down before the Apostles, and were crying out and saying, "There is no god but Jesus Christ, the God of these chosen men."

6 And it came to pass that when the people saw what had happened, they were dismayed, and they repeated the words of the soldiers of the guard, saying, "One is the God Whom these blessed men preach; but the magistrates did not believe, for their hearts were hard. Now there was among the magistrates a certain man [called Theophilus], who had a son whose two feet were withered, and he was unable to walk. And the magistrate said in his heart, "I will bring my son unto them, and if they have the power to make my son whole I will believe in their God. So he commanded one of his servants to bring his son unto them, and he made haste, and brought him unto them, and set him down in front of the Apostles. Then the Apostles rose up together, and stretched out their hands and prayed, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, Who art the Resurrection of souls and of bodies, Thou Good Shepherd, Who bringest back the souls which have been cast away wholly, I beseech Thee, O Lord, Who art nigh unto him that calleth upon Thee, to hear us Thy servants (inasmuch as Thou hast been graciously pleased not to separate Thyself from us), that Thy glory may be revealed this day in this city, and that [the people] may know that Thou art God, and that there is no god besides Thee.

7 And it came to pass that, when the Apostles had finished their prayer, James said unto the young man who was helpless, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Nazarene, in Whose holy Name we preach, rise up [and become] like unto all [other] men. Thereupon the young man hastened and rose up, having been made whole, and he made haste and walked. And when the multitude saw the wonderful things which the Apostles had wrought, they cried out, saying, "One is the Lord God of these men. Then the magistrate, who was the father of the young man, bowed down at the feet of the Apostles, and said unto them, "I entreat you to come unto my habitation that ye may eat food; and he sent his son back to his wife sound and whole. Now when the mother of the young man saw her son walking along the road she cried out, saying, "One is the Lord God of these men Who hath made whole my son; and she wished the Apostles to come into her habitation. And she sent her son to his father and commanded him to bring them with him, and the magistrate sent two of his servants to make ready their abode, and thus it came to pass even as he had desired.

8 And it came to pass that, when the Apostles had entered into the abode of the magistrate, in that same hour the gods which were in his house fell down and were broken in pieces. Now when the judge and his wife saw these wonderful things their faith was strengthened, and they brought many possessions unto the Apostles, and said unto them, "Take ye these goods from us and give [them] unto the poor and needy;" and James said, "Give [them] thyself with thine own hand;" and the magistrate did as James had commanded him; and he made ready a table for the Apostles, and they ate. Now the name of the magistrate was Theophilus, and he asked the Apostles to baptize him, and his children, and his wife, and when the Apostles saw the strength of his faith, they gave him the commandment of life, and they baptized him, and his children and his wife, and all those who were in his house, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now the number of those who were baptized was thirty souls.

9 And after these things James said unto Peter, "Rise up, O my father Peter, and let us go forth from this city and journey round about in the other cities, and let us tell those who dwell therein the story of the Holy Gospel, and let us preach unto them, that peradventure "they may hear and repent." Then the Apostles went out from that city unto an open space (or hall), where the magistrates were wont to gather together, and they began to teach the multitude the commandments of the Holy Spirit, and they taught the people concerning the Passion of our Lord, and His Resurrection and Ascension, and His second Coming to judge the living and the dead. Then the people who heard their words, and also the remainder of the magistrates of the city when they saw that their companions had believed, drew nigh and bowed down at the feet of the Apostles, and said unto them, "O ye chosen servants of God, we beseech you to give unto us of that grace which ye have bestowed upon our companions." And when the story was proclaimed abroad that the magistrates of the city had believed through the preaching of the Apostles, all the people cried out with a loud voice, saying, "We beseech you, O disciples of Christ, to give us the grace of Christ, and to bestow upon us the signs of the belief which is in Him."

10 And it came to pass that when the Apostles saw the strength of their faith they said unto them, "Whosoever hath in him the true faith let him follow us." Then the Apostles walked on in front of the people until they came to a great stream (or watercourse) which was in the city, and they offered up a prayer; and after the prayer they gave them the gracious gift of faith, and baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And when the people had received baptism they rejoiced with great joy and were exceedingly glad, and straightway the Apostles commanded them to build a church. And the Apostles dwelt with them until their faith had become strong, and they appointed priests over them, and administered unto them the Holy Mysteries. Then James read unto them the Book of the Law and the Book of the Prophets, and Peter translated them for them into the language which they knew; and they dwelt with them many days, that is to say, until their faith had become strong, and they appointed a bishop over them [and priests and deacons], and they became ministers of the church. And James and Peter went forth from them ascribing praise unto the God Who is One, and Who is a Trinity of Three [Persons], to Whom praise, and thanksgiving, and honour are meet for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

The Martyrdom of Saint James

1 114b.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.

2 Here beginneth the Martyrdom of James the son of Zebedee, the Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now his martyrdom was finished on the seventeenth day of the month Minarcho. In the peace of God. Amen. And it came to pass that when James, the son of Zebedee, had gone forth unto the Twelve Tribes which were scattered abroad, he preached unto them in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God in truth. Now all these tribes did not worship the One God, but belonging unto every tribe were idols which they had chosen for themselves as gods, and each tribe had graven images of false gods which led them into error. And these tribes were under the dominion of Herod, and they were wont to render service unto him such as he found [it needful to demand], and the possessions which they brought to him as tribute were so many, that at length his rank was magnified and his kingdom became exceedingly great. Now when James came unto them he preached unto the people of each tribe in the tongue of their native land, for our Lord had given unto the Apostle the knowledge of every tongue, and by the help of the Holy Spirit the Apostle [James] understood the languages not only of men, but also those of the beasts, and of the animals of the wilderness, and of the birds of heaven when they conversed in their own speech. And James preached among them and admonished them to forsake their evil works, and to believe in the Living God, and in His Only Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy and Vivifying Spirit, Who giveth life unto all created beings, and in Whose hands are the spirits of them all, and Who judgeth both the living and the dead. And he said unto them, "Give not all your possessions unto the kings of the earth, but give [some of them] unto the poor and needy for the salvation of your souls;" and in that same hour the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit dwelt in them, and the fear of God entered into their hearts.

3 And the story of the Gospel was preached in all their countries, and at the word of James the Apostle the people believed in God, and their faith was strengthened in our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of heaven and of earth, Who rejecteth not those who seek Him and who turn unto Him with a right mind. Then they cast aside all those idols which they had worshipped, and their evil deeds which they were wont to do, and they turned unto God with a true mind, and received the words which James had declared unto them. And James loved them exceedingly because they had hastened to receive his preaching, and because they had forsaken the evil deeds U. 115a. 4 which they had done in their error. Then James the Apostle made haste and built churches for them in all their countries; and when he saw the beauty of their faith he baptized them in the Name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and they rejoiced and were glad together. And he gave unto them the commandments of the Gospel and of the Law of faith, and he said unto them, "Hearken, O ye my blessed children, who have turned from error unto the knowledge of righteousness, who have chosen [as your God] God Almighty, Who hath made you worthy to receive His Body and Blood, behold, I give unto you the righteousness of God which God hath entrusted to me, and He hath commanded me to give it unto all the peoples who will receive it with joy, so that at His second Coming they may be prepared for the Garden (i. e., Paradise) of God, which He hath made ready for you and for each tribe of the Church. I beseech you, O each tribe, to give of your income unto the church, of the firstfruits of your crops, and of your vineyards, and of your fields, and of your cattle, so that through God they may become the food of the poor and needy among you." And the people answered and said unto him, "We wish to do whatsoever thou commandest us to do, for we believe on the Name of the Lord thy God with all our hearts, both those who are the greatest among us and those who are the least;" and each tribe brought of the firstfruits of their riches unto the church.

5 And it came to pass that when Herod heard of everything which James had done he marvelled, both as concerning the faith of the people and their offerings unto the church, and he knew that there had come unto them a disciple of Jesus Christ who had commanded them not to pay tribute unto the kings of the earth, and to serve neither Nero the Emperor nor the Imperial governor Herod, but to give their gifts unto our Lord Jesus Christ the King of heaven and of earth. And when the king heard these things he commanded [his soldiers] to bring James the Apostle unto him. 6 And when Herod saw him, he said unto him, "Of what race art thou? and in Whom dost thou believe, O man?" Then the blessed Apostle answered and said unto him, "I believe in the Lord God of the Christians, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who is the God of all who are in the heavens and of all who are on the earth, and in Whose hands are their souls, and Who hath sovereign dominion over your kingdoms, O thou Herod and thou Emperor Nero." And when Herod heard these words he was exceedingly wroth with James the Apostle, and he said unto him, "I will not wait for thee to utter a word against me a second time;" and the Emperor Nero and Herod heard concerning James the Apostle, and how he spake words of contempt against their kingdom, and blasphemed their gods, and a certain man rose up quickly and smote Saint James with a sword and cut off his head; and in that same hour his spirit departed. Thus James the son of Zebedee finished his martyrdom on the seventeenth day of the month Miyāzyā; and they buried him in Kōṭ of Māmrēkē. May his prayer and blessing preserve all of us children of baptism for ever and ever! Amen, and Amen.

7 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, now and for ever and ever. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

The Martyrdom of Saint Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria

1 Here beginneth the Martyrdom of Mark, the Evangelist of Alexandria. May his prayer preserve us all! Amen. Now the end of his martyrdom took place in the thirtieth year after the suffering of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ. In the peace of God. Amen. And it came to pass that, when the countries of the world were divided [among the Apostles], the lot came to Saint Mark to go unto the countries of Egypt, and the Evangelist, by the good pleasure of God, dwelt therein for the stablishing of the Church in peace. Now he was the first who preached in all the cities of the Land of Egypt, and in Lonyá (Libya), and in Markiyá (Marmarika), and he preached the Gospel unto the people therein, and declared unto them the faith of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. And the people of all those countries were hard (or dense) of heart, and they used to worship with impurity the gods which could be felt with the hands in the dominion of Satan, and in every place, and in every highway, they built temples, and houses of gods, and images of magicians and adulterers; and they used to slay children and work magic by means of their blood.

2 And it came to pass that when Mark left the Apostles he set out and came unto the Bālkā, for his kinsmen belonged unto that tribe; and he preached unto them the knowledge of God, and he wrought in their midst miracles and wonderful deeds in abundance, for he healed the sick and he cleansed the lepers, and by means of the gracious gift which descended upon him he cast out multitudes of unclean spirits. Then many believed in our Lord Jesus Christ through him, and they broke their gods in pieces, and were baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now [when he was] in that place the Holy Spirit revealed unto them that he should go forth unto the city of Alexandria, unto the Takwām, and that the good seed, which is the word of God, should be sown therein. Now the blessed Mark the Evangelist was like unto a young man who was ready to be slain, and he embraced the brethren, and said unto them, "Our Lord hath commanded me, and Jesus Christ hath told me to go unto the city of Alexandria, and to preach the Gospel in that place." And the brethren sent him off on his journey, and he embarked on a ship and went unto the city of Alexandria.

3 And it came to pass that when he had arrived at Alexandria, and had entered into the gate of the city, the latchet of his sandal broke, and he said, "Truly it 'hath sped my way;" and he looked out for a leather dresser that he might sit down [in his shop], and he gave him his sandals to mend. And the leather dresser pierced his left hand with the awl, and he cast aside the tool and the sandals and grasped his hand and said, "In the Name of God, the One God." And it came to pass that when the blessed Mark heard the man say "One 'God' he smiled, and he looked towards the east, and said, O Master, Jesus Christ, prosper Thou my 'way.' Then he turned his face unto the leather dresser, and said unto him, If thou knowest that God is One, 'why dost thou serve these many gods?" And the leather dresser said unto him, "We say '[In] the Name of God' 'with our mouth, but we do not know who the One God is." Then Saint Mark put a little spittle on his fingers, and took a little dust, and anointed the [left hand of the] leather dresser therewith, and said, "In the Name of 'Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, let thy hand be healed;" and because of these words it became whole forthwith. Now when the leather dresser had seen the wonderful and mighty deed which the Apostle had wrought by his word, he said unto him, "I entreat thee, 'O servant of the Good God, to come and rest this day in the house of thy servant; and let us eat together, for thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant." And the blessed Mark rejoiced, and said unto him, "May God give unto thee the heavenly bread of life;" then the leather dresser took the Apostle and brought him into his abode with rejoicing.

4 And it came to pass that when the Apostle had entered into the house he said unto the man, "May the blessing of God be in this house;" then the brethren prayed, and after the prayer they sat down, and ate, and rejoiced. And the leather dresser said unto the blessed Mark, "I entreat thee [to tell me], O good father, Who is this Being of Whom thou speakest, and what is His Name?" Then Saint Mark spake unto him, saying, "I am the servant of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God." And the leather dresser said unto him, "I wish to see Him," and the holy man said unto him, "I will shew [Him] unto you." And Saint Mark began to recite the beginning of the Gospel, saying, "The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham;" and he told him about the prophecies which the prophets had prophesied concerning Him in the Scriptures. And the leather dresser said unto him, "I beseech thee [to give me] this book concerning which thou speakest, for I have not heard [it read] at any time, and I only know that the children of the Egyptians are instructed therein." Then Saint Mark began to converse with him concerning the word of God, saying, "The wisdom of the world is that which is with the word of God." And the leather dresser believed in God when he heard the words of Saint Mark, and as soon as he knew him and had seen the mighty and wonderful deeds [which he wrought], he, and all his house, and many of the people of the city, were baptized. Now the name of the leather dresser was Anianus.

5 And when the believers in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ had increased in number, and the men of the city heard that a Galilean had come thereunto, and that he had changed the offerings unto the gods, and had diminished the worship which was offered unto them, they sought him that they might kill him, and they multiplied their search for him that they might overthrow him. Now when the blessed Mark had learned their plans he appointed Anianus to be [their] bishop, and three priests whose names are Malyós, Kórdónós, and Barimós, together with seven deacons, and fourteen men for the service of the church. And Mark departed unto [the city of] Barká and dwelt there for some years, and he appointed bishops and priests in all the districts thereof; then he returned to Alexandria and multiplied grace therein. And [the people thereof] believed in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they built a church in the spot which is called the "Field of the Ox (or Bull)," in a place above the sea shore, in a large [open] place in a stone quarry beneath the rocks. And the righteous man praised God because of the beauty of His faith.

6 And it came to pass that, when many days were ended, and the Christians had multiplied, and the people treated the gods of the heathen with contempt, and the Gentiles knew that Saint Mark had come unto the city, their hearts were filled with wrath by reason of the many wonderful things which they heard he had wrought (for he healed the sick, and cleansed the lepers, and made the deaf to hear, and the blind received their sight, and he preached unto them the Gospel of good hope) and they sought to lay hold upon him. And they gnashed their teeth upon him in their assemblies and in their temples, and they cried out therein, saying, "We will overcome this sorcerer." And when the feast of the blessed Passover had come (now the Sabbath whereon the believers kept the festival that year fell on the seventeenth day of the month Mīyāzyā, and the festival of the birthday of Serapis took place on the selfsame day), the heathen found that day to be favourable [for their plan], and they sent men unto him to seize him as he was finishing the prayer of consecration, and they bound him with cords and dragged him into the road, saying, "We will drag the bull into 'the Field of the Ox (or Bull.)" Now whilst they were dragging Saint Mark along he was giving thanks unto God, and saying, "I thank Thee, O my Lord and God 'Jesus Christ, that Thou hast made me worthy to suffer for Thy holy Name's sake;" and the flesh of his body was torn to pieces by the ground, and his blood besmeared the stones of the streets. And when it was night they cast him into prison, until they could take counsel together how to kill him.

7 And it came to pass that at midnight, when the doors [of the prison] were shut fast and the guards were asleep, a great earthquake took place, and the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and touched the body of Saint Mark. And the angel said unto Mark, "Thou art the servant of God, and the master who dost give consolation unto all the countries of Egypt. Behold, thy name is written in the Book of Life in the heavens, and thou art numbered among the number of the Apostles; and men shall not forget the commemoration of thee, for behold, God hath given thee upon the earth dominion, and grace, and power which cannot be reckoned, and thy soul is in heaven, and thy body shall not perish in the earth." And when Saint Mark had seen this vision he lifted up his hands to heaven, and said, "I thank Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast not cast me away from before Thy face, and hast placed me in the assembly of Thy saints. I beseech Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, to receive my soul in peace, and let not Thy grace forsake me." And when he had said these words, our Lord appeared unto him in the form in which He was when He was among the Apostles, before His life-giving Passion and before they had placed Him in the grave, and He said unto him, "My peace be with thee, O thou Mark, My chosen one, who preachest My Gospel! Behold, I have appeared unto thee in the form in which I was with thy brethren the Apostles, before [My Passion], when I was not at any time separated from them." And the saint said, "I give thanks unto Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, for Thy great act of grace, in that Thou hast held me to be worthy to see Thee as Thou wast in Thy flesh, and

8 "because [Thou] hast given me patience [to endure] suffering for Thy holy Name's sake;" and our Lord gave him the salutation of peace and went up into heaven with great glory. 9 And when the morrow had come, the men of the city gathered together and brought Mark out from the prison-house, and they bound him with cords, and dragged him through the city, saying, "Let us again drag the bull into the Field of the Ox (or Bull); and the blessed Mark was sending thanksgivings into the heights of heaven. And after they had made an end of dragging him about, all the city was filled with his blood, and all the highways of the city were full thereof, and the borders round about it were full of his precious blood; and he said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, into Thy hands I commit my spirit," and having said these words he died. Now when all the heathen saw that Saint Mark was dead, they kindled a great fire in the place which is called 'Awbākalyōn,' that they might burn up his body there. Then by the good pleasure of our Lord Jesus Christ, darkness came on, and a cold wind [blew], and the sun hid his light, and there were lightnings and thunders, and rain, and hail, until the evening of that day; and a great number of the noblemen of the city fell down headlong, and many of them died.

10 Then straightway the people of the city became afraid, and they went and laid the body of the holy man [on the fire], and some of them who had mocked him said, "The great Serapis hath received the soul of this man this day, which is the birth-day of the god. And certain believing men came and took the body of the saint from the fire, and they bore it unto a place wherein they used to make their prayers, and they made supplications over him and thanksgivings, and they buried him according to the custom of the people of the city, and they laid him in a place which they had chosen for him. And they celebrated the commemoration of him frequently with gladness, and with prayers, and with sanctifications, as a great storehouse [of good things] which they had found in him. Now they laid him [in a grave] to the east of the city. Thus Saint Mark the Evangelist was the first of the martyrs who died and shed their blood in the country of Egypt, in the Name of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, in the great city of Alexandria. And he ended his martyrdom on the thirtieth day of the month Miyāzyā, that is to say, on the twenty-seventh day of the Hebrew month Nēšān (Nisān), in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius.

11 Thus Saint Mark finished his contending, and fulfilled his testimony, and he is [now] in the heights of heaven, together with the righteous, praising the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. May his prayer and blessing protect us for ever and ever! Amen, Amen, and Amen.