The Book of Governors (chapters 16. Of the Revelations Concerning Things of the Future which the Holy Rabban Mâr Gabriel Received from God–18. Of the Lamentable Death of Rabban Gabriel, and of his Departure to the World of Joy)

The Book of Governors

continued

Chapter 16. Of the Revelations Concerning Things of the Future which the Holy Rabban Mâr Gabriel Received from God

1 Unto what limit now shall we extend our feeble discourse in demonstrating the greatness of this marvellous man? Let us come now, little by little, and as it were by brief signs and indications we will [first] relate concerning the revelations which came to him, and afterwards [we will speak] about the miracles and mighty works which he wrought, and thus with the steps of [our] narrative of him we shall travel on to the conclusion of [this] history. 2 Who now is unacquainted with 'Amran bar-Muḥammad' of the family of el-Azd, who was descended from the [tribe of] the great Taiman, the exceedingly stubborn servant whose asperity was softened and mollified by means of this holy head? Now before this Arab came to this country, God, the Lord of all, had revealed before the eyes of the mind of the holy man the beginning and end of this man, and concerning his children, and his childrens' children, for five generations; and he became known to him in this wise:—Rabban once wished to sell certain oxen of the herd belonging to the monastery to provide for the ministration of the brethren, and he sent ten oxen with a monk to the market of the village of Yazdainâbhâdh, and he commanded him, saying, "Take these oxen, and go to Yazdainâbhâdh, and do not take them into the market, but pasture them above the village. And behold, a man will come to you mounted upon a horse, and will haggle concerning their price with thee with many words, but thou shalt not strike a bargain with him, neither shalt thou accept their price from him. And when he shall say to thee, 'Wait until I bring thee their price,' thou shalt say to him, 'Thus saith Mâr Gabriel, Whenever it is easy for thee, take their price and come [with it] to me to the monastery'.

3 And when that brother had gone and had done as he had been commanded, behold 'Amran came, and when he saw the oxen he turned aside [to look at] them. And having enquired about their condition he said, Hast thou brought them to sell? and the brother answered and said to 'Amran, "What is thy name? and he said, "Why askest thou concerning my name? The monk said, "My father Rabban Gabriel commanded me, saying, 'Behold a certain Ishmaelite whose name is Amran will come to thee, deliver the oxen to him freely, and say to him, I know that thou hast not the money to pay for them, but whenever God hath made it ready for thee, take [it] and come [with it] to me to the monastery that I may see thee'. And when 'Amran heard these things [about himself from] this holy old man who was not even acquainted with him, for he had not as yet entered into [his] inheritance of the estates of Margâ,' he marvelled and was astonished, and he knew that this man must be great, for, said he, He saw my coming to the market, and saw that I wished to buy oxen; and he knew and perceived with his soul's understanding that the esteem of the Christians was mighty and exalted before God, for behold their holy men see and know the things which are hidden. So he took the oxen and went [his way], and the monk returned to Rabban and informed him of all that had happened meanwhile;

4 and Rabban was silent and answered never a word. Now after a day or two behold 'Amran knocked at the door [of the monastery], and when they opened the door for him and he had gone in he asked for Rabban and fell down upon the ground before him, and Rabban kissed him on the head and blessed him; and Amran brought [out] the money, the price of the oxen. And as he was sitting down he embraced Rabban's legs as a mark of honour, and entreated him to pray for him, and Rabban answered and said to him, "If thou wilt establish a covenant before God and before myself that thou wilt not slay the Christians, I will reveal to thee what thou shalt become, and what shall happen to thy children, and to thy children's children. And he swore before him, saying, "From this day and henceforth to the most remote time, among the Christians a man like unto thyself I will never harm. Thou hast heard concerning the children of Bôzî, but they acted wickedly towards me, and exasperated me with their fables and pride. The blessed man answered and said to him, "If thou wilt restrain thy sword from the people of God, behold God will make thee, and thy children, and thy children's children to inherit peacefully all this country of Margâ, and the men who shall arise from thy seed shall become strong and mighty, and no man shall be able to stand before them and conquer.

5 Like Nisân with its blossoms and flowers, and the vine with its clusters of grapes, even so shall they be distinguished in their appearance and strength from the other families of the Arabs. Thus hath it been revealed to me by God, in comparison with the love of Whom I count the whole world as nothing, and I entreat thee to command the sons whom God shall raise up from thee to shew love to the Christians, and especially to the monasteries and convents, and to ascetics, and scholars, and priests, and deacons. And 'Amran undertook to act according to the command of Rabban, and he did so, and he likewise commanded his sons to do so. Such was the revelation which appeared to the holy old man. 6 And again, there were three hamlets near the monastery of the holy man, the inhabitants of which, together with all the heathen, robbed and vexed this holy house; and when the brethren made a complaint [to Rabban], he said to them merely, "They will be made desolate utterly", and this actually came to pass. Moreover, by the [gift of] prophecy which dwelt in him he made known concerning the revolt in the kingdom which took place before this our generation. And as we have said above, he shewed aforetime to the brethren concerning the desolation of the Monastery of Malbadh, and the ruin of all his family, and of the glory which descended not after him; and behold the sight of that ruined and desolate place testifieth to the words of the holy man. And he shewed aforetime concerning the death, which should take place before his own, of his beloved fellow-labourer and ascetic Abbâ Dômat (Domitius) of Bêth 'Abhê, and when that holy old man was dying [Rabban] said to the brethren, who were in his monastery, "In this night shall the perfection of the blessed Abbâ Dômat (Domitius) be accomplished, and his soul shall be exalted to the treasuries of heaven; this day shall Satan, the foe of holy men, be put to shame by reason of the escape of that divine old man from his crafty wiles."

7 Now divine visions which surpassed our knowledge appeared to him frequently, but through the negligence of authors they have not been set down in writing; we, however, by a very few of the things which have been said about him, like a drop of rain out of the whole shower, or like a single block of stone out of the whole mountain, make known to what measure [of power] this divine man attained. was a contemporary of Mâr Ahâ, Mâr Mâran-'ammeh and Mâr Îshô'-yahbh [of Adiabene], and we know that these Metropolitans lived in the VIIth century of our era; however, died about A. H. 137 (A. D. 754), and if he had been a contemporary of Mâr Ahâ he must have been considerably more than 100 years old at the time of his death. For the account of Malbadh's monastery see Bk. VI. chap. 13, supra p. 639.

Chapter 17. Of the wonders, and mighty works of healing, and cures of all kinds which were wrought by the hands of rabban gabriel

1 Let us now turn, the might of the prayer of this holy man cleaving unto us, to the mighty deeds which Christ wrought, and the wonders which He shewed forth by his hands. "A city which is built upon a mountain cannot be hid," as [long as] it pleaseth Christ our Lord, and according to His command, neither may His disciples conceal His mysteries and revelations. Now although certain holy men have excelled in mighty works of excellence, yet wonders and the working of mighty deeds have not been performed by their hands; and this did not happen through any defect or lack of renown on their part, but because God, the only wise Being, giveth to every man that [gift] which is most suitable for him. And because human nature is deceitful, and Satan lieth in wait continually, and lurketh to compass its ruin, especially in the case of holy men and of those who have often cut through his snares and laughed at his wily tricks, our Lord God withholds from certain men this gift of healing. For behold, we see that to the divine Paul, who was the tongue of Christ, who fulfilled His designs, and who was the great pillar and father of the churches of the Gentiles which had been sanctified by his hands with the mark of the Cross of Christ, was delivered a goad for his flesh, the messenger of Satan, which was his moderate weakness, lest by the excellence of the revelations and signs which he used to work, after he had preached to others he himself might become a castaway. So then everything cometh from the will of the Governor, Who, according to His inscrutable fore-knowledge, perfecteth in those who are participators in His counsel those things which are administered for the common good. Now this holy man, our father Mâr Gabriel,

2 "ambush", and by. "bands of thieves who lie in wait, that is to say, thieves who plunder people, and who band themselves together with others in revolt, and unite together to rob and steal;" see Duval, Lexicon, col. 1147. Compare "band of brigands," and "voleur", Dozy, Supplément, p. 408, col. 2. having aforetime, from the beginning of his discipleship, embraced humility, chose to be considered of no account and unknown, and he passed the whole period of his life in this [manner], even until his old age, when by the Divine choice he was called to the headship of this holy monastery, and our Lord gave by his hands mighty deeds and gifts which fell short in nothing of those possessed by the early fathers. And, notwithstanding that he was the fountain and origin of the healings which were wrought by him, many afflictions came upon him from the wicked men who were his neighbours in this place, whom Satan, the enemy of our master, stirred up [against him] every day and always, and they were gathered together against him with threats and curses to put him to shame in this place, as afterwards, little by little, by the help of God we will prove with our words.

3 Now when Rabban [Gabriel] lived in the Monastery of Mâr John, and was carrying out his customary duties, a certain man from the village of Tellâ came to him in the month of Îlûl, and said to him sadly, "The vines in our village have been severely smitten by the hail, and my vine only remaineth uninjured." The blessed man said to him, "My son, a punishment hath been sent upon you by God for your benefit, and whosoever receiveth the chastisement of the Lord, the Lord will bind up his wound. Had the hail smitten thy vine also it would have been for thy benefit; but thou must know that destruction [of thy vine] awaiteth thee. If the sin is the sin of the whole community, the chastisement also must be of the whole community." And that man went and pressed the grapes of his vine, and he poured his wine into a wine jar and sealed it; and when he went back to look at it on the following day, behold the wine jar was empty and there was nothing inside it. Thus the words of Rabban were actually fulfilled.

4 Once while he lived in the cell of Mâr John, when he was sitting in front of his cell and reading a book, an eagle came and carried off a kid of the goats belonging to the monastery. And when Rabban saw that the kid bleated, and that the eagle was carrying it up to his nest to devour, he said to the eagle, "For the sake of our Lord let down carefully what thou hast taken"; and the eagle, as if some heavy thing were hanging from him, let the kid down little by little, and laid it on the ground without injury, and spread out his wings and flew away. And all those who heard concerning these things from the shepherd, praised God, but because they were the beginning of the miracles of the blessed man they were perturbed and frightened. And the holy man answered and said to them, "My brethren, be not astonished at this thing which hath taken place, for it hath not happened through my power, but by God, Who hath made manifest these things on your account; I am a weak man and a sinner, and this hath been wrought by your prayers. Every wild animal, and beast, and bird, and reptile is made subject unto divine and holy men, even as it was to Noah at the door of his ark, for the God of the people of these last times is the God of the ancients.

5 Another time also there came to him a certain Persian believer from the village of Bèth Kèwàz, which [is situated] on the Great Zàb, leading with him his two sons who were vexed by evil spirits; the name of the one was Noah, and that of the other Marwà, and he entreated Rabban to pray for them. Then Rabban commanded and the boys were brought to him, and he anathematized those devils, saying, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who cast out legions from him who dwelt among the tombs, I command you to come forth from these boys"; and while the brethren were standing before him and all looking on, [the devils] came forth from their mouths in the form of fire. Thus by the word of Rabban they received healing from the vexation of obstinate devils, and that man returned to his house rejoicing and praising God.

6 One day a mad dog came forth from the village of Niram, and as it passed by some children who were playing, it fell upon one whose name was Màròn, and tore open his belly, and his bowels came out freely, and his parents carried him and brought him to Rabban. And when he saw him he was much grieved for him, and he commanded and they put the child's bowels back into his belly, and he made the sign of the Cross over them, and thus by the word of Rabban the wound was healed. Sapsa with lions; and Macarius had two lions whom he called "Little sons." See Rosweyde, Vitae Patrum, pp. 49, 650, 120, 459, 84, 857 and 228. 7 In the village of Hēṭārā, which is situated on the [bank of] the river Hāzer, there was a certain man whose name was Naggārā; he belonged to the race of the Shahrīghān, and had a son whose name was Maslamāh. Now this boy was smitten with a very virulent sore, and his father sent him to this monastery, and the old man gave him a hēnānā, and commanded him not to eat meat or anything of that nature until the end of the Fast of the Apostles; and when the fifty days were ended the boy had become whole. And his father commanded one of the members of his home to bring some fish from the river, and to carry [them] with the boy to Rabban, and some they fried [to eat] in the village, and some they left alive and took with them as they came to this monastery. And the young man who was with Maslamāh was a heathen, and when they drew near to the precincts of the monastery on the first day of the week which ended the "Week of the Apostles"—now the boy was fasting to receive the Holy Mysteries—the heathen young man counselled the boy with the counsel of Eve, saying, "Thou art fasting now, and when thou goest to the monks thou wilt be ashamed to eat, but I will place in this tree a piece of fish with [some] bread, so that when we come back thou canst eat;

8 now the boy did not prevent him, and according to his word they placed [the meat and bread there], and set forth [again] on their journey. And when they had gone in to the old man they laid the basket of fish before him, and he commanded the brethren to dress them by the time of the Holy Mysteries. And while the fish, which they were about to fry on the fire in Rabban's chamber, were lying in the pan, Rabban's cat came and took one of them. And Rabban answered and laughing, said to him, "Do not be more greedy than the brethren, for he that brought the fish did not receive healing from thee, but through their prayers; let it go, wretched creature, that chastisement may not come upon thee; and with the word of Rabban, a strong eagle seized the cat and bore him up into the air. And Rabban said to the eagle, "Let him go and offend not a second time," and the eagle let him down and laid him upon the ground uninjured; and the young men and the brethren marvelled and were astonished.

9 And with this miracle the blessed man wrought also another wonderful thing at the table in the refectory while they were eating. When the brethren had taken the gift and had sat down to eat the good things which the Lord had brought to them, Maslamâh and his companion ate with deliberation. And Rabban said to Maslamâh, "My son, see what this my servant telleth me." Now the old man had as his disciple a young man whose name was Kûphrâ, the son of Sabhrîshô, a believer [who came] from Nîram, a village of shepherds, and when many illnesses had waxed strong in him, his father set him apart to become the servant of Rabban, if ever he should become well, and by the mediation of this holy man this actually came to pass, and he became a disciple, and a monk, and afterwards head of a monastery. At that moment this young man was standing before Rabban, and to him Rabban directed the gaze of the boy Maslamâh, saying, "This [my] servant counselleth thee to eat abundantly, for a crow hath carried off that which ye hid in a tree." And with the word of Rabban, behold [there came] upon the roof a large black crow, [holding] in his beak the bread and the fish which the young men had hidden in the tree; thus astonishment about the crow and what he carried followed closely upon their wonder concerning the cat. These and such-like things were wrought by the hands of this our prophet.

10 At another time there came to him a certain believing man from Nineveh (Môṣul), who, although he had lived with his wife a long time, was not called the father of children; to him Rabban gave a ḥenânâ, and having prayed for him, he dismissed him, and three children were born to him through the prayers of Rabban, and he also was called the father of children. A certain man from the village of Amûlhir was sorely vexed by Satan, and he shouted out with cries by day and by night, and he was brought to Rabban by his parents; and as soon as he had gone into the martyrium and Rabban had anointed him with the oil of prayer, he was made whole, and became free from attack. And a certain man from the village of Birtâ who had no children, came and knocked at the door of the old man with supplication, and asked for his prayers, and in due time twins were born to him. And Rabban commanded him to minister unto the poor and the strangers "in return for the double blessing which God hath given thee;" and that believer undertook and did according to the command of Rabban.

11 In the village of Niram there was a woman who was a ministrant unto rebellious devils. And when she saw the mighty deeds and wonders which the holy man was working against the devils her masters, she set herself in opposition to him, that they might make an end of him and destroy him out of the world. And although Rabban had known concerning her for some time past, he had never done her any harm, nor given information concerning her; now this woman set her face to slay Rabban, whom the wretched creature was not only not able to harm in any way, but she, the wretched creature, destroyed herself. And she took in her bosom some dried white grapes and went straight to him; now Rabban was saying Compline at the door of the martyrium. And when she saw him, she bowed down before him, and reproaching him in, as it were, a loving manner said, "Because I am a poor and sinful woman, thou neither liftest up my head, nor takest any care for me, as thou dost for the other widows whom thou feedest. And the holy man rebuked her, saying, "Depart, wretched woman, thou hast no need of sustenance at my hands, for thou hast other protectors; but she did not understand that he spake of the devils whom she served, and sighing she sadly entreated him to receive the few dried grapes which she had brought to him.

12 And Rabban, knowing of the strange power that was hidden therein, answered and said to her, "Get thee gone, woman; I have harmed thee in no way, what hast thou to do with me? Light hath no portion with darkness, neither can the adorers of the Cross be participators in the table and the food of devils. Now although [Rabban had spoken] thus, she nevertheless dared to throw the grapes down upon the doorstep of the martyrium before the holy old man, and she left [him] and went away. And as Rabban was singing the psalm, with the top of his staff he traced [a figure of] the Cross over and among them, and they were straightway changed into large, strong wasps. And they flew after that despicable woman and overtook her on the road, and they took vengeance upon her for the insult to the holy man, and they stung her upon her face and head, and she died immediately, and fell into the river; and every man was astonished at the terrible death which had happened to the wretched woman.

13 And again the Calumniator, who wishes to make a mock of the holy men of our Lord, and who was lurking in ambush and watching for the ruin of that mighty old man, into whom none of his arrows ever stuck, and whom no spiritual or corporeal blemish ever touched, brought upon him, and upon his monastery innumerable trials, in which Rabban was victorious, and inflicted severe defeat upon his enemy, who sometimes troubled him by the stubborn heathen, and sometimes by other afflictions. 14 Now there lived in the village of Bêth Ôbhîd a woman who was exceedingly beautiful, and she set the beauty with which mortal nature had endowed her as a stumbling-block for the children of the race of mankind, and Satan invited and led on this woman [to attempt] the ruin of this divine man. And she rose up and adorned herself like a harlot with all the ornaments which stir up lust for women in men, and she put kohl on her eyes, and tired her head like Jezebel, and like Jezebel she also was about to drink the cup of the wrath of the Lord; and she hung upon herself all her ornaments of gold and silver, and she rose up and set out from the village and made her journey to the monastery of Rabban. Now Rabban was among a great crowd of people who were sick and afflicted with devils, and she also went in among them all breathing forth the evil smelling scent of her perfumes, and she waited until every one had gone forth on his way. And when she saw that Rabban remained alone she dared to stand before him with her face uncovered, and she showed him her beauty without shame. And Rabban answered in his accustomed gracious manner, and said to her, "What is the cause of thy coming here? and the audacious woman said to him, "I have come to thee that I may sleep with thee this night and that thou mayest be united with me.

15 And Rabban was passionately enraged with her, and he cursed her, and she fell down on her face straightway, and he called brother Kûphrâ his servant to gather her up, and commanded him to drag her outside; and she went to her village in great pain, and on the morning of the morrow she was buried, and behold she was reserved for a judgment more bitter than death. And this thing was known to all who dwelt in the country, and they glorified our Lord Who made the holy man victorious, because by the memory of her [whom] the holy man burnt up with his curses and destroyed, the lust of the lascivious perished. 16 And on a certain day the heathen from the hamlets round about came by night and fell upon Bêth Hêsikhê, the forest of the monastery, with axes and scythes, and they mercilessly hacked and hewed and threw down [the trees]; and they at the same time were making threats against the monastery, saying, "We will burn it with fire, and we will make it a waste place as if it had never existed;" and when the sacristan went out to strike the board for morning [prayer], he heard the noise of those that were cutting the trees, and he went in and informed Rabban. And the holy man went out to speak with them, and to admonish them for their daring behaviour, but the children of destruction poured out insulting words upon him, and with bitter pain in his heart he cursed them as Elisha cursed the children, and straightway the angel of the Lord slew them with the exception of one who remained [alive] to proclaim their audacious behaviour. Thus the prayer of this altar of prayer was heard and accepted, and at the first moving of his request the work [of destruction] was performed.

17 And again Satan, who desired their destruction, inflamed [the hearts of] the inhabitants of a village called Bêth Ṭimai, who were heathen, and evil livers, and thieves, to come and smite the monks and to plunder the community; and when they had come and many of the brethren had been badly wounded, and had had their bones broken by them, the [other] brethren went in and informed Rabban of the audacious violence of those godless men. And Rabban admonished the brethren, saying, "My sons, for the sake of Christ, your Lord, endure insults and blows from [your] enemies, for He said, 'In the world ye shall have tribulation'; and what man or what saint ever departed from [this] world without affliction? And while Rabban was admonishing and exhorting his disciples with such words as these, those men from Bèth Timai seized the herd of cattle [belonging] to the community and departed, and they hid themselves in a certain place called Bèth Saphwàn, so that when the night came they might carry the oxen away unobserved to a distance and sell them. Now when it was evening Rabban went forth after them secretly, and he went into the wood and took with him two fierce lions, and drew near to those wretched men.

18 And when they saw him and the lions, [one] on his right hand, and [one] on his left, and saw that they were ready at his command to swiftly destroy them, mounting upon rocks, and hiding in caves they adjured him by his God to take what belonged to him, and to save their lives from destruction by those cruel lions; and they swore to him that they would never come back to the monastery. And the holy man spake to them darkly, saying, "I trust in God, Whom I serve, that from this day and henceforth ye will need neither to buy nor to sell, nor to go forth outside the borders of your village, but that ye may rest in relaxation and peace for ever, and that ye may not wake up until the time appointed beforehand for this universe. And the men worthy of woe rose up and went to their village, and the Lord destroyed them in a short time, and their village was made a desolation for ever, so much so that even its name and memorial were blotted out entirely from this earth. And the holy man took the herd of cattle and returned to the monastery in the evening when it was quite dark; and this wonder was proclaimed throughout all the country.

19 And again when the 'Amran bar-Muḥammad—whom we have mentioned above—had gone in and inherited the lands [round about], and with them also Nīram of the shepherds, in which he lived, because of the love which he had for this righteous man—for he had actually done what Rabban asked him [to do]—he called to one of his servants and said to him, "Go to Rabban Gabriel and say to him, if he has a little wheat, let him lend it to us, and as soon as we bring the corn into the granary we will pay him double. Now it was the season of Nīsān when it happeneth that many people are in need [of wheat]. And when he that had been sent had come [to Rabban], the holy old man rose up and shewed him a hollow in the ground, that is to say, a pit, full of wheat, and said to him, "Behold, my son, take all this wheat and carry it to thy master". And this servant took up out of the pit as many loads as he pleased, leaving, however, some behind, for he was mindful not to take all the grain, having compassion for the brethren that they themselves might not lack. And he left [the monastery] and went to 'Amran, and when Amran asked him if any [wheat] was left in the pit, he was afraid of his master's violence, and told him, saying, "I did leave a little there for the food of the monastery and of the old man.

20 Then 'Amran according to his cruel disposition asked him to go back and bring also what was left, saying, "Rabban Gabriel will lack nothing. And when the servant had gone back to the old man he made the matter known to Rabban, who answered and said to him, "O my son, I have lent all the pitful [of wheat] to 'Amran, do not therefore leave anything in it that thou dost not carry away. And when the servant went to the pit he opened it and saw, and behold it was full to the top as before, and he looked and was astonished, and he went back having loaded the mule, and related [the matter] to his master, who marvelled and was astonished, and did not send again [to Rabban]. How wonderful is the love of God towards holy men, who having elected to live in penury and to be unpraised and unknown, in that, contrary to their wishes, it leadeth on their part to the praise of His great power, and in such a way that they provoke those who love its excellence! And this holy person who was beloved by his Lord wrought many most astonishing things which were full of His glory. This man was a prosperous gardener who fenced round his own vineyard with the sure hedge of keeping the commandments, that [wild animals] might not enter in and destroy the fruits of his sweetness.

21 He was a wise builder who dug down deep and laid the walls of his house firmly upon the sure rock of belief, that they might not move by reason of the blast of the mighty winds of pride, and that the thief might not enter in and spoil the riches of his treasure. He was a faithful steward who laid upon the table before those who sat at meat in his master's house the portion which had been entrusted to him. He was a diligent mariner who saved his valuable ship from the waves and storms, and who steered straight out of them for the quiet harbour. He was a merchant [who] understood what was advantageous for him, and who laid up his treasures in heaven above where the fingers of thieves draw not nigh to plunder the riches of the prosperous. He was a soldier without blame who went forth to meet the enemies of his Lord, and who never turned his back until he had destroyed them. He was a husbandman who sowed the seed wisely, and who cleansed the field of his thoughts from every plant of stubborn tares, and he shewed his field [to be] full of choice fat wheat. He was a valiant warrior who conquered all the armies of the mighty Philistines who had driven out the upright from the land of promise.

22 He was a Gideon victorious in the wars of the Lord, who pursued spiritual Midianites, and took the gold and the crescents of their camels, and plundered them until he had made them pass from out of his dominion. It was in such a manner that he was victorious, and these and suchlike triumphs did he exhibit. What speech can fathom the hidden virtues of this man, and bring [them] to the light and shew their glorious character? It is meet that his praises should be recited by blessed and righteous men whose discourse is savoury and sweet, in that it hath been seasoned with the salt of chastity, and not by ignorant men who are overwhelmed in sin like myself. It is meet that thy noble triumphs should be set down in writing, O pearl of asceticism, wherefore we have made bold to write [the history of them]. We will attribute honour to thy love, and we will award gratitude to thy holiness, in order that the dust of thy limbs, which alive or dead, driveth away devils, and the vessel in which thy body is laid, may be known by the prudent and not be despised. And although it was pleasing to thee in thy life and in thy death to follow after humility, yet if [thy triumphs] remain unknown they will bring injury and harm [upon men]; [therefore we have written them] that they may be a benefit to them. To thee be praise and to thy Lord glory!

23 moon, in which are set precious stones; they also call that [piece of] iron which is made like the half moon, and which the Arabs put on their camels above their nostrils." The Arabs call every thing which has the form of a crescent or new moon.

Chapter 18. Of the Lamentable Death of Rabban Gabriel, and of his Departure to the World of Joy

1 And how much longer shall we weary [our] listeners with our common and ignorant words? After these things then, let us proceed and advance to the sickness which smote the holy man, and to those things which happened during his illness, so that with the end of his career we may also bring our lines to a close. Now while that holy man was bringing down this and such-like help upon all mankind, one by one the years of his life came to an end, and old age and feebleness troubled him; day by day he began to complete the path of his journey in this world and to set out on the paths of death, so that he also might go and join all the saints in the never-ending mansions for which and because of which he had toiled all his days. And the holy man fell ill of a disease of the bowels and suffered from diarrhoea for four months, like the majority of the holy men who have departed and who will depart from the world. And at the end of the months of his sickness the report of his departure from this life was carried to all the nobles and governors of the country, and they were gathered together and came to see him.

2 And the honourable and noble Zádói bar-Zadhbháh, [who] is worthy of mention for good because of his noble deeds and his protection of the schools,—for he had taken upon himself the burden of maintaining them—was also among the many who came to the monastery to see the holy man, and the honourable Zádói, who was sitting behind Rabban, supported him in the hour of his death, and he was grieved at the departure of the holy old man. And while all the brethren were standing before him, (now some of them were sitting) the eyes of the blessed man dropped tears of grief, and he wept abundantly. And when the brethren saw that he wept, all the believers wept also, saying to him, "If thou weepest, Rabban, and art grieved at thy departure, what shall we who are sinners do? He said to them, "I am not afraid of death, neither am I grieved at my departure, but I am afraid of the judgment of our Lord, for God judgeth by fire. If Saint Paul was terrified at the judgment hall of God and said, 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,' who am I that I should not be stupefied with terror? For I know not what the Judge will make me hear there, or what answer He will return to me, for I know not whether my work will be pleasing before Him or not.

3 And behold I am going along a road upon which I have not journeyed, and to a judgment hall of sin into which I have not entered, and the face of the Judge is terrible towards sinners, among whom I am reckoned. His Holy Cross shall be an advocate for me before His justice, and I will take refuge in it; and as the holy old man wept and [his] tears poured down wetting his beard and his neck, a cry went up to heaven from every man. And after the weeping and the tears the beauty of grace shone upon his countenance and drew forth great astonishment from every man, and the eyes of the brethren and of the believers looked upon him. And when they saw him in that changed condition of heavenly splendour, and saw that he had composed his mind and had become peaceful [after] his weeping, the brethren and monks answered and said to him, "Our father, to whom wilt thou leave us? From this day and henceforth who will hedge us in from before the enemies by whom we are surrounded? Whilst thou wast alive they swallowed us up alive, and when thou art dead what evil will they not make us suffer? They will certainly make a desolation of this poor monastery. The blessed man answered and said to them, "My brethren, take heed to your redemption and to your reward, and multiply [your] prayers for the Church and the government.

4 Pray also for me that I may have openness of face before our Lord, [and if it be granted to me] by the fifth day of the week not one of your enemies shall remain alive; and this actually came to pass according to the old man Rabban's word, for he departed [this] life at dawn on the fifth day of the week and by the following fifth day they had all come to an end and perished, [and], their lands are made desolate unto this day. And having his mouth filled with praise, and admonishing and encouraging the brethren not to be cast down before the afflictions and sufferings and trials from within and without, he delivered up his soul to his Master and ended his valiant contest; and immediately the whole house in which he died was filled with a sweet smell. And the teachers, and scholars, and priests, and deacons, and believing men were gathered together and came to be blessed at the bier of the holy old man, and every man wept and was sad and mournful by reason of the departure of [their] father; the monks for their head and governor who watched on behalf of their souls; the widows for the supporter of their lives; the orphans for the foster-father of their destitution; the poor for the man who filled their bosoms with his crumbs; the wandering strangers and abjects for him that gathered together their wanderings [into a house]; the afflicted for the man who relieved their need;

5 the troubled for the man who alleviated the pains of their wounds; the oppressed for him that delivered them from their oppressors; the sick for the physician who healed them for nothing; those who were in anguish for the consoler of their sorrow; and the rich because he made their alms wing their way to heaven. In his death the man who was entirely and in every way like unto Paul was lamented by every man. And the venerable and holy body, which was in truth the fountain of help, was borne with honour and laid in the south side of the martyrium in front of the shrine of the bones of the true ascetic Rabban Rā'yā, the disciple of Rabban Cyprian, for the holy Gabriel had commanded and strictly enjoined that the pavement should be his grave, as it was that of Paul his brother, and commanded that no monument should be built above him. And so he was buried by all the grades of ecclesiastics in all the honour of which the majesty of that holy old age was worthy; and he left behind in the world the fair renown of his strife, and the sweet odour of his name. The death of the righteous is not death, but sleep.

6 And some days after his death and departure God wrought a wonderful thing. Two sick men vexed by devils were brought to this monastery, and when they had gone into the martyrium and had bowed down before Rabban's grave they received healing immediately. And again a certain Persian, who was hostile to the monastery, came and took away an ass from the community by force; and when he had gone forth to depart the Lord smote him with a severe pain, and with an abundant gift he brought the ass back here. To God now, for Whom holy men live, Who doeth for the benefit of our nature everything which He doeth in their lives and in their deaths, to Him Who hath made victorious the early [saints], Who hath sustained those who come next, and Who hath made mighty those who come last, be praise, and honour, and adoration, and exaltation, from every rational being who hath lived and who liveth. By the prayers of these saints whose histories we have recounted, may He make His blessings to accompany this assembly in all its crises, and may He extend to it His help, now and always, and for ever and ever! Amen.

7 Here endeth the book of the history of the life of Rabban Gabriel, the priest and true ascetic, and with it endeth [the whole work]. By the help of our Lord, and by the support of His power here endeth the writing of this book which is called the "Book of Governors," which consisteth of the histories, and noble triumphs, and profitable stories concerning the holy men and ascetics who lived in the holy Monastery of Bèth 'Abhè, together with discourses divided into distinct chapters, which shew forth all their histories, and which was composed by the divinely pious man and spiritual philosopher Màr Thomas, Bishop of Margà. May his prayers, and those of his master Màr Jacob, and of the saints whose noble triumphs he wrote, be a high wall to all believers, especially to the poor scribe, and to the man who had this spiritual composition copied, and may the Lord God hold them worthy of the remission of [their] sins in the day of judgment! Amen.