Demetrius the Chronographer
There are six fragments usually considered Demetrius' work. The first short fragment (found in Praeparatio Evangelica 9.19.4) is about the sacrifice of Isaac. The second fragment is the longest we have. It is found in Praeparatio Evangelica 9.21.1-19 and deals with the history of Jacob from the time of his emigration to Mesopotamia till his death. Demetrius endeavors to establish the Biblical chronology and gives the date of every incident in Jacob's life, even fixing the year and month in which each of Jacob's children was born. The excerpt concludes with the genealogy of Levi back to the birth of Aaron and Moses. The third fragment (Praeparatio Evangelica 9.29.1-3) is an extract from the history of Moses, laying stress on the genealogy of Jethro in order to demonstrate that Zipporah, the wife of Moses, was a descendant of Abraham and Keturah. The fourth fragment (Praeparatio Evangelica 9.29.15) gives an account of the sweetening of the water of Marah. Fragment five (Praeparatio Evangelica 9.29.15-end) is very short and is about Israelites's weapons referred to in chapter 14 of Exodus. The last fragment was preserved by Clement of Alexandria (Stromata i. 21, 141), who gives the title of Demetrius' chronicles as Περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ Βασιλέων. This fragment endeavors to determine exactly the period of the exile of the Ten Lost Tribes, and that of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin till Ptolemy IV Philopator, in whose reign Demetrius evidently lived. This version omits the introductory quotes by Eusebius of Caesarea and Clement of Alexandria.
Fragment one
1 But not long after, God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a whole burnt offering to him. And when he led his son up to the mountain, he heaped up a pyre, and placed Isaac on it. But when he was about to sacrifice him, he was prevented by an angel, who provided him with a ram for the offering. And Abraham took his son down from the pyre and offered the ram.
Fragment two
1 Jacob was 77 years old when he fled to Haran in Mesopotamia, having been sent away by his parents on account of the secret enmity of Esau towards his brother, which was due to the fact that his father had blessed him thinking that he was Esau, and in order that he might acquire a wife there.
2 Jacob, then, set out for Haran in Mesopotamia, having left his father Isaac, who was 137 years of age, while he was himself 77 years old.
3 Then after spending 7 years there, he married two daughters of Laban, his maternal uncle, Leah and Rachel, when he was 84 years old. In seven more years, 12 children were born to him. In the 10th month of the 8th year, Reuben was born; and in the 8th month of the 9th year, Simeon; and in the 6th month of the 10th year, Levi; and in the 4th month of the 11th year, Judah. And since Rachel did not bear, she became envious of her sister, and gave her own handmaid, Bilhah, to Jacob as a concubine, who bore Dan in the 4th month of the 11th year, and in the 2nd month of the 12th year, Naptali. And Leah gave her own handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob to concubine, at the same time as Bilhah conceived Naptali, in the 5th month of the 11th year, and he begot a son in the 2nd month of the same year by begot another son, whom Leah named Asher.
4 And in return for the mandrake apples which Reubel brought to Rachel, Leah again conceived, as did her handmaid Zilpah at the same time, in the 3rd month of the 12th year, and bore a son in the 12th month of the same year, and gave him the name Issachar.
5 And again Leah bore another son in the 10th month of the 13th year, whose name was Zebulun; and in the 8th month of the 14th year, the same Leah bore a daughter named Dinah. And at the same time as Leah conceived a daughter, Dinah, Rachel also conceived in her womb, and in the 8th month of the 14th year she bore a son, who was named Joseph, so that in the 7 years spent with Laban, 12 children were born.
6 But when Jacob wanted to return to his father in Canaan, at Laban’s request he stayed six more years, so that in all he stayed for twenty years with Laban in Haran.
7 And while he was going to Canaan, an angel of the Lord wrestled with him, and touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, and he became numb and went lame; on account of this the tendon of the thigh of cattle is not eaten. And the angel said to him that fom that time on he would no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.
8 And he came to Salem, a city of the land of Canaan, having with him his children, Reuben, 12 years and 2 months old; Simeon, 11 years and 4 months; Levi, 10 years and 6 months; Judah, 9 years and 8 months; Dan 9 years and 8 months; Naptali, 8 years and 10 months; Gad, 8 years and 10 months; Asher, 8 years; Issachar, 8 years; Zebulon, 7 years and 2 months; Dinah, 6 years and 4 months; Joseph, 6 years and 4 months old.
9 Now Israel lived beside Hamor for 10 years, and Israel’s daughter, Dinah, was defiled by Shechem the son of Hamor, when she was 16 years and 4 months old. And Israel’s son Simeon, at 21 years and 4 months, and Levi, at 20 years and 6 months of age, rushed out and slew both Hamor and his son Shechem, and all their males, because of the defilement of Dinah; and Jacob was 107 years old at the time.
10 When he had come to Luz which is Bethel, God said that he was no longer to be called Jacob, but Israel. From that place he came to Chaphratha, and after that to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem, and there he fathered Benjamin; and Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin, and Jacob lived with her for 23 years.
11 From there, Jacob came to Mamre, which is Hebron, to his father, Isaac, Joseph was then 17 years old, and he was sold into Egypt, and remained in prison 13 years, so that he was then 30 years old. And Jacob was 120 years of age, one year before Isaac’s death at 180 years of age.
12 And Joseph, having interpreted the king’s dreams, governed Egypt for 7 years, in which time he married Aseneth, daughter of Pentephres the priest of Heliopolis, and begot Manasseh and Ephraim, and 2 years of famine followed.
13 But though Joseph had prospered for 9 years, he did not send for his father, because he was a shepherd, as were Joseph’s brothers; and to the Egyptians it is disgraceful to be a shepherd. For when his relatives came, he told them that if they should be summoned by the king and asked what their occupation was, they should say that they were breeders of cattle.
14 And they were at a loss as to why Joseph gave Benjamin at breakfast a portion 5 times as much as theirs, since he was not able to consume so much meat. He had done this because his father had had six sons by Leah, and two by his mother, Rachel; therefore, he set five portions before Benjamin, and he himself took one; accordingly they had six portions, as many as the sons of Leah received.
15 Similarly, while he gave two garments to each, to Benjamin he gave five, and three hundred pieces of gold; and he sent him to his father likewise, so that his mother’s house might be equal to the other.
16 And they lived in the land of Canaan from the time when Abraham was chosen from among the gentiles and migrated to Canaan; Abraham for 25 years; Isaac 60 years; Jacob, 130 years. All the years in the land of Canaan were thus 215.
17 And in the third year of the famine in Egypt, Jacob came into Egypt when he was 130 years old; Reuben, 44 years and 10 months; Simeon, 44 years; Levi, 43 years and 2 months; Judah, 42 years, and 4 months; Dan, 42 years and 4 months; Naphtali, 41 years and 6 months; Gad, 41 years and 6 months; Asher, 40 years and 8 months; Issachar, 40 years and 8 months; Zebulun, 39 years and 10 months; Dinah, 39 years; and Benjamin, 22 years old.
18 But Joseph was already there in Egypt, at age 39; and from Adam until Joseph’s brothers came into Egypt there were 3624 years; and from the deluge until Jacob’s coming into Egypt, 1360 years; and from the time when Abraham was chosen from among the gentiles and came from Haran into Canaan until Jacob and his family came into Egypt there were 215 years.
19 But Jacob came into Haran to Laban when he was 77 years old, and begot Levi [. . .]. And Levi lived on in Egypt for 17 years, from the time of his coming from Canaan into Egypt, so that he was 60 years old when he begot Kohath. And in the same year in which Kohath was born, Jacob died in Egypt, after he had blessed the sons of Joseph, when he himself was 147 years old, leaving Joseph at the age of 56 years. And Levi was 137 years old when he died. And when Kohath was 40 years old he begot Amram, who was 14 years old when Joseph died in Egypt at the age of 110; and Kohath was 133 years old when he died. Amram took as his wife his uncle’s daughter Jochebed, and when he was 75 years old he begot Aaron and Moses. But when he begot Moses, Amram was 136 years old when he died.
Fragment three
1 Moses slayed the Egyptian and quarreled with the man who disclosed the information about the one who died in the same way as the writer of the Sacred Book. Moses fled into Midian and there married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro, who was, as far as it may be conjectured from the names of those born from Keturah of the stock of Abrahan, a descendant of Jokshan, who was the son of Abraham by Keturah. And from Jokshan was born Dedan, and from Dedan, Reuel, and from Reuel, Jothro and Hobab, and from Jethro, Zipporah, whom Moses married.
2 Moses was seventh from Abraham, and Zipporah, sixth. For Isaac, from whom Moses descended, was already married when Abraham, at the age of 140 married Keturah, and begot by her a second son, Jokshan. But he begot Isaac when he was 100 years old, so that Joksan, from whom Zipporah derived her descent, was born 42 years later.
3 And they lived in the city of Midian, which was named from one of the sons of Abraham. For it says that Abraham sent his sons to the East to settle there. And it says that for this reason also, Aaron and Miriam said at Hazeroth that Moses had married an Ethiopian woman.
Fragment four
1 From there they went for three days. Since Moses found there not sweet but bitter water, God said he should cast some wood into the fountain, then the water became sweet. And from there they came to Elim, where they found 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees.
Fragment five
1 Someone asked how the Israelites had weapons, since they came out unarmed. For they said that after they had gone out on a three-day journey, and made sacrifice, they would return again. It appears, therefore, that those who had not been drowned made use of the others arms.
Fragment six (Clement of Alexandria, Strom 1.141.If.)
1 The tribe of Judah and those of Benjamin and Levi were not taken captive by Sennacherib, but from this captivity to the last captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar effected out of Jerusalem, there were 128 years and 6 months. But from the time when the ten tribes of Samaria were taken captive to that of Ptolemy the 4th, there were 573 years and 9 months. But from the time of the captivity of Jerusalem to Ptolemy the 4th, there were 338 years and 3 months.
Fragment one
1 But not long after, God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a whole burnt offering to him. And when he led his son up to the mountain, he heaped up a pyre, and placed Isaac on it. But when he was about to sacrifice him, he was prevented by an angel, who provided him with a ram for the offering. And Abraham took his son down from the pyre and offered the ram.
Fragment two
1 Jacob was 77 years old when he fled to Haran in Mesopotamia, having been sent away by his parents on account of the secret enmity of Esau towards his brother, which was due to the fact that his father had blessed him thinking that he was Esau, and in order that he might acquire a wife there.
2 Jacob, then, set out for Haran in Mesopotamia, having left his father Isaac, who was 137 years of age, while he was himself 77 years old.
3 Then after spending 7 years there, he married two daughters of Laban, his maternal uncle, Leah and Rachel, when he was 84 years old. In seven more years, 12 children were born to him. In the 10th month of the 8th year, Reuben was born; and in the 8th month of the 9th year, Simeon; and in the 6th month of the 10th year, Levi; and in the 4th month of the 11th year, Judah. And since Rachel did not bear, she became envious of her sister, and gave her own handmaid, Bilhah, to Jacob as a concubine, who bore Dan in the 4th month of the 11th year, and in the 2nd month of the 12th year, Naptali. And Leah gave her own handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob to concubine, at the same time as Bilhah conceived Naptali, in the 5th month of the 11th year, and he begot a son in the 2nd month of the same year by begot another son, whom Leah named Asher.
4 And in return for the mandrake apples which Reubel brought to Rachel, Leah again conceived, as did her handmaid Zilpah at the same time, in the 3rd month of the 12th year, and bore a son in the 12th month of the same year, and gave him the name Issachar.
5 And again Leah bore another son in the 10th month of the 13th year, whose name was Zebulun; and in the 8th month of the 14th year, the same Leah bore a daughter named Dinah. And at the same time as Leah conceived a daughter, Dinah, Rachel also conceived in her womb, and in the 8th month of the 14th year she bore a son, who was named Joseph, so that in the 7 years spent with Laban, 12 children were born.
6 But when Jacob wanted to return to his father in Canaan, at Laban’s request he stayed six more years, so that in all he stayed for twenty years with Laban in Haran.
7 And while he was going to Canaan, an angel of the Lord wrestled with him, and touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, and he became numb and went lame; on account of this the tendon of the thigh of cattle is not eaten. And the angel said to him that fom that time on he would no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.
8 And he came to Salem, a city of the land of Canaan, having with him his children, Reuben, 12 years and 2 months old; Simeon, 11 years and 4 months; Levi, 10 years and 6 months; Judah, 9 years and 8 months; Dan 9 years and 8 months; Naptali, 8 years and 10 months; Gad, 8 years and 10 months; Asher, 8 years; Issachar, 8 years; Zebulon, 7 years and 2 months; Dinah, 6 years and 4 months; Joseph, 6 years and 4 months old.
9 Now Israel lived beside Hamor for 10 years, and Israel’s daughter, Dinah, was defiled by Shechem the son of Hamor, when she was 16 years and 4 months old. And Israel’s son Simeon, at 21 years and 4 months, and Levi, at 20 years and 6 months of age, rushed out and slew both Hamor and his son Shechem, and all their males, because of the defilement of Dinah; and Jacob was 107 years old at the time.
10 When he had come to Luz which is Bethel, God said that he was no longer to be called Jacob, but Israel. From that place he came to Chaphratha, and after that to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem, and there he fathered Benjamin; and Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin, and Jacob lived with her for 23 years.
11 From there, Jacob came to Mamre, which is Hebron, to his father, Isaac, Joseph was then 17 years old, and he was sold into Egypt, and remained in prison 13 years, so that he was then 30 years old. And Jacob was 120 years of age, one year before Isaac’s death at 180 years of age.
12 And Joseph, having interpreted the king’s dreams, governed Egypt for 7 years, in which time he married Aseneth, daughter of Pentephres the priest of Heliopolis, and begot Manasseh and Ephraim, and 2 years of famine followed.
13 But though Joseph had prospered for 9 years, he did not send for his father, because he was a shepherd, as were Joseph’s brothers; and to the Egyptians it is disgraceful to be a shepherd. For when his relatives came, he told them that if they should be summoned by the king and asked what their occupation was, they should say that they were breeders of cattle.
14 And they were at a loss as to why Joseph gave Benjamin at breakfast a portion 5 times as much as theirs, since he was not able to consume so much meat. He had done this because his father had had six sons by Leah, and two by his mother, Rachel; therefore, he set five portions before Benjamin, and he himself took one; accordingly they had six portions, as many as the sons of Leah received.
15 Similarly, while he gave two garments to each, to Benjamin he gave five, and three hundred pieces of gold; and he sent him to his father likewise, so that his mother’s house might be equal to the other.
16 And they lived in the land of Canaan from the time when Abraham was chosen from among the gentiles and migrated to Canaan; Abraham for 25 years; Isaac 60 years; Jacob, 130 years. All the years in the land of Canaan were thus 215.
17 And in the third year of the famine in Egypt, Jacob came into Egypt when he was 130 years old; Reuben, 44 years and 10 months; Simeon, 44 years; Levi, 43 years and 2 months; Judah, 42 years, and 4 months; Dan, 42 years and 4 months; Naphtali, 41 years and 6 months; Gad, 41 years and 6 months; Asher, 40 years and 8 months; Issachar, 40 years and 8 months; Zebulun, 39 years and 10 months; Dinah, 39 years; and Benjamin, 22 years old.
18 But Joseph was already there in Egypt, at age 39; and from Adam until Joseph’s brothers came into Egypt there were 3624 years; and from the deluge until Jacob’s coming into Egypt, 1360 years; and from the time when Abraham was chosen from among the gentiles and came from Haran into Canaan until Jacob and his family came into Egypt there were 215 years.
19 But Jacob came into Haran to Laban when he was 77 years old, and begot Levi [. . .]. And Levi lived on in Egypt for 17 years, from the time of his coming from Canaan into Egypt, so that he was 60 years old when he begot Kohath. And in the same year in which Kohath was born, Jacob died in Egypt, after he had blessed the sons of Joseph, when he himself was 147 years old, leaving Joseph at the age of 56 years. And Levi was 137 years old when he died. And when Kohath was 40 years old he begot Amram, who was 14 years old when Joseph died in Egypt at the age of 110; and Kohath was 133 years old when he died. Amram took as his wife his uncle’s daughter Jochebed, and when he was 75 years old he begot Aaron and Moses. But when he begot Moses, Amram was 136 years old when he died.
Fragment three
1 Moses slayed the Egyptian and quarreled with the man who disclosed the information about the one who died in the same way as the writer of the Sacred Book. Moses fled into Midian and there married Zipporah the daughter of Jethro, who was, as far as it may be conjectured from the names of those born from Keturah of the stock of Abrahan, a descendant of Jokshan, who was the son of Abraham by Keturah. And from Jokshan was born Dedan, and from Dedan, Reuel, and from Reuel, Jothro and Hobab, and from Jethro, Zipporah, whom Moses married.
2 Moses was seventh from Abraham, and Zipporah, sixth. For Isaac, from whom Moses descended, was already married when Abraham, at the age of 140 married Keturah, and begot by her a second son, Jokshan. But he begot Isaac when he was 100 years old, so that Joksan, from whom Zipporah derived her descent, was born 42 years later.
3 And they lived in the city of Midian, which was named from one of the sons of Abraham. For it says that Abraham sent his sons to the East to settle there. And it says that for this reason also, Aaron and Miriam said at Hazeroth that Moses had married an Ethiopian woman.
Fragment four
1 From there they went for three days. Since Moses found there not sweet but bitter water, God said he should cast some wood into the fountain, then the water became sweet. And from there they came to Elim, where they found 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees.
Fragment five
1 Someone asked how the Israelites had weapons, since they came out unarmed. For they said that after they had gone out on a three-day journey, and made sacrifice, they would return again. It appears, therefore, that those who had not been drowned made use of the others arms.
Fragment six (Clement of Alexandria, Strom 1.141.If.)
1 The tribe of Judah and those of Benjamin and Levi were not taken captive by Sennacherib, but from this captivity to the last captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar effected out of Jerusalem, there were 128 years and 6 months. But from the time when the ten tribes of Samaria were taken captive to that of Ptolemy the 4th, there were 573 years and 9 months. But from the time of the captivity of Jerusalem to Ptolemy the 4th, there were 338 years and 3 months.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Sub tuum præsidium is probably the oldest Christian prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer was long in use in the rites of the East and West, with numerous textual variants, when, in 1917, the John Rylands Library in Manchester had acquired a lot of papyrus from Egypt (the exact location where they were discovered was unspecified), including a fragment of 18 cm by 9.4 cm containing the text of this prayer in Greek. The text can not possibly be later than the third century, probably dating between 250 and 280.
The Fragment Under your mercy we take refuge, Mother of God! Our prayers, do not despise in necessities, but from the danger deliver us, only pure, only blessed. |
Church Slavonic Version Beneath thy mercy, we take refuge, O Virgin Theotokos: disdain not our supplications in our distress, but deliver us from perils, O only pure and blessed one. |
The 144,000 of the Biblical Book of Revelation
Most commentators reason that Judah has been advanced to the head of the list because of the pre-eminence given to the Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelation. The inclusion of Levi is not a major problem, since several OT lists include this tribe. Most attention has focused upon the omission of Dan and the inclusion of both Joseph and Manasseh. Reasons for Dan's omission have included: (1) the tribe was associated with idolatry; (2) the tribe simply died out; (3) the tribe was associated with the antichrist; and (4) the Greek Dan was mistakenly replaced by an abbreviated Man (for Manasseh), which was later lengthened to the present Manasseh. The Bohairic Coptic is the only version that contains Dan in place of Manasseh; a few minuscules, including 1854, have replaced Gad with Dan. While the omission of Dan is obvious, the question has generally remained unsolved as to whether Joseph or Manasseh (or even Levi) was added to replace him in order to keep the number of tribes at 12. Some believe Joseph replaced Ephraim and others assert that Joseph is original to the list. Some state that Manasseh is "probably" a substitute for Dan while others state that Levi has replaced Dan!
John The Baptist’s Prayer, or The Descent Into Hell
1 Before it was day the women of noble birth began to get themselves ready to go; the men who were assembled knew that the prince’s body was shut in the sepulcher. The tired women meant to lament the prince’s death with dirges for a while, to mourn in sadness. The place where he lay had grown cold, his passing had been hard. But the men they met at the tomb were brave and cheerful.
2 Mary, the mourner, came at dawn, she told another nobleman’s daughter to go with her, the two sad women looked for God’s victorious son, alone in the sepulcher, where they knew that the men of the Jews had hidden him before. They expected that he would remain in the tomb, alone over Easter Night. Certainly the women knew something else about it, when they turned back again.
3 But a host of angels came there at daybreak, the best of companies surrounded the Savior’s citadel. The sepulcher was open, the prince’s body received the breath of life. The earth quaked, hell’s inhabitants laughed, the young warrior awoke, came proudly from the earth, the majesty rose up in wisdom and in victory. John said this to hell’s inhabitants, laughing, he spoke with pride to the crowd of them about his kinsman’s exploit:
4 When he wanted to send me on this journey, our Savior had promised me that he would come to find me at the end of six months, as the leader of all people. Now the time is up, I expect strongly and with certainty that today the Lord will come to find us himself, the victorious son of God.
5 Then the Lord of mankind went rapidly on his way, Heaven’s protector meant to break down and slight the walls of hell, the fiercest of all kings set out to plunder the power of that city. He did not worry in the battle about men wearing helmets, nor did he mean to lead men in armor against the city’s gates, but the locks and bolts fell from the fortifications. The king rode in, the leader of all people, he hastened forward to give the hosts salvation. The outcasts pressed forward, to see which of them could catch sight of the victorious Son – Adam and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, many patriarchs, and a crowd of men with them, a host of prophets, a multitude of women, many girls, innumerable people.
6 Then John saw the victorious son of God coming into hell with royalty and power; then in his sadness he realized the exploit that God himself had carried out, he saw hell’s gates shining brightly, which for so long before had been locked and smothered in darkness. God’s servant was delighted. Then the champion of those who lived in that stronghold called out boldly, he spoke with pride to his kinsman, in front of all the multitude, and greeted their welcome visitor with these words:
7 May you be thanked, our Lord, for wishing to look for us, we who have been sad since we have had to wait in this bondage. When they tie up the brotherless outcast, the man with no resources – he is proscribed everywhere – he can never be so tightly shut up under hostile bars, or fastened so cruelly in evil chains, that he cannot take heart the easier if he believes in his lord’s good grace, and that he will ransom him out of his bondage. In that way, my dear Lord, we all believe in you alone. I have endured a great deal since the time before when you traveled to me, when you gave me my sword and armor, helmet and battledress – I have kept them always till now – and you revealed to me that you would be a protector of what was mine, the greatest and most powerful of kings.
8 O Gabriel, how keen and perceptive you are, how kind and thoughtful and humane, how wise in your spirit and reasonable in your words. You showed that when you brought the boy to us in Bethlehem. We had waited for him a long time, had sat sorrowfully yearning for peace, wishing and hoping for the time when we would hear the words of God spoken by his own mouth.
9 O Mary, how proud a king you bore for us, when you brought the child to us in Bethlehem. We had had to wait trembling in bondage for him, it had been hard for us beneath the gates of hell. Our killer took delight in what he had done, our ancient enemies were all exultant when they heard how we spoke with regret and penitence of our nation, until in your expedition, Lord God of victory, you plumbed the depths of the earth, the bravest king of all. Now we have, with pride, been given you from our own younger generation. We betrayed ourselves through our own greedy spirits. Because of that we carry the sins in our hearts to the hands of the killer himself, we have besides to ask for peace from our own enemies.
10 O Jerusalem of the Jews, how you have remained unshaken in your place. Not all the people who live across the Earth and sing your praises have been allowed to travel through you.
11 O Jordan of the Jews, how you have remained unshaken in your place. You could flow over all the people on Earth; they would all be free to take water from you happily.
12 Now I implore you, our Savior, from the depths of destruction – you are Christ the lord – that you should have mercy on us, as the creator of men. It was for the love of men that you yourself descended to your mother’s breast, Lord God of victory, not because you needed to, Ruler of nations, but because of the kindness you often showed to mankind, when they were in need of favor. You can comprehend the homes of all the races, just as you can reckon up, Lord of power and best of all kings, the grains of sand in the sea. And so I implore you, our Savior: by your childhood, best of kings; and by your wounding, Lord of hosts; and by your mother, whose name was Mary, whom all the inhabitants of hell praise and honor; and by the angels who surround you, whom you allowed to sit at your right hand, when, Lord of hosts, you wished to come to find us on this expedition away from your home, by your own power; and by Jerusalem of the Jews, nevertheless, dear Lord, the city will have to wait now for your return; and by Jordan of the Jews, the two of us bathed in its stream together: – Lord of hosts, scatter its water cheerfully over all those who live in this city, just as you and John, in the Jordan, nobly inspired all this middle-earth with baptism, for which may God always be thanked.
1 Before it was day the women of noble birth began to get themselves ready to go; the men who were assembled knew that the prince’s body was shut in the sepulcher. The tired women meant to lament the prince’s death with dirges for a while, to mourn in sadness. The place where he lay had grown cold, his passing had been hard. But the men they met at the tomb were brave and cheerful.
2 Mary, the mourner, came at dawn, she told another nobleman’s daughter to go with her, the two sad women looked for God’s victorious son, alone in the sepulcher, where they knew that the men of the Jews had hidden him before. They expected that he would remain in the tomb, alone over Easter Night. Certainly the women knew something else about it, when they turned back again.
3 But a host of angels came there at daybreak, the best of companies surrounded the Savior’s citadel. The sepulcher was open, the prince’s body received the breath of life. The earth quaked, hell’s inhabitants laughed, the young warrior awoke, came proudly from the earth, the majesty rose up in wisdom and in victory. John said this to hell’s inhabitants, laughing, he spoke with pride to the crowd of them about his kinsman’s exploit:
4 When he wanted to send me on this journey, our Savior had promised me that he would come to find me at the end of six months, as the leader of all people. Now the time is up, I expect strongly and with certainty that today the Lord will come to find us himself, the victorious son of God.
5 Then the Lord of mankind went rapidly on his way, Heaven’s protector meant to break down and slight the walls of hell, the fiercest of all kings set out to plunder the power of that city. He did not worry in the battle about men wearing helmets, nor did he mean to lead men in armor against the city’s gates, but the locks and bolts fell from the fortifications. The king rode in, the leader of all people, he hastened forward to give the hosts salvation. The outcasts pressed forward, to see which of them could catch sight of the victorious Son – Adam and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, many patriarchs, and a crowd of men with them, a host of prophets, a multitude of women, many girls, innumerable people.
6 Then John saw the victorious son of God coming into hell with royalty and power; then in his sadness he realized the exploit that God himself had carried out, he saw hell’s gates shining brightly, which for so long before had been locked and smothered in darkness. God’s servant was delighted. Then the champion of those who lived in that stronghold called out boldly, he spoke with pride to his kinsman, in front of all the multitude, and greeted their welcome visitor with these words:
7 May you be thanked, our Lord, for wishing to look for us, we who have been sad since we have had to wait in this bondage. When they tie up the brotherless outcast, the man with no resources – he is proscribed everywhere – he can never be so tightly shut up under hostile bars, or fastened so cruelly in evil chains, that he cannot take heart the easier if he believes in his lord’s good grace, and that he will ransom him out of his bondage. In that way, my dear Lord, we all believe in you alone. I have endured a great deal since the time before when you traveled to me, when you gave me my sword and armor, helmet and battledress – I have kept them always till now – and you revealed to me that you would be a protector of what was mine, the greatest and most powerful of kings.
8 O Gabriel, how keen and perceptive you are, how kind and thoughtful and humane, how wise in your spirit and reasonable in your words. You showed that when you brought the boy to us in Bethlehem. We had waited for him a long time, had sat sorrowfully yearning for peace, wishing and hoping for the time when we would hear the words of God spoken by his own mouth.
9 O Mary, how proud a king you bore for us, when you brought the child to us in Bethlehem. We had had to wait trembling in bondage for him, it had been hard for us beneath the gates of hell. Our killer took delight in what he had done, our ancient enemies were all exultant when they heard how we spoke with regret and penitence of our nation, until in your expedition, Lord God of victory, you plumbed the depths of the earth, the bravest king of all. Now we have, with pride, been given you from our own younger generation. We betrayed ourselves through our own greedy spirits. Because of that we carry the sins in our hearts to the hands of the killer himself, we have besides to ask for peace from our own enemies.
10 O Jerusalem of the Jews, how you have remained unshaken in your place. Not all the people who live across the Earth and sing your praises have been allowed to travel through you.
11 O Jordan of the Jews, how you have remained unshaken in your place. You could flow over all the people on Earth; they would all be free to take water from you happily.
12 Now I implore you, our Savior, from the depths of destruction – you are Christ the lord – that you should have mercy on us, as the creator of men. It was for the love of men that you yourself descended to your mother’s breast, Lord God of victory, not because you needed to, Ruler of nations, but because of the kindness you often showed to mankind, when they were in need of favor. You can comprehend the homes of all the races, just as you can reckon up, Lord of power and best of all kings, the grains of sand in the sea. And so I implore you, our Savior: by your childhood, best of kings; and by your wounding, Lord of hosts; and by your mother, whose name was Mary, whom all the inhabitants of hell praise and honor; and by the angels who surround you, whom you allowed to sit at your right hand, when, Lord of hosts, you wished to come to find us on this expedition away from your home, by your own power; and by Jerusalem of the Jews, nevertheless, dear Lord, the city will have to wait now for your return; and by Jordan of the Jews, the two of us bathed in its stream together: – Lord of hosts, scatter its water cheerfully over all those who live in this city, just as you and John, in the Jordan, nobly inspired all this middle-earth with baptism, for which may God always be thanked.
II Enoch Attested in Coptic From Nubia
During his work preparing the publication of Coptic manuscripts from Qasr Ibrim in Egyptian Nubia, Joost Hagen, doctoral student at Leiden University, The Netherlands, very recently came across some fragments he could identify as part of the text of the so-called ‘Slavonic Enoch’ (II Enoch), the first time a non-Slavonic manuscript of this intriguing text has been found. The fragments were discovered at Qasr Ibrim, one of the capital cities of Christian-period Nubia (southern Egypt, northern Sudan, 5th-15th cent. AD), during excavations by the British Egypt Exploration Society (EES) which started in 1963 and have brought to light an astonishing number of finds, textual and other. Joost Hagen has been entrusted by the EES with the edition of the manuscript material in Coptic, the language of Christian Egypt and one of the literary languages used in the Christian kingdoms of Nubia. The ‘Slavonic Enoch’ fragments, found in 1972, are four in number, most probably remnants of four consecutive leaves of a parchment codex. The fourth fragment is rather small and not yet placed with certainty, also because there is as yet no photograph of it available, only the transcription of its text by one of the excavators. For the other three fragments, both this transcription and two sets of photographs are available. The present location of the pieces themselves is not known, but most probably they are in one of the museums or magazines of the Antiquities Organization in Egypt. The fragments contain chapters 36-42 of II Enoch, probably one of the most interesting parts of the work one could wish for, with the transition between two of its three main parts: Enoch’s heavenly tour and his brief return to earth before the assuming of his task back in heaven. Moreover, they clearly represent a text of the short recension, with chapter 38 and some other parts of the long recension ‘missing’ and chapters 37 and 39 in the order 39 then 37. On top of that, it contains the ‘extra’ material at the end of chapter 36 that is present only in the oldest Slavonic manuscript of the work, U (15th cent.), and in manuscript A (16th cent.), which is closely related to U. For most Coptic texts, a translation from a Greek original is taken for granted and the existence of this Coptic version might well confirm the idea of an original of the Book of the Secrets of Enoch in Greek from Egypt, probably Alexandria. . . . Although this Coptic manuscript is fragmentary, it proved to be possible to reconstruct part of the missing text using (translations of) the Slavonic versions, and several theories formulated about the book of II Enoch by Slavists and theologians have already been confirmed or proven wrong. Recently, the priority of the longer recension has been advocated (again). But the discovery of this first non-Slavonic witness, at the same time the oldest manuscript known so far, calls for renewed discussion about this matter. Unless the two recensions had indeed already split up in Greek, the short recension, and the oldest Slavonic manuscript U, have to be taken more seriously from now on.
Strange New Testament MS Variations
Mark 6:22
"And when the daughter of Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod." Both Aleph and B read: "And when HIS daugher Herodias came in and danced", thus making Herodias the daughter of Herod.
Luke 1:26
"And the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of GALILEE, named Nazareth." Sinaiticus reads "a city of JUDEA, named Nazareth."
John 17:15
"I pray not that thou shouldest take them OUT OF THE WORLD." Vaticanus says: "I do not pray that you should take them FROM THE EVIL ONE."
I Corinthians 13:3
Instead of reading, "and though I give my body to BE BURNED, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Both Aleph and B read: "and though I give my body THAT I MAY BOAST."
I Corinthians 13:5
"charity seeketh not HER OWN." Vaticanus alone reads "love does not seek that which IS NOT HERS" - the opposite meaning.
I Corinthians 15:51
"We shall NOT all sleep, but we shall all be changed." In Sinaticus it reads: "we shall sleep but we shall NOT ALL be changed" - the exact opposite.
I Corinthians 15:54-55
"Death is swallowed up in VICTORY. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your VICTORY." In Vaticanus it reads "Death is swallowed up in CONTROVERSY. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your CONTROVERSY."
1 Thessalonians 2:7
"But we were GENTLE among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." "But we were BABIES among you", according to Vaticanus and Sinaiticus.
II Peter 3:10
"the earth also and the works that are therein SHALL BE BURNED UP." In both Sinaiticus and Vaticanus it reads: "the works that are therein SHALL BE FOUND."
The Book of Revelation
The Vaticanus manuscript is missing all of the book of Revelation as well as First and Second Timothy, Titus and from the middle of Hebrews 9 to the end of the book. However Sinaiticus give us some really strange readings in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 4:8
"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." But Sinaiticus says: "Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty."
Revelation 7:4 and 14:3
Both verses mention the number of 144, 000. However Sinaiticus has the number 140,000 in 7:4 and 141,000 in 14:3.
Revelation 10:1
"And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and A RAINBOW was upon his head." Sinaiticus says: "clothed with a cloud with HAIR on his head."
Revelation 21:4
"For THE FORMER THINGS are passed away." Sinaiticus reads: "For THE SHEEP are passed away."
Revelation 21:5
"Behold, I make all things NEW", while Sinaiticus says: "Behold, I make all things EMPTY."
Mark 6:22
"And when the daughter of Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod." Both Aleph and B read: "And when HIS daugher Herodias came in and danced", thus making Herodias the daughter of Herod.
Luke 1:26
"And the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of GALILEE, named Nazareth." Sinaiticus reads "a city of JUDEA, named Nazareth."
John 17:15
"I pray not that thou shouldest take them OUT OF THE WORLD." Vaticanus says: "I do not pray that you should take them FROM THE EVIL ONE."
I Corinthians 13:3
Instead of reading, "and though I give my body to BE BURNED, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Both Aleph and B read: "and though I give my body THAT I MAY BOAST."
I Corinthians 13:5
"charity seeketh not HER OWN." Vaticanus alone reads "love does not seek that which IS NOT HERS" - the opposite meaning.
I Corinthians 15:51
"We shall NOT all sleep, but we shall all be changed." In Sinaticus it reads: "we shall sleep but we shall NOT ALL be changed" - the exact opposite.
I Corinthians 15:54-55
"Death is swallowed up in VICTORY. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your VICTORY." In Vaticanus it reads "Death is swallowed up in CONTROVERSY. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your CONTROVERSY."
1 Thessalonians 2:7
"But we were GENTLE among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." "But we were BABIES among you", according to Vaticanus and Sinaiticus.
II Peter 3:10
"the earth also and the works that are therein SHALL BE BURNED UP." In both Sinaiticus and Vaticanus it reads: "the works that are therein SHALL BE FOUND."
The Book of Revelation
The Vaticanus manuscript is missing all of the book of Revelation as well as First and Second Timothy, Titus and from the middle of Hebrews 9 to the end of the book. However Sinaiticus give us some really strange readings in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 4:8
"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." But Sinaiticus says: "Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty."
Revelation 7:4 and 14:3
Both verses mention the number of 144, 000. However Sinaiticus has the number 140,000 in 7:4 and 141,000 in 14:3.
Revelation 10:1
"And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and A RAINBOW was upon his head." Sinaiticus says: "clothed with a cloud with HAIR on his head."
Revelation 21:4
"For THE FORMER THINGS are passed away." Sinaiticus reads: "For THE SHEEP are passed away."
Revelation 21:5
"Behold, I make all things NEW", while Sinaiticus says: "Behold, I make all things EMPTY."
The Passing of Mary
This is a fifth century text called The Passing of Blessed Mary (De Transitu Virginis). Its date is misleading, as it was by no means the first work to present the passing or death of the Virgin Mary in terms very close to that of Christ himself. Such stories were circulating from the third and fourth centuries, and were reported in a series of works like the Liber Requiei Mariae (The Book of Mary’s Repose) and the Six Books Apocryphon, which today survive in Syriac or Ethiopic, and the account of the Dormition credited to John the Evangelist. The De Transitu was so important because many of its predecessors were associated with heretical opinions, and this tried to reclaim this Mary tradition for orthodoxy. Also, the work’s translation into Latin meant that it would be easily available to the regions that would become central to the faith in the Middle Ages. All these works recount a similar body of stories. After the Crucifixion, Mary devotes herself to the new church, but one day she receives an angelic visitation that recalls the original Annunciation. Knowing she is to die, she asks that the apostles be gathered from the corners of the world, and they duly appear. They accompany her at her death and join the funeral procession, which is marked by various miracles, mainly directed against the evil Jewish authorities. Christ appeared to take Mary’s soul to heavenly glory. Throughout the various works, the analogies to the canonical stories of Christ are frequent and explicit. Apart from the second Annunciation, she features in a new Pentecost, a new entry into Jerusalem and, most spectacularly, her own Resurrection. These works are, very clearly, alternative gospels starring Mary. They are also substantial pieces: in English translation, the Six Books Apocryphon alone runs to some twelve thousand words. As the core story was passed on, it acquired even more miracles, and still closer analogies to Christ’s experience. According to one widespread medieval legend, all the apostles gathered to witness Mary’s ascension to glory, except for Thomas (who was also inconveniently late for Christ’s Resurrection appearance). Mary, however, generously appeared to him personally, and as a token of proof left her Girdle or Belt, which became a famous relic. The scene was much used in Renaissance art, and it appears in the Golden Legend.
First Latin Form Concerning the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1 In that time before the Lord came to His passion, and among many words which the mother asked of the Son, she began to ask Him about her own departure, addressing Him as follows:—O most dear Son, I pray Thy holiness, that when my soul goes out of my body, Thou let me know on the third day before; and do Thou, beloved Son, with Thy angels, receive it, and cause all the apostles to be present at my departure. Then He received the prayer of His beloved mother, and said to her: O palace and temple of the living God, O blessed mother, O queen of all saints, and blessed above all women, before thou carried me in thy womb, I always guarded thee, and caused thee to be fed daily with my angelic food, as thou knowest: how can I desert thee, after thou hast carried me, and nourished me, and brought me down in flight into Egypt, and endured many hardships for me? Know, then, that my angels have always guarded thee, and will guard thee even until thy departure. But after I undergo suffering for men, as it is written, and rise again on the third day, and after forty days ascend into heaven, when thou shalt see me coming to thee with angels and archangels, with saints and with virgins, and with my disciples, know for certain that thy soul will be separated from the body, and I shall carry it into heaven, where it shall never at all have tribulation or anguish. Then she joyed and gloried, and kissed the knees of her Son, and blessed the Creator of heaven and earth, who gave her such a gift through Jesus Christ her Son. 2 In the second year, therefore, after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most blessed Virgin Mary continued always in prayer day and night. And on the third day before she passed away, an angel of the Lord came to her, and saluted her, saying: Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord be with thee. And she answered, saying: Thanks to God. Again he said to her: Receive this palm which the Lord promised to thee. And she, giving thanks to God, with great joy received from the hand of the angel the palm sent to her. The angel of the Lord said to her: Thy assumption will be after three days. And she began to give great thanks to God in these words: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. 3 Then she called Joseph of the city of Arimathæa, and the other disciples of the Lord; and when they, both relations and acquaintances, were assembled, she announced her departure to all standing there. Then the blessed Mary raised herself, and dressed herself like a queen, and waited the advent of her Son, as He had promised to her. And she asked all her relations to keep beside her, and give her comfort. And she had along with her three virgins, Sepphora, Abigea, and Zaël; but the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ had been already dispersed throughout the whole world to preach to the people of God. 4 Then at the third hour of the second day after the angel had come to her with the palm, there were great thunders, and rains, and lightnings, and tribulation, and an earthquake, while queen Mary was standing in her chamber. John the evangelist and apostle was suddenly brought from Ephesus, and entered the chamber of the blessed Mary, and saluted her, and said to her: Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord be with thee. And she answered: Thanks to God. And raising herself up, she kissed Saint John. And the blessed Mary said to him: O my dearest son, why hast thou left me at such a time, and hast not paid heed to the commands of thy Master, to take care of me, as He commanded thee while He was hanging on the cross? And he asked pardon with bended knee. Then the blessed Mary gave him her benediction, and again kissed him. And when she meant to ask him whence he came, and for what reason he had come to Jerusalem, behold, all the disciples of the Lord, except Thomas who is called Didymus, were brought by a cloud to the door of the chamber of the blessed Mary. They stood and went in, and saluted the queen with the following words, and adored her: Hail, Mary, full of grace! the Lord be with thee. And she eagerly rose quickly, and bowed herself, and kissed them, and gave thanks to God. These are the names of the disciples of the Lord who were brought thither in the cloud: John the evangelist and James his brother, Peter and Paul, Andrew, Philip, Luke, Barnabas, Bartholomew and Matthew, Matthias who is called Justus, Simon the Chananæan, Judas and his brother, Nicodemus and Maximianus, and many others who cannot be numbered. Then the blessed Mary said to her brethren: What is this, that you have all come to Jerusalem? Peter, answering, said to her: We had need to ask this of thee, and dost thou question us? Certainly, as I think, none of us knows why we have come here to-day with such rapidity. I was at Antioch, and now I am here. All declared plainly the place where they had been that day. And they all wondered that they were there when they heard these things. The blessed Mary said to them: I asked my Son, before He endured the passion, that He and you should be at my death; and He granted me this gift. Whence you may know that my departure will be to-morrow. And she showed them the palm which the Lord had sent her from heaven by His angel. Watch and pray with me, that when the Lord comes to receive my soul, He may find you watching. Then all promised that they would watch. And they watched and prayed the whole night, with psalms and chants, with great illuminations. 5 And when the Lord’s time came, at the third hour, just as the Holy Spirit appeared in a cloud to His disciples, namely, Peter, James, and John, when He was transfigured, so,Christ descended with a multitude of angels, and received the soul of His beloved mother. For there was such splendor and perfume of sweetness, and angels singing the songs of songs, where the Lord says, As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters, that all who were there present fell on their faces, as the apostles fell when Christ transfigured Himself before them on Mount Tabor, and for a whole hour and a half no one was able to rise. But when the light went away, and at the same time with the light itself, the soul of the blessed virgin Mary was taken up into heaven with psalms, and hymns, and songs of songs. And as the cloud went up the whole earth shook, and in one moment all the inhabitants of Jerusalem openly saw the departure of St. Mary. 6 And that same hour Satan entered into them, and they began to consider what they were to do with her body. And they took up weapons, that they might burn her body and kill the apostles, because from her had gone forth the dispersions of Israel, on account of their sins and the gathering together of the Gentiles. By the divine vengeance, at that very instant they began to strike and slay each other with their weapons, and struck their heads against the walls like madmen. Then the apostles, alarmed by so much brightness, arose, and with psalms carried the holy body down from Mount Zion to the valley of Jehoshaphat. But as they were going in the middle of the road, behold, a certain Jew, a scribe of the tribe of Dan, Reuben by name, wishing to throw to the ground the holy bier with the body of the blessed Mary. But his hands dried up, even to the elbow; whether he would or not, he went down even to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, weeping and lamenting because his hands were raised to the bier, and he was not able to draw back his hands to himself. And he began to ask the apostles and firmly to promise that, if he were made whole by their prayers, he would become a Christian, that by their prayer he might be saved and made a Christian. Then the apostles, bending their knees, asked the Lord to let him loose. And he, being healed that same hour, giving thanks to God and kissing the feet of the queen of all the saints and apostles, was baptized in that same place, and began to preach the name of our God Jesus Christ. 7 Then the apostles with great honor laid the body in the tomb, weeping and singing through exceeding love and sweetness. And suddenly there shone round them a light from heaven, and they fell to the ground, and the holy body was taken up by angels into heaven. 8 Then the most blessed Thomas was suddenly brought to the Mount of Olives, and saw the most blessed body going up to heaven, and began to cry out and say: O holy mother, blessed mother, spotless mother, if I have now found grace because I see thee, make thy servant joyful through thy compassion, because thou art going to heaven. Then the girdle with which the apostles had encircled the most holy body was thrown down from heaven to the blessed Thomas. And taking it, and kissing it, and giving thanks to God, he came again into the Valley of Jehoshaphat. He found all the apostles and another great crowd there beating their breasts on account of the brightness which they had seen. And seeing and kissing each other, the blessed Peter said to him: Truly thou hast always been obdurate and unbelieving, because for thine unbelief it was not pleasing to God that thou shouldest be along with us at the burial of the mother of the Savior. And he, beating his breast, said: I know and firmly believe that I have always been a bad and an unbelieving man; therefore I ask pardon of all of you for my obduracy and unbelief. And they all prayed for him. Then the blessed Thomas said: Where have you laid her body? And they pointed out the sepulcher with their finger. And he said: The body which is called most holy is not there. Then the blessed Peter said to him: Already on another occasion thou wouldst not believe the resurrection of our Master and Lord at our word, unless thou went to touch Him with thy fingers, and see Him; how wilt thou believe us that the holy body is here? Still he persists saying: It is not here. Then, as it were in a rage, they went to the sepulcher, which was a new one hollowed out in the rock, and took up the stone; but they did not find the body, not knowing what to say, because they had been convicted by the words of Thomas. Then the blessed Thomas told them how he was singing mass in India—he still had on his sacerdotal robes. He, not knowing the word of God, had been brought to the Mount of Olives, and saw the most holy body of the blessed Mary going up into heaven, and prayed her to give him a blessing. She heard his prayer, and threw him her girdle which she had about her. And the apostles seeing the belt which they had put about her, glorifying God, all asked pardon of the blessed Thomas, on account of the benediction which the blessed Mary had given him, and because he had seen the most holy body going up into heaven. And the blessed Thomas gave them his benediction, and said: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 9 And the same cloud by which they had been brought carried them back each to his own place, just like Philip when he baptized the eunuch, as is read in the Acts of the Apostles; and as Habakkuk the prophet carried food to Daniel, who was in the lions’ den, and quickly returned to Judæa. And so also the apostles quickly returned to where they had at first been, to preach to the people of God. Nor is it to be wondered at that He should do such things, who went into the virgin and came out of her though her womb was closed; who, though the gates were shut, went in to His disciples; who made the deaf to hear, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, and in Cana of Galilee made wine out of water, and did many other wonderful things. To believe this is no doubtful matter. 10 For I am Joseph, who laid the body of our Lord Jesus Christ in my sepulcher, and saw Him and spoke with Him after His resurrection; who afterwards kept His most pious mother in my house until her assumption into the heavens, and served her according to my power; who also was deemed worthy to hear and see from her holy mouth many secrets, which I have written and keep in my heart. That which I saw with mine eyes, and heard with mine ears, of her holy and glorious assumption, I have written for faithful Christians, and those that fear God; and while I live I shall not cease to preach, speak, and write them to all nations. And let every Christian know, that if he keep this writing by him, even in his house, whether he be cleric, or lay, or a woman, the devil will not hurt him; his son will not be lunatic, or demoniac, or deaf, or blind; no one will die suddenly in his house; in whatever tribulation he cries to her, he will be heard; and in the day of his death he will have her with her holy virgins for his help. I beseech continually that the same most pious and merciful queen may be always mindful of me, and all who believe in her and hope before her most pious Son, or Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns God through endless ages of ages. Amen. |
Second Latin Form Here Beginneth the Passing of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Melito, servant of Christ, bishop of the church of Sardis, to the venerable brethren in the Lord appointed at Laodicea, in peace greeting. I remember that I have often written of one Leucius, who, having along with ourselves associated with the apostles, turned aside through alienated feelings and a rash soul from the path of rectitude, and inserted very many things in his books about the acts of the apostles. Of their powers, indeed, he said many and diverse things; but of their teaching he gave a very false account, affirming that they taught otherwise than they did, and establishing his own impious statements, as it were, by their words. Nor did he think this to be enough; but he even vitiated, by his impious writing, the assumption of the blessed ever-virgin Mary, the mother of God, to such a degree that it would be impious not only to read it in the church of God, but even to hear it. When you ask us, therefore, what we heard from the Apostle John, we simply write this, and have directed it to your brotherhood; believing, not the strange dogmas hatched by heretics, but the Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, while the threefold person of the Godhead and undivided substance remains; believing not that two human natures were created by a good God, which by the craft of the serpent was vitiated through sin, and restored through the grace of Christ. 1 Therefore, when the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was hanging on the tree fastened by the nails of the cross for the life of the whole world, He saw about the cross His mother standing, and John the evangelist, whom He peculiarly loved above the rest of the apostles, because he alone of them was a virgin in the body. He gave him, therefore, the charge of holy Mary, saying to him: Behold thy mother! and saying, to her: Behold thy son! From that hour the holy mother of God remained specially in the care of John, as long as she had her habitation in this life. And when the apostles had divided the world by lot for preaching, she settled in the house of his parents near Mount Olives. 2 In the second year, therefore, after Christ had vanquished death, and ascended up into heaven, on a certain day, Mary, burning with a longing for Christ, began to weep alone, within the shelter of her abode. And, behold, an angel, shining in a dress of great light, stood before her and gave utterance to the words of salutation saying: Hail! thou blessed by the Lord, receive the salutation of Him who commanded safety to Jacob by His prophets. Behold, said He, a palm branch—I have brought it to thee from the paradise of the Lord—which thou wilt cause to be carried before thy bier, when on the third day thou shalt be taken up from the body. For, lo, thy Son awaits thee with thrones and angels, and all the powers of heaven. Then Mary said to the angel: I beg that all the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ be assembled to me. To whom the angel said: Behold, to-day, by the power of my Lord Jesus Christ, all the apostles will come to thee. And Mary says to him: I ask that thou send upon me thy blessing, that no power of the lower world may withstand me in that hour in which my soul shall go out of my body, and that I may not see the prince of darkness. And the angel said: No power indeed of the lower world will hurt thee; and thy Lord God, whose servant and messenger I am, hath given thee eternal blessing; but do not think that the privilege of not seeing the prince of darkness is to be given thee by me, but by Him whom thou hast carried in thy womb; for to Him belongeth power over all for ever and ever. Thus saying, the angel departed with great splendor. And that palm shone with exceeding great light. Then Mary, undressing herself, put on better garments. And, taking the palm which she had received from the hands of the angel, she went out to the mount of Olives, and began to pray, and say: I had not been worthy, O Lord, to bear Thee, unless Thou hadst had compassion on me; but nevertheless I have kept the treasure which Thou entrustedst to me. Therefore I ask of Thee, O King of glory, that the power of Gehenna hurt me not. For if the heavens and the angels daily tremble before Thee, how much more man who is made from the ground, who possesses no good thing, except as much as he has received from Thy benignant bounty! Thou art, O Lord, God always blessed for ever. And thus saying, she went back to her dwelling. 3 And, behold, suddenly, while St. John was preaching in Ephesus, on the Lord’s time, at the third hour of the day, there was a great earthquake, and a cloud raised him and took him up from the eyes of all, and brought him before the door of the house where Mary was. And knocking at the door, he immediately went in. And when Mary saw him, she exulted in joy, and said: I beg of thee, my son John, be mindful of the words of my Lord Jesus Christ, in which He entrusted me to thee. For, behold, on the third day I am to depart from the body; and I have heard the plans of the Jews, saying, Let us wait for the day when she who bore that seducer shall die, and let us burn her body with fire. She therefore called St. John, and led him into the secret chamber of the house, and showed him the robe of her burial, and that palm of light which she had received from the angel, instructing him that he should cause it to be carried before her couch when she was going to her tomb. 4 And St. John said to her: How shall I alone perform thy funeral rites, unless my brethren and fellow-apostles of my Lord Jesus Christ come to pay honor to thy body? And, behold, on a sudden, by the command of God, all the apostles were snatched up, raised on a cloud, from the places in which they were preaching the word of God, and set down before the door of the house in which Mary dwelt. And, saluting each other, they wondered, saying: What is the cause for which the Lord hath assembled us here? And there came with them Paul, converted from the circumcision, who had been selected along with Barnabas for the ministry of the Gentiles. And when there was a pious contention among them as to which of them should be the first to pray to the Lord to show them the reason, and Peter was urging Paul to pray first, Paul answered and said: That is thy duty, to begin first, especially seeing that thou hast been chosen by God a pillar of the Church, and thou hast precedence of all in the apostleship; but it is by no means mine, for I am the least of you all, and Christ was seen by me as one born out of due time; nor do I presume to make myself equal to you: nevertheless by the grace of God I am what I am. 5 Then all the apostles, rejoicing with one mind, finished their prayer. And when they had said the Amen, behold, on a sudden, there came the blessed John, and told them all these things. The apostles then, having entered the house, found Mary, and saluted her, saying: Blessed art thou by the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. And she said to them: Peace be with you, most beloved brethren! How have you come hither? And they recounted to her how they had come, each one raised on a cloud by the Spirit of God, and set down in the same place. And she said to them: God hath not deprived me of the sight of you. Behold, I shall go the way of all the earth, and I doubt not that the Lord hath now conducted you hither to bring me consolation for the anguish which is just coming upon me. Now therefore I implore you, that without intermission you all with one mind watch, even till that hour in which the Lord will come, and I shall depart from the body. 6 And when they had sat down in a circle consoling her, when they had spent three days in the praises of God, behold, on the third day, about the third hour of the day, a deep sleep seized upon all who were in that house, and no one was at all able to keep awake but the apostles alone, and only the three virgins who were there. And, behold, suddenly the Lord Jesus Christ came with a great multitude of angels; and a great brightness came down upon that place, and the angels were singing a hymn, and praising God together. Then the Savior spoke, saying: Come, most precious pearl, within the receptacle of life eternal. 7 Then Mary prostrated herself on the pavement, adoring God, and said: Blessed be the name of Thy glory, O Lord my God, who hast deigned to choose me Thine handmaid, and to entrust to me Thy hidden mystery. Be mindful of me, therefore, O King of glory, for Thou knowest that I have loved Thee with all my heart, and kept the treasure committed to me. Therefore receive me, Thy servant, and free me from the power of darkness, that no onset of Satan may oppose me, and that I may not see filthy spirits standing in my way. And the Savior answered her: When I, sent by my Father for the salvation of the world, was hanging on the cross, the prince of darkness came to me; but when he was able to find in me no trace of his work, he went off vanquished and trodden under foot. But when thou shalt see him, thou shalt see him indeed by the law of the human race, in accordance with which thou hast come to the end of thy life; but he cannot hurt thee, because I am with thee to help thee. Go in security, because the heavenly host is waiting for thee to lead thee in to the joys of paradise. And when the Lord had thus spoken, Mary, rising from the pavement, reclined upon her couch, and giving thanks to God, gave up the ghost. And the apostles saw that her soul was of such whiteness, that no tongue of mortals can worthily utter it; for it surpassed all the whiteness of snow, and of every metal, and of gleaming silver, by the great brightness of its light. 8 Then the Savior spoke, saying: Rise, Peter, and take the body of Mary, and send it to the right hand side of the city towards the east, and thou wilt find there a new tomb, in which you will lay her, and wait until I come to you. And thus saying, the Lord delivered the soul of St. Mary to Michael, who was the ruler of paradise, and the prince of the nation of the Jews; and Gabriel went with them. And immediately the Savior was received up into heaven along with the angels. 9 And the three virgins, who were in the same place, and were watching, took up the body of the blessed Mary, that they might wash it after the manner of funeral rites. And when they had taken off her clothes, that sacred body shone with so much brightness, that it could be touched indeed for preparation for burial, but the form of it could not be seen for the excessive flashing light: except that the splendor of the Lord appeared great, and nothing was perceived, the body, when it was washed, was perfectly clean, and stained by no moisture of filth. And when they had put the dead-clothes on her, that light was gradually obscured. And the body of the blessed Mary was like lily flowers; and an odor of great sweetness came forth from it, so that no sweetness could be found like it. 10 Then, accordingly, the apostles laid the holy body on the bier, and said to each other: Who is to carry this palm before her bier? Then John said to Peter: Thou, who hast precedence of us in the apostleship, shouldest carry this palm before her couch. And Peter answered him: Thou wast the only virgin among us chosen by the Lord, and thou didst find so great favor that thou didst recline upon His breast. And He, when for our salvation He was hanging upon the stem of the cross, entrusted her to thee with His own mouth. Thou therefore oughtest to carry this palm, and let us take up that body to carry it even to the place of sepultuer. And Paul said to him: And I, who am younger than any of you, will carry along with thee. And when all had agreed, Peter, raising the bier at the head, began to sing and say. After this, Peter, raising it, and saying, Take the body, began to sing and say: Israel hath gone forth out of Egypt. Alleluiah. And the other apostles along with him carried the body of the blessed Mary, and John bore the palm of light before the bier. And the other apostles sang with a most sweet voice. 11 And, behold, a new miracle. There appeared above the bier a cloud exceeding great, like the great circle which is wont to appear beside the splendor of the moon; and there was in the clouds an army of angels sending forth a sweet song, and from the sound of the great sweetness the earth resounded. Then the people, having gone forth from the city, about fifteen thousand, wondered, saying: What is that sound of so great sweetness? Then there stood up one who said to them: Mary has departed from the body, and the disciples of Jesus are singing praises around her. And looking, they saw the couch crowned with great glory, and the apostles singing with a loud voice. And, behold, one of them, who was chief of the priests of the Jews in his rank, filled with fury and rage, said to the rest: Behold, the tabernacle of him who disturbed us and all our race, what glory has it received? And going up, he wished to overturn the bier, and throw the body down to the ground. And immediately his hands dried up from his elbows, and stuck to the couch. And when the apostles raised the bier, part of him hung, and part of him adhered to the couch; and he was vehemently tormented with pain, while the apostles were walking and singing. And the angels who were in the clouds smote the people with blindness. 12 Then that chief cried out, saying: I implore thee, Saint Peter, do not despise me, I beseech thee, in so great an extremity, because I am exceedingly tortured by great torments. Bear in mind that when, in the prætorium, the maid that kept the door recognized thee, and told the others to revile thee, then I spoke good words in thy behalf. Then Peter answering, said: It is not for me to give other to thee; but if thou believest with thy whole heart on the Lord Jesus Christ, whom she carried in her womb, and remained a virgin after the birth, the compassion of the Lord, which with profuse benignity saves the unworthy, will give thee salvation. To this he replied: Do we not believe? But what shall we do? The enemy of the human race has blinded our hearts, and confusion has covered our face, lest we should confess the great things of God, especially when we ourselves uttered maledictions against Christ, shouting: His blood be upon us, and upon our children. Then Peter said: Behold, this malediction will hurt him who has remained unfaithful to Him; but to those who turn themselves to God mercy is not denied. And he said: I believe all that thou sayest to me; only I implore, have mercy upon me, lest I die. 13 Then Peter made the couch stand still, and said to him: If thou believest with all thy heart upon the Lord Jesus Christ, thy hands will be released from the bier. And when he had said, “I believe”, his hands were immediately released from the bier, and he began to stand on his feet; but his arms were dried up, and the torture did not go away from him. Then Peter said to him: Go up to the body, and kiss the couch, and say: I believe in God, and in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom she bore, and I believe all whatsoever Peter the apostle of God has said to me. And going up, he kissed the couch, and immediately all pain went away from him, and his hands were healed. Then he began greatly to bless God, and from the books of Moses to render testimony to the praises of Christ, so that even the apostles themselves wondered, and wept for joy, praising the name of the Lord. 14 And Peter said to him: Take this palm from the hand of our brother John, and going into the city thou wilt find much people blinded, and declare to them the great things of God; and whosoever shall believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt put this palm upon their eyes, and they shall see; but those who will not believe shall remain blind. And when he had done so, he found much people blinded, lamenting thus: Woe unto us, because we have been made like the Sodomites struck with blindness. Nothing now is left to us but to perish. But when they heard the words of the chief who had been cured speaking, they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and when he put the palm over their eyes, they recovered sight. Five of them remaining in hardness of heart died. And the chief of the priests going forth, carried back the palm to the apostles, reporting all things whatsoever had been done. 15 And the apostles, carrying Mary, came to the place of the Valley of Jehoshaphat which the Lord had showed them; and they laid her in a new tomb, and closed the sepulcher. And they themselves sat down at the door of the tomb, as the Lord had commanded them; and, behold, suddenly the Lord Jesus Christ came with a great multitude of angels, with a halo of great brightness gleaming, and said to the apostles: Peace be with you! And they answered and said: Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in Thee. Then the Savior spoke to them, saying: Before I ascended to my Father I promised to you, saying that you who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of His majesty, will sit, you also, upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Her, therefore, did I choose out of the tribes of Israel by the command of my Father, that I should dwell in her. What, therefore, do you wish that I should do to her? Then Peter and the other apostles said: Lord, Thou didst choose beforehand this Thine handmaid to become a spotless chamber for Thyself, and us Thy servants to minister unto Thee. Before the ages Thou didst foreknow all things along with the Father, with whom to Thee and the Holy Spirit there is one Godhead, equal and infinite power. If, therefore, it were possible to be done in the presence of the power of Thy grace, it had seemed to us Thy servants to be right that, just as Thou, having vanquished death, reignest in glory, so, raising up again the body of Thy mother, Thou shouldest take her with Thee in joy into heaven. 16 Then the Savior said: Let it be according to your opinion. And He ordered the archangel Michael to bring the soul of St. Mary. And, behold, the archangel Gabriel rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb; and the Lord said: Arise, my beloved and my nearest relation; thou who hast not put on corruption by intercourse with man, suffer not destruction of the body in the sepulcher. And immediately Mary rose from the tomb, and blessed the Lord, and falling forward at the feet of the Lord, adored Him, saying: I cannot render sufficient thanks to Thee, O Lord, for Thy boundless benefits which Thou hast deigned to bestow upon me Thine handmaiden. May Thy name, O Redeemer of the world, God of Israel, be blessed for ever. 17 And kissing her, the Lord went back, and delivered her soul to the angels, that they should carry it into paradise. And He said to the apostles: Come up to me. And when they had come up He kissed them, and said: Peace be to you! as I have always been with you, so will I be even to the end of the world. And immediately, when the Lord had said this, He was lifted up on a cloud, and taken back into heaven, and the angels along with Him, carrying the blessed Mary into the paradise of God. And the apostles being taken up in the clouds, returned each into the place allotted for his preaching, telling the great things of God, and praising our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in perfect unity, and in one substance of Godhead, for ever and ever. Amen. |
THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST
A document called the Priesthood of Jesus is given by the 12th century lexicographer Suidas (fl.c. 1000 AD: ODC). It was rendered into Latin by Robert Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln, in the 13th century. It is a late production, telling how Jesus was appointed to fill a vacancy in the priesthood of the Temple; how his pedigree had to be investigated, and how the Virgin was summoned (Joseph being dead) and gave an account of the conception of her son. All this purports to be taken from the Jewish archives.
1 In the time of Julian, the unbelieving Prince, there was a man who was a Jew, and a priest of the Jews, and his name was Theodosius, and he was high in rank. There was also a Christian, a silversmith, who knew him; and there was a strong affection between the two; and the name of the Christian was Philip.
2 And on a certain day Philip went to one of the cities of Syria and moored his ship in the harbor, that he might sell certain goods which he had brought. There Philip met his friend, the Jewish priest Theodosius, and, entering into affectionate conversation with him, said to him: O my brother, I would that thou wouldst become a Christian, so that our friendship might be a genuine one, and that thou mightest make profit out of this world and the next also. Then Theodosius answered, saying to him with great affection: or I have taken care for my salvation; and I have thought of something that I wish to reveal to thee; for I will not leave thee without the knowledge of the most high God, who bears witness to that which I tell thee.
3 Therefore do not doubt it, for I tell it thee because thou hast shown me thy love for me. But I prefer that thou shouldest keep what I say in thy heart and not repeat it to anyone, and it is this: That he who was announced by the Holy Ghost and the Prophets is the Messiah whom you Christians worship, confessing that he indeed has come; and this I believe with an honest and pure heart, without any doubt at all. For thou art a brother and a friend, and therefore 1 disclose this secret to thee and certify it in thy presence, because thy love and desire of happiness and good things for me are so evident to me. Therefore believe me now, my brother. But my carnal thoughts hinder me from being baptized; for I am not humble, nor am I fit, for I am weak; and I am a priest to this people, and have acquired great renown and honor and high rank, and have gained by them treasure and wealth, and if I left them, I should lose all that. And not only my own people would abandon me, but the Christians also, according to what I have witnessed with regard to the Jews when they are baptized, as to the position that they hold; and I have heard also that you say: When a Jew is baptized, it is as if one baptized an ass. So how can I now be baptized?
4 Moreover I see Christians sinning and angering God and neglecting the law, instead of walking in the straight path of discipline and in the truth which has come to them. And I have witnessed others who have seen them living thus, and whose hearts and faith have grown weak, so that they have imitated those careless Christians. When we inquire into the salvation which came to you from us, we recognize the Messiah indeed; and the apostles, who became your teachers, are also of our race; but you neglect the good tidings that they brought to you, and the doctrine that they taught you. And as the other nations have not been baptized and have not believed to this day, so also I have not been baptized, because of the glory of the world and the honors which I receive from my people, and because I see you neglecting the commands and admonitions which Christ gave you, and the exhortations of his disciples to you.
5 Thus I refused to lose my glory and honor, and to become neglectful like you of that which has been given to you; and this is what hinders me from baptism. For the greater part of our Jewish community believe in the truth of the Messiah and in his miracles more firmly than you do; yet are they far from the salvation which came to you. And now I congratulate thee on the glorious mysteries which we have possessed from the beginning. And I declare this to thee, that we know and believe in Christ's miracles and works more firmly than you Christians do, and we know truly that he is the Messiah who is come.
6 Hear then from me this mystery which took place in ancient times, and while the temple was still standing at Jerusalem. The Jews had a custom of establishing twenty-two priests in the temple by an obligatory law; and there was in the temple a book in which was written the genealogy of every man who became a priest, and the names of his father and mother, that it might be known that he followed the command of the most high God. And the Jews retained this custom.
7 Now at that time, when Jesus Christ was in Judaea, this book having existed before his appearance, one of the twenty-two priests died, and the rest assembled by themselves to choose whom they should promote instead of him. But their opinions did not agree as to whom they should appoint, and they persisted in opposing one another; and as often as a man was named he was rejected.
8 Then they cast lots with a view of electing him upon whom their lot should fall, and, after electing him, to appoint him to the office, if there were no fault or infirmity in him, and no defect in his family, or other cause; for if they found one who had the correct genealogy but was not learned, they rejected him and would not promote him; and this was a dispensation from the most high God, because of their strife, so that none might be promoted except the Lord of the priesthood, who was worthy of this place, namely, Jesus Christ. And behold, after this, the Holy Ghost moved in one of the priests, and he became zealous for God and stood up in the midst of them, and said: We have to day been assembled for ten days, and yet we cannot appoint any one.
9 And I know certainly that our discussion is thus prolonged because of him whom the most high God will appoint, and this is the reason of the disputing among us and the overthrow of our intentions. And this will be made manifest by the will of the most high God. Then they said to him: If thou knowest anyone, mention him to us openly, and we will acknowledge it as a great favor on thy part. So he said to them: Not till you make an agreement with me that you will not reject what I say to you, but will accept it from me; and then I will tell you who is fit for the place; but I know that you cannot reject him. So when all the priests heard this, they swore an oath by Truth and Sincerity that, if one who was worthy was shown to them, they would accept and appoint him. When he was assured of them, he said to them: O my brethren, the most high God has put it into my mind that he who is worthy of this place is Jesus, who is called the son of Joseph; for he is a man perfect in his pedigree and in his person and in his conduct, and is capable of speaking and acting before God and men.
10 And know that you will find none like him among this people who has no deceit nor physical defect. So when the priests heard his words, and understood his discourse, they were confounded and perplexed because of the oath; and therefore they said to him with guile, thinking they could reject his proposal: He whom thou namest is worthy, for we are seeking a good man; but he is not of the lineage of the priests, and the people speak calumniously of his birth, because of the infants whom Herod slew with the sword on his account. Then he answered and said to them without anger: Cleave fast to the truth; for indeed I will guide you to the right course with regard to him, so that you may not turn away from the most high God; for then we should go far from the truth, and should believe lies, since I know that if we inquire into the truth God will reveal it to us. Then they said: Satisfy our minds, as thou knowest how, with regard to his birth and family, and we will consent to what thou sayest to us.
11 So he said to them: Inquire and you will learn that in the days of Aaron the priest there was an alliance by marriage between Aaron and the tribe of Judah, to which the prophet David bore witness. Now I have inquired much about Jesus, his tribe and genealogy, and 1 find that his mother Mary is connected with both tribes. And, she is also innocent of sin, through another great mystery. For this reason I desire that you make inquiries, that you may know with certainty that what I say is true, and may recognize that I speak honestly to you. But the priests thought that by this notion of theirs they would bring his counsel to nought. And they began to inquire about the family of Jesus, and found that Mary united the two tribes, and therefore they could not evade this point on account of the oath. So they began to dispute about the pedigree of Jesus. For they said: There is a different opinion on this point. We wish to know how his birth was not adulterous, since they accused his mother Mary, when she was given to Joseph.
12 And they all agreed on this subject. And they sent for his mother Mary to the Temple, and exhorted her gently to declare to them the matter of her conception of Jesus, and whence he was. And the Law was in their hands, bearing witness against them with her, that they should not think evil of her if she spoke the truth; and they swore to her accordingly. And they said to her: O woman, behold, thou seest us all assembled for good, not for evil, but for the business of God most high which we are settling. For we have come to one conclusion with regard to thy son, whom we find to be acceptable to God and men.
13 And he is wonderful among men, and they all glorify God most high on account of him, for he at this time is among them like Solomon son of David, who was given to him by the wife of Uriah the Hittite; and therefore we have chosen him and selected him by lot, to establish him as priest on account of his virtues. But with regard to one report we are still in doubt; for we wish to know from thee whence he is, and by whom thou didst conceive and bring him forth; in order that the truth may be known from thee, so that no evil word be spoken of thee nor of the priesthood. For this reason we sent for thee, that we may know the truth, and may not remain in doubt; then thou wilt put an end to the dispute about the matter before us. And here is the Law before us, and we declare before God most high, the Invisible One, that no harm nor blame shall come to thee from us; but we shall thank thee greatly because thou hast not hidden the truth from us.
14 But Mary thought that if she revealed to them the hidden mystery of her miraculous maternity they would not believe it on account of the difficulty which the matter would present to them; and that their minds would not admit the idea that a virgin could become a mother, and that there could be a son without a father. So she said to them: If I told you what I know, would you accept it? Nay if I revealed to you the mystery concerning my conception and wonderful maternity, you would not believe my words. Therefore the best thing for me is to be silent. But the priests, moved by their evil thoughts, said to her: O Mary, in truth we desire to hear from thee whose son Jesus is. For his father Joseph is dead, and our hearts doubt with regard to him whether he was his father; and therefore we ask of thee the true account of the matter, for by giving it thou wilt stop the whole dispute about thy maternity. We beg thee to reveal to us this mystery truthfully and clearly; and do not fear anyone, for the right course is not concealed from us; but if thou hidest the matter, the Law decrees against thee a curse for ever. This they said to her, and the like.
15 So Mary was troubled, saying: I am perplexed in every way on account of the incomprehensible One, whom I bore; and behold the day is come for me to declare him. And I understand now the secret of my maternity, which you urge me to reveal. But when you hear it, you will not believe it, and you will not accept what I shall tell you. Even Joseph who, as you say, is dead, doubted of my conception, as you do, and asked me, saying: Who has been with you? So I swore that no man had ever touched me; yet he did not believe me until the angel of God appeared to him and satisfied his mind. But he is not living to bear witness for me before you to the truth of what I say. For the Law accepts the evidence of two witnesses more readily than the evidence of one. But I affirm before God and this Law that 1 brought forth my son Jesus, although I am a virgin; and I will relate to you how I conceived him. Then they said to her: Verily the thing is manifest; and we acknowledge before God and his holy Law that thou didst in truth bring forth this son; and this is a thing not to be concealed, for a woman who conceives and suffers the pangs of childbirth is she that rejoices more than others when she brings forth. Now thou hast confessed truthfully that thou didst bring him forth; and thus we, who for a long time have conversed with no one, are now sitting conversing with a woman. But we told thee that we would not reprimand thee, if thou wouldst tell us what it is lawful for us to hear and accept from thee.
16 Then Mary began to think in perplexity and fear, bending her face towards the ground and weeping. At last she said: Now I know that I brought forth Jesus as you say, and this I confess. But as for your suggestion that a man ravished me, indeed the seal of my virginity bears witness to me that I tell you the truth. When they heard this, they were troubled and said: This is a statement that we will not accept, for it is a tale of wonder. How can we write the name of thy son in the genealogy, without the name of his father and of the tribe to which he belongs, as the current custom is?
17 When Mary heard the priests say this, she said to them: I told you from the beginning that I know nothing of what you have said; therefore do what you wish, for I will not tell you what has not happened to me. So when she said this, not one of them contradicted her; but they were moved by divine providence, and sent and summoned trustworthy women from among their midwives, and begged them strenuously and eagerly to clear up the matter with regard to her, whether she was a virgin, as she said, before God and the Law. So the midwives examined her, and said to the priests: She speaks the truth; she is a virgin inviolate, as she said; and her virginity was not lost when she brought forth Jesus, for as you all know, he was born of her.
18 Then they inquired among her neighbors and acquaintances, to see whether they might find someone to deny the birth. But they found no one, for everyone confirmed the fact of her bringing forth a son, and the time at which she so wonderfully became a mother, by a mystery which was understood by none. Thus the priests found nothing which they could allege against her, or by which they could prove her false, but only the manifest truth. Then after that they sent for her, moved by necessity, in fear, and said to her: We have inquired, and have found nothing contrary to thy words, nor to what thou didst relate to us. But it is not right that we should write down what thou sayest. Now therefore we adjure thee by God Almighty to make known to us who is the father of Jesus, by whom thou didst bring him forth, that we may write his name in the register and in the genealogy. And Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost, and said: I will say nothing with guile or falsehood, and God, by whose name you have adjured me, is my witness.
19 And she began to tell them thus: The Angel Gabriel came to me, and announced the good tidings to me. So she explained to them all that had happened to her. Then they were confounded and marveled greatly, and prayed God to forgive them the unjust words which they had used against her. And one of them said: Indeed this is the Messiah, of whom the Prophets prophesied that he would come of the house of David, and from Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. Then they called Jesus, and tendered the oath to him as priest, and wrote his name in the genealogy, with the day and the month and the year, describing him as Jesus, the son of God, and the son of Mary the virgin, whom she bore while still a virgin. He is indeed a priest, and is worthy of the office.
20 And this was a providential dispensation, as Luke the Evangelist, who is said to have been a physician, says in a passage of his Gospel, namely, that When Jesus returned through Galilee in the power of the Spirit, his fame went forth through all the country, and he used to teach in their synagogues, and all glorified him; and he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and entered according to his custom into their synagogue on the Sabbath day. And the attendant gave him the book containing the prophecy of Isaias, in which it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and therefore he has anointed me and sent me to preach good tidings to the poor, and to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those that are bound, and to announce the acceptable year of the Lord. Then he rolled up the book and gave it to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of those present were fastened upon him. And he began to say to them: To-day has this prophecy been fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth.
21 When Philip the Christian heard these words from Theodosius the Jew, he rejoiced greatly. Then the latter said to him: I know these things and have spoken of them only because I am one of the teachers and readers of the Law; and it is the Law that has confirmed in my heart the belief that he whom Mary brought forth is the Messiah, and that in him and no other is fulfilled the prophecy of Jacob to Judah, his son, and that no other Messiah shall come after him. For it is assured to us that he it is whom the nations were expecting, and he it is that was to come into the world and to deliver those that believe in him. And there shall not be after him any chief or leader or priest in Israel, according to the words of the Prophet David concerning him in the 109th Psalm: The Lord sware and repents not, Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. But who among the posterity of Adam is a priest who shall live for ever? For David also says in the 88th Psalm: Who is the man that shall live and shall not see death? Therefore it is the Messiah of whom David said that he is the living and eternal priest.
22 Then Philip answered and said to him: It is right that thou shouldest know that thy concealment of this matter makes thee liable to judgment on the Great Day; and I should prefer to reveal what I have heard from thee to our religious prince, that he may send and bring to light the genealogy written in the register, and the Jews' want of faith, so that they may be openly condemned. But the Jew answered and said to the Christian: Thou knowest that thou wilt bring a judgment upon thyself for breaking the promise which stands between us. Moreover the thing which thou thinkest that thou wilt succeed in doing, thou wilt not be able to do, but wilt be powerless therein; for when the Jews hear of it, they will stir up a great war, and events will take place by which many men will lose their lives. And if they are urged to show the genealogy, and that which is written therein, they will prefer to burn it in the fire, or all of them will be slain with the sword; but they will not show it. Then thou wilt be to blame, and the genealogy will be lost after all.
23 And the Christians do not need it, because it is the register of the Jewish priests; but you believe in Jesus and know him through the words of the prophets and apostles, and have already assured yourselves of the facts of your religion. But this register will condemn the Jews for ever, so long as it remains with them. Why then dost thou desire to take it away from among them? Believe me, my friend, that every book which I have read of the Law and of the Prophecies of the Prophets with regard to the Messiah is literally in agreement with the genealogy in my eyes, and by it I confirm my faith in the Messiah whom you worship; and this is manifest to all the doctors of the Law. And I know that if thou shouldest mention it, thou wouldst cause its destruction.
24 Then I, Philip, in spite of many entreaties, at last yielded to his injunctions not to reveal this matter to the prince; for he made me afraid, and so I restrained myself. For he assured me in the name of God, that this evidence proves that Jesus is the Messiah sufficiently to condemn the Jews, and to confirm us and our faith. I, Philip, wrote this report, and laid it before the assembly of the church, and before certain holy bishops and chosen monks.
25 And when they learnt these things they were astonished at them,, and were assured of the truth of the Jew's words and the testimony of his people to the Lord Christ in the matter of the priesthood, as it was written in the register. Then the bishops and the monks wrote treatises about the priesthood of Christ; for they found that Eusebius Pamphili mentions this matter in several passages in the histories of the Church. For Josephus brings the subject to light in the books of the Captivity. And this Josephus says that Jesus was seen to enter the temple with the priests at the time of the sanctification. Then is mentioned also the testimony of Luke the evangelist concerning the incident that we have already quoted, and concerning the fact that the Lord Christ also made a scourge of cords, and drove the traffickers out of the temple.
26 This fact and all these testimonies prove that the Jew's words are true, and that on account of his sincere friendship with Philip he reveal ed this secret matter to him, and bore witness of it to him. And when the Jew Theodosius had finished this true discourse to his friend Philip, he was baptized and became a Christian, and was sealed with the seal of baptism, and received the Holy Mysteries. And everyone was astonished at the soundness of his faith in the Lord Christ, whose power is glorious.
27 And I, Philip, had great joy with Theodosius the neophyte. And when many of the Jews saw this, knowing that he was one of the teachers of the Law among them, and that he was a ruler over them, and had acquired great honors among them, and had then abandoned all that, and become a Christian, many of them believed and were baptized.
28 Therefore I, Philip, glorified God most high, because I had gained the soul of my friend, who was a Jew, but is now a Christian. And glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and at all times and for ever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen.
1 In the time of Julian, the unbelieving Prince, there was a man who was a Jew, and a priest of the Jews, and his name was Theodosius, and he was high in rank. There was also a Christian, a silversmith, who knew him; and there was a strong affection between the two; and the name of the Christian was Philip.
2 And on a certain day Philip went to one of the cities of Syria and moored his ship in the harbor, that he might sell certain goods which he had brought. There Philip met his friend, the Jewish priest Theodosius, and, entering into affectionate conversation with him, said to him: O my brother, I would that thou wouldst become a Christian, so that our friendship might be a genuine one, and that thou mightest make profit out of this world and the next also. Then Theodosius answered, saying to him with great affection: or I have taken care for my salvation; and I have thought of something that I wish to reveal to thee; for I will not leave thee without the knowledge of the most high God, who bears witness to that which I tell thee.
3 Therefore do not doubt it, for I tell it thee because thou hast shown me thy love for me. But I prefer that thou shouldest keep what I say in thy heart and not repeat it to anyone, and it is this: That he who was announced by the Holy Ghost and the Prophets is the Messiah whom you Christians worship, confessing that he indeed has come; and this I believe with an honest and pure heart, without any doubt at all. For thou art a brother and a friend, and therefore 1 disclose this secret to thee and certify it in thy presence, because thy love and desire of happiness and good things for me are so evident to me. Therefore believe me now, my brother. But my carnal thoughts hinder me from being baptized; for I am not humble, nor am I fit, for I am weak; and I am a priest to this people, and have acquired great renown and honor and high rank, and have gained by them treasure and wealth, and if I left them, I should lose all that. And not only my own people would abandon me, but the Christians also, according to what I have witnessed with regard to the Jews when they are baptized, as to the position that they hold; and I have heard also that you say: When a Jew is baptized, it is as if one baptized an ass. So how can I now be baptized?
4 Moreover I see Christians sinning and angering God and neglecting the law, instead of walking in the straight path of discipline and in the truth which has come to them. And I have witnessed others who have seen them living thus, and whose hearts and faith have grown weak, so that they have imitated those careless Christians. When we inquire into the salvation which came to you from us, we recognize the Messiah indeed; and the apostles, who became your teachers, are also of our race; but you neglect the good tidings that they brought to you, and the doctrine that they taught you. And as the other nations have not been baptized and have not believed to this day, so also I have not been baptized, because of the glory of the world and the honors which I receive from my people, and because I see you neglecting the commands and admonitions which Christ gave you, and the exhortations of his disciples to you.
5 Thus I refused to lose my glory and honor, and to become neglectful like you of that which has been given to you; and this is what hinders me from baptism. For the greater part of our Jewish community believe in the truth of the Messiah and in his miracles more firmly than you do; yet are they far from the salvation which came to you. And now I congratulate thee on the glorious mysteries which we have possessed from the beginning. And I declare this to thee, that we know and believe in Christ's miracles and works more firmly than you Christians do, and we know truly that he is the Messiah who is come.
6 Hear then from me this mystery which took place in ancient times, and while the temple was still standing at Jerusalem. The Jews had a custom of establishing twenty-two priests in the temple by an obligatory law; and there was in the temple a book in which was written the genealogy of every man who became a priest, and the names of his father and mother, that it might be known that he followed the command of the most high God. And the Jews retained this custom.
7 Now at that time, when Jesus Christ was in Judaea, this book having existed before his appearance, one of the twenty-two priests died, and the rest assembled by themselves to choose whom they should promote instead of him. But their opinions did not agree as to whom they should appoint, and they persisted in opposing one another; and as often as a man was named he was rejected.
8 Then they cast lots with a view of electing him upon whom their lot should fall, and, after electing him, to appoint him to the office, if there were no fault or infirmity in him, and no defect in his family, or other cause; for if they found one who had the correct genealogy but was not learned, they rejected him and would not promote him; and this was a dispensation from the most high God, because of their strife, so that none might be promoted except the Lord of the priesthood, who was worthy of this place, namely, Jesus Christ. And behold, after this, the Holy Ghost moved in one of the priests, and he became zealous for God and stood up in the midst of them, and said: We have to day been assembled for ten days, and yet we cannot appoint any one.
9 And I know certainly that our discussion is thus prolonged because of him whom the most high God will appoint, and this is the reason of the disputing among us and the overthrow of our intentions. And this will be made manifest by the will of the most high God. Then they said to him: If thou knowest anyone, mention him to us openly, and we will acknowledge it as a great favor on thy part. So he said to them: Not till you make an agreement with me that you will not reject what I say to you, but will accept it from me; and then I will tell you who is fit for the place; but I know that you cannot reject him. So when all the priests heard this, they swore an oath by Truth and Sincerity that, if one who was worthy was shown to them, they would accept and appoint him. When he was assured of them, he said to them: O my brethren, the most high God has put it into my mind that he who is worthy of this place is Jesus, who is called the son of Joseph; for he is a man perfect in his pedigree and in his person and in his conduct, and is capable of speaking and acting before God and men.
10 And know that you will find none like him among this people who has no deceit nor physical defect. So when the priests heard his words, and understood his discourse, they were confounded and perplexed because of the oath; and therefore they said to him with guile, thinking they could reject his proposal: He whom thou namest is worthy, for we are seeking a good man; but he is not of the lineage of the priests, and the people speak calumniously of his birth, because of the infants whom Herod slew with the sword on his account. Then he answered and said to them without anger: Cleave fast to the truth; for indeed I will guide you to the right course with regard to him, so that you may not turn away from the most high God; for then we should go far from the truth, and should believe lies, since I know that if we inquire into the truth God will reveal it to us. Then they said: Satisfy our minds, as thou knowest how, with regard to his birth and family, and we will consent to what thou sayest to us.
11 So he said to them: Inquire and you will learn that in the days of Aaron the priest there was an alliance by marriage between Aaron and the tribe of Judah, to which the prophet David bore witness. Now I have inquired much about Jesus, his tribe and genealogy, and 1 find that his mother Mary is connected with both tribes. And, she is also innocent of sin, through another great mystery. For this reason I desire that you make inquiries, that you may know with certainty that what I say is true, and may recognize that I speak honestly to you. But the priests thought that by this notion of theirs they would bring his counsel to nought. And they began to inquire about the family of Jesus, and found that Mary united the two tribes, and therefore they could not evade this point on account of the oath. So they began to dispute about the pedigree of Jesus. For they said: There is a different opinion on this point. We wish to know how his birth was not adulterous, since they accused his mother Mary, when she was given to Joseph.
12 And they all agreed on this subject. And they sent for his mother Mary to the Temple, and exhorted her gently to declare to them the matter of her conception of Jesus, and whence he was. And the Law was in their hands, bearing witness against them with her, that they should not think evil of her if she spoke the truth; and they swore to her accordingly. And they said to her: O woman, behold, thou seest us all assembled for good, not for evil, but for the business of God most high which we are settling. For we have come to one conclusion with regard to thy son, whom we find to be acceptable to God and men.
13 And he is wonderful among men, and they all glorify God most high on account of him, for he at this time is among them like Solomon son of David, who was given to him by the wife of Uriah the Hittite; and therefore we have chosen him and selected him by lot, to establish him as priest on account of his virtues. But with regard to one report we are still in doubt; for we wish to know from thee whence he is, and by whom thou didst conceive and bring him forth; in order that the truth may be known from thee, so that no evil word be spoken of thee nor of the priesthood. For this reason we sent for thee, that we may know the truth, and may not remain in doubt; then thou wilt put an end to the dispute about the matter before us. And here is the Law before us, and we declare before God most high, the Invisible One, that no harm nor blame shall come to thee from us; but we shall thank thee greatly because thou hast not hidden the truth from us.
14 But Mary thought that if she revealed to them the hidden mystery of her miraculous maternity they would not believe it on account of the difficulty which the matter would present to them; and that their minds would not admit the idea that a virgin could become a mother, and that there could be a son without a father. So she said to them: If I told you what I know, would you accept it? Nay if I revealed to you the mystery concerning my conception and wonderful maternity, you would not believe my words. Therefore the best thing for me is to be silent. But the priests, moved by their evil thoughts, said to her: O Mary, in truth we desire to hear from thee whose son Jesus is. For his father Joseph is dead, and our hearts doubt with regard to him whether he was his father; and therefore we ask of thee the true account of the matter, for by giving it thou wilt stop the whole dispute about thy maternity. We beg thee to reveal to us this mystery truthfully and clearly; and do not fear anyone, for the right course is not concealed from us; but if thou hidest the matter, the Law decrees against thee a curse for ever. This they said to her, and the like.
15 So Mary was troubled, saying: I am perplexed in every way on account of the incomprehensible One, whom I bore; and behold the day is come for me to declare him. And I understand now the secret of my maternity, which you urge me to reveal. But when you hear it, you will not believe it, and you will not accept what I shall tell you. Even Joseph who, as you say, is dead, doubted of my conception, as you do, and asked me, saying: Who has been with you? So I swore that no man had ever touched me; yet he did not believe me until the angel of God appeared to him and satisfied his mind. But he is not living to bear witness for me before you to the truth of what I say. For the Law accepts the evidence of two witnesses more readily than the evidence of one. But I affirm before God and this Law that 1 brought forth my son Jesus, although I am a virgin; and I will relate to you how I conceived him. Then they said to her: Verily the thing is manifest; and we acknowledge before God and his holy Law that thou didst in truth bring forth this son; and this is a thing not to be concealed, for a woman who conceives and suffers the pangs of childbirth is she that rejoices more than others when she brings forth. Now thou hast confessed truthfully that thou didst bring him forth; and thus we, who for a long time have conversed with no one, are now sitting conversing with a woman. But we told thee that we would not reprimand thee, if thou wouldst tell us what it is lawful for us to hear and accept from thee.
16 Then Mary began to think in perplexity and fear, bending her face towards the ground and weeping. At last she said: Now I know that I brought forth Jesus as you say, and this I confess. But as for your suggestion that a man ravished me, indeed the seal of my virginity bears witness to me that I tell you the truth. When they heard this, they were troubled and said: This is a statement that we will not accept, for it is a tale of wonder. How can we write the name of thy son in the genealogy, without the name of his father and of the tribe to which he belongs, as the current custom is?
17 When Mary heard the priests say this, she said to them: I told you from the beginning that I know nothing of what you have said; therefore do what you wish, for I will not tell you what has not happened to me. So when she said this, not one of them contradicted her; but they were moved by divine providence, and sent and summoned trustworthy women from among their midwives, and begged them strenuously and eagerly to clear up the matter with regard to her, whether she was a virgin, as she said, before God and the Law. So the midwives examined her, and said to the priests: She speaks the truth; she is a virgin inviolate, as she said; and her virginity was not lost when she brought forth Jesus, for as you all know, he was born of her.
18 Then they inquired among her neighbors and acquaintances, to see whether they might find someone to deny the birth. But they found no one, for everyone confirmed the fact of her bringing forth a son, and the time at which she so wonderfully became a mother, by a mystery which was understood by none. Thus the priests found nothing which they could allege against her, or by which they could prove her false, but only the manifest truth. Then after that they sent for her, moved by necessity, in fear, and said to her: We have inquired, and have found nothing contrary to thy words, nor to what thou didst relate to us. But it is not right that we should write down what thou sayest. Now therefore we adjure thee by God Almighty to make known to us who is the father of Jesus, by whom thou didst bring him forth, that we may write his name in the register and in the genealogy. And Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost, and said: I will say nothing with guile or falsehood, and God, by whose name you have adjured me, is my witness.
19 And she began to tell them thus: The Angel Gabriel came to me, and announced the good tidings to me. So she explained to them all that had happened to her. Then they were confounded and marveled greatly, and prayed God to forgive them the unjust words which they had used against her. And one of them said: Indeed this is the Messiah, of whom the Prophets prophesied that he would come of the house of David, and from Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. Then they called Jesus, and tendered the oath to him as priest, and wrote his name in the genealogy, with the day and the month and the year, describing him as Jesus, the son of God, and the son of Mary the virgin, whom she bore while still a virgin. He is indeed a priest, and is worthy of the office.
20 And this was a providential dispensation, as Luke the Evangelist, who is said to have been a physician, says in a passage of his Gospel, namely, that When Jesus returned through Galilee in the power of the Spirit, his fame went forth through all the country, and he used to teach in their synagogues, and all glorified him; and he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and entered according to his custom into their synagogue on the Sabbath day. And the attendant gave him the book containing the prophecy of Isaias, in which it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and therefore he has anointed me and sent me to preach good tidings to the poor, and to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those that are bound, and to announce the acceptable year of the Lord. Then he rolled up the book and gave it to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of those present were fastened upon him. And he began to say to them: To-day has this prophecy been fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth.
21 When Philip the Christian heard these words from Theodosius the Jew, he rejoiced greatly. Then the latter said to him: I know these things and have spoken of them only because I am one of the teachers and readers of the Law; and it is the Law that has confirmed in my heart the belief that he whom Mary brought forth is the Messiah, and that in him and no other is fulfilled the prophecy of Jacob to Judah, his son, and that no other Messiah shall come after him. For it is assured to us that he it is whom the nations were expecting, and he it is that was to come into the world and to deliver those that believe in him. And there shall not be after him any chief or leader or priest in Israel, according to the words of the Prophet David concerning him in the 109th Psalm: The Lord sware and repents not, Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. But who among the posterity of Adam is a priest who shall live for ever? For David also says in the 88th Psalm: Who is the man that shall live and shall not see death? Therefore it is the Messiah of whom David said that he is the living and eternal priest.
22 Then Philip answered and said to him: It is right that thou shouldest know that thy concealment of this matter makes thee liable to judgment on the Great Day; and I should prefer to reveal what I have heard from thee to our religious prince, that he may send and bring to light the genealogy written in the register, and the Jews' want of faith, so that they may be openly condemned. But the Jew answered and said to the Christian: Thou knowest that thou wilt bring a judgment upon thyself for breaking the promise which stands between us. Moreover the thing which thou thinkest that thou wilt succeed in doing, thou wilt not be able to do, but wilt be powerless therein; for when the Jews hear of it, they will stir up a great war, and events will take place by which many men will lose their lives. And if they are urged to show the genealogy, and that which is written therein, they will prefer to burn it in the fire, or all of them will be slain with the sword; but they will not show it. Then thou wilt be to blame, and the genealogy will be lost after all.
23 And the Christians do not need it, because it is the register of the Jewish priests; but you believe in Jesus and know him through the words of the prophets and apostles, and have already assured yourselves of the facts of your religion. But this register will condemn the Jews for ever, so long as it remains with them. Why then dost thou desire to take it away from among them? Believe me, my friend, that every book which I have read of the Law and of the Prophecies of the Prophets with regard to the Messiah is literally in agreement with the genealogy in my eyes, and by it I confirm my faith in the Messiah whom you worship; and this is manifest to all the doctors of the Law. And I know that if thou shouldest mention it, thou wouldst cause its destruction.
24 Then I, Philip, in spite of many entreaties, at last yielded to his injunctions not to reveal this matter to the prince; for he made me afraid, and so I restrained myself. For he assured me in the name of God, that this evidence proves that Jesus is the Messiah sufficiently to condemn the Jews, and to confirm us and our faith. I, Philip, wrote this report, and laid it before the assembly of the church, and before certain holy bishops and chosen monks.
25 And when they learnt these things they were astonished at them,, and were assured of the truth of the Jew's words and the testimony of his people to the Lord Christ in the matter of the priesthood, as it was written in the register. Then the bishops and the monks wrote treatises about the priesthood of Christ; for they found that Eusebius Pamphili mentions this matter in several passages in the histories of the Church. For Josephus brings the subject to light in the books of the Captivity. And this Josephus says that Jesus was seen to enter the temple with the priests at the time of the sanctification. Then is mentioned also the testimony of Luke the evangelist concerning the incident that we have already quoted, and concerning the fact that the Lord Christ also made a scourge of cords, and drove the traffickers out of the temple.
26 This fact and all these testimonies prove that the Jew's words are true, and that on account of his sincere friendship with Philip he reveal ed this secret matter to him, and bore witness of it to him. And when the Jew Theodosius had finished this true discourse to his friend Philip, he was baptized and became a Christian, and was sealed with the seal of baptism, and received the Holy Mysteries. And everyone was astonished at the soundness of his faith in the Lord Christ, whose power is glorious.
27 And I, Philip, had great joy with Theodosius the neophyte. And when many of the Jews saw this, knowing that he was one of the teachers of the Law among them, and that he was a ruler over them, and had acquired great honors among them, and had then abandoned all that, and become a Christian, many of them believed and were baptized.
28 Therefore I, Philip, glorified God most high, because I had gained the soul of my friend, who was a Jew, but is now a Christian. And glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and at all times and for ever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen.