THE TEACHING OF ADDAEUS THE APOSTLE.[1]



...............



    ADDAEUS[2] said to him: Because thou hast thus believed, 
I lay my hand upon thee in the name of Him in whom thou hast 
thus believed. And at the very moment that he laid his hand 
upon him he was healed of the plague of the disease which he 
had for a long time.[3] And Abgar was astonished and 
marvelled, because, like as he had heard about Jesus, how He 
wrought and healed, so Addaeus also, without any medicine 
whatever, was healing in the name of Jesus. And Abdu also, 
son of Abdu, had the gout in his feet; and he also presented 
his feet to him, and he laid his hand upon them, and healed 
him, and he had the gout no more. And in all the city also he 
wrought great cures, and showed forth wonderful mighty-works 
in it.

    Abgar said to him: Now that every man knoweth that by the 
power of Jesus Christ thou doest these miracles, and lo! we 
are astonished at thy deeds, I therefore entreat of thee to 
relate to us the story about the coming of Christ, in what 
manner it was, and about His glorious power, and about the 
miracles which we have heard that He did, which thou hast 
thyself seen, together with thy fellow-disciples.

    Addaeus said: I will not hold my peace from declaring 
this; since for this very purpose was I sent hither, that I 
might speak to and teach every one who is willing to believe, 
even as thou. Assemble me tomorrow all the city, and I will 
sow in it the word of life by the preaching which I will 
address to you--about the coming of Christ, in what manner it 
was; and about Him that sent Him, why and how He sent Him; 
and about His power and His wonderful works; and about the 
glorious mysteries of His coming, which He spake of in the 
world; and about the unerring truth[4] of His preaching; and 
how and for what cause He abused Himself, and humbled. His 
exalted Godhead by the manhood which He took, and was 
crucified, and descended to the place of the dead, and broke 
through the enclosure s which had never been broken through 
before, and gave life to the dead by being slain Himself, and 
descended alone, and ascended with many to His glorious 
Father, with whom He had been from eternity in one exalted 
Godhead.

    And Abgar commanded them to give to Addaeus silver and 
gold. Addaeus said to him: How can we receive that which is 
not ours. For, lo! that which was ours have we forsaken, as 
we were commanded by our Lord; because without purses and 
without scrips, bearing the cross upon our shoulders, were we 
commanded to preach His Gospel in the whole creation, of 
whose crucifixion, which was for our sakes, for the 
redemption of all men, the whole creation was sensible and 
suffered pain.

    And he related before Abgar the king, and before his 
princes and his nobles, and before Augustin, Abgar's mother, 
and before Shalmath,[6] the daughter of Meherdath,[7] Abgar's 
wife,[8] the signs of our Lord, and His wonders, and the 
glorious mighty-works which He did, and His divine exploits, 
and His ascension to His Father; and how they had received 
power and authority at the same time that He was received up-
-by which same power it was that he had healed Abgar, and 
Abdu son of Abdu, the second person[9] of his kingdom; and 
how He informed them that He would reveal Himself at the end 
of the ages[10] and at the consummation of all created 
things; also of the resuscitation and resurrection which is 
to come for all men, and the separation which will be made 
between the sheep and the goats, and between the faithful and 
those who believe not.

    And he said to them: Because the gate of life is strait 
and the way of truth narrow, therefore are the believers of 
the truth few, and through unbelief is Satan's gratification. 
Therefore are the liars many who lead astray those that see. 
For, were it not that there is a good end awaiting believing 
men, our Lord would not have descended from heaven, and come 
to be born, and to endure the suffering of death. Yet He did 
come, and us did He send[1] . . . of the faith which we 
preach, that God was crucified for[2] all men.

    And, if there be those who are not willing[2] to agree 
with these our words, let them draw near to us and disclose 
to us what is in their mind, that, like as in the case of a 
disease, we may apply to their thoughts healing medicine for 
the cure of their ailments. For, though ye were not present 
at the time of Christ's suffering, yet from the sun which was 
darkened, and which ye saw, learn ye and understand 
concerning the great convulsion[3] which took place at that 
time, when He was crucified whose Gospel has winged its way 
through all the earth by the signs which His disciples my 
fellows do in all the earth: yea, those who were Hebrews, and 
knew only the language of the Hebrews, in which they were 
born, lo! at this day are speaking in all languages, in order 
that those who are afar off may hear and believe, even as 
those who are near. For He it is that confounded the tongues 
of the presumptuous in this region who were before us; and He 
it is that teaches at this day the faith of truth and verity 
by us, humble and despicable[4] men from Galilee of 
Palestine. For I also whom ye see am from Paneas,[5] from the 
place where the river Jordan issues forth, and I was chosen, 
together with my fellows, to be a preacher.



...............



   For, according as my Lord commanded me, lo! I preach and 
publish the Gospel, and lo! His money do I cast upon the 
table before you, and the seed of His word do I sow in the 
ears of all men; and such as are willing to receive it, 
theirs is the good recompense of the confession of Christ; 
but those who are not persuaded, the dust of my feet do I 
shake off against them, as He commanded me.

    Repent therefore, my beloved, of evil ways and of 
abominable deeds, and turn yourselves towards Him with a good 
and honest will, as He hath turned Himself towards you with 
the favour of His rich mercies; and be ye not as the 
generations of former times that have passed away, which, 
because they hardened their heart against the fear of God, 
received punishment openly, that they themselves might be 
chastised, and that those who come after them may tremble and 
be afraid. For the purpose of our Lord's coming into the 
world assuredly was,[6] that He might teach us and show us 
that at the consummation of the creation there will be a 
resuscitation of all men, and that at that time their course 
of conduct will be portrayed in their persons, and their 
bodies will be volumes for the writings of justice; nor will 
any one be there who is unacquainted with books, because 
every one will read that which is written in His own book.[7]



...............



    Ye that have eyes, forasmuch as ye do not perceive, are 
yourselves also become like those who see not and hear not; 
and in vain do your ineffectual voices strain themselves to 
deaf[8] ears. Whilst they are not to be blamed for not 
heating, because they are by[9] nature deaf and dumb, yet the 
blame which is justly incurred falls upon you,[10] because ye 
are not willing to perceive--not even that which ye see. For 
the dark cloud of error which overspreads your minds suffers 
you not to obtain the heavenly light, which is the 
understanding of knowledge.[11]

    Flee, then, from things made and created, as I said to 
you, which are only called gods in name, whilst they are not 
gods in their nature; and draw near to this Being, who in His 
nature is God from everlasting and from eternity, and is not 
something made, like your idols, nor is He a creature and a 
work of art, like those images in which ye glory. Because, 
although this[12] Being put on a body, yet is He God with His 
Father. For the works of creation, which trembled when He was 
slain and were dismayed at His suffering of death,--these 
bear witness that He is Himself God the Creator. For it was 
not on account of a man that the earth trembled,[13] but on 
account of Him who established the earth upon the waters; nor 
was it on account of a man that the sun grew dark in the 
heavens, but on account of Him who made the great lights; nor 
Was it for a man that the just and righteous were restored to 
life again, but for Him who had granted power over death from 
the beginning; nor was it for a man that the veil of the 
temple of the Jews was rent from the top to the bottom, but 
for Him who said to them, "Lo, your house is left desolate." 
For, lo! unless those who crucified Him had known that He was 
the Son of God, they would not have had to proclaim(1) the 
desolation(2) of their city, nor would they have brought down 
Woe! upon themselves.(3) For, even if they had wished to make 
light of this confession,(4) the fearful convulsions which 
took place at that time would not have suffered them to do 
so. For lo! some even of the children of the crucifiers are 
become at this day preachers and evangelists, along with my 
fellow-apostles, in all the land of Palestine, and among the 
Samaritans, and in all the country of the Philistines. The 
idols also of paganism are despised, and the cross of Christ 
is honoured, and all nations and creatures confess God who 
became man.

    If, therefore, while Jesus our Lord was on earth ye would 
have believed in Him that He is the Son of God, and before ye 
had heard the word of His preaching would have confessed Him 
that He is God; now that He is ascended to His Father, and ye 
have seen the signs and the wonders which are done in His 
name, and have heard with your own ears the word of His 
Gospel, let no one of you doubt in his mind--so that the 
promise of His blessing which He sent to  you may be 
fulfilled(5) towards you: Blessed are ye that have believed 
in me, not having seen me; and, because ye have so believed 
in me, the town(6) in which ye dwell shall be blessed, and 
the enemy shall not prevail against it for ever.(7)



Turn not away, therefore, from his faith: for, lo! ye have 
heard and seen what things bear witness to His faith--showing 
that He is the adorable Son, and is the glorious God, and is 
the victorious King, and is the mighty Power; and through 
faith in Him a man is able to acquire the eyes of a true 
mind,(8) and to understand that, whosoever worshippeth 
creatures, the wrath of justice will overtake him.

    For in everything which we speak before you, according as 
we have received of the gift of our Lord, so speak we and 
teach and declare it, that ye may secure(9) your salvation 
and not destroy(10) your spirits through the error of 
paganism: because the heavenly light has arisen on the 
creation, and He it is who chose the fathers of former times, 
and the righteous men, and the prophets, and spoke with them 
in the revelation of the Holy Spirit.(11) For He is Himself 
the God of the Jews who crucified Him; and to Him it is that 
the erring pagans offer worship, even while they know it not: 
because there is no other God in heaven and on earth; and lo! 
confession ascendeth up to Him from the four quarters of the 
creation. Lo! therefore, your ears have heard that which was 
not heard by you; and lo! further, your eyes have seen that 
which was never seen by you.(12)

    Be not, therefore, gainsayers of that which ye have seen 
and heard. Put away from you the rebellious mind of your 
fathers, and free yourselves from the yoke of sin, which hath 
dominion over you in libations and in sacrifices offered 
before carved images; and be ye concerned for your 
endangered(13) salvation, and for the unavailing support on 
which ye lean;(14) and get you a new mind, that worships the 
Maker and not the things which are made--a mind in which is 
portrayed the image of verity and of truth, of  the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy  Spirit; believing and being 
baptized in the triple and glorious names. For this is our 
teaching  and our preaching. For the belief of the truth  of 
Christ does not consist of many things.(1) And those of you 
as are willing to be obedient to Christ are aware that I have 
many times repeated my words before you, in order that ye 
might learn and understand what ye hear.

    And we ourselves shall rejoice in this, like the 
husbandman who rejoices in the field which is blessed; God 
also will be glorified by your repentance towards Him. While 
ye are saved hereby, we also, who give you this counsel, 
shall not be despoiled of the blessed reward of this work. 
And, because I am assured that ye are a land blessed 
according to the will of the Lord Christ, therefore, instead 
of the dust of our feet which we were commanded to shake off 
against the town that would not receive our words, I have 
shaken off to-day at the door of your ears the sayings of my 
lips, in which are portrayed the coming of Christ which has 
already been, and also that which is yet to be; and the 
resurrection, and the resuscitation of all men, and the 
separation which is to be made between the faithful and the 
unbelieving; and the sore punishment which is reserved for 
those who know not God, and the blessed promise of future joy 
which they shall receive who have believed in Christ and 
worshipped Him and His exalted Father, and have confessed Him 
and His divine Spirit.(2)

    And now it is meet for us that I conclude my present 
discourse; and let those who have accepted the word of Christ 
remain with us, and those also who are willing to join with 
us in prayer; and afterwards let them go to their homes.

    And Addaeus the apostle was rejoiced to see that a great 
number of the population of the city stayed with him; and 
they were but few who did not remain at that time, while even 
those few not many days after accepted his words and believed 
in the Gospel set forth in(3) the preaching of Christ.

    And when Addaeus the apostle had spoken these things 
before all the town of Edessa, and King Abgar saw that all 
the city rejoiced in his teaching, men and women alike, and 
heard them saying to him, "True and faithful is Christ who 
sent thee to us"--he himself also rejoiced greatly at this, 
giving praise to God; because, like as he had heard from 
Hanan,(4) his Tabularius, about Christ, so had he seen the 
wonderful mighty-works which Addaeus the apostle did in the 
name of Christ.

    And Abgar the king also said to him: According as I sent 
to Christ in my letter to Him, and according as He also sent 
to me, so have I also received from thine own self this day; 
so will I believe all the days of my life, and in the 
selfsame things will I continue and make my boast, because I 
know also that there is no other power in whose name these 
signs and wonders are done but the power of Christ whom thou 
preachest in verity and in truth. And henceforth Him will I 
worship--I and my son Maanu,(5) and Augustin,(6) and Shalmath 
the queen. And now, wherever thou desirest, build a church, a 
place of meeting for those who have believed and shall 
believe in thy words; and, according to the command given 
thee by thy Lord, minister thou at the seasons with 
confidence; to those also who shall be with thee as teachers 
of this Gospel I am prepared to give large donations, in 
order that they may not have any other work beside the 
ministry; and whatsoever is required by thee for the expenses 
of the building I myself will give thee without any 
restriction,(7) whilst thy word shall be authoritative and 
sovereign in this town; moreover, without the intervention of 
any other person do thou come into my presence as one in 
authority, into the palace of my royal majesty.

    And when Abgar was gone down to his royal palace he 
rejoiced, he and his princes with him, Abdu son of Abdu, and 
Garmai, and Shemashgram,(8) and Abubai, and Meherdath,(9) 
together with the others their companions, at all that their 
eyes had seen and their ears also had heard; and in the 
gladness of their heart they too began to praise God for 
having turned their mind towards Him, renouncing the paganism 
in which they had lived,(10) and confessing the Gospel of 
Christ. And when Addaeus had built a church they proceeded to 
offer in it vows and oblations, they and the people of the 
city; and there they continued to present their praises all 
the days of their life.

    And Avida and Barcalba,(11) who were chief men and 
rulers, and wore the royal headband,(12) drew
near to Addaeus, and asked him about the matter of Christ, 
requesting that he would tell  them how He, though He was 
God, appeared to them as a man: And how, said they, were ye 
able to look upon Him? And he proceeded to satisfy them all 
about this, about all that their eyes had seen and about 
whatsoever their ears had heard from him. Moreover, 
everything that the prophets had spoken concerning Him he 
repeated before them, and they received his words gladly and 
with faith, and there was not a man that withstood him; for 
the glorious deeds which he did suffered not any man to 
withstand him.

    Shavida, moreover, and Ebednebu, chiefs of the priests of 
this town, together with Piroz(1) and Dilsu their companions, 
when they had seen the signs which he did, ran and threw down 
the altars on which they were accustomed to sacrifice before 
Nebu and Bel,(2) their gods, except the great altar which was 
in the middle of the town; and they cried out and said: 
Verily this is the disciple of that eminent and glorious 
Master, concerning whom we have heard all that He did in the 
country of Palestine. And all those who believed in Christ 
did Addaeus receive, and baptized them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And those who 
used to worship stones and stocks sat at his feet, recovered 
from the madness(3) of paganism wherewith they had been 
afflicted. Jews also, traders in fine raiment,(4) who were 
familiar with the law and the prophets--they too were 
persuaded, and became disciples, and confessed Christ that He 
is the Son of the living God.

    But neither did King Abgar nor yet the Apostle Addaeus 
compel any man by force to believe in Christ, because without 
the force of man the force of the signs compelled many to 
believe in Him. And with affection did they receive His 
doctrine--all this country of Mesopotamia, and all the 
regions round about it.



    Aggaeus, moreover, who(5) made the silks(6) and headbands 
of the king, and Palut, and Barshelama, and Barsamya, 
together with the others their companions, clave to Addaeus 
the apostle; and he received them, and associated them with 
him in the ministry, their business being to read in the Old 
Testament and the New,(7) and in the prophets, and in the 
Acts of the Apostles, and to meditate upon them daily; 
strictly charging them to let their bodies be pure and their 
persons holy, as is becoming in men who stand before the 
altar of God. "And be ye," said he, "far removed from false 
swearing and from wicked homicide, and from dishonest 
testimony, which is connected with adultery; and from magic 
arts, for which there is no mercy, and from sooth-saying, and 
divination, and fortune-tellers; and from fate and 
nativities, of which the deluded Chaldeans make their boast; 
and from the stars, and the signs of the Zodiac, in which the 
foolish put their trust. And put far from you unjust 
partiality, and bribes, and presents, through which the 
innocent are pronounced guilty. And along with this ministry, 
to which ye have been called, see that ye have no other work 
besides: for the Lord is the work of your ministry all the 
days of your life. And be ye diligent to give the seal of 
baptism. And be not fond of the gains of this world. And hear 
yea cause with justice and with truth. And be ye not a 
stumbling-block to the blind, lest through you should be 
blasphemed the name of Him who opened the eyes of the blind, 
according as we have seen. Let all, therefore, who see you 
perceive that ye yourselves are in harmony with whatsoever ye 
preach and teach."

    And they ministered with him in the church which Addaeus 
had built at the word and command of Abgar the king, being 
furnished with supplies by the king and his nobles, partly 
for the house of God, and partly for the supply of the poor. 
Moreover, much people day by day assembled and came to the 
prayers of the service, and to the reading of the Old 
Testament, and the New of the Diatessaron.(1) They also 
believed in the restoration of the dead, and buried their 
departed in the hope of resuscitation. The festivals of the 
Church they also observed in their seasons, and were 
assiduous every day in the vigils of the Church. And they 
made visits of almsgiving, to the sick and to those that were 
whole, according to the instruction of Addaeus to them. In 
the environs, too, of the city churches were built, and many 
received from him ordination to the priesthood.(2) So that 
even people of the East, in the guise of merchants, passed 
over into the territory of the Romans, that they might see 
the signs which Addaeus did. And such as became disciples 
received from him ordination to the priesthood, and in their 
own country of the Assyrians they instructed the people of 
their nation, and erected houses of prayer there in secret, 
by reason of the danger from those who worshipped fire and 
paid reverence to water.(3)

    Moreover, Narses, the king of the Assyrians, when he 
heard of those same things which Addaeus the apostle had 
done, sent a message to Abgar the king: Either despatch to me 
the man who doeth these signs before thee, that I may see him 
and hear his word, or send me an account of all that thou 
hast seen him do in thy own town. And Abgar wrote to 
Narses,(4) and related to him the whole story of the deeds of 
Addaeus from the beginning to the end; and he left nothing 
which he did not write to him. And, when Narses heard those 
things which were written to him, he was astonished and 
amazed.

    Abgar the king, moreover, because he was not able to pass 
over into the territory of the Romans,(5) and go to Palestine 
and slay the Jews for having crucified Christ, wrote a letter 
and sent it to Tiberius Caesar,(6) writing in it thus:--

    King Abgar to our Lord Tiberius Caesar: Although I know 
that nothing is hidden from thy Majesty, I write to inform 
thy dread and mighty Sovereignty that the Jews who are under 
thy dominion and dwell in the country of Palestine have 
assembled themselves together and crucified Christ, without 
any fault worthy of death, after He had done before them 
signs and wonders, and had shown them powerful mighty-works, 
so that He even raised the dead to life for them; and at the 
time that they crucified

Him the sun became darkened and the earth also quaked, and 
all created things trembled and quaked, and, as if of 
themselves, at this deed the whole creation and the 
inhabitants of the creation  shrank away. And now thy Majesty 
knoweth what it is meet for thee to command Concerning the 
people of the Jews who have done  these things.

     And Tiberius Caesar wrote and sent to King Abgar; and 
thus did he write to him:--

    The letter of thy Fidelity towards me I have received, 
and it hath been read before me. Concerning what the Jews 
have dared to do in the matter of the cross, Pilate(7) the 
governor also has written and informed Aulbinus(8) my 
proconsul concerning these selfsame things of which thou hast 
written to me. But, because a war with the people of 
Spain,(9) who have rebelled against me, is  on foot at this 
time, on this account I have not been able to avenge this 
matter; but I am prepared, when I shall have leisure, to 
issue a command according to law against the Jews, who act 
not according to law. And on this account, as regards Pilate 
also, who was appointed by me governor there--I have sent 
another in his stead, and dismissed him in disgrace, because 
he departed from the law,(10) and did the will of the Jews, 
and for the gratification of the Jews crucified Christ, who, 
according to what I hear concerning Him, instead of suffering 
the cross of death, deserved to be honoured and 
worshipped(11) by them: and more especially because with 
their own eyes they saw everything that He did. Yet thou, in 
accordance with thy fidelity towards me, and the faithful 
covenant entered into by thyself and by thy fathers, hast 
done well in writing to me thus.

    And Abgar the king received Aristides, who had been sent 
by Tiberius Caesar to him; and in reply he sent him back with 
presents of honour suitable for him who had sent him to him.



And from Edessa he went to Thicuntha,(1) where Claudius, the 
second from the emperor, was; and from thence, again, he went 
to Attica,(2) where Tiberius Caesar was: Caius, moreover, was 
guarding the regions round about Caesar. And Aristides 
himself also related before Tiberius concerning the mighty-
works which Addaeus had done before Abgar the king. And when 
he had leisure from the war he sent and put to death some of 
the chief men of the Jews who were in Palestine. And, when 
Abgar the king heard  of this, he rejoiced greatly that the 
Jews had received punishment, as it was right.

    And some years after Addaeus the apostle had built the 
church in Edessa, and had furnished it with everything that 
was suitable for it, and had made disciples of a great number 
of the population of the city, he further built churches in 
the villages(3) also--both those which were at a distance and 
those which were near, and finished and adorned them, and 
appointed in them deacons and elders, and instructed in them 
those who should read the Scriptures, and taught the 
ordinances and(4) the ministry without and within.

    After all these things he fell ill of the sickness of 
which he departed from this world. And he called for Aggaeus 
before the whole assembly of the church, and bade him draw 
near, and made him Guide and Ruler(5) in his stead. And 
Palut,(6) who was a deacon, he made eider; and Abshelama, who 
was a scribe, he made deacon. And, the nobles and chief men 
being assembled, and standing near him--Barcalba son of 
Zati,(7) and Maryhab(8) son of Barshemash, and Senac(9) son 
of Avida, and Piroz son of Patric,(10) together with the rest 
of their companions--Addaeus the apostle said to them:--

    "Ye know and are witness, all of you who hear me, that, 
according to all that I have preached to you and taught you 
and ye have heard from me, even so have I behaved myself in 
the midst of you, and ye have seen it in deeds also: because 
our Lord thus charged us, that, whatsoever we preach in words 
before the people, we should practise it in deeds before all 
men. And, according to the ordinances and laws which were 
appointed by the disciples in Jerusalem,(11) and by which my 
fellow-apostles also guided their conduct, so also do ye--
turn not aside from them, nor diminish aught from them: even 
as I also am guided by them amongst you, and have not turned 
aside from them to the right hand or to the left, lest I 
should become estranged from the promised salvation which is 
reserved for such as are guided by them.

    "Give(12) heed, therefore, to this ministry which ye 
hold, and with fear and trembling continue in it, and 
minister every day. Minister not in it   with neglectful 
habits, but with the discreetness   of faith; and let not the 
praises of Christ cease out of your mouth, nor let weariness 
of prayer at the stated times come upon you. Give heed to the 
verity which ye hold, and to the teaching of the truth which 
ye have received, and to  the inheritance of salvation which 
I commit to you: because before the tribunal of Christ will 
ye have to give an account of it, when He maketh reckoning 
with the shepherds and overseers, and when He taketh His 
money from the traders with the addition of the gains. For He 
is the Son of a King, and goeth to receive a kingdom and 
return; and He will come and make a resuscitation to life for 
all men, and then will He sit upon the throne of His 
righteousness, and judge the dead and the living, as He said 
to us.

    "Let not the secret eye of your minds be closed by pride, 
lest your stumbling-blocks be many in the way in which there 
are no stumbling-blocks, but a hateful(13) wandering in its 
paths. Seek ye those that are lost, and direct those that go 
astray, and rejoice in those that are found; bind up the 
bruised, and watch over the fatlings: because at your hands 
will the sheep of Christ be required. Look ye not for the 
honour that passeth away: for the shepherd that looketh to 
receive honour from his flock--sadly, sadly stands his flock 
with respect to him. Let your  concern be great for the young 
lambs, whose angels behold the face of the Father who is 
unseen. And be ye not stones of stumbling before the blind, 
but clearers of the way and the paths in a rugged country, 
among the Jews the crucifiers, and the deluded pagans: for 
with these two   parties have ye to fight, in order that ye 
may  show the truth of the faith which ye hold; and, though 
ye be silent, your modest and decorous appearance will fight 
for you against those who hate truth and love falsehood.

    "Buffet not the poor in the presence of the rich: for 
scourge grievous enough for them is their poverty.

    "Be not beguiled by the hateful devices of Satan, test ye 
be stripped naked of the faith which ye have put on."(1) ... 
"And with the Jews, the crucifiers, we will have no 
fellowship. And this inheritance which we have received from 
thee we will not let go, but in that will we depart out of 
this world; and on the day of our Lord, before the judgment-
seat of His righteousness, there will He restore to us this 
inheritance, even as thou hast told us."

    And, when these things had been spoken, Abgar the king 
rose up, he and his chief men and his nobles, and he went to 
his palace, all of them being distressed for him because he 
was dying. And he sent to him noble and excellent apparel, 
that he might be buried in it. And, when Addaeus saw it, he 
sent to him, saying: In my lifetime I have not taken anything 
from thee, nor will I now at my death take anything from 
thee, nor will I frustrate the word of Christ which He spake 
to us: Accept not anything from any man, and possess not 
anything in this world.(2)

    And three days more after these things had been spoken by 
Addaeus the apostle, and he had heard and received the 
testimony concerning the teaching set forth in their 
preaching from those engaged with him in the ministry, in the 
presence of all the nobles he departed out of this world. And 
that day was the fifth of the week, and the fourteenth of the 
month Iyar,(3) nearly answering to May. And the whole city 
was in great mourning and bitter anguish for him. Nor was it 
the Christians only that were distressed for him, but the 
Jews also, and the pagans, who were in this same town. But 
Abgar the king was distressed for him more than any one, he 
and the princes of his kingdom. And in the sad ness of his 
soul he despised and laid aside the magnificence of his 
kingly state on that day, and with tears mingled with moans 
he bewailed him with all men. And all the people of the city 
that saw him were amazed to see how greatly he suffered on 
his account. And with great and
surpassing pomp he bore him, and buried him like one of the 
princes when he dies; and he laid him in a grand sepulchre 
adorned with sculpture wrought by the fingers--that in which 
were laid those of the house of Ariu, the ancestors of Abgar 
the king: there he laid him sorrowfully, with sadness and 
great distress. And all the  people of the church went there 
from time to time and prayed fervently; and they kept up the 
remembrance of his departure from year to year, according to 
the command and direction which had been received by them 
from Addaeus the apostle,(4) and according to the word of 
Aggaeus, who himself became Guide and Ruler, and the 
successor of his seat after him, by the ordination to the 
priesthood which he had received from him in the presence of 
all men.

  He too, with the same ordination which he had received from 
him, made Priests and Guides in the whole of this country of 
Mesopotamia. For they also, in like manner as Addaeus the 
apostle, held fast his word, and listened to and received it, 
as good and faithful successors of the apostle of the 
adorable Christ. But silver and gold he took not from any 
man, nor did the gifts of the princes come near him: for, 
instead of receiving gold and silver, he himself enriched the 
Church of Christ with the souls of believers.

    Moreover, as regards the entire state(5) of the men and 
the women, they were chaste and circumspect, and holy and 
pure: for they lived like anchorites(6) and chastely, without 
spot--in circumspect watchfulness touching the ministry, in 
their sympathy(7) toward the poor, in their visitations to 
the sick: for their footsteps were fraught with praise from 
those who saw them, and their conduct was arrayed in 
commendation from strangers--so that even the priests of the 
house of(8) Nebu and Bel divided the honour with them at all 
times, by reason of their dignified aspect, their truthful 
words, their frankness of speech arising from their noble 
nature, which was neither subservient through covetousness 
nor in bondage under the fear of blame. For there was no one 
who saw them that did not run to meet them, that he might 
salute them respectfully, because the very sight of them shed 
peace upon the beholden: for just like a net(9) were their 
words of gentleness spread over the contumacious, and they 
entered within the fold of truth and verity. For there was no 
man who saw them that was ashamed of them, because they did 
nothing that was not accordant with rectitude and propriety. 
And in consequence of these things their bearing was fearless 
as they published their teaching to all men. For, whatsoever 
they said to others and enjoined on them, they themselves 
exhibited in practice in their own persons; and the hearers, 
who saw that their actions went along with their words, 
without much persuasion became their disciples, and confessed 
the King Christ, praising God for having turned them towards 
Him.

    And some years after the death of Abgar the king, there 
arose one of his contumacious(1) sons, who was not favourable 
to peace; and he sent word to Aggaeus, as he was sitting in 
the church: Make me a headband of gold, such as thou usedst 
to make for my fathers in former times. Aggaeus sent to him: 
I will not give up the ministry of Christ, which was 
committed to me by the disciple of Christ, and make a 
headband of wickedness. And, when he saw that he did not 
comply, he sent and brake his legs(2) as he was sitting in 
the church expounding. And as he was dying he adjured Palut 
and Abshelama: In this house, for whose truth's sake, lo! I 
am dying, lay me and bury me. And, even as he had adjured 
them, so did they lay him--inside the middle door of the 
church, between the men and the women. And there was great 
and bitter mourning in all the church, and in all the city--
over and above the anguish and the mourning which there had 
been within the church, such as had been the mourning when 
Addaeus the apostle himself died.

And,(3) in consequence of his dying suddenly and quickly at 
the breaking of his legs, he was not able to lay his hand 
upon Palut. Palut went to Antioch, and received ordination to 
the priesthood from Serapion bishop of Antioch; by which 
Serapion himself also ordination had been received from 
Zephyrinus bishop of the city of Rome, in the succession of 
the ordination to the priesthood from Simon Cephas, who had 
received it from our Lord, and was bishop there in Rome 
twenty-five years in the days of the Caesar who reigned there 
thirteen years.     

And, according to the custom which exists in the kingdom of 
Abgar the king, and in all kingdoms, that whatsoever the king 
commands and whatsoever is spoken in his presence is 
committed to writing and deposited among the records, so also 
did Labubna,(4) son of Senac, son of Ebedshaddai, the king's 
scribe, write these things also relating to Addaeus the 
apostle from the beginning to the end, whilst Hanan also the 
Tabularius, a sharir of the kings, set-to his hand in 
witness, and deposited the writing among the records of the 
kings, where the ordinances and laws are deposited, and where 
the contracts of the buyers and sellers are kept with care, 
without any negligence whatever.

    Here endeth the teaching of Addaeus the apostle, which he 
proclaimed in Edessa, the faithful city of Abgar, the 
faithful king.