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THIS FILE CONTAINS: 

APOCRYPHAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (2 of 2)
    Acts of Andrew and Matthias 
    Acts of Peter and Andrew 
    Acts and Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Apostle 
    Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas 
    Consummation of Thomas the Apostle 
    Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew 
    Acts of the Holy Apostle Thaddaeus 
    Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian 


ACTS OF ANDREW AND MATTHIAS(1) IN THE CITY OF THE MAN-EATERS 

    About that time all the apostles had come together to the same place,  
and shared among themselves the countries, casting lots, in order that each  
might go away into the part that had fallen to him. By lot, then, it fell  
to Matthias to set out to the country of the man-eaters. And the men of  
that city used neither to eat bread nor drink wine; but they ate the flesh  
of men, and drank their blood. Every man, therefore, who came into their  
city they laid hold of, and digging they thrust out his eyes, and gave him  
a drug to drink, prepared by sorcery and magic; and from drinking the drug  
his heart was altered and his mind deranged. 
 
    Matthias then having come into the gate of their city, the men of that  
city laid hold of him, and thrust out his eyes; and after putting them out  
they made him drink the drug of their magical deception, and led him away  
to the prison, and put beside him grass to eat, and he ate it not. For when  
he had partaken of their drug, his heart was not altered, nor his mind  
deranged; but he kept praying to God, weeping, and saying: Lord Jesus  
Christ, for whose sake we have forsaken all things and have followed Thee,  
knowing that Thou art the helper of all who hope in Thee, attend then and  
behold what they have done to Matthias Thy servant, how they have made me  
nigh to the brutes; for Thou art He who knowest all things. If, therefore,  
Thou hast ordained that the wicked men in this city should eat me up, I  
will not by any means flee from Thy dispensation. Afford to me then, O  
Lord, the light of mine eyes, that at least I may behold what the wicked  
men in this city have in hand for me; do not forsake me, O my Lord Jesus  
Christ, and do not give me up to this bitter death. 
 
    While Matthias was thus praying in the prison, a light shone, and there  
came forth out of the light a voice saying: Beloved Matthias, receive thy  
sight. And immediately he received his sight. And again there came forth a  
voice saying: Be of good courage, our Matthias, and be not dismayed; for I  
shall not by any means forsake thee, for I shall deliver thee from all  
danger; and not only thee, but also all thy brethren who are with thee: for  
I am with thee everywhere and at all times. But remain here twenty-seven  
days for the edification(2) of many souls; and after that I shall send  
forth Andrew to thee, and he shall lead thee forth out of this prison; and  
not thee only, but also all who hear. Having said this, the Saviour said  
again to Matthias, Peace be to thee, our Matthias, and went into heaven.  
Then Matthias having beheld Him, said to the Lord: Let thy grace abide with  
me, O my Lord Jesus. 
 
    Then Matthias therefore(3) sat down in the prison, and sang. And it  
came to pass that, when the executioners came into the prison to bring  
forth the men to eat them, Matthias also shut his eyes, that they might not  
behold that he saw. And the executioners having come to him, read the  
ticket in his hand, and said among themselves: Yet three days, and we shall  
bring out this one also from the prison, and slay him. Because in the case  
of every man whom they laid hold of, they noted that day on which they laid  
hold of him, and tied a ticket to his right hand, that they might know the  
completion of the thirty days. 
 
    And it came to pass when the twenty-seven days were fulfilled since  
Matthias was seized, the Lord appeared in the country where Andrew was  
teaching, and said to him: Rise up, and set out with thy disciples to the  
country of the man-eaters, and bring forth Matthias out of that place; for  
yet three days, and the men of the city will bring him forth and slay him  
for their food. And Andrew answered and said: My Lord, I shall not be able  
to accomplish the journey thither before the limited period of the three  
days; but send Thine angel quickly, that he may bring him out thence: for  
thou knowest, Lord, that I also am flesh, and shall not be able to go there  
quickly. And He says to Andrew: Obey Him who made thee, and Him who is able  
to say in a word, and that city shall be removed thence, and all that dwell  
in it. For I command the horns of the winds,(1) and they drive it thence.  
But rise up early, and go down to the sea with thy disciples, and thou  
shalt find a boat upon the shore, and thou shalt go aboard with thy  
disciples. And having said this, the Saviour again said: Peace to thee,  
Andrew, along with those with thee! And He went into the heavens. 
 
    And Andrew having risen up early, proceeded to the sea along with his  
disciples; and having come down to the shore, he saw a little boat, and in  
the boat three men sitting. For the Lord by His own power had prepared a  
boat, and He it was in human shape a pilot in the boat; and He brought two  
angels whom He made to appear like men, and they were in the boat  
sitting.(2) Andrew, therefore, having beheld the boat, and the three who  
were in it, rejoiced with exceeding great joy; and having gone to them, he  
said: Where are you going, brethren, with this little boat? And the Lord  
answered and said to him: We are going to the country of the man-eaters.  
And Andrew having beheld Jesus, did not recognise Him; for Jesus was hiding  
His Godhead, and He appeared to Andrew like a pilot. And Jesus having heard  
Andrew saying, I too am going to the country of the man-eaters, says to  
him: Every man avoids that city, and how are you going there? And Andrew  
answered and said: We have some small business to do there, and we must get  
through with it; but it thou canst, do us this kindness to convey us to the  
country of the man-eaters, to which also you intend to go. Jesus answered  
and said to them: Come on board. 
 
    And Andrew said: I wish to make some explanation to thee, young man,  
before we come on board thy boat. And Jesus said: Say what thou wilt. And  
Andrew said to Him: We have no passage-money to give thee; we have not even  
bread for our nourishment. And Jesus answered and said to him: How, then,  
are you going away without giving us the passage-money, and without having  
bread for your nourishment? And Andrew said to Jesus, Listen, brother; do  
not think that it is through masterfulness that we do not give thee our  
passage-money, but we are disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, the good God.  
For He chose for Himself us twelve, and gave us such a commandment, saying,  
When you go to preach, do not carry money in the journey, nor bread, nor  
bag, nor shoes, nor staff, nor two coats.(3) If, therefore, thou wilt do us  
the kindness, brother, tell us at once; if not, let us know, and we shall  
go and seek another boat for ourselves. And Jesus answered and said to  
Andrew: If this is the commandment which you received, and you keep it,  
come on board my boat with all joy. For I really wish you, the disciples of  
Him who is called Jesus, to come on board my boat, rather than those who  
give me of their silver and gold; for I am altogether worthy that the  
apostle of the Lord should come on board my boat. And Andrew answered and  
said: Permit me, brother, may the Lord grant thee. glory and honour. And  
Andrew went on board the boat with his disciples. 
 
    And having gone on board, he sat down by the boat's sail. And Jesus  
answered and said to one of the angels: Rise and go down to the hold of the  
boat, and bring up three loaves, that the men may eat, lest perchance they  
be hungry, from having come to us off a long journey. And he rose and went  
down to the hold of the boat, and brought up three loaves, as the Lord  
commanded him; and he gave them the loaves. Then Jesus said to Andrew: Rise  
up, brother, with thy friends; partake of food, that you may be strong to  
bear the tossing of the sea. And Andrew answered and said to his disciples:  
My children, we have found great kindness from this man. Stand up, then,  
and partake of the nourishment of bread, that you may be strong to bear the  
tossing of the sea. And his disciples were not able to answer him a word,  
for they were in distress because of the sea. Then Jesus forced Andrew to  
partake himself also of the nourishment of bread along with his disciples.  
And Andrew answered and said to Jesus, not knowing that it was Jesus:  
Brother, may the Lord give thee heavenly bread out of His kingdom. Allow me  
then brother; for thou seest the children, that they are distressed because  
of the sea. And Jesus answered and said to Andrew: Assuredly the brethren  
are without experience of the sea; but inquire of them whether they want to  
go to land, and thyself to remain, until thou shalt finish thy business,  
and again come back to them. Then Andrew said to his disciples: My  
children, do you wish to go to the land, and me to remain here until I  
shall finish my business for which I have been sent? And they answered and  
said to Andrew: If we go away from thee, may we become strangers to the  
good things which the Lord hath provided for us. Now, therefore, we are  
with thee, wherever thou mayst go. 
 
    Jesus answered and said to Andrew: If thou art truly a disciple of Him  
who is called Jesus, tell thy disciples the miracles which thy Teacher  
diet, that their soul may rejoice, and that they may forget the fear of the  
sea; for, behold, we are going to take the boat off from the land, And  
immediately Jesus said to one of the angels: Let go the boat; and he let go  
the boat from the land. And Jesus came and sat down beside the rudder, and  
steered the boat. Then Andrew exhorted and comforted his disciples, saying:  
My children, who have given up your life to the Lord, fear not; for the  
Lord will not at all forsake you for ever. For at that time when I was  
alone with our Lord, we went on board the boat with Him, and He lay down to  
sleep in the boat, trying us; for He was not(1) fast asleep. And a great  
wind having arisen, and the sea being stormy, so that the waves were  
uplifted, and came under the sail of the boat, and when we were in great  
fear, the Lord stood up and rebuked the winds, and there was a calm in the  
sea; for all things feared Him, as being made by Him.(2) Now, therefore, my  
children, fear not. For the Lord Jesus will not at all forsake us. And  
having said this, the holy Andrew prayed in his heart that his disciples  
might be led to sleep. And as Andrew was praying, his disciples fell  
asleep. 
 
    And Andrew, turning round to the Lord, not knowing that it was the  
Lord, said to Him: Tell me, O man, and show me the skill of thy steering;  
for I have never seen any man so steering in the sea as I now see thee. For  
sixteen years have I sailed the sea, and behold this is the seventeenth,  
and I have not seen such skill; for truly the boat is just as if on land.  
Show me then, young man, thy skill. Then Jesus answered and said to Andrew:  
We also have often sailed the sea, and been in danger; but since thou art a  
disciple of Him called Jesus, the sea has recognised thee that thou art  
righteous, and has become calm, and has not lifted its waves against the  
boat. Then Andrew cried out with a loud voice, saying: I thank Thee, my  
Lord Jesus Christ, that I have met a man who glorifies Thy name. 
 
    And Jesus answered and said: O Andrew, tell me, thou disciple of Him  
called Jesus, wherefore the unbelieving Jews did not believe in Him, saying  
that He was not God, but man. Show me, O disciple of Him called Jesus; for  
I have heard that He showed His Godhead to His disciples. And Andrew  
answered and said: Truly, brother, He showed us that He was God. Do not  
think, then, that He is man. For He made the heaven, and the earth, and the  
sea, and all that is in them. And Jesus answered and said: How then did the  
Jews not believe Him? Perhaps He did not do miracles before them? Andrew  
said: Hast thou not heard of the miracles which He did before them? He made  
the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear; He cleansed lepers, He changed  
water into wine; and having taken five loaves and two fishes, He made a  
crowd recline on the grass, and having blessed, He gave them to eat; and  
those that ate were five thousand men,(3) and they were filled: and they  
took up what was over to them twelve baskets of fragments.(4) And after all  
these things they did not believe Him. 
 
    And Jesus answered and said to Andrew: Perhaps He did these miracles  
before the people, and not before the chief priests, and because of this  
they did not believe Him. 
 
    And Andrew answered and said: Nay, brother, He did them also before the  
chief priests, not only openly, but also in secret, and they did not  
believe Him. Jesus answered and said: What are the miracles which He did in  
secret? Disclose them to me. And Andrew answered and said: O man, who hast  
the spirit of inquisitiveness, why dost thou put me to the test? And Jesus  
answered and said: I do not put thee to the test by saying this, O disciple  
of Him called Jesus; but my soul rejoices and exults, and not only mine,  
but also every soul that hears the wonders of Jesus. 
 
    And Andrew answered and said: O child, the Lord shall fill thy soul  
with all joy and all good, as thou hast persuaded me now to relate to thee  
the miracles which our Lord did in secret. 
 
    It came to pass as we, the twelve disciples. were going with our Lord  
into a temple of the Gentiles, that He might make known to us the ignorance  
of the devil, that the chief priests, having beheld us following Jesus,  
said to us, O wretches, why do you walk with him who says, I am the Son of  
God? Do you mean to say that God has a son? Which of you has ever at any  
time seen God associating with a woman? Is not this the son of Joseph the  
carpenter, and his mother is Mary, and his brothers James and Simon?(5) And  
when we heard these words, our hearts were turned into weakness. And Jesus,  
having known that our hearts were giving way, took us into a desert place,  
and did great miracles before us, and displayed to us all His Godhead. And  
we spoke to the chief priests, saying, Come ye also, and see; for, behold,  
He has persuaded us. 
 
    And the chief priests having come, went with us; and when we had gone  
into the temple of the Gentiles, Jesus showed us the heaven,(6) that we  
might know whether the things were true or not. And there went in along  
with us thirty men of the people, and four chief priests. And Jesus, having  
looked on the right hand and on the left of the temple, saw two sculptured  
sphinxes, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus having turned to  
us, said, Behold the sign of the cross; for these are like the cherubim and  
the seraphim which are in heaven. Then Jesus, having looked to the right,  
where the sphinx was, said to it, I say unto thee, thou image of that which  
is in heaven, which the hands of craftsmen have sculptured, be separated  
from thy place, and come down, and answer and convict the chief priests,  
and show them whether I am God or man. 
 
    And immediately at that very time the sphinx removed from its place,  
and having assumed a human voice, said, O foolish sons of Israel, not only  
has the blinding of their own hearts not been enough for them, but they  
also wish others to be blind like themselves, saying that God is man, who  
in the beginning fashioned man, and put His breath into all, who gave  
motion to those things which moved not; He it is who called Abraham, who  
loved his son Isaac, who brought back his beloved Jacob into his land; He  
is the Judge of living and dead; He it is who prepareth great benefits for  
those who obey Him, and prepareth punishment for those who believe Him not.  
Heed not that I am an idol that can be handled; for I say unto you, that  
the sacred places of your synagogue are more excellent.(1) For though we  
are stones, the priests have given us only the name of a god; and those  
priests who serve the temple purify themselves, being afraid of the demons:  
for if they have had intercourse with women, they purify themselves seven  
days, because of their fear; so that they do not come into the temple  
because of us, because of the name which they have given us, that we are a  
god. But you, if you have committed fornication, take up the law of God,  
and go into the synagogue of Cool, and purify, and read, and do not  
reverence the glorious words of God. Because of this, I say unto you, that  
the holy things purify your synagogues, so that they also become churches  
of His only begotten Son. The sphinx having said this, ceased speaking. 
 
    And we said to the chief priests, Now it is fitting that you should  
believe, because even the stones have convicted you. And the Jews answered  
and said, By magic these stones speak, and do not you think that it is a  
god? For if you have tested what has been said by the stone, you have  
ascertained its deception. For where did he find Abraham, or how did he see  
him? For Abraham died many years before he was born, and how floes he know  
him? 
 
    And Jesus, having again turned to the image, said to it, Because these  
believe not that I have spoken with Abraham, go away into the land of the  
Canaanites, and go away to the double(2) cave in the field of Mamre, where  
the body of Abraham is, and cry outside of the tomb, saying, Abraham,  
Abraham, whose body is in the tomb, and whose soul is in paradise, thus  
speaks He who fashioned than, who made thee from the beginning his friend,  
Rise up, thou and thy son Isaac, and the son of thy son Jacob, and come to  
the temples of the Jebusites, that we may convict the chief priests, in  
order that they may know that I am acquainted with thee, and thou with me.  
And when the sphinx heard these words, immediately she walked about in the  
presence of us all, and set out for the land of the Canaanites to the field  
of Mature, and cried outside of the tomb, as God had commanded her. And  
straightway the twelve patriarchs (3) came forth alive out of the tomb, and  
answered and said to her, To which of us hast thou been sent? And the  
sphinx answered and said; I have been sent to the three patriarchs for  
testimony; but do ye go in, and rest until the time of the resurrection.  
And having heard, they went into the tomb and fell asleep. And the three  
patriarchs set out along with the sphinx to Jesus, and convicted the chief  
priests. And Jesus said to them, Go away to your places; and they went  
away. And He said also to the image, Go up to thy place; and straightway  
she went up and stood in her place. And He did also many other miracles,  
and they did not believe Him; which miracles, if I shall recount, thou wilt  
not be able to bear. And Jesus answered and said to him: I can bear it; for  
I prudently listen to profitable words. 
 
    And when the boat was about to come near the land, Jesus bent down His  
head upon one of His angels, and was quiet. And Andrew ceased speaking; and  
he also, reclining his head upon one of his disciples, fell asleep. And  
Jesus said to His angels: Spread your hands under him, and carry Andrew and  
his disciples, and go and put them outside of the city of the man-eaters;  
and having laid them on the ground, return to me. And the angels did as  
Jesus commanded them, and the angels returned to Jesus: and He went up into  
the heavens with His angels. 
 
    And when it was morning, Andrew, having awakened and looked up, found  
himself sitting on the ground; and having looked,(4) he saw his disciples  
sleeping on the ground: and he wakened them, and said to them: Rise up, my  
children, and know the great dispensation that has happened to us, and  
learn that the Lord was with us in the boat, and we knew Him not; for He  
transformed Himself as if He were a pilot in the boat, and humbled Himself,  
and appeared to us as a man, putting us to the test. And Andrew, recovering  
himself, said: Lord, I recognised Thy excellent words, but Thou didst not  
manifest Thyself to me, and because of this I did not know Thee. And his  
disciples answered and said to him: Father Andrew, do not think that we  
knew when thou wast speaking with Him in the boat, for we were weighed down  
by a most heavy sleep; and eagles came down out of the heavens, and lifted  
up our souls, and took them away into the paradise in heaven, and we saw  
great wonders. For we beheld our Lord Jesus sitting on a throne of glory,  
and all the angels round about Him. We beheld also Abraham, and Isaac, and  
Jacob, and all the saints; and David praised Him with a song upon his harp.  
And we beheld there you the twelve apostles standing by in the presence of  
our Lord Jesus Christ, and outside of you twelve angels round about you,  
and each angel standing behind each of you, and they were like you in  
appearance. And we heard the Lord saying to the angels, Listen to the  
apostles in all things whatsoever they shall ask you. These are the things  
which we have seen, father Andrew, until thou didst awake us; and angels,  
who appeared like eagles, brought our souls into our bodies. 
 
    Then Andrew, having heard, rejoiced with great joy that his disciples  
had been deemed worthy to behold these wonderful things. And Andrew looked  
up into heaven, and said: Appear to me, Lord Jesus Christ; for I know that  
Thou art not far from Thy servants. Pardon me, Lord, for what I have done;  
for I have beheld Thee as a man in the boat, and I have conversed with Thee  
as with a man. Now therefore, Lord, manifest Thyself to me in this place. 
 
    And when Andrew had said this, Jesus appeared to him in the likeness of  
a most beautiful little child. And Jesus answered and said: Hail, our  
Andrew! And Andrew, having beheld Him, worshipped Him, saying: Pardon me,  
Lord Jesus Christ, for I saw Thee like a man on the sea, and conversed with  
Thee. What is there, then, wherein I have sinned, my Lord Jesus, that Thou  
didst not manifest Thyself to me on the sea? And Jesus answered and said to  
Andrew: Thou hast not sinned, but I did this to thee because thou saidst, I  
shall not be able to go to the city of the man-eaters in three days; and I  
have showed thee that I am able to do all things, and to appear to every  
one as I wish. Now therefore rise up, go into the city to Matthias, and  
bring him forth out of the prison, and all the strangers that are with him.  
For, behold, I show thee, Andrew, what thou must suffer before going into  
this city. They will heap upon thee tortures and insults, and scatter thy  
flesh in the ways and the streets, and thy blood shall flow to the ground,  
but they are not able to put thee to death; but endure, just as thou sawest  
me beaten, insulted, and crucified: for there are those who are destined to  
believe in this city. And having said this, the Saviour went into the  
heavens. 
 
    And Andrew went into the city along with his disciples, and no one  
beheld him. And when he came to the prison, he saw seven warders standing  
at the gate guarding, and he prayed within himself, and they fell down and  
expired; and he marked the gate with the sign of the cross, and it opened  
of its own accord. And having gone in with his disciples, he found Matthias  
sitting and singing; and seeing him, he stood up, and they saluted each  
other with a holy kiss; and he said to Matthias: Brother, how hast thou  
been found here? For yet three days, and they will bring thee out to be  
food for them. Where are the great mysteries which thou hast been taught,  
and the wonderful things which we have believed? And Matthias said to him:  
Didst thou not hear the Lord saying, I shall send you like sheep into the  
midst of wolves? They straightway brought me into the prison, and I prayed  
to the Lord; and He said to me, Remain here twenty-seven days, and I shall  
send thee Andrew, and he will bring thee forth out of the prison. And now,  
behold, it has come to pass as the Lord said. 
 
    Then Andrew, having looked, saw three men shut up eating grass naked;  
and he beat his breast, and said: Consider, O Lord, what the men suffer;  
how have they made them like the irrational brutes? And he says to Satan:  
Woe to thee, the devil, the enemy of God, and to thine angels, because the  
strangers here have done nothing to thee; and how hast thou brought upon  
them the punishment? how long dost thou war against the human race? Thou  
didst bring forth Adam out of paradise, and didst cause men to be mixed up  
with transgression; and the Lord was enraged, and brought on the deluge so  
as to sweep man away. And again hast thou made thy appearance in this city  
too, in order that thou mayst make those who are here eat men,(2) that the  
end of them also may be in execration anti destruction, thinking in thyself  
that God will sweep away the work of His hands. Hast thou not heard that  
God said, I will not bring a deluge upon the earth?(3) but if there is any  
punishment prepared, it is for the sake of taking vengeance upon thee. 
 
    Then he stood up, and Andrew and Matthias prayed; and after the prayer  
Andrew laid his hands upon the faces of the blind men who were in the  
prison, and straightway they all received their sight. And again he laid  
his hand upon their hearts, and their minds were changed into human reason.  
Then Andrew answered them: Rise up, and go into the lower parts of the  
city, and you shall find in the way a great fig-tree, and sit under the  
fig-tree, and eat of its fruit, until I come to you; but if I delay coming  
there, you will find abundance of food for yourselves: for the fruit shall  
not fail from the fig-tree, but according as you eat it shall produce more  
fruit, and nourish you, as the Lord has said. And they answered and said to  
Andrew: Go along with us, O our master, lest perchance the wicked men of  
this city again see us, and shut us up, and inflict upon us greater and  
more dreadful tortures than they have inflicted upon us. And Andrew  
answered and said to them: Go; for in truth I sag to you, that as you go,  
not a dog shall bark with his tongue against you. And there were in all two  
hundred and seventy men and forty-nine women(1) whom Andrew released from  
the prison. And the men went as the blessed Andrew said to them; and he  
made Matthias go along with his disciples out of the eastern gate of the  
city. And Andrew commanded a cloud, and the cloud took up Matthias and the  
disciples of Andrew; and the cloud set them down on the mountain where  
Peter was teaching,(2) and they remained beside him. 
 
    And Andrew, having gone forth from the prison, walked about in the  
city; and having seen a brazen pillar, and a statue standing upon it, he  
came and sat down behind that pillar until he should see what should  
happen. And it happened that the executioners went to the prison to bring  
out the men for their food,(3) according to the custom; and they found the  
doors of the prison opened, and the guards that guarded it lying dead upon  
the ground. And straightway they went, and reported to the rulers of the  
city, saying: We found the prison opened, and having gone inside we found  
nobody;(4) but we found the guards lying dead upon the ground. And the  
rulers having heard this, said among themselves: What, then, has happened?  
You do not mean to say that some persons have gone into the prison of the  
city, and have killed the warders, and taken away those that were shut up?  
And they spoke to the executioners, saying: Go to the prison, and bring the  
men that are dead, that we may eat them up to-day. And let us go to-morrow,  
and bring together all the old men of the city, that they may cast lots  
upon themselves, until the seven lots come, and we slay seven each day. And  
they shall be to us for food until we may choose young men, and put them in  
boats as sailors, that they may go away to the countries round about, and  
attack them, and bring some men here, that they may be for food to us. 
 
    And the executioners went to the prison, and brought the seven men that  
were dead; and there was an oven built in the midst of the city, and there  
lay in the oven a large trough in which they killed the men, and their  
blood ran down into the trough, and they drew out of the blood and drank  
it. And they brought the men, and. put them into the trough. And when the  
executioners were lifting their hands against them, Andrew heard a voice,  
saying: Behold, Andrew, what is happening in this city. And Andrew having  
beheld, prayed to the Lord, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, who didst order me  
to come into this city, do not suffer those in this city to do any evil,  
but let the knives go out of the hands of the wicked ones. And straightway  
the knives of the wicked men fell, and their hands were turned into stone.  
And the rulers, having seen what had happened, wept, saying: Woe unto us,  
for here are the magicians who have gone into the prison, and brought out  
the men; for, behold, they have bewitched these also. What, then, shall we  
do? Let us go now, and gather together the old men of the city, seeing that  
we are hungry. 
 
    And they went and gathered them together, and found two hundred and  
seventeen; and they brought them to the rulers, and they made them cast  
lots, and the lot came upon seven old men. And one of those taken by lot  
answered and said to the officers: I pray you, I have for myself one son;  
take him, and slay him instead of me, and let me go. And the officers  
answered and said to him: We cannot take thy son, unless we bring him first  
to our superiors. And the officers went and told the rulers. And the rulers  
answered and said to the officers: If he give us his son instead of  
himself, let him go. And the officers went and told the old man. And the  
old man answered and said to them: I have also a daughter along with my  
son; take them, and kill them, only let me go. And he gave his children to  
the officers, that they might kill them. And the children wept to each  
other, and prayed the officers, saying: We pray you do not kill us, as we  
are of so small a size; but let us complete our size, and so kill us. For  
it was a custom in that city, and they did not bury their dead, but ate  
them up. And the officers did not hearken to the children, nor take pity  
upon them, but carried them to the trough weeping and praying. 
 
    And it happened, as they were lending them away to kill them, that  
Andrew, having beheld what happened, shed tears; and weeping, he looked up  
to heaven and said: Lord Jesus Christ, as Thou didst hear me in the case of  
the dead men, and didst not suffer them to be eaten up, so also now hear  
me, that the executioners may not inflict death upon these children, but  
that the knives may be loosened out of the hands of the executioners.(1)  
And straightway the knives were loosened, and fell out of the hands of the  
executioners. And when this came to pass, the executioners, having beheld  
what had happened, were exceedingly afraid. And Andrew, seeing what had  
happened, glorified the Lord because He had listened to him in every work.  
 
    And the rulers, having beheld what had happened, wept with a great  
weeping, saying: Woe unto us! what are we to do? And, behold, the devil  
appeared in the likeness of an old man, and began to say in the midst of  
all: Woe unto you! because you are now dying, having no food; what can  
sheep and oxen do for you? They will not at all be enough for you. But   
rise up, and make a search here for one who has come to the city, a  
stranger named Andrew, and kill him; for if you do not, he will not permit  
you to carry on this practice longer: for it was he who let loose the men  
out of the prison. Assuredly the man is in this city, and you have not  
seen(2) him. Now, therefore, rise and make search for him, in order that  
henceforward you may be able to collect your food. 
 
    And Andrew saw the devil, how he was talking to the multitudes; but the  
devil did not see the blessed Andrew. Then Andrew answered the devil, and  
said: O Belial most fiendish, who art the foe of every creature;(3) but my  
Lord Jesus Christ will bring thee down to the abyss. And the devil, having  
heard this, said: I hear thy voice indeed, and I know thy voice, but where  
thou art standing I know not. And Andrew answered and said to the devil:  
Why, then, hast thou been called Amael?(4) is it not because thou art  
blind, not seeing all the saints? And the devil, having heard this, said to  
the citizens: Look round now for him speaking to me, for he is the man. And  
the citizens, having run in different directions, shut the gates of the  
city, and searched for the blessed one, and did not see him.(5) Then the  
Lord showed Himself to Andrew, and said to him; Andrew, rise up and show  
thyself to them, that they may learn my power, and the  powerlessness of  
the devil working in them. 
 
    Then Andrew rose up, and said in presence of all: Behold, I am Andrew  
whom you seek. And the multitudes ran upon him, and laid hold of him,  
saying: What thou hast done to us, we also will do to thee. And they  
reasoned among themselves, saying: By what death shall we kill him? And  
they said to each other: If we take off his head, his death is not torture;  
and if we burn him, he will not be for food to us. Then one of them, the  
devil having entered into him, answered and said to the multitudes: As he  
has done to us, so let us also do to him. Let us rise up, then, and fasten  
a rope to his neck, and drag him through all the streets and lanes of the  
city; and when he is dead, we shall share his body. And they did as he said  
to them; and having fastened a rope round his neck, they dragged him  
through the streets and lanes of the city, and the flesh of the blessed  
Andrew stuck to the ground, and his blood flowed to the ground like water.  
And when it was evening they cast him into the prison, having bound his  
hands behind him; and he was in sore distress. 
 
    And in the morning again they brought him out, and having fastened a  
rope round his neck, they dragged him about; and again his flesh stuck to  
the ground, and his blood flowed. And the blessed one wept and prayed,  
saying: Do not forsake me, my Lord Jesus Christ; for I know that Thou art  
not far from Thy servants. And as he was praying, the devil walked behind,  
and said to the multitudes: Strike him on the mouth, that he may not  
speak.(6) 
 
    And when it was evening they took him again to the prison, having bound  
his hands behind him, and left him till the morrow again. And the devil  
having taken with himself seven demons(7) whom the blessed one had cast out  
of the countries round about, and having gone into the prison, they stood  
before him, wishing to kill him. And the demons answered and said to  
Andrew: Now hast thou fallen into our hands; where is thy glory and thy  
exultation, thou that raisest thyself up against us, and dishonourest us,  
and tellest our doings to the people in every place and country, and hast  
made our workshops and our temples to become desolate, in order that  
sacrifices may not be brought to them? Because of this, then, we shall also  
kill time, like thy teacher called Jesus, and John whom Herod beheaded.(8) 
 
    And they stood before Andrew, wishing to kill him; and having beheld  
the seal upon his forehead which the Lord gave him, they were afraid, and  
did not come near him, but fled. And the devil said to them: Why have you  
fled from him, my children, and not killed him? And the demons answered and  
said to the devil: We cannot kill him, but kill him if thou art able; for  
we knew him before he came into the distress of his humiliation. Then one  
of the demons answered and said: We cannot kill him, but come let us mock  
him in the distress of his humiliation. And the demons came and stood  
before him, and scoffed at him. And the blessed one hearing, wept; and  
there came to him a voice saying: Andrew, why weepest thou? And it was the  
voice of the devil changed. And Andrew answered and said: I am weeping  
because God commanded me, saying, Be patient toward them. And the devil  
said: If thou canst do anything, do it. And Andrew answered and said: Is it  
for this, then, that you do these things to me? But forbid it that I should  
disobey the commandment of my Lord; for if the Lord shall make for me a  
charge(1) in this city, I shall chastise you as you deserve. And having  
heard this, they fled. 
 
    And when it was morning they brought him out again, and having fastened  
a rope about his neck, they dragged him; and again his flesh stuck to the  
ground, and his blood flowed to the ground like water. And the blessed one,  
as he was being dragged along, wept, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, be not  
displeased with me; for Thou knowest, Lord, what the fiend has inflicted  
upon me, along with his demons. These tortures are enough, my Lord; for,  
behold, I am dragged about for three days. But do Thou, Lord, remember that  
Thou wast three hours upon the cross, and didst cry out to the Father, My  
Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?(2) Where are Thy words, Lord, which Thou  
spakest to us, confirming us, when we walked about with Thee, saying to us,  
Ye shall not lose one hair?(3) Consider, then, Lord, what has become of my  
flesh, and the hairs of my head. Then Jesus said to Andrew: O our Andrew,  
the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass  
away.(4) Turn thyself then, Andrew, and behold thy flesh that has fallen,  
and thy hair, what has become of them. And Andrew turned, and saw great  
trees springing up, bearing fruit; and he glorified God. 
 
    And when it was evening they took him up again, and cast him into the  
prison, having bound his hands behind him; and he was exceedingly   
exhausted. And the men of the city said among themselves: Perhaps he dies  
in the night, and we do not find him alive on the following day; for he was  
languid, and his flesh was spent. 
 
    And the Lord appeared in the prison, and having stretched oat His hand,  
said to Andrew: Give me thy hand, and rise up whole. And Andrew, having  
beheld the Lord Jesus, gave Him his hand, and rose up whole. And falling  
down, he worshipped Him, and said: I thank Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, that  
Thou hast speedily brought help to me. And Andrew, having looked into the  
middle of the prison, saw a pillar standing, and upon the pillar there  
stood an alabaster statue. And Andrew, having gone up to the statue,  
unfolded his hands seven times, and said to the pillar, and the statue upon  
it: Fear the sign of the cross, which the heaven and the earth dread; and  
let the statue set upon the pillar bring up much water through its mouth,  
until all who are in this city be punished. And say not, I am stone, and am  
not worthy to praise the Lord, for the Lord fashioned us from the earth;  
but you are pure, because that out of you He gave the tables of the law.(5)  
When the blessed Andrew had said this, straightway the stone statue cast  
out of its mouth water in abundance, as if out of a canal. And the water  
stood high upon the earth; and it was exceedingly acrid, eating into the  
flesh of men. 
 
    And when it was morning, the men of the city saw it, and began to flee,  
saying in themselves: Woe to us! because we are now dying. And the water  
killed their cattle and their children; and they began to flee out of the  
city. Then Andrew prayed, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have hoped  
that this miracle should come upon this city, forsake me not, but send  
Michael Thy archangel in a cloud of fire, and be a wall round the city,  
that no one may be able to escape out of the fire. And straightway a cloud  
of fire came down and encircled the city like a wall; and the water was as  
high as the neck of those men, and it was eating them up exceedingly. And  
they wept, saying: Woe to us! for all these things have come upon us  
because of the stranger who is in the prison. Let us go and release him,  
lest perchance we die. 
 
    And they went out, crying with a loud voice: God of the stranger, take  
away from us this water. And the apostle knew that they were in great  
affliction, and said to the alabaster statue: Stop the water, for they have  
repented. And I say to thee, that if the citizens of this city shall  
believe. I will build a church, and place thee in it, because thou hast  
done me this service. And  the statue ceased flowing, and no longer brought  
forth water. And the men of the city, having come out to the doors of the  
prison, cried out, saying. Have pity upon us, God of the stranger, and do  
not according to our unbelief, and according to what we have done to this  
man, but take away from us this water. And Andrew came forth out of the  
prison; and the water ran this way and that from the feet of the blessed  
Andrew. Then all the multitude seeing him, all cried out: Have pity upon  
us. 
 
    And the old man having come who gave up his children that they should  
slay them instead of him, prayed at the feet of the blessed Andrew, saying:  
Have pity upon me. And the holy Andrew answered and said to the old man: I  
wonder how thou sayest, Have pity upon me; for thou hadst no pity upon thy  
children, but gavest them up to be slain instead of thee. Therefore I say  
unto thee, At what hour this water goes away, into the abyss shalt thou go,  
with the fourteen(1) executioners who slay the men every day. And he came  
to the place of the trough, where they used to slay the men. And the  
blessed one, having looked up to heaven, prayed before all the multitude;  
and the earth was opened, and swallowed up the water, along with the old  
man. He was carried down into the abyss, with the executioners. And the  
men, having seen what bad happened, were exceedingly afraid, and began to  
say: Woe unto us because this man is from God; and now he will kill us  
because of the afflictions which we have caused him. For, behold, what he  
said to the executioners and the old man has befallen them. Now, therefore,  
he will command the fire, and it will burn us. And Andrew, having heard,  
said to them: Fear not, children; for I shall not send these also to Hades;  
but those have gone, that you may believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
    Then the holy Andrew ordered to be brought up all who had died in the  
water. And they were not able to bring them; for there had died a great  
multitude both of men, and women, and children, and cattle. 
 
    Then Andrew prayed, and they all came to life. And after these things  
he drew a plan of a church, and he caused the church to be built. And he  
baptized them, and gave them the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ,  
saying to them: Stand by these, in order that you may know the mysteries of  
our Lord Jesus Christ. And they all prayed him: We pray thee, stay with us  
a few days, that we may be filled with thy fountain, because we are newly  
planted.(2) And he did not comply with their request, but said to them: I  
shall go first to my disciples. And the children followed after, weeping  
and praying, with the men; and they cast ashes(3) upon their heads. And he  
did not comply with them, but said: I shall go to my disciples, and after  
that I shall come again to you. And he went his way. 
 
    And the Lord Jesus Christ came down, being like a comely little child,  
and met Andrew, and said: Andrew, why hast thou come out and left them  
without fruit, and hast not had compassion upon the children that followed  
after thee, and the men entreating thee, Stay with us a few days? For the  
cry of them and the weeping has come up to heaven. Now therefore return,  
and go into the city, and remain there seven days, until I shall confirm  
their souls in the faith; and then thou shalt go away into the country of  
the barbarians, thou and thy disciples. And after going into this city,  
thou shalt proclaim my Gospel, and bring up the men who are in the abyss.  
And thou shall do what I command thee. 
 
    Then Andrew turned and went into the city, saying: I thank Thee, my  
Lord Jesus Christ, who wishest to save every soul, that Thou bast not  
allowed me to go forth out of this city in mine anger. And when be had come  
into the city, they, seeing him, rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And he  
stayed there seven days, teaching and confirming them in the Lord Jesus  
Christ. And the seven days having been fulfilled, it came to pass, while  
the blessed Andrew was going out, all came together to him, from the child  
even to the elder, and sent him on his way, saying: There is one God, the  
God of Andrew, and one Lord Jesus Christ, who alone doeth wonders; to  
whom(4) be glory and strength for ever. Amen. 
 
 
ACTS OF PETER AND ANDREW 
 
FROM A BODLEIAN MS.(1) 
 
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES PETER AND ANDREW. 
 
    IT came to pass when Andrew the apostle of Christ went forth from the  
city of the man-eaters, behold a luminous cloud snatched him up, and  
carried him away to the mountain where Peter and Matthew and Alexander were  
sitting. And when he saw them, they saluted him with great joy. Then Peter  
says to him: What has happened to thee, brother Andrew? Hast thou sown the  
word of truth in the country of the man-eaters or not? Andrew says to him:  
Yes, father Peter, through thy prayers; but the men of that city have done  
me many mischiefs, for they dragged me through their street three days, so  
that my blood stained the whole street. Peter says to him: Be a man in the  
Lord, brother Andrew, and come hither, and rest from thy labour. For if the  
good husbandman laboriously till the ground, it will also bear fruit, and  
straightway all his toil wilt be turned into joy; but if he toil, and his  
land bring forth no fruit, he has double toil. 
 
    And while he was thus speaking, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to them  
in the form of a child, and said to them: Hail, Peter, bishop of the whole  
of my Church! hail, Andrew! My co-heirs, be courageous, and struggle for  
mankind; for verily I say unto you, you shall endure toils in this world  
for mankind. But be bold; I will give you rest in one hour of repose in the  
kingdom of my Father. Arise, then, and go into the city of the barbarians,  
and preach in it; and I will be with you in the wonders that shall happen  
in it by your hands. And the Lord Jesus, after saluting them, went up into  
the heavens in glory. 
 
    And Peter, and Andrew, and Alexander, and Rufus, and Matthias, went  
into the city of the barbarians. And after they had come near the city,  
Andrew answered and said to Peter: Father Peter, bare we again to undergo  
toils in this city, as in the country of the man-eaters? Peter says to him:  
I do not know. But, behold, there is an old man before us sowing in his  
field: if we go up to him, let us say to him, Give us bread; and if he give  
us bread, we may know that we are not to suffer m tins city; but if he say  
to us, We have no bread, on the other hand, we shall know that suffering  
again awaits us. And when they came up to the old man, Peter says to him:  
Hail, farmer! And the farmer says to them: Hail you too, merchants! Peter  
says to him: Have you bread to give to these children, for we have been in  
want? The old man says to them: Wait a little, and look after the oxen, and  
the plough, and the land, that I may go into the city, and get you loaves.  
Peter says to him: If you provide hospitality for us, we shall took after  
the cattle and the field. The old man says: So be it. Peter says to him:  
Are the oxen your own? The old man says: No; I have them on hire. Peter  
says to him: Go into the city. And the old man went into the city. And  
Peter arose, and girded up his cloak and his under-garment, and says to  
Andrew: It is not right for us to rest and be idle; above all, when the old  
man is working for us, having left his own work. Then Peter took hold of  
the plough, and sowed the wheat. And Andrew was behind the oxen, and says  
to Peter: Father Peter, why dost thou bring toil upon us, especially when  
we have work enough already! Then Andrew took the plough out of Peter's  
hand, and sowed the wheat, saying: O seed cast into the ground in the field  
of the righteous, come up, and come to the light. Let the young men of the  
city therefore come forth, whom I found in the pit of destruction until to- 
day; for, behold, the apostles of Christ are coming into the city,  
pardoning the sins of those who believe in them, and healing every disease,  
and every sickness. Pray ye for me, that He may have mercy upon me, and  
that I may be delivered from this strait. 
 
    And many of the multitude believed in Christ, because of the saying of  
the woman;(2) and they  fell at the feet of the apostles, and adored them.  
And they laid their hands upon them. And they healed those in the city that  
were sick, and gave sight to the blind and, hearing to the deaf, and drove  
out the demons. All the multitude glorified the Father, and the Son, and  
the Holy Spirit. 
 
    And there was a certain rich man in the city, by name Onesiphorus. He,  
having seen the miracles done by the apostles, says to them: If I believe  
in your God, can I also do a miracle like you? Andrew says to him: If thou  
wilt forsake all that belongs to thee, and thy wife and thy children, as we  
also have done, then thou also shalt do miracles. When Onesiphorus heard  
this, he was filled with rage, and took his scarf and threw it over  
Andrew's neck, and struck him, and said to him: Thou art a sorcerer. How  
dost thou force me to abandon my wife, and my children, and my goods? Then  
Peter, having turned and seen him striking Andrew, says to him: Man, stop  
now striking Andrew. Onesiphorus says to him: I see that thou art more  
sensible than he. Do thou then tell me to leave my wife, and my children,  
and my goods. What dost thou say? Peter says to him: One thing I say unto  
thee: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for  
a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven.(1) When Onesiphorus heard  
this, he was even more filled with rage and anger, and took his scarf off  
the neck of Andrew, and threw it upon the neck of Peter; and so he dragged  
him along, saying: Verily thou art a great sorcerer, more than the other;  
for a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. But if thou wilt show me  
this miracle, I will believe in thy God; and not only I, but also the whole  
city. But if not, thou shalt be grievously punished in the midst of the  
city. And when Peter heard this, he was exceedingly grieved, and stood and  
stretched forth his hands towards heaven, and prayed, saying: O Lord our  
God, listen to me at this time; for they will ensnare us from Thine own  
words: for no prophet has spoken to set forth this his explanation, and no  
patriarch that we might learn the interpretation of it; and now we seek for  
ourselves the explanation with boldness. Do Thou then, Lord, not overlook  
us: for thou art He who is praised by the cherubim. 
 
    And after he had said this, the Saviour appeared in the form of a child  
of twelve years old, wearing a linen garment; and He says to them: Be  
courageous, and tremble not, my chosen disciples; for I am with you always.  
Let the needle and the camel be brought. And after saying this, He went up  
into the heavens. And there was a certain merchant(2) in the city who had  
believed in the Lord through the Apostie Philip; and when he heard of this,  
he ran and searched for a needle with a big eye, to do a favour to the  
apostles. When Peter learned this, he said: My son, do not search for a big  
needle; for nothing is impossible with God: rather bring us a small needle.  
And after the needle had been brought, and all the multitude of the city  
were standing by to see, Peter looked up and saw a camel coming. And he  
ordered her to be brought. Then he fixed the needle in the ground, and  
cried out with a loud voice, saying: In the name of Jesus Christ, who was  
crucified under Pontius Pilate, I order thee, O camel, to go through the  
eye of the needle. Then the eye of the needle was opened like a gate, and  
the camel went through it, and all the multitude saw it. Again Peter says  
to the camel: Go again through the needle. And the camel went a second  
time. When Onesiphorus saw this, he said to Peter; Truly thou art a great  
sorcerer; but I do not believe unless I send and bring a camel and a  
needle. And he called one of his servants, and said to him privately: Go  
and bring me here a camel and a needle; find also a polluted woman, and  
force her to come here: for these men are sorcerers. And Peter having  
learned the mystery through the Spirit, says to Onesiphorus: Send and bring  
the camel, and the woman, and the needle. And when they brought them, Peter  
took the needle, and fixed it in the ground. And the woman was sitting on  
the camel. Then Peter says: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the  
crucified, I order thee, O camel, to go through this needle. And  
immediately the eye of the needle was opened, and became like a gate, and  
the camel went through it. Peter again says to the camel: Go through it  
again, that all may see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order that  
some may believe on Him. Then the camel again went through the needle. And  
Onesiphorus seeing it, cried out, and said: Truly great is the God of Peter  
and Andrew, and I from this time forth believe in the name of our Lord  
Jesus Christ. Now then, hear my words, O Peter. I have corn lands,  
vineyards, and fields; I have also twenty-seven pounds of gold, and fifty  
pounds of silver; and i have very many slaves. I give my possessions to the  
poor, that I also may do one miracle like you. And Peter was grieved lest  
the powers should not work in him, seeing that he had not received the seal  
in Christ. And while he was considering this, behold, a voice out of the  
heaven saying to him: Do to him what he wishes, because I will accomplish  
for  him what he desires. Peter says to him: My son, come hither; do as we  
do. And Onesiphorus came up, and stood before the camel and the needle, and  
said: In then . . . (Here the MS. ends.)  
 
 
ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE 
 
    ABOUT that time Matthew, the holy apostle and evangelist of Christ, was  
abiding in the mountain resting, and praying in his tunic and apostolic  
robes without sandals; and, behold, Jesus came to Matthew in the likeness  
of the infants who sing in paradise, and said to him: Peace to thee,  
Matthew! And Matthew having gazed upon Him, and not known who He was, said:  
Grace to thee, and peace, O child highly favoured! And why hast thou come  
hither to me, having left those who sing in paradise, and the delights  
there? Because here the place is desert; and what sort of a table I shall  
lay for thee, O child, I know not, because I have no bread nor oil in a  
jar. Moreover, even the winds are at rest, so as not to cast down from the  
trees to the ground anything for food; because, for the accomplishing of my  
fast of forty days, I, partaking only of the fruits falling by the movement  
of the winds, am glorifying my Jesus. Now, therefore, what shall I bring  
thee, beautiful boy? There is not even water near, that I may wash thy  
feet. And the child said: Why sayest thou, O Matthew? Understand and know  
that good discourse is better than a calf, and words of meekness better  
than every herb of the field, and a sweet saying as the perfume of love,  
and cheerfulness of countenance better that feeding, and a pleasant look is  
as the appearance of sweetness. Understand, Matthew, and know that I am  
paradise, that I am the comforter, I am the power of the powers above, I  
the strength of those that restrain themselves, I the crown of the virgins,  
I the self-control of the once married, I the boast of the widowed, I the  
defence of the infants, I the foundation of the Church, I the kingdom of  
the bishops, I the glory of the presbyters, I the praise of the deacons. Be  
a man, and be strong, Matthew, in, these words. And Matthew said: The sight  
of thee hast altogether delighted me, O child; moreover also, thy words are  
full of life. For assuredly thy face shines more than the lightning, and  
thy words are altogether most sweet. And that indeed I saw thee in paradise  
when thou didst sing with the other infants who were killed in Bethlehem, I  
know right well; but how thou hast suddenly come hither, this altogether  
astonishes me. But I shall ask thee one thing, O child: that impious Herod,  
where is he? The child says to him: Since thou hast asked, hear his  
dwelling-place. He dwells, indeed, in Hades; and there has been prepared  
for him fire unquenchable, Gehenna without end, bubbling mire, worm that  
sleeps not,(1) because he cut off three(2) thousand infants, wishing to  
slay the child Jesus, the ancient of the ages; but of all these ages I am  
father. Now therefore, O Matthew, take this rod of mine, and go down from  
the mountain, and go into Myrna, the city of the man-eaters, and plant it  
by the gate of the church which thou(3) and Andrew founded; and as soon as  
thou hast planted it, it shall be a tree, great and lofty and with many  
branches, and its branches shall extend to thirty cubits, and of each  
single branch the fruit shall be different both to the sight and the  
eating,(4) and from the top of the tree shall flow down much honey; and  
from its root there shall come forth a great fountain, giving drink to this  
country round about, and in it creatures that swim and creep; and in it the  
man-eaters shall wash themselves, and eat of the fruit of the trees of the  
vine and of the honey; and their bodies shall be changed, and their forms  
shall be altered so as to be like those of other men; and they shall be  
ashamed of the nakedness of their body, and they shall put on clothing of  
the rams of the sheep, and they shall no longer eat unclean things; and  
there shall be to them fire in superabundance, preparing the sacrifices for  
offerings, and they shall bake their bread with fire; and they shall see  
each other in the likeness of the rest of men, and they shall acknowledge  
me, and glorify my Father who is in the heavens. Now therefore make haste,  
Matthew, and go down hence, because the departure from thy body through  
fire is at hand, and the crown of thy endurance. 
 
    And the child having said this, and given him the rod, was taken up  
into the heavens. And Matthew went down from the mountain, hastening to the  
city. And as he was about to enter into the city, there met him Fulvana the  
wife of the king, and his son Fulvanus and his wife Erva, who were  
possessed by an unclean spirit, and cried out shouting: Who has brought  
thee here again, Matthew? or who has given thee the rod for our  
destruction? for we see also the child Jesus, the Son of God, who is with  
thee. Do not go then, O Matthew, to plant the rod for the food, and for the  
transformation of the man-eaters: for I bare found what I shall do to thee.  
For since thou didst drive me out of this city, and prevent me from  
fulfilling my wishes among the man-eaters, behold, I will raise up against  
thee the king of this city, and he will burn thee alive. And Matthew,  
having laid his hands on each one of the demoniacs, put the demons to  
flight, and made the people whole; and they followed him. 
 
    And thus the affair being made manifest, Plato the bishop, having heard  
of the presence of the holy Apostle Matthew, met him with all the clergy;  
and having fallen to the ground, they kissed his feet. And Matthew raised  
them, and went with them into the church, and the child Jesus was also with  
him. And Matthew, having come to the gate of the church, stood upon a  
certain lofty and immoveable stone; and when the whole city ran together,  
especially the brethren who had believed, began to say: Men and women who  
appear in our sight, heretofore believing in the universe,(1) but now  
knowing Him who has upheld and made the universe; until now worshipping the  
Satyr, and mocked by ten thousand false gods, but now through Jesus Christ  
acknowledging the one and only God, Lord, Judge; who have laid aside the  
immeasurable greatness of evil, and put on love, which is of like nature  
with affectionateness, towards men; once strangers to Christ, but now  
confessing Him Lord and God; formerly without form, but now transformed  
through Christ;--behold, the staff which you see in my hand, which Jesus,  
in whom you have believed and will believe, gave me; perceive now what  
comes to pass through me, and acknowledge the riches of the greatness which  
He will this day make for you. For, behold, I shall plant this rod in this  
place, and it shall be a sign to your generations, and it shall become a  
tree, great and lofty and flourishing, and its fruit beautiful to the view  
and good to the sight; and the fragrance of perfumes shall come forth from  
it, and there shall be a vine twining round it, full of clusters; and from  
the top of it honey coming down, and every flying creature shall find  
covert in its branches; and a fountain of water shall come forth from the  
root of it, having swimming and creeping things, giving drink to all the  
country round about. 
 
    And having said this, and called upon the name of the Lord Jesus, he  
fixed his rod in the ground, and straightway it sprung up to one cubit; and  
the sight was strange and wonderful. For the rod having straightway shot  
up, increased in size, and grew into a great tree, as Matthew had said. And  
the apostle said: Go into the fountain and wash your bodies in it, and then  
thus partake both of the fruits of the tree, and of the vine and the honey,  
and drink of the fountain, and you shall be transformed in your likeness to  
that of men; and after that, having gone into the church, you will clearly  
recognise that you have believed in the living and true God. And having  
done all these things, they saw themselves changed into the likeness of  
Matthew; then, having thus gone into the church, they worshipped and  
glorified God. And when they had been changed, they knew that they were  
naked; and they ran in haste each to his own house to cover their  
nakedness, because they were ashamed. 
 
    And Matthew and Plato remained in the church spending the night, and  
glorifying God. And there remained also the king's wife, and his son and  
his wife, and they prayed the apostle to give them the seal in Christ. And  
Matthew gave orders to Plato; and he, having gone forth, baptized them in  
the water of the fountain of the tree, in the name of the Father, and the  
Son, and the Holy Ghost. And so thereafter, having one into the church,  
they communicated in the holy mysteries of Christ; (2) and they exulted and  
passed the night, they also along with the apostle, many others having also  
come with them; and all in the church sang the whole night, glorifying God. 
 
    And when the dawn had fully come, the blessed Matthew, having gone  
along with the bishop Plato, stood in the place in which the rod had been  
planted, and he sees the rod grown into a great tree, and near it a vine  
twined round it, and honey coming down from above even to its root; and  
that tree was at once beautiful and flourishing, like the plants in  
paradise, and a river proceeded from its root watering(3) all the land of  
the city of Myrna.(4) And all ran together, and ate of the fruit of the  
tree and the vine, just as any one wished. 
 
    And when what had come to pass was reported in the palace, the king  
Fulvanus, having learned what had been done by Matthew about his wife, and  
his son, and his daughter-in-law, rejoiced for a time at their  
purification; but seeing that they were inseparable from Matthew, he was  
seized with rage and anger, and endeavoured to put him to death by fire.  
And on that night(1) in which the king intended to lay hands on Matthew,  
Matthew saw Jesus saying to him: I am with thee always to save thee,  
Matthew; be strong, and be a man. 
 
    And the blessed Matthew, having awoke, and sealed himself over all the  
body, rose up at dawn, and proceeded into the church; and having bent his  
knees, prayed earnestly. Then the bishop having come, and the clergy, they  
stood in common in prayer, glorifying God. And after they had ended the  
prayer, the bishop Plato said: Peace to thee, Matthew, apostle of Christ!  
And the blessed Matthew said to him: Peace to you! And when they had sat  
down, the apostle said to the bishop Plato, and to all the clergy: I wish  
you, children, to know, Jesus having declared it to me, that the king of  
this city is going to send soldiers against me, the devil having entered  
into him, and manifestly armed him against us. But let us give ourselves up  
to Jesus, and He will deliver us from every trial, and all who have  
believed in Him. 
 
    And the king, plotting against the blessed Matthew how he should lay  
hands on him, and seeing also that the believers were very many, was very  
much at fault, and was in great difficulty. 
 
    Therefore the wicked and unclean devil who had come forth from the  
king's wife, and his son, and his daughter-in-law, put to flight by  
Matthew, having transformed himself into the likeness of a soldier, stood  
before the king, and said to him: O king, why art thou thus put to the  
worse by this stranger and sorcerer? Knowest thou not that he was a  
publican, but now he has been called an apostle(2) by Jesus, who was  
crucified by the Jews? For, behold, thy wife, and thy son, and thy  
daughter-in-law, instructed by him, have believed in him, and along with  
him sing in the church. And now, behold, Matthew is going forth, and Plato  
with him, and they are going to the gate called Heavy; but make haste, and  
thou wilt find them, and thou shalt do to him all that may be pleasing in  
thine eyes. 
 
    The king having heard this, and being the more exasperated by the  
pretended soldier, sent against the blessed Matthew four soldiers, having  
threatened them, and said: Unless you bring Matthew to me, I shall burn you  
alive with fire; and the punishment which he is to undergo, you shall  
endure. And the soldiers, having been thus threatened by the king, go in  
arms to where the Apostle Matthew and the bishop Plato are. And when they  
came near them, they heard their speaking indeed, but saw no one. And  
having come, they said to the king: We pray thee, O king, we went and found  
no one, but only heard the voices of persons talking. And the king, being  
enraged, and having blazed up like fire, gave orders to send other ten  
soldiers--man-eaters--saying to them: Go stealthily to the place, and tear  
them in pieces alive, and eat up Matthew, and Plato, who is with him. And  
when they were about to come near the blessed Matthew, the Lord Jesus  
Christ, having come in the likeness of a most beautiful boy, holding a  
torch of fire, ran to meet them, burning out their eyes. And they, having  
cried out and thrown their arms from them, fled, and came to the king,  
being speechless. 
 
    And the demon who had before appeared to the king in the from of a  
soldier, being again transformed into the form of a soldier, stood before  
the king, and said to him: Thou seest, O king, this stranger has bewitched  
them all. Learn, then, how thou shall take him. The king says to him: Tell  
me first wherein his strength is, that I may know, and then I will draw up  
against him with a great force. And the demon, compelled by an angel, says  
to the king: Since thou wishest to hear accurately about him, O king, I  
will tell thee all the truth. Really, unless he shall be willing to be  
taken by thee of his own accord, thou labourest in vain, and thou wilt not  
be able to hurt him; but if thou wishest to lay hands on him, thou wilt be  
struck by him with blindness, and thou wilt be paralyzed. And if thou send  
a multitude of soldiers against him, they also will be struck with  
blindness, and will be paralyzed. And we shall go, even seven unclean  
demons, and immediately make away with thee and thy whole camp, and destroy  
all the city with lightning, except those naming that awful and holy name  
of Christ; for wherever a footstep of theirs has come, thence, pursued, we  
flee. And even if thou shall apply fire to him, to him the fire will be  
dew; and if thou shalt shut him up in a furnace, to him the furnace will be  
a church; and if thou shalt put him in chains in prison, and seal up the  
floors, the doors will open to him of their own accord, and all who believe  
in that name will go in, even they, and say, This prison is a church of the  
living God, and a holy habitation of those that live alone.(3) Behold, O  
king, I have told thee all the truth. The king therefore says to the  
pretended soldier: Since I do not know Matthew, come with me, and point him  
out to me from a distance, and take from me gold, as much as thou mayst  
wish, or go thyself, and with thy sword kill him, and Plato his  
associate.(4) The demon says to him: I cannot kill him. I dare not even  
look into his face, seeing that he has destroyed all our generation through  
the name of Christ, proclaimed through him. 
 
    The king says to him: And who art thou? And he says: I am the demon who  
dwelt in thy wife, and in thy son, and in thy daughter-in-law; and my name  
is Asmodaeus; and this Matthew drove me out of them. And now, behold, thy  
wife, and thy son, and thy daughter-in-law sing along with him in the  
church. And I know, O king, that thou also after this wilt believe in him.  
The king says to him: Whoever thou art, spirit of many shapes, I adjure  
thee by the God whom he whom thou callest Matthew proclaims, depart hence  
without doing hurt to any one. And straightway the demon, no longer like a  
soldier, but like smoke, became invisible; and as he fled he cried out: O  
secret name, armed against us, I pray thee, Matthew, servant of the holy  
God, pardon me, and I will no longer remain in this city. Keep thou thine  
own; but I go away into the fire everlasting. 
 
    Then the king, affected with great fear at the answer of the demon,  
remained quiet that day. And the night having come, and he not being able  
to sleep because lie was hungry,(1) leaped up at dawn, and went into the  
church, with only two soldiers without arms, to take Matthew by craft, that  
he might kill him. And having summoned two friends of Matthew, he said to  
them: Show to Matthew, says he, that I wish to be his disciple. And Matthew  
hearing, and knowing the craft of the tyrant, and having been warned also  
by the vision of the Lord to him, went forth out of the church, led by the  
hand by Plato, and stood in the gate of the church. 
 
    And they say to the king: Behold Matthew in the gate! And he says: Who  
he is, or where he is, I see not. And they said to him: Behold, he is in  
sight of thee. And he says: All the while I see nobody. For he had been  
blinded by the power of God. And he began to cry out: Woe to me, miserable!  
what evil has come upon me, for my eyes have been blinded, and all my limbs  
paralyzed? O Asmodaeus Beelzebul Satan! all that thou hast said to me has  
come upon me. But I pray thee, Matthew, servant of God, forgive me as the  
herald of the good God; for assuredly the Jesus proclaimed by the three  
days ago through the night appeared to me altogether resplendent as with  
lightning, like a beautiful young man, and said to me, Since thou art  
entertaining evil counsels in the wickedness of thine heart in regard to my  
servant Matthew, know I have disclosed to him that through thee will be the  
release of his body. And straightway I saw him going up into heaven. If  
therefore he is thy God, and if he wishes thy body to be buried in our city  
for a testimony of the salvation of the generations after this, and for the  
banishing(2) of the demons, I shall know the truth for myself by this, by  
thee laying on hands upon me, and I shall receive my sight. And the apostle  
having laid his hands upon his eyes, and saying EPHPHATHA, Jesus,(3) he  
made him receive his sight instantly. 
 
    And straightway the king, laying hold of the apostle, and leading him  
by the right hand, brought him by craft into the palace; and Plato was on  
Matthew's left hand, going along with him, and keeping hold of him.(4) Then  
Matthew says: O crafty tyrant, how long dost thou not fulfil the works of  
thy father the devil? And he was enraged at what had been said; for he  
perceived that he would inflict upon him a more bitter death. For he  
resolved to put him to death by fire. And he commanded several executioners  
to come, and to lead him away to the place by the seashore, where the  
execution of malefactors was wont to take place, saying to the  
executioners: I hear, says he, that the God whom he proclaims delivers from  
fire those who believe in him. Having laid him, therefore, on the ground on  
his back, and stretched him out, pierce his hands and feet with iron nails,  
and cover him over with paper, having smeared it with dolphins' oil, and  
cover him up with brimstone and asphalt and pitch, and put tow and  
brushwood above. Thus apply the fire to him; and if any of the same tribe  
with him rise up against you, he shall get the same punishment. 
 
    And the apostle exhorted the brethren to remain undismayed, and that  
they should rejoice, and accompany him with great meekness, singing and  
praising God, because they were deemed worthy to have the relics of the  
apostle. Having therefore come to the place, the executioners, like most  
evil wild beasts, pinned down to the ground Matthew's hands and feet with  
long nails; and having done everything as they had been bid, applied the  
fire. And they indeed laboured(5) closely, kindling it all round; but all  
the fire was changed into dew, so that the brethren, rejoicing, cried out:  
The only God is the Christians', who assists Matthew, in whom also we have  
believed: the only God is the Christians', who preserves His own apostle in  
the fire. And by the voice the city was shaken. And some of the  
executioners, having gone forth, said to the king: We indeed, O king, by  
every contrivance of vengeance, have kindled the fire; but the sorcerer by  
a certain name puts it out, calling upon Christ, and invoking his cross;  
and the Christians surrounding him play with the fire, and walking in it  
with naked feet, laugh at us,(1) and we have fled ashamed. 
 
    Then he ordered a multitude to carry coals of fire from the furnace of  
the bath in the palace, and the twelve gods of gold and silver; and place  
them, says he, in a circle round the sorcerer, lest he may even somehow  
bewitch the fire from the furnace of the palace. And there being many  
executioners and soldiers, some carried the coals; and others, bearing the  
gods, brought them. And the king accompanied them, watching lest any of the  
Christians should steal one of his gods, or bewitch the fire. And when they  
came near the place where the apostle was nailed down, his face was looking  
towards heaven, and all his body was covered over with the paper, and much  
brushwood over his body to the height of ten cubits. And baring ordered the  
soldiers to set the gods in a circle round Matthew, five cubits off,  
securely fastened that they might not fall, again he ordered the coal to be  
thrown on, and to kindle the fire at all points. 
 
    And Matthew, having looked up to heaven, cried out, ADONAI ELOI SABAOTH  
MARMARI MARMUNTH; that is, O God the Father, O Lord Jesus Christ, deliver  
me, and burn down their gods which they worship; and let the fire also  
pursue the king even to his palace, but not to his destruction: for perhaps  
he will repent and be converted. And when he saw the fire to be monstrous  
in height, the king, thinking that Matthew was burnt up, laughed aloud, and  
said: Has thy magic been of any avail to thee, Matthew? Can thy Jesus now  
give thee any help? 
 
    And as he said this a dreadful wonder appeared; for all the fire along  
with the wood went away froth Matthew, and was poured round about their  
gods, so that nothing of the gold or the silver was any more seen; and the  
king fled, and said: Woe's me, that my gods are destroyed by the rebuke of  
Matthew, of which the weight was a thousand talents of gold and a thousand  
talents of silver. Better are the gods of stone and of earthenware, in that  
they are neither melted nor stolen.(2) 
 
    And when the fire had thus utterly destroyed their gods, and burnt up  
many soldiers, there came to pass again another stranger wonder. For the  
fire, in the likeness of a great and dreadful dragon, chased the tyrant as  
far as the palace, and ran hither and thither round the king, not letting  
him go into the palace. And the king, chased by the fire, and not allowed  
to go into his palace, turned back to where Matthew was, and cried out,  
saying: I beseech thee, whoever thou art, O mail, whether magician or  
sorcerer or god, or angel of God, whom so great a pyre has not touched,  
remove from me this dreadful and fiery dragon; forget the evil I have done,  
as also when thou madest me receive my sight. And Matthew, having rebuked  
the fire, and the flames having been extinguished, and the dragon having  
become invisible, stretching his eyes to heaven, and praying in Hebrew, and  
commending his spirit to the Lord, said: Peace to you! And having glorified  
the Lord, he went to his rest about the sixth hour. 
 
    Then the king, having ordered more soldiers to come, and the bed to be  
brought from the palace, which had a great show of gold, he ordered the  
apostle to be laid on it, and carried to the palace. And the body of the  
apostle was lying as if in sleep, and his robe and his tunic unstained by  
the fire; and sometimes they saw him on the bed, and sometimes following,  
and sometimes going before the bed, and with his right hand put upon  
Plato's head, and singing along with the multitude, so that both the king  
and the soldiers, with the crowd, were struck with astonishment. And many  
diseased persons and demoniacs, having only touched the bed, were made  
sound; and as many as were savage in appearance, in that same hour were  
changed into the likeness of other men. 
 
    And as the bed was going into the palace, we(3) all saw Matthew rising  
up, as it were, from the bed, and going into heaven, led by the hand by a  
beautiful boy; and twelve men in shining garments came to meet him, having  
never-fading and golden crowns on their head; and we saw how that child  
crowned Matthew, so as to be like them, and in a flash of lightning they  
went away to heaven. 
 
    And the king stood at the gate of the palace, and ordered that no one  
should come in but the soldiers carrying the bed. And having shut the  
doors,(4) he ordered an iron coffin to be made, put the body of Matthew  
into it, and sealed it up with lead; through the eastern gate of the palace  
at midnight put it into a boat, no one knowing of it, and threw it into the  
deep part of the sea. 
 
    And through the whole night the brethren remained before the gate of  
the palace, spending the night, and singing; and when the dawn rose there  
was a voice: O bishop Plato, carry the Gospel and the Psalter of David; go  
along with the multitude of the brethren to the east of the palace, and  
sing the Alleluia, and read the Gospel, and bring as an offering the holy  
bread; and having pressed three clusters from the vine into a cup,  
communicate with me, as the Lord Jesus showed us how to offer up when He  
rose from the dead on the third day. 
 
    And the bishop having run into the church, and taken the Gospel and the  
Psalter of David, and having assembled the presbyters and the multitude of  
the brethren, came to the east of the palace at the hour of sunrise; and  
having ordered the one who was singing to go upon a certain lofty stone, he  
began to praise in singing of a song to God: Precious in the sight of God  
is the death of His saints.(1) And again: I laid me down and slept; I  
arose: because the Lord will sustain me.(2) And they listened to the  
singing of a song of David: Shall he that is dead not rise again? Now I  
shall raise him up for myself, saith the Lord. And all shouted out the  
Alleluia. And the bishop read the Gospel, and all cried out: Glory to Thee,  
Thou who hast been glorified in heaven and on earth. And so then they  
offered the gift of the holy offering for Matthew; and having partaken for  
thanksgiving(3) of the undefiled and life-giving mysteries of Christ, they  
all glorified God. 
 
    And it was about the sixth hour, and Plato sees the sea opposite about  
seven furlongs off; and, behold, Matthew was standing on the sea, and two  
men, one on each side, in shining garments, and the beautiful boy in front  
of them. And all the brethren saw these things, and they heard them saying  
Amen, Alleluia. And one could see the sea fixed like a stone of crystal,  
and the beautiful boy its front of them, when out of the depth of the sea a  
cross came up, and at the end of the cross the coffin going up in which was  
the body of Matthew; and in the hour of the piercing on the cross,(4) the  
boy placed the coffin on the ground, behind the palace towards the east,  
where the bishop had offered the offering for Matthew. 
 
    And the king having seen these things from the upper part of the house,  
and being terror-struck, went forth from the palace, and ran and worshipped  
towards the east at the coffin, and fell down before the bishop, and the  
presbyters, and the deacons, in repentance and confession, saying:(5) Truly  
I believe in the true God, Christ Jesus. I entreat, give me the seal in  
Christ, and I will give you my palace, in testimony of Matthew, and you  
shall put the coffin upon my golden bed, in the great dining-room; only,  
having baptized me in it, communicate to me the Eucharist of Christ. And  
the bishop having prayed, and ordered him to take off his clothes, and  
having examined him for a long time, and he having confessed and wept over  
what he had done, having sealed him, and anointed him with oil, put him  
down into the sea, in the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost. And when  
he came up from the water he ordered him to put on himself splendid  
garments, and so then having given praise and thanks, communicating the  
holy bread and mixed cup, the bishop first gave them to the king, saying:  
Let this body of Christ, and this cup, His blood shed for us, be to thee  
for the remission of sins unto life. And a voice was heard from on high:  
Amen, amen, amen. And when he had thus communicated in fear and joy, the  
apostle appeared and said: King Fulvanus, thy name shall no longer be  
Fulvanus; but thou shall be called Matthew. And thou, the son of the king,  
shall no longer be called Fulvanus, but Matthew also; and thou Ziphagia,  
the wife of the king, shall be called Sophia;(6) and Erva, the wife of your  
son, shall be called Synesis.(7) And these names of yours shall be written  
in the heavens, and there shall not fail of your loins from generation to  
generation. And in that same hour Matthew appointed the king a presbyter,  
and he was thirty-seven years old; and the king's son he appointed deacon,  
being seventeen years old; and the king's wife he appointed a presbyteress;  
and his son's wife he appointed a deaconess,(8) and she also was seventeen  
years old. And then he thus blessed them, saying: The blessing and the  
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be with you to time everlasting. 
 
    Then the king, having awakened out of sleep, and rejoiced with all his  
house at the vision of the holy Apostle Matthew, praised God. 
 
    And the king, having gone into his palace, broke all the idols to  
pieces, and gave a decree to those in his kingdom, writing thus: King  
Matthew, to all those under my kingdom, greeting. Christ having appeared  
upon earth, and having saved the human race, the so-called gods nave been  
found to be deceivers, and soul-destroyers, and plotters against the human  
race. Whence, divine grace having shone abroad, and come even to us, and we  
having come to the knowledge of the deception of the idols, that it is vain  
anti false, it has seemed good to our divinity that there should not be  
many gods, but one, and one only, the God in the heavens. And you, having  
received this our decree, keep to the purport of it, and break to pieces  
and destroy every idol; and if any one shall be detected from this time  
forth serving idols, or concealing them, let such an one be subjected to  
punishment by the sword. Farewell all, because we also are well. 
 
    And when this order was given out, all, rejoicing and exulting, broke  
their idols to pieces, crying out and saying: There is one only God, He who  
is in the heavens, who does good to men. 
 
    And after all these things had come to pass, Matthew the apostle of  
Christ appeared to the bishop Plato, and said to him: Plato, servant of  
God, and our brother, be it known unto thee, that after three years shall  
be thy rest in the Lord, and exultation to ages of ages. And the king  
himself, whom after my own name I have called Matthew, shall receive the  
throne of thy bishopric, and after him his son. And he, having said Peace  
to thee and all the saints, went to heaven. 
 
    And after three years the bishop Plato rested in the Lord. And King  
Matthew succeeded him, having given up his kingdom willingly to another,  
whence there was given him grace against unclean demons, and he cured every  
affliction. And he advanced his son to be a presbyter, and made him second  
to himself. 
 
    And Saint Matthew finished his course in the country of the man-eaters,  
in the city of Myrna, on the sixteenth of the month of November, our Lord  
Jesus Christ reigning, to whom be glory and strength, now and ever, and to  
ages of ages. Amen.(1)  
 
 
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THOMAS 
 
    AT that time we the apostles were all in Jerusalem--Simon called Peter,  
and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;  
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of  
Alphaeus and Simon the Cananaean; and Judas of James;(1)--and we portioned  
out the regions of the world, in order that each one of us might go into  
the region that fell to him, and to the nation to which the Lord sent him.  
By lot, then, India fell to Judas Thomas,(2) also called Didymus. And he  
did not wish to go, saying that he was not able to go on account of the  
weakness of the flesh; and how can I, being an Hebrew man, go among the  
Indians to proclaim the truth? And while he was thus reasoning and  
speaking, the Saviour appeared to him through the night, and said to him:  
Fear not, Thomas; go away to India, and proclaim the word; for my grace  
shall be with thee. But he did not obey, saying: Wherever Thou wishest to  
send me, send me elsewhere; for to the Indians I am not going. 
 
    And as he was thus speaking and growing angry, there happened to be  
there a certain merchant come from India, by name Abbanes, sent from the  
king Gundaphoros, and having received an order froth him to buy a carpenter  
and bring him to him. And the Lord, having seen him walking about in the  
market at noon, said to him: Dost thou wish to buy a carpenter? And he said  
to Him: Yes. And the Lord said to him: I have a slave a carpenter, and I  
wish to sell him. And having said this, He showed him Thomas at a distance,  
and agreed with him for three pounds of uncoined silver; and He wrote a  
bill of sale, saying: I Jesus, the son of Joseph the carpenter, declare  
that I have sold my slave, Judas by name, to thee Abbanes, a merchant of  
Gundaphoros, the king of the Indians. And the purchase(3) being completed,  
the Saviour taking Judas, who also is Thomas, led him to Abbanes the  
merchant; and Abbanes seeing him, said to him: Is this thy master? And the  
apostle answered and said: Yes, He is my Lord. And he says: I have bought  
thee from him. And the apostle held his peace. 
 
    And at dawn of the following day, the apostle having prayed and  
entreated the Lord, said: I go wherever Thou wishest, O Lord Jesus; Thy  
will be done. And he went to Abbanes the merchant, carrying nothing at all  
with him, but only his price. For the Lord had given it to him, saying: Let  
thy worth also be with thee along with my grace, wherever thou mayst go.  
And the apostle came up with Abbanes, who was carrying his effects into the  
boat. He began therefore also to carry them along with him. And when they  
had gone on board and sat down, Abbanes questioned the apostle, saying:  
What kind of work dost thou know? And he said: In wood, ploughs, and yokes,  
and balances,(4) and boats, and boats' oars, and masts, and blocks; in  
stone, slabs,(5) and temples, and royal palaces. And Abbanes the merchant  
said to him: Of such a workman, to be sure, we have need. They began,  
therefore, to sail away. And they had a fair wind, and they sailed fist  
until they came to Andrapolis, a royal city. 
 
    And having gone out of the boat, they went into the city. And, behold,  
the voices of flute-players, and of water-organs, and trumpets, sounding  
round them; and the apostle inquired, saying: What festival is this in this  
city? And those who were there said to him: The gods have brought thee  
also, that thou mayst be feasted in this city. For the king has an only- 
begotten daughter, and he is now giving her to a husband in marriage: this  
festival, then, which thou seest to-day, is the rejoicing and public  
assembly for the marriage. And the king has sent forth heralds to proclaim  
everywhere that all are to come to the marriage, rich and poor, bond and  
free, strangers and citizens. And if any one shall refuse and not come to  
the marriage, he will be answerable to the king.(6) And Abbanes having  
heard, said to the apostle: Let us also go, then, that we may not offend  
the king, and especially as we are strangers. And he said: Let us go. And  
having turned into the inn, and rested a little, they went to the marriage.  
And the apostle seeing them all reclining, reclined he also in the midst.  
And they all looked at him as a stranger, and coming from a foreign land.  
And Abbanes the merchant, as being a lord, reclined in another place. 
 
    And when they had dined and drunk, the apostle tasted nothing. Those,  
then, about him said to him: Why hast thou come hither, neither eating nor  
drinking? And he answered and said to them: For something greater than food  
or even drink have I come hither, even that I might accomplish the will of  
the King. For the heralds proclaim the wishes of the King, and whoever will  
not hear the heralds will be liable to the judgment of the King. When,  
therefore, they had dined and drunk, and crowns and perfumes had been  
brought, each took perfume, and one anointed his face, another his  
cheek,(1) and one one part of his body, and another another. And the  
apostle anointed the crown of his head, and put a little of the ointment in  
his nostrils, and dropped it also into his ears, and applied it also to his  
teeth, and carefully anointed the parts round about his heart; and having  
taken the crown that was brought to him wreathed of myrtle and other  
flowers, he put it on his head, and took a branch of reed in his hand, and  
held it. 
 
    And the flute-girl, holding the flutes in her hand, went round them  
all; and when she came to the place where the apostle was, she stood over  
him, playing the flute over his head a long time. And that flute-girl was  
Hebrew by race. 
 
    And as the apostle looked away to the ground, a certain one of the  
wine-pourers(2) stretched forth his hand and struck him. And the apostle,  
having raised his eyes, and regarded him who had struck him, said: My God  
will forgive thee this wrong in the world to come, but in this world He  
will show His wonders, and I shall soon see that hand that struck me  
dragged along by a dog. And having thus spoken, he began to sing and to  
repeat this song:-- 
 
    Maiden, daughter of the light, in whom there exists and abides the  
majestic splendour of kings; and delightsome is the sight of her,  
resplendent with brilliant beauty. Her garments are like spring flowers,  
and the odour of a sweet smell is given forth from them; and on the crown  
of her head the king is seated, feeding with his own ambrosia those who are  
seated beside him; and truth rests upon her head, and she shows forth joy  
with her feet; and becomingly does she open her mouth; thirty-and-two are  
they who sing her praises, and their tongue is like a curtain of the door  
which is drawn for them who go in; and her neck is made in the likeness of  
the stairs which the first Creator created; and her two hands signify and  
represent the choral dance of the blessed ages, proclaiming it; and her  
fingers represent the gates of the city. Her chamber lighted up breathes  
forth scent from balsam and every perfume, and gives forth a sweet odour of  
myrrh and savoury herbs; and within are strewn myrtles and sweet-smelling  
flowers of all kinds; and the bridal chambers are adorned with calamus.(3)  
And her groomsmen, of whom the number is seven, whom she has chosen for  
herself, surround her like a wall; and her bridesmaids are seven, who dance  
before her; and twelve are they in number who minister before her and are  
at her bidding, having their gaze and their sight upon the bridegroom, that  
through the sight of him they may be enlightened. And they shall be with  
him to everlasting in that everlasting joy, and they shall sit down in that  
wedding to which the great ones are gathered together, and they shall abide  
in the festivities of which the eternals are deemed worthy; and they shall  
be arrayed in royal raiment, and shall put on shining robes; and in joy and  
exultation both of them shall be, and they shall glorify the Father of the  
universe, whose majestic light they have received, and they have been  
enlightened by the sight of Him their Lord, whose ambrosial food they have  
received, of which there is no failing at all; and they have drunk also of  
the wine which brings to them no thirst, neither desire of the flesh; and  
they have with the living spirit glorified and praised the father of truth  
and the mother of wisdom. 
 
    And when he had sung and finished this song, all who were there present  
looked upon him and kept silence, and they also saw his form changed; and  
what had been said by him they did not understand, since he was a Hebrew,  
and what had been said by him had been said in Hebrew. But the flute-girl  
alone heard all, for she was Hebrew by race, and standing off from him she  
played the flute to the others; but at him she mostly turned her eyes and  
looked, for she altogether loved him as a man of the same nation with  
herself, and he was also beautiful in appearance above all who were there.  
And when the flute-girl had come to the end of all her flute-playing, she  
sat down opposite him, and looked and gazed upon him. But he looked at no  
one at all, neither did he regard any one, but only kept his eyes on the  
ground, waiting until he should depart thence. And that wine-pourer that  
struck him came down to the fountain to draw water; and there happened to  
be a lion there, and it came forth and killed him, and left him lying in  
the place, after tearing up his limbs; and dogs immediately seized his  
limbs, among which also one black dog, laying hold of his right hand in his  
mouth, brought it to the place of the banquet. 
 
    And all seeing were terror-struck, inquiring which of them had been  
taken off. And when it was clear that it was the hand of the wine-pourer  
who had struck the apostle, the flute-girl broke her flutes in pieces, and  
threw them away, and went and sat down at the feet of the apostle, saying:  
This man is either God or God's apostle; for I heard him saying in Hebrew  
to the wine-pourer, I shall soon see the hand that struck me dragged about  
by dogs, which also you have now seen; for as he said, so also it has come  
to pass. And some believed her, and some not. And the king, having heard,  
came up and said to him: Rise up, and go with me, and pray for my daughter;  
for she is my only child, and today I give her away. And the apostle would  
not go with him; for his Lord had not at all been revealed to him there.  
And the king took him away against his will to the bridal-chamber, that he  
might pray for them. 
 
    And the apostle stood, and began to pray and speak thus: My Lord and my  
God, who accompanies His servants on their way, guiding and directing those  
who trust in Him, the refuge and the repose of the afflicted, the hope of  
the mourners, and the deliverer of the captives, the physician of the souls  
that are lying under disease, and Saviour of every creature, who gives life  
to the world, and invigorates our souls! Thou knowest what will come to  
pass, who also for our sakes makest these things perfect: Thou, Lord, who  
revealest hidden mysteries, and declarest unspeakable words; Thou, Lord,  
the planter of the good tree, also through the tree makest words to spring  
up; Thou, Lord, who art in all, and camest through all, and existest in all  
Thy works, and makest Thyself manifest through the working of them all;  
Jesus Christ, the Son of compassion, and perfect Saviour; Christ, Son of  
the living God, the undaunted Power which has overthrown the enemy; and the  
voice heard by the rulers,(1) which shook all their powers; the ambassador  
who was sent to them from on high, and who wentest down even to Hades; who  
also, having opened the doors, didst bring out thence those that had been  
shut in for many ages by the controller of the world, and didst show them  
the way up that leads up on high: I beseech Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, I  
offer Thee supplication for these young persons, that Thou mayst make what  
happens and befalls them to be for their good. And having laid his hands on  
them, and said, The Lord will be with you, he left them in the place, and  
went away.(2) 
 
    And the king requested the groomsmen to go out of the bridal-chamber;  
and all having gone forth, and the doors having been shut, the bridegroom  
raised the curtain of the bridal-chamber, that he might bring the bride to  
himself. And he saw the Lord Jesus talking with the bride, and having the  
appearance of Judas Thomas, who shortly before had blessed them, and gone  
out from them; and he says to him: Didst thou not go out before them all?  
And how art thou found here? And the Lord said to him: I am not Judas, who  
also is Thomas; I am his brother. And the Lord sat down on the bed, and  
ordered them also to sit down on the seats;(3) and He began to say to  
them:-- 
 
    Keep in mind, my children, what my brother said to you, and to whom he  
commended you; and this know, that if you refrain from this filthy  
intercourse, you become temples holy and pure, being released from  
afflictions and troubles, known and unknown, and you will not be involved  
in the cares of life, and of children, whose end is destruction; but if you  
get many children, for their sakes you become grasping and avaricious,  
plundering orphans, coveting the property of widows, and by doing this you  
subject yourselves to most grievous punishments. For many children become  
unprofitable, being harassed by demons, some openly and others secretly:  
for they become either lunatics, or half-withered, or lame, or deaf, or  
dumb, or paralytics, or idiots; and even if they be in good health, they  
will be again good-for-nothing, doing unprofitable and abominable works:  
for they will be detected either in adultery, or in murder, or in theft, or  
in fornication, and by all these you will be afflicted. But if you will be  
persuaded, and preserve your souls pure to God, there will be born to you  
living children, whom these hurtful things do not touch; and you will be  
without care, spending an untroubled life, free from grief and care,  
looking forward to receive that marriage incorruptible and true; and you  
will be in it companions of the bridegroom, going in along with Him into  
that bridal-chamber full of immortality and light.(4) 
 
    And when the young people heard this, they believed the Lord, and gave  
themselves over into His keeping, and refrained from filthy lust, and  
remained thus spending the night in the place. And the Lord went out from  
before them, having spoken thus to them: The grace of the Lord shall be  
with you. And the dawn having come on, the king arrived, and having  
supplied the table, brought it in before the bridegroom and the bride; and  
he found them sitting opposite each other, and he found the face of the  
bride uncovered, and the bridegroom was quite cheerful. And the mother  
having come to the bride, said: Wherefore dost thou sit thus, child, and  
art not ashamed, but thus as if thou hadst for a long time lived with thine  
own husband? And her father said: Is it because of thy great love to thy  
husband that thou art uncovered? 
 
    And the bride answered and said: Truly, father, I am in great love, and  
I pray to my Lord to continue to me the love which I have experienced this  
night, and I shall beg for myself this husband whom I have experienced  
today. For this reason, then, I am no longer covered, since the mirror(1)  
of shame has been taken away from me, and I am no longer ashamed nor  
abashed, since the work of shame and bashfulness has been removed far from  
me; and because I am not under any violent emotion, since violent emotion  
does not abide in me; and because I am in cheerfulness and joy, since the  
day of joy has not been disturbed; and because I hold of no account this  
husband, and these nuptials that have passed away from before mine eyes,  
since I have been joined in a different marriage; and because I have had no  
intercourse with a temporary husband, whose end is with lewdness and  
bitterness of soul, since I have been united to a true Husband. 
 
    And when the bride is saying yet more, the bridegroom answers and says:  
I thank Thee, Lord, who hast been proclaimed by the stranger and found by  
us;(2) who hast put corruption far from me, and hast sown life in me; who  
hast delivered me from this disease, hard to heal, and hard to cure, and  
abiding for ever, and established in me sound health; who hast shown  
Thyself to me, and hast revealed to me all that concerns me, in which I am;  
who hast redeemed me from falling, and hast led me to something better, and  
who hast released me from things temporary, and hast deemed me worthy of  
things immortal and ever existing; who hast brought Thyself down even to me  
and to my littleness, in order that, having placed me beside Thy greatness,  
Thou mightest unite me to Thyself; who hast not withheld Thine own  
compassion from me lost, but hast shown me how to search myself, and to  
know what(3) I was and what(3) and how I am now, in order that I may again  
become as I was; whom I indeed did not know, but Thou Thyself whom I knew  
not hast sought me out and taken me to Thyself; whom I have experienced,  
and am not now able to forget, whose love is fervent in me; and speak  
indeed as I ought I cannot. But what I have time to say about Him is short,  
and altogether little, and not in proportion to His glory; but He does not  
find fault with me for not being ashamed to say to Him even what I do not  
know; because it is through the love of Him that I say even this. 
 
    And the king, having heard these things from the bridegroom and the  
bride, rent his garments, and said to those standing near him: Go out  
quickly, and go round the whole city, and seize and bring me that man, the  
sorcerer, who has come for evil into this city: for I led him with my own  
hands into my house, and I told him to play for my most unfortunate  
daughter; and whoever shall find him and bring him to me, whatever service  
be shall ask of me, I give him. They went away, therefore, and went round  
seeking him, and found him not; for he had sailed. They went, therefore,  
also into the inn where he had stayed, and found there the flute-girl  
weeping and in distress, because he had not taken her with him. And they  
having recounted what had happened in the case of the young people, she was  
altogether glad when she heard it, and dismissed her grief, and said: Now  
have I found, even I, repose here. And she arose and went to them, and was  
with them a long time, until they had instructed the king also. And many  
also of the brethren were gathered together there, until they heard word of  
the apostle, that he had gone down to the cities of India, and was teaching  
there.And they went away, and joined him. 
 
ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE THOMAS, 
 
WHEN HE CAME INTO INDIA, AND BUILT THE PALACE IN THE HEAVENS. 
 
    AND when the apostle came into the cities of India, with Abbanes the  
merchant, Abbanes went away to salute Gundaphoros the king, and reported to  
him about the carpenter whom he bad brought with him; and the king was  
glad, and ordered him to come in to himself. And when he had come in, the  
king said to him: What trade knowest thou? The apostle says to him: The  
carpenter's and house builder's. The king says to him: What work in wood  
knowest thou, then, and what in stone? The apostle says: In wood, ploughs,  
yokes, balances, pulleys, and boats, and oars, and masts; and in stone,  
monuments, temples, royal palaces. And the king said: Wilt thou build me a  
palace? And he answered: Yes, I shall build it, and finish it; for because  
of this I came, to build houses, and to do carpenter's work. 
 
    And the king having taken him, went forth out of the gates of the city,  
and began to talk with him on the way about the building of the palace, and  
about the foundations, how they should be laid, until they came to that  
place in which he wished the building to be. And he said: Here I wish the  
building to be. And the apostle says: Yes; for assuredly this place is  
convenient for the building. For the place was well wooded, and there was  
much water there. The king therefore says: Begin to build. And he said: I  
cannot begin to build at this time. 
 
    And the king says: When wilt thou be able? And he says: I shall begin  
in Dius and end in Xanthicus.(1) And the king wondering, said: Every  
building is built in summer; but canst thou build and make a palace in  
winter itself? And the apostle said: Thus it must be, and otherwise it is  
impossible. And the king said: If, therefore, this be thy opinion, mark out  
for me how the work is to be, since I shall come here after some time. And  
the apostle, having taken a reed, measured the place, and marked it out;  
and he set the doors towards the rising of the sun, to look to the light,  
and the windows towards its setting, to the winds; and he made the  
bakehouse to be towards the south, and the water-tank, for abundance,  
towards the north. And the king seeing this, said to the apostle: Thou art  
a craftsman indeed, and it is fitting that thou shouldst serve kings. And  
having left many things for him, he went away. 
 
    And from time to time he also sent the money that was necessary, for  
the living both of him and the other workmen. And he taking it, dispenses  
it all, going about the cities and the places round, distributing and doing  
kindnesses to the poor and the afflicted, and gave them rest,(2) saying:  
The king knows how to obtain royal recompense, and it is necessary for the  
poor to have repose for the present. 
 
    And after this, the king sent a messenger to the apostle, having  
written to him as follows: Show me what thou hast done, or what I am to  
send thee, or what thou needest. The apostle sends to him, saying: The  
palace is built, and only the roof remains to be done. And the king, having  
heard, sent him again gold and silver uncoined, and wrote to him: Let the  
palace, if it be done, be roofed. And the apostle said to the Lord: I thank  
Thee, Lord, as to all things, that Thou didst die for a short time, that I  
might live in Thee for ever; and hast sold me, so that Thou mayst deliver  
many through me. And he did not cease to teach and refresh the afflicted,  
saying: These things the Lord hath dispensed to us, and He gives to each  
his food; for He is the support of the orphans, and the provider of the  
widows, and to all that are afflicted He is rest and repose. 
 
    And when the king came into the city, he inquired of his friends about  
the palace which Judas, who also is Thomas, had built; and they said to  
him: He has neither built a palace, nor done anything else of what he  
promised to do; but he goes round the cities and the districts, and if he  
has anything he gives all to the poor, and teaches one new God,(3) and  
heals the diseased, and drives out demons, and does many other  
extraordinary things; and we think that he is a magician. But his acts of  
compassion, and the cures done by him as a free gift, and still more, his  
single-mindedness, and gentleness, and fidelity, show that he is a just  
man, or an apostle of the new God whom he preaches; for he continually  
fasts and prays, and eats only bread with salt, and his drink is water, and  
he carries one coat, whether in warm weather or in cold, and he takes  
nothing from any one, but gives to others even what he has. The king having  
heard this, stroked his face with his hands, shaking his head for a long  
time. 
 
    And he sent for the merchant that had brought him, and for the apostle,  
and said to him: Hast thou built me the palace? And he said: Yes, I have  
built it. And the king said: When, then, are we to go and see it? And he  
answered and said: Now thou canst not see it; but when thou hast departed  
this life, thou shalt see it. And the king, quite enraged, ordered both the  
merchant, and Judas who also is Thomas, to be put in chains, and to be cast  
into prison, until he should examine, and learn to whom he had given the  
king's property. And thus I shall destroy him along with the merchant. And  
the apostle went to prison rejoicing, and said to the merchant: Fear  
nothing at all, but only believe in the God proclaimed by me, and thou  
shalt be freed from this world, and thou shall obtain life in the world to  
come. 
 
    And the king considered by what death he should kill them; and when it  
seemed good to him to flay them, and burn them with fire, on that very  
night Gad the king's brother fell ill, and through the grief and imposition  
which the king suffered he was grievously depressed; and having sent for  
the king, he said to him: My brother the king, I commend to thee my house  
and my children; for I, on account of the insult that has befallen thee,  
have been grieved, and am dying; and if thou do not come down with  
vengeance upon the head of that magician, thou wilt give my soul no rest in  
Hades. And the king said to his brother: During the whole night I have  
considered this, how I shall put him to death; and this has seemed good to  
me--to flay him and burn him up with fire, both him and with him the  
merchant that brought him. 
 
    And as they were talking together, the soul of Gad his brother  
departed. And the king mourned for Gad exceedingly, for he altogether loved  
him. And he ordered him to be prepared for burial in a royal and costly  
robe. And as this was being done, angels received the soul of Gad the  
king's brother, and took it up into heaven, showing him the places and  
dwellings there, asking him: In what sort of a place dost thou wish to  
dwell? And when they came near the edifice of Thomas the apostle, which he  
had built for the king, Gad, seeing it, said to the angels, I entreat you,  
my lords, permit me to dwell in one of the underground chambers of this  
palace. And they said to him: Thou canst not dwell in this building.(1) And  
he said: Wherefore? They say to him: This palace is the one which that  
Christian built for thy brother. And he said: I entreat you, my lords,  
permit me to go to thy brother, that I may buy this palace from him; for my  
brother does not know what it is like, and he will sell it to me. 
 
    Then the angels let the soul of Gad go. And as they were putting on him  
the burial robe, his soul came into him. And he said to those standing  
round him: Call my brother to me, that I may beg of him one request.  
Straightway, therefore, they sent the good news to their king, saying: Thy  
brother has come alive again. And the king started up, and along with a  
great multitude went to his brother, and went in and stood beside his bed  
as if thunderstruck, not being able to speak to him. And his brother said:  
I know and am persuaded, brother, that if any one asked of thee the haft of  
thy kingdom, thou wouldst give it for my sake; wherefore I entreat thee to  
grant me one favour, which I beg of thee to do me. And the king answered  
and said: And what is it that thou askest me to do for thee? And he said:  
Assure me by an oath that thou wilt grant it me. And the king swore to him:  
Of what belongs to me, whatever thou shalt ask, I will give thee. And he  
says to him: Sell me that palace which thou hast in the heavens. And the  
king said: Whence does a palace in the heavens belong to me? And he said:  
That which the Christian who is now in the prison, whom the merchant bought  
froth a certain Jesus, and brought to thee, built for thee. And as he was  
at a loss, he says to him again: I speak of that Hebrew slave whom thou  
didst wish to punish, as having suffered some imposition from him, on  
account of whom I also was grieved and died, and now have come alive again. 
 
    Then the king, having come to know, understood about the eternal  
benefits that were conferred upon him and destined for him, and said: That  
palace I cannot sell thee, but I pray thee to go into it, and dwell there,  
and become worthy to be of its inhabitants; but if thou really wishest to  
buy such a palace, behold, the man is alive, and will build thee a better  
than that.(2) And having sent immediately, he brought out of the prison the  
apostle, and the merchant who had been shut up along with him, saying: I  
entreat thee, as a man entreating the servant of God, that thou wilt pray  
for me, and entreat him whose servant thou art, to pardon me, and overlook  
what I have done to thee, or even what I meant to do, and that I may be  
worthy to be an inhabitant of that house for which indeed I have laboured  
nothing, but which thou labouring alone hast built for me, the grace of thy  
God working with thee; and that I may become a servant, I also, and slave  
of this God whom thou proclaimest. And his brother, falling down before the  
apostle, said: I entreat thee, and supplicate before thy God, that I may  
become worthy of this ministry and service, and may be allotted to become  
worthy of those things which were shown me by his angels. 
 
    And the apostle, seized with joy, said: I make full confession(3) to  
Thee, Lord Jesus, that Thou hast revealed Thy truth in these men: for Thou  
alone art a God of truth, and not another; and Thou art He who knowest all  
things that are unknown to many: Thou art He, Lord, who in all things  
showest compassion and mercy to men; for men, through the error that is in  
them, have overlooked Thee, but Thou hast not overlooked them. And now,  
when I am entreating and supplicating Thee, accept the king and his  
brother, and unite them into Thy fold, having cleansed them by Thy  
purification, and anointed them with Thy oil, from the error which  
encompasseth them; and protect them also from the wolves, bringing them  
into Thy meadows; and give them to drink of Thy ambrosial fountain, that is  
never muddy and never faileth: for they entreat Thee, and supplicate, and  
wish to become Thy ministers and servants; and on account of this they are  
well pleased even to be persecuted by Thine enemies, and for Thy sake to be  
hated by them, and insulted, and to die; as Thou also for our sakes didst  
suffer all these things, that Thou mightst gain us to Thyself, as being  
Lord, and truly a good shepherd. And do Thou grant them that they may have  
confidence in Thee alone, and aid from Thee, and hope of their salvation,  
which they obtain from Thee alone, and that they may be confirmed in Thy  
mysteries; and they shall receive the perfect benefits of Thy graces and  
gifts, and flourish in Thy service, and bear fruit to perfection in Thy  
Father. 
 
    King Gundaphoros, therefore, and Gad, having been altogether set apart  
by the apostle, followed him, not at all going back, they also providing  
for those that begged of them, giving to all, and relieving all. And they  
entreated him that they might also then receive the seal of baptism; and  
they said to him: As our souls are at ease, and as we are earnest about  
God, give us the seal; for we have heard thee saying that the God whom thou  
proclaimest recognises through his seal his own sheep. And the apostle said  
to them: And I am glad, and entreat you to receive this seal, and to  
communicate with me in this thanksgiving(1) and blessing of God, and to be  
made perfect in it;(2) for this Jesus Christ whom I proclaim is Lord and  
God of all, and He is the Father of truth, in whom I have taught you to  
believe. And he ordered to bring them oil, in order that through the oil  
they might receive the seal. They brought the oil, therefore, and lighted  
many lamps, for it was night.(3) 
 
    And the apostle arose, and sealed them; and the Lord was revealed to  
them, through a voice saying, Peace to you, brethren! And they heard His  
voice only, but His form they saw not; for they had not yet received the  
ratification(4) of the seal. And the apostle, having taken oil, and  poured  
it over their head, and salved and anointed them, began to say: Come, holy  
name of Christ, which is above every name; come, power of the Most High,  
and perfect compassion; come, grace most high; come, compassionate mother;  
come, thou that hast charge(6) of the male child; come, thou who revealest  
secret mysteries; come, mother of the seven houses, that there may be rest  
for thee in the eighth house; come, thou presbyter of the five members-- 
intelligence, thought, purpose, reflection, reasoning--communicate with  
these young persons; come, Holy Spirit, and purify their reins and heart,  
and seal them in the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. And when  
they had been sealed, there appeared to them a young man holding a burning  
torch, so that their lamps were even darkened by the approach(6) of its  
light. And he went out, and disappeared from their sight. And the apostle  
said to the Lord: Thy light, Lord, is too great for us, and we cannot bear  
it; for it is too much for our sight. And when light came, and it was dawn,  
having broken bread, he made them partakers of the thanksgiving(7) of  
Christ. And they rejoiced and exulted; and many others also believed, and  
were added, and came to the refuge of the Saviour. 
 
    And the apostle ceased not proclaiming, and saying to them: Men and  
women, boys and girls, young men and maidens, vigorous and aged, both bond  
and free, withhold yourselves from fornication, and covetousness, and the  
service of the belly; for under these three heads all wickedness comes. For  
fornication maims the mind, and darkens the eyes of the soul, and becomes a  
hindrance of the due regulation of the body, changing the whole man into  
feebleness, and throwing the whole body into disease. And insatiableness  
puts the soul into fear and shame, existing by what pertains to the  
body,(8) and forcibly seizing what belongs to another; . . . and the  
service of the belly throws the soul into cares and troubles and griefs. .  
. . Since, therefore, you have been set free from these, you are without  
care, and without grief, and without fear; and there remains to you that  
which was said by the Saviour: Take no care for the morrow, for the morrow  
will take care of itself.(9) Keep in mind also that saying before  
mentioned: Look upon the ravens, and behold the fowls of the heaven, that  
they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and God takes care of  
them; bow much more you, O ye of little faith!(10) But look for His  
appearing, and have your hopes in Him, and believe in His name: for He is  
the Judge of living and dead, and He requites to each one according to his  
deeds; and at His coming and appearance at last no one will have as a  
ground of excuse, when he comes to be judged by Him, that he has not heard.  
For His heralds are proclaiming in the four quarters of the world. Repent,  
therefore, and believe the message,(1) and accept the yoke of gentleness  
and the light burden,(2) that you may live and not die. These things lay  
hold of, these things keep; come forth from the darkness, that the light  
may receive yen; come to Him who is truly good, that from Him you may  
receive grace, and place His sign upon your souls. 
 
    When he had thus said, some of the bystanders said to him: It is time  
for this debtor to receive his debt. And he said to them: The creditor,(3)  
indeed, always wishes to receive more; but let us give him what is proper.  
And having blessed them, he took bread and oil, and herbs and salt, and  
gave them to eat. But he continued in his fasting, for the Lord's day was  
about to dawn. And on the night following, while he was asleep, the Lord  
came and stood by his head, saying: Thomas, rise up early and bless them  
all; and after the prayer and service go along the eastern road two miles,  
and there I shall show in thee my glory. For because thou goest away, many  
shall flee to me for refuge, and thou shalt reprove the nature and the  
power of the enemy. And having risen up from sleep, he said to the brethren  
who were with him: Children and brethren, the Lord wishes to do something  
or other to-day through me; but let us pray and entreat Him that nothing  
may be a hindrance to us towards Him, but as at all times let it now also  
be done unto us according to His purpose and will. And having thus spoken,  
he laid his hands upon them and blessed them. And having broken the bread  
of the Eucharist, he gave it to them, saying: This Eucharist shall be(4) to  
you for compassion, and mercy, and recompense, and not for judgment. And  
they said: Amen. 
 
ABOUT THE DRAGON AND THE YOUNG MAN. 
 
    And the apostle went forth to go where the Lord had bidden him. And  
when he came near the second milestone he turned a little out of the  way,  
and saw the body of a beautiful youth lying; and he said: Lord, was it for  
this that Thou broughtest me out to come here, that I might see this trial?  
Thy will therefore be done, as Thou purposest. And he began to pray, and to  
say: Lord, Judge of the living, and of those that are lying dead, and Lord  
of all, and Father--Father not only of the souls that are in bodies, but  
also of those that have gone out of them; for of the souls that are in  
pollutions Thou art Lord and Judge--come at this time, when I call upon  
Thee, and show Thy glory upon him that is lying down here. And he turned  
and said to those that followed him: This affair has not happened idly; but  
the enemy has wrought and effected this, that he might make an assault upon  
him; and you see that he has availed himself of no other form, and has  
wrought through no other living being, but through his subject. 
 
    And when the apostle had thus spoken, behold, a great dragon came forth  
from his den, knocking his head, and brandishing his tail down to the  
ground, and, using a loud voice, said to the apostle: I shall say before  
thee for what cause I have put him to death, since thou art here in order  
to reprove my works. And the apostle says: Yes, say on. And the dragon:  
There is a certain woman in this place exceedingly beautiful; and as she  
was once passing by, I saw her, and fell in love with her, and I followed  
and watched her; and I found this young man kissing her, and he also had  
intercourse with her, and did with her other shameful things. And to me  
indeed it was pleasant to tell thee this, for I know that thou art the  
twin-brother of Christ, and always bringest our race to nought. But, not  
wishing to harass her, I did not at this time put him to death; but I  
watched him passing by in the evening, and struck him, and killed him, and  
especially as he had dared to do this on the Lord's day.(5) And the apostle  
inquired of him, saying: Tell me, of what seed and of what race art thou? 
 
    And he said to him: I am the offspring of the race of the serpent, and  
hurtful of the hurtful; I am son of him who hurt and struck the four  
brothers that stood; I am son of him who sits on the throne of destruction,  
and takes his own from what he has lent;(6) I am son of that apostate who  
encircles the globe; I am kinsman to him who is outside of the ocean, whose  
tail lies in his mouth; I am he who went into paradise through the hedge,  
and spoke with Eve what my father bade me speak to her; I am he who  
inflamed and fired Cain to kill his brother, and through me thorns and  
prickles sprang up in the ground; I am he who cast down the angels from  
above, and bound them down by the desires of women, that earth-born(7)  
children might be produced froth them, and that I might work my will in  
them;(8) I am he who hardened the heart of Pharaoh, that he should murder  
the children of Israel, and keep them down by the hard yoke of slavery; I  
am he who caused the multitude to err in the desert when they made the  
calf; I am he who inflamed Herod and incited Caiaphas to the lying tales of  
falsehood before Pilate, for this became me; I am he who inflamed Judas,  
and bought him, that he should betray Christ; I am he who inhabits and  
holds the abyss of Tartarus, and the Son of God has wronged me against my  
will, and has gathered his own out of me; I am the kinsman of him who is to  
come from the east, to whom also power has been given to do whatever he  
will upon the earth. 
 
    And that dragon having thus spoken in the hearing of all the multitude,  
the apostle raised his voice on high, and said: Cease henceforth, O thou  
most unabashed, and be ashamed and altogether put to death; for the end of  
thy destruction is at hand, and do not dare to say what thou hast done  
through thy dependants. And I order thee, in the name of that Jesus who  
even until now makes a struggle against you for the  sake of His own human  
beings, to suck out the  poison wh