Ante-Nicene Christian Library; Translations Of The Writings Of The Fathers Down To A.D. 325, Volume 20: The Writings Of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius Of Alexandria, And Archelaus

발행: 1871년

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Wo mill relato in tho sequel tho circumstances of tho comingos these personages, only mentioning their names hero inconnection With Aesachhs, in order that you may know that theso great races are indeed the blood of Vagharchan statis to say, cte posterisy of ths great Archag, brother of Vag-harchag. Eve ining being thus arranged, Abgar tahes mith himtho letter of the treaties, and returns to his dominion' not inperfeci health, but a prey in severe suffering.cΗAΡTER XXIX.

Abgar returna troin the East-Ηe givea hesp in Aretas in a War against Herod the tetrarch.

Whon Abgar had returned from tho East, ho learni thalas Romans suspected him of having gone there in raiselmops. ΗΘ thereiare made the Roman commissioners a

quainted Mith the reasons of his journey to Persia, as meli astha treaiy eoncluded bet Mn Ardachhs and his brothers; butno credenco mas giVen to his statemente for he was accusedis his enemies Pilate, Herod the tetrarch, Lysanias and Philip. Abgar haring returned in his city Edessa leaguedhimself mith Aretas, hing of Petra, and gave him some auri-liary tmops under tho command of Κhosran Ardgmuni, tomaho War upon Herod. Herod had in the fidit instaneoma ad the dau ter of Aretas, then had repudiated her, and thereupon inhen Herodias, even in her husbandys lis time, a circumstance in connection mith whieli ho had had John tho Baptist put to death. Consequently there mas marbet oen Herod and Aretas on account of the wrong dono totho danoter os Metas. Being sharply attachia, Herod'almops mere deseated, thanks to the help of the brave Arm nians ; as is, is divine providence, vengeauce Was taen Arths death of Jolin the Baptisti

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154 APPENDIT TO SYRIAC DOCUMENTS

c PTER XXX.

At this period Marinus, son os Storogo, Was mised by thisemperor to the goverament os Phoenicia, Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia. Abgar sent in him ino of his principalossicers, Ma Ihap prince of Mhlanth, and Chamehacram clites of ths homo of the Abinouni, as Weli as Man his co fidant. The enuoys proceed to the to- of Pethoupine tomahe known to Marinus tho reasons of Abgaes journey to the East, sho ing him the treaty concluded bel-en Ardachis and his brothera, and at the fame timo in cali upon Marinussor his support. Tho deputies Iound tho Roman governorat Eleutheropolis; ho received them .ith triendisip and di tinction, and gavs this answer to Abgar: Fear nothingsrom the emperor on that account, provided you ista good care to pay the tribute regularly.'On their retum, tho Armenian deputies .ent to Jerusalemto see our Sariour the Christ, Ming attracted by the report

of these Wondere, they related them in Abgari This prince, Miaed with admiration, belleved truly that Jesus mas indeta the Son os God, and said: These Mondera aro not thosa ola man, but os a God. No, there is no ona amongst menwho can resso the dead: God Mons has this power.' Abgariolt in his wholo M. certain acuto pians .hich he had gotin Persia, more than seven years besore; hom men he had received no remedy sor his sufferings; Abgar sent a letteros entrea to Jesus: ho prayed Him to como and cum his of his patas. Hero is thia letter:-cΗΑPTER XXXI.

Abgaes letter to the Saviour Jesus Christi

Abgar, fou of Archam, prince of the land, to Jesus, Saviour and Benefactor os men, Who has appeared in thecount of Jerusalem, greetinget

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hom them either that Thou art God, como doWn homheaven to do such great things, or that Thou art the Son ofGod, Working as Thou dost these miracles. Thereiore have I Written to Thee, praying Theo in condescend to come tome and cum me of the complaints with which I am amicted. I havo heata also that tho Jews murmur against Theo and wish to delivor Thee up to torments: I have a ciu amassbut pleasant, it Would bo sussicient for us both.'The messenger' the bearers of this letter, moi Jesus at Jerusalem, a faci confirmed by theso morda of the Gospel: Some fram amongat tho heathen camo to find Josus, butthoso Who heard them, not daring to teli Jesus What they

Aser in Abgarla letter, Which tho Apostle Thomas Hote to this prince by command of the Savio .

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156 APPENDIX TO SYRIAC DOCUMENTS Sariour, a picturo Which is stili to be found at this day in

Aster the ascension os our Saviour, the Apostle Thomas,ono of the twelve, sent one of the seventy-sta discipies,

Thaddeus, to the city os Edessa to heal Abgar and to princhthe gospei, according to the word of the Lord. Thaddeus came to tho houso of Tobias, a Jewish prince, Who is Midio have been os the race of the Pacradouni. Tobias, havinglest Archam, did not abjure Judaism with the rest of his relatives, but sol lowed ita laws up to the moment When hebetioved in Christ. Soon the name os Thaddeus spretas throuo the whole to n. Abgar, on learning of his arrivia, said: This is indoed ho concerning Whom Jesus Wrote tomo; ' and immediately Abgar sent for the apostle. When

Thaddeus entered, a marvellous appearance presented irael to tho ves of Abgar in the countenance of the apostle; thohing having risen from his throne, soli on his faco to theearth, and prostrated himself beiore Thaddeus. This

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M ES OF CHORENE. 157 belloved in Jesus Christ. Abgar Was baptized, and ali instois missi him, and tho temples of tho false gods Were closed, and ali sis statuas of idola that were placed on tho altareand columns mero hidden by being covered With reeds. Abgar diu not compei any one to embraco the fiath, yethom day to day the number of the bellevers was multiplied. The Apostlo Thaddeus baptizes a manufacturer of sithhead-dresses, called Attaeus, consecrates him, appotnis Umbo ministeri at Edessa, and leaves him vitii tho Eng insisad of himself. Thaddeus, aster having received letters patent hom Myr, Who Wished that ait should listen to thogospei os Christ, Went to find Sanadroug, son of Abgasssister, Whom this prinos had appotnted over tho countryand over the amy. Abgar Was pleased to write to tho Emperor Tiberius a letter in these Worda:- Abgur a Diter to Tiberius.

os Palestino have crucified Jesus: Jesus Without sin, Jesus aster so many acts of tantaras, so many Wondera and miracles Wrouot sor their good, even to tho raising of thodead. M assured that these aro not the effecta of the po er

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158 APPENDIX TO SYRIA O DOCUMENTS

Amiser frem Tiberius to Abga a ulter. Tiberius, emperor of the Romans, in Abgar, hing of tho Armenians, greeting τ ur hind letter has been read to me, and I Wisti thatthanks inould bo oven to you hom me. Though we hadalready heard severat persons relate these facis, Pilato has ossicialty informed us of the miracles of Jesus. He has certified to us that astor his resurrection fram tho deadhe was achno ledged by many to be God. There oro Ιmyself also Wished to do What you propose; but, as it is thecustom of the Romans not to admit a god merely by the

command of the fovereign, but only When the admission hasbeen discussed and examined in suli senate, Ι proposed thoassair to the senate, and they rejected it With contempt, doubilem hecause it had not been considered by them firet. But wo havo commanded ali thoso whom Jesus suila, toreceive him amongst the gods. - havs threatened withdeath any one Who shali speah evit of the Christians. Asto tho Jowish nation whicli has dared to crucisy Jesus, Who, as I hear, far from deseruing the crosa and death, WasWorthy of honour, Worthy of the adoration os men-When I am Deo from tho war mith rebellious Spain, Ι will examine into the matter, and will treat the JeWs as they

deserve.

Abgar writea another litto to Tiberius.

Abgar, hing of the Armenians, to my lard Tiberius,

emperor of the Romans, greetinget I have received the letter initten hom your augustMajes , and I havs applauded the commanti Which havo emanated from your Wisdom. Ιf you Will not be angrywith me, I mill say that the conduci of the senato is e tremela ridiculous and absurd: sor, according to the senator' it is aster tho examination and by the suffrages of men that

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and master is send another governor is Jerusalem in ins

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160 APPENDIX TO SYRIAC DOCUMENTS and Will shoW you the way of isse, and you mill bellovo in

Astor the death of Abgar, tho hingdom os Armenia Wasdivided belWeen tWo: Ananom, Abgaes son, Nigned at Edessa, and his sister's son, Sanadroug, in Armenia. Whattook place in their timo has been previousty told by others :tho apostlo's arrival in Armenia, the conversion of Sana-droug and his apostasy for sear of the Armenian satraps, and tho martyrdom of the apostio and his companiona in the canton os Chauarchan, noW called Ardag, and tho alans opening to receivo the body of the apostle, and the removalos this body by his discipies, his buriat in tho plain, and

the martyrdom of the Ling's daughter, Santovisd, near theroad, and tho apparition os the remains of tho tWo sainis, and their removat to tho rocks-ali circumstances related by othera, as We havo salit, a long timo betore us : Wo have notthought it important to repeat them here. In the fame Wayalso What is related of tho martyrdom at Edessa of Attaeus,

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Wo mention this cursorsy, as a faci related by others a long Whils ago. There came then into Armenia the Apostle Bartholomam, Who suffered martyrdom among us in the toWnos Mepan. to Simon, Who was sent into Persia, I cannot relato missi certain what he did, nor Where he suffered martyrdom. It is said that one Simon, an apostle, Was madi

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162 APPENDIX TO STRIAC DOCUMENTS. of Mesopotamia, in remembranco os the benefita ho hia r ceived from Abgar by Helenaea means. Helena, pious like her husband Abgar, did not Wish tolive in the midst os idolatere; she went a V in Jerusalem in tho timo os Claudius, during the famine Which Agabus had predicted; with ali her tremures sile bought in Egyptan immense quantity ot corn, Which ino distributed amongst the mor, a faci to Which Josephus testifies. Helencs tomb, a truly rem habio one, is stili to M seen Miore the gate ofJerusalem.

circumstance : it relates that an animal, a neW species, Wo

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