Here endeth the first book.
[2903] By Eusebius of Cæsarea.--Tr. The ms. from which this extract from Eusebius is taken is numbered 14,639, fol. 15 b. It is described in Cureton's Corpus Ignatianum, p. 350.
[2904] Book I. chapter the thirteenth.--Tr.
[2905] Properly Urrhoi, or Orrhoi (***). It seems probable that the word is connected with Osrhoene, the name of the province in which Edessa held an important place, the correct form of which is supposed to be Orrhoene. The name Edessa (***) occurs only once in these Documents, viz., in the "Acts of Sharbil," sub init.--Tr.
[2906] "By this title all the toparchs of Edessa were called, just as the Roman emperors were called Cæsars, the kings of Egypt Pharaohs or Ptolemies, the kings of Syria Antiochi." Assem., Bibl. Or., vol. i. p. 261. Assemani adds: "Abgar in Syriac means lame." Moses of Chorene, however, with more probability, derives it from the Armenian Avag-aïr, "grand homme, à cause de sa grande mansuétude et de sa sagesse, et de plus, à cause de sa taille." See below the extract from his History of Armenia, book ii. ch. 26.
[2907] Eusebius has di' epistolephorou. See note on tachudromou , on next page.--Tr.
[2908] Lit. "deemed him worthy of."--Tr.
[2909] Gr. soterian: and so the Syriac word, meaning "life," is generally to be translated in this collection.--Tr.
[2910] Syr. "near to him;" Gr. ton prosekonton.
[2911] His real name was Judas Thomas: see p. 8.
[2912] The name is taken from Eusebius, but in the original Syriac treatises, which follow, he is called Addæus.
[2913] In The Teaching of the Apostles he is said to have been one of the "seventy two apostles." His name, like that of Thomas, seems to have been the very common one, Judas.
[2914] These were kept in the archives of the kingdom, which were transferred by Abgar from Nisibis to Edessa when he made it the capital of his dominions. See Moses Chor. B. ii. ch. 27, infra. The archives appear to have been still kept at Edessa in a.d. 550. [Compare this fact with Tertullian's statement, vol. iii. p. 164.]
[2915] The kingdom of Edessa was brought to an end and entirely subjected to the Romans in a.d. 217 or 218.
[2916] The extract from the archives was probably made by Sextus Julius Africanus, and copied by Eusebius from his Chronographia.
[2917] Gr. toparchos.
[2918] Called Hanan in the original Syriac document; and so in Moses Chor.; Eusebius has 'Ananias, which is copied here.
[2919] Gr. tachudromou. But the post held by Hananias must have been one of more dignity than that of a courier. He was probably a Secretary of State. In The Acts of Addæus (infra) he is called, in connection with the name Tabularius, a sharir, or confidential servant. It would seem that Tabularius has been confounded with Tabellarius, a letter-carrier.--Tr.
[2920] Or "Abgar Uchomo." The epithet was peculiar to this King Abgar. He was the fourteenth king: the eleventh was called Abgar Sumoco, or "the Red." The occasion of the name "Black" is doubtful: it can hardly have arisen from the fact that Abgar was suffering, as Cedrenus asserts, from the black leprosy.--Tr.
[2921] "Head," or "chief."--Tr.
[2922] Comp. Matt. iv. 24; "And His fame went throughout all Syria," etc. See also Moses Chor. B. ii. c. 30.
[2923] Gr. antigraphenta, "written in reply."
[2924] [John ix. 39, and xx. 29, 31; Hab. i. 5; with Isa. lii. 15, liii. 1.]
[2925] Cureton, "were assembled and standing;" nearly as Euseb.: paronton kai hestoton. But in 2 Sam. xx. 1, the only reference given by Castel for the word *** is used for the Heb. nqr', "he chanced."--Tr.
[2926] ***, like the prosekunese of Eusebius, may be rendered "worshipped."--Tr.
[2927] ***; Gr. megalos, lit. "greatly;" C. "nobly." But nothing more than intensity is necessarily denoted by either word. Compare, for the Syriac, Ps. cxix. 107, 167; Dan. ii. 12.--Tr.
[2928] Compare the letters of Abgar and Tiberius, infra.
[2929] In another piece, The Teaching of Addæus, i.e., Thaddæus, we have a portion of the original Syriac from which Eusebius' translation was made. The only portions that correspond are: in the present piece, from this place to "--accept that of others," near the end; and, in the following one, from the beginning to "--that which is not ours." Some of the variations are worthy of notice.
[2930] See note 9, p. 657, infra.
[2931] This answers sufficiently well to the Greek: hos kai autos proselthon hupo tous podas autou epesen; but, as the original Syriac, p. 12, reads "he too brought his feet to him, and he laid his hands upon them and healed him," the Greek translation must have been at fault. For brought read presented.--Tr.
[2932] The original Syriac has "I will not hold my peace from declaring this."
[2933] So Euseb. The orig. Syr. has "His sender."
[2934] The orig. Syr. has "the certitude of His preaching." The error seems to have arisen from the Greek translator confounding *** with ***. More probably with ***, "newness (of his preaching)," which was freely translated by him (peri) tes kaines autou keruxeos; and this, again, was by the Syrian re-translator rendered literally, as in the text. The word certitude (above) may be rendered unerring truth. --Tr.
[2935] Or "Sheol," as in Hebrew. The orig. Syr. gives "the place of the dead."
[2936] Eph. ii. 14.
[2937] Comp. Matt. xxvii. 52.
[2938] Valesius says that the Edessenes commenced their era with the 117th Olympiad, the first year of the reign of Seleucus. The year 340 corresponds, therefore, with the fifteenth year of Tiberius. It should be the beginning of the 117th Olympiad.--Tr.
Ancient Syriac Documents.
------------------------
A Canticle of Mar [2939] Jacob the Teacher on Edessa. [2940]
Edessa sent to Christ by an epistle to come to her and enlighten her. On behalf of all the peoples did she make intercession to Him that He would leave Zion, which hated Him, and come to the peoples, who loved Him.
She despatched a messenger to Him, and begged of Him to enter into friendship with her. By the righteous king she made intercession to Him, that He would depart from the Jewish people, and towards the other peoples direct His burden.
From among all kings one wise king did the daughter of the peoples find. Ambassador she made him. To her Lord she sent by him: Come Thou unto me; I will forget in Thee all idols and carved images.
The harlot heard the report of Him from afar, as she was standing in the street, going astray with idols, playing the wench with carved images. She loved, she much desired Him, when He was far away, and begged Him to admit her into His chamber.
Let the much-desired Bridegroom kiss me: with the kisses of His mouth let me be blessed. I have heard of Him from afar: may I see Him near; and may I place my lips upon His, and be delighted by seeing Him with mine eyes.
Thy breasts are better to me than wine: for the fragrance of Thy sweetness is life for evermore. With Thy milk shall I be nourished; with Thy fragrance shall I grow sweet from the smoke of idols, which with its rank odour did make me fetid.
Draw me after Thee into Thy fold: for I am a sheep gone astray in the world. After Thee do I run, and Thy converse do I seek: that in me may be completed that number of a hundred, by means of a lost one which is found. [2941]
Let Gabriel rejoice and be exceeding glad, with the company of all the angels, in Thee, the Good Shepherd, who on Thy shoulders didst carry the maimed sheep, that that number of a hundred might be preserved.
Thy love is better than wine; than the face of the upright Thy affection. By wine let us be reminded of Thee, how by the cup of Thy blood Thou didst grant us to obtain new life, and the upright did celebrate Thy love.
A church am I from among the peoples, and I have loved the Only-begotten who was sent by God: whereas His betrothed hated Him, I have loved Him; and by the hands of Abgar the Black [2942] do I beseech Him to come to me and visit me.
Black am I, yet comely. Ye daughters of Zion, blameless is your envy, seeing that the Son of the Glorious One hath espoused me, to bring me into His chamber. Even when I was hateful, He loved me, for He is able to make me fairer than water.
Black was I in sins, but I am comely: for I have repented and turned me. I have put away in baptism that hateful hue, for He hath washed me in His innocent blood who is the Saviour of all creatures.
Here end the Extracts from the Canticle on Edessa. [2943]
[2939] Or, "My Lord," or "Mr."--Tr.
[2940] This is taken from Cod. Add. 17, 158, fol. 56, where is added: "when she sent to our Lord to come to her."
[2941] [Luke xv. 6.]
[2942] See note on p. 652.
[2943] [This ancient imitation of the Canticles shows how that book was understood, as of Christ and His Church.]
Ancient Syriac Documents.
------------------------
Extracts from Various Books Concerning Abgar the King and Addæus the Apostle.
I.
Of the blessed Addæus the apostle. From his teaching which he gave in Edessa before Abgar the King and the assembly of the city. [2944]
And, when he had entered the sepulchre, he was raised to life again, and came forth from the sepulchre with many. And those who were guarding the sepulchre saw not how He came forth from the sepulchre; but the watchers from on high--they were the proclaimers and announcers of His resurrection. For, had He not willed, He had not died, because He is Lord of death, the exit from this life; nor, had it not pleased Him, would He have put on a body, inasmuch as He is Himself the framer of the body. For that will which led Him to stoop to be born of the Virgin, likewise caused Him further to descend to the suffering of death.--And a little after (we read): For, although His appearance was that of men, yet His power, and His knowledge, and his authority, were those of God.
[2944] Taken from Cod. Add. 14,535, fol. i.
II.
From the teaching of Addæus the apostle, which was spoken in the city of Edessa. [2945]
Ye know that I said unto you, that none of the souls which go forth out of the bodies of men are under the power of death, but that they all live and continue to exist, and that there are for them mansions and an abode of rest. For the reasoning power of the soul does not cease, nor the knowledge, because it is the image of the immortal God. For it is not without perceptions, after the manner of the bodily frame, which has no perception of that corruption which has acquired dominion over it. Recompense, however, and reward it will not receive apart from its bodily form, because what it experiences belongs not to itself alone, but to the bodily form also in which it dwelt for a time. But the disobedient, who have not known God, will then repent without avail.
[2945] From Cod. Add. 12,155, fol. 53 vers.
III.
From the epistle of Addæus the apostle, which he spake in the city of Edessa. [2946]
Give heed to this ministry which ye hold, and with fear and trembling continue ye in it, and minister every day. Minister ye not in it with neglectful habits, but with the discreetness of faith. And let not the praises of Christ cease out of your mouth, and let not any sense of weariness come over you at the season of prayers. Give heed to the verity which ye hold, and to the teaching of the truth which ye have received, and to the teaching of salvation which I commit to you. Because before the tribunal of Christ will it be required of you, when He maketh reckoning with the pastors and overseers, and when He shall take His money from the traders with the usury of what they have taught. [2947] For He is the Son of a King, and goeth to receive a kingdom, and He will return and come and make a resuscitation to life of all men.
[2946] From Cod. Add. 17,193, fol. 36. See Teaching of Addæus, p. 657, infra.
[2947] Or "of the doctrines."--Tr.
IV.
Addæus [2948] preached at Edessa and in Mesopotamia (he was from Paneus [2949] ) in the days of Abgar the king. And, when he was among the Zophenians, Severus the son of Abgar sent and slew him at Agel Hasna, as also a young man his disciple.
[2948] Extracts iv. and v. are from Cod. Add. 14,601, fol. 164, written apparently in the eighth century.
[2949] i.e., Paneas.--Tr.
V.
71. and Narcissus. [2950] For they did not suffer that selection of the Seventy-two to be wanting, as likewise neither that of the Twelve. This man was of the Seventy-two: perhaps he was a disciple of Addæus the apostle.