The Promised Messiah

A¹nd after their punishment shall have come from the Lord, then will the Lord raise up to the priesthood a new Priest, to whom all the words of the Lord shall be revealed; and He shall execute a judgment of truth upon the earth, in the fulness of days.

² And His star shall arise in heaven, as a king shedding forth the light of knowledge in the sunshine of day, and He shall be magnified in the world until His ascension. ³ He shall shine forth as the sun in the earth, and shall drive away all darkness from the world under heaven, and there shall be peace in all the earth. ⁴ The heavens shall rejoice in His days, and the earth shall be glad, and the clouds shall be joyful, and the knowledge of the Lord shall be poured forth upon the earth, as the water of seas; and the angels of the glory of the presence of the Lord shall be glad in Him. ⁵ The heavens shall be opened, and from the temple of glory shall the sanctification come upon Him with the Father’s voice, as from Abraham the father of Isaac. ⁶ And the glory of the Most High shall be uttered over Him, and the spirit of understanding and of sanctification shall rest upon Him in the water. ⁷ He shall give the majesty of the Lord to His sons in truth for evermore; and there shall none succeed Him for all generations, even for ever. ⁸ And in His priesthood shall all sin come to an end, and the lawless shall rest from evil, and the just shall rest in Him. ⁹ And He shall open the gates of paradise, and shall remove the threatening sword against Adam; and He shall give to His saints to eat from the tree of life, and the spirit of holiness shall be on them. ¹⁰ And Beliar shall be bound by Him, and He shall give power to His children to tread upon the evil spirits. ¹¹ And the Lord shall rejoice in His children, and the Lord shall be well pleased in His beloved for ever. ¹² Then shall Abraham and Isaac and Jacob be joyful, and I will be glad, and all the saints shall put on gladness.

A¹nd after these things shall a Star arise to you from Jacob in peace, and a Man shall rise from my seed, like the Sun of righteousness, walking with the sons of men in meekness and righteousness, and no sin shall be found in Him.

² And the heavens shall be opened above Him, to shed forth the blessing of the Spirit from the Holy Father; and He shall shed forth a spirit of grace upon you, and ye shall be unto Him sons in truth, and ye shall walk in His commandments, the first and the last. ³ This is the Branch of God Most High, and this the Well-spring unto life for all flesh. ⁴ Then shall the sceptre of my kingdom shine forth, and from your root shall arise a stem; and in it shall arise a rod of righteousness to the Gentiles, to judge and to save all that call upon the Lord.

H¹ear ye also, my children, the visions which I saw.

² There were twelve deer feeding, and the nine were divided and scattered in the land, likewise also the three. ³ And I saw that from Judah was born a virgin wearing a linen garment, and from her went forth a Lamb, without spot, and on His left hand there was as it were a lion; and all the beasts rushed against Him, and the lamb overcame them, and destroyed them, and trod them under foot. ⁴ And because of Him the angels rejoiced, and men, and all the earth. ⁵ And these things shall take place in their season, in the last days. ⁶ Do ye therefore, my children, observe the commandments of the Lord, and honour Judah and Levi; for from them shall arise unto you the Lamb of God, by grace saving all the Gentiles and Israel. ⁷ For His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which shall not be shaken; but my kingdom among you shall come to an end as a watcher’s hammock, which after the summer will not appear.

A¹nd he took me into the air of the seventh heaven, and moreover I heard a voice saying: ‘How far will he ascend that dwelleth in the flesh?’ and I feared and trembled.

² And when I trembled, behold I heard from hence another voice being sent forth, and saying: ‘It is permitted to the holy Isaiah to ascend hither; for here is his garment.’ ³ And I asked the angel who was with me and said: ‘Who is he who forbade me and who is he who permitted me to ascend?’ ⁴ And he said unto me: ‘He who forbade thee, this is he who is over the praise-giving of the sixth heaven. ⁵ And He who permitted thee, this is thy Lord God, the Lord Christ, who will be called “Jesus” in the world, but His name thou canst not hear till thou hast ascended out of thy body.’ ⁶ And he raised me up into the seventh heaven, and I saw there a wonderful light and angels innumerable. ⁷ And there I saw all the righteous from the time of Adam. ⁸ And there I saw the holy Abel and all the righteous. ⁹ And there I saw Enoch and all who were with him, stript of the garments of the flesh, and I saw them in their garments of the upper world, and they were like angels, standing there in great glory. ¹⁰ But they sat not on their thrones, nor were their crowns of glory on them. ¹¹ And I asked the angel who was with me: ‘How is it that they have received the garments, but have not the thrones and the crowns?’ ¹² And he said unto me: ‘Crowns and thrones of glory they do not receive, till the Beloved will descend in the form in which you will see Him descend, will descend, I say, into the world in the last days the Lord, who will be called Christ. ¹³ Nevertheless they see and know whose will be thrones, and whose the crowns when He has descended, and been made in your form, and they will think that He is flesh and is a man. ¹⁴ And the god of that world will stretch forth his hand against the Son, and they will crucify Him on a tree, and will slay Him not knowing who He is. ¹⁵ And thus His descent, as you will see, will be hidden even from the heavens, so that it will not be known who He is. ¹⁶ And when He hath plundered the angel of death, He will ascend on the third day, and he will remain in that world five hundred and forty-five days. ¹⁷ And then many of the righteous will ascend with Him, whose spirits do not receive their garments till the Lord Christ ascend and they ascend with Him. ¹⁸ Then indeed they will receive their garments and thrones and crowns, when He has ascended into the seventh heaven. ¹⁹ And I said unto him that which I had asked him in the third heaven: ²⁰ ‘Show me how everything which is done in that world is here made known.’ ²¹ And whilst I was still speaking with him, behold one of the angels who stood nigh, more glorious than the glory of that angel, who had raised me up from the world, ²² Showed me a book, but not as a book of this world and he opened it, and the book was written, but not as a book of this world. And he gave (it) to me and I read it, and lo! the deeds of the children of Israel were written therein, and the deeds of those whom I know (not), my son Josab. ²³ And I said: ‘In truth, there is nothing hidden in the seventh heaven, which is done in this world.’ ²⁴ And I saw there many garments laid up, and many thrones and many crowns. ²⁵ And I said to the angel: ‘Whose are these garments and thrones and crowns?’ ²⁶ And he said unto me: ‘These garments many from that world will receive, believing in the words of That One, who shall be named as I told thee, and they will observe those things, and believe in them, and believe in His cross: for them are these laid up.’ ²⁷ And I saw a certain One standing, whose glory surpassed that of all, and His glory was great and wonderful. ²⁸ And after I had seen Him, all the righteous whom I had seen and also the angels whom I had seen came to Him. And Adam and Abel and Seth, and all the righteous first drew near and worshipped Him, and they all praised Him with one voice, and I myself also gave praise with them, and my giving of praise was as theirs. ²⁹ And then all the angels drew nigh and worshipped and gave praise. ³⁰ And I was (again) transformed and became like an angel. ³¹ And thereupon the angel who conducted me, said to me: ‘Worship this One,’ and I worshipped and praised. ³² And the angel said unto me: ‘This is the Lord of all the praisegivings which thou hast seen.’ ³³ And whilst he was still speaking, I saw another Glorious One who was like Him, and the righteous drew nigh and worshipped and praised, and I praised together with them. But my glory was not transformed into accordance with their form. ³⁴ And thereupon the angels drew near and worshipped Him. ³⁵ And I saw the Lord and the second angel, and they were standing. ³⁶ And the second whom I saw was on the left of my Lord. And I asked: ‘Who is this?’ and he said unto me: ‘Worship Him, for He is the angel of the Holy Spirit, who speaketh in thee and the rest of the righteous.’ ³⁷ And I saw the great glory, the eyes of my spirit being open, and I could not thereupon see, nor yet could the angel who was with me, nor all the angels whom I had seen worshipping my Lord. ³⁸ But I saw the righteous beholding with great power the glory of that One. ³⁹ And my Lord drew nigh to me and the angel of the Spirit and He said: ‘See how it is given to thee to see God, and on thy account power is given to the angel who is with thee.’ ⁴⁰ And I saw how my Lord and the angel of the Spirit worshipped, and they both together praised God. ⁴¹ And thereupon all the righteous drew near and worshipped. ⁴² And the angels drew near and worshipped and all the angels praised.

A¹nd thereupon I heard the voices and the giving of praise, which I had heard in each of the six heavens, ascending and being heard there:

² And all were being sent up to that Glorious One whose glory I could not behold. ³ And I myself was hearing and beholding the praise (which was given) to Him. ⁴ And the Lord and the angel of the Spirit were beholding all and hearing all. ⁵ And all the praises which are sent up from the six heavens are not only heard but seen. ⁶ And I heard the angel who conducted me and he said: ‘This is the Most High of the high ones, dwelling in the holy world, and resting in His holy ones, who will be called by the Holy Spirit through the lips of the righteous the Father of the Lord.’ ⁷ And I heard the voice of the Most High the Father of my Lord saying to my Lord Christ who will be called Jesus: ⁸ ‘Go forth and descend through all the heavens, and thou wilt descend to the firmament and that world: to the angel in Sheol thou wilt descend, but to Haguel thou wilt not go. ⁹ And thou wilt become like unto the likeness of all who are in the five heavens. ¹⁰ And thou wilt be careful to become like the form of the angels of the firmament and the angels also who are in Sheol. ¹¹ And none of the angels of that world shall know that Thou art Lord with Me of the seven heavens and of their angels. ¹² And they shall not know that Thou art with Me, till with a loud voice I have called (to) the heavens, and their angels and their lights, (even) unto the sixth heaven, in order that you mayst judge and destroy the princes and angels and gods of that world, and the world that is dominated by them: ¹³ For they have denied Me and said: “We alone are and there is none beside us.” ¹⁴ And afterwards from the angels of death Thou wilt ascend to Thy place, and Thou wilt not be transformed in each heaven, but in glory wilt Thou ascend and sit on My right hand. ¹⁵ And thereupon the princes and powers of that world will worship Thee.’ ¹⁶ These commands I heard the Great Glory giving to my Lord. ¹⁷ And so I saw my Lord go forth from the seventh heaven into the sixth heaven. ¹⁸ And the angel who conducted me from this world was with me and said unto me: ‘Understand, Isaiah, and see how the transformation and descent of the Lord will appear. ¹⁹ And I saw, and when the angels saw Him, thereupon those in the sixth heaven praised and lauded Him; for He had not been transformed after the shape of the angels there, and they praised Him and I also praised with them. ²⁰ And I saw when He descended into the fifth heaven, that in the fifth heaven He made Himself like unto the form of the angels there, and they did not praise Him (nor worship Him); for His form was like unto theirs. ²¹ And then He descended into the fourth heaven, and made Himself like unto the form of the angels there. ²² And when they saw Him, they did not praise or laud Him; for His form was like unto their form. ²³ And again I saw when He descended into the third heaven, and He made Himself like unto the form of the angels in the third heaven. ²⁴ And those who kept the gate of the (third) heaven demanded the password, and the Lord gave (it) to them in order that He should not be recognized. And when they saw Him, they did not praise or laud Him; for His form was like unto their form. ²⁵ And again I saw when He descended into the second heaven, and again He gave the password there; those who kept the gate proceeded to demand and the Lord to give. ²⁶ And I saw when He made Himself like unto the form of the angels in the second heaven, and they saw Him and they did not praise Him; for His form was like unto their form. ²⁷ And again I saw when He descended into the first heaven, and there also He gave the password to those who kept the gate, and He made Himself like unto the form of the angels who were on the left of that throne, and they neither praised nor lauded Him; for His form was like unto their form. ²⁸ But as for me no one asked me on account of the angel who conducted me. ²⁹ And again He descended into the firmament where dwelleth the ruler of this world, and He gave the password to those on the left, and His form was like theirs, and they did not praise Him there; but they were envying one another and fighting; for here there is a power of evil and envying about trifles. ³⁰ And I saw when He descended and made Himself like unto the angels of the air, and He was like one of them. ³¹ And He gave no password; for one was plundering and doing violence to another.

A¹fter this I saw, and the angel who spoke with me, who conducted me, said unto me: ‘Understand, Isaiah son of Amoz; for for this purpose have I been sent from God.’

² And I indeed saw a woman of the family of David the prophet, named Mary, a Virgin, and she was espoused to a man named Joseph, a carpenter, and he also was of the seed and family of the righteous David of Bethlehem Judah. ³ And he came into his lot. And when she was espoused, she was found with child, and Joseph the carpenter was desirous to put her away. ⁴ But the angel of the Spirit appeared in this world, and after that Joseph did not put her away, but kept Mary and did not reveal this matter to any one. ⁵ And he did not approach Mary, but kept her as a holy virgin, though with child. ⁶ And he did not live with her for two months. ⁷ And after two months of days while Joseph was in his house, and Mary his wife, but both alone, ⁸ It came to pass that when they were alone that Mary straightway looked with her eyes and saw a small babe, and she was astonied. ⁹ And after she had been astonied, her womb was found as formerly before she had conceived. ¹⁰ And when her husband Joseph said unto her: ‘What has astonied thee?’ his eyes were opened and he saw the infant and praised God, because into his portion God had come. ¹¹ And a voice came to them: ‘Tell this vision to no one.’ ¹² And the story regarding the infant was noised abroad in Bethlehem. ¹³ Some said: ‘The Virgin Mary hath borne a child, before she was married two months.’ ¹⁴ And many said: ‘She has not borne a child, nor has a midwife gone up (to her), nor have we heard the cries of (labour) pains.’ And they were all blinded respecting Him and they all knew regarding Him, though they knew not whence He was. ¹⁵ And they took Him, and went to Nazareth in Galilee. ¹⁶ And I saw, O Hezekiah and Josab my son, and I declare to the other prophets also who are standing by, that (this) hath escaped all the heavens and all the princes and all the gods of this world. ¹⁷ And I saw: In Nazareth He sucked the breast as a babe and as is customary in order that He might not be recognized. ¹⁸ And when He had grown up He worked great signs and wonders in the land of Israel and of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ And after this the adversary envied Him and roused the children of Israel against Him, not knowing who He was, and they delivered Him to the king, and crucified Him, and He descended to the angel (of Sheol). ²⁰ In Jerusalem indeed I saw Him being crucified on a tree: ²¹ And likewise after the third day rise again and remain days. ²² And the angel who conducted me said: ‘Understand, Isaiah:’ and I saw when He sent out the Twelve Apostles and ascended. ²³ And I saw Him, and He was in the firmament, but He had not changed Himself into their form, and all the angels of the firmament and the Satans saw Him and they worshipped. ²⁴ And there was much sorrow there, while they said: ‘How did our Lord descend in our midst, and we perceived not the glory which has been upon Him, which we see has been upon Him from the sixth heaven?’ ²⁵ And He ascended into the second heaven, and He did not transform Himself, but all the angels who were on the right and on the left and the throne in the midst ²⁶ Both worshipped Him and praised Him and said: ‘How did our Lord escape us whilst descending, and we perceived not?’ ²⁷ And in like manner He ascended into the third heaven, and they praised and said in like manner. ²⁸ And in the fourth heaven and in the fifth also they said precisely after the same manner. ²⁹ But there was one glory, and from it He did not change Himself. ³⁰ And I saw when He ascended into the sixth heaven, and they worshipped and glorified Him. ³¹ But in all the heavens the praise increased (in volume). ³² And I saw how He ascended into the seventh heaven, and all the righteous and all the angels praised Him. And then I saw Him sit down on the right hand of that Great Glory whose glory I told you that I could not behold. ³³ And also the angel of the Holy Spirit I saw sitting on the left hand. ³⁴ And this angel said unto me: ‘Isaiah, son of Amoz, it is enough for thee; for these are great things; for thou hast seen what no child of flesh has seen. ³⁵ And thou wilt return into thy garment (of the flesh) until thy days are completed. Then thou wilt come hither. ³⁶ These things Isaiah saw and told unto all that stood before him, and they praised. And he spake to Hezekiah the King and said: ‘I have spoken these things.’ ³⁷ Both the end of this world; ³⁸ And all this vision will be consummated in the last generations. ³⁹ And Isaiah made him swear that he would not tell (it) to the people of Israel, nor give these words to any man to transcribe. ⁴⁰ Such things ye will read. And watch ye in the Holy Spirit in order that ye may receive your garments and thrones and crowns of glory which are laid up in the seventh heaven. ⁴¹ On account of these visions and prophecies Sammael Satan sawed in sunder Isaiah the son of Amos, the prophet, by the hand of Manasseh. ⁴² And all these things Hezekiah delivered to Manasseh in the twenty-sixth year. ⁴³ But Manasseh did not remember them nor place these things in his heart, but becoming the servant of Satan he was destroyed.

O¹bserve now, O thou lover of learning, our brother Nemesius, in the forty-second year of the kingdom of Augustus, Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judah, as it is written in the Holy Gospel. Now, it was two years before Christ was born that the star appeared to the Magi. They saw the star in the firmament of heaven, and the brilliancy of its appearance was brighter than that of every other star.

² And within it was a maiden carrying a child, and a crown was set upon his head. Now it was the custom of the ancient kings, and the Magi of the Chaldeans, to consult the Signs of the Zodiac about all the affairs of their lives. And when the Magi saw the star they were perturbed, and terrified, and afraid, and the whole land of Persia was disturbed. ³ And the kings, and the Magi, and the Chaldeans, and the wise men of Persia, were stupefied, and they were exceedingly afraid of the portent which they saw. And they said, Peradventure the king of the Greeks hath determined to wage war against the land of Nimrod.” And the Magi and the Chaldeans were terrified, and they consulted their books of wisdom, and through the might of the wisdom of their books they understood and learned, and stood upon the strength of the truth. ⁴ Now, in truth, the Magi of the Chaldeans discovered that by means of the motions of the stars, to which they gave the name of “Signs of the Zodiac,” they were able to know and understand the strength (or, importance) of events before they took place. And this same knowledge is also given to those who go down into the sea, and by the motions of the stars they know beforehand when there is going to be a disturbance of the winds, and when a violent storm is going to rise up against them, and whenever they are about to be threatened with danger from winds and waves. ⁵ Thus also was it with the Magi. When they saw and read in the “Revelation of Nimrod” they discovered therein that a king was born in Judah, and the whole path of the Dispensation of Christ was revealed unto them.

A¹nd know thou also that Christ dwelt in Mary, and suffered in Nazareth, and was born in Bethlehem, and was laid in a manger, and was carried by Simeon in the Temple of Solomon, and was reared in Galilee, and was anointed by Mary Magdalene, and ate the Passover in the house of Nicodemus, the brother of Joseph of Rametha, and was bound in the house of Hannan, and was struck with a reed in the house of Caiaphas, and embraced the pillar and was scourged with a whip in the Pratorium of Pilate, and on Friday, on the first day of Nisán (April), on the fourteenth day of the moon, our Redeemer suffered.

² At the FIRST HOUR of Friday God fashioned Adam from the dust, and at the first hour of Friday Christ received spittle from the sons of Adam. At the SECOND HOUR of Friday the wild beasts, and the cattle, and the feathered fowl gathered themselves together to Adam, and he gave names to them as they bowed their heads before him. ³ And at the second hour of Friday the Jews gathered themselves together against Christ, and they gnashed their teeth at Him, even as the blessed David said, “Many bulls have gathered together round about me, bulls of Bashan have beset me round” (Ps. xxii. 12). At the THIRD HOUR of Friday a crown of glory was placed on the head of Adam, and at the third hour of Friday the crown of thorns was placed on the head of Christ. ⁴ THREE HOURS was Adam in Paradise and shining with splendour, and three hours was Christ in the Judgment Hall being beaten by creatures that had been fashioned out of dust. At the SIXTH HOUR Eve went up to the tree of the transgression of the commandment, and at the sixth hour Christ ascended the Cross, the Tree of Life. ⁵ At the SIXTH HOUR Eve gave unto Adam the fruit of the gall of death, and at the sixth hour the crowd of iniquity gave unto Christ vinegar and gall. For THREE HOURS Adam remained under the Tree naked, and for three hours was Christ naked on the wood of the Cross. And from the right side of Adam went forth Eve, the mother of mortal offspring, and from the right side of Christ went forth baptism, the mother of immortal offspring. ⁶ On Friday Adam and Eve sinned, and on Friday their sin was remitted. On Friday Adam and Eve died, and on Friday they came alive. On Friday Death reigned over them, and on Friday they were freed from his dominion. On Friday Adam and Eve went forth from Paradise, and on Fnday our Lord went into the grave. ⁷ On Friday Adam and Eve became naked, and on Friday Christ stripped Himself naked and clothed them. On Friday Satan stripped Adam and Eve naked, and on Friday Christ stripped naked Satan and all his hosts, and put them to shame openly. On Friday the door of Paradise was shut and Adam went forth, and on Friday it was opened and a robber went in. ⁸ On Friday the two-edged sword was given to the Cherub, and on Friday Christ smote with the spear, and brake the two-edged sword. On Friday kingdom, and priesthood, and prophecy were given unto Adam, and on Friday priesthood, and kingdom, and prophecy were taken from the Jews. At the NINTH HOUR Adam went down into the lowest depth of the earth from the height of Paradise, and at the ninth hour Christ went down to the lowest depths of the earth, to those who lay in the dust, from the height of the Cross. ⁹ Know also that Christ was like unto Adam in everything, even as it is written. In that very place where Melchisedek ministered as a priest, and where Abraham offered up his son Isaac as an offering, the wood of the Cross was set up, and that self-same place is the centre of the earth, and there the Four Quarters of the earth meet each other. ¹⁰ For when God made the earth His mighty power was running before it, and the earth was running after it, and the power of God stood still and became motionless in Golgotha; and that same place formeth the boundary of the earth. When Shem took up the body of Adam, that same place, which is the door of the earth, opened itself. ¹¹ And when Shem and Melchisedek had deposited the body of Adam in the centre of the earth the Four Quarters of the earth closed in about it, and embraced Adam, and straightway that opening was closed firmly, and all the children of Adam were not able to open it. And when the Cross of Christ, the Redeemer of Adam and his sons, was set up upon it, the door of that place was opened in the face of Adam. ¹² And when the Wood (i.e. the Cross) was fixed upon it, and Christ was smitten with the spear, and blood and water flowed down from His side, they ran down into the mouth of Adam, and they became a baptism to him, and he was baptized. Now when the Jews crucified Christ on the Wood, they divided His garments among them beneath the Cross, even as it is written. ¹³ His tunic was of purple, which is the raiment of royalty; and when they stripped Him of the raiment of royalty Pilate would not permit the Jews to array Him in ordinary apparel, but only in the actual raiment of royalty, either purple or scarlet. By both of these it might be known that He was a king. ¹⁴ For it is impossible for any other man to wear purple; only a king can do this. And one of the Evangelists hath said, “The soldiers put on Him a purple robe” (Mark xv. 17; John xix. 2, 5), and this is a true word and is highly credible; and another Evangelist uses the word “scarlet” (Matt. xxvii. 28), and he proclaimed what was true. ¹⁵ The scarlet garment indicateth to us blood, and the purple garment water; for the scarlet one was like unto blood, and the purple one was like unto water. The scarlet garment proclaimeth the joyful and immortal nature of man, and the purple one the sad and mortal nature of man. Understand, therefore, O our brother Nemesius, that scarlet proclaimeth life. ¹⁶ Now the spies said prophetically to Rahab, the harlot, “thou shalt tie a thread of scarlet to the window” (Joshua ii. 18) when they descended having been [well] entreated by her. And through her they prefigured a certain matter, for the window [symbolized] the side of our Lord Christ, and the thread of scarlet His precious blood which produced life. ¹⁷ And they (i.e. the Jews) wove a crown of spikes of thorn bushes, and set it upon His head. And they arrayed Him in royal apparel, not knowing what they were doing. And they bowed the knee, and made obeisance unto Him, and they spake with their mouths, without being compelled to do so, saying, “Hail to Thee, King of the Jews.” ¹⁸ Observe ye, O my brethren, that not even in His death did He lack the [sign of] royalty. And when the Jews and the soldiers who were the servants of Herod and Pilate were struggling together to rend the tunic of Christ, to divide it among them, they did so because they all eagerly desired the beauty of the sight thereof. ¹⁹ And the centurion also who watched the Cross himself testified before all the crowd, saying, “Verily, this man is the Son of God.” And this centurion said unto them, “The orders which have been given to me do not permit me to rend the apparel of royalty, but cast lots for it [and we shall see] to whom it will come”; and when the Jews and the soldiers of the king had cast lots, the lot fell upon one of the soldiers of Pilate. ²⁰ Now the tunic of our Lord had no seam, but had been woven whole in one piece. And whensoever there was a lack of rain in the place where it had been deposited and taken care of, the people used to bring out the tunic, and as soon as they lifted it up towards heaven an abundance of rain fell. And also, whensoever the soldier who had received it lacked rain for his crop, he brought out the tunic, and it worked this miracle. ²¹ Now the tunic was taken away by force from the man who got it by Pilate, who sent it to the Emperor Tiberius. To us this tunic indicateth the Orthodox Faith, which all the nations [joined] together are unable to cleave. Three valuable gifts, than which there is nothing more valuable, were given to the Jews in olden time, namely, royalty, priesthood, and prophecy: prophecy by the hand of Moses, priesthood by the hand of Aaron, and royalty by the hand of David. ²² These three gifts which the generations and families of the children of Israel had enjoyed for [many] years were taken from them in one day; and they were stripped of all three of them, and became aliens to them, that is to say, prophecy by the Cross, priesthood by the rending of the tunic [of Christ], and royalty by the crown of thorns. ²³ Moreover, that spirit of compassion (or propitiation) which had dwelt in the Temple, in the Holy of Holies, forsook them and departed. And the curtain (or veil) of the sanctuary was cleft in twain. And the Passover fled from them, for they never celebrated another Passoverinit. And know, O my brethren, that when Pilate pressed them to go into the Judgment Hall, they said unto him, “We are unable to go into the Pretorium, because up to now we have not eaten the Passover.” ²⁴ And when the sentence of death had been passed on our Lord by Pilate, they (the Jews) made haste and went into the sanctuary and brought out from thence the carrying poles of the Ark of the Covenant, and out of them they made the Cross of Christ. Verily it was meet that these pieces of wood which used to carry the Covenant should also carry the Lord of the Covenant. ²⁵ The Cross of Christ was formed of two pieces of wood which were of the same height, and depth, and length, and breadth. And Paul the Apostle laboured exceedingly that the Gentiles might know what was the might of the Cross, which embraced the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the earth. And when they raised up Christ, the Lamp of Light of all the earth, and set Him upon the candlestick of the Cross, the light of the sun became dark, and was extinguished, and a covering of darkness was spread over the whole earth. ²⁶ Three nails were driven into the body of our Redeemer, two through His hands, and one through both His feet. And there were two thieves [with Him], one on His right hand and one on His left hand. And they handed out to Him vinegar and gall in a sponge. By the vinegar which they gave unto Him it was made known concerning them that their will was changed from what it had been formerly, and that they had turned themselves from integrity to wickedness, and by the gall was made known the bitterness of the accursed serpent which was in them. ²⁷ And they showed that they also had belonged to that good vineyard from which prophets, and kings, and priests, and they themselves had drunk; but because they had become wicked heirs, who would not labour in the vineyard of my beloved, they produced husks instead of grapes, and the wine which they pressed out therefrom was sour. ²⁸ And having crucified the Heir on the Wood, they mixed some of the impurity of their wickedness with their sour wine, and gave Him to drink of the wine from the vineyard of the Gentiles; but He would not drink [saying], “Give me of that vine which My Father brought out of Egypt.” For Christ knew that the prophecy of Moses which had been prophesied concerning them had been fulfilled in them; for Moses said, “Your grapes are grapes of gall, your clusters are bitter. Your poison is the poison of the serpent, and their head is that of a malignant viper. These are the things which ye render unto the Lord” (Deut. xxxii. ²⁹ 32, 33). Observe, O my brother Nemesius, that the blessed Moses with the eye of the Spirit foresaw the things which they were going to do to Christ [and said], “These are the things which ye render to the Lord.” The congregation of the crucifiers was a decayed vine, its daughters were bitter grapes, and its sons were clusters of gall. ³⁰ Their head was Caiaphas, the malignant viper, and they were all evil serpents, and all of them were filled with the venom of Satan, who is the Evil Serpent. Instead of the water of the rock which had been given them to drink in the wilderness, they gave Him vinegar to drink, and instead of manna, the gall of the quail. ³¹ They did not give Him a cup to drink from, but a sponge, so that they might show that the blessing of their fathers had been swept away from them. Now this is evident from what follows: When a vessel is empty and there is no wine in it, they wash and wipe it with a sponge. Even so did the Jews do when they crucified Christ, [for] with a sponge they wiped away and removed from themselves royalty, and priesthood, and prophecy, and the religion of Christ, and gave them to Christ, and the vessels of their bodies washed and empty remained only. ³² And the Law and the Prophets having been fulfilled, and Adam having been sent and seen the fountain of living water which was poured out from above for his redemption, then was Christ smitten with the spear, and blood and water flowed down from His side; but they were not mingled with each other. For what reason did the blood come forth before the water? ³³ For two reasons: First, that through the blood life might be given unto Adam, and then, after life and resurrection, the water for his baptism. Secondly, that through the blood He might show that He was immortal, and through the water He might show that He was mortal, and a bearer of sufferings. The blood and the water ran down into the mouth of Adam, and Adam was redeemed, and put on a garment of glory. ³⁴ And Christ wrote the edict of His return with the blood of His own Person, and despatched it by the thief. And when an end had been made of everything, the writ of repudiation of the congregation was written, and the congregation became a thing cast aside, and it was stripped of its glorious raiment, even as in times of old David had, through the Holy Spirit, said and prophesied, saying, “Even unto the horns of the altar “(Ps. cxviii. 22?)—to this pass were the festivals of the Jews brought.’ Unto the horns of the altar “[means] to the crucifixion of Christ, that is to say:

N¹ow the descent of Sheol was not in vain, for it was the cause of manifold benefits to our race. He dismissed Death from his domination. He preached the resurrection to those who were lying in the dust, and He pardoned those who had sinned against the Law. He laid waste Sheol, and slew sin. He put Satan to shame, and made the devils sad, and He abrogated sacrifices and offerings and made an apology for Adam, and abolished the festivals of the Jews.

"¹ And again, there shall be unto thee a sign that the Saviour shall come from thy seed, and that He shall deliver thee with thy fathers and thy seed after thee by His coming. Your salvation was created in the belly of Adam in the form of a Pearl before Eve.

² And when He created Eve out of the rib He brought her to Adam, and said unto them, ' Multiply you from the belly of Adam.' The Pearl did not go out into Cain or Abel, but into the third that went forth from the belly of Adam, and it entered into the belly of Seth. ³ And then passing from him that Pearl went into those who were the firstborn, and came to Abraham. And it did not go from Abraham into his firstborn Ishmael, but it tarried and came into Isaac the pure. ⁴ And it did not go into his firstborn, the arrogant Esau, but it went into Jacob the lowly one. And it did not enter from him into his firstborn, the erring Reuben, but into Judah, the innocent one. And it did not go forth from Judah until four sinners had been born, but it came to Fares (Perez), the patient one. ⁵ And from him this Pearl went to the firstborn until it came into the belly of Jesse, the father of thy father. And then it waited until six men of wrath had been born, and after that it came to the seventh, David, thy innocent and humble father; for God hateth the arrogant and proud, and loveth the innocent and humble. ⁶ And then it waited in the loins of thy father until five erring fools had been born, when it came into thy loins because of thy wisdom and understanding. And then the Pearl waited, and it did not go forth into thy firstborn. ⁷ For those good men of his country neither denied Him nor crucified Him, like Israel thy people; when they saw Him Who wrought miracles, Who was to be born from the Pearl, they believed on Him when they heard the report of Him. ⁸ And the Pearl did not go forth into thy youngest son 'Adrami. For those good men neither crucified Him nor denied Him when they saw the working of miracles and wonders by Him that was to be born from the Pearl, and afterwards they believed in Him through His disciples. " Now the Pearl, which is to be your salvation, went forth from thy belly and entered into the belly of 'lyorbe'am (Rehoboam) thy son, because of the wickedness of Israel thy people, who in their denial and in their wickedness crucified Him. ⁹ But if He had not been crucified He could not have been your salvation. For He was crucified without sin, and He rose [again] without corruption. And for the sake of this He went down to you into Sheol, and tore down its walls, that He might deliver you and bring you out, and show mercy upon all of you. ¹⁰ Ye in whose bellies the Pearl shall be carried shall be saved with your wives, and none of you shall be destroyed, from your father Adam unto him that shall come, thy kinsman '£lyakem (Joachim), and from Eve thy mother, the wife of Adam, to Noah and his wife Tarmiza, to Tara (Terah) and his wife 'Aminya, and to Abraham and his wife Sara (Sarah), and to Isaac and his wife Rebka (Rebecca), and to Jacob and his wife Leya (Leah), and to Yahuda and his bride Te'emar (Tamar), and to thy father and his wife Bersabeh (Bathsheba), and to thyself and Tarbana thy wife, and to Rehoboam thy son and his wife 'Amis a, and to lyo'akem (Joachim) thy kinsman, who is to come, and his wife Hanna. " None of you who shall have carried the Pearl shall be destroyed, and whether it be your men or your women, those who shall have carried the Pearl shall not be destroyed. ¹¹ For the Pearl shall be carried by the men who shall be righteous, and the women who have carried the Pearl shall not be destroyed, for they shall become pure through that Pearl, for it is holy and pure, and by it they shall be made holy and pure; and for its sake and for the sake of Zion He hath created the whole world. ¹² Zion hath taken up her abode with thy firstborn and she shall be the salvation of the people of Ethiopia for ever; and the Pearl shall be carried in the belly of 'Ayorbe'am (Rehoboam) thy son, and shall be the saviour of all the world. ¹³ And when the appointed time hath come this Pearl shall be born of thy seed, for it is exceedingly pure, seven times purer than the sun. ¹⁴ And the Redeemer shall come from the seat of His Godhead, and shall dwell upon her, and shall put on her flesh, and straightway thou thyself shalt announce to her what my Lord and thy Lord speaketh to me. " I am Gabriel the Angel, the protector of those who shall carry the Pearl from the body of Adam even to the belly of Hanna, so that I may keep from servitude and pollution you wherein the Pearl shall dwell. ¹⁵ And Michael hath been commanded to direct and keep Zion wheresoever she goeth, and Uriel shall direct and keep the wood of the thicket which shall be the Cross of the Saviour. And when thy people in their envy have crucified Him, they shall rush upon His Cross because of the multitude of miracles that shall take place through it, and they shall be put to shame when they see its wonders. ¹⁶ And in the last times a descendant of thy son 'Adramis shall take the wood of the Cross, the third [means of] salvation that shall be sent upon the earth. The Angel Michael is with Zion, with David thy firstborn, who hath taken the throne of David thy father. ¹⁷ And I am with the pure Pearl for him that shall reign for ever, with Rehoboam thy second son; and the Angel Uriel is with thy youngest son 'Adrami[s]. This have I told thee, and thou shalt not make thy heart to be sad because of thine own salvation and that of thy son." ¹⁸ And when Solomon had heard these words, his strength came [back] to him on his bed, and he prostrated himself before the Angel of God, and said, " I give thanks unto the Lord, my Lord and thy Lord, O thou radiant being of the spirit, because thou hast made me to hear a word which filleth me with gladness, and because He doth not cut off my soul from the inheritance of my father because of my sin, and because my repentance hath been accepted after mine affliction, and because He hath regarded my tears, and hath heard my cry of grief, and hath looked upon my affliction, and hath not let me die in my grief, but hath made me to rejoice before my soul shall go forth from my body. ¹⁹ Henceforward [the thought of] dying shall not make me sorrowful, and I will love death as I love life. Henceforward I will drink of the bitter cup of death as if it were honey, and henceforward I will love the grave as if it were an abode of costly gems. ²⁰ And when I have descended and have been thrust down deep into Sheol because of my sins, I shall not suffer grief, because I have heard the word which hath made me glad. And when I have gone down into the lowest depth of the deepest deep of Sheol, because of my sins, what will it matter to me? ²¹ And if He crush me to powder in His hand and scatter me to the ends of the earth and to the winds because of my sins, it will not make me sorrowful, because I have heard the word that hath made me to rejoice, and God hath not cut my soul off from the inheritance of my fathers. ²² And my soul shall be with the soul of David my father, and with the soul of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob my fathers. And the Saviour shall come and shall bring us out from Sheol with all my fathers, and my kinsmen, old and young. ²³ And as for my children, they shall have upon earth three mighty angels to protect them. I have found the kingdom of the heavens, and the kingdom of the earth. Who is like unto God, the Merciful, Who showeth mercy to His handiwork and glorifieth it, Who forgiveth the sins of the sinners and Who doth not blot out the memorial of the penitent? For His whole Person is forgiveness, and His whole Person is mercy, and to Him belongeth praise." Amen.

A¹nd now hearken how each one of them hath prophesied concerning Him, [for the narrative] is pleasant to hear. Isaiah the Prophet prophesied concerning His coming and said, " A Son is born unto us. A Child is given unto us. Dominion is written upon His shoulder.

² He is God, strong in rule, King, great Counsellor is His name." Now the meaning of this is manifest: the Son of God is born, Whose sovereignty was written down before the world was, and He is wiser than anyone else: [this is what] he saith unto thee. ³ And again Isaiah prophesied and said, " Behold My servant Whom I have chosen, on Whom is the delight of My soul, and the nations shall put their confidence in Him." And these words give us to understand that Christ is the Spirit of God, the Word of the Father Who put on our flesh and was born for us: and the peoples of Rome and Ethiopia and all other nations have believed in Him. ⁴ And he spake unto the people of Israel, and again he prophesied, saying, " Many shall follow after Thee with their loins girded up, and their backs bound with fetters, and they shall pray to Thee and worship Thee, for thou art God, and we have not recognized Thee." Now this he spake concerning the martyrs, and those who became monks in the desert and solitary monks, whose hearts were fettered with His commandment, and who prayed to Him, meaning that reward was meet for both the martyrs and the solitary monks. " And we did not recognize Thee ": Israel made itself blind, and crucified Him, and refused to walk in His righteousness. ⁵ And again Isaiah prophesied and said, " God shall come, and the heathen shall put their trust in Him and shall know Him;" this meaneth that Christ shall come, and the Jews shall reject Him, but the heathen shall believe in Him. ⁶ And again he prophesied and said, " Be strong ye weak hands and tired knees, and rejoice ye hearts that are cast down, for God hath come, Who shall requite our debt, and save us. And He shall open the eyes of the blind, and He shall make the ears of the deaf to hear, and the feet that are lame shall run, and the tongues of the dumb shall speak." These words are spoken in respect of those who err in worshipping idols, and those who are dead in sin, and those whose hearts are darkened, and of you who do not know that God created you. ⁷ Rejoice ye this day: He hath come Who will redeem the sin of Adam, and make Adam's debt His own. He was crucified being sinless. He hath killed Death by means of His own death, and the blind see, and the lame walk, and the deaf hear, and the dumb speak unhaltingly, and besides all these things the dead are raised. ⁸ This is the meaning of this prophecy. Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " God shall come in visible form, and our God will not keep silence." Thus Jeremiah prophesied and said, " God shall come down upon the earth, and shall walk about with men like us." Thus Ezekiel the Prophet prophesied and said, " I your God will come, and I will walk about among them, and they shall know Me that I am their God." Thus David prophesied and said, " Blessed is He Who cometh in the name of God: we have blessed you in the Name of the Lord." Thus Habakkuk prophesied and said, " God shall come from the South, and the Holy One from Mount Faran and from the cities of Judah." ⁹ Thus Elijah the Prophet prophesied and said, " With a new covenant shall God come unto us." Thus Joel the Prophet prophesied and said, " The heavenly Emmanuel shall come and shall deliver the work which He hath fashioned with His own hand from the hand of the Devil, the deceiver, and his devils which lead astray." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " The God of gods shall show Himself in Zion. The people say out of Zion, A man is born therein, and He the Most High hath founded it." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, " Verily God shall be with men, and He shall walk about upon the earth." Thus his father David prophesied and said, " He shall come down like the dew upon wool, and like the drop which droppeth upon the earth, and righteousness shall spring into being in his days." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and said, " A Saviour shall be born out of Zion, and He shall remove sin from Jacob." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, " I will come to thee, O Zion, and I will walk about in thee, Jerusalem, saith God, the Holy One of Israel." Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said, " The Word of God shall appear in Jerusalem, and the Law shall go forth from Zion." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, "God shall appear upon the earth, and shall dwell with men like us." Thus Jeremiah the Prophet prophesied and said, " A saviour shall be sent from Zion, and He shall remove sin from the people of Israel." ¹⁰ Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said, " God shall come from the heavens and dwell in His temple (or, citadel)." Thus Zechariah the Prophet prophesied and said, " Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Behold, I am alive, and I will dwell in thee, saith God, the Holy One of Israel." Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said, " Behold, God shall come, and shall shine upon those who fear Him; Sun of righteousness is His Name." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, " God shall come upon thee, Jerusalem, and shall appear in the midst of thee." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " And He shall live, and they shall give Him of the gold of Arabia, and they shall pray for Him continually, and He shall be the stay of all the earth upon the tops of the mountains." Thus Job the just prophesied and said, " God shall walk about upon the earth, and He shall travel over the sea as upon the dry land." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " He bowed the heavens and came down." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, " Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a Son, and she shall call His name Emmanuel." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " I brought Thee forth from the womb before the star of the morning." And again he said, " God said unto me: Thou art my Son, and I have this day brought Thee forth." Thus Gideon prophesied and said, " Behold, He shall come down like dew upon the earth." Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, and from the temple of His sanctuary." Thus Moses the Prophet prophesied and said, " And all the children of God shall say: He is strong, for He avengeth the blood of His sons." Thus David prophesied and said, " And there will I make a horn to David to rise up, and I will prepare a lamp for Mine Anointed, and I will clothe His enemies with shame, and in Him shall My holiness flourish." Thus Hosea the Prophet prophesied and said, " Fear not, for Thou shalt not be put to shame. ¹¹ And be not dismayed because of Thy praise." And again he said, " Hearken unto Me, hearken unto Me, My people, for My judgement (or, justice) is right. I will come and I will dwell with you, and the nations shall put their trust in My light; for the nations shall be the loved ones of Christ." ¹² Thus David the Prophet said, " A people whom I do not know shall serve Me; at the mere hearing of the ear they shall answer Me." And to the Jews he said, " The children of the stranger have been false to me, the children of the stranger have become old and have travelled haltingly on their path. ¹³ God liveth, and blessed [is] my God." When he saith unto thee, " God liveth," he speaketh of His Godhead, and when he saith unto thee " and blessed [is] my God," he speaketh concerning His putting on the flesh. And again he speaketh concerning His putting on the flesh in Isaiah the Prophet, saying, " Who is this glorious One who cometh forth from Edom, Adonai, Who came down from heaven, and put on the things of Basor, glorious in majesty? " When he saith " glorious " he refereth to His sweet odour; and when he saith " Adonai," he meaneth the Word of the Father Who was before the world, the Son of God; when he saith " He put on the things of Basor, the glorious in majesty," he indicateth clearly the body of Adam. ¹⁴ Thus David the Prophet prophesied saying concerning Christian folk, " Declare ye to the nations that God is King, and that He hath made fast the world so that it shall never be moved." And he also prophesied concerning His coming to the nations, and said, " Before the face of God shall He come, He shall come and shall judge the earth, and He shall judge the world in righteousness, and the nations with justice." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, " The Lord of hosts hath planned to destroy the contumely of the nations, and He shall bring to nothing the nobles and the mighty ones of the earth." And continuing his prophecy he said, " He shall come and shall build His house, and He shall deliver His people. And he added other words, saying, " And at that time there shall spring from the root of Jesse One Who shall be set over the nations, and the nations shall put their trust in Him, and the place where He shall abide shall be glorious for ever." ¹⁵ Thus David prophesied, and said, " Sing ye unto God Who dwelleth in Zion, and declare ye to the nation His work." Thus Solomon his son prophesied and spake concerning our Saviour Emmanuel, the Sun of righteousness, " He brought Me forth before the hills, and before He made the lands and set them in order, and founded Me before the world; before He made the earth, and before He made the abysses, and before the waterfloods came forth, and the beauty of the flowers appeared, and before the winds blew, God created His work before His face, and I existed conjointly with My Father." Thus his father David prophesied and said, " His name was before the sun, and before the moon, generation to generation." Thus his son Solomon prophesied and said, " When He made strong the firmament above the clouds, and when He set in position the walls of the boundaries of the heavens, and when He set the sea in its appointed place, and before He founded His throne above the winds, and when He made strong the foundations of the earth, I existed conjointly with Him. ¹⁶ I was that wherein He rejoiced continually, and day by day, and I exulted with Him at all times before His face." Thus Job the Prophet prophesied and said, " The face of my God is in the East, and His light is before [that of] the sun, and the nations put their trust in His Name." Thus Isaiah the Prophet prophesied and said, " Remember ye not the things of the past, and think not about the things of olden time; behold, I will make a new thing, which shall now spring up, so that ye may know that I make a road through the desert and water floods in the wilderness; and the beasts of the field shall follow after Me, and the young birds, and the ostriches. ¹⁷ For I have given water in the desert, and made streams of water to flow in the wilderness, so that I may give drink to My people and to My chosen ones whom I have gotten, so that they may declare My glory, and perform My commandment." Thus Solomon prophesied and said, " Who hath gone up into heaven and come down? ¹⁸ And who hath gathered together the winds in his bosom? And who hath collected the waters in his garment? And who hath measured the waters of the sea in his hand, and the heavens on the palm of his hand? And what is his name and what is the name of his son? " Thus Micah the Prophet prophesied and said unto the Jews, " I have no pleasure in you, saith God Who ruleth all things. ¹⁹ And I have no pleasure in your offerings, and I will accept no gift from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to the setting thereof shall My Name be praised among all peoples, and in all countries incense shall be offered up to my great Name among all peoples, saith Almighty God." And again Micah the Prophet said, " A new covenant shall appear upon the mountain of God, and it shall be prepared upon the tops of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall say, ' Come ye, let us go up into the mountain of God.' ²⁰ And many nations shall go thereto and shall say, ' Come ye, let us go up into the mountain of God, and they shall declare unto us His way, and we will walk therein.' " Thus David the Prophet prophesied and said, " Hearken unto Me, O My people, and I will speak unto thee, Israel, and will bring testimony to thee; I am God, thy God." Thus Moses the Prophet prophesied and said concerning the Trinity, " Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is One." And this is to be explained thus: Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit are One God, Whose kingdom is one, Whose dominion is one, and as One men shall worship Them in the heavens and in the earth, in the sea and in the abysses. ²¹ And to Him be praise for ever and ever! Amen.