 Section 8 of Anti-Nicene Christian Library. Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Anti-Nicene Christian Library. Translations from the Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325. By Alexander Roberts, Editor. The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. With the help and favor of the Most High, we begin to write a book of the miracles of our Lord and Master in Saviour Jesus Christ, which is called the Gospel of the Infancy. In the Peace of the Lord, Amen. We find what follows in the book of Joseph, the High Priest, who lived in the time of Christ. Some say that he is Kyphus. He has said that Jesus spoke and indeed when he was lying in his cradle, said to Mary his mother, I am Jesus, the Son of God, the Logos, whom thou hast brought forth, as the angel Gabriel announced to thee. And my Father has sent me for the salvation of the world. In the 300th and ninth year of the era of Alexander, Augustus put forth an edict that every man should be enrolled in his native place. Joseph therefore arose and, taking Mary his spouse, went away to Jerusalem and came to Bethlehem to be enrolled along with his family in his native city. And having come to a cave, Mary told Joseph that the time of the birth was at hand and that she should not go into the city, but said she, let us go into this cave. This took place at sunset. And Joseph went out in haste to go for a woman to be near her. When therefore he was busy about that, he saw an Hebrew old woman belonging to Jerusalem and said, Come hither, my good woman, and go into this cave in which there is a woman near her time. Wherefore, after sunset, the old woman and Joseph with her came to the cave and they both went in. And behold, it was filled with lights more beautiful than the gleamy of lamps and candles, and more splendid than the light of the sun. The child, enrapt in swaddling clothes, was suckling the breast of the lady Mary his mother, being placed in a stall. And when both were wondering at this light, the old woman asked the lady Mary, Are thou the mother of this child? And when the lady Mary gave her assent, she says, Thou art not at all like the daughters of Eve. The lady Mary said, As my son has no equal among children, so his mother has no equal among women. The old woman replied, My mistress, I came to get payment. I have been for a long time affected with palsy. Our mistress, the lady Mary said to her, Place thy hands upon the child. And the old woman did so and was immediately cured. Then she went forth, saying, Henceforth I will be the attendant and servant of this child all the days of my life. Then came shepherds, and when they had lighted a fire and were rejoicing greatly, there appeared to them the hosts of heaven, praising and celebrating God Most High. And while the shepherds were doing the same, the cave was at that time made like a temple of the upper world, since both heavenly and earthly voices glorified and magnified God on account of the birth of the Lord Christ. And when that old Hebrew woman saw the manifestation of those miracles, she thanked God, saying, I give thee thanks, O God, the God of Israel, because mine eyes have seen the birth of the Savior of the world. In the time of circumcision, that is the eighth day being at hand, the child was to be circumcised according to the law. Wherefore they circumcised him in the cave, and the old Hebrew woman took the piece of skin, but some say she took the navel string, and laid it past in the jar of old oil of Nard. And she had a son, a dealer in Anguans, and she gave it to him, saying, See that thou do not sell this jar of Anguant of Nard, even though three hundred Denari should be offered before it. And this is that jar which Mary the sinner bought and poured upon the head and feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, which thereafter she wiped with the hair of her head. Ten days after they took him to Jerusalem, and on the 40th day after his birth they carried him into the temple and set him before the Lord and offered sacrifices for him, according to the commandment of the law of Moses, which is every male that openedeth the womb shall be called the Holy of God. Then old Simeon saw him shining like a pillar of light when the Lady Mary, his virgin mother rejoicing over him, was carrying him in her arms. In angels praising him stood round him in a circle like life-guards standing by a king. Simeon therefore went up in haste to the Lady Mary, and with hands stretched out before her said to the Lord Christ, Now, O my Lord, let thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy compassion, which thou hast prepared for the salvation of all peoples, a light to all nations in glory to thy people Israel. Hannah also, a prophetess, was present and came up giving thanks to God in calling the Lady Mary blessed. And it came to pass when the Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem of Judea in the time of King Herod. Behold, Magi came from the east to Jerusalem, as Zaradust had predicted, and there were with them gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh, and they adored him and presented to him their gifts. Then the Lady Mary took one of the swaddling bands, and on account of the smallness of her means, gave it to them, and they received it from her with the greatest marks of honor, and in the same hour there appeared to them an angel in the form of that star which had before guided them on their journey, and they went away following the guidance of its light, until they arrived in their own country. And their kings and chief men came together to them, asking what they had seen or done, how they had gone and come back, what they had brought with them. And they showed them that swathing cloth which the Lady Mary had given them. Wherefore they celebrated a feast, and according to their custom, lighted a fire and worshiped it, and threw that swathing cloth into it, and the fire laid hold of it and enveloped it. And when the fire had gone out, they took out the swathing cloth exactly as it had been before, just as if the fire had not touched it. Wherefore they began to kiss it, and to put it on their heads in their eyes, saying this verily is the truth without doubt. Assuredly it is a great thing that the fire was not able to burn or destroy it. And they took it, and with the greatest honor, laid it up among their treasures. And when Herod saw that the Magi had left him and not come back to him, he summoned the priests and the wise men and said to them, Show me where Christ is to be born. And when they answered in Bethlehem of Judea, he began to think of putting the Lord Jesus Christ to death. Then appeared an angel of the Lord to Joseph in his sleep and said, Rise, take the boy and his mother and go away into Egypt. He rose, therefore, towards Cock crow and set out. While he is reflecting how he is to set about his journey, morning came upon him after he had gone a very little way. And now he was approaching a great city in which there was an idol, to which the other idols and gods of the Egyptians offered gifts and vows. And there stood before this idol a priest ministering to him, who, as often as Satan spoke from that idol, reported it to the inhabitants of Egypt and its territories. This priest had a son, three years old, be set by several demons, and he made many speeches and utterances. And when the demon seized him, he tore his clothes and remained naked, and threw stones at the people. And there was a hospital in that city dedicated to that idol. And when Joseph and the Lady Mary had come to the city and had turned aside into that hospital, the citizens were very much afraid and all the chief men and the priests of the idols came together to that idol and said to it, what agitation and commotion is this that has arisen in our land? The idol answered them, a God has come here in secret, who is God indeed, nor is any God besides him worthy of divine worship, because he is truly the Son of God. And when this land became aware of his presence, it trembled at his arrival and was moved and shaken. We are exceedingly afraid from the greatness of his power. And in the same hour that idol fell down and at its fall all inhabitants of Egypt and others ran together. And the Son of the priest, his usual disease having come upon him, entered the hospital and there came upon Joseph and the Lady Mary, from whom all others had fled. The Lady Mary had washed the cloths of the Lord Christ and had spread them over some wood. That demonic boy therefore came and took one of the cloths and put it on his head. Then the demons fleeing in the shape of ravens and serpents began to go forth out of his mouth. The boy being immediately healed at the command of the Lord Christ began to praise God and then to give thanks to the Lord who had healed him. And when his father saw him restored to health, my son said he, What has happened to thee, and by what means has thou been healed? The son answered, When the demons had thrown me on the ground, I went into the hospital. And there I found an august woman with a boy whose newly washed cloth she had thrown upon some wood. One of these I took up and put upon my head and the demons left me and fled. At this the father rejoiced greatly and said, My son, it is possible that this boy is the son of the living God who created the heavens and the earth. For when he came over to us, the idol was broken and all the gods fell and perished by the power of his magnificence. He was fulfilled the prophecy which says out of Egypt have I called my son. Joseph indeed and Mary when they heard that the idol had fallen down and perished, trembled and were afraid. Then they said, When we are in the land of Israel, Herod thought to put Jesus to death. And on that account slew all the children of Bethlehem in its confines. There is no doubt that the Egyptians, as soon as they have heard that this idol has been broken, will burn us with fire. Going out thence they came to a place where there were robbers who had plundered the rural men of their baggaging clothes and had bound them. Then the robbers heard a great noise like the noise of a magnificent king going out of his city with his army in his chariots and his drums. And at this the robbers were terrified and left all their plunder. And their captives rose up, loosed each other's bonds, recovered their baggage and went away. And when they saw Joseph and Mary coming up to the place, they went into them. Where is that king at the hearing of the magnificent sound of whose approach the robbers have left us so that we have escaped safe? Joseph answered them. He will come behind us. Thereafter they came into another city where there was a demonic woman whom Satan accursed and rebellious had beset when on one occasion she had gone out by night for water. She could neither bear clothes and as often as they tied her up with chains and thongs she broke them and fled naked into waste places. And standing in crossroads and cemeteries she kept throwing stones at people and brought very heavy calamities upon her friends. When the lady Mary saw her she pitied her. And upon this Satan immediately left her and fled away in the form of a young man saying believe from thee Mary and from thy son so that woman was cured of her torment. In being restored to her senses she blushed on account of her nakedness and shunning the sight of men went home to her friends. And after she put on her clothes she gave an account of the matter to her father and her friends and as they were the chief men of the city they received the lady Mary and Joseph with the greatest honor in hospitality. On the day after being supplied by them with provision for their journey they went away and on the evening of that day arrived at another town in which they were celebrating a marriage and by the arts of a cursed Satan in the work of enchanters the bride had become dumb and could not speak a word. And after the lady Mary entered the town carrying her son the Lord Christ that dumb bride saw her and stretched out her hands towards the Lord Christ and drew him to her and took him into her arms and held him close and kissed him and leaned over him moving his body back and forwards. Immediately the knot of her tongue was loosened and her ears were open and she gave thanks and praised to God because he had restored her to health and that night the inhabitants of that town exalted with joy and thought that God and his angels had come down to them. There they remained three days being held in great honor and living splendidly. Thereafter being supplied by them with provision for their journey they went away and came to another city in which because it was very populist they thought of passing the night and there was in that city an excellent woman and once when she had gone to the river to bathe low of cursed Satan in the form of a serpent had leapt upon her and lifted himself round her belly and as often as night came on he tyrannically tormented her. This woman seeing the mistress, the Lady Mary and the child, the Lord Christ in her bosom was struck with a longing for him and said to the mistress, the Lady Mary Oh mistress, give me this child that I may carry him and kiss him. She therefore gave him to the woman and when he was brought to her and fled and left her nor did the woman ever see him after that day wherefore all who were present praised God most high and that woman bestowed on them liberal gifts. On the day after the same woman took scented water to wash the Lord Jesus and after she had washed him she took the water with which she had done it and poured part of it upon a girl who was living there whose body was white with leprosy and washed her with it and as soon as this was done the girl was cleansed from her leprosy and the townspeople said there is no doubt that Joseph and Mary in that boy are gods not men and when they were getting ready to go away from them the girl who had labored under the leprosy came up to them and asked them to let her go with them when they had given her permission she went with them and afterwards they came to a city in which was the castle of a most illustrious prince who kept a house for the entertainment of strangers they turned into this place and the girl went away to the prince's wife and she found her weeping and sorrowful and she asked why she was weeping do not be surprised she said at my tears for I am overwhelmed by a great affliction which as yet I had not endured to tell to anyone perhaps said the girl to reveal it and disclose it to me I may have a remedy for it hide the secret then replied the princess and tell it to no one I was married to this prince who was a king and ruler over many cities and I lived along with him but by me he had no son and when at length I produced him a son he was leprosy and as soon as he saw him he turned away with loathing and said to me or give him to the nurse to be brought up in some place from which we shall never hear of him more after this I can have nothing to do with thee and I will never see thee more on this account I know not what to do and I am overwhelmed with grief alas my son alas my husband did I not say so said the girl I found a cure from thy disease and I shall tell it thee for I too was a leper but I was cleansed by God who was Jesus the son of the lady Mary and the woman asking her where this God was whom she had spoken of here with thee said the girl he is living in the same house but how is this possible said she where is he there said the girl or Joseph and Mary and the child who was with them is called Jesus and it is he who cured me of my disease and my torment but by what means said she was thou cured of thy leprosy who felt not tell me that why not said the girl I got from his mother the water in which he had been washed and poured it over myself and so I was cleansed from my leprosy then the princess rose up and invited them to avail themselves of her hospitality and she prepared a splendid banquet for Joseph in a great assembly of the men of the place and on the following day she took scented water with which to wash the Lord Jesus and thereafter poured the same water over her son whom she had taken with her and immediately her son was cleansed from his leprosy therefore seeing thanks and praises to God she said blessed is the mother who bore thee oh Jesus thus thou so cleansed those who share the same nature with thee with the water in which thy body was washed besides she bestowed great gifts upon the mistress the lady Mary and sent her away with great honor coming thereafter to another city they wished to spend the night in it they turned aside therefore to the house of a man newly married but who under the influence of witchcraft was not able to enjoy his wife and when they had spent the night with him his bond was loosed and they were waiting themselves for their journey the bridegroom would not let them go and prepared for them a great banquet they set out therefore on the following day and as they came near another city they saw three women weeping as they came out of a cemetery and when the lady Mary beheld them she said to the girl who accompanied her ask them what is the matter with them or what calamity has befallen them they made no reply but asked them their turn once are you and whither are you going for the day has already passed and night is coming on a pace rear travelers said the girl and are seeking a house of entertainment in which we may pass the night they said go with us and spend the night with us they followed them therefore and were brought into a new house with splendid decorations and furniture that was winter and the girl and the mother of these women found them again weeping and lamenting they stood beside them a mule covered with housings of cloth of gold and sesame was put before him and the women were kissing him and giving him food and the girl said what is all the ado my ladies about this mule they answered her with tears and said this mule which thou seest was our brother born of the same mother with ourselves and when our father died and left us great wealth and this only brother we did our best to get him married and were preparing his nuptials for him after the manner of men but some women moved by mutual jealousy bewitched him unknown to us and one night a little before daybreak when the door of our house was shut we saw that this our brother had been turned into a mule as thou now beholdest him and we were sorrowful as thou seest having no father to comfort us there is no wise man or magician or enchanter in the world that we have omitted to send for but nothing has done us any good and as often as our hearts are overwhelmed with grief we rise and go away with their mother here and weep at our father's grave and come back again and when the girl heard these things be of good courage said she and weep not the cure of your calamity is near yea it is beside you and in the middle of your own house for I also was a leper but when I saw that woman and along with her that young child whose name is Jesus I sprinkled my body with water with which his mother had washed him and I was cured and I know that he can cure your affliction also but rise go to marry my mistress bring her into your house and tell her your secret and then treat and supplicate her to have pity upon you after the women had heard the girl's words they went in haste to the lady Mary and brought her into their chamber and sat down before her weeping and saying our mistress lady Mary have pity on thy handmaidens for no one older than ourselves and no head of the family is left neither father nor brother to live with us and she who is most biased was our brother and women have made him such as thou seest by witchcraft we beseech thee therefore to have pity upon us then grieving at their lot the lady Mary took up the Lord Jesus and put him on the mules back and she wept as well as the women and said to Jesus Christ alas my son heal this mule by thy mighty power and make him a man endowed as he was before and when these words were uttered by the lady Mary his form was changed and the mule became a young man free from every defect then he and his mother and his sisters adored the lady Mary and lifted the boy above their heads and began to kiss him saying blessed is she that bore thee oh Jesus oh savior of the world blessed are the eyes which enjoy the felicity of seeing thee moreover both the sisters said to their mother our brother indeed by the aid of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the salutary intervention of this girl who pointed out to us Mary and her son has been raised to human form now indeed since our brother is unmarried it would do very well for us to give him as his wife this girl their servant and having asked the lady Mary and obtained her consent they made a splendid wedding for the girl their sorrow being changed into joy in the beating of their breasts into dancing they began to be glad to rejoice to exult and sing adorned on account of their great joy in most splendid and gorgeous attire then they began to recite songs and praises and to say oh Jesus son of David who turn sorrow into gladness and lamentations into joy and Joseph and Mary remain there 10 days thereafter they set out treated with great honors by these people who bade them farewell and from bidding them farewell returned weeping especially the girl and turning away from this place they came to a desert and hearing that it was infested by robbers Joseph and the lady Mary resolved to cross the region by night but as they go along behold they see two robbers lying in the way and along with them a great number of robbers who were their associates sleeping now those two robbers into whose hands they had fallen were Titus and Dumakus Titus therefore said to Dumakus I beseech thee to let these persons go freely and so that our comrades may not see them and as Dumakus refused Titus said to him again take to thyself 40 drachmas for me and hold this as a pledge at the same time he held out to him the belt which he had had about his waist to keep him from opening his mouth or speaking and the lady Mary seeing that the robber had done the mckinness said to him the Lord God will sustain thee by his right hand that will grant thee remission of thy sins and the Lord Jesus answered and said to his mother 30 years hence oh my mother the Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem and these two robbers will be raised upon the cross along with me Titus on my right hand and Dumakus on my left and after that day Titus shall go before me into paradise and she said God keep this from thee my son and they went thence towards a city of idols which as they came near it was changed into sandhills hence they turned aside to that sycamore which is now called Torreya and the Lord Jesus brought forth in Montereya a fountain in which the lady Mary washed his shirt and from the sweat of the Lord Jesus which she sprinkled there balsam was produced in that region thence they came down to Memphis and saw Pharaoh and remained three years in Egypt and the Lord Jesus did in Egypt very many miracles which are recorded neither in the gospel of the infancy nor in the perfect gospel and at the end of the three years he came back out of Egypt and returned and when they had arrived at Judea Joseph was afraid to enter it but hearing that Herod was dead and that Archelus his son had seceded him he was afraid indeed but he went into Judea and an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said oh Joseph go into the city of Nazareth it is indeed that the Lord of the world should be thus born and carried about through the world thereafter going into the city of Bethlehem they saw their many and grievous diseases infest in the eyes of the children who were dying in consequence and a woman was there with a sick son whom now very near death she brought to the lady Mary who saw him as she was washing Jesus Christ then said to the woman to her oh my lady Mary look upon the son of mine who is laboring under a grievous disease and the lady Mary listened to her and said take a little of that water in which I have washed my son and sprinkle him with it she therefore took a little of the water as the lady Mary had told her and sprinkle it over her son and when this was done his illness abated and after sleeping a little he rose up from sleep safe and sound his mother rejoicing at this again took him to the lady Mary and she said to her give thanks to God because he hath healed this, thy son there was in the same place another woman a neighbor of her whose son had lately been restored to health and as her son was laboring under the same disease and his eyes were now almost blinded she wept night and day and the mother of the child cured said to her why dost thou not take thy son to the lady Mary as I did with mine when he was nearly dead and he got well with that water with which the body of her son Jesus had been washed and when the woman heard this from her she too went and got some of the same water and washed her son with it and his body and his eyes were instantly made well her also when she had brought her son to her and disclosed to her all that had happened the lady Mary ordered to give thanks to God for her son's restoration to health and to tell nobody of this matter there were in the same city two women, wives of one man each having a son ill with fever the one was called Mary and her son's name was Cleopas she rose and took up her son and went to the lady Mary the mother of Jesus and offering her a beautiful mantle and said, oh my lady Mary, accept this mantle and for it give me one small bandage Mary did so and the mother of Cleopas went away and made a shirt of it and put it on her son so he was cured of his disease but the son of her rival died hence there sprung up hatred between them and as they did the housework week about and as it was the turn of Mary the mother of Cleopas decided the oven to bake bread and going away to bring the lump that she had needed she left her son Cleopas beside the oven her rival seeing him alone and the oven was very hot with a fire blazing under it seized him and threw him into the oven and took herself off Mary coming back and seeing her son Cleopas lie in the oven laughing and the oven quite cold as if no fire had ever come near it her rival had thrown him into the fire she drew him out therefore and took him to the lady Mary and told her of what had happened to him and she said keep silence and tell nobody of the affair for I am afraid for you if you divulge it after this her rival went to the well to draw water and seeing Cleopas playing beside the well and nobody near she seized him and threw him into the well and went home herself and some men who had gone to the well for water saw the boy sitting on the surface of the water and so they went down and drew him out and they were seized with a great admiration of that boy and praised God then came his mother and took him up and went weeping to the lady Mary and said oh my lady see what my rival has done to my son and how she has thrown him into the well she will be sure to destroy him someday or other the lady Mary said to her God will avenge thee upon her thereafter when her rival went to the well to draw water her feet got entangled in the rope and she fell into the well some men came to draw her out but they found her skull fractured and her bones broken thus she died a miserable death and in her came to pass that saying they have digged a well deep but have fallen into the pit which they had prepared another woman there had twin sons who had fallen into disease and one of them died and the other was at his last breath and his mother weeping lifted him up and took him to the lady Mary and said oh my lady aid me and secure me for I had two sons and I have just buried the one and the other is at the point of death see how I am going to entreat and pray to God to say oh Lord thou art compassionate and merciful and full of affection thou gavest me two sons of whom thou hast taken away the one this one at least leave to me wherefore the lady Mary seen the fervor of her weeping had compassion on her and said put thy son in my son's bed and cover him with his clothes and when she had put him in the bed in which Christ was lying he already closed his eyes in death but as soon as the smell of the clothes of the Lord Jesus Christ reached the boy he opened his eyes and calling upon his mother with a loud voice he asked for bread and took it and sucked it then his mother said oh lady Mary now I know that the power of God dwelleth in thee so that thy son heals those that partake of the same nature with him as soon as they have touched his clothes this boy that was healed is he when the gospel is called Bartholomew moreover there was a leprous woman and she went to the lady Mary the mother of Jesus and said my lady help me and the lady Mary answered what help dost thou seek is it gold or silver or is it that thy body be made clean from the leprosy and that woman asked who can grant me this lady Mary said to her wait a little until I shall have washed my son Jesus and put him to bed the woman waited as Mary had told her and when she had put Jesus to bed she held out to the woman the water in which she had washed his body and said take a little of this water and pour it over thy body and as soon as she had done so she was cleansed and gave praise and thanks to God thereafter after staying with her three days she went away and coming to a city saw there one of the chief men who had married the daughter of another of the chief men but when he saw the woman he beheld between her eyes the mark of leprosy in the shape of a star and so the marriage was dissolved and became null and void and when that woman saw them in this condition weeping and overwhelmed with sorrow she asked the cause of their grief but they said inquire not into our condition for to no one living can we tell her grief into none but ourselves can we disclose it she urged them however and treated them to entrusted to her saying that she would perhaps be able to tell them of a remedy and when they showed her the girl in the sign of leprosy which appeared between her eyes as soon as she saw the woman said I also whom you see here labored under the same disease when upon some business which happened to come into my way I went to Bethlehem there going into a cave I saw a woman named Mary whose son was he who was named Jesus and when she saw that I was a leper she took pity on me and handed me the water with which she had washed her son's body with it I sprinkled my body and came out clean then the woman said to her will thou not oh lady rise and go with us and show us the lady Mary and she assented and they rose and went to the lady Mary caring with them splendid gifts and when they had gone in and presented to her the gifts they showed her the leprosy girl whom they had brought the lady Mary therefore said may the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ descend upon you and handing to them also a little of the water in which she had washed the body of Jesus Christ she ordered the wretched woman to be bathed in it and when this had been done she was immediately cured and they and all standing by praised God joyfully therefore they returned to their own city praising the Lord for what he had done and when the chief heard that his wife had been cured he took her home and gave thanks to God for the recovery of his wife's health there was there also a young woman afflicted by Satan for that accursed wretch repeatedly appeared to her in the form of a huge dragon and prepared to swallow her he also sucked out all her blood so that she was left like a corpse as often as he came near her she with her hands clasped over her head cried out and said woe woe was me for nobody is near to free me from that accursed dragon and her father and mother and all who were about her and saw her bewailed her a lot and then stood round her in a crowd and all wept and lamented especially when she left and said oh my brother and friends is there no one to free me from that murderer and the daughter of the chief who had been healed of her leprosy went up to the roof of her castle and saw her with her hands clasped over her head weeping and all the crowds standing round her weeping as well she therefore asked the Dominiac's husband whether his wife's mother were alive and when he answered that both her parents were living she said send for her mother to come to me and when she saw that he had sent for her and she had come she said is that girl thy daughter yes oh lady said that sorrowful and weeping woman she is my daughter the chief's daughter answered keep my secret for I confess to thee that I was formerly a leper but now the lady Mary the mother of Jesus Christ has healed me but if thou wishest thou daughter to be healed take her to Bethlehem and seek Mary the mother of Jesus the daughter will be healed I indeed believe that thou will come back with joy with thy daughter healed as soon as the woman heard the words of the chief's daughter she led away her daughter in haste and going to the place indicated she went to the lady Mary and revealed to her the state of her daughter and the lady Mary hearing her words gave her a little of the water in which she had washed the body of her son Jesus and poured it on the body of her daughter she gave her also from the clothes of the Lord Jesus a swathing cloth saying take this cloth and show it to thine enemy as often as thou shalt see him and she saluted them and sent them away when therefore they had gone away from her and returned to their own district and the time was at hand at which Satan was wont to attack her at this very time that a curse had won appear to her with a huge dragon and the girl was afraid at the sight of him and her mother said to her turn not my daughter allow him to come near thee and then show him the cloth which the lady Mary had given us and let us see what will happen Satan therefore having come near in the likeness of a terrible dragon the body of the girl shuttered for fear of him but as soon as she took out the cloth and placed it on her head and covered her eyes with it flames and live coals began to dart forth from it and to be cast upon the dragon oh the great miracle which was done as soon as the dragon saw the cloth of the Lord Jesus from which the fire darted and was cast upon his head and eyes he cried out with a loud voice what have I to do with thee oh Jesus son of Mary whether shall I fly from thee great fear he turned his back and departed from the girl and never afterwards appeared to her and the girl now had rest from him and gave praise and thanks to God and along with her all who were present at that miracle another woman was living in the same place whose son was tormented by Satan he, Judas by name as often as Satan seized him used to bite all who came near him and if he found no one near him he used to bite his own hands and other limbs the mother of this wretched creature then hearing the fame of the Lady Mary and her son Jesus rose up and brought her son Judas with her to the Lady Mary in the meantime James and jesus had taken the child the Lord Jesus with them to play with the other children and they had gone out of the house and sat down and the Lord Jesus with them and the demoniac Judas came up and sat down at Jesus' right hand then being attacked by Satan in the same manner as usual he wished to bite the Lord Jesus but was not able nevertheless he struck Jesus on the right side whereupon he began to weep and immediately Satan went forth out of that boy fleeing like a mad dog and this boy who struck Jesus and out of whom Satan went forth in the shape of a dog was this Ascarion who portrayed him to the Jews and that same side on which Judas struck him the Jews transfixed with the lance now when the Lord Jesus had completed seven years from his birth on a certain day he was occupied with boys of his own age for they were playing among clay from which they were making images of asses, oxen, birds and other animals and each one boasting of his skill praising his own work then the Lord Jesus said to the boys the images that I have made I will order to walk the boys asked him whether then he were the son of the Creator and the Lord Jesus bathed them walk and they immediately began to leap and then when he had given them leave they again stood still and he had made figures of birds and sparrows which flew when he told them to fly and told them to stand and ate and drank when he handed them food and drink after the boys had gone away and told this to their parents their father said to them my sons take care not to keep company with him again for he is a wizard flee from him therefore and avoid him and do not play with him again after this on a certain day the Lord Jesus running about and playing with the boys passed the shop of a dire Salem and he had in his shop many pieces of cloth which he was to die the Lord Jesus then going into his shop took up all the pieces of cloth and threw them into a tub full of indigo and when Salem came and saw his cloths destroyed he began to cry out with a loud voice and to reproach Jesus saying why has thou done this to me oh son of Mary thou hast disgraced me before all my townsmen for seeing that everyone wished the color that suited himself now indeed has come and destroyed them all the Lord Jesus answered I shall change for thee the color of any piece of cloth which thou shalt wish to be changed and immediately he began to take the pieces of cloth out of the tub each of them that color which the dire wished until he had taken them all out when the Jews saw this miracle and prodigy they praised God and Joseph used to go about through the whole city and take the Lord Jesus with him when people sent for him in the way of his trade to make for them doors and milk pails and beds and chests and the Lord Jesus was with him wherever he went as often therefore as Joseph had to make anything in a cubit or a span longer or shorter, wider or narrower the Lord Jesus stretched his hand towards it and as soon as he did so it became such as Joseph wished nor was it necessary for him to make anything with his own hand for Joseph was not very skillful in carpentry now in a certain day the king of Jerusalem sent for him and said I wish thee Joseph to make for me a throne to fit that place in which I usually sit Joseph obeyed and began the work immediately and remained in the palace two years until he finished the work of that throne and when he had it carried to its place he perceived that each side wanted two spans of the prescrub measure and the king seeing this was angry with Joseph and Joseph being in great fear of the king spent the night without supper nor did he taste anything at all then being asked by the Lord Jesus why he was afraid Joseph said I have spoiled all the work that I have been two years at and the Lord Jesus said to him fear not and do not whose heart but do thou take hold of one side of the throne I shall take the other and we shall put that to rights and Joseph having done as the Lord Jesus had said in each having drawn by his own side the throne was put to rights and brought to the exact measure of the place and those that stood by and saw this miracle were struck with astonishment and praised God and the woods used in that throne were those which are celebrated in the time of Solomon the son of David that is woods of many and various kinds on another day the Lord Jesus went out into the road and saw the boys that had come together and played and followed them but the boys hid themselves from him and the Lord Jesus therefore having come to the door of a certain house and seen some woman standing there asked them where the boys had gone and when they answered that there was no one there he said again who are these whom you see in the furnace they replied that they were kids of three years old and the Lord Jesus cried out and said come out hither oh kids to your shepherd then the boys in the form of kids ran around him and the woman seeing this were very much astonished and were seized with trembling and speedily supplicated and adored the Lord Jesus saying our Lord Jesus son of Mary thou art a truth that good shepherd of Israel have mercy on thy handmaidens who stand before thee and who have never doubted for thou has come oh our Lord and the Lord answered that the sons of Israel were like the Ethiopians among the nations the women said thou oh Lord knowest all things nor is anything hid from thee now indeed we beseech thee and ask thee of thy affection to restore these boys thy servants to their former condition the Lord Jesus therefore said come boys let us go and play and immediately while these women by the kids were changed into boys now in the month Adar Jesus after the manner of a king assembled the boys together they spread their clothes on the ground and he sat down upon them then they put on his head a crown made of flowers and like chamber servants stood in his presence on the right and on the left as if he were a king and whoever passed by that way was forcibly dragged by the boys saying come hither and adore the king then go thy way in the meantime while these things were going on some men came up caring the boy for this boy had gone into the mountain with those of his own age to seek wood and there he found a partridge's nest and when he stretched out his hand to take the eggs from it a venomous serpent bit him from the middle of the nest so that he called out for help and accordingly went to him with haste and found him lying on the ground like one dead then his relations came and took him up to carry him back to the city and after they had come to that place where the Lord Jesus was sitting like a king and the rest of the boys standing around him like his servants the boys went hastily forward to meet him who had been bitten by the serpent and said to his relations come and salute the king on account of the sorrow in which they were the boys dragged him by force against their will and when they had come up to the Lord Jesus he asked them why they were caring the boy and when they answered that a serpent had bitten him the Lord Jesus said to the boys let us go and kill that serpent and the parents of the boy asked leave to go away because their son was in the agony of death but the boys answered them saying do not hear the king saying let us go and kill the serpent and will you not obey him and so against their will the couch was carried back and when they came to the nest the Lord Jesus said to the boys is this the serpent's place they said that it was and the serpent at the call of the Lord came forth without delay and submitted itself to him and he said to it go away and suck out all the poison into this boy and so the serpent crawled to the boy and sucked out all its poison and the Lord Jesus cursed it and immediately on this being done it burst asunder and the Lord Jesus stroked the boy with his hand and he was healed and he began to weep but Jesus said do not weep for by and by thou shalt be my disciple and this is Simon the Canaanite of whom mention is made in the gospel on another day Joseph sent his son James to gather wood and the Lord Jesus went with him as his companion and when they had come to the place where the wood was and James had begun to gather it behold a venomous viper bit his hand so that he began to cry out and weep the Lord Jesus then seeing him in this condition went up to him and blew upon the place where the viper had bitten him and this being done he was healed immediately one day when the Lord Jesus was again with the boys playing on the roof of the house one of the boys fell down from above and immediately expired and the rest of the boys fled in all directions and the Lord Jesus was left alone on the roof and the relations of the boy came up and said to the Lord Jesus it was thou who disthrew our son had long from the roof when he denied it they cried out saying our son is dead and here is he who has killed him and the Lord Jesus said to them do not bring an evil report against me but if you do not believe me come and let us ask the boy himself that he may bring the truth to light then the Lord Jesus went down and standing over the dead body said with a loud voice Zeno Zeno down from the roof then the dead boy answered and said my Lord it was not thou who disthrew me down but such a one cast me down from it and when the Lord commanded those who were standing by to attend to his words all who were present praised God for this miracle once upon a time the Lady Mary had ordered the Lord Jesus to go and bring her water from the well and when he had gone to get the water the pitcher already full was knocked against something and broken and the Lord Jesus stretched out his handkerchief and collected the water and carried it to his mother and she was astonished at it and she hid and preserved in her heart all that she saw again on another day the Lord Jesus was with the boys at a stream of water and they had again made little fishponds and the Lord Jesus had arranged the sparrows and had arranged them round his fishpond three on each side and it was the Sabbath day wherefore a Jew the son of Hannan coming up and seeing them thus engaged set an anger and great indignation do you make figures of clay on the Sabbath day and he ran quickly and destroyed their fishponds but when the Lord Jesus clapped his hands over the sparrows which he had made they flew away chirping then the son of Hannan came up to the fishpond of Jesus also and kicked it with his shoes and the water of it vanished away and the Lord Jesus said to him as that water has vanished away so thy life shall likewise vanish away and immediately that boy dried up at another time when the Lord Jesus was returning home with Joseph in the evening he met a boy who ran up against him with so much force that he fell and the Lord Jesus said to him as thou hast thrown me down so thou shalt fall and not rise again and the same hour the boy fell down and expired there was moreover at Jerusalem a certain man named Zechias who taught boys he said to Joseph why oh Joseph does that not bring Jesus to me to learn his letters Joseph agreed to do so and reported the matter to the Lady Mary they therefore took him to the Master and he as soon as he saw him wrote out the alphabet for him and told him to say Aleph and when he had said Aleph the Master ordered him to pronounce Beth and the Lord Jesus said to him tell me first the meaning of the letter Aleph and then I shall pronounce Beth and when the Master threatened to flog him the Lord Jesus explained to him that the letters Aleph and Beth also which figures of the letters were straight which crooked which drawn round in the spiral which marked with points which without them why one letter went before another and many other things he began to recount and to elucidate which the Master himself had never either heard or read in any book the Lord Jesus moreover said to the Master listen and I shall say them to thee and he began clearly and distinctly to repeat Aleph Beth Gimel, Daleth on to Tau and the Master was astonished and said I think this boy was born before Noah and turning to Joseph he said thou hast brought to me to be taught a boy more learned than all the Masters to the Lady Mary also he said this son of thine has no need of instruction therefore they took him to another and a more learned Master who when they saw him said say Aleph and when he had said Aleph the Master ordered him to pronounce Beth and the Lord Jesus answered him and said first tell me the meaning of the letter Aleph and then I shall pronounce Beth and when the Master hereupon raised his hand and flogged him immediately his hand dried up and he died and said Joseph to the Lady Mary from this time we shall not let him go out of the house since everyone who opposes him is struck dead and when he was twelve years old they took him to Jerusalem to the Feast and when the Feast was finished they indeed returned but the Lord Jesus remained in the Temple among the teachers and elders and learned in men of the sons of Israel to whom he put various questions upon the sciences and gave answers in his turn for he said to them whose son is the Messiah they answered him the son of David wherefore then said he does he and the Spirit call him his Lord when he says the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand that I may put nine enemies under thy footsteps again the chief of the teachers said to him hast thou read the books both the books said the Lord Jesus and the things contained in the books and he explained the books and the law and the precepts and the statutes and the mysteries which are contained in the books of the prophets things which the understanding of no creature attains to that teacher therefore said I hither to have neither attained to nor heard of such knowledge who pray do you think that boy will be in a philosopher who was their present a skillful astronomer asked the Lord Jesus whether he had studied astronomy and the Lord Jesus answered him and explained the number of the spheres and the heavenly bodies their natures and operations their opposition, their aspect triangular, square and sextile their course direct and retrograde the twenty fourths and sixtieths of twenty fourths and other things beyond the reach of reason there was also among these philosophers one very skilled in treating of natural science and he asked the Lord Jesus whether he had studied medicine and he in reply explained to him physics and metaphysics hyper physics and hyper physics the powers likewise and humours of the body and the effects were the same also the number of members and bones the veins, arteries and nerves also the effect of heat and dryness of cold and moisture what these give rise to what was the operation of the soul upon the body and its perceptions and powers what was the operation of the faculty of speech of anger, of desire lastly their conjunction and disjunction and other things beyond the reach of any created intellect then that philosopher rose up and adored the Lord Jesus and said oh Lord from this time I will be thy disciple and slave while they were speaking to each other of these and other things the lady Mary came after having gone about seeking him for three days along with Joseph she therefore seeing him sitting among the teachers asking them questions and answering in his turn said to him my son why hast thou treated us thus behold thy father and I have sought thee with great trouble why do you seek me do you not know that I ought to occupy myself in my father's house but they did not understand the words that he spoke to them then those teachers asked Mary whether he were his son and when she signified that he was they said blessed art thou Mary who has brought forth such a son and returning with them to Nazareth he obeyed them in all things and his mother kept all these words in her heart and the Lord Jesus advanced in stature and in wisdom and in favor with God and man and from this day he began to hide his miracles and mysteries and secrets and to give attention to the law until he completed his 30th year when his father publicly declared him at the Jordan by this voice sent down from heaven this is my beloved son and whom I am well pleased the Holy Spirit being present in the form of a white dove this is he whom we adore with supplications who have given us being in life and who have brought us from our mother's wombs who for our sakes assumed a human body and redeemed us that he might embrace us in eternal compassion and show to us his mercy according to his liberality and beneficence in benevolence to him his glory and beneficence and power and dominion from this time forth forevermore. Amen Here endeth the whole gospel of the infancy with the aid of God most high according to what we have found in the original. End of Section 8 Section 9 of Anti-Nicene Christian Library Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325 This is a LibriVox recording While LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Anti-Nicene Christian Library Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to AD 325 by Alexander Roberts Editor The Acts of Pilot The First Rick Form Memorials of Our Lord Jesus Christ Done in the Time of Pontius Pilate Prologue Ionias of the Probe Prey Towards Bodyguard Being Learned in the Law Knowing Our Lord Jesus Christ from the Holy Scriptures Coming to him by faith And Count it Worthy of the Holy Baptism Searching also the memorials Written at that time of what was done In the Case of Our Lord Jesus Christ Which the Jews had laid up In the Time of Pontius Pilate In the Hebrew By the Favor of God have translated And into Greek for the information Of all who call upon the name Of Our Master Jesus Christ In the Seventeenth Year Of the Rain of Our Lord Flavius the Adosius And the Sixth of Flavius Valentinias In the Ninth Indiction All ye therefore who read And transfer into other books Remember me and pray for me And have sinned against him Peace be to those who read And to those who hear And to their households Amen In the Fifteenth Year Of the Government of Tiberius Caesar Emperor of the Romans And Herod being King of Galilee In the Nineteenth Year of his rule On the Eighth Day before the Callens of April Which is the Twenty-Fifth of March In the Councilship Of Rufus and Rebellion Of the Two Hundred And Second Olympiad Joseph Caiaphas being High Priest To the Jews The account that Nicodemus wrote in Hebrew After the Cross and Passion Of Our Lord Jesus Christ The Savior God And left to those who came after him Is as follows Chapter One Having called a Council The High Priest inscribes Anas and Caiaphas And Gamaliel, Judas Levi and Naphthalene Alexander and Jairus And the rest of the Jews came to Pilate Accusing Jesus about many things Saying, We know this man To be the son of Joseph, the carpenter Born of Mary And he says that he is the son of God And a king Moreover he profanes the Sabbath And wishes to do away With the law of our fathers Pilate says, And what are the things Which he does to show that he wishes To do away with it The Jews say, We have a law Not to cure anyone on the Sabbath But this man has on the Sabbath Cured the lame and the crooked The withered and the blind and the Paralytic, the dumb and the Demoniac, by evil practices Pilate says to them What evil practices They say to him He is a magician And by Bieselbub, Prince of the Demons he casts out the demons And all are subject to him Pilate says to them This is not casting out the demons By an unclean spirit But by the God Esculapius The Jews say to Pilate We entreat your highness That he stand at thy tribunal And be heard And Pilate having called them says Tell me how I, being a procurator Can try a king They say to him He is a king But he himself says that he is And Pilate having called the runner Says to him Let Jesus be brought in with respect And the runner going out and recognizing him Adored him And took his cloak into his hand And spread it on the ground And says to him My lord, walk on this And come in for the procurator calls thee And the Jews seeing what the runner had done Cried out against Pilate By a runner and not by a crier For assuredly the runner When he saw him adored him And spread his doublet on the ground And made him walk like a king And Pilate having called the runner Says to him And spread out thy cloak upon the earth And made Jesus walk upon it The runner says to him My lord, procurator When thou dis-send me To Jerusalem to Alexander I saw him sitting upon an ass And the sons of the Hebrews Held branches in their hands and shouted And others spread their clothes under him Saying, save now Thou who art in the highest Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord The Jews cry out and say to the runner The sons of the Hebrews shouted in Hebrew Once then hast thou the Greek The runner says to them I asked one of the Jews and said What is it they are shouting in Hebrew And he interpreted it for me Pilate says to them And what did they shout in Hebrew The Jews say to him Hosanna, membrone Baruch, ama, adana Pilate says to them In this Hosanna, etc. How is it interpreted The Jews say to him Save now in the highest Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Pilate says to them If you bear witness to the word spoken By the children In what has the runner done wrong And they were silent And the procurator says to the runner Go out and bring him In what way thou wilt And the runner going out Did in the same manner as before And says to Jesus My Lord, come in The pure curator calleth thee And Jesus going in In the standard bearers holding their standards The tops of the standards Were bent down and adored Jesus In the Jews seeing the bearing Of the standards how they were Bent down and adored Jesus Cried out vehemently against The standard bearers And Pilate says to the Jews Do you not wonder how the tops Of the standards were bent down And adored Jesus The Jews say to Pilate We saw how the standard bearers Bent them down and adored him And the procurator having called The standard bearers says to them Why have you done this? They say to Pilate We are Greeks and temple slaves And how could we adore him And assuredly as we are holding them up The tops bent down of their own accord And adored him Pilate says to the rulers of the synagogue And the elders of the people Do you choose for yourselves Men strong and powerful And let them hold up the standards And let us see whether they will bend down with them And the elders of the Jews Picked out twelve men powerful and strong And made them hold up the standards Six by six And they were placed in front of The procurator's tribunal And Pilate says to the runner Take them outside of the praetorium And bring them in again in whatever way May please thee And Jesus and the runner went out of the praetorium And Pilate, summoning those Who had formally held up the standards Says to them I have sworn by the help of Cesar that if the standards Do not bend down when Jesus comes in I will cut off your heads And the procurator ordered Jesus To come in the second time And the runner did in the same manner As before And made many entreaties to Jesus To walk on his cloak And he walked on it and went in And as he went in the standards Were again bent down And adored Jesus Chapter two This was afraid And sought to go away from the tribunal But when he was still thinking of going away His wife sent to him saying Have nothing to do with this just man For many things have I suffered On his account this night And Pilate, summoning the Jews Said to them You know that my wife is a worshipper Of God and prefers to adhere To the Jewish religion along with you They say to him Yes, we know Behold, my wife has sent to me Saying have nothing to do with this Just man For many things have I suffered On account of him this night And the Jews answering say unto Pilate Did we not tell thee that he was a sorcerer Behold, he has sent a dream To thy wife And Pilate having summoned Jesus Says to him What do these witness against thee Sayest thou nothing And Jesus said unless they had the power For everyone has the power Of his own mouth to speak both In good and evil They shall see to it And the elders of the Jews answered And said to Jesus What shall we see? First that thou wast born of fornication Secondly that thy birth in Bethlehem Was the cause of the murder of the infants Thirdly that thy father Joseph And thy mother Mary fled into Egypt Because they had no confidence in the people Some of the bystanders Pious men of the Jews say We deny that he was born of fornication For we know that Joseph espoused Mary And he was not born of fornication Pilate says to the Jews Who said that he was a fornication This story of yours is not true Because they were betrothed As also these fellow countrymen Of yours say Annas and Kyphus say to Pilate All the multitude of us Cry out that he was born of fornication And are not believed These are proselytes And his disciples And Pilate, calling Annas and Kyphus Says to them What are proselytes? They said to him They are by birth children of the Greeks And have now become Jews And those that said That he was not born of fornication These Lazarus Asterius Antonius James Isaac Finnes, Crispus, Agrippus, and Judas Say, we are not proselytes But are children of the Jews And speak of the truth For we were present at the betrothal Of Joseph and Mary In Pilate, calling these twelve men Who said that he was not born of fornication Says to them I adjure you by the health of Caesar To tell me whether it be true That you say that he was not born of fornication They say to Pilate We have a law against taking oaths Because it is a sin But they will swear by the health of Caesar That it is not as we have said And we are liable to death Pilate says to Annas and Kyphus Have you nothing to answer to this? Annas and Kyphus say to Pilate These twelve are believed when they say That he was not born of fornication All the multitude of us cry out That he was born of fornication That he is a sorcerer That he is a sorcerer And he says that he is the son of God And a king And we are not believed And Pilate orders all the multitude To go out Except the twelve men who said That he was not born of fornication And he ordered Jesus to be separated From them And Pilate says to them For what reason do they wish To put him to death? They say to him They are angry because he cures on the Sabbath And Pilate says for a good work Do they wish to put him to death? They say to him Yes, Chapter 3 And Pilate filled with rage Went outside of the Praetorium And said to them, I take the son To witness that I find no fault in this man The Jews answered And said to the procurator Unless this man were an evil doer We should not have delivered him to thee And Pilate said Do you take him and judge him according To your law? The Jews said to Pilate It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death Pilate said Has God said that you are not to put to death But that I am? And Pilate went again into the Praetorium And spoke to Jesus privately And said to him Are thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered Pilate Does thou say this of thyself? Or have others said it to thee of me? Pilate answered Jesus Am I also a Jew? Thy nation and the chief priests Have given thee up to me What hast thou done? Jesus answered My kingdom is not of this world For if my kingdom were of this world My servants would fight in order That I should not be given up to the Jews But now my kingdom is not from them Pilate said to him Art thou then a king? Jesus answered him Thou sayest that I am a king Because for this I have been born And have I come in order that Everyone who is of the truth Might hear my voice Pilate says to him What is the truth? Jesus says to him Truth is from heaven Pilate says is truth not upon earth? Jesus says to Pilate Thou seeest how those who speak the truth Are judged by those who have the power Upon earth Chapter 4 Leaving Jesus within the Praetorium Pilate went out to the Jews And said to them I find no fault in him The Jews say to him He said I can destroy this temple And in three days build it Pilate says what temple? The Jews say the one that Solomon built In 46 years And this man speaks of pulling it down In building it in three days Pilate says to them I am innocent of the blood of this just man The Jews say his blood be upon us And upon our children And Pilate having summoned The elders and priests and Levites Said to them privately Do not act thus Because no charge that you bring against him Is worthy of death For your charge is about curing And Sabbath profanation The elders and the priests and the Levites say If anyone speak evil against Caesar Is he worthy of death or not? Pilate says he is worthy of death The Jews say to Pilate If anyone speak evil against Caesar He is worthy of death But this man has spoken evil against God And the procurator Ordered the Jews to go outside Of the Praetorium In so many Jesus he says to him What shall I do to thee? Jesus says to Pilate As it has been given to thee Pilate says how given? Jesus says Moses and the prophets have proclaimed Before hand of my death and resurrection And the Jews noticing this And hearing it say to Pilate What more wilt thou hear Of this blasphemy? Pilate says to the Jews If these words be blasphemous Do you take him for the blasphemy And lead him away to your synagogue And judge him according to your law The Jews say to Pilate Our law bears that a man who wrongs His fellow man is worthy To receive forty save one But he that blasphemeth God Is to be stoned with stones Pilate says to them Do you take him And punish him in whatever way you please The Jews say to Pilate We wish that he be crucified Pilate says he is not deserving Of crucifixion And the procurator Looking round about the crowds Of the Jews standing by Sees many of the Jews weeping It says all the multitude The elders of the Jews say For this reason all the multitude Of us have come that he should die Pilate says to the Jews Why should he die The Jews say because he called Himself son of God and king Chapter five In one Nicodemus A Jew stood before the procurator And said I beseech your honor Let me say a few words Pilate says say on Nicodemus says I said To the elders and the priests And Levites and all the multitude Of the Jews in the synagogue What do you seek to do with this man This man does many miracles And strange things which no one has done Or will do let him go And do not wish any evil against him If the miracles which he does Are of God they will stand But if of man they will come To nothing for assuredly Moses being sent by God Into Egypt did many miracles Which the Lord commanded him to do Before Pharaoh the king of Egypt And there were there Janus and Jambres, servants of Pharaoh And they also did not A few of the miracles which Moses did and the Egyptians Took them to be gods This Janus and this Jambres But since the miracles which They did were not of God Both they and those who believed In them were destroyed And now release this man Who was serving of death The Jews say to Nicodemus Thou hast become his disciple And therefore thou defendest him Nicodemus says to them Perhaps too the procurator Has become his disciple Because he defends him Has the emperor not appointed him To this place of dignity And the Jews were vehemently Enraged and gnashed their teeth Against Nicodemus Pilate says to them The Jews say to Nicodemus Mayest thou receive his truth And his portion Nicodemus says amen, amen May I receive it, as you have said Chapter 6 One of the Jews stepping up Past leave of the procurator To say a word The procurator says if thou Wishes to say anything say on And the Jews said 38 years I lay in my bed in great agony And when Jesus came many Lacks and many lie ill of various diseases Were cured by him And some young men taking pity on me Carried me, that and all It took me to him And when Jesus saw me Had compassion on me and said to me Take up thy couch and walk And I took up my couch and walked The Jews say to Pilate Ask him on what day it was That he was cured He that had been cured says On a Sabbath Every thing that we said That on a Sabbath he cures And casts out demons And another Jew stepped up And said I was born blind I heard sounds but saw not a face And as Jesus passed by I cried out with a loud voice Pity me, O son of David And he pitied me And put his hands upon my eyes And I instantly received my sight And another Jew stepped up And said I was crooked And said I was a leper And he cured me with a word Chapter 7 And a woman cried out from a distance And said I had an issue of blood And I touched the hem of his garment And the issue of blood which I had Had for twelve years was stopped The Jews say we have a law That a woman's evidence is not to be received Chapter 8 And others a multitude Both of men and women cried out saying This man is a prophet And another subject to him Pilate says to them Who said that the demons are subject to him Why then were not your teachers Also subject to him They say to Pilate we do not know And others said He raised Lazarus from the tomb After he had been dead four days And the procurator trembled And said to all the multitude of the Jews Why do you wish to pour out Innocent blood? Chapter 9 Adam and Nicodemus and the twelve men That said he was not born of fortification He says to them What shall I do? Because there is an insurrection among the people They say to him We know not, let them see to it Again Pilate having summoned All the multitude of the Jews Says you know that it is Customary at the Feast of Unleavened Bread To release one prisoner to you I have one condemned prisoner In the prison A murderer named Barabbas And this man standing in your presence Jesus In whom I find no fault Which of them do you wish me to release to you? And they cry out Barabbas Pilate says What then shall we do to Jesus Who is called Christ That you say let him be crucified And others said Thou art no friend of Caesar's If thou release this man Because he called himself son of God I wish then this man to be a king And not Caesar And Pilate in a rage Says to the Jews Always has your nation been rebellious And you always speak against your benefactors The Jews say What benefactors He says to them Your God led you out of the land of Egypt From bitter slavery And brought you safe through the sea As through dry land And in the desert fed you with manna And quenched your thirst with water from a rock And gave you a law And in all these things you provoked your God To anger And sought a molten calf And you exasperated your God And he sought to slay you And Moses prayed for you And you were not put to death And now you charge me with hating the emperor And rising from the tribunal He sought to go out And the Jews cry out and say We know that Caesar is king and not Jesus And shortly the Magi brought gifts to him As to a king And when Herod heard from the Magi That a king had been born He sought to slay him And his father Joseph, knowing this, Took him and his mother And they fled into Egypt In Herod hearing of it Destroyed the children of the Hebrews That had been born in Bethlehem When Pilate heard these words He was afraid In ordering the crowd to keep silence At them So this is he whom Herod sought The Jews say, yes it is he In taking water Pilate Washed his hands in the face of the sun Saying, I am innocent of the blood Of this just man See you to it Again the Jews cry out His blood be upon us And upon our children Then Pilate ordered the curtain Of the tribunal where he was sitting To be drawn Of being a king On this count I sentence thee First to be scourged According to the enactment Of venerable kings And then to be fast another cross In the garden where thou wast seized And let dismus and justice The two malefactors be crucified Would be Chapter 10 And Jesus went forth out of the Praetorium and the two malefactors With him And put a crown of thorns on him Round his head And they crucified him And at the same time also They hung up the two malefactors Along with him And Jesus said, Father, forgive them For they know not what they do And the soldiers parted his clothes Among them And the people stood looking at him And the chief priests and the rulers With them mocked him, saying He saved others, let him save himself And he, the son of God, let him Come down from the cross And the soldiers made sport of him Coming near and offering him vinegar Mixed with golf and said, Though what The king of the Jews, save thyself And Pilate, after the sentence, ordered The charge made against him to be inscribed As a superscription in Greek And Latin and Hebrew According to what the Jews had said He is king of the Jews And one of the malefactors Hanging up spoke to him, saying If thou be the Christ, save thyself And us. And Dismas, answering, reproved him, Saying, Dost thou not fear God Because thou art in the same condemnation? And we, indeed, justly Or we receive the fit Punishment of our deeds But this man has done no evil And he said to Jesus, Remember me, Lord, and thy kingdom And Jesus said to him, Amen, Amen, I say to thee Today shout thou be with me In Paradise, Chapter 11 And it was about the sixth hour And there was darkness over the earth Until the ninth hour, the sun being darken And the curtain of the temple Was split in the middle And crying out with a loud voice Jesus said, Father, Vadak, eff kid, Ruel Which is interpreted into thy hands I commit my spirit And having said this He gave up the ghost And the centurion seeing what had happened Glorified God and said, This was a just man And all the crowds that were present at this spectacle When they saw what had happened Beat their breasts and went away And the centurion reported what had happened To the procurator When the procurator and his wife heard it They were exceedingly grieved In neither ate nor drank that day And Pilate sent for the Jews and said to them Have you seen what has happened? And they said, There has been The lips of the sun in the usual way And his quietances were standing at a distance And the women who came with him from Galilee Seen these things And a man named Joseph, a counselor For the city of Arimathea Who also waited for the kingdom of God Went to Pilate And begged the body of Jesus And he took it down and wrapped it in clean linen And placed it in a tomb Hewn out of the rock in which no one had ever lain Chapter 12 And the Jews hearing that Joseph had begged The body of Jesus Sawed him in the twelve who said that Jesus Was not born of fornication Nicodemus and many others Who had stepped up before Pilate And declared his good works And of all these that were hidden Nicodemus alone was seen by them Because he was a ruler of the Jews And Nicodemus says to them How have you come into the synagogue? The Jews say to him How has thou come into the synagogue? For thou art a confederate of his And his portion is with thee In the world to come Nicodemus says, Amen, Amen And likewise Joseph also Stepped up and said to them Why are you angry against me Because I begged the body of Jesus Behold, I have put him in my new tomb Wrapping him in clean linen And I have rolled a stone to the door Of the tomb And you have acted not well against the just man Because you have not repented Of crucifying him But also have pierced him with a spear And the Jews seized Joseph And ordered him to be secured Until the first day of the week And said to him Know that the time does not allow us To do anything against thee Because the Sabbath is dawning And know that thou shall not be deemed worthy Of burial, but we shall give thy flesh To the birds of the air Who says to them These are the words of the arrogant Goliath Who reproached the living God in holy David For God has said by the prophet Vengeance is mine And I will repay, saith the Lord And now he that is uncircumcised In flesh but circumcised In heart has taken water And washed his hands in the face Of the sun saying I am innocent of the blood Of this just man See ye to it And it said to Pilate His blood be upon us And upon our children And now I am afraid lest the wrath Of God come upon you and upon your children As you have said And the Jews hearing these words Were embittered in their souls And seized Joseph and locked him Into a room where there was no window And guards were stationed at the door And they sealed the door where Joseph Was locked in And on the Sabbath the rulers of the synagogue All should be found in the synagogue On the first day of the week And rising up early all the multitude In the synagogue consulted By what death they should slay him And when the Sanhedrin was sitting They ordered him to be brought with much indignity And having opened the door They found him not And all the people were surprised And struck with dismay Because they found the seals unbroken And because Kyphus had the key And they no longer dared to lay Guards upon those who had spoken before Pilate In Jesus's behalf Chapter 13 And while they were still sitting In the synagogue and wondering about Joseph There come some of the guard whom The Jews had begged of Pilate To guard the tomb of Jesus That his disciples might not come And steal him. And they reported To the rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites What had happened, how there had been A great earthquake and we saw an angel Down from heaven and he rolled away the stone From the mouth of the tomb and sat upon it And he shone like snow And like lightning And we were very much afraid and lay like Dead men and we heard the voice of the Angels saying to the women Who remained beside the tomb Be not afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified He is not here, he is risen As he said, come see the place Where the Lord lay and go quickly And tell his disciples that He is risen from the dead and is in Galilee The Jews say To what women did he speak The men of the guards say We do not know who they were The Jews say, at what time was this The men of the guards say At midnight, the Jews say And wherefore did you not lay Hold of them The men of the guards say We were like dead men from fear Not expecting to see the light of day And how could we lay hold of them As we said, as the Lord liveth We do not believe you The men of the guards say to the Jews You have seen so great miracles In the case of this man and have not believed And how can you believe us And assuredly you have done well To swear that the Lord liveth Or indeed he does Again the men of the guards say We have heard that you have locked up The man that begged the body of Jesus And put a seal on the door And that you have opened it The man whom you were guarding And we shall give you Jesus The Jews say, Joseph has gone away To his own city The men of the guards say to the Jews And Jesus has arisen As we heard from the angel And is in Galilee When the Jews heard these words They were very much afraid and said We must take care lest this story be heard And all inclined to Jesus And the Jews called a council And paid down a considerable sum of money And gave it to the soldiers Saying, say while he slept His disciples came at night And stole him And had this come to the ears of the procurator We shall persuade him and keep you out of trouble And they took it And said as they had been instructed Chapter 14 In Finney's a priest And at us a teacher And Haggai a Levite Came down from Galilee to Jerusalem And said to the rulers of the synagogue Jesus and his disciples Sitting on the mountain called Malmilch And he said to his disciples Go into all the world And preach to every creature He that believeth And his baptize shall be saved And he that believeth Shall not be condemned And these signs shall attend those Who have believed In a my name they shall cast out demons Speak new tongues Take up serpents He shall by no means hurt them They shall lay hands on the sick And they shall be well And while Jesus was speaking to his disciples We saw him taken up into heaven The elders and the priests And Levite say, give glory to the God of Israel And confess to him Whether you have heard and seen these things Of which you have given us an account And those who had given the account said As the Lord liveth The God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob We heard these things And saw him taken up into heaven The elders and the priests And the Levite say to them Have you come to give us this announcement Or to offer prayer to God And they say to offer prayer to God The elders and the chief priests And the Levite say to them If you have come to offer prayer to God Why then have you told these idle tales In the presence of all the people Says Finney The priest and Attis the teacher God the Levite To the rulers of the synagogues And the priests and the Levites If what we have said and seen be sinful Behold we are before you Due to us it seems good in your eyes And they took the law And made them swear upon it Not to give any more an account Of these matters to anyone And they gave them to eat and drink And sent them out of the city Having given them also money And three men with them And these men, having gone into Galilee The chief priests and the rulers Of the synagogue and the elders Came together into the synagogue And locked the door and lamented With a great lamentation saying Is this a miracle that has happened in Israel? And Anas and Caiphis said Why are you so much moved? Why do you weep? Do you not know that his disciples Are given the sum of gold to the guards Of the tomb and have instructed them To say that an angel came down From the way of the stone From the door of the tomb And the priests and the elders said Be it that his disciples have stolen his body How is it that life has come into his body And that he is going about in Galilee And they being unable to give an answer To these things said After great hesitation It is not lawful for us To believe the uncircumcised Chapter 15 Nicodemus stood up And stood before the Sanhedrin saying You say well, you are not ignorant You people of the Lord Of these men that come down from Galilee That they fear God and are men of substance Haters of covetousness Men of peace They have declared with an oath We saw Jesus upon the mountain Malvich with his disciples And he taught what we heard from him And we saw him taken up into heaven And no one asked them In what form he went up For assuredly as the book of the Holy Scriptures Taught us Elias also was taken up into heaven And Elyseus cried out with a loud voice And Elias threw his sheepskin upon Elyseus And Elyseus threw his sheepskin upon the Jordan And crossed and came into Jericho And the children of the prophets met him And said, O Elyseus Where is thy master, Elias? And he said he has been taken up into heaven And they said to Elyseus Has not his spirit seized him And thrown him upon one of the mountains? But let us take our servants with us And seek him And they persuaded Elyseus And he went away with them And they sought him three days and did not find him And they knew that he had been taken up Now listen to me And let us send into every district of Israel And see lest perchance Christ Has been taken up by a spirit And thrown upon one of the mountains In this proposal pleased all And they sent into every district of Israel And sought Jesus And did not find him But they found Joseph and Arimathea And no one dared to lay hands on him And they reported to the elders And to the priests and the Levites We have gone round every district of Israel And have not found Jesus But Joseph we have found in Arimathea And hearing about Joseph They were glad and gave glory to the God of Israel And the rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites Having held the counsel as to the manner In which they should meet with Joseph Took a piece of paper And wrote to Joseph as follows Peace to thee We know that we have sinned against God And against thee And we have prayed to the God of Israel That thou shouldst deign to come To thy fathers and to thy children Because we have all been grieved For having opened the door We did not find thee And we know that we have counseled Against thee But the Lord has defended thee And the Lord himself has scattered to the winds Our counseled against thee O honorable Father Joseph And they chose from all Israel Seven men, friends of Joseph Whom also Joseph himself was acquainted with And the rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites Say to them, take notice If after receiving our letter you read it Know that he will come with you To us And know that he is ill disposed towards us And having saluted him In peace returned to us And having blessed the men They had dismissed them And the men came to Joseph And did reverence to him And said to him, peace to thee And he said peace to you And to all the people of Israel And they gave him the role of the letter And Joseph, having received it Read the letter and rolled it up And blessed God and said Innocent blood, and blessed be the Lord Who sent out his angel And covered me under his wings And he set a table for them And they ate and drank and slept there And they rose up early and prayed And Joseph saddled his ass And set out with the men And they came to the holy city Jerusalem And all the people met Joseph And cried out, peace to thee And thy coming in And he said all the people, peace to you And he kissed them And they were astonished at the sight of him And Nicodemus received him into his house And made a great feast And called Annas and Kyphus And the elders and the priests And the Levites to his house And they rejoiced eating and drinking with Joseph And after singing hymns Each proceeded to his own house But Joseph remained in the house Of Nicodemus On the following day, which was the preparation The rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites Came early to the house of Nicodemus And Nicodemus met them And said peace to you And they said peace to thee and to Joseph And to all thy house And to all the house of Joseph And he brought them into his house And all the Sanhedrin sat down And Joseph sat between Annas and Kyphus And no one dared to say a word to him And Joseph said Why have you called me And they signaled to Nicodemus To speak to Joseph And in his mouth said to Joseph Father, thou knowest that the honorable teachers And the priests and the Levites Seek to learn a word from thee And Joseph said Ask And Annas and Kyphus, having taken the law Made Joseph swear, saying Give glory to the God of Israel And give him confession For Ushar, being made to swear By the prophet Jesus Did not forswear him But declared unto him all Also accordingly, not hide from us To the extent of a word And Joseph said I shall not hide from you one word And they said to him With grief were we grieved Because thou dost beg the body of Jesus And wrap it in clean linen And lay it in a tomb And on account of this we secured thee in a room Where there was no window And we put locks and seals upon the doors And guards kept watching Where thou wast locked in On the first day of the week We opened and found thee not And were grieved exceedingly And astonishment fell upon all the people Of the Lord until yesterday And now relate to us what has happened to thee And Joseph said On the preparation about the tenth hour You locked me up And I remained all the Sabbath And at midnight as I was standing And praying the room where you locked me Was hung up by the four corners And I saw a light like lightning And I was afraid and fell to the ground And someone took me by the hand And removed me from the place where I had fallen And moisture of water Was poured from my head even to my feet And a smell of perfumes came About my nostrils And he wiped my face and kissed me And said to me, Here not, Joseph, open thine eyes And see who it is that speaks to us And looking up I saw Jesus And I trembled and thought it was a phantom And I said the commandments And he said them with me Even so you are not ignorant that a phantom If it meet anybody and hear the commandments Takes to flight In seeing that he said them with me I said to him, Rabbi Elias And he said to me, I am not Elias And I said to him, Who art thou, my Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus Whose body thou dost beg from pilot And thou dost close me with clean linen And dost put a napkin on my face And lay me and I knew tomb And distroiled a great stone To the door of the tomb And I said to him that was speaking to me Show me the place where I laid thee And he carried me away And showed me the place where I laid him And the linen cloth was lying in it And the napkin for his face And I knew that it was Jesus And he took me by the hand and placed me Though the doors were locked In the middle of my house And led me away to my bed and said to me Peace to thee And he kissed me and said to me For forty days go not forth of thy house For, behold, I go to my brethren Into Galilee Chapter 16 And the rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites When they heard these words from Joseph Became as dead and fell to the ground And fasted until the ninth hour The Nicodemus along with Joseph Exorted Annas and Caifas The priests and the Levites sang And stand upon your feet and taste bread And strengthen your souls Because tomorrow is the Sabbath of the Lord And they rose up and prayed to God And ate and drank and departed Every man to his own house And on the Sabbath our teachers And the priests and the Levites Sat questioning each other and saying What is this wrath that has come upon us? For we know his father and mother Levi, a teacher, says I know that his parents fear God And do not withdraw themselves From the prayers and give the tithes Price a year When Jesus was born his parents Brought him to this place and gave Sacrifices and burnt offerings to God When the great teacher Simeon Took him into his arms he said Now thou sendest away thy servant Lord, according to thy word In peace, for mine eyes Have seen thy salvation Which thou hast prepared before The face of all the peoples A light for the revelation of the Childs and the glory of thy people Israel And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, I give thee good news About this child, and Mary said It is well, my lord, and Simeon Said to her, it is well Behold, he lies for the fall And rising again of many in Israel For a sign spoken against And of thee thyself a sword Shall go through the soul In order that the reasoning of many Hearts may be revealed They say to the teacher Levi How knowest thou these things Levi says to them Do you not know that from him I Learn the law? The Sanhedrin Say to him, we wish to see thy father And they sent for his father And they asked him, and he said to them Why have you not believed my son The blessed and just Simeon Himself taught him the law The Sanhedrin says to Rabbi Levi, is the word that you Have said true? And he said It is true. And the rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites Said to themselves, come, let us Send it to Galilee to the three men That came and told about his teaching And his taking up, and let them Tell us how they saw him taken up In this saying, please doll And they sent away the three men Who had already gone away into Galilee With them, and they said to them Say to Rabbi Attis And Rabbi Finnis And Rabbi Haggai, peace to you And all who are with you A great inquiry, having taken place In the Sanhedrin, we have been sent To you to call you to this holy place Jerusalem. And the men Set out into Galilee and found them Sitting in, considering the law And they saluted them in peace And the men who were in Galilee Said to those who had come to them Peace upon all Israel And they said, peace to you And they again said to them Why have you come? And those Who had been sent said, the Sanhedrin Call you to the holy city, Jerusalem When the men heard that they were Sought by the Sanhedrin They prayed to God And reclined with the men, and ate And drank, and rose up, and set out In peace to Jerusalem And on the following day the Sanhedrin Sat in the synagogue and asked them Saying, did you really see Jesus Sitting on the mountain Malamitch Teaching his eleven disciples And did you see him taken up And the men answered them And said, as we saw him taken up So also we said Anas says, take them away From one another, and let us see Whether their account agrees And they took them away from one another And first they called Attis And said to him, how dost thou See Jesus taken up Attis says, while he was yet Sitting on the mountain Malamitch And teaching his disciples We saw a cloud overshadowing Both him and his disciples And the cloud took them up into heaven And his disciples lay upon Their face upon the earth And they called Finnes the priest And asked him also saying, how dost Thou see Jesus taken up And he spoke in like manner And they again asked Haggai And he spoke in like manner And the Sanhedrin said The law of Moses holds At the mouth of two or three Every word shall be established Both of them a teacher says It is written in the law And Enoch walked with God And is not because God took him Jairus a teacher said In the death of Holy Moses We have heard of and have not seen it For it is written in the law of the Lord And Moses died from the mouth of the Lord And no man noeth of his sepulchre Unto this day And Rabbi Levi said Why did Rabbi Simeon say When he saw Jesus, behold He lies for the fall and rising again Of many in Israel And for a sign spoken against The Rabbi Isaac said It is written in the law Behold, I send my messenger before thy face Who shall go before thee To keep thee in every good way Because my name has been called upon him Then Anas and Caiaphas said Rightly have you said what is Written in the law of Moses That no one saw the death of Enoch And no one has named the death of Moses But Jesus was tried before Pilate And we saw him receiving blows And spittings on his face And the soldiers put about him a Crown of thorns, and he was scourged And received sentence from Pilate And was crucified upon the cranium And two robbers with him And they gave him to drink vinegar and gall And Longinius the soldier Pierced his side with a spear And Joseph our honorable father Begged his body And as he says he is risen And as the three teachers say We saw him taken up into heaven And Rabbi Levi has given evidence Of what was said by Rabbi Simeon That he said, behold, he lies for the fall And rising again For many in Israel And for a sign spoken against And all the teachers said To all the people of the Lord If this was from the Lord And is wonderful in your eyes Knowing you shall know, O house of Jacob That it is written Cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree And another scripture teaches The gods which have not made the heaven And the earth shall be destroyed And the priests and the Levites Said to one another If his memorial be unto the year That is called Jobel Know that it shall endure forever And he hath raised for himself A new people Then the rulers of the synagogue And the priests and the Levites Announced to all Israel Cursed is that man who shall worship The work of man's hand And cursed is the man who shall worship The creatures more than the Creator And all the people said, Amen, Amen And all the people praised the Lord And said, Blessed is the Lord Who hath given rest to his people Israel According to all that he has spoken There hath not fallen one word Of every good word of his That he spoke to Moses his servant May the Lord our God be with us As he was with our fathers Let him not destroy us And let him not destroy us That we may incline our hearts to him That we may walk in all his ways That we may keep his commandments And his judgments which he commanded To our fathers And the Lord shall be for a king Over all the earth in that day And there shall be one Lord And his name one The Lord is our king He shall save us There is none like thee, O Lord It is thy name By thy power heal us, O Lord And we shall be healed Save us, O Lord, and we shall be saved Because we are thy lot in heritage And the Lord will not leave his people For his great name's sake For the Lord has begun to make us Into his people And all having sung praises Went away each man to his own house Glorifying God For his is the glory Forever and ever End of section 9