Eusebius Book 1, Section 13

1.13.1

ΧΙΙΙ. Τῆς δὲ περὶ τὸν Θαδδαῖον ἱστορίας τοιοῦτος γέγονεν ὁ τρόπος. ἡ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ θειότης, εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους τῆς παραδοξοποιοῦ δυνάμεως ἕνεκεν βοωμένη, μυρίους ὅσους καὶ τῶν ἐπ’ ἀλλοδαπῆς πορρωτάτω ὄντων τῆς Ἰουδαίας νόσων καὶ παντοίων παθῶν ἐλπίδι θεραπείας ἐπήγετο. ταύτῃ τοι βασιλεὺς Ἀβγαρος, τῶν ὑπὲρ Εὐφράτην ἐθνῶν ἐπιση- μότατα δυναστεύων, πάθει τὸ αῶμα δεινῷ καὶ οὐ θεραπευτῷ δάον ἐπ’ ἀνθρωπείᾳ δυνάμει καταφθειρόμενος, φθειρόμενος, ὡς καὶ τοὔνομα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πολὺ καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις συμφώνως πρὸς ἁπάντων μαρτυρουμένας ἐπύθετο, ἱκέτης αὐτοῦ πέμψας δι’ ἐπιστοληφόρου γίνεται, τῆς νόσου τυχεῖν ἀπαλλαγῆς ἀξιῶν. ὁ δὲ μὴ τότε καλοῦντι ὑπακούσας, ἐπιστολῆς γοῦν αὐτὸν ἰδίας καταξιοῖ, ἕνα τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν ἀποστέλλειν ἐπὶ θεραπείᾳ τῆς νόσου ὁμοῦ τε αὐτοῦ σωτηρίᾳ καὶ τῶν προσηκόντων ἁπάντων ὑπισχνούμενος . οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δὲ ἄρα αὐτῷ ἐπληροῦτο τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. μετὰ γοῦν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον Θωμᾶς, τῶν ἀποστόλων εἷς τῶν δώδεκα, Θαδδαῖον, ἐν ἀριθμῷ καὶ αὐτὸν τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν κατειλεγμένον , κινήσει θειοτέρᾳ ἐπὶ τὰ Ἔδεσσα κήρυκα καὶ εὐαγγελιστὴν τῆς περὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ διδασκαλίας ἐκπέμπει, πάντα τε δι’ αὐτοῦ τὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τέλος ἐλάμβανεν ἐπαγγελίας. ἔχεις καὶ τούτων ἀνάγραπτον τὴν μαρτυρίαν, ἐκ τῶν κατὰ Ἕδεσσαν τὸ τηνικάδε βασιλευομένην πόλιν γραμματοφυλακείων ληφθεῖσαν· ἐν γοῦν τοῖς αὐτόθι δημοσίοις χάρταις, τοῖς τὰ παλαιὰ καὶ τὰ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἄβγαρον πραχθέντα περιέχουσι, καὶ ταῦτα εἰς ἔτι νῦν ἐξ ἐκείνου πεφυλαγμένα εὕρηται, οὐδὲν δὲ οἷον καὶ αὐτῶν ἐπακοῦσαι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχείων ἡμῖν ἀναληφθεισῶν καὶ τόνδε αὐτοῖς ῥήμασιν ἐκ τῆς Σύρων φωνῆς μεταβληθεισῶν τὸν τρόπον·

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XIII. The manner of the narrative concerning Thaddaeus is as follows. The divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, being proclaimed among all men because of his wonder-working power, drew to him myriads even of those who in foreign lands were far remote from Judaea, in the hope of healing from diseases and from all kinds of sufferings. In this way King Abgar, the celebrated monarch of the nations beyond the Euphrates, perishing from terrible suffering in his body, beyond human power to heal, when he heard much of the name of Jesus and of the miracles attested unanimously by all men, became his suppliant and sent to him by the bearer of a letter, asking to find relief from his disease. Jesus did not give heed to his request at the time, yet vouchsafed him a letter of his own, promising to send one of his disciples for the cure of his disease, and for the salvation alike of himself and of all his relations. Nor were the terms of his promise long in being fulfilled. After his resurrection from the dead and return into heaven, Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, was divinely moved to send to Edessa Thaddaeus, who was himself reckoned among the number of the Seventy disciples, as herald and evangelist of the teaching about Christ, and through him all the terms of our Saviour's promise received fulfilment. There is also documentary evidence of these things taken from the archives at Edessa, which was at that time a capital city. At least, in the public documents there, which contain the things done in antiquity and the things concerning Abgar, these things too are found preserved from that time to this; but there is nothing like hearing the letters themselves, which we have extracted from the archives, and translated from the Syriac, they are verbally as follows:

1.13.2

ΑΝΤΙΓΡΑΦΟΝ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΣ ΓΡΑΦΕΙΣΗΣ ΥΠΟ ΑΒΓΑΡΟΥ ΤΟΠΑΡΧΟΥ ΤΩΙ ΙΗΣΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΜΦΘΕΙΣΗΣ ΑΥΤΩΙ ΔΙ’ ΑΝΑΝΙΟΥ ΤΑΧΥΔΡΟΜΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΙΕΡΟΣΟΛΥΜΑ

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A copy of a letter written by Abgar the Toparch to Jesus, and sent to him at Jerusalem by courier Ananias.

1.13.3

“ Ἄβγαρος Οὐχαμα τοπάρχης Ἰησοῦ σωτῆρι ἀγαθῷ ἀναφανέντι ἐν τόπῳ Ἱεροσολύμων χαίρειν. ἤκουσταί μοι τὰ περὶ ἀοῦ καὶ τῶν σῶν ἰαμάτων, ὡς ἄνευ φαρμάκων καὶ βοτανῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ γινομένων. ὡς γὰρ λόγος, τυφλοὺς ἀναβλέπειν ποιεῖς, χωλοὺς περιπατεῖν, καὶ λεπροὺς καθαρίζεις, καὶ ἀκάθαρτα πνεύματα καὶ δαίμονας ἐκβάλλεις, καὶ τοὺς ἐν μακρονοσίᾳ βασανιζομένου θεραπεύεις, καὶ νεκροὺς ἐγείρεις. καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἀκούσας περὶ σοῦ, κατὰ νοῦν ἐθέμην τὸ ἕτερον τῶν δύο, ἢ ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ποιεῖς ταῦτα, ἢ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ ποιῶν ταῦτα. διὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν γραφὰς ἐδεήθην ἀοῦ σκυλῆναι πρός με καὶ τὸ πάθος, ὃ ἔχω, θεραπεῦσαι. καὶ γὰρ ἤκουσα ὅτι καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι καταγογγύξουσί σου καὶ βούλονται κακῶσαί σε. πόλις δὲ μικροτάτη μοί ἐστι καὶ σεμνή, ἥτις ἐξαρκεῖ ἀμφοτέροις.

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Abgar Uchama, the Toparch, to Jesus the good Saviour who has appeared in the district of Jerusalem, greeting. I have heard concerning you and your cures, how they are accomplished by you without drugs and herbs. For, as the story goes, you make the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, and you cleanse lepers, and cast out unclean spirits and demons, and you cure those who are tortured by long disease and you raise dead men. And when I heard these things concerning you I decided that it is one of the two, either that you are God, and came down from heaven to do these things, or are a son of God doing these things. For this reason I write to beg you to hasten to me and to heal the suffering which I have. Moreover I heard that the Jews are mocking you, and wish to do you ill. Now I have a city very small and venerable which is enough for both.

1.13.4

“Μακάριος εἶ πιστεύσας ἐν ἐμοί, μὴ ἑορακώς ?? με. γέγραπται γὰρ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοὺς ἑορακότας με μὴ πιστεύσειν ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ ἵνα οἱ μὴ ἑορακότες με αὐτοὶ πιστεύσωσι καὶ ζήσονται. περὶ δὲ οὗ

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The reply from Jesus to Abgar, the Toparch, by the courier Ananias.

1.13.5

ἔγραψάς μοι ἐλθεῖν πρὸς σέ, δέον ἐστὶ πάντα δι’ ἃ ἀπεστάλην ἐνταῦθα, πληρῶσαι καὶ μετὰ τὸ στείλαντά οὕτως ἀναληφθῆναι πρὸς τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. καὶ ἐπειδὰν ἀναληφθῶ, ἀποστελῶ σοί τινα τῶν μαθητῶν μου, ἵνα ἰάσηταί σου τὸ πάθος καὶ ζωήν ἀοῖ καὶ τοῖς σὺν ἀοῖ παράσχηται.”

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“Blessed art thou who didst believe in me not having seen me, for it is written concerning me that those who have seen me will not believe on me, and that those who have not seen me will believe and live. Now concerning what you wrote me, to come to you, I must first complete here all for which I was sent, and after thus completing it be taken up to him who sent me, and when I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples to heal your suffering, give life to you and those with you.”

1.13.6

Ταύταις δὲ ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς ἔτι καὶ ταῦτα συνῆπτο τῆ Σύρων φωνῇ·

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To these letters the following is further appended in the Syriac:

1.13.7

Μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἀναληφθῆναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτῷ Ἰούδας, ὁ καὶ Θωμᾶς, Θαδδαῖον ἀπόστολον, ἕνα τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα· ὃς ἐλθὼν κατέμενεν πρὸς Τωβίαν τὸν τοῦ Τωβία. ὡς δὲ ἠκούσθη περὶ αὐτοῦ, 1 ἐμηνύθη τῷ Ἀβγάρῳ ὅτι ἐλήλυθεν ἀπόστολος ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καθὰ ἐπέστειλέν σοι. ἤρξατο οὖν ὁ Θαδδαῖος ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ θεραπεύειν πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ μαλακίαν, ὥστε πάντας θαυμάζειν· ὡς δὲ ἤκουσεν ὁ Ἄβγαρος τὰ μεγαλεῖα καὶ τὰ θαυμάσια ἃ ἐποίει, καὶ ὡς ἐθεράπευεν, ἐν ὑπονοίᾳ γέγονεν ὡς ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐπέστειΛεν λέγων ἐπειδὰν ἀναληφθῶ, ἀποστελῶ ἀοῖ τινα τῶν μαθητῶν μου, ὃς τὸ πάθος ἀοῦ ἰάσεται.’ μετακαλεσάμενος οὖν τὸν Τωβίαν, παρ’ ᾧ κατέμενεν , εἶπεν ἴ’ ἤκουσα ὅτι ἀνήρ τις δυνάστης ἐλθὼν κατέμεινεν ἐν τῆ αῇ οἰκίᾳ· ἀνάγαγε αὐτὸν πρός με. ’ 2 ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Τωβίας παρὰ Θαδδαίῳ, εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἴ’ ὁ τοπάρχης Ἄβγαρος μετακαλεσάμενός με εἶπεν ἀναγαγεῖν ἄε παρ’ αὐτῷ, ἵνα θεραπεύσῃς αὐτόν.’ καὶ ὁ Θαδδαῖος, ἀναβαίνω,’ ἔφη, ἐπειδήπερ δυνάμει παρ’ αὐτῷ ἀπέσταλμα.’ ὀρθρίσας οὖν ὁ Τωβίας τῇ ἑξῆς καὶ παραλαβὼν τὸν Θαδδαῖον ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν Ἄβγαρον . ὡς δὲ ἀνέβη, παρόντων καὶ ἑστώτων τῶν μεγιστάνων αὐτοῦ, παραχρῆμα ἐν τῷ εἰσιέναι αὐτὸν δρᾶμα μέγα ἐφάνη τῷ Ἀβγάρῳ ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Θαδδαίου· ὅπερ ἰδὼν Ἄβγαρος προσεκύνησεν τῷ Θαδδαίῳ, θαῦμά τε ἔσχεν πάντας τοὺς περιεστῶτας · αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὐχ ἑοράκασι τὸ ὅραμα, δ’ μόνῳ τῷ Ἀβγάρῳ ἐφάνη· ὃς καὶ τὸν Θαδδαῖον ἤρετο εἰ ἐπ’ ἀληθείας μαθητὴς εἶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὃς εἰρήκει πρός με “ ἀποστελῶ ἀοῖ τινα τῶν μαθητῶν μου, ὅστις ἰάσεταί σε καὶ ζωήν σοι παρέξει.’’ ’ καὶ ὁ Θαδδαῖος ἔφη ‘ ἐπεὶ μεγάλως πεπίστευκας εἰς τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπεστάλην πρὸς σέ. καὶ πάλιν, ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς ἐν αὐτῷ, ὡς ἄν πιστεύσῃς ἕαται ἀοῖ τὰ αἰτήματα τῆς καρδίας σου. καὶ ὁ Ἄβγαρος πρὸς αὐτόν οὕτως ἐπίστευασ, ’ φησίν, ‘ ἐν αὐτῷ, ὡς καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς σταυρώσαντας αὐτὸν βουληθῆναι δύναμιν παραλαβὼν κατακόψαι, εἰ μὴ διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀνεκόπην τούτου.’ καὶ ὁ Θαδδαῖος εἶπεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ πεπλήρωκεν καὶ πληρώσας ἀνελήφθη πρὸς τὸν πατέρα.’ λέγει αὐτῷ Ἄβγαρος ‘ κἀγὼ πεπίστευκα εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὁ Θαδδαὶος ‘ ‘διὰ τοῦτο,’ φηαί, ‘ ‘τίθημι τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ ἀὲ ἐν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦτο πράξαντος, παραχρῆμα ἐθεραπεύθη τῆς νόσου καὶ τοῦ πάθους οὗ εἶχεν. ἐθαύμασέν τε ὁ Ἄβγαρος ὅτι καθὼς ἤκουσται αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὕτως τοῖς ἔργοις παρέλαβεν διὰ τοῦ μαθητοῦ αὐτοῦ Θαδδαίου, ὃς αὐτὸν ἄνευ φαρμακείας καὶ βοτανῶν ἐθεράπευσεν , καὶ οὐ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἄβδον τὸν τοῦ Ἄβδου, ποδάγραν ἔχοντα· ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς προσελθὼν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ἔπεσεν, εὐχάς τε διὰ χειρὸς λαβὼν ἐθεραπεύθη, πολλούς τε ἄλλους συμπολίτας αὐτῶν ὁ αὐτὸς ἰάσατο, θαυμαστὰ καὶ μεγάλα ποιῶν καὶ κηρύσσων τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἄβγαρος ‘ σὺ Θαδδαῖε,’ ἔφη, ‘ σὺν δυνάμει τοῦ θεοῦ ταῦτα ποιεῖς καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἐθαυμάσαμεν· ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τούτοις δέομαί σου, διήγησαί μοι περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ Ιησοῦ πῶς ἐγένετο, καὶ περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει ταῦτα ἐποίει ἅτινα ἤκουσταί μοι. καὶ ὁ Θαδδαῖος ‘ ‘νῦν μὲν σιωπήσομαι,’ ἔφη, ἐπεὶ δὲ κηρῦξαι τὸν λόγον ἀπεστάλην, αὔριον ἐκκλησίασόν μοι τοὺς πολίτας σου πάντας, καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτῶν κηρύξω καὶ σπερῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον τῆς ζωῆς, περί τε τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καθὼς ἐγένετο, καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀποστολῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕνεκα τίνος ἀπεστάΛη ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός, καὶ περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ καὶ μυστηρίων ὧν ἐΛάΛησεν ἐν κόσμῳ, καὶ ποίᾳ δυνάμει ταῦτα ἐποίει, καὶ περὶ τῆς καινῆς αὐτοῦ κηρύξεως, καὶ περὶ τῆς μικρότητος καὶ περὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεως, καὶ πῶς ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπέθετο καὶ ἐαμίκρυνεν αὐτοῦ τὴν θεότητα, καὶ ἐσταυρώθη , καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὸν Ἅιδην, καὶ διέσχισε φραγμὸν τὸν ἐξ αἰῶνος μὴ σχισθέντα, καὶ ἀνήγειρεν νεκροὺς καὶ κατέβη μόνος, ἀνέβη δὲ μετὰ πολλοῦ ὄχλου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ.1 ’ ἐκέλευσεν οὖν ὁ Ἄβγαρος τῆ ἕωθεν συνάξαι τοὺς πολίτας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκοῦσαι τὴν κήρυξιν Θαδδαίου, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προσέταξεν δοθῆναι αὐτῷ χρυσὸν καὶ ἄσημον. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐδέξατο, εἰπών εἰ τὰ ἡμέτερα καταλελοίπαμεν , πῶς τὰ ἀλλότρια ληψόμεθα; ’ ἐπράχθη ταῦτα τεσσαρακοστῷ καὶ τριακοσιοστῶ ἔτει.’

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“Now after the ascension of Jesus, Judas, who is also Thomas, sent Thaddaeus to him as an apostle, being one of the seventy; and he came and stayed with Tobias, the son of Tobias. Now when news of him was heard, it was reported to Abgar that an apostle of Jesus had come here, as he had written to you. So Thaddaeus began in the power of God to heal every disease and weakness, so that all marvelled. And when Abgar heard the great and wonderful deeds which he was doing, and how he was working cures, he began to suspect that this was he of whom Jesus had written, saying, ‘When I have been taken up, I will send you one of my disciples who will heal your affliction.’ So he summoned Tobias, with whom Thaddaeus was staying, and said, ‘I hear that a certain man of power has come and is staying in your house. Bring him to me.’ 2 And Tobias came to Thaddaeus and said to him, ‘The Toparch Abgar, having summoned me, bade me bring you to him in order to heal him.’ And Thaddaeus said, ‘I will go up, since I have been sent with power.’ So Tobias rose up early the next day, and taking Thaddaeus came to Abgar. Now as he went up, while the king’s magnates were standing present, as soon as he entered a great vision appeared to Abgar on the face of the apostle Thaddaeus. And when Abgar saw this, he did homage to Thaddaeus, and wonder held all who were standing by, for they had not seen the vision, which appeared only to Abgar. And he asked Thaddaeus, ‘Are you in truth a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God, who said to me, “I will send you one of my disciples who will heal you and give you life”?’ And Thaddaeus said, ‘Since you have had great faith in him who sent me, I was sent to you for this reason. And again, if you believe in him, the request of your heart shall be granted to you.’ And Abgar said to him, ‘I have such belief in him as to have wished to take force and destroy the Jews who crucified him, had I not been prevented from this by the Roman kingdom.’ And Thaddaeus said, ‘Our Lord has fulfilled the will of his Father, and after fulfilling it has been taken up to the Father.’ And Abgar said to him, ‘I too have believed on him and on his Father.’ And Thaddaeus said, ‘For this cause I put my hand on you in his name.’ And when he had done this, immediately he was healed from the disease and the sufferings he had. And Abgar wondered that just as he had heard concerning Jesus, so he had in fact received through his disciple Thaddaeus, who cured him without drugs and herbs, and not only him but also Abdu the son of Abdu, who had the gout; for he too came and fell at his feet, and received prayer by the laying on of hands, and was healed. And the same Thaddaeus healed many others of their fellow-citizens, performing many wonderful deeds and preaching the word of God. And after this Abgar said, ‘O Thaddaeus, it is by the power of God that you do these things, and we ourselves have wondered. But in addition to this I beg you, explain to me concerning the coming of Jesus, how it happened, and concerning his power, and by what power he did these things of which I have heard.’ And Thaddaeus said, ‘I will now be silent, but since I was sent to preach the word, summon for me tomorrow an assembly of all your citizens, and I will preach before them, and sow in them the word of life, both concerning the coming of Jesus, how it happened, and concerning his mission, and for what reason he was sent by the Father, and concerning his power, and his deeds, and the mysteries which he spoke in the world, and by what power he did these things, and concerning his new preaching, and concerning his lowliness and humiliation, and how he humbled himself, and put aside and made little his divinity, and was crucified, and descended into Hades, and rent the partition which had not been rent from the beginning of the world, and raised the dead, and he went down alone, but with a great multitude did he go up to his Father.’ So Abgar commanded his citizens to assemble in the morning and to hear the preaching of Thaddaeus, and after this he ordered him to be given gold and silver; but he did not receive it, saying, ‘If we have left our own things, how shall we take those of others?’ These things were done in the 340th year.”

1.13.8

Ἃ καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἄχρηστον πρὸς λέξιν ἐκ τῆς Σύρων μεταβληθέντα φωνῆς ἐνταῦθά μοι κατὰ καιρὸν κείαθω.

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Let this valuable and literal translation from the Syriac suffice me for the present.