one of my disciples who shall heal thy infirmity,
and prepare [eternal] life for thee and those that believe with thee.'
Then this letter came straightway to the king,
and the Saviour provided, after He had ascended to Heaven,
that He should send to the king, as He had before spoken,
one of the seventy whom He had chosen to preach,
who was called Thaddeus, that he might heal the king.
He came then, by God's commission, to the aforesaid city,
and healed the afflicted king in the Saviour's might,
so that the citizens greatly wondered thereat.
Then the king remembered what Christ had before promised him,
and bade men fetch to him the aforesaid Thaddeus,
who was also called by a second name, Judas.
And when he entered, then arose the king
and fell at his feet before his thanes,
because he saw a shining brightness
on the face of Judas through God's revelation,
and said that he was verily Christ's disciple
sent to heal him, even as He himself had promised.
Then Thaddeus answered the venerable king thus,
'Because thou hast rightly believed on Him who sent me,
therefore am I sent to thee that thou mayest be whole;
and, if thou continuest in His faith. He will grant thee
thy heart's desires besides thy health.'
Abgarus answered him steadfastly, and said,
'To that degree I believe on the living Saviour
that I would slay, if so it might be,
those who fastened Him on the gibbet of the cross.'
Then Thaddeus said to him, 'Christ our Saviour desired
to fulfil His Father's will, and again to go to Him.'
Abgarus said to him again, 'I know all about that,
