The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian church/Megabit

by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Megabit

Megabit 1 (March 10)

On this day Saint Barkosos (Praxius) became bishop of the city of Jerusalem. This good father was appointed in the days of Alexander Caesar, and he loved the Christians, and this holy father was perfect in all his works. And God having chosen him for the office of Bishop of Jerusalem, he pastured his people well and truly, like the Apostles. He had been sitting only a very few days when Alexander died, and after him reigned Maximianus Caesar, who afflicted the Christian people with grievous tribulation, and he slew very many of them, some being bishops. And some of them betook themselves to flight, and forsook their native lands. This father fled to the desert, and his people could not find him, and they set over themselves a bishop whose name was Dios. Then Dios died, and they set over themselves another bishop whose name was Agradinus. And when the days of persecution had passed by, this Abba Barkisos (Praxius) sat on his Episcopal throne. And he became weak and feeble, and he aged very much, and he asked his congregation to appoint themselves another bishop, but they refused. Now in those days there was a certain man whose name was Iskander (Alexander), Bishop of the city of Cappadocia, and he came to pray in Jerusalem, and to return to his native country; and having finished his work and completed the days [of his visit] he wished to return to his native country. And behold, a voice was heard in the church on the day of the Resurrection of our Lord, saying, “Get ye out to a certain gate of the city of Jerusalem, and the first man who cometh out there from, him seize and seat on the throne with Barkisos (Praxius) to assist him in his Episcopal work.” And when the congregation had gone forth, and had arrived at the gate, they found Iskander (Alexander), and they seized him against his will, and seated him on the Episcopal throne with Abba Barkisos (Praxius), to assist him; and he sat with him until he died. And all the days of the episcopate of this Abba Barkisos (Praxius) were thirty-six years, and all the days of his life were one hundred and sixteen years. And he was well pleasing unto God, and he died in peace.

And on this day also is commemorated the holy martyr Iskander (Alexander). This holy man was from the city of Rome, and Maximianus tortured him very severely, because he would not be subject unto him, and would not offer up sacrifice to his idols. He hung him up by his hands, and tied a very large and heavy stone to his feet, and he beat him cruelly, and he made holes in his temples, and placed lighted torches in them. And when, even under these tortures, Iskander (Alexander) refused to submit to his authority, Maximianus ordered his men to cut off his head; and they cut it off with a sword. And he received the crow of martyrdom in the kingdom of heaven.

And on this day are commemorated Mercurius the bishop, and the death of Matusala (Methuselah) the son of Henok, who begot Lameh. And the days of Matusala (Methuselah) were 969 years. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 2 (March 11)

On this day the holy and blessed Abba Makarawi, the bishop, became a martyr. This father was of the people of the city of ‘Esmun Zarays, in the south of Egypt; he was one of its nobles, and was appointed Bishop of the city of Nakyos. When the days of tribulation came, a royal judge whose name was Yofanyos arrived in the city, in order to torture the Christian people. And he heard the report of this holy bishop, Abba Makarawi, and he sent a message to the people to bring him to him. And before this holy father came into the judge’s presence, he entered the church and went to the holy altar, and lifted up his hands, and prayed. Then he laid the sacred possessions, and the holy vestments for the consecration of the Eucharist in a certain place, inside the sanctuary. And he begged and entreated our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory, to protect the Church, and he cried out as he wept loudly, “O ye gates of the daughter of Zion, who will not permit the light of the sun to rise upon you? Guard ye the sacred possessions of the sanctuary of God.” Then he went out and departed with the royal messengers, and arrived before the judge, who asked him his name, and what city he came from, and what his occupation was. When the judge learnt that he was Bishop of the city of Nakyos, he commanded his men to beat him, and to degrade him, and to melt silver and lead, and to cast the molten metal into his face. And God gave him strength to endure, and fortified him, and raised him up safe and uninjured. After this the judge sent him to Herminius, governor of the city of Alexandria, and he commanded his men to shut him up in prison, and they did so. And God wrought very many signs and wonders by his hands. And among them was the healing of the son of Julius, [governor of] the city of ‘Akfahas, whose name was Eucharitus and who was paralyzed in his feet and hands; and the holy man prayed over him and he was healed of his sickness. After this he consecrated the Offering in the house of Julius, and administered to those in it the Holy Mysteries; and the people made an agreement with Julius that he should bury his body, and write the story of his fight. And when Herminius, the governor, heard of the signs and wonders, which Abba Makarawi wrought, he commanded his men to torture him. [They broke him on] the wheel, and cut off his members, and cast him as food to the lions, and threw him into the sea, and hurled him into a red-hot oven. And in all these tortures the holy man was victorious, and he was strong in the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory! And He raised him up sound and uninjured. There was a certain sister, a virgin, a ministrant in the church of our Lady Mary, and she had two brothers, one of whom was called John and the other Isaac. And they came to the holy man whilst he was in prison, and they wept before him, saying, “Thou hast been a father to us in the place of our own father. Why wilt thou go and leave us widows and orphans?” And the holy man comforted them, and sent them back to their houses. And Julius advised the governor, saying, “Write down the story of the fight of this elder, and be at peace.” And he accepted his words, and commanded his men to cut off the head of Abba Makarawi, and they cut off his head with a sword, and he receive the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of heaven. And the blessed Julius took his holy body, and prepared it for burial, and swathed it in splendid wrappings embroidered in gold, and he laid a cross of gold on his breast, and sent it with his slaves to the city of Nikyos. There was a fair wind, and the boat sailed swiftly, and it came and stopped by the gate of the city ‘Esmun Zerays; and the sailors wished to move the boat, but they were unable to do so. And when they had toiled hard, a voice went forth from the body of the holy elder, saying, “This is the place wherein God is pleased that my body shall rest.” And they made this known to the people of the city, who went out to it, carrying palm branches; and they carried it in with great reverence and laid it in their city. And all the days of his life were one hundred and thirty-one years. Of these he passed eight years in learning the Books of the Holy Church, and he spent twenty-four years in completing his knowledge of the ordinances of the office of deacon. Then he was appointed priest, and held this office of thirty years. After this he was consecrated bishop, and he held this office for sixty-nine years. And he finished his good fight, and received the crown of life from our Lord Jesus Christ.

And on this day also died Gregory, the seer of things hidden, of the city of Roha (Eddessa). This Gregory was in his early life a sinner, and a man of violence. Then he turned to God, and became a monk, and he contended strenuously until God showed him the abode of the righteous, and their abundant joy, and the sufferings and tortures of each of the damned. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 3 (March 12)

On this day died the blessed and holy Abba Cosmas, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria; he was the fifty-eighth archbishop of that city. This father was righteous, and pure, and exceedingly merciful and compassionate and he was learned in the Books of the Church, and in the interpretations thereof. And God chose him for the archiepiscopacy, and to sit upon the throne of Mark the Evangelist, and he was enthroned in the eighteenth year of Makter, King of Egypt. And having been enthroned he tended the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory, in the fear of God and with wisdom. And he set aside certain of the dues, which were rightly his, and gave them to the poor, and the cost of building churches was defrayed by him. When Satan saw him fighting the good fight, he did not leave him unhated, on the contrary, he contrived to bring great sorrow upon him, through his own act, in consecrating as Bishop of the country of Ethiopia a man whose name was Peter. Now the bishop, Abba Peter, arrived in Ethiopia, and after he had been sitting a few days, the King of Ethiopia fell sick. And he summoned the bishop, Abba Peter, to his presence, and brought his two sons before him, and taking the royal crown off his own head, he gave it to the bishop, Abba Peter, and said unto him, “Behold, I am going to my Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory! And behold, my two sons are before thee. After my death appoint as king the one of them which thou knowest would rule the kingdom best.” When the King of Ethiopia was dead, the bishop, and the governors, and the generals, and the royal army, took counsel together, and it was said among them, “The younger son will be far better for the kingdom than the elder.” And the bishop appointed the younger son to be king, and seated him upon the royal throne for a few days. In those days Satan entered into the heart of two monks from the country of Syria, and they went about from one place to another until they came to the monastery of Abba Antonius, and they dwelt therein for a few days, but were driven out because of the evil of their works. And the two of them made an agreement together, that one of them should be made a bishop, and that the other should assist his companion. And they rose up, and came to the country of Ethiopia, and they forged lying documents which they carried with them, and these documents declared that the two monks had come from father Abba Cosmas, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. And they went on to say, “We have heard that there hath cone unto you a certain man whose name is Peter, and that he hath made himself bishop. Now we have not consecrated him, and we have not sent him to you; on the contrary, he is an impostor. Now as concerneth the man who shall come to you with this letter, and whose name is Minas, he is in truth a bishop. We have consecrated him and we send him to you.” And the monks wrote also in that document, saying, “Peter, the false bishop, hath crowned king the younger prince, and hath set aside the elder prince, which thing is not right; Peter is a man of iniquity.” And these two false and wicked monks, Minas and Victor, before they wrote the forged letter came to Peter, the bishop, and asked him to give them gold, but he would not give them anything whatsoever. And Satan taught them how to carry out this foul and wicked work, and they took the forged letters to the elder prince, who was sitting by himself in a certain place, and a few men were waiting upon him. When he had read these forged letters he rejoiced exceedingly, and he gathered together to him a very large number of soldiers, and read the forged letters before them. And he made war upon his brother, the king, and he put him in fetters and he himself reigned [in his stead]. And he likewise put Peter the bishop in fetters, and carried him off to a far city, and he seated the impostor Minas on the Episcopal throne in his stead. After a few days the impostors Minas and Victor quarreled, and Victor stole everything there was in the bishop’s house in works, which were not well pleasing unto God. And when Cosmas the Archbishop heard what Minas, the liar, had done, he was exceedingly sorry, and he wrote a deed of expulsion and anathematized and excommunicated him. When the King of Ethiopia heard this he was exceedingly sorry, and he seized Minas the liar and killed him, and he sent a messenger bidding Peter the bishop to return from exiled, but they found that he had died in exile. And Cosmas the Archbishop was wroth, and he wanted to consecrate a bishop for the Ethiopians, but his successors Abba Macarius, and Abba Theophanius, and Abba Minas, and Abba Abraham, would not do so. And the King of Ethiopia took the assistant of Peter, the Bishop, and said unto him, “Sit thou instead of thy teacher, and be bishop.” And he entreated the king, saying, “It is not right for thee that I should do this, and I will not transgress the Canon of the Apostles, but let me go to Egypt, and I will beseech the archbishop to consecrate a bishop for you, and I will return to you.” And the king would not allow him to go to the country of Egypt, but he took him against his will, and he arrayed him in Episcopal vestments, and he performed Episcopal functions until the days of Abba Philotheus, the Archbishop. And Abba Cosmas lived to a very old age, and all his days were filled with peace and prosperity. And he sat upon the throne of Mark the Evangelist twelve years, and he died in peace.

And on this day also died Barronyos of Banyos. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 4 (March 13)

On this day the General Council assembled in Daset, of the children of ‘Omar, because of certain wicked men who were called “Friends of the Jews,” and who used to keep the glorious Paschal feast with the Jews, on the fourteenth day of the month of Nesan, that is to say the month of Miyazya, when it fell on the second, or third, or fourth, or fifth, or the Eve of the Sabbath, or on the first, the Sabbath, each one of whom the bishop of Daset had banned, but they would not return [to the true use]. And he sent letters to Democratius, Archbishop of Rome, and to Serapion, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, and Demetrius, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, and to Symmachus, Archbishop of Jerusalem, and told them of the error of these men. And the four archbishops sent to each of them a letter, saying, “Do not keep the glorious Paschal feast on any day except the First Day of the week, and only after the festival of the Jews.” And they excommunicated everyone who transgressed this command, expelling him or cutting him off from communion. And eighteen bishops assembled at this Council, and they brought the evildoers before them, and read to them the letters of the archbishops. Some of them turned from their evil counsel, and some of them remained in their error; these last were anathematized, and excommunicated, and expelled. And it was ordered that the glorious Paschal feast should be kept according to the instructions of the holy Apostles who said, “This day of the Paschal feast shall be the First Day of the week, the day of the Resurrection of our Lord.” He who will be a partaker with the Jews in their festival let him separate himself from the Christians. And may God keep them from the error of Satan, and deliver them from his snares, and from his wiles, through the prayers of those who have pleased God by their works, our King John, and our Queen Sabla Wangel, forever.

And on this day also Hanulyos (Hanulius), the governor, became a martyr in the city of Bergya, which is on the borders of Pamphylia. This holy man, because of his love for our lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory, held his authority, whilst Bernyakos ruled for Diocletian. And when Hanulyos (Hanulius) stood before Diocletian, he proclaimed boldly the Faith of God in a loud, clear voice, and he sent (i.e. ascribed) to God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise, many praises, and he cursed and anathematized the polluted idols. And the governor ordered his men to crucify him upon a tree, and they did so, and the holy man praised our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory, who had deemed him worthy to become a martyr for His holy Name’s sake. Then he delivered up his soul into the hand of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory! Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 5 (March 14)

On this day died the holy father, Abba Sarapamon, the strenuous ascetic and abbot of the monastery of Saint Abba John, of the desert of Scete. This holy man became a monk in the church of Saint Abba John in his youth, and he dwelt there and ministered to the holy elders, and fought a good and strenuous fight for thirty-two years; then he was appointed abbot of the monastery of Saint Abba John. And he added to his works of righteousness, and to his ascetic labors, and he fasted and prayed and kept vigil continually, from the time he became a monk until he died. When he had held the office of chief priest for twenty years, he shut himself up in the church, and up to the day of his death never saw a man again. He died fifteen years after, and during these fifteen years he never ate nor drank, except at the beginning of the Sabbath, and on the First Day of the week. When the time of his death drew nigh, the angel of God appeared unto him in the desert, and gave him a cross of fire and said unto him, “Take this cross in thy hand.” And the holy man said unto him, “How can I hold fire in my hand?” And the angel answered and said unto him, “Fear not, for our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory, hath not given unto fire dominion over thee”; and he stretched out his holy hand and took the cross from the hand of the angel. And the angel said unto him, “Be strong, and received the Holy Mysteries; at the end of the third day I shall come and take thee.” And when he woke up from his sleep, he told the holy elders what he had seen, and they embraced him, and wept, and entreated him to remember them; and on his part he entreated them to remember him always at the time of their prayers. Then he received the Holy Mysteries and died in peace on the third day. And the holy elders who dwelt near him swathed him for burial, as was fitting, with the singing of hymns, and funerary chants, and they buried him in the grave of the righteous.

And on this day also Saint Eudoxia became a martyr; now her name is interpreted “Peace with good will.” This holy woman was a Samaritan, and she came from the city of Ba’Albak, on the borders of Basri, in the neighborhood of Mount Lebanon, in the reign of Trabyanos (Trajan, or, Tiberius), Emperor of Rome. Her father’s name was Yonas, and her mother’s name was Tababet, and in her early life she lived by prostitution and lewdness. And she used to beautify her face, and adorn her person with beautiful ornaments, so that she might lead the multitude astray, and make them fall into sin with her; and by such lewd life she acquired great riches. And a certain righteous monk, of the men of Jerusalem, whose name was Germanus, heard the report of her, and he visited her, disguised as one of those who were in the habit of visiting her. And when he had entered he sat down with her in the house, and began to rebuke her with serious and terrifying rebukes, and he reminded her of Gahanam, and of the worm that never sleepeth, and the outer darkness, and of each of the fearful punishments, which are therein. And she answered and said unto him, “Is there a resurrection of bodies after death? After they have become dust, will they be punished?” And he said unto her, “Yes.” And she said unto him, “What is the proof of this statement? It is not written in the Law, which God gave unto Moses the prophet and to our fathers, and they did not believe.” And he revealed unto her what is written in the Old and New Testaments concerning the resurrection of the dead, on the day of Judgment, and concerning the punishment of sinners, and concerning the joy of the righteous. And his words and his rebuke entered her heart, and she believed that bodies will be raised up on the day of Judgment. And she said unto him, “If I turn from my prostitution will God accept me?” And Saint Germanus answered and said unto her, “If thou wilt believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise, and believe that He came into the world, and took away the sins of men by His crucifixion for their sakes, and if thou wilt repent with sincere repentance from this moment, and wilt be baptized with Christian baptism, God will accept thee, and will not remember any of the sins which thou hast committed. Nay, thou wilt become as thou wast on the day when thou wast born from thy mother’s womb, and there will be opened unto thee the True Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise!” And she asked him to baptize her with Christian baptism, and he took her and brought her to the Bishop of Ba’Albak. And she confessed before him the Holy Trinity, and the Incarnation of the Word of God, and His Crucifixion and Resurrection. And the bishop stood up and prayed over the water, so that he might baptize her with Christian baptism, and God opened the eyes of her heart, and she saw a shining angel leading her to the water, and other angels rejoicing and exulting for her sake. And she saw also faces, which terrified her, and a black and horrible being who tried to drag her from them, and he was wroth with her. When she saw this sight the desire for Christian baptism increased in her, and she repented, and straightway she was baptized with Christian baptism. And she gave all the riches, which she had collected by her sinful trade to the poor and needy, and she entered one of the houses of virgins, and she put on the garb of the nun, and fought a good and perfect fight. And Satan entered into the heart of one of the men who used to commit fornication with her, and he made an accusation against her to the governor, who commanded that his men should bring her before him. And when she came she stood at the door of the hall, and she found in his house great lamentation and weeping, for the governor’s son, who was dead. And she came into the house, and prayed, and entreated our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise! And He raised up the son of the governor from death. When the governor saw this miracle he marveled exceedingly, and he believed on our Lord Jesus Christ through her, with a firm belief. After this another governor, whose name was Diogenes, was appointed in his stead; and he heard the story of this virgin, and had her brought before him, and she saw standing before him a certain young man, who was blind of an eye, and she made prayer and supplication over him, and she made the sign of the Cross over the eye that was blind, and it was opened forthwith, and the young man saw clearly with it; and the governor sent the holy woman away. After this another governor, whose name was Bakinikos, was appointed in the place of Diogenes. And he heard that story of the holy woman Eudoxia, and had her brought to him so that he might torture her. And she besought our Lord Jesus Christ to give her a portion with the martyrs, and the Lord received her petition. And the governor commanded his men to cut off her head, and they cut it off with the sword; and she received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Gabra Manfas Kedus Rabbuni who subdued lions, and made wild beasts his servants.

And on this day also died Abuna Theodore, Abbot of Dabra Libanos; he was the fifth of those who sat upon the throne of Abuna Takla Haymanot. This father was from his youth up a habitation of the Holy Ghost, and he was a follower of the Law of the holy fathers who were before him, and it was therefore most fitting for him to sit upon the throne of Abuna Takla Haymanot. He brought his days to a close with strenuous devotion to fasting and prayer, and he fulfilled all the ordinances of purity even like the angels. And he passed from the labor of this world to the rest, which is forever. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 6 (March 15)

On this day Saint Dioscoros became a martyr in the days of the reign of the successors of Muhammad the prophet. This holy man was a native of Alexandria, and certain men made him leave the Christian Faith of his fathers, and brought him into the Faith of the Muslims, and he remained in their belief for a few days. Now he had a sister in the Feyum, who was married to a certain believer, and when she heard that her brother had abandoned the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ she was exceedingly sad. And she sent him a letter, saying, “I would rather that news had come to me telling me that thou hadst died a Christian, nay, I would have rejoiced therein, than that this news of thee which hath reached me, telling me that thou art not dead, and that thou hast abandoned the Faith of Christ, thy God.” And she added many other words of rebuke in that letter, and at the end thereof she said, “Know thou that this letter [marks] the ending of the love which was between thee and me. From this time onwards I will never look upon thy face. Send me no more of thy letters.” When he had red his sister’s letter, he wept bitterly, and he smote his face and tore his beard. Then he rose up forthwith and girded up his loins, and prayed a long prayer, and entreated God with many entreaties, and he made the sign of the life giving Cross-over himself, and went out from his house and wandered about in the city of Alexandria. And when the Muslims saw him they seized him and brought him to the governor, who asked him what had happened to him; and Dioscoros said unto him, “I am a Christian, and I know nothing except this.” And the governor answered and said unto him, “Didst thou not abandon the Christian religion, and adopt ours?” And Saint Dioscoros answered and said unto him, “It is written in the Holy Gospel, ‘He who doth not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the punishment of God shall descend upon him.’ For this reason I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. I was born a Christian, I will die a Christian.” And the governor was wroth with him, and said unto him, “If thou dost not turn from this counsel of thine, I will torture thee very severely”; but Dioscoros was not afraid of the governor’s tortures, and he did not turn from his good counsel. And the governor beat him for a long time, and inflicted great pain upon him, and then shut him up in prison, where he remained for a few days. After this the governor had him brought out of the prison house, and promised him, swearing many oaths as he did so, that he would give him much money if he would turn from his counsel to the Muhammadan Faith, and that if he did not, he would burn him in the fire. And Dioscoros said, “I will not died outside the life-giving Christian Faith”; and the governor commanded that they should burn him. And his men dug a large pit outside the city, and they filled it with wood, and they set fire to the wood, and the flames of the fire mounted up to a great height. And the men of the city beat him sorely and they gashed his body with butchers’ knives. Afterwards they cast him into that fiery pit, and he delivered his soul into the hand of God and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of heaven.

And on this day also is commemorated the death of Saint Theodosius the Confessor, Bishop of Corinth, and a native of Cyprus. Julius, governor of the island of Cyprus, who had been appointed by Diocletian, heard the report of this holy man, and he had him brought before him, and demanded from him that he should deny our Lord Jesus Christ, and that he should cast incense to his filthy idols. And Saint Theodosius answered and said unto him, “I believe on my Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Whom I worship.” And when Saint Theodosius would not obey his command, he flogged him severely and lashed him painfully with whips made of buffalo hide; then he crucified him, and made gashes in all his body. And afterwards the governor made him lie upon an iron bed, which had been made red-hot; but none of these tortures affected him in any way whatsoever. Then they tied to his legs long iron bands, and dragged him to the prison house, and cast him into it, and he remained in the prison house until God blotted out Diocletian the unbeliever. And [when] Constantine the righteous emperor reigned, he commanded and he released all those who had been shut up in the prison for the Faith’s sake. When they had set free this holy man, he returned to his country, and he filled his office, and tended his flock well; and he died in peace.

And on this day also died the dwellers in the desert, Anthony, and Arkaladius. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 7 (March 16)

On this day Philemon and Ablanius (Apollonius) became martyrs. This holy man Philemon was the jester and singer of Arianus, the governor of Antinoe, and Ablanius (Apollonius) was his musician; and the jester and the musician were friends and they wished to become martyrs. And Philemon the musician took the apparel, which was his and gave it to Ablanius (Apollonius), and he put on the apparel of Ablanius (Apollonius), and went to the governor, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him. And the governor commanded his servants to shoot many arrows at him, and they did so. And after that Ablanius (Apollonius) came to the governor, and with him there was a singer who sang, and he confessed before him the Lord Jesus Christ. And the governor was wroth because of this thing, and he looked at him, and knew that he was Ablanius (Apollonius) the musician, and he was sad because of Philemon, for he had shot him with arrows and he was dead; and he commanded them to shoot arrows at Ablanius (Apollonius), and they did so. And it came to pass that whilst they were shooting at Ablanius (Apollonius), one of the arrows glanced back, and smote the governor in the eye, and destroyed it. Thus the holy men Philemon and Ablanius (Apollonius) ended their striving and received the crown of life.

And on this day also died the Emperor Theodosius.

And on this day also Saint Theodotus became a martyr. This holy man came from the district of Galatia. And he grew up in the fear of God, and practiced asceticism, and information was laid against him before the governor, and men reported to him that Theodotus was a Christian; and the governor commanded them to bring him bound before him. And when Theodotus heard [about this order], he came to the governor without making it necessary for them to seize him, and he uttered imprecations upon the governor and upon his idols; and the governor swore, and showed him [his] instruments of torture, and [tried to] force him to offer up sacrifice to the gods. And when the governor saw the firmness of his courage, he ordered his soldiers to crucify him, and to scrape the sides of his body until the organs, which were therein, became visible; and as he did not die they took him into the prison house. And they brought him out again, and hung him upon a cross, and they made new wounds in him, and scraped his sides, but the holy man accounted the tortures of the governor as nothing, because his heart was transfixed by the love of God, and his eyes saw the things which were in the heavens above. And when the governor saw the nature of his heart, he ordered his soldiers to cut off the head of the holy man with the sword. And when Saint Theodotus heard of the crowning of his martyrdom, he went forth rejoicing. And he prayed to God, and made petition and entreaty unto Him, saying, “I thank Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, for delivering me from all the evil, which hath followed me, and for casting down into Gahanam those who have risen up against me, and for raising me up from the gates of death.” And when Saint Theodotus had knelt down, the executioner brought a bandage to cover his eyes, but Saint Theodotus said, “A bandage of this kind is for those who fear death, but I, through the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, do not fear death.” And the executioner drew his sword and cut off his head. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 8 (March 17)

On this day Saint Arianus, the governor of Antinoe, became a martyr. Now, after the holy men Philemon and Ablanius (Apollonius) had become martyrs, one of the believers said unto the governor, “If thou wilt take some of the blood of those saints, and wilt smear thine eye therewith, thou wilt receive thy sight”; and the governor took some of their blood, and smeared his eye therewith, and he was able to see straightway. And Arianus sorrowed, with a very great sorrow, because of the evil things which he had done to the holy martyrs, and because he had tortured them with great severity and unmercifully. And he rose up straightway, and smashed his idols, and believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and forsook the torturing of those who believed in Christ. When Diocletian heard the report of Arianus, and of how he had behaved, he sent his soldiers and had him brought to him, and he asked him why he had forsaken the worship of his gods. And Arianus began to tell him about the signs and wonders which God was working by the hands of the holy martyrs, and how, in spite of the tortures which he had inflicted upon them, and the cutting of their limbs, they rose up again with all their natural strength and health unimpaired. And Diocletian was furious with him, because of what he said, and he commanded his soldiers to torture him, and they tortured him severely. Then he commanded them to cast him into a dungeon, and to lock the door upon him until he died; and they did as he had commanded. And our Lord Jesus Christ sent an angel to him and he brought him out from that dungeon, and made him to stand by the bed of the Emperor Diocletian. And the emperor woke up from his sleep, and when he saw him he was afraid, and said unto him, “Who art thou?” And Arianus said unto him, “I am Arianus, the governor of Antinoe.” And the emperor was terrified because of him, and he commanded his soldiers to thrust him into a hair sack, and to cast him into the sea; and this they also did unto him, and Arianus delivered up his soul into the hand of the Lord whilst he was in the hair sack. And when Arianus was embracing his kinsfolk and his slaves, he said unto them, “The Lord hath informed me in a vision of the night that He will heal my body, and restore it to the city of Antinoe.” And he said unto them, “Await ye my body at the port of the city of Alexandria.” And when the soldiers of Diocletian had cast his body into the sea, God commanded a certain whale, and he carried the saint and brought him to the port of the city of Alexandria, and laid him down on the dry beach. And the slaves of Arianus were there awaiting him, and they took his body, and brought it to his city Antinoe, and they laid it with the bodies of the holy martyrs Philemon and Ablanius (Apollonius). Thus Arianus finished his good fight, and received the rest of heaven. Salutation to the four Galatians who perished with Arianus.

And on this day also Matthias the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles, who was appointed in the place of Judas Iscariot, became a martyr, having preached in the cities to which he had gone, and converted the people thereof to the knowledge of God. Before this he went to a city of the cannibals, whose food consisted of the bodies of the travelers who went to sojourn among them. Now the custom of these men was as follows: Whenever they seized a traveler, they used to put out his eyes, and then place him in the prison house, writing down on paper the day on which they had seized him. And they fed him in prison on grass until thirty days were fulfilled, and then they would bring him out and eat him. When Matthias the Apostle came unto them, and preached among them, they seized him and treated him in this manner, and they put out his eyes, and shut him up in prison. Before thirty days had passed over him in the prison house, God sent unto him Andrew the Apostle, and his disciple with him, and they came unto Mathias in the prison house, and they saw the abominable thing, which the men of the city did to the men who were shut up in the prison house. And the men of the city knew that the apostles had come into their city, and they wanted to seize them and to kill them; now it was Satan who worked upon the men of the city to make them kill the apostles. And the apostles made entreaty to God, and He made a stream of water to flow forth from under a pillar, which was in the prison house, and the water flowed out into the city, and rose up until it reached the necks of the people. And the people being in sore tribulation, and having given up all hopes of saving their lives, came to the holy apostles, and wept before them and confessed their sins. And the holy apostles said unto them, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and ye shall be saved”; and all the people believed. And the apostles admonished them, and taught them the mystery of the knowledge of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the holy apostles prayed to God, Who made the water to cease through their prayers, and then they baptized them in the Name of the Holy Trinity. And they entreated our Lord Jesus Christ to remove from them the disposition of wild beasts, and He did so, and they became mild and gentle folk and ate the food which men are wont to eat. And the apostles appointed over them bishops and priests, and they tarried with them for a space of thirty days, during which they instructed them, and confirmed them in the Right Faith, and then they departed from them, and the people entreated the apostles to come back to them speedily. Now Saint Matthias the Apostle went to the city of Damascus and preached therein in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the men thereof took him, and laid him upon an iron bed, and they lighted a fire there under and kept it burning for seven days and seven nights. And when they came to him to look upon him, they found his face shining with a great light, like the light of the sun; and the fire had not touched him at all, and his body and the hair of his head, and his apparel, had not in any way suffered. Then they took deep counsel together, and they lighted a fire and kept it burning under the iron bed whereon the holy man was lying until fourteen days had passed by. After this [time] they brought him out from the fire, and they found him sound, and whole, and uninjured; and they marveled exceedingly, and they all believed on our Lord Jesus Christ through Matthias the Apostle, who baptized them in the Name of the Holy Trinity. And he appointed priests over them, and he tarried many days with them, confirming them in the Right Faith. After this he died a happy death in one of the cities of the Jews, the name of which was Pilawon, and they laid his holy body therein; and very many signs and great wonders took place through it, and he healed those who were sick.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Julianus, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria; now he was the fourteenth of the number of the archbishops. This holy man was a priest in the city of Alexandria, and he was so learned and wise that during his days there could not be found his like in the land of Egypt; and by the Will of God, he was appointed archbishop. And during the days of his office he composed Homilies and many admonitory Discourses, and he taught the people continually, and admonished them, and confirmed them in the Right Faith. And he dwelt in peace and safety during the days of his office, and all the days of his occupation of the throne of Mark the Evangelist were fourteen years, and he died in peace. Salutation to the Seven Sleepers who, in order to escape from the service of dumb idols, betook themselves to a cave, where sleep overtook them; they are commemorated on this day. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 9 (March 18)

On this day became martyrs Andrianus and his wife, and Eusebius and ‘Arma, and forty martyrs who suffered very severe tortures in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise ! and who refused to worship idols of gold and silver. They said, “We worship the God of heaven and of earth, our Lord Jesus Christ.” Afterwards they cut off their heads with the sword, and they received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of heaven.

And on this day are commemorated the twenty hundred martyrs who [suffered] with Abba Nob.

And on this day also died the holy father and ascetic Kueten (Cythinus). This holy man came from a district the name of which was Bantanyos, in the country of Syria. His parents worshipped the stars; his father’s name was Nestor and his mother’s name was Theodora, and he was [born] in the days when the Apostles were preaching in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When this holy man arrived at man’s estate, there appeared in him many virtues, purity, righteousness, and gentleness (or, humility), and he was exceedingly compassionate; and he was skilled in every branch of learning. His parents wished to make him marry a wife, but he did not desire to do so. And they settled him in a house and married him to a wife against his will, but he refused to consort with her, not because of the law of righteousness, and not because of weakness of body, but because he hated the lust of the flesh; and he dwelt with his wife many days but preserved his virginity. And he multiplied his prayers, and he petitioned God therein, and made many supplications, saying, “O God, have mercy upon me in Thy knowledge.” And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him as he did unto Cornelius, and he taught him the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he commanded him to go to one of the apostles, and to be baptized by him. And he went and was baptized with Christian baptism, and he learned all the Law of the Christian Faith, and he received the Divine Mystery. He heard continually the teaching of the holy Apostle Paul, and he acquired from him purity, and the working of righteousness, and devotion to God’s service, and humility, and the habit of praying continually, and fasting, and prostration, and vigil; and God gave him the power to work signs and wonders, and he had dominion over Satans. And he persuaded his parents, and gave them instruction, and brought them into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and also his wife, and her parents and kinsfolk. When one of the unbelievers came into the house of idols to offer sacrifice to Satan, Kueten (Cythinus), the holy man, knew him, and he cried out against Satan, and he rebuked him, and commanded him to confess before the people, and to tell them who he was. And when the holy man forced him, that devil confessed before the people that he was Satan, and was not a god. And all the people who were there cried out, saying, “One is the God of Saint Kueten (Cythinus),” and they believed and were baptized with Christian baptism. And when the governor, who had been appointed by Claudius Caesar, heard the report of this holy man, he sent and had him brought before him, and the holy man confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him. And the governor commanded his soldiers to bind him, and to beat him very severely, and they did so. When the man of the city heard that the soldiers were torturing Saint Kueten (Cythinus), they ran, and they all came to him, and wanted to kill the governor, because of their love for Saint Kueten (Cythinus). And the governor fled from them, and they released the holy man from his fetters, and they washed the blood off him, and carried him to his house. And he lived for many years, and pleased God Whom he loved exceedingly, and he died in peace. After his death the believers dedicated a church to his name, and they carried his holy body into it, and God exhibited many signs and wonders through it. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 10 (March 19)

On this day the glorious Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ - to Whom be praise - appeared twice; the first time through the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, the righteous emperor. For on this day, the blessed Helena, the blessed of the Lord--her son Constantine having entered the Christian Faith--went to Jerusalem, and discovered the wood of the holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; and many churches, and the holy churches which were in Jerusalem, were built by her. When her son Constantine believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and was baptized with Christian baptism, the holy woman Helena went to the city of Jerusalem (and with her there was a large company of soldiers) and sought for the Honorable Cross. When she found that there was no one who would tell her the place thereof, she took an old man, a Jew, and put him under the tribulation of hunger and thirst. And when he had suffered great tribulation through hunger and thirst, he spoke unto Helena, saying, “Clear out the site of Golgotha.” And Helena commanded the Jews, and they cleared out the site of Golgotha. Now the Jews had taken counsel together, and had issued a decree that all the offal and filth, which each man cast forth from his house, should be thrown out on Golgotha, on the tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Nazarene - to Whom be praise! And the Jews continued to heap offal on Golgotha in this wise for a period of two hundred years and more, and until the Empress Helena came to Jerusalem; and the offal, which had been cast out there, made a very great heap. And when the Jews had cleared it away, according as the empress had commanded them, there appeared in the midst of them three crosses. And because they did not know which of the three crosses was the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, they brought a dead man, and they laid upon him first one cross and then the second, but he did not rise up; and when they laid the third cross upon him he rose up immediately. And Helena then knew that that cross was the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and she and all the believing people bowed down before it. And it is written in another book that she sent that Cross to her son, that which remained was the base wherein the Cross was fixed, and she sent one half of that to her son, together with the nails. And she built churches, [and] holy shrines, the decorations and structures of which are described in the section for the seventeenth day of the month of Meskaerem. And it came to pass in the days of Heraclius, Emperor of Rome, when the Persians reigned in Egypt, and when the men of Persia wished to return to their country, that one of their officers passed over [into Syria], and arrived in the city of Jerusalem, and he went into the church of the Honorable Cross. And he saw in it a great light, which shone before the base (or column) wherein the Honorable Cross, and said unto him, “No one is able to hold this except a Christian.” And he took two deacons and commanded them to take the wood of the Cross, and to become the guardians thereof; and they laid it in a chest, and did with it according as the officer had commanded them. And he took the wood of the Honorable Cross, and he made captive very many of the men of the city of Jerusalem, and he returned to his own country. When the Emperor of Rome heard that Persians had raided the city of Jerusalem, and had carried away into captivity many men from it, and had taken away the wood of the Honorable Cross, he was exceedingly sorrowful because of these things. And the King of Persia returned, and fought with him, and he slew very many of their men, and he went round about through all the city searching for the wood of the Honorable Cross, and he found it not. Now the officer who had taken it away had brought the two deacons to a certain place, which was nigh unto his house, and he gave them orders, and they dug a very deep hole in the ground, and buried the wood of the Honorable Cross therein, and then he slew the two deacons. And it came to pass that a certain maiden of the children of the priesthood whom that officer had carried away captive, and who lived in his house, was looking out of the window of his house at the moment when he slew the two deacons, and buried the wood of the Honorable Cross [in the hole]. And that maiden went and told Heraclius, the Emperor of Rome, what the officer had done, and how he had slain the two deacons, and had buried the wood of the Honorable Cross. When the emperor heard this he rejoiced exceedingly. And that maiden guided the emperor, with whom were some of his soldiers, and bishops, and priests, and they followed her until she brought them to the place. And they dug there and found the wood of the Honorable Cross, and they lifted it up out of the pit, and the emperor, in his imperial apparel, and all the people who were with him, bowed down before the wood of the Honorable Cross, and he rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And the appearance of and the finding of the wood of the Honorable Cross a second time, took place on the tenth day of the month of Magabit. Then the emperor took the wood of the Honorable Cross with him to the city of Constantinople. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 11 (March 20)

On this day Saint Tewokanitos became a martyr, in the days of the Emperor Maximianus. This Tewokanitos was an officer in the army, and he cast away his belt; and with him was the blessed woman Alexandra, and they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise! When Maximianus heard this, he was wroth, and he commanded his soldiers to strip off the apparel of the saint, and to dress him in the clothes of women, and to place him among the women who wove garments. After this he ordered them to roll a red-hot wheel over him, and to crucify him, head downwards. And they also brought a bowl which was full of boiling pitch, and they set it upon his head, so that the pitch ran down into his ears; then they took him down from the cross, and set him before the Emperor Maximianus, with Alexandra who had been imprisoned with him. And the emperor commanded them to cut out the tongue of Tewokanitos, and to tie a huge stone to the necks of the saints, and to cast them into the River Euphrates. And they ended their martyrdom, and the brethren found their bodies on the river bank, and they buried them.

On this day also Basilaos (Basil) the bishop became a martyr, Abba ‘Armon, Archbishop of the city of Jerusalem, appointed this holy man (as well as others) to be a bishop, not over any one particular city, but he sent him to preach in the cities of the ‘Aramawiyan (i.e. pagans) who possessed neither religion nor faith. And this holy man Basilaos (Basil) went to a city of the infidels, unto whom he preached the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and they beat him and drove him out of every one of their cities. When he came into the cities of the civilized peoples, and preached in them the preaching of the Holy Gospel, half of the people believed on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the other half of the people who believed nothing drove him away. And he went forth outside the city and lived there in a cave, and he made supplication to God continually for the men of that city, and prayed that they might come into the knowledge of God, and believe on His Only Son. At that time the son of the governor of that city died, (now he was his only son,) and his father sorrowed for him with a very great sorrow. And the governor saw his son in a dream standing before him, and he said unto him, “O my father, call Saint Basilaos (Basil) the bishop, and ask him to pray to our Lord Jesus Christ on my behalf. And behold I am [living] in great darkness.” When the governor woke from his dream, he rose up, and was frightened, and he took with him the elders of the city and went to the cave of Saint Basilaos (Basil); and he asked him to come with him into the city and to pray for his son. And the holy man accepted his petition, and came into the city, and he prayed over the grave of the son of the governor, and he rose up forthwith alive, before them all. And the governor believed on God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise! And all the men who belonged to him, and very many of the men of the city also, were baptized with Christian baptism by Saint Basilaos (Basil). Now there were in that city very many congregations of Jews, and they were envious of Saint Basilaos (Basil), and they joined with the men of the city who did not believe on our Lord Jesus Christ, and they caused the holy man to come to them. And they rose up against him all together, and they beat him very severely, and they dragged him through the city until he yielded up his soul into the hand of God.

And on this day also died Abba ‘Alef, one of the Nine Saints. [Wanting in the Bodleian MS.]

And on this day also are commemorated the martyrs Ausanius, and Ephraim, and Arcadius, and Elias. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 12 (March 21)

On this day God sent Michael unto Balaam the magician, when he was called by Balak to curse Israel. He stood before him on the road and frightened him, and at length his ass spoke with human speech, and God turned his cursing into blessing.

And on this day also took place the manifestation of the virginity of the glorious Saint Demetrius, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria; now he was of the number of the fathers who became archbishops the twelfth. And the cause of the manifestation was Saint Julianus, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, his predecessor. On the night wherein he was to die, on that same night the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, “Thou art going to our Lord Jesus Christ, and he who shall come unto thee on the morrow, having with him a bunch of grapes, is the man whom it is fitting to be made archbishop after thee.” And when the morrow had come, this holy and honorable man Demetrius came to Saint Julianus, the Archbishop, and with him was a bunch of grapes. And Saint Julianus began to say unto the people, “Behold this man is he who shall be your archbishop after me,” and he told them how the angel of God had spoken concerning him; and when Saint Julianus was dead they took Demetrius and appointed him archbishop. Now Demetrius had married a wife, and no man who has ever been appointed Archbishop of the city of Alexandria has ever married a wife, except this holy man. And Satan entered into the hearts of the people of the congregation, and they talked against the holy man and abused him because of his wife. And the angel of God appeared unto Saint Demetrius and said unto him, “Inasmuch as some of the people are reviling thee, it is meet for thee to remove doubt from their hearts, and thou must reveal unto them thy strife with thy wife. This matter is hateful.” And the angel said unto him, “It is not meet that thou shouldst save thy self and destroy others for thy sake; but if thou wert a good shepherd thou wouldst fight to save thy people.” And when the morrow of that twelfth day of Magabit had come, Saint Demerius consecrated the Offering, and he commanded the people, saying, “Go ye not forth from the church, but tarry here a little on my account.” Then he ordered them to light a fire in the church, and he sent a messenger into the place of the women, and had his wife brought out; and the congregation wondered at his action, because they did not know what he was going to do. Then the holy man rose up, and prayed, and walked into the blazing fire and stood up in it. And he took fire in his hand, placed it in his fillet, and he prayed again a long time as he was burned by the fire; now the fire lay in his fillet, which was unconsumed. Then he called his wife, and threw some of the fire into her garment, and again he prayed for a long time, and the apparel of both of them was not burned in any part. And the congregation marveled and gave praise to God, and asked Saint Demetrius the Archbishop to tell them why he had done this thing. And he told them of his strife with his wife, and how his father had compelled him to marry against his will, and how his wife herself had had no wish to marry. [And he said] “Behold, we have lived together for eight and forty years, and never once have we had union. We sleep in one bed, and the same covering covereth both of us, and I have never known her as men know women for one day. And during all this space of days the angel of the Lord hath come down from heaven each night and hath covered us over with his wings. I have not revealed this matter to any man whatsoever during all this space of days, and I never wished to reveal it at all, but it is God Who hath commanded me to do this in order that ye may be saved from error.” And the congregation marveled exceedingly at what they had seen and heard, and glorified God; and they besought the holy man to forgive them their sins, and their abuse. And the saint forgave them their error, and said unto them, “This hath not happened through you, but through Satan, the hater of every good thing.” Then he blessed them and sent them away to their houses, in peace, and they praised God and thanked Him that they had seen some of the wonders of this Saint Demetrius the Archbishop.

And on this day also Saint Malazi, of the city of Felte’em, became a martyr. Salutation to Joseph, who was renewed in his belly. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 13 (March 22)

On this day forty soldiers, who were holy men, became martyrs in the city of Sebastia. These holy men became martyrs in the days of Alfayanos (Elianus) the king, who was one of the governors of the Emperor Constantine. The emperor appointed him governor over one of the countries [tributary] to Rom, and he commanded him to protect the Christians, and to treat them with respect, and to love them. When Alfayanos (Elianus) came to that country the people found that he worshipped idols, and he commanded all the people to worship idols; but they rose up and cursed him and his idols. And that night forty soldiers made an agreement among themselves to go to that governor, and to receive the crown of martyrdom at his hands. When they were sleeping the angel of the Lord appeared unto them in a vision and gave strength and fortitude to their souls. In the morning they rose up and confessed their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ before their commander Agricolaus, and he was wroth with them and threatened them, and they were afraid of him. And he commanded his men to stone them, but the stones came back upon those who stoned them. And there was near them a lake of water which was covered with ice, and near this was a bath. And the governor commanded his men to throw them into this lake of ice, and they threw them in, and their limbs were split open by the excessive cold. And one of them was afraid of it, and he went forth from the lake and entered the bath house, but he died quickly, and lost his reward, and did not find what he wished for. And one of the warders saw forty crowns descend from heaven and of them nine and thirty rested on the head of the nine and thirty holy martyrs; and one crown remained suspended in the hand of the angel. Then straightway one of the soldiers who were stationed there rose up, and he stripped off his apparel, and went down into the lake with the holy men, and he died and received the crown which was suspended [in the hand of] the angel. And the holy men remained in the lake, and some of them were young, and their handmaidens were encouraging them and urging them to suffer patiently. And the holy men remained in the lake for a very long time, but they did not die; and they did not wish to break their legs in order that they might not die quickly. And God received their souls, and the soldiers were not able to break their legs. After this the governor commanded his men to burn their bodies with fire, and to carry them away on wagons, and cast them into the sea. As they were carrying them away upon wagons, they found that one of them, a young man, was not dead, and they did not put him on a wagon. And his mother took him, and tried to throw him on the wagon with the holy martyrs, but the warders stopped her, because he was alive, and he died on her bosom, and she cast him on to the wagon, with the holy men, and they took him out to the city of Sebastia; and they cast them into the fire, and burnt them, and then they threw them into the river. On the third day those holy martyrs appeared unto the bishop of the city of Sebastia, and they said unto him, “Go to the river and there thou wilt find our bodies; carry them away. Go there with the priests, and deacons, and the people, and bring back our bodies, and bury them in a beautiful tomb.” And the bishop, and the priests who were with him, set out by night, and they went to the river, and they found the bodies of the holy martyrs gathered together in one place like bright stars, and there was no portion of their bodies destroyed; and they took them and laid them in a beautiful shrine. And the history of these martyrs was heard in the ends of the earth, and the people celebrated their commemoration, and built churches in their honor in all the ends of the earth, and very many signs and wonders took place through them.

And on this day also Orthodox folk celebrated the festival of the commemoration of the persecution of Abba Macarius the Great, and of Macarius the Alexandrian. When Valentinus ruled over the Empire of Rom, after Valeno his brother, he afflicted and persecuted the orthodox believing people, because he believed in the abominable Faith of Mani, and in the Faith of Arius, the evil one, and he appointed Lucius, the Arian, Archbishop of Alexandria, and drove the Apostolic Athanasius into exile. This wicked man Lucius sought out Father Macarius the Great, and Father Macarius the Alexandrian, by the command of Waltes, the king, and had them brought from the desert. When they came into his presence he spoke unto them with seductive words and with blandishment and flattery and wished them to enter with him the Faith of Arius; but they would not turn from their Faith at his words, and they were not afraid of him. And they rebuked him, and argued with him gently and patiently, and they made him to see from the Holy Scriptures the rottenness of the Faith of Arius, and the wickedness of his words. And straightway he banished them to a remote island between Rome and Constantinople. And they made ready an Alexandrian ship and soldiers, and they set guards over them, who bound them with fetters of iron, and treated them cruelly in every possible manner. When they arrived at the island, the guards set them before the king of the island, who was an evil man, and a servant of Satan; moreover, he had corrupted the men of the island by his sorcery, until at length they worshipped him, and made him a god; and they used to bow down and worship him. When the king saw the fathers, he [tried to] compel them to worship him, but they would not yield to his command. Nay, they entreated him to turn from his error. But he would not turn at their words, and he shut them up, and put them in prison, and inflicted many severe punishments and tortures upon them, and he afflicted them most grievously. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto them, and encouraged them, and gave them strength to endure patiently. And when God willed that their virtues should become manifest, Satan seized the daughter of the king, and tortured her with so many tortures that her father and her mother sorrowed greatly. Now there were in the city many Satans, who manifested themselves boldly, and who cried out and said, “What have we to do with thee, O Marcarius, and thy companion whom they have exiled from their country?” And the Satan who had authority over the daughter of the king cried out, saying, “If Macarius and his companion do not come hither, I will not go out of the king’s daughter.” When the king and those who were gathered together about him heard this, they marveled; and they brought Macarius and his companion before the king. And when they had come to him [they manifested their power] over the unclean spirit which dwelt in the king’s daughter. And the king enquired of them concerning their business, and they told him everything which had happened unto them, and he entreated them on behalf of his daughter and asked them to heal her. And they rebuked him and said unto him, “Seeing that thou art but a man why dost thou make thyself a god? If it be thou who hast created the heavens and the earth, it is meet that thou shouldst thyself save thy daughter.” And straightway they prayed to our Lord Jesus Christ, and they cast out the devil from the king’s daughter, and as the devil was leaving her, he cried out and reviled the king, and the people of that island, for their works of iniquity. When the king and the multitudes saw this, they cried out and said, “We believe in the God of these holy men, for we know that there is no other god save theirs in heaven and earth”; and the holy fathers taught them the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the people gathered together those who were sick and suffering into one place, and the fathers prayed over them, and made over them the sign of the Cross, and healed them; and they also gave relief to, and healed many men whom the devils had seized, and they continued to do so for many days. After this they pulled down the temple in the city, and purified the site thereof, and they built there a church, for the site was fair and spacious. And the king commanded and the people brought there a countless quantity of gold and silver, and silk vestments, and everything which was necessary for the furnishing of the sanctuary of God. And our holy fathers commanded cunning workers in metal and smelters to make twelve bowls, each of which weighed a letra, and to engrave on them a portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a portrait of our holy Lady Mary, the Virgin, and portraits of the two great angels Michael and Gabriel. And they ordered them to make twelve bases (or stands) for the twelve vessels, and twelve vessels, and twelve . . . , the twenty-one crosses, each one of which [weighed] three letra. And they ordered them to paint (or, engrave) three shrines (?), and everything which was ordered for the ark of the testimony was complete, and all the vessels thereof; and the remainder of the money they distributed among the poor and needy. And it came to pass that on the eleventh day of the month of Ter, the day whereon our Lord Jesus Christ was baptized, [the holy men] ordered the people of the city to go down to the sea-shore, and to gather themselves together there. Now they had brought with them the holy oil, with which they had filled a vessel, when they were exiled form Alexandria. This oil had been preserved from the days of the Apostolic Athanasius, for Lucius the Arian had not found it. Thus God had preserved it all those days, and it had remained there, and nothing had injured it; and this took place by the command of the Holy Ghost. At the moment when Macarius made the sign of the Cross with the holy oil over the place of baptism, the water bubbled, and became like that which boiled by the heat of fire in a cooking pot. And Macarius poured olive oil and Myron oil over the face of the water, and it became like shining stars, and there appeared from it light like unto the light of the sun. When the king and the people assembled saw this they were afraid. And our Lord Jesus Christ appeared from out of heaven, and John the Baptist, and the holy angels at the consecration of the water, and the people were baptized in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. And straightway there rose up a beautiful aroma which was sweeter than that of any perfume. When the saints saw this they fell down upon their knees, and remained there. And Macarius made supplication to God as he knelt upon his knees, and said, “My Lord, I beseech Thee to let Thy mercy find me, and to allow the consecration of this tabernacle, and the vessels thereof, to be performed by Thy Divine Hand.” And the Lord said unto him, “I consent.” And the Lord took the Myron oil from the holy father, and He laid it in His right hand, and He consecrated the Tabernacle, and the vessels thereof. And He said unto Father Macarius, “I command thee to consecrate three ambulacra, and I am with thee. And thy companion Macarius shall serve with thee in this holy service; the first ambulacrum, the middle one, shall bear the name of Mary, who gave Me birth, the Virgin; that on the right shall bear the name of the Holy Cross; and that which is on the left shall bear thy name, for thou hast shed thy blood for My Name’s sake, through Lucius, the evil one, in this island.” And when the blessed men began to do as the Lord commanded them, David and the angels sang, and sanctified with their words the men of this island; and when the people heard the beautiful voices, they marveled and praised God. And our Lord Christ also commanded Saint Macarius to carry the Offering upon the Tabernacle, and to consecrate [it]. And Macarius said unto Him, “O my Lord, command Peter, the chief of the Apostles, to consecrate this day, for on this day, for the first time, the Offering is carried about, for Thy Name’s sake, in this island.” And our Lord said unto him, “It is meet for thee [to do this]. It is thou who hast sown in this island, and it is I Who give the increase. Hast thou not heard what I have said by the mouth of Paul my disciple, He who soweth is he who shall eat his fruit early.” and when Father Macarius began to consecrate there stood with him the holy fathers Peter on his right hand, and Mark on his left, and all the Apostles surrounded them to help him, and Macarius the Alexandrian was deacon. And Paul read the Book of Paul (i.e. the Epistle), and John read the Apostle (sic) (i.e. the Gospel), and Luke read the Acts of the Apostles, and David read the Psalms, and our Lord and God read the Gospel, for His memorial, which is to be adored, and the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a white dove upon the bread and wine; and they set forth the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise ! And when the holy man put his fingers round the cup, they became the color of blood. And all the hosts of the cherubim spread out their wings over the Tabernacle, and Michael and Gabriel and all the Apostles came to help them. And Father Macarius and Macarius the Alexandrian became like each other in form, and they gave the Holy Mysteries to the people. And after the Offering was administered, our Lord Christ took the form of Father Macarius, and He sat down above the throne from which the Gospel was read, and His face shone like the sun, and He gave the benediction to the people and returned into the Tabernacle, and His disciples with Him. And again after seven days our father Macarius prayed to the Lord and made mention concerning the establishing and the maintenance of the Church. And our Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, “Thou art he who art worthy before Me of this great glory.” When the elder heard this he bowed low before the Lord, and he wept bitterly, and said, “Remember, O Lord, what Thou didst say unto me: I will take thee back to thy sons the monks of Dabra Sihat, and thou shalt see them before thou goest forth from this body. And if I do not go back they will say, Macarius hath forsaken the monastic life and hath become Patriarch.” And the Lord said unto him, “O Macarius, I will fulfill for thee all the desire of thy heart; bring one of thy sons whom thou wouldst choose to be Patriarch.” And the holy man said unto Him, “Thou, O Lord, knowest hearts, look then at the aged metal-worker, for he is strong in the holy Faith, and he hath never known intercourse with women.” And our Lord said unto him, “Let it be as thou sayest; in truth he is a good man.” Then the saint called this metal-worker, and made him a deacon; then he appointed him a priest, and after that he raised him grade by grade until finally he attained the office of archbishop. And he named him John. And all the heavenly host cried out three times, saying, “Worthy, worthy, worthy is John, the Archbishop, the son of Macarius, the new sprout of Mark the evangelist”; and the king and all the people heard these words. And our Lord opened the eyes of the mind of John the Archbishop, and he gazed after our Lord Christ as long as he was able to see Him, and he uttered many words. And he saw the sanctuary filled with the spiritual hosts, and the prophets, and the holy apostles. And our Lord Christ called Abba Macarius the Great, and Abba Macarius the Alexandrian, and He said unto them, "Blessed are ye, and blessed shall be the men who shall remember you upon earth, and they shall inherit life everlasting. And I swear unto you by Myself that whosoever shall suffer because of the toil which ye have endured for My Name’s sake in this island, and shall see it and shall declare it in the church as he praiseth Me, he who hath heard from his (?) father all good things, such shall never lack anything. And I will deliver them from all their tribulations, and I will forgive them their sins, and at the moment of their departure from this world I will send the angels of mercy to take their souls to everlasting pleasure, and to My kingdom, which ye have imagined. And in every religious house, or city, or church, or building of the Orthodox wherein this story shall be proclaimed, I will dwell, and I will set My blessing, and My peace therein, until the end of the world. Whosoever shall contradict this history it would be better for him if he had never been born upon the earth. If they repent truly I will forgive them. Verily I say unto you, as ye have confessed Me before men I will confess you before My Father Who is in heaven, and before the holy angels.” And again He said unto them, “The time hath come for you to return to your city”; and He gave them the benediction, and went up into heaven. Then straightway the blessed fathers gathered together all the people, with the king, and told them that they were going to return to their own country, and they commanded them to keep all the Law of our Lord Christ, and to honor John the Archbishop. And they committed to their charge many things, and exhorted them to turn neither to the right hand nor to the left from the True Faith. When the people heard them they were dismayed, and they wept bitterly, and the holy men wept together with them; and they dismissed them in peace, and blessed each of them. And straightway an angel of the cherubim came, and lifted them up, and carried them on his wings, and in a single night brought them to Alexandria and let them descend into the city before the gates of the monastery of Abba Timothy the Archbishop at dawn on the First Day of the week. When Abba Timothy heard of this, he rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy, and when he saw them again he wept with many tears, and bowed down to the fathers. And they also bowed down before him, and they embraced each other, and they conversed about what had happened to them, and they told him of the conversion of those foreign peoples to the Lord, and of the wonders which had taken place. And the archbishop marveled, and all the people who heard marveled, and they praised God; and Macarius the Egyptian, and Macarius the Alexandrian, remained there eight days. And the angel of the cherubim appeared again, and he carried them on his wings and brought them to Dabra Sihat, and a cherub cried out in the air, saying, “O sons of Abba Macarius, behold your father hath come back from exile, bearing the fruits of the Holy Ghost”; when the monks heard this, they all went forth from their cells; now the monks were in number fifty thousand. Among them was Abba John the “Short,” and Abba Besoy, and they embraced his hands and his feet, and they wept bitterly when he told them all that had happened unto him. Then they rejoiced because they saw his face again, and he rejoiced with them, and blessed them in the Name of our Lord Christ. Therefore it is meet for us who are of the Faith of our Lord Christ, and all the men of Rome, and of every city and country, to rejoice on this day. And we command you to make it a festival each year, as a memorial of those fathers who fought strenuously, like Peter and Paul, and those who shed their blood for the Name of our Lord Christ our God, that is to say Abba Macarius the Great and his spiritual brother Macarius the Alexandrian. It was the thirteenth day of the month of Magabit on which Lucius exiled them from the city of Alexandria to the island which we have already mentioned, and it was on the same day of Magabit on which they returned, and arrived in the city of Alexandria.

And on this day also died the holy father Abba Dionysius, the fourteenth Archbishop of Alexandria. This holy father had parents who were pagans and unbelievers, and he studied many kinds of learning, for his father belonged to an honorable family. Now this father took great care of him from his youth up, and he taught him every kind of learning and wisdom, and at length he became a teacher of the pagan sages. As he was sitting down one day, behold a certain old woman, who was a Christian, passed by, and she had with her a quire of a book containing an Epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle; and she said unto him, “Take this quire, and buy it from me.” And when he had read it he found in it strange speech, and he found that it was admirable. And he said unto her, “For how much wilt thou sell it?” And she said, “For one dirham of gold”; and he gave her three dirham of gold, and said unto her, “Go, seek and find the rest of this book and bring it unto me.” And she went and brought him three more quires, and he gave her nine dirham of gold. And having read them through he found the book to be [still] incomplete, and he said unto her, “Go, and search for the rest of this book.” And she said unto him, “I found these quires among my father’s books. If thou dost want a complete Book of Paul the Apostle enquire among the men of this church.” And he said unto her, “If I were to enquire of them would they give it to me?” And she said, “Yea.” And he went and enquired for the Book of Paul the Apostle of one of the priests, and he gave it to him, and he read it, and he learned it by heart, and he used to recite it openly without the book, saying, “Believe on our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then he went to Saint Abba Demetrius the Archbishop, and he asked him to baptize him with Christian baptism, and Demetrius taught him everything he wanted, and baptized him, and Dionysius became perfect in the doctrine of the Church; and Abba Demetrius made him a teacher of the children of the Church. When Yarokla was appointed archbishop, he made this man his deputy in the city of Alexandria, and he dispensed judgment among the believers; and he gave him authority to administer the work of the archiepiscopate. When Saint Abba Yarokla died, all the people agreed and they appointed this father, Saint Dionysius, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria, and he protected his flock well and carefully. And great tribulation and much sorrow came upon him during the days of his office, for he was appointed during the days of the reign of Philip, who was a lover of the Christians. And when Decius rose up against Philip, and made war on him, he conquered him and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And he afflicted the believers with a very great affliction, and slew many martyrs among the archbishops and bishops, and others. And very many men fled in fear and terror, and came into the desert, where some of them died. And the soldiers of this emperor seized this father, and they treated him with very great indignity. Then Gerlawos destroyed that infidel, and reigned in his stead; and in the days of this emperor the affliction of the sons of baptism diminished and died down. When he died and Valerius reigned in his stead, the persecution of the Church broke out again. And his governors seized this holy father, and shut him up in prison, and tortured him with manifold cruel and severe tortures. Then they required of him to worship idols, and he answered and said unto them, “We will not worship idols, and we will only worship God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.” And the emperor was exceedingly wroth with him, and he killed many men in front of him, in order to terrify him; but the holy man was not afraid of him; and the emperor banished him and he remained in exile for many days. After this the emperor brought him back from exile, and he said unto him, “I hear that thou dost consecrate the Offering secretly by thyself.” And the holy man answered and said unto him, “We will not give up our prayers, and our consecration of the Offering neither by night, nor by day.” Then the holy man returned to the people who were with him, and he said unto them, “Go ye and consecrate the Offering, and even if I am remote form you in the body, I shall be thinking of you in the spirit”; and the governor was wroth and sent him back into exile. And God raised up against this infidel a host of barbarians, and he was afraid of them; and they slew him and gave the empire to his son. And his son was an exceedingly wise and an understanding man, and he released all the believers whom his father had shut up in prison, and he brought back those who were in exile. And he wrote a letter to the archbishops, and to all the bishops, and he said unto them, “Fear ye not, neither be afraid. Open your churches and light your lamps, for no evil whatsoever shall befall you.” And this holy father lived the days which remained to him in peace and quietness. In the days of this father there arose many disputes because of the Faith. Certain men of error appeared in the country of Arabia, and they said with the wickedness of their deeds, “The soul dieth with the body, and then riseth up with it on the day of the Resurrection.” And a Council assembled to deal with them, and the members thereof anathematized them, and cut them off. And again others were [in favor of ] Sabellius. When this Father Dionysius had grown old, there appeared Paul of Samosata, Archbishop of the city of Antioch, who denied the Son. And a Council against him assembled in the city of Antioch, but Father Dionysius did not come with them because of his old age, he sent an epistle full of all kinds of learning, and grace (or, courtesy), and he revealed therein the True Faith, and counsel and goodness. When he had arrived at a good old age he departed to God, having sat upon the throne of Mark the evangelist twelve years. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 14 (March 23)

On this day took place the death of the holy father Cyril, the seventy-fifth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria; he was called the son of our beloved and acceptable priest David, the son of Lekuelekue. This father was a native of the district of the Fayyum, and he was made a priest there. Then he departed from the Fayyum and came to Dabra Filktor (Victor), the martyr, which is outside the city of Mesr (Cairo) by the Well of the Ethiopians, and he dwelt therein for many years, and fought a strenuous fight there. This father was an excellent man, and a man of learning, and he possessed very many books of doctrine, and he interpreted them by means of his fine understanding. And he came to the court of Mawa’i (i.e. the ‘Umayyad Khalifah, Mu’Awiyah, A.D. 661), the perfect king, before he was appointed to his office of archbishop. And a large company of Muslim doctors, and their teachers, held a debate with him, and they obtained from him wise answers, and he replied clearly, and satisfactorily, to every question, which they put to him on any subject. And the report of his learning and holiness having become noised abroad, the people seized him against his will, and made him Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. And he protected his flock, and he laid down rules, which were suitable for priests when they ministered in churches at times of prayer and the consecrations of the Offering. And this father sat as archbishop for six (or, seven) years nine months and ten days; and he died at the third hour and was buried in Dabra Sem’a.

And on this day also died Abba Barles. This holy man was one of the most excellent aged monks. When he heard the rumor that Saint John Mahari was accepting the words of the informants against the monks, he left the monastery, and came to Alexandria and he wrote down the names of all its whoremongers. And when he was working with those who labored, and received his wages, he would buy a sarik (i.e. a small cake made of cheap flour) for a termus (i.e. a very small copper coin), and eat, and what was left over he would take and send to one of the harlots, and give it to her and say unto her, “Make thyself ready for me this night, for I will pass the night with thee.” And he would pass the night with her, that he might keep her from sin, and on her behalf he would rise up, and pray and perform prostrations, and make supplications unto God. When the morning came he would make her swear not to tell anyone what he had done [during the night], and then he would go to his work. And he continued to go each day to one of the harlots, and behave in this wise. And one of the harlots revealed what he did [during the night], and a devil seized her, and she perished. And certain man said, “God hath treated this woman rightly, for she told lies concerning this wicked old man.” And a woman said, “There is no blemish in this old man, on the contrary he gives us money, and keeps us from fornication.” When the other harlots heard [this] they were afraid to confirm her words, and thought that they might perish as she did. And they began to revile him. And he said unto them, “I possess not flesh like [other] men. Is God wroth with the monks that He should let them die through lust?” And they said unto him, “Bring forward a woman, and change apparel with her, for that is more suitable for thee.” And he said unto them, “Yea, I will willingly dress as a woman, and lay aside evil days. Get ye from me. What do ye want? Hath God set you over me to be judges? Take care now for yourselves, for ye will not be punished for me. For the Judge is one and the day is one.” And this holy man was accepted by God, and rejected by men. The harlots derived benefit from him and they forsook harlotry; some of them followed the ascetic life, and some of them made lawful marriages. One day as he was going out from one of their houses, he met a man who wanted to come in to visit the woman inside, and he smote the holy man with his hand, saying unto him, “Thou old man! How long art thou going to continue in this wicked work?” And one day a certain man came into the house of this elder, and he found him lying down as it were asleep, but he had delivered up his soul to God. And on the floor of his house were written some words wherein he said, “O men of Alexandria, condemn no one before his time; his opportunity [for explanation] will be when God cometh.”

And on this day also died Abba Sinoda the martyr. This holy man was a native of the country of Behnesa, in the land of Egypt. And certain men laid information against this holy man before Maximianus, a governor appointed by Diocletian, and they said unto him, “Sinoda is a Christian, and he doth not worship idols.” And the governor had him brought before him, and he questioned him concerning his Faith, and the holy man confessed before him our Lord Jesus Christ, and declared that he was the True God. Then the governor commanded his soldiers to lay him out upon the ground, and to beat him with the rods, which they carried in their hands; and they did so until, is flesh was cut into strips, and his blood ran over the ground like water. Then they dragged him along the ground by his feet, and cast him into the prison house, which was dark and stank vilely. And Michael, the angel of the Lord, appeared unto him, and strengthened him, and made him whole, and healed his wounds, and he said unto him, “Be strong, fear not, for crowns of glory have been prepared for thee because of thy toil. Thou wilt be condemned to suffer great tortures, but I will be with thee according to God’s command unto me”; then he disappeared from him. When the morning had come, the governor commanded his soldiers, saying, “Go and look at that wicked man who transgressed the imperial commands, and if he is dead cast him out to the dogs.” When the soldiers came to him they found him standing up praying, and they told the governor about him, how he was whole, and unharmed, and how there was no trace of any pain in his body, and how he was praying with great fervor, like a man who was full of joy and health, and had never submitted to torture at any time. Then the governor had him brought to him and he marveled at his life (vitality?). Then he had his clothes stripped off him, and he saw that his body was whole and uninjured; and he was amazed and said, “This is the great magician whose like I have never seen before.” And he ordered his soldiers to crucify Sinoda, head downwards, and to light a fire under him; and beat him with large whips, which caused him much pain. When the governor was tired to torturing him he commanded his soldiers to hack him in pieces with swords; and they hacked him in pieces with swords, and cast him to the dogs, but the dogs would not come near him. When it was night the believers carried him off in secret, and they wrapped him up in new cloths, and in many tomb wrappings, and they laid him in a coffin and buried him; and many signs and healings of the sick took place through his body. And he received his crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of heaven.

And on this day also Eugenius, and Eugandarus, and Alibidius (Abiladyos) became martyrs. These holy men were Christians, through their fathers and mothers. And they walked in the path of God, being learned in all Divine learning, and Saint ‘Armos, Archbishop of the city of Jerusalem, chose them, and made them bishops, not of any known sees, but he sent them to preach the Gospel in all the cities. And they preached in many cities, and the unbelievers in one of the countries seized them, and beat them very severely, and mercilessly, and they stoned them, and then they tied ropes to their shoulders, and dragged them along the ground. And as they were being dragged along they were beaten until they died.

And on this day also Thomas the Apostle worked a miracle upon a woman with whom a devil had had intercourse for a period of seven years, for she cried out to him, saying, “O apostle of our Lord Christ, deliver me from the enemy who afflicteth me sorely.” And he said unto her, “By what means hath he found thee?” And she said unto him, “As I was going forth from the beth he met in the form of a man who was hurried and excited, but his words were clear and distinct, and he said unto me, ‘Come, let us have intercourse together, and do for me all that a woman can do.’ And I said unto him, ‘I do not want to have intercourse with thee; leave me.’ When I fell asleep at night he came and had intercourse with me, and when I try to flee he afflicteth me. I know that devils and Satans tremble at thy prayers, therefore pray for me and deliver me from my tribulation.” When the apostle heard this he prayed for her and he anathematized the Satan, and he went forth from her. Then Thomas made the sign of the Cross over her, and he administered to her the Holy Mysteries, and he sent her away to her kinsfolk. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 15 (March 24)

On this day died the holy and righteous and ascetic woman, Sara the nun. This holy woman was a native of Upper Egypt, and her parents were Christians, and they worshipped our Lord Christ. Her parents were exceedingly rich, and besides her they had no other child. And they educated her in all the doctrine of Christ, and they also taught her to read and to write, and she was always reading all the Books of the Church, more especially the histories of monks and nuns. And because she was ever occupied in reading these histories, she desired to assume the spiritual garb of the nun. And she went to one of the nunneries of Upper Egypt and dwelt there for many years, and ministered to the virgins. At length she assumed the garb of the nun in that house, and she fought against the lust of Satan for thirteen years, and at length conquered Satan. And by reason of the intensity of her pure love [for Christ] her body became weak, and Satan wished to overthrow her by pride. And he appeared unto her as she was standing in the court of the house praying, and he said unto her, “Rejoice, O Sara, for thou hast vanquished Satan.” And she answered and said unto him, “I am a feeble woman, and I am not able to conquer him. It is not I who have conquered him and driven him away, but my Lord Jesus Christ.” This holy woman used to teach the virgins who were with her much profitable doctrine, and many things, and she said unto them, “I never set my foot upon the steps of the ladder, and I never go up on the other part of it without thinking I may die before I reach the top of it, so that the Enemy may not lead me astray through [my] length of days.” And she also said, “It is better for a man to show mercy, for even supposing that he showeth mercy merely for the sake of men, if he showeth it continually, he will at length enter into the good will of God.” And she spoke many other “Sayings” which are written in the History of the elder monks. And this holy woman continued to lead a life of stern ascetic strife. Her cave was on the bank of the river, and she dwelt therein for seven years; no one ever saw her any day, but she saw everyone. When she grew old and was well nigh eighty years of age, she was released from the bondage of this world, and she died, and entered into everlasting happiness.

And on this day also Sulpicius (var. Salafkon), the bridegroom of the holy woman Stratonice, became a martyr. When the emperor heard that this holy man was a Christian, he commanded his soldiers to bring him unto him. When he came to him the emperor said unto him, “Art thou the bridegroom of Stratonice?” And Sulpicius said, “Yea.” And the emperor said unto him, “Whom dost thou worship?” And Sulpicius said unto him, “My Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And the emperor commanded them to cast him into a pit full of poisonous serpents, but God delivered him. Then the emperor commanded them to cut off his head, and they cut if off with a sword, and Sulpicius received the crown of life.

And on this day also Helyas, of the city of ‘Ahnas, and Sephinius, and George Hadis (i.e. the new George), became martyrs. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 16 (March 25)

On this day died the holy and honorable father Abba Michael, the forty-sixth Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. This father was a monk in the church of Saint Abba Macarius in the desert of Scete, and he was a strenuous and devoted ascetic. When the holy father Abba Theodore, the archbishop who had been appointed before him, died, the fathers who were bishops sat for several days in a body in Mesr (Cairo), debating and trying to discover who was the most suitable man for the office of archbishop. And a certain righteous man, on whom was the grace of prophecy, told them, saying, “I was in the church of Saint Abba Macarius praying, when I heard a voice from heaven which said, Michael is worthy, and he is the man who is suitable for the office.” And the bishops discussed together the virtues and righteousness of Michael, and they agreed concerning him, and they obtained from the governor of Mesr (Cairo) an order in writing to bring him from his monastery. And they seized him, and bound him, and took him and made him archbishop on the seventeenth day of the month of Meskerem in the sixty-fourth year of the [Era of] Diocletian, (now that day was a festival of the Cross in the monastery of Abba Macarius) in the days of Al-Walid, the son of Hasimo (i.e. the ‘Umayyad Khalifah Al-Walid II, the son of Hisham, A.D. 724 - 744), and in the days of Warwan Al-Gadin. And the men of the city of Alexandria remained for many years without rain, that is to say there was no heavy rain, only showers. And on the day whereon this father was appointed archbishop, there was much rain, and the second and the third rains were very heavy. In the days of this father very great tribulation fell upon the Christian folk; and very many of the believers fled from the land of Egypt. And the number of men who denied Christ was twenty-four thousand. And because of these things this father archbishop sorrowed with very great sorrow, until at length God did away the causes of this thing, which were due to Him. In the days of this father, an archbishop was appointed over the Malakawiyan (Malachite), whose name was Cosmas, and this father debated with him concerning the unity of the Nature of our Lord Christ. And Cosmas believed that it was even as this father said, and he wrote with his own hand, saying, “Our Lord Christ hath His Unity, one Nature in His Incarnation, even as Cyril the archbishop saith.” And his bishops wrote the same thing with their own hands, saying, “It is not right to say concerning our Lord Christ and to assign to Him after His Unity two distinct Natures and two distinct Persons, like two men.” And they agreed about this Faith, and they assigned to him one holy, general and Apostolic Church. And Cosmas, the Archbishop of the Malakawiyan (Malachite), was pleased to be Archbishop of the city of Mesr (Cairo), and they all agreed about this counsel. But among them was one corrupt person, a certain man who was a Malachite, and whose name was Anastasius, who objected to this; he was an Alexandrine, and he wished them to make him archbishop, and they appointed him. And when they would not agree, Constantinus, Bishop of Mesr (Cairo), was pleased; now he was under the authority of Abba Michael. On this man there fell great tribulation from the rule of the oppressors, and they punished him most severely. They beat him with many strips, and they bound him with fetters of iron, and they shut him up in prison for many days; and they brought him before the judges of the government so that they might cut off his head. And God saved him in order to protect the flock of the people. And there was great torturing (or, persecution) in the days of the reign of Marwan (Marwan II, A.D. 744), [and] in the days of the governorship of Gabra Iyasus, the son of Muse (Moses), the son of Nasir, who withdrew from Judaism to Islam. And he shut up the archbishop in prison, and demanded money from him; then he showed him kindness and brought him out, and then he banished him. And he departed into Upper Egypt to beg for alms, and he brought back to the governor much money. And this holy man went into Upper Egypt, where he worked very many miracles, and he turned many of those who had denied our Lord Christ and brought them back into the Right Faith. When the King of Ethiopia heard the history of this father, and how the Muslim governor had punished him, and how they had shut him up in prison, he was filled with holy indignation, and he went down into Egypt, and he came to Upper Egypt, and laid waste many cities and spoiled them. When he went down to the land of Egypt there were with him ten thousand horses, and one hundred thousand mules, and one hundred thousand camels. When the King of Egypt knew that all this [invasion] had taken place for the sake of the archbishop, he released him from prison, and heaped great honors upon him; and in like manner he heaped exceedingly great honors upon the Christian people. Then the King of Egypt entreated this father to write a letter to the King of Ethiopia, and order him to return to his own country. And this father sent a letter to the King of Ethiopia wherein he invoked blessings upon him, and upon his governors and generals, and all his army, and he said unto him, “Behold God hath delivered us from the bonds of captivity through thee. And now return to thy country in safety and peace, and God shall reward thee in the kingdom of heaven for the toil which thou hast undertaken for me.” When the King of Ethiopia had read the letter sent to him by this father Archbishop Abba Michael, he rose up quickly and returned to his country in peace. When the holy father had finished his good strife he departed to the God Whom he loved. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 17 (March 26)

On this day died the holy and righteous Lazarus, the friend of our Lord, whom our Lord raised from the grave after he had been dead four days. This righteous man was one of the children of Israel, and his sisters were Mary and Martha. Now Mary it was who anointed our Lord with sweet-smelling unguent (sic). And all three were disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, and He loved them for their good works and virtues, and they were all virgins, and unmarried. And when the time came for this righteous man to pay the debt, which is sealed upon the race of the children of men, and to drink the cup, which all men are bound to drink, he paid the debt on this day and died. And our Lord Christ knew before the foundation of the world that it was on this day that He would raise up Lazarus from the dead. He did not save him from death, but He allowed him to die, and Lazarus remained until the fourth day in the grave and he stank; and then He raised him up, and thus a great miracle took place. And during these four days Lazarus saw the abodes of the righteous, and of sinners. And our Lord Who raised him up came to him, even as John the Evangelist, the proclaimer of the Godhead, who was a witness of this, saith, “Our Lord called him after he had been in the grave four days, and He said unto him, Lazarus, Lazarus, come forth”; and Lazarus went forth, his hands, and his feet, and his face being swathed in funerary bandages, after the manner in which men swathe the dead; a miracle! And the going forth of his hands and his feet and his face, which were swathed, was as much a miracle as the resurrection of his body. Now the reason of his going forth from the grave with his hands and feet and face swathed in funerary bandages, which had not been unloosed in the tomb, was that all men might know that he had been dead, and that some might not think that his resurrection had been agreed upon among themselves. And our Lord commanded that he should go forth swathed, just as he had been prepared for burial; for this reason it was a great miracle. And if some infidels thought that he was alive in the tomb, how could he go forth there from with his hands, and his feet, and his face, swathed? But we Christians believe and confess that it was our Lord Jesus Christ Who raised up Lazarus out of the tomb, after he had been dead for four days, for He is able to do everything, He is our Lord, and God, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Who is to be adored, with His Good Father, and the Holy and Life-giving Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.

And on this day also Theocritus, the reader, became a martyr. This holy man was a native of the city of Rome. And when [the soldiers] seized all the Christians, and compelled them to offer up sacrifice to idols, they seized this Theocritus with them, and they brought him to the emperor who said unto him, “Wilt thou offer up sacrifice, or wilt thou put my tortures to the test?” Now Theocritus was a youth fifteen years old, and he said unto the emperor, “I bring offerings unto my Lord Jesus Christ.” And the emperor said unto him, “Sacrifice, O Theocritus, so that thou mayest not die a cruel death.” And Theocritus said unto the emperor, “Come, O Emperor, thou and thy wisdom, and look upon my offerings.” And the emperor commanded the soldiers to take him into the house of his god, so that he might sacrifice there; and the emperor stood at the door, and when Saint Theocritus had prayed there was an earthquake in that place, and their god Aesculapius fell down. And the emperor, seeing Theocritus smile, commanded the soldiers to cut off his nose, and to bind him in fetters in the prison house. On the following day they brought him out, and put him into bonds, and they also dug a deep pit, and spread logs of [burning] wood over it, and they cast him into it until the flesh of his limbs was torn into strips, and the marrow of his bones dripped out from them. And the emperor and his soldiers were not able to kill him in this way. And they brought him again into the house of their idols, and locked him up therein, and they thought that their gods would take vengeance upon him, but he broke them, and spat upon the idols. And the angel of the Lord opened the doors for him, and he took the gold of the idols, and distributed it among the poor and the needy. And having returned, the doors were locked again, and were even as they had been before. And when, after eight days, the emperor opened the doors, they found their idols thrown down and smashed; and the holy man mocked and laughed at them. And the emperor commanded them to hide the righteous man until he could make to appear the gods who had been destroyed. And again he commanded them to take him into the theatre, and they brought him there, and the emperor sent lions against him, but the lions only licked his wounds. And again the emperor commanded them to put him on a rack, until all his limbs were torn out of their sockets, and his body was distorted in a terrible manner; but even then Theocritus conquered mightily, and the emperor was afraid. When the emperor saw his boldness, he commanded them to cut off his head with the sword. And Saint Emerianus, the Bishop, and all the congregation, and crowds of people followed Saint Theocritus, who was helping them with [his] prayers, and they embraced and kissed the holy man. And the executioner took up his sword, and cut off his head and Theocritus finished his martyrdom.

And on this day also are commemorated the saints Gregory, the fighter, and Talasius, the martyr, and Joseph, the Bishop, and the translation of the body of Nikor, the high priest. Salutation to Gregory, Talasius, and the bishop. Salutation to Abba Garima who appeared to Melimo in Dabra Dekhukhan [and] Dabra Kananmo. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 18 (March 27)

On this day Saint Isidore, the companion of Saint Sona the martyr, became a martyr. Now Sona was a soldier in the army of the governor of Farma, and he was a native of the city of Dakseya, and Saint Isidore was his friend, and they wore (?) apparel of wool, and both of them gave alms to the poor and needy when they received their hire. And both saw a vision the same night, and it seemed to them that a virgin came to them with crowns which she placed on their heads. When they woke up from their sleep, they conversed together about what they had seen, and they rejoiced greatly, and they knew that the Lord had called them to become martyrs to Him. And they rose up, and departed, and came to the governor, and Saint Sona unbound his girdle, and cast it down before the governor, and they both confessed our Lord Jesus Christ; and when the governor had heard their words he commanded his soldiers to shut them up in prison, but God sent His angel and comforted them. After this the governor sent Saint Sona to Alexandria, and left Isidore [where he was]. After a few days the governor of Alexandria sent Saint Sona back to the city of Farma, and the two men rejoiced at meeting each other again, and they talked together, and told each other what had happened to them. And the governor of Farma tortured them very severely. And then he commanded his soldiers to dig a pit for Saint Isidore, and to light a fire therein, and to cast him into the fire; and they did as the governor commanded them. And Saint Isidore asked the soldiers to wait a little whilst he prayed, and he prayed to our Lord Jesus Christ to accept his soul, and to have a care for his body. Then he drew nigh to the pit of fire, and cast himself into it, and delivered up his soul into the hand of God; and his body was not hurt in any way by the fire, and his appearance (or, features) remained unchanged. And the mother of Saint Sona was weeping for him because of his separation from his friend; then they took the body of Saint Isidore and carried it away and laid it in a beautiful place until the end of the days of persecution. And at the time when Saint Isidore was suffering martyrdom the mother of Saint Sona saw a multitude of angels carrying away his soul, and bearing it up into heaven with great glory. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 19 (March 28)

On this day died Saint Aristobulus, the preacher and apostle and disciple of Saint Paul the Apostle. This holy man was one of the two and seventy disciples whom our Lord chose before His Passion, and sent forth to preach the Gospel, and on whom the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, descended; and grace and power were with the Apostles on the festival of Pentecost. And he went with the Apostles, and ministered unto them, and he preached with them the Holy and Life-giving Gospel, and he turned many into the path of salvation, and brought them into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; and he baptized them with Christian baptism, and saved their souls by giving unto them the divine commandments. And the Apostles made this holy man Bishop of the city of ‘Abratabias, and he went and preached therein, and he converted many of the men thereof to the knowledge of God; and he brought them into the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he performed many miracles before them. And tribulation arose through the Jews and the Greeks, and they drove him away for a very long time, and they stoned him with stones. And having finished his course nobly and faithfully he died in peace; and behold Paul, the Apostle, mentioneth him in his Epistle to the Romans (chapter xvi, verse 10).

And on this day also are commemorated the following martyrs: Alexander the Egyptian, and Alexander and Agabius from the city of Gaza, and ‘Amilas from the city of Bunitos, and Dionysius from the city of Tripolis, and Ramelos and Thalasius from the vineyards of Egypt. These seven men made a pact together in Messianic love, and they came to the governor of the country of Caesarea of the Philistines, and they confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him, in the days of the infidel Diocletian, and he tortured them with severe tortures, and they received crowns of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens.

And on this day also died Saint ‘Askenafer, and his wife Martha, and his sons Arcadius and John. This ‘Askenafer had many possessions, and much riches, and he was a keeper of the Law of God, and he brought up his sons with spiritual admonitions. When they were grown up he sent them to the city, which is called Tayrut in order to learn wisdom and discipline. When they had finished their education he sent a message ordering them to be brought to him, so that he might rejoice in their progress. And as they were sailing on the river, their ship was wrecked, and God having saved them from drowning, a wave cast up John at a certain spot, and Arcadius at another. Having lost all hope, John went to a monastery, and became a monk, and he wasted his body by fasting and prayer for the sake of his brother Arcadius, whom he believed to be dead; and Arcadius also wept because he thought that his brother John was dead. And John appeared unto him in a dream, and told him that he was alive. And Arcadius went to the holy places, and he journeyed to the desert where John was, and became a monk under a holy elder, and he remained striving in the ascetic life for three years. When “Askenafer heard of the death of his sons, he and his wife put on sackcloth, and strewed ashes over themselves. One night ‘Askenafer had a vision in which he saw John, and he had a crown of jewels on his head, and a cross in his hand; and he saw Arcadius also who had upon his head a crown in the form of a star. And having risen up, he told the visions to his wife, and he said unto her, “Come, let us go into the sanctuary, so that we may enquire for news of our sons”; and when they had gone into the sanctuary they prayed. And they went to the Jordan, in the monastery of John the Baptist, and they found the elder who had received Arcadius their son as a monk, and they fell down at his feet and told him their trouble. And he said unto them, “Sorrow not, O ye beloved of our Lord Christ, when ye return to the sanctuary ye will find your sons”; and they turned away rejoicing. And John came to worship at the feast of the Cross, and the elder called John, and made him to meet Arcadius his brother; and then they embraced each other and wept. And again the elder called ‘Askenafer, and made him to meet his sons, and ‘Askenafer and his wife wept over Arcadius and John, and kissed them. And ‘Askenafer assumed the monastic garb with that elder, and he made his wife to enter a house of women, and he set free his slaves, and distributed his possessions among the poor. Then he put on sackcloth made of hair, and he went out into the desert and [lived there] in fasting and prayer. And he, and his blessed sons, and his wife Martha died in peace. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 20 (March 29)

On this day died the holy father Abba Michael, the fifty-sixth Archbishop of the city of Alexander. This father was perfect in all his good works, and there came upon him tribulation and great sorrow during his days of office. Now this was brought about through a certain wicked bishop who was over the city of Seha, who loved the glory of this fleeting world. There was in the city of Danaweser, which was under his jurisdiction, a certain church that had been rebuilt, and the people wanted him to have it consecrated. And the elders of the city who had rebuilt the church, asked that wicked bishop to send letters to the father, the archbishop, and to the bishops in the districts round about them, so that they themselves might be blessed by them, and that they might bless their church. And the wicked bishop did not wish to send to the father, the archbishop; and the people sent a letter to the archbishop on their own behalf, and brought him. And the father, the Archbishop Abba Michael, having arrived, contrary to the wish of that wicked bishop, the bishop left the people in the church, and went out to make ready a meal for them. And he did not remember the words of our Lord Who said in the Gospel, “Martha, Martha, thou tirest thyself over much and makest ready a little food.” When the time for the consecration had passed, and the wicked bishop had not arrived, and the people had waited a long time, the bishops and the elders asked the father, and archbishop, to begin the consecration, and that they might read the Scriptures until that bishop arrived. And having urged this father, the archbishop with difficulty rose up--he the father of them all and having authority over them, and he began the consecration. When the wicked bishop heard of this, Satan entered his heart, and he rose up, and came to the church, full of wrath, and he went into the sanctuary, and snatching the Offering from the plate he broke it and dashed it to the ground; and he went out being full of wrath. And the archbishop commanded and they brought another Offering, and he consecrated it and gave to the people the Holy Mysteries. And on the following day this honorable father gathered together the people, and the bishops who were with him, and the priests and the teachers, and he cut off that wicked bishop from his see, and appointed another bishop in his stead. And Satan entered into the heart of that wicked bishop, and he went to the Governor of Egypt, Ahmad Ibn Tawlun (born A.D. 835, died 884), and laid information against this father, the archbishop. And he said unto him, “Know thou that this archbishop possesseth much riches, gold and silver, and also many churches which are filled with sacred vessels, in gold and silver.” And the governor had this father brought before him, and he demanded from him the sacred vessels, which were in the churches. And the archbishop refused to give them up, and he said unto the governor, “Behold, my body is before thee, do what thou wishest with me; and my soul is in the hand of God.” And the governor commanded his soldiers to bind him hand and foot, and they bound him, and shut him up in prison; and he remained in prison for a year and more. And this father began to fast continually, and he ate nothing but bread, and salt, and boiled beans. After this a certain scribe, a Christian and a believer, whose name was John, came to the governor, and became surety for the archbishop, and he undertook to give the governor two thousand dinars in gold. And the father, the archbishop, came forth from prison, and he departed to his house and remained there for a few days. Then the believing elders and the monks of the desert of Scete collected ten thousand dinars of gold, and the men of Alexandria, who had sold a portion of their estates, [also] collected as much as a thousand dinars, and the archbishop gave them to the governor. And this [father] himself signed a document for the men of Alexandria [promising] to give them each year ten hundred dinars, and the other sum of ten thousand dinars he wished to regard as a loan from the believers; and he came from his house, so that he might visit [various] cities. And he came to a certain city [called] Balbayus (Beles) and rested therein for one day. And there came unto him a certain poor and needy monk, who was dressed in rags, and he received a blessing from the father, the archbishop, and he lodged by the gate with his disciple. And he said unto his disciple, “Say to the father, the archbishop; Be not anxious in thy mind, for within forty days from this day thou shalt be relieved, and thou shalt receive the bond of redemption under which thou art liable; and thou shalt give nothing to the governor.” And the disciple spoke to the father, the archbishop, and informed him according to the orders of the monk; and the father sought for the monk but could not find him. And before forty days were ended the governor died an evil death. And his son was appointed governor in his stead. And he returned to the father, the archbishop, the bond of redemption, and he was freed from his obligation even as the monk had prophesied. And this father after living in great tribulation and sorrows [all] the days wherein he held his office, that is to say, twenty-nine years, died in peace.

And on this day also our Lord raised the righteous man Lazarus from the dead, he having been dead for four days; and very many people believed because of this great miracle. Salutation to our Lord’s journey from Jerusalem to Bethany when He raised up Lazarus. [

On this day is commemorated Tsege-Selassie, the ascetic.]

And on this day also Stratonice became a martyr, and glory attacheth to this holy woman. Her father was a worshipper of idols, but she was a believer on our Lord Jesus Christ, and she fasted and prayed in secret, until her body became emaciated, and her appearance was changed. When she was fourteen years of age her father and her mother said unto her, “What is it that maketh thee so emaciated?” And she said, “I pray to our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive my sins.” When her father heard this he went to Tiberius and told him the matter concerning his daughter, and he brought her to the tribunal and the governor, and the governor tried to persuade her to worship idols; when she refused he cast her into the prison house. And her mother, who was a Christian, came to her, and strengthened her in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then the king ordered his men to make an iron ball red- hot, and they made her to hold it in her arms and to clasp it to her breast, and she took it in her hands and broke it; and when the people saw this they believed on our Lord Christ, and as many as seven hundred and thirty men became martyrs. And they brought her again into the prison house. Then they made an iron animal with claws (or, hooks) in it, and they brought her to it to cast her into its belly, and to hang her upon the claws (?), but when they did this the animal, by the power of God, became split asunder on this side and on that. When the people saw this they believed on our Lord Christ, and about four thousand and eighty-one became martyrs. Then they cast her into a pit, which was full of venemous serpents, and when she prayed they became like dust. And they also brought a huge stone, which was as much as four men could carry, and they suspended it from her neck; and when she prayed the stone split into four pieces. And those who saw this believed in our Lord Christ; now they were pagans, fourteen in number, and they became martyrs. And they prepared an iron pot full of boiling lead to pour upon her, and when they grasped the pot, it broke, and the lead ran over them, and killed those who prepared it. And the king was wroth, and he commanded his soldiers to cut off her head with a sword, and when she had come to the place of martyrdom she prayed to God, and a voice came from heaven, saying, “O blessed art thou Stratonice, for thy name is written in the Book of Life”; and then she was crowned by the sword. Salutation to Stratonice. Salutation to the six thousand one hundred and eighty-five men who were martyred with Stratonice.

And on this day also was consecrated the church of Saint Abba ‘Askaran. Salutation to Abba ‘Askaran. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 21 (March 30)

On this day our Lord Jesus Christ came with His disciples to Bethany, where was Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead; he was one of those who sat at meat with him. And Martha his sister ministered unto those who were with Him, and Mary the other sister began to anoint out Lord’s feet with scented unguent, and to wipe them with her hair. And our Lord praised her, and He knew it was for His death which was nigh. And he said, “She hath anointed them for the day of my burial.” And He also said, “The poor ye have with you always, but I am not always with you” (Matthew xxvi, II). He made known by this that His Crucifixion and Death were nigh.

And on this day also is the commemoration of our holy Lady, the two-fold Virgin, Mary.

And on this day also the high priests took counsel together that they might kill Lazarus, because very many people, by reason of the great miracle of his resurrection, believed on our Lord Jesus Christ.

And on this day also is commemorated Lamech, the son of Methuselah, on the fifth day. And he lived 138 years and begat Noah; and all the days of Lamech were 753 years.

And on this day also are commemorated the holy martyrs Theodore and Timothy. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 22 (March 31)

On this day our Lord Jesus Christ came into Jerusalem and went about it amid “Hosannas,” in order that what each of the prophets in his time had prophesied concerning Him might be fulfilled. Jacob said concerning Judah his son, who is likened unto our Lord Christ, “He shall bind His foal to the olive tree and his ass’s colt unto the branches of the vine” (Genesis xlix, II). And Zechariah also saith, “Fear thou not, O daughter of Zion, behold thy king cometh riding upon the foal of an ass” (Zachariah ix, 9). And Isaiah saith, “Thy king shall come, the righteous one, whose reward is with him (Isaiah lxii, II), and whose work is before his face; he cometh riding upon the foal of an ass.” And Abraham himself called this festival the “festival of the God [of] joy” when he went round the altar bearing young branches of the palm. And David said, “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast prepared praise” (Psalm viii, 2). And Solomon saith, “The tongues of children (or babes) ordain righteousness.” And he also saith, “And old men and children shall play in the streets of Jerusalem, and they all shall have their staves in their hands.” And one shall say, (Zechariah viii, 4, 5) “Make broad thy nails and drape thy tabernacles.” Now as to the conclusion of the matter; our Lord Jesus came to Jerusalem riding upon an ass, even as it is written in the Gospel. And He drew nigh to Jerusalem, opposite to Bethpage and Bethany, by the mountain which is called ‘Elyon. And He sent two of His disciples and said unto them, “Go ye into the city in front of you, and when ye come in ye shall find an ass tied whereon never man hath ridden; loose him and bring him hither. And if any shall say unto you, ‘Why are ye loosing him?’ say ye, ‘His Lord hath need of him.’” When those who were sent had gone there they found it [to be] even as He said unto them; and they loosed the ass. And whilst they were loosing the ass the owner thereof said unto them, “Why are ye loosing him?” And they said unto him, “His Lord hath need of him” (Matthew xxi, II, III). And they took the ass, and brought him to our Lord Jesus, and they spread their garments upon him, and they mounted our Lord upon him. And there were many who strewed branches of trees which they had cut off the trees, and many who strewed their apparel on the road on which He went, and those who followed Him cried out, saying, “Hosanna in the heights! Blessed is He Who cometh in the Name of the Lord, and blessed is the kingdom which cometh in the Name of the Lord which our father David [prophesied]. Hosanna in the highest.” And our Lord Jesus went into the sanctuary, and everyone saw Him. And when the evening was come He went into Bethany with His twelve disciples. On the following day He went forth from Bethany, and He was a hungered. And he saw a fig tree afar off and there were leaves upon it, and He went to see if He could find any fruit on it. And having come to the tree He found on it nothing but leaves, for it was not the time of the year for figs, and He answered and said unto the fig tree, “Never shall any man eat fruit from thee”; and His disciples heard Him. And He came to Jerusalem and went into the sanctuary, and He began to drive out those who bought and those who sold in the temple, and He overthrew the tables of the money- changers, and the seats (or, stands) of those who sold doves, and He stopped everyone from taking out goods connected with the temple. And He taught them and said unto them, “Is it not written that He said, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations, and ye have made it a den of thieves’?” (Matthew xxi, 13). And John saith, “After He raised up Lazarus, on the following day, when the many people who had come to the feast, heard that our Lord Jesus Christ had come to Jerusalem, they took branches of trees and palm branches from Jerusalem and welcomed Him. And having gone forth they cried out and said, ‘Hosanna in the heights! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, the King of Israel.’ And our Lord Jesus found the ass, and He mounted him, even as it is written, ‘Fear not, O daughter of Zion, behold thy King cometh riding upon the foal of an ass.’ And His disciples did not know when our Lord Jesus Christ was praised that all this had been [ordained] of old, but they remembered [afterwards] that these words were written thus concerning Him, and that because of this the people had done as they did. And those people who were there with Him were witnesses that He had summoned Lazarus form the grave, and had raised him up from the dead. Therefore those people having heard that He had worked miracles, and especially the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, welcomed Him. And the Pharisees said among themselves, ‘Do ye now see that nothing whatsoever will avail? Behold, all the world followeth Him.’” Matthew and Mark do not (sic) mention the matter of the palm branches, but they say, “And others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way.” And Luke mentioneth neither the branches of trees nor the palm branches, but he saith, “And as they went along they strewed their garments on the road.” It is John only who saith, “They took branches of palms from Jerusalem”; now there were no palm trees in Jerusalem. When our Lord was a child He went down into the land of Egypt with His mother, our Lady Saint Mary; and they found there palms. And our Lord commanded that some of their roots should be pulled up and planted on the Mount of Olives, and forthwith the roots of the palms flew through the air, and planted themselves there. From these palms the people took branches and welcomed our Lord Jesus Christ amid Hosannas, and thereupon envy seized the Jewish people and because of it they sought to kill our Lord Jesus Christ. Salutation to the going up of Christ to Jerusalem, and to His entry therein.

And on this day also died the holy father and spiritual man Abba Cyril, Bishop of the city of Jerusalem. This holy father grew up under the teaching of the Church, and he was an exceedingly learned teacher. When Maximus, Bishop of Jerusalem, died, the people chose this father and appointed him to be his successor, and he shepherded his people well and carefully, and he protected them from the abominable and heretical wolves. And when the bishops were assembled in Council in Sedreke, this father came and disputed with the followers of Arius, and he defeated them. And he scattered them and drove them away, and he chased Acacius from his throne of the city of Caesarea. And Acacius went to Constantine the emperor, the son of Constantine the Great, and he complained to him about what had come upon him through the Council, and especially about what he had suffered from Cyril. And the emperor sent and exiled this Cyril from the city of Jerusalem, and he drove many bishops from their thrones. And this holy man went to the city of Tarsis, and he visited Sylvanus, bishop of that city, who helped him and made him stay a few days with him. And when the Council assembled in Lukaya, this father was one of those who were present thereat, and he cursed Akayyos (Achaeus). And Akayyos (Achaeus) also went to the emperor, and told him what had befallen him, and he made accusations against this holy father Abba Cyril to the emperor, who sent and again exiled him. When Constantine died, and his son Constantine reigned, he sent and brought back this father from exile to his throne, and he also brought back all those bishops whom his father had exiled. And this father lived for the remainder of his days in peace and quietness. When Theodosius the Great reigned, and a Council of One Hundred and Fifty Bishops were assembled in Constantinople, on account of Macedonius, and Sabellius, and Apollinarius, this father came and cursed all those who followed them. And he added to the prayer of the Faith which the Three Hundred and Eighteen Orthodox Fathers had drawn up from the place where it saith, “And we believe in the Holy Spirit” to the end thereof. And this father composed many Homilies and Exhortations, and he composed also a second book which contained eighteen Homilies on the translation of the prayer of the Faith (i.e. Creed), and this book is exceedingly profitable, and is full of all kinds of wisdom. And he sat on the Episcopal throne three and thirty years, and died in peace. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 23 (April 1)

On this day died the prophet Daniel. This righteous man was the son of the daughter of Yonakir. When Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in the seventeenth year of his reign he took Yonakir the son of Jehoiakim, and his three sons, and Daniel, his daughter’s son, and he carried off into captivity, with them, many men of the children of Israel. And he took all the goods which were in the king’s house, and all that were in the house of God, even as Isaiah the prophet had prophesied to Hezekiah the king. And this Daniel was a very young man, and he contended in the ascetic life strenuously and thoroughly, and the Spirit of God descended upon him; and he prophesied in the city of Babylon. And in the fourth year after he had been made captive, Nebuchadnezzar saw a vision, the appearance and interpretation of which were terrifying, and he was exceedingly troubled. When he awoke from his sleep he forgot that vision. And he gathered together all the wise men of Babylon, and demanded of them that they should tell him what that vision had been, and the interpretation thereof; and they knew neither what the vision had been nor the interpretation thereof. And he commanded his soldiers to kill all the wise men of Babylon, because [they could not tell him] the dream which he had seen. When Daniel heard that the king had commanded them to kill all the wise men of Babylon, [fearing] that he would also kill him and his companions, the Three Children, he sought out the chief steward. who said unto him concerning the dream which the king had seen, “All the wise men of Babylon and Egypt are unable to describe it, or to interpret it.” And Daniel said unto the chief steward, “Speak unto the king on my behalf, and tell him that I can interpret the dream which he hath seen.” Then Daniel and his companions, the Three Children who were with him, prayed to God and entreated Him to reveal to him the king’s vision, and the interpretation thereof. And God revealed unto Daniel the king’s vision, and even the interpretation thereof; and Daniel went in to the king’s presence and told him the dream and the interpretation thereof. And he showed him that it concerned the kings who were to reign after him, and what would happen unto each one of them. And the words of Daniel pleased Nebuchadnezzar, and he bowed down before him, and he embraced him with embraces, and he bestowed very great favors upon him, and he appointed him chief of all the wise men of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar saw another dream, and Daniel interpreted it also to him, and he made him know the meaning thereof, saying, “Because of thine arrogance, God will make thee to go forth from among the race of men, and He will make thee to dwell with the beasts in the desert for seven years, and thou shalt eat grass like the beasts. After this He will restore thee to thy kingdom”; and all his prophecy was fulfilled even as he spoke. And after Nebuchadnezzar died, Daniel interpreted to Belshazzar, his son, that which the angel wrote for him on the wall, when he was drinking out of the holy vessels of the house of God. And he made known unto him that his number was written, and that he was measured, and weighed, and that the interpretation thereof was, “God hath prepared thy throne and thy kingdom for another, for He hath weighed thee in a balance, and found thee wanting, and He hath made thy kingdom to pass to the kingdom of Mani, and to the kingdom of Persia”; and his prophecy was fulfilled. And God showed him in visions all the kings who were to reign after him until the end of the world, and the appearance of the False Christ; and he also saw the glory (or, praise) of God, and His greatness, and he saw the glory of our Lord Christ, and His Godhead. And he prophesied concerning His coming, and he assigned to it a known period of years. When these years were ended, our Lord Christ came, even as Daniel had prophesied, and he said, “Our Lord Christ shall come, and they will kill Him. And after Him there shall never be another savior of Jerusalem, for Jerusalem, and the sanctuary, after the Crucifixion of our Lord Christ, shall be laid waste, and the offerings and the altars shall be abolished”; and all these things were fulfilled even as he prophesied. And there was in the city of Babylon a certain idol the name of which was Bel, and they used to give him each day twelve measures of the finest wheaten flour, and forty rams, and seven skins of wine. And Koros (Cyrus), the King of Persia, used to worship him every day, and he thought that that idol ate and drank that which they used to give him from the king’s house. And Daniel rebuked the king because of this, and he said unto him. “This idol neither eateth nor drinketh”; and the king was wroth, and he asked the priests of the idol about the idol Bel. And he said unto them, “Is it true the Bel neither eateth nor drinketh?” And the priests said unto him, “Verily Bel the Idol eateth and drinketh what is given unto him every day.” Then they laid before the idol all the food and drink, and the king was to watch for the meal-time [of the idol]; and the priests went out. After they had gone out Daniel commanded [the servants] to bring some ashes, and they brought them to him, and he scattered them about the house of the idol whilst the king was looking on with his eyes; then the king and Daniel sealed the temple with the king’s seal, and they departed to their abodes. Now the priests of the idol had a passage into the temple under the earth, and they came into the temple thereby, and took the food and the drink which were before the idols, and departed. And on the following day the king opened the house of idols, and did not find the meat and drink where the priests had laid them, and the king cried out, saying, “Great art thou, O Bel, who hast put Daniel to shame.” And Daniel laughed at him, and he showed the king the marks of the feet of men in the ashes. Now before this the king said unto Daniel, “Why dost thou not worship Bel, my god?” And Daniel said unto him, “As for me, I do not worship idols, but I worship the Living God Who created the heavens and the earth.” It was because of this Daniel revealed unto the king that the idol Bel neither ate nor drank. And he showed the king the marks of the feet of the priests in the ashes, and Daniel said unto the king, “See, O king, on the ground the [marks of] the feet of men, and woman, and children.” And straightway the king was wroth, and he slew the priests of the gods, and their women and their children; and he gave the idol Bel to Daniel, and Daniel broke him in pieces and destroyed the temple. And there was also a great serpent which the men of Babylon used to worship. And the king said unto Daniel, “Now, thou canst not say that this serpent is not a god; do thou then worship him, for he is the Living God.” And Daniel said unto the king, “I worship only the Living God, but give me authority to slay this serpent without sword or staff”; and the king said unto him, “I have given him to thee.” And Daniel took bitumen, and hair, and fat, and boiled them together, and he made [the mixture] into small cakes, like bread, and he cast these into the mouth of the serpent, and it swallowed them and died. And Daniel said unto the people, “Behold the gods of the men of Babylon!” When they heard this they gathered together to the king, and they cried out, saying, “Hath the Jew Daniel become king? Behold he hath broken Bel in pieces, and hath slain the priests and the serpent.” And they said unto the king, “If thou dost not give unto us this Daniel that we may kill him, we will kill thee and the men of thy house”; and the king was exceedingly sorry for Daniel. And the people seized Daniel and cast him into a den of lions, that the lions might rend him in pieces. Now there were seven lions in the den, and they used to give them each day the bodies of two men and two goats; but in these days they gave them nothing to eat, so that they might become famished and devour Daniel. And God sent an angel and he carried Habakkuk from Jerusalem, as he was carrying food for the reapers, and he laid it down in the den, in Babylon, before Daniel; and Daniel ate and was comforted by the words of Habakkuk. And at that moment the angel of God took Habakkuk back to Jerusalem. And on the seventh day the king came to the den to weep over Daniel--now he thought that Daniel was dead--and to look into the den. And the king saw Daniel sitting down, and the lions were licking his feet like cats. And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Great is the God of Daniel, Who hath made the lions to be submissive to him, and so like unto cats that they lick his feet.” And straightway the king commanded his servants to take Daniel up out of the den, and to seize his enemies, who had made accusations against him, and cast them into the den. And at that moment the lions devoured them before the king and before Daniel. And Daniel dwelt in the city of Babylon until the children of Israel returned to Jerusalem, that is to say, seventy years, and he died in peace. Salutation to Daniel.

And on this day also the Council of the Jews assembled in the house of Caiaphas, that they might take counsel together against our Lord. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 24 (April 2)

On this day died the holy father Abba Macarius, the fifty-ninth Archbishop of Alexandria. This holy man was a native of the city, the name of which is Sebra, and from his youth up he rejected the world, and he wished to adopt the garb of monasticism. He went into the desert of Scete, and became a monk in the church of Saint Abba Macarius, and he contended strenuously in the monastic life, and there appeared in him virtues and good works. When Cosmas, the archbishop who was his predecessor, died, the bishops with one consent agreed to appoint this father archbishop, and they appointed him Archbishop of Alexandria against his will. When he went forth from his city to go to the desert of Scete, according to his custom, as he was journeying along he arrived at the city where he was born. And it was like a living person, for it was righteous and pure, and feared God, and it hated the glory of this transitory world and loved heavenly glory. And this father came and arrived in that city, wherein he was born, in order to embrace his mother. When his mother heard that he had arrived she did not go out to him. When he had come into the house he found her sitting down weaving, and she neither rose up before him, nor embraced him. And he thinking that she did not know him said unto her, “Am I not your son? Why dost thou not embrace me? Or peradventure thou dost not know me?” And she answered and said unto him, “I know thee, only thou dost not know thyself. On my part I would rather see thee dead and buried, than see thee in the archiepiscopate. Formerly thou hadst to search out thine own sins only, but now thou hast to search out the sins of all thy flock”; and they two wept together. And the word entered his heart, and every day he remembered his mother’s words, and he contended strenuously in himself, and to protect his flock. He made the people vigilant by reading to them the Scriptures, and works of admonition, and he took good heed not to lay his hand on any man, and not to make a bishop, or a priest, unless the man was the best fitted for the office. He never took any of the property of the Church, which it was not right for him to take, and he appointed no man to an office without the testimony of righteous and blessed priests. And he commanded the bishops and the priests to watch their people, and to protect them with homilies and admonitions. He sat on the throne of Mark the Evangelist twenty years, quietly and in peace, and during his days in the Orthodox and well-managed churches services for prayer and the Holy Offering were held regularly; and he died in peace. Salutation to Macarius the Archbishop.

And on this day also the Council of the Jews (i.e. the Sanhedrim) devised many plans against our Lord. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 25 (April 3)

On this day died the great saint and apostle Onesiphorus, one of the Seventy-two disciples, whom our Lord chose. This holy man was one of the children of Israel, and he belonged to the tribe of Benjamin; his parents kept the Law of the Thorah (i.e. the Pentateuch), and they followed our Redeemer at the same time. They were of the number of those who clung to Him so that they might see His works, and the greatness of His miracles, and hear His teachings. And Onesiphorus remained thus for a few days watching always the many miracles and changes that were wrought. And when our Lord raised the son of the widow of the city of Nain, he was with Him, and was one of the number of those who dwelt there. When he saw this miracle he demanded through it another miracle. And he did not delay, but at once forsook the light of the Lamp of the Jews, for he wished for [that of] the Sun of righteousness. And he drew nigh unto our Lord Jesus Christ, and believed on Him, and was baptized by His hand. And having received the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, he came to Zion with the Apostles, and he followed them and ministered unto them, and preached in many cities. And the Apostles made him bishop of the countries of Athens, and he preached in them, and he made the people to know Christian baptism, and he illumined their souls with teaching and admonition; and he healed both their souls and their bodies. And having finished his strife, he died in peace, and received the crown of glory of the victor. All the days of his life were seventy years; of these he lived twenty- nine under the Law of the Jews, and forty-one years under the Christian Law. And behold, the Apostle Paul mentions him in the Epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy i, xiv; iv, xix), and in his other Epistles. Salutation to Onesiphorus. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 26 (April 4)

On this day died the holy and blessed woman Eupraxia. This holy woman was the daughter of a great noble who was a member of the Senate of the city of Rome, and who was a kinsman of the Emperor Honorius. When her father was dying Emperor Honorius issued commands that his daughter was to be well protected. After her father’s death the Emperor Honorius betrothed her to a certain noble, who belonged to a great and noble family. About that time her mother went to the country of Egypt to receive the revenues of her estates, and the fruit of her orchards, which her husband had left her, and she took her holy daughter who was then nine years of age, with her. When she arrived in the land of Egypt, she dwelt in a certain house for virgins until she had finished her work. Now the virgins of that house lived lives of strenuous asceticism, and they never ate food, which contained meat, and they neither partook of oil nor of sweet fruits; and they at no time drank wine. And Eupraxia loved the life in that house, and she was greatly pleased with the ministration thereof. And the mother superior thereof said unto her, “Promise me that thou wilt not go forth from this house, and that thou wilt not return, and seek out him to whom thou art betrothed”; and she promised her this thing. When her mother had finished her work, she wished to return to her native land, but this holy woman did not wish to return with her mother, and she said unto her, “I have vowed myself to our Lord Jesus Christ.” When her mother knew that Eupraxia would not go with her, she gave all her goods to the poor and needy, and she lived with her daughter in the house for many years, and died [there]. When the Emperor Honorius heard that she was dead, he sent messengers to bring her daughter Eupraxia [to Rome], so that he might give her in marriage to the man unto whom he had betrothed her. And the holy woman sent a letter to Honorius the emperor and said unto him, “Know, O Emperor, that I have vowed myself to our Lord Jesus Christ, and I cannot break the covenant which I have covenanted with Him.” When the emperor heard her message he wept much and marveled at her wisdom, for she was very young. And Saint Eupraxia contended strenuously in the ascetic life, and she devoted herself with zeal to spiritual songs and hymns. She [at first] fasted two days at a time, and every ten days she fasted for three days, and then for four days, and afterwards she fasted for a week at a time; and during the great and holy fast of the Forty days she never ate anything, which was cooked with fire. And Satan was jealous of her, and he smote her with many severe blows in her feet, ad she continued to be sick for many days. After this God had compassion upon her and He healed her sickness, and gave her the power to heal the sick, and she healed many sick persons; and she was submissive and obedient to the abbess in humility, and she was beloved by every virgin. One night the abbess saw a vision of a habitation and crowns, which had been prepared, and she wondered and said, “Who are these for? Is there anyone here with me who is meet for them?” And one said unto her, “This abode and these crowns are for thy daughter Eupraxia, and she will come hither to Me.” And the abbess told the virgins of the vision which she had seen, and commanded them not to tell Eupraxia about it. Now God wished to give her rest, and she fell sick of a slight fever. And the virgins gathered together to her, and the abbess and the mother superior with whom she had made a covenant, and they all asked her to remember them; and then she died in peace. And the virgins wept and sorrowed for her exceedingly, for they missed the holy maiden sorely. Now after Eupraxia, her friend the mother superior died, and a few days later the abbess fell sick. And she gathered together the virgins and she said unto them, “Choose whom ye will appoint to be abbess over you after my death, for I am going to God, and Eupraxia hath asked for me; and now shut the door on me.” And the virgins went and did as the abbess had commanded them, and when they came on the following morning to her they found that she was dead. Salutation to Eupraxia.

And on this day also is commemorated Saint Perpeius. Salutation to the glorious Saraius, the man of God.

And on this day also our Lord washed the feet of His disciples, and He said unto them, “Do ye also this for each other.”

And on this day also Judas betrayed our Lord, and he received his price, thirty pieces of silver, even as the prophets foretold. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 27 (April 5)

On this day died the holy and blessed father, the Lamp of the Desert, the father of all the monks, Abba Macarius, of the desert of Scete. This holy man was a native of the city of Sasawir, on the borders of Manuf, in the north of Egypt. His parents were good and righteous men; his father’s name was Abraham and his mother’s name was Sara. This woman, like Sarah and Elisabeth, walked in the commandments of God, in humility. Her father was a priest and an honorable man, and he ministered in the sanctuary continually, in the fear of God, and in purity and holiness. And God blessed them, and he made them rich in all their works, and they gave alms daily to the poor and needy, and they showed the way (i.e. were examples) for all men, and they contended always in fasting and prayer. Now they had no son. And a vision from God appeared unto Abraham, and it made him to know that God was about to give him a son, and memorial of whom should be all the ends of the earth, and that this son should beget spiritual sons. And God gave him this holy man Macarius, the interpretation of whose name is “Blessed.” And the grace of God was upon him from his youth, and he was obedient to his parents. When he arrived at man’s estate, his parents wished to marry him to a wife, and although he did not wish this thing, he set himself to perform their desire, and he submitted to them and married a wife against his will. When he came into the marriage-chamber, he feigned illness, and he remained for several days in this state. After this he sought his father, and said unto him, “Let me go into the desert to recover a little from this illness”; and he entreated God every day at the hour of prayer to direct him in the doing of His ordinances. After this he departed to the desert of Scete. Whilst he was in the desert he saw a vision, and it seemed that one of the Cherubim, with six wings, took his hands, and bore him up to the top of a mountain, and showed him all the desert, the east and the west, and the length and the breadth thereof. And the cherub said unto him, “Behold, God hath given this desert unto thee and thy sons for an inheritance.” When he returned from the desert he found that the maiden [his wife] was sick, and subsequently she died in her virginity; and Macarius thanked our Lord Jesus Christ greatly. And after a few days his parents died also, and he gave all the goods, which they had left him to the poor, and the needy, and those who were with child. When the men of Sasuwires, his city, saw the righteousness and sincerity of Saint Abba Macarius, they made him priest over them and they built him a shrine (or, chapel) outside the city; and the men of the city used to go to him there, and receive the Holy Mysteries from him. Now there was in that city a certain maiden who had played the harlot with a certain young man, and she was with child. And the young man said unto her, “When thy father asketh thee and saith unto thee, Who hath defiled thy virginity? Say thou unto him, It is the priest, the anchorite, who hath defiled my virginity.” When the father of the maiden knew that she was with child, he asked her, saying, “Who hath committed this deed of shame on thee?” And she answered and said unto him, “One day I went to that anchorite priest, whose name is Macarius, and he seized me by force and lay with me, and I am with child by him.” When her parents heard this thing they were exceedingly wroth, and they went to Saint Macarius, and there were many people with them, and made him to come forth from his cell. Now he knew not what had happened. And they beat him very severely, and inflicted such pain upon him that he was well nigh dead. And the holy man asked them, saying, “What is my sin that ye beat me thus unmercifully?” Then they tied a rope around his neck, and suspended from it pots which they had blackened with charcoal, and they dragged him about to this side and to that, like a madman, and they cried out, saying, “This is the man who hath defiled the virginity of our daughter.” At that moment there appeared angels in the forms of men, and they said unto these wicked men, “What hath this fighter done?” And they told them what he had done to the maiden. And those angels said unto them, “This is a lie, for we have known this man from his childhood to the present day, and he is a good and righteous man.” And the angels drew nigh to Macarius, and they released him from his bonds, and they cast the pots from him. And those wicked men said unto the angels, “We will not let this man go until he giveth us what he is bound to give.” And a certain man who used to buy the work of the hands of Macarius undertook on his behalf to give to the girl food until she brought forth the child; and he took Macarius and departed to his cell. And Macarius reproached himself, saying, “O Macarius, behold thou hast now a wife and a child, and it is meet for thee to work night and day for thine own food, and for that of thy child and thy wife.” And he worked continually at weaving mats and baskets, and he gave them to that man, the kind brother, who ministered unto him; and he sold them and gave the money to the woman [to buy] food. And he continued to work in this wise until the time drew nigh when the woman would bring forth her child. When the day for her delivery drew nigh her labor was exceedingly difficult, and she continued to suffer very greatly for four days and four nights, and she was nigh unto death, and did not bring forth. And her mother said unto her, “What hath happened to thee, for behold thou wilt die?” And she said unto her mother, “Yea, death is fitting for me, because I played the harlot with such and such a young man, and I spoke words of falsehood against the man of God, the priest, Saint Abba Macarius, the anchorite.” When her parents heard this they were exceedingly sorry and they and all the people of the city gathered together, and they took counsel concerning the holy man, how they should ask him to forgive them the wrong, which they had done him. When Saint Abba Macarius heard that the men of the city wished to come to him to ask pardon from him, he remembered the vision, which he had seen in the desert, and he consecrated the Offering and he partook of the Holy Mysteries. And that six-winged cherub appeared unto him, and took him by his hands, and led him, and brought him to the desert of Scete, the interpretation of which [name] is “Balance of hearts.” And Saint Abba Macarius said unto the cherub, “O my lord, [this] place is too strait for me to live in.” And the cherub answered and said unto him, “I have not marked out a place for thee, so that thou might not quarrel with the place which I might mark out for thee, and transgress the commandment of God. Behold, all this desert is thine, go wherever thou wishest and live there.” So Saint Abba Macarius dwelt in the Inner Desert, in the place of the monastery of the Roman (Greek) Saints Maximus and Dymateus; and when they came to him they dwelt near him. After their death the angel of the Lord commanded him to go and dwell in that place where his monastery is at this day. And the angel said unto him, “This place is called after the names of thy sons Maximus and Dymateus,” and it is that which is called this day “Dabra Barmos (Baramus),” which is interpreted “Dabra Rom.” And Saint Abba Macarius made a cave therein, and dwelt there, and he fought a strenuous fight there with fasting, and prayer, and bowings to the earth, and incessant vigils; and Satans used to appear before him, boldly, and in visible forms, and Satans used to wage war against him, by night and by day. And after passing three years in strife and labor, and Satans afflicting him, and finding no rest, he thought and said within himself, “When I was in the world I used to hear the report of Saint Abba Anthony, I will rise now and go to him, so that he may guide me on the path of the ascetic life, and may give me knowledge and understanding, so that I may know the counsels of the foul Satans.” And he rose up and prayed and went into the desert towards the east, until he came to the place where the holy elder Anthony was. And when he saw him afar off he said, “This is an Israelite in whom there is no guile,” and he received him, and embraced him with great joy; and Macarius revealed to him his mind, even as doth a son to his father. And the holy elder Abba Anthony embraced the head of Saint Abba Macarius, and he said unto him, “O my son Macarius, who art called ‘Blessed,’ according to the interpretation of thy [name] in the language of the Greeks, the Lord my God hath revealed unto me thy work and thy coming to me, and for this reason I have been expecting thee.” And the holy elder Abba Anthony taught Saint Abba Macarius all the path of the holy ascetic life, and he strengthened him, and spoke many things concerning the working of righteousness. And he revealed unto him the method of warfare of the Satans, and he said unto him also, “They will fight against thee in thy mind secretly in vain, and they will work against thee openly to the death in order that thou mayest be perfect; when they fight against thee endure patiently to the death.” And Saint Abba Macarius asked Abba Anthony, saying, “Let me dwell with thee.” And Saint Abba Anthony said unto him, “Go unto the place which God hath marked out for thee, and abide there in patience.” After he had dwelt with the elder Abba Anthony for a few days, learning the ways of the monastic life and the ordinances of righteousness, he rose up and returned to his place, rejoicing and full of gladness in the ordinances and life-giving doctrine which he had learned from Saint Abba Anthony. And the blessed Abba Macarius visited Saint Abba Serapion, the bishop, and he said unto him, “During all the days which I dwelt with my father Abba Anthony I never saw him sleep at all.” And Saint Macarius dwelt in his cell many days, fighting strenuously in the path of monkhood, and the Cherubim used to visit him openly. One day he heard a voice from heaven, saying, “O Macarius, because thou hast hearkened to My voice and to My command, and hast come to Me and dwelt in this place, behold, I will gather together in [this] place innumerable people, of every race, and from every country, and of every tongue, and they shall serve Me, and they shall bless My Name by their fair works; receive thou them, and guide thou them in the path of righteousness.” When Saint Abba Macarius heard this he became strong, and his heart became bold. And he stood up praying in the night, and God revealed the matter to him, and he heard the Satans taking counsel among themselves, and they said, “If we let this man live in this desert he will guide many people here, and they will settle in this desert, and they will inherit heavenly cities, for they put their hope in everlasting life, and they will drive us out of this desert, and they will inherit heavenly cities, for they put their hope in everlasting life, and they will drive us out of this desert, by the pain of the torture of their prayers. Come, let us gather together against him now, and peradventure we may be able to drive him out of this place.” When Saint Abba Macarius heard this, he strengthened his heart, and he waxed strong against the Satans, and he blessed God Who had opened his ears so that he could hear the counsel of the Satans, and he knew their feebleness. After this the Satans gathered together against him, and they waged a great war against him, and they lighted a fire by the door of his cell, and they took pieces of fire and cast them into it, and the fire was extinguished by the prayer of Saint Abba Macarius. When they were vanquished in this matter, they cast into his mind the thoughts of fornication, and anxiety, and pain, and arrogance, and the love of the glory of this world, and fear, and self-laudation, and restlessness, and blasphemy, and lack of faith, and despair of God, and very many other [temptation] of the same kind; with these they waged war against him, even as Saint Abba Anthony had said. And having remained there for many days with the Satans waging war against him by means of these abominable things, he rose up again and went to Saint Abba Anthony. And when Saint Abba Anthony saw him afar off, he spoke unto his disciples and said, “This indeed is an Israelite in whose heart there is no guile. O my sons, do ye see this man? He shall become a staff of righteousness, straight and long for many peoples. And he shall [bear] sound fruits from the mouth of the God of Hosts.” When he had come to Saint Abba Anthony, he bowed down before him even to the ground. And Anthony raised him up quickly, and embraced him, and kissed him, because he saw that his face was changed, and that it had become as the face of a sick man by reasons of the wars, which the Satans had waged against him; and after they had prayed they sat down together. And Saint Anthony answered and said unto him with joy, “Art thou well, O my son Macarius?” And Saint Macarius answered and said unto him, “Behold, God hath already told thee and shown thee what hath happened to me.” And when Abba Anthony had instructed him and strengthened him, he said unto him, “Be strong and fear not. It is desirable that it should be thus with us, so that we may endure patiently all those temptation which our enemies can bring against us. And for this reason it is meet for us to become teachers of the many peoples who love spiritual wisdom, that is to say monasticism.” And he said unto him, “O my son Macarius, remember that word which God spoke unto thee when thou wast going to draw water.” When Saint Abba Macarius heard this he marveled exceedingly, and he knew that his affairs and his secret matters were manifest to Saint Abba Anthony through the Holy Spirit. And Macarius dwelt with the elder Abba Anthony many days, being blessed by him, and learning his commandments; and he asked him to endue him with the holy garb. And Anthony prayed over him and arrayed him in the garb [of the monk], and for this reason Macarius is called the disciple of Saint Abba Anthony, Then the elder Abba Anthony said unto him, “Trouble not thyself to come hither to me, for I am earth of a very few days, and I am going to God.” When Abba Macarius heard these words he rose up and bowed low before him, and entreated him that he might dwell with him, and make himself fit to receive his spiritual blessing; and Abba Anthony said unto him, “Remain with me,” and Macarius remained with him. And after a few days Abba Anthony said unto him, “God will give thee rest from the superabundance of these evil thoughts. Henceforward the Satans will wage war on thee openly, even as they have done to me. Be strong, and take good heed that thou dost not grieve that cherub whom God hath appointed to help thee, and to be with thee, until the end of thy days, and [then] he will protect thee, even as the Lord thy God hath commanded him.” And Abba Anthony gave him his staff, and embraced him with a holy embrace, and he died, and Macarius buried him in a hidden place, the site whereof no man knoweth. And Saint Abba Macarius returned to the desert of Scete, and he dwelt in his cell, and the report of him was heard in all the ends of the earth. And God wrought great miracles through him, and among them was that concerning the daughter of the King of Antioch. She was possessed of an unclean spirit and her father sent her to Abba Macarius. She came to him disguised in the apparel of a young man, but Macarius knew that she was a maiden, and he healed her, and sent her away to her father and mother; and although they gave him much gold, he would not accept any part of it whatsoever. And there was a certain erring monk in the city of Wesim, and he said, “There is no resurrection of the dead,” and he led many men into error, and because of their trust in him they accepted his words. And the bishop of the city of Wesim went to Abba Macarius, and told him that that monk was leading his people into error, and he entreated him with many entreaties to help him. And Abba Macarius rose up and went to the bishop of the city of Wesim, and he saw that anchorite in whom was the unclean spirit. And having talked with him about the resurrection of the dead, that anchorite answered and said unto him, “I will not believe that the dead will rise unless thou wilt raise up a man from the grave before me.” And Saint Abba Macarius prayed and made supplication to God, and straightway a man rose from the dead; now the man who was raised up was in former times one of those who denied Christ. And that anchorite believed and turned from his error, and all those men whom he had led astray turned with him. And that man who had been raised up from the dead entreated Saint Abba Macarius to baptize him with Christian baptism, and he baptized him, and he arrayed him in the garb of the monk, and he dwelt with Macarius seven years, and died. After this Saint Abba Macarius rose up and came into the Inner Desert, in order that he might learn if there had ever been monks before him in the desert. And he saw two naked men, and he was afraid of them, for he imagined them to be Satans. And he prayed before them, ‘Elbat ‘Aribon, that is to say, “Our father which art in heaven.” And one called out to him by his name, and said unto him, “Fear not, O Macarius”; and Macarius knew that they were desert saints. And they questioned Macarius about men in the world, and their doings, and he answered and said unto them, “God in His mercy thinketh for them all.” Then Macarius asked them if the cold during the winter froze them, and if the heat of the sun scorched them in the season of summer. And they answered and said unto him, “God hath cared for us during the period of forty years which we have lived in this desert, and He hath never frozen us in the winter or scorched us in the summer.” And Saint Abba Macarius said unto them, “How can I become like unto you?” And they said unto him, “Stay in thy cell, and weep for thy sins, and thou wilt become like unto us”; and he was blessed by them and returned to his place. And when monks multiplied round about him, they dug wells for themselves, and built [cells] for themselves. When the saint went down to the wells to wash, the Satans leaped upon him to kill him, and the monks came and took him away from them. And when God wished him to have rest, He sent to him the cherub who was wont to visit him, and he said unto him, “It is meet that we should come and take thee.” And he saw Abba Anthony, and Abba Pachomius, and the Company of the Saints, and all the powers of heaven, and he delivered up his soul. And all the days of his life were ninety-seven years. And of the following Abba Babnuda his disciple was witness. He himself saw the soul of Saint Abba Macarius ascending to heaven, and he heard the Satans crying out and calling after him, “Thou hast conquered us, thou hast conquered us, O Macarius, thou hast conquered us.” And the saint said unto them, . . .. And when the holy man entered the Garden (i.e. Paradise), they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Thou hast conquered us, O Macarius.” And Saint Abba Macarius said unto them, “Blessed be my Lord Jesus Christ, and blessed by the holy Name of Him Who hath delivered me from your hands.” Now when the holy man was alive he commanded his sons to hide his body [after his death]. And certain men came from the city of Susawir, and gave money to his disciple John, whom the holy man was always rebuking, and they said unto him, “Keep this money [as a mark of] affection.” And that disciple guided them, and showed them the body of Saint Abba Macarius, and they took it and carried it to their city, and it remained there for one hundred and sixty years, until the Kingdom of the Arabs. And his disciple John became a leper, through his love of money. After the death of Saint Abba Macarius his sons, the monks, went to his city Susawir, and wished to take away the body of the saint; but the men of the city and the governor rose up against them, and prevented them. That night Saint Abba Macarius appeared unto the governor, and said unto him, “Let me depart with my sons.” In the morning the governor summoned the monks, and commanded them to carry away the body of their father, and they carried it away forthwith, and they took it and laid it in the church; and they sang many hymns as they did so, on the nineteenth day of the month of Nahase. And a great many miracles and wonders took place through it. Salutation to Macarius. Two-fold salutation to the holy martyrs of the holy house of Yasla, monks and widows; some were burnt and some were slain by sharp knives. Salutation to the twin images of the blessed ‘Ammat Hanna, and ‘Ammat Wahed, her daughter, who died by fire. Salutation to Stephen, whose mouth was bridled, and also to Agathon, who shed their blood for Jesus Christ.

And on this day also was crucified our Lord and God and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, to Whom praise in the body is due because of the salvation of the world. The sun became dark when it saw its Creator crucified by His own will, and that which should have been visible covered itself over. And the period of darkness lasted from the sixth to the ninth hour, and in that time our Lord bowed His head by His own free will, and delivered up His understanding and rational soul which He had received from our Lady, the Virgin Mary, and that soul was separated from its body. And it went into Sheol without separation from the Godhead, even as Saint Peter the apostle saith, “He was dead in the body and alive in the spirit.” And at that same time His body was hung upon the wood of the Cross, without separation from the Godhead. Similarly His soul descended into Sheol, like a released prisoner, and it had one nature and was without separation from the Godhead. And He was exalted high above the heavens, sitting with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Salutation to Thy Passion, O God the King. Salutation to Thy Crucifixion on the Cross. Salutation to the going forth of Thy Soul from Thy Body.

And on this day also died the strenuous ascetic and fighter Abba Hezekiah, the father of the monks of Dabra Libanos. He was the fourth abbot from our father Takla Haymanot. [Omitted in the Bodleian MS.]

And on this day also the God-loving Claudius finished [his] crowning with martyrdom. He was brought up piously by the Orthodox King Lebna Dengel (i.e. David II, Wanag Sagad I, who died 2nd September, 1540) and when his father died God made him king. There was a certain Muslim, whose name was Grann (i.e. the “left-handed”), who called himself a king, though it was not right [to do so], and all the men of Ethiopia believed in his might, and associated themselves with him in his belief. The remaining people in the country who clung to Christianity, he made to slave for him. He pulled down the churches, and carried off the greater number of the people captive into Ethiopia, and he sold them to whom he pleased. And he said, “Henceforward no man can resist me; I have captured all the cities.” Then God raised up King Claudius, and he began to make war against the nobles of the kingdom of that iniquitous man, and he conquered them. When Grann heard [this] he was furious, and he marched against Claudius with tens of thousands of men, and horses, and Turks, and they joined battle, and God killed him, and destroyed him by the hand of Claudius. And the captives returned [from Ethiopia], and the churches which had been laid waste were rebuilt, and the Orthodox Faith of Christ [was restored]. After this one of the Muslims came with many men of war, and he came upon King Claudius when he had [only] a few men with him. And the Muslim said unto him, “Let us remain quiet and not fight each other until the officers of our armies arrive.” And Claudius said, “I will not remain quiet, and see Christians carried off into captivity, and the churches destroyed.” Whilst he was saying this the soldiers arrived, and the fighting between them waxed fierce and strong. And all the Muslims closed up behind him, and they all stabbed him with their swords, and they pierced him with many spears, and they dragged him down off his horse, and he died, and they cut off his glorious head with the sword, and they carried it off. Salutation to the mention of the name of Claudius. A prayer to Christ to bring Sharad Dengel into the kingdom of heaven, and to preserve the kingdom of his son Fasiladas (i.e. Sultan Sagad II, ‘Alam Sagad, who died in October, 1667).

And on this day also died the God-loving King Claudius, and the glorious father, Abba John, Abbot of Dabra Libanos, and a very large number of believing monks, who became martyrs through the soldiers of the Muslims. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 28 (April 6)

On this day died Constantine, the righteous emperor. The name of the father of this holy man was “Kuensta,” that is to say, “Green,” and his mother’s name was ‘Eleni (Helena). Kuensta reigned over the city of Byzantium, and Maximianus reigned over the city of Rome, and Diocletian reigned over the city of Antioch and over Egypt. This Keunsta was by race a Greek, and he was a pagan, but he was good in disposition, and there was no evil in him, and he loved to do good, and he was compassionate and merciful. And he went to the city of Rome, and he saw ‘Eleni (Helena), and he married her; now she was a Christian, and she conceived this King Constantine. Then his father Kuensta left ‘Eleni (Helena) in the city of Roha (Edessa) and returned to the city of Byzantium, and she brought forth this Saint Constantine. And she brought him up very piously, and she taught him every kind of learning, and she sowed in his heart mercy and compassion for the Christians, but she did not dare to have him baptized with Christian baptism; now she was a Christian, and she told him that she was a Christian. And he grew up, and he was a bold and skilful horseman. And he rose up from his city, and went to Byzantium, and his father rejoiced in him when he saw that he was full of wisdom and learning, and that he was a bold and skilful horseman, and he made him king, and crowned him with the royal crown. After two years his father died, and he received all the kingdom. And he reigned with judgment and integrity, and he removed from the people the services, which those who had been emperors before him had made them, render. And all the peoples were subject unto him, and they loved him, and obeyed him, and the report of the righteous judgments, which he used to pass, was heard throughout all countries. And the elders of the city of Rome sent to him, and asked him to come to them, and to release them from the service of Maximianus. When he had read the letter, which they had sent him, he was sorry because of the tribulation, which had come upon them, and he meditated anxiously about what he could do to relieve them of their tribulation. And whilst he was sitting in the judgment hall, in the middle of the day, there appeared to him a cross by his side in the form of stars, and on it was written in the Greek language Nikos Aton, which being interpreted is, “With this thou shalt conquer thine enemy.” And he marveled when he saw the light of that cross, for it was quenching the light of the sun. And he meditated about what was written on it, and he showed it to the chief officers of his army, and the chief officials of his kingdom; and they marveled, and they did not know for what reason that cross had appeared. That night the angel of the Lord appeared unto Constantine in a vision, and said unto him, “Make a sign for thyself like that sign which thou didst see at mid-day, and with it thou shalt conquer thine enemy.” When he awoke from his sleep, he strengthened his heart, and he made a cross of gold, and set it above the royal crown, and he ordered all his officers and his soldiers to make a cross upon their weapons, and they did so. Now this took place in the seventh year of his kingdom in the city of Byzantium. Then he assembled all his armies, and went out to deliver the men of the city of Rome. And the report of him was heard by Maximianus, and he made a bridge over the sea, and he and his soldiers crossed over to Constantine to do battle with him; and then they met together and joined battle and fought. And it came to pass that wherever the cross was in front the soldiers of Maximianus melted away, and Constantine killed countless men of the army of Maximianus, who took to flight with the remainder of his troops. And Maximianus and his men rushed on the bridge in order to enter the city of Rome, and the bridge broke and he and all his men were drowned in the sea, even as were Pharaoh and his hosts. And Constantine entered the city of Rome, and the people thereof welcomed him with lamps, and instruments of music, and garlands, and plays, and laughter, and decorations with pearl-stones, and the wise and learned men praised the Honorable Cross, and called it the Savior of their city. And they made a great festival in honor of the Honorable Cross, which lasted for seven days. And when Constantine reigned in the city of Rome, he and all his soldiers were baptized with Christ baptism by Saint Sol, Archbishop of the city of Rome, in the eleventh year of his reign, which is the fourth year after the Honorable Cross appeared to him; and he reigned over a Christian and Messianic kingdom. And he sent throughout his kingdom, and commanded [his governors] to set free all who were prisoners for the sake of the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he also commanded them to pay honor to all Christians, and not to abase them, and he commanded them to give to the priests the property and lands of the heathen temples. And he commanded them to give authority to Christians as governors, and to set them over the pagan peoples, and he commanded that they should do no business during the octave of the Passion, and what followeth it, even as the Apostles commanded. Then he sent his mother ‘Eleni (Helena) to Jerusalem, to search for the wood of the Life-giving Cross, wherein lay his help and his conquest. In the seventeenth year of his reign the General Council of the Saints assembled, Three Hundred and Eighteen Bishops, and good regulations for all Christian folk were drawn up. Then he decided to build in the city of Byzantium, and he built in the city of Byzantium; and he built a great city, which was [called after] his name “Constantine,” and he built in it a large church in the name of our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, and he called it, “Hagia Sophia.” And he decorated it with all kinds of decorations, both material and spiritual, because there were gathered together inside it the bodies of many of the apostles and holy martyrs. And having fought his noble fight, he became a little sick in the city of Nicomedia, and he died therein, and they made him ready for burial and laid him in a gold sarcophagus; and they carried him and brought him to the city of Constantine. And the archbishops, and the priests, and all the people went out to meet him, and they followed him to the tomb with prayers, and psalms, and spiritual hymns; and they laid him in the sanctuary of the holy apostles. And all the days of his life were five and sixty years. He lived three and thirty years before he became king, and he sat on his royal throne two and thirty years, according to the years of the world. Salutation to Constantine, the builder of churches. Salutation to ‘Eleni (Helena), who showed the memorial of the Resurrection to the people of Constantine. Salutation to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 29 (April 7)

On this day is the festival of the Annunciation which was made to her who was full of salvation, our holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, by the honorable angel Gabriel, according to the testimony of the Holy Gospel, which saith, “And in the sixth month, that is to say the sixth month after the conception of Elisabeth, Gabriel was sent from God to a city on the borders of Galilee, the name of which was Nazareth, to a virgin who was betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, who was of the house of David; and the name of this virgin was Mary.” And when the angel came unto her he said unto her, “Rejoice, O full of grace, God is with thee.” And straightway she was troubled at his voice, but she had confidence in him. And he said unto her, “Fear not, O Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. And thou shalt conceive, and shalt bear a son, and His Name shall be called ‘Jesus.’ And He shall be great, and shall be called the ‘Son of the Highest,’ and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and to His kingdom there shall be no end.” And the Virgin answered and said unto him, “How can this happen unto me?” that is to say, “How can I conceive, since I have never known man?” And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Spirit shall come unto thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, and He, Who shall be born of thee is holy, and shall be called the Son of God.” And then he gave her the sign of the truth of his Annunciation to her. And he said unto her, “Behold, Elisabeth, thy kinswoman, who was called barren, hath conceived in her maturity, and in old age; for nothing is impossible with God.” And Mary forthwith answered and said, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let Him deal with me even as thou hast said unto me.” And when she had received this Divine conception, there came down the Son, One Person, the Word of God, Who is One in Three Persons, Who existeth for ever, and dwelt in the womb of the holy Virgin Mary; how this dwelling was effected the children of men cannot know. And straightway He received from her perfect incarnation, and separation afterwards was impossible. And His Godhead was with His Incarnation, One [Being], inseparable, distinct, and unchangeable. This day is the first-born of all festivals, for in it the beginning of the salvation of the world [took place]. Salutation to Thy conception in the womb of Mary. Salutation to the descent of Him Who became incarnate in Mary. Salutation to Thy Birth, Thou, to Whom the kings of the nations guided by the star in the East presented gold.

And on this day also was completed the salvation [of man] by His Holy Resurrection, for our Lord, praise be to Him! when He had finished His wise work upon earth during a period of three and thirty years, suffered of His own free will on the twenty-seventh day of this month, of Magabit; and He rose from the dead on this very day, twenty-ninth day of this month of Magabit. As it was on this very day that the incarnation of Him Whom they awaited was announced unto the people of the world, so it was on this very day that the living and the dead rejoiced in their delivery from Sheol, and from the hand [of Satan], on the day of the Eve of the Sabbath. Now it was on the First Day of the week that the living became certain of this, and they knew of their resurrection by the Resurrection of the Body of our Lord Christ, Who was the first-fruits of the dead in His Resurrection even as the Apostle Paul saith, “Christ hath become the first-fruits of the dead by His holy Resurrection, for the compassion and mercy which are His are great” (I Corinthians xv, 20). Salutation to Thy Resurrection, the day of which became the day of Adam’s salvation. Salutation to Thy Resurrection, O Thou Who suffered and died of Thy own free will.

And on this day also Saint Paul the apostle preached in the city of Sharkon (or Warikon), which was the end of his career upon earth. Salutation to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.

Megabit 30 (April 8)

On this day it is meet for us to celebrate a festival in honor of the glorious angel Gabriel, for his honor is great with God, and he was held to be worthy to bear the announcement of His birth to our Lady Mary, His mother. And for this reason God had compassion upon us, with this great gift and honor, through this angel, and it is meet for us to pay him honor, and to praise him. And also it was he who told Daniel about our Lord Christ, when he was praying and making supplication for the return of the people from captivity, and about the coming of our Redeemer Christ. And he appeared unto him, and defined the weeks, and revealed unto him that our Lord Christ would come at the end of them . . . and that [the Jews] would kill Him, and that after Him Jerusalem would never have another deliverer, and that after Him they would destroy the altars and the offerings of the children of Israel. And because our Lord Christ had appointed this angel, it was meet for him to announce to our Lady Mary the salvation of all the world. For this reason it is meet for us to make a festival unto him at all times, and that we should entreat him to intercede for us, so that God may deliver us out of the hand of Satan, our Adversary, in all our work. Salutation to Gabriel who was sent to Mary.

And on this day also is commemorated Samson, one of the Judges of Israel. The name of the father of this righteous man was Manohe (Manoah), and he was of the tribe of Dan; and his mother was barren. And the angel of the Lord came unto her, and announced unto her his birth. And he commanded her to keep herself remote from pollution, and from the eating of meat, and from the drinking of wine, which would make her drunk, whilst she was with child, and until she had brought forth her child. And she was not to shave the hair of his head, for he was to be a votive offering to God, and through him the deliverance of the children of Israel from the Philistines was to be effected. When she told her husband what the angel of the Lord had announced to her, he entreated God to shew him that angel. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and he said unto him, “Bid thy wife to take good heed, and to observe what I have commanded her.” And she conceived and brought forth this righteous man, and God blessed him, and the grace of the Holy Spirit of God descended upon him. And he was born with strength, and on one occasion he rose up against a lion and rent him in twain. And on another occasion he slew of the men of the Philistines eighty men, and burnt their city. And the men of the Philistines rose up against the children of Judah to fight with them because of him, and they delivered Samson into their hands. And the children of Judah told Samson what the men of the Philistines had said unto them. And Samson said unto the children of Judah, “Swear ye to me that ye will not deliver me into their hands, and that ye will not kill me.” And having sworn unto him he delivered himself up to them, and they bound him with two iron chains, and delivered him over to the men of the Philistines, who rose up against him to kill him. And a spirit of strength came down upon him from God, and he broke those chains like threads which had been charred by fire. After this he found the jawbone of an ass, and he slew therewith a thousand horsemen of the Philistines. And being athirst, and nigh unto death, he asked God, and He made sweet water to flow out of the jawbone, and he drank and was strong. And the children of Judah laid an ambush for him in the city of Gaza, so that they might seize him; and he rose up by night, and lifted up the gates of the city of Gaza, and carried them upon his shoulders up to the top of a hill. And afterwards when they were conquered by him, they sent to his wife and covenanted to give to her much money, and they said unto her, “Find out from thy husband Samson with what he maketh himself strong.” And she asked him, and he told her that his strength was in the hair of his head, because he was a vow to God. And she told his enemies, and said unto them, “His strength is in the hair of his head”; and they waited in a secret place until he was asleep. When he was asleep his enemies came to him, and they shaved off the hair of his head, and his strength failed. Then the men of the Philistines came into his house, and they bound him and took him to their own country with joy, and they put out his eyes; after this the hair of his head sprouted, and his strength returned to him. And he came into the house of idols on the day of the festival of their idols. When all the men of Gaza had gathered together in the house of idols to worship their idols. And Samson stood up in the house of idols, and he laid hold of the two pillars, one with his right hand, and one with his left, and he lifted up both of them, and the two pillars fell down, and that house of idols fell down. And those who died in that house of idols at that slaughter were far more in number than those he had slain in all the days of his life; and he himself died with them, for he determined that all the enemies of God, who were very many, should die with him. And all the days which Samson judged Israel were twenty years, and he died in peace. Salutation to Samson who was called the Nazarite.

And on this day also was translated the body of James the “chopped.” Now behold, we have written the history of his strife on the twenty-seventh day of the month of Hedar. Salutation to James, the “chopped,” whose body was translated from Persia. Salutation to John who afflicted his body with toil, and who ate only as much bread as the hand would hold. Here endeth what is read in the month of Magabit in the peace of God. [Here follows a long section on Gabra Manfas Kedus, which is wanting in the Bodleian MS.]

And on this day took place the strife of Abba Gabra Manfas Kedus, the star of the desert, of glorious renown, and fine old age, the blessed and excellent man Abba Gabra Manfas Kedus, the desert man, who sprang from the city of Nehisa, in the north of Egypt. And he dwelt in the desert three hundred years. When he went forth from that place, he wandered about in the deserts of Ethiopia, and he dwelt in Gekala, and then departed to the land of Kabd, and he lived [there] naked, drinking no water and eating no food, unlike a man upon earth and unlike an angel. And he finished his strife on the fifth day of Magabit, on the First Day of the week, on the festival of Peter and Paul. This holy man had a father and mother who were pious people, and they were believers, and they were of noble race. His father’s name was Simeon, and his mother’s name was ‘Aklesya, and they were righteous before God. And they remained childless for a period of thirty years, and ‘Aklesya wept because she had not got a son, and her husband also wept. One day the Holy Spirit came to the place where she was, by the door of the courtyard, and she imagined that he was a priest who lived in the palace. And he said unto her, “Peace be unto thee! What maketh thee weep and to groan before God?” And ‘Aklesya said unto him, “I rejoice in every work of the Lord my God, but I groan because [I have not] a son.” And at that moment ‘Aklesys conceived, on the 29th day of Tahsas. And the angel whose name is Gabriel came in the form of a man, and said unto her, “The name of this child shall be Gabra Manfas Kedus”; and then that angel disappeared. And on the third day the child rose up, and came down from his mother’s breast, and he stood up and bowed three times to the Father, and three times to the Son, and three times to the Holy Ghost, and he also said, “Glory be to the Father, Glory be to the Son, Glory be to the Holy Ghost, Who hast brought me out of the darkness into the light.” And those who were there and heard him marveled, and his mother marveled, and she remained stricken with surprise until the third hour. And God commanded the angel Gabriel and said unto him, “Go to the house of Simeon, and take the child from the breast of his mother, and bring him into the desert where there are many monks, and lay him down in their courtyard. And say to the abbot, Take the child from the courtyard, and bring him into the sanctuary, even as Mary, My mother, grew up in the sanctuary, and she dwelt there for twelve years in the hands of the angels until she came out into the world. And I was incarnate of her, because I was pleased with her more than with any other woman. And I am pleased with the child, for I have made him pure, and I have created him; for he is of the Holy Spirit. And his food and drink shall not be of that which is on the earth, but from the kingdom of heaven.” And the angel of the Lord went down quickly to where the child was, at his mother’s breast, and he carried him upon his wings, even as a woman carrieth her child. And his mother, and those who were there, were frightened when they saw the angel carrying him on his wings, and kissing him on his face. And he bore him up to the seventh heaven, and brought him before God, and God blessed him and said unto the angel, “Take him to My mother that she may bless him, and kiss him as she kissed Me. And take him also to the fathers of olden time, Adam, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to all the prophets and apostles, that they may embrace him, and to all the martyrs and the monks, and take him also to the children who were slain, for My sake, by the hand of Herod. And tell all of them at the last day, when all the world shall perish, and when all of you shall be with him.” And He also said, “Bring him to me.” Then the angel forthwith took him where God commanded, and laid him down with our Lady Mary, and she kissed him, and embraced him. And the angel also took him to where all the righteous were assembled, and they all embraced him; and then he brought him back and [set him] before God. And our Lord said unto him, “I will be with thee; be strong in everything which shall come on thee. All the souls of men shall be saved by thee. And when the story of the child and his faith is noised abroad there shall come unto him many men, and priests, and bishops from Egypt, and Mesr (Cairo), and Nehisa, and from the district of Sabser; and he shall love pilgrims.” One day when our father Gabra Manfas Kedus was at prayer, [the angel] came unto him, and said unto him, “Come, go up into heaven even as I bore thee thither before”; and he took him, and carried him on his wing, and made him go up to heaven, and he brought him before God. And our Lord brought Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Fifteen Prophets, and the Twelve Apostles, and all the martyrs, and He brought all the saints and said unto them as He placed himself by him, “Rise up, and embrace him that was born after you, and who fighteth even as ye did, and whose glory shall be exalted. And I will be with him until My coming, and he shall go with you, and he shall resemble me in purity like the angels. He shall dwell at My right hand, and ye shall be with him.” And He sent to our father His Person in His Trinity and He stretched out His hands, and embraced him, and He kissed his mouth, and He said unto him, “There be many souls whom thou shalt make to escape the Judgment through thy prayers and thy supplication. Get thee far from men. The blind and the sick shall be healed through thy prayer. Henceforward withdraw thyself [from men] and get thee into the Inner Desert. Dwell with the lions and the panthers; the lions shall be sixty in number and the panthers sixty also.” And the saint said unto our Lord, “What will the lions and the panthers feed upon and what will they eat?” And He said unto him, “If thou treadest on the ground with thy foot they will lick the dust of thy foot, and they will be satisfied until they obtain food; [and this shall be] until thy coming to Me.” When the good angels heard these words they marveled, and when they saw the saint naked, and without raiment, they kissed him, and embraced him. And the angel brought him down quickly to his former abode. And his hair grew, and it grew thick all over his limbs, and the hair of his head was seven cubits long, and the hair of his mouth (i.e. his beard) was one cubit long. Each day he healed blind men, and lepers, and sick folk; and their number was fifty thousand. And our father was exceedingly sorry that men knew of his work, and his labour, and he said, “I will arise and depart from this place so that men may know nothing about me, and may not bestow upon me the vain praise of this world.” And he departed from that place, and came into the Inner Desert, and dwelt there; and the people missed him, and were very sorry, because he had worked miracles for them, and they wept and lamented with a great lamentation. And he lived in this wise for more than one hundred years, until old age came on him. Let now go back to our former subject when we said that he came into the desert, and withdrew himself from men; and he dwelt on the right side of the desert for many years. During the heat of summer, and the cold of winter, he wore no clothing on his body, but he went naked, and his girdle was made of plaited hair. He prayed standing in the cold of dawn, naked. By excessive sufferings he melted his body, and hardened his bones (?), and he used to say unto his soul, “Know that thou wilt have to stand naked before God.” He devoted himself strenuously to prayer and fasting, and bowings, and to innumerable and ceaseless vigils by day and by night until at length his body dried up, and his skin became stretched tightly over his bones. He had no food except, at times, the fruit of trees, or roots, or plants, and sometimes the grass and berries whereon the dwellers in the desert feed. He took no care whatsoever to provide for his body in anything. The angels used to visit him, because he was like unto them in his speech and acts. Among the saints of olden times and those of later times, who is there that can be compared with him upon earth? There is not one who did not eat the bread of earth, or drink water, or wear raiment, but he never prepared anything for his body. Verily Gabra Manfas Kedus was like unto the fowls of heaven, for he thought nothing about the food of this world, but he hungered and thirsted for God [only]; and for this reason his food was the bread of heaven, and his drink came from the Garden (Paradise). He knew that it was not a lie the word of God, Who said, “Be of good cheer, have no doubt about apparel, nor desire as to raiment” (Matthew vi, 25 f.). And God covered his whole body with hair, even like the hair which covereth the goat (or, sheep), and his fine beard was a garment which covered his body, now it was as black as a raven, and was plaited like byssus. The awe which he inspired was like that of the lion, and it was frightening and terrifying. His stature was like that of the palm, and the odor of him was as sweet as the scent of a mass of pistachios, of the costliest kind; his odor had the smell of the food of the desert. His face was like the face of an angel of God, his beard was a round mass (?), and his . . . was in his mouth. Even if I were to think of declaring the number of his words, I could not enumerate them, for they were far more numerous than the grains of sand of the sea and the drops of the rain. Who hath [not] admired thy contending more than those of every man? And I will exalt thee above every man, and above heaven, and earth, and sun, and moon, and stars. Was there ever any limit to one of thy footsteps? The prophets and the Apostles our (sic) kinsmen speak of thee, the angels bear thee up on their wings, our Lady Mary calleth thee “my beloved,” and loveth thee even as she loved her Son. And when he had finished making a prayer, the angels came unto him, according to their wont, and said unto him, “What dost thou require, O bold man?” And he said unto them, “I would see God, even as the saints, who were before me, saw Him, and as the Apostles saw Him, and also as the martyrs saw Him, when they were destroyed in the towns, and as the righteous saw Him in the desert and in [their] cells (or, caves).” When the angels heard his word they departed, and told our Lord Jesus Christ all that he had said unto them. And straightway the heavens were opened, and the tabernacle of fire was uncovered, which four beasts carried, but did not touch; and there were four and twenty priests of heaven holding their censers standing before Him. And our Lord appeared, and the archangels, each one according to his rank, sitting upon his holy throne, in his own person; and the Three were seated--Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost; and he saw Three Persons and Three Beings, and all the angels and archangels in their hosts were praising Him. When our father Gabra Manfas Kedus saw this, he was afraid and trembled. And our Lord said unto him, “Be strong and fear not in seeing Me, for I have given thee a bold heart, that thou mayest look at Me Myself, even as Abukalamsis (i.e. John of the Apocalypse) looked upon Me. What dost thou wish for, and what dost thou ask of Me? I have come to thee that thou mightest see Me; what thou wishest I will do for thee, My beloved one, whom I chose before thou hadst being, and I have made thee pure, My chosen one. Thou hast dwelt in the desert seventy or eighty years at a time, thou hast wandered through the deserts doubting nothing, thou hast not feared to dwell with lions, and thou hast endured, and been of good cheer even unto death. And now, verily, I will not refuse what thou shalt ask of Me; whatsoever thou desirest I will perform for thee.” When our father heard God utter this great mystery, he rejoiced and said, “My Lord and my God, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst do for me as Thou hast done for others like me. Now, grant me ten mercies. Have mercy for my sack upon the men of the land of Gabota, who are sinners, for Thou didst not come into the world to call the righteous, who have no need to repent, but to turn sinners to repentance. Remember, O Lord, those in the Judgment, whose tears flow like the waters of winter, and who gnash their teeth, and who acted as they did in ignorance, Satan having led them into error. Have mercy upon them, O Lord, and shew compassion unto them.” And our Lord said unto our father Gabra Manfas Kedus, “They say hard things. It hath been head that I do not do unto them as unto the others, who are righteous peoples, and are pure, and have borne toil upon earth. And as to that which thou askest Me; I do not destroy a monk for the sake of one sin. If his wickednesses are many, and his sins are many, after he hath entered the fire he becometh subject for judgment. When he beseecheth Me with great labour I make the soul of that man to go forth from him, and I scatter it among the winds, and not a trace of it is ever found; at the resurrection of the dead [it is] not in the abode of the righteous, or in the abode of sinners. In thy case it is not thus; according to My mercy I will have mercy upon thee, for I have given thee a promise that I will do whatsoever thou askest Me.” When our father heard [this], he rejoiced and bowed his face. And all the heavenly beings rejoiced and said, “Redemption is with our God. Amen.” And our father also said unto God, “How great is [Thy] mercy, my Lord?” And God said, “To each of thy years according to the length of thy days I will add two years”; and forthwith the days of our father were made to be three hundred years. And our Lord said unto the archangels, “Go ye and bring souls forth from judgment, and release them and give them to the blessed Gabra Manfas Kedus.” And the seven angels went down to the Gahanam of fire, the place of sinners. At that moment came ‘Abd Almakos, the angel of Gahanam, who hath power over the tortures of sinners, and brought out there from the men of the land of Gabota. And the number of the souls who went forth from judgment was thirty thousand, and [the seven angels] led them on their way, and guided them--namely Michael and Gabriel, each with his pilgrims, Saku’el and Ramu’el, each with his great ones, and Fanu’el blew a trumpet before them. And the other angels were uttering cries of joy, until they came before the throne of God in the heavens, and saying, “Glory to God in the heavens, and peace upon earth, His good will to men.” And God said unto our father Gabra Manfas Kedus, “The men who are in the world shall not see thee, that is to say, the priests, and the monks and the believers; only those who are good like thyself who visitest them. And thou shalt not appear to the angels except by thy wish. Thy chariot shall be the winds, and thy goings shall be like theirs without noise. Fly from the east to the west, and from the north to the south, and from behind the earth to the north, and thou shalt be able to come to any place by means of the winds. And from henceforth, O blessed Gabra Manfas Kedus, My beloved, whenever thou wishest look upon Me, My Father, and the Holy Spirit, the Three of us thus always. And moreover, go to the country of Ethiopia, and in that land there are souls which thou hast to bring forth from judgment.” When our father heard the words of the Lord his face shone and his mind rejoiced, and he said unto Him, “My Lord and my God, who shall guide me to that country, and how shall I know the road thither? For I have heard men say from my childhood that the country of Ethiopia is far away.” And our Lord said unto him, “Go, and My power shall bring thee thither, and My angels shall not be far from thee, for thou art honorable even as are they. As for Me, even as thou wishest, thou shalt find Me, and according as thou hast asked Me I will do for thee.” After our Lord had given the promise to His servant He disappeared from him, and the angels returned, saying, “Glory,” and, shouting with joy with David the prophet, they cried, “Go up into the heights. Thou hast led captive captivity, and Thou hast given Thy grace to the children of man.” And those souls which had come forth from judgment went into the Garden of Delight, with honor and praise. And the heights of heaven were filled with joy when [the angels] saw this wonderful and astonishing sight, the like of which had never been seen from the creation of the world to the time of the coming of Christ. Grant unto me, O Lord, an understanding heart so that I may be able to know the work which Thou didst perform for our father Gabra Manfas Kedus, the like of which Thou didst not do for the prophets, and the patriarchs, and the other saints of the monastery and the desert; not that a man [who] hath done the work which Thou gavest him could do what Thou Thyself dost What then? Our father was able to fly in the air, and to go round the sea of fire, [and to bring out] thousands of souls. He did not do this by the strength of his natural body which was water, fire, dust and wind, and there was no other like him; except Adam, the first [man] created. Adam was not able to go about, and to go out from Sheol until our Redeemer came. O Gabra Manfas Kedus, what is the sum of the grace, and great kindness, and glory, and exaltation, wherewith thou was provided by God? When I think of describing thy strife my mind becometh light (i.e. unsettled), like that of a man who hath drunk old wine, with joy, and it soareth and it cometh back, and saith, “How long and how many days should I require to come to an end of his history; for the matters which concern him are very many and are countless.” When our father Gabra Manfas Kedus looked upon the land of Gabota he saw that there was in him the faculty of knowing what was hidden, and what was manifest. Moreover he knew the mysteries of the heavens, and what was in the earth, and he knew when priests were pure, and he was able to see when the Holy Ghost descended. The deeds of sinners were manifest before him, and they were clear in his eyes as in a mirror, for he knew everything relating to the spirit. And our father Gabra Manfas Kedus saw in the land of Gabota that the people hid themselves in the church at the time of the Offering, now the number of these amounted to two hundred. And when the Offering was being consecrated the Holy Spirit descended upon that altar, and our good father rejoiced when he saw the descent of the Holy Spirit. And he also watched when the people received the Offering, and none partook except those whose deeds were good and whose hearts were right concerning the mystery of the spiritual Offering. And our father said unto the angel, “What is the sin of those who have not received the Spirit?” And the angel said unto our honorable father, “Behold, the sin of those who have not received the Spirit is great before God.” And our father turned and he saw the Satans driving the people with fiery whips from the hall of the church, until they came to their houses. And Satan himself rejoiced because they had become his companions, and they were all destroyed, and there were left among them only those who had wished for repentance; and Satan rejoiced because he found certain poor folk cast out. Now these were sinners who had not repented for their life upon earth, and they became soldiers of Satan. When our father saw this wonderful thing, he sorrowed and wept, and he said, “My Lord and my God, Thy people have been made captives, and carried off, and there are not left two hundred men, but four who have eaten (?) the ephod of Thy Body. He saith, Thou givest (or, sellest) Thy people without price” (Psalm xliv, 12). When our father had said this he wept, and he departed to make prayers near the place (?) of the Apostles, and when he had arrived there he fixed his gaze on the island of water near the place where he dwelt formerly. And our Lord saw him and said unto His blessed servant, “I will shew mercy unto thee, and in each day I will give thee sixty thousand [souls], namely on My Birthday, and on thy birthday, and on the day of My Baptism, and on the day of My Resurrection; on each of these days [each year] I will give thee as an act of grace sixth thousand souls. If Satan hath carried off souls thou must take them from the Judgment: I have left none to Satan, I have given [all] to thee.” When Satan heard this he wept with a great weeping, saying, “Ever since this wretched man was created and born I have been bound with fetters. Where can I go from this wretched man who by fasting and prayer hath taken my captives and carried them of, the captives whom I took and led astray by my arts, and carried off into the Great Judgment, before he was born.” And uttering these words he wished to die. And when the spirit-beings of heaven, and the beings of earth heard [this], they rejoiced, and laughed, and brought out the souls who were in the land of Egypt with much labour, and fasting and prayer. In one day the continuous bowings [of our father] amounted to forty thousand, and during each forty thousand [he recited] the One Hundred the Fifty Psalms of David, and he sang the Fifteen [Books of] the Prophets, and the Prayer of Solomon, and the Praises of our Lady Mary, and besides these he bowed his face three hundred times to the right and three hundred times to the left. All this he did in one day and one night. Through such work as this the souls of sinners gained salvation, and our father by his prayer made the Satans weep, and exhausted the power of Satan and destroyed the sting of his poison, and carried him bound into captivity. After this [our father] went forth from Ethiopia with lions and hyaenas accompanying him; the number of the lions and hyaenas which went before him was thirty, and the number of those which followed him was thirty. And angel of God, whose name was Gabriel, guided him, and our father was mounted upon a chariot of the spirit, and those beasts were with him. And the angel brought him to the land of Kabd, and then he took him to Zekuela, on the highland of the earth, and our father stood on the sea-shore, and looked east, and west, and the south, and north. And he saw the sins of the [men of] Ethiopia, and they were spread out before his eyes and planted in his brain. And he said unto God, “I swear unto Thee by Thy Living Name, that I will not go forth from this sea, and that I will not stand upon my feet.” And he sat thus for forty days and forty nights, and a voice came unto him from heaven, saying, “Whosoever shall commemorate thee and shall call upon thy name I will give unto thee.” And our father said unto the angel, “All Ethiopia hath not been taught; I will not go away from this sea.” And the angel departed from him, and he dwelt in this wise for one hundred years; and all his body perished, and his blood was poured out from him, until all the water of the sea resembled blood, and all his bones appeared like crystal. And the devils came and smote him, from the east and from the west, from the south and from the north, in one day five hundred devils smote him with their darts all day long, for one hundred years. And his bones dwindled and became like sharp stones, and among the men who were before him, from Stephen the martyr to Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and among all the martyrs who died for Christ, there was none who displayed in one day the wonderful things which he made manifest. After this our Lord came and stood on the sea-shore, and He said unto our father, “Rise up and go forth, I have given thee Ethiopia”; and he found his bones like the eye of a needle. And He sought for him, and made him as he was at first. And He sent him to Kabd, and then He took him up into heaven; and he dwelt for seven years in the lower part of heaven, but above the sun. After this He sent him into the land of Kabd, and he lived standing upright like a pillar for six months, and he gazed into heaven, and he neither dropped his eyelids nor bowed his head, and his hands were stretched out towards heaven. After this Satan came to him in the form of a black raven, and he found his bones suspended in the heavens which covered [them], and he sat upon his head, and he pecked at his eyes, and dug out his eyeballs. After this our father remained [blind] for ninety-eight [years], he prayed continually, and ceased not in that land. Then Michael and Gabriel came to him, and they stood in front of his face, and together they breathed upon him, and his eyes saw and his vision became seven times brighter than the sun. And they said unto him, “Depart to Zekuala, that thou mayest kill thine enemies, and great strength shall be given unto thee from heaven and from earth”; and after this they went up into heaven. And our father rose up and went to Zekuala (sic), and he found on the road three tired men of the mountains, and they were resting close by their dwelling in the shade. And Abba Gabra Manfas Kedus looked at them and said in his mind, “I will hide from them.” And they made haste and cried out, saying, “Do not forsake us at the throne of God. Carry us a little way on thy back.” And our father came, and saw that they were all broken old men, and that they were covered with grey hair. And he lifted up one of them upon his back and he carried him and brought him a distance of one stade. And the old man said unto him, “Now thou hast tired thyself, for thou neither eatest, nor drinkest, nor weepest.” And our father said unto him, “By what dost thou know me?” And the old man said, “Go and bring my companions”; and he turned and went, leaving the old man there, and he came to the place where the other two old men were, and he took one of them and brought him back to the old man and joined him. And he said unto them, “Whence have ye come? The odor of you is sweet and rejoiceth the heart, and carrieth away the senses.” And the three old men rose up and stood up, and the three of them seemed to be one. And they said unto him, “We will carry thee even as thou didst carry us for a little, and we will carry thee, and make thee to arrive in the Seventh Heaven.” At that moment their countenance changed, and they put on the awe of Godhead, and they became like flames of fire, and lightning flashed forth from them. And all the angels of heaven and earth came down, and were terrified, and the mountains and hills descended, and fell down, and all the rocks were broken in pieces and they became like dust. At this moment the Father of Light took our father and carried him on His back, and brought him to the middle of the Second Heaven. And His Son went back to him and took him, and carried him on His back, and brought him from the Second Heaven to the middle of the Third Heaven, and the Holy Spirit went back to him and brought him to His holy and awful throne; and the Three Persons and One Being sat on one throne. And our Lord embraced him and kissed his mouth, and Father, Son and Holy Ghost embraced him and kissed him; as a father kisseth his son even so did They kiss him and embrace him. And He showed him the four thrones of the Prophets, and Apostles, and the Righteous, and the Martyrs, and there remained three double [thrones]. And our Lord said unto him, “Heaven, and earth, and sun, and moon, and stars, are insufficient to be the price of one hair of thy head. Depart, get thee down to Zekuala, and drown the devils who cast away thy bones, for they are boasting and they know not that I have raised thee up. I will be in the sea, and the seven archangels shall follow thee, and fiery lightning shall go before thee.” And our father flew on the back of the lightning, and the Three Persons sent him on his way, and returned to their throne. And our father descended and fell upon their heads with swords of fire, and the lightning's consumed them, and they became ashes. And the winds carried away their ashes, and those devils were in number seven thousand two hundred, and they all perished in one day, and there remained not one. After this the lightning's and the archangels went up [into heaven]. And our father departed to the land of Kabd, where there were lions, and hyaenas, and wolves, and serpents. After this the saints came to him one day, led by the Holy Spirit: (1) Abba Samuel of Waldebba, (2) Abba ‘Ansesa of the land of Hazlo, (3) Abba Benyam of the lower land; and they had their lions with them. They came to the land of Kabd, and our father hid himself; and they continued in praises seven days until they should find him. After the seven days certain lions, which had been hidden, went forth, and came to the place where the three saints were, and they seized upon their lions and devoured their bodies; they devoured and licked up their bodies in a moment. And the saints were terrified, and the lions disappeared. And the saints were exceedingly sorry, and their sorrow was revealed unto our father. And he rose up and came to them with the great power which was given unto him from heaven, and with him there were sixty lions, and sixty hyaenas, and angels bearing the tent of light. And the hair of his head covered his whole body like a thatch and swept the ground, and the hair of his beard and neck reached the ground; and he was arrayed in his apparel. And he came unto them with great might, and said unto them, “Peace be unto you, O saints of God.” And those saints were terrified when they saw his terrifying majesty and the lions which roared before him, and the hyaenas which screamed and laughed like horses. And our father said unto those saints, “For what purpose have ye come to me, [seeing that] I am alone in this desert place?” And those saints said unto him, “We came unto thee having known of thy holy prayers, O chief anchorite in all the world, and we came unto thee that we might hold converse with the servant of God. When we came and did not find thee we sorrowed and wept for seven days, and whilst we were praying on the seventh day thy lions came and seized our lions, and they ate them up and swallowed them and licked up their blood in the twinkling of an eye.” And our father said unto his lions, “Why did ye eat what God had not commanded ye to eat? Ye were ordered to eat nothing but the dust of my footsteps until the day of your deaths. Cast up and throw up what ye have eaten.” And the lions opened their mouths, and threw up what thy had eaten, all the flesh and bones and blood of the saints’ lions, and none of their flesh and bones remained in their bellies; and they cast up everything in the twinkling of an eye. And our father turned towards the east, and praised God, saying, “O Thou Who didst raise up Lazarus, raise them up, but do not raise up those whom Thou hast given to Thy servants to follow them.” Then he blessed them and their bodies, that is to say, the dead bodies of the lions, and he said unto them, “Rise up by the power of God.” And the lions rose up in the twinkling of an eye, and they were as they were at first, and they uttered cries, and purred, and lay down by our father, and they did homage at his feet. And those lions spoke like men, and they said unto him, “Henceforward we will follow thee. Those saints were unable to do anything for us, but thou hast raised us up and brought us out from the bellies of [thy] lions”; and our father sent them away to their former owners, and the saints marveled at the work of God. And Abba Samuel said unto our father, “Art thou God? We thought that thou wast a man like unto ourselves. That which was dead thou wast raised from the belly of the lions, and what they had eaten thou hast made to come forth. We have seen a marvelous thing this day!” On the third day of Magabit our father fell sick, and on the Eve of the Sabbath his death drew nigh. His pain and sickness seized him so strongly, that he well nigh died; and the hour of his death approached. And there came unto him several anchorites who were recluses, whose names were, Fere Kedus, and Zara Buruk, and James, and Benyam, and Joseph, and our father told them that he was going to die, and that God had given him a covenant (or, promise). When they heard this they wept, and sorrowed for the death of the saint, for he was the chief of the anchorites. During the early hours of the Sabbath he lived with difficulty, and was exhausted, now burning and now sweating, but he never ceased to make supplication to his God, which was his custom with every breath. When the evening came his body was in a state of collapse, and he was unable to speak, and those who were by him [sent] to fetch Gabra Andreas so that he might see his death and be a witness concerning it. When the anchorites came to him, they told him that the blessed man was going to die; and when he heard [this] he wept and sorrowed bitterly. And he rose up, and went to him. And it was the evening of the Sabbath, for the day was ended, and it was the first hour of the night. And he rose up [and went] to the place where he was, now his road was far from the abode of the holy man, and the place where the honorable man was. And at the fourth hour of the night he found him lying like a majestic lion in the desert where there was none to terrify him and to overshadow him; and there was no one in the village which was near his road who had found him. And he was lying with his hands spread out towards heaven, even as our Lord Jesus Christ was extended on the wood of the Cross at the time of His Passion, until the hour of His death. And one saw the light which was upon him, and the grace of God which was on his face, and the ruddiness of his beauty, and his beard which was as white as snow. When the seventh hour of the night came his soul separated itself from his body. At that moment a sound was heard from heaven, like the sound of thunder, and there came down lamps which were like snow, and like unto crystal, and which thundered and rolled down from the heavens to the earth, each having the form and similitude of the other, and they shone like the sun, and moon, and stars. Those who were there were terrified and afraid, because of the great awfulness of the things which were taking place, and which had come upon them; and they were unable to touch any part of his body. And after his death they withdrew themselves and fled, and they lost their senses by reason of the fear and trembling which had come upon them. Now the earth trembled, and the mountains quaked, and there was a mighty noise at the moment of the departure of the soul of the saint. And those saints stood afar off that they might see and hear the mysteries of heaven and earth which were being performed. And God fortified the minds of those saints, so that they might understand what had happened to the honorable man, our father, and might testify that they had seen God in His Three Persons descend to our father before his soul [departed]. And Jesus said unto him (?), “I have come to give thee oblations for thy commemoration. Whosoever shall write or have written the book of thy strife shall pass with thee boldly, and his abode shall be in the mansions of light, and I will write his name on My awful throne. Whosoever shall commemorate thee greatly and unceasingly shall pass through the lake of fire, and shall stand unashamed before thee. If he giveth bread to the hungry I will give him the bread of heaven, and he shall nevermore hunger. If he giveth drink to the thirsty I will make him to drink milk with the babes for ever. If he giveth incense, even though he be polluted, he shall be with thee. If he give flour I will make him to draw nigh unto the heavenly Jerusalem with thee. If he give oil on the day of thy commemoration he shall be with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-Israel. If he bring a lamp, he shall traverse the sea of fire and darkness, with twelve lamps of light, which shall be seven times brighter than the sun. If they assemble on the day of thy commemoration, I will make them to assemble on Mount Zion with all the saints.” And our father entreated God and said unto Him, “I have lived three hundred and sixty-nine years, I have never drunk water, I never thought about food for my body, and have eaten only wood (i.e. herbs), and the fruits of the desert, nor about clothing for my body, and I continued to be naked, and if I had lived in the sea I should have lived like the fish and the hippopotamus. I lived in a tree like the birds, and I lived like the stag in the mountains, with the lion, the wolf, the panther and the serpent. This is the reward which Thou givest to the saints. I beseech Thee, O Lord, to be pleased to speak to me.” And our Lord answered and said unto him, “If the sin of a man is not repented for, the man who hath committed it, not only if he be a Christian, but if he be an ‘Arminu, I will give unto thee if he celebrate thy commemoration, and he shall be saved, and he shall be with thee. When thy soul is separated [from thy body] on the fifth day of Magabit they shall make twelve . . . as for Mary, My mother. They shall make a habitation and I will bless their assemblies. If he be old, I will give him a good seat. And now ascend into the houses of light. And take twelve crowns, and ten thousand lamps in thy right hand, and ten thousand lamps in thy left hand, one thousand before thee and one thousand behind thee, and twelve precious stones of light, and take horses of fire to bear thee.” And our father answered and said unto Him, “O our Lord Jesus Christ, if men celebrate my commemoration with right hearts, unto how many generations wilt Thou give them unto me?” And the Lord said unto him, “I will give them unto thee for fifteen generations.” Then they heard a great voice which cried out and said, “Take the body of Gabra Manfas Kedus, and carry it away, and let his grave be in Jerusalem, on the right-hand side of the altar.” And Michael and Gabriel and all the angels uttered cries of joy before his holy soul, and each of them cried out unceasingly, and the angels carried away his body to bury it as God commanded them; and thirty desert anchorites came to meet it. And the hosts of angels placed his soul in the houses of light, saying, “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, all the time, now and always, and for ever and ever.” Salutation to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.