Page 76 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

THE LEGEND OF ABGAR AND ADDAI
spirits and demons, and you cure those who are tortured by long disease1 and2 you
raise dead men. And when I heard of all these3 things concerning you* I decided that
it is one of two things,* either that you are God and came down from Heaven to do these
things, or are the Son of God for doing6 these things. For this reason I write to beg you
to hasten7 to me8 and to heal the suffering which I have.9 Moreover, I heard that the
Jews are mocking you,10 and wish to11 ill-treat you. Now I have a city very12 small and
venerable13 which is enough for both of us.'1*
The reply from Jesus to the toparch by the courier Ananias:15
'Blessed are you who believed in me, not having seen me, for it is written concerning
me that those who have seen me will not believe in me, and that those who have not seen
me will believe16 and live.17 Now concerning what you wrote to me, to come to you, I
must first complete here all for which I was sent, and after thus completing it be taken
up to Him who sent me;18 and when I have been taken19 up, I will send to you one of my
disciples to heal your suffering20 and give life to21 you and those with you.'22
Eusebius then narrates the outcome of the exchange of letters between
Abgar and Jesus; this account too, he asserts, has been translated from
Syriac, but here he does not claim that the text is derived from the city
archives:

Now after the ascension of Jesus, Judas who was also Thomas, sent Thaddaeus to him
as an Apostle, being one of the Seventy, and he came and stayed with Tobias the son
of Tobias. Now when news of him was heard, it was reported to Abgar, 'An Apostle of
Jesus has come here, as he wrote to you'. So Thaddaeus began in the power of God to
heal every disease and weakness so that all marvelled.
And when Abgar heard the great and wonderful deeds that he was doing, and how he
was working cures, he began to suspect that this was he of whom Jesus had written
saying, 'When I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples who will heal
your suffering'. So he summoned Tobias, with whom Thaddaeus was staying, and said,
'I hear that a certain man of power has come and is staying at your house. Bring him to
me'. Tobias came to Thaddaeus and said to him, 'The toparch Abgar summoned me
and bade me bring you to him in order to heal him'. And Thaddaeus said, 'I will go up
since I have been miraculously sent to him'.

1 Doc. Add., 'your word'. 16 Cf. John 20: 29, 'Jesus saith unto him,
2 Doc. Add. adds 'moreover'. Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast
3 Doc. Add. adds 'wondrous great'. believed: blessed are they that have not seen,
4 Doc. Add., 'which you do'. and yet have believed."
5 Doc. Add. omits. 17 Doc. Add. omits, and inserts 'in me'.
6 Doc. Add., 'that you do all'. 18 Doc. Add. has, 'that for which I was sent
7 Doc. Add., 'come'. here is now finished and I am going up to my
8 Doc. Add. adds 'as I worship you". Father who sent me'.
9 Doc. Add. adds 'for I believe in you'. " Doc. Add., 'gone'.
10 Doc. Add., 'murmuring against you and 20 Doc. Add., 'and to heal and make sound the
persecuting you'. suffering that you have'.
11 Doc. Add. adds 'crucify and seek to'. 21 Doc. Add., 'turn to everlasting life'.
" Doc. Add. omits. 22 Doc. Add., 'all those who are with you'. It
13 Doc. Add., 'beautiful'. adds, 'And your city shall be blessed and no
14 Doc. Add., 'two to live in it in tranquillity'. enemy shall ever be master of it again"; see
15 Doc. Add. inserts, 'Go and say to your p. 73 below.
Lord who has sent you to my presence'.

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