Page 92 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

LOCAL TRADITIONS ON THE EVANGELIZATION OF EDESSA 79

of Soba1 and from Harran, and the rest of the inhabitants of all this region of Meso-
potamia.
Addai preached again, declaring that he was not 'a physician of medicines
and roots . . . but a disciple of Jesus Christ'. He refuted the worship of the
planets and of idols, he glorified Jesus and urged his hearers to acknowledge
him also. The city, led by Abgar, his son Ma'nu, and his mother and wife,
accepted the new faith. The king encouraged Addai to build a church, and
gave him generous gifts so that Addai's word 'should be of authority and
prevail in all this town'. In a scene of enthusiasm
the chief priests of this town,. . . ran and threw down the altars on which they sacrificed
before Nabu and Bel their gods, except the great altar in the midst of the town. . . . And
Addai... baptized them ..., and those who used to worship stones and stocks sat at his
feet,... even Jews conversant with the Law and the Prophets ... who sold soft [stuffs]—
they too were persuaded and made the Christian confession.
Aggai 'who made the silken [garments] and tiaras of the king', and Palut,
and Barshelama (who is also called 'Abshelama) and Barsamya
ministered with [Addai] in the church which he had built. .. . A large multitude of
people assembled day by day and came to the prayers of the service and to [the reading
of] the Old Testament and the New [Testament] of the Diatessaron.* They also be-
lieved in the resurrection of the dead. . . . They kept also the festivals of the Church at
their proper season. . . . Moreover, in the places round about the city, churches were
built and many received from [Addai] the hand of priesthood. So the people of the East
also, in the guise of merchants, passed over into the territory of the Romans in order to see
the signs which Addai did. And those who became disciples received from him the hand
of priesthood, and in their own country of the Assyrians they found disciples, and made
houses of prayer there in secret from fear of those who worshipped fire and adored water.
Narseh, 'king of the Assyrians', enquired of Abgar about the deeds of Addai,
and 'was astonished and marvelled'.3
Finally Addai
was seized with that disease of which he departed from the world. And he called for
Aggai.. . and made him administrator and ruler in his own place. And Palut who was a
deacon he made presbyter, and 'Abshelama4 who was a scribe he made deacon.
He admonished them concerning their conduct. Three days later, on 14 lyar,
Addai died.
And the whole city was in great mourning and bitter distress on account of him. Nor
was it only the Christians who grieved over him, but the Jews also and the pagans who

1 Nisibis. avenge on the Jews the death of Jesus, and the
2 This rendering is based on an emendation request is carried out to Abgar's satisfaction,
of the Syriac text, involving a very small The passage is obviously apocryphal. We have
change (s for urn). The passage may, however, here the echo of a legend that is included in the
be an interpolation; see p. 80 below. cycle of the Veronica portrait. In it Emperor
3 At this point is inserted the account of a Tiberius, falling sick, desired to see the por-
correspondence between Abgar and Emperor trait of Jesus, worshipped it and was healed.
Tiberius; the former requests the Emperor to 4 That is, Barshelama (above, this page).

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