performing the wonders of miracles. 6 So when he had completed the journey to Egypt and, having attended to what he had been commanded, was returning, since he knew that his lord was tyrannized by chronic arthritis and consumed by black leprosy, making the misfortune twofold, or rather, making the disease manifold; who was both afflicted by pains from his joints and suffered from the evils of leprosy, and there was also the shame of his deformity, on account of which he was almost not to be seen by people, but not only did he remain bedridden for the most part, but he even hid himself out of shame from his friends who came to visit; for this reason, while returning, he strove again to learn more precisely about these same things, so that he might be able to report with certainty to his lord, in order that he too might perhaps be deemed worthy of healing through him. So he again found the Lord in the same places raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, making the lame whole, and strengthening all who were in any way sick. 7 When, therefore, he was convinced and knew that these things were manifestly being accomplished by the Lord, returning to Abgar he made it known and informed him through many things both what he saw and what he heard. Wherefore, as one who "brought in the by-work greater than the work," and as a messenger of good tidings to him, he was deemed worthy of a fitting reception and was recognized as one of the most loyal. And since the one who is sick always seizes the promise of healing like plunder, and hope, fawning upon the man, persuades him to rush eagerly to the pursuit of what has been revealed, Abgar also was stirred to summon by letter the one said to be able to heal such things, and immediately wrote this letter, which is circulated everywhere, to the Lord, containing the following: 8 Abgar, toparch of Edessa, to Jesus the Savior, a good physician who has appeared in the city of Jerusalem, greetings. I have heard about you and your healings, how they are performed by you without medicines and herbs. As the report goes, you make the blind to see again, the lame to walk, you cleanse lepers, and you cast out unclean spirits and demons, and you heal those tormented by long illness, and you raise the dead. And having heard all these things about you, I have concluded one of two things: either that you are God and, having come down from heaven, you do these things, or that you are the Son of God, doing these things. For this reason, therefore, I have written and begged you to trouble yourself to come to me and heal the affliction which I have. For I have heard that the Jews also murmur against you and wish to harm you. I have a very small and venerable city, which will be sufficient for both of us to dwell in it in peace. 9 Since, then, Ananias both gave clear proofs of his goodwill toward his lord and happened to be experienced in the way and knew the art of drawing, he sent such a letter through him to Jesus, instructing him that, if he were not able to persuade Christ to come to him through the letter, he should at least accurately copy the likeness of his form and bring it to him, so that at least as if in a shadow he might be taught not by hearing alone but also by sight, what sort of person is the creator of these great wonders. 10 And so the one who had been sent, having reached Judea, found Christ in the open air, discoursing with the crowd that had gathered and working the extraordinary miracles of his wonders. But because of the multitude of others who had come for one need or another, Ananias was unable to get near Jesus, so he went to a rock standing up a little from the ground, not far from where the Lord was staying, and sat down, and, since the savior was clearly visible to him, set apart from the crowd and rising above the many, he immediately fixed his eyes on him, and his hand to the paper, and copied the likeness of what he saw. 11 Christ, therefore, knew these things in the spirit and, summoning Thomas, said, "Go to this place and bring to me the man sitting on the rock and copying my form, bringing with him also the letter which he came from home having, so that the of the one who sent him

τὰ τῶν θαυμάτων ἐπιτελοῦντα παράδοξα. 6 ὡς οὖν τὴν ἐπ' Αἴγυπτον πορείαν διήνυσε καὶ περὶ ὧν ἐπετέτραπτο διαλαβὼν ἀνθυπέστρεφεν, ἐπεὶ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀρθρίτιδι χρονίῳ τυραννούμενον ᾔδει καὶ μελαίνῃ λέπρᾳ ἐκδαπανώμενον καὶ διπλῆν συμφοράν, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλαπλῆν τὴν νόσον ποιούμενον· ὃς καὶ ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρθρων ὀδύναις συνείχετο καὶ τοῖς τῆς λέπρας ἐταλαιπώρει κακοῖς, προσῆν δὲ καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀμορφίας αἰσχύνη, δι' ἣν οὐδὲ θεατὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις σχεδὸν ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μόνον κλινήρης τὰ πολλὰ διετέλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς κατ' ἐπίσκεψιν ἐρχομένους τῶν φίλων ὑπ' αἰσχύνης ἐναπεκρύπτετο· διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐν τῷ ὑποστρέφειν ἀκριβέστερον περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διαγνῶναι ἐσπούδασεν, ἵν' ἔχοι βεβαίως ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἂν ἴσως κἀκεῖνος τῆς δι' αὐτοῦ ἰατρείας ἀξιωθῇ. εὗρεν οὖν πάλιν τὸν κύριον ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν νεκροὺς ἀνιστῶντα, τυφλοῖς τὸ βλέπειν δωρούμενον, χωλοὺς ἀρτίους δεικνῦντα καὶ πάντας τοὺς ὁτιοῦν ἀσθενοῦντας ῥωννύοντα. 7 ὡς οὖν ἐπιστώθη καὶ ἔγνω ταῦτα φανερῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου τελούμενα, τῷ Αὐγάρῳ ὑποστρέψας ἐγνώρισε καὶ διὰ πλειόνων ἅτε εἶδεν ἅτε ἤκουσεν ἀνεδίδαξεν. ὅθεν ὡς "μεῖζον τοῦ ἔργου τὸ πάρεργον παρεμπορευσάμενος" καὶ ὡς εὐαγγελίων αὐτῷ καταγγελεὺς δεξιῶν τῆς προσηκούσης ἀποδοχῆς κατηξίωτο καὶ τῶν εὐνουστάτων εἷς ἐγνωρίζετο. καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ κάμνον ἀεὶ ὡς ἅρπαγμα ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τῆς ἰατρείας καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος περισαινούσης τὸν ἄνθρωπον σπουδαίως περὶ τὴν θήραν τοῦ μηνυθέντος πείθει ὁρμᾶν, καὶ ὁ Αὔγαρος πρὸς τὸ διὰ γραφῆς μετακαλέσασθαι διανέστη τὸν ἰᾶσθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα λεγόμενον δύνασθαι καὶ παραχρῆμα τὴν πανταχοῦ περιφερομένην ταύτην ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἔγραψεν οὑτωσὶ περιέχουσαν· 8 Αὔγαρος τοπάρχης Ἐδέσης Ἰησοῦ σωτῆρι ἀναφανέντι ἀγαθῷ ἰατρῷ ἐν πόλει Ἱεροσολύμων χαίρειν. ἤκουσταί μοι τὰ περὶ σοῦ καὶ τῶν σῶν ἰαμάτων, ὡς ἄνευ φαρμάκων καὶ βοτανῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ γινομένων. ὡς λόγος, τυφλοὺς ἀναβλέπειν ποιεῖς, χωλοὺς περιπατεῖν, λεπροὺς καθαρίζεις καὶ ἀκάθαρτα πνεύματα καὶ δαίμονας ἐλαύνεις καὶ τοὺς ἐν μακρονοσίᾳ βασανιζομένους θεραπεύεις καὶ νεκροὺς ἐγείρεις. καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἀκούσας περὶ σοῦ, κατὰ νοῦν ἐθέμην τὸ ἕτερον τῶν δύο, ἢ ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς καὶ καταβὰς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ποιεῖς ταῦτα ἢ ὅτι υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ ποιῶν ταῦτα. διὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν γράψας ἐδεήθην σου σκυλῆναι καὶ ἐλθεῖν πρός με καὶ τὸ πάθος ὃ ἔχω θεραπεῦσαι. καὶ γὰρ ἤκουσα, ὅτι καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι κατα γογγύζουσί σου καὶ βούλονται κακῶσαί σε. πόλις δὲ σμικροτάτη μοί ἐστι καὶ σεμνή, ἥτις ἐξαρκέσει ἀμφοτέροις ἡμῖν τοῦ κατοικεῖν ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐν αὐτῇ. 9 Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ Ἀνανίας τῆς τε πρὸς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ εὐνοίας σαφῆ παρεῖχε τεκμήρια καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἐτύγχανεν ἔμπειρος καὶ τὴν γραφικὴν τέχνην ἠπίστατο, δι' αὐτοῦ τὴν τοιαύτην ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐπισκήψας αὐτῷ, ὡς εἰ μὴ δυνηθείη πεῖσαι διὰ τοῦ γράμματος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν τὸν Χριστόν, κἂν τὸ ὁμοίωμα τῆς μορφῆς αὐτοῦ μεταγραψάμενος ἀκριβῶς ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν, ἵν' ὡς ἐν σκιᾷ γοῦν διδαχθείη μὴ δι' ἀκοῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῆς ὄψεως, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ τῶν μεγάλων τούτων τεραστίων δημιουργός. 10 καὶ δὴ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καταλαβὼν ὁ ἀποσταλεὶς εὗρε τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τῷ συρρεύσαντι δήμῳ διαλεγόμενον καὶ τερατουργοῦντα τὰ τῶν θαυμάτων ἐξαίσια. διὰ δὲ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἄλλου κατ' ἄλλην χρείαν ἐληλυθότων μὴ οἷός τε ὢν ὁ Ἀνανίας πλησιάσαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἐπί τινα πέτραν μικρὸν ἀνεστηκυῖαν τῆς γῆς οὐ πόρρω τῆς τοῦ κυρίου διατριβῆς ἀπελθὼν ἐκαθέζετο καὶ, ὡς ἦν αὐτῷ καταφανὴς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ πλήθους ἀποκεκριμένος καὶ ὑπερανέχων τῶν πολλῶν, εὐθὺς ἐκείνῳ μὲν τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, τῷ δὲ χάρτῃ τὴν χεῖρα προσήρειδε καὶ τὴν τοῦ φαινομένου μετέγραφεν ὁμοιότητα. 11 ἔγνω οὖν ταῦτα τῷ πνεύματι ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ τὸν Θωμᾶν μετακαλεσάμενος· "ἄπελθέ" φησι "πρὸς τόνδε τὸν τόπον καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας καθεζόμενον ἄνθρωπον καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν μορφὴν μεταγράφοντα ἄγαγε πρός με, ἐπιφερόμενον καὶ ἣν οἴκοθεν ἦλθεν ἔχων ἐπιστολήν, ἵνα τὴν τοῦ ἀποστείλαντος