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Archelaus, the other Urban, and the third Claudius. So they each reigned, Archelaus in Rome, Urban in Byzantium the city of his mother, Claudius in Alexandria. And the seed of Chuseth, the daughter of the king of Ethiopia, took possession of the 35 Macedonian province, of the Romans and the Greeks, that is, of the Romans from the race of the Ethiopians. For hinting at this, the holy David said these things: Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hand to God. For the kingdom of the Christians, being established from the race of the Ethiopians, possesses the great and venerable wood of the precious and life-giving cross, whence this same kingdom of the Christians is strong beyond every kingdom, and there is no nation or kingdom under heaven able to overcome the kingdom of the Christian Romans. For as we have suitably said before, beloved, the all-precious, life-giving, and strong cross in the midst of the earth, by which the ends of the world are very clearly delineated in breadth and length and height and depth. For what kingdom is as strong as the rule of the Romans? For let us hear what the divine Paul foretold concerning the last day and the kingdom of the Christians, I mean, of course, in the epistle to the Thessalonians, thus. I ask you also the rest until they show him that he is god. Now this is the only one restraining, that he might be taken out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed.

What then is that which is taken out of the way, if not the kingdom of the Christians? For every rule and authority of this world will be destroyed, except for this one. For it is warred against and not cast down, and all the nations clash with it and will be consumed by it and will be overcome until the last day arrives. And this is that "shall soon stretch out her hand to God" according to the apostle who says. when every rule and authority of this world is destroyed, then it itself will deliver to the king, God and Father. What kingdom? Clearly that of the Christians, for there is no kingdom more powerful than it. But on account of the multitude of their sins, God will be angered with it and will summon the hunter Ishmael and will move him like the innumerable sand of the sea, and they will be flown like hawks upon the high mountains, and their horses will leap forth as if becoming eagles, and they will enter into the 36 seven-hilled city with chariots and horses, and on account of these things, much bloodshed, and having made not a little spoil. What must one say? And Ishmael came with the angel as far as the Attalians. And I, Daniel, said to the angel: My Lord, why have these tribulations come upon the Christians? And the angel said to me: Not because the Lord God loves Ishmael will he give him the authority to rule the land of the Romans, but because of the sins of those dwelling in it. And the honor of the priests will be taken away and the sacrifice will cease from the churches and wickedness will be fulfilled upon men, and the people will become like wild beasts and priests will be like the common folk. In that time, that is, in the weekly time in which the number of the Ishmaelites and of their dynasty is fulfilled, which they controlled, and they laid waste to Romania and Pisidia and the other islands found near Rome, Calabria and Sicily, the city called Tyrannis. Then the Ishmaelites, blaspheming, will say that the Romans have no deliverance from our hands.

Then suddenly those of that city called Tyrannis will go out and will find through a revelation of God in the midst of their city a certain man whose name was least in the world. And seizing him, they will lead him away as far as Dinis and there they will anoint him as king, whom the people held as if dead and useful for nothing. And his name is in the thirtieth chapter. This one will go out against the Ishmaelites in a certain place called Petrinos and they will join a strong battle. and in that place is a two-mouthed well

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Ἀρχέλαον, τὸν δὲ ἕτερον Οὐρβανόν, τὸν δὲ τρίτον Κλαύδιον. Ἐβασίλευσαν οὖν ἑκάτεροι, ὁ μὲν Ἀρχέλαος ἐν Ῥώμῃ, Οὐρβανὸς (δὲ) εἰς Βυζάντιον πόλιν τῆς αὐτοῦ μητρός, Κλαύδιος ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ. Κατεκράτησεν δὲ τὸ σπέρμα τῆς Χουσὴθ θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως Αἰθιωπίας τὴν 35 τρεῶαν Μακεδονίαν, Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Ἑλλήνων ἤγουν τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκ γένους τῶν Αἰθιώπων. αἰνιττόμενος γὰρ ταύτην ὁ ἅγιος ∆αυὶδ ταῦτα εἴρηκεν· Αἰθιωπία προφθάσει χεῖρα αὐτῆς τῷ θεῷ. ἡ γὰρ ἐκ γένους τῶν Αἰθιώπων συνισταμένη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν χριστιανῶν κέκτηται τὸ μέγα καὶ σεβάσμιον ξύλον τοῦ τιμίου καὶ ζωοποιοῦ σταυροῦ, ὅθεν ἡ αὐτὴ βασιλεία τῶν χριστιανῶν ἰσχυρά ἐστιν ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν βασιλείαν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔθνος ἢ βασιλεία ἐν τῇ ὑπ' οὐρανῶν δυναμένη καταδυναστεῦσαι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν χριστιανῶν τῶν Ῥωμαίων. ὡς γὰρ πρεπόντως προέφημεν, ἀγαπητοί, τὸν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς πανέντιμον, ζωοποιόν τε καὶ ἰσχυρὸν σταυρὸν ὑφ' οὗ καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης πέρατα λίαν σαφῶς ὑπογράφουσιν κατά τε πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος καὶ βάθος. ποία γὰρ ἰσχύει βασιλεία τῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ; Ἀκούσωμεν γάρ, τί ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος προηγόρευσεν περὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας καὶ τῆς τῶν χριστιανῶν βασιλείας, φημὶ δήπου ἐν τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονίκαις ἐπιστολῇ οὕτως. ἐρωτῶμαι δὲ ὑμᾶς καὶ τὸν λοιπὸν ἕως ἂν ἀποδεικνύωνται αὐτὸν ὅτι ἐστὶν θεός. λοιπὸν οὗτος ὁ μόνος κατέχων ὅτι ἐκ μέσου γένηται καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος.

Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ ἐκ μέσου εἰ μὴ τῶν χριστιανῶν βασιλεία; πᾶσα γὰρ ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐξουσία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καταργηθήσεται πλὴν ταύτης. καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴ πολεμεῖται καὶ οὐ χύταται, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη συγκρούονται μετ' αὐτῆς καὶ ἀναλωθήσονται ὑπ' αὐτῆς καὶ κρατήσονται ἕως οὗ ἐφθάσει ἡ ἐσχάτη ἡμέρα. καὶ αὐτό ἐστιν τὸ προφθάσει χεῖρα αὐτῆς τῷ θεῷ κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον τὸν λέγοντα. ὅταν καταργηθῇ πᾶσα ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐξουσία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, τότε αὐτὴ παραδώσει τῷ βασιλεῖ τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί. Ποίαν βασιλείαν; δηλονότι τῶν χριστιανῶν, οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι βασιλεία δυνατωτέρα αὐτῆς. ∆ιὰ δὲ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν θυμωθήσεται ὁ θεὸς ἀπ' αὐτῆς καὶ προσκαλέσεται τὸν θηρευτὴν Ἰσμαὴλ καὶ κινήσει ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ ἀναρίθμητος καὶ πετασθήσονται ὡς ἱέρακες ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ ὑψηλά, οἱ δὲ ἵπποι αὐτῶν ἐξαλλοήνται (=ἐξαλλοήσονται) ὡς ἀετιτόμενοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσονται ἐν τῇ πόλει 36 τῇ ἑπταλόφῳ ἐν ἅρμασι καὶ ἵπποις καὶ ἕνεκαν τούτων πολλῆς αἱματεχυσίας, οὐκ ὀλίγον ποιήσαντες δὲ καὶ σκῦλα. Τί χρὴ λέγειν; καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἰσμαὴλ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ ἕως Ἀτταλῶν. Καὶ εἶπον ἐγὼ ∆ανιὴλ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ. Κύριέ μου, διὰ τί ἐπεισῆλθον αἱ θλίψεις αὗται τοῖς χριστιανοῖς; καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὁ ἄγγελος. οὐχ ὅτι ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὸν Ἰσμαὴλ διδώσει αὐτῷ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ κρατῆσαι τῆς γῆς τῶν Ῥωμαίων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας κατοικούντων ἐν αὐτῇ. καὶ ἀρθήσεται ἡ τιμὴ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ ἐκλείψει ἡ θυσία ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ πληρωθήσεται ἡ κακία ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ γενήσονται ὁ λαὸς ὡς ἄγρια θηρία καὶ ἔσονται ἱερεῖς ὡς ὁ κοινὸς λαός. Ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἤτοι τῷ ἑβδοματικῷ χρόνῳ ἐν ᾧ πληροῦται ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν καὶ τῆς δυναστείας αὐτῶν, ἧς κατεκράτησαν, καὶ ἠρήμωσαν Ῥωμανίαν τε καὶ Πισιδίαν καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς νήσους εὑρισκομένους πλησίον Ῥώμης, Καλαβρίαν καὶ Σικελίαν τὴν καλουμένην Τυραννίδα πόλιν. τότε βλασφημήσαντες οἱ Ἰσμαηλίται ἐροῦσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνάῤῥυσιν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι.

Τότε αἰφνιδίως ἐξέλθωσιν οἱ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης τῆς καλουμένης Τυραννίδος καὶ εὑροῦσιν δι' ἀποκαλύψεως θεοῦ μέσον τῆς αὐτῶν πόλεως ἄνθρωπόν τινα οὗτινος τὸ ὄνομα ἦν ἔλαττον ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. καὶ τοῦτον κρατήσαντες ἀπάξουσιν αὐτὸν μέχρι δίνης κἀκεῖ χρίσουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς βασιλέα, ὃν εἶχον οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὡσεὶ νεκρὸν καὶ οὐδὲν χρησιμεύοντα. ἔστιν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ τριακοστὸν κεφάλαιον. Οὗτος ἐξελεύσεται εἰς τοὺς Ἰσμαηλίτας ἐν τόπῳ τινὶ λεγομένῳ Πετρίνῳ καὶ συγκροτήσουσιν πόλεμον ἰσχυρόν. ἐν δὲ τῷ τόπῳ ἐκείνῳ ἐστὶν φρέαρ δίστομον