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for it to be sacked, he fled to Ostracine; and he was there as a sojourner in the land of Ishmael. And when the Chaldeans returned from Jerusalem to their own land, having made it plunder, and the remnants who were in Jerusalem 21 went down to Egypt. But he went up to his own land. He ministered to the harvesters of his own field. For he was sowing barley. And as he cooked food for them, he prophesied to his own people, saying: "I am going to a distant land and I will return rather quickly. But if I delay, bring food to the harvesters."2 And having been in Babylon and having given lunch to Daniel in the lions' den, he returned and stood beside the harvesters as they were eating; and he told no one what had happened. But the prophet understood that the people would return rather quickly from Babylon to Jerusalem. And he gave a sign to those in Judea, that they would see a great light shining forth in the temple. And thus they would see the glory of God. And concerning the end of the temple he foretold that the sacking of the temple of Jerusalem would be done by a western nation; then the veil of the Debir will be torn into two parts; and the capitals of the two pillars will be taken away. And no one will know where they will be. But they will be carried away by angels into the desert, where in the beginning the tent of witness was pitched. And in them the Lord will be known at the end, that they will give light to those persecuted by the serpent just as from the beginning, and the Lord will save them from darkness and the shadow of death and they will be in a holy tent. This prophet prophesied many things concerning the coming of the Lord; two years before the return 22 of the people from Babylon he died; and he was buried gloriously in his own field.

19. Zephaniah the prophet; this one then was from the tribe of Simeon from Mount Sarabatha and he prophesied concerning the city of Jerusalem, that it would be built better in length and width, and concerning the end of the nations and the shame of the impious, and concerning the coming of the Lord. And he died in a revelation of the Lord, and he was buried in his own field quite alone.

20. Haggai the prophet. While still a young man he returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and he prophesied openly concerning the return of the people and he saw the building of the temple of Jerusalem and he himself first sang Alleluia there, which is interpreted: let us praise the living God; Amen, which is: so be it, so be it; there then he died and was buried gloriously near the priests; for which reason we say Alleluia, which is the hymn of Haggai and Zechariah.

21. Zechariah the prophet. This was the son of Barachias. This one came from the land of the Chaldeans already advanced in age and being there he prophesied many things to the people and gave many signs for proof. This one told Josedek that he would beget a son and he would serve as a priest to the Lord in Jerusalem. This one also blessed Salathiel for a son, saying: that you will beget a son and you will call his name Zerubbabel. And in the time of Cyrus the king 23 of the Persians he gave a sign for victory concerning Croesus the king of the Lydians and concerning Astyages the king of the Medes and he prophesied concerning his service, which Cyrus would perform for Jerusalem. And he blessed him greatly. And he set forth the things of his prophecy in Jerusalem both concerning the end of the nations and concerning the building of the temple of Jerusalem and the inactivity of prophets and priests and the double judgment. And he died in Judea at a great old age and was buried very near Haggai the prophet.

22. Malachi the prophet was from the tribe of Zebulun. This one was born in Sopha in the land of Zebulun after the return of the people from Babylon. And while still a young man he had a good life, and he prophesied many things concerning the advent of the Lord and concerning the judgment of the dead; and that the customs of Moses would be fulfilled and would be changed. And since all the people honored him as holy and gentle, they called him Malachi, which is interpreted as angel. For he was also very comely in appearance, but also

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τοῦ πορθῆναι αὐτήν, οὗτος ἔφυγεν εἰς Ὀστρακίνην· καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ πάροικος εἰς γῆν Ἰσμαήλ. Ὡς δὲ ὑπέστρεψαν οἱ Χαλδαῖοι ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν, λάφυρον αὐτὴν ποιήσαντες, καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι οἱ ὄντες ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ 21 κατέβησαν εἰς Αἴγυπτον. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἀνῆλθεν εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ. Ἐλειτούργει τοῖς θερισταῖς τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἑαυτοῦ. Ἔσπειρε γὰρ κριθόν. Ὡς δὲ ἧψεν αὐτοῖς ἐδέσματα, ἐπροφήτευσε τοῖς ἰδίοις εἰπών· "πορεύομαι ἐγὼ εἰς γῆν μακρὰν καὶ τάχιον ἐπανελεύσομαι. Ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἀπενέγκατε φαγεῖν τοῖς θερισταῖς."2 Καὶ γενόμενος ἐν Βαβυλῶνι καὶ δοὺς ἄριστον τῷ ∆ανιὴλ εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων, ὑποστρέψας παρέστη τοῖς θερισταῖς ἐσθίουσι· καὶ οὐδενὶ εἶπε τὸ γινόμενον. Συνῆκε δὲ ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι τάχιον ἐπιστρέψει ὁ λαὸς ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἔδωκε δὲ τέρας τοῖς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ὅτι ὄψονται ἐν τῷ ναῷ φῶς μέγα διαλάμψαν. Καὶ οὕτως ἴδωσι τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ περὶ τῆς συντελείας τοῦ ναοῦ προεῖπεν, ὅτι ὑπὸ ἔθνους δυτικοῦ γενή- σεται ἡ πόρθησις τοῦ ναοῦ Ἱερουσαλήμ· τότε τὸ ἅπλωμα τοῦ ∆αβεὶρ εἰς δύο μέρη ῥαγήσεται· καὶ ἐπίκρανα τῶν δύο στύλων ἀφαιρεθήσονται. Καὶ οὐδεὶς γνώσεται, ποῦ ἔσονται. Αὐτὰ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἀπενεχθήσονται ὑπὸ ἀγγέλων, ὅπου ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐπάγη ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου. Καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς γνωσθήσεται ἐπὶ τέλει κύριος, ὅτι φωτίσουσι τοῖς διωκομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄφεως ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ διασώσει αὐτοὺς κύριος ἐκ σκότους καὶ σκιᾶς θανάτου καὶ ἔσονται ἐν σκηνῇ ἁγίᾳ. Οὗτος ὁ προφήτης περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ κυρίου πολλὰ προεφήτευσεν· πρὸ δύο ἐτῶν περὶ τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς 22 τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἀπέθανε· καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ αὐτοῦ ἀγρῷ ἐνδόξως.

ιθʹ. Σοφονίας ὁ προφήτης· οὗτος οὖν ἐκ φυλῆς Συμεὼν ἀπὸ ὄρους Σαραβαθᾶ ἐπροφήτευσε δὲ περὶ τῆς πόλεως Ἱερουσαλήμ, ὅτι οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἐπὶ κρεῖττον εἰς μῆκος καὶ πλάτος, καὶ περὶ τέλους ἐθνῶν καὶ αἰσχύνης ἀσεβῶν, καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου παρουσίας. Ἀπέθανε δὲ ἐν ἀπο- καλύψει κυρίου, καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ μονώτατος.

κʹ. Ἀγγαῖος ὁ προφήτης. Ἔτι νέος ὢν ἐπανῆλθεν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ φανερῶς περὶ τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπροφήτευσε καὶ εἶδε τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔψαλλεν ἐκεῖ πρῶτος ἀλληλούϊα, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται· αἰνέσωμεν τῷ ζῶντι θεῷ· ἀμήν, ὅ ἐστι· γένοιτο, γένοιτο· ἐκεῖ οὖν ἀπέθανε καὶ ἐτάφη πλησίον τῶν ἱερέων ἐνδόξως· διὸ λέγομεν ἀλληλούϊα, ὅ ἐστιν ὕμνος Ἀγγαίου καὶ Ζαχαρίου.

καʹ. Ζαχαρίας ὁ προφήτης. Οὗτος ἦν υἱὸς Βαραχίου. Οὗτος ἦλθεν ἀπὸ τῆς Χαλδαίων ἤδη προβεβηκὼς καὶ ἐκεῖ ὢν πολλὰ τῷ λαῷ προεφήτευσε καὶ τέρατα πολλὰ ἔδωκεν εἰς ἀπόδειξιν. Οὗτος εἶπε τῷ Ἰωσεδέκ, ὅτι γεννήσει υἱὸν καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἱερατεύσει τῷ κυρίῳ. Οὗτος καὶ τὸν Σαλαθιὴλ εὐλόγησεν ἐπὶ υἱῷ λέγων· ὅτι γεννήσεις υἱὸν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα Ζοροβάβηλ. Καὶ ἐπὶ Κύρου τοῦ βασιλέως 23 Περσῶν τέρας ἔδωκεν εἰς νῖκος περὶ Κροίσου τοῦ Λυδίων βασιλέως καὶ περὶ Ἀστυάγους τοῦ τῶν Μήδων βασιλέως καὶ περὶ τῆς λειτουργίας αὐτοῦ ἐπροφήτευσεν, ἣν ποιήσει Κύρος ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν σφόδρα. Τὰ δὲ τῆς προφητείας αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ περὶ τέλους ἐθνῶν καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ ναοῦ Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομῆς καὶ ἀργίας προφητῶν καὶ ἱερέων καὶ διπλῆς κρίσεως ἐξέθετο. Ἀπέθανε δὲ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ἐν γήρει μακρῷ καὶ ἐτάφη σύνεγγυς Ἀγγαίου τοῦ προφήτου.

κβʹ. Μαλαχίας ὁ προφήτης ἦν ἐκ φυλῆς Ζαβουλών. Οὗτος μετὰ τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος τίκτεται ἐν Σοφᾷ ἐν γῇ Ζαβουλών. Καὶ ἔτι νέος ὢν καλὸν βίον ἔσχε, πολλὰ δὲ προεφήτευσε περὶ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ἐπι-δημίας καὶ περὶ κρίσεως νεκρῶν· καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἔθη Μωϋσέως πληρωθήσονται καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐτίμα αὐτὸν ὡς ὅσιον καὶ πραΰν, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν μαλαχί, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται ἄγγελος. Ἦν γὰρ καὶ τῷ εἴδει πάνυ εὐπρεπής, ἀλλὰ καὶ