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skilfully, 5.6.12 they brought them there in the following manner. They constructed wagons equal in size to the stones, and they placed one stone on each wagon, and forty oxen, picked for excellence by the emperor, drew the stone together with the wagon. 5.6.13 But since it was impossible for the roads leading to the city to bear these wagons, they cut into the mountains for a great distance and made them passable for the wagons which were to come, and thus they made the church of very great length, just as the emperor 5.6.14 had wished. And having made its width in proportion, 5.6.15 they were quite unable to put a roof on the sanctuary. And so, going about all the woods and forests, and if they heard of any place anywhere that was covered with trees of heaven-reaching height, they found a certain abundant supply of timber, yielding cedars reaching to a measureless height, with which they placed the roof on the church, having made its height in proportion, both to the extent that it is widened 5.6.16 and to its length. These things, then, Emperor Justinian accomplished by human power and skill. But the hope of his piety also contributed, rewarding him with its honour and assisting in this 5.6.17 undertaking. For the sanctuary needed columns on all sides, both of a kind not unworthy of the beauty of the precinct and of such a size that they would be able to support the weight 5.6.18 of what was placed upon them. But the country, lying inland far from the sea, and being blocked off on all sides by certain precipitous mountains, as I have said, made the ground difficult for the builders to bring in columns 5.6.19 from elsewhere. But as the emperor was vexed at the difficulty of the work, God showed in the nearby mountains a nature of stone suitable for this purpose, either being 5.6.20 in existence and hidden before, or created now. In either case the story is credible, attributing the cause to God. 5.6.21 For we, weighing all things by human power, believe that many things have been judged to be impossible, but for God, of all things, nothing could be either difficult or 5.6.22 impossible. So from there a great number of columns, both of enormous size and imitating in colour a kind of flame of fire, support the church on all sides, some below, some above, and some around the stoas which surround the whole sanctuary, except for the side turned toward the east; of which two stand before the door of the church, exceedingly wondrous and probably second to no columns 5.6.23 on the whole earth. From there follows another stoa, called 5.6.24 a narthex, I suppose, because of its not being wide. After this is a court supported by similar columns in a quadrangle; inner doors so sacred that they announce to those coming from outside what sort of spectacle they are about to encounter. From here there are marvelous propylaea, and an arch rising on two 5.6.25 columns to an unspeakable height. And as one proceeds forward there are two semicircles, standing opposite one another on either side of the road to the sanctuary; and on either side of the one are two hospices, the work of Emperor Justinian; one a lodging for visiting strangers, and the other a resting place 5.6.26 for sick poor. And this church of the Mother of God Emperor Justinian also honored with an income of great sums of money. So the affairs in Jerusalem for Emperor Justinian turned out in this way. 5.7.1 There is a city in Palestine, Neapolis by name; 5.7.2 above which rises a high mountain, Garizin by name. This mountain the Samaritans held from the beginning; and they went up to the summit of the mountain to pray, letting no occasion pass; not that they had ever built any temple there, but revering the summit itself 5.7.3 they worshipped it most of all. But when Jesus, the son of God, being in the flesh, was conversing with the people there, he had a conversation with one of the local women; and to her, asking about the mountain, he hinted that later on it would not be the Samaritans who would worship on this mountain, but the true worshippers would worship him there, signifying the Christians; and it came to be so 5.7.4 as the

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τε αὐτὰς ἐπισταμένως, 5.6.12 ἐνταῦθα ἦγον τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. ἁμάξας μὲν ταῖς πέτραις ἐτεκτήναντο μεγέθει ἴσας, ἕνα δὲ λίθον ἐνετίθεντο ἁμάξῃ ἑκάστῃ, βόες τε ἀριστίνδην πρὸς βασιλέως ξυνειλεγμένοι κατὰ τεσσαράκοντα σὺν τῇ ἁμάξῃ τὸν λίθον ἐφεῖλκον. 5.6.13 ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τὰς ἐς τὴν πόλιν φερούσας ὁδοὺς ταύτας δὴ φέρειν τὰς ἁμάξας ἀμήχανα ἦν, ἐκτέμνοντες ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τὰ ὄρη ἐσιτητὰ ταῖς ἐπιγενομέναις ἁμάξαις ἐποίουν, οὕτως τε περιμήκη ἀπειργάσαντο τὸν νεών, ᾗπερ βουλομένῳ 5.6.14 τῷ βασιλεῖ ἦν. εὖρός τε αὐτῷ κατὰ λόγον πεποιημένοι, 5.6.15 τέγος ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ ἱερῷ ὡς ἥκιστα εἶχον. δρυμούς τε οὖν καὶ δάση πάντα περιιόντες, καὶ εἴ πού τι χωρίον ἠκούετο οὐρανομήκεσι κατάφυτον δένδροις, ὕλην τινὰ εὗρον ἀμφιλαφῆ, κέδρους φέρουσαν ἐς ὕψος ἐξικνουμένας ἀπέραντον ὅσον, αἷς δὴ τὴν ὀροφὴν τῷ νεῲ ἔθεντο, ὕψος αὐτῷ κατὰ μέτρον πεποιημένοι, ἐς ὅσον τε εὐρύ5.6.16 νεται καὶ ἐς τὸ μῆκος ἐξάγεται. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν δυνάμει τε ἀνθρωπείᾳ καὶ τέχνῃ βασιλεὺς Ἰουστινιανὸς ἐξειργάσατο. ἐπέδωκε δὲ καὶ ἡ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐλπὶς ἀμειβομένη αὐτὸν τῇ τιμῇ, καὶ ξυνεπιλαμβάνουσα τὸ σπούδασμα 5.6.17 τοῦτο. τῷ μὲν γὰρ ἱερῷ πανταχόσε κιόνων ἔδει τό τε εἶδος οὐκ ἀποδεόντων τοῦ ἀμφὶ τὸ τέμενος κάλλους καὶ τοιούτων τὸ μέγεθος, οἷοι δὴ ὄντες ἀντέχειν ἐς τὸ ἄχθος 5.6.18 τῶν ἐγκειμένων σφίσιν ἔμελλον. ἡ δὲ χώρα ἐν τῇ μεσογείᾳ κειμένη τῆς θαλάσσης πολλῷ ἄποθεν, ὄρεσί τε πανταχόθεν ἀποπεφραγμένη ἀποτόμοις τισίν, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, ἄπορον τοῖς τεκταινομένοις τὸ ἔδαφος ἐποίει κίονας 5.6.19 ἑτέρωθεν εἰσκομίζεσθαι. ἀλλὰ βασιλέως δυσφορουμένου τῇ τοῦ ἔργου ἀμηχανίᾳ, λίθου φύσιν ὁ θεὸς ἐπιτηδείως ἐς τοῦτο ἔχουσαν ἐν τοῖς ἄγχιστα ὄρεσιν ἔδειξεν, ἢ οὖσάν 5.6.20 τε καὶ κρυπτομένην τὰ πρότερα, ἢ νῦν γενομένην. ἐπ' ἀμφότερα δὲ πιστὸς ὁ λόγος τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν 5.6.21 ἀναφέρουσιν. ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρωπείᾳ δυνάμει πάντα σταθμώμενοι πολλὰ ἐς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἀποκεκρίσθαι οἰόμεθα, τῷ δὲ θεῷ τῶν πάντων οὐδὲν οὔτ' ἂν ἄπορον οὔτ' 5.6.22 ἀμήχανον γένοιτο. κιόνων τοίνυν ἐνθένδε μέγα τι χρῆμα ὑπερμεγεθῶν τε καὶ ἀπομιμουμένων τῷ χρώματι πυρός τινα φλόγα, πανταχόθεν ὑποστηρίζουσι τὸν νεών, οἱ μὲν ἔνερθεν, οἱ δὲ ὕπερθεν, οἱ δὲ ἀμφὶ τὰς στοὰς αἳ περιβάλλουσι τὸ ἱερὸν ὅλον, πλὴν τῆς πρὸς ἕω τετραμμένης πλευρᾶς· ὧνπερ δύο ἑστᾶσι πρὸ τῆς τοῦ νεὼ θύρας ὑπερφυεῖς ἄγαν καὶ τῶν ἐν γῇ τῇ πάσῃ κιόνων ἴσως οὐδενὸς 5.6.23 δεύτεροι. στοά τις ἐκδέχεται ἐντεῦθεν ἑτέρα ἐπὶ τοῦ 5.6.24 νάρθηκος ὠνομασμένη, οἶμαι, τῷ μὴ εὐρύνεσθαι. αὐλὴ μετὰ ταύτην κίοσιν ὁμοίοις ἐν τετραπλεύρῳ ἀνεχομένη· θύραι μέταυλοι ἱεροπρεπεῖς οὕτως, ὥστε μηνύουσι τοῖς ἔξω ἰοῦσιν ὁποίῳ ποτὲ θεάματι ἐντυχεῖν μέλλουσι. προπύλαια τὸ ἐνθένδε θαυμάσια οἷα, καί τις ἐπὶ κιόνων 5.6.25 δυοῖν ἐπαιρομένη ἀψὶς ἐς ἄφατον ὕψος. προϊόντι δὲ πρόσω ἡμίκυκλα δύο, ἀλλήλοις ἀντιπρόσωπα ἑκατέρωθεν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ὁδοῦ ἑστᾶσι· ξενῶνες δὲ τῆς ἑτέρας ἐφ' ἑκάτερα δύο, Ἰουστινιανοῦ βασιλέως ἔργον· ἅτερος μὲν ξένοις ἐνδημοῦσι καταλυτήριον, ὁ δὲ δὴ ἕτερος ἀναπαυ5.6.26 στήριον νοσοῦσι πτωχοῖς. τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τῆς θεοτόκου νεὼν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς καὶ προσόδῳ ἐτίμησε χρημάτων μεγάλων. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις Ἰουστινιανῷ βασιλεῖ ταύτῃ πη ἔσχεν. 5.7.1 Ἔστι δὲ πόλις ἐπὶ Παλαιστίνης, Νεάπολις ὄνομα· 5.7.2 ἐφ' ἧς δὴ ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνέχει, Γαριζὶν ὄνομα. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ὄρος κατ' ἀρχὰς μὲν οἱ Σαμαρεῖται εἶχον· ὡς εὐξόμενοί τε ἀνέβαινον ἐς τὴν τοῦ ὄρους ὑπερβολήν, οὐδένα ἀνιέντες καιρόν· οὐχ ὅτι νεών τινα ἐνταῦθα ᾠκοδομήσαντο πώποτε, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀκρώρειαν αὐτὴν σεβόμενοι 5.7.3 ἐτεθήπεσαν πάντων μάλιστα. ἡνίκα δὲ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ παῖς ἐν σώματι ὤν, τοῖς τῇδε ἀνθρώποις ὡμίλει, γέγονεν αὐτῷ πρὸς γυναῖκα τῶν τινα ἐπιχωρίων διάλογος· ταύτῃ τε ἐπὶ τῷ ὄρει πυνθανομένῃ ὑπεῖπεν ὡς χρόνῳ ὕστερον οὐχ οἱ Σαμαρεῖται προσκυνήσουσιν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ὄρει, ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸν οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσι, τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς παραδηλώσας· ἐγένετό τε 5.7.4 προϊόντος τοῦ