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The prophecy is a work of time. For it was not possible for the true God to lie. And it happened in the following way. 5.7.5 During the reign of Zeno, the Samaritans, suddenly gathering in a body, attacked the Christians in Neapolis in the church as they were celebrating the feast called Pentecost, and they killed many of them, and finding the man who was their bishop at that time, Terebinthius by name, standing at the holy table and celebrating the unutterable rites, they struck him with swords, and not only hacked him in other ways but also removed the fingers of his hands, and they committed outrages against the mysteries, such as is fitting for Samaritans to do, 5.7.6 but for us to pass over in silence. This priest, immediately going to Byzantium and coming into the presence of the emperor of that time, both showed his suffering and, after reporting what had happened and reminding him of the prophecy of Christ, begged him to be an avenger for all these things. 5.7.7 And Emperor Zeno, being greatly disturbed by what had happened, inflicted adequate punishment without any hesitation upon those who had committed the dreadful deeds; and driving the Samaritans from Mount Gerizim, he immediately handed it over to the Christians, and building a church on top, he dedicated it to the Mother of God, fortifying this sanctuary ostensibly with a simple wall, 5.7.8 but in truth with a low parapet. And he established a guard of soldiers, many down in the city, but in the fortress and the church no more than ten. 5.7.9 At this the Samaritans were annoyed and greatly vexed, and being resentful, they deemed their present situation unworthy, but checked by fear 5.7.10 of the emperor, they kept silent. But as time went on, when Anastasius held the imperial power, 5.7.11 something of this sort happened. Some of the Samaritans, persuaded by the suggestion of a woman, unexpectedly climbed up by the precipitous part of the mountain, since the ascent which leads there from the city was being carefully guarded, and it was impossible for them to attempt the ascent from there. 5.7.12 And suddenly appearing in the church, they killed the guards there, and with a tremendous shout called to the Samaritans 5.7.13 in the city. But they, fearing the soldiers, were by no means willing to join in the attack with those who had made the attempt. 5.7.14 And not long afterwards the governor of the province (he was Procopius from the city of Edessa, a learned man) arrested and killed those who had committed the dreadful deeds. 5.7.15 However, no account or provision for the fortress was made at that time by the emperor. 5.7.16 But now Emperor Justinian, although he has for the most part converted the Samaritans to a more pious way and established them as Christians, has left the old fortification of the church on Gerizim in the form of a low parapet, as I have said, but by surrounding it on the outside with another wall, he has rendered it altogether impregnable. 5.7.17 There he also restored five sanctuaries of the Christians which had been burned down by the Samaritans. These things, then, have been accomplished here. 5.8.1 In the land formerly Arabia, but now called Palestine Tertia, a desert country extends for a great distance, barren of crops and water and all good things. And a precipitous and terribly wild mountain overhangs somewhere very near the so-called Red Sea, 5.8.2 Sinai by name. But it is not necessary for me to write anything here in my account about the places in that region, since everything concerning the Red Sea and the so-called Arabian Gulf, and the Aethiopians of Axum and the races of the Homerite Saracens, has been revealed by me in my detailed account in the books on the wars; in which it has also been related by me in what manner Emperor Justinian annexed the Phoinikon to the Roman empire. 5.8.3 These things, then, for this very reason I refrain from mentioning, so that I may not incur a reputation for bad taste. 5.8.4 On this Mount Sinai dwell monks, whose life is a kind of careful study of death, and they enjoy their most beloved solitude without fear. 5.8.5 To these monks, then, Emperor Justinian (since they had nothing to which they could lay claim, but

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χρόνου ἔργον ἡ πρόρρησις. οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν μὴ οὐχὶ ἀψευδεῖν τὸν ὄντα θεόν. ἐγένετο δὲ τρόπῳ 5.7.5 τοιῷδε. ἐπὶ Ζήνωνος βασιλεύοντος ἀθρόοι ἐξαπιναίως οἱ Σαμαρεῖται γενόμενοι ἐπεισπηδῶσιν ἐν Νεαπόλει τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν καλουμένην ἑορτὴν ἄγουσι, καὶ αὐτῶν τε πολλοὺς διαχρῶνται, καὶ ὅσπερ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐπίσκοπος τότε, Τερεβίνθιος ὄνομα, καταλαβόντες ἐπὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ἑστῶτα τραπέζης, καὶ ἱερουργοῦντα τὰ ἄρρητα ξίφεσι παίοντες, ἄλλως τε συγκόπτουσι καὶ τοὺς τῶν χειρῶν ἀφαιροῦνται δακτύλους, ἔς τε τὰ μυστήρια ὕβρισαν, ὡς δρᾶσαι μὲν Σαμαρείταις προσήκει, 5.7.6 σιωπᾶν δὲ ἡμῖν. ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς οὗτος αὐτίκα ἐν Βυζαντίῳ γενόμενος, τῷ τότε βασιλεῖ ἐς ὄψιν ἥκων, ἐπέδειξέ τε τὸ πάθος καὶ τὰ ξυνενεχθέντα σημάνας καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς προρρήσεως ὑπομνήσας, τιμωρὸν αὐτὸν ἐφ' ἅπασιν 5.7.7 ἐδεῖτο γενέσθαι. Ζήνων δὲ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ξυμπεπτωκόσι ξυνταραχθείς, κόλασίν τε ἀποχρώντως ἐς τοὺς τὰ δεινὰ δεδρακότας πεποίηται οὐδεμιᾷ ὀκνήσει· ἔκ τε ὄρους τοῦ Γαριζὶν τοὺς Σαμαρείτας ἐξελάσας, εὐθὺς Χριστιανοῖς τε αὐτὸ παραδίδωσιν, ἐκκλησίαν τε ἄνω δειμάμενος τῇ θεοτόκῳ ἀνέθηκε, τειχισάμενος τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο δῆθεν τῷ 5.7.8 λόγῳ, τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἀποτριγχώσας. καὶ φρουρὰν στρατιωτῶν κατεστήσατο, κάτω μὲν ἐν τῇ πόλει πολλῶν, ἐν 5.7.9 δὲ τῷ τειχίσματι καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ οὐ πλέον ἢ δέκα. οἷς δὴ Σαμαρεῖται ἀχθόμενοι ἤσχαλλον μὲν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα καὶ δυσφορούμενοι ἀπηξίουν τὰ σφίσι παρόντα, δέει δὲ 5.7.10 τῷ ἐκ βασιλέως δυσωπούμενοι σιωπῇ εἴχοντο. προϊόντος δὲ χρόνου, Ἀναστασίου τὴν αὐτοκράτορα ἀρχὴν ἔχοντος, 5.7.11 τοιόνδε τι ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι. τινὲς τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν, γυναικὸς ὑποθήκῃ ἀναπεισθέντες, ἀναβαίνουσι μὲν παρὰ δόξαν κατὰ τὸ τοῦ ὄρους κρημνῶδες, ἐπεὶ τῆς ἀνόδου, ἣ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐνταῦθα ἄγει, ἐς τὸ ἀκριβὲς φυλασσομένης, ἐνθένδε αὐτοῖς ἀποπειρᾶσθαι τῆς ἀναβάσεως ἀδύ5.7.12 νατα ἦν. ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐξαπιναίως γενόμενοι κτείνουσι μὲν τοὺς ἐνταῦθα φρουρούς, μετακαλοῦσι δὲ τοὺς 5.7.13 ἐν τῇ πόλει Σαμαρείτας φωνῇ ἐξαισίᾳ. οἱ δὲ τοὺς στρατιώτας δειμαίνοντες συνεπιτίθεσθαι τοῖς ἐγκεχειρηκόσιν 5.7.14 οὐδαμῆ ἤθελον. οὐ πολλῷ τε ὕστερον ὁ τὴν χώραν ἐπι5.7.14 τροπεύων (Προκόπιος δὲ ἦν ἐξ Ἐδέσσης πόλεως, ἀνὴρ λόγιος) τοὺς τὰ δεινὰ δεδρακότας συλλαβὼν ἔκτεινε. 5.7.15 τοῦ μέντοι ὀχυρώματος οὐδ' ὥς τις λόγος ἢ πρόνοια 5.7.16 παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τηνικάδε γεγένηται. ἀλλὰ νῦν Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεύς, καίπερ τοὺς Σαμαρείτας ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐπὶ τὸ εὐσεβέστερον μεταθέμενος καὶ καταστησάμενος Χριστιανοὺς εἶναι, τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν τῆς ἐν τῷ Γαριζὶν ἐκκλησίας τείχισμα ἐφ' οὗπερ ἦν σχήματος εἴασεν ἀποτετριγχωμένον, ᾗπέρ μοι εἴρηται, ἑτέρῳ δὲ αὐτὸ ἔκτοσθεν τείχει περιβαλὼν ἄμαχον διεπράξατο παν5.7.17 τάπασιν εἶναι. ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ ἱερὰ πέντε Χριστιανῶν ἀνενεώσατο πρὸς τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν καταφλεχθέντα. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τῇδε εἴργασται. 5.8.1 Ἐν δὲ τῇ πάλαι μὲν Ἀραβίᾳ, νῦν δὲ Παλαιστίνῃ τρίτῃ καλουμένῃ, χώρα μὲν ἔρημος ἐπὶ μακρὸν κατατείνει, καρπῶν τε καὶ ὑδάτων καὶ πάντων ἀγαθῶν ἄφορος. καὶ ὄρος ἀπότομόν τε καὶ δεινῶς ἄγριον ἀποκρέμαται ἄγχιστά πη τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς καλουμένης θαλάσσης, 5.8.2 Σινὰ ὄνομα. οὐδὲν δέ μοι ἀμφὶ τοῖς ἐκείνῃ χωρίοις ἀναγράψασθαι ἀναγκαῖον ἐνταῦθα τοῦ λόγου, ἐπεὶ ἅπαντά μοι τά τε κατὰ τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν καὶ τὸν Ἀραβικὸν καλούμενον κόλπον, Αἰθίοπάς τε τοὺς Αὐξωμίτας καὶ τὰ τῶν Ὁμηριτῶν Σαρακηνῶν γένη ἀκριβολογουμένῳ ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν πολέμων δεδήλωται λόγοις· ἵνα δὴ καὶ τοῦτό μοι διδιήγηται, ὅντινα τρόπον Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς τὸν Φοινικῶνα προσεποίησε τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ. 5.8.3 ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τούτου δὴ ἕνεκα λέγειν ἀφίημι, ὡς μὴ 5.8.4 ἀπειροκαλίας ἀνενέγκοιμι δόξαν. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τῷ Σινᾷ ὄρει μοναχοὶ ᾤκηνται, οἷς ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἠκριβωμένη τις μελέτη θανάτου, ἐρημίας τῆς σφίσι φιλτάτης ἀδεέστερον 5.8.5 ἀπολαύουσι. τούτοις δὴ τοῖς μοναχοῖς Ἰουστινιανὸς βασιλεὺς (ἐπεὶ οὐκ εἶχον οὐδὲν ὅτου ἐφεῖντο, ἀλλὰ