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starting from the evening they showed us their naked swords. But around the third hour of the day, having gathered together, they were concerned only with their own protection, just as the serpent covers its head with its tail. But at the eighth hour, having been scattered, they gave us room for entry into the village; and immediately we found a serpent made of bronze material being worshipped by them. For having openly undertaken the war against the creator and maker of all things, they were eager to serve the accursed serpent as his enemy. Such were the benefits I too received from the head venerable to me. 21.19 But since the account has come to the narration of divine revelations, come, let me relate what I have heard from that unfailing tongue. He related it not out of ambition—for that divine soul was far from this passion—but because some need compelled him to say what he wished to hide. I besought him to entreat the God of all to show me the cornfield clean of tares and to free it completely from heretical seeds; for the error of the abominable Marcion, which had prevailed for a very long time, greatly distressed me. Therefore, being importuned, he said: "You need neither me nor any other as an intercessor with God. For you have the great John, the voice of the Word, the forerunner of the Lord, continually offering this supplication on your behalf." But when I said that I trust in his prayers and in those of the other holy apostles and prophets whose relics had recently been brought to us; "Take heart," he said, "for you have John the Baptist." 21.20 But not even so could I bear to keep silent; but I pressed him much more, inquiring and desiring to learn why he mentioned this one rather. And he said: "I wished," he said, "to embrace his most lovely relics." But when I said that I would not bring them unless he promised to tell what he had seen, he gave the promise, and on the next day I brought the desired things and, having ordered everyone to be at a distance, he related these things to me alone. "When," he said, "you received these city guardians who had come from Phoenicia and Palestine with the Davidic dance, a thought came to me whether these were in fact the relics of the great John and not of some other martyr of the same name. Therefore after one day, at night I arose for the hymnody; and I see someone clothed in white and: "3Brother Jacob, he said, tell me why you did not come to meet us when we arrived?3" And when I asked who they were, he answered, saying: "3Those from Phoenicia and Palestine who came the day before. And though all received us eagerly, both the shepherd and the people, both city-dwellers and country-folk, you alone did not share in the honor."3 He was alluding to the doubt that had arisen. Therefore he said that he said to this: "3Even when you and the others are absent, I both honor you and worship the God of all."3 Again on the next day at the same time, that very one appeared: "3Look," he said, "brother Jacob, at the one standing there whose garment is likened to snow in its color, and before whom lies a furnace of fire."3 And when I turned my eyes there and suspected it was John the Baptist—for indeed he was clothed in his garment and stretched out his hand as if baptizing. "3It is he," he said, "whom you supposed it to be."3" 21.21 "And at another time," he said, "when you went at night to the first village to discipline them as seditious, and having urged to offer a more earnest prayer to God, I remained sleepless entreating the Lord; then I heard a voice saying: "3Fear nothing, Jacob; for the great John the Baptist is entreating the God of all throughout the night; for there would have been much slaughter if not for his

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γυμνὰ ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας ὁρμῶντες τὰ ξίφη ἐδείκνυον. Περὶ δὲ τρίτην ὥραν τῆς ἡμέρας συσπειρα θέντες τῆς οἰκείας μόνης ἐφρόντιζον φυλακῆς, καθάπερ ὁ ὄφις τῇ κέρκῳ τὴν κεφαλὴν συνεκάλυπτεν. Ὀγδόῃ δὲ ὥρᾳ σκεδασθέντες χώραν ἡμῖν ἔδοσαν τῆς εἰς τὴν κώμην εἰσόδου· καὶ παραυτίκα ηὕρομεν ὄφιν ἐξ ὕλης χαλκοῦ πεποιημένον ὑπ' ἐκείνων προσκυνούμενον. Τὸν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ καὶ ποιητοῦ τῶν ὅλων προφανῶς ἀναδεξάμενοι πόλεμον, τὸν ἐπάρατον ὄφιν ὡς ἐκείνου πολέμιον θεραπεύειν ἐσπού δαζον. Τοιούτων εὐεργεσιῶν παρὰ τῆς ἐμοὶ σεβασμίας κεφαλῆς ἀπωνάμην κἀγώ. 21.19 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τὴν τῶν θείων ἀποκαλύψεων ὁ λόγος εἰσῆλθε διήγησιν, φέρε ἃ παρὰ τῆς ἀψευδοῦς ἐκείνης ἀκήκοα διηγήσομαι γλώττης. ∆ιηγήσατο δὲ οὐ φιλοτι μούμενος-πόρρω γὰρ καὶ τούτου τοῦ πάθους ἡ θεῖα ψυχή-, ἀλλά τινος χρείας βιασαμένης εἰπεῖν ἃ κρύπτειν ἐβούλετο. Ἱκέτευον αὐτὸν ἀντιβολῆσαι τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν καθαρόν μοι ζιζανίων ἀποφῆναι τὸ λήϊον καὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν σπερμάτων πάμπαν ἐλευθερῶσαι· ἠνία γάρ με κομιδῇ ἡ τοῦ βδελυροῦ Μαρκίωνος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διακρατήσασα πλάνη. Ἔφη τοίνυν λιπαρούμενος· "Οὔτε ἐμοῦ οὔτε ἄλλου του δεῖ σοι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν πρεσβευτοῦ. Ἔχεις γὰρ Ἰωάννην τὸν πάνυ, τὴν τοῦ λόγου φωνήν, τοῦ δεσπότου τὸν πρόδρομον, ταύτην ὑπὲρ σοῦ τὴν ἱκετείαν διηνεκῶς προσκομίζοντα." Ἐμοῦ δὲ λέγοντος ὡς καὶ ταῖς τούτου πιστεύω προσευχαῖς καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἄλλων ἁγίων ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν ὧν ἔναγχος ἡμῖν τὰ λείψανα ἐκεκόμιστο· "Θάρρει, ἔφη, ὡς Ἰωάννην ἔχεις τὸν βαπτιστήν". 21.20 Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτω σιγὴν ἄγειν ἠνειχόμην· πολλῷ δὲ πλέον ἐπεκείμην πυνθανόμενος καὶ μαθεῖν ἐφιέμενος τί δήποτε τούτου μᾶλλον ἐμνήσθη. Ὁ δέ· "Περιπτύξασθαι, ἔφη, ἐβουλόμην αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐπέραστα λείψανα." Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔλεγον ὡς οὐκ οἴσω ταῦτα εἰ μὴ ἐρεῖν ὑπόσχοιτο ἃ θεασάμενος εἴη, αὐτὸς μὲν ἔδωκε τὴν ὑποσχέσιν, ἐγὼ δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐκόμισα τὰ ποθούμενα καὶ πάντας πόρρω κελεύσας γενέσθαι ἐμοὶ μόνῳ διηγήσατο ταῦτα. "Ἡνίκα, ἔφη, τοὺς πολιούχους τούτους ἀπὸ τῆς Φοινίκης καὶ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἀφικομένους μετὰ τῆς δαυϊτικῆς ὑπεδέξω χορείας, ἔννοιά τίς μοι γέγονεν εἰ τῷ ὄντι ταῦτα Ἰωάννου τοῦ πάνυ λείψανα καὶ μὴ ἄλλου του μάρτυρος ὁμωνύμου. Μετὰ μίαν τοίνυν ἡμέραν, νύκτωρ ἐγὼ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν ἀνέστην· ὁρῶ δέ τινα λευχειμονοῦντα καί· "3Ἀδελφὲ Ἰάκωβε, λέγοντα, εἰπὲ τί δήποτε ἡμῖν ἀφικομένοις οὐχ ὑπαπήντησας;"3 Ἐμοῦ δὲ ἐρομένου τίνες ποτὲ εἶεν, ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· "3Οἱ ἀπὸ Φοινίκης καὶ Παλαιστίνης τῇ προτεραίᾳ ἐληλυθότες. Καὶ πάντων ἡμᾶς ὑποδεξαμένων προθύμως καὶ τοῦ ποιμένος καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἀστῶν καὶ χωριτικῶν, σὺ μόνος οὐκ ἐκοινώνησας τῆς τιμῆς"3. Ἠινίττετο δὲ τὴν γενομένην ἀμφιβολίαν. Εἰπεῖν τοίνυν ἔφη πρὸς ταῦτα ὅτι "3καὶ ἀπόντων ὑμῶν τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὑμᾶς τε τιμῶ καὶ τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων προσ κυνῶ θεόν"3. Πάλιν δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐπιφανείς· "3Ὅρα, ἔφη, ἀδελφὲ Ἰάκωβε, τὸν ἐκεῖθεν ἑστῶτα οὗ ἡ μὲν ἐσθὴς χιόνι κατὰ τὴν χροὰν ἀπείκα σται, κλίβανος δὲ αὐτῷ πυρὸς πρόκειται"3. Ἐμοῦ δὲ τὰς ὄψεις ἐκεῖσε μεταθέντος καὶ τὸν βαπτιστὴν Ἰωάννην ὑποτοπή σαντος-καὶ γὰρ τὴν αὐτοῦ στολὴν περιεβέβλητο καὶ τὴν χεῖρα ὡς βαπτίζων προέτεινεν. "3Αὐτός ἐστιν, ἔφη, ὃν ὑπέλαβες εἶναι"3." 21.21 "Καὶ ἄλλοτε δέ, ἡνίκα, ἔφη, εἰς τὴν πρώτην νύκτωρ ἀπῄεις κώμην παιδεύσων ὡς στασιαστάς, καὶ σπουδαιοτέραν τῷ θεῷ προσενεγκεῖν εὐχὴν παρηγγυήσας, ἄγρυπνος διετέλεσα τὸν δεσπότην ἀντιβολῶν· εἶτα φωνῆς ἀκήκοα λεγούσης· "3Μηδὲν δείσῃς, Ἰάκωβε· ὁ γὰρ μέγας Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς παννύχιον ἀντιβολεῖ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεόν· πολὺς γὰρ ἂν ἐγεγόνει φόνος εἰ μὴ ταῖς ἐκείνου