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and after three days He came back to life, and ascended into heaven. Of whom the glory of His coming you may learn, O king, if you read, from what is called among them the holy evangelical Scripture. He had twelve disciples, who, after His ascension into heaven, went out into the provinces of the inhabited world, and taught His greatness; just as one of them went about our regions, preaching the doctrine of the truth. Whence those who still serve the righteousness of their preaching are called 422 Christians. And these are they who, above all the nations of the earth, have found the truth; for they know God, the maker and creator of all things in the only-begotten Son and Holy Spirit, and they worship no other god besides Him. They have the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself engraved in their hearts, and these they keep, looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. They do not commit adultery, they do not fornicate, they do not bear false witness, they do not covet what belongs to others, they honor father and mother, and love their neighbors, they judge justly, whatever they do not wish to be done to them they do not do to another, they exhort those who wrong them and make them friendly to themselves, they strive to do good to their enemies, they are gentle and meek, from every unlawful union and from all impurity they are temperate, they do not despise a widow, they do not grieve an orphan; he who has gives ungrudgingly to him who has not; if they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof, and rejoice over him as over a true brother; for they do not call themselves brothers according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. They are ready to give up their own lives for Christ; for they keep His commandments securely, living holily and justly, as the Lord God commanded them, giving thanks to Him at every hour in all food and drink and the other good things. Truly, then, this is the way of truth, which 424 leads those who travel on it to the eternal kingdom, promised by Christ in the life to come. And that you may know, O king, that I do not say these things of myself, having looked into the Scriptures of the Christians, you will find that I say nothing outside the truth. Well therefore has your son understood, and has been rightly taught to worship the living God and to be saved for the age that is to come. For great and wonderful are the things spoken and done by the Christians; for they do not speak the words of men, but those of God. But the other nations are deceived and deceive themselves; for walking in darkness they dash against themselves as if drunk. Thus far is my speech to you, O king, which has been dictated in my mind by the truth. Therefore let your foolish wise men cease from their vain speaking against the Lord; for it is profitable for you to worship God the creator and to give ear to His incorruptible words, so that, having escaped judgment and punishment, you may be shown to be heirs of imperishable life. χχῃιιι When Nachor had related these things, the king was changed with anger; but his orators and temple-keepers stood speechless, not being able to gainsay but only some rotten and worthless little arguments. But the king's son rejoiced in spirit, and with a cheerful countenance glorified the Lord, 426 who gives a way out of perplexity to those who trust in Him, who even through the adversary and enemy confirmed the truth; and the leader of error was shown to be an advocate of the right word. The king, however, although terribly angry with Nachor, was nevertheless unable to do any harm to him, because of the decree spoken before all, which urged him to speak fearlessly on behalf of the Christians; and he himself, speaking much against him, reminded him by riddles to yield from his opposition and be defeated in the debate with the orators. but he prevailed all the more, refuting all their propositions and

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μετὰ δὲ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀνεβίω, καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνῆλθεν. οὗ τὸ κλέος τῆς παρουσίας ἐκ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῖς καλουμένης εὐαγγελικῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς ἔξεστί σοι γνῶναι, βασιλεῦ, ἐὰν ἐντύχῃς. οὗτος δώδεκα ἔσχε μαθητάς, οἵ, μετὰ τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἄνοδον αὐτοῦ, ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὰς ἐπαρχίας τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ ἐδίδαξαν τὴν ἐκείνου μεγαλωσύνην· καθάπερ εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν τὰς καθ' ἡμᾶς περιῆλθε χώρας, τὸ δόγμα κηρύττων τῆς ἀληθείας. ὅθεν οἱ εἰσέτι διακονοῦντες τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ κηρύγματος αὐτῶν καλοῦνται 422 Χριστιανοί. καὶ οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς εὑρόντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν· γινώσκουσι γὰρ τὸν Θεόν, κτίστην καὶ δημιουργὸν τῶν ἁπάντων ἐν Υἱῷ μονογενεῖ καὶ Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ, καὶ ἄλλον θεὸν πλὴν τούτου οὐ σέβονται. ἔχουσι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις κεχαραγμένας, καὶ ταύτας φυλάττουσι, προσδοκῶντες ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. οὐ μοιχεύουσιν, οὐ πορνεύουσιν, οὐ ψευδομαρτυροῦσιν, οὐκ ἐπιθυμοῦσι τὰ ἀλλότρια, τιμῶσι πατέρα καὶ μητέρα, καὶ τοὺς πλησίον φιλοῦσι, δίκαια κρίνουσιν, ὅσα οὐ θέλουσιν αὐτοῖς γίνεσθαι ἑτέρῳ οὐ ποιοῦσι, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας αὐτοὺς παρακαλοῦσι καὶ προσφιλεῖς αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ποιοῦσι, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς εὐεργετεῖν σπουδάζουσι, πραεῖς εἰσι καὶ ἐπιεικεῖς, ἀπὸ πάσης συνουσίας ἀνόμου καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας ἐγκρατεύονται, χήραν οὐχ ὑπερορῶσιν, ὀρφανὸν οὐ λυποῦσιν· ὁ ἔχων τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι ἀφθόνως ἐπιχορηγεῖ· ξένον ἐὰν ἴδωσιν, ὑπὸ στέγην εἰσάγουσι, καὶ χαίρουσιν ἐπ' αὐτῷ ὡς ἐπὶ ἀδελφῷ ἀληθινῷ· οὐ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελφοὺς ἑαυτοὺς καλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα. ἕτοιμοί εἰσιν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν προέσθαι· τὰ γὰρ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ ἀσφαλῶς φυλάττουσιν, ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως ζῶντες, καθὼς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῖς προσέταξεν, εὐχαριστοῦντες αὐτῷ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν ἐν παντὶ βρώματι καὶ ποτῷ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀγαθοῖς. ὄντως οὖν αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς ἀληθείας, ἥτις τοὺς 424 ὁδεύοντας αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον χειραγωγεῖ βασιλείαν, τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην παρὰ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ ζωῇ. Καὶ ἵνα γνῷς, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ταῦτα λέγω, ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἐγκύψας τῶν Χριστιανῶν, εὑρήσεις οὐδὲν ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας με λέγειν. καλῶς οὖν συνῆκεν ὁ υἱός σου, καὶ δικαίως ἐδιδάχθη λατρεύειν ζῶντι Θεῷ καὶ σωθῆναι εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα ἐπέρχεσθαι αἰῶνα. μεγάλα γὰρ καὶ θαυμαστὰ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Χριστιανῶν λεγόμενα καὶ πραττόμενα· οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ῥήματα λαλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἔθνη πλανῶνται καὶ πλανῶσιν ἑαυτούς· ὁδεύοντες γὰρ ἐν σκότει προσρήσσονται ἑαυτοῖς ὡς μεθύοντες. ἕως ὧδε ὁ πρὸς σέ μου λόγος, βασιλεῦ, ὁ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νοΐ μου ὑπαγορευθείς. διὸ παυσάσθωσαν οἱ ἀνόητοί σου σοφοὶ ματαιολογοῦντες κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου· συμφέρει γὰρ ὑμῖν Θεὸν κτίστην σέβεσθαι καὶ τὰ ἄφθαρτα αὐτοῦ ἐνωτίζεσθαι ῥήματα, ἵνα, κρίσιν ἐκφυγόντες καὶ τιμωρίαν, ζωῆς ἀνωλέθρου δειχθείητε κληρονόμοι. χχῃιιι Ταῦτα ὡς διεξῆλθεν ὁ Ναχώρ, ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς τῷ θυμῷ ἠλλοιοῦτο· οἱ δὲ ῥήτορες αὐτοῦ καὶ νεωκόροι ἄφωνοι ἵσταντο, μὴ δυνάμενοι ἀντιλέγειν ἀλλ' ἢ σαθρά τινα καὶ οὐδαμινὰ λογίδια. ὁ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως υἱὸς ἠγαλλιᾶτο τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ ἐδόξαζε τὸν Κύριον, 426 τὸν ἐξ ἀπόρου πόρον διδόντα τοῖς πεποιθόσιν ἐπ' αὐτόν, ὃς καὶ διὰ τοῦ πολεμίου καὶ ἐχθροῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐκράτυνε· καὶ ὁ τῆς πλάνης ἔξαρχος συνήγορος τοῦ ὀρθοῦ λόγου ἐδείκνυτο. Ὁ μέντοι βασιλεύς, καίπερ δεινῶς ὀργιζόμενος τῷ Ναχώρ, οὐδὲν ὅμως ἐργάσασθαι κακὸν εἰς αὐτὸν ἠδύνατο, διὰ τὸ προλεχθὲν ἐπὶ πάντων θέσπισμα, ἀδεῶς αὐτὸν λέγειν ὑπὲρ τῶν Χριστιανῶν προτρεπόμενον· πολλὰ δὲ αὐτὸς ἀντιλέγων ὑπεμίμνησκε δι' αἰνιγμάτων ὑπενδοῦναι τῆς ἐνστάσεως καὶ ἡττηθῆναι τῇ διαλέξει τῶν ῥητόρων. ὁ δὲ μειζόνως ὑπερίσχυε, διαλύων πάσας αὐτῶν τὰς προτάσεις καὶ