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commanding her to lift her hand from her womb and not to press upon the infant within it, which by God's providence would both rule and meet a fortunate end. Therefore, being disturbed by the voice, he told these things to his wife. And the son who was born he named Izates. There was another, older than him, born to him from Helen, and other children from other wives, but he loved Izates as if he were an only-begotten. Therefore, his brothers were jealous. But the father, fearing for him, sends him away to Abennerigus, the king of Spasini Charax. And he gladly received Izates and made him his son-in-law by his daughter and gave him a country. But when Monobazus had grown old, he desired to see Izates before he died. Therefore, having sent for him, he greeted him kindly, and allotted him a country, in which he also stayed until his father's death. When Monobazus died, Queen Helen sent for the nobles and the satraps; to whom when they had arrived, "It has not escaped your notice," she said, "that my husband wished Izates to become the successor to the kingdom. But knowing that he is blessed who receives the kingdom not from one, but from the many, and these willing, I have also put the matter under your judgment." And they said they would confirm the king's decision, and would willingly submit to Izates, who was rightly preferred over his brothers according to the prayers of all, and that it was necessary to first kill his brothers and his relatives, so that he might rule securely. But the queen advised to hold back the decision concerning the slaying of Izates' relatives until he, having arrived, should approve. But they advised to imprison them for the time being until his arrival. The queen then appointed her eldest son over affairs, until his brother should return, and she also gave him his father's signet ring. Izates therefore came, and his brother received him and yielded the rule to him. While he was abroad, a certain Jew named Ananias, having become known to him, taught him about God and the laws of the Jews. It also happened that Helen, having been instructed by another Jew, was converted to the Jewish customs. Therefore, when Izates came and found his relatives in bonds, he was displeased, and he freed them, but sent them away, so that they would not be objects of suspicion by being present, some to Rome as hostages, and others to the Parthians. And when he learned that his mother had embraced the ways of the Jews, he himself also hastened to be converted to them, and was ready to be circumcised. But his mother tried to prevent it, saying that his subjects would become hostile because of this, and would not tolerate being ruled by one who Judaized. But he reported these words to Ananias, who was present. And when he advised the same things, the king was persuaded at that time; but again another Jew from Galilee, Eleazar, having arrived, and finding him reading the law of Moses, "You must not only read the words, O king," he said, "but also do the things ordained by them. How long do you remain uncircumcised?" And he did not postpone the act, but was circumcised; and to his mother and to Ananias he made it known that the deed had been done. But they fell into a fear that both the king and they themselves might be in danger. But God did not permit the fear to come to its conclusion. And Helen had a desire to go to Jerusalem and to worship at the temple of God. And with her son permitting it and giving very much money, she departed for Jerusalem. And finding many there perishing from famine, she brought grain from Alexandria and having bought a cargo of dried figs from Cyprus for a great sum of money, she distributed them to the needy. And her son also sent much money to the leaders of the Jerusalemites, so that those who were starving might be relieved by these means as much as possible. And so these things; But Artabanus, the king of the Parthians, having learned of a plot that the satraps had devised against him, comes to Izates, bringing with him about a thousand of his relatives and servants. and he met Izates on the way, and says, "Do not overlook me, O king, who have become humbled by a change of fortune and a private citizen from a king, but help me." He said these things with tears. But Izates

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αραι κελευούσης ἐκ τῆς νηδύος τὴν χεῖρα καὶ μὴ θλίβειν τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ βρέφος, θεοῦ προνοίᾳ καὶ αρξον καὶ τέλους τευξόμενον εὐτυχοῦς. ταραχθεὶς ουν ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς εφραζε ταῦτα τῇ γυναικί. καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τεχθέντα ̓Ιζάτην ὠνόμασεν. ην δ' ετερος τούτου πρεσβύτερος ἐκ τῆς Ἑλένης αὐτῷ γεννηθεὶς αλλοι τε παῖδες ἐκ γυναικῶν ἑτέρων, εστεργε δὲ τὸν ̓Ιζάτην ωσπερ μονογενῆ. ἐφθόνουν τοίνυν οἱ ἀδελφοί. ὁ δὲ πατὴρ δεδοικὼς περὶ τούτῳ, ἐκπέμπει πρὸς ̓Αβεννήριγον τὸν Σπασίνου χάρακος βασιλέα. καὶ ος ἀσμένως τὸν ̓Ιζάτην ἐδέξατο καὶ κηδεστὴν ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ ἐποιήσατο καὶ χώραν αὐτῷ παρέσχε. γεγηρακὼς δὲ ὁ Μονόβαζος ἰδεῖν ἐπεθύμει τὸν ̓Ιζάτην πρὸ τοῦ θανεῖν. μεταπεμψάμενος ουν αὐτὸν φιλοφρόνως ἀσπάζεται, καὶ χώραν αὐτῷ ἀπεκλήρωσεν, ἐν ῃ καὶ διέτριβε μέχρι τελευτῆς τοῦ πατρός. ̓Εκλιπόντος δὲ Μονοβάζου ἡ βασιλὶς ̔Ελένη μετεπέμψατο τοὺς μεγιστᾶνας καὶ τοὺς σατράπας· οις ἀφικομένοις "οὐ λέληθεν" ειπεν "ὑμᾶς οτι ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς τὸν ̓Ιζάτην ηθελε τῆς βασιλείας γενέσθαι διάδοχον. εἰδυῖα δὲ μακάριον τὸν μὴ παρ' ἑνός, ἀλλὰ τῶν πλειόνων καὶ τούτων ἑκόντων τὴν βασιλείαν λαμ2.37 βάνοντα, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ὑμῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα κρίσιν πεποίημαι." οἱ δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως κρίσιν βεβαιοῦν ελεγον, καὶ ὑπείξειν ἑκόντες ̓Ιζάτῃ δικαίως προκεκριμένῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν κατὰ τὰς ἁπάντων εὐχάς, καὶ δεῖν προαποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς, ιν' ἀσφαλῶς ἐκεῖνος αρχοι. ἡ δὲ βασιλὶς τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τῶν προσηκόντων τῷ ̓Ιζάτῃ γνώμην ἐπισχεῖν συνεβούλευε μέχρις αν ἐκεῖνος συνδοκιμάσῃ παραγενόμενος. οἱ δὲ δεσμεῖν τέως αὐτοὺς παρῄνουν μέχρι τῆς ἐκείνου ἐπιδημίας. καθίστησι δὲ τὸν πρεσβύτατον υἱὸν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, εως αν ἐπανέλθῃ ὁ ἀδελφός, δίδωσι δὲ καὶ τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς σημαντῆρα δακτύλιον. ηκεν ουν ὁ ̓Ιζάτης, καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑπεδέξατο καὶ ὑπεξέστη αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς. Οντι δ' αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἀποδημίᾳ ̓Ιουδαῖός τις ̓Ανανίας καλούμενος γνωστὸς γεγονὼς ἐδίδασκεν αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὰ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων νόμιμα. συνέβη δὲ καὶ τὴν ̔Ελένην ὑφ' ἑτέρου ̓Ιουδαίου κατηχηθεῖσαν εἰς τὰ ̓Ιουδαϊκὰ εθη μετατεθῆναι. ἐλθὼν ουν ὁ ̓Ιζάτης καὶ δεδεμένους τοὺς συγγενεῖς εὑρηκὼς ἐδυσχέρανε, καὶ ελυσε μέν, επεμψε δέ, ινα μὴ υποπτοι παρόντες ειεν, τοὺς μὲν εἰς ̔Ρώμην ὁμηρεύσοντας, τοὺς δὲ πρὸς Πάρθους. γνοὺς δὲ τὴν μητέρα τὰ ̓Ιουδαίων ἀσπασαμένην, εσπευσε καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ἐκεῖνα μετατεθῆναι, καὶ περιτμηθῆναι ετοιμος ην. ἡ δὲ μήτηρ ἐκώλυε, λέγουσα εἰς δυσμένειαν τοὺς ὑπηκόους διὰ τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἀνέξεσθαί τε ὑπὸ ἰουδαΐζοντος βασιλεύεσθαι. ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸν ̓Ανανίαν παρόντα τοὺς λόγους ἀνέφερε. τοῦ δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ συμβουλεύσαντος ἐπείσθη μὲν τότε ὁ βασιλεύς· ετερος δ' αυθις ̓Ιουδαῖος ἐκ Γαλιλαίας ̓Ελεάζαρ ἀφικόμενος, καὶ κατα2.38 λαβὼν αὐτὸν τὸν Μωυσέως νόμον ἀναγινώσκοντα, Οὐ λόγους μόνον ἀναγινώσκειν σε δεῖ, βασιλεῦ, εφη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν διατεταγμένα ποιεῖν. μέχρι τίνος ἀπερίτμητος μένεις; ὁ δὲ οὐχ ὑπερεβάλετο τὴν πρᾶξιν, ἀλλὰ περιετμήθη· καὶ τῇ μητρὶ καὶ τῷ ̓Ανανίᾳ πεπρᾶχθαι τὸ εργον ἐδήλου. οἱ δ' εἰς φόβον ἐνέπεσον μὴ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ αὐτοὶ κινδυνεύσωσιν. ὁ δὲ θεὸς τὸν φόβον ἐλθεῖν εἰς τέλος οὐ συνεχώρησεν. ̔Ελένη δὲ ἐπιθυμίαν εσχεν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα ἀφικέσθαι καὶ προσκυνῆσαι τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἱερόν. καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐπιτρέψαντος καὶ χρήματα πλεῖστα δόντος απεισιν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. καὶ λιμῷ φθειρομένους πολλοὺς εὑροῦσα ἐκεῖ, σῖτόν τε ἐξ ̓Αλεξανδρείας ἐκόμισε καὶ ἰσχάδων φόρτον ἐκ Κύπρου πολλῶν χρημάτων πριαμένη τοῖς ἀπορουμένοις διένειμε. καὶ ὁ παῖς δὲ αὐτῆς πολλὰ χρήματα τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν ̔Ιεροσολυμιτῶν επεμψεν, ιν' οἱ λιμώττοντες διὰ τούτων ὡς ἐνὸν ἐπικουρηθῶσι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ουτως· ̓Αρταβάνης δὲ ὁ τῶν Πάρθων βασιλεύς, ἐπιβουλὴν γνοὺς τοὺς σατράπας κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετήσαντας, ἀφικνεῖται πρὸς ̓Ιζάτην, συγγενῶν τε καὶ οἰκετῶν περὶ χιλίους ἐπαγόμενος. καὶ καθ' ὁδὸν τῷ ̓Ιζάτῃ ἐνέτυχε, καί φησι Μή με παρίδῃς, ω βασιλεῦ, ταπεινὸν ἐκ μεταβολῆς γεγονότα καὶ ἰδιώτην ἐκ βασιλέως, ἀλλ' ἐπικούρησον. ταῦτα σὺν δάκρυσιν ελεγεν. ὁ δὲ ̓Ιζάτης