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.16.1 But to enumerate these things is not for the present occasion; nevertheless I have necessarily made mention of them, so that we might know that it is sufficient for an emperor, for the protection of his power, to reverently honor the divine, such as this emperor also became. .16.2 With him was also Galla Placidia, his sister by the same father, who likewise held religion and the churches in high esteem. Constantius, who had overthrown the tyranny of Constantine, a most warlike and strategic man, married her; whom the emperor, honoring his sister, distinguished with a crown and purple and with a share in the empire. But having survived for a short time, he died, leaving behind Valentinian, the successor of Honorius, and Hono-.16.3 ria as children. Meanwhile, the eastern parts of the empire were freed from enemies and affairs there were directed with great order, contrary to the expec-.16.4 tation of all; for the ruler was still young. And God seemed to be manifestly pleased with the present reign, not only by arranging matters concerning the wars in this unexpected way, but also by revealing the sacred bodies of many who had long ago been renowned for their piety; as indeed happened then in the case of Zachariah the ancient prophet and of Stephen the deacon who was ordained by the apostles. Since the discovery of each was marvelous and divine, it is necessary to tell the manner of it. .17.1 I will begin with the prophet. Caphar-zacharia is a village in the territory of Eleutheropolis in Palestine. A certain Calemerus, a fellow-servant of the estate, managed it, loyal to his master, but harsh and .17.2 difficult and unjust towards the neighboring peasants. While he was such a man, the prophet appeared to him in a waking vision and revealed himself; and showing him a certain garden, he said, "Come now, dig here, measuring two cubits from the wall toward the garden, beside the road that leads to the village of Beth-therebin; and you will find a double coffin, the inner one of wood within an outer one of lead, and around the coffin a glass vessel full of water and two snakes, moderate in size and .17.3 gentle and harmless, so as to seem tame." According to the prophet's instruction, Calemerus went to the indicated place and eagerly set to the work. When the sacred reliquary was uncovered beneath the aforementioned signs, the divine prophet appeared, clothed in a tunic and a white garment, such as I think a priest would be; and at his feet, outside the coffin, lay a child who had been deemed worthy of a royal burial; for it had on its head a golden crown, and golden footwear and a precious garment. .17.4 While the priests and wise men of that time were at a loss concerning this child, who he was and whence he came and for what reason he was clothed in this way, it is said that Zacharias, the head of the monastic community in Gerar, came across an old Hebrew writing, not one of those used in the church. It declared that when Joash, the king of Judea, killed the prophet Zachariah, not long after .17.5 he experienced a grievous misfortune in his house. For on the seventh day after the murder of the prophet, his son, who was very dear to him, suddenly perished. And concluding that he had fallen into such a suffering because of divine wrath, he buried the youth at his feet, in this way making amends for what he had sinned against him. .17.6 And so I learned these things. But the prophet, although lying under the earth for many generations, appeared intact, with his hair cut close to the skin, with a straight nose, having a moderately long beard, and his head rather short and his eyes set a little deep, covered by his brows.

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.16.1 Ταῦτα δὲ καταλέγειν οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ· ὅμως δ' οὖν ἀναγκαίως ἐπεμνήσθην, ὡς ἂν ἔχοιμεν εἰδέναι ἀρκεῖν βασιλεῖ πρὸς φυλακὴν τοῦ κράτους ἐπιμελῶς τὸ θεῖον πρεσβεύειν, ὁποῖος καὶ οὑτοσὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐγένετο. .16.2 τούτῳ δὲ συνῆν καὶ Γάλλα Πλακιδία, ὁμοπατρία αὐτοῦ ἀδελφή, παραπλησίως πολὺν ποιουμένη λόγον τῆς θρησκείας καὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν. ἄγεται δὲ ταύτην Κωνστάντιος ὁ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου τυραννίδα καθελών, ἀνὴρ μαχιμώτατος καὶ στρατηγικός· ὃν ὁ βασιλεὺς γεραίρων τὴν ἀδελφὴν στεφάνῳ καὶ ἁλουργίδι καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τοῦ κράτους ἐτίμησεν. ὀλίγον δὲ χρόνον ἐπιβιώσας ἐτελεύτησεν, Οὐαλεντινιανὸν τὸν ᾿Ονωρίου διάδοχον καὶ ᾿Ονω-.16.3 ρίαν παῖδας καταλιπών. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τὰ μὲν πρὸς ἕω τῆς ἀρχομένης πολεμίων ἀπήλλακτο καὶ σὺν κόσμῳ πολλῷ τὰ τῇδε ἰθύνετο παρὰ τὴν πάν.16.4 των δόξαν· ἦν γὰρ ἔτι νέος ὁ κρατῶν. ἐδόκει δὲ ὁ θεὸς περιφανῶς ἥδεσθαι τῇ παρούσῃ βασιλείᾳ, οὐ μόνον ἐξ ἀπροσδοκήτου τὰ περὶ τοὺς πολέμους ὧδε διατιθείς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῶν ἐπ' εὐσεβείᾳ πάλαι εὐδοκιμηκότων τὰ ἱερὰ σώματα ἀναφαίνων· οἷον δὴ καὶ τότε συνέβη ἐπὶ Ζαχαρίᾳ τῷ παλαιῷ προφήτῃ γενέσθαι καὶ Στεφάνῳ τῷ διακόνῳ χειροτονηθέντι παρὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων. ἑκατέρου δὲ τῆς εὑρέσεως παραδόξου καὶ θείας οὔσης ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν τὸν τρόπον. .17.1 ῎Αρξομαι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ προφήτου. Χαφὰρ Ζαχαρία κώμη ἐστὶν ἐν ὁρίοις ᾿Ελευθεροπόλεως τῆς Παλαιστίνης. ἐπετρόπευε δὲ ταύτην Καλήμερός τις ὁμόδουλος τῷ ἀγρῷ, εὔνους μὲν τῷ κεκτημένῳ, χαλεπὸς δὲ καὶ .17.2 δύσκολος καὶ περὶ τοὺς ὁμόρους ἀγροίκους ἄδικος. τοιούτῳ δὲ ὄντι ὕπαρ ἐπιστὰς ὁ προφήτης ἑαυτὸν κατεμήνυσεν· καὶ κῆπόν τινα ἐπιδείξας «ἄγε δή», ἔφη, «ἐνθάδε ὄρυξον δύο πήχεις ἀναμετρήσας ἀπὸ τῆς αἱμασιᾶς ἐπὶ τὸν κῆπον, παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐπὶ Βηθθερέβιν τὴν κώμην ἄγουσαν· εὑρήσεις δὲ λάρνακα διπλῆν, ξυλίνην τὴν ἔνδον ἐν μολυβδίνῃ τῇ ἔξωθεν, ἀμφὶ δὲ τὴν λάρνακα ὑέλινον σκεῦος πλῆρες ὕδατος καὶ ὄφεις δύο μεγέθει μετρίους καὶ .17.3 πράους καὶ ἀβλαβεῖς, ὡς δοκεῖν χειροήθεις εἶναι.» κατὰ δὲ τὴν σύνταξιν τοῦ προφήτου παραγενόμενος Καλήμερος ἐπὶ τὸν δηλωθέντα τόπον σπουδῇ τοῦ ἔργου εἴχετο. ὑπὸ δὲ τοῖς προειρημένοις συμβόλοις ἀνακαλυφθείσης τῆς ἱερᾶς θήκης ἀνεφάνη ὁ θεῖος προφήτης, χιτῶνα καὶ λευκὴν ἐσθῆτα ἠμφιεσμένος, οἷά γε οἶμαι καὶ ἱερεὺς ὤν· ὑπὸ δὲ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ἔξωθεν τῆς λάρνακος παιδίον ἔκειτο βασιλικῆς ἠξιωμένον ταφῆς· εἶχε γὰρ ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς χρυσοῦν στέφανον, χρυσᾶ δὲ τὰ ὑποδήματα καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα τιμίαν. .17.4 ἀπορούντων δὲ τῶν τότε ἱερέων καὶ σοφῶν περὶ τούτου τοῦ παιδίου, τίς τε καὶ πόθεν εἴη καὶ οὗ χάριν τοιάδε ἠμφίεστο, λέγεται Ζαχαρίαν τὸν ἡγούμενον τῆς ἐν Γεράροις μοναχικῆς συνοικίας ῾Εβραίᾳ καὶ παλαιᾷ περι-τυχεῖν γραφῇ, οὐ τῶν ἐκκλησιαζομένων. ἐδήλου δὲ ὡς, ἡνίκα Ζαχαρίαν τὸν προφήτην ἀνεῖλεν ὁ ᾿Ιωὰς ὁ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας βασιλεύς, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν .17.5 περὶ τὸν οἶκον ἐχρήσατο χαλεπῇ συμφορᾷ. ἑβδόμῃ γὰρ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀναι-ρέσεως τοῦ προφήτου ἐξαπίνης αὐτῷ μάλα κεχαρισμένος ὁ παῖς ἀπωλώλει. συμβαλὼν δὲ κατὰ θεομηνίαν τοιούτῳ παθήματι περιπεσεῖν, ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ τὸ μειράκιον ἔθαψεν, ἀπολογούμενος ταύτῃ ὑπὲρ ὧν εἰς αὐτὸν ἥμαρτε. .17.6 καὶ τὰ μὲν ὧδε ἔγνων. ὁ δὲ προφήτης, καίπερ πρὸ πλείστων γενεῶν ὑπὸ γῆν κείμενος, σῶος ἀνεφάνη, ἐν χρῷ κεκαρμένος, εὐθύρρις, γενειάδα μετρίως καθειμένην ἔχων, τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν βραχυτέραν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλ-μοὺς ὀλίγῳ ἐν βάθει ταῖς ὀφρύσι καλυπτομένους.