Книга 1

1. I set myself the task of describing the following events: the succession of the holy apostles; what happened from the time of our Savior to the present day; what and how important things were accomplished, according to legend, in the Church: who stood at the head of the most famous church circles and led them with glory; who in every generation - orally or in writing - defended the word of God; the names, character and time of those who, thirsting for novelty, reached the limits of error and, introducing false knowledge 1 (gnosis), like fierce wolves 2, mercilessly plundered the flock of Christ; 2. also what happened to the entire Jewish tribe immediately after their conspiracy against our Savior; when and how the pagans started a war against the word of God, what a great struggle was waged for it by the martyrs who endured torture and shed their blood; then contemporary testimonies and the gracious mercy of our Savior towards us all. I will begin with nothing other than an exposition of the Divine Economy, the foundation of which was laid by our Lord Jesus Christ. 3. Immediately, however, I ask well-meaning people for leniency towards my work: I confess that it is beyond my strength to fulfill this promise in perfection and completeness, for I am now the first to undertake such a narrative and am entering, as it were, on an untrodden and untrodden road. I pray to God to be my guide and the power of Christ to assist me in my work, because I could not find any traces of the people who walked before me along the same road, except for the most petty stories in which each in his own way left a partial narrative about the period of time he had passed: as if in the distance, torches held high, there were the voices of people; as if from somewhere above from a watchtower they are shouting to us and showing us where to go and how to direct the course of the story, without wandering and in safety. 4. Everything that in their scattered memories here and there I consider useful for the goal I have set for myself, I will collect; as if in a spiritual meadow, like flowers, I select from old writers the information I need and try to present them in the historical narrative as something whole. I will be glad to preserve the memory of the succession of, if not all, then the most famous apostles of our Savior in the Churches, glorious and not yet forgotten. 5. I consider this work to be my most urgent task, because, as far as I know, no church writer has yet bothered to undertake such a task. I hope that my work will be very useful to those who listen carefully to the instructive lessons of history. 6. I have already given in my Chronicle 3 a brief outline of events, a detailed account of which I intend to give now. 7. My exposition will begin, as I have already said, with the Economy of Christ and an explanation of His nature: in depth and power it is beyond human understanding. 8. Anyone who is going to write the history of the Church must begin from the hour when Christ—from Him we are honored to receive our name—laid the foundation of His Economy, more Divine than many seem to think. 1. The nature of Christ is twofold: one is similar to the head 4 of the body - in it we recognize God; the other can be compared to feet - He put on it for our salvation and became a Man of the same nature as us. The account of subsequent events will be perfect if we tell the whole history of the Word, beginning with the highest and most important; thus those who believe that Christianity did not originate until yesterday will be shown its antiquity and Divinity. 2. The origin, dignity, essence of Christ and His nature cannot be explained by any word, just as the Spirit of God says in prophecies: “Who can explain His generation?” 5 For no one knows the Father except the Son, and no one knows the Son according to His worthiness, except the Father, 6 who begat Him, the supreme Light 7, the eternal Wisdom, rational and essential, 3. the living and originally abiding Word of God with the Father. Who, besides the Father, will understand Him in purity, before the creation and dispensation of everything visible and invisible, the first and only Birth of the Father, the Archangel of the 8 intelligent and immortal heavenly army, the Angel of the great Council, the Executor of the Father's thought, inexpressible in words, together with the Father, the Creator of everything, second after the Father the Cause of the whole, true and Only Begotten Son of God, Lord, God and King of all created things, having received from the Father dominion and power, as well as Divinity, power and honor, for according to the mysterious theology of Scripture: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 9 “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made”? 10 4. So the great Moses, 11 the most ancient of all the prophets, 12 describing by the inspiration of the Spirit of God how the universe was created and structured, teaches that its Creator and Creator of all entrusted the creation of the lower creatures to none other than Christ, namely His Divine first-born Word, and presents their conversation about the creation of man: “The Lord said: Let us make man in our image and likeness.” 13 5. These words are vouched for by another prophet, 14 who in his hymns talks about God like this: “He said, and it was done; He commanded, and it appeared.” 15 He introduces the Father and Creator as the supreme Lord, commanding with a royal wave, and the Word of God is second after Him, the very One that was preached to us, which fulfills the Father’s commands. 6. From the very creation of man, everyone who is spoken of as people of special righteousness and piety: the great servant of God Moses and those around him, and even earlier, before him, the first Abraham, 16 his children 17 and those who later showed themselves to be righteous and prophets 18 - contemplated Him with pure mental eyes, recognized and honored Him, as one should honor the Son of God. 7. He, without weakening in the least in his veneration of the Father, became a Teacher for everyone in the knowledge of the Father. Abraham, sitting under the oak of Mamre 19, saw 20, according to Scripture, the Lord God in the form of an ordinary man, but he immediately prostrated himself before Him as before God, although he saw a man with his own eyes. 21 He pleads with Him as Master, confessing that he does not know who He is, 22 saying these words: “Lord, You judge the whole earth; wilt thou not bring about judgment?” 23 8. If it is inadmissible to suppose that the unborn and unchangeable Essence of God Almighty can, by changing, take the form of a man, or deceive the eyes of spectators with the appearance of a created creature; if one cannot think that all these are false inventions of Scripture, then who else could be called God and Master, judging the whole earth and doing justice, seen in the form of man, if not the pre-existent Word of the First Cause of everything? It is said about Him in the psalms: “He sent His Word and healed them 24 and delivered them from destruction.” 9 . Moses clearly places Him second after the Father of the Lord, saying: “And the Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord upon Sodom 25 and Gomorrah 26.” This Word, which appeared to Jacob again in the form of a man, 28 is called God by Divine Scripture; He says to Jacob: “From now on your name will not be Jacob, but Israel 29 because you have struggled with God 30 . And Jacob called this place “The View of God” 31, saying: “I saw God face to face, and my soul was preserved” 32. 10. It is unacceptable to suspect that in the described Epiphanies we are talking about lower angels 33 - servants of God: when one of them appears to people, Scripture does not hide this; it does not call those who appeared either God or Master, but angels, as is easy to see from the multitude of testimonies 34 . 11. Moses' successor Jesus 35 calls this Word the Leader of the heavenly angels, archangels 36 and supermundane powers 37 as the pre-existent Power and Wisdom 38 of the Father, as the One who is entrusted with the second place in the reign over everything and in the management of everything. He calls Him the Archangel of the army of the Lord, seeing Him again in the guise and form of a man. 12. For it is written: “And it came to pass that Jesus, being near Jericho 39, looked and saw: and behold, a man stood before him, and in his hand was a drawn sword. Jesus came to him and said to him, “Are you one of ours, or one of our enemies?” He said: I am the Archangel of the army of the Lord, now I have come here. Jesus fell face down on the ground and said to Him: Master, what will You command Your servant? And the Archangel of the Lord said to Jesus: Take off your sandals from off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.”40 13. From these very words you will understand that it is none other than the One who spoke to Moses, for the Scripture tells him in the same words: “When the Lord saw that he was coming to see 41, the Lord called him from the bush, saying: Moses, Moses! He said: what is this? And the Lord said: Do not come near like this, take off the sandals from your feet; the place where you stand is holy ground. And he said to him: I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" 42 . 14. And that there is an Essence that was already before the creation of the world, living and existing, helping the Father and God in the creation of all creation, called the Word of God and Wisdom, this, in addition to the already given evidence, can be heard from the own lips of Wisdom, which through Solomon 43 very clearly introduces us to its secrets: “I am Wisdom, who overshadowed the council, I am called knowledge and reason 44. 15. By Me kings reign and rulers write justice, By Me the great are magnified, and By Me the rulers rule the earth” 45 . And he adds: “The Lord placed Me at the beginning of His ways for His works, He established Me from eternity; in the beginning, before creating the earth, before producing springs of water, before founding mountains, before all the hills He gave birth to me 46 . When He prepared heaven, I was with Him 47; when He placed the never-drying springs of heaven, I labored with Him 48 . I was there when He rejoiced every day; I rejoiced every hour before His face when He rejoiced after finishing the creation of the universe” 49. 16. So, that the Divine Word pre-existed and appeared, if not to all, then to some - this is briefly said. Why wasn’t It preached to all people and all nations before, as it is now? Let this also become clear. People of ancient times 50 were not able to understand the wise and all-perfect teaching of Christ. 17. For immediately after the initial blessed life, the first person, who neglected God’s commandment, fell into this mortal and corruptible life and received this cursed earth instead of the former Divine pleasure. His descendants filled the whole earth and turned out, with the exception of one or two, even worse; their beast-like existence was a life beyond life. 18. Cities, government, art, science - they had no thought about all this. Laws, justice, virtue, philosophy were not known to them even by name. They roamed the deserts like wild, ferocious animals. They destroyed the innate mind, the seeds of the reasonable and meek in the human soul in an excess of voluntarily chosen depravity, gave themselves entirely to all sorts of abominations, sometimes corrupting, sometimes killing each other, sometimes ate human flesh, dared to fight with God - everyone knows the struggle of giants 51 - they plotted to fence themselves off from the sky with walls and in wild madness they were going to go to war against the Almighty. 19. On them, behaving in this way, the Lord, overseeing everything, sent streams of water and fire 52 , as if on a wild forest 53 that had grown throughout the entire earth; He eradicated them with continuous famine, plague, wars, lightning strikes, as if he was stopping a terrible, most painful mental illness with these severe punishments. 20. And when almost everyone remained, as if in a deep intoxication, in this widespread stupor of vice and the souls of almost all people were engulfed in deep darkness, then the Wisdom of God, the firstborn and primordial 54 , the eternal Word in an abundance of love for people began to appear to those in heavenly places, under the guise of angels 55 , and to one or two friends of God directly, as was possible for the saving power God, but not otherwise than in human form; It was impossible to appear in any other form. 21. When the seeds of piety were thrown into the souls of most people and the entire people on earth, descended from the ancient Jews, turned to faith, then to them, as people who were mostly accustomed to behaving as before, God gave through the prophet Moses images and symbols of a certain mysterious Sabbath 56, initiation through circumcision 57 and mental contemplation, but without revealing the meaning of these mysteries 58. 22. When the Law given to the Jews became known and, like a kind of fragrant breeze, spread among all people, when the majority of peoples, through their legislators and philosophers, softened their way of thinking, their morals instead of wild and fierce became meek, friendship and mutual communication gave birth to deep peace, when all people and nations in the universe turned out to be, as it were, prepared and able to know the Father, then again the same Teacher of virtue - the Father's Helper in everything good, the Divine and Heavenly Word of God - appeared at the beginning of the Roman Empire as a Man, no different in bodily being from our nature, accomplished and endured everything according to the prophecies that announced that the God-man would come to earth, perform wondrous deeds, teach all nations faith in the Father, they spoke about His miraculous birth, His new teaching, His wondrous deeds, about the image of His death, the resurrection from the dead and, finally, about His Divine return to heaven. 23. The Prophet Daniel 59, filled with the Spirit of God, saw His Kingdom at the end of the ages and thus describes his vision of God in relation to human understanding: “I saw that thrones were set up and the Ancient of Days sat down. His clothing was like snow and the hair on his head was like the clean fleece of a sheep. His throne was a flame of fire, a river of fire passed before Him. Thousands of thousands served Him, and darkness stood before Him. He sat down to judge, and the books were opened." 60 And further: “I looked, and behold, on the clouds of heaven came one like the Son of Man; He reached the Ancient of Days and was brought before the Ancient of Days. And power and glory and a kingdom were given to Him, and all peoples, nations and languages ​​served Him as slaves. His power is everlasting power, which will not pass away, and His kingdom will not perish.” 61 24. It is clear that all this applies to no one else, but only to our Savior, the Word of God, Who was in the beginning with God 62; He is called the Son of Man only later, after His incarnation. 25. But since I have collected selected prophecies about our Savior Jesus Christ in special notes and have convincingly presented testimonies about Him in other books, then for now what has been said is enough. 1. Now is the time to show that the name of Jesus and Christ was honored by the ancient prophets, God-loving men. 2. Moses was the first to understand how majestic and glorious the name of Christ is; giving images, symbols and mysterious images of heavenly phenomena, according to the saying 63 of the Lord: “See that you do everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain” 64 , he, in order to honor the high priest in the highest way accessible to man, calls him Christ 65 . The high priestly office, according to Moses, exceeds in dignity any human title 66, and, however, the name of Christ gives it more honor and glory. This means that Moses understood that the word “Christ” meant something Divine. 3. He, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, having seen the name of Jesus, considered it worthy of special distinction. Until Moses recognized it, it did not sound among the people, and Moses gave it for the first time to the only person in whom, by some image and symbol, he recognized his successor, for after his death he assumed power over the entire people. 4. Moses' successor, who received the name Jesus, was previously called by the name given by his parents - Hosea 67. Moses, calling him Jesus, bestowed upon him this name as a kind of honorable gift, 68 more precious than the royal crown, for Jesus, the son of Nave, was the image of our Savior and the only one after Moses, having completed the symbolic service given to him, professing the true and purest faith, received as an inheritance a brush. 5. And Moses gave to two people who stood out among all the people for virtue and glory: the high priest and the one who after him would be the leader of the people, to honor them with the greatest honor, the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. 6. It is clear that subsequent prophets called Christ by name, testifying at the same time to the future conspiracy of the Jewish people and the calling of the pagans. Jeremiah 69 puts it this way: “The breath of our life, Christ the Lord, is caught in their pits; about Him we said: in His shadow we will live among the nations” 70. And David, perplexed by these words, says: “Why are the nations in turmoil, and the nations plotting futile things? The kings of the earth are rising, and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and His Christ" 71 . And then he adds on behalf of Christ Himself: “The Lord said to Me: You are My Son; Today I have given birth to You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance and the ends of the earth for Your possession." 72 7. Not only those who were honored with the high priestly rank and anointed with prepared oil for the sake of a symbol were adorned by the Jews with the name of Christ, but also kings, whom, at the direction of God, the prophets anointed 73 as certain images of Christ; for they themselves were a type of the royal power of the one true Christ, the Word of God, reigning over all. 8. We know that some prophets 74 through anointing themselves became types of Christ; for they all related to the true Christ, the Divine, Heavenly Word, the one High Priest of the world, the one King of all creation, from the prophets of the Father the one supreme Prophet. 9 . Proof of this: none of those who were symbolically anointed in ancient times: neither priests, nor kings, nor even prophets, possessed such power of Divine virtue as was demonstrated by our Savior and Lord Jesus, the one, true Christ. 10. None of them, known for their dignity and honor to many generations of their compatriots, gave their subordinates the title of Christians in the name of Christ. None of them were given divine honors by their subordinates; after their death, no one was willing to die for the honorable; no one caused such a shock among all the nations on earth, for in their transformative power there was not that effective power that was in the truth revealed by Christ. 11. He received from no one the symbols and signs of His high priestly office; He did not trace His descent according to the flesh from the priestly family 75; human weapons did not elevate Him to the royal throne, and He did not even resemble the ancient prophets. He did not receive from the Jews either an honorary position or a first place, but was adorned by the Father with all honors, and not symbolically, but in reality. 12. Having none of the things we have listed, He has more right to the name of Christ than all others; He is the one and only true Christ of God. Thanks to Him, the world is full of Christians bearing His truly majestic and holy name. He conveyed to them not images and likenesses, but virtue in its pure form and heavenly life and communicated to His disciples the true dogmas. 13. He was anointed not with oil prepared by human hands, but, as befits the Divinity, with the Spirit of God, participating in the unbegotten Divinity of the Father. Isaiah 76 teaches about this, proclaiming as if on behalf of Christ: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me; He has sent Me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.”77 14. And not only Isaiah, but also David says, turning to Christ: “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The rod of righteousness is the rod of Your kingdom. You loved righteousness and hated iniquity; Therefore, O God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of joy more than Your fellows.”78 Here, in the first verse, the word calls Him God, in the second it honors Him with the royal scepter and 15. further, mentioning His Divine and royal power, in the third verse he calls Christ, anointed not with material oil, but with the Divine oil of joy; this indicates His chosenness, which is more significant and distinguishes Him from those who in ancient times were anointed materially and transformatively. 16. And in another place the same David explains who He is, and says, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 79 And again, “From the womb before the star, I begot You. The Lord has sworn and will not repent: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”80 17. This Melchizedek is introduced into the Holy Scriptures as a priest of the Most High God 81 ; he was not anointed with any anointing made by human hands, and did not receive the priesthood from the Jews, inheriting it through family succession. That is why our Savior is swornly called Christ and a priest according to His rank, and not according to the rank of others who received symbols and images. 18. History conveys that He was not physically anointed by the Jews and did not come from the priestly generation, but that He received His essence from God Himself “before the Virgin,” that is, before the creation of the world, and that the immortal and ageless priesthood belongs to Him forever and ever. 19. The great and clear proof of His not material, but Divine anointing is that of all the people who lived before and are now living, only He is called Christ, confessed and preached as such, that by this name He is remembered by Greeks and barbarians, and that to this day throughout the entire universe His disciples honor Him as a King, reverence Him more than a prophet, glorify Him as the true, only High Priest God and, moreover, as the Word of God, who existed from eternity and received the greatest honor from the Father; worship Him as God. 20. And what is most amazing: we who believe in Him honor Him not only with our lips and the sound of words, but with our entire spiritual makeup; we prefer His confession to our own life. 1. I considered it necessary, before starting my story, to report this so that no one would think, bearing in mind the time of His life in the flesh, that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a very recent Person. And so that His teaching does not seem new and strange, new created by man, no different from other people, let us briefly understand this. 2. The coming of our Savior Jesus Christ has recently shone upon all people. And so, according to the ineffable predestination of time, a truly new people appeared, not small, not weak and settled not in some corner of the earth, but of all peoples the most numerous and pious, indestructible and invincible, for God always gives them help. This people is honored by all with a name derived from the name of Christ. 3. One of the prophets 82, amazed at the sight of Him and foreseeing the future through the eye of the Spirit of God, exclaims, “Who has heard such things, who has spoken thus? The earth was in labor pains for one day, and immediately a people was born.”83 He also hints at his future name: “My servants will be called by a new name, which will be blessed throughout the whole earth” 84. 4. Although, obviously, we are a new people and the name of Christians is really recent, just recognized by all peoples, but our life and our entire way of behavior, consistent with the dogmas of piety, were not recently invented by us, but have been observed since the very beginning of mankind; the ancient God-loving people, by natural impulse, lived exactly this way, which I will prove as follows. 5. There is a people who are not new, revered by everyone for their antiquity and known to everyone - these are the Jews. Their stories and books tell about men, although rare and few in number, but distinguished by piety, justice and all other virtues; some of them lived before the flood, others after, for example, the children and descendants of Noah 85, as well as Abraham, whom the sons of the Jews proclaim as their leader and ancestor. 6. Anyone who would call all these people of righteousness, attested from Abraham himself to the first man, Christians, if not by name, then by their deeds, would not sin against the truth 86. 7. This name means the following: a Christian, having come to know Christ and His teaching, is distinguished by prudence, justice, patience in life, virtue, courage in piety and confession of the one God Almighty. In all this they practiced no less than us. 8. They, like us, did not attach importance to circumcision; as we do - keeping the Sabbath, also abstaining from such and such food and other prohibitions. This was subsequently prescribed to be observed as certain symbols by Moses. For Christians, none of this matters. They undoubtedly knew the Christ of God: Abraham saw Him. He gave predictions to Isaac, spoke with Israel, talked with Moses and subsequent prophets. 9 . You will understand why these friends of God were, according to the word spoken about them, honored with the name of Christ: “Do not touch My anointed (Christs), and do not harm My prophets” 87 . 10. It is clear that the most ancient, the oldest faith should be considered that which Abraham and the friends of God who lived with him acquired and which was recently preached to all nations in the teaching of Christ. 11. And if, they say, much later Abraham received the command to perform circumcision 88, then his righteousness through faith was already attested to, for this is what the word of God says about him: “Abraham believed God, and this faith was counted to him as righteousness” 89. 12. And even before circumcision, 90 God appeared to this man (it was Christ, the Word of God) and in these words announced that in the future people would be justified in the same way: “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed” 91 ; and again: “The people will be numerous and great, and in it all the families of the earth will be blessed” 92. It is clear that this came true for us. 13. By faith in Christ, the Word of God, who appeared to him, Abraham was justified; he renounced the superstition of his ancestors and the errors of his previous life, 93 confessed the one Most High God and served Him with good deeds, and not by observing the Law, given later by Moses. Such a person was told that in him all the tribes of the earth and all nations would be blessed. 14. The Abrahamic faith, confirmed by deeds - and they are more significant than words - is currently observed throughout the entire universe only by Christians. 15. What would prevent us from recognizing that the life and faith of us, who live after Christ, and of the ancient friends of God are the same - not new and alien, but if we tell the truth, then, as we have shown, the first, only and correct faith conveyed to us in the teachings of Christ? Enough said. 1. And now, after this introduction, which is necessary for the history of the Church that we are about to write, let us begin, like some kind of pilgrimage, with the appearance of our incarnate Savior. Let us call upon God the Father and Jesus Christ Himself, our Savior and Master, the Heavenly Word of the Father, to help us and assist us in presenting the truth. 2. It was the forty-second year of the reign of Augustus 94 and the twenty-eighth since the conquest of Egypt and the death of Anthony and Cleopatra, which ended the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty 95 when, according to the prophecies about Him, in Bethlehem of Judea 96, during the first census 97 during the reign of Quirinius 98 Syria, our Savior and Master Jesus Christ 99 was born. 3. This census under Quirinius is also mentioned by Josephus 100, the most famous of Jewish historians. He immediately talks about the uprising that happened at the same time in Galilee, which Luke also recalls in “Acts”: “After him, in the days of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and carried away the people with him, but he died, and all those who trusted him were scattered” 101 . 4. In the 18th book of Antiquities, the mentioned writer, in agreement with this, says word for word like this: “Quirinius, one of the senators, who went through all the magistracies and finally became consul, a very respected man, arrived in Syria with a few people: Caesar sent him as a judge for the people and a censor appraising property” 102. 5. A little lower, he says: “Judas Gavlonite from the city of Gamala, together with the Pharisee Saddok, persuaded the people to revolt, saying that the valuation of property is nothing more than a direct road to slavery, and calling on the people to defend freedom” 103. 6. In the 2nd book of the “History of the Jewish War” he writes about the same thing: “Then the Galilean, named Judas, began to persuade his fellow countrymen to revolt, reproaching them for agreeing to pay tribute to the Romans and, besides God, recognizing mortal men as masters” 104. 1. Then, for the first time, a foreigner received royal power over the people of Judah - the prophecy written by Moses was fulfilled: “The ruler of the family of Judah will not disappear, and the leader from his feet, until the One for whom the nations are waiting comes.” 105 2. This prophecy remained unfulfilled as long as the Jews were allowed to live under the rule of their own tribesmen, starting from Moses himself and right up to the reign of Augustus, when for the first time power over the Jews was handed over by the Romans to a stranger - Herod 106. And here is what Joseph 107 reports about him: he was an Edomite 108 on his father’s side and an Arab on his mother’s side; but Africanus 109 (not just anyone, but a good historian) says that, according to those who carefully studied his genealogy, Antipater 110 (Herod’s father) was the son of a certain Herod from Ascalon 111, one of the hierodoules 112 in the church of Apollo. 3. This Antipater, while still a child, was captured by Idumean robbers, remained with them (his father, a poor man, could not ransom him) and was brought up in their concepts. Then he fell in love with Hyrcanus 113, the high priest of the Jews, and from this Antipater, during the time of our Savior, Herod was born. 4. It was to such a man that the royal power over the Jews passed when, according to prophecy, the aspirations of the peoples were already at the door, for they no longer had their own rulers and leaders, who had successively succeeded each other from Moses himself. 5. Before the captivity and migration to Babylon 114 they were ruled by kings, starting with the first Saul 115 and then David. Before the kings, they were ruled by so-called judges 116; they came after Moses and his successor Jesus. 6. After returning from Babylon, their rule remained aristocratic-oligarchic 117 (everything was ruled by high priests 118), until 119 Pompey 120, a Roman military leader, besieged Jerusalem and took it by force; he desecrated the holy place by entering the Holy of Holies 121 of the church 122. Aristobulus 123, who at that time was king and high priest by succession from his ancestors, he sent in chains along with his children 124 to Rome and transferred the high priesthood 125 to his brother, Hyrcanus, and made the entire Jewish people tributary of Rome 126. 7. Hyrcanus, at whom the successive transfer of the high priesthood ended 127, was taken captive by the Parthians, 128 and the Jewish people were, by the will of the Roman Senate and Emperor Augustus 129, for the first time, as I said, given into the hands of the foreigner Herod. 8. With him, the coming of Christ became obvious; according to the prophecies, he was accompanied by the salvation and calling that the nations expected. From that time on, the rulers and leaders descended from Judah - I mean those descended from the Jewish people - disappeared, and immediately everything became confused in the transfer of the high priestly rank, which rightfully passed from the one who had this rank to his closest relative and successor. 9 . A reliable witness to this will be for you Joseph, who says that Herod, having received royal power from the Romans, never appointed high priests from an ancient family and gave this honorary rank to people completely unknown 130. Just like Herod, his son Archelaus 131 appointed priests, and after him the Romans, who conquered the Jews 132. 10. He also says that Herod was the first to keep the sacred high priestly clothing under a key and his seal and did not allow the high priests to have it with them. Archelaus did the same after him, and after Archelaus the Romans 133. 11. May these words serve to confirm another prophecy about the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ. In the book of Daniel, after determining the exact number of weeks 134 before the appearance of Christ the Leader (we discussed this in another work 135), a prediction follows that after their anointing the Jews will not have. This has clearly been fulfilled since the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. It was necessary to note this in order to establish the accuracy of the dates. 1. Since the evangelists Matthew and Luke convey the genealogy of Christ in different ways, 136 many believers believe that they contradict one another, and everyone, not knowing the truth, tries with all his might to come up with an explanation for these passages. Let us cite a message about them that came to us in a letter to Aristides 137, where Africanus, whom we recently mentioned, writes about the agreement of the Gospel genealogies. Having refuted the opinions of others as far-fetched and erroneous, he conveys in these words the story he heard. 2. “The names of generations in Israel were calculated either by nature or by law: by nature, when there was a succession of legitimate sons; according to the law, when, after the death of a childless brother, his brother gave his child the name of the deceased. At that time there was still no clear hope for the resurrection, and the future promise was considered at the same time as the mortal resurrection: the name of the deceased was to be preserved forever. 3. Therefore, of the persons mentioned in this genealogy, some were the legitimate heirs of their fathers by nature, while others were born by one father, but by name belonged to another. They mentioned both of them: both actual fathers and those who were, as it were, fathers. 4. Thus, neither one nor the other Gospel is mistaken in numbering the names by nature and by law. The descendants of Solomon and Nathan 138 were so intertwined with each other due to the “resurrection” of childless people, second marriages and “restoration of the seed” that the same persons could rightly be considered the children of both their imaginary and real fathers. Both narratives are completely correct and reach Joseph 139 in a tortuous but true way. 5. To make what has been said clearer, I will state how this confusion occurred. Counting 140 from David through Solomon, in third place from the end is Matthan 141, who begat Jacob, the father of Joseph. According to Luke, after Nathan the son of David, the third from the end was Melchi 142, whose son Eli was the father of Joseph). 6. Since we have set ourselves the goal of the genealogy of Joseph, it is necessary to show why two people are called his father: Jacob, a descendant of Solomon, and Elijah, a descendant of Nathan; how they, Jacob and Eli, were brothers and how their fathers, Matthan and Melchi, descending from different families, are the grandfathers of Joseph. 7. Matthan and Melchii married one after the other to the same woman and gave birth to half-brothers, for the law did not prohibit an unmarried woman, whether divorced or widowed, from marrying another. 8. From Estha (as this woman was called, according to legend), first Matthan, who came from the family of Solomon, gave birth to Jacob; when Matthan died, Melchius, who belonged to the family of Nathan, married his widow (he came, as I said, from the same tribe, but from a different family), and from her he had a son, Eli. 9 . Thus we will find that Jacob and Eli, although they belonged to different families, were half-brothers. Eli died childless, Jacob married his widow and gave birth to Joseph (this is already the third generation), who was his son by nature (and according to Scripture: “And Jacob begat Joseph”), and by law - the son of Eli, for Jacob, his brother, “restored his seed.” 10. Therefore, one cannot reject the pedigree that concerns him. Evangelist Matthew counts: “Jacob begat Joseph 143,” and Luke counted in an ascending line: “He was, as I thought (he also adds), the son of Joseph, Eli, Melchi 144.” It was impossible to define birth according to the law more clearly, and Luke, speaking about such births, completely avoids the word “gave birth,” and in his enumeration he goes as far as Adam and God 145 . 11. All this is not unproven and not arbitrarily invented. The relatives of the Savior according to the flesh told us, either for the glorification of themselves, or for the sake of teaching, but in any case a true story: when the Edomite robbers entered Ascalon, a city in Palestine, they, along with other booty, took from the church of Apollo, built near the city walls, Antipater, the son of a certain hero Herod, and since the priest could not give a ransom for his son, Antipater was brought up in Edomite morals. Later he fell in love with Hyrcanus, the high priest of Judea. 12. Sent as an ambassador to Pompeii on the affairs of Hyrcanus 146, he asked for the royal power seized by his brother Aristobulus. Antipater himself was lucky: he was appointed epimelet of Palestine 147. After his death - he was treacherously killed out of envy of his happy fate - this position was inherited by his son Herod, who was later, by decree of the Senate, installed by Anthony and Augustus as king over the Jews. His sons - Herod and others - were tetrarchs 148. These are events that are also reported in Greek history. 13. Until now, the archives have kept the genealogies of both Jews and ancient proselytes 149, for example Ahior the Ammonite 150 and Ruth the Moabite 151, as well as immigrants from Egypt who intermarried with Jews 152. Herod, who had nothing in common with the people of Israel, in annoyance at his low origins, ordered the lists of clans to be burned, thinking that he would seem noble if no one could, according to the people's records, trace his family either to the patriarchs, or to the proselytes, or to the so-called giors 153 - strangers who intermarried with the Jews. 14. Only a few, who preserved the memory of their family, preserved their private genealogies, either by remembering the names of their ancestors, or by having lists of them. They were proud to preserve the memory of their nobility. Among them were the aforementioned Desposins 154 - they are called so because of their relationship with the family of the Savior. Natives of the Jewish villages of Nazareth 155 and Kochaba 156, they scattered throughout the rest of the region and compiled the aforementioned genealogy based on the “Book of Days” as best they could. 15. Whether this is true or not, a better explanation, in my opinion, and in the opinion of any reasonable person, is unlikely to be found. We will adhere to it, although it is not confirmed by evidence, for there is no better or more true, but the Gospel is at least true in everything.” 16. At the end of the same letter Africanus adds: “Matthan, a descendant of Solomon, begat Jacob. After the death of Matthan, Melchi, a descendant of Nathan, gave birth to Elijah by the same woman; This means that Eli and Jacob were half-brothers. Eli died childless; Jacob restored his seed and begat Joseph, who was his son by nature and the son of Eli by law. Thus Joseph was the son of both.” 17. So says Africanus. If this is the genealogy of Joseph, then Mary must have come from the same tribe as him, for, according to the law of Moses, persons of different tribes were not allowed to marry. It was prescribed 157 to take a wife from the same city and from the same kinship, so that the inheritance would not pass from one tribe to another. 1. When Christ was born, according to the prophecies, in Bethlehem of Judea at the time indicated by us, Herod 158 - as a result of the questions of the wise men who came from the east 159: “Where is the newborn King of the Jews 160? We saw the star 161 Him, for this reason we went on such a journey and had a strong desire to worship the Born as God 162 ”- was very alarmed by this event; Considering that his power was in danger 163, he asked the teachers of the law 164 people where they expected the birth of Christ. Having learned that according to the prophecy of Micah in Bethlehem, he issued a decree ordering that infants and children, from two years old and younger, be killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding area, in accordance with the time that the wise men had precisely indicated. He considered it quite natural that Jesus would share the bitter fate of his peers 165. 2. But the Child warned his plan: His parents knew in advance 166 what would happen, and took Him to Egypt 167. This is what the Holy Gospel teaches us 168. 3. It is worth finding out what punishment befell Herod for his crime before Christ and His peers. Immediately, without the slightest delay, God's judgment befell him while he was still alive, as if showing him in advance what he would receive by giving up his life. 4. The state seemed to be prospering, but he darkened his home with continuous misfortunes: the murder of his wife 169, children 170, relatives closest by blood and dearest. It is impossible to describe these events now, but a story about them would overshadow any tragedy. Joseph talks about them in detail in his History, where he talks about Herod. 5. Immediately after the assassination attempt on our Savior and other infants 171 the scourge of God overtook him and drove him to the very end. It is worth listening to this writer himself. In the 17th book of Antiquities of the Jews, he describes the end of it in these words. 6. “Herod’s illness intensified: God was punishing him for his iniquities. It was a weak fire smoldering within him; when palpated, a large inflammation could not be detected, and it was precisely this that intensified his internal illness. He had a terrible desire to eat something, and nothing could be done to help him; ulcers in the viscera, especially in the rectum, and inflammation of the legs, full of clear fluid, severe pain. 7. The groin has the same condition; the man's penis was rotting and there were worms in it. He could only breathe straight up, and his frequent and heavy breathing gave off a heavy stench. All his limbs were contracted by unbearably strong cramps. 8. People inspired by God, to whom it was given to wisely foresee everything, said that God was exacting from the king for his many wicked deeds 172.” This is what the writer we mentioned says in the named essay. 9 . And in the 2nd book of 173 “History” he reports similar information and writes like this: “His whole body was seized by a disease that tore him apart with many different sufferings. He had a latent fever, unbearable itching all over his skin; constant pain in the rectum; swelling of the legs, like a patient with dropsy; inflammation in the groin; a rotting member with worms in it. In addition, heavy asthmatic breathing and convulsions in all limbs; inspired people called these diseases 174 executions. 10. He struggled with this torment, held on to life, hoped for recovery and looked for methods of treatment. Having crossed the Jordan 175, he used the warm waters of Callirhoe 176, which flow into Lake Asphalt 177; in themselves they are fresh and suitable for drinking. 11. Doctors decided to warm up his body by immersing him in a bathtub full of warm olive oil, but he fainted and his eyes rolled back in his head. The servants raised a cry; From their scream he came to his senses. Desperate for recovery, he ordered fifty drachmas 178 to be distributed to ordinary soldiers and large sums to commanders and friends. 12. He returned to Jericho in a gloomy mood. Ready to threaten almost death itself, he now conceived an even more criminal plan. Having gathered noble people from every village throughout Judea, he ordered them to be locked in the so-called hippodrome 13. and, calling his sister Salome 179 and her husband Alexander 180, said to them: “I know that the Jews will celebrate my death, but it is in my power to make others mourn me and celebrate my funeral brilliantly, if only you wish to carry out my orders: order all these people in custody, as soon as I give up the ghost, to be surrounded by soldiers and killed: let all of Judea and every house mourn me, even against my will 181.” 14. A little lower, Joseph says: “Again tormented by the desire to eat and coughing fits, he decided to prevent fate. Taking the apple, he asked for a knife, for he loved to eat by cutting food into pieces. Then, looking around to see if anyone would interfere, he raised his right hand to hit himself 182.” 15. The same writer says that just before his death he ordered the death of his son 183 (this was the third, after two who were killed even earlier) and immediately died amid great suffering 184 . 16. This was the end of Herod, who suffered just punishment for the beating in the vicinity of Bethlehem and for his evil intent against our Savior. After the death of Herod, an angel appeared in a dream to Joseph, who lived in Egypt, and ordered him to get up and return to Judea with the Child and His Mother 185, for those who sought to destroy the Child had died 186. To this the evangelist 187 adds: “Having heard that Archelaus reigned in place of Herod his father, Joseph was afraid to go there; but having received the answer in a dream, he went into the borders of Galilee 188.” 1. In accordance with the Gospel, the mentioned historian 189 speaks about the accession 190 of Archelaus after Herod and tells how he, according to the will 191 of his father, Herod, and by the decision of Caesar Augustus 192, inherited royal power over the Jews, how ten years later 193 he lost power 194, and his brothers, Philip 195 and Herod the Younger 196, together with Lysanias 197 received their tetrarchies. 2. The same Joseph in the 18th book 198 of his “Antiquities” says that in the twelfth year 199 of the reign of Tiberius 200 (he inherited power after Augustus 201, who reigned for 57 years), the administration of Judea was entrusted to Pontius Pilate 202. He ruled it for ten whole years, almost until the death of Tiberius. 3. This clearly exposes the falsity of the “Notes” 203, compiled quite recently against our Savior; Already the time indicated in the title exposes the falsity of this invention. They attribute the saving suffering of the Savior, to which the Jews criminally subjected Him, to the fourth consulate of Tiberius 204, falling in the seventh year of his reign, 205 but if you believe Joseph, then Pilate at that time did not yet rule Judea. Josephus in the above-mentioned work directly indicates that Tiberius appointed Pilate procurator of Judea in the twelfth year of his reign 206. 1. It was then, according to the evangelist 207, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius 208 and in the fourth of Pilate’s reign of Judea, when the tetrarchs of the rest of Judea were Herod, Lysanias and Philip, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the thirtieth year of His life came to be baptized by John 209 and laid the foundation for the gospel. 2. According to the Holy Scriptures 210, the time of His teaching fits into the years when Annas 211 and Caiaphas 212 were high priests. It began during the high priesthood of Annas and continued until the high priesthood of Caiaphas, a period of less than four years. 3. From that time on, the provisions of the law concerning service to God, which was lifelong and passed successively from father to son, were violated. The Roman authorities appointed first one or the other high priest, and no one remained in this position for more than a year. 4. Josephus says that after Annas and before Caiaphas there were four high priests. In the same book of “Antiquities” he writes this: “Valerius Gratus 213 removed Ananus and declared Ishmael 214, the son of Fabi, high priest, but after a short time he removed him too and declared Eleazar 215, the son of the high priest Ananus, high priest. 5. After a year, he also removed him and transferred the rank of high priest to Simon 216, son of Camith. And he held his title for no more than a year; His successor was Joseph, nicknamed Caiaphas 217.” 6. So, the teaching time of our Savior lasted less than four years, and during these four years four high priests - from Annas to Caiaphas - carried out their ministry. That Caiaphas was really the high priest in the year of the saving Passion is evidenced by the Gospel 218. It and the above remarks, which agree with it, indicate the time of Christ’s teaching. 7. Our Savior and Master, soon after the beginning of His sermon, called the twelve apostles 219; only them, among His other disciples, did He especially honor with the name of the apostles. Then He chose another seventy 220, whom He sent two by two before Him to every place and city where He Himself wanted to go. 1. The Holy Gospel 221 reports that soon Herod the Younger beheaded John the Baptist. Joseph writes about the same thing 222, calling Herodias by name 223; Herod married her, his brother’s wife, having divorced his first, legitimate wife (she was the daughter of Aretas 224, king of Petrea 225). Herod took Herodias away from her living husband. 2. She is to blame for the death of John and for the war with Aretas, who believed that his daughter was insulted. In this war, in one of the battles, they say, the entire army of Herod 226 died: this was his punishment for the death of John. 3. The same Joseph admits 227 that John was a most righteous man and baptized people; his testimony is consistent with what is written in the Gospels 228. He says that Herod, through the fault of 229 the same Herodias, lost his kingdom, was sent into distant exile with her and condemned to live in the Gallic city of Vienna 230 . 4. This is written about in the 18th book of Antiquities, where it is said about John verbatim like this: “Some of the Jews think that God destroyed Herod’s troops in all justice, punishing him for the death of John, called the Baptist. 5. Herod killed him - a worthy man who convinced the Jews to practice virtue, be fair to each other and pious before God, and then come to be baptized. He believed that one should be baptized not in order to beg for the remission of sins, but for the sake of bodily purity, when the soul was previously cleansed by righteousness. 6. People gathered around him, inspired by his words. Herod, fearing that he, possessing such power of persuasion, would start a rebellion (it seemed that on his advice people would do everything), decided that it was much better to prevent events and kill John without waiting for the rebellion, and not to repent later if a coup happened. Suspected by Herod, he was sent in chains to Macherunt 231 - we talked about this prison earlier - and there he was killed 232.” 7. Having talked about John, Joseph in the same work says this about our Savior: “At the same time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if we should call Him a man. He did amazing things and taught people who gladly accepted the truth. He attracted many Jews and many Greeks to Himself. 8. It was Christ. Following the denunciation of our first people, Pilate condemned Him to crucifixion, but those who loved Him from the very beginning remained faithful to Him; on the third day He appeared to them alive: the prophets of God predicted this and many other His miracles. And to this day the race of Christians who call themselves by His name has not disappeared 233.” 9 . This is what a writer from the Jews themselves tells us in his work about John the Baptist and our Savior. Where can the authors of the Notes hide from being accused of shamelessness? 1. The names of the Savior's apostles are known to everyone from the Gospels; there is no list of seventy disciples anywhere 234. One of them, they say, was Barnabas 235, whom Acts specifically mentions, as well as Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians 236. They say that Sosthenes 237 was one of them, who wrote to the Corinthians together with Paul. Clement 238 in the 5th book of his Essays 239 (Hypotyposes) tells that Cephas, of whom Paul says: “When (Cephas) ​​came to Antioch, I directly opposed him 240,” was the namesake of the Apostle Peter 241 and one of the seventy. 3. According to legend, both Matthias, who was numbered 242 among the apostles instead of Judas 243, and the one who was honored with him by lot 244, were awarded the call to be one of the seventy. They say that Thaddeus was one of them 245; I will soon tell you his story, which has come down to us. 4. Upon reflection, you will see that Christ had more than seventy disciples. Paul testifies 246 that after the Resurrection Christ appeared first to Cephas 247, then to the twelve, and after them immediately to more than five hundred brothers, some of whom, according to him, died, but most were alive at the time he composed his Epistle. 5. Then, according to him 248, He appeared to Jacob 249 - one of those who are known as the brothers of the Savior 250. And finally, since in addition to the twelve, in imitation of them, there were many more apostles, among whom was Paul, he adds: “and then he appeared to all the apostles” 251. Here's the thing about the apostles. 1. The story of Thaddeus is this. The divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, glorified among all people for its miraculous power, attracted thousands of people even from foreign countries, very far from Judea, who hoped for the healing of diseases and various sufferings. 2. Therefore, King Abgar 252, who gloriously ruled the nations on the other side of the Euphrates, but was tormented by an illness 253 that was beyond human power to cure, having learned about the name of Jesus and His miracles - everyone unanimously testified about them - decided to beg Him, sending a messenger with a letter and a request for deliverance from the disease. 3. The Savior did not heed his request then, but honored him with a special letter in which he promised to send one of His disciples to cure his illness and together save him and all his loved ones. 4. This promise was soon fulfilled. After the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and the Ascension, Thomas 254, one of the twelve, at the inspiration of God, sends Thaddeus, who was one of the seventy disciples of Christ, to Edessa 255 to preach the teaching of Christ. He fulfilled everything our Savior promised. 5. There is written evidence of this, taken from the archives of 256 Edessa, which was then the capital. Among the state documents reporting the events of ancient and modern Abgar, the following story has been preserved from that time to the present day. There seems to be nothing more interesting than these letters 257 that I received from the archive and translated word for word from Syriac. A copy of the letter written by the toparch to Jesus and sent to Jerusalem with the walker Ananias 258: 6. “Abgar, the son of Uchama, the toparch, sends greetings to Jesus, the good Savior, who appeared within the borders of Jerusalem. A rumor has reached me about You and Your healings, that You do them without medicines or herbs. You, they say, restore sight to the blind, restore walking to the lame, cleanse lepers, cast out unclean spirits and demons. You heal those suffering from long-term illnesses and raise the dead 259. 7. I listened to all this about You and my mind grasped one of two things: either You are God and, having descended from heaven, you work such miracles, or You are the Son of God, who works miracles. 8. That’s why I wrote to You and ask You: work hard, come to me and heal my illness. I also heard that the Jews are grumbling against You and plotting evil against You. My city is very small, 260 but respectable, and it’s enough for the two of us.” 9 . This is what and how Abgar wrote when the Divine light only slightly illuminated him. But you also need to listen to the letter from Jesus sent to him through the same letter carrier. It is not verbose, but full of power. Here is his text: Answer of Jesus 261 to the toparch (Abgar) through the walker Ananias: 10. “Blessed are you if you believed in Me without seeing Me. It is written about Me: Those who have seen Me will not believe in Me, so that those who have not seen may believe and live 262. And because you invite Me to you, then I must fulfill here everything for which I was sent; and when I have fulfilled it, I will ascend to Him who sent Me. When I ascend, I will send one of My disciples to you, so that he will heal your illness 263 and give life to you and those who are with you.” 11. Attached to these letters was the following, also written in Syriac: “After the Ascension of Jesus, Judas, called Thomas, sent (to Abgar) the Apostle Thaddeus, one of the seventy. Having arrived, he stopped with Tobiah 264, Tobias' son. They heard about him and told (Abgar) that an apostle of Jesus was here, as you were promised. 12. And Thaddeus began to heal every disease and every infirmity by the power of God, so that everyone was amazed. When (Abgar) heard about his great and wonderful deeds, it occurred to him that this was exactly the one about whom Jesus wrote: “When I am ascended, I will send one of My disciples to you, so that he can heal your illness.” 13. He called Tobias, with whom Thaddeus was staying, and said: “I heard that some powerful man was staying with you. Bring him to me." Tobiah, returning to Thaddeus, said: “Toparch (Abgar) called me and ordered me to bring you to him so that you could heal him.” And Thaddeus said: “I’m going, because I was sent to him in power.” 14. The next day at dawn, Tobias, taking Thaddeus, went to Abgar. When he entered, a great sign 265 appeared to Abgar, in front of whom the first people of the country stood, on the face of the Apostle Thaddeus. Seeing this, Abgar bowed to Thaddeus to the ground. Everyone standing around was amazed because they did not see the sign that appeared to Abgar alone. 15. He asked Thaddeus: “Are you truly a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God, who said to me: “I will send you one of My disciples, who will heal you and give you life”?” And Thaddeus said: “Because you firmly believed in Him who sent me, I was sent to you. And if you believe in Him as you do, the desires of your heart will be fulfilled.” 16. And Abgar said to him: “I believed in Him so much that I would have taken an army and killed the Jews who crucified Him, if the Roman power had not prevented me.” And Thaddeus said: “My Lord fulfilled the will of His Father and, having done so, ascended to the Father.” 17. Abgar says to him: “And I believed 266 in Him and in His Father.” And Thaddeus says: “Therefore, in His name I lay my hand on you.” And as soon as he said this, Abgar was healed from his illness and suffering. 18. Abgar was amazed: what he heard about Jesus actually happened to him through His disciple Thaddeus, who healed him without drugs or herbs, and not only him, but also his son Abdas 267, who was suffering from gout. He, too, approached Thaddeus, fell at his feet and was healed by prayer and the touch of his hand. Thaddeus healed many of their fellow citizens, performed great miracles and preached the word of God. 19. Then Abgar said: “You, Thaddeus, are doing all this by the power of God, and we ourselves are amazed. And therefore, I ask you, tell me about the coming of Jesus, how it happened, about His power and about the power with which He did everything that I have heard about.” 20. And Thaddeus said: “Now I will not say anything, since I was sent to preach the word publicly. But tomorrow call me all your citizens, and I will preach to them and sow the word of life in them: I will tell about the coming of Jesus, how it happened, about His mission and why He was sent by the Father, about His power and His works, about the secrets that He told the world, about the power with which He did this, about the novelty of His teaching, about His humiliation and humiliation, about how He humbled Himself and died, as He diminished His Divinity, as He was crucified, descended into hell, destroyed a fence that had been indestructible for centuries, raised the dead, as He descended alone, and ascended to His Father with a great multitude of people.” 21. Abgar ordered his citizens to gather early in the morning and listen to the sermon of Thaddeus 269, and then ordered to give him gold in minted coins and in bullion, but he did not take it, saying: “If we left ours, will we take someone else’s? 270" 22. All this happened in 340 271. This is what, by the way, and not without benefit, is given here in a literal translation from the Syriac. Expression from the First Epistle to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:20). Expression from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2029). Possibly the earliest work of Eusebius, which consisted of two parts. The first part (Chronography), dedicated to world history, was a brief summary of sources on the chronology of the history of various ancient peoples - the Chaldeans, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Lydians, Jews and Egyptians. In the second part (Canons), the autonomous chronologies from the first part were structured into chronological tables from Abraham to Constantine the Great. In this work, Eusebius developed a new chronology of history, focused on conveying its universal character and meaning, a chronology that became a real Christian philosophy of history. The author managed to merge pagan history and the history of the Jews into a single world history and interpret its basic facts from a providential point of view. The Chronicle is both a historical and a theological work, for its main task was to prove, using historical facts, the antiquity and the authority of the Old Testament, the first book in history for Eusebius, based on it. Unfortunately, the Chronicle has not reached us in its original form. Only the Latin translation (c. 380–382) of the blessed one has survived. Jerome of Stridon with significant additions by the translator, a later Armenian translation (not earlier than the 13th century) and several passages in the works of some Byzantine writers (St. Cyril of Alexandria, George the Monk, etc.). On Eusebius' Chronicle, see: Adler W. Eusebius' “Chronicle” and Its Legacy // Eusebius, Christianity and Judaism/Ed. H. W. Attridge, G. Hata. Leiden, 1992, pp. 467–491; Barnes T. D. Constantine and Eusebius. Cambridge (MA), 1981, pp. 111–120; Croke V. The Originality of Eusebius' “Chronicle” // The American Journal of Philology. Vol. 103. 1982. No. 2. P. 195–200; Mosshammer A. A. The “Chronicle” of Eusebius and Greek Chronographie Tradition. Lewisburg, 1979; Sirinelli J. Les vues historiques d'Eusèbe de Césarée durant la période prénicéenne. Paris, 1961. Ch. 1. An image from the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 11:3). Term from the Book of Joshua (Joshua 5:14). Moses is the leader of the Israeli people, who freed them from Egyptian slavery, led them during their wanderings in the desert and brought them to the eastern bank of the Jordan, that is, to the Promised Land. Lawgiver of the ancient Jews, to whom he told about the covenant with God and to whom he gave the Tablets of the Covenant. Revered as the founder of the religion of Yahweh. He is credited with the authorship of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). On the perception of Moses in the early Christian tradition, see: Droge A. J. Homer or Moses? Early Christian Interpretations of the History of Culture. Tubingen, 1989. A prophet is a “messenger” who obeys the word of Yahweh and conveys the will of God to the people of Israel. We are talking about King David, ruler of Israel from 1004–965. BC e., who is credited with the authorship of the famous Psalms. Ps.32:9. Compare: Ps.149:5. Abraham is the eldest of the patriarchs of Israel, the progenitor of the Jewish people. His story is told in the Book of Genesis (Genesis 11:26 – 25:10). The Lord made a covenant with Abraham and promised his descendants the land of Canaan. He appeared to Abraham in Shechem (Gen. 12:6–7), after the campaign against Chedorlaomer (Gen. 15:1) and at the Mamre oak grove (Gen. 18:1). We are talking not only about Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, but also about the direct descendants of Isaac. Eusebius is referring to those Old Testament characters who, after the Exodus from Egypt, were honored to see the Lord - Aaron, the first high priest of Israel, Joshua, the conqueror of Canaan, judge Gideon, etc. The Mamvrian oak forest was located 1 km north of Hebron. Abraham settled near this oak grove after returning from Egypt (Gen. 13:18). This theophany is described in Gen. Ch. 18. The Lord appeared before Abraham in the form of three men (Gen. 18:2). As soon as Abraham saw the three men, he immediately ran to meet them, bowed down to the ground and greeted them as God (Gen. 18:2-5). The meaning of this phrase (Gen. 18:25) can only be understood from the context of the entire event. The Lord informs Abraham of his intention to destroy Sodom for the sins of its inhabitants. Abraham begs the Lord to spare the city if there are righteous people there. In his words, “Will you not bring judgment?” hope is expressed for justice, that the innocent will not be punished equally with the guilty. The psalmist speaks of those who, after a reckless life, turn to the Lord and find salvation (Ps. 107:17–20). Sodom was a city near the Dead Sea during the time of Abraham. According to the Old Testament, the sodomites were mired in sinfulness, and for this they were punished by God, who destroyed their city with a rain of brimstone and fire (Gen. 18:16 - 19.29). Gomorrah was a city on the southern shore of the Dead Sea during the time of Abraham. According to biblical tradition, for their sins the inhabitants of Gomorrah shared the fate of sodomites (Ibid.). This refers to the famous story of Jacob’s struggle with the Angel of the Lord (= God, see below) at the ford on the Jabbok River, an eastern tributary of the Jordan (Gen. 32:24–30). Israel is traditionally interpreted as having “struggled with God.” In Hebrew "Penuel" ("Penuel"). Later, a fortress arose here, which after some time was destroyed by judge Gideon (Judges 8:17), but then it was restored by the Israeli king Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:25). Angels (“messengers”) are heavenly beings who play the role of intermediaries between God and people. The Old Testament interpretation of angels was not as clear-cut as Eusebius tries to make it seem. In some cases, God appears to people in the form of an Angel of the Lord. God is identified with the Angel of the Lord, for example, in the story of Hagar (Gen. 16:7–13), the Burning Bush (Exod. 3:2–4:17), and Jacob’s struggle with the Lord (Hos. 12:3–4). On the perception of angels in early Christian literature, see: Daniélou J. Les anges et leur mission d'après les Pères d'Église. Paris, 1957. Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim is a comrade-in-arms of Moses, who, at the behest of God, was proclaimed by him as the leader of the Israelites and carried out the conquest of the Canaanite lands west of the Jordan. His deeds are recounted in the Book of Joshua. Archangels (“angel leaders”) are senior angels. The term “archangels” first appeared in Greek-speaking Jewish literature of pre-Christian times. It was believed that there were seven archangels (Tov.12:15). The most famous among them are Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. “Power” – according to Christian tradition, the fifth of the nine ranks of the heavenly hierarchy We are talking about the Israeli campaign during the conquest of Palestine against Jericho, one of the largest cities in Canaan northwest of the Dead Sea. However, before this there are the words: “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him (our italics - I.K.) in a flame of fire from the midst of a thorn bush” (Is. 3:2). Solomon - King of Israel 965–926. BC e., son and successor of David, builder of the Jerusalem Temple, famous for his wisdom. He is credited with authorship of the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, and the deuterocanonical Book of Wisdom. On Eusebius’s interpretation of the pre-Christian past in the second chapter of the First Book of the Church History, see: Krivouchine I. L'époque préchrétienne dans l'"Histoire Ecclésiastique" d'Eusèbe de Césarée // Traditio. Vol. 51.1996. P. 287–294 The Old Testament talks about giants who arose from the unions of “the sons of God and the daughters of men” (Gen. 6:4; cf. Athenag. Leg. 18), but nothing is said about their struggle with God or with any other heavenly powers. In this case, Eusebius is most likely influenced by the ancient mythological tradition, which understood the “gigantomachy” (the term used by Eusebius) as the battle of the Olympian gods with the sons of Gaia, born from the blood of castrated Uranus. Eusebius is referring to the global flood (Gen.7:10–12, 17–24) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen.19:24–25). Here, undoubtedly, there is an allusion to the words of John the Baptist: “...every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). The image of a wild forest being destroyed as a symbol of the punishment of the first people for their sins may have been inspired by St. Irenaeus of Lyon (Iren. Adv. haer. IV. 36. 4). Compare: Proverbs 8:22; Col. 1:15. Eusebius here contradicts his statement made earlier in 1.2. 10 that Holy Scripture does not call any of the angels God or Master. According to the biblical story, God, through Moses, established the Sabbath day as a day of rest as a symbol of His eternal union with the people of Israel (Ex. 16:25). The Sabbath was also a reminder of the deliverance of the Jews from Egyptian slavery and an image of God's day of rest after the six days of Creation (Ex. 31:17; Deut. 5:15). According to the Old Testament, circumcision was introduced by Abraham as a symbol of union with God, distinguishing Jews from uncircumcised Gentiles (Gen. 17:9-14). During the crossing of the desert, the Israelites abandoned this ritual, but it was soon restored by Joshua (Joshua 5:2). From the point of view of Christianity, the Sabbath and circumcision must be observed not so much externally (physically) as internally, with heart and spirit; their meaning is the internal renewal of man in Christ. Daniel is the main character of the Old Testament book named after him (The Book of the Prophet Daniel). Lev.4:3,5,16; 6:22. Christ is the Greek translation of the Aramaic word “meshiya” (messiah), i.e. “anointed one.” It denoted a person who had supreme power. According to the Old Testament, God commanded Moses to “pour anointing oil” on the head of the high priest (Lev. 21:10). Later, not only high priests, but also kings and some prophets underwent the anointing ceremony. It was believed that through this ritual the anointed one was awarded special grace from God. An indicator of the special importance of the high priest were the provisions of the Law that prescribed his observance of exceptional cult purity (Lev. 21:10–15). The original name of Joshua's son, Hosea (Heb. hosua), means “help.” The name Jesus, which Moses gave him, is formed by adding a reference to God to hosua (je-hosua = “God-help”). Jeremiah (c. 650–580 BC) is the second of the so-called. "great prophets", whose activity falls on the final period of the history of the Kingdom of Judah. His prophecies are collected in the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah; His name is also associated with the Lamentation of Jeremiah, dedicated to the unfortunate fate of Jerusalem, and the Epistle to the captives taken to Babylon. The first anointed on the throne was the first Israeli king Saul, anointed to the kingdom by the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 10:1). The same Samuel anointed David as king (1 Samuel 16:1,13). The priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan performed the rite of anointing over Solomon (1 Kings 1:39,45), a certain “son of the prophet” (by order of the prophet Elisha) - over Jehu (2 Kings 9: 1-6), the high priest Jehoiada - over Joash (2 Kings Chapter 11). Thus, the prophet Elijah anointed Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:16,19). The priesthood in ancient Israel was considered the inheritance of the tribe of Levi (Levites). Jesus Christ belonged to the family of David (tribe of Judah). Isaiah is a prophet of the second half of the 8th century. BC e. A book of prophecies is attributed to him, containing material from various times. Isa.61:1. See also: Luke 4:18. Ps:109:3-4. Compare: Heb.6:20–7,21. The Pentateuch calls Melchizedek, king of Salem, “priest of the Most High God,” who blessed Abraham “from God,” for which he gave him “a tenth of all” (Gen. 14:18–20). Already the Jewish tradition considered Melchizedek as a prototype of the king and messiah (Ps. 109:4) - an idea adopted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb. 7:1-3). On the interpretation of the image of Melch by Eusebius and in the early Christian tradition, see: Sirinelli J. Quelques allusions à Melchiscdech dans l'œuvre d'Eusèbe de Césarée // Studia Patristica. Vol. 6. Part 4. 1962. P. 233–247. This refers to the prophet Isaiah. Noah is an Old Testament righteous man, saved by God during the Flood (Gen. Ch. 6–9). From the sons of Noah - Shem, Ham and Japheth - came all the nations of the earth (Gen. Ch. 10) On this idea see: Tetz M. Christenvolk und Abrahamsverheissung. Zum kirchengeschichtlichen Programm des Eusebius von Caesarea // Jenseitsvorstellungen in Antike und Christentum: Gedenkschrift für A. Stuiber. München, 1982. S. 30–46. When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and made a covenant with him, promising him numerous descendants who would receive the land of Canaan as an inheritance. As a sign of fidelity to God, Abraham and his descendants had to perform circumcision: “My covenant shall be an everlasting covenant upon your body” (Gen. 17:13). Gen.15:6. Compare: Rom.4:3. This was God's first address to Abraham; it took place in Haran during Abraham's migration from Ur to Canaan after the death of his father Terah (Gen. 12:1-3). These words were spoken by the Lord not during His first theophany to Abraham, but when He appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre in the guise of three men (Gen. 18:18), i.e., after circumcision. In Roman tradition, the beginning of the reign of the first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus (Gaius Octavius), was counted from the year in which he became consul and triumvir (43 BC). The title "August", which would later become the title of the Roman emperors, was received by Guy Octavius ​​only on January 16, 27 BC. e. The forty-second year of the reign of Augustus - from November 27, 2 to November 26, 1 BC. e. This dating was borrowed by Eusebius from St. Hippolytus of Rome. Most early Christian writers (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, Origen) name an earlier date - the 41st year of the reign of Augustus The conquest of Egypt by Guy Octavius ​​took place in the summer of 30 BC. e. August 1, 30 BC e. he entered Alexandria. The last Egyptian queen, Cleopatra VII, and her husband, triumvir Mark Antony, committed suicide. The death of Cleopatra VII and her son Ptolemy Caesar (by Gaius Julius Caesar) marked the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which had formally ruled Egypt since 305 BC. e., but in fact - from 323 BC. e. The twenty-eighth year from the conquest of Egypt should be counted from August 1, 3 to July 31, 2 BC. uh The prophet Micah says: “And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are you small among the thousands of Judah? from you will come to me one who is to be ruler in Israel, and whose origin was from the beginning, from the days of eternity” (Mix. 5:2). This prophecy is reproduced in Matthew (Matt. 2:5–6) and in John (John 7:42). The special symbolic significance of Bethlehem in the prophetic tradition of the Jews is due to the fact that this city was the birthplace of David, the king with whose image the messianic expectations of the people of Israel were associated. Bethlehem is said to be the birthplace of Jesus by Luke and Matthew. According to Luke, the Holy Family arrived in Bethlehem because of the census; Before the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, where they later returned (Luke 2:4). According to Matthew, the family of Jesus lived in Bethlehem even before His birth, and only after fleeing to Egypt did they settle in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23). At the same time, John apparently knows nothing about the Bethlehem version of the birth of Jesus. In one of the scenes of his Gospel, the opponents of the Savior, trying to insult Him, ask: “Will Christ come from Galilee? Doesn’t the Scripture say that Christ will come from the seed of David and from Bethlehem, from the place where David comes from?” ( John 7:41–42 ). This gives researchers reason to believe that Jesus was born in Galilee. See, for example: Flusser D. Jesus. M., 1992. pp. 16–17. No other gospel text causes as much controversy as Luke's testimony about the census of the Jews under Quirinius (Luke 2:1-3), since he connects with it the birth of the Savior, which, according to the evangelists, took place (Matthew 2:1; Luke 1:5) during the reign of Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC. e. Josephus says that Quirinius was sent to Syria and carried out a census in Judea after the removal of Herod Archelaus, the heir of Herod the Great, from power, and the inclusion of Judea into the Roman Empire (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 1.1), i.e. after 6 AD. e. He dates the completion of the census to “the thirty-seventh year after the battle of Cape Actium” (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 2. 1), i.e., the interval between September 2, 6 and September 1, 7 AD. e. Scholars have proposed a variety of solutions to this problem - from recognizing the historical inconsistency of Luke's testimony to the assumption that Quirinius was governor of Syria before (under Herod the Great), and that censuses in Judea were carried out before 6 AD. e. For a selection of sources on this issue, see: Jesus Christ in the documents of history / Comp. B. G. Derevensky. St. Petersburg, 1998, pp. 18–22. Publius Sulpicius Quirinius - legate of Syria and Phenicia in 6-12 years. n. e. Josephus Flavius ​​(37 - c. 100) - Jewish historian and politician, author of the historical works “The Jewish War” in seven books and “Jewish Antiquities” in twenty books, the apologetic treatise “Against Apion” and the autobiographical “Life”. For the works of Joseph, see: Flauvii Iosephi Opera/Ed. V. Niese. Vol. 1–6. Berlin, 1885–1895. For Russian translations, see: Josephus. Jewish War/Trans. Ya. L. Chertka. St. Petersburg, 1900; Josephus Flavius. Jewish Antiquities/Trans. G. G. Genkel. St. Petersburg, 1900; Josephus Flavius. My life/Trans. D. E. Afinogenova // Bulletin of ancient history. 2006. No. 4; 2007. No. 1–2; Flavius ​​Joseph. About the antiquity of the Jewish people. Against Apion/Trans. Ya. I. Israelson. St. Petersburg, 1895. About the life and work of Joseph, see: Rajak T. Josephus Flavius. Historian and society. M., 1993. Eusebius uses both historical works of Josephus in his Ecclesiastical History. See: Hardwick M. Ε. Josephus as a historical source in patristic literature through Eusebius: Dissertation. Cincinnati, 1987 (for a summary see: Dissertations Abstracts International. Ser. A. Vol. 48. 1987. P. 1227A). Compare: Jos.Bell.Jud.il. 17.8. Herod the Great (c. 73–4 BC) – king of Judea in 40–4 AD. BC e., the son of the Edomite Antipater and Cyprus, the daughter of an Arab sheikh. When his father became epimeletus (ruler) of Judea (47 BC), Herod was appointed general of Galilee, but was soon forced to flee to the Romans in Syria, because he was threatened with trial for abuse of power. After the death of his father, Herod fought for power over Judea with Antigonus, a representative of the Hasmonean dynasty. In 40 BC. e. The Roman Senate proclaimed him king of Judea, but he managed to become its true ruler only in 37 BC. e., when he captured Jerusalem and executed Antigonus. To legitimize his power, Herod married Mariamme, the granddaughter of the high priest Hyrcanus II from the Hasmonean clan. Jos. Ant. XIV. 1. 3; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 8. 9. Idumea is the Greek name for Edom, the region west of the Dead Sea with the main city of Hebron. In 164–163 BC e. Idumea was captured by Judas Maccabee in 126 BC. e. its inhabitants were forcibly Judaized, including the family of Antipater, the father of Herod the Great. Nicholas of Damascus, however, claims that Antipater was descended from the first Jews who returned to Judea from Babylonian captivity (Jos. Ant. XIV. 1. 3). Sextus Julius Africanus (c. 160 - c. 240) - early Christian Greek-language writer; originally from Jerusalem (according to another version, from Africa); served as an officer in the army of Septimius Severus; participant in the campaign against the Principality of Edessa in 195; leaving the service, he turned to philosophical studies; attended lectures by Herakles in Alexandria, converted to Christianity and became a priest; then settled in Emmaus (Nicopolis) in Palestine; later tradition calls him Bishop of Emmaus. He died after 240. Only fragments have survived from his two main works - the treatise “Patterns” in 24 books, which discussed issues of medicine, physics, agriculture and military art, and the historical work “Chronology” in 5 books (from Creation to 221) (Sextus Julius Africanus. Chronographiae/Hrsg. von M. Wallraff. Berlin, 2007). The Epistles of Sextus Julius Africanus to Aristide (La lettre de Julius Africanus à Aristide sur la généalogie du Christ/Ed. Ch. Guignard. Berlin; Boston, 2011) and to Origen (Lettre d'Africanus à Origène/Ed. N. de Lange // Origène . Philocalie, 1–20 sur les Ecritures et La Lettre à Africanus sur l'histoire de Suzanne Paris, 1983. P. 514–521); the first of which Eusebius uses in this chapter and quotes in the next (I. 7.2–16). For Julius Africanus, see below: VI. 31. See also: Hier. Vir. ill. LXIII. From the research literature, see: Altaner V. Augustinus und Julius Africanus: Eine Quellenkritische Untersuchung // Vigiliae Christianae. Vol. 4.1950. No. 1. P. 37–45; Geizer H. Sextus Julius Africanus und die byzantinische Chronographie. Bd. 1–2. Leipzig, 1885–1888; Quasten J. Patrology. Vol. 2. Utrecht; Antwerp, 1953, pp. 137–140. Antipater, the son of the Edomite Herod, friend of Hyrcanus II, originally bore the name Antipas. After the capture of Jerusalem by Pompey the Great, he became the de facto ruler of Judea under Hyrcanus II. During the civil wars in Rome, he supported Julius Caesar and was appointed by him epimeletus of Judea. Poisoned by one of Hyrcanus II's confidants, Malichus, in 43 BC. e. Askelon (Ashkelon) is a city in southern Palestine on the Mediterranean coast, 70 km southwest of Jerusalem. One of the oldest cities of the Philistines. Hierodules are “sacred slaves,” that is, slaves who belong to the deity and perform services in the church. John Hyrcanus II - High Priest of Judea in 76-40. BC e., king of Judah in 67–40. BC e. He spent his life fighting for power with his brother Aristobulus II and his nephew Antigonus. Executed in 31/30 BC. e. Herod the Great. In 587 BC. e. Jerusalem was taken by the troops of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, the Kingdom of Judah was destroyed, and the inhabitants were evicted to Babylonia. The period of expulsion of Jews from Palestine lasted until 538 BC. e., when the Persian king Cyrus the Great, who defeated the Neo-Babylonian kingdom (539 BC), allowed them to return to their homeland and restore the Temple of Jerusalem. Saul (Shaul) – the first king of Israel (second half of the 11th century BC). Came from the tribe of Benjamin. Anointed king by the prophet Samuel. He waged continuous wars with Israel's neighbors (Philistines, Moabites, etc.). Came into conflict with Samuel, who nominated the shepherd David as a contender for the throne. In the fight against David he was initially successful, but then was defeated in the battle on Mount Gilboa and committed suicide. The story of Saul is set out in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 9–31; 1 Chronicles 10) and in the “Antiquities of the Jews” by Josephus (Jos. Ant. VI. 4. 5 – 14.9). In the period between the conquest of Palestine and the establishment of royal power (XII-XI centuries BC), the Jews were ruled by the so-called. “Judges” who often performed not only judicial (“small Judges”), but also military and religious functions (“great Judges”). The latter included Deborah, Ehud, Gideon, Jephthah, Othniel, Samegar and Samson. This period of Israel's history is described in the Book of Judges. The high priest ruled the Jews together with the Sanhedrin (see note 1 to p. 104). Eusebius is silent about the fact that in 140 BC. e., when Simon Maccabee was proclaimed not only high priest, but also military leader and ethnarch (ruler) of the Jews, a restoration of royal power actually took place in Judea, which was formalized under Aristobulus I in 104 BC. e. All this happened long before the Roman general Pompeii the Great captured Jerusalem in 63 BC. e. and captured the Jewish king Aristobulus II. Gnaeus Pompeii the Great (106–48 BC) is a famous Roman commander and statesman, member of the first triumvirate. In the 60s 1st century BC e. made several trips to the East, including in 63 BC. e. to Judea. In the civil war with Julius Caesar he was defeated and died in 48 BC. e. For Pompey's campaign in Judea, see: Jos. Ant. XIV. 3–4; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.6. 2 – 7. 7; App. Syr. 50. Only the high priest had the right to enter the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, where previously (before the Babylonian captivity) the Ark of the Covenant with the Tablets of the Covenant was kept, and only on certain days. However, according to Josephus (Jos. Ant. XIV. 4. 4; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.7.6), Pompey “due to his piety” did not allow the church treasures to be plundered. Aristobulus II from the Hasmonean family was king and high priest of Judea in 67–63. BC e., fighting for power with his brother Hyrcanus II. Captured by Pompey and sent to Rome, Aristobulus soon fled to Judea, but was captured by the Roman praetor Gabinius, returned to Rome and thrown into prison (Jos. Ant. XIV. 6.1; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 8. 6). In 49 BC. e. Julius Caesar, who captured Rome, freed Aristobulus and sent him with two legions to conquer Judea and Syria; however, Pompey's supporters managed to poison Aristobulus (Jos. Ant. XIV. 7.4; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 9.1). With sons Alexander and Antigonus and two daughters (Jos. Ant. XIV. 4. 5; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 7. 7). Soon, however, the children of Aristobulus were released by decision of the Senate and were able to return to Judea (Jos. Ant. XIV. 6.1–2; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 8. 6). Pompey did not want to appoint Hyrcanus II king of Judea. See: Jos. Ant. XIV. 4. 4; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 7. 6. In 40 BC. e. the son of Aristobulus II Antigonus, with the support of the Parthians, overthrew Hyrcanus II and ordered his ears to be cut off (according to another version, he personally bit them off) so that he could no longer serve as high priest (Jos. Ant. XIV. 13.10; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.13.9). Previously, the office of high priest had been hereditary in the Hasmonean family, beginning with Jonathan Maccabee (160 BC). From 145 BC e. representatives of the Hasmonean dynasty performed both royal and high priestly functions (Simon, John Hyrcanus I, Aristobulus I, Alexander Yannai, John Hyrcanus II). The Parthians are a people of Iranian origin whose leader Arshak I founded in 247 BC. e. Parthian kingdom. Having taken possession in the middle of the 2nd century. BC e. Mesopotamia, the Parthians in their expansion to the west encountered Rome, which led in the 1st century. BC e. to a series of bloody wars. Palestine was one of the objects of Parthian-Roman rivalry. In 40 BC. e. the Parthian prince Pacorus, having captured Syria, invaded Judea, captured Hyrcanus II by cunning and elevated Antigonus to the Jewish throne (Jos. Ant. XIV. 13.3–10; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 13). Hyrcanus, however, soon managed to free himself from captivity (Jos. Ant. XV. 2. 1–4). In fact, the initiator of the decision of the Roman Senate to proclaim Herod king of Judea was the triumvir Mark Antony. Gaius Octavius, who at that moment did not yet bear the title “Augustus,” played a minor role in these events (Jos. Ant. XIV. 14. 3–5; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.14.4). Perhaps, in this case, Eusebius is referring to Gaius Octavius’ confirmation of Herod’s royal rights after the victory over Mark Antony at Actium in 31 BC. e. (Jos. Ant. XV. 6. 6–7; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.20. 1–4). Jos. Ant. XX. 10. The only exception was Aristobulus, the brother of Herod's wife Mariamma, whom, however, the king soon ordered to be killed (Jos. Ant. XV. 2.7; 3.3; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.22.2). Herod the Great also did not observe the rule according to which a person confirmed in the rank of high priest retained it for life (Jos. Ant. XV. 3. 1). In addition, he elevated to this rank not only Palestinian Jews, but also Jews from other countries, for example, Ananil (Ibid.). Herod Archelaus (c. 23 BC - c. 16 AD) - the eldest son of Herod the Great and the Samaritan woman Maltaka; ethnarch of Judea, Idumea and Samaria in 4 BC. e. – 6 AD e. In 6 AD e. deposed by Emperor Augustus and exiled to Gaul. In Daniel's prophecy, the period that God gives the people of Israel for correction is defined as seventy weeks (Dan.9:24). In this case, a week is a period of 7 years. Every seventh year was celebrated as a year of remission of sins (Deut. 31:10). In Prophetic Eclogues and Proof of the Gospel. Matthew 1:2-16; Luke 3:23–38. They outline only the genealogical line from Abraham to David in the same way. We are talking about the above-mentioned Epistle of Sextus Julius Africanus to Aristides. This Aristides, who lived at the beginning of the 3rd century, should be distinguished from the Christian writer Aristides of Athens, a contemporary of the Emperor Hadrian (117–138). Nathan is one of the sons of King David from Bathsheba (2 Samuel 5:14). That is, before Joseph the Carpenter, betrothed to the Virgin Mary. According to Matthew (Matthew 1:15–16). Possibly identical to Matthat from Luke's genealogical list (Luke 3:24). In fact, in Luke the third from the end, that is, the grandfather of Joseph the Betrothed, Matthat is named, while Melchi takes fifth place (Luke 3:24). Luke 3:38. Whereas Matthew brings the genealogy of Jesus only to Abraham (Matthew 1:2). Epimeletus – trustee, governor, manager. Antipater was appointed to this position by Julius Caesar (Jos. Ant. XIV. 8.5; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 10.3) See below: I. 9. 1. Tetrarchs (“rulers of the quarters”) - rulers of the regions formed when the state, which was dependent on Rome, was divided into four parts. Tetrarchs were also often called rulers of the vassal states of the East appointed by Rome, even if we were not talking about a quarter of a particular territory. A proselyte (“newcomer”) is a pagan who converted to Judaism through the adoption of the Mosaic Law and circumcision. Ahior the Ammonite was the leader of the Ammonites (a Semitic tribe that lived east of the Jordan), who were in the Assyrian army of Holofernes, which was besieging the Jewish fortress of Bethulia. For showing sympathy for the Jews and their faith, he was handed over to the besieged (Judith 5:5–21; 6,10). After the murder of Holofernes, he converted to Judaism (Judith 14:6–10). The Moabites are a tribe that, according to the Bible, originated from the incest of Lot and his eldest daughter; it lived on the plateau east of the Dead Sea, between the Zared and Arnon rivers. A representative of this tribe, Ruth, the famous biblical righteous woman, moved to Bethlehem during the time of the Judges, where she married the pious landowner Boaz. Her great-grandson was King David. The story of Ruth is told in the Book of Ruth. We are talking about the “multitude of people of different tribes” who joined the Israelites during the Exodus (Ex. 12:38). According to the Law of Moses, their descendants could enter the Jewish community in the third generation (Deut. 23:8) This refers to gerim (“aliens”). See: Skripov I.V. Foreigners of the Old Testament // The Bible as a cultural and historical monument. Ivanovo, 1994. pp. 18–19. Desposins (from the Greek δεσπόσυνος - “lordly”, “royal”) - “belonging to the house of the Lord.” Nazareth is a village in southern Galilee southwest of Lake Gennesaret. Cohaba is a place in the southern Galilee near Nazareth. “And every daughter who inherits an inheritance in the tribes of the children of Israel must be the wife of someone from the tribe of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel will inherit every inheritance of their fathers and so that the inheritance does not pass from tribe to another tribe; for each of the tribes of the children of Israel must be bound to its own inheritance” (Num. 36:8-9). Magi (“magicians”) are sages and stargazers who came to worship the newborn Savior and honor Him with gifts. The Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:1–12) and the apocryphal Proto-Gospel of James (James 21) do not indicate their number, their names, or their ethnicity. The apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew says that there were three of them (Ps. Matt. Ch. 16). In the early Christian tradition (Justin Martyr, Origen), a version arose that the Magi were kings and that they came from the Arabian Peninsula. According to another version, widespread among Syrian and Armenian authors, their number reached twelve. The pagan philosopher Celsus, an opponent of Christianity, calls the New Testament Magi “Chaldeans” (Orig. Contra Cel. I. 58). In the words of the Magi, this title has not a political, but a messianic meaning. According to Matthew, the Magi learned about the birth of Christ by a star that appeared in the east (Matthew 2:2), which led them to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9). Origen considers this star to be a comet (Orig. Contra Cel. 1.58–59). About the reality of such a celestial phenomenon at the end of the 1st century. BC e. - early 1st century n. e. see: Flusser D. Decree. op. pp. 24–25. Matt. 2.2. The words “as God” are not found in the surviving manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew. Matt. 2.3. Celsus, translating the story of Matthew, writes that Herod was afraid that Jesus, “having reached manhood,” would take possession of his kingdom (Orig. Contra Cel. I. 58). Νομοδιδάσκαλοι. Matthew (Matthew 2:4) talks about the high priests and scribes (τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς). Matthew's account of the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem under Herod the Great is not supported by any non-Christian sources of the time and was criticized in antiquity (Orig. Contra Cel. I. 61). Perhaps this legend was an echo of Herod’s cruelty towards his own sons Alexander, Aristobulus and Antipater (see below note 7), towards the 17-year-old brother of Mariamma Aristobulus (Jos. Ant. XV. 3.3; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.22.2) and towards the Jewish youths who cut the Roman golden eagle on the main gate of the Jerusalem Temple ( Jos. Ant. 6.4; From the Angel of the Lord (Matt. 2:13; Ps. Matt. Ch. 16). The Holy Family's journey to Egypt is described in the apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (Ch. 18–24). Herod the Great ordered the murder of his beloved wife Mariamma, suspecting her of adultery (Jos. Ant. XV. 1–7; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.22). The sons of Mariamma Alexander and Aristobulus, whom Herod ordered to be hanged (Jos. Ant. XVI. 11. 7–8; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 27. 6), and the son of Doris Antipater, also killed by his order (Jos. Ant. XVII. 7; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 33. 7). There is no mention of the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem in the writings of Josephus. Actually in the 1st book. According to A.P. Chekhov, Herod the Great died from a phagedenic or Adenic ulcer (Chekhov A.P. What disease did Herod die from? // Chekhov A.P. Complete works and letters. In 30 volumes. T. 16. M., 1979. pp. 259–26. The Jordan is the main river of Palestine, which originates in the Hermon Mountains, flows through lakes Semekhonite (Merom) and Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee) and flows into Lake Asphalt (Dead Sea). Herod crossed to the eastern bank of the Jordan. The town of Callirhoe, famous for its hot healing springs, was located in Perea on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Later it received the name “Herod’s Bath”. Asphalt Lake (Dead Sea) was so named because it emitted asphalt lumps that floated on its surface. The drachma is an ancient Greek and Hellenistic silver coin of varying weights (usually 3–4 grams). Salome is the daughter of Antipater and Cyprus, a constant participant in intrigues at the court of Herod the Great. After the death of Herod, she received control of the cities of Jamnia and Ashdod (Ashdod) in the ancient land of the Philistines and the city of Phasaelida north of Jericho. In Josephus - Alex (Jos. Ant. XVII. 6. 5; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.33.6). Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.33. 5–6. See also: Jos. Ant. XVII. 6.5. After the death of Herod, Salome and Alexa freed these unfortunates (Jos. Ant. XVII. 8.2; Jos. Bell. Jud. 1.33. 8). Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 33. 7. We are talking about Antipater, executed 5 days before the death of Herod the Great. He was accused of having killed his half-brothers Alexander and Aristobulus, slandered his aunt Salome, and intended to poison Herod himself (Jos. Ant. XVII. 5.3–8; Jos. Bell. Jud. i.32). Herod died at the age of 70 (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 6.1). According to the Arabic Gospel of Childhood (Chapter 25), the Holy Family spent three years in Egypt. Wed: Ps-Matt. 26. Matthew 2:22. Galilee (from the Hebrew "haggalil" - "area") is a region in northern Palestine west of the Jordan River and Lake Gennesaret. Having assumed power, Herod Archelaus announced that he would accept the title of king only after Emperor Augustus approved the will of Herod the Great (Jos. Ant. XVII. 8.4). According to the will of Herod the Great, Herod Archelaus was to become the king of Judea, Herod Antipas was to become the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, and Herod Philip was to become the tetrarch of the trans-Jordanian regions of Gaulanitis, Trachonitis, Batanea and Paneas (Jos. Ant. XVII. 8. 1; Jos. Bell. Jud. I. 33. 8). By his decision, Augustus changed the will of Herod the Great. Herod Archelaus was not appointed king, but ethnarch of half of his father's dominions (Idumea, Samaria and Judea). Herod Antipas, Herod Philip and Salome as a whole received the territories bequeathed to them. Three cities with a Greek population (Gaza, Gadara and Joppa) were included in the Roman province of Syria (Jos. Ant. XVII. 12.4; Jos. Bell. Jud.il. 6.3). In 6 AD e. See: Jos. Ant. XVII. 13.2; Jos. Bell. Jud. IL 7. 3. The areas under the control of Herod Archelaus were included in the province of Syria (Jos. Ant. XVII. 13. 5; Jos. Bell. Jud. II. 8. 1). Herod Philip († 34 AD) - son of Herod the Great and another Mariamma, daughter of the high priest Simon; tetrarch of Gavlanitida, Trachonitida and Batanea in 4 BC. e. – 34 AD e.; husband of Salome, daughter of Herodias. Herod Antipas (20 BC - after 39 AD) - son of Herod the Great and Maltaki; Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea in 4 BC. e. – 39 AD e. In 39 he was deposed and sent into exile together with his wife Herodias. Lysanias was the tetrarch of Avilenea, a region in Anti-Lebanon northwest of Damascus. Almost nothing is known about this character. Tiberius Claudius Nero (Tiberius Caesar Augustus) - Roman emperor from 14 to 37 AD. Emperor Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD. e. Pontius Pilate - Roman horseman; procurator of Judea in 26–36. After the massacre of the Samaritans, who had gathered according to custom on Mount Gerizim, he was removed from his post. For his activities in Judea, see: Jos. Ant. XVIII. 3.1–3; 4. 1–2; Jos. Bell. Jud. II. 9.2–4. Or "Acts of Pilate" (Acta Pilati). We are not talking about the Christian “Acts of Pilate,” probably written in the 2nd century. n. e. and known to Justin Martyr and Tertullian, but about an anti-Christian work with the same name, compiled at the behest of Emperor Maximin Daza at the beginning of the 4th century. in order to expose Jesus as a fraud. See below: IX. 5. 1. The fourth consulate of Tiberius (along with Drusus) falls in 21 AD. e. The apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus (Evangelium Nicodemi // Evangelia apocrypha/Ed. K. von Tischendorf. Lipsia, 1853. P. 204–205) indicates a different date: “This [the Passion of Christ] happened in the eighteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, Emperor of the Romans, and in the reign of Herod’s son [Herod Antipas] in Galilee in the eighteenth year of his dominion, on the eighth day before the calends of April, which means the 25th day of March, in the consulate of Rufinus and Rubellion; in the fourth year of the two hundred and second Olympiad" (Russian translation: Gospel of Nicodemus // Jesus Christ in historical documents. P. 176). In fact, in the Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus writes that Pontius Pilate was appointed procurator after Valerius Gratus had ruled Judea for eleven years (Jos. Ant. XVIII.2.2). John the Baptist is the son of the priest Zechariah and Elizabeth; the last in the line of prophets, the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He spent his childhood and youth in the desert. He began his ministry at the age of 30, when he turned to the Jews preaching repentance and began to baptize those who believed in his words in the Jordan. Herod Antipas, whom John publicly denounced for taking his brother's wife Herodias from him and marrying her, threw him into prison. Herodias, with the help of her daughter Salome, obtained from Herod an order to execute John the Baptist. Annas (short form of Ananias) was the high priest of Judea in 6 BC. e. – 15 AD e. Since the earthly ministry of Jesus began, as stated above, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius and in the fourth year of the procuratorship of Pontius Pilate, it cannot in any way be attributed to the time of the high priesthood of Ananias. Joseph Caiaphas - son-in-law of Ananias; High Priest of Judea 18–37 Valerius Gratus - Roman procurator of Judea in 15–26 AD. Ishmael - high priest of Judah in 15–16; killed during the Jewish War. Eleazar - High Priest of Judea in 16–17 AD. Simon - High Priest of Judea in 17-18. Matthew 26:3, John 11:49; 18:13–14. Matthew 10:1-4; Matthew 3:14–19; Luke 6:13–16. Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14–29; Luke 3:19–20; 9:9. Herodias is the daughter of Aristobulus, son of Herod the Great, and Berenice. Married in her first marriage to her uncle Herod the Landless, who was forced to give her up to his half-brother Herod Antipas. After the deposition, Antipas of her own free will followed him into exile. From Herod the Landless she had a daughter, Salome. Aretas IV Philopator - ruler of the Nabatean kingdom in 9–40 AD. Petra is the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, located halfway between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Jos. Ant. XVIII. 5. 1. Having suffered defeat, Herod Antipas complained to Emperor Tiberius, who ordered the governor of Syria, Aulus Vitellius, to punish Aretas. In 37, Vitellius marched against the Nabataean Arabs, but the news of the death of Tiberius forced him to interrupt the campaign (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 5.1–3). Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:2-18; John 1:6–28. According to Josephus (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 7. 1–2; Jos. Bell. Jud. II. 9.6), after Emperor Caligula granted Herod Agrippa the royal title, the ambitious Herodias managed to convince her husband Herod Antipas to go to Rome in 39 to obtain the same honor from the emperor. In The Jewish War, Josephus writes that this request aroused the anger of Caligula, who sent Antipas into exile (Jos. Bell. Jud. II. 9. 6). In Antiquities, he claims that the reason for the imperial disfavor was a letter from Agrippa, which contained an accusation of treason against Antipas (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 7.2). The possessions of the exiled tetrarch passed to Agrippa. Jos. Ant. XVIII. 7. 2. Vienna - an ancient city of the Celtic Allobroges tribe on the Rodan River south of Lugdunum; since the time of Claudius I, it has been the administrative center of the Roman province of Narbonne Gaul. In The Jewish War, Josephus says that Antipas was exiled to Spain (Jos. Bell. Jud. II. 9.6). Macheron is a fortress in southern Perea, east of the Dead Sea. Ecclesiastical History" by Eusebius is the first Christian work in which the famous "Testimony of Josephus" about Jesus Christ is given. It exactly coincides with the corresponding passage from the extant manuscripts of the Antiquities of the Jews (Jos. Ant. XVIII. 3. 3). After Eusebius, this testimony was quoted with varying degrees of accuracy by Pseudo-Hegesippus (Ps-Heg. Jos. hist. II. 12.1), blessed. Jerome (Hier. Vir. ill. XIIIs), Ermius Sozomen (Soz. 1.1.8) and many other authors. See: Jesus Christ in the Documents of History. pp. 110–147. Most modern researchers consider the “Testimony of Josephus” to be a late Christian insertion. This list was compiled later. Barnabas (“son of consolation”) is the nickname of Josiah, a Levite from Fr. Cyprus, which sold its land and gave the proceeds to the apostles (Acts 4:36–37); prominent member of the Christian community; possessed the gift of prophecy and preaching (Acts 13:1). He was a companion of Saul (Paul) on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:2 – 14:27); participated in Paul’s second journey, but only on its first stage (to Antioch), and then went to preach in Cyprus (Acts 15:22–39). According to legend, Barnabas preached Christianity in Rome, became the first bishop of Milan and suffered martyrdom from the pagans in Salamis in Cyprus in 76. His relics were found during the reign of Emperor Zeno in 482. The name of Barnabas is associated with the Epistle, which is not considered among the canonical books of the New Testament (Der Barnabasbrief/Ubers. von F. R. Prostmeier. Göttingen, 1999). According to Clement of Alexandria and Origen, it is an authentic work of Barnabas. See: Sagarda A.I. St. Apostle Barnabas // Parish Reading. 1915. No. 21. P. 782–790; No. 22. pp. 828–831; Kollmann W. Joseph Barnabas. Leben und Wirkungsgeschichte. Stuttgart, 1998; Ohler M. Barnabas. Die historische Person und ihre Rezeption in der Apostelgeschichte. Tubingen, 2003. Sosthenes – colleague of the Apostle Paul; co-author of the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:1). In Christian tradition, he is identified with the leader of the Jewish synagogue in Corinth, who was captured and beaten in court in connection with the attack of local Jews on Paul (Acts 18:17). According to legend, he later became a bishop in the Ionian city of Colophon. Titus Flavius ​​Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 - c. 215) - famous Christian thinker and writer; born into a pagan family in Athens; in Alexandria he met the Christian philosopher Panten, became his student and converted to Christianity; together with his teacher he directed the Alexandria Catechetical School; in 202–203 during the persecution under Septimius Severus, he fled to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he spent the rest of his life. The author of numerous works, of which “Protreptik”, “Teacher”, “Stromata”, “Which of the Rich Will Be Saved” and a number of fragments have been preserved. See: Clemens Alexandrinus. Werke/Hrsg. O. Stählin und L. Früchtel. 2. Aufl. Bd. 1–3. Berlin, 1936–1970. Rus. Transl.: Clement of Alexandria. Stromata/Trans. N. N. Korsunsky. Yaroslavl, 1892; Clement of Alexandria. Teacher/Transl. N. N. Korsunsky and G. Chistyakov. M.; New York, 1996; Clement of Alexandria. Stromata/Trans. E. V. Afonasina. In 3 volumes. St. Petersburg, 2003; Clement of Alexandria. Exhortation to the Gentiles [“Protreptic”]/Trans. A. Yu. Bratukhina. Ed. 2nd. St. Petersburg, 2010. About him, see: Karsavin L.P. Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church (disclosure of Orthodoxy in their creations). M., 1994. S. 55–63; Mayorov G. G. The formation of medieval philosophy: Latin patristics. M., 1979. S. 80–91; Savrey V. Ya. Alexandrian school in the history of philosophical and theological thought. M., 2011. P. 303–418; Dainese D. Clemente d'Alessandria e la filosofia. Prospettive aperte e nuove proposte // Annali di Scienze Religiose. NS. Vol. 3.2011. P. 223–259; Osborn E. F. Clement of Alexandria. Cambridge, 2008; Quasten J. Patrology. Vol. 2. P. 5–36. Adumbrationes (= Hypotyposes) // Clemens Alexandrinus. Werke. Bd. 3. Berlin, 1970. S. 195–215 (Russian translation: “Hypotipos” by Clement of Alexandria / Translated by A.I. Sagarda // Christian Reading. 1913. No. 9. P. 1108–1127). Gal. 2, 11.0 Cephas also mentions the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5). In church tradition, Cephas (aram, “stone”) is often identified with Peter. The election of Matthias as one of the twelve apostles instead of Judas Iscariot took place between the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost (Acts 1:23–26) The New Testament does not say anything more about Matthias. As for church tradition, there are several versions of the further fate of this apostle. According to one of them, Matthias preached in Judea, according to another - in Ethiopia, according to the third - in Rome, and was either stoned, or crucified, or beheaded. We are talking about Joseph Barsab, nicknamed Just (the righteous), who was one of two candidates for the place of Judas Iscariot. The lot, however, fell to Matthias. According to legend, Joseph Barsabas was the son of Joseph the Betrothed; in apostolic times he became the first bishop of Eleutheropolis in southern Palestine and suffered martyrdom there. Eusebius distinguishes this Thaddeus from Levbeus Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18). According to legend, Thaddeus was first a disciple of John the Baptist and then followed Jesus Christ. Here we are, of course, talking about the Apostle Peter. This refers to James the Righteous, the future first primate of the Christian community of Jerusalem, who suffered martyrdom in 62. The expression “brothers of the Lord” can refer to either Jesus' siblings or cousins. Aramaic did not have a specific term for cousinship. See about this: Lebedev A.P. Brothers of the Lord. Research on the history of the ancient Church. Ed. 2nd. St. Petersburg, 2010. Avgar V Uhama (Black) – toparch (ruler) of the Edessa state in 4 BC. – 7 AD and in 13–50 years. n. e. According to Moses of Khorensky, Avgar was ill for seven years (Mos. Khor. II. 30). Thomas, or Didymus (“twin”), is an apostle who became famous for doubting the Resurrection of the Savior (hence the expression “Doubting Thomas”). According to legend, he preached the faith in the East (in Persia and eastern India) and suffered martyrdom there. Edessa is the main city of Osroene in northern Mesopotamia on the Skirtus River; from 137 BC e. - capital of the Edessa state. Moses of Khorensky also refers to this repository in his “History of Armenia” (Mos. Khor. III. 10). The correspondence of Abgar V with Jesus Christ is also reproduced in Moses of Khoren (Mos. Khor. IL 30–33), in the “World History” of Agapius of Menbij (Agap. Menb. II. 7b-9a) and in the Syriac work “The Teaching of Addai the Apostle” (The Teaching of Addai the Apostle // Meshcherskaya E. N. Apocryphal Acts Apostles. New Testament Apocrypha in Syriac Literature. M., 1997. pp. 78–79). In the “Teaching of Addai the Apostle,” this Ananias, appearing under the name Hannan, is called an “archivist” (Teaching of Addai the Apostle. P. 79); Agapius of Menbij, who also calls him Hannan, is presented as a painter who painted the face of the Lord on a board and presented this image to his master Abgar (Agap. Menb. II. 8a). Wed: Gen. 19:20; Eccl.9:14. According to the version of Moses of Khoren, Jesus' answer was written by the hand of the Apostle Thomas (Mos.Khor. II. 31). Wed: Is.6:9–10; Matt. 13.13–16; Acts 28.26–28. Wed: Matt. 10, 1 ; Mark .3.14–15; OK. 9, 1–2. According to Moses of Khoren, Tobias came from the noble Armenian family of Bagratuni and professed the Jewish faith (Mos. Khor. II. 33). According to Agapius of Menbij, Avgar’s face was “hit by a bright Divine light” (Agap. Menb. II. 86). Perhaps the legend of the conversion of Avgar was an echo of the story of the conversion to Judaism of the Adiabene queen Helen and her son Izat (Jos. Ant. XX) Moses of Khoren calls Abdiy “the ruler of the city, respected throughout the royal house” (Mos. Khor. II. 33). As Moses of Khoren says (Mos. Khor. II. 33), “Abgar and the whole city were baptized.” See also: Teachings of Addai the Apostle. P. 97. According to Moses of Khorensky, Thaddeus soon left Edessa and went to Abgar V’s nephew Sinatruk, “the commander of the country and the army”; however, he left in Edessa in his place the converted Christian Haggai, a master maker of silk headdresses (Mos. Khor. II. 33), later killed by order of the heir of Abgar V (Teachings of Addai the Apostle. P. 110). Era of Alexander the Great (29 AD). Agapius of Menbidzh (Agap. Menb. P. 76) dates these events to the “three hundred and forty-first year of the Two-horned One,” i.e., Alexander the Great. You might be interested in: