(7) After speaking of John, Joseph in the same work says of our Saviour: "At the same time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if he should be called a man. He did amazing things and taught people who gladly accepted the truth. He drew to Himself many Jews and many Greeks. (8) It was Christ. On the denunciation of the first people among us, 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 foretold this and many other miracles of Him. And to this day the race of Christians who call themselves so by His name has not disappeared."

(9) This is what a writer from among the Jews themselves tells us in his work about John the Baptist and our Saviour. Where can the authors of the "Notes" hide from being accused of shamelessness?

Enough about that.

12

The names of the Savior's apostles are known to everyone from the Gospels; but the list of seventy disciples is nowhere to be found. One of them was, they say, Barnabas, who is especially mentioned in Acts, as well as Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians. There was, they say, Sosthenes among them, who wrote to the Corinthians with Paul. Clement, in the 5th book of his Hypotyposes, tells us that Cephas, of whom Paul says, "When [Cephas] came to Antioch, I directly opposed him," was the namesake of the Apostle Peter and one of the seventy. 3 According to tradition, both Matthias, who was numbered among the apostles in place of Judas, and he who was honored with him by lot, were counted worthy of being called to the number of the seventy. They say that one of them was Thaddeus; His story, which has come down to us, I will tell you shortly.

(4) On reflection, you will see that Christ had more than seventy disciples. Paul testifies that after the Resurrection Christ appeared first to Cephas, 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. He appeared to Jacob - one of those who are reputed to be the brothers of the Savior. And finally, since there were many apostles besides the twelve in imitation of them, among whom was Paul, he adds: "And then he appeared to all the apostles." That's what about the apostles.

13

The story of Thaddeus is as follows. 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 illnesses and various sufferings. 2 Therefore king Augarus, who had ruled the nations on the other side of the Euphrates with distinction, but was tormented by an illness which was beyond the power of man to cure, when he heard of the name of Jesus and his miracles, which were borne witness by all, decided to implore him, sending a messenger with a letter and a request for deliverance from the disease. (3) The Saviour did not then heed his request, but vouchsafed a special letter, in which He promised to send one of His disciples to cure his illness and save him and all his relatives together. 4 This promise was soon fulfilled. After the Resurrection of Christ from the dead and the Ascension, Thomas, one of the twelve, by the inspiration of God, sent Thaddeus, who belonged to the seventy disciples of Christ, to Edessa to preach the teaching of Christ. He fulfilled everything that our Savior promised. 5 There is a written testimony to this, taken from the archives of Edessa, which was then the capital. Among the state documents reporting on the events ancient and contemporary with Augarus, the following story has been preserved from that time to the present day. There seems to be nothing more interesting than these letters, which I received from the archives and translated word for word from Syriac.

Copy of a letter written by the toparch to Jesus and sent to Jerusalem with the speeding Ananias:

(6) "Augarus, son of Ukhama, toparch, sends greetings to Jesus, the good Saviour, who has appeared within the borders of Jerusalem. A rumor has come to me about Thee and about Thy healings, that Thou doest them without medicines and herbs. You, they say, restore sight to the blind, walk to the lame, cleanse lepers, cast out unclean spirits and demons. You heal those who suffer from long illnesses and raise the dead. (7) I have heard all this about you, and I have grasped in my mind one of two things: either you are God, and having come down from heaven, you work such miracles, or you are the Son of God, who works miracles. (8) That is why I have written to you, and I ask you: Take the trouble to come to me, and heal my illness. I have also heard that the Jews murmur against Thee, and plot against Thee. My city is very small, but venerable, and it will be enough for the two of us."

9 This is what and how Augarus wrote, when the divine light illumined him only a little. But it is also necessary to listen to the letter of Jesus, sent to him through the same letter carrier. It is not verbose, but full of power. Here is its text:

Jesus' answer to the toparch (Augarus) through the walker Ananias:

(10) "Blessed are you if you believe 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 will believe and live. And because you invite Me to you, it behooves Me to fulfill here all that I was sent for; and when I have done it, I will be lifted up to Him who sent me. And when I am lifted up, I will send one of My disciples to thee, that he may heal that sickness and give life to thee and to those who are with thee."

11 To these letters was appended the following, also written in Syriac: