Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/335



Copy of a letter that was written by Abgar the King to Jesus, and was sent to him by the hand of Ananias the tabellarius to Jerusalem.

chief of the land, to Jesus, the good Redeemer, that hath appeared in the land of Jerusalem: Greeting.

I have heard of thee and of the healing which is performed by thy hands without medicines and herbs. For, as it is said, thou makest the blind to see, and the lame to walk, and thou cleansest the lepers, and thou castest out unclean spirits and demons, and those that are tormented with lingering diseases thou healest, and the dead thou raisest up. And when I heard all these things of thee, I settled in my mind one of two things: either that thou art God who camest down from heaven and dost these things, or that thou art the Son of God and dost these things. For this cause, therefore, I have written to ask of thee that thou wouldest trouble thyself to come to me, and heal this sickness which I have. For I have also heard that the Jews murmur against thee, and wish to injure thee. Now I have a small and beautiful city which is sufficient for both.