The divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, being noised abroad among all men on account of his wonder-working power, drew to him countless multitudes, even of those in foreign lands far remote from Judaea, in the hope of healing from diseases and from sufferings of every kind.
Thus it was that King Abgar, who ruled with great distinction over the nations beyond the Euphrates, being wasted away by a terrible disease in his body, one beyond cure so far as human power could reach, when he heard much of the name of Jesus and of the mighty works attested unanimously by all, became his suppliant by sending a letter through a courier, begging to obtain relief from his disease.
But Jesus, though he did not heed his summons at that time, yet vouchsafed him a letter of his own, promising to send one of his disciples for the healing of his disease, and at the same time promising salvation for himself and for all who belonged to him.
And the terms of his promise were not long in being fulfilled. For after the resurrection from the dead and the ascension into heaven, Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, was moved by a more divine impulse to send to Edessa Thaddaeus, who was himself reckoned in the number of the seventy disciples of Christ, as a herald and evangelist of the teaching concerning Christ; and through him all the terms of our Saviour's promise received their fulfilment.
You have written testimony of these things also, taken from the record-archives at Edessa, which was at that time a royal city. For in the public documents there, which contain the things of old and those done in the time of Abgar, these matters too are found preserved from that time even until now. But there is nothing like hearing the very letters themselves, which we have taken up from the archives and translated word for word in this manner from the Syriac tongue. A copy of a letter written by Abgar the toparch to Jesus, and sent to him at Jerusalem by the courier Ananias.
"Abgar, toparch of Edessa, to Jesus the good Saviour who has appeared in the region of Jerusalem, greeting. I have heard concerning you and your healings, how they are accomplished by you without drugs and herbs. For, as the report goes, you make the blind to see again and the lame to walk, and you cleanse lepers, and cast out unclean spirits and demons, and heal those tormented by long-standing disease, and raise the dead.
And having heard all these things concerning you, I have concluded in my mind one of two things: either that you are God and have come down from heaven to do these things, or that you are a Son of God in doing these things.
For this reason, then, I have written to entreat you to take the trouble to come to me and to heal the affliction which I have. For I have also heard that the Jews murmur against you and wish to do you harm. I have a city, very small indeed but stately, which is sufficient for us both."
[And these things he wrote thus, while as yet only a small ray of the divine radiance had shone upon him. It is worthwhile also to hear the letter sent to him from Jesus by the same letter-carrier—brief in lines, yet mighty in power—which likewise runs in this manner.] The reply written by Jesus to Abgar the toparch by the courier Ananias.
"Blessed are you who believed in me without having seen me. For it is written concerning me that those who have seen me will not believe in me, and that those who have not seen me will themselves believe and live. Now concerning what you wrote to me, that I should come to you, it is necessary that I first fulfil here all the things for which I was sent, and after fulfilling them be thus taken up to him who sent me. And when I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples, that he may heal your affliction and grant life to you and to those who are with you."
To these letters there was still further appended the following, in the Syriac tongue: "Now after Jesus had been taken up, Judas, who is also called Thomas, sent to him Thaddaeus, an apostle, one of the seventy; and he came and lodged with Tobias, the son of Tobias. When word concerning him was heard, it was reported to Abgar that an apostle of Jesus has come here, even as he wrote to you.
So Thaddaeus began, in the power of God, to heal every disease and infirmity, so that all marvelled. And when Abgar heard of the great and wonderful deeds which he was doing, and how he was working cures, he came to suspect that this was indeed the one concerning whom Jesus had written, saying, 'When I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples, who will heal your affliction.'
So, having summoned Tobias, with whom Thaddaeus was lodging, he said, 'I have heard that a certain powerful man has come and is staying in your house; bring him up to me.' And Tobias came to Thaddaeus and said to him, 'The toparch Abgar has summoned me and bidden me bring you up to him, that you may heal his affliction.' And Thaddaeus said, 'I will go up, since I have been sent with power to him.'
So Tobias rose up early the next day, and taking Thaddaeus came to Abgar. And as he went up, while the king's nobles were present and standing by, immediately as he entered a great vision appeared to Abgar upon the face of the apostle Thaddaeus. When Abgar saw this, he did obeisance to Thaddaeus, and amazement seized all who were standing around; for they had not seen the vision, which appeared to Abgar alone.
And he asked Thaddaeus, 'Are you truly a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God, who said to me, "I will send to you one of my disciples, who will heal you and give you life"?' And Thaddaeus said, 'Since you have greatly believed in him who sent me, for this reason I have been sent to you. And again, if you believe in him, the requests of your heart shall be granted to you according as you believe.'
And Abgar said to him, 'I have so believed in him that I even wished to take an army and cut down the Jews who crucified him, had I not been restrained from this by the Roman empire.' And Thaddaeus said, 'Our Lord has fulfilled the will of his Father, and having fulfilled it has been taken up to the Father.'
Abgar said to him, 'I too have believed in him and in his Father.' And Thaddaeus said, 'For this reason I lay my hand upon you in his name.' And when he had done this, immediately he was healed of the disease and the affliction which he had.
And Abgar marvelled that, just as he had heard concerning Jesus, so in very deed he received it through his disciple Thaddaeus, who healed him without medicine and herbs—and not him only, but also Abdus the son of Abdus, who had the gout; for he too came and fell at his feet, and receiving prayer through the laying on of his hand was healed. And the same man healed many others of their fellow-citizens, doing wonderful and great things, and preaching the word of God.
After these things Abgar said, 'You, Thaddaeus, do these things by the power of God, and we ourselves have marvelled at you. But besides these things I beg of you, recount to me concerning the coming of Jesus, how it came about, and concerning his power, and by what power he did these things which we have heard.'
And Thaddaeus said, 'For now I will keep silence, since I was sent to preach the word; but tomorrow assemble for me all your citizens, and before them I will preach the word of God, and will sow among them the word of life—concerning the coming of Jesus, how it came to pass, and concerning his mission, and on whose account he was sent by the Father, and concerning the power of his works and the mysteries which he spoke in the world, and by what power he did these things; concerning his new preaching, and concerning his lowliness and his humiliation, and how he humbled himself and died and made small his deity and was crucified, and descended into Hades, and broke through the barrier which from of old had never been broken, and raised up the dead; for, having gone down alone, he raised up many with him, and so then ascended to his Father.'
So Abgar commanded that early in the morning his citizens should be gathered together to hear the preaching of Thaddaeus; and after this he gave orders that gold and silver bullion should be given to him. But Thaddaeus did not accept it, saying, 'If we have left our own possessions, how shall we take what belongs to others?'
These things were done in the three hundred and fortieth year; and these matters, having been translated word for word from the Syriac tongue, not without profit, let them be set down here by me in due season.