[Riaan]

Apart from what was written in the New Testament by Paul of Tarsus, there are relatively few other sources about the lives of the close followers of Christ. One such source is to be found in the Ethiopic text of the Gadla Hawaryat or Contendings of the Apostles, preserved in the British Museum. The work was translated and published by E.A. Wallis Budge in 1901 and was called The Contendings of the Apostles: Being the Histories and the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists [available from Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 1428614273].

I purchased this book for the simple reason of learning more about the lives of the Apostles in an attempt to understand how the legend of Christ had come about. When I had finished the laborious task of working through the book, I was left stunned. It did not reveal the lives of pious men preaching Christ’s message of love, but behind a thin veil of divine actions and miracles are to be found numerous accounts of savagery, cruelty, bloodshed and destruction perpetrated by the very Apostles of Christ.

The son of the king of Medon (actually, Satan disguised as this prince) attempted to warn Thewodas, the governor of Iconium, against Paul and Philip [Contendings, pp. 513-4]:

“For they are sorcerers, and they have subverted my rule, and have wrought deeds of shame among my women, and scattered abroad my officers and soldiers, and overthrown my house, and plundered my city, and stolen my possessions, and blotted out my hope, and done away my goods, and destroyed my pasture, and they have made accusations against each other, and they have carried off my handmaidens.”

Could this be true? If completely devoid of any truth, why would anyone ever have accused the peace-loving Apostles of such deeds? During his trial Paul admitted to having killed people [Acts 8:3: “Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them into prison”, Acts 26:10: “I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death…”]. Just how many people did Paul have executed? Who were the ‘saints’? Did those victims include citizens of Medon?

In Luke 9:54 John the Beloved asks Christ “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” Does this suggest that the followers of Christ burned cities? Several examples of the ‘fire from heaven’ destroying cities are mentioned in the Contendings and in one particular case this destruction came with the arrival of John the Beloved. Seven thousand men subsequently died.

Two common aspects of these histories of the lives of the Apostles:

A ) From the stories about the conversion of cities (I summarized some of them below) a distinct pattern arises. Invariably the apostles clashed with the governor of the cities they visited, the luckless man eventually losing everything he held dear – his wife, children and possessions, if not his life. Hundreds if not thousands of people often ended up dead. After such brutality the dead are supposedly revived to the amazement of all and the city is converted. It apparently took three months to convert a city.

B ) The Apostles seemed to have an obsession with converting wives and virgins - why these groups specifically? It would in fact appear that the success of a conversion campaign was measured in terms of the number of wives and virgins who had been ‘converted’. On numerous occasions the leaders of cities express the fear that the Apostles will ‘separate’ them from their wives. And the virgins? In those times the average age of a virgin, specifically the pretty ones, was most likely between 12 and 14 years – little girls still clinging to the aprons of their mothers. This probably accounts for the handmaidens as well. Would these children willingly have abandoned their families and homes to follow strangers?

My interpretation of these violent events is that it was a means of reporting back to others what they had achieved. Should the letters be intercepted, its contents would be downplayed as ridiculous stories invented by zealous believers. The Apostles of Christ would however know exactly how to interpret these events.

As an example, the episode of St Thomas walking around with his flayed skin around his neck, lending it out to others to revive their dead with (last paragraph below), can be interpreted in only three ways:

a ) It really happened that way.
b ) Pure fiction, something dreamt up by the sick mind of a believer.
c ) The wife of the governor was forced to watch her husband being flayed alive and his skin was draped over her before she was killed. Thomas then terrorized other men and women of the nobility by draping the governor’s skin around them before killing them or their loved ones.

How would you interpret the Histories and Lives of the Apostles?

Related posts:

Simon Peter = Simon bar Giora?

Was Christ crucified in 21 CE?


Episodes from the lives of the Apostles


• When Saint Peter visited Rome, he encountered a Roman prefect called Kewestos, who had a wife called Akrosya. They were so impressed with Peter that they gave away all their possessions to the poor, keeping nothing at all for themselves. At some point the two sons of Kewestos just happened to drink poison and died. Kewestôs later returned to find his sons lying dead in his (empty) treasure chamber, upon which he ‘lifted up his voice and wept aloud’. Peter however revived the dead and all rejoiced.

• Probably the best example of the modus operandi of the Apostles is to be found in the story of the visit of Paul and Philip to Iconium. This city was governed by Thewodas, an evil and wicked man in all his acts and deeds, a transgressor of the law and a multiplier of evil more than all the other men of the city. To make a long story short, Thewodas found his wife lying asleep at the feet of Paul and Philip, became infuriated and promptly strangled her, after which he disembowelled his son of a couple of years old with a sword. Thewodas however immediately accuses the Apostles,

“Ye have made desolate my house, and according to what you did unto the king of Medon, even so you have done unto me; ye have made me childless, and ye have slain my wife”. Did they stop there, or did Thewodas suffer the altogether same fate as the king of Medon?

Thewodas threw dust on his head and cried with a voice so loud that that his words could be heard in all the city, and all the nobles and the governors met him with great trepidation and fear.

In the end the son and wife of Thewodas were raised from the dead, Thewodas ‘brought forth all his possessions and laid them at the feet of the apostles’, and after a stay of three months the city ‘believed’.

• When Andrew and Philip visited Lydia, they were confronted by Rawekas, its governor. Satan commanded an evil spirit to possess the wife of the governor and instruct her to kill her own son. The (beautiful) wife of the governor was calmed by and sat down ‘between the hands’ of Andrew, who evidently then instructed all those present to leave the house and return only the next morning [no further explanation needed]. The governor’s son was then brought back to life, testifying about his experience in heaven and warning his father about his wicked ways, least he should burn in a house of bitumen and sulphur [his own?]. The governor promptly instructed all his possessions to be brought to Andrew and to be given away to the poor.

• Lydia, the wife of the governor of one of the cities visited by Andrew and Bartholomew, is possessed by an evil spirit and stones (to death) all those in her house. She was healed by Bartholomew and pledged that she would not leave them. The governor, who had evidently resisted the Apostles, ended up being tortured by ‘Dog-face’ and of the noblemen of the city a total of 703 were killed by ‘Dog-face’, with many others having gone into hiding [i.e. a brutal slaughter of those who resisted?].

• According to The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew in Scythia, Andrew made his last excursions to cities called Scythia, Garinius and Axis. The men of these three cities were ‘exceedingly wicked’ and ‘puffed up with pride’, and planned to burn Andrew with fire. He responded by calling down fire from heaven, which destroyed the men and their city. Luke 9:54?

• According to the text called the Martyrdom of Saint James the Just, the wife of an evil governor called Ammanyos, had been barren for 20 years [was this woman 20 years of age?] and approached James for divine assistance against the will of her husband. She promptly became pregnant and a son was born to her, which she called James in honour of Saint James. The governor ‘was angry with an exceedingly great anger because his wife had done (this thing).’ James was captured and executed.

• The king of a city called Kahenat ‘was angry with a great anger’ because of Matthew’s teaching and ordered the arrest and burning of Matthew and a priest who had turned to him. While they were in prison, the son of the king (mysteriously) died. Matthew promptly resurrected the child, upon which the king and the rest of the city were baptized, accepting Christ as their only god.

According to The Golden Legend - The Life of Saint Matthew, Matthew visited an Ethiopian city called Nadaber and stayed in the house of a queen called Candace, who had earlier been baptised by Philip. The son of Egippus, the king of the city, somehow died, and as in many of the other stories about the apostles, he was raised by Matthew. The king had a virgin daughter called Ephigenia whom Matthew ‘hallowed to God’ and made the mistress of 200 virgins. The king was succeeded by Hirtacus, who coveted the fair Ephigenia and requested Matthew to persuade her to accept his proposal of marriage. She however refused and to make a long story short, Ephigenia’s house was burnt (supposedly by the king). She and her 200 virgins escaped, having been rescued (taken?) by Matthew. The king’s castle also went up in flames, killing all inside except for the king and his son. His son was ‘ravished by a devil’ and the king took his own life with a sword.

• Saint John arrived at a city of the Ephesians, whose governor Dioscorides owned a ‘house of washing’ (i.e. a bath). Dioscorides had a son who was ‘exceedingly handsome in stature and appearance’ (the very words of Prochorus, John’s companion). After the Apostles had dwelt in the bath-house for three months, this son entered the bath before him (Prochorus), upon which Satan took hold of the young man and strangled him (in the presence of Prochorus). When Dioscorides received the news of the death of his son, he ‘fell down on the ground and became like a dead person’. John promptly restored the youth to life and an ever grateful Dioscorides offered all his possessions to the poor. During this process 200 men were struck with terror and died. They too were (of course) miraculously revived to the amazement of all.

• In the apocryphal Acts of Philip (not included in the Contendings), Philip is repeatedly accused of separating husbands and wives (by preaching chastity). When Philip visits the city of Nicatera, he was invited into the house of a wealthy man called Ireus, who was instructed by Philip to leave his wife in order to ‘cleanse his house’. Ireus was more than willing, but his wife complained bitterly, “What is to become of our children if we have to give up all our worldly wealth?” The Saint was nevertheless invited into the house, upon which Ireus instructed his wife to ‘put off her gay robes’ and come out to meet the strangers. His beautiful daughter was then also instructed to ‘put off her golden-woven dress’ and change into something simpler. Philip ‘shone with a great light’, causing them to fear. When he returned to normal, they all believed. Were they forced to undress before the Saint?

In the same document we are told of a visit by Philip and Andrew to a city called Hierapolis of Asia. Nicanora, the partially blind wife of the proconsul, was supposedly healed, upon which her tyrant husband dragged her by the hair and threatened to kill her and chased her away. The Apostles, one having been crucified upside down, the other having been hung naked by his hair, smilingly and not feeling any pain discuss whether they should ‘call down fire from heaven’, upon which none other than John arrives (Luke 9:54?). No less than 7000 men then died, but Nicanora and 50 others (wives who had deserted their husbands?), as well as 100 virgins remained safe. In the Additions to Acts of Philip the numbers and are slightly different and the description more precise: twenty-four wives who had fled from their husbands along with forty virgins who had not known men.

• In The Preaching of Saint Thomas in India is recounted the conversion of Arsonwa (Arsenia), the wife of Lukiyos (Vecius), the governor of a city. Thomas preached the faith of Jesus Christ to her, upon which the gods in the house ‘fell down’, and she ‘feared exceedingly’. Having been converted, she ‘threw off her beautiful apparel’ and all the men of the city ‘became believers’ [in fear of the same fate befalling their own wives?]. Upon his return, Lukiyos found his wife dressed in ‘wretched’ apparel, and was greatly grieved by it, for he believed that ‘thieves had stolen everything he had in his dwelling’. He spoke to his wife ‘according to the custom of the men of this world, concerning union with her’ [it should be clear which fate had befallen her]. She later died when she [supposedly] witnessed the apostle being flayed from a hidden window in her house, but was resurrected when Thomas draped her in the skin they had flayed off him. Thomas had been ordered to be flayed by Lukiyos, whose heart was ‘filled with the wrath of Satan’. Thomas in fact lent out his skin to others who had lost their loved ones, receiving it back when their dead had likewise been raised. He continued to carry his skin around his neck and appeared to amongst others the king himself, who of course immediately became a believer.

[Qoais]

For what it's worth, it is my belief that the "god" leading Moses out of Egypt - who also advocated killing and the slaughter of everything in their path, was the devil himself. He's the one that was called the Morning Star because he was so beautiful to look upon, but he was also totally full of himself. Lucifer. Not Satan. Satan was only a henchman. (My opinion of course.)

[ADbox]

The many references to women taking off their cloths, means to take off their personality culture, or way of spiritual presentation.

If I were to remove my golden attire and put on something more modest, that would be the removal of my pride-position-stature, for something more humble and on level, minding the message of christ, which is love for god and other as self.

If I were to be naked, then i would represent myself in the full truth of my nature.

Of course for a kingly man to see his woman in such new, unqueenly clothes(way of interacting with the people), he would call them wretched, un queen-like and feel violated.

The reason why many women were converted is because of their nature in my opinion. There are many women who are beautiful in heart but have given their mind to their man, who has awful mind. When you approach such a woman, or even look on a woman such as that you will instantly recognize the potential of God's Kingdom in her.

If an appostole of Love calls such a woman, it is bad for her to leave her weakness and death of mind and turn to the way, and follow it?

The same for the virgins, who have not impurified their spirits by connecting themselves to many different men, spidering their loyalty and thirst for want. Their world is pure, and when a way of love, a better way of life, calls such a worthy soul, should they turn away for their loyalty to to what is less?

If anything the men should follow the way, in heart and mind like their wives(in cases) and virgin daughters who can easily perceive. And if they will not to convert to the wine of truth, then they should follow their wives for the sake of their bond.

But in times like those, I would not want to be the stubborn man who thrashes and cries against the wave of the gospel, or the apostles.


great read!

This post has been edited by ADbox: 22 October 2009 - 08:02 PM

[jaylemurph]

You know, your campaign to invalidate modern history would probably be a little better if you took the time to learn just a little of the history you're ham-fistedly trying to subvert. I mean, is it that much of a collective shock that pseudographia written /centuries/ after the synoptic gospels with completely different agendas tell DIFFERENT STORIES?

Whenever you happen to stumble on Restoration re-writes of Shakespeare are we all to be treated with a tiresome "DID SHAKESPEARE REALLY WRITE DIFFERENT PLAYS?!" thread? Honestly.

--Jaylemurph

[Qoais]

Did Jesus teach all the apostles psychiatry then? Why not just speak in plain language for everyone to understand?

[jaylemurph]

Qoais, on 22 October 2009 - 04:04 PM, said:

Did Jesus teach all the apostles psychiatry then? Why not just speak in plain language for everyone to understand?

He did. Just because you haven't found a worthwhile translation, or the skills to appreciate the original is no reason to fault the source. I'd either come to grips with Early Modern English to appreciate the subtleties of the King James Version or lay hands on Tyndale's translation before you fault something you know very little about. Do you blame everyone on Earth who doesn't speak English for being deliberately uncommunicative, too?

--Jaylemurph

[Riaan]

ADbox, on 22 October 2009 - 08:56 PM, said:

If anything the men should follow the way, in heart and mind like their wives(in cases) and virgin daughters who can easily perceive. And if they will not to convert to the wine of truth, then they should follow their wives for the sake of their bond.

How do you interpret the violent deaths of some of these husbands and their young sons?

[Riaan]

jaylemurph, on 22 October 2009 - 09:04 PM, said:

You know, your campaign to invalidate modern history would probably be a little better if you took the time to learn just a little of the history you're ham-fistedly trying to subvert.

I am actually well familiar with modern history, at least regarding the fields that I have concentrated on. Are you suggesting that modern history is absolute and should not be questioned?

[ADbox]

Riaan, on 22 October 2009 - 08:28 PM, said:

How do you interpret the violent deaths of some of these husbands and their young sons?

Some of those situations are tragic. It was unfortunate (from their wordly perspective), for these men of power to have the gospel and the waves of teetering fortune arrive in their domain.

Spiritually these men represent aspects of ourselves coming in conflict with the way of the lord. A Man's rule(ego) is subverted, our vanities and affections(women and daughters) switch preferences to the new wave of influence, because it appears mightier and it's word is more stronger. And son (love of life) are killed, and then even resurrected by the power of the lord to some special meaningful end.

[Riaan]

ADbox, on 22 October 2009 - 10:01 PM, said:

Some of those situations are tragic. It was unfortunate (from their wordly perspective), for these men of power to have the gospel and the waves of teetering fortune arrive in their domain.

Spiritually these men represent aspects of ourselves coming in conflict with the way of the lord. A Man's rule(ego) is subverted, our vanities and affections(women and daughters) switch preferences to the new wave of influence, because it appears mightier and it's word is more stronger. And son (love of life) are killed, and then even resurrected by the power of the lord to some special meaningful end.

Thanks for an honest reply, although I naturally do not agree with you. Your view represents the opposite end of the (my) spectrum, that of the believer. I come from a Christian background myself and respect religious people as such. I think though that you belong to a relatively small percentage of believers who would go as far as reading about topics that could potentially undermine their faith, let alone discuss it. Otherwise you certainly would not have joined this forum. Well done!

[Qoais]

Quote

Apart from what was written in the New Testament by Paul of Tarsus, there are relatively few other sources about the lives of the close followers of Christ. One such source is to be found in the Ethiopic text of the Gadla Hawaryat or Contendings of the Apostles, preserved in the British Museum. The work was translated and published by E.A. Wallis Budge in 1901 and was called The Contendings of the Apostles: Being the Histories and the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists [available from Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 1428614273].

Written in what language originally? What exactly is an Ethiopic text?

This post has been edited by Qoais: 22 October 2009 - 10:17 PM

[jaylemurph]

Riaan, on 22 October 2009 - 04:30 PM, said:

I am actually well familiar with modern history, at least regarding the fields that I have concentrated on. Are you suggesting that modern history is absolute and should not be questioned?

Then perhaps your time would be better devoted to debunking /modern/ history, which is not a thing you've treated anyone here to. So far your posts seem to be announcing "I'm not familiar with this aspect of history SO IT MUST BE WRONG", which is a little jejeune, at least in my opinion. But then I think knowledge is an inherently better thing than solipsistic (militant) ignorance: I accept this is a minority view on this forum.

--Jaylemurph

[ADbox]

Riaan, on 22 October 2009 - 09:39 PM, said:

Thanks for an honest reply, although I naturally do not agree with you. Your view represents the opposite end of the (my) spectrum, that of the believer. I come from a Christian background myself and respect religious people as such. I think though that you belong to a relatively small percentage of believers who would go as far as reading about topics that could potentially undermine their faith, let alone discuss it. Otherwise you certainly would not have joined this forum. Well done!

I say fear no thing you peruse. Faith in your day and delivery be your helmet and love be your breast plate.
But the my attempts at explaining that out are just my attempts, I really don't want to speak for those stories any more than my own wanderings and thoughts.

[Tiggs]

Do you have a date for the text, perchance?

[Riaan]

Tiggs, on 23 October 2009 - 12:25 AM, said:

Do you have a date for the text, perchance?

I checked - the oldest copy appears to date from the 15th century, according to the Preface. There are similar texts called The Golden Legend - not sure how they all tie up. Nevertheless, why would anyone have written this?