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Now when the young men had finished making the grave in the place wherein they had dug it, they arranged everything connected therewith in a seemly manner, according to what [Saint John] wished. Now we had no knowledge whatsoever [of what he was about to do]. Then he took off the clothes which were upon him, and having stripped them off himself, he threw them down into the place which they had dug deep in the ground, and which was in the form of a chamber which spread out. Then John stood on his feet—now the only garment which he had on him was a tunic which came down on both sides—and having spread out his hands he prayed thus saying, '[O Thou] God, Who hast chosen me for Thyself to be an Apostle to the heathen, and hast sent me forth into the world, Who hast made manifest the Prophets and His Apostles, Who hast never ceased from doing that which is good since the foundation of the world, Who deliverest every one who hath no strength, Who hast made Thyself to be apprehended by every man of reason, unto Whom every living thing ministereth through His foreknowledge, Who didst make our soul to have longings, and dost make it to be tranquil, or solitary and savage, Who dost Thyself make it to laugh to scorn its enemy, Who didst fashion it like unto Thyself when it was dead, Who didst make for it a law which it could distinguish in the abyss of lawlessness, Who didst make it to vanquish its enemy by causing it to flee from him; Who didst give it Thy hand and didst deliver it from Amente; Who didst not leave it to become a citizen of this world, Who didst teach it to escape from its enemy; Who didst make Thy knowledge to illumine every place; Thou Son of God, Thou Saviour, Thou Lord, Thou Orderer of the things which are in the celestial heights, Thou Guardian of the things which are on the earth, Thou Grace and Gladness of those who belong to Thee: receive Thou the soul of John, which belongeth to Thee, which Thou hast made to be worthy of the knowledge of Thee, for it is Thou Who hast kept me up to this hour, and I have never at any time polluted myself with women.

Now when they had crucified the Saviour, they laid Him in a tomb, [and] He rose from the dead upon the third day, [and] He carried the soul of the holy man Apa Anania with Him into heaven forthwith, and he ate and drank with our Saviour at the table of His kingdom. And Joseph of Arimathea made ready for burial the Body of the Son of God, and when large quantities of most precious scents and unguents had been poured out upon It, he laid It in a new sepulchre. Then Death came into Amente saying, 'Where is this soul which hath come forth from the body newly? It hath not been brought unto me to Amente. For behold, I have sought for it for two days, but have not found it. What then is [the meaning of] this mighty and wonderful thing? I know not, neither do I know what is [the meaning of] this terrible disturbance [which taketh place] this day. The whole world, and everything which is therein, is in a state of violent commotion. Never before have I known anything like unto this.' And Death called his minister and said unto him, 'Let us go unto every place, and see if we can find this newly dead body, and this new soul which hath hidden itself, for I know not whither it hath departed.'

Now when they had crucified the Saviour, they laid Him in a tomb, [and] He rose from the dead upon the third day, [and] He carried the soul of the holy man Apa Anania with Him into heaven forthwith, and he ate and drank with our Saviour at the table of His kingdom. And Joseph of Arimathea made ready for burial the Body of the Son of God, and when large quantities of most precious scents and unguents had been poured out upon It, he laid It in a new sepulchre. Then Death came into Amente saying, 'Where is this soul which hath come forth from the body newly? It hath not been brought unto me to Amente. For behold, I have sought for it for two days, but have not found it. What then is [the meaning of] this mighty and wonderful thing? I know not, neither do I know what is [the meaning of] this terrible disturbance [which taketh place] this day. The whole world, and everything which is therein, is in a state of violent commotion. Never before have I known anything like unto this.' And Death called his minister and said unto him, 'Let us go unto every place, and see if we can find this newly dead body, and this new soul which hath hidden itself, for I know not whither it hath departed.'

Then Death came into the tomb of the Saviour, and he found it lighted up with the light of life, and he went into the back of the tomb, and seated himself there with his ministers. Now Abbatôn, who is Death, and Gaios, and Tryphon, and Ôphiath, and Phthinôn, and Sotomis, and Komphion, who are the six sons of Death, wriggled into the tomb of the Son of God on their faces in the form of serpents (?), wriggling in with their great thief in very truth. These robbers and evil-doers were lying in wait for the moment wherein the Saviour would go down into Amente, so that they might enter with Him, and know what it was that He would do. And the Saviour made Himself manifest unto them in the form of a dead body, in the hinder part of the tomb; He was lying upon the ground in their midst—now it was the second day that He was in the heart of the earth—and there was a napkin bound round His face, and another one bound round His head. Gaze thou thyself, O my son, at what His eye doth gaze at, how that the sun doth stand still, and doth not rise upon the earth, for He hath covered His face with a napkin.

And Death said unto his son, that is to say, the Pestilence (or, Plague), 'Hath this soul which hath died recently been brought unto thee to Amente? Hath any one brought it to thy mind, (or, hath any one mentioned it) to thee? Hast thou numbered it in the great number? Shew me, for I am disturbed greatly by this terrible quaking, and I do not know what hath happened this day. The place here hath quaked under me, the atmosphere hath been agitated, the foundations of the heavens are disturbed, the hours have been shortened, the nights are put out of course, the days have lengthened …'

[…] 'I know Who Thou art; Thou art He to Whom those who are in Amente cry out, saying: "O thou Good God, Merciful and Compassionate, have mercy upon us who are shut up in prison. Send Thou to us Thy beloved Son, so that He may shew compassion upon us, and be merciful unto us. Do this, O God, and take us into Thy kingdom." Tell me, Who art Thou? For Thou art not … that I should be ashamed before it. Thou art not a mighty man that I should hold Thee in fear. And Thou art not an old man that I should be ashamed before Thee because of Thy honourable grey hairs, and Thou art not a child that I should be ashamed before Thee because of Thy tender years, and Thou art not a person whose life hath been brief that I should be ashamed because of Thy tender age, and Thou art not a bridegroom that I should be in fear of Thy bridal state. Of such as these I am master.'

[…] So Jesus went down [into Amente, and] scattered [the fiends], and cast chains on the Devil, and redeemed Adam and all his sons; He delivered man, and He shewed compassion upon His own image; He set free all creation, and all the world, and He treated with healing medicine the wound which the Enemy had inflicted on His Son. He brought back into His fold the sheep which had gone astray—He the holy and faithful Shepherd. And He brought back Adam again to the state wherein he was at first, and forgave them (i.e. his sons) their sins. In peace. Amen.

[…] These are the curses which the Saviour pronounced upon Judas in Amente. Now the Saviour rose from the dead on the third day. And Abbatôn, who is Death, rose up, and did not see the dead body of Jesus the Son of God, Who spake with him. And he said to his son the Pestilence, 'Make haste, get thee down into Amente, and take care to protect thyself thoroughly well. Shut tight the doors of Amente, until I can discover who it is that hath deceived me when I knew [it] not. For we would have talked with him, but he hid himself from us. Peradventure he is the Son of God Himself, Who destroyeth all men. And as for this being, I have not found a way to overcome him, neither have my six sons.'

[…] These are the curses which the Saviour pronounced upon Judas in Amente. Now the Saviour rose from the dead on the third day. And Abbatôn, who is Death, rose up, and did not see the dead body of Jesus the Son of God, Who spake with him. And he said to his son the Pestilence, 'Make haste, get thee down into Amente, and take care to protect thyself thoroughly well. Shut tight the doors of Amente, until I can discover who it is that hath deceived me when I knew [it] not. For we would have talked with him, but he hid himself from us. Peradventure he is the Son of God Himself, Who destroyeth all men. And as for this being, I have not found a way to overcome him, neither have my six sons.'

[…] These are the curses which the Saviour pronounced upon Judas in Amente. Now the Saviour rose from the dead on the third day. And Abbatôn, who is Death, rose up, and did not see the dead body of Jesus the Son of God, Who spake with him. And he said to his son the Pestilence, 'Make haste, get thee down into Amente, and take care to protect thyself thoroughly well. Shut tight the doors of Amente, until I can discover who it is that hath deceived me when I knew [it] not. For we would have talked with him, but he hid himself from us. Peradventure he is the Son of God Himself, Who destroyeth all men. And as for this being, I have not found a way to overcome him, neither have my six sons.'

Then Death went into Amente, and his six sons were with him, and he found the place swept bare, and it was like unto a desert, and there was not one soul therein. All the doors thereof were smashed in pieces, and the door-frames were thrust out of their places, their bolts were shattered, and the brazen fiery furnaces had been overthrown. Nothing whatsoever was found in that place except three voices [which cried out in fear, and with fearful screams, and were full of anguish of heart] and trouble, and suffering. In [that] place there was weeping and gnashing of teeth; it was a place of sighing and trouble, and there was there the worm which never sleepeth. Woe be unto them!

[These are the things which the] Saviour spake concerning Judas when He went down into Amente. And the Saviour rose from the dead on the third day.

Then Abbatôn, who is himself Death, rose up from his fall on the shroud of Jesus, with which he had been speaking in the tomb. He said unto his Power, the Plague, 'Get thee down quickly into Amente, and set a very strong guard for thyself therein; shut the doors of Amente until I am able to see who it is that hath deceived me in this manner, whom I know not. We will speak with him; he hath hidden himself from us, and we do not know whither he hath gone. Peradventure this is the Son of God. If it be not He, I am he who will destroy every one. Him, however, I am not able to gain the mastery over, neither I nor my Powers.'

Then Abbatôn, who is himself Death, rose up from his fall on the shroud of Jesus, with which he had been speaking in the tomb. He said unto his Power, the Plague, 'Get thee down quickly into Amente, and set a very strong guard for thyself therein; shut the doors of Amente until I am able to see who it is that hath deceived me in this manner, whom I know not. We will speak with him; he hath hidden himself from us, and we do not know whither he hath gone. Peradventure this is the Son of God. If it be not He, I am he who will destroy every one. Him, however, I am not able to gain the mastery over, neither I nor my Powers.'

Then Death descended into Amente, and his six Dekans also were with him, [and] he found Amente desolate, [and] it was like a desert, and there was not one soul in it, but it was in a state of dire disorder and confusion. The doors thereof were smashed in pieces, the door-frames were thrust out of position, and the bolts were snapped asunder, and the blazing brazen furnaces had been choked. He found nothing whatsoever in that place except three voices, which cried out in fear, and with tearful screams, and were full of anguish of the heart and trepidation. In [that] place there were weepings and gnashings of the teeth, it was a place of sighing and of tribulation, and of quaking, and of the worm which never sleepeth. Woe unto them, the wretched, the miserable, and the poor … in God. These [voices] belonged to the three [men whose names] have been blotted out of the Book of Life, and removed from the Roll of the Saints, and from the knowledge of salvation, that is to say, Judas, and Cain, and Herod. These were there, and they were like unto a three-headed kelos; and because of the cruelty which is on them (sic), men shall not keep their memory in remembrance. Judas betrayed the Lord of that which is in the heavens, and of that which is on the earth. Herod smote Jesus on His face a blow of insult. Cain rose up against his brother, and slew him with his own hand. And Death with his Dekans cried out, saying, 'This is the Son of God Who hath risen from the dead, Who hath redeemed Adam, and delivered all his sons, and hath forgiven unto them their sins, in the peace of His Father. Amen.'

Then Death descended into Amente, and his six Dekans also were with him, [and] he found Amente desolate, [and] it was like a desert, and there was not one soul in it, but it was in a state of dire disorder and confusion. The doors thereof were smashed in pieces, the door-frames were thrust out of position, and the bolts were snapped asunder, and the blazing brazen furnaces had been choked. He found nothing whatsoever in that place except three voices, which cried out in fear, and with tearful screams, and were full of anguish of the heart and trepidation. In [that] place there were weepings and gnashings of the teeth, it was a place of sighing and of tribulation, and of quaking, and of the worm which never sleepeth. Woe unto them, the wretched, the miserable, and the poor … in God. These [voices] belonged to the three [men whose names] have been blotted out of the Book of Life, and removed from the Roll of the Saints, and from the knowledge of salvation, that is to say, Judas, and Cain, and Herod. These were there, and they were like unto a three-headed kelos; and because of the cruelty which is on them (sic), men shall not keep their memory in remembrance. Judas betrayed the Lord of that which is in the heavens, and of that which is on the earth. Herod smote Jesus on His face a blow of insult. Cain rose up against his brother, and slew him with his own hand. And Death with his Dekans cried out, saying, 'This is the Son of God Who hath risen from the dead, Who hath redeemed Adam, and delivered all his sons, and hath forgiven unto them their sins, in the peace of His Father. Amen.'

"Say unto them: Renounce belly-love, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the judgments of Amente.

"Say unto them: Renounce babbling, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the fires of Amente.

"Say unto them: Renounce craftiness, that ye may be worthy of the mysteries of the Light and be saved from the chastisements which are in Amente.

"And after three days the retributive receivers lead down that soul to the Amente of the chaos; and when they bring it down to the chaos, they hand it over to those who chastize. And the retributive receivers return unto their own regions according to the economy of the works of the rulers concerning the coming-forth of the souls.

Mary answered and said: "Woe unto the souls of sinners! Now, therefore, my Lord, is the fire in the world of mankind fiercer, or the fire in Amente?"

The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, I say unto thee: The fire in Amente is nine times fiercer than the fire in mankind.

"And the fire in the chastisements of the great chaos is nine times more violent than that in Amente.

"Thereafter they lead it below into Amente before Ariēl, and he chastizeth it in his chastisements eleven months and twenty-and-one days.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente before Ariēl, and he taketh vengeance on it in his chastisements three months, eight days and two hours.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente before Ariēl; and he taketh vengeance on it with his chastisements twenty months.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente and instruct it concerning the instruments of chastisement in the Amente; but they will not take vengeance on it therewith. But they will only instruct it concerning them, and the smoke of the flame of the chastisements catcheth it only a little.

"Thereafter they lead it down into the Amente and instruct it concerning the instruments of chastisement in the Amente; but they will not take vengeance on it therewith. But they will only instruct it concerning them, and the smoke of the flame of the chastisements catcheth it only a little.

When then Jesus said this unto his disciples in the midst of the Amente, the disciples cried and wept, [saying]: "Woe, woe unto sinners, on whom the negligence and the forgetfulness of the rulers lie until they come out of the body and are led to these chastisements! Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, son of the Holy [One], and have compassion with us, that we may be saved from these chastisements and these judgments which are prepared for the sinners; for we also have sinned, our Lord and our Light."