The Book of the Resurrection of Christ by Bartholomew the Apostle 20

1[…] Italy … When I was dead they carried me out to the tomb and buried me. And they carried my soul up into heaven, and they shewed me the places (i.e. habitations) of immortality. And I passed seven days beneath the trees of Paradise of the heavenly Jerusalem, and I sheltered under the shadow of their branches. As for my body, the Archangel Michael sealed it with his finger, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. It did not suffer corruption, neither did it stink, nor did it rot away during those seven days, but every part of it was well preserved; and it was red like these roses, for it was wholly necessary that I should return to it once more, for the salvation and the deliverance of my city. Now after seven days my father heard that I was dead, and he came and raised me up from the dead in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In peace. Amen.'

2And when the multitude heard these things, the people cast themselves down, and they worshipped him with their faces on the ground, saying, 'We beseech thee to shew us the place wherein is the servant of Christ, so that we also may believe in Him.' And when the multitude had said these things, the son ran before them on the road, and brought them to the … and he took them to the place where the Apostle was. And when they had looked upon him, they cast themselves [down upon the ground at his feet, and cried out, saying], 'Blessed art thou in thy coming [to our city]. There is none except thee. Jesus, the Son of the Living God.'

3And when the whole multitude had cried out these things, the Apostle blessed them, and he baptized twelve thousand men of their number that day. And he marked out for them the foundations of a church, and he appointed Siôphanes the bishop of the church. And he dismissed them, and sent them away in peace. Amen. And Thomas the Apostle rejoiced in the Spirit, and he blessed God, saying, 'My Lord Jesus Christ, I thank Thee at all times that Thou didst bestow upon me Thy peace, and that I departed to the city, and ended my journey, and put into the haven of peace, my ship being safe. I found the haven with the demons working their vexatious plans therein, [but] afterwards I endured patiently, and I overcame them by means of Thy power. I drew them into my fishing nets as … of the King Jesus. Very many were found to be polluted with sin, [but] I made them white in the blood of Jesus Christ. Behold, Jesus Christ set me upon the ship of salvation, and brought me into the haven of peace. I rejoiced and was glad in my heart, and I summoned the multitude into His marriage chamber.'

4And when the blessed Apostle was saying these things, he mounted upon a cloud, and it brought him to the Mount of Olives, where he found the Apostles looking out for him … He said '… the inheritance of my Lord Jesus Christ; [Who] gathered them together in the peace of the Father. Hail, my brethren the Apostles, the crown of life!' And the Apostles also answered, 'Hail, thou servant of Jesus the Christ! Thou didst go, and didst raise up a man that was dead, and didst raise up a multitude of cities in the baptism and seal of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.'