The Letters of Christ and Abgarus 1

A letter said to have been sent by Abgarus (Abgar V Ukkama), king of Edessa in Mesopotamia, asking Jesus to come and heal him, with Jesus' written answer promising to send one of His disciples after His ascension. The earliest form is the Greek that Eusebius gives in his Ecclesiastical History (1.13, early 4th century), translated, he says, word for word from Syriac documents in the archives of Edessa; it is a legend, not a genuine exchange, probably of the 3rd century. The letters belong to the story of the mission of Thaddaeus (Addai) and the conversion of Edessa (see the Acts of Thaddaeus), and later copies of Jesus' letter were used as amulets. This is M. R. James's English (The Apocryphal New Testament, 1924); each chapter is one letter, its first verse the heading Eusebius gives it. Not part of any church's canon.

1A copy of a letter written by Abgarus the toparch to Jesus, and sent to him by means of Ananias the runner, to Jerusalem.

2Abgarus Uchama the toparch to Jesus the good Saviour that hath appeared in the parts (place) of Jerusalem, greeting. I have heard concerning thee and thy cures, that they are done of thee without drugs or herbs: for, as the report goes, thou makest blind men to see again, lame to walk, and cleansest lepers, and castest out unclean spirits and devils, and those that are afflicted with long sickness thou healest, and raisest the dead. And having heard all this of thee, I had determined one of two things, either that thou art God come down from heaven, and so doest these things, or art a Son of God that doest these things. Therefore now have I written and entreated thee to trouble thyself to come to me and heal the affliction which I have. For indeed I have heard that the Jews even murmur against thee and wish to do thee hurt. And I have a very little city but (and) comely (reverend), which is sufficient for us both.