TOPOGKAPHY, RACES, RELIGIONS, LANGUAGES AND CUSTOMS. 63 



called Serooj or Serug, after tlie great-grandfather of the 

 " faithful Abraham," and Haran is situated southwards. 



It may not be uninteresting to quote the letter of Agbarus 

 and the supposed answer of our Lord, as the authenticity of 

 both has been cavilled at by different writers. To make the 

 subject better understood, I will begin with the narrative 

 given by Eusebius, who writes thus : " The divinity of our 

 Lord and Saviour Christ being proclaimed abroad among all 

 nen, in consequence of his wonder-working power, attracted 

 .mmense numbers, both from abroad and from the remotest 

 parts of Judea, with the hope of being cured of their diseases 

 and various afflictions. Agbarus, therefore, who reigned 

 over the nations beyond the Euphrates with great glory, and 

 who had been wasted away with a disease, both dreadful 

 and incurable by human means, when he heard the name of 

 Jesus frequently mentioned, and his miracles unanimously 

 attested by all, sent a suppliant message to him by a letter- 

 carrier, entreating a deliverance from his disease. But 

 though he did not yield to his call at that time, he neverthe- 

 less condescended to write him a private letter, and to send 

 one of his disciples to heal his disorder ; at the same time 

 promising salvation to him and all his relatives. And it was 

 not long before the promise was fulfilled. After the 

 resurrection, however, and his return to heaven, Thomas, one 

 of the twelve, by a divine impulse, sent Thaddeus, who was 

 also one of the seventy disciples, to Edessa, as a herald and 

 evangelist of the doctrines of Christ, and by his agency all 

 the promises of our Saviour were fulfilled. Of this also we 

 have the evidence, in a written answer, taken from the 

 public records of the city of Edessa, then under the govern- 

 ment of the king. For in the public registers there, which 

 embrace the ancient history and the transactions of Agbarus, 

 these circumstances respecting him are found still pre- 

 served down to the present day. There is nothing, how- 

 ever, like hearing the epistles themselves, taken by us from 

 the archives, and the style of it, as it has been literally 

 translated by us, from the Syriac language. 

 " Letter written by King Agbarus to Jesus — 

 "'Agbarus, prince of Edessa, sends greeting to Jesus the 

 excellent Saviour, who has appeared in the borders of 

 Jerusalem. 1 have heard the reports respecting thee and 

 thy cures, as performed by thee without medicines and 

 without the use of herbs. For, as it is t5aid, thou causest the 

 blind to see again, the lame to walk, and thou cleanest the 



