CHRIST IN THE "LI TAI SHEN HSIEN T'UNG CHIEN" 187 



Ch'iang tribes], north of Ssuch'uan and south of Kansu. 

 At the beginning of their history there was a virgin whose 

 name was Mary (Ma-li-ya $1 f-'J 3L). In the year hsin-yu 

 (=£ Pi), i.e., the first year of Yuan-shih (yt S&) of the 

 "Western or Former Han dynasty (A.D. 1), the angel named 

 Gabriel (Chia-pi-o-erh M W BS $f ) announced to her, saying : 

 'God has specially chosen you to be his mother.' After a 

 time she did truly conceive and he [Christ] was born. She 

 was very much delighted, reverently wrapped him in a long 

 garment [swaddling clothes], and put him in a manger. All 

 the host of angels made music in the air. Forty days after 

 [his birth] Mary presented him to the Divine Lord Pa-te-le 

 (f& ^. !$J) [i.e., Pater, God the Father, the first person of 

 the Holy Trinity: Pater, Filius, Spiritus], and he was given 

 the name of Jesus (Yeh-su 3fc fft). 



When Jesus was twelve years of age he went with his 

 mother to visit the Holy Temple [at Jerusalem]. On the 

 way home they lost each other. She was very much dis- 

 tressed ; but after three days and nights she found him in the 

 temple, sitting with the elders and sages and discussing 

 the theory of Heaven's Lord [the Deity]. He was very glad 

 to see his mother, went back with her, and served her 

 filially and respectfully. 



When he was thirty years old, he bade farewell to his 

 mother and travelled about. He preached in Judaea and did 

 many saintly works. But the rich men and the authorities* 

 of that country were very proud and evil; they hated the 

 people siding with Jesus, and conspired to kill him. 



One of his disciples, Judas (Ju-ta-ssu 5KJ ^ $f ) by 

 name, was a man of avaricious nature, and, sensing the 

 general opinion of his compatriots [the Jews], in the depth 

 of night led the multitude [to where he was], and they 

 captured and bound him and sent him to Caiaphas (Ya-na-ssu 

 2L IPJ 1st [sic]), Judas receiving a sum of money as a reward. 

 In the judgment-hall of Pilate (Pi-la-to Jfc £$ £ ) he was 

 stripped, bound to a stone pillar, and beaten with more 

 than five thousand four hundred stripes. His whole body was 

 severely wounded. He did not make any protest, but 

 behaved like a lamb. Then the evil crowd plaited a crown of 

 thorns, and put it upon his head; and they put on him a 

 scarlet robe, and worshipped him as a king. They made a 

 large, heavy cross, and compelled him to carry it. He was 

 very much oppressed with its weight. They nailed his 

 hands and feet to the cross; and gave him vinegar [lit., 

 vinegar and gall] to drink. When he was dead the sun 

 was darkened, the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent 

 asunder. He was only thirty-three years of age. But after 



