Part 1b: The Blessed City of Edessa: King Abgar’s correspondence with Jesus

1.      King Abgar’s letter to Jesus

Dated between AD 34-36. “Abgar Uchama, Chief of the country, to Jesus, the good Deliverer, who has appeared in the country of Jerusalem, Peace.  I have heard about thee, and about the cures which are wrought by thy hands, without medicines and herbs; for as it is reported, thou makest the blind to see, and the lame to walk; and thou cleansest the lepers, and thou castest out unclean spirits and devils, and thou healest those who are tormented with lingering diseases, and thou raisest the dead.  And when I heard these things about thee, I settled in my mind one of two things: either that thou art God, who being come down from heaven, doest these things, or that thou art the Son of God, and doest these things.  On this account, therefore, I have written to request of thee that thou wouldest trouble thyself to come to me, and cure this disease which I have: for I have also heard that the Jews murmur against thee, and wish to do thee harm.  But I have a city, small and beautiful, which is enough for two.”

Ancient Syriac documents relative to the earliest establishment of Christianity in Edessa and the neighbouring countries. Translated from the Syriac by William Cureton, 1864:pp.3-4.

2.      Jesus’ reply to King Abgar

Jesus himself did not write the letter, but His reply was set down on paper by Hannan, the messenger.  Jesus said to Hannan: “Go and say to thy lord……” and spoke his reply.

‘Copy of those things which were written from Jesus by the hand of Hananias (or Hannan), the Tabularius, to Abgar, the Chief of the country’:

“Blessed is he that hath believed in me, not having seen me.  For it is written concerning me; that those who see me will not believe in me, and those who have not seen me, they will believe and be saved.  But touching what thou hast written to me, that I should come to thee, it is meet that I should fulfil here every thing for the sake of which I have been sent; and after I have fulfilled it, then I shall be taken up to Him that sent me; and when I have been taken up, I will send to thee one of my disciples, that he may heal thy disease, and give salvation to thee and to those who are with thee.”

William Cureton, Curator at the British Museum and translator of these and other pre-4^rd century Syriac manuscripts, was convinced of the genuineness of these letters attributed to Abgar, king of Edessa, and our Lord.  He was not alone in this, but was supported by other great scholars of the mid-19^th century, such as Baronius, Tillemnont, Cave, etc….(William Wright, Cureton’s successor, in his Preface to the above book, p.ii)

Read Cureton here: https://archive.org/details/ancientsyriacdo00wriggoog/page/n24/mode/2up?q=

Another slightly different version of this narrative from a manuscript in the St. Petersburg archives is given in The doctrine of Addai, the Apostle, by George Phillips, 1876.  George Phillips also mentions how he started his translation work with grave doubts about the authenticity of these manuscripts, but was by the end of it, convinced of their authenticity (Phillips 1876:x).

Read George Phillips here: https://archive.org/details/doctrineofaddaia00phil/page/n13/mode/2up

Below is an 18^th c. icon depicting the Mandylion, now in the British Royal Collection.  The side panels take you through the text and illustration of the narrative.  See details of the side panels in the website below: https://www.rct.uk/collection/403934/icon-of-the-mandylion-of-edessa