E00998: Fragmentary Greek inscription with otherwise unknown pieces of hagiographical or liturgical writings, referring probably to *James ('brother of the Lord', S00058), and certainly to Abgar, king of Edessa, and to the *Magi (S00180) as people who travelled to or lived in Jerusalem, were redeemed, and were examples to be followed by contemporary Christians. Found at Ankyra (Galatia, central Asia Minor). Probably late 5th/6th c.

] ἰδίαν στολὴν καὶ . . . . . ΑCΕΝ̣Ι[
] ἔλαβεν ἀπόλαυ(σι)ν τὴν ἀτελεύτητο[ν
εἰς τοὺς αἰῶ]̣νας· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ἰακὼβ σπουδάσας προσένενκε [
] ̣θ(εο)ῦ Χ(ριστο)ῦ πόλις καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ εὐλογίαν ἔλαβεν καὶ ἄρτον ἐξ οὐρα̣ν[οῦ
]ΗΝ σὺν τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Αὔγα̣ρ[ος
Αἰδέ]σσης διὰ ἐπιστολῆς λόγον ἔπεμψεν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν τοῦ θεοῦ Χριστοῦ πόλιν [
]C περιετίχισεν τῇ πόλει Αἰδέσσης ὥστε ἀσάλευτον καὶ ἀνίκητον αὐτ[ὴν
τ]οῦ αἰῶνος τούτου· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ Μάγοι σπουδάσαντες προσενέγκαι τὰ [δῶρα
Θ(εο)ῦ Χ(ριστ)]οῦ πόλιν, ταῦτα αὐτῶν διαπραξαμένων οὕτως ἐπηγγείλατο αὐτοῖς ὅ[πως
μυρ]ιάδας σῶσαι ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐ̣κ̣είνου· καὶ ὀφείλομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ αὐτὰ δι<α>πρά[ττεσθαι
]ιν οἱ γονῖς ἡμῶν ἐκ τῆς αἰωνίας κρίσεως καὶ ἡμεῖς σωτηρίας τυχώμεν [
κατ]αλυπάνοτες τὴν ἁγίαν τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ Χριστοῦ πόλη· οἱ γὰρ ταῦτα πράτ<τ>οντες [
πι]κρὰ δάκρυα κατενέγκωσιν κράζοντες· "Κύριε, Κύριε ἄνυξον ἡμῖν [
]σιν ἀκοῦσαι παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτῆ· "οὐκ ὖδα ὑμᾶς· τήνες ἐστέ; πορεύ<εσ>θαι [
[ἀ]π’ ἐμοῦ"

Stephen Mitchell and Cyril Mango suggested extensive completions of the missing fragments and gave a consecutive sense to the whole text, but as their reconstruction is highly hypothetical, we reprint most of these completions only in the apparatus. Some of them are also included in the translation, to make the text better understandable.

2. ΑΠΟΛΑΥΟΝ lapis || ἀτεχευτην van Elderen || 5-6. Αὔγα̣ρ[ος ὁ βασιλεὺς | τῆς Αἰδέ]σσης Mitchell || 6-7. πόλιν [καὶ τὸν λόγον | ἀκούσα]ς Mitchell || 7-8. αὐτ[ὴν μένειν ἕως | τὸ τέλος τ]οῦ αἰῶνος Mango apud Mitchell || 8-9. προσενέγκαι τὰ [δῶρα εἰς τὴν | τοῦ θ(εο)ῦ Χ(ριστ)]οῦ πόλιν Mitchell || 9-10. ὅ[πως αὐτοὺς ἀν|δρῶν μυρ]ιάδας σῶσαι Mitchell || 10. δι<α>πρά[ττεσθαι or δὶ = δὴ πρά[ττειν Mango apud Mitchell || 10-11. διπρά[ττεσθαι ἵνα | ἐκφύγωσ]ιν Mitchell || 11-12. [οὐχ ὥσπερ οἱ κατ]αλυπάνοντες Rizos, [οὕτως οὐδε|πότε κατ]αλυπάνοτες Mitchell || 12-13. πράτοντες [κρούοντες τὴν | δὲ μέλλου]σιν Mitchell ||15. πορεύθαι = πορεύεσθε Mitchell, πορεύ<εσ>θε [πάντες] Mitchell

'[- - -] own robe (?) and [- - -] received the endless joy [- - - for ages] and so Jacob eagerly offered [- - -] the city of God Christ, and from him he received the blessing and the bread from Heaven [- - -] with the holy angels for all eternity. And similarly Abgar [the king of Ede]ssa sent a message by a letter to the holy city of God Christ, [and having heard the Word] placed it all around the walls of the city of Edessa, so as to make it unshakeable and unconquerable [until the end] of this world. And likewise the Magi eagerly offered [the gifts to the city of God Christ.] Once they had accomplished this, he promised them, t[hat he would save myr]iads (tens of thousands) of that nation. And we are also due to do the same, [so that] both our parents and we may be granted salvation from the eternal condemnation, [(and) would never] abandon the holy city of God Christ. Because those, who do these things, [- - -] will shed bitter tears, crying: “Lord, Lord, open to us”. [- - -] so that they will hear from the just Judge the answer: “I do not know you. Who are you? Go away from me”.'

Text: Mitchell 1977, no. 37. Translation: P. Nowakowski, E. Rizos.