Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (77 page)

Lord, and your judgment is just.”

holy angels, and by my virtue, that if it

had repented five years before it died, on

And again I saw and, behold, a

17

account of a conversion one year old,

soul which was led forward by

oblivion would now be thrown over all

two angels, weeping and saying, “Have

the evils which it sinned before, and it

pity on me, just God, God the judge, for

would have indulgence and remission of

today it is seven days since I went out of

sins; now indeed it shall perish.” And the

my body, and I was handed over to these

angel of the sinful soul answered and

two angels, and they brought me to those

said, “Lord, command that angel to explaces which I had never seen.” And God, hibit those souls.”

the just judge, said to it, “What have you

done? For you never showed mercy,

And in that same hour the souls

18

therefore you were handed over to such

were exhibited in the midst, and

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NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

the soul of the sinner knew them; and the

And I looked around upon that

22

Lord said to the soul of the sinner, “I say

land, and I saw a river flowing

to you, soul, confess your work which

with milk and honey, and there were trees

you wrought in these souls whom you

planted by the bank of that river, full of

see, when they were in the world.” And

fruit; moreover, each single tree bore

it answered and said, “Lord, it is not yet

twelve fruits in the year, having various

a full year since I slew this one and

and diverse fruits; and I saw the created

poured his blood upon the ground, and

things which are in that place and all the

with another I committed fornication; not

work of God, and I saw there palms of

only this, but I also greatly harmed her

twenty cubits, but others of ten cubits;

in taking away her goods.” And the Lord

and that land was seven times brighter

God, the just judge, said, “Did you not

than silver. And there were trees full of

know that if someone does violence to

fruits from the roots to the highest

another and the person who sustains the

branches, of ten thousand fruits of palms

violence dies first, he is kept in this place

upon ten thousand fruits. The grapevines

until the one who was committed the

had ten thousand plants. Moreover in the

offence dies, and then both stand in the

single vines there were ten thousand

presence of the judge, and now each rethousand bunches and in each of these a ceives according to his deed?” And I

thousand single grapes; moreover these

heard a voice of one saying, “Let that

single trees bore a thousand fruits. And I

soul be delivered into the hands of Tarsaid to the angel, “Why does each tree tarus, and led down into hell; he shall

bear a thousand fruits?” The angel anlead it into the lower prison, and it shall swered and said to me, “Because the Lord

be put in torments and left there till the

God gives an abounding profusion of

great day of judgment.” And again I

gifts to the worthy and because they of

heard a thousand thousand angels saying

their own will afflicted themselves when

hymns to the Lord, and crying, “You are

they were placed in the world doing all

just, O Lord, and just are your

things on account of his holy name.” And

judgments.”

again I said to the angel, “Sir, are these

the only promises which the Most Holy

19 The angel answered and said to God makes?” And he answered and said me, “Have you perceived all

to me, “No! There are seven times greater

these things?” And I said, “Yes, sir.” And

than these. But I say to you that when

he said to me, “Follow me again, and I

the just go out of the body they shall see

will take you, and show you the places

the promises and the good things which

of the just.” And I followed the angel,

God has prepared for them. Till then, they

and he raised me to the third heaven and

shall sigh and lament, saying, “Have we

placed me at the entry of the door; and

uttered any word from our mouth to

looking, I saw that the door was of gold,

grieve our neighbor even on one day?” I

and two columns of gold above it full of

asked and said again, “Are these alone

golden letters, and the angel turned again

the promises of God?” And the angel

to me and said, “Blessed are you if you

answered and said to me, “These whom

enter through these doors, for it is not

you now see are the souls of the married

permitted for any to enter except those

and those who kept the chastity of their

who have goodness and purity of body

nuptials, controlling themselves. But to

in all things.” . . .

the virgins and those who hunger and

THE APOCALYPSE OF PAUL

293

thirst after righteousness and those who

me, “These are they who devoted themafflicted themselves for the sake of the selves to God with their whole heart and

name of God, God will give seven times

had no pride in themselves. For all those

greater than these, which I shall now

who rejoice in the Lord God and sing

show you.” . . .

psalms to the Lord with their whole heart

are here led into this city. . . .”

Again he led me where there is

26 a river of milk, and I saw in

When he had ceased speaking

31

that place all the infants whom Herod

to me, he led me outside the

slew because of the name of Christ, and

city through the midst of the trees and

they greeted me, and the angel said to

far from the places of the land of the

me, “All who keep their chastity and pugood, and put me across the river of milk rity, when they have come out of the

and honey; and after that he led me over

body, after they adore the Lord God are

the ocean which supports the foundations

delivered to Michael and are led to the

of heaven.

infants, and they greet them, saying that

The angel answered and said to me,

they are our brothers and friends and

“Do you understand why you go hence?”

members; among them they shall inherit

And I said, “Yes, sir.” And he said to me,

the promises of God.”

“Come and follow me, and I will show

you the souls of the godless and sinners,

Again he took me up and

27

that you may know what manner of place

brought me to the north of the

it is.” And I went with the angel, and he

city and led me where there was a river

carried me towards the setting of the sun,

of wine, and there I saw Abraham and

and I saw the beginning of heaven

Isaac and Jacob, Lot and Job and other

founded on a great river of water, and I

saints, and they greeted me; and I asked

asked, “What is this river of water?” And

and said, “What is this place, my lord?”

he said to me, “This is the ocean which

The angel answered and said to me, “All

surrounds all the earth.” And when I was

who have given hospitality to strangers

at the outer limit of the ocean I looked,

when they go out of the world first adore

and there was no light in that place, but

the Lord God, and are delivered to Midarkness and sorrow and sadness; and I chael and by this route are led into the

sighed.

city, and all the just greet them as son

And I saw there a river boiling with

and brother, and say to them, ‘Because

fire, and in it a multitude of men and

you have observed humanity and helped

women immersed up to the knees, and

pilgrims, come, have an inheritance in

other men up to the navel, others even up

the city of the Lord our God: every righto the lips, others up to the hair. And I teous person shall receive good things of

asked the angel and said, “Sir, who are

God in the city, according to his own

those in the fiery river?” And the angel

action.’ ”

answered and said to me, “They are neither hot nor cold, because they were 28 And again he carried me near found neither in the number of the just the river of oil on the east of

nor in the number of the godless. For

the city. And I saw there men rejoicing

those spent the time of their life on earth

and singing psalms, and I said, “Who are

passing some days in prayer, but others

those, my lord?” And the angel said to

in sins and fornications, until their death.”

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NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

And I asked him and said, “Who are

The angel answered and said to me,

these, sir, immersed up to their knees in

“Why do you weep? Are you more merfire?” He answered and said to me, ciful than God? For though God is good,

“These are they who when they have

he knows that there are punishments, and

gone out of church occupy themselves

he patiently bears with the human race,

with idle disputes. Those who are imallowing each one to do his own will in mersed up to the navel are those who,

the time in which he dwells on the earth.”

when they have taken the body and blood

of Christ, go and fornicate and do not

I observed the fiery river and

34

cease from their sins till they die. Those

saw there a man being tortured

who are immersed up to the lips are those

by Tartaruchian angels having in their

who slander each other when they assemhands an iron instrument with three ble in the church of God; those up to the

hooks with which they pierced the boweyebrows are those who nod to each other els of that old man; and I asked the angel

and plot spite against their neighbor.”

and said, “Sir, who is that old man on

whom such torments are imposed?” And

And I saw to the north a place

32

the angel answered and said to me, “He

of various and diverse punishwhom you see was a presbyter who did ments full of men and women, and a river

not perform his ministry well: when he

of fire ran down into it. I observed and I

had been eating and drinking and comsaw very deep pits and in them several mitting fornication he offered the host to

souls together, and the depth of that place

the Lord at his holy altar.”

was about there thousand cubits, and I

saw them groaning and weeping and say

And I saw not far away another

35

ing, “Have pity on us, O Lord!”, and no

old man led on by evil angels

one had pity on them. And I asked the

running with speed, and they pushed him

angel and said, “Who are these, sir?” And

into the fire up to his knees, and they

the angel answered and said to me,

struck him with stones and wounded his

“These are they who did not hope in the

face like a storm and did not allow him

Lord, that they would be able to have him

to say, “Have pity on me!” And I asked

as their helper.” And I asked and said,

the angel, and he said to me, “He whom

“Sir, if these souls remain for thirty or

you see was a bishop and did not perform

forty generations thus one upon another,

his episcopate well, who indeed accepted

I believe the pits would not hold them

the great name but did not enter into the

unless they were dug deeper.” And he

witness of him who gave him the name

said to me, “The Abyss has no measure,

all his life, seeing that he did not give

for beneath it there stretches down below

judgment and did not pity widows and

that which is below it; and so it is that if

orphans, but now he receives retribution

perchance anyone should take a stone and

according to his iniquity and his works.”

throw it into a very deep well after many

hours it would reach the bottom, such is

And I saw another man in the

36

the abyss. For when the souls are thrown

fiery river up to his knees. His

in there, they hardly reach the bottom in

hands were stretched out and bloody, and

fifty years.”

worms proceeded from his mouth and

nostrils, and he was groaning and weep