King Abgar V From Edessa Writes To Jesus and Jesus Writes (Dictates) A Letter Back!
Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea (b. 260-265 A.D. - d. 339 A.D.) known as "First Historian of the Christian Church" by some. He wrote about several very interesting events from the early Christian centuries! The ancient city of Caesarea is on the Mediterranean coast of Israel south of Haifa.
It Was Recorded That A Seriously Ill And Suffering King Named Abgar V (or Abgar the Black) Who Was King of a Kingdom Called Osroene Which Had Its Capitol in Edessa (modern-day Urfa, Turkey about 580 miles from Jerusalem) Wrote A Letter Requesting A Healing Visit From Jesus During Jesus' Ministry On Earth And Reportedly Received A Dictated Letter Back From Jesus In Reply! The Actual Surviving Letter Was Seen, Read and Testified To By Some Early Christian Historical Figures.
King Abgar and His Queen Helen Holding Up the Mandylion (a famous painting on cloth of Jesus' likeness which became a renowned icon.)
Here follows the translated purported contents of the letter Abgar V wrote to Jesus, spoken of by Eusebius, who was the Bishop of Caesarea and a very early historian of the Christian Church:
Abgar, ruler of Edessa, to Jesus the good physician who has appeared in the country of Jerusalem, greeting. I have heard the reports of you and of your cures as performed by you without medicines or herbs. For it is said that you make the blind to see and the lame to walk, that you cleanse lepers and cast out impure spirits and demons, and that you heal those afflicted with lingering disease, and raise the dead. And having heard all these things concerning you, I have concluded that one of two things must be true: either you are God, and, having come down from heaven, you do these things, or else you, who does these things, are the son of God. I have therefore written to you to ask you if you would take the trouble to come to me and heal all the ill which I suffer. For I have heard that the Jews are murmuring against you and are plotting to injure you. But I have a very small yet noble city which is great enough for us both.[19]
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***So, Jesus' healings were famous almost 600 miles away even at this time then? Pretty great proof of how startling those healings were, just as the Gospels attest!***
Jesus gave the messenger the reply to return to Abgar:
Blessed are you who hast believed in me without having seen me. For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me will not believe in me, and that they who have not seen me will believe and be saved. But in regard to what you have written me, that I should come to you, it is necessary for me to fulfill all things here for which I have been sent, and after I have fulfilled them, thus to be taken up again to him that sent me. But after I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples, that he may heal your disease and give life to you and yours.
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Jesus was crucified, but afterwards one of the Biblically referred to '70 disciples of Jesus', who became known as Thaddeus of Edessa, made his way to that King's land, found him, and prayed for him in Jesus' name, and the King was miraculously healed of what some say was leprosy and some say was gout. Also, a relative of King Abgar had gout very badly and he was healed miraculously in the name of Jesus as well. And so, in gratitude to Jesus, King Abgar became a converted and baptized believer and a very early Christian king. Jesus kept His word through this servant Thaddeus, it appears.
Emperor Tiberius of Rome
At a later time this same King Abgar V, or Abgar the Black, apparently, (born sometime before 1 A.D. - died about 50 A.D.) wrote to the Roman Emperor Tiberius (reigned 14 to 37 A.D.) a letter which was preserved, and in some translations it reads as follows:
Abgar's initial letter to Tiberius read:[35]
Abgar, king of Armenia, to my Lord Tiberius, emperor of the Romans, greeting:— I know that nothing is unknown to your Majesty, but, as your friend, I would make you better acquainted with the facts by writing. The Jews who dwell in the cantons of Palestine have crucified Jesus: Jesus without sin, Jesus after so many acts of kindness, so many wonders and miracles wrought for their good, even to the raising of the dead. Be assured that these are not the effects of the power of a simple mortal, but of God. During the time that they were crucifying Him, the sun was darkened, the earth was moved, shaken; Jesus Himself, three days afterwards, rose from the dead and appeared to many. Now, everywhere, His name alone, invoked by His disciples, produces the greatest miracles: what has happened to myself is the most evident proof of it. Your august Majesty knows henceforth what ought to be done in future with respect to the Jewish nation, which has committed this crime; your Majesty knows whether a command should not be published through the whole universe to worship Christ as the true God. Safety and health.
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Tiberius' reply read:
Tiberius, emperor of the Romans, to Abgar, king of the Armenians, greeting:— Your kind letter has been read to me, and I wish that thanks should be given to you from me. Though we had already heard several persons relate these facts, Pilate has officially informed us of the miracles of Jesus. He has certified to us that after His resurrection from the dead He was acknowledged by many to be God. Therefore I myself also wished to do what you propose; but, as it is the custom of the Romans not to admit a god merely by the command of the sovereign, but only when the admission has been discussed and examined in full senate, I proposed the affair to the senate, and they rejected it with contempt, doubtless because it had not been considered by them first. But we have commanded all those whom Jesus suits, to receive him among the gods. We have threatened with death any one who shall speak evil of the Christians. As to the Jewish nation which has dared to crucify Jesus, who, as I hear, far from deserving the cross and death, was worthy of honour, worthy of the adoration of men — when I am free from the war with rebellious Spain, I will examine into the matter, and will treat the Jews as they deserve.
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*** The straight line distance from Jerusalem to Rome is over 1,400 miles, but Jesus was well known in some circles in Rome even at that distance, apparently. Tiberius speaks of 'several persons' having already spoken of Jesus' deeds that far away at this early time. ***
It is an interesting historical account, much known in medieval times but spoken of very little in the West in our day. Allegedly King Agbar V also was given possession of a holy icon...a painted image of the face of Jesus on a piece of cloth. It was called the Mandylion. It was very famous, passed through many hands and several kingdoms and some say that it was eventually lost from France sometime during the French Revolution.
