#4──《智者的啟示》1-5──THE “REVELATION OF THE MAGI” 1-4

THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE “REVELATION OF THE MAGI”

1. INTRODUCTION

About the revelation of the Magi, and about their coming to Jerusalem, and about the gifts that they brought to Christ. An account of the revelations and the visions, which the kings, [sons of kings,] of the great East spoke, who were called Magi in the language of that land because in silence, without a sound, they glorified and they prayed. And in silence and in the mind they glorified and prayed to the exalted and holy majesty of the Lord of life, to the holy and glorious Father, who is hidden by the great brightness of himself and is more lofty and holy than all reasoning. And the language of human beings is not able to speak about him as he is, except as he has wished, and when he has wished, and by means of whom he wishes. And neither his heavenly worlds nor the lower ones are able to speak about his majesty, except as it is fitting for the will of his majesty to reveal to the worlds so that they are able to partake from the gift of his majesty, because (his majesty) is great and they are not able to speak of it.

2. THE MAGI – THEIR NAMES AND LINEAGE

And so, there were those wise men, who were called Magi in the language of the land because in silence, without a sound, they praised the God of all, that one who, by his word and will, has come to be all that is, all that exists and arises, and all that is going to be. And there is nothing that exists outside of his will, and furthermore, there is no one who will stand against the will of the Father of all. The names of the wise men and kings were called as follows: Zaharwandad son of Artaban; Hôrmizd son of Sanatruq; Auštazp son of Gudaphar; Aršak son of Mihruq; Zarwand son of Wadwad; Arǐhǒ son of Kosrau; Artahšišat son of Hawǐlat; Aštanbǒzan son of Šǐšrawan; Mihruq son of Humam; Ahširaš son of Sahban; Nasardǐh son of Baladan; Merǒdak son of Bǐl. These are kings, sons of eastern kings, tin the land of Shir, which is the outer part of the entire East of the world inhabited by human beings, at the Ocean, the great sea beyond the world, east of the land of Nod, that place in which dwelt Adam, head and chief of all the families of the world. And these sons of kings received commandments, laws, and even books from their fathers.

And generation from generation, one by one, they received (them,) from the time of Seth, the son of our father Adam, because Adam revealed (them) to his son Seth when he had him. And Adam taught Seth about his prior greatness, before he transgressed against the commandment, and about his expulsion from Paradise. And he warned his son Seth not to transgress also against the (divine) justice as Adam (did).

3. THE TRANSMISSION OF THE MYSTERIES

And Seth received the commandment of his father with a pure heart, and he took care of the agreement and the gift of the exalted Lord of majesty. And it was given to Seth to set down in a book and to make known the wisdom, and to call upon the name of the LORD, the Lord of every soul who seeks after life. And from his a book appeared in the world for the first time, which was set down in the name of the Exalted One.

And Seth entrusted to his descendants the book that was set down, and it was transmitted up to Noah, that one who was found just and was delivered from the waters. And [in the name of the Deluge,] Noah [took] the books of commandments with him [in the Ark. And when] he came out of the Ark, Noah also commanded the generations after him, who recounted his great deeds and the hidden mysteries that are written in the books of Seth about the majesty of the Father and all the mysteries.

And the [books,] and the mysteries, and the speech were handed down in succession by tradition even until our fathers. And they learned and received with joy, and handed them down to us ourselves, and we also kept with love and fear they mysteries of the books and the secrets and the words. And we prayed in silence and gave thanks and glorified, bowing our knees and lifting our hands to the height of heaven, to the Lord of that majesty that is hidden from the eyes of everything that lives.

4. THE PROPHECY OF THE STAR

And those books of hidden mysteries were placed on the Mountain of Victories in the east of Shir, our country, in a cave, the Cave of Treasures of the Mysteries of the Life of Silence. And our fathers commanded us as they also received from their fathers, and they said to us: “Wait for the light that shines forth to you from the exalted East of the majesty of the Father, the light that shines forth from on high in the form of a star over the Mountain of Victories and comes to rest upon a pillar of light within the Cave of Treasures [of] Hidden Mysteries. And also command your sons, and your sons their sons, until the mystery of the star that shines forth from the exalted majesty appears to your generations, a light like a star, and giving light to the entire creation and obscuring the light of the sun, moon, and stars, and not one of them is seen or is able to stand in the presence of its light. For it is the great mystery of the Son of the exalted majesty, who is the voice of the Father; the off-spring of his hidden thought; the light of the ray of his glory; the will and image of his hiddenness; the all-en-gendering word of his thought; source of life never-failing from his spring; the all-governing word according to the will of the one who sent it; an image that has no form or likeness among any things that exist. This one, by whose power and word all the worlds were set in order and established, is the Son of perfect mercy, is the ray of light of the glory of the Father of ineffable majesty. Therefore, know that when his light from that majesty that has no end shines forth for you and will appear like a star to you so that you are able to see him: eagerly, with joy and love, and completely, with care, taking with you his own pure gifts, which were put in the Cave of Treasures of Hidden Mysteries on the Mountain of Victories by your fathers, go to where his light, the star leads you. And you will see a great and amazing sign, God appearing in the bodily form of a human being, unsightly, poor, imperfect, frail, lowly, even the sign of the cross appearing upon him [see Speculum Humanae Salvations on pages 40 and 41]. And you will go before him with love and joy, taking with you your gifts, and you will worship in the presence of the child, despised, poor, and killed. And you will offer him your gifts and you shall receive from him the blessing of salvation and shall partake with him in the joy, which, when he comes with his hidden glory, with his perfect divinity, with his perfect riches that do not pass away, with his new world, with his light that [text missing], with perfect salvation, which he will give to all [text missing]. Also, take care and command your sons. And if the coming of the light of the star does not happen in your days, also have your sons tell it to their sons, until the mysteries and revelations shall come to pass that are written about his coming.

5. THE RITUAL OF THE MAGI

And we received the laws and commandments from our fathers, and we taught all the mysteries,　and we reminded our sons: “Perhaps in your days the coming of the light of this star will happen, as we received and learned from our fathers. And we went up to the Mountain of Victories, and when we were all assembled at the foothills of the mountain from each one’s dwelling place, we remained in one place for purification on the twenty-fifth day of every month. And we bathed in a certain spring that was on the foothills of the mountain, and it is called “The Spring of Purification. And seven trees stood over it: an olive, a vine, a myrtle, [a cypress,] an orange, a cedar, and a juniper. And that mountain was altogether incomparably more beautiful and desirable than all the mountains in our land, and the smell of all sweet spices effused from it, and the dew that was sprinkled was a sweet smell. And when it became the first of the month, as ascended and went to the top of the mountain and stood before the mouth of the Cave of Treasures of Hidden Mysteries. And we knelt on our knees and stretched forth our hands to heaven, and we prayed and worshiped in silence, without a sound, to the Father of that heavenly majesty that is ineffable and infinite forever. On the third of the month we entered the cave up to the treasures, the treasures that were prepared as the star’s own [gifts] and for the adoration of that light that we awaited. And what we read and heard from the revelation, when we returned, descending in joy, we said to and instructed our sons, our families, and everyone who gave themselves with love to learn. And if it should chance that one of us should pass away, we would raise up his son or one of the sons of his family [in his place,] as when we succeeded our fathers, until the time of the coming of the star has been fulfilled. We also taught the people of that country, those who gave themselves to the love of revelation to learn with joy. And those who did not wish to learn and distanced themselves from help because they saw our quiet way of life, that we prayed in silence, [we] said our mysteries to them with honor.

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