Letters of Abgar and Jesus

In my off-season reading, I came across a pair of letters that were allegedly written to and from Jesus c. 25 AD. I thought they were pretty interesting and I did a little research and here is what I found:

Abgar V of Edessa was a Syrian ruler of the Kingdom of Osroene (also known as the Kingdom of Edessa) between the years AD 13-50. Abgar was suffering from an incurable disease. Word of the deeds of Jesus had reached Abgar and legend states that he was converted to Christianity by Addai (also known as Thaddeus) who was one of the 70 disciples mentioned in Luke 10:1-24. Abgar believed that Jesus was the only one who could heal him and he wrote to Jesus asking for a healing. He offered Jesus asylum in Edessa offering protection from the malice of the Jews of whom he believed hated Jesus. Jesus responded with a letter stating that he could not come to heal Abgar because He needed to complete His mission, but once He had completed His mission (i.e. after His ascension) He would send someone else to heal Abgar. Jesus’ letter was very popular in the region because it promised divine protection of the city of Edessa from its enemies. The letter lost popularity, however, when the city of Edessa was conquered.

There are several surviving manuscripts of the letters: a Syriac text, an Armenian translation, two independent Greek translations, and several inscriptions on stone. Eusebius records the letters in his Ecclesiastical History (written in the early fourth century) and he was convinced that the original letters still existed in his day in the archives of Edessa, although he never saw them himself.

The letters are likely not authentic, however. The correspondence allegedly written by Jesus mirrors passages from later versions of the gospels. For example, the passage in the letter in which Jesus says that He cannot visit Edessa and heal Abgar because He has to finish his mission but promises to send someone after His ascension mirrors John 16 in which Jesus says that He must fulfill His mission, but will send someone later and predicts His own death and resurrection. This passage was not taken from the original gospels, however. It more closely resembles the equivalent passage from the Diatessaron (the Diatessaron was a ‘gospel harmony’ in which all 4 gospels were combined into one uber-gospel.) The Diatessaron was written sometime between AD 150-160 which would place the letters sometime after that.


Here are versions of both letters:

A copy of a letter written by Abgarus the toparch to Jesus, and sent to him by means of Ananias the runner, to Jerusalem.

Abgarus Uchama the toparch to Jesus the good Saviour that hath appeared in the parts (place) of Jerusalem, greeting. I have heard concerning thee and thy cures, that they are done of thee without drugs or herbs: for, as the report goes, thou makest blind men to see again, lame to walk, and cleansest lepers, and castest out unclean spirits and devils, and those that are afflicted with long sickness thou healest, and raisest the dead. And having heard all this of thee, I had determined one of two things, either that thou art God come down from heaven, and so doest these things or art a Son of God that doest these things. Therefore now have I written and entreated thee to trouble thyself to come to me and heal the affliction which I have. or indeed I have heard that the Jews even murmur against thee and wish to do thee hurt. And I have a very little city but (and) comely (reverend), which is sufficient for us both.

The answer, written by Jesus, sent by Ananias the runner to Abgarus the toparch.

Blessed art thou that hast believed in me, not having seen me. For it is written concerning me that they that have seen me shall not believe in me, and that they that have not seen me shall believe and live. But concerning that which thou hast written to me, to come unto thee; it must needs be that I fulfil all things for the which I was sent here, and after fulfilling them should then be taken up unto him that sent me. And when I am taken up, I will send thee one of my disciples, to heal thine affliction and give life to thee and them that are with thee.
*Later texts add a promise that where this letter is, no enemy shall prevail: and so we find the letter copied and used as an amulet. It was regarded naturally as the palladium of Edessa, but was also thought to act as a protection to individuals.