Miracles of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni of Dabra ʿAśā

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, we begin to write with the help of God the Father, the miracles of the blessed ʾAbbā Yoḥanni of Dabra ʿAśā, while the holy Gabriel raises him up. When he was on the road, that country and the region of the living, the miracles of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni were bestowed upon his servant. O my beloved, for this ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, like a merchant who gathers treasures from everywhere while traveling, fills them into the house.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And while there were two brothers at the foot of the mountain of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, on the fourth of the month of Ḥedār, at the time of the feast, those two brothers were sleeping. Miracle of the pious woman who asked the Lord at length to see the face of the saint. His miracles, of our father the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And there was a certain woman, while she believed in ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, having heard his fame, day and night, that she might see his face. But that woman was from the district of Məta, for her mother. Miracle of the woman who entered the church walking with her hands, and was healed by ʾAbbā Yoḥanni.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And a certain woman came, walking on foot, without hands, and she remained as if in the courtyard of the church, one named A... two, while she was pleading and asking of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni that he might heal her. His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And there was a young child whose hands and feet were withered, and his knees were drawn up to his neck, and he could not stand or move, neither to the right nor to the left.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And a certain king dwelt, while he believed in the saints of the monastery of Dabra ʿAśā; formerly he was wont to give them their food and their annual allowance. That king was a righteous king and a lover of God. Miracle of Takla Hāymānot, disciple of Yoḥanni, who freed a man possessed by demons. His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And all the monks assembled at the church, in order to perform the prayer on the 20th and 24th of Taḫśāś, on the feast day of ʾAbbā Takla Hāymānot, for he also was at that monastery.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And when they saw the miracle of those monks, they marvelled and were astonished, and they said among themselves, "Hear, O fathers, with your ears." His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And on one day there was a gathering within his mountain, of the blessed and holy man of God, while he was yet before his ascension into the land of the living.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And now our father from the place of ʾEmḥǝya took us and brought us into this place, and entering, they said, "ʾAbbā Yoḥanni came to us in a night vision and took us." And after that, the assembly of the monks recounted the wonders of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, and while they were speaking, they said, "When hunger, thirst, and nakedness come upon you, tell them, 'Be patient, remembering his covenant concerning the time of our [need].'

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And it happened in the land of Tənbēn, and there were people from the west of Dabra ʿAśā, in a town called Taʾāminā, while they were performing the commemoration of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni each month. His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And again we tell you how he saved us from affliction and oppression, and from the attack of evil spirits, and from evil speech, as he saved that woman.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And there was a man on the day of his feast, while he was pouring, he gave oil to ʾAbbā Yoḥanni as a gift, and he was seized by the pain of death, and he was unable to draw water for the monks, for he had no children. His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And then a man looked into the mouth of the jar of his wife, and he saw it full of butter and oil that had come; and when he saw this, he said to that woman, “You have stolen the property of the church.

His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And on one day all the sick who were afflicted with various diseases gathered, and there was a vessel of oil that was hanging in the house of assembly. And they took from that oil and placed that oil in the vessels of the church. His miracles, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And then the people of that city said among themselves, "Come, let us make a tazkār for ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, his feast, every year, as we make for the Apostles, our fathers, because this one is our Apostle." And they rejoiced, preparing a table and fellowship, and all of them were in this counsel.

His miracle, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And there was a certain woman from a distant land, and the mysteries of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni were revealed to her in secret. And then she came and arrived at the time of the feast. And she arose and opened her mouth as if to speak of the hidden mystery. His miracle, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And after this, a righteous man came as if to see the place of the monastery of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, and he passed by and went to the desert of ʾAbbunā Gabǝr Ḫer, where there is no water. And he said to those whom he met in that desert, "O my brothers, how do you dwell in this desert?

His miracle, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And a certain man came to the monastery of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, leading a mule, and he said to him, “O my lord, I have brought this mule as a gift for your sanctuary; I have come to you.” And having said this, he slept in the courtyard of the church. Completion of the miracles. His miracle, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. The miracles of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni are completed, twenty-one in number, while we recount them in twenty-one chapters of narrative. And we have not written many of his miracles.

His miracle, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. O my lord, ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, may the Lord whom you loved and for whom you multiplied your children in Dabra ʿAśā bless you, as Abraham, father of all the world. His miracle, of the blessed and holy ʾAbbā Yoḥanni; may his prayer and blessing be with his servant. And it happened in Qollā Tamben, while they were celebrating the feast of the ascension of ʾAbbā Yoḥanni, and there was a certain evil man, while all the people of the country were celebrating the feast of his ascension, and he himself passed by hiding.