Nisibis 35

On Mar’a and on Death and on Satan, On the voice of the herald and on the philosopher, The voice proclaimed, and they were confounded and came, The evil powers with his deacons. The camp of serpents, the whole confounded host, When they saw that Yeshu‘ had been victorious, the rock for the whole left side, That there was none among them who was not shaken; they began, each one, to be troubled. All that they had borne, sin and error, was given up. Death trembled, which had made the dead rebel, And Satan trembled, over whom sinners had rebelled. O error, glory to you who saw the evil one and was crushed! Sin called the queen of her heart To demons and devils, and said to them: “The general, the head of your ranks, is no more, For the sea swallowed him, and his companions also; and you, if you are wise, will flee. Now Yeshu‘ will destroy you, you who persecuted the apostles. It is a mercy, then, that you be spared from his disciples.” The hunters of wild beasts and of heretics, For behold, they hunted him, the hunt of the living one who used to hunt for you. Great is this above all evils, Says the evil one concerning the Savior. For it was not enough for him that he was swallowed, But also he began to stir up the city of Yawntan bar Mattay. From the general, as if he were pursuing him who had taken and cast him into the sea. Yawntan fasted for three days and went up. The general, however, did not even reach the shore, For the depth of the sea covered him by command. I was his disciple after his fast, With fine bread, and he was not tempted. To my distress, the psalmist taught me labor, For by his psalm he captured them; he taught me to nullify the error.

And he made the deceived one vain, to the mountain he raised his display. All the assemblies he gave to him, and he was not humbled. Blessed was the day of Adam, that he did not give me a god, much in his teaching. He remained from his skill, the evil one, and said, "Is this Jesus for me a vain thing?" For behold, coverings and veils are painted on him. What maker shall I seek for myself, a god who became great for all flesh? To be a disciple, a sinful disciple, I said again. It is fitting now that I depart and change from what I am, for this son of Mary who came, a new creation, created for herself a new flesh. Death cried out and said, "Fasting I learned, which I did not know. Jesus has made for me bonds of woe. With his fasting, a single human being proclaims to me, 'Stop his mouth,' for I stopped the mouth of many. Sheol said, 'I will cry out in my wailing.'" It is a wonder now, for he triumphs in the festival, as water is turned into wine. He turned the nature of the dead into life. And even God performed a baptism, and he irrigated the earth and loosened its bonds. The mountain and sulphur again approached her, for he was looking at the seals; on the mountain he gives me Sodomites, and in the baptism he stopped the mouth of the house of Sennacherib with heroes, and opened that of Sheol, these and like these I loved. Instead of the deaths of bitterness, he made in his son the life of the dead by grace. See for me the prophets and the righteous. The evil one says to the sons of his pride, and when good, my mighty ones, their powers were.

There was in him a vanity from my own, for the creation of the sons of man. The daughter of his spouse is she who was leavened; this one put on the body of Adam. And he praises that the leavened one has no power over him. He is both man and god, for his humanity was mingled with his divinity. See for me that Adam, that spring, from whom all the races drank. His children in thirst looked [to me] and in longing, each one, and I have not seen anywhere a man of one part of God, and the other half a man, a likeness that was adorned in his radiance. Again, in his disgust and his clothing of his praise. For this one, moreover, not even his creation, that the spring of his thoughts was very beautiful. The desire of the body is in all bodies; even when they sleep, it is awake in them. Which of their lords was overshadowed by the dream that troubled him; he came to him to guard the body that is not in him. From the tremor that hides within him the moons and the sleeps [again]. It disturbed at once this one alone that he was overshadowed, even not in the dream of his praise. Even in his hour she was pure and holy. She was separate, moreover, even his childhood from the children that were seen by me. For I did not see in him a part from my own. From his childhood I was angry; in deceit I grew up to Herod, who with the infants was killed, even from that one who had come forth. Very much was cut off that was revealed like a spark. He took the offerings of the magi, he plundered them and stoned and divided with the sword. I have seen children, sons of the righteous, and also infants, sons of the poor.

And I remained in the womb with one, one, and I saw him in the leaven of the anger of my wrath and my cursing. And also my wrath and my pallor were fruits of instruction. They were bitter and sour; this, however, from his sweetness was a good fruit, which was the sweetness by which sinners were sweetened. Also, though he was a child, he was a teacher, for the living by the radiance that was upon him. Also he was a priest, though his taste was amazed by him. The taste of the elders was wrapped; Joseph was adding from him and rejoicing. From her, before him, was resplendent; he was a wonder in his youth. To all who saw him, he was a benefit to his acquaintances. From the day he entered the creation, he was a helper of humanity by his victories. From where does the fruit of Mary come to me? The cluster of his wine was not pure. For behold, she stood for me among the tombs, so that I might be silent and let him go, to cut a face without his instruction being completed. Those who were bitter in my bitterness and who bound and shut him up again. He is a warning to me, lest he turn and become new wine for sinners. And when they become drunk on it, that is the error of their minds. Behold, to cut a face from both, also from death, also from his life. Turn then to the clothed one, his servants, his kings. For if it is hard, both come; easy is the taste for us a little, that his death will choose from his life. He says to us, Death, if I live, again from somewhere from the righteous he will be wise. By the sons of the mighty and the victorious.

No one, indeed, can mix from the womb of Sheol, the swallower; the form of the spirit can change a man. And outside of Mary, the measure of his smallness. For when he was weeping, his tears were mixed; and when I said to him again that he fell from the holy temple, I thought that from his fear he did not fall when they cast him from the mountain. He flew in the air over the son of no one and sat again. Over his changes I did not stand, that on dry land and on water he walked. I saw him that he bent like a man, and I was sold for bread that was abundant. From him of the beginning, in his coming, I came. He asked as one who does not know, and I was sold for this also, that he might show that he knows the hidden things. He chose again the betrayer, as one who does not know, and turned to show that he knows him. When he bound and when he loosed, I was perplexed in him, that he baptized and mixed and immersed. One thing, however, is bitter, that I saw in him: that which heartens me more than all. For when he prayed, I saw him and rejoiced, that his body was changed and his knowledge feared the fetters of blood. That he perceived that his day had come, this sign pleased me more than all, even if it does not mix my mixture. If, however, that one hinders me, woe also to me and to my servants. The camp of demons increased, and I said, "The sign that you see in you is a help. For not thus did a chance happen to you. With evil kings I triumphed, son of Mary, seven circuits, and behold, from your source, a Turgama stands. Go out, contend with him.

He was a reproach to you, for of many, the love of one. And if it was a pain to you, or a cutting, give you a king for battle, and be strong for yourself. This Jesus, from his words, is he. He is able to come and learn and draw near with him. For he said that he was a half-satan, divided against himself, and not standing firm when he wishes to draw near with you. He gave you a weapon against him: go, divide for me his disciples. If they are divided among themselves, he in them conquers you. By a serpent and a show of the wretched, by his own victory over Adam the first. Death the evil one came and said to him: "Why have you come, not in your custom? For behold, to the lowly and the little ones, you have come hunting like a valiant one." Jesus, who was greater than all, why did you wish to hunt him? The taste of his pride frightened you, that he cast at you when he was being healed from you. You and Esau with your laborers. Little is the strength for the battle of the son of Mary. Esau the king, if he leaves you, he is the free one who does something. Go, you and his disciple begin for yourself, that the head may speak with the heads and begin your whole camp. Go, disturb the Pharisees, and perhaps you will speak in a lowly manner, as is your custom. If you are God, fall from here. In love, leave him and hand him over. And behold, at his time, a bridle and a sword of the Levites.