Nisibene Hymn 42: The Bones of Thomas at Edessa

The Evil One wailed: “Where is there a place now for me to flee to from the righteous? I stirred up Death to kill the apostles, so that I might be safe from their blows. Now, through their deaths, I am beaten more cruelly than ever. The apostle I killed in India is ahead of me in Edessa. He is wholly here, and there as well. I went there, and there he was; here and there I have found him, and been grieved.” [a]

The bones the merchants carried: or was it, then, him that they carried? For see, each made gain from the other. But what did they profit me? They profited each other, while from both of them I suffered loss. If only someone would show me that bag of Iscariot, for by it I gained strength! The bag of Thomas has killed me, for the secret strength that dwells in it tortures me. [b]

Moses the chosen carried the bones, in faith, as if for gain. And if he, a great prophet, believed that there is benefit in bones, the merchant did well to believe it, and did well to call himself a merchant. That merchant made gain, grew great, and reigned. His storehouse has made me very poor: his storehouse has been opened in Edessa and has enriched the great city with benefit. [c]

I was amazed at this storehouse of treasure, for its treasure was small at first, and though no one took from it, the spring of its wealth was poor. But now that crowds have gathered around it, and plundered it, and carried off its riches, the more it is plundered, the more its wealth increases. For a spring that is shut in, if someone searches it out, flows out mightily and abounds when it is pierced deep.

It is clear that Elisha was a fountain among a thirsty people; and because those who were thirsty did not seek him out, his outflow was not great. But when Naaman sought him out, he overflowed and poured out healing. He took him and plunged him, a fountain into the middle of a fountain, for he cleansed the leper in the river. Jesus, the Sea of benefits, sent the blind man to Siloam, and his eyes were opened. [d]

Gehazi, with the staff that brought the dead to life, could not raise the child. And how could the famous prophet have been brought up by the sorceress? We were the ones who mocked Saul, for instead of the one demon he questioned, two demons came up and mocked him. From the bones of Elisha learn about the bones of Samuel too: for though the bones of Elisha brought the dead to life, the sorcerers could not bring up the dead, those living and sacred bones. [e]

And though I made this petition, he who gives all things did not give it to me. For though the demons were troubled by the bones of some priest, or magician, or wizard, of a Chaldean or a soothsayer, I knew that this was only mockery. I lead men astray in two ways: either I make the apostles out to be liars, or I make my own apostles look like the apostles.

See, the party of the demons is plundered; the party of the devils is suffering blows. Though no one lifts the rod openly, the demons cry out in pain; though no one fetters and binds them, the spirits hang bound. This silent judgment, calm and still, which works without even questioning, the one power that is all-sufficient, see, dwells in the bones of this second Elisha. [f]

He gave judgment to his Twelve, so that they might judge the twelve tribes. And if they are to judge the sons of the great Abraham, then it is no great matter that they should judge demons now. And unless they make the crucifiers fulfill the judgment that is to come, by our judgment they will be proved. For they cried out worse than we did, in the presence of the apostles, the judges of the tribes. [g]

For Saul the apostle was a wolf, and I reared him on the blood of the sheep; he grew strong and became a wolf like no other. But near Damascus, suddenly, the wolf was changed into a sheep. He said that the apostles are to judge angels, for by the angels he meant the priest, as it is written. If, then, they are so powerful, woe to the demons from the blows of their bones! [h]