The Story of King Abgar, Christ’s picture and the Apostle Adai

[Mary Naeem]

The Story of King Abgar, Christ’s picture and the Apostle Adai
It is known that many things that happened during Jesus’ time, the bible writers did not mention in their gospels. As it says in John 20:30; “and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book.” This particular incident is historic truth, Supported and witnessed by Syrian, Chaldean, Armenian and Greek historians. An English historian, William Write says: “The story of King Abgar Ukomo king of Urhoy truly happened after the resurrection.” Eusebius of Caesarea who died in 240AD, also mentioned this incident in his book “The Church History” in all of chapter 13. The Syrian historian known as the unknown Urhoyan (Edessan) also mentions this in his book in 1234AD.
The story is that the Syriac King, Abgar the fifth, was plagued with leprosy for which his doctors found no cure. When he learned of the news about Jesus Christ and his miracles, he was very anxious to see and meet Jesus Christ to cure him from his illness. So he sent his messengers to Jesus headed by Ananias the artist, inviting Christ in a letter to come over to his kingdom to treat his sickness and abide with him in his kingdom, this is the letter:
“Dear Sir, Peace on you,
I learned about you and your spiritual healing, curing people from disease without medication, you let the blind see, and made the crippled to walk, curing leprosy, all other kinds of sickness and raising the dead. I said to myself, either you are God that came down from heaven or the Son of God. So therefore I invite you to come to my kingdom and treat my sickness and live with me. I have a small beautiful city, it is enough for us to live in it, quietly and peacefully.”
When the messenger arrived to Jerusalem and met with Christ and gave him the letter, Christ read it, but he could not go, he apologized and gave a response to the King, saying:
“Blessed to you, that you did not see me and believed in me. For it is written about me that who ever sees me won’t believe in me, but who ever does not see me will believe in me and receive salvation.
As far as coming to you to treat you for your sickness, I cannot come because I have to finish what I came for. After my resurrection to my father, I will send one of my apostles to cure you and give you eternal live. Blessed is your city.”
This is how the name, Edessa the blessed city of Christ came about, as Dr. Segal titles his book. This letter was dictated by Jesus to the apostle Thomas and these two letters were kept in Edessa’s library until the 11th century.
King Abgar told Ananias to bring a picture of Christ with him. As Ananias started to draw Christ’s picture during Christ’s answer, Christ knew that Ananias was drawing his picture. He asked for some water, washed his face and took a towel and wiped his face. The minute he did that, his image was miraculously printed on the towel and he gave the towel to Ananias to give to his king.
After Christs resurrection, the apostle Adai went to Edessa and cured King Abgar from his illness. He baptized him and the whole city of Edessa became Christians. Adai also built a church, paid for by the king. Adai was considered the first bishop of Edessa, after his death he was succeed by his disciple Aggai. The printed picture of Christ on the towel stayed in Constantinople until the end off the 13th century. It is now in Genew, Italy in the church of Bartolma, there is also a copy of the picture located in Lan France.
On September 14th, 1999 a group of 56 people from the Urhoyan community of Aleppo Syria that live in the US and Canada, under the leadership of Bishop Mar Gregorious Youhana Abraham. Bishop of Aleppo visited the Church of Bartolma and saw the picture of Jesus and held a Syriac mass in the church. They also received a copy of the picture from Cardinal Titamanzy. They also visited Pope John Paul II to bless the copy of the picture. This copy is now in St George Syrian Orthadox Church in Aleppo Syria, which belongs to the Urhoyan Edessan community that immigrated from Edessa Urhoy, to Aleppo Syria in 1924