On the Lives and Deaths of the Prophets, Another Version

1Concerning the life and death of the prophets. Epiphanius: On the prophets, whence they were and where they were completed.

He was a son of Jair, from Bethlehem, of the tribe of Issachar, and having died, he was buried in his own land in peace. He gave a sign that the Lord would come upon the earth: if they say the oak in Shiloh be divided into twelve from itself and twelve oaks become.

Amos was from Tekoa, and he was taken up by the son Amaziah, striking him with a sword at the temple. And still breathing, he came into his own land, and having finished after three days, he was buried there.

Micaiah, son of Jeramoth the Morathite, was from the tribe of Ephraim, and having done many things to Ahab, he was taken up on a cliff by Jeroboam his son, because he rebuked him concerning the impieties of his fathers, and he was buried in his own land.

Joel, son of Bathuel, was from the tribe of Reuben from the field of Tabor, and having died in peace, he was buried there.

Abdon was from the land of Shechem, who was also the third fifty-man whom Elijah appointed; and he went down to Obadiah. After these things, leaving the service of the king, he retired, and having died, he was buried with his fathers.

Jonah, son of Amittai, was from the land of Keriatharim near the city of Azotus by the sea; and having been cast out from the whale and having gone to Nineveh, and having returned, he did not remain in his own land, but and he lived in the land of Sur, among the foreign tribes. For he was saying: 'Thus I will remove my reproach, that I lied prophesying against the city of Nineveh.' And Elias was then rebuking Ahab, and having called for famine upon the land, he fled. And having come, he found the widow with her son; for he was not able to remain among non-Jews. And he blessed her, and having died, her son Jonah again from the dead God through Elias was raised. For He wished to show him that one cannot flee from God. And after the famine, having come to the land of Judah in Saar, and having died, he was buried there. And he gave a sign upon the Temple...

The Psalm says: when they see a stone crying out pitifully, the end approaches; and when they see all the nations in Jerusalem, then the city shall be established.

7. Nahum was the son of Elkese, from the tribe of Simeon, of Jesbeh. And after Jonah, he gave a sign to Nineveh, that it would be destroyed by waters and by subterranean fire. And so it happened; for the lake surrounding it collapsed in an earthquake, and fire came out from the desert and burned its highest part. And having died, he was buried in his own land.

8. Abacuc was from the village of Bidzuchar, of the tribe of Simeon. And he saw before the captivity concerning the fall of Jerusalem, and he grieved greatly; and when Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem, he fled to Ostrakine, and was a resident alien in the land of Ishmael. And when the Chaldeans returned, and the survivors who were in Jerusalem went down to Egypt, this man was residing in his own land and serving with the reapers of his people. And when he took the food to bring to the workers, he spoke encouragingly to his own, saying: I am going to a distant land, and I will come back quickly. If I am delayed, bring the best of their food to the reapers. And having arrived in Babylon and having given the best to Daniel, he went to the reapers who were eating, and he said nothing of what had happened. But from this, he understood that the people would return quickly from Babylon. And two years before the return, having died, he was buried there in a field. And he gave a sign to those in Judah, that they would see light in the temple, and thus see the glory of the temple. And concerning the destruction of the temple, he foretold that it would come by a western nation, and then the expanse of David, he says, will be broken into small pieces, and the tops of the two pillars will be removed, and no one will know where they will be; but these things will be carried away into the desert by an angel, where the tent of the testimony was originally set up, and the Lord will be known to those at the end.

9. Sophonias, son of Hush, was from the village of Sabaratha, of the tribe of Simeon.

2He prophesied concerning the city, the end of the nations, and the shame of the ungodly; and having died, he was buried in his own land.

4. Haggai, a young man, came from Babylon to Jerusalem and clearly prophesied about the return of the people, and he saw in part the building of the temple. Having died, he was buried gloriously in front of the tomb of the priests.

5. Zechariah, son of Berechiah, came from the Chaldeans to Jerusalem, already having advanced in age; and there too he prophesied much to the people, and gave wonders for proof. He also said to Jesedek that he would beget a son and serve in the priesthood in Jerusalem, and he blessed Salathiel upon his son and set the name Zerubbabel. During Cyrus, he gave a wonder for victory and foretold concerning his service, which he would perform in Jerusalem, and blessed him; and he prophesied about the end of the nations, and Israel, and the temple, and the scarcity of prophets and priests. But King Joash of Judah killed him between the temple and the altar, while he was advising him and the people to abstain from ungodliness and to turn to God, and the priests, having taken him, buried him with his father. And from then on, many wonderful wonders occurred in the temple. And the priests were not able to see visions of God's angels, nor to give oracles from David, nor to answer the people through signs as before.

6. Malachi, after the return of the people, was born in Sophia, who being young had a life altogether good. And because all the people honored him as a holy man, they called him Malachi, which means messenger. For he was graceful in appearance and a fulfiller to the people. For whatever he said to them in prophecy, he himself, having seen it on that very day, he was confirmed as a messenger of the Lord. And while still young, he was completed and was buried in his own land.

7. Isaiah was the son of Amos from Jerusalem; but having been removed by Manasseh, being sawn in two, he was buried under a Rogem tree, near the crossing of the waters which Hezekiah had closed. And God made the sign of Siloam through the prophet, that before dying, having thirsted a little, he prayed to drink water, and immediately it was sent to him from it. And because of this, he was called Siloam, which means sent.

One. And Hezekiah, because of this prayer, made pits and cisterns. For the water that had flowed out was small when the people were under the siege of the foreigners; and so that the city would not be destroyed as one lacking water, he did this. And when the enemies came to draw water, water did not come; but when the Jews came, the water also came. Therefore until now the water flows out suddenly, so that the mystery of God might be shown.

And since this happened through Isaiah, for the sake of memory, the people also buried him near him with honor, so that through his prayers they might likewise have the enjoyment of the water, because an oracle was given to them concerning this. But the tomb is located away from the tomb of the kings, behind the tomb of the priests toward the south. For Solomon in 61 made the tombs of David, having inscribed them according to the easts of Zion, which has an entrance from Gabao, a distance of four stadia from the city, and he made a crooked arrangement, unperceived, and it is until now unknown to many. There the king had the gold from Ethiopia and the perfumes. And since Hezekiah showed the nations the mystery of David and Solomon, and mixed the bones of his fathers, therefore God delivered his seed into slavery to his enemies, and God made it unfruitful from that day.

14. Jeremiah was from Anathoth and, having been thrown with stones in the tombs of Egypt by the people, dies. And he lies near the house of Pharaoh, because the Egyptians honored him having been benefited through him; for he prayed, and the serpents were no longer for them, and the beasts of the waters—whom the Egyptians call Ephoth and the Greeks crocodiles—which were killing them; and after the prophet prayed, the race of serpents was prevented from that land and likewise the dwelling of the beasts from the river. And as many as are faithful to God, until now pray in the place where he lies, and taking a piece of the soil of the place, they heal snake bites, and the beasts of the water flee. And we heard from the children of Antigonus and Ptolemy some reports that Alexander the Macedonian, having known...

3Having known the mysteries concerning the prophet's tomb, he transferred his relics to Alexandria, enshrining them gloriously; and the race of asps was prevented from the earth, and likewise the beasts from the river. This prophet gave a sign to the priests of Egypt, that their idols must be shaken and their handiwork fall, when a virgin in labor enters Egypt with a god-like infant. Therefore even until now they honor a laboring virgin and worship, placing an infant in a manger. And to King Ptolemy, when he was inquiring about the cause, they said: it is a mystery handed down to us from our fathers by a holy prophet, and we await the end of our mystery.

But he, before the capture of the temple, snatched the ark of the law and the things in it, and caused them to be placed in a rock, saying to those present: the Lord has departed from Zion to heaven, and again he will come in power. And let it be a sign to you of his presence, when all the nations shall worship wood. No one casts out this ark except Aaron; and no priest or prophet unfolds the tablets in it except Moses, the chosen of God. And in the resurrection, first the ark of God shall rise and come out of the rock, and shall be placed on Mount Sinai, and then all the saints shall be gathered there, awaiting Christ.

And in the rock he sealed the name of God with his finger, and it became a type like an iron engraving, and a cloud covered the name, and no one perceives the place until the consummation. And the rock is in the desert where first the ark was, between the two mountains in which Moses and Aaron lie; and at night a cloud like fire appears according to the ancient type, because the glory of God shall never cease from his law. And God gave to Jeremiah, by grace, that he himself might make the end of his mystery, so that he might become a companion of Moses. 14. Ezekiel, son of Buzzi, was in Sarira, of the priests; and having killed him, being considered a leader of Israel in the land of the Chaldeans, being reproved by...

Regarding his reverence for idols: they buried him there in the field of the Moors, in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad, having prophesied much to those in Judea. The tomb is a double cave, because Abraham also, in similarity to him, made the tomb of Sarah at Hebron. It is called double because it is aged and hidden, a superstructure above the level ground.

He gave a wonder to the people so that they would attend to the river Chobar; they were to hope that when it fails, the sickle of desolation will reach its end at the edge of the earth, and when it overflows, there will be a return to Jerusalem. For the holy man lived there, and many came to him so that they might fear the Chaldeans would attack. Therefore he also went to them for their deliverance, and he made the water stand still so that they might escape to the other side, and those who dared to pursue the enemies were overwhelmed.

Through prayer, this man automatically provided them with an abundant supply of fish, and he granted life to many who were perishing. As the people were being destroyed by the enemies, he went to the leaders, and having been terrified by great wonders, they ceased. Then he said to them, 'We have cried out; our hope is lost,' and he convinced them through wonders of the bones of the dead that there shall be hope for Israel, both here and in the time to come. While staying there, he showed the people of Israel the things occurring in Jerusalem and in the temple. He was then seized from there and taken to Jerusalem for the reproof of the unbelievers.

According to Moses, this man saw the pattern of the temple, whose wall and surrounding wall are wide, just as Daniel said it would be built. In Babylon, he judged the tribe of Gad because they were impious toward the Lord by pursuing those who kept the law, and he caused snakes to consume the infants and all their livestock, saying that because of them, the people would not return to his land. From these things he was also taken up.

Daniel was from Bethor of the upper tribe of Judah, of the race of the most distinguished of the royal service, and while still an infant, he went to the land of the Chaldeans. He was a prudent man, so that the Jews seemed to be his supporters. He grieved much for the city, and in fasting he practiced abstinence from every food of desire.

4He prayed much on behalf of Nebuchadnezzar, as Belshazzar his son was entreating him not to be lost when he had become a beast and a cattle-animal. For his face was like an ox's and his feet were like a lion's. The mystery of this was revealed to the holy man: that he became a beast because of his love of pleasure and his hard-neckedness, and cattle because he was under the yoke of Belial and was obedient; and as an ox he ate grass, but human nature became food to him.

His tongue was held back from speaking; and understanding immediately, he wept, and he entreated God according to his mind all day and hour; and his eyes had become fleshy from many tears. And many observers of the city saw him and marveled. But Daniel alone did not wish to see him. Rather, all the time of his change, he was in prayer concerning him, beseeching God. For he was saying: that he would become a man again and would believe in him.

And Daniel made the seven years which he said, seven seasons, to become seven months, and the mystery of the seven seasons was completed upon him after the forgiveness of his lawlessness. And God restored his kingdom to him again; and he ate neither bread nor meat, nor drank wine, confessing to God that Daniel had commanded him to appease God with moist offerings and herbs. Because of this, Belshazzar called him, because he wished to make him co-heir of his children; but the holy man said: 'May God appease me so as to release me to the inheritance of my fathers, and to be joined to the inheritance of the unblemished.'

And for the Persian kings that followed, he did many wonders, as many as I have not written; second, they were thrown into the lion's pit for the sake of piety and the love of God. For the first, because while the Babylonians were praying, he alone prayed to God, while Darius the king was there. And the second, because he destroyed Bel and slew the dragon during the time of Cyrus the king, and he himself was saved, and went up from the pit unharmed from the lions. But those who plotted against him were thrown into the pit.

They were near the lions, and immediately they were devoured by them. After these things, having grown old and having passed away in peace, he was buried there in that royal cave, alone and gloriously. He also gave a sign in the mountains to those above Babylon, saying: when smoke rises from the marsh, the end of Babylon shall come; and when it is burned as with fire, the end of all the earth shall come. If waters flow in the mountains of the south, the people shall return to their land; but if blood flows, there shall be the slaughter of the Belial in all the land.

Elijah the Thespian was from the land of the Arabs, of the tribe of Aaron, dwelling in Gilead, because Thebes was a house for the priests. When he was about to be born, his mother Sobachah saw that bright-faced men were prophesying him, roasting him in fire and giving him a flame of fire to eat. His father, Asom, came and announced in Jerusalem, saying the oracle: 'Take courage, for his house shall be light and his word a decree, and he shall judge Israel with sword and fire.' For having become a zealot and a precise guardian of the commands of God, and having been made worthy of the greatest mysteries and divine gifts, he was taken up in a fiery chariot. He shall return again before the consummation, as God says through Malachi: 'Behold, I will send Elijah the Thespian to you before the coming of the great and manifest day of the Lord, who shall restore the heart of the father to the son, and the heart of man to his neighbor; lest coming, I strike the earth with a rod.'

His disciple Elisha was from Abelmuth, from the land of the tribe of Reuben, the son of Levi and Jehoshaphat. When the golden heifer was born in Galgal, he cried out so sharply that he was heard in Jerusalem; and the priest, through the signs, said that a prophet was born in Jerusalem who shall cast down their carved images and their earthen vessels. For the spirit having rested upon him, a double portion has become in him, double in spirit and in gifts and in works. Therefore, not only in his life did he work wonders, but also after dying and being carried to Samaria, he was thrown dead, alone in his tomb. And immediately the dead man lived.