Letter to John of Jerusalem · §3 · Epiphanius of Salamis

Tearing the painted curtain at Anautha

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Epiphanius is recounting to John what happened when he entered a church at the village of Anautha on his way to Bethel.

But since I have heard that some people grumbled against us, saying that while we were crossing to the holy place of Bethel to gather together with your honor, when we came to the village called Anautha, we saw a lamp burning and asked about it and learned that there was a church in that place. When we entered to offer a prayer, we found at the door a dyed curtain on which had been painted some human image, idol-like, which they said was perhaps a representation of Christ or of one of the saints—for I do not remember what I saw. And knowing that it is an abomination in church for such things to be, I tore it and advised that they wrap a poor dead person in it. But those who grumbled said, "He ought to have exchanged the curtain from his own resources before he tore it." And yet I had promised that I would send another in its place, but I delayed to send it because of the necessity for me to travel.

Greek

Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤκουσα ὅτι τινὲς ἐγόγγυσαν καθ' ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ διαβαίνειν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον τόπον τῆς Βεθῆλ τοῦ συναγελασθῆναι τῇ σῇ τιμιότητι ὡς ἤλθομεν εἰς τὴν κώμην τὴν λεγομένην Ἀναυθά, θεασάμενοι λύχνον καιόμενον καὶ ἐρωτήσαντες ἔγνωμεν ἐκκλησίαν εἶναι ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ τοῦ εὐχὴν ἐπιτελέσαι εὕρομεν βῆλον ἐν τῇ θύρᾳ βαπτὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐζωγράφητο ἀνδροείκελόν τι εἰδωλοειδές, ὃ ἔλεγον τάχα ὅτι

Χριστοῦ ἦν τὸ ἐκτύπωμα ἢ ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων οὐ γὰρ μέμνημαι ἐγὼ θεασάμενος, καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι μύσος ἐστὶν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τοιαῦτα εἶναι, διέρρηξα αὐτὸ καὶ συνεβούλευσα ἀμφιάσαι ἐν αὐτῷ πένητα τελευτήσαντα, οἱ δὲ γογγύσαντες ἔλεγον· "ἔδει αὐτὸν ἀλλάξαι ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων τὸ βῆλον πρινὴ αὐτὸ σχίσῃ", καίτοιγε ἐμοῦ ὑποσχομένου ὅτι ἀντ' αὐτοῦ ἀπο 283 στελῶ ἕτερον, ἐβράδυνα δὲ τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι διὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖόν με

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About this text

A bishop's urgent plea for unity and truth amid accusations of idolatry in a holy land.

Epiphanius of Salamis (c. 310/320–403) wrote this letter to John, bishop of Jerusalem, in 394 or 395. Epiphanius was bishop of Salamis in Cyprus. He wrote to explain and defend his action of tearing a curtain with a painted human image in a church at Anautha, and to send what he had obtained as a replacement.

John was angry that Epiphanius had ordained a priest inside John's jurisdiction, and Epiphanius had openly charged John with being an Origenist.

Epiphanius urges John not to be carried away by pride of office but to heed Scripture's warning against grumbling. He prays that God will crush Satan under the feet of Christians and prevent the bond of Christ's unfeigned love, peace, right faith, and truth from being torn away from them. He then recounts that while traveling to the holy place of Bethel to meet with John, he entered a church at the village of Anautha, found a curtain painted with a human image said to be Christ or a saint, tore it as an abomination in church, and advised using it to wrap a poor dead person. He notes that some grumbled, saying he should have replaced the curtain from his own resources before tearing it, though he had promised to send another. He now sends what he found, having expected to send something from Cyprus, and asks John to order the local presbyter to receive it and to prevent such things from being placed in churches. The letter quotes 1 Corinthians 10:10 directly without naming Paul, with a possible allusion to 10:9.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 41 – 43 (Greek)

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