PREFACE.

THE manuscript of which a portion is here edited belongs to the Imperial Public Library of St. Petersburg. It is in fine condition. It is written in a bold Estrangelo an ancient form of the Syriac alphabet character. It comprises several works besides the one now published. It is apparently of the sixth century. It is the only known manuscript that contains the entire Syriac text of "The Doctrine of Addai, the Apostle." There exists in the British Museum a manuscript of this work. It forms one of the ancient Syriac documents edited and translated by the late Dr. Cureton. It was published after his death. That manuscript, however, is very imperfect. It does not contain so much as half of the entire text. Consequently, the value of the work in so mutilated a condition is greatly impaired.

Addai, according to the historian Eusebius, was one of the seventy disciples. According to this document, the Armenian version, and "The Doctrine of the Apostles," he was one of the seventy-two disciples. Whatever may be the explanation of this numerical discrepancy, one must infer in either case that Addai was one of the second group of disciples ordained by our Lord to the office of the ministry (Luke 10:1). The purpose of his mission to Edessa is stated in