The manuscript from which this book was translated belongs to the Imperial Public Library of St. Petersburg. It is in fine condition, written in a bold Estrangelo character (Aramaic) and is apparently of the sixth century. It is the only known manuscript which contains the Aramaic text of "The Doctrine of Addai, the Apostle" in its entirety.

Addai, according to Eusebius, was one of the second group (the 72) that were ordained by Jesus to the office of the ministry. The purpose of his mission to Edessa is stated at the beginning of the document. Abgar, the then king of Edessa, Syria, sent Hannan, the keeper of the archives, and others to Sabinus, the deputy in the east of the emperor Tiberius, with letters concerning the affairs of the kingdom.

The messengers, having most probably heard of the fame of Christ, took that opportunity of going to Jerusalem to see Him. Having entered the city, they saw Christ and rejoiced. Hannan wrote down what he saw and heard of Christ, for the sake of making a full report to Abgar of our Lord's wonderful deeds on his return to Edessa. The king was greatly impressed by what was related to him, and as he himself was afflicted by a disease, and unable to obtain a cure, he wrote a letter to Jesus, entreating Him to come and heal him.

Hannan, the bearer of the letter, delivered it to Jesus. A verbal reply was returned by our Lord to Abgar, in which He promised that after He had gone up to His Father, He would send one of His disciples to cure him of the disease. After Christ had ascended to heaven, Addai was the disciple selected by Judas Thomas to go on the mission to Edessa. His arrival in the city was soon made known to Abgar, who sent immediately for him. Abgar, surrounded by his nobles, received Addai, and he in their presence cured the king of the disease from which he had for a long time been suffering.

The great antiquity of this document must invest it with deep interest from every point of view. It stands chronologically at the head of the Aramaic classics, and is certainly to be regarded as important both for theological and linguistic purposes. For those whose interests in this document lie in its linguistic purposes, I offer two versions of this work. One in English and the other in the original Aramaic.