Epistola

Lucianus

3. Of CAPHARGAMALA (a village in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem), more commonly called HIEROSOLYMITANUS, or of JERUSALEM, an ecclesiastic of the fifth century.

Works

Epistola

There is extant in a Latin version an epistle of his addressed to the whole church or body of Christians in all the world, giving an account of the appearance to him, as he slept one night in the baptistery of the church, as was his custom, of Gamaliel (the teacher of the apostle Paul), who revealed to him the burial-place of his own relics and those of his son Abibus or Abibas, his nephew Nicodemus (the same that came to Jesus Christ by night), and of the protomartyr Stephen.

The Latin version was made by Avitus of Bracara, now Braga, in Portugal, a contemporary of Lucian, who dictated it to Avitus in Greek (it is doubtful if he wrote it in that language); and is usually accompanied by a prefatory letter of Avitus to Palchonius or Balconius, bishop of Bracara.

Editions

Of the Latin version of Lucian's Epistola there are two copies, differing in several respects from each other. That published by Ulimmerius, and commonly designated from him, is given by Surius (De Probatis Sanctor. Vitis, ad diem II. August.); and in the Appendix to the editions of Augustin by the Theologians of Louvain (vol. x. p. 630, &c.) and the Benedictines (vol. vii.) According to this copy, the vision of Lucian took place 3d Dec. 415.

The other copy, which omits the date of the vision, is also given by the Benedictines, in parallel columns, to facilitate comparison.

Summary of an account of a vision

A brief abstract of an account of the vision of Lucian by Chrysippus, an ecclesiastic of Jerusalem, is given by Photius (Bibl. Cod. 171) from the work of Eustratius on the state of the soul after death.

Further Information

Gennadius, De Viris Illustr. 46, 47; Photius, l.c.; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. x. p. 327; Cave, Hist. Litt. ad ann. 415.