The Shepherd of Hermas

And the angel of the Lord commanded crowns to be brought; and crowns were brought; made; as it were; of palm leaves; and he crowned the men who had given up their sticks with buds and some fruit; and sent them away into the tower.

And he sent also the others into the tower who gave up their sticks green and with buds; but the buds without fruit; and he gave them seals.

And all who went into the tower had the same clothing; white as snow.

And he sent away those who had given up their sticks green, as they had received them, and gave them clothing and seals.

After the angel had finished this he said to the shepherd:[*](The instruction of the angel to the Shepherd) I am going away, but you shall send these within j the walls, according as any is worthy to dwell there. s But consider their sticks carefully and thus let them go, but look carefully. See to it that none pass you, he said, but if anyone pass you, I will test them at the altar. When he had said this to the shepherd he departed.

And after the angel had departed the shepherd said to me: Let us take the sticks of all of them, and plant them to see if some

He answered[*](The treatment, of the sticks by the shepherd) me, and said: This tree is a willow, and is a . species tenacious of life. If then, the sticks be planted and receive a little moisture, many of them will live; but next we must try them, and water them. If any of them can live I shall rejoice with them, and if they do not live I shall not be proved careless.

And the shepherd commanded me to call each of them as they stood. They came, rank by rank, and gave up their sticks to the shepherd. And the shepherd took the sticks and planted them in ranks, and after planting them, poured much water round them, so that the sticks could not be seen for the water.

And after he had watered the sticks he said to me: Let us go and come back after a few days, and visit all the sticks, for he who created this tree wishes all to live who received branches from this tree. And I too have hope for these sticks which have received moisture and been watered, that the greater part of them will live.

I said to him: Sir, tell me what this tree is. For I am perplexed about it, that although so many[*](The explanation of the parable) branches have been cut off, the tree is healthy, and nothing seems to have been cut from it; I am perplexed at this.

Listen, said he, this great tree, which covers plains and mountains and

And the great and glorious angel[*](But in Sim. ix. he is the Son of God. This together with the identification of the Son with the Spirit in Sim. ix. 1 (cf. Sim. v. 5) makes it very hard to reconstruct the Christology of Hermas. On the question of Michael see W. Lueken’s Michael Göttingen, 1898.) is Michael, who has power over this people and governs them; for this is he who put the law into the hearts of those who believe. Therefore he looks after those to whom he gave it to see if they have really kept it.

But you see the sticks of each one, for the sticks are the law. Therefore, you see that many sticks have been made useless, and you will understand, that they are all the men who have not observed the law; and you will see the dwelling of each one of them.

I said to him: Sir, why did he send some into the tower, and left some to you? All those who have transgressed against the law, which they received from him, he left to my authority for repentance. But as many as were already well-pleased with the law, and have observed it, he keeps them under his own authority.

Who then, Sir, said I, are they who were crowned and went into the tower? All those, said he, who wrestled with the devil and conquered him, have been crowned. These are they who suffered for the law.

And the others who also gave up their sticks green and having buds, but without fruit, are they who were persecuted for the law, but

And those who gave them up green, as they received them, are holy and righteous and have walked far with a pure heart, and have kept the commandments of the Lord. And the rest you will know, when I look at these sticks which have been planted and watered.

And after a few days he came to the place, and the shepherd sat in the place of the angel, and[*](The continuation of the parable) I stood by him, and he said to me; Gird yourself with a towel[*](The exact meaning of ὠμόλινον is apparently made of undressed flax, but it came to mean merely a towel.) and serve me. And I girded myself with a clean towel made of sackcloth.