The Shepherd of Hermas

After I had written the commandments and[*](Introduction) parables of the shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said to me: I wish to show you what the Holy Spirit which spoke with you in the form of the Church showed you, for that Spirit is the Son of God.

For since you were too weak in the flesh, it was not shown you by an angel. But when you were strengthened by the spirit, and made strong in your strength, so that you could also see an angel, then the building of the tower was shown to you by the Church. You saw all things well and holily as if from a virgin.[*](The point is that the form of the vision was accommodated to Hermas’ powers. It was at first sent in the form of a human being (the emphasis is on the humanity, not on the Virginity) and afterwards when he was stronger spiritually in the form of an angel.) But now you see them from an angel, yet through the same Spirit.

But

And he took me away to Arcadia,[*](Arcadia is found in all the authorities; but it plays no further part in the story. Zahn emends to Aricia; but Aricia is a village, and Monte Cavo, which might be intended, is nut specially near to it.) to a breast-shaped mountain, and set me on top of the[*](The vision of the Mountains) mountain, and showed me a great plain and round the plain twelve mountains, and each mountain had a different appearance.

The first was black as pitch, the second was bare without herbs, and the third was full of thorns and thistles.

And the fourth had half-dried herbage; the tops of the herbs were green, but the parts by the roots were dry. And some of the herbs, when the sun had burnt them, were becoming dry.

And the fifth mountain had green herbs and was steep. And the sixth mountain was altogether full of cracks, some small and some great. And the cracks had herbage, but the herbage was not very flourishing, but rather as if it were fading.

And the seventh mountain had vigorous herbage, and the whole mountain was flourishing, and all kinds of cattle and birds were feeding on that mountain. And the more the cattle and birds were feeding, the more the herbage of that mountain flourished. And the eighth mountain was full of springs, and every kind of creature of the Lord was given to drink from the springs of that mountain.

But the ninth mountain had no water at all, and wai quite desert. But it had in it wild beasts and deadly reptiles destroying men. And the tenth mountain

And the eleventh mountain was full of trees and those trees had fruit, and were each adorned with different fruits, so that whoever saw them desired to eat of their fruits. And the twelfth mountain was all white, and its appearance was joyful, and the mountain was in itself very beautiful.