The Shepherd of Hermas

The seal, then, is the water. They go down then into the water dead, and come up alive. This seal, then, was preached to them also, and they made use of it to enter into the kingdom of God.

Why, Sir, said I, did the forty stones also come up with them from the deep, although they had received the seal already? Because, said he, these apostles and teachers, who preached the name of the Son of God, having fallen asleep in the power and faith of the Son of God, preached also to those who had fallen asleep before them,[*](Cf. 1 Pet. 3, 19, Gospel of Peter ix. and the Descensus ad inferos in the Acta Pilati. The idea that hearing the gospel and baptism is necessary for the salvation of the righteous dead of pre-Christian times is common, but it is more usually the Christ himself who descends to Hades for the purpose.) and themselves gave to them the seal of the preaching.

They went down therefore with them into the water and came up again, but the latter went down alive and came up alive, while the former, who had fallen asleep before, went down dead but came up alive.

Through them, therefore, they were made alive, and received the knowledge of the name of the Son of God. For this cause they also came up with them and were joined into the building of the tower, and were used

Now therefore, Sir, explain to me about[*](The mountains) the mountains. Why is their appearance different from one another and various?Listen, said he, these twelve mountains are the tribes which inhabit the whole world. The Son of God, then, was preached to them by the Apostles.

But tell me. Sir, said I, why the appearance of the mountains differs one from another and is various. Listen, said he, these twelve tribes which inhabit the whole world are twelve nations, but they are various in understanding and mind. Just as, then, you saw that the mountains are various, so also are there varieties in the mind and understanding of the nations. And I will explain to you the action of each one.

First of all, Sir, said I, explain this to me, why though these mountains were so various, when the stones from them were put into the building they became bright with a single colour, like the stones which had come up from the deep.

Because, said he, all the nations which dwell under heaven, when they heard and believed were called after the name of the Son of God. So then when they received the seal they