The Diatessaron of Tatian — Section 18

St. Cyril of Alexandria

1. 0. Greeting

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, and all the things which came to pass at his hand; [[Mark 6.14]] b and he marvelled, for he had obtained excellent 2 information concerning him. [[Luke 9.7]] c And some men said that John the Baptist was risen 3 from among the dead; and others said that Elijah had appeared; and others, Jeremiah; 4 and others, that a prophet of the old prophets was risen; and others said that he 5 was a prophet like one of the prophets. Herod said to his servants, This is John the Baptist, he whom I beheaded; he is risen from among the dead: therefore mighty 6 [Arabic, p. 70] works result from him. [[Mark 6.17]] For Herod him self had sent and taken John, and cast him into prison, for the sake of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, whom he 7 had taken. [[Mark 6.18]] And John said to Herod, You have no authority to take the wife of your 8 brother. [[Mark 6.19]] And Herodias avoided him and wished to kill him; and she could not. 9 [[Mark 6.20]] But Herod feared John, for he knew that he was a righteous man and a holy; and 10 he guarded him, and heard him much, and did, and obeyed him with gladness. [[Matthew 14.5]] And he wished to kill him; but he feared the people, for they adhered to him as the 11 prophet. [[Mark 6.21]] And there was a celebrated day, and Herod had made a feast for his great men on the day of his anniversary, and for the officers and for the chief men 12 of Galilee. [[Mark 6.22]] And the daughter of Herodias came in and danced in the midst of the company, and pleased Herod and those that sat with him. And the king said to the 13 damsel, Ask of me what you will, and I will give it you. [[Mark 6.23]] And he swore unto her, 14 Whatsoever you shall ask, I will give it you, to the half of my kingdom. [[Mark 6.24]] And she went out, and said to her mother, What shall I ask him? She said to her, The 15 head of John the Baptist. [[Mark 6.25]] And immediately she came in hastily to the king, and said to him, I desire in this hour that you give me on a dish the head of John 16 the Baptist. [[Mark 6.26]] And the king was exceeding sorry; but because of the oath and the 17 guests he did not wish to refuse her. [[Mark 6.27]] But immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded that he should bring the head of John: and he went and cut off 18 the head of John in the prison, [[Mark 6.28]] and brought it on a dish, and delivered it to the 19 damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother. [[Mark 6.29]] And his disciples heard, and came [Arabic, p. 71] and took his body, and buried it. [[Matthew 14.12]] b And they came and told Jesus what 20 had happened. [[Luke 9.9]] And for this cause Herod said, I beheaded John: who 21 is this, of whom I hear these things. And he desired to see him. And Jesus, when he heard, removed thence in a boat to a waste place alone, to the other side of the sea of the Galilee of Tiberias.

22 [[Mark 6.33]] a And many saw them going, and knew them, and hastened by land fr