Volume 2

240 Life of Jesus Christ
along the shore, saw that the boats were taken back to
where they belonged. Jesus, with the four disciples, did
not journey close to the lake, but up toward the east, to
the city of Galaad. The four disciples with Him were Parmenas
of Nazareth, Saturnin, and two brothers: one called
Tharzissus, the other Aristobolus. Tharzissus afterward
became the Bishop of Athens. Aristobolus later on was
associated to Barnabas. I heard that with the word
"brother"; but he was his spiritual brother only. He was a
great deal with Paul and Barnabas, and I think he became
a bishop of Britany. 1 Lazarus had brought the two
brothers to Jesus. They were foreigners, I think Greeks,
whose father had settled lately in Jerusalem. They were
shipping merchants. Some of their slaves, or servants,
when journeying with a caravan, had gone with their
beasts of burden to hear John's teaching and had been
baptized by him. It was by means of these servants that
the young men's parents heard of John and Jesus. Taking
their sons, they went themselves to John, and both father
and sons were baptized and circumcised, after which the
whole family removed to Jerusalem. They were not without
means, but later on they relinquished all their wealth
in favor of the rising community of Christians. Both the
young men were tall, dark-complexioned, and clever; both
had received a polite education. They were fine-looking
young men, active and skillful at arranging things and
making all comfortable on journeys.
A little river watered the country up which Jesus was
now journeying, and at a certain place He crossed it. The
Prophet Elias had once been in these parts. Jesus recalled
the fact and, during the whole journey, instructed the disciples
in simple similitudes borrowed fronl various conditions
of life, from the several professions, from the groves
and stones and plants and places that presented themselves
on the road. The disciples questioned Him upon all
that had happened to Him in Sephoris and Nazareth. He