mahabali

PRESTOR JOHN, THE KALABHRAS AND MAHABALI ; WHAT IS ONAM ALL ABOUT? M. M. NINAN
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Chronica sive Historia de duabus civitatibus (Chronicle or history of the two
cities), is a historical and philosophical work in eight books. Written during the
time of the civil war in Germany (1143–1145), it contrasts Jerusalem and Babel,
the heavenly and the earthly kingdoms, but also contains much valuable
information about the history of his own time. Following St. Augustine, it
interprets all secular history as a conflict between the civitas Dei(“the realm of
God”) and the world; and it views its contemporary period as that in which
Antichrist (the principal personage of power opposed to Christ) is to appear. In
the Chronica, Otto reports a meeting he had with Bishop Hugh of Jabala, who
told him of a Nestorian Christian king in the east named Prester John. It was
hoped this monarch would bring relief to the crusader states: this is the first
documented mention of Prester John.
His interest in Prestor John was thus fuelled by his thirst for crusade to release
Jerusalem from the bondage of Islam.
Medieval Sourcebook:
Otto of Freising:
The Legend of Prester John
“We also saw there at that time [Dec 1145] the aforesaid Bishop of Jabala in
Syria.... He said, indeed, that not many years since, one John, a king and priest
living in the Far East, beyond Persia and Armenia, and who, with his people, is
a Christian, but a Nestorian, had warred upon the so called Samiards, the
brother kings of the Medes and Persians. John also attacked Ebactanus, the
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