Job
Acta Sanctorum, May 10
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-10/job.html
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ON SAINT JOB

THE PROPHET IN THE LAND OF HUS.

[Commentary]

Job the Prophet in the land of Hus (St.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

[1] It is not our counsel nor our plan,
while we have determined to treat of the most holy
man Job in this place, to investigate and illustrate all things
which are everywhere disputed about him: since
these may be read most exactly deduced among very many ancient and modern
Interpreters. [Praise of St. Job in his own history.] How greatly
God esteemed him, we understand not only from the very history of Job and from the book
of Canonical authority, but we also know from other books of sacred
Scripture. For in Ezekiel chapter 14
the Lord God says these things. When a land hath sinned against me,
so as to transgress grievously, [and in Ezekiel,] I will stretch forth my hand
upon it, and will break the staff of its bread, &
will send famine upon it, and will destroy out of it man
& beast. And if there shall be these three men in the midst
of it, Noë, Daniel & Job; they by their own justice shall deliver
their own souls, saith the Lord of hosts. Behold,
how Job is set together with Noë & Daniel, and is set forth
as one chosen with the just on account of his justice, & worthy
of God's highest friendship. But also as an example of endurance
he is set forth in the book of Tobias chapter 2 in these words: But this
temptation [Tobias,] the Lord therefore permitted to befall
him, that an example of his patience might be given to posterity,
as also of holy Job. Moreover the Apostle James, [& James the Apostle.] when
in chapter 5 he had threatened the rich oppressors of the poor with
grievous vengeance, in order to lead the poor to patience & long-suffering,
speaks thus: Be patient & strengthen
your hearts… Take, as an example of suffering
evil, of labor & patience, the Prophets, who have spoken
in the name of the Lord. Behold, we account them blessed who have endured.
You have heard of the patience of Job, & you have seen the end of the Lord,
because the Lord is merciful & 
compassionate. That is, as is said at the end of the books of Job:
The Lord was turned to the repentance of Job, when
he prayed for his friends, & the Lord added all
whatsoever had been Job's, double. And then: But Job lived
after these things a hundred & forty years,
& saw his sons & the sons of his sons unto
the fourth generation, & died an old man & full
of days.

[2] [his memory in the Latin Calendars:] In what year or on what day he died is not sufficiently established. The Greeks,
with the rest of the Orientals, celebrate his feast on the VI day
of May; but the Latins, whom we follow, on this X day of the same month
of May: on which day in the most ancient apograph of the Hieronymian Martyrology,
the Epternac one, these things are read toward the end: Elsewhere
the deposition of Job the Prophet. In the Lucca transcript of the same
Martyrology it is held thus: And elsewhere the deposition or birthday
of Job the Prophet. But the Birthday of Job the Prophet is expressed
in the MS. of the Queen of Sweden, praised by Holstenius. The Deposition
is in Notker & in the Vatican MS. Supplement of Bede.
Both epithets being omitted, the bare name of Job the Prophet
is reported in the first place in Usuard & Ado. In the present
Roman Martyrology more is added in these words: In
the land of Hus, of Saint Job the Prophet, a man of
admirable patience. Wandelbert also of old celebrated him in this verse:
These too holy Job honors by the example of suffering.
Of the same all the MS. Martyrologies everywhere make mention, &
with these Bellinus, Grevenus, Maurolycus, Molanus, Galesinius,
Canisius, & others: whom it does not please to name further.
Various churches & altars have been erected to the same, [churches & altars erected,] in which, on this X of May, his feast is celebrated with Ecclesiastical Office. In
the Venetian city and its whole diocese, he is venerated under
the semidouble rite: & all things are recited from the Common of a Confessor not
of the Regulars. In the city of Bologna there is seen a hospital of the Confraternity
of St. Job in the street of Purgatory: & in the church sacred to him
there are plenary Indulgences granted by Gregory XIII.
Moreover in the church of S. Maria of the Mendicants, near the gate
of S. Vitalis, there is an altar dedicated to St. Job, & his feast is there
celebrated. In the diocese of Antwerp there is a parish of St. Job,
to which on this day a great concourse of pilgrims is made.
As also at Westmalle, an illustrious Barony of the territory of Louvain,
whither a great part of the city of Louvain & of the neighboring places, [pilgrimages,]
in order to satisfy its devotion toward St. Job, is wont to go on pilgrimage.
He is also held the Patron of hospitals, [hospitals,] especially where
those infected with leprosy, elephantiasis & similar diseases are wont to be cured,
or nourished: whence it comes that almost outside all the gates of the Belgian
cities, & for the most part also within the walls, there is some chapel
or altar consecrated to his honor; & the same patronage
everywhere also in other regions is wont to be frequented in like
manner.

[3] In the Menology of the Emperor Basil Porphyrogenitus, on
the VI day of May, [Elogium from the Menology of the Emperor Basil.] this elogium is read concerning him: The memory of Job,
a just man & victor of many contests. Blessed
Job was from the region of Æsitis, which is situated at the borders
of Judæa & Arabia, a son begotten from the sons of Esau, so
that he is the fifth from Abraham. But there was imposed
upon him the name Joam. Now he prophesied thirty-five
years, & preceded the Incarnation of Christ by
one thousand nine hundred twenty-five years. This man, just before
God & long & much proven, the devil demanded from
God, that he might afflict him in every diverse manner. But when
God willed to render him more illustrious & glorious,
He delivered him to the devil: who not only despoiled him of the goods
of fortune & of his children; but assailing him also with diseases,
hedged about on every side with wounds & blows,
cast him into a dunghill. But the holy man, when
he had constantly borne all these miseries, & in all things
had given thanks to God, affected the devil with the utmost
disgrace. Again also having obtained double the riches upon
the earth, & taking back a wife, & receiving children,
when he had shown himself, after his manner, supremely grateful to God,
he departed in peace. These things in the said Menology.
But the things which are found in the MS. Constantinopolitan Synaxary & in the Menæa
written by hand & printed by the press, [& the Synaxary & Menæa,] & in the New Anthology,
although they agree in various matters, it pleases to subjoin.
Job was from the region of Ausitis, situated between Idumæa & 
Arabia, a son of the sons of Esau, so that he himself was from Abraham
the fifth. But his father was Zareth
& his mother Bosora, but he himself from the beginning was called Jobab:
he prophesied forty-five years, he preceded
the coming of Christ by one thousand nine hundred twenty-five
years. Because he was just & blameless, & surpassed
all the mortals who then lived in holiness of life,
the devil demanded him from the Lord, & first stripped him
of all his goods, then afflicted him with most grievous blows
& inexplicable miseries. But with Job in
all the assaults of temptations & evils persisting unconquered
& unmoved, the devil, conquered & put to shame,
withdrew. But Job at the end of the contests God Himself
pronounced & praised victor, & compensated all things taken away
double: just as the history of sacred
letters enumerates all things one by one. But he lived
after the blows a hundred seventy years; in all
two hundred forty-eight. These things there. In the Menæa,
on the VI of May, as I said, the whole Ecclesiastical Office is of St.
Job, & his virtues, especially patience, are wonderfully extolled
in the Canon, whose Acrostic is.

Τὸν
μυρίαθλον
ἄξιον
μέλπειν
Ἰώβ.

Job is worthy to sing of, the man of a thousand battles.

On the same VI of May, the memory of Job the Just is celebrated among the Syrians
in the Typicon of S. Sabas, & among the Arabs & Egyptians in the Martyrology,
which Gratia Simonius translated from the Arabic.

[4] [he is believed born from Abraham & Esau,] Concerning the time in which he lived, the Latins everywhere disagree
from the Greeks, nor do they sufficiently agree among themselves. Philip Labbe, in
the Chronological Epitome of sacred & profane history, judges
him born about the year of the world two thousand three hundred
& thirtieth; & before the common Era of Christ,
the one thousand seven hundred twenty-fourth; & born
of his father Zara, who was the son of Rahuel, son of Esau, as
is gathered from chapter XXXVI of Genesis, where the generations of Esau
are numbered, & in num. 10 there is said his son Rahuel by
Basemath his wife, then in num. 13 of this Rahuel are reported
the sons, Nuhat & Zara, then in num. 33 these things are read: But Bela
died, & Jobab, the son of Zara
of Bosra, reigned in his stead. With these the Seventy
Interpreters agree, in those things which by them were added at the end of the book of Job, in this manner.
Dwelling indeed in the land of Ausitis, on the borders of Idumæa 
& Arabia, & his name was Jobab. But when
he had taken an Arabian wife, he begets a son whose name
was Emmon. But he himself was from his father Zare,
a son of the sons of Esau, so that he is the fifth from Abraham.
And these are the Kings who reigned in Edom,
of which region he himself also was lord: first Balac
the son of Beor, & the name of his city was Dennaba: but after
Balac, Jobab, who is called Job: but after this one,
Asom. &c. Behold the consensus of the Greeks with this genealogy,
which several holy Fathers have approved. The same Labbe,
to the year of the world two thousand three hundred ninety-
ninth, & before the common Era of Christ to the year
one thousand six hundred fifty-fifth, refers
the death of the Patriarch Joseph; & adds, that then St. Job
seems to have been tempted by the devil, being seventy years old:
to which if there be added a hundred forty years, [he died before the Era of Christ by 1515 years.] there are made up
two hundred ten years, & thus there were given to him in the years of life also
double, as we deduced above from the last chapter of Job:
accordingly his death is referred by the said Labbe to the year of the world
two thousand five hundred thirty-ninth, & before
the common Era of Christ the one thousand five hundred
fifteenth. But because the Greeks above alleged with
the Seventy Interpreters assert that he lived in all
two hundred forty-eight years, according to this calculation
his death would have to be deferred to the year of the world two
thousand five hundred seventy-seventh, [or by 1477 years,] &
before the common Era of Christ the one thousand four hundred
seventy-seventh. Otherwise Salianus thinks concerning these
years, as will appear below from the Epitaph of Job.

[5] Christian Adrichomius, in the Theater of the Holy Land in
the Half-tribe of Manasseh, beyond the Jordan, thus describes the dwelling of Job
in chapter 95. The land of Hus, a region, [The land of Hus or Ausitis.] which by the Hebrew
word Hus, or Huz, Us & Uz is called by the Seventy
Interpreters, in Greek Αὐσίτις, as it were Οὐσίτις, is named Husitis.
But it is situated beyond the Jordan in the Trachonitis
region, midway between Palæstine & Cœlesyria.
According to Josephus & Jerome it was founded
& took its name from Hus the son of Aram, son of Sem, son
of Noe, who was the founder both of Trachonitis & of Damascus:
& in this region he first held habitation & principality.
There afterward, as sacred history relates, [the dwelling of St. Job.]
also the blessed Prophet Job dwelt, & held the Principality… But his
sepulchral pyramid is shown even now at
Suëta, he adds, & as he says in chapter 92:
Suëta, which is also called Suïta, Suïtes, Suhi & Suchi,
is a renowned city in the land of Hus… From this Baldad the Suïte
or Suhite drew both his origin & surname, one
of the three chief friends, who visited holy Job in
his tribulation. Then in chapter 78, The pyramid, he says, [the sepulchral pyramid.]
of the sepulchre of B. Job, which also in the more level places of the land
of Hus toward the East of Suëta is shown,
by the Greeks & other nations, because the Prophet was buried there,
is held in honor. [another Bosra near Mount Hermon.] There is in the same place near Mount Hermon
Bosra or Bostra, afterward called Busereth, the metropolis of Arabia 
Deserta, whence Job the son of Zara of Bosra is above so called,
& is said to be of Æsitis or Hus, in the Menology of the Emperor Basil,
a region situated at the borders of Judæa & Arabia: where
Judæa is taken more broadly for the rest of the dominions of the Israelites.
There is another Bosra, a city of Southern Idumæa, which as the country of Job
Adrichomius assigns in the description of the desert of Pharan, [another in Idumæa.] in which
near Mount Pharan is Dennaba, where before Job reigned
Balac the son of Beor, & so in the Synaxary & other Menæa
the region of Ausitis is said to be situated between Idumæa & Arabia.
But this region the posterity of Esau are believed to have occupied,
when the Israelites dwelt in Egypt: because Esau (who was also
called Edom, & from him Idumæa) dwelt in Eastern Idumæa,
& there received his brother the Patriarch Jacob,
returning from Mesopotamia.

[6] And these things are enough about the region in which the Prophet
Job reigned, [held a King,] wherefore in chapter 1 he is called a great man among
all the Orientals, who also testifies of himself in chapter 29:
When I went forth to the gate of the city, & in the street
they prepared a chair for me; the young men saw me
& hid themselves, & the old men rising up stood; the Princes
ceased to speak, & laid the finger upon their
mouth. Then with some things interposed he subjoins: If I had wished to go
to them, I sat first; & when I sat as a King
with the army standing around, I was nevertheless the consoler of them that mourned.
Where without an army Job was in such authority,
as another King with his army. And just as Melchisedech
in Genesis chapter 14 was King of Salem & Priest of God most high, [a Priest,]
about two hundred years before the nativity of Job; so also
this man is proved to have joined the Priestly dignity with the Royal,
from the very office of sacrificing, with which in the first chapter he is written
to have functioned. For when the days of the banquet of his sons
had gone round in a circle, Job sent to them, & sanctified
them, & rising at daybreak offered holocausts
for each one. But after the blow also by command of God he prayed for his friends
& offered sacrifices, as in the end of the book chapter 42 is narrated.
He was held also as it were a Patriarch of a people, [a Patriarch,] worshipping God outside
the Israelites, & he himself from the stock of Abraham, like the other
later Patriarchs, drew his origin. The Eastern & Western Church
acknowledges him a Prophet; [a Prophet,] & with that Church
the ancient Fathers everywhere proclaim him, with St. Augustine in sermon 2
on the Nativity, a Prophet & an eminent one of the Prophets.
Moreover St. John Chrysostom, in homily 5 to
the people of Antioch, [a Martyr,] reckons him among the Martyrs. For
although, he says, he was not set before a tribunal, nor heard the voice of a judge, nor saw an executioner, yet
he suffered more grievous things than many Martyrs. Moreover
he is reckoned among the Hagiographers, [a Hagiographer.] as the author of his own book, in which
his struggle with the demon & his various conversations with his friends are set forth:
which book, written by him in the Syriac or Arabic
or Idumæan tongue, that Moses translated into Hebrew,
with the beginning & end of the book also added, others everywhere with Bellarmine
assert. Antonius Possevinus in the Apparatus sacer,
discusses the Greek & Latin Catenas & Interpreters of the same book,
after whom very many have elucidated his book.
I make an end, because it is better to be silent than to take a sip of more. I only
subjoin the epitaph of the Great Job, appended to a cenotaph
by Salianus.

[7] [Epitaph from Salianus.] This marble, Traveler, once shut in a dead man,
& sent him forth glorious, rising with the Prince of glory,
the Messiah, Job, a man by far the greatest in all the East:
nay, not a man, but a Hero, in the whole
choir of Patriarchs & Prophets most illustrious for the highest ornaments
of mind, body, fortune; nay,
not a Hero, but the Chief of Heroes: more rightly I should call him a miracle
of the world & a prodigy. For
not with men, like other athletes, but with Satan himself,
that most savage beast, demanding him to the most atrocious contest,
once & again he so engaged,
that stripped of his fortunes, he was ever clothed with the most true glory of supreme
fortitude; & laid low by a horrible, as it was thought,
fall, even with the Judge of the contest himself as witness &
Herald, he ever stood, & crowned with the victor's
palm triumphed. If you call him King of the Husites,
the glory of the ancient Kings, illustrious with Royal virtues,
it is too little; if Patriarch & Prophet, it is not
enough; if great Priest, Doctor of the nations,
Martyr, Apostle, it is almost not yet enough.
For so great was he, that the shadow of him living, suffering, rising,
almost touches the very citadel of the majesty of the incarnate Word.
Seventy years old, he descended into the midst of the contest
of all things: in which through the whole seven-year period
with unheard-of fortitude he wrestled with the foulest enemy
nights & days, & thereafter like a
palm he multiplied his days, & propagated them to the two
hundred & seventeenth year; & at that
time finally he was loosed from the bonds of the body, when the Israelites,
freed from the Egyptian servitude, began
to traverse the desert places of Arabia, in the year of the World 2544,
of the Deluge 888, before the rising of Christ the Lord
1509.

[8] [His Body is said to have been brought from Rome to Ticinum.] James Gualla, in book 4 chapter 2 of the Sanctuary of Pavia, published in the year 1587,
treating of Rotharis King of the Lombards,
founder of the church of S. John the Baptist in the Borough, in
which his successors were afterward also entombed; attributes to the special
diligence of the same King, that the same temple is enriched above all
the churches of the city of Ticinum with the venerable Relics of Saints;
for by his strong hand, he says, Rome was freed from the barbarians,
& for so great a gift of salvation bestowed upon the city & the Christian
commonwealth, by the gracious concession of the Apostolic
See, the venerable bodies of the
Saints Felicitas & her sons, of Job also the most patient,
likewise of Tobias the Patriarch & of Tobias his son
& of Sarra, the King himself with great veneration caused to be
brought to Ticinum, to the same temple: & there
they are kept. [& lately taken away by theft.] Then, having briefly recounted his life, in chapter 6 he thus
concludes, Whose venerable Relics indeed are venerated in the chapel
of the Divine Archangel Raphael. And that this was still so not long
ago John Antonius Castillionæus indicates to us,
in his work on the Antiquities of Milan,
page 113, bringing in the memory of the same temple & of King
Rotharis, who heaped it with so many riches & with so great
bones of illustrious Saints, that deservedly, he says, once renowned
of itself, it has now at length been made most notable to the whole world,
on account of the furtive & clandestine stealing away of the
bodies of the Saints Job, Tobias, & Tobiolus,
which greatly disturbed the whole people of Ticinum,
& struck them with immense grief. These things Castellionæus,
publishing that book in the year 1625. Nor is there now
leisure to investigate whether the damage has since been repaired:
or whither those sacred bodies have been carried, of which it ought not to be
doubted that, on this day, on which Saint Job is venerated,
a special solemnity was kept among the Ticinese. But whether
Tobias, with his son & daughter-in-law, ascribed to no
calendars of the Saints, [Rotharis the King the author of the Translation,] has had his proper
day of veneration, I would gladly learn from those skilled in Ticinese affairs:
for they could in that case, against such a day,
explain the aforesaid more diligently & supply whatever here is lacking.
So far moreover I find no trace of help brought to the Roman city by Rotharis against
the barbarians: nor do I know of others who in that age
were more grievous to the Roman city than the Lombards,
although they did not occupy it. But in the following century & in the year
755 Aystulphus, the King of the same, besieged Rome for three
months; & digging up many bodies of Saints,
carried away their sacred cemeteries, as Anastasius
testifies in the Life of Stephen III. [or Aystulphus?] And this he did not only outside
the city, but also in that region of the city which is across the Tiber.
For as the same Anastasius says in the Life of S. Paschal the Pope,
to be illustrated on the XIV of May, in his time there was a report, that
when Aystulphus was besieging Rome, the body of the venerable
Martyr of Christ Cæcilia was secretly carried away by
his men, surely whose temple was in the said
Region. But although that was not true, yet that it was true
as far as concerns the bodies of the Saints Valerian her spouse & Tiburtius
the Martyrs, once entombed in the same place, the Ticinese maintain,
while they boast that they still possess them. If therefore from Rotharis
the body of S. Job & of other Saints of the Old Testament
is not believed to have been graciously received; it can be believed that it was
under Aystulphus violently or fraudulently carried away. But how
or when they came to Rome from the East
I would wish to be able to teach, with ancient documents of letters
brought forward concerning the matter.
