De primordiis et inventione sacrae religionis Hierosolymorum
by Anonymous
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://migne.app/pl/155/de-primordiis-et-inventione-sacrae-religionis-hierosolymorum/
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## On the Beginnings and Founding of the Sacred Order of Jerusalem

[1097C]There has been until now the greatest doubt among very many as to whence and from whom the Hospital of Jerusalem took its beginning. Certain men, thrusting forward empty dreams, seem to have fabricated ravings rather than the truth; for they have joined together, with a kind of contrived glue, old histories separated from one another by the widest distance. It is no care of mine to set down their empty tales in this place; but, for the truth of the matter, I shall bring forward into the open what I have been able to cull from the sacred annals, and what I can attain by conjecture and reasoning — not the sequence of the matter as it has been set forth.

I judge that the sacred order of Jerusalem had its beginning thus. When, upon the death of Alexander Philip, king of the Macedonians, the profane nations had been driven out of the city of Jerusalem by the work of the Maccabees, and the people had proclaimed for the ancestral faith and [1098C] for liberty, huge wars were waged with the men of Jerusalem by the neighboring kings. At length, by the Lord's will, when the Maccabee had claimed the city, the citadel, and the temple out of the profaned hands of the nations, and had to go out to wage war once more, first setting affairs in order in the city of Jerusalem, the Maccabee set out against the enemy with a great force. And when many of the people of God had fallen by the sword, and many had been made feeble by wounds, the Maccabee is said to have established in the city of Jerusalem a *xenodochium* — that is, a holy place for the feeble; to which place he sent over immense drachmas of silver and gold, for the expiation of the souls of the dead; and he decreed that there, for the time to come, a shelter should be established for the wretched and an atonement for the dead. [1099A] Then, as the years rolled on, while the religious foundation of the most illustrious Maccabee was being raised up, the progress reached even to the times of our Savior; and Jesus Christ himself, not disdaining the humble lodging, showed there many works of piety. Indeed, in that very place — since he was the possessor of nothing, as he himself says: « The birds of heaven have nests, and the foxes have holes; but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head » — we may not undeservedly reckon that he dwelt in this place itself. For if he admonished his disciples to have all things in common, and not to be anxious about the morrow; if he wished his disciples to be without shoes and wallet — who would doubt that the Master who admonished such things had all things in common, and dwelt in a humble place?

[1099B]Confirmed, therefore, by these reasons, we may confidently say that this common and humble place was the dwelling of the heavenly Emperor. Here the Master washed the feet of his disciples, and made those same men presbyters, and left behind the memorial of his most precious body. Here he handed over to Peter the power and the keys of the Church. Here was the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. From this place *acenti* ( *sic* ) Christ set out to his most glorious passion, that the redemption of our flesh might be accomplished. Here, after his passion, the disciples, taking refuge with Mary his mother, were counted worthy to have the revelation of the wondrous Resurrection, and after forty days received the promised Holy Spirit. Here, after the glorious ascension, the first holy council [1099C] was held, and the symbol of the faith was made in twelve parts. And when the glorious princes of the Christian faith had allotted the provinces among themselves for preaching, they chose seven men who were to have the care of the poor and of the Hospital, over whom they set Stephen, the first martyr. And because the glorious forerunner of the new law, John the Baptist, preaching the baptism of Christ, had lately been beheaded by Herod — the witness of whose life all men marveled at — and because he had been born in these places and brought up there until the years of his childhood, for the sake of his venerable memory they had named him patron of the Hospital. In the times that settled thereafter, when there was a great repute of the faith among men, very many brought their goods into the fellowship of the poor disciples [1099D] of the Lord; and, that they might be sharers in the prayers, they sold their possessions and laid the prices before the feet of the apostles, leading a common life with them.

But when, as devotion to the Christian faith grew, the resources of this sacred house had been multiplied far and wide, soldiers were hired and appointed to guard them, so that they might both guard the resources of the house of the Hospital, under brother Raymond, by whom the Rule was afterwards established, and drive back the pagans; for the priests themselves, being occupied with the sacred mysteries and with preaching, could not carry out what the soldiers habitually did. But when the soldiers, driven by avarice, had been lifted up into such madness that they set themselves up as the professed masters of the Hospital's resources and neglected the priests, [1100A] it was thereupon decreed that the soldiers themselves should also become sharers in the Hospital, and should defend the Christian religion; whence they too, fighting for the name of Christ, established the practice of bearing the cross before the breast. Then, as faithlessness grew in the East and faith failed, it came about that, the Hospital having been seized by the Saracens, the soldiers of Christ were scattered on every side. And when they had no place of refuge any longer in Acre and Syria, they were compelled to put out to the open sea: their first voyage was to Cyprus, an island near to Jerusalem. There, received by the Christian princes, they did not cease to fight against the profane nations for the name of Christ. Then for many years the island of the Rhodians was in rebellion against the men of Constantinople; and since these were not strong enough, on account of the vast forces of the Rhodians, [1100B] to claim the island into their dominion, they granted that it should be seized by the soldiers of Jerusalem. And the soldiers, with hands made ready and forces drawn up, sailing to Rhodes, brought it into their power within a short space of days; and, fortified with a double stronghold, from Cyprus and from Rhodes, they waged and still wage wars against the enemies of our faith.

*How the house of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem was first founded by the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.*

We make known to all, present and to come, that the house of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist and of the poor of Jerusalem was begun from the beginning in the time of the first Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor, and in the time of Antiochus, prince of Antioch. May he who [1100C] made all things, and his blessed Son, send us the Holy Spirit — who, all three being one, may be our help — that we may be able to tell it and to draw it back from the Latin into grammar, in such a way and in such manner that it may be praise to the aforesaid St. John the Baptist.

For in the aforesaid time there was a certain priest, and lord over the other priests in Jerusalem, who was called Melchiar; who broke open the sepulchre of David, and drew out of it a great treasure, namely gold and precious garments, which had been placed there by other kings after David the king. And for this deed the said Melchiar was accused before the prince of Antioch, who at that time was lord and leader in Jerusalem by the command of Julius [1100D] Caesar. But Antiochus was greatly troubled at this, and pondered within himself how he might more honorably administer justice concerning the aforesaid theft. And on the second night following, lying in his bed, he pondered much what he should do about such a matter; and after he had pondered enough, he was overtaken by sleep, and then an angel took his spirit and carried it up onto the mount of Calvary. There the King of kings appeared to him and said: « Antiochus, lay not your hand upon this holy priest, and do not shed his blood; for in that place which I shall show you, you and he are to make a house of piety and of mercy, common to all the poor who come there. And I command you, Melchiar, that all that treasure which was drawn out of the sepulchre [1101A] of David be laid out in the building of a dwelling for the poor; for the Holy Spirit breathes where he wills. » That same night he made himself manifest to the holy priest Melchiar, and said to him: « Go before the mount of Calvary, and where you find a foundation built, there make me a house strong and firm; for in it are received many dwellings of the nations, since he who receives the poor receives me. » And when at morning, in the dawn of day, that priest came down from the mount of Calvary, he met the prince, and they began to speak with one another, how our Lord Jesus Christ had shown to each of them the good way; and what our Lord had shown pleased them both greatly, and all their council; and that that holy priest was giving himself and [1101B] all that he had found of the treasure in the sepulchre of David for the building of the said sacred house, for the sake of serving the poor for all time, as is found written in the book of the Maccabees.

When Judas Maccabeus saw and knew well that it was a good thing to pray for the dead, he sent to Jerusalem twelve drachmas of silver, and that they should be offered to the Hospital of the poor, that they might pray for the dead, and that it should please Melchiar to establish brothers to serve the poor of the dwelling. Into that sacred house of which we have spoken there came from all parts of the world many poor and sick, who were received and kindly treated for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The aforesaid prince of Antioch, when he died, gave to the aforesaid sacred house of Jerusalem [1101C] a great part of his goods.

We make known to you one great miracle, which all who believe in God ought to hear. Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Zacharias the prophet on a certain day, when he was making sacrifice to God; and in that hour the Son of God appeared to him and said: « Melchiar your brother has passed from this world, and his soul is in paradise; wherefore I command you, and your son, and your wife, that you come to Jerusalem, and serve me and my poor until Julian comes from Rome to Jerusalem. » When Zacharias had completed the sacrifice which he was making to God, in part he was very glad, and in part he was greatly astounded. And when he came into his house, he told his wife and his son, weeping, [1101D] what the Lord had commanded them. And all three gave thanks to God, and as quickly as they could they went to Jerusalem, and gave themselves and their goods to God and to the Hospital of the poor, and served the aforesaid Hospital very kindly and for a long time.



## On the Beginnings and Founding of the Sacred Order of Jerusalem (cont.)

Yet another great miracle came to pass, namely, that Accamanus, the Roman emperor, with certain other honorable men, for the sake of receiving homage from the Jews — it happened, when they were at sea near a certain island of Crete which is called Rhochas, that the stern of their ship was broken, and all who were left aboard were lost, except Julian the Roman, who was carried to land by the Son of God [1102A] kindly. And when Julian saw the disaster which had happened, he asked the Lord: « Who are you who have drawn me out of this peril? » And our Lord answered and said: « I am the Son of God, who have ordained you Hospitaller of the house of the poor of Jerusalem, and in time to come I shall come bodily into that house; » and he blessed him. That Julian received with joy the blessing of our Lord, and came to Jerusalem to holy Zacharias, where Zacharias himself and the other brothers received him as a father. Thereafter, when our Lord came upon earth for the salvation of the human race, and willed to manifest his glory to the people, he called his apostles and disciples, and came to Jerusalem, as he had foretold through the Holy [1102B] Spirit to the providers of the dwelling of the Hospital. And, being at that time a bodily man, he worked a miracle in the presence of his disciples, and by the apostles he was working the salvation of souls. God, who did great good things to this house, in that he himself willed to show himself to them, stretched out his hands over his apostles and over the poor of the aforesaid dwelling; and then he said: « He who honors you will honor me, and he who receives you receives me. Cursed be the man who despises one of them. » We make it known that this is the dwelling in which our Lord said to that wise man: « You shall love God with your whole heart, and with your whole mind, » and many other things according as is found in the Gospel. Likewise this is the house in which the apostles hid themselves and shut the doors, [1102C] for fear of the Jews, when our Lord Jesus Christ had been crucified. Into this holy house the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist came to our Lord, when he was upon the cross for us sinners, and he said to St. John: « Behold here your mother. » And afterwards he said to his mother: « Behold here your son. »

This, further, is that house of the Hospital into which Jesus came on the eighth day of his resurrection, the doors being shut, and entered into the midst of his disciples, and said to them: « Peace be to you. » And he showed them his hands and his breast; but Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. And the disciples came to St. Thomas and said to him: « We have seen our Lord. » [1102D] And Thomas answered and said: « I do not believe. I do not touch, and I see the hole of the nails of his hands and of his feet, and I shall put my hand into his breast. » Near these eight days, as St. John the Evangelist testifies, when the disciples were in this holy house, and St. Thomas with them, Jesus came, the doors being shut, and said: « Peace be to you. » And he said to Thomas: « Put your finger here into the hole of my hands and of my side, and be not unbelieving, but faithful. » And in that holy house St. Thomas acknowledged his Creator. To whom our Lord said: « Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed. »

At the same time Ananias and Sapphira left [1103A] the world, and gave themselves to the fellowship of Christ and of the disciples; and because they did not render to God and to the sacred house of the Hospital and to the poor, and did not carry to the feet of the disciples what they had, they died a sudden death; and St. Peter did not permit their bodies to be laid in the cemetery, but rather had them buried outside, as excommunicate. And in the time when God sent us his apostles and disciples to preach, and they were of the ancient sort — such as St. Stephen, who was the first martyr, and Philip the protomartyr, Nichauome, Thymocenn Permanan, Nicholas of Antioch. These kept the houses of the Hospital and served the poor by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. In that time there were in the same place many and diverse races [1103B] of men — sometimes Greeks, sometimes Caryseni, who held the city of Jerusalem and the land of promise; and this notwithstanding that the said house was in great poverty, yet they received the poor and the sick. And when it came about finally that the Saracens had the house of Jerusalem, and the Greeks lost it, one little servant of Jesus Christ, who was called Conrad, kept the holy house of the Hospital; and the alms which were given him by the Saracens he gave to the poor, and served them kindly.

At that same time, when it pleased God that the Christians should have the land of promise, Godfrey of Bouillon and a great multitude of barons and pilgrims, who had been instructed by divine grace [1103C] and by preaching, came through long lands, over mountains and valleys, and through the land of Romania, to Antioch; and they besieged it, and by the power of God took it. In it they destroyed a great multitude of the faithless Saracens. From there they went on to the city of Tripoli, and took it. And thence they took Acre; and from there they went to the land of Jerusalem. And in their army they had so great a famine that they had almost no bread to eat. Then that Conrad, who served the poor of the Hospital of Jerusalem, three or four times a day would put bread in his lap, and from above the walls of the land would throw the bread down to the Christians in place of stones; and this Conrad, who kept the poor of the Hospital, was accused before the Sultan [1104A] by the Saracens who guarded the walls. And the Sultan commanded the Saracens who had accused him that, when he should throw the bread down to the Christians, they should seize him and bring him to him, with all the bread, and otherwise he did not believe him. Then came a day when Conrad — or Gerard — was doing as he was accustomed, throwing bread down to the Christians; and the Saracens seized him, with the bread which he had in his lap, and led him before the Sultan; and when the Saracens showed the bread to the Sultan, then that bread, by the power of God, was made stone. And when the Sultan saw the malice of the Saracens, he let Conrad go, and commanded him that without fear he should fight the Christians, as he had been accustomed. And when Conrad, or Gerard, heard this, every day he threw bread down to the Christians of God.

[1104B]And Godfrey of Bouillon stood so long with his army before Jerusalem that he took the city and killed many Saracens, and he had great joy at the victory obtained, which God had given them; and they came to the holy sepulchre of our Lord, singing and rendering thanks to God. Then they went to all the other places. And thereafter the barons divided the possessions of Jerusalem, and gave to the said Conrad — or Gerard — master of the said Hospital of Jerusalem, a great part of the possessions, in honor of St. John the Baptist, patron of that same Hospital. Then, in the time of the said master Conrad, or Gerard, God greatly multiplied the said dwelling of the Hospital in revenues, possessions, and lordships throughout the kingdom of Jerusalem. [1104C] And when Conrad was dead, his soul went into paradise. And brother Raymond du Puy was appointed to succeed him in his place; and to the praise of God he built farmsteads, dwellings, and castles; and greatly improved the dwelling with great possessions.

That brother Raymond made the ordinances of the dwelling of the Hospital, which are kept in that same house even now; and the Rule; and he had it confirmed by Pope Innocent II, etc.

May God, the Creator of all things, deliver the brothers of the Hospital from all evils and from their sins, and grant them the grace of coming to heavenly glory with all their benefactors. Amen.
