On the Finding of the Head of the Blessed John the Baptist

If anyone wishes to know all things more fully, let him read the Chronicle of the prince Marcellinus; and there he will find that two monks came from the East to Jerusalem for the purpose of prayer in the time of the emperor Marcian. To these monks it was said in an angelic vision: "Go to the palace of Herod, who was once the treacherous prince here: enter and look carefully, and where you see smoke rising from the ground, dig there, and you will find without delay the head of John the Baptist." And so they did; and with great honour they secretly carried it with them to Jerusalem.

And not long after it was seized by robbers, who, placing it in a certain cave, left it there, until that same John, with Christ's aid, revealed it to a certain man of religion named Marcellus, a priest, who dwelt in that same cave as a hermit, saying: "Take my head, which has been deposited in this cave by robbers, and bring it to the bishop Jurannus, who now presides over the city of Alexandria after Theophilus beloved of God, where the relics of my body rest." And Marcellus did so, with Christ's assent. In that same solemnity of the gathering of his relics, of the translation and the consecration of the church, the head of John the Baptist was brought to the city of Alexandria by the presbyter Marcellus, and given to the bishop Jurannus, on the fourth day before the kalends of September. And Jurannus received it, placing it wondrously in that same place to be kept there for ever.

And therefore today's feast is to be called, with Christ's assent, the gathering of the relics of blessed John the Baptist, not his beheading, and the finding and revelation of his head. And now that same man of God, the bishop Jurannus, and the priest Marcellus, have happily departed from this world to the Lord in peace.

As the years rolled on, not many in number, it was said in an angelic vision to a certain man of religion, a priest and monk named Felix, who had gone to Jerusalem from the western regions in those days for the sake of prayer: "Felix, rise quickly, and going to the city of Alexandria, you will find there a church consecrated in honour of holy John the Baptist, where his head is stored together with three small Innocents.

Taking it, transfer it to the regions of Gaul, in the territory of Aquitaine, to a place which I will show you." Certain of this vision and awakened, the venerable old man, filled with the greatest joy, going at once to where he had been commanded, finding everything as he had been told, rendered countless thanks to the guide of his journey, and hastening to the place, enclosed the treasure destined for him by God in the bosom of a single basket; and immediately retracing his steps, with seven of his brothers who had gone with him joined to him as companions, and secretly traversing that entire region, he came to the shores of the sea, and found a ship with oars and rudders prepared by God; which he boarded with the treasure and pearls of great price. Therefore his brothers and companions descending with him into the ship, giving thanks, blessing God in hymns and praises, they seek the open seas.

And when he had begun to make his way across the sea, Felix, raising his eyes, stretched out his palms to heaven, saying: "Lord Jesus Christ, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things that are in them, and who lookest into the depth of the abyss, who didst walk upon the waves of the sea with dry feet, and didst raise up the sinking Peter with thy hand, and didst free Paul three times from shipwreck; deliver us from the great waves of this sea, that living we may bless thy name for ever and ever. Deign also, O Lord, to send thy holy Angel from heaven, that he may be the guide of our journey, as he was once to our fathers, when thou didst lead them out of the land of Egypt with great strength and with thy mighty hand; and lead us by a straight path to the desired place, for the placing of the holy and precious pearls."

While blessed Felix was praying these and similar things, behold a bright cloud descended upon the ship, and from the midst of the cloud there came forth a dove white as snow, and it stood motionless upon the stern of the ship, both by day and by night, until they reached the shores of Aquitaine on the coast of the Ocean sea. And when they knew that they were not far from land, they turned aside to the port which is called Angolismensis, which is situated in the district of Alne. And there going from the ship to land, they rested for a little while.

Moving on from that same place, having covered two miles, they found at a distance dead bodies, namely the king of the Vandals with his entire army lying face down upon the earth, as I reckon, some twenty thousand men: for that same people of stiff neck had gone forth from their wandering by sea with a great fleet, and a violent wind rushed upon them and carried them to the western regions into the aforesaid port of Angolismensis. And it was reported to Pippin, king of the Aquitanians, that the Vandal people were invading his kingdom: and he sent to all the borders of the Aquitanians and of the Saintonge, and likewise of Angoulême, and all their borders, that they should go against them and fight: for that same king Pippin was then dwelling in the territory of Alne upon the river Vultrone, in the palace which is called Engeriacum, between the middle borders of the Poitevins and the Saintonge.

At length, when that same king Pippin with all the multitude of his armed men went out to meet his enemies, the Lord wrought a great salvation for all his army, so that none escaped from this multitude who was not laid waste by slaughter. But the aforesaid king, seeing that help from heaven had been granted to him by the Lord, and vengeance upon his enemies, such that there were diminished from his army only twenty men whom he loved greatly above the rest. Taking these, he laid them each upon biers. Joyful for the victory, sorrowful for the funerals of those lost, he recalls the army, desiring to proceed to his own lands.

And when they were about four miles distant from this slaughter, he ordered the tents to be pitched; and overcome by sleep, he ordered his bed to be prepared in the pavilions. Then, with sleep pressing upon him from weariness, a divine voice was offered, saying to him: "Why has sluggish sleep so overcome you? Know that the head of the great man John the Baptist is being brought from overseas parts of the East to this district, together with three small Innocents, and that on account of his merit the victory in this battle has been divinely bestowed upon you by God." King Pippin answered him in the vision, saying: "If such great benefits prevail in me on account of his merit, tell me what I should do, or how I may seek and find him." And the divine voice answered, saying: "Behold, behind your back seven brothers follow you in the garb of pilgrims, and one who appears to be set over the rest is called Felix.

Go to meet them with a few men, and receive them kindly with humility of heart: and endeavour to lead with you in peace the adorned and most precious pearls, and you will see the great works of God." But the man of God Felix, seeing so great a multitude of slain bodies, though terrified with fear, yet trusting in the help of God, encouraged his companions, and urged them to press on a little further. And turning aside in the opposite direction, they set up for themselves a small dwelling, so that they might be able to remain in the same place that night until morning.

But the aforesaid king Pippin, waking from sleep, began to think silently within himself about the vision he had seen, what he ought to do; reflecting that wisdom is in the ancients, and prudence in those experienced in many things. And sending quickly, he ordered a prudent man powerful in good works, named Felix, to be summoned, that he might beseech the Lord concerning so manifest a vision, that he might deign to suggest to him a wholesome counsel. Therefore by counsel it was found that, having put off their garments and footwear, walking barefoot in ashes and sackcloth, as he had been admonished by the divine oracle, they should go out to meet the servants of God. And when they had caught sight of one another, both he himself and all who were present, falling prone upon the ground, they worshipped for so long until the servants of God reached the place where they lay. And when they had blessed the Lord and greeted one another, they gave each other the kiss of peace.

And rising from the ground, they asked one another with tears what cause had brought about these things which they had seen and heard. But the man of God Felix, understanding that all had been made manifest by God, unfolded the histories of how he had gone to Jerusalem for the sake of prayer, and how the hidden treasure had been revealed to him by divine mercy. And when prayer had been made and all had answered: Amen, Felix raised up the most precious pearls, namely the head of John the Baptist and the relics of his companions the blessed martyr Innocents; and with hymns and praises of those singing psalms he directed the choir.

Upon hearing this, the entire army that was in the camp went out to meet him as one man, in number thirty thousand men. And carrying with them the funeral rites of the dead who had fallen in battle, they sought help from heaven from the Lord through his forerunner John, that he might deign to make manifest the divine grace of whose relics were being carried; promising that they had such great faith that whatever was asked, holy John with the Lord's assent could grant: and taking hold of the basket in which the head of blessed John the Baptist was contained, they placed it upon the individual biers, touching the dead. In a wondrous and inestimable manner, as soon as it touched the bones of those lying there, life was restored to the dead through the dead man.

And at that same hour twenty men rose up from the funeral rites as swiftly as if they had been roused from sleep; and those who were being carried by weeping friends to be buried, returned to life to the joy of those same friends. But king Pippin and the entire army, seeing the great works which the Lord had wrought among them through his forerunner John the Baptist, clapping their hands blessed the Lord, who wrought wonders in heaven and on earth. But the man of God Felix and his companions, filled with joy, together with king Pippin and his army, raising up the head of the blessed and most excellent forerunner of Christ John the Baptist and of the blessed Innocents, began to make their way with joy and gladness. And as no delay was made in going, they came to a certain estate which is called Vultronia.

And when they had rested there for a little while, a certain blind man came to meet them, who was immediately made whole through the merits of the most blessed Forerunner. And when it pleased them to move on from that same place, they took the road which leads to the marsh called by the name of Mathevaliis. And when it pleased them to rest there for a little while, behold a certain man lame in his feet who was utterly unable to raise himself, dragging himself by crawling, came out to meet them. He, invoking the merit of blessed John, was so restored to health that he walked firm and steady without pain among the crowds.

And now, drawing near to the place toward which they were making their way, they arrived over the river Vultroniae at a palace called Eugeriacum. When all the people, from the greatest to the least, from man to woman, heard of this, they all gathered together as one and went out to meet them. And when they had arrived there before the palace of King Pippin, they straightway deposited it with great fervor and zeal for safekeeping in the basilica of the most blessed and most glorious ever-Virgin Mary. And all the people rejoiced with great joy, and they celebrated the solemnity of that day on the fourth day before the kalends of September, and each returned to his own dwelling. Therefore the blessed Felix and his companions, together with the venerable king, were beseeching the Lord among other things that He might suggest to them a wholesome counsel as to in what place they should lay the holy remains.

And building a basilica, and within it a hollow ciborium with six marble columns of wondrous workmanship well arranged, not far from the bank of the Vultroniae, but, as I reckon, at a distance of a hundred stadia. In which, having embalmed with spices and very many sweet-smelling substances the head of the blessed John the Baptist, the gracious forerunner of Christ, and the bodies of the blessed three Innocents, they enclosed them together in this ciborium and secured it sealed with bitumen. And with the Lord's help, this building was happily completed. The same king also made a conduit fountain, which was led from nearly two miles away through the deepest channels of the earth to his palace, and was brought into the basilica itself through iron and bronze, and bubbled up beneath the ciborium through a hollow marble column; and there the washing of holy baptism was performed; and so it was turned back again to its first outlets.

King Pippin therefore, calling together the blessed Felix, the bishops and priests, and all the nobles of the land, blessing the church and consecrating it with great solemnity by dedicating it in honor of the same John the Baptist, endowed it nobly with the estates and possessions left to him by his forebears. And having ordered all necessary things, they appointed monks to serve God there in perpetuity, after which the Lord wrought many wonders through His servant John the Baptist. But at last, setting an end to our narrative, let us pray to the immensity of the goodness of Christ, that, upheld by His mighty right hand, He may lead us to the station of eternal rest, He who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.