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The Descent into Hell

The women are mourning at the tomb. At daybreak Mary and the women came, seeking Jesus’ body. The tomb was open and the corpse had come to life.

Down in hell John spoke to the inhabitants of hell: “Jesus promised me that He would come to hell and rescue us.”

Jesus hurries down to hell, demolishing the walls and carrying off the imprisoned souls. The souls hurried to him, Adam and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and David, Isaiah and Zacharias and the rest of the patriarchs. Also many virgins and other people.

John calls out to Jesus: “Thanks be to you for rescuing us from the devil. We have held out until now. O Gabriel, thank you for bringing the child into Bethlehem. O Mary, that you for bearing us the king. We had betrayed ourselves through our minds. Alas, Jerusalem in Judea remains fixed in that place. Alas, Jordan in Judea remains fixed. Now I ask you Jesus to have mercy on us and by Jerursalem in Judea and Jordan in Judea, where we were both baptized in the stream. Thanks be to the Lord forever.