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Paul the Antichrist from the Tribe of Benjamin                  RelSt 436 
                                                                  R.Kraft 
An Investigation into the Origin of the Description of Paul        
  in the Acts of Paul (and Thekla) 2.3
  
[see also W.Bousset, The Antichrist Legend (esp. 156);
   J.Rosentiehl, "Le Portrait de l'antichrist," in
       Pseudepigraphes de l'ancien testament et manuscrits
       de la mer mort 1 (Paris: 1967) 45-63]
  
Acts of Paul/Thekla 2.2-3                  Apocalypse of Elijah 3.14-18

2.2 ...For Titus                           For behold,  
had told him                               I will tell you
what manner of man                         his signs
Paul was in appearance; 
for he had not seen him                    so that you might know him.
in the flesh, 
but only in the spirit. 
2.3 And he went 
by the king's highway 
that leads to Lystra
and stood expecting him,
and looked at those who came, 
according to the description by Titus.
And he saw Paul coming,                    15 He is a ... 
                                           skinny-legged  
a man little                               young lad
of stature,                                (+very tall [Sah]),
thin haired                                with a tuft of grey hair 
on his head,                               at the front of his bald head. 
crooked in the legs,
of good state of body,
with eyebrows                              His eyebrows 
joining,                                   will reach to his ears.
and nose somewhat hooked, 
                                           There is a 
                                           leperous bare spot 
                                           on the front of his hands. 
                                           16 He will transform himself 
                                           in the presence  
                                           of those who see him.
full of grace:
for sometimes                              He will become 
he looked like a man,                      a young child. 
and sometimes                              He will become 
he had the face of an angel.               old. 
                                           17 He will transform himself 
                                           in every sign. 
                                           But the signs of his head
                                           will not be able to change.
                                           18 By them will you know 
                                           that he is 
                                           the son of lawlessness.

//end//