The Gospel of Barnabas

82.

Then Jesus gave a sigh and wept, saying: 'Woe to thee, Judaea, for thou gloriest, saying: "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," and livest as though there were no God; given over wholly to the pleasures and gains of the world; for this woman in the day of judgement shall condemn thee to hell; for this woman seeketh to know how to find grace and mercy before God.'

And turning to the woman he said: 'O woman, ye Samaritans worship that which ye know not, but we Hebrews worship that which we know. Verily, I say unto thee, that God is spirit and truth, and so in spirit and in truth must he be worshipped. For the promise of God was made in Jerusalem, in the temple of Solomon, and not elsewhere. But believe me, a time will come that God will give his mercy in another city, and in every place it will be possible to worship him in truth. And God in every place will have accepted true prayer with mercy.'

The woman answered: 'We look for the Messiah; when he cometh he will teach us.'

Jesus answered: 'Knowest thou, woman, that the Messiah must come?'

She answered: 'Yea, Lord.'

Then Jesus rejoiced, and said: 'So far as I see, O woman, thou art faithful: know therefore that in the faith of the Messiah shall be saved every one that is elect of God; therefore it is necessary that thou know the coming of the Messiah.'

Said the woman: 'O Lord, perchance thou art the Messiah.'

Jesus answered: 'I am indeed sent to the house of Israel as a prophet of salvation; but after me shall come the Messiah, sent of God to all the world; for whom God hath made the world. And then through all the world will God be worshipped, and mercy received, insomuch that the year of jubilee, which now cometh every hundred years, shall by the Messiah be reduced to every year in every place.'

Then the woman left her waterpot and ran to the city to announce all that she had heard from Jesus.