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In the time of the reign of the Emperor Justinian, now faithfully departed, when the friends of Christ came, eager to venerate Christ’s holy places in the holy city, according to the custom, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the honorable, life-giving, and venerable Cross^[7] (all those who come there, as is the custom, to the holy and renowned festival know that crowds of cross-loving and Christ-bearing people from nearly every land gather together), at this celebrated festival it happened that two young men from Syria met each other according to God’s plan. One was named John; the other Symeon. When they had spent a few days there and the holy festi-val of God was finished, the others returned home, each to his own city. But since the two young men had spent time together and had become friends, they would no longer part from each other. Therefore, on their return home they traveled together, along with their families. For John had an aging father, but no mother; and he had married a girl that year. He was about twenty-two years old. Symeon did not have a father, only a mother, a very old woman about eighty;^[8] he had no one else. Therefore they formed one party. When they descended the slope to Jericho and passed through the city, John saw the monasteries all around the holy Jordan, and said in Syriac to Symeon, “Do you know the ones who dwell in these houses which are before us?” The other said to him, “Who are they?” And John said, “Angels of God.” Symeon said to him in wonder, “Can we see them?” “If we will become like them, yes,” said the other. However the two remounted their horses (for their families were very wealthy). Then straightaway they descended from their horses and handed them [125] to their slaves, saying, “Go on ahead,” for they pretended to defecate there. By chance they found themselves on the wrong road, leading back into the holy Jordan. They both stopped, and John, pointing with his finger, said to Symeon, “Behold the road that leads to life!” and he showed him the road of the holy Jordan. “And behold the road which leads to death” [cf. Mt 7:13ff], he said, showing him the main road, which their parents had preferred to take. “Come now, let us pray, and let each of us stand facing one of these roads and draw lots, and whichever is chosen, we shall convey ourselves on that path.” They knelt down and said, moaning, “God, God, God who would save the whole world, reveal your will to your servants.” And drawing their lots, ten more fell to Symeon than to John. But Symeon stood facing the road which leads to the holy Jordan. Then, overjoyed, forgetting all their property, wealth, and their parents, as in a dream, they embraced and kissed each other. They had been thoroughly instructed in Greek letters and endowed with much intellect.^[9]