Letter 1012: [Bishop Avitus to the Bishop of Jerusalem.

From: Avitus, bishop of Vienne To: The Bishop of Jerusalem Date: ~502 AD Context: A letter (possibly a cover note) related to King Gundobad's theological inquiry about an Old Testament prophecy. [Bishop Avitus to the Bishop of Jerusalem.] The lord King Gundobad to Avitus, bishop of Vienne: "I have decided to consult Your Holiness about a reading from the prophets, a copy of which I have appended below. Please indicate in your written response whether these times have already come or are still to come." [The attached text is Micah 4:2-4: "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many peoples and rebuke strong nations far away. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they train for war anymore. Each shall sit under his own vine..."]

[Avitus episcopus papae Hierosolymitano]. Domnus Gundobadus rex Avito Viennensi episcopo. De prophetica lectione sanctitatem vestram censui consulendam, cuius lectionis exemplar subter adieci. Et ideo utrum iam tempora ista fuerint, an futura sint, scripto vestro declarare dignamini. Ex Sion procedet lex et verbum domini ex Hierusalem. Et iudi- cabit inter plebes multas et redarguet gentes validas usque longe. Et concident gladios suos in aratra et lanceas suas in falces. Et iam non extollet gens super gentem gladium, et iam non stabunt belligerare. Et requiescet unus quisque sub vinea sua et sub ficu sua: et non erit qui in timorem mittat eos.