During the ministry of Jesus, King Abgar became sick. He sent the following letter to Jesus:

“Abgar, ruler of Edessa, to Jesus the good physician who has appeared in the country of Jerusalem, Greetings. I have heard the reports of you and of your cures as performed by you without medicines or herbs. For it is said that you make the blind to see and the lame to walk, that you cleanse lepers and cast out impure spirits and demons, and that you heal those afflicted with lingering disease, and raise the dead. And having heard all these things concerning you, I have concluded that one of two things must be true: either you are God, and having come down from Heaven you do these things, or else you, who does these things, are the Son of God. I have therefore written to you to ask you if you would take the trouble to come to me and heal all the sickness which I suffer. For I have heard that the Judeans are murmuring against you and are plotting to injure you. But I have a very small yet noble city which is great enough for us both.”

Jesus sent the following reply to King Abgar:

“Blessed are you who has believed in me without having seen me. For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me will not believe in me, and that they who have not seen me will believe and be saved. But in regard to what you have written me, that I should come to you, it is necessary for me to fulfill all things here for which I have been sent, and after I have fulfilled them thus to be taken up again to Him that sent me. But after I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples, that he may heal your disease and give life to you and yours.”

The famous church historian, Eusebius of the 3rd century AD wrote that the Edessan archives contained a copy of both letters. A woman named Egeria claimed to have read the original letters in Edessa between 381-386 AD. Before seeing the originals, she already had copies at home, which was probably in the nation of France.
On August 15, 944 AD, the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae in Constantinople received either the original letters or copies thereof.
In our modern times, there still remains 2 Greek manuscripts, a Syriac text, an Armenian translation and several inscriptions on stone.

Some time between 312-324 AD, Eusebius of Caesarea wrote in “Ecclesiastical History” (I.13.5) that soon after Jesus returned to Heaven, the Apostle Thomas sent the disciple Thaddeus to visit the city of Edessa, and during that trip Thaddeus spoke to King Abgar. Thaddeus laid hands on the king, and the king was healed. Therefore, the words of Jesus were fulfilled for King Abgar's healing.

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