EVAGRIO,
Ecclesiastical history (PG 86, 2, 2748). 7th century.

The king of Edessa Abgar V Ukkama, prince of the Osroene, was a leper. He sent his archivist Hannan to look for Jesus to heal him.

As Jesus couldn't come, Hannan tried to draw him but with no success "because of the inexpressible glory in his face which changed in grace."

So Christ got a Cloth himself and put it on his face and his features were impressed on the cloth, mandyllon handkerchief. As soon as the king saw the FACE impressed on the mandyllon, he healed and converted.

When Agbar's son became pagan again, the bishop of Edessa walled the "Holy Face". On the 16th August 944 he celebrated the feast of the transfer of the Holy Face to Costantinopolis. Today it's the feast of the Holy Face.

After the victories of John Kurkuas in the East in Spring 943, Emperor Constantine had purchased the Holy Face for 200 Saracen prisoners and 12,000 silver coins.

The mandyllon thus became known in the whole of Europe. The vogue of the icons of the Holy Face now started. (Laon, Veronica's veil).