WOODBROOKE

VOL.
I

STUDIES

PUBLISHED FOR THE TRUSTEES OF

THE WOODBROOKE SETTLEMENT, SELLY OAK, BIRMINGHAM

BY

W. HEFFER & SONS LIMITED

CAMBRIDGE

WOODBROOKE STUDIES
CHRISTIAN DOCUMENTS IN SYRIAC, ARABIC,

AND GARSHUNI, EDITED AND TRANSLATED WITH A CRITICAL APPARATUS

BY

A.

MINGANA

WITH INTRODUCTIONS
BY

RENDEL HARRIS

VOLUME
1.

BARSALlBI'S TREATISE

AGAINST THE MELCHITES

2.

GENUINE AND APOCRYPHAL WORKS OF IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH

A JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON

3.

4.

A NEW LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST SOME UNCANONICAL PSALMS

5.

Reprinted from the

"BULLETIN OF THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY,"

Volume n, 1927

CAMBRIDGE
W. HEFFER & SONS LIMITED
1927

TO

MR.

EDWARD CADBURY

WHOSE GENEROSITY AND ENCOURAGEMENT

HAS MADE POSSIBLE THE PUBLICATION
OP THE " WOODBROOKE STUDIES
"

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
The
"

Woodbrooke
documents

"
Studies
in Syriac,

will consist of texts

and

translations

of Christian

Arabic, and Garshuni drawn from

the manuscripts forming part of

my own

collection,

which, for the

Selly

time being,

is

in

the custody of the Rendel Harris Library,

1

Oak, Birmingham.

These Studies
the

will

appear

first

in serial

form

in
is

the columns of

"

Bulletin of the

John

Ry lands

Library," which

published twice

during the course of the year, in the months of January and July.

At

the end of each year they will be issued in a separate volume uniform

with the present

initial issue.

Dr. Rendel Harris has kindly consented to write an introduction

to each treatise in the series.
I

find

it

impossible adequately to express

my

feelings of grateful

appreciation of the generosity of

cial assistance

Mr. Edward Cadbury, whose

finan-

and encouragement has made and

for that reason
I

possible the publication of

these studies

take the liberty of dedicating to

him

this first-fruit of his

generous encouragement.
the

To my colleague, Dr. Henry Guppy, the editor of offer my sincere thanks for his painstaking interest in

"
Bulletin,"

the editing and

publication of these Studies.

A.
THE JOHN RYLANDS
MANCHESTER.
LIBRARY,

MINGANA.

The history
it,

of the collection will

I

be dealt with
engaged.

in the introduction to the

catalogue of

upon which

am

at present

vii

CONTENTS.
PAGE

Introductory Note

vii

Treatise of BarsalTbi against the Melchites

Introduction

Preface and Translation

Text

in

Facsimile

Index of Proper

........ ..... ....... .....

:

2-9

17-63

64-92

Names

93-96

Genuine and Apocryphal Works of Ignatius of Antioch

Introduction
.

9-16

Preface and Translation

Garshuni Text

.......
:

96-109
110-120
121

Facsimile of the First Page of the Paris MS. Facsimile of the First Page of the Mingana MS. Facsimile of the Canon of Ignatius

122
123

Jeremiah Apocryphon
Introduction

........
Mingana Syr. MS. 240 Paris Syr. MS. 65
: .

125-138
148-191

Preface and Translation

Text Text

in Facsimile of
in

192-216

Facsimile of

217-233

A New

Life of

John the Baptist

Introduction

138-145
.

Preface and Translation

234-260
261-285

Garshuni Text

Facsimile of Page from Mingana Syr. Facsimile of Page from Mingana Syr.

MS. 22 MS. 183

286
.

287

Some Uncanonical Psalms

Introduction

145-147

Preface and Translation

288-292
.

Text

in

Facsimile of Mingana Syr. MS. 31

293-294

viii

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES.

CHRISTIAN DOCUMENTS IN SYRIAC, ARABIC AND GARSHUNI EDITED AND TRANSLATED WITH A CRITICAL APPARATUS

BY A. MINGANA.
WITH INTRODUCTIONS

BY

RENDEL HARRIS.
FASC.
1.

(i)
(ii)

Treatise of Barsalibi against the Melchites. Genuine and Apocryphal Works of Ignatius of Antioch.

INTRODUCTIONS. BY RENDEL HARRIS.

I.

TREATISE OF BAR SALIBI AGAINST THE MELCHITES.

have been advised by our Master (whose name is Peace and whose admonitions are all of the nature of Benedictions)
that

WE
no
may,

we

ought not to waste our time gathering grapes of

figs

thorns or searching for

among

thistles

his

words and warnings,

Here, as elsewhere,
;

doubt, include in their scope our literary occupations as well as our

theological studies or our philanthropic activities.

wasted time and unremunerative labour are under His ban

therefore, well

and

it

be asked whether

it

is

wise to spend our slender

residue of years over extinct literatures, forgotten writers

and churches

that are near to disappearance (e'yyus d^avtcr/^oi), as the writer of the

Hebrews would say, in view which came under his own observation).
Epistle
to

the

of

the inveterascence

We

have before us a
life

treatise

by one

who was

once a great leader

;

in the religious

and thought

of the Syrian

Church

but his

name

INTRODUCTIONS
is

3
of

scarcely

known

in the

West, and the church

its

which he was the

leader has practically perished,

roots
;

literature

has ceased and has become

the dryest of dry persecution has accomplished a disintegration was insufficient to prevent. which many people know, or
piety

How

know, about Bar Salibi and his writings ? Why should we of his literary remains try to recall the author or search the dust heap
care to
for grains of possible gold ?

When we
in

have asked ourselves that question, there

is

one direction

Bar Salibi which we immediately receive an encouraging response. was not only a great ecclesiastic in a church that had passed its zenith,
he was also a great scholar
in the time of decline of the Syriac literature,

and being a scholar as well as an administrator, he had a great library, which he knew how to use as well as to value. Alas that it has It had many ancient works of great worth, not only the perished
!
!

original writings of Syrian fathers, but early translations

made from

Greek
is

which have disappeared in the West. instance, it almost certain that he had a copy of the Diatessaron or Gospel
writers
of Tatian, to

For

Har?nony

which he

refers

and from which he quotes

he had also a copy of a work of Hippolytus of Rome, called Heads against Gaius which was lost in the West its value can be inferred
;

from

its

theme when the heads

certain Gaius,
faculties,

of the contention referred to are defined.

There was a
his critical

who in

the second or third century exercised

exactly as scholars are doing in the twentieth

the Fourth Gospel, and
its

Christian aeon, over the authorship of

irreconcilability with the authorship

gives us
this

of the Apocalypse. Bar Salibi from the lost and us to see that Gaius, many quotations helps early devotee of Higher Criticism was not, as Lightfoot supposed,

a mere phantom, a creation by Hippolytus of a straw-man for subsequent demolition, but a real man of flesh and blood, with a powerful
intellectual apparatus attached to his

anatomy.

Bar Sahbi's works, both in compass and in variety is his on the Scriptures covering the whole space from commentary Genesis to Revelation, and filled with patristic matter both Eastern
greatest of

The

and Western.

fortune to possess the

Complete copies are very rare, and we have the good whole in one of our Woodbrooke MSS. It
first

was

this
;

commentator's work that

the portion of the

drew the

attention of

Western

scholars

commentary which deals with the Four

in the

Gospels was done into Latin by Dudley Loftus,

seventeenth

4
century, from a

WOODBROOKE
MS.
in Trinity College,

STUDIES
Dublin
;

and

in recent times

the commentary on the Apocalypse, Acts and Catholic epistles, and in part the Gospels has been edited by Sedlac.ek in the series of Scriptores

Syri.

If

we may
German

judge from the parallel case of his successor Bar

Hebraeus, there will, before long,

degrees in
Universities,

be many

theses presented for doctor's

Salibi.

from the commentaries of Bar

The
value of

treatise

which
;

we

present in the following pages has

;

no special
it

scriptural interest
its

it is

ecclesiastical rather than Biblical

but

has a

own, inasmuch as the controversy which it reflects throws a good deal of light on the relations of the Greek and Eastern churches

in

Bar

Salibi's

own

day.

It

will bring vividly before us the facts of

its

the subdivision of the Syrian churches and

three branches, in the

days before the

terests of unity,

Roman
made

church had invaded the area, and, in the insix.

its

three divisions into

We

shall

have before
doctrine

us the Nestorian or East Syrian

of Christ,
its

Church with

God-and-Man

and
to

its

noble protest against the deification of the Blessed Virgin, next unparalleled record in the Mission fields of the far East
;

them

we
its

shall

have the Jacobite or West Syrian Church with

it is

its

God- Man
theology,

Christology, or as

called

by

the wise,

exaltation of the Virgin to celestial rank,

Monophysite and its defect of

its

missionary zeal.
believers

Between the two

lies

a slender group of Syrian

who have succumbed

to the claims of the

their

Antioch and Constantinople, securing

Greek theology of orthodoxy on the one hand

by the acceptance of the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon, which made other Syrian churches excommunicate on one side or the other, and at the same time obtaining protection as well as patronage by attachment to the State church and the Imperial city. They are known as Melchites, or Royalists, and if few in number and confined to
Palestine

and North Syria

for the

most

part, are

an aggressive minority

with the Ruling State and Dominant Greek Church at their back. shall not hear much of the Nestorians in our tract they are

We

too far East to be troublesome or troubled

it is

the
in

little

Melchite

community that provokes the little man pages of Bar Salibi

;

the controversy reflected

that
is

the following
its

trying to put

arms round

its

big brother,

and

to

annex him

in reality

a half-anonymous monk,
to

one Rabban

'Isho',
its

who

seems to have been reconciled

the

Greek

Church and
Salibi in his

theology and rituals, and who will have the great Bar embrace, and will prove to him that he is both insignificant

INTRODUCTIONS
and wrong, a
terrible combination.
;

5
see presently the chief

We

shall

points of the appeal

but

it

is

as well to be forewarned, lest dis-

appointment ensue.
of

The
their

matters discussed will not strike us as being

any great importance.

the

two dogs over

monly
little

in ecclesiastical

Probably the reader will say, as he watches bone of contention (as indeed happens comstrife), that, if this is Christianity, then I have

chance of being a Christian.

The

trivialities of

ritual will

have

proper attention, the supposed decencies of liturgical usage and the like we shall know all about the war, and what they killed (or exWhen we have finished our study, communicated) each other for.
;

we
Bar

can set the

is left.

infinitely little

on one

side,

and estimate the value

of

what

We
still

shall

Salibi, but

more with

probably be impressed with the adroitness of his noble Christian spirit and temper,
East
;

worthy

of the Patriarch of half the

and, even

if

we do

not feel
it

drawn

to his

Monophyite

doctrine,

we

shall

be glad that he held

its

too tenaciously and too intelligently to be allured to

by

the bait of a personal attachment

church, which he
political corruption.

knew

to

abandonment, and promotion in a State be a focus of increasing impurity, and

to,

Now let
portion
is

us very briefly analyse the discussion of

'

which Bar

Salibi's

before us.

Rabban

'

Isho

has written to Bar Salibi, a re-

union

tract to

which the
is

latter replies in ten chapters.

The

first

condi-

tion of re-union

that the Jacobites

must learn
;

how

to cross themselves

with two

fingers, as

do the Greeks and Latins

the practice of crossing

illustration of the

and they must give up themselves with one finger, which is a dangerous

direction in

from

left to

Monophysite doctrine. They must also change the which the crossing is exhibited, and no longer operate Further, in making such changes, Bar Salibi will right

he has gone over to the majority. The suggestion provokes '* a noble protest from Bar Salibi we not be in the right with May t
find that
:

two

"

or three ?

The
tedium

discussion

is

continued over one finger or two

It

fingers,

and

right-to-left
is

or

left-to-right crossing.

becomes very

tedious, but the

spirited reply
is

relieved

made

to the question

by thejtheological implication. whether Bar Salibi really believes

the Greeks to hold the doctrine of

two natures

in Christ.

Whether

they believe in
in serving

two natures
masters,

in Christ or not, they believe

most assuredly
Salibi's point

two
is

Truth and Untruth.

From Bar

of view, that

the real heresy.

He tells

a tale of a philosopher, who,

6
like the

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

Vicar of Bray in the popular English song, changed his faith with every successive king. But, at last, unlike the profane Vicar, he realized that one must not change one's faith with the colour of the " " times, and besought people to Pity the salt that has lost its savour ! The argument over the two natures is resumed. Rabban 'Isho' is at
his best

when he

argues for the comprehension of inconsistent beliefs

;

in

did not the Apostle tell us not to judge " another man's servant ? Did he not say Pray for one another," " " and not Anathematize one another ?

one corporate body

Bar
that the

Salibi has great reply to this seducing doctrine

he points out

Court Party
;

at

Constantinople do not

practise the toleration

which they invoke they expel our people from their city, burn their and our books, suppress Meeting-places. Away from the city, they rebaptize our people as heretics whom Rabban 'Isho' proposes to annex
as believers. to

And
is

such

is

their doctrine of toleration

whom

it

applied, that, suppressing the Jacobites,

and the persons they have actu-

ally permitted the

Moslems

to build a

Mosque

in the city.

One may

It judge the value of their charity, by the range of its application. the Christian and embraces the Moslem unbeliever. passes by Syrian

Bar

Salibi goes

on

to point out that, although

it is

inconsistent

on

the part of the Melchites and their friends to curse and bless in this

way, yet
it

after all the

power and
on the

faculty of

judgment

is

Christian,

and

follows that there

St.

is

also in the

Church a power
anathema.

of

excommunica-

tion.
is

Paul

is

clear

right of

A spirited defence

proceeds in favour of his doctrine that Christians are not to judge Christians, but that it is better to live at peace with every-

made of the Rabban 'Isho'

Bar

Jacobite position from the side of Ecclesiastical History.

he discloses adversary the state of morals in the Imperial City and in the prominent church
body.
Salibi

now

turns the tables

on

his

of the city,

He

and shows what peace with anybody and everybody means. has now taken the Puritan position, and refuses fellowship with
liars,

murderers, adulterers,

and

thieves.
is

The
and

light that is

turned on the church of Constantinople

of

fierce

light indeed.

He

talks

an emasculated

clergy,

and

of adulterous

vicious practices nature.

which naturally are associated with such contra" "

ventions of

Like

priest,

like

people

the city

is

full

of

outrage and villany.

The argument now

turns to the order of the Liturgy

and the ex-

INTRODUCTIONS
quisite

arrangement

made by

the Greeks for lections and for the tones

;

to

universal order

which the psalms and hymns are sung and harmony

!

how

beautiful to see such

Bar

Salibi has a

good deal to say on these matters, but he carefully

points out that the church

that the creed

was antecedent

to

its

musical services, and

In the beginning they

was

before the metrical canons.

had only the reading and interpretation of the Scriptures. The use of The Sirens had not come into the lustful melodies had not arrived. It was better to preach, teach, and convert, than to invent church.
melodies
like

the Sirens, bray like asses,

finish

sing

like

nightingales

or

swans, and then

occasion of
sin.

up the

day with such feasting as makes the

is

The

glory of the

new Rome

now emphasized by
of

the Melchite. the

quotes an apocryphal prophecy Jeremiah House, and the Latter City. This prophecy, he says, Bar Salibi disputes his text, and denies his stantinople.

He

about

Latter

refers to

Con-

interpretation.
?

Who
and

goes to this supposed

New

Jerusalem to worship

They go
sanctities
laid,

there to grub,
relics,

buy and sell. Do they boast of their the rod of Moses and the ark in which it was and
to
of

the

picture of Christ

on Veronica's handkerchief and the Virgin's robe,

the right
etc.

hand

Bar

Salibi

John the Baptist, which they use in consecrations, makes short work of these relics and the use to which
passes over to the question of authority in the
'Isho',

the Greeks put them.

The argument now

Church
and
is
:

according to

Rabban

there

that primacy has been located

by God
just

is primacy in the church, with the Greeks. There is

a prescription against Christians,

there before you.

as there

against heretics.

We were
displaced.

Bar Salibi wonders why, from

this

point of view, the

He

returns to his argument for the sanctity of

of Truth.

Jews were two or

three in the

name

The argument now

turns

on the power

has given to the Greeks, Mammon being called in as the chief witness to the divine election of the Greeks, and

and wealth which

God

per contra

of

the

divine

reprobation (relatively) of the

poverty-

stricken Syrians.

Bar
"

Salibi has little difficulty in proving that

Gold and Grace did never yet agree " Religion always sides with poverty
!

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES
into the
social

Mammon
crowd

the prosperous leaves the witness box, and Lazarus and a

Bar Salibi comes of poor folks occupy it. and holds up the Gospel. The case for the

box himself

and wealthy
wealth
Edessa,

Mammon

collapses.

The argument

is

varied
;

now from

to numbers.

You

Jacobites are very

few

a handful in

another handful in Melitene.

Evidently they have been uprooted by

It is otherwise acceptance and favour. a prickly shrub that bears a beautiful

God, and have

with
rose.

lost their first

the

Greeks,

who

are

Bar
Greeks.
Is
it

Salibi wishes to

have a further

definition of the rose of the

In

what

sense does Constantinople blossom like the rose ?

their elaborate liturgy ?

The

true rose

is

meditation and prayer,

these ?

holiness, chastity, perfection.

Does

the

Greek shrub bear

further discussion

is

made on

the sign of the Cross, and on the addition

which the Syrians make to the Trisagion of the words "who was crucified for us." The Greeks interpret the Trisagion of the Trinity,
the Father), Sanctus es omnipotens ( = the Son), Sanctus es immortalis ( = the Spirit) ? The Syrians refer all three

Sanctus es Deus

classes of the Trisagion to the Son,

and can,

therefore, properly

add

"

qui crucifixus es pro nobis."

It is

rather difficult to follow the argument

which Bar

Salibi

makes

for the

Monophysite use of the Trisagion plus the added phrase qui

an
interesting study to observe

crucifixus es pro nobis.

It is

how

the Trisagion

came

to

be

regarded as a definition of the Trinity, and so to be inconsistent with

the addition

qui crucifixus es pro nobis. In the first instance it was Jesus and his Glory that were sought for in the sixth chapter of Isaiah, while the same chapter yielded the convincing anti- Judaic testimony in
regard to the blinded eyes and hardened hearts of the chosen people. Of the antiquity of this testimony there can be no doubt, seeing it is

employed by and by Paul

according to

Jesus, according to the

Gospel

of

Mark (Mark

iv.

2)

in the closing sentences of

the Acts of the Apostles,

In the Fourth Gospel,

Luke (Acts
his

xxviii.

26, 27).

we

have

this

testimony expanded by the statement that

"

Isaiah said this

when he saw
a sense that

Glory and spake of him."

there has been an identification of Jesus with the

is

This can only mean that Lord Sabaoth or, in

common

in the

Targums, with the Divine Glory.

Thus

it

was

not the Trinity that the early Christians looked for in the

INTRODUCTIONS
Trisagion, but Jesus in Glory.
In that sense
it

9
was
quite proper to

add

"

qui crucifixus es pro nob is."

The

addition

could

be made

without any
of belief

risk of a charge of Patripassianism or Pneumatopassianism.

But what might be good theology in the first stratum of the deposit might be quite the opposite when a further plane of theological Bar Salibi retains what appears to be definition had been reached.
an early position
to Ignatius,
in

Christology

it

may, however, be doubted whether

In a
is

the Monophysites consistently did the same.

Liturgy attributed

which Renaudot published, and which

supposed to have

Monophysite leanings, we and use of the Trisagion

:

find the following Trinitarian interpretation

Sanctus enim es, Deus Pater, Sanctus etiam unigenitus Filius tuus Sanctus etiam Spiritus tuus.

We cannot,
We
will

however,

infer that in this

Liturgy there once stood

the ascription of crucifixus along with the adoration of the Seraphim.

hand Bar
will

Salibi over to the students of liturgiology

of him.

and see
said

what they

make

There
to the

is

no doubt more
to cease

to

be

on

the matter, in proportion as

we know

less.

His concluding appeals

Greeks

from persecuting

the Syrians and the Armenians, to

whom

they are doing

more harm
and
like

than the Turks themselves, are written in an excellent a true father

in Israel.

spirit

concludes by a challenge to his opponents generally to meet him in a public discussion, when he proposes to clear up any remaining difficulties. do not know whether this

He

We

debate ever came

success
;

off

a priori

we

should have our doubts of

its

in fact, the greater the success, the less in

many

cases the

Nothing so much narrows and dries up the heart as controversy does it must be admitted, however, that no controversial writer shows less sign of the threatened narrowness and
actual good resulting.
;

dryness than our good Syrian father.

II.

GENUINE AND APOCRYPHAL WORKS OF IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH.

The above
profess
to

treatise is in

followed by some stray documents, which

be related

some way

to

the

person of

Ignatius
his

of

Antioch, the martyr bishop of that great

city.

Around

name,

10
as in

WOODBROOKE
the parallel case of

STUDIES
Rome,
if

Clement
in

of

there

accumulated

so

much

spurious matter,
it

the

shape of
at,

interpolations

and ad-

ditions, that

is

not to be wondered

in the first ages of the

doubts should have arisen whether any of In the Ignatian matter could be referred to his time, place, or person. our own time the author of Supernatural Religion, Mr. W. R. " the whole of the literature ascribed Cassels, declared roundly that that to Ignatius is, in fact, such a tissue of fraud and imposture,
Renaissance of Criticism,
.

even

if

any small

original

element

exist

"

referrible to Ignatius,

it

is

impossible to define
statement.

it

and made Dr. Lightfoot very angry by

his

We

are afraid that the contributions which

we

are making to

Ignatian literature will have to be classed with the Ignatian Apocrypha, rather than with what Lightfoot shows to be canonical
Ignatiana.

Our

first

document,
is

for instance, professes to

be an actual

epistle of Ignatius,

who

carefully defined,

against misunderstanding

or possible confusion with later Patriarchs of his name, by the titles which belong to the first of the line, the designation of him as the

God-bearer

or the punning Syriac

title

of

Nurana,

or the

Fiery

Even if the epistle should be condemned contemptuously Ignatius. as an obvious product of a later rhetorician, we shall be able to show
that there are traces of genuine Ignatian expressions in the text.

This

leads us to the reflection that a possible motive for the composition,

assuming
letter,

it

to

be

spurious, lies in the

undoubted
letter,

fact that

and perhaps more than a single

at

from Ignatius
is

a genuine to the

Church
and

Antioch,
complete.

is

actually missing.

The

proof of this

interesting

fairly

In writing to the

Church

at

Philadelphia, Ignatius remarks that

turn in report has reached him that matters had taken a favourable he begs the Philadelphians to appoint an the Church at Antioch
:

ambassador to take a message of congratulation to the Antiochenes. This must mean a written communication either from Ignatius or
from the Philadelphian Church.
passage
:

The

following

is

the text of the

Ign.,

ad

Pkilad.,

c.

10.

"Seeing that in answer to your prayer and to the tender sympathy which ye have in Christ Jesus, it hath been reported

INTRODUCTIONS
to

me

that the

Church which
for

is

in

Antioch

of Syria

hath peace,

it is

becoming

you, as a Church of God, to appoint a deacon

to go thither as

God's ambassador,

that

he

may

congratulate
glorify the

them when they are assembled

together,

and may

Name."
Ignatius goes

on

to say that the

him by Philo, a deacon from had followed him from Syria.

of Ignatius' letter to the

Cilicia

good news had been brought to and by Rhaius Agathopus, who Lightfoot suggests, from the language
at

Smyrna, that he had already left Smyrna when the messengers from Antioch arrived, and that they then followed him to Troas. Assuming this to be the case, it is

Church

almost unthinkable that Philo and his companion should have had no letter to carry back from Ignatius himself, or that Ignatius should have
advised the churches to which he

was

writing to despatch messengers

and congratulatory messages on their own account, while he himself remained silent. There must be a letter or letters from Ignatius to Antioch, whether the Philadelphians and Smyrnaeans assisted and
joined in the correspondence or not.

The

natural thing to

happen

would be

Philo and Rhaius should immediately turn back and with them the felicitations of the bishop to his own Church. carry
that

Other communications require time and

special
is

official

messengers
:

The

message

to the

Smyrnaeans from Ignatius

c.
1
1 .

as follows

Ign.,

ad Smyrn.,
"Your
of Syria

prayer sped forth

. .
.

unto the

Church which

is

in

meet that your Church should appoint for the honour of God, an ambassador of God, that he may go as far as Syria, and congratulate them because they are at peace,
it is

Antioch

and have recovered

their proper stature, and their proper bulk hath been restored to them. It seemed, to me, therefore, a fitting thing that ye should send one of your own people with a

letter, that

which by God's

join with them in giving glory for the calm had overtaken them, and because they were already reaching a haven through your prayers."

he might
will

Similar advice is given to Polycarp, as the bishop of Smyrna, and the suggested ambassador from Church to Church is described playfully
as

God's courier

the following

is

the passage

12
Ign.,

WOODBROOKE
ad. Polyc., "
c. 7.

STUDIES

through your prayers, I myself also have been the more comforted, since God hath banished my care. ... It becometh thee, most blessed Polycarp,
us,

Seeing that the Church which peace, as it hath been reported to

is

in

Antioch

of Syria hath

to call together a goodly council,

and

to elect

some one among

you, who
to

is

very dear to you, and zealous also,

who

shall

be

fit

bear the name of God's courier, to appoint him, I say, that he may go to Syria, and glorify your zealous love unto the glory
of
It

God."

letters are

embasssies, and two separate out of the question to suppose that he had himself nothing to say to the Church at Antioch. What

appears, then, that

two separate
It is

asked for by Ignatius.

he did say has disappeared.

Now

what was the matter

at

Antioch, for

it it

is

clear that there

has been a storm either in the Church or against

Lightfoot takes
Ignatius
its
it

for granted that the persecution

which made

central object,

had

also affected the

Church.

In consequence
of

many
less

of the

members had

relapsed,

their return.

" Philo and his companions were, says Lightfoot, doubtthe bearers of the good news that the persecution at Antioch had

and now there was good news

ceased."
things

This

may be

the correct explanation, but there are some

as outside
at

which suggest that there was trouble inside the Church as well it and around it. Lightfoot further remarks that the Church
"

had been previously weakened and diminished by the That would and defections consequent on persecution." dispersion of the Church but we explain the reference to the restored dimension
Antioch
;

must keep our eyes open

of the
is

for

an alternative reason

for the diminution

Church membership.
priests

The document which we

and deacons
actions.
It

are here printing

an exhortation to

to practise personal piety

and

not to be led away into immoral

than a general exhortation addressed to all passages in it which seem to suggest an individual priest who has fallen the supposed letter suddenly becomes in the highest degree into sin An appeal is made which begins with and personal. eloquent
; ;
:

may be nothing more but there are some clergy

"

Who
"

envied you,

chaste one, and

made you a

forni-

cator ?

INTRODUCTIONS
and the supposed
faithless priest is

13

addressed as

"You
"

dear and beloved ram

who became

the prey of a

wolf

The person addressed has become a pagan, and is now "a " and so on, with much eloquence and force of mediator to idols
:

If it personal appeal, which the reader must estimate for himself. should be judged that the supposed faithless priest to whom the appeal

is

made

has a real existence, the possibility will have to be reckoned

with that there has been a factious and perhaps an immoral person among the leadership of the Antiochene Church, who may even be a
rival

and contemporary of Ignatius himself. This is, of course, a In that case we should fall speculation which may not find support.

back upon Lightfoot's theory, that the persecution under Trajan had been general, as well as personal and particular.

Now

let

us turn to the text of our

document and
and

see

what we can

pick up in the
First of all in a

way

of Scriptural references

possible local allusions.

we

notice that in one passage, the writer quotes the

Gospel
the salt

harmonized form.
is

At
salt

the beginning of the letter the impious

that has lost
shall
it

priest

compared

to

the

its

savour.
?
It
is

"

If

has

lost its savour,

wherewith

be seasoned

thenceforth

land nor the dung, but it is cast out good and trodden underfoot by men." This is a harmonization of Matthew
for nothing, neither for the

and Luke.

If

we examine

the Tatian

Harmony,

either in the

Arabic

of Ciasca, or in the old

Dutch

version of Dr. Plooij,

we

shall find that

we have
The

an independent harmonization, which does not appear to be

next thing

derived from the Syriac of Tatian.

we

notice

is

that

he

is

acquainted with one of the

his

greatest of all Syriac writings, the

address to the Antiochene clergy,

Odes of Solomon. He opens by appealing to them to

"

wipe
This
is

off

the dirt from your hearts."

almost exactly the language of the beautiful 13th

:

Ode

of

Solomon

"

Wipe the dirt from off your faces, And love his holiness and clothe yourselves
There
is

therewith."

one expression
:

in

our tract which

is

distinctly Ignatian

the writer says

14
"
care
;

WOODBROOKE
We cannot
the souls redeemed

STUDIES

avoid answering for all those he confided to our by the innocent blood of God, and he

gave us a covenant that

his flock."

we

should worship him and shepherd

At

first

sight this looks like

it

Monophysite language, but

In the epistle of

we

re-

member
Church
"

that

is

also Ignatian.

Ignatius

to the

Ephesians,
as

in the

opening chapter, the saint speaks of the Ephesian

"

kindling into living

"
(so Lightfoot)

fire

by the blood

of

God."

There
"

is,

however, an objection to the description of the term

blood of God," as Ignatian. It is well known that it is implied in the language of St. Paul to the elders of the Church at Ephesus (Acts " feed the Church of God, which He xx. 28) who are admonished to
" hath purchased with His own blood and on comparing the language " " to of our tract, we see the reflection of the shepherds of the flock
;

which

St.

Paul

refers.

So

it is

just

as likely that the expression

is

Pre-Ignatian as Ignatian, and perhaps

Ignatian expression and the language On the other hand we have the
of the Syriac Didascalia,
in the sprinkling of

we

ought to describe both the

of our tract as Pauline.

similar expression in the opening

Jesus the Christ."

where Christians are spoken of as partakers the pure and precious blood of the Great God, This has a very Monophysite appearance, and
the term

"

shows, at

all events, that

"

Blood

of

God

"

is

not theologically

colourless.

The next point that interests us, is that our supposed Ignatius is made responsible for the Wednesday and Friday fasts of the early
Church, and the question must be asked whether there
truth in the suggestion.
It is

is

an element of

not negatived by the observation that our document has the week-day fasts in an accentuated form, at least
for the clergy the

possibly of

problem is to determine if the fasts in question are Of their antiquity there is no doubt, Antiochian origin.

for they are in the

denied that they are " Let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they

Teaching of the Apostles : nor can it well be originally anti-Judaic, since the Teaching says
:

fast

Monday and

Thursday, but do you

are here the

fast

Wednesday and

Jews and

Judaisers.

No

The hypocrites Friday." reason appears for the choice

INTRODUCTIONS
of the particular

15
letters

days

nor does there appear in the Ignatian

is

any

reference of the kind

displacement of the
as

what does appear, however, Sabbath by the Sunday, as Christians are described
;

the anti- Judaic

"

no longer Sabbatizing, but

living

with the Lord's

Day

in place of
its

the Sabbath."

Thus

the anti-Judaic element in the

Teaching has

parallel in Ignatius.

At this point a curious parallel comes to light, for which we must now turn to our second document, the supposed Canon of Ignatius.
In this

Canon
fasts,

there

is

a clear indication of the establishment of the

weekly
it

with an

anti- Judaic reference.

For

instance,

we have

the curious statement that

we observe the night of Friday, because in our Lord was seized by the Jews? It is further stated that on the night of Saturday they broke the legs of the robbers, in order that the

"

Sabbath might not begin for them (which must mean the Jews), and that they might not be condemned in the eyes of the law (which must

mean

the Jewish law).

Our Canon

is,

therefore, anti- Judaic, like the

Teaching of the Apostles and the

Ignatian

letters.

It

cannot,

Nor can it be however, be derived directly from the Teaching. derived directly from the seventh book of the Apostolical ConstituFor here tions, which works over the instructions of the Teaching.
the anti-Judaic reference has disappeared, and the fast-days are kept
in

There is, Betrayal and the Crucifixion. treatment has each writer the problem of however, some similarity of the fastfrom the in the days Jewish customs, but change explaining the explanations are not the same. conclude that the Canonist
commemoration
of the
;

We

is

working on an independent

line,

and we cannot confirm

his reference

to Ignatius as his authority.

Now let
by
the night of

us see

what can be made out

First

of the explanations furnished

the Canonist.

of all

we

have the Last Supper referred to

;

our Lord

Wednesday in the Passion week next we are told was seized by the Jews on the night of Friday then
;

that

that

he descended into Sheol on the night of Saturday. (which must in this connection mean, we are to
night and Friday night,
to fast)

We are
fast)
is,

to observe

on Wednesday

and
"

we
is

are not to observe (that

we

are not

on Saturday.
"

There

much
"

confusion here, which cannot be

got rid of

by reading vigil for night," and making the vigil anticipate the next day. For the Last Supper cannot be put on Thursday, in
without putting the arrest on Saturday, and the descent

this hypothesis,

16
into

WOODBROOKE
Hades on Sunday.

STUDIES
his

The

arrest of

our Lord and

binding by

the

Jews must take place the same day as the Last Supper. the Last Supper on Wednesday by the Oriental hypothesis

To
of

date

making

the day begin at sunset, would require that the Supper took place before sundown on Thursday, which is absurd. cannot make the " " " of into the afternoon of night Wednesday Thursday." So we

We
;

conclude that the Canonist has

lost

his reckoning

his statements are

inconsistent with the evangelical tradition.

The

reader will have noticed a reference to the patronage of Simon

of the

and John

Church

of Antioch, to
apostles, Peter

which

Ignatius

is

supposed to

be writing.

These two

and John, are

invited to join

in the lamentation over

have

It is certainly peculiar to an apostate priest. John associated with St. Peter in the presidency of the Church at Antioch. But there can be no mistake as to the intention of the

St.

writer, since,

little

later,

the unfaithful steward

is

addressed as a

brother of Simon and John.

Where

shall

we

find parallel statements

?

connecting these

two

apostles with the Church of Antioch

While

these pages

were passing through the

press

two more

Ignatiana were brought to light. Canon which we have discussed

The
;

first is

another recension of the

is

the second

a genuine fragment of

the Epistle to the Ephesians, which does not appear in the collection of Lightfoot. So we have one more fragment of the lost Syrian

Version recovered.

PREFACES, EDITIONS

AND TRANSLATIONS.

BY A. MINGANA.
(i)

Treatise of Barsalibi against the Melchites.

PREFATORY NOTE.

GIVE

in the following pages the translation,

accompanied by a

I
1171.

critical

the well-known

apparatus, of a very rare treatise of Dionysius Barsalibi, West Syrian or Jacobite writer who died in A.D.
treatise is
1

The
in

indeed so rare that not even a reference to

it

Baumstark, and no acquaintance with its existence is shown is by the early Syrian bibliographer who wrote a complete list of 2 Barsalibi' s works.

found

The
address

treatise is in
to,

the form of a discussion with, or rather a long

Rabban 'Isho', a West Syrian monk of some had evidently shown some leniency towards the importance, who Melchites, and was about to leave, or had already left, his own community to join them. He had written a long letter to Barsalibi
a certain

on

this subject,
treatise.
it.

and

it

is

this lost

letter that

has given birth to the

present

Barsalibi analyses verbatim his opponent's missive,

and
his

refutes

As

the author does not give any clear indication

that
of
his

where
have

own

sentence ends and

adversary begins,

believe that

experienced some difficulty in following his argumentation ; but I I have succeeded in overcoming the obstacles thrown in
our

way
I

in this matter,

but not without sacrificing to the altar of

clearness

my

predilection for literal translations.

therefore,

have,

Rabban
text,

'Ish6''s text

by

the words
I

been compelled "

:

to

mark
"

in

the translation
in the

You

write

which are not

and here and there

have added words and even complete

the

phrases in order to make it easier for the English reader to follow author's too concise, too disconnected, and sometimes obscure
reasoning.
1

Gesch. der Syr. Lit., pp. 295-298. Assemani, Bibl. Orient., ii, 210-21
17

1.

18
"

WOODBROOKE
" "

STUDIES

the
are

The Greeks assailed by Barsalibi are better known to us under name of Melchites, who in the West Syrian Orthodox Church
the
appellation

Chalcedonians," although generally styled " " Melchites is also very often ascribed to them.

The

Syriac

tegral part of

MS. in which own collection my

the treatise
of Syriac

is

found constitutes an
in the

in-

MSS.,
1

custody of the

Rendel Harris Library, Birmingham, where it has the class-mark Syriac MS. Mingana 4. It was copied in A.D. 895 by Deacon Matthew, from a very ancient MS. preserved in Tur Abdln, near the monastery of
'

Dairuz-za'faran, the residence of the monophysite Patriarchs of Antioch.

Because of the
complete
tion to
first

rarity of the

MS.
and

have deemed

it

advisable to give a

facsimile of

its text,

refer in the footnotes of the transla-

some lexicographical and grammatical

errors

made

either
will

by the

or

by

the second copyist.

of the

An index of

proper names

be found

at the

end

work.

TRANSLATION.

We

will further write the ten chapters composed by Dionysius, metropolitan of Amed, who is the illustrious Jacob Bar
Salibi, against

Rabban
Rabban

'

Isho'.

The humble
and
his

Dionysius, the servant of

God,

offers

you

his greetings

prayers,
!

'Isho*

may you be

in the

keeping of

Providence

Any work

from which spring good and gain for the souls of both

the speaker and the attentive hearer, is not to be hindered or silenced. These words we write at the beginning of our discourse to you, as we have read your conciliatory treatise which stands between truth and

falsehood in order not to hurt anybody's feelings.

In another place

we

will deal with the

worldly questions that

life

it

raises.

So

far as the
it is

spiritual

questions which give

to the souls are concerned,

more

advantageous to strive after undiluted truth and avoid ambiguity, those people who twist the facts and especially in our dealings with mix straw with corn, water with wine, and all kinds of impure alloys " Prove all things, The Apostle of the Gentiles has said with gold. See hold fast that which is good, and abstain from any form of evil."
:
'

how Paul

teaches us to prove and examine everything, and hold fast

Thes.

Y.

21-22.

BARS ALIBI
that

19
all

which

is

teaching, as

good before God, and from nests of snakes.

also

flee

from

bad things and

false

We are
truth lies
:

shown how a man can

learn with certitude

universally

where

acknowledged to be wise and learn little by little from him, as Philip taught the eunuch of the Queen of Sheba, or he must read studiously the Books of the them the knowledge of truth. He who Spirit and acquire from
is
1

he must either follow one

who

believes that he has attained truth from hearsay, or from the ravings

a seducer, or from the sight of an occurrence that happens to be in harmony with his beliefs, does not lean on truth but on a broken reed,
of

on a shadow

only.

But

it is

time

now

to

embark on our

subject.

CHAPTER

I.

On
You
you
in this

the Sign of the Cross.

wrote

to us that neither

from nature nor from any book did

fingers,

learn to cross

yourself with two

but that you are following

the habit of the Greeks, of the Franks,

other peoples such as the Iberians, Alans, Russians,

others

and of twenty-four Hungarians and

who cross themselves with two fingers. This, in the answer manner we will 'Isho', following An intelligent man like you should weigh his words in
:

Rabban

the balance

If you have not acquired a uttering them. subject from a book, nor learned it from nature, the two sources which

of justice before

embrace

all

the universe,

how
says
:

then can you neglect the truth of both

that
is

book and nature, and follow something

foundation
?

The Book
is

"

Remove

not the eternal landmark

not based on any real "

;

now

if

the landmark

nature and book, in rejecting

of truth.

them both we

naturally trespass

on the boundaries
3

Christ did not destroy

the law but

fulfilled

it,

and

we

contend that

we
!

are not to follow

nature and the law, but to step in strange paths Do we not fear " then a rebuke from David who says When thou sawest a thief, then
:

thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers."

Among
1
'

the peoples
viii.

whom
The
xxiii-

you have mentioned there

author identifies

is

injustice,

See Acts
Prov.
.

27.

Sheba with
5

Ethiopia.

xxii.

28 and
1

Cf Matt

v.

7.

10 (Peshitta). 4 Sic Cod.

Ps. L

8.

20

WOODBROOKE ESSAYS
;

many other abominations should we follow Sound judgement forbids it. Even those people whom you have mentioned, if they do not prove the truth they hold from nature and book, no one will ever induce himself to listen to them,
murder, immorality and

them

in

these ?

and

their

own

followers will forsake them.

possessors of the truth, will demonstrate to

the path of nature and book, and that

cross with
First,

we who are right and we are walking in you is why we make the sign of the
But
that

one finger only. nature teaches us that the cross to which Christ was attached

was not composed of double pieces of wood stretched in its perpendicular and horizontal side, as a symbol to the two fingers used by the
Greeks
each
cross,

in crossing themselves,

side.

but had only one piece of wood on Further, the rod of Moses which was a symbol of the
that
brass

was one and not two like Finally, the crosses made of silver,

symbolized

by two fingers. and wood, and those found

on the walls are not fashioned by the peoples you mentioned in double perpendicular and horizontal lines, but in one line only as the symbol of one finger. These arguments from nature will suffice, and we will

now enumerate
That
"

the arguments from book.

universal Doctor,

John Chrysostom,

clearly
"

shows

this in
:

saying thus in the fifty-third discourse of his

'

commentary on Matthew
l

Ye are bought with a price,' signifies the price on and it does not fit to be the servants of any your behalf, paid you " " man. (Paul) alludes by the word Price to the cross you should
(Paul's saying)
;

not

make
it

the sign of the cross with the finger in a simple way, but you

with will and with great faith and then if you on no be able to vile demon will way your forehead, print See how the Doctor speaks of one finger only prevail against you." and not of two or three. If we were to cross ourselves with two " " " or with two fingers." with the fingers fingers he would have said
should
first
it
;

make

in this

Further,

the

when the Apostle Thomas wished One who was crucified, he only desired
1
1

to test the resurrection of

to put his finger into the

Cor.

vii.

23.

numeratum, Cogita, inquit, pretium pro neque enim simpliciter illam digito pretium vero crucem vocat Si hoc modo illam in efformare oportet, sed prius voluntate et multa fide. facie tua depinxeris, nullus impurorum daemonum contra te stare potent."
eris servus
;
:

Here hominum.

is

the

whole passage

"
:

Pretio, inquit, empti eslis

te

ne

sitis

servi

atque nullius hominis

Pat. Gr.

Iviii.

557.

BARSALIBI
print of the nails, because
print of the nails,
I

21
I

he said
"

"
:

Except

put

my
:

finger into the

will not believe."

said,

And when
first

our Lord revealed

Himself

to him,

He

Reach

hither thy finger."

See how the

instances,

Book mentioned one

and not two or

finger only in the

and the second

several.

From
cross
fingers but

these

we may

learn that the act of

upon

oneself or

upon the holy elements

making the sign of the is not done with two

natures in Christ say

fingers

with one only. "

:

The

Greeks, however,

who

believe in

two

We

make

the sign of the cross with

in

two

because there are two natures

Christ."

wrote

at length in our controversial treatise against

them

Against this we here it will

;

suffice us to

say

If

the natures in Christ are as separate from each

other as two fingers are, they have no unity, and the Doctors of the

Church who say

iron, are in error.

that the

Word was
two

united to

His

flesh as fire is to

Further,

fingers,

although separate from each

other, are really

one

in substance (ovcri'a),

and

thus, in the contention

of the Greeks, the eternal

Son
is

of the

Father would be one in sub;

stance with the flesh which

is

created and subject to time

and

this

blasphemy.

We will
divinity

further rebut the

Greeks as follows
to
it

the cross teaches us

that Christ, the Son,

was attached

in

the flesh, while in

;

His

He

was

neither extended nor attached

but with two fingers

crucified in

you show
natures.

that

He

was extended on the

cross

and

His two
nature
one, and

You are thus Theopaschites, because with you crucify God also. As to us, we believe that as
the cross
is

the

human
is

Christ

one, the sign also of the cross

'*

only
the

and this we You write The sacrament of the sign of the cross of Word God who became flesh and came down from
; :

be made with one finger have learned from both nature and book.
is

to

consists in

heaven to
to the

earth,
right

and removed mankind from the

light."

left

hand and darkness

hand and

We

do not drive away darkness with

light, as

you

write, because

we make
up

the sign of the cross from right to left ; everyone knows that darkness is the very antithesis of light, and that if the latter is mixed
in the

former

it

becomes swallowed up
little
2

in

it

in
3

the same
of

way

as

the bitterness of a
1

brackish water in a jug

sweet water, or

John xx 25. Read Mnaik'itha

for

John xx. 27. mainoktha.

22
that of

WOODBROOKE
a
little

STUDIES
in

myrrh or wormwood
the right ?

honey.
left

Let

us admit that light drives

a considerable quantity of away darkness, how can the

has said that
l
;

hand

drive

away

Our Lord

He will

set

the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left Saviour demonstrated that the right cannot expel the

in this our

left,

but those

left, move, out of their from the right hand to the left which is that of the goats, and are counted with the robber who was on our Lord's left. But see how in the consecration of the elements and in the final

who make the own free will,

sign of the cross

from right to

prayers of the service the Greeks

make

the sign of the cross like

us,

from

left

to right,

and
"

in this

way

they contradict themselves.

twenty-four peoples use two fingers," but your number did not reach even ten. Do not listen, therefore, to some

You

wrote

have with us twenty-four peoples. Further, truth is not always with the majority. Consider that there are seventy different peoples, and that those who follow the gospel are less numerdeceivers
that

who say

we

ous than those

who

are

still

pagan

and no one pretends that because

have greater
right than

of their higher number, the pagans

we

have.

In the time of
of the

Abraham and Moses there was Hebrews, who worshipped God, and the

only one people, that

rest

worshipped This

idols,

and no one says that because

this chapter.

of that the worshippers of idols

had

greater right than the single people of the Hebrews.

suffices for

CHAPTER

II.

A /so
You
others ?

on the Sign of the Cross.

is

wrote
one

"
:

What

the meaning of our making the sign of the

possibly have greater right than
all

cross with

finger ?

Could we
2

Christ ordered that every

word should be
in

established at the

mouth
three."

of

two

or three witnesses,

and

our case there are more than

your words are true, it follows than wherever there are several people holding an opinion, they have more truth than one people and this leads us, as we wrote in the first chapter, to the assumption that
If
;

the Gentiles had more truth than the Jews, and that

Abraham was

^att.

xxv. 33.

Matt,

xviii.

16.

BARSALlBI
in

23

error because

he was the only one

the numerous men, his contemporaries,

right.

who worshipped God, and who worshipped idols, were

mouth
of

Our
it

Lord's sentence
is

"At

the

two witnesses or

three every
to
it
;

word

established," has not the meaning that you attribute

bears exclusively on the fact that the testimony of a single

witness should not

testifying falsely

be accepted against him out

against a culprit, lest

of spite
;

he should be

two or three witnesses, they could not

way, but only
truly

when, however, there are testify against him in a biased

and

rightly.

You write

"
:

Is it

not more advantageous that a

man

should cross
light,

himself in beginning with the right side,

this light

which
it

is

the side of

and

then pass away darkness, than " to cross himself from the side of darkness and pass it over his face ?
drive
If

over his face and with

darkness and
tell

light

are
is

defined

by the

right

horizontally,
ourselves,

me what
consists in

which

meant by the first act moving our hand in a perpendicular way

hand moving we do in crossing

from our head downwards

You

might say that the top movement

means
light

light and the bottom one darkness, and that a man first takes and comes down to darkness, and then takes light again to another

darkness.

The Greeks would have

light

thus

two

lights

and would begin with

yours
is

and end with darkness.

is

and two darknesses, This theory of

its its

not a

happy

one, and the single cross

not light in one of

light in

horizontal sides and darkness in the other, but

sides.
It is

it is

both of

also advantageous that the

is

end

of all our
it is

works should

be on the

right hand, that

to say, good,

and

thus better to end

the sign of the cross with the side of the right hand, and not with the side of the left which is, according to the words of our Lord, that of
the goats.
Further,

we

two

lines in its

maintain that the cross of the Greeks has not only horizontal side, but four lines. In the first act of cross-

ing themselves they form their cross from top to bottom with two fingers, and then in making the horizontal part of the cross, they form it, also

with two

fingers,

from right to
horizontal

left,

and

finally they return

backwards

to the right.

The

part

of their cross has then

two

lines,

nay, even four lines, in counting the two fingers. put it, had driven away the darkness of the left
right, return
its

Those who,

as

you

by

the light of the

now

from the light right to the dark

left,

and take over

darkness which they carry to the right, so that they become involved

24

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

in thick darkness in

with themselves, since they

both their right and left. If they were consistent form their cross from right to left, they
left

should have crossed themselves with the

their cross

hand, because

in this

way

would have been more natural and it would not have been necessary for them to move their hand twice over.

Our

ecclesiastical

historians are in accord with their ecclesiastical

what they wrote concerning the Emperor Constantine, day in which the sun was hottest, he saw in heaven a column of light in the shape of a cross, on which there were " the words By this sign thou shalt conquer," and after the pattern
historians in

that at the hour of the

which he saw he fashioned the

about that column
?

cross.

Now
of
?

what do the Greeks say

double columns,
If

Was

it

in the

shape

like the

two

fingers, or in the

shape of one column

in the

shape of double

columns, two

why

is

which stretched perpendicularly and two horizontally, not the fact mentioned in any ecclesiastical history ? If the
of

column
Greeks

of light
finger,

was

in the

with one
?

why

shape of one column only, corresponding 1 should we not have greater right than the

And why
do
?

should
2

we

not

make

the sign of the cross on

ourselves with one finger

as they,

only,

and from

left to right as

we, and not

sign of the

In administering the baptism even the

cross

Greeks make the

on the child with a collyrium-pencil which has one point only and not two points, which would correspond with the two fingers, and

move

also the instrument

left.

from

left to right as

we

do,

and not from

right to

Had
*'
:

they not done so in this case even their cross would

the Fathers and Doctors

not have been straight but twisted.

You

write
I

As we heard and

saw,

all

whose names
Greek, make

mentioned, whether they be Prankish, or Egyptian, or

the sign of the cross with

two

fingers

and

we have

never heard that any of them has made it with one finger." You have not attained yet the age of seventy years, and consequently you could not have seen Athanasius the Great, Basil, Gregory

Nazianzen, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, and others. might believe you when you say that you heard, but who can believe

We

you that you saw ? saw. If you mean

1

should not, therefore, have written that you that you saw their books, how did you then write
(copyist's inadvertence).

You

Read Sharririnan for Sharrlrin Read Sib'a for Sliba.

BARSALIBI
nature

25

previously that you had not learned this either from book or from
?
Is
it

you

assert

now
If

because you forgot what you wrote previously that that all of them made the sign of the cross with two
seen, tell

fingers ?

you have heard and

us in which

book and

in

which

treatise ?

So

far

as

we

are

concerned

quoted you John Chrysostom, the glory of the Greeks,

we have already who refutes

them and corroborates

us.

You
why
only ?

Since the Armenians profess one nature in Christ, are they not ordered to make the sign of the cross with one finger "
write
:

"

Some
some
of
like the

of the

Armenians make the

fingers,

sign of the cross of

with two

fingers,

them with three

Franks.
It
is

and some

them with

all their

hand,

only those

among them who

illiterate

are ignorant and

mixed with the Greeks,

but

who make
to

the sign of the cross with

two

fingers

who

can hold a discussion with

and insensible people,

depth
of the sea ? to

except those
Further, the

who wish

throw

their pearls into the

Armenians did not remain united with us long enough

;

learn all the Christian sacramental customs

after

having accepted the

they
left

dogma
went
belief
;

of

one nature

in the

Word
are

that

became

flesh,

us

and

after their

own.

They

somewhat

inconsistent with their

in

on the one hand they believe in one Lord, and in one nature the Word who became flesh, and on the other they believe in two

natures in

Him,

a proposition which they

it is

would

readily reject,

were

they but told that with two fingers.

implied in the act of making the sign of the cross

You
fingers,

write

"
:

We

who make

the sign of the cross with

?

two

do we

believe in

two natures in Christ

in

God

forbid that this

should ever happen."

If

you do not believe

1

two natures

after the union,

how

then do

you make the

cross

sign of the cross

believe something,

you believe the two fingers symbolize the two natures

with two fingers ? In your mouth you and with your hand which makes the sign of the The Greeks at any rate assert that something else.
in Christ.
If this is

not

so,

show us then the sacrament of the two fingers. How can you mix up two incompatible propositions in saying "We believe like the ** orthodox Syrians, and we make the sign of the cross like the Greeks ?
1

Remove

the dalath before

mtddaim.

26
This amounts

WOODBROOKE
to saying,
;

STUDIES
and untruth."
us,

"
1

We accept
if

truth

No man
;

can serve two masters

follow the others, and
if
if

we

have the truth with

the others have the truth,

we

are liars
?

you cannot and

you

pretend that both of us are right,

who will

believe you

How
of

can that section of Christians

flesh,

who

believes in

one nature that became

and the other

with two

in

two

natures,

and how can that section

them

who makes
makes
it

the sign of the cross with one finger and the other
fingers,

who

be

in

harmony with each other and be

equally right ?

You
believe in

write

"
:

We

should

not reject the Greeks because they

two

natures, since apart from us

and the Armenians, and a

in Christ."

few Franks,
It is

all

Christians believe in

two natures

narrated that a philosopher used to change his faith with every

rising king.

When

eventually he repented and realized that

it

was
:

not good to forsake truth and change with the times, he wrote " brother, no one in your Pity the salt which has lost its savour." if they are position should say that he does not reject the Greeks

right

and should not be

rejected,
;

your own
if

people

are,

therefore,

wrong and should be rejected

will believe

you
;

also,
tell

and the Syrians are rejected, no one because you are a Syrian from us and not from
us now,
if

our enemies
in

but

which the Greeks believe

you know, which are the two natures The Franks and some others call

natures the Word God and the body with a soul which to Himself, but the Greeks think otherwise, and their story on
;

He

united

this subject

if it ever becomes clear, is a long one, and not even yet quite clear I know and I am convinced that you will never accept any Melchite.

Further,

how

did you assert that

all

Christians believe in

two natures

except us and the Armenians, while the Egyptians, Nubians, Abyssinians, the majority of the Indians, and the country of Libya which
13

in the

time of Dioscorus
3

was composed

of

one thousand and

five

hundred

parishes,

accept the faith of St. Cyril

and

St.

Dioscorus,

and

of the great Severus.

Matt,

vi.,

24.
in

The word Indian

the

mouth

of

West

Syrian writer often

designates the Himyarites, or Southern Christianity in India, 1926, pp. 11-14.

3

Arabs.

See

my Spread

of

Lit. thrones, chairs.

The word Kursya commonly

1

refers to episcopal
in

sees, but

who

could believe that there were

500 bishoprics

Libya

BARSALIBI
Even the Greeks when brought
Athanasius the
believe like
is

27
words
l

face to face with the

of

them

Great and Cyril the in one nature of the Word

Wise
it

are put to

shame and
flesh
;

who became

this

written in their books

"

and

they believe in

like ourselves,

but they

explain

away

the expression

"

one nature" and say afterwards

"two

and give a meaning natures of their own to the words used by Cyril the Great, and pretend that he really meant two natures, and this in spite of the fact that those
contrary to the teaching of the Doctors,

Arabs and Persians

became
Persian.

of

the East

and the South who are Christians

to

'

understand like us the doctrine of one nature in the

flesh,

Word who
and

and they are known

be Arabs or Persians by the

fact that they are not versed in any other language but Arabic

Let

now

the subject
<

end

here.

CHAPTER

III.

On

his hidden Falsehood that has been

Exposed and on how

he

is

a Protagonist of the Believers in two Natures.

"
:

You

write

Why should we
in

have greater truth than

all ?

We

do not agree with them not reject them and consider them
See how
from us
this

the matter of

two

natures, but

we

should

as heretics."

discloses
I

your intention to favour those

who

differ

in their faith.

will

now

ask you a question

Are

the Syrians

right or are they

wrong
?
If

?
if

If

they are wrong,

them completely
Chalcedonians
?

And
you

they are right,

why do you not reject why do you not reject the

two
natures,
light is

refuse to believe in

you should
opposed
to

reject also the truth of the

orthodox Syrians.
in

As
that

darkness, and good health to illness, so repellent and cannot remain concomitantly

they are mutually

one place, so also the

is

one

who

believes in

two natures

in

Christ after the union

opposed
flesh.

to the one

who

believes in one nature in the

Word who became

You

will not contradict that the

then do you pretend that

*

two are opposed to each other, how you do not believe in two natures like them,
in in

the twelfth century

Neither in the fifth nor presumably in one Christ, in one Son. had the Christological terms of person and nature both Greek and in Syriac the fixed meaning that we give them in our days.
I.e.,

and a

There was a considerable number still more considerable one among

of

Monophysites

in

West

Persia,

the Arabs.

28
and
at the

WOODBROOKE
same time not
reject

STUDIES
?

them

You

are like the one

who

holds the two ends of a rope and is unable to climb up with any of them. You write " should we not accept them ? The Apostle ' said art thou that judgest the servant of another ? To his
:

Why

Who
2

Pray for one and he did not say anathematize.' Your words would have been very true, if only the Chalcedonians would listen to you. For your sake we shall compromise and accept them but come now to Melitene which is not under their power
falleth.'
'

own

lord

he standeth or

He

'

also said
'

another,'

and

see

how

they tear at our people

like
falls

wolves.

Anyone who

through

(and joins them), they 3 heretics and untruthful, and baptize again, and they openly call us out of their own free will they do not allow anyone to enter their
churches.
I

his unstability

and weakness

remonstrated several times with them, but because of their

Were it not for a reason that I will arrogance they did not desist. not disclose, and for the fact that they would have been sneered at by
outsiders,
I

would have revealed

all
;

their falsehood,

and they would have

been despised by

but mendacity often succeeds.

Now
no church
of their

repair in
it

will see that

your imagination to the city of their pride. contains a mosque for the Mohammedans, but

You
it

has
out

for the Syrians

and the Armenians.

of their

Do
?
is

they do

this

good nature or out

that the
faith

wickedness

By

their actions

they show

of the

Mohammedans

better than the

orthodox

faith of ours.

years ago, in the time of Ignatius of Melitene, we had a church in Constantinople, but impelled by Satan they took possession of it, and their Patriarch of that time ordered our books that were in it and the church vestry, and the holy chrism, to be burnt
in the middle of the bazaars.
In that very night that
lost his life.

About a hundred

Patriarch

was
4

struck

by a sudden

illness

and

What do you

say about
!

deprived them of their power not have left a single Christian would If they had the power they alive, as their fathers did in the times of yore. " As to the quotation that you brought forth to the effect Who
these ?

Glory be to the one

who

Rom.

xiv. 4.

Cf. Col.

i.

3,

9;

iii.

Heb.

xiii.

18.

3
*

Possibly read Ian for laih.

Through

the

Mohammedan Arabs and

Salju^s.

BARSALIBI
art thou that judgest the servant of another,"
it

29
has not the significance
If it

that

you

attribute to

it,

and

it

has not been said of the heretics.

were,

should not be allowed to bring an accusation against the Jews and the pagans, or to reprove the immoral people and the

we

adulterers, or to punish the criminals, the sedition -mongers, the robbers,

and the murderers.

us

Will the Apostle come

in these cases

and

tell

"
:

Who
"
?

are

you that judge these who are the servants

I

of

but for the tranquillity of your conscience disclose for you the mind of the Apostle.

another

am

going to

The Jews who had

of
;

believed in Christ used to keep also the law

Moses, and not to eat the food that that law considered to be but the Gentiles who had believed in Christ used to eat unclean

everything.
Christians

disturbance arose on

this

account

between Jewish

and

Christians.

Paul then

rose, strong in truth, against the

Jews who had believed, and he maintained that food does not bring men nearer to God nor farther from Him why do you force, there;

fore,

the Gentiles to observe the old law ? and he further

that
is

added

He meant by these words that as weak eateth herbs." He you Jews are weak in faith you distinguish between this and that food (as a weak stomach does) with regard to herbs, but he who is strong
in faith eats everything

"

and despises

distinctions

between foods

"let

not him which eateth not judge the Christian that eateth, for God " ~ that is to say, He has made him to be related hath received him
;

to

Him
?

and not

to the

law

3
;

you, therefore,

Jew,

why do you

judge him

him

not to

? He is the servant of God, how dare you then judge he standeth, that is to say by faith, he is to his Lord and you and if he falleth, as you believe, because he does not
If
;

observe the legal distinction between the foods, he is also to his own Lord. This is in short terms the meaning of the sentence of the

Apostle.

we are commanded to pray for one another, it does not mean that we are commanded to pray for a man to go astray from the truth of the faith and walk in error nor are we
to your other point, that
;

As

commanded
call all

to pray for this particular person in relation with that

:

particular person, but only to pray in such general terms as

O
"

God,
Paul

men and
1

bring them
xiv. 2.

to Thyself.
'

As
2

to

your saying
xiv. 3.

Rom.

Rom.

Put a lamadh before namosa.

30
:

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

" did not say anathematize ;" but Paul did say : If somebody should unto that other than which we you preach preached unto you, let What answer do you want us now to give to him be anathema." " Paul ? He said Let him be anathema," and you say that we should not anathematize.
:

Three hundred and eighteen bishops assembled once and defined

the Catholic faith in the Father and the Son, and reached in the

Credo

as far as the passage

"

And

in the

Holy Ghost," and they

fifty

anathematized
"

Arms and

Sabellius.

Then one hundred and

others gathered together in Constantinople, completed the Credo,

and

one Holy Ghost the Lord and vivifier of all, who said, proceeds from the Father," etc., till the end of the Credo ; and they anathematized the Macedonians. Then again two hundred and fifty
in

And

bishops assembled at Ephesus in the time of the

Emperor Theodosius

and
faith

of the Patriarch Cyril, but they did not write a

new

profession of

nor did they add anything to the Credo in unum Deum, but they said that the faith of the two previous Councils was sufficient ; and they enacted in the Synod a Canon of anathemas and curses
against

anyone
it,

who would
2

introduce a

new
it
;

faith,

or

would add any-

thing to

or diminish anything from

and

after anathematizing

Nestorius and his teachers,

they went back.

Then

after a time the

Emperor Marcian assembled

Council of Chalcedon.
the steps of the

The Fathers of it, however, Fathers who had preceded them,

that unholy did not follow in

but through the

pressure brought upon them by the wicked Emperor, and by his accursed wife, Pulcheria, and by other heretics who were present
there, such as Theodoret, they trespassed against the

anathema
begins
:

of the

Council of Ephesus, and wrote a

believe in the Father, in the Son,

new Credo which

in the

"

We
;

and

Holy Ghost, and

in the

incarnation of the Son."

They

thus

made

the Trinity a quaternity

and then they defined the two natures. Now if the Greeks are anathematized,
first

it

is

the Fathers of the

Council
it

us from

who anathematize them what blame Where did you hear in the faith of
;

then attaches to
the ancients the
?

mention
Cetera.

of

the

two

natures,

which the Greeks have added

Et

1 2

Gal.

i.

8.

Diodore

of

Tarsus and Theodore

of Mopsuestia.

BARSALIBI
CHAPTER
IV.
the Greeks.
'

31

On

the wicked Rites

and Habits of

Let us see what Rabban Isho' writes on

this subject

We

of them (Syrians) constitute ourselves the judges of Christians ; some we make pagans and some others heretics. What would be better for

to live in peace with everybody." honourable a very beautiful and praiseworthy thing, this is known from the sentence uttered by one, but not all peace " I am come not to cast our Saviour peace on the earth but sword ; for I am come to set a father at variance against his son, and a

us to

do would be
is

Peace

Learn, therefore, that peace with daughter against her mother." immoral passions and with the enemies of truth drives us away from

God.

The

'

theologian

says

"A

just

war

is

better than a peace

which separates from God."

Examine well
is

the saying of this Doctor

who

teaches us that peace with everybody

3

not advantageous.

Now who

makes the Christians pagan except themselves?

A
4

pagan is much better than a Christian who forsakes the true faith and follows strange religions, and is unjust, immoral, adulterous, a
murderer, a
liar,

or a breaker of the law.

Go now

to the Capital

of

which you are so proud and see how much immorality prevails in it, " and what is still more terrible, how they call immorality father."
with you foodstuffs of any kind and see how they will steal them from you and swear that they have not done so. " Let it be also known to you that the word Greek" is expressed " in their language by Hellenics," which further means "pagan." What blame attaches to us from a fact to which they themselves bear
Bring also to
it
6

witness that their true names are "Hellenes" and "Hellenism," which mean "pagan" and "paganism" respectively? The name " " Romans does not belong to them but to the Franks, and it is
'

derived from the

1

name

of

"

Rome"

their

town, and Romulus, their

Matt.

x.

35.

Gregory Nazianzen.

Here

laudabile bellum pace a

3
5

Deo

Melius enim est the whole passage Pat. Gr., xxxv. 487. disjungente."
is
:

"

Read aina

for

aikanna.
this

An

lance of
6

obscene expression of North Syria and Cilicia.

for niadain.

kind

still

Constantinople. survives in the vulgar par-

Read meddaim

Cf. Arabic

rum.

32
ancient king
;

WOODBROOKE
and the Greeks

STUDIES
it

unjustly stole

from them.

What

does the word "heresy "mean except heterodoxy," or holding of another theological opinion ? He, therefore, who adds to, or subtracts
from, the theological opinion of the ancients
is

"

an

heretic.

So

far as

we

are concerned

we

love so dearly our ancient Fathers because of the

;

good habits and good laws which they have now what good habits do the Greeks possess ? Is it the habit of eating fish and drinking wine in Lent ? Or is it that other habit of theirs by which they rebel
against
defile

God, and make men

themselves with

like

women,

in emasculating them,
?

and

many

abominations

What

is

still

more

terrible is that

said

Paul has they ordain such men priests and bishops. l "I permit not a woman to teach," and what is the difference

between a
is

woman and

a neutered

man

on the whole the difference

not very great.

They have other perverse habits about which

observed to-day in their Capital ? nothing but iniquity, injustice and theft
is
;

we
Not

wrote

at length elsewhere.
is

Which
one.
strong in
it

the law that

is

There

in

it

the

beat the weak, and the rich plunder the poor their soldiers enter anywhere they fancy, plunder and rob and misconduct
themselves with the wives of other men,

who

fear even to speak to

them.

You
Gospel
Easter
;

wrote

"
:

They have

arranged

rites of

prayers, canons

and

lessons for every festival,

and have given eleven

lessons to

and what they read here is read in every other Church of theirs. They have also composed Canons and Cathismata and 2 stickera, and have written a book which turns on eight echadia.
If

one

is

obliged to follow them for the sake of these

rites

which
rites
;

you have mentioned, the Hebrew people had also

similar

indeed the Torah was not read by everybody, but only by the elders and the priests, and the prophetical Books were only read on some
special days,

and what was read

in

Jerusalem was also read

sacrifices

in

every
in

country in which Jews were found, and their

were offered

one

place.

David
ii.

in his

days

set

up twenty- four singers, every

two

H
2

Tim.

12.

i.e.

tones, tunes.

The

author refers here to the Melchite Octoechus.

of the

Further, Canons, Cathismata and Stichera are well-known prayers same community. 3 Read bhadh for biyadh.

BARSALlBI
of

33

whom
be

others.
to

used to sing two hours and were followed by a relay of two Coclions ( = Cyclii) and various kinds of tones never ceased

in use in the

Temple

and

rites of

a similar kind.

and the Jews possessed other enactments Why then we Christians do not follow

the Jews ?
their

tunes and

For crucifying the Son they were humbled in spite of It is not through catechismata and stichera rites.

that one will enter into the

Kingdom
:

of

Heaven, but by means

of

good works and pious deeds wisdom."

If

"The
was

fear of

God

is

the beginning of

the Gospel of the Syrians

different

from that of the Greeks,

is

the former might have been blamed.

But when the Gospel

to

one,

no harm and wrong can possibly attach that lesson from it on a special occasion.

anyone who

reads this or

Muhammad,

their

munddis

or

Look at the community of muadhdhins, when they cry, have the

same words here and anywhere else, and none of them adds anything to them or subtracts anything from them, but no Christian praises them
for this rite.

Lo

the Syrians also have arranged their prayers in eight

tones,

and they perform two echadia every week.

;

secrated to the festival of the Resurrection

Sundays are conMondays and Tuesdays

are
to

are

devoted
of

to

prayers

for

repentance

Wednesdays
;

the

God, Thursdays to the to the of and Mother to the Doctors, God, Apostles martyrs, and to to Cross the and the dead Fridays Saturdays to the Mother of
; ;

Mother

to the martyrs

and the dead

God,

to the martyrs

and the dead.

The
Greeks
;

Syrians perform also every

and they have further

1

month the eight echadia like the Kabbelai Mar^ with the rest of the

Kale, while the

supererogatory,

M^irane with the rest of the iidakhraith are even and it was only the wealth of the devotions of the
rite in this

Syrian Fathers that induced them to arrange them as a

way.

See now

how

from what
night,

the Greeks have no special prayers for the night, apart they regularly recite in the morning and in the evening, at
;

and in the day-time but the Syrians who are endowed with wealth of devotions Kdla which was have also the Shuhlaph great
recited

by the

ancients,

the Madhrashe",

the

Ma'nyatha,

the

takhshpatha, the ba'watka, with the rest of the

KaU of itdakkraith,
prayers in the

^ror. ix
2

10.

This and

the following

words are names

of

West

Syrian breviary.

34

WOODBROOKE
1

STUDIES

the Greek and Syriac

Canons,

people of every country pray differently,

singles

and the 'Inyant. The fact that and have something which
first

them out from the

rest,

goes to their credit,

because

it

in-

dicates the wealth of their devotions and

spiritual vigour,

and secondly
to

because

it is

a sign of the incomprehensibility of

God who wishes

2

be

glorified in different

ways

in different countries

and towns.
: if

Now you examine our

find in

Service Books and our penkyatha

you
tell

them mistakes or

heresies,

blame and rebuke us

also

but

if

they

the undiluted truth,

why

should they be blasphemous in their different

bat 2 and

Klnatha ?

The Greeks

have

different

Canons,

Stichera, and

Cathismata

in different countries,

and

myself saw in
for

the books of the Melchites

Canons which were

at

Antioch recited

the

saints,

but which were not so used in Melitene, and some others

were

substituted in their place

it

in other countries, as

and the same thing happens with them happens also with the Franks, the Armenians
;

and other
persons.

Christians,

Tones and words vary with

countries

and

What harm
"

is

there in the simple service of

Maksa ?

It

contains

mul turn

in parvo,"

time, for the nuns.

Now

and has been arranged for the sick, and at one that it has been established everywhere you
and
of
fulfils all

see that

it

possesses driving force,

the requirements of

the prayers directed to the

Mother

God,

to the Apostles, to the

Fathers, to the Prophets, to the Martyrs, to repentance,

and

to the

dead.
into the

"

Not everyone
:

that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter that doeth the will of

Kingdom, but he
it

my

Father which

is

in heaven."

Let

also be

and the
This
is

rest

known to you that the Canons, the Cathismata have entered into the Church as something supererogatory.
the fact that in the days of the Doctors, there

known from

was

only reading and interpretation of the scripture in the Churches, and there were not found in it melodies and harmonious modulations which
create lust in the hearers.

When

Bardaisan became insane and comto multiply the

posed the Kinta?

1

St.

Ephrem was obliged

madhrasha 6
;

The West
"

Syrian Service Books have two kinds of Canons

some

are called
2

Syrian" and some others "Greek." Penkitha is the name of the West Syrian Breviary.
Matt.
vii.
:

3 4
5

Here Here

21. musical tunes and melodies with metrical compositions. didactic composition in poetry.

BARSALlBI

35

And Mar through which he destroyed Bardaisan's lustful Kinatha. the Severus recited ma'nyatha against the poets and against 'onyatha 1 And John Chrysostom arranged the stichera of the Greek Sustius.
against the Arians

used to deceive

who had composed 'onyatha through which they The same may also be said of the the simple folk.

Canons, etc., which really did harm to the Church, since they have " been in it the cause of the cessation of the reading and interpretation
of scripture

and the

art of preaching.

Show me
and the

if

in the time of

the

readApostles there were musical tones and 'onyatha, apart from the
ing

and

interpretation

of

scripture
3

art

of

teaching

and

preaching. You write

44

In the

penkiyatha
;

of the office of "

Lent

it is

said

Moses,

Elijah

and Daniel fasted

"
:

and
"

in

the office
etc.
is
;

of

Palm
in the

Sunday
office

it is

written

The

children glorified

Him,"

and

of

the

Passion

Week

there

is

Blessed

Thy

passion,

Lord."

Let
mystery

it

of every festival

be known to you that the Syrian writers showed the in the words of the office which they wrote

for it, and they wove all its history in the Kinatha, in order to teach It was quite legitimate for them the hearers the mystery of the festival. to have written the office of the festivals and commemorations in a

prayers were directed only to penitence, but they wished to put variety in the ritual. If, for instance, the Fathers had not said in the breviary of the time of Lent that so-and-so had fasted, others

way

that

its

would not have

not explained

imitated

the

ancients

and

fasted

if

they had

how
of sin

the

wound
if

of the sinners

was

healed, those

who
treat-

had the wound

would not have had recourse

;

to

any medical

ment and

they had not told how our Lord entered and was Jerusalem praised by children, the children would not have striven to emulate their praise if they had not concerned themselves
to penitence
;

with Zechariah, David, Ezechiel and the Prophets, one would not have known who prophesied about the Christ that he would ride on a she-ass

and
his

enter the

Holy City

if

they had not written about

son, no one would ever have known that

1

Abraham, and Abraham was the figure

Sic Cod. Is he the neo-Platonic bishop Synesius (375-430) wrote several hymns in Greek ? or is he Methodius the hymn-writer died about 311 ?
-

who who

Read

frillathhon for millathhon.

Office books, breviary.

36
of the Father,
for us
;

WOODBROOKE
and Isaac
that of the Son,
figure of the
;

STUDIES
who was
offered as a sacrifice
figure of

that

Cain was the

Jews, and Abel the

Christ

who was murdered

and that the vineyard was the symbol

is

of

the synagogue of the Jews.

Now

knowledge and not ignorance

necessary for the understand-

has been said by St. Ephrem, " and he derived it from the prophet who said Rejoice and be glad because your Saviour is mighty." The Train Talmldhe s is derived
ing of all these.
'

The Hdhau

'Amm^

from the Gospel. You say that these two prayers have no driving power and no savour. If there is no driving power in the prophets

and

Apostles whose very words have been borrowed by the Fathers in the composition of these prayers, we will admit that the
in the
;

former have not got them either are believed in and accepted by

but

if

the prophets and the Apostles

all

Christians,

we must
cetera.

also accept the

Fathers and not rebel against the truth.

Et

CHAPTER V.

On how

tones

melodies do not bring any profit and those who hear them. them sing

and

to those

who

Now
subject
of
:

let

us

come

to the remaining part of

"

To-day

that

...

the rest of your

you encomium

are the Father of the Syrians

it

what you wrote on this and the son

necessary to

is

not

quoteall

collect all the service

books of the Church and write from them

one good book

of

Octoechus*

What you
Fathers in

have mentioned has been arranged by the ancient 6 the matter of Ma'niyatha and the service of nocturns, as

we
and

have stated above.

I

The

Church, however,

is

in

no need

of them,

would

of canticles
profit to

suggest to you and to every God-fearing man that instead and prayers containing musical melodies which bring no the singer nor to the hearer, to make use of the Books of the

Testaments and the writings of the Fathers, and to Both the read a chapter from each one of them at every festival. Be reader and the hearer will derive profit from these lessons.

Old and

New

2 3

Beginning of a prayer which means Cf. Is. Ix. 16 and Ixv. 18, etc.

"
:

Peoples rejoice."
"

Beginning of a prayer which means

Lit. eight echadia.
5

Two

Read bsharba

disciples." for bsharka.

BARSALlBI
concerned with
Peter said
:

37

this

"Be

good work rather than Canons. The Apostle ready to give answer to every man that asketh you
"
l
;

a reason concerning the hope of your faith

said
:

"In the Church

had

rather speak five

and the Apostle Paul words with my under"

standing than ten thousand words."

spare not,
lift

transgression,

up thy voice like a and the children of Israel

of

Cry with thy throat, trumpet and show my people their

:

And

'

their sins."

It is

not good to

forsake the

words

God and do

good worldly

service at the altar.

You
interpret,

see

how

the Prophets and the Apostles exhort us to read,

faith,

preach and teach the mysteries of the

is

and convert any

melodies

one

who

against us,

and not

to sing

and

to contrive musical

like sirens,

nor to bray like asses, nor to utter sweet sounds like nightingales, nor to sing like swans, nor to coo like doves, nor should
institute

we

to-day a feast for so-and-so, and to-morrow another feast

for so-and-so,

and

in

this

open our stomachs

to excessive food,

and

broaden our gullets to drink, and thus pander to the proclivities of our " alimentary desires and minister to occasions of sin and say To-day is a feast, we must therefore eat and drink." To pagans belong
:

festivities,

songs, dances, banquets

of

and

drink,

and

to Christians fasting,

prayer, and reading

scripture.

In

their

festivities

the

Greeks

resemble, therefore, those

who

are outside our sheepfold.

be also known to you that musical tunes and melodies with Canons, stichera and the rest of them have come down to the Greeks from outsiders, that is to say from the pagan Odysseus who having
Let
it

experienced the sweetness of the song of sirens which dwelt in the sea of Scylla, perceived a desire to learn it and because these sirens sang men used frequently to throw themselves into the sea, bewitched as
;

they were by their song, and were eaten by them. Odysseus, however, resorted to a stratagem he plugged with wax the ears of the sailors, and
:

some men
floated

of iron, and they saw them they began to sing songs of various melodies, but those men whose ears were plugged did not hear the sweetness of the song, and those who were attached with
tied
his

him and
sea.

companions with chains

the sirens

on the

When

chains of iron could not throw themselves into the sea because of their

being strongly tied, and so they little by little learned the melodies 4 and introduced them to mankind. Examine, then, the origin of the

M
3

Peter

iii.
1 .

15.

2
1

Cor.

xiv. 19.

Is. Iviii.

Change
4

the

yodh

into

waw.

38
melodies.
It is

WOODBROOKE
really the sirens

STUDIES
to take pride rather than

which have

the Greeks.

You

"
say
:

It is

not

fair to

make

other Christians heretics, and to

orthodox people." If Christians were such as they, what would you be If yourself ? are a answer that rise and to them and see Christian, you you up go
call ourselves

what they
If

will call you.

If

you

pretend that both sides are right,

they are not heretics, then the Syrians are. no one from either side will

believe you, neither from our side nor from the side of the adversaries.

They

call

us heretical Jacobites,

and we

call

them Chalcedonians,

you have enough power in you like your Nun, to reconcile them with one another, we ourselves will help you in everything. But what union is there between light and darkness ? Many believed that it would be good
Nestorians,
heretics.
1

and

If

namesake Joshua, son

of

to join the adversaries, but this has

and

finally their downfall.

When Ahab
2

proved a stumbling block to them had pity on Benhadad and

saved

his life,

God
:

got angry with

him and with

3

his people,

and he

was

rejected from power, and Hazael killed him. You write " heart does not allow me to anathematize

My

If I do not accept anyone, not even Nestorius and his companions. them it is solely because they are alien to, and rejected from, the

Church
I

of

God."
to

am tempted

easily

be amazed at your simplicity, brother, how it You contended that your heart 4 does not contradicts itself.

allow you to anathematize Nestorius and his companions, and you have Anathema is a at the same time unknowingly anathematized him.

God, and when you have separated them from the Church and rejected and denounced them, you have anathematized Do you then believe that anathema means anything else ? them. " " The word anathema is used in two meanings. The first meaning
separation from
is

found in the sentence of Moses

1

"
:

'

'

every

anathema

which

is

In Syriac Isho

renders both "Jesus" and "Joshua."

2 3

For Samuel
Cf.
1

of the

MS.
;

4
5

Read

Kings xx. 31 sqq. libbakh for lakh.

2 Kings

viii.

15.

"Him"

means Benhadad.

same word hirma is used in the Scriptural passages used "anathema" and "offering, vow, sacrifice." This both means and below, See Pseudodistinction is a favourite theme of some Jacobite writers.
In Syriac the

Philoxenus in
p. 61.

my Early Spread

of Christianity in Central Asia, 1925,

BARSALlBI
*
'

39
"

anathematized

by a man."
:

Here

"

anathema

means

"

vow

"
:

The second kind of anathema is i.e. every vow vowed by a man. "He who does not love our Lord Jesus that spoken of by Paul " " " The first " anathema means vow Christ let him be anathema."
:

and

"sacrifice,"

God

"

and
is

"

and the second anathema means "separation from This last kind of rejection from the Church of God."

anathema

the one used

:

by the Doctors

against the heretics.

Greeks have a heavenly King, and God gave " them also an earthly king, how can they not be proud ? 3 If brother. It is written that we cannot serve two masters,

You

write

"The

they
if

call

God

their

King, they are deprived of an earthly king

said to

and
is

they seek the earthly one, they forsake the heavenly one.

This

also

known by what God

"

Samuel

In asking for an earthly

have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me," You see Creator and God, "that I should not reign over them."'
king, the Jews

how 5 God Himself

earthly king
of
is

decreed by His words that any one

who
if

has an

deprived of the heavenly one.

We follow the words

kings
other,
;

God, and do not contend that a man has two " love the one and hate the he would be bound to

it

was

so
to

and hold

one and despise the other." Every pride in an earthly kingdom is from the evil one it is he who overcomes the passions and lays the body under the power of the
;

soul

who

is

a king.

Further, other Christian peoples have also kings,

and they do not for that take pride in their souls, and the Persians and the Arabs have all kings, and we could not say that they have The true kingdom is that which is greater right than we have.
established in orderliness

and

virtue, as in the times

of Constantine,

Theodosius and the

of the

rest of the

Franks.

Now

Roman kings, that is to say the kings look back at the kings of the Greeks of our

days,
kings.

how

them.

When they are ordered not And enter their Metropolis,

is

they commit adultery and fornication more than the pagan to take two wives, they take

money, which
1

the root of
1

all

evil,'
xvi.

and you will see in a love and coveteousness which

22.
3

of
is

Num.
1

xxx. 2.
viii.

Cor.

Matt.

vi.

24.

4
6

Sam.

7.
is at

Eliminate one aikanna.

to distinguish

The
calls

author

"

he
7

Franks
vi.

"

some pains

between

"

Romans
"

"

whom

(Arab.

Rumamyun,

Syr.

Romaye), and
he
calls

"

(Arab.
1

Rum,
Tun.

Syr.

Romaye, Yaunaye)

whom

"

Byzantines

Greeks."

10.

40
1

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

and unbounded adultery, not only among laymen and No king, no head, and no lay women, but also among the clergy.
idolatry,

superior can stop them.

Their bishops are likewise covetous, and

wear

they pile up gold like stones, and they enjoy material things, and 2 fine linen and purple instead of wool. They ride also on

powerful mules and bathe in the public baths like women, and relish different kinds of food. Faith without works and good conduct is
dead.
3

El

cetera.

CHAPTER

VI.

Against the Pride of the Chalcedonians, and on the Building of their Capital.
Let us proceed now with haste and examine the fallacy Greeks on this subject.
of the

You
foreseen

write

'

The

beautiful

when lamenting over Jerusalem

' :

Metropolis which Jeremiah is our Metropolis.

has

God

showed him her towers, her beauty, her ramparts, and her buildings and said to him Do not weep over Jerusalem, lo I have found a
house better than
tongues to
its

Jerusalem, and

will bring all

people and

all

glory
shall

and

it

happened

as

he said."

we now speak, and on whom shall we pour our wrath ? On those who foolishly utter fallacies like these, or on In what passage did Jeremiah prophesy people who listen to them ? about Constantinople, and who is the commentator who understood
5

To whom

it

in that sense ? and according Jeremiah was taken to Egypt some people, he even composed his Lamentations over Jerusalem
;

to
in

Lamentations that he prophesied Egypt. about the Metropolis, nor about a town that would stand on its site.
It

is

not written in the

If

they are so untruthful in palpable subjects

will they

like this,
is

how much

more
hair ?

be so on the

subject of faith

which

thinner that a

Col.
\ 2

iii.

5.

Or

sackcloth.
Cf. the

wool garment
from

is

an emblem of poverty and

the

penitence.
3

Sufism) which means "woolly

Jas.
4
5
ii.

word Sufi (from which "

in the

Mohammedan

Sufis,

and

Suf"

wool."

17.

There is no such passage Read aw 'a! for akh-d.

Lamentations.

BARS ALIBI
They raved
Euphemia
their faith their

41
to

also

another

falsehood

the effect that

faith

it

was
the

the martyr

who gave them

In this they

the articles of
that they

of

Council of Chalcedon.

show

have received

from a dead

woman

and

to this effect
is

they even hang in

Churches the picture of something which

the Council
of the

unreal.

The

fact

is

that

assembled

in

the temple of

Euphemia, and

the

Tomos
of faith

were

laid in the font of the saint

unholy Leo and the other book containing the articles but it is nowhere written
; ;

that the saint

uttering
is

rose from the dead and confirmed them

lie,

what they are

of the powerful pillars, pure such as and Theodore of truth, Joannes Damascenus, Theophilus, Harran did not write these lies, I mean the untruth concerning Jeremiah and Euphemia, because they knew that they were lies. their
in writing that

and

and the enemies

Damascenus, however, indulged in another falsehood a child rose up to heaven and heard the angels say

"
:

Sanctus es

Deus, Sanctus
addition:
length (in

Omnipotens, Sanctus es Immortalis" without the Qui crucifixus es pro nobis? Against this we wrote at " another book) and we reproved him and showed that no
es

man

hath ascended into heaven but he that descended out of heaven."

We
his

rebuked them that their faith has come

that their trisagion has

down

to

them from a
in

woman, and
full

emanated from a child not yet

senses,

You, however, believe not the untruth

the Armenians.

and not from an angel or a man in his full senses. 3 that they have uttered against
built in the time of

Manasseh by the brothers Byzantion, and it was a pagan town, which had no fame till the days of Constantine who repaired to it and enlarged it.

Constantinople was

You

say that

it

is

written

"I

will bring to
will

it

all

peoples and

worship," but the pagan, peoples.

tongues for

to

which

we

answer

not the Christian,

went

to Jerusalem for
for

have heard that peoples and tongues and to the town you are mentioning worship
;

We

no one ever went

to

Further, when worship, but only on business. did Christians ever repair to it for the sake of honour ? They went
it

only to grub, and to buy and

Persians, Arabs,
1

frequented mostly by and barbarous and godless peoples, such as Rumanians

sell.

It

is

See the
p.

story in Joannes
(edit.
1

Damascenus,
3

De

Fide Orthodoxa, cap.

?

HT.,

Tol.

i.,

219
iii.

Lequien).

John

3.

Which

untruth

42
and Hungarians,
stones.

WOODBROOKE
who have
enriched

STUDIES

it with gold, silver and precious and other towns of the kingdom of the Lo, Bagdad, Cairo, Arabs are richer in gold, silver and precious stones, and we do not say that they have more truth than we have.

how he rebukes those who are rich in who have gold gold and silver, we have a pure those who have churches, we possess the One who against speech those who have temples, we possess God and dwells in them against we are His living temples and against those who have multitudes, we have angels." You write " God has gathered together and brought to it
Listen

now

to Gregory,

"
;

Against those

prophets, apostles,

and martyrs,

so that none of

them

is

outside
is

it."

This

also is untrue.

James, the brother of our Lord,

buried in

Jerusalem, and James, son of Zebedee, is in the west, south of the Peter and Paul are in Rome, and John, son of city of Rome Zebedee is buried in Ephesus, where also is the mother of God. The Apostle Thomas was buried in India, and his bones were transferred
;

are in Babylonia with Isaiah is in and the The rest of the Daniel, prophet Jerusalem. prophets and apostles are likewise in all directions, and all are not in

to Edessa.

Ezechiel and the three children

the Metropolis.
his

As

to St. Basil, all the

Emperors strove
'

to transfer

The

bones from Caesarea to the Metropolis, but they did not succeed. 2 great Meletius was transferred from the Metropolis to Antioch.
to the

As

wood

time of Shahrbaraz and Chosrau time also

it

it was in Jerusalem, and in the was carried to Persia, and in their was brought back and sawn in the middle, and half of it

of the

Holy

Cross,
it

reached the Metropolis. "

You

write

And

also the rod of

Moses and

the

staff of

Aaron,

and the

ark."

deceivers

and

liars

How
!

make them accept

sacraments that
it

their teaching

In the ark

they deceive the simple folk to were the rod, the staff,

and the golden pot holding the manna.

This ark and

all
:

the

contained Jeremiah took out and hid in a cave and from that day up to now no one has ever known their exact place. know this from the Book of Maccabees and from other Doctors.

We

Lit.

Companions

of Hananiah.

Meletius of Antioch

who

died in 38 1

BARSALlBI
You
From
write

43
and the veronica,

"
:

And

also the twelve baskets,

of

and the robe

of the

mother

God."
of Christ to that of Constantine,

the time of the

Economy

there are more than three hundred

years,

and

in that
;

time kings were

who, therefore, pagan, and Christianity was not yet in plain light So for the Greeks ? collected the above sacred objects they are also liars in this matter ; they have neither the baskets, nor the crown of
thorns
for

which they have fabricated one

It is
is

of nails

nor the swad-

dling clothes of Christ, as they rave.

possible that the existence

there of the veronica

true,

but

who

stole the robe of the

mother
Fie,

of

God and
madness
!

brought it to them, and left the Virgin naked ? All the sacred objects were in Jerusalem, but

the
the

when

Jews transgressed the commandments and the law, they were taken in the ark also and the tables captivity, and Jerusalem was destroyed
;

of the

Covenant were carried away by the

in these things
is

Philistines

their pride,
of
intelligent

therefore,

that of

ignorant and not

men.

As
Tell

to the right

hand

of

John the Baptist by which they

sanctify
!

the holy chrism,

me
1

this

do not follow blindly after children, brother when Herodias took the head of John the Baptist in a

charger,

what

profit did she get out of this gift ?

It is

Was

it

not a loss

that she sustained ?

right
to

the

good

actions of a

man

that give

him the

be worthy

of

John's fellowship, and not the fact that he

possesses great things for

which he does not

level.

care.

To

a pig pearls

and muck are on the same

Many

asses of merchants carry

precious things from which they derive no

profit

whatever.

Concerning John the Baptist, Theodoret, the helper of the Greeks, wrote that in the days of Julian the Apostate, pagans took 2 his bones
from the urn and burned them.
3

John

of

Asia

also wrote that in the

time of Justinian one of the prefects of Palestine

1

who was

like a

pagan

Mark Here

vi.
is

2S.
the

Add

whole passage

ipsa ejusdem est gentis, Pat. Gr., Ixxxii. 1091. combustis, cinerem dissiparunt." 4 It is the I failed to see this Syrian historian John of Ephesus. passage in the fragments that have come down to us from the great historical work of this Syrian writer, as published by Land (Anecdota Syriaca, ii., 289-329, and

Theodoret Sebastae vero, quae et Joannis Baptistae arcam aperuerunt, et, ossibus
of
;

a ivau to the verb. "

385-391) and by Cureton (The Third Part of Ecd. Hist, of John Bishop of Ephesus, 1853).

44
in his conduct,

WOODBROOKE
sent a right

STUDIES
Metropolis and said that
it it

hand

to the

was John
it

the Baptist's.
It
1

Many were

suspicious about

and

said that

could not be true.

the people as true.

was, however, accepted by the Emperor and Where is it written that the holy chrism should
right

John ? The Greeks that are amongst us rave that they mix the blood of Christ with the holy The Apostles and the Doctors have ordered that the holy chrism. be
sanctified

by the

hand

of

chrism should be composed of different elements and be sanctified by

the prayers of the bishops
contains the blood of

and the people, and these pretend that it Christ which is untrue. This would make
;

them resemble the Jews who

:

said

"
:

His blood be on us and on our

!

children."
If

And

the holy chrism

they are being baptized by this same blood is sanctified by a dead right hand, they are,

therefore, being baptized

by a dead man

because although

St.

John

be living to God, he is so in his soul, while in his body he is so far How can the right hand of a dead, and he has not yet resuscitated.

dead man

sanctify the holy chrism ?

Why

this is

not a great
!

affair,

emanates from a dead man Indeed they used to receive for some time their bishops from Rome, but when trouble arose between them and the Franks, Rome did not give them
since their ordination also

any bishop and it was after many frays and bickerings that they gave them a bishop, but when the messengers who were bringing him
;

reached the

city of

Heraclea

in

Thrace, he

fell

ill

and
lest

died.

were then

in

great pain and sorrow, and

fearing

the

They Romans

should require the ordination of

resorted to a stratagem

another bishop from

them, they

dead bishop on
in future
it is

his

and brought a man and laid the hand of the head and ordained him. They decreed also that

the bishop of Thrace that shall lay the right

hand on

the head of all the bishops of the Capital.

1

This custom they observe

of Constantinople

Concerning the recent opening

of the

new Museum

the correspondent of the Manchester Guardian writes, under the date of " Some interesting reliquaries are displayed, 24 January, 1927, as follows : from Byzantine times a gold and jewelled section of the cranium including of the traditional head of St. John the Baptist, and a gold forearm showing back of the Saint's hand. They were taken from a part of the bones of the Christian Church by Mohammed the Conqueror, and have been preserved in

the Treasury ever since."

Manchester Guardian, 2 February, 1927.

3

Matt, xxvii. 25.

BARSALlBI
down
to our

45
written

own
:

days,

and on

it

we have

elsewhere in

several places.

You

write

"So

far as

we

are concerned

whom

have

we

but SS.

Barsauma and Aaron

"
?

mind glued to earthly things ? we have our beloved, the Lord of heaven and earth it Lord of heaven and earth and holy sacraments who said
shall

What

we

say to a
1

As
is
: '

to us

He,
I

the

Where
in

two

or three are gathered together in "

;

my

name, there

am
:

the

midst of them

and

who
"

count heaven and earth,

I do not spoke through the prophet " where is the house ye build unto me ?
'
:

To whom shall we and who proclaimed in the mouth of Isaiah look and in whom shall I dwell except him who is peaceful and 4 You will see, if you reflect, whom humble," and fears my word.
we
have
!

He

is

indeed

St.

Barsauma

Listen also to St.

John
;

Chrysostom how he rises against those he said in the eighty- second chapter of

who
his

take pride in such things

'

commentary on Matthew " How many men there are now who say wish to see the face of Christ, His image, His dresses, and His shoes but lo you are
:

We

'

seeing

Him, and you

are holding

Him

you are eating Him, and

did not give Himself to you
that
'

you

are wishing to see

His dresses

He

in order that

you may only see Him, but

this

you may also touch

Him,

Him, and receive Him What would you say about

eat
all

in yourself."

quotation ?
it

Did

it

not confute
all

and destroy
pride of the

that

you wrote
?

Did
cetera.

not put an end to

the

Greeks
your

Do

not

err, therefore, after

them, but follow

in the steps of

fathers.

Et
!

1 -

Or

possibly
xviii.

our beloved

Isa. Ixvi. 1 with slight changes. with slight changes. Here is the whole passage " Quot sunt qui modo dicunt vellem ejus formam, typum, vestimenta, calceamenta, videre? Ecce ilium vides, ipsum
,

Matt,

20.

"

Isa. Ixvi. 2,

et tu quidem vestimenta videre cupis ipsum comedis ipse vero tibi dat, non videndum modo, sed tangendum, comedendum, intus Pat. Gr. Iviii. 743. accipiendum."

tangis,

seipsum

46

WOODBROOKE
CHAPTER

STUDIES

VII.

On

the fact that he

us

made
with

the Greeks the

head of all Christians.

of

Let
writer
zeal
*

go
see

on

our investigation

the

words

of

this

and

how he

inclines to all winds,

in the sense in

and how he

possesses

and kindness, but not

which the Apostle intended

?
If

these to be.

You
is

write

"
:

Why should we
3

blame them

they blame us
It is

it
:

because

"

The

did not obey them when they were right. 2 superiors of the peoples are their superiors."
well has Esau

we

written

How

been tested and

his

hidden mind disclosed

4

you have propounded you have shown that you are not holding your faith from conviction but out of hypocrisy. On the one hand you persuade us not to blame those who out of their
In everything that
will have trampled on the anathemas of the Synod of and On the other hand you gave decreed another canon. Ephesus them authority to blame us on the score that they are our superiors

own

free

and

directors.

Show

that precedence of

where you get the information that they have us which would entitle them to blame us, and be
us

our superiors. If you say that it is because they were evangelized 5 before us, we demonstrated in our previous letter to you that their not If that did ours. evangelization precede you pretend they are our
superiors because

some

of their
all

have proved decisively that Greek.

books have been translated by us, we the Doctors of the Church are not

As

the Jews

people that the

Books

do not scorn the Christians because it is from their of the Prophets and Apostles have emanated,
If

so also the Greeks should not blame us on this score.

as

they are our superiors,

and they have consequently

are older than you,
;

right to

you say blame us

because
throats

we

and say
;

did not "

:

listen to

them, the Jews will hold them by their

We

and
(l

we

are your superiors

like

and

directors
1

you took the Books from us

'Isho'.

come and become

I.e.
2

Rabban
:

Or
25.

those

who blame

the peoples are

their

superiors.

Cf.

Luke

xxii.
3
4 5

He

refers to his adversary.

Eliminate the

waw
to

before the verb.

This

letter

seems

be

lost.

Read minnan

for

minkhon.

BARSALlBI
us
;

47
;

if

we

blame you,

it

is

our duty to do so

you Greeks should

never rebuke us for the fact that

these old

we
is

crucified the Christ."

this useless discussion!

What

are

women's
"
:

tales,

and what

Chalcedon) which had six hundred which two were driven out." and thirty- six Fathers, and from as true the falsehood I am amazed at the way you have accepted

You write

That Council

(of

of liars.

Who

saw

(the Fathers of that Council)

and counted them

read their unofficial proceedread everything in books and ings and deliberations ? we know what was done and spoken there, and how long the Council lasted ; we have also written with us the names of all the bishops
as amounting to such a
?

number

Who
we

As

for us

who

assembled
of all

in

it,

and those who subscribed

to three
!

number

them amounts only

to it by proxy, and the hundred and sixty-three.

To

what extent can the deceivers

of the

lie

They

believe that
is

it is

by the

magnitude Three hundred and seventy bishops assembled in the town of Made2 l to cohnus subscribed to the wickedness of Anus, and wished

number

of the Fathers that truth

made

manifest.

throw away Athanasius the Great, because he did not agree with
them.

Now

what do you say

Had
?

the high

number

of

men

in this

case greater right than one man, or

greater right than all of
testify that Athanasius

them

one man, Athanasius, Learned men even among the Greeks

this

had

was

right

Picture,

therefore, in your

mind

wise

and know that Dioscorus and the bishops who were with him had like3 greater right than the other three hundred who out of their fear and
for the love of their sees
4

of the king

put their signatures to the

Tomos
God,

of Leo.

Abraham was
:

in his

days the only one

who
the

served

the rest being idol- worshippers.

But

listen to

what the holy

in

Theologian
are

says

"Three men who

gather together

name

of

more numerous before His eyes than several myriads who God, Would you honour all the Canaanites more deny His Godhead. than one Abraham, or the Sodomites more than one Lot, or the Midianites more than one Moses?" And he added afterwards:
1

Sic cod.

it

is

Mediolanum (Milan).

Read Sbau

for

Sba.

3 4

Read aph
;

for aphain.

Or chairs see Pseudo-Philoxenus in in Central Asia, 1925, p. 63.

i.e.

my Early Spread of Christianity

Gregory Nazianzen.

48
"

WOODBROOKE
;

STUDIES
God was
not pleased with a

No

this

could not be, could not be.

of people.
;

great

number

who

are saved

count the myriads, but God counts those the earth that cannot be measured, but I you (count)
]

You

will (count) the vessels of election."

You

further write:

"Those Karion^ which

are called

Koklia

by the Jews." Canon which was invented by the Jews. It is said that the Jews invented not the Kanond but the tishbhatha to the tunes of which the Kanvn.4 have been invented, and which serve as the

are invented

Show

us the

foundations of their intonations.

As
is

to

whether the Koklia are from

is

the Hebrews,

heard that

it

the tishbhatha, that

to say the

mazmbre, that they sing with different melodies. what you write, and then begin to discuss.

Ponder well over

You
of the

condescended also to say that the Greeks took the kingdom

stratagem.

Romans by
did
it

happen that a kingdom has been stolen ? It is God who removes kings and raises up kings. He removed the kingdom 3 from the Franks and bestowed it on the Greeks. That a kingdom,
however,
that
is

When

stolen without the wish of

stole the

God

is

known from

the fact

Absalom

leaned towards him.

is

kingdom from his father David, and the people That a king does rise without the order of God
"
:

by the prophet who testifies and says but not by me, and he governed but not by my will."
also borne out
reign

He

reigned
kings

Wicked

by
is

the tacit permission of

God

this occurs especially

If

when

iniquity

on the increase among the people.

it

God gave
is

the kingdom

to the Greeks,

follows that

it is

He who also gave it to the Arabs and

The
fact,

the Turks for such a long time.

subject
is

however,
us.

not

so,

and the

different

from the one that concerns

You
1

write

"
:

The

foreign

merchants

who

go

in

and out

of the

Here

is

plures universes etiam Chananaeos

apud Deum

tres in nomine Domini congregates the whole passage tu censeri quam multos divinitatem abnegantes.
:

"...

An

Abrahamo
.
.

uni antepones ?
est ita,
x.
;

An

Sodomitas uni
ita est.

Lot ?

An Madianrtas Moysi ?
beneplacitum
est

Non
(1

non, inquam

Non

in pluribus numeras, at
"

Deo

Cor.

5).

Tu quidem

Deus eos

electionis vasa."

qui salutem consequuntur Pat. Gr., xxxvi. 467.

tu infinitum pulverem,

myriades ego

Names
i.e.

of ritual prayers

Canons.
4

3 5

the

Romans.

Hos.

viii.

4.

Lit. of different tongue.

BARSALIBI
Metropolis
testify that there is

49

and no

charity similar to that of the

no kingdom, no government, no wealth, and we Syrians consider Greeks

;

them

as nothing."

Your
Christians

saying that the Greeks are praised by outsiders and not by

is

prophetical

we mean by

outsiders Persians, Arabs,

and

Turks.
praised

Earthly people think of earthly things.

The Greeks

are not

by

just,

pious,

bing merchants.
that there
is

And

and orthodox people, but by grubbing and robin what do these praise them ? In the fact
like theirs.

no kingdom, no government, and no wealth

Alexander has not been praised in any (sacred or ecclesiastical) book because his government embraced three ends of the inhabited
globe,

and

his

kingdom extended

to nearly all the earth, of

and

his

wealth
of

increased like stones.

The kingdom

Nebuchadnezzar and that

Sennacherib, Pharaoh, and others

these pagans excel in their piety and holiness
so.
?

was

also very great, but in

what did

kingdom and government ? Is it in their There is no man of sound judgment who thinks
Greeks
for

Do not

praise, therefore, the

something that

is

shameful

before the eyes of

God.

not been praised for

their trials, privations,

There is no charity like theirs." This is also untrue. You say Where is the one who has been fed in the bazaars of their Capital ? Indeed how many needy and destitute people walk in its bazaars ? Some Christians who had gone there because of their poverty told us
:

"

and Apostles, have their government, kingdom and wealth, but for poverty and wants.
ancients, prophets
l

The

no mercy at all, and that when they wish to eat bread they close their doors and bolt them, and the poor man hoarsens his voice in crying and sighing from hunger, and no man gives him bread.
that they have

Here we

will

end

this subject.

CHAPTER

VIII.

On

hov)

He

Blames His

Co-religionists

and

is

Proud of

the

Greeks.

You
tion
1

(Syrians) were the first in our evangelizathe and Greeks the last, and God gave us kingdom, power,
write
:

'

We

Read

ettzln for esdben.

3

Add

waw

to the verb.

Read dsakh

for

nsakh.

50
1

WOODBROOKE
and honour, because

STUDIES
we were
the
first

ecclesiastical see,

to believe in

Him, but
you

now He

has greatly humbled us."

see, incline

brother,

open your eyes and

your ear and

listen,

and

will not cling

much
"

to earthly things.

Christ did not promise the

mud, but He promised them Seek the that are above, and set your things heavenly things. 2 that are above the where Christ is." It is the mind on things pagans who glory in an earthly kingdom and have earthly possessions if we
Christians earthly things sticking with
;

Christians wish to fix our minds

distinguished from pagans ? "

My

kingdom
fight for
'

is

not of

this

latter, by what would we be Have you not heard your Lord say if it were then would world my ser-

on the

vants

me."'
If

And: "Where

am, there

shall

also

my

servant be."

we

are, therefore, the servants of Christ,

we

should

prepare ourselves for our journey to His heavenly kingdom, and not seek to reign here like other people who have no hope.

On world, kingdom, government, and wealth ? the contrary, they toured the world in want, privation, poverty, and
did
this

To which of God give in

Has

the Apostles,

who were

the

first

to

be evangelized,

Himself plainly declared that He Peter and John said to the hath not where to lay His head." " Silver and gold have we none, but in the name man that was lame
need. "

not the

Son

of

God

of Jesus

rise

and walk."'

The Lord

of

all

did not bestow any

is

worldly honours, nor any earthly kingdom, which in reality

nothing,
If

on

all

these saints

who

forsook everything and followed him.

7

every
if it

poor man were 8 the man who

despised

before

God and wrong

in his faith,

and

has wealth and kingdom were

right in his faith,

would have been high time for you to despise Lazarus, the poor, full " clothed in purple and of sores, and to extol the rich man who was " it would have also been fine linen and faring sumptuously good
*

who opportunity for you to praise the faith of the sons of Hagar reigned in the earth from end to end, and are prosperous in the world,
while the Christians are lowly, wretched, under subjection, and poor. "If the world hateth you, know Listen to your Lord who says
:

10

2
5

Col.

Allusion to the Patriarchal See of Antioch. 3 iii. -2. John xviii. 36.
1

John
8

xii.

26.
to tiau.

Matt.
Cf.

viii.

20.

Acts
s/ilt.

iii.

6.

7 9

Remove
Luke

the
xvi.

waw
1

before

Add

waw

1IJ

sq.

The Arabs.

BARSALJBI
ye that
me,
it

51

hath hated

me

before you."
its

world, the world would love

own."
5

'

they will also persecute you."

4
:

lament, but the world shall rejoice."

And " If ye were of the And " If they persecuted Ye shall weep and And " Love of this world is And
:
:
'

enmity against God." Lord has shown that it

government who is and strong in faith is going

will never perish.

What do you say against all these ? Your is the one who possesses neither kingdom nor He who is here in subjection accepted by Him.
to
rejoice in the

kingdom

of

heaven which

You
and

write

in Edessa.

no Syrians except with you There are very few of them with us."
are
'Isho'

"There

in

Melitene

mighty teacher, and believing that the Syrians are uprooted more than any other people, he asks us why.

Now Rabban

comes back

to us like a

If

you say that that

is

their condition

because of their

sins,

we

will

retort that there are to-day

and kindle the wrath

strong in
that
it

of

many pagans and Jews who have kindled God more than the Syrians, yet they are

power and prosperous in wealth, and their number is so high Tell me also why are the prophets that cannot be reckoned.
world
still

rose in this

now

uprooted, while the Jewish people

who

crucified

the
just

Son

is

prosperous everywhere.
pontiffs ?

Where

are the Fathers,

the

men, and the

solitaries,

Where

are the Apostles, the evangelists,

If

the

the martyrs, and the confessors ?

all

these are up-

rooted because of their sins or for a similar reason,' so also consider the

Syrians

but

if

it is

because

God

loved them that

"

He

took them to

Him, you should

also assert the

same
says
:

in the case of the Syrians.

Now that the just have gone and the prophets have died, and we have left the land, we That just king have nothing but the mighty one and His law."* Now listen
to

what Jeremiah

to their rest,

Josiah also did not last long in power,

and

it

has been said about him

'

"

The

just
is

man

goes to his rest before the wrath."

in the

You
is

see that the

wheat
1

always gathered

barns while the chaff

abandoned.

John xv. 1 8. John xvi. 20.

John xv.

9.

John xv. 20.

Rom.

viii.

6 '
s

Remove

the

waw
is

7 (Syr.).

before

'th'idh.

Add
Is.

the

words hraitha or ddhamya.

from the Apocalypse of Baruch (Pat. Syr.,
ii.

This quotation
Ivii. i.

1230).

52

WOODBROOKE
You
write:

STUDIES
we
last
'

-"Why
first ?
first

should

we
"

(Syrians) be proud because

:

were evangelized that are first, and

The

Christ has said

last.'

Many

shall

be
but

that are

We did
from them
their

not take pride because

we were
!

evangelized

first

we

simply asked you the reason

why

the Greeks scorn us after

you had and

made them our

;

superiors

and

directors

We have not received our faith

to us,

the Books have not

is

come down from them

Further, in

language
is is

not more ancient than ours.

Lord Jesus

"

there

Christ

no Greek, no barbarian, no bondman, and no freeman, but He who works with Him is accepted by all and in all."
:

Him.
in the

The
:

proof which you put forward runs counter to

what you

intended

you same sequence you added Syrians who in your sentence were the
:

say that

we who

are

but see how " " and the last shall be first the
first

became the

last,

last

became the

first

in relation

to the Greeks.

You
can
its
It
is

write

"A
for

prickly shrub that gives a beautiful rose, "

it
it

how

master uproot
sufficient

that

its

name

is

"

prickly shrub."

There

are many prickly shrubs which have no roses but are full of thorns, and Before the Council of Chalcedon the Greeks were their end is fire.

After they tore the not prickly shrubs, but a tree that bore fruits. robe of Christ and divided it into duality of natures, the rose of the
"first"

was taken away from them,

in

way

similar to that of the

Jews from

whom
;

priesthood and Books have been taken and given to

The Jews were like the fig tree of a people that would yield fruits. 4 as long as they kept the commandments and tender branches discarded sin, they were planted in the angle of the heavenly abode,
but
yard, that
its

they sinned and transgressed the commandments, the vineis to say, the people, was uprooted, and the vine and branches were burnt, and the fig tree was cut to pieces from its

when

roots

by the axe

of

Vespasian and cast into the

to

fire

of dispersion.

Why
1

did you

not say to the master of the vineyard, as

have doubtless wished

have done:
2

let

you would the "prickly shrub" be

Col. iii. 11. Matt. xix. 30. The author is playing here on the Syriac word sanya which means a " " vile and despicable rose-tree," and as a participle of the verb sna, a
3

person."
4

The

beginning of the sentence

is

somewhat

corrupt.

BARSALIBI
watered, in order that
rose of the Greeks ?
it

53
But which
is

may

bring forth a rose ?

the

Please

Canons, the cathismata,

consider these as a rose,

tell me. If you say that the rose is the and the stichera, intelligent people do not because both our Church and theirs have

been meditating
true rose
is

for

a long time over these hymns, and have been

unable to convert through them a single

scriptural
;

man

to the right path.

The

meditation,

interpretation,

teaching,

wisdom

and good advices

converted
all

through these that the Apostles and Doctors the ends of the earth to the truth. second rose
it is

consists in fast, prayer, charity, holiness, chastity,

It is

and

acts of perfection.

through the scent of this rose that one can convert his
also.

own

soul

and convert others

Listen

now
of

to

what the Doctors say concerning Canons and

which you are proud. The poets and the composers of Kinatka, Kinatha, call sometimes a Kinta angelic, and some other times they compare the singers to Moses and to the three children. They
confined
1

their

Biblical

references

concerning

those

who

fasted

in

repentance

to the Ninevites,

and

to the publican.

Ziimmart you may

forget or completely lose the

to

Through high-toned power of penitence.

to sing

We
his

are

commanded
is

"

pray with the

spirit

and
a

with the

understanding."

mind

This is something concentrated on music.

difficult for

Greek

to do, since

God
of

permitted sacrifices because

;

not be convinced otherwise

and

He knew that the Israelites could He also permitted the use by them
in order that they

cymbals and other musical instruments, indulge in profane glees and in banquets.
put an end to
offerings,
sacrifices in saying sacrifices of
:

may

not

At

the end, however, he

in

"I have no pleasure

whole burnt
'

and the

God

are a broken spirit."

He

also
:

put an end to songs and melodies by saying through the prophet Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs ; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." is it that you who have been
'

How

ordered to sing spiritual songs endeavour to mix with the Church songs those relaxing Klnatha and loose tones, and thus weaken with these

same Klnatha the vigour of the souls which have hardened themselves against the passions, and mortified their bodies by ascetic works, and
begun
to sing
1

with angels
a

?
J
1

Add
Ps.

waw
16-17.

to the verb.

Cor.

xiv.

5.

li.

Amos

xv. 23.

54
If

WOODBROOKE
:

STUDIES
1

somebody says that these Kinatha are spiritual, let him show " me their fruits, and I will agree By their fruits ye shall know them."

You do

not see any poet making repentance from the depth of his

heart, nor striking

on

his breast to

thwart unclean movements.

On

the

contrary he stands
thither,

erect, shakes his head, moves his neck hither and

his

gesticulates with
;

hands and

his fingers

and claps them

he often also strikes with his foot against the together with noise ground, but he does not exhibit a single fruit of penitence to the hearers

who

are bewitched
is

by the sweetness
this,

of

his

Kinta

melody).

Church music
to sighing

not like

but

it is

quiet, lugubrious,

and inducing

and weeping.
did not penetrate into the Churches except

Kinatha

when

these

were deprived of the gifts of teaching. When there was nobody to Look, impart sound teaching, chanted hymns invaded the Churches.
3

therefore,

at

this

Doctor,

how

he disliked

the

Canons, and the

Zummare", and magnified and

praised the interpretations of doctrine.

not despise, therefore, the Kabbelai Maran^ and the 'al 'itra dbisme, and the Dukhranah cC yam. Very often one gets

Do

Mar

greater spiritual gains from these simple

tones, in
listeners

Kale

than from the elaborate

which the words are

through the twistings,

lost

or not caught

falls, elevations,

by the ears and cadences

of the of the

voice.

Let

this subject

end

here.

CHAPTER

IX.

On
Let us examine
a Christian
finger that

the Sign of the Cross.

other points.
Christ

now your

You
is

write

"
:

Show me
one
5

who believes in we also should do

;

who

crosses himself with

the same.

What

there that matters

finger,

in the act itself

if

you wish,
fingers."

cross yourself with

one

and

if

you

wish, do
1

it

with two
vii.

Matt.

20.

The author's description of a chanting poet is rather interesting. 3 Which Doctor ? A sentence may have possibly been missed
preceding
*

in

the

lines.

These and

the following Syriac

words represent the

first

words

of

West
5

Add

Syrian liturgical prayers. an Alaph to hdha.

BARSALIBI
Lo
Indians,

55
is

the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Nubians, that

1

to say the

and

the peoples of their neighbourhood, such as the Kushites

have shown Abyssinians) cross themselves with one finger. with that the Book and nature us on this but agree you above point now that you have become the advocate of the Chalcedonians, show
;

= (

We

us either from yourself or from

them the Doctor from

whom

they

have received the meaning of the habit of which the two the emblem, and where it is written.
If

fingers are

the habit of crossing oneself with

two

fingers

symbolizes the two

natures, as the babbling nonsense of the

therefore, both these natures as

chapters.

How could
?
If,

it

it, they crucify, already written in the previous be good to make the divine nature suffer and

Greeks has

we have
is

be crucified
selves with

however, there

nothing in the fact of crossing our-

one finger or with two, why do you then forsake the habit of crossing yourself with one finger, practised by your fathers, and

make
you

use of the practice of

two

fingers against

your fathers

If,

as

children of your people

you are not a stumbling block to your children and to the and it is more advantageous that one should not be a stumbling block and a boulder when your people, with the
say,

presbyters, elders,
is

dead and living bishops warn you that the practice a stumbling block and a scandal, how is it that you do not heed
?

them

Did you not

I

see

what Paul wrote

no
flesh for

"If meat maketh

2

my

brother to stumble, You write : "

will eat

evermore."

We

believe in one nature in Christ,

we add
follow

to the
all

trisagion

Qui

crucifixus es

pro
;

nobis,

and

we

the

canons of the Syrians we do not reject those of the Romans but we respect them, as a son respects his father, but in the matter of the two natures we do not agree with them." The Book says " How long will you limp on your two hams ? " 3 Now in which camp shall we see and count you ? In that of the
ecclesiastical
:

Syrians with whose faith you agree, according to your own words, or 4 in that of the Greeks whom you do not reject, and what is more
difficult,

whom

you have made your

It is

fathers ?

Our

first

father

is

God,

MS.

Franks

astonishing that Barsalibi should here (contrary to

what he had previously stated) confuse the Franks with the Nubians. Does the addition emanate from a It is probable that the word Franks copyist ?
stands here for Indians.
1

Cor.

viii.

13.
la.

3
\

Put a Dalath before

Kings

xviii.

56
from
the

WOODBROOKE
whom we are flesh, is Adam
born
as
;

STUDIES
our second father, and that in

born
;

in the spirit

he

is

the

name

each one of us also has a carnal father of whom " " extends also to the holy Fathers, of father

who,

have previously shown, were not all Greek. The great the Alexander, promoter of the Council of three hundred and eighteen

we

Fathers,

and Athanasius,

his

disciple,

were Egyptian

and so

also

were the rest of the bishops

Alexandria
of the
;

who accompanied them

from Egypt and

town
;

of

Viton with Vincentius, the priests of Rome, and Hosius Cordova, and the rest of the Western bishops were
his disciple,
2

Franks
of

Jacob of Nisibin, and Ephrem,

of

and Ith-Alaha
of

Edessa, and Mara

Macedonopolis, and John

Persia,

were

Syrian.

Show

us

how

are the Greeks your Fathers.

The

kind of pride

you are taking belonged to the Jews who used to have pride in " 3 4 have Abraham to our father," but Christ Abraham and say
:

We
is

answered them
unto
those

"
:

God

able from these stones to raise

up children
rebukes

Abraham."

Listen also to John Chrysostom

how he
and

who
in

take pride in carnal fathers, in origin, in earthly possessions,

all

and

country, in " take pride

:

of

which the Greeks your

to

fathers

friends

Why

are you proud that you are from a great country,

while

v/ould

command you

be a stranger

to all the earth ?

And
if

why do you
Christ
laid
in

wish, can easily render

take pride in earthly possessions, you man, who, " all the world unworthy of you ?
in

you

was brought up

Nazareth, was born

in

Bethlehem, and

a manger.

What
to In

profit
?

had the children

of

Samuel

in not
?

imitating their father's

conduct

And

likewise the children of

Moses

What harm came

?

father ? pagan parents Children do not always help their parents, nor parents their children indeed no help came to Esau from Isaac, nor to the Jews from
;

Timothy from the fact that he was the what was Canaan helped by Noah, his

child of

Abraham.
1

From

these

you will learn

2

that neither parents help their

That
Matt.
It

of

Nicaea.
9.

A town in Osrhoene.

iii.

was John the Baptist. The writer's or the copyist's inadvertence. " Cur enim de patria altum sapis, quando Here is the whole passage te in toto orbe peregrinum esse jubeo ? Quando licet tibi talem ego, inquit, Much of esse, ut totus mundus te non sit dignus?" Pat. Gr., Ivii. 181.
5
:

what follows

is

also taken

by Barsalibi from Chrysostom

(ibid., 181,

182).

BARSALIBI
children, nor the children their parents, but each one
is

57
justified

by

his

works and

his deeds.

Neither the Greeks are our fathers nor the Romans, nor are the

Jews the women's

fathers of Christians
2

all

these are loose

expressions

and old

If Yawan, the father of the Greeks, was born before tales. Aram, our father, there might have been occasion for discussion, but when this is not the case, how did you then glory in the not very

It is written in weighty words of those haughty and arrogant people. the prophets son honours his father, and a servant his master
:

"A

if

you do not honour me, and if I am a not fear me, saith the Lord Sabaoth." how is it that do master, you What do you say about this ? God says that He is the Father and the Lord of us and them and of all peoples, and you establish them as
I

am

a father,

how

is it

that

our fathers, our lords, and our superiors because of some of their Canons that happened to be translated in our Service-books This
!

is

not the saying of a wise man.

If it is

because of these Canons and because of four or

five

books

of theirs that

we have
in case

translated that they are so arrogant, our

Lord
their

was a Syrian, and they have

language
;

translated

all

His teaching

into

and

lo all the

Melchites

teaching of St.

we pretended to be their fathers, we might say that who resemble them take great pleasure in the The Greeks take also great pleasure in the Jacob.

teaching of the great Athanasius and Cyril, both of whom Egyptians, while the Franks take great pleasure in the teaching of Xystus, and the

Let they in that of Hippolytus, Julius and others. These will suffice them, therefore, not show arrogance against truth.
Franks,
for this point.

we and

CHAPTER X.

On
You
that the

the

Trisagion.

also discuss with us the trisagion in which you have written Greeks say Sanctus es Deus, Sanctus es Pater omnipotens. Let it be known to you that the Chalcedonians do not refer all the
: 1

a feminine tau to the adjective. Syrians call the Greeks Yawnay/ and they believe that they are descended from a first father called Yawan or Yavan.
2

Add
Mai.

The

i.

6.

58
trisagion to the Father, as you write, but to the Trinity, because they " Sanctus es Deus Pater\ Sanctus es omnipotens Filius, Sancsay tus es immortalis Spiritus Sancte, miserere nobis" Syrians,
:

We

with the Armenians, the Egyptians, the Abyssinians, the Nubians, and the Indians, refer the trisagion to the Son.

There are some who say that when Joseph brought down the body of our Lord from the Cross, people saw that angels had set up three " Sanctus es Deus" and the choirs, the first of which saying
:

Sanctus es omnipotens" and the third " Immortalis ; then Joseph and Nicodemus were moved by the Spirit " and said Qui crucijixus es pro nobis i.e. for mankind miserere
second
:

"

Sanctus

es

"

nobis"
tius

This was immediately received

fiery,

in

the Churches, and Ignait

the

the disciple of John,

it

established

in

the Churches.

Some

others, however, say that

has been established after Nestorius

had been
said that
crucified,

rejected from the Church, but they are wrong.

it

The

Fathers

was

that fourth Person,

with the

human

nature which

was
to

become

flesh for us,

who, although God, omnipotent and immortal, wished and not another kind of nature.
say that the trisagion
is

The Chalcedonians
Sanctus found

derived from the

in Isaiah.

As

the Seraphim glorify the three persons

of the Trinity with the thrice repeated Sanctus, so

refer the trisagion to the Trinity.

Against them

we also should we will write as

follows

The One whom

round him "
says
:

Isaiah

saw on a high throne and the seraphim

is

the Son.

This

These

things said Isaiah about

we know from John the Evangelist who Him when he saw His glory."
'

Cyril,

Son, the

John Chrysostom, and other Doctors teach us that it was the Word, that Isaiah saw on the throne and not the Father.
it

We
if

also believe that

is

Him

we go to the any man enter in, he

that

Father.

He who is the door and He says " am

:

that

it

is

through
;

the door

by
"

me

'

shall find life."

In the fact that

to the Father

we

refer the
:

trisagion to the

Son we may go up

and say

Our
Son

Father

who

art in heaven."

And

in

referring the glory to the

The

a monophysite writer Fathers ?

2

mention of a fourth Person in connection with the Incarnation by is somewhat strange. Does he refer to Nestorian
3

Johnxii. 41.

Johnx.

9.

BARSALIBI
We
speak in the
"

59
can say
"
: ' :

Holy
'

Spirit

No man

Jesus

is

Lord,

but in the

Holy

Spirit.'

We
"Thou

say further that the Seraphim said

full

heaven and earth are

art holy

of

His

glory,"

Holy, Holy, Holy, and they did not say

Omnipotent, Thou

God, Thou

art holy

art

If the Doctors have explained the thrice repeated Immortal." holy " " the as referring to the three persons (of the Trinity), and if holy " Sanctiis of the liturgy also Sanctus, Sanctiis, Sanctus Dominus
:

Omnipotens, pleni sunt"

addressed
to

etc., refers

to the three persons, although

one

of

them

only,

let

them show us from where

"
refers to the

they learned that the trisagion of

Trinity.

"
"

Sanctus es Deus

The

prophet says only

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus," and

the

words

"Deus,

Omnipotens,

Immortalis"

have

been

added

afterwards.

That

known
art

because

He became flesh although remaining God and we say " Holy Thou O Omnipotent," because He put on our weak body although
;

trisagion refers to the Son to whom it " Holy art Thou by the following we say
this
:

is

appropriate

is

God

the Son,"
:

" and we say Holy art Thou remaining omnipotent in His divinity He in the flesh because died Immortal," although remaining immortal
; :

like

God.

What

passage

is

it

of the heretic to the

:

Macedonius or

of

any

other

who

attributed mortality

donians want to refute "

Spirit ?

when

they say

Holy " Holy Thou

Spirit that the Chalceart

O immortal

They have really no apology to offer. The words of Holy the trisagion have been attributed by the Doctors to the Son because He became flesh, put on the weak and mortal human body, and was
addressed by them as

"God," "omnipotent," "immortal," and "who

"
in the flesh.

hast been crucified for us

If

let

them only say Holy art Thou Holy, holy, holy," and not God," and the remaining "Omnipotent" and "Immortal." The Nestorians and the Chalcedonians, in order to take from the middle
:
:

they refuse this and say that the trisagion refers to the Trinity, " "

the question of the crucifixion, and to introduce the division of nature

and

natures,

and count

in Christ

in order not to

admit that

we

powers, and wills, and crucify the Son in the flesh, avoided the
attributes,

two

reference of the trisagion to the

Son and

attributed

it

to the Trinity,

Cor.

xii. 3.

Ms.

VI

60

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES
said

not paying sufficient attention to

I

what Paul

"
:

God

forbid that
l

should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." John " the evangelist also said glory to the cross." The theologian said in his discourse on the passover " had need of a God becoming flesh and dying in order that we may live
5

We

with Him.

We

died that

we may

be

purified,
:

Him.

Many

miracles occurred at that time

and we rose with God was crucified, the

sun suffered eclipse and then shone again. creatures should suffer with the Creator."

It
3

was

necessary that the

Now

where does

this

in Christ ? Where does he say that man died or human nature was crucified ? He openly declared that God became flesh, died and was crucified. Let it be also known to you that if, as the Greeks believe, the

Doctor put division

that

trisagion refers to the Trinity, and the sentence Qui crucifixus es pro nobis is taken away from it, it would not only refer to the Trinity,
as they say, but also to angels

and demons
"
say
:

which

The

angel or the
;

demon might indeed

and Satan
I

am
"I
5

is blasphemy. 4 a God," because

they are Spirits

said about himself

will ascend

above
:

the stars of heaven, and

will

be

like

God,"

and Paul
e

also said

"

Whose minds
"

the god of this world hath blinded."

Satan

calls

omnipotent," because he is constantly watchful in his war against the saints, and he even made bold and fought the Christ. " He is also " immortal because he does not die.
also himself

did not add to

of the

Consider well, therefore, where the trisagion might lead, if we it Qui crucifixus es pro nobis ; indeed the trisagion
!

Greek may reach Satan crucifixus espro nobis are added

to

When, however,
to
it,

the words

Qui
"

no one can

refer

"

crucifixion
;

an angel or a demon, because

this

then the trisagion be referred to

14.

would be impossible nor could " " a mere man, because immortality

i.

tence

which passage? At the end of the senThe Text is probably corrupt. " 3 Here is the whole passage Opus habuimus Deo, qui carnem acciCommortui sumus, ut purgemur; simul peret ac moreretur, ut vivamus. simul glorificati sumus, quoniam resurreximus, quoniam simul mortui sumus autem simul resurreximus. permulta illius temporis miracula Quamvis

Or: "to
is

the crucified."

In

the redundant verb kare.

:

fuerint

Deus nempe
Is. xiii.

nam

creaturas
4

quoque Creatori condolere oportebat."

14.

in cruce pendens, sol obscuratus ac rursus mflammatus. Pat. Gr. t xxxvi. 662,

Cf.

Ms.

xiii.

12-14.

2 Cor.

iv. 4.

BARSALIBI
which
is

61

expressed in
to

it is

not referred to a man.

The
:

trisagion

is,

therefore,

became man, and who

flesh,

be truly referred to the Son, and Word mortal is both mortal and immortal
in

God who
in the

and immortal

His Godhead, and

He

was

crucified

on our

behalf.

You
and
at

mentioned that the Armenians

at the Nativity say

one thing

the

Epiphany say another

thing.

thing,

and on some other occasion

some other

This, however, does not matter, since they refer the As we say in the Passion week " Christ, trisagion to Christ.
:

who by His
of the

passion delivered us from error,"

and

as at the beginning

or

"

Gospel we

say

"At
"

the time of the Nativity of our Lord,"

at the rime of

at the time of

His Baptism,
it

time of His resurrection

as the case

may

be,

His Economy, at the so also the Armenians

do with the trisagion^ and use

according to circumstances.
trouble for your salvation, not yours

We
said
:

gave ourselves

all

this

alone, but that of

many

others

who

will listen

to us.

The
vile

"He who
mouth."
]

taketh forth the precious

from the

shall

prophet be

as

my

Do
habit.

not throw, therefore, truth behind you, and

abandon an old
his

Who

is

the

man who
?

can be so forgetful of

being but the schisms which they brought into which they introduced into the Church.
years
I

own

self

as to hate a

human

We

do not hate the Greeks, the midst and the divisions

For a
certain

number

of

only disclosed the trouble caused by five of their innovations

;

in five points of faith

had

disclosed at length

all

the disturbances

they had caused, they would have been ashamed of themselves, because not all of them are aware of what happened to them. I

warned them
no
desire
to

several

times to let everyone go his

own way

without

recrimination against his neighbour of another creed, but they

showed

heed our advice.

on the
fact

habits,

and

also

that

we

wrote chapters concerning their should be permitted to enter

to

their churches,
I

and be allowed
other

to pray for

many chapters the disturbance that they would be causing in the Church if For several they did not desire to live in peace and concord.
to

also

wrote

rebuke

them and they for us them and point

;

reasons, however,

among which
and head,
at.
I

sponsible director

the fact that they have no rekept my tongue and did not disclose
is

what we are now aiming

er. xv. 19.

62
Because,
little
if

God

gives

me

life,

have the intention

it

of exposing

by

little all

their teaching

and comparing

with the interpreta-

tion of the holy Doctors,

and

of outlining afterwards our

own

teaching

and

interpretation

and those

of the Doctors.

We have
we

written the

present pages in haste, but

we have

confidence that

shall not find

ourselves in need to write to

you again on the same

subject,

and that

you

will

rather

constitute

yourself a preacher of truth, and thus

and that of the many who fell like you. In case you remain stubborn in your old ideas, and in case light and darkness are on the same footing with you, it is your own business,
possess your
soul

own

but there
secrets of

is

a great day which will

make

manifest

all

the hidden

mankind. be also known to you that it is very pleasing and agreeable be no divisions in the Churches of Christians
;

Let
to
it

it

God

that there should

would have been also more just that the Greeks should have torn and pulled at their own flesh, but they are so steeped in iniquity as
l

to say that there are

inflict

no other Christians but themselves, and they more harm on our community and on that of the Armenians

than the Turks.

of

As

said above,

warned

several times the

Greeks

Melitene that they and the Syrians and Armenians should love

one another and not to growl at one another like wolves and lions, but their madness reached such a pitch as to say like their fathers "
'

You
I

are not Christians

in

and other

similar ugly offensive

words

which are

keeping with their iniquity. to sow peace in the camp of the hostile parties, and to convince them from the books of the Apostles and Doctors that it is

wished

not good that they should contend with one another, but that they

should enter one another's

necessary to

Churches, and pray with love, and if come nearer to one another and remember one another
each one

in prayers, with the understanding that

may

follow his

own

theological convictions, but they did not condescend to reconciliation.

When
and believe

examined
I

their

madness and noticed that

said to

it

was

that of

insolent people,

retorted

and

them

since
is

you are

so incurable,
first

that truth,

which you do

not know,

with you, bring

the testimony and the signature of your bishop, priests and notables, and I on my part shall also bring those of our Patriarch, our bishops,
1

Read nbasbsum

for nnaskiston.

BARSALIBI
priests,

63
which

and

notables, to the effect that (in a public discussion

we

will hold on religious questions) either party shall be pleased with the truth which shall there be revealed, and that either of them shall
it

embrace

when

revealed

that in the discussion no party shall abuse

refer

the other, or rebuke

him and

to extraneous subjects.

By

the

help of

God I shall on that day disclose everything to the sun with and justice equity, in spite of the fact that the affair requires labour, time, helpers and promoters.
Here end
the ten chapters.

64

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92

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INDEX OF PROPER NAMES.

A.
Aaron, 42.
Cairo, 42. Canaan, 56.

Canaanite, 47.
saint),

Aaron (Monophysite
Abel, 36.

45.

Abraham, 22, 35, 47, 56.

Absalom, 48.
Abyssinian, 26, 58. Adam, 56.

Chalcedon, 30, 41. Chalcedonian, 27, 28, 38, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59.
Chosrau, 42.
Constanrine, 24, 39, 43.

Ahab,

38.

Constantinople, 28, 30, 41. Cordova, 56.

Alan, 19. Alexander, 49.

Cyril (of Alexandria), 24, 26, 27, 30, 57, 58.

Alexander (bishop), 56.

Alexandria, 56.

Amed,

18.

D.
Daniel, 35, 42. David, 19,32,35,48.

Antioch, 34, 42.

Arab, 27, 39, 41,48.

Arabic, 27.

Aram,
Arius,

57.
3.0,

35, 47.

Dionysius (Bar salibi, the author), 18. Dioscorus, 26, 47.

Armenians, 25, 26, 28, 41, 58, 61 62.

Athanasius, 24, 27, 47, 56, 57.

E.
B.

Edessa,

42,51,56.

Egypt, 40, 56.

Babylonia, 42. Bagdad, 42.
Bardaisan, 34, 35.

Egyptian, 24, 26, 55, 56, 57, 58.

Elijah, 35.

Ephesus, 30, 42, 46.

saint),

Barsauma (Monophysite
Basi'l,

45.

Ephrem, 34, 36, 56.

Esau, 46, 56.

24, 42. Benhadad, 38.

Euphemia, 41.
Ezechiel, 35, 42.

Bethlehem, 56.
Byzantion, 41.

F.
Caesarea, 42. Cain, 36.
93

Frank, 19, 24, 26, 31

57.

39, 44, 48, 56,

94
G.

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

John (of Damascus), 41. John (the evangelist), 42, 50, 58, 60. Greek (mainly), 19, 21, 23, 26, 31- John (of Persia), 56. 32,39,44-45, 46-47, 48-49, 51- Joseph, 58.
53, 56, etc.

Gregory (Nazianzen), 24, 31 42, 47,

,

Joshua, 38. Julian, 43.

Julius,

60.

57.

Justinian, 43.

H.
Hagar, 50.
Harran, 41.

K.
Kumanians, 41.
Kushites, 55.
.

Hebrew, 22, 32, 48.

Hellenism, 3 1 Heraclea, 44. Herodias, 43.

Hippolytus, 57. Hosius, 56.

Lazarus, 50.

Hungarian, 19, 42.

Leo, 41.
Libya, 26. Lot, 47.

1.

Iberian, 19.

M.
Maccabees, 42. Macedonians, 30. Macedonius, 59.
Macedonopolis, 56. Madecolinus (Milan), 47.

Ignatius (of Melitene), 28.

Ignatius (of Antioch), 58.

India, 42.

Indian, 26, 58.

Isaac, 36, 56.
Isaiah, 58.

Isho'

(Rabban), 18, 19, 31, 51

53.

Israelite,

Manasseh, 41. Mara, 56.

Marcian, 30.

Ith-Alaha (of Edessa), 56.

J-

Matthew, 20, 45. Melchite, 34, 57. Meletius, 42.

56, 57.
Melitene, 28, 34, 51,62. Midianite, 47.

Jacob

(of Nisibin),

Jacobite, 38.

Moses, 20, 22, 29, 35, 38, 42, 47,

53, 56.
1
.

James, 42. Jeremiah, 40, 42, 5

Jesus, 52.

Jerusalem, 32, 40, 41,42.

Jewish-Christian, 29.

Muhammad, 34. Muhammadan, 28.

John (of Asia), 43. John (the Baptist;, 43-44. John (Chrysostom), 20, 24, 25, 35,
45, 56, 58.

N.
Nazareth, 56.

Nebuchadnezzar, 49.

BARSALIBI
Nestorius, 30, 38.

95

Nestorians, 38, 58, 59.

Severus, 26, 35. Shahrbaraz, 42.

Nicodemus, 58.
Ninevite, 53.
Nisibin, 56.

Sheba, 19. Siren, 37-38.

Sodomite, 47. Sustius, 35.
Syrian (mainly), 25, 26, 27, 28, 33,

Noah, 65.
Nubian, 26, 55, 58.

49,51-52,56,57,61-62.

o.
Odysseus, 37.

Theodore, 4 1

Theodoret, 30, 43. Theodosius, 30, 39. Theopaschites, 21.

Palestine, 43.

Paul,

18,29,30,39,42,55,60.

Persia, 42. Persian (people), 27, 39, 41, 49. Persian (language), 27.

Theophilus, 4 1 Thomas, 20, 42. Thrace, 44.

.

Timothy, 56. Turk, 48, 49, 62.

Peter, 42, 50.

Pharaoh, 49.
Philip, 19.
Philistine, 43.

Pulcheria, 30.

Vespasian, 52. Vincentius, 56.

Viton, 56.

R.

Roman, 3 1,39, 48, 55, Rome, 31,42, 44, 56.

Romulus, 31.
Russian, 19.

57.

X.
Xystus, 57.

Y.
S.

Yawan,

57.

Sabellius, 30.

Samuel, 38, 39, 56.

Scylla, 37.

Sennacherib, 49. Seraphim, 58-59.

Zebedee, 42.
Zechariah, 35.

(ii)

Genuine and Apocryphal Works of Ignatius of Antioch.

PREFATORY NOTE.
A.

The
panied
extant

following pages contain the text and the translation, accom" exhortation to priesthood," by a critical apparatus, of an
I

attributed to Ignatius of Antioch.-

have edited the

text

from the two

MSS., designated here

Syr. 198
1

as P.

and

MS.

and

M.

indicates a

M. MS.

P. indicates the Paris

of

my own

collection

in

the custody of the Rendel Harris Library, Birmingham,

marked Syr.

MS. Mingana

223.

Both

MSS.

are undated, but on palaeographic

grounds can be ascribed to about the sixteenth century. While the two MSS. come near each other in point of date, they are totally different as to the country of provenance. There are stylistic peculiarities in P.

which indicate that

features of the
in
2

it

was copied

in Syria,

and there are

linguistic

same domain which seem

to indicate that

M. was written

Mesopotamia.

The orthography
is

used in the two

offers considerable

variation, but there

reason to believe that both of them emanate

from a single prototype the immediate successors of which had begun to exhibit some variants at the time when our MSS. were copied. That the Arabic style used in the text is a translation from Syriac
is

made abundantly

clear

by the

fact

that genuine Syriac

it
;

words and

complete Syriac sentences are found in

indeed, even the mere

construction of the Arabic sentences denotes sometimes a Syriac original.

There
prose.

is,

If

however, a passage which in both MSS. is worded in rhymed such a passage is to be considered also a translation from

Syriac,

we shall

be bound to admit that the translator allowed himself

a great amount of freedom in his work. the foot will assist the reader to form his

A note that
own

have added

at

opinion on the subject.

is

The Arabic

used in the text

is

most unclassical and

;

full

of

indeed it represents the grammatical and lexicographical mistakes lowest type of Christian Arabic used in Church services, but it can be
1

P. 147 in Zotenberg's Catalogue. The MS. was recently acquired by

96

me

in

North Mesopotamia.

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
illustrated

97

by scores of similar tracts written in the same non-Arab I have collated the two MSS. and placed in the footnotes Arabic. The the various readings which appeared to me of some importance.
variants
clearly

which were
slip

of purely orthographical

order, or

which were

due to a
I

on the part
this

of the copyists, in

have been completely

the ortho-

ignored.

have generally followed

best.
I

my

transcription

graphy used in P., but

always the

To

does not imply that that orthography is save space 1 had simply to follow one of the

two MSS., and

as
it

decided to follow generally P. rather than

M.
given to

The Arabic text is printed in Garshuni (Arabic in

was found in show the reader
I

Syriac characters),

the
its

MSS., and a
palaeographical

facsimile of each
peculiarities.

MS. The

is

translation

which
literal

have adopted often gives only the meaning rather than a rendering of the original, and always follows the text that is

printed in the main page to the exclusion of that found in the footnotes.

B.
I

have attached to the above Arabic

treatise

a Syriac

Canon

attributed also to Ignatius of

collection of ecclesiastical
It is

Antioch and evidently culled from a Canons used by the West Syrian Church.
,

taken from Syr. Cod. Mingana 1 the Rendel Harris Library, Brimingham.

fol.

94b

in the

custody of

The

date of the

MS.

is

27 March, 1884, of the Greeks (A.D. 1573). facsimile of all the page on which the Canon is written accompanies the translation.

TRANSLATION.
A.
In the

name

of

the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Ghost, one

God, we
to priests.

will begin with the assistance of

God

to write the epistle

of the holy

Mar

Ignatius the fiery

his prayers

on admonition and exhortation

!

May
:

be with us

Amen
priests

He

said

my

brethren and
to

O
;

my

beloved

and deacons, and

bishops, listen

me and

hear

my

words

to you.

You
Wipe

wish to be

watchful and ever ready

purify, therefore,

your bodies and sanctify

off dirt

your souls so that the Lord

may

not destroy you.

from

98

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

your hearts, put your accounts in order, and clean out of your consciences
envy, deceitfulness, and other iniquities, so that Jesus Christ may not put an end to you as He did to the priests who preceded you. my brethren, open your hearts in order that the Christ may

cause love, quiet, peace, and safety to abide in them, and everything l to the Lord in order that you may have pleasure that is congruous

with Him, and rejoice in His grace, and sit for ever at His right. my beloved, because the first Adam did not stand by his birth-

right, that is to

command
came a

say his chastity and his holiness, but transgressed the of his Lord, he was separated from his kingdom, and be-

stranger to his possessions,

and went out

2

of the paradise cf his

3

inheritance.

The Lord
fire,

then decreed

because of his transgression,

devastating

and ordered death against him and struck him with the sword of the
in the

and threw him

dark

city of

death where he

became

subject to the latter,

and because

of his prevarications this

4

same

death ruled over him for seven thousand years.

my

brethren look at the accursed Cain, the second priest, and

the abominable, impure, accursed, and murderous

desire of killing dwelt in him, his sacrifice

man

because the

jealousy he

murdered
5

his brother,

was refused, and out of and became separated from God and

from

accursed and anathematized, and was a vagabond and a fugitive in this world, and was the first man to enter hell.
his fathers,

O my brethren.
who
"
cried with his

6
. .

priests (listen to) the saying of

Moses, the head of the prophets, 7 voice and said to the priests and the deacons
:
f

Sanctify yourselves because you serve the Holy One."

lost

priests

who have
1

their priesthood,
in

and transgressed the

"

rules of

their

Here begins a lacuna

M.

The

Syr. gzar.

3 4

Possibly sallata, or kada.

i

Has this date a literal and historical meaning, or does it refer to a ? It is useful here to remark that the era mysterious and mystical number of the Syrian Greeks and Melchites began 5508 years before Christ
(Angelo Mai,
Script.

Vet Nova

Collectio, iv. 60).

If

the

number 7000

is

here to be taken literally the date of the composition of the document would be A.D. 1492. In this case the document would be of Melchite origin, but then what about the Syriac words and expressions that it contains ?

Melchite of A.D. 492 would not have inserted Syriac words and expressions in an Arabic document of which he was the author.
1

Which

fi

fathers ?
8

A lacuna in Paris MS.

Cf. Levit. xx. 7.

Levites?

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH

99

Master, obey the prescriptions of your Master and do not neglect His Do not make light of the offices of the Church of God and word.

do not despise

the majesty

which belongs

to the holy altar,

and

to the

One who
kings

is

offered

on

it.

high-ranked

priests,

do you not

how

neat and clean they

washing
similarly

their

hands and keeping

are

who serve the earthly and how careful they are in are, their clothes clean. Examine how
see those
2

kept

the

utensils

which are
and wine

on the table such

as

plates, drinking vessels, goblets,

utensils

nor feculence of any also the no dregs how neat and clean everything is, ordinary bread and thin bread 4 or defect. without any deficiency People line up erect to honour earthly kings who are human beings like ourselves and mortals sons
there

are

and cups kind, and

in

which

of mortals
therefore,

my

brethren, with
table,

how much more

and serve
it

care should we,

guard the Divine

efficiently
in

with

faithfulis

and holiness and with an outward appearance no defect and imperfection of any kind.
ness

which there

woe be to the priests who do not keep their The Church and its children weep priesthood with good works. over the priest who sins, and give also woe to the deacon who does
'

my

brethren, great

not act in the right way.

into the inner part of the

How

can the one

who
It is

acts

badly penetrate

house of

God

not right, therefore,

that an iniquitous priest should offer the sacrifice of other people

enter into the holy church of

hands should handle that

of

and God, nor is it right that his unclean " in the blood holy body, and be dipped

the Lord.

How

can a priest

who

is

not clean in his actions

sacrifice that holy body which was lifted up on the Cross, and before which the companies of angels stand in awe and the choirs of heaven

in fear,

can any one

while they are unable to contemplate its splendour ? who is impure and immoral dare handle it with his dirty hands ? can also any one who is an occasion of scandal to

How

How

other people sacrifice that sublime, high, holy

hates the drunkards

and pious body, who

and the immoral people

:

Have you
Scandal

not heard

then what
1

He

says in the pure Gospel

4

"

will arise but

Read al-ladhln. The Persian dard. 5 Read muluk (in plural). 7 Read al-ladkln.
3

Read

al-lali.

"
8

Syr. ikar. Read al-allm.

An

unclassical

Arabic word.

Here ends

the lacuna in

M.

100

WOODBROOKE
to

STUDIES
'

woe
'

the

man
it

through

whom
;

scandal comes."

He

also
its

says

Ye

are the salt of the earth

shall

but
It

if

the salt has lost

savour

wherewith

thenceforth good for nothing, neither for the land nor for the dung, but it is cast out and trodden
?
is

be seasoned
"
3

under foot
example.

by men

and

it

also

becomes a

vile

object

and an

my

brethren, there

is

no
is

sin in the earth

more

terrible than that

friends,
sin.

of a priest, for

which there

no

forgiveness.
priest

my

lament

and weep continually over the

weeping
of

who
:

did not fear

The
the

the terrestrial people not

being sufficient for

him,

inhabitants of heaven

he was holy, and out

weep of whose

also over

him

the Seraphim like

4

whom

sanctification

he

fell.
is

The

blessed

Cherubim weep
melodious tunes.

also over him, because his sweet lyre

5

silent of their

The

angels and

the

High Companies

(of

the

Archangels) weep over him, because through his bad works the voice of his praises has ceased to praise with theirs.

All those
him.

(of his pupils)

who

fell

out of his

command weep

over

The weeping of
for him,

the inhabitants of land and water not being sufficient

celestial

holy Church gather together thy children, the

and the

terrestrial,

and come and

deacon

set

up wailing and lamentation over

sin.

the infamous and

accursed priest

Weep
weep

also over the

of Satan.

companion

who has been wounded by who by his bad actions has become my brethren, who is the man who does
?

the not

over a priest

that disciple Judas

who has estranged who sold his Master

of the disciples,

himself from his Master like

Simon, head

weep and lament over

the shepherd

who, after having been like you and after having taken from his 6 Master like you that talent in order to trade with it, has lost all the my brethren, who will not weep sheep, and his soul is drowned.

over the absolver of sins

who

falls into sin,

and who

will

not

weep

Read tandas for tansad in M. combination of the text of both Luke xiv. 34, and Matt. v. 13. Matthew and Luke. Literally the sentence may mean It is thenceforth good
1

Matt,

xviii. 7.

for nothing, neither as earth

4

nor as manure.
Is. vi.

i.e.
5

saying

holy, holy, holy, of

is

3.

This sentence

wholly

in

Syriac

in P.

The Arabic word badrah means

generally a great

sum

of

money.

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
over a shepherd

101
not

who becomes

a wolf ?

Who

will

watchman who becomes a

merchant
sin

thief,

and who

will

who becomes

a spy, and a physician

weep over a weep over a who is wounded by

not

and has no remedy ? Weep, Church, over your priest. Simon and John, over your companion who left your Weep, companionship and became a stranger to you.

Who envied you, O chaste one, and made you a fornicator ? Who envied you, O pure one, and made of you an immoral man ? Who envied you, O fasting man, and made of you a gluttonous man Who envied you, O just one, and made of you a given to excess ? companion of the ignorant ? Who envied you, O devout and pious Who envied you, O one, and made you a wretch with the sinners ?
l

man

filled

with sanctity,

and made you

sink

in

the sinfumess of

Who envied you, O fair one, and filled you with unholiness ? Who envied you, O just man, and placed you in the company Who envied you, O child (of the house), of sinners and enemies ? Who and made you a stranger to your father and your brothers ?
iniquity ?

envied you, near relative, and made you a stranger to your relations ? celestial one, and made you terrestrial ? envied you, truthful one, and made of you a liar, and filled you with envied you,

Who
sins

Who

and shameful deeds

you dear and beloved ram

fell
!

who became
!

the prey of a wolf

fell

O hart who in the snare O you agile eagle who in the net O warrior who was beaten and ran away O athlete who took to O mariner whose ship has sunk O husbandman whose com has perished O steward who squandered his treasures O who his place at the table O bridegroom table-companion whose bridal chamber did not please him O mighty King whose
!

flight

left

Read hasadaka for hadasaka in M. and note the rhymed prose of the if, however, it following few sentences, possibly due to a free translation could be proved from this that the document was originally written in
;

Arabic, its date could not have preceded the ninth century but we must admit that such phenomena occur sometimes in Arabic translations from free translation of this kind has even affected the sacred text of Syriac. the Gospels. I saw in Jazirat b. 'Umar, on the Upper Tigris, a MS. which contained the Arabic translation of the Gospels by the very famous
;

Ebedjesu
2 3

of Nisibin,

Read mubariz

for

wholly written martz.

8

in

rhymed prose.
4

Transliteration of the Syriac

word parnasa.

Syr. hrifha.

102

WOODBROOKE
fell

STUDIES
condemned
for his ignorance
! !

crown

from

his

head

O judge
!

O chieftain who lost the greatness of his headship O sun whose rays who became poor by his will

wealthy one have perished

!

moon whose

light

which has been mixed

has suffered eclipse seed of pure wheat with tares beautiful and lovely flower up
! !

which has been smitten by the blighting wind rose the beauty of which has perished in the
3

of sin

frost of

O admirable O ignorance
!

pomegranate-flower

which withered

in

the

midday heat

of sin

and

iniquity.

Where
ings,

are you

your canons, and your

Paul and Timothy ? Where are your warnconditions, which to-day your companions
?

have transgressed by stumbling

O just Power, for how long wilt Thou

Where
are
is
it

not utter the cry of vengeance against the priests ? punishments and Thy zeal against the ancients ?

Thy
that

How
silence.

Thou
is

art silent

now

Heaven
it

is

amazed

at

such a

Where
everyhis

the heart that can stand

and not break ?

my

brethren, that
left

just

Power which has

equalized justice to all mankind, has

thing to the next world, in

actions.

which each one of us shall answer for

O my brethren,
because
5

let

us place the judgment of

God

before our eyes,

all

we

cannot avoid answering for our words and for

:

those

He

confided to our care

God, and we
a pact to the
shepherd His

the souls redeemed by the innocent blood of He gave us have to return them as we received them.

effect that
6

we

shall

worship Him, be with Him, and

is

flock.

my
remedy.
those

brethren,

the sin of a priest

wound which
sins,

has no

my

brethren, at the time the priest

sadness overtakes
say concerning

the multitude of angels in heaven.

What

shall

we

who

believed that

they

had no

sins,

while

Satan robbed

and plundered them ? They asserted that God is forgiving and merciful, and they did not know that God is also a just and equitable my brethren, let the story of Ananias and his wife inspire judge.

= ithhabbal. Syr. Habbel Persian guli-anar or gulnar.

Arab zuhriyah from

Syr. shauba.
that the author

It

is

somewhat strange

should have used a Persian word.

4
"

Was
Syr.

Syr. Takrayatha. the author a Monophysite ?

In P. zuhirat.

Markka.

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
you with fear, and take fright were burned for small sins.
at the spectacle of those priests

103

who

O my brethren,

be afraid of the story of

Korah and Abiram, because all of them have become a mirror to us and do not so that we may hear what happened to them and fear
;

sin

and serve Satan

priest,

like

them.

who

is

the one

who
1

will not

one and
been
laid
is

confidential steward,

brother of

weep over you ? O great Simon and John, it has

down

that

no one be appointed to priesthood except the one

who

blameless, and lo there is to-day shame and dishonour in your exiled one, and we do not find it difficult to cover you up bed who has been separated from his service," and his high office, we weep
;

over the high

iniquitous act
;

office of

and we do not

priesthood which you have besmirched by your feel any sorrow at the beauty of your statself,

ure

O ignorant one who did not know his own

of holiness

we weep

over the
!

which you have dishonoured by your bad deed The Lord had established you as a mediator between Him and His

crown

Father, and not a mediator to the idols

hood

in order to

induce people to

sin

you did not approach priestand detach them from God, but
;

to uplift

them and bring them nearer

to

Woe
thrones
s

your

spirit

to Him. when your companions

sit

on the twelve

Lo shame
you make

and you are driven out like the one who wore dirty garments. is in your bed and it pleases you to dishonour your bed, and
light of
4
it.

You have changed your

fire

zeal to your

Master

for a zeal to

another master,
is

Him, and

that

why

and you have become a stranger to will consume your body without getting
mercy in the day and he will not be
like

satiated with it

my

brethren, there will not be

of judgment and decision for an unchaste priest, allowed to approach his throne, but he will be driven out
foolish virgins.

the five

said

"
:

If

It is for this reason that the Apostle Paul cried and a person desire priesthood he desireth a good desire." Lo
;

to-day the priests of the different peoples desire the office of headship while they are far from real priesthood 6 and remote from its works.
1 -

Arab, mutahakkik, evidently a translation of the Syr. sharrira. 3 Matt. xix. 28. Syr. Tishmishta. Here as above the author seems to allude to immoral acts of a private
'
.

character.

Tim. iii. 1 ] "priesthood" instead

6

The
of

author follows the Syriac version

which has

"episcopacy."

Read Kahnutihim.

104

WOODBROOKE
brethren, listen to

STUDIES
against those
:

my

what has been enacted

who

bear the yoke of priesthood but make light of it or neglect it they 1 shall burn with those two hundred and fifty priests who were burnt

with their censers.

deacon, any deacon who approaches 4 his wife in the time of the fast that the Saviour fasted will not find
brethren,
priest,

mercy

in that great day, the

day

of

landmark and

finality

this will

happen

also

if

he approaches her on the occasion of a

festival,

or on a

Friday, or on a

Wednesday.

Anyone who approaches

be with the
fire

his wife in

one

of these days, his burning shall

of

Sodom.

This does
it

not apply to the children of the Church, the laymen, but

is

ad-

vantageous mentioned days.

also

for

them

to

abstain

from marriage in the above

not neglect,

my

brethren,

the priests should

but should be

diligent in, their service

and

careful with the vestry of the holy altar

and the belongings of the Church. my brethren, any priest who makes light of them or neglects them, and serves with them in this
state the holy

body which was

lifted

up on the wood

of the cross

say

to

him

that his lot shall be with those

;

who cast

lots

upon the garments

;

of Christ

who
to
it

steal

also the priests with such shall his share be without pity and from what pertains from the belongings of the Church,

in

them on behalf
priests,

the matter of the ex-votos of orphans and widows who gave of their sins heaven and earth shall weep over such
:

and

their sin

is

greater that that of those

his wife.

who became

the
5

companions

of

Ananias and

my

brethren, a priest entering (a church ?) to offer sacrifice

in

rancour against his brother, is like Cain the murderer. priest who sees a needy person and does not or a thirsty person in want of a drop of water and does help him,

with a heart

which there

is

not quench his

his face
priest

thirst,

and a

priest

who

sees a sick person

in

and turns
is

from him, will have no share who does not know his own self,
;

paradise.

Accursed

the

who

dishonours himself with

such
1

sins

such a one will be separated

from his service and

2 4

his

Num. xvi. 35. M. " any priest or deacon who approaches." " 5 to Syr. Kaddesh which commonly means
2

Syr. perma. i.e. Lent.

the former sense

is

yalakaddas

"

relatively late for a supposedly early

say mass, to consecrate," P. has document.

to

make

himself holy."

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
priesthood, and the Father will rebuke
office rightly

105

and

justly

having served his the Son of the Father will not accept him ;
for not

him

the

Holy

Spirit will avoid him,

and

all

the celestial multitudes will

just retribution

push him out to inherit hell where he will receive a

for his service.

and

Because he did not perform the duties of his priesthood with piety 1 devotion, the angels will take away from him the imposition of
2

the hands

of priesthood,

which had

fallen

on

his

head, and they will

push him out

people
priest,
;

to hell in

company

of the impure, unchaste,

and ignorant

there he will

weep and wail and

sacrifice

also gnash his teeth.

The

however, who
piety,

performs the duties of his priesthood with devoto

tion

and

and

offers

God

with holiness, and serves

before

Him
;

with good order and pious deeds, will be served by

God

and by the multitudes of angels, who will exalt his office and his and he will live in pleasure in the company of Simon, priesthood
the head of the Apostles, and he will be placed among all the 4 Fathers, the Saints, the Prophets, and the Doctors of the Church.
3

who leave the office of Stephen and of those who serve the will go and serve Satan and his armies. church, preachers What shall I say about them ? On the one hand if I keep silence, such
Similarly the deacons

silence

may

lead to misunderstanding, and

if I

speak

my

heart will not

allow

me

to rebuke them, but truth itself

sits

in

judgment against them.

to this high office

Instead of requiring from every deacon

good works, fasting and prayer,

vouched

for

by good men, we present to-day

to

men
and
6

who

are uneducated, ignorant, not steeped in piety, untruthful,

having no witnesses

vouch

for their veracity

and

uprightness.

(The

deacons) are thus

liars, transgressors,

drunkards, haters of their service,

haters of the Church, haters of fast

like Satan.

and

prayers, insolent,

Those who are addicted to such vices commandments and the law of God and do not turn
from
1

and proud and have left the

to penitence will

this

world receive punishment for ever and ever.

the Syr. hrirutha ?
is

Is it

The
This
'

translator has joined the

work of ecclesiastical Canons (Syr. 36a, in the custody of the Rendel Harris Library, Birmiugham) that three witnesses of high integrity are required to testify to the piety of the man who is to be ordained deacon. 6 Syr. Tishmishta as above.

We

a relatively late are tcld in an unpublished

fol.

Syr. Siam-idha. pronoun with kull as it is done pronouncement.

in Syriac.

MS. Mingana 32

106

WOODBROOKE
God
:

STUDIES
;

The deacon

has to obey orders and commandments

fast,

he

is

not to
piety.

neglect any virtue that pleases

prayer, holiness,

and

my beloved (deacon), you should not neglect your soul on the pretence that you have not the yoke of priesthood. my brother,

and punishment and the furnace of fire. the injunctions of God, and lend your neck to the my brother, obey 2 yoke of Christ be sweet-tempered and humble towards your brethren,
fear the

day

of reckoning

and love the

strangers, the poor,

and the beggars.

;

my

brother,

when you go to the altar educate yourself and the people of Christ 3 in order to perform your duties take care and pains to do it in good order so that you may please your Lord let us examine our accounts
;

and see whether we have any hatred towards our neighbours, and whether we have only love and peace.

who neglects prayers will be judged 4 with Satan, and the deacon who disregards the duties of his service will be in a place where there is no praise of God and where he will be ministered to by the furnace of fire the deacon who frequents the company of drunkards, the worm that does not die will be intoxicated from him the deacon who leaves the Church on the night of Sundays
the deacon
5
;

O my brother,

and

festivals,

and wishes
to

to drink wine, the

Church
;

of

heaven

will

drive

him out

where she
is

will not hear his voice

at,

the deacon on

account of
existed
will
;

whom God

mocked
alive

would

to

God

that he

had never

the deacon

who
fire

causes uproar and discord in the Church,

;

be consumed by 6 soul and his desires,

the deacon

who
;

fails

to control his

will

be

far

from heaven

the deacon
7

who makes

use of marriage and comes to perform his duties, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost will be angry with him the deacon who goes to
;

the altar while intoxicated, the

spirit

of justice will rebuke

it

him

the

deacon

who commits

a sin and does not confess

and

repent, his tor-

ment

will

O my brethren,
suffer

be eternal and perpetual. if you have accepted

this

order for the satisfaction

will

of the desires of your soul,

you

will not

have forgiveness, and you

this

with Satan

but

if

you have accepted

2

order to serve the

^yr. Shalhaibitha.
8

Syr.

makkekh.

4 Again the Syr. Tishmishta. Syr. shamli. 5 Shalhaibitha as above. Syr. 6 The text is obscure and the sense doubtful. 7

Syr. Shamli.

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
Lord who was
Satan.
crucified

107
of
1

on your behalf, do not be the servants

2

my

beloved, avoid the service of Satan, intoxication, pride,

also lies

and
are
3

gluttony,

and do not disappoint anyone, and avoid

which

a sign of the sad unbelief of the world. my brethren, have "neither fornisaid Paul the divine heard what Apostle you not themcators, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor abusers of
:

selves with

men, none of these will

4

inherit the

kingdom

of

heaven and

cross (the bridge ?) to it." ?

beloved, keep your soul from sin, and purify your body from bad passions so that you may not suffer. my brethren, the

my

deacons

God, keep His Commandments, way serve the Church with piety, serve the people of God, and long for fast and prayer, the angels will long to meet them, and will also accompany them and take them to heaven on their wings in order that they may enjoy bliss and happiness with the priestly Fathers, and

who walk

in the

of

the pious, in the

kingdom

of

heaven the joys of which will not cease,

'

and be
"

glorified at the table of Christ, as

I

Where

am

there

the sweet voice

"
:

my Come ye blessed
7

servant shall be."

of

His holy mouth uttered There you will also hear

:

my

Father, inherit the kingdom

'

prepared

for

you before the foundation of the world."

You

will also
8

be

table-guests of the angels,

will

you

and along with martyrs (and) evangelists and you will serve and rejoice with receive ample reward
;

Stephen.

We who are

plunged

in sin ask

but the above grace and virtue. majesty, and power, with His Father, and His Holy
every time, and for ever and ever.

God not to make us deserve hell, To Him are fitting glory, honour,
Spirit,

now,

at

Amen.

(Colophon.)

(Here recite) Pater Noster. May the grace of God be with the weak and miserable scribe, with the pious readers, and with the blessed
hearers
!

May we

have mercy upon us through the prayer

the Persian

of the

1 '

takahrum : curious word formed from Read tukhayyibu.

kahraman.

The
1

author uses the feminine pronoun hiya under the influence of the

Syriac word Kaddabutha which he was rendering. 4 Cor. vi. 9, with some changes.
5

John
7

xii.

26.
in

Matt. xxv. 34.

Read malaikah

M.

Read mubashshirin

in

M.

108
mother

WOODBROOKE
of Fire, the

STUDIES
Mother
the
all
!

queen

of the worlds, the

of

God, hoping
of
!

that the

Lord

will

deliver us

from

fire

in

day

judgment

Amen

May

the grace of

God be

with us
2

Amen

Amen

This has ended by the help of God.

TRANSLATION.
B.

"

Of
3

Ignatius the fiery

(Canon) 38.

We

observe the night of

Wednesday
disciples,

because in

and they the night of Friday because in

our Lord announced His passion to His were troubled with sorrow 4 we observe
it
;

our Lord was seized by the Jews ; we do not observe the night of Saturday, because in it there was rest to all the dead of Sheol, at the descent of our Lord to them. He
it

who

does not observe the night of Friday and Wednesday, will be condemned with those who bound our Lord on the night of Friday, and those who observe the night of Saturday, will be condemned with
those

who

broke the legs of the robbers,

in order that the

Sabbath day

not begin for them and that they eyes of the law."

may

may

not be condemned in the

C.

When
MS.

all

the above pseudo-Ignatian matter

was

in the

press

discovered the following quotations from Ignatius in

37, written about A.D.

1450

Mingana Syr. of the the Rendel Harris (in custody

Library, Birmingham).
of Jacobite origin. sentence of the text and the colophon are as follows in P. "And there you will receive ample reward with the angels and the with Stephen. And we who are 'evangelists, and you will serve and rejoice in us but (to make us to torment hell Lord not in sin the pray plunged
2
:

The MS. is The closing

Reserve?)

that grace, virtue, and piety. May honour, glory, majesty, and thanks be to the Holy Trinity, now, at every time, and for ever and ever, and It has ended by the help of God." on us all be His grace [This last sentence is in Syriac.] 'The ecclesiastical day begins in the East in the afternoon of the
!

previous day.
4

Or

moved by

affliction.

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
1

109

The
form on
of

Ignatian
fol.

Canon
"
:

translated

above

is
:

given in the

following

44*

Ignatius the
in
it

Fiery says

We

observe the night

Wednesday because
and

disciples,

He

our Lord announced His passion to His was moved by affliction. observe the night of

We

our Lord was seized by the Jews and struck on 1 the face by the servant of the High Priest, and was tied to a column. do not observe the night of Saturday because in it there was rest

Friday because in

it

We

to

all

the souls of the

'

dead

in Sheol

by the descent

of

our Lord to

them."

On
and

fol.

28* of the same

MS.

there

is

the following genuine

quotation from Ignatius not found

Lightfoot.
1
*

in the fragments edited

by Cureton

lit

11*
V

/ll
-4M^-I

"Ignatius: Where is the disputer ? Where is the wise man ? Where is the boaster of those who are called intelligent ? For our God Jesus the Christ was conceived by Mary according to an
economy." Epkes. xviii. This is an exact translation
t

Ad

of the
iL,

Greek

of Ignatius as edited

by

Lightfoot

(Apostolic Fathers,

74) with

the

exception

that

"where and that

is

the wise man" is placed before "where is the boaster" " " " " instead of boaster there is in Greek boasting Kai^cris.

The
1

Syriac translation, however, brings the text of Ignatius nearer to

i.,

Cor
1

31.
idea of our Lord having been tied to a column seems to be time of Ignatius.

The

much

later than the

2

Fasting on

Wednesdays and
(fol.

Fridays, but not on Sundays,

is

in the

Apostolic Constitutions

10 b of the same MS.).

110

WOODBROOKE
A/Jo
Oil]]

STUDIES

GU012

?]
Vr>

*"

ij

loJ

.mi

A**

^onnoXn loMA^l

wkZoo]
.

1*

.am\,Zo

.o

oixs
oiol^
.

oio

.4^010

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122

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STUDIES

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH

123

}>f

CANON OF IGNATIUS.

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES.

CHRISTIAN DOCUMENTS IN SYRIAC, ARABIC AND GARSHUN1 EDITED AND TRANSLATED WITH A CRITICAL APPARATUS

BY A. MINGANA.

WITH INTRODUCTIONS
BY

RENDEL HARRIS.
FASC.
2.

(i)
(ii)
(iii)

A Jeremiah Apocryphon. A New Life of John the

Some Uncanonical Psalms.

Baptist.

INTRODUCTIONS.
BY

RENDEL HARRIS.
I.

A
is

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON.
Apocryphal
literature that
is

well

known

to students of

a whole

IT

region of that fascinating, but perplexing, subject

covered by

works assigned to Jeremiah and his companions, in which the fortunes of an exiled nation are depicted and their hopes of resuscitation and of return are affirmed, with a guarded language and obscure
intimations for

which Apocalypse

is

the proper

and recognised
or such as

vehicle.

All the great

historic figures of the

Old Testament,
become

were by

common

consent regarded as historic,

in turn the lay-figures for

the drapery of the Apocalyptist

desolations, or,
in

when he wishes

the depth of
of

to paint approaching such desolations, to announce the

approaching consolations
reigned from

Israel.

We
:

might say that

this

in

Jewish
not

literature (including its prolongation in Christian literature),

Apocalypse
limit is

Adam

to

Bar Kochba
125

but even

lower

10

126
;

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

low enough for there are Apocalypses produced right down to the Middle Ages, whenever days were dark enough to require, or a
and brightening horizon to suggest them. The rise of Islam is good ground for an Apocalyptic literature as the various sieges of Mohammed can be as suggestive as Vespasian or Titus. Jerusalem
distant

as

And when we

find

as in

the present tract a

of

new member
his friends,

of the

company which bear

the

names

Jeremiah and

we

need

not be surprised that the tradition has lasted so long ; we may say of and as a matter of fact, he Jeremiah that he being dead yet speaketh
;

has been dead

here he
is

just as

many

times as he

may be wanted
must
try

to speak

so

again, as vocal as ever,

and
as

we
I

and

find the date

and the provenance

of his latest resurrection.

fall,

All the great Apocalypses

think

said

somewhere, within

the penumbra of the Canonical literature, some of them being actually canonised. Jeremiah and his disciple Baruch will supply us with
illustrations.

We have not only the

have shown
in

Biblical

Baruch, but there

first

is

also

the Apocalypse of Baruch, preserved in Syriac and

Ceriani.

edited by

a recent publication of Bar Salibi's reply to a Melchite proselytiser, this Syriac Apocalypse was clearly a and the reference to it here may illustrate part of Bar Salibi's Canon
;

As we

Canon fluctuates from time to time and from country to country. somewhat similar illustration be found in the Greek may Apocalypse which I re-edited in 1889 under the title of the Rest of the Words of Baruch, and which I
the

way

in

which the

frontier of the

assigned to the year

136

A.D.,

for

here

we

found that the Greek

day when fall the the of the beloved We with commemorate Jews city. they must admit that the Rest of the Words of Baruch has crept up very When I was editing this work (of which close to canonical dignity.
Service Books actually appoint this book to be read on the

more

presently)

made

the following observation (p. 9)

"

In addition to the three Baruch books to

which

we

have

been

alluding (Apocryphal Baruch, or simply Baruch,

Apoca-

Christian Baruch) it is very likely that lyptic Baruch, and and Jeremiah books which have Baruch there are other

perished"
books coming to light for its disappearagain, nearly forty years after the published lament
interesting to find
lost

How

one of these

INTRODUCTIONS
ance
:

127

and

to myself,

how

peculiarly interesting to find that the

new
what

volume (as
hands
friend
to

we

shall

see presently) incorporates a large part of

was included

in the Christian

Baruch, and that

it

has fallen into

my

be interpreted, and into the hands of Dr. Mingana,

in all matters
see, at

my

good

and colleague
reader will
to light

where

The
come

a glance, that

accompany him. the recovered document has

able to

am

It is a Christian Arabic from an unexpected quarter. book, which we distinguish from the actually translated works of Christian fathers in the Arabic tongue, by the term Garshuni ; that
is,

it is

the said

a book written in Syriac characters, but in the Arabic language, language being commonly popular speech rather than the

classical or semi-classical variety.

We

may

imagine that the reason

for this duality in the presentation of Christian books, according to

which an author speaks in one tongue and writes in another, was sometimes due to the desire to escape Moslem criticism. There was a kind of protection, a guarantee of free speech, about a book written in
the Syriac character.
this

Apocalypse

of

Such a protection was appropriate to books like ours, which could add to the obscurity inherent in
Popular
a

the subject the impenetrability of a scarcely legible script.

writings escaped notice

and

veiled writings

became more obscure when

transmitted through the

medium
:

of Garshuni.
it

Our document
affects

is

good
see a

illustration

of this

the obscurity which

has prevented

scholars from invading the area in

which

it is

found.
will

We
make

number

of

similar
of

documents,
is

and

we

expect to a personal

confession, in
future, as
is

view

what

to

be found, that

we

will not, in the

written

we have done in the past, despise a document in what we have called Christian Arabic.
let

because

it

Now

us

make

a brief analysis of the book before us.

of
its

We

will give a

summary

contents,

and

after that will discuss the

sources from

which the writer has drawn and the

relation of the

book

Apocalyptic literature generally. premise that Garshuni literature to which we have been referring is translated from Syriac into the the present book is popular Arabic

to

the

We

much

of the

no exception to the general rule it is a Syriac book whence the We shall probably find out Syriac text came from is another matter.
:

that there

is

true Biblical

a Greek text underlying the Syriac. The story begins in manner and often in the very terms of the Old Testament

with the messages of Jeremiah the prophet to King Zedekiah and to the

128

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

They have abandoned Jahweh and gone after people of Jerusalem. Baal and Zeus(!) Judgment is threatened to prince and people. Thereupon Jeremiah is thrown into a muddy prison, as in the Old
Testament, after a dramatic dispute with a false prophet, Hananiah, whom again we recognise as an ancient Biblical friend. Jeremiah is rescued from the mire by his servant Ebedmelech, who now becomes
as in the Bible a leading character in the Passion

The

Play of Jeremiah. under Divine a second time to King prophet compulsion goes Zedekiah and renews the vision of approaching judgment, chains and
slavery for the king, captivity

and massacre

for the people.

Jeremiah

sends his disciple Baruch to the king with a letter in which the word of the Lord is contained (apparently an Apocalypse of some sort). Baruch gets a flogging. Jeremiah is sent for he utters further
;

Biblical

announcements

of

the coming of

the

Chaldeans.

He

is

promptly sent back to prison, where he would have died, if it had not been for the friendly offices of his servant Ebedmelech, who bribes the

and keeps alive the saint. After twenty-one days he is to is Ebedmelech that he shall not see the it and released, promised
gaoler
ruin of the city nor taste death until the calamity of the people
is

past
its

and the wrath

fulfilment will

of

God

removed.

This mysterious promise and

of a

become the foundation

whole Act
;

of the sacred

Meanwhile Zedekiah goes from bad to worse he desecrates the sanctuary, which he transfers to Baal and Zeus, and does many impious deeds (which remind one in some details of Herod the
drama.
Great).

At

last

the crash comes.

Jeremiah's prayers have

his angels

now
to

only

a limited acceptance.

The Almighty 'sends

in

on

to the scene.

Michael goes to Nebuchadnezzar

against the Jews.
objects
;

Babylon and
find that the

incites

him
of

war

To

our surprise

we

King

Babylon
not want
special

he

is

a friend of the Jews, not an enemy.

He does
gifts

to hurt the

people of God.

He

sends great

and a

embassy

to Jerusalem.
is

Babylon
Cyrus
reluctant,

(sic

For some reason not very clear the King of enraged with the reception of his embassy, and he calls on But he is still very his general, to prepare war. !),

and only moves forward under a sign from heaven. The Chaldeans approach Jerusalem. In the interim Ebedmelech is sent into the country to fetch fresh fruits and to sleep a long sleep through

The writer now begins to use the the approaching captivity. Words of Baruch, as we shall see more clearly presently.

Last

INTRODUCTIONS
When
Nebuchadnezzar,
of

129

with the aid

Cyrus, for has taken the city, he calls

prophet.

whom the writer has a kindly feeling, whom he, strange to say, has no affection, for Jeremiah whom he recognises as a true
for
his
last
if

Jeremiah makes

is

told to take a lamp

city

and

see

appeal to the Most High, but he he can find a single honest man, for

whose sake the

part of
find his honest

Abraham

may be spared. Jeremiah is now playing the the Patriarch and Diogenes the Cynic, but cannot
Knowing
Holy
the city to be doomed, he makes
of the sanctuary,

man.

plans for secreting the vessels

for the preservation of the

and the vestments

Fire, as in the

and

books of the Maccabees.

He
The
until

then puts on sackcloth and marches to Babylon with the captives.

horrors of deportation are told,

and the

toils

and privations
his general

of the

people are described.

So matters go on
dies

for the allotted seventy years

Nebuchadnezzar
the lot of

and

is

succeeded by

Cyrus,

who makes
At
will

the people worse with

added burdens and

scene, a person

increasing cruelties.
this point of the story

Ezra comes on the

who
of

be wanted

in the time of the regeneration of Israel.

He

is

one

the children of the captivity, and naturally suffers with the rest of the
Israelite

writer borrows a framework for introducing

The youth from the over-lordship of the Babylonian boys. Ezra from the Gospel of

the Infancy. Like Jesus, he breaks his pitcher at the well, and when the boys deride him, he folds his cloak into a water-tight carrier. Then incensed in heart, and grieved with their contempt, he pours out
supplication to the

Most High.

The

prayer and the miracle mark him

out as the one

his

who

shall deliver the people

companions thereupon separate Babylonian boys, and Ezra works another miracle and raises a flood of water which well-nigh drowned the world, and would indeed have

themselves

Ezra and from captivity. from the wanton

done

so,

if

God had
now on

not already

made

contract

against

such

disaster.

Cyrus

is

the throne.
;

He
when

insists

on a song from the

sing,

refugees of

seventy years ago

is

the

people

the earth

quakes and the song

is

heard

in

Jerusalem.

Evidently the

day

of

hand. Ezra and Daniel and Ezekiel then lay their redemption heads together and go out into the wilderness to offer a sacrifice to God and to seek a sign from heaven. Michael is sent down and
at

consumes

their sacrifice

by

fire

which he produces from

his

wand.

130

WOODBROOKE
Now
let

STUDIES

left

the

city,

us return to Jeremiah, who appears after all not to have but remained in a sepulchre. (There seems to be some

confusion here.)

Here Michael

the archangel finds

intercessions for Israel.

there,

Michael takes him to Babylon, or

him resuming his finds him

as in Egypt,

and bids him assemble the people, who are busy making bricks and promises him that if Cyrus hardens his heart like

Pharaoh, he shall be served as Pharaoh was.

plays Pharaoh
faithfully,

Cyrus takes the hint, and then the thunder clouds of divine wrath

appear in the

sky.
:

Let

my
;

people go, says the prophet.

Yes, do

and away they go with their hearts full of joy and go, says Babylon their pockets full of money and they sing a song in a strange land,
because they are exchanging
it

for their fatherland.

to the gardens to fallen has figs, grapes. asleep in the heat, with the basket under his head, while over him a cave or rock had made fetch
fruit,

Now we

come

to the sleeper

who had gone

and

He
is

shelter.

This part

of the story

a modification of that in the Last

Words of Baruck,
the

but wanting somewhat of the dramatic force of

It is a fine situation when latter. Still it is not wholly lacking. one wakes from a sleep of seventy years and finds everything changed

except himself and his basket of figs, which are as fresh as if they too had slept. The old man whom he meets, with whom he has a
chronological dispute,
captivity,
like the
tells

him

that Jeremiah has just returned from

and the people are

jubilating

and the

flags

flying,

and

it

is

writer quotes the

Feast of Tabernacles, or the Triumphal Entry, for which the Diatessaron of Tatian. Ebedmelech has a great
great

welcome from Jeremiah, and

indite a song of praise in the

honour from the people,

for all that

who
has

good Hebrew manner and

occurred.

The
lost

rest of the story relates to the discovery

restoration of the

vessels of

the sanctuary, which Jeremiah puts in their proper

;

place,

and the vestments on the proper people

is

while on

all

hands a

new covenant
final

assented

to,

for a fresh allegiance to Jahweh, and a

desertion of Baal
of Jeremiah,

and

of Zeus.
to

The

story does not say

what

became
tion in

who
to

the

Epistle

ought the Hebrews,

be stoned, according to the tradi-

and the Last

it

Words of

Baruch.
gloom

But perhaps the writer thought

best not to attach the

So he only says that of a tragedy to the joys of the Return. while Jeremiah lived, the people were faithful to their covenant.

INTRODUCTIONS

131

We

may now

time go on to say something about the

when

our

which have been employed.

Apocrypha was produced, which depends in part on The simplest method of proceeding
is

the sources
will

be to establish superior limits of time, by reference to authors quoted

whose date
an incident
carries

more

or less exactly defined.

For example,
in the

we

have suggested that our Jeremiah has employed

has been broken.
It

Apocryphal Gospel of the Infancy, where Jesus

water

in his cloak, after his pitcher

may

be asked
Infancy.

how we know

that priority belongs to the

Gospel of the

May
?

apocryphal
for

not Jesus' miracle have copied Ezra's, since both are The answer to this is very simple we know the reason
;

the Jesus miracle, and the reason, when

stated,

excludes

the
is

possible borrowing from Jeremiah.

The Gospel of

the Infancy

concerned with the proofs of the Divine Nature of Christ, especially of Christ as Creator, fulfilling his own statement that the Son does the

same works

as the Father.

Now
at the

amongst the proof-texts which the

there
is

Old Testament was supposed

in

to furnish for this argument,

the book of Proverbs,

burst

taken from some

:

30th chapter, a fine poetical outOriental collection, in which the reader is

asked

"

Who hath

ascended up into heaven, or descended

in
his
fists

Who

hath gathered the wind waters in a garment ?

the earth ?

Who
is

hath bound the

all

Who

hath established

the ends of
if

What
"

is

his

name, and what

his sons name,

thou canst

tell ?

The

passage

was supposed

to

contain a reference to the

Son

of

God
in

and by the simple expedient

of a miraculous carrying of

water

a garment, the argument for Divine Sonship became

irresistible.
it is

We
in

see, then, the origin of the story in the

Infancy Gospel :

not borrowed from the Apocryphal Jeremiah, but conversely. The date of the Infancy Gospel has never been closely fixed, but it occurs

many

versions

and has very early

MS.

tradition, so that
1

it is

hardly

likely to
1

be as

late as the

fourth century.

Another landmark was

Its

bids them

most popular story is the one where Jesus makes mud sparrows, and It will be fly away, a tale which caught the fancy of Mohammed.

noted that

this story, also, is designed to prove Christ's creative power, in accordance with the dictum of the Almighty in the first chapter of Genesis, which caused fowl to fly upon the face of the firmament. It is curious in this

132

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

the reference in the text of Jeremiah to the rejoicings of the people on their return from captivity, which are cast in the mould of the

Triumphal Entry of Jesus to Jerusalem and expressed in the terms of the Arabic Diatessaron of Tatian. The matter is so interesting from various points of view, that we may devote a little space to it.

When Ebedmelech comes back from his long sleep at Jerusalem, and has been convinced of the reality of that portentous ecstasy by an
old

man whom he
11

meets, the latter says to him

is the month of Nisan, and this day is the first which the day prophet Jeremiah reached Jerusalem, after a The words that you utter stay of seventy years in captivity.

This month
in

square with one another.

Lo

the people are coming, bringing

with them branches of palm trees, and holding in their hands twigs of aromatic bushes and olive trees."
It is

evident that the language

is

here coloured by the account of

the Triumphal Entry, and the reference to the carrying of palm branches shows that it is the Gospel of John that is being idrawn on.

The
or
*

language
pith of

itself

is

peculiar
'.

the text says

in

'

hearts of

palm

trees

palm

trees

Now

an early

Irish

Gospel (known as

Cod. r
John

or

xiii.

Armachanus) we get a similar rendering of the yScua of 2 (medullas palmarum). Comparison with other attempts

to render the
ing,

word

into Latin suggests that this

is

the

first

Latin render-

and

since

Lev.

xxiii.,

get a similar translation in the Syriac version of 40, where the feast of Tabernacles is described, as well
'

we

Arabic Diatessaron, we may say that it is a Syriac Gospel of John, which has furnished the both to East pith of the palms and West. This must then be Tatian's translation, made under the
as in the
'

influence of

the Peshitta of
is

the

Old Testament.

Since

then our

Apocryphal Jeremiah describing a Jerusalem situation, it is John xiii., 2 that has influenced him, and not the prescriptions for the Feast
of Tabernacles.
superior limit

date of production of Diatessaron, then, is a reference to the margins of time to our Apocryphon.

The

and footnotes

will

show

that

the

acquaintance with the text of the Gospels generally,

connection
in
to

Apocryphal writer has a close and that he is

Christ as a Christian

Perhaps

Kur'an (ix, 30) maintains the divinity of and the divinity of Ezra as a Jewish belief. dogma either case on account of the argument from Prov. xxx. and its
note
that

the

illustrated miracle.

INTRODUCTIONS
under the influence
Luke.
o{

133

the Infancy sections both in

Matthew and

in

With

almost equal

confidence

acquainted with the Apocryphal

we may affirm that he was Book of Enoch, from whom he

borrows an archangel (Satanael) upon occasion.

He

also

knows the

For the matter of that, it would be seven archangels of Enoch. difficult to find a writer of this period, whether canonical or apocryphal, who is not under the influence of Enoch.

We come now
our writer
is
;

to the

most obvious

of all the sources

employed by

a large part of his story, viz. the adventures of Ebedmelech, This work acquires a taken from the Last Words of Baruch.

special interest for us in

view
I

of

its

partial

absorption by the newly

it

found Apocalypse
publications,

and, as

said above,

is

one

of

my

earliest

which

am

reading again with some satisfaction and with

In the editing of this text, or rather
I

the inclusion of some corrections.

its

re-editing

from a number of fresh sources,

had the advantage

If

of

the counsel and vastly superior knowledge of Dr. Hort.

his

name

does not appear on the pages,

effacement in the

it

was due
find

to his characteristic self-

work which he did

I

for his colleagues

and

disciples.

For

instance,

when

was

trying to

out why, in the story of

Abimelech, the good man had been sent to the market of the Gentiles, according to one of my principal MSS., I consulted Dr. Hort as to the meaning of the term, which was too striking to be
other than
original.

He
say

asked
?

me what was my

best

MS., and
'

what did
stick to

my

best

MS.

Then

a characteristic advice,
at the time, but next

always

morning on the breakfast- table a closely-written post-card with references for the fair that was set up, when the last Jewish revolt
there

your best MS.'

Nothing further

lay

was

Abraham. In that identification which promptly worked out, I was certainly a jay in peacock's feathers. When the book appeared, it was received rather coldly by
over,
at the

Oak

of

certain school of

critics,

because

and involved
the earliest

in that discovery a quotation

known

quotation.

of the document, from the Gospel of John, This would hardly provoke resentment
I

had found the date

at the present day,

when

it

has ceased to be the fashion to talk of the

Fourth Gospel as the product of the latter half of the second century. Critics are not so positive on that point as they were in Dr. Samuel
Davidson's day
better.
;

in other

words, they allow other people to

know

134

WOODBROOKE
In the working out of the

STUDIES
Abimelech
in

theme

of the long sleep of

or Ebedmelech,

fell

into a curious error.

Reading

Maracci the

account of the

Moslem
of
figs,

and the basket

appropriation of the story of the long sleep and not being sufficiently adroit in the Kuran
I

and

its

commentators,

transcribed the Latin

name

of the

Arabic

Maracci as Alchedrum, taking the Latin accusative as the proper name. Only two letters in excess, but those two letters a me brought prompt correction from my friend Robertson Smith,
sleeper in

who was

Orientalist than

always ready to help me, I, in which he advised

and

a thousandfold better
I

me

that

had stumbled over

the romantic sleeping figure of

correction reached

the Kuran al Khidr.

similar

me

from Rabbi Kohler of

followed by the

New

York, along with

some Talmudic
I

parallels,

flattering request (to

which

was not disposed to accede) that I would edit the article on Apocrypha in the Jewish Encyclopedia. Dr. Robertson Smith's letter was so interesting, and so like himself, that I am going to subjoin
it

to

my

story.

CAMBRIDGE,

Mth

October, 1890.

MY

DEAR HARRIS,
In your Baruch, p. 41 your Alchedrum whom you is of course Al-Khadir or Al-Kkidr, a very
,

have from Maracci

obscure personage,

sometimes regarded as the Moslem St. to be the person alluded to George. in Sura ii., 261 Maracci has (no doubt) from Baidawi's note on the I think you must be right in supposing that Sura ii., 261 passage. but did the comcontains an allusion to the story of Abimelech
is

who

That some doctors suppose him

mentators, who say that Al-Khadir, is the person referred to, say this at a guess, or had they some knowledge of their own about the
Christian legend ?
I have to remark first of all that the identification of Al-Khadir with the man who slept for 100 years might be suggested by the legend (Tabari i., 4 1 2) that Al-Khadir, a companion of Alexander, drank of* the water of life (which has a prominent place in the Alexander Romance) and is still alive. Nevertheless it is notable that Tabari also connects him with Abraham and with the dispute Abraham is said to about the possession of the well of Beersheba.

have brought this dispute to Alexander (Dhu '1-Karnain is Alexander, tho* Tabari mentions that some take him to be a different person) and This looks as if Al-Kh. were the well was adjudged to Al-Khadir. mixed up with Abimelech, king of Gerar. That your Abimelech

INTRODUCTIONS

135

and the Philistine king should be mixed up will surprise no one who knows the Arab way of using Biblical stories. That great liar the Jew Wahb b. Monabbih identified Al-Khadir with Jeremiah. This or it may the city being Jerusalem too might be a mere guess indicate some confused acquaintance with your story. Finally AlKhadir is commonly taken to be son of Malkan. The patronymic Ibn-Malkan does suggest Abimelech. Of these points the only one That that seems to me important is the association with Beersheba. knew of the Kuran the that far to story your expositors goes prove and connected it with Sura ii., 261. Yours ever, W. R. SMITH. (Signed)
Rabbi Kohler,
to

whom

alluded above,

was

as quick as Dr.
;

Robertson Smith to correct my slip over the Moslem sleeper but he also sent me a mass of Talmudic references, which were marked by the usual Hebrew diversity in dealing with a supposed historical event He regarded the Last Words as an with a possible chronology. original Hebrew book from an Essene writer, and that the victim of popular anger who was stoned in Jerusalem was not Jeremiah, but an
Essene hero named Onias, of
chapter
3.

whom

the

Talmud

tells

in

Taanith,

was Rabbinical Baruch tradition for actually identifying Ebedmelech and (see Pirke was Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 53), and that Ebedmelech actually made (as
also pointed out to

He

me

that there

in

servant of King Zedekiah the Rabbi nor myself was able to Neither the Distinguished One. the Talmudic treatment of what the of anachronisms in series explain was evidently a favourite subject and as to the existence of a
our
into the
;

new Apocryphon)

original for all these various forms of legend, I am content to leave the matter in the hands of those who are better skilled in detect-

Hebrew

ing

Hebrew

originals than myself.

As
Baruch

it

is

nearly forty years since the

I

Rest of the

Words of
it

has been have hardly looked at it since, possible for me to regard it dispassionately, and to say that it really was not a bad book, and might have had a more favourable reception. There is still a good deal to be learned from its pages by the student
appeared, and
of

Apocrypha. Returning now Words and the new Baruch, the

striking variations is in the

to

the relation

between the Last

priority of the

Last Words which

turned out not to be the Last Words, will be evident.

One

of the

I was able geography of the writer. Last Words, like its predecessor the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, was a Jerusalem book, in which one could see

most
to

show

that

the

136

WOODBROOKE
rise to

STUDIES
way
thither

Hebron

the south of Jerusalem, and pass on the

the gardens of Agrippa, which could be reached either by the main

road to Hebron or by the mountain road to Solomon's pools.

The
of the

modern

tourist in

Palestine

would recognise the provenance

this

writer at once.

But

it

was

very exactness of

locality

which

He wanted figs, but saw no reason perplexed the later Apocalyptist. why the gardens of Agrippa should supply them ; and as for the
mountain road,
drops
all

well have been the Milky Way. He these identifications, including the Fair at the Terebinth
it

might

just as

where the Jews were sold cheap, as slaves, after the Hadrianic war in fact he had no geography and wanted none. All that his story needed was a cave for the sleeper and a basket of fruit. The other
details

have evidently been excised. The hand hand as in the case of the earlier documents.
In passing,

is

not a Jerusalem

we

ought, perhaps, to

add

to

what we

said previously

about the acquaintance of our writer with Christian Gospels. spoke of Matthew and Luke, but ought not Mark to be also on the
horizon ?

We

For when

we read
that this

that the old

is

man

argues with Abimelech

month Nisan and Nisan (April) figs is not the season for figs, we are reminded that the very same expression is used in Mark, when Jesus, on His way from Bethany to
over his

and says

the

Jerusalem, essayed to satisfy His hunger from a certain

fig-tree.

If,

however,

this is

a Marcan
set

trait,

it is

also

found

in the

Last Words,
Just as

and must not be

down

as a first-hand quotation.

the

writer obscures the geographical solution, he also destroys the chronology.

Seventy years of captivity was

classical,

but

sixty- six

meaningless.

Here
evident.

again the superiority and priority of the

was Last
into

Words was

The

later

MSS.

of the

Last Words

fell

the same natural error.

We must
was
raised

now

or say a few words on the question of the existence

extent of Jewish influences in our

in

regard to the

new document. A similar enquiry Last Words of Baruch which was

be a bona-fide Jewish document,
obviously coloured
in

asserted, in certain quarters, to

spite of

the fact that

In our

it

was

Gospels.

new

text

we

evangelical reflections, but at

by have also passages which look like the same time there are other passages

the Christian

which require the Talmud, or at least the folk-lore traditions embedded The most interesting case is that in the Talmud, for their elucidation.

INTRODUCTIONS
in

137

which the wife

of

not to engage in hostile movements against the Jews.

tears

Nebuchadnezzar makes a personal appeal to him She bursts into

'

What king is informed of her husband's designs, this with warfare in that there,' says she, people, and was engaged saved ? Dost thou not know that this is the people of God, and that
when
she
is
'

everything that they ask from

queen's

name
cast,

is

The they obtain it forthwith ? Hilkiah, which, whether masculine or feminine, has a
that the lady

God

'

Hebrew
pervert

and suggests

may have been

a captive or a

Now

if

we

turn to the

Talmud, Taanith,
of

xxiv. 2,

we

find
:

similar story told of the

mother

the Persian king Shapor

II.

we

notice that here

it

is

the mother

and not the wife

that

makes the

appeal
'

Iphra Honniz, the mother of King Shapor, said to her son, Have nothing to do with those Jews, for whatever they ask
their

"

from
'

Lord, he gives
'

it

to them.'
for

He

says to her,

How

so ?

She

replied,
'

They asked

mercy and the

now,
in the

rain came.'

He

said to her,

rain came.

was because of But let them ask for

It

the time of the year that the

rain

time of the
she sent a
;

summer

solstice,

and

let

the rain come.'

'

Whereupon

messenger to

Rabbah and

said,
"

Have a care of yourself

implore

mercy and

rain will come.*

This lady, whose name, as

frequently referred to in the
that she

have seen, was Iphra Hormiz, is Talmud, so that it has been suspected

we

was a Jewish

proselyte.

Evidently

we have

stumbled, in our

new Apocalypse, upon

the

same

story

that occurs in the

Talmud.

We

must

not,

however,

conclude that there has been direct Jewish influence on our Apocalypse, for the tradition of Iphra Hormiz and her Jewish sympathies

was well-known Nor can we

in the

East Syrian Church.

is

altogether ignore the similarity that there

between

the tradition that

we

are discussing and the story in the Gospel of

Matthew
of

of Pilate's wife
is

and her dream.

Just as the queen-mother

Persia

awakened from her

projects,

sleep in order to interfere

with her

husband's

anti- Jewish

we

have the wife

of Pilate sending to
just as

say that she has suffered

much

for Jesus in

a dream ; and

the

mother of King Shapor appeals to him to have nothing to do against those good people the Jews, so we have Pilate's wife appealing

138
against his doing

WOODBROOKE
anything unfriendly

STUDIES
to the

good man whom he

has before him for judgment. Is it possible that she also may have had secret sympathies with the Jews or with Jesus, or an actual

acquaintance with

Him

?
it is

As

to

Jewish influence generally,

in the highest

degree improbas are

able that such grotesque views of Cyrus

and Nebuchadnezzar

presented in our tract

can have come from a Jewish source.

II.

A NEW
The
is

LIFE OF

JOHN THE BAPTIST.

be
in the first instance the class of

reason for the existence of a multitude of Apocryphal writings

in the
in

main twofold.

There

will

works

which the Apocryphal writer is dominated by an Apocryphal situation, some concurrence of misfortunes which threaten his nation, or
of misfortunes

some dreaded recurrence

upon past
history
;

which have

left

their

mark
is

the exigency of the time makes the man,

who

peculiarly a child of the time, to

become a

literary artist of the time.

He

will write, or paint (the

two words being

primitively equivalent)

in lurid colours

when he

describes the miseries of his people, he will

have Gehenna itself

of
if

on the flaming patches Nor will he always be a mean artist, even the Divine Judgments. or dialect writing in a half cipher (' he that readeth, using popular
for his palette

when he

lays

let

him understand ') for along with the moving tale of disasters in the sun and perplexities on the earth, there will rise in his imagination the story of storms succeeded by calm, and a lovelier city to replace the one
that

was devastated and wasted.

in the

second class of Apocrypha is due, not to any peculiar strain environment of the writer, but to a desire to fill up a deficit in literature, and to complete a story that has been imperfectly told, or

The

perhaps not told at national, has lacunae

all.

Every
it
;

history,

whether personal,

local

or

in

if

we

are interested sufficiently in place,

know or we shall pretend to know person or people, we shall want to The pretence to know is of be filled. how those empty spaces may
the very essence of a whole line of Apocryphal works. For instance, the Gospel knows nothing or next to nothing of areas
in

our Lord's
spirit,
I

life,

where we would

like

to

know much.

It

is

our

modern

suppose, that

makes us discontented with such informa-

INTRODUCTIONS
rion as

139

might be gathered from a Family Bible or a genealogical tree : but those of us who have family Bibles of any age, or ancestral
are well
;

records,

aware
in

that these too are subject

to

Apocryphal

insertions

and even
'

the scriptures
'

we

suspect that genealogies

could be produced because they were wanted, as occurs even to-day in Arab circles. Abraham begat Isaac may be historical, at least we

hope

so,

and make

it

almost creedal

but the fact that

Aminadab

It all turns on the does not provoke belief so readily. begat his point whether master Aminadab and progeny were produced

Aram

because the historian wanted

them.

Now

the

Biblical

story

may
;

have supplied these genealogical matters, because the self-respect of a and in that case they are Apocrypha but family required them
;

even

if

that

were the

case, the
if

modern

spirit of history

would not be

satisfied

with them, even

they were flaunted in our face in the foresensible of a wider area of lacunae than

front of the Gospels.

We are

the person

who

hunts or imagines family registers.

tell

Now we
the
life

are not able to

at
for

of Christ

began asking

what point the hungry student of more history or for earlier history.
St.

Such hungry sheep might look up to fed. They would get something from
from
St.

Mark and certainly not be St. Matthew and a little more

Luke

our Lord's

visit at

might we, for instance, say that St Luke's account of twelve years of age to the Temple was a historian's

instinctive intrusion into

an uncharted area
Luke's

It

may be

so,

and

will

stand, in that case, to St. high.

But

on

his

map

credit, which credit already stands did he leave that great Terra Incognita why between the life-parallels of twelve and thirty ? If he was
in that case,

as interested in a child

who

could puzzle the doctors with questions

interest in

and

surprise

them with quick answers, why has he no upon

?

the growing boy

whom

the shades of the prison house were

beginning to close
It is in

such lacunae that the Apocryphist of our second species

cannot, however, fail to be surprised that, with such a canvas lying idle, no artist had seized it for some three centuries after it had been exposed. The Gospels of the Infancy, and the Gospel of the Boyhood are lacuna-Gospels. So are the
stories

finds his opportunity.

We

which

tell

of the

Birth, Death and Rapture of the Virgin,

whose

attractiveness secures them, even at the present day, a place of

recognition in the Christian Calendar, from

which they can be detached

140
with
difficulty.

WOODBROOKE
From
Jesus

STUDIES

and

naturally passes over to ask for

His mother the enquiring spirit further information as to His great

The existing history is only vocal about Forerunner, John the Baptist. the two lives of John where John and Jesus overlap, or where one
personality (either of

them

will

ness of the authority of the other.

story

do) bears testimony to the righteousAnd even here it is the Birththat take most of the space.

and the Mournful Death

if

Who

a papyrus should turn up, to do for John the rejoice, So, without raising our hopes too Baptist what Mark did for Jesus ? we turn to a found high, recently Life of John the Baptist in an

would not

Arabic MS. to see if we can gather anything further with regard to the Baptist, beyond what can be picked up, in the shape of fragments, from the Gospel itself.
premise that there are numerous indications in Christian literature of the desire to fill in what might seem to be deficiencies in
the

We

known

story of St. John.

of our

One

of the

most

interesting

was caused

would teach them to was natural to ask what John was the form of prayer which was displaced by the Oratio Dominica. The answer was supplied by some early Christian and is even now extant in a Syriac form. It runs as follows in the MS. Add. 12, 138
by the request
pray as
Lord's disciples that
also taught his disciples.
It

He

of the British

Museum

The Prayer which John taught his disciples me thy Son Son, show me thy Spirit Holy
; ;

"
Spirit,

Father,

show make me

wise in thy truth."

But some say "

it

was

like this

Holy Father, know the glory of

sanctify

me by

thy truth, and

make me

to

me
The

with

thy greatness, and show me thy Son, and fill thy Spirit, that I may be illuminated with thy

knowledge."
next increment to our supposed knowledge
is

our sense that Divine Justice had not been her daughter were allowed to go scot free.
literature will find this

satisfied, if

by Herodias and
a

called for

The
of

student of English
in

very proper sentiment expressed in verse

poem

of

is a verse from this poem, with an explanatory be required by the ignorance of the reader as would such footnote,

Herodias.

Vaughan Here

the Silurite

on the theme

The Daughter of
:

INTRODUCTIONS
Leave then, young Sorceress the Ice Will those coy spirits cast asleep,
;

141

Which

Who

teach thee now to please his eyes doth thy lothsome mother keep.
: :

The note runs as follows Her name was Salome in passing over a frozen river, the ice broke under her, and chopt off her head.
It

may be

asked where

Vaughan
to

in the seventeenth century

found
It

this

Apocryphal addition

the

New
of

Testament

record.

is

certainly found in the East as well as the

thing of the kind in the commentaries of the legend is more difficult to determine.
in the document before us.

West, for we have someBar Salibi. The first form

We

shall find
is

one form
that the

All that

we

say at present

Apocryphal
satisfied.

story

was

the outcome of a sense that Justice

had not been

But now

let

us

come

to our Life of St. John,

;

where we

shall find

in the first place the author a curious mixture of history and legend has Worked over the Biblical account in a very accurate manner ;

next,

we

shall see that

he has blended with

justify

it

an amount of Apocryphal
the
writing
itself

detail,

sufficient
;

to

us

in

classifying

as

Apocryphal
gives us the

and

last of all,

when he comes
he
reverts

to discourse of the final

history,

disposal of St. John's relics,

from legend to

and

means
that

of

identifying himself as a real person,

of high

standing in the church at Alexandria.

He

tells

us that his

name was

Serapion, and

he had been ordained

episcopal centres by
A.D.

380

to

385.
in

Timothy who The Egyptian origin

which our Arabic

one of the Egyptian was Patriarch of Alexandria from

to

of our translation (at least of

one of the forms

text has of a

betrayed by the occurrence of the

narration.

name

Serapion

tells us, in

fact,

that at a

come down to us) is Coptic month in the somewhat earlier date

the faithful brought the bones of the Baptist to Alexandria,

church was

built

to receive them,

held on the second day of

is

where a and a magnificent celebration was the month Baouna. The document, then,

by provenance Egyptian, and it is historical and can be dated at the close of the fourth century. The miracles wrought at the tomb of the saint are also historical, so far as miracles can be, which are
evidently

made

to order, to enhance the dignity of the

also, as
saints,

newly enshrined.
other cases of

We

must not be surprised if here discovery and location of bones of

in so

many

the fervour with which the

1 1

142

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

miracle-loving people believed and the benevolent saint operated, soon subsided into a normal good feeling without supernatural attestations.

No

need

to give instances of this general statement to great

they might be

compromising

names

in

the church.

In the matter of belief,

non omnes possumus omnia.

Now

let

us return to the story of the Baptist's birth

it

follows

closely the scriptural account, but with explanatory additions, mostly of an Apocryphal character. can easily see the genesis of these.

We

saint.

Our document is, in fact, The writer says so

'

a homily to be read at the

:

festival of

the

The body of the holy John the Baptist, the saint whose feast we are celebrating to-day, remained in Sebaste which is
Nablus
of

Samaria

for four

hundred years."

What more

natural, then, than that Serapion, as preacher for the

day, should have added to his narrative such current stories as might make the lessons for the day more interesting. It is a practice which
still

prevails.

One may
"

say of

it,

apology

for the presence of a joint of

all

holy season of Lent,

points in the Baptist's
liked to ask questions,

vintners

what Mistress Quickly says, in mutton in her Tavern in the do it." Coming, then, to those

Infancy Gospel where the people would have and perhaps did ask them, one would like to

know whether
sanctity has a

the good

man

really did eat locusts,

it

and whether
further,

his

shadow

cast over

from

his diet.

And

how

was

it

possible for a child of tender years to live in the desert all the

as a prophet to Israel ?
St.

years which intervened between his leaving his home, and his return It is well known that the difficulty over

John and

his carnivorous diet

is

chronic in the East

as early as

the time of Tatian and the Eucratites the biblical text was subject to correction by the substitution of a diet of milk and honey for the
offensive locusts.

Even

before Tatian's day, in Greek-speaking circles

in Palestine, the locusts (d/c/DtSes) had been replaced by pancakes Those who held to the milk and honey diet for

(ey/cptSes).

the youthful

saint,

had

to

employ

their

imagination

in a

further

direction, in order

to explain

how

the necessary

and constant milk

it

supply was

to

be obtained

in the desert.

They

settled

by sending

St. Elizabeth into the desert

this

with her son.

Bar

Salibi tells us that

maternal function was discharged for a period of fifteen years, at Now the close of which time we may assume that Elizabeth died.

INTRODUCTIONS
that our writer
fact that

143
is

knows something

of this tradition

clear
;

(i)

from the

reduces the abnormal lactation to three years, which

the East
;

Elizabeth actually takes her son into the desert (ii) that he is not unusual in
(iii)

which he
story

dilates as

he has a special death in the desert for Elizabeth, over Browning might have done if he had known the
of

and been enamoured

John and

the theme.

For other and

reader

similar

explanations of St.

his locusts, the

may

refer to

my

book,

Epkrem and the

Gospel, pp. 17-19.

The Apocryphal

expansions for which

we

have found the motive

deserve a closer attention.

Our

writer oscillates

between a carnivorous

and a vegetable diet. First he will have the locusts, and then again he disowns them. We are told that the blessed John wandered in
'

the desert with his mother, and God prepared for him locusts and wild honey as food. But after the death of his mother, when John was only seven years and six months old, the writer says that John
'

lived in great asceticism

and devotion.
another

wild honey*
St.

Here

is
!

His only food was grass and solution of the problem how to keep

John a vegetarian The next problem for the thoughtful mind was the question of the burial of the sainted mother by her seven-year-old child. The situation demanded celestial assistance, a theophany, an angelophany,
as well as the aid

which

women

render at such times to the departed.

Our Lord appears on a cloud, accompanied by His mother and Salome, and with attendant 'angels and archangels. This cloud-flying
motive was familiar to the Apocryphal mind. Not only had they Christ's promise that the Son of Man should be seen on the clouds of
heaven, but the descent into Egypt had been explained by the language of the prophet that the Lord should mount on a white cloud and come
into Egypt,

was Mary. So there was no difficulty adest Deus, adest Machina. Jesus, at the age of seven years, orders the obsequies and makes appropriate predictions.
said the white cloud
;

where some

Really the desert which our writer describes was not a very formidable or distant affair. He combines it with the location of
near Jerusalem, which could be reached in a very short The New Testament student space of time without an aeroplane !
will notice that our text interprets
in Luke i. 39, as being a town called Judah, for which the authorities may be consulted on one side or the other. Coming now to the somewhat
15

Ain Karim

iroXw 'lovSa

diffusely

144

WOODBROOKE
we
find ourselves in
It is

STUDIES

treated subject of the relations

circle,

between the Baptist and the Herodian a folk-lore atmosphere with an independent
that Herodias,

development.

commonly supposed

when

she had

received the head of the Baptist, opened the

mouth and pierced with

her bodkin the reproving tongue. In our tale she proposes to cut out the tongue, place the eyes in a dish, and use his long hair to stuff her bolster.

These

incidents,

threatened
in biblical

but

not occurring,

came
and

back as curses are wont to do

and

semi-biblical tales,

attached themselves to the fortune of Herodias,

whose house came

down
that

about her

ears,

and whose eyes

left
It

their sockets.

Then

the

writer shows the motive of his tale.

was the head

of the Baptist

had been

insulted,
fate

the head

whose
it

and was now being avenged. as a sacred relic he now proposed to

And
tell
:

it

was
he
it

for

perhaps had wasion hand

near him
it

when he was

preaching

the people

knew

may even have been on

is

exhibition for the day, as often

happens on the great days

of great saints.

Now

the history of relics

the most

difficult

part of the science

of hagiology.

a long series of volumes running parallel to the history of the church itself. On the other side it is not to be denied that martyrs and holy men had
it is

On

one side

a history of

ecclesiastical lying,

bones,
itself

have a permanence to which the body and which lends themselves to pious remembrance. lays Why should not some of them be genuine ? One reason, of course,
that these bones
claim,

and

no

is

the Baptist's head

the tendency of the relic to multiply, to become ubiquitous. John is a case in Our writer says it was prepoint.

served at Sebaste, which he wrongly identified with Nablus. It is still said to be there. But then it was also preserved in the great Mosque at Damascus, and again in the town of Horns (Emesa).

Our

writer says

it

was preserved

for

400

years at Sebaste, and lay

there in peace

till

the time of Julian the Apostate.

Then

in a time of

the imperial rage against the Christians, the churches were desecrated,

and men found

which included
the coffins
of

in the

church at Sebaste two

it

coffins

from the contents,

shirts of camel's hair,

was

inferred that these

were

the

Baptist

and
for

of

Elisha,

the

one having been,

by

the design of

providence

putting things side

by

side that

belonged together, laid

relics

in adjacent

tombs.

So they gathered up the

It

and

secretly sent

them

to Alexandria.
it

does not positively say

elusive head,

that the

head was

there.

In fact

was a very

and had

INTRODUCTIONS
been
its

145
years and crying out

for flying over the city of Jerusalem

many

condemnation of

King Herod and

his lawless marriage.

From

which we may infer, if we please, that no one knows what really became of it There are always various solutions for the history of a it would relic but this does not mean that all relics are unhistorical
:

be more
of

correct to say, with a suitable motion of the eyelid, that all

historical
;

them cannot be
which are

say,

for

example,

all

the

eight-day

clocks

said to

have come over

in the

Mayflower.
It is

But

now

we

are spoiling our story by

modern
to

illustrations.

historical to

supposed Bishop Serapion in the church consecrated at the end of the fourth century.

say that

some

relics

be

of the Baptist, to his

were deposited by

memory in Alexandria

III.

Uncanonical Psalms.

The
if

next contribution to the unedited Syriac literature consists of

intrinsic value,

a group of Psalms, of no special

they
illustrate to us the

but not without interest

wide extent

of the early

hymnology, whether

that of the

Hebrew community

as contained in the conventional Psalter

and assigned to King David or imitated in the early Christian Church under the authorship of King Solomon and the title of his Odes. There is a literary bridge between the two collections in those Psalms
of the Pharisees

which were written a few years before the coming

of

our Lord, and are also dignified with a Solomonic authorship. The most elementary criticism of the Psalter as the term

is

commonly used will show that it is an edited volume, made to order, and limited in its content to 1 50 songs. Even a child of the present age can see, what the prophets and kings of previous critical ages failed
to apprehend, that
it

cannot be
his.
It

all

of

it

Davidic

in origin,

and that
probably
of

perhaps none of

it is

belongs to different ages,

and

is

made
mere

up, like a

modern hymn-book, out

of previous

handbooks

song, covering a period that reached nearly to the Christian era.

fact of
its

The
mis-

numerical limitation

is sufficient

to

show

that

it is

cellaneous in character,

and

contains, in consequence, like all

to

hymn-

books,
that
it

many
has

things

which ought

have been

left out,

left

out a good

many

things that ought to

and by inference have been put in.

146

WOODBROOKE
sets the

STUDIES
in Oriental lore

That simple statement

than that of David.

watchman
is

on the look-

out for appendices to the Psalter, and for a

Indeed, as

more varied authorship well known, the Psalter does not

be heavily Davidized.

profess to be wholly Davidic, even

if it

There

are other suggestions of individual singers

can hardly be neglected.

translators

Perhaps

it

and groups of singers which was that learned group of

call

and higher

Septuagint,

who

first

by the name of the speculated on the situation which provoked the

critics,

whom we

Psalms, and searched the story of David, in order to make him sing the right thing at the right time. There were musical critics, too, as we can see from the head-lines in Moffatt's translation, to tell
us what kind of instruments and

Hebrew

what range

of voices

were proper

for

fellows, no doubt, who did not object to using a hymn-book ascribed to the sons of Korah, because Korah had

any special chant.

Good

disappeared, so they said, in a theologically accentuated earthquake.

But these modifications

as to authorship
;

and musical treatment

left

the

David wrote them, the words expressed popular opinion unchanged his thought and the tunes answered to his harp.

As
"

a Greek
sat

MS.

expresses

it,

which
is

once saw
after

in

Jerusalem

David

on the tower which

named

him

in Jerusalem,

and elegantly composed his Psalms." burdensome belief but then the Psalter

itself is

a burdensome

legacy, from which both the Christian Church and individual believers have suffered much, and from whose dominance the Christian Church
is

made

The observation which we slowly beginning to shake itself loose. as to the over- Davidized head-lines, shows that premature
to theological disaster
;

criticism leads

take,

for instance,

the

Oth

whose Davidic authorship Jesus found himself committed, which becomes the basis for the Session at the Right Hand of the
Psalm, to
Father, and the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek Our reason for referring to these matters lies in the little collection
!

which
is

the first Psalm in the group is not new : it here published sometimes printed as an Appendix to the Psalter, and is known as
is
:

the
for

st.

The reason

for

it is

obvious.

Among

all

the

odd

situations

Davidic psalmody which the

earlier collectors

the Septuagint has conserved, there

triumphal ode over Goliath. Ziphites told Saul that David was

was nothing There was a song

in hiding

imagined and which in the form of a

written

among

them, another

when the when

INTRODUCTIONS
1

147

Joab had defeated 2,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt, while the lovely 34th Psalm is said to be the work of David when he escaped
arrest

by pretending
it

to

be

mad

but no

word about Goliath

The

Sunday
parently

schools of that

was a Greek hand

It isn't

Apday must have resented the omission that rectified it and put it as an
!

Appendix

to the completed collection.

Not

that

it is

ever going to be

main purpose is to deep enough We do not rectify an omission, which it does awkwardly enough. Greek into think it has a Hebrew original from it passed probably
said or sung.
for that.
Its
;

Syriac, as

we

have

it

before us.
it

In the

West

it

does not seem to have

of

had much acceptance, but

taste to

may

interest
it

some persons

antiquarian

know

that, in the last century,

was rendered

into

Lowland

Scottish

by Dr. Hately Waddell.

PREFACES, EDITIONS, AND TRANSLATIONS. BY A. MINGANA.

(z)

Jeremiah Apocryphon.

PREFATORY NOTE.
the following pages
I

give the translation (accompanied

IN

critical

apparatus)

of

a rather

strange

by a work purporting to
in

contain the history of the events that preceded and followed

the deportation of
edition

the

Jews
:

to Babylon.

have followed

my

two manuscripts

Paris

65

and Mingana Syr. 240,

in the

custody of the Rendel Harris Library, Birmingham, designated hereafter by the letters P. and M. respectively. P. is dated 905 of the
1

Greeks (A.D. 1594), and M. has lost its colophon, but on palaeoThe former graphical grounds may be ascribed to about A.D. 1650.

was

written at

Hamat, and
attention
all

the latter

was

recently acquired
to
to

by
2

me

in
3

Kurdistan.

No

has

been

paid

Paris

238,

273,

and 276, 4 because

offer the best

the above

MSS. seem

contain only

two

different recensions of the story,

and Paris 65 and Mingana Syr. 240

specimen of each recension. I have added to the following pages the reader will conclude that I believe that P. which is now in Garshuni was

From

footnotes that

transcribed from a

MS.

written in Arabic characters and executed in

The same, however, could not be said of M. This fact Egypt. induces us to suppose that the two recensions of the story referred to
above may provisionally be divided
Syrian, Palestinian, or
into

an Egyptian recension and a

Mesopotamian

recension.

The discrepancies and

verbal differences which characterise the

two

recensions are profound

and unmistakeable.
I

first

tried to establish

from

all

the above

MSS.

a good text for

the body of the story and relegate the numerous variants to the foot1

P. 32 in Zotenberg's catalogue. P. 191 in Zotenberg's catalogue.

P. 2 1 2 in Zotenberg's catalogue.

(The MS.

is

dated

1785

of the

Greeks (A.D. 1474).)

3

P.

214

in

(The MS. is of the sixteenth century.) (The MS. is of the seventeenth Zotenberg's catalogue.
148

century.)

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
notes, but in the course of

149

my

transcription

discovered that the plan

best
edit

was impracticable, and I was driven to the conclusion that the method to give an adequate idea of each recension would be to
separately
all

the text of

its

best

specimen, and

this is the

reason

why
set of

the reader finds for his guidance in the present

facsimiles of all P.

work a complete

and

of all

M.
note

The same
all

to

me

in the translation.

To

presented itself the variants of each recension

difficulty
I

seemed
the

to

me

to

be cumbersome and

useless, so

confined myself to

refer in short notes only to the

two MSS.

In a

few cases the

most important variants exhibited by translation represents a combinastill

tion of both P.

more the orthographical

and M. and the purely verbal discrepancies and variants have been completely ignored.
in the story
is

The Arabic used

more
I

correct than that used in the

grammatically and lexicographically " " Exhortation to Priesthood which

it

edited

and translated on pp. 97-120, but

is

still

much below the

1

If it standard of what a good piece of classic Arabic should be. comes to be established that the Arabic text is a translation from a

foreign language

an opinion to which

cannot subscribe

tempted

to assert that the story

was

originally written in

might be Greek, from

I

which

it

was

translated into Syriac,

and

that the Syriac gave rise to the

recension represented by

M.

As
it

to the recension represented

was

possibly translated either direct from

Greek

or

by P. it more probably from

a Coptic intermediary, before

copyists.
I

came under the

late that

influence of the Syrian

was not aware

till

very
in

P. had been transcribed in

Arabic characters and translated

404, and 19! 1, pp. 128-143. by a more critical edition.

R.O.
to

1910, pp. 255-266, 398lost nothing,

The MS.

has

however,

The
either in

story

itself

appears to

me

emanate from a man

who

lived

Egypt or in Western (not Eastern) Palestine.

TRANSLATION.

We
Israel to

will write concerning

the deportation of the Children of

of the

Babylon

at the

hand
3

King Nebuchadnezzar

in the

days
1

of the

prophet Jeremiah.

we
of

..."
3

the most important mistakes have been corrected in the footnotes. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, one God, will begin by the assistance of God and His help to narrate the history

Only
P.
:

"

P. adds

"
:

May

his

prayer protect us and you.

Amen."

150

WOODBROOKE
And
the

STUDIES
x
:

word

of

God came

"

to the prophet Jeremiah saying

Say
Israel,

to the
'

King Zedekiah and to the people of the Children of 2 Why do you add sins to your sins, and iniquity to your

iniquity ?

My
If

sayings.
if

eye has seen your deeds, and my ear has heard your you had fasted, I would have been merciful to you ; and
I

you had prayed,

would have

listened

to you,

says the

Lord

You have not fasted to me, nor have you stretched hands towards me, but you have fasted to Baal and prayed to your Zeus, and you have forgotten the Lord God of Abraham and said,
Omnipotent
'

Who

is

the

God

'

of Israel ?

You

have been unmindful of

all

my

goodness to you when I took you out of the land of Egypt, delivered 3 you from the servitude of Pharaoh, and smote the inhabitants of
cared for you like a tender mother cares for her virgin daughters until she delivers them up to the bridegroom, in order that no harm may befall you in all your ways. "

Egypt with plagues.

5

have

glorified

you above
I

people,
full of

O Children of Israel.
scorpions

and

vipers,

you my have brought you out of a wilderness and made you dwell in the desert forty
all

nations,

and have

called

years while your dresses did not wear out, your shoes were not torn
up,

and the

hair of your heads did not

of time your clothing did not

grow up, and show any dirt on it.

in all that length

bread of angels from heaven, while a column of light by night, and a cloud protected you by day. I guarded you with my right hand and my holy arm, and delivered you from the hands of

gave you the shone upon you

I

your enemies and made you possess that for which you had not toiled. I took you out of the depth of the sea, and you beheld your enemies I sent down behind you standing by the sea like statues. angels from

heaven to

assist

you

in crossing the
its

middle of the
6

sea,

and drowned

the chariots of Pharaoh in

I ordered depth with promptitude. the abysses to cover them, and made you enter a land for which you had not toiled, a land that flows with milk and honey, and put your

fear in the hearts (of your enemies).

"

After

all

these things
'

which
is

my name and
1

said,

There

did for you, you have forgotten no God but Baal and Zeus.' You
I

Note

the Biblical parallelism of the following lines.

:

J 3
5

Read

taziduna

in

M. and dhunuban
*

in P.

P. omits the proper name. " her sons and her ..." P.

P. omits

"

mother."

See Exodus,

XV,

sqq.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
have returned
Baal,
to

151

me

evil for

good, forsaken me, offered sacrifices to

and

immolated your sons

all of

turned

away from me,

and daughters to Zeus. You have you, old and young, and have committed

injustices

against one another.

is

The

seed of adultery has appeared in

If you persist in on you and cause which does not turn back.

your midst, and there

no

just
I

judge among you.

these deeds, says the Lord,

will inflict calamities

my
of

wrath

to flow

like

Your young men

hunger and
at them,

will die smitten

;

thirst

a flowing river with the sword, and your old men your children will be deported while you look
city

and your great

will

be destroyed.

Your

land shall

become a deserted waste, because I lost patience with you, says the Lord Omnipotent. I bore with you so that perchance you may But now I have turned repent and return to me, and I return to you.

my

O
to

away from you. While you were doing my will and were calling me, O Lord, but now were you Lord,' I was listening to you with promptitude and answer Here I am,' nor say, you cry to me I would not
face

"

'

'

would

send

down

to

you dew

in time

and

rain in season.

In the

days when you were obedient to me, all the nations were trembling Each one of you used to chase a thousand, and two put before you.
ten thousand to
halted.
2

flight,

and

my

angels preceded you

all
3

anywhere you
;

But when you offended me, and the sun and the moon mourned

the earth turned against you

over you because they beheld

your prevarication, your worship of

kindled

idols,

and

all

the iniquity

which
4

is

within you, and which you perpetrated before the idol of Zeus.

You

my wrath and" did not return to me, says the Lord OmniGod of Israel.' potent, The prophet Jeremiah rose up then and went to King Zedekiah.

He

saw him

sitting in

the Sun-Gate,

and with him was a company

of false prophets,

who were prophesying falsely to him. When King Zedekiah saw the prophet Jeremiah, he stood up before him and " received him and said to him seer, hast thou the word of God
:

in thy

mouth
"

"
in these
is

days
;

And

him

Here

the

word
page

"

Jeremiah the prophet said to

to

and he narrated
here torn in
s

him the word

of

About a
Deut.

third of a

is

M.
Syr. akhri.

xxxii. 30.

4
5

P. omits the sentence which deals with Zeus.

proper name of a gate dedicated to the deity " P. omits mouth."

Shemesh "

sun."

152

WOODBROOKE
before
all

STUDIES

God

the people.

When

the king heard the words of the

prophet Jeremiah he waxed very angry, and asked the people and the false prophets who were round him whether that young man was

mad.
iron,

And

Hananiah,

the

liar,
'

rose up, put on his

head horns
'

of
:

and began to speak and say, This is what the Lord God says and Thou, king, shall triumph over thy enemies and over these he made a sign to north, south, east, and west and proceeded thus " No one will be able to contradict thee, king, nor dwell in the
"

land."

And

there

was then no word

of

God

in

the mouth of

the prophet Jeremiah.

When
he said
to

the king heard these words from Hananiah, the

all

liar

and

the deceiver, in the presence of

those of
cast

the false prophets his companions,

that

his -servants

Jeremiah and
full of mire,
4

him

into the dungeon, in the lowest

were present: "Take this pit, which is

in

order that he

may

die

no other food should be given

him apart from a little bread and water in order that we may know whether the word of God is with him or not." Then they threw
to

forthwith Jeremiah in the place which the king had designated.

5 Abimelech, a servant in constant attendance on the king, heard that King Zedekiah had thrown Jeremiah into prison, he rose

When

up and inquired after the place where King Zedekiah was staying, and went to him. When the king saw the servant approaching him,
he
"
said to

him
;

"Be
is

welcome,

to-day to us

what

O "faithful
?

servant

thou hast come

:

thy request

And

the servant said to him

king what has the prophet Jeremiah done, that you should have acted with him in this way ? Do you not fear God, O king, in castthe of into the Lord ing prophet prison and in extinguishing the lamp " of Israel which shone on the people of God ? Then King Zedekiah
said to
6

him

Ephti,
1

take

Thou hast done well in reminding me to-day of him, O some men with thee, and go and take him out of prison."

"

Or
P.
:

possessed by evil spirits. Hanina. See Jer. xxviii. 1-17.

3
5

Cf.

P.

Kings xxii. 11. Ephtimelech throughout.

1

See

Jer. xxxviii. 6.

He

is

evidently the same personage as the

one called Ebedmelech

house.

The name

(Jer. xxxviii. 7), an Ethiopian eunuch in the king's given in P. seems to be of Coptic origin and emanates

from a

MS. the archetype of which was written in Egypt. 8 The first half of the name of Ephtimelech, the reading
name
in this sentence.

of P.

M.

does

not mention any

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
Then Abimelech
and repaired him the old
"
did as he
freedom.
rags,

153
1

took with him men, old rags, and strong ropes,

;

to the prison in

and

let

down

which Jeremiah was lying he threw to to him the strong ropes and said
:

Attach these

to your

armholes so that

we may draw you

of prison

up."

He
his

was told, and they drew him out

the

and gave him

"

you whom I have elected and honoured, arise and go for the second time to " Zedekiah and say to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, How

Then

Lord

said to the prophet Jeremiah

'

shed innocent blood, cause pregnant women to miscarry, and take the fruit of their wombs and burn it with fire before the statue of Baal. The blood of those whom you have
long will you
irritate

my

spirit,

unjustly killed cried towards the throne of unjustly treated

my glory,

and the cry

of the

trodden

in

went up to the gates of heaven. Why have you the path of Manasseh and forsaken the ways of David,
If

you persist before me in these deeds, 1 will bring down my wrath and anger on you, and strip you of your glory I will overthrow your throne and give your kingdom to your enemy
your father ?
;

your eyes and place them in your hands, and slay two children and place one at your right hand and the other at your and put a chain round your neck like a dog. In this way your left
will put out
;

who

you

be deported into Babylon, tied to the chariot of the king 2 Nebuchadnezzar, and you will die there while driving the mule that
will
3

pulls the stone of the flour-mill.

into

captivity with you, and Jerusalem foundations, because you have dishonoured
of foreign gods
fathers."
of Israel."

This great people will also be led 4 will be destroyed to its

my name
I

by your worship

and have broken

my

covenant which

made with your

5

All these words

utter

you before the elders

of the children

See

Jer. xxxviii. II.

P. reads

mawdklt and M. kawaniit.

Cf. 2 Kings xxv. 6-7 ; Jer. xxxix. 4-7. 3 In early times (and occasionally also in the present day) the stone that ground the corn in a flour-mill was tied to a chain pulled by a horse or a

mule.
4

zyodh

Curiously enough the name of Jerusalem is generally written in P. with at the beginning, in the Hebrew fashion, instead of an Alaph, in the
fashion.

Arabic and Synac

5

This also denotes a Coptic origin

to the arche-

type from which P. emanates.

M.

nobles, princes (as in the Bible).

154

WOODBROOKE
The
prophet Jeremiah then said
"
:

STUDIES
No,
;

my Lord

and

my God,

Lord

of

mercy and creator

of the universe
is

no,

Lord, do not send

man who hates Thy pious ones, and he will wax angry if I mention Thy name before him, and his anger will be brought to the highest pitch if I mention the name of Thy saints who have been slain and of Thy holy ones who have been stoned.

me

to

King Zedekiah, because he

He

has further sought

my

destruction,

and

if I

go back to him he will

throw
there."

me in the pool of The Lord said

to him.
It
is

mire, in the lowest dungeon,

and
:

shall die

and go
afraid."

" then to the prophet Jeremiah Rise up who send you in my name, and be not

Then
and

the prophet Jeremiah rose up

and went

to

to the people of the children of Israel.

He

King Zedekiah had an audience

with the king, and he related to him

all the words of God. King Zedekiah became exceedingly angry, and ordered the prophet Jeremiah to be thrown for the second time in the lowest cistern, the cistern of

imprisonment of the prophet x Jeremiah, he went to King Zedekiah and saved him like the first time
mire.

When
him

Abimelech heard

of the

and

set

free.

Then
to

the

word
"
:

of

Jeremiah saying
Israel."

God came for Jeremiah whom

utter to

the third time to the prophet

I

have elected,

arise

and go

King Zedekiah and

him the words

fell

of the Lord,

God
:

of

Then
to

the prophet Jeremiah

down

No, because if I mention to Zedekiah, King my him Thy holy name he will wax angry and kill me." Then the Lord ordered the prophet Jeremiah to write down in a book all
his

hands

Him,

worshipped before

Him

and

before the Lord, lifted "

said to

Him

Lord, do not send

me

to

that
to

was revealed

to

him and

deliver

it

to his disciple Baruch," to bring

King Zedekiah. The prophet Jeremiah did what God ordered him to do, and he wrote a letter and sent it to King Zedekiah with his him to read it before him and before the disciple Baruch and ordered

company
1

of the children of Israel. "

:

And

Baruch went

to the palace

and the second rime." M. omits it. name as Yaruth throughout with a ya (instead of a ba) This could have happened only in case the Paris MS. at the beginning. which is now written in Garshuni was emanating from an original which was written in Arabic characters, because it is in Arabic characters only that the letters ba and ya have graphically the same form and are only distinguished by a small dot which is generally omitted in old MSS.
P. adds
2

P. writes the

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
of

155

the king

whom

he saw

sitting

with his

stood before him with the letter in his

He boon-companions. hand, and uttered the words of

God.
with

When

the king heard the speech of the disciple Baruch he

became exceedingly angry, took the letter from him, and burned it He also fire that he made there before all the children of Israel.

ordered at once Baruch, the disciple of the prophet Jeremiah, to be 1 and asked him where (his and he was cruelly lashed flogged
master) lived.

The

disciple told the king his master's whereabouts,

and the king ordered chains and fetters.

that he should be brought before

him bound with

a

The

servants

went out

to look for

him and they found him

leaves.
2

in

sepulchral crypt braiding fresh twigs

and

They

seized

him

forthwith and did with

him what the king had ordered them

to
3

to do,

When he stood before King Zedekiah. the king, Satan filled the latter's heart and he began to gnash his teeth " I will shed at him and said to him your blood and pour it in the
and they presented him
:

plate from

which

eat,

will deliver

your

flesh to the birds of

heaven

and your bones

to the carnivores of the earth, for the written

words

that your disciple uttered before me.

What
4

is

between

Jeremiah, that

you should prophesy falsely

'

against

me and you, me and against

my kingdom and

be taken from you and your throne shall be overthrown, and the people shall be deported ' and Jerusalem shall be destroyed to its foundations ? I swear to you
say,
shall

Your kingdom

by the

great gods Baal

and Zeus that

finish

shall

torment you with a

grievous torment, and not

the lowest pit of the prison,

but shall cast you into you and see whether your words will apply to
off quickly,

me

truly or not."

The
thrown

king ordered him to be tied hands

into the pit

and

feet

with iron and

which he had named

he further ordered that

no bread and water should be given to him, in order that he may die of hunger and thirst. The prophet Jeremiah turned then towards the
king and said to

"

him before the people

years on behalf of

of the children of Israel

May God
out of
3
.

judge between thee and me,

prophesied for

many

King Zedekiah I have the Lord, and no lie has ever

;

come
3

my

mouth, and thou art throwing

-

me

for the third rime

omits.

M.

omits the

last

two

sentences.

For basket making.

M.

omits the adverb.

Read/mz

(or fay a in P.

156
in

WOODBROOKE
wishing

STUDIES
me
to die there.

prison, in the lowest pit,

Thou

hast

confidence in the false prophets

who

prophesy

to thee falsely.

This
*
:

being the case listen to the words of God which are in my mouth " Thou hast angered me with thy iniquitous deeds, 2 and I shall turn my face away from thee and from the people of the children of
Israel.

king of

wrath and anger against this land, and the the Chaldeans shall come with men as numerous as locusts,
I

shall kindle

my

and

shall dismantle

Jerusalem

and

fix

foundations the rampart of the city of his throne in its midst. And thou, King
to
its

thou seest these things with thy eyes, pangs of travail 4 will take possession of thee like a woman who gives birth to a child.

Zedekiah,

when

Thou

shalt

extend on thy bed and cover thy face with thy mantle

as with a shroud, and thy servants will carry thee on their necks like a corpse and run with thee towards the Jordan in order that they may God then will move the hearts of the servants cross it and save thee.

Nebuchadnezzar, find thee, and they

of

who

will seek thee in thy

bed-chamber and not

river

will follow thee

and overtake thee on the

face,

and and thee to Nebuchadnezzar, the present strip king of the Chaldeans, and thou shalt see his eyes with thy eyes, and He will put a chain round thy mouth shall speak with his mouth. thy neck like a dog, bring thy two sons to thy presence, and slay one
Karmlis
;

they will

throw thee on the ground, uncover thy

thee of thy mantle,

at thy right

hand and the other

in thy hands,
tied to his chariot,
shalt

at thy

left.

He

will put out thy eyes

and place them

of

Babylon,

head.

Thou

and carry thee with him to the countries 6 with mud, mire and ashes on thy eat bread, weeping and sighing, and shalt drink
shalt die there while driving the

water with

grief

and hardship, and

mule that

pulls the stone of the flour-mill."

When
to

Jeremiah finished these words he was seized by the servants

do with him what King Zedekiah had ordered.

a
for fay a in
first

And

the prophet

P.
into

Change
ar-radlyah.
3 5

the

ya
"

rot.

The

correct form should have been

M.
"

has the incorrect al-ayadi.

4 Read al-lati. The word seems to be

Read sur in M.

of Greek origin. Written as Karlis in M. in the document should referred to be the that It is somewhat strange Jordan was of course overtaken in the plain o Zedekiah word. this uncommon by

Jericho.
6

P. wrongly

"

mud."

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
:

157

Leave him until he utters all that he King Zedekiah said While the prophet Jeremiah was left alone he turned has to say." " Listen to what to all the people standing before the king and said
:
:

" Have a little patience Jeremiah said to the servants of Zedekiah with me until I finish the words of God which are in my mouth." "

And

Lord Omnipotent says protected your fathers when I took them out of the land of Egypt, but because you have forgotten the
the
:

'

great goodness

with a

much

did to your fathers in the desert, you shall be requited When I took your fathers out of the land greater evil.
I

and they dwelt forty years in the desert, their not wear out, their shoes were not torn up, and the hair of
of Egypt,

dresses did
their

heads
in the

did not grow.

You, however,
"

shall

be deported and

shall

be

way

to

your destination

only a month and your dresses shall wear

;

out and become

like old skins

they shall tear up, and you shall sew

of
alfa,

them with cords made

leaves.
like

of palm-tree fibres,

and palm-tree

your shoulders the hair of women, and instead of the column of light which shone
to
shall

The

hair of your heads shall

3

come down

upon your
you
the night,

day and night and went before them in their way, be deported and walk in the heat of the sun and the cold of
fathers

and you
*

shall experience the

I

most intense heat of the

shall order the

summer and
that

severe cold of the winter.

moon and

the stars which

shine at night not to shed their light on you, in order

in darkness.

you may be

You

shall

crawl on your hands in

groping your way, and shall stumble on one another with vehemence,
intense pains,
'

and

bitter

weeping.
after bread,

You

shall

hunger
'

and

thirst

after water,

and you

Thou art just, O Lord, and Thou hast done say, Thou hast acted towards us according to everything with wisdom our merits.' Instead of the manna and the quails which God sent to
shall sigh

and
5

your

fathers,

and the sweet water which

rock, there shall descend

He

caused to
6

jet forth

for

them from the

dust,

on you

from heaven, earth,

inflict

and a
sores,

fiery

wind

that will cling to your

that

bodies and
heal.
I

on

wounds, and blisters your drinking water brackish and

them

do not

shall

render

bitter in

your mouths,

in order to

Read abaakum, Read taskunun in P., and 3 Read abaikum in P.

5

put the particle

*
6

Lit as

we

acted.

lam before the verb. Read -#/-/// tudiu. Read 'tUatkxm'm P.

12

158

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

and dry up your bones. Instead of the light of the sun that (God) caused to shine on your fathers, you shall have You shall remain seventy lice and vermin to consume your bodies.
desiccate your bodies

years in the captivity

turns

and servitude

of the

Chaldeans

until the

Lord

His wrath away from you."

the prophet

When

Jeremiah finished

Zedekiah and

to the elders

surrounding him, they cried Zedekiah.' The king then ordered the prophet to be cast into the in the place where the cistern of mire was found. The dungeon,
description of this

King and princes of the people who were one and all, saying, Long live thou King
'

all

these

words

to

dungeon
until

is

that people
it
;

walked three hours underits

ground glass bowl

1

in the
;

dark

they reached
to of mire

sides

were as

thin as a

no one was able

;

stand in that place, except on the

joint of his knees

it

was

full

and

pitch

which reached the

armpits

of a

man.

And

the prophet Jeremiah remained in that

days 2 Abimelech, the servant of the king heard the story of the prophet Jeremiah, he visited him every day, by giving a denarius to

place for several

in great pains.

When

the gaoler in order to

let

him

enter,

and gave the prophet Jeremiah

his master.
3

bread and water, and then returned to

He

did

this

for to

twenty-one days, after which he went to King Zedekiah and said

him

"I

felt

the necessity of presenting myself before you for the

4

sake of the prophet Jeremiah. Was it not sufficient for you, king, to imprison the prophet of God a first time and a second time, that you

should have thrown him a third time into prison ? You have extinguished the lamp of the children of Israel, which was shedding light on the and he did not speak before thee except what God people of God
;

had revealed
take
in

to him." in

Then

the king said to him,

"

Abimelech,
up, go

you have done well

reminding

me

of

him to-day

rise

and

men

a house

with thee and draw him out of the dungeon, and place him until we ascertain if his words are true or not, and test the
;

truth of his sayings."

1

M.
P.

the hands.

P.

the boon-companion.

8
4

And
and

The

his master had eaten. parts of the fruits of which " " is to persuade verb akna'a used here for kafa
this
is

"to be

sufficient,"

Arabic version
is
5

induces us to suppose that the original from which the The particle of the interrogative alam derived was Greek.

missing in P. but is

found in

M.
worded
in the

The above

sentences are often differently

MSS.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON

159
1

Abimelech went then immediately and took with him two servants from the palace of the king, and drew up the prophet Jeremiah from the dungeon, after he had spent there twenty-one days,

and placed him

Jeremiah
said

in

to

Abimelech

a house of peace and " 2 : Blessed

rest.

Then

the prophet

be thou,

Abimelech, because thou hadst pity on

me

in the time of

my my

child
trials.

Thus
His

says the

trouble, or in

He who does good to those in Lord Omnipotent, prison, and to the poor, God will remember him with
'

grace,

and with His help and

assistance.
child,

Thou

shall

not see

the destruction of Jerusalem,

O my

and thou
die,

shall not

go to the

hardship of the captivity

thou shall not

bul shall live until ihe

Lord

lurns

away His

wrath.

The

sun shall nurture ihee and ihe

shall sleep

firmamenl

shall

rear ihee,

and ihe earth on which ihou

shall

shall give ihee rest,

and ihe slone

prolecl ihee from ihe cold of

ihe winler and ihe heal of ihe summer,

and pleasure for seventy years and rebuilt as it was before."

After
this

until

and ihy soul shall be in joy ihou seest Jerusalem in its glory

King Zedekiah returned to sin before ihe Lord, and he enlered ihe house of ihe Lord and look oul ihe Iwo columns of marble which gave lighl in il wilhoul a lamp and placed ihem in ihe
4

temple

before the stalues of

plales

Baal and Zeus, and he carried ihe

precious and holy

lo ihe place

where he used

lo

sil

and drink
6

wilh his concubines.

He

pulled
il

down

ihe allar on which sacrifices

were

offered,

and he made

belongs lo

Baal and Zeus.

a lable lo himself in ihe lemple which He broughl oul also the ark of the
7

covenanl, and oul of ihe gold of ihe candle-stick

he made a crown

which he placed on ihe head of ihe idol. He ordered lhal oxen should be offered lo Baal ihe idol, and summoned ihe pregnanl

women

in travail

and commanded
sacrificed

lhal iheir offspring should be laken

oul of iheir

wombs and
"

on the

fire

to

Baal and Zeus.

s

He

also ordered lhal all children

1

from Iwo years old and under

"

should

P. omits

two."

Curiously enough P. also has here M. omits the last sentence.

4

Abimelech."
in

M.

"
says
:

he brought them to the house

which were the

idols Baal

and Zeus."
5

Read
P.

the

word with a sad

instead of a sin in P.
8

6
7

Sic. P., but

M. again as above. manzarah and M. better mariarah.

See Matt

ii.

16.

160

WOODBROOKE
and
their
1

STUDIES

likewise be sacrificed

blood taken and offered to Baal and

Zeus.

In that very day the earth shook and and the Lord thundered from heaven and

its

(four) points quaked,

his

wrath spread over

all

He ordered the angel of anger to come down to it with fury, and had it not been for the intervention of the angels and the holy ones who knelt down before the Lord and besought Him to
the earth, and
turn

away His wrath from His

2

people,

all

would have
and
their

perished.

The Lord
tions,

perceived the odour of their sighing

holy lamenta-

had mercy upon the people of Abraham, 3 removed His wrath and did not destroy them.

Isaac,

and Jacob, and

And
'

the

word

of

God came
:

to the prophet Jeremiah,

'

saying,

Here Jeremiah, Jeremiah,' and he answered, And the Lord said to him "I have sworn that I

am,

Lord.'

my
told

wrath, and
it

say to

you

that

to you.

Were

it

not for

Jerusalem none of its inhabitants have destroyed it to its foundations, because

tears over the innocent blood of

shall not remove do anything before I have 4 your prayers that have surrounded would have been alive, and I would
I

shall not

my eyes

are covered with

;

the children that has been shed

5

they cry and say,

'

Avenge our

blood.'

Lo, concerning

this

people
:

among whom you live examine the three following punishments do 6 you wish me to order Satanael, the angel of wrath, to destroy them
and exterminate them from
old
their

them and

men and young men ? to command heaven which

is

young ones to their adults, with their Or do you wish me to inflict famine on
is

above them

to

become

brass

and the earth which

below them to become

fruits

iron, so that

no dew
;

may
I

fall

from heaven and no

all

should come from the earth

and

shall destroy

the trees
eat

and annihilate

their storehouses that are

full

so that they

may

one another and

"

fall in

the streets of the city

M. omits Zeus. 3 M. omits all the 5 The meaning of

"

last

sentence.

Read tasa'udat Read al-lati.

in P. as follows

in P.

the sentence
It is

is literally

"
:

He who

is
:

a sinner let us sin " who went

(sic).

altogether missing in

M. and

P. adds further
is in it

And
8

down

to hell that

we may know

that there

grievous
Charles'
livre des

torment?"

About Satanael see the Book of the Secrets of Enoch in Apocrypha and Pseud, ii. 439 and passim, and the Ethiopic Le
Mysteres
in

in Pat. Or.

iii.

Pat. Or. i. 73. 132-133.

See

also Severus ibn al-mukaffa',

Refutation

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
from hunger and
zar
thirst ?

161

Or do you wish me
to

to allow

Nebuchadnezover them for

Babylon King seventy years, and they be

is

who

of

subdue them and lord

it

slaves of the

Chaldeans to the point of

that
I

destruction,

in

order that they

"

may know

am

the

God who

hold their

spirits in

my

hands

When
he
"
fell

the prophet Jeremiah heard these words from the Lord, down in worship on his face before Him and wept and said :
of all

God

mercy
Look,

Thou
to

art the

God

of gods

and Creator

of

the universe.

Lord, upon the children of

Thy

servants

Abraham,
shall

Isaac,

and Jacob
let

whom Thou
:
;

sworest that their seed

be

like the stars of

all,

heaven

no,

one and

and

not the angel Satanael

Lord, do not destroy them come down on them

because he will not leave a single one of them. oath that Thou sworest to our father Abraham,
'

Where

is'

the

Thy

beloved, in
if

saying to

Him,

Thy

seed shall not cease under heaven,' and

Thou

sendest against

from sending
children of

down

them famine and dearth, and Thou restrainest heaven its dew, and the earth from yielding its fruit, the
servants will perish from the surface of the earth,

Thy
shall

and where
Israel in

be the covenant that

'

Thou

gavest to

Thy

servant

saying to him,

Thy

children shall remain for ever

and ever/
I

And

do not be angry,
at

Lord, because of the ill-treatment that

receive

the hands of

Thy

servants

3
:

Thy

people

who

sinned

If Thou orderest for them, Lord, a deportation by against Thee. Nebuchadnezzar and a captivity to Babylon, verily a father chastises

his sons

and a master
the

his servants."

Then
long of

of the angels,

Lord summoned forthwith the angel Michael, the head " and said to him Arise and go to Nebuchadnezzar,
:

Go to Judea, to the city of Babylon and say to him and hand and the hand of the Chaldeans who Jerusalem, spread thy
*
:

are with thee over

its

land,
it

and bring

into captivity all the inhabitants

of the land of Israel, lord

over them, and take them to the land of

the Chaldeans, and

adults shall

enslave

them there

for

seventy

years.

Their

wood and draw

1
-

do brickwork and clay work, and their old men shall hew water, and their women shall spin and weave
1

Gen.
Lit.

xxii.
is

7.

A word "
:

P. exhibits

missing at the beginning of the sentence in P. because of the affair that I have with Thy servants." " Do not be angry with me."

Further,

162

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

wool, and they shall show thee their work every day, and thou shall make accounts with them as if they were slaves. Act, however, with

mercy and

justice

towards them, because

"

(in the

end)

shall

have pity

upon them.' Michael worshipped then the Lord immediately and went in haste to Babylon, which he reached in that very night. He nudged
Nebuchadnezzar the king in the right side and said to him " Nebuchadnezzar, arise quickly so that I may speak with you." When Nebuchadnezzar awoke from his sleep and saw the angel of
:

with shining eyes like the star of the morning, with a spear in his hand, with loins girded with a sword, with feet covered with hot 1 " Woe polished brass, and with a terrifying speech, he said to him
:

God

is

me,

my

master, because in no time have

2

seen the like of you.

Are you
the

not one of the gods of Babylon ?

God who

every thing ? God, but His servant.

Or perchance are you heaven and established the earth, and fashioned spread " And the angel answered him saying " I am not
:

am

one

of the seven angels

who

stand

before the throne of the

says, 'Arise with
all

Lord God, and here is what the Lord God your might and with the Chaldeans, and
the land of Judea

spread your hand over

all

and deport
and

its

inhabitants

and bring them

you
:

to the land of Babylon.

And

they shall

be slaves to

their

adults shall

work

at

clay

and

bricks,

their old shall spin

men

and weave wool, and they shall bring in their work every day like slaves, and you shall settle their accounts, but show mercy towards them. I
shall

hew wood and draw

water, and their

women

have delivered them to you for punishment, and " pity on them for ever and ever.'

after that

shall

have

And Nebuchadnezzar said to the angel Michael " Woe is me, O my master, the Lord has perchance waxed angry with me because of the great number of my sins, and He wishes me to go to foreign lands in order to destroy my life in them do destroy me with your
:

hand

this

would be more advantageous

for

me

than that

and

all

who

are with

me

should die in a foreign land.

is

Who

is

the king of

Babylon, and who

1

Nebuchadnezzar before the people

in

of

God

the

M. which god are you ? See about the seven angels the Book of Enoch in Charles' Apocrypha and Pseud, ii. 201.
P.
:

hot.

Read maskul

M.

M.

omits

"

for erer."

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
Most High
fight the
?

163

And who am
God
?
Is it

that

should go to Jerusalem and

people of

not the people

l

whom

Pharaoh

fought,
?
Is

and
it

God drowned him in not the people whom the

way
five nations

the abysses, and water covered

him

Amorites

fought,

and they

all

perished ?

were destroyed before them." Who am I Lord, that I should fight a just people and conquer it, a then, them any material people who when they go to war do not take with out their of war, but, if they stretch hands, angels help them from
In this

heaven and

fight

on

their behalf ?

the angel Michael said to Nebuchadnezzar : Every thing 4 of the commandments who is true. said keep Every people you 5 but if forsake His them overcome to able is ; they God, no one

And

"

commandments and His law, He delivers them into the hands of their Now, this people have enemies, and they perish at their hands. " arise thou, then, and sinned, prevaricated, and increased their iniquity
;

destroy them that they may know that God is the only one that lasts When the angel Michael finished his words to for ever and ever." his hand, anointed him, and fortified stretched he Nebuchadnezzar,

him

against the (Jewish) people, and went up to heaven. After the angel Michael had gone, Nebuchadnezzar arose and 7 went to his wife Hilkiah whom he awakened from her sleep. He

narrated to her

all

that the angel

had

told him.
8

When
and

she heard

those words from

him she was

greatly perplexed
:

fell

down 9

" Woe is me, my lord, and weeping, and said to Nebuchadnezzar 11 my brother take me with thee wherever thou goest, because I
llj ;

shall not

see thee another time.

Who

is

the king

who

fought this

Dost thou not know that this is the people people and was saved ? of God, and that everything that they ask from God they obtain it
forthwith

?"

12

And

Nebuchadnezzar

said to her

"
:

It is

their

God

Read Amoraniun.
It is

M.

omits

all this

sentence.

quickly Nebuchadnezzar became versed in the Jewish history and in the knowledge of the true God. 4 5 Read sha bin in P. Read ahadun in P.
surprising
l

how

6 7

The
In

last

two verbs are not found

"

in

M.
s

M. Helkenah.

Read
P.
"

idtarabat in P.

9
II
12

P. wrongly

went out." Read tadhhab in P.

10

when."

The knowledge of the Queen Helkenah or Hilkiah concerning the Jewish people is as accurate and perplexing as that of her husband
!

164
that has delivered

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES
"
:

them up to me." And she said to him my if thou goest lord, listen attentively to what I am going to say to thee to fight them, take with thee a ram, and when thou art near the city of
:

Judea
3

alight

from thy chariot, lay the sceptre of gold

that

is

in thy

hand on

the head of the

ram and

let it

go

if it

take the direction of

;

Judea, follow it, and know that the Lord has delivered them up to thee but if the ram does not proceed forward to Judea but turns its face

towards Babylon, return thou with it and fight not the people of God if you are like the number of the sand of the sea not a single soul will
;

return alive with thee."

When
from
her,
5

the wife said these

words

to the king,

he accepted them

and he rose forthwith and summoned

to

Isarus,

and narrated

them

all that

God
:

Cyrus and had promised him through

his generals

His
It

angel.

And

they said to the king

"

May

you

live

for ever

is their God that is This people has sinned angry with them. send therefore at once a messenger to Zedekiah, king of Jerusalem, to convey to him words of conciliation, and despatch gifts with him, and
;

make
listen

inquiries

whether

his

people have worshipped foreign gods and

forsaken the words of the Lord, and whether they have refused (to
to) the prophets

who were

with them and

who

interceded with

the Lord on their behalf. If not, do not proceed to their land, as He has destroyed others who fought them, and fire will come down on us from heaven and consume us along with our land."
(

These words pleased King Nebuchadnezzar, who

a messenger
'

sent forthwith

from

his generals,

men, and he wrote with him a

gifts

letter to

accompanied by a thousand horseKing Zedekiah, and despatched

8

a great quantity of carmine, gold, and frankincense. The general departed then for Jerusalem with his party. When he reached it, King Zedekiah was informed that the messenger of
to

him

He at once went out Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had arrived. to meet him, surrounded by the women of the children of Israel
dancing
before their king.

Then King Zedekiah dismounted and

gifts

received the general of the king (of Babylon) and accepted the
1

P. omits P.
"

"

of gold."

M.

omits

"

let

it

3 5
7

the holy city."

Read biwajhihi

in

go." P.

M.

Sharus.
last

A leaf

is

here missing in
ii.

M.

Read rasulan. Compare the two

named

gifts

with Matt.

11.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
from him.

165

He

took the gold and of

;

it

he made a crown which he

as to the frankincense he burnt it placed on the head of the idol He was also pleased with the letter of the before Baal and Zeus.

King Nebuchadnezzar, and he wrote

his letter in the following terms
:

to

him

to

Babylon an answer to

"
of

Zedekiah, King of Judea, writes to Nebuchadnezzar, King This peace exists Peace be with you. Babylon, thus
' :

between you and me.

"

My

gods are your gods, and your gods

are

my

gods.'
letter,

He

sealed the

handed

it

to

the general, and despatched

When the priests of Baal, the with him gems and precious stones. " 1 Where is Jeremiah who idol, heard (this) they said to the king
:

'The land?'"
said,

king of

Babylon

shall

come and

take possession of this

A few days later the general reached

horsemen

Babylon with the thousand

its

who
like

were with him, and handed to Nebuchadnezzar the

answer

to his letter.

When

the king understood

like the

meaning perfectly

he roared

a lion and neighed

his retinue

horse which pulls the wheel,

at

and

said to

Cyrus and

"
:

Prepare
in

once your horses, the

troops and the soldiers." And Nebuchadnezzar went

forth

those days and with

of
six

him

were
were
six

all

the Chaldeans to
six

the

number

hundred thousand

horsemen and
sixteen

hundred thousand
in
all

chariots,

and on each chariot

horsemen,
1

six

thousand thousand thousand, and

shields,

hundred thousand, with spears, weapons, and leather and they marched on the right hand of the king and on
until

his

left,

they reached the partition of the roads between Babylon and

Jerusalem.

himself of the royal robe,

There Nebuchadnezzar alighted from his chariot, stripped removed the crown from his head, brought

the sceptre of his kingdom, and put it on the head of the ram. The ram took immediately the road of Judea, and the direction of Jerusalem. The king then said to all who were with him " I am very much
:

surprised, but the Lord

me."
1

Then
There

has delivered the (Jewish) people to 4 the king ordered that his ram should be brought to him

God

Read sami'a.
all

is surely much exaggeration in stand the computation given here aright.

3

'

these numbers,

if

we

under-

Read

muta'ajjibun.

Read kabshahu.

166
and placed
l

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES
;

on the sceptre of his kingdom pitched in the ground and then he placed his robe at his right hand, and removed his crown and laid it under his feet, and he turned his face towards the direction of " 2 God whom I do not know, God of the pious the east, and said
:

Hebrews, and
I

of

Abraham,
4 I

Isaac

am
8

not worthy to pronounce with

that

and Jacob, God whose name that mouth has sinned and my my
I

lips

have deceived.

am

afraid that thou shouldest not deliver

the (Jewish) people to

me

because

am

a sinner.

My

sins

and those

of my people have perchance increased before Thee." Then he " 5 God of Israel and God of heavens and earth, whose proceeded 6 has reached name me, the unworthy servant, God who has power
:

over heavens and earth,

that

beseech thee,

Lord, to

tell

me whether
angel,

man who came

it is

whether

Thy
7

my house and nudged me is will that I should fight this people.

to

Thy
I

and

implore

Thee

to give a sign to this effect to

me and

to these

men who

are standing

before Thee,

because
hast,

am Thy

servant,

Nebuchadnezzar, King of
in the times of

Babylon.

Thou
If
I

Lord, hardened

yore the

heart of Pharaoh, until the sea submerged him and those

who were

with him.

have sinned before Thee, and Thou wishest

my
land

destruction, destroy

me

while

am
;

still

in the borders of

my own

with
i*

all

those

who

are with

me
let

but,

Lord,

if

Thou

truly deliverest

(the Jewish people) to me,

the shade of

my

sceptre return towards

me.

And

at that instant the sun

moved and
his head.
liver of

the shade of the sceptre of

Nebuchadnezzar turned towards

sceptre at his left side
said

(The
8

king) then left the

and the

the goat the

at his right side

and

"
:

Lord

fortify

my

heart."

And

Lord gave him courage

Why
M.
P.

Read yansubuhu. Can the east ?

this

sentence be attributed to a Christian

their face in

The

Christians, as
3 4
5

we

all

know, turned
shafataiya.

prayer towards the

east.

Readfiya and
"
for

my

"And

Here ends the lacuna in lips are dirty." he turned his face towards the east, and

M.
he prayed and

said."
8 7

M. omits. M. "In this ram

Sic both

rerbal discrepancies in all this

8

MSS.

Thee." There are many between the text of the two MSS paragraph " All this P. has erroneously kibarior kabid liver."
that is standing before

is

somewhat obscure.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
and bravery, and he ascertained that people who had delivered them to him.
1

167
of the

it

was the God

Jewish

mercy remembered Abimelech and his kindness towards the prophet Jeremiah in the days in which King
is

And God who

God

of

Zedekiah had imprisoned him in the dungeon. And the Lord did ~ not wish him to be in the captivity of Babylon and in the servitude of
Nebuchadnezzar.
daily habit
3

And
to the

the

servant
his

went
of

garden of

Abimelech according to his master, who was the boon-

companion basket which he

garden

Zedekiah,
filled

in order to bring
figs,

him

fruits.

He

took a

with grapes,

and other

fruits

from the

of his master,

them
still

in order to

and covered them with green foliage, and carried While he was bring them to the house of his master.
the words which

on the

way God remembered

"
*

He

spoke

to the

prophet Jeremiah, that he

nor

shall not see the destruction of Jerusalem,

of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon." under the yoke While he was walking and looking towards heaven, and while the

be

distance (to his destination)

was about an hour's

(walk), he

saw a

cave

in

said to

which there was shade and much refreshing humidity, and he " I have himself gone out before my time, and have not taken
:

to-day bread to the prophet, the man of God, my father Jeremiah ; so I shall sit here awhile and sleep for an hour in this refreshing
shade."

He

therefore repaired towards the shade

it

and

slept
figs,

and he
peaches,

placed the basket near his head, and

was

full

of grapes,

The earth gave him rest, and the pears, covered with foliage. rock of the cave expanded over him and covered him like the roof of
and
a house
;

the

dew

fortified

not hunger nor

thirst,

him and the sun nurtured him, and he did and he was not affected by the cold of the winter
till

nor the heat of the summer

the time
this

when Jerusalem was

to

destroyed

and then

rebuilt

afresh

(all

happened

him) by the great

God, which protected him. this King Nebuhcadnezzar reached Judea, with all his Chaldean generals, and he subjugated all Judea and all the towns round His troops spread over the land of Israel like locusts, and Jerusalem.

power

of

After

Here
It is

Read yurid in P. begins a short lacuna in M. curious that P. should make of Ebedmelech the servant of a boon-

companion of Zedekiah, instead of Zedekiah this boon- companion is given below. 4 See Jer. xxxix. 16-18.

himself.

Even

the

name

of

168

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

they clapped with their hands and danced with their feet and said : " Let us go and fight the Hebrews, plunder their possessions and
destory them, because

people of Israel
to this day.
their

arms against the whom nobody has dared approach and subdue down Their rod was over all the nations by the power of God,
all

other people are

now

in

God who

fights for

them."

Nebuchadand all their nezzar, power was weakened, and the people of Israel became before him like pregnant women at the time of their travail.
of the children of Israel fell before

All the young men

ordered them to gather together before him bound in fetters of iron. He who was on the roof did not come down except with and he who was in the sown field did not enter the city except bonds,
1

He

with

fetters,

and each one

of

them was seized

in the spot

where he

was, and none was left who did not come to King Nebuchadnezzar who had fixed his throne at the gate of Jerusalem, the ramparts of

which he had ordered

to be demolished instantly.
this

When King
on
his

Zedekiah heard

he was greatly agitated and the

pangs of travail overtook

him

like

woman

in labour.

He

stretched

bed and spread

his

mantle over him and covered his face with

a kerchief, like a shrouded

dead man.

His

servants took

him with

the intention of crossing the Jordan with him and fleeing to save him.

King Nebuchadnezzar gave orders that King Zedekiah be brought before him, and Cyrus, his general, went to the residence of Zedekiah, and saw it ornamented with silk, gold, and silver, and his
sleeping
in
it

And

chamber perfumed with incense and was the idol which he used to worship.
Zedekiah,

fine

aloes-wood, put
in

and
the

And God

hearts of the servants of

of

King
1

King and they overtook them with the

4

Nebuchadnezzar to pursue the servants

bed-litter

on

their shoulders in the valley

of the sea of Karmlis.

They threw

Here ends the second short lacuna in M. There are some verbal discrepancies in the above
two MSS.

sentences in the texts

of the
3

M.
"

omits

"

fine aloes- wood."

So we

translate sakir of P.
is
still

which
in

is

obscure.

M.

has safir

"
falling

which except from a

leaves

text

more obscure. written in Arabic

This variant could not have arisen

which the

letters

fa and kaf are

only distinguished by an extraneous dot. 5 This Karmlis in P. and Karlis in M. is given above (p. 1 56) as a river and not as a sea or a lake. What is referred to here may possibly be the Dead Sea or the Lake of Tiberias.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
him from
their shoulders,

169

and took the mantle

:

that

was over him, and

presented him

to

Cyrus the

first

general

of the

King Nebuchadnezzar.
that Zedekiah's eyes

The

latter

summoned

the Chaldeans

and ordered

be put out and placed in his hands, and that his two children be killed and placed one at his right side and the other at his left, and
that a collar

be

tied

round

his

neck

in

order that he

may be

led like a

dog.

They presented him commanded that he should be

as Babylon,

in this state to

King Nebuchadnezzar,
tail

who

attached to the

of his horse as far

and that there he should drive the mule that

pulls the

stone of the flour-mill, and be given for food a small quantity only of

bread and water.

The King Nebuchadnezzar

ordered also that

"

all

the elders of the children of Israel should be bound

and

that their

necks

should be tied to their feet until the bones of their necks were broken,

and that the pregnant women should have stones placed on their wombs until they aborted. The heart of Nebuchadnezzar was hardened against them like the horses which neigh under the wheels, and he said to the Hebrews " Where is Jeremiah, the prophet of God, that I may ask him whether
:

should return to

my

country and to

my

land,

and

inquire of

him

concerning the ark of the Lord, in which are the tables written with
the finger of the Lord, and which,
I

have been

told,

proceeds before

you."

And

the congregation of the

said

children of Israel cried

3

with

weeping and

The prophet has been imprisoned by King Zedekiah, who ordered prophet Jeremiah that no bread and no water should be given to him until he dies."
:

"

Where

can

we

find the blessed

While

the

Hebrews

were saying

this,

lo

spirit

carried

Jeremiah and placed him before King Nebuchadnezzar, and he informed him that the ark was no more because it was on the mountains
of Jericho

and had disappeared owing

it

that

was heaped on
of

to the great quantity of dust 6 the effect of the winds. As to the through
it

tabernacle

the ark

Zedekiah placed
and allow us
to

under the

idol

of

Baal.

Then

the elders of the children of Israel cried and said

"
:

Live,

king, for ever

1

and

ever,

speak before you."

And

Arabic the Grasco-Roman batarikat, " adds by their necks." P. "blesses God whose sons have been imprisoned." 4 5 Read 'ibraniyun. P. he could not find. " 6 P. only And dust was heaped on it by the winds."
In
~

M.

170
Nebuchadnezzar

WOODBROOKE
said to

STUDIES
l
;

them
;

"
:

Speak

it

is

your

God who
"

has

humbled and dejected you who is there to save you ? And they " This prophet whom you have summoned is young, do said to him not listen, therefore, to his words, and be not deceived by his personality,
:

nothing to distinguish him from the other men of his own here there is a congregation of the children of Israel standing age hand to them staves of olive-trees he whose staff comes before you
as there
;

is

into leaf in his

hand

is

the true prophet."

The

king agreed, and

summoned
and
their

before
2

him

all

the

young men
In

of the children of Israel,

number
them

was two hundred and

twenty thousand, and he handed

that very

to

staves of olive-trees.

the angel carried Jeremiah and presented him to King Nebuchadnezzar, while the staff which was in his hand had come into leaf. When the king saw this, he was greatly astonished

moment

and

rose from his throne

and bowed down

:

to the

ground before the

prophet of
has sent

prophet Jeremiah and said to him

"Thou

art the true

God
land

go, therefore,
if

and ask God,

"

if it is

He who

me

to this

not,

shall

decamp away from you."

:

And

the prophet

Jeremiah said to
give

him
rest

Loosen the

fetters of these

bound men and

them a

little

from their pain

until

go and ask the Lord."

King Nebuchadnezzar loosened their bonds, and the prophet Jeremiah went to the temple of the Lord, and saw it sprinkled with
the blood of the young children, and he wept bitterly and said
:

And

God, King

of all kings,

and Lord

of all lords,

3 I

beseech

Thee and

implore Thee to-day

from the height of heavens and show mercy towards Thy people who are under the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, and deliver them from the hands of their enemies and their
to look
haters.

God bowed down on

:

of

mercy and compassion have

ground
voice

pity."

And

he

his face to the

in adoration,

interceding in

favour of the people. " Jeremiah saying

And a whom

came

to

him from the Lord,

sufficiently
4

for

this iniquitous

nation and
I

have elected, thou hast interceded this harsh and insensible

people.

Dost thou not know that

am

a compassionate and merci-

This people numbers more than eight hundred thousand ful God ? 5 thousand souls, and in this sixth hour of the day take a lamp in thy
1

M. adds " what you wish." M. omits. 5 M. " eight hundred thousand and
:

Read wa'adadahum

in P.

M.

omits

all

these adjectives.

eighty thousand thousand."

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
hand and walk
in all

171

Jerusalem and see

justice
all
;

if

among them
go with
servitude

in

whom there is
;

if

thou canst find a single man thou findest such a one, 1 shall

cancel the deportation order for

the people,
findest
shall

and

shall not let

them
is

Nebuchadnezzar

if

thou
I

one whose mouth

the

unpolluted

by and
but

sacrifices

shall

idols, people from l if thou not allow them to go into captivity

to

deliver

findest a single

man who
if

loves his brother

or his friend,

shall

save

them

all

burning lamp on the candlestick, and years have elapsed, when the people

thou findest no one, enter the temple and place the it will not burn out until seventy
shall

my ways, following my When thou hast placed

garment
of light
4

law and not forsaking what

have returned, walking in 3 is due to me.

where they
years."

the burning lamp in its place, remove the from thee, and accompany the people into captivity shall be under the power of Nebuchadnezzar for seventy

When

the prophet Jeremiah heard this from the

Lord he went

Some men from the people out with a burning lamp in his hand. " : father dost thou walk with a burning said to him Jeremiah, why " And he answered "I am in search of a man lamp in daylight ?

in

not able to find any." Some justice " others said to him father Jeremiah why dost thou walk with a
there
is

whom

and

am

"

lamp whose mouth

find any."

in daylight ?
is

And

he answered

"I

am

in search of a

man

unpolluted by sacrifices to idols, and I am not able to " Yet some others said to him Father Jeremiah why
:

am

dost thou walk with a lamp in daylight ? And he answered : "I in search of a man in whom there is love for his friend or his
neighbour,' and
I

"

am

not able to find any."

And
to

Jeremiah searched

among

all

the people, but he

was unable

any man (with the above qualifications). Then he wept and went into the temple of God and placed the lamp to itself on the candlestick and he entered the place 8 in burning which the holy vestments are kept, and brought out the garment of
find
bitterly,
;

1 -

M. omits the second part of the sentence. Read akhahu in P. M. omits it. 4 M. omits the two last sentences. M. "of prophecy." " 6 P. Read birrun. you." " M. omits " friend and " neighbour."
P. "the house of the Lord."

172
the

WOODBROOKE
High
Priest,

STUDIES
terrace of

and he mounted the

the temple
1
:

and
thee
2

addressed the stone which was the head of the corner

I

"To

say that thou hast been a great honour to

3

all

those that surround

art like the eternal

thee and thou hast consolidated them,

and thou
:

Son
the

of

God who
of the
I

shall

come

into the

world

the faithful King, and

4
;

Lord

two

testaments, the old

and the new

for

this

reason

shall say to thee that this

temple
5

shall only
is

to the place of

the corner-stone

this

be demolished up the reason why thou hast

receive the garment

received this honour.

of the

Open now
it

thy mouth and

'

High

Priest

and keep

with thee until the time

God

wishes

and brings back

Israel, his people."

its

The stone immediately opened

coat of priesthood from the

mouth and received the broidered

prophet Jeremiah.

hand

of the

Then he

took the mitre on which was written the

the Omnipotent, which

name
to

of the

Lord Sabaoth,

Aaron and
7

his

sons used to place on their

it

heads
sun
:

at

the divine service,

thee,
I

and

lifted

heaven and said to the

"
I

To

say,

owner

of the great light,

all

and

hidden

chief,

cannot see the

like of

thee in

the creatures of
sides of

therefore the keeper of this

head covering on the

God, be which is

written the

which
place."
1

God

God the Omnipotent, keep it till the day in from captivity the children of Israel to this back brings And he threw the mitre towards it, and a ray of the sun
name
of
xxi.

CI.

Matt
"to

42.

Put
P.

in the feminine
all

form
that

all

the verbs
(sic)

those

sin

against

and adjectives in P. thee and thou

hast

saved

them."

These sentences are to be ascribed to a Christian hand. Luke xxi. 6; Mk. xiii. 2. The corner-stone of the temple seems to be referred by the author to Christ. 6 In the Apocalypse of Baruch (Pat. Syr. ii. 1076-1078) it is the In the Second Book of the Maccabees, Angels who hide the sacred vessels.
5

Cf.

however,
incense.

Jeremiah who hides the ark, the tabernacle, and the altar of See also See Charles, Apocrypha aud Pseud. i. 133-134. In the Words 23. the The Rest Baruch, of p. following pages Harris, of our author seems to be more constantly under the influence of the Last Words of Baruch, and there is no necessity to refer on every occasion to Harris's edition which should be consulted by every reader of the present
it is

Apocryphon. 7 The Arabic kuddas from Syr. kuddash

Mass.
8

is

generally applied to the

M.

heating or protecting.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
took
1

173

it

up.

And

Jeremiah hid

the rest of the belongings of the

house of the Lord.

the Jeremiah finished all this he removed from himself 3 garment of light in the middle of the temple, and put on sackcloth and girded himself with a linen girdle on his loins, and worshipped

When

the Lord before the sanctuary, and

bowed down

his

head

to

the

ground

them upon the door-post and

then he took the keys of the temple of "

said
:

the Lord and threw the temple of the

O threshold of

Lord, receive these keys until the Lord brings back the people from And immediately the high door-post received them from captivity."
the hand of the prophet Jeremiah. After this Jeremiah presented himself to the king of the Chaldeans.
4

When

the people noticed that Jeremiah

was wearing
all

sackcloth,

and and

that his

head was

full

of

earth,

they

cried with wailing

weeping, and threw earth on their heads, because they had ascertained that the Lord had not forgiven them. They were aware of the fact
that

when Jeremiah
if

entered the temple and interceded in favour of

the people,

the Lord had pity on

and

his intervention

on

their behalf,

them and had accepted his prayer he came out to them wearing a

white garment and his head perfumed with scent

down

to his

beard

and the opening

of his robe.

When
"

Ride on thy
J

Jeremiah finished these things, he said to Nebuchadnezzar : chariot and proceed to Babylon, because the Lord has
'

delivered this people to thee for punishment

befall thee."

and no harm

shall

And

Nebuchadnezzar arose

like

a lion and went to

Babylon, his country.

He

ordered his generals and the head of his

the
9

army
1

to gather together all

Jews

and march them

in front of

Here as below (p. 89) it is very difficult to ascertain what the author had precisely in mind when using the words lailasan, kalansuah, isar, mandil, and rida.
1

M. omits the The Talmud

verb.
(Ta'ariith,
c.

M.

"

"

of

prophecy
it

as above.

4, fol.

29) declares that

was

the priests

who

threw the keys towards heaven. So also The Rest of tfte Baruch (edit. Harris), p. 51. See Harris (ibid.), pp. 18-19.
5
6

Words of

M. ashes. M. adds
: :

"

And when
that

his

head they knew

1
-

God had

M.

omits

"

he came out wearing sackcloth and ashes on not pitied them."

s

Read

punishment." al-yahttd in P.

M,

omits

this sentence.

13

174
them.

WOODBROOKE
And
"
:

STUDIES
1

the prophet Jeremiah walked in front of them weeping, 2 When the king noticed him he said with bare feet and a bare head.
to

him

ride with

What fault me but it is

;
J

hast thou,

not

fitting to ride

prophet of God ? Come and with the king while thou art

And the prophet Jeremiah answered him and wearing sackcloth." "I have sinned before the Lord more than all the people by said the living Lord, my God, I shall not remove this garment from me
: ;

until the

Lord

turns

of

His people."

away His wrath and puts an end to Then King Nebuchadnezzar ordered

the captivity
his generals

to

make
4

the prophet Jeremiah ride with them by force.

The Hebrew
pain,

people walked to Babylon in great hardship and

and

in less than a

month

their dresses their shoes

were

spoiled,

and became
their feet,

like old

and worn out

of their

skins,

and

were torn from

and the hair

heads grew up and came down

to their shoulders

like that of women, and the sun scorched their bodies to the point of destruction, and mud and muck mounted their bodies and stuck to

them, and gave

the cold of the
fell

rise to blisters,

moon and

of

wounds, and sores in their flesh and the stars affected them by night until they
;

down on

their faces,

and they

lost

their

way
fell

in the intensity of

darkness that overtook them.

They wept and

upon one
; :

another,

and were on the point of dying from hunger and thirst with a sigh and lifted their eyes towards heaven and said
difference
to
in

they cried " What a

gave Moses, and the spring of sweet water that jetted forth from a rock Instead of this God caused dust to come on them the desert."

between

this

and the manna and the quails which

God

from heaven, and changed the sweet water into a brackish and bitter water, until they were affected with a mange and scab for which there

was no remedy.

The

pregnant

women

aborted

and those who suckled threw

1

their

from the fatigue of the journey, young ones from their shoulders

P. omits
It is

"

weeping."

curious that our author makes Jeremiah go to Babylon instead of

Jeremiah is also staying in Palestine. in Charles' Apocrypha and Pseud,

made
ii.

to

go

485,

to Babylon in 2 Baruch 499, and in Midr. 'Eser

Gainyyot
R

(edit. Griinhut,

iii.

4).

These sentences are not in M. in the place assigned to them by P, and the two MSS. exhibit here considerable verbal differences.
4 5

Read d'ikin and sharrin in P. and dikin only in M. Read tarahna and put all the other verbs and' pronouns

in fern. plur.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON

175

because their breasts dried up from the hunger and thirst that overtook them, and could not give suck to their infants, and they cried with " bitter weeping and great grief and said Lord, Thy judgments
:

are

just,

and everything Thou hast done

to us

is

because

Thou

hast requited

us according to

done with wisdom, we have our deeds

;

sacrificed our children to the idols,

and Thou

art punishing us accord-

ing

to

our works.

Because

sinned before Thee, all this a punishment more severe than

have revolted against Thee and calamity has befallen us, and we deserve
"

we

this."

And
his palace
filled

Nebuchadnezzar brought them to Babylon, and he entered 3 and kissed the faces of his children and his wife. He was
4

with joy in seeing them, and he narrated to them all that happened to them from the day he left them and went out of the
f country of the Chaldeans to the day he came back to them.

Then
counted

he put on royal garments and

sat for the trial of the

Hebrews, and
6

the arrangement of the business of their

work and

hire.

He

them and discovered

twenty thousand and
fatigue,

that they
fifty

souls

had diminished by two hundred and these had perished in the way from
;

hunger, and

thirst,

not counting the infants

who had

died on

the arms of their mothers.

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered that the adults should do claywork and brickwork, that the old men should hew wood and draw water, and that the women should spin and weave wool he
;

further ordered that they should all

slaves,

show

their

work every day

little
7

like

of

and that every day they should be given a bread and water. And the Hebrews served
8

food consisting

the yoke of slavery,

many

villages,

in Babylon under and King Nebuchadnezzar built through them 9 towers, houses, granaries, and forts on the shores of
10

the sea which surrounds Babylon. The Chaldeans used to go every to the river with their and day harps, guitars, and used to ask the " Show us how you sing to your Lord and your Hebrews, saying :
is missing in M. sentence is missing in P. " * P. omits "wife." P. when he saluted them." " P. the king did not take a rest but sat." " ?

This sentence
last

"

The

6 8

M.

toil."

Rea(j k

Read

kattiirah.

omits

10

Which

sea?

176

WOODBROOKE
And
can
the

STUDIES
l

God."
"

Hebrews used

to

answer

with weeping and sighing

sing the praise of the Lord in a strange land ? The people of the Lord were greatly subdued and they cried while " The Lord has justly inflicted upon weeping and sobbing, and said 3 4 us this calamity, according to our deeds. Now, Lord, look
:

How

we

"

upon us, with mercy, because our faces have been put to shame before us Thou our Lord and our God, do not requite us according to the 5 iniquity of our deeds, because it is we who have kindled Thy wrath,
;

and not

listened to

Thy
7

prophets in Jerusalem."
for the king in
6

Babylon, and his servants drove them about, and greatly tormented them. And Jeremiah the and in and interceded with God prophet prayed night day Babylon,
toiled

The Hebrews

in

favour of the people,

8

when he saw

their

tribulations

and

their

painsi

As

to

Zedekiah he was

tied to the chariot of

Nebuchad-

nezzar until he reached Babylon, and there he was appointed to drive the horse of the flour-mill for forty years 9 in captivity. He

was

in great tribulation all this time

then he died in wretchedness

and bodily exhaustion that he felt more than other people. And Nebuchadnezzar showed mercy towards the Hebrews all the time
of his
10

life.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon died, he was succeeded by Cyrus the Persian, who greatly tormented the Hebrews with hunger and thirst, and reduced the rations of the food which they were

When

He gave to each one of them one loaf of bread once in two days, and diminished the quantity of water to be given to them. He also increased their labours, and inflicted
given in the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

upon them grievous harm, and

l

their

number began
2

to dwindle.

After

Ps. cxxxvii. 4. Readfaj/akulu al'ibrdnlyun, This iwad seems to be a translation of the Syriac heldf, * 5 This phrase is obscure in M. Read al-ladhln in P. " 6 P. and the Chaldeans." 7 The verb sahata used in this sense by P. is colloquial. M. omits
3
l

it.

consistent with himself in placing in of Jeremiah, see above, p. 1 74. 9 This date seems to be improbable.
is
10

The

author

Babylon the prayers

It is

the role of a

remarkable that Nebuchadnezzar is made in the document to play good monarch acting under the orders of God. This reminds

one of the Romance of Alexander in which the Macedonian conqueror is made in Syriac and Arabic literature to play the role of a pious man guided by Divine Providence.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
they had numbered one
2

177
l

hundred

thousand

thousand

and eighty

thousand thousand, nothing remained of them but eighty thousand

thousand.

Some Hebrew
Chaldean
3

children,

children.

seventy in number, used to learn with Among them was a young boy called Ezra.

His mother took him

distinguishing

to the scribes
evil.

while he was
the
spirit

good from

And

very young, not of God was upon him.

still

And

the children of the

Hebrews and

the children of the Chaldeans

their

used to go every day and carry water on their shoulders for

4

teachers.

When
down and
5

they went one day to carry water, the jar of Ezra Then the children of the Chaldeans turned broke.

fell
6

to

the children of the

Hebrews and
"
!

said to

them

"
:

Fie

O miserable,
hands and
there
is

weak, and despicable ones

said

And
at

they clapped
in

their

"
:

O
'

Hebrews, you are weak people

whom
my

no

energy."

And

they laughed

Ezra,

who

lifted

his eyes

towards

heaven,

sobbed, wept bitterly, and said:

"O

Lord, and

God

Omnipotent, turn towards us and have mercy upon us for the sake of Abraham Thy beloved, and Isaac Thy servant, and Israel Thy holy
one.

Do

not forget the covenant that

Thou

hast established with

Thy Thy
in

servants our fathers,

and do not remove from us

all nations,

Thy

face

and

mercy.

We

are hated by

this nation.'

Now,

Lord, look upon

and despised and rejected us, and show us mercy

from Thyself.

and

merciful,

We have O Lord.

sinned before Thee, but

Thou

art forgiving

Thou

forgivest

sins

and Thou

desirest not

the death of sinners."

When
1

Ezra
eight

finished his prayer,

he took

off

his

mantle and went

M.
It is

"

hundred thousand thousand."

All these numbers are

surely exaggerated.
-

very remarkable that Cyrus

who

is

in such a

"

good

light

should here have such a black character. Jaweh's anointed " 3 P. under Chaldean masters." 4 " Put the verb in the singular. Lit scribes." " 5 M. adds in the sea." All this mention of the sea in Babylon where there is no sea seems to suggest that the author was living in a place where there was sea. This place is either west of Palestine or preferably Egypt.
See, however, Philostratus vit. Apol. Tyan., \. i, c. xx. " There are many verbal differences in this paragraph between the two

"

and

is

therein called

represented in Jewish literature " " the friend of Jahweh and

MSS.
7

P. adds

"
:

Amidst Thy

creation."

M.

omits the last sentence.

178
into the sea,
it

WOODBROOKE
and
filled it

STUDIES
were a
jar
;

then he placed on his shoulder and walked with his fellow- students, and not a

with water as

if it

single

drop

fell

from

it.

When

he reached the
;

scribes,

sprinkle the place with water from his mantle

he began to then he put it on

When the teacher saw him, immediately, and it was as dry as before. he rose up and bowed down to the ground before him and said
:

Ezra, say unto thee, Verily from deliver thy people captivity."
I

"

my

child,

it

is

thou

who

shalt

Ezra was growing every day in grace before God, and men, he and the other children of the Hebrews. few days later the

And

children wished to go out to

children of the Chaldeans

draw water

as

was

their

wont.
"
:

The
Let

went out and

said to

one another

us separate ourselves from the children of the Hebrews, and not have

any intercourse with them, and not eat and drink with them, because And they seceded from them, beat they do not worship our gods."
4

them, sneered at them and insulted their God.*

When

Ezra saw

what had happened, he wept over

help them. from it like a
6

his

Then he
sea,

struck a rock with his feet,

and
if

it

increased in

companions and implored God to and water sprang volume until it reached the feet of
7

the Chaldeans as

to

drown them.

The

teacher rose

up

instantly

and
to

knelt
:

down
"

before Ezra and kissed his hands and his feet and said
is

him

What

there between thee

wish to destroy all the town because of Then Ezra had pity on his teacher, when he noticed his weeping, and he repaired to the spot where the rock was found and laid his

and these dogs them ?

Dost thou

open thy mouth and swallow this water, because the Lord has said, No second flood of water shall 9 come unto the earth, but that fire shall come which will consume the
foot

on

it

and

said

"O

earth,

'

In the Gospel

75, sixth edit.) a similar anecdote

of the Infancy (Cowper's the Apochryphal Gospels, p. See also ibid., pp. is attributed to Christ.

453-454.
2 3

P. "the school."
Cf.

Luke

ii.

40.

P. omits
is

"

and men."

4
5

This paragraph also

P. omits the
last
last

very differently worded in the two

MSS.

sentence.

6
7

P. omits the

two

sentences.

P. omits the
it

last

sentence, but adds

9

"
:

while jetting forth from the stone

ix.

until
8

became

like a flood."

P. omits.

Cf.

Gen.

II.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
earth to
its

179

foundations and purify

it,

in the last day."

The

earth

And the water. opened then its mouth at once and swallowed all and removed of the Hebrews, Ezra rose up and took all the children
them from the school
After
all
"

of the

Chaldeans.

King Cyrus summoned the people of the Hebrews " before him, and said to them Bring me all your harps through And they which you praise your God, and play them before me. " We fear to play them in a strange land, said to King Cyrus
this
:
:

because our

God
:

does not wish

it."

And

Cyrus

said to

them

"As

you praised your God in Jerusalem so do here." And they answered " The sons of Levi whom God has chosen take precedhim saying

And King Cyrus summoned the ence of us and play the harps." and ordered that they should Hebrews all the before of Levi tribe
begin and sing to
the accompaniment of the harps.
3

They came

before them and played the harp, and while shouting in unison they Then the clapped their hands and beat the earth with their feet.

ground

lifted
4

upwards,

immediately those who were standing on it, and mounted as if to cause the children of Israel to descend upon their
a

own land, and their voices were heard that day in Jerusalem. The Chaldeans feared then and became disturbed, and a cloud 6 came down from heaven, and overshadowed the temple in Jerusalem. All those who were in Jerusalem ascertained in that day that the Lord
had mercy upon the people deliver them from captivity.
noticed
greatly
of Israel,

and that

He

was

willing to

When
:

Cyrus,

king of

the Chaldeans,

what had happened through the play on the harps, he feared " Do not move the strings of your and said to the Hebrews
'

harps with your hands

as long as

you are
praise

in these countries, until

go

to

your

own

countries

and

your

God

in the

you town of
were

Jerusalem."

When
1
:

the seventy years of the captivity

in

had

elapsed, there

Read yutahhiruha
"

P.

M. 3 M. 4 M.
5

and brought them to." " and play the harps." " And immediately the ground upon which they stood shook and
:

mounted upwards."

Read fakhafa.
P. omits

6
'

M.

in Jerusalem." not take out your harps." " as was your wont." P. adds

"

"

Do

180
three young

WOODBROOKE
men
:

STUDIES
1

Ezra son
3

of Yaratha,

and Daniel son

spoke,

of Betariah,

and Ezekiel son

in

of

Buzi,

to

whom God
:

Babylon.

They

said to one another

4

"

and who prophesied Let us take a lamb and go

out to the desert and there offer

sacrifice to the

God

of Israel, as

our fathers were wont to do, for the remission of their

used to send

sins,

and

God

down

to

them from heaven a rod

of fire

and receive

their

sacrifices after

they had offered them."

because
8

the grace of
will

God and His mercy

Let us go and do the same have perhaps come near

sacrifice

us,

and the Lord

they did
10

send His angel to receive our

from us."

And

this.

Then Ezra
ebony, turned his

took

wood

of nard,

wood

of styrax,

and wood

of

in all three varieties of

wood, placed a ram on the wood, 11 12 face towards the sunrise, and looked towards Jerusalem,
to

and prayed
fathers, the
13

God

of Israel, saying

"
:

Lord God

of our pious

One and

Eternal God,

who

heard Abel, the

;

first

murdered

man,
1

and took

his revenge

from his brother Cain

who

created the

Yaratha may P. Neriah. confusion with the father of Baruch. be a mistake for Seraiah (Ezra vii. 1). The mistake may have arisen through Arabic characters which do not differ considerably in the two names this graphic difference is still slighter with Betariah, the father of
;

Daniel,
"

who follows immediately. M. Retubah. I do not know

for

be a mistake

in the letters of

Betariah may anything about this man. Seraiah (Ezra vii. ) caused by the very slight difference the Arabic script of the two names. See the following and
1

The difference between Buzi and Baradi is very slight Arabic script, and here and elsewhere it shows that the original from which the Garshuni MS. of Paris emanates was written in Arabic characters. The mistaken reading Baradi could hardly have arisen otherwise. 4 The verb as ada seems here to be a translation of the Syriac assek
in
l

preceding notes. 3 P. Baradi.

" to used in the sense of " 5 P. an angel."

7

"

offer

sacrifice.
tf

P. adds
to

"

to

God."
of

P. omits this sentence.

of P.

"Read minna. minnan

minnan.
9
10

seems

be an echo

the

Syriac

The MSS.

atraphis (arpafyafys).
also as

11

There is no ebony in Babylon. Note that the author makes mention here
of the direction of the

above

in the case of

Nebuchadnezzar,
12

East

Jerusalem is not East of Babylon. sentence that the author of the document

We
was

might conclude from

this

writing in a

country situated
?

West
13

of Palestine.

Could

this

Lit. the first martyr.

Can

country be Egypt? this denote a Christian hand

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
;

181

image of Seth beforehand according to His own image, and removed from him the power of darkness who caused Enoch to ascend to
with his body on account of the purity of his heart, and him the secrets of heaven and what is to take place at the end taught

heaven

of the to

world

*
;

who
of
is

delivered

Noah
:

because of his
fall

justice,

and granted
of

him the power everything which

Lord,

Adam

before his
I

and made him the lord

under heaven

pray

Thee and beseech Thee,

prayer,"

Omnipotent God, my supplication and listen to my and to my tears. Remember the covenant which Thou hast
to hear

made with
sons keep
I

our father

Abraham when Thou

I

'

saidst to him,
4

If

thy

My covenant,
Thee
to visit

will destroy their enemies.'

servants,

Now,
of

O Lord,
5

implore

Thy

who

are ready to die for

6

Thy

holy name.

Listen to us to-day from the height

its

Thy

heaven,

and
to

receive our sacrifice, smell

odour, and

show

pity

and forgiveness

Thy

people."

When

Ezra finished

him, their supplication

his prayer with his brethren who were with reached the throne of the Lord, and their words

penetrated the hearing of the Lord Sabaoth, who sent His angel, in the Michael, the figure of a man, to take up their offerings to the Lord.

head

of the angels,

and burned
his

the

wood and

came down from heaven, and stood on their altar, the lamb with a rod of fire that he held in
fire

hand, and after the

had consumed everything that was

stood up in the
7

there,

he

ascended to heaven.

He

air,

looked at
blessing,

the three

young men, and blessed them with the heavenly heaven opened and received him.

and then

As

to the prophet

Jeremiah

he went while wearing sackcloth to

King Cyrus. people, and while standing

Lord,

He

further interceded with the

in

Lord

in favour of the

prayer before the Lord, he said

spirit

"
:

O
to

Lord,

God
Thy

of

my

and

of

my

10

body,

listen

now

the supplication of
1

servant on behalf of the tribulations of this

Was
P.

P. omits

the author familiar with the " prayer."

in

Book of Enoch ? 3 Read abina in

. .

P.

Not found verbatim

"

Gen.
."

We are

slaves unto death for

7 the final aliph in P. P. adds "in the firmament." " " " P. or to." purified appeared Here also the author is consistent with himself in placing Jeremiah in

Remove

Babylon.
1J

M.

omits this sentence.

182
people against
liverance of

WOODBROOKE
whom
the days of

STUDIES
Fulfil

Thy

wrath have ended.

(Thy

promise about) the appointed time that

"
saying
:

Thou

hast decreed for the de-

Thy people." And the Lord summoned the angel Michael Make haste and go down to the land of the Chaldeans,
of their captivity.
If

and save the people and take them out

habitants of Babylon

the in-

and

shall cause

impede them, I shall make heaven stick to the earth My wrath to dwell in them until they allow them to go

from under
one,

their hands.
this

Go also
to

to the prophet Jeremiah,

;

My elected

and impart
I

news

him

take him to the king of Babylon,

If

and

deliver the people

shall destroy

from him.

the king of the Chaldeans impedes

them

him with

his people as

the times of yore with the Egyptians

chariots."

who

destroyed Pharaoh in were with him, and all his

I
l

While

the prophet Jeremiah

2
!

was

in the sepulchral vault

weeping

over the sins of the people, lo the angel Michael came to him and " 3 said to him Peace be with you, elected prophet of God. Grow
:

cheerful because

And the prophet Jeremiah " looked at Michael, the angel of God, and said to him Here I am,
it is

time for cheerfulness."

angel of the Lord.

recognised thy greeting, and thy words have

strengthened
to

my

bones.
in

Where wast
I

me

till

this

" a father with his children ? And the angel said to the prophet " Here I am to-day before you in order to deliver your Jeremiah I have been sent because people, by God for this purpose, on account
:

day

which

am

thou that thou didst not appear in great trouble with this people, like

of your prayer
6
'

which has been accepted.

Thus

says the

Lord

whom

have mercy on this people and I wish to send them back to serve, their land and their country in order that they may serve Me there.
1
I
'

If

the kings of Babylon

do not allow them

shall

to go,

shall

wax angry
them
I

with them and destroy

back, and
if

their land, in order to force

I

them

to send

in spite of this they refuse

"

do with them what

did

with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.' After the angel Michael had said this to the prophet Jeremiah, he " You remain here until I go and summon all the addressed him thus
:

The word
?

used

is

the

Greek vaos.

What
'

does the author mean by

this sentence.

this

term
2

P. omits

this sentence.

3 5 7

P. omits

4
6

P. adds M. " thou

"

God." O man of "

set-rest.

P. omits this sentence.

P. omits.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON

183
1

And the angel Michael went out and took the form people to you." of a Hebrew man, and assembled all the people of Israel in one place
as
if

those they were one man, and he repaired to "

who were making

sufficiently
;

bricks

and clay and

said to

them

You

have worked

go

now to your father Jeremiah, because the Lord has saved you from this toil." And he went to those who were hewing wood and drawing
water, and said the

same thing
the

to them.

And

he went to town to those

"
:

women who were weaving

enough work and
given you
toil
;

wool, and he said to them

You

have had

deliverance.
left,

Lord has saved you from your work, and Come on and go to your father Jeremiah.'
all

And

none was

but

gathered together.

The
-

angel Michael

gathered them

all

together with the prophet Jeremiah,

and

all

went

to

King Cyrus and to the first general of the Chaldeans. And Jeremiah " 3 Listen to the words said to Cyrus and to Emesis his first general.
of the

Lord,

God
to

of Israel."

And
"
:

he began to repeat

to

them the

words uttered
said
to the

him by the angel Michael.

And
is

Cyrus and Emesis

prophet Jeremiah
to

And who

the

God

of

Israel ?

You,

Hebrews, return

your work, and throw such words away

in

from you."
before them
;

And
and

the king ordered the prophet Jeremiah to be flogged

this

was done
of

a cruel way.

And

King Cyrus
and torment

and Emesis went then out

intendents of the

the palace, and ordered the superto strike the latter

work

of the

Hebrews

them

until

they did their duty.

in order to

And

Cyrus and Emesis rode and

went out themselves

torment the Hebrews.

In that very hour a cloud

and mist appeared, the earth shook, a

eclipse

big earthquake occurred, wind became fierce, the sun suffered in the middle of the day, and darkness covered the earth.
inhabitants of the earth

The

mixed

pell-mell,

horsemen with the crowds,

and the
like

feet of
;

the horses that were ridden sunk deep into the earth

pegs

until all the

Chaldeans cried
6

to

King Cyrus and

you
?

to

Emesis

and
the

said to

them

"Is not
as

this sufficient for

Lord

to

do with us
from

He did
and

"
?
;

with the Amorites

his

Do you wish As to King

likewise the

Cyrus he
first

fell

his horse
fell

backbone broke

general Emesis
1 ~

and

his right

arm broke

to the elbow-joint.

Read skubh
In P.
it is

in P.

Jeremiah

who

3
c

M.
P.

vizier.

"

with you."

gathers them together. " 4 In P. In your blasphemy." 8 P. omits this sentence.

184

Then
and God

the

WOODBROOKE STUDIES " O God of Abraham and two cried

:

God
;

of Isaac

of Israel,

God

of the

sinned against Thee, because

we

Hebrews, have pity on us we have have not allowed Thy people to get

Lord, to pray Thee and beseech Thee, have mercy upon us and not to punish us for our sins. Pity us and and heal us, we shall let them go to their land in joy and peace." And the prophet Jeremiah had pity on them when he heard their
out of our land.

We

and he approached King Cyrus and raised him up from the ground and healed his bone which was broken he did likewise heal the arm of the first general of the Chaldeans.
their sobs,
;

words and

that on which they were bent,

had turned away from He gave orders l and the earth and all the inhabited globe became quiet, and the sun shone on the surface of the earth. Then King Cyrus and Emesis summoned the Hebrews,
the
that their hearts

When

Lord noticed

reckoned their working days, and paid them their wages in full, and 2 The king 3 helped then the prophet gave them much gold and silver.

Jeremiah to mount his

own

steed,

and clothed him

in royal garments,

and placed
horses,

further

crown upon his head, and delivered to him many 4 He mules, and camels, laden with provisions for the journey. wrote letters to all the land of the Chaldeans ordering (its
his

inhabitants) to

welcome the prophet Jeremiah and his people (when they passed by them), and wish them Godspeed in joy and merriment, and to honour them and render service to them until they left them.

And
slaves.

the

king presented

also the

prophet

Jeremiah with twelve

And
all

the prophet Jeremiah

left

the towns of the Chaldeans with

of the
;

the people of the Hebrews.

of

The number

Hebrews who

went out
8

diminished
captivity.

eighty thousand thousand they had thus by a hundred thousand thousand during their stay in

Babylon was

When
1

they "
:

left

tions, saying

Rise,

Babylon they began with prayers and supplicarise, Jerusalem, and rejoice, and wear thy

P. omits the verb.

M.

omits

"

silver."

M.

In all the following sentences the subject in P. is " the subject is the indefinite they."
4

"the King," but

in

Read jimal in P. for himal. This variant could not have arisen except through Arabic characters in which the letters jtin and ha are distinguished only by an extraneous dot. " c 5 M. " ten." P. adds in Babylon."

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
diadem
with
in joy
1

185

tears,

and gladness, because thy children who had left thee 3 2 have come to thee with joy, and fear, and sadness,

jubilation."

And
4

the prophet Jeremiah

went out

to his land in joy

and gladness, and all the towns of the Chaldeans honoured him, and horsemen were riding before him up to Jerusalem in order to praise it and to honour it with the people and in this state they reached
;

Jerusalem.

As

to the servant

out of the place in

over him
T

Abimelech, he awoke from his sleep and went which he was sleeping, and the stone that was
5

moved away.

He

looked at the basket

still

of grapes, figs,

on them, and noticed and other fruits and saw that their dust was that the green foliage with which they were covered had become And Abimelech said to himself "I have not longer and broader.
:

overslept

and
and

my
rise

head

is

still

heavy with

sleep
it

shall get

some
to
in

more
take

rest

up and go

to town, because

is

time for

some food

to the prophet Jeremiah,

my

blessed father,

me who is

prison."

When
8

Abimelech awoke from

his sleep, exactly seventy years

d

had

elapsed.

He

carried the basket

of grapes,

10

figs,

and other

fruits,

which were

as fresh as
its

when

they were picked, and entered Jerusalem.

When

rampart was demolished and the town itself destroyed, and when he noticed that vines and fig-trees were just

he saw that

showing
inside the

their buds,

the palm-trees their spadices, and the sycamore

trees their

sprouts,

he was amazed and bewildered.

that
its

When

he went
its

town and noticed

streets

had changed and

walls

had
in
it

either altered or

were demolished, and

that the destroyed buildings

were reconstructed, and the reconstructed buildings in it destroyed, and when he did not find in it anyone whom he could recognise, his

mind became confused, and he stood and said u God, what is this delusion that has overtaken me
:

"

O" my Lord
?

and

my

3 5 7

P. adds "

"

in subjection."

Put a
"

waw

before the

word

in

P.

P.

peace."
in P.

P. omits the last sentence.

M. 6 M.

omits this sentence.

baskets."

R&Afakihah

In 4 Baruch (Charles' Cf. the story of the "Seven Sleepers." Apocrypha and Pseud, ii. 533), Abimelech falls asleep in the garden of Agrippa and does not awake for sixty-six years and not seventy. See 3. Harris, The Rest of the Words of Baruch, p.
1

M.

"

baskets."

10

P. omits

"

figs."

Read

al-lati.

186

WOODBROOKE
old

STUDIES
and he went
for

Then he saw an him, and the old man

man

collecting firewood,

to

said to

him

"
:

What
free

can

do

"

And And

he

said to

him

"
:

my

son ?

What
?

did King Zedekiah do to-day with

father, the

prophet Jeremiah

Did he
"
:

the old

man
?

is Jeremiah ? Seventy from the in which Nebuchadnezzar day day destroyed Jerusalem, and carried the people into captivity to Babylon, and the prophet Jeremiah was among them." And Abimelech said

uttering,

my son

What Who is Zedekiah, and who

said to

him

him from the dungeon ? are these words you are

my "

years have elapsed

this

"Had you not been an old man I would have said to you 2 mad. I went a little while ago to the garden of my were you 3 master and brought him fruits, but my eyes being somewhat heavy, 4 Is it in this short time that the I slept for a short time. people were
to

him

that

carried into captivity ?

Is

it

possible that darkness

that the "

has overtaken

them and covered them

that
I

Or

moon
:

has swallowed them

am unable to see any of them ? The old man answered then and said man, and God spared you the sight of the
the great tribulations of the road
7

"

You

are truly a holy

destruction of Jerusalem,
to

and the subjection

Nebuchadnez-

zar.

He

has brought
8

down
of

sleep

upon you
:

in

order that you

If

may

see Jerusalem reconstructed as in the days of her glory.

to ascertain the truth

you wish
in

my

words

this

is

the

first

day

which
;

this the prophet Jeremiah arrived accompanied by all the people that a for returned to its former has should be Jerusalem proof you
state.

You

are truly a holy

rest

man

of the Lord,

who had

pity

on you
to

and granted you

their place.

for seventy years, until the

people came back

my
is

son,

these grapes

the present time

not their season.

look at the trees,
this is

which are with you, Look, my son and you are a

figs
9

and

holy
year,
1

man

of

God

how

they are at

this

time of
fruits.

and know that

In

not the time for grapes and other

M.

"

and he went

to

him and

said to

him

"
Father,

is this

the town

Jerusalem?" 2 Read, innama ana in P. for anakama. 3 P. names here the master Hermis and distinguishes him from King Zedekiah whose servant Ebedmelech was. See above, p. 167. 5 4 M. "the darkness of the night." Read na'astu in P.
6 9

of

P.

"

M.

P. omits. P. omits the name. the firmament." has here asjar the vulgar Arabic for ashjar (a sin instead of a

"'

shin).

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
This month
is

187
the
first

the

month

of April,

and

this

day

is

day

in

which the prophet Jeremiah reached Jerusalem, after a stay of seventy The words that you have uttered square with one years in captivity.
another.

Lo, the people are coming

now and

with them branches of

palm-trees,"
olive-trees."

and holding

in their

hands

twigs of aromatic bushes

and

Then Abimelech saw

the prophet Jeremiah riding the horse of the

him and bowed down him saw he dismounted from his horse, before him. Jeremiah "Be welcome, be embraced him, cried aloud to him and said Look at Abimelech the honour that God beloved welcome, my
king and shining like the sun, and he hastened to

When

bestowed on you.

charitable to his fellow- creatures.

my

tribulations,

anyone who is merciful and pity on me in the day of and the Lord has overshadowed you with His holy
does
this

He

to

You had

arm and placed you in a refreshing sleep till you saw Jerusalem reYou have not tasted constructed and glorified for the second time.
of the

food of subjection,

nor have you borne the yoke of King

last

spared you great hardship Let all those who hear your story because of your charitable deeds. 4 do acts of charity and mercy with everybody, and God will spare

Nebuchadnezzar during the captivity and persecution.

seventy years which

this

we

spent in

God

them
the

all

trouble."

When
town

Jeremiah finished

his

address to him,

they

all

entered

Abimelech did not cease to be held in together. honour by the prophet Jeremiah and by the rest of the people all the time of his life. When the prophet Jeremiah entered the town
r'

And

he

glorified

God

with

this canticle

M. Ntsan (the Syriac and Hebrew month), but P. Barmudah, which seems to prove the Egyptian origin of the MS. from which the prototype of P. was derived. Barmudah extends from March 27th to April 25th. -In Arabic Kulub an-nakhl "the pith of palm-trees." The same expression is used in the Arabic Diatessaron of Ibn at-Tayib published by Ciasca (p. 49) to express John xii. 3. I believe that the word emanates from the Peshitta Old Testament (Lev. xxiii. 40) in which the Syriac words are exactly libbawatha d-dhikle. The Arabic expression seems to be a literal translation of the See further Bulletin of the Bezan Club, Syriac.
1 1

No.

iii.

pp. 14-17, 1926.

3
'

P.

"

M.

death and troubles." omits this sentence.

4
6

Read ahadin

in

P.

P. omits this sentence.

188
"
Rejoice,

WOODBROOKE
O
*
!

STUDIES

Arise and wear thy diadem. Thy Jerusalem sons had gone out of thee with tears and sadness, and have now come to thee in joy and jubilation. Let heaven rejoice and
earth jubilate over the children of

Abraham,

Isaac

and Jacob,
2

who have
harps

returned to their land.

Let our fathers

take their

in their hands,

and

sing before the Lord, because

God

has
into

brought back again their children

captivity in

who had been

;

carried

3 which they had almost perished Let Cherubim and Seraphim sing and praise with us over the sons of Abraham,

and

let

them

rejoice over the children of Israel

who

have returned

again to their land

and

their country."

When
:

door-post out the keys which

Jeremiah entered the door of the Temple, he said to the " * To thee I say, threshold of the house of God, bring

I had confided to thee." And it immediately out the them to and delivered the brought keys prophet Jeremiah.

And
the

he opened the door

of Holies

of the

Temple and he went

into

it

with

all

the people, and they worshipped before the Lord.

And

he entered

where he saw the lamp burning as if it was fresh, was light shining, in the way in which he had left it, without It was with it that he had searched Jerusalem to discover diminution. if there was in it a man in whom there was mercy, and he did not

Holy
its

and

find any.

All of them worshipped

God
all

"
saying
:

Thou

art,

Lord, a

just

Lord, in

Thy

actions,

Holy, holy, holy 6 and Thou hast

!

done everything with wisdom.

to punish us in the

Thou
sins,

didst with us all

this in

order
in

measure of our

and Thou hast requited us

proportion with our iniquities."

"

Arise

The prophet Jeremiah called the sons of Aaron and said to them now and offer sacrifices to the Lord, and be pure according to
;

the prescriptions of your priesthood."

terrace of the house of the Lord,

and

said
:

"
:

To

thee

say,

And he also went up to the and he stood on the corner-stone, stone, Open thy mouth and bring out
Priest,

thy trust
1

the garment of the

High

because

we

are in need of

"Arise, arise." Let our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob take their harps." " " 3 The first letter of the word Cherubim is a shin instead of a kaf'm
2

M.
P.

"

P.

This also denotes the Egyptian (Coptic) origin of the prototype of P. 5 Read al-lati. Read aiyyatuha in P.

Thou art holy, Read kahnutikum.

M.

"

lord

and

just in all

Thy

actions."

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
it."

189
it

And
"

it

brought out the garment, and Jeremiah handed

to the

High
it
:

Priest.

And
I I

after that

he went out before the sun, and

the

said to

To
l

thee,

say,

O
of

sun, the great luminary of heaven, bring out

is

the mitre

which

confided to thee and on which

name

of the

Lord, the

Holy
in

One, because the Lord had mercy on His people,

need
it

and

we

are

for the service of the altar."

Then

the

prophet Jeremiah stretched his

the mitre

came down from

it,"

hand towards the rays of the sun and and he handed it to the High Priest.

he handed also to the High Priest the rest of the vestments of 3 the house of the Lord which he had taken with him to Babylon. [And the head of the priests who came with them from captivity

And

wore the

priestly robe,

written the

name

garment of
until

garment and the mitre on which was Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah put on the the prophetic office which God had ordered him to
the
of

the

remove from him when he went

his return

into captivity
to

from the deportation

and place in the Temple Babylon and approached

filled

the sanctuary of the Lord.

The

latter

was

with the glory of

of the
Israel

God, which spread over all the Temple and the people, and the glory Lord increased upon them with His mercy. And the God of
dwelt among them with the Cherubim
they performed 6 rank and order, and shouted with their horns, and offered

the sons of
his

Aaron

their

and Seraphim]. As each one duty, according

filled
all

to
to

own

sacrifices,'

and the glory

the
fire

of

the

Lord descended and

the the

house.

And
*

came down from heaven and consumed

*

holocaust.

April

All the people observed as a feast the twenty-fifth day of and glorified the Lord with great joy."
as

the author's

above (p. 173) it is very difficult to ascertain what was in mind in using such terms as tailasan, kalansuah, tzar, mandil,
Jeremiah spread
"

and ridd
3

'.

M.

"

And

his

mantle and the mitre

fell in it."

Read 4 Here

al-lati.

again P. writes

Cherubim

"

with an
is

initial

shin, which denotes

an Egyptian origin. 5 All this paragraph between brackets 6 P. adds "and harps."
7

missing in

M.

Arabic hamalu "they lifted" which denotes the Syriac assek " " " to lift and to offer sacrifice." (See above p. 80.) & Here again M. has the Hebrew-Syriac Ntsan and P. the Coptic Barmudah which indicates its Egyptian origin. 9 " Mingana 240 ends here with the following colophon Glory, praise, honour, and worship be to the Lord of hosts for ever and ever, Amen Here
In

meaning

14

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said

the prophet Jeremiah worshipped before the Lord and Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, and blessed be His name
ever.

for ever

and

He

remembered His holy covenant and His oath

that his seed will last for ever.
1

to our father

Abraham

He

looked

from the heights of heaven

inheritance,

He

saw

their

upon His people and the grief and the sobbing of

heirs of

His

their hearts,

them with His mighty arm and powerful hand, and brought them back to His holy Temple. To Him be glory, honour, majesty,
delivered

and power, because

enemies

He

is

the

God
it

of

Israel,

who
God,

destroyed His

who

turned their hearts

away from His

instead of

service,

and

sacrificed

to the idol of Baal,

and worshipped

their

Lord, and

offered incense to gods

infants to the stars of

made with

hands, and offered the blood of

walking
delivered

in

heaven and to demons, and impeded them from For this reason God the way of God, their Lord.
to
their enemies
in

they may wreak They uprooted their memory from the earth, vengeance upon them. and destroyed their seed from among the children of Israel, His

them

order

that

people."

[Then the prophet Jeremiah arose and turned his face towards the people, and congratulated them on their safety and beautiful He blessed them and made a covenant with them that deliverance.
they shall not relinquish the service of God, their Lord, and worship And they offered in that day the idol of Baal for a second time.

numerous

sacrifices,

burnt-offerings,

holocausts,

and

they

rejoiced

greatly in the

house of the Lord, and thanked

"
:

God

immensely, and

Blessed be the name of the Lord, God glorified His name, saying of Israel, who visited and delivered His people, and saved them from who took them out of Babylon and the hardships of the Chaldeans
;

ends the story of the children of

Israel

and glory be
!

to the

Lord
to the

of lords,

and King
the worlds,

of kings, for evermore,

Amen

And

praise be

Lord

of

the story of the deportation of the children God have pity on the weak of Israel from Jerusalem into Babylon. " ! Amen ! Amen hearers. and the on reader the scribe, pious
!

Amen

Here ends

May Amen

above between brackets the translation of the give end of the story in the Paris MS. This end seems to be a later addition and is much under the influence of the Gospel of St. Luke i. 67-73. 1 There is much resemblance between these words and the hymn of
I

in

the

lines

Zacharias in Luke
"

i.

67, 72-73.

Read

amala.

JEREMIAH APOCRYPHON
brought them to His land and His inheritance, which

191

He

granted to

them

hood

who returned who did not

to them their kingdom, prophecy, and priestallow His wrath to dwell with them for ever,

but had pity on them and delivered them." [And the people did not cease to serve
perfect service,

God

with a good and

the lifetime of
to

and with

offerings

and

sacrifices, in all

the prophet

Jeremiah.

And

glory,

praise,

and thanks be

the
!

Father, the Son, and the

[Here

ends, by the assistance of the

of the deportation of the

Holy Ghost, now and for evermore, Amen Holy Trinity, this great story children of Israel into Babylon. Remember,
1

O
this
it,

Lord,
of

Thy

sinning

servant,

Cyriacus,

who
it

is

unworthy

of

the

name

man, because

of the great

number
finds in
its

of his sins.

from a bad MS., and he

will forgive

who

He copied a mistake and corrects

is

God

him

his sins,

because
of all the

scribe

the weakest, the

most imperfect, and the lowliest

1

(men)

of the world.]

The

copyist.

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(it)

A New

Life of John the Baptist.

PREFATORY NOTE.
I

give in the following pages the text

critical

and the

translation (aclife

companied by a
the
Baptist.
I

apparatus)

of

an unknown

of

John

have edited the text from two

MSS.

of
1

my own

collection, numbered Mingana Syr. 22 and Mingana Syr. 83, in the custody of the Rendel Harris Library, Birmingham. (Hereafter M. 22 and M. 183). In spite of a thorough search I have failed to

discover the existence of a third

MS.

in the public libraries of

Europe

the catalogues of which are at my disposal. The MSS. exhibit short lacunae, but fortunately these lacunas do

not affect identical passages, and by collating the two establish a complete, continuous, and unbroken text.
in

many

places in a

bad

state of preservation,

was able to M. 22 is also and some words and

I

occasionally whole lines have disappeared from it, apart from the This deficiency lacuna of one leaf referred to in the present edition. has, however, been supplied from M. 183 and the words that are

missing in

the

former

MS.

are inserted between parentheses

and

marked (a M. 22 is dated 1838 of the Greeks (A.D. 1527) a). and M. 183 has no colophon, but on palaeographical grounds it may
be ascribed to about A.D. 1750.
there
is

In spite of

some important

variants,

reason to believe that both

MSS.

represent a single recension

of the story, although for the use of

M. 22 may

Egyptian Christians and

be supposed to have been written M. 183 for that of Syrian

Christians.
If

we

are to believe the contents of the story,

it

was

written by

Serapion,

bishop of

a town in Egypt, during the

Patriarchate of

But Theophilus who governed the sea of Alexandria in 385-412. some Great in connection with from the mention of Theodosius the
events of

be affirmed with a good deal of probability that Serapion was writing in one of the years falling within
the narrative,
it

may

A.D. 385-395.
If

the story

is

a translation from Greek, as in

234

many

passages

it

JOHN THE BAPTIST

l

235

appears to be, the translator must have used his proper names such as Ain Karim, Assuan and Horns in the form in which they were

known
state,

in

his

day.

Without entering

into

minute

details,

may
date

however, that the text seems to contain sentences that have been

interpolated

by authors or copyists
than that of Serapion.
I

who

might have lived

notes that
I

at a

much
to

later

Some
in

have ventured

add

to the narrative will,

hope, help the reader to form his

the

own

opinion on the value of the story and Apocryphal literature.

In the edition
I

domain

of history, exegesis,

placed in the main body of the page the text of

22 and

in the footnotes the various readings exhibited

I

in the translation

followed the text of either of the

M. M. 183, but by two MSS. that

appeared

to

the text in

I be more genuine and archaic. have transcribed Garshuni (Arabic in Syriac characters) as it is found in the

me

to

MSS., and
correctness "

given a facsimile of each

MS.

to

show

the reader
is

its

palaeographic peculiarities.

The Arabic
of diction

style

used in the story

in

about equal to that used in the " Apocryphal Jeremiah published above.

and excellency

TRANSLATION. With
write the

the assistance of
life

God and His

divine guidance
Baptist,
!

we

begin to
:

of the holy

may

his intercession

be with

Man John the us. Amen

son of Zacharias

l There was an aged priest- Levite from the tribe of Judah, whose name was Zacharias. He was a prophet who rose among the children of Israel in the days of Herod, King of Judaea. He had a God-loving wife, called Elizabeth, 2 and she was from the

daughters of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi.

She was barren and

in years.

had no

children,

and she and her husband were advanced

They were both righteous and pious people, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of God. And Zacharias was
officiating constantly in
1

the

Temple

of the

Lord.

When it

fell

to him,

How

and from the

1

could Zacharias have been at the same time a priest, a Levite, tribe of Judah? Can Judah be a mistake for Abia t and can

the preceding

word Kabllah be
1

translated

by course, order (Luke

i.

5,

and

Chron. xxiv.
2

M.

0) ? 22 uses the

Greek form

of the

name and M. 183

the Syriac form

throughout.

236

WOODBROOKE
his

STUDIES

during the turn of

entered the

division,

to

burn incense to the Lord, he

Temple according
and the angel

to his habit, at the time of the burning

of the incense,

of the

Lord appeared

When standing on the right of the altar. the But startled. and angel said to him frightened
afraid, but rather rejoice,

him immediately, Zacharias saw him he was

to
:

"Do

not be

Zacharias

God

has heard your prayer,

and your wife Elizabeth shall conceive and bear you a son, who shall be called John you shall have joy and delight, and many shall He shall be great before the Lord, and he rejoice over his birth.
;

shall not drink

any wine or strong drink, and he

still

shall

be

filled

with

the

reconcile
shall

Holy many

Spirit while

in

the

womb

of his

mother, and shall

their

of the children of

Israel to the

Lord

God.

He

go before

Him

in

the spirit

and with the power

for

of

Elijah, in

order to

him." make ready for the Lord a people prepared Zacharias was astonished at these words, and doubt overtook him,

because no child had been born to him.

He

did not remember

Abraham, he had reached was also barren

"
angel
:

the head of the Patriarchs, to

whom God

the age of a hundred years, nor his

like

gave Isaac, wife Sarah

after

who

his

own
"

wife.
to

Zacharias

said, therefore, to the

How can

this

happen

me while

am
him

an old man, and

my

wife

is

advanced

in years ?
:

And
Gabriel.

the angel answered and said to

I

"I am

the angel
this

have been sent to speak to you and bring you

news.

And from now you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when this takes place, because you did not believe my words, which And he disappeared from his sight. will be fulfilled in due course."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zacharias wondering at When he came out he was his remaining so long in the Temple. unable to speak to the people, and they perceived that he had seen a
vision in the

soon as

his

And as Temple, and he kept making signs to them. And term of service was finished, he returned home.
(from God). Elizabeth conceived, and lived in seclusion
felt

Elizabeth got information of the

In those days
2

affair

till

the
to

fifth

month,
1

because she
and

somewhat ashamed.

She

feared

Many

of these data

of those

which follow are more or

less faithfully

taken from the first chapter of Luke. 2 M. 183 has the " sixth month."

The

This appears to be against Luke i. 24. discrepancy between the two texts can, however, be accounted for by

JOHN THE BAPTIST

appear
breasts.
in

237

She

her old age while pregnant and milk dripping from her l of her own house, and lived in a secluded room

Zacharias also lived likewise.

Between them stood a locked door,

anyone
in all those days.

and they did not speak

at all to

When she reached her sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed
to a

man named
:

Joseph, from the house of

David

and the name

of

the virgin

was Mary.

When

the angel

came

into her presence

he

said to her

"
Rejoice,

from God.

You

Mary, because you have been favoured with a grace shall be with child and shall give birth to a son,

who
1

shall

be called Jesus.

He
I

shall

be great and

shall

Son

of the

Most High.'"
to

And Mary

said to the angel

be called "
:

How

can

this

happen

the angel said to her

and the power of child that is born of you

lo

have not known any man ? And shall descend Spirit upon you, the Most High shall overshadow you, because the

me
:

"

while "

The Holy

is

holy and shall be called

'

Son

of

God,' and

who related to you is also expecting a child in her old now the sixth month with her who is called barren, because with God there is nothing impossible." And she had no " doubt on the matter but said to the head of the angels I am the servant of the Lord, let it be with me as you have said." He then
Elizabeth
is

age,

and

it

is

greeted her and disappeared.

astonished at the fact that Elizabeth was expecting a " child, and kept saying in her heart Thy acts are wonderful and
:

Mary was

great, Omnipotent, because Thou hast given descendants to an old and barren woman. I shall not cease walking until I have met her and beheld the wonderful miracle which God has performed
in our times
3
:

God

a virgin giving birth to a child," and a barren

woman

suckling."

In those days she rose

to the

up

in

haste

and went

into the hill-country,

town

of

Judah, and she entered the house of Zacharias, and

"
till

the fact that both of

The

particle ila specified time.

them may be referred "

to

the

end

of the

fifth

month.

may

M. 22

either the beginning or the end of a designate " " takes this till to imply all (or the end of) the fifth
fifth.

month, and
sixth
1

M.

183 uses the same "till" to mean only the beginning of the
*

month, or in other words the end of the

3

Syr. Kaitona. Presumably Elizabeth.

Presumably

Mary

herself.

17

238
greeted Elizabeth.

WOODBROOKE
The
:

STUDIES
and
delight,

latter

went

and greeted
is

"
her, saying

to her with great joy

Blessed are you

among women and

blessed

the fruit of your

womb."

holy and pious virgin embraced then the true turtle-dove, and the Word baptised John while still in the womb of his mother. And David appeared in the middle and said " Mercy and truth
:

The

have met together, and righteousness and peace have kissed each
immediately after John moved in the womb, as if After they had finished wishing to come out and greet his master. their mutual greetings, the Virgin stayed with Elizabeth three months,
other."
until the latter's
1

And

time was near, and then returned to her home.

When
great joy

the holy Elizabeth gave birth (to her son) there

delight in her house,

was a

and

and

after eight

days they went to

circumcise him,

and wished
"
:

to

call

him Zacharias.

His mother,
to her
:

however,
"

said

No,

call

him John."
that name."

You have no relation "Ask his father about

2

of
his

And And

they said
she said to
for

them

name."
is

And

he asked

a writing-

tablet
this

and wrote thus

"
:

His name
his

he recovered the use of

granted him

John." tongue forthwith, and he glorified

When

he had written

God

who had

this great

cerning his son John the Baptist,

mercy, and uttered prophecies conand was cognisant of the gift that he

had received from God.

John grew up
3

in

a beautiful childhood and sucked his mother two

years.

The
Spirit.

grace of

God was on

by the

When

" behold magians came from the East saying : Where is he that is born, the King of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the East

and he grew up fortified Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judaea,

his face,

and are come

to

worship Him."

When Herod

the king heard these

words he was troubled by what he had heard from the magians that (that child) was the King of the Jews, and he immediately desired to
kill

him.

Then
said to

the angel of the

him

"
:

Lord appeared forthwith to Joseph and Arise and take the child and his mother and flee into
and be thou there
2

the land of Egypt,

l

until

bring thee word."

Ps. Ixxxv. 10.

Read abahu.
in the East.
less faithful

This was, and often is now, a general habit 4 Many of the above sentences are a more or second chapter of Matthew.

rendering of the

JOHN THE BAPTIST

Then Herod

239

sought the Master in order to destroy Him, but he did not find Him, and he began to kill all the children of Bethlehem.

And

Elizabeth feared, 'that her son John might be killed like them,

and she took him immediately to Zacharias in the Temple, and she *' said to him My lord, let us go with our son John to some other
:

countries, in order to save

him from Herod the

unbeliever,

who

is

murdering children because of Jesus the Christ.

Mary and Joseph

that they
into
grief."

have already gone

to the land of

Egypt.
1

Get up quickly
joy

may
of the

not

kill

our

son,

and change
:

our

And
service

Zacharias answered and said to her

"I must not leave the

"
:

Temple

of the

Lord and go

to a foreign land the inhabitants of

which worship

idols."

And

she said to him

"

What

should

do

in

order to save my infant child ? And the old man answered and said " 2 Arise and go to the wilderness of Ain Karim, and by the to her
'

be able to save your son. him, they will shed -my blood instead of his."
will of

God you
great

will

If

they seek after

How
when

was

the

amount

of

grief
!

that occurred

at

that time

they separated from each other

child to his bosom, blessed

The holy Zacharias took the " is me, him, kissed him and said
:

Woe

my son John, They have impeded me glory of my old age from having any access to your face which is full of grace." He then took him and went into the Temple, and blessed him, saying "May
!
:

God

"

protect you in your journey

Immediately after Gabriel, the head of the angels, came down to him from heaven holding a raiment and a leathern girdle, and said to " him God sent Zacharias, take these and put them on your son. them to him from heaven. This raiment is that of Elijah, and this
:

girdle that of

Elisha."

And

the holy Zacharias took them from the

to his son,

angel, prayed over

1 -

them and gave them

and fastened on

Read yarji.
Dr. C. Schick (Zeitsch. des Deut. Pal. Vereins, 1899,
Tradition
half
ist

"

Nach der

'Ain Karim,

ein

Dorf

4-

p. 86) writes: Stunden wesdich von

Taufers." He further identifies an hour west of 'Ain Karim, where there is a small spring of water called Ain al-Habs, with the "wilderness" of Matt. iii. I, in which John preached (ibid., Schick discusses also the antiquity of p. 90). the tradition on pp. 88-90 of his article (q-v-\ The wilderness of Judaea in which John dwelt is generally understood to mean the wild was** whirl h'es to the west of the Dead Sea.
Jerusalem, der Geburtsort Johannes des

wadi s-Sardr,

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him the raiment which was

of camel's hair with the leathern girdle. " then brought him back to his mother and said to her Take him and bring him into the desert, because the hand of the Lord is with

He

him.

have learnt from

God

that he will stay in the desert

till

the

day
also

of his

showing unto

Israel."

The

blessed Elizabeth took the child while

weeping and Zacharias

that
I

was weeping, and

in

the latter said

"I know

shall

not see

you again peace. Elizabeth walked then away with her son, and went ness of 'Ain Karim, and stayed there with him.
It
kill its

the

flesh.

Go

in

May God

guide you."

into the wilder-

happened

that
1

children, they

when King Herod sent troops to Jerusalem to came and began to kill children till the evening.
2

That day was

the seventh of September.

When

to their king, behold,

Satan came to them and said

they began to return " : did you

How

leave the son of Zacharias without killing him ?

his father in the

He

is

hidden with

not spare him but kill him in order that Temple. Go for him, and if you do with the king may not wax angry you. not find the son, kill the father in his place."

Do

The
early in

troops did

what Satan taught them, and went to the Temple the morning, and found Zacharias standing and serving the
: :

" Where is thy son whom thou hast Lord, and they said to him " And he answered them "I have no child hidden from us here ? " to him : You have a child whom you have hidden said here." They And he answered and said " cruel ones whose from the king."
:

king drinks blood like a lioness,

how

"

long will
to

you shed
"

the blood

of

innocent people ?

They
;

said

him
to

Bring out your child

in his place."

so that

we may

kill

him

if

not,

we
I

shall kill

you

And

the prophet answered and said : his mother to the wilderness, and

"As

my

son,
his

he has gone with

whereabouts."

do not know
a
:

Now when
delivered
1

Zacharias has said goodbye

to Elizabeth
priest,

and

his son

John, he had blessed him and

made him
said to

and afterwards

him

to his mother,

who

him

"

Pray over me

my

Read ajnaduhu.
7//,
this

logium or Orient, x.

Marty rologium
1

month corresponds with September (old style). Inino Menoof the Eastern Churches as printed in the Pat.
is

-343

the feast of the

Holy
is

Innocents referred to the seventh of

writing here in a purely historical apparently September. without any reference to the ecclesiastical commemorations of saints.
3

The author

way

Read

tasfikuna.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

holy father, so that

241

God may
"
:

render

my

And

he said to her

May He who
Then

path in the wilderness easy." made us beget our child in our

old age, direct your path."

she took the child and went into

the wilderness in which no soul lived.

"

blessed Elizabeth, your story

is
'

truly
to

wonderful and praise-

worthy.

You

did not ask for an adult

accompany you, and you

You did not care to provide way You did not say to his food nor a little drinking water for the child. father Zacharias To whom are you sending me in the wilderness ? At that time there was neither a monastery in the desert nor a congregaknew
neither the

nor a hiding place.

'

tion of

monks
son.'

'

so that

you may say

shall

with

my

Tell me,

blessed

Elizabeth

go and stay with them whom did you trust,

:

inasmuch as the evangelist

in years

testifies to

the fact that you were advanced

without having had any child, and now you have been suckling " this child of yours for three years ? Listen now to the answer of the blessed Elizabeth : " are you astonished at me that I am going alone into the What should I fear while a kinsman of God is in my wilderness ?

Why

arms

Behold Gabriel

me."

And

she said

is accompanying me and paving the way for "I have confidence in the kiss that Mary, His

mother, gave me, because when I greeted her the babe leaped with joy in my womb, and I heard both babes embracing each other in our " I went and put on wombs." And Elizabeth added : my son a
raiment of camel's hair and a leathern girdle in order that the mountain
of the holy wilderness

may
in

(in future)

be inhabited, and
increase in

in order that
it

monasteries and congregations of

sacrifice
If

monks may

and that

may

be offered

it

in the

God

assisted

Hagar and her son

name of the Lord when they wandered

Jesus Christ.
in the desert,

and they were only

that

He

not apply to us the precedent slaves, " has himself established beforehand ?

how will He

In the

above words
Let

holy Elizabeth."
1

we have described to you the merits of the us now proceed and commemorate the holy
-

that John sucked probably refers here to the beginning of the third year. 5 Read wa-yarfa'u. 6 All the above lines are therefore a literary digression on the part of the author. The same thing happens below with regard to Zacharias.
his
;

Read ayyatuha. The author stated above

Read

kabiran.

Read ayyatuha. mother two years he

242

WOODBROOKE
1

STUDIES
you a few
of his

Zacharias, the martyr,

merits
:

and

relate to

numerous

I should wish to praise your true life, but I fear to hear a reproof from you, similar to that you made to the blessed Elizabeth. I am full of admiration for you, In the time when the pious Zacharias " soldiers of Herod came to you and asked you saying Where is

"

You did not deny the your infant son, the child of your old age ? fact and say "I have no knowledge of such a child," but you simply
:

"

answered

*'
:

His mother took him

into

the

desert."

And when

Zacharias uttered these words to the soldiers concerning his son, they killed him inside the Temple, and the priests shrouded his body and
placed
it

near that of his father Berechiah in a hidden cemetery, from

fear of the

wicked (king)

and

his blood boiled

on the earth

for fifty

years, until

Titus son of Vespasian, the Emperor of the Romans, came and destroyed Jerusalem and killed the Jewish priests for the blood of
Zacharias, as the Lord ordered him.
2

As to the blessed John and God prepared for him

food enter his mouth.

he wandered
locusts

in the desert

with his mother,

food, in accordlet

and wild honey as

ance with what his mother was told about him not to

any unclean

After

five
3

years the pious and blessed old

mother Elizabeth passed away, and the holy John sat weeping over her, as he did not know how to shroud her and bury her, because on
the day of her death he

was only seven

same day

years and six months old.

4

And Herod

also died the

as the blessed Elizabeth.

with His eyes sees heaven and earth saw His kinsman John sitting and weeping near his mother, and He also began to weep for a long time, without anyone knowing
Jesus

The Lord

Christ

who

When the mother of Jesus saw Him " she to : said Him Whay are " you weeping ? Did the old weeping, And the mouth that was man Joseph or any other one chide you ? " the real reason is that your full of life answered : No, mother, my
the cause of His weeping.

2 3

Possibly read as-shahid, This sentence about Titus and Vespasian

in

is

missing in

M.

22.

Chronology on which the See the Encyclopedias and " Can any historical value the Dictionaries of the Bible under Chronology." be attached to our author's statement concerning the year of the death of

From Syriac ittriih. 4 Herod the Great died

is

B.C., but the

Christian era

based

is

of course erroneous.

Herod?

JOHN THE BAPTIST

kinswoman, the old Elizabeth, has
left

243

my
is

He

is

now weeping

over her body which

beloved John an orphan. lying in the mountain."

When
you

the Virgin heard this she began to

Jesus said to her

weep over her

kins-

woman, and

speaking with his mother, behold a luminous cloud came down and placed And Jesus said " Call Salome and let us take itself between them.
:

will see her in this very

Do not weep, And while hour."

:

"

my

virgin mother,
still

he was

her with us."

And

the wilderness of

they mounted the cloud which flew with them to 'Ain Karim and to the spot where lay the body of

the blessed Elizabeth, and where the holy John was sitting. " Leave us here at this side The Saviour said then to the cloud
:

of

the spot."
Its

departed.

immediately went, reached that spot, and : noise, however, reached the ears of Mar John, who,
it

And
left

seized with fear,

the
to

immediately and said

body him
I

of his mother.

voice reached him

"
:

Do

not be afraid,

John.
I

am
to

Jesus Christ, your master.

am
in

your kinsman Jesus, and

came

you with

my

beloved mother

order to attend to the business of the

burial of the blessed Elizabeth, your

happy mother, because she

is

my

mother's kinswoman."

When

the blessed and holy John heard

this,

he turned back, and Christ the Lord and His virgin mother embraced " him. Then the Saviour said to His virgin mother Arise, you and
:

And they washed the body of the Salome, and wash the body." blessed Elizabeth in the spring from which she used to draw water for
herself

and her

son.

Then

the holy virgin

Mart

"

Mary

got hold of

the blessed (John)

of the

and wept over him, and cursed Herod on account numerous crimes which he had committed. Then Michael and

Gabriel came
said to

down from heaven and dug

"

a grave

and the Saviour

them

Go
3

and bring the

soul

of

Zacharias, and the soul of

the priest Simeon,

in order that they may sing while you bury the Michael body." brought immediately the souls of Zacharias and Simeon, who shrouded the body of Elizabeth and sang for a long

And
it.

time over

And
made
1

the mother of Jesus and Salome wept, and the

*

two

priests

the sign of the cross

Syriac

on the body and prayed over

the

it

three times
of saints

" word meaning " my Lord used before

names

and

of ecclesiastical dignitaries. Feminine of Mar explained in the previous note. 3 The man spoken of in Luke ii. 25 sqq.
4

Syr. rsham, which literally

means

"

to imprint."

244
before they laid
it

WOODBROOKE
to rest in the grave
;

STUDIES
then they buried
it,

and sealed

the grave with the sign of the cross,

in peace.

And

places Jesus Christ and His mother stayed near the blessed
at the death of

and went back

to their

own

his mother,

and the holy John seven days, and condoled with him and taught him how to live in the desert.

And

the day
1

of the death of the blessed Elizabeth

was

the
;

Then
place

Jesus Christ said to

I

His mother

5th of February. " Let us now go to the

2

where
"

may

proceed with

my
"

work."

immediately over the loneliness! of John,

said
:
:

The Virgin Mary wept who was very young and

is

We will

take him with

Vis,
:

since

he
is

one."

But Jesus said to her

in the heavens.

This

not the will of

an orphan without anyFather

My
till

who

is

He

shall

remain

in the wilderness

the

day

Instead of a desert full of wild beasts, he showing unto Israel. 4 will walk in a desert full of angels and prophets, as if they were
of his

multitudes of people.

Here

is

also Gabriel, the

head

of the angels,

whom

from heaven.
as sweet

have appointed to protect him and to grant to him power Further, I shall render the water of this spring of water
delicious to

and

him

as the milk he sucked from his mother.

?
?

Who
who
and
I

took care of him in his childhood

love

him more than

all

the world

my mother, Zacharias also loved him,

Is it
I,

not

have ordered him to come to him and inquire

after him,

because

although his body is buried in the earth, his soul is alive. " As to Elizabeth his mother, she will constantly visit him and

comfort him, as

if

she was not dead at

all.

Blessed

is

she,

O my
will

mother, because she bore

my

beloved.

Her mouth
;

will never suffer

putrefaction, because she kissed your pure lips

and her tongue

not be dismembered in the earth, because she prophesied concerning

you and

said

"
:

Happy

is

she

who

received from the Lord would

believed that the promise that she " 5 nor will her womb be fulfilled ;

In

fixed

on the
1

to the

= 23 September). See Pat. Menologium her feast is on the 26th Tut ( In the Ethiopia Menologium (Smith's Orient, x. 189, 233 (index) and 253.
Diet,

a Jacobite Menologium (Pat. Orient, x. 36) the feast of Elizabeth is In another Menologium her death is assigned 1 6th of December. In a Coptic- Arabic 0th of February (Pat. Orient, x. 1 40 index).

= (

of Christian Antiquities, i. 606) her feast is on the 16th Jakatit I do not believe that any of the above dates (including 10 February). that given by our document) has any historical value. 3 2 Read ahadin. Read saghiran. 8 4 Luke i. 45. Read yasir (with sin).

JOHN THE BAPTIST

decay
see us
in the earth,

245

because her body,

like

her soul, shall suffer no

last for ever,

putrefaction.

And my

beloved John will

and he will

and be comforted." These words the Christ our Lord spoke to his mother, while John was in the desert And they mounted the cloud, and John looked at 1 them and wept, and Mart Mary wept also bitterly over him, saying
:

"

Woe

is

me,

O John,

because you are alone in the desert without

anyone.'

Where
?

your mother

And
my

Jesus Christ said to her

I

is Zacharias, your father, and where is Elizabeth, 3 Let them come and weep with me to-day." "
:

mother.

shall

not forget him."

Do not weep over this child, O And while he was uttering

them up and brought them
to

these word, behold the clouds lifted

Nazareth.
except
sin.

And He
John dwelt

fulfilled

there everything pertaining to humanity

And
with him.

in the desert,

and

God and His

angels

were

was was
his

grass

He lived in great asceticism and devotion. His only food and wild honey. He prayed constantly, fasted much and
the

in expectation of the salvation of Israel.

And Herod

Younger

who

brother's wife, in the

second

reigned over Judea, lived with He did not year of his reign.
6

marry her openly, but he used to find an opportune moment to send after her and usher her in his bedchamber which was full of corruption,

and there perpetrate

of the angels, taught

their abomination.'

At

that time Gabriel,

head
;

no

right to live

King, you have with the wife of your brother, while he is still alive."

John

in the desert to say

"

And
him.

he repeated

this,

crying in the desert, as the angel had taught

In the night people could hear his voice, and Herodias used to a light lamp and search the bedchamber, believing that somebody may have intruded into it, but found nobody, and only heard the voice.

The two began

1

then to have misgivings on account of this happen-

~ Read ahadin. 447. Read in the dual form yatia and yabkia. " 4 The author seems to identify the " locusts used in the Gospel in This is also the connection with the food of John, with a kind of grass.

See note

of p.

opinion of some ancient writers.

5

I.e.

Herod

Antipas.

This epithet

is

applied to him in order to dis-

tinguish

him from Herod the Great, son 'RmdyifrniAnt. 8 Mark vi. 8. Read hayyun.
1

of Antipater. "

Read nifdkahuma.

246
ing,

WOODBROOKE
and Herodias
said to

STUDIES
Arise and despatch troops to

Herod

"
:

the desert of

the voice
delivered

'Am Karim, in order that they may kill John, because we hear is his." God, however, was with the lad, and him from their hands. When she ascertained that through
:

him there would be no peace for her in her (iniquitous) act, she "If persuaded the wicked king who gave her the following promise

we happen

to hear this voice again,

of

we

shall
kill

summon
him

the magicians

and inform them to take hold

John and
said

secretly."

And
a
is

the voice did not cease to worry them.

And
wanderer
not
fit

the

wicked

Herodias

"
:

How

can

this

John,

in the desert

and

in

the wilderness, a

man whose body

to

wear the clothing

of

men, but a raiment

said to the king

of camel's hair,

rebuke the king of his "

own

country, whose

authority extends to his

own

region ?

Then Herodias

"
:

What pleases you

this region will

openly, and do not believe that anyone in blame you for it, except John, and when opportunity
to do,
it

do

offers itself

we
l

shall get rid of him."

It

is

in this

way

that the adulteress set the

to deliver his brother

heart of
to death,

Herod on

their sin,

and persuaded him

and to marry her openly.

And
until

John did not cease to rebuke Herod every day in the desert he was thirty years old. As to Jesus, He increased in wisdom,

men, and did not show any deeds And when of His Divinity, but acted with humility towards all men. He was twelve years old, He began to rebuke the Teachers and
stature,

and grace with

God and

deceivers of the people.

berius Caesar,
Galilee,

And
after

in the fifteenth

year of the reign of Tiof

who reigned

Augustus,

when Herod was tetrarch

and when Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, in that year the word of God came unto John, son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. He came into the countries that surround the Jordan 3 preaching and
"
saying
:

Repent ye
all

for the

people from
In those

the region of

kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Judaea and Jerusalem went out

Jordan
confessing their sins.
5

And
to

him

and were baptised by him

said to

in the

to him from Galilee to the Jordan When John saw God standing me." and Baptize before him and wishing to be baptized by him, he was seized with

days the Saviour

came

him

"

Read akhahu.
Matt.
iii.

2 5

2.

Luke ii. Mark i.

52.
5,

Cf.

Luke

iii.

-3.

Matt.

iii.

5-6.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

great fright

247

He who made the children of Israel Red Sea and drink sweet water from a solid rock, stands before His servant who is in need to be baptized with His Divine '" And he began to turn away from hands, and says Baptize me " Him. But (Jesus) said to him Stop now it is thus that we must
and
said to

him

"

walk

in the

'

fulfil all

righteousness."
of

Then both
baptized

them went down

:

into the water,

and the holy John

the Father has

Him,

saying
3

"I baptize the One

4

Whom

sent to establish a great sacrament." And immediately after the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, like a dove. And John saw it face to face, and the Father cried saying "This is my
:

beloved Son in

whom

delight,

obey Him."
all

And

our Saviour

came
he

out of the water

and went forthwith

into the desert.

As

to John,

remained near the Jordan, baptizing

In that rime

those

who came
"
:

to him.

Herod
to

rose against Philip his brother

5

and

intrigued

against

him with the Emperor Caesar, saying

be the ruler of Trachoniris,
:

have appointed

The one whom you who is Philip, has mis-

"I shall not pay tribute to the king governed your region, and said because I am also a king." Cassar waxed greatly angry and ordered

Herod
and

to dispossess

him

of his region

and

to confiscate all his estate

Herod pity, not even on his soul. acted on the orders of the Emperor and plundered the region of his
his house,

and not to have any

brother Philip with his house

his region.

and

all his

possessions,

and reigned over

And
the

Philip

same

had a wife called Herodias, who had a daughter by 6 The mother was even more Philip, called Arcostiana.

adulteress than the daughter.

When

Philip

body

else,

Herodias hated him

greatly,

became poorer than anyand said to him "I shall not

:

remain with you any more, but shall go to your new lord Herod who is better than Then she wrote immediately to Herod saying : you." " Herodias writes to Herod as follows Now that you have all Syria
' :

Read samma. Here are two pages

Matt.

iii.

5.

in

M. 22

filled

with scribblings, diagrams, and com-

putations
4
5

by various owners, but the

:

text of the life of the Baptist is continuous.

Or

a great mystery. In the original Antarachonia.

to
fulfil
:

given below as Uxoriana, which by its connection with the Latin uxor seems to be more accurate. M. 1 83 has, however, Orcostiriana.
is
It

The name

is

remarkable that

the

traditional

Salome should appear under

this

uncommon name.

246

WOODBROOKE
all
I

STUDIES
the earth, you have not taken
all

under your sway and you reign over

me

as your wife.
I

am

very beautiful and better than

the

women

of Judaea.
in all

have also a daughter the like of whom I have never seen the world for beauty and stature. I wish to be I your wife.
l

hated your brother

your kingdom.' When these cunning words reached the wicked (king), he was pleased with them, and he immediately gave orders that she and her
very

much

"

in order to strengthen

When Philip saw that daughter be taken out of the house of Philip. his wife was being taken from him by force, he wept bitterly and said " to his daughter You stay with your father in case your mother is " taken from me." But the adulteress said to him I shall not stay
: :

with you, but

shall

accompany
2

my

mother wherever she goes."

They

were, therefore, taken both of them and presented to Herod,

greatly pleased with them,

who was

because he was an adulterer.

They performed

marvels of diabolical cunning, and the wicked

king lived daily with both of

them

in adultery.
of

Some

people,

how-

John the Baptist on John was considered by all as a prophet, and everybody praised him because he was teaching " the people and saying Bring forth fruits meet for repentance, because
ever, brought their story to the

knowledge

behalf of Philip, Herodias* husband.

Now

every tree which bringeth not forth good

into the fire."
3

fruit is

hewn down and

cast

When

the perdition of

John heard the news from Philip he was much afflicted at Herod and Herodias, and he immediately sent a

message to Herod and said to him

tells

Herod, Zacharias, you, wife of your brother, while he is still alive."

that

John the Baptist, son of have no right to marry the you

:

"

When Herod heard

these

words he was much frightened and perplexed, and he went to Herodias " It is the end of and said to her Herodias, what shall we do ?
:

our sinful union as

Baptist,
sins

it

has been brought to the knowledge of John the

and behold he has rebuked me.

Woe
:

to us,

because our

have increased greatly and reached the ears of the prophets." " The wicked woman said then to him Long live you, king

Who
1 2

John, the wearer of camel's hair, to contradict and rebuke a He surely deserves that somebody should mighty monarch like you ?
is

Read akhaka, Read bikima, and

Mattiii. 8, 10.

place

all

the following verbs in the dual form.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

pull out

249
"
:

and cut

off

his tongue."

And
:

he said to her

What
I

can

we do

We
we

she answered and said to him

cannot bear the rebuke of that great (prophet)." "

And
kill

Summon him

here and

will

him, and

shall continue

our mutual relations in peace."

And

she

performed before him obscene acts

filled

and immoral

artifices,
l

and Satan
the Baptist,
cast

his heart against the

holy and just

man Mar John

seized

and he dispatched
in prison.

soldiers against him,

who

him and

him

Then Herodias summoned him

said to

What is your business with me, O chaste man, that you wish to separate me from the king ? conjure you by the God of father not to do this with me To tell you the truth, if your again. you are silent concerning me and do not rebuke me another time, I
him
:

"

out of prison to her presence and

shall

deliver

you from prison and bestow great favours upon you."

And

the holy

Mar John
live

the

Baptist said to her

"

say to you,

Herodias, not to

When
against
I

the

Herod while your husband Philip is alive." wicked woman heard this, she was incensed with anger
with
said to

him and

him

"

You

will surely die at

my

hands, and
~

shall put

the hair of your head in the pillow on

I

which

lay

my
I

head with Herod, and

shall

bury your head

in

the place

where

wash
her
:

after

"

The Lord
It

having enjoyed myself with the king." will allow you to kill me but
will

John then said to 3 my head you will

not see.

remain

after

to all the world.

is

Woe

me, and proclaim your iniquity and shame to you for my unjust murder, because your end
"

at hand."

with

Take him and keep him in prison he shall lose your souls." fetters, And the escapes, you soldiers took him and kept him in prison with chains. And Herodias
said to his keepers
if
:

She then

and

tried to

induce Herod to

kill

him, but he said to her

"I cannot
out,

kill

him
from

in this

way.

People

will rise against

me, drive

me

and bring

accusation against

me

to the

Emperor,

who

will

take

me

as

he took that of

my

brother Philip."
~

And
allati.

my kingdom he said to her :

"

1 z

See note

of p.

447.

Read

text uses constantly the word ras head in feminine, which is absolutely contrary to the This genius of all the Semitic languages. proves that the work is of Egyptian origin, and that it emanates from a Greek or a Coptic original, or at least that it was written by a Copt who was under

The Arabic

"

the influence of the language of

Homer

in

which

K6<f>a\TJ is feminine.

250
"
to

WOODBROOKE
better

STUDIES
And
she said

Show me a
him
"
:

method

of doing

l away with him."

you a word, and if you listen to it, you will " an opportunity of killing him." And he said to her Tell it to " 2 And she said to him : Behold the envoys of the king are with arise and prepare a dinner for them, to which you will invite all
I

will tell

have
me."
you,

your

high

and your birthday falls also in these days. When people become hilarious and begin to get drunk with wine, I shall send in my
officials
;

daughter dressed in her best clothes, and she will dance before you, When she has done this ask her, saying, king, with her sweet face. Desire of me whatever you like,' and you will swear to her by the

O
'

life

of the

Emperor

that

will then ask for the

you will give her whatever she wishes. She head of John, and you will have an opportune
the reasoning of the adulteress, and

moment to cut off his head." Herod was circumvented by

began to
fulfil

her desires, as he loved her because of her beauty and

In that very

day he prepared the dinner, and the When they messengers of the Emperor were sitting next to him. to drunk the accursed Uxoriana entered the began get room, and on her were strings of gold and silver, perfumes and jewellery of high
diabolical artifices.

and presented herself to all the company. She danced with a diabolical passion, and Satan filled the hearts of the guests with evil
value,

and passion through her iniquitous artfulness. 4 her, and Herod was proud and said to her you
like,

"
:

All were pleased with Ask me for whatever

I

and by the
if

life

of the

Emperor
of

Tiberius Caesar,

will give

it
5

to you, even

kingdom and my possessions." And she said what she was taught by her mother "I wish here 6 to have the head of John the Baptist, on a dish." The king began to be
it

be the half

my

very sad, on account of the oath he had taken by the life of the Emperor, and he owned to the guests that he was unable to break his
oath.

He

therefore dispatched an executioner,

off

who went

to the prison

and there cut

1

John's head on a dish, on the second of the month of

This sentence

is

missing in

M.

122.

Read rusul, 3 Read surra. 4 Or: thought. 5 The story is in many places 6 Read hadha in M. 22.

a faithful rendering of

Mark ,iv.

7-29.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

September, and he brought
1

251

it

to

Herod,

and the

girl

handed

it

to her mother.

who handed it to the girl, Now, before the messengers of

the king and the executioner had gone to him, to behead him, John " Behold the king has sent men to cut off had said to his disciples :

my
this

head.

They have

already

left

with unsheathed swords in their

hands, and with lanterns,

As

hour will happen in to me, my head will be cut

What is happening in lamps, and weapons." the night in which Christ will be betrayed.
off

and be shown on a
going to
off
;

dish, but the

Christ will be lifted

up on the
;

cross, in order that

I

He may

purify all

with His pure blood the king who ordered

befall him,

as to

me am
to

my

place, but

woe

to

my

head

be cut

many

calamities will

and the people of Israel will be scattered because of him. As to you, do not be afraid, because no one will be able to do you He then opened his mouth and blessed and glorified any harm."

God
Thee,

for his incomprehensible gifts, saying

"I

bless

Thee and
comforting

praise

invisible

Father,

visible

Son,

and

Holy

Spirit."

Let us

now proceed
the Baptist.

to describe the story of the

head

of the blessed

Mar John
4

When

it

eyes of the holy

lifetime.

John were open and

was brought before Herodias, the his ears were hearing as in his
before the head as

The
"

adulteress spoke then with ire

follows

accursed one,

who were
I

not ashamed to look at the

king in the face and answer him,

shall

put out your eyes with

my

M. 83 has "On the Ilul. The Armenian Synaxarium printed

1
1 :

in

twenty-ninth of the month of August Pat. Or. v. 454 fixes also the feast

of the Decollation of the Baptist on the 1 9th of Navasard ( So also is the case with the Syrian Menologia and

29th August).

Pat. Or.

x. pp. 45, 85, 101, 106, 1 printed ibid, on p. 53 this feast is assigned to the 15th of December. same feast is assigned to the 7th of January on pp. 54, 69, 94, 103, 1 09,

Martyrologia printed in In the Menologium 12, 129, and 131.

The
1 1

7,

and 129. In a Greek life of the saint printed in Pat. Or. iv. 527-541 the head is reported to have been cut off on the 29th of the month of Dystros, which in Graeco-Arab calendars of Gaza corresponds with 5th or 25th of March. None of the above dates seems to me to have any historical value. In the Greek Synaxarium of Constantinople printed by the Jesuit Delehaye in 902 (Col. 934) the Baptist is also murdered on the 29th of August. For
1 1

the date of the festival of the

Decollation of the Baptist in the different

churches of the West, see Smith's and Cheetham's Dictionary of Christian Cf. Acta SS. for June 24th, pp. '701-702. Antiquities, i. 882-883.
-

Cf John
.

xviii. 3.

Read

ru'iya.

Read

alladhi.

252

WOODBROOKE
dish,

STUDIES
shall cut off the

hands and place them on a

used to say to the king that
his brother's wife.
shall

and

tongue which

it

was unlawful
feet of

for

him

to

marry Herodias,
of

As

to the hair of
it

your head and

your beard

pluck

it

and place
all this

under the

my bedstead."
do with
it

She said
hand
she had said.
the locks of
convivial

with malice and wickedness, and she stretched her

of

to hold the

head

Mar John
dish,

the Baptist and

what
let

its

But immediately hair rise from the

after the

head
it

of the blessed

John

and

flew to the middle of the

officials.

room before

the king and his high

In that very

moment
floor

the roof of the house

in the air.

As

to

and the roof

was opened and the head of John flew Herodias her eyes were put out and fell on the of her room fell upon her, and the earth opened
l

her

mouth and swallowed her up

to her neck,

and she went

alive to
all

the depth of hell.

As

to her daughter she

became mad and broke

the utensils of the dinner party.

In her

madness she went

to the icy

pond and danced on it, and by order of the Lord the ice broke under In vain did the soldiers endeavour to her and she sank to her neck.
pull her up, because the

Lord did not wish her

deliverance.

Then

they cut

off

the Baptist.

her head with the very sword that was used to kill John 2 Then a fish cast her out of the pond, dead. May God
!

not have mercy upon her

In that

moment Herod
body

also

had a sudden

stroke before his guests.

When

his agent noticed these great miracles, he repaired quickly to the

of the saint and gave it to his disciples, who took 3 Sebaste where they buried it, near the bodyi of the it As to his head, it flew over Jerusalem, and cried for prophet Elisha. " It is not lawful for you, three years to the town, saying Herod, After it to marry the wife of your brother while he is still alive."
prison, took the

to the

town

of

had
2

cried for three years,

1

it

went

to all the

world shouting and proPilate

is

From
In

Syr. kaitona as above. the apocryphal Letter of

Herod

to

it

written:

"My

and fell in up to daughter Herodias was playing upon the water (i.e. the ice) And her mother caught at her head to save her, and it was cut her neck. My wife is sitting with the head off, and the water swept her body away. on her knees weeping." James' The Apocryphal New Testament, pp. 55The Syriac text of the letter has been edited by Rahmani, Studia 1 56.
1

Syriaca,
3

ii,

17-18.
in the time of

Even

of

John the Baptist

was shown

Yakut, the well known Muslim geographer, the grave at Sebaste (Mu jam al Buldan, iii. 33, edit.
l

Wiistenfeld).

JOHN THE BAPTIST

253

" It the words : claiming the horrible crime of Herod, and repeating is not lawful for you, Herod, to marry the wife of your brother

O
it

while he

is still

alive."

Fifteen years after

rested on the

had been cut

1

off

it

ceased proclaiming,

and
town

town

of
it

Horns.

The

faithful

who were

in that

took

it

and buried
on
it,

with great pomp.

is still

was

built

which

standing in our time.

long time after, And the head of

a church

the holy John the Baptist

was buried
and
it

there fifteen years after the

resurrection of Christ, the Lord,

remained there

down

to our

own

days.
to the

As
we
of

body

of the holy
3

John the

Baptist, the saint

whose
is

feast

are celebrating to-day,

4

it

remained
years.

in

Sebaste

which

Nabulus

Samaria

for four

hundred

Then

a pagan king, whose

name

He had been a Christian at the Julian, reigned over the world. beginning of his reign, but after that Satan filled his heart and he forwas
sook the faith of our Lord the Christ and worshipped
fire.

He ordered

temples and places of worship to be built in every place where idols could be worshipped, and intimated that such a temple should be erected in

where lay the body of the holy Baptist. People, to comply with the order and to worship idols unable were however, in that place, on account of the (holy) bodies that were buried there.
the

town

of Sebaste

and informed the Emperor that as bodies of holy men were buried there, they had been delayed in their 1 The well known north Syrian town. Hims would be a more exact The same Arab geographer, Yakut, tells us pronunciation of the word. (ibid. ii. 335) that a fourth part of the Church of St. John at Horns was turned into a mosque at the time of the Arab conquest. According to the Coptic MS. No. 97 of kef.R.L. (Crum's Catalogue, p. 50) the relics of the Baptist were discovered near Emesa by the brothers Gesius and Isidorus. See further parallels in Acta SS. June 24th., pp. 712 sqq.
They,
therefore, assembled
2

The

author

was

therefore writing before die sixth century or the time in

which a head supposed to be that of John the Baptist was sent to Constantinople. See Barsalibi's Treatise against the Melchites and my notes on it (pp. 43In the author's time of 44). writing, which according to the present story is, a within A.D. 385-395, the head of the saint was still at Emesa. by necessity, year
3

The

present

history

is,

therefore,

a kind

of

homily or panegyric

pronounced or written by Bishop Serapion. * The clause "which is Nabulus of Samaria," only found in M. 183 and not in M. 22, is apparently an addition of a late copyist. In a preceding where the text of M. 22 has no lacuna the same clause is missing in passage it although found as in the present case in M. 83, which on the whole seems
1

to represent a

more modern recension

of the story.

18

254

WOODBROOKE
Then he

STUDIES
them
"
:

building of the temples.

said to

Go

and burn (the

The Lord, however, did not allow the fire to come bodies) with fire." near the place where lay the coffins of the prophets, but the same fire
consumed a great number of the pagans who had kindled it, and great treasures were brought to light there. Above one of the coffins was
seen a vessel containing a leathern girdle, a raiment of camel's hair, a
frock,

and two leathern

belts.

The

faithful

who were
l

in that place

understood immediately that the coffins belonged

and

to the prophet Elisha, and they wished to but from fear of the wicked Emperor they were not able to do

John the Baptist remove them from there,

to
2

so.

When, however, God destroyed him with a death more wretched than that of any other, pious men assembled there and carried the two coffins to the sea with the intention of bringing them to Alexandria,
because they said There is in these days no one in the world worthy to take care of these except Father Athanasius, the Patriarch of Alexandria."
to the holy
'

Father, the Patriarch Athanasius,

When they reached the sea they found a boat bound for Alexandria, and they boarded it with the coffins. They journeyed on the sea and landed on the shores of Alexandria, but as they weri
unable to disclose their
affair

to

any one because the time was not

convenient for that, they went direct to the Patriarch and related to him all that had occurred, and how they were moved by the Holy
Spirit to bring the coffins to him.

He

was

greatly pleased with

them

and went by night

to the boat with his brother, and they took the remains in a kerchief and brought them with them, and (the Patriarch) placed them with him in a place in his dwelling, and ;he did not

disclose their

whereabouts

to anyone.

And

this

Father wished to
to

build a church to

John the

Baptist,

and he was not able

4 5

do

so

because of the troubles caused by the wicked ones. The bodies remained therefore hidden in the place

in

which
his

Father Athanasius had secretly placed them,

1

until the time of

Read hiya for hum. The construction of the Arabic sentence denotes a Syriac or a Greek original. 2 This is against the statement of Theodoret who relates that the coffin of the saint was broken and his remains were burnt and their ashes scattered. Pat. Gr. Ixxxii. 1091. See above p. 43. 3 Athanasius was Patriarch of Alexandria from 328 to 373.
4 5

Arians ?

The word

here used generally means "fountain."

Can

it

refer

to

baptismal font ?

JOHN THE BAPTIST

1

255

death.

After his death he was succeeded by Father Peter, whose 2 who throne was occupied after his death by Father Timothy,

ordained
merits

my humble on my part
his death,

self,

your Father Serapion,

to this see, without

who the see, In his time on the now is grace of (Patriarchal) sitting God increased, and the faith was strengthened through the pious 5 Theodosius and God united the Emperor and the Patriarch with ties of love. The former threw open the temples in which were
After

he was succeeded by Father Theophilus

treasures,

and

especially the great temple of

Alexandria, in which

there

was

great

quantity

of

gold

and

silver.

And

the

pious

Theodosius honoured the Patriarch, made him superintendent of all " the treasures, and said to him Father Theophilus, take these
:

and enrich the churches with them, from this town to Aswan, for the After this he began to build churches. glory of God and His saints."

The

first

church to be built was one under the

name

of the holy

Mar

it He John the Baptist in the great city of Alexandria. and made it a great church and wished to place in it the body of the When he had finished it completely, he holy Mar John the Baptist.

adorned

thought of consecrating it,' and he sent immediately to all the bishops under his jurisdiction to congregate for the consecration of the church. The invitation was also sent to my weakness, and I went with
the rest of
1

the bishops

to

the

Pope,

the

Father

Theophilus of

Peter

ii.

Timothy succeeded Peter from 380

succeeded Athanasius from 373 to 380. to 385.

1 cannot ascertain the identity of this Serapion, who was evidently a For chronological reasons he cannot apparently bishop of a town in Egypt. be identified with Serapion Scholasticus, bishop of Thmuis, nor with Serapion,

bishop of Tentyra.
4

Theophilus was Patriarch of Alexandria from 385 to 4 2.

1

He is credited
and

with an Apocryphal vision which describes the

the

flight of

Christ into Egypt

mode
,

of life of the holy family in that country.

Syr. Lit. p. 70, and Syr. MS. Mingana, No. 5 ff. 70 b both in the custody of Rendel Harris Library, Birmingham. Theodosius died in 395.
6

Cf. Baumstark, Gesch. d. 1-18 b and No. 39 ff. 56 b-

Or

Assuan.

town

in

Upper Egypt and

called in
is

province of Nubia and of the

elephants."
it

district

antiquity
it,

Capital of the Egyptian " land of Yebu,

The

island of Elephantine

included in

and

in

Greek times

was called Syene. 7 Read bitakrisiha. 8 The word "Pope" was Alexandria and not of Rome.

in early times applied to the Patriarchs of

256

WOODBROOKE

STUDIES

When it came to his knowledge that all the bishops Alexandria. were nearing the city of Alexandria, he was pleased with us, like one who had found much booty. He came out to meet us accompanied
by
all

the (clergy)

who were

in the city.

We entered
"

the city
:

and
the
it

stayed some days with him.

3

After

this
2

church, and he took us and showed

it
:

he began to consecrate to us, and we found

in

wonderful buildings, and he said to us

place designated for the
favour."

O my children,
whom
:

this is

the

And
I

them while

And when

he came
if

purpose by Athanasius, Father Theophilus added "I was walking with was a simple acolyte at that time and serving him. "
to this place,

time did not

he

said to

me

my

son,

Theophilus, you can find opportunity, build in to Mar John the Baptist and place his bones in
built
this place,
I

this
it,

place a church
after
I

and

had

remembered the saying

of the

was

bethought prophet David, who wished to build a house to God, but was not favoured with it, on account of wars in which he was " Thou shalt not build a continually engaged, and God said to him : house for me, but the one who comes out of thy loins shall build it for
like the

Father Athanasius, especially

when

man of God, the me that my Father

me,"* and
which
is

this

was Solomon.
I

Since

have finished with the wars

against the pagans,

considered myself worthy of building this church under the name of the holy Mar John the Baptist, the
the second of the

morning

star."

When

month

of

June came, he took us

to the

place where the body was placed, and we did not know the right And when spot, but after praying nocturns God showed it to him.

he brought

it

out,

he called

all

the inhabitants of the town and they

lanterns

assembled to him with

and lamps so that the night He let the bishops carry the coffin on their heads shone like day. and the Patriarch preceded them, and the deacons were singing with

many

majesty and splendour, until we brought the coffin to the church in When we entered the church, the Patriarch took hold great pomp.
of the coffin,

embraced

it,

and allowed

all

the people to be blessed

inside

by

the holy body, which he placed afterwards

chair at a corner of the altar.
1

the church on a

He

then prepared to consecrate the

2

Read bi-takris. Read abniatan

1

Read arana.
1

'ajlbatan. Chron. xxriii. 3, 6 ; Cf. 2

Sam.

Tii.

Kings

v. 3.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

church
in that

257
of us received the
of the

day, and

we

said mass,
it

and

all

sacrament from the Patriarch, and

was the second day

and we
in

month

Baouna?
After
2

this

the Patriarch said goodbye to us,

his

left

the town,

each one of us going to

own

country,

the peace of

God.

Amen.

And

the

miracles, prodigies,

body and wonders

of the holy

Mar John
will

the

Baptist

of healings in the people of the

wrought Lord

Jesus Christ.

The

miracles (which

we

mention below) will bear

witness to
Praise,

this.

glory,

Holy
and
l

Spirit

and power are due to you, Father, Son, and who is one in nature, now, always, and for ever

ever.

183 heziran (June). The second day of the Coptic month with our 27th of May. In the Arab Coptic Menologia (Pat. Or. x. 204), the feast of the finding of the bones of the Baptist actually falls on the second day of Baouna or the 27th of May. That a church was built in Alexandria in order to contain the supposed relics of the Baptist sent from Sebaste to Athanasius is attested by Rufinus, Hist. Eccl. xi. 28 Theodoret, Hist. Eccl. iii. 3 Theophanes, Chronographia, i. 1 7 (edit. Classen). It seems therefore to be historical that a church was built in Alexandria under the name of the Baptist by Theodosius the Great on the site of the On the other temple of Serapis, and finished under the reign of Arcadius. hand it seems to me false to assert that the church contained any bones of the saint. See Barsalibi's Treatise against the Melchites on p. 43, and for further details see Smith's and Cheetham's Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, i. 881-884. The Ada SS. for June 24 (pp. 71 1-808) contain a full repertory
ln

M.

Baouna corresponds

of traditions concerning the history of the Baptist's relics. ' The story ends here. What follows appears to be

by a

later

hand.

258

WOODBROOKE
God, one in and by the help and
of

STUDIES

In the
attributes,

name

nature,

and three

in persons

and

assistance of

God we
2

will narrate
1

the miracles of the precursor, Saint John the Baptist, which

God

wrought through him on the day May his intercession be with us

!

of the consecration

of his Church.

Amen.

The First Miracle.

There was
her child, as
said
s

in the

town a

girl of

a respectable family, the pangs of

whose labour had

it

lasted three days without having

first

been delivered

of

was her
:

babe.

The midwives who were

has died in her

present

to her parents
live."

"

The babe

cannot

All began to weep over her

womb, and she because she was much

of

loved by them.

When men who

to the church

were carrying the body

"
girl

Mar

John the Baptist

reached the house of the

are these voices ?
for

singing,

she asked her parents her Christian

:

"
:

What

They answered
of

"A

was martyred
his

the

name

Jesus Christ,
feast

and the Christians are carrying

for him."

body and observing a

Now
them
**
:

the

girl

and her parents were pagans.

to this

And

she said to

Carry

me

window

so that

may

see the body."

And

four attendants carried her

and brought her

she

to the spot she

had

desired.

When
this

she looked
cried aloud
:

down
"

saw a

great

and indescribable
for

pomp, and she

holy

my Lord Jesus Christ

me
from

whose

name

man

has been martyred, deliver

this

calamity

of mine, through the intercession of this holy

may know
was

that you, Jesus Christ,

man, in order that all While she are the only God."
in her

saying these words, the babe

who was

womb came
alive.

out

were amazed and

4

while she was being carried, and he was "

cried,

found to

be

People
of
this

saying

Jesus Christ,
all of

the

God

them believed and gave to the martyr, is the only God." infant the name of John, and were baptised in the Church of Mar John the Baptist, and remained Christian till the day in which they
passed

And

away
1

in the

peace of the Lord.

2 4

Amen.

Read al-lati. Read kunna yakulna.

As

usual read takrls.

Read

ash-shah'td.

JOHN THE BAPTIST

The Second Miracle.

259

town had a daughter betrothed to a man. ~ for her because she was very rich. great wedding was prepared On the night in which her husband was to be with her, the holy
*

A rich

official

of the

to her in John, the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, appeared " Do you : to her great glory, and she was frightened, but he said " " And she answered know who I am ? No, my lord." And
:

Mar

When the Baptist, the precursor of Christ you rise to-morrow go to my church, and take the sign and abundance
he said
:

"

am John

of your salvation from

lies."

what you

will see

on

my
sat

grave where

my body

And he disappeared from her sight. And she rose in the night and went and When the door of church till the morning.
she made haste and entered and went

near the door of the

the church

to the place in

was opened which the coffin

the holy

was

buried.

She immediately saw on the grave

of

Mar
veil.

John the Baptist a garment of sackcloth, a belt of leather,

and a

When
is

she noticed them she was amazed and said

life,"

"

This garment
to

not for a worldly

virgin.

and she ascertained

that

God wanted her

be a

of gold that she

grave,

She then threw immediately in the church the garment was wearing, and put on that which she saw on the and went out glorifying God and His saint, Mar John the
and she became a
virgin
till

Baptist,

the

day

of her death through

the intercession of John the Baptist.

us
!

May

this intercession

be with

Amen. The Third Miracle.

There was
in the

town a

cripple

who worshipped

one

knew

him, children and grown ups.

When
tightly

idols. Everyhe walked he used

to drag his feet

on the ground and wrap

on them a piece of
fro.

leather in order that they might not

move

to

and

He

used to

sit

every day at the door of the church in order to receive alms from the
church-goers.

One day
his feet

he made bold to enter the church,

in order to

put

oil

on

from the lamp of the martyr Mar John the Baptist. purpose he loosened the leather that was wrapped on his
1 -

For
feet

this

and

Greek apxcov through

the Syriac arkona.

3

Or

he prepared.

Read ahadin.

260
oiled

WOODBROOKE
them from the
strong.
oil

STUDIES

became and
true
till

When
"
:

of the lamp. Immediately after his limbs he noticed the miracle he raised himself up

cried,

saying

God."

He
in the

The God of Mar John the Baptist is the one then received the baptism and became a Christian
peace of the Lord.

he died

Amen.

The Fourth Miracle.

in the town a woman afflicted with dropsy, and her was swollen all over. She was very rich, but no physician * body was able to heal her. She rose up and went to the church of the holy Mar John the Baptist and was oiled with the oil of the lamp

There was

which burns before the body

she slept there.

of the saint, towards the sanctuary

and

While she was asleep her body was torn open and all the foul matter went out of it, and she awakened from her sleep sound and in good health. And she went home glorifying God to

whom

be everlasting glory

Amen.

The Fifth Miracle.

There were two
other
2

blind

men

in the

town who were

and

friendly to each
to the

and

ate jointly from

the same alms.

the Baptist

3 They went

church of the holy

oil of

Mar John

oiled their eyes with the

the

one

of

heart,

lamp that burns over the body of the saint. The eyes of them saw but not those of the other. The latter had a heavy " stood up and confessed to God, saying my Lord Jesus
:

have pity on the weakness of

my

faith,

and give

light to

my

eyes as

Thou
glory,

gavest to those of

my

friend,

because to

and honour

for

ever and

ever.

Thee belong power, Amen." He recited this

.prayer to the

Lord on the grave

of the blessed saint

all

Mar John

the

Baptist,
glorified

and he immediately saw, and he and God.

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JOHN THE BAPTIST

287

(iii)

Uncanonical Psalms.

PREFATORY NOTE.
I

give in the following pages the text

and the

translation of five
of the Syriac

uncanonical Psalms.
Psalter
x

Psalm

is

found
cli.

in

many MSS.
it is

where
"
:

it is

known

as Ps.

and where

often introduced

as follows

fought Goliath."

This Psalm was said by David on himself, when he It is a translation from Greek, but I have remarked
its first

in a footnote that

verse seems, in thought but not in phraseology,

to be reminiscent of the corresponding verse of the famous Gnostic

"

Hymn of

the Soul."

If this

we would
itself

be allowed

to hold the contrary view, viz. that the

comparison were proved to be possible, " "

"

Hymn
is

was under

the influence of the

Psalm"

this,

however,

question on which

we

cannot dwell at present as

it is

beyond

the scope

of our present studies.

The
of the

four other Psalms are only found in the interesting

work entitled
"
Centuries,"

Durrasha,
work
is

"

Discipline," or

more generally mawatha,

Nestorian writer Elijah of Anbar who died about 940. The 2 of some other MSS. all which are, however, represented by

much

custody of has unfortunately lost a few of its final leaves and is consequently undated, but on palaeoIt formerly graphic grounds it may be assigned to about A.D. 1 340.
1

later

than the one marked Mingana Syr. 3

3

in the

the Rendel Harris Library, Birmingham.

The MS.

belonged to the Nestorian writer Isho'yahb bar Mukaddam who died about 445, and who in an inscription on fol. 90b informs us that he collated a large part of it with an autograph of the author
1

himself.

There

is

reason to believe that at least six out of the eight

other

MSS.

in existence are

mere

transcripts of this

Mingana

Syr.

31.
1

A fascimile of the pages containing

See, for instance,
vol.
i.

the Psalms accompanies the

125, 137,
138,

pp. 35,

124,
d.

140,405

of

Wright's Catalogue of the B.M. MSS. Mentioned by Baumstark, Gesch.

<J

Syr. Lit. 238.

It

was lately acquired by me in Kurdistan. See about him Baumstark, *ibid. p. 329,
,

288

UNCANONICAL PSALMS
translation.
I

289

Mingana Rendel Harris

51

have also compared the translation with Syr. MS. a (ff. 100M05 ) of about A.D. 1550, in the custody of
Library, Birmingham.
is

The
unknown

source of the author for some of these uncanonical Psalms

to me, but there
is

no doubt

that
is

he was drawing upon

elevation

excellent material at his disposal.

of thought

There

in the matter of

and

diction considerable difference

between

all

these un-

canonical Psalms, and in reading those

feel
is

numbered 2 and 3 we almost

Their

that

we

are perusing the Bible

itself.

Hebrew
1 ,

parallelism

perfect

and there are grounds

from

for believing

that they are a direct

translation
less
1

Hebrew

or

Aramaic

Psalms

4-5 refer more or

beasts of

distinctly to the deliverance of

xvii.

David from the wild

Sam.

34-36.

TRANSLATION.

The Five Psalms of David, which are not written in the Series
of the Psalms.
1.

Thanksgivings of David.
I

was
1

the youngest of
I
2

my

brothers,

and a

child in the house of

my
and

father.

shepherded the sheep of

my

father,

and met a

lion

also a wolf,'

and

slew them and rent them.

a harp.
3

My

hands made an

organ, and

my

fingers fitted

He,

my
4

Lord, became

my God.
father,

Who will show me to my Lord ? He sent his angel and removed

and anointed me with the
oil

me

from the sheep of

my

of

unction.

The Lord was

and
I

not pleased with

brothers,
idols
insult
1
;

went

to

meet the
his

Philistine,

my who

elder

and handsome

cursed

me by

his

but

unsheathed

sword, cut

off his

head, and banished the

from the children

of Israel.

Compare
of the Soul
:

this

"

While

verse with the beginning of the Edessene Gnostic hymn I was a small child, and dwelling in my kingdom in

the house of
"

my
1

father."

Bedjan's Acta,

iii.

110.

Sam. xvii. 34-36 we know that David was met by a lion and a bear and not a wolf. The variant may be explained by the graphic resemblance that exists in Syriac between the words bear and wolf. This verse is missing in Greek.
3

From

The Greek
The Greek

is

"

Who

will

show

it

to

He

my Lord ?

He

is

the Lord,

heareth me."
4

is

"Of

His unction."

290

WOODBROOKE
'

STUDIES

2.

Prayer of Hezekiah when Surrounded by Enemies.

Praise

God
of

with a loud voice, and proclaim His glory

Praise

in

the

His magnificence in the congregation many people. assembly of the just, and make known His majesty in the company
of the pious.

Extol His praise, and narrate His exalted dignity in l unison with the righteous. Unite your souls with the good and with

Gather together in magnify the Most High. order to proclaim His might, and be not tired in showing forth His
the
in order to

meek

His power, and His glory to all the children. It is in order that the majesty of the Lord may be made manifest that Wisdom has been given, and it is in order that it may proclaim His works that it
salvation,

has been
the
those
doors.

made known
and
are

to

men

for the

spreading of His might

in

among
glory
:

children,

instructing

the
its

weak-hearted

His

who

remote from

Because the Lord of Jacob

2

good advices, and far from is high, and His majesty is on

be as pleased with the one
offers

its
all

His

servants.

The Most High

as with the one

shall

who

magnifies

Him

who

pure

flour,

and the one

the altar

who

offers

he-goats and calves, and the one

who makes
3

smell with the odour of

many

holocausts,

and as with the incense from

heard from thy
righteous

the hands of the righteous.

doors,

His voice

is

admonition from the voice of the pious, and true satisfaction from their food and their drink, when taken in fellowship.
is

and there

Their resting place

is

is

in the

for the proclamation of

His might.
is

law of the Most High, and their speech How remote is His word from
for all evildoers to

the wicked,

and how

difficult it

understand

it

Behold the eye

increase
evil

of the

Lord looks upon the

praise

righteous,

and

He

will

His mercy on those who

will deliver their soul.

Him, and from

the time of

He

Blessed be the Lord

who

delivered

the needy from the hand of the strangers, and saved the meek from the 4 hand of the evildoers, who raises power from Jacob, and the judge of
the Gentiles from
Israel, in

order that

He may

lengthen His sojourn in

Zion and adorn

1

all

our people of Jerusalem.

2

Or
I.e.

yourselves.

Or
Lit.

Wisdom

"

(fern.).

His works. Horn."

UNCANONICAL PSALMS
3.

291

When
turn

the People Received Permission

from Cyrus
I

to

Re-

to their

Country.
have cried to Thee
:

O
hands
grant

Lord,

listen
:

to

me

have

lifted

my
soul,

to the habitations of

Thy

holiness

incline

Thy

ear to me, and

me my

request,

and do not

refuse

my

prayer.

Build

my

and do not destroy

Remove from me
just judge.

and do not expose it before the unrighteous. it, those who would requite me with evil, Lord,

Do

not judge

me

according to

my

sins,

because

all

flesh

does not triumph before Thee.

Make
1

me,

Lord, understand
will

Thy

law and teach me

Thy

judgments, and many

hear

Thy

works

and the Gentiles will bear witness to Thy majesty. Remember me, and do not forget me, and do not inflict on me calamities more than I
can bear."
not
4

Cast away from

me

the sins of

my

youth,

and

let

them
evil

remember
and
let

my

chastisement.

Purify me,
to

Lord, from the

his roots

leper,

him not keep walking

prayer
is

me.

and
that

let
is

not his leaves stretch over me.

Lord,

Dry up Thou
should
I

from me,

art great,

and

why my

answered.
the

Whom

implore to give
before Thee,

me

anything,

and what
trust ?
I

is

power

of the sons of

men

Lord,

my

cried to the
of

Lord, and
I

He

answered

me and
slept,
I

made whole

the

wound

my

heart.

lay

down and

dreamed and was helped, and Thou,

Lord, hast sustained me.

They have wounded my heart, but I shall receive (joy) because the Lord has delivered me let me rejoice now in their confusion I trusted in Thee and I shall not be confounded grant honour for
:

ever,

and

for ever

and ever save

Israel,

Thy

elect,

and the children

of

Jacob,

Thy

chosen.
4.

took

Said by David when Fighting the Lion and the Wolf which a Sheep from his Flock.

O
me.

Deliver

my God, O my God, come to my my soul from the murderer.

lion,

help.

Help me and save

Let

me

not go

down
not.

to
Is

Sheol in the mouth of the

]

and

let

the wolf devour

me

Or:
Lit.

thank. " Do not

7.

make me

enter the things that are harder than

4

am."

Cf.Ps.xxY.

Or:

leprosy.

292
it

WOODBROOKE
and took out a lamb from the
destroy

STUDIES
my
wish

not sufficient for them that they lay in wait for the flock of
flock of

father,

my

father, that they

now
elect
his

to

my

soul ?

Have

pity,

Lord, and deliver

Thy
hast

from destruction, in order that he

moments, and glorify the name of delivered him from the hands of the

may repeat Thy Majesty. When Thou

lion

Thy

praises in all

which destroys and the wolf

which devours, and Thou hast returned the booty from the hands of the beasts. my Lord, send speedily a deliverer from before Thee, and pull me out of the open abyss that wishes to secure me in its

depths.
5.

Said by David when Thanking God who saved him from the Lion and the Wolf both of which he Killed.
Praise the Lord, ye all the peoples magnify Him and bless His name, because He has delivered the soul of His elect from the hands of death, and saved His chosen from destruction. And He
;

delivered

me

from the snare of Sheol, and

pit.

my

soul also from the

unfathomable

Because

if it

my

salvation
I

but a very short time before

did come,
sent,

had not come from Him would have been cut into

two
the

pieces for

two

beasts.

He

open jaws which were about

Let

to

however, His angel who closed devour me, and saved my life

from destruction.

my

soul magnify
is

Him
me.

and

exalt

Him

for all

His favours that

He

did and
ir

doing

for

The Hebrew word Adonai.

UNCANONICAL PSALMS

293

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