CHAP. CIII. EBEDJESU. I. His time. II. A catalogue of the books of the Old and New Testament. III. Remarks upon it. a I. HAVING given an account of Ephrem of Edessa, it will not be amiss to take in another learned Syrian writer, though he be much later in time. I mean Ebedjesu, of the sect of the Nestorians, who was bishop of Nisibis, called by the Syrians Soba, in the latter part of the 13th century, and died in the year 1318. As he had been before bishop of Sigara from the year 1218, I place him as flourishing about that time. C II. Dr. Asseman first published an accurate edition of his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writings at Rome, in 1725. Ebedjesu in his introduction proposeth to gived a catalogue of all the divine books, and all other ecclesiastical writings: he first enumerates the books of the Old Testament, and then the New; this latter part I shall transcribe. a e Having mentioned the writers of the Old Testament, I Ebedjesu, hoc est servus Jesu.-Fuit autem Ebedjesu, Catalogi hujus auctor, cognomento Bar-Bircha, id est, Filius Benedicti, gente Chaldæus, sectâ Nestorianus, dignitate episcopus: floruitque sub Jaballaha, Chaldæorum Nestorianorum patriarchâ, a quo Metropolita Sobæ et Armeniæ ordinatus est. Obiit sub initium mensis Novembris anni Græcorum 1630, Christi 1318. Assem. B. Or. T. iii. p. 3. in notis 2. Primum fuerat episcopus Sigaræ et Arabiæ, circa annum Christi 1285, ut adnotatur in elegantissimo Syriaco evangeliorum codice, qui exstat in Bibliothecâ Collegii Urbani de Propagandâ Fide. Deinde ad archiepiscopatum Sobæ et Armeniæ evectus est, ut supra dixi. Soba autem Syris eadem est ac Nisibis. Id. ib. not. 3. Carmen Ebedjesu, continens Catalogum Librorum omnium Ecclesiasticorum. Ib. p. 3. d Scribere aggredior Carmen admirabile: In quo Libros Divinos, Et omnes compositiones ecclesiasticas • Nunc, absoluto Veteri, Aggrediamur jam Novum Testamentum : proceed to those of the New. The first of which is Matthew, who published his gospel in Palestine, written in Hebrew; the next is Mark, who preached in Latin, in the famous city of Rome; then Luke, who taught and wrote at Alexandria, in the Greek language; and John, who wrote his gospel at Ephesus, in the Greek tongue. And the Acts of the Apostles, which Luke inscribed to Theophilus. Three epistles likewise, which in every book [or copy] andlanguage are ascribed to apostles, namely, to James, Peter, and John, and are called catholic. And fourteen epistles of the great apostle, Paul: the epistle to the Romans, written at Corinth, and sent from thence; the first epistle to the Corinthians, written at Ephesus, and sent from thence by the hands of Timothy; the second to the Corinthians, written at Philippi in great Macedonia, and sent by the hands of Titus. The epistle to the Galatians Paul wrote at Rome, and sent it by the hands of Titus, a chosen and approved vessel: the epistle to the Ephesians was written. at Rome, and sent from Paul himself by the hands of Tychicus; the epistle to the Philippians was written at Rome, and sent by Epaphroditus, a beloved brother; the epistle likewise to the Colossians was written at Rome, and sent by Tychicus, a disciple of the truth; the first epistle to the Thessalonians was written in the city of Athens, and sent by the hands of Timothy; the second to the Thessalonians was written at Laodicea in Pisidia, [Phrygia,] and sent with Timothy; the first epistle to Timothy was written at Laodicea, a city of Pisidia, [Phrygia,] and sent by Luke; Post hunc Marcus, qui Romane Græce dixit, scripsitque. Et Joannes, qui Ephesi Græco sermone exaravit evangelium. Actus quoque Apostolorum, Tres etiam epistolæ, quæ inscribuntur Apostoli autem Pauli magni Epistolæ quatuordecim. Epistola ad Romanos, Quæ ex Corintho scripta est, &c. &c. Ebedjesu, Catalog. ap. Asseman. Bib. Or. T. iii, p. 8-12. the second epistle to Timothy was written at Rome, and sent by the same Luke, the physician and evangelist; the epistle to Titus was written at Nicopolis, and sent and carried by Epaphroditus; the epistle to Philemon was written at Rome, and sent by Onesimus, servant of the same Philemon; the epistle to the Hebrews was written in Italy, and sent by Timothy, son according to the spirit.' III. Upon this catalogue we may find a few remarks. 1. The order of the books of the New Testament should be observed. The gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, three catholic epistles, and St. Paul's fourteen epistles: which, too, are mentioned in the order which now obtains among us; the epistle to the Romans first, and that to the Hebrews last. And by Dr. Asseman we are assured, that here Ebedjesu followed the order which is in general use among the Syrians in which order also the books are placed in the ancient manuscript copies of the New Testament. Gregory Barhebræus observed also the same order in his commentaries. But James of Edessa, in a book written by him, first mentions the Acts of the Apostles, then the catholic epistles of James, Peter, and John; after that Paul's epistles, and lastly the four gospels. 2. What Ebedjesu says of the places and languages, in which the several gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were written, we are assured by Asseman, is agreeable to the common opinion of the Syrians in general. 3. It is not needful to examine the accounts here given of the places whereh St. Paul's epistles were written, or the In recensendis Novi Testamenti libris vulgatum apud Syros ordinem sequitur Sobensis, quo evangeliis subjunguntur Actus Apostolorum, deinde epistolæ catholicæ Jacobi, Petri, et Joannis, mox epistolæ Pauli. Hunc ordinem et codices antiqui manuscripti repræsentant: quo etiam Barhebræus Novum Testamentum commentariis illustravit, in suo Horreo Mysteriorum, ut notavi, Tom. ii. Bib. Or. p. 282. Jacobus vero Edessenus in libro, cui titulus Onomasticon, cit. tom. ii. p. 499. primo loco Actus Apostolorum ponit, deinde epistolas catholicas Jacobi, Petri, et Joannis: postea epistolas Pauli, postremo quatuor evangelia. Assem. B. Or. T. iii. p. 8. not. 2. 8 Hæc est communis Syrorum sententia de sermone, quo primum evangelia conscripta dicuntur: Matthæi scilicet Hebraïce in Palæstinâ: Marci Romane, hoc est, Latine, Romæ; Lucæ Græce Alexandriæ, et Joannis item Græce Ephesi. In eandem sententiam adnotatum legitur ad calcem omnium, quotquot vidi, Syriaco sermone exaratorum tum recentium tum antiquorum evangeliorum. Nec dissentiunt Barsalibæus et Barhebræus in Præfatione ad evangelia. Quod autem Hebraïca lingua, quâ Matthæus scripsisse dicitur, non sit illa, quæ reverà Hebræorum propria est, sed Chaldaica, seu Syriaca, quæ Judæis post captivitatem Babylonicam, Christi apostolorumque temporibus, vernacula erat, docet idem Barsalibæus præfatione in Matthæum. Assem. ib. p. 8. not. Ubinam scriptæ, et per quos missæ, [Pauli epistolæ quatuordecim,] ad persons by whom they were sent: but it is worth notice, that the epistle to the Ephesians is here entitled as with us. 4. Ebedjesu mentions only three catholic epistles, omitting the second of Peter, and second and third of John, and the epistle of Jude: which, as we are also assured by Asseman, is agreeable to the common sentiments of the Syrians. And he refers to a work of James of Edessa, the title of 'which I shall put in the margin, confirming the account, that there are but three catholic epistles in the ancient Syriac version. 5. The book of the Revelation likewise is omitted; nor is it, as Asseman' says, in the ancient Syriac version; nor did Barhebræus, or James of Edessa, write commentaries upon it; but Ephrem, he says, quotes it as a canonical book of scripture; and from Ephrem's quotation of that book, he argues, may be learned and concluded, what was the sentiment of the most ancient Syrians about it. m 6. I place below" another note of that learned writer, calcem manuscriptorum codicum diligenter adnotatum est, tam in Versione Syriaca, quam in Græcis exemplaribus, unde quæ hic a Sobensi affirmantur, descripta sunt. Asseman. ib. p. 10. notis. Ex communi Syrorum sententiâ tres tantum canonicas epistolas, recenset, quarum scilicet de auctoritate Syri nunquam dubitârunt, quæque ab initio inter canonicos libros in Syriaca versione simplici collocatæ sunt. Sane' (ut verbis utar Fabricii Tom. iii. Bibliothecæ Græcæ, p. 145.) in antiquis codicibus, et 'primis editionibus Versionis Syriaca Novi Testamenti, epistola secunda et ⚫tertia Joannis, et posterior Petri, et Judæ illa etiamnum desideratur.' Dionysius Barsal bæus, apud Pocockium Præf. ad Epistolas Judæ, 2 Petri, 2 et 3 Joannis, monet, epistolas hasce non fuisse versas in linguam Syram, cum libris, qui diebus antiquis redditi sunt, ideoque non inveniri, nisi in versione Thomæ episcopi Heraclaensis.' Hinc apud Jacobum Edessenum in Onomastico tres tantum Catholicæ, non secus atque hic in Catalogo Sobensis, enumerantur; nimirum Jacobi, Petri, et Joannis, ut recensui. T. ii. Bıb. Or. p. 499. Asseman. ib. p. 9, 10. * Jacobi episcopi Edesseni Vocum Difficiliorum, quæ in Syriacâ Veteris ac Novi Testamenti Versione occurrunt, recensio et punctatio: nimirum Genesis, Exodi,-Actuum Apostoloruin, epistolæ Jacobi, Petri, Joannis, epistolarum xiv. Pauli, evangelii Matthæi, Marci, Lucæ, Joannis. Ap. Asseman. Bib. Or. T. ii. p. 499. 1 Apocalypsim Joannis nec Sobensis recensuit, nec Barhebræus aut Jacobus Edessenus exposuere, duabus de causis vel quia ab ipsis inter libros canonicos minime admissa fuit: vel, quod verosimilius censeo, quia ea in Syriacâ Simplici, quam vocant, scripturæ versione haud exstabat. Cæterum Apocalypsim tanquam canonicum librum a S. Ephræmo agnitam fuisse liquet ex ejus carmine in illud Psalmi-de quo dixi, Tom. i. p. 141. Asseman. Bib. Or. T. iii. p. 8. In Quod ideo notavi, ut constaret Syrorum antiquissimorum de illius libri auctoritate judicium contra Hebedjesu, qui in Catalogo manuscripto inter libros canonicos Apocalypsim non nominat. Bib. Or. T. i. p. 141. n De Apocalypsi Joannis dubitatum olim fuit, an inter canonicos libros esset; maxime apud Orientales ecclesias, teste Junilio Africano. Dubitâsse videtur et Barhebræus in suo Nomocanone, cap. 7. sect. 9, ubi hanc Dionysii Alexandrini sententiam refert: Apocalypsis, quæ nomine Joannis apostoli where he says, that the Revelation is wanting in the ancient Syriac version, which they call Simple; and that none of the Syrians have any readings out of this book in their public lessons; and that Gregory Barhebræus seems to doubt of its genuineness, and to approve of the sentiment of Dionysius of Alexandria. However, he says, that the Egyptian christians in general receive the book of the Revelation as canonical, without hesitation. 7. I would now make another remark upon this part of Ebedjesu's Catalogue. Whatever was the general opinion of the Syrians, concerning the four catholic epistles, which have been doubted of by some, and concerning the book of the Revelation; I think, that Ebedjesu should not have passed them by in total silence; he could not be unacquainted with them. In the following part of his Catalogue, among the works of Hippolytus, he particularly mentions his vindication of John the apostle's Revelation. The passage of Ebedjesu was formerly quoted by us in the chapter of Hippolytus. I would now add from the works of Ephrem since published, that James bishop of Edessa, in a passage referred to some while ago, mentions that book of Hippolytus, which he calls a commentary upon the Revelation, or an explication of it; which seems to show, that this work of Hippolytus was well known to learned Syrians; consequently, the book of the Revelation could not be unknown, nor very obscure among them. Though those epistles, and this book, were not in the ancient Syriac version; yet, very probably, they were in the Syriac language, in some other translation. Supposing this to be the case, I think Ebedjesu was obliged to mention them; if they were 'prænotatur, non ejus est, sed vel Cerinthi, qui cibum et potum similiter super terram post resurrectionem docet: vel Joannis cujuspiam alterius. Duo enim sunt Ephesi monumenta, quæ hoc nomine noscuntur.' Certe Syri, tum Jacobitæ tum Nestoriani, lectionem nullam ex Apocalypsi in ecclesiá recitant: et tam in manuscriptis Syriacis, T. N. codicibus, quam in eo Exemplari, quod, Mose Mardeno Ignatii Jacobitarum Patriarchæ Oratore procurante, a Joanne Alberto Widmanstadio Viennæ, Auno Christi 1555, typis editum fuit, Apocalypsis desideratur. Cæterum Ægyptii eam constanter admittunt, ut ex canone Alulbarcati liquet: eandemque doctis Commentariis illustravit Benassalius, quorum exemplar Arabicum exstat in Bibliothecâ Collegii Maronitarum de Urbe. Id. T. iii. p. 15, 16. Vol. ii. p. 436, 437, note 9. P See here, p. 313, note P. Hanc porro mulierem, [Vid. Apoc. xvii. 3-6.] id est, gentem rerum dominam, vectam bestiâ, id est orbis imperium obtinentem, invadet coluber antichristus, seducet, et perdet. Jam illud imperium ad eos pertinere, qui Latini dicuntur, Spiritus in sanctis viris inhabitans declaravit, et docuit per Hippolytum episcopum et martyrem in eo libro, quo Joannis theologi Apocalypsim interpretatur. Jacob. Edessen. in Jacobi de Antichristo in Benedictione Dan Vaticinium. Ap. S. Ephræm. Comm. in. T. Syr. i. p. 192. |