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An Analysis of on the Antichrist (CPG 3946) Attributed to Efrem the Syrian

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An Analysis of on the Antichrist (CPG 3946) Attributed to Efrem the Syrian Evolution of an Eschaton: An Analysis of On the Antichrist (CPG 3946) Attributed to Efrem the Syrian by Shawn D. McAvoy A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Approved July 2019 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: J. Eugene Clay, Chair Moses Moore Tod Swanson Michael Tueller ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY August 2019 ©2019 Shawn Daniel McAvoy All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT On the Antichrist (CPG 3946) is an eschatological sermon historically attributed to Efrem the Syrian. Composed in Koine Greek, On the Antichrist is not an authentic Efremic sermon but is attributed to the construct Greek Efrem, often called in the literature ‘Ephraem Graecus’. Sometime around the 12th century, Slavic Christians translated the work into Old Church Slavonic. As its goal, this study employs On the Antichrist to investigate how religions (e.g. Christianity) employ religio-cultural constructs and either refine, or redefine, them for new audiences and circumstances. To accomplish this, the author transcribes and translates one of the most important manuscript witnesses of this sermon (labelled Ov1), translates it, compares it with other early witnesses, and analyzes the differences between the Greek and OCS versions of the text in order to ascertain the variations in the versions and to posit why such variations might have arisen in the transmission of this sermon. Finally, the critical edition is interrogated to propose a date of the autographic text-form of On the Antichrist to the 6th to 8th centuries. This dissertation finds that multiple recensions of the sermon evolved from the earliest recension, the A Recension. The Old Church Slavonic recension of On the Antichrist falls squarely within the A Recension and seems to share a common ancestral tradition with the other A Recension manuscripts and help to reconstruct the early history of On the Antichrist. Thus, this dissertation provides one necessary step in preparation for the difficult task of preparing a critical edition of this sermon. i The sermon draws heavily upon 2 Thessalonians 2 and the Little Apocalypse. Two manuscripts overtly indicate multiple meters for the sermon, but two others only hint at such divisions, and the nature of the meters (Aramaic or Byzantine) is uncertain. The sermon itself references no datable historical events. The Greek of the sermon analyzing to a Late Koine/Early Byzantine cusp language datable to between the 6th to 8th centuries. For all the uncertainties and puzzles this sermon presents, the evidence clearly points to at least one conclusion: Efrem the Syrian (d.373) cannot have authored this work, and there is no way currently to ascertain the author. Finally, this dissertation adduces an argument that Byzantine and Slavic Christians preserved On the Antichrist because of its emphasis upon humility and penitence, which allowed for the sermon to be incorporated into Orthodox liturgy by the 10th century. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank Dr. Eugene Clay for agreeing to chair this committee and for his help throughout this experience. Thank you as well to my committee members, Dr. Moses Moore, Dr. Tod Swanson, and Dr. Michael Tueller, not only for agreeing to serve on my committee, but for their invaluable comments and suggestions on this project as well as their willingness to correct me whenever I made wrong turns in the research. On this head, Dr. Michael Tueller deserves particular mention for his tireless work staying up late many evenings to ensure this project’s success, particularly vis-à-vis Appendix A and Appendix B. Dr. Tueller, thank you. Any errors or misinterpretations in this work are solely my own fault and my own responsibility. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page 1: EFREM AND EPHRAEM ...................................................................................... 1 Thesis ................................................................................................................... 1 Précis of Efrem and his Sermon ......................................................................... 2 Who is Efrem the Syrian? .............................................................................. 2 Efrem’s Thought as Currently Reconstructed ............................................... 5 Who is (are) Greek Efrem(s)? ........................................................................ 6 The Author of On the Antichrist ......................................................................... 9 The Study’s Approach ...................................................................................... 13 Importance of / Justification for the Study ....................................................... 15 2: A SERMON, AN ANTICHRIST, AND AN ESCHATON ................................. 18 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 18 Sermon: On the Antichrist ................................................................................ 18 Describing the Sermon ................................................................................. 19 The Serpent (drakōn) ................................................................................... 23 The Sermon’s Audience ............................................................................... 25 The Antichrist ............................................................................................... 27 The Sermon as a Metrical Composition ........................................................... 31 The Poetic Eschaton? ................................................................................... 34 Proposed Dating of the Sermon ........................................................................ 35 Is On the Antichrist an Apocalypse? ................................................................ 37 Defining Apocalyptic ................................................................................... 38 iv CHAPTER Page So, What is an Apocalypse? ........................................................................ 53 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 55 3: INTERROGATING THE MANUSCRIPTS ........................................................ 56 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 56 The Manuscripts: On the Antichrist .................................................................. 56 Manuscript Ov1 ............................................................................................ 58 Manuscript Vc1 ............................................................................................. 59 Manuscript Vc2 ............................................................................................. 60 Manuscript Bo1 ............................................................................................. 61 Interrelationships .......................................................................................... 62 The Manuscripts: On the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ .............. 64 Manuscript Bo2 ............................................................................................. 65 Manuscript Fp5 ............................................................................................. 66 Manuscript Fp6 ............................................................................................. 66 Manuscript Fp1 ............................................................................................. 67 Comparing On the Second Coming to On the Antichrist ............................ 67 Challenges in Creating the Study ..................................................................... 68 Evolving Function of On the Antichrist ........................................................... 71 On the Antichrist for Great Lent .................................................................. 71 Dating On the Antichrist ................................................................................... 74 Scholarly Discussion on the Date ................................................................ 75 A New Attempt to Date On the Antichrist .................................................. 81 v CHAPTER Page Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 84 4: WITNESSES OUTSIDE GREEK ......................................................................... 86 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 86 On the Antichrist in Old Church Slavonic ........................................................ 86 Manuscript Traditions .................................................................................. 87 OCS Translations vis-à-vis Greek Originals ............................................... 89 Slovo o Antikhriste ....................................................................................... 90 Orthodox Slavic Eschatology ...................................................................... 96 On the Antichrist in Latin ................................................................................. 98 Manuscript Traditions ................................................................................ 100 Latin Translations vis-à-vis Greek Originals ............................................ 102 On the Antichrist in Aramaic .........................................................................
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