1
Youhanna Nessim Youssef
Two doxologies from the Psalmodia of Sammanûd 1
Manuscript
The manuscript is from the collection of the church of Sammanûd 83 Lit. It is written in Coptic with Arabic titles only in red ink. The beginning and the end are lost. The original foliotation is lost however a modern foliotation was added writ ten in pencil. The colophon is lost however, we read in a note after the Thursday Theotokia: Fol.106 ﲤﺖ ﻭﻛﻤﻠﺖ ﺗﺬﺍﻛﻴﺔ ﺍﳋﻤﻴﺲ ﺍﳌﺒﺎﺭﻙ ﺑﺴﻼﻡ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺮﺏ ﺍﻻﻟﻪ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻭﺱ ﺧﺎﻟﻖ ﺍﳋﻼﻳﻖ ﻭﳏﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﻔﻮﺱ ﻳﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻳﻘﺮﺍ ﻭﻳﺴﻤﻊ ﻭﻳﺸﻮﻑ ﺍﺫﻛﺮ ﺣﻘﺎﺭﺕ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺳﺦ ﻓﺎﻧﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻴﻮﺏ ﻣﻮﺻﻮﻑ ﻭﻻ ﻳﺴﺘﺤﻖ ﺍﻥ ﻳﺬﻛﺮ ﺍﲰﻪ ﺑﲔ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻭﻫﻮ ﺍﳊﻘﲑ ﻣﺘﻴﺎﺱ ﻳﻮﺳﻒ ﻗﺰﻣﺎﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻫﺎﱄ ﲰﻨﻮﺩ ﻏﺮﺑﻴﺔ ﻭﻛﻤﻠﻦ ﻭﺟﺪ ﻏﻠﻄﺔ ﻭﺍﺻﻠﺤﻬﺎ ﺍﳌﺴﻴﺢ ﺍﻻﻫﻨﺎ ﻳﺼﻠﺢ ﺷﺎﻧﻪ ﻭﻣﻦ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺷﻴﺎ ﻓﻠﻪ ﺍﻣﺜﺎﻟﻪ ﻭﺍﺪ ﻟﺮﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺴﻮﻉ ﺍﳌﺴﻴﺢ ﺍﻣﲔ Finished and completed the theotokia of the blessed Thursday in the peace of the Lord, the Holy God, the Creator of the creation, the life giving of the souls. O who will read, hear, see, remember the humility of the scribe, as he is described with faults, he is not worthy to mention his name among the people, the humble Matthias Yusuf Kosman from the inhabitants of Sammanûd, Gharbiah. Everyone who will find an error The date of the manuscript seems to be late nineteenth century. The scribe has skilful handwriting especially in Coptic; however his spelling is very poor. There are some frontispieces and few illuminations. Some folios are lost such as the in the beginning and the fourth Ode.
Sammanûd
The city of Sammanûd is situated on the west bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile east of Mahallah al Kubra in the province of Gharbiah. 2 It has a long his tory, 3 while Abu al Makarim mentions four churches named after the Virgin
1 I wish to thank my friend Jacob Askren who was kind enough to provide me the photos of this important manuscript. 2 O. Meinardus, Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity, Cairo: Amercian University in Cairo Press 1999, p. 174. 3 S. Timm, Das christlich koptische Ägypten in arabischer Zeit, Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients 41/5, Wiesbaden: Dr Ludwig Reichert, 1991, p. 2254–2262.
OrChr 98 (2015) 2 Youssef
Mary, saint George, the Archangel Michael and Saint Mercurius and one for the Melkite that was restored with the help of the Jacobites. 4 It is supposed to be one of the sites visited by the Holy Family. 5 The church is named after saint Apa Nub 6 wherein his relics and an important pilgrimage centre. 7 The actual building is from the nineteenth century. 8
Doxologies in this manuscript
The manuscript contains a set of doxologies. 9 The title is as follows: ﻫﻮﻻﻱ ﺍﻟﺪﻛﺼﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ ﺍﳌﺴﺘﻌﻤﻠﺔ ﰲ ﺍﻭﺍﻢ These are the doxologies used in their occasions Doxologies for the month of Kihak (fol. 142r–149v) Doxology for the feast of the Nativity (fol. 150r–151v) Doxology for the Epiphany (fol. 151v–153r) Doxologies for Lent (fol. 153r–162v) Doxology for the Palm Sunday (fol. 162–164v) Doxologies for the Resurrection and the Eastertide (fol. 164–169v) Doxology for the feast Ascension (fol. 169v–170v) Doxology of the Pentecost (fol. 171r–172v Doxology for the fast of the Apostles (fol. 173r–174v) Doxology from the feast of Nayrouz to the feast of the Cross (fol. 174v–176r) The two doxologies published hereafter The set yearly doxologies follows the classic pattern like the edited psalmodias: The Virgin (3 doxologies), Archangel Michael, Archangel Gabriel, Archangel Raphael, Archangel Suriel, the 4 bodiless Creatures, 24 Elders, John the Baptist (2 doxologies), 144000, the Apostles, Stephen, George, Theodor, Mercurius, the
4 We refer to the edition of Samuel al Suriani, Tarikh al kanaɛis wal ɛadyara, Cairo 1984, Vol. 1, p. 44–45 fol. 30b–31b. (For codicology and Composition) U. Zanetti, Abu l Makarim et Abu Sa lih“, Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 34 (1995), p. 85–133. (For the Authorship and In fluence) J. Den Heijer, „The Composition of the History of the Churches and Monasteries of Egypt Some preliminary remarks”, Acts of the Fifth International Congress of Coptic Studies Washington 12–15 August 1992, ed D. Johnson, Vol. 2, Part 1, Roma 1993, p. 209–219. (Social study of the Delta) M. Martin, „Le Delta chrétien à la fin du XII° s.“, Orientalia Christiana Peri odica 63 (1997), p. 181–199. 5 S. Davis, Be thou there, the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt, Gawadat Gabra (ed.), Cairo New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2002, p. 133–162. 6 S. Timm, Christliche Stätten in Ägypten, Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients 36, Wiesbaden: Dr Ludwig Reichert, 1979, p. 131. 7 G. Viaud, Les pèlerinages Coptes en Égypte d’après les notes du Qommos Jacob Muyser, Biblio thèque d’Études Coptes 15, Le Caire: Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, 1979, p. 26–27. O. F. A. Meinardus, Coptic Saints and Pilgrimages, Cairo New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2002, p. 72. 8 Bp. Samuel and Badie Habib, Ancient Coptic Churches and Monasteries in Delta, Sinai and Cairo, Cairo: Institute of Coptic Studies, 1996, p. 96. 9 U. Zanetti, „Bohairic Liturgical Manuscripts,” Orientalia Christiana Periodica 60 (1995), p. 65–94. Two doxologies from the Psalmodia of Sammanûd 3 assembly of the Martyrs, [Lacuna we may expect that the Doxology of Apa Nub was included in the manuscript.] 10
Text
Fol.176r–177r ﺩﻛﺼﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ ﻻﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﻴﻠﻴﻮﺱ ﺍﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮﻙ 11 ϩ 12 * 13 14 ϩ 15 ϫ ϫ 16 ϩ 17 18 19 ϩ *
Doxology for Anba Milius the patriarch O great Shepherd of the flock of Christ, our holy righteous father Abba Milius the high priest You pastured the sheep in the good pasture when they hear your voice, they come with joy Hail to our father Milius, the entrusted shepherd, who fought against his enemies and received the imperish able crown. Blessed are you truly, O holy righteous Abba Milius the high priest the great among the patriarchs And also
10 Y. ‘Abd al Masih, „Doxologies in the Coptic Church, edited Bohairic Doxologies,” Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 6 (1940), p. 19– 76. 11 12 13 14 ? W. E. Crum, A Coptic Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1936, p. 547. 15 16 ϫ ϫ 17 18 19 4 Youssef
Pray (to the Lord for us) O our holy father the right eous Abba Milius the high priest that (He may for give) Fol. 177r–v ﺩﻛﺼﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﻃﺲ ﻟﻠﺒﺎﺭ ﺍﻳﻮﺏ ﺍﻟﺼﺪﻳﻖ ϩ ϩ ϩ ϫ ┌ ϩ ϫ 20 ϩ ϫ 21 * 22 ϫ 23 ϫ ϩ 24 ϫ ϩ ϩ︦
Doxology Batos for the righteous, Job the just. Who endured patiently the temptations which came upon him and was strengthened in God in his whole heart, Job the just, that his commemoration became spread in the world till all the generations. He proclaimed saying: The Lord gave and the Lord took, let the name of the Lord be blessed forever. 25 Pray (to the Lord for us) O good man, Job the right eous one, that (He may forgive)…
Commentary
There are three commemorations on the first day of Tût: Bartholomew the Apostle: Amazingly enough, the commemoration of Bartholomew the Apostle attested in the Synaxarion and the Difnar 26 does not occur in our manuscript. Milius There are two saints commemorated in the Synaxarion27 :
20 ϫ 21 22 23 ϫ 24 25 Free citation ch.1 : 21, H. Tattam, The Ancient Coptic version of the Book of Job the Just, Lon don, William Starker, 1846, p. 7; E. Porcher, Le livre de Job, version Copte Bohairique, Patrolo gia Orientalis 18 fasc. 2, Number 87, Paris: Firmin Didot, 1924, p. 222 [14]. 26 Gawdat Gabra, „Untersuchungen zum Difnar der Koptischen Kirche”, Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 35 (1996), p. 37–52; 37 (1998), p. 48–69. Two doxologies from the Psalmodia of Sammanûd 5
Milius, 28 III Patriarch, 1 Tût (29 August). Also called Minius, Abilius. 29 ﻭﻓﻴﻪ ﺍﻳﻀﺎ ﺗﻨﻴﺢ ﺍﻻﺏ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﻣﻠﻴﻮﺱ ﺑﺎﺑﺎ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺍﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪﺭﻳﺔ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﺗﻘﺪﻡ ﰲ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﺍ ﳋﺎﻣﺴﺔ ﻋﺸﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻠﻚ ﺩﻣﺎﺗﻴﺎﻧﻮﺱ ﻭﻳﻨﻌﺖ ﺑﺎﺳﺒﺎﺳﻴﺎﻧﻮﺱ ﻣﻠﻚ ﺭﻭﻣﻴﺔ ﻭﺫﻟﻚ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺻﻌﻮﺩ ﺭﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺴﻮﻉ ﺍﳌﺴﻴﺢ ﲞﻤﺴﺔ ﻭﺛﻠﺜﲔ ﺳﻨﺔ ﻭﺭﻋﻰ ﺭﻋﻴﺔ ﺍﳌﺴﻴﺢ ﺍﺟﻮﺩ ﺭﻋﺎﻳﺔ ﻭﺍﻗﺎﻡ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻜﺮﺳﻲ ﺍﺛﲏ ﻋﺸﺮ ﺳﻨﺔ ﻭﺗﻨﻴﺢ ﺑﺴﻼﻡ . ﺑﺮﻛﺔ ﺻﻼﺗﻪ ﺗﻜﻮﻥ ﻣﻌﻨﺎ ﺍﻣﲔ. On this day died the holy father Abba Milius, Archbishop of the great city of Alexandria, the third from Mark, the apostle and evangelist, and this archbishop was appointed in the fifteenth year of the reign of Domitien, who is called Vespasien, the king of Rome, thirty five years after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. He pastured and guarded the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ nobly, and he sat on the Episcopal throne twelve years. And he reposed in peace. May his prayers be with us. Amen! Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiatica simply lists the name of the first ten successors of saint Mark without providing any substantive comments about their lives or ac complishments. 3: 14. 30 He is mentioned in the History of the patriarchs 31 thus: 32 ﺍﻟﺴﲑﺓ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ ﻣﻠﻴﻮﺱ ﺍﻟﺒﻄﺮﻙ ﻓﺎﺟﺘﻤﻊ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺐ ﺍﻻﺭﺛﺪﻛﺴﻲ ﻭﺗﺸﺎﻭﺭﻭﺍ ﻭﺍﺧﺬﻭﺍ ﺍﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﺍﲰﻪ ﻣﻠﻴﻮﺱ ﻭﻗﺴﻤﻮﻩ ﺑﻄﺮﻛﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﺮﺳﻲ ﻣﺎﺭﻱ ﻣﺮﻗﺲ ﺍﻻﳒﻴﻠﻲ ﻋﻮﺽ ﺍﻧﻴﺎﻧﻮﺱ ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻣﻠﻴﻮﺱ ﺫﻭ ﻋﻔﺎﻑ ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻳﺜﺒﺖ ﺍﻟﺸﻌﺐ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺔ ﺍﳊﻖ ﻓﻜﺜﺮ ﺷﻌﺐ ﺍﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪﺭﻳﺔ ﻭﻣﺼﺮ ﻭﺍﳋﻤﺲ ﻣﺪﻥ ﻭﺍﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴﻪ ﻭﺍﻗﺎﻡ ﺍﺛﲏ ﻋﺸﺮ ﺳﻨﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻜﺮﺳﻲ ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﻌﺔ ﰲ ﺍﻳﺎﻣﻪ ﲢﺖ ﺳﻼﻣﺔ ﻭﺗﻨﻴﺢ ﰲ ﺍﻭﻝ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻣﻦ ﺗﻮﺕ ﰲ ﲬﺴﺔ ﻋﺸﺮ ﺳﻨﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻠﻚ ﺍﳌﻠﻚ ﺍﳌﻘﺪﻡ ﺫﻛﺮﻩ The third biography Then the orthodox people assemble and consulted together and took a man named Milius and ordained him patriarch on the throne of saint Mark the evangelist instead of Annianus. This Milius was a chaste man and he confirmed the people in the knowledge of the Truth. In his the orthodox people increased in numbers, in Alexandria and Pentapolis and the province of Africa. He remained
27 For an overview of the Synaxrion cf. Colin, G., „Le Synaxaire Ethiopien, Etat actuel de la questi on.“ Analecta Bollandiana 106 (1988), p. 273–317. 28 De Lacy O’Leary, The Saints of Egypt p. 205. 29 R. Basset, Le Synaxaire Arabe Jacobite (rédaction Copte) I Mois du Tout et de Babeh , Patrolo gia Orientalis 1 fasc. 3, Paris: Firmin Didot 1904, p. 226 [12]; I. Forget, Synaxarium Alexandri num, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 18, Paris: Carolus Poussielgue Bibliopola, 1905, p. 2–3. 30 S. Davis, The Early Coptic Papacy, the Egyptian Church and its Leadership in Late Antiquity, Cairo New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2005, p. 14–15. 31 J. Den Heijer, Mawhûb ibn Mansûr Ibn Mufarrig et l’historiographie Copto Arabe, Corpus Scrip torum Christianorum Orientalium 513, subs. 83, Lovanii: Peeters, 1989, p. 145–146. 32 We provide in full the text of C. F. Seybold, Severus ibn al Muqaffaɜ, Alexandrinische Patrirchen geschichte von S. Marcus bis Michael 1, 61–767, Veröffentlichungen aus der Hamburger Stadtbi bliothek 3, Hamburg: Lucas Gräfe, 1912, p. 12. This edition represents the original version while the other editions are a reworked version. B. Evetts, History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church of Alexandria I Saint Mark to Theonas (300), Patrologia Orientalis 1fasc. 2, Paris: Firmin Didot 1904, p. 149[51]–150[52]. C. F. Seybold, Severus ben al Moqffa’, Historia patriarcharum Alexandrinum , Corpus Scriptorum Christiano rum Orientalium Ar. III, 9, Paris: Carolus Poussielgue, 1904, p. 23. 6 Youssef
twelve years in the see; and the church was in peace in his days. He reposed on the 1 st of Tût in the 15 th year of the reign of the abovementioned prince. However, in the third stanza of the doxology: „Hail to our father Milius, the entrusted shepherd, who fought against his enemies and received the imperish able crown ,” could not apply to this patriarch as the History of the Patriarchs stated clearly „and the church was in peace in his days” and „he reposed in peace” while the imperishable crown means in the hagiographical and liturgical texts „the crown of martyrdom.” There is another saint mentioned in the Synaxarion that our third stanza could thus apply to him, i.e. he fought against the enemies and became a confessor. Meletius, (Patriarch of Antioch, 18 Amshir) occupied the see of Antioch for only a brief period in 354. He was a vigorous opponent of the Arians and for this was banished to Melitene in Armenia, his own country. 33 Meletius is venerated in long in the book of the Difnar as a confessor. 34 The confusion between saints occurs sometimes in the liturgical texts such as the confusion between Julius of Rome and Julius of Akfahs in the book of glorifi cations. 35 Job Job is commemorated thrice in the Coptic liturgy, on the 1st Tût and 2 Ba šans, 36 as well as the Wednesday in the Passion Week 37 , which is called also the Wednes day of Job. 38 The first is the commemoration when Job the righteous man washed in the wa ter and was healed of all his sickness. The second is the commemoration of his resting. The doxology of Job occurs in a manuscript from the 18 th century studied by ‘Abd al Masih on 2 nd Bašans (the date of his repose). 39
33 R. Basset , Le Synaxaire Arabe Jacobite (rédaction copte) III. Les mois de Toubeh et d’Amchir, Patrologia Orientalis 11 fasc 5, numéro 56, Paris: Firmin Didot, 1916, p. 832[798]–834[800]; I. Forget, Synaxarium Alexandrinum , p. 272–273. 34 We use the Ms. of the Coptic Museum 357C Lit. Cf. N. Mekhaiel, Untersuchungen zu Entste hungs und Überlieferungsgeschichte des koptischen Difnars, Jerusalemer Theologisches Forum 14, Münster: Aschendorff Verlag. 2010, p. 42–47. 35 Cf. Youhanna Nessim Youssef, „Une relecture des glorifications coptes,“ Bulletin de la Société d'Archéologie Copte 34 (1995), p. 77–83. 36 R. Basset , Le Synaxaire Arabe Jacobite (rédaction copte) IV. Les mois de Barmahat, Barmoudah et Bachons), Patrologia Orientalis 16 fasc 2 numéro 78, Paris: Firmin Didot, 1922, p. 349 [991]– 351[993]; I. Forget, Synaxarium Alexandrinum, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 19, Paris: Carolus Poussielgue Bibliopola, 1912, p. 91. 37 Adel Sidarus, „La pâque Sainte ou La Semaine Sainte selon la liturgie Copte“, Proche Orient Chrétien 17 (1967), p. 1–43, espacially p. 11 note 48 and Bibliography p. 33 N°a14. 38 G. Viaud, La liturgie des Coptes d’Égypte , Paris: Librairie d’Amérique et d’Orient 1978, p. 53–54. 39 Y. ‘Abd al Masih, „Doxologies in the Coptic Church, unedited Bohairic Doxologies II (Tûbah – An Nâsî),” Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 11 (1945), p. 95–154 especially 115–116. Two doxologies from the Psalmodia of Sammanûd 7
The third commemoration is a remembrance of the healing of Job. The Copts wash themselves in the early morning with a special plant. They eat Farik (grinded green wheat symbolizing the passions of Christ). This oral tradition 40 is supported by Manuscript tradition. In fact, many manuscripts contain a collection of Homilies for the Holy Week and include four Homilies attributed to John Chrysostom, 41 (These texts should be compared with the Corpus of Leontius of Constantinople) 42 and an apocryphal life. 43 Our doxology talked about his endurance and how he accepted the will of God, while the second commemoration is his repose. The text published above suits better our commemoration rather his repose.
Conclusion
It is important to mention that the list of the doxologies of the manuscript reflects that these two doxologies should be used for the 1 st of Tût. This article shows once more the importance of studying the liturgical manu scripts even the modern ones as they reflect sometimes important tradition not attested elsewhere.
40 This practice is not observed in the Rite of the Holy Week nowadays cf. A. Sidarus „La Semaine Sainte à Daîr as Suryân“, Bulletin de la Société d’Archéologie Copte 20, 1969–1970, p. 5–32. It is noteworthy that only the late manuscripts from the XVIII century contain a prophecy from the Book of Job. This could be explained by the fact that the book of Job was read during the Holy Wednesday. So there is no need to have prophecies from this Book. For the readings of the Holy Week and the Manuscripts traditions cf. O. H. E. Burmester, Le Lectionnaire de la Semaine Sainte, Patrologia Orientalis 25 fasc. 2, N° 122 , p. 478–479 (430)–(431). 41 cf A. Khater and O. H. E. Burmester, Catalogue of the Coptic and Christian Arabic Mss. preserved in the Cloister of Saint Menas at Cairo, Bibliothèque de Manuscrits I, Le Caire 1967, N° 48, Lit. 33, p. 15: Lectionary Homilies. Arabic. XVIIIth cent. … Fol 1 r–12 v Story of Job (Wednesday); N° 77, Theol. 8, p. 48: Homilies. Arabic XVIIIth cent. … 67 v–87 v The Story of Job (probably for the Holy Wednesday); G. Troupeau, Catalogue des Manuscrits Arabes. Première partie: Manuscrits Chrétiens, Paris 1972, N° 74/10 p. 55: Homélie sur Job, lue le mardi à Sexte (cf. PG 56, col. 563–567); M. Simaika and Y Abd. Al Masih, Catalogue of the Coptic and Arabic Manuscripts in the Coptic Museum, the Patriarchate, the Principal Churches of Cairo and Alex andria and the Monasteries of Egypt, Vol. II Fasc. I, Cairo 1942, N° 256, p. 106, N° 264, p. 109, N° 414, p. 182. 42 cf P. Allen and C. Datema, Leontius presbyter of Constantinople, Byzantina Australiensia 9, Brisbane 1991, p. 67–95. 43 A. Khater and O. H. E. Burmester, Catalogue of the Coptic and Christian Arabic Mss. preserved in the Library of the Church of the all Holy Virgin Mary known as Qasrîat ar Rihân at Old Cairo, Bibliothèque de Manuscrits II, Le Caire 1973, N° 119, Hag. 2 p. 57: Fol 2 r–32 r Vita of Job; Troupeau, op. cit., N° 69/3 p. 48, foll. 86r–98 XIV. cent., N° 107/6 p. 81, foll. 162–188v. XIV cent. ; Simaika, op. cit., N° 616 p. 277 ; N°626, p. 283 ; N°638, p. 289 ; N° 658, p. 301; N° 666 p. 305 ; N°683, p. 313.