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The Interpretations of the Theotokias by
the Patriarch John ibn Qiddis Youhanna

Youssef
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The Interpretations of the Theotokias
by the Patriarch John Ibn Qiddis
Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies
53
Series Editors
George Anton Kiraz
István Perczel
Lorenzo Perrone
Samuel Rubenson
Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies brings to the scholarly world the

underrepresented field of Eastern Christianity. This series consists
of monographs, edited collections, texts and translations of the
documents of Eastern Christianity, as well as studies of topics
relevant to the world of historic Orthodoxy and early Christianity.
The Interpretations of the Theotokias
by the Patriarch John Ibn Qiddis
Youhanna Nessim Youssef
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2020
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements................................................................................ vii
Introduction .............................................................................................. 1
The Author ...................................................................................... 2
Liturgical activities of Ibn Qiddis ............................................... 11
Pastoral activities of Ibn Qiddis ................................................. 25
Literary activities of Ibn Qiddis .................................................. 33
Literary Activities During His Time .......................................... 35
The Interpretations of the Theotokias as a Literary Genre ... 35
Coptic language at his time.......................................................... 37
The manuscript ............................................................................. 38
John Ibn Qiddis or John of Naqada .......................................... 40
The Interpretations of the Theotokias: Text and Translation ........ 43
Glossary of technical terms ................................................................ 143
Bibliography .......................................................................................... 145
Index of Proper Names ...................................................................... 153
Index of Greek Words ........................................................................ 155
Index of Biblical References .............................................................. 163
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I should like to thank all those who have helped me with the publi-
cation of this text. First of all, the President of the Saint Shenouda
Society for Coptic Studies, Mr Hany N. Takla, who helped me in
acquiring several significant references.
I am always very well received by the staff at the Bibliothèque
Nationale de France, but I usually forget to thank them for their hos-
pitality and help. I would also like to thank my friend Gamal Her-
mina who provided me with a copy of the manuscript from the Cop-
tic Museum with all the necessary authorizations.
The librarians of the University of Melbourne, the Australian
Catholic University, and the United Faculty of Theology, were kind
enough to facilitate my work by searching for references.
My friends Lisa Agaiby, Abanob Saad, and John D’Alton kindly
helped me with my English. Basem Morgan helped me in typesetting
and computer matters. Finally, I would like to thank the two review-
ers and Gorgias Press for accepting my book for publication.
This work is dedicated to Professor Pauline Allen, director and
founder of the Centre for Early Christian Studies at the Australian
Catholic University.
Youhanna Nessim YOUSSEF
vii
INTRODUCTION
Coptic history, especially of the early fourteenth century, is like a

puzzle for which we do not possess all the pieces. In what follows, I
will give an overview of relevant sources and their various interpre-
tations. The sources can be classified under the following headings:
a- Coptic Sources: Our main sources are the Book of the History
of the Patriarchs, ascribed to Ibn al-Muqqafa, as well as the Pa-
triarchal History, attributed to Yusab, bishop of Fuwwah. The
Synaxarion can be considered a good source of information,
and secular sources provide historical context for the events.
Many of these sources paint an image of John Ibn Qiddis as
a beloved patriarch of the Coptic church, and his eulogy was
still being transcribed after centuries of his death.
b- Islamic Sources: Valuable information is found in Islamic
sources contained in the History of the Mamluk Sultans by al-
Mufaddal Ibn Abi al-Fadail.
c- Liturgical sources: In addition to these historical sources,
we have ones describing the liturgical activities of Ibn Qiddis
and his contemporary, Ibn Kabar. These shed additional
light on Ibn Qiddis and his Interpretations of the Theotokias.
d- Manuscript colophons: The colophon of the Mingana Ar-
abic 61 Coptic 2 manuscript provides important information
about Ibn Qiddis’ time. Further information is found in the
Coptic Museum Biblica 12 manuscript. According to the lat-
ter, John Ibn Qiddis was known as al-Mu’tamin and he cop-
ied the book of Isaiah.
e- A manuscript on the Consecration of Myron: The Paris
National Library MS Arabe 100 gives an account of two Holy
Myron consecration ceremonies performed by Ibn Qiddis.
This manuscript also lists the participating bishops and their
1
2 THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE THEOTOKIAS
dioceses. It thus sheds light on the pastoral activities of Ibn

Qiddis as well as on the creation of new dioceses and disap-
pearance of old ones.
f- Contemporary Copto-Arabic literature: Knowledge of
Christian literary activity in the late thirteenth and early four-
teenth century Egypt adds another piece to the puzzle.
All these axes of research contribute to our understanding of Ibn
Qiddis’ main work that is published in the present book. We will
discuss each of these axes in detail in order to give the reader a fuller
understanding of the author and his work.
THE AUTHOR
The brief, anonymous1 chapter on the life of John VIII in the Book
of the History of the Patriarchs, ascribed to Ibn al-Muqqafa, gives mere
few details about John’s patriarchate. He was the eightieth patriarch
(1300–1320), known as Ibn Qiddis. In his day, Christians were
forced to wear blue turbans, and a great earthquake took place. Ibn
Qiddis also attended the funeral service of father Barsuma the Na-
ked.2
The History of the Patriarchs,3 attributed to Yusab, bishop of
Fuwwah, has this to say:
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻟﺜﲈﻧﻮن‬

‫ﻗﺪم اول ﺷﻬﺮ ﺗﻮت ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ ﺳﺒﻌﺔ ﻋﴩ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪا وﻛﺎن ﰲ اﻳﺎﻣﻪ ﻟﺒﺲ اﻟﻌﲈﻳﻢ‬
‫اﻟﺰرق وﻣﺎ ﳚﺮي ﳎﺮاه وﺣﺪﺛﺖ زﻟﺰﻟﺔ ﻋﻈﻴﻤﺔ ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ وﺗﺴﻌﺔ ﻋﴩ ﻳﻮم اﳋﻤﻴﺲ‬
‫ﻧﺼﻒ اﻟﻨﻬﺎر واﻗﺎم ﻫﺬا اﻻب ﻋﲆ اﻟﻜﺮﳼ ﻋﴩﻳﻦ ﺳﻨﺔ وﺛﻠﺜﺔ وﻋﴩﻳﻦ ﻳﻮم‬
‫وﺗﻨﻴﺢ راﺑﻊ ﻳﻮم ﻣﻦ ﺷﻬﺮ ﺑﻮﻧﺔ ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ ﺳﺘﺔ وﺛﻠﺜﲔ وﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺗﻘﺪﻣﺘﻪ ﰲ ﺧﻼﻓﺔ‬
‫اﻻﻣﺎم اﳊﺎﻛﻢ ﺑﺎﻣﺮ اﷲ ﰲ ﳑﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﳏﻤﺪ اﺑﻦ ﻗﻼوون واﻟﺴﺒﺢ ﷲ داﻳﲈ اﺑﺪﻳﺎ‬
The patriarch Anba Yuanis Ibn al-Qiddis, the eightieth.
1 Den Heijer 1989, p. 145.

2 Khater and Burmester 1970, pp. 134–135 (text), p. 231 (translation).
3 For this book, cf. Moawad 2006, pp. 255–270.
INTRODUCTION 3
He was ordained on the 1st of Tut, 1017 AM (1300 CE), and dur-
ing his days, there was the wearing of blue turbans, etc. In the year
1019 (1302 CE), there was a great earthquake on a Thursday in
the middle of the day. This patriarch remained on the throne for
20 years and 23 days, and rested on the 4th of Baunah, 1036 (1320
CE). His consecration took place during the caliphate of the
Imam al-Hakim Bi Amr Allah and the reign of the Sultan al-Malik
al-‘Adil Mohamed Ibn Qalawūn. Praise be to God for ever and
ever.4
The popular edition of the Synaxarion5 adds that John was from Min-
yat Bani Khasib, and was known as al-Mutaman Ibn al-Qiddis. (Prior
to being elevated to the patriarchate, his name was John ibn Absal.)
He became a monk in the monastery of Šahrān.
According to al-Mufaddal Ibn Abi al-Fadail, Ibn Qiddis was
made a hegumen for the Muallaqah church on Tuesday the 14th of
Amšîr, 1016 AM (8 February 1300 CE). This means that John was a
mere monk before his election to the patriarchal seat.6 Ibn Qiddis’
ordination as patriarch, then, took place in Alexandria on Sunday the
19th of Amšîr.7
Great persecution took place in the days of this shepherd. In
1301, Sultan Qalawūn issued an edict ordering all Christian employ-
ees to be fired. The edict was renewed in 1321 by the same sultan.8
Moreover, Christians were made to wear blue turbans, and the
churches of Old Cairo, Cairo, and the countryside were all closed,
except for a few located in monasteries, Alexandria, and other vil-
lages.
During the persecution, hundreds of Christians denied Christ
and converted to Islam; so much so that 450 persons were said to
convert to Islam daily.9 In response, a messenger from Barcelona
was sent by the king of Spain to intercede for the Christians. Subse-
quently, two churches were re-opened: the church of the Virgin in
4 al-Suriani and Daoud, n.d., p. 182.

5 The Mahabah edition, pp. 223–224. Labib 1991.
6 Burmester 1960, p. 9 (text), p. 54 (translation)
7 Blochet 1928, p. 158[664]–159[665]. This, however, is not the date given
in the History of the Patriarchs.

8 Fattal 1958, p. 262.
9 Fattal 1958, p. 173.
Harit Zuwaylah and the Melkite church of St. Nicholas at Hammam

al-Akhawayn.10 The church of Harit al-Rum remained closed for
eleven years and was re-opened on the 23rd of Tut, 1311 CE.11 Ibn
Qiddis was the last patriarch to dwell in the church of Abu Seifen in
Old Cairo, and it was he who transferred the throne to the church
of Harit Zuwaylah.12 Ibn Qiddis resided in this church from 1303
CE onwards, when a great earthquake occurred and destroyed many
parts of Syria and Egypt. Ibn Kabar mentions that the patriarch
made modifications to the liturgy (the Eucharist). It was also during
the reign of Ibn Qiddis that Saint Barsuma, known as “the Naked”
(Bin al-Tabban), died. The patriarch prayed over him on the 5th of
Nasi, 1021 AM.
According to Symon Semeonis (1322–1324 CE), churches were
forced to close in 1320. The closure lasted for three years and ended
the year Ibn Qiddis died.13
Islamic sources mention that John’s election and consecration
as patriarch took place during the second reign of al-Nasir Muham-
mad (1299–1309 CE) and that it was quietly performed without op-
position. The patriarchate of John Ibn Qiddis succeeded that of The-
odosius II (1294–1300).14 Theodosius II seems to have been unpop-
ular, and unrest began to manifest during his brief reign. This unrest
is reflected in a homily delivered by Ibn Kabar on the occasion of a
meeting with the patriarch.15
John Ibn Qiddis was also a contemporary of Baybars-Jashankir
(1309–1310), who was followed by al-Nasir in his third reign (1310–
1341). During this period, the Copts suffered from a setback due to
restrictions on their freedom imposed by a Maghribi vizier. On his
way to Mecca for a Muslim pilgrimage, the vizier passed through
10 The emperor of Constantinople also tried to intercede for the Christians

in Egypt, Blochet 1928, p. 195[701]. It is noteworthy to mention that the
church of the Crucifixion in Jerusalem was destroyed and became a
mosque.
11 Forget 1963, p. 37
12 R.-G. Coquin 1991b; Blochet 1928, pp. 38[544]–40[546], 67[573]–
73[579], 95[601]–92[602].
13 C. Coquin 1974, p. 95.
14 Labib 1991, pp. 2241–2242.
15 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 207–209.
INTRODUCTION 5
Cairo.16 While riding in the city, he noticed a well-dressed person on

horseback with poor folk surrounding him, asking for favours.
When the vizier inquired about the dignitary, he was infuriated to
learn that the individual was a Coptic Christian. The vizier went to
al-Nasir and his viceroy, Salar, to protest that “infidel” Christians
could occupy such high positions. As a result, the Copts suffered
from the enforcement of antiquated and humiliating decrees. They
were ordered to wear blue turbans and girdles and to ride donkeys
instead of horses. In a similar vein, Jews were required to wear yellow
turbans. The patriarch and the chief rabbi were summoned to the
court and both were ordered to enforce these regulations in their
respective congregations. The Maghribi vizier also tried to convince
the local authorities to destroy churches, but his attempts failed be-
cause the chief justice issued a special juridical verdict (fatwa). Ac-
cording to the verdict, the Covenant of ‘Umar had specified that only
newly built churches could be demolished, whereas older ones had
to be protected. The chief justice in question was Taqi al-Din Mu-
hammad ibn Daqiq al-‘Abd, a Muslim whose ancestors were Islam-
ized Copts.17 Yet the verdict did not stop a Muslim mob from
mounting frequent attacks on the churches.
In 1303 CE, Baybars abolished the custom of celebrating the
relics of John of Sanhut.18 According to Maqrizi, all churches were
again closed in 1316 CE and only the Muallaqah church was re-
opened two months later.19
John Ibn Qiddis was one of the most beloved patriarchs in the
Coptic church. His eulogy, which was still being transcribed centu-
ries after his death,20 depicts the patriarch as a saint.
Here is the colophon:
‫اذﻛﺮو اﻟﻨﺎﺳﺦ اﳌﺴﻜﲔ اﳊﻘﲑ اﻟﻘﺲ ﺟﺮﺟﺲ اﻟﺒﻬﻨﺴﺎوي ﺑﻠﺪ ﹰا واﻻن ﻗﺎﻃﻦ ﺑﺎﺑﻮ‬
‫اﻟﺴﻔﲔ واﳊﻘﲑ ﺟﺮﺟﺲ ﺗﻠﻤﺬ ﻟﻠﻘﻤﺺ ﺑﺮﺳﻮم ﺧﺎدم اﺑﻮ اﻟﺴﻴﻔﲔ ﺑﴬب اﻟﺒﺤﺮ‬
16 El-Leithy 2006, pp. 106–108.

17 Quatremère 1845, Vol. 2, pp. 179–180.
18 Meinardus 1970, p. 172, Viaud 1979, p. 10. Lutfi 1998, pp. 254–281.
19 C. Coquin 1974, p. 68.
20 Cf. Abd El Shahid 2005, pp. 71–72, Number 425 (6509).
‫‪6‬‬ ‫‪THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE THEOTOKIAS‬‬
‫ﺑﺤﺎرة اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك ﺑﻤﴫ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ واﻟﺸﻜﺮ ﷲ داﻳﲈ اﺑﺪﻳﺎ اﻣﲔ‬

‫ﰲ ︦ⲍ ﺷﻬﺮ ﻣﴪ￯ ﺳﻨﺔ ︦ⲑ︦ⲩ︦ⲁ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪا‬
‫‪Remember the poor, humble scribe, Girgis (George), originally‬‬

‫‪from Behnasa and now dwelling in (the church) of Abû Seifen.‬‬
‫‪The humble Girgis, the disciple of hegumen Barsûm, the minis-‬‬
‫‪ter of Abû Seifen, (located) in the street of the river21 in the lane‬‬
‫‪of the patriarch in Misr al-Qadîmah (Old Cairo). Thanks be to‬‬
‫!‪God for ever and ever, Amen‬‬
‫‪On the 7th of the month of Misrâ, in the year 1409 of the martyrs‬‬
‫‪(= 1693 CE).‬‬
‫‪And here is the text of the eulogy itself:‬‬

‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﻻب واﻻﺑﻦ واﻟﺮوح اﻟﻘﺪس اﻻﻟﻪ اﻟﻮاﺣﺪ‬
‫ﻣﺮﺛﻴﺔ ﻗﺮﻳﺔ ﻋﲆ اﻻب اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮاﻧﺲ اﺑﻦ ﻣﻴﺴﺎك اﻟﺜﲈﻧﲔ ﰲ ﻋﺪاد اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ‬
‫‪22‬‬
‫ﺳﻨﺔ ﺳﺘﺔ وﺛﻼﺛﲔ واﻟﻒ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ اﳊﺎدﻳﺔ واﻟﻌﴩون ﻣﻦ ﺑﻄﺮﻳﺮﻛﺘﻪ وﻗﺪ ﻛﻤﻞ ﰲ‬
‫اﻟﺮﻳﺎﺳﺔ ﻋﴩون ﺳﻨﺔ وﺛﻠﺜﺔ اﺷﻬﺮ وﻧﺼﻒ ﺑﺮﻛﺎﺗﻪ ﺗﻜﻮن ﻣﻌﻨﺎ اﻣﲔ‬
‫اﳌﺠﺪ ﷲ اﻟﻪ اﻻﺣﻴﺎء واﻻﻣﻮات اﳌﺘﴫف ﺑﺴﻠﻄﺎن ﻗﺪرﺗﻪ ﰲ اﻟﺴﻤﻮات واﻻرض‬
‫اﳌﻤﺠﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﺮاﳼ واﳌﺮاﺗﺐ واﻟﻄﻐﲈت اﳌﻘﺪس ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﺎروﺑﻴﻢ واﻟﺴﺎراﻓﻴﻢ‬
‫واﻟﺼﻔﻮف واﻟﻘﻮات راﻓﻊ ﻧﻔﻮس اﻻﺑﺮار اﱃ ﳏﻞ اﻟﻨﻮر* وﻧﺎﻗﻠﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺎﱂ اﻟﺰوال‬
‫اﱃ ﻋﺎﱂ اﻻﺳﺘﻘﺮار وﻣﻨﻮﳍﺎ ﻣﻮاﻋﻴﺪه اﻟﺼﺎدﻗﺔ ﰲ ﻧﻌﻴﻤﻪ اﻟﺬي ﻻ ﲣﻄﺮ ﻋﲆ اﻻﻓﻜﺎر‬
‫وﻣﻌﻮﺿﻬﺎ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻔﺎﻧﻴﺎت ﰲ ﻫﺬا اﻟﺪﻫﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﺒﺎﻗﻴﺎت اﱃ اﻻﺑﺎد واﻻدﻫﺎر‪ .‬ﻟﻪ اﳌﺠﺪ ﰲ‬
‫اﻻﻧﺎء واﻻوﻗﺎت واﻻﺻﺎل واﻻﺳﺤﺎر وﻻﺑﻨﻪ اﻟﻮﺣﻴﺪ اﻟﺬي ﴎ ان ﻳﻜﻮن رﻳﻴﺲ‬
‫اﺣﺒﺎر اﳋﲑات اﳌﻨﺘﻈﺮة ﻛﲈ ﻗﺎل ﻟﺴﺎن اﻟﻌﻄﺮ اﻟﻔﺎﻳﻖ ﺑﻮﻟﺲ اﳌﺨﺘﺎر وﺟﻌﻞ ﻟﻨﺎ ﻋﲆ‬
‫ﻣﺜﺎل ﻃﻘﺴﺔ اﺣﺒﺎر ﳜﺪﻣﻮﻧﺔ ورووﺳﺎ اﺣﺒﺎر وﻟﺮوح ﻗﺪﺳﻪ اﻟﺒﺎرﻗﻠﻴﻂ اﳌﻌﺰي ﻣﻘﺴﻢ‬
‫‪21‬‬ ‫”‪Lit. “the sea.‬‬

‫‪22‬‬ ‫ﻗﺮﻳﺖ ‪Read:‬‬
‫‪INTRODUCTION‬‬ ‫‪7‬‬
‫اﳌﻮاﻫﺐ اﻟﺮوﺣﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻋﲆ رﺳﻠﻪ اﻻﻃﻬﺎر* ﻛﺎﻟﺴﻨﺔ واﻟﺬي ﺟﻌﻞ ﺑﻴﻌﺘﻪ اﳌﻘﺪﺳﺔ‬

‫ﻛﻤﺜﺎل اﻟﺴﲈء ﰲ ﻃﻘﻮﺳﻬﺎ واﻗﺎم اﻟﻜﻬﻨﺔ ﻣﻨﲑﻳﻦ ﻛﺎﻟﻜﻮاﻛﺐ ورووﺳﺎﳞﻢ ﻣﻘﺎم‬
‫ﺷﻤﻮﺳﻬﺎ وﻛﻤﻞ ﺗﺮﺗﻴﺐ ﻧﻈﺎﻣﻬﺎ وﻧﻈﺎم ﺗﺮﺗﻴﺒﻬﺎ وﲨﻞ ﺗﺎدﻳﺐ اوﺿﺎﻋﻬﺎ واوﺿﺎع‬
‫ﺗﺎدﻳﺒﻬﺎ واﻗﺎم ﻟﻘﻄﻌﺎﻧﻪ اﻟﻨﺎﻃﻘﺔ ﺣﺮاﺳﺎ ﻣﺘﻴﻘﻈﺔ ﳊﲈﻳﺘﻬﺎ وﺣﻴﺎﻃﺘﻬﺎ ﻣﺜﺒﺘﺎ ﻟﻪ ﳊﻔﻈﻬﺎ‬
‫ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﻳﺎب اﳋﺎﻃﻔﺔ وﺻﻴﺎﻧﺘﻬﺎ وﻣﺪﺑﺮﻳﻦ ﻳﺮﻋﻮن ﻛﺒﺎﺷﻪ ﰲ اﳌﺮوج اﳌﺨﺼﺒﺔ‬
‫وﻳﻮردﻫﻢ ﻣﻮارد اﳊﻴﺎة اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻨﻔﻊ اﻟﴬ￯ وﺗﺮو￯ اﻟﻐﻠﺔ وﻳﻌﺪوﳖﻢ اﻻﻏﺬﻳﺔ‬
‫اﻟﺼﺎﳊﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺸﺪ* اﻟﻘﻮ￯ اﳌﻨﺤﻠﺔ وﻳﺪاوﳞﻢ ﺑﺎﻻدوﻳﺔ اﻟﺸﺎﻓﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺸﻔﻲ‬
‫اﻟﻨﻔﻮس اﳌﺘﻌﻠﺔ وﻳﺮدوﳖﻢ ﻣﺎ اﺧﺬوه ﻣﻦ رﺑﻨﺎ ﻟﻪ اﳌﺠﺪ ورﺳﻠﻪ وﻳﺎﻣﺮﳖﻢ ﺑﲈ اﻣﺮه ﺑﻪ‬
‫ﻗﻮاﻧﻴﻨﻬﻢ اﻻﺑﺴﻄﻠﻴﺔ وﻣﺎ ﳖﺘﻢ ﻋﻦ ﻓﻌﻠﻪ وﻳﻄﻠﺒﻮن ﳍﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮب ﺟﻞ ذﻛﺮه ﺣﻞ‬
‫رﺑﺎط اﳋﻄﺎﻳﺎ وﻳﻠﺘﻤﺴﻮن ﳍﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺮﻣﺔ اﻓﺎﺿﺖ اﳌﻮاﻫﺐ اﻟﻔﺎﺿﻠﺔ واﻟﻌﻄﺎﻳﺎ‬
‫وﻳﻘﻄﻌﻮن ﺑﻜﻠﻤﺔ اﳊﻖ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻘﺎﻣﺔ وﻳﺼﻨﻌﻮن ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ اﻟﺼﻠﺢ واﻟﺴﻼم ﺛﻢ اذا ﻛﻤﻞ‬
‫اﺣﺪﻫﻢ ﺳﻌﻴﻪ اﳌﺴﺘﻘﻴﻢ وﻧﻘﻠﻪ اﻟﺮب اﱃ ﻓﺮدوس اﻟﻨﻌﻴﻢ ﻟﻴﺴﱰﻳﺢ ﻣﻦ اﻻﺛﻘﺎل‬
‫وﻳﺘﻨﻌﻢ ﺑﺬﻟﻚ اﻻﻧﺘﻘﺎل ﰲ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ * اﻟﺬي ﻳﻌﻠﻢ رﺑﻨﺎ ان اﳌﺼﻠﺤﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﻨﺘﻘﻞ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺑﺎﻃﻨﻪ‬
‫واﳋﲑة ﻟﻪ ﰲ ﻣﻄﺎوﻧﺔ ﻛﺎﻣﻨﺔ ﻓﺎﻋﺎﱂ اﳋﻔﻴﺎت وﺳﺒﺤﺎﻧﺔ اﳉﺎﻟﺲ ﻋﲆ اﻟﻜﺎروﺑﻴﻢ‬
‫وﻳﻨﻈﺮ اﱃ اﻟﺴﻔﻠﻴﺎت وﻟﻦ ﻳﻘﺘﻔﻲ اﺣﺪ اﺣﻜﺎﻣﻪ اﻟﺒﺎﻫﺮة وﻻ ﻳﺪرك اﺛﺎره اﻟﻐﺎﻣﻀﺔ‬
‫ﻋﻦ اﻟﻌﻘﻮل اﻟﻨﲑة وﻛﻞ اﻋﲈﻟﻪ ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻟﻪ ﺑﺎﳊﻜﻤﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﻋﺪت اﻻﻓﻬﺎم ﻋﻦ ادراﻛﻬﺎ‬
‫ﻗﺎﴏه وﻗﺪ ﻋﻠﻤﺘﻢ اﳞﺎ اﻟﺴﺎدة اﻟﺮووﺳﺎ اﻻﺧﻴﺎر واﻻﺑﺎء اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺴﻮن اﻻﺑﺮار‬
‫واﳋﻼن اﻻﺣﺒﺎ اﻻﻃﻬﺎر ﺑﻨﻲ اﻟﺒﻴﻌﺔ اﷲ اﳉﺎﻣﻌﺔ اﻟﺮﺳﻮﻟﻴﺔ اﳌﻮﻟﻮدﻳﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮﻻدة‬
‫اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﺑﲈء اﳌﻌﻤﻮدﻳﺔ ﺧﱪ اﻟﻠﺔ ﻳﺘﻤﻜﻢ وﻏﻔﺮ ﻟﻜﻢ اﺛﻤﻜﻢ واﻧﺎر ﺑﺎﴍاق روح ﻗﺪﺳﺔ‬
‫ﻓﻬﻤﻜﻢ ﻻن اﺑﻴﻨﺎ اﻟﺴﻴﺪ اﻻب* اﻟﻌﺎﱂ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻞ اﻟﻔﺎﺿﻞ اﻟﻜﺎﻣﻞ اﳌﺎﻫﺮ اﻟﺒﺎﻫﺮ‬
‫اﻟﻜﻮﻛﺐ اﻟﺰاﻫﺮ ﻣﻌﻠﻢ اﻟﺒﻴﻌﺔ وﻣﺼﺒﺎح اﻟﴩﻳﻌﺔ اب اﻻﺑﺎء ورﺋﻴﺲ اﻟﺮووﺳﺎ ﺛﺎﻟﺚ‬
‫ﻋﴩ اﻟﺮﺳﻞ اﳊﻮارﻳﻮن وﺧﺎﻣﺲ اﻻﻧﺠﻴﻠﻴﻮن اﻟﺒﴩﻳﻦ اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﰲ اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ‬
‫اﳌﻀﺎﻫﻲ ﺳﲑت اﳌﻼﻳﻜﺔ اﻧﺒﺎ ﻓﻼن ﺑﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻟﻌﻈﻤﻰ اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ واﻟﺪﻳﺎر‬
‫اﳌﴫﻳﺔ واﻟﺒﻼد اﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ واﳊﺒﺸﺔ واﻟﻨﻮﺑﺔ وﻣﺎ اﺷﺘﻤﻠﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﻟﺘﻠﻤﺬة اﳌﺮﻗﺼﻴﺔ ذوا‬
‫اﻟﻠﺴﺎن اﳊﻠﻮ واﻟﻜﻬﻨﻮﰐ واﳌﻨﻄﻖ اﻟﻌﺬب واﻟﺪاوودي واﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ اﻟﺒﺪﻳﻊ اﻟﻼﻫﻮﰐ‬

‫اﻗﺎﻣﻪ اﻟﺮب ﺧﻠﻴﻔﺔ ﻋﲆ * ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ وراﻋﻴﺎ ﻋﲆ راﻋﻴﺘﻪ ﻓﺼﺎر ﻓﻴﻬﻢ ﺳﲑة ﳑﺘﺪﺣﺔ‬
‫واﻧﺰﳍﻢ اﺛﺎرا ﻣﺼﻠﺤﺔ واﻣﺘﺤﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻻﻧﻄﻼق ﻓﺼﱪ وﺟﺮت ﰲ ﺷﻌﺒﻪ وﺑﻴﻌﺔ‬
‫اﺻﻌﺐ اﻟﺘﺠﺮﺑﺎت ﻓﻘﻮي ﻓﻴﻬﺎ وﺷﻜﺮ وﺿﻴﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﻓﺘﻠﻘﻰ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻀﻴﻖ‬
‫ﺑﺴﻌﺔ ﺻﺪره وﱂ ﻳﻔﺘﻮره اﻟﺼﺨﺮة وﺗﻮﻛﻞ ﻋﲆ اﻟﺮب ﻓﺎﻋﺎﻧﻪ وﲤﺴﻚ ﺑﺮﺟﺎﺋﻪ ﻓﺼﺎﻧﻪ‬
‫وﺗﻮﺳﻞ اﻟﻴﻪ ﻓﺎﺻﻔﻰ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﺪر زﻣﺎﻧﻪ واﻗﺎم ﻟﻪ ارﻛﺎن ﻳﻌﻀﺪوﻧﻪ ﻓﺸﻴﺪ ارﻛﺎﻧﻪ‬
‫وﺗﺪارك ﻣﺴﺎﻛﲔ ﺷﻌﺒﻪ ورﲪﻬﻢ وﻋﻄﻒ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﻗﻠﻮب اﳌﻮﻟﻴﲔ ﻻﻣﻮرﻫﻢ وﻓﺘﺢ‬
‫اﺑﻮاب اﻟﻜﻨﺎﺋﺲ واوﺳﻊ اﻟﻌﻨﺎﻳﺔ ﺑﺎﻻﻳﺎس ﻣﻨﻬﻢ واﻟﻴﺎﺑﺲ ﺑﻄﻠﺒﺎت* ﻫﺬا اﻻب‬
‫وﺻﻠﻮاﺗﻪ وﻧﻴﺘﻪ اﻟﺬي ] [ـﻊ اﻟﺮب ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﰲ ﺧﻠﻮاﺗﻪ ﺛﻢ اﻧﻪ ﻛﺎن ﺑﻌﻴﺪا ﻋﻦ اﻟﺸﺒﻬﺎت‬
‫ﻣﻨﺰﻫﺎ ﻋﲆ اﳌﻜﺮوﻫﺎت ﻣﺘﻔﺎﺿﻼ ﰲ اﻟﺼﺎﳊﺎت ﻣﺘﺤﺮز ﰲ ﺗﻄﻬﲑ اﻟﴩﻃﻮﻧﻴﺎت‬
‫ﻟﺘﻜﻮن ﻣﻦ ﻏﺮوﺳﻪ اﻟﺬي ﻳﺰرﻋﻬﺎ ﰲ ﺑﻴﻌﺔ اﷲ ﻇﺎﻫﺮات اﻟﺜﻤﺮات ﳏﺎﻓﻈﺎ ﻋﲆ ﻗﻮاﻧﲔ‬
‫رﻫﺒﺎﻧﻴﺘﻪ ﻋﺎﳌﺎ ﺑﻔﺮاﻳﺾ ﺻﻠﻮاﺗﻪ وﻧﻮاﻣﻴﺲ ﻓﻔﻠﺴﻔﺔ ﻣﻔﺮﻃﺎ ﰲ اﻟﺒﺸﺎﺷﺔ واﳌﺤﺒﺔ‬
‫واﳋﺼﻼت اﳌﺴﺘﺤﺴﻨﺔ واﳌﺴﺘﺤﺒﺔ وﳌﺎ اﻛﻤﻞ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ اﻟﺬي وﻗﺘﻪ ﺑﻪ اﻟﺮب اﺳﺘﺪﻋﺎه‬
‫ﻓﺎﻧﻄﻠﻖ اﻟﻴﻪ واﺳﻨﺪﻧﺎ ﻓﺒﺎدر ﻟﻠﻘﺪوم ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﻫﺎ ﻫﻮذا ﻗﺪ ﺻﺎر ﰲ ﲨﻠﺔ اﳌﻨﺘﻘﻠﲔ *‬
‫وﳊﻖ اﻻﺑﺎء اﳌﺘﻘﺪﻣﻴﺔ واﻧﺘﻈﻢ ﰲ ﺳﻠﻚ اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ اﻟﺴﺎﻟﻔﲔ وﻛﻤﻞ ﰲ اﻟﻔﺎﻳﺰﻳﻦ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ‬
‫ﻋﺪة ‪ .:.‬ﻣﻦ ﻫﺎ ﻫﻬﻨﺎ ﻳﺬﻛﺮ ﻋﺪة اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ وﺧﻠﻊ اﻟﺜﻮب اﻟﻔﺎﲏ‪...‬‬
‫‪In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One‬‬
‫!‪God‬‬
‫‪A eulogy read on the father patriarch Anba John, son of Misak,‬‬
‫‪80th among the patriarchs, in the year 1036 (= 1320 CE), which‬‬
‫‪is the twenty-first year of his patriarchate. His leadership lasted‬‬
‫‪twenty years and three months and a half. May his blessings be‬‬
‫!‪with us. Amen‬‬
‫‪Glory be to God of the living and the dead who rules with the‬‬
‫‪authority of his might in heaven and earth; who is glorified by‬‬
‫‪the thrones and the ranks; who is hallowed by the Cherubim and‬‬
‫‪the Seraphim, the choirs, and the hosts. He who lifts the souls‬‬
‫‪of the righteous to the place of lights*; who transfers them from‬‬
INTRODUCTION 9
the perishable world to the world of stability; granting the world

according to his true promises in that paradise that no mind had
imagined,23 rewarding them instead of the world from the per-
ishable of this age to the remaining (things) for ages and gener-
ations. To him is the glory both now and ever, from the sunset
to the dawns, with His Unique Son who is the high priest of the
good things to come,24 as the tongue of the sublime perfume,
Paul the chosen one, has said. He established for us, according
to his rank, priests that minister to Him, and high priests to His
Holy Spirit the Paraclete and the comforter, who distributes the
spiritual gifts over His pure Apostles* as tongues. He made His
holy church as a type of heaven in its ranks. He established
priests shining like stars and their leaders like their suns. He per-
fected the arrangement of its structure, as well as the structure
of its arrangement, he adorned the discipline of its condition
and the condition of its discipline.
He instituted, for His rational flocks, an awaking guard for their
protection, surrounding and confirming them so as to safeguard
them to preserve them from the pouncing wolves, and restoring
them. And [He established] leaders to pasture his flock to the
green pastures and by the water of life, he reared them25 which
safeguarding them from harm and watered the crops and pre-
pared them as goodly food that will fortify the weakened forced,
treat them with the healing medications which cure the sick
souls and make them return, by what they took from our
Lord—to Him is the Glory— and His Apostles. And by what
he ordered them with the Apostolic canons and what we should
do and what beseech from the Lord—may his mention be ele-
vated—on their behalf—to loosen the bonds of the sins, and
they ask for them from His generosity which overflowed from
the good gifts and grants explaining the word with straightfor-
wardness and in consolation and peace. Then, when he accom-
plished his straight race, the Lord transferred him to the paradise
of Joy to rest from the heavy weight he had carried and enjoy by
23 1 Cor 2:9.
24 Heb 9:11.
25 Ps 22[23]:2.
that transfer in the time that our Lord knows. As the one who
knows the hidden things—may He be blessed—who sits on the
Cherubim and looks towards the lowly—the traces of whose
sublime judgements no one can follow; no one can comprehend
the mysterious consequences that are beyond enlightened
minds, and all his deeds are full of wisdom, which is above un-
derstanding.
You are aware, O masters, the chosen leaders, the holy righteous
fathers, and beloved pure friends, the sons of the church of the
universal Apostolic church, who are born from the sublime
birth from the water of the baptism—the news of God (regard-
ing) your orphan state and—let Him forgive your sins and let
Him light your minds with his Holy Spirit—that our father lord,
father, the servant and doer, the virtuous, perfect, the clever,
brilliant, the bright star, the master of the church and the lamp
of the law, the father of fathers, the leader of leaders, the thir-
teenth of the disciples Apostles, the fifth of the evangelist
preachers, the great among the patriarchs, who is equivalent to
the life of the angels, Anba … the patriarch of the great city
Alexandria and of Egypt and the western cities, Ethiopia and
Nubia, and all the preaching of the disciple of Mark, who has
the sweet tongue, and priest and the beautiful mind, the Davidic
and excellent teaching, the theologian, whom the Lord estab-
lished as a successor upon His church and a shepherd on His
flocks. He conducted a commendable life, he left great reforms.
He was tested immediately from the start and he was patient
about what happened to his people and his church in difficult
temptations. He became stronger in it with thanksgiving. He
was in a tough situation but accepted it with patience without
complaint. He relied on the Lord, who helped him. He remained
in his hope and it protected him. He was preserved. He prayed
and remained pure from (all) pollution. He consolidated its cor-
ners and constructed its basis, helping the poor among his peo-
ple. He had mercy and pity upon them. He made the hearts of
their rulers to be compassionate over them. He opened the gates
of the church and he cared about the hopeless and the miserable
through the prayers of this father and his beseeching and his
intention, the Lord […] in his retreats, and he was away from
the suspicions and clear from distrust. He excelled in good
INTRODUCTION 11
things and was careful in the consecration (i.e., not using si-
mony)26 to be pure in order that his plant that he cultivated in
the church of God be fruitful. He respected the canons of mo-
nasticism, knowing his duties, prayers and laws. His philosophy
was to be joyful and full of charity and he embodied all the other
lovely and good qualities. When he completed his time, the Lord
summoned him. He (the Lord) called him and he (the patriarch)
hastened to go. Behold, he became one of the reposed ones and
joined the predecessor fathers. He became one of the rank of
the previous patriarchs and he accomplished (this race) with the
winners. … Here he mentions the names of the patriarchs who
took off the perishable cloth…
LITURGICAL ACTIVITIES OF IBN QIDDIS

In addition to this meager biographical data, we know that immedi-
ately after his ordination as patriarch in the Muallaqah church,27 Ibn
Qiddis ordained Šams al-Riyāsah Ibn Kabar as a priest to serve in the
Muallaqah church, which was the patriarchal residence. Ibn Kabar
gave the first of his homilies on February 21, 1300 CE; Ibn Qiddis had
been ordained just one week earlier, on February 14, 1300 CE.
Ibn Qiddis’ first visit to the monasteries forewent the tradi-
tional visit to Wadi Natrun. He went to the monastery of Šahrān
instead.28 It seems that this decision was motivated by security con-
cerns, and hence we find no record of any opposition from the
monks of Saint Macarius.
Ibn Kabar delivered several homilies reflecting the situation of
the Coptic church under the patriarch Ibn Qiddis. Among them are
these homilies:
‫ﺧﻄﺐ ﻣﺘﻨﻮﻋﺔ اﻧﺸﺄﻫﺎ اﻟﻘﺲ ﺷﻤﺲ اﻟﺮﻳﺎﺳﺔ اﺑﻦ ﻛﱪ‬

‫ﺧﻄﺒﺔ ﻗﻴﻠﺖ ﰲ ﻳﻮم اﳋﻼص اﻟﺬي ﻓﺘﺤﺖ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﳌﻌﻠﻘﺔ ﺑﻤﴫ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻏﻠﻘﻬﺎ‬
‫ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪاء‬1019 ‫وﻫﻮ اﻟﻴﻮم اﻟﺜﺎﲏ ﻣﻦ ﺷﻬﺮ ﻛﻴﻬﻚ ﺳﻨﺔ‬
26 This means that he did not sell the clerical dignity for money as some
patriarchs were accused of doing. Cf. Meinardus 1991, p. 517.

27 Blochet 1928, p. 158.
28 Khalil 2000, pp. 629–655.
Various homilies delivered by the priest Shams al-Ryasah Ibn

Kabar
A homily delivered on the day of salvation when the Muallaqah
church in (Old-) Cairo was re-opened after its closing on the
second day of the month of Kiahk in the year 1019 AM (=No-
vember 28, 1303 CE).29
‫ ﻋﻨﺪ ﻓﺘﺢ ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﻣﺮﻗﻮرﻳﻮس ﺑﻌﺪ ﻏﻠﻘﻬﺎ اﺛﻨﻰ‬1029 ‫ﺧﻄﺒﺔ ﻗﻴﻠﺖ ﺳﻨﺔ‬
‫ﻋﴩ ﺳﻨﺔ‬
A homily delivered in the year 1029 AM (=1313 CE) when the

church of Saint Mercurius was re-opened after twelve years of
forced closure.30
The homily was delivered on the 26th of Tubah (January 21,
1313 CE).
‫ﺧﻄﺒﺔ ﻋﻤﻠﺖ ﻋﻨﺪ اول اﻻﺟﺘﲈع ﻣﻊ اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﺆﻧﺲ ﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﺑﺪﻳﺮ ﺷﻬﺮان‬
1016 ‫ﰲ اﻻﺣﺪ اﻟﺜﺎﲏ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺼﻮم ﺳﻨﺔ‬
A homily delivered during the first meeting with the patriarch

Anba John Ibn al-Qiddis in the monastery of Šahrān, on the
second Sunday of the Lent in the year 1016 (1300 CE).31
‫ﺧﻄﺒﺔ ﻗﻴﻠﺖ ﻋﻨﺪ ﳎﺊ ﻛﲑﻳﺲ ﻣﻠﻚ اﻟﻨﻮﺑﺔ‬
A homily delivered on the arrival of Cyrus the king of Nubia32

The date and purpose of this visit are unknown. There was another
visit of a Nubian prince Qafri (commemorated on the 23rd of Kihak),
who became a monk in Upper Egypt under Anastasius, perhaps in
the eighth century.33
29 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 195–203.

30 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 204–207.
31 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 210–213.
32 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 213–215.
33 Cf. also Crum 1932, pp. 137–148; and R.-G. Coquin 1991, p. 126b.
INTRODUCTION 13
The homilies for Palm Sunday,34 Maundy Thursday,35 the Feast

of the Transfiguration,36 the feasts of the Apostles and Saint Mark,37
the feast of the martyrs,38 and the feasts of the women-saints,39 are
not dated. They do not contain any historical data.
The homily for the Feast of Pentecost is dated to the year 1019
AM (1303 CE).40 There is a homily to be read during the consecra-
tion of bishops, showing that such consecrations were frequent. This
is also supported by a comparison between the lists of bishops at-
tending the Myron ceremony.41
In addition to these, there is also the fourth homily of the first
Sunday of Kihak, delivered by Ibn Kabar in the presence of Anba
John Ibn Qiddis, (perhaps in the same year, after the re-opening of
the Muallaqah church).42 The fifth homily was delivered by Ibn Ka-
bar in the years 1019 AM (1303 CE) and 1029 AM (1313 CE) on the
second Sunday of Kihak in the years of the respective re-openings
of the Muallaqah and Saint Mercurius churches.43 There is also a
homily on the Epiphany, delivered in the year 1019 AM.44
The Book of the Lamp of Darkness by Ibn Kabar contains litur-
gical data concerning pastoral activities of Ibn Qiddis. In Chapter
XV concerning the consecration of the baptistery we read:
‫ﻗﺎل اﻻب اﻟﻔﺎﺿﻞ اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺲ ﺟﺎﻣﻊ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻜﺘﺎب ﻧﻴﺢ اﷲ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ ﻗﺪ ﺣﴬت ﻣﻊ اﻟﺴﻴﺪ‬
‫اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ ﻧﻴﺢ اﷲ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ رﺷﻢ اﳌﻌﻤﻮدﻳﺔ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻗﺪ ﻛﴪت وﺟﱪت ﻣﻦ‬
50 ‫ﻏﲑ ﲡﺪﻳﺪ واﻟﺬي اﻋﺘﻤﺪ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ اﻟﺒﺪاﻳﺔ ﺻﻼة اﻟﺸﻜﺮ ورﻓﻊ اﻟﺒﺨﻮر وﻣﺰﻣﻮر‬
‫وﻫﺬا اﻟﻔﺼﻮل ﻓﺼﻞ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻮراة‬
34 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 81–88.

35 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 89–93
36 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 124–128.
37 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 150–152.
38 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 163–166.
39 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 166–168.
40 Habib Girgis 1914, p. 119.
41 See below.
‫ⲟⲓⲙⲁⲑⲁⲙ ⲉ‪ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡ�ⲥ︦ ⲁϥⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲙⲱⲩⲥⲏⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙ̀ⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϥ ϫ‬‬
‫ⲓⲟⲙ̀ⲙ ⲓ‪ⲛ̀ⲟⲩⲗⲟⲩⲧⲏⲣ ⲛ̀ϩⲙⲟⲧ. ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲩⲧⲟⲩⲃⲟ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲩϣⲉⲙϣ‬‬
‫وﺗﻜﻠﻢ اﻟﺮب ﻣﻊ ﻣﻮﺳﻰ وﻗﺎل ﻟﻪ اﺻﻨﻊ ﺳﻔﻼ ﻣﻦ ﻧﺤﺎس‪ ...‬وﻳﺘﻄﻬﺮوا وﳜﺪﻣﻮﻧﻨﻲ‬

‫وﻳﻘﺮا اﻟﺒﻮﻟﺲ اﳌﺮﺗﺐ ﰲ ﻗﺪاس اﻻﻛﻠﻴﻞ وﻫﻮ ﻣﻦ اﻓﺴﺲ ‪3‬‬
‫︦ⲥ︦ⲭⲡ ⲉⲧ̀ⲛ ⲁⲉⲣⲱⲇ‪Ϯϯϩⲟ ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲉⲛ … ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲡϣⲓ ⲛ̀ϯ‬‬
‫واﻧﺎ اﺳﺎﻟﻜﻢ ﻳﺎ اﺧﻮﰐ‪ ...‬ﻋﲆ ﻗﺪر ﻋﻄﻴﺔ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ‬

‫اﳌﺰﻣﻮر‬
‫ⲓⲱ‪ⲉⲕⲉⲛⲟⲩϫϧ ⲉϫ‬‬
‫اﻧﻀﺞ ﻋﲇ زوﻓﻚ ﻓﺎﻧﻘﺎ‬

‫اﻻﻧﺠﻴﻞ ﻳﻘﺮا ﻣﻦ ﻓﺼﻼن ﻣﻦ اﻻﻧﺎﺟﻴﻞ اﳌﻘﺪﺳﺔ اﺣﺪﳘﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺘﻰ‬
‫‪13:16-20‬‬
‫︦ⲥ︦ⲭⲡ ︦ⲥ︦ⲏ︦ⲓ ⲉⲡ ‪ⲉⲧⲁϥⲓ̀ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲓ︦ⲏ︦ⲥ︦ ⲉⲛⲓⲥⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲕⲉⲥⲁⲣⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲫⲓⲗⲓⲡⲡⲉ… ϫⲉ ⲛ̀ⲑⲟϥ‬‬
‫وﺟﺎ ﻳﺴﻮع اﱃ ﻧﻮاﺣﻲ ﻗﻴﺴﺎرﻳﺔ ﻓﻴﻠﺒﺲ‪....‬اﻧﻪ ﻳﺴﻮع اﳌﺴﻴﺢ‬

‫اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﻻﺧﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻟﻮﻗﺎ اوﻟﻪ‬
‫ⲟⲕⲁⲧ‪ⲉⲧⲁϥϣⲉ ⲉϧⲟⲩⲛ ⲛⲁϥⲙⲟⲩϣⲓ ⲉⲕⲱϯ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲛⲟϩⲉⲙ ⲙ̀ⲫⲏ ⲉⲧⲁϥ‬‬
‫وﳌﺎ دﺧﻞ ﳎﺘﺎز ﹰا ﻳﻄﻠﺐ‪ ...‬وﳜﻠﺺ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺎن ﺿﺎﻻ‬

‫ﺛﻢ ﻗﺎل اﻻواﳾ اﻟﺴﺒﻌﺔ واوﺷﻴﺔ واﺣﺪة واﺑﺎﻧﺎ اﻟﺬي واﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴﻞ وﻗﺎل اﻟﻠﻴﻠﻮﻳﺎ ﺑﻠﺤﻦ‬
‫اﳌﻌﻤﻮدﻳﺔ واﻟﻘﻄﻊ اﻟﻮاردة ﻛﺘﺎب اﻟﺘﻌﻤﻴﺪ ورﺷﻢ اﳌﻌﻤﻮدﻳﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻐﺎﻟﻴﻼون واﳌﲑون‬
‫ﰲ ﺟﻮاﻧﺒﻬﺎ واﺳﻔﻠﻬﺎ وﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﻔﺮاغ ﻗﺮاﺋﺔ اﻟﱪﻛﺔ وﻗﺎﻧﻮن ﺧﺎﲤﺔ اﻟﺼﻼة‬
‫‪“The righteous father, the president, who composed this book,‬‬

‫‪may God give rest to his soul: ‘With patriarch Anba Yuanis, may‬‬
‫‪God give rest to his soul, I attended the consecration of the‬‬
‫‪baptistery, which had been broken and repaired without reno-‬‬
‫‪vation and what was approved in it. The beginning of the prayer‬‬
‫‪is the prayer of Thanksgiving. Then come the offering of‬‬
INTRODUCTION 15
incense and Psalm 50, as well as these lectures, a Chapter from

the Pentateuch:
“And the Lord talked to Moses and said to him: “Prepare a laver
of brass … and they purify themselves and worship Me.”45
He then read the Pauline (Epistle), which was arranged for the
liturgy of the crowning, from Ephesians 3:
“I beseech you my brethren… according to the measure of the
gift of Christ.”46
The Psalm:
“Purge me with hyssop”47
The Gospel: he read two sections from the holy Gospels. One
was Matthew 16:13-20:
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caeserea Philippi… He
was Jesus the Christ”
The other one was from Luke. Its beginning is:
“And [Jesus] entered and passed through…. to save that which
was lost.”48
He then said the seven litanies and then one litany, Our Father,
the absolution and Alleluia with the tune of the baptism and the
troparia in the book of baptism and he [the patriarch ibn Qiddis]
anointed the baptistery with the Galilleon and the Myron and
the borders and the bottom. In conclusion, he read the blessing
and the Canon of the end of the prayer.”49
Ibn Kabar also mentions patriarch Ibn Qiddis another time:
45 Exod 30:17–30.
46 Eph 4:1–7.
47 Cf. Ps 51[50]:7–10.
48 Luke 19:1–10.
49 Mina Foundation 1998, pp. 98–99. I was unable to find this text in Paris
Arabe 203 fol. 194r–195r.

‫ﺛﻢ ﺣﴬت ﻣﻌﻪ ﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ ﻋﺪم ﺗﻜﺮﻳﺰ ﻣﻌﻤﻮدﻳﺔ ﳎﺪدة ﺑﻜﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ‬
‫ ﻃﻮﺑﺔ ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ وﺛﻼﺛﲔ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪا ﻓﻮﺿﻊ ﺳﺒﻊ ﴎج‬10 ‫ﻣﺮﻗﻮرﻳﻮس ﰲ ﻳﻮم اﻻﺣﺪ‬
‫ﻋﲆ ﺳﺒﻊ ﻣﻨﺎﻳﺮ ﺧﺰﻓﺎ وﺛﻼث ﻗﺪور ﻟﻄﻴﻔﺔ ﳑﻠﻮة ﻣﺎ وﻗﺎل اﻟﺸﺒﻬﻤﻮت ورﻓﻊ اﻟﺒﺨﻮر‬
‫ و ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﺒﻮات واﻻﻧﺎﺟﻴﻞ‬135 ‫و‬134 ‫و‬132 ‫و‬131 ‫و‬50 ‫وﻗﺮا ﳌﺰاﻣﲑ ﻣﺰﻣﻮر‬
‫ﻛﺎﻟﻌﺎدة وﺧﺘﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴﻞ و اﻟﱪﻛﺔ‬
Then I [Ibn Kabar] attended with him [Ibn Qiddis] the conse-
cration of a renovated baptistery in the church of saint Mer-
curius on Sunday, the 10th of Tubah, in the year 1030 AM [5
January 1314 CE]. He placed seven lamps on seven earthen-
ware stands and three small pitchers filled with water. He said
the Thanksgiving and offered incense, reading Psalms 50, 131,
132, 134, and 135,50 and then from the prophets and the Gos-
pels, concluding with the absolution and the blessing.
While talking about the offering of the incense, in Chapter XVI of
the book Lamp of Darkness, we find in the margin the following notes:
‫وﻛﺎن اﻟﺴﻴﺪ اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﻗﺮر ﻣﻊ ﲨﺎﻋﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺷﲈﻣﺴﺔ اﳌﻌﻠﻘﺔ‬
‫ﻳﻘﺮوا اﻟﺪﻛﺼﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺔ أﻳﺎم اﻟﺴﺒﻮت ﺧﺼﻮﺻﺎ ﰲ ﺳﺒﻮت اﻟﺼﻮم‬
“Patriarch Anba Yuanis Ibn al-Qiddis had agreed with a group

of deacons of the Muallaqah to read the doxologies on Satur-
days, especially on Saturdays during the fast.”51
‫وﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﻟﻌﺎدة ﰲ اﳌﻌﻠﻘﺔ وﻏﲑﻫﺎ اﻧﻪ ﻋﻨﺪ ﻓﺮاغ ﻗﺮاة اﻻﻧﺠﻴﻞ ﻳﻘﺒﻠﻪ اﻟﺸﻌﺐ اﻟﺮﺟﺎل‬
‫ﺛﻢ اﻟﻨﺴﺎ ﻓﺎﺷﺎر اﻻب اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك ﺑﺎﻋﺘﲈده ﻋﺎدة اﻻﺑﺎ اﻟﺮﻫﺒﺎن وﻫﻲ ﺗﺎﺧﲑ ﺗﻘﺒﻴﻠﻪ اﱃ‬
‫اﻧﺘﻬﺎ اﻟﺼﻼة ﻓﻴﻘﺒﻞ ﻣﻊ اﻟﺼﻠﻴﺐ واﺳﺘﻘﺮ ذﻟﻚ ﺑﺴﺎﻳﺮ اﻟﺒﻴﻊ‬
“The custom in the Muallaqah and other [churches] is that,

when the Gospel reading is finished, to kiss it [the Gospel], men
Burmester 1932, pp. 235–254, and especially p. 249.

50
Villecourt 1924, pp. 201–280, especially p. 243. Mina Foundation, p. 112.

51
Not mentioned in Paris Arabe 203 fol. 199v.

INTRODUCTION 17
first and then the women. The patriarch52 had ordered the cus-
tom of the monks be followed; they delay the kissing of the
Gospel until the end of the prayer and then kiss it [the Gospel]
together with the cross. This became the custom in all the
churches.”53
‫وﻛﺎن ﺑﻌﺾ اﻫﻞ ﻣﴫ ﳚﻠﺴﻮن وﻗﺖ ﻗﺮاة اﻟﻨﺒﻮات ﻓﺎﺷﺎر اﻻب اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻧﺒﺎ‬
‫ﻳﻮﻧﺲ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﻤﺮار اﻟﻮﻗﻮف ﻓﻴﻬﻢ ﺑﺤﻜﻢ اﳖﻢ ﰲ وﺳﻂ اﻟﺼﻼة‬
Some inhabitants of Old Cairo [Misr] used to sit down during

the reading from the prophets. Patriarch Anba John com-
manded that they remain standing through the whole reading,
because they are in the middle of a prayer.”54
Ibn Kabar, while talking about the Theotokias, says that “the fathers
also made interpretations.” The Uppsala manuscript adds that “the
best ones are those that are most ancient.”55
It is hard to understand what is meant here by the ‘fathers,’ as
the context is not clear. However, Ibn Kabar specifies that these Ta-
fasir are sung by monks. Hence, the fathers referred to could be these
monks. But by ‘fathers,’ Ibn Kabar may also have meant ‘the fathers
of the church,’ that is, the patriarch and the bishops.
The text of Ibn Kabar in the Uppsala manuscript emphasises
that the best interpretations are ancient. With this wording, Ibn Ka-
bar intimated that he did not agree with the interpretation of his con-
temporary patriarch.
An appendix in the Paris Arabe 203 manuscript of The Lamp of
Darkness provides a list of patriarchs of the Coptic church. One of
the most developed entries is the one that deals with John Ibn Qid-
dis:
52 Mina foundation adds: “Anba Yuanis known as Ibn al-Qiddis” ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ‬
‫اﳌﻌﺮوف ﺑﺎﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ‬
53 Paris Arabe 203 fol. 200r. Villecourt 1924, pp. 201–280; especially p. 223,
nn. 6–7. Mina Foundation, p. 115.
54 Villecourt 1925, pp. 261–320, especially p. 268. Mina Foundation, p. 145.
55 Villecourt 1924, p. 230.
ⲁ︦ⲓ︦ⲋ︦͵ ⲇ︦ ‫ ︦ⲕ ﺳﻨﺔ︦ⲅ ﺷﻬﺮ ︦ⲕ ﻳﻮم︦ⲇ︦ⲓ اﻣﺸﲑ‬،80 ‫ﻳﻮﺣﻨﺎ ﺑﻦ اﻳﺴﺎك ﻣﻦ ﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﺑﻮﻓﻴﺲ‬

ⲁ︦ⲗ︦ⲋ︦- ‫ﺑﻮوﻧﺔ‬
‫وﰲ اﻳﺎﻣﻪ اﻟﺰم اﻟﺴﻠﻄﻨﺔ اﻟﻨﺼﺎر￯ واﻟﻴﻬﻮد ﺑﴩوط ﺣﺎدﺛﺔ ﻣﻦ ﲨﻠﺘﻬﺎ ﺻﻨﻊ ﻋﲈﻳﻢ‬
‫اﻟﻨﺼﺎر￯ زرﻗﺎ واﻟﺮﻛﻮب ﻋﺮﺿﺎ ﻣﺜﻘﻼ وﻏﲑ ذﻟﻚ واﻏﻠﻘﺖ اﻟﻜﻨﺎﻳﺲ ﺑﻤﴫ‬
‫واﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة اوﻻ ﺛﻢ ﺳﺎﻳﺮ اﻻﻗﺎﻟﻴﻢ واﻟﺪﻳﺎر اﳌﴫﻳﺔ ﻣﺎ ﺧﻼ اﻟﺪﻳﺎرة وﻛﻨﺎﻳﺲ‬
‫اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ وﺑﻌﺾ ﻛﻨﺎﻳﺲ اﻟﺒﻼد ووﺻﻞ رﺳﻮل اﻻﺷﻜﺮي ﺻﺎﺣﺐ ﻗﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ‬
‫ﺑﺎﻟﺸﻔﺎﻋﺔ ﻓﻴﻬﻢ ﻓﻔﺘﺤﺖ ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﻟﺴﻴﺪة ﺑﺎﳌﻌﻠﻘﺔ ﺑﻘﴫ اﻟﺸﻤﻊ ﺑﻤﴫ ﻟﻠﻴﻌﺎﻗﺒﺔ‬
‫وﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ ﻣﻴﻜﺎﻳﻴﻞ ﺑﺎﳋﻂ اﳌﺬﻛﻮر ﻟﻠﻤﻠﻜﻴﺔ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺳﺘﲈﻳﺔ وﺛﻠﺚ اﻳﺎم ﻣﻦ ﻏﻠﻘﻬﺎ ﺛﻢ‬
‫وﺻﻞ رﺳﻮل اﻟﱪﺷﻨﻮﲏ ﺑﺎﻟﺸﻔﺎﻋﺔ اﻳﻀﺎ ﻓﻔﺘﺤﺖ ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺘﺎن اﺧﺮﺗﺎن ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‬
‫اﺣﺪﳘﺎ ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﻟﺴﺖ اﻟﺴﻴﺪة ﺑﺤﺎرة زوﻳﻠﺔ ﻟﻠﻘﺒﻂ وﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ ﻣﺎر ﻧﻘﻮﻻ ﺑﺎﻟﺒﻨﺪﻗﺎﻳﲔ‬
‫ﻟﻠﻤﻜﻠﻴﺔ واﻧﺘﻬﻰ اﳊﺎل اﱃ ﻫﻠﻢ ﺟﺮا واﳌﺮﺟﻮ ﻣﻦ اﷲ رﲪﺘﻪ‬
“John son of Isaac from Miniyah Bou Fis, twenty years, three
months and twenty days [as patriarch], from 14 Amshir 1016 to
4 Baunah 1036 [8 February 1300–29 May 1320].
Under his pontificate, the [government of the] sultan imposed
many new obligations on the Christians and Jews, including an
obligation for the Christians to wear blue turbans in order to
humiliate them. By this obligation, they have to ride donkeys
with two knees on one side, and there are other [restrictions].
Churches were closed first in Misr [Old Cairo] and Cairo and
then in all the other provinces of the Egyptian Empire, except
churches in the monasteries and in Alexandria and others in the
countryside.
An ambassador of Lascaris, emperor of Constantinople, arrived
in order to intercede for the Christians. The Muallaqah church
of our Lady in Qasr al-Šam‘, the church in Misr [Old Cairo], and
the Melkite church of Michael in the same suburb were opened
after six hundred and three days of closure.
Also an ambassador from the king of Barcelona arrived with an
intercession. Two other churches were opened: The church of
Our Lady in the suburb of Harit Zuweilah and the Melkite
INTRODUCTION 19
church of Saint Nicolas in the suburb of the Bunduqaniyin [Ve-

netians].
This situation has remained till now. We put our hope in God!”56
Another witness to the liturgical activities of Ibn Qiddis is the Man-
uscript Mingana Arabic 61 Coptic 2. Here is the Colophon (fol.
253r):
Ϧⲉⲛ ⲫⲣⲁⲛ ⲙ̀ⲫⲓⲱⲧ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡϣⲏ- ‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﻻب واﻻﺑﻦ‬

ⲣⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲡ︦ⲛ︦ⲁ︦ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ϯⲧⲣⲓⲁⲥ ‫واﻟﺮوح اﻟﻘﺪس اﻟﺜﺎﻟﻮث‬
ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲛ̀ⲟⲙⲟⲟⲩⲥⲓⲟⲥ ⲫⲁⲓ ‫اﳌﻘﺪس اﳌﺴﺎوي ﻫﺬا‬
ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲁⲛⲟⲛ ϧⲁ ⲛⲓⲭⲣⲏⲥ ￯‫اﳍﻨﺎ ﻧﺤﻦ اﻟﻨﺼﺎر‬
ⲧⲓⲁⲛⲟⲥ ‫ﻛﺎن ﻫﺬا اﻟﺘﺬﻛﺎر‬
ⲁϥϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛ̀ϫⲉ ⲡⲁⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ϫⲱⲙ ‫اﻟﺼﺎﻟﺢ اﻟﺬي ﻫﻮ‬
ⲛ̀ⲁⲅⲓⲁⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲛ̀ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ϣⲉⲛ ‫ﻛﺘﺎب ﺗﻜﺮﻳﺰ اﻟﻜﻨﺎﻳﺲ‬
ⲉⲣⲫⲙⲉⲩⲓ̀ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛ̀ϩⲓⲧⲟⲧϥ ⲙ̀ ‫ﻣﻦ ﺟﻬﺔ‬
ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲧⲁⲧⲟⲥ ⲛ̀ⲓⲱⲧ ⲡⲓ ‫اﻻب اﻟﻔﺎﺿﻞ‬
ⲙⲁⲛⲉⲥⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲉⲛϩⲟⲧ ⲫⲏ ‫اﻟﺮاﻋﻲ اﻻﻣﲔ‬
ⲉⲧⲁ ⲡⲭ︦ⲥ︦ ⲧⲁϩⲟϥ ⲉϫⲉⲛ ⲛⲉϥⲉ ‫اﻟﺬي اﻗﺎﻣﻪ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ‬
ⲥⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲧⲟⲩⲃⲏⲟⲩⲧ ⲫⲏ ⲉ- ‫ﻋﲆ ﺧﺮاﻓﻪ اﻟﻄﺎﻫﺮة‬
ⲧⲁϥϣⲟⲡⲟⲩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲉϥⲥⲛⲟϥ ‫اﻟﺬي اﺷﱰاﻫﻢ ﺑﺪﻣﻪ‬
ⲉⲧⲧⲁⲓⲏⲟⲩⲧ ⲉⲑⲣⲉϥⲁⲙⲟⲛⲓ ⲙ̀ ‫اﻟﻜﺮﻳﻢ ﻟﲑﻋﺎﻫﻢ ﰲ‬
ⲙⲱⲟⲩ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲁ ⲉϥⲕⲉⲛⲓⲟⲩⲱⲧ ‫اﳌﺮج اﳋﺼﻴﺐ‬
ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉϣⲁⲛⲟⲩϣ ⲧⲟⲩⲯⲩⲭⲏ ‫وﻳﻘﻮت ﻧﻔﻮﺳﻬﻢ‬
ϧⲉⲛ ϩⲁⲛⲥⲃⲱⲟⲩⲓ̀ ⲉⲩⲉⲛϩⲟⲧ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻌﺎﻟﻴﻢ اﻟﺼﺎدﻗﺔ‬
56Paris Arabe 203, fol. 285v (292v in Coptic). Tisserant and Wiet 1923, pp.
377–378.
‫ⲧⲉ ⲏⲭⲩⲯⲓⲛ̀ⲛ ⲟ‪ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲧⲁϩ‬‬ ‫وﻳﻘﻴﻢ اﻻﻧﻔﺲ‬

‫‪ϩⲓⲱⲟⲩⲧ ⲡⲓⲣⲉϥϯⲥⲃⲱ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉϥ-‬‬ ‫اﻟﺴﺎﻗﻄﺔ اﳌﻌﻠﻢ‬
‫ⲛⲉⲧⲩⲟⲱⲥ‪ϭⲓⲙⲱⲓⲧ ⲡⲓⲣⲉϥ‬‬ ‫اﳌﺮﺷﺪ اﳌﺴﺘﻘﻴﻢ‬
‫‪Fol. 253v‬‬
‫‪ϩⲓ ⲛⲉϥⲙⲱⲓⲧ ⲡⲓⲥⲟⲃⲧ ⲉⲧⲧⲁϫ‬‬ ‫ﻃﺮﻗﻪ اﻟﺴﻮر‬
‫ⲏⲛ̀ⲛ ⲟⲛⲛⲉⲧⲧⲉ ⲏⲫ ⲧⲩⲟⲏⲣ‬ ‫[ﺳﺎس‬
‫ⲙⲉ‪ⲉⲧϩⲉⲙⲕⲏⲟⲩⲧ ⲫⲣⲉϥⲱϣ‬‬ ‫[ﰲ‬
‫ⲧⲩⲟⲏⲣⲉ‪ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲥⲟⲑⲛⲉϥ ⲉⲧϭ‬‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻬﺎم اﳌﺘﻮﻗﺪة‬
‫ⲓⲡ ⲧⲏ‪ⲫⲣⲉϥⲥⲟⲗⲥⲉⲗ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓϩ‬‬ ‫ﻣﻌﺰي اﻟﻘﻠﻮب‬
‫ⲓⲡ ⲧ‪ⲛⲁⲏⲧ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲛⲑⲙⲁϧ‬‬ ‫اﻟﺮووف اﳊﻨﻮن‬
‫ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲥⲏⲭⲣⲁⲓⲣⲧⲁⲡ̀ⲙ ‪ⲛⲓϣϯ‬‬ ‫اﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢ ﰲ اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ‬
‫ⲩⲟⲭⲣⲁⲓⲣⲧⲁⲡ ︦ⲡ ⲥⲏⲛⲛⲁⲱⲓ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﹼﻳﻮﻧﺲ ﺑﻄﺮﻳﺮك‬
‫ⲉⲫⲧ ⲉⲧ̀ⲛ ‪ⲁⲗⲉⲝⲁⲛⲇⲣⲓⲁ ⲫϯ‬‬ ‫اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ اﻟﻪ اﻟﺴﲈء‬
‫ⲥⲟⲛⲟⲣⲑ‪ⲧⲁϫⲣⲟϥ ϩⲓϫⲉⲛ ⲡⲉϥ‬‬ ‫ﻳﺜﺒﺘﻪ ﻋﲆ ﻛﺮﺳﻴﻪ‬
‫ⲛⲁ‪ⲛ̀ϩⲁⲛⲙⲏϣ ⲛ̀ⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ ⲛⲉⲙ ϩ‬‬ ‫ﺳﻨﲔ ﻛﺜﲑة‬
‫ⲱ‪ⲭⲣⲟⲛⲟⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲉϥⲗⲁⲟⲥ ϣ‬‬ ‫وازﻣﻨﺔ وﻳﻜﻮن‬
‫ⲩⲟ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲏⲛⲏⲣⲓ‪ⲡⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩϩ‬‬ ‫ﺷﻌﺒﻪ ﰲ ﺳﻼﻣﺔ‬
‫ⲓⲡⲱ‪ⲙⲉⲧⲥⲉⲙⲛⲟⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲩϣ‬‬ ‫واﻃﲈﻧﻴﺔ وﻳﻜﻮﻧﻮا‬
‫‪ⲉⲩⲧⲁϫⲣⲏⲟⲩⲧ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲛⲁϩϯ‬‬ ‫ﺛﺎﺑﺘﲔ ﰲ اﻻﻣﺎﻧﺔ‬
‫︦ⲥ︦ⲭⲡ ⲉⲧ̀ⲛ ⲥⲟⲝⲟⲇⲟⲑⲣⲟ̀ⲛ‬ ‫اﻻرﺛﺪﻛﺴﻴﺔ وﳛﺴﺒﻬﻢ‬
‫ⲓⲇⲓⲛ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲓⲏⲙⲑⲓⲛ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲩⲟⲡⲟ‬ ‫اﳌﺴﻴﺢ اﺑﺮاره‬
‫ⲩⲟⲧⲉⲙ‪ⲕⲉⲟⲥ ⲉⲧⲟⲩϣⲁⲛϣⲛⲓ ⲉϯ‬‬ ‫وﺻﺪﻳﻘﻴﺔ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ‬
‫ⲛⲏⲙⲁ ⲥⲟⲥⲉⲛⲑⲉ ⲟⲣ‬ ‫ﻓﺎزوا ﺑﻤﻠﻜﻮﺗﻪ اﻣﲔ‬
‫ⲥⲟⲧⲥⲓⲭⲁⲗⲉⲓⲡ̀ⲙ ̀ⲓⲩⲉⲙⲁⲡⲓⲣⲁ ⲉⲕ‬ ‫اذﻛﺮوا اﳊﻘﲑ‬
‫‪INTRODUCTION‬‬ ‫‪21‬‬
‫‪Fol. 254r‬‬
‫ⲉⲗⲁⲧ̀ⲛ ⲃⲱ‪}ⲩⲇⲉⲗⲏⲥ ⲛ̀ϫ‬‬ ‫اﻟﻌﻄﻞ اﻟﻀﻌﻴﻒ‬
‫ⲉⲧⲉ ⲏⲫ ⲥⲟⲗⲁⲧⲣⲁⲙⲁ̀ⲛ ⲥⲟⲣⲱⲡ‬ ‫اﻟﺸﻘﻲ اﳋﺎﻃﻲ‬
‫‪ⲛ̀ϯⲙ̀ⲡϣⲁ ⲉⲑⲣⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩϯ‬‬ ‫ﻏﲑ اﳌﺴﺘﺤﻖ ان ﻳﺪﻋﺎ‬
‫ⲁⲛⲟⲙ ⲁⲧⲥⲓⲗⲁⲙ ⲓⲙⲱⲣ ⲉ‪ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϫ‬‬ ‫اﻧﺴﺎﻧﺎ ﻻﺳﻴﲈ اﺳﻢ‬
‫ⲛⲟⲓⲣⲏⲧⲥⲁⲛⲟⲙⲓⲡ ⲓ‪ⲭⲟⲥ ⲉϥϩ‬‬ ‫اﻟﺮﻫﺒﻨﺔ ﺑﺪﻳﺮ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ‬
‫ⲟ‪ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲧⲉⲧⲣⲱⲁⲥ ⲉϥϯϩ‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎر ﺟﺮﺟﺲ ﺑﻄﺮا وﻫﻮ‬
‫‪ⲉⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲉⲑⲛⲁⲱϣ ⲛ̀ϧⲏⲧϥ‬‬ ‫ﻳﺴﺎل ﻛﻠﻤﻦ ﻗﺮا ﻓﻴﻪ‬
‫‪ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲁⲅⲁⲡⲏ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲫϯ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉϥ‬‬ ‫ﺑﻤﺤﺒﺔ اﷲ ان ﻳﺪﻋﻮا‬
‫‪ⲧⲱⲃϩ ⲉⲑⲃⲏⲧϥ ϩⲁ ⲡⲭ︦ⲥ︦ ⲉⲑⲣⲉϥ‬‬ ‫ﻟﻠﻤﺴﻴﺢ ﻣﻦ اﺟﻠﻪ ﻟﻴﻐﻔﺮ‬
‫‪ⲭⲱ ⲛⲁϥ ⲛ̀ⲛⲉϥⲛⲟⲃⲓ ⲉⲧⲟϣ‬‬ ‫ﻟﻪ ﺧﻄﺎﻳﺎه اﻟﻜﺜﲑة‬
‫‪ⲛⲉⲙ ⲛⲉϥϣⲟϥⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉϥ‬‬ ‫وﻏﻠﻄﺎﺗﻪ وﻳﻌﻄﻴﻪ‬
‫ⲩⲟⲟ‪ϯ ⲛⲁϥ ⲛ̀ⲟⲩⲛⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲉϩ‬‬ ‫رﲪﺔ ﰲ ﻳﻮم‬
‫ⲛⲟⲩⲟ ‪ⲙ̀ⲡϯϣⲉⲃⲓⲱ ⲟⲩⲟϩ‬‬ ‫اﳌﺠﺎزاة وﻛﻠﻤﻦ‬
‫ⲓⲗ‪ⲛⲓⲃⲉⲛ ⲉⲑⲛⲁϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲛ̀ϩ‬‬ ‫ﻗﺎل ﺷﻴﺎ‬
‫̀ⲛ ‪ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲭ︦ⲥ︦ ϯϣⲉⲃⲓⲱ ⲛⲁϥ‬‬ ‫ﳚﺎزﻳﻪ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ ﻋﻮﺿﻪ‬
‫ⲃⲱⲕ̀ⲛ‪ϩⲁⲛⲙⲏϣ‬‬ ‫اﺿﻌﺎف ﻛﺜﲑة‬
‫ⲏⲛⲏⲣⲓ‪ⲁϥϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩϩ‬‬ ‫ﺑﺴﻼم ﻣﻦ اﷲ‬
‫ⲏⲧⲥⲁⲛⲟⲙⲓⲡ ⲛⲉ‪ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲫϯ ϧ‬‬ ‫ﰲ دﻳﺮ ﻃﺮا ﰲ‬
‫ⲛⲉ‪ⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓⲧⲉⲧⲣⲱⲁⲥ ϧ‬‬ ‫ﻳﻮم اﳋﻤﻴﺲ اﳋﺎﻣﺲ‬
‫ⲣⲱⲑⲁ ⲧⲱⲃⲁⲓⲡ̀ⲙ ︦ⲉⲡ̀ⲙ ⲩⲟⲟ‪ⲡⲓⲉϩ‬‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﺷﻬﺮ ﻫﺘﻮر‬
‫‪Fol. 254v‬‬
‫︦ⲇ︦ⲕ︦ⲁ‪ϧⲉⲛ ⲭ︦ⲣ︦ ⳥ /‬‬ ‫ﰲ ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ ارﺑﻌﺔ وﻋﴩﻳﻦ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪا‬
‫ⲟⲣⲫ̀ⲙ ⲙⲁⲑ‪ⲙⲉⲛⲉⲛⲥⲁ ⲉ̀ⲧⲁⲩϣ‬‬ ‫[اﻟﺴﻨﺔ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻌﺔ‬
ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲙⲁϩ ‫اﻟﻜﻨﺎﻳﺲ‬

ⲍ︦ ⲛ̀ⲣⲟⲙⲡⲓ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲧⲟⲩϯϩⲓ ￯‫اﻟﻨﺼﺎ[ر‬
ⲱⲧⲟⲩ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲭⲣⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁ̀ⲛⲟⲥ ‫اﻟﻌﲈﻳﻢ‬
ⲛ̀ϩⲁⲛⲥⲟⲩⲇⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲛ ‫اﻟﺰرق وﻧﺤﻦ‬
ⲧⲉⲛⲧⲱⲃϩ ⲉⲡⲭ︦ⲥ︦ ⲡⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϯ ‫ﻧﻄﻠﺐ اﱃ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ اﳍﻨﺎ‬
ⲉⲑⲣⲉϥϣⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ϧⲁ ⲡⲉϥⲗⲁⲟⲥ ‫ان ﻳﺘﺤﻨﻦ ﻋﲆ ﺷﻌﺒﻪ‬
ⲛ̀ⲧⲉϥⲟⲩⲱⲛ ⲛ̀ⲣⲱⲟⲩ ⲙ̀ⲫⲣⲟ ‫وﻳﻔﺘﺢ ﳍﻢ اﺑﻮاب‬
ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉϥⲧⲁⲥ ‫ﻛﻨﺎﻳﺴﻬﻢ وﻳﻌﻴﺪﻫﻢ‬
ⲑⲱⲟⲩ ⲛ̀ⲕⲉⲥⲟⲡ ⲉ̀ⲫⲏ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲟⲓ ‫ﻋﲆ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻧﻮا‬
ⲙ̀ⲙⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲛ̀ⲑⲟϥ ⲟⲩⲛⲟⲩϯ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻻﻧﻪ اﻟﻪ‬
ⲛ̀ⲛⲁⲏⲧ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉϥϣⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ‫ﻣﺘﺤﻨﻦ ورووف‬
ⲡⲓⲱⲟⲩ ⲫⲱϥ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲉϥⲓⲱⲧ ‫ﻻن ﻟﻪ اﳌﺠﺪ وﻻﺑﻴﻪ‬
ⲛ̀ⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲡ︦ⲛ︦ⲁ︦ ⲉ︦ⲑ︦ ϣⲁ ‫اﻟﺼﺎﻟﺢ واﻟﺮوح اﻟﻘﺪس‬
ⲉⲛⲉϩ ⲁ̀ⲙⲏⲛ ‫اﱃ اﻻﺑﺪ اﻣﲔ‬
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Holy
Consubstantial Trinity. This is our God. We are Christians.
This good remembrance, holy is this holy book of the consecra-
tion57 by the virtuous58 father, the faithful shepherd whom
Christ established over His pure sheep, whom He bought with
His precious blood, in order to pasture them in the fertile gar-
den59 and feed their souls with his honest teachings and to make
their fallen souls to stand. The teacher, the guide, the one who
is straight [fol. 253v] in his paths, the firm stronghold who
pounds the afflicted, the quencher of the burning arrows, the
57 Coptic reads differently: “This holy book of the consecration is the good
remembrance…”
58 Coptic: “most holy.”
59 Coptic: “in a fatty place.”
INTRODUCTION 23
comforter of the hearts, the compassionate, merciful, the great

patriarch Abba John the 80th, patriarch of Alexandria. May God
confirm him on his throne for many years and times, while his
people are in peace and solemnity, in order that they become
firm in the orthodox faith of Christ, so that He [Christ] counts
them with the righteous and just who won the beautiful king-
dom, Amen. Also remember the humble, [fol. 254r] [ ] the poor,
the miserable, the sinner, who is not worthy to be called a man,
much less a monk, in the monastery of Tura. He [the scribe]
entreats, with the charity of God, everybody who will read it, to
pray to Christ for him in order that He forgives his many sins
and his mistakes, and to grant him mercy on the day of reward.
And everyone who will say something, Christ will reward him
many times. It was completed with the peace of God in the
monastery of Tura on the 5th day of the month of Hatur [254v]
in the year 1024 of the Martyrs [=1307 CE], in the seventh year
of the closing down of the churches and the Christians being
forced to wear the blue turbans. We pray to Christ our God to
have pity upon His people and to open the gates of the churches
and restore them as they were, for He is a compassionate and
merciful God. Glory be to Him with His Good Father and Holy
Spirit forever, Amen.
This rite60 is attested several centuries before Ibn Qiddis, for exam-
ple, in the consecration of the sanctuary of Benjamin in the monas-
tery of Macarius,61 and we have an allusion to the consecration of
the sanctuary of Samuel of Kalamun in the Sahidic Antiphonarion.
According to the book of the Order of Priesthood, ascribed to Severus
of Ashmunien, this rite is reserved for the patriarch.62 However,
bishops are also allowed to consecrate churches.63 The first manu-
script is from the collection of the monastery of al-Surian and dated
to 897 AM (= 1180 CE). Hence, this rite was established a long time
before John Ibn Qiddis. It is important to note that this manuscript
was copied when many churches were closed such as the church of
60 For this rite cf. R.-G. Coquin 1964, pp. 149–189; MacCoull 2001, pp. 39–
50 ; Youssef 1999, pp. 511–515.
61 R.-G. Coquin 1975a. Depuydt 1993, pp. 107–112.
62 Cf. Assfalg 1955, p. 46 (text) and p. 122 (translation).
63 Cf. Mistrih 1966, pp. 158–161 (text), pp. 478–480 (translation).
Saint Mercurius.64 The scribe is from the monastery of Saint George

Tura in the vicinity of the monastery Šahrān where John Ibn Qiddis
became a monk. It seems that Ibn Qiddis was hoping that not only
would the churches be re-opened but also that new churches would
be built. This is confirmed by the colophon itself, which shows that
Christians were forced to wear blue turbans and that churches were
closed for seven years, and perhaps by an allusion to the fact that the
Christians were fired from their jobs.
A fragment of the rite of the consecration of the church was
copied in the 13th/14th century and is preserved in the collection of
manuscripts in the Hamburg State and University Library. The man-
uscript was originally kept in the monastery of Saint Macarius.
From these four pieces of information, we can conclude that:
1. The re-consecration of the fonts in the church of Saint Mer-
curius in Old Cairo65 reflects the insecurity during the time of John
Ibn Qiddis when the patriarch was forced to use an abridged rite for
the second time in 1314 CE. This happened between the feast of the
Nativity and the feast of the Epiphany, and the patriarch hurriedly
tried to re-consecrate the fonts in order to perform baptism during
the Epiphany (the baptism of Christ in the Eastern rites). It is im-
portant to mention that this rite took place one year after the re-
opening of the church of Saint Mercurius.
2. Patriarch John Ibn Qiddis always had the monastic tradition
as a reference and he imposed this tradition whenever there was an-
other one which did not conform to his own.
3. This information also reflects the interest this patriarch had
in the Liturgy and hence his meditation of the Theotokias is part of
it. The Lamp of Darkness mentions that the Interpretations of the
Theotokias are used by the monks to spend the whole night pray-
ing;66 this information corresponds perfectly with the text published
above: every part starts with a meditation taken mainly from the
Psalms and is followed by a paraphrasing of the Theotokia.
4. The agreement of the doxologies took place in the Muallaqah
church, the consecration of the new baptismal font in the church of
Saint Mercurius, and the reading of the prophecies in a city church
64 See above.
65 C. Coquin 1974, pp. 12–36.
66 Villecourt 1924, pp. 201–280, especially p. 230.
INTRODUCTION 25
along with the kissing of the cross. Hence Ibn Kabar was aware of
this information. However, the interpretations of the Theotokias
took place in the monastery; not being an ancient tradition, Ibn Ka-
bar did not mention their author.
5. The intercessions of the (Roman Catholic) ambassador of
Barcelona and the (Greek Orthodox)67 ambassador of Constantino-
ple on behalf of the Christians in Egypt shows the existence of ecu-
menical links. In fact, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, many
Christian denominations shared the same building, which helped to
foster ecumenical dialogue.68 The Nubian king did not intercede for
the Copts, for in 1323 the ruler of Makouria, the largest Nubian king-
dom, became a Muslim in accordance with the times.69 The Ethio-
pian prelate of the period, being on bad terms with the authorities
and the clergy, and also accused of simony, would not be able to help
his church in Egypt.70
6. Even in the face of persecution and forced church closures,
this patriarch remained hopeful. He consecrated the Myron and or-
dered the copying of the book of the consecration of churches, hop-
ing that not only would churches be reopened but also that new
churches would be built; hence the demand for copies of the book
of consecration of new churches. Ibn Qiddis assigned this task to
one of his colleagues from the monastery of Tura.
7. It is amazing that this patriarch also consecrated the Myron
(see below) while churches were closed. After all, the Myron was
used after baptism, the consecration of the churches, and the ordi-
nation of bishops, but all these activities were forbidden at the time.
PASTORAL ACTIVITIES OF IBN QIDDIS

Patriarch John Ibn Qiddis ordained a bishop for Ethiopia, who is
mentioned in the life of the Ethiopian saint Takla Haymanot. This
bishop, Yohannes II, was the successor (probably a direct one) of
Abuna Qerelos I, and he arrived in Ethiopia just before the death of
67 It is important to mention that both the king of Barcelona and the em-
peror of Constantinople were threatened by the Muslims.
68 Youssef 1998–1999, pp. 45–54.
69 Adams 1991, pp. 1802–1804.
70 Tedeschi 1991, 1105–1044.
Abuna Takla Haymanot (c. 1313).71 Yohannes’ prelacy is confirmed

by another text, one about the life of Basalota Mika’el.72
The Paris Manuscript Arabe 100, containing the concoction of
the Myron, shows that he twice consecrated the Myron during his
papacy.
Manuscript Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 100, Fol. 47 :
‫ﴍح ﻣﺎ ﻋﻤﻞ ﰲ ﻃﺒﻴﺦ اﳌﲑون اﳌﻘﺪس اﻟﺬي ﻃﺒﺨﻪ اﻻب اﻟﺴﻴﺪ اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻧﺒﺎ‬
‫ ﺑﺮﻳﺔ‬:‫ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﻣﻜﻤﻞ ﻋﺪة اﻟﺜﲈﻧﲔ ﰲ اﻟﺴﺎدة اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﱪﻳﺔ اﳌﻘﺪﺳﺔ‬
‫ﺷﻴﻬﺎت ﻣﻴﺰان اﻟﻘﻠﻮب ﰲ ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ واﺣﺪ وﻋﴩﻳﻦ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪاء اﻻﻃﻬﺎر رزﻗﻨﺎ اﷲ‬
‫ﺻﻼﲥﻢ وﺑﺮﻛﺘﻬﻢ اﲨﻌﲔ‬
‫وﻛﲈ ﻛﺎن ﻳﻮم اﻻﺛﻨﲔ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻊ ﻋﴩ ﻣﻦ ﺷﻬﺮ ﺑﺮﻣﻮدة ﺳﻨﺔ واﺣﺪ وﻋﴩﻳﻦ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪاء‬
‫ ﺑﺄن ﻳﻄﺒﺦ اﳌﲑون اﳌﻘﺪس‬.‫ ﺑﻌﺪ ان ﺗﻨﺠﺮوا ﻣﺮﺳﻮم ﴍﻳﻒ ﺳﻠﻄﺎﲏ‬.. ‫اﻻﻃﻬﺎر‬
‫ورﺳﻢ ﳍﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﺖ اﳌﺎل اﳌﻌﻤﻮر ﺑﺪﻫﻦ اﻟﺒﻠﺴﺎن ﻋﲆ ﺟﺎري اﻟﻌﺎدة‬
“An illustration of the steps taken for the concoction of the

Holy Myron, which had been prepared by the father, lord, Anba
John, the fulfilment of number eighty of the lord patriarchs in
the holy desert, the desert of Scetis, the scale of hearts, in the
year 1021 of the pure martyrs. May God grant us all their prayers
for us and their blessings. When it was Monday the 27th of Bar-
mudah in the year 1021 of the pure martyrs [22nd of April 1305
CE]… having obtained a noble decree from the sultan to pre-
pare the myron as well as a grant from the public treasury [Bayt
al-Mal; literally, ‘the house of money’] for the anointing with the
balsan according to the custom…”
Fol. 36–37:
‫ذﻛﺮ ﻣﺎ اﺗﻔﻖ ﰲ ﻋﻤﻞ اﳌﲑون اﳌﻘﺪس اﳌﻌﻤﻮل ﺑﻜﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﳌﻌﻠﻘﺔ ﺑﻘﴫ اﳉﻤﻊ اﻫﺘﲈم‬
‫اﻻب اﻟﺴﻴﺪ اﳌﻜﺮم اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ ﻣﻜﻤﻞ ﻋﺪة اﻟﺜﲈﻧﲔ اﻟﺴﺎدة اﻟﺒﻄﺎرﻛﺔ‬
‫ﺑﺎﻟﻜﺮﳼ اﳌﺮﻗﴢ ﺑﺜﻐﺮ اﻻﺳﻜﻨﺪرﻳﺔ اﳌﺤﺮوس ﰲ ﺳﻨﺔ اﻟﻒ ﺳﺘﺔ وﺛﻠﺜﲔ ﻟﻠﺸﻬﺪا‬
71 Budge 1906, p. 84 (text), pp. 206–207 (trans).

72 Rossini 1962, pp. 22–23 (text) ; 1961, pp. 20–21 (trans).
INTRODUCTION 27
‫اﻻﻃﻬﺎر اﳌﻮاﻓﻖ ﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﺳﺘﺔ وﻋﴩﻳﻦ وﺳﺒﻊ ﻣﺎﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﻬﺠﺮة اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ وﻫﻲ اﻟﺪﻓﻌﺔ‬
‫ اذ ﻗﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻻﻟﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﻋﲆ ﺷﻌﺒﻪ ﺑﺎﻻﻣﻦ‬...‫اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻟﻄﺒﻴﺨﻪ وﷲ اﻻﻋﺎﻧﺔ ﻗﺎل‬
‫واﻟﺴﻜﻮن واﻟﻄﲈﻧﻴﻨﺔ واﳍﺪوء اﻟﺬي ﻗﺮ ﺑﻪ اﻟﻌﻴﻮن ﻓﻬﻴﺎء ﻣﺎ ﳛﺘﺎج اﻟﻴﻪ ﻟﻄﺒﺨﻪ ﻣﻦ‬
‫اﻻﺻﻨﺎف واﻻﻃﻴﺎب واﻃﻨﺐ ﰲ اﻧﺘﺨﺎﲠﺎ ﻏﺎﻳﺔ اﻻﻃﻨﺎب‬
A record of the steps taken for the concoction of the Holy My-
ron in the Hanging Church (al-Mu’allaqah) in Qasr al-Gam’ by
the zeal of the father, honored lord, Anba John Ibn al-Qiddis,
the fulfilment of number eighty of the lords patriarchs of the
Markan seat in the protected port of Alexandria, in the year 1036
of the pure martyrs, [1320 CE] which corresponds to the year
721 of the Arabic Hijra. The Myron was concocted by him for
the second time. May God help us.
Fol 37:
As God had granted him and his people the security, quietness,
tranquility, and peace which is delightful, he [the patriarch] pre-
pared the things needed for the concoction from the ingredients
and the aromas, and he selected them with extreme care.
It seems that the patriarchs at that time used to consecrate only a
small quantity; hence John VIII felt it necessary to consecrate the
Chrism in the year 1305 CE, only six years after the previous conse-
cration, which took place during the patriarchate of Theodosius II
in the church of Saint Mercurius in the year 1299.73 The text men-
tions that the second concoction took place in the Muallaqah church
of the Virgin Mary, which was opened through the intercession of
the king of Barcelona.74
A comparison between the lists of the participants in the three
ceremonies shows clearly that John Ibn Qiddis ordained new bish-
ops for new seats while some seats are not represented in the second
73 Evelyn-White 1932, p. 394.

74 Cf. above.
concoction.75 In his first five years, he consecrated many bishops and

changed the names of the seats.76
Myron concocted Myron concocted in Myron concocted in

in 1299 CE under 1305 CE 1320 CE77
Theodosius II
Anba Gregory, met-
ropolitan of Damietta
‫ﻏﺮﻳﻐﻮرﻳﻮس ﻣﻄﺮان دﻣﻴﺎط‬
Anba Peter, bishop of Anba Peter, bishop of
Shanshana Sindub and Shanshana Sindub
Tandata, who is the and Tandata, who is
first. the first.
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ ﺷﻨﺸﻨﺎ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ ﺷﻨﺸﻨﺎ‬
‫وﺳﻨﺪوب وﻃﻨﺪﺗﺎ‬ ‫وﺳﻨﺪوب وﻃﻨﺪﺗﺎ وﻫﻮ‬
‫اﻻرﺷﻰ‬
Anba John, bishop of Anba Samuel, bishop Anba Samuel, bishop
Upper Manuf of Menuf of the Upper Menuf
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺻﻤﻮﻳﻴﻞ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻨﻮف اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻨﻮف‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺻﻤﻮﻳﻞ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻨﻮف‬
‫اﻟﻌﻠﻴﺎ‬ *(‫)اﻟﻌﻠﻴﺎ‬
Anba Mark, bishop of Anba Mark, bishop of
Busat and al-Barmun Busat and al-Barmun
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺑﺴﺎط‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺑﺴﺎط‬
‫واﻟﱪﻣﻮن‬ ‫واﻟﱪﻣﻮن‬
75 Munier 1943, pp. 37–39. The addition between brackets is the correction
from Muyser 1944, pp. 115–176. Van Lantschoot 1932, pp. 181–234,
especially pp. 230–232. This list occurs in the manuscript Arabe 100 Bibli-
othèque Nationale de France.
76 It is important to mention that some of the bishops present in the three
lists may be more than one person. Some bishops bear the names of their
predecessors; however this does not change our conclusion.
77 Cf. Simaika and ‘Abd al-Masih 1942, p. 325 (lit. 108).
INTRODUCTION 29
Anba John, bishop of Anba Mark, bishop of

Laqanah and Damanhur Damanhur Bohairah
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻟﻘﺎﻧﺔ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ دﻣﻨﻬﻮر‬
‫ودﻣﻨﻬﻮر‬ *(‫)اﻟﻮﺣﺶ اﻟﺒﺤﲑة‬
Anba Mark, bishop of Anba Mark, bishop Anba Mark, bishop of
Sundufah and al-Bana- of Sundufah and Sundufah and al-Ban-
win al-Banawin awin
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺻﻨﺪﻓﺎ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺻﻨﺪﻓﺎ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺻﻨﺪﻓﺎ‬
‫واﻟﺒﻨﻮاﻧﲔ‬ ‫واﻟﺒﻨﻮاﻧﲔ‬ *(‫)اﻟﺒﻨﻮاﻧﲔ‬
the Oasis and Ashmu- the Oasis and
nein Ashmunein
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﻮاﺣﺎت‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ‬
‫واﻻﺷﻤﻮﻧﲔ‬ ‫اﻟﻮاﺣﺎت واﻻﺷﻤﻮﻧﲔ‬
Anba Mark, bishop of Anba Mark, bishop of Anba Mark, bishop of
Minaih Bu Fis and al- Minaih Bu Fis and al- Minaih Bu Fis and al-
Khusus Khusus Khusus
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻨﻴﺔ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻨﻴﺔ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﺑﻮ‬
‫ﺑﻮﻓﻴﺲ واﳋﺼﻮص‬ ‫ﺑﻮﻓﻴﺲ واﳋﺼﻮص‬ ‫ﻓﻴﺲ )وﻛﺮﳼ اﻧﺼﻨﺎ وﻣﺎ‬
*(‫ﻣﻌﻪ‬
Anba John, bishop of Anba Athanasius
Shutb and the city of (Basilius), bishop of
Taha Shutb
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺷﻄﺐ‬ *(‫اﻧﺒﺎ اﺛﻨﺎﺳﻴﻮس)ﺑﺎﺳﻴﻠﻴﻮس‬
‫وﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻃﺤﺎ‬ ‫اﺳﻘﻒ ﺷﻄﺐ‬
Anba John, bishop of Anba John, bishop of
Fayyum city Fayyum
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﻔﻴﻮم‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﻔﻴﻮم‬
Giza and Wasim Giza and Wasim
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ اﳉﻴﺰة‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ اﳉﻴﺰة‬

‫واوﺳﻴﻢ‬ ‫)واوﺳﻴﻢ‬
Anba John, bishop of Anba John, bishop of
al-Bahnasa Bahnasa
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﺒﻨﻬﺴﺎ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﺒﻬﻨﺴﺎ‬
Anba Peter, bishop of Anba Peter, bishop of Anba Peter, bishop of
al-Kais and Ahnasia al-Kais, Hnesyia and al-Kais, Hnesyia and
and Atfih of the East Atfih of the East what it added to them
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﻘﻴﺲ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﻘﻴﺲ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ اﻟﻘﻴﺲ‬
‫واﻫﻨﺎﺳﻴﺎ واﻃﻔﻴﺢ اﻟﴩق‬ ‫واﻻﻫﻨﺎﺳﻴﺔ واﻃﻔﻴﺢ‬ ‫)واﻻﻫﻨﺎﺳﻴﺔ وﻣﺎ اﺿﻴﻒ‬
‫اﻟﴩﻗﻴﺔ‬ *(‫اﻟﻴﻬﺎ‬
Anba Menas, bishop Anba Bimin, bishop
of Qus of Kaw in the prov-
‫ اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﻴﻨﺎ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻗﻮص‬ince of Qus
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻤﲔ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻗﺎو )ﻣﻦ‬
*(‫اﻋﲈل ﻗﻮص‬
Anba Mark, bishop of Anba Abraam, bishop
Qusqam and Qusia of Qusqam
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻗﺴﻘﺎم‬ ‫اﺑﺮاام اﺳﻘﻒ ﻗﺴﻘﺎم‬
‫)اﻟﻘﻮﺻﻴﺔ‬
Anba John (son of Anba Mark, bishop of
the nun), bishop of the city of Ibyar
Ibiyar
*(‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ )اﺑﻦ اﻟﺮاﻫﺒﺔ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬
‫اﺳﻘﻒ اﺑﻴﺎر‬ ‫اﺑﻴﺎر‬
Anba Mark, bishop of Anba Peter, bishop of
al-Mahallah Sakha and Mahallah
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ اﳌﺤﻠﺔ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ ﺳﺨﺎ‬
‫واﳌﺤﻠﺔ‬
INTRODUCTION 31
Anba Severus, bishop

of Assiut
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺳﻮﻳﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ اﺳﻴﻮط‬
Anba Abraam, bishop
of Melig and Atrib
‫اﻧﺒﺎ اﺑﺮام اﺳﻘﻒ ﻣﻠﻴﺞ‬
‫واﺗﺮﻳﺐ‬
Anba Peter (Mark), Anba Peter, bishop of
bishop of Taha Taha al-A’medah and
*(‫ اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس )ﻣﺮﻗﺺ‬its affiliated regions
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ ﻃﺤﺎ‬
‫اﺳﻘﻒ ﻃﺤﺎ‬
(‫*)اﻻﻋﻤﺪة وﻣﺎ ﻣﻌﻬﺎ‬
Abu Tig Abu Tig
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ اﺑﻮ ﺗﻴﺞ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ اﺑﻮﺗﻴﺞ‬
Akhmim Akhmim
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ اﲬﻴﻢ‬ ‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ‬
‫)ﻛﺮﳼ(* اﲬﻴﻢ‬
Anba Basilius, bishop
of Bilbis and Minyat
Surd
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﺎﺳﻠﻴﻮس اﺳﻘﻒ‬
‫ﺑﻠﺒﻴﺲ وﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﴎد‬
Anba Christodulos,
bishop of Dendarah
‫اﻧﺒﺎ اﺧﺮﺳﺘﻮاﻃﻠﻠﻮا اﺳﻘﻒ‬
‫دﻧﺪرة‬
Anba Michael, bishop
of the protected fron-
tier of Aswan
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﻴﺨﺎﻳﻴﻞ اﺳﻘﻒ‬

‫)ﺛﻐﺮ(* اﺳﻮان‬
*(‫)اﳌﺤﺮوس‬
Anba Peter, bishop of
the seat of Ashmun
Tanah
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﺑﻄﺮس اﺳﻘﻒ‬
*(‫)ﻛﺮﳼ‬
*(‫اﺷﻤﻮم)ﺷﻤﻮن‬
*(‫)ﻃﻨﺎح‬
Anba John, bishop of
Psai
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ اﺑﺼﺎي‬
Anba Christodulos,
bishop of Tanadata
‫اﻧﺒﺎ اﺧﺮﺳﻄﺎدﻟﻮ اﺳﻘﻒ‬
‫ﻃﻨﺘﺪﺗﺎ‬
Anba Cyril, bishop of
Sahgat and Minyat
Ghamr
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻛﺮﻟﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ‬
*(‫ﺻﻬﺮﺟﺖ )وﻣﻨﻴﺔ ﻏﻤﺮ‬
Isna
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ اﺳﻨﺎ‬
Sammanud
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺳﻘﻒ ﺳﻤﻨﻮد‬
*(‫)اﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ‬
INTRODUCTION 33
Anba Mark, bishop of

Qift
‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻣﺮﻗﺺ اﺳﻘﻒ ﻗﻔﻂ‬
Some bishops had been ordained to replace bishops who had passed
away during the period, such as the bishops of Ibyar and Qusqam.
But we also find that many new dioceses were created while many
others disappeared. The explanation is simple: in order to evade the
poll tax (Jeziya), Coptic farmers moved from village to village,78
which resulted in the need to create new dioceses for pastoral care.
We ought to note that in the third list, Upper Egypt is far better
represented: in the previous two lists we cannot find bishops for As-
wan, Isna, Qift, and Psai. This could be an indication of John Ibn
Qiddis’ efforts to keep the Nubian flock Christian after the Nubian
king of Makouria (which was the largest Nubian kingdom at the
time) converted to Islam.79
It is important to note that the first concoction was carried out
in the monastery of Saint Macarius, Scetis, and with a special grant
from the Sultan.80 This may reflect an atmosphere of security in con-
trast to the second concoction which took place in the Muallaqah
church.81
The people loved this patriarch, and for his funeral rite, Shams
al-Riaysat Abu al-Barakat Ibn Kabar delivered a special sermon,
which survives in a Patriarchal Library manuscript.82
LITERARY ACTIVITIES OF IBN QIDDIS

The text edited below is attributed to John Ibn Qiddis. He also com-
posed, according to a colophon, the Psali on the Magma‘.
78 Levanoni 1995, p. 143.

79 Adams 1991.
80 For the Balsan, cf. U. Zanetti 1993, pp. 21–68.
81 It is important to mention that the Myron was concocted in the
Muallaqah church four times, by the patriarchs Cyril II (1078–1092), Ga-

briel II (1131–1145), Athanasius III (1250–1261) and John Ibn Qiddis
(1300–1320) cf. C. Coquin 1974, p. 73.
82 Simaika and Abd al-Masih 1945, p. 338, Lit. 347, Number 741.
According to the colophon of the Biblica 12 manuscript, John

Ibn Qiddis was also surnamed al-Mu’tamin and he copied the book
of Isaiah.83
There is a manuscript with the title “Apocalypse of John in Bo-
hairic and Arabic, written in 1345 by John B. Abi’l-Mana B. al-Qid-
dis.” It was purchased in 1594 by Jerom Vecchietti in Egypt. It is
uncertain whether this B. Qiddis is the same individual as our author
(who died 25 years before the manuscript was copied).84
It is important to mention that the monastery of Šahrān—
where Ibn Qiddis was a monk—was very active at the time. Accord-
ing to Ibn Kabar, the liturgical traditions related to that monastery
were on an equal level with those of the famous monastery of Saint
Macarius.
It is difficult to talk about Ibn Qiddis’ literary style. We can,
however, see that his interpretations of the Theotokias are a contem-
plation and meditation on Jesus’ name, which is in continuation of
the monastic tradition.85 His text is full of biblical and liturgical quo-
tations, and in some stanzas, there are paraphrasings of the The-
otokias.
In some stanzas, John Ibn Qiddis refers to patristic literature.
He quotes mainly from Cyril of Alexandria, especially his statement:
“One nature of God the Word incarnate.”86 He also quotes Saint
Athanasius the Apostolic, but the most astonishing quotation is the
one attributed to the all-wise Heracles, who was ostensibly a disciple
of Origen and became patriarch of Alexandria.87
These works clearly show the level of John’s education and his
vast knowledge, as well as his mastery of the Coptic language. It
seems that John Ibn Qiddis composed these interpretations as a
meditation during a time of persecution; later, Mark VIII (1796–
83 Simaika and Abd al-Masih 1942, pp. 10–11.

84 Volkoff 1970, p. 22, referring to Catalogo 1935, p. 26.
85 Lanne 1977, pp. 163–203.
86 It is important to mention that this formula is the common ground of
the theological dialogue between Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian. Cf.

Chaillot and Belopopsky 1998, p. 60.
87 Nothing of his literary activities is known. If this identification is correct,
we will have, for the first time, a quotation of him.

INTRODUCTION 35
1809) would similarly compose Arabic hymns during the unrest fol-
lowing the French expedition.88
LITERARY ACTIVITIES DURING HIS TIME

During the time of John Ibn Qiddis, many Coptic authors composed
encyclopedias. In addition to the already mentioned Ibn Kabar, Mac-
arius the Canonist, a monk-priest of the monastery of Saint John
Colobos in Wadi al-Natrun, compiled his great juridical work.89 Fur-
thermore, Yuhanna Ibn Sawirus authored a book called Kitab al-‘Ilm
wa-al-‘Amal (Book of Theory and Practice).90
Al-Mufaddal Ibn Abi al-Fadail wrote a history of the Mamluk
Sultans from al-Malik al-Zahir to al-Nasir Ibn Qalawun, i.e., from
1260 to 1341 CE.91
As we can see, these scholarly works covered several themes
such as canon law, linguistics (with the scalae), and liturgy.
Moreover, several wall paintings and icons92 from the four-
teenth century have survived, such as those in the monastery of St.
Paul.93
The Copts of the fourteenth century succeeded in preserving
their Christian culture, either in translation or by composing original
works.94
THE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE THEOTOKIAS AS A

LITERARY GENRE
The Interpretations (called also Tafsir)95 of the Theotokias are a late
literary genre, created in the fourteenth century. Authors who wrote
these works include Sarkis and John. Others later composed
88 Shoucri 1991, pp. 1538–1539.

89 R.-G. Coquin 1991a, pp. 1490–1491.
90 Graf 1948, pp. 436–437.
91 Blochet 1919, pp. 343–550; 1920, pp. 375–672; 1928, pp. 1–270 ; Graf
1948, p. 450.
92 Gabra and Skalova 2003, pp. 208–213.
93 Gabra 2002, p. 89.
94 Sidarus 2002, pp. 141–160.
95 Ishaq 1991, pp. 2198–2199.
interpretations in Arabic, among them Abu al-Sa‘ad from Abu Tig,

Gabriel from Qay, and Mark VIII.
In talking about the Theotokias, Ibn Kabar explained in his
book:
‫وﻋﻤﻞ ﳍﺎ اﻵﺑﺎء اﳌﻌﻠﻤﻮن ﺗﻔﺎﺳﲑ ﻳﺘﻀﻤﻦ ﺑﺴﻴﻂ اﻟﻔﺎﻇﻬﺎ وﴍح ﻣﻌﺎﻧﻴﻬﺎ وﻫﻲ‬
‫ﺗﺴﺘﻌﻤﻞ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﺮﻫﺒﺎن ﻟﻘﻄﻊ اﻟﻠﻴﻞ اذا ﻃﺎل وﻟﺮﻏﺒﺘﻬﻢ ﰲ اﺳﺘﻨﻔﺎذه ﺑﺎﻟﱰﺗﻴﻞ‬
‫واﻟﺘﻬﻠﻴﻞ واﻻﺑﺘﻬﺎل واﻣﺎ ﰲ اﻟﻜﻨﺎﻳﺲ اﳉﺎﻣﻌﺔ اﻟﻌﻠﲈﻧﲔ ﻓﺎﻟﺘﻮﺳﻂ ﲠﻢ اﺷﺒﻪ ﻟﻴﻼ‬
‫ﻳﻌﺮﺿﻬﻢ اﳌﻼك وﻳﻠﺤﻘﻬﻢ اﻟﻌﺠﺰ واﻟﻜﻼل وﻻﻳﻨﺘﻔﻌﻮن ﺑﺸﺊ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬه اﻻﺣﻮال‬
ⲉⲣⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ‫واﺟﺮدﻫﺎ اﻗﺪﻣﻬﺎ وﻣﻦ ﺣﺪﻫﺎ ﺗﻔﺴﲑ ﳐﺘﴫ اوﻟﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻳﻘﺪر ﻳﻘﻮل‬
ⲛⲁ�ⲥⲁϫⲓ
The fathers, the masters of the church, made interpretations for
them [the Theotokias], which contain some of their words and
an explanation of their meaning. These [interpretations] are used
by the monks in order to spend long nights singing, praising,
and praying. As for the catholic churches of the laymen, it is
good to take a middle way lest destruction attain them, and bore-
dom and incapacity reach them, preventing them from receiving
any benefit at all. The most ancient and the easiest of these cases
[of interpretations] is an explanation that begins with “Who is
able to talk.”96
According to this testimony, the interpretations were well-known;
however, it is amazing that Ibn Kabar did not mention the one com-
posed by Ibn Qiddis. The reason given by Ibn Kabar conforms with
the historical circumstances also given by Ibn Qiddis: “in order to
spend the long nights, in singing, praising, and prayers …” As we
have seen, the patriarch was forced to spend a long time in prayer
during the persecution. There is a stanza in Ibn Qiddis’ interpreta-
tions that resembles the text of Ibn Kabar. This, however, may be a
coincidence:
Fol. ⲥ︦�[ⲋ︦] v
+ ⲁⲓⲛⲁⲙⲟⲩϯ ⲉⲣⲟ ϫⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲱ ϯⲟⲩⲣⲱ ⲑⲙⲁⲩ ⲙ̀ⲡⲟⲩⲣⲟ ϯⲡⲁ︦ⲑⲣ︦ ⲟⲩⲟϩ
96 Paris Arabe 203, fol. 202v. Villecourt 1924, pp. 230–231.

INTRODUCTION 37
ϯⲙⲁⲩ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉⲑⲛⲁ�ⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲉⲡⲉⲧⲁⲓⲟ

+ What shall I call you O queen, the mother of the king, the
Virgin and the mother? Who is able to talk about your honour?
We should note that Ibn Kabar is aware that some of the texts of
the interpretations are ancient, which implies that there were other,
more recent ones. As we have seen, Ibn Kabar was a contemporary
of Ibn Qiddis.
It is important to highlight the fact that the diffusion of the
Interpretations of Ibn Qiddis was very limited. The manuscript of
the Church’s Ordo, preserved in the Patriarchal Library and dated to
1444 CE, mentions only the Interpretations of Sarkis and John from
Qaliub for the Theotokia of Saturday.97
In fact, the interpretations are sung during the month of Kihak
as a preparation for the Nativity. The composers usually used the
words of the Theotokia together with some praises to the Virgin
Mary.
COPTIC LANGUAGE AT HIS TIME

While the Coptic language ceased to be spoken as a daily language,
some texts were still being written in Coptic at the time of Ibn Qid-
dis. We can cite some examples.
The life of Barsum the Naked was written in Sahidic dialect.98
It is important to mention that Barsum the Naked was venerated in
the monastery of Šahrān, the monastery of John Ibn Qiddis.
It seems that Sarkis, the author of some Coptic psalis, was also
active in the fourteenth century.99
The book of the Triadon,100 which is a didactic poem in the
Sahidic, glorifying the Coptic language and important personalities,
was also written in 1322.
Finally, many others, such as the abovementioned Ibn Kabar,
wrote works in Coptic, inlcuding grammars and dictionaries.101
97 al-Suriani 1984, pp. 306–307.

98 Crum 1907, pp. 135–149, 187–206.
99 Youssef 1998, pp. 383–402.
100 Kuhn 1991, pp. 1985–1986.
101 There are many references to these, the most recent ones in Sidarus
2002a, pp. 63–79; cf. ibid. 2000, pp. 265–304.

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COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY.[2]
Touching the theme of higher education, inquiries were sent to a

large number of universities, colleges, and secondary schools. The
first two questions related to the work of secondary education, and
were as follows: (1) What should the high-school graduate be when
entering college? (2) What does he lack of an ideal education when
he enters? Considering the general character of the questions, the
answers were all that might be expected, and they are valuable for
the limit of their range, as well as for what they express, since they
show that, concerning the main purpose of education, there is
nothing new to be said.
The following are opinions that represent the majority or appear
important as individual views: (1) The high-school graduate, when
entering college, should possess a mind educated by methods that
create interest and make power to think and generalize—power to
do original work. (2) He should have an acquaintance with each field
of knowledge, and should show a symmetrical development of his
mental activities. (3) As tending to produce greater interest,
knowledge, and power, he should have been trained in only a limited
number of subjects in each field; in these subjects the work should
have been continuous and intensive. (4) He should have good
command of English. (5) He should be well-grounded in right habits
and moral principles—the practice of self-control.
While this inquiry is not strictly upon the subject, it shows that the
difficult problems of university life are to be solved in part by the
secondary schools, and that some of the failures in higher education
are due to the imperfections of earlier training. It also introduces part
of the discussion that follows.
The third question pertained to higher education: What should the
college or university do for the high-school graduate? Some of the
more important opinions received may be expressed as follows:
(a) It should supplement the failures of his earlier training. There
should be no chasm between secondary and higher education.
(b) It should give him a liberal education; it should offer him a
course that has unity and harmony. It should cultivate the power of
research. It should teach him to bring all his knowledge and all his
power to bear on the problems of life.
(c) It should make him broad, and then deep in some subject. It
should start him in lines of study leading to his life work.
(d) It should give him high ideals of private and civic conduct; it
should make a man of him.
To consider merely the subject of college ideals would be trite and
unprofitable, and some latitude will be used in the discussion.
The influence of the college should be felt in the work of

preparation. That the college should be closely articulated with the
high schools is an idea of modern date, but one that now is received
with growing favor. An examination of the admission requirements of
the colleges still shows a variety of demands, having no common
basis in principles of education, in the standard courses of high
schools, or in uniform agreement. The requirements of some
colleges are imperative for specific subjects that are not
fundamental, but merely rank with a series of allied subjects in a
given field of knowledge. Often a method of work acceptable to one
college would be rejected by another. Among reputable institutions
the height of the standard varies by two years.
The dissatisfaction of the high schools with these evils is deep-
seated and wide-spread. The fault rests mainly with the colleges and
universities, and the reasons that maintain unessential distinctions
are absurd in the eyes of secondary-school men. If absolute
uniformity in college admission is not feasible, a reasonable choice
of equivalents within a given department of knowledge may be
allowed. At least a plan of admission may be “organized without
uniformity.” A college has been known to refuse four years’ excellent
work in science as a substitute for some chapters in a particular
book on physical geography. In another instance a certain scientific
school, requiring two years of preparation in Latin, refused a four
years’ course in Latin in lieu of the prescribed number of books in
Cæsar. A joint committee has recently been appointed by the
Department of Higher Education and the Department of Secondary
Education, of the National Educational Association, to consider
further the basis of connection between the high schools and the
colleges. This committee consists of eminent and able men, who will
accomplish important results, if given proper encouragement and aid
by the National Association, and if the various local associations
coöperate, instead of fostering organized differences.[3] The report of
the Committee of Ten did much to prepare the way for a more
complete and satisfactory connection between the colleges and the
high schools, but much remains to be done which may well be
undertaken by this joint committee. It is interesting to note that one of
the longest sections in the report of the Royal Commission on
Secondary Education is on the “Relation of the University to
Secondary Education,” and that the importance of a close
connection is emphasized and the means of securing it is suggested.
The work of secondary education must be based on pedagogical
principles and adapted to the stage of development which it
represents, and the colleges must take up the work where the high
schools leave it. Whatever is best for a given period of growth is also
good preparation for what follows. There should be no saltus in the
process of general education. We do not mean that the colleges are
not to help determine the preparatory courses of study; but they
must regard the natural order of development in grades below the
college as well as ideal college standards.
By a closer union with the high schools, the colleges may help to
fashion their courses, improve their methods, and may suggest the
importance of placing college-educated men and women in charge
of the various departments of high-school work. The report of the
Royal Commission previously referred to, discussing the preparation
of teachers for the secondary schools, says: “So far as regards
general education, they will obtain it, and, in our opinion, ought to
obtain it, not in special seminaries, but in the same schools and
universities as are resorted to by persons desiring to enter the other
professions. The more attractive the profession becomes, the larger
will be the number of teachers who will feel that they ought to fit
themselves for it by a university course.” The report further says:
“Whatever professional education is provided for teachers ought to
have both a theoretical and a practical side.... Freedom and variety
would, in our opinion, be best secured, if the universities were to
take up the task; ... and, if the science of education is to make good
the claims put forward in its behalf, it ought to be studied where other
branches of mental and moral philosophy are fully handled by the
ablest professors.”
Many colleges are doing much to increase laboratory practice in
the high schools, to cultivate the spirit of investigation, to limit the
number of subjects and secure good results. In one of the new
States, Colorado, the principle is generally recognized that a good
preparatory education is also a good general education, and that
every high school is, therefore, a preparatory school. The secondary-
school period is maintained at four years, laboratories are provided
in all the schools, and Latin and German, if not Greek, are found in
all. These results are largely due to the close relation in that State
between secondary and higher education.
In the second group of opinions quoted, the philosophy is Platonic

rather than materialistic or utilitarian. It makes a student a man of
ideal powers, possibilities, and aspirations. He possesses a nature
whose development is an end in itself, whose well-being is of prime
consideration. Liberal education aims to give the student a conscious
realization of his powers, without reference to material advantage
through their use in a given occupation or profession. Through liberal
education the student acquires ideas of universal interest and
essential character. He gains a comprehensive view that enables
him to estimate things at their relative value, to learn the place, use,
and end of each.
That liberal education should remain the ideal of at least a large
part of the college course, most educators agree. Were this function
of the college not a distinctive and essential one, that department of
learning would of necessity be abandoned, and the direct road to
practical business would be pursued. Recent addresses,
representing three of the greatest American universities, agree that
the function of the college is to be maintained, and that acquaintance
with the several fields of knowledge is necessary to the very idea of
liberal education. They agree to include the field of the languages
and literature, the field of the sciences and mathematics, the
subjective field, that of philosophy and psychology. In a late report of
the Commissioner of Education appears a German criticism of
American education, which mentions the lack of linguistic training.
The writer says: “The consequences are seen in the defective
linguistic-logical discipline of the mind, which perhaps more than the
discipline in the mathematical forms of thought is a requisite of all
profound intellectual progress, be that in linguistic or in mathematical
and scientific branches.” In the University of Berlin, philosophy is a
required subject for all degrees.
The conservation of the ideals of the race is largely the work of
liberally educated men. Some one has argued that not through
education, but through a higher standard of society and politics, will
the youth of the land be reached; but society and politics depend
upon ideal education and the church for their own purification.
The power of research is characteristic of modern university
training and is essential to a liberal education, as giving one the
mastery of his powers. Carlyle was not far from the right when he
said that the true university is a library. The ability to use a library is
one criterion of successful college work. Here the student gathers his
own material, uses his own discrimination, formulates his opinions in
the light of numerous facts and opinions, and gains self-reliance. It is
the scientific method, as taught by Socrates, applied to all fields of
study. This is the kind of work that prepares the student to grapple
with the practical problems of the day.
The opinion that some portion of the college work should be
prescribed appears to be well founded. This view is strengthened by
the fact that many high schools are weak in one or more
departments of preparation. A minimum of required work in leading
departments of the college will tend to supply the deficiencies of
previous training. From an inspection of the latest college catalogues
it appears that all colleges exercise some kind of supervision over
the choice of studies, and many of them prescribe and determine the
order of more than half the curriculum. In choice of electives many
require the group system, in order that consistency may be
maintained and that a definite result in some line of work may be
reached.
The line of demarcation between college and university work is a
variable, and the problem of definitely locating it is perplexing in the
extreme. Many believe they see signs of segmentation at the end of
the junior year and predict that the senior year will adhere to the
graduate school. There are many evidences that somewhere along
the line the period of general education will be shortened, and the
tendency to specialize before the end of the college course is one
proof that the change is demanded. Historically the college in
America stands as a whole for liberal education, but in its later
development the standard has been advanced and the period of
professional education has been lengthened until the problem
presents new phases demanding important readjustments. Replies
recently received from many institutions of higher learning, touching
this question, show a variety of opinions. One correspondent pithily
says, “Verily, we are a smattering folk. I believe both the college and
the professional course should be lengthened.” President Eliot
advocates “a three years’ course for the A.B., without disguises or
complications.” Estimating the replies already received numerically,
something more than half favor some kind of time readjustment, to
the end that the period covered by the college and the professional
school may be shortened one year.
While defending liberal education, it may be held that, especially
while a four years’ college course is maintained, it should also look
toward the world of active influence, and the filling of some vocation
therein. The student’s duties toward society must take on the
modern aspect, as contrasted with the self-centred interest of the
mediæval recluse. That education should aim at mere serene
enjoyment of the True, the Beautiful, and the Good is an idea of the
past. The mere recluse to-day has no meaning and no use in the
world. Educated men must join the march of progress; they must
take part in the solution of ethical problems, in the bettering of
government and society. The world demands of them altruism, public
spirit, high ideals. They should mass the forces of the past for an
onward movement in the present. Old knowledge should reach out
toward new and useful applications.
To these ends the college should provide for a deeper knowledge
of some subject or group of related subjects. This is an essential
element of general education, and also has a practical aim. The
principles of the philosophical and social sciences should find
concrete illustration in the present. And above all, student life should
be inspired with ideas of the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.
A public statement has been made that the seniors of a well-

known university have less intellectual vigor and less moral power
than the average man they might meet on the streets. If the charge
be true, it is a matter for serious thought, but the statement should
be swallowed with a large grain of salt. It may, however, serve as a
text. The college must assume an amount of responsibility for the
character of the undergraduate student. There has been a natural
reaction against some of the unwise requirements of twenty-five
years ago, but the reaction may have gone too far. One of our
famous universities ten years ago adopted the policy of leaving the
student to his own devices and the moral restraint of the policeman,
but the plan was condemned by the patrons of the institution, and to-
day it exercises a wise and friendly care over the student’s choice of
studies, his attendance upon lectures, and his daily walk and
conversation. Entire freedom in student life belongs only to the
graduate schools, and to place both undergraduate and graduate
students under one system can but prove harmful.
The ethical problems of college life are not to be solved wholly by
perfunctory religious exercises, but by the spirit that pervades the
whole teaching and student body, and by the many ways and means
that the united efforts of earnest and devoted faculties may employ.
It is a favorable circumstance that the student to an extent can
choose subjects in accord with his tastes; that his powers may reach
out toward some great intellectual interest. That the spirit of
education is broader, more liberal, and scientific is significant; the
fact makes for truth and honesty. The historical method succeeds the
dogmatic in history, social science, philosophy, and ethics. Men are
better because they are broader and wiser and are coming to a
higher realization of truth.
No doubt the ethical life has the deepest significance for man. The
great Fichte was right in claiming that, if this is merely a subjectively
phenomenal world, it is a necessary creation of mind that we may
have it wherein to work and ethically develop. That institution will
turn out the best men where the Baconian philosophy is combined
with the Platonic, the scientific with the ideal. By some means the
student should constantly come in contact with strong manhood and
high ideals. It makes a practical difference whether the student
believes in his transcendent nature and possibilities or in mere
materialism and utilitarianism, whether his ethics is ideal or
hedonistic, his view of life optimistic or pessimistic.
If the question is made distinct, What should the university do for

the student?—there are some additional considerations.
It is enough to say of graduate courses that they should be a
warrant for extended and thorough knowledge of a group of related
subjects, and for original power to grasp and deal with difficult
problems. The candidate’s knowledge and power should be publicly
tested by a good old-fashioned examination and defence of thesis.
The university should refuse to admit the student to the
professional schools until he has received at least the equivalent of a
complete high-school education. The faculties of the University of
Colorado have made an investigation of the standard of admission to
the professional schools, the length of professional courses, and the
relation of the professional courses to the college. The results are of
interest.[4] Very few schools of applied science in the universities
require four years of preparation. Only three or four universities
require that standard for their law or medical schools. Most
catalogues read after this fashion: Admission to law or medical
school—a college diploma, or a high-school diploma, or a second-
grade teacher’s certificate, or evidence of fitness to pursue the
subject. Less than half of the law schools require entrance
qualifications, and only twenty of them require a three years’ course.
All medical schools advocate a thorough scientific foundation, many
of them in a very ideal way, and urge extensive laboratory practice in
many special subjects. The most of them think the first two years of
a medical course could well be spent without clinical work. Many
colleges and collegiate departments of universities provide electives
that are accepted by some schools of theology, law, or medicine for
their regular first-year work. In rare instances, studies covering two
years are made common to the college and the professional schools.
But only a few universities have within their own organization a plan
for shortening the period of college and professional study.
The “Report on Legal Education,” 1893, issued by the United
States Bureau of Education, says: “Admission to the bar in all
Continental (European) countries is obtained through the universities
which are professional schools for the four learned professions—
theology, medicine, law, and philosophy. In England and America the
colleges and universities are chiefly schools for general culture; only
a few offer provision for thorough professional studies. While in
England and America the erroneous idea is still predominant that a
collegiate education need not necessarily precede professional
study, in Continental Europe it is made a conditio sine qua non. No
one more needs than the lawyer the power of general education to
grasp all the facts relating to a subject, to weigh their value, discard
the unessential, and give prominence to the determining factors; no
one more needs the power to avoid fallacies and to argue
intelligently scientific points which may be involved in litigation. No
one more than the physician needs an acquaintance with psychology
and philosophy, with the various sciences and the modern
languages; no one more needs the power of judgment in view of
seemingly contradictory facts and symptoms; no one more needs the
ethical quality of the noble and honorable gentleman. Let the
American universities maintain the standards which in theory they all
are ready to advocate.”
FOOTNOTES:
[2] Read before the National Association of City
Superintendents, at Jacksonville, Florida, in 1896.
[3] This committee made its report in 1899. The committee
recommend that any study, included in a given list regarded as
suitable for the secondary-school period, and pursued under
approved conditions one year of four periods a week, be regarded
as worthy to count toward admission to college; they recognize
that not all secondary schools are equipped to offer all the
subjects, and that the colleges will make their own selections for
admission; they recognize the principle of large liberty to the
student in secondary schools, but do not believe in unlimited
election, and they emphasize the importance of certain constants
in all secondary schools and in all requirements for admission to
college; they recommend that these constants be recognized in
the following proportion: Four units in foreign languages (no
language accepted in less than two units), two units in
mathematics, two in English, one in history, and one in science.
The thirteenth annual convention (1900) of the Association of
Colleges and Preparatory Schools of the Middle States and
Maryland passed resolutions urging the establishment of a joint
college-admission examination board to bring about an
agreement upon a uniform statement as to each subject required
by two or more colleges for admission, to hold examinations, and
to issue certificates to be accepted by the Middle-State Colleges.
At the Charleston meeting of the N. E. A. (1900) the following
resolution was passed: “Resolved, That the Department of
Secondary Education and the Department of Higher Education of
the National Educational Association commend the Report of the
Special Committee on College-Entrance Requirements, as
affording a basis for the practical solution of the problem of
college admission, and recommend the Report to the attention of
the colleges of the country.”
[4] During the four years (1896-1900) since this investigation
was made, there has been great progress throughout the country.
The standard universities now require at least a high-school
education for admission to professional schools, and offer four
years in medicine and three years in law.
UNIVERSITY IDEALS.[5]
To an extent a university must represent the philosophy of a

people at a given epoch, and their political, social, and industrial
tendencies. It symbolizes the stage of civilization and spiritual
insight. The ethical need of the time led to the study of philosophy in
Greece; the innate regard of the Roman people for justice and the
problems attending the development of the Empire emphasized the
study of law in Rome; Christianity and the influence of the Greek
philosophy made theology the ideal of the Middle Ages; the
development of the inductive method places emphasis on physical
science to-day; the industrial spirit of America gives a practical turn
to our higher education. It is no mere accident that the English
university is conservative and aristocratic and aims at general
culture, that the French faculties are practical, or that the German
universities are scientific and democratic. The differences in spirit
and method are determined by factors that belong to the history and
character of the different peoples.
The colleges of New England were founded on the traditions of
Oxford and Cambridge, and embodied their ideal and theological
aims and conservative method, although they naturally were more
liberal and democratic than the parent institutions. The history of the
early American colleges has been varied, but the more successful
ones have certainly become catholic and progressive. As the country
grew and men pushed westward, leaving tradition behind and
developing more freely the spirit of our advancing civilization, the
conception of a university, in touch with all the people, and scientific
and free, arose. Thus we have the state university. At the same time
the leading religious denominations have vied with each other in
founding in the new states colleges or universities that are more or
less denominational in spirit and aim.
The American university of to-day contains many elements.
Broadly speaking, it represents the ideals of the Platonic philosophy,
the direct inheritance from England, the character of the German
university, the modern scientific method, and the practical demands
of American civilization. All these elements are woven into the web
of our national life. There is, of course, much diversity. Each class of
universities contains something of all the ideals, but each
emphasizes certain ones. The older and larger denominational
school is more nearly the direct representative of English education,
but has made a great advance. The state universities represent the
people as such and the tendencies of our civilization, but in accord
with the highest ideals. They more readily accept the influence of the
German university. The denominational colleges scattered
throughout the West aim to perpetuate the denominational idea.
Almost from the foundation of our Government free elementary

schools have been regarded as an essential and characteristic part
of our American institutions. They became a logical necessity when
our forefathers abjured the caste and intolerance of the Old World,
and with prophetic insight proclaimed the era of a new civilization in
which the welfare of the state should mean the welfare of all the
people. While the idea of education at the expense of the state, and
under its control, was early accepted in that part of the country which
has gradually influenced the whole nation, we of to-day have
witnessed a part of the struggle to place on a permanent foundation
the modern system of high schools. These schools, especially in the
West, now have an assured position and command the confidence
of the people. The attempt to take the next step and establish state
universities was met with doubt and opposition. At a comparatively
recent date, however, many state universities have come into
prominence, and to-day they appear in the main to be the coming
institutions of university training from Ohio to Oregon, and from
Texas to Montana. Here is a development that is remarkable, and we
may well examine its significance.
In the first place the state university is the logical outcome of our
democratic ideal that made the public schools a necessity, an
outcome which naturally would be first realized in the newer states.
As America furnished new and favorable conditions for the
development of civilization, freed in part from the traditions of the Old
World, so the new states of the West became the field for a still more
liberal growth of the tendencies of the age. There is a recognized
tendency in our institutions toward a broader community of interests
in respect to many things that affect the common welfare, and in no
way does this tendency find a grander expression than in the means
for elevating the people at the expense of the people to a better
citizenship, higher usefulness, and wiser and nobler manhood. The
safety of the state depends upon giving the brightest and best of all
classes and conditions an opportunity to rise to the surface of affairs.
In Prussia, Switzerland, and Italy a healthy organization of society
is held to depend upon public control of both secondary and higher
education. England’s system of education tends to maintain social
distinctions and an intellectual conservatism that are harmful both to
the aristocracy and to the common people. Education in Germany
shows its superiority in that it reaches a larger number of the poor
classes and develops greater freedom of thought. The public control
of education makes it democratic and progressive, and strengthens
its influence with the people. It makes the scholar a leader in the line
of advance indicated by the ideals of the people. In the American
state university, men come together as a faculty, bringing with them
training and educational ideals gained in the best universities of the
world. They place themselves in touch with the public schools, the
press, and all the state agencies of influence and control. Knowing
the needs and demands of the people, they take the lead in the line
of natural progress. The state university is inseparably linked to the
state, and must carry with it the best influences of the state, and thus
extend its influence to the whole people.
The great denominational schools at first represented
homogeneous elements in the national life. Harvard was essentially
a state institution. It was founded in “accord with the fundamental
principles of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” The people of
Massachusetts, at that time, were largely homogeneous in race,
religion, and love of freedom. Yale was founded partly on the
conservative Congregationalism of Connecticut; hence it
represented the mass of people in that State. Princeton was founded
in the interest of the Scotch and Scotch-Irish political and religious
views in the Middle States, but was so far catholic as to enlist the
sympathy of the Dutch and the Quakers. However, it served a
comparatively homogeneous people. In later years each of these
universities, in order to reach large numbers of people maintaining
diverse views, has been obliged to subordinate specific sectarian or
denominational elements and emphasize only the highest ideals
common to its constituency. The newer states of the West have a
mixed population with heterogeneous interests. Hence it follows that
not a denominational school, but a state school, broad enough for all
the people, alone can satisfy the need of each state. Since it is
impossible to maintain a real university for each peculiar interest, all
must unite to support one institution, an institution maintaining the
highest ideals common to humanity, and specifically to our own
civilization. The ideals common to the American people are ample
enough for an ideal university, founded and maintained by the state.
Harvard or Princeton may say: “We have done for the state all that
the state university claims as its function.” Then let each state have a
Princeton which from the start is assured of an adequate foundation.
In our Western states the same reason that would create one
denominational college would create in each state fifteen or twenty.
The history of the world never has seen such a dissipation of
educational energy as is now seen in America, and a system of state
education which tends to correct the evil merits enthusiastic support.
It may be added that the state university exists in the West because
the majority of the people are coming to prefer that kind of institution.
We may say, then, that the state university represents (1) the
completion of the democratic ideal of public education; (2) the unity
of progress amidst diversity of view, and the mutual influence of the
knowledge and power of the scholar and the ideals of the people; (3)
the broad platform upon which the heterogeneous elements of the
state may unite in the interest of higher education. It is understood,
of course, that these three statements are not altogether mutually
exclusive.
These views of the raison d’être of the state university lead directly
to the presentation in detail of some facts in its history and some of
its aims, showing that its ideals are practicable.
The state university virtually, if not formally, is a part of the public-
school system. As such it holds a peculiar and influential relation
toward the public high schools. It furnishes teachers trained in the
university in regular and pedagogical courses. It scrutinizes the
courses of study and the character of the work, and formally
approves the schools of standard merit. It helps in every prudent way
the influence of the school with the community. By its friendly relation
it may present freely the advantages of higher education and thus
reach a large number who would otherwise rest at the goal of high-
school graduation. In every state, through the agency of the
university, the number of high schools is materially increased, and
their standards, plan of organization, and methods are improved.
Moreover, it gives the promise of something beyond that stimulates
the efforts of pupils in every grade of work.
The connection between the high school and the university still
gives rise to troublesome problems, not alone in this country. The
ideals of the older American university are often at variance with the
systematic development of education below the university and the
demands of the people. The state university has come nearer than
any other to the solution. While Harvard and Yale met the growing
demands of science by establishing separate schools, Michigan
introduced the scientific course into the college, making it rank with
the classical. This plan, generally adopted by the state universities,
places them nearly in line with the natural development of the public-
school system. The state universities also show their regard for
popular demand by admitting special students.
By offering free tuition, the state university reaches many who
would otherwise fail to enjoy higher training. It tends to equalize the
conditions for rich and poor in the struggle for the survival of the
fittest.
The state university, as it develops and realizes its true function,
must be thoroughly catholic in spirit, because it stands for humanity,
truth, and progress. Nowhere is the professor or the scholar
permitted to use such intellectual freedom as in the state university
in Germany, and in the natural course of events the same freedom
will be allowed in the United States. Not only will the free and
inventive spirit become characteristic, but our Western universities,
standing in the midst of the most advanced ideas of civilization, must
furnish some of the most important contributions to the study of all
social, economic, and ethical problems.
In the state universities the mental and moral atmosphere is
healthful. A strong, honest manhood is cultivated. There all ideals
are strongly maintained, not according to a particular creed, but with
regard to all the implications of man’s higher nature. All influences
tend to make citizens who are in harmony with the national spirit. An
extended acquaintance with graduates of various state universities
shows that, as a whole, they are broad-minded citizens, loyal to the
public interest.
The relation of the religious denominations to the state university
is one that commands serious attention. The university says to each
class of people: “Here is an institution which is equally for the
advantage of all—it is yours. Its platform, founded on ideals of truth,
beauty, and goodness, is as broad as humanity. Since there must be
diversity of religious views, establish your theological schools, halls,
guilds, or professorships in the vicinity of the university, and, making
use of what the state offers, supplement in your own way the work of
the state.” The plan is in the highest degree economical; it combines
unity of effort with variety of independent view; it makes the general
good and the special interest mutually helpful. It is the plan of
business common sense and of wise insight into the problems of the
age. That the denominations—granting their point of view—should
join their interest with that of the state university is shown also by the
fact that often a given denomination finds more of its students there
than at its church school.
Many state universities are beginning to receive private
endowment. Every consideration of public interest in each state
should turn the contributions for education toward the one great
centre of learning. Very few states can support more than one such
centre. Libraries, art collections, museums, laboratories, buildings,
well-endowed chairs, beautiful grounds, should testify to the
munificence of private wealth as well as to the benefactions of the
state.
Speaking generally, the state universities have large incomes and
good facilities. They require high standards for admission and
graduation. Wherever feasible, they maintain professional schools
and schools of applied science. They do this upon the theory that the
state should both regulate and provide professional education in the
interest of proper standards, and that, in the interest of the state and
of the individual, such education should be made available to the
sons of the poor. Every leading state university is developing a
graduate school.
In the matter of electives, the state university occupies a middle
ground. Yale and Princeton represent the conservative side, and
Harvard and Stanford the liberal extreme. An examination of the
curricula of ten leading state universities shows that the
requirements for admission are definitely prescribed, although two or
more courses are recognized; that about half the college studies are
required, while the remaining half are offered as group or free
electives. The state universities naturally show a tendency toward
the German university system.
In America the college has been frankly maintained in accord with

Platonic ideals. A full rounded manhood, drawing its power from
each chief source of knowledge, and prepared in a general way for
every practical activity, has been the aim. The American college is
dear to the people, and it has done much to make strong men who
have powerfully influenced the nation. There are, however, various
tendencies which are likely to modify the whole organization of the
American university, including that of the college.
The recent tendency toward free election, reaching even into the
high school, is a subject of animated controversy. This tendency I
have frequently discussed elsewhere, and must still maintain that, in
its extreme form, it is irrational. One university of high standing
makes it possible to enter its academic department and graduate
without mathematics, science, or classics. This is an extreme that is
not likely to be sanctioned by the educational world. If there is a
human type with characteristics by which it is defined—
characteristics which can be developed only by looking toward each
field of knowledge—then a secondary and higher education which
makes possible the entire omission of any important group of
subjects is likely to prove a great wrong to the average student.
According to some high educational authorities, no one can be called
liberally educated who does not at least possess knowledge of (1)
mathematics and science, (2) language and literature, (3)
philosophy. Philosophy, as it was in Greece and as it is in Germany,
may become a larger factor in our American education.
There is another tendency which is working toward an inevitable
result. The average American student who desires higher or
professional education will not spend four years in high school, four
years in college, and three or four years in a graduate or
professional school. There is a movement to shorten in some
manner the whole course of education. Already many colleges and
collegiate departments of universities offer electives that will count
for one or two years of law, medicine, or theology. Already the
university system in the form of group electives is introduced into the
last two years of college.
The outcome will probably be a gradual reorganization of the high-
school studies and those of the first two or three years of college.
The new curriculum should lay for the student a broad and firm
foundation in knowledge and power for all subsequent aptitudes.
Upon this should be built the graduate school, the professional
school, and perhaps the school of technology. In this plan the
American college need not be lost, for the bachelor’s degree could
be granted for a given amount of work beyond the college in the
graduate school. The claim that the student should begin university
work almost anywhere along the line of education, before laying a
complete foundation for a specialty, appears absurd. It may be
added that only by partial reorganization of our educational system
can the admission standard to the American professional school
ever be made respectable.
The scientific spirit—the term is used in the broadest sense—in all
investigation and instruction is a most encouraging feature of present
tendencies. If the American professor cannot always be an original
investigator, he may keep abreast of investigation and impart its
inspiration to the student. To this end the Lehrfreiheit, freedom in
teaching, is necessary. It is a sad comment that the spirit of the
inquisition has recently appeared in a New England university. The
professor’s thought must not be prescribed for him by any creed,
religious, political, or scientific. Of course, he must stand on the safe
foundation of the past—he is not expected to soar in a balloon or
leap over a precipice. A recent work on “The Ideal of Universities”
says: “We can distinguish four chief currents in the theology of the
present era: (1) The Roman Catholic; (2) the Protestant; (3) that
objective-historic theology which simply states the origin and
development of the Christian doctrine; and (4) the inception of a
theology based upon recognized facts of science, of human nature,
and of history.” All philosophy of nature and of human nature must
become truth-seeking—this is a mere truism. No philosophy or belief
can afford to maintain any other attitude. Leaders in the orthodox
churches are teaching us this fact by their bearing toward new
conceptions. And we need have no fear of the outcome. The highest
ideals and hopes of humanity will be confirmed by the most thorough
investigation in which metaphysics shall use the contribution of every
department of objective and subjective science. A course in theology,
scientific theology, should be found in every university, including the
state university—and some dare to think the latter is the place for it.
The facts of man’s higher intellectual and emotional life are the most
important data for investigation.
The doctrine of Lernfreiheit, the freedom of the student, unhappily
has been ignorantly applied in this country. It may properly be
employed for the German university student at the age of twenty to
twenty-five, after his training in the gymnasium, but not to the
American college student at the age of eighteen to twenty-two. In

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The Interpretations of the Theotokias by

the Patriarch John ibn Qiddis Youhanna

George Anton Kiraz

Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies brings to the scholarly world the

Youhanna Nessim Youssef

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright

ISBN 978-1-4632-3948-0 ISSN 1539-1507

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

A Cataloging-in-Publication Record is available

Printed in the United States of America

Youhanna Nessim YOUSSEF

Coptic history, especially of the early fourteenth century, is like a

dioceses. It thus sheds light on the pastoral activities of Ibn

‫اﻧﺒﺎ ﻳﻮﻧﺲ اﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺲ اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك اﻟﺜﲈﻧﻮن‬

The patriarch Anba Yuanis Ibn al-Qiddis, the eightieth.

1 Den Heijer 1989, p. 145.

4 al-Suriani and Daoud, n.d., p. 182.

in the History of the Patriarchs.

Harit Zuwaylah and the Melkite church of St. Nicholas at Hammam

10 The emperor of Constantinople also tried to intercede for the Christians

Cairo.16 While riding in the city, he noticed a well-dressed person on

Here is the colophon:

16 El-Leithy 2006, pp. 106–108.

‫ﺑﺤﺎرة اﻟﺒﻄﺮﻳﺮك ﺑﻤﴫ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﻤﺔ واﻟﺸﻜﺮ ﷲ داﻳﲈ اﺑﺪﻳﺎ اﻣﲔ‬

‫‪Remember the poor, humble scribe, Girgis (George), originally‬‬

‫‪And here is the text of the eulogy itself:‬‬

‫‪21‬‬ ‫”‪Lit. “the sea.‬‬

‫اﳌﻮاﻫﺐ اﻟﺮوﺣﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻋﲆ رﺳﻠﻪ اﻻﻃﻬﺎر* ﻛﺎﻟﺴﻨﺔ واﻟﺬي ﺟﻌﻞ ﺑﻴﻌﺘﻪ اﳌﻘﺪﺳﺔ‬

‫اﻟﻠﺴﺎن اﳊﻠﻮ واﻟﻜﻬﻨﻮﰐ واﳌﻨﻄﻖ اﻟﻌﺬب واﻟﺪاوودي واﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ اﻟﺒﺪﻳﻊ اﻟﻼﻫﻮﰐ‬

the perishable world to the world of stability; granting the world

LITURGICAL ACTIVITIES OF IBN QIDDIS

‫ﺧﻄﺐ ﻣﺘﻨﻮﻋﺔ اﻧﺸﺄﻫﺎ اﻟﻘﺲ ﺷﻤﺲ اﻟﺮﻳﺎﺳﺔ اﺑﻦ ﻛﱪ‬

patriarchs were accused of doing. Cf. Meinardus 1991, p. 517.

Various homilies delivered by the priest Shams al-Ryasah Ibn

A homily delivered in the year 1029 AM (=1313 CE) when the

A homily delivered during the first meeting with the patriarch

‫ﺧﻄﺒﺔ ﻗﻴﻠﺖ ﻋﻨﺪ ﳎﺊ ﻛﲑﻳﺲ ﻣﻠﻚ اﻟﻨﻮﺑﺔ‬

A homily delivered on the arrival of Cyrus the king of Nubia32

29 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 195–203.

The homilies for Palm Sunday,34 Maundy Thursday,35 the Feast

‫وﻫﺬا اﻟﻔﺼﻮل ﻓﺼﻞ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻮراة‬

34 Habib Girgis 1914, pp. 81–88.

‫وﺗﻜﻠﻢ اﻟﺮب ﻣﻊ ﻣﻮﺳﻰ وﻗﺎل ﻟﻪ اﺻﻨﻊ ﺳﻔﻼ ﻣﻦ ﻧﺤﺎس‪ ...‬وﻳﺘﻄﻬﺮوا وﳜﺪﻣﻮﻧﻨﻲ‬

‫︦ⲥ︦ⲭⲡ ⲉⲧ̀ⲛ ⲁⲉⲣⲱⲇ‪Ϯϯϩⲟ ⲉⲣⲱⲧⲉⲛ … ⲕⲁⲧⲁ ⲡϣⲓ ⲛ̀ϯ‬‬

‫واﻧﺎ اﺳﺎﻟﻜﻢ ﻳﺎ اﺧﻮﰐ‪ ...‬ﻋﲆ ﻗﺪر ﻋﻄﻴﺔ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ‬

‫اﻧﻀﺞ ﻋﲇ زوﻓﻚ ﻓﺎﻧﻘﺎ‬

‫وﺟﺎ ﻳﺴﻮع اﱃ ﻧﻮاﺣﻲ ﻗﻴﺴﺎرﻳﺔ ﻓﻴﻠﺒﺲ‪....‬اﻧﻪ ﻳﺴﻮع اﳌﺴﻴﺢ‬

‫ⲟⲕⲁⲧ‪ⲉⲧⲁϥϣⲉ ⲉϧⲟⲩⲛ ⲛⲁϥⲙⲟⲩϣⲓ ⲉⲕⲱϯ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲛⲟϩⲉⲙ ⲙ̀ⲫⲏ ⲉⲧⲁϥ‬‬

‫وﳌﺎ دﺧﻞ ﳎﺘﺎز ﹰا ﻳﻄﻠﺐ‪ ...‬وﳜﻠﺺ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺎن ﺿﺎﻻ‬

‫‪“The righteous father, the president, who composed this book,‬‬

incense and Psalm 50, as well as these lectures, a Chapter from

Arabe 203 fol. 194r–195r.

“Patriarch Anba Yuanis Ibn al-Qiddis had agreed with a group

“The custom in the Muallaqah and other [churches] is that,

Burmester 1932, pp. 235–254, and especially p. 249.

Villecourt 1924, pp. 201–280, especially p. 243. Mina Foundation, p. 112.

Not mentioned in Paris Arabe 203 fol. 199v.

Some inhabitants of Old Cairo [Misr] used to sit down during