DOI Artikel:
Crum, Walter E.: Progress of Egyptology: christian Egypt
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11172#0061
Christian Egypt.
17
written in a fine hand of perhaps the Gth century. There can be little
doubt that we have here recovered parts of some early gospel—whether
that " according to the Egyptians," as the editor suggests, or not remains
doubtful. The incidents recognizable are said to be (1) a prayer by Christ
before His Passion, (2) a dialogue between Him and the Apostles in which
He seems to apply the words of Matt. xxvi. 41, not to the disciples but
to Himself, (3) perhaps an account of the Ascension. An elaborate
commentary accompanies the text and incidentally a curious semi-magical
Greek papyrus is published, though the grounds on which it is connected
with the foregoing Coptic text are scarcely defensible; cf. the remarks of
the present writer. Excellent photographs of the MS. are given. In
dealing with the Coptic text Dr. Jacoby had much assistance from Prof.
Spiegelberg. The publication has been criticized by Prof. Zahn with
considerable minuteness and severity.-1 He thinks the text might belong
to the Ebionite G-ospel of the Twelve Apostles (Origen, Jerome); certainly
not to that of the Egyptians. Dr. C. Schmidt too is for this identifica-
tion and finds fault with many of the editor's readings and translations.
He even ascribes the MS. to the 4th or 5th century." Prof, von
Dobschiitz has also written a short review.' Besides the notice by the
present writer8 there is an anonymous review in the Athenmum?
Invaluable as Zoega's Catalogue is for the study of the remnants of
Sa'idic literature, the temporary deportation to Paris of the Vatican
collection of Bohairic MSS. forced him to content himself with Tuki's
incomplete copies when illustrating that dialect. Professors Guidi and
Hyvernat have since brought to light many valuable texts of which Zoega
could merely indicate the existence, and the former has now printed a most
interesting addition to these :10 the Bohairic version, in over sixty pages, of
the Testament of Abraham with what may be the original—since no Greek
text is known—of those of Isaac and Jacob. Zoega (p. 94) had given
merely their titles. In this Bohairic form we have then the origin (which
might indeed have as usual been postulated) of the Arabic (v. James and
Barnes in Texts and Shidies II.) and thence of the Ethiopia versions,
and its text is correspondingly superior to those of its derivatives. Prof.
Guidi gives as yet no translation, hoping that the other Oriental versions
may likewise be edited.
Holzey has written upon Steindorff's Elias-4polcalypse in relation to
the similar literature of the Christian East; but I have not seen his
article.11
2. Gnostic. Prof. Hebbelynck of Louvain printed two years ago an
excerpt from the well-known Bodleian MS. Hunt. 393 (v. this lieport
17
written in a fine hand of perhaps the Gth century. There can be little
doubt that we have here recovered parts of some early gospel—whether
that " according to the Egyptians," as the editor suggests, or not remains
doubtful. The incidents recognizable are said to be (1) a prayer by Christ
before His Passion, (2) a dialogue between Him and the Apostles in which
He seems to apply the words of Matt. xxvi. 41, not to the disciples but
to Himself, (3) perhaps an account of the Ascension. An elaborate
commentary accompanies the text and incidentally a curious semi-magical
Greek papyrus is published, though the grounds on which it is connected
with the foregoing Coptic text are scarcely defensible; cf. the remarks of
the present writer. Excellent photographs of the MS. are given. In
dealing with the Coptic text Dr. Jacoby had much assistance from Prof.
Spiegelberg. The publication has been criticized by Prof. Zahn with
considerable minuteness and severity.-1 He thinks the text might belong
to the Ebionite G-ospel of the Twelve Apostles (Origen, Jerome); certainly
not to that of the Egyptians. Dr. C. Schmidt too is for this identifica-
tion and finds fault with many of the editor's readings and translations.
He even ascribes the MS. to the 4th or 5th century." Prof, von
Dobschiitz has also written a short review.' Besides the notice by the
present writer8 there is an anonymous review in the Athenmum?
Invaluable as Zoega's Catalogue is for the study of the remnants of
Sa'idic literature, the temporary deportation to Paris of the Vatican
collection of Bohairic MSS. forced him to content himself with Tuki's
incomplete copies when illustrating that dialect. Professors Guidi and
Hyvernat have since brought to light many valuable texts of which Zoega
could merely indicate the existence, and the former has now printed a most
interesting addition to these :10 the Bohairic version, in over sixty pages, of
the Testament of Abraham with what may be the original—since no Greek
text is known—of those of Isaac and Jacob. Zoega (p. 94) had given
merely their titles. In this Bohairic form we have then the origin (which
might indeed have as usual been postulated) of the Arabic (v. James and
Barnes in Texts and Shidies II.) and thence of the Ethiopia versions,
and its text is correspondingly superior to those of its derivatives. Prof.
Guidi gives as yet no translation, hoping that the other Oriental versions
may likewise be edited.
Holzey has written upon Steindorff's Elias-4polcalypse in relation to
the similar literature of the Christian East; but I have not seen his
article.11
2. Gnostic. Prof. Hebbelynck of Louvain printed two years ago an
excerpt from the well-known Bodleian MS. Hunt. 393 (v. this lieport