DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45613#0012
VI
Preface to Division III, Section B.
Pere Louis Jalabert, who has earned a place in the front rank of epigraphists by
his admirable publications and interpretations of Syrian inscriptions, has contributed
to the “ Dictionnaire Apologetique de la Foi Catholique” the article Epigraphie. This
article, in addition to its value as a scholarly and interesting- treatise on the subject
of Christian epigraphy in general, would serve as a practical introduction to any collection
of inscriptions such as this. His analysis of the various classes of Christian inscriptions,
his discussion of their various styles and formulae, and his statement of the methods
by which they should be classified and interpreted, are sound and useful. In particular,
he points out that during the first three or four centuries of our era the Christians not
only employed many of the common formulae of the pagan inscriptions in their own,
but deliberately avoided all that would give a destinctly Christian character to their
monuments and thus arrest the attention and excite the animosity of their religions
opponents. Consequently many inscriptions have been or might be classed as pagan,
which in reality belonged to adherents of the Christian faith. Many of these disguised
inscriptions, however, may be recognized by careful examination and by the help of
such criteria as he suggests. In the present collection it happens that a large number
of the inscriptions contain definite dates later than 325 a. d., and there are very few
which are not obviously of Christian origin. Yet there are some doubtful ones, for
example, Nos. 807, 809, 829, 1073 and 1125, and perhaps also Nos. 881 and 896,
although these last two are dated 344 and 373 a. d. respectively.
In the second part of this article Pere Jalabert discusses with knowledge and clarity
the value of the Christian inscriptions for the study of the origins of the Christian
Church, both with respect to what he calls the “Vie exterieure de l’Eglise” — the
peoples among whom and the conditions under which the Church was established, the
unity of the Church, its struggles and factions — and also with respect to the “Vie
interieure” ·—■ the creed, the sacriments, the liturgy, the cult of the saints, ecclesiastical
institutions, the morality of the Christians, and their conception of death. In the
present collection certain doctrines and beliefs, for example those concerning the Trinity,
the divinity of Christ, the remission of sins and the resurrection, are reflected in Nos.
917, 920, 930, 1017-1018, 1034 and 1043: it is perhaps merely an accident that all
of these are from the Anderin-Kerratin-MaFata region. The worship of the Virgin
Mary is shown in Nos. 860, 1024, 1062 and 1212: of archangels in Nos. 913, 921,
1050 and 1052 : of apostles, martyrs and other saints in Nos. 834, 926, 961, 962,
1006-1013, 1033, 1076, 1100 and 1202. A good many inscriptions contain the names
and titles of the clergy, a good many also bear witness to the belief not only in the
power of God and of Christ, but also in the efficacy of holy names.
To Pere Jalabert, however, as to many others before him, these inscriptions seem
to support the contentions of the orthodox theologians and the authority of the Church,
because they show that the doctrines, ritual and hierarchy of the Church existed from
the beginning of the Church as an organized body. But there remains a question
infinitely more important, namely, whether any of the doctrine and ritual of the Church
arose from the paganism out of which the Church emerged rather than from the
teachings of Christ. The real break, if break there was, in the developement of the
Christian Church occurred between the death of Jesus and the first appearance of an
organized body of Christians.. The continuity of developement, during this all-important
period, is in no way established by these inscriptions. On the contrary, the constantly
Preface to Division III, Section B.
Pere Louis Jalabert, who has earned a place in the front rank of epigraphists by
his admirable publications and interpretations of Syrian inscriptions, has contributed
to the “ Dictionnaire Apologetique de la Foi Catholique” the article Epigraphie. This
article, in addition to its value as a scholarly and interesting- treatise on the subject
of Christian epigraphy in general, would serve as a practical introduction to any collection
of inscriptions such as this. His analysis of the various classes of Christian inscriptions,
his discussion of their various styles and formulae, and his statement of the methods
by which they should be classified and interpreted, are sound and useful. In particular,
he points out that during the first three or four centuries of our era the Christians not
only employed many of the common formulae of the pagan inscriptions in their own,
but deliberately avoided all that would give a destinctly Christian character to their
monuments and thus arrest the attention and excite the animosity of their religions
opponents. Consequently many inscriptions have been or might be classed as pagan,
which in reality belonged to adherents of the Christian faith. Many of these disguised
inscriptions, however, may be recognized by careful examination and by the help of
such criteria as he suggests. In the present collection it happens that a large number
of the inscriptions contain definite dates later than 325 a. d., and there are very few
which are not obviously of Christian origin. Yet there are some doubtful ones, for
example, Nos. 807, 809, 829, 1073 and 1125, and perhaps also Nos. 881 and 896,
although these last two are dated 344 and 373 a. d. respectively.
In the second part of this article Pere Jalabert discusses with knowledge and clarity
the value of the Christian inscriptions for the study of the origins of the Christian
Church, both with respect to what he calls the “Vie exterieure de l’Eglise” — the
peoples among whom and the conditions under which the Church was established, the
unity of the Church, its struggles and factions — and also with respect to the “Vie
interieure” ·—■ the creed, the sacriments, the liturgy, the cult of the saints, ecclesiastical
institutions, the morality of the Christians, and their conception of death. In the
present collection certain doctrines and beliefs, for example those concerning the Trinity,
the divinity of Christ, the remission of sins and the resurrection, are reflected in Nos.
917, 920, 930, 1017-1018, 1034 and 1043: it is perhaps merely an accident that all
of these are from the Anderin-Kerratin-MaFata region. The worship of the Virgin
Mary is shown in Nos. 860, 1024, 1062 and 1212: of archangels in Nos. 913, 921,
1050 and 1052 : of apostles, martyrs and other saints in Nos. 834, 926, 961, 962,
1006-1013, 1033, 1076, 1100 and 1202. A good many inscriptions contain the names
and titles of the clergy, a good many also bear witness to the belief not only in the
power of God and of Christ, but also in the efficacy of holy names.
To Pere Jalabert, however, as to many others before him, these inscriptions seem
to support the contentions of the orthodox theologians and the authority of the Church,
because they show that the doctrines, ritual and hierarchy of the Church existed from
the beginning of the Church as an organized body. But there remains a question
infinitely more important, namely, whether any of the doctrine and ritual of the Church
arose from the paganism out of which the Church emerged rather than from the
teachings of Christ. The real break, if break there was, in the developement of the
Christian Church occurred between the death of Jesus and the first appearance of an
organized body of Christians.. The continuity of developement, during this all-important
period, is in no way established by these inscriptions. On the contrary, the constantly