Wanted: people who know Coptic and would like 10c a word to translate it! There are quite a few fragments of Eusebius in the coptic catena of De Lagarde, and I’d like to get them all translated into English. A friend has just completed the second one — which was 134 words long. But there’s plenty more to do.
Interestingly the same catena has a fragment from Apollinaris, on Luke 1. Clearly the fact that a writer was a heretic was not that important in the catenas.
I am presently a M.A. student at Duke University and am studying Coptic and Syriac monasticism. I would love to help in whatever way I can with is project. Which Eusebius are talking about though? And how can I get involved? My current address can be found on the website provided above. I was unsure whether you needed my physical address or email address in the space provided above, entitled “Mail.” So I gave you my email address and the website has all other pertinent info.
That sounds interesting, Samuel! Seems you’re somewhat in the same position that I am. What is your dissertation about exactly?
I am presently working on the symbolic value of the bridal chamber in Syriac literature, which has now lead me into several coptic works and Jewish Rabbinical literature. Having a great time. How bout your work?
Well, when coming to the Catholic University of Louvain (french part of Belgium), I had the intention of writing a dissertation on Coptic-Syriac relations or something alike. But due to unforeseen circumstances, I ended up starting Armenian courses and now I am studying the Chronicle of Michael the Syrian. I am translating Book XIV (description of the Turks and their equation to Gog and Magog) in both the Syriac and the (long) Armenian version (the short one is perhaps going to follow later), I am also comparing the contents of the chapter in the two versions and recording what information was abandoned, unnecessarily changed, corrected and so on. Very interesting stuff!
My advisor,Lucas Van Rompay, is actually from Belgium. He did his work at the University there in Louvain and then went on to teach Aramaic at Leiden for sometime before coming to Duke.
It does sound like a very interesting project. I completely understand the transition, there are so many intersection of culture and language in this area that it seems as if my interests are alway in flux. Best of luck in all you do!
By the way, how are you liking Louvain?
Very much so. I have (more) interesting courses than in Leuven, very supportive professors and a whole lot of passion for the work I am doing. Every course I have taken so far has been enlightening, from the hermeneutics of Origenes to producing a codicological description of a medieval latin rulebook for a Belgian monastic order.
I’m hoping to pursue a doctorate after I finish my last master year, but we’ll see what my promotor has to say about that. In the mean time she is stuffing me full of so much information, because I have only started this year with Caucasian christianity, hso I am kind of new at this. That is the down side of having come over from Egyptology.
But still, I am learning and loving it and loving it even more. So let’s hope I can keep doing this in the years to come.
The name Van Rompay does ring a bell, I think I’ve had to refer to an article him somewhere, but I can be mistaken.