When I made a translation of the Apocalypse of Samuel of Kalamoun, I was missing a couple of pages of F. Nau’s introduction, and was therefore unable to give a version of that. I have now added in the extra material.
Roger Pearse
Thoughts on Antiquity, Patristics, putting things online, information access, and more
Thank you, Roger. Now my eyes are on: “Un colloque du patriarche jacobite Jean avec l’emir des Agareens” (A dialogue of the Jacobite patriarch John with the emir of the Hagarians), Journal Asiatique, March-April, 1915, p.225-279.
I have never seen this before, and I must go through it. Thanks to a link you provided earlier for the Journal Asiatique editions on line, the article for interested readers can be found here: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k93286n/f223.image
I’m not going to translate 50 pages of French! Sorry, but I’m not!
🙂 I didn’t suggest that! Thanks for all the excellent work you have done for research.
I know 🙂 Just making a statement for avoidance of misunderstanding 🙂
I have found an English translation of this document from Syriac to English (and not from the French of F. Nau) made by Abdul-Massih Saadi in Karmo magazine, Vol. 1 No. 2, 1999: http://www.chaldeansonline.org/Banipal/English/karmo2.html
I was under the impression that the patriarch was Coptic but it transpired he was actually the Syriac patriarch Yuhannon d-Sedreh (d. 649). Very interesting document with many good answers to the Muslim Emir’s questions.
Useful! What a pity that it isn’t online!
Michael the Syrian gives the sequel to this debate. Yohannan so impressed the emir ‘Amr ibn Sa’d with his learning that he was instructed to translate the New Testament into Arabic for the edification of the Muslims. Unfortunately, there were strings attached.
When he saw his courage and the breadth of his learning, ‘Amr was astonished. Then he gave this order. ‘Translate your Gospel into Arabic, the language of the Saracens. But just be sure that you make no mention of Christ’s divinity, baptism or crucifixion.’ The blessed man, strengthened by the Lord, replied, ‘God forbid that I should change a single jot or tittle of the Gospel, even if I were to be pierced by all the daggers and all the lances in your camp!’ Seeing that he could not convince him, ‘Amr said to him, ‘Off with you, then. Write whatever you want.’
Thank you – very interesting!