| Summary | This book of life, of the divine gospel, was begun and finished...in the blessed month of Kanun I, the 15th in it, on the Sabbath [...] of the year 1888 of the blessed Greeks, and of the ascension of the Lord our God, the year 1546, and of the blessed Arabs, the year 985, in the month of Ramadan, the 24th in it [doxology]. For this book full of life was written in the very blessed, and famous in the orthodox faith, and strong in the preaching of Paul, and flourishing with the righteous and the just, and abundant in the best and the excellent, place of rest for the oppressed [...] Gazarta Zabdayta, positioned on the bank of the edge of the river Tigris [may the Lord protect it by the prayers of Maryam and the apostles and the just and the saints]. It was written in the days of the father and lord of fathers, and head of pastors and shepherds, anointer of priests and distributer of talents, and binder of belts, and distributor of [pastoral] staffs, good and wise and merciful, patient in soul and humble and benevolent, the man of God, and man of peace, vessel of Grace, and dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit, temple of purity, abode of the Trinity, invested with the ephod of the chief priesthood of Jesus, and wearing the breastplate/cloak of the leader of the priesthood of Simon [Peter], founder of monasteries and religious houses, and builder of temples and churches, father of orphans and of widows, and founder of schools and houses of learning, Christ-loving and full of the grace of the Spirit, Mar Eliya, catholicos patriarch, of the chief of the regions of the east, and of all the inhabited borders of the orthodox, may he be strengthened and established and fortified and be mighty and be protected from all harm and injury, unshaken, by the exalter of his honour, and the raiser of his rank, and the heightener of his see, for the glory of his churches, and the benefit of his flocks, Amen. [the following part of the colophon rhymes] And [during/by] the pastoral office of the vigilant pastor who was appointed from above, by the command of Emmanuel, like Mushe (Moses) over Israel, and Ishoʿ (Joshua) bar Nun and Samuel, for the governance and shepherding of the sheep of the Son of God, the bishop and metropolitan Mar Gabriel, to whom the diocese of Gazarta of Beth Zabdai had been entrusted... He wrote, or rather corrupted and defiled [...] these pages, a man, the most wretched of all [...] the weak ʿAtāya, who is Yahbalaha, in name a priest and pilgrim, son of the late priest Faraj the pilgrim, son of the deacon Marqos of Alqosh, and now they dwell and live in the city of Gazarta Zabdayta mentioned above [...]. He attended and took care of and took pains and caused him to write the writing of this holy book for the acquisition of the holy church of the Nestorians in the very blessed city of Jerusalem, which is near the church of the Franks, to the north of the tomb of our Lord Christ, our father the blessed bishop and superior, who blossomed from a blessed root [...] Mar Eliya, metropolitan of Amida, who is called bar Asmar Ḥabib, and he caused it to be written from the oblations and offerings which came to Jerusalem from the male believers and the female believers, men and women, of all ages and all stations, may Christ our Lord repay them and all those who intermediated and entered and participated in the writing of this spiritual treasure, whether a little or greatly, whether in word or in deed [...]. This book belongs to the church of the Nestorians in the city of Jerusalem [conventional anathema against anyone removing it from the said church]. [Conventional request for readers not to blame scribe if they find mistakes]. [Other conventional passages, including comparison between ship’s captain seeing harbour and scribe seeing last page]. This book was written and copied and collated from a manuscript and from an autograph of our father the very blessed Mar ʿAbdishoʿ metropolitan of Nisibis and of Armenia, who is called bar B[...]. |
