Memorial of John

Standard abbreviation: Mem. John

Other titles: Memorial of Saint John the Theologian, Memorial of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian

Clavis numbers: ECCA 499

Category: Gospel Prefaces

Related literature: Acts of John by Prochorus; Hypomnema on John, by Symeon Metaphrastes; Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopogate, Epistle 10

Compiled by Rick Brannan, independent scholar ([email protected])

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Brannan, Rick. “Memorial of John.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/memorial-of-john/.

Created October 2020. Current as of Sept. 2022.

1. SUMMARY

Mem. John is a short introduction to the Gospel of John that is notable because it incorporates apocryphal traditions. It begins by associating the “evangelist” (John) with his tiny and unimportant hometown, Bethsaida. Though he hails from an insignificant town, he has pursued some Greek education, which explains how a backwoods farmer’s child could have written the gospel attributed to him. After the ascension of the Lord, John leaves Palestine, travels to Asia, and settles in Ephesus. He destroys idols and preaches the gospel there. He is effective enough to be brought up on charges by Domitian. As a result, he is exiled to Patmos. While in exile, John receives a letter from Dionysius the Aeropagite (the text here incorporates portions of the tenth letter of Ps.-Dionysius), sent just before Dionysius’s martyrdom. The letter  prophesies John’s release from exile. When Trajan comes to power, John is released from exile. Against the will of the Patmian natives, John decides to leave the island. The Patmians convince him to leave writings in his place, so John agrees and fasts in preparation. Once prepared, John ascends the mountain, bringing Prochorus along to record what is said. John extends his arms and thunder and lightning fill the sky. Prochorus is overwhelmed and simply lays down as if dead, but John stands strong. Apparently Prochorus is revived, and soon the thunder itself speaks out the beginning of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Prochorus sees what is going on but is unable to hear, so John repeats the words of the thunder and Prochorus writes what is said until the Gospel is complete. The thunder and lightning subside, and John, with echoes of Moses, comes down from the mountain with the written Gospel, which he gives to the Patmians. Though the Patmians protest his leaving, John sails to Ephesus, and in this way John’s Gospel was pronounced to those who believe.

Some material from Mem. John appears in another introduction to the Gospel called Commentariolus de Ioannis evangelio (Short Note on John’s Gospel), which comes in longer and shorter forms. The short form begins like Mem. John with the association of John with Bethsaida and then states that it is this poor fisherman’s son who shouted out the writing that speaks of the eternal Word of God. The longer form continues with some information on John that is attributed (correctly) to Irenaeus and Eusebius. They record that John was shipwrecked in Ephesus where he reviewed three different Gospels and put them in order. He then wrote his own Gospel concerning what happened from the very beginning of Christ’s ministry, before the imprisonment of John the Baptist.

Named historical figures and characters: Domitian, Dionysius the Areopagite, Eusebius, Irenaeus of Lyon, Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), John (the Baptist), Moses (patriarch), Nerva, Pamphilus, Prochorus,  Titus (emperor),  Trajan (emperor), Vespasian.

Geographical locations: Asia, Athens, Bethsaida, Ephesus, Palestine, Patmos.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Greek

3.1.1.1 Memorial of John (BHG 919f, BHG 919fb)

A  Chicago, University of Chicago, 727 (e 2266), 2 fols. between fols. 195 and 196 (olim Andover-Harvard Theological Library) (14th cent.; =GA 2266)

B  Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 901, fols. 198v–200r (1339; =GA 1547) ~ LOC

C  Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 905, fols. 285v–287(13th/14th cent.; =GA 1549)

D  Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. I. 20, fols. 194v–196r (1302; GA 413)

S  Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, gr. 267, fols. 81v–82v (14th cent.; GA 1248) ~ LOC

Taniguchi, Yuko, François Bovon, and Thanasios Antonopoulos. “The Memorial of Saint John the Theologian.” Pages 333–53 in The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. Edited by François Bovon, Ann Graham Brock, and Christopher R. Matthews. Harvard Divinity School Studies; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999 (editio princeps and English translation of Mem. John based on A with readings from BCDS, pp. 344–53).

Pinakes lists also:

Athens, Gennadeios Bibliothekē, 001.5, fols. 131r–131v (1226; GA 1797) ~ CSNTM

Athens, Mouseio Benaki, Μπ. 69, fols. 209–210 (13th cent.; GA 1305) ~ CSNTM

Dublin, Chester Beatty Library, CBL W 139, fols. 277v–278r (12th cent.; GA 2604)

Durham, Duke University, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, K. W. Clark collection MS. 025, fols. 180r–181v (14th cent.; GA 1813) ~ IMAGES

London, British Library, Add. 19387, fols. 176–177v (13th cent.; GA 502) ~BL

Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 939, fols. 162v—163r (15th/16th cent.; GA 1573) ~ LOC

Sofia, Centăr za slavjano-vizantijski proučvanija «Ivan Dujčev», D. gr. 059, fols. 99r–99v (11th/12th cent.; GA 1787)

St. Petersburg, Filial Instituta Rossijskoj Istorii Rossijskoj Akademii Nauk, 10.667 (Granstre, 359), pp. 361–363 (12th cent.; GA 2749)

3.1.1.2 Short Note on John’s Gospel

Known manuscripts of the shorter edition of Comm. Jn. Ev. include (listed in the order of their Gregory-Aland designation):

GA 24: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 178, fol. 187r (10th cent.)

GA 37: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Cois. 21, fol. 277r (11th cent.)

GA 40: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Cois. 22, fol. 250r (11th cent.)

GA 63: Dublin, Trinity College, 31, fol. 360 (10th cent.) ~ IMAGES

GA 95: Oxford, Bodleian Library, Lincoln College Gr. 16, fol. 45v (12th cent.)

GA 100: Budapest, Eötvös Loránd Tudomány Egyetem Könyvtára, Graec. 1, fol. 271 (10th/11th cent.) ~ IMAGES

GA 108: Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale, Cod. Neapol. ex Vind. 3, fol. 317r (11th cent.)

GA 129: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 358, fol. 276 (11th cent.) ~ BAV

GA 137: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 756, fol. 238r (11th cent.) ~ BAV

GA 138: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 757, fol. 268r (11th cent.)

GA 157: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Urb. gr. 2, fols. 325r–325v (1122–1142) ~ BAV

GA 186: Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Plut. 06. 18, fol. 213 (10th cent.) ~ BML

GA 195: Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Plut. 06. 34, fol. 205r (11th cent.)

GA 222: Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Theol. Gr. 180, fol. 275r (14th cent.)

GA 233: Escorial, Real Biblioteca del Monasterio de El Escorial, Y. II. 8, fol. 218r (13th cent.)

GA 237: Moscow, Staatliches Historisches Museum, syn. 41, fol. 207r (11th cent.)

GA 259: Moscow, Staatliches Historisches Museum, syn. 44, fol. 205r (11th cent.)

GA 299: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, gr. 177, fol. 251r (10th cent.)

GA 353: Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, M. 93 sup., fol. 142r (12th cent.)

GA 374: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1455, fol. 136r (11th cent.)

GA 391: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ottob. gr. 432, fol. 177v (1055)

GA 443: Cambridge, University Library, Fonds ancien Nn. II. 36 (2598), fol. 178v (11th cent.) ~ Cambridge

GA 549: London, British Library, Add. 39592, fol. 171r (11th cent.)

GA 569: Saint Petersburg, National Library of Russia, Φ. No. 906 / Gr. 72, fol. 271v (1061)

GA 746: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Suppl. Gr. 611, fol. 277r (11th cent.)

GA 754: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Suppl. Gr. 1076, fol. 341r (11th cent.)

GA 800: Athens, Ethnikē Bib­liothēkētēs Hellados, 65, fol. 176v (12th cent.)

GA 989: Mount Athos, Monē Ibērōn, 17 (2), fol. 20v (11th/12th cent.)

GA 994: Mount Athos, Monē Ibērōn, 170 (19), fol. 119r (10th/11th cent.)

GA 1164: Patmos, St. John the Theologian Monastery, 80, fol. 193r (11th cent.)

GA 1230: Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, Gr. 193, fol. 243r (1124)

GA 1312: Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Panaghiou Taphou 25, fol. 204 (11th cent.) ~ LOC

GA 1392: Mount Athos, Pantokratoros Monastery, 39, fol. 249r (10th cent.)

GA 1422: Prague, Národní Knihovna České republiky, XXV B 07, fol. 301 (10th/11th cent.)

GA 1423: Durham, NC, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, Greek MS 60, fol. 269v (11th cent.)

GA 1521: Washington, Dumbarton Oaks, 3, fol. 213v (ca. 1084) ~ HARVARD

GA 1570: Mount Athos, Monē Batopediou, 936, fol. 233r (11th cent.)

GA 1814: Milan, Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, AF XIV 15, fol. 365r (15th cent.)

GA 2414: Zagora, Public Historical Library, 1, fol. 172r (10th cent.)

GA 2480: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 2348, fol. 1r (16th cent.)

GA 2482: Bologna, Biblioteca Comunale dell’Archiginnasio, A. 3, fol. 130r (14th cent.)

GA 2539: Saint Petersburg, National Library of Russia, Φ. No. 906 / Gr. 667, fol. 165r (11th cent.)

GA 2575: Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, A. 184 sup., fol. 1r (16th cent.)

GA 2812: Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional de España, Res. 235, fol. 455r (10th cent.)

Known manuscripts of the longer edition of Comm. Jn. Ev. include:

GA 127: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 349, fol. 293 (12th cent.) ~ BAV

GA 132: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 361, fols. 228v–229r (13th/14th cent.)

GA 147: Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. gr. 89, fol. 276 (13th cent.)

GA 170: Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana, C. 61, fol. 178v–179r (13th cent.)

GA 1401: Mount Athos, Monē Pantokratos, 59 (Lambros 1093), fol. 175 (12th cent.)

GA 1448: Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, A 13 (Eustratiades 13), fol. 63v (12th cent.) ~ LOC

GA 1490: Mount Athos, Monē Megistēs Lauras, A 065 (Eustratiades 0065), fol. 135 (12th cent.).  ~ NTVMR

GA 2367: Princeton, University Library, Garrett MS. 4, fols. 139v–140r (12th cent.)

GA 2530: Moscow, Russian State Library, Gr. 15, fol. 222 (1321)

Treu, Kurt. Die griechischen Handschriften des neuen testament in der UdSSR. Texte und Unterschungen 91. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1966 (transcription of Comm. Jn. Ev. from Moscow, Russian State Library, Gr. 15).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Brannan, Rick. “The Memorial of John.” Pages 362–74 in vol. 3 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. 3 vols. Edited by Tony Burke with Brent Landau. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016–2023 (revised English translation of the edition by Taniguchi, et. al. with translation of the Short Note on the Gospel of John).

Taniguchi, Yuko, François Bovon, and Thanasios Antonopoulos. “The Memorial of Saint John the Theologian.” Pages 333–53 in The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles. Edited by François Bovon, Ann Graham Brock, and Christopher R. Matthews. Harvard Divinity School Studies; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999 (editio princeps and English translation of Mem. John based on A with readings from BCDS, pp. 344–53).

3.3 General Works

Soden, Hermann Freiherr von. Die Schriften des Neuen Testaments. 2 vols. in 4. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1911–1919 (vol. 1.1 p. 306).