Dormition of the Virgin, Six-Books

Libri VI de dormitione B. V. Mariae

Standard abbreviation: 6 Bks. Dorm.

Other titles: a representative of the “Bethlehem” or “Bethlehem and Censers” tradition, and sometimes the Transitus Mariae or Transitus Dormition text tradition. This text tradition is sometimes also called the “5 Books,” but most Dormition narratives in 5 books are much closer to the Liber Requiae text tradition, which included a Great Angel giving Mary a book. The text of the oldest nearly complete Dormition manuscript, the lower script of the fifth-century palimpsest translated by Agnes Smith Lewis, is sometimes incorrectly called 5 Books because it has a lacuna at the end where the sixth book would have been, but the text itself specifies that it was written in “six books.”

Clavis numbers: ECCA 220; CANT 123, BHO 620–630 (Syriac 6 Books); CANT 124 (5 Books); CANT 140, BHO 633-636 (Arabic 6 Books); CANT 150, CANT 151, BHO 639 (Ethiopic 6 Books)

Category: Dormition Accounts

Related literature: Assumption of the Virgin (Syriac); Homily on the Dormition of the Virgin by Pseudo-Cyril of Alexandria; Life of the Virgin, by Maximus the Confessor; History of the Virgin (East Syriac); Life of Mary (West Syriac)

Compiled by Ally Kateusz, Wijngaards Institute of Catholic Research ([email protected])

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Kateusz, Ally. “Six-Books Dormition of the Virgin.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/six-books-dormition-of-the-virgin/.

Posted June 2019

1. SUMMARY

The Six-Books Dormition narrative about Mary’s death appears in later manuscripts as part of a Life of Mary comprising also the Protevangelium of James, the Vision of Theophilus, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. The following summary is based on the earliest source: the fifth-century palimpsest discovered by Agnes Smith Lewis. Lacunae, where indicated, are filled by the sixth-century manuscript translated by William Wright.

Book 1 begins with a long encomium to Mary.  According to the narrative, three holy men at Mount Sinai wanted to read the book about Mary’s death written by John the theologian, and wrote Cyrus the bishop of Jerusalem. Cyrus found a letter in which James had written that the twelve apostles wrote six books about Mary’s passing. Cyrus sent people who finally found the book in Ephesus after the apostle John came to them in a dream and told them, “Take the book” to Mount Sinai so that there would be a commemoration of Mary three times a year.

The account of Mary begins in Book 2 with Mary going to the tomb of her son carrying incense and fire in a censer. When she throws myrrh on the censer, the angel Gabriel appears and tells her that she will soon depart from the world. The guards at the tomb inform “the priests” that Mary was praying, and “the priests” ask the governor to tell Mary not to pray at the grave. Mention is made of King Abgar sending letters blaming the Jews for Jesus’ death. Tiberius reads the letter and wants to kill “the Jews.” The governor tells “the priests” to do what they wish with Mary, but she refuses to do what they ask. Mary falls sick and says she wants to go to Bethlehem. People come to her and she blesses them. The three virgins who serve her bring her censer and spices, and Mary lifts her arms and blesses them. They all go to Bethlehem, where Mary tells the women to bring her the censers because she wants to pray. Here a small lacuna is filled by Wright’s manuscript: Mary asks for John the young to come to her, and he came from Ephesus. Resuming with the palimpsest, Mary tells John to set out the censer and first she, and then he, pray. The Holy Spirit tells the other apostles to go to Jerusalem, and they arrive on clouds. Each reports to Mary what he has been doing. Mary raises her arms and prays and praises God, after which the apostles prostrate.

In Book 3, women come to Mary from cities around the Mediterranean. Mary teaches them and blesses them, and gives them writings to take back to their cities. She heals women by sprinkling water and sealing, laying her hands on their heads, and exorcising demons. She heals a boy and then 2800 people. The priests, unhappy about this, again go to the governor, who says he will not drive her out of her house, but orders 30 men to bring her to him. Meanwhile, the apostles carry Mary in a procession to her house in Jerusalem. Angels go in and out of Mary’s house, and many people assemble outside. The priests say they want to burn her house and the governor approves it, but all who try are burnt by the flames of God. The governor finally believes and blames the priests and elders and Sadducees, and thus began a great debate between the “messiah lovers” and the “unbelievers” about the “son of Mary.” The governor tells the unbelievers to reveal where the three crosses are buried, and they do, and report that the site has healed thousands of people. The governor orders that more stones be heaped upon the site so that it will no longer heal the “children of Israel.” Then the governor and his sick son go to see Mary. They find Mary praying with a censor, and she blesses the governor and preaches the gospel to him, then heals his son with her hand, sealing him. Mary continues her miracles and the apostles write them down, including appearing to people from Rome, helping sailors, helping people in danger of robbers, rescuing a widow’s son from a well, curing a man who cast incense on a censer and called upon her, and more; she appears both in these countries and at the same time in Jerusalem with the apostles. The Holy Spirit tells the apostles to take her to a cave. “The Jews” mock them. Wright’s manuscript continues the story with the scribes telling Yuphanya to knock Mary from her litter, but his arms fall off. Then he implores Mary, and Mary tells Peter to reattach his arms. Despite Peter’s actions, the Jews want to burn Mary’s body, so Jesus comes and gathers his mother from the world (presumably from one location to another).

The palimpsest resumes at Book 4 with the apostles attending Mary in the cave. The Holy Spirit tells them to set the censer and the Lord will come for his mother the following day. On the Sabbath, Eve, Mary’s mother, and Elisabeth arrive, along with patriarchs from Adam to David, and the 72 apostles. Then Christ arrives on the chariot of seraphim. He tells Mary that her body will reside in Paradise until the Resurrection. Then the apostles ask her to bless the world and those who commemorate her. She kisses Jesus’ hands and asks him to accept the offerings that people present to her in these commemorations. And the apostles write down that there should be three commemorations a year in Mary’s name. The palimpsest breaks off here but Wright’s manuscript continues with the apostles writing a liturgical manual, with instructions on how the bread that is to be offered to Mary should be made, how it is to be offered on the altar of the church, and what is to be sung and read. Then the apostles write six books, one for each pair of apostles.

Book 5 takes up the story with Mary in Paradise. Jesus says, “Mary, rise,” and she is restored to life. Then he takes his mother on a tour of the heavens in a “chariot of light” with “wheels of fire.” She enters the twelve gates of heaven and he shows her hidden and terrible things. Finally, Book 6 features a vision of Mary. She sees two worlds: the one that passes away and the one that does not pass away. In the latter, she sees the “the tabernacles of the just, and multitudes standing on this side of these tabernacles.” Jesus tells her, “From a distance they behold their happiness, until the day of resurrection, when they shall inherit their mansions.” Then Mary sees another place that smells of sulfur, and she “offered a prayer for the sinners, and said: Rabbuli, have mercy upon the wicked.” Jesus takes his mother to the Paradise of Eden. Mary calls John and tells him everything that she has been shown.

Named historical figures and characters: Abgar, Abigail, Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Addai (apostle), Andrew (apostle), Anna (mother of Mary), Bartholomew (apostle), Caleb (Sadducee), Calletha (daughter of Nicodemus), Cyrus (bishop of Jerusalem), David (king), David (presbyter), Eve (matriarch), Flavia, Gabriel (angel), Holy Spirit, Isaac (patriarch), Jacob (patriarch), James (son of Zebedee), James (the Righteous), Jephonia, Jesus Christ, John (presbyter), John (son of Zebedee), Luke (evangelist), Lydan (king of the Indians), Malchu (daughter of Sabinus), Mark (evangelist), Mary (Virgin), Matthew (apostle), Neshri (daughter of Gamaliel), Nicodemus, Noah (patriarch), Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Philip (deacon), Sabinus (the procurator), Seth (patriarch), Shem (patriarch), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Sophron (king of Egypt), Tabetha (daughter of King Archelaus), Tiberius (emperor), Thomas (apostle), Yuchabar (daughter of Nonnus the Hyparch).

Geographical locations: Alexandria, Asia, Athens, Beirut, Bethlehem, Ephesus, India, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Mount Sinai, Pontus, Rome, Sion, Thebais, Tiberias.

2. RESOURCES

2.1 Art and Iconography

2.1.1 Deir al-Surian monastery church

The second-oldest art depicting the Dormition is this mural dated early 700s to 914 in the Deir al-Surian monastery church in Egypt.  It preserves women carrying censers and incense around Mary, which is dominant in the Six-Books text tradition, as well as a Great Angel standing in the place of Jesus, which is characteristic of the so-called “Palm” or Liber Requiei Dormition text tradition. Photo courtesy Karel Innemée.

Innemée, Karel. “Deir al-Surian: Treasure Chest in the Desert.” Raw: Egypt’s Heritage Review 3 (2011). Online: https://rawi-magazine.com/articles/deirelsurian/.

Vatican, Biblioteca apostolica Vaticana, Vat. lat. 8541 (1320–1342): the famous Anjou Legendarium, featuring illustrations of the careers of several apostles as well as several pages devoted to the Dormition of the Virgin (fols. 1–3).

2.1.2 Rabbula Gospels illumination

This illumination mirrors the Six-Books text, which says that Mary raised her arms to pray while surrounded by the twelve apostles (including Paul), after which they heard thunder like the sound of chariot wheels, and not long after, Jesus descended in his chariot of light held up by angels, which had wheels of fire. All of these elements are seen in this composition.

“Rabbula Gospels.” Wikipedia.

Death of the Virgin and Adoration of the Magi Diptych (Victora & Albert Museum, London; 14th cent.): the right leaf (top panel) shows the Death of the Virgin Mary. In the left leaf (top panel) Jesus blesses Mary after she has ascended to heaven.

Eulogia of the Dormition (Beth She’an) (Israel Antiquities Association, 6th/7th cent.): terracotta token, perhaps from the Church of the Sepulchre of St. Mary in the Kidron Valley, showing Mary lying on a bed with three figures looking on at her head and another figure, partially damaged, at her feet.

2.2. Internet Resources

Paulson, Shirley. “Startling Discoveries of Ancient Christian Art Change Views of Women: A Video Interview with Dr. Ally Kateusz.” The Bible and Beyond. Posted 20 June 2019. Online: https://earlychristiantexts.com/ancient-christian-art-changes-views-of-women/.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic

3.1.1.1 Arabic Script (CANT 140–141; BHO 633–636)

Bonn, Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, or. 29, fols. 64v–91v (1801)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Christ. Add. Arab. 130, fol. 1+Bryn Mawr, Bryn Mawr College Library, BV 69, fols. 4v–40v (ca. 830–880)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 698, fols. 51v–85r (14th cent.) ~ a Six-Books text but attributed to John the Evangelist (=CANT 141)

Enger, Maximilian. Ionnis Apostoli de Transitu Beatae Mariae Virginis Liber. Eberfeld, 1854 (edition of Bonn or. 29 with Latin translation).

González Casado, Pilar, ed. “Las relaciones linguisticas entre el siriaco y el arabe en textos religiosos arabes cristianos.” Dissertation. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2013 (reproduction of Enger’s edition, pp. 181–211; Spanish trans. pp. 416–48; text from Var. ar. 698, pp. 361–403, and Spanish trans., pp. 559–92).

Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Studi e testi 118, 133, 146–147, 172. Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944–1953 (survey of Arabic manuscripts, vol. 1, pp. 249–51).

3.1.1.2 Garšūnī Script (additional manuscripts listed with West Syriac Life of Mary)

Jerusalem, Monastery of Saint Mark, 38 (199), fols. 414v–420v (1734)

Mosul, Mar Behnam Monastery, 207 (olim 14), fols. 12r–31v, 31v–39r (17th cent.) ~ as books 5 and 6 of the West Syriac Life of Mary

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 232, fols. 496r–522v (17th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 233, fols. 1r–37r (16th cent.) ~ first page missing

Qarah Qūsh, Mar Sarkis and Bakhos Syrian Orthodox Church, 59, fols. 2r–43v and 43v–50v (18th/19th cent.) ~ as books 5 and 6 of the West Syriac Life of Mary

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 238, fols. 147r–161r (Arabic and Garšūnī, dated 1474)

Shoemaker, Stephen, John Lamoreaux, and Jean-Daniel Kaestli. “An Early Dormition Narrative in Karshuni: An Edition and Translation of the ‘Six Books’ Apocryphon from the Karshuni Codex 199 of St. Mark’s in Jerusalem (Apograph of Dam. Patr. 12/17 & 12/18).” Apocrypha 23 (2022): 13–90.

3.1.2 Ethiopic (CANT 150; CANT 151; BHO 639)

Most of these manuscripts contain three texts: an epitome of the Six-Books (CANT 151), followed by a fuller text in two books (CANT 150).

Addis Ababa, Church of the Savior of the World, EMML 543, fols. 76v–102v (1965)

Addis Ababa, Patriarchate Library, EMML 744, fols. 37r–59v (1959–1970)

London, British Library, Or. 604, fols. 45r–65r (1716–1721)

London, British Library, Or. 605, fols. 108r–133v (18th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 606 (18th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ethiop. 53, fols. 25r–64r (16th cent.) ~ lacks CANT 151 and book 1 of CANT 150

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Abbadie 128, fols. 115v–129v (18th cent.) ~ lacks book 1 of CANT 150

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ethiop. 54, fols. 4–9 + 3 + 10–16 (16th cent.) ~ lacks book 1 of CANT 150

Tānāsee, Kebran Gabriel Monastery, 45

Arras, Victor. De transitu Mariae apocrypha aethiopice. 2 vols. CSCO 342–343. Leuven: Sécretariat du CorpusSCO, 1973 (edition based on BL 604–606, vol. 1: 85–100; Latin translation, vol. 2: 55–66).

Chaîne, Marius, ed. and trans. Apocrypha de Beata Mariae Virgine. CSCO 39–40. Rome: Karolus de Luigi, 1909 (CSCO 39 Ethiopian text of the Paris manuscripts, pp. 21–49; CSCO 40 Latin translation, pp.  17–42).

3.1.3 Syriac (CANT 123; CANT 124; BHO 620–630)

Incorporated also in the Life of Mary (West Syriac) and the History of the Virgin (East Syriac) (see entries for manuscript listings).

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Or. Quart. 802 (Sachau 59), fols. 55r–68r (17th/18 cent.)

Cambridge, University Library, Or. 1287, lower text fols. 53r, 22, 44/40, 43, 23, 52, 20, 41, 42, 19, 65, 38, 76, 77, 39, 64, 16, 29, 13, 14, 30/27, 15, 69/68, 1/5, 25, 24, 2, 67/66, 74, 4, 3, 75, 36, 28, 31, 37 (upper text 9th/10th cent.; lower script, 5th/6th cent.)

ma-bulletGöttingen, Universitätsbibliothek, syr. 10 + Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, M26N + Sp. 78, fols. 4v–37v (5th/6th cent.)

London, British Library, Add. 14484, fols. 18v–47r (6th cent.)

London, British Library, Add. 14730, fols. 84v–87r (12th cent.) ~ Book 6 only

London, British Library, Add. 14732, fols. 2v–16r (13th cent.)

Mosul, Mar Behnam Monastery, Sony 20, fols. 12r–25v, 27r–78v (15th/16th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 588, lower text fols. 58v, 58r, 63r, 63v, 64r, 64v, 53r, 53v, 65v, 65r, 50r, 50v, 59r, 59v, 56r, 56v (5th/6th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, arab. 514 + London and Oslo, Schøyen Collection, MS 579, fols. 1–4 (Syriac lower writing 5th/6th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, syr. 30, fols. 151, 155, 156, 159r, 160 (upper writing dated 698; lower writing 5th/6th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 196, fols. 406r–416v (dated 1417) ~ fragments from Books 1–4

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borgia sir. 39 (16th cent.)

Brock, Sebastian P. and Grigory Kessel. “The ‘Departure of Mary’ in Two Palimpsests at the Monastery of St. Сatherine (Sinai Syr. 30 & Sinai Arabic 514).” Khristiansky Vostok 8 (2017) 115–52 (editions and English translations of Sinai syr. 30 and Sinai arab. 514).

Hochstedler, Andrew. “The Late Antique Syriac Book of Mary and a New Witness to the Departure of Mary in Six Books from Sinai Arabic 588.” Apocrypha 33 (2022): 91–166.

Lewis, Agnes Smith, ed. Apocrypha Syriaca. The Protevangelium Jacobi and Transitus Mariae with Texts from the Septuagint, the Corân, the Peshitta, and from a Syriac Hymn in a Syro-Arabic Palimpsest of the Fifth and Other Centuries. Studia Sinaitica 11. London: C. J. Clay, 1902 (text from Cambridge Or. 1287, pp. 2–115 and translation, pp. 12–69 [Syriac numbering]; text of Sinai Palimpsest 30, pp. 150–57 [Syriac numbering]).

Shoemaker, Stephen. “New Syriac Dormition Fragments from Palimpsests in the Schøyen Collection and the British Library.” Mus 124 (2011): 259–78 (Syriac and English translation of pages from Sinai arab. 514  side-by-side pp. 268–77).

Wright, William. “The Departure of my Lady Mary from this World.” Journal of Sacred Literature and Biblical Record 6 (1865): 417–48 (introduction and part 1 Syriac, based on BL Add. 14484 and 14732); 7 (1865): 108–28 (part 2 Syriac), 129–60 (English trans.).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Budge, E. A. Wallis, ed. Legends of Our Lady Mary, The Perpetual Virgin and Her Mother, Hanna. London: Martin Hopkinson and company, Ltd., 1922 (English translation of the Ethiopic text in BL 604, pp. 143–201).

Elliott, J. K. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993 (summary of the text from Smith Lewis’ edition, pp. 716–19).

Shoemaker, Stephen J. Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 (palimpsest fragments from Sinai ar. 30, pp. 370–74).

Wright, William. “The Departure of my Lady Mary from this World.” Journal of Sacred Literature and Biblical Record 6 (1865): 417–48 (introduction and part 1 Syriac, based on BL Add. 14484 and 14732); 7 (1865): 108–28 (part 2 Syriac), 129–60 (English trans.).

3.2.2 French

Migne, Jacques-Paul. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes. 2 vols. 1856. Repr., Turnhout: Brepols, 1989 (translation of Enger’s Arabic edition, vol. 1, cols. 503–32).

3.2.3 Italian

Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (translation of Smith Lewis’ text from Cambridge Or. 1287, vol. 1.2, pp. 545–73).

3.2.4 Spanish

González Casado, Pilar, ed. “Las relaciones linguisticas entre el siriaco y el arabe en textos religiosos arabes cristianos.” Dissertation. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2013 (reproduction of Enger’s edition, pp. 181–211; Spanish trans. pp. 416–48).

3.3 General Works

Bauckham, Richard. The Fate of the Dead: Studies on the Jewish and Christian Apocalypses. NovT Sup 93. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 1998 (pp. 346–60).

Edwards, J. Christopher. “The Departure of My Lady Mary from this World (The Six Books Dormition Apocryphon).” Pages 308–20 in Early New Testament Apocrypha. Edited by J. Christopher Edwards. Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies 9. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2022.

Esbroeck, Michel-Jean van. “Les textes litteraires sur l’Assomption avant le Xsiècle.” Pages 265–85 in Les actes apocryphes des apôtres. Edited by François Bovon. Publications de la faculte de theologie de l’Universite de Geneve 4. Geneva: Labor et Fides, 1981.

Grypeou, Emmanouela and Juan Pedro Monferrer-Sala. “‘A tour of the other world’: A contribution to the textual and literary criticism of the ‘Six Books Apocalypse of the Virgin.’” Collectanea Christiana Orientalia 6 (2009): 115–66.

Kateusz, Ally. “Ascension of Christ or Ascension of Mary?: Reconsidering a Popular Early Iconography.” JECS 23.2 (2015): 273–303.

__________. “Collyridian Deja Vu: The Trajectory of Redaction of the Markers of Mary’s Liturgical Leadership.” JFSR 29.2 (2013): 75–92.

__________. Mary and Early Christian Women: Hidden Leadership. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019 (pp. 19–48).

Meshcherskaya, Elena. “The Seasons of the Year and the Marian Feasts in the Syriac Apocryphon ‘Dormition of Mary’” (in Russian). Pages 168–86 in Bible Studies, Slavonic Studies and Russian Studies in Honour of the 70th Birthday of Professor A. Alekseev. St. Petersburg, 2011.

Mimouni, Simon. Dormition et assumption de Marie: Histoire des traditions anciennnes. Paris: Beauchesne, 1995 (pp. 91–104).

Shoemaker, Stephen J. Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 (pp. 46–57).

__________. “Apocrypha and Liturgy in the Fourth Century: The Case of the ‘Six Books’ Dormition Apocryphon.” Pages 153–63 in Jewish and Christian Scriptures: The Function of ‘Canonical’ and ‘Non-canonical’ Religious Texts. Edited by James H. Charlesworth and Lee Martin McDonald. London: T&T Clark, 2010.

__________. “Epiphanius of Salamis, the Kollyridians, and the Early Dormition Narratives: The Cult of the Virgin in the Fourth Century.” JECS 16 (2008): 371–401.

__________. Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016 (pp. 130–65).

__________. “A Peculiar Version of the Inventio Crucis.” StPatr 41 (2006): 75–81.