Homily on the Archangel Gabriel by Pseudo-Archelaos of Neapolis

In Gabrielem

Standard abbreviation: Hom. Gab.

Other titles: Miracles of Gabriel, Four Miracles of Gabriel, On the Archangel Gabriel

Clavis numbers: ECCA 627

Category: Pseudo-Apostolic Memoirs

Related literature: Investiture of the Archangel Gabriel

Compiled by Tony Burke, York University

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Homily on the Archangel Gabriel by Pseudo-Archelaos of Neapolis.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/homily-on-the-archangel-gabriel-by-pseudo-archelaos-of-neapolis/.

Created February 2020. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

Two works are credited to Archelaos of Neapolis: On Isaiah (CC 0046) and Hom. Gab. He is not otherwise known in Coptic literature outside of these texts, though a second homily on Gabriel by the same author is found in Ethiopic manuscripts. In the homiletic framework of the text, dignitaries come to see Archelaos in Neapolis (likely Maiuma, the port city of Gaza; in the Ethiopic text he is bishop of Dāhnā, and in Arabic Irā or Danah) asking to be informed about the day of Gabriel. He tells how, when only a priest, he went to the holy places established by Helen in Jerusalem and then on to Siloam and then the Monastery of Romanos in Maiuma (near Gaza). In the monastery’s library he found an old book containing compositions by the apostles. He excerpts a passage in which Jesus teaches the apostles hidden mysteries on the Mount of Olives. He is accompanied by two men. Peter asks who they are. Jesus says one is Michael, who prays before the face of the Father for the salvation of humanity, and the other is Gabriel, the second of the angels and the one who appeared to Mary and Zechariah. Then John asks, are these the only angels? Jesus responds that there are seven but Michael and Gabriel are the ones who stand before the Father. Jesus tells the apostles the feast days of the two angels—12 Hathor for Michael and 22 Khoiakh for Gabriel—and then ascends to heaven.

Archelaos wants to build a church to Gabriel in Neapolis. At first, the bishop Nicolas is reluctant, but after Gabriel reassures him in a dream, Nicolas agrees to the project. Several miracles are related that occurred at the hands of Gabriel during the building of the church: a man digging the foundation is bitten by poisonous snake and restored to life, a man’s foot crushed by a foundation stone is healed, Gabriel helps erect the columns to support the roof, and performs a miraculous feeding of the workmen with the aid of a poor man named Eutropios and his wife Caesarea. The building is consecrated on 22 Khoiakh. During the service, a paralyzed man is healed by oil issuing from a pillar; the pillar becomes a healing site. Archelaos then narrates a series of miracles that occurred after the building of the church. A merchant named Perotios borrows money from a wealthy man and names Gabriel as his guarantor. He refuses to give the wealthy man the money back, and when brought before a painted image of Gabriel in the church, he is paralyzed and then suspended in the air for two hours. Perotios calls out to Gabriel for forgiveness and is released. The wealthy man donates the money to the church. In the second story, a merchant named Philosophron is saved by Gabriel from a storm at sea. In gratitude, Philosophron orders a gold and silver icon of Gabriel. The craftsman tries to take some of the materials for himself and is struck blind. He calls out to Gabriel for healing and his sight is restored. The icon is donated to the church and becomes a healing site. Archealos then brings the homily comes to a close with an exhortation to avoid sin.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Abijah (priest), Archelaos (of Neapolis), Caesaria (of Neapolis), Constantine (emperor), devil, Eutropios (of Neapolis), Gabriel (angel), Helena (empress), Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), John (the Baptist), Mary (Virgin), Michael (angel), Nicolas (bishop), Peter (apostle), Perotios (of Neapolis), Philosophron (of Neapolis), Zechariah (priest).

Geographical Locations: Constantinople, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Maiuma, Monastery of Romanos, Neapolis, Siloam.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 145, fols. 280^v–311^r (GALLICA)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 147, fols. 34^r–57^r

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 148, fols. 34^r–56^v (1654–1655)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 4879 (GALLICA)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 6985 (GALLICA)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 24, fols. 39^r–41^v (1360) (CMB 11-2)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 32, fols. 39^r–60^v (17th/18th cent.) (CMB 11-11d)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 190(A), fols. 42^v–68^v (16th/17th cent.) ~ (CMA 10-2)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 6437(I), fols. 36^r–40^v (18th/19th cent.) (CMB 8-20I)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 6438B, fols. 60^r–70^r (14th cent.) (CMB 7-34)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 6417, fols. 2^r–14^v (16th cent.) (CMB 8-1A)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 6427(B), fols. 9^r–16^v (19th cent.) (CMB 8-10B)

Cairo 445, fols. 255^r–266^v(1691–1693)

Cairo 447, 6

Cairo 467, fols. 240^r–257^v (18th cent.)

Cairo 719, fols. 52^r–53^v (1380)

Cairo 728, fols. 157^r–177^r (17th cent.)

Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Studi e testi 118, 133, 146–147, 172. Vatican: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944–1953 (Arabic witnesses listed in vol 1:544).

Girgis, Murqus. Kitāb at-ta‘haza ar-rūhīya. Cairo, 1926 (Arabic text from Cairo 719, pp. 220–50).

3.1.2 Coptic (CPC 0045; PAThs entry)

3.1.2.1 Bohairic

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. Copt. 59, fols. 30^r–49^v (884; =MACA.AR; PAThs entry) – see Hyvernat Album pl. 22; colophon fol. 29^v gives date ~ DIGIVATLIB

Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, 1089 (Tischendorf XXVII), fol. 2 + Cairo, Coptic Museum, Abu Maqar 39 (PAThs entry) ~ corresponds to 35^r–37^r of Vat. Copt. 59

Crum, Walter E. “Hagiographica from Leipzig Manuscripts.” Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology 29 (1907): 289–96, 301–307 (description of the Leipzig fragment, pp. 293–94).

Vis, Henri de. Homélies coptes de la Vaticane. Vol. 2. Cahiers de Bibliothèque Copte 5. Copenhagen: Gyldendalske Roghandel-Nordisk Forlag, 1929 (text and French translation of Vat. Copt. 59, pp. 242–91; with readings from White’s text in notes, pp. 259–60; and Munier’s Cairo text in parallel, pp. 273–79).

Munier, Henri. Manuscrits coptes. Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire, 74. Cairo: Imprimerie IFAO, 1916 (text of Cairo, Coptic Museum, 39, pp. 68–70)

Evelyn White, Hugh G. The Monasteries of the Wadi ‘n Natrûn. Part 1: New Coptic Texts from the Monastery of Saint Macarius. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1926 (additional page of Cairo 39, p. 71).

3.1.3 Coptic (Sahidic)

New York, Morgan Library and Museum, M583 (=MICH.BP), fols. 1^r–16^v (848)

MONB.CU (PAThs entry):

pp. 65–66: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 131¹, fol. 27

pp. [85–86?] : New York, Morgan Library and Museum, M664B(18) ~ MML

pp. [87–88?]: Cairo, Coptic Museum, 9254

pp. 97–98: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 132¹, fol. 4

pp. 99–100: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 131³, fol. 36

Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 38 (7th/8th cent.; PAThs entry) ~ destroyed in fire

Müller, Matthias. “Archelaos of Neapolis, In Gabrielem.” Pages 305–458 Martyrs and Archangels: Coptic Literary Texts from the Pierpont Morgan Library. Edited by Matthias Müller and Sami Uljas. STAC 116. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2019 (edition of MICH.BP, pp. 333–64, English translation, pp. 365–92; edition of MONB.CU, pp. 427–36, translation, pp. 437–46; includes black and white images of fols. 7^r, 8^r, 9^r).

3.1.4 Ethiopic

Hom. Gab. occurs sometimes in Homiliaries of Gabriel, alongside, in some cases, another Homily on Gabriel attributed to Archelaos. Hom. Gab. is distinguished by the added detail that this homily was delivered when Archelaos was a priest. Note also that it is sometimes called Miracles (or Four Miracles) of Gabriel.

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, or. fol. 117, pp. 197–206 (14th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. et. 82 (II, p. 309 in Grebaut-Tisserant)

Addis Ababa, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, 37 (EMML 1311), fols. 1031^v–1051^v, 1431^r–1451^r (19th cent.)

Ambassal, Monastery of Ḥayq Esṭifānos, EMML 1835, fols. 76^v–106^v (15th cent.)

Ambassal, Monastery of Ḥayq Esṭifānos, EMML 1837, fols. 160^r–165^r (no date provided)

Ambassal, Monastery of Ḥayq Esṭifānos, EMML 1841, fols. 62^v–89^r (17th cent.)

Ankobarr, Church of G^weguf Mikā’ēl, EMML 3527, fol. 51^v–53^r (19th cent.)

Ankobarr, Church of Masčā (Gadām) Māryām, EMML 3986, fol. 30^r–32^v (19th cent.)

Ankobarr, Church of Sinā Mikā’ēl, EMML 2229, fols. 119^r–123^r (18th cent.)

Ankobarr, Church of Tarater Gabre’ēl, EMML 3142, fols. 79^r–83^v (19th cent.)

Dabra Berhān, Church of Tabot Wāššā Giyorgis, EMML 4533, fols. 3^r–4^v (19th cent.)

Dannaba, Church of Terater Abbo, EMML 4489, fols. 5^r–6^v (19th cent.)

Dannaba, Church of Terater Abbo, EMML 4505, fols. 47^v–82^r (19th/20th cent.)

Dannabā, Church of Dermā Gabre’ēl, EMML 4545, fols. 66^r–68^v (1953/1854)

Dasē, Church of Dasē Madhānē ‘Ālam, EMML 4800, fols. 56^r–57^r (18th cent.)

Dasē, Church of Dasē Madhānē ‘Ālam, EMML 4811, fols. 107^r–109^r, 158^v–160^v (20th cent.)

Dasē, Private library of Abbā Hezān Mehratu, EMML 4864, fols. 72^r–94^v(17th/18th cent.)

Mogā and Wadarrā, Church of Megel Wāššā Gabre’ēl, EMML 4510, fols. 6^r–22^v (18th cent.)

Mogā and Wadarrā, Church of Megel Wāššā Gabre’ēl, EMML 4541, fols. 7^r–14^r (18th cent.)

Tahulladarē, Church of Hayq Yohannes, EMML 4979, fols. 72^r–94^v (17th/18th cent.)

Yaggu, Church of Waldeyā Gabre’ēl, Gubalafto, EMML 3442, fol. 3^r–8^v (18th cent.)

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 French

3.3 General Works

Coquin, René-Georges. “Discours attribué au Patriarche Cyrille, sur la dédicae de l’église de S. Raphael, rapportant les propos de son oncle Théophile.” BSAC 33 (1994): 25–56.

Müller, C. Detlef G. Die Engellehre der koptischen Kirche: Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der christlichen Frömmigkeit in Ägypten. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1959 (pp. 218–20).

__________. “Die alte koptische Predigt (Versuch eines Überblicks).” PhD Diss. Ruprecht-Karl-Universität, Heidelberg, 1954 (pp. 103–104, 156–66).

Suciu, Alin. The Berlin-Strasbourg Apocryphon: A Coptic Apostolic Memoir. WUNT 370. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017 (see pp. 88–90).