Homily on the Assumption of the Virgin by Pseudo-Cyriacus of Behnesa

Homilia de assumptione auctore Cyriaci a Behnesa

Standard abbreviation: Hom. Assum. Vir.

Other titles: On the Dormition of the Virgin

Clavis numbers: ECCA 549; CANT 147; CANT 153

Category: Dormition, Pseudo-Apostolic Memoirs

Related literature: Homily on the Virgin Mary and Her Birth, by Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem; Homily on the Assumption of the Virgin by Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem; Homily on the Dormition of the Virgin, by Evodius of Rome.

Compiled by Tony Burke, York University

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Homily on the Assumption of the Virgin, by Pseudo-Cyriacus of Behnesa.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/homily-on-the-assumption-of-the-virgin-by-pseudo-cyriacus-of-behnesa/.

Created December 2019. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

Cyriacus of Behnesa (Oxyrhynchus) is credited as author of eight homilies and an anaphora of Mary; the identity of Cyriacus is somewhat mysterious, but likely he is intended as a hero of anti-Chalcedonian Egyptian Christianity. Hom. Assum. Vir. exists today in Arabic and Ethiopic, but a Coptic original is assumed. The text to the genre of Pseudo-apostolic memoirs with a homiletic framework. In the opening, Cyriacus praises Mary, tying her conception of Jesus to the redemption of humanity necessitated by the fall of Adam and Eve. Then Cyriacus tells of a journey made in the time of Athanasius of Alexander by members of his congregation in Scetis to Jerusalem to see the relics revealed by Helen. There they meet a certain Archelaos of Athens, who read a book to the assembly written by Prochorus, the disciple of John.

This embedded text recounts briefly some of the motifs of the Dormition traditions, including the gathering of the apostles at Mary’s death, celebrated in Coptic tradition on 21 Ṭūbah (January 15, Julian). They take her body to the Valley of Josephat for burial, but abandon it when attacked by some Jewish antagonists. Angels arrive and bring the body to the foot of the Tree of Life, where Jesus allows the earth to take it until Mary’s assumption. In the meantime, the apostles are instructed to go out and preach about Jesus and Mary. After a span of 205 days, the apostles are brought to the Tree of Life on 16 Misrā (August 9, Julian). Jesus appears and places a seal on Mary’s body. The earth surrenders Mary’s body and Jesus takes her on his chariot up to the heavens, where she will remain until the resurrection.

John and Prochorus continue preaching in Asia Minor. On the first anniversary of Mary’s Assumption, John and Prochorus are brought to the heavens to take part in the heavenly celebration in memory of the Assumption. Here the text shares material with the Homily on the Assumption by Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem. Jesus appears and all the angels and cherubim and seraphim rejoice. Jesus says he called John there for the celebration and all who do the Eucharist, or good deeds or give alms to poor on this day will be rewarded. Mary is brought to the assembly and there she plays her traditional role as mediator, asking Jesus to have pity on sinners and mitigate their punishment. In response, Jesus orders the release of all those baptized from punishment and promises reward to anyone who dedicates a Eucharist to Mary on 21 Ṭūbah or 16 Misrā, as well as to whoever copies the account of her life and assumption, and to anyone who builds a church in Mary’s name. Here Ps.-Cyril continues with the apostles returning home, but Ps.-Cyriacus finishes early and returns to its homiletic framework with Cyriacus praying for Mary’s intercession with Christ.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Abbaton (angel), Adam (patriarch), Ahrumana, Anna (mother of Mary), Archaelaus (of Athens), Athanasius, Constantine (emperor), Cyriacus of Behnesa, David (king), Demetrius (disciple), devil, Elijah (prophet), Enoch (patriarch), Eve (matriarch), Gabriel (angel), Helena (empress), Holy Spirit, Isaiah (prophet), Joachim (father of Mary), Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), Joseph (of Nazareth), Joseph of Arimathea, Mary (Virgin), Michael (angel), Nicodemus, Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Prochorus, Raphael (angel), Satan, Stephen (martyr).

Geographical Locations: Asia, Bethlehem, Scetis, Israel, Izmir, Jerusalem, Judah, paradise, Valley of Jehoshaphat/Josaphat.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. arab. 170, fols. 317^v–340^r (1719)

Casados, Pillar González. “Las relaciones lingüisticas entre el siriaco y el árabe en textos religiosos árabes cristianos. PhD diss., Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2000 (text of Vat. arab. 170, pp. 329–54, Spanish translation, pp. 537–55).

3.1.2 Ethiopic

London, British Library, Or. 604, fols. 104^r–112^r (1716) ~ BL

London, British Library, Or. 606, fols. 127^v–138^v (18th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Éthiopien d’Abbadie 158, fols. 155^r–164^r (18th cent.) ~ Gallica

Däbrä Tabor, Bethlehem Church, no shelf number, pp. 322–336 (1398–1408)

Arras, Victor. De transitu Mariae apocrypha aethiopice. 2 vols. CSCO 342–343. Leuven: Sécretariat du CorpusSCO, 1973 (edition based on BL Or. 604, vol. 1: 34–55; Latin translation, vol. 2: 26–42).

Bombeck, Stefan. Die Geschichte der heiligen Maria in einer alten äthiopischen Handschrift. 2 vols. Dortmund: Praxiswissen, 2004 and 2010 (facsimile of Däbrä Tabor manuscript, vol. 1, German translation, vol. 2: 176–88).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 German

Bombeck, Stefan. Die Geschichte der heiligen Maria in einer alten äthiopischen Handschrift. 2 vols. Dortmund: Praxiswissen, 2004–2010 (Ethiopic text in vol. 1: 322–46; German translation, vol. 2: 176–88)

3.2.2 Italian

Erbetta, Mario. Gli apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. Italy: Marietti, 1975–1981 (summary of Ethiopic, vol. 1.2:616–18).

3.2.3 Latin

3.2.4 Spanish

3.3 General Works

Lantschoot, Arnold van. “L’Assomption de la Sainte Vierge chez les Coptes.” Greg 27 (1946): 493–526 at 509–11 (he mentions also Paris eth. 144 fol. 161^v–167^r in which Prochorus also features).

Suciu, Alin. The Berlin-Strasbourg Apocryphon: A Coptic Apostolic Memoir. WUNT 370. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017 (see pp. 84–85).