Homily on the Assumption of the Virgin by Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem

Homilia de assumptione, auctore Pseudo-Cyrillo Hierosolymitano

Standard abbreviation: Hom. Assum. Vir.

Other titles: Homily for 16 Mesore

Clavis numbers: ECCA 894

Category: Dormition, Pseudo-Apostolic Memoirs

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-Cyril of Jerusalem.” 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-cyril-of-jerusalem/.

Created September 2019. Currents as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

This homily, though originally composed in Coptic, today exists in a single Arabic manuscript. It belongs to the genre of Pseudo-apostolic memoirs with a homiletic framework. The homilist, Cyril, speaks on 16 Misrā, the feast day of Mary’s Assumption. After a short introduction, which includes an account of Jesus’ burial and birth, Cyril mentions finding a book in Jerusalem, the home of Mary, mother of John Mark, dictated by John the apostle to his disciple Prochorus. This embedded text presents many of the motifs of the Dormition traditions, including the apostles coming to Mary on a cloud, the arrival of the heavenly powers and deceased saints, the burning of Mary’s house, the attack on Mary’s body by Jephoniah (here named Theophanes), and the deposition of Mary’s body in a tomb (here on 21 Ṭūbah).

Thereafter, the apostles remain in Jerusalem until Mary ascends from the tomb on 16 Misrā. One of the apostles, Thomas, was absent during Mary’s death; the text says he was busy christening the nephew of the king of India. But, he arrives just as Mary is taken to paradise on a luminous chariot. As usual, Thomas doubts the apostles’ account of Mary’s death, refusing to believe she has died unless he sees the body. They open the tomb, and the body is gone. Thomas then realizes that he passed Mary in the chariot as he arrived on his cloud. This same “two-ships passing” episode also occurs in the Latin Dormition attributed to Joseph of Arimathea. The apostles pray to see where the Virgin has gone; they are brought to paradise on a bright cloud and see the body beneath the tree of life; there Jesus seals the body until the day of final judgement when Mary will be first to rise from the dead. The apostles return from whence they came and John ends the account by telling Prochorus that this is everything he saw.

The text then presents an epilogue narrated by Prochorus. He says that he wanted to send John’s account of the Dormition to the seven churches of Asia and Smyrna but John told him to wait. The pair go on a preaching journey, but when 16 Misrā comes around again, they see a great light and both are taken to a heavenly celebration of Mary’s departure. 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 gives 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. Mary thanks Jesus and then a cloud takes the apostles, and Prochorus, back home. Prochorus finishes his account by saying he deposited the text in the library in Jerusalem. Finally, the homiletic framework concludes with a benediction from Cyril.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Aaron, Abel, Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Akludaya (daughter of King of India), Andrew (apostle), Anna (mother of Mary), Bartholemew (apostle), Cleopas, Cyril of Jerusalem, David (king), Demetrius (disciple), devil, Elizabeth, Eve (matriarch), Holy Spirit, Isaac (patriarch), Jacob (patriarch), James (son of Cleopas), Jonah, Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), John the Baptist, John Mark, Luke (evangelist), Mark (evangelist), Mary (mother of John Mark), Mary (Virgin), Nicodemus, Noah (patriarch), Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Prochorus, Seth (patriarch), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Theophanes (Jephonias), Thomas (apostle).

Geographical Locations: Asia, Ephesus, Gethsemane, India, Jerusalem, paradise, Rome, Smyrna, Tarsus, Valley of Josaphat, Zion.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, arabe 150, fols. 171^r–192^v (1606)

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, pp. 288–312, Spanish translation, pp. 509–28).

3.1.2 Ethiopic

Däbrä Tabor, Bethlehem Church, no shelf number, pp. 272–320 (1398–1408)

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).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 German

3.2.2 Spanish

3.3 General Works

Suciu, Alin. The Berlin-Strasbourg Apocryphon: A Coptic Apostolic Memoir. WUNT 370. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017 (see pp. 79–80).