Homily on the Dormition of the Virgin, by Pseudo-Cyril of Alexandria

Homilia de dormitione Pseudo-Cyrillo Alexandrino adscripta

Standard abbreviation: Hom. Dorm. Vir.

Other titles: Homily for 21 Tobe

Other designations: AB2 van Esbroeck’s classification of Dormition traditions; AB 4 in Mimouni’s

Clavis numbers: ECCA 823; CANT 143

Category: Dormition, Pseudo-Apostolic Memoirs

Related literature: Homily on the Assumption of the Virgin, by Pseudo-Cyril of Alexandria; Six-Books Dormition of the Virgin

Compiled by Tony Burke, York University

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Homily on the Dormition of the Virgin, by Pseudo-Cyril of Alexandria.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/homily-on-the-dormition-of-the-virgin-by-pseudo-cyril-of-alexandria/.

Created October 2024.

1. SUMMARY

The homily is presented as a reading for 21 Tobe, the standard date for the celebration of the dormition of Mary in Coptic Christianity. It is an adaptation of the Six Books Dormition with insertions from other traditions. The following summary highlights the homily’s departures from the Six Books account.

After a lengthy introduction featuring praises, Christological statements, and discussion of Jesus’s conception based on the canonical accounts, the author moves on to material from the Six Books Dormition. Book one of the earlier account features a story of the discovery of the text—essentially, three priests from Mount Sinai come to Cyrus of Jerusalem in search of information about Mary’s passing, and they discover a letter of James, the brother of Jesus, about an account made by John the apostle. They journey to Ephesus and are given the book by a ghostly John. In the derivative account, two priests (Philip is absent) write to Cyril and they journey to Bethlehem to the home of the mother of John Mark. The content of James’s letter is different (it simply contains praises of Jesus) but the text is still found in Ephesus, along with a healing pool of water. There is no mention of the need to translate the text into Syriac.

The contents of book two (Mary’s conflicts with Jews at the tomb of Jesus) differs in the following ways: the governor who is called upon to intervene with Mary is presented early as a supporter of Mary, in a second visit to the tomb Mary speaks to Gabriel who tells her that she will soon depart the world into everlasting life, the letter to Tiberius from Abgar features additional information about a disciple (Thaddaeus/Addai) healing in Edessa, Abgar’s letter is addressed directly to the Jews telling them what he has written to Tiberius, the Jews come to Mary asking for forgiveness to avoid retribution from Tiberius (rather than continuing in their attacks on her), and Mary’s decision to journey to Bethlehem is presented in more detail.

From book three, the homily omits the information presented abut Mary’s three virgin attendants, John is brought on a cloud to see Mary and is met there by the apostles (in the Six Books they arrive later and much detail is provided about their preaching activities), the homily includes questions and answers between Mary and John on her impending death and burial followed by prayers by John answered by the Holy Spirit, the tales of healing in Bethlehem from book three are omitted, soldiers from Jerusalem seek Mary in Bethlehem and are hindered by divine powers whereas in the Six Books Mary and the apostles are whisked away to Jerusalem (in the homily there is no mention of them leaving Bethlehem, though they must at some point if she is to be buried there), the debate between Jews and Christians before the governor is drastically shortened, so that it omits also the revealing of the relics of Jesus, the homily lacks the tales of healings by Mary from afar, the man who attacks the bier is named Theophanes (not Jephonias), Theophanes is given a staff which he uses to perform miracles, and the homily passes over the attempt by Jews to burn the tomb.

From book four, the homily lacks the Holy Spirit listing the various auspicious events that have taken place on Sundays, it expands the blessing of Anna to include similar blessings by Eve and Elizabeth, makes no mention of Jesus’ declaration that Mary will go to the paradise of Eden until the resurrection, adds mention of Michael receiving the soul of Mary, skips over the long discussion of the festivals that are to be celebrated for Mary, and the writing of the dormition by the apostles.

Books five and six, which feature the tours of heaven and hell, are entirely absent in the homily. It finishes instead with the deposition of Mary’s body in the tomb (absent in the Six Books); no mention is made of the apostles returning to their preaching locations. The homily comes to an end with various injunctions to celebrate the feast.

Named historical figures and characters: Aaron, Abel, Abgar, Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Addai (apostle), Anna (mother of Mary), Caleb (Sadducee), Calvary, Daniel (prophet), David (king), David (presbyter), Elijah (prophet), Elizabeth, Enoch (patriarch), Eve (matriarch), Ezekiel (prophet), Ezra, Gabriel (angel), Isaac (patriarch), , Isaiah (prophet), Jacob (patriarch), James (son of Zebedee), James (the Righteous), Jeremiah (prophet), John (presbyter), John (son of Zebedee), Joseph (patriarch), Mary (Virgin), Michael (angel), Moses (patriarch), Noah (patriarch), Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Seth (patriarch), Solomon (king), Tiberius (emperor).

Geographical locations: Bethlehem, Edessa, Ephesus, Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Mount Sinai, paradise, Rome, Valley of Jehoshaphat/Josaphat.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 25 (Graf 720), fols. 125^r–142^r (1687)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, 445 (763), fols. 35^v–64^v (1691–1693)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, 471 (798), fols. 45^v–69^v (1741)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, arabe 141, fols. 31^r–62^v (16th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, arabe 263, fols. 70^r–90^v– (15th/16th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, arabe 155, fols. 23^v–38^v (1486)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 170, fols. 287^r–317^r(1719)

Waddi El Natrun, Dayr Qiddīs Anbā Maqqār, 378 (Hag. 12) (1755)

Casados, Pillar González. “Las relaciones lingüisticas entre el siriaco y el árabe en textos religiosos árabes cristianos. PhD diss., Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2000 (Arabic text from Sulaiman’s edition, pp. 212–47, Spanish translation, pp. 448–69).

Ḥunayn, Girgis. Kitāb mayāmir wa-ʻajāʼib al-sayyidah al-ʻadhrā Maryam. Cairo: Maṭbaʻat ʼal-Hilāl, 1902 (edition from Cairo, Coptic Museum, 25, pp. 143–68). Second edition by ‘Abd al-Masīh Sulaimān. Cairo: ‘Ayn Shams Press, 1927 (pp. 169–90).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 Spanish

3.3 General Works

3.3.1 Dormition Narratives

Aranda Pérez, Gonzalo. Dormición de la Virgen. Relatos de la tradución copta. Apócrifos cristianos 2. Madrid: Editorial Ciudad Nueva, 1995 (general introduction, pp. 15-41; Coptic traditions, pp. 42–59).

Clayton, Mary. The Apocryphal Gospels of Mary in Anglo-Saxon England. Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England 26. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998 (pp. 24–100).

Esbroeck, Michel van. “Les textes litteraires sur l’Assomption avant le X^esiècle.” 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.

Jugie, Martin. La Mort et l’Assumption de la Sainte Vierge: Étude historico-doctrinale. Studi e Testi 114. Vatican City: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944.

McNamara, Martin. “Transitus Mariae: General Introduction.” Pages 225–44 in Apocrypha Hiberniae II. Apocalyptica 2. Edited by Martin McNamara et al. CCSA 21. Turnhout: Brepols, 2019.

Mimouni, Simon. Dormition et assumption de Marie: Histoire des traditions anciennnes. Paris: Beauchesne, 1995.

__________. Les traditions anciennes sur la Dormition et l’Assomption de Marie: Études littéraires, historiques et doctrinales. Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 104. Leiden: Brill, 2011.

Shoemaker, Stephen J. Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary’s Dormition and Assumption. Oxford Early Christian Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

__________. Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016.

Wenger, Antoine. L’Assomption de la T.S. Vierge dans la tradition byzantine du VI^e au X^e siècle. Études et documents. Archives de l’Orient chrétien 5. Paris: Institut français d’études byzantines, 1955.

3.3.2 Homily on the Dormition of the Virgin, by Pseudo-Cyril of Alexandria

Giamberardini, Gabriele. Il culto mariano in Egitto. 3 vols. Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 1974–1978 (vol. 1, pp. 173–74).

Lantschoot, Arnold van. “L’Assomption de la Sainte Vierge chez les Coptes.” Gregorianum 27 (1946): 493–526 (pp. 508–509).

Mimouni, Simon. Dormition et assumption de Marie: Histoire des traditions anciennnes. Paris: Beauchesne, 1995 (pp. 223–24).