Homily on the Virgin Mary

Standard abbreviation: Hom. Vir.

Other titles: Sermon on Mary

Clavis numbers: ECCA 625

Category: Infancy Gospels, Pseudo-Apostolic Memoirs

Related literature:

Status: unassigned

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style):

1. SUMMARY

Robinson:

‘Moreover the days were fulfilled that she should bear. There went out a decree from the king Augustus that all the world should be enrolled after its villages. Joseph arose, and took Mary his wife, and set her on his ass, and went with her in the way. And he went up to be enrolled after his city, because he was of the house and the family of David. They went in the way at the borders of Bethlehem. And seeing the face of the Virgin exceedingly bright as lightning, he wondered exceedingly. The Virgin said to him. Let me down from the ass (r«^«.t enecHT ^.^tslm iiei(o), for that which is in my womb (neT^n ^ht) moves (rim) me, that I should bring it forth (eTp^^TSLiioq). And Joseph lifted up his eyes hither and thither, +him (or it Mjuoq) in the way+ {text corrupt) and saw no place into which to go; and he knew not the end of the dispensation (noLioK nToiRonoMi«^) of God. And that place was a desert, there being a tomb (otm^^^^^t) therein in the way. And Joseph brought the Virgin, and left her therein (&qRd^«i.c n^HTq). It was the hour of evening. Joseph went forth among all the borders of Bethlehem, seeking a woman, that he might leave her with her (eTpeqR«k.dwC ^^w^thc). Now whilst Joseph was without, the Virgin brought forth her Son; and she took swaddling clothes, and wrapped Him in them, and laid Him in a manger of cattle (^n oTOMq njl^itH), out of which cattle eat; for there was no room for them in the inn. And Joseph found a woman at the hour of dawn, whose name was {lit, is) Salome. Now she was a midwife. He brought her unto the Virgin, and he saw the babe wrapped in the swaddling clothes : and she saw the Virgin, her face bright from the Holy Ghost. She ran («^cnu>T) and came outside, and cried out with a loud (lit, great) voice to all the borders of Bethlehem, Come ye, and see this great wonder. A virgin has bom a chUdj and has not known a man, being a virgin like her (? The MS has eco Mn«.p^enoc iiTCCj^e T€cj^e). And through the great wonder she believed on Him, that He was (lit. is) the Son of God. And she did not cease following the Virgin and the Saviour, until He was crucified, and rose from the dead and went up to the heavens.’

Lord Crawford’s Sahidic MS 36 contains an account of the Magi and of Zacharias, which follows two pages after the story of the Birth of our Lord:

‘ It was His star that the Magi saw in the east (^it AIM&. nujdk), and left their magic arts (niteirM&>^fdi), which their fathers served {lit. serve). And seeking in the host of heaven, they knew that the star which appeared was {lit. is) that of which Balaam the diviner (m«i.iitic) prophesied (npoc^HTCTc). They hasted and brought their gifts to (m) the Son of God. They came as {lit. being) Magi; they renounced the service (iguige) of the demons (‘^i.iMCDii) ; they worshipped the Son of God. The angel of the Lord appeared to them, and warned them that they should go another waj, which he showed them. They came as (lit, being) Magi; they went

as (lit. being) confessors (^OMoXof hthc). And when the Magi went, according to that which is written, they did not return unto Herod. Fear took hold of him ; and Herod thought concerning John the son of Zacharias the priest, that it was {lit. is) for his sake that the Magi came. He sent to the temple imto 2iacharias the priest, thinking that perchanne he would find the little child John ; and he found him not. Those who were sent by Herod after the little child asked him, Where is thy son? Zacharias told them, ^aying^ His mother has taken him, and has fled into the wilderness, and has hidden him. Herod was angry and sent murderers ; and they murdered Zacharias whilst he was in prayer to God (eqoyoon ^Mi necgXHX MnnoTTe). And his body

was taken, and hidden in the night; and no man saw his blood [contrast Prot. xxiv 3]. Herod also, through the anger which he had (/lY. which wa» with him), sent to all the borders of Bethlehem and round about it ; and they snatched away the yoimg children (igHpcigfLu) from two years old wnd under ; and they brought them unto Herod, and he commanded to slay them before him. And John also was hidden; and Herod found him not, that he might put him to death with the little children whom he slew. And the bodies also of the young children, and the body of Zacharias the priest were hidden.’

Named Historical Figures and Characters:

Geographical Locations:

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Coptic (Sahidic; CC 0889; PAThs entry)

Manuscript A (MONB.BS; PAThs entry):

pp. 17–18: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 131⁶, fol. 78

pp. 51–54: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 131¹, fols. 30–31

pp. 124–140: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 131⁴, fols. 112–119

pp. 271–282: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 129¹⁵, fols. 11–16

pp. 287–288: Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, K9514 ~ ONB

pp. 289+xxx: Cambridge, Cambridge University Library, Or. 1699.X

pp. 327–328: London, British Library, Or. 3581A.168

pp. 349–360: Manchester, John Rylands Library, Copt. Ms. 72 (36)

Unplaced:

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 130⁵, fol. 132

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 131³, fols. 77–80

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Copte 132¹, fol. 56

Manuscript B:

MONB.NT, pp. 33–42 (10/11th cent.)

Manuscript C (PAThs entry):

pp. 39–42: Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, K9666–9667 ~ ONB

Broek, Roelof van den. The Myth of the Phoenix according to Classical and Early Christian Traditions. EPRO 24. Leiden: Brill, 1972 (edition and translation of the portion on the Phoenix from the Utrecht, Manchester, and Vienna manuscripts, pp. 44–47).

Broek, Roelof van den. Catalog of the Coptic Manuscripts in the Utrecht University Library. Utrecht University Library, 2017 (transcription of Utrecht portions of B, pp. 37–50).

Lantschoot, Arnold van. “A propos du Physiologus.” Pages 339–63 in Coptic Studies in Honor of Walter Ewing Crum. Bulletin of the Byzantine Institute 2. Boston: The Byzantine Institute, 1950 (edition and translation of a portion of the Manchester manuscript, pp. 353–57; MS C, pp. 356–57).

Robinson, Forbes. Coptic Apocryphal Gospels. Translations Together with the Texts of Some of Them. TS 4.2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1896 (translation of portions of the Manchester fragment, pp. 196–97, 235–36).

Story, Cullen I. K. “A Coptic Christmas Story, and More.” Princeton University Library Chronicle 55 (1993–1194): 43–62 (translation of the Princeton manuscript, 55–62; images, pp. 45–48).

Wessely, Carl. Griechische und koptische Texte theologischen Inhalts V. Studien zur Palaeographie und Papyruskunde 18. Leipzig: Haessel, 1917 (transcription of C, pp. 30–33).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

3.3 General Works

Suciu, Alin. “Putting Together the Puzzle of a Christmas Story: A Coptic Document in Princeton and Its Related Fragments.” Alin Suciu. 20 December 2011. https://alinsuciu.com/2011/12/10/putting-together-the-puzzle-of-a-christmas-story-a-coptic-document-in-princeton-and-its-related-fragments/.