Martyrdom of Luke

Passio Lucae

Abbreviations: Mart. Luke

Other titles: none

Clavis numbers: ECCA 890; CANT 291, 292, 293, 294

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Related Literature: none

Compiled by Jacob A. Lollar, Abilene Christian University ([email protected])

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Lollar, Jacob. “Martyrdom of Luke.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/martyrdom-of-Luke/.

Created August 2019. Most recent update November 2020.

1. SUMMARY

Mart. Luke survives in Syriac, Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic. In the Syriac tradition, it appears in manuscripts alongside the Martyrdom of Peter and the Martyrdom of Paul and is related to those narratives. At the outset, Luke is said to be the last of the apostles in the region surrounding Rome; Nero has executed the rest. Luke is evangelizing in towns around Rome and a gathering of local priests and Jews come together to decide what to do about him. At the mention of the name “Jesus Christ” in their meeting, all of the images and vessels of worship crumble to pieces, leaving the gatherers outraged. They complain of Luke’s witchcraft to Nero, who declares that he has already killed off all of the followers of Jesus. The priests and Jews tell him about Luke and say he is residing in Proconnesus (not mentioned in the Arabic or Ethiopic). Nero is outraged that he has forgotten someone and orders that Luke be brought to him.

Luke hears that soldiers are coming for him and flees to the coast where he meets a man named Silas (Arabic has Theophilus). He gives Silas his books and tells him to read them constantly, for they are the gospel of Jesus. Silas takes the books and follows Luke’s orders, leading to the conversion of many. Luke then returns to the city and is arrested and brought to Nero. After spending one night in prison, Luke stands trial before Nero, citing the work of his “father,” Peter (Coptic has Paul), and is sentenced to torture and death. After being scourged, Luke rejoices, to the consternation of Nero, who orders that Luke’s right arm be cut off. To prove the power of his God, Luke reattaches the arm, to the amazement of all. Nero, unconvinced of Luke’s innocence, continues to accuse Luke of witchcraft. Luke resigns himself to his fate and removes his arm again, but the chief of the soldiers converts, leading to the execution of his entire household 13 days before the ides of December. Nero then orders that Luke be beheaded and his body placed in a bag with stones and cast into the sea.

When the soldiers take Luke out onto a boat for his execution, he prays to come to rest “along with my father Peter.” A one-eyed soldier starts to execute him but then his blind eye is opened. He worships Luke instead and converts. The chief of the soldiers then cuts off the heads of both men, and Luke’s body is placed in a sack and dumped into the sea. “Divine providence” then causes a wave to take Luke’s body to an unnamed island, where it is found and becomes a source of miracles and the exorcism of demons.

The different versions offer different dates for the martyrdom. The Coptic says it took place on 22 Paopi, which is retained by the Syriac. However, the Syriac adds the Roman date (14 days before the kalends of December) and the Syrian date (19 of the first Tishrin). The Arabic follows has 18 of the first Tishrin, while the Ethiopic has 22 Ṭêḳêmt.

Named Historical Figures and Characters: Alexander (of Ephesus), Annas (scribe/high priest), Caiaphas, Dobalius, Gamaliel, Jesus Christ, Luke (evangelist), Nero, Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Silas, Theophilus (disciple), Titus.

Geographical Locations: Jerusalem, Nazareth, Proconnesus, Rome.

2. RESOURCES

2.1 Web Sites and Other Online Resources

“Luke the Evangelist.” Wikipedia.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic (CANT 293; BHO 568)

3.1.1.1 Arabic Script

Beirut, Bibliothèque Orientale de l’Université Saint Joseph, 1426 (1855) ~ contents unconfirmed

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Graf 472 (18th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 1 (13th/14th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 2 (14th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 3 (1626)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 6 (not dated) ~ contents unconfirmed

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 7 (14th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Catholic Patriarchate Library, Hist. 16 (15th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 60, fols. 252^r–256^v (19th cent.)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Christ. Arab. 84, fols. 48^r–51^r (ca. 1780)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Christ Arab. 87b, fols. 69^v–73^v (ca. 1600 and 1700)

Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, Or. 1067 (Tischendorf 32) (15th cent.)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 423, fols. 112^v–117^r (1626)

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 539, fols. 204^v–208^r (12th cent.)

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. Ar. 541 (Nicoll 49), fols. 83^r–85^r (18th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 51, fol. 106^r (1413) ~ summary? Gallica

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 81, fols. 195^v–198^v (16th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Borg. ar. 223 (1729)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 500, fols. 186^v–192^r (15th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 694, fols. uncertain (14th cent.)

3.1.1.2 Garšūnī Script

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 40, fols. 230^v–235^r (ca. 1750)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 446, fols. 204^v–208^v (ca. 1750)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 232, fols. 285^v–288^r(17th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, syr. 237, fols. 110^v–120^v (1553)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 124, fols. 206^v–212^r (16th cent.)

Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 Arabic manuscripts of the Arabic acts collection, pp. 97–101).

Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944 (discussion and manuscript listing, pp. 260–62, 267).

Lewis, Agnes Smith, ed. Acta Mythologica Apostolorum, Transcribed from an Arabic Ms. in the Convent of Deyr-es-Suriani, Egypt, and from Mss. in the Convent of St Catherine, on Mount Sinai. Horae Semiticae 3. London: C.J. Clay and Sons, 1904. (Arabic text based on Sinai ar. 539, pp. 130–33).

3.1.2 Coptic (Bohairic) (CANT 292; BHO 570; PAThs entry; see links for editions and translations)

MACA.DM, pp. 37–48 (dated 1020)

CLM 2879, pp. 781–788 (13th cent.)

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 (text and translation of Cairo, Abu Maqar 5–6 with variants from MACA.DM, pp. 47–50).

Gaselee, Stephen. “A Bohairic Fragment of the ‘Martyrdom of St. Luke.” JTS 10 (1908): 52–53 (text and translation of CLM 2879 page from Cambridge, Add. 1886).

3.1.3 Ethiopic (CANT 294; BHO 569)

London, British Library, Or. 678, fols. 52^r–55^r (15th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 683, fols. 157^v–160^v (17th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 685, fols. 61^v–65^r (18th cent.)

Manchester, John Rylands University Library, Eth. 6, fols. 51^v–55^r (19th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Éthiopien 52 (dated 1379)

Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Ţānāsee 173 (Kebrān 62) (14th/15th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, d’Abbadie 58 (15th cent.)

Karan (Eritrea), Monastery of Abbā Sayfa Mikā’el, Sā’dā Embā Sellāsē, EMML 1482, fols. 73^r–75^v (15th cent.)

Ambāssal (Wallo), Monastery of Hayq Estifānos, EMML 1767, fols. 60^r–65^r (1292/1297)

Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 manuscripts of the Ethiopic acts collection, pp. 93–97).

Budge, Ernest A. W. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. Vol. 1. London: Henry Frowde, 1899 (Ethiopic text based on British Library, Or. 678 and 683, pp. 119–25).

Pisani, Vitagrazia. “The apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: unknown witnesses from East Tәgray.” Pages 75–93 in Essays in Ethiopian Manuscript Studies. Proceedings of the International Conference Manuscripts and Texts, Languages and Contexts: the Transmission of Knowledge in the Horn of Africa. Hamburg, 17–19 July 2014. Edited by Alessandro Bausi, Alessandro Gori, and Denis Nosnitsin. Supplements to Aethiopica 4. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2015 (descriptions of ten Ethiopic manuscripts cataloged for the Ethio-SPaRe project).

3.1.5 Syriac (CANT 291; BHO 567)

London, British Library, Add. 12172, fols. 21^v–24^v(10th cent.)

London, British Library, Add. 14732, fols. 225^v–227^r (13th cent.)

Nau, François. “La version syriaque inédite des martyres de S. Pierre, S. Paul et S. Luc d’après un manuscript du dixième siècle.” ROC 3 (1898): 39–42, 151–67 (edition based on BL 12172 and 14732, pp. 151–56).

3.2 Modern Translations

3.2.1 English

Budge, E. Wallis. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. Vol. 2 (English translations). London: Henry Frowde, 1901 (English translation of the Ethiopic text, pp. 137–45).

Gaselee, Stephen. “A Bohairic Fragment of the ‘Martyrdom of St. Luke.” JTS 10 (1908): 52–53 (text and translation of Bohairic page from Cambridge, Add. 1886).

Lewis, Agnes Smith. The Mythological Acts of the Apostles, Translated from an Arabic Ms. in the Convent of Deyr-es-Suriani, Egypt, and from Mss. in the Convent of St Catherine on Mount Sinai and in the Vatican Library. Horae Semiticae 4. London: C.J. Clay and Sons, 1904 (English translation of the Arabic text, pp. 152–56).

Malan, Solomon C. The Conflicts of the Holy Apostles, An Apocryphal Book of the Early Eastern Church. London: D. Nutt, 1871 (English translation based on John Rylands University Library, Eth. 6, pp. 60–65)

3.2.2 French

Nau, François. “La version syriaque inédite des martyres de S. Pierre, S. Paul et S. Luc d’après un manuscript du dixième siècle.” ROC 3 (1898): 39–42, 151–67 (French translation, pp. 158–67).

3.2.3 Italian

Balestri, G. “Il martirio di S. Luca evengelista.” Bessarione 2.8 (1905): 129–140 (text and translation of Bohairic text of Vat. copt. 68).

3.3 General Works

Desreumaux, Alain. “Les apocryphes apostoliques.” Pages 71–95 in Les apocryphes syriaques. Edited by Muriél Debié, Christelle Jullien, Florence Jullien, and Alain Desreumaux. Études syriaques 2. Paris: Geuthner, 2005 (see pp. 83–86).

Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 2.2:368–71).

Otero, Aurelio de Santos. “Later Acts of Apostles.” Pages 426–82 in New Testament Apocrypha. Vol. 2: Writings Relating to the Apostles; Apocalypses and Related Subjects. Edited by Wilhem Schneemelcher. Translated by R. McLachlan Wilson. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1992 (see pp. 467–68).