Preaching of Philip

Praedicatio Philippi

Standard abbreviation: Pre. Phil.

Other titles: Preaching of Philip and Peter, Acts of Philip and Peter

Clavis numbers: ECCA 511; CANT 252.1

Category: Apocryphal Acts

Compiled by Tony Burke, York University, and Ivan Miroshnikov, Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study and Centre for Egyptological Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences

Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony, and Ivan Miroshnikov. “Preaching of Philip.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/preaching-of-philip/.

Created August 2020. Current as of January 2024.

1. SUMMARY

The text begins with the apostles assembled at the Mount of Olives following the resurrection. Jesus appears and tells them to cast lots to determine where they must preach. Philip is assigned Phrygia (some manuscripts have “Africa,” due to scribal error). He asks Peter to accompany him and Jesus appears once again to wish them well on their journey.

As the apostles approach the city, a man possessed by a devil stops them. Peter rebukes the man and the devil leaves him. The man follows the apostles into the city. The gate of the city is topped by a pillar. At Peter’s command the gate and pillar fall. Then he tells the man to stand on top of the pillar and tell everyone what happened to him. The man calls to everyone to hear him and there is thunder and lightning; the people run for cover but the lightning follows them and many die. Those who remain beseech the apostles to have compassion on them for their ignorance and ask them to stop the thunder and lightning. The thunder and lightning stop and the gate and pillar are restored.

Philip asks the people who they worship. They bring out a golden statue of an eagle. The priests warn them that if they destroy it the god will not help them in times of war. Philip calls upon fire to kill the priests and he flings the statue into the fire. It speaks, “confessing” that it is mere gold and that the priests claim it consumes sacrifices but it does not. Once the priests state their belief in Jesus, Philip transforms the fire into a lake of water. Then the people ask what can they do to prove their faith; he tells them to build a church. Once built, Philip goes to the gate of the city and commands the pillar to go into the church.

The apostles stay at the house of Karron (Ethiopic: Ḳěrôn; Arabic: Marwân). There Jesus appears to them as a shining man and demands they go out and teach the people. Everyone is baptized in the lake, the church is consecrated, and they appoint bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Six days later, Philip and Peter depart.

Named historical figures and characters: Adam (patriarch), devil, Jesus Christ, Karron, Mary (Virgin), Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Satan.

Geographical locations: Hierapolis, Mount of Olives, Phrygia.

2. RESOURCES

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

3.1 Manuscripts and Editions

3.1.1 Arabic (BHO 977)

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, 59, fols. 211^r–215^v (19th cent.)

Cairo, Coptic Museum, 60, fols. 137^v–144^r (19th cent.)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Christ. Arab. 84, fols. 11^r–14^v (ca. 1780)

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Christ Arab. 87b, fols. 19^v–25^v (ca. 1600 and 1700)

Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, Magl. III 29, fols. 105^r–111^v (ante 1664)

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

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 397, fols. 2^r–8^r (1333) ~ identification uncertain

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 423, fols. 194^r–196^r (1626) ~ identification uncertain; LOC

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 445 (1155/1175) ~ unverified; LOC

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, arab. 469, fols. 102^r–114^r (13th cent.) ~ unverified; LOC

Mount Sinai, Monē tēs Hagias Aikaterinēs, ar. 553, 5 (1182) ~ unverified; LOC

Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. Ar. 541 (Nicoll 49), fols. 40^v–43^v (18th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 81, fols. 68^v–74^r (16th cent.)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 4770, fols. 181^r–188^v (19th cent.)

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

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 68, fols. 335^r–342^v (1453) ~ DVL

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 500, fols. 91^r–94^r (15th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 171, fols. 21^r–25^r (17th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. ar. 694, fols. 69^v–74^v (14th cent.)

Wadi El-Natrun, Monastery of the Syrians (Dayr al-Suryān), no shelf number, fols. 72^r–77^r (14th cent.)

3.1.1.2 Garšūnī Script

Edgbaston, University of Birmingham, Mingana Syr. 40, fols. 119^v–125^v (ca. 1750)

Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Syr. 332, fols. 256^r–259^v (17th cent.)

Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Sbath 124, fols. 86^r–92^v (16th cent.)

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 Arabic acts collection, pp. 97–101).

Graf, Georg. Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. 5 vols. Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1944 (manuscripts listed, vol. 1, pp. 260–64).

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 unidentified Dayr al-Suryān MS, pp. 51–55).

3.1.2 Coptic (CPC 0583; BHO 975–976; PAThs entry)

3.1.2.1 Bohairic

CLM 2879, pp. 391–398 (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 English translation of CLM 2879, pp. 38–40).

3.1.2.2 Fayyūmic

Saint Petersburg, National Library of Russia, Φ. 920 №№ 46–48 (olim. Cod. Copt. Tischendorfianus VI), fols. 1^v–6^v (10th cent.) (=CLM 2880)

Lemm, Oscar von. “Koptische apokryphe Apostelacten.” Bulletin de l’Académie impériale des sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, ser. 4, 1 (1890): 509–81 (edition and translation of CLM 2880 fols. 1v–6v, reedition and translation of MONB.QY 71–76, pp. 520–49).

__________. “Kleine koptische Studien I–IX.” Bulletin de l’Académie impériale des sciences de St.-Pétersbourg ser. 5, 10 (1899): 403–34. (Partial edition of MONB.DM 71–72 and partial re-edition of CLM 2880, fol. 5r, pp. 433–34.)

3.1.2.3 Sahidic (see individual manuscript links for editions)

Manuscript A:

MONB.DM, pp. 64, 66–77, 69–75 (10th–12th cent.)

Manuscript B:

MONB.QY, pp. 71–76 (10th–12th cent.)

Manuscript C:

London and Oslo, Schøyen Collection, MS 2007 (10th cent.)

Miroshnikov, Ivan. “The Preaching of Philip: A New Edition of the Sahidic Fragments with an Introduction, Translation, and Notes.” Pages 53–101 in Parabiblica Coptica. Edited by Ivan Miroshnikov. Parabiblica 3. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023.

3.1.2.4 Copto-Arabic Synaxarion

The Copto-Arabic Synaxarion includes a summary of section 1 of Pre. Phil. for Nov. 14.

Basset, René. “Le Synaxaire arabe jacobite (rédaction copte) II: les mois de Hatour et de Kihak.” Patrologia orientalis 3 (1909): 243–545 (edition and translation of the summary of Pre. Phil. in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion, pp. 307–308).

Forget, Jacques. Synaxarium alexandrinum: pars prior. Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 78. Leuven: Secrétariat du Corpus SCO, 1921 (translation of the summary of Pre. Phil. in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion, pp. 132–33).

Forget, Jacques. Synaxarium alexandrinum: tomus I. Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 47–49. Leuven: Secrétariat du Corpus SCO, 1963 (edition of the summary of Pre. Phil. in the Copto-Arabic Synaxarion, pp. 112–13).

3.1.3 Ethiopic

3.1.3.1 Preaching of Philip (BHO 978)

London, British Library, Or. 678, fols. 55^r–58^v (15th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 683, fols. 160^v–164^r (17th cent.)

London, British Library, Or. 685, fols. 65^r–68^v (18th cent.)

Manchester, John Rylands University Library, Eth. 6, fols. 55^r–58^v (19th 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 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. 126–34).

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).

3.1.3.2 Ethiopic Synaxarion

The Ethiopian Synaxarion includes a summary of Pre. Phil. for Nov. 14 (Julian).

Budge, Ernest A. W. The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Church. 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1928 (English translation of summary of the text from the Ethiopic Synaxarion, vol. 1, pp. 259–61).

Colin, Gérard. Le Synaxaire éthiopien: Mois de ẖedār. Patrologia orientalis 44.3. Turnhout: Brepols, 1988 (edition of the summary of the text from the Ethiopic Synaxarion, pp. 328–31).

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, pp. 146–55).

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, pp. 60–65).

Malan, Solomon C. The Conflicts of the Holy Apostles, An Apocryphal Book of the Early Eastern Church. London: D. Nutt, 1871 (English translation of the Ethiopic text based on Rylands Eth. 6, pp. 66–72).

Miroshnikov, Ivan, trans. “The Preaching of Philip: A New Translation and Introduction.” Pages 479–505 in vol. 3 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. 3 vols. Edited by Tony Burke with Brent Landau. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2016–2023 (translation based on all available Coptic manuscripts).

__________. “The Preaching of Philip: A New Edition of the Sahidic Fragments with an Introduction, Translation, and Notes.” Pages 53–101 in Parabiblica Coptica. Edited by Ivan Miroshnikov. Parabiblica 3. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023.

3.2.2. German

Lemm, Oscar von. “Koptische apokryphe Apostelacten.” Bulletin de l’Académie impériale des sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, ser. 1 (33).4 (1890): 509–81 (edition and translation of CLM 2880 fols. 1v–6v, reedition and translation of MONB.QY 71–76, pp. 520–49).

3.2.3 Italian

Guidi, Ignazio. “Gli Atti Apocrifi Degli Apostoli Nei testi Copi, Arabi ed Etiopici.” Giornale della Società Asiatica Italiana 2 (1888): 1–66, at 27–29.

3.3 General Works

Bovon, François. “Les Actes de Philippe.” ANRW II.25.6 (1988): 4431–527 (see p. 4439).

Guignard, Christophe. “Greek Lists of the Apostles: New Findings and Open Questions.” ZAC 20 (2016): 469–95.

Lipsius, Richard A. Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apostellegenden. 2 vols. in 3 parts. Braunschweig, 1883–1890 (see vol. 2.2:46–49; Erganzungsheft, p. 94).

Matthews, Christopher R. Philip: Apostle and Evangelist. Configurations of a Tradition. NovTSup 105. Leiden: Brill, 2002 (see p. 148).

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. 474–76).