Standard abbreviation: Rev. Prayer
Other titles: Proclus of Constantinople, Dialysis de oratione dominica
Clavis numbers: ECCA 451; BHG 812x; BHG 812y
Category: Revelatory Dialogues
Related literature: Apocalypse of Anastasia
Compiled by Tony Burke (York University) based on work by Peter Tóth (British Library)
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony, and Peter Tóth. “Revelation about the Lord’s Prayer.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/revelation-about-the-lords-prayer/.
Created January 2024.
1. SUMMARY
Rev. Prayer is a Byzantine commentary on the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father in heaven”) presented as a revelation of Christ to his apostles (specifically, Peter, John, James, and in some versions even Paul). The text comes in two versions. Both begin with the prayer, but in one version the prayer is followed by the resurrected Christ appearing on the Mount of Olives to teach and explicate the prayer to his disciples. Initially, the apostles are confounded by hearing the prayer; but Peter steps forward and begins to ask Jesus questions about its meaning. Jesus’ explication of the prayer focuses on practical matters. The main lessons are to honor one’s parents, not to sleep too long on a Sunday morning, be on time for services, keep fasting during Lent and Fridays, obey the earthly king, and so on.
Named historical figures and characters: Holy Spirit, John (son of Zebedee), John (the Baptist), Jesus Christ, Mary (Virgin), Peter (apostle), Paul (apostle), Solomon (king).
Geographical locations: Gomorrah, Sodom.
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Church Slavic
Kyiv, Priestly Seminar (Duchovna Akademija), O. 8. 30, fols. 17r–? (16th cent.) ~ now lost
Novaković, Stojan. “Apokrifi kijevskoga rukopisa.” Starine 16 (1884): 89–96. (Edition of the Kyiv manuscript, pp. 92–95.)
3.1.2 Greek
A Mount Athos, Skētē Hagiou Andreou, 96, fols. 95r–98r (16th cent.) ~ destroyed in fire; attributed to Proclus of Constantinople
E Madrid, Real Biblioteca de El Escorial, ψ. ii. 20, fols. 93v–94v (13th cent.)
J Jerusalem, Patriarchikē bibliothēkē, Hagiou Saba 226, fols. 219v–220r (16th cent.) ~ ends in 6:4
K1 Mount Athos, Monē Koutloumousiou, 176 (Lambros 3249), fols. 25v–29v (15th cent.) ~ Pinakes
K2 Mount Athos, Monē Koutloumousiou, 177 (Lambros 3250), fols. 169r–174r (17th cent) ~ Pinakes
V1 Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. VII 38 (coll. 1385), fols. 325v–354v (16th cent.) ~ attributed to Proclus of Constantinople; Pinakes
V2 Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, gr. II 99 (coll. 1261), fols. 55r–56r (16th cent.) ~ interpolated into the Questions of James at 2:1; contains only 5:5–14; 7:4—9:4; 3:7—5:2 in a version that stands close to E; Pinakes
Krasnoseltsev, Nikolai F. Addenda “Anecdota Graeco-Byzantina” (in Russian). Odessa: Economicheskaa Tipografia, 1898 (editions of A, pp. 90–94, and K2, pp. 94–98).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Tóth, Peter, trans. “Revelation about the Lord’s Prayer.” Pages 551–59 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.
3.3 General Works
Miltenova, Anissava. Erotapokriseis. Sǎčinenijata ot kratki vǎprosi i otgovori v starobǎlgarskata literature. Sofia: Damian Yakov, 2004.
Tóth, Peter. “New Wine in Old Wineskin: Byzantine Reuses of the Apocryphal Revelation Dialogue.” Pages 77–93 in Dialogues and Debates from Late Antiquity to Late Byzantium. Edited by Averil Cameron and Niels Gaul. New York: Routledge, 2017 (see p. 85).