The Testamentum Domini 9781463219505

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The Testamentum Domini

Gorgias Liturgical Studies

22

This series is intended to provide a venue for studies about liturgies as well as books containing various liturgies. Making liturgical studies available to those who wish to learn more about their own worship and practice or about the traditions of other religious groups, this series includes works on service music, the daily offices, services for special occasions, and the sacraments.

The Testamentum Domini

Translated and Annotated by Grant Sperry-White

1

gorgias press 2010

Gorgias Press LLC, 180 Centennial Ave., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA www.gorgiaspress.com Copyright © 2010 by Gorgias Press LLC Originally published in All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC. 2010

1

ISBN 978-1-60724-373-1

ISSN 1937-3252

Published first in the U.K. by Grove Books, 1991.

Printed in the United States of America

The Testamentum Domini: A Text for Students, with Introduction, Translation, and Notes

by Grant Sperry-White

CONTENTS C H A P 1ER

Introduction

PAGI

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1. Eucharist (I. 23.24, 35; 11.10) 2. Christian Initiation (II.5-10)

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3. Daily Prayer (1.22. 26, 32, 42, 43; 11.24) 4. Ordination (1.21,30, 3 8 , 4 1 , 4 4 , 4 5 ) . 5. Architecture (1.19)

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6. Liturgical Year (11.12, 18, 19. 20)

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31 .40

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46 48

Preface Some of the translations appearing in this volume were produced during a year's study u n d e r the direction of Dr. Sebastian Brock of the Oriental Institute of Oxford University. 1 wish to express my gratitude to the British Fulbright Commission for its generous support without which the majority of this work could not have been done. 1 wish to thank Dr. Brock for his patient tutelage in the areas ofSyriacand Greek translation and patrology; the responsibility f o r a n y errors is, of course, mine. 1 wish also to thank the Rev. Canon Dr. Paul F. Bradshaw for recommending the Testamentum for inclusion in the A l c u i n / G R O W series. Finally, a special note of thanks to my wife Beth for her constant support and encouragement.

The Editor G r a n t Sperry-White is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S.A.

CONTENTS C H A P 1ER

Introduction

PAGI

.

.

.

J

1. Eucharist (I. 23.24, 35; 11.10) 2. Christian Initiation (II.5-10)

13 .

.

.

3. Daily Prayer (1.22. 26, 32, 42, 43; 11.24) 4. Ordination (1.21,30, 3 8 , 4 1 , 4 4 , 4 5 ) . 5. Architecture (1.19)

.

.

.

.

.

6. Liturgical Year (11.12, 18, 19. 20)

.

.

.

.

.23 .

.

.

31 .40

.

.

.

.

46 48

Preface Some of the translations appearing in this volume were produced during a year's study u n d e r the direction of Dr. Sebastian Brock of the Oriental Institute of Oxford University. 1 wish to express my gratitude to the British Fulbright Commission for its generous support without which the majority of this work could not have been done. 1 wish to thank Dr. Brock for his patient tutelage in the areas ofSyriacand Greek translation and patrology; the responsibility f o r a n y errors is, of course, mine. 1 wish also to thank the Rev. Canon Dr. Paul F. Bradshaw for recommending the Testamentum for inclusion in the A l c u i n / G R O W series. Finally, a special note of thanks to my wife Beth for her constant support and encouragement.

The Editor G r a n t Sperry-White is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S.A.

CONTENTS C H A P 1ER

Introduction

PAGI

.

.

.

J

1. Eucharist (I. 23.24, 35; 11.10) 2. Christian Initiation (II.5-10)

13 .

.

.

3. Daily Prayer (1.22. 26, 32, 42, 43; 11.24) 4. Ordination (1.21,30, 3 8 , 4 1 , 4 4 , 4 5 ) . 5. Architecture (1.19)

.

.

.

.

.

6. Liturgical Year (11.12, 18, 19. 20)

.

.

.

.

.23 .

.

.

31 .40

.

.

.

.

46 48

Preface Some of the translations appearing in this volume were produced during a year's study u n d e r the direction of Dr. Sebastian Brock of the Oriental Institute of Oxford University. 1 wish to express my gratitude to the British Fulbright Commission for its generous support without which the majority of this work could not have been done. 1 wish to thank Dr. Brock for his patient tutelage in the areas ofSyriacand Greek translation and patrology; the responsibility f o r a n y errors is, of course, mine. 1 wish also to thank the Rev. Canon Dr. Paul F. Bradshaw for recommending the Testamentum for inclusion in the A l c u i n / G R O W series. Finally, a special note of thanks to my wife Beth for her constant support and encouragement.

The Editor G r a n t Sperry-White is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S.A.

Introduction I THE

1ESTAM ENTU M D O M I N I

The Testamentum Domini (hereafter T) is a church order composed originally in Greek which survives today in Syriac, Ethiopic and Arabic (with possible fragments in Greek and Coptic) as books one and two of the canonical collection known as the Clementine Octateuch. Its directions are cast in the form of Jesus' instructions to his disciples, an ecclesiastical rule' (1.17), during the time between the resurrection and ascension. As this literary device is only nominally followed in the body of the text, we can speak of the Testamentum primarily as a church order preceded by an apocalypse. The two books of the Syriac text are composed of 74 chapters of varying length: Introduction: 1.1-3 Apocalypse: I. 4-13 Transition: 1.14-18 Church Order: 1.19-11.25 Conclusion: 11.26-27 The Testamentum had been known to Western scholars since the sixteenth century, but portions of the text were not edited until the mid-nineteenth century. The first complete edition of the Syriac text appeared in 1899 under the editorship of the Syrian Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem 11 Rahmani. 1 Although Ludolf published the Ethiopic Anaphora of Our Lord in the seventeenth century 2 , the full Ethiopic text was not edited in its entirety until 1984 (see below for a discussion of tnis edition). 3 The Arabic remains unedited, except for Baumstark's edition of the initiation and euchanstic rites.4 Rahmani's edition appeared on the scene during a period of intense scholarly interest in the ancient church orders Eora time, many church historians and patrologists produced studies on the Testamentum. Many of these monographs attempted to assign the Testamentum its proper place among the other ancient church orders which had come to light in the previous thirty years. Some saw the Testamentum as the source of other church orders, including the Canons of Hippolytus, Apostolic Constitutions VIII and the document which would eventually be known as the Apostolic Tradition (hereafter ApTrad). With Connolly's and Schwarz's independent discovery that ApTrad itself was the source of many of the other churcn orders, interest in the Testamentum faded. Since the first decade of the twentieth century, no scholar has devoted an entire monograph to the Testamentum (apart from Beylot's edition of the Ethiopic). The document has acquired a slightly negative reputation as a 'rehash' (to use the phrase of J.N. D.

1

No. No. 3 No. " No.

2

13 in t h e B i b l i o g r a p h y . 10 in t h e B i b l i o g r a p h y . 2 in t h e B i b l i o g r a p h y . 1 in t h e B i b l i o g r a p h y .

Introduction

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Kelly) of ApTrad, the 'last gasp' of the church order genre produced by a group on the fringes of ecclesial life. This characterization is undeserved. II

DATE

When speaking of the 'date' of T, we refer to the date of the final compilation of the document, apart from the issue of the age of the individual components which T comprises. Rahmani suggested that the Testamentum belonged to the second century. Few others have followed his lead. Drews suggested a mid- to late-fourth century date, while Harnack and Baumstark proposed the fifth to the sixth century. Maclean settled upon a mid-fourth century dating, while Russian scholars have tended to follow Rahmani. Today, many if not most authors accept Harnack's fifth century date for the document. The question of the document's date is still open. Those who argue for a late date base their arguments, in general, upon post-Constantinopolitan theological terminology and the supposed existence of the office of archdeacon. However, as Maclean has shown, the office of archdeacon does not appear in T, and one major witness to the T text (the Ethiopic) does not contain the advanced theological terminology the Syriac version contains (cf. 1.41). The internal evidence, therefore, supports a date sometime in the second half of the fourth century, probably before 381. III

PLACE OF

ORIGIN

Syria, Asia Minor and Egypt have all been proposed as the document's place of origin. 'Syria' seems too broad a geographical category to be of much use; the liturgical materials of the Testamentum do not bear any special resemblance to those described by fourth century Syrian writers. There are a few correspondences between the Testamentum and the Canons of Hippolytus, written in Egypt between 336 and 340. A number of factors speak in favour of Asia Minor. 1. The horarium the document describes bears some resemblance to that of the so-called 'urban monastic' office of Basil and others. 2. The Testamentum has many parallels with a late fourth century Cappadocian document, the pseudo-Athanasian De virginitate. 3. The widows have a prominent place in the document, including the right of gathering with the other clergy at the altar at the celebration of the euchanst. IV.

AUTHORSHIP

The question of authorship is one of the most disputed of all the questions surrounding the Testamentum. The traditional view is that the document was produced by a 'fringe' community clearly outside the mainstream of ecclesial life. This interpretation is not entirely tenable today, given what we know ot the diversity of ecclesial life in the fourth century. The fact that T was included in the Clementine Octateuch suggests that it had support in the circles that produced the Octateuch, support it might well have lacked had it been the product of a heterodox community. 6

The Testamentum

Domini

T h e extreme anti-Arian theological terminology the d o c u m e n t contains suggests that T emerged from anti-Arian circles, perhaps prior to the Council of Constantinople in 381. Some have suggested that T should be ascribed to Apollinans of Laodicea or his circle, but no indisputable evidence linksT directly to Apollinans. 1 While no certain identification of T's a u t h o r or authors is yet possible, it is not implausible to suggest that T was produced in extreme antiArian circles which were in contact with ascetic communities of Cappadocia. See the introduction to the T daily prayer texts below. SOURCES

v

We can identify at least three sources for the Testamentum-. the so-called Apostolic Tradition, an apocalypse which once circulated independently, and the practice of an u n k n o w n community, perhaps that which produced the Testamentum. 1. Apostolic Tradition, in some form. T differs from the other church orders which utilize ApTrad as a source, Apostolic Constitutions VIII and the Canons of Hippolytus, in that it shows great 'respect' for its source. Often, T does not alter the wording or sequence of its source, but merely adds blocs of material to the ApTrad text. 2 Because of this attitude toward ApTrad as a source, historians of the text of ApTrad (particularly Dix) have relied u p o n T to provide a relatively 'pure' text, as opposed to other witnesses to the text of ApTrad. 2. An apocalypse which circulated independently. 3 3. T h e practice of an unknown community. This last 'source' is, obviously, the most difficult to d o c u m e n t . [ lowever, when one separates the first two sources from the text of T, much of what is left often is relatively homogeneous in phraseology and terminology. VI

I M LC.RI I V C>r I III

I'FAI

As of this date, no satisfactory critical edition of any version of T exists. Rahmani's edition took into account all the manuscripts he knew, but in no way can his work be called a critical edition. T h e Ethiopic text edited by Beylot contains an critical apparatus, but there are problems with both the apparatus and the translation. After taking a n u m b e r of random samplings of Beylot's Ethiopic text and its critical apparatus, the late Roger Cowley in his review of Beylot's edition wrote: 'Dr. Beylot is to be thanked for stimulating further study of the I'D, but it must be concluded that his edition is insufficiently precise to be used for settling questions such as the existence of recensions of the Ethiopic text, its (or their) relationship to the Syriac and Arabic versions, and the possibility of a Greek original.' 4 As was mentioned above, the Arabic remains unedited. 1

2 J 4

S e e b e l o w in t h e s e c t i o n o n I n i d a t i o n t o r a p h r a s e in t h e b a p t i s m a l c r e e d w h i c h s o m e h a v e l i n k e d to A p o l l i n a n s . E.g., t h e a n a p h o r a ( E 2 3 ) a n d t h e b i s h o p ' s o r d i n a t i o n prayer (1.21). Eor m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , see n o . 17 in t h e B i b l i o g r a p h y . C o w l e y . B i b l i o g r a p h y N o . 2. p . 2 9 5 .

Introduction

7

At this time, we cannot be sure of the wording of the Greek text or texts which lay behind the Syriac and (perhaps) Ethiopic. To date, only Baumstark and Coquin have addressed the problem of the relation of the different language versions to each other. 1 In 1974 Rene-Georges Coquin took some preliminary soundings of the Syriac, Ethiopic and Copto-Arabic translations, and produced a provisional stemma of the known versions of T. Coquin concluded that at least some of the Ethiopic translations of T were made directly from the Greek. 2 V I I . P R E V l O l S E D I T I O N S ( n u m b e r , refer to the Bibliography)

According to a colophon in the Syriac MSS M and B, the Testamentum was translated from the Greek into Syriac by one 'James the poor' in the year '998 of the Greeks', or A.D. 687. This James is probably to be identified with the Syrian Monophysite scholar and translator James of Edessa. 3 1. Lagarde (Bib. Nos. 8, 9): A selection from Codex Sangermanensis 38 (S) which contains extracts from the entire Testamentum. Bib. No. 9 contains Lagarde's retroversion of S into Greek. The Syriac was utilized by Rahmani in his edition. 2. Rahmani (Bib. No. 1 3): A text utilizing three Syriac MSS: M, B, and S (see Abbreviations for further information). 3. Voobus (Bib. No. 15): The West Syrian Synodicon, from a single Syriac MS (see Abbreviations under SYN for more information). VIII

I R A N ' S LA I I O N S I N T O M O D L R N l . A N C . l AC.LS

T h e Syriac has been translated into English a n d French. T h e E t h i o p i c has been translated into French. T h e Arabic has n o t been translated into a n y m o d e r n language.

ENGLISFT In 1902 James Cooper and Arthur John Maclean published an English translation of Rahmam's text with introduction and notes, entitled The Testament of Our Lord (T.& T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1902). The translation is literal, and its phraseology is that of formal, almost liturgical, English. Cooper and Maclean's notes are extensive, and some remain useful today if used with caution. However, their notes contain little commentary on the liturgical materials of the Testamentum. In 1975 Arthur Voobus published the text and English translation of the West Syrian Synodicon, which includes a version of the Testamentum lacking some of the liturgical materials found in other versions. 4 FRENCH: In 1903 Francois Nau translated the entire Clementine Octateuch into French. 5 However, in so doing he combined in his translation the two 1

See nos. 20 and 24 in the Bibliography. No. 25 in the Bibliography, 187-188. ' ' For more information on James of l-'dessa, sec Geschichte der syrische Literatur (Marcus and Weber, Bonn: 1922: repr. de Gruyter, Berlin. 1968), 248-256. 4 See no. 15 in the Bibliography, 5 No. 11 in the Bibliography 2

8

The Testamentum

Domini

manuscript traditions of the Octateuch without distinguishing the readings of one manuscript group from another. 1 Thus, as a critical tool Nau's translation has n o value. Robert Beylot's critical edition and French translation ot the F.thiopic appeared in 1984 u n d e r the title Testamentum Domini éthiopien (Peeters, Louvain, 1984). See above u n d e r Section VI for criticism of Beylot's edition. IX. I H I S E 1)1 H O I S

The present work is a translation ot portions ot Rahmani's Syriac text, checked against the readings of the Synodicon where applicable. The present author has tried to include as many of the Tes¿amentum liturgical materials as possible, but because of limitations of space, some texts (e.g.. on the love feast or offering of fruits or miscellaneous liturgical regulations) have had to be omitted. T h e translation aims to be as literal as possible in rendering the Syriac, while attempting to put the text in coherent m o d e m English. Textual notes and commentary notes accompany the translations. Because ot space limitations, the n u m b e r of notes included in this edition is minimal. This work is not a critical edition. T h e textual notes indicate where Rahmani's manuscripts contained variant readings. Unfortunately for those w h o read only English, the great majority of works on the Testamentum are in French and G e r m a n . References to these works in the c o m m e n t a r y notes is by their n u m b e r in the select bibliography which appears at the end of this introduction. T h e present author hopes that these translations will stimulate new interest in this fascinating d o c u m e n t which can shed much light on the development of liturgy, theology and church order during the centurv following the Peace ot Constantine. X. F L R T H E R

QUESTIONS

T h e most pressing need at present is tor a critical edition of the text which takes into account the different language versions. Before such a task can be accomplished, there m u s t be critical editions of the Syriac and Arabic, in addition to a re-examinaton of Beylot's Ethiopie text. Until such critical editions appear, the questions of the Testamentum\ sources, provenance and authorship remain open. Another important area of research is the subsequent history of the Testamentum materials (liturgical and canonical) in the so-called monophysite churches. XI.

ABBREVIATIONS

AC=Apostolic Constitutions, composed ca. 375-380, vicinity of Antioch. ET: W.Jardine Grisbrooke, (ed.). The Liturgical Portions of the Apostolic Constitutions: A Text for Students. (Alcuin/GROW Joint Liturgical Study 13-14, Grove Books, Bramcote, Notts., 1990). 1

Coquin,

168.

Introduction

9

ApTrad = The Apostolic Tradition, date ot composition unknown; commonly ascribed to St. Hippolytus o f Rome, ca. 215. ET: Geoffrey J. Cuming, ed., Hippolyts: A Text for Students. (Grove Liturgical Study 8, Grove Books, Bramcote, Notts., 1976). B = M S Borg. syr. 148 (ff° 61r-86r), A.D. 1576. C H = Canons o f Hippolytus, composed ca. 336-340. vicinity o f Alexandria. ET: Paul 1 Bradshaw (eu.), The Canons of Hippolytus (Alcuin/G row Joint Liturgical Study 2, Grove Books, Bramcote, Notts., 1987). Cn=con|ectured reading. ETH = Testamentum Domini éthiopien, ed. Beylot. /CÄQ=Wilhe[m Riedel, Die Kirchenrechtsquellen des Patriarchats Alexandrien (Leipzig: 1900). L E W = F . E. Brightman. Liturgies Eastern and Western (Oxford, 1896, repr. 1965). M = M S Library o f the Catholic Metropolitan of Mosul (ff° 339v-348r), A.D. 1651-1652. R = Ignatius Ephrem II Rahmani, Testamentum Domini Nostri Jesu Christi (Kirchheim, Mainz, 1899-, repr. Georg Olms, I lildesheim, 1968). S = Codex Sangermanensis 38, eighth century. SYNt = The Synodicon in the West Syrian Tradition, ed. Vööbus. Based upon M S 8/ 11 o f the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate o f Damascus, A.D. 1204. T=Testamentum Domini XII.

M

1.1 !

1 B 1 B L. I ( K I R A LJ 11 \

Unfortunately for the student who reads only English, the majority of works OP. the Testamentum are in French and German. T h e literature on the church orders in general is out of date, and awaits a fresh examination o f the major critical questions surrounding that genre. A. T E X T S AND T R A N S L A T I O N S 1. Baumstark, Anton. 'Eine ägyptische Mess- und Taufliturgie vermutlich des 6. Jahrhunderts' in Oriens Christianus 1 (1901), 1-45. 2. Beylot, Robert. Testamentum Domini éthiopien. (Peeters, Louvain, 1984). Review of Beylot bv Roger Cowley in journal of Semitic Studies 3 1 (1986), 292-295. 3. Burmester, O.H.L. 'The Coptic and Arabic versions ot the Mystagogia' in Muséon 4 6 (1933). 203-235. 4. Cooper, James, and Arthur John Maclean. The Testament of our Lord translated into English from the Syriac ivitb introduction and notes. (T. & T. Clark, London, 1902) 5. Engberding, Hieronymus. 'Untersuchungen zu den jüngst veröffentlichten Bruchstücken sa'idischer Liturgie.' in Oriens Christianus 43 (1959), 59-69. 6. H a r d e n J . M . 'The Anaphora o f the Ethiopie Testament of our Lord.' in Journal of Theological Studies 23 (1922), 44-49. 7. Hyvernat, Henry. Fragmente der altkoptischen Liturgie.' in Römische Quartelschrift 1 (1 887), 335-337. 10

The Testamentum

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8. d e Lagarde, Paul. Reliquiae iuris ecclesiastici antiquissimae synace. (Lipsiae, 1856). Pp. 2-12, 44-61. 9. —. Reliquiae iuris ecclesiastici antiquissimae graece. (Lipsiae, 1856). Pp. 80-89. 10. L u d o l f (al las Leutholf), J o b . Historia aethiopica sive brevis et succincta descriptio regni Habessinorum. ( F r a n c o f u r t i ad M o e n u m , 1581). Pp. 341-345. 11. N a u , Francois. La version syriaque de lOctateuque de Clément, traduit en français. (Paris, 1913). 12. Q u a s t e n , J o h a n n e s . Monumenta eucbaristica et liturgica vetustissima collegit, notis et prolegominis imtruxit Johannes Quasten. Pars V: Ex Testamento Domini Nostri Jesu Christi. ( H a n s t e i n , Bonn, 1935-1937). 13. R a h m a n i , I g n a t i u s E p h r e m 11. Testamentum Domini nostri Jesu Christi. ( M o g u n t i a e , 1899. Repr. G e o r g O l m s , 1968). 14. Velat, Bernard. Études sur le me'eraf. (Patrologia Orientalis 33. F i r m i n - D i d o t , Paris. 1966). 15. Vööbus, Arthur. The Synodicon in the West Syrian Tradition ( C o r p u s Script o r u m C h r i s t i a n o r u m O r i e n t a l i u m 367-368, Scriptores Syri 161-162. Louvain. 1975). S I L DIES 16. A m a n n , E. ' T e s t a m e n t de N o t r e - S e i g n e u r Jesus-Christ.' in Dictionnaire de théologie catholique XV: 194-200. 17. A r e n d z e n , J.P. 'A N e w SyriacText of t h e A p o c a l y p t i c Part of t h e T e s t a m e n t ot t h e Lord.' in Journal of Theological Studies 2 (1901), 401-411. 18. Arranz, M . ' T h e F u n c t i o n s of t h e C h r i s t i a n A s s e m b l y in t h e ' l e s t a m e n t of o u r Lord." in Roles in the Liturgical Assembly (Pueblo, N e w York: 1981), 29-59. 19. —. ' L ' o f i c e d e laveilée n o c t u r n e d a n s l'Eglise g r e q u e et d a n s l'Église russe.' in Orientalia Christiana Periodica 42 (1976), 117-155, 402-425 20. —. 'Le "Sancta Sanctis" d a n s la tradition liturgique des églises.' in Archiv für l.iturgieivissenschaft 15 (1973). 3 1-67, esp. 59^-60. 21. Baumstark, A n t o n . ' Ü b e r l i e f e r u n g u n d B e z e u g u n g d e r diatheke tou kyriou hemon lesou Christou." in Römische Quartelschrifi 14 (1900), 1-45. 22. —. 'Die Arabischen Texte der diatheke tou kyriou' in Romische Quartelschrifi 14 (1900), 291-300. 23. Botte. Bernard. 'L'Lpiclèse d e l ' A n a p h o r e d ' H i p p o l v t e . ' in Recherches de théologie ancienne et médievale 14 (1947), 241-251. 24. Bouyer, Louis. Eucharist. (Trans, by C h a r l e s L nderhill Q u i n n ) . (University of N o t r e D a m e Press, N o t r e D a m e , 1968). 25. C o q u i n , R e n é - G e o r g e s . 'Le Testamentum Domini. P r o b l è m e s d e t r a d i t i o n textuelle.' in Parole de l'Orient 5 (1974). 165-188. 26. Dib, S.D. 'Les Versions Arabes d u " T e s t a m e n t u m D o m i n i Nostri Jesu Christi." ' in Revue de l'Orient Chrétien 10 (1905). 418-423. 27. Drews, Paul, " l è s t a m e n t u m D o m i n i nostri |esu Christi.' in Theologische Studien und Kritiken 74 ( 1901 ). 141 -170. 28. Funk, Franz Xaver. Das Testament unseres llemi und die verwandten Schriften. ( F o r s c h u n g e n z u r c h r i s t l i c h e n Literatur- u n d D o g m e n g e s c h i c h t e . 2. Band, 1 2. H e f t . M a i n z : 1901). Introduction

11

29. Guerrier, L., and S. Grebaut. 'Le testament en Galilee de Notre-Seigneur Jesus-Christ.' PO 9 (1913), 143-232. Review of Ethiopie text and French translation: M o n t a g u e Rhodes lames review in Journal of Theological Studies 14 (1913), 601-606. 30. Harnack, Adolf. 'Vorläufige Bemerkungen zu dem ¡ngst syrisch und lateinisch publizierten "Testamentum Domini nostri Jesu Christi." ' in Sitzungsberichte der Berliner Akademie der Wissenschaften (1899), 878-891. 3 1. Jugie, M. 'La Messe en Orient du I Ve au IXe siecle.' in Dictionnaire de théologie catholique X:13 17-1332. 32. Kelly, Henry A. The Devil at Baptism: Ritual, Theology and Drama. (Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, 1985). 139-142, 157, 192-193. 3 3. Kent. W.U. 'The Syriac Testament of O u r Lord.' in The Dublin Review ( 1900), 245-274. 34. Leclercq, I lenri. 'Messe.' in Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie XI 1:622-624. 35. Ligier, Louis, S.J. 'L'anaphore de la "Tradition apostolique" dans le "Test a m e n t u m Domini." ' in: Bryan Spinks, (ed.). The Sacrifice of Praise (CLVLditione Liturgiche, Rome: 1981), 89-106. 36. Morin, G. 'Le Testament du Seigneur' in Revue Bénédictine 17 (1900), 10-28. 37. Pansot, J. 'Note sur la mystagogie du "Testament du Seigneur." ' in journal Asiatique, neuvième série, 15 (1900) 38. Post, Paul. 'La Liturgie en tant qu'architecture? Remarques sur la relation entre le "Testamentum Domini Jesu Christi" et l'architecture des églises dans rillyricum oriental' in Bijdragen 42 (1981), 392-420. 39. Quasten, Johannes. 'Die Ostervigil im Testamentum Domini.' in Balthasar, Fischer and J o h a n n e s Wagner, (eds.), Paschatis Sollemnia-, Studien zu Osterfeier und Osterfrömmigkeit (Herder, Basel, 1959). Pp. 87-95. 40. Raes, Alphonse. 'Les paroles de la consecration dans les anaphores syriennes' in Orientalia Christiana Periodica 3, 486-504. 41. Rahmani, Ignatius Ephrem II. Les Liturgies Orientales et Occidentales étudiées séparément et comparées entres elles. (Beyrouth, 1929). 42. Richardson, Cyril C. A Note on the Fpicleses in Hippolytus and the Testamentum Domini.' in Recherches de théologie ancienne et médievale 15 (1948X 357-359. 43. —. 'The So-Called Epiclesis in Hippolytus.' in Harvard Theological Review 40 (1947), 101-108. 44. Schermann, Theodor, Ägyptische Abendmahlsliturgien des ersten Jahrtausends in ihrer Überlieferung dargestellt. StGKA 6. Band, H e f t 1-2. (Paderborn, 1912). 45. Schmidt, C. Gespräche Jesu mit seinen Jüngern nach der Auferstehung. Em katholisch-apostolisches Sendschreibendes 2. Jahrhunderts. Texte u n d Untersuchungen 43. (Leipzig, 1919). 157-166. 46 Taft, Robert, S.J. The Great Entrance. 2ed. Orientalia Christiana Analecta 200. (Pont. Institutum Studiorum Orientalium, Rome, 1978). 47. von der Goltz, Eduard Freiherrn, ed. De Virginitate: Eine echte Schrift des Athanasius. Texte und Untersuchungen 29, H e u 2a. (Hinrichs, Leipzig, 1905). 48. Wordsworth, J. 'The Testament o f O u r Lord' in Internationale theologische Zeitschrift 8 (1900), 452-472. 49. Zahn, Theodore. 'Neue Funde aus der alten Kirche 4. "Das neue Testament unseres Herrn." ' in Neue kirchliche Zeitschrift 11 (1900), 438-450. 12

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1. Eucharist (1.23, 24, 35; ILIO) As in ApTrad, the Testamentum contains two descriptions of the eucharistie rite, one following the account of episcopal ordination (1.23), the other following the baptismal liturgy (11.10; see section on Initiation for texts). Of all the Testamcntum liturgical materials, the eucharistie prayer has received the most attention from historians of liturgy. A number of features make the Testamcntum anaphora noteworthy. 1'he prayer lacks the Sanctus. it does not contain the dominical word over the cup, and its intercessions are primitive. The exact form of the prayers epiklesis is open to question, and was the subject of a debate between Bernard Botte and Cyril Richardson in the 1940s (see the Notes to this section for citation of the literature). This question continues to bear upon that of the form of the epiklesis in the version of ApTrad the Testamentum has used as its source. How the compiler has used the ApTrad anaphora is open to debate. Many authors view the T anaphora as a mere amplification of that in ApTrad. Ligier sees the T prayer as the result of a recasting of the ApTrad anaphora in the mould of the collaudatio form of prayer found elsewhere in the Testamentum. Scholars have paid less attention to the rest of the T eucharistie rite, which contains a number of interesting features, including a version of the diaconal ekteyie (1.35), the diaconal admonition before the anaphora (1.23), private prayers after receiving (1.23), and the presence of women at the altar at the time o ( the celebration (1.23).

11.23: The Eucharistic Liturgyl On the Sabbath let him [i.e., the bishopl offer three breads for the fullness 1 of the Trinity. On Sunday let him offer four breads for the fullness of the Gospel. Because the ancient people went astray, when he offers let the veil in front of the door be drawn. Within it let him offer together with the presbyters, deacons and canonical widows and subdeacons and deaconesses, readers who possess 1.23 = ApTrad 4. T has removed the ApTrad connection of the eucharistic rite with the ordination of the bishop. Sabbath and Sundayl Iaft, The Frequency of the Eucharist throughout History," notes that by the time of Patriarch I imothy 11 of Alexandria (381-385) and John Cassian (cs. 400), the eucharist was being celebrated on Saturday and Sunday. In Robert Taft, Beyond East and West (Pastoral Press, Washington: 1984), A3. Canon 49 of the Council of Eaodicea makes Saturday and Sunday the only rimes the eucharist may be offered during Lent, veil] I.ev 16.2 21.23. 1

'Fullness': t h e S y r i a c can also m e a n ' c o m p l e t i o n , fulfilling, satisfying.

Eucbanst

(1.23, 24. 35: 11.10)

13

|spiritual| gifts. 1 Let t h e b i s h o p stand first in t h e m i d s t [of them) and t h e presbyters i m m e d i a t e l y after him; after t h e m , t h e w i d o w s i m m e d i a t e l y b e h i n d the presbyters on t h e left side, t h e d e a c o n s b e h i n d t h e presbyters on the right side, then the readers b e h i n d t h e m , t h e s u b d e a c o n s b e h i n d t h e readers, t h e deaconesses behind t h e subdeacons. Let t h e bishop place his hand u p o n t h e breads which have been placed u p o n t h e altar in this way, the presbyters placing [their h a n d s on t h e breadsl at the same time. Let t h e rest be s t a n d i n g only. Let the bread of t h e c a t e c h u m e n s 2 n o t be received, n o t even if he has a believing son or wife a n d w a n t s to o f f e r on their behalf. Let him n o t o f f e r until he is baptized. Before t h e b i s h o p o r presbyter offers, let the people give t h e Peace to each other. T h e n , w h e n t h e r e is a great silence, let t h e deacon say as follows: ¡Admonition of t h e Deacon over the Eucharist 3 | |Let| y o u r hearts [he] in heaven. If a n y o n e bears a g r u d g e 4 against his neighbour, let him be reconciled. If a n y o n e has a faithless m i n d 5 , let him confess. If a n y o n e has a m i n d foreign to t h e c o m m a n d m e n t s , let him depart. If a n y o n e has fallen into sin 6 , let h i m n o t hide. H e c a n n o t hide. If a n y o n e has infirm reasoning, let him n o t d r a w near. If a n y o n e is defiled, if a n y o n e is n o t steadfast 7 , let him give place. If a n y o n e is a stranger to t h e c o m m a n d m e n t s of Jesus, let him depart. If a n y o n e treats t h e p r o p h e t s with c o n t e m p t , let him separate himself. Let him deliver himself from t h e wrath of the Only-begotten. Let us not despise the Cross. 8 Let us avoid threatening. We have o u r Lord [as] spectator, the Father of lights with t h e Son; the angels are visiting. 9 Look to yourselves, that you are not bearing a g r u d g e against those near you. See that n o o n e is angry: G o d sees. widows behind the presbyters] this prescription directly contradicts Canon 44 of the Council of Laodicea, which forbade women going to the altar. Admonitionl Unique to T. Father of lightsl Jas 1.17. The angels are visiting] Similar to a line in the diaconal admonition of 1.35. 1

Readers .. . gifts: Rahmani cn: readers, [and| those w h o possess [spiritual] gifts. catechumens: Rahmani cn: a catechumen. (ik eucbarisria transliterated. 4 bears a grudge: or: is angry. s mind: or: conscience. 6 fallen . sin: lit., is in a falling of siri. 7 Or: sure. 8 Or: treat the Cross with contempt. 9 threatening. .. angels visiting: B reads: Let us avoid the threatening of our Lord. We have a spectator, the Father of lights . etc. 2

3

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Lift u p your hearts to offer for the salvation of life and holiness. In the wisdom of G o d let us receive the grace which has been bestowed upon us. [1.23. Anaphora.] T h e n let tne bishop, confessing and giving thanks, say with 1 a loud voice: O u r Lord be with you. And let the people say: And with your spirit. Let the bishop say: Lift u p your hearts. Let the people say: T h e y are with the Lord. Let the bishop say: Let us give thanks to the Lord. And let all the people say: It is meet and right. And let the bishop cry out: Holy things for holy people. And let the people shout: In heaven and on earth without end. EUCHARIST 2 , OR T H A N K S G I V I N G OVER H I E OI-'FERI NG 3

[The eucharistic prayer. Preface] We give you thanks, O G o d , the Holy O n e and confirmer of our souls, giver of o u r lire, treasure of incorruptibility, and Father of your Only-begotten, our Saviour, w h o m you sent to us in the last times as Saviour and proclaimer of your will. For it is your will that we be saved in you. O u r heart gives you thanks, O Lord, [our] mind, [our| soul, along with every thought, that y o u r grace, O Lord, may come u p o n us, [so] that we may praise you continually, and your Onlybegotten, and your Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen. 4 You, Lord, [are] the power of the Father, the grace of the nations, knowledge, true wisdom, exaltation of the meek, medicine of souls. 5 [You are] the confidence of us w h o believe, for you are the strengthening of the righteous, the hope of the persecuted, the h a r b o u r o f those who are buffeted, the illuminatorof the perfect. 6 Anaphora=ApTrad 4. Unlike CH, T retains the ApTrad anaphora. T's redaction involves not extensive rewriting, but rather expansion of the ApTrad prayer using discrete blocs of material which more than doubles the size of the prayer. Holy things for holy people] Unlike other eucharistic rites, which place the Sancta Sanctis before communion, T places it before the anaphora. For a discussion of the Sancta Sanctis in the Testamentum, see: Arranz, Bibliography No.20, particularly 59-60. Arranz understands the Sancta Sanctis here as relating to the confession of sin before the offering, and to the particular T concern with the purity of those offering the eucharist. 1

2 3 4 5 6

Or: in.

Gk euchariitia transliterated. M reads: offerings. O Lord, [our] m i n d .. ages of ages. Amen.: only in Syriac. Or: medicine of the meek, exaltation of souls. Or: mature.

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O Son of the living God, make to shine upon us from your gift which cannot be inquired into, fortitude, valour, confidence, wisdom, steadfastness, unlapsing faith, unshaken hope, knowledge of your Spirit, meekness, integrity, so that always we your servants, Lord, and all the people may purely praise you, bless you, give you thanks at all times, Lord, and supplicate you. And also let the bishop say: You, Lord, [are] the founder o f the heights and King o f the luminous treasuries, visitor of the heavenly Zion, King o f the arcnangelic orders: o f dominions, praises, thrones, raiments, lights, joys, delights. [You arel Father o f kings, you who hold all things in your hand, you who provide by your thought 1 , through your Only-begotten Son who was crucified for our sins. You, Lord, being pleased with him, sent your Word, who is the son o f your counsel and son ot your promise, through whom you made all things, into a virgin womb; who when he was conceived and became incarnate, being born from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin, was shown to be your Son, who, fulfilling your will and preparing a holy people, stretched out his hands to suffering so that he might free those who have noped in you from sufferings and corruption o f death, [The eucharistic prayer. Institution narrative.l who, when when he was betrayed to voluntary suffering so that he might set straight those who had stumbled, and find the lost, and raise the dead, and undo 2 death, and burst the bonds o f the devil, and fulfil the will of the Father, and tread upon Sheol, and open a way o f life, and lead the righteous to light, and fix a boundary, and lighten the darkness, and nurture infants, and reveal the Resurrection, taking bread, he gave [it] to his disciples, saying, 'Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you for the forgiveness o f sins. When you do this, you make my resurrection". Also the cup o f wine which he mixed he gave for a tvpe o f the blood which he shed for us. Praise you, bless you . . . supplicate you| Phrases with the same series of verbs appear in the daily prayers of 1.26. On the basis ot this commonality between the daily pravers and the anaphora, I.. Ligier, Bib. No. 35. suggested that the T anaphora was the product of the recasting of the ApTrad anaphora into the mould of the Syrian collaudatio. You make my resurrection] Many commentators have suggested that here the Syriac translator has confused Gk anamnesis for anastasis. Flowever, if James of Edessa did indeed translate theGk text into Syriac, it is difficult to believe that such an accomplished translator as James could have made such a mistake. The reading 'resurrection' here makes some sense within the context of the T emphasis upon the resurrection (e.g., prayer at midnight because it was the hour of the resurrection (1.31). The Mystagogy of 1.28 which narrates the work of Christ in Hades.) The cup of wine| The T institution narrative is remarkable for its lack of the dominical word over the cup. Both the Lthiopic T and the Ethiopic Anaphora of Our Lord preserve this feature of the prayer. According to Raes in Bib. \o. 40, the only Syriac anaphoras whose insitution narratives lack the dominical cup-word are John of Haran and Matthew the Pastor. 1

O r : rule bv y o u r reason.

2

O r : loose.

lb

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And also let him say: R e m e m b e r i n g , therefore, y o u r death and resurrection, we offer you bread and cup, t h a n k i n g y o u w h o a l o n e are the eternal G o d and o u r Saviour, since you have promised to us to stand before you and serve you as priests. For this we give you tnanks, we y o u r servants, O Lord.

And let the people say likewise.

[ T h e eucharistic prayer. Oblation.]

And also let him say: W e offer you this thanksgiving, eternal Trinity, Lord J e s u s C h n s t , Lord Father, from w h o m all creation and every nature trembles, fleeing into itself; Lord Fioly Spirit, we have brought this drink and this f o o d o f y o u r holiness; m a k e it be for us not for c o n d e m n a t i o n , not for reproach, not f o r destruction, b u t for t h e healing [and| s u p p o r t o f o u r spirit. Indeed, O G o d , grant us that through y o u r N a m e every t h o u g h t o f w h a t is un pleasing to you m a y flee. Lord, grant that every proud t h o u g h t m a y be driven away by y o u r N a m e written within the veil o f y o u r lofty sanctuaries, [your N a m e , at] which S h e o l , hearing |it], is dismayed. [By y o u r N a m e ] the depth is rent, spirits are expelled, the dragon is crushed, u n b e l i e f is driven away, d i s o b e d i e n c e is subdued, anger is appeased, jealousy achieves nothing, arrogance is reproved, avarice is u p r o o t e d , boastfulness is removed, pride is b r o u g h t low, and every nature giving birth to bitterness is destroyed. |The eucharistic prayer. Intercessions and Doxology.l T h e r e f o r e , O Lord, allow o u r inner eyes to see you, praising and glorifying you, c o m m e m o r a t i n g you, serving you, having a portion in you alone. O S o n and W o r d o f G o d , t o w h o m all things are s u b d u e d , sustain to t h e end t h o s e w h o have [spiritual | gifts o f revelations. M a k e firm those w h o have a gift o f healing; e m b o l d e n t h o s e w h o have the power o f tongues; direct t h o s e w h o have the word o f teaching; care always for those w h o d o y o u r will; visit t h e widows, s u c c o u r the orphans, r e m e m b e r t h o s e w h o have fallen asleep in the faith, a n d grant us an inheritance with y o u r saints, and b e s t o w upon us the p o w e r to please you, just as they were pleasing to you. S h e p h e r d the p e o p l e in uprightness. Sanctify us all, O G o d ; grant that all t h o s e w h o partake [and] receive your holy things m a y be united with you, that t h e y m a y be filled with the H o l y Spirit for t h e c o n f i r m a t i o n o f faith in truth, so that they m a y always offer you a doxology, and y o u r beloved S o n J e s u s Christ, through w h o m to you be praise and power with y o u r H o l y Spirit, to the ages o f ages.

And let the people say amen.

W e offer you this thanksgiving] T h e text o f t h e T a n a p h o r a l oblation is preserved in Sahidic, Syriac and F.thiopic. T h e critical problems surrounding this portion o f the text are numerous, and have yet to be completely answered. The most thorough analysis o f the problems surrounding the interrelationship o f all the above versions is that o f H. Engberding, Bib. No. 5. Lord H o l y Spiritl For the literature surrounding the debate over the epiklesis in the T anaphora and its relation to the ApTrad anaphora, see Bib. Nos. 23, 42 and 43.

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17

[1.23. Post-anaphora.l D e a c o n : Let us earnestly beseech o u r Lord a n d o u r G o d , t h a t h e b e s t o w u p o n us homonoia1 of spirit. Bishop: G i v e u s homonoia in t h e H o l y Spirit, a n d heal o u r souls t h r o u g h this offering, t h a t w e m a y live in you in all t n e ages of ages. People: A m e n . Let the people also pray in the same [irordsj. And after these things, let the seal of the thanksgiving Ibej thus: Blessed be t h e n a m e of t h e Lord f o r ever. People: a m e n . Priest: Blessed is h e w h o has c o m e 2 in t h e n a m e of t h e Lord. Blessed [be] t h e n a m e of his glory. A n d let all t h e p e o p l e say: So be it, so be it. so be it. Let t h e b i s h o p say: S e n d t h e grace of t h e Spirit u p o n us. If t h e b i s h o p has a w e t d r e a m 3 let h i m n o t offer 4 , but let t h e p r e s b y t e r offer. N o r let h i m partake of t h e mystery, n o t as if he w e r e pollutes, 5 b u t because of t h e h o n o u r ot t h e altar. But a f t e r h e fasts 6 and w a s h e s in p u r e water, let him c o m e near a n d minister. 7 Similarly also [for] a presbyter. Also, if a w i d o w is m e n s t r u o u s , let h e r n o t c o m e near. Similarly if a w o m a n o r lay person or a n y o n e else f r o m t h e q i ' a m a * [is polluted] 9 , let h i m n o t a p p r o a c h because of t h e h o n o u r [of t h e altar], unless a f t e r fasting 1 0 a n d w a s h i n g .

Post-anaphora: t h i s material is unique to T. If the bishop] This canonical material focusing u p o n the purity of those presiding at the eucharist seems to be derived from Lev 15. Arranz, Bib. No. 20. hypothesizes that this type of legislation, f o u n d elsewhere in the document, may derive from a Judeo-Chnstian source used by T. Qyamal College or class. Exactly to w h o m the d o c u m e n t refers here is unclear. Before the ordination of a presbyter (1.30) the d o c u m e n t speaks of the 'priestly qyama,' which may include all those from the c o m m u n i t y allowed within the veil of the altar. See above, in the introductory rubrics to 1.23, and immediately below. Let t h e priests receive] By 'priests' (Syriac kahtie) T obviously means the entire m e m b e r s h i p of the clerical class within the community. Perhaps here we have an enumeration of the members of the 'priestly qyama' mentioned above. T contains words for both 'priest' and 'presbyter'. This translation always translates the Syriac kahna by 'priest' and the Syriac qashisha as 'presbyter' 1

Translation of Gk bomomna, thus wherever homonoia appears in the text. B: comes 1 Lit., a dream ot coition. 4 Or: draw near. 5 Or: defiled. 6 Or: abstains. 7 Or: serve. 8 SYN: bnai ¡Q'ama ( sons ot the covenant ). 9 SYN: shall see a dream of coition. 10 Or: abstaining. 2

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Let t h e priests 1 receive first in the following way: bishop, presbyters, deacons, widows, 2 readers, subdeacons. After t h e m , those w h o have [spiritual] gifts, the newly baptized, little children. T h e people [receive] in t h e following way: the elderly, virgins. After t h e m , the rest. T h e w o m e n |receive in the following way]: deaconesses, after t h e m , t h e rest. 3 Let each one, w h e n he receives t h e thanksgiving, say a m e n before partaking. Afterwards, let him [or h e r | pray in t h e following way; after he receives f r o m t h e eucharist 4 let him say: I loly, Holy, Holy, ineffable Trinity. G r a n t m e to receive this b o d y for life, not for c o n d e m n a t i o n . And grant m e to bear fruits 5 pleasing to you, that I may a p p e a r pleasing to you. M a y I live in you as I perform y o u r c o m m a n d m e n t s , and m a y I call y o u Father with courage. W h e n I call | d o w n ] u p o n myself y o u r k i n g d o m and y o u r will, m a y y o u r n a m e be sanctified in me, because you are mighty and glorious, and praise [bel to you forever. A m e n . After t h e prayer, let h i m [or her] receive. W h e n he receives the cup, let him say a m e n t w o times for t h e fullness of the b o d y a n d blood. After all have received let t h e m pray, confessing and giving thanks for receiving, 6 while t h e deacon says: Praise t h e Lord w h e n we receive his holy things, that the reception m a y be for o u r o w n life and salvation. W e pray and beseech, raising a doxology 7 to t h e Lord our God. I h e n the bishop: Lord, giver of eternal light, pilot ot o u r souls, guide of t h e holy: give us u n d e r s t a n d i n g 8 eyes which always heed you, and ears which listen to you alone, that o u r soul m a y be filled with y o u r grace. Form in us a pure heart, [ 0 | G o d , that w e m a y always recognize y o u r greatness. 9 W o n d r o u s G o d , and lover of h u m a n kind 1 0 : a m e n d o u r s o u l s ; through this eucharist 1 1 we receive establish o u r m i n d s [to be| undeviating, we y o u r u n w o r t h y 1 2 servants. For blessed is y o u r K i n g d o m , Lord G o d , a n d praised and glorified in t h e Father and in the Son and in the H o l y , holy, holvl I'his prayer a p p e a r s in the C o p t i c Jacobite a n d F.thiopic Jacobite eucharistic liturgies ( L E W 185.27-38 and 241.8-21). Lord, giver o f eternall T h e Ethiopic J a c o b i t e liturgy refers to this prayer ( L E W 243.9). 1

priests: SYN omits. SYN: widows who have been consecrated. J women . the rest: SYN omits. 4 Gk euchamtia transliterated; afterwards eucharist: SYN omits. 5 Lit., produce fruits. ' Lit., for the reception. 7 The Syriac here has a caique tor Gk doxolvgia. 8 Or: intellectual. ' M: greatness of God. Wondrous, and lover ot humankind 10 Transliteration of Gk philanthropic. 11 Gk euchamtia transliterated. 12 unworthy; or: poor, humble. 2

Eucharist

(1.23, 24, 35; 11.10)

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H o l y Spirit, b o t h f r o m b e f o r e t h e ages, a n d n o w a n d always, a n d f o r e v e r a n d ever, a n d to t h e u n e n d i n g ages o f ages. People: amen. |I,24. B l e s s i n g o f O i l ] I f t h e r e is oil f o r t h e h e a l i n g o f t h o s e w h o suffer, let it b e s a n c t i f i e d in t h e f o l l o w i n g way. L e t h i m say q u i e t l y , s e t t i n g t h e vessel b e f o r e t h e altar: Lord G o d , y o u w h o b e s t o w e d o n us t h e S p i r i t , t h e Paraclete: L o r d , [whosel n a m e is salvific a n d u n s h a k e n , h i d d e n to t h e f o o l i s h b u t r e v e a l e d to t h e w i s e : C h r i s t , y o u w h o h a v e s a n c t i f i e d a n d m a d e w i s e in y o u r m e r c y us y o u r s e r v a n t s w h o m y o u in y o u r w i s d o m h a v e c h o s e n , w h o s e n t t h e k n o w l e d g e o f y o u r S p i r i t to us s i n n e r s t h r o u g h 1 y o u r holiness, w h e n y o u b e s t o w e d t h e p o w e r o f t h e S p i r i t u p o n us, y o u a r e t h e h e a l e r o f all w h o are ill a n d all w h o suffer. Y o u w h o g a v e t h e gift o f h e a l i n g t o t h o s e y o u d e e m e d w o r t h y o f t h i s [gift]: s e n d t h e d e l i v e r a n c e 2 o f y o u r c o m p a s s i o n u p o n t h i s oil w h i c h is a t y p e 3 o f y o u r r i c h n e s s 4 , t h a t it m a y deliver t h o s e w h o a r e d i s e a s e d , a n d [that] it m a y heal t h e sick a n d s a n c t i f y t h o s e w h o return, as t h e y d r a w n e a r to y o u r faith. 5 For y o u are p o w e r f u l a n d g l o r i o u s 6 f o r e v e r a n d ever. People: a m e n . [1.25. B l e s s i n g o f W a t e r . l Similarly, t h e s a m e [prayerl o v e r w a t e r . [1.35. T h e D i a c o n a l E k t e n e ] In all things, let h i m [i.e., t h e d e a c o n | be t h e e y e o f t h e c h u r c h , i n f o r m i n g |the b i s h o p ) w i t h fear. In like m a n n e r let h i m b e a t y p e ' o f eusebia.7 L e t h i m a n n o u n c e 8 in this w a y : [Admonition o f the D e a c o n ' ] L e t us rise. Let e v e r y o n e k n o w his place.

I . 2 4 = A p T r a d 5. Although 1.24 covers the same subject as A p T r a d 5, the T prayer is c o m p l e t e l y different from that in A p T r a d . A p T r a d 5 also does not m e n t i o n trie blessing o f water. Sarapion 5 has a 'Prayer over the offerings ot oils and waters.' S e e also A C V I I I . 2 8 . w h e n y o u b e s t o w e d ] cf. J n . 2 0 . 2 2 - 2 3 , Acts 2.1-4. t h o s e w h o r e t u r n l a reference, perhaps, to the use o f sanctified oil at the reconciliation o f penitents, which does n o t otherwise appear in T . I . 3 5 = L'nique to T . Or: by Or: salvation ' Syriac: tupsa 4 [.it., type of your fatness 5 A reference to the use of the sanctified oil at the reconciliation of penitents. 6 Or: praised 7 The Syriac here has a caique tor Gk eusebia 8 Or: admonish 9 M reads; deacons 1

2

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The Testamentum

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Let the c a t e c h u m e n s depart. See that no o n e d e f i l e d , n o o n e e x c o m m u n i c a t e [remains]. Lift up the eyes o f y o u r hearts. T h e angels are watching. See |that] he w h o d o e s not trust departs. Let us m a k e supplication w i t h c o n c o r d o f m i n d 1 [Let] no fornicator, no o n e w h o is angry [remain]; if s o m e o n e is a servant of evil, let him w i t h d r a w . See |that| w e beseech |God] as sons o f light. Let us supplicate o u r L o r d and G o d and saviour Jesus Christ. As the presbyter or bishop1 begins the prayer, let the people pray and kneel.3 Then let the deacon say as follows: For the peace f r o m a b o v e let us beseech, that the Lord, in his mercy, m a y grant us peace. For o u r faith let us beseech, that the L o r d m a y grant that w e steadfastly keep faith in him until the e n d . For unity and bomonoia let us beseech, that the Lord m a y keep us all t o g e t h e r in the bomonoia o f the Spirit. For patience let us beseech, that the L o r d m a y i m p a r t patience in all sufferings, until the end. For the apostles let us supplicate, that the L o r d m a v grant us to please him as they pleased him, and that w e be d e e m e d w o r t h y o f their inheritance. For the holy prophets let us beseech, that the L o r d mav n u m b e r us a m o n g them. For the h o l y confessors let us beseech, that the L o r d G o d m a y grant us t o end |our lives] in the same m i n d [as theirs]. For the bishop let us beseech, that o u r L o r d m a y g i v e him l o n g life in faith f o r us, Ithat he] rightly d e t e r m i n e the w o r d o f truth and purely and blamelessly stand at the head o f the church. For the presbyterate let us beseech, that the L o r d not take a w a y f r o m t h e m the spirit o f the presbyterate; m a y he b e s t o w d i l i g e n c e and piety u p o n t h e m until the end. For the deacons let us beseech, that the Lord grant t h e m to run a perfect race, and to bring holiness to p e r f e c t i o n 4 and [that the Lordl r e m e m b e r their labour and charity. no one defiledl Another example of the T emphasis upon purity at the altar. See above. 1.23. T h e angels are watching] A similar phrase concerning the angelic spectators of the liturgy occurs in the deacon's admonition over the eucharist in 1.23. Concord of mind] References to the bomonoia of the congregation occur elsewhere in T (cf. 1.23). 1 1 3 4

Translation of Gk homonma. Gk episkopos transliterated Or: genuflect Or: to accomplish holiness, learn holiness by heart Eucharist

(1.21 24, i5;

II. 10)

21

For the f e m a l e presbyters let us beseech, that t h e Lord hear their supplications and in the grace of t h e Spirit perfectly keep their hearts [and] s u p p o r t their labour. For t h e subdeacons, readers and deaconesses let us beseech, that t h e Lord g r a n t t h e m to receive [their] wage in patience. For t h e worldly 1 faithful let us beseech, that t h e Lord grant t h e m to keep faith perfectly. For t h e c a t e c h u m e n s let us beseech, that the Lord grant t h e m to be m a d e w o r t h y for t h e bath of forgiveness, and sanctify t h e m with t h e seal of holiness. For t h e k i n g d o m let us beseech, that t h e Lord bestow peace u p o n it. For t h e exalted authorities let us beseech, that the Lord grant t h e m u n d e r s t a n d ing and fear of him. For t h e entire world let us beseech, that t h e Lord a t t e n d to each o n e as is suitable. For those w h o sail a n d travel o n roads, let us beseech, that the Lord m a y direct t h e m 2 with t h e right h a n d of mercies. For the persecuted let us beseech, t h a t t h e Lord m a y grant t h e m patience a n d knowledge [and] also bestow u p o n t h e m m a t u r e 3 labour. For those w h o have fallen asleep f r o m the c h u r c h let us beseech, t h a t t h e Lord bestow u p o n t h e m a place of rest. For those w h o have fallen let us beseech, t h a t t h e Lord not r e m e m b e r their transgressions, but mitigate the threat f r o m them.' 1 And we all w h o are in need of prayer beseech, that t h e Lord keep us and protect us with a spirit of peace. Let us petition and beseech t h e Lord, that he receive o u r prayers. After the deacon commemorates,

let the bishop make a sign with his hand.

Let the deacon say: Let us rise in t h e H o l y Spirit, that, as w e are instructed, w e m a y increase in his grace, boasting in his n a m e , built u p o n t h e f o u n d a t i o n of t h e apostles. Let us pray [and] beseech t h e Lord, that, being p e r s u a d e d , he m a y receive o u r prayers. Then let the bishop finish5 [the prayer]. And let the people say amen. Labour) A favourite T word, which often refers to the work of prayer by the bishop and widows. Female presbytersi Some authors identify these members of the clergy who rank immediately after the deacons as the so-called 'widows w h o sit in front' who play such an important role in T. Canon 11 of the Council of Laodicea treats the matter of female presbyters, who were active in fourth century Asia Minor. This petition adds weight to arguments proposing Asia Minor as the provenance of T. Seal of holinessl The text suggests not only the water bath but a (post-baptismal?) anointing. Builtl Eph. 2.20. 1 2 J 4 5

Or. secular them: B omits Or: perfect Or: to them Or: complete

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The Testamentum

Domini

2. Christian Initiation (II.5-10) The Testamentum contains a complete liturgy of initiation in Book Iwo of the Syriac (II. 7-10). The framework of the rite derives from some version of the ApTrad, but the Testamentum has greatly augmented the ApTrad rite with long prayers of exorcism over the candidates (II. 7), prayer that the candidates might be worthy to receive the Holy Spirit (II.9), the renunciation and the syntaxis (adhesion) before baptism. For a discussion of the Testamentum exorcisms, see H.A. Kelley, Bib. No. 32.

[11.5.] After the catechumens have prayed, let the bishop or presbyter, laying a hand upon them, say the prayer of nandlaying of the catechumens. [Prayer of the Catechumens] God, who sends thunderings and causes lightnings 1 , you who established the heaven and spread forth the earth, and who enlightens the faithful, and restores 2 those who stray; you who restored the dead to life and gave hope to those who had none; and freed the entire world 3 from error through 4 the descent of your Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ: hear us, Lord 5 , and give these souls understanding6, perfection, undoubting faith, knowledge of the truth, that they may be in a greater rank 7 than this. Through your holy name and [the name| of your beloved Son Jesus our Lord. Through him be praise and honour to you and 8 the Holy Spirit now and always and to all ages forever. Amen. After these things, let them he dismissed. If someone is apprehended because of my name while a catechumen, and is condemned to tortures and hastens and presses to receive the bath, let the 11.5 = ApTrad 19. T has expanded the ApTrad chapter with the inclusion of a prayer over the catechumens only alluded to in the source, bishop or presbyter] In ApTrad. the teacher of the catechumens lays a hand on them, hastens and presses] This phrase does not appear in ApTrad. The passage could be interpreted to imply that in the time o f T , while arrest of catechumens was still a possibility, there sometimes was a space of time between their arrest and execution. 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8

Or: prepares lightnings Or: convert: lit., and you restore (or: convert)

Iranslation of Gk oikoumcne

Or: by Lord: B omits Or: intelligence, intellect Or: degree and: SYN: with

Christian Initiation