The Forty Martyrs of the Sinai Desert
And the Story of Eulogios, from a Palestinian Syriac and Arabic Palimpsest

An Arabic and Syriac text and translation chronicling the slaughter of fourth-century monks at their monastery on Mount Sinai.

Agnes Smith Lewis (Edited and translated by)

9781108019088, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 February 2011

162 pages, 2 b/w illus.
24.4 x 17 x 0.9 cm, 0.27 kg

The twin sisters Agnes Lewis (1843–1926) and Margaret Gibson (1843–1920) were pioneering biblical scholars who became experts in a number of ancient languages. Travelling widely in the Middle East, they made several significant discoveries, including one of the earliest manuscripts of the four gospels in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language probably spoken by Jesus himself. Originally published in the Horae Semitica series, this fascicule features a text in Arabic and Syriac which tells the story of the massacre of monks at the Sinai monastery in the fourth century. It is a mournful account of extreme suffering for the Christian faith. Edited and translated by Agnes Lewis, the volume also includes the tale of Eulogius, a hubristic stone-cutter. Rewarded by God for his charity, Eulogius was corrupted by wealth, returning to his humble position a broken man. Both documents are of great historical and linguistic interest.

Introduction
Translation
Glossary
Emendanda in No. VIII
Page of Arabic upper script and translation
Text.

Subject Areas: Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]