Arabic Christian Writers
Overview
3
Theodor Abu Qurra 7
Doubtful works 16
Works transmitted in Greek 20
Works transmitted in Georgian 20
Spuria 21
Vita of John of Edessa 25
Other anonymous apologetical works prior to the 11th century 26
The Disputation of the monk Abraham of Tiberias 28
Qustā ibn Lūqā 30
Yūhannā (Yahyā) ibn al-Bitriq 32
Eutychius, Sa'id ibn Bitriq (Batriq)
Agapius, Mahbūb ibn Qustantin 36
Atanāyūs 40
Antonius, Abbot of the monastery of St. Simeon 41
Ibrahim ibn Yūhannā al-Antāki 45
Abu 'Ali Nazif ibn Yumn 48
A poem of defamation 49
Yahyā (Yūhannā) ibn Sa'id ibn Yahyā al-Antāki 49
Anonymous Historians 51
Theophilus ibn Taufil 51
Abu 'l-Fath 'Abdallah ibn al-Fadl 52
Translations 53
Original works and anthologies 58
Nikon 64
Taktikon of Constantinople 66
Michael, monk of the monastery of Simeon 69
Caesarius 70
Agathon 71
Michael of Damascus 71
Maximus of Antioch 71
Gabriel from the monastery of Mt. Sinai 71
'Isā ibn Qustantin 71
Abu 'l-Hair al-Mubārak ibn Sarāra 71
Melchite physicians 72
Paulus (Būlus) ar-Rāhib al-Antāki 72
'Afif ibn al-Makin ibn Mu'ammil 78
Al-Fadl ibn 'Isā und Bašir as-Sirri 79
The Disputation of George the Monk 79
Canonists and historians 81
Ibn al-Hidāh 81
Joseph der Aegypter 82
Wahbatallāh Gamāl ad-din 82
Theophilus und Sim'ān al-Antāki 82
Gerasimus 82
Salomon, Sulaimān ibn Hasan al-Gazzi 84
Sulaimān al-Ašlūhi 86
Athanasius, Patriarch of Jerusalem and others 86
Cyrillus al-Lādiqi 89
Nikon of Manbig 89
Simeon of Thessaloniki, translation 89
Stephanus 89
Anonymous theological tractates after the 11th century 90
Moral-ascetical tractates 90
Feast-day and other sermons 91
Exegetical works 92
Qais, the Maronite 94
The book of orthodoxy 94
Thomas, Bishop of Kafartāb
Theodorus al-'Aqūri 100
John, the maronite monk 101
Ignatius, Bishop of Cyprus 101
Ps. -John Maron 101
Overview 103
The family of Bahtisū' 109
George 110
Bahtisū' 110
Gabriel 110
Bahtisū' 110
Yūhannā 111
Gabriel ibn 'Ubaidallāh 111
Abu Sa'id 'Ubaidallāh 111
'Ali ibn Ibrahim 112
Other translators and secular writers before Hunain 112
Al-Haggāg 112
'Isā ibn Hakam Masih 112
Hārūn ibn 'Azzūr 112
Abu Zakaryā Yūhannā ibn al-Bitriq 112
Yūsuf ibn Ibrahim al-Hābis 113
Abu Zakaryā Yūhannā (Yahyā) ibn Māsawaih 113
Ibrahim ibn 'Isā 114
Timothy I 114
Other church writers of the 9th century 118
Abu Nūh al-Anbāri 118
Abu 'l-Fadl 'Ali ibn Rabbān an-Nasrāni 118
Apologetics writers 118
'Išū ibn Nun 119
Habib, 'Abd Yasū' ibn Bahriz 119
Yahyā ibn Nu'mān 120
Pethion 120
Išo'danāh 121
Yūhannā ibn Narsai 121
Gabriel of Basra 121
Hunain ibn Ishāq 122
Hunain's school 129
Ishāq ibn Hunain 129
Hubaiš ibn al-Hasan 130
Other Christian pupils of Hunain 131
Christian physicians (Nestorian) 131
Elias (Iliyā) al-Gauhari and Elias of Damascus 132
The apology of 'Abd al-Masih al-Kindi 135
The Bahirā legend 145
Ibn as-Salt Yūhannā ibn as-Salt , 149
Hanūn ibn Yūhannā ibn as-Salt 150
John V, Yūhannā ibn 'Isā 151
Abu Bišr Mattā ibn Yūnān al-Mantiqi 153
Various writers of the 10th century 154
Cyriakus al-Harrāni 154
Georg of Mosul 155
Ya'qūb ibn Zakaryā 155
Gabriel ibn Nūh 155
Israel, Bishop of Kaškar 155
Another writer also named Israel 156
Nestorians of the school of the Jacobite Yahyā ibn 'Adi 156
Abu 'l-Hair al-Hasan ibn Suwār 156
'Isā ibn 'Ali 157
Yūsuf ibn al-Buhairi 157
Sabrisū' Bišr ibn as-Sirri 158
Elias I 159
Abu 'l-Farag 'Abdallah ibn at-Taiyib al-'Irāqi 160
Ibn at-Taiyib's exegetical works 162
Dogmatical, ethical and canonistical works 170
Elias of Nisibis 177
Theological works 178
Ethical, canonistical and scientific works 184
Abu Sa'id Mansūr ibn 'Isā 189
Anonymous theological works 189
Al-Mūhtār Yuwānis, Ibn Butlān 191
Abu'l-Hair al-Mubārak 195
Nestorian physicians of the 11th century 195
The Chronicle of Se'ert 195
Maqihā ibn Sulaimān 196
Sa'id ibn Hibatallāh, Ibn Atradi 197
Hibatallāh Amin ad-Daula, ibn at-Tilmid 199
Abu 'l-Hasan Sā'id ibn Hibatallāh, 200
Abu Nasr Sa'id, ibn al-Masihi 200
Sabrisū' ibn al-Masihi 200
Māri ibn Sulaimān 200
Abu Halim Iliyā ibn al-Haditi, 202
Rūbil of Dunaisir 205
Sa'id Mubarak ibn Iliyā 206
Elias al-Bahri 206
Hurmiz ibn Bašir 206
Rašid ad-din 206
Anonymous Tarāgim 206
Other writers 207
Michael 207
Sabrisū' ibn Fūlus 207
Subhān li-Yašū' 207
Isū'yāb ibn Malkūn 208
'Ammār al-Basri 210
Ibn Māri ibn al-Masihi 211
Ibrahim ibn 'Aun 212
Elias, Mutrān 213
Salomon of Basra 213
Denhā 213
Yūsuf, Bishop 214
Ishāq, Monk 214
Ibn al-Quff 214
'Abdišū' (Ebedjesus) 214
'Amr ibn Mattā ibn Bahnām 216
Salibā ibn Yūhannā 217
Authors and writers of uncertain date 219
Thaddāus of Edessa 219
Ibrahim ibn 'Amrū 219
Elias, Bishop of Edessa 219
Anonymous theological works 219
Anonymous liturgical explanations 219
Overview 220
Habib ibn Hidma Abu Rā'ita 222
Nonnus of Nisibis 226
Cyriakus, Patriarch 227
'Abd al-Masih ibn Nā'ima ibn 'Abdallah al-Himsi 228
Moses bar Kepha 229
John of Dārā 233
Theodosius, Patriarch 233
Yahyā ibn 'Adi. General information. 233
Yahyā ibn 'Adi, contd. Works 239
Various writers of the 10th century 249
Farag ibn Girgis ibn Afrim 249
Abu Zakaryā Denhā 250
Al-Hārit ibn Sinān ibn Sinbāt 251
Basilius of Tiberias 251
Yu'annis ibn aš-Šammā' 251
Abu 'Ali 'Isā ibn Ishāq ibn Zur'a 252
Eustathius 256
Abu Sahl 'Isā ibn Yahyā al-Masihi al-Gurgāni 257
Nagm ad-din abu 'l-'Abbās Ahmad ibn 'Abd ar-Rahmān 259
Muhyi ad-din al-'Agami 259
Abu Nasr Yahyā ibn Garir 259
John X, Yūhannā Yūsa' ibn Šūšān 263
Dionysius ibn as-Salibi 263
Michael the Great 265
John XV, Yūhannā ibn al-Ma'dani 267
Ignatius II 269
Other writers of the 13th century 269
Ya'qūb ibn Sakkā 269
Bahnām as-Sigistāni 269
Ignatius Petrus III 270
Agathos of Homs 270
Ya'qūb al-Māridāni " 270
Abu 'l-Hasan ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mahrūma 270
Ignatius ibn Wahib 271
Eudoxus of Melitene 272
Gregorius abu l-Farag ibn al-'Ibri, Barhebraeus 272
Translated works. 275
Elias al-Amidi 281
Severus (ibn) at-Tahhān 281
Daniel ibn al-Hattāb 281
Writers of uncertain date 284
Mustafa 'l-Malik abu Yūsuf 284
Abu l-'Farag Giwargis 284
George the monk 284
George, another monk 284
Anonymous exegetical works 284
Pentateuch-Catena 284
History of Thora 289
Explanation of the Gospel-writers 292
Overview 294
Severus ibn al-Muqaffa' 300
History of the Patriarchs of Alexandrien 301
Theological works 306
Abu Ishāq ibn al-Fadlallāh 317
Al-Wādih ibn Raga' 318
'Abd al-Masih al-Isrā'ili 319
Abd al-Masih, Ibn Nūh 320
Abu Sulh Yūnus (Yuwannis) ibn 'Abdallah 320
Christodulus, Patriarch 321
The florilegium "Knowledge of the Fathers" 321
Cyrillus II 323
Michael IV 324
Michael V 324
Makarius, Patriarch, 324
Gabriel ibn Tarik 324
Markus ibn al-Qanbar 327
Michael, Bishop of Dimyāt 333
Simon ibn Kalil ibn Maqāra 336
Anonymous Gospel harmonies 338
Abu Sālih (Sulh) the Armenian 338
Abu 'l-Mukāram Sa'dallāh ibn Girgis ibn Mas'ūd 340
Petrus Severus al-Gamil 340
Abu Bāšir 344
Ar-Rasid abu 'l-Hair ibn at-Taiyib 344
Al-Makin Girgis, Ibn 'Amid 348
Petrus as-Sadamanti 351
Yūsāb, Bishop of Ahmim 356
Paulus al-Būši 356
Cyrillus ibn Laqlaq 360
"The book of the chapter" 367
Yūsāb, Bishop of Fūwah 369
John, Bishop of Samannūd 371
Al-Wagih Yūhannā al-Qalyūbi 375
At-Tiqa ibn ad-Duhairi 378
Ibn Kātib Qaisar 379
Gabriel ibn al-Hāzin 384
Die Aulād al-'Assāl 387
As-Safi abu 'l-Fadā'il ibn al-'Assāl 388
contd. The Nomocanon 398
Al-As'ad abu 'l-Farag Hibatallāh ibn al-'Assāl 403
Al-Mu'taman abū Ishāq Ibrahim ibn al-'Assāl 407
Gabriel 414
Michael, Bishop of Atrib and Malig 414
Faragallāh al-Ahmimi 427
An-Nusū' abū Sākir ibn (Petrus) Butrus ar-Kāhib 428
Chronicon Orientale 434
Abu 'l-Fahr al-Masihi 435
Chronological compilation 436
Abrim, Bishop 436
John, son of Severus 436
Makarius 437
Šams ar-Ri'āsa abu 'l-Barakāt, Ibn Kabar 438
Athanasius, Bishop of Qūs, and anonymous philologists 445
Triadon 446
John ibn Sabbā' 448
Abu 'l-Magd ibn Yuwannis (Yu'annis, Yūnus) 449
Al-Mufaddal ibn abi 'l-Fadā'il 450
Al-Makin Girgis (George) ibn al-'Amid 450
Petrus al-Habbāz 453
A work on the Eucharist 453
Writers of the time of persecution 455
Matthaus, Patriarch 455
Gabriel V 456
Paulus, Bishop of al-Bahnasā 456
Sarkis 457
Raphael 457
Gabriel, Bishop of Marg 457
Myronweihen 457
Anonymous coptic exegetical works 458
Commentary on parts of the Old Testament 458
Introduction to the psalms 458
Introduction to the gospels 461
Explanation of the gospels 461
Introduction to the Corpus Paulinum 462
Commentary on the remainder of the NT 463
Introduction to the Apocalypse 463
Explanations of the Epistle and Gospel readings 464
Anonymous Theological works of the Monophysites (Jacobites and Copts) 465
Anonymous moral-ascetical tractates and homilies of the Jacobites und Copts 467
Anonymous works whose denomination is uncertain 468
Biblical 468
Apologetical-polemical works against Islam and the Jews 472
Hagiography 474
Martyrs under Islam 474
Ascetics 474
The story of a learned man and a Chinese settler 475
Son of Constantine, arabised as Mahbub ibn Qustantin. Bishop of Manbig (Mabbug, Hierapolis). Contemporary with Eutychius but slightly later. He wrote a World History from the creation to his own times. The last portion, covering the Arab period, only survives in a single manuscript. It ends in the second year of the Caliphate of Mahdi (160 AH, 776-7 AD). The original had the title "Kitab al-'Unwan" or "Book of titles" was continued to 941-2.
For the early history of Christianity, Agapius relied uncritically upon apocrypha and legendary material. For ecclesiastical and secular history after that period he relied on Syriac sources. Foremost among these was the World Chronicle of the Maronite, Theophilus of Edessa (d. 785, according to Baumstark, p.341 f), for the end of the Ummayad and beginning of the Abbasid periods. From the Church History of Eusebius, Agapius used only short extracts. He also used other sources, and so included an otherwise unknown passage by Papias of Hierapolis. He also knew the History of Bardesanes, which Michael the Syrian took, directly or indirectly, from Agapius.
Masriq 12 (1909) 467 f. L. Cheiko, Catal. S. 33., C. Karalevsky in Dict. Hist. Geogr. Eccl. I 899 f.
Editions:
1. L. Cheikho, Agapius Episcopus Mabbugensis, Historia universalis, in CSCO. Scriptores arabici. Textus, Ser. III. t. V. Beirut/Paris (1912). This used Ms. Beirut 3 (16-17 century) and 4 (1819 AD) together with Sarfeh ar. 16/1 (1662 AD). For the last part he used the only manuscript, Florence Palatinus Mediceus or. 132. As a substitute for the lost final portion, he used extracts from al-Makin ibn 'al-'Amid in Ms. Paris ar. 294. See also Masriq 8 (1905) 1051 ff.; Mélanges de la Faculté Orientale VI (Beyrouth 1913) 214-6.
2. A. Vasiliev, Kitab al-'Unwan. Histoire universelle écrite par Agapius (Mahboub) de Menbidj, éditée et traduite. Patrologia Orientalis V.4 (pp.557-692), using Ms. Bodleian ar. christ. Nicoll. 51,1 (Hunt. 478, 1320 AD); Sin. ar. 581, 1 and 456, 6. Continued in PO VII.4 (pp.457-591) and PO VIII.3 (pp.397-550), also reliant on the Florentine ms. for the latter part.
Other manuscripts of the first part exist.
Along with Agapius of Manbig and Eutychius, al-Masudi (d. 957) lists an Egyptian monk Atanayus (Athenaios) as author of a "History of the Romans and other nations from Adam to Constantine." See Kitab at-Tanbih wal-israj, ed. J. de Geoje, Bibliotheca geographorum arabicorum VIII 154 f. Also B. Carra de Vaux, Maçoudi, Le Live de l'Avertissement et de la Revision. Traduction, Paris 1897, p. 212. Masriq 12 (1909) 484.
There is a world history compiled with extracts from Eutychius and Agapius starting with Heraclius and the advent of Islam in Ms. Sarfeh ar. 16/2, 1 (18th century); see Catalogue p. 480 f.
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