Stephen J.

Davis

The Arabic Life of St. John the Little, published here for the first
time with English translation, cannot be fully understood or
appreciated in isolation from its historical, literary, and social
contexts. Accordingly, I have three main purposes in this brief
introduction. First, I will assess what we know about the life
history of John the Little and address some of the challenges
involved in reconstructing his biography in light of the earliest
sources available to us—especially collections of monastic
sayings such as the Apophthegmata Patrum (Sayings of the
Desert Fathers). Second, I will examine the literary processes
whereby the Sayings of John the Little were first incorporated
into a new narrative framework with the composition of the
Coptic Life of St. John the Little, and whereby John’s vita was
subsequently translated into both Syriac and Arabic. Third, I
will investigate the medieval Monastery of St. John the Little as
the institutional setting for the production (and local
performance) of the Arabic Life as it was preserved in the
Göttingen manuscript on which this edition is based.
Highlighting the importance of monastic scribal practices and
the Coptic liturgy, I will suggest that the Arabic Life holds
special historical value for the information it provides about the
activities of translation and calendrical veneration within the
monastery that came to bear John the Little’s name.

1. Problems and Possibilities in the Biography of a Saint:

Reassessing the Sayings of John the Little
John the Little was an Egyptian monk who was active in the
late fourth and early fifth centuries and who became famous
for both his extraordinary piety and his markedly short stature.

Coptica 7 (2008), 1 185.

2 Stephen J. Davis

In Greek, he is most often known as Iōannēs Kolobos (“John

the Little”), although in the Latin tradition he is also called
Joannes Nanus (“John the Dwarf”). The Coptic form of his
name follows the Greek, and in Arabic it is correspondingly
rendered as Yu annis (or Ya nis) al(Qa īr (“John the Little”).
The diminutive height of the saint was commemorated not only
verbally by virtue of his descriptive moniker, but also visually in
Coptic church art where his smaller figure became a distinctive
1
marker of his identity.
According to a systematic prosopographical study by Jean
2
Claude Guy, John the Little was part of a third generation of
monks who rose to prominence at Scetis after the career of
Macarius the Great (the founding father of monasticism in the
region), after Sisoēs, Ammōn, and Pshoi (three first generation
disciples), and after Daniel, Isidore, and Paphnutius (three
disciples of the second generation). John’s life span—
beginning sometime in the early or mid fourth century and
3
probably ending in the year 409 —was relatively
contemporaneous with other well known monastic figures such
as Apollon, Moses the Black, and Serapion, and slightly
anterior to a later fifth century generation that included
Arsenius the Great and Poemen.
In the Apophthegmata Patrum (The Sayings of the Desert
Fathers), forty seven sayings and stories related to John were

1
For an example, see the depiction of John the Little in the thirteenth
century iconographic program at the Monastery of St. Antony at the Red Sea,
where the artist compensates for the saint’s short height by having him stand
on a small hill in order that his head level might almost reach that of his
companions, Pishoi the Great, Sisoes, and Arsenius: Elizabeth S. Bolman,
Monastic Visions: Wall Paintings in the Monastery of St. Antony at the Red Sea
(New Haven and London: Yale Press and the American Research Center in
Egypt , 2002), esp. 51–3, 82–84, 221, 242, and figs. 4.22, 5.9, and 5.12.
2
J. C. Guy, Les Apophthegmes des Pères: Collection systématique,
chapitres I(IX (Sources chrétiennes 387; Paris: Cerf, 1993), 46–79.
3
The date of John’s death has been established in accordance with the
Coptic Life of St. John the Little, a panegyric presented on the anniversary of
that event, which is reported to have occurred on a Sunday, the twentieth day
of the Egyptian month Paophi (October 17). Assuming that the given day and
date are accurate, this leaves two possibilities for the year of his death—either
398 or 409. Scholars have opted for the latter date, since it allows them to
reconcile John’s death with Poemen’s later reports and with the barbarian raid
(usually dated 407) that was supposed to have led John to flee Scetis and
resettle near Clysma, according to chapters 76–77 in the Life.
 Introduction 3

4
collected and preserved. These sayings were passed down
orally from monk to monk across the generations until they
were collected in a Greek edition sometime during the sixth
century. This Greek collection of sayings was probably edited
5
in its standardized form in Palestine. Another collection has
been preserved in Ethiopic in which we find three additional,
6
otherwise unattested sayings attributed to John. As in the
Greek collection, a strong emphasis is placed on the monastic
7
virtues, especially that of obedience. Perhaps the most well
known Greek apophthegm associated with John the Little, the
first saying in the alphabetic collection, involves his profound
obedience to his master in traveling daily through the desert to
8
water a dry branch of wood until it blossomed. In the Ethiopic
Collectio, two of the three sayings not attested in the Greek
collection also highlight the virtue of obedience. In one case,
John laments his contemporaries’ neglect of the Scriptures,
saying, “Indeed, our fathers, who obeyed the Lord as their

4
Trans. Benedicta Ward in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The
Alphabetical Collection (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 1975), 85–
96. Sayings 1–40 in Ward correspond to the Greek sayings in PG 65.204–220.
Sayings 41–47 in Ward correspond to the Greek sayings in J. C. Guy,
Recherches sur la tradition grecque des Apophthegmata Patrum (Bruxelles:
Société des Bollandistes, 1962), 23–4. My references to individual Greek
sayings follow Ward’s numbering system. It should be noted that some of these
sayings have been transmitted in variant forms: see, for example, the
expanded (and combined) version of Sayings 24 and 32 in a manuscript from
Mount Athos in Greece (Karakallou 251): R. Draguët, “A la source de deux
apophthegmes grecs (PG 65, Jean Colobos 24 et 32),” Byzantion 32 (1962),
53–61.
5
Lucien Regnault, “Les Apophthegmes des Pères en Palestine aux Ve VIe
siècles,” Irénikon 54 (1981), 320–33.
6
Victor Arras, ed., Collectio Monastica, CSCO 238–9, Scriptores Aethiopici
45–6 (Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1963), ch. 14.10, 41, 42 (vol. 1,
111, 119–20 [Ethiopic texts]; vol. 2, 82.3–11, 88.5–12, 13–20 [Latin
translations]). This Ethiopic collection also includes two parallel versions of
Sayings already extant in the Greek collection: see ch. 10 (vol. 1, 78 [Ethiopic
text]; vol. 2, 58.1–17 [Latin translation]; = Greek Saying 15); and ch. 16.5 (vol.
1, 133 [Ethiopic text]; vol. 2, 97.31–98.11 [Latin translation]; = Greek Saying
34).
7
The Ethiopic Collectio Monastica shares in common with the Greek
collection John the Little Saying 34 in which the famous monk advocates that
“a man should have a little of all the virtues” (PG 65.215A; trans Ward, 92;
Collectio Monastica, ch. 16.5 = Arras, vol. 1, 133, and vol. 2, 97.31 98.11).
8
Apophthegmata, John the Little, Saying 1 (PG 65.204C; trans. Ward, 85–
6).
4 Stephen J. Davis

Lord, gave to us an easy way, but our disobedience has

9
deprived us of it.” In another case, John compares his
generation to Lazarus and identifies obedience as a
precondition for Jesus’ act of raising people up from
enslavement to death: “Therefore if we obey Jesus, he unbinds
us from all of these things and frees us from the enslavement
of all those evil thoughts, and we will be sons of the Lord: we
will take hold of the promise for our inheritance and will be sons
10
of his eternal kingdom.” A similar emphasis on obedience
11
may be found in the Coptic Life of St. John the Little.
Some scholars have taken such thematic correspondences
12
as evidence for the historicity of these traditions about John.
That is to say, they see the consistent association of John with
the virtue of obedience as an especially authentic testimony to
his historical character. This may be the case. However, other
aspects of the sayings traditions complicate matters
considerably. For example, the famous story of the tree proves
to be not originally associated with John the Little, but rather a
legendary borrowing from an earlier account about an Upper
Egyptian monk named John of Lycopolis in John Cassian’s
13
Institutes (400 CE). This earlier account describes how John

9
Collectio Monastica, ch. 14.10 (ed. Arras, vol. 1, 111; vol. 2, 82.3–11). My
translation is based on the Latin.
10
Collectio Monastica, ch. 14.42 (ed. Arras, vol. 1, 119 20; vol. 2, 88.13
20).
11
See, e.g., the Coptic Life of St. John the Little 6, where the author
describes how John began his monastic discipleship “with complete obedience
as a good disciple working diligently in true submission” (ed. Amélineau,
Histoire des monastères de la Basse(Égypte (Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1894), 331,
trans. Mikhail and Vivian, in Coptic Church Review 18.1–2 (1997), 23; see also
Vivian, “Introduction,” 14–15).
12
See, e.g., William Harmless, Desert Christians: An Introduction to the
Literature of Early Monasticism (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004),
193, who writes that “sometimes... the poignant anecdotes about a figure come
together, like a set of snapshots in a photo album, and offer glimpses of the
person and his teachings.” Thus, even though he admits that the portraits given
in the sayings cannot be seen as completely “unvarnished” (p. 193), he
nonetheless uses the Apophthegmata as a basis for narrating a straightforward
biographical account of John the Little’s life history (pp. 196–202).
13
John Cassian, Institutes 24. John of Lycopolis is also featured prominently
in important sources on early Egyptian monasticism: (1) the anonymous
Historia monachorum in Aegypto (History of the Monks in Egypt, ca. 400 CE),
ch. 1 (ed. A. J. Festugière, Historia Monachorum in Aegypto (SH 53; Bruxelles:
Société des Bollandistes, 1971), 9–35; trans. N. Russell, The Lives of the
 Introduction 5

of Lycopolis waters the dry branch faithfully only to have his

master “(pull) up the branch in his presence and cast it aside”
as an object lesson of what will happen to monks who are not
14
properly rooted in their faith. As renarrated in the Greek
Apophthegmata (and as further expanded in the Life of St.
John the Little) the story is transferred to the biography of John
the Little and in the process takes on a new ending: the tree
flowers under John the Little’s hand as a visible sign of his
15
obedience. Here, we see how a sayings tradition was
recognizably transferred from one John to another, and how in
the process its form was crucially adapted in order to reinforce
John the Little’s association with obedience as a distinctive
virtue.
This case example should demonstrate some of the thorny
problems involved in reading these sayings uncritically as
straightforward sources for reconstructing the life history of
John the Little. To what extent does this emphasis on
obedience trace back to John the Little’s own monastic
practice, and to what extent is it a product of the value system
held by later monastic editors? Of course, the answer might be
a “both/and,” but given the nature of the surviving evidence
these questions cannot be answered with much certainty. What
is certain is that these sayings—as later monastic
“recollections”—inevitably communicate not only something
about an emerging, hagiographical “biography” of the saint, but
also the living values of later fifth and sixth century
communities that remembered his life in new and different
16
historical contexts, from Egypt to Palestine, and elsewhere.

Desert Fathers: The “Historia monachorum in aegypto” (CS 34; Kalamazoo,

Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 1981), 52–62); and (2) Palladius’ Lausiac
History (ca. 420 CE), ch. 35 (ed. C. Butler, The Lausiac History of Palladius
(Texts and Studies 6.1–2; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1898–
1904), 100–6; trans. R. T. Meyer, Palladius: The Lausiac History (ACW 34;
New York: Newman press, 1965), 98–103).
14
John Cassian, Institutes IV.24.2–4 (ed. J. C. Guy, SC 109 (1965), 154–6;
trans. B. Ramsay (New York: Newman Press, 2000), 90–1).
15
Apophthegmata, John the Little, Saying 1 (PG 65.204C; trans. Ward, 85–
6); Coptic Life of St. John the Little 25 (ed. Amélineau, 347–8; trans. Mikhail
and Vivian, 31).
16
Here, I understand social memory as expansive and culturally
constructed, on the basis of sociological research since Maurice Halbwachs.
For points of entry into Halbwach’s work, see especially his two books, La
6 Stephen J. Davis

The Sayings about John the Little in the Greek alphabetical

collection notably lack an well defined narrative structure.
Some of the sayings (#1–2, 8, 13, 35) seem to portray John as
a relatively young monk learning from his abba (who remains
nameless in the alphabetical collection of Apophthegmata), or
in the company of older monks within the community. In
another case (#7), John’s wisdom becomes a source of wonder
to “old men” and to “a venerable priest” visiting Scetis.
Elsewhere in the collection, there are scattered sayings that
present John at a later stage of life, describing him as an “old
man” (#15–17, 19, 30, 41, 45) or describing his relationship to
a younger (again, unnamed) disciple (#33, 46). However, one
strains to find any hint of specific chronological connection
between the various sayings. Instead, apart from a few
common thematic threads, these sayings and stories about
John the Little survive mostly as independent vignettes. As
such they function not so much as hard data for a biographical
history, but more as imaginative windows into the inner and
outer workings of a revered monastic soul.

2a. From the Greek Sayings to the Coptic Life: Composing an

Egyptian Narrative of a Monastic Saint
Two centuries after the collection of the sayings was
completed, the eighth century bishop Zacharias of Sakhā
17
composed the Coptic Life of St. John the Little. In the

Mémoire collective (Paris: Presses Universitaire de France, 1950), Eng. trans.

by F. J. Ditter, Jr. and V. Y. Ditter, The Collective Memory (New York: Harper &
Row, 1980); and Les cadres sociaux de la mémoire (Paris: Presses
Universitaires de France, 1952), Eng. trans. by L. A. Coser, On Collective
Memory (The Heritage of Sociology; Chicago and London: University of
Chicago Press, 1992). For works assessing social or collective memory as a
field of study, see Gérard Namer, Halbwachs et la mémoire sociale (Paris:
L’Harmattan, 2000); and Astrid Erll, Kollektives Gedächtnis und
Erinnerungskulturen (Stuttgart: J. B. Metzler, 2005). For more on monastic
memory practices, see the final section of this introduction.
17
A complete version of the Life of St. John the Little is preserved in the
Bohairic dialectic of Coptic: Vat. Copt., no. 68, fol. 53r–104v (tenth century CE);
edited by E. Amélineau, in Histoire des Monastères de la Basse(Égypte
(Anneles du Musée Guimet 25; Paris: Leroux, 1894), 316–413. For an English
translation, see Maged S. A. Mikhail and Tim Vivian, “Life of Saint John the
Little: An Encomium by Zacharias of Sakhâ,” Coptic Church Review 18.1–2
(1997), 17–58 (based on a version of Amélineu’s text reedited and corrected by
 Introduction 7

composition of that work, he incorporated many of the sayings

into a larger narrative framework. This narrative is framed at its
beginning by an opening blessing and proemium (ch. 1), and at
its end by a peroration (ch. 82) and (in the Arabic version) a
closing blessing. These are extended sections designed to
extol the saint’s virtues and exhort readers and listeners to
emulate his example. It should be noted that the opening and
closing blessings were most certainly added later by (two
different) editor scribes, since the opening blessing refers to
Zacharias in the third person as the author of the Life, and the
closing blessing appears only in the later Arabic translation.
The body of the narrative, which along with the proemium
and peroration seems to have been the work of Zacharias
himself, may be divided in to three distinct phases of John the
Little’s monastic career. The first (chs. 2–29) concerns his
family background, initial calling as a monk, and his early
discipleship under the tutelage of his master Ammoes. The
second (chs. 30–74) consists of material related to his career
as an independent hermit and teacher of disciples after
Ammoes’ death. The third (chs. 75–81) coincides with the final
years of his life, including stories of his miraculous journey to
Babylon, his relocation from Scetis to Clysma, and finally his
death and burial. The overall structure of the work may
therefore be outlined as follows:

Hany Takla). Two Sahidic fragments also survive: ed. Amélineau, 414–25;
trans. M. S. A. Mikhail and T. Vivian, “Life of Saint John the Little,” 59–64.
Relatively little is known about the life of Zacharias of Sakhā, apart from
the fact that he was bishop of Sakhā in the Egyptian Delta during the first three
decades of the eighth century CE (Georg Graf, Geschichte der christlichen
arabischen Literatur (Studi e Testi 118; Vatican City: Biblioteca Apostolica
Vaticana, 1944), vol. 1, 472). In chapter 1 of the Coptic Life of St. John the
Little (ed. Amélineau, 321; trans. Mikhail and Vivian, 19), the author mentions
“the short time when we dwelt as inhabitants among the holy fathers,” an
indication that he lived among the monks of the Wadi al Natrun for a brief
period of time. In addition to the Life of St. John the Little, Zacharias is also
credited with authoring a panegyric celebrating the lives of his monastic
mentors Abraham and George, and a homily on the Holy Family’s journey to
Egypt. On his life and literary production, see Graf, Geschichte, vol. 1, 228–9,
472–3; and C. Detlef G. Müller, “Zacharias, Saint,” in The Coptic Encyclopedia,
ed. A. S. Atiya (New York: Macmillan, 1991), vol. 7, 2368–9.
8 Stephen J. Davis

Proemium (§ 1)
First Phase (§§ 2 – 29)
§ 2, Family origins
§ 3, Call to the monastic life at Scetis
§§ 4 – 29, Discipleship under Ammoes
Second Phase ( §§ 30 – 74)
Third Phase ( §§ 75 – 81)
§ 75, Journey to Babylon
§§ 76–78, John’s resettlement at Clysma
§§ 79 – 81, Death and burial
Peroration (§ 82)
Within this narrative structure, there is a discernable
distribution of monastic sayings attributed to John the Little.
Of the fifty sayings associated with John the Little that are
extant in the Greek Apophthegmata and/or the Ethiopic
Collectio Monastica, only twenty four are incorporated into the
18
Life. Two observations are in order regarding Zacharias’ use
of these sayings. First of all, his source seems not to have
been the Greek Apophthegmata in the form in which we know
them today (i.e. the alphabetic collection edited in late fifth or
early sixth century Palestine), but rather a parallel Coptic
collection known as the Paradise of the Fathers. Indeed, he
specifically speaks about “seeking after (John) in the book of
the holy elders in which they narrated the history of this saint...
19
(a book) they have appropriately called ‘Paradise’.”
20
Unfortunately, the Paradise no longer survives in Coptic, but

18
Vivian (“Introduction,” 3–4) claims a total of 29 paragraphs “have their
origins in the Apophthegmata.” Even accounting for the fact that his
enumeration includes two additional sayings originally associated with
Ammoes and one originally attributed to John the Theban alongside the
twenty four “authentic” sayings associated with John the Little, the total he
gives seems to be off by two (24 + 2 + 1 = 27).
19
Life of St. John the Little 1 (ed. Amélineau, 322; trans. Mikhail and Vivian,
19).
20
Hugh G. Evelyn White, The Monasteries of the Wadi ’N Natrun (3 vols.;
New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1926–1933), I.xxiii, note 2.
 Introduction 9

it may have already included a mix of sayings and narrative

materials about John’s monastic life, which would have served
as a basis for Zacharias’ more expansive work. A work under
21
the same title does survive in Syriac; however, while the
Syriac text contains twenty five sayings about John the Little,
these sayings do not correspond exactly to the sayings
preserved in the Coptic Life of St. John the Little. As a result,
Tim Vivian has concluded that this particular version of the
22
Paradise should not be identified as Zacharias’ source.
Second, it is also noteworthy that, in the Coptic Life, the
sayings about John the Little (as well as other apophthegmata
borrowings) are concentrated almost exclusively in phases one
23
and two of the narrative. In the case of phase one, all of the
relevant sayings material relate to John’s apprenticeship to
Ammoes. While the Greek Apophthegmata collection never
mentions John the Little’s master by name, in the Coptic Life
this anonymous master is identified explicitly with Abba
Ammoes. Zacharias of Sakhā is not the first to make this
connection: in the late fourth century, Evagrius Ponticus
identifies John the Little as Ammoes’ disciple in his Chapters
24
on Prayer. Nonetheless, this identification of Ammoes as
John’s master appears to have been a distinctive part of
Zacharias’ editorial strategy with regard to his sayings sources.
On the one hand, Zacharias adapted his sayings sources by
inserting Ammoes’ name into the stories of John’s interaction
with his previously unnamed mentor. On the other hand, he
also bracketed the chapters about John’s apprenticeship under
Ammoes (chs. 4–29) with two sayings drawn from the
apophthegmata about Ammoes (ch. 4 and 28, = Ammoes 1
and 3), and a saying originally attributed to John the Theban
that mentions Ammoes by name (ch. 29, = John the Theban 1).
Within this narrative inclusio of Ammoes quotations, the author

21
E. A. Wallis Budge, trans., The Paradise of the Fathers (2 vols.; London:
Chatto and Windus, 1907).
22
T. Vivian, “Introduction,” 4, note 3.
23
The lone exception is an allusion in the Peroration (ch. 82: ed. Amélineau,
407–8; trans. Mikhail and Vivian, 57–8) to the content of John the Little, Saying
34.
24
Evagrius Ponticus, Chapters on Prayer (De oratione) 107 (PG 79.1192;
trans. J. E. Bamberger (Cistercian Studies Series 4; Kalamazoo, Mich.:
Cistercian Publications, 1981), 73).
10 Stephen J. Davis

of the Coptic Life inserted a string of nine original sayings

about John the Little (chs. 12–14, 17–18, 20–21, 23, 25; =
John the Little 46, 12, 10, 44, 37, 14, 13, 22, 1).
A second major cluster of sayings appears in phase two of
John’s Life (chs. 30–74), where a total of fourteen chapters are
based on such sources. The remaining material in this section
of text falls into two main categories. It either expands on
prominent themes in those sayings—such as, baskets (ch. 40;
cf. 41–2), the harvest (chs. 44, 46; cf. 45), angels (chs. 54, 73–
74; cf. 55), and the passions (chs. 60, 62; cf. 61)—or
represents independent traditions about John’s healings and
exorcisms (chs. 47–49, 63) and his ordination as priest (chs.
57–9), or stories told by Abba Poimēn about John the Little
25
(chs. 71–2). This latter category also includes otherwise
unattested stories about John the Little with assorted themes
such as God’s “house” (chs. 36, 43), sin and repentance (chs.
37, 65–6), humility (ch. 38), and the soul (ch. 68).
However, the most obvious form of narrative expansion
may be found in the opening chapters about John’s family
origins and monastic call (chs. 2–3), and in the material
comprising phase three of his Life, including his journey to
Babylon (ch. 75), his flight from the barbarian raid on Scetis
and his resettlement at Clysma (chs. 76–8), and the miracles
that attended his death and burial (chs. 79–81). In the case of
his journey to Babylon for the purpose of petitioning the “three
holy youths” from the book of Daniel to grant their favor to
26
bishop Theophilus of Alexandria, we have evidence that
suggests this episode may be related to an independently
circulating Sahidic story cycle. Indeed, two Sahidic fragments
preserve scenes that seem to expand upon aspects of the
27
story as it is preserved in the Coptic Life.

25
Tim Vivian, “Introduction,” 8–9.
26
For a discussion of this legend as an expression of local and translocal
hagiographical practices, see David Frankfurter, “Urban Shrine and Rural Saint
in Fifth Century Alexandria,” in Pilgrimage in Graeco(Roman and Early
Christian Antiquity: Seeing the Gods, ed. Jas Elsner and Ian Rutherford
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), 435–49.
27
Two Sahidic fragments: ed. Amélineau, 414–25; trans. Mikhail and Vivian,
59–64. These fragments have been reedited by W.C. Till, "Ein Sahidischer
Bericht der Reise des Apa Johannes nach Babylon." Zeitschrift für die
neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 37 (1938): 230–9. A variant on this tradition is
 Introduction 11

Fragment 1 expands upon John’s initial journey to

Alexandria, even as it shares certain assumptions in common
with the Life (such as John’s ordination as priest). This
fragmentary account first describes how John, before leaving
Scetis, entrusted a certain Abba Zacharias and a certain Abba
John with the responsibility of “shepherding the brothers,... the
care of the monastery and the ministry to the poor” during his
28
absence. Here, we may have the germ of an early succession
list of monastic leadership associated with John’s monastery in
Scetis, a tradition perhaps unconnected to the story of John’s
relocation to Clysma. I will say more in the next section of the
introduction about local devotion to John the Little in the Wadi
al Natrun. In any case, the rest of Fragment 1 tells the story of
John’s intervention to save a man from a crocodile attack in the
Nile. Modeled loosely on the stories of Jonah and the whale,
and of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus, the tale describes how the
man is brought forth from the river depths and from the belly of
the beast by means of John’s prayers, and furthermore how
John’s prayers raised the stricken crocodile from the dead to
become a companion to the saint on his journey.
Fragment 2 similarly expands on the story of John’s return
journey from Babylon to Alexandria, in this case having him
follow a circuitous itinerary through Jerusalem, and from there
to the Roman fortress at “Babylon of Egypt” (at the current site
of Old Cairo), and then by boat to Alexandria. Each of these
two fragments present versions of events that seek to fill in
lacunae in the legend as it is preserved in the Life. In the end,
however, we are still left with more questions—more gaps—
than answers: the surviving evidence is not sufficient for us to
clarify the exact relationship between the Bohairic Life and
these Sahidic fragments.
In the full Bohairic Life of St. John the Little, the legend of
John’s travels to Babylon immediately precedes the account of

preserved in a Coptic panegyric for the three saints attributed to Theophilus of

Alexandria: ed. H. Devis, Homélies coptes de la Vaticane, Vol. 2 (Copenhagen,
1929), 124 57. Michael van Esbroeck (“Three Hebrews in the Furnace,” Coptic
Encyclopedia, vol. 7, 2257 9) argues that these Coptic texts were anti
Chalcedonian variations on a preexisting Chalcedonian tradition that survives
in Georgian and Armenian sources.
28
Sahidic Fragment 1 (ed. Amélineau, 416; trans. Mikhail and Vivian, 60).
12 Stephen J. Davis

29
his relocation to Clysma. While the Life presents John’s flight
to Clysma as his considered reaction to the impending threat of
a barbarian raid, this story may reflect an attempt by the author
(or an earlier source) to reconcile the John the Little’s life
narrative with the legacy of Saint Antony as well as with local
devotion to John in the vicinity of the Red Sea. On this subject,
it should be noted that other evidence survives for local
veneration related to John the Little in Middle and Upper Egypt
as well, most notably in the village of Dayr Abū innis (“The
30
Monastery of Father John”) near ancient Antinoë. In
contradistinction to the emphasis on posthumous cultic
devotion at Clysma in the Coptic Life, the medieval Arabic
Synaxarion—a calendar of stories to be read on the feast days
of saints—reports on the transfer of John the Little’s remains to
“his monastery Mīnā,” perhaps a reference to the district of
31
Minya. Later, in the fifteenth century, the Muslim historian al
Maqrīzī mentions a certain Dayr Abu al Ni na dedicated to
John the Little outside An ina (ancient Antinoë). It is possible
that al Maqrīzī has in mind devotional practices connected with
the saint at Dayr Abu innis, although his description of the
church being located “in a tower” cannot be easily reconciled
32
with local architectural data.

29
For an account of the history of Clysma based on literary, papyrological,
and inscriptional evidence, see especially Philip Mayerson, “The Port of
Clysma (Suez) in Transition from Roman to Arab Rule,” Journal of Near
Eastern Studies 55.2 (1996), 119–26. Two short articles in the Coptic
Encyclopedia also pertain to the city and its relics: René Georges Coquin and
Maurice Martin, “Clysma,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 2, 565; and Michael van
Esbroeck, “Athanasius of Clysma,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 1, 304–6.
30
On Dayr Abu innis, see Stefan Timm, Das christlichen koptische
Ägypten in arabischer Zeit, volume 2 (Wiesbaden: Ludwig Reichert, 1984),
577–85; René Georges Coquin, Maurice Martin, and Peter Grossmann, ““Dayr
Abu innis,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 3, 701–3.
31
Arabic Synaxarion, 20 Bâbah (ed. R. Basset, Le Synaxaire arabe jacobite
(rédaction copte), PO 1.3, 350–5).
32
al Maqrīzī, ā ā ī ā (= ):
trans. B. T. A. Evetts, in The Churches and Monasteries of Egypt and Some
Neighboring Countries (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1895; repr. Gorgias Press,
2001), 309 [#11]). See also al Maqrīzī’s references to other monasteries and
churches dedicated to John the Little in Upper Egypt and the Delta: Evetts,
Churches and Monasteries, 315 [#45], and 343 [#43]); Randall Stewart,
‘Laqqanah,’ Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 5, 1427. For the Arabic text of al
Maqrīzī’s , see G. Wiet, ed., Mémoires publiés par les members de la
 Introduction 13

The actual village church at Dayr Abu innis is built on

ground level and has a foundation that probably dates to the
33
late fifth century. Given a preponderant lack of hard evidence,
however, questions remain about when the name of John
34
might have been originally associated with that church, and
whether the original dedicatee was in fact John the Little or
35
another John. I have already mentioned the confusion in the
literary record related to John of Lycopolis, and it is possible
that the cult of John the Little at Dayr Abu innis derived from a
similar transference of identity involving another Egyptian monk
named John, or perhaps even John the Baptist, who appears
as the featured figure in a sixth to eighth century wall painting
36
program in a cave church just east of the village. One might
also attempt to trace the origin of John the Little’s association

Mission archéologique française, vols. 30, 33, 46, 49, 53 (Paris: Institut
français d’archéologique orientale, 1911.
33
Peter Grossmann, “Dayr Abu innis: Buildings,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol.
3, 702–3.
34
An inscription in the cave church of Dayr Abu innis contains an
invocation to “the God of St. John;” however, neither its date nor the identity of
this “John” is explicitly specified: see IAntSayce 7; Arietta Papaconstantinou,
Le culte des saints en Égypte des Byzantins aux Abbasides: L’apport des
inscriptions et des papyrus grecs et coptes (Paris: CNRS, 2001), 118. For a
discussion of this and other inscriptional evidence from the site, see Jacques
Jarry, “Nouvelles inscriptions coptes, grecques, arabes et syriaque de Deir
Abou Hennès,” Bulletin de la Société d’archéologie copte 21 (1971–73), 55–81.
35
According to René Georges Coquin and Maurice Martin, “the true identity
of the Saint John to whom this church of Abu Hinnis is dedicated is still
uncertain” (“Dayr Abu innis: History,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 3, 701–2).
36
J. Doresse, “Monastères coptes de Moyenne Égypte,” Bulletin de la
Société française d’Égyptologie 59 (1970), 17–18. On the painted program of
the cave church, see J. Cledat, "Notes archéologiques et philologiques."
Bulletin de l'Institut français d'Archéologie orientale 2 (1902), 41–70; Gertrud J.
M. van Loon and Alain Delattre, “La frise des saints de l’église rupestre de Deir
Abou Hennis,” Early Christian Art 1 (2004), 89–112; “La frise des saints de
l’église rupestre de Deir Abou Hennis: Correction et Addition,” Eastern
Christian Art 2 (2005), 167; “Le cycle de l'enfance du Christ dans l'église
rupestre de Saint jean Baptiste a Deir Abou Hennis,” Cahiers de la
Bibliothèque Copte 14 (2006), 119 134; and Gertrude J. M. van Loon, “No
Description Can Do Justice to that Rugged Desert in the Mountain...,” paper
presented at the Ninth International Congress of Coptic Studies, 18 November,
2008. Evelyn White (The Monasteries of the Wādi ’n Natrūn, vol. 2, 157–8, and
307, note 3) argued that Dayr Abu innis may have originally been named
after the ninth century monk, John Kame, rather than John the Little, but his
hypothesis has since been refuted by Doresse (op. cit.) and Stefan Timm (Das
christlichen koptische Ägypten in arabischer Zeit, volume 2, 578–9).
14 Stephen J. Davis

with Dayr Abu innis via his connection with the monk Bishoi
(Gr. Paisius; Copt. Bishoi). The Life of St. Bishoi, whose
authorship is attributed to John the Little, describes how Bishoi
fled from Scetis to Antinoë when the nomadic tribes attacked
37
the settlement. Readers of this text may have come away
with the assumption that John the Little was an eyewitness of
Bishoi’s life and death, and therefore must have been present
with him during his time in Antinoë. In any case, regardless of
one’s conclusions about the local causes of devotion to John
the Little at Dayr Abu innis, by the late medieval period that
devotion seems to have become firmly established in the
38
area.
In this context, the account in the Life about John the
Little’s burial at Clysma represents one of several competing
local traditions related to the veneration of his relics in the early
medieval period. Another one of these traditions—preserved in
the Ethiopic Synaxarion—sought to reattach John the Little’s
cult to his original monastic residence in Scetis (Wadi al
39
Natrun). While largely an epitome of the Coptic and Arabic
versions of the Life, the Ethiopic Synaxarion adds a note about

37
The Life of St. Bishoi survives in both Greek and Arabic. The Greek text
was edited by I. Pomjalovskij, Žhitie prepodobnago Paisija velikago (Saint
Petersburg: Tip. Imperatorskoæ akademåii nauk, 1900), 1–61. The Arabic text
is preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris and remains unpublished
(BN Arabic 4796, fols. 119r–169v); it contains an account (absent in the Greek)
describing the translocation of Bishoi’s body from Antinoë to the Wadi al
Natrun after his death (René Georges Coquin, “Pshoi of Scetis,” Coptic
Encyclopedia, vol. 6, 2029–30).
38
Today, the southern haikal and two nineteenth century icons in the
sanctuary of the church at Dayr Abu innis are dedicated to the saint
(http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/hinnis.htm, as of October 26, 2008). A
modern Arabic monograph further promotes this local devotion by inserting into
his life story an episode in which the saint visits Saint Bishoi at An ina after
leaving the Wadi al Natrun and founds the monastery at Dayr Abu innis
before making his way to Clysma: see Qummu Muta ā’īl Ba r, Tārīkh al(
Qadīs al(Anba Yū annis al(Qa īr wa Min aqat An īna (Antīnuwīh) (= The
History of Saint John the Little and the District of An īna (Antinoë)) (1957), esp.
163.
39
Ethiopic Synaxarion, 29 Nahasé (= September 5): ed. I. Guidi (with L.
Desnoyers and A. Singlas), in PO 9.4, 418 22; see also the discussion in
Michael van Esbroeck, “John Colobos, Saint: Arabic Tradition,” Coptic
Encyclopedia 5, 1361–2. On the textual history of the Ethiopic Synaxarion, see
René Georges Coquin, “Synaxarion, Ethiopian,” Coptic Encyclopedia 7, 2190–
2.
 Introduction 15

the transfer of the saint’s relics from Clysma back to the

Monastery of St. Macarius in the Wadi al Natrun and thence to
the Monastery of St. John the Little. According to this account,
after the monastery at Clysma (Quelzem) had come to support
the Chalcedonian definition of faith, a group of Coptic monks
from the Monastery of St. Macarius plotted to return the saint’s
body to Scetis. Disguising themselves as Arabs, they secretly
smuggled the body back to their monastery, via Cairo. Then,
after conducting services of blessing in the Monastery of St.
Macarius for a week, they deposited the body of John the Little
in the saint’s eponymous church, an event that the Ethiopic
40
Synaxarion dates to “the year 520 of the Martyrs,” or 804 CE.
It is known that by the twelfth century Ethiopian monks had
settled in the Wadi al Natrun and had founded a “Monastery of
the Abyssinians,” a foundation that enjoyed a close connection
41
with the Monastery of St. John the Little. It is possible that this
account in the Ethiopic Synaxarion may trace its roots to the
liturgical life of such a community. With this in mind, I will now
turn more specifically to the social role of Scetan monasteries
in the local cultivation of John the Little’s cult. In particular, I will
seek to show how the Arabic (and Syriac) translations of his
vita served as important cultural vehicles for the renewal of
devotion in the Wadi al Natrun.

40
It should be noted that the Monastery of St. Macarius still claims to
possess relics of John the Little in the south sanctuary of the main church: see
Matta al Miskin, “Dayr Anba Maqar,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 3, 748–756. It
should be noted that there are markedly anachronistic elements in this
Synaxarion account, most notably the reference to a stopover in Cairo (which
was not founded until 969 CE). This detail suggests that the later Ethiopic
editor contemporized certain aspects of the story to conform to his knowledge
of Egyptian geography.
41
Hugh G. Evelyn White, The Monasteries of the Wadi ’n Natrūn, vol. 2, 363,
368, 396, 399–400, 403. The residents of the Monastery of the Abyssianians
relocated to the Monastery of the Virgin of Saint John the Little in 1330, during
the patriarchal reign of Benjamin II: see Aelred Cody, “Scetis,” Coptic
Encyclopedia, vol. 7, 2102–6. The monastery was accordingly no longer active
at the time of al Maqrīzī in the fifteenth century: see al Maqrīzī, (trans.
Evetts, The Churches and Monasteries of Egypt, 321; also Evelyn White,
Monasteries, 405–6.
16 Stephen J. Davis

3. From the Coptic to the Arabic Life: Scribal Translation and

Liturgical Performance in the Monastery of St. John the Little
(Wadi al(Natrun)
There are good reasons to think that the earliest Arabic
translation of John the Little’s Life was completed by the end of
the ninth or beginning of the tenth century. Samuel Rubenson
has argued persuasively that these centuries were marked by
an upsurge of Copto Arabic translation, especially of canonical,
42
liturgical, and hagiographical texts. A dating of the original
Arabic translation of the Life to the late ninth or early tenth
century would fit this trend well. It would also fit well with two
other pieces of contextual data. First, one would expect that
such literary activity might naturally follow upon the renewal of
devotion associated with the re deposition of John the Little’s
relics (which, according to the Ethiopic Synaxarion, took place
in the first decade of the ninth century). Second, we also know
that the surviving Syriac version of the Life of St. John the Little
was translated by a monk in the Monastery of the Syrians in
936, and that this translation was almost certainly based on an
43
earlier Arabic version. While its editor, Pierre Nau, notes that
Syriac translations from the Arabic are “relatively rare,” he
argues that the verbal and philosophical style of the Syriac
could not have been based directly on a Coptic antecedent, but
44
rather corresponds more closely to Arabic linguistic patterns.
In any case, Nau’s conclusions regarding the Syriac text
present us with the following possible chronology of textual
transmission for the Life of St. John the Little.
1. Eighth century CE: the Coptic Life of St. John the Little
is composed by Zacharias of Sakhā.

42
Samuel Rubenson, “Translating the Tradition: Some Remarks on the
Arabization of the Patristic Heritage in Egypt’, Medieval Encounters 2 (1996),
4–14.
43
The Syriac Life of St. John the Little has been edited by F. Nau, “La
version syriaque de l’histoire de Jean le Petit,” Revue de l’Orient Chrétien 17
(1912), 347 89; 18 (1913), 53 68, 124 36, 283 307; 19 (1914), 33 57. His
dating of the text is based on information provided in the incipit and desinit of
Mss. add. 14645 in the British Museum (Nau, 349–50).
44
Nau, “La version syriaque de l’histoire de Jean le Petit,” Revue de l’Orient
Chrétien 17 (1912), 348.
 Introduction 17

2. Late ninth or early tenth century CE: the Arabic

translation of the Life is produced on the basis of the
45
Coptic.
3. Early to mid tenth century (936 CE): the Syriac
translation is produced on the basis of the Arabic.
This suggested chronology will also help us further
contextualize Nau’s observation about the Syriac text as “an
interesting specimen of literary activity” by monks in the Wadi
46
al Natrun. Indeed, this same observation may be fruitfully
applied to the Arabic manuscript evidence as well.
The Göttingen manuscript of the Life published here for the
first time in fact offers specific new insights into the scribal and
liturgical practices of monks in the Monastery of St. John the
Little in the Wadi al Natrun. The final paragraph of the text in
Göttingen Arabic 114 does not appear in the original Coptic
version, and as such it offers valuable evidence about the
social milieu that produced the Arabic translation.

The Life of our holy father, the great luminary, the

hegumen, was completed at his monastery in the desert of
Saint Macarius the Great at Scetis (Shīhāt). May the
blessing of his prayers be assigned to and guard the one
who is interested (in it), the reader, the listener, and the
poor scribe. He asks and begs everyone who reads this
holy book to call upon God for the forgiveness of his many
sins, which are more than the sands of the sea. Whoever
calls upon him for something, the Lord God will give him in
exchange many times more than that in the eternal
kingdom. From our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask for help to
the last breath and for (us to) remain faultless in his
presence through the prayers of the great saint, Abu John,
and the rest of the martyrs and saints, Amen. Whoever

45
Nau (“La version syriaque de l’histoire de Jean le Petit,” Revue de l’Orient
Chrétien 19 (1914), 57) also raises the opposite possibility that the Coptic was
translated on the basis of the Arabic, as an attempt to explain nonsensical
phrasings in the Arabic edition. However, such a scenario would be a relatively
exceptional case, and a close reading of the Arabic text does not seem to
support this theory.
46
Nau, “La version syriaque de l’histoire de Jean le Petit,” Revue de l’Orient
Chrétien 17 (1912), 348.
18 Stephen J. Davis

finds an imperfection and corrects it, may the Lord make

his ways prosper in his presence. Indeed, whoever shares
in those ways is a learned man and not an abrogator.
47
Praise be to God always, forever and ever.

In the midst of formulaic expressions of pious humility, the

scribe explicitly identifies himself as a monk at John the Little’s
monastery “in the desert of Saint Macarius the Great at Scetis.”
This setting for his copying of the text may also explain his
tendency throughout the work to substitute “the monastery” (al(
dayr) in places where the original Coptic version had the
48
regional placename, “Scetis” ( ). What do historians
know about the Monastery of St. John the Little and how might
this help us understand the history of the text?
Since the work of Evelyn White in the early twentieth
century, traditional histories of the Monastery of St. John the
Little have dated its origins to the saint’s lifetime in the fourth
century and have privileged it as one of the original four
monasteries in the region alongside Macarius, Baramous, and
Bishoi. While this may have been the case, a close re
examination of the sources cited in support of this historical
reconstruction reveals that our knowledge of this early period is
more problematic (and fragmentary) than usually assumed. In
fact, prior to the seventh century, we have no sources that
identify any of these monasteries by name. At the end of the
fourth century, John Cassian speaks about the existence of
49
four “churches” (ecclesiae) at Scetis. Likewise, one of the

47
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 82 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 150a).
There is another published (but uncritical) Egyptian edition of the Arabic Life
based on a manuscript in the Monastery of Baramous: ed. Bishop Samuel of
Shabīn al Qanātir and Martyrus al Suryānī, The Most Excellent Saint, Anba
John the Little, Known as Father John from the Wadi al(Natrun: His Life and
the History of His Monastery ( ī ī ā ā ī
ī ū ā ī ū ! ī āī " ) (Wadi
al Natrun: Shirkat al Na`ām, 1995). However, it lacks the full concluding
paragraph found in the Göttingen text. In its place, it has a shorter, final
sentence: “The discourse (maymar, “homily”) of Saint Abu John the Little was
completed and perfected with peace from the Lord. Amen.” (p. 49).
48
See, e.g., the opening blessing and chapters 28, 50, and 75 of the Arabic
Life (Göttingen Arabic 114, fols. 110a, 123b, 129b, 138b).
49
John Cassian, Conferences 10.2 (ed. E. Pichery, SC 54 (1958), 75–6;
trans. C. Luibheid (New York: Paulist Press, 1985), 125–6). Peter Grossmann
 Introduction 19

sayings attributed to the fourth century monk and priest, Isaac

of Kellia, and preserved in the sixth century collection of
alphabetic Apophthegmata, refers to “four churches in Scetis”
50
that “are deserted because of boys.” However, no names are
provided in either case. Our first evidence for a named
monastery in the Wadi al Natrun comes from John Moschus in
his work entitled The Spiritual Meadow, written in the late sixth
or early seventh century CE. However, Moschus’ account
actually complicates the picture: having indicated his
knowledge of “the four laurae of Scetis,” he only mentions a
51
certain “Laura of Abba Sisoës” by name. The first securely
dated reference to the Monastery of St. John the Little comes,
in fact, from the Coptic Life of Samuel of Kalamun, an early
ninth century work about a monk who lived during the seventh
52
century. The Arabic History of the Patriarchs also mentions

(“Zur Datierung der ersten Kirchenbauten in der Sketis,” Byzantinische

Zeitschrift 90 (1997), 367–95) cites another passage in John Cassian
(Institutes 5.27) as evidence for “die Laura des Johannes Kolobos” in the fourth
century. In that text, Cassian refers to an “aged John” (senex Joannes) who
was “the superior of a large coenobium and a multitude of brothers” (magno
coenobio ac multitudini fratrum praepositus) (PL 49.245B). If this is a reference
to John the Little himself, it would indeed represent our earliest evidence for
the existence of a coenobium under his leadership in the late fourth or early
fifth century. However, the John cited in this story is notably not identified by
the accompanying epithet, Kolobos, and therefore any such identification must
remain in doubt. It is possible here that Grossmann may be guilty of conflating
John the Little with another monk named John. Unfortunately, at the present
time, we lack sufficient historical or archaeological information to make a final
judgment on this question. In any case, I would raise the caution that Cassian’s
words do not constitute conclusive evidence for an institutionalized community
with a formal name.
50
Apophthegmata Patrum, Isaac of Kellia, Saying 5 (PG 65.225A–B; trans.
Ward, 100). This pronouncement of judgment “because of boys” is usually
interpreted as a condemnation of homoerotic pederasty among certain monks
in Scetis: see, for example, Amy Richlin, “Sexuality in the Roman Empire,” in A
Companion to the Roman Empire, ed. David S. Potter (Malden, Mass.:
Blackwell, 2006), 334–8, esp. 338.
51
John Moschus, Spiritual Meadow (Pratum spirituale) 113 and 169 (PG
87.3, 2977C and 3036B; trans. J. Wortley (Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian
Publications, 1992), 54 and 138). Evelyn White’s attempt to explain Sisoës as
the sixth century superior of one of the four better known monasteries, or as a
corruption of the name Bishōi, is an unconvincing attempt to fit the evidence to
match his own presuppositions (Evelyn White, Monasteries, vol. 2, 97).
52
Isaac of Kalamun, Life of Samuel of Kalamun: ed. and trans. A. Alcock,
The Life of Samuel of Kalamun by Isaac the Presbyter (Warminster, England:
20 Stephen J. Davis

the Monastery of St. John the Little in relation to the tenure of

the sixth century Alexandrian patriarch Damian (fl. 578–607
53
CE). However, to use the History of the Patriarchs as an
authoritative witness to the sixth century situation in the Wadi
al Natrun is frought with difficulties: despite the fact that the text
was compiled from earlier Coptic sources, it was not edited in
its present form until the eleventh century (1088 CE) and may
very well reflect an ex post facto perspective on the
54
development of monasticism in the region. While historians
should not discount the possibility of a fourth century origin, the
Monastery of St. John the Little only began to be documented
as an organized monastic community in the ninth century
literary record (after the reported return of the saint’s relics to
Scetis).
Archaeological evidence related to the Monastery of St.
John the Little is only marginally more helpful for those
interested in exploring its late ancient institutional roots. Sixty
years after Omar Toussoun tentatively identified a cluster of
archaeological remains in the Wadi al Natrun as the Monastery
55
of St. John the Little, an American team sponsored by the
private Scriptorium Center for Christian Antiquities conducted
three seasons of work at this site (in 1992, 1996, and 1999).
Their excavations uncovered a large church with an adjacent
residential unit, as well as another nearby monastic cell

Aris & Phillips, 1983), 4 (Coptic text), 277 (English translation). For a
discussion of the dating of the work, see Alcock’s “Introduction,” ix.
53
History of the Patriarchs (ed. and trans. B. Evetts, PO 1.4, 473).
54
On the role of the eleventh century scribe, Mawhūb ibn Man ūr, in the
editing of the History of the Patriarchs, see Johannes den Heijer, Mawhūb ibn
Man ūr ibn Mufarriğ et l'historiographie copto(arabe: étude sur la composition
de l'Histoire des patriarches d'Alexandrie (Louvain: Peeters, 1989).
55
Omar Toussoun, Wādī al(Na rūn wa ruhbānuhu wa adyiraturu wa
mukhta ar tārīkh al(ba ārikah (Wadi al(Natrun: Its Monks and Monasteries, and
a Short History of the Patriarchs (Alexandria: Ma ba at al Safīr, 1935), 32–3.
On the location of John the Little’s monastery, Evelyn White (Monasteries of
the Wadi ’n Natrūn, vol. 3, 79) gets it wrong. On the basis of his discovery of a
tree that he assumes must be the legendary “Tree of Obedience” belonging to
John the Little, the mistakenly switches the location of John’s monastery with
that of John Kama. While Evelyn White maps the Monastery of John Kama
east of John the Little’s foundation, the Arabic Synaxarion (ed. R. Basset, in
PO 3.3 (1907), 521) clearly reports that it was built “to the west of the
Monastery of St. John the Little.”
 Introduction 21

56
complex. A preliminary analysis of these architectural
remains has been published by Bishop Samuil and Peter
57
Grossmann.
The main church—a narrow, three aisled basilica with “an
unusually large and almost square altar chamber” and “no real
return aisle” at the western end—has undergone multiple
stages of renovation. While its specific dating remains
uncertain due to its unique configuration (no direct architectural
analogies have yet been found in Egypt), Samuil and
Grossmann posit a “rather late date for the construction of the
58
church” (undoubtedly post tenth century).
Beneath the eastern part of the nave, however, a pair of
earlier subterranean chambers were also discovered. With the
later construction of the church, one of the chambers (the one
to the west) was filled in, and the other (the one to the east)
59
was adapted for an as yet unknown purpose. In their original
state, these two rooms probably served as a monk’s cell.
Indeed, Samuil and Grossmann compare the shape and wall
treatment of the eastern room to fifth century monastic
60
residences at Kum Isā South I at Kellia. In the western room,
the excavators also found monochrone yellow line drawings of
a cross featuring a twisted rope pattern with late antique
parallels such as an image on a fifth century papyrus

56
In 1992 and 1996, the director of project was Scott T. Carroll, with
Baastian Van Elderen serving as field director. During the final season of work
in 1999, Van Elderen assumed both roles.
57
Bishop Samuil and Peter Grossmann, “Researches in the Laura of John
Kolobos (Wādī al Natrūn),” in Ägypten und Nubien in spätantiker und
christlicher Zeit, vol. 1 (Sprachen und Kulturen des christlichen Orients 6;
Wiesbaden: Reichert, 1999), 360–4. Their analysis pertains to the remains
uncovered during the Scriptorium team’s second season of work in 1996.
58
Bishop Samuil and Peter Grossmann, “Researches,” 361. Samuil and
Grossmann also note the “unjudicious” reuse of sixth century limestone
capitals as column bases as an indication of its late date.
59
Due to the chamber’s dimensions and route of access, Samuil and
Grossmann (“Researches,” 361) rule out the possibilities that it was used a
secondary liturgical space, as a hiding place (khizāna), or as a burial chamber.
60
Samuil and Grossmann, “Researches,” 361; P. Corboud, “L’oratoire et les
niches oratoires: Les lieux de la priere,” in Le site monastique copte des Kellia.
Sources historiques et explorations archéologiques. Actes du Colloque de
Genève, 13 au 15 août 1984, ed. P. Bridel (Geneva: Mission suisse
d’archéologie copte de l’Université de Genève, 1986), 85–92.
22 Stephen J. Davis

61
preserved in Vienna. If these rooms date to this century, they
would represent the earliest extant architectural evidence for
monastic life at this settlement. However, such a hypothesis
regarding dating must remain tentative, especially in the
62
absence of any documented ceramic data. Also preserved
within the western chamber were two other wall adornments—
a yellow monochrome line drawing of a monk wearing a belted
tunic and standing in the pose of an orans, and a graffito
63
containing the name John. The graffito may very well
consititute some form of pilgrim commemoration related to
John the Little; however, the lack of the accompanying epithet,
Kolobos, leaves open the possibility that it may in fact refer to
another monk named John. Taken together, the graffito and
surrounding cell architecture unfortunately cannot serve as
definitive proof for the existence of a fully developed coenobitic
monastery dedicated to John the Little in the fifth century.
In contrast to this piecemeal early evidence, the
prosopographical and archaeological data for the medieval era
is much more forthcoming. The ninth through eleventh
centuries marked a particularly flourishing period for John the
Little’s monastic foundation. According to Mawhūb ibn Man ūr,
eleventh century editor of the History of the Patriarchs, 165
monks inhabited the Monastery of St. John the Little and its
associated cells at the time of his writing, a number second

61
Helmut Buschhausen, Ulrike Horak, Hermann Harrauer, eds., Der
Lebenskreis der Kopten: Dokumente, Textilien, Funde,Ausgrabungen. Katalog
zur Ausstellung im Prunksaal der Ö terreichischen Nationalbibliothek mit
Leihgaben der MAK ( Österreichisches Museum für Angewandte Kunst in
Wien, 23. Mai bis 26. Oktober 1995 (Vienna: Hollinek, 1995), cover image.
Elizabeth Bolman conducted a preliminary analysis of these wall drawings, and
I am grateful to her for sharing with me her notes about artistic parallels and
questions related to style and dating (per litt., 16 October 2008).
62
The earliest pottery evidence from the nearby cell complex only dates to
the late Byzantine or early Islamic period in Egypt (i.e. from the sixth or seventh
to the ninth century). Darlene Brooks Hedstrom was responsible for the
analysis of these finds, and I want to thank her for consulting with me on her
findings.
63
The wall drawing of the monastic figure has been reproduced on the back
cover of Mikhail and Vivian’s translation of the Life of Saint John the Little in the
Coptic Church Review 18.1–2 [Spring/Summer 1997]). The figure of the monk
is shown holding a cross and possibly adorned with a halo (Elizabeth Bolman,
per litt., October 16, 2008). For a brief discussion of the graffito, see Bishop
Samuil and Peter Grossmann, “Researches,” 361.
 Introduction 23

only to the Monastery of St. Macarius (which is credited with

housing 400 monks) and almost one quarter of the entire
64
population of 712 monks in the region at the time. By
contrast, at the time of al Maqrīzī’s writing in 1440, the
numbers in the Monastery of St. John the Little had dwindled to
65
a mere three, and by 1493 it was no longer active.
Prosopographical and archaeological study confirms the
prominence and activity of John the Little’s monastery from the
ninth to the eleventh century. Among the leading figures
associated with the monastery during this period were John
Kama (ninth century) and James of Scetis (eleventh century),
both of whom began their careers in the Monastery of St.
Macarius before relocating to cells in the Monastery of St. John
66
the Little. In the case of John Kama, he ended up founding
his own monastery (the Monastery of John Kama) next door to
his namesake’s foundation sometime before his own death in
67
859 CE (575 A.M.).
Our knowledge concerning the Monastery of St. John the
Little during these three centuries also continues to advance
thanks to a new series of excavations conducted under the
68
auspices of the Yale Monastic Archaeology Project (YMAP).

64
Aelred Cody, “Scetis,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, 2105; and Subhi Y.
Labib, “Shenute II,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, 2135.
65
al Maqrīzī, Khi a (trans. B. T. A. Evetts, in The Churches and Monasteries
of Egypt, 321); A. Cody, “Scetis,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, 2105. Al Maqrīzī
also reports that there were no longer any Coptic monks in the nearby
Monastery of the Virgin of John the Little: in their place, a group of Ethiopian
monks had taken up residence there. This community probably became
inactive around the same time, or perhaps shortly after, the Monastery of St.
John the Little became defunct.
66
René Georges Coquin, “John Kama, Saint,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 5,
1362–3; and “James of Scetis, Saint,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 4, 1321 2. The
date of another known figure, Sarapamon of Scetis, is more difficult to
determine. According to the Arabic Synaxarion (5 Baramhat; ed. R. Basset, PO
16.2, 198), Sarapamon served as head of the monastery for a period of twenty
years. On Sarapamon’s monastic life, see René Georges Coquin, “Sarapamon
of Scetis, Saint,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 7, 2094.
67
Hugh G. Evelyn White, The Monasteries of the Wadi ’n Natrūn, vol. 2,
305–8, and vol. 3, 223. Fayek Maher Ishaq, “Dayr Yu annis Kama,” Coptic
Encyclopedia, vol. 3, 883. A Coptic Life of John Kama describing these events
survives in Codex Vaticanus LX (trans. M. H. Davis, “The Life of Abba John
Khamé,” in PO 14 (Paris 1920), 313–72).
68
The Yale Monastic Archaeology Project, under my own executive
direction, now sponsors excavations at two Egyptian monastic sites: (1) the
24 Stephen J. Davis

The YMAP excavations, begun in 2006, have focused on a

trash deposit (midden) and cell complex (manshūbīya) about
250 meters south of the church excavated by the Scriptorium in
the 1990s. The pottery repertoire found in the midden and the
manshūbīya indicates a period of habitation from the ninth to
69
the eleventh century. Two Coptic dipinti (i.e. painted writings

White Monastery in Sohag (= YMAP South), and (2) the Monastery of St. John
the Little in the Wadi al Natrun (= YMAP North, formerly titled the Egyptian
Delta Monastic Archaeology Project [EDMAP]). Since its inception in 2006,
YMAP North has been a collaborative endeavor in which Darlene Brooks
Hedstrom of Wittenberg University has served as director of excavations. Other
team members for the 2006–2009 seasons have included Dawn McCormack
(asst. archaeological director and surveyor), Gillian Pyke (ceramicist and
painted plaster specialist), Muhammad Khalifa (archaeologist, asst. ceramicist,
and assoc. field director), Barbara Emmel (registrar), Christine Luckritz Marquis
(registrar and field archaeologist), Chrysi Kotsifou (epigrapher and
archaeologist), Emily Cocke (area supervisor and field director), Kristen
Baldwin Deathridge (area supervisor and field archaeologist), Mark Brooks
Hedstrom (systems manager), Jennifer Smith Davis (house manager), Lamia
el Hadidy (plaster conservator), Mennat Allah el Dorry (archaeobotanist),
Salima Ikram (archaeozoologist), Marie Dominique Nenna (glass specialist),
Agnes Szymanska (asst. ceramicist), Tomasz Herbich (geophysical surveyor)
with his assistants Artur Buszek and Jakub Ordutowski, and field
archaeologists Fouad Shaker, Paul Dilley, Dylan Burns, Elizabeth Davidson,
Nicole Kettleshake, Erin Gorman, Trinity Rufus, Erene Morcos, Stephanie
Livingston, Eden Fann, Jacqueline Nair, Jacque Cooper, Whitney Yount, and
Abby Cengel. I would like to thank the following funds and organizations for
making our first three seasons possible: the Simpson Endowment for
Egyptology at Yale University, the National Geographic Society, Columbia
University, and Dumbarton Oaks. Special gratitude is extended to the Egyptian
Supreme Council of Antiquities and its leadership, including Dr. Zahi Hawass
(Secretary General), Mr. Farag Fadah (Director of Islamic and Coptic
Monuments), Mr. Magdi al Ghandour (Director of Foreign Missions), Mr. Abd
al Rahim Salim Wahbi (General Director of the al Buhayra Region); Mr. Abd al
Fattah Zaytoun (Director of Antiquities in the Wadi al Natrun Region), Mr.
Muhyi Basyuni ‘Abd al ‘Aziz (Director of Academic Documentation in the Wadi
al Natrun), and Mr. Gamal Fathi (Senior Inspector in the Wadi al Natrun); to the
members of my advisory committee, Roger Bagnall, Elizabeth Bolman, Salima
Ikram, Bentley Layton, John Darnell, Giorgio Nogara, Elisabeth Carnot,
Marguerite Rassart Debergh, Gawdat Gabra, and James Goehring; and to the
project’s liaison in Cairo, Bahay Issawi. Finally, I want to offer special thanks to
to the monks at the Monastery of St. Bishoi and the Monastery of the Syrians,
and to Bishop Thomas and the wonderful staff at Anafora, for their warm
hospitality and support.
69
For the dating and analysis of these ceramic finds, I am indebted to Gillian
Pyke, the team ceramicist and painted plaster specialist. Gillian also currently
serves as the director of excavations conducted at the White Monastery in
Sohag (YMAP South).
 Introduction 25

on plaster surfaces) found in the manshūbīya corroborate this

date range and offer confirmation that the residents of the
building were associated with the Monastery of St. John the
70
Little. Both of these dipinti were found in the same niche and
as part of the same layer of plaster application. One of them, a
nine line petition or prayer that fills almost the entire the face of
the niche, refers to a monk named Mina from “the monastery of
father John” ( ) and declares a blessing upon “this
71
dwelling place” ( ). On the north reveal of that
same niche another dipinto provides a definitive date for its
own composition and for the occupation of the dwelling: “the
year of the martyrs 702” ( ), i.e. 985/6
72
CE. Here, in this monastic cell, less than a century after my
hypothesized date for the original Arabic translation of the
Coptic Life, we have evidence for the survival of Coptic writing
during a period of rapid linguistic transition.
There is further evidence that the Coptic language
continued to be employed by local writers into the final
centuries of the monastery’s existence. Indeed, a handful of
surviving manuscripts shed light on scribal activity related to a
library collection within the Monastery of St. John the Little.
Perhaps the most prominent figure associated with the editing
and collecting of texts was a certain Macarius who, while
serving as a monk and priest in the monastery, assembled a
73
collection of Coptic canon law in 1372 CE. However, this
Macarius was not alone in the copying of texts. The colophons
from two other Coptic manuscripts also attest to the activity of

70
Monastic residence B, room 3, western wall niche. At the Ninth
International Congress of Coptic Studies, held in Cairo in September 2008, our
team epigrapher, Chrysi Kotsifou, presented her transcription and analysis of
these dipinti finds: her paper, “The Coptic Dipinti at the Monastic Settlement of
St. John the Little in Wadi ’n Natrun,” will be published in the forthcoming
conference proceedings.
71
Dipinto #5, according to Kotsifou’s numbering system. In Coptic
inscriptions and dipinti, the formula “papa + name” is a common way of
referring to monastic institutions.
72
Dipinto #12, according to Kotsifou’s numbering system.
73
Vat. Ar. 149 and 150 (1372 CE); G. Graf, Geschichte, vol. 1, 560–3; see
also René Georges Coquin, “Macarius the Canonist,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol.
5, 1490–1; René Georges Coquin, ‘Canon Law,’ Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 2,
449–51; and (Samir) Khalil Samir, “Abu al Muna,” Coptic Encyclopedia, vol. 1,
30.
26 Stephen J. Davis

monastic scribes at John the Little’s monastery in the thirteenth

74
and fourteenth centuries. One of these is a Vatican
manuscript dated to the year 1343 CE and containing a
Euchologion that almost certainly comes from the monastic
library itself. In the colophon, its provider is identified as a priest
“of the holy church of our father the hegoumenos, Abba John,
in the Mountain of Shihēt (Scetis), the desert of our Father
75
Macarius.” The other manuscript, dated by its editor to the
thirteenth century, originally contained a Horologian, or Book of
Hours; all that survives of it is its colophon, now preserved in
76
the Monastery of St. Bishoi in the Wadi al Natrun. The text of
that colophon clearly identifies the copiest as a certain “God
loving brother James, the monk and deacon, perfect in virtues,
the spiritual son, in the dwelling place ( ) of good
report of the Monastery of our righteous Father Colobos and
hegoumenos John (of) the Second Laura in the Mountain of
77
Scetis (Shihēt).” On the one hand, a couple of details here
might make it tempting to reconsider the editor’s dating of the
text—(1) the identification of the Monastery of St. John the
Little as the second (i.e. second largest?) laura at Scetis, which
would conform to Mawhūb ibn Man ūr’s eleventh century
report in the History of the Patriarchs; and (2) the identification
of the scribe’s name as James, which corresponds to the
aforementioned well known eleventh century inhabitant of the
monastery, James of Scetis. On the other hand, however, if we
are to assume that the editor’s dating estimate is correct, it is
certainly possible that the monastery’s status as the “Second
Laura” continued into the thirteenth century and that a later
monk named James was responsible for copying the text. In
any case, this colophon provides us with a further intriguing
(and yet all too fleeting) glimpse into the scribal activities of
monks at the medieval Monastery of St. John.

74
O. H. E. Khs Burmester, “Colophon of a Manuscript from the Monastery of
Saint John Colobos,’ SOC Collectanea 10 (1965), 231–7, and pl. II.
75
Vat. Copt. 21, colophon: trans. O. H. E. Khs Burmester, “Colophon,” in
SOC Collectanea 10 (1965), 234.
76
O. H. E. Khs Burmester, “Colophon,” in SOC Collectanea 10 (1965), 234–
5 (discussion), 235–6 (Coptic text), 236–7 (translation) .
77
Translated by O. H. E. Khs Burmester, “Colophon,” in SOC Collectanea
10 (1965), 236.
 Introduction 27

It is in the context of such scribal activity that we must

understand the production of the Life preserved at the Georg
August Universität in Göttingen. But where exactly does this
manuscript fit within the history of the John the Little’s
monastery? Here we are faced with a problem related to the
dating of the text. Georg Graf has suggested that Göttingen
78
Arabic 114 was copied in the sixteenth century. However, this
raises a historical quandry, as the text gives evidence of being
copied in the Monastery of St. John the Little and yet the
monastery had already become defunct by 1493. To resolve
this quandry, it is necessary to begin with three
presuppositions. First, if we are to accept Graf’s dating, the
Göttingen manuscript must have been copied somewhere else,
79
probably in the Monastery of St. Bishoi. Second, the
sixteenth century scribe who copied the text must have
preserved its final blessing—an earlier scribal note—just as he
found it without adding his own commentary. Third, this earlier
scribal note must have derived from one of two possible stages
in the transmission history of the text. One possibility is that it
was the work of the original Arabic translator, perhaps a late
ninth or early tenth century monk at the Monastery of St. John
the Little, and that it was passed down as part of the text, at
least in this particular branch of the manuscript stemma. (In
other branches of transmission, this translator’s note may have
been dropped and an alternative ending substituted, as in the
case of the text from the Monastery of Baramous (= edition B),
80
which has its own shorter final blessing.) The second
possibility is that the original Arabic translation lacked such a
scribal note, and that the final blessing was added by a later
copyist working in the library at John the Little, probably
81
sometime between the tenth and fourteenth centuries. The
resultant text, complete with this copyist’s commentary, would
then have been reproduced in full by the sixteenth century

78
G. Graf, Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur, vol. 1, 473.
79
Per conversation with Hany Takla, 19 September 2008.
80
See footnote 47 above.
81
In such a case, other copyists in other settings, such as the scribe
responsible for the Baramous edition (B), would have independently supplied
their own closing formula or blessing.
28 Stephen J. Davis

82
scribe who penned the Göttingen manuscript. On the basis of
the evidence currently available to us, it is not possible to make
a definitive choice between these two options. In either
scenario, however, Göttingen Arabic 114 survives as an artifact
connected to scribal activity within the medieval Monastery of
St. John the Little.
Finally, in addition to the scribal context of its production,
the Göttingen manuscript also gives historians insight into the
liturgical context of its performance in Arabic, and it does so in
at least two respects. First, the manuscript itself is divided into
three different units, or “readings”—chapter 24 is marked as
the beginning of “the second reading” (ijklmn‫اءة ا‬rsn‫)ا‬, and chapter
71 is marked as the beginning of “the third reading” (imnlmn‫اءة ا‬rsn‫)ا‬.
These textual markers—not present in the Coptic version—
were designed to serve as cues for the reading of the text in
worship: they partitioned the Life into three discrete sections to
be recited on the occasion of the saint’s feast day (20 Babeh),
and perhaps even on other occasons. The Arabic scribe’s
addition of these formal “reading” notations serves as
compelling evidence for continuity in the liturgical use for the
Life, tracing from the time of the work’s Coptic composition
when (according to the opening blessing) Zacharias of Sakhā
presented it “on the day of Abba John’s holy and honored
83
remembrance.”
Of course, the Life was not the only text to be used on
such occasions. As Arabic became the lingua franca of Egypt
and as such feast day practices developed in local contexts,
the life story of John the Little was adapted and summarized in
hagiographical calendars such as the Copto Arabic
Synaxarion. While the Synaxarion presents a shorter,
epitomized version of John the Little’s story to be read in
churches on the saint’s feast day, the longer readings in the

82
Whether this commentary was original to the text or appended sometime
later, its preservation or addition would have served a useful purpose, as it
effectively absolves later copyists of any blame for making changes to the text
with an eye toward correcting errors. A close examination of Göttingen Arabic
114 shows a number of places where, in fact, such scribal corrections seem to
have been made.
83
Coptic Life of St. John the Little, title/opening blessing (ed. Amélineau,
316; trans. Mikhail and Vivian, 17).
 Introduction 29

84
Arabic Life, accompanied by hymns written for the occasion,
may have been used as a special form of commemoration by
medieval monks residing in the Monastery of St. John the Little.
Indeed, within the Arabic translation itself there are further
signs that commemoration provided a privileged, practical
setting for the work’s recitation in worship. While the Coptic
version of the Life explicitly touches on the themes of memory
and memorialization at a couple of points, the Arabic
translation moves beyond the original in accentuating
“remembrance” as a monastic practice par excellence
throughout the work. First, on the two main occasions where
the Coptic text calls attention to the pious work of remembering
the saint, this emphasis is retained in the Arabic. The first
example occurs in the opening blessing, which speaks of how
bishop Zacharias of Sakha composed the Life while in the
monastery and how he recited it on “the holy and honored day
85
of John’s remembrance.” The second example occurs in
chapter 29 of the Coptic Life where John the Little’s monastery
is celebrated a place where “they will remember you (i.e. John
86
the Little) forever ( ) before God.” The
wording of the Arabic translation adapts the Coptic wording
only slightly: “In that place, there will be an eternal
87
remembrance in the hands of God.” And yet, by converting

84
For examples of two such hymns in Coptic, see the odes on John the Little
preserved within the Monastery of St. Macarius library (Odes 2 and 3: ed. and
trans. Evelyn White, Monasteries, vol. 1, 135, 137–8). Both recall episodes
from the Life of St. John the Little, including the story of the tree of obedience
(Ode 2; = Life 25) and the saying about all of Scetis hanging upon his little
finger (Ode 3; = Life 16). Ode 2 is taken from the Difnar collection (Psali:
Melody, “Batos”) and is designated for the “twentieth day of the month Paopi”
(Evelyn White, vol. 1, 137). Most notably, this same ode extols John the Little
as “the founder of our community,” probably an allusion to the hymn writer’s
location in the Wadi al Natrun monastery that bore the saint’s name. While
Evelyn White (vol. 1, 137, note 1) acknowledges the possibility that this
wording might have more generally referred to John the Little’s reputation as a
father for all of Scetis, he favors an interpretation that places the text’s origin in
the Monastery of John the Little.
85
Coptic Life of St. John the Little, title/opening blessing (ed. Amélineau,
316; trans. Mikhail and Vivian, 17). One finds an almost identical phrasing in
the Arabic text and translation.
86
Coptic Life of St. John the Little 29 (ed. Amélineau, 350; trans. Mikhail and
Vivian, 32).
87
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 29 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 124a).
30 Stephen J. Davis

the verb phrase, , into the Arabic verbal noun form,

‫ر‬l‫آ‬vw, the Arabic scribe ever so subtley shifts the focus from the
cognitive act of memory to the cultic practice of
memorialization.
At other points, this emphasis on memory and
memorialization within the Arabic text is even more
pronounced. In several places where the Coptic text does not
feature such language at all, the Arabic translator has chosen
vocabulary that highlights memory as a distinctive monastic
virtue, in particular noun and verb forms derived from the roots,
xyz (“to keep, guard, memorize”) and r‫“( ذآ‬to mention, recall,
remember”). Two pairs of examples illustrate how this theme
pervades the Arabic Life as a constituent part of the translator’s
interpretive strategy.
First, in chapter 8, the Coptic version of the Life speaks
about how John’s master, Ammoes, “was devoting himself
especially to meditating ( ) on the scriptures, inspired by
God, ruminating on them in his heart with unceasing prayer like
88
a rational sheep.” The Arabic translator recasts the first part
of this passage to emphasize how John’s master “was driven
89
like a sheep in (the task of) memorization (xy|n‫)ا‬.” A passage
in chapter 38 of the Arabic Life includes another usage of the
verbal noun xyz that may carry a similar resonance. In the
corresponding Coptic passage, John the Little responds to a
question about the virtue of chanting psalms by equating the
“wealth of God” with the action of the soul in “guarding the mind
( )... whether (the monk) hardly does
90
anything, or whether he does a great deal.” In the Arabic, the
translator renders this same section as follows: “The riches of
the Holy Spirit reside in the soul through (its) guarding of the
91
mind (}s~n‫ ا‬xyz), whether a person reads a lot or a little.” Here,
however, the specification of “reading” as the activity that
sponsors such spiritual reflection (an elaboration on the more
generic verb of “doing” in the Coptic) suggests that the phrase

88
Coptic Life of St. John the Little 8 (ed. Amélineau, 333; trans. Mikhail and
Vivian, 24).
89
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 8 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 117a).
90
Coptic Life of St. John the Little 38 (ed. Amélineau, 357; trans. Mikhail and
Vivian, 35).
91
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 38 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 127a).
 Introduction 31

}s~n‫ ا‬xyz may be understood not only in terms of the soul’s

“guarding of the mind” (an objective genitive), but also in terms
of “the mind’s (act of) memorization” (a subjective genitive).
This monastic calling to remember scripture (and thereby
to remember God) receives emphasis at other points in the
Arabic version. In chapter 10, where the Coptic cites two
consecutive scripture passages (Matt 12:7 and Luke 21:19)
and connects them simply with the conjunctive phrase, “and
92
again,” the Arabic translator inserts material that emphasizes
how John used methods of self recitation by which “he
remembered (r‫آ‬v•) also the saying of the Lord, ‘By your
93
endurance, you will gain your souls’ (Luke 21:19).” In chapter
56, where the Coptic has John “saying ( ) the words of the
94
holy apostle” from 1 Corinthians 9:25, the Arabic again
employs the verb r‫آ‬v•, which can (and in this context probably
does) refer to the verbal act of giving voice to something as
95
well as the cognitive act of recalling or remembering. For
Egyptian monks, the recitation of biblical passages aloud was
an oft practiced method of memorizing and internalizing
Scripture, as a means of keeping God ever in mind. Thus, in
chapter 23 of the Arabic Life, in an extended list of the “highest
virtues,” the translator appropriately lauds the virtue of
“perseverance in remembering God (€‫ ا‬r‫ )ذآ‬through one’s
96
(mental) attention and sensory perception.”
In the monastic life, learning Scripture by heart was not the
only practice designed to cultivate an ethos of “remembering
God.” In fact, such “sites of memory’” took diverse forms: oral
teaching cultures, scribal activities, bodily performances in
asceticism and pilgrimage, as well as in worship and in the
construction of sacred space in both communal and domestic
settings. In this case, I would suggest that, for both readers and

92
Coptic Life of St. John the Little 10 (ed. Amélineau, 336; trans. Mikhail and
Vivian, 25).
93
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 10 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 118a).
94
Coptic Life of St. John the Little 56 (ed. Amélineau, 367; trans. Mikhail and
Vivian, 40).
95
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 56 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 131a).
96
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 23 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 122b). The
Coptic Life of St. John the Little (ch. 23; ed. Amélineau, 346; trans. Mikhail and
Vivian, 30) lacks this emphasis: it refers only to “persevering attentively in
God’s ways” ( ).
32 Stephen J. Davis

listeners, the marked accentuation of memory practices in the

Arabic Life of St. John the Little would have been crucially
framed by the role of remembrance in the Coptic order of
worship—not only in the part of the eucharistic liturgy dedicated
to the remembrance of Christ’s passion, death, and
resurrection (the Anamnesis), but also in the part dedicated to
intercessory prayers and the remembrance of the saints. Thus,
near the end of the Bohairic Anaphora of St. Basil, which by the
medieval period had become the standard form of Egyptian
eucharistic celebration, the presiding deacon raises the
elements and recites an extended litany of names recollected
from the rolls (diptychs) of church patriarchs and desert
97
fathers.
There is evidence that these lists of saints’ names in the
standard Basilian liturgy came to be adapted and
supplemented according to the local context and the specific
occasion. And, on the feast day of a local saint, the eucharistic
order of worship would be supplemented by special readings
from the corresponding Synaxarion entry or from the saint’s
extended vita when available. Thus, when the Arabic Life of St.
John the Little was read during the commemoration of his feast
day at his monastery in the Wadi al Natrun, this theme of
remembrance would have had a special resonance for listeners
and participants. In short, the public reading of the Life would
have sponsored a dual emphasis on the memory of the saint—
on both John’s own memory of the scriptural word, and the
worshippers’ memory of John as a holy exemplar. Here, this
practice of commemoration was meant to lead toward the goal
of imitating the virtues of the saint—of remembering John’s
example of remembering God in Scripture and prayer. In this
context, the monastery itself, organized around the practices of
prayer and worship, becomes for the author of the Life a
98
memorial site, “an eternal remembrance in the hands of God.”

97
A. Budde, Die ägyptische Basilios(Anaphora: Text – Kommentar –
Geschichte (Münster: Aschendorff, 2004), 197 (lines 181–182); see also R.
Moftah, M. Toth, and M. Roy, The Coptic Orthodox Liturgy of St. Basil, with
Complete Musical Transcription (Cairo and New York: The American University
in Cairo Press, 1998), 580–3, 610. See also my discussion in Coptic
Christology in Practice: Incarnation and Divine Participation in Late Antique
and Medieval Egypt (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), ch. 2.
98
Arabic Life of St. John the Little 29 (Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 124a).
 Introduction 33

Manuscripts
The edition of the Life of St. John the Little published here is
th
based on Göttingen Arabic 114, fol. 110r 150r (16 century
CE). Previously unpublished, this manuscript is the only copy
of the Life of Saint John the Little documented by Georg Graf in
1
his Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur. The
2
manuscript probably originated at Dayr al Anbā Bishoi. Since
the publication of Graf’s catalogue, six additional manuscripts
containing John’s vita have been identified by Bishop Samuel
of Shabīn al Qanātir and Bishop Martyrus (formerly Martyrus
al Suryānī of the Monastery of the Syrians in the Wadi al
3
Natrun) in a 1995 publication of the work. The authors identify
the locations of the manuscripts, and (in selected cases)
manuscript numbers and dates:
1. Coptic Museum (A.M. 1079, = A.D. 1363)
2. Dayr al Rīrmūn (A.M. 1079, = A.D. 1363)
3. Dayr al Anbā Bishoi (no. 528; no date given)
4. Dayr al Barāmūs (copied by Matyās al Barāmūsī; no
date given)
5. Dayr al Suryān (no. 286; A.M. 1164, = A.D. 1448)
6. Dayr al Suryān (no. 290; A.M. 1436, = A.D. 1720)
The edition produced by Bishops Samuel and Martyrus is
based on the manuscript about which they provide the least
information—the copy in Dayr al Barāmūs (#4 above). The
authors do not disclose their editorial method, including
whether they utilized other manuscripts and whether they
corrected or updated infelicitous readings in producing their
text. In fact, there are consistent signs that the Egyptian editors
have engaged in forms of standardization. Given these factors,
their text cannot be relied upon as a basis for a critically edited

1
Georg Graf, Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur, vol. 1, 473.
2
Per conversation with Hany Takla, 19 September 2008.
3
Bishop Samuel of Shabīn al Qanātir and Martyrus al Suryānī, The Most
Excellent Saint, Anba John the Little, Known as Father John from the Wadi al(
Natrun: His Life and the History of His Monastery ( ī ī ā
ā ī ī ū ā ī ū ! ī
āī " ) (Wadi al Natrun: Shirkat al Na`ām, 1995).
34 Stephen J. Davis

edition. It should be noted, however, that for the most part their
transcription of the Barāmūs text exhibits a fairly close
correspondence to the Göttingen manuscript. That said, there
are also numerous places where it offers variant readings, and
I note significant examples of lexical and syntactical variation in
the footnotes as a reference to the reader. In my apparatus and
commentary, the letter B serves as an abbreviation for the
edition by Samuel and Martyrus based on the Barāmūs
manuscript, and letter G stands for the Göttingen manuscript I
am editing here for the first time.

Technical Notes on Editorial Method

1. The script of manuscript G regularly omits final hamzas. It
also often omits the medial hamzas in words such as lً‚jƒ or
i‚j„… or ‫رأى‬. Finally, it also demonstrates inconsistency in the
use of initial hamzas over (or below) alif. In this edition, I have
supplied hamzas on these occasions, regularizing its use in
according with standard convention for ease of reading.
2. Pointing for the following letter groupings is inconsistently
applied in G:
1. bā’, tā’, thā’, and nūn
2. jīm, ā’, khā’
3. dāl, dhāl
4. ād, #ād
5. ā’, ā’
6. ayn, ghayn
7. fā’, qāf
8. hā’, tā’ marbū ah
9. yā’, alif maksūrah
Accordingly, in this edition, I have regularized the pointing
system to conform with standard Arabic orthography.
3. The medial alif in the word iˆ‰ˆ is regularly omitted in G, but
supplied here.
4. Alif and alif maksūrah often take each other’s place in the
final position. I have standardized their usage for the sake of
consistency.
5. Otherwise, in my edition, I have generally allowed lexical and
syntactical “irregularities” (i.e. variances from standard classical
Arabic) to remain in the text as they were originally recorded by
the scribe who produced the Göttingen manuscript. It is my
 Introduction 35

hope that this editorial practice will give students of medieval

Arabic Christian literature in Egypt a more realistic picture of
how the language was adapted by Coptic authors and scribes.

Organization and Presentation of the Text

In my presentation of this text, I follow three separate
organizational schemas to help the reader orient him or herself
to the Göttingen manuscript and to the Bohairic Coptic text
4
edited by Amélineau. The first organizational schema, marked
by crosses with }Š‹ divisions numbered from 1 to 24, follows
the Göttingen scribe’s method of using four dots in the form of
a cross to indicate different sections of text. The second
organizational schema, marked by page numbers with recto (‫)أ‬
or verso (‫ )ب‬in parentheses, follows the pagination of the
Göttingen text. The third organizational schema—indicating the
Preface and section numbering from 1 to 82—follows the
paragraph numbering used by Vivian and Mikhail in their
translation of the Bohairic Coptic version of the Life of St. John
5
the Little, and is designed to help facilitate comparisons
between the Coptic and Arabic versions.

4
Vat. Copt. 68, fol. 53r–104v (tenth century CE); ed. E. Amélineau, in
Histoire des Monastères de la Basse(Égypte (Anneles du Musée Guimet 25;
Paris: Leroux, 1894), 316–413.
5
Maged S. A. Mikhail and Tim Vivian (trans.), “Life of Saint John the Little:
An Encomium by Zacharias of Sakhâ,” Coptic Church Review 18.1–2 (1997),
17–58, based on the Vatican manuscript edited by Amélineau (see previous
footnote), but reedited and corrected by Hany Takla.
36 Stephen J. Davis
 by Zacharias of Sakha
(Göttingen Arabic 114)
th
fol. 110r 150r, 16 c. CE

+(1 )+

‫ وا! وح‬#$%‫)( ا'ب وا‬$ (‫أ‬110) (Title / Opening Blessing)

3?8$‫ أ‬212345!‫ ا‬16$ 1736!‫( ا‬89:!‫ء ا‬384!‫ ة ا‬8= 1*+‫ا‬,!‫ ا‬-!.‫*س ا‬0!‫ا‬

HIJ7 3K$ IL‫ أ‬8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬4‫ب‬,E0!‫ان ا‬G87 B*!‫ ا‬A?7,D‫ أ‬3AB*0!‫ا‬

S0='‫س ا‬3B‫ر‬3L‫ ز‬7HQ3B*!‫( ا‬E:7 H080J!3$ 6‫ ا! وح‬A$% 5H:5?N!‫ ا‬OP

‫ء‬380Q‫ة أ‬,L‫ ا‬Z*?[ 4+ 37*?[ 3\= 9X8)NE! HIJN!‫ ا‬H?B*N!‫ ا‬S0=‫ أ‬81V35!‫ا‬
11
‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬Z‫ر‬3‫]آ‬a ‫م‬,B OP -!3c 10. 7'‫ ه]ا ا‬OP ‫_ ة‬6$ -Q,ENB -!.‫ ا‬#8IJ7

.#87‫م ا! ب أ‬g)$ .-$3$ #7 123ً7,B #B e[ ,‫ م ا!]ي ه‬6N!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ ح‬e$ -08P,a #)+‫ و‬j‫ن ا‬,:$ ‫*يء‬kIQ
2
B: 12345!‫ ا‬...1736!‫ ا‬omitted.
3
B: AB*0!‫ ا‬omitted.
4
B: ‫ب‬,E0!‫ ا‬... B*!‫ ا‬omitted.
5
B: H:5?N!‫ ا‬...HIJ7 omitted.
6
B: -!.‫ا‬
7
B: HQ3B*!‫( ا‬E:7 omitted.
8
B: 1V35!‫ ا‬S0='‫ ا‬omitted.
9
B: X8)NE! ...H?B*N!‫ ا‬omitted.
10
B: 7'‫ ا‬...37*?[ omitted.
11
B: ‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬omitted.
12
B: 3ً7,B omitted.
38 Stephen J. Davis

2
‫*ًا‬t 3?=,5Q u5?B *vN!‫ق ا‬,5B O23N= O!3[ 1*Mc (Proemium) .1

HQ3B*E! {M?7‫ و‬HE845E! Hc‫د‬3} ‫رة‬,}‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬O23$[‫ـ‬+]‫ أ‬3B Z,Na*Mc

u8Nt ‫ل‬3N6! 173‫ن آ‬3)Q‫ إ‬5‫اء‬,k=3$ ‫ل‬,= !‫م ا‬g‫ آ‬4‫ل‬,c‫ أ‬33N86! -?[ (k!~=

HE845$ (6NE‫ أن أآ‬Ok?6)7 (k!~= .OJ!‫ ا‬j‫رة ا‬,M‫• آ‬EL *c 6X8)N!‫ ا‬H73c

Ok!‫ ة ا‬8_6!‫اج ا‬,7'‫ ا‬7 I[‫ و‬38Q*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1‚3$ uNva ‫ئ‬G‫ ذ!„ ا!]ي ه‬H=*0N!‫ا‬

‫ل‬3:P ‫ق‬,P (‫ب‬110) H8E0:!‫ ا‬-k?85= •=‫ و‬S5L‫ ة و‬B e!‫ ا'رواح ا‬67 O‫ه‬

37*?[ .H8‡\!‫ ا‬#8I6)7 ˆ #7 H$,0[ 8‰$ HŠB‫ا‬,K!‫( ا‬E9N!‫!( ا‬3:!‫ة ه]ا ا‬%‫و‬

{}3?N! Ok!‫ ا‬HŠB‫ل ا! د‬3:5!‫]!„ رد ا‬EP HP :N$ „Š!‫ أو‬H!3Ic ‫*د‬ea‫ و‬-E0[ XkP

*B‫ا‬Gk7 ‫ق‬38kˆ3$ ‫ر‬,kP 8‰$ (2‫ دا‬,‫ وه‬.H8!3$ ‫ء‬38ˆ‫ أ‬1_7 ‫ة‬,0$ 3KMP‫ ه( ور‬6P

.H8080+ HP :N$ ‫رة‬3K‡!‫ر ا‬,Q 1N:k)7 X8)N!‫ ا‬HIJN$ ‫]رع‬k7 H8a‫رة ذا‬3K‡$

‫ ه*وء ا!]ي‬1‫ آ‬#7 ŒEkNN!‫„ ا‬E)N!‫ل ا‬3Q •k+ O‫آ‬g7 810:$ -)5Q $‫]ا د‬K$‫و‬

.‫*س‬0!‫ء روح ا‬3?87 ,‫ه‬

1
B: *Mc ‫ل‬3c
2
B: ‫*ًا‬t ...*vN!‫ ا‬omitted.
3
B: ‫( أن‬kIE‚‫و‬
4
B: (6! ‫ل‬,c‫أ‬
5
B: ‫اء‬,k=3$ omitted.
6
B: X8)N!‫ ا‬...‫ل‬3N6! omitted.
7
B: OP I[‫ و‬HE2‫ا‬G!‫ ا‬38Q*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ه‬ 18‚3$‫ أ‬omitted.
8
B 1:5$
 Life of John the Little 39

7'‫ ه]ا ا‬%‫ إ‬S8:4!‫ ا‬OQ3)! •!‫ج إ‬3kJB S8‫ آ‬O23I+‫ أ‬3B ‫]ا‬6‫ ه‬1t !‫وه]ا ا‬

‫ة‬38JE! H:5?7 3ً:8Nt 3?! ‫ن‬,6a H=*0N!‫ ا‬HJ2‫ ا! ا‬HI8‡!‫ ا‬-E234P HB‫ وا‬$ ‫ أن‬Ž0P

-IekQ #8?I!3$ •8EB 2‫د‬,NJ7 *)J$ 3N86! (E6kN!‫ وا‬#8:73)!‫ ا‬e:7 1‫*ة‬$•N!‫ا‬

‫رة‬3va‫ و‬HEV35!‫ ا‬-!3N[‫ وأ‬3-t3Kkt‫ ا‬u8Nt‫ و‬H862gN!‫ ا‬-a 8)$ 3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ

#JQ ‫ل‬3?Q H8!3:!‫ ا‬-E234P #7 ‫ل‬,c 1‫ آ‬OP 5#236!‫ ا‬8\!‫ ا‬8_6!‫ ا‬4Z vk7 (9[

‫ات‬,0!‫ ا‬#7 3?EIc ‫*ح‬NB ‫ أن‬6‫ ع‬P *c .AB*0!‫ن ه]ا ا‬,‫ آ‬u7 ‫*ي‬$'‫ ا‬-•‫ ا‬87 3ً4B‫أ‬

‫ أرواح‬u8Nt‫ات و‬,0!‫ ا‬u8Nt #7‫أ( و‬111) HB,E:!‫ ا‬H)B*0!‫ ا‬H8Q3+‫ ا! و‬H8E0:!‫ا‬

‫ادي‬,!‫ ه]ا ا‬-?[ •EL 37*?[ 8-5:47 ‫ات‬,$‫ ر‬3?JB*7 #7 14P‫ أ‬7#80B*M!‫ا‬

‫ة‬38JE! H8080+ H5)EP‫( و‬8E:a‫ أدب و‬uV,7 -! -E:t ‫ء ه]ا ا!]ي‬36IE! ‫ا!]ي‬

-kE84P (9[‫ و‬-k7‫ آ ا‬10#7 8)8$ (E6kQ XEMB ‫• ا’ن‬8EB 3N‫ وآ‬9‫*ة‬$•N!‫ا‬

H:73v!‫ ا‬H7380!‫( ا!• ا‬89:!‫ ا‬3‫*اره‬07 ‫ ف‬:B % Ok!‫ ا‬j‫ ا‬#7 3K!3Q Ok!‫ا‬

1
B: #JQ HB*$'‫ا‬
2
B ‫ه‬3‚
3
B Z‫د‬3Kt
4
B: Z vk7 omitted.
5
B: #236!‫ ا‬omitted.
6
B ‫ د‬B (!
7
B: XB*N$
8
B ‫ف‬3:V‫أ‬
9
B: HB*$'‫ا‬
10
B: #[ 3N8=
40 Stephen J. Davis

-k7‫ل آ ا‬3N‫ن آ‬g[”$‫ق و‬30Jk=3$ „!‫] [?* ذ‬L~8P 1H08E\!‫ ا‬u8Nv! H‫ آ‬keN!‫ا‬

‫ء‬384$ 3?5:4! ‫ء‬O4ُB ‫*س ه]ا ا!]ي‬0!‫ روح ا‬1:P ‫ ح‬5$ ‫ وا’ن‬HN2‫ا!*ا‬

‫ ه]ا‬.A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫* أ‬8[ ‫ر‬3‫]آ‬a ‫م‬,B OP 3N8=%‫ و‬H=*0N!‫ ا‬-kP :7

‫{ ه]ا‬Ec ‫ ح‬5B „!‫ ذ‬#7 14P‫ وأ‬H?)!‫*ور ا‬$ 3?K!‫ إ‬X8)N!‫ ا’ن ا‬-8!‫ إ‬3?‰E$ ‫ا!]ي‬

‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬-7,B OP AB*0!‫ة ا‬g} 3?! -k:Nt ‫ ه]ا إ!]ي‬X8)NE! {JN!‫{ ا‬:e!‫ا‬

‫ة‬gM$‫ و‬3?K!‫ إ‬X8)N!3$ #8:k)Q ‫ أن‬23ً4B‫ ذ!„ أ‬#7 14P‫ وأ‬3ً8Q3+‫ رو‬-! *8:?!

-Ie‫ ا!]ي آ‬OQ3+‫*س ا! و‬0N!‫ ا‬3-I8‚ HŠ8Kk$ ‫د‬3Kkt3$ ‫*ي‬kI?P AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫أ‬

‫*ًا‬+‫ وا‬3ًI8‚ ‫ر‬3}‫ب( و‬111) H8‫ ذآ‬HJ2‫ ا! ا‬5‫ر آ_ ة‬3‫ أزه‬#7 uNt *c 4{8‚

Ok!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬H62g7‫ و‬j‫*ام ا‬c H!,I0N!‫ اا‬AB*0!‫ ذ!„ ا‬1234P O?[‫*ًا أ‬t 3ًNB ‫آ‬

–8:B ‫* أن‬B B #NE6!‫ و‬-!—! HIJN!‫س ا‬,5?!‫ ا‬u8Nv! 3ً8080+ 3ًI8‚ {8‡a‫ و‬O‫]آ‬a

H8Q3$,‡!‫ وا‬7H8Q3+‫ا ا! و‬,IE‡B‫ و‬OQ3+‫ق ا! و‬,e!‫ا ا‬,c3keB 3N86! 63ًN:Q ‫! ب‬3$

1_N‫دة آ‬3I:!‫• ا‬80Ja‫ و‬j‫ ا‬9‫م‬g6$ H8N!3:!‫رة ا‬3vk!‫* ا‬M0Q #JQ 8A8!‫ و‬.HN2‫ا!*ا‬

1
B: H08E\!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
B: 3ً4B‫ أ‬...‫ ح‬5B omitted.
3
B: H8:=
4
B: ‫ن‬3k)$ {8‚
5
B: HJ2‫ذات را‬
6
B: ‫*ًا‬8:=
7
B: H8Q3+‫ ا! و‬omitted.
8
B: 3?)!
9
In G, the phrase 16$ (the first three letters of the word ‫م‬g6!‫ )ا‬was written
and then crossed out by the scribe, before he resumed by writing out the word
‫م‬g6!‫ ا‬correctly.
 Life of John the Little 41

X8)N!‫• ا‬E[ (E6kQ j‫ ا‬11Ic #7‫رة و‬3K‡$ 1$ ‫ل‬,= !‫ ا‬A!,$ (86J!‫ل ا‬,c

‫ق‬,$ ‫ أن‬3N‫*ًا آ‬t H:P3Q Z‫ر‬3N• ‫ أن‬3N8=%‫• و‬B*M!‫ل ذ!„ ا‬3N[~$ j‫ ا‬2‫*ام‬c

.3?! 7'‫ ا‬K9B ‫ل‬3N['‫• ا‬80Ja

3N8=%‫ ا! ب و‬OP 3?[3Nkt% O080+ ‫اء‬G[‫ و‬H:5?7 3Q N87 #BGQ ‫م‬g6!‫]ا ا‬K$‫و‬

3?23$‫ أ‬#[‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬4H:8I!‫ ا‬ONE:7 #[ ‫رًا‬,‡)7 Z3Q*t‫ وو‬33Q 4+ 37

%‫ أو‬j‫دة ا‬3I[ ‫س‬3=‫ أ‬O:V‫ا رأس وا‬,Q3‫ آ‬#B]!‫ء ا‬%•‫ ه‬j‫ ا‬#8)$% ‫ ار‬$'‫ا‬

3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ 3?8!‫ إ‬3‫ه‬,E}‫ وأو‬I!‫ل ا‬3N[' 5#B œ3Q ‫ا‬,Q3‫ اري وآ‬I!‫ ا‬OP

H=*0N!‫ ا‬7u8I!‫ ا‬OP 3?EIc (‫ه‬3Q*t‫ و‬#B]!‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬3?23$‫ أ‬#7 63K235ˆ ‫ر‬,‡)N$

(K?7 (E:kQ 3?c30Jk=‫ ا‬8‰$ (K?8$ ‫ن‬36= 3?Nc‫ ا!]ي أ‬18E0!‫ن ا‬37G!‫ ا‬OP (‫أ‬112)

I!‫وة ا‬gJ! #8IJN!‫ء ا‬%•‫ ه‬X8JM!‫( ا‬8E:k!‫ ا‬H5)EP 1Ic #7 8(E:Q j‫ ا‬HP :N$

Ok!‫ ا‬HEV35!‫ل ا‬3N['‫ دوس ا‬P ‫ل‬3Nt #7 9H8Q3+‫( ا! و‬K=,5Q ‫ن‬,:IeB‫و‬

•E[ HIE‰!‫]وا ا‬L‫ أ‬#B]!‫ء ا‬%•‫ ه‬3ً4B‫ ه( أ‬.(KEIc ‫ا‬,Q3‫ آ‬#B]!‫ء ا‬3B,c'‫ء ا‬g45E!

1
B: ‫ل‬,c
2
B: ‫م‬37‫ أ‬u8Nv!‫ا‬
3
B: 3Q‫ر‬,4+ u7
4
B: H)8?6!‫ا‬
5
B: #8?B3:7
6
B: 38‫ه‬35ˆ
7
B: H:8I!‫ا‬
8
B: (E:Q omitted.
9
B: ‫ت‬38+‫ل ا! و‬3Nt #7
42 Stephen J. Davis

‫• ه]ا‬E\N!‫{ ا‬8EME! Ok!‫ ا‬HN89:!‫ة ا‬,0!‫ح ا‬g=‫ س و‬a HQ,:N$ ‫ذب‬36!‫* ا‬4!‫ا‬

‫*ًا‬t uP3Q ‫*س‬0N!‫ره( ا‬3‫]آ‬a‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫ل ا‬3N[‫ 'ن درس أ‬H080J!3$ Z,ENJB ‫ا!]ي‬

‫دة‬3[ uIkQ 23Q‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬135[34k7 3ًN89[ ‫ ًا‬8L X$ B ‫ ه]ا‬HP :N$ ‫ل‬3c #7‫و‬
3
3Q,NE[‫ وأ‬3?B‫ ورأ‬3?:N= ‫ ا!]ي‬-!,0‫ آ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ ‫ل‬,0Q‫ دأود و‬1a N!‫ ا‬14P

-a‫ و‬It‫ ا! ب و‬X8$3)k$ ‫ وا‬I\8! . Lž 18t •!‫( إ‬K?8?$ #[ S\B (!‫ و‬3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫أ‬

‫ا‬,7,08! ‫!*ون‬,B #B]!‫ ا‬#8?I!‫ ا‬. L’‫ ا‬18v!‫( ا‬E:B O6! 3K:?} Ok!‫{ ا‬23v:!‫ا‬

‫ل ا! ب‬3N[‫ا أ‬,)?B %‫ و‬j‫• ا‬E[ (KE‫آ‬,a ‫ا‬,E:vB 3N86! (K?8$ -$ ‫ وا‬I\B

.Z3B3},! ‫ا‬,IE‡8!‫و‬

-8P ‡= 37 1v?7 #8)B*0!‫خ ا‬,8e!‫ب ا‬3k‫ آ‬#7 {E‡Q 37 ‫ ف‬:Q 3Q‫'آ_ أ‬3$‫و‬

Z,N= ‫ب ا!]ي‬3k6!‫ ا‬O?[‫ب( أ‬112) .‫م‬,8!‫ ا‬-! *I:Q ‫ ا!]ي‬AB*0!‫ ه]ا ا‬41t'

‫=( وذ!„ أن‬%‫]ا ا‬K$ ON= 3ًN:Q •2%‫ب و‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫• آ‬J$ 3ً=‫ دو‬P‫ و‬3ًQ3k)$
6
‫ء‬gk7‫ أ‬OQ3)5?!‫ دوس ا‬5!‫ن ا‬3k)I!‫ ه]ا ا‬OP 5#8$,k6N!‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H8N)a

1
B: 35[34k7
2
B: ‫إذا‬
3
B: 3Q IL‫أ‬
4
B: #[
5
B: H$,k6N!‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ء ا‬3N=‫أ‬
6
B: ¡Na
 Life of John the Little 43

‫ب‬3k6!‫ال ه]ا ا‬GB % ‫ ا!*ه‬1‫ء‬340Q‫( •( وإ!• ا’ن وإ!• ا‬8:?!‫ دوس ا‬P

-?7 ‫ا‬,!3?8! HP :N$ 3ًN:Q 2‫ن‬,e8:B ‫ ا!]ي‬j 3ًQ3$ c 3?=,5Q Œ8KB ‫ن‬3k)$ ON)N!‫ا‬

‫ة‬38J!‫ ا‬5‫ ات‬N_$ ‫ وا‬59B‫*س و‬0!‫ ! وح ا‬4g‫آ‬38‫ا ه‬,Q,68! H8080+ 3H40B

#8)B*0!‫ ا‬#[ -8P ‫ب‬,k6N!‫• ا‬E\N!‫{ ا‬:k!‫ل وا‬3N['‫ وا‬8)!‫ ا‬7*)J! 6‫*ة‬$•N!‫ا‬

3IQ‫ن وأ‬,7g$ 3IQ‫ وأ‬8HQ‫*و‬Q‫ أ‬3IQ‫ وأ‬8I6!‫' ا‬,$ 3IQ‫ء أ‬%•‫ ه( ه‬#B]!‫ ا‬#8Š84N!‫ا‬

‫ن‬,7‫ أ‬3IQ‫ وأ‬3Q,7‫ أ‬3IQ‫ؤدرس وأ‬3a 3IQ‫س وأ‬,8Q‫‡ ا‬$ 3IQ‫س وأ‬,8Q3=‫ أر‬3IQ‫م وأ‬,\$

A0!‫)]رس ا‬$ 3IQ‫ وأ‬A0!‫ ا‬10‫رة‬307 3IQ‫ وأ‬8I6!‫ ا‬9‫رة‬307 3IQ‫ وأ‬HB‫دو‬37 3IQ‫وأ‬

3IQ‫ؤن وأ‬37‫ ر‬,$‫=• وأ‬,7 ,$‫ وأ‬HB‫و‬3NB 3IQ‫ي وأ‬3e8ˆ 3IQ‫ وأ‬11‫ن‬,73$ 3IQ‫وأ‬

Z‫د‬,?ˆ 3IQ‫ وأ‬HQ3=‫ أر‬3IQ‫ن وأ‬3N8$ 3IQ‫ وأ‬12‫ن‬,B‫ر‬3)$‫ إ‬3IQ‫ وأ‬HQ‫ إآ و‬3IQ‫ وأ‬S=,B

3Q,$‫س وأ‬,?8v?! 3IQ‫ وأ‬14‫س‬,8c,! 3IQ‫ وأ‬Z]8NEa ‫‡ س‬$ 3IQ‫ وأ‬1338:ˆ 3IQ‫وأ‬

8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ه أ‬3‡!‫أ( ا‬113) ‫م‬,8!‫ ا‬-! *I:Q ‫ ا!]ي‬A?7,D'‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ا‬

1
G actually reads •40Q‫ ا‬here.
2
B: ‫ن‬,:IeB
3
B: H90B omitted.
4
B: H8080+ 1‫آ‬38‫ه‬
5
B: ‫ اث‬8N$
6
B: HB*$'‫ا‬
7
B: *)J! omitted.
8
B: ‫س‬,8Q,‡Q‫أ‬
9
B: ‫ر‬307
10
B: ‫ر‬307
11
B: ‫ن‬,7g$
12
B: ‫ن‬,8$‫= ا‬
13
B: 38:ˆ‫ا‬
14
B: ‫س‬,8•,!,$‫أ‬
44 Stephen J. Davis

3Q ‫ ا!]ي ذآ‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H[3Nt OP ‫ب‬,)J7 ‫ر‬3k\7 1V3P *+‫ وا‬3ً4B‫ أ‬,KP

‫ ه]ا‬18E‫ إآ‬Z t‫ت وأ‬37‫ ا‬6!‫ ا‬OP (K! ‫وي‬3)7 ,‫ ه‬L’‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H80$‫ه( و‬3N=‫أ‬
1
HEV35!‫ ا‬HN:?!‫* ا‬Mc -Q,‫ آ‬1t‫ أ‬#7 3N8=%‫ و‬HE845!3$ ‫* ا!]ي‬+‫ا‬,!‫ اث ا‬8N!‫ا‬

‫ي ا!]ي‬,0!‫( ا‬89:!‫ح ا‬g)!‫ ا‬A$% {:k!‫ ا‬HIJN$ (K?7 *+‫ وا‬1‫ آ‬HE845! Ok!‫ا‬

37 u8Nt ‫ل‬3Q •k+ -!3N[‫ أ‬u8Nt OP OQ30J!‫ع ا‬34a%‫ ا‬,‫ ا!]ي ه‬2X8)NE!

‫ ًا‬8)B Se6Q‫ان و‬,?:!‫م ا‬g‫ آ‬4Sc,Q 3?‫ ه‬3‫ إ!• ه‬.HE845!‫ ا‬31‫ آ‬#7 -8!‫* إ‬Mc

.-E‫ آ‬5uV,N!‫ ا‬H:5?7 AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$' ‫ ا!]ي‬8L OEkNN!‫ ا‬G?6!‫ ا‬#7

+(2 )+

3ً$,k67 „!‫ ذ‬3Q*t‫ و‬3N‫ آ‬8M0!‫ ا‬A?+,B ,$‫ أ‬A?7,D'‫ ا‬OQ3$,‡!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ وأ‬.2

*8:M!‫ ا‬#7 HP‫ و‬:N!‫ ا‬H?B*N!‫ ا‬3$3t H?B*7 O= ‫ آ‬#7 Z*E$ #7 ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬O23I+‫ أ‬3B

OP 37‫ات وأ‬,N)!‫ ا‬H?B*7 1‫ أه‬#7 ,KP HE84P ,E[ Z*E$ 37‫ وأ‬63)?$ 3KN=‫وا‬

(‫ره‬3kL‫!( أ‬3:!‫ ه]ا ا‬#8‫آ‬3)7 ‫ إن‬18c *c 1$ 3ًt3kJ7 ‫ ًا‬80P ‫ن‬36P 38Q*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬O?D

% HE845!‫ ا‬3N8=%‫*س و‬0!‫ روح ا‬,E[ OP ‫ ًا‬8_‫ن آ‬,?‰$ X8)N!3$ ‫ء‬38?D‫ أ‬j‫ا‬

1
B: HEV35!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
B: X8)NE! ‫ ا!]ي‬omitted.
3
B: ‫ل‬3N‫آ‬
4
B: •P‫ا‬,Q
5
B: {:eE!
6
B: HI8• ‫ أي‬3k)k$
 Life of John the Little 45

‫ء‬3?D OP (:?k7‫ و‬I6k)7 ,‫ ه‬#N! ‫){ أو‬Q‫ و‬1A?t -! #N! (‫ب‬113) Oa~a

HIJ7 A5Q OP HE845!‫] ا‬L~B 1$ . 80P‫ و‬#86)7 ,‫ ه‬#N[ *[3IkB‫ و‬38Q*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ه‬

#8+ 1‫ آ‬8\!‫ ا‬3,E[ OP (80k)7 ‫ رأى‬23‫اه‬,K$ 3K)5?! ‫ر‬3k\a ‫ ا!]ي‬Z]‫ ه‬-!.‫ا‬

u8Nt‫ و‬1= !‫ ا‬3?23$‫ ة أ‬8= #7 -NE:Q Z]‫ وه‬.H8?D ‫ أو‬¤Q3‫ آ‬H?86)7 *+‫ع وا‬,?$

.‫ ًا‬80P ‫ أو‬3ً8?D 3KIE‚ •E[ 4-c JB HE845!‫ل ا‬3Q #7 (K8P ‫ 'ن‬#8)B*0!‫ا‬

‫ن‬3P3\B ‫*ًا‬t #880Q 3Q3‫ آ‬3NKQ‫ إ‬3NK?[ 18c 3N‫ آ‬O23I+‫ أ‬3B OQ3$,‡!‫ ه]ا ا‬5‫ي‬,$‫وأ‬

,‫ن ه‬3‫ آ‬N:!‫ ا‬OP 3NK?7 8I6!‫ ا‬#B ‫ ذآ‬#B*!‫ و‬3NK! j‫ وه]ان وه{ ا‬j‫ ا‬#7

3?7*0a ‫ إذ‬.„!‫ ذ‬3?! 7‫م‬g6!‫ ا‬K98= 3N‫ آ‬6‫ ًا‬8L‫رًا أ‬3k\7 3ًI‫ر راه‬3} *c 3ً4B‫أ‬

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬,‫ ه‬OQ‫)*ا‬v!‫ ا‬8 N:!‫ ا‬OP 8‰M!‫ وا‬SQ~k)B 3N8P

. 8M0!‫ا‬

OP ‫خ‬3ˆ 37*?[‫ و‬HE845!‫ ا‬OP ‫ ًا‬8I‫ن آ‬3‫* آ‬8v!‫( ا‬K5!‫ل وا‬3Nv!‫ ا‬OP‫ و‬.3

OK!.‫ ا‬O!3:!‫ ا‬65!‫ ا‬OP ‫م‬,8!‫ ا‬1‫ًا آ‬,NQ ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬9{8e!‫ ا‬1Ic H8Q30J!‫ ا‬HP :N!‫ا‬

1
B: {)+
2
B: 3Ka‫”راد‬$
3
B: (E[
4
B: ‫د‬3Kkt3$
5
B: ‫وا!*ا‬
6
B: ‫ ًا‬8L‫ أ‬omitted.
7
B: ‫ب‬3k6!‫ا‬
8
B: 1N:!‫ا‬
9
B: {8e!‫ ا‬1IP H8Q30J!‫ ا‬omitted.
46 Stephen J. Davis

1
•J$ ‫ وه]ا‬HN:?!‫ ا‬A?JB 8)5a ‫ 'ن‬-N=‫ ا‬8)5a 1_7 Z*4:a ‫ ا! ب‬HN:Q‫و‬

HN:Q {KB (‫أ‬114) ‫ ه]ا ا!]ي‬j‫( ا‬E[ •$3=‫[* و‬,N!3‫ آ‬-$ ON= -?[ 18c 3N‫آ‬

#7 Z‫ ز‬P‫ و‬-8$‫{ أ‬E} OP ‫ن‬3‫?] آ‬7 Z K‚‫ و‬-=*c 3*)+ 8‰$ 3KE‫ آ‬2H08E\!‫ا‬
4
H?= e[ #7~a OP ‫ر‬3} ¥8+ #7 3N8=%‫ و‬Z‫ر‬3kL‫ وا‬-7‫ أ‬#‡$ OP ,‫ ه‬#8+

-! g23c OQ3+‫ ا! و‬5#)J!3$ #)+ 1:5$ OE0[ ‫م‬g‫ آ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬,‫ ه‬-‫ه‬.‫ ا‬-:7 (E6a

‫ب‬,E0!‫ ا‬6‫ ا!?‡ ون وأزن‬1It •!‫ إ‬O!3:a‫?)„ و‬t #7‫„ و‬V‫ أر‬#7 ‫ ج‬Lž

¥8+ ‫ب‬,E0!‫ وأزن ا‬ON= 3N‫ آ‬H8Q30+ H840$ ‫ر‬36P'‫ب وا‬,E0!‫ ا‬-8P ‫زن‬,a ¥8+

‫ك‬3?‫ ه‬H862gN!‫ ا‬He8:N!‫ ا‬u8Nt ¥8+ ‫س‬,5?!‫ ا‬XENB ‫ك ا!]ي‬3?‫ ه‬OQ3+‫ ا! و‬XEN!‫ا‬
7
‫ل‬,0!‫ وا‬HN6J!‫ وا‬HP :N!‫ك ا‬3?‫ ه‬H73k!‫ ا‬H7g)!‫ وا‬HE736!‫ ا‬HIJN!‫ ا‬-8P 8)a

‫اع‬,Q‫ أ‬u8Nv$ ¥8+ H8!,= !‫ ا‬H8•,!3_!‫ ا‬HQ37.3$ (80k)N!‫د ا‬30k[g! ‫ ا!]ي‬OK!.‫ا‬

#8)B*0!‫ ا‬A5Q ,‫ ه‬Ok!‫رة ا‬3k\N!‫ ا‬9X$‫{ ا!]وا‬8‚ 1I0B ¥8+ OE8vQ.‫ ا‬8‫ء‬30?!‫ا‬

.HJ8$‫{ وذ‬8‚ 3ً4B‫ أ‬¤Q‫„ أ‬EIc OP ‫ن‬,6B 3ً4B‫ وأ‬.10O737‫ أ‬H=*0kN!‫ء ا‬%•‫ه‬

1
B: •J$ omitted.
2
B: H08E\E! HN:?!‫ا‬
3
B: *0P ‫ب‬3)+
4
B: Z N[ #7 added.
5
B: AJ!3$
6
B: ‫ان‬G87
7
B: ‫ل‬,0!‫ ا‬uN)a‫ و‬HP :N!‫ا‬ *va ¥8+ ‫ك‬3?‫ه‬
8
B: H0_!‫ا‬.
9
B: X2‫ا! وا‬
10
B: O7‫ أ‬37
 Life of John the Little 47

•!‫ إ‬Z‫ وه*ا‬Z3[‫ ا!]ي د‬-!.‫ ا‬1Ic #َ7 13KIˆ‫ أ‬37‫ء و‬38ˆ'‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1Ic #َ7‫و‬
3
1IvE! Ok!‫ب( ا‬114) HE736!‫ ا‬HIJN!‫ ا‬H‫ آ‬I!‫ ا‬2{+ ‫ل‬3c H=*0N!‫ اري ا‬I!‫ا‬

8I6!‫ر ا‬307 ,$‫ أ‬¤8$ 1‫ أه‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬3?23Q‫ أ‬41It ‫رك‬3IN!‫( ا‬80k)N!‫*س ا‬0N!‫ا‬

‫م‬g‫ آ‬1_7 ‫ب‬,0:B -!‫ إ‬-t‫ن و‬,IE‡B #B]!‫ ا‬-8P ‫ن ا! ب‬,IE‡B 5#B]!‫ ا‬1Iv!‫ا‬

‫ ة‬N_$‫ و‬X8)N!‫ ا‬H[*$ #236!‫ ه]ا ا‬O62gN!‫( ا‬K[,Q ‫*وء‬K$‫ داود و‬6A82 !‫ا‬

‫ل‬,0‫ آ‬HENt ‫م‬g6!‫ل ا‬,0Q O6!‫*س و‬0!‫ ! وح ا‬Ok!‫ ة ا‬8_6!‫اع ا‬,Q'‫ ه( ذو ا‬8=

.‫ ج‬5!‫ دوس ا‬P 1_7 182‫ إ= ا‬3B „N8L‫ب و‬,0:B 3B H8K$ ‫رك‬3B‫ إن د‬OI?!‫ا‬

3ً$ v7 73ً\8ˆ *t‫دق و‬3} -Q‫ب إ‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫ آ‬#8)B*0!‫ء ا‬%•‫ ه‬#7‫ و‬.4

OP -8$ B ‫{ أن‬t,k)7 ,‫ وه‬j‫دة ا‬3I[ ‫ل‬3N[‫ أ‬OP ‫*ًا‬t ‫ه*ًا‬3v7 3ًN89[

3ً4B‫( أ‬E:7 ,‫ ه‬.3JN$ 1‫ أه‬#7 8HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬,‫ ا!]ي ه‬H8E8vQ.‫ ا‬A87‫ا‬,?!‫ا‬

‫ ة ه]ا‬8= {k6B ‫*أ أن‬k$‫ ا‬#َ7‫ و‬-E234P ,E[ 1t‫ أ‬#7 3?23$‫ أ‬OP ‫س‬,73?!‫ا‬

.(K!,0Q H•g• ‫ أو‬#8kE845$ #6!‫*ًا و‬t u=‫ وا‬I\$ I\B 3ً4B‫ج أ‬3kJB AB*0!‫ا‬

1
In G, the second he’ is omitted from 3KKIˆ‫أ‬.
2
B: ¥8+
3
B: 18vE!
4
B: 18v!‫ا‬
5
B: ‫ا!]ي‬. The form of the relative pronoun in G (#B]!‫ )ا‬presents grammatical
problems.
6
B: OI?!‫ا‬
7
B: gt‫ ور‬3ً\8ˆ
8
B: ‫ا‬,N$ (et passim).
48 Stephen J. Davis

‫ وه]ا‬.‫س‬3?!‫ وا‬j‫م [?* ا‬3a‫ و‬173‫ آ‬-Q‫* أ‬+‫ أ‬1‫ ف [?* آ‬:8! ‫م‬g6!‫ل ا‬3‚ ‫إذا‬

3IQ‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬-!~)P 8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬-8!‫~ إ‬vk!‫]ى ا‬6‫ء ه‬O4N!‫ا‬
1
HP3)N!‫ ا‬Z]‫ء وه‬3?:!‫„ إ!• ه]ا ا‬kt3+ O‫ ه‬37 O?$‫ ا‬3B (‫أ‬115) g23c HB,73$

-[,7‫( ود‬89[ ‫ع‬34a3$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ب ا‬3t‫ أ‬2‫؟‬3Kk8?:a Ok!‫ ا‬HN89:!‫ا‬
3
{‫ ه‬a‫* أن أ‬B‫ أر‬3Q~P j‫ إدارة ا‬O‫ن ه‬3‫ إنْ آ‬-! g23c -B*L •E[ ‫ ي‬va

‫رك‬3I7 A?t (6Q' (6=*c H[3Nt u7 3ً4B‫ أ‬3Q‫ أ‬3ً$,)J7 ‫ن‬,‫• أن أآ‬Jk=‫وا‬

„IEc‫ !„ و‬O?IKB ‫! ب‬3P OE[ ¤8E} ‫ وإذا‬.3KE‫ ا! ب دون ا'رض آ‬OP

O?$‫ ا‬3B -?[ ‫ل‬,0a ‫ ا!]ي‬7'‫ ه]ا ا‬-! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ب أ‬3t‫ أ‬.OE[ XB k)B

‫ج‬3kJB ‫ء‬Oˆ 1‫ أول آ‬I\!‫• ه]ا ا‬E[ ‫ل‬,0B #N! O‰I?B 1$ ‫]ى =*ًا‬6‫ ه‬,‫ ه‬A8!

‫ل‬3N['‫ ا‬u8Nt ‫ل‬3N6!3$ •)?B‫ و‬Z‫ إراد‬OP 4HkI!‫ ا‬187 8‰$ HN80k)7 HN‫إ!• ه‬

O080J!‫ ا‬j‫( ا‬E[ •E[ ‫م‬,0B (E[ 1‫*م آ‬KB‫ و‬HNE9E! Ok!‫ ة ا‬N_N!‫ ا‬8D HE‚3I!‫ا‬

A0‡! XEMB‫• و‬8EB A0‡$ j‫ ا‬HŠ8eN‫ آ‬5HP :N$ HŠ8M7 -!3N[‫ أ‬u8Nt ‫ن‬,6a‫و‬

3Ka‫ و!]ا‬H8Q35!‫ ا‬1H8Q38Q*!‫ت ا‬3+38?!‫ ا‬6u8Nt ¬P B‫ء و‬g:!‫ ا‬OP Ok!‫ات ا‬,0!‫ا‬

.‫*ة‬:N!‫ ا‬2‫ ات‬8\!‫ق ا‬,ˆ 1t‫ أ‬#7 HE2‫ا‬G!‫ا‬

1
B: H0eN!‫ا‬
2
B: 3KkI:a
3
B: 3ًI‫ راه‬8}‫أ‬
4
G: HkI!‫ ا‬187 8‰$ ; B: ¤I!‫ ا‬1Ic IM$
5
B: HP :N$ omitted.
6
B: u8Nt omitted.
 Life of John the Little 49

•47‫ و‬-:V,7 OP Z*+‫ و‬-‫ آ‬a] HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬-! -!3c 3N! ‫ ه]ا‬.5

‫ إ!• ا! ب‬-)5Q Ž)$‫ب( و‬115) Lž uV,7 •!‫ إ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬,‫[ ه‬3HB,73$ 3IQ‫أ‬

Se6B O6! ‫ح‬3IM!‫ء إ!• ا‬3)N!‫ات ا‬,E}‫ و‬8_‫ آ‬5‫ ع‬4k$ HE8E!‫„ ا‬Ea 4u8Nt

-a‫د‬3[ ¤Q3‫ آ‬Z]‫ أن ه‬3N8=%‫ و‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 -8V B 37 -! j‫ا‬

‫ع‬,7*$ OEMB ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬.j‫ل دون إرادة ا‬3N['‫ ا‬#7 3ًŠ8ˆ 1N:B % #8+ 1‫آ‬

Sc‫ وا‬6‫ك ا! ب‬g7 ‫ اغ وإذا‬5!‫ ا‬#7 18E!‫ ب ا‬kc‫ ا‬3NEP -!‫ل =•ا‬3?B 3N86! ‫ ة‬8_‫آ‬

OQ' ‫ ح‬5$ ‫ ه]ا ا'خ‬1I0a ‫ ك أن‬7~B 7‫ ا! ب ا!]ي‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3B -! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬-737‫أ‬

O! ‫ن‬,6a -a N•‫* و‬vN$ u5a 8= -Q c ‫ أن‬3N8=%‫„ و‬8!‫ إ‬-kE=‫ أر‬8‫ ا!]ي‬3Q‫أ‬

-?[ ‫ارى‬,a ‫ك ه]ا‬gN!‫ ا‬-! ‫ل‬3c 3NEP .‫ل‬38t'‫ ا‬u8Nt •!‫ إ‬O737‫ أ‬%,I07 ‫رًا‬,\$

j‫م ا‬g6$ -9[‫ وو‬A?JB ,$‫ إ!• أ‬HB,73$ 3Q,$‫¯ أ‬8e!‫• ا‬a‫ح أ‬3IM!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬3NEP

Z‫ر‬,9?7 8‰!‫ ا'[*اء ا‬HEa30N! 9‫د‬3Kkt3$ *:k)B O6! ‫د‬3Kv!‫ إ!• ا‬-8[*B 3N86!

‫ن‬,c )B #B]!‫ء ا‬%•‫ ة ه‬B e!‫ ا‬H08c*!‫ر ا‬36P¡! •85k)7 3ً908k)7 10‫ن‬,68!

1
B: HB‫و‬38Q*!‫ا‬
2
B: HB ‫ ات ا!*ه‬8\!‫ إ!• ا‬-c,ˆ
3
Due to homoteleuton, the scribe of G mistakenly omitted this part of the
sentence. Here, I have reconstructed the missing text on the basis of B.
4
G: u8Nt ; B: ‫ل‬,‚ 3ً[ 4k7
5
B: ‫)•ال‬$
6
B: j‫ا‬
7
B: ‫ ا!]ي‬omitted.
8
B: ‫ ا!]ي‬omitted.
9
B: ‫د‬3Kkt3$ omitted.
10
B: ‫ن‬,68P
50 Stephen J. Davis

{E‰B 3N86! ‫ ب‬JE! ‫ة‬,0!3$ *keB ‫ أن‬-NE[ 1‫ ه( ا! ديء وه]ا‬67 1:5$ 10:!‫ا‬

HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬,$‫ أ‬-=‫• رأ‬E+ ‫* ه]ا‬:$ .‫ذب‬36!‫ ا‬B e!‫*و ا‬:!‫ ا‬18+ u8Nt

8‰$ ‫ل‬38! H•g•‫م و‬3B‫ أ‬H•g• 2‫م‬3c‫• ا'رض وأ‬E[ H?I‫ب ا! ه‬38• (‫أ‬116) 1:t‫و‬

‫م‬3Na OP‫ و‬.‫ب‬38_!‫• ا‬E[ 3N‫ه‬g‫ن آ‬38EMB #8N23c A?JB ,$‫ وأ‬,‫ ˆ ب ه‬%‫ و‬1‫أآ‬

H•g• ‫ب‬38_!‫• ا‬E[ {E}‫ و‬33K737‫ك ا! ب أ‬g7 Sc‫ل و‬38! H•g_!‫م وا‬3B‫ أ‬H•g_!‫ا‬

-)I!‫ح أ‬3IM!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬3N!‫ و‬5(K?[ ‫ارى‬,a‫• و‬E\N!‫ ا‬4{8EM!‫ ˆ( ا‬$ ‫ع‬,P‫د‬
7
-k7‫ز‬g7‫ و‬-8:= ‫د‬3Kkt3‫ وآ‬OQ3+‫ ح رو‬5$ 6-8!‫ إ‬-EIc‫ و‬A?JB 3$‫ أ‬O?[‫ب أ‬38_!‫ا‬

.HE845!‫ل ا‬3N[‫• أ‬E[

-!.‫دة ا‬3I[ HIa‫ ر‬OP ‫ر‬3} 37*?[ O23I+‫ أ‬3B ‫*ى‬k$‫ ا‬3ً?)+ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ أ‬.6

OQ30+ IM$ t3kB X!3} ]8NEa 1_7 HE736!‫ ا‬H[3‡!‫ ا‬OP ‫\*م‬B ‫ أن‬%‫*أ أو‬k$‫ا‬
9
‫ ض‬B‫„ و‬EKB ‫ ا!]ي‬OQ30J!‫ع ا‬34a%‫ ا‬8,‫ي ا!]ي ه‬,0!‫ح ا‬g)!‫ ا‬A$% ,‫وه‬

1
B: ‫]ا‬K$
2
B: ‫م‬3c‫ وأ‬omitted.
3
B: 3NK737‫أ‬
4
B: {8E}
5
B: 3NK?[
6
B: -8!‫ إ‬omitted.
7
G: -k7‫ز‬g7‫ و‬-8:= ‫د‬3Kkt3‫ ;وآ‬B: H7‫ز‬gN!‫• وا‬:)!3$ Z 7‫وأ‬
8
G: ,‫ ;ا!]ي ه‬B: O?[‫أ‬
9
B: ¬P B‫ و‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 51

u4a‫ ا‬23N‫* آ‬vN!‫ ا‬-! 1X8)N!‫ ا‬3?ME\N$ -)5Q 1_7‫ و‬.HŠ8‡\!‫ل ا‬,}‫ أ‬u8Nt

‫ أ’م‬OP 3?‫ إذ آ‬3?7*L‫* و‬I:!‫رة ا‬,} OP 3?8!‫ إ‬33P‫ ووا‬3Q‫ذ‬30Q‫ إ‬1t‫ أ‬#7 -a‫”راد‬$

‫ وا'’م‬5HŠ8‡\!‫ت ا‬,N$ 3ًa,7 3?‫ آ‬3N! ‫ك‬gK!‫ ا‬4#7 3?5c‫ وأو‬.HŠ8‡\!‫ع ا‬3t‫وأو‬
6
.AB*0!‫ ا‬3?23$‫*ي أ‬KB ‫*س ه]ا ا!]ي‬0!‫ روح ا‬HN:a ¤P [ ‫ ه]ا‬OP‫ و‬HvN)!‫ا‬
7
$*7 (K! A8! #NE‫ب( وآ‬116) ‫ ذول‬7 ,KP ¤86Ia 8‰$ (8E:a 1‫إن آ‬

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫*ا أ‬k$‫ ا‬3ً?)+ ‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#NP ‫رق‬,!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫ن‬,:08)P

.‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬18vQ.‫ ا‬3B3}‫ و‬#7 Z]‫ أن ه‬3N8=%‫ و‬3?Ec 3N‫ع آ‬34a%‫ وا‬8H[3‡!3$

#7‫ و‬u4a‫ ا‬u5a‫ ار‬#7‫( و‬67*L85 ‫ ا‬8I‫( آ‬68P ‫ن‬,6B ‫ إراد أن‬#7 ‫ل‬,0B 9%

ue8!‫]ى ا‬6‫=• وه‬,7 HPgL ‫ن‬,Q #$ uˆ,B ]L‫ ه]ا أ‬1_N$ ‫؟ 'ن‬u5a‫ ار‬u4a‫ا‬

OI?!‫ ا‬387‫ إر‬u7 ‫روخ‬3$ „!]‫س وآ‬38EB‫ روح إ‬-8E[ ¤5[34a „!‫ ذ‬1_7 10OI?!‫ا‬

-!—! (K[3Ia‫( وا‬Kk[3‡$ -!.‫ة ا‬,?$ ‫ا‬,0Jk=‫ ا‬11(KQ‫ أ‬#B*B•N!‫ ا‬1= !‫ ا‬3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫وأ‬

1
B: X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B
2
G: 3N‫ ;آ‬B: ‫ا!]ي‬
3
B: •a‫أ‬
4
B: #7 3?4KQ‫أ‬
5
The scribe of G originally omitted this line, but then discovered his mistake
and added it in the left margin of the page.
6
B: A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ا‬
7
This reading in G could also be B*7, which (like $ّ *7) can also be
translated as “director.”
8
B: H[3‡!3$ ‫*اء‬k$‫ا‬
9
B: % omitted.
10
B: OI?!‫ ا‬omitted.
11
B: 3NQ‫إ‬
52 Stephen J. Davis

1‫ آ‬1= !‫ ا‬3?23$' ‫ر‬3‰M!‫] ا‬87gk!‫ ا‬O?[‫ أ‬1A‡?NE‫ اآ‬¤8$ 1‫]ى أه‬6‫ وه‬HNE6!‫ا‬

1v?7 (‫ره‬3•ž uIa 3ً4B‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ وآ]!„ أ‬.Z 8‰! -[,4L‫ و‬-k[3‡$ •EL (K?7

uIa‫ و‬-IEc ‫ى‬,‫اع ه‬,Q‫ أ‬u8Nt (v!‫ أ‬37*?[ 2H!gœ 8‰$ Ok!‫• ا‬B ‡!‫ل ا‬3Q ‫ه]ا‬

3ً4B‫ أ‬-Q‫• أ‬k+ A!,$ ‫*ي‬B #7 3‫ؤس‬3a,N‚ 1_7 O080J!‫ ا‬-NE:7 7‫ أوا‬23=

‫ ي‬I}‫ و‬OkIJ7‫ و‬OkQ37‫ وإ‬5ON8E:k! u$3a „Q‫ أ‬4 L’‫ ذ!„ ا‬1_7 -737‫ل أ‬,0B

.„!‫ا ذ‬,EkB 37‫و‬

#7 (‫أ‬117) 7'‫ ه]ا ا‬H7*\$ j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 #Na‫ إذ أؤ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ وأن أ‬.7

‫س ا! ب‬,73?$ -8$‫~د‬a #7 k5B #6B (! A?JB 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ أ‬-8P 1Ic ‫م ا!]ي‬,8!‫ا‬

#7 j‫ ا‬HP3\N$ HE845!‫اع ا‬,Q‫ وا!?)„ وأ‬6•0k!‫ ا‬-NE:B 3N86! -:7 *KkvB‫و‬

‫د‬3c !‫ وا‬AIJ!‫ اد وا‬5Q%‫ وا‬Hc JN!‫ ا‬7HI:k!‫دة ا‬3I:!‫‡ ق ا‬P K)!‫ وا‬87‫ا‬GN!‫ا‬

HENv!3$ 3ًŠ8ˆ -)5Q 8*:B %‫ أ‬,‫ ا!]ي ه‬A5?E! ‫ى ا!]ي‬,K!‫* ا‬Jt‫• ا'رض و‬E[

1
B:
2
B: H!gV. The scribe of G has written -!gœ instead of H!gV, perhaps an
idiomatic rendering of the latter. My translation follows the reading in B.
3
B: ‫وس‬3•,N8a
4
G: L’‫ ذ!„ ا‬1_7 -737‫ ;أ‬B: „!‫ ذ‬1_7 -!
5
B: ON8E:a ¤:Ia‫أ‬
6
Manuscript G has 30k!‫ا‬. I have changed the final alif to the more standard
alif maksûrah in order to avoid confusion with the unrelated form ‫ء‬30k!‫ا‬.
7
B: HI:kN!‫ا‬
8
B: Ik:Q
 Life of John the Little 53

·5J$ -EN6B -NE:B 3NE‫ وآ‬-t‫ وا!)]ا‬1‫ء‬38Jk=%‫ع وا‬34a%‫ت وا‬,6)!‫وا‬

#7 -IEc‫م و‬g)$ -=‫ا‬,+ ·5JB ‫ أن‬3N8=%‫ و‬21N:B‫*ًا و‬t u23‚ ,‫رة وه‬,eN!‫ا‬

œ3?N!‫ل ا'رواح وا‬38L 1v?7 3H}3\!3$‫ و‬-E0[ ‫ س‬JB‫ع و‬3t‫و=¯ ا'و‬

.H8Q30+ H?‡5$ 1N:B 3N86! ‫م‬g+'‫وا‬

g8Ec -?7 Z*I:B ¤a3‫ آ‬3KQ' 10[‫ و‬HN6J$ H)8?6!‫ إ!• ا‬OeN!‫ ا‬3ً4
ً B‫ أ‬-NE:B‫ و‬.8

j‫س ا‬35Q‫ أ‬O‫ ه‬Ok!‫{ ا‬k6!‫ ا‬4‫ اءة‬c *?[ 3N8=%‫ و‬-!”$ 1َ:vُB‫ت و‬3I•‫*وء و‬K$

1_7 ‫ر‬,kP 8‰$ ‫ة‬gM!‫ ا‬OP 5{Ec ‫ه‬3œ ·5J!‫• ا‬E[ ‫ ا!\ وف‬1_7 kvB‫و‬

‫ ص‬J$ 7-8},B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬j‫م ا‬g‫وة آ‬g+ #7 ‫ ا! وح‬-8!‫ إ‬6‫*ث‬Ja‫‚• و‬3Q 1N+

8‰$ ‫ع‬,7‫ ود‬-c J$ 8‫ ص‬JB‫ب( و‬117) H)8?6!‫ ا‬OP uN)B 37 (K5B ‫( أن‬89[

37 7‫ أ‬#[ -!~= ‫ وإذا‬.H8Q30+ H840$ •J!‫*ار ا‬07 3ً4B‫ أ‬-NK5B‫ و‬OV‫ أر‬6P

‫م‬g‫ آ‬Ž=,!‫ ا‬OP Oa~8P 10O?$‫ ا‬3B ‫م‬g6!‫ل ا‬,‡B gŠ! ‫ل‬,0B‫ و‬g_7 9‫ ب‬V *c

1
B: ‫ء‬38J!‫ا‬
2
B: 1N:B 37 1‫وآ‬
3
B: ‫ص‬g\!3$
4
The scribe of G has written the word as ‫ ااء‬c.
5
G: {Ec ‫ه‬3œ ·5J!‫• ا‬E[; B: ·5J!‫]اآ ة وا‬N!‫• ا‬E[
6
B: ‫]ب‬kvB
7
B: -8+,B
8
B: ‫ ز‬JB
9
G: ‫ ب‬V *c; B: -! ‫ ب‬48!
10
G: O?$‫ ا‬3B ‫م‬g6!‫ل ا‬,‡B gŠ!; B: ‫م‬g6!‫ل ا‬,‡B gŠ! ¤NM!‫ا‬ ‫م‬G!‫ أ‬O?$‫ ا‬3B
54 Stephen J. Davis

OP (89[ ·5J$ 3¤NM!‫م ا‬G!‫ أ‬H}3L‫ و‬3?=,5Q 2 )\?P {B D 1( 6P)

.H=*0N!‫ ا‬2‫د ا!) ا‬,:} •Jk)Q •k+ H:8I!‫ا‬

HE845!‫ ا!]ي 'دب ا‬4{k6N!‫ ه]ا ا‬OP A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬3N8P‫ و‬.9

#7 :#8kKv!‫ ا‬#7 XE5B ‫ح‬g5!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ م ا'رض‬6a 3N‫ م آ‬6B‫( و‬E:B H=*0N!‫ا‬

‫ء‬O4B‫ و‬6 ‫ه‬GB‫{ و‬eB ‫• أو‬e?B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.j‫ ا‬HN:Q HQ,:7 #7‫ و‬-NE:7 5*8KNa

{)+ 1230!‫ اا‬3?ME\7 ‫ل‬,c 1_7 H080J!3$ ‫ر‬3} •k+ ‫*س‬0!‫ روح ا‬7‫ر‬3N•

.-NE:7 1_7 ‫ن‬,6B ‫] أن‬8NEk!‫ا‬

A?JB ,$‫ ب أ‬vB‫ و‬#JkNB HB,N$ 3IQ‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫* ه]ا آ‬:$ #7‫ و‬.10

(K! ‫ن‬,6B #B]E! 8H:5?7 ‫ل‬3N['‫• ا‬80Jk$ ‫س‬3?!‫م ا‬37‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬Z‫ر‬,Q ‫ ق‬e8!

-t L¹P 1A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬1v?7 ‫ب‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫*ة آ‬$•N!‫ة ا‬38J!‫ إ!• ا‬93ًB*K7

1
In G, the word 6P was added by the scribe above the line and in smaller
script, as an alternative reading to ‫م‬g‫آ‬. In B, only the noun 6P appears.
2
B: ‫ س‬J?P
3
In B, the phrase ¤NM!‫م ا‬G!‫ أ‬is omitted here, but included earlier in this
paragraph (see footnote 13 above).
4
B: {k6N!‫ا‬
5
B: (8K5a
6
G: ‫ه‬GB‫{ و‬eB ‫ ;أو‬B: K9B‫و‬
7
B: ‫ر‬3N_$
8
B: H:P3?!‫ا‬
9
B: 3B‫و‬3‫ه‬. In G, the use of the accusative case where it is not warranted is
an example of grammatical hyperºcorrection on the part of the author or scribe.
 Life of John the Little 55

{‫ اذه‬.*:$ „:7 #6)!‫ ا‬u8‡k=‫ أ‬37 g23c #6)N!‫ ا‬#7 HB,N$ 3IQ‫ أ‬Z,$‫ أ‬-t L¹P

‫ ًا‬$3} ‫م‬3c‫ أ‬A?JB ,$‫أ( وإن أ‬118) .‫ب‬3I!‫رج ا‬3L -t L‫ وأ‬Lž ‫ن‬367 •!‫إ‬
3
‫*وة‬D ‫م‬,B 1‫\ ج آ‬B ‫ن‬3Jk7%‫ ا‬2*B*e!‫¯ ا‬8e!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ء‬36$‫{ و‬Ec ut,$

‫ ب‬4B AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.3?‫ه‬3‫ ه‬#7 {‫ اذه‬g23c Z‫‡ د‬B‫ و‬Z*B v$ -$ 4B‫و‬

‫)~ل‬B 8_‫ ع آ‬4a‫( و‬89[ ‫ع‬34a3$ -737‫ أ‬-Kt‫• و‬E[ O0E7 ,‫ وه‬4‫ة‬,Q3‡N!‫ا‬

3B .j‫ ا‬5HKt #7 ‫ ا! ب‬1t‫ أ‬#7 O?EIc‫ ا‬¤Š‡L‫ أ‬.O$‫ أ‬3B O! 5D‫ ا‬g23c Z3$‫أ‬

%‫ ب و‬eB %‫ و‬1‫~آ‬B % 3K8!38E$ ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H:I= „!]‫ آ‬O0$‫ و‬.„?[ OQ‫‡ د‬a % O$‫أ‬

‫ن‬3‫ آ‬37*?[‫ و‬.‫ب‬3I!‫ ا‬6‫ ا‬$ ‫ل روح‬,َ‡$ (807 ,‫ وه‬Lž uV,7 •!‫• إ‬47

-)5?! ‫ل‬,08P -! HBG:a j‫س ا‬35Q‫ أ‬,‫ ه‬Ok!‫{ ا‬k6!‫ ا‬7‫ا‬,EkB HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬uN)B

‫ل ا! ب إن‬,c 3ً4B‫]آ أ‬B‫ و‬.Z,$‫ أ‬-$‫•د‬B % *!‫~ي و‬P 9‫ !¡دب‬I}‫ ا‬8Z*+‫و‬

10
‫ ا!]ي‬,KP OKk?N!‫ إ!• ا‬IMB #7 3ً4B‫ أ‬-!,c‫( و‬6)5Q‫ن أ‬,J$ a (‫ آ‬IM$

1
G: A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬1v?7 ‫ب‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫ ;آ‬B: ‫ ة‬7
2
B: *B*ˆ
3
B: ‫*اة‬‰!3$
4
B: H8Q3‡N!‫ا‬
5
B: 1t‫أ‬
6
B: ‫رج‬3L
7
G: ‫ا‬,EkB; B: ,EkB. In G, the syntax is somewhat confused due to the absence
of a direct object pronoun and the fact that the scribe of G has written ‫ا‬,EkB (the
thirdºperson plural form with the final alif) instead of the correct ,EkB (the thirdº
person singular form). In my translation, I follow the correct form recorded in B.
8
B: Z*+‫ و‬omitted.
9
B: ‫!¼ب‬
10
B: ‫ ا!]ي‬,KP omitted.
56 Stephen J. Davis

Z‫ر‬36P' g$307 3ًNa3ˆ {Ec (KP‫ و‬1H73a HQ37”$ ‫ء‬38ˆ'‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬OP ‫م‬3c~P •E\B

*+'‫م ا‬,B J= HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q,$‫\ ج أ‬P 3K8!38E$ ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H:I= ‫ل‬3N‫ ة إ!• آ‬B e!‫ا‬

H62gN!‫ ا‬#7 H:I= ‫ وإذا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬17~a 3NEP H=*0N!‫ ا‬H:8I!‫ إ!• ا‬O4N8!

‫ر‬,Q u8NE$ (‫ب‬118) ‫ ق‬Ia 18!3‫ أآ‬H:I= #8E73+ (89[ *vN$ 2#8ENv7 #8)$%

*:$ *+‫ وا‬-=‫• رأ‬E[ 3KQ,:4B (‫ وه‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ق رأس أ‬,P

‫*ًا‬t {v:a 9?N!‫ ه]ا ا‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬#B3[ 3NEP .HN:Q 1‫ آ‬#7 4Z,E7 *c‫* و‬+‫وا‬

HIJ7‫( و‬89[ ‫ج‬3Kk$3$ -=‫ رأ‬1Ic‫ و‬5 8_‫ ح آ‬5$ A?JB ,$‫ أ= ع إ!• أ‬¤c,E!‫و‬

„!‫ ذ‬#7 Z*?[ -E:t‫ و‬3ً4B‫ أ‬-EIc‫*س و‬0!‫وة روح ا‬30Q #7 ‫*س‬07 ‫م‬g)$ -0?k[‫وا‬

.Z*‫ه‬3ˆ 37 •E[ -:E‡B (!‫ و‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬6‫ل‬G?7 OP ‫ر‬3}‫ و‬.‫م‬,8!‫ا‬

‫ن‬,6a S8‫ آ‬Z,!~)P ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬u7 3ً7,B HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬AEt ‫* ه]ا‬:$ #7‫ و‬.11

S8‫ة آ‬,L.‫ [ ف ا‬O!3:a O?$‫ ا‬A?JB 3B -! g23c A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3[*P H?I‫ا! ه‬

AB*0!‫ ا‬O$‫ أ‬3B O! 5D‫ ا‬g23c (89[ ‫ع‬34a3$ A?JB ‫ب‬3t~P ‫ن‬3I‫ ون ره‬8MB

1
B: Hk$3•
2
B: #B*vN7
3
B: AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬omitted.
4
B: Z‫¡و‬7
5
B: 8_‫ ح آ‬5$ omitted.
6
B: #6)7
 Life of John the Little 57

2
,$ ‫~= ع‬P 1O?:8‚ O?$‫ ا‬3B (:Q HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬30P 3?E‫ آ‬3?B*KB „‫آ‬g7‫ و‬j‫ا‬

¤Ja 3K+ ‚‫ و‬-?[ -$38• 3‫ ا‬:a ¤c,E!‫ و‬-NE:7 7‫ل أ‬3N‫ وآ‬H[3‡E! A?JB

‫ و!*ي‬3B HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬Z,$‫ل أ‬30P ‫ة‬,L.‫ وا‬Z,$‫ أ‬-?7 {v:kP ‫ن‬3B [ Sc‫ وو‬-8Et‫ر‬

‫* ه]ا‬v7 23= #7 ‫ن‬3)Q.‫ ا‬4‫ ا‬:kB (! ‫ إذ‬-! ‫ل‬3c ¤E:P ‫ ه]ا ا!]ي‬,‫ ه‬37 A?JB

8MB ‫ أن‬u8‡k)B #EP 6%‫أ( وإ‬119) ‫]ا‬6‫ ه‬-IEc 5‫ا‬,‫ ه‬u8Nt ‫*وس‬B‫!( و‬3:!‫ا‬

„!‫ص وذ‬g\!‫• ا‬B ‚ Z]‫• ه‬J$ ‫ة‬,L.‫¯ وا‬8e!‫ل ا‬30P .j‫ ا‬HŠ8e7 1_7 3ًI‫راه‬

#8K!”$ #7•B %‫ و‬#8$‫* ر‬I:B ‫* أن‬+‫ أ‬u8‡k)B % ‫ل‬,0a 3?ME\7 H8}‫أن و‬

.‫ا‬,47 ‫ ًا‬8_‫ا آ‬,J$‫ ر‬73N!‫و‬

-Q,!~)B ‫ة‬,L‫ إ‬-8!‫• إ‬a‫ أ‬H)8?6!‫ ا‬OP Lž 3ً7,B 3ً)!3t HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3N8P‫ و‬.12

HN:?$ A?JB ,$‫( وإن أ‬KNE68! Z]8NEa A?JB ,$‫ أ‬1=‫~ر‬P (K=,5Q ‫ص‬gL 1v?7

{8‡B ‫م‬g6$ -9:B‫( و‬K?7 *+‫ وا‬1‫{ آ‬8vB ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-8P #‫آ‬3)!‫*س ا‬0!‫روح ا‬

*c ‫*ًا‬t ‫ ب‬v7 8I‫¯ آ‬8ˆ ‫ة وإذا‬,L.‫ ا‬-$ ‫ط‬3+‫ أ‬3NEP .‫ ا! ب‬OP 8‫ا‬G[‫ب و‬,E0!‫ا‬

#BGa H?B‫ أة زا‬7‫ إ‬-Iea A?JB 3B ‫ ا’ن‬¤Q‫ة أ‬,L.‫ ا‬Ž=‫ و‬OP -! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬-8!‫ء إ‬3t
1
B: O?:‚‫ا‬
2
B: ,$‫أ‬
3
B: uEL
4
B: :kB (! ‫إذا‬
5
B: ‫ى‬,‫ه‬
6
G: %‫ ;وإ‬B: Z‫وراء‬.
7
G: 3N!‫ ;و‬B: (KQ‫وأ‬.
8
B: ‫اء‬G[
58 Stephen J. Davis

AB*0!‫ ا‬O$‫ أ‬3B ¤Ec •J!‫ ا‬g23P ‫ع‬34a3$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬-$3t~P .3K0)P _68! 3K)5Q

-8!‫• إ‬a‫* ه]ا أ‬:$ #7‫ و‬1. 7'‫ !„ ه]ا ا‬Se‫ آ‬j‫ ه]ا 'ن ا‬8D 3ً8ˆ ,‫ ه‬A8!
3
% -! ‫ل‬3c ‫¯؟‬8e!‫ ا‬2‫م‬g‫ آ‬#7 „IEc (!~a A?JB 3B ‫ ى‬a‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫أ‬

.O?B,0B ‫ ا!]ي‬X8)N!‫ ا‬41Ic #7 OEL‫ آ]!„ دا‬Ot‫ر‬3L 3N‫ آ‬1$ O$‫ أ‬3B „0+‫و‬

#[ A?JB ,$' ‫ل‬3c‫ب( و‬119) ‫ ى‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫ د‬3ً4B‫ أ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ و=~ل أ‬.13

•0JkB‫ و‬-IEc 6 ‚‫ا‬,L 8NV‫ و‬5-a3I)+ ‫( ه*وء‬E:B O6! Z‫ر‬36P‫ وأ‬-!3+ H84c

‫”ذا‬P ‫*ًا‬t H8!3[ ‫ ˆ*رة‬¤Ja *+‫ وا‬-Iˆ‫ أ‬O$‫ أ‬3B 3Q‫ أ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬30P .,‫ ه‬S8‫آ‬

•!‫ ب إ‬KB (K737‫ أ‬S0B ‫*ر‬0B %‫ و‬-8!‫ إ‬#8EI07 7‫ب‬3$*!‫ش وا‬,+,!‫ ا‬9Q
9
Ok8I8‫ آ‬OP 3ً)!3t ‫ن‬,‫ أآ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬O$‫ أ‬3B 3ً4B‫ أ‬3Q‫ آ]!„ أ‬.•E\8P 8‫ ة‬ve!‫ا‬

‫ء‬3t‫ ور‬1œ •!‫~ه ب إ‬P O

ّ !‫ إ‬HEI07 Z B e!‫*و ا‬:!‫ر ا‬36P‫ أ‬u8Nt ¤B‫”ذا رأ‬P

.OKk?N!‫*و إ!• ا‬:!‫ ا‬#7 •EL~P ‫ة‬gM!3$ j‫ ا‬HQ,:7

1
In B, the phrase, ‫ !„ ه]ا‬Se‫ آ‬j‫'ن ا‬, is omitted on account of scribal error
due by homoteleuton.
2
B: HKt
3
B: % omitted.
4
G: 1Ic #7; B: 1$.
5
B: -!3+. In G, ‫ت‬3I)+ stands for ‫ت‬3$3)+, a misspelling perhaps influenced
by the common phonetic convention of shortening the medial alif in
pronunciation.
6
B: ‚‫ا‬,L‫ و‬Z 8NV
7
B: ‫ب‬32]!‫ا‬
8
B: ‫ ى‬L‫ ة أ‬vˆ
9
B: #88k8‫آ‬. In a footnote, the editor of B has also supplied the form ‫ن‬,8$,?‫آ‬.
 Life of John the Little 59

1
Z,!~= A?JB ,$‫ أ‬O?[‫ أ‬HN2‫ ات ا!*ا‬8\!‫ق ا‬,ˆ OP 3ًI‫ه‬3= 3ً7,B ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬.14
3
‫‡ ًا‬7 A?JB 3B -! ‫ا‬,!30P 2Z‫ر‬36P‫ أ‬#B‫ا أ‬,NE:B ‫*وا أن‬B B ‫ن‬3Jk73$ ‫ة‬,L‫إ‬

1‰ˆ 6‫*ون‬vB ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬5‫ دي 'ن‬I!‫ ا‬1t' 4¤JEP‫ وأ‬H?)!‫ء ا‬3N)!‫‡ ت ا‬7‫أ‬

3K48I$ A5?!‫• ا‬E[ 1+ ‫*س إذا‬0!‫ آ]!„ روح ا‬g23c A?JB ,$‫( أ‬K$3t‫ أ‬.(KB*B‫أ‬

.HE845!‫ر ا‬,?$ 73‫ره‬,?B‫و‬

.H08E\!‫ ا‬16$ ¤Ja ONKP‫ق و‬,P ‫ ي‬6P (K! ‫ل‬3c ‫ ك‬6P #B‫ة أ‬,L.‫ ا‬¤!30P .15

‫ع‬3ˆ‫ و‬HE845!‫ ا‬O:= OP ‫ء‬g:!‫ إ!• ا‬3ًN2‫ ي دا‬vB ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ وأ‬.16

#7 14P‫ أ‬12340!‫ ا‬OP (œ3:a *c -Q‫أ( إ‬120) .3?23$‫ أ‬u8Nt OP X!3M!‫ ا‬Z IL

‫ل‬3N['‫ح ا‬3v?$ 7'‫• ا‬80Ja ‫ل‬3N‫ آ‬8‫ن‬,NE:B ‫*ون أن‬B B ‫ا‬,Q3‫( وآ‬K?7 8_‫آ‬
9
‫ر‬,kˆ3P .„!]$ #B I\7‫ و‬HJ!3M!‫ ة ا‬ve!‫ر ا‬3N• #)J! #B eI7 ‫ وا‬8M8!

‫ وا‬MIB •k+ A?JB ,$‫ا أ‬,$ vB ‫ أن‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3?8$‫ أ‬u7 #805k7 ‫ء‬3$’‫ ا‬u8Nt

1
B: -!~=
2
B: (‫ره‬36P‫أ‬
3
G: ‫‡ ًا‬7; B: 1‫ه‬.
4
B: ‫ ا'رض‬¤JEP
5
B: ‫”ن‬P
6
B: ‫*ون‬vB %
7
B: 3KŠ84B
8
B: ‫ا‬,EN:B
9
B: ‫ور‬3ekP
60 Stephen J. Davis

‫ل‬3:k7 ‫ ب‬v7 (89[ ¯8ˆ -8!‫•{ إ‬,P H:8I!‫ض إ!• ا‬37 3ً7,B ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬.Z I}

.‫ ض‬:!‫• ا‬E[ -+ ‚ 1•k+ -Kt‫ و‬OP HN89[ H$ V -$ V‫ و‬-a 8= OP

3?‫ه‬3‫ ه‬#7 {‫ اذه‬2‫س‬,J?7 8Mc 3B H)8?6!‫ء إ!• ا‬OvN!‫ ا‬¤c‫ ه]ا و‬-! ‫ل‬3c‫و‬

#6)N!‫ إ!• ا‬38a‫خ وأ‬,8e!‫ر ا‬3I‫ آ‬#7 ‫ن‬3?•‫ وإ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ أ‬-:Ia Z,t L‫ أ‬3NEP

3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.(K! -7g‫ آ‬#7 Z 6P ‫ن‬,P :B Z,E23= ‫ وإذا‬.-EN:B 37 ‫ا‬,?B3:B 3N86!

,‫ وأن ه‬3?E_7 *+‫ وا‬,KP 4{k[ ‫{ أو‬4D ‫ أو‬3‫ ى‬t 37 ‫ ذآ‬,‫ن إن ه‬,!,0B
5
,a‫ أ‬HBg0!‫ ا‬1}‫ و‬3NEP .14P‫ وأ‬3?7 _‫ أآ‬u5a‫* ار‬0P Z ‫]آ‬B (!‫ ذ!„ و‬O)Q

‫ ه]ا‬u7‫*ًا و‬t ‫ر‬3k\7 {8‚ HJ2‫ا را‬,N)?a A?JB ,$‫ أ‬#6)7 •!‫خ إ‬,8e!‫ا‬

#8E23c A?JB ,$‫ أ‬#6)7 OP 6‫ن ا! ب‬,Ea B‫ن و‬,JI)B H62g7 H[3Nt ‫ا‬,:N=

3ً4B‫ن أ‬,!,0B‫ و‬#8N80k)N!‫ر ا‬,Q 9?a ¤Q‫ب( وأ‬120) 6N!‫ ا‬7‫*م‬c ·5+‫ا‬

‫زون‬,:B ‫( ا! ب‬K[*B %‫ و‬67 8‰$ ‫ن‬,:)B #B]E! 83K8‡:B HN:?!‫* وا‬vN!‫ا‬

¤KIP (K‡=‫ و‬OP XI)B 3ً4B‫ أ‬,‫ ه‬A?JB ,$ ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ ات‬8\!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ء‬Oˆ

1
B: ‫و‬
2
B: ‫س‬,v?7
3
G: ‫ ى‬t 37; B: ‫ ى‬t 3N7 3Š8ˆ
4
G: {k[ ‫{ أو‬4D ‫ ;أو‬B: {k:a ‫{ أو‬4‰B (!‫و‬
5
B: •a‫أ‬. In G, the final alif of the (ungrammatically rendered) verb ‫ا‬,a‫أ‬
doubles as the initial alif of the ‫خ‬,8e!‫ا‬.
6
B: ‫ ب‬E!
7
G: ‫*م‬c ·5L‫ ;ا‬B: ‫· [*م‬5k+‫أ‬. In G, ‫*م‬c is used as an equivalent to the
preposition ‫*ّام‬c.
8
B: j‫ ا‬3K8‡:Q
 Life of John the Little 61

1
. 7'‫]ا ا‬K! #B œ3Q H8080+ HN89[ H8e\$ 3ًN89[ 3ًkc‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫خ ا‬,8e!‫ا‬

‫ وا‬9?P (K! XkP 3‫ ج‬L 3NEP A?JB ,$‫ب أ‬3$ ‫ا‬,c ‚ ‫ ًا‬8L‫ أ‬2‫ا‬,c35k=‫ ا‬3NEP

-Q‫و‬G:B (KQ3‫ آ‬-Q,NE6B ‫خ‬,8e!‫ ا‬3N?8$‫ ا! ب و‬4H‫¡آ‬7 1_7 ‫ء‬O4B -Kt‫و‬

3?$,Ec 3?k:t‫* أو‬0! •J$ -! #8E23c -$ V ‫¯ ا!]ي‬8e!‫ ا‬5HKt #7 -Q,E)B‫و‬

(B ‫ آ‬3Q*?[ „Q‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬6‫رك‬3k!‫ ا‬1[35!‫¯ ا‬8e!‫ ذ!„ ا‬-E:P 37 1t' #8:Nt‫أ‬

3?8$‫ أ‬-t‫ن ه]ا وو‬,!,0B 3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ن أ‬36P 7.XEM?B 7'‫ وا‬3?:7 ‫ل‬3:a #6!‫ و‬18Et

% (َ !ِ g23c Z,$‫ أ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬-$3t‫ أ‬.3ًŠ8ˆ 10B (! .‫‡ ق إ!• ا'رض‬7 A?JB ,$‫أ‬

HN:?!‫*س وا‬0!‫ روح ا‬HI‫ه‬,N$ A?JB ,$‫„؟ وإن أ‬Q,NE6B #B]!‫ء ا‬%•‫{ ه‬8va
8
3N7 ‫ء‬Oe$ (E[ O! A8EP AB*0!‫ ا‬O$‫ أ‬3B O! 0D‫ل ا‬3c -8P H?‫آ‬3)!‫رة ا‬3K‡!‫وا‬

8$*k$ ‫ن‬3‫ ذ!„ آ‬1:EP ‫ن‬,!,0a 93N‫ ى آ‬t *c ‫ن‬3‫ وإن آ‬.‫ ى‬t -Q~$ O! -Q,!,0a

#7 3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ ه]ا أ‬uN= 3NEP 11.-=*c *B •E[ 3ً}gL O)5?! 101N[ (‫أ‬121) j‫ا‬

H)8?6!‫~وا إ!• ا‬t 3NEP .3?:N= 3N‫ آ‬3?B‫ رأ‬3ّQ‫• إ‬J$ ‫ا‬,!3c‫ا و‬,Iv:a A?JB ,$‫أ‬

1
B: 9?N!‫ ه]ا ا‬H080J!
2
B: ‫ا‬,c3P
3
B: ‫ ج‬L omitted.
4
B: ‫ك‬g7
5
B: 1t‫أ‬
6
B: ‫رك‬3k!‫ ا‬1[35!‫ ا‬omitted.
7
B: XEMB
8
B: ‫ ا!]ي‬#7
9
B: 37
10
B: u?M8!
11
B: -8)B*c
62 Stephen J. Davis

‫ =~ل‬j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 ‫ن‬,‫ آ‬J7 3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ وأ‬#8:Nkv7 (‫ ه‬3N?8$‫ و‬j‫*ون ا‬vNB (‫وه‬

‫*ار‬07 ,‫ ه‬37 2(KE‫( آ‬K?7 *+‫ أي وا‬$ #8E23c -!.‫دة ا‬3I[ 1*)J$ 3ً4:$ (K4:$

u5a‫* ار‬c A?JB ,$‫( أ‬K! ‫ل‬3c‫( و‬E:7 AB*c (89[ ¯8ˆ (K?7 Sc,P ‫؟‬A?JB ,$

‫ ه]ا‬u8Nt •E[ *c OQ30J!‫ ا‬-[34a‫ وا‬-a‫ر‬3K‡$ -Q‫ أ‬33N8=%‫ و‬3?E‫ آ‬3?7 I‫أآ‬

.-:I}‫• إ‬E[ B*!‫ا‬

+(3 )+

‫ل‬3c .HBg0!‫ ا‬OP {‫س ا! اه‬,Et 1t‫ أ‬#7 A?JB ,$‫ا أ‬,!~= H:P‫ د‬43Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ أ‬.17

(! ,!‫ و‬.HB I!3$ HBg0!‫ ا‬OP AEvB ,KP j‫ ا‬HE8MP ‫ء‬3Q‫ ا! اه{ إ‬OP ‫ن‬3‫( إذا آ‬K!

‫ء‬3t‫ ر‬1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫*ة‬+,!‫ ا‬OP 8MB -Q”P (!3:!‫ ه]ا ا‬3B3?c #7 ‫ء‬Oˆ -! #6B

38Q*!‫ت ا‬%ž Z*?[ 1$ {‫ ا! اه‬A5Q OP j‫ء ا‬3Q‫ إ‬#6B (! ‫ وإذا‬.‫*ة‬$•N!‫ ات ا‬8\!‫ا‬

(! ‫ وإذ‬.H8Q35!‫ ا‬OQ‫ ا'وا‬H:5?7 1t' HB I!3$ HBg0!‫ ا‬OP AEvB L’‫”ن ه]ا ا‬P

1$ 5HB I!‫ ا‬OP HBg0!‫ ا‬OP AEvB #EP 38Q*!‫ء ا‬3Q‫ إ‬%‫ ا! اه{ و‬OP j‫ء ا‬3Q‫ إ‬#6B

1
B: {)J$
2
B: (KE‫( آ‬K?7 omitted.
3
B: 3N8=% omitted.
4
B: ¬:$ ‫وأن‬
5
G: HB I!‫ ا‬OP HBg0!‫ ا‬OP ...{‫ ا! اه‬OP ‫ن‬3‫ ; إذا آ‬B: 38Q*!‫ت ا‬3B3?c #7 3ً8!3L ‫ن‬,6B #7
,KP (!3:!‫ت ا‬3B3?c #7 Œˆ -! #6B (! ‫ وأن‬-Q~P HB I!3$ HBg0!‫ ا‬OP A!3t •J$ j‫ ا‬HE84P -8P‫و‬
j‫ ا‬HE84P #6a (! ‫*ة وإذا‬$•N!‫ ات ا‬8\!‫ء ا‬3t‫ ر‬1t' ‫*ة‬+,!‫• ا‬E[ Z IM$‫ و‬.HE845!3$ O?D
H:5?7 1t' HB I!3$ HBg0!‫ ا‬OP AEvB L’‫”ن ه]ا ا‬P 38Q*!‫ت ا‬3B3?c Z*?[ 1$ ,‫ن‬3)Q'‫ ا‬A5Q OP
 Life of John the Little 63

#8+g7 %‫ء و‬3?87 (‫ب‬121) 8‰$ JI!‫ ا‬Hv! OP 1•=‫ و‬8‰$ H?85= -Iˆ ,‫ه‬
3
.‫د‬3K‡V%‫( ا‬9[‫ أ‬OP OKP 2 $*7 g$‫و‬

.{:k!‫ ا‬,‫ ا! اه{ ه‬:‫ل‬3c ‫ ا! اه{؟‬,‫ ه‬37 :#8E23c A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3ً4B‫ا أ‬,!~)P .18

OP ‫*ام‬c •!‫„ إ‬kNE‫اك أو آ‬,‫*م ه‬0a %‫ و‬3ًI‫ن راه‬,6a ‫ء‬Oˆ 1‫ آ‬OP „)5Q (Eœ‫ا‬
4
.‫ل‬3N['‫ ا‬#7 1N[

%‫ و‬3ً$‫ذ‬3‫ آ‬SEJB %‫]ب و‬6!‫ ا‬5#7 ‫ء‬Oˆ ‫ل‬,0B % ‫ اه{ أن‬E! O‰IkB 3ً4B‫ وأ‬.19

.{8:B %‫( و‬0N0kB %‫ و‬7(?B %‫ و‬6{M?B

+(4 )+

#‫آ‬3)!‫*س ا‬0!‫ روح ا‬1Ic #7 -IEc O?8:$ ‫ = ًا‬9Q 3ً4B‫* ه]ا أ‬:$ #7‫ و‬.20

•!‫ إ‬9?B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬8.(KE8t OP ‫رت‬3} Ok!‫ ا‬j‫ر ا‬3Q‫ و‬3?23$‫ أ‬1234P ,E[ •!‫ إ‬-8P

H8Q35!‫ ا‬38Q*!‫ ا‬uP3?7 ‫ر‬,7‫ أ‬OP %‫ و‬j‫ر ا‬,7‫ أ‬OP % ‫م‬3Nk‫ اه{ إه‬E! #6B (! ‫ وإذا‬H8Q35!‫ر ا‬,7'‫ا‬
HB I!‫ ا‬AEvB % -Q”P
1
B: ••‫و‬
2
B: B*7
3
B: ‫ ق‬‰a ‫ اد‬9V'‫( ا‬9[ #7
4
B: OP ‫م‬37'‫ إ!• ا‬-kNE‫ آ‬%‫ و‬Z‫ا‬,‫*م ه‬0B% #7‫ و‬3ًI‫ن راه‬,68P ‫ء‬O= 1‫ آ‬OP -)5Q (Eœ #7‫و‬
‫ل‬3N['‫ ا‬#7 1N[ ‫أي‬
5
B: #7 ‫ء‬Oˆ omitted.
6
B: ‫) ق‬B
7
B: ‫م‬3?B
8
G: (KE8t OP ‫رت‬3};B: (KI8E} OP ¤Q3‫آ‬
64 Stephen J. Davis

1
‫ل‬3c ‫ع‬34a‫ وا‬HN6+‫ و‬Z,IQ‫ و‬O+,$ ‫ل‬3c (‫*ه‬:$ ‫ن‬,a~B #B]!‫• ا‬0Q‫ و‬S:V

(K8!‫ء إ‬3vP 3ً738c JI!‫ ا‬I[ •E[ ‫ن‬3I‫ ره‬H•g• •!‫ إ‬-)5Q O?:B ,‫ وه‬9Q ¯8ˆ

L’‫ ا‬I!‫ ا‬3‫ر و[*وا‬3Q #7 HJ?t‫( أ‬6! ‫]وا‬L 2g23c L’‫ ا‬I!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ت‬,}

3N‫ه‬3[‫ إ!• ا!]ي د‬L’‫ ا‬I!‫ إ!• ا‬3B*[‫ و‬HJ?t‫ أ‬3NK! ‫]ا‬L‫( أ‬K?7 #8?•‫وإن إ‬

8‰$ H58:V 5HJ?t‫ أ‬-! 4•‡[‫ ًا أ‬8L‫ خ وأ‬MB‫ و‬O6IB 3ًN23c O0$ L’‫وا‬

3ً4B‫ أ‬,‫ ه‬uE‚ *6!3$‫ و‬HN89[ ‫*ة‬e$ uE‡B‫ ق و‬‰B 6‫ر‬3} (89[ {:kIP ‫ة‬,c

‫ر‬3Q #7 HJ?t‫ن أ‬,!3?B A8! 18v!‫ آ]!„ ه]ا ا‬7‫ل‬3c (‫أ‬122) . L’‫ ا‬I!‫إ!• ا‬

•!‫روا إ‬3‚‫ و‬18vQ.‫س ا‬,73Q 3B3},$ (‫ه‬38Q‫ا د‬,:‡c #B]!‫ ا‬8‫ء‬%•‫ ه‬3?23$‫ أ‬1_7

u7 ‫روا‬3}‫!( و‬3:!‫ ه]ا ا‬J$ ‫ وا‬I[ •k+ H8K!.‫ر ا‬3?!‫ ارة ا‬J$ (KE0:$ ‫ء‬g:!‫ا‬

.(K8Q‫ا‬,a 1v?7 ‫ة‬,c 8‰$ H58:V HJ?t‫ أ‬3?E8t 1‫ل أه‬3?B *6!3$ 1$ X8)N!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ن‬3‫آ‬
2
B: g23c omitted.
3
B: •!‫ وا إ‬I[‫أ‬
4
B: ¤8‡[‫أ‬
5
B: 1$ ‫ر‬3Q #7 ¤)8! HJ?t‫أ‬
6
B: ‫د‬3‫ وآ‬3ًN89[ 3ًI:a {:kP
7
B: ‫ل‬3c omitted.
8
B: ‫ء‬%•‫ ه‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 65

+(5 )+

‫*اد‬k7‫ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 HE845!‫ ا‬2HB3D OP 1•‫ه‬3?a A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q3$‫ وإن أ‬.21

#7 ‫ء‬Oˆ #6B (!‫ و‬. 6N!‫ و[*م ا‬HB J!‫ر إ!• ا‬3}‫ و‬-a‫د‬3I[ ‫ وآ_ ة‬-6)Q

‫* ه]ا‬:$ #7‫ و‬4.(‫ ه‬8‰$ ‫ر‬3}‫ و‬j‫ ا‬#7 „!‫{ ذ‬E‚ 3N‫ آ‬HkI!‫ ا‬3-N!~B ‫ع‬3t‫ا'و‬

*‫ه‬3vB •k+ 5-8!‫ع إ‬3t‫* ا'و‬8:B ‫ و=~ل ا! ب أن‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬Z3$‫ور أ‬3ˆ
7
.Z t‫_ أ‬6B‫ و‬618E‫آ‬.‫] ا‬L~B‫و‬

+(6 )+

(! ‫م‬,8!‫ ذ!„ ا‬#7 .j‫ ا‬HN:Q O?‰$ {ea‫ و‬A5?!‫ ا‬8,N?a ‫ وب‬J!‫ ا‬1v?7 ‫ل إن‬3c
9
‫ ا! ب‬#7 {E‡B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬1$ ‫ ه]ا ا!)•ال‬1_7 j‫)~ل ا‬B A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫* أ‬:B

„a,0$ 10‫ ˆ*ي‬OE[ {Eva 3NE‫ آ‬OP X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B OK!‫ وإ‬O$‫ ر‬3B g23c

.OKk?N!‫ إ!• ا‬11‫ ك‬I}‫و‬

1
B: •‫ه‬3?a 3N!
2
B: HB3D omitted.
3
B: -N!•B
4
B: Z 8‰$
5
B: -8!‫ إ‬omitted.
6
B: ‫م‬3k!‫ ا‬18E‫آ‬.‫ا‬
7
B: ‫ ة‬t‫_ ة أ‬6$‫و‬
8
B: ,v?a
9
B: j‫ا‬.
10
B: OQ‫• ˆ*د‬E[ H$ va 1‫آ‬
11
B: OQ I}‫و‬
66 Stephen J. Davis

+(7 )+

ŠI!‫ ا‬¤Q3‫ وآ‬.‫ء‬37 ‫ ة‬t ¡NB ŠI!‫ إ!• ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3ً7,B 1=‫ أر‬.22

‫( أن‬E:B (! ŠI!‫ ا‬1}‫ و‬3NEP .‫*ًا‬t H08N[ ¤Q3‫ب( وآ‬122) -kBgc #7 ‫*ة‬8:$

‫ل‬3c‫ و‬HQ37.‫( ا‬9[ #7 A?JB ,$‫¡ أ‬k73P -8)Q *c ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q' 1I+ -:7 A8!

‫ء‬37 ‫ ة‬v!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬O! ¡7‫ ا‬O! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬O?E=‫ أر‬O$‫ أ‬ŠI!‫ ا‬3KB‫( أ‬89[ ‫ت‬,M$

3N‫ آ‬3ً4B‫ء أ‬3N!‫د ا‬3[ ‫ ة‬v!‫ ا‬ŒEُ7 3NEP . ŠI!‫ ا‬H8P3+ •!‫ء إ‬3N!‫* ا‬:} ¤c,E!‫و‬
1
.‫ن‬3‫آ‬

j‫ ا‬1v?7 ‫ع‬,4\!‫[ وا‬H[]3‡!‫ة إن ا‬,L—! ‫ل‬,0B A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.23

‫رة‬3K‡!‫ع وا‬34a%3$ 33N8=%‫ و‬HQ37”$ 2(K! ‫رة‬,eN!‫ وا‬HE73‫ آ‬H[3‡$ ‫ت‬3K$¡!

#7 g[‫ أ‬5% ,‫ ه‬4A+ ‫ر‬,4+‫ت و‬35k!3$ j‫ ذآ ا‬H7‫*او‬7‫ و‬j‫ف ا‬,L‫و‬

6
‫؟‬12345!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1Ic #NP .j‫ ا‬OP ‫ء‬O4a A5?!‫ن ا‬,E:vB‫ و‬12345!‫ا‬

1
B: -8E[ ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬37 •!‫ء إ‬3N!‫د ا‬3[
2
B: (Ka‫ر‬,e7 H[3‚‫وأ‬
3
B: 3N8=% omitted.
4
B: #)+
5
B: % omitted.
6
This final phrase, 12345!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1Ic #7, taken as a question in G (
ā ; = “Who has received these virtues?”), is read in B as a
prepositional phrase ( ā ; = “With respect to these
virtues...”), which serves as an introductory transition to the section that
follows.
 Life of John the Little 67

3?8$‫ أ‬3 IL #7 ‫ب‬3k‫ آ‬OP ‫ و=‡ وا‬3ً4B‫ أ‬3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ أ‬2‫ وا‬IL 1.H8Q3_!‫ اءة ا‬0!‫ ا‬.24

A8! 8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ آ]!„ أ‬Ž0)B % ‫ أن ا'رض‬3N‫ آ‬#8E23c A?JB ,$‫أ‬

.-[34a‫ آ_ ة ا‬#7 Ž0)B ‫ أن‬u8‡k)B

+(8 )+

-8$' ‫ع‬,4\!‫ ا‬¤Ja ,‫ وه‬HN89[ H[3‚ 51N‫ آ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬4]8NEa A?JB ,$‫أ‬

.‫*س‬0!‫ر روح ا‬3?$ 6g[‫ و‬OQ3+‫ا! و‬

uV,7 •!‫• إ‬47‫ و‬H)$3B HIeL HB,73$ 3IQ‫] أ‬L‫م أ‬3B'‫ ا‬#7 ‫م‬,B OP‫ و‬.25

3[‫ك ود‬3?‫ ه‬3K= D‫ و‬7g87 e[ 3?•‫ ا‬,JQ (‫أ‬123) HB I!‫ ا‬OP -kBgc #7 *8:$

•k+ HIe\!‫ ا‬Z]K! ‫م‬,B 1‫ء آ‬37 ‫ ة‬t ¡7‫ ا‬O?$‫ ا‬3?+,B 3B ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬Z]8NEa A?JB ,$‫أ‬

A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬HIe\!‫ ا‬-8P ‫ س‬D ‫ ا!]ي‬uV,N!‫ ا‬#7 *8:$ ‫ء‬3N!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬. N_a

#8?= ‫ث‬g• „!‫ ذ‬1:P .‫ ة‬6$ 8‫ء‬OvB‫م و‬,B 1‫ آ‬-8e[ ‫ء‬3N!‫ ة ا‬v!3$ O4NB

‫ ة‬ve!‫ ة ا‬N• #7 HB,73$ 3IQ‫¯ أ‬8e!‫] ا‬L~P ‫ ت‬N•‫ وأ‬¤:E‚‫ ة و‬ve!‫ ا‬¤ˆ3:P
1
B: H8Q3_!‫ اءة ا‬0!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
B: 3Q IL
3
B: 1t‫أ‬
4
B: ]8NEa A?JB ,$‫ع أ‬34a‫ا‬. In manuscript G, the word ]8NEa is mistakenly
repeated twice.
5
B: -! ¤EN‫آ‬
6
B: •N+
7
G: g87 e[ 3?•‫ ;ا‬B: ‫ل‬387‫ ة أ‬e[
8
B: O‚~B
68 Stephen J. Davis

‫ ة‬N• #7 ‫ا‬,E‫]وا وآ‬L g23c ‫خ‬,8e!‫ ا‬1u8Nv! uP‫ ود‬H)8?6!‫ إ!• ا‬-$ •a‫وأ‬

‫ن‬,Iv:kB ‫ا‬,E:t 2*vN!‫• ا‬230!‫ ا‬7'‫خ إ!• ه]ا ا‬,8e!‫ وا ا‬9Q 3NEP H[3‡!‫ا‬

‫ ه]ا‬OP ‫ل‬3+ H8080J!‫ة ا‬38J!‫ ا‬O‡:7 j‫ أن ا‬%,! H080J!3$ #8E23c j‫ ا‬3‫*ون‬vNB‫و‬

eI!‫{ ا‬J7 -!.‫ ا‬X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B 4‫رك‬3Ia ‫؟‬-B*B •E[ )!‫ ى ه]ا ا‬t 3N! ‫ا'خ‬

O$‫ وأ‬3Q‫ أ‬Oa‫* إراد‬+‫ وا‬1:P ‫ل إذا‬3c -Q' -8)B*c OP {23v:!‫ ا‬u?MB ‫ا!]ي‬

‫ ة‬ve!‫„ ا‬Ea‫ و‬-! ‫ن‬,6B ON=3$ ‫)~ل‬B 37 5u8Nt‫ و‬-8P #6)Q‫ و‬-8!‫ء إ‬OvQ

12345!‫ ا‬OP ‫ء‬OV‫ ا!]ي أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$' Hc‫د‬3} ‫دة‬3Kˆ ‫م‬,8!‫ إ!• ا‬6‫ ة‬V3+

.H8!3:!‫ا‬

+(9 )+

(‫ب‬123) „)NkQ ‫ أن‬3?! 8*8t -! ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬-!~= A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬73ً4B‫ وأ‬.26

3?8L' ‫د‬3Kv!‫ ا‬u?MQ ‫*ًا إن‬8t (K! A?+,B ,$‫ل أ‬3c .‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬u7 X!3M!‫د ا‬3Kv!3$

H[*$‫ و‬9‫*ة‬+‫ا‬,!‫واة ا‬3)N!‫ ا‬Z]K$ 3ً:8Nt -?[‫ و‬3?[ -!.‫ ا‬X8)N!‫ت ا‬37 ‫ا!]ي‬

1
G: u8Nv! uP‫ ;د‬B: •‡[‫أ‬
2
B: *J!‫ا‬
3
G: ‫*ون‬vNB‫ن و‬,Iv:kB; B: ‫*ون‬vNB
4
B: ‫رك ا! ب‬3I7
5
B: 1‫آ‬
6
B: H8c3$
7
B: 37 3ً7,B‫و‬
8
B: *8t ‫أ‬
9
B: ‫*ة‬+‫ا‬,!‫ ا‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 69

H!3Ic ‫ة‬,0$ ‫د‬3Kv!‫ ا‬u?MQ‫*س و‬0!‫رة روح ا‬3K‚ 16$ 3Q3L‫ أ‬13?! •?k0?! X8)N!‫ا‬

.j‫ ا‬#7 3Q*:Ia Ok!‫*اوة ا‬:!‫ا‬

‫ًا‬GIL -?‡$ ¡NB (! -Q‫ أ‬8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬1v?7 3ً4B‫{ أ‬k‫ وآ‬.27

6P 4-6ENB (! ‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7‫ و‬3.‫ؤ‬G‫ل ه‬G‫ ه‬HNE‫ آ‬Žc -8P #7 ‫ل‬3c %‫ و‬2‫ء‬37 %‫و‬

.{E0!‫رة ا‬3K‚ OP H62gN!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬1$ 5Žc *)v!‫ا‬

6
‫ وازن‬OP #6)7 OP 3ً?‫آ‬3= ‫ ة‬8_‫ آ‬#8?= ‫م‬3c‫* أ‬c ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3?8$‫ وأ‬.28

G8N8P 9‫ل‬G?B 8Z 6P Žc 1\B (! ‫ ة‬8‰} 7H8I8‫ آ‬-8P‫ و‬B*!‫ ا‬O?[‫ب أ‬,E0!‫ا‬

•!‫ إ‬13Z 6P ‫*اد‬k7‫ ا‬121v?7 3K8P 37 MIB ‫ أو‬11-?7 1L‫ دا‬Ok!‫ ا‬10H8I86!‫ا‬

3NE[ (E:B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q‫ أ‬13N8=%‫ ًا و‬8_‫ آ‬-8!‫ إ‬1= B ‫ن‬3‫ أن ا! ب آ‬143N:7 .‫ا! ب‬

1
B: 3?! omitted.
2
G: ‫ء‬37 %‫ًا و‬GIL; B: ‫ء‬3N!‫ ا‬#7 %‫و‬GI\!‫ا‬ #7 % ·c
3
G: ‫ؤ‬G‫ل ه‬G‫ ;ه‬B: ‫ء‬G‫ه‬
4
B: -6ENkB
5
B: Žc omitted.
6
B: (‫ان‬G87)
7
B: ‫ن‬,8k86!‫ا‬
8
B: ‫ أن‬37,B Z 65$ ‡\B (!
9
B: 3K?7 ‫ل‬G?B
10
B: ‫ن‬,8k86!‫ا‬
11
G: -?7 1L‫ دا‬Ok!‫ ;ا‬B: Z‫ار‬,v$
12
G: 1v?7; B: ‫وذ!„ !ـ‬
13
B: -E0[
14
B: u7
70 Stephen J. Davis

3ً73a g73‫رًا آ‬3k\7 3ًI‫ وراه‬3ً$ v7 ‫ر‬3} -Q‫ أ‬Z]8NEa A?JB ,$‫ أ‬1v?7 3ًJ8J}

.1N:B ‫ ا!]ي‬37 2Z‫ ا‬B % ‫ أن‬-8?8[ •E‰B ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬

‫ ًا‬8I‫ آ‬3ًQ37‫ ز‬3ً+‫‡ و‬7 ‫م‬3c‫ وأ‬HB,73$ 3$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ض ا‬7 ‫* ه]ا‬:$ #7‫ و‬.29

,$‫ أ‬OQ3$,‡!‫ن ا‬3‫أ( وآ‬124) .‫ر‬3?!3$ ‫ ب‬vN!‫ر ا‬3k\N!‫‡ ا‬:!‫ ا‬1_7 j‫ ا‬H\I‡B

‫ آ_ ة‬#7‫ و‬.(89[ ‫ل روح‬,‡$ H?= e[ O?•‫ ا‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬-\8ˆ ‫\*م‬7 A?JB

‫م‬3B'‫ ا‬#7 ‫م‬,B OP A?JB ,$' Žc 10B (!‫ و‬3 v4B HB,73$ 3IQ‫ن أ‬3‫ ض آ‬N!‫ا‬

AB*0!‫ ا‬3[‫ ود‬.3?23$‫ أ‬#7 8_‫ آ‬#7 _‫*ًا أآ‬B*ˆ 3ّB,c ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-$‫ 'ن أد‬4HI8‚ HNE‫آ‬

#7 ¤E0kQ‫ إذا ا‬O?$‫ ا‬A?JB 3B -! ‫ل‬3c‫م و‬3B'‫ ا‬#7 ‫م‬,B OP A?JB ,$‫ أ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫أ‬

OP „! ‫ ة 'ن‬ve!‫ ا‬-8P ¤= D ‫ ا!]ي‬uV,N!‫ ا‬OP #6=‫¬ ا‬7‫!( ا‬3:!‫ه]ا ا‬

Z]‫„ 'ن ه‬B*B •E[ ‫ن‬,6a j‫ ا‬5‫*ام‬c H!,I07 H=*07‫ و‬HN2‫ دا‬HJ8$‫ ذ‬uV,N!‫ذ!„ ا‬

‫ ة‬8_‫س آ‬,5Q •E[ 6¤!‫ د‬18!‫ ود‬H7*0a O‫„ ه‬B*B •E[ ¤:E‚ ‫ ة ا!]ي‬ve!‫ا‬

#7‫ و‬.‫*ي ا! ب‬B #8$ *$•7 ‫ر‬3‫]آ‬a uV,N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬7OP‫„ و‬B*B •E[ ‫ن‬,ME\B

,$‫ أ‬3[*P ‫خ‬,8e!‫ ا‬u8Nt -$ ‫ط‬3+‫ أ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ة ا‬3P‫ ب و‬kc‫ ا‬3N! ‫* ه]ا‬:$

1
G: 3N8=%‫ ًا و‬8_‫ ;آ‬B: ‫ و‬HN:Q #7 ‫ ا‬8_‫آ‬
2
B: ‫ ى‬B % •k+
3
B: v4?B
4
B: -! -k7*L ‫ض‬,[ HI8‚ HNE‫آ‬
5
B: ‫م‬37‫أ‬
6
B: ¤!‫ د‬omitted.
7
B: OP „!‫و‬
 Life of John the Little 71

•E[ •J=‫رك ا‬3$ 3N‫ آ‬-8E[ ‫رك‬3$‫ و‬3NKEI0P -B*8$ 1„)7 -?7 3Q‫ د‬3NEP A?JB

‫ع‬3vˆ 3B 2„! 3$,‚ „! 3$,‚ „! 3$,‚ ‫ع‬,P‫ د‬H•g• -! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬182‫ب إ= ا‬,0:B

(K! g23c (‫ب‬124) -$ #8‡8JN!‫خ ا‬,8eE! 3-NE=‫* ه]ا أ‬:$‫ و‬.X8)N!‫„ ا‬EN!‫ا‬

HB,73$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ل أ‬3c 3N!‫ و‬.3ًQ3)Q‫ إ‬A8!‫• ا'رض و‬E[ 4‫ك‬g7 -Q”P ‫ا ه]ا‬,EIc‫ا‬
5
.j‫ ا‬#7 ‫م‬g)$ ‫( ا! وح‬E=‫ وأ‬Z3P XkP

‫ ة‬ve!‫ ا‬uV,7 •!‫• إ‬47 Z*+‫ و‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬7AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬6O0$ 3NEP .30

OP *BGB‫*ًا و‬t „)?kB ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬9‫ك‬3?‫ ة ه‬8‰} ‫رة‬3‰7 -! u?} 8-8$‫ أ‬7~‫وآ‬

‫رة‬3‰N!‫ ا‬OP ‫ ا'رض‬¤Ja 3ً85L 3ً:V,7 -! u?} *c ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q' -I:a‫ و‬-a‫د‬3I[

% ‫ة‬g}‫ و‬10HN89[ HIE‡$ j 3ً7‫*او‬7 ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬-8!‫ل إ‬G?B ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬

•!‫ل إ‬G?B‫ و‬-)IEB ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬1\?!‫ ا‬#7 S8! ‫ب‬,• 3ً4B‫ أ‬-! u?} *c ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.u‡0?a

8‰$ ‫ك‬3?‫ ه‬15=‫ أ‬-E‫ع آ‬,I='‫( ا‬80B 11-kc + (9[ #7 ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q‫• أ‬k+ ‫ك‬3?‫ه‬

1
B: ‫ـ‬$ „)7‫أ‬
2
B: ‫ك‬3$,‚ ‫ك‬3$,‚ ‫ك‬3$,‚
3
B: -NE=
4
B: ‫ك ا! ب‬g7
5
G: j‫ ا‬#7 ‫م‬g)$; B: #87ž j‫ا‬ ‫م‬g)$
6
B: SEJa
7
B: ¯8e!‫ا‬
8
G: -8$‫ أ‬7~‫ ;آ‬B: Z,$‫ن أ‬3‫آ‬
9
G: ‫ك‬3?‫ ;ه‬B: 3K8P ‫ د‬5Q‫وا‬
10
B: ‫ ة‬8_‫آ‬
11
B: -a‫ ار‬+
72 Stephen J. Davis

‫ة‬,L.‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬uV,N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬#7 1uE‚‫ وإذا أ‬j‫ ا‬HB3?[ ‫ة‬,0$ ‫ˆ ب‬%‫ و‬1‫أآ‬

Z IL ‫ع‬3ˆ 37 ‫ آ_ ة‬#7 -Q‫• أ‬k+ ‫ر‬3?!‫ ا‬OP Hc‫ و‬J7 HIeL 1_7 -Q‫ و‬9?B

.-!,+‫ و‬Z*?[ ‫ا‬,?6=‫ و‬H862gN!‫ ا‬-a 8= ‫)*وا‬+ 8_‫• آ‬EL -8!‫ إ‬uNkt‫ ا‬-a‫د‬3I[‫و‬

XE}‫ و‬HIJN$ (KE‫ آ‬2*?[ ,E+ •J!‫ل ا‬3_7‫ص و‬gL {I= (KE‫( آ‬K! ‫ر‬3}‫و‬

*8:$ #7 uN)B‫ و‬3‫ ى‬B #N! ‫ا‬G[ (‫أ‬125) ‫ر‬3}‫ و‬H[*$ *+‫ أ‬1‫ه [?* آ‬3œ‫و‬

X8)NE! 3ً?2‫*ا‬7‫ و‬5‫رة‬,N:7 3ًV‫ر أر‬3} 50!‫ ا‬uV,N!‫• أن ا‬k+ 4‫ ب‬c‫و‬

‫ث‬,!3_E! ‫*ًا‬v7 H237‫ و‬#8k=‫ و‬#8•g• ‫ ة‬N_7 ‫رت‬3} ‫ ة‬N_7 8D ‫وا'رض‬

.‫*س‬0N!‫ا‬

1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫ء‬37 #8[ •!‫ج إ‬3kJB ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬6AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ة [?* أ‬,L.‫ آ_ ت ا‬3NEP .31

‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ء‬3N!‫•ا ا‬ENB •k+ 9*8:$ •!‫( إ‬K847 OP 8#8$,:k7 (‫ اه‬B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬7-Q‫أ‬

.(K! ‫ ًا‬Š$ ‫ وا‬5J8! ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬11u8Nt uNt‫م و‬3c .j‫ ا‬#7 10‫ ك‬+ #7 1_7 3Q,$‫أ‬

1
B: uE‚
2
B: Z*?[ ‫ا‬,E+
3
G: ‫ ى‬B #N! ‫ا‬G[ ‫ر‬3}‫و‬ H[*$ *+‫ ;أ‬B: ‫ ى‬B #7 16!‫ [?* ا‬-k[‫* ودا‬+‫وا‬
4
B: {B c
5
B: ‫رة‬,N:7 omitted.
6
B: A?JB ,$‫أ‬
7
G: -Q‫ أ‬1t‫ أ‬#7; B: ‫و‬
8
B: ‫ن‬,I:kB
9
B: Lž uV,7
10
B: ‫ ك‬Ja
11
B: u8N+ omitted.
 Life of John the Little 73

•!‫ إ‬OEMB -E‫ آ‬18E!‫م ا‬3c‫ وأ‬ŠI!‫ إ!• ا‬3Q,$‫ ك أ‬a ‫ وا‬5JB ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H)NL ‫ا‬,73c‫ أ‬3NEP

HI8‚‫ة و‬,E+ ‫ق‬,P •!‫ء إ‬37 #8[ ¤V35P ‫ح‬3IM!‫ء إ!• ا‬3)N!‫ ا‬#7 1‫ا! ب‬

Ok!‫ ا‬uV‫ا‬,N!‫ ا‬H80$ ‫ دون‬Z B‫ د‬2u8Nv!‫ و‬3?8$' j‫ ا‬3KI‫ وه‬HN:?!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ب وه‬eE!

.•B*M!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ أ‬HE845! Hc‫د‬3} ‫دة‬3Kˆ ‫ اري‬I!‫ ا‬OP

‫ل‬,0!‫ ا‬#7 ‫*م‬0a 3N8P ¤Ec *c 3N‫ ه{ آ‬a *c 8I6!‫ ا‬Z,L‫ن أ‬3‫* ه]ا آ‬:$ #7‫ و‬.32

‫ع‬34a%‫ ا‬H[3‡!‫ ا‬8Q ¤Ja -$]kvB‫ و‬j‫ ا‬HP3\N$ 4-9:B‫ و‬-NE:B 33Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫وآ‬

‫ل‬,0B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.(!3:!‫ ا‬OP Z 0P‫ و‬-5:4$ Z ‫]آ‬B‫ و‬5HE845$ u4\B O6! O080J!‫ا‬

1N[ OP *Kkv?EP ‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬OP #8Q3K7‫ و‬#8‫آ‬3)7 3ّQ‫ب( أ‬125) OL‫ أ‬3B (E[‫ ا‬-!

37‫]ا و‬K$‫ و‬.-8)B*c‫ و‬j‫ [?* ا‬6H7‫] آ ا‬L~Q 3N86! (!3:!‫ ه]ا ا‬OP j‫ ا‬HŠ8e7

. 8\!‫ ا‬1N[ •E[ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬73Q,$‫[* أ‬3=‫رًا و‬3k\7 3ًI‫ راه‬Z,L‫ر أ‬3} -KIˆ‫أ‬

1
B: j‫ا‬
2
B: ‫ن‬36= u8Nv!
3
B: A?JB ,$‫أ‬
4
G: -4:B‫ و‬-NE:B; B: -9:B. In G, the second verb is miswritten as -4:B (“to
bite”) instead of -9:B (“to preach”) as in B. Therefore, in the text above, I follow
the spelling as recorded in B.
5
B: HE845$ omitted.
6
B: #7 H!G?7
7
B: 3Q,$‫ أ‬omitted.
74 Stephen J. Davis

‫ث‬g_!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1‫ أن‬-}3\B‫ و‬12345!‫ ا‬u8Nv$ 3ً?BG7 A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.33

*)v!‫ ا‬#7 2A5?!‫ وج ا‬L ¤c‫ و‬HP3\7 (‫ وه‬¤c‫ و‬1‫ آ‬-IEc OP H?23‫ت آ‬3P3\7

•!‫* ه ب إ‬c ‫ء‬%•‫ ذآ ه‬37 ‫”ذا‬P .HQ,?B*!‫م ا‬,B HP3\7‫ و‬j‫ء ا‬30! HP3\7‫و‬

{:ka OL‫ أ‬3B ‫ذا‬3N! -! ‫ل‬,0B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬Z*t‫”ذا و‬P -IE‡B ‫\ ج‬B Z,L‫ن أ‬3‫ اري وآ‬I!‫ا‬

‫ل‬3c‫ و‬A?JB ,$‫ب أ‬3t‫؟ أ‬j‫* ا‬va HBg0!‫ ا‬OP ¤)Et ‫„ إذا‬Q‫• أ‬0JkB 37‫)„ أ‬5Q

9?B 3N86! ‫ ًا‬8_‫{ آ‬:a‫* أن أ‬B‫ أر‬O?6! uV,7 1‫ آ‬OP j‫ أن ا‬#7‫ أو‬3Q‫( أ‬:Q -!

H8‡\!‫ ا‬HKt #7 •Ec 8‰$‫ و‬HQ,?B*!‫م ا‬,B OP ‫ف‬,L 8‰$ O?E:vB‫ و‬OI:a j‫ا‬

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ 'ن أ‬-8)B*c‫ و‬3j‫* ا‬v7 #B3[‫ أن أ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬3Q‫• أ‬Jk=‫وا‬

#88Q3+‫! و‬3$ #8+ 1‫ آ‬5-IeB ‫ أن‬4*KvB ‫ن‬3‫*س وآ‬0!‫ر روح ا‬3?$ •ED *c ‫ن‬3‫آ‬

.‫د‬3)t‫( أ‬K! A8! #B]!‫ا‬

+(10 )+

3Q‫* أ‬B‫ أر‬7j‫ ا‬HIJ7 6*)J$ ‫م‬3B'‫ ا‬#7 3ً7,B 8I6!‫ ا‬-8L' ‫ل‬3c (‫أ‬126) .34

3ً7‫*او‬7 ‫ر‬,kP g$ H62gN!‫ ا‬2u7 j‫*م ا‬L‫ وأ‬1(ّ ‫ ه‬8‰$ 8}‫ أن أ‬OL‫ أ‬3B 3ً4B‫أ‬

1
G: ‫ أن‬-}3\B; B: H}3\$
2
G: A5?!‫ وج ا‬L; B: ‫ا!\ وج‬
3
B: j‫* ا‬v7
4
B: *KkvB
5
B: -IekB
6
B: ‫ ارة‬J$
7
B: -!.‫ا‬
 Life of John the Little 75

‫م‬3c‫ أ‬3NEP .HB I!‫• إ!• ا‬47‫ و‬-$38• #7 ‫ ى‬:kP -a38J$ 38+‫ وأ‬3-23K$ *JN$

‫ص‬g\! j‫ ا‬#7 ‫ق‬g‚”$ -8L‫ إ!• أ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬ut‫ ب ر‬eB %‫ و‬1‫~آ‬B % ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H:I=

‫ب‬3$ ‫ ع‬c 3NEP .H8Q30L H$,k$ ‫ع‬34a%‫ ات ا‬N• #7 4•=,7 ,‫ ة وه‬8_‫س آ‬,5Q

¤Q‫ أ‬Z,L‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬3c .A?JB 3Q‫ل أ‬3c ‫؟‬¤Q‫ أ‬#7 -! ‫ل‬3c 1$ -! Xk5B (EP 8I6!‫ ا‬-8L‫أ‬

1$ -! Xk5B (!‫ و‬.*:$ ‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬u7 ,‫ ه‬A8!‫ و‬3ً‫آ‬g7 A?JB ‫ر‬3} *c ‫؟‬A?JB

3B ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬.-! XkP ‫ح‬3IM!‫ ا‬6‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3NEP ‫ح‬3IM!‫ء إ!• ا‬3)N!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ب‬3I!‫• ا‬E[ 5ZgL

„)5a ‫ت‬,0a •k+ 1N:a ‫ج أن‬3kJ7‫)* و‬v!‫ ا‬OP ¤Q‫ن وأ‬3)Q‫„ إ‬Q‫( أ‬E[‫ أ‬A?JB

gB3c ‫ة‬,Q3‡N!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬-! ‫ ب‬4P *)t 8‰$ #B]E! 1:t 3NQ‫ إ‬1:5!‫وه]ا ا‬

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬13?8$' Ok!‫ ة ا‬8I6!‫ ا‬12345!‫ ه]ا ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7‫ و‬7O! 5D‫ا‬

.X8)N!‫ ا‬2OE82‫ر إ= ا‬3}

1
The editors of B seem to take this phrase as a prepositional/adverbial
construction plus attached thirdºperson pronoun, (‫ ه‬8‰$ (“without them”).
However, the final two letters of this phrase should, in fact, be read as an
independent noun, (ّ ‫ه‬, meaning “care, concern, anxiety.” In this form, (ّ ‫ ه‬8‰$
(“without care”) follows closely the reading of (“without care”) in
the Bohairic version (Amelineau, Histoire, 354). Compare with paragraph 21
above (Amelineau, Histoire, 345), where an equivalent phrase in Coptic
( ) is translated quite differently (as 6N!‫“ ;[*م ا‬no deception”) in
both B and G.
2
B: A?t #7
3
As elsewhere, the hamza is not written in manuscript G: the word reads
simply Z3K$
4
B: #c,7
5
B: -‫ آ‬a
6
B: OP‫و‬
7
B adds here -Q‫ إ‬OL‫ أ‬3$.
76 Stephen J. Davis

+(11 )+

37 u8Nt ‫]وا‬L‫ص ا‬,M! ‫م‬,c -8!‫ء إ‬3t -kBgc OP 3ً7,B A!3t ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬.35

-! ‫ل‬3c (• (‫ب‬126) .(E6kB (! 43ً)!3t A?JB ,$‫ وأ‬3H‡$‫ ر‬Z‫ وˆ*و‬HBg0!‫ ا‬OP

*?[‫ و‬5.AEt (K[‫ ود‬3N!‫( و‬K8E[ 1N+‫ و‬A?JB ,$‫م أ‬30P 3?8E[ 1N+‫( ا‬c „Š!‫أو‬

3B g23c ‫ة‬,Q3‡N!‫ ا‬-! ‫ ب‬4P ‫ أدري‬A8! ‫ل‬3c ‫ش؟‬3N0!‫ ا‬#B‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬3c -8L‫ل أ‬,L‫د‬
6
O?k$ c #8+ #7 #8?= ‫ث‬g• „! ‫„ أن‬IEc OP •0Jka ‫ أ=~!„ أن‬O! 5D‫ ا‬OL‫أ‬

.3Š8ˆ Gv:a (!

‫]ة‬L‫•ا‬7‫ء و‬3QG!‫ن ا‬3)Q.‫ ا‬1a30a ‫ وب‬+ H•g• ‫ل‬,0B A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.36

#7 ·5JB -8L‫ أ‬#7 -)5Q ‫ن‬3)Q.‫· ا‬5+ ‫”ذا‬P .j‫ ا‬#7 -c‫ ا‬kP‫{ وا‬+3M!‫ا‬

.-)5Q •E[ L’‫ع ا‬3t‫ ا'و‬¤6E7 -8L‫• أ‬E[ *t‫ وإذا و‬L’‫ ا‬#B 7'‫ا‬

1
B: 3?8$‫رع أ‬34a%
2
B: 182‫آ~= ا‬
3
G: H‡$‫ ر‬Z‫ ;وˆ*و‬B: ‫*ة‬+‫ وا‬H‡$‫ ر‬u8Nv!‫ا ا‬,:Nt‫و‬
4
B: 3ً)!3t omitted.
5
The scribe of G initially wrote the conjunction ‫ و‬between the verbs (K[‫ود‬
and AEt, but then crossed it out.
6
B: O!‫ إ‬¤8a‫أ‬
 Life of John the Little 77

+(12 )+

•k+ 3?k8$ O?IQ #J?P ‫س‬3='‫ ا‬3?95+ ‫”ذا‬P 3?k8$ ‫س‬3=‫ أ‬,‫ ا'خ ه‬3ً4B‫ل أ‬3c‫و‬

.-Q3‫ وأه‬1‫ن‬3)Q‫ إ‬-Nkˆ ‫ ح إذا‬5B A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ ه]ا آ‬1t‫ أ‬#7 .-50= 1N6Q

‫ان‬,K!‫ وا‬HN8ke!‫ل ا‬3Nk+‫ل ا‬,0B‫ و‬.-! -I+ _6B‫ و‬8‫'آ‬3$ -8!‫ ي إ‬vB ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬

‫ا‬,N?a •k+ O080J!‫ع ا‬34a%3$ ‫ن‬,a~B‫{ و‬E0!‫ ون ا‬K‡B #B]!‫ ه( ا‬HP :N$

HE845E! ‫ ه*م‬-Q‫ وأ‬4-k7‫!( وآ ا‬3:!‫ ا‬3X$]7 37~P 2.(j‫ )ا‬HE845!‫ ا‬OP A5?!‫ا‬

.‫ن‬3)Q‫ إ‬-t‫ و‬9?8! Žc -8?8[ uP B (! -kNe+‫ و‬-[34a‫( ا‬9[ 1v?7‫و‬

‫م‬g‫ أو آ‬1:P #7 7‫ أ‬OP Žc 5ŽE‰B (! -Q‫ إ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬-?[ ‫ل‬30B‫أ( و‬127) .37

OP Ž0= -Q‫* أ‬+‫ وا‬#[ uN= ‫ أو‬9Q ‫ن إذا‬3‫ ى وآ‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫ د‬-8P Ž0)B ‫د‬,:B‫و‬

‫ن‬3‫]ًا وآ‬D Ž0=‫ أ‬3Q‫م وأ‬,8!‫ ا‬Ž0= ‫ ه]ا‬g23c {Ec ut,$ 636$‫* و‬K?a *c H8‡L

.#8+ 1‫ ه]ا آ‬1:5B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬-Et‫ أ‬#7 ‫ ا! ب‬7‫)~ل‬B

1
B: *+‫وا‬
2
G: OP A5?!‫ا‬‫ا‬,N?a •k+ O080J!‫ع ا‬34a%3$ ‫ن‬,a~B‫{ و‬E0!‫ ون ا‬K‡B #B]!‫ ه( ا‬HP :N$
(j‫ )ا‬HE845!‫;ا‬
B: j‫ ا‬OP A55k!‫ ا‬¤I_a‫ و‬O080J!‫ع ا‬34a%3$ Oa~a‫ب و‬,E0!‫ ا‬K‡a Ok!‫ ا‬O‫ه‬. The
scribe of G has added the word j‫ ا‬above HE845!‫ ا‬in the manuscript, hence I
put it in parentheses here and in the text above.
3
B: XB*7
4
B: -k7‫ آ ا‬omitted.
5
B: Œ‡\B
6
G: 36$‫* و‬K?a *c; B: *K?kB‫• و‬6IB
7
G reads 1)B, omitting the alif with hamza.
78 Stephen J. Davis

+(13 )+

87‫ا‬G7 ‫ل‬,0Q ‫* أن‬8t ,‫ ه‬3Q3$‫ أ‬3B #8E23c A?JB 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q3$‫ أ‬1‫ا‬,!~= ‫ة‬,L‫ إ‬.38
2
‫ ىء‬c 10:!‫· ا‬5+ 1Ic #7 A5?!‫ ا‬OP ‫ن‬,6B ‫*س‬0!‫?• روح ا‬D (K! ‫ل‬3c ‫ ؟‬8_‫آ‬

-:7 #6B (! ‫ ا! اه{ إذا‬-:?MB 37 u8Nt ‫ أن‬3N8=%‫ و‬g8Ec ‫ ًا أو‬8_‫ن آ‬3)Q.‫ا‬

.j‫*ام ا‬c 1I0B gP ·5Jk!‫ع وا‬34a%‫ا‬

+(14 )+

SB !‫ ا‬OP S50!‫ ا‬4u8$ •E[ 3A?+ ,$ 3Q,$‫ل أ‬,[ 3ً4B‫م أ‬,B ‫ ذات‬OP‫ و‬.39

,‫ وه‬SB !‫• ا‬B ‚ OP ¬NB (!‫ و‬HB I!‫ ا‬OP ‫ر‬3)P ‫ص‬,\!‫ ا‬5 59B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q'

‫ ه]ا‬O?‡[‫ ا‬3?8$' ‫ل‬3Nv!‫ل ا‬30P .-!3Nt u7 %3N+ 3ًQ3)Q‫* إ‬t,P -55c 173+

.‫را‬3=‫( و‬KENJB 1t E! A?JB ,$‫ه( أ‬3‡[~P 6‫ب‬,:k7 ‫ أراك‬OQ' O:7 S50!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ة‬,L'‫ =~ل ا‬H:P‫ود‬.
2
B: ‫ اءة‬0$. I supply the hamza here, in reading this form as equivalent to ‫ أ‬c
(‘to read’), instead of ‫ ى‬c (‘to show hospitality’).
3
In G, this is either A?+ ,$ 3Q,$‫‘( أ‬our father, Abû John ( ),’ where the
alif at the end of abûnâ doubles as the initial alif in Abû) or A?+•B 3Q,$‫‘( أ‬our
father John ( ),’ where a waw has been inserted in his name after the
fashion of the Arabic biblical form, ). While my edition of the text
favors the first option, I do not rule out the second. B regularizes the phrase as
follows: A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ا‬.
4
B: u8IB ‫أن‬.
5
B: 54B. Manuscript G substitutes a ‫ ظ‬for the more standard ‫ض‬.
6
B: 3I:k7.
 Life of John the Little 79

u8Nt A?JB ,$‫ أ‬9?P (!3:!‫ ا‬1‫ ذي‬#7 •?D‫ل و‬G‫م ه‬g‫ل آ‬,0B ‫ل‬3Nv!‫*أ ا‬IP

,‫ وه‬-kBgc •!‫د إ‬3[‫ و‬S50!‫ ا‬2gL ¤c,EEP (‫ب‬127) .1t !‫ل ا‬,+ #8‚38e!‫ا‬

‫ذا‬37 ‫ أو‬-)5Q )L‫ و‬-E‫!( آ‬3:!‫ ا‬X$‫ن إذا ر‬3)Q.‫ ا‬u5?B ‫ذا‬37 :3?$‫ ر‬HNE‫ل آ‬,0B
3
‫؟‬-)5Q #[ ‫*ًا‬P ‫ن‬3)Q.‫ ا‬O‡:B

+(15 )+

‫ق‬,)!‫ إ!• ا‬1L‫ د‬3NEP 3ً55c u8I8! SB !‫• إ!• ا‬47 *c ‫ن‬3‫ ى آ‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫ ود‬.40

*+‫ وا‬1‫ آ‬4 8_‫ك آ‬3?‫ا ه‬,Q3‫ن آ‬3I‫ ره‬Lž ‫ة‬,L‫ وإ‬-0?[ •E[ S50!‫ ا‬173+ ,‫وه‬

(6$ :3?8$' ‫ا‬,!30P S50!‫ ون ا‬keB ‫ ون‬8_‫ام آ‬,c‫• أ‬a~P .-E‰ˆ‫ و‬-k:?} OP (K?7

-$3t~P HEB,‚ H[3= ‫ء‬3N)!‫ إ!• ا‬9?B 3ً8‫ه‬3= A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫؟ وآ‬S50!‫ ا‬Z]‫ه‬

3KB‫ أ‬OQ,P [ 3ً4B‫( أ‬K! ‫ل‬3c‫ب و‬3t‫ أ‬.S50!‫ ا‬#N• 3?ْPّ [ 3Q3$‫ أ‬3B #8E23c ‫ة‬,L.‫ا‬

‫(؟‬8P‫را‬3)!‫( أم ا‬8$‫رو‬36!‫؟ ا‬j‫ء أول [?* ا‬3N)!‫{ ا‬a‫ ا‬7 OP I‫( أآ‬KB‫ة أ‬,t.‫ا‬

‫ أن‬#8+ 1‫ آ‬3Q 7~a {k6!‫( ا‬K! ‫ل‬3c ‫؟‬3Q,$‫ أ‬3B ‫ ك‬6P #B‫ أ‬-! ‫ا‬,!3c‫( و‬KE‫ا آ‬,Iv:kP

65Q %‫ و‬j‫ ا‬#8NB #[ 3ً)!3t X8)N!‫ ا‬¥8+ ‫ء‬g:E! 3N8P 65Q‫ق و‬,P 37 {E‡Q

.-Et' j‫ة ا‬,L.‫„ ا‬Š!‫*وا أو‬vNP .‫• ا'رض‬E[ 3N8P

1
B: 1‫آ~ه‬.
2
B: ‫ ك‬a.
3
B: -)5Q #[ ...‫ذا‬37 ‫ أو‬omitted.
4
B: ‫ ون‬Lž ‫ن‬3I‫ة ره‬,+‫وإ‬.
80 Stephen J. Davis

3K‡8L ‫ ة‬854!‫ ا‬Ž8L 3NEP #8k5c 1‫ء‬Ova ‫ ة‬85V 5V H:P‫ د‬3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.41

(8Eˆ‫ أور‬OP -E0[‫ و‬HP3J!‫ إ!• ا‬1}‫• و‬k+ (E:B (!‫أ( و‬128) ‫*ة‬+‫ وا‬H5c

‫ك‬3?‫ ه‬#7‫ء و‬3N)!‫ ا‬OP #JQ 3?k?B*7 21230!‫ل ا‬,= !‫ ا‬A!,$ ‫م‬g6‫ آ‬H823N)!‫ا‬

*)t H‫رآ‬3eN$ 3?[34a‫)* ا‬t 3‫*ل‬IB ‫ ه]ا ا!]ي‬X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B 3?$‫ ر‬9k?Q

.Z*v7

+(16 )+

*:$ #7‫ل ا!*ق و‬3‚‫ب وأ‬3I!‫ دق ا‬3NEP S5c ‫ ˆ ي‬1v?7 43Q,$‫ء أخ أ‬3t‫ و‬.42

‫ل !¡خ‬30P 6‫ة‬gME! 3ً7‫*او‬7 ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q'‫ و‬-8!‫ إ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ ج أ‬L 5(89[ ¤c‫و‬

‫م‬3c‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ أ‬1L‫ د‬3NEP .18Ec S5c ‫ج ˆ ا‬3k+‫ ا'خ أ‬-! ‫ل‬3c ‫؟‬OL‫ أ‬3B ‫ج‬3kJa ‫ذا‬37

¤c‫* و‬:$ #7‫*اوم ا!*ق و‬7 ‫ن ا'خ‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ء‬g:!‫ ا‬OP Z 6P‫ و‬3ًN89[ ¤c‫ و‬3ً4B‫أ‬

‫ ا'خ‬-! ‫ل‬3c 7.*B a ‫ذا‬37 O?P [ -! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬.‫ ة‬7 OQ3• 3ً4B‫¯ أ‬8e!‫ ج ا‬L 8_‫آ‬

1
B: 1N:a.
2
G: 1230!‫ا‬ ‫ل‬,= !‫ ا‬A!,$ ‫م‬g6‫ آ‬H823N)!‫( ا‬8Eˆ‫ أور‬OP -E0[‫ ;و‬B: X}‫ و‬.Zٍ 3= -E0[‫و‬
‫ل أن‬,= !‫ ا‬A!,$ ‫م‬g‫ آ‬-8E[
3
B: 8‰B.
4
B: 3?8$‫إ!• أ‬.
5
B: 1B,‚
6
B: ‫ة‬gME! 3ً7‫*او‬7 ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q'‫ و‬omitted.
7
G: ‫*؟‬B a ‫ذا‬37 ...‫ ا'خ‬-! ‫ل‬3c;
 Life of John the Little 81

S‡L H:P‫ د‬¥!3• 3Q,$‫ أ‬1L‫ د‬3NEP .3ً55c *B‫ أر‬OQ‫ل !„ إ‬,c‫ أن أ‬¤D P *c 37

OP‫ و‬.‫ع‬,P‫ د‬¥E• „!]‫ آ‬u?MP ‫*اوم ا!*ق‬7 ‫ن ا'خ‬3‫ وآ‬1.3ً4B‫ء أ‬g:!‫ إ!• ا‬-E0[

¤?‫ إن آ‬-! g23c •05!‫ ا‬Z‫ وأرا‬1L‫ ود‬.‫* ا'خ‬8$ „)7‫ وأ‬2¯8e!‫ ج ا‬L L’‫ا‬
3
.S50E! ‫ غ‬P‫ أ‬37 3Q‫ أ‬OQ~P S50!‫] !„ ا‬L ‫؟‬S5c *B a

‫*ة‬+‫ب( وا‬128) 4‫ داود‬u7 3ً4B‫ل أ‬,0B ‫ن‬3‫ ى وآ‬B % 37 •!‫ إ‬-c,ˆ ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.43

3N86! Oa38+ ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬u8Nt ‫ ا! ب‬¤8$ OP #6=‫!{ أن أ‬3‚ 3K! 3Q‫ ا! ب وأ‬¤!~=

.*8!3$ ‫ع‬,?MN!‫ ا‬8D O23N)!‫*س ا‬0N!‫ ا‬-E68‫ه* ه‬3:a‫! ب وأ‬3$ ‫ ح‬P‫أ‬

A82‫ ر‬-IeB ‫ة‬,L.‫*ام ا‬c ‫ن‬3‫د وآ‬3MJ!‫ إ!• ا‬O4NB A?JB ,$ ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.44

uP B % 6{:a ‫ن إذا‬3‫ء وآ‬Oˆ 1‫ آ‬OP (K:8Nt (KJB B ‫ن‬3‫( وآ‬89[ 5#?Jk$

(KE‫ا آ‬,+‫ ا‬kˆ‫”ذا ا‬P ‫ة‬,L—! Z‫ر‬3ˆ‫ إ‬%‫ أو‬-B*8$ •5MB •k+ 7HENv!3$ Z Kœ

B: 3Q‫ أ‬3?8$' ‫ل‬3c ‫ ا'خ‬1L‫ د‬3N!‫ و‬.OL‫ أ‬3B (E[‫ !( أ‬-! ‫ل‬30P ‫ أدق‬3Q‫ وأ‬¤I:a 3Q‫ أ‬,‫ل ا'خ‬3c
‫ل‬3c‫م و‬g6!‫ ا‬H8Q3• ‫ ا'خ‬-8E[ ‫ د‬P .3?‫آ‬3= gB,‚ 3kc‫م و‬3c‫ وأ‬3Q,$‫ أ‬¤6)P .S5c 18E0! ‫ج‬3kJ7
...O+‫ أ‬3B *B a ‫ذا‬37 A?JB ,$‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬30P .S50!‫ ا‬#7 g8Ec O?‡[‫ ا‬O$‫ أ‬3B ,K!
1
G: 3ً4B‫ أ‬...3Q,$‫ أ‬1L‫ د‬3N!; B: •!‫ إ‬H:P‫ د‬¥!3_! A?JB ,$‫ أ‬10[ S‡+ 3ً4B‫ أ‬Z]‫ ه‬OP‫و‬
g:!‫ا‬
2
G: ¯8e!‫ ج ا‬L...‫*اوم ا!*ق‬7; B: A?JB ,$‫*م أ‬0a H[3= *:$ (• 3?8$' ‫ ا!)•ال‬3ً7‫*او‬7
3
B: „!]! 3D 5k7 ¤)! OQ”P -8!‫ح إ‬3kJa 37 ]L.
4
B: 1a N!‫ا‬.
5
B: ‫ن‬,?J!‫ا‬.
6
B: {:Q (sic?).
7
B: 30E‡7.
82 Stephen J. Davis

3?08P‫ ر‬1:vB ‫{ أن‬k6!‫ ا‬OP 3?8E[ ‫ ئ‬cُ ‫ل‬,0B‫ و‬.(‫*ه‬:$ #7 3ً4B‫ أ‬,‫ اح ه‬k=‫ا‬

.3ً4B‫ أ‬3Q‫ أ‬j‫ ا‬O?+‫ أرا‬OL‫ أ‬¤+‫ أر‬37 ‫”ذا‬P H7‫ ا‬6!‫ ا‬OP 3N8=%‫ و‬3?E_7

-7*L u?M8! ‫ة‬,L.‫* ا‬+‫ أ‬3[‫ د‬1‫ ى‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫د د‬3MJ!‫ ا‬OP ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬.45

‫ب‬3t‫؟ أ‬3ً4B‫{ أ‬Q‫ !„ أ‬3–B‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬2.‫ د‬J$ 3Q3$‫ب أ‬3t‫ة وأن ذ!„ أ‬,L.‫ا‬
4
Z*B #7 1v?N!‫ ‚ ح ا‬H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP‫ و‬OL‫ أ‬O! 5D‫ل !¡خ ا‬3c‫ و‬3Q,$‫أ‬

OL‫ أ‬3B „!‫ و‬j ¤8‡L‫* أ‬0P O! 5D‫ ا‬-! ‫ل‬3c‫ة !¡خ و‬,Q3‡N!‫ ب ا‬V‫• و‬47‫و‬

3K:8Nt H?)!‫„ ا‬Ea ‫م‬3c‫ أ‬-kBgc •!‫ إ‬HB I!‫د إ!• ا‬3[‫ و‬O! 5D‫ ا‬j‫ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#NP

j‫ خ إ!• ا‬MB ‫ن‬3‫أ( وآ‬129) XE7 GIL 1‫~آ‬B‫ و‬5‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H_E• ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H•g• ‫م‬,MB

.„k08EL ¤QG+‫* أ‬0P 7O! 5[‫ ا‬g23c 61Mk7 ‫)•ال‬$

1
B: ‫ ى‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫ د‬omitted.
2
B: g23c {4‰$.
3
B: „! ‫ذا‬37.
4
B: 1v?N!‫ ك ا‬a.
5
B: The second ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H•g• is omitted.
6
B: (2‫دا‬
7
B: ‫ رب‬3B inserted.
 Life of John the Little 83

OP -E‫ آ‬-Q37‫ل ز‬,‚ ‫م‬3B‫ أ‬H_E• ‫م‬,MB A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3?8$‫دة أ‬3[ Z]‫ ه‬¤Q3‫ وآ‬.46

‫*س ه]ا‬0!‫ع روح ا‬3:e$ 2HŠ847 -)5Q ¤Q3‫]ا آ‬K$‫ و‬1. k5a % ‫ة‬gM$ ‫د‬3MJ!‫ا‬
3
.Z*vNB #N! ‫*ًا‬v7 {23v[‫ت و‬3B‫ أ‬-8P 1N:B ‫ا!]ي‬

OP ,‫ ص وه‬$‫* أ‬+‫ا‬,$ H:P‫ د‬-8!‫ا إ‬,a‫( أ‬KQ‫ أ‬-Et‫ أ‬#7 {k‫ آ‬3N‫( آ‬KQ‫• أ‬k+ .47

1t !‫• ا‬E[ 4-V3P‫ وأ‬X8)N!‫=( ا‬3$ ‫ء‬37 •E[ 3Q,$‫• أ‬E} 3NEP -85e8! ‫د‬3MJ!‫ا‬

OP,[‫ ا'ول و‬-Q,! -8!‫د إ‬3[‫ و‬5{E:_!‫ ا‬1_7 Z*Et #7 ‫ ى‬:a ¤c,EEP .‫ ص‬$'‫ا‬

.j‫* ا‬v7‫و‬

¤c‫ و‬OP 10J!‫ ا‬OP 7*[3c 3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫ آ‬6‫ ى‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫ د‬3ً4B‫* ه]ا أ‬:$ #7‫ و‬.48

‫• ا'رض‬E[ ‫ة‬30E7 ‫ز‬,v[ 810J!‫ ا‬OP ‫دف‬3MP ‫ دوا‬Ik8! ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬u7 J!‫ا‬

J!‫ ا‬OP Sc‫ وو‬3K8E[ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬#?JkP .3K$]:B HN+‫ ر‬8‰$ ‫رد‬37 ‫ن‬3‡8ˆ‫و‬

8Mc 3B 9„!‫ و‬O! 37 g23c (89[ ‫ت‬,M$ ‫ن‬3‡8e!‫ خ ا‬MP 3K8E[ OEMB

1
G: k5a % ‫ة‬gM$ ‫د‬3MJ!‫ ا‬OP -E‫ آ‬-Q37‫ل ز‬,‚ ‫م‬3B‫ ;أ‬B: 3Q ‫ ذآ‬3N‫ آ‬-E‫ آ‬-Q37‫ز‬ ‫م‬3B‫أ‬
2
The scribe of G has written this word without the hamza (H847).
3
G: Z*vNB #N! ‫*ًا‬v7 {23v[; B: ‫ ة‬8_‫{ آ‬23v[
4
G: -V3P‫ ;أ‬B: -I6=
5
B: ‫ن‬3I:_!‫ا‬
6
B: 34B‫وأ‬
7
B: 3)!3t
8
G: 10J!‫ ا‬OP ‫دف‬3MP ‫ دوا‬Ik8!; B: •B ‡!‫ ا‬OP •5!3P H$,‚ !‫ ا‬OP ‫ا‬,EE9k8!
9
B: *B a ‫ذا‬37
84 Stephen J. Davis

XB kˆ‫ ا‬O6! uV,N!‫ ه]ا ا‬O! 2•EL‫ أ‬3?‫ه‬3‫ إ!• ه‬O?k8a~P HB I!‫ !„ ا‬1¤8EL

3NEP .3Kkc,! ¤8P,[‫ و‬3K?7 ‫ن‬3‡8e!‫ ج ا‬L H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea (‫ب‬129) OP‫ و‬3-8P
4
.j‫*وا ا‬v7 A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫* أ‬B •E[ ‫ ى‬t 37 ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬9Q

+(17 )+

‫ ا!]ي‬10J!‫ ا‬#7 5‫ء‬3t 3N! -Q‫ إ‬AB*0!‫ ه]ا ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 Oa,L‫ إ‬3B 3ً4B‫ أ‬18c‫ و‬.49
7
‫ء‬3N$ 1)k‰B 6,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬J!‫ ا‬OP ‫م‬3B'‫¬ ا‬:$ OP ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬u7 -8P *MJ$ ‫ن‬3‫آ‬

9Q 3NEP .‫ن‬3‡8ˆ 9-:7‫*ث و‬J$ -8!‫ا إ‬,a~P 8g8Ec {:k!‫ ا‬#7 XB k)B 3N86!

]L‫* وأ‬K?a‫ء و‬3N)!‫ إ!• ا‬9Q 10‫ب‬3e!‫]ب ا‬:B -Q‫ن وأ‬3‡8e!‫ ا‬HNe+ HEc AB*0!‫ا‬

„!‫• ذ‬E[ 11-I}‫ و‬.X8)N!‫=( ا‬3$ -8E[ {E}‫ و‬-$ 1)kD‫ء ا!]ي ا‬3N!‫ا‬

.j‫* ا‬v7‫ و‬13‫*ث‬J!‫ ا‬OP,[‫ و‬Av?!‫ ا! وح ا‬-?7 ‫\ ج‬P 12‫*ث‬J!‫ا‬

1
B: ¤‫ آ‬a
2
B: ‫ ك‬a‫أ‬
3
B: -8P XB k=‫ أ‬O6! omitted.
4
B: adds ‫ ا‬8_‫آ‬
5
G: ‫ء‬3t 3N! -Q‫ إ‬AB*0!‫ ه]ا ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 Oa,L‫ إ‬3B 3ً4B‫أ‬ 18c‫ ;و‬B: 37,B 3Q,$‫ء أ‬3t 34B‫وأ‬
6
G: ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬J!‫ ا‬OP ‫م‬3B'‫¬ ا‬:$ OP; B: Sc‫وو‬
7
B: ‫ء‬37 18E0$
8
B: g8Ec omitted.
9
B: -$ 15‡$
10
B: 15‡!‫]ب ا‬:B S8‫وآ‬
11
B: -I6=
12
B: 15‡!‫ا‬
13
B: ‫*ث‬J!‫ ا‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 85

2
#B‫ؤ‬Gt (‫ده‬3M+ ‫ ة‬t‫ أ‬1‫ن‬,E:vB ‫د‬3MJ!‫ا ا‬,47 ‫ إذا‬3?23$‫ أ‬u8Nt ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.50

‫ن‬,E:5B ‫ا‬,Q3‫ وآ]!„ آ‬.(‫ده‬3)t‫ أ‬Ht3J! L’‫ؤ ا‬Gv!‫ وا‬Hc*ME! *+‫ا‬,!‫ؤ ا‬Gv!‫ا‬

HB I!‫ إ!• ا‬#B‫ؤ‬Gv!3$ Oa~B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ أ‬37~P (KB*B‫ أ‬1‰ˆ #N• OP

‫ب‬,E0!‫ ا‬3‫ وازن‬B*!‫ ا‬OP (‫ ه‬O73kB‫ وأ‬OE7‫ وأرا‬O235:V‫ و‬3Q‫ أ‬O?8‫آ‬3)7 g23c

‫ات‬,E} 4%‫ إ‬HENv!3$ ‫ء‬Oe! ‫ ع‬5kB A8! (‫أ‬130) ‫د‬3MJ!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ ج‬L ‫ وإذا‬.51

•47 ‫ ه]ا إذا‬1:5B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.3ً4B‫ ا'ول أ‬9?!‫د إ!• ا‬,:B •k+ HN2‫ ة دا‬8_‫آ‬
5
. Lž 7‫ أ‬1:5B ‫خ أو‬,8e!‫ ا‬#[ ‫)~ل‬8!

OP Lž ‫ أخ‬-! ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ء‬30k!‫ ا‬16$ g73‫ إ!• ا! ب آ‬Z,L‫• أ‬47 ‫]ا‬K$‫ و‬.52

‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬j‫س إ!• ا‬,5?!‫*ي ا‬KB ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬H080J!3$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫] 'ن أ‬8NEa A0‚

HP3\N$ 716!‫• ا‬E[ ‫* ا!]ي‬+‫ا‬,!‫ ا‬6-!.‫ م ا‬6Q O?$ 3B g23c L’‫( ه]ا ا‬E:B

1
B: ‫]وا‬L‫وأ‬
2
B: #82Gt Z,E:J8P.The scribe of G has written #B‫ؤ‬Gt instead of the correct
form #82Gt.
3
B: ‫ان‬G87
4
B: 8D 3ًŠ8ˆ 1N:B %
5
G: ‫خ أو‬,8e!‫ ا‬#[ ‫)~ل‬8! •47 ‫ ه]ا إذا‬1:5B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.3ً4B‫ ا'ول أ‬9?!‫د إ!• ا‬,:B •k+
A0‚ OP Lž ‫ أخ‬-! ‫ن‬3‫ء وآ‬30a‫ ا‬16$ g73‫ إ!• ا! ب آ‬Z,L‫• أ‬47 ‫]ا‬K$‫ و‬. L’ 7‫ أ‬1:5B
H080\!3$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫] 'ن أ‬8NEa; B: .‫ة‬,L¡! ,EJ!‫[· ا‬,!‫وا‬
6
G: -!.‫ ا‬...‫س‬,5?!‫*ي ا‬KB; B: j‫ا ا‬,7 ‫ اآ‬g23c (K7g6$ (KB*KB
7
G: 16!‫• ا‬E[ ‫ ;ا!]ي‬B: Z*+‫و‬
86 Stephen J. Davis

16P -!.‫ ا‬3?4P‫ ور‬3?8Q‫ا‬,a #JQ ‫ وإذا‬23Q*vNB‫ و‬3?7 6B *+‫ أ‬1‫ وآ‬1‫ور[*ة‬

% 4‫درة‬3c ‫رة‬3It ‫ة‬,c‫ و‬3ًQ,[ 3?! ‫”ن‬P 3.‫ك‬gK!‫ إ!• ا‬O4NQ‫ و‬3?4P a H08E\!‫ا‬

‫ ًا‬8_‫ آ‬-??Ja‫ و‬X!3} -Q' 3?ME\B ,‫ وه‬HP :N$ -:Ik?EP 5-!.‫ ا‬,‫{ ا!]ي ه‬E‰a
6
.3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ 3?8E[ HP‫ وا! أ‬HN+ !‫ ا‬#JQ 3?:7 u?MB ,‫ ه‬-0EL u8Nt •E[ ‫*ًا‬t

3ً=‫د رؤو‬3?t‫ ة وأ‬8_6!‫ ا‬H62gN!‫ ا‬#7 •MJB % 3ً=*07 3ً:Nt ‫( أن‬E[‫ ا‬O?$ 3B

#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H80$‫ات و‬,0!‫ب وا‬3$‫ وا'ر‬O=‫ ا‬6!‫( وا‬8P‫را‬3=‫( و‬8$‫رو‬3‫ وآ‬H62gN!‫ا‬

(‫ب‬130) (‫*ه‬v7 #)+‫( و‬K!3Nt –k5Q‫( و‬K8P3Q 3Q 6P u4?EP #8:Nt‫أ‬

.1‚3I!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ ب‬K?! ‫ت‬38Q35!‫ ا‬u8Nv! g73‫ آ‬3ًQ38)Q 3?8‡:B ,KP (KP ˆ‫و‬

N• Hc,=,7 ‫ ة‬vˆ ‫ن‬,KIeB #8)B*0!‫ل ا‬,0B A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.53

‫ع‬,I?B 1Ic #7 (‫*ه‬v7 ‫ل‬3_7 OP ‫ ة‬8_‫ل آ‬36ˆ‫ دوس وه( ذوات أ‬5!‫ ا‬OP ‫ة‬38J!‫ا‬
7
.(K:8Nt (K80)B ‫ ا!]ي‬O8JN!‫*س ا‬0!‫روح ا‬

1
G: ‫ ور[*ة‬HP3\N$; B: H73\P‫ ر[*ة و‬16$
2
B: 3Q*vNB‫ و‬3?7 6B *+‫ أ‬1‫ وآ‬omitted.
3
G: ‫ك‬gK!‫إ!• ا‬...-!.‫ ا‬3?4P‫ ;ور‬B: 3K4P Q H08E\!‫ ا‬u8Nt‫ و‬3?4P B ,KP -kIJ7 #[
4
B: ‫درة‬3c ‫رة‬3It omitted.
5
B: -!.‫ ا‬,‫ ا!]ي ه‬omitted.
6
G: 3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ 3?8E[ HP‫ وا! أ‬HN+ !‫ ا‬#JQ
3?:7 u?MB ,‫ ه‬-0EL u8Nt •E[ ‫*ًا‬t ‫ ًا‬8_‫;آ‬
B: H08E\!‫ ا‬1‫• آ‬E[
7
G: H62gN!‫ ا‬3ً=‫د رؤو‬3?t‫ ة وأ‬8_6!‫ ا‬H62gN!‫ ا‬#7 •MJB % 3ً=*07 3ً:Nt ‫( أن‬E[‫ ا‬O?$ 3B
3Q 6P u4?EP #8:Nt‫ أ‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H80$‫ات و‬,0!‫ب وا‬3$‫ وا'ر‬O=‫ ا‬6!‫( وا‬8P‫را‬3=‫( و‬8$‫رو‬3‫وآ‬
‫ت‬38Q35!‫ ا‬u8Nv! g73‫ آ‬3ًQ38)Q 3?8‡:B ,KP (KP ˆ‫*ه( و‬v7 #)+‫( و‬K!3Nt –k5Q‫( و‬K8P3Q
‫ة‬38J!‫ ا‬N• Hc,=,7 ‫ ة‬vˆ ‫ن‬,KIeB #8)B*0!‫ل ا‬,0B A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.1‚3I!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ ب‬K?!
 Life of John the Little 87

(=‫ ر‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬1V35!‫ ا‬3?8$' Ok!‫ ة ا‬8_6!‫ ا‬12345!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1Ic #7‫ و‬.54

j‫• ا‬V B ‫ ا!]ي‬8\!‫ ا‬2,‫ ه‬37 -! Se68! -kB,0a‫ و‬-kBG:k! 3ً‫آ‬g7 -! 1‫ا! ب‬

‫ط‬,JB ‫ك ا! ب‬g7 1$30!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫م ا‬g6‫ آ‬uV,7 1‫ آ‬OP #8:7 -! ‫ن‬,6B‫و‬

3
.(KME\B‫ و‬-8523\$

9?P -kBgc •!‫ إ‬4¯8ˆ •a‫م أ‬3B'‫ ا‬#7 37ً ,B *c‫ را‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3N8P‫ و‬.55

1:t A?JB ,$‫ أ‬5‫م‬3c 3NEP .-= JB A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ق أ‬,P 3ًN23c ‫ك ا! ب‬g7
7
‫ل‬3c ‫*؟‬c‫ را‬3Q‫ وأ‬3?‫ه‬3‫* إ!• ه‬+‫• أ‬a‫ أ‬61‫ ه‬:j‫ ا‬#7 O+,$ Z]8NEa #7 •M0k)B

‫ك‬gN!‫* رأى ا‬c ¯8e!‫ أن ذ!„ ا‬9A?JB ,$‫( أ‬E:P 3?‫ إ!• ه‬8¯8e!‫ن ا‬gP •a‫( أ‬:Q

O8JN!‫*س ا‬0!‫ع روح ا‬,I?B 1Ic #7 (‫*ه‬v7 ‫ل‬3_7 OP ‫ ة‬8_‫ل آ‬36ˆ‫ دوس وه( ذوات أ‬5!‫ ا‬OP
.(K:8Nt (K80)B ‫ ;ا!]ي‬B: Z,V‫ أر‬#B]!‫* ا‬v7 •!‫ إ‬9?Q‫ و‬18‚3$'‫ ا‬#7 Oa,L‫ إ‬3B ‫ ب‬K?EP
X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B ,‫( ه‬K[,I?B‫ و‬HJ!3} ‫رًا‬3N• Hc,•,N!‫ ة ا‬N_N!‫ر ا‬3vˆ'‫ ا‬1_N‫ آ‬-a,6E7 OP (‫وه‬
.‫ دوس‬5!‫ ا‬OP ‫ن‬,N:k7 (‫وه‬
1
G: ‫ ر=( ا! ب‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬1V35!‫ ا‬3?8$' Ok!‫ ة ا‬8_6!‫ ا‬12345!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1Ic #7‫ ; و‬B: ‫ ة‬8_‫آ‬
j‫ ا‬1=‫( أر‬80k)N!‫ ا‬-8:=‫ و‬-E234P ‫ آ_ ة‬#7‫ و‬,A?JB ,$‫ أ‬1234P O‫ه‬
2
G: ,‫ ه‬37 ; B: H0B ‚
3
G: -8523\$ ‫ط‬,JB ‫ك ا! ب‬g7 1$30!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫م ا‬g6‫ آ‬uV,7 1‫ آ‬OP #8:7 -! ‫ن‬,6B‫و‬
(KME\B‫;و‬
B: -8523L ‫ط‬,JB ‫ك ا! ب‬g7 ‫ب أن‬3k6!‫ل ا‬,0B 3N‫ وآ‬3KkN9[ ‫ أ= ار‬1NKB ‫و‬
4
G: ¯8ˆ •a‫ ; أ‬B: Oa~B 1736!‫ ا‬1t !‫ي ا‬,e8$ 3IQ‫ أ‬AB*0!3$ ‫و إذا‬
5
G: A?JB ,$‫م أ‬3c; B: ‫م‬,?!‫ ا‬#7 A?JB ,$‫م أ‬3c
6
G: 1‫ ه‬:j‫ ا‬#7 O+,$ Z]8NEa #7 •M0k)B ; B: ‫ إن‬g23c ‫ة‬,L'‫)~ل ا‬B 1:t
7
B: -! ‫ل‬3c
8
G: ¯8e!‫ن ا‬gP; B: ‫ي‬,e8$ 3IQ‫( أ‬89:!‫¯ ا‬8e!‫ا‬
9
B: ‫! وح‬3$ inserted.
88 Stephen J. Davis

3N8P‫ و‬.A?JB ,$ -8!‫ إ‬1}‫ و‬37 •!‫ إ‬1}‫* و‬c 13ً4B‫¯ أ‬8e!‫ أن ذ!„ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7

OQ3+‫ ح رو‬P 1‫ آ‬#7 ‫ء‬OEkN7 ,‫ وه‬2j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 -8!‫ء إ‬3t *c -:P‫ك د‬gN!‫ا‬

Z]‫„ ه‬Q' ‫*ًا‬t 3ً+ P H:P*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬OP ¤8a‫ذا أ‬3N! A?JB ,$‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬30P (‫أ‬131)

-7*\Q j‫م ا‬37‫م أ‬38c ‫ ا’ن‬#JQ ‫ك‬gN!‫ ا‬-! ‫ل‬3c 3‫ ؟‬8_‫ ح آ‬5$ O
ّ !‫ إ‬¤8a‫ ة أ‬N!‫ا‬

‫ ح ا! ب‬P‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫ر ا‬,\$ #7 (89[ ‫ن‬3L‫ د‬j‫* إ!• ا‬:MP 4‫د‬3?t'‫ ا‬#JQ

u8Nt *[,B 16!‫ ا‬Ž$3V O= ‫ آ‬#7 ‫ت‬,} ‫ ج‬L‫ و‬5-! H!,I07 ‫ ة‬N• •E[

HIJ7 ‫ب‬3:a‫ وأ‬8= 3N8=%‫ت و‬3IE‡!‫ات وا‬,EM!‫ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 HP‫ ورأ‬HN+ $ -0EL

1v?7 ‫*ًا‬t ‫*ًا‬t 3?Iv:a‫ و‬3?+ P #JQ 3ّQ‫رة وإ‬3K‡!‫ ا‬OP (‫ده‬3KL‫ و‬6-k08EL

#8)B*0!‫ ا‬#7 -I+3} •!‫ إ‬3?7 *+‫ وا‬1‫!• آ‬3\!‫ ا‬3?E=‫~ر‬P (6! ‫*ة‬:N!‫ ات ا‬8\!‫ا‬

OP #B]!‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ إ!• ا‬Oa~Q ‫ ح أن‬5Q‫ و‬#JQ ‫ق‬3keQ ‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 .-P :?!
7
.(!3:!‫ا‬

1
G: 3ً4B‫¯ أ‬8e!‫ أن ذ!„ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7; B: -Q‫ أ‬-NE:!
2
B: j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 omitted.
3
G: O ّ !‫ إ‬¤8a‫ ة أ‬N!‫ ا‬Z]‫„ ه‬Q' ‫*ًا‬t 3ً+ P H:P*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬OP ¤8a‫ذا أ‬3N! A?JB ,$‫ أ‬-! ‫ل‬30P
‫؟‬ 8_‫ ح آ‬5$ ; B: ‫ ح‬5!‫{ ذ!„ ا‬I= 37 AB*0!‫ ا‬-!~)P
4
B: ‫د‬3?t'‫ ا‬#JQ omitted.
5
G: -! H!,I07 ‫ ة‬N• •E[ ‫ ح ا! ب‬P‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫ر ا‬,\$ #7; B: ‫ات‬,E} ,‫ن ه‬3L‫د‬
„!]$ ‫) ا! ب‬P .#8)B*0!‫ا‬
6
G: -k08EL HIJ7 ‫ب‬3:a‫ وأ‬8= 3N8=%‫ و‬omitted.
7
G: (!3:!‫ ا‬OP #B]!‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ إ!• ا‬Oa~Q ‫ ح أن‬5Q‫ و‬#JQ ‫ق‬3keQ ‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 .-P :?! ;
B: „!]$ -BG:8!
 Life of John the Little 89

1Ic #7 H=*0N!‫ ا‬œ3?N!‫ ا‬Z]‫ وه‬HBG:k!‫ ا‬Z]K$ (:?kB A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.56

‫ل‬,c ‫]آ‬B‫ و‬23KENkJB HI:a HN89[ Lž ‫دات‬3I[ •!‫ إ‬-a‫( ذا‬E)B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬1‫ا! ب‬

HE84P ,‫ ا!]ي ه‬33ً4B‫ أ‬-!,c‫ء و‬Oˆ 1‫ آ‬OP IMB *‫ه‬3vN!‫ل إن ا‬,= !‫ا‬

3‫ه‬,Nk:N=‫ و‬3‫ه‬,NkNE:a Ok!‫ ا‬O‫ب( وه‬131) 43‫ وه‬NV‫ء ا‬38ˆ'‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬H7‫وآ ا‬

‫ان‬G+‫ إن أ‬3ً4B‫ أ‬-!,c‫ و‬.(6:7 ‫ن‬,6B H7g)!‫ ا‬-!”P 3‫ه‬,EN[‫ ا‬.3‫ه‬,Na 9Q‫و‬

]L~B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3ً4B‫ ه]ا أ‬OP‫ و‬.3?8P K98= 6‫* ا!]ي‬vN!‫ازي ا‬,a % 38Q*!‫ ا‬5[...]

‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3N$ 8‫ة‬,I?$ ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬u7 (E6kB‫* و‬8:$ #7 7‫ء‬Oe!‫ ا‬9?B‫ة و‬,IQ‫• و‬$3= (E[

H4235!‫ ا‬10j‫ ا‬HN:Q HN:?!‫م ا‬g‫ آ‬-?7 uI?B‫ و‬9‫ ا’ن‬#23‫ آ‬,‫ ه‬3N$‫ن و‬,6B 3N$‫و‬

Z,!~)B 3N86! ‫ء‬3)N!‫ ا‬¤c‫ و‬OP H:P‫ د‬A?JB ,$ •!‫~اوا إ‬t ‫ة‬,L‫• أن إ‬k+ -?7

‫ء إ!• أن أˆ ق‬3)N!‫ ا‬11#7 HE845!‫[ل ا‬,+] (KNE6P A5?!‫ص ا‬gL 1t‫ أ‬#7

‫ة‬,L.‫„ ا‬Š!‫دع أو‬,B 3N86! 3Q,$‫ ج أ‬L ‫ح‬3IM!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬3NEP 12.‫ا‬,NE:B (!‫ر و‬,?!‫ا‬

1
G:‫ ا! ب‬1Ic #7 H=*0N!‫ ا‬œ3?N!‫ ا‬Z]‫ وه‬HBG:k!‫ ا‬Z]K$ ; B: j‫ ا‬1Ic #7
2
G:3KENkJB HI:a HN89[ Lž ‫دات‬3I[ •!‫ إ‬-a‫( ذا‬E)B ; B: •!‫ إ‬-)5Q (E=‫ و‬, _‫ق أآ‬3kˆ‫وا‬
HN89[ ‫دات‬3I[
3
G: 3ً4B‫ أ‬-!,c‫ و‬omitted.
4
G: 3‫ وه‬NV‫ أ‬omitted.
5
B: Z]‫ه‬
6
G: ‫ ; ا!]ي‬B: ‫ أن‬u7GN!‫ا‬
7
G: ‫ء‬Oe!‫ ا‬9?B ; B: 3‫ ه‬9?B
8
G: ‫ة‬,I?$ omitted.
9
G: ‫ا‬,NE:B; B: ‫*وا‬:B.
10
G: j‫ ا‬HN:Q omitted.
11
B: ¤c‫ و‬#7
12
G: •k+ -?7; B: ‫وان‬
90 Stephen J. Davis

‫ر‬3K?!‫ ا‬#7 H[3= u=3a •!‫ح إ‬3IM!‫ ا‬#7 (K! -:B‫د‬,a OP (KNE6B 3ً4B‫ أ‬Sc,P

1L‫~ات د‬t *c H:=3k!‫ ا‬H[3)!‫ إ!• ا‬9Q 3NEP .OQ3+‫م ا! و‬g6!3$ (KNE6B ,‫وه‬

.‫م‬g)!3$ (K[‫ وود‬1HIJN$ I\!‫ن ا‬,E‫~آ‬B 3ً4B‫( أ‬K$

+(18 )+

X8)N!‫ع ا‬3t‫*س وأو‬0N!‫{ ا‬8EM!‫\ ا‬5$ ‫ ا! وح‬2A$% 3Q,$‫ ف أ‬k[‫ ا‬.57

1‫ آ‬-8V B 3N8P 23= X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B OP •+‫!( و‬3:!‫ وا‬H8‡\!‫ ا‬#7 ¤87 ,‫وه‬

Z,E:t‫*س و‬0!‫) ة روح ا‬N$ ‫*س‬0!‫ وح ا‬E! 3[g68‫أ( ]ه‬132) ‫ه ًَا‬3‚ #8+

‫ } خ‬-8E[ *8!‫ ا‬u4B AB*0!‫ ا‬H5c3='‫ ا‬A82‫ ور‬HN)0!‫ ا‬OP ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬4[3ً?‫ه‬3‫]آ‬

•Jk)7 •Jk)7 5‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ع‬,P‫ث د‬g• g23c -Et' ‫ء‬g:!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ت‬,}

1
G: ‫ و‬HIJN$ GI\!‫ن ا‬,E‫~آ‬B 3ً4B‫ ;أ‬B: (• ‫ا‬,E‫~آ‬P ,HIJN$ ‫ا‬GIL (K! ‫*م‬c‫ و‬H8Q3•
2
The scribe of G originally wrote an alif at the beginning of this word, but
then crossed it out.
3
This word is reconstructed on the basis of the Coptic text, which reads
(‘temple’) at this point.
4
This word is reconstructed on the basis of the Coptic text, which reads
(‘priest’) at this point.
5 5
#7 ¤87 ,‫ وه‬X8)N!‫ع ا‬3t‫*س وأو‬0N!‫{ ا‬8EM!‫\ ا‬5$ ‫ ا! وح‬A$% 3Q,$‫ ف أ‬k[‫ا‬
G:
5
[g68‫أ( ]ه‬132) ‫ه ًَا‬3‚ #8+ 1‫ آ‬-8V B 3N8P 23= X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B OP •+‫!( و‬3:!‫ وا‬H8‡\!‫ا‬
5
H5c3='‫ ا‬A82‫ ور‬HN)0!‫ ا‬OP ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫[ و‬3?ً ‫ه‬3‫ ]آ‬Z,E:t‫*س و‬0!‫) ة روح ا‬N$ ‫*س‬0!‫ وح ا‬E!
‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ع‬,P‫ث د‬g• g23c -Et' ‫ء‬g:!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ت‬,} ‫ } خ‬-8E[ *8!‫ ا‬u4B AB*0!‫;ا‬
B: ‫ا ا’ب‬,NE[‫ة ا‬,L%‫ ا‬#7 H[3Nt ‫ اذ‬X!3M!‫• ا‬:)!‫ ه]ا ا‬OP „!]‫ آ‬3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫ آ‬3N8P‫و‬
Z,7*c ‫*س‬0!‫) ة ا! وح ا‬N$‫ و‬3?‫ه‬3‫ن آ‬,6B ‫ ان‬8kL3P -E2345$ ‫ن‬37G!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP S0=%‫ا‬
.g23c 3ًL‫ر‬3} ‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ت‬,M$ ‫ وإذا‬-8E[ Z*B ‫ ا’ب‬uV‫ وو‬Z‫ ز‬6B ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬3)c Z,E:t‫و‬
 Life of John the Little 91

H823N)!‫ ا‬HN:?!‫ ا‬1H[*$ H=*0N!‫ ا‬2‫ ا!) ا‬H7*L •E[ #Na‫ اؤ‬3NEP .•Jk)7

HB,7‫ د‬8‰!‫ ا‬HJ8$]E! 3ً=*07 3ً?‫ه‬3‫ن آ‬3‫ آ‬-Q' HE845!‫ ى ا‬t -8P 3ً4B‫*د أ‬va
2
.j‫ ا‬HN6+ OP ‫م‬3c~P (!3:!‫ ا‬3B3‡L 1NJB ‫ ا!]ي‬j‫ ا‬1N+ ,‫ا!]ي ه‬

(8P‫را‬3)!‫( وا‬8$‫رو‬36!‫س ا‬,73Q ‫ت‬,?K6!‫س ا‬,73B ‫ إن‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ل أ‬3c .58

%‫ن أو‬,N:?kB #B]!‫ وه( ا‬.{a‫ ا‬N!‫ ا‬u8Nt #7 _‫ أآ‬j‫ ا‬#7 3#8IB 0!‫ ا‬#8!‫ا'و‬

‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 .*$'‫( إ!• ا‬2‫ ا!*ا‬OQ3$,‡!‫رك ا‬3IN!‫ ا‬Z*v7 ‫ء‬384$‫ و‬-kP :N$ ‫ة‬38J$

3ً4B‫ه وأ‬3‚ ,‫ ه‬3N‫ آ‬-)5Q K‡8EP X8)N!‫ ا‬3t kB #NE‫ آ‬#8E23c {k6!‫ ا‬3Q 7~a

,$‫ أ‬1V35!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬3ً4B‫]ا أ‬K$‫ و‬.‫ل ا! ب‬3c ‫ه‬3‚ 3Q‫ أ‬OQ' ‫ر‬3K‚‫ا أ‬,Q,‫ل آ‬,0B

-Ie$ 3ً5[34k7 HIa N!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬#B‫ د‬-! OP,B‫*وس و‬0!‫ ا‬j‫ روح ا‬4X8?B A?JB

‫ب إن‬3k6!‫ل ا‬,0‫ب( آ‬132) I!‫ ا‬1‫ آ‬OP 173‫ آ‬#‫ه‬3‫ آ‬#87‫ أ‬18‫ ووآ‬X!3} ‫دم‬3L

1
B: HI‫ه‬,N$.The word H[‫‘( د‬equanimity, gentleness’) in G probably reflects
the Arabic scribe’s misreading of ‫ة‬,[‫‘( د‬calling’) in the process of copying an
earlier Arabic manuscript. The latter conforms to the original reading in the
Coptic version ( , ‘calling’); however, in my translation, I have chosen
to follow the actual form present in G, since it would have conveyed a different
meaning to its readers.
2
G: ‫ ا!]ي‬j‫ ا‬1N+ ,‫ ا!]ي ه‬HB,7‫ د‬8‰!‫ ا‬HJ8$]E! 3ً=*07 3ً?‫ه‬3‫ن آ‬3‫ آ‬-Q' HE845!‫ ى ا‬t
j‫ ا‬HN6+ OP ‫م‬3c~P (!3:!‫ ا‬3B3‡L 1NJB; B: HN89[ ‫*ة‬2‫ زا‬1234P
3
G: #8IB 0!‫ ا‬#8!‫( ا'و‬8P‫را‬3)!‫( وا‬8$‫رو‬36!‫س ا‬,73Q ‫ت‬,?K6!‫س ا‬,73B ‫ ;إن‬B: ‫س‬,73?$ -Q‫ا‬
3B3‡L 1NJB ‫ ا!]ي‬j‫ ا‬1N+ O‫ ه‬Ok!‫ ا‬HB,7*!‫ ا‬8D HJ8$]E! 3=*07 #‫ه‬36!‫ن ا‬,6B ‫ت‬,?K6!‫ا‬
.#8$ 0N!‫( ا‬8$‫رو‬3e!‫( وا‬8$‫رو‬36!‫ل ا‬3_7 #‫ه‬36!3P (!3:!‫ا‬
4
G: X8?B; B: ‫ـ‬$ ‫ى‬G:B. In G, the preposition is missing prior to the following
word, ‫روح‬, where one would expect to find #7, or perhaps ‫ـ‬$.
92 Stephen J. Davis

-)5?! 2‫]ب‬kt‫*س وا‬0!‫ روح ا‬HI‫ه‬,7 #7 13Q,$‫* أ‬L‫ وأ‬. I!‫ن ا‬,)IEB „k?K‫آ‬

•B $‫ و‬4(B*0!‫ ا‬-Ie!‫ل ا‬3Nt 3N8=%‫ و‬3‫*ة‬$•7 ‫ة‬38+ -a‫و‬g+‫ و‬Z*v7 ‫ء‬38V

3ً:8Nt -I:ˆ‫ و‬j‫ ا‬-?[ •V‫ وأر‬-8P 1N‫ ا!]ي آ‬5(!3)!‫ ا‬H8K!.‫رة ا‬,M!‫ا‬

#7 ‫ب‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫ آ‬-8P #‫آ‬3)!‫ء ا‬3Q%3$ •4k=‫ ا‬37*?[ .‫رة‬3k\7 ‫ت‬3IE‡$

.‫ج‬3t‫ء ز‬3Q‫ ا‬OP ‫ء‬Oˆ 1_7 ‫ن‬3)Q.‫ ا‬OP 3NE‫ ى آ‬B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q‫ أ‬6-Et‫أ‬

-Q‫ أ‬XN0!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫*ًا‬t -[34a‫* ا‬B‫ا‬GkB ‫ن‬3‫( آ‬89:!‫ع ا‬35a‫ر‬%‫* ه]ا ا‬:$ #7‫ و‬.59

#E[‫ن إذا أ‬3‫ آ‬-Q,‫ آ‬u7 H08E\!‫ ا‬7u8Nt ¤Ja -)5Q u4B Z‫د‬3M+ ËE$‫ و‬1N‫إذا آ‬

‫ع‬3t‫ أو‬#7 9‫ ور‬47 *+‫ أو وا‬H8‡L OP Ž0= *c -Q‫ أ‬8*+‫ وا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 -!

HEK= HJ!3} H840$ #?Jk7 X!3} ‫ أب‬1_7 (K$]KB‫( و‬KNE:B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬H8‡\!‫ا‬

‫رة‬,eN!3$ (K8E[ 8eB‫ و‬10(‫) ه‬B‫ و‬HN6J$ (K?7 *+‫ وا‬1‫*ل آ‬:B‫ و‬Hˆ,e$

‫ء‬35ˆ ‫د‬3Kkt3$ S85\!‫ ا‬H$,k!‫ ا‬8Q ‫ا‬,ENJB ‫ا وذ!„ أن‬,ME\B 3N86! ‫ ˆ*ة‬N!‫ا‬

1
B: ¡k7‫* ا‬c‫ و‬3Q,$‫آ]!„ أ‬
2
B: {)k‫اآ‬
3
G: ‫*ة‬$•7 ‫ة‬38+ ‫وة‬g+‫ ;و‬B: 3B*$‫أ‬
4
B: (B*0!‫ ا‬omitted.
5
B: (!3)!‫ ا‬omitted.
6
G: -Et‫ أ‬#7 ‫ب‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫ آ‬-8P #‫آ‬3)!‫ء ا‬3Q%3$ •4k=‫ ا‬37*?[; B: #[ j‫ ا‬Se6B ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬
Z œ3Q
7
B: u8NL omitted.
8
G: *+‫ وا‬1t‫ أ‬#7; B: ‫ن‬3)Q‫ إ‬#[
9
G: ‫ ور‬47 *+‫ ;وا‬B: (!~k7 ‫ن‬3)Q‫إ‬
10
B: (‫) ه‬B‫ و‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 93

„!‫* ذ‬:$‫ و‬.*:$ 3N8P (K)5Q‫· أ‬5+‫رة و‬3K‡$ j‫ ا‬u7 ‫ا‬,JE‡MB O6! (Ka3+‫ ا‬v!

-!3:P‫ أ‬u8Nt‫ و‬6N!‫ك ا‬g‫ ه‬,‫{ ا!]ي ه‬t‫ا‬,!‫ل ا‬3k0!‫( إ!• ا‬Kt \B (‫أ‬133)

-Iˆ ‫ ه]ا‬1:5B A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.j‫ة ا‬3V 7‫!?)„ و‬3$ (K$,Ec #7 1-!‫وزوا‬

‫ ا'ˆ ار‬Z‫د‬3?t‫ أ‬u8Nt‫ن و‬3‡8e!‫ ا‬#‡$ •eB ‫ن‬3‫س وآ‬,5?!‫ ا‬OP3:7‫*اوي و‬7

3B O?kv[‫ أز‬g23c ‫اء‬,K!‫ ا‬OP ‫ت‬,M$ ‫ خ‬MB‫ و‬-Q3?=~$ MB ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q‫• أ‬k+

.„$3J}‫ وأ‬¤Q‫ع أ‬,)B

+(19 )+

67 „EKB‫ و‬B e!‫ ا‬1:P‫ و‬2H!gœ 1a30B ‫ن‬3‫ ه]ا وآ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬9Q .60

•23[ %‫ و‬uQ37 8‰$ X8)N!‫ ا‬4‫[*ة‬3)N$ ‫ ة‬B e!‫ ا‬-a 8D 3‫ ورداوة‬Z*)+ N=

Ok!‫ة ا‬,0!‫ ا‬61t‫ أ‬#7 ‫م‬,Q‫م و‬3:‡!‫ ا‬5O)Q *c -Q‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬HE845!‫• ا‬B ‚ OP

‫ ه]ا‬#7 .‫دة‬3+ ‫ ة‬8_‫رة آ‬3v+ 3ً:V,7 -! u?} .-8P H?‫آ‬3)!‫*س ا‬0!‫ روح ا‬O?‰!

‫س‬,73Q Z Kc ‫ن إذا‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ل ذراع و[ ض ذراع‬,‚ {Q3v!‫{ وه]ا ا‬Q3v!‫ا‬

1
G: -!‫ وزوا‬-!3:P‫ أ‬u8Nt‫ ;و‬B: 3‫ه‬,EBG8! HŠB‫ر ا! د‬36P'‫وا‬
2
B: H!gV
3
‫ رداوة‬is equivalent to ‫رداءة‬.
4
G: ‫[*ة‬3)N$ ‫ ة‬B e!‫ ا‬-a 8D ‫ورداوة‬ Z*)+ N=; B: *)J!‫ ة وا‬8‰!‫ ورداءة ا‬H:8I‡!‫ا‬
HQ,:N$ „!‫وذ‬
5
B: 1‫ أآ‬inserted.
6
B: •?D inserted.
94 Stephen J. Davis

#B]!‫ ا‬67 1t' 3N8=%‫ و‬-kc,! ·08k)B‫ و‬A!3t ,‫ وه‬g8Ec -8P ‫م‬3Q *c H:8I‡!‫ا‬

.‫ت‬%38\!3$ ‫ن‬,$ vB

(‫ب‬133) 1_7 g23c „)?!‫ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫ة‬,L. %3_7‫ل أ‬,0B 3ً4B‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.61

‫ء‬3N!‫ ا‬13K8!‫* إ‬8Ja Ok!‫ ا‬uV‫ا‬,N!‫ ا‬u?NB ,‫ ه‬H?B*7 ]L~B ‫„ إذا أراد أن‬E7 ‫ن‬3)Q‫إ‬

‫ع‬,v!‫ ا‬#7 3KQ36= ¤c3V ‫”ذا‬P 3K?[ (K08:B‫ و‬3ً4B‫ أ‬3KkN:‚‫{ أ‬K?B‫ و‬.%‫أو‬

‫ب‬3I=‫ أ‬u8Nt (v! ‫ آ]!„ ا! اه{ إذا‬.(K8E[ 36!37 ‫ر‬3}‫ و‬-! ‫ا‬,:4L –‡:!‫وا‬

Z*)t {B‫]و‬a‫ و‬-6)Q HIJN! ‫ر‬3=‫ و‬HN:‚'‫ ا‬#[ ‫ك‬3)7%‫!?)„ وا‬3$ ‫ ة‬e!‫ا‬

•E[ #7 Z*:IB 2Z*)t ,‫( ا!]ي ه‬K+g= Z )6B #B‫ر‬,9?7 8‰!‫ه* ا‬3t‫و‬

B e!‫{ ا‬E‰B‫„ و‬ENB 3-Q”P ‫]ة‬E!‫ ا‬#7 -)5Q ·5+‫ و‬H6EKN!‫]ة ا‬E!‫ات وا‬,Ke!‫ا‬
4
.H+‫ ا‬$ -?7 #8?k!‫)* ا‬+ 1‫ آ‬SEkB‫و‬

,‫ ه‬OEMB ‫*و‬:!‫ ا‬#7 H08V ‫ة‬,L.‫* ا‬+‫ل أ‬3Q ‫ إذا‬A?JB ,$‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.62
5
{:k!‫ ا‬HIJN$ HB‫ل ا! د‬3:5!‫ة ا‬,L.‫ ا‬#7 O5eB‫ و‬¤c,E! -?[ ‫ول‬GB -?[

.-8P #‫آ‬3)!‫*س ا‬0!‫ روح ا‬1:5$ (K:8Nt (‫[*ه‬3)B‫و‬

1
G: 3K8!‫* إ‬8Ja; B: 3K?7 ‫ء‬OvB
2
G: Z*)t ,‫( ا!]ي ه‬K+g=; B: -Q3P -E=g=
3
B: -Q”P ‫]ة‬E!‫ ا‬#7 omitted.
4
B: H+‫ ا‬$ -?7 omitted.
5
G: {:k!‫ ا‬HIJN$ HB‫ل ا! د‬3:5!‫ة ا‬,L.‫ ا‬#7; B: ‫ة‬,L'‫ا‬
 Life of John the Little 95

+(20 )+

•!‫( إ‬K$ •47‫ ة و‬7 S5c 18Ec ]L‫ أ‬1-Q‫ إ‬-Ev?7 3ً4B‫ أ‬18c‫ و‬O23I+‫ أ‬3B .63

¡7 (K[3$ 3NEP .*)v!‫ ا‬Ht3+ 1t‫ أ‬#7 GIL 18Ec -! ‫ ي‬keB‫( و‬K:8I8! M7

(‫أ‬134) HB I!‫ إ!• ا‬8)8! *:k)7 3Q,$‫ أ‬3N8P‫ و‬2.S50!‫ ا‬#N• #7 GIL H5c

•N[‫ أ‬OI} 3K:7 ‫ن‬36P ‫ق‬3cG!‫ ا‬OP OeNa H?86)7 HE7‫ز أر‬,v[ ‫دف‬3}

,$‫ أ‬3N‫ ه‬9Q 3NEP 3‫]ى‬6‫ ه‬-a*!‫* و‬c ¤Q3‫ آ‬3K! #$‫ وه]ا ا‬.Z‫د‬,0a Z*B „)Na

-E‫~آ‬Q GIL ‫م‬,8!‫ ا‬3?c‫ ز‬B ‫ ا! ب‬-7' ‫ل‬,0B •N['‫ ا‬OIM!‫ ا‬uN= #8eNB A?JB

3B -73Nk‫ه‬3$ 3?8E[ #?Jk7‫ و‬9?B ‫ ا! ب‬-! 4HE23c ¤6$‫ و‬-7‫*ت أ‬K?kP ‫؟‬O7‫ أ‬3B

•N['‫ ا‬#7 ‫*س‬0!‫ ا! وح ا‬A$% ‫ء‬O4N!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ ه]ا أ‬uN= 3NEP 5.O?$‫ا‬

O!3:a g23c ‫ أة‬N!‫ ا‬3[‫ ود‬.-8P H?‫آ‬3)!‫ ا‬X8)N!‫ ا‬H?+‫ و‬Z‫ؤ‬3e+‫ أ‬¤‫ آ‬Ja 6-7‫وأ‬

.O7‫ أ‬3B GI\!‫ ا‬18E0!‫ إ!• ه]ا ا‬Ot3kJa „E:! 3K! ‫ل‬3c -8!‫ إ‬¤a‫ أ‬3NEP 3?‫ه‬3‫إ!• ه‬

*+‫ أ‬16! ‫م‬3Nk‫ه‬3$ 7‫ ك‬Jk7 ,‫ إذ ه‬AB*0!‫ وإن ا‬.O$‫ أ‬3B 8_‫( وه]ا آ‬:Q ¤!3c

1
G: -Q‫ إ‬-Ev?7 3ً4B‫ أ‬18c‫ و‬O23I+‫ أ‬3B; B: ‫ ى‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫د‬
2
B: S50!‫ ا‬#N• #7 omitted.
3
B: *c ¤Q3‫ آ‬3K! #$‫ وه]ا ا‬.Z‫د‬,0a Z*B „)Na •N[‫ أ‬OI} 3K:7 ‫ن‬36P ‫ق‬3cG!‫ ا‬OP OeNa
‫]ى‬6‫ ه‬-a*!‫ و‬omitted.
4
G: HE23c ¤6$; B: ¤!3c‫و‬
5
B: O?$‫ ا‬3B omitted.
6
B: -7‫• وأ‬N['‫ ا‬#7 omitted.
7
After this word, the scribe of G originally wrote j‫ ا‬#7 (‘by God’), but then
crossed it out.
96 Stephen J. Davis

H50!‫ أة ا‬N!‫ أ[‡• ا‬.#B Lž 1‫ام‬,c‫ص أ‬gL 1t‫ أ‬#7 Z*+‫ و‬-a‫ إراد‬u?MB ‫ن‬3‫آ‬

‫ ه]ا ا!*ه‬OP #8:V,N!‫ ا‬OP ‫ة‬38J!‫ ا‬-c‫ ز‬B OJ!‫ ا‬j‫• ا‬E[ ,‫ ه‬1‫آ‬,a‫ و‬GI\!‫ا‬

Z 8$*k$ j‫ ا‬3K‫ آ‬+ 6ˆ‫ ح و‬5$ GI\!‫ أة ا‬N!‫]ت ا‬L‫ أ‬3NEP Oa’‫ ا‬OP‫و‬

AB*c „Q‫ أراك أ‬3Q‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬O$‫ أ‬3B 23?8$% ¤!3c‫ و‬HN89[ HQ37”$ ¤L }‫و‬

.•N[‫]ى أ‬6‫ ه‬-a*!‫ و‬O?$‫ ا‬,‫ ه‬Z‫ ا‬a ‫ ا!]ي‬8‰M!‫ ا‬OIM!‫ب( وه]ا ا‬134) .j‫ا‬

uP P .„k‫ آ‬$ ]L~8! 3-8?8[ •E[ H=*0N!‫*ك ا‬B u4a 3N86! „=*c ‫ أ=~ل‬3Q‫وأ‬

‫*ن‬:7 -!.‫ ا! ب ا‬3KB‫ل أ‬3c‫ و‬HN:Q ‫ء‬OEkN7 {E0$ *K?a‫ء و‬3N)!‫ إ!• ا‬-8?8[ 3Q,$‫أ‬

•!‫ إ‬,‫ ه‬¤Q‫م وأ‬,8!‫ ا‬¤Q‫ وأ‬A7‫ أ‬¤Q‫ء أ‬Oˆ 1‫!„ آ‬37 X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B ‫ ات‬8\!‫ا‬
6
1:5$ ‫د‬,!,N!‫• ا‬N[¡! 5 9?!‫ ا‬¤I‫ وه‬3N‫ء وآ‬340Q‫ ا‬-! A8! 4‫ا!*ه ا!]ي‬

„a‫) ة إراد‬7 #6k! 3?K!‫ إ‬X8)N!‫ ا‬3KB‫ ا’ن أ‬3ً4B‫ آ]!„ أ‬H73k!‫ ا‬7‫درة‬30!‫„ ا‬a‫إراد‬

‫ وروح‬X!3M!‫„ ا‬8$‫ أ‬u7 *vN!‫„ 'ن !„ ا‬k08E\! ‫ص‬gL #8+ 1‫ آ‬3?8E[ H73a

X8)N!‫=( ا‬3$ (ˆ‫• ور‬N['‫ ا‬O?8[ •E[ Z*B uV‫ و‬8.#87‫* أ‬$'‫*س إ!• ا‬0!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ام‬,c‫ أ‬omitted.
2
B: AB*0!‫ ا‬inserted.
3
In G, this word was originally accidentally omitted but then written in the
margin. Without this correction, the mother’s request would have been for the
saint ‘to place your holy hand on me (ّOE[).’
4
The scribe of G initially wrote -! here, but then crossed it out and wrote
-! A8!.
5
B: M?!‫ا‬
6
B: ‫ة‬,0$
7
B: ‫ه ة‬30!‫ا‬
8
B: #87ž AB*0!‫ل ا‬3c 3NEP inserted.
 Life of John the Little 97

¤L } ‫ن‬3‫{ ا!]ي آ‬v:!‫ ح وا‬5!‫ ا‬#7‫ و‬1.•N['‫ ا‬M$‫ أ‬H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP‫و‬

AB*0!‫¯ ا‬8e!‫ ه]ا ا! اه{ ا‬-!‫ ا! ب إ‬,‫رك ه‬3I7 HE23c (89[ ‫ت‬,M$ -7‫أ‬

{Q3t •!‫ إ‬3Q,$‫ د أ‬5Q‫ وا و[?* ه]ا ا‬9?8! 8_‫س آ‬3Q‫ أ‬uNkt‫ ا‬3Ka,} 2#7‫و‬
3
.X8)N!‫ ا‬Z‫( وه*ا‬K?[ ‫ارى‬,a‫س و‬3?!‫* ا‬v7 #7 3ً$‫ر‬3‫ ه‬Lž

H8‡L 1‫ آ‬#7 (K=,5Q ‫ا‬,95JB 3N86! *+‫ أ‬1‫· آ‬:B AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫أ( وآ‬135) .64

1_7 j‫ ا‬#7 3ًIB D ‫ن‬3)Q.‫ ا‬g:vB 3NKQ‫ إ‬g23c HQ,?B*!‫ وا‬HN8N?!‫ ا‬HM}3\$‫و‬

#8E[3P 5‫ل إن‬,0B‫( و‬KE‫ء آ‬%•‫ل ه‬,= !‫ ا‬4‫*د‬:B 3N‫ن آ‬3•‫دة ا'و‬3I[‫ء و‬3QG!‫ا‬

‫ن‬3)Q‫ن إ‬3‫ آ‬g_7 ‫ل‬,0B ‫ن‬3‫ء آ‬%•‫ ه‬1t‫ أ‬#7‫ و‬.j‫ت ا‬,6E7 ‫ن‬,• 8! ‫ء‬%•‫ه‬

‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3N!‫ و‬.3N‫ ه‬0P 1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫س‬3I! 8‰$ #8kQ3B [ 3NK?8?•‫ إ‬#8a‫ أ‬7‫ إ‬-! 3ً?86)7

„!‫ ذ‬OP ‫ن‬,6B 37 ‫ وا‬9?B 3N86! ‫ع‬,Nv!‫ ا‬OP uNkva uV,7 OP *8[ ‫م‬,B

-8P 3NK:V‫ وو‬3ًc‫ }?*و‬3NK! u?} 3NKB [ 1v?7 3NKE:$ ‫ وإن‬uV,N!‫ا‬

*+‫*ت أ‬:} uV,N!‫ا إ!• ا‬,E}‫ و‬3NEP 3NK:7‫ر‬3=‫ و‬H?85= ‫ا‬,I‫ ورآ‬63NK?8?•‫إ‬

1
B: ‫ر‬,?!‫ ا‬inserted.
2
B: (9[ inserted.
3
B: H‫آ‬,E)7 •B ‚ •!‫ إ‬inserted.
4
B: ‫]آ‬B
5
B: ‫ل إن‬,0B‫( و‬KE‫ء آ‬%•‫ ه‬omitted.
6
B: 3NK?8?•‫ إ‬omitted.
98 Stephen J. Davis

-$ ‫ ت‬k= 13ً$,• 3K! ¤:?}‫ و‬Z 8_‫ء آ‬3c L ¤:Nt‫?*وق و‬M!‫ ا‬#7 3NK$

.‫ن‬,6B 37 3u8Nt 9?a‫ و‬2‫ ج‬5ka uNvN!‫ ا‬OP ¤5c‫ وو‬¤47‫ و‬3KB [

Ž=‫ و‬OP 3Kk08P‫ ت ر‬9Q -c,0ˆ #7 ¤:E‡a 3N! ‫?*وق‬M!‫ ا‬OP Ok!‫ ى ا‬L'‫وا‬

#7 OJk)a % S8‫ آ‬3KkNe+ HEc‫ و‬H8Q‫ا‬G!‫ ه]ا ا‬9?a 37‫ أ‬3KE:I! ¤!3c uNvN!‫ا‬

3KB [ O‫ ه‬¤8)Q‫؟ و‬uNv!‫ ه]ا ا‬Ž=‫ و‬OP (‫ب‬135) 53K8E[ Ok!‫ ا‬4‫ن‬30E\!‫ه]ا ا‬
6
Ok!‫„ ا‬Ea 3Kk08P‫• ر‬E[ HI8:N!‫ ا‬H80e!‫„ ا‬Ea O?[‫?*وق أ‬M!‫ ا‬OP 3K)I+‫و‬

.3KI8:a‫ و‬3Kk08P‫ ر‬#B*a O‫ وه‬3KB [ 1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬#7 *+' HkI!‫ ا‬9?a ‫*ر‬0a%

Z]‫ ه‬37~P .„!3+ S8‫)„ واذآ ي آ‬5Q 7#7 „!3$ OkQ‫ أ‬OE:t‫ ا‬3KE:$ 3K! ‫ل‬30P

HENv!3$ ‫ ي‬K9a #B‫*ر‬0a % OkQ‫ذا ا‬,‫ وه‬3KB [ 3K$ ‫ ت‬k= ‫ ق‬L ‫*ت‬t‫* و‬0P

‫„؟‬kL‫ أ‬O?B*a ‫ذا‬3NEP ‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬#7 *+‫*ام أ‬c

3Q3L‫• أ‬E[ {8:Q‫ و‬3Q*+‫ و‬3Q3B3‡L 3?8)Q ‫ل إذا‬3c #JQ „!]‫ ا’ن آ‬.65

.3?J45B ‫]ى‬6‫ ه‬j3P -J45Q‫و‬

1
B: 3ً$,• omitted.
2
B: *‫ه‬3ek!
3
B: u8Nt omitted.
4
B: ‫ا!\ ق‬
5
B: O‫ وه‬inserted.
6
G: Ok!‫„ ا‬Ea 3Kk08P‫• ر‬E[ HI8:N!‫ ا‬H80e!‫ا‬ „Ea O?[‫ ;أ‬B: O‫وه‬
7
G: #7 „!3$ OkQ‫ أ‬OE:t‫ ;ا‬B: OP ‫ ي‬65a
 Life of John the Little 99

+(21 )+

3?! -Jk5$ 3?! ‫ص‬gL •B ‚ eIE! j‫ ا‬HIJ7 1O8Ka 3N86! 3ً4B‫ل أ‬3c‫ و‬.66

.•EJQ ‫ أن‬3?Šˆ ‫ إذا‬H$,k!‫ب ا‬3$

-0)P 8_‫ء آ‬3c*}‫ أ‬3K! H8Q‫ أة زا‬7‫ إ‬1_7 g_7 7'‫]ا ا‬K! ‫ل‬,0B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.67

‫ف‬,L #7 H0)5!‫„ ا‬Š!‫*ر أو‬0a gP 3K$ ‫وج‬GkB 3‫]ه‬L~B‫ و‬3‫ اه‬8P „E7 3K$ I[‫و‬

3Kk8$ #[ ‫*وا‬:kIB (KQ‫ أ‬1$ ‫ا‬,Ek0B 3N86! ‫ ى‬L‫ ة أ‬7 3Kk8$ •!‫ا إ‬,Q*B ‫„ أن‬EN!‫ا‬

•E‰a‫ و‬3K[*\7 1L‫ ب إ!• دا‬KkP O‫أ( وه‬136) .3K8!‫ وا إ‬8eB‫ و‬3‫ه‬,E=‫ ا‬B‫و‬

-EIc #7 3K! 21M+ ‫* ا!]ي‬vN!‫ وا‬3KE:$ „EN!‫ ا‬HP3\7 1v?7 3K8E[ 3K$‫ا‬,$‫أ‬

.‫ ى‬L‫ أ‬H:P‫ د‬3K?7 ]L,B % 3N86!

j‫ ا‬HN+‫ ر‬3‫ء‬3t‫ ر‬k= •!‫ إ‬¤$ ‫ وه‬3K)vQ #[ ¤E\a *c A5Q „!]‫ل آ‬3c .68

‫ن‬3Q,6B ‫ات‬,N)!‫ت ا‬,6E7 ‫ ات‬8L 4‫ ح‬P‫( و‬8Jv!‫ ا‬OP H$,0:!‫ة ا‬3P367 ‫”ن‬P 3?K!‫إ‬

. 6N!‫ع ا‬3t‫ 'و‬Ok!‫ ا‬HB‫ل ا! د‬3:5!‫ ا‬#7 •E\k! HQ,:7‫اء و‬G[ 3K!

1
B: K9a
2
B: 1:t
3
G: ‫ء‬3t‫ ر‬k=; B: k= ‫رة‬3K‚
4
B: ‫ ح‬P omitted.
100 Stephen J. Davis

+(22 )+

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ وا‬2Hc*} OP ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B H:P‫ة د‬,L.‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬1‫* ه]ا‬:$ #7‫ و‬.69

,$‫ أ‬O6IP 3.Hc*M!‫ ا‬OP 1‫~آ‬B ,‫„ وه‬J4B ‫ أخ‬9?P Hc*M!‫ ا‬OP (K:7 3ً)!3t

‫ أن‬4 _‫'آ‬3$ -8E[ {t‫ا‬,!‫ن ا‬3‫* آ‬c‫ و‬.‫ ه]ا ا'خ‬6P ‫ ى‬a #B‫ أ‬g23c A?JB

.Hc*} 1‫~آ‬B -Q' 6e$ *K?B‫ و‬O6IB

+(23 )+

-! Se6P ‫ ة‬8_‫ن آ‬3I‫ ره‬u7 ‫*ة‬237 •E[ 51‫~آ‬B ,‫ وه‬3ً4B‫ أ‬Lž ‫م‬,B OP‫ و‬.70

g)[ 1‫~آ‬B (K4:$ 8‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B #B]!‫ة ا‬,L.‫ ا‬7OP ‫]ا‬6‫ ه‬3ًPgkL‫ ا‬9?P 6‫ا! وح‬

‫ء‬3vP 9 )!‫ ه]ا ا‬#7 3Q,$‫ أ‬¤KIP .3ً$‫ ا‬a 1‫~آ‬B (K4:$‫ًا و‬GIL 1‫~آ‬B (K4:$‫و‬

OQ3+‫ ح رو‬5$‫ف ور[*ة و‬,\$ ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B #B]!‫ إن ا‬g23c ‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ت‬,} -8!‫إ‬

•!‫* إ‬:Ma (Ka‫ا‬,E}‫ء و‬3N)!‫ ا‬OP (KE0[‫ر و‬,kP 8‰$ 10‫ن‬,EMB (‫ب‬136)

1
B: ‫* ه]ا‬:$ #7‫ و‬omitted.
2
B: (K8!‫ءت ا‬3t inserted.
3
B: Hc*M!‫ ا‬OP 1‫~آ‬B ,‫ وه‬omitted.
4
B: _‫'آ‬3$ omitted.
5
G: 1‫~آ‬B; B: 3)!3t
6
B: ‫! وح‬3$ j‫ا‬
7
B: 1‫ أآ‬inserted.
8
B: 9Q‫ و‬inserted.
9
G: )!‫ ;ا‬B: *+‫ء وا‬Oˆ (KE‫( آ‬K737‫ع أ‬,V,N!‫ا‬ ‫اذ‬
10
G: ‫ن‬,EMB; B: ‫ن‬,EMN!‫ن ا‬,:V‫ا‬,kN!‫ه( ا‬
 Life of John the Little 101

‫ًا‬GIL ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B #B]!‫ وا‬.‫*ًا‬Kˆ ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B ‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 1‫ل‬,I0N!‫ر ا‬,\I!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫ء‬3N)!‫ا‬
3
-k8‡[‫ و‬-:8?} (9[ •E[ j‫*ون ا‬vNB‫ و‬2‫ن‬,6IB‫ و‬6e$ ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B #B]!‫ه( ا‬

‫ن‬,7,EB (0N0k$ ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B #B]!‫ ه( ا‬3ً$‫ ا‬a ‫ن‬,E‫~آ‬B #B]!‫ وا‬.(K! 3‫ه‬38‫ ه‬Ok!‫ا‬

65B ‫ أن‬O‰I?B %‫ و‬.‫* وه]ا رديء‬8t ‫ ه]ا‬#8E23c ‫ ون‬8:B‫ن و‬,?B*B‫ن و‬,NE6kB‫و‬

‫رك‬3IQ‫ و‬j‫* ا‬vNQ _‫'آ‬3$ 14P‫ ه]ا أ‬1$ HkI!‫]ا ا‬K$ (E6kB ‫ أو‬65!‫ ه]ا ا‬1_7

‫ن‬,EN:a ‫ن أو‬,$ ea‫ن و‬,E‫~آ‬a (k?‫ إن آ‬1230!‫ل ا‬,= !‫م ا‬g‫ آ‬1N6?! ‫ آ_ ًا‬6eQ‫و‬

.j‫* ا‬8vNk! Z,EN[‫ ا‬-Q,EN:a ‫ء‬Oˆ 1‫ وآ‬Lž gN[

‫( ا!]ي‬86J!‫ ا‬¥+3I!‫ن ا‬3N8$ 3IQ‫( أ‬89:!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬4.H_!3_!‫ اءة ا‬0!‫ ا‬.71

3?23$‫ أ‬#7 #8Š4N!‫[ ا‬1‫ ]آ‬#7 _‫ ًا أآ‬8_‫ آ‬1234P {k‫ آ‬A!,I! 3ًK8Iˆ ‫ر‬3}

H:5?7 3?23$‫ أ‬OP ‫ل‬3J!‫*س ا‬0!‫ ! وح ا‬Ok!‫*ًا ا‬v7 HŠEkNN!‫ل ا‬3N['‫\*م ا‬B ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬
6
AB*0!‫ ا‬51234P (‫أ‬137) {k‫ن آ‬3N8$ AB*0!‫ ا‬H080J!3$ (86J!‫ ه]ا ا‬3?=,5?!

1
G: ‫ل‬,I0N!‫ر ا‬,\I!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫ء‬3N)!‫* إ!• ا‬:Ma (Ka‫ا‬,E}‫ء و‬3N)!‫ ا‬OP (KE0[‫ ;و‬B: (‫وه‬
.‫ء‬3N)!‫* إ!• ا‬:Ma (Ka‫ا‬,E}‫ات و‬,N)!‫ ا‬OP (KE0[‫ و‬,‫ل‬,I0N!‫ر ا‬,\I!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫ن‬,!,I07
2
B: 3N2‫ دا‬inserted.
3
B: -kN9[
4
G: H_!3_!‫ اءة ا‬0!‫ ;ا‬B: H:P‫ود‬
5
B: 1234P #7 ‫ ة‬8_‫ آ‬inserted. The scribe of G initially wrote ‫ ة‬8_‫ آ‬after the
word 1234P, but then crossed it out because it would not have fit the syntax of
the genitive construct that follows.
6
B: AB*0!‫ ا‬omitted.
102 Stephen J. Davis

#7 ‫*ًا‬8t 1-)5Q ••‫ أو‬-Q‫ أ‬-Et‫ أ‬#7 Z ‫ ذآ‬3N8P 3?P [‫ و‬8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫أ‬

#[ ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬.‫*س‬0!‫ر ا! وح ا‬3N• N•‫ وأ‬2HI‫ه‬,N!3$ j‫ ا‬#$‫ ا‬-Iˆ ‫ل‬3N6!‫ ا‬HP :7

‫*س‬0!‫ر روح ا‬3Q #M+ ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-[34a‫ ا‬,E[‫ و‬-IEc ‫رة‬3K‚ 1v?7 -Q‫ إ‬A?JB ,$‫أ‬

‫ا‬,Q*a 33KEJ7 %‫ و‬H8Q3‡8e!‫ ا‬HB‫ل ا! د‬3:P'‫ ا‬u8Nt‫ر و‬36P'‫*م ا‬KB -$ 3ً‡8J7

AB*0!‫ ا‬O?[‫ل أ‬,= E! Ok!‫ ا‬H8}‫ و‬e[ H)N\!‫ ا‬1N‫]ا آ‬K$ ‫ل‬3c .HENv!3$ -8!‫إ‬

.‫ل ا! وح‬,‚ ‫ن‬,6a HIJN!3$ .HIJN!‫ ا‬1234P OP -!,c 4,‫ وه‬A?JB ,$‫أ‬

I6k)a % HIJN!‫ ا‬.(v:a % HIJN!‫ ا‬.*)Ja % HIJN!‫ ا‬.Hˆ,e$ ‫ن‬,6a HIJN!‫ا‬

‫ ح‬5a % HIJN!‫ ا‬.3K! ‫{ ا!]ي‬E‡a % HIJN!‫ ا‬.OJk)a % HIJN!‫ ا‬.3KIEc OP

j‫• ا‬E[ 1‫آ‬,ka HIJN!‫ ا‬.‫ء‬Oˆ 16$ #7•a HIJN!‫ ا‬.•J!3$ ‫ ح‬5a HIJN!‫ ا‬.(E9!3$

Ž0)a % HIJN!‫ ا‬.‫ء‬Oˆ 1‫ آ‬OP 6 IMka HIJN!‫ ا‬.‫ر‬,7'‫ ا‬5#7 ‫ء‬Oˆ 1‫ آ‬OP

‫ن‬3‫ آ‬.(K‫( !?*رآ‬KIE‚ OP *KkvQ ‫ أن‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q 7‫( أ‬KE‫ء آ‬%•‫ ه‬.‫*ًا‬$‫أ‬

.(‫ه‬,EN:B 3N86! *+‫ أ‬1‫( آ‬E:B

1
G: -)5Q ••‫ ;أو‬B: ••,k=‫ا‬
2
The phrase HI‫ه‬,N!3$ is repeated in manuscript G, but then the first of the
two is lightly crossed out.
3
B: 3KE:vB %
4
G: ,‫ وه‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬O?[‫ ;أ‬B: OP
5
G: #7 ‫ء‬Oˆ 1‫ ;آ‬B: 23=
6
B: 8Ma
 Life of John the Little 103

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬1t‫ أ‬#7 (‫ب‬137) -KIeB 37‫ل ه]ا و‬3c 3ً4B‫ أ‬#N8$ 3IQ‫ أ‬3Q,$‫ وأ‬.72

‫ ا! ب‬3B3}‫· و‬5+ OP -a,c 1‫ آ‬u?} 1 _M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ل إن أ‬3c‫ و‬8M0!‫ا‬

‫ب‬,k67 ,‫ ه‬3N‫!( آ‬3:!‫ ا‬#B*B‫ و‬8L'‫م ا‬,8!‫ ا‬OP AEvB 3ً4B‫ أ‬-Q‫• أ‬k+ 3KEN‫وآ‬

‫*ام‬c -E8t ¤6IB ‫ر‬3K‚'‫ ا‬#7 *+‫ وا‬1‫!( آ‬3:!‫ن ا‬,?B*B ‫ر‬3K‚'‫ل أن ا‬,= !‫ ا‬OP

.X8)N!‫( ا‬6J7

‫د‬3?t‫ أ‬#7 #8‫آ‬g7 ‫ ا! ب‬-! (=‫ ر‬HN89:!‫ ا‬HE845!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1t‫ أ‬#7‫ و‬.73

2‫ ا!) ا‬H+‫ ا‬$ -Q3vk?B‫ و‬3ً8Q3+‫ رو‬-Q395JB‫ و‬¤c‫ و‬1‫ آ‬-Q‫ ا‬k)B (8$‫ و‬6!‫ا‬

‫ل‬,0B (8$‫رو‬36!‫ ا‬#7 *+‫ وا‬1‫ن آ‬3‫ آ‬HN89:!‫ ا‬-a‫ر‬3K‚ {8‚ 1t‫ أ‬#7‫ و‬.H=*0N!‫ا‬

.‫ات‬,0!‫ه ! ب ا‬3‚ -Q' -8E[ O+3?t uV‫ أ‬3Q‫ أ‬O?[‫ د‬-I+3M!

‫ ى‬B ‫• أن‬Jk)B ‫ن‬3‫*اس آ‬0!‫ ا‬OP 4JB A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ ة آ‬7 1‫ آ‬OP‫ و‬.74

.3ً8:8I‚ 3ً7‫~س د‬6!‫)*ًا وا‬t GI\!‫ ا‬2{E0B X$]N!‫• ا‬E[ ‫*س‬0!‫ روح ا‬H8Qg[

% #7‫ و‬H=*0N!‫ ا‬2‫ ا!) ا‬#7 ‫ول‬3?k!‫• ا‬Jk)B #7 -! Se6B 3ً4B‫ن أ‬3‫وآ‬

O‡:B ‫*ئ أن‬$ *c‫ و‬#8:Nkv7 {:e!‫ ا‬u8Nt‫ و‬-! Se‫ آ‬j‫• أن ا‬k+ •Jk)B

1
The phrase _M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ل إن أ‬3c‫ و‬is repeated in manuscript G, but then
the first of the two is lightly crossed out.
2
B: ‫ل‬,Ja
104 Stephen J. Davis

(K‡=‫ و‬OP 3ًN23c ‫ك ا! ب‬g7 ‫ أى‬P ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬OP 9Q‫أ( و‬138) 1 2‫( ا!) ا‬K!

-IEc OP 65B ‫ أو‬H!3‡$ Ž0P HNE‫*ًا آ‬+‫( وا‬E6a ‫ن إذا‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ل‬,E)7 S8= Z*8$‫و‬

%,! -6EKB O6! 2-$ 48! S8)!3$ ‫ك‬gN!‫ ا‬Œ7,B H8V 7 8‰!‫ل ا‬3N['‫ ا‬OP

.(K[,t‫( ور‬Kk$,a 9k?B 3N86! -:?Na j‫ ا‬HN+‫ ور‬A?JB ,$‫ة أ‬g} ¤Q3‫آ‬

8‰$ (K!3$ ‫ن‬,E:vB (‫ وه‬HP3\N$ 3ًa,6= ‫ا‬,Q,6B‫ و‬H)8?6!‫ ا‬OP ‫م‬380!‫ة ا‬,L.‫وا‬

‫\ ج‬a j‫* ا‬v7 #7 HI8v[ ‫ت‬3[3:ˆ 9?B AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬.‫ت‬38V‫ ا'ر‬#7 ‫ء‬Oˆ

‫ة‬,L.‫„ ا‬Š!‫ أو‬#7 *+‫ وا‬1‫ آ‬A5Q‫ و‬3{Ec OP 1L*a‫*س و‬0N!‫ ا‬X$]N!‫ ا‬#7

.‫*س‬0N!‫ث ا‬,!3_!‫* ا‬v7 #7 (‫¡ه‬NB‫ و‬4‫ر‬3K‚'‫ا‬

„!‫ ذ‬3Q*t‫ و‬3N‫ آ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ أ‬#[ 3ًI8v[ 3ً_B*+ 3ً4B‫ا أ‬,:N=‫ ا‬.75

H?B*N!‫ ك ا‬B ‡$ AEP‫ؤ‬3a 3IQ‫ أ‬3$,‡!‫ ا‬¥E_N!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ن أ‬37‫ ز‬OP ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3N! -Q‫ أ‬3ً$,k67

‫ت‬,8$ H7‫ آ ا‬16$ 3K73c‫ ة وأ‬8_‫ آ‬A23?‫?• آ‬$ *c ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬HB‫?*ر‬6=.‫ ا‬3N9:!‫ا‬

#B]!‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H8kP H•g_!‫• ا=( ا‬E[ H)8?‫?• آ‬$ *c ‫ن‬36P .-!.‫ ب ا‬E! ‫ات‬,E}

3B‫ار‬G[‫ و‬38Q3?+ „EN!‫ ا‬M?k\$ *K[ •E[ 1$3$ ‫ر‬3?!‫ن ا‬,a‫ أ‬OP ‫ا‬,+ ‚

(‫ده‬3)t‫ أ‬4JB ‫ أن‬8_‫ق آ‬38kˆ3$ O?NB *c ‫ن‬3‫ب( وآ‬138) .18B3M87‫و‬

1
B: H8?I‫ ا! ه‬inserted.
2
G: -$ 48! S8)!3$; B: S8)!3$ -$ 48! Z*8$
3
B: ‫{ و‬Ec omitted.
4
B: ‫ر‬3K‚'‫ ا‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 105

H)8?6!‫ ا‬Z]‫ وه‬.-8)B*0!‫ و‬j ‫*ًا‬8vNa‫ و‬3ًJ8I)a (Kk:8$ OP (K:48! H=*0N!‫ا‬

.‫م‬,8!‫ إ!• ا‬H8kP H•g_!‫=( ا‬3$ ‫ ف‬:a

1
‫ ع و=•ال‬4k$ H8Q3+‫ة ا! و‬,Ke!‫ ا‬Z]‫ق ه‬38kˆ‫ ا‬OP ‫م‬3c‫ ك أ‬B ‡I!‫ ا‬3Q3$‫وإن أ‬

*+‫ أ‬A8! g23c 2‫ك ا! ب‬g7 #7 -! Se6P #8)B*0!‫ ا‬H‫ آ‬$ ‫ل‬3?B 3N86! j‫إ!• ا‬
3
‫ وازن‬B*!‫ ا‬A8)c 8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬%‫ إ‬H7*\!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬1:5B ‫*ر‬0B

A?JB 3$‫ أ‬4+‫( أ‬89[ ‫د‬3Kkt3$ -kc,! 1=‫ أر‬AEP‫ؤ‬3a 3Q3$‫ب وأن أ‬,E0!‫ا‬

X8)N!‫ ا‬HQ37‫ إ‬OP *='‫ ا‬1_7 {E0!‫ي ا‬,c A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.-IEc OP 37 -P [‫و‬

‫ وإن‬.„kIE‚ •!‫ إ‬X8)N!‫ ا‬O?B*KB ‫ أن‬O$‫ أ‬3B OE[ OE} ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ل !¡ب ا‬30P

-!‫ إ‬-! g23c ‫م‬g)$ -0E‚‫ وأ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬4•E[ g} ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ ا‬AEP‫ؤ‬3a ‫ا'ب‬

.‫ص‬g\!3$ „0B ‚ 1K)B O23$‫أ‬

-ag} •E}‫ و‬5‫ل‬3c 3N‫ آ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬Sc‫ و‬g8Ec H?B*N!‫ ا‬#7 *:$ 3NEP

‫د‬3)t‫ أ‬-8P ‫ ا!]ي‬uV,N!‫ ا‬OP -:V‫ وو‬H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP H$3J= -kEN+ ¤c,E!‫و‬

‫د‬3)t' Ok!‫ ا‬HE736!‫ ا‬H8‡:!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬9Q 3NEP (‫أ‬139) .X8)N!‫ ا‬O)B*c

#7 ‫ع‬,P‫ د‬H•g• ‫• ا'رض‬E[ *v= -! ‫*ي‬KN!‫*س ا‬0!‫ر روح ا‬,?$ #8)B*0!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ و=•ال‬omitted.
2
B: j‫ا‬
3
B: ‫ان‬G87
4
B: AB*0!‫ ا‬inserted.
5
B: ‫ل‬3c 3N‫ آ‬omitted.
106 Stephen J. Davis

•Q3[‫ و‬-Kt,$ ‫• ا'رض‬E[ uc‫( و‬K?7 ‫ ب‬kc‫ ا‬3NEP (K8!‫ إ‬1MB ‫ أن‬1Ic
2
‫د‬3)t‫ أ‬#7 3ًa,} uN= H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP ]Š?8+ 1.‫ع‬,7*$ H=*0N!‫ده( ا‬3)t‫أ‬

8‰$ ‫ق ا!]ي‬,E\7 8‰!‫( ا‬2‫*ي ا!*ا‬$'‫ ا‬O080J!‫ ا‬-!.‫ ا! ب ا‬g23c #8)B*0!‫ا‬

3KB‫*ك أ‬vNB‫„ و‬8v?B‫„ و‬8E[ ‫رك‬3IB ‫ء‬38ˆ'‫ ا‬1‫ آ‬uQ3} ‫ء‬3KkQ‫ ا‬%‫*اء و‬k$‫ا‬

.182‫ إ= ا‬-!.‫ات ا‬,0!‫ رب ا‬18‫ وآ‬A87,D'‫ ا‬X!3M!‫„ ا‬B e!‫ا‬

(• .H8Q3+‫ ا! و‬H‫ آ‬I!‫ ا‬#7 33ً+ P 3Q,$‫ء أ‬OEk7‫ت وا‬,M!‫ ا‬¤6= ‫ا ه]ا‬,!3c 3NEP

(6N=‫ر ا‬3‫]آ‬k! H)8?‫ آ‬HQ37.‫ ا‬,$‫ أ‬3?$ *c -!.‫ ا‬X8)N!‫*اء ا‬Kˆ‫ و‬O23$‫ أ‬3B (K! ‫ل‬3c

‫ء‬35ˆ H=*0N!‫دآ( ا‬3)t‫ أ‬3K8P 1JB ‫ أن‬8_‫ و=•ال آ‬HIE‡$ O?E=‫*س وأر‬0N!‫ا‬

‫رة‬,‫ آ‬u8Nt‫ و‬HB‫?*ر‬6=.‫ ا‬H?B*7 OP -!.‫ ا‬X8)N!3$ #7•B #NE6! ‫ص‬gL‫و‬

-I:a ‫ ة‬t‫ أ‬-8‡:B 4j‫ ا‬#8E23c *+‫ت وا‬,M$ ‫ا‬,$3t‫ أ‬#8)B*0!‫ وإن ا‬. M7

‫ ه]ا‬1c 1$ HJ!3M!‫ ا‬-kN‫ ه‬H730k=3‫* آ‬$'‫ إ!• ا‬HN2‫ ا!*ا‬5‫ة‬38J!‫ ا‬OP (‫ب‬139)

‫ ا’ن‬-8P (‫ ا!]ي ه‬uV,N!‫ ا‬#7 ‫*وا‬:IB ‫ أن‬6‫*رون‬0B % 3Q‫د‬3)t‫ ك إن أ‬B ‡IE!

H08E\!‫ ا‬u8Nt -8P (80B ‫م ا!]ي‬,8!‫ إ!• ا‬-a3V 7 Z]‫!• 'ن ه‬3\!‫ ا! ب ا‬7~‫آ‬

„Š8v7‫ و‬3ً4B‫ أ‬¤Q‫„ أ‬I:a 1t‫ أ‬#7‫ و‬HE736!‫ ا‬-kQ37‫ وإ‬-I:a ‫د‬3Kt 1t‫ أ‬#7 #6!‫و‬

1
B: ‫ ة‬BGD inserted.
2
B: ‫ات‬,}‫أ‬
3
B: 3+
ً P omitted.
4
The scribe of G originally wrote an alif after the name of God but then
crossed it out.
5
B: HB*$'‫ ا‬inserted.
6
B: #6NB
 Life of John the Little 107

‫ن‬,0E:B H)8?6!‫ ا‬AB 6a ‫م‬,B 2(K8E\a .g‚3$ O4NB „I:a 1OE\Q 37 3?8!‫إ‬
3
18E!‫ ا‬OP #J?P H?K6!‫{ وا‬:e!‫ ا‬u8Nt uNva‫ = اج و‬%‫ و‬¤B‫ ز‬8‰$ 1B‫د‬3?0!‫ا‬

‫ ا! ب ه]ا‬¤8I! 3ً)B*0a‫ و‬4‫ ا! ب‬H‫ آ‬$‫ة و‬,c 3K8P u?MQ‫ و‬H)8?6!‫ إ!• ا‬4JQ

#88V‫ ا'ر‬#823N)!‫ ا‬HI‫ رآ‬1‫ا آ‬,_va -!‫ و‬3KE‫ ا'رض آ‬OP -N=‫* ا‬vNa ‫ا!]ي‬

-!‫ة إ‬,0$‫ و‬.1736!‫ ا‬Z‫د‬,v= ‫*م‬:B uV,7 A8! -Q' ‫ ا'رض‬¤Ja ‫وا!]ي‬
6
‫*ًا‬8vNa {23v[‫ت و‬3B‫ أ‬u?MQ‫ و‬5OQ3+‫ رو‬H)8?6!‫ ا‬OP 4JQ 182‫إ= ا‬

•E[ 3K8P „!]‫• آ‬0IB 3ً4B‫ أ‬-a3P‫* و‬:$‫ ك و‬B ‡I!‫ة ا‬38+ OP *$'‫رك إ!• ا‬3INE!

‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬1KvB‫ و‬3KE‫• ا'رض آ‬E[ HNEœ ‫ن‬,6a „!‫* ذ‬:$‫ و‬-235EL #7 #8?•‫* ا‬B

-J$]7 ‫ن‬,)v?B‫*س و‬0N!‫ ا‬-N=‫• ا‬E[ ‫ن‬,P*vB‫أ( و‬140) .j‫ن ا‬3)+‫ إ‬H7‫آ ا‬

.-8P •0IQ %‫ و‬-?7 ‫\ ج‬Q‫ و‬3?! O?$ ‫ ا!]ي‬uV,N!‫ ك ا‬kQ 3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ‫و‬

*v= A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3?8$' #8)B*0!‫ ا‬H8kP H•g_!‫ ا‬Z,!3c ‫ ا!]ي‬-KIˆ 37‫* ه]ا و‬:$‫و‬

‫ أن‬1Ic Z,‫رآ‬3IB ‫• ا'رض و=~ل أن‬E[ -Kt,$ 3ً4B‫ أ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫أ‬

8‰$ -kQ,:N$ OKk?N!‫*ك إ!• ا‬4:B 182‫ إ= ا‬-!‫ ا! ب إ‬-! ‫ا‬,!30P .(K?[ O4NB

1
B: 1:vB %
2
B: (K[*a #6!‫و‬
3
B: 18E!‫ ا‬OP omitted.
4
B: j‫ا‬
5
The scribe of G has neglected to put this adverb into its proper accusative
case (3ً8Q3+‫)رو‬.
6
B: ‫*ًا‬8vNa omitted.
108 Stephen J. Davis

*:$‫ و‬38Q*!‫ ه]ا ا‬OP 1‫ و[ ق‬18Ec ‫د‬3Kt „! ‫”ن‬P .‫ى‬,0a‫ي و‬G:a #6! ‫ط‬,0=

(K! *v)P .‫! ب‬3$ „:7 H7g)!‫ص وا‬g\!‫ ا‬.‫*ة‬$•N!‫ة ا‬38J!‫ إ!• ا‬Oa~a „!‫ذ‬

OP ÌKkI7 ,‫ [?*ه( وه‬#7 ‫ ج‬L‫ و‬H8Q3+‫ رو‬HN89[ Hc J$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ا‬

.‫ا! ب‬

.HB‫?*ر‬6=.‫ه ا‬39$ -k:V‫• و‬k+ 3ً4B‫ أ‬H$3J= -kEN+ 2g8Ec (K?[ *:$ 3NEP

-! -!3c 37‫ن و‬3‫ آ‬37 u8Nv$ -P [ ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ ا‬3?8$~$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬uNkt‫ ا‬3NEP

u8Nt‫ و‬#8)B*c H5c3=‫ وأ‬H?K6!‫ ا‬u8Nt ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ ا‬uNt ¤c,E!‫ و‬.#8)B*0!‫ا‬

OP‫ و‬.3K)B*0a‫ و‬3‫ه‬GB 6a 1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫ر‬3K‚'‫ ا‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H)8?‫ إ!• آ‬H?B*N!‫{ ا‬:ˆ

‫ح‬3P‫ب( و‬140) H=*0N!‫ ا‬H:8I!‫ ا‬OP ‫* أˆ ق‬c (89[ ‫ر‬,?$ ‫ واذا‬18E!‫ ا‬SMQ

u8Nt „!]‫ وآ‬.#8)B*0!‫ ا‬#6)NP H?B*N!‫ ا‬4u8Nt ‫ق‬,P ‫اء‬,K!‫ ا‬OP 3(89[ ‫ر‬,\$

3Nً 89[ 6 8_‫ء آ‬38V ‫ا‬,V‫ وأ‬5¤c,!‫ ا‬OP ‫ا‬,t =‫ أ‬H:8I!‫ ا‬OP Ok!‫ ا‬1B‫د‬3?0!‫ا‬

‫ر‬,4J$ ‫رة‬3ˆ‫ن إ‬3‫ آ‬-E‫ ه]ا آ‬.‫رًا‬3Q ‫ر‬3} -:8Nt uV,N!‫ إن ا‬3?Ec •k+

Z]‫ وا ه‬9Q 3N! -:7 #B]!‫ ا‬uNv7 1‫ ك وآ‬B ‡I!‫ وإن ا‬.H?B*N!‫ إ!• ا‬#8)B*0!‫ا‬

j‫ن ا‬,‫رآ‬3IB‫ن و‬,JI)B ‫ا‬,E:t ‫رت‬3} Ok!‫ ا‬S},!‫ق ا‬,5a Ok!‫ ا‬H$,v['‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ و[ ق‬omitted.
2
G: g8Ec (K?[ *:$ 3NEP; B: 18Ec *:$‫و‬
3
B: (89[ ‫ر‬,\$ ‫ح‬3P‫ و‬H=*0N!‫ ا‬H:8I!‫ ا‬OP ‫* أˆ ق‬c omitted due to homoteleuton.
4
G: u8Nt ‫ق‬,P; B: •E[ ‫ر‬,Q
5
G: ¤c,!‫ ا‬OP ‫ا‬,t =‫ ;أ‬B: ‫رت‬3Q‫أ‬
6
B: 8_‫ آ‬omitted.
 Life of John the Little 109

AE8P‫ؤ‬3a AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.3ً8Q3+‫ رو‬3ً+ P ‫•ة‬EN7 H8vˆ ‫ن‬3J!~$ -Q‫*و‬vNB‫و‬

‫رك‬3Ia ,‫ وه‬-:7 H)8?6!‫ن ا‬,=*0B (‫ وه‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H8kP H•g_!‫ ى ا‬B ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ا‬

‫*ًا‬v7 ‫•ة‬ENN!‫ ا‬H$,v['‫ ا‬Z]‫ وا ه‬B ‫ا أن‬,0Jk=‫{ ا‬:e!‫ ا‬#7 3ً4B‫ أ‬8_‫ وآ‬.(K?7

‫*ًا‬88:a‫ و‬3ً=‫*ا‬c u?} ‫ح‬3IM!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬3NEP .#88Q3NE[‫ن و‬3I‫ وره‬H?K‫ وآ‬H5c3=‫أ‬

2‫ ا!) ا‬#7 (‫ه‬3‡[‫ وأ‬H?B*N!‫ ا‬1‫ أه‬u8Nt‫ ك و‬B ‡I!‫ ا'ب ا‬3ً8Q3+‫رو‬
1
.H=*0N!‫ا‬

‫م‬,8!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP OV N!‫ ا‬-k!3Q 3ًN8‡[ ‫ ًء‬35ˆ ‫ أن‬Z3Q*t‫( و‬B*c ‫ب‬3k‫ آ‬OP 18c 3N‫آ‬

¤B‫ ز‬8‰$ ‫دة‬,c,7 ‫ل‬38! uI=‫م و‬3B‫ أ‬H:I= 2‫ا‬,73c‫ وأ‬H:8I!‫ ا‬1B‫د‬3?c u8Nt ‫*وا‬c‫وو‬

16! ‫ص‬g\!‫ن ا‬,:?MB‫أ( و‬141) #8)B*0!‫ ا‬H:8$ OP (2‫ر دا‬,?!‫ر وا‬,\I!‫وا‬

H8Q‫*و‬0EL OP ‫ن‬3‫دي ا!]ي آ‬,K8!‫ ا‬uNvN!‫ ا‬uNkt‫• ا‬k+ 3ًN89[ 3ًQ37‫* ز‬+‫أ‬

OP 3ًQ,?t‫ و‬3ً6ˆ ‫ءًا‬,EN7 3ًND ‫ا‬,:V‫ و‬37*?[ (Kc35?$ H=*0N!‫ ا‬H)8?6!‫ا ا‬,c P‫وأ‬

1_N‫ آ‬H823N)!‫ ا‬-kN:Q‫ و‬j‫* ا‬v7 #7 ‫ا‬,$ ‰a ‫]ا‬K$‫ و‬.HMc3?!‫( ا‬KkQ37”$ (!3:!‫ ا‬1‫آ‬

. e$ 4‫رو‬3} (KQ' ‫ء‬%•‫ ه‬OP 1Ja % O+‫ إن رو‬31230!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫ا‬

1
B: H=*0N!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
B: ¤Eœ
3
G: 1230!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫ ا‬1_N‫ ;آ‬B: ‫ب‬3k6!‫ل ا‬3c 3N‫آ‬
4
The final alif in the third person plural form is missing in G.
110 Stephen J. Davis

‫م‬g)$ ‫ب‬,E0!‫ ا‬1‫د إ!• وازن‬3[‫ ك و‬B ‡I!‫ ا‬#7 A?JB ,$‫رك أ‬3Ia ‫* ه]ا‬:$‫و‬

‫ل‬3c 3ً4B‫* ه]ا أ‬:$ #7‫( و‬K)5Q' H:5?7‫ و‬j‫ ا‬HN9:$ ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬u7 (E6kB ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬

H?B*7 OP 3ً?23‫ ًا آ‬8I‫ آ‬3ً:Nt ‫ أن‬uN=‫ أ‬¤?‫* آ‬0P ‫ة‬,L‫ إ‬3B O! ‫ وا‬5D‫ة ا‬,L¡!

.Ž0P ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ى أ‬,= ‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬#7 *+‫ أ‬-t‫ و‬3K$ M$‫ و!( أ‬HB‫?*ر‬6=.‫ا‬
3
‫؟‬3B‫! ؤ‬3$ H?B*N!‫ ا‬2¥B*+ ‫ ى‬a ¯8eE! ‫ا‬,!3c ‫ا أو‬,Iv:a ‫ة ه]ا‬,L.‫ ا‬uN= 3NEP

‫ أو‬HkI!‫ ا‬O?6ENB ‫ ي‬6P 1:t‫ !( أ‬1$ „!]‫ آ‬7'‫ ا‬A8! (K! ‫ل‬3c‫ و‬AB*0!‫ب ا‬3t‫أ‬

‫ ا'ب‬8D ‫س‬3?!‫ ا‬#7 *+‫ أ‬-t‫ أرى و‬3N86! ‫ق‬,P •!‫ إ‬O?8[ uP‫ أن أر‬O
ّ E[ (6JB

#8+ 1‫ة آ‬,L‫ إ‬3B 3ً4B‫( أ‬kQ‫( أ‬6=,5Q ‫ل ˆ*وا‬3c‫ب( و‬141) .Ž0P ‫ ك‬B ‡I!‫ا‬

‫ا‬,:5kQ‫ة ا‬,L.‫ ا‬uN= 3NEP .(68E[ 1JB‫*س و‬0!‫ ! وح ا‬g‫آ‬38‫ا ه‬,Q,6a 3N86!

-Q‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬-E234P ,E:$ ‫ة‬,c •!‫ة إ‬,c #7 8)B A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫*ًا وآ‬t „!]$

.j‫ ا‬OP ‫ن‬,?‰k)B #B Lž ‫م‬,c 1:vB ‫ن‬3‫آ‬

1
B: ‫ان‬G87
2
G: ¥B*+; B: ¤•*+. Here, due to confusion over the proper pointing of the
text, the scribes of G and B may have miscopied the verb ْ¤$َ ِ L
َ (“destroyed”)
which would more closely correspond in meaning to the original Bohairic verb.
In the Bohairic, the monks ask John the Little, “Has the city been destroyed
( ), my father?” (Mikhail and Vivian, 50). The original Arabic
translation may have read as follows: ...AB*0!‫ب ا‬3t‫ أ‬3B‫! ؤ‬3$ ‫؟‬H?B*N!‫ ا‬¤َ$ِ L
َ ‫ ى‬a
(“‘I wonder, has the city been destroyed?’ By means of a revelation, the saint
replied...”).
3
B: 3Q3$‫ أ‬3B inserted.
 Life of John the Little 111

{E‰B HB‫?*ر‬6=.‫ ا‬H?B*7 #7 -t‫ و‬L #8+ #7 ‫ ة‬8_‫م آ‬3B‫* أ‬:$ #7‫ و‬.76

3?23$‫ع أ‬3Nkt‫)*وا ا‬P‫ ة وأ‬8Jk7 HV,‰I7 ‫ل‬3N[~$ 1‫ادي‬,!‫• ا‬E[ $ I!‫ا‬

A?JB ,$ ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.H=*0N!‫ ا‬u8I!‫ا ا‬,$ L‫• و‚ دوه( وأ‬e+‫{ و‬E0$ (‫وه*وه‬

‫ا‬,$ ‫ اه‬H?B*N!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬#7 (‫ إذا ‚ دوآ‬g23c -8P ‫ل‬3J!‫ ا‬X8)N!‫م ا‬g‫ آ‬OP ‫*رس‬B

*:$ O4NB‫ و‬H:8I!‫ ا‬2OE\B ‫ أن‬A?JB ,$ AB*0!‫*أ ا‬$ ‫ ه]ا‬1t'‫ و‬.‫ ى‬L‫إ!• أ‬

L‫ ة أ‬8_‫س آ‬,5Q •E\B 3N86! j‫ ا‬#7 8$*k$ „!‫ن ذ‬3‫ وآ‬.‫م‬GE0!‫ذ!„ إ!• ا‬

OP #88c3$ (‫ا ه‬,Q3‫ن آ‬3•‫د ا'و‬3I[ ‫ 'ن‬3‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬uV,N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP -B*B •E[

3Q3$‫ أ‬3B #8E23c ‫ة‬,L.‫ ا‬-$ ‫ط‬3+‫ أ‬H:8I!‫ ا‬#7 AB*0!‫• ا‬47 3NEP .uV,N!‫ذ!„ ا‬

g23c AB*0!‫( ا‬K$3t‫ ؟ أ‬$ I!‫ ا‬#7 ‫ف‬3\a ¤Q‫ أ‬1‫؟ ه‬3?‫ آ‬ka‫ و‬3ً4B‫ أ‬¤Q‫ أ‬O4Na

‫ ه]ا‬,‫ ه‬j‫*ام ا‬c 1736!‫ ا‬8\!‫ ا‬1$ ‫ف‬3L‫ أ‬¤)! -!.‫ ا‬X8)N!‫=( ا‬3$ (‫أ‬142)

‫ أن‬18vQ.‫ ا‬4-!3c ‫!]ي‬3‫ آ‬1$ Z*+‫ و‬-)5Q ‫ص‬gL ‫ن‬3)Q.‫{ ا‬E‡B %‫ أ‬7'‫ا‬

‫ص‬gL -)5Q ‫ص‬gL 3K$ *M0B -!3N[‫ أ‬u8Nt u?MB X!3M!‫ن ا‬3)Q.‫ن ا‬,6B

-Q”P HQ37.3$ O?7 3ًc k57 ‫ن‬3‫ ي إن آ‬$ I!‫*ة 'ن ه]ا ا‬+‫واة وا‬3)N$ -8L‫أ‬

•!‫ إ‬O4NB ,‫ ه‬O?Ek0B •k+ -! ¤5c‫ و‬3Q‫”ذا أ‬P OE_7 -k08EL‫ و‬j‫رة ا‬,}

1
B: ‫ ارى‬I!‫ا‬
2
B: ‫ ك‬kB
3
B: ‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬omitted.
4
After writing an extra aleph (or lam) after the verb ‫ل‬3c the scribe seems to
have corrected himself by writing a terminal h ’ over the original, mistaken
stroke.
112 Stephen J. Davis

OL‫ وأ‬H+‫ ا! ا‬OP ‫ن‬,‫ أن أآ‬1N+‫ أ‬% ‫ ه]ا‬1t‫ أ‬#NP OEt‫ أ‬#7 H$,0:!‫ ا‬1(8Jv!‫ا‬

.OEt‫ أ‬#7 H$,0:!‫ ا‬OP

2
-B*KB X8)N!‫د وا‬3Kv!‫ ا‬#8)$% 3?23$‫ أ‬H80$‫ و‬HB I!‫ ا‬-?[ ‫ ك‬a ‫ ه]ا‬1t'‫ و‬.77

‫م‬,B ‫ ة‬8)7 ‫م‬GE0!‫ ا‬1L‫س دا‬,8Q,‡Q‫( أ‬89:!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬1I+ •!‫ إ‬-E}‫إ!• أن أو‬

‫ن‬3‫ ا!]ي آ‬1_N‫رة آ‬3v+ #7 -! -:?} uV,7 ‫ق‬,P ‫ }\ ة‬OP #6=‫ و‬.-?7

•E[ *BGB ‫د‬3Kkt3$ 4j‫*اوم ا‬7 -8P AEt‫ب و‬,E0!‫ ا‬3‫ادي وازن‬,!‫ ا‬OP 3ً4B‫ أ‬-8P

#8+ 1‫ آ‬OP (kKN!‫ وا‬.-NKP *B*vk$ ‫*ئ‬k$‫ ا’ن ا!]ي ا‬-Q~‫ آ‬-8P -!3:P‫ و‬-6)Q

.-7*\B OQ3NE[ 3ً?B‫ د‬3ً?7•7 gt‫ ر‬-c‫ب( رز‬142) -)B*c H}3\$‫ و‬-k08E\$

„!‫ن ذ‬36= 5#8)B*0!‫ ا‬u8Nt OP HQ37‫ إ‬-! ‫ن‬3‫ وه]ا آ‬HB 0!‫„ ا‬Ea 1‫ أه‬#7 ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬

-)5Q ‫ص‬g\! -!.‫ ا‬HIJ7 *)J$ -8P 65B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ أ‬3N8=%‫ و‬1Iv!‫ا‬

‫ات‬,EM$ j‫*اوم ا‬7 -23I} #7 ‫ل‬,k$ -Q‫ إ‬18c 3N‫ آ‬.HN89[ ¤Q3‫ آ‬-a 8= ‫'ن‬

1t !‫ وه]ا ا‬j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 H=*07 3B‫ ى رؤ‬B ‫• أن‬Jk)B ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ ة‬8_‫دات آ‬3I[‫و‬

1
B: (8Jv!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
G: -B*KB X8)N!‫د وا‬3Kv!‫ا‬
#8)$% 3?23$‫ أ‬H80$‫ ;و‬B: ‫ر‬3} -Q‫ •( أ‬.‫د‬3Kv!‫ ا‬OP 3Q‫ؤ‬3$‫ أ‬O0$ ‫و‬
X8)N!3$ ‫*ى‬kKB ‫ ا‬23=
3
B: ‫ان‬G8N$
4
G: j‫*اوم ا‬7; B: j‫دة ا‬3I:! 3ً7‫*او‬7
5
B: #7 inserted.
 Life of John the Little 113

‫ن‬3‫)* وه]ا آ‬v!‫ ا‬Ht3J! Z*0k5B ‫ع‬,I='‫ ا‬OP H:P‫ د‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫\*م ا‬B ‫ن‬3‫آ‬

.18c 3N‫*س آ‬0N!‫* ا‬+'‫م ا‬,B 1‫ آ‬OP -:?MB

‫ ه]ا ا!]ي‬j‫ ا‬#7 3ً‫ آ‬J7 3ً[,P‫ د‬HB 0!‫ إ!• ا‬Oa~B 3ً4B‫ أ‬A?JB ,$‫ن أ‬3‫ وآ‬.78

37*?[ H858?J!‫ ب ا‬+ #7 (K)5Q 1O0?B O6! 3N8=%‫ ًا و‬8_‫ ًء آ‬35ˆ -8P 1:5B

3ً:8Nt (K! 8MB‫ و‬.‫ر‬,?!‫ ا‬1_7 L’‫ ا‬uV,N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP -kE84P ‫ر‬,Q ‫ ق‬eB

-Q‫• أ‬k+ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫* أ‬B •E[ (K}gL ‫ا‬,!3?B‫ص و‬g\!‫ إ!• ا‬3ًB*K7

HB 0!‫ ا‬OP ‫ا‬,Q3‫ آ‬#B]!‫{ ا‬:e!‫ ا‬u8Nt ‫\ ج‬B 1Iv!‫ ا‬#7 uE‚ -Q‫ا أ‬,:N= ‫إذا‬

(‫ ه‬#B 8_‫( 'ن آ‬K:8Nt (K8!‫ إ‬#)J7 ,‫أ( إذ ه‬143) -?7 ‫ا‬,‫رآ‬3Ik8! -Q,0EkB

‫ا‬,Q3‫* آ‬c‫ ة و‬8_‫ل آ‬36ˆ~$ (K?[ *‫ه‬3t‫*و و‬:!‫* ا‬B #7 (‫]ه‬0Q‫ أ‬#B]!‫س ا‬,5?!‫ا‬

.‫ن‬3•‫د أو‬3I[ j #84‰I7

O=3c ‫*ًا‬t 3ً8?D ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬2‫ وه]ا‬.-k8$ 1t‫* ر‬+‫ وا‬1t‫ ر‬%‫ إ‬uV,N!‫*س ذ!„ ا‬c‫و‬

-k8$ OP H4P‫ و‬3ًI‫ ة ذه‬8_‫م آ‬3?}‫ أ‬-!‫ و‬.-!37 ‫ آ_ ة‬1t‫ أ‬#7 3ًJc‫رًا و‬3It {E0!‫ا‬

‫ ًا‬8_‫ آ‬3ً$‫ []ا‬#8)‫ ا'ر•]آ‬#8?7•N!‫]ب ا‬:B ‫ن‬3‫ وه]ا آ‬3.(K8P A8E$‫* إ‬I:B

‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q”P .X8)N!‫ر ا‬,Q (E[ •!‫ إ‬H)v?!‫ ا‬-a‫د‬3I[ #[ ‫ن‬,:t B #B]!‫ ا‬3N8=%‫و‬

1
O0?B (inserted by the scribe above the line of text); B: •5ea
G:
2
‫ وه]ا‬.-k8$ 1t‫* ر‬+‫ وا‬1t‫ ر‬%‫ إ‬uV,N!‫*س ذ!„ ا‬c‫ ; و‬B: uV,N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬
G:
*+‫ وا‬1t‫ر‬
3
B: (K8P omitted.
114 Stephen J. Davis

AB*0!‫ إ!• ا‬2‫ء‬O=3B ‫ ة أن‬8_‫ آ‬13ً[,P‫*أ د‬$ 1t !‫ ة وإن ه]ا ا‬8_‫م آ‬%~$ (KN!~B

-a38+ ‫ع‬G?8! ¤c‫ و‬1‫ آ‬6N$ -8E[ {M?B‫ و‬Z 48! A8E$‫)* إ‬J$ A?JB ,$‫أ‬

•JEB ‫ أراد أن‬%‫ و‬1NkJB (! 3-k08EL 23e$‫ و‬-$ (kKN!‫ ا‬j‫ وا‬.‫ ا'رض‬#7

.A?JB ,$‫ة أ‬gM$ 1t E! ‫ص‬g\!‫ ا‬u?} HN6J$ 1$ ‫ رديء‬1:P Z*I[

‫ آ_ ة‬#7‫ و‬.‫*ًا‬t 4‫ ب‬4B ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬-Q‫• أ‬k+ {:} ‫*ري‬t ‫ ض‬7 -8E[ {Et‫أ‬

‫ح‬3?P (‫ب‬143) .-kJa #7 ‫• ا!*ود‬3?a‫ن و‬3k?•.‫ ا‬Z3?8[ ¤8N[ -a3$ V H$,:}

(K23N=~$ ‫ن‬,_8‰k)B ‫ا‬,Q3‫( وآ‬KK!‫ا إ!• إ‬,[*P -k8$ 1‫ أه‬1‫ وآ‬-8E[ Z*I[ u8Nt

1$ ‫ت‬3Kv!‫ ا‬#7 HKt OP HQ,:7‫ء و‬35ˆ *vB (! „!‫* ذ‬:$‫ و‬.-8P3:8! *+‫* وا‬+‫وا‬

‫ ه]ا‬OP ,‫ ه‬3N8P‫ و‬.Hc‫ و‬J7 HIeL 1_7 ‫ر‬3MP _‫'آ‬3$ -8E[ ‫ي‬,0B ‫ت‬,N!‫ن ا‬3‫آ‬

‫ا‬,[ =‫ل ا‬3c‫* و‬Kv$ uN)B ‫*ًا‬t 3Ï85L 3ً7g‫ آ‬HN89[ H$,:M$ (E6B 5‫]اب‬:!‫ا‬

‫ء‬35ˆ O! ‫ن‬,6B A8! Z 8‰B ‫”ن‬P #88J8)N!‫ ا‬Z%‫* إ‬I[ A?JB ,$‫ وا إ!• أ‬4+‫وا‬

,$‫~وا إ!• أ‬t‫( و‬89[ ‫د‬3Kkt3$ Z*8I[‫ و‬-k8$ 1‫ أ= ع أه‬¤c,E!‫ و‬.HN+‫ ر‬%‫و‬

‫د‬3)t'‫س وا‬,5?!‫{ ا‬8I‚ (K8!‫ ج إ‬L Z*I:7 ‫ب‬3$ ‫ا‬,c‫ د‬3NEP .1Iv!‫ إ!• ا‬A?JB

(K! ‫ل‬30P .-8!‫( إ‬K:7 O4NB ‫د أن‬3Kkt‫ع وا‬,4\$ -Q,!~)B 1= !‫ ا‬1:vP

1
B: ‫ ات‬7
2
B: ‫)•ء‬B
3
B: -B‫ر‬3k\7
4
B: ‫ت‬,MB
5
B: (89:!‫ ا‬inserted.
 Life of John the Little 115

‫ر‬,?$ ‫ء‬O4k)B‫ و‬1 56!‫ ه]ا ا‬#[ •E\kB -Q‫ أ‬-)5Q •E[ ‫?]ر‬B (! ‫ إذ‬AB*0!‫ا‬

.3P3:B A8EP %‫ث وإ‬,!3_!3$ HQ37.‫ا‬

‫*ة‬e!‫„ ا‬Ea OP -Q,6!‫ و‬-! „!‫ا ذ‬,!3c‫ا و‬,47 ‫ ه]ا‬1= !‫ل ا‬3t !‫ ا‬uN= 3NEP

.*B B 37 u8Nt 1:P‫ أ‬3Q~P ‫ن‬3$ 4!‫ ه]ا ا‬#7 O?85:B Z,[‫( اد‬K! ‫ل‬3c HN89:!‫ا‬

OeNB ‫م‬3c‫أ( و‬144) ‫~= ع‬P „!]$ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ا ا‬,P [‫ و‬1= !‫د ا‬3:P

1t !‫ ذ!„ ا‬#6)7 •!‫ إ‬1}‫ و‬3NEP 2.j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 ‫ل‬,=‫ ر‬1_7 ‫ ح‬P ,‫( وه‬K:7

#8‚38e!‫) وا وا‬6a‫ و‬¤8I!‫ ا‬OP #B]!‫ن ا‬3•‫ ا'و‬u8Nt ‫ا‬,‡0= H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea O5P

*c 3Q' 3?! 1B,!‫ ا‬#8E23c ‫اء‬,K!‫ ا‬OP ‫ن‬,J8MB ‫ا‬,E:t‫ و‬3‫ا‬,$‫ر‬3Ka (K8P ‫س‬,Ev!‫ا‬

‫ روح‬#7 3ًŠEkN7 AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.3??6)7 •k+ ËE$‫ و‬uV,7 1‫ آ‬#7 3Q‫‚ د‬

HI!3‰!‫{ ا‬8EM!‫ ا‬H7g:$‫ و‬-a‫ا‬,EM$ 4(Kk!gV 1‡IB‫( و‬KkN9[ ‫ي‬GvB ‫*س‬0!‫ا‬

„!‫ن ذ‬3‫ آ‬.‫ ة‬8_‫ آ‬HIE‡$‫ و‬-a‫ا‬,E} H‫ آ‬I$ #6)N!‫ ا‬u8Nt ‫*س‬c‫ و‬.HME\N!‫ا‬

3ًŠEkN7 AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.‫ ˆ*ة‬OP OQ”P 5O??8[ ‫*ي‬8= 3B ‫ل‬,0B‫ ع و‬4kB 1t !‫ا‬

-!.3$ ‫ ف‬k[‫*ة إ!• أن ا‬$•N!‫ة ا‬38J!‫م ا‬g6$ -k8$ 1‫ وآ‬-9[,P 6H8eL 1‫ آ‬#7

.‫ء‬3KkQ‫ ا‬%‫*اء و‬k$‫ ا‬-! % ‫ ق ا!]ي‬k5N!‫ ا‬8D ‫ق‬,E\N!‫ ا‬8D ‫ث‬,!3_!‫* ا‬+‫ا‬,!‫ا‬

1
B: 65!‫ا‬
2
B: j‫ ا‬1Ic #7 ...‫ل‬3t !‫ ا‬uN= 3NEP omitted.
3
G: ‫ا‬,$‫ر‬3Ka (K8P ‫س‬,Ev!‫ ا‬#8‚38e!‫ ;وا‬B: ‫ا‬,$ ‫ ه‬#8‚38e!‫ا‬ #7 3K8P ‫س‬,Ev!‫وا‬
4
The scribe of G has written this as (Kk!gœ.
5
B: •?[‫أ‬
6
B: HIeL
116 Stephen J. Davis

‫ث‬,!3_!‫ ا‬#7 *+‫ا‬,!‫ ا‬3?}gL 1t' 3?:7 -E:P ‫ ا!]ي‬8$*k!3$ ‫ ف‬k[‫ ا‬-E:t‫و‬

#7‫*س و‬0!‫ روح ا‬#7 *)va ‫ ا'ب ه]ا ا!]ي‬j‫ ا‬HNE‫* آ‬8+,!‫ ا‬#$%‫*س ا‬0N!‫ا‬

#7 ‫م‬3c‫ و‬3?[ (!~a‫ و‬g73‫ آ‬3ًQ3=3Q‫ر إ‬3}‫ب( و‬144) -!.‫]رى وا!*ة ا‬:!‫( ا‬B 7

#B*8! Z*vN$ Oa~B ,‫ات وه‬,N)!‫* إ!• ا‬:}‫ و‬¥!3_!‫م ا‬,8!‫ ا‬OP ‫ات‬,7'‫ا‬

*:$ #7‫ و‬.-?8‚38ˆ u8Nt‫ن و‬3‡8e!‫ ا‬1t !‫* ا‬Jt ‫]ا‬K$‫ و‬.‫ات‬,7'‫ء وا‬38+'‫ا‬

‫ن‬367 -:)B % ‫*س ا!]ي‬0N!‫ث ا‬,!3_!‫=( ا‬3$ -k8$ 1‫ أه‬1‫ وآ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬Z*N[ „!‫ذ‬

.‫*ة‬B*v!‫ ا‬H0E\!‫ر ا‬,?$ ¬8$‫ أ‬-E:t‫ن و‬37‫ ز‬-8E[ ‫ي‬,kJB %‫و‬

3N! 1t !‫ا إن ا‬,!3c .¤c,!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP *J!‫ وا‬1*vN!‫ق ا‬,5a H$,v[ ‫ ت‬t‫و‬

„Ea OP 9Q‫ و‬35)!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫ر‬,ec -8?8[ #7 ¤‡0= ‫*س‬0N!‫ء ا‬3N!‫ ا‬#7 *:}

OP #8:Nkv7 HB 0!‫ ا‬1‫ أه‬u8Nt ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬.-234[‫ أ‬u8Nt OP OP,[‫ و‬H[3)!‫ا‬

HIJN$ ‫*ون‬8:B ‫ا‬,Q3‫ وآ‬OQ3+‫ ح رو‬P (K:8Nt (K! ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬j‫*ون ا‬vNB -k8$

‫ص‬g\!‫• ا‬E[ -E‫ أه‬u8Nt‫ و‬,‫ ه‬#7•N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬¤8$ OP H}3\$‫) ة و‬7‫و‬

. 8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB Z*I[‫ ا! ب و‬#7 -8!‫ر إ‬3} ‫ ا!]ي‬2S:V3kN!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫* و‬vN!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
B: S[34kN!‫ا‬. The scribe of G has misspelled the word by switching the alif
and the ā
 Life of John the Little 117

%‫ا‬,7‫ ق أ‬P H=*0N!‫ ا‬2‫د ا!) ا‬,:} •Jk=‫ وا‬HN9:!‫اه{ ا‬,N!‫ ا‬Z]‫ل ه‬3Q 3NEP

H)8?6E! ‫ ة‬8_‫ آ‬3B‫م وه*ا‬,8!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP ‫ اء‬05!‫ وا‬1‫ء‬35:4!‫ وا‬#8‫آ‬3)NE! ‫ ة‬8_‫آ‬

‫*اس‬0E! OQ‫ أوا‬3K:?} H45!‫م ا!]ه{ وا‬3?}'‫ وا‬-!3Q ‫ص ا!]ي‬g\!‫ض ا‬,[

4
‫ ا!]ي‬Z*[ ¤Q3‫*س وآ‬0N!‫ ا‬X$]N!‫ وا‬H)8?6!‫ ا‬H7*L H80$‫ و‬3‫ت‬3=~‫ وآ‬2OQ‫ا‬,}

-a‫ أ‬7‫ وإ‬1t !‫ ا‬u7 A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫* ا‬B •E[ (‫أ‬145) ‫م‬,8!‫ ذ!„ ا‬OP ‫*وا‬N:B

HN:Q HQ,:N$ uV,N!‫ ا‬u8Nt ‫*س‬c 3NEP .3ً)5Q #8:I= Z*8I[ u8Nt‫ و‬-k8$ 1‫وأه‬

(86J!‫ل ا‬,= !3$ -Iea‫ و‬#87'‫ ا‬O[‫ ب ا! ا‬E! (K[‫د‬,k=‫ ا‬H823N)!‫ا! ب ا‬

6
-[,7*! ‫ص ا!]ي‬g\!‫ ة ا‬N• 173+ 5‫ن‬3+ P ,‫ [?*ه( وه‬#7 •47‫ و‬.A!,$

.‫ات‬,0!‫ آ م رب ا‬OP #87‫ أ‬1[3P -Iˆ

‫د‬3Kv!‫ ا‬18E‫”آ‬$ ‫ء‬O4B ,‫ وه‬Z‫ اد‬5Q‫ ا‬uV‫ا‬,7 •!‫ إ‬AB*0!‫• ا‬47 3NEP .79

1_7 _‫'آ‬3$‫ و‬1= !‫ء وا‬38IQ'‫ ا‬1_7‫ و‬O080+ ‫ر‬3$ 7A82‫ ر‬1_7 j OV N!‫ا‬

‫ ف‬k:7 1_7‫ و‬H85L OP‫ه ًا و‬3œ ‫ ة‬8_‫ آ‬3ً[,P‫*ًا د‬8Kˆ ‫ر‬3} *c -Q' ‫*اء‬Ke!‫ا‬

1
B: ‫ء‬35:4!‫ وا‬omitted.
2
B: OQ‫ا‬,} omitted.
3
B: ‫*اس‬0E! inserted.
4
Read #B]!‫ا‬.
5
B: HIeL
6
B: -[,7*! ‫ ا!]ي‬omitted.
7
B: A82‫ ر‬omitted.
 118 Stephen J. Davis

-E0+ ¤IQ 3NEP 1.‫*ًا‬8t -V‫ م أر‬6B X!3} gN[ 1‫ آ‬OP „=3Q 1_7 _‫'آ‬3$‫و‬
2
‫ر وآ_ ت‬,?!‫ ا‬1_7 ¤48$‫ أ‬Ok!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬-kEI?= ¤48$‫ وأ‬-a N ‫ ت‬Kœ‫*ًا و‬8t

#8+ 1‫ آ‬-IEc ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬¥8+ 3‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬#2‫ا‬GL OP ‫ن‬G\B‫* و‬MJ8! j‫ة ا‬3V 7 OP

‫ة ا!\‡ ة‬38J!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬#7 1J?B ‫ أن‬3ًN2‫ دا‬4‫ق‬3keB AB*0!‫ن ا‬3‫ آ‬3?ME\7 H8},‫آ‬

‫ أن‬6‫* = ان‬c ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬X8)N!‫ أن ا‬3N8=5‫ب( و‬145) X8)N!‫ ا‬u7 ‫ن‬,6B‫ ة و‬N!‫ا‬

‫ة‬,c ¤5:V‫ و‬7*B‫ا‬Ga 3N!‫ و‬.‫ ض‬NB ‫ أن‬3Q,$‫*ئ أ‬IP -$3:a‫ أ‬1‫ آ‬#7 Z*I[ X8?B

p. 118, line 7: ‫ ذرﻛﺗﮫ‬should read ‫ذﻛرﺗﮫ‬ 3N8P‫ و‬.-k7*\$ 3ًIœ‫ا‬,7‫ و‬-7‫*ا‬c 3ً5Qž -k‫ ا!]ي ذرآ‬8O0?!‫دم ا‬3\!‫ن ذ!„ ا‬3‫ آ‬Z*)t

1L*P 18c 3N‫ آ‬9‫ ض‬N!‫ن ا‬3$ V 1t‫ أ‬#7 ‫ ان‬K= ,‫ وه‬18E!‫ ا‬OP *c‫ را‬AB*0!‫ا‬

Z,$‫ أ‬HB,73$ 3IQ‫ وأ‬8I6!‫ر ا‬307 ,$‫( أ‬89:!‫س وا‬,8Q,‡Q‫ أ‬3IQ‫( أ‬89:!‫ ا‬-8!‫إ‬

*:N!‫ ا‬Oa’‫ء ا!*ه ا‬3t $ 10-Q,!~)B‫ ًا و‬8_‫ًا آ‬G[ -Q‫و‬G:B ‫ا‬,Q3‫ وآ‬OQ3+‫ا! و‬

*+'‫م ا‬,B ‫آ‬3$ „5EL 11Oa~Q #J?P *:k=‫ا وا‬G:a‫! ب و‬3$ ‫ا‬,0a -! ‫ا‬,!3c‫ و‬.-!

1
B: ‫*ًا‬8+ omitted.
2
B: ‫ ت‬I‫آ‬
3
B: ‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬omitted.
4
B: #8+ 1‫ آ‬inserted.
5
B: % inserted.
6
B: =
7
B: -V 7 inserted.
8
B: 0k!‫ا‬
9
G: ‫ ض‬N!‫ن ا‬3$ V; B: ‫ ض‬N!‫أ!( ا‬
10
B: -Q,!~)B omitted.
11
B: ‫ء‬vQ
 Life of John the Little 119

‫ ه]ا‬#8)B*0!‫ل ا‬3c 3NEP .‫ ا! ب‬7~‫ آ‬HB*$'‫ة ا‬38J!‫ إ!• ا‬13Q*?[ •!‫]ك إ‬L~Q‫و‬

.-?[ ‫ا‬,$3D‫ و‬-8E[ ‫ا‬,‫رآ‬3$ 3?8$'

Ht3+ 1v?7 H?B*N!‫ إ!• ا‬j {JN!‫دم ا‬3\!‫ ا‬1=‫ أر‬H:Nv!‫م ا‬,B OP ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3NEP

‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3NEP .*)v!‫ ا‬-kc‫ر‬357 ¤c‫ و‬OP *+‫ أ‬Z 4JB % ‫ أن‬Z]K$ ‫ أراد‬3N$‫ ور‬HNK7

H62gN!‫د ا‬3?t‫ أ‬#7 8_‫{ آ‬a $ ‫*س وإذا‬0N!‫* ا‬+'‫م ا‬,B „B*!‫ح ا‬3I} *?[

*c ‫ ا! ب‬#7 H7‫* وآ ا‬v7 ‫•ون‬EN7 (‫أ( وه‬146) #8)B*0!‫ ا‬2‫رس‬,L u8Nt‫و‬

(‫*ه‬v7 ‫ء‬38V 3Q,$‫ أ‬9Q 3NEP .H7*\!‫ ا‬OP (K6B ˆ‫( و‬K08P‫]وا ر‬L~8! -8!‫او إ‬¹t

#7 #82,EN7‫ و‬-Kt‫ و‬OP #8Šˆ3Q OQ3+‫ ح ا! و‬5!‫ ا‬#7 #8ŠEkN7 (‫( وه‬Kk[‫ود‬

Kœ ‫ء‬38V‫* و‬vN$ HB*$'‫ ات ا‬8\!‫ق ا‬38kˆ3$ ‫ء‬3N)!‫ ا‬OP Ok!‫ ا‬H8‫ ا!]آ‬X2‫ا! وا‬

(K! *v)B #N‫( آ‬89[ ‫ق‬38kˆ3$ -Kt‫• و‬E[ -kc,! 3Q,$‫ أ‬3‫رح‬3‡kP 16!‫رب ا‬

‫*ي ا! ب‬B OP ‫( ا! وح‬E=‫ أ‬H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP‫ و‬.-2385}‫ ا! ب وأ‬HIJN$ ‫ن‬3+ P

H?= #8:I= Z N[ ‫ن‬3‫ وآ‬4.#87‫م ا! ب أ‬g)$ -$3$ Kˆ #7 ‫م‬,B #B e[ OP

•!‫ إ‬H8Q3$,‡!‫ ا‬-)5Q ‫*ام‬c #B 23= (‫ وه‬H=*0N!‫ف ا‬,5M!‫„ ا‬Ea Ž=‫ و‬OP ‫ن‬3‫وآ‬

‫ ح روح‬P #7 ‫ًا‬,E+ 3ًJ8I)a ‫ن‬,JI)B #8)B*0!‫ ا‬S}‫* و‬vN!‫ء إ!• رب ا‬g:!‫ا‬

1
B: 3Q*?[ •!‫ إ‬omitted.
2
B: ‫ف‬,5}
3
B: ‫‡ ح‬a‫ا‬. The form in G is used as a synonym for ‫‡ ّح‬a (‘to fall to the
ground’).
4
B: #87‫ أ‬omitted.
120 Stephen J. Davis

OP ‫ء‬38+'‫ ا‬1‫ر‬,Q OP •Kk?N!‫ إ!• ا‬OE:!‫ ا‬#8NB k= ¤Ja #6)B 3N86! ‫*س‬0!‫ا‬

-Q' ‫ ات‬8\!‫ ا‬1‫ح آ‬38Q 1‫ آ‬OP HN2‫ دا‬O‫ ه‬Ok!‫ت ا‬,7 3K8P A8! Ok!‫ر ا‬,6!‫ا‬

(‫ب‬146) -8!‫ إ‬j‫ ا‬-EIc .‫ء‬O4N!‫ ا‬GB $'‫!• ا‬3\!‫ ا!]ه{ ا‬1_7 3ً80Q ‫ ًء‬3Q‫* إ‬t‫و‬

OP‫ و‬2.(86J!‫ل ا‬,0‫ ا! ب آ‬-)5Q ¤V‫* أر‬c‫ و‬3ًŠ847 Z*t‫ و‬Z‫د‬30kP‫ ا‬#8+ OP‫و‬

-)5Q‫{ و‬8[ 8‰$ HJ!3} HL,\8ˆ‫ و‬AQ‫ د‬8‰$ g73‫ آ‬3-B*B #8$ Kœ -!30kQ‫ا‬

.HE845!‫رة ا‬3K‡$ H?BG7 ‫ ة‬eIk)7

‫رة‬3‰N!‫ إ!• ا‬3?8$‫*ا إ!• أ‬23[ HB 0!‫ ا‬#7 3ًt‫ر‬3L 4j {JN!‫دم ا‬3\!‫ ا‬3N?8$‫ و‬.80

,v!‫ ا‬OP 9?P ‫اء‬,K!‫ ا‬,E[ •!‫ إ‬uE‡kP -7‫*ا‬c ‫ن‬,JI)B #8)B*0!‫ ا‬X8I)a uN=

(K‡=‫ و‬OP 3Q,$‫( وأ‬89[ *vN$ 5{a‫{ ر‬a‫ ر‬,‫ وه‬#8)B*c‫ و‬H62g7 6)[

‫ء‬O4B -k73c OP 3ًN89[ ‫*ًا‬+‫( وا‬K:8Nt (K7‫*ا‬c 9Q‫ و‬.{8v[ 8_‫”ˆ اق آ‬$

.-Q,:IkB #8)B*0!‫ ا‬u8Nt‫ و‬63?8$' 18a k$ 3ًJB*7 ‫ل‬,0B ,‫ وه‬ANe!‫ ا‬1_7 ‫*ًا‬t

9?N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬#)+ #7 HEB,‚ 7H[3ˆ –‫ ده‬AB*0!‫دم ا‬3\!‫وإن ذ!„ ا‬

1
G: ‫ر‬,Q OP; B: ‫م‬,B •!‫إ‬
2
B: (86J!‫ل ا‬,0‫ آ‬omitted.
3
B: ‫*ى ا! ب‬B
4
B: j‫ا‬
5
B: The second {a‫ ر‬is omitted.
6
B: ‫ء‬38IQ'‫ا‬
7
After this word, the scribe of G initially wrote •Kkˆ‫‘( وا‬and he longed for’),
but then crossed it out since it disrupted the syntax.
 Life of John the Little 121

‫*ام ه]ا‬c 23)!‫( ا‬89‰!‫ء ا‬O4N!‫ ذ!„ ا‬,‫ ه‬#7 (E:B ‫ق أن‬3kˆ‫ •( ا‬1.{8v:!‫ا‬

-! g23c ‫ ا! ب‬7~$ ‫ك‬g7 H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP -8!‫ء إ‬3vP .3Q3$‫*ح أ‬NB ,‫ وه‬2uNv!‫ا‬

(‫ اه‬a #B]!‫ء ا‬%•‫ ه‬.„NE[~P uN=‫أ( ا‬147) 3ًJ!3} 3g:P (E:a ‫* أن‬B a „Q'

A?JB Z*I[ SEL ‫( ا! ب‬KE=‫ أر‬.#8)B*0!‫ ا‬H[3Nt‫ و‬H62gN!‫{ ا‬a‫ه( ر‬

uV‫ا‬,7 OP 3ً•‫ ا‬87 Z,‡:B‫ و‬3ًI:a ‫ءة‬,ENN!‫ ا‬38Q*!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬AI+ #7 Z,t \8!

‫ء‬O4B (KE‫( آ‬K7‫*ا‬c 23)!‫( ا‬89:!‫ ا‬51t !‫ وه]ا ا‬H823N)!‫( ا‬8Eˆ‫~ور‬$ 4‫ح‬38?!‫ا‬

‫ر‬307 ,$‫( أ‬89:!‫ ا‬,‫ ه‬Z*:$ #7 ‫ ا!]ي‬L’‫س وا‬,8Q,9Q‫( أ‬89:!‫ ا‬,‫* ه]ا ه‬vN!3$

•!‫ إ‬-:I}~$ -8!‫ إ‬8eB 6‫ك‬gN!‫ن ا‬3‫ وآ‬.3NK$ #8KIekN!‫ ا‬H80$ (‫ ه‬L’‫ء ا‬%•‫وه‬

A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ 'ن ا‬-! ‫ل‬,0B‫ و‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬u8Nt -B B‫( و‬K?7 *+‫ وا‬7*+‫وا‬

(K:7 3ًI8MQ ]L~P (‫ره‬3•‫ أ‬uIa‫( و‬KE_7 ‫د‬3‫– ه‬8[ OP ‫ر‬3}‫( و‬Ka 8= 8*)+

„Q' ‫ك‬3$,‚ 3ًJ!3} 3ً7‫د‬3L 3B 3ً4B‫ أ‬¤Q‫ وأ‬.‫*ة [?* ا! ب‬+‫ا‬,!‫واة ا‬3)N!‫ ا‬Z]K$

1
B: (89:!‫ا‬
2
B: uNvN!‫ا‬
3
B: ‫ ًا‬7‫أ‬
4
B: ‫ة و‬38J!‫ا‬
5
B: ‫ا! ب‬
6
The scribe of G originally wrote „EN!‫ ا‬as the subject but then crossed it out
and wrote ‫ك‬gN!‫ ا‬in the margin.
7
B: 1‫آ‬
8
B: {+‫ا‬
122 Stephen J. Davis

‫ارى‬,a ‫ك ه]ا‬gN!‫ل ا‬3c 3N!‫ و‬1.-)B*c #7‫ ا! ب و‬#7 H7‫ ا‬6!‫ وا‬H‫ آ‬I!‫ ا‬¤J$‫ر‬

.-?[

•$,‡!‫ ا‬¥E_N!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫* ا‬t‫رة و‬3‰N!‫ إ!• ا‬j {JN!‫دم ا‬3\!‫ ذ!„ ا‬1L‫ د‬3NEP
2
{8‚ ‫ن‬3‫ ب وآ‬E! *v)B -Q~‫ آ‬-Kt‫• و‬E[ ,‫ وه‬-8kI‫• رآ‬E[ 3ً+‫‡ و‬7

*KQ‫*س و‬0N!‫ ا‬Z*)t •E[ 3ً4B‫ أ‬,‫* ه‬v)P .‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬Z*)t #7 ‫ح‬,5B (‫ب‬147)

HP3\N$ 1a B ,‫ وه‬4‫ن‬30EL HNB*c ‫ب‬38_$ 3‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬Z*)t #5‫ آ‬Z*7 3N!‫ و‬.O6$‫و‬

•!‫د إ‬3[‫رة و‬3‰N!‫ ا‬#7 uV,7 OP -‫ آ‬a ‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬Z*)t #5‫ آ‬3NEP .{Ec ut‫وو‬

.‫ن‬3‫ آ‬3N$ IL‫ وأ‬HB 0!‫ا‬

(‫( وه‬K8!‫ إ‬#)JN!‫ إ!• ا‬1Iv!‫ إ!• ا‬5HQ37‫ وإ‬HIJN$ (KE‫ا آ‬,:Nkt‫ا ا‬,:N= 3NEP

(KME\7 ‫ا‬,7*[ ‫ب إذ‬,E0!‫ ا‬#8N!~k7 (‫ ة وه‬8_‫( دواب آ‬K:7‫ و‬#88‫آ‬3$ (K:8Nt

#7 ‫ات‬,c‫ ة و‬8_‫ آ‬-I23v[ ‫ ت‬t‫ر و‬3k\7 ‫ أب‬1_7 HB 0!‫ ا‬-$ ‫ا‬,EL‫ ود‬6.j‫* ا‬:$

Z30Ea *c ‫ب‬3ˆ ‫ وإذا‬HB 0!‫ إ!• ا‬-$ #8EL‫ا دا‬,Q3‫ آ‬3N8P (KQ‫ أ‬-?[ 18c 3N‫ آ‬Z*)t

O?v[Ga ‫ ؟‬8Mc 3B O!‫ذا !„ و‬37 g23c -8P ‫ن‬3‡8e!‫ح ا‬3MP AvQ ‫ روح‬-:7

Z‫ر‬38kL‫ ا‬8‰$ ‫ ي‬vB ‫ب‬3e!‫ل ه]ا وا‬,0B ‫ن‬3‡8e!‫ ا‬3N?8$‫ و‬.Ok8$ #7 OQ‫‡ د‬a‫و‬

1
B: -8)B*c
2
B: (89[ inserted.
3
G: ‫*س‬0N!‫ ا‬Z*)t #5‫ ;آ‬B: -?5‫ وآ‬Z*)t
4
B: ‫ن‬30EL omitted.
5
B: ‫ا‬,[ =‫ ه( وأ‬8I‫ ه( إ!• آ‬8‰} u7 -E73‫ آ‬inserted.
6
B: ‫• ا!*واب‬E[ Z,EN+ 3NEP inserted.
 Life of John the Little 123

‫ب‬3e!‫ ا‬uc‫ و‬¤c,E!‫ و‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$' ‫*س ا!]ي‬0N!‫)* ا‬v!‫• ا‬Q3[ .(89[ ‫ ي‬t

‫ ا! وح‬-?7 ‫ ج‬L Z3P XkP 3N!‫ و‬.‫ ي‬$ BG?L 1_7 ‫• ا'رض و} خ‬E[

.H[3)!‫„ ا‬Ea OP OP,[‫ر و‬3?!‫{ ا‬8K! 1_7 Av?!‫ا‬

+(24 )+

,‫ ه‬3N8P -Q‫ أ‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫)* ا‬t #[ 1(‫أ‬148) O23I+‫ أ‬3B 3ً4B‫ أ‬18c‫ و‬.81

-$ 2‫ء‬3t #8Et !‫ وا‬#B*8!‫ج ا‬,E57 ‫د‬,!,7 ‫~[ ج‬$ ‫ وإذا‬Z,?56B (‫ وه‬Ž=,!‫ ا‬OP

¤c,E!‫ و‬.A?JB ,$‫ أ‬#5‫• آ‬E[ Z3+ ‚‫ و‬HN89[ HQ37”$ Zg73+ 3N‫ وه‬Z‫ا‬,$‫أ‬

OP *vNkN!‫ ا‬j‫* ا‬vNB ,‫ ي وه‬vB ‫ وأ= ع‬-8Et‫• ر‬E[ Sc‫ وو‬1t !‫ ا‬OP,[

‫ل‬,c‫• أ‬J!‫• ا‬J!‫ل ا‬,0B ‫ إذ‬-!,c 1t' {23v:!‫ ا‬u?MB‫ و‬#8+ 1‫ آ‬OP -8)B*c

(9[‫ وأ‬3Q‫ أ‬1N[‫ أ‬Ok!‫ل ا‬3N['‫ ا‬1N:B Oa‫ إراد‬1N:B‫ و‬O$ #7•B #7 ‫( إن‬6!

18a k$ ‫ن‬,Ea B‫ن و‬,JI)B (‫( وه‬89[ *vN$ AB*0!‫ا ا‬,?5‫ آ‬3NEP 3.u?MB 3K?7

•}g7 -8P Z,E:t‫ و‬3ًa,$3a -! ‫ا‬,:?}‫ن و‬3$ 0!‫*اس وا‬0!‫ ا‬-8E[ ‫ا‬,EN‫ آ‬OQ3+‫رو‬

3IQ‫ وأ‬HB3ˆ,ˆ 3IQ‫* وأ‬8Ke!‫س ا‬,8=3?•‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ه( ا‬#B]!‫ ا‬-E_7 Lž #8)B*c

*vN!‫ق ا‬,5a ‫ل‬3N[‫_ ة أ‬6$ 1(‫ده‬3)t‫ أ‬OP 1N:a 4j‫ ا‬HN:Q ¤Q3‫ وآ‬.HN8t

1
In manuscript G, folio 148 has been restored in a different scribal hand.
2
B: ‫ء‬3t
3
B: 1N:B
4
B: ‫ا! ب‬
124 Stephen J. Davis

-8!‫ إ‬Oa~B #NE6! ‫ص‬gL‫ء و‬35ˆ ‫ن‬3‫ آ‬.A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫)* أ‬t _‫'آ‬3$‫و‬

H8Q‫*و‬0EL OP 2#8‚38e!‫ ا‬H[3Nt ‫رت‬3} (‫ب‬148) •k+ uV,7 1‫ آ‬#7

‫س‬,5?!‫„ ا‬EKB ‫ت ا!]ي‬,N!‫ج آ)( ا‬,:7 ‫د‬30k[3$ HQ,6)N!‫ ا‬u8Nt 3¤)vQ‫و‬

‫ب‬g6E! ‫*س‬0!‫ا ا‬,‡:a % Z]87gk! j‫ل ا‬3c ‫]ا‬K$‫ و‬.(8Jv!‫• ا‬N[ •!‫*ره( إ‬JB‫و‬

.‫ر‬356!‫ وا‬H0‚‫ ا‬K!‫ ]ا‬u8Nv! HJ84P‫ر و‬3[ 4. B‫ز‬3?\E! (‫اه آ‬,t ‫ا‬,+ ‡a %‫و‬

‫]ا‬KIP 6.(K‫ه‬%‫ إ‬X8)N!3$ ‫ا‬,?7‫ أ‬#B]!‫ ا‬#8?7•N!‫ ا‬5[u8Nv! *v7‫ و‬H:5?7‫ة و‬,c

.‫م ا! ب‬37‫ أ‬7H!,I07‫ و‬HNB ‫ آ‬8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬3$,‡!‫ ا‬¥E_N!‫ة ا‬3P‫رت و‬3}

u7 ‫ر‬3}‫ و‬.-!.‫ ا‬X8)N!‫ ا‬#7 HIE‰!‫ ا‬18E‫ إآ‬AI!‫ و‬HQ37.‫· ا‬5+‫ و‬-8:= 1N‫وآ‬

.O:7 O7‫د‬3L ‫ن‬,6B ‫ك‬3?‫ ه‬3Q‫ن أ‬,‫ أآ‬¥8+ ‫ إن‬8-!,c {)+ ‫ا! ب‬

1
B: #8)B*0!‫ء ا‬%•‫د ه‬3)t‫أ‬
2
G: #8‚38e!‫ ا‬H[3Nt ‫رت‬3}; B: ‫ن‬3‡8e!‫ ا‬H[3Nv‫ آ‬¤Q3‫آ‬
3
B: ¤v)Q (sic?).
4
B: B‫ز‬3?\E! (‫اه آ‬,t ‫ا‬,+ ‡a %‫ب و‬g6E! ‫*س‬0!‫ا ا‬,‡:a % Z]87gk! j‫ل ا‬3c ‫]ا‬K$‫و‬
omitted.
5
A line is missing in manuscript G, due to a scribal slip of the eye, probably
caused by the repetition of phrases beginning with the word u8Nv!‫ا‬. The fact
that the same line is missing in B suggests that this error occurred earlier in the
text’s transmission in Arabic. I have reconstructed this lacuna within the
brackets above on the basis of the Bohairic Coptic version (see Amélineau,
406). The full sentence in Coptic reads follows:

Y C Y&
6
G: (K‫ه‬%‫ إ‬X8)N!3$ ‫ا‬,?7‫ أ‬#B]!‫ ;ا‬B: ‫ب‬g6E! ‫*س‬0!‫ا ا‬,‡:a % Z]87gk! j‫ل ا‬3c ‫]ا‬K$‫و‬
B‫ز‬3?\E! (‫اه آ‬,t ‫ا‬,0Ea‫و‬. The line in B was probably inadvertently omitted by the
scribe of G due to the error of homoteleuton.
7
B: H!,I07‫ و‬omitted.
8
B: ‫ل ا! ب‬,c
 Life of John the Little 125

•!‫( إ‬6! Z3Q ‫ ا!]ي ذآ‬#8)B*0!‫ ا‬O23I+‫ أ‬3B -:8Nt ‫( ه]ا‬Peroration) .82
1
‫س‬3Q‫ أ‬¥B*+ #7 Z3?:N= *c 37‫ و‬3ً$,k67 Z3Q*t‫ و‬37 ‫*ر‬c •E[ uV,N!‫ه]ا ا‬

AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ أ‬1234P #7 8_‫ آ‬#7 g8Ec 3?Ik‫ وآ‬3?0I= *c 3N‫ آ‬#8c‫د‬3} #8?7•7

3N86! G?‫ اث وآ‬87‫( و‬89[ O?D 1_7 3ً4B‫ أ‬#JQ 3?! -5EL ‫ ا!]ي‬A?JB ,$‫أ‬

1‫ة آ‬,c ‫*ر‬c •E[ ‫*ة‬$•N!‫ة ا‬38J!‫ إ!• ا‬-)5Q ‫ص‬gL •E[ 3?7 *+‫ وا‬1‫ آ‬-EN:k)B

3Q*[3)a ‫ة‬,0!‫أ( وا‬149) .3?NNk‫ واه‬3Q‫ إن أرد‬1N:!‫• ا‬E[ #B‫در‬3c 3?Q' .*+‫وا‬

‫ خ‬MB 3N‫ آ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$' Ok!‫ ا‬HI8v:!‫ل ا‬3N['‫ة ا‬,0$‫*س و‬0N!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫دة ا‬3Ke$

3ً4B‫ل أ‬,0B‫ و‬.X8)N!3$ 3Q‫ أ‬¤KIea *c 3N‫ آ‬O$ #8KIek7 ‫ا‬,Q,‫ آ‬g23c ‫ل‬,= !‫ا‬

‫ل ا! وح‬,‡$ IM!‫( ا‬9:$ j‫*ام ا‬L -Iˆ X!3} 1N[ 1‫ آ‬OP 3?=,5Q (80?!

‫رة‬,eN!‫ك ا‬3)7‫)„ وإ‬Q‫ع و‬34a3$ j‫ ا‬3B3},! HE73‫ آ‬H[3‚‫ و‬OQ30+ ‫ع‬,4\$

{:k$ ‫ت‬3$‫‡ ا‬V‫س وا‬,IJ$ 2‫ت‬3t‫ ا‬+‫ع و‬3t‫~و‬$ ‫ت‬3$,:}‫• و‬84$ H8Q30J!‫ا‬

–‡[‫ و‬3‫ع‬,4\$ j‫ ا‬HP3\7‫ و‬HEV3P ‫ ة‬8=‫رة و‬3K‡$ ‫دة‬3I[‫م و‬,M$ K=‫و‬

-t‫ و‬H[‫ ود‬87‫ا‬G7‫ات و‬,EM$ (KP‫ و‬H[*$ HB 8L‫وة و‬gJ$ HN6+‫ و‬HP :N$

1
G: ‫س‬3Q‫ أ‬¥B*+; B: 3?23$ž ‫م‬g‫آ‬
2
B: ‫ت‬3+‫ ا‬t
3
B: ‫ع‬,v$
126 Stephen J. Davis

•J!‫م ا‬g6$ eI!‫ ا‬u8Nv! HN+‫ ور‬HIJN$ 1„)5?! ‫ [*د‬HEc‫• و‬J5$ ‫ن‬,6=‫و‬

.‫ء‬%•‫ ه‬-Iˆ‫ أ‬37‫ و‬2‫ء‬32‫ ر‬g$ HIJ7‫ و‬XEM$ j‫ة ا‬,c‫و‬

‫س‬3?!‫ وا‬-k62g7‫ و‬j‫*ام ا‬c 3Q‫ر‬,Q ‫ء‬O4B ]Š?8+ HP :N$ (K5!3\B 37 ¬P Q‫و‬

‫ ح‬5$ ‫ت‬38Q3+‫* ا! و‬MJQ‫ت و‬38Q3+‫]ر ا! و‬IQ 37*?[ .H=*07 ‫ر‬3N•~$ -8)B*c‫و‬

-kQ37”$ (‫ب‬149) #8KIek7 8MQ 37*?[ A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ر أ‬3•ž 3?[3Ia3$

1:5B ‫*رة أن‬0!‫ ا‬-! ‫ إذ‬3?[ ‫ إ!• ا! ب‬-a‫ا‬,E} ‫_ ة‬6$ 1N:!‫ وا‬3‫ل‬,0!‫ ا‬OP -!3:P‫وأ‬

(!3:!‫ ه]ا ا‬OP ‫) ة ا! ب‬N‫ آ‬43?kQ3B‫( د‬80k)k! 3?[ OEMB ‫ أو!• أن‬,‫ه]ا وه‬

‫ات‬,N)!‫ ا‬,E[ OP -k62g7‫ و‬j‫ ا‬5 _‫'آ‬3$‫ و‬-:I}~$ *+‫ وا‬1‫ آ‬3?8!‫ إ‬8eB‫و‬

‫ر‬3I!‫ ا‬3?8$‫ات أ‬,E} ‫ن‬,6a ‫]ا‬K$‫ و‬.A?JB ,$' #88Q30+ ‫د‬%‫ء أو‬%•‫ إن ه‬#8E23c

‫ ة‬8_‫ ات آ‬8L‫ و‬#?Jk$ -N+‫ ا‬7 X8)N!‫ ا‬3?8E[ _68P ‫م ا! ب‬37‫ أ‬3?[ -!,I07

‫ إن‬1a N!‫ل داود ا‬,0‫ آ‬6‫ص‬g\!‫• ا‬+ OP ‫ر‬3k\N!‫ ا‬3?!‫ =•ا‬u8Nt 1N6B 3N86!

#B ‫ ا!]اآ‬Z*K[ #89P3J!‫ ا‬#8?I!‫ ا‬O?$ •E[ -!*[‫ و‬-8523L •E[ ‫ ا! ب‬HN+‫ر‬

3Q,$‫ أ‬u7 3ًI8MQ‫ؤًا و‬Gt ‫ل‬3?Q Oa’‫ ا!*ه ا‬OP H}3\$‫ و‬.3K$ #8E73:!‫ ا‬Z3B3}‫و‬

1
B: „)5?! ‫ [*د‬HEc‫• و‬J5$ ‫ن‬,6=‫ و‬-t‫ و‬H[‫ ود‬omitted.
2
B: ‫ة‬ž‫ ا‬7
3
The scribe of G originally wrote 1:5!‫ وا‬after the word ‫ل‬,0!‫ا‬, but then
crossed it out and chose the equivalent phrase, 1N:!‫وا‬, instead.
4
B: 3?kQ37‫ا‬
5
B: ‫م‬37‫أ‬
6
G: ‫ص‬g\!‫• ا‬+ OP ‫ر‬3k\N!‫ ا‬3?!‫ ;=•ا‬B: ‫ص‬g\!‫ ا‬1t‫ أ‬#7 3?a%‫=•ا‬
 Life of John the Little 127

‫ة‬gM$ -!3?Q‫ و‬-0Jk)Q ‫ أن‬3ً:8Nt 3?! ‫ن‬,6B ‫ ه]ا‬.‫ات‬,N)!‫ت ا‬,6E7 OP 1AB*0!‫ا‬

‫ع‬,)B 3?ME\7‫ و‬33?$‫ ر‬eI!‫ ا‬2HIJ7‫ و‬HN:?$ 8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3?8$‫أ‬

‫*س‬0!‫ وح ا‬E!‫ و‬X!3M!‫أ( ا‬150) -8$'‫* و‬vN!‫ ا‬-! 4:= ‫ ه]ا ا!]ي‬X8)N!‫ا‬

#87‫ أ‬.#B ‫ أوان وإ! ده ا!*اه‬1‫ه ا’ن وآ‬,v!‫ ا‬OP -! ‫وي‬3)N!‫ ا‬O8JN!‫ا‬
5
.#87‫ أ‬#87‫أ‬

(89:!‫ء ا‬384!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ ة أ‬8= ¤EN‫( آ‬Concluding Blessing)

-ag} H‫ آ‬$ .‫ت‬3K8e$ ‫س‬,B‫ر‬307 (89:!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬HB I$ Z B‫ د‬E[ A?7,D'‫ا‬

‫ ع‬MkB‫)~ل و‬B ,‫ وه‬#86)N!‫=¯ ا‬3?!‫ ا‬u73)!‫رئ وا‬30!‫( وا‬kKN!‫· ا‬5Ja‫ و‬#8:a

‫ ة‬8_6!‫ ا‬Z3B3‡L ‫ ان‬5‰$ -!‫ إ‬,[*B ‫*س أن‬0N!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬OP ‫ أ‬c #7 16!

-V,:B -!.‫ء ا! ب ا‬Oe$ -! 3[‫ د‬#7‫ و‬. JI!‫ ا‬17‫ ر‬#7 _‫ أآ‬O‫ا!]ي ه‬

p. 127, line 11: ‫ ﻧﺷﺄل‬should read ‫ﻧﺳﺄل‬ !‫ إ‬HQ,:N!‫~ل ا‬eQ X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B 3?$‫ ر‬#7‫ و‬.HB*$'‫ ا‬-a,6E7 OP „!‫ف ذ‬3:V‫أ‬

A?JB ,$ (89:!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ة ا‬gM$ {8[ 8‰$ -B*B #8$ ‫ف‬,c,!‫ ا‬A5Q Lž

1
B: AB*0!‫ ا‬omitted.
2
G: HIJ7‫ ;و‬B: {J7
3
B: 3?K!‫ وإ‬inserted.
4
B: ‰I?B
5
B: #87‫ أ‬#87‫ أ‬omitted.
128 Stephen J. Davis

XEMB ‫ ا! ب‬-JE}‫ وأ‬1EL *t‫ و‬#NE‫ وآ‬.#87‫ أ‬#8)B*0!‫*اء وا‬Ke!‫ ا‬23=‫و‬

1
.#B*$'‫* ا‬$‫ أ‬3ًN2‫ دا‬j XI)!‫=¯ ا‬3Q A8!‫( و‬E:k7 3‫‡ ه‬e7 ‫”ن‬P .-B*B #8$ -c ‚

1
G: (89:!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬HB I$ Z B‫• د‬E[ A?7,D'‫( ا‬89:!‫ء ا‬384!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ ا‬3Q,$‫ ة أ‬8= ¤EN‫آ‬
,‫ وه‬#86)N!‫=¯ ا‬3?!‫ ا‬u73)!‫رئ وا‬30!‫( وا‬kKN!‫· ا‬5Ja‫ و‬#8:a -ag} H‫ آ‬$ .‫ت‬3K8e$ ‫س‬,B‫ر‬307
‫ ة‬8_6!‫ ا‬Z3B3‡L ‫ ان‬5‰$ -!‫ إ‬,[*B ‫*س أن‬0N!‫ب ا‬3k6!‫ ا‬Z]‫ ه‬OP ‫ أ‬c #7 16! ‫ ع‬MkB‫)~ل و‬B
OP „!‫ف ذ‬3:V‫ أ‬-V,:B -!.‫ء ا! ب ا‬Oe$ -! 3[‫ د‬#7‫ و‬. JI!‫ ا‬17‫ ر‬#7 _‫ أآ‬O‫ا!]ي ه‬
8‰$ -B*B #8$ ‫ف‬,c,!‫ ا‬A5Q Lž •!‫ إ‬HQ,:N!‫~ل ا‬eQ X8)N!‫ع ا‬,)B 3?$‫ ر‬#7‫ و‬.HB*$'‫ ا‬-a,6E7
1EL *t‫ و‬#NE‫ وآ‬.#87‫ أ‬#8)B*0!‫*اء وا‬Ke!‫ ا‬23=‫ و‬A?JB ,$ (89:!‫ ا‬AB*0!‫ة ا‬gM$ {8[
*$‫ أ‬3ًN2‫ دا‬j XI)!‫=¯ ا‬3Q A8!‫( و‬E:k7 3‫‡ ه‬e7 ‫”ن‬P .-B*B #8$ -c ‚ XEM$ ‫ ا! ب‬-JE}‫وأ‬
; #B*$'‫ا‬
B: #87ž ‫ ا! ب‬#7 ‫م‬g)$ 8M0!‫ ا‬A?JB ,$‫ أ‬AB*0!‫ ا‬N87 1N‫( وآ‬a
 by Zacharias of Sakha

!"

" # $ %& ' " In the name of the

Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. The Life of
the great luminary who is perfect in every virtue, our holy
father, the head of the monastery called the “Weigher of
1 2
Hearts,” Abu John the Little ( ī ), the Spirit)
bearer, the teacher of true religion, which Zacharias, the most
favored bishop, the bishop of Sakhā, the city beloved by Christ,
lovingly and beneficially related when pious and God)loving
brothers were pestering him a lot regarding this matter. He told
it on the holy and honored day of John’s remembrance, which
is the twentieth day of the month of Babah. In the peace of the
Lord. Amen.

( ) )" It is a lofty and heavenly endeavor that

transcends glory and benefits our souls greatly, which you
have sought after, O my holy beloved. It is a genuine image of
virtue and a dignified basis for religious faith which you have
inquired about. Let me say with equanimity the words of the
apostle: (he was) “a perfect human being belonging to the
3
perfection of Christ’s full stature,” created according to the
image of the living God. You asked me in my poor humility to
speak to you about the holy virtues belonging to the one who

1
Here, the Arabic scribe takes the Coptic term for Scetis (Shiēt) according to
its traditional etymological meaning: shiēt = shi (“to weigh” or “to measure”) +
hēt (“heart”).
2
The Arabic term is an honorific title granted to revered monastic saints
that means something akin to “respected father in the faith.”
3
Ephesians 4:13.
130 Stephen J. Davis

mocked the vain throng of this world, who crossed the many
waves that are the deceit of the evil spirits, and lightened the
load of his rational vessel " above the airy deeds of the
rulers over this dark world, without punishment from the evil of
those who pour out sin. When his mind opened up and became
strong in knowledge over against those (rulers), he therefore
rejected the evil deeds that came from the indignities of their
thought, and with power he discarded them like worn out items.
He persisted without slackening, with increasing desire and a
purity of being, using the love of Christ, utilizing the light of
purity for true knowledge. In this way, he regulated himself with
an angelic mind until he attained the way of life that was full of
all tranquility, which is the harbor of the Holy Spirit.
So, O beloved ones, how does this man need my weak
tongue, except for this matter alone—that through the narration
of his good, fragrant, and holy virtues all of us might have the
benefit of eternal life, both the assembly of listeners and the
one who speaks, so that by a praiseworthy form of envy
appropriate to sons we also might come to resemble his
angelic life, all of his exertion and virtuous works. Through our
commerce in the greatness of his trade, which is abundant in
goodness and which comes from every word of his virtues, we
also obtain his eternal inheritance along with the (spiritual)
essence of this saint.
Before us, he has been praised exceedingly by the lofty,
holy, spiritual, and rational powers, " by the powers and
all the righteous spirits, in a way ten thousand times more
excellent than our praise. When he left behind this valley of
tears, which he had caused to become a place of fine culture,
instruction, and true philosophy for the sake of eternal life—and
now it is appropriate and fitting for us to speak a little bit about
his dignity and the greatness of his virtue, which he received
from God and whose great extent will not be known until the
universal and common resurrection belonging to all of
creation—he worthily received (praise) then when the
perfection of his eternal dignity was publicly announced, and
(he receives it) now with the joy that comes from the action of
the Holy Spirit, the One who illuminates our weakness with the
light of his holy knowledge, especially on the day of the
commemoration of the feast of our father, Saint John. He is the
one to whom Christ our God has brought us through the cycle
 Life of John the Little 131

of the year. Even better than that, he gladdens the heart of this
Christ)loving people, whom the prayer of the saint has
gathered together before us on his holy day, that we may
spiritually celebrate his feast, and even better, that we may turn
for help to Christ our God and to the prayer of our holy father,
and with (all our) effort begin the preparation of his holy and
spiritual perfume that is like a perfume gathered together from
many flowers that have a fragrant aroma ", and that
became one very precious perfume. I am talking about the
virtues of that holy one that were acceptable before God and
his angels, those virtues that bore a strong fragrance and gave
off a true perfume before God and his angels, those virtues that
bore a strong fragrance and gave off a true perfume to all God)
loving souls and to everyone who desires to live blessedly with
the Lord, so that he longs with a spiritual longing and seeks
after the eternal and blessed spiritual life. We do not pursue
worldly commerce with the word of God and the performance
of worship, as the wise apostle Paul says, but rather with purity
4
and sent by God, we speak in Christ about the works of that
friend (of God), and especially about his very beneficial fruits,
just as the trumpet (announcing) his works’ fulfillment reveals
the matter to us.
Through this word, we adorn our encomium as a benefit and
true consolation for our gathering in the Lord, and especially
what was readily recalled by us and what we found to be
narrated about the holy teachers of the church and about our
righteous fathers who clothed themselves in God, those who
were in a position of leadership, laying the foundation for the
worship of God in the deserts, and who looked to the works of
the righteous one and also transferred them to us through the
narration of their healing medicine from our holy fathers whom
we found before us in the holy churches * " in the short
time when we dwelt as inhabitants among them despite our
unworthiness. We learn from them the knowledge of God; we
learn from the philosophy of their true teaching, (from) those
who love the sweetness of righteousness. They fill their
spiritual souls with the beauty of paradise, with the most
excellent deeds of the powerful and distinguished persons who

4
See 2 Corinthians 2:17.
132 Stephen J. Davis

came before them. They also are the ones who took the victory
over against the Deceiver, with the help of the shield and
weapon of the great power that belongs to the saving cross,
which is what they truly bear. For the study of the works of the
saints and their holy commemoration is very beneficial, and
whoever says this with knowledge gains a doubly great good,
especially if we follow the custom of the superior psalmist
David and say, just as he said, what we also have heard and
seen, and what our fathers taught and did not hide from their
sons until the next generation. Let them proclaim the glories
and might of the Lord, and the wonders that he has performed,
so that the next generation may know. Let the sons that are
born rise up and proclaim that he is among them, so that they
may place their trust in God and not forget the deeds of the
Lord, and let them seek after his commandments.
Even more, we know what we seek from the book of the
holy elders on account of what is recorded in it for the sake of
this saint whom we venerate today. * " I am referring to the
book they have rightly called Garden and Paradise. Just as it is
written and as is blessedly appropriate, it is called by this
name. That is so that the naming of the saints written in this
spiritual Garden Paradise might fill up the Paradise of
happiness. Moreover, up until now and up until the end of the
age, this book called Garden will not cease preparing our souls
as an offering to God, those who live happily and with
knowledge, in order that they might be granted true vigilance,
so that they may become a temple for the Holy Spirit and gain
the fruits of eternal life, out of envy for the way of life, works,
and saving labors written in it about the luminous saints. And
these are Abba Paul the Great, Abba Antony, Abba Palamon,
5
Abba Pachomius, Abba Arsenius ( ā ī ū ), Abba Petronius,
Abba Theodore, Abba Mōna ( ū ), Abba Amoun, Abba
Matoi, Abba Macarius the Great, Abba Macarius the Priest,

5
In the Coptic version, the name at this point in the list is Abba Horsiesius.
However, the Arabic mentions the name Arsenius (Arsānīyūs) here. Then later
where the Coptic original lists Arsenius, the Arabic includes the same name
with a different spelling (Arsānah, see below), a reference to another desert
father namesake. For a discussion of these two different early monks named
Arsenius, see J.)C. Guy, Les Apophthegmes des Pères: Collection
systématique, chapitres I%IX (Sources chrétiennes 387; Paris: Cerf, 1993), 54–
55, 75–7.
 Life of John the Little 133

Abba Isidore the priest, Abba Pambo ( ā ū ), Abba Sisoēs

( ī ā ), Aba Amoi, Abu Moses, Abu Romanus, Abba
Joseph, Abba Chroni, Abba Bessarion, Abba Poimēn, Abba
6
Arsenius ( ā ), Abba Shenoute, Abba Isaiah, Abba Peter
his disciple, Abba Lucius, Abba Longinus, and our holy father
7
the hegumen ( ū ) whom we venerate today,
+ " the pure Abu John the Little. He is also one who is most
favored and chosen, counted among all the saints whose
names we remember as well as the rest of the saints. He is
8
equal to them in miracles and his honorarium is a crown, that
singular inheritance which comes through virtue, and especially
on account of his aspiring to that most excellent grace which
belongs to the virtue of everyone of the saints. Through his
love of labor, he put on the great and powerful weapon of
Christ, which is the true humility manifest in all his works, with
the result that he obtained everything to which he aspired, from
all virtue. At this point we bring an end to the words of this
heading and reveal a small (example) from the treasure)chest
that is filled with goodness, the one that belongs to our holy
father, a benefit to the entire place.

* O beloved, just as we have found it written, our blessed

father the hegumen, Abu John the Little, was from a town in the
seat of the city of Jaba (Gaba), the well)known city in Upper
Egypt whose name is Bahnasa. But as for his country with
regard to his great virtues, he was from the people of the city of
heaven. And as for the wealth of this world, he was poor and in
need. But it has been said that God has chosen the poor of this
world to be wealthy in Christ and to be rich in the exaltedness
of the Holy Spirit. Virtue especially does not come + " to
whoever has (high) class and lineage, or to whoever is proud,
6
The Arabic omits a series of names that are present in the Coptic: Abba
Paphnutius, Abba Clariôn, Abba Ephrem the Syrian, Abba Evagrius, Abba
Silvanus, and Abba Zenon. Because this omission occurs at the end of a line, it
is likely that the Arabic scribe/translator simply inadvertently skipped over a line
or two from the original Coptic list of names.
7
This term derives from the Greek hēgoumenos and means “head of a
monastery.”
8
The word ā ā (“honors, favors”) is used here in a technical sense to
describe the wondrous or miraculous works of a saint.
134 Stephen J. Davis

living a life of comfort in the wealth of this world, distant from

whoever is humble and poor. But virtue takes up in this God)
loving soul: it selects its soul, longing for an upright conception
regarding the great good, (manifesting itself) at all times in one
type (of person), whether poor or rich. We learn this from the
life)conduct of our fathers the apostles and all the saints, for
whoever has obtained virtue among them burned with desire
for it, whether rich or poor.
O beloved, the parents of this blessed one, as was said
concerning them, were very pious and they feared God. God
granted them two male children. The older of the two during his
life also finally became a monk of his own accord, just as this
discourse will reveal this to us once we have proceeded to
resume it. The younger one, who was also smaller in body,
was our holy father, Abu John the Little.

+ In beauty and fine understanding, he was great in virtue, and

when he became venerable in correct knowledge before the
gray hair of old age, there was growth everyday in his exalted,
divine thought. The grace of the Lord was assisting him, just
like the meaning of his name, for the meaning of John is
“grace.” Truly, as it was said concerning him, he was named
this according to the promise and the foreknowledge of God,
the one who " supplies all of creation with grace without
begrudging it. God sanctified and purified him since the time he
was in the loins of his father. He set him apart from the time he
was in the womb of his mother. He chose him, especially from
when he became eighteen years old. God also spoke with him
with a rational speech through a good work, by means of
spiritual goodness, saying to him, “Go out from your land and
from your kind, and go up to the Mountain of Natrun. Weigh
hearts in the place where hearts are weighed, and (weigh)
9
thoughts with a true judgment, just as the name suggests.
Weigh hearts where there is spiritual salt that seasons souls,

9
Lit. “just as it has been called.” The Coptic name for the Wadi al)Natrun
was Shiēt (Scetis in Greek). Here the original Coptic text engaged in a play on
words that is lost in the Arabic translation, associating the place hame with the
Coptic phrase, shi hēt, which means “to weigh the heart” (see Maged S.A.
Mikhail and Tim Vivian, “Life of Saint John the Little: An Encomium by
Zacharias of Sakhâ,” Coptic Church Review 18.1 2 (1997), 21, note 58).
 Life of John the Little 135

where there is every angelic way of life that points toward

perfect love, where there is total well)being, knowledge,
wisdom, and the divine word that leads to orthodox belief in the
apostolic, trinitarian faith, where there is every kind of gospel
purity, where the perfume of the chosen offerings—namely the
sanctified soul of these saints—is acceptable before me. This
is also the case with respect to you: you are also a perfume
and an offering.”
The one who accepted these things (and the like), the one
who has accepted the God who called and guided him to the
holy deserts, said, “Love the blessing and perfect love "
that belonged to the holy, orthodox, and blessed mountain, the
mountain of our holy fathers, (who are) the members of Father
Macarius the Great’s household, the mountain (belonging to)
10
those who sought the Lord in that place, those who sought
11
the face of the God of Jacob as the word of King David says,
both in the tranquility of their angelic form (which exists through
the gentleness of Christ) and in the fruit of their way of life
(which is endowed with the Holy Spirit’s many
12
characteristics).” To sum up, just as the prophet says, “Your
dwelling places are beautiful, O Jacob; your tents, O Israel, are
13
like the paradise of joy.”

Among these saints—as it is written, “He is faithful”—John

found a greatly tested elder who had striven greatly in the
works of devotional service to God and was worthy to train him
in the gospel statutes. This man was Anba Ammoes (Ar.
14 15
ā ī ; Copt. Amoi) from Bemha. He was also a
teacher of the law among the fathers on account of his great
virtues. Whoever also writes the Life of this saint (Ammoes) will

10
The construction of the sentence here is ungrammatical in the Göttingen
text: the phrase I supply here to resolve the problem (“belonging to”) is the
equivalent of a one)letter preposition in Arabic. The text from Dayr al)Baramūs
presents a slightly different reading, which may be translated, “the mountain
where they sought the Lord,…”
11
Psalm 24:6.
12
Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4.
13
Cf. Numbers 24:5
14
Like , the term is an honorific title granted to revered monastic
saints that conveys the sense of “respected father in the faith.
15
In the Coptic vita, the hometown of this monastic saint is identified as
Pemje, which is ancient Oxyrhynchus (modern)day al)Bahnasa).
136 Stephen J. Davis

need to narrate a much more extensive account. As our

account is drawn out, we will speak (only) of two or three of his
virtues so as to apprise everyone of the fact that he was
complete and perfect before both God and people. Thus, Saint
John the Little took refuge with this luminary, and our holy
father Anba Ammoes asked him, saying ", “My son, what
is your need for this hardship and this great distance over
which you have toiled?” Saint John the Little answered with
great humility and with tears running down his cheeks, saying
to him, “If it is the will of God, I want to become a monk, that I
also may be worthy to be counted with the community of your
holiness, for your kind is blessed in the Lord over all the
16 17
earth. If you pray for me, the Lord will grant me to you, and
your heart will be at rest concerning me.” Anba Ammoes
answered and said to him, “This matter about which you speak,
O my son, is not such an obstacle, but it is necessary for
anyone making a decision regarding this matter first of all to
require a right intention without any deviation at all in will and to
forget completely all the vain and fruitless works of darkness.
He must destroy any form of knowledge that rebels against the
true knowledge of God, with all of his works shining with
knowledge, just as God wills it according to a liturgy that is
fitting and proper for the liturgy celebrated by the powers on
high. And he must reject all the transitory comforts of the world,
the essence of which is fleeting, on account of his desire for the
good things that have been prepared (for him).

After our holy father Anba Ammoes said this to him, he left
him alone in his place. Then Anba Ammoes went off to another
location " and stretched himself before the Lord all that
night, with much supplication and prayers from evening until
morning, so that God might reveal to him what was pleasing to
him on account of Saint John the Little. It was especially his
custom at all times not to do any of his deeds apart from the
will of God. While he was praying with many tears so that he
might obtain his request (from God), as night was nearing its

16
Here, in speaking of “your holiness” and “your kind,” John’s words employ
the second person plural: he refers not to Anba Bāmwīyah as an individual but
to the larger monastic community that he exemplifies.
17
Here, John’s words shift back to the second person singular.
 Life of John the Little 137

end, all of a sudden an angel of the Lord stood before him and
said to him, “O Anba Ammoes, it is the Lord who commands
you to accept his brother with joy, “For I am the one who has
sent him to you. His horn especially will be raised up in glory,
and I will have his fruit as an incense that is acceptable before
18
me for all generations’.” After the angel said this to him, he
disappeared from his sight. And when it was morning, the
venerable old man, our father Ammoes, came to Abu John and
preached to him the word of God in order to call him to the holy
war, so that he might be ready to strive to fight the enemies
who are invisible, and so that he might be awake and alert to
subtle evil thoughts, those which steal the mind by means of
their destructive deception. He taught him to become stronger
in power for the war, so that he might triumph over all the
stratagems of the evil, lying enemy. After this, his holy father
Anba Ammoes shaved his head and put " his monastic
19
clothes on the ground. For three days and three nights he
remained without food and drink, while he and Abu John both
stood and prayed over the garments. After the completion of
three days and three nights, the angel of the Lord stood before
the garments and made the sign of the saving cross over them
three times. Then he disappeared from him, and when morning
came (Anba Ammoes) clothed Abu John in the garments and
received him in spiritual joy, and in recognition of his exertion in
the course he was running and in his zealous pursuit of the
works of virtue.

O my beloved ones, our father, Abu John, began well. When

he entered the order dedicated to worshipping God, he first
began to serve with complete obedience like a good disciple,
acting with true patience and wearing the powerful weapon,
true humility, which destroys and crushes the roots of sin. He
made his soul like Christ our Savior (to him be the glory), just
as he humbled himself by his own will for the sake of our
20
deliverance: he came to us in the form of a slave, and he
served us when we were in the midst of the sufferings and
pains caused by sin. He caused us to arise from destruction

18
Psalm 92:10.
19
Lit. “the clothes of (his) monasticism.”
20
Philippians 2:7 8.
138 Stephen J. Davis

when we were dead in the death of sin and in loathsome

sufferings. In this way, you have come to know the grace of the
Holy Spirit, that Spirit who used to guide our holy father.
Indeed, every uncensored teaching is repudiated. "
Everyone who does not have a director will fall like leaves; for
on account of this our holy father, Abu John began well in
obedience and humility, just as we have said, especially
because this was one of the commandments of the holy
gospels. Does it not say, “Whoever wants to be great among
you, let him serve you,” and “Whoever exalts himself will be
21
humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”? For,
like this, Joshua son of Nun received the succession of
22
Moses, and likewise in this way the spirit of Elijah was
23
doubled upon Elisha the prophet. This also was the case with
24
Baruch and Jeremiah the prophet, as well as our fathers the
apostles, the followers (of Christ). Indeed, they were worthy (to
25
be called) sons of God, through their obedience and their
adherence to God the Word. Thus, the people of Clement’s
house—I am referring to the young disciples of our fathers the
apostles—all were saved through of their obedience and
submission to others. In the same way, our father also followed
in their tracks. On account of this, he obtained the way which is
without error, when he restrained all the forms of his heart’s
desire, and followed the rest of the commandments of his true
teacher, just like Timothy from the hands of Paul, so that he
(his teacher) might also say before him just like that other one
(Paul), “You are following my teaching, my faith, my love, my
26
patience,” and everything that comes after this.

, Our father Anba Ammoes then was entrusted by God with

serving this command. , " From the day when he received
our father, Anba John, did not stop training him in the law of the
Lord and working hard with him to teach him godliness, ascetic
piety, and (other) kinds of virtues through the fear of God,

21
Luke 22:26 and 14:11.
22
Deuteronomy 1:38; 31:1 8; 34:9.
23
2 Kings 2:9.
24
Jeremiah 36.
25
Alternatively, “they were worthy (to receive) the prophecy of God.”
26
Titus 2:2.
 Life of John the Little 139

27
(teaching him) from psalmody, vigils, tiring and painful
methods of worship, solitude and confinement, sleeping on the
ground, renouncing the passions of the self (which is not to
regard the self as anything at all), silence, humility, modesty,
simplicity. Everything he taught him, John perfected by
28
keeping his counsel. He was very obedient, and he worked
especially to keep his senses at peace and his heart from
29
being polluted by pains, to guard his mind especially on
account of the phantasm of spirits, visions, and dreams, so that
he might act with true sagacity.

- Ammoes also taught him to walk to church with wisdom and

understanding (because it was a little far away from him) as
well as with tranquility and perseverance, and to be led by God,
especially in reading the Scriptures, which are the very breaths
of God. He was driven like a sheep in (the task of)
memorization, manifesting a heart in prayer without ceasing,
like a lamb endowed with the rational faculty of speech. The
30
Spirit spoke to him from the sweetness of God’s word, and
the Spirit was counseling him, greatly wishing that he
understand what he was hearing in the church, , " that he
strive in pain and tears without any earthly thought, and that he
31
also understand the (full) measure of truth with true judgment.
If (John) asked (Ammoes) about some matter, he would give
him a (brief) example and say, “Lest my speech becomes

27
The adjectival form is or , which has the primary
meaning of “burning.” The latter (stem form IV) could also be used in a phrase
to convey the sense of “burning the midnight oil” (i.e. spending the whole night
doing something), a resonance which would have fit with the previously
mentioned monastic practice of performing vigils ( ).
28
The word also carries the connotation of “retaining, storing,
memorizing.”
29
Lit. “from the filth of pains.”
30
Lit. “God’s speech.”
31
There is a confusion of grammatical subjects in the Arabic version. In the
Coptic text, John is described as “drawing the Spirit to himself through the
sweetness of perception,” and it was Abba Amoi ( ā ī ) who then
“exhorted” John “to understand the things that he would hear in church,” to
keep vigil with “compunction and tears without any earthly thought,” and “to
weigh matters rightly with discernment” (trans. M.S.A. Mikhail and T. Vivian,
24).
140 Stephen J. Davis

32
protracted, O my son, and a strange word (or thought) enters
in, and we lose our souls,” and he especially required a great
33
observance of silence in the church, so that we might be
34
worthy of going up to the holy mysteries.

. While our holy father, Abu John was in the school for the
cultivation of holy virtues, he was learning and came to be
favored—just as the earth is favored by the farmer who tills
(it)—in two respects: from the preparation provided by his
teacher and from the help provided by God’s grace. He was
advancing and maturing, and he was radiant and shining forth
with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, so that he truly became like the
word of our Savior, who said, “It is appropriate for the disciple
35
to be like his teacher.”

After that, our holy father, Anba Ammoes tested Abu John
and subjected him to trials, so that his light might shine,
36
especially before other people, by confirming his deeds as a
benefit to those for whom he is a guide to eternal life. As it is
written about the holy Abu John, his Father Anba Ammoes
threw him out of their dwelling place, saying, “I am not able to
live with you anymore. Go to another place.” And he threw him
outside the door. - " Abu John remained (there), enduring
pain of heart and tears. The severe elder—(who himself was)
the test—used to go out every day in the early morning and
beat him with branches stripped of their leaves and chase him
away, saying, “Go away from here!” The saint (John) used to
perform the act of repentance, throwing himself on his face
before him in great humility, he begged (him) many times,
asking his father, saying, “Forgive me, O my father. I have
sinned. Receive me on account of the Lord and on behalf of
God. O my father, do not chase me away from your presence.”
He continued like that for seven days and nights, neither eating
nor drinking, nor going away to any other place. He remained

32
Here, after writing the word ā (“speech, word”), the scribe adds above
the line in smaller script the word (“thought”) as an alternative.
33
Lit. “silence through a great observance.”
34
Cf. Apophthegmata, Ammoes 1.
35
Matthew 10:25.
36
Matthew 5:16.
 Life of John the Little 141

there outside the door in the power of the Spirit, and when
Anba Ammoes used to hear (him) reciting the Scriptures—
which are the very breaths of God—as a consolation to him. He
(John) used to say to himself while all alone, “Endure the fine
37
training, for what boy is not educated by his father?” He
remembered also the saying of the Lord, “By your endurance,
38
you will gain your souls.” And also his saying, “Whoever
39
endures to the end will be saved.” He remained in these
things in perfect faith and understanding of heart, reviling and
confronting his evil thoughts until the completion of seven days
and nights. Then, on Sunday, our father Anba Ammoes went
out before dawn to go off to the holy church, and when he
regarded Abu John, all of a sudden seven angels wearing
adorned garments with great glory, bearing seven crowns
emitting lightning - " with flashes of light above the head of
our holy father, Abu John. One by one, they were placing the
crowns on his head, filling him with every grace. When Anba
Ammoes saw this spectacle with his own eyes, he marveled
greatly. Immediately, he hurried over to Abu John with much
gladness and kissed his head with great joy and love. He
embraced him with holy peace in the purity of the Holy Spirit. In
addition, he took him back in and set him up at his home from
that day forward. (Once again,) John came to be in the dwelling
place of Anba Ammoes, who did not let him know what he had
witnessed.

After this, Anba Ammoes was seated with the brothers one
day and they asked him how the monastic life was, so he
called to Abu John, saying to him, “O John, my son, come and
inform the brothers about how they become monks.” John
responded with great humility, saying, “My holy father, forgive
me. It is God and his angels who guide us all.” Anba Ammoes
said to him, “Yes, my son, obey me.” And John hastened to
obey and fulfill the command of his teacher. Immediately, he
stripped off his clothes, threw them beneath his feet, and stood
there naked. The fathers and brothers marveled at him, and his
father Anba Ammoes said, “John my child, what is it that you

37
Matthew 12:7.
38
Luke 21:19.
39
Matthew 10:22 and 24:13; Mark 13:13.
142 Stephen J. Davis

have done?” He answered, “Unless a person strips off what

remains of this world’s glory and tramples upon every desire of
his heart in this way, . " he will not be able to become a
monk as God wills.” The elder and the brothers said, “Truly,
this is the way of salvation. That is, the commandment of our
Savior says, “No one can worship two masters or believe in two
40
gods’.” And after they had profited much, they departed.

* Another day when Anba Ammoes was sitting in the

41
church, brothers came to him asking him about the salvation
of their souls, and he sent Abu John his disciple to speak with
them. Abu John, through the grace of the Holy Spirit dwelling in
him, began to respond to each one of them, preaching to
42
them with a word that was pleasing to their hearts, and he
offered (them) counsel in the Lord. Now when the brothers had
43
gathered around him, then a great elder who was well)tested
came to him and said to him in the midst of the brothers, “John,
you now resemble an adorned woman who applies make)up to
herself so as to compound her (sexual) depravity.” Abu John
replied with humility, saying, “You have said the truth, my holy
father. It is nothing other than this, for God has revealed to you
this matter.” After this, Anba Ammoes came to him and said, “I
wonder, John, has your heart been pained by the words of the
elder?” John answered him, “No, but you are right, my father:
what is on the outside is just like what is inside me, through
44
Christ who strengthens me.”

+ Anba Ammoes also asked another time . " and spoke

to Abu John concerning his state (of mind) and his thoughts, in
order that he might know the tranquility of his considerations

40
Cf. Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13.
41
In the Coptic version, the setting for this story is Amoi’s (Bāmwīyah’s) cell
rather than the church.
42
The text literally reads “preaching to him (i.e. to each one).” In my
translation, I have changed the object to the plural for the sake of clarity and to
avoid pronoun confusion in English.
43
The Arabic term, (“tested, tried, practiced”) translates the
Coptic/Greek term dokimastos (“tested, proven”). However, readers of this
word in its unpointed form in the Arabic may also conceivably have taken it as
(“angry”): thus, “a great elder who was very angry.”
44
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 46.
 Life of John the Little 143

and the innermost thoughts of his heart, and in order to confirm

45
its condition. And Abu John said to him, “My father, I
resemble someone who is under a very tall tree. When he sees
the wild animals and the creeping creature (i.e. reptile) coming
toward him and is not able to stand before them, he escapes to
the tree and is saved. My holy father, I also am sitting in my
cell, and when I see all the evil Enemy’s thoughts coming
toward me, I escape to the shade and the hope of God’s help
through prayer and I am saved from the Enemy until the end
46
(of time).”

One carefree day when Abu John was yearning after

eternal goods, (some) brothers questioned him by way of a
test, wanting to know where his thoughts were. They said to
him, “John, the sky has rained this year and (the earth)
prospered on account of the papyrus plant, for the brothers
assign (to each other) the work of their hands.” Abu John
responded saying, “So too in the case of the Holy Spirit, when
he descends upon the soul, he makes it white and illuminates it
47
with the light of virtue.”

The brothers said to him, “Where are your thoughts?” He

said to them, “My thoughts are above, but my understanding is
beneath that of every creature.”

Our father Abu John was always running toward nobility in

the course of virtue, and his good reputation spread among all
of our fathers. * " Indeed, he became greater than many of
them in virtue, and they wanted to know the perfection of how
the matter was realized through the success of his deeds so
that they might proclaim the beauty of the fruits of the good tree
and come to be acquainted with it. So all of the fathers took
counsel, agreeing with our father Anba Ammoes to test Abu
John to discern his patience. One day, when he was going to
church, a great elder who was tested and exalted in his way of
life rushed to him and struck him in the face with a great blow
so that he cast him to the ground. And (the elder) said to him,

45
Lit. “in order to confirm how it (his heart) was.”
46
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 12.
47
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 10.
144 Stephen J. Davis

“This is the time to come to church, you pathetic runt! Get out
of here!” After they sent him away, our father Anba Ammoes
and two of the great elders followed him and came to his
dwelling place to see what he would do. And when they were
asking him to know his thoughts from his speech to them. And
our fathers were saying, “Should he mention what happened or
should he get angry or give reproof, then he is one like us. If he
forgets that matter and not mention it, then he should be raised
up as one greater and more excellent than us.” After he arrived
at the cell, the elders came to the dwelling place of Abu John
and inhaled a very exquisite, sweet fragrance. At the same
time they heard a band of angels praising and singing hymns to
the Lord in the dwelling place of Abu John, saying “Guard
against deception, * " and you will see the light of those
who are righteous.” They were also saying, “Glory and grace
he gives to those who run their course without deception. The
Lord will not let them be deprived of any good thing.” Abu John
was also praising (God) in their midst, and the holy elders were
astonished for a long time with a truly great fear as they saw
48
this take place. When they finally came to their senses, they
knocked on Abu John’s door, and when he came out to open it
for them, they saw his face shining like (that of) an angel of the
Lord. While the elders where speaking to him, it was as if they
were consoling him and inquiring with regard to the elder who
had struck him, saying, “Truly, all our hearts have been pained
on account of what that elder did to you—the one who did this
and left, especially on account of the fact that you are noble
and esteemed among us. But come with us and the matter will
be put right.” As our fathers were saying this, the head of our
father Abu John bowed to the ground and he did not say a
thing. His father, Anba Ammoes, responded to him, saying,
“Why do you not respond to these people who are speaking to
you?” Abu John, through the gift of the Holy Spirit and the
grace and purity that resided in him, said, “Forgive me, my holy
father, for I do not know anything of what you (pl.) are telling
me. If it happened as you (pl.) say, perhaps that was God’s

48
Lit. “while seeing this matter.”
 Life of John the Little 145

49
plan * " working for the salvation of my soul through the
50
good offices of his holiness.” When our fathers heard this
from Abu John, they were amazed and said, “Truly we have
seen, just as we have heard.” When they came to the church,
they were glorifying God. And while they were gathered, they
were stirred up by God and asked to one another in the zeal of
worshipping God, all saying with one accord, “What is the
measure of Abu John?” Then, a great holy elder and teacher
stood up among them and said to them, “Abu John has been
raised up higher than all of us, especially because he, through
his purity and true humility, has hung this entire monastery
from his finger.”

, One time our fathers asked Abu John about the monk’s
practice of sitting in his cell. He said to them, “If there is a
vessel containing God’s virtue in the monk, he will sit in his cell
in the desert. If he has no possession of this world, he will
remain in solitude on account of his hope for the good things
that are eternal. If there is no vessel of God in the monk’s soul,
but he instead holds dear the world’s benefits, indeed this one
will sit in his cell in the desert on account of the benefit
associated with (such) transitory vessels. If there is no godly
vessel nor any worldly vessel in the monk, he will sit in his cell
in the desert, but he will resemble a ship without cargo in the
deepest sea: without * " a harbor, without navigators, and
51
without a captain, it is in the greatest straits.”

- They also asked Abu John, saying, “What is a monk?” He

said, “A monk is hard labor. Treat yourself harshly in
everything. Be a monk and do not put forward your desire and
52
your word in any of your works.”
49
The Arabic word, , translates the word oikonomia in the Coptic
version. This term also had a technical function in christological discussions,
especially with regard to God’s salvific action in the Incarnation.
50
The pronoun usage here is somewhat ambiguous. “His holiness” probably
refers to God, but given the context it is also conceivable that John’s words are
crediting such holiness to the monk who had struck him and who thereby was
acting as an agent of God’s salvific plan.
51
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 44.
52
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 37.
146 Stephen J. Davis

. “Also a monk should not tell any lies, nor should he swear
falsely, cheat, show dissension, complain, or cast blame.”

* After this, he also saw a mystery with the eyes of his heart,
by means of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, (looking to) the
height of virtue attained by our fathers and the fire of God that
had come upon their generation. He was (also) perceiving the
weakness and lack of those who had come after them, and he
talked (about it) with inspiration, insight, wisdom, and humility.
He said, “An elder—that is to say, his soul—saw three monks
standing on the other side of the sea, and a voice came from
the other shore, saying, “Take wings made of fire and race to
the other shore.” So two of them took wings and raced to the
other shore to the one who had called them. But the other (i.e.
the third monk) remained standing there, weeping and crying
out. Finally, he was given wings, weak ones without any power,
and with great labor and tremendous difficulty he began
plummeting and rising (again), and with hard work he came up
over to the other shore.” ** " Thus,” he said, “it is with this
generation. They do not receive wings of fire like our fathers,
those who cut themselves off from the world by means of the
commandments of the Gospel law, and flew to the heights in
their minds, through the heat of the divine fire, until they
crossed over the sea of this world and came to be with Christ.
Rather, with pains, the people of our generation take weak
wings without any power on account of their priestly
53
vestments.”

* Our holy father, Abu John reached the ultimate goal of

virtue due to the extent of his ascetic practice and the
frequency of his worship, and he arrived at a state of freedom
and no deception. No pain afflicted him at all, just as he
requested from God, and (thus) he came to live without them.
And after this, he also sought counsel with his father Anba
Ammoes and asked the Lord to restore such pains to him so

53
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 14.
 Life of John the Little 147

that he might strive, receive the crown, and increase his

54
reward.

He said that it was on account of such battles that the soul

develops and grows in the richness of God’s grace. From that
day, our father Abu John did not consider to make such a
request of God, but rather he asked the Lord, saying, “My Lord
and God, Jesus Christ, in everything that you bring upon me,
strengthen me with your power and endurance until the very
end.”

** One day Anba Ammoes sent Abu John to the well to fill a
jar of water. The well was far from his cell ** " and it was
very deep. When he arrived at the well, he did not know that
he had no rope, for he had forgotten it. Then Abu John was
55
filled with great faith and said in a loud voice, “O well, my
father sent me and told me to fill this jar with water.” And
56
immediately, the water rose to the brim of the well. After the
jar was filled, the water returned again to the way it had been.

*+ Abu John said to the brothers, “The obedience and the

submission to God (displayed) by the Fathers through
complete obedience and their counsel in faithfulness, and
especially humility, purity, the fear of God, perseverance in
remembering God through one’s (mental) attention and
57
sensory perception, these things are the highest virtues and
they cause the soul to shine forth in God. Who has received
58
these virtues?”

* The second reading. Our fathers also told and wrote down
in a book some information concerning our father Abu John,

54
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 13.
55
Lit. “the greatness of faithfulness.”
56
The scribe has written ā ī instead of ā .
57
Lit. “a presence of sensory perception.”
58
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 22.
148 Stephen J. Davis

saying, “Just as the earth does not fall, so too Abu John the
59
Little is not able to fall on account of his great humility.

Abu John, the disciple of Anba Ammoes perfected great

obedience while he was in submission to his spiritual father,
and he was exalted in the fire of the Holy Spirit.

* One day, Anba Ammoes took a dry piece of wood, and he

went away to a place that was far away from his cell in the
60
desert *+ " (about twelve miles). He planted it there and
called his disciple John, saying, “John, my son, fill up a jar with
water every day for this piece of wood until it bears fruit.” Now
the water was far from the place where he planted the piece of
wood, and Abu John began going out with the jar of water and
he went to it every day and came back early in the morning. He
did this for three years, and the tree lived, sprouted, and bore
fruit; so the elder, Anba Ammoes took from the fruit of the tree,
brought it to the church, and presented it to all the elders,
61
saying, “Take and eat from the fruit of obedience.” And when
the elders regarded this extraordinary matter, they began to
marvel and to glorify God, saying, “Truly, if God, the giver of
true life is not dwelling in this brother, for what reason did this
mystery take place at his hands? Blessed be Jesus Christ,
God, the lover of humankind, the one who performs miracles in
his saints, for he said, “If one does my will, my Father and I will
come to him and dwell in him. Everything that he asks for in my
62
name he will have.” This tree is present to this day as an
authentic witness to our holy father who was illuminated in his
63
lofty virtues.

59
Lit. “the greatness of his humility.”
60
According to the edition published by Bishop Samuel and Martyrus al)
Suryānī, the Barāmūs manuscript has a variant reading of “ten miles” instead
of twelve.
61
Anbâ Bāmwīyah’s statement here evokes the words of institution spoken
by Jesus in Matthew 26:26 and repeated in the Coptic eucharistic mass.
62
This is a loose paraphrase of Jesus’ teachings in John 14:9 21 (see esp.
vss. 13 14)
63
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 1.
 Life of John the Little 149

* Also, the brothers asked the holy Abu John, “Is it good for
us to hold fast *+ " to the pious fight with (other) people?”
Abu John said to them, “It is good that we fight this fight for our
brother: it is for his and our sake together, for everyone equally,
that Christ (our) God died. Through the gentleness of Christ, let
us procure our brother for ourselves in all the purity of the Holy
Spirit, and let us fight the fight powerfully, facing the enmity that
takes us away from God.”

*, It is also written regarding the holy Abu John the Little that
he did not fill his belly with bread or water, nor did speak any
word of jesting derision from his mouth. On account of this, no
thoughts of the body ever ruled him, but rather he was like the
angels in purity of heart.

*- Our father Anba Ammoes lived for many years, residing in

a dwelling place within the “Weigher of Hearts”—that is, the
monastery—where there was a small cell. It never crossed his
64
mind to go down and distinguish the interior of the cell from
his dwelling, or to see what was inside it, on account of the fact
that his thoughts extended (only) to the Lord. It was common
that the Lord would send to him many people. In particular, he
had correct knowledge regarding the fact that Abu John, his
disciple, had become well)tested, a select, complete, and
perfect monk, and he used to shut his eyes so as not to see
65
whatever that one was doing.

*. After this, (our) father Ammoes became sick and remained

lying on the ground for a long time, and God used to cook him
like exquisite perfume that is tested in fire. * " And the
blessed Abu John served his elder Anba Ammoes for twelve
years with the forbearance of a great spirit. On account of his
many illnesses, Anba Ammoes was irritated and never said a
kind word to Abu John on any day, for his manners were
stronger and harder than many of our fathers. One day, the
holy Anba Ammoes called Abu John and said to him, “John, my

64
Lit. “pierced his thoughts.”
65
Cf. Apophthegma, Ammoes 3.
150 Stephen J. Davis

son, if I pass from this world, go live in the place where you
planted the tree, for in that place you will have a perpetual holy
sacrifice, acceptable before God through the work of your
hands. For this tree which grew up with your help is an offering
and a sign which signifies many souls which who will be saved
through your good offices. In that place there will be an eternal
remembrance in the hands of God.” After that, when the death
of the holy Anba Ammoes drew near, all of the elders
surrounded him and he called to Abu John, and when he
approach him, Anba Ammoes took hold of his hands and
kissed them. Then he blessed him just as Isaac blessed Jacob
(Israel), and said to him three times, “Bless you, bless you,
bless you, O hero of Christ the King!” And after this, he handed
him over to the elders who were surrounding him * ",
saying to them, “Receive this one, for he is an angel on earth,
and not a human being.” When our father Anba Ammoes said
this, he opened his mouth and gave up the spirit in the peace
66
of God.

+ When our father the holy Abu John was left by himself he
went out to the place of the tree following the command of his
father, he made for himself a small cave there. He began to
practice great asceticism, and he intensified his worship and
his labors, for he had already made for himself a hidden place
underground in the cave. And he would go down into it, and
especially would remain constantly before God in great
petitions and unceasing prayer. He had already made for
himself also a tunic out of palm fibers and used to wear it and
go down there so that, as a result of his great burning (i.e. his
ascetic passion), he lived the entire week down there without
food or drink, through the power of God’s providence. If he
came up out of that place, the brothers would see him like a
piece of wood burning with fire, so that, on account of the many
67
things that spread the news of his pious worship, many
people gathered to him and emulated his angelic way of life.
They lived near him and around him, and he became for all of
them a reason for salvation and the example of truth. He was
sweet with all of them in love and peace; and assisted each

66
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Theban 1.
67
Lit. “his news and his worship.”
 Life of John the Little 151

one of them with gentleness, he came to * " offer comfort

to whoever saw and heard (him) from near and far, so that the
desert place became an inhabited land and cities belong to
Christ, and the infertile earth came to be fertile thirty)fold and
sixty)fold and a hundred)fold, to the glory of the Holy Trinity.

+ When there came to be many brothers living near our holy

father, he needed a source of water on account of the fact that
he saw them worn out from going far away to fill up (their jars)
with water. Our father was like one moved God: he got up and
gathered all the brothers to dig a well for themselves. After they
spent five days digging, our father went down into the well and
remained there all night, praying to the Lord from the evening
until the morning, and a spring of water flowed forth up to the
top, sweet and good to drink. This grace God granted to our
father and to his entire monastery—and not to the rest of the
places in the desert regions—as a faithful witness to the virtue
of our righteous father.

+* After this, his older brother became a monk, just as I said

earlier, and our father taught him and preached to him in the
fear of God, and drew him under the yoke of obedience and
true humility, so that (his brother) might surrender to virtue and
so that (John) might remind him of his weakness and his
poverty in the world. And (John) said to him, “Brother, I know
* " that we are poor and contemptible among the people.
Let us then work hard in doing God’s will in this world, so that
we might obtain honor before God and his saints.” In this way
and in ways similar to this, his brother became a chosen monk,
and our father Abu John helped in this good work.

++ Abu John was adorned with all the virtues. In particular, he

had these three (godly) fears in his heart all the time: they were
the fear of the time when the soul would leave the body, the
fear of encountering God, and the fear of the day of judgment.
Whenever he would remember these things, he fled into the
desert regions and his brother would go out searching for him.
Whenever he found him, he would say to him, “Brother, why
are you tiring yourself out? Is it not true that if you sit in your
cell, you will find God?” Abu John would answer and say to
him, “Yes, I believe that God is in every place, but I want to tire
152 Stephen J. Davis

myself out a lot so that God sees my exertion and causes me

to be without fear on the day of judgment and without worry on
account of sin, and so that I may also be worthy to see the
glory of God and his saints.” For our holy father, Abu John was
already boiling with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and he
endeavored at all times to be like the bodiless spiritual
68
beings.

+ * " One day, he said to his older brother in the zeal of

God’s love, “My brother, I also want to come to be without
care—to serve God without slackening along with the angels,
remaining continuously in the glory of his beauty, and to live his
life.” So he stripped off his clothes and went out into the desert.
When he had spent seven days not eating and not drinking, he
returned again to his brother, with a dispatch from God for the
salvation of many souls. He was laden with the fruits of humility
in true repentance. When he knocked on his older brother’s
door, his brother did not open up for him, but rather he said to
him, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am John.” His brother said
to him, “You are John? John has become an angel and not
among human beings anymore.” And he did not open up for
him, but left him alone at the door from the evening until the
morning. When morning came, he opened (it) up for him and
said, “John, I know that you are a human being and that you
are in the body, and that you need to work to nourish your soul.
Yet, this action was done on account of those who are without
body.” Then Abu John performed the act of repentance, saying,

68
Here, my chapter/section organization differs slightly from that Mikhail and
Vivian, who place this last sentence at the beginning of section 34 in their
Coptic translation. In the Arabic, the sentence is linked syntactically with what
precedes it by the conjunction, (“for, because”), and is followed by the
conventional four)dot cross marker that indicates the end of the section. This
conclusion to section 33, which emphasizes John’s emulation of “the bodiless
spiritual beings,” provides a thematic link to the emphasis on the angelic
character of his life in section 34.
 Life of John the Little 153

69
“Forgive me.” Because of this—the many virtues that our holy
70
father Abu John had—he became an Israelite of Christ.

+ One day when he was sitting in his cell, a gang of thieves

took everything that was in his cell and bound it together in a
bundle, while Abu John, sitting there, did not say anything.
* " Then they said to him, “Get up and carry this for us.” So
Abu John got up and carried it for them, and after he had seen
them off, he sat down again. When his brother came in, he said
to John, “Where is your stuff?” John replied, “I don”t know,” and
he performed the act of repentance, saying, “Brother, forgive
me. I ask you to verify in your heart that it has been three years
since you came to me and you have not shown any
71
weakness.”

+ Abu John used to say, “There are three wars waged

against a human being: fornication, the censure of a friend, and
his separation from God. If a person keeps himself away from
his brother, he will keep (himself) away from the last two
matters. If he holds a grudge against his brother, the latter
pains will take hold of his soul.”

He also said, “One’s brother is the foundation of our house. If

we preserve the foundation, we will build our house until we
complete its roof. On account of this, Abu John used to be
joyful when a person would abuse and insult him. He would run
to him all the more and increase his love for him, and say,
“Bearing abuse and insults with knowledge—these things purify
the heart and bring true humility until the soul grows in virtue
72
(God). But, indeed, the altar of the world and its honor

69
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 2.
70
Once again, the chapter division differs slightly from the Coptic translation
of Mikhail and Vivian. The final sentence of chapter 34 here appears as the
opening sentence of chapter 35 in their translation.
71
Coptic text: “three years since you laid me in the tomb” (Mikail and Vivian,
35).
72
The scribe has added the word “God” in the manuscript above the word
“virtue.” It is possible that he intended a genitive construct, “the virtue of God,”
154 Stephen J. Davis

destroy virtue.” On account of the greatness of his humility and

his modesty, he did not raise his eyes at all to see the face of
another person.

+, *, " It was also said about him that he did not err at all in
any affair involving action or word and then go back and err in it
another time. If he saw or heard that someone had fallen into
sin, he would sigh and weep with pain in his heart, saying,
“This one fell today, and I will fall tomorrow,” and he would ask
of the Lord on account of him. He used to do this all the time.

+- Some brothers asked our father Anba John, saying, “Our

father, is it good for us to recite many psalms?” He said to
them, “The riches of the Holy Spirit reside in the soul through
73
(its act of) guarding the mind, whether a person reads a lot or
a little, especially insofar as everything the monk does will not
be accepted before God unless he has humility and careful
observance.”

+. One day, our father Abu John decided to sell baskets in the
74
agricultural area, because he wove palm leaves. So he set
75
out into the desert and had not entered the agricultural road,
carrying his baskets, when he found a camel driver with his
camels. The camel driver said to our father, “Give me those
baskets, for I see that you are tired.” So Abu John gave them to
the man to carry them, and they set out together. Then the
camel driver said words that were jesting and rich with worldly
things, and Abu John saw all the demons around the man.

but wrote it incorrectly. The Coptic text speaks simply about the soul’s maturing
“in God” (trans. Mikhail and Vivian, 35). My translation above reflects the actual
state of the text where the two words must be taken as alternative readings.
73
The context of monastic reading that follows here suggests that the
beginning of this sentence may be alternatively translated as: “The riches of
the Holy Spirit reside in the soul through the mind’s (act of) memorization.”
74
Coptic, kēmi (“Egypt” or literally, “black land”)
75
Lit. “the road of the agricultural area.”
 Life of John the Little 155

76
*, " At that moment, he left the baskets behind and
returned to his cell, saying the word of our Lord, “What does a
person profit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?
7778
And what will a person give as a ransom for his soul?”

Another time he was going out to the agricultural area to

sell baskets, and as he entered the market carrying the baskets
on his shoulder, there were many other monastic brothers
there, each one of them occupied with his own work and
craftsmanship. Many people came to buy the baskets and said
to our father, “How much are these baskets?” Abu John
absentmindedly looked up to the sky for a long time, before the
brothers responded to him, saying, “Our father, let us know the
price of the baskets!” He responded, saying to them, “Brothers,
79
you let me know also which is greater in the heavenly ranks
(and) first before God—the cherubim or seraphim? Then all
them were amazed and said to him, “Our father, where are
your thoughts?” He said to them, “The Scriptures command us
all the time to seek what is above and to contemplate what is
on high where Christ is seated on the right hand of hand, and
80
not to think about what is on earth.” Then these brothers
glorified on account of him.

One time our father produced plait work that amounted to

two baskets. When he sewed the plait work, he sewed it into
one basket. *- " He did not know (that he had done this)
until he reached its rim, since his mind was in the heavenly
Jerusalem, according to the word of the apostle Paul, who said,
“Our city is in heaven. From there we await our Lord Jesus

76
In their translation of the Bohairic Coptic version, Mikhail and Vivian (p.
36) understand this pronoun to refer to the camel driver (i.e. that it was the
camel driver who abandoned the baskets). However, the syntax in both
versions better supports an identification of John as the subject of both verbs in
this sentence. The emphasis is on his lack of attachment to the things of this
world, including the product of his own hands.
77
Matthew 16:26.
78
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 5.
79
Lit. “the ranks of heaven.”
80
Colossians 3:1.
156 Stephen J. Davis

Christ, the one who will change the body of our humility for
81
participation in the body of his glory.”

* A brother came to our father for the purchase of baskets.

When he knocked on the door and kept on knocking, after a
long time our father Abu John came out to him, for he had been
applying himself diligently in prayer. And he said to the brother,
“What do you need, brother?” The brother said to him, “I need
to purchase a few baskets.” When our father went in (again),
he again remained there for a long time with his thoughts on
high. The brother (again) persisted in knocking, and after a
long time the elder came out a second time. He (John) said to
him, “Tell me what you want.” The brother said to him, “What I
just got done telling you: I want baskets.” When our father went
back in for a third time, his mind was again swept up to the
heights. And the brother persisted in knocking and did this
three (more) times. At last the elder came out and grabbed the
brother’s hand. Then he entered and showed him the baskets,
saying to him, “You wanted baskets? Take the baskets with
82
you. I do not occupy myself with baskets.”

+ His desire was for what was unseen, and he also used to
say along with David, *- " “One thing I have asked of the
Lord, and after it I seek—to live in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, that I may take joy in the Lord and care for his
83
holy, heavenly temple, which is not made by (human) hand.”

Abu John used to go out to the harvest, and before the

brothers he was like a leader in his great compassion. He
would provide them with rest in every matter, and when he
grew tired, he would not first raise up his back the whole way
before clapping his hands as a signal to the brothers. When all
of them had rested, he also took some rest after them. And he
would say, “It was declaimed to us in the Scriptures to treat our

81
Philippians 3:21; cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 11.
82
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 30.
83
Psalm 27:4.
 Life of John the Little 157

84
friend as ourselves, especially in honor. Whenever I provide
my brother with rest, God provides me also with rest.”

One time when he was at the harvest, he called one of the

brothers to perform a service for the brothers. That one
responded to our father with great annoyance, saying to him,
“What is it with you too?” Our father responded, saying to the
brother, “Forgive me, brother.” At that moment, he threw his
sickle from his hand, went away, and performed the act of
repentance before the brother, saying to him, “Forgive me, for I
have sinned against God and against you, my brother. On
account of God, forgive me.” Then he returned to the desert, to
his cell, and remained there all that year, fasting three days,
(and then) three days eating bread and salt, *. " calling out
to God with a continuous request, saying, “Forgive me, for I
85
have grieved your creation.”

This was the custom of our father, Abu John: to fast for
three days all the time during the harvest with prayer that did
not slacken. In this way, his soul was shining with the rays of
the Holy Spirit, the one who was working in him signs and
wonders, (giving) glory to whoever gives him glory.

, This happened, just as it was written concerning him, with

the result that one time when he was at harvest they brought
86
him a leper for him to heal. When our father had prayed over
the water in the name of Christ and poured it over the leprous
man, immediately he was stripped of skin like a snake and his
original color returned to him, and he was restored to health
and glorified God.

- After this also, another time, our father was sitting in the
field with the brothers in the time of heat so that they might cool
off, and he happened to encounter an old woman cast upon the
ground with a merciless evil demon tormenting her. Abu John
had compassion for her and stood in the heat praying over her.
The demon cried out in a loud voice, saying, “O little one, what

84
Cf. Matthew 19:19 and 22:39; Mark 12:31; and Luke 10:27.
85
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 6.
86
This sentence is absent in the Coptic Life.
158 Stephen J. Davis

is it between you and me? I left the desert to you, and (now)
you have come here to me. Leave this place to me so that I
might find some rest in it!” At *. " that moment, the demon
went out from her and she was restored to health immediately.
When the brothers saw what had happened at the hand of our
holy father, Abu John, they glorified God.

. It was also said, my brothers, concerning this saint that one

day when he came from the harvest field with the brothers in
the heat, while he was washing himself with water to rest a little
bit from his labor, they brought to him a young man with a
demon. When the saint saw the demon’s lack of shame and
that he tormented the young man, he looked up into heaven
and sighed; and he took the water with which he was washing
himself and made the sign of the cross over him in the name of
Christ. Then he poured (the water) over that young man, so
that the unclean spirit went out of him and the young man was
restored to health and glorified God.

All our fathers, when they went out to the harvest, divided
their harvest wages into two parts, one part for charity and the
other part for their bodily needs. They would do likewise with
87
the price of their handiwork. But our father Abu John used to
bring the two portions into the desert, saying, “My poor ones,
my weak ones, my widows, and my orphans are in the
88
monastery, the “Weigher of Hearts” (i.e. Scetis).”

When he went out from the harvest, + " he would not

become distracted at all by anything, except for many
unceasing prayers, until he returned again to his original (state
of) contemplation. He used to do this whenever he went out to
89
inquire about the elders or to take care of some other matter.

* With this, his brother went to the Lord, perfect in all

godliness. He had another brother in the rank of a disciple. Our

87
Lit. “the work of their hands.”
88
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 47.
89
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 35.
 Life of John the Little 159

father, Abu John, was leading souls to God and was teaching
this other one, saying, “My son, let us honor the one God over
90
everything else with fear and trembling, and everyone will
honor and glorify us. And if we slacken and reject God, then all
of creation will reject us and we will go to our destruction. But
indeed, we have a help and a mighty, potent, unconquerable
power, who is God. Let us follow him in knowledge, and he will
save us, for he is good and his compassion for all his creation
is very abundant. With us, his enacts his mercy and kindness
for us as well. My son, know that there is a holy gathering
91
without number—many angels and hosts of archangels,
cherubim, seraphim, thrones, lords, powers, and all the rest of
the saints. Let us direct our thoughts to them and let us
examine their beauty and the goodness of their glory. + "
Their honor gives us a perfect forgetfulness of all transitory
things, so that we may flee that which is vain.

+ Our father Abu John used to say, “The saints resemble a

tree that is laden with the fruit of life in paradise. They have
many forms in the likeness of their glory through the life)giving
92
spring of the Holy Spirit which provides drink to all of them.”

Through these many virtues that our most excellent father,

Abu John, possessed, the Lord ordained for him an angel to
console and empower him so that he might reveal to him what
was the good thing that would please God, and so that he
might be appointed in every place, according to the word of
Scripture, as follows: “The angel of the Lord encircles those
93
who fear him and saves them.”
94
One day when the holy Abu John was sleeping, an elder
came to his cell and saw the angel of the Lord standing over
our father, Abu John, guarding him. When Abu John got up he
began to inquire of his disciple with inspiration from God, “Did

90
See Psalm 2:11 and Philippians 2:12.
91
Lit. “soldiers” or “armies” ( ā )
92
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 43.
93
Psalm 34:7.
94
The version of the story preserved in a manuscript from the Monastery of
Baramous identifies “the perfect man, the holy Anba Bishoi” as the one who
comes to John the Little’s cell.
160 Stephen J. Davis

someone come here while I was sleeping?” He said, “Yes, a

certain elder came here.” So Abu John knew that that elder had
seen the angel, on account of the fact that that elder had also
advanced to where Abu John had advanced.
When the angel came to him another time filled with every
spiritual joy, + " Abu John said to him, “Why have you come
this time rejoicing greatly, for you have come to me this time
with much joy?” The angel said to him, “Now as we stand
before God serving him—we, his (heavenly) host—a great
cloud of smoke from the incense of the saints ascended to God
and the Lord rejoiced over a fruit acceptable to him. And a
voice came from the throne of the Ruler of All, promising all of
his creation mercy and compassion on account of the prayers
and petitions, and especially his creatures’ way of life, their
labor of love, and their striving after purity. Indeed, we rejoice
95
and are very greatly amazed on account of the good things
prepared for you. The Creator has sent each of us to one of his
friends among the saints in order to become acquainted with
him. On account of this, we long for and rejoice over the fact
96
that we come to the saints who are in the world.

Abu John enjoyed this consolation and these holy visions

from the Lord. He used to submit himself to other tiring acts of
worship that he would endure, remembering the word of the
97
apostle, “The one who strives is patient in everything.” And
also his statement, “Whatever is a virtue and (whatever is) a
mark of honor, keep hold of these things. + " They are what
you have learned and heard and seen. Do them and the God of
98
peace will be with you.” And also his statement, “The sorrows
of the world do not measure up to the glory that will appear in
99
us.” He also used to receive prior knowledge and prophecy in
this: he would see something from afar and speak with the
brothers prophetically about what was and what will be and
what is now, and a word of grace—the overflowing grace of

95
I have translated these two perfect verbs with the English present tense.
96
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 33.
97
1 Corinthians 9:25.
98
Philippians 4:8 9.
99
Romans 8:18. Coptic version follows the Greek biblical text more closely
in speaking of “the glory that will be revealed to us.”
 Life of John the Little 161

God—would issue forth from him. As a result, one time some

brothers came to Abu John in the evening in order to ask him
about the salvation of the soul, and he spoke with them about
virtue from evening until the first light of morning without their
being aware of it. When morning came, our father went out in
order to say goodbye to those brothers and once again stood
there talking with them in the midst of his farewell to them from
100
the morning until the ninth hour of the day, speaking to them
spiritual words. And when he saw that the ninth hour had
come, he went in with them again, and they ate bread
101
(together) in love. Then he said goodbye to them in peace.

102
, Our father, the Spirit)bearer, proudly confessed the holy
103
cross and the pains of Christ. He was dead to sin and the
104
world but alive in Jesus Christ, walking in whatever way was
105
pleasing to him all the time, purifying +* " [a temple] for
the Holy Spirit in the joy of the Holy Spirit. They made him [a
priest], and while he was in the process of ordination and the
holy archbishop was placing his hand upon him, a voice from
on high cried out on account of him, saying three times from
106 107
heaven, “Worthy, worthy, worthy!” When he was entrusted
with the service of the holy mysteries in the equanimity of
heavenly grace, he was renewed in his race of virtue, for he
was a holy priest for the bloodless sacrifice, which is “the Lamb

100
I.e. three o’clock in the afternoon.
101
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 26.
102
Lit. “the one who was clothed in the Spirit.”
103
This sentence may also be translated: “Our father… confessed the pride
(or glory) of the holy cross and the pains of Christ.”
104
See Romans 6:11.
105
This direct object is missing in the Arabic version, but supplied here from
the Coptic.
106
Variant text in G: “When our father was thus in this pure course (of life), a
group of brothers informed the bishop father at that time about his virtues, and
he was chosen to be a priest. And in the joy of the Holy Spirit, they brought him
forward and made him a clergyman. When the father ordained him and placed
his hand upon him, behold there was a voice from heaven calling out and
saying...”
107
See Revelation 5:12.
162 Stephen J. Davis

108
of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And he dwelt
109
in the wisdom of God.

- Our father Abu John said that the law of the priesthood was
the law of the first cherubim and seraphim, who were closer to
God than all the ranks (of angels). They are the ones who first
enjoyed life through knowing him and the light of his blessed
glory that is blessed forever and ever. It is on account of this
that the Scriptures command us, saying, “Whoever has hope in
110
Christ, let him purify himself, just as he is pure.” It also says,
111
““Be pure, because I am pure,” says the Lord.” In this way
112
also, the most excellent Abu John was pleasing the Holy
Spirit of God and he fulfilled the obligation of this rank to him
113
many times over like a good servant or faithful steward, a
perfect priest in all righteousness +* ", as Scripture says,
114
“Your priests are clothed with righteousness.” Our father
received the gift of the Holy Spirit and drew to himself the light
and sweetness of (the Spirit’s) glory, eternal life, and especially
the beauty of the ancient likeness and the unblemished luster
of the divine image in which he was perfected and with which
he and all of his people pleased God, through select petitions.
When he was illuminated in the vessel which dwelt in him, it
was just as it is written about him—that he used to see
everything in humanity like something (reflected) in a vessel
made of glass.

. After this great exaltation, his humility increased greatly like

wheat—when the harvest has come to fruition and maturity, it
submits to all of creation. However, when it was revealed to
him that a person had fallen into sin or had become impaired

108
John 1:29.
109
In the Coptic version (Amélineau, 368; Mikhail and Vivian, 41), this final
phrase is syntactically linked with the material that follows in section 58: “Our
father Abba John stood in the wisdom of God, saying…” However, in the
Arabic version, the use of conjunctions and textual marks link the phrase more
closely with the preceding description of Christ.
110
1 John 3:3.
111
1 Peter 1:16 (see also Leviticus 11:44 45; 19:2; 20:7).
112
Lit. “giving rest to.”
113
See Luke 19:11 26.
114
Psalm 132:9.
 Life of John the Little 163

with the pains of sin, he would teach and instruct them like a
good father regarding a good, easy, and friendly matter. He
would treat every one of them justly with wisdom, cheer them
up, and direct them with a guiding counsel in order that they
might be saved—that is, that they might bear the light yoke of
repentance. He diligently healed their wounds so that they
might be reconciled with God in purity. Subsequently he
guarded their souls, and after that ++ " sent them out to the
required fight, which is the destruction of deception and all its
deeds, and its disappearance from their hearts, through
asceticism and the satisfaction of God. Abu John did this like
one who treats and cures souls, and he ripped open the belly
of Satan and all his evil minions so that he (Satan) gnashed his
teeth and cried out in the air, saying, “O Jesus, you have
disturbed me—you along with your friends!”

Our holy father saw this and fought the error and activity of
evil. And he destroyed deception, the darkness of its envy, and
the wickedness of its evil jealousy through the help of Christ
without obstacle or impediment in the way of virtue. In
particular, he forgot food and sleep on account of the power
that belonged to the richness of the Holy Spirit who lived in
him. He made for himself a place in which there were many
sharp rocks. From one side to the other, it was an arm’s length
and an arm’s width. And if the law of nature conquered him, he
slept there a little while he sat, and would awaken immediately,
especially on account of the deception of those who tempt
through fantastical delusions.

He also used to tell parables to the brothers about ascetic

practice, saying, “It is like ++ " when a human king wants to
take a city, he first bars the places where the water tends (to be
gathered). He also plunders its food supplies and prevents the
people from accessing them. And if the residents become
weary because of hunger and thirst, they surrender to him and
he comes to rule over them. The same is the case with the
monk: if he curbs all his motivations for evil through ascetic
practice and abstinence from foods, if he is oriented toward the
love of asceticism and the dissolution of the body, if he fights
against invisible beings and breaks their weapons (that is, his
164 Stephen J. Davis

body), distancing himself from the attachment to desires and

destructive sensual pleasure, and if he keeps himself from
sensual pleasure, indeed he will rule over and vanquish evil
and will destroy with ease every envious deed of the great
115
serpent.”

* If one of the brothers experiences anguish from the enemy,

the holy Abu John would pray for him and it would disappear
from him immediately. He would heal the brothers of their
destructive deeds through his love of labor and he would help
all of them through the action of the Holy Spirit who was
dwelling in him.

+ O beloved, it is also said concerning him that he took a

small number of baskets one time and went off with them to
116
Egypt to sell them and buy for himself a little bread for the
sake of bodily needs. When he sold them, he filled a basket
with bread from the price of the baskets. When our father was
getting ready to walk to the desert, + " he came across a
poor old widow walking in the alleyway. With her was a young
boy who was blind, and she was holding his hand and leading
him along. This boy was her son whom she had given birth to
in this condition. When Abu John saw them walking together,
he heard the blind boy say to his mother, “Will the Lord provide
us with bread to eat today, mother?” His mother sighed and
wept, saying to him, “The Lord sees and has mercy on us in his
concern, my son.” When the holy Abu John, the luminary and
Spirit)bearer, heard this from the blind boy and his mother, his
117
heart was moved, along with the compassion of Christ that
dwelt in him. He called to the woman, saying, “Come here!”
And when she came to him, he said to her, “Perhaps you have
need of this little bit of bread, my mother.” She said, “Yes, but

115
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 3.
116
In medieval Arabic, the word could refer generally to Egypt or more
narrowly to the city of Old Cairo. Here, we have an example of the former
usage: in this story, the term is meant to convey John’s movement away the
desert settlement of Scetis to the cultivated regions of the Delta/Nile Valley (i.e.
Egypt proper).
117
Lit. “insides” or “intestines.”
 Life of John the Little 165

this is a lot (of bread), my father.” The saint, since he was

moved with concern for everyone, would do what he wished all
118
by himself for the sake of the deliverance of other people. He
gave the woman the basket of bread and trusted in the living
God to provide him with life in the two times—in this age and in
the age to come. And when the woman has received the bread
with joy and thanks, God moved her in his (divine) economy,
and she cried out with great faith and said to our father, “O holy
father, I see that you are a saint of God. + " This small body
whom you see is my son, whom I gave birth to like this, as a
blind person. I ask your holiness to place your holy hand on his
eyes, so that he may receive your blessing.” So our father
raised his eyes up to heaven and sighed with a heart full of
grace, and he said, “O Lord God, source of (all) good things,
Jesus Christ, ruler of all, you are yesterday, today, and forever
119
without end. Just as you granted sight to the one who was
120
born blind by the action of your perfect and powerful will, so
too now, O Christ our God, let the good pleasure of your be
upon us in a perfect way as deliverance for your creature, for to
you be the glory, along with your good Father and the Holy
Spirit forever. Amen.” He placed his hand on the eyes of the
blind boy and made the sign of the cross in the name of Christ,
and at that moment the blind boy could see. Out of her joy and
wonder, his mother cried out with a loud voice, saying,
“Blessed is the Lord, the God of this monk, this holy elder!”
Because of her voice, many people gathered to see. When this
happened, our father withdrew to the other side, fleeing from
the glory of people; he disappeared from their sight and Christ
guided him.

+ " The saint used to warn everyone to guard

themselves against every sin, especially slander and judgment,
saying, “These two things cause a person to be a stranger to
God, just like fornication and the worship of idols. It is just as
the apostle enumerated them all when he said, “Those who do
121
these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Concerning

118
I.e. “salvation” ( ! )
119
See Hebrews 13:8.
120
See John 9.
121
Galatians 5:21; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9.
166 Stephen J. Davis

these things, he used to tell a parable: “There was a poor man

who had two wives, both of whom were naked, without clothing
on account of their poverty. When there was a feast day in a
certain place, a crowd was gathering there to see what would
happen in that place, and their husband, on account of their
nakedness, made for them a chest and placed both of them in
it. They boarded a ship and he set off with them. When they
arrived at the place, one of them got up out of the chest and
122
gathered together many rags and made for herself a
garment with which she covered up her nakedness. She went
and stood in the crowd, observing and seeing everything that
was happening. When the other wife who was in the chest
looked out of its chinks and saw her companion in the midst of
the crowd, she said to her husband, “Now do you see this
whore and her lack of modesty, how she is not ashamed of
these shabby clothes on her + " in the midst of this
gathering?” She forgot her nakedness and her confinement in
the chest—I mean, this miserable one who was finding fault
with her companion. This one who was not able to see at all
any of the people on account of her nakedness was judging
and finding fault with her companion. Her husband said to her,
“Pay attention to yourself and observe how your own condition
is! As far as this one is concerned, she has found rags with
which she have covered her nakedness. But look, you are not
able to appear at all before any of the people. Why do you
123
judge your sister?”

“Now the same is the case for us,” he said. “If we forget our
own sins, find fault with our brother, and dishonor God, God will
dishonor us.”

124
He also said, “The love of God for humanity has provided

122
The Arabic word ! functions as an irregular plural off
(“tatter, shred, rag”), and should be distinguished from the isomorphic
adjective, ! , the feminine form of (“clumsy, awkward”).
123
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 15.
124
For the sake of syntactical coherence, I have not translated the initial
causal, , with which this quotation begins.
 Life of John the Little 167

a way of salvation for us, through his opening to us the door of

repentance, if we wish to be saved.”

, Regarding this matter, he used to say a parable: “It is like a

prostitute who has many adulterous friends. A king crosses her
125
path and sees her and takes her as his wife. On account of
their fear of the king, these adulterous friends are not able to
approach her house again lest they be killed. But rather, they
avoid her house, while they try to keep in touch with her by
sending her signals. + " As for her, she would flee inside to
her bedchamber and lock the doors behind her on account of
her fear of her husband the king and so that the glory that had
come to her because of him might not be taken from her
126
again.”

- Thus, he said, “When a soul has given up its impurity and

has fled to the protection of the hope of God’s mercy, indeed
the reward of punishment in hell and the joy of the good things
in the kingdom of heaven are a comfort and a help so that it
may be saved from the evil deeds which belong to the pains of
deception.”

. After this, another time the brothers were eating at the

127
agape meal, and the holy Abu John was sitting with them at
the agape meal and he saw a brother laughing while eating at
the agape meal. Abu John wept, saying, “Where do you
suppose this brother’s thoughts are? It was incumbent upon
him even more to weep and to sigh with thanks, for he is eating
128
an agape meal.”

, Another day also, he was eating at a table with many

monks, and the Spirit gave him a revelation, and thus he
discerned a disparity among the brothers, some of whom were

125
Lit. “takes her to marry her.”
126
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 16.
127
Lit. “the charity” ( ).
128
Cf. Apophthegma, John the Little 9.
168 Stephen J. Davis

eating honey, while others were eating bread, while still others
were eating dirt. Our father was astonished at this mystery, and
there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, “Those who
are eating with fear and trembling and with spiritual joy + "
and pray without slackening with their mind set on heaven and
their prayers ascending to heaven like acceptable incense eat
honey on account of this. And those who bread are the ones
who eat with thanksgiving and who weep and glorify God for
his good favor and for his gift which he has prepared for them.
And those who eat dirt are the ones who eat while complaining,
blaming and speaking (against others), judging and
reproaching (others) by saying, “This one is good, and this one
is evil.” One ought not to think this kind of thought or speaking
in this way at all, but rather it is better by far that we glorify,
bless, and thank God many times in order that we may fulfill
the word of the apostle, who said, “Whether you eat or drink or
do any other thing, everything you do, do it in order to glorify
129
God.”
130
, The third reading. Our great father, the wise scholar,
Anba Poimên ( ā ) who came to resemble Paul wrote
about many virtues, more than [all] the (other) luminaries
among our fathers. He would serve the glory)filled works of the
Holy Spirit who was dwelling in our fathers as a benefit for our
souls. This truly wise one, Saint Poimên wrote about +, " the
virtues of the holy Abu John the Little. He informed us in what
he mentioned concerning him that he girded himself well with
the knowledge of perfection, like a son of God by means of his
(spiritual) gift, and he bore the fruits of the Holy Spirit. He said
concerning Abu John, that on account of the purity of his heart
and the greatness of his humility a fortress of the Holy Spirit’s
131
fire surrounded him, destroying the thoughts and all evil
actions of Satan, and there was no place for them to approach
him at all. He said that, in this way, the holy Abu John fulfilled

129
1 Corinthians 10:31.
130
Here, the Arabic word ! translates the Coptic term diakritikos, which
means “discerning.” The virtue of discernment was often emphasized in
monastic literature: see Palladius, Lausiac History 11 (PG 34.1034C) and 24
(PG 34.1089C); and Apophthegmata, Mius 2 (PG 65.301C); see Mikhail and
Vivian, 46, note 188.
131
See Zechariah 2:5.
 Life of John the Little 169

the apostle’s fifteen commandments—that is, his statement on

the virtues of love. “Through love, there is the enduring
132
mercy of the Spirit. Love is friendly. Love is not jealous. Love
does not put to the test. Love is not boastful in its heart. Love is
not ashamed. Love does not seek its own. Love does not take
joy in wrongdoing. Love takes joy in the truth. Love believes all
things. Love trusts in God in all matters. Love is patient in
133
everything. Love never fails.” All of these things the holy Abu
John commanded us to strive for in seeking to attain them. He
used to teach everyone to do them.

,* Our father, Anba Poimên also said this and similar things
+, " concerning Abu John the Little. He said that Abu John
the Little exerted all his energy in keeping and fulfilling the
commandments of the Lord, with the result that on the final day
he will sit and judge the world, just as it is written in the apostle,
134
“The pure ones will judge the world.” Each one of the pure
will censure his generation before the judgment seat of Christ.

,+ On account of this great virtue, the Lord appointed to him

two angels from the hosts of the cherubim to protect him all the
time, to guard him spiritually, and granting him comfort in the
repose of the holy mysteries. On account of the goodness of
his great purity, every one of the cherubim used to say to his
companion, “Let me place my wing over him, for he is pure
before the Lord of hosts.”

, Every time Abu John was present at the mass, he was

worthy to see the appearance of the Holy Spirit in public on the
altar, when (the Spirit) transformed the bread into a body and
the cup into blood according to nature. It was also revealed to
him whoever was worthy to partake of the holy mysteries and
whoever was not worthy, with the result that God revealed it to
him as the people gathering and he had begun to give them the
mysteries. +- " He saw among the brothers an

132
Here, I have translated the word "# (“enduring mercy”) according to its
common Egyptian usage: see the example cited by Hans Wehr, A Dictionary of
Modern Written Arabic, 576.
133
Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4 8.
134
1 Corinthians 6:2.
170 Stephen J. Davis

unprecedented thing—an angel of the Lord standing in their

midst with a drawn sword in his hand. If one spoke an idle word
or thought of unpleasant deeds in his heart, the angel would
make a gesture with his sword to strike him in order to destroy
him unless the prayer of Abu John and the mercy of God held
him back, so that he would await their repentance and their
return. Meanwhile, the brothers who were standing in the
church were silent with fear, not dwelling on any earthly matter,
and the saint began to see wondrous rays of light from the
glory of God emitting from the holy altar, entering the heart and
soul of each one of these pure brothers, filling them with the
glory of the holy Trinity.

, Hear again another wondrous story about our holy father,

Abu John, just as we found it written: when it was in the time of
our thrice)blessed father, Anba Theophilus ($ā ), the
bishop of the great city of Alexandria, Theophilus was building
many churches, erecting them with every honor as houses of
prayer to the Lord God. He built one church in the name of the
three holy young men who were thrown into the furnace of fire
in Babylon during the time of Nebuchadnezzar ( )
the king—Hananiah (% ā ī ā), Azariah (& 'ā ī ā), and
Mishael ( ī ā ī ). +- " With a great longing, he wished to
bring their holy bodies and place them in their church as an act
of praising and glorifying God and his saints. (This church is
known by the name of the three young men to this day.)
Indeed, in the longing of this spiritual desire, our father the
patriarch continued to beseech and ask God that he might
obtain the blessing of the saints, and a revelation came to him
by an angel of the Lord, who said, “No one is able to perform
this service apart from the holy Abu John the Little, the priest of
the monastery called the “Weigher of Hearts” (Scetis). Our
father Theophilus, making a great effort, immediately sent for
and brought father John and informed him about what was in
his heart. Now Abu John was powerful in heart, like a lion in the
faith of Christ, and he said to his father the patriarch, “Pray for
me, my father, that Christ may guide me to fulfill your request.”
Father Theophilus the patriarch prayed for Abu John and sent
him off in peace, saying to him, “May the God of my fathers
make your way easy with his deliverance.”
 Life of John the Little 171

When he was a little distance from the city, the holy Abu
John stood, as it says, and prayed his prayers. And
immediately, at that moment, a cloud carried him and
deposited him at the place where the bodies of Christ’s saints
were. +. " When our holy father saw the perfect gift granted
to the bodies of the saints through the light of the Holy Spirit
that was guiding him, he bowed down to the ground three times
before he reached them. And when he drew near to them he
fell on the ground upon his face and embraced their holy
bodies with tears. Then, at that moment, he heard a voice
coming from the bodies of the saints, saying, “May the Lord,
the true God, the One who is eternal, everlasting, and
uncreated, without beginning and without end, the Maker of all
things, bless you and save you and glorify you, O good
companion, hegumen and steward of the Lord of hosts, the
God of Israel.”
After they said this, the voice became silent and our father
was filled with joy from their spiritual blessing. Then he said to
them, “My fathers and martyrs of Christ our God, the father of
the faith has built a church for the commemoration of your holy
name, and he sent me with a petition and many requests that
your holy bodies might come to dwell in it for the healing and
salvation of everyone who believes in Christ our God in the city
of Alexandria and in every district of Egypt. The saints
answered with one voice, saying, “May God grant him the
wage of his labor +. " in the life that lasts forever according
to the rectitude of his good intention. But say this to the
patriarch: that our bodies are not able to be removed from the
place where they are now, according to the commandment of
the Lord Creator, for they will be pleasing to him until the day
when he raises up all of creation. However, on account of the
efforts of his labor and his perfect faith, and on account of your
labor also and the fact that you have come to us, we will not
allow your labor to end up in vain. On the day of the
consecration of the church, let them hang the lamps without oil
and without light, and gather all the people and the priests, and
we will come to the church in the night and perform in it the
power and blessing of the Lord, sanctifying the house of the
Lord, he whose name is glorified in all the earth and to whom
172 Stephen J. Davis

every knee bows among those in heaven and those on earth,

135
and even the one who is under the earth, for no place is
devoid of his complete adoration. Through the power of the
God of Israel, we will be present in the church in a spiritual way
and we will perform signs and wonders to glorify the blessed
one forever during the life of the patriarch. It will remain this
way in it also after his death through the good offices of two of
his successors. And after that there will be darkness over all
the earth and people will become ignorant about the honor of
God’s beneficence. " They will deny his holy name and
defile his altar, and we will also leave the place that was built
for us and we will go out from it and not remain there.”
After this and similar things which the three holy young men
said to our father Abu John, our holy father Abu John bowed
down again with his face on the ground and asked that they
bless him before he left them. And they said to him, “May the
Lord, the God of Israel, help you without fail to the fullest extent
of his aid. But you should take consolation and be strong; for
indeed, you shall have a little struggle and sweat in this world,
and after that you shall come to eternal life. May salvation and
peace be with you in the Lord.” Saint Abu John bowed down to
them with great burning of spirit and went out from them joyful
in the Lord.
When he was a little distance away from them, a cloud
carried him again until it deposited him on the outskirts of
Alexandria. And when Abu John gathered met with our father
the patriarch, he informed him about all that happened and
what the saints said to him. Right away, the patriarch gathered
all of the priests, some holy bishops, and all the people of the
city to the church of the pure saints for the purpose of its
consecration and sanctification. At midnight, all of a sudden a
great light shone in the holy church " and a great deal of
incense gave off a fragrant aroma in the air above the entire
city and the house of the saints. Thus, all the lamps in the
church suddenly became lit and gave off a very great light until
we said that the entire place had become fire. All of this was a

135
See Philippians 2:10. The relative pronoun in the final phrase (“the one
who is under the earth”) is rendered in the singular. It may be that this
divergence in the Arabic indicates a reference to the devil and his submission
to Christ.
 Life of John the Little 173

sign of the arrival of the saints in the city. Indeed, when the
patriarch and all those who were gathered with him saw this
miracle that took place, which exceeds description, they began
to worship and bless God, glorifying him with melodies that are
heart)rending and filled with spiritual joy. And Saint Theophilus
the patriarch saw the three holy young men sanctifying the
church along with him, and he was blessed by them. In
addition, many of the people were worthy to see this miracle
that was filled with glory—(including) bishops, priests, monks,
and laypeople. When morning came, our father the patriarch
and all the people of the city celebrated a mass and a spiritual
feast, and he gave them the holy mysteries.
Just as it was said in an ancient book, we found that the
sick experienced great healing on that day. All the lamps of the
church were lit and remained lit without oil for seven days and
seven nights. The incense and light remained constant in the
136
church of the saints, " while they worked salvation for
everyone for a long time, until the Jewish council met—that is,
the one that was at Chalcedon. They divided the holy church
through their hypocrisy when they produced an anxiety full of
doubt and madness throughout all the world by means of their
defective faith. In this way, they became alienated from the
glory of God and his heavenly grace, just like Scripture says,
“My Spirit will not dwell in them for they have become
137
mortal.”“
After this, Abu John was blessed by the patriarch and
returned to the “Weigher of Hearts” (i.e. Scetis) in peace. He
began speaking with the brothers about the greatness of God
as a benefit to their souls. And after this also, he said to the
brothers, “Brothers, forgive me. I heard that a great gathering
was in the city of Alexandria, but I did not look upon the face of
any person there except for that of our father, the patriarch
alone.” When the brothers heard this, they marveled and said
138
to the elder, “Do you see the news of the city by means of a

136
The Arabic text differs slightly from the Bohairic Coptic version at this
point. Here, the saints are identified as the agents of salvation in the church;
however, in the Coptic, it is the light (along with the incense) that functions as
the subject of this action.
137
Genesis 6:3.
138
Here, the Arabic scribes of G and B may have been confused over the
proper pointing of this word, possibly reading \]^_ (in G) and `a^_ (in B) for the
174 Stephen J. Davis

revelation?” The saint replied and said to them, “It is not like
that, but rather I did not give my thoughts cause to control me
at all or to rule over me that I should raise up my eye to see the
face of any person except for my father, the patriarch alone.”
" And he said, “Brothers, strengthen yourselves also all
the time so that you may be a temple for the Holy Spirit and so
that he may come upon you.” When the brothers heard, they
profited from this greatly and Abu John was going from power
to power in the loftiness of his virtues, and especially in that he
caused other people to become rich in God.

, Many days after the time of his departure from the city of
Alexandria, the Berbers plundered the wadi (i.e. Scetis) with
many despicable and erratic deeds, and they destroyed the
assembly of our fathers, crushing their heart and innards,
banishing them, and laying waste to the holy church. Abu John
was studying the word of Christ that dwelt in him, which said, “If
139
they banish you from this city, flee to another.” On account of
this, Saint Abu John began to evacuate the church, and after
this he went away to Clysma ( ' ). This was according
to the plan of God so that many other souls might be saved at
his hands in that holy place, for the servants of idols still
remained in that place. When the saint went out from the
church, the brothers surrounded him, saying, “Our father, are
you also going away and leaving us? Are you afraid of the
Berbers?” The saint responded to them, saying, * " “In the
name of Christ (our) God, I am not afraid, but rather the perfect
goodness before God is the following: that one does not seek
the salvation of himself alone; instead, according to the one
who said the gospel, that the devout person does all his deeds
with the goal of saving himself and saving his brother equally,
for if this Berber is separated from me in faith, he is (still) the
image of God and his creation like me. If I stand against him so

verb ْ`dَ fِ g
َ (“destroyed”), which would more closely correspond in meaning to
the original Bohairic verb . In the Bohairic, the monks ask John the
Little, “Has the city been destroyed ( ), my father?” (Mikhail and
Vivian, 50). If this reconstruction is correct, the original Arabic translation would
have read as follows: ...h]^ij‫ب ا‬mn‫ أ‬m]‫ؤ‬fjmd ‫؟‬rs]^tj‫َ` ا‬dfِ g
َ ‫ى‬fv (“‘I wonder, has the city
been destroyed? By means of a revelation, the saint replied...”).
139
Matthew 10:23.
 Life of John the Little 175

that he kills me, he will go to hell, the punishment, on account

of me. On account of this, I cannot bear to be at rest while my
brother is experiencing punishment on account me.”

,, On account of this, he left the desert and the rest of our

fathers, bearers of the struggle, and Christ guided him until he
arrived at the mountain of Saint Antony the Great in the interior
of Clysma, a day’s walk from it. He settled in a rock on top of a
place that he made for himself out of stones, just like the one
he also inhabited in the wadi called “Weigher of Hearts” (i.e.
Scetis). He sat in it pursuing God with perseverance through
hard work, increasing his asceticism and his activities in it, as if
he now were one who was beginning again in renewing his
knowledge. And the One who cares for his creation, and
especially his holy one, * " provided him with a man, a
layperson who was faithful in religion, to serve him. He was
from the people of that village, and he had trust among all the
holy ones who were living on that mountain. Our holy father
especially thought of him with the zeal of God’s love for the
salvation of his soul, for that man’s way of life was excellent. As
it was said, he was a virgin from his boyhood pursuing God
with perseverance through many prayers and acts of worship,
and he was worthy to see a holy vision from God. This man
would come to serve Saint Abu John one time during the week,
140
checking in regarding his bodily need, and he would do it
every holy Sunday, as it was said.

,- Abu John also would come to the village sometimes when

he was moved by God, the One who performed in him many
healings, and especially to purify their souls from the mange of
141
paganism, when the light of his virtue would shine in that
other place like light. He would became for all of them a guide
to salvation, when they would obtain salvation at the hand of
our father, Saint Abu John, so that when they heard that he
had emerged from the mountain, all the people who were in the
village would come out to receive him and to be blessed by
him, + " since he acted charitably to all of them. For many

140
Lit. “the need of the body.”
141
The word, , translated here as “paganism,” was also
sometimes used by Arabic Christians as a pejorative term for Islam.
176 Stephen J. Davis

were the souls that he rescued from the hand of the enemy
when he waged war against them in many forms and when the
servants of the idols were dividing God into parts.
He sanctified that place except for one man, the man of his
house. This one was very rich, hard)hearted, despotic, and
shameless on account of the abundance of his money. He had
many idols of gold and silver in his house, and he would
worship the devil in them. And he used to castigate the
orthodox faithful a lot, especially those who turned away from
their impure worship to the knowledge of Christ’s light. Indeed,
he would inflict a lot of pain on them. On many occasions, this
man began to act in an evil way toward Saint Abu John in the
envy of the devil, in order to harm him and deceive him with
tricks all the time, to take away his life from the earth. But God,
who cared for him and for the rest of his creation, neither
allowed nor wanted any evil deed to overtake his servant, but
rather in wisdom he worked salvation for the man through Abu
John’s prayers.
The man became afflicted with the difficult illness of
smallpox, so that he was in great pain. As a result of the great
difficulty of his afflictions his eyes were blinded and worms fell
out from his lower parts. + " All of his servants were
mourning over him, along with all the people of his house, and
called out to their gods, appealing to each one of them to heal
him. After that, he did not find any healing and help in any
quarter, but rather death took power over him even more, and
he became like a burned piece of wood. While he was in
agony, he spoke with great difficulty a very unclear word that
was heard (only) with great effort, saying, “Hurry up and go to
Abu John, the servant of the Christians’ god, for indeed without
him, then there is neither healing nor mercy for me.”
Immediately, the people of his house and his servants hurried
with great effort and came to Abu John at the mountain. When
they knocked on the door of his place of worship, the doctor of
souls and bodies came out to them, and the messengers
began to ask him in submission and with great diligence to go
out to him with them. The saint said to them, “Unless he makes
a vow to himself that he will give up this unbelief and be
enlightened by the light of faith in the Trinity, he will not be
healed.”
 Life of John the Little 177

When the messenger men heard this, they went away and
told it to (their master), since he was under such great strain.
He said to them, “Call to him to heal me from this affliction and
I will do everything he wishes.” So the messengers returned
and informed Saint Abu John about this, and he hurried "
and set out to walk with them, while he rejoiced like an apostle
sent from God. When he arrived at that man’s residence, at
that moment, all the idols that were in the house fell down and
broke, and the demons that were occupying them fled and
began to cry out in the air, saying, “Woe to us! For we have
been banished from every place and even our dwelling place
has been affected!” The saint was filled with the Holy Spirit,
making satisfaction for their arrogance and annulling their error
through his prayers and through the saving and victorious sign
of the cross. He sanctified the entire residence by means of the
blessing of his prayers and many petitions. That man begged
him, saying, “My master, fix your eyes on me, for I am under
strain.” And the saint was filled with every (kind of pious) fear
and preached to him and all of his household the word of
eternal life, until he confessed the one God, the uncreated,
indivisible Trinity, who has no beginning and no end. He
induced him to confess the economy which (God) enacted
along with us, on account of our singular salvation through the
Holy Trinity, the only Son, the Word of God the Father, the one
who became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and from the Virgin
Mary, the God)bearer, " became human in a complete
way, suffered on our behalf, rose from the dead on the third
day, ascended into the heavens, and will come in his glory to
judge the living and the dead. In this way the man renounced
Satan and all of his demons. After that, the saint baptized him
and all of his household in the name of the Holy Trinity, whom
no place can hold nor time contain, and made him white with
the light of the new creation.
And a miracle took place at that time that went beyond (all)
glory and limit. They said that when the man came up out of
the holy water, scales fell from his eyes like dust and
immediately he could see and was healed throughout all his
members. All the people of his village were congregating at his
house, glorifying God. They all experienced a kind of spiritual
joy and they were worshipping with love and delight, and
especially in the house of that believer—he and all his family—
178 Stephen J. Davis

142
for the abundant salvation that had come to him from the
Lord and from his servant, John the Little.
After he had received these great gifts and had become
worthy to advance to the holy mysteries, he distributed a lot of
money to the wretched, the weak, and the poor on that day, as
well as many gifts to the church in compensation for the
salvation that he had received. The golden and silver idols he
made into receptacles for the mass—trays, cups, the rest of the
service of the church, and the holy altar. The number of those
who were baptized that day " at the hand of Saint Abu
John, along with the man, his wife, the people of his household,
and all his servants, was seventy souls. When he had
sanctified the entire place with the aid of the Lord’s heavenly
grace, he entrusted them to the Lord, the faithful shepherd,
imitating the wise apostle Paul. Then he went away from them,
rejoicing and bearing the fruits of salvation, which grew
because of his tears: he resembled a faithful worker in the
vineyard of the Lord of hosts.

,. When the saint went out to the places of his solitude,

shining with the crown of the battle that is pleasing to God, like
a true, righteous leader, like the prophets and the apostles, and
even more like the martyrs (for he had become a martyr many
times in an open way and in secret), and also like a confessor
and even more like an ascetic in every good work, treating the
143
earth with much honor. After he had planted his field well,
after his fruit had appeared and his grain had turned white—
this grain that had turned white like light—and it became
abundant according to the pleasure of God, to be harvested
and stored up in the storehouses of heaven, where his heart
was at all times, according to the commandment of our Savior,
the saint always longed that he might free himself from this
dangerous and bitter life and be with Christ, " and
especially that Christ might be happy to give his servant rest
from all his labors, and so our father began to be ill. When it
intensified and the power of his body became weak, that pure

142
Or, “well)being” ( ! ).
143
The author may be engaging in a play on words here: the verb used here,
(“to treat with honor”), is derived from the same root as the word,
(“vineyard”), at the end of section 78.
 Life of John the Little 179

servant whom I have mentioned earlier was in his presence

remaining diligent in his service. When the saint was lying in
bed at night, sleepless on account of the ache of his illness, it
is said that the great Anba Antony the Great, the great Abu
Macarius the Elder, and Anba Ammoes his spiritual father were
consoling him greatly and asking him about the age to come
that was prepared for him. They said to him, “Be fortified in the
Lord, be strong and prepared, for we will come after you early
on Sunday morning and will take you with us to the eternal life,
in accordance with the command of the Lord.” When the saints
said this to our father, they blessed him and vanished from his
sight.
When Friday came, he sent his God)loving servant to the
city on account of an important need: perhaps in this way he
wanted no one to be present with him at the time of his
separation from the body. When it was at cockcrow in the
morning on holy Sunday, all of a sudden many ranks of the
armies of angels and all the chorus of saints ", filled with
glory and honor from the Lord, came to him to take their
comrade and companion in ministry. When our father saw the
light of their glory and their gentleness, with them being filled
with spiritual joy, rising up before his face and filled with the
fragrant perfumes that are in heaven, through their longing
after eternal good things, in the glory and light of the
appearance of the Lord of all, our father immediately fell to the
ground on his face in great longing, just as whoever bows
down in worship rejoices in the love of the Lord and his close
friends. At that moment, he gave up his spirit into the hands of
the Lord, on the twentieth day of the month of Babeh, in the
peace of the Lord, Amen. He was seventy years old and was in
the midst of those holy ranks, while they were going before his
blessed soul on high to the Lord of glory, and the ranks of
saints were lifting up sweet praise from their joy in the Holy
Spirit, so that he might dwell under the protection of the right
hand of the Most High until the end in the light of those living in
the realms where there is no death, which always remain in
every repose of all good things, for he was found a pure vessel
like unadulterated gold, like pure gold that shines. God
received him to himself, " and in the time of his
180 Stephen J. Davis

examination he found him to be shining and his soul pleased

144
the Lord, according to the wise saying. When he died, he
appeared perfect and without fault in God’s hands, with a good
old age that was without blemish, and his soul was rejoicing
and adorned with the purity of virtue.

- While the God)loving servant was leaving the village to

return to his father at the cave, he heard the praise)offerings of
the saints as they offered up praises in front of him, so he
looked high up in the air and saw in the atmosphere an army of
angels and saints, rank after rank in great glory, with our father
in their midst wondrously and greatly radiant. And before all of
them he saw one great in stature shining very much like the
145
sun and reciting an encomium in a chant for our father, with
all the saints following him. Indeed, that holy servant was
amazed for a long time by the beauty of that wondrous vision.
Then he longed to know who that great luminary was who was
marching before that gathering and praising our father. So, at
that moment, an angel commanded by the Lord came to him,
and said to him, “Because you really and truly want to know,
, " listen and I will tell you. The ones whom you see are the
ranks of angels and the company of the saints. The Lord sent
them after his servant John to bring him out of the prison of this
world, which is filled with labor, and to give him an inheritance
in the places of rest in the heavenly Jerusalem. And this great
man marching before all of them and shining with glory is
Antony the Great, and the other who comes after him is the
146
great Abu Macarius, and the others are the rest of those who
imitate them.” The angel pointed out each one of them to him
with his finger and showed him all the saints, saying to him,
“Because Saint Abu John emulated their way of life, entered
into a life that showed the right way just like them, and followed
in their footsteps, he received his share in this one equality
before the Lord. You also, O good servant, are blessed
because you gained blessing and honor from the Lord and

144
Sirach 44:16 (“Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up.”); cf.
Philippians 4:18.
145
That is, a panegyric eulogy.
146
In the Coptic, Pachomius is mentioned before Macarius, but in the Arabic
his name is omitted.
 Life of John the Little 181

from his saint.” After the angel said this, he disappeared from
his sight.
When that God)loving servant entered into the cave he
found the thrice)blessed saint down on his knees, prostrate on
his face as if he were worshipping the Lord, and a fragrant
perfume , " was emanating from his holy body. So he also
bowed down over his holy body, sighing and weeping. After he
laid him out, he wrapped his holy body in an old, worn garment,
chanting in (pious) fear and pain of heart. And when he had
wrapped his holy body, he left it in a place in the cave, returned
to the village, and reported what had happened.
When they heard, they all gathered together in love and
faith at the mountain, to the one who had treated them with
such charity. Walking with many beasts of burden, all of them
were crying and pained in their hearts, since they had been
deprived of their savior after God. They brought him into the
village like a chosen father and many of his miracles took place
through his body. As it is said, when they were bringing him
into the village, there was a young man who had acquired an
unclean spirit and the demon in him cried out, saying, “O little
one, what is it between you and me? You are disturbing me
and turning me out of my house.” While the demon was saying
this, the young man was running around involuntarily. He
embraced the holy body of our father the saint, and
immediately the young man fell on the ground and cried out like
a wild pig. When he opened his mouth, the unclean spirit came
out of him like a flame of fire, and he was healed at that
moment.

- O my beloved, it is also said - " concerning the body of

Saint Abu John that while it was in (their) midst and they were
wrapping it up (for burial), suddenly a man born lame,
147
paralyzed in his hands and legs, was brought by his parents.
They were carrying him with great faith, and they cast him on
the winding sheet of Abu John. Right away the man was
healed, and he stood up on his legs and began running around

147
Lit. “his parents brought him.” I have changed the construction to the
passive voice for the sake of the fluidity of my translation.
182 Stephen J. Davis

fast, glorifying God who is glorified in his saints at all times and
who performs miracles on account of his word when he said,
“Truly, truly, I say to you that whoever believes in me and does
my will will do the works that I do, and he will do things even
148
greater than these.” After they had wrapped the saint in
great glory, praising and chanting spiritual songs, they
performed the entire mass and the eucharist over him. They
made for him a casket and placed him in it next to other saints
like him—namely, Saint Athanasius the martyr, Anba Sisoês
( ū ā ), and Anba Pidjimi ((ī ). The grace of God was
working in and through their bodies by means of many works
that exceeded (all) glory, and especially in and through the
body of our holy father, Abu John. There was healing and
salvation for everyone who came to it from every place, until
- " the party of demons arose at Chalcedon and defiled all
the inhabited world by means of a twisted creed like a poison of
death that destroys souls and brings them down to the depths
of hell. Concerning this, God said to his disciples, “Do not give
149
what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your jewelry to swine.”
Shame and disgrace to all [the heretics and blasphemers.
150
Strength, profit and glory to all] the believers who believe in
151
Christ their God. [Thus, God told his disciples, “Do not give
152
that which is holy to dogs nor throw your jewels to swine.] In
this way, the death of the thrice)blessed Abu John the Little
became precious and pleasing before the Lord. He completed
his course, kept the faith, and wore the crown of victory from
153
Christ (our) God. He came to be with the Lord in accordance

148
John 14:12.
149
Matthew 7:6.
150
A line is missing in the Arabic text here, due to a slip of the eye on the
part of the scribe probably caused by the repetition of the Arabic word for “all.” I
have inserted the missing line in brackets, using Mikhail and Vivian’s
translation of the Bohairic version (p. 57).
151
Mikhail and Vivian (p. 57, note 246) observe that this section, beginning
with “until the party of demons arose at Chalcedon…” up to “those who have
believed in Christ their God” may be an interpolation.
152
Matthew 7:6. The bracketed sentence appears in edition B, but is omitted
in G. This was an omission due to the error of homoteleuton (similar line
endings that caused the scribe’s eyes to skip over the relevant text
inadvertently).
153
See 2 Timothy 4:7 8.
 Life of John the Little 183

with (Christ’s) word, “Where I am, there my servant will be with

154
me.”

-* ( " O holy beloved, this is everything that we

have recalled to you up till this point, in accordance with what
we found written and what we heard from faithful and
trustworthy people’s speech. As we have already written
earlier, (these are only) a small number of the many virtues of
our holy father, Abu John—that which he left behind for us as
well, like great riches, an inheritance and a treasure, so that
that every one of us might make use of them for the salvation
of his soul unto eternal life, according to the capacity of each
one’s power. For we are capable of this work, if we want it and
care about it, . " The power (of God) will help us through
the testimony of the Bible and through the power of the
wondrous deeds that belonged to our holy father, just as the
apostle cried out, saying, “Be imitators of me, just as I have
155
imitated Christ.” And it also says, “Let us raise ourselves up
in every good work like servants of God in great patience and
forbearance of spirit in true submission and perfect obedience
to the commandments of God, in humility, asceticism, and the
keeping of true counsel, in distress and difficulties, in pains and
tight straits, in prisons and persecutions, in labor and vigils, in
fasting and worship, in purity, an excellent way of life, and fear
of God, in submission and thirst, in knowledge and wisdom, in
sweetness and charity, in gentleness and knowledge, in
prayers, psalms, gentleness of countenance, and tranquility, in
(self))examination and small regard for yourself, in love and
mercy for all humanity, in speaking the truth and the power of
God, in reconciliation and love without hypocrisy, and whatever
156
resembles these things.”
We reject whatever is opposed to these things in
knowledge: then our light will shine before God and his angels,
before people and his saints, with holy fruits. When we sow
spiritual things we also reap spiritual things, with joy in
following in the footsteps of our holy father, Abu John, when we
become imitators . " of his faith and his deeds in word and

154
See John 14:3.
155
1 Corinthians 11:1.
156
Cf. 2 Corinthians 6:4 7; and Apophthegmata Patrum, John the Little 34.
184 Stephen J. Davis

deeds through the abundance of his many prayers to the Lord

on our behalf, since he has the power to do this and he was
commissioned to pray on our behalf so that our communion
might be upright as the delight of the Lord in this world. Each
one points to us with his finger, especially God and his angels
high up in the heavens, saying, “These are true children to Abu
John.” In this way, the prayers of our righteous father will be
acceptable on our behalf before the Lord, and Christ will
multiply his mercies upon us through compassion, along with
many (other) good things, so that all of our most excellent
requests will be fulfilled in the truth of salvation, according to
the word of the psalmist David, “The mercy of the Lord be upon
those who fear him and his justice be upon the children’s
children who keep his covenant, who remember his
157
commandments, and who act in accordance with them.”
Especially in the age to come, we will obtain a portion and a
share in the kingdom of heaven along with our holy father. It is
for all of us to be worthy of it and to obtain it through the
prayers of our holy father, Abu John the Little, in the grace and
the philanthropy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the one
who has glory along with his good Father " and the life)
giving Holy Spirit who is equal to him in substance, now and in
every time and forever more, Amen, Amen, Amen.

$ ' " The Life of our holy father, the great

luminary, the hegumen, was completed at his monastery in the
desert of Saint Macarius the Great at Scetis (Shīhāt). May the
blessing of his prayers be assigned to and guard the one who
is interested (in it), the reader, the listener, and the poor scribe.
He asks and begs everyone who reads this holy book to call
upon God for the forgiveness of his many sins, which are more
than the sands of the sea. Whoever calls upon him for
something, the Lord God will give him in exchange many times
more than that in the eternal kingdom. From our Lord Jesus
Christ, we ask for help to the last breath and for (us to) remain
faultless in his presence through the prayers of the great saint,
Abu John, and the rest of the martyrs and saints, Amen.
Whoever finds an imperfection, may God allow him to prosper

157
Psalms 103:17 18.
 Life of John the Little 185

by making his paths peaceful in his presence. Indeed, the one

who takes a share in it is learned and not the scribe. Praise be
158
to God always, forever and ever.

158
The extended final paragraph in G is not present in the original Coptic
version. By comparison, the Arabic text of B has a much shorter closing
sentence: “The discourse (homily) of Saint Abu John the Little was completed
and perfected with peace from the Lord. Amen.”