Translation and Notes

Abbreviations for the Translation and Analysis

Conventions

All biblical citations are taken from the Peshitta version of the Bible.

The abbreviations for biblical books are found in Siegfried M. Schwertner, IATG³ – Internationales Abkürzungsverzeichnis für Theologie und Grenzgebiete: Zeitschriften, Serien, Lexika, Quellenwerke mit bibliographischen Angaben (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014). Other abbreviations, which are used in this annotated translation, include the following: CAVT = J.-C. Haelewyck, Clavis apocryphorum Veteris Testamenti (Corpus Christianorum; Turnhout: Brepols, 1998); CMRBH = David Thomas and Barbara Roggema (eds.), Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History, vol. 1 (History of Christian-Muslim Relations 11; Leiden / Boston: Brill, 2009) and David Thomas and Alexander Mallett (eds.), Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History, vols. 2–4 (History of Christian-Muslim Relations 14–15, 17; Leiden / Boston: Brill, 2010–2012); CPG = Maurice Geerard, Clavis patrum graecorum: qua optimae quaeque scriptorum patrum graecorum recensiones a primaevis saeculis usque ad octavum commode recluduntur, 6 vols. (Turnhout: Brepols, 1974–2003); DHGE = Alfred Baudrillart et al. (eds.), Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, 33 vols. (Paris / Turnhout: Beauchesne / Brepols, 1912–2022); DSp = M. Viller, S.J. et al. (eds), Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique: doctrine et histoire, 17 vols. (Paris: Beauchesne, 1932–1995); GEDSH = Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz, and Lucas Van Rompay (eds.), Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage (Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2011); OHS = Alison G. Salvesen and Timothy Michael Law (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021).

Referenced CPG titles are presented in English translation, rather than in Latin.

Due to the fact that Yusuf Habbi’s 1986 edition of the Catalogue lists the places where his sources present variant readings, these variant readings will not typically be noted. However, where Habbi’s edition presents an incorrect word or phrase, this will be noted, as well as the edition that will be followed instead at that point. All incorrect words and phrases are presented in an Estrangela script.

The Syriac text presented in Appendix 2 is a modified version of Joseph of Beth Qelayta’s 1924 edition of the Catalogue. It is presented in an East Syriac script with East Syriac vowels and diacritical marks and has been corrected against Habbi’s edition. When Habbi’s text is incorrect, such instances are noted in the translation but not in Appendix 2. Begadkefat dots have been removed in order to present a less complicated vocalized text. The Syriac text in Appendix 2 is presented in its original form (i.e. in strophes). Lines are numbered in increments of ten, beginning with 5, in order to avoid line numbers being presented mid-strophe. These line numbers follow those which are presented in the translation, and the line numbers in the translation follow those which are used by Habbi, who presents his edition in lines. While they are included in the translation, Habbi’s headings for each part and entry are not included in Appendix 2, though the individual entry numbers (also found in the translation) are included.

Modern members of ʿAbdishoʿ’s church now refer to their church as the “Church of the East” and to themselves as “Assyrians,” “Chaldeans,” or “Syro-Malabar.” The shorthand “East Syriac” will be used in this annotated translation as a simple linguistic label to reference their ancient literature and liturgy.

Common names, places, works, and terms are given in their Latinized form. Rarer names, places, works, and terms are transliterated.