Description
Book SynopsisIn The Arabic Life of Antony Attributed to Serapion of Thmuis, Elizabeth Agaiby demonstrates how the redacted Life of Antony, the “Father of all monks and star of the wilderness”, gained widespread acceptance within Egypt shortly after its composition in the 13th century and dominated Coptic liturgical texts on Antony for over 600 years – the influence of which is still felt up to the present day. By providing a first edition and translation, Agaiby demonstrates how the Arabic Life bears witness to the reinterpretation of the religious memory of Antony in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Figures and Tables Abbreviations A Note on Transliteration Introduction 1 Antony the Great Antony and the Red Sea Monasteries An Overview of Antony in Coptic Liturgical Tradition Appendix: Expositions on Antony 2 The Textual Traditions of the Life of Antony Manuscripts Containing a Life of Antony in Arabic Popularity of the Pseudo-Serapionic Life 3 Old Wine in a New Bottle The Pseudo-Serapionic Life of Antony Possible Dating of the Pseudo-Serapionic Life Motive for “Rewriting” the Life of Antony Style, Genre and Social Context The Audience 4 Synopsis and Commentary The Redactor of the Pseudo-Serapionic Life of Antony The Redaction Voices in the Text: Pseudo-Serapion Synoptic Overview Commentary on the Pseudo-Serapionic Life of Antony 5 The Life of Antony by Serapion the Bishop 6 A Codicological Description of MS St Paul (History) 53 Short Title Entry Physical Description Contents Colophons Endowment Collation Layout Binding Condition of the Manuscript Observations Postscript Works Cited Index
