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The Palestinian Anti-Chalcedonian Hagiographer of the Fifth Century
Abstract
1. The Syriac and Georgian versions of “The Life of Peter the Iberian”, an outstanding ecclesiastic figure and a most highly valued and respected saintly man in the 5th century, whose activity is closely associated with Constantinople and the monastic centers in Palestine, play a tremendous role both in the study of his life and activity and the research in the Syro-Palestinian ecclesiastic and political history of the 5th century; no less important are these versions for studying the Syro-Georgian literary interrelations. However, the research in the textological and theological problems of the Syriac and Georgian versions of “The Life” acquired especial significance after the renowned Georgian scholar Nutsubidze and Honigmann, a Belgian scholar, had identified Peter the Iberian as author of the Areopagite corpus. 2. The Syriac and Georgian versions of “The Life of Peter the Iberian”, as a matter of fact, have not been studied; at that it is quite clear that a number of issues connected with the study of the text cannot be solved only on the basis of the Syriac sources without resorting to the Georgian material. 3. Collation of the Syriac and the Georgian texts gives us grounds to conjecture that the Syriac and the Georgian texts of “The Life” stem from the same source. 4. It has been my aim to reveal the interconnection between the Syriac and the Georgian versions of “The Life”; except a few separate episodes the texts mainly coincide. However, the Syriac version is altered and the Georgian version of Macarios of Meskheti has not survived; hence the only text the Syriac text can be compared with is the text restored by the archpriest Paul, where some passages are lacking, due to the many flaws present in the original some episodes were added during his work on the text. 5. In spite of the fact that the Georgian text of “The Life” has been worked on and differs from the Syriac text, it should not be underestimated, as it is the Georgian version where the important information which can be useful for clarifying some separate ambiguous passages of the Syriac texts, is provided.
Discipline
Religious Studies/Theology
Geographic Area
Caucasus
Sub Area
Middle East/Near East Studies