‘Text 5: The Apostolic Canons (ff. *54V—*56V.15) The Sogdian text of this work falls naturally into three parts: prologue (#54V.12—24), twenty-seven numbered canons (*54V.24—~*36R.22) and epilogue (250R.2 3) The Syriac text is known in various forms, both as an independent text and incorporated (in whole or in part) into works such as the Doctrine of Addai, the Dilascalia Apostolorum and other collections of legis- lative sources. A goed and complete text is that of London, Add, 14,644, f. 108q4. (=a), which wae pub lished by W. Cureton, Ancient Syriac Documents .... London 1864, kd-lh (text), 24-35 (translation), 165-173 (commentary), xi--xii (addenda). The canons, without prologue and epilogue, have recently been republished by A, Védbus, The Didascalia Apostolorum in Syriac I, Louvain 1979 (CSCO/SS CLXXV), 41-49 (text), (CLXXVI}, 36-1 (translation), who chooses the same MS as the basisof his edition, adding fan apparatus consisting of the variant readings of some 20 MSS.! Of these MSS I have myself collated (for the prologue and epilogue, as well as for the canons themselves): a (as printed by Cureton), b, B (as printed by A.P. de Lagarde, Reliquiae juris ecclesiastici antiquissimae, syriace .. ., Vienna 1856, Ib-md (text), vii (corrigenda)}, €. 0 (as printed by A. Véibus, The Synodicon in the West Syrian Tradition I, Louvain 1975 (CSCO/SS CLXD, 200-211 (text). (CLXIN), 187-197 (translation)), and two MSS not used by Véébus, namely y (=London, Add. 17,198, f. 37, dated 874 A.D., containing eanons 1-4 and 14 only) and 1 (= Berlin, Sachau 335, ff. 79 sqq., eighteenth cent.(?), partly illegible and with one folio, containing ‘most of canons 18-24, lacking between ff. 85 and 86). ‘The variants which this wide range of sources reveals are numerous hut mostly trivial. The Sogdian shows no evidence of a close relationship with any particular MS or grou) of MSS. In establishing a Syriae text for my combined translation of the Sogdian and Syriac, I have therefore taken a as a hase, adopting variant readings from other MSS only where they appear to agree more closely than a with the Sogdian Most of the apparent correspondences between the Sogdian version and individual Syriac MSS are likely to be coincidental or illusory, but it would be arbitrary to exclude them from consideration without well- defined grounds. The variants in question are listed helow, pp. 108-108, ‘There exists also an Armenian version of the Apostolic Canons, including the prologue. It is cited from the critical edition by Y. V. Tasean, Vardapetowt'iwn Afak’eloo: Anvasverekan kanonae mateang, Vienna 1896, 289-385. A few instances in which the Sogdian appears to agree with the Armenian more closely than with any Syriac MS have been collected on p. 109, The very brief account of the preaching and deaths of the apostles in f. *56V' corresponds only in the ‘most general way with the version in the Syriac and Armenian texts (invlurling that in another Syriac recension, of this section only, published by Ignatius Ephraim I Rahmani, Studia svriaca (1), Sarfah 1904). This part of the text was partially reconstructed hy Schwartz STSC 65-68, who made use of the study by T. Schermann, Propheten- und Apostellegenden, in: Teste und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur 31/3 [1907], 133-292. This work, in which is collected information on the histories of the apostles and on the various orders in which they are listed, is a useful substitute for a paral- lel Syriac text to this section, However. the Sogdian text does not agree with any single one of the sources (including Syriac sources) used by Schermann. Schwartz STSC 53-68 and revisions 56 has offered translation and commentary for both the prologue and the epilogue to the Apostolic Canons, together with a few remarks on the canons themselves. This part: of STSC is referred to in the commentary below merely as ‘Schwartz’ 4 For theae MSS T have retained Voubun's wav wave (about 11 lines missing) Simon Peter stood and said to 12 firy)t{ brerty them: ‘My dear9 brothers, itis not for ue 13 mwatybrqy()L to decide how we should proclaim His An asterisk (*) in the footnotes ta the translation dnavs attention to a variant ia the List on p. 109 below. By om.102 Test 14 gy qO'rt gt ny (e)l'nw 15 ww aprt wt. *t 16 ’mywn snq m’nt w'xit Ww 17 ot, pip'ty ptyswe's war ptyywa qu wysnt 8 "tL xwe! bod ay 18 ny mynt qw fombdeyq bwa & pty’ pe wylnt * (p)le"tey] 19 m’nway’ zb'qt en sm’ny ms’ ptySpmt pr wyspw yw en 20 wnty. *r wyspw zb’q ay peyy'2 wyspy yw en wyinty: : pryat’y 21 xypO yryw at try qywyd weg’. 'r xyd prywyd zprt w'ty, 22 y'n Gb'ray’ qy Obre b’ qw wyént 6’, xyd prywyd my® ‘w(altnt 23 nwmt’t pts'gt gy “say m’tnt qw wyinty 2t’qray’ # 24 °t qw wrgynty ywq s' (Fjtmeyq? qnwn’. «+ w'stnt (p)t= ymbry 25 qt qw xwren s' nm’e brynt. p't wine’nw wydymp” (q)y frO(y)pe 26 on xwrsny *t wynty qw xwrtxyzy pn prymyd frm’ bwt(q)" 27 mrtxmy (2'}ty "'ys'mnty w'n qt prymyd “pyym t yrbym,. 28 qt en xwrsny wyn’neyq bwtq’ m'x xypO'wnt pip'eya abtty)a? 29 qnwn’ -: wetnt pty'mbryt qt yw &mbd myBy by nm'e 30 °t pwa()[y]P ptis'mnty “t qwrbn’, prywyd p wyd my® (az) ‘The Syria numbers of the Canons, with decorative punctuation, ‘are written in the outer margin by Tines 24~26 (qnwn’ qdmy’), 28-20 ‘aie Din red ink or mia) (a0(ey)m) © there is hardly room for pwaldiyty] *55R, (a few lines missing) (lin 10 (lines 11~12: only the margin preserved) 7-9: only the margin preserved) ‘The Syriac numbers of the Canons, with decorative punctuation, are ‘written in the outer margin by lines 3-4 (4]010"), 6-8 (d"rby'), 1012 gospel in the world, but ie trust in His promise which He made’: “Behold! when I have ascended tomy Father I shalt send to you ‘the (15) Advocate, the Holy Spirit,® and it will teach you everything which you should know and make known.’”" And as Simon Peter was say- ing these things to the apostles his com- ‘panions, suddenly® a hidden voice be- came audible to them, and a sweet fragrance, which ‘did not resemble an earthly fragrance,7 spread over them, and, fin the likeness of fire, tongues from heaven? rested! upon each one of (20) them. And according to each! tongue that each one of them received !2 he prepared himself that he might go to ‘that place. 8 And by that same Grace ! of the Holy® Spirit which was given to them, on that very day they laid down Flaws and ordinances! which were suitable for their proclamation and for the ‘teaching of the faithful." First Canon. The apostles laid down (25) that they should pray towards the cast for like the lightning which flashes, from the east and is seen as far as the west, s0 shall be the advent of the Son ‘of Man, so thet by this we may ‘con- sider and know that Our Lord 9 will appear from the east suddenly. Second Canon. The apostles laid down2 that on Sunday there should be worship, and reading of the®! Serip- tures and the Eucharist; because (on) Fehat day2! Our Lord rose from the deat sank Fifth Canon. The apostles laid down that there should be. ..an overseer, who is the bishop of the whole people, like Aaron, Swho was the head and chief over all the priests (15) and Levites ‘andl of the whole town. Sixth Canon. Tho apostles laid down” that they should celebrate the day of Owr ‘Saviour's Bpiphany, ‘which is (called) Denhi,2 fon the sixth day from . (dbf), 1516 (Ai), 1T=18 (dsby), 22-28 (dOmny’), 25-26 {(ab6y’), 27-28 (dy), 29-20 (aay) n the month of Latter Kanon.” 6.8y ‘care for us which He promised us, and sail’. Sy ‘tho Spirit, the Pameleta'. — 88y om.t —78y ‘was foreign to the world’. ® Sy'brouthed'. 9 Sy tongues of fire, betwoen tha voiew and the fragrance, caine down frombeaven to them and. i Sy <"and settled’. Sy ‘the’. Sy Hthus', 1 Sy ‘the place Where that tongue was spoken ond understood. Sy gift’. 15 Sy ‘omdinaners and lave, those’, "Sy + “the gospel of. W7Sy ‘true ond faithful teaching of their doctrine’ Sy “know and understand’ Sy (dghk) /Christ’. Sy 'aguin’.* Sy i'Holy, Sy ‘Sunday’ Sy ‘of. Sy ‘which8 aw’ ay xley* {4 [pd’ny m)(‘}t pre't dynd’rt 15 ['t xwimyq qnw](n)’ > wistnt pty'm(b)ryt 16 [qt wnynt m’x bweny wyJt()p'(mn)ty [ym ay xey dah? cn 17 xwi(m)[y]q syty’ knwn *hry m’xy btmyq> quwn’ + 18 [w's]t{n]t ptly'mbryt q]t dtfrs myO p(s pC)ynt "t pyStrw woynt, 49 bi’xwty, pey{'2’mnt}(y) "(xm “t “x2’(mn)t(y)l Tym. prt ms "ymy 20 xypO'wnt stfre){ J(my)@ p's p'y. "t ms mw8 "tly" qy dP a atfrs Stirs my0 p'8 p'ynt "t wyd'yty "br'ze 22 yg? qnwn’ ~- w'stnt pty’mbryt qt en s't 23 pwatyty pays’ "wnglywn ptfs'ty by. wine’nw t’py 'wsty> ny. t 24 c'nw p'dy sqwynt rmy &w ptywiynt p't wxs'mnty mwéty bray” 25 xcy ns't_mrtxmyt(y) nwmyg? wstnt pty'm(b)ryt qt en (qiyme 26 pily)s’ pr yw pne’s'® spySynt zprt w'ty "wxz'mnty "(y)m, ay 27 £5('}m m'x xypO'wnt en ds’ my piys" en xypO sn"(m)nt dsmyq? 28 w(s)[tn]t (pty)mbgyt qt weyne nwm "t bywnyty pwstxt “e'wnel(yw)n 29 pltl(flslun)t ple) w'd pr Tnemn *t nyw "ye ny ywnts- m(y)q? [w)'stnt 30 (pllty'mpbrytl qt xwn]y ay nty)f Ioy)rhy *nemny nwmt “t (p)tsat Din red ink aie ‘in the outer margin by lines 13-14 “38V (a fow lines missing) =L 4 @)wL 5 xeyl 6 byl 7 GAL 8 9 pel 10 x=1 (lines 11-12: only the margin preserved) ‘The Syriac numbers of the Canons, with decorative punctustion, are written in the outer mrgin by lines 2-4 (d](ryar), 8-8 (1O1Dys0), 9-10 (a'sbryByse), 1113 (hd) Byer), 14-105 [480Byar), 17—19 (dD ‘yrtisy, 20-22 (dOmnbyer), 22-24 (AB8yert"), 27-28 (dlyaryn), 2920 (dysryn (wICb](@) D the chiof of the Church's fest nsy ofthe Greeks’. By (again’.* * 278y 4'beforo the day of Our Snviour's Passio 3 Sy ‘they were’. Sy +‘on all the Scriptures’. 3 Sy “their remaining canons). Sy at the end of fifty (BOPGIIKRaghklosuvwz forty) days’. % 84 “to His glorious Father’. %© Sy ‘there should be rend’. 38 Sy “faith of the Church and the laws and ordinariees which are Inid down in it ing” 4 Sy “tho side on which he had been © By ‘those who knew hin’. not suffer him’ not be reesived again’. Text 5 103 Seventh Canon, ‘The apostles laid down® that for forty days” they should fast and afterwards celebrate the day of the Passion and the day of the Re- surrection; for® the lord of the festival also (20) fasted for forty days, and also Moses and Elijah, who were clothed with this mystery, fasted for forty days each, and then ‘Moses’ face was” lit up. Eighth Canon. The apostles laid down that after all the Scriptures the Gospel should be read, as setting the seal,® and the people should hear it while standing on the! feet, because it is the gospel of salvation (25) for all Ninth.%* The apostles laid down? that fon the fifty-first (day) ® after the Resurrection they should celebrate the day% of ‘the coming down of the Holy Spirit which Our Lord sent after ten days from? His Ascension. ‘Tenth. The apostles laid down that ‘they should read® the Old Testament, and ‘the books of the Prophets and the Gospel” on the pulpit in the church, Fand nothing else. Eleventh: The apostles laid down that he who does not know the flaws and ordinances of the Church . ..®° 38 Fifteenth. The apostles laid down™ that he who loves the Jews ... oF the pagtns ... should not enter amongst them and serve, and if he is among them ‘the Cheistians should not give licence to him, but he should be separated from amongst them and not serve with them again. Sixteenth. The apostles laid down that if aman from the Jews (15) or from the pagans should come and join with them, and if. when he has joined with them, he return and go again to ‘his for- ‘mer place, if he should come again, st ‘they should not receive him, # but they © Jn (the) six(th day) in Latter KBnon according to the long number % Sy +'Our Lond’. (10 throughout aesy ‘and the Acte of their tsiumphe’. "a Sy ‘they should Sy the chould ‘Cano. *8y 0) "8 Sy ¥t0 then104 Text 5 13 8 tra(gt)l 14 winty prw xwi(r)ts(m)Lyq* 15 (q)t’ en rma'pyty perl el” 16 wy'q s. qt dbtyg (pllrlbw "ysy bw 17 pynmeyq wy'g @rynt bbtalm)yq? wsltnt pty'mbryt qt] 18 “prany’ ny xey npd'[my ]gt pw en xyp6l ’mrdty Jwny, “no(m|[ay] 19 "rgt yw'r pr wyénty Zny") ptnymy" qt ‘ntw(a}fen'q]t ny bynt 20 Sttemyge w'stnt pty’mbryt qt x’nt qly n)yént eymyd 21 fembdy pr mayb? wmy wye'way” aty by waln)ty ptir'vy winty 22 ptxwngy my Sy nwtsmyqt w'stnt pty’mbryt qt pr °nemny 23 (epl'sy @r()mntw dwydy ywhtyt whynt e(m)nty) wyspy’ (my O)y ely)wiy}d 24 w'xty pyd'ray wrrtwaty qb “frywn (p)byyding)’ qw x(w)tw byw 25 8’ wy(sp)y’ any’. "t wyspy’ 2mny’ wyny ywbtyt mn’ wey. wn 26 e’n(w) ms ny’y (Ww) (28). (q)t my xp" §m'ma’ *t (w)"bnq? w) 27 ptywi w(nng’) x{y](p0) war tw’ pynms’ w{y}stmyqew'st(n}t (p)ttymye 28 (p)ty’mby(y)t (q}t x'nt (q)y w'tyt xnt en (yr)m’ *(t) (ny]( Jslw]@)n{t Pliedy 20 piys'| wy]@)nt wyetyt bynt qw mabh’ sp’s [8 ]iy)we (wy)st(myg)* 30 w'stnt( ply’m)bryt{ q]t wyspy (d)[ynd)r qy Tt pr yt’) Sinredink — Vnot pey(z)[___ sie: im reid ink 4 the exter Ged tand the unutual punctuation are used merely to fill the lin © to be cancelled (non-final m) *56R (about one line missing) 2 dw'wys]itmyg)[* 3 pajq’ want [ 4 at ptt Pwia'm[nt 5 n’ plrtw® wnnt. (x)[’nt — ](=t). e'[nw 6 |] nm’ny, yxs'{mntwe 7 0) "t wrgywe *t af 8 Joywyd w'xty pyd’r (a)ly wrtw sty 9 mms}txmyty m(y)dny bly) pynms 10 wrytw sity xyd w'x8 qt [ a &Stf]()rwyst(myg)* w's[tnt pty’mbryt 12 Itw)tay “Le (about 2 lines missing) ‘The Syriac numbers of the Canons, with decorative punctuati written in the outer margin by lines (10)-13 (dyaryn w'rby]), 14-(17) (dysryn (wim) Ain red ink Por jxtw hardly axe {Sy ‘look upon’. © Sy “the side on which he was formerly” “thote things which belong to the Church" o done’, © Sy-+'all besatisfied and’. 2 Sy all Ssypl* — SBy‘and’. Sy +ofmonoy’. 5 Sy +'and brought'.* to bear trial." 5* Sy ‘favouritism’ 46 Sy ‘those who minister with hin. Sy ‘in pride of boasting’ + should holds him according to this former place. ® Seventeenth. The apostles laid down that it is not permitted for the bishop that without ‘his colleagues he should perform ‘the works of the Church,‘ but according to ‘their advice, so that they! be not ag- srieved. (20) Eighteenth. ‘The apostles laid down that® those who depart from this ‘world in witness of the faith of Christ— ‘their commemoration should be per- formed! on the day of their putting-to- death Nineteenth. The apostles laid down that in the Church’s service they should say David's songs of praise constantly? every day, because of that ‘verse which is gaid®: ‘I will bless the Lord God (25) ‘at all times, and at all times His praises are in my mouth’, fas also the fol- lowing verse°s: “By day (and) by night I will think of, and speak of and make my voiee heard before Thee.” ‘Twentieth. The apostigs laid down * that those who are devoid of wealth and do not run after profit they should be chosen®S for the service of the altar. ‘Twenty-first. The apostles aid down that every%® priest who accidentally binds (someone) “56R improperly should receive the appropri- ate punishment, but he who is bound should receive the binding as if he had been bound correctly. Twenty-second. The apostles laid down" that those who Tcustomarily perform judgement,** if it appear that they are biased, and condemn the inno- cent and (5) acquit the guilly (party), they should not hear again another trial, whilst receiving moreover the reprimand of their ‘unjust judgement as is right. ‘Twenty-third. The apostles laiddown’® that those who are proud in their minds, and haughty fand puffed up with boast- ing,%® should not approach the min- istry, on account of that ‘verse which is asy “the advice of all he should order and that thing should be 8 Sy they should perform @ commemoration for them’ WSy ‘that’, 5 Sy ‘are accustomed15 yt 16 1 i phew. [ 18 jt mdbhi’)[ pynms? 19 “ay nf rxn’t qit)l 20 pier ewilay” 2 Jawt J==1 22 ie 23 24 yxywy (w)stnt pttyi['mbryt 25 (p)ewgyr'ant at pelpIETn 26 (d)'rtq’ w(e)’nty nywdn. =[ 27 Sarfwlty prymnt nwemt. (PC IOL 28 wrt xf'wn (ny)'z'wtt ny[ m’'tnt 29 pr wysn}t ~~ ms plwlw)s "[t tymO'ws 30 °t nwmt pr datw wn()fznt 31 wyeyr'mnty* qowlyal” 32 w'dty dry «> mytrpwly(t)[’ in the 1 photo very i by lines (12)-5: "ylyIn (dmB)gC'yn) [(in red ink, inot; Hansen Ju denOelyn () "56V (about one line missing) p('sIL =l ] pr pling swxsty J)" st mls JE pF ptinj(q) swxsty b [ “yls qw ’wrslm [3° eq) + pylypws prwely'yat Ig) b’ Jen 9'(e)[wn 1. 8 8y awfully, Tand of Syria and of Ci 5 ithad laid down these laws by their hand)". Text 5 105 said’: The thing which is exalted among men is abominable before God’; and ‘against (10) them is said ‘this verse: “I shall return retribution upon those who are proud.’ ‘Twenty-fourth. The apostles laid down2® that there should be a ruler over the priests who are in the district, and that he should be recognized (as) the chief of them all, to whom they should all be responsible, for Samuel too thus made visits from place to place and gave or- ders. (18) Twenty fifth. The apostles laid down that it shall be right for those kings who shall believe in Chriat to go up and stand Iefore the allar together with the bishops of the Church, because David too and those who were like him went up and stood before the altar. Twenty-sixth. ‘The apostles laid down that no-one should dare to® do anything by the authority ofthe priesthood wrongly and improperly, (20) but justly and without the reproach of favouritism. Twenty-acventh . . But all these things the apostles did not lay down for themselves, but for those who were to come after them, for (25) they feared that wolves were about to come who would wear lambs’ cloth- ing, because for themselves the Spirit, the Paraclete which was in them, was sufficient thatit might lead them accord ing to these laws." For they, who had received from Our Lord power and authority, were not requiring that laws should be imposed by others upon them. ‘Also Paul and Timothy ®? (80) commit- ted these commanis and laws of the . apostles and clders to those who were un- der the jurisdiction of the apostles, "Bxplanation. The Catholicus is the holder of all the sees. The Metropo- litan ie... *56V) ‘Peter was... and Rome by Nero. And also drew was crucified at Patras... James came to Jerusalem ... Philip evange- lized the Phrygians ... and was cruci- fied. Bartholomew ... -lion, a city of ot Sy + ‘when they were journeying 22 (8-0. Ame *109 Text 6 8 pr ptin](g) swxsty b’ br [6wlmy the Indians ... (10)... Matthew . 9 lywnt yntwa'nyty [40 died at Hierapolis, a city of the Parthi- 10 Pr prow'yaty® (90 ‘ans. ..sonof... him... grave... (15) mr Y(oyye vty sw pet was... 12 ai{y) qne’ (about one line missing) 14 (al 15 OL sor perhaps Jesnlyin (hardly wiinjglyin) Pre point wader Che Sean ee aceental not phy or ay 2 Sy continues differently. Commentary IV Tf-15 ..pu'b: ace. of a compound in *-w'by ‘speaking’ (ef. Gersheviteh 1045, 145, on Mt pay’ fy’) ~Syr. pralf’ ‘Paraclete, Advocate’ 17 he intrans. pfyieé in this and a fow other passages" has beon discussed by Benvon'ste Etudes 3, soe oL, wbore it is translated aretentiro. Although Benveniste's comparison with Oss. Dig. igus. ‘sound? Teste ivaeun ‘heat’, Ind. ghos- beside Ir. gous," is probably correct {rom a historical point of view, the peek dce plypied here translates Syr. sh’ ‘was heard!’ suggests that the Sogdians themselves may have interpreted plyasé in such contexts as passive 18 piyig'f~Syr. BCODG p’h hoe? ‘was reathing’ 6 Arm. bowrér “wae smelling’. As appears from See conctusive discussion, itis dificult to reconcile this epparent!s intransitive atestasion of C. play] with the trans. M. pf5k'f meaning something like ‘wound, tear ox picree by striking’ (BBB 491 and seer vendindys with pye; Mo40i, 22, published by Henning JRAS 1044, 143). A possible way of of this diffiulty is to assume that plydy'fis an over literal translation of a bypothetical variant reading *mh" hu’. Syt. mk (pVab) in general means ‘strike, wound” (ef M. plsk'), but when its subject is rf ‘odour" (a8 ‘would be the caso here) it has the special senso ‘spread, be diffused’, On 6. froyp. ftyp-