Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
The MS. from which the text of the Nile Service is taken, is numbered Or. 4951, and is a recent acquisition of the British Museum. It consists of 69 paper leaves, measuring about 6£ ins. by 5 ins., with mostly 15 lines to a page. The quires, 7 in number, are of 10 leaves each (the last leaf being blank). The Syriac letters by which the quires are numbered are written in the middle of the lower margin, both on the last and the first page of each quire. Thus, on fol. 10b, the letter denotes the end of the first quire, and the same letter also stands on fol. 11a; the letters etc., are similarly written on foil. 20 b and 21 a, foil. 30b and 31a, etc. The only exception is the absence of the letter on fol. 61a. The style of writing, though smaller, approaches yery nearly to that of pi. xx (representing fol. 34 of Add. 14,664) in vol. iii of Wright's “Catalogue of the Syriac MSS. in the British Museum,” which has been assigned to the twelfth or thirteenth century. The letter “rlsh” is, with very few exceptions, written (with two dots instead of one), and the “daleth” is, as a rule, not distinguished by a dot below. There are no diacritic points below the letters, and points over the text (see the first facsimile, representing fol. 38b of the MS. chosen to exemplify some of the characteristics mentioned here)are mainly employed in the following cases:
page 678 note 1 The earlier stages of Palestinian Syriac writing are exemplified in plates xviii and six published in Wright's Catalogue; see also the facsimiles given in Land's “Anecdota Syriaca,” vol. iv, and in “Anecdota Oxoniensia,” Semitic series, vol. i, parts v and ix.
page 678 note 2 It is well known that there was a double pronunciation of the “rīsh” in Palestine (see Derenbourg, J., “Manual du Lecteur,” Journal Asiatique, 1870, p. 446)Google Scholar, hut one can hardly refer the occasional use of in this MS. to a difference of pronunciation.
page 678 note 3 Differences from the Edessene Syriac are shown in such words as (Jew. Aram. etc. The dot is, however, not used with perfect regularity.
page 679 note 1 On the vowel-signs which are used in connection with the Syriac transcription of Greek words, see further on.
page 679 note 2 For in the sense of “consecration” see Dozy, Supplement aux Diet. Arab., vol. ii, p. 455.
page 679 note 3 i.e. .
page 680 note 1 Note the use of in this place to express the Greek πανΤοκπαΤωπ. The usual Pal. Syr. rendering is , whilst is the regular translation of the Syro Hexaplar.
page 680 note 2 i. e. ξΕιϱοοΤονιαs (for ξΕιϱοοΤονια) The separation into two words, as written above, appears to show that the etymological sense of the word was unknown to the copyist.
page 680 note 3 is here used for λ; in the “Liturgy of the Nile,” occurs for λ (see p. 696, 1. 6).
page 682 note 1 One should expect .
page 682 note 2 The diacritic points are mostly absent in the latter part of this colophon in the MS. With regard to the style of writing, it ought to be remarked that Dr. Charles Eieu, now the Adams’ Professor of Arabic at Camhridge, considers it to be not later than the thirteenth century. His judgment, therefore, strengthens the opinion formed with regard to the MS. as a whole.
page 683 note 1 The few Greek words which occur in the Nile Service will be found retranscribed into the Greek character in the notes on the translation.
page 683 note 2 η θΕια ξαρις η Τα ασθΕνη θΕϱαπΕνουα και Τα ΕλλΕπονΤα αναπληϱουσα κ.π.λ. Comp. the formula now used in the Greek Church as given in the Euchologion.
page 684 note 1 Note that all references to Old Testament passages relate to the printed text of the Hebrew Bible.
page 685 note 1 On this popular belief, as on the various dates connected with the rise of the Nile, see Lane's, “Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians,” ii, pp. 224–236Google Scholar; Maspero's, “Dawn of Civilization,” pp. 20–24Google Scholar; also SirWilkinson's, Gardiner “Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians,” ii, p. 428Google Scholar.
page 686 note 1 See Maspero, op. cit., p. 22.
page 686 note 2 See Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, loc. cit.
page 686 note 3 The term Malkite answers to the Syriac word Malkāyā, i.e. royal. The Eastern adherents of the decrees issued by the Council of Chalcedon were so named “proptera quod… menti imperatoris Marciani se submiserant.” See Payne Smith, Thes. Syr., col. 2144.
page 687 note 1 The exhortation addressed to the people by the deacon: see p. 726, note 6.
page 687 note 2 See p. 720.
page 687 note 3 See also the note on , p. 714.
page 687 note 4 The Biblical portions contained in the Service will be published separately, in complete photographic facsimiles contained in eleven plates, and will be accompanied by full textual and philological notes.
page 687 note 5 A proof of the dependence of the Pal. Syr. translation of St. Luke ii, 14 on the Philox. version will be found on p. 720.
page 688 note 1 See p. 722, note 10.
page 688 note 2 For the possible connection of this ceremony with an older ritual see p. 693.
page 689 note 1 An exhaustive investigation on this subject could, of course, only be undertaken by a specialist in Egyptology.
page 689 note 2 See “Hymne au Nile,” Maspero, , Paris, 1868Google Scholar; “Records of the Past,” old series, vol. iv, pp. 105–114; Maspero, , “Dawn of Civilization,” pp. 40–42Google Scholar. Comp. Renouf, , “Origin and Growth of Religion,” etc., pp. 223–4Google Scholar. The text is preserved in two papyri in the British Museum.
page 689 note 3 The lines are here quoted from F. C. Cook's translation in “Records of the Past,” loc. cit.; Maspero's, French translation in “Hymne au Nile” is practically the same as far as this stanza is concerned. In “Dawn of Civilization,” pp. 40–42Google Scholar, the first twelve stanzas only are translated.
page 690 note 1 See Brugsch, , “Religion und Mythologie der Alten Aegypter,” ii, p. 640Google Scholar.
page 690 note 2 See Maspero, , “Dawn of Civilization,” p. 39 (note 2)Google Scholar; “Records of the Past,” old series, vol. x, pp. 37–44 (Ludwig Stern). For further references see Maspero, loc. cit.
page 690 note 3 Stern, L., in “Records of the Past,” loc. cit., does not appear to agree with Maspero as to the special reason for the engraving of these stelae (see p. 38)Google Scholar.
page 690 note 4 L. Stern, loc. cit., p. 38.
page 690 note 5 Ibid., p. 39.
page 690 note 6 Ibid., p. 40.
page 690 note 7 See Maspero, , “Dawn of Civilization,” p. 24Google Scholar.
page 691 note 1 Maspero, , “Dawn of Civilization,” p. 39Google Scholar.
page 691 note 2 Ibid, (note 3).
page 691 note 3 “Aethiopica,” p. 286.
page 692 note 1 L. Stern, op. cit., p. 39.
page 692 note 2 See Lane, op. cit., p. 224; L. Stern, loc. cit., pp. 39, 40.
page 692 note 3 See L. Stern, loc. cit., p. 39.
page 692 note 4 de Sacy, Silvestre, “Relation de l'Égypte,” par Abd-Allatīf, p. 403Google Scholar.
page 693 note 1 See Silv. de Sacy, op. cit., p. 404.
page 693 note 2 Op. cit., p. 222.
page 693 note 3 See Maspero, , “Dawn of Civilization,” p. 24Google Scholar.
page 693 note 4 See the reference for this report in Maspero, loc. cit.
page 694 note 1 Compare the term “aroosah“ (or bride) as applied at the present day to the “round pīllar of earth, diminishing towards the top,” which is raised at a distance of about sixty feet from the dam. See Lane, op. cit., p. 229.
page 694 note 2 pp. 225–236.
page 695 note 1 For .
page 695 note 2 MS.
page 695 note 3 For .
page 696 note 1 The words enclosed thus are corrupt; see the translation.
page 696 note 2 For ⋯ see Introduction, p. 680, note 3.
page 696 note 3 The four antiphons are marked by the first four Syriac letters in the margin, and partly also in the body of the page.
page 696 note 4 So the MS., but omit which seems to be only a wrong dittography for that follows. It is also possible that the correct reading is .
page 696 note 5 One would expect (sing.).
page 697 note 1 For ? see p. 713.
page 697 note 2 The letters , and are written in the margin of the MS. to indicate the number of times is used at each response.
page 697 note 3 For .
page 697 note 4 The letter is omitted in the MS., but is written in red in the margin.
page 698 note 1 Corrected, apparently, into .
page 699 note 1 I.e. Eύειλάτ=.
page 700 note 1 For .
page 700 note 2 after cannot be correct.
page 701 note 1 For ? The form of the is here .
page 701 note 2 For .
page 701 note 3 So the MS. for the usual .
page 702 note 1 So the MS. for .
page 703 note 1 Read , see note 5 on p. 696.
page 704 note 1 MS.
page 704 note 2 For ?
page 704 note 3 See note 4 on p. 721.
page 704 note 4 See note 5 on p. 721.
page 704 note 5 For .
page 705 note 1 Read .
page 705 note 2 So the MS.; for (?), see p. 722, note 1.
page 705 note 3 See p. 722, note 2.
page 705 note 4 See note 5 on p. 722.
page 705 note 5 Read .
page 706 note 1 See note 1 on p. 724.
page 706 note 2 For .
page 707 note 1 Read On the possible meaning of this passage (evidently corrupt) see p. 724.
page 707 note 2 In the original passage (Amos ix. 6:
page 707 note 3 The mark before may possibly be a sign of interpunction.
page 707 note 4 The passage enclosed in ( ) is hopelessly corrupt in every clause; see p. 725.
page 708 note 1 Read .
page 708 note 2 is untranslatable in this place.
page 708 note 3 So the MS. for
page 708 note 4 Read .
page 708 note 5 For ?
page 708 note 6 Apparently corrupt.
page 709 note 1 Note the form
page 709 note 2 Note the form .
page 709 note 3 For .
page 709 note 4 For .
page 709 note 5 See note 3 on p. 727.
page 711 note 1 Of the three dates mentioned, the “Sunday of the 318 Nicene fathers” is the one which precedes the Sunday of Pentecost (Whitsunday), the latter coinciding this year (1896) with the Latin date of the festival (May 12 Gr. cal.=May 24 Lat. cal.), as Easter Day fell on the identical date (March 24=April 5). The feast of St. Mark spoken of here is not April 25, which is the day now assigned to the evangelist in the Byzantine calendar, hut Sept. 23, the day dedicated to St. Mark at Alexandria in ancient times (see Smith's Dictionary of Christian Biography, vol. ii, p. 1089). For further remarks on the dates of the Service see the Introduction.
page 711 note 2 On the troparion see Neale's, “History of the Holy Eastern Church,” General Introduction, pp. 832, 918Google Scholar. The word is “the generic term for all the short hymns of which the services of the Greek Church almost entirely consist.”
page 711 note 3 The sixth of the eight tones of the Greek services is called βαρύς: see Neale, op. cit., Gen. Introd., p. 830.
page 711 note 4 Literally “the Spirit of the Comforter.” In the Edessene Syriac the word would mean “the resuscitator” instead of “the comforter”: see Schwally, F., “Idioticon des Christlich Palästinischen Aramäisch,” p. 54Google Scholar.
page 711 note 5 See the note on , p. 712.
page 711 note 6 The rendering “to where He was before” is free, the text being evidently corrupt.
page 712 note 1 The word “pope” is here merely used to represent in an exact literal manner the Syriac word .
page 712 note 2 The text reads “Alexandrios.”
page 712 note 3 is equivalent to the Hebrew occurs in Pal. of 1 Kings ix, 4 (see “Aneedota Oxoniensia,” Vol. i, part 9).
page 712 note 4 It seems best to translate in this place by “enduring” (see P.S. Thes., cols. 1856, 1860), though the word in the preceding troparion was best rendered by “crowned,” in accordance with the special meaning of the root in Palestinian Syriac and the allied dialects (see Schwally's “Idioticon d. Chr. Pal. Aram.”). Note also the instances of the same signification in Biblical Hebrew, aa e.g. the Af'el in Prov. xiv, 18.
page 712 note 5 With , literally “the son of the well,” comp. the Talmudic (Ḥullin, foi. 106a).
page 712 note 6 appears to be the same as , O! The rendering given above probably represents the full meaning which the interjection is intended to convey in this place.
page 712 note 7 i.e. to the priest who opened the Service.
page 712 note 8 The words “O holy one of God” are probably only the beginning of the response.
page 712 note 9 On the exact meaning of the term “antiphon,” see Neale, op. cit., General Introduction, pp. 364, 368. Here it relates to the verse or verses from the Psalms, followed each time by “O holy one of God,” etc.
page 712 note 10 Psalm xxix, 3.
page 712 note 11 = Hebr. , LXX έβρουτηςε, Peshitta . So also in Pal. St. John xii, 29: where the Peshitta has .
page 713 note 1 Note the plural form , as if the singular did not already represent the same idea.
page 713 note 2 The former response was by the priests only, whereas the second is by the priests and the people combined.
page 713 note 3 For in the sense of Psalm, see Schwally's “Idioticon”; the numeral “second” only indicates the fact of its being recited next to the preceding verse from the Psalter.
page 713 note 4 Psalm lxv, 10a. That the translation was made from the LXX, can be seen at a glance.
page 713 note 5 (Syr. Hex. and Pesh. )= τηυ τροφηυ (Hebr. “their corn”); (Syr, Hex. )= ⋯ ⋯τοιμασιασου (see Swete's edition of the Septuagint).
page 713 note 6 Psalm lxv, 11; the Palest. Syriac represents a somewhat free rendering of the LXX. Comp. the Syro Hexaplar, and see also the Hebrew text.
page 713 note 7 With “raindrops” compare (”through the rain was I walking”), quoted in Levy's, “Neuhebräisches und Chaldäisches Wörterbuch,” vol. ii, p. 176Google Scholar. See also P.S. Thes., p. 1446.
page 713 note 8 Psalm lxv, 12–14. The translation is based on the LXX; but notice, e.g., “fatness of fatnesses” to represent the one word πιοτητος, and especially the reference to the land of Egypt suggested by the nature of the Service.
page 713 note 9 Taking to be so written instead of .
page 713 note 10 i.e. the doxology.
page 714 note 1 “Be ye reciting” appears to be the literal rendering of the phrase.
page 714 note 2 is the fuller term used before.
page 714 note 3 Only the interjection “O“ is repeated two or three times, as the case requires, in the original.
page 714 note 4 Literally “pray.”
page 714 note 5 The second of the eight tones in the Byzantine Services is called πλάγιου ά: see Neale, op. cit., Gen. Introd., p. 830.
page 714 note 6 Or “hast been seen,” or “hast been made manifest.”
page 714 note 7 Note the masculine form with the feminine subst. .
page 714 note 8 The word (comp. Arabic ) represents ⋯υάγυωσι in its liturgical use as applying properly to the lessons from the Old Testament. This may be taken as one of the many indications showing that the Service is Malkite. The vowel letter after the is merely the “mater lectionis.”
page 714 note 9 These translations represent, as far as possible, the literal meaning of the Palestinian Syriac. For full textual notes, see “More Fragments of the Palestinian Syriac Version, of the Holy Scriptures,” by the same author.
page 716 note 1 The above is the verbatim rendering of the latter part of the verse; the meaning no doubt is—“and whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was its name.”
page 716 note 2 Literally “of Kingdoms” (LXX βασιλει⋯υ).
page 716 note 3 Or “barren.”
page 716 note 4 Or “and it shaketh.”
page 716 note 5 Or “He who buildeth.”
page 717 note 1 Or “His.”
page 717 note 2 It may also be rendered “from the Cappadocians,” but “from Cappadocia” is required by the Hebrew, LXX, and Peshitta.
page 717 note 3 Or “those who say.”
page 717 note 4 Or “that which had fallen down.”
page 717 note 5 i.e. the tabernacle spoken of in v. 11; or “the Lord” with the Alexandrine text of the LXX ?
page 717 note 6 Or “He who doeth.”
page 718 note 1 = προφητεíα.
page 718 note 2 The name of the third of the eight tones is β': see Neale, op. cit., Gen. Introd., p. 830.
page 718 note 3 Ps. xxvii, 1; the rendering “redeemer” points to the LXX σωτηρ, but is not a literal translation of ύπερασπιστης.
page 718 note 4 Literally “of a diviner.”
page 719 note 1 Literally “in the inner house of the prison-house.”
page 719 note 2 Literally “with.”
page 719 note 3 Literally “washed them of their stripes, or stripe?” (i.e. beating).
page 720 note 1 Literally “a table.”
page 720 note 2 For in the sense of pro see P.S. Thes., col. 2887.
page 720 note 3 See above, p. 713.
page 720 note 4 See Erizzo, Miniscalebi, “Evangeliarium Hierosolymstanum,” p. 143Google Scholar. The lesson comprises St. Matt, xiv, 22–34, containing the account of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee, and thus being as appropriate to the occasion as the three lessons from the Old Testament and the one from the Acts of the Apostles. One may, perhaps, conclude that the Gospel Lectionary was the only one which was widely in use. It may, however, be held that the reason for the other lessons being given in full is to be sought in the fact (?) that the exact number of verses were not used at any other Service.
page 720 note 5 See p. 711.
page 720 note 6 = Lat. piscina, Gr. πισkíυη).
page 720 note 7 St. Luke, ii, 14. The final of stands for , as is often the case in the MS. The reading at the end of the verse is remarkable. The Palest. Gospel Lectionary has The translation given above assumes the same use of as in the Lord's Prayer (Pesh. also in the Lord's Prayer, but in st. Luke ii, 14). The explanation of this remarkable reading must be sought in the rendering of εύδοkια by in the Philoxenian version (ed. White). The Palest. Lectionary then omitted , and in the present text was further altered into . This appears to show the dependence of the Palest. Syr. upon the Philoxenian version.
page 721 note 1 Ps. li, 17. The perfect appears to be free.
page 721 note 2 Ps. lxxi, 8. Translated from the LXX, the clause “δπως δμηυσω τηυδοξαυ σου” not being represented in the Mas. text.
page 721 note 3 If be here a mistake for , the literal rendering would be “and hast painted it.”
page 721 note 4 is by no means a Semitic construction. One should, perhaps, emend the latter word into , and the translation would then be “and hast assigned [to them] their names which are known in the inhabited world.”
page 721 note 5 For in the sense of δρμήματ τ⋯υ ποταμ⋯υ, see Land, “Anecd. Syr.,” vol. iv, 103, line 6. The present passage can hardly be translated differently.
page 721 note 6 i.e. = Eύειλατ =
page 721 note 7 Taking to stand for
page 721 note 8 The final in stands for . See p. 720, note 7.
page 722 note 1 If be the right reading, it might be compared with : see P.S. Thes., coll. 743, 755.
page 722 note 2 can hardly be translated. Are “the lands on both sides of the Nile which are burnt up (i.e. parched)” meant ?
page 722 note 3 must apparently be taken to stand for : comp , p. 713.
page 722 note 4 Note the application of to a physical process, whereas its proper signification (studiose, diligenter) qualifies a mental act.
page 722 note 5 Untranslatable. would mean “and of the wells”; something appears to have dropped out. See p. 705, 1. 5.
page 722 note 6 Note the forms and .
page 722 note 7 Greek: τ⋯ς kεφαλ⋯ς ημ⋯υ [τ⋯ Kυρí⋯ κλíυωμευ”.
page 722 note 8 On the root see Schwally, op. cit., p. 96.
page 722 note 9 evidently represents the Hebrew , Aramaic , Compare Gen. xlix, 26. .
page 722 note 10 Part of the ceremony appears to have consisted in pouring some water, previously taken from the Nile, into the river; this is the offering which is spoken of before as “the firstlings of its rising.” It is possible, however, that only refers to the pouring of the water into the basin.
page 723 note 1 must be taken to stand for .
page 723 note 2 Note the form .
page 723 note 3 Note the form , which is evidently the imperative of an Af'el of
page 723 note 4 Apparently an allusion to Ps. lxv, 10 (last word): see p. 713.
page 723 note 5 apparently = (from the Greek λιμηυ).
page 723 note 6 Note this signification of .
page 723 note 7 Compare Ps. lxv, 12–14, as given on p. 213.
page 724 note 1 means literally “and that we may he given.” One should expect .
page 724 note 2 Note the uncertainty in the usage of gender and number. To as substantive belong the adjectival form , , and . Such irregularities are not rare in the MS.
page 724 note 3 This translation is conjectural, the text in its present form being very enigmatical. In the translation it is assumed that the mother of John the Baptist is spoken of first, and that John was destined to tell the praises of the Virgin Mary. This rendering is, however, not without its difficulties.
page 724 note 4 With comp. in Amos ix, 6.
page 724 note 5 , literally “those that bestow blessings.”
page 724 note 6 This appears to be the sense intended by . One should expect a copula or (Palest, for ) to accompany the relative .
page 725 note 1 The passage is manifestly corrupt, and the translation here proposed is entirely conjectural.
page 725 note 2 On in the sense of quo tempore, quum, see P. S. Thes., col. 1984.
page 725 note 3 i.e. with the heavens and the earth ?
page 725 note 4 St. Luke ii, 14: see note on p. 720. Instead of. the simple preposition is used on p. 704, 1. 7.
page 725 note 6 Two words of which the translation would be “in it the holy one” are here in the original.
page 725 note 6 See Schwally, op. cit., p. 96.
page 725 note 7 See Rom. xvi, 16.
page 725 note 8 Note the form = Edes. Syr..
page 725 note 9 for καθαρα.
page 726 note 1 The construction is very strange.
page 726 note 2 The part enclosed thus ( ) is partly a repetition of the preceding directions.
page 726 note 3 Both these expressions refer to the doxology.
page 726 note 4 It is not stated what they shall say.
page 726 note 5 appears to mean here “he recites aloud”: see Cardahi, , “Al-Lubab,” vol. ii, p. 619Google Scholar; comp. the Arabic .
page 726 note 6 The fuller form of this exhortation addressed to the people by the deacon is: σοθíα oρθοl “wisdom, erect,” or σοθíα, πρςχωμευ “wisdom, let us attend.” See Katharine Lady Lechmere's “Synopsis,” Introduction (by T. Gennadius), pp. xiii, xiv.
page 726 note 7 = ευλογειτε ἃγιοι.
page 726 note 8 Greek: τòυ ευλογητòυ.
page 727 note 1 Apparently στερεου ώ θεóς, “confirm Thou, O God, ” as a kind of translation of “Amen.”
page 727 note 2 For the usual meaning of see Schwally, op. cit., p. 51.
page 727 note 3 is very strange in this place, as can only mean “from Thee [we] flee.” There is probably some corruption in this passage.
page 728 note 1 Only the more important words and forms are collected in this list. It will be seen that, besides some entirely new additions to the Palestinian Syriac vocabulary, the Nile Service also exhibits fresh examples of words, forms, and shades of meaning, of which only a scant number of instances were known before. The Arabic words occurring in the text are not noted here.