PREFACE — CHAPTER I.

which we have chosen, we chose thus (two volumes of discourses, or containing discourses), lest the learned collector of books seem to err or speak inaccurately by distinguishing these two volumes of Demonstrations from the alphabetical discourses.

Finally, a copyist of uncertain name, who collected the works of various authors in the year 1364 (British Museum Cod. Orient. 1017), inserted Aphrahat's chronicle, or the beginning of the last Demonstration, into his book, with this title prefixed: ܒܥܘܕܪܢ ܐܠܗܐ ܟܬܒܝܢܢ ܬܫܥܝܬܐ ܕܥܠ ܚܟܝܡܐ ܐܦܪܗܛ ܝܥܩܘܒ ܐܦܝܣܩܘܦܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܡܬܝ With God's help we write the Demonstration concerning the Acinus, of the Sage Aphrahat, who is Jacob, Bishop of Saint Matthew. May his prayer be with us. It will not be irrelevant to note that the codex also includes several historical works of Gregory Barhebraeus, buried in the same monastery of Saint Matthew, and others by Jacob Severus, bishop of Tagrit, formerly a monk in the same monastery and buried there likewise. But more must be said about this book in our description of the codices.

To these seven ancient accounts, let the testimonies of our copyists be added, by which the name of the author—who had expressly remained silent about himself ¹—is revealed again, and his fame declared.

In the first codex, on the first folio, a certain reader called the Persian Sage a doctor and an excellent man, imploring his intercession. (Cod. A, fol. 1 a). Another, named Zachaeus, added to the final clause of the twenty-two epistles: This Persian Sage was a perfect man; his words and doctrine bear witness to him. May his prayer be with us. (A fol. 154 b).

The second codex, after the last Demonstration, exhibits this note by the copyist: Completed in this book is the description of all the epistles of the holy Jacob, the Persian Sage (B fol. 174 a); and, with the page inverted, the scribe wishes good and glorious memory to him who acquired the most excellent treasure of the books of the holy Jacob, the Persian Sage (B fol. 174 b).

Finally, let this annotation of an anonymous writer of our third codex be brought forth: The Sage Aphrahat is Jacob, Bishop of Saint Matthew (C fol. 159 a).

But with the exception of the few locations of authors mentioned above, we know nothing else committed to memory regarding his life and deeds, his age, and place of habitation; and what Aphrahat himself passed over in silence, no author, as far as I know, has recorded. These things, therefore, can only be known...

¹ Cf. Demonstr. XXII, 26.