1. Introduction
Among the Turfan Manichaean manuscript fragments, of those belonging to the Living Gospel, three Middle Persian fragments have been known previously. The fragments M17, M172/I/ and M644, all present the same text: the opening lines of the first chapter of the Living Gospel, with an exordium.
2. Published fragments
2.1. M17
M17 (Catalogue 3; Ed.: HR ii, 25–7; MSt, 8: R a, b, c, d; V e, f, g, h; Reader, text c; ‘I Mani’ 184. Trl.: HG, 184; GSR, 146. Repr.: ‘I Mani’ 194–5. Photo: Photo Ed. I, pl. 26–7. For new edition, see Shokri-Foumeshi Reference Shokri-Foumeshi2014: 100–6) is entitled: ʾwnglywnyg ʾrb ncyhyd “He teaches (the chapter) Aleph of the Gospel”. The tip-size of the pen/stylus that wrote the text, which is partly red and partly black, must have been small. The lower part of the page is missing. Despite first appearances, the lines in the middle of the sheet have not been obliterated. In fact, there were never any letters there: the space was originally left blank,Footnote 2 so as to provide room for the translation of the Middle Persian phrases into another language (Sogdian), just as was done in M172/I/. This can be shown by a comparison of the first remaining common phrase in M172/I/ and M17, which ends with the word wyhyhʾn: while in M17, the space after this word is left blank, in M172/I/ the Sogdian translation of the Middle Persian word follows. The succession of Middle Persian and Sogdian sections continues up to the end of M172/I/, whereas a blank space follows the Middle Persian text in M17.
2.2. M172/I/
M172 (= MIK III 196)/I/ (Catalogue 13. Ed.: HR ii, 100–1; MSt, 19; Reader, text c {MP only}; ‘I Mani’ 185. Trl.: HG 184; GSR 146. Repr.: ‘I Mani’ 196–7. Photo: Photo Ed. I, pl. 77. For new edition, see Shokri-Foumeshi Reference Shokri-Foumeshi2014: 106–13) is written in two languages: Middle Persian, with Sogdian translation/paraphrase (both in Manichaean script), they follow each other alternately. The Sogdian version helps us to add some phrases to the remaining sections of the Living Gospel. The text of M172/I/ is no different from M17.
2.3. M644
M644 (Catalogue 44. Ed.: ‘I Mani’ 190. Trl.: ‘I Mani’, 189, 191, 193. Repr.: ‘I Mani’, 198. Photo: Photo Ed. II, pl. 81–2. For a new edition, see Shokri-Foumeshi Reference Shokri-Foumeshi2014: 113–5), 7 × 6.2 cm, is a small fragment, the surviving part of which is probably the bottom of a sheet, since there appears to be a blank space after the lines /r/5 and /v/5. Nonetheless, some sections of the remaining fragment are parts of the last section of the exordium and the first parts of the First Chapter of the Gospel, complementing M17 and M172/I/, and the verso consists of some new phrases different from those in the two fragments above.
2.4. Some observations
The first column on the verso of M17 (i.e. /v/i/16–7/) closes with the sentence hʾʾn | (ky) ʾn ʾcyš bwd … . Taking the four blank lines of M17 into account (‘I Mani’ 184) MacKenzie, in his reconstruction of the recto of M644,Footnote 3 also attempted to reconstruct the rest of the phrase (1994: 190–1). His reconstruction was based upon the Greek Codex Manichaicus Coloniensis (CMC 66, 4–15; see Koenen and Römer Reference Koenen and Römer1988: 199–200), but, as he himself points out the reconstruction is “highly uncertain” (1994: 190), especially regarding the difference between the two versions in some phrases. MacKenzie's reconstruction is as shown below in square brackets [] and in italics:
M644/A/5 – B/*1–*6/ … pd qʾm ʿy pydr | by wʾbrygʾn ⦿⦿ hʾʾn (ky) ʾn | ʾcyš bwd [hym ⦿ ʾwy zywyd ʾwd | ptʾyd ʾw jʾydʾn ⦿ ʾhydr bwd | ʾc hmʾg ʾwd] ʾc ps wysp ʾst | ʾwd hrw cy bwd ʾwd bwʾd pd | ʾwy zwr ʿystyd.
“ … by the will of the Father, the true God, he from whom I came to be,Footnote 4 [he lives and remains forever, he was before everything and] is after all (things), and everything which has been and will be stands by his power”. (‘I Mani’ 190–1)
My study of this reconstruction proves that the new small fragment M5439 can shed new light on MacKenzie's edition. In fact, the analysis, which will be discussed below, shows that M17 and M5439 are two separate pieces of a single manuscript page; that means neither is a copy of the other.
3. The newly identified M5439 [ = T II D 67]
The unpublished fragment M5439 (Catalogue 109; the original is lost, but a black-and-white photo is in the archive of BBAW) has a triangular shape, two columns, and is without a headline. Only the last three lines of /r/ii/, the last two lines of /v/i/, and the last six lines of /v/ii/ have survived. The verso-side has a new text. For the blank lines, such as in M17, a Sogdian translation must have been intended. The size of the pen of the text, which seems to be partly red and partly black, is small.
3.1. Measurements
Comparable to M17
3.2. Analysis
The analysis shows that not only is there no problem concerning the text on the recto, where M5439/r/i/1–3/ and M5439/r/ii/1–3/ are totally in accordance with M172/I/v/2–3/ and M172/I/v/16–7/, but also that in the script and the height and width of the pages, the two sheets are almost the same. Fragment M5439 is arranged in two separate columns and so it seems that the fragment was indeed from the bottom of the sheet. If we take the fragment as a section for the first sheet of the bifolio, what I prefer to call /r/i/ and /r/ii/ may be placed at the bottom of M5439/I/r/i–ii/, and what I call /v/i/ and /v/ii/ may be placed at the very end of M5439/I/v/i–ii/. Taking the size of the script and the length of the line into consideration, the first column on recto (/r/i/) must have started with the sentence ʿsṭwd ʾwd ʿsṭʾyhyd qnygrwšn (based on the text of M17 and M172/I/), and the second column (/r/ii/) must have started with ʾwd ʾbr gwʾgʾn ʾwd ʿšnwʾgʾn ʿy sxwn wʾbrygʾn (based on the text of M17 and M172/I/). And accordingly, the phrase M5439/v/i/ ʾc pyš [wy](s)p bwd ẅ just fills the gap, and reaches the point where the first column of the sheet M17 is destroyed. Also, taking M5439/v/i/1–2/ into account, I placed the last section of M5439/v/i/1-2/ into the missing space and marked this in italics:
M17/v/i/14-17/ and /v/ii/1-2/ … pd qʾm ʿy pydr by wʾbrygʾn ⦿⦿ hʾʾn ky ʾn ʾcyš bwd [hymFootnote 5 ⦿⦿ ⦿⦿ hʾn ky] ʾc pyš wysp bwd ẅ ʾc ps wysp ʾst …
“… by the will of the Father, the true God, he from whom I came to be, He was he who was before all (things) and is after all (things) … .”
Regarding these considerations, therefore, M5439/verso/ii/ (i.e. which includes a new text of the chapter Aleph of the Living Gospel) must understandably come after the last sentence of M17, i.e /v/ii/17/, but not directly.Footnote 6
3.3. Order of the Lines of M17 + M5439
The order of the lines is shown in Table 1.
Order of codices
4. Unified text
-
M17/v-r/hdl./
{violet} ʾwnglywnyg He teaches (the chapter)ʾrb ncyhyd
Aleph of the Gospel
*[ʿstwd ʾwd ʿstʾyhyd]Footnote 7 She was praised and is praised
Recto/i/
M17/r/i/01/ qnygrwšn sr the Maiden of Light, head
M17/r/i/02/Footnote 8 ʿy (w)yspʾn of all
M17/r/i/03/ wyhyyh̠ʾnFootnote 9 wisdoms.
-
M17/r/i/04–11/ blank
-
M17/r/i/12/Footnote 10 ʿsṭwd ʾwd It was praised and
M17/r/i/13/ ʿsṭʾyhyydFootnote 11 is praised
M17/r/i/14/ dyn ywjdhr pd the holy Church, by
M17/r/i/15/ zwr ʿy pdrFootnote 12 the power of the Father,
M17/r/i/16/ pd ʾpryn ʿyFootnote 13 by the praise of
M17/r/i/17/ mʾdr (ʾwd pd) the Mother, and by
*/r/i/18/ [wyhy ʿy pwsr]Footnote 14 the wisdom of the Son.
M17/r/i/19–26/ blank
M5439/r/i/01/[27] [drwd]Footnote 15 ẅFootnote 16 ʾpryn Welfare and praise
M5439/r/i/02/[28] [ʾb](r)Footnote 17 przndʾn upon the children
M5439/r/i/03/[29] ʿy drwdyh̠Footnote 18 of well-being
Recto/ii/
M17/r/ii/01/Footnote 19 ʾwd ʾb(r g)wʾ(g)[ʾn]Footnote 20 and on the speakers
M17/r/ii/02/ ʾwd ʾšnwʾgnFootnote 21 ʿy and the hearers of
M17/r/ii/03/ sxwn wʾbrygʾn the true word.
M17/r/ii/04–11/ blank
M17/r/ii/12/Footnote 22 hyb byh̠ Let there be
M17/r/ii/13/ ʿsṭʾy(š)n (ẅ)Footnote 23 praise and
M17/r/ii/14/ pd(x)šr ʾw pdrFootnote 24 honour to the Father
M17/r/ii/15/ ʾwd ʾw (p)wsrFootnote 25 and to the Son
M17/r/ii/16/ ʾwd ʾw wʾ(x)š and to the Holy
M17/r/ii/17/ ywjdhr ʾ(wd) Ghost and
*/r/ii/18/ [ʾw mʾdyʾn ywjdhr ⦿⦿ ⦿⦿]Footnote 26 the holy book.
M17/r/ii/19–26/ blank
M5439/r/ii/01/[27] gwyy(š)[nFootnote 27 ʿy]Footnote 28 The speech of
M5439/r/ii/02/[28] ʾwnglyw(n)Footnote 29 [zyndg]Footnote 30 the Living Gospel,
M5439/r/ii/03/[29] ʿy cšm [ʾwd]Footnote 31 which instructs
Verso/i/
M17/v/i/01/Footnote 32 [g](wšFootnote 33 wc)yyhydFootnote 34 eye and ear,
M17/v/i/02/ (ʾ)wd bʾr ʿy and teaches
M17/v/i/03/ (r)ʾsṭyy ncyhy(d) the fruit of truth.
M17/v/i/04–11/ blank
M17/v/i/12/Footnote 35 ʾn mʾny prystg I Mani, apostle
M17/v/i/13/ ʿyg yyšwʿ of Jesus
M17/v/i/14/ ʾryʾmʾn pd the Friend, by
M17/v/i/15/ qʾ(m ʿ)y pdr by the will of the Father, the true
M17/v/i/16/ w(ʾ)brygʾn ⦿⦿ hʾʾn God, he
M17/v/i/17/ (ky)Footnote 36 ʾn ʾcyš bwd from whom I [came]
*/v/i/18/ [*hym ⦿⦿ ⦿⦿]Footnote 37 to be.
M17/v/i/*19–26/ blank
M5439/v/i/*27/ blank
M5439/v/i/01/[28] [*hʾn ky]Footnote 38 ʾ(c) pyšFootnote 39 He was he who was
M5439/v/i/02/[29] [wy](s)pFootnote 40 bwdFootnote 41 ẅ before all (things) and
Verso/ii/
M17/v/ii/01/Footnote 42 ʾc psFootnote 43 wysp is after all
M17/v/ii/02/ ʾst ʾw(d hrw) (things), and everything
M17/v/ii/03/ cy bwd ẅ bwʾd which has been and will be
M17/v/ii/04/ pd ʾwy zwr ʿystyd stands by his power.
M17/v/ii/05–11/ blank
M17/v/ii/12/Footnote 44 prwxʾnFootnote 45 ʿyn The fortunate
M17/v/ii/13/ myzdgtʾcyh̠ receive this
M17/v/ii/14/ (pd)yrynd zyrʾn (good) news, the wise
M17/v/ii/15/ ʾš(n)ʾsynd recognize (it),
M17/v/ii/16/ (ṭ)hmʾn py(mw)cynd the strong don (it)Footnote 46 ,
M17/v/ii/17/ dʾn(ʾ)gʾn (w)hy the learned … betterFootnote 47 …
*/v/ii/18–23/ missing
M5439/v/ii/01/[24] [1–2](•w[0–1](•)[½] …
M5439/v/ii/02/[25] ʾwdFootnote 48 zyh(r)Footnote 49 [ʿyg]Footnote 50 and they will attain
M5439/v/ii/03/[26] jʾydʾʾ[nFootnote 51 3–5 ] eternal
M5439/v/ii/04/[27] ʾyʾbʾ(n)[dFootnote 52 ⦿⦿] life …
M5439/v/ii/05/[28] xwnqFootnote 53 ʾš[mʾh̠]Footnote 54 Hail, you
M5439/v/ii/06/[29] fryhsṭw(mFootnote 55 ẅ)Footnote 56 dearest and … !
End of the sheet
{violet} ʾwnglywnyg He teaches (the chapter)
Aleph of the Gospel
5. Some remarks
5.1. Verso/i/[28]–/ii/4/
[*hʾn ky] ʾc pyš wysp bwd ẅ ʾc ps wysp ʾst ʾwd hrw cy bwd ẅ bwʾd pd ʾwy zwr ʿystyd.
“He was [he who was] before all (things) and is after all (things), and everything which has been and will be stands by his power.”
This is the second and, of course, the last passage of the Gospel, for which the Greek parallel in the CMC is entirely distinguishable (for a further survey, see Shokri-Foumeshi Reference Shokri-Foumeshi2014: 175). Regarding both the context and the required letters, my restoration of <*hʾn ky > seems most appropriate. The adverbs pyš “before” and ps “after”, are fully discussed in Gershevitch (Reference Gershevitch and Redard1964a: 179–89), as they come concurrently in the passage az pēš wisp būd ud az pas wisp ast. The passage also clearly shows that az pēš in this context simply means the same “before” (But cf. DMMPP 290b, s.v. pyš). az pēš and az pas are conversely developed to the (Classical) New Persian successively as pēš az “before” and pas az “after” (namely) with the same meanings. Could the phrase be comparable to Col. 1:17: “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist”? On the MP cy /čē/ rel., see Boyce Reference Boyce1964: 37 f.
M17 + M5439 recto
© Depositum der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften in der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Orientabteilung
5.2. Verso/ii/12–17/
prwxʾn ʿyn myzdgtʾcyh̠ pdyrynd zyrʾn ʾšnʾsynd Footnote 57 ṭhmʾn pymwcynd dʾnʾgʾn why … {missing}
“The fortunate receive this (good) news, the wise recognize (it), the strong don (it), the learned … better … .”
why “better” comes from Old Iranian *wahyah-. Cf. Gershevitch 1964a: 188.
M17 + M5439 verso
© Depositum der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften in der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Orientabteilung
5.3. Verso/ii/[25–9]
{missing} ʾwd zyhr ʿyg jʾydʾʾn [3–5] ʾyʾbʾ(n)[d] xwnq ʾš[mʾẖ] fryhsṭw(m ẅ) … {missing}
“… and they will attain eternal life … Hail you dearest and … !”
The zīhr īg ǰāydān, cf. M454/I/r/6–11/: ʾw[d] swst mʾ bwyd ʾc rnj ʿy xwdʾwn bwrdn ⦿⦿ ʾʾwn kwtʾn myzd ʾwd pʾdʾšyn qyrbg ʾwd zyhr ʿy j[ʾydʾn] pd bʾryst wyndʾd (Mir. Man. iii, 46 [318]). “And do not tire to endure the toils of the Lord so that you may receive your pious retribution and reward and receive the eternal life in the supreme”.Footnote 58 MP zyhr is comparable to Pth. jywhr (see Gershevitch Reference Gershevitch1964b: 14 no. 1). xōnak (or: xunak; see DMMPP 368b) ‘lo! hail!’ (ibid.) is already attested three times in the Turfan collection (ibid.). Cf. also the Classical New Persian, Bal‘amī, The (Persian) Translation of Ṭabarī’s History: Pas Xālid gōft: … yā Wahšī! xunok tu râ bâd! (Dehkhoda Reference Dehkhoda1985, s.v. xōnok.) “Then Xālid said: … O Wahšī! hail to Thee”.
General abbreviations
- hdl.
-
headline Pth. Parthian
- i, ii
-
Indicate the columns on a page R, r recto
- i.m.
-
inner margin repr. representation
- ll.
-
lines s.cls. space between two cloumns
- l.l.
-
length of the line s.ll. space between two lines
- l.m.
-
lower margin t.b. text-block
- l.sh.
-
length of the sheet u.m. upper margin
- MP
-
Middle Persian V, v verso
- o.m.
-
outer margin w.sh. width of the sheet
Abbreviated works
- Catalogue
-
Boyce Reference Boyce1960
- DMMPP
-
Durkin-Meisterernst Reference Durkin-Meisterernst2004
- GSR
-
Klimkeit Reference Klimkeit1993
- HG
-
Klimkeit Reference Klimkeit1989
- HR ii
-
Müller Reference Müller1904
- ‘I Mani’
-
MacKenzie Reference MacKenzie, Preissler, Seiwert and Mürmel1994
- Mir. Man. iii
-
Andreas and Henning Reference Andreas and Henning1934
- MSt
-
Salemann Reference Salemann1908
- Photo Ed. I
-
Sundermann Reference Sundermann1996
- Photo Ed. II
-
Weber Reference Weber2000
- Reader
-
Boyce Reference Boyce1975
