History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria |
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|---|---|
| Ta'rikh Batarikat al-Kanisah al-Misriyah | |
| Compiled by | e.g. Michael, bishop of Tinnis; Mawhub ibn Mansur ibn Mufarrig; Pope Mark III of Alexandria |
| Subject | Biographies of the Non-Chalcedonian Orthodox patriarchs of Egypt |
The History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria is a very important book for the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. It tells the stories of the leaders, called Patriarchs, of this church. The book is written in Arabic, but it uses information from older Greek and Coptic writings.
This history book was put together from many earlier life stories. It was started by a writer named Severus Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ. Other people continued adding to it over time. These included Michael, a bishop of Tinnis in the 11th century, and Pope Mark III of Alexandria.
Contents
What is the History of the Patriarchs?
This book, also known as Ta'rikh Batarikat al-Kanisah al-Misriyah, shares the history of the Coptic Church leaders. It's like a long biography of all the Patriarchs. The first part of the book was translated into English by Basil Thomas Alfred Evetts. Other scholars later translated the rest.
How the Book Was Written
The first parts of the book get their information from old sources like Eusebius and Coptic traditions. But after the 6th century, the stories of the Patriarchs become much longer. They often seem to be based on reports from people who actually saw the events happen.
Key Events and Stories
The book describes important moments in history. For example, it tells about the Muslim conquest of Egypt. It also includes a detailed story from someone who saw the fall of the last Umayyad leader, Marwan II.
Severus, one of the writers, also tells about a famous event. This is the miracle of moving the Mokattam Mountain. This happened around the year 975, during the time of the Fatimid leader Al-Muizz. Severus was alive then, so he was an eyewitness to this period.
Over many years, new parts were added to the book. It was updated until 1894, and some copies even go up to 1923.
How the Book Was Translated
In 1713, a scholar named Eusèbe Renaudot created a Latin version of the book. It was called Historia patriarcharum alexandrinorum jacobitarum. Later, in 1904, Christian Friedrich Seybold began working on a detailed Arabic version for scholars.
See also
- Coptic history
- Coptic Orthodox Church
