Jacob of Sarug’s Homilies on Praise at Table

151 Pages·2016·1.239 MB·English

by  Jeff W. Childers

Jacob of Sarug’s Homilies on Praise
at Table
Texts from Christian Late Antiquity
46
Series Editor
George Anton Kiraz
TeCLA (Texts from Christian Late Antiquity) is a series presenting
ancient Christian texts both in their original languages and with
accompanying contemporary English translations.
Jacob of Sarug’s Homilies on Praise
at Table
Edited and Translated by
Jeff W. Childers
9
34
2016
Gorgias Press LLC, 954 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
www.gorgiaspress.com
Copyright © 2 0 1 6 by Gorgias Press LLC
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the
prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC.
2016 ܘ 9
ISBN 978-1-4632-0605-5 ISSN 1935-6846
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Jacob, of Serug, 451-521, author. | Childers,
Jeff W., editor,
translator. | Jacob, of Serug, 451-521. Sermons.
Selections. | Jacob, of
Serug, 451-521. Sermons. Selections. English.
Title: Jacob of Sarug’s homilies on praise at table
/ edited and translated
by Jeff W. Childers.
Description: Piscataway : Gorgias Press, 2016. |
Series: Texts from Christian
late antiquity ; 46 | In English and Syriac;
homilities translated from
Syriac to English. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016024114 | ISBN 9781463206055
Subjects: LCSH: Providence and government of
God--Christianity--Sermons. |
Praise--Religious aspects--Christianity--Sermons.
| Jacob, of Serug,
451-521--Sermons.
Classification: LCC BR65.J2832 J3 2016 | DDC
252/.014--dc23
LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2016024114
Printed in the United States of America
Title of the Book

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For Bill Rankin, with whom I have shared many food adventures

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents ..................................................................................... v
Acknowledgments .................................................................................. vii
Abbreviations ........................................................................................... ix
Introduction .............................................................................................. 1
Basic Character of the Homilies ................................................... 1
Author ............................................................................................... 2
The Setting of the Homilies ........................................................... 4
Form, Content, and Terminology ............................................... 12
Outlines and Titles ........................................................................ 15
Manuscripts with These Homilies .............................................. 20
Jacob Collections ..................................................................... 22
Scattered Homilies of Jacob .................................................. 24
The Translation .............................................................................. 26
Text and Translation .............................................................................. 27
Homily 139: On Praise at Table 1—Providence ...................... 28
Homily 140: On Praise at Table 2—Bread and Wine ............. 40
Homily 141: On Praise at Table 3—The Word of Life and
Moderation ............................................................................ 52
Homily 142: On Praise at Table 4—The Bee and the Rose ... 64
Homily 143: On Praise at Table 5—Fruits of
Righteousness ........................................................................ 76
Homily 144: On Praise at Table 6—The Lush Meadows of
Scripture ................................................................................. 88
Homily 145: On Praise at Table 7—Moderation and
Contentment ....................................................................... 102
Homily 146: On Praise at Table 8—Gratitude ....................... 114
Bibliography .......................................................................................... 127
Index of Names, Terms, and Subjects .............................................. 131
Index of Biblical References ............................................................... 137
v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A few years ago, one title in Bedjan’s edition of Jacob of Sarug’s
homilies caught my eye: “Bees.” When I was a child, a swarm of
bees settled on a maple tree near my home, the capture of which
inaugurated my family into the art of beekeeping. Due to my fa-
ther’s hard work—and no small effort on the part of the bees—
one hive quickly multiplied into hundreds of hives that we tended
in the agricultural zones of central California. It was my lasting fas-
cination with bees that prompted me to read “Bees.” That text
drew me into the entire cycle of Jacob’s homilies, On Praise at Table.
It has been a rewarding study, and I am grateful to my father’s tute-
lage in beekeeping and to the bees themselves for the inspiration to
produce this work.
I am also grateful to the series editors, and to Sebastian P.
Brock, Susan A. Harvey, and Abdul Massih Saadi for their helpful
comments and suggestions on portions of this work. Institutional
support from the Center for the Study of Ancient Religious Texts
at Abilene Christian University has made it possible to complete
the work.
Having had several occasions to work with Gorgias Press, I
am once again impressed with the professionalism and diligence of
the staff, particularly Melonie Schmierer-Lee. It is a privilege to
work with them in their efforts to promote greater understanding
of the Syriac heritage.

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