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PRI:LIMINARY
TEXTS
it. But it is necessary that in each section in the work we write briefly (on
the basis) of much (material), about each of the heresies whose harm it is
necessary to relate that it will be remembered by the reader.
The first heresyI2. The heresy of SambafinE13 which is translated in
.
say that instead of Sunday it is necessary to
Syriac S ~ b t y e ' ~These
offer the oblation on the Sabbath because that is the (day of) rest. And
instead of the Gospel 5 , the Torah must be read at the conclusion (of the
lessons) before the people. And the circumcision must not be abolished l 6
and the observance of the law l 7 must not be annulled. Also the typeI8 of
the Passover must be kept because the new is not against the old
(covenant). And while they Want to keep the law, they call themselves
C h r i ~ t i a n s ' ~These
.
are (those) regarding whom also Paul remembers
when he says: ~ B e w a r eof dogs! Beware of the cutting of flesh and from
evil ~ o r k e r s ~ Owith
, the rest of other (matters) concerning which he
ordered caution ' .
The heresy of the followers of S i m ~ nThis
~ ~ is. this Simon concerning
whom the members of this religion called him Sem'n and were saying
about him that he is a son of GO^^^. And calling him the secret power24
of the creator, and because be obeyed the Father who sent him for our
redemption, his name was called Sem'n and named him Simon. Those
of the movement of Simon made for themselves a gospel 2 5 in four parts
~ ~ . are all
and they called it the ook of the Quarters (of the w ~ r l d )They
sorcerers. A thread of scarlet and of the rose (color) they bind at the neck
~ ~ the hair of their heads
like the priests (of idols). The a n ~ i e n t splated
and were occupying themselves with incantations and Strange affairs.
* The heresy of the MarqinE. They proclaim three beings : a good, a
l 2 Rahmani produced the first translation of this catalogue in Latin, Studia Syriaca IV,
p. 76ff. - l 3 The form of the name is different in BarhadbeSabb 'Arby, Hktoire,
p. 187: SimbtynistE. The founder of this movement was Sabbatius, a presbyter, who
started this splinter group among the Novatians. SOZOMENUS,
Historia eccl. VII, 18,
p. 327ff. - l 4 The author mistakenly derived his name from the Sabbath I' ~6ayykhiov Sozomenus does not give this information - I' v 6 p o ~ ri)iroq - l 9 ~ p i o s t a v o i Phil. 11, 3. The wording is PeS except the transposition of rCW & p o and of evil servantsp from the middle and placed at
the end - 2 1 This movement perturbed 'AphrEm as reflected through his Contra
Ifaer<,srs11.6, p. 7. See also Le T~stamarrtXV, p. 266. An episode about the controversies
with the movement is told by Ja'qb of Edessa. Cf. NAU,~Traductiondes lettres XI1 et
XI11 de Jacques d'Edesse, p. 277f. - 2 2 This Simon was known as Simon Magus 2 3 IRENAEUS,
Adversus haereses 1, 23, vol. I, p. 190ff. - 24 ... sublimissimam
virtutern)), ibid. - '' c6ayykhtov Cf. ~ E o o a p a~ h i p a s a706 ~ o o p o uIRENAEUS,
,
Adversus haereses 111, 1I, 8, vol. 11, p. 42f. - 27 Instead of the ancients~Barhadbegabb 'Arby reads: as the priests of the QdiSyE, Hisroire, p. 188
"
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