A Bibliographical Clavis to the Corpus of Works attributed to Isaac of Antioch
Edward G.
Mathews, Jr.
Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute
George A. Kiraz
James E. Walters
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Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute
2002
Vol. 5, No. 1
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license has been granted by the author(s), who retain full
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https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/article/hv5n1mathews
Edward G. Mathews, Jr.
A Bibliographical Clavis to the Corpus of Works attributed to Isaac of Antioch
https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/pdf/vol5/HV5N1Mathews.pdf
Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies
Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute, 2002
vol 5
issue 1
Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies is an electronic journal dedicated to the study
of the Syriac tradition, published semi-annually (in January and July) by Beth
Mardutho: The Syriac Institute. Published since 1998, Hugoye seeks to offer the
best scholarship available in the field of Syriac studies.
Syriac Studies
Isaac of Antioch
File created by XSLT transformation of original HTML encoded article.
The corpus of extant Syriac works which are
attributed to Isaac of Antioch have barely begun to be studied.
There are no critical editions and the secondary literature is
sparse at best. This little Clavis is a simple catalogue
of work-to-date on this corpus.
Preface
[1] The
fifth-century Syriac writer, generally known in the scholarly
world as ‘Isaac of Antioch’, is one of only very
few Syriac authors to whom tradition has accorded the
appellation ‘the Great’. Even Ephrem the
Syrian, with whom medieval Syrian writers often associate
Isaac, is never so dubbed. In the manuscript tradition,
however, Isaac is far more often given the simple designation
‘teacher’ (Syr. malfônô), or even
‘teacher of the Syrians’. The Jacobite
Patriarch John bar Shushan (†1073) considered the works
of Isaac sufficiently numerous and edifying that he made an
attempt to bring them all into a single collection.
Unquestionably, Isaac should be numbered among the most
prolific of Syriac writers; his works, mostly mêmrê
with a few madrashê, have
still not been collected or sorted out, but those that are
known number considerably more than two hundred.
See E.G. Mathews, Jr., "The Corpus of Isaac of
Antioch: An Overview of its Contents," forthcoming.
Yet, as nearly
every student of Syriac knows, there remains the problem of who
Isaac was or, more precisely, ‘how many’ Isaac
was. It is commonplace in the sparse secondary literature
on Isaac to cite a letter of Jacob of Edessa to John the
Stylite, one of his favorite correspondents, in which Jacob
responds to John’s query concerning the identity of
Isaac, by enumerating three Isaacs who lived during the course
of the fifth century, and to say that it is the works of these
three Isaacs that constitute the corpus of works that scholars
generally attribute to Isaac of Antioch. Yet, Robert
Murray may be closer to the mark when he opts not to attempt to
“solve the problem of how many writers shelter under the
name of Isaac of Antioch.”
R. Murray, Symbols of Church and Kingdom
(Cambridge 1975), 36.
As a single example, scholars
have already noted that there are a number of works that are
variously attributed to Isaac and to Ephrem, a division already
reflected in early editions of these two authors (see
below).
[2] Despite
the great number of works attributed to Isaac, however, there
has been embarassingly little work done on this corpus.
Much less than half of the works have been edited at all, and
then only on the basis of few and late manuscripts (see
editions, below). This corpus has been accorded equally
meager treatment in modern scholarly research; very little has
been done to sort out the corpus and there has been almost no
attempt to try to discover the identity, or identities, of the
author or authors whose works are included in this
corpus. A decade and a half ago now, Sebastian Brock
noted that the state of the works of Isaac, along with those of
Narsai and Jacob of Sarug, was “indicative of the
underdeveloped state of Syriac studies”.
S.P. Brock, "The Published Verse Homilies of Isaac
of Antioch, Jacob of Serugh, and Narsai: Index of Incipits,"
JSS 32 (1987) 279.
In the time since
Brock’s article appeared, only a very few works of Narsai
and Jacob have appeared in new editions or translations, but
only a very secondary works that deal with anything from the
Isaac corpus.
A decade later Brock reiterated his plea in S.P.
Brock, "Syriac Studies in the Last Three Decades: Some
Reflections," in VI Symposium Syriacum 1992, ed., R.
Lavenant (OCA 247; Rome 1994) 28; shortly after this article A.
de Halleux, "Vingt ans d'étude critique des
églises syriaques," in The Christian East: Its
Institutions and its Thought. A Critical Reflection, ed.
R.F. Taft (OCA 251; Rome 1996) 155, speaks of the corpus of
Isaac as "un complexe littéraire encore mal
débrouillé."
This little Clavis constitutes, I hope,
the very first attempt at rectifying this state of
affairs.
Other projects are also already in progress in
conjunction with the newly established series Eastern Christian
Texts (ECT) at Brigham Young University. It is hoped that
editions of most of the ascetical works as well as a catalogue
of all the works attributed to Isaac will appear within the
next couple of years. Other editions are also in the planning
stages.
[3] Readers
of this journal will quickly note that the organization of the
material below owes a great debt to the extremely clear and
orderly presentation of Dirk Kruisheer and Luk Van Rompay in
their Bibliographical Clavis to the Works of Jacob of
Edessa, which appeared in the very first issue of
Hugoye.
D. Kruisheer and L. Van Rompay, "A Bibliographical
Clavis to the Works of Jacob of Edessa," 1.1 (1998). [
]
Due to both the contents of the Isaacian corpus
and the relatively smaller secondary literature, I was able to
simplify the categories somewhat from theirs. The list of
studies below was also compiled, for pre-1960, on the basis of
C. Moss, Catalogue of Syriac Printed Books and Related
Literature in the British Museum (London 1962) and I. Ortiz
de Urbina, Patrologia Syriaca (Rome 1965). For
subsequent years I, like Syriac scholars everywhere, am
indebted to the bibliographies of Sebastian Brock published in
PdO 4 (1973) 393-465, 10 (1981-1982) 291-412, 14 (1987)
289-360, 17 (1992) 211-301. These four bibliographies
have now been collated together and published in book form in
S.P. Brock, Syriac Studies. A Classified Bibliography
(1960-1990) (Kaslik 1996). Subsequent to these, S.P.
Brock, “Syriac Studies 1990-1995. A Classified
Bibliography,” PdO 23 (1998) 241-342 has appeared;
it is presumed – even hoped – that another
installment for 1996-2000 should appear in one of the next
volumes of Parole de l’Orient. I have made
every attempt both to check all these earlier entries and to
bring them as up-to-date as possible. Following Kruisheer
and Van Rompay, I have also provided references to the standard
handbooks and encyclopedias, which were necessarily not
included in the previously mentioned bibliographies.
Likewise, I have not included catalogues of manuscripts.
I hope to provide a revised checklist of incipits in a future
issue of this journal; this will comprise a glimpse of a
complete catalogue of Isaac’s works in manuscript
collections that is also currently in preparation.
[4] Unlike
Kruisheer and Van Rompay, I did not have the advantage of a
symposium on Isaac, and as a consequence the following list
suffers from the great disadvantage of having been compiled by
one person – and one who is clearly not Sebastian
Brock. Thankfully, George Kiraz offered the possibility
of submitting this bibliography to Hugoye, whose
electronic medium will easily allow emendations of omission
and/or reparation, and of any other sort of necessary
improvement to the present work. I, therefore, kindly
proffer a similar invitation to readers of this journal, to
send in any corrections, additions, or any other sort of
helpful remark, all of which I will be happy to include and to
acknowledge in future updates to a bibliography that I hope
will begin to grow with greater rapidity than heretofore.
Abbreviations
BA
Byzantina Australiensia
BKV
Bibliothek der Kirchenväter
CSCO
Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum
Orientalium
GCS
Griechischen Christlichen
Schriftsteller
GDFI
Giornale critico della filosofia
italiana
JSS
Journal of Jewish Studies
JTS
Journal of Theological Studies
LM
Le Muséon
MGH
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
OC
Oriens Christianus
OCA
Orientalia Christiana Analecta
OKS
Ostkirchliche Studien
PdO
Parole de l’Orient
PO
Patrologia Orientalis
RTFR
Rivista trimestrale di studi filosofici e
religiosi
TG
Theologie und Glaube
TU
Texte und Untersuchungen
ZfS
Zeitschrift für Semitistik
I. General Studies and Presentations
A. Sections in Introductory Works and
Handbooks
- J.S. Assemanus, Bibliotheca Orientalis
Clementino-Vaticana I (Rome 1719) 207b-234b.
- W. Wright, A Short History of Syriac
Literature (London 1894) 51-54 [and see index].
- J. Mann, Al-muruj al-nuzhiah I
(Mosul 1901) 163-176.
- R. Duval, La littérature
syriaque (Anciennes littératures chrétiennes
2; Paris 1907) 14, 337-339.
- A. Baumstark, Die christlichen
Literaturen des Orients, I. Einleitung. I.
Das christlich-aramäische und das koptische Schrifttum
(Sammlung Göschen; Leipzig 1911) 103.
- A. Baumstark, Geschichte der syrischen
Literatur (Bonn 1922) 63-66.
- O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der
Altkirchlichen Literatur IV (Freiburg im Bresgau 1924)
402-407.
- J.-B. Chabot, Littérature
syriaque (Paris 1934) 33-35.
- W.H.P. Hatch, An Album of Dated Syriac
Manuscripts (Boston 1946) 148, 150, 153, 161. [sample
manuscript pages from Isaac’s works]
- A. Baumstark, “Aramäisch und
Syrisch”, in Semitistik (Handbuch der
Orientalistik III.2-3; Leiden 1954) 174.
- Aphraam I Barsaum, Kitaab
al-lu’lu’ al-manthuur fii taariikh
al-culuum wa’l-aadaab al- suryaaniyya
(Aleppo 19562; Glane 19874)
263-264. [Eng. tr., in Aphraam I. Barsaum, The History
of Syriac Literature and Sciences, tr., Matti Mousa (Pueblo
2000) 84-85]
- I. Ortiz de Urbina, Patrologia
Syriaca (Rome 19652) 100-102.
- A. Abouna, Adab al-lughat
al-aramiyya (Beirut 1970) 92, 202-204.
- J. Assfalg and P. Krüger, Kleines
Wörterbuch des Christlichen Orients (Wiesbaden 1975)
148-149.
- M. Albert, “Langue et
littérature syriaques”, in M. Albert et al., eds.,
Christianismes orientaux. Introduction à
l’étude des langues et des littératures
(Initiations au christianisme ancien; Paris 1993) 347.
- S.P. Brock, A Brief Outline of Syriac
Literature (Moran ’Eth’o; 9; Kottayam 1997) 41-42.
- P. Bettiolo, “VI. Letteratura
Siriaca,” in A. di Berardino, Patrologia V. Dal
Concilio di Calcedonia (451) a Giovanni Damasceno
(†750): I Padre Orientali (Institutum
Patristicum Augustinianum; Genoa 2000) 458-459.
B. Articles in dictionaries and
encyclopedias
- E. Nestle, art. “Isaak von
Antiochien”, Real-Encyklopädie für
protestantische Theologie und Kirche 7 (18802)
162-163.
- C.J. Ball, arts. “Isaacus
Antiochenus”, “Isaacus (35)”, Dictionary
of Christian Biography III (1880) 295-296, 297.
- O. Bardenhewer, art. “Isaak von
Antiochien”, Wetzer und Welte’s Kirchenlexikon,
oder Encyklopädie der katholischen Theologie und ihrer
Hülfswissenschaften 6 (1889) 940-941.
- C.E. Nestle, art. “Isaak von
Antiochien”, Realencyklopädie für
protestantische Theologie und Kirche 9 (19003)
437-438.
- L. Petit, art. “Isaac
d’Antioche”, Dictionnaire de théologie
catholique 8 (1924) 8-10.
- A. Rücker, art. “Isaak von
Antiochien”, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche
5 (1933) 610-611.
- I. Ortiz de Urbina, arts.
“Isacco”, “Isacco di Amida”,
“Isacco di Antiochia”, “Isacco di
Edessa”, Enciclopedia Cattolica 7 (1951) 232.
- P. Krüger, art. “Isaac von
Antiocheia”, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche
5 (19602) 772.
- R.Janin, art. “Isacco”,
Bibliotheca Sanctorum 7 (1966) 920-921.
- F. Graffin, art. “Isaac d’Amid
et Isaac d’Antioche”, Dictionnaire de
Spiritualité 7 (1971) 2010-2011.
- M. van Esbroeck, arts. “Isacco di
Amida”, “Isacco di Antiochia”, “Isacco
di Edessa”, Dizionario Patristico e di
Antichità cristiane 2 (1984) 1828-1829.
- N.M. Borengässer, art. “Isaak
von Antiochien”, Marienlexikon 3 (1991)
317-318.
- A.-M. Talbot, art. “Isaac of
Antioch”, Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium 2 (1991)
1013.
- M. van Esbroeck, arts. “Isaac of
Amida”, “Isaac of Antioch”, “Isaac of
Edessa”, Encyclopedia of the Early Church 1 (1992)
416 [transl. and rev. of arts. “Isacco di Amida”,
“Isacco di Antiochia”, “Isacco di
Edessa”, Dizionario Patristico].
- P. Bruns, art. “Isaak von
Antiochien”, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche
5 (19963) 607.
- R. Aubert, arts. “Isaac
d’Amid”, “Isaac dit l’Ancien”,
“Isaac d’Antioche”, “Isaac
d’Edesse”, “Isaac le Grand”,
Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie
ecclésiastiques 26 (1997) 74-75, 80, 82.
- P. Bruns, art. “Isaak III (von
Antiochien)”, Reallexikon für Antike und
Christentum 18 (1998) 931-945.
C. General Works and References
- R. Duval, Histoire politique, religieuse
et littéraire d'Édesse jusqu'à la
première croisade (Paris 1892) 161.
- M. Jugie, Theologia dogmatica
christianorum orientalium V. De theologia dogmatica
nestorianorum et monophysitarum (Paris 1935) 376.
- A. Vööbus, History of
Asceticism in the Syrian Orient. A Contribution to the History
of Culture in the Near East I (CSCO 184; Louvain l958)
155-156, and passim.
- A. Vööbus, History of
Asceticism in the Syrian Orient. A Contribution to the History
of Culture in the Near East II (CSCO 197; Louvain 1960)
passim.
- G. Downey, A History of Antioch in
Syria: From Seleucus to the Arab Conquest (Princeton 1961)
479-480.
- J.B. Segal, Edessa, 'The Blessed
City' (Oxford 1970) 168-169 [and see index].
- R. Murray, Symbols of Church and
Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition (London 1975)
36, 41 [and see indices].
- H.J.W. Drijvers, Cults and Beliefs at
Edessa (Etudes préliminaires aux religions
orientales dans l'Empire romain, 82; Leiden 1980) 36-37, 97,
158, 185.
- A. Vööbus, History of
Asceticism in the Syrian Orient. A Contribution to the History
of Culture in the Near East III (CSCO 500; Louvain 1988)
82-94, and passim.
D. Biographical Notices and Material for
Identification of Isaac/s
- L. Hallier, Untersuchungen über die
Edessenische Chronik (TU 9.1; Leipzig 1892) 17-18, 114, 151
(text).
- E.W. Brooks, ed., Chronica Minora II
(CSCO 3; Louvain 1960) 217.
- J. Bidez, and G.C. Hansen, eds.,
Sozomenus Kirchengeschichte (GCS 50; Berlin 1960) 301,
361-362, 375.
- L. Parmentier and F. Scheidweiler, eds.,
Theodoret Kirchengeschichte (GCS 44; Berlin 1954)
272.
- E.C. Richardson, ed., Gennadius, Liber
de Viris Inlustribus (TU XIV.1; Leipzig 1896) 84.
- G.C. Hansen, ed., Theodoros Anagnostes
Kirchengeschichte (2d ed., GCS Neue Folge, Bd. 3; Berlin
1995) 75.
- T. Mommsen, ed., "Marcellini v.c. comitis
chronicon ad a. DXVIII continuatum ad a. DXXXIV. Additamentum
ad a. DXLVIII," in T. Mommsen, Chronica minora saec. IV. V.
VI. VII. II (MGH 11; Berlin 1894) 87. See also B. Croke,
The Chronicle of Marcellinus: A Translation and
Commentary (BA, 7; Sydney 1995) 23, 95.
- J.B. Chabot, ed., Incerti Auctoris
Chronicon Pseudo-Dionysianum Vulgo Dictum I (CSCO 91;
Louvain 1927) 39, 193.
- E.W. Brooks, ed., Historia Ecclesiastica
Zachariae Rhetori vulgo adscripta I (CSCO 83; Louvain 1919)
103.
- M. Brière, ed., Les homiliae
cathedrales de Sevère d'Antioche dans le traduction
syriaque de Jacques d'Édesse (PO 29.1; Paris 1960)
204 [708].
- Jacob of Edessa, "Letter to John the
Stylite on various questions". The relevant section is edited
and translated in Bedjan, iv-vi, and in Lamy IV, 362-363 (full
citations below). [A new edition of all Jacob's letters is in
preparation by J.J. Van Ginkel]
- Anonymous, "De S. Isaacio Confessore Abbate
Constantinopoli" in Acta Sanctorum (Editio novissima,
curante Joanne Carnandet; Paris and Rome 1866) MAI
7.243-255.
- J.B. Chabot, ed., Chronique de Michel le
Syrien IV (Paris 1910) 185 [Syr.]; II (Paris 1901) 36
[transl.].
- J. Abbeloos and T.J. Lamy, eds.,
Gregorii Barhebraei Chronicon Ecclesiasticum I (Louvain
1872) 165-166.
- A. J. Wensinck, Bar Hebraeus's Book of
the Dove, together with some chapters from his Ethikon
(Leiden 1919) 124.
II. SURVEY OF ISAAC'S WORKS
A. Editions
i. Editions of Collected Works
- P. Bedjan, ed., Homiliae S. Isaaci Syri
Antiocheni I (Paris 1903). [67 mêmrê]
- G. Bickell, ed., Sancti Isaaci Antiochi
Doctoris syrorum opera omnia, syriace, arabiceque primus
edidit, latine vertit I-II (Gissae 1873-1877). [21
mêmrê and 16 madrashê]
- T.J. Lamy, ed., Sancti Ephraem Syri
Hymni et Sermones I-IV (Mechlinia 1882-1902). [contains a
number of mêmrê that are also attributed to Isaac:
II.313-333 (=Bedjan, 408-420), II.393-426 (Baumstark, 65 n.4,
attributes this to Isaac), III.133-188 (Baumstark, 65 n.4,
attributes this to Isaac), IV.147-185 (=Bedjan, 49-70),
IV.207-215 (Ms. Ming. Syr. 190, ff. 124v attributes this to
Isaac), IV.225-239 (=Bedjan, 36-44), IV.241-261 (=Bedjan,
13-24), IV.453-461 (Ms. Br. Lib. Add. 14612, ff. 84v attributes
this to Isaac)] it is also likely that others in this volume
belong to Isaac.
ii. Editions of Individual Works
- C. Moss, "Isaac of Antioch, Homily on the
Royal City," ZfS 7 (1929) 295-306.
- S. Kazan, "Isaac of Antioch's Homily
against the Jews," OC 45 (1961) 30-53.
B. Translations
i. English
- C. Moss, "Isaac of Antioch, Homily on the
Royal City," ZfS 8 (1932) 61-72.
- S. Kazan, "Isaac of Antioch's Homily
against the Jews," OC 45 (1961) 30-53.
ii. French
- P. Feghali, "Isaac d'Antioche, poème
sur l'incarnation du Verbe," PdO 10 (1981/1982) 79-102.
[= Bedjan, 789-800; Bickell I, 2-24]
- P. Feghali, "Isaac d'Antioche, une hymne
sur l'Incarnation," PdO 11 (1983) 201-222. [= Bedjan,
712-725; Bickell I, 54-78]
iii. German
- G. Bickell, Ausgewählte Gedichte
der syrischen Kirchenväter, Cyrillonas, Baläus, Isaak
v. Antiochien und Jakob v. Sarug, zum ersten Male aus dem
Syrischen übersetzt (BKV; Kempten 1872) 109-191.
[Bedjan, 789-800 (=Bickell I.2-24), 712-725 (=Bickell I.54-78),
815-821 (=Bickell I.294-306), 158-170 (=Bickell I.250-274),
171-180 (=Bickell I.274-294)]
- P.S. Landersdorfer, Ausgewählte
Gedichte der syrischen Dichter, aus dem Syrischen
übersetzt (BKV 6; Munich 1913) 101-248.
[Bedjan, 789-800 (=Bickell I.2-24), 805-815 (=Bickell I.32-48),
712-725 (=Bickell I.54-78), 800-804 (=Bickell I.24-32), 621-641
(=Bickell II.236-266), 454-468 (=Bickell I.178-204), 539-566
(=Bickell II.266-352), 815-821 (=Bickell I.294-306), 158-170
(=Bickell I.250-274), 171-180 (=Bickell I.274-294), 145-152,
153-158]
- P. Krüger, "Der dem Isaac von
Antiochien zugeschriebene Sermo über den Glauben,"
OKS 1 (1952) 46-54. [= Bedjan, 655-664]
iv. Italian
- G. Furlani, "Tre discorsi metrici d'Isacco
d'Antiochia sulla fede," RTFR 4 (1923) 257-287. [=
Bedjan, 800-804, 789-800, 712-725; Bickell I, 24-32, 2-24,
54-78]
- G. Furlani, "La Psicologia d'Isacco
d'Antiochia," GDFI 7 (1926) 241-253. [= Bedjan,
399-408]
C. Studies
- H. Koch, "Isaac von Antiochien als Gegner
Augustinus," TG 1 (1909) 622-634.
- P. Krüger, "Die mariologischen
Anschauungen in den dem Isaak von Antiochien zugeschriebenen
Sermones. Ein dogmengeschichtlicher Beitrag," OKS 1
(1952) 123-131.
- P. Krüger, "Gehenna und Scheol in dem
Schrifttum unter dem Namen des Isaak von Antiochien. Ein
dogmengeschichtlicher Beitrag zur Eschatologie der
ältesten Zeit," OKS 2 (1953) 270-279.
- S. Kazan, "Isaac of Antioch's Homily
against the Jews," OC 46 (1962) 87-98; 47 (1963) 89-97;
49 (1965) 57-78.
- A.C. Klugkist, "Pagane Brauche in den
Homilien des Isaak von Antiocheia gegen die Wahrsager," in
Symposium Syriacum 1972 (OCA 197; Rome 1974)
353-369. [re: Bedjan, 821-830 (=Bickell II, 204-221); Bedjan,
830-837 (=Bickell II, 221-237); Lamy II, 393-426]
- S.P. Brock, "The Published Verse Homilies
of Isaac of Antioch, Jacob of Serugh, and Narsai: Index of
Incipits," JSS 32 (1987) 279-313.
- A.C. Klugkist, "Die beiden Homilien des
Isaak von Antiocheia über die Eroberung von Bet Hur durch
die Araber," in IV Symposium Syriacum 1984: Literary Genres
in Syriac Literature, ed., H.J.W. Drijvers, R. Lavenant, C.
Molenberg, and G.J. Reinink (OCA 229; Rome 1987)
237-256. [re: Bedjan, 821-837; Bickell II, 204-237]
- E.G. Mathews, Jr., "'On Solitaries', Ephrem
or Isaac?" LM 103 (1990) 91-110. [re: Bedjan, 49-70;
Lamy IV, 147-185]
- E.G. Mathews, Jr., "The Rich Man and
Lazarus: Almsgiving and Repentance in Early Syriac Tradition,"
Diakonia 22 (1988-89) 89-104. [re: Bedjan, 112-127]
- S. AbouZayd, "Isaac of Antioch on Learning
and Knowledge," in VI Symposium Syriacum 1992, ed., R.
Lavenant (OCA 247; Rome 1994) 215-220. [re: Bedjan,
1-12]
- M. van Esbroeck, "The memra on the parrot
by Isaac of Antioch," JTS 47 (1996) 464-476. [re:
Bedjan, 737-788; Bickell I, 84-174]
- G. Greatrex, "Isaac of Antioch and the Sack
of Beth Hur," LM 111 (1998) 287-291. [re: Bedjan,
821-837; Bickell II, 204-237]_______
Notes