It is appropriate to be adding this text to the page after the news reports of the last few days about the discovery of relics of John the Baptist in Bulgaria (see HERE). Of course, likely these are just as authentic as the numerous other relics of John known throughout Christian history (including several heads and arms).

I arrived in New York City Sunday night. Princeton Theological Society was scheduled for one o'clock the following afternoon. So, after a short stroll through Central Park Monday morning, I headed off to Princeton. When I arrived, a fire alarm was going off in the library (due to construction) and I had to wait a little while for that to be resolved. I speedily photographed the manuscript (Speer Library Cabinet C, Ms. 40). I was under the mistaken belief that this was a copy of a manuscript from Urmia (Urmia 43) that was now lost. In fact, however, it actually is Urmia 43. So, one mystery solved. Documents in the library suggest that the other two Urmia manuscripts (38 and 47) are indeed lost, though the Royal Asiatic Society Ms published by Budge is virtually identical to Urmia 38.

On Tuesday, I made it to Union Theological Seminary to photograph UTS Syr. 32, a fragmentary Life of Mary Ms of only forty or so pages. Upon arrival I was told I needed a temporary library card from Butler library, which was four blocks down the street. Sigh. After a quick run in terrible heat, I was back to complete the job.

And on Friday, I spent a few hours in Harvard's Houghton Library photographing Mss. 168 and 82. Houghton is somewhat more regimented than the other two libraries. Besides the elaborate security one has to get through, I could not use my tripod. I was also slowed down by some hem-ing and haw-ing over the manuscripts. They could not understand why the library itself could not photograph them, despite my insistence that I was told that the library informed me these could not be photographed because they were too delicate. After clearing everything with the curator, I was given the go-ahead. I also got a look at Titterton's very extensive catalogue of the Syriac manuscripts.

And now I am back in Waterloo, cropping and organizing the photographs so that I can print them out in the next few days. I still don't know how valuable the manuscripts will be: Houghton Ms. 168 I have collated already, so it holds no surprises, but the other three may very well be Life of Mary manuscripts that do not contain the Infancy Thomas material, in which case they are not particularly useful to me, but may be for others interested in the text. At the very least they will be incorporated into my description of the Life of Mary manuscripts, which have been terribly confused in previous studies of the material.

The goal, ultimately, is to construct a critical edition of the Syriac tradition of this text. To date only two manuscripts of the Syriac IGT have been published. These two, plus two more, have been collated in my article that should appear in Apocrypha some time soon. Of the western Life of Mary, which incorporates all of IGT as one of its six “books,” there are thirteen known manuscripts. One of these is at Harvard and has not yet been photographed (thus the need for the trip). Of the eastern Life of Mary, which contains some episodes from IGT, there are 23 manuscripts. Two have been published (by Budge), and several are probably lost forever. One is at Harvard, one at Princeton, and one at Union Theological Seminary; all of these have to be photographed.

The US is not exactly Mt. Sinai, but I am excited about the trip, especially since I’ll be incorporating some site-seeing along the way and bringing my two girls for company. It is exciting also because these are probably the last manuscripts I need to finish a project that has occupied much of my time over the last few years. What next? Ethiopic? Um, no thanks.

Longer version:

Now, the first prayer of John to his disciples: “Father, show me your son. Son, show me your spirit. Holy Spirit grant me wisdom through your strength.” And some say it is this: “Holy Father, consecrate me through your strength and make known the glory of your excellence and show me your son and fill me with your spirit which has received light through your knowledge."

Shorter version: 

The first prayer of St. John the Baptist to his disciples: "Holy Father, guard your strength and show us your glory and make your son known to us and fill us, my Lord, with your spirit which gives light through your knowledge."

But immediately after the head of the blessed John let the locks of its hair rise from the dish, and it flew to the middle of the convivial room before the king and his high officials. In that very moment the roof of the house was opened and the head of John flew in the air…As to his head, it flew over Jerusalem, and cried for three years to the town, saying: "It is not lawful for you, O Herod, to marry the wife of your brother while he is still alive." After it had cried for three years, it went to all the world shouting and proclaiming the horrible crime of Herod, and repeating the words: "It is not lawful for you, O Herod, to marry the wife of your brother while he is still alive." Fifteen years after it had been cut off it ceased proclaiming, and rested on the town of Horns. The faithful who were in that town took it and buried it with great pomp. A long time after, a church was built on it, which is still standing in our time.