I’ve had an email this morning asking me if I know of an English translation of a commentary on the four gospels by “ibn al-Tayyib”.\u00a0 My first reaction is the same as yours — “who?”!<\/p>\n
A look in Georg Graf’s Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur<\/em> vol. 2, p. 160f reveals a Nestorian writer of that name.\u00a0 Graf gives his name as `Abdullah ibn a-t-Taiyib, but I suspect it is the same man.\u00a0 He lived and worked in Baghdad in the 11th century, as a physician, monk and priest.\u00a0 In his day, he was an important man, known to the ruler of the city.\u00a0 He wrote an introduction to Porphyry’s Isagogue<\/em>, and did stuff with the works of Hippocrates and Galen.\u00a0 He died in October 1043, and was buried in the church of Darta.\u00a0 Sic transit gloria mundi<\/em> – a great man, whose life is now just a few lines in an obscure handbook.<\/p>\n But he also wrote a commentary on the entire bible.\u00a0 Graf describes this as the most extensive commentary on scripture in Arabic Christian literature.\u00a0 It is extant in two manuscripts, Vatican arab. 37 (1291 AD) and Vatican arab. 36 (13\/14th century).\u00a0 A few more manuscripts contain parts of the work.\u00a0 Graf lists no editions and no translations into any language of this monster text.<\/p>\n Graf wrote 50 years ago, so it is possible that work has been done since.\u00a0 I’ve posted a note in the NASCAS forum asking if anyone knows of any.\u00a0 It’s nice to peer into some neglected corners of scholarship like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n And I must remember to ask my correspondant how he knows of such a person and his work, and why he wants to know!<\/p>\n UPDATE: Sergey Minov writes to tell us that we’re probably out of luck.\u00a0 It’s unpublished and untranslated.\u00a0 But apparently it’s really interesting!<\/p>\n As far as I know no original texts or translations of al-Tayyib’s exegetical works has been published so far. It is a real pity, because, for example, it would contribute to our knowledge of Antiochene exegetical tradition. Thus, there are numerous (?) extracts from Theodore of Mopsuestia and its other representatives in his commentaries.<\/p>\n Here is what I’ve got on modern research on him:<\/p>\n There was one final bibliographic item which wasn’t in Roman letters and wouldn’t paste!<\/p>\n UPDATE 2: I’ve written back to my correspondant, telling him this and suggesting he commission a translation and transcription.\u00a0 At 10c per word of Arabic, it would probably only cost $2-3,000.\u00a0 That’s nothing for an institution.\u00a0 I’ve also suggested that, if he does, he put it online as public domain!<\/p>\n If only I had more money!\u00a0 There is so much I could do.\u00a0 In the mean time I rely on sales of my CD<\/a>\u00a0to help fund it all.<\/p>\n UPDATE 3: I was looking at that bibliography above, and noticed the reference to Hamlyn Hill’s 1903 translation of the Diatessaron<\/em> from Arabic.\u00a0\u00a0 This has to be online, so I went and looked at it.\u00a0 It turns out that ibn al-Tayyib translated the Diatessaron into Arabic!\u00a0 His name appears in the colophon:<\/p>\n THE Gospel is concluded, which Tatian compiled out of the four Gospels of the four holy apostles the blessed evangelists, on whom be peace, and which he named Diatessaron, that is, That which is composed of four. The excellent and learned presbyter, Abu-l-Faraj Abdullah Ibn-at-Tayyib, with whom may God be pleased, translated it from Syriac into Arabic, from a copy written by the hand of Gubasi ibn Alt Al-mutayyib, a disciple of Hunain ibn Ishak, on both of whom may God have mercy. Amen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Hill adds:<\/p>\n Akerblad pointed out that MS. XIV. was evidently a translation from Syriac, as the Arabic of it was full of Syriac idioms. The Borgian MS., on the other hand, is expressly stated, in a notice prefixed to the text, and also in another notice at the conclusion of it, to have been translated from Syriac into Arabic by Abu-1-Faraj Abdullah Ibn-at-Tib. Ciasca, in his Preface, has collected several allusions to this Abdulla Ben-attib, as he is called, from which it appears that he was a celebrated Nestorian monk, born in Assyria, and was the author of several books. He died A.D. 1043, so that\u00a0 we may conclude that he translated the Diatessaron from Syriac into Arabic early in the eleventh century. The use of the Arabic language was made compulsory in Syria : it is not surprising, therefore, that the two MSS., which now survive,\u00a0of a Syriac work once used by the Syrian Churches, should both be in Arabic.<\/p>\n [CIASCA, . . Tatiani Evangeliorum Harmoniae<\/em>,\u00a0 Arabice, etc., Rome, 1888. ]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n UPDATE 3.\u00a0 Of course I suppose one reason why someone would come to me about this man is that I commissioned and placed online here<\/a> a translation of one of his works…\u00a0 I had completely forgotten, I admit; only a google search revealed it.\u00a0 Ahem.<\/p>\n A book Arabic logic: Ibn al-Tayyib on Porphyry’s “Eisagoge”<\/em> by Kwame Gyeke (1979)\u00a0seems to be readily available from\u00a0online booksellers.\u00a0 244 pages, and in English.\u00a0 I wish it was online freely!<\/p>\n It looks as if ibn al-Tayyib commented on Aristotle’s Organon<\/em> as well.\u00a0 He was also interested in zoology and botany, according to the snippets I have found.\u00a0 It is a pity that the articles above are inaccessible to me!<\/p>\n From this link <\/a>I get this:<\/p>\n Ibn al-Tayyib (Arabic Christian scholar, Baghdad, d. 1043): “The curse of Noah affected the posterity of Canaan who were killed by Joshua son of Nun. At the moment of the curse, Canaan\u2019s body became black and the blackness spread out among them.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This is referenced:<\/p>\n Joannes C. J. Sanders, Commentaire sur la Gen\u00e8se, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium<\/em> 274-275, Scriptores Arabici 24-25 (Louvain, 1967), 1:56 (text), 2:52-55 (translation).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I wonder if this is a translation of part of the commentary on Genesis?\u00a0 It certainly looks like it!\u00a0 The proper title is “Commentaire sur la Gen\u00e8se<\/em> \/ Ibn a\u1e6d-\u1e6caiyib”.\u00a0 A German version of his commentary on the Categories<\/em> of Aristotle also seems to exist<\/a>.\u00a0 A version of Proclus’ commentary on the Pythagorean Golden Verses<\/em> does exist in English<\/a>, translated by J. Linley (1984).<\/p>\n\n
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