A Transcription, Translation, and Analysis of John Rylands Library Ms. Syr. 52

Abstract

This thesis presents the first critical edition of a Syriac manuscript housed in the John Rylands Library (Manchester)—class mark Ms. Syr. 52—which contains a compendium of magico-medical lore known as the Book of Protection. The edition consists of the following: a transcription of the Syriac text; an English translation; philological notes; a commentary contextualising each passage; and a glossary in which all the word forms used in the text are listed and parsed. The edition is preceded by an introduction to the Book of Protection and a literature review outlining previous research published on Syriac magic. Following the edition is a discussion in three chapters, which aims to evaluate claims made by previous scholars that the Book of Protection is closely related to the magico-medical traditions of late antique, medieval, and ancient Mesopotamia. Chapter one examines this question with regard to praxis, finding that the practices associated with the Book of Protection often represent the continuation of longstanding regional traditions with roots extending back to ancient Mesopotamia. Chapter two examines the question with regard to texts, finding that the majority of texts compiled in the Book of Protection reflect a distinctly Syriac Christian magico-medical tradition which first flourished in the medieval period. Chapter three contextualises these findings, considering the historical circumstances which facilitated praxis to be passed down from one generation to the next with little alteration, and those which encouraged or necessitated innovation of magico-medical texts. The conclusion reached is that the scribes who produced the texts in the Book of Protection did not seek to simply preserve antecedent traditions. Rather, they actively engaged with their sources—compiling, redacting and acculturating them—in order to develop a magico-medical tradition that was considered efficacious but also appropriate for the needs and wants of the Syriac Christian community.