Coptica 15, 2016

2 Lois Farag

system. He thus marks the end of an era, and of an education system that produced a theological treatise that has not been matched for a long time. This is the first academic publication of Anba Yūsāb’s letter and the first study of his theology. Historically, the letter reveals aspects of the communication between the Church of Rome and the Church of Alexandria during the eighteenth century. The Coptic Orthodox Church, though in a difficult position, did not accept political or theological protection either from Russia or from Rome. The letter displays the theological stance and position of the Coptic Orthodox Church during the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. It also demonstrates the level of education of interested privileged Copts acquired on a secular level, i.e. knowledge of Greek rhetoric, philosophy, language, and the Coptic theological tradition. II. Consulted Manuscripts This letter is only preserved in manuscript form. There is no critical edition of this letter as this is the first scholarly publication. The research for this paper is based on Manuscript Theology 5 in the Monastery of St. Macarius. 2 Ms. Theol. 5 is twenty pages long, 18 lines per page, with an average of 12 to 14 words per line. It is written in a clear, orderly, and neat handwriting. It was copied in AD 1840 ( AM 1556). I also consulted the incomplete Manuscript Theology 143 in the Monastery of the Virgin Mary (al-Suryān). The letter occupies pages 130-137 in Ms. Theol. 143 , but pages 134 and 135 are missing. The extant pages have 25-27 lines per page with an average of 10 to 12 words per line. It was copied in AD 1860 ( AM 1576). Both manuscripts seemed to be copied from the same original. There is an older copy in the Monastery of St. Antony copied in year AD 1800 which I was unable to consult. 3 I hope later availability of and access to other manuscripts will make possible a critical edition accompanied by an English translation. Until such opportunity is available, the attached copy of Ms. Theol. 5 can serve researchers interested in the field and will be the basis of the present research. III. Historical Context Anba Yūsāb lived to the ripe-old age of 91 and was a bishop for 35 years. As bishop, he served three popes: Pope John XVIII (r.1769-1796), who ordained him as bishop, Pope Mark VIII (r. 1796-1809), and Pope Peter VII (r.1809-1852). According to al-Jabartī, in the 1760s the Nile did not

2 I would like to thank Bishop Epiphanius of St. Macarius for providing a photocopy of this manuscript. 3 S. Khalil Samir, “Yusab,” Coptic Encyclopedia , 7: p. 2361.