SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

the Coptic Church is working on corrections to the Arabic text of that New Testament edition. His next and last edition of the Coptic Scriptures was published in 1852 as a 2-volume set of the Major Prophets in Coptic and Latin. This particular publication was similar in format to his earlier edition of the Minor prophets and it utilized manuscripts in Europe only. The choice of Latin as the accompanying translation makes this edition intended for the Biblical student rather than the Coptic Church. Regrettably his stated goal in No. 1 in publishing the whole of the Coptic and Sahidic versions of the Scriptures , was never fully realized. Tattam as an Agent for the British Museum in Egypt : These documents show Tattam as someone who volunteered to assist the British Museum in securing original Syriac manuscripts, found in Egypt. His offer stems from a sense of duty for his country, because the Museum is considered the National Museum of England and it is operated by the government. In 1840, he tells the Archbishop of the existence of 300 vellum Syriac manuscripts along with loads of loose leaves, preserved in a cave under the tower or the keep of the Syrian Monastery in Wadi al-Natrun (cf. No. 23). His attached list to the Archbishop (cf No. 24), shows the antiquity and the rich contents of these manuscripts. In 1841, upon his return from Egypt he offered the manuscripts, that he bought out of funds he borrowed, to the Museum (cf No. 25). It does not seem that this was all of the 300 manuscripts, because in a letter to the Archbishop in June, 1842, he informs him of his upcoming visit to Egypt on behalf of the Museum (cf No. 37). A week later the Archbishop is informed of a grant of 1,000£ that the Museum is giving to Tattam to finance this trip (cf Nos. 38,39). The Museum authorities, to ensure the success of his journey, asked the Archbishop to write a recommendation letter to the Pope of Alexandria for this purpose (cf. No. 43). This trip was made in 1843. There is no correspondences on this

issue from Tattam or any one until late in 1846. In a letter from the authorities of the British Museum to the Archbishop we find that the Museum will be paying Tattam 3,500£ for the remainder of the Syriac manuscripts he brought from his journeys to Egypt in 1841 and 1843 (cf. No. 53). This hefty sum indicates that many manuscripts were brought to the Museum but probably not every thing that Tattam saw. For we still see many of these manuscripts still preserved in the Syrian Monastery to this date. From these documents, it is clear that these manuscripts were legally procured by Tattam rather than appropriated in the night as others have done before him. Although these manuscripts were of great antiquity but it would be appropriate to call the price paid a bargain rather than a highway robbery, judging by the standards of the time. Establishment of an Educational Institution: The documents show in some details the evolution, execution, and eventual dissolution of a new school for the training of the Coptic clergy. This represented the first attempt by the Church of England for a cooperative venture with the Coptic Church. The exact history of this endeavor is not chronicled in these documents, but there are enough material to see the evolution and some of the details involved. The first proposal of this institution was a part of a comprehensive program to aid the Coptic Church, which was presented to the Pope privately and later to the leading members of the Coptic Church in February, 1840 (cf. No. 21). This part of the proposal involved the founding of a boarding school to educate young Copts for the ministry, i.e. to be ordained as priests. The institution will be run and funded by the Church of England with a 12-member overseeing committee appointed by the Pope from among the clergy and the laymen of the Church. This conceptual proposal included a listing of the subjects to be taught, including Coptic, Arabic, speech, math, science, Scriptures, and commentaries by Fathers accepted in the Coptic

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

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