ARMENIAN APOCRYPHA RELATING TO ANGELS AND

BIBLICAL HEROES

MICHAEL E. STONE

254 BIBLICAL STORIES

4.9. THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT

4.9.1. Concerning the Ten Plagues of Egypt 1

This text occurs in numerous c0pies. We have come across the following, by order of date, but these are far from all the copies .

. ,/: f: t ~arb1§iiJ~f\\1Ji · (:;· '',,',: . tt°l :~at~ '.f· :· ):_';, .: "· "'.:', ·,·f-~ ,, ' ~.:Sign ;, ·' ; .,i ' · • .. '~ ..

::. ..:.· : ··. :•,• ' ~-4~. . ;.'

M6897, fol. 413r 1317 M6897 M2188, fol. 244r fifteenth century M2188 M2158, fol. 3r fifteenth century M2158

M537, fol. 237v 1673 M537 M268, fol. 150v 1697 M268

Galata 154, p. 302 seventeenth century G154 M605, fol. 25v seventeenth century M605

M682, fols. 8-9r seventeenth century M682

The earliest copy we have noted is M6897 dated 1317. It was made available to me thanks to the good offices of Dr. Gohar Muradyan. The list of ten plagues was included in q.PPI? Zwpguwug (The Book of Questions) by Gregory of Tat'ew (1344?-1409; Tat'ewac'i 1993, 333). Since M6879 was written in 1317, it antedates Gregory of Tat'ew and presumably contains a copy of the text that Gregory included in his work.

It is impossible to conclude whether The Book of Questions itself, or the text upon which The Book of Questions drew, or still other copies were the source of various of the later rescripts. One instance is clear: M2188, M537 and M2158, also include the discussion of the list of plagues which is found in The Book of Questions, which is most likely the discussion's source. So, the copies of the list in these three manuscripts go back to The Book of Questions. Moreover, M537 and M2158 are very closely allied textually which fact fur-ther strengthens this conclusion. .

In some instances, exegetical passages follow the text that are drawn from Grigor Tat'ewac'i, The Book of Questions, 333-34. Such are found in M2188 and M537, showing that these manuscripts are dependent on Tat'ewac'i. M605, though differing in that it has an expanded text, also follows this list with homiletic material.

The text given below is that of M6897 fol. 413r, with which the other copies, except M605, are compared and their variants recorded in the appa-

PART FOUR 255

below the text. We do not include those variants involving the notation ratus h' h tt f h' · the numerals, w 1c are a ma er o grap 1c convention alone. The text of ~ 605 is rather different from the others and is given separately, following the

critical text.

Text

1/

5/

10/

Z.wpm.wb\1 bq]:nqmnuJi Unw2p.b.b. wpp.1.b.b. . . .P. qnptnb.. 4. tfntb.. '}. 2wb.w6'.wb.6'.b.. b. tfwh wb.wub.ng. ~- qh11.b.. t. qwpqnunb.. C. lfwpw]:ub.. @-. Iuwtwpb.. ct. tfwh WUI}PWUlJ.wgb.:

Variants

1/

2/

4/ 5/

7/

8/ 9/ 10/ 11/

i:{wub.ct hwpn1.wbpb. cqp.uitnwgngb.M2188 ~wub.ct hwpn1.wbngb. (-bng M2158) hqp.uitnnup. M2158 M537 U3u l::. ct hwpn1wM.1 bqp.uitnwgtng M268 U3u hb. ct hwpn1.wbpb. bqp.uitnwgng G 154 Unw2p.b.b. wpp.1.b. ] Unw2p.b.b.. qhtnb. p. 3wpp.1b. t}ln]:uh1 M2188 wnw2p.b.b. t qhtnb. (ql::tnb. M2158) ]Uipp.tb. tpn]:up.1 M537 M2158 wnw2p.b. qhtnb. wpp.1.h l}ln]:uJi1h M268 Unw2p.h. q2n1pb. JUipp.1.b. $n]:uh1 G 154 tfmhh M2188 M2158 M537 M268 G154 tfwh whwuhng ] ]:uw2hwuwhh G 154 I UlUUlUUilgh M2188 M537 M268 qhJi] qh11.h ht. ]:uwqw1.wptn M2188 G154 qh11. ]:uw11.w1wptn M2158 q h:q ht ]:uwqu11.wptnh M537 M268 qwpqnt.tnh ] + ht. hn1.ph G 154 I qwpqn1.tn M2158 tfwpw]:u M2158 luw1.wph ] + 202wl.}1hU1 M268 G 154 wh:qpwhqmg tfwh G 154 I + Jipp p. tpnpnthgh (tpnpntb.g M2158) qwpqm1. p ]:uutnwqnJhuh hthwt (]:uutnwqnJh hrtht) M537 M2158

(.

l

256 BIBLICAL STORIES

Translation

1/ The plagues of Egypt The first-the blood.1146 2. The frogs. 1147 3. Gnats.1148

5/ 4. The dog ticks.1149 5. Death of cattle.1150 6. The sores.1151 7. The hail,1152 8. The locusts.1153

10/ 9. The darkness.1154 10. The death of the firstborn.

4.9.2. Plagues of Egypt 2 (M605)

Text

1 / fol. 25v / "-{wuh ct hwp.ntwbngh hqp.up.nwgng &hnwtfp Untl_up.u: 'Lw).u qhtnh wp)ith qmluhmt Q wtp: R q.nptnh hnwg JmtfuhwJh tnntbu ht tnhajm hqp.uimwgngh. q. Ultp: q., Unthb 2wpwtnpp:

5 '1. twuw6wh<\h. P Ultp: b. Uwh whwuhwgh ht J.uw2whg: Q. tihqtnh ht Iuwqwtwptnb: t. tiwpqnttnb uwutnp.q: C. Iuwtwph 2wt2m$l:qp.:

10 <f<b ct. Uwh wtu.wwuqwgh:

1146. Exod 9:17-21. 1147. Exod 8:2-7. 1148. Exod 8:16-18. 1149. These are not mentioned by name in Exodus. 1150. Exod 9:3-7. 1151. µod 9:9-11. 1152. Exod 9:lS-25. 1153. Exod 10:12-14. 1154; Exod 10:21-22.

PART FOUR 257

Translation

Concerning the ten ~lag~es of the Egyptians at Moses<'s> 1155 hands. II First, the river chan.gmg mto blood for 6 days.

2_ Frogs swarmed m all the houses and places of the Egyptians for three days. 3_ The gnats stinking. 4• Dog ticks for two days. · 51 5. Death of the cattle and sheep. 6_ The sores and abcesses. 7. The terrible hail. 8. Toe frightful darkness.

10/ <9.> 1156

10. The death of the firstborn.

\

\ I

1'

\

\