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Heavenly Hours: Creation and Time in the Syriac Testament of Adam
The text known as the ‘Horarium’ describes the hours of the night and/or day in which elements of the creation pray and give praise to God. The text attests to significant Jewish and Christian biblical and para-biblical traditions, including liturgical, angelological, magical, and demonological elements. This popular and influential text from Late Antiquity is attested in a complex manuscript and recension tradition and is preserved in Greek, Syriac, Armenian, Ge‛ez, Georgian, and Arabic. As it also forms part of the Syriac ‘Testament of Adam’, it has been regarded by certain scholars as a Christian work originally composed in Syriac. However, a Jewish provenance in the Second Temple period has also been suggested. In this paper, I will re-consider the issue of its provenance as well as Sitz im Leben, and I will argue that we need to place this textual tradition in the context of Eastern exegetical reflections about time as part of the creation in connection with monastic interest and contemplation about the heavenly liturgy, daily worship and set hours of prayer.
Date:
9 January 2025, 17:00
Venue:
Online
Speakers:
Professor Emmanouela Grypeou (Stockholm University, Sweden),
Dr Sebastian Brock (University of Oxford)
Organisers:
Oxford Interfaith Forum (Oxford),
Dr Thea Gomelauri (Oxford Interfaith Forum, AMES),
Dr Sebastian Brock (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
oxfordfaiths@gmail.com
Host:
Dr Thea Gomelauri (Oxford Interfaith Forum, AMES)
Part of:
Eastern Christianity in Interfaith Contexts
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://oxfordinterfaithforum.org/thematic-international-interfaith-reading-groups/eastern-christianity-in-interfaith-contexts/heavenly-hours-creation-and-time-in-the-syriac-testament-of-adam/
Booking email:
oxfordfaiths@gmail.com
Cost:
n/a
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Thea Gomelauri
