Ephrem the Syrian, or one of his disciples, writes the Syriac Hymn (madrashā) on the Sons of Shmuni, i.e. the *Maccabean Martyrs (pre-Christian Jewish martyrs of Antioch, S00303) celebrating the martyrdom of the seven Maccabean brothers and of their mother Shmuni, and extolling female virginity and martyrdom. Written in northern Mesopotamia in the mid- or later 4th c.
Evidence ID
E04451
Type of Evidence
Liturgical texts - Hymns
Major author/Major anonymous work
Ephrem the Syrian
Summary:
A relatively brief stanzaic poem, attributed to Ephrem the Syrian, the Hymn starts with an invocation of the martyrs' mother, Shmuni, who is praised for her courage and endurance during the execution of her seven sons. In the following stanzas, the biblical figures, Jephthah's daughter and Joseph, are evoked as prefigurations of the Christian martyrs.
At the end of the poem, the author draws a contrast between the glorious past, when female virgin-martyrs had received the double crown of virginity and martyrdom, and the present situation, when 'the lie is glorified' and the two crowns may hardly 'be united in one'.
Summary: S. Minov
Non Liturgical Activity
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Source
The Hymn on the Sons of Shmuni, is a stanzaic poem (madrashā), ascribed to Ephrem the Syriam (c. 306-373), in which the martyrdom of the seven Maccabean brothers and their mother Shmuni is celebrated.While it is difficult to establish the work's date and verify the Ephremian authorship with certainty, the 4th century seems to be a likely time for the Hymn's composition. A relatively early date for this work could be argued on the basis of the indiscriminate use of the terms 'martyr' (sāhdā) and 'confessor' (mawdyānā) (see Witakowski 1994, pp. 157-158).
The complete Syriac text of the Hymn is attested in a single manuscript, BL Add. 14592, dated to the 6th or 7th century (see Wright 1870-1872, vol. 2, pp. 684-690), and has been published several times. The most recent edition is that by Beck 1975.
Syriac text: Beck 1975, vol. 1, pp. 15-19; Latin translation: Lamy 1882-1902, vol. 3, cols. 686-696; English translation: Bensly and Barnes 1895, pp. xliv-xlviii; German translation: Beck 1975, vol. 2, pp. 21-25; Russian translation: Averintsev 1987, pp. 165-172. For general information on the Maccabean martyrs in Syriac tradition, see Witakowski 1994, Brock 2014.
Discussion
If the dating of the poem is correct, it would constitute the earliest example of original Syriac hymnographic poetry dedicated to the Maccabean martyrs. Given its emphasis on female figures, the poem may have been written for a community ascetic women.Bibliography
Editions and translations:Averintsev, S.S., От берегов Босфора до берегов Евфрата (Москва: Наука, 1987).
Beck, E., Nachträge zu Ephraem Syrus. 2 vols (CSCO 363-364, Syr. 159-160; Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1975).
Bensly, R.L., and Barnes, W.E., The Fourth Book of Maccabees and Kindred Documents in Syriac First Edited on Manuscript Authority (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1895).
Lamy, T.J., Sancti Ephraem Syri hymni et sermones quos e codicibus Londinensibus, Parisiensibus et Oxoniensibus descriptos edidit, Latinitate donavit, variis lectionibus instruxit, notis et prolegomenis illustravit. 4 vols (Mechliniae: H. Dessain, 1882-1902).
Further reading:
Brock, S.P., “Eleazar, Shmuni and Her Seven Sons in Syriac Tradition,” in: M.-F. Baslez and O. Munnich (eds.), La mémoire des persécutions: Autour des livres des Maccabées (Collection de la Revue des Études Juives 56; Paris / Louvain: Peeters, 2014), 329-336.
Witakowski, W., “Mart(y) Shmuni, the Mother of the Maccabean Martyrs, in Syriac Tradition,” in: R. Lavenant (ed.), VI Symposium Syriacum, 1992: University of Cambridge, Faculty of Divinity, 30 August – 2 September 1992 (Orientalia Christiana Analecta 247; Roma: Pontificio Istituto Orientale, 1994), 153-168.
Wright, W., Catalogue of Syriac Manuscripts in the British Museum, Acquired since the Year 1838. 3 vols (London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1870-1872).
Record Created By
Sergey Minov
Date of Entry
11/12/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00303 | Maccabean Martyrs, pre-Christian Jewish martyrs of Antioch | ܫܡܘܢܝ | Certain |
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