A late 5th to 7th century Greek homily On *Luke (the Evangelist), misattributed to Hesychius of Jerusalem, is the earliest extant source for the saint’s feast on 18 October. The text stresses Luke's role as source of our knowledge about *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033). A subscript mentions the saint’s death in Thebes of Boeotia (Greece). Unknown provenance.
Evidence ID
E06105
Type of Evidence
Literary - Sermons/Homilies
Major author/Major anonymous work
Hesychius of Jerusalem
ps.-Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homily 21, On Luke (BHG 993a = CPG 6586)
Contents:
1. Prologue.
2-3. An Evangelist contemplates the mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation.
4. The election of Peter, Matthew, Paul, and Luke by Christ.
5. Luke was a physician.
6. The main doctrines of Matthew, Mark, and John.
7-9. The main doctrines of Luke, especially concerning the Virgin Mary and the Annunciation.
10. Biographical note: Luke was a physician of Syrian origin, a disciple of the Apostles and follower of Paul. He died at Thebes of Boeotia in the age of 84, on 18 October.
Liturgical Activities
Sermon/homily
Source
Preserved in five manuscripts, on which see Aubineau 1980, 904-905 and:http://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/oeuvre/9056/
Discussion
This is possibly the earliest extant Greek homily on the Evangelist Luke. The text was compiled between the mid 5th century and c. AD 700 (the earliest manuscript is from the 8th century – Brussels, Royal Library IV.459), and was misattributed to Hesychius of Jerusalem in the Middle Byzantine period. The author uses extensively the early 5th century Homily 15, On Holy Easter by Proclus of Constantinople. The concluding paragraph 10 reproduces the probably 4th century Anti-Marcionite Prologue to the Gospel of Luke. Two other texts of Luke’s hagiographical dossier, BHG 993, and BHG 992z, are closely related to this text.The text was evidently preached on the feast of the saint, which is placed on 18 October in the epilogue. The provenance of the text is unknown.
Bibliography
Text, French translation, and commentary:Aubineau, M., Les homélies festales d’Hésychius de Jérusalem II: les homélies XVI-XXI (Subsidia Hagiographica 59; Brussels, 1980), 668-705.
Record Created By
Efthymios Rizos
Date of Entry
09/08/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | ἁγία Μαρία | Certain | S00442 | Luke, the Evangelist | Λουκᾶς | Certain |
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