Recognized as a saint by both Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian Christians alike, Jacob of Sarug (d. 521) produced many narrative poems that have rarely been translated into English. Of his reported 760 metrical homilies, only about half survive. Part of a series of fascicles containing the bilingual Syriac-English editions of Saint Jacob of Sarug’s homilies, this volume contains his homilies on the Six Days of Creation. The Syriac text is fully vocalized, and the translation is annotated with a commentary and biblical references. The volume is one of the fascicles of Gorgias Press’s The Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, which, when complete, will contain all of Jacob’s surviving sermons.
In this fifth installment of the long Homily 71, On the Six Days of Creation, Jacob treats of the events of the fifth day, the creation from the waters of the various species of fish and reptiles, as well as the assorted types of birds and other winged creatures. God created them all in wisdom and in love, prepared everything that they would need and endowed them with the natural characteristics required for their particular type of life. Jacob highlights the fact that the creation of these animals on the fifth day to inhabit the land and water separated on the third day is a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ.
Table of Contents (v)
Abbreviations (vii)
Introduction (1)
Outline (1)
Summary (6)
Text and Translation (9)
I. Moses, the author of the wondrous days of creation (10)
II. God creates various sorts of fish in the waters (16)
III. All creatures made to breathe in their proper environment (24)
IV. The waters teemed with life on the third day of their existence (28)
V. God created birds with fully-formed wings to fly immediately (34)
VI. Each species of bird began to sing with its own unique sound (38)
VII. The skies were filled with these new birds flying around (42)
VIII. All birds found nourishment from the vegetation of the third day (44)
IX. All creation luxuriated in one another and dwelt in perfect harmony (46)
Bibliography of Works Cited (53)
Primary Texts (53)
Secondary Works (55)
Index (57)
Names and Themes (57)
Biblical References (60)