Among the spurious works attached to the name of Clement of Rome are two letters “On Virginity,” which are only fragmentarily extant in Greek, but survive complete in Syriac. This volume is a complete presentation and study of these letters. First, Beelen gives a prolegomena of almost 100 pages covering the manuscript situation for the work (this edition based on an Amsterdam manuscript), the question of authenticity, and the literary history of the work. Previous scholarship is often discussed, especially that of Wetstein. Then Beelen presents the Syriac text with a fresh Latin translation, and numerous observations help explain the text. Then he gives the Syriac text again, this time with vowels and grammatical and lexical notes. An appendix presents the earlier Latin translation of Wetstein and the German one of Zingerle; another appendix includes, in Syriac and Latin, some exegetical fragments from the same manuscript as the letters edited here. Subject, Scripture, and grammatical-lexical indices conclude the volume.
Joannes TheodoreBeelen