Theological Library of Caesarea Maritima
TheTheological Library of Caesarea Maritima,or simply theLibrary of Caesarea,was the library of theChristians of Caesarea MaritimainSyria Palaestinain ancient times.[citation needed]
History
[edit]ThroughOrigenand especially the scholarly presbyterPamphilus,an avid collector of books of Scripture, the theological school ofCaesareagained a reputation for having the most extensive ecclesiastical library of the time, containing more than 30,000 manuscripts:Gregory Nazianzus,Basil the Great,Jeromeand others came to study there. TheCaesarean text-typeis recognized by scholars as one of the earliestNew Testamenttypes.
Saint Pamphilussearched out and obtained ancient texts which he collected in the library thatJeromewas later to use, and established a school for theological study.[1]In thescriptorium,a necessary adjunct to all libraries ofantiquity,he oversaw the production of edited copies ofScripture.Testimonies to this work are to be found in thecolophonsof biblical manuscripts.Jerome'sDe Viris Illustribus(75) says that Pamphilus"transcribed the greater part of the works of Origen of Alexandria with his own hand,"and that"these are still preserved in the library of Cæsarea."
Among other lost treasures in the library was theGospel according to the Hebrews.Jerome knew of this copy of the so-called "Hebrew" orAramaictext of theGospel of Matthewand Eusebius[2]refers to the catalogue of the library that he appended to his life of Pamphilus. A passage from the lost life, quoted by Jerome,[3]describes how Pamphilus supplied impoverished scholars with the necessaries of life and gave them copies of the Scriptures, of which he kept a large supply. He likewise bestowed copies on women devoted to study. The great treasure of the library at Caesarea was Origen's own copy of the"Hexapla,"probably the only complete copy ever made. It was consulted by Jerome.[4]St Pamphilus was martyred in February, 309.[5]
The collections of the library suffered during the persecutions under the EmperorDiocletian,but were repaired subsequently by bishops of Caesarea.[6]Acacius of Caesareaand Euzoius, successors of Eusebius, concentrated on conservation.[7]
It was noted in the 6th century, butHenry Barclay Swete[8]was of the opinion that it probably did not long survive the capture of Caesarea by theSaracensin 638, and this claim is repeated, without citation, in a modern reference: the “large library survived at Caesarea until destroyed by the Arabs in the 7th cent.”[9]O'Connor says of this library, "The tradition of scholarship... was continued by Pamphilius (d. 309). By adding to the manuscript collection of Origen he created a library second only to that of Alexandria; in 630 it had 30,000 volumes."[10]This number is based onIsidore of Seville's estimate in hisEtymologiae.[11]For further information see the article on theMuslim conquest of the Levant.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Eusebius of Caesarea,"Ecclesiastical History,"VII.xxxii.25.
- ^VI.xxxii
- ^"Adversus Rufinum" I.ix
- ^"In Psalmos comm.", ed. Morin, pp. 5, 21; "In Epist. ad Tit.".
- ^"Lives of the Saints, for Every Day of the Year," p. 212
- ^Jerome, "Epistles" xxxiv
- ^D. C. Parker,Codex Sinaiticus: The Story of the World's Oldest Bible,London: The British Library, 2010, p. 84.
- ^Swete, Henry Barclay; Thackeray, H. St J. (Henry St John) (1902).An introduction to the Old Testament in Greek.Trinity College – University of Toronto. Cambridge, England: University Press.
- ^F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, “Pamphilus, St,” inThe Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church(3rd ed. rev.; Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 1221.
- ^Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, "Caesarea" in "The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700" (5th ed.; New York:Oxford University Press, 2008) p. 241.
- ^Isidorus, and Stephen A. Barney. "VI: Books and Ecclesiastical Offices."The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville.Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2011. N. pag. Print.