Apocrypha Arabica

Apocrypha Arabica

by Margaret Dunlop Gibson


The twin sisters Agnes Lewis (1843–1926) and Margaret Gibson (1843–1920) were pioneering biblical scholars who became experts in a number of ancient languages. Travelling widely in the Middle East, they made several significant discoveries, including one of the earliest manuscripts of the Four Gospels in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language probably spoken by Jesus himself. Their chief discoveries were made in the Monastery of St Catherine on Mount Sinai. This text is a transcription and translation of an Arabic Christian manuscript discovered by Margaret Gibson in 1893 and first published in 1901. The text includes 'The Book of the Rolls', a retelling of early Biblical events; stories of Aphikia, a virtuous woman from the time of King Solomon; and the tale of Cyprian and Justa (recounted in Arabic and Greek). A useful resource for linguists and for scholars in the history of Arabic Christianity.