Pseudo-Clement of Rome, Recognitions 2.62.3-2.63.3
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/416
Context
The Pseudo-Clementine body of literature purports to relate the
interactions between Clement of Rome, a first century Christian bishop of Rome, and the
Apostle Peter (the traditional first bishop of Rome)., including a meeting of the two in
Caesarea Maritima. The Pseudo-Clementine texts survive in two different versions, the
Homilies and the Recognitions. While both are perhaps
derived from an earlier "basic" text written in Greek in the third century C.E., the
Homilies and Recognitions survive onlu in translation.
This testimonium is taken from the Syriac version of the Recognitions
which was translated some time before 373 C.E., most likely by the Syriac literary
school at Edessa. In this testimonium, the Apostle Peter debates a Samaritan rival names
Simon. During the course of the debate, Peter describes having seen Caesarea in a dream
without having ever visited. After Peter recounts the wandering visions of his soul, his
brother Andrew warns him sharply that such wandering could be the sign of a demonic
deception.
Text
ܘܟܕ ܗܟܝܠ ܒܟܦܪܢܚܘܡ ܒܫܘܪܝܐ ܐܡܬܝ ܕܒܨܝܕܐ ܕܢܘ̈ܢܐ ܐܝܬܝ ܗܘܝܬ. ܘܥܠ ܟܐܦܐ ܝܬܒ ܗܘܝܬ
ܘܒܘܥܐ ܒܥܘܡܩܐ ܫܕܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܝ. ܘܒܢܘܢܐ ܕܐܬܤܝܕ ܠܐ ܐܪܓܫܬ. ܡܛܠ ܕܪܥܝܢܝ ܡܬܝܚ ܗܘܐ. ܠܘܬ ܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܗܝ ܕܡܚܒ
ܗܘܝܬ ܕܠܗ ܙܒ̈ܢܬܐ ܣܓ̈ܝܐܬܐ ܒܥܠܬܐ ܕܩܘܪܒܢܐ ܐܙܠ ܗܘܝܬ. ܒܫܪܪܐ. ܒܪܡ ܕܝܢ ܐܦ ܠܩܣܪܝܐ ܗܕܐ ܕܣܓܝ̈ܐܐ
ܡܬܕܡܪܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܒܗ ܚܙܐ ܗܘܝܬ ܒܗ ܒܚܘܒܐ ܐܦ ܟܕ ܠܐ ܚܙܝܐ ܗܘܬ ܠܝ.... ܘܗܟܢܐ ܗܟܝܠ ܒܦܓܪܝ ܒܟܦܪܢܚܘܡ ܐܝܬܝ
ܗܘܝܬ. ܘܒܢܦܫܝ ܕܝܢ ܒܐܘܪܫܠܡ ܘܒܩܣܪܝܐ ܦܗܐ ܗܘܝܬ.1
Translation
While in Capernaum, in the beginning when I was a fisherman, I was
sitting on a rock and had thrown the hook into the deep, I did not notice the fish that
had been caught because my mind was extended toward Jerusalem, which I loved, to which I
had many times truly journeyed for the purpose of offering. But I was also seeing in
affection this Caesarea that many have marveled at, even though I had never seen it…
thus therefore in my body I was in Capernaum, but in my soul I was roaming in Jerusalem
and in Caesarea.2
Works Cited
- 1 Paul de Lagarde, Clementis Romani Recognitiones Syriace (Lipsiae: F.A. Brockhaus, 1861), p: ܥܘ-ܥܙ.
- 2 F. Stanley Jones, trans., The Syriac Pseudo-Clementines: An Early Version of the First Christian Novel, Apocryphes 14 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2014), p: 172-173.
How to Cite This Entry
David A. Michelson et al., “Pseudo-Clement of Rome, Recognitions 2.62.3-2.63.3,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published October 24, 2022, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/416.
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Bibliography:
David A. Michelson et al., “Pseudo-Clement of Rome, Recognitions 2.62.3-2.63.3.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2022. Entry published October 24, 2022. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/416.About this Entry
Entry Title: Pseudo-Clement of Rome, Recognitions 2.62.3-2.63.3
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editors, “Pseudo-Clement of Rome, Recognitions 2.62.3-2.63.3”
- David A. Michelson and Joseph L. Rife, entry contributors, “Pseudo-Clement of Rome, Recognitions 2.62.3-2.63.3”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by Joseph L. Rife
- URNs and other metadata added by David A. Michelson
- Electronic text added by David A. Michelson
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Translation and commentary by David A. Michelson