The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

444 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
document written with Hebrew characters, at the end of which is
written, TO to$ ASap, xeipoypacpov. Intriguingly, in Slavonic
and Romanian iconography of recent centuries, a scene of Christ
destroying the cheirograph at the time of the baptism is found. 46
Turdeanu observes that this scene has no roots in the Slavonic Vita
Adam et Evae, 41 but it exactly reflects the tradition in the Armenian
Adam and Eve and the Incarnation which says 'He entered...into the
Jordan...light descended from heaven. A voice from the heavens
testified, "This is my beloved Son". And the contract of Adam he
invalidated, he destroyed. And he crushed the head of the Dragon.' 48
I have not found the contract legend in the West, but its spread in
the various branches of 'Eastern' Christendom is striking. In view of
its wide attestation doubt must be cast upon the alleged Bogomil
influence on the Slavonic Vita Adam et Evae. Moreover, its broad diffusion
leads one to wonder about the various channels and ways in
which such material traveled and functioned. In any case, had this
evidence been clear in the mind of scholars, this hypothesis would not
have been brought forth.
A further brief aside on the Adam apocrypha may be relevant.
Anyone consulting the catalogue of Irish apocrypha prepared by
Martin McNamara and the collection of annotated translations recently
published by him and Herbert, is struck by the prominent role that the
legends about the protoplasts play in them. They are numerous and
rich. A similar profusion is also evident in Armenian. What is clear is
a tendency of both the Armenians and the Irish towards creation,
preservation, and cultivation of apocrypha. Just why this was so, and
whether the same factors were at play in both cultures are questions
for the future to address.
46. See also the comments of Megas touching on the relationship of the
XEipoypOKpov with the Baptism ('x£ip6ypa