apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

QUOTATIONS AND REFERENCES. 153
This passage is taken by Cureton (see Corp. Ign. p. 351) from the British Museum
MS, Add. 12170, fol. Ill (fol. 224 in Wright's Catalogue p. 749), apparently of about
the 8th century. He compared
it with another, Add. 14580, which is dated A.D. 866
(see Wright's Catalogue -p. 767). The text and translation will be found in Cureton
C. I. pp. 205, 239 sq. From his translation I have taken these extracts.
Werks by the same John the Monk appear in numerous Syriac volumes in the
British Museum (see the index to Wright's Catalogue p. 1296). Among them are
other letters to these same persons, the monks Eutropius and Eusebius. One MS
containing works by him {Add. 17 169) is dated as early as a.d. 581 (see Wright's
Catalogue p. 451). Who then was this John
In the MS Add. 17172, prefixed to various works by this John, are the words,
'By the strength and help of the Holy Trinity we begin to write the book of the
holy John, the monk and seer of Thebais. But first an account respecting him, that
is, the blessed John, which was written by Palladius bishop of Jerusalem ' (it should
have been * HelenopoHs ').
Then follows substantially the same narrative which is given
in Palladius Hist. Laus. c. 43 Trept 'Iwdi'vou toO Au/coiroXtroi; (see Cureton C. I. p. 351,
Wright's Catalogue p. 760). In the course of this narrative occurs the following statement;
'Also he informed the blessed emperor Theodosius beforehand respecting
things future, I mean respecting his being about to vanquish the rebel Maximus and
to return from Galatia [i.e. 'Gaul,' see Galatians pp. 3, 31].
Then again he also
foretold respecting the defeat of Eugenius' (comp. Hist. Laus. 43, 46, pp. 1107 sq,
1
130, Migne). After this life follows the letter of John to Eutropius and Eusebius on
the Spiritual Life, which is '
designated at the close as the work of my Lord John the
monk and seer of Thebais'; and this again is succeeded by four discourses by the
same writer in the form of dialogues addressed to these same persons Eutropius and
Eusebius.
It seems then that this MS identifies John the Monk, the writer of these works,
with John of Lycopolis, the seer of the Thebais, with whom Palladius had direct
personal communications, whose life he writes, and from whom he obtained much
infoniiation (which he retails) respecting other monks of the Thebais.
This identification
is
apparently accepted by Cureton (C. /. p. 351 sq).