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Fifth-century Christian text turns up under floor in Egypt, bringing early church martyrs to light

By Andrew Johnson
Sunday, 17 February 2008

A year after the Romans packed up their shields in AD410 and left Britain to the mercy of the Anglo-Saxons, a scribe in Edessa, in what is modern day Turkey, was preparing a list of martyrs who had perished in defence of the relatively new Christian faith in Persia.

In a margin he dated the list November 411. Unfortunately for the martyrs, history forgot them. At some point, this page became detached from the book it belonged to. Since 1840, the volume has been one of the treasures of the British Library. It is known only by its catalogue code: ADD 12-150

The missing page has always been a fascinating mystery for scholars and historians. Now, after an extraordinary piece of detective work, that page has been rediscovered among ancient fragments in the Deir al-Surian monastery in Egypt. It is, according to Oxford University's Dr Sebastian Brock, the leading Syriac scholar who identified the fragments, the oldest dated Christian text in existence.

"It is a list of martyrs and it must have been added to the main book at the last minute," he said. "There were three fragments from the last page. It was a distinctive handwriting, and it was very exciting to identify it. It is very important to complete the book. Many of the names on this list we have not come across before. So it gives us a lot of clues about that half of that century. Rome at the time was officially Christian, so the rival Persians would have persecuted Christians."

The fragments were among hundreds discovered beneath a floor in the Deir al-Surian, which is itself a treasure trove of ancient books. Dr Brock and his colleague, Dr Lucas Van Rompay of Duke University in North Carolina, are now working on the first catalogue of the many manuscripts that are more than 1,000 years old.

Elizabeth Sobczynski, founder of the Levantine Foundation, which supports the conservation of the mon-astery's manuscripts, is raising money to build a state-of-the- art library to preserve the remaining ancient books. "I found four fragments, and joined three of them together," she said. "These fragments survived for so many centuries, which is amazing .... They could so easily have been swept away."

www.independ ent.co.uk/ news/uk/this- britain/found- at-last-the- worlds-oldest- missing-page- 783378.html

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في ست شدائد ينجيك وفي سبع لا يمسك سوء. في الجوع يفديك من الموت وفي الحرب من حد السيف. من سوط اللسان تختبأ فلا تخاف من الخراب اذا جاء. تضحك على الخراب والمحل ولا تخشى وحوش الارض. لانه مع حجارة الحقل عهدك ووحوش البرية تسالمك. فتعلم ان خيمتك آمنة وتتعهد مربضك ولا تفقد شيئا. وتعلم ان زرعك كثير وذريتك كعشب الارض. تدخل المدفن في شيخوخة كرفع الكدس في اوانه. ها ان ذا قد بحثنا عنه.كذا هو.فاسمعه واعلم انت لنفسك.
أيوب 5: 19-27

Someone has said that the most spiritual people are the easiest to get along with. When one has a little of the Holy Spirit it is like "a little learning, a dangerous thing." But a full baptism of the Holy Spirit and a really disciplined established and tested spiritual life makes one simple, tender, tolerant, considerate and childlike. James and John, in their early zeal, want to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans. But John, the aged, allowed Demetrius to exclude him from the church, and, with the patience of Jesus, suffered on Patmos for the kingdom. And aged Paul was willing to take back even Mark, whom he had refused as a companion in his early ministry and to acknowledge that he was profitable to him for the ministry. I want the love that cannot help but love; Loving, like God, for very sake of love. A spring so full that it must overflow, A fountain flowing from the throne above. Now abideth faith, hope, [love]; but the greatest of these is [love] (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Christ made me understand that I could save souls through the cross. The greater the crosses I encountered, the more ardent became my desire to endure them.

St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
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God has made human beings so noble that every suffering which purifies us and every effort which raises us up gladdens us while making us better.

St. Augustine
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Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a
medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation.

St. Augustine
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When you are scorned by others and lashed by God, do not despair. God lashes us in this life to shield us from the eternal lash in the next.

St. Peter Damian
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The desire to receive God's treasures and favors is universal. But how few people aspire to wear themselves out and to suffer for the Son of God!

St. John of the Cross
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If we suffer with Christ, we will be glorified with Him. The fulfillment of the promised happiness is certain for those who share in the Lord's Passion.

St. Leo the Great
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Let us strive to face suffering with Christian courage. Then all difficulties will vanish and pain itself will become transformed into joy.

St. Theresa of Avila
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Such is the nature of faith that the greater are the obstacles it encounters, the more ardent it becomes.

St. Charles Borromeo
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Do not allow yourselves to be overly saddened by the unfortunate accidents of this world. You are not aware of the benefits they bring and by what secret judgment of God they are arranged for the eternal joy of the Elect.

St. John of the Cross
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The smallest of life's events are directed by the Lord. Creatures are instruments, but it is the hand of Jesus that directs all.

St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
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The Eucharist may be termed a perpetual Calvary. Without it how many times God's wrath would have erupted on our heads!

St. Peter Eymard
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Suffering out of love for God is a signal favor, but we do not realize this. For we thank God for prosperity and take no heed that afflictions would be a much greater grace.

St. Joseph of Cupertino
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The cross is the greatest gift God could bestow on His Elect on earth. There is nothing so necessary, so beneficial, so sweet, or so glorious as to suffer something for Jesus. If you suffer as you ought, the cross will become a precious yoke that Jesus will carry with you.

St. Louis de Montfort
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Suffering is like a kiss that Jesus hanging from the cross bestows on persons whom He loves in a special way. Because of this love He wants to associate them in the work of the redemption.

St. Bonaventure
------------------------------------------------------Let us lose nothing of what God bestows on us. Difficulties and sufferings will disappear, but the merit we acquire through our fidelity will remain forever. Let us therefore build our eternity through all the things that pass away.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal
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To suffer and not to suffer for God is torment.

St. Gerard Majella
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During mental prayer it is well, at times, to imagine that many insults and injuries are being heaped upon us, that misfortunes have befallen us, and then strive to train our heart to forgive and bear these things patiently, in imitation of our Savior. This is the way to acquire a strong spirit.

St. Philip Neri

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Remember how the crown was attained by those whose sufferings gave new radiance to their faith. The whole company of saints bears witness to the unfailing truth that without genuine effort no one wins the crown.

St. Thomas Becket