Work dossier · summary and historical context
The Offices for the Deceased (Jerusalem aghapebi) is an anonymous Old Georgian liturgical manuscript preserving a Jerusalemite tradition of commemorative services for the dead. Surviving in a single witness, it contains offices such as Vespers, Liturgy, Aghape, and Panikhida for specific days, including Cheesefare Week and Cheese Week. The text, associated with the Cross Monastery in Jerusalem, is written in Old Georgian and has no known parallel in Greek or Syriac. Its dating relies on paleographic and liturgical features, and it was not incorporated into later Constantinopolitan or Georgian printed euchologia, suggesting localized or discontinued use. The edition provides the Old Georgian text without translation or commentary.
This work is significant as a rare witness to a localized Jerusalemite liturgical tradition for the deceased, preserved only in Old Georgian. It provides insight into early medieval Christian memorial practices, including the use of 'aghape' and 'Panikhida' offices, and highlights the role of Georgian monastic communities in Jerusalem. Its survival in a single manuscript underscores the fragility of such traditions and offers a unique comparative source for studying Eastern Christian liturgy outside the Constantinopolitan mainstream.
The Offices for the Deceased (Jerusalem aghapebi) originates from the Jerusalemite liturgical tradition, likely produced at the Cross Monastery (Jvaris monastri) in Jerusalem, a center of Georgian monasticism. The text is preserved in a single Old Georgian manuscript, with dating based solely on paleographic and liturgical analysis, precluding a precise century assignment. The term 'aghape' (from Greek ἀγάπη) refers to commemorative meals or offices for the departed, distinct from the Eucharist, while 'Panikhida' (from Greek παννυχίς) denotes vigil or memorial services. The manuscript's transmission is limited, with no known Greek or Syriac parallels, and it was not adopted into later Constantinopolitan or Georgian printed euchologia, indicating a localized or discontinued practice after the medieval period. The text follows the Tischendorf manuscript, a key witness for Georgian liturgical manuscripts, and includes calendrical sequences for Cheesefare Week and Cheese Week, reflecting Eastern Christian fasting traditions.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
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