Other translated homiletic texts

Summary

This anonymous homily, preserved in a single Georgian manuscript dated palaeographically to the 10th–11th centuries, survives without author or title. Its liturgical-homiletic register suggests it was intended for a feast day, but the specific occasion remains unidentified. The text is transmitted only in Georgian, with no known Greek or Armenian Vorlage, indicating an isolated transmission history. Its limited circulation, evidenced by absence from later liturgical collections, points to local or monastic use. The homily's original language and provenance are uncertain, and no external evidence confirms its date or attribution.

This homily is significant as a rare witness to Georgian liturgical-homiletic literature from the early medieval period, reflecting local or monastic traditions. Its isolated transmission and uncertain provenance highlight the complexities of studying texts preserved only in Georgian manuscripts. The work contributes to understanding the diversity of homiletic production in the Georgian Christian tradition, even as its original language, author, and liturgical setting remain unknown.

Historical context

The homily is preserved in a single Georgian manuscript dated palaeographically to the 10th–11th centuries, though its composition may be earlier. The manuscript likely originates from a Georgian monastic community, possibly in the Holy Land, Sinai, or the Caucasus, where Georgian translations of Greek and Syriac homilies were produced. The text's register is liturgical-homiletic, suggesting use in a feast-day setting, but the specific occasion is not identified. Its transmission is isolated, with no known Greek or Armenian Vorlage, raising questions about whether it was originally composed in Georgian or translated from a lost source. The homily is not cited in later Georgian liturgical or canonical collections, indicating limited circulation and possibly local or monastic use. The absence of external evidence for date or attribution underscores the challenges of contextualizing this work.

Annotation and terms

5 commentary units 1 structure1 term1 background1 scripture1 reception 0 derived notes 2 open questions 1 narrative

What the kinds mean

structure — the passage's function in the work
term — a Coptic word and the rendering chosen for it
background — historical or institutional context the text presupposes
scripture — a biblical quotation or allusion
reception — later use — liturgy, canon law, daughter versions

Pipeline notes

limitThe English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve.
registerRegister: homily in Old Georgian; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
structurePassages: 1 narrative.
sourceSource edition: titus — This text is part of the TITUS edition of Translated homiletic texts. Copyright TITUS Project, Frankfurt a/M, 18.11.2023. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder.

Term index

Coptic	Rendering	Count	First
no glossary terms recorded

tmin:1 · narrativehigh

Source

თთუესა ი̂დ აგჳსტოსისასა. მიცვალებაჲ ყოვლად წმიდისა და უბიწოჲსა და უმეტეს კურთხეულისა დედოფლისა ჩუენისა მარადის ქალწულისა მარიამისი ქუეყანით ზეცად ამაღლებისათჳს. თქუმული წმიდისა მამისა ჩუენისა ბასილი კესარიელისაჲ ქუეყანით ზეცად აღსლვისათჳს და მისთჳს-ცა რომელ საჲდუმლოჲ აღესრულა საკჳრველი და განსაკრთომელი შორის ცისა და ქუეყანისა ღმრთისა მიერ დედასა თჳსსა ზედა. გუაკურთხენ უფალო. სამებამან წმიდამან ცხოველმან დიდებულმან დაუსაბამამომან და დამბადებელმან ყოველთა დაბადებულთამან, რომელ არს მამაჲ, ძე, და სული წმიდაჲ, ერთი უფალი და ერთი ღმერთი, ამან სახიერმან ღირს მყო ძიებად საშინელსა საჲდუმლოსა, რომლისა თჳს-ცა მიმაწიფა პოვნად განცხადებულად საჲდუმლოსა სასურველისა ჩემისასა, თქუმულისაგან იოვანე ღმრთის-მეტყუელისა და მახარებელისა სიბრძნე აღწერილი, და სულიერად სატრფიალოდ აღწერილი.

English

In the month of August. The Dormition of our all-holy, immaculate, and most blessed Queen, the ever-virgin Mary, concerning her ascension from earth to heaven. A discourse of our holy father Basil of Caesarea concerning her ascension from earth to heaven and also concerning that mystery which was accomplished, wondrous and extraordinary, between heaven and earth by God upon his mother. Bless us, O Lord. The holy, life-giving, glorious, unoriginate Trinity, and Creator of all creatures, which is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one Lord and one God, this same Trinity has deemed me worthy to investigate a terrible mystery, concerning which also I have been permitted to find clearly revealed the mystery of my desire, from the words of John the Theologian and Evangelist, wisdom written, and spiritually described as a beloved.

Commentary

structuretextთთუესა ი̂დ აგჳსტოსისასა. მიცვალებაჲ...

The heading assigns the homily to August 15 (Ი̂Დ = 14th day of August, Julian), the feast of the Dormition, and attributes it to Basil of Caesarea, though this attribution is spurious.

source edition: Other translated homiletic texts

termtextმიცვალებაჲ

Georgian 'micvalebay' translates 'dormitio' (falling asleep), the standard term for Mary's death in Eastern tradition, distinct from 'ascension' (amaghleba) used later.

source edition: Other translated homiletic texts

backgroundtextსაჲდუმლოჲ

The 'mystery' (saydumlo) refers to the apocryphal tradition of Mary's bodily assumption, elaborated in later Byzantine homilies; the text claims revelation through John the Theologian.

source edition: Other translated homiletic texts

scripturetextიოვანე ღმრთის-მეტყუელისა

John the Theologian and Evangelist is cited as source of the 'wisdom written' (sibrdzne aghtserili), likely alluding to apocryphal writings attributed to John, not canonical scripture.

source edition: Other translated homiletic texts

receptiontextბასილი კესარიელისაჲ

Attribution to Basil of Caesarea is a common pseudepigraphon in Georgian homiletics; the work is not found in Basil's authentic corpus and likely dates from later Byzantine period.

source edition: Other translated homiletic texts

Open questions · 2

The Georgian date 'Ი̂Დ' (14) may reflect a Julian calendar reading; the feast of Dormition is August 15, so the numeral might be a scribal error or inclusive counting.
The phrase 'suliery sadhrialod aghserili' (spiritually described as a beloved) is ambiguous: it may refer to the Song of Songs or to a mystical interpretation of John's writings.

Citation. Tergwame, “Other translated homiletic texts”, tmin:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/tmin#s1

Colophon. Source: titus · licence: This text is part of the TITUS edition of Translated homiletic texts. Copyright TITUS Project, Frankfurt a/M, 18.11.2023. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder. · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0010 · generated 2026-11-15.