‘Pseudo Methodios Süryanice Apokaliptik Metni’nde Son İmparator Toposu

Year 2024, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 205 - 223, 31.12.2024

Umut Var

https://doi.org/10.17131/milel.1543768

Abstract

Süryanice Apokaliptik Metin, 7. yüzyılda kaleme alınmış olup, Süryanice eskatoloji ve apokaliptisizm literatürünün temel taşlarından biri olarak kabul edilen son derece önemli bir eserdir. İnsanoğlunu kıyamete götüren dinamiklere ve kıyametin gerçekleşmesine dair birtakım kehanetler sunan bu metin, bir bakıma İslam fetihleri neticesinde kendilerine has sembolik ve bütüncül evrenlerine yeni ögeler katan Süryanilerin bu ögelere karşı geliştirdikleri tepkileri yansıtmaktadır. Söz konusu tepkiler arasında en önemlisi, rehavete kapılan Hıristiyanları Mesih’in gelişinden önce tek bir çatı altında toplayacak ve onları yönetmeye muvaffak olacak "son imparator" toposudur. Bu makale, "son imparator" toposuna atfedilen kutsal unsurlar ile Mesih’in gelişinden önce bu toposa yüklenen görevleri incelemeyi ve böylece kavramın oluşum nedenleri ile Süryani Hıristiyanlarının kolektif belleğindeki yerini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

Pseudo Methodios, Apokaliptisizm, Eskatoloji, Son imparator toposu

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde etik ilkelere uyulmuştur.

The Last Emperor Topos in the ‘Syriac Apocalyptic Text of Pseudo Methodios’

Abstract

The Pseudo Methodios Syriac Apocalyptic Text, composed in the 7th century, constitutes a foundational work in the corpus of Syriac eschatological and apocalyptic literature. This text, which offers a series of prophecies concerning the dynamics that lead humanity toward the apocalypse and the actualization of the end times, reflects the responses of the Syriac community to the incorporation of new elements into their symbolic and holistic universe as a consequence of Islamic conquests. Among these responses, the concept of the Last Emperor—envisioned as the ruler who will unite complacent Christians under a single authority just before the advent of the Messiah—emerges as particularly significant. This article seeks to elucidate the reasons for the creation of this topos and its position within the collective memory of Syriac Christians by analyzing the sacred attributes ascribed to this figure and the roles assigned to him in the period immediately preceding the Messiah's arrival.

Keywords

apocalypticism, eschatology, Pseudo Methodios, last emperor topos

Ethical Statement

Ethical principles were followed during the preparation of this study.

References

• Brander, W. vd. (ed.), People of the Apocalypses: Eschatological Beliefs and Political Scenarios. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016.
• Brandes, Wolfram. “Gog & Magog in Byzantium a Pessimistic Story”. Gog and Magog: Contributions toward a World History of an Apocalyptic Motif, haz. Georges Tamer vd., Berlin: De Gruyter, 2024, 227-242.
• Breed, Brennan W. “Daniel’s Four Kingdom Scheme: A History of Re-Writing World History”, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 71/2 (2017), 178-189.
• Burstein, Stanley. M. “When Greek was an African Language: The Role of Greek Culture in Ancient and Medieval Nubia”. Journal of World History 19/1 (2008), 41-61.
• Collins, John J. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016.
• Crone, Patricia - Michael Cook. Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World. NY: CUP, 1977. Debié, Muriel. “Les Apocalypses Apocyrphes Syriaques”. Les Apocyrphes Syriaques. haz. M. Debié vd. Paris: Geuther 2005, 111-146.
• Depuydt, Leo, “Classical Syriac Manuscripts at Yale University: A Checklist”. Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 9/2 (2006), 173-188.
• Die geschichtstheologische Reaktion auf die einfallenden Muslim in der edessenischen Apokalyptik des 7. Jahrhunderts. ed. Harald Suermann, Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1895.
• Die Syrische Apokalypse des Pseudo Methodios. ed. Gerrit Jan Reinink. Louven: Peeters, 1993. Doufikar-Aerts, Faustina. “Gog and Magog Crossing the Borders: Biblical, Christian and Islamic Imagining”. Cultures of Eschatology I, haz. Veronika Wieser vd. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020, 390-414.
• Duygu, Zafer – Akalın, Kutlu (ed.). Kristolojye Giriş. İstanbul: Divan Yayınları, 2018.
• Ellen, Williams, Sins of the Father: Race and Genealogy in the Medieval Imagination. University of California in Los Angeles, Department of English Literature, Doktora tezi, 2022.
• Garstad, Benjamin. (ed.), Apocalypse Pseudo Methodios: Greek and Latin. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2012.
• _______. Apocalypse Pseudo Methodios and an Alexandrian World Chronicle. London: Harvard University Press, 2012.
• Gerstinger, Hans. “Der Sechste Deutsche Orientalistentag in Wien, Byzantion 5 (1930), 417-427.
• Gow, Andrew. “Gog and Magog on Mappaemundi and Early Printed World Maps: Orientalizing Ethnography in the Apocalyptic Tradition”, The Journal of Early Modern Studies, 2/1 (1998), 61-88.
• Grünbart, Michael. “Prognostication in the Medieval Eastern Christian World”. Prognostication in the Medieval World, ed. Matthias Heidukk vd. 153-174. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2020.
• Hagg, Tomas. “Titles and Honorific Epithets in Nubian Greek Texts”. Norwegian Journal of Greek and Latin Studies 65 (1990), 147-177.
• Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary of the Whole Bible. NY: Thomas Nelson, 2003.
• Hieronymus, De viris inlustribus, ed. Wilhelm Herding. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1878.
• Hilhorst, Anthony. “Ishmaelites, Hagarenes, Saracens”. Abraham, the Nations and the Hagarites. ed. M. Goodman vd. 421-434. Leiden: Brill, 2010.
• Istrin, Vasilij. “Otkrovenie Mefodiia Patarskago i apokriflcheskiia vidieniia Daniila v vizantiiskoi i slaviano-russkoi literaturakh”. Spomenik 5 (1890), 10-11.
• Jenks, Gregory. The Origin and Early Development of the Antichrist Myth. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1991. Kaldellis, Anthony. “Alexander the Great in the Byzantine Tradition”. A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture. ed. Rcihard Stoneman. 216-241. Cambridge: CUP, 2022.
• Kebra Nagast. ed. Ernest A. W. Budge. London: Medici Society, 1922.
• Kmosko, Michael. “Das Ratsel des Pseudo Methodios”, Byzantion 6/1 (1931), 273-296.
• Martinez, Francisco J. “The King of Rūm and the King of Ethiopia in Medieval Apocalyptic Texts from Egypt”, Coptic Studies: Acts of the Third International Congress of Coptic Studies, ed. W. Godlevski. 249-257. Warsaw: Editions Scientifiques de Pologne, 1990.
• Martinez, Francisco J. Eastern Christian Apocalyptic in the Early Muslim Period: Pseudo Methodios and Pseudo-Athanasius. Catholic University of America, Doktora Tezi, 1985.
• Mcguckin, John. “St. Cyril of Alexandria’s Miaphysite Christology and Chalcedonian Diophysitism”. Ortodoksia (2017), 33-57.
• Millar, Fergus. “Hagar, Ishmael, Josephus and the Origins of Islam”. Rome, the Greek World and the East III. ed. Fergus Millar vd. 351-377. Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
• Monferrer-Sala, Juan. “Alexander the Great in the Syriac Literary Tradition”. A Companion to Alexander Literature in the Middle Ages, ed. David Zuwiyya. 41-73. Leiden: Brill, 2011.
• Noble, Peter vd. (ed.). The Medieval Alexander Legend and Romance Epic. NY: Kraus Publication, 1982.
• O’Meara, Dominic. “Psellos’ Commentary on the Chaldaean Oracles and Proclus’ lost Commentary”. Platonismus und Esoterik in byzantinischem Mittelalter und italienischer Renaissance. ed. Helmut Seng. 45-56. Heidelberg: Winter Verlag, 2013.
• Page, Willie F. “Solomonic Dynasty”. Encyclopedia of African History and Culture II. 324-326. London: FOF, 1992.
• Parke, Herbert W. Sbyls and Sbylline Prophecy in Classical Antiquity. Boston: Brill, 1988.
• Penn, Michael P. When Christians First Met with Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam. Oakland: University of California Press, 2015.
• Pereira, Matthew J. “The Council of Chalcedon 451: In Search of a Balanced and Nuanced Christology”. Seven Icons of Christ: Introduction to the Oecumenical Councils. ed. Sergey Tronstyanskiy. 1- 58. NY: Gorgias Press, 2016.
• Perez-Simon, Maud. “The Medieval Alexander: Arts and Politics”. A History of Alexander the Great in World Culture. ed. R. Stoneman. 143-166. NY: CUP, 2022.
• Phillips, Elizabeth. “Eschatology and Apocalyptic”. The Cambridge Companion to Christian Political Theology. haz. Craig Hovey – Elizabeth Phillips. 274-297. NY: CUP, 2015.
• Riffat, Hassan. “Islamic Hagar and her Family”. Hagar, Sarah and their Children: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Perspectives. ed. Phylis Trible - Letty Russel. 149-167. Lousville: Westminister John Know Press, 2006.
• Roddy, Nicolae. “The Antichrist at Bethsaida”. Bethsaida: A City By the North Shore of the Sea of Galilee. ed. Rami Arav. 273-294. MS: Truman State University, 2004.
• Seng, Helmut. “Der Kommentar des Psellos zu den Chaldaeischen Orakeln in lateinischer Übersetzung (Vat. lat. 3122 f. 44r–57r)”. Platonismus und Esoterik in byzantinischem Mittelalter und italienischer Renaissance. ed. Helmut Seng. 45-58. Heidelberg: Winter Verlag, 2013.
• Shahid, Irfan. “The Kebra Nagast in the Light of Recent Research” Le Museon 89 (1976), 133-178. Shoemaker, Stephen J. The Apocalypse of Empire: Imperial Eschatology in Late Antiquity and Early Islam. PHL: UniPenn Press, 2018.
• “Solomonic Dynasty”. Encyclopedia of African History and Culture II. ed. Willie F. Page. 324-326. London: FOF, 1992.
• Stoyanov, Yuri. “Apocalypticizing Warfare: from Political Theology to Imperial Escathology in Seventh to Early Eighth Century Byzantium”. The Armenian Apocalyptic Tradition.A Comperative Perspective. ed. S. La Porta ve K. Bardakjian. 379-433. Leiden: Brill, 2014.
• Tertullianus. Apologeticus XXXII. ed. Jeremy Collier. London: Griffith Farrah & Co, 1932.
• The Book of Daniel, ed. Raymond Hammer. Cambridge: CUP, 1976.
• Török, Laszlo. “The Kindgom of Kush: Handbook of the Napatan-Meroitic Civlisation”, Handbook of Oriental Studies I. ed. Maribel Fiero vd. 144. Leiden: Brill, 1998.
• Turner, Marie. “Genealogies”. Medieval History Writing. ed. Jennifer Jahner vd. 84-101. NY: CUP, 2019.
• Ubierna, Pablo. “Syriac Apocalyptic and Body Politic: From Individual Salvation to the Fate of the State. Notes on the Seventh Century Texts”. ITMA 4 (2012), 141-164.
• Vargese, Baby. “Miaphysite Christology and the Oriental Orthodox Churches”. Cristianesimo nella storia 37/1 (2016), 31-44.
• Volz, Paul. Die Eschatologie der jüdischen Gemeinde. Tubingen: Verlag von J. C. B. Mohr, 1934.
• Witakowski, Witold. “Syriac Apocalyptic Literature”, The Armenian Apocalyptic Tradition. haz. Kevork Bardakjian - Sergio La Porta, Leiden: Brill, 2014, 667-687.
• Wood, Philip. ‘We have no king but Christ’: Christian Political Thought in Greater Syria on the Eve of the Arab Conquest. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.