Gewargis of Arbela, Pseudo- (9th cent.?) [Ch. of E.]

Unknown author of an important Commentary on the Liturgical rites.

Unknown author of an important Commentary on the Liturgical rites. An extensive liturgical commentary in seven sections is preserved in a number of mss.; in his Bibliotheca Orientalis Assemani attributed the work to Gewargis of Arbela (9th cent.?), but without any good evidence; as a result the author is normally now referred to as ‘Pseudo-Gewargis of Arbela’ (another wrong attribution is to ʿAbdishoʿ bar Bahrīz ). The chapters in each section provide answers to particular questions. The seven sections cover the following topics: 1. the liturgical year (24 questions); 2. ramšā (21 questions); 3. lelyā and ṣaprā (9 questions); 4. the Eucharistic Mysteries (30 questions); 5. Baptism (9 questions); 6. Consecration of a church (8 questions); and 7. Burial, and Marriage (7 questions; the section on Marriage seems to be a secondary addition, though perhaps by the same author). Connolly’s edition also includes the short ‘Commentary on the (liturgical) Services’ by Abraham bar Lipeh of Beth Qaṭraye (II, 161–80); in many places this is simply an abbreviation of Gabriel Qaṭraya ’s Commentary.