Abrīm al-Qibtī, Anbā
12th/13th Century
Coptic Church
Egypt
Abrīm authored a history of the world from the time of creation until the year A.H. 614/A.D. 1216. The only known manuscript of this work belonged to 'ABD AL-MASĪH SALĪB AL-MASŪ'DĪ, a Coptic priest of Cairo. It is cited by Paul Sbath in both his manuscript catalogs (Sbath, 1938, 1939).
No Coptic bishop by the name of Abrīm is known. Graf suggested that the name might refer to a certain Afrīm, or Ephrem, but this does not help to identify him. One possible identification is Anba Abrā'ām, bishop of Nastarawayh, who was present both at the synod convened on 28 June 1240 under CYRIL III Ibn Laqlaq and at the ceremony of preparing the holy chrism in A.M. 973/ A.D. 1257 (Munier, 1943). In the one manuscript, the name of this bishop is given as Abrām with only one alif (Sbath manuscript 1126; Sbath, 1934). Jacob Muyser (1944) has also suggested an equivalence between Abrām and Abrīm.
Khalil Samir, S.J.
Note: The DACB uses the transliteration system of the Encyclopedia of Islam (2nd ed.), dropping the diacritical marks on the kha, dtaa, saad, and daad.
Bibliography:
Munier, H. Recueil des listes épiscopales de l'église copte, pp. 31 and 35. Cairo, 1943.
Muyser, J. "Contribution a l'étude des listes épiscopales de l'église copte." Bulletin de la société d'Archéologie copte 10 (1944):115-76, especially p. 156.
Sbath, P. Bibliothèque de manuscrits Paul Sbath, Vol. 3, p. 4. Cairo, 1934.
________. Al-Fihris (Catalogue de manuscrits arabes), Vol. 1, p. 7. Cairo, 1938.
________. "Manuscrits arabes d'auteurs coptes." Bulletin de la société d'Archéologie copte 5 (1939): 159-73, especially p. 161.
The aforementioned article does not represent the official view of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. An official version is forthcoming from the Monastery of Saint Demiana on behalf of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark.
