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Acknowledgement
This work, Creation of Man in Mar Jacob of Sarugs Mimre: Translation and Analysis
of the Four Mimre on Creation, is the outcome of my doctoral studies. I cannot but remain
grateful to many for their unconditional support for the actualization of this doctoral dissertation.
I bow my head before the almighty God who always showers upon me His abundant blessings.
The mediation of all saints, especially of Blessed Virgin Mary and of Mar Jacob of Sarug, on
whose works I relied on as my source material, has been with me throughout the course of the
work.
I express my deep-felt indebtedness to Dr. Jacob Thekeparampil, who himself is a man of
wisdom and is a strong inspiration to all who aspire for wisdom, who guided me eruditely with
all possible support and encouragement all over my studies. It was he who instigated me to delve
into the rich treasures of Syriac patrimony, especially to the storehouse of Mar Jacob of Sarug;
perhaps, it was he who very much wished to see the work done at the earliest and without his
loving compulsion this work would not have been completed. He tolerantly took maximum pain,
disregarding his very many backbreaking assignments and responsibilities, to read the huge
materials of the thesis several times and to guide me properly throughout the course of the work
pointing out even the minute thing that I must have considered with utmost care. He, as the
director of SEERI, Kottayam, the regional research centre of M. G. University and one of the
greatest and internationally reputed centres of excellence in the field of Syriac studies, has been
so generous to provide all the facilities of SEERI for the successful completion of my work. I
express my gratitude to all the staff of SERRI, especially of the administrative, academic,
accommodation and library sections, for their unreserved service and cooperation.

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I am greatly obliged to Khalil Alwan, because, it was he who have edited the work of
Mar Jacob and it is the same work that I have utilized for the translation and analysis. I am
fortunate to have consulted with many scholars in Syriac and other various fields of knowledge
during the course of my work, particularly during the latest three World Syriac Conferences,
occasional seminars, workshops etc. which held at SEERI, Kottayam, which were occurrences of
showers of wisdom for me. Those instances and discussions helped me to a great extent to
develop my thesis. Even though I am thankful to all of them, my special thanks goes to Dr.
Sebastian Brock, Dr. Thomas Kollamparampil, Dr. Geevarghese Paniker, Dr. Thomas Paniker
Dr. Thomas Koonammakkal etc. by the reason that I am greatly influenced by them and they
significantly involved in the formation of the thesis. Besides my guide, Dr. Kuriakose
Valavanolickal and Prof. M.V. Simon undertook the tiresome task of checking and correcting the
languages in my dissertation. Thanks for their willingness to help me.
Office bearers and officers of Mahatma Gandhi University, especially of the Academic
and Ph. D sections deserve my humble gratefulness for their timely and kind responses and
helps. All of them were so generous to lend their hands from the very moment of registration for
the Ph. D until now. Personnel in charge of various libraries of different seminaries, study
centres, colleges etc. helped me a lot for collecting the data and I am indebted to them all.
As I am a staff in an affiliated college under the University of Kerala as well as a priest, I
must have obtained permission from the authorities for the commencement and continuation of
this work. My superiors, especially Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, the Major
Archbishop of Trivandrum, Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrisostom, the Metropolitan of
Pathanamthitta, Most Rev. Samuel Mar Irenios, Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum etc. have
blessed me with their permissions and prayers. I express my obedience and indebtedness to all of

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them. I have deep attachment and appreciation to the Principals, Librarian and staff of St. Johns
College, Anchal, for their help to get hold of all the necessary documents and for rescheduling
my assignments and duties in my absence.
I remember with gratitude one and all who helped and co-operated with me in one way or
other for the realization of this work.

Fr. James Steephen

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General schema of the thesis

Part

Heading

Chapter

Title

Section

Sub-title

General
Introduction
A

Translation

Translation of the
Four Mimre of Mar
Jacob On Creation
from Syriac to
English

1.
2.
3.
4.

Translations of
I, II, III, IV Mimre
On Creation

Literary
Analysis

II

Appreciation on the
poet

1.

The Man behind the

Mimre

C.

Thematic
Analysis

III

Anthropological
Concepts

1.

Image and Likeness

of God in Man

2.

The Freedom and

Freewill of man

3.

Anthropological
Concepts in the
Mimre
Gods Mercy as the
Catalytic Code

IV

D.

Cultural
Analysis
General
Conclusion

VI

Theological Notions

Stereological
Perceptions

Impressions on
Enculturation

1.

2.

Narrations on Noncorporal beings

Sin as the
Stereological
Causality

2.

Eschatological
Perceptions of the
Poet
Hellenic influence in
the Formation of the
Mimre

1.

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Transliteration

= h

= h

= t

= k

= l

= p

= s

= q

= r

Vowels

ba

bi

bo

bu

be

Notes
1. English alphabet with a hyphen (), (like d ) at the beginning of a word
represents a non-vocalised Syriac alphabet.
2. The vocalised is not represented with (), but its vowel sound only is
transliterated, like = a as in = aloho.
3. Transliteration of Olaph () at the end of the word is omitted.
4. The occulted letters are not transliterated; E.g: ( m-dito) .
5. Western Syriac script and vocalisation are used in the thesis.
6. And in my thesis, wherever I have quoted from other works, I have retained
the same transliterations of the scholars as they are seen in the citations which,
sometimes, differ from that of mine.