Pseudo-Zacharias Rhetor

The earliest extant copy of the Ecclesiastical History of Zacharias Rhetor is included in the late 6th century manuscript, British Library Manuscript #17,202. It has been published by Dr. Land under the title of Zachariae Ep. Mitylenes aliorumque scripta historica Graece plerumque deperdita.

British Library Manuscript #17,202 is an anthology compiled by an anonymous individual. Scholars call this person “Pseudo-Zacharias Rhetor” because his compilation contains the important church history by the real Zacharias Rhetor. He entitled his collection, 'A Volume of Records of Events which have Shaped the World.'

In addition to Zacharias Rhetor’s Ecclesiastical History, British Library Manuscript #17,202 also contains:

• A work by Sylvester, bishop of Rome, on the conversion of the Emperor Constantine.

• The finding of two 1st century relics belonging to Stephen and Nicodemus.

• A story of miracles, the Legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus.

• A translation of Joseph and Aseneth, made by Moses of Ingila in the mid 6th century.

• Two covering letters to Joseph and Aseneth. The first, by an anonymous individual, provides an account of how the ancient Greek manuscript Of Aseneth was found. The second letter is by the Syriac translator, Moses of Ingila.

Further reading

• Full text The Syriac Chronicle of Zacharias Rhetor in Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts. Edited by Roger Pearse.
• Ecclesiastical History of Zacharias Rhetor (British Library, Additional MS 17202) Full Text