The Presbyters Project

Epistula Severi

12. Nunc autem, ut coeptae rei ordinem prosequar, maior ex Iamonensi civitate ad profectionem parata famulorum Christi multitudo convenit quam in ipso oppido putabatur consistere. (2) Tantaque difficillimi itineris laborem alacritate confecit, ut triginta milia passuum iucundius transvolaret quam si ad suburbanum aliquod amoenissimum ad convivia epulari vocaretur. (3) Igitur Magonam pervenimus, statimque ego missis clericis adventum meum Iudaeis nuntiavi, et ut ad ecclesiam succedere dignarentur poposci. (4) Illi autem inopinatum nobis nuntium remittentes, mandaverunt ecclesiam sibi (ne, credo, polluerentur) ingredi die eadem non oportere, esse enim diem sabbati, cuius festivitatem si ullis actibus corrupissent, summum transgressionis facinus incurrerent. [...]

(ed. Bradbury 1996: 89)

The letter of Severus

12. Now, however, to proceed with my narrative, a throng of Christ's servants, greater than was thought to reside in that town, gathered together and prepared for the departure from Jamona. (2) Although it was a very arduous journey, they completed it with such speed that they flew over the thirty miles more light-heartedly than if they were being invited to a banquet at some beauty spot outside the town. (3) And so we arrived at Magona. Immediately, I dispatched some clerics to announce my arrival to the Jews and requested that they do us the honour of entering the church. (4) They, however, sent back to us an unexpected message, announcing that it was inappropriate for them to enter a church on that day, lest, I suppose, they be polluted, since it was the Sabbath. If they should corrupt its observance by any actions, they would be committing a very serious, criminal transgression. [...]

(trans. Bradbury 1996: 82, 84)

Place of event:

Region

Iberian Peninsula
Latin North Africa
East

City

Mago
Iamo
Jerusalem

About the source:

Author: Severus of Minorca
Title: Letter on the Conversion of the Jews, Commonitorium, Epistula Severi, The Letter of Severus of Minorca
Origin: Iamo (Iberian Peninsula)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Severus`s, bishop of Minorca wrote a letter to the whole church on the conversion of the Jews of Minorca in 418. The bishop alleged this conversion to the power of the relics of st. Stephen that were just brought to the island by "a certain presbyter" travelling from the East. This presbyter is quite unanimously identified by scholars as Orosius (Bradbury 1996: 24-25; Fear 2007: 3-7; Van Nuffelen 2012: 3; Arnoud-Lindet 1990: i-ix).

Edition:

S. Bradbury ed. and trans., Severus of Minorca, Letter on the Conversion of the Jews, Oxford 1996.

Bibliography:

V. Gauge, "Les routes d’Orose et les reliques d’Etienne", Antiquité Tardive 6 (1998), 265-286.

M.-P. Arnoud-Lindet ed., Orose, Histoires (contre les paiens), v. 1: Livres I-III, Paris 1990.

P. Van Nuffelen, Orosius and the rhetoric of history, Oxford 2012.

Fear A.T. trans., Orosius, Seven books of history against the Pagans, Liverpool 2010.

Categories:

Described by a title - Clericus

Public functions and offices after ordination - Envoy

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

Relation with - Jew

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER403, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=403