Una recensione araba cristiana della Leggenda dei Sette Dormienti di Efeso

The legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus spread in many hagiographic traditions of East and West among Christians and Muslims alike. Guidi (1884) published the texts of various Eastern traditions, but he did not provide a full edition of the Christian Arabic texts. After a short introduction, the present article gives the standard edition of what is supposed to be the oldest Christian Arabic version, transmitted by two MSS: London, BL, Or. 5019 (10th-11th cent.), fols 40v-47r and Paris, BnF, Ar. 6256 (AD 1694-1707), fols 14v-30r. As shown by some parallel passages, this is the translation from a Greek model dating back at latest to the 10th cent. As for other Christian Arabic texts, here too we are faced with the wellknown translation movement which took place in the monasteries of southern Palestine between the 8th and 9th cent.