Documents relating to the acquisition of the Codex Sinaiticus by Russia

(The Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire, AVPRI; the Russian State History Archives, RGIA)

Donation act for the Sinai Bible signed by
the Council of Cairo Metochion and Archbishop Callistratus on
13 November 1869 and by the Council of St Catherine's on 18 November /Old style/ 1869

[fol. 6r] Πρώτη καὶ κυριώδης τῶν ἀρετῶν τυγχάνει ἀναμφιρήστως [?] τό εὐγνωμονεῖν τοῖς ἰδίοις ἡμῶν αὐτῶν εὐεργέταις, μάλιστα δ᾽ἐκείνοις, οἵπερ, ἐν ταῖς ἐμπιπτούσαις ἡμῖν δειναῖς καὶ ἀγχιστρόφοις περιστάσεσι τῆς ἀλγεινῆς τοῦ πάσχοντος φωνῆς ἀκούοντες, αὐτογνωμόνως προσέρχοντας χορηγῆσαι τὴν προστασίαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀντίληψιν καὶ βάλσαμον ἐπιῤῥάναι ἐπὶ τῶν πληγῶν τῶν δεινοπαθούντων, ἐπαινετοὶ μὲν οὕτω παρ᾽ἀνθρώποις καθιστάμενοι, εὐάρεστοι δὲ καὶ Θεῷ, τῷ τὴν ἀρετὴν ταύτην ἡμῖν ἅπασιν ἐντειλαμένῳ. Εἰ οὖν ἐπαινετὸς παρ᾽ἀνθρώποις καὶ εὐάρεστος παρὰ Θεῷ ἐστιν ὁ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ βοηθῶν καὶ προστατεύων, πόσον ἄρα ἐπαινετώτερος καὶ μακαριώτερος ὁ αὐτὴν τὴν ἐν Ἀνατολῇ δεινοπαθοῦσαν Ὀρθοδοξίαν καὶ τὸν περιούσιον τοῦ Κυρίου λαὸν ὁσημέραι κραταιῶς προστατεύων καὶ μεγαθύμως εὐεργετῶν καὶ ἡλίκης τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης ἄξιος ὁ τοιοῦτος τυγχάνει! Ἐπεὶ τοιγαροῦν, προνοίᾳ πάντῃ γε καὶ εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ ἀείποτε τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καὶ τοῦ Ὀρθοδόξου αὐτοῦ λαοῦ κηδομένου Θεοῦ, καί ὁ Μεγαλειότατος, κραταιότατος καὶ θεόστεπτος Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Β-ος, Αὐτοκράτωρ πάσης τῆς εὐρείας, θεοστηρίκτου καὶ εὐσεβοῦς Ῥωσσικῆς Αὐτοκρατορίας, οὐ παύεται μεριμνῶν καί πᾶσαν κραταιὰν ἀρωγὴν καὶ ἀντίληψιν παρέχων καί ἐπιδαψιλεύων τῇ τε καθόλου Ὀρθοδοξίᾳ καί ἰδίᾳ τῇ Ἱερᾷ, εὐκλεεῖ καὶ πρεσβυγενεῖ Βασιλικῇ τῇδε Μονῇ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ θεοβαδίστου Ὄρους Σινᾶ, ἥν καί ἐν τοῖς ὑστάτοις τούτοις καιροῖς ἡ κραταιὰ τῆς Α.Α. Μεγαλειότητος προστασία, χορηγηθεῖσα διά τοῦ Ἐξοχωτάτου καὶ ἐπαξίου Αὐτῆς Πρεσβευτοῦ, Στρατηγοῦ Νικολάου Παύλοβιτζ Ἰγνάτιεφ, διέσωσεν ἀπὸ ὁλοσχεροῦς ναυαγίου, διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς, εὐγνωμοσύνης δικαίας φόρον ὀφειλόμενον ἀποτίοντες, οὐ διαλείπομεν νυχθημερὸν εὔχεσθαι καὶ τοῦ ὑψίστου δέεσθαι ὑπὲρ στερεώσεως, κράτους, δόξης καί μεγαλείου τῆς τε Α.Α. Μεγαλειότητος, τοῦ Σεπτοῦ Αὐτῆς Αὐτοκρατορικοῦ Οἴκου καὶ παντὸς τοῦ εὐσεβοῦς Ῥωσσικοῦ Ἔθνους, ὅπερ τέτακται ἡ σωστικὴ τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας ἄγκυρα. Πρός δέ τῆς βαθείας καί αἰωνίου ἡμῶν τῆς δε εὐγνωμοσύνης [fol. 6v] ἔνδειξιν καὶ ἐκδήλωσιν πρό τινος χρόνου κοινῇ γνώμῃ καὶ ἐλευθέρᾳ βουλήσει ἐνεκρίναμεν καὶ ἔγνωμεν δωρῆσαι τῇ Α. Αὐτοκ. Μεγαλειότητι, ὡς ἐλάχιστον τῆς ἡμετέρας εὐγνωμοσύνης καί ἀφοσιώσεως τεκμήριον, τό τιμαλφὲς καὶ πανάρχαιον τῆς Παλαιᾶς καὶ Καινῆς Διαθήκης χειρόγραφον, κτῆμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς ταῦτης τοῦ Σινᾶ Μονῆς, συντάξαντες καί τό ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἐπίσημον τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς δε ἔγγραφον, ὅπερ καὶ ἐπεστάλη ἐγκαίρως τῇ Α.Ἐξοχότητι, τῷ Στρατηγῷ Ἰγνάτιεφ, ἵνα διευθύνῃ αὐτό, ὅπου δεῖ. Σήμερον οὖν αὖθις διὰ τῆς δε τῆς ἐπισήμου ἡμῶν πράξεως ἡμεῖς Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Σιναίου Ὄρους Καλλίστρατος καὶ ἡ περὶ Ἡμᾶς Ἱερὰ Σύναξις τῶν τε ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐν Σιναίῳ ἀσκουμένων Πατέρων δῆλον ποιοῦμεν, ὅτι ἐπικυροῦμεν, πιστοποιοῦμεν καὶ βεβαιοῦμεν ἐκ νέου τὴν ἤδη τῷ Μεγαλειοτάτῳ Αὐτοκράτορι πασῶν τῶν Ῥωσσιῶν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ Β-ω γενομένην δωρεὰν τοῦ τῆς Παλαιᾶς καὶ Καινῆς Διαθήκης Σιναϊτικοῦ χειρογράφου, ὅπερ, μεταβαῖνον οὕτως εἰς τὴν πλήρη κυριότητα τῆς Α.Α. Μεγαλειότητος, θεωρεῖται καὶ ὑπάρχει ἱερά, ἀναφαίρετος καὶ ἀκαταζήτητος Αὐτῆς ἰδιοκτησία. Εἰς πίστωσιν οὖν τούτων ναὶ μὴν καί ἀΐδιον τῆς ἀληθείας ἔνδειξιν συνετάχθη καὶ τὸ παρὸν ἐπίσημον δωρητήριον γράμμα, καταχωρηθὲν καὶ ἐν τῷ τῆς Μονῆς Κώδηκι, ὑπογεγραμμένον μέν παρά τε τῆς Α. Πανιερότητος, τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τῆς Συνάξεως Πατέρων, σεσημασμένον δὲ τῇ τε Ἀρχιεπισκοπικῇ καὶ μοναστηριακῇ σφραγίδι· πρὸς πλείονα δ᾽ἀσφάλειαν ἐπικυροῦται καὶ συνυπογράφεται καί παρὰ τῶν ἐν Σιναίῳ Ὄρει ἐγκρίτων Πατέρων. Ἐπιδίδοται δέ τῷ Ἐξοχωτάτῳ Στρατηγῷ Ἰγνάτιεφ, παρακαλουμένῳ, ἵνα ὑποβάλῃ τοῦτο μετά τῶν ὑποκλινῶν ἡμῶν σεβασμάτων τῷ Μεγαλειοτάτῳ Αὐτοκράτορι, θερμῶς ἱκετευομένῳ, ὅπως εὐμενῶς προσδέξηται τὸ ἐλάχιστον τοῦτο δεῖγμα τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης τῶν θεραπόντων καὶ δυαπύρων τῆς Κραταιᾶς αὐτοῦ Βασιλείας εὐχετῶν. [fol. 7r] Ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ κατὰ Κάϊρον Σιναϊτικῷ τῆς Τζουβανίας Καθιδρύματι, τῇ δεκάτῃ τρίτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς Νοεμβρίου τοῦ χιλιοστοῦ ὀκτακοσιοστοῦ ἑξηκοστοῦ ἐννάτου σωτηρίου ἔτους, Ἰνδικτιῶνος ῖβ´ Ἡ Ἱερά τῶν Πατέρων Σύναξις· Ὁ Δικαιος Πρωτοσύγ[γελλος] Κορνήλιος Σιναΐτης Πρωτοσύγγελος Θεοδόσιος Σέρρος Σιναΐτης Πρωτοσύγκελλος Πολύκαρπος Σιναΐτης Διονύσιος πνευματικός Σιναΐτης Φιλόθεος μοναχός Σιναΐτης Σκευοφύλαξ Μακάριος Ὁ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Σιναίου Καλλίστρατος ἀποφαίνεται καὶ ἐπιβεβαιοῖ καὶ τῇ Ἀρχιεπισκοπικῇ αὐτοῦ σφραγίδι σφραγίζει. Καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ὑποφαινόμενοι Προεστῶτες Πατέρες οἱ ἐνασκούμενοι ἐν τῇ Ἱερᾷ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ θεοβαδίστου Ὄρους Σινᾶ Μονῇ, τῇ τιμωμένῃ ἐπ᾽ὀνόματι τῆς Μεγαλομάρτυρος καὶ Πανσόφου Αἰκατερίνης, ἐπικυροῦμεν καί βεβαιοῦμεν τήν ἄνω μνημονευομένην δωρεάν τοῦ Σιναϊτικοῦ χειρογράφου τῆς Παλαιᾶς καί Καινῆς Διαθήκης, προσενεχθέντος τῷ Μεγαλειοτάτῳ Αὐτοκράτορι πασῶν τῶν Ῥωσσιῶν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ Β-ω, τῷ κραταιῷ τῆς Ὀρθοδοξίας προστάτῃ, ὡς δεῖγμα τῆς τοσαύτης ἡμῶν πρός τήν Α.Α. Μεγαλειότητα εὐγνωμοσύνης ἧς κτῆμα τέλειον καθίσταται τὸ ῥηθὲν χειρόγραφον. Ἐγένετο ἐν Σιναίῳ Ὄρει 18 Νοεμβρίου 1869. Ἡ Ἱερὰ τῶν Πατέρων Σύναξις Ὁ Σκευοφύλαξ Γρηγόριος σιναΐτης Γαβριὴλ Ἱερομόναχος σιναΐτης Ἰάκωβος οἰκονόμος σιναΐτης Παρθένιος μοναχός σιναΐτης

Gratitude to our benefactors is, undoubtedly, a paramount virtue, particularly with respect to those who, responding to the call of sufferers from current deleterious disasters, on their own accord give protection and lay the healing balm on the wounds of exhausted. Thereby they merit praise of humans and please Our Lord, Who commanded us to practice this virtue. The giver of help and protection deserving human praise and God's Grace will certainly merit even greater praise and bliss for constant powerful defence and generous support to the suffering Orthodoxy and Christian community in the East. So, by the Grace of the Lord of the Highest keeping caring and indefatigable vigil over the Orthodox Church and His people, is the majestic and God-anointed Sovereign Alexander II, Emperor of all spacious, strong and pious Russia, incessantly protecting and giving the utmost encouragement to the whole of the Orthodox Church and, in particular, to the holy and glorious abode on the sacred, God-trodden Mount Sinai. The powerful patronage of His Majesty the Emperor, shown through His Majesty's distinguished and worthy Ambassador, General Nikolaj Pavlovich Ignatyev, recently has saved the abode from utter ruin. Thus, in order to pay the due tribute of righteous gratitude, we are praying day and night that the Almighty may strengthen, glorify and exalt His Majesty the Emperor, the august family and the whole of the devout people of Russia adopting the salutary anchor of Orthodoxy. In addition to mere declaration of this everlasting and heartfelt gratitude, we resolved, some time ago, by common consent and on our own accord, and in token of our humble gratitude and devotion to His Majesty the Emperor, to present the precious ancient manuscript of the Old and New Testament, property of the Holy Community of Sinai, making a formal act to the effect and passing it to His Exellency General Ignatyev in due time, to be delivered according to its intended purpose. Thus, now again by our official act, we, Callistratus Archbishop of Sinai and the holy congregation of local fathers present here and the Sinaite hermits, declare, confirm and certify anew the already made donation of the Old and New Testament manuscript of Mt Sinai to His Majesty the Emperor, to be consequently transferred to the absolute possession and considered as indisputable and unquestionable property of His Majesty the Emperor. In confirmation and validation thereof this act is made and entered in community records signed by His Eminence the Archbishop and other congregant fathers, with Episcopal and Community Seals duly affixed. As a safeguard, the donation act is additionally signed by selected fathers of Mt Sinai and handed over to His Excellency, General Ignatyev, asking His Excellency to present the act to the august potentate and convey our humble feelings of devotion, and our hopes that His Majesty will kindly accept the modest token of gratitude from His Majesty's obedient and everlasting prayers for His Majesty's powerful Empire. Made at Djuvania House of Mt Sinai in Cairo, this 13 November 1869. The Holy Council: Dikaios Protosyncellus Cornelius of Sinai, Protosyncellus Theodosius Serros of Sinai, Protosyncellus Polycarp of Sinai, Dionysius Confessor of Sinai, monk Philotheus of Sinai, sexton Macarius. Archbishop of Sinai Callistratus endorsing, confirming and affixing his Archiepiscopal Seal. The undersigned selected fathers of the Holy Community of Mt Sinai under the patronage of the Wise and Great Martyr St Catherine, herewith confirm and witness the aforesaid donation of the Old and New Testament manuscript of Mt Sinai. May presentation of the said manuscript as the absolute property to His Majesty the Emperor of All Russia and mighty defender of the Orthodoxy Alexander II represent our supreme gratitude. Made at Mount Sinai, 18 November 1869, The Holy Council: sexton Gregory of Sinai, hieromonk Gabriel of Sinai, housekeeper James of Sinai, monk Parthenius of Sinai.

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