Ibn Kabar

• Al-Shaykh al-Mu’taman Shams al-Riyasah ibn al-Shaykh al-As’ad Abu al-Barakat, known as ibn Kabar.

• He was a scholar at the end of the golden age of Coptic literary accomplishment.

• He was born to a wealthy Coptic family towards the end of the 13th century.

• He learned classical languages such as Greek, Hebrew, and probably Syriac.

• He was the scribe of Sultan Baybars (1260-77). He was loyal to him and helped him in writing a valuable book still present as a manuscript: Zubdat al-Fikrah fi Tarikh al-Higra - The Precious Thinking in the History of Immigration.

• He left the Sultan’s service and was ordained a priest in St. Mary’s Church ( al Mu‘allaqah - suspended). He gave much attention to the spiritual pastoral care of his people.

• He wrote many books which prove that he is an honorable scholar, deep theologian, and a church historian.

• He died on 15 Bashans, A.M. 1040.

Amongst his works are:

1. On Holy Chrism (Mayroun): It outlines the ingredients required to make the Holy Chrism and the method of making it.

2. Gala’ al-Uqul fi ilm al-Usul: A critical analysis of Christian doctrines :

• It contains 18 chapters on the oneness of God and the Holy Trinity and on the Incarnation.

• A copy is preserved in the Vatican Library and another in Damascus .

3. Misbah Al-Zulmah fi idah al-Khidmah (The Lamp of Darkness and an Elucidation on Service):

• The most comprehensive, and still unsurpassed, encyclopedia of religious knowledge in 24 sections.

• Several manuscripts of this work have been found; the most ancient is the Vatican manuscript dated A.M. 1049 (A.D. 1333). Another manuscript dated A.M 1059 (A.D. 1343) was published in Cairo in 1930.

• Copies are also preserved in the Berlin, and Paris (National) Libraries.

4. Al-Sullam al-Kabir - The Great Ladder ; better known to western scholarship as Scala Magna :

• It is one of the most important Coptic Dictionaries left to us, and is considered one of the most valuable Coptic books.

• Ibn Kabar included in it all available Coptic terms with their Arabic equivalents in ten sections and thirty-two chapters.

• It was published in Rome in ca. 1648, in Coptic, Latin and Arabic. 5. Against Predestinarianism.

6. Sermons on feasts and occasions.

7. Miscellaneous orations, epistles, and obituaries of which 51 have been preserved in elaborate classical Arabic style.⁴

Anba Yusab Al-Abahh