PIS'MENNYE
PAMYATNIKI
VOSTOKA

Vol. 20, No. 2 (53)
Summer 2023

Journal based in 2004
Issued quarterly

Full text as a *.PDF file

PUBLICATIONS
HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, PHILOLOGY

Youli A. IOANNESYAN. “A Guide for the Perplexed” by Sayyid Kazim Rashti. Translated from Arabic and Persian. Part 5 — 5

The article presents a part of a Russian translation (with an introduction and commentaries) of the valuable treatise: Dalil al-mutahayyirin (“A Guide for the Perplexed”) by Sayyid Kazim Rashti, one of the founders of the Shaykhi school. The work is dated 1842. The translation is made from the Arabic original and two Persian translations of the treatise.
Keywords: Shi‘ah schools, Shaikhism, Sayyid Kazim Rashti

Natalia V. YAMPOLSKAYA. An Oirat Fragment of the Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sutra in the Collection of IOM, RAS — 26

The Mongolian collection of IOM, RAS, preserves one folio of a manuscript in the Clear Script with an Oirat translation of the Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sutra. Before 2023, the folio was stored among mixed manuscript fragments that were delivered to the Imperial Academy of Sciences in the 18th century. This fact, along with the characteristics of its paper and ductus, allowed us to conjecture that the manuscript was produced in the 18th century. The left and right margins of the folio are neatly cut off, which suggests that the manuscript came into the collectors’ possession in the same period (similar traces were left on other Tibetan and Mongolian pothi manuscripts that were delivered to Russia and Europe in the 18th century). The folio kept at IOM, RAS, is the only specimen of an Oirat translation of the Śatasāhasrikā known today. The translation style is similar to that of the Oirat Zaya Pandita (1599–1662), although his authorship remains to be confirmed. In the article, the facsimile of the folio is presented along with the transliteration of the Oirat text (in collation with the Tibetan source), and its translation into Russian.
Keywords: the Clear Script, the Oirat language, Zaya Pandita, Yum, Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā

RESEARCH WORKS
HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, PHILOLOGY

Alexandr L. KHOSROYEV. On Docetic Christology in Early Christianity. Pt. 3.1 — 37

According to the doctrine of the so-called docetic Christology, the earthly Jesus and the heavenly Christ were two different persons; it was Jesus who suffered on the cross, whereas Christ just entered Jesus’ body for a while and abandoned it before his death on the cross; consequently, the suffering of Christ was mere appearance. Based on some passages from Gnostic texts containing examples of docetic Christology, the author attempts here to trace the origin of that concept, starting with the New Testament (Pt. 1: Synoptic Gospels); in previous parts of the article (Pt. 2.1; 2.2; 2.3; 2.4), he analyzed such Paul’s passages as Rom. 1.3–4, Gal. 4.4–7, 1Cor 8.4–6, Phlp. 2.5–11, Col 1.15–20; in this part he is dealing with the writings of the so-called Johannine corpus, i.e., John and 1–2 John. To be continued.
Keywords: New Testament, pre-existence, docetism, the Johannine corpus, Ignatius of Antioch

Anthony E. TEREKHOV. Representation of the Three August Ones in Lo Mi’s Lu shi — 58

The focus of the present article is the notion of the Three August Ones (san huang)—the legendary monarchs who allegedly ruled All-Under-Heaven in the deepest antiquity, and its representation in the treatise Lu shi (Grandiose History) by the Southern Song intellectual Luo Mi (1131–1189/1203). This treatise develops the idea of the three trinities of the August Ones, with most attention paid to the Middle Three August Ones (zhong san huang). The article compares the interpretation of the images of the Three August Ones recorded in Lu shi with their description from the Taoist work Jiu huang tu (Images of the Nine August Ones). The main attention is paid to several aspects: the composition of the cohort of the Middle Three August Ones, their appearance, numbers and names. The translation of the parts from the second chapter of Lu shi dedicated to the Middle Three August Ones is given in the appendix.
Keywords: China’s legendary history, Three August Ones, Luo Mi, Lu shi, Jiu huang tu

HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY
TEXTOLOGY, CODICOLOGY, PALEOGRAPHY, ARCHEOGRAPHY

Marat M. YUNUSOV. From the History of the Decipherment of West Semitic Writing: Events and People. 7. Barthélemy the Orientalist: Between Scholarship and “High Society”. Part III — 71

The article is the third essay on the life and scholarly activity of the outstanding French scholar Abbоt J.-J. Barthélemy as part of a series of publications on the history of the decipherment of West Semitic writing (events and people). The essay examines the circumstances of Barthélemy’s appointment in September 1753 to the post of the Keeper of the Royal Cabinet of Medals. This event, long awaited by the abbot, became possible with the help and mediation of Marquis de Gonto and Comte de Stanville, both close to Marquise de Pompadour. Some events that led to the rapprochement of the influential mistress of the king with Comte de Stanville may, in a sense, be regarded as a background to this important appointment for Barthélemy. This Barthélemy’s appointment to a new post was the occasion for his personal acquaintance with de Stanville family, with whom the abbot would associate for the rest of his life and to which, by his own admission, he would sacrifice his scholarly career and the name that he could have in scholarship.
Keywords: Barthélemy, de Boze, de Caylus, de Malesherbes, de Stainville, de Choiseul, Cabinet of Medals, Arabic numismatics

COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

Maria N. DODEUS. The Instruction for Travelers Sent to China with Respect to Oriental Linguistics, History and Literature by I.J. Schmidt as a Document of Its Epoch — 90

The main purpose of this article is to introduce into scholarly circulation the full text of the Instruction for Travelers Sent to China with Respect to Oriental Linguistics, History and Literature, compiled in 1829 in German by the Mongolist and Tibetologist I.J. Schmidt for the members of the 11th Russian Orthodox Ecclesiastical Mission to Beijing, and its translation, contemporary with the original. The article briefly highlights the historical context in which the document emerged, the role of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in its preparation, provides archaeographic reference and comments on the text of the translation. These documents may be of interest to specialists from the viewpoint of an objective assessment of the level of development of individual areas of Oriental studies in Russia in the first quarter of the 19th century, and also may present material for further studies, including comparative ones.
Keywords: Russian Orthodox Mission in China, I.J. Schmidt, instruction, Sinology, Tibetan studies, Mongolian studies, Oriental studies

ACADEMIC LIFE

Mark A. KOZINTСEV. The Fifth Academic Conference “The Turko-Mongol World: Past and Present” in memoriam Sergei G. Kliashtorny (St. Petersburg, February 20–21, 2023) — 113
Keywords: Turkic studies in Russia, Old Turks, Old Turkic runic script, Turkic epigraphy, military Oriental studies

REVIEWS

Elena Yu. Kharkova. An Introduction to the Source Studies of Buddhism: India, Tibet, Mongolia. Ed. by S.P. Nesterkin. St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2019. 366 p. (Helena P. OSTROVSKAIA) — 121
Keywords: Buddhism, source studies, Buddhist written sources

A Catalogue of Sogdian Writings in Central Asia. Samarkand: IICAS, 2022. 248 p. (Olga M. CHUNAKOVA) — 126
Keywords: Sogdian writings, Central Asia, documents from Mount Mugh, Sogdian epigraphy

IN MEMORIAM

Evgeniia Ilinichna Vasilieva (1935–2023) (Ali I. KOLESNIKOV) — 131