Acknowledgements
I acknowledge and thank the following: Professor Rifaat Ebied, OAM FAHA, who supervised my dissertation patiently and thoroughly; without his guidance, this book could not have been completed. Dr Ali Aldahesh assisted in improving numerous portions of the English translation of The Principles of Religion. His Eminence Mor Malatius Malki Malki, Metropolitan Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand, provided me with numerous resources, facilitated travel to visit monasteries in Mairut (Egypt), Jerusalem (Israel), and Mardin (Turkey), and reviewed select portions of my translations of Syriac and Arabic text. Father George Alkan and Abdulmesih Bisseh helped me to better understand some relevant passages from Bar Hebraeusâ Lamp of the Sanctuary. His Grace Bishop Daniel of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions permitted me to visit and make use of resources at the Monastery of Saint Mina. The staff of the Monastery of Saint Mina, Mairut accommodated me and supplied me with copies of MSS FH. His Eminence Swerios Malki Murad, Former Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem and Jordan, and Reverend Father Shemun Can at St. Markâs Convent, Jerusalem, accommodated me and permitted me to inspect MS L. Mor Philoxenos Saliba Ãzmen, Metropolitan of Mardin and the staff of Dayr al-ZaÊ¿farÄn accommodated me and helped me make contact with the staff of the Church of Forty Martyrs who enabled me to inspect MS G. The staff of Meryem Ana Kilisesi, Diyarbakir (Turkey) permitted me to inspect MS M. Dr David Calabro of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library made a copy of MS A accessible for me to procure. Julie Dietman of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library equipped me with copies of MSS ACGILM and other manuscript copies. Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, furnished me with copies of MS D and of a portion of another manuscript. The staff of Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana supplied me with copies of MSS BJ and of other manuscripts. Aleksandra Nikolic, Site Services Advisor at Fisher Library, University of Sydney, helped me access a copy of MS E from Forschungsbibliothek Gotha der Universität Erfurt and numerous Syriac Mingana manuscript copies from Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne. The staff of Bibliothèque Orientale, Université Saint-Joseph, provided a copy of MS K and other manuscript copies. The staff of the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, sent me a copy of MS N and another MS copy. The staff of Bibilothèque Nationale de France, of Cambridge University Library, and of Leiden University Library supplied me with copies of manuscripts and portions thereof. Melanie Burke, my beloved wife, translated various relevant French and German articles for me to use and supported me with great patience and constant encouragement through the many burdens and obstacles involved in completing the original dissertation. Dr Jean Burke and Dr Michael Burke, my dear parents, furnished me with lodging during my visits to the University of Sydney to receive in-person supervision.
I also acknowledge and thank the Chief Editor, Dr Ken Parry, and the editorial board of Brillâs Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity series for accepting this work for publication.