Pis'mennye pamiatniki Vostoka

The article continues our series of introduced and commented publications of works—currently in the collection of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences—by one of the founders of Shaykhism, Sayid Kazim Rashti. The translation of this treatise, rendered for the first time into a European language, has been made from a manuscript and a lithography.

The article introduces into scholarly circulation an annotated translation from Coptic of one of the most interesting Gnostic texts of the Valentinian school, which is now known in two copies (NHC V.3 and CodTch 2). The comparison of the texts allows us to postulate the existence of two versions of the work already on Greek soil and to make interesting observations both about the technique of translation from Greek into Coptic, and about the peculiarities of the existence of the ancient text in general.

The article offers a translation and analysis of the hagiography of Abu Hanifa from the Persian-language Sufi hagiographical compendium Memorial of God’s Friends by Farid al-Din ‘Attar Nishapuri (d. 1221). The unique position of this hagiography within this seminal work is of particular interest, as it showcases the multifaceted functions characteristic of the hagiographical genre. By their very nature, hagiographic texts must address both the community members and the external audiences who may serve as a potential base for the movement’s expansion. Including a renowned jurist and founder of Hanafi mazhab among the “Friends of God” aligns with the overarching trend in Sufism towards constructing the history of Sufi piety through different eras. However, a careful analysis of the text also reveals a clear polemical orientation, which highlights an essential aspect of both the Sufi movement and the broader medieval Muslim intellectual milieu, characterized by constant debates. Ultimately, the hagiography of Abu Hanifa presents Sufism as the sole possible “righteous” strategy for pious behavior among Muslims, emphasizing the importance of “Friend of God” as a role model for both adherents to the movement and those outside the community.

The article highlights the pioneering contributions of Dr. Dmitry D. Eliseev (1926–1994), a Korean manuscript scholar and senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences from 1954 to 1992. As the first to systematically study and publish traditional Korean literary works from the Institute’s unique manuscript collection, Eliseev laid the groundwork for subsequent research and significantly enriched our understanding of Korea’s literary heritage.

Тhe article is dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the remarkable Orientalist and teacher Sergei Georgievich Koshurnikov (1960–2002) who has trained many Russian Assyriologists and historians. It contains a biography of the scholar, supplemented by a description of his scholarly and pedagogical activities. The main areas of S.G. Koshurnikov’s activities are considered: research into the economy and political history of the city of Dilbat in the Old Babylonian era, research into the prosopography of Dilbat, study of the history of ancient Mesopotamia using computer technologies, creation of a database of Old Babylonian economic texts. The list of references includes all of the scholar’s published works.