Shorter treatise on creed by the Syrian Jacobite enlightener John Ibn al-Ghurayr in the National library of Russia

The article examines a shorter treatise of Anti-Calvinist orientation about the confession (especially on the Eucharist) compiled on the 1st of October, AD 1671, by the outstanding guardian of written heritage of the Syrian Jacobite community of Damascus John (Gregory as bishop) Ibn al-Ghurayr on requsest of the Jesuit priest Michel Nau for the Ambassador of France to the Sublime Porte Charles François Olier de Nointel who certified it on the 1st of July, AD 1672 (National Library of Russia, Doubr. Aut. 60 n 5). The text of the treatise written in the Arabic language with Arabic script is published for the first time with a commented translation into Russian. It is found that its extinct protograph was copied on the 1st of October, AD 1668, in all probability with Gharshuni writing as well as another manuscript of it dated from AD 1676-7 in the Syrian Catholic monastery of Lebanon (Charfet R 787, fol. 229r–233v). Some previously unknown details of the author’s biography were discovered, for instance, the existence of four Syrian Jacobite parishes in Damascus under his episcopal omophorion. The question was raised about the identity of the longer treatise on Credo ascribed to Ibn al-Ghurayr (NLR, Doubr. Aut. 60 n 4) with s copy from the above mentioned composite (Charfet R 787, fol. 245r–257r).