ABD AL-MASIH, KNOWN AS IBN NUH.

Everything known about this author comes from the Coptic encyclopedist Abu al-Barakat IBN KABAR (d. 1324), who mentions him in his Lamp of Darkness at the end of Chapter 7 (Riedel, 1902, p. 666; Samir, 1971, p. 326; trans. Riedel, p. 703) as follows: “Masa‘il wa-Ajwibah fi Ma‘ani al-I‘tiqad li-‘Abd al-Masih yu‘raf bi-Ibn Nuh” (Questions and answers on the concepts of [Christian] dogma by ‘Abd al- Masih, known as Ibn Nuh).

Although he mentions ‘Abd al-Masih in the course of his text, Abu al-Barakat does not include him in his special inventory. Consequently, it is impossible to determine where he came from and when he lived beyond Abu al-Barakat’s own time. One notes that he is mentioned in an appendix after the Kitab al-Baradisus, that is, the Lausiac History of PALLADIUS. The reference to him in the Lamp of Darkness, however, shows that he was known by the Copts at the end of the thirteenth century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Riedel, W. ed. “Der Katalog der christlichen Schriften in arabischer Sprache von Abu’l Barakat, herausgegeben und übersetzt.” Nachrichten der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Vol. 5. Berlin, 1902.
• Samir, K., S. J., ed. Misbah al-Zulmah fi Idah al-Khidmah, li-Shams al-Riyasah Abi al Barakat al-ma‘ruf bi-Ibn Kabar. Cairo, 1971.

KHALIL SAMIR, S. J.