ON SAINT ANTIPATER,
BISHOP OF BOSTRA IN ARABIA.
Notice from the Greek Synaxaria.
CommentaryAntipater, Bishop of Bostra in Arabia (S.)
G. H.
[1] Bostra, a city of Arabia Petraea, was once the greatest
& Archiepiscopal,
under the Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
mentioned by Ptolemy book 5 chap. 17.
The memory of this city is inculcated
to us by the Ms. Synaxarion
of the Church of Constantinople, often cited, in which
these things are read, Μνήμη τοῦ ὁσίου Ἀντιπάτρου, Ἐπισκόπου Βόστρων.
The same are read in the Mss. Menaea
of Milan of the Ambrosian Library, & of Turin of the Duke
of Savoy; likewise the Parisian of Cardinal
Mazarin, & the Divion of Petrus Franciscus
Chifletius: in these indeed it has, Ὁ ἅγιος Ἀντίπατρος, Ἐπίσκοπος Βόστρων, ἐν εἰρήνῃ τελειοῦται.
Saint Antipater, Bishop of Bostra, in
peace ended his life: & are added these verses:
Τὸν Ἀντίπατρον πλούσιον, Σῶτερ, δέχου, Τῶν ἀρετῶν φέροντα κορβωνᾶν μέγαν.
Receive, Saviour, the rich Antipater,
Bringing of virtues a great corbona.
Now the Corbona is the treasury, where the money of the Priests
was reposed; or the ark in which were deposited
the offerings & gifts of the temple. He is judged therefore a great
treasure of virtues, in his soul, as in a rich
ark, hidden, & offered to God. We hope we may be able to teach
more sometime.