Citation:
Ὁ ἅγιος Νεόφυτος ὁ Ἔγκλειστος καὶ ἡ Τυπικὴ Διαθήκη του. 2nd ed. Ἀθήνα: ἐκδ. Ἡρόδοτος, 2013.
Abstract:
""Saint Neophytos the Recluse (12th cent.) is the writer of Tυπικὴ Διαθήκη (ΤΔ), the first Typikon (Charter of foundation) of the monastery he founded in Paphos. Each particular edition of and research on saint Neophytos’ TΔ has its own value. The autobiographical passages of ΤΔ provide valuable pieces of information about the saint᾽s life and personality. Most researchers agree on specific elements such as the fact that the saints’ hometown was located in the wider region of Lefkara, that his parents had signed an engagement contract against his will, etc. Kyprianos (1779) claimed that Neophytos had been married for a while before he assumed the monastic habit; however, such a claim is proved unfounded. There is an open discussion among the researchers concerning the exact time when Neophytos wrote TΔ. Some claim that he wrote the first TΔ in 1177, 18 years after 1159, the year of his installation in the cave of Enkleistra (place of seclusion). They support that the number 8 that exists in the manuscript instead of the correct 18 is due to false writing. Our view differs. The investigation of the autobiographical passages in all of his works and the note in the second and final TΔ that Bakchos, bishop of Paphos, ratified the first TΔ, in relation to Neophytos’ statement that the first TΔ claimed absolute indigence of the Monastery, a claim that ceased to exist during the Latin occupation of the island (after 1191), as well as the morphological observation on the text that the word «cave» was replaced by the word «Enkleistra» from the point of reference to Basil Kinnamos as bishop of Paphos provide valuable evidence.All these led to the conclusion that the immurement of Neophytos took place in 1167, long after his initial installation in the cave (1159). Therefore the writing of the first TΔ took place eight years later, as is faultlessly mentioned in the manuscript, that is, in 1175. Among others, a new opinion is supported in relation to the 5th chapter of TΔ. Most researchers believe that according to this chapter, Neophytos made a trip to Jerusalem and found wood of the Holy Cross. We argue that this «holy trip» was not real, but the saint implies his persistent request in his prayer, so as to receive a piece of the Holy Cross from a visitor, request which was finally granted by God.""