John bar Penkaye's other work

As noted Baumstark continues:

Any data about his other works leave much to be desired in terms of clarity. In addition to epistles and answers to questions, a distinction can be made between: an ascetic main work in seven volumes, of which the last two were subsequently added as a "supplement"; a "book of the seven trade-speeches" (= "the seven eyes of the Lord"?) also of monastic-ascetic content; a two-volume "book against the (non-Christian or heretical?) cults"; and a book about Kindererziehung [childrearing and/or paedagogy].

A composition in poetic form is moreover preserved in a memra of seven-syllable meter against the moral decline of monasticism or "about the fear of God" (="about the perfection of divine conduct"). This rests upon a confusion with John of Dalyata (35e), although the ascetic legacy of the so-called "spiritual elder" was used also for Bar Penkaye.

Also to be distinguished from [our topic] is a John Dailomaya, d. 737/8 aged allegedly 122 years: native to Hedatta, this [John] entered the monastery in early youth, was kidnapped in later age by robbers into the land of Dailam on the Caspian Sea, where he founded a Syrian monastery. Author of "(eight or) nine Memre" of certainly ascetic content, which do not seem to have survived; he is met in further(?) transmission as such also of a Teshbohta and diaconal litany forms, while his own life story is the subject of an anonymous memra in twelve-syllable meter from an unknown period.

Of these, epistles and Q-n'-A are commonly mined for contemporary conditions, as we saw with Isho'yahb III a generation prior and, over West, with contemporary-ish Athanasius patriarch of Antioch (Hoyland, 147-9) and more so Jacob/James bishop of Edessa (ibidem, 160-7). Baumstark's footnote to that is just 'Aî, again. I hope we find these, somewhere, someday.

There has, indeed, been found "the Book of the Merchant"; and it is being edited - so I won't bother. And I'd not allow John bar Penkaye anywhere near any underaged relative of mine. Someone else can hunt around the manuscripts for any of that.

UPDATE 1/24: Then there's the ascetic work. The memra the Library Of Congress tags as such... ain't it. That's the #24-26-40 thing in footnote 6: worth a separate post. Also: those Kulte.

UPDATE 1/26: Here's the footnote #2 on that "ascetic main work": Biography. In 'Abd-Isho', the one mentioned in the fifth place seems to correspond to the kitâb, Dessare wad-Eshumlaya (de vinculis et de perfectione?), whereby the second part of the title then would needs be rendered by "and the supplement". Azz from it are maybe two "Discourse on the Cellule and the Trisagion" in the Hs: Seert 123. App. 2°.