B-sebyan-Alaha

I've had sort-of the day off work, so here I'll try my hand at tracing the Episcopal Epistles by style. Here we'll look at the valedictions at the end - where we have them, so, not #12.

The end of the first epistle, like the end of the second epistle, and that of the third, end by blessing the recipient each ending "amen". Same with #5, 24.

In other exceptions: #15 is... special. I'll get to that.

Epistle #4 (to Hnanisho', "III") is where I start seeing requests for prayer, that I may be found worthy to spend the rest of my life doing the will of God. I see this again at the end of #11, 13, 16, 18, 22 (profusely), 23, 25, 30, 31, 32. These letters tend to mention Isho'yahb's "debility" or, for #16, his unworthiness. (I see #12 heading in that direction as well.) "Vileness" shows up #22.

#19, which is sniffy, ends "peace-out and, whatever - pray for me" basically. #28, which tells one Lulyan that he's been wrongly addressed, is more polite in its short "pray for me", also expressing personal "imfirmity". #29 is sniffiest of all: "shalme".

#21 is a pep-talk at the end of a correspondence (assumed to have failed): it asks prayers on all those addressed, which list the compiler has deleted from us. #27 is similarly collective.

#14, 17, 20, 26 end that the recipient pray that they self-submit to God's will; such tend to add "stay FIRM in our LORD". (Yeah I know - facetious.) By then I take it that Isho'yahb has made this sebyan-Alaha ending such a tic that he can swing it around to his target.

I mark #15 as the divisor between this bishop's self-confident earlier letters (check the bawlz on #2!), and the later letters where, thusly chastised, he takes care at least to pretend humility. Although much still depends on the addressee.