Bar-Hebraeus

Bar-Hebraeus (b. 1226 near Malatya, Sultanate of Rûm (modern Turkey) – d. 30 July 1286 in Maraga, Persia) was catholicos (bishop) of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the 13th century. He is noted for his works addressing philosophy, poetry, language, history, and theology; he has been called "one of the most learned and versatile men that Syria ever produced."

Bar-Hebraeus was born with the Arabic name Abū'l-Faraj bin Hārūn al-Malaṭī. It appears that he took the Christian name Gregory Grigorios at his consecration as a bishop. Throughout his life, he was often referred to by the Syriac nickname Bar-‘Ebrāyā , which is pronounced and often transliterated as Bar-‘Ebroyo in the West Syriac dialect of the Syriac Orthodox Church), giving rise to the latinized name Bar-Hebraeus. This nickname is often thought to imply a Jewish background (taken to mean 'Son of the Hebrew'). However, the evidence for this once popular view is slim. It is more likely that the name refers to the place of his birth, ‘Ebrā, where the old road east of Malatya towards Kharput (modern Elazığ) and Amid (modern Diyarbakır) crossed the Euphrates.

He collected in his numerous and elaborate treatises the results of such research in theology, philosophy, science and history as was in his time possible in Syria. Most of his works were written in Syriac, but some in Arabic, which had long before his time supplanted Syriac as a living speech.

Life

A Jacobite Syrian bishop, philosopher, poet, grammarian, physician, biblical commentator, historian, and theologian, he was the son of a physician, Aaron Hārūn bin Tūmā al-Malaṭī, . Under the care of his father he began as a boy (a teneris unguiculis) the study of medicine and of many other branches of knowledge, which he pursued as a youth at Antioch and Tripoli, Lebanon, and which he never abandoned. He says in his Historia synastiarum that he studied medicine under a distinguished Muslim physician in Damascus.. In 1246 he was consecrated bishop of Gubos, by the Jacobite Patriarch Ignatius II, and in the following year was transferred to the see of Lacabene. He would have taken monastic vows before his consecration, probably "while he was in Antioch," He was placed over the diocese of Aleppo by Dionysius, Metropolitan of Melitene (1252). He was ousted from this position in 1255 due to an internal feud following the Patriarch's death between Dionysius and a rival contender for the Patriarchate, John. After returning to Aleppo where he stayed at his father's house, he was re-instated in 1258..

Takahashi says that between 1260 and 1263 Bar-Hebraeus spent a lot of time at the Moghul court, where he served as physician to Hulagu Khan. In 1264, he was made primate, or maphrian, of the East by Ignatius III. During the years 1264 until his death, he was based in the Monastery of Mar Mattai in Mosul, although he also traveled lecturing and exercising episcopal oversight. In 1277, he visited Tikrit, the first visit by the maphrian in 60 years..

His episcopal duties did not interfere with his studies; he took advantage the need to travel throughout his vast province to consult libraries and to meet with scholars. He was, though, a conscientious pastor, building and repairing churches, visiting some of the most difficult areas of his province and consecrating twelve bishops. He found many valuable sources in the Library at Maragha, where he enjoyed a "good relation with the Muslim scholars." He became familiar with almost all branches of secular and religious knowledge, and in many cases thoroughly mastered the bibliography of the various subjects which he studied. How he could have devoted so much time to such a systematic study, in spite of all the Mongol invasion which took place at this time, is almost beyond comprehension. Bar Hebræus' main contribution to historical scholarship lies less in his original writing than in his work of preserving and systematizing the writings of his predecessors, either by way of summary or of direct reproduction. He acquired fluency in a number of languages, including Armenian, Persian at least "in the latter part of his life" and possibly Mongolian. Whether he knew Greek or Hebrew is uncertain. A total of 31 works are attributed to his authorship. These cover theology, history, medicine and liturgy.

Death

Bar Hebræus' scholarly reputation earned him wide respect, and his death in 1286 was mourned not only by men of his own Church, but also by the Nestorians and the Armenians. He was buried at the convent of Mar Matthew, near Mosul. He has left us an autobiography.

Works

Encyclopedic and philosophical

His great encyclopedic work is his Hewath Hekhmetha, "The Cream of Science," which deals with almost every branch of human knowledge, and comprises the whole Aristotelian discipline, after Avicenna and other Arabian writers. This work, so far, has not been published, with the exception of one chapter, by Margoliouth, in Analecta Orientalia ad poeticam Aristoteleam The rest is to be found only in MSS., preserved at Florence, Oxford, London, and elsewhere. (2) Teghrath Teghratha, "Commerce of Commerces," a résumé of the preceding, also unpublished. (3) Kethabha dhe-Bhabhatha, "Book of the Pupils of the Eyes"; compendium of logic and dialectics. (4) Kethabha dhe-Sewadh Sophia, "Book of Speech of Wisdom"; compendium of physics and metaphysics. he also wrote a few translations of Arabic works into Syriac, as well as some treatises written directly in Arabic.

Biblical

The most important work of Bar Hebræus is Aucar Raze, "Storehouse of Secrets," a commentary on the entire Bible, both doctrinal and critical. Before giving his doctrinal exposition of a passage, he first considers its critical state. Although he uses the Peshitta as a basis, he knows that it is not perfect, and therefore controls it by the Hebrew, the Septuagint, the Greek versions of Symmachus, Theodotion, Aquilla, by Oriental versions, Armenian and Coptic, and finally by the other Syriac translations, Heraclean, Philoxenian and especially Syro-Hexapla. The work of Bar Hebræus is of prime importance for the recovery of these versions and more specially for the Hexapla of Origen, of which the Syro-Hexapla is a translation by Paul of Tella. His exegetical and doctrinal portions are taken from the Greek Fathers and previous Syrian Jacobite theologians. No complete edition of the work has yet been issued, but many individual books have been published at different times. (See bibliography at the end of article.)

Historical

Bar Hebræus has left a large historical work called Makhtbhanuth Zabhne, "Chronicon," in which he considers history from the Creation down to his own day. It is divided into two portions: the first deals with political and civil history and is known as the "Chronicon Syriacum"; the second, "Chronicon Ecclesiasticum," comprising the religious history, begins with Aaron and treats in a first section of the history of the Western Syrian Church and the Patriarchs of Antioch, while a second section is devoted to the Eastern Church, the Nestorian Patriarchs, and the Jacobite Maphrians. Edward Pococke, Oxford University's first Professor of Arabic took a copy of this text back to England with him after his stay in Aleppo where he served as Chaplain to the English community. Bar Hebræus utilized almost all that had been written before him. The best edition of the "Chronicon Syriacum" is that of Bedjan, "Gregorii Barhebræi Chronicon Syriacum" (Paris, 1890). The best edition of the "Chronicon Ecclesiasticum" is that of Abbeloos and Lamy. The "Chronicon Syriacum" was rendered into Arabic by Bar Hebræus himself under the name of "History of Dynasties"; the latest and the best edition of his work is that of Salhani (Beirut, 1890).

Theological

In theology Bar Hebræus was a Miaphysite. He probably, however, thought that the differences between Catholics, Nestorians, and the rest were of a theological, but not of a dogmatical nature, and that they did not affect the common faith; hence, he did not consider others as heretics, and was not himself considered as such, at least by the Nestorians and the Armenians. In this field, we have from him Menarath Qudhshe, "Lamp of the Sanctuary," and the Kethabha dhe-Zalge, "Book of Rays," a summary of the first. These works have not been published, and exist in manuscript in Paris, Berlin, London, Oxford, and Rome. Ascetical and moral theology were also treated by Bar Hebræus, and we have from him Kethabha dhe-Ithiqon, "Book of Ethics," and Kethabha dhe-Yauna, "Book of the Dove," an ascetical guide. Both have been edited by Bedjan in "Ethicon seu Moralia Gregorii Barhebræi" (Paris and Leipzig, 1898). The "Book of the Dove" was issued simultaneously by Cardahi (Rome, 1898). Bar Hebræus codified the juridical texts of the Jacobites, in a collection called Kethabha dhe-Hudhaye, "Book of Directions," edited by Bedjan, "Barhebræi Nomocanon" (Paris, 1898). A Latin translation is to be found in Angelo Mai, "Scriptorum Veter. Nova Collectio," vol. x. Bar Hebræus has left besides many other works. On grammatical subjects we have the "Book of Splendours" and "Book of the Spark," both edited by Martin, "Oeuvres grammaticales de Aboul Faradj dit Barhebræus" (2 vols., Paris, 1872); also works on mathematics, astronomy, cosmography, and medicine, some of which have been published, but others exist only in manuscript.

Other works

A full list of Bar Hebraeus's other works, and of editions of such of them as have been published, will be found in W. Wright's Syriac Literature, pp. 268-281. The more important of them are:

1. Kethabha dhe-Bhabhatha (Book of the Pupils of the Eyes), a treatise on logic or dialectics
2. Hewath Hekmetha (Butter of Wisdom), an exposition of the whole philosophy of Aristotle
3. Sullarat Haunãnãyã (Ascent of the Mind), a treatise on astronomy and cosmography, edited and translated by F. Nau (Paris, 1899)
4. various medical works
5. Kethabha dhe-Zalge (Book of Rays), a treatise on grammar
6. ethical works
7. poems
8. Kethabha dhe-Thunnaye Mighaizjzikhanl (Book of Entertaining Stories), edited and translated by E. A. Wallis Budge (London, 1897).

Veneration

He is regarded as a saint by the Syriac Orthodox Church, who hold his feast day on July 30.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bar Hebraeus, Jean Baptiste Abbeloos, and Thomas Joseph Lamy. 1872. Gregorii Barhebraei Chronicon ecclesiasticum quod e codice Musei britannici descriptum conjuncta opera ediderunt, Latinitate donarunt annotationibusque. Lovanii: C. Peeters. ISBN 9780524104040
• Bar Hebraeus. 1976. The laughable stories. New York: AMS Press. ISBN 9780404113476
• Budge, Wallis E. A. 2003. Chronography of bar hebraeus. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 9781593330552
• Nöldeke, Theodor. 1985. Sketches from Eastern history. London: Darf. ISBN 9781850770657
• Sweetman, J. W. (1955). Islam and Christian theology: a study of the interpretation of theological ideas in the two religions. Part II (in 2 volumes) Vol. I The mediaeval developments significant for comparative study. Historical survey of the second period. Missionary research series, no. 22. London: Lutterworth Press.
• Takahashi, Hidemi. 2005). Barhebraeus: A Bio-Bibliography. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-148-7.
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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