Jabril ibn Bukhtishu (also spelledJibril ibn Bakhtisha,Gabrielbar Bokhtisho', orBakhtyshu) was an influential 8th–9th century physician from the prominentBukhtishu (Bokhtisho') family, a dynasty ofAssyrian Christian doctors from theChurch of the East associated with theAcademy of Gondishapur.[1] He was aNestorian and spokeSyriac,[2][3] though much of his medical work was composed inArabic.
Jabril was the grandson of Jirjis ibn Jibril and lived during the second half of the 8th century. He first served as physician toJa'far al-Barmaki and later to the Abbasid caliphsHarun al-Rashid (r. 786–809),Al-Amin (r. 809–813), andAl-Ma'mun (r. 813–833). He died in 828/829 and was buried in the Monastery of St. Sergios atCtesiphon.[4]
He proved his worth to Harun al-Rashid in 805 AD by successfully treating one of the caliph’s slaves, a feat that earned him the position of director of Baghdad’s major hospital that bore al-Rashid's name. His reputation extended beyond medicine; the caliph frequently sought his counsel on various administrative matters, even requesting his intervention when the vizier,Yahya al-Barmaki, made errors.[1]
Jabril is mentioned several times in the letters ofCatholicos Timothy I (d. 823). In Letter 47 he assisted Timothy in obtaining copies of theSyro-Hexapla, while in Letter 21 he interceded with the caliph on Timothy’s behalf. Despite their cooperation, Timothy is said to have rebuked Jabril for hisphilandering; later traditions report that Jabril repented of this behavior.[4]
Jabril was a leading figure in the transmission of Greek science into theIslamic world. He is credited with commissioning translations ofGalen and other Greek authors through figures such asIyob of Edessa andHunayn ibn Ishaq. Besides his role as a patron of translation, he also authored a number of medical works, including:[2]
Although little of his corpus survives intact, these works show his interest inphysiology,psychology, andzoology and puts him him as one of the foremost scientific authorities in AbbasidBaghdad.
Jabril was widely cited by later Syriac and Arabic writers. He appears in theLexicon ofHasan bar Bahlul, and is mentioned in theCatalogue ofʿAbdishoʿ of Nisibis, where his role is somewhat ambiguous — either as an author of a lexicon himself or as one of the principal sources for Bar Bahlul.[4]
Jabril ibn Bukhtishu was one of the leading physicians of his time. The work and support he provided helped to establish a foundation for the flourishing of medical science in the Abbasid era, and his personal associations linked the Nestorian intellectual community with the Abbasid court at Baghdad.
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