Gregory Bar Hebraeus | |
|---|---|
| ܓܪܝܓܘܪܝܘܣ ܒܪ ܥܒܪܝܐ | |
| Born | 1226 (1226) Ebro, nearMalatya,Sultanate of Rûm |
| Died | 30 July, 1286 (aged 59–60) |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Medieval era |
| Region | Christian theology,Western philosophy |
| School | Syriac Orthodoxy |
| Main interests | Christian theology,logic,metaphysics,medicine,history |
| Maphrian of theSyriac Orthodox Church | |
| Church | Syriac Orthodox Church |
| See | Syria |
| In office | 1266–1286 |
| Predecessor | Ignatius Sleeba III |
| Successor | Gregorius bar Souma |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1266 by Ignatius IV Yeshu |
| Rank | Maphrian |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hārūn bin Tūmā al-Malaṭī 1226 |
| Died | 30 July 1286 Maraga,Persia |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 30 July |
| Venerated in | Syriac Orthodox Church |
| Shrines | St. Matthew's Monastery |
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Gregory Bar Hebraeus (Classical Syriac:ܓܪܝܓܘܪܝܘܣ ܒܪ ܥܒܪܝܐ, b. 1226 - d. 30 July 1286), known by his Syriacancestral surname asBarebraya orBarebroyo, in Arabic sources by hiskunyaAbu'l-Faraj, and hisLatinized nameAbulpharagius in theLatin West, was aMaphrian (regionalprimate) of theSyriac Orthodox Church from 1264 to 1286.[1] He was a prominent writer, who created various works in the fields ofChristian theology, philosophy, history, linguistics, and poetry.[2] For his contributions to the development ofSyriac literature, has been praised as one of the most learned and versatile writers among Syriac Orthodox Christians.[3]
In his numerous and elaborate treatises, he collected as much contemporary knowledge in theology, philosophy, science and history as was possible in 13th centurySyria. Most of his works were written inClassical Syriac language. He also wrote some inArabic, which was the common language in his day.[1][2]
It is not clear when Bar Hebraeus adopted theChristian name Gregory (Syriac:ܓܪܝܓܘܪܝܘܣGrigorios), but according to the Syriac Orthodox tradition of naming high priests, it may have occurred at the time of his consecration as bishop.[4] Throughout his life, he was often referred to by the SyriacnicknameBar ʿEvrāyā (ܒܪ ܥܒܪܝܐ, which is pronounced and often transliterated asBar Ebroyo in theWestern Syriac Rite of the Syriac Orthodox Church, giving rise to the Latinised name Bar Hebraeus. It was previously thought that this name, which means "Son of the Hebrew", was a reference to his Jewish background. Modern scholarship has moved away from this affirmation, because it is not substantiated by other facts.[citation needed] The name may refer to the ancestral origin of his family from ʿEbrā, a village by the Euphrates nearMalatya, the city in which he grew up. A few Syriac sources[who?] give Bar Hebraeus's full Arabic name asJamāluddīn Abū'l-Faraj Ġrīġūriyūs bin Tājuddīn Hārūn bin Tūmā al-Malaṭī (Arabic:جمال الدين ابو الفرج غريغوريوس بن تاج الدين هارون بن توما الملطي). However, all references to this longer name are posthumous. The Syriac nickname Bar ʿEbrāyā is sometimes arabised as ibn al-ʿIbrī (Arabic:ابن العبري). E. A. W. Budge says Bar Hebraeus was given the baptismal name John (Syriac:ܝܘܚܢܢ,Yōḥanan),[4] but this may be a scribal error. As a Syriac bishop, Bar Hebraeus is often given thehonorific Mār (Syriac:ܡܪܝ, pronounced Mor in West Syriac dialect), and thus Mar/Mor Gregory[citation needed]. He is also known as Abu'l Faraj (inLatin, Abulpharagius).
A Syriac bishop, philosopher, poet, grammarian, physician, biblical commentator, historian, and theologian, Bar Hebraeus was the son of a physician, Aaron (Hārūn bin Tūmā al-Malaṭī,Arabic:هارون بن توما الملطي).[5] Bar Hebraeus was born in the village of ʿEbra (Izoli, Turk.: Kuşsarayı) nearMalatya,Sultanate of Rum (now Turkey, in the province ofElazığ). Under the care of his father, he began as a boy (a teneris unguiculis) the study ofmedicine and of many other branches of knowledge, which he never abandoned.
AMongol general invaded the area of Malatya, and falling ill, sought for a physician. Aaron, the Hebrew physician, was summoned. Upon his recovery, the Mongol general and Aaron, who took his family with him, went toAntioch (seePrincipality of Antioch andFranco-Mongol alliance). There Bar Hebraeus continued with his studies and when he was about seventeen years of age he became a monk and began to lead the life of ahermit.[6]
From Antioch Bar Hebraeus went toTripoli inPhoenicia (actually in theCounty of Tripoli, aCrusader state in his time), and studiedrhetoric and medicine. In 1246, he was consecrated bishop ofGubos by theSyriac Orthodox PatriarchIgnatius III David,[6] and in 1252 he was transferred toAleppo. In 1255 he was again transferred to thesee ofLaqabin and finally was madeprimate, ormaphrian, of the East byIgnatius IV Yeshu in1264.[7] His episcopal duties did not interfere with his studies; he took advantage of the numerous visitations, which he had to make throughout his vast province, to consult the libraries and converse with the learned men whom he happened to meet. Thus he gradually accumulated an immense erudition, 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 undertook to treat. Bar Hebraeus preserved and systematized the work of his predecessors, either by way of condensation or by way of direct reproduction. Both on account of his virtues and of his science, Bar Hebraeus was highly esteemed. He died inMaragheh,Ilkhanate Persia, and was buried at theMor Mattai Monastery, nearMosul. He left an autobiography, to be found inGiuseppe Simone Assemani,Biblioth. Orient., II, 248–263; the account of his death was written by his brother, themaphrian Gregory III (Grigorius bar Saumo; d. 1307/8).
Bar Hebraeus' great encyclopedic work is hisHewath Hekhmetha, "The Cream of Science", which deals with almost every branch of human knowledge, and comprises the whole Aristotelian discipline, afterAvicenna and Arabian writers. This work, so far, has not been published, with the exception of one chapter, byMargoliouth, inAnalecta Orientalia ad poeticam Aristoteleam (London, 1887), 114–139.
TheKethabha dhe-Bhabhatha ("Book of the Pupils of the Eyes") is a compendium oflogic anddialectics. Other works are to be found in various manuscripts, preserved atFlorence,Oxford,London, and elsewhere. TheTeghrath Teghratha ("Commerce of Commerces") is a résumé of the preceding, whileKethabha dhe-Sewadh Sophia ("Book of Speech of Wisdom") represents a compendium of knowledge inphysics andmetaphysics. To these should be added a few translations of Arabic works into Syriac, as well as some treatises written in Arabic.[8]
The most important work of Bar Hebraeus isAwsar Raze, "Storehouse of Secrets", a commentary on the entireBible, both doctrinal and critical. Before giving his doctrinal exposition of a passage, he first considers its critical state. Although he uses thePeshitta as a basis, he knows that it is not perfect, and therefore controls it by the Hebrew, theSeptuagint, the Greek versions ofSymmachus,Theodotion,Aquila, by Oriental versions, Armenian and Coptic, and finally by the other Syriac translations, Heraclean,Philoxenian and especially theSyro-Hexapla. The work of Bar Hebraeus is of prime importance for the recovery of these versions and more specially for theHexapla ofOrigen, of which theSyro-Hexapla is a translation by Paul of Tella. His exegetical and doctrinal portions are taken from theGreek Fathers and previous Syriac Orthodox theologians. No complete edition of the work has yet been issued, but many individual books have been published at different times.[8]
Bar Hebraeus has left a large ecclesiastical history calledMakhtbhanuth Zabhne (Chronicon), in which he considers history from theCreation down to his own day. Bar Hebraeus used almost all that had been written before him, showing particular favor to the now lost chronographic records published byTheophilus of Edessa (late 8th century, although he has this only through Michael the Syrian and other dependents).[9] The work is divided into two portions, often transmitted separately.[10]
The first portion deals with political and civil history and is known as theChronicon Syriacum. The standard edition of theChronicon Syriacum is that ofPaul Bedjan.[11] An English translation byE. A. Wallis Budge was published in 1932.[12][13]
This was to give context to the second portion, known as theChronicon Ecclesiasticum and covering the religious history.[10] That section begins withAaron and consists of a series of entries of important individuals. The first half covers the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Patriarchs of Antioch, while the second half is devoted to theChurch of the East, theNestorian Patriarchs, and theJacobiteMaphrians. The current edition of theChronicon Ecclesiasticum is that ofAbbeloos andLamy,[14] Syriac text, Latin translation. An English translation by David Wilmshurst was published in 2016.[15]
Bar Hebraeus towards the end of his life decided to write a history in Arabic largely based on theChronicon Syriacum, adapted for a wider Arabic-reading readership rather than solely for Syriac-literate clergy.[16] The work became known under the nameal-Mukhtaṣar fi-l-Duwal.[17] This was first published byEdward Pococke in 1663 with Latin comments and translation.[18] A modern edition was first published by Fr. Anton Salhani in 1890.[19]
In theology Bar Hebraeus was aMiaphysite.[20] He once mused: When I had given much thought and pondered on the matter, I became convinced that these quarrels among the different Christian Churches are not a matter of factual substance, but of words and terminology; for they all confess Christ our Lord to be perfect God and perfect human, without any commingling, mixing, or confusion of the natures... Thus I saw all the Christian communities, with their different christological positions, as possessing a single common ground that is without any difference between them.[21]
In this field, we have from Bar HebraeusMenarath Qudhshe, "Lamp of the Sanctuary", and theKethabha dhe-Zalge, "Book of Rays", a summary of the first. These works have not been published, and exist in manuscript inParis,Berlin, London, Oxford, andRome. Ascetical and moral theology were also treated by Bar Hebraeus, and we have from himKethabha dhe-Ithiqon, "Book of Ethics", andKethabha 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 Hebraeus codified the juridical texts of the Syriac Orthodox, in a collection calledKethabha dhe-Hudhaye, "Book of Directions", edited by Bedjan, "BarhebræiNomocanon" (Paris, 1898). A Latin translation is to be found inAngelo Mai, "Scriptorum Veter. Nova Collectio", vol. x.
Linguistic works of Gregory Bar Hebraeus resulted from his studies ofSyriac language andSyriac literature.[22] He wrote two major grammatical works. First is the "Book of grammar in the meter of Mor Ephrem", also known as the "Metrical Grammar",[23][24] written in verses with commentaries, and extant in some 140 copies from various periods.[25] In that work, he referred to his native language both asAramaic (ārāmāytā) andSyriac (sûryāyā).[26] His other grammatical work is called the "Book of Splendours" (Ktābā d-ṣemḥe). Both were edited byPaulin Martin in 1872.[27][28]
Beside previously mentioned, Bar Hebraeus has left many other works on mathematics, astronomy, cosmography, medicine and philosophy, some of which have been published, but others exist only in manuscripts. The more important of them are:
A full list of Bar Hebraeus's other works, and of editions of such of them as have been published, can be found in several scholarly works.[8]
He is regarded as asaint by theSyriac Orthodox Church, who hold hisfeast day on July 30.[30]
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