SYRIAC
410
SYBIAC
tion of the Massoretic signs, perhaps with the assist-
ance of the Jews of Nisibis. Henana of Adiabene at
the end of the sixth century drew to Nisibis a large
number of disciples; his teaching caused serious dis-
sensions in the Nestorian Church, for he abandoned
the doctrines of Theodore of Mopsuestia to attach
himself to St. John Chrj'sostom. His doctrine, cen-
sured by Ishoyahb I, was condemned by the Synod of
Sabrisho (596). Most of his Uterary work consists of
Biblical commentaries. They are lost, but extensive
fragments are inserted in the "Garden of Delights", a
twelfth-century compilation, which has preserved
numerous extracts from the oldest Nestorian exegetes.
Under the patriarchate of Ezechiel (570-81) Barhad-
beshabba, who became Bishop of Holwan, a partisan
of Henana, wrote numerous controversial and exegeti-
cal works and a treatise "On the Reason of the
Schools" (ed. Scher, Paris, 1909), which throws light
on the history of Nisibis. We have the synodal let-
ters, and twentv-two questions on the sacraments of
the Patriarch Islioyalib I of Arzon (582-95).
At the end (jf this century the Syrians had a copious hagiographical literature, of which the oldest and most authentic portion consists of the Acts of the Martyrs of the persecution of Sapor II (see Persecution). To these were added numerous passions, lives of saints, and biographies translated from the Greek, the whole forming a rich mine for the historian and the hagiographer. In this centurj' also there were trans- lated and were often re-written the Greek apocrj^pha of the Old and New Testament which have come down to us in Syriac, together with some native pro- ductions, such as the teaching of Addai. The curious romance of Julian the Apostate (ed. Hoffmann) dates from the sixth century as well as the valuable chron- icle of Edessa and the large historical compilation (ed. Land) ascribed to Zacharias the Rhetorician; it con- sists in part of original documents and partly of Greek sources, and is of Monophysite origin.
While Mesopotamia and especially Persia was at- tached to Nestorianism, the western Syrians embraced the Monophysite doctrines of Eutyches, propagated by the monk Barsauma, condemned as a heretic by the Council of Chalcedon (451), and in this they claimed to remain faithful to the traditions of St. Cyril of Alexandria (see Monophysites and Mono- physitism). All their theological and polemical liter- ature was inspired by this doctrine, which was de- fended by talented wTiters. The foremost were James of Sarugh and Philoxenes of Mabboug. The latter was born at Tabal in Mesopotamia, studied at Edessa in the time of Ibas, and later ardently em- braced the Monophysite cause. Appointed Bishop of Mabboug (Hierapolis) in 485, he went twice to Con- stantinople and was much e.steemed by the Emperor Anastasius. He presided at the council which made the famous Severus Patriarch of Antioch (512). He was exiled by Justin and died at Gangres about 523. Despite his eventful life he was one of the most prolific and elegant of Syriac WTiters. Of his writings we possess liturgies anfl prayers, thirteen homilies (ed. Budge, London, 1894) which constitute a treatise of Christian ethics, a commentary on the Gospels (pri>- servcd only in part), a treatise on the Trinity and the Incarnation (ed. Vaschalde, Paris, 1907), some dis- courses, professions of faith, several short polemical treatises against the Catholics and the Nestorians, and numerous letters.
James and Philoxenes wrote against Rf ephen bar Su- daile, a pious monk, born at Edessa; on his return from a journey to Egyjit he preaclicd pantheistic doctrines. Driven from Edessa he withdrew to Palestine, where among the Origenistic monks he foiuid a fertile field for his ideas (cf. Frothingham, "Stephen bar Su- daili", Leyden, ISS(l). Nime of his letters or mysti- cal connnentarics on the Hililc rcni.ain, but he is the author of a book, "The Hidden Mysteries of the House
of God", which he issued under the name of Hiero-
theus, the pretended master of Dionysius the Areo-
pagite. This extensive treatise was very influential
in the development in Syria of pseudo-Dioiiysian litera-
ture; it was afterwards forgotten, and in the thir-
teenth century Barhebraeus had great difficulty in
securing a copy; this copy is now in the British
Museum.
Among the other Monophysite writers of the sixth century were: Simeon of Beit Arsham, a skilful dia- lectician who combatted the Nestorians. He died at Constantinople in the reign of Justinian. His let- ters on the propagation of Nestorianism and on the Christian martyrs of Yemen (Himyarites) are fa- mous. John bar Cursus, Bishop of Telia, expelled from his see in 521, died at Antioch in 538. He is the author of exhortations to the clergy and disciplinary questions, a profession of faith, and a commentarj' on the Trisagion. Paul, Bishop of Callinicus, deposed in 519, translated into Syriac the works of Severus of Antioch. Jacob Barbuadseus, the real founder of the Monophysite Church, from whom it derived its name of Jacobite, died in 578. His letters and profession of faith are preserved in Syriac translations. The lives of all these men are more or less well-known through numerous monographs which cannot be enumerated here, and tlirough the valuable historical works of John of Ephesus.
Sergius of Reshaina was a physician and a dis- tinguished scholar; his friendship with the Nestorians and the part he played at the end of his life caused him to be suspected of having abandoned Monophy- site doctrines. He studied at Alexandria, where he learned Greek. In 535 he was sent to Rome by Ephrem, Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, and escorted Pope Agapetus to Constantinople. Here Sergius sought to expel the patriarchs Severus of Antioch, Theodosius of Alexandria, and Anthinus, who had met there. He died there in 536. His considerable literary work consists almost entirely of Greek trans- lations remarkable for their fidelity; his version of the works of the pseudo-Areopagite greatly influenced the theology of the western Syrians, and his translations of profane authors (Porphyry, Aristotle, Galen, etc.) hold a special place in the body of SjTiac transla- tions. A number of the works of Sergius have reached us; they have been published in part; mention must also be made of Rhoudemeh of Tagrit (d. 575), who left philosophical and grammatical works; Moses of Aghel, translator of the works of Cyril of Alexandria; and the Patriarch Peter of Callinicus (578-91), whose theological wTitings against Damian of Alexandria and the Tritheists have reached us, together with some letters.
Among the Nestorians the literature of the seventh century begins with Babai the Great, Abbot of Mount Izla, who governed the Church of Persia during the vacancy of the patriarchal sec (608-29) brought about by the hostility of Khusrau II. He conijiosed many works; his treatise on the union of the two natures of Christ which we possess is one of the most important works of Nestorian theology. There are extant a hymn and a dogmatic letter bv the Patriarch Ish- oyahb II of Ged.ala (628-43). Ishoyahb III of .\dia- bene (648-60) was a prolific writer, and remarkable for his studied style; he composed controversial treatises, funeral or.ations, hymns, numerous liturgical works, and the history of the martyr Ishosabran. We have also a collection of 104 of his letters (ed. Duval, Paris, 1904), which is iiniiortant for the religious his- tory of this period. Islioyahb energetically opposed Sahdona fMartyrius"), Hisho]) of Mahoze, liis former friend and liis companion in the embassy from Boran to the Emperor H<'raclius in (i30. Sahdona became converted to Catholicism. The extant jiorfion of his numerous writings has been edited by Bedjan (Leip- zig, 1902) ; it consists mainly of the end of a treatise in
