Jacob of Edessa
Encyclopedia
Jacob of Edessa (c. 640
– 5 June 708) was one of the most distinguished of Syriac
writer
s.
, around 640. He studied at the famous monastery of Ken-neshre (on the left bank of the Euphrates
, opposite Jergbis) and later at Alexandria
.
On his return from Alexandria he was appointed bishop of Edessa by his friend Athanasius II
, Patriarch of Antioch. He held this office for three or four years, as the clergy opposed his strict enforcement of the Church canons and he was not supported by Julian, the successor of Athanasius. Publicly burning a copy of the canons in front of Julian's residence, Jacob retired to the monastery of Kaisum near Samosata
, and from there to the monastery of Eusebona where, for eleven years, he taught the Psalms and the reading of the Scriptures in Greek. Towards the close of this period Jacob again encountered opposition, this time from monks who despised the Greeks.
Jacob left Eusebona and proceeded to the great convent of Tel Ade, one of several Syriac Orthodox monasteries on the 'mountain of Edessa' (? modern Tellgdi, northwest of Aleppo
), where he spent nine years in revising and amending the Peshitta
version of the Old Testament
with the aid of the various Greek versions.
He was finally recalled to the bishopric of Edessa in 708, but died four months later.
and his writings have a definite Monophysite character. Assemani
tried hard to prove him orthodox (B.O. i. 470 sqq.) but changed his opinion on reading his biography by Barhebraeus (ib. ii. 3-7). See especially Lamy, Dissert. de Syrorum fide, pp.206 sqq. i Text at Leipzig 1889 (Das Buch der Erkenntniss der Wahrheit oder der Ursache aller Ursachen): translation (posthumously) at Strassburg 1893.
's Bibliotheca Orientalis and Wright
's Catalogue of Syriac MSS in the British Museum.
. Wright
calls this a curious eclectic or patchwork text. Five volumes survive in Europe (Wright
, Catalogue 38). This was the last attempt at a revision of the Old Testament
in the Syriac Orthodox Church
. Jacob was also the chief founder of the Syriac Massorah among the Monophysites, which produced such manuscripts as the one (Vat. cliii.) described by Wiseman in Horae syriacae, part iii.
He also wrote commentaries and scholia on the bible. Specimens of these are given by Assemani and Wright
. They are quoted a lot by later commentators, who often refer to Jacob as the "Interpreter of the Scriptures".
He also wrote a Hexahemeron, or treatise on the six days of creation. Manuscripts of this exist at Leiden and at Lyon
. It was his last work, and being left incomplete was finished by his friend George the bishop of the Arabs.
He translated the apocryphal History of the Rechabites composed by Zosimus
from Greek into Syriac (Wright
, Catalogue 1128, and Nau
in Revue semitique vi. 263, vii. 54, 136).
in Reliquiae juris eccl. syriace, pp. 117 sqq. and Jean Baptiste Lamy
in Dissert. pp. 98 sqq.
Additional canons were given in Wright
's Notulae syriacae.
All of them have been translated and expounded by Kayser
, Die Canones Jacobs von Edessa (Leipzig, 1886).
He also made many contributions to Syriac liturgy
, both original and as translations from Greek (Wright, Short History, p. 145 seq.).
, Catalogue 984).
Translations of works of Aristotle have been attributed to him. However these are probably by other hands (Wright
, Short History p. 149; Duval, Littirature syriaque, pp. 255, 258).
The treatise De cause omnium causarum, which was the work of a bishop of Edessa, was formerly attributed to Jacob; but the publication of the whole by Kayser has made it clear that the treatise is of much later date.
of Eusebius
. This is described and quoted from by Michael the Syrian
in book 7 of his own Chronicle.
The original text of Jacob's continuation has unfortunately perished apart from 23 leaves in a manuscript in the British Library. Of these a full account is given in Wright
, Catalogue 1062, and an edition of these has been published in CSCO by E.W.Brooks.
In early Syriac vowels are either not shown, or else shown by a system of dots, used erratically. Jacob borrowed five vowel signs from Greek, which he wrote above the line as miniature symbols. This caught on, and is a feature of West Syriac writing even today. He also elaborated the system whereby some consonants could stand for vowels.
Jacob also tried to introduce the Greek practice of writing the vowels on the line, the same way as is done for the consonants. This was resisted by his countrymen and did not come into effect.
In his letter to George, bishop of Serugh, on Syriac orthography (published by Phillips in London 1869, and by Martin in Paris the same year) he sets forth the importance of fidelity by scribes in the copying of minutiae of spelling.
, the monophysite patriarch of Antioch. This important collection is now in part known to us by E. W. Brooks's edition and translation of the 6th book of selected epistles of Severus, according to another Syriac version made by Athanasius of Nisibis in 669. (Pseudo-Dionysius of Tell-Mahr says 677; but Athanasius was patriarch only 684-687.)
A large number of letters by Jacob to various correspondents have been found in various MSS. Besides those on the canon law to Addai, and on grammar to George of Serugh referred to above, there are others dealing with doctrine, liturgy, and so forth. A few are in verse.
640
Year 640 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 640 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Tulga succeeds his father Suinthila as king...
– 5 June 708) was one of the most distinguished of Syriac
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s.
Life
Jacob of Edessa was born in Aindaba near AleppoAleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, around 640. He studied at the famous monastery of Ken-neshre (on the left bank of the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
, opposite Jergbis) and later at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
.
On his return from Alexandria he was appointed bishop of Edessa by his friend Athanasius II
Athanasius II, Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch Athanasius of Balad was the Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church .Antioch in his patriarchate was ruled by the House of Marwan, a branch of the Umayyads then struggling for its life in the Second Civil War...
, Patriarch of Antioch. He held this office for three or four years, as the clergy opposed his strict enforcement of the Church canons and he was not supported by Julian, the successor of Athanasius. Publicly burning a copy of the canons in front of Julian's residence, Jacob retired to the monastery of Kaisum near Samosata
Samosata
Samosata was an ancient city on the right bank of the Euphrates whose ruins existed at the modern city of Samsat, Adıyaman Province, Turkey until the site was flooded by the newly-constructed Atatürk Dam....
, and from there to the monastery of Eusebona where, for eleven years, he taught the Psalms and the reading of the Scriptures in Greek. Towards the close of this period Jacob again encountered opposition, this time from monks who despised the Greeks.
Jacob left Eusebona and proceeded to the great convent of Tel Ade, one of several Syriac Orthodox monasteries on the 'mountain of Edessa' (? modern Tellgdi, northwest of Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
), where he spent nine years in revising and amending the Peshitta
Peshitta
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition.The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated into Syriac from the Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD...
version of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
with the aid of the various Greek versions.
He was finally recalled to the bishopric of Edessa in 708, but died four months later.
Doctrinal allegiance
Jacob belonged to the Syriac Orthodox ChurchSyriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
and his writings have a definite Monophysite character. Assemani
Giuseppe Simone Assemani
Giuseppe Simone Assemani , 1687–1768, was a Lebanese Maronite orientalist.-Life:Giuseppe Simone Assemani was born on August 27, 1687 in Hasroun, Mount Lebanon. When very young he was sent to the Maronite College in Rome, and was transferred thence to the Vatican library. He was ordained priest on...
tried hard to prove him orthodox (B.O. i. 470 sqq.) but changed his opinion on reading his biography by Barhebraeus (ib. ii. 3-7). See especially Lamy, Dissert. de Syrorum fide, pp.206 sqq. i Text at Leipzig 1889 (Das Buch der Erkenntniss der Wahrheit oder der Ursache aller Ursachen): translation (posthumously) at Strassburg 1893.
Writings
Most of his works are in prose. Few have been published. In 1911 most of the information available was to be found in Giuseppe Simone AssemaniGiuseppe Simone Assemani
Giuseppe Simone Assemani , 1687–1768, was a Lebanese Maronite orientalist.-Life:Giuseppe Simone Assemani was born on August 27, 1687 in Hasroun, Mount Lebanon. When very young he was sent to the Maronite College in Rome, and was transferred thence to the Vatican library. He was ordained priest on...
's Bibliotheca Orientalis and Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
's Catalogue of Syriac MSS in the British Museum.
Biblical works and commentaries
Jacob produced a revision of the bible, based on the PeshittaPeshitta
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition.The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated into Syriac from the Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD...
. Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
calls this a curious eclectic or patchwork text. Five volumes survive in Europe (Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
, Catalogue 38). This was the last attempt at a revision of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
in the Syriac Orthodox Church
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
. Jacob was also the chief founder of the Syriac Massorah among the Monophysites, which produced such manuscripts as the one (Vat. cliii.) described by Wiseman in Horae syriacae, part iii.
He also wrote commentaries and scholia on the bible. Specimens of these are given by Assemani and Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
. They are quoted a lot by later commentators, who often refer to Jacob as the "Interpreter of the Scriptures".
He also wrote a Hexahemeron, or treatise on the six days of creation. Manuscripts of this exist at Leiden and at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. It was his last work, and being left incomplete was finished by his friend George the bishop of the Arabs.
He translated the apocryphal History of the Rechabites composed by Zosimus
Zosimus
Zosimus was a Byzantine historian, who lived in Constantinople during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I . According to Photius, he was a comes, and held the office of "advocate" of the imperial treasury.- Historia Nova :...
from Greek into Syriac (Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
, Catalogue 1128, and Nau
Nau
Nau or NAU may refer to:*Nau , an outdoor apparel company*Northern Arizona University*North American Union*National American University*National Aviation University *Lepidium oleraceum, a plant endemic to New Zealand...
in Revue semitique vi. 263, vii. 54, 136).
Canons and Liturgy
Jacob made a collection of ecclesiastical canons. In his letter to the priest Addai we possess a collection of canons from his pen, given in the form of answers to Addai's questions. These were edited by LagardeLagarde
-People with surname Lagarde:* Alfred Lagarde , Dutch voice actor* Christine Lagarde , French political figure* Claude François Chauveau-Lagarde , French lawyer and political figure...
in Reliquiae juris eccl. syriace, pp. 117 sqq. and Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean Baptiste Lamy
Jean-Baptiste Lamy , was a French Roman Catholic clergyman and the first Archbishop of Santa Fe , United States. American writer Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop is based on his life and career.-Ordination as a priest:Lamy was born in Lempdes, Puy de Dôme, in the Auvergne region...
in Dissert. pp. 98 sqq.
Additional canons were given in Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
's Notulae syriacae.
All of them have been translated and expounded by Kayser
Kayser
Kayser may refer to:People with the surname Kayser are also called as:* Allan Kayser, American actor* Alois Kayser, German missionary* Benjamin Kayser, French rugby player* Emanuel Kayser, German geologist* Heinrich Kayser, German physicist...
, Die Canones Jacobs von Edessa (Leipzig, 1886).
He also made many contributions to Syriac liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, both original and as translations from Greek (Wright, Short History, p. 145 seq.).
Philosophy
Jacob's chief original contribution was his Enchiridion or Manual, a tract on philosophical terms (WrightWilliam Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
, Catalogue 984).
Translations of works of Aristotle have been attributed to him. However these are probably by other hands (Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
, Short History p. 149; Duval, Littirature syriaque, pp. 255, 258).
The treatise De cause omnium causarum, which was the work of a bishop of Edessa, was formerly attributed to Jacob; but the publication of the whole by Kayser has made it clear that the treatise is of much later date.
History
Jacob also wrote a Chronicle, as a continuation of the ChroniconChronicon (Eusebius)
The Chronicon or Chronicle was a work in two books by Eusebius of Caesarea. It seems to have been compiled in the early 4th century. It contained a world chronicle from Abraham until the vicennalia of Constantine I in 325 AD...
of Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
. This is described and quoted from by Michael the Syrian
Michael the Syrian
Michael the Syrian , also known as Michael the Great or Michael Syrus or Michael the Elder, to distinguish him from his nephew, was a patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1166 to 1199. He is best known today as the author of the largest medieval Chronicle, which he composed in Syriac...
in book 7 of his own Chronicle.
The original text of Jacob's continuation has unfortunately perished apart from 23 leaves in a manuscript in the British Library. Of these a full account is given in Wright
William Wright (orientalist)
William Wright was a famous British Orientalist, and Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge. Many of his works on Syriac literature are still in print and of considerable scholarly value, especially the catalogues of the holdings of the British Library and Cambridge University Library...
, Catalogue 1062, and an edition of these has been published in CSCO by E.W.Brooks.
Grammar
Jacob is most famous because of his contributions to the Syriac language and the West Syriac script (Serto).In early Syriac vowels are either not shown, or else shown by a system of dots, used erratically. Jacob borrowed five vowel signs from Greek, which he wrote above the line as miniature symbols. This caught on, and is a feature of West Syriac writing even today. He also elaborated the system whereby some consonants could stand for vowels.
Jacob also tried to introduce the Greek practice of writing the vowels on the line, the same way as is done for the consonants. This was resisted by his countrymen and did not come into effect.
In his letter to George, bishop of Serugh, on Syriac orthography (published by Phillips in London 1869, and by Martin in Paris the same year) he sets forth the importance of fidelity by scribes in the copying of minutiae of spelling.
Other
As a translator Jacob's greatest achievement was his Syriac version of the Homiliae cathedrales of SeverusSeverus of Antioch
Severus, Patriarch of Antioch , born approximately 465 in Sozopolis in Pisidia, was by birth and education a pagan, who was baptized in the "precinct of the divine martyr Leontius" at Tripoli, Lebanon.- Life :...
, the monophysite patriarch of Antioch. This important collection is now in part known to us by E. W. Brooks's edition and translation of the 6th book of selected epistles of Severus, according to another Syriac version made by Athanasius of Nisibis in 669. (Pseudo-Dionysius of Tell-Mahr says 677; but Athanasius was patriarch only 684-687.)
A large number of letters by Jacob to various correspondents have been found in various MSS. Besides those on the canon law to Addai, and on grammar to George of Serugh referred to above, there are others dealing with doctrine, liturgy, and so forth. A few are in verse.
External links and references
- Dirk Kruisheer. "A Bibliographical Clavis to the Works of Jacob of Edessa". Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 1 1 (1998).
- J.M. Sauget. "Jacob of Edessa", Encyclopedia of the Early Church 1 (1992) 428-429.
- George Phillips, Scholia on the Old Testament by Mar Jacob of Edessa, 1864.