Rabbula
Encyclopedia
Rabbula was a bishop of Edessa
from 411 to August 435, noteworthy for his opposition to the views of Theodore of Mopsuestia
, as well as those of Nestorius
. However, his successor Ibas
, who was in charge of the school of Edessa, reversed the official stance of that bishopric.
and the seat of a bishopric. His father was a pagan priest, and though his mother was a devoted Christian he remained a pagan until some time after his marriage. During a journey to his country estates he was converted to Christianity partly through coming in contact with a case of miraculous healing and partly through the teaching and influence of Eusebius, bishop of Kenneschrin, and Acacius, bishop of Aleppo.
, sold all his possessions, and separated from his wife and kinspeople. He resided for some time in a monastery, and then passed to a life of greater hardship as a solitary hermit
. On the death of Diogenes, bishop of Edessa, in the year 411-412 Rabbula was chosen his successor, and at once accepted the position offered him, without any of the customary show of reluctance.
As a bishop Rabbula was marked by extraordinary energy, by the continued asceticism
of his personal life, by his magnificent provision for all the poor and suffering in his diocese, by his care for discipline among the clergy and monks who were under his authority, and latterly by the fierce determination with which he combated all heresies and especially the growing school of the followers of Nestorius. On one occasion he visited Constantinople
and there preached before Theodosius II
(who was then favorable to Nestorius
) and a great congregation a sermon in denunciation of Nestorian doctrine, of which a portion survives in the Syriac version.
(Heliopolis) in Lebanon
(Phoenicia Libanensis), one of the last refuges of Paganism in order to seek martyrdom by attacking the Pagan cult images there. Rather than being killed, he was severely beaten. The Life argues that Rabbula was preserved from death on account of his destiny to hold the episcopate. Scholar Michael Geddis notes at this point that this is exactly the sort of suicidal behavior condemned by Augustine. Happily, for the citizens of Baalbek (if not for Rabbula), they were able to retain the customs and traditions of their ancestors well into the sixth century.
, with whom he corresponded, and whose treatise De recta fide he translated into Syriac
. After a twenty-four year career as bishop, he died in August 435, and was succeeded by Ibas.
The literary legacy of Rabbula is small in bulk, and is mostly to be found in Overbeck. Perhaps his primary importance to the historian of Syriac literature lies in the zeal with which he strove to replace the Diatessaron
or Gospel Harmony of Tatian
with the four canonical Gospels, ordering that a copy of the latter should be placed in every church.
The version survives in a British Museum
manuscript. According to his biographer he himself produced a version (or revision) of the New Testament
in Syriac, known as the Peshitta
. Rabbula's involvement may have been, a first step in the direction of the Philoxenian version. FC Burkitt
went further and advanced the hypothesis that Rabbula, at least as regards the Gospels, actively helped in the translation of the current Peshitta
text, using the Greek text as read in Antioch
about 400. However, since then Arthur Vöörbus has furnished evidence that the Peshitta predated Rabbula.
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
from 411 to August 435, noteworthy for his opposition to the views of Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore of Mopsuestia
Theodore the Interpreter was bishop of Mopsuestia from 392 to 428 AD. He is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate...
, as well as those of Nestorius
Nestorius
Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 22 June 431.Drawing on his studies at the School of Antioch, his teachings, which included a rejection of the long-used title of Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen of the time,...
. However, his successor Ibas
Ibas (Assyrian bishop)
Ibas was bishop of Edessa and was born in Syria. His name in Syriac is Ihiba or Hiba, the quivalent of Donatus...
, who was in charge of the school of Edessa, reversed the official stance of that bishopric.
Early life
He was a native of Kenneschrin, a town some few miles south of 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...
and the seat of a bishopric. His father was a pagan priest, and though his mother was a devoted Christian he remained a pagan until some time after his marriage. During a journey to his country estates he was converted to Christianity partly through coming in contact with a case of miraculous healing and partly through the teaching and influence of Eusebius, bishop of Kenneschrin, and Acacius, bishop of Aleppo.
Christian asceticism
With all the energy of his fiery nature he threw himself into the practice of Christian asceticismAsceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
, sold all his possessions, and separated from his wife and kinspeople. He resided for some time in a monastery, and then passed to a life of greater hardship as a solitary hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
. On the death of Diogenes, bishop of Edessa, in the year 411-412 Rabbula was chosen his successor, and at once accepted the position offered him, without any of the customary show of reluctance.
As a bishop Rabbula was marked by extraordinary energy, by the continued asceticism
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
of his personal life, by his magnificent provision for all the poor and suffering in his diocese, by his care for discipline among the clergy and monks who were under his authority, and latterly by the fierce determination with which he combated all heresies and especially the growing school of the followers of Nestorius. On one occasion he visited Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and there preached before Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
(who was then favorable to Nestorius
Nestorius
Nestorius was Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to 22 June 431.Drawing on his studies at the School of Antioch, his teachings, which included a rejection of the long-used title of Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, brought him into conflict with other prominent churchmen of the time,...
) and a great congregation a sermon in denunciation of Nestorian doctrine, of which a portion survives in the Syriac version.
Controversy
It has been argued by scholars that this positive picture of Rabbula is not altogether accurate. Jan Willem Drijvers observes that "It appears…that Rabbula was not the model bishop as presented by the Vita Rabbulae, but a fanatical Christian who persecuted all those who had other ideas, such as diophysites and other heretics, as well as Jews." Indeed, according to the Life of Rabbula, immediately before becoming bishop of Edessa, Rabbula, in consort with another monk, Eusebius, the future bishop of Tella, went to BaalbekBaalbek
Baalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
(Heliopolis) in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
(Phoenicia Libanensis), one of the last refuges of Paganism in order to seek martyrdom by attacking the Pagan cult images there. Rather than being killed, he was severely beaten. The Life argues that Rabbula was preserved from death on account of his destiny to hold the episcopate. Scholar Michael Geddis notes at this point that this is exactly the sort of suicidal behavior condemned by Augustine. Happily, for the citizens of Baalbek (if not for Rabbula), they were able to retain the customs and traditions of their ancestors well into the sixth century.
Legacy
Rabbula became a friend of Cyril of AlexandriaCyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. He came to power when the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries...
, with whom he corresponded, and whose treatise De recta fide he translated into 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...
. After a twenty-four year career as bishop, he died in August 435, and was succeeded by Ibas.
The literary legacy of Rabbula is small in bulk, and is mostly to be found in Overbeck. Perhaps his primary importance to the historian of Syriac literature lies in the zeal with which he strove to replace the Diatessaron
Diatessaron
The Diatessaron is the most prominent Gospel harmony created by Tatian, an early Christian apologist and ascetic. The term "diatessaron" is from Middle English by way of Latin, diatessarōn , and ultimately Greek, διὰ τεσσάρων The Diatessaron (c 160 - 175) is the most prominent Gospel harmony...
or Gospel Harmony of Tatian
Tatian
Tatian the Assyrian was an Assyrian early Christian writer and theologian of the 2nd century.Tatian's most influential work is the Diatessaron, a Biblical paraphrase, or "harmony", of the four gospels that became the standard text of the four gospels in the Syriac-speaking churches until the...
with the four canonical Gospels, ordering that a copy of the latter should be placed in every church.
The version survives in a British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
manuscript. According to his biographer he himself produced a version (or revision) of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
in Syriac, known as 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...
. Rabbula's involvement may have been, a first step in the direction of the Philoxenian version. FC Burkitt
Francis Crawford Burkitt
Francis Crawford Burkitt was a British theologian and scholar. He was Norris Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, from 1905 until shortly before his death. Burkitt was a sturdy critic of the notion of a distinct "Caesarean Text" of the New Testament put forward by B. H...
went further and advanced the hypothesis that Rabbula, at least as regards the Gospels, actively helped in the translation of the current 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...
text, using the Greek text as read in Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
about 400. However, since then Arthur Vöörbus has furnished evidence that the Peshitta predated Rabbula.
Sources
- Overbeck, "S. Ephraemi Syri, Rabulae Episc. Edesseni, Balæei aliorumque opera selecta" (Oxford, 1865)