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Bardesanes
(314 words)

[German Version]

(Syriac Bardaiṣan; 154, Edessa – 222, probably Edessa) was the court philosopher of King Abgar VIII (177–212) of Edessa. Nothing remains of his many Syriac works except for a few fragments of his hymns preserved by Ephraem Syrus. Also extant in Syriac is the Book of the Laws of Diverse Countries, a dialogue on fate and freedom written by one of his disciples. Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Arabic authors also preserve, in various different versions, accounts of Bardesanes' cosmological ideas and other views. The polemic writings of Ep…

Cite this page
Drijvers, Han J.W., “Bardesanes”, in: Religion Past and Present. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_01488>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004146662, 2006-2013



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