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[German Version] There are 23 Syriac expositions traditionally ascribed to “Afrahat (Aphraates), the Persian sage.” Gennadius Vir. ill. 1 (= 136) and the Armenian tradition mistakenly identify the author with the renowned Jacob of Edessa (from Nisibis), who as bishop of Edessa took part in the Council of Nicea. Little is known of Afrahat's life and person. He describes himself as a …

[German Version] (c. 833, Balad, north of Mosul on the Tigris – Feb 12, 903), from a respected Syrian family of scholars. After his studies close to home in Mar Sargis monastery, he was consecrated bishop of Bet Raman, north of Tagrit, in 863; there he developed a rich pastoral and theological ministry. In the internal ritual controversy between Monophysites, he vigorously rejected heretical additions to the liturgies of St. James (James, Liturgy of Saint) and St. Mark (Liturgy: II). Since he was …

[German Version] Unlike Alexandrian theology, Antiochene theology is not associated with an ongoing academic institution or catechetical school but is defined primarily by a specific form of teaching and exegetical method employed by individual scholars. These include – after initial beginnings under Theophilus of Antioch (c. 180) – the 3rd-century Sophist Malchion and his opponent Paul of Samosata. Toward the end of the 3rd century, Lucian of Antioch (died 312) founded a didaskaleion. By the 5th century at the latest, leading Eusebians a…

[German Version] Ibas followed Rabbūlā in 435 as bishop and distinguished himself as the translator of the works of Antiochene theologians (Antiochene theology) from the Greek into Syriac. Ibas sought in vain to suppress the growing influence of the extreme Cyrillians. In 449, he was deposed at the so-called Robber Synod in Ephesus (Ephesus, Councils of); two years later, however, he was rehabilitated in Chalcedon, and from then on he held the Edessene see until his death in 457. In 433, Ibas wrot…

[German Version] (died 610). Ḥenana was originally from the western portion of the Persian Empire and attended the school in Nisibis, which he led as director from 572 until his death in 610. According to the list of authors by Abdisho ( BOCV 3/1, 81–84), Ḥenana authored a large number of commentaries, of ¶ which only two homilies have been transmitted in complete form. In his Christology, Ḥenana approximated the Chalcedonian position (Chalcedonian Definition) of the hypostatic union by teaching a prosopon (Person) and a hypostasis (!) in two natures and affirmed the title of theotokos fo…

[German Version] Ephraem Syrus (c. 306 in or near Nisibis – 373 Edessa) was according to Barhadbešabba initially an ascetic and a pupil of bishop James of Nisibis, in whose school he later became a teacher (PO 4, 377). According to Sozomen, Hist. eccl. III 166, and ¶ Jerome, De viris illustribus 115, Ephraem occupied the office of deacon. The destruction of Nicomedia by an earthquake in 358 (Gennadius, De viris illustribus 3.67) as well as the pagan restoration policies of Emperor Julian (361–363) are reflected in Eph…