ALVARUS, Paulus (Paulus Albarus, Alcarus), of Córdoba. — A medieval Spanish writer of Jewish origin, born near Córdoba at the end of the 8th century and probably died in 861. He was a fellow student of St. Eulogius (q.v.) under the abbot Sperandius (Speranius). Though a layman, he consistently promoted the interests of the Church and, together with his friend Eulogius, defended the faith during the persecution under the caliph Abd al-Rahman, also engaging in theological matters.
A poet and apologist, he left important writings notable for their eloquence and emotional power:
1. *Vita et passio s. Eulogii*, a tribute of affection to the memory of his friend, who was martyred (859) in the Moorish persecution.
2. *Indiculus luminosus* (854), an apology for martyrdom, including "spontaneous" martyrdom, and a vigorous indictment of the doctrines of Muhammad, portrayed as a precursor of the Antichrist.
3. *Confessio Alvari*, a dialogue with God in which he extols divine attributes while describing his own unworthiness; composed in his final years. Rich in piety and biblical erudition.
4. *Epistolario*: 20 letters, including those addressed to him. The last seven (14–20) concern the apostate Eleazar, who had converted from Christianity to Judaism; in these he discusses messianic prophecies fulfilled in Christianity and the perfidy of the Jews. — The correspondence between A. and Eulogius is included in Migne among the works of Eulogius (PL 115, cols. 731 ff., 819 ff., and 841 ff.; cf. cols. 959–66).
5. *Poemata*: 12 poems, both sacred and profane; particularly famous is the one on the nightingale; noteworthy are the hexameters in honor of St. Jerome and the hymn to Eulogius, and especially the verses on the library of Leovigildus, which are significant for biblical canon and a magnificent encomium of Scripture.
6. Doubtful is the attribution to A. of the *Liber scintillarum, sive Loci communes*, a collection of sayings on virtues and vices drawn from Holy Scripture and the Fathers, previously published among the works of Bede (VII, Basel ed. 1563, pp. 515–627).