James of Edessa

JAMES OF EDESSA. - Famous Monophysite writer (ca. 640-708), the most distinguished representative of Christian Hellenism in the Syriac language, comparable to St. Jerome, and perhaps even more versatile than he. He distinguished himself through his translations and through the correction of older translations. He was also an eminent theologian, philosopher, historian, exegete and grammarian.

J. was born ca. 640 near Antioch, studied in the monastery of Qennebrè and then in Alexandria. Ca. 685 he was consecrated bishop of Edessa and worked as such for the reform of the Church and of the monasteries; but encountering grave difficulties there, he withdrew after only 4 years of governance. He then became a professor in the monastery of Eusebona near Antioch, where he taught Greek and Sacred Scripture. After 11 years he moved to the nearby monastery of Teleda, where he was a professor for another 9 years. For a short time, only four months, he resumed the direction of his diocese of Edessa. He died on 5 June 708 in the monastery of Teleda.

J. is the author of commentaries on several books of the Old Testament and in 705 undertook a revision of its text. As a liturgist he occupied himself with the revision of liturgical texts. As a canonist he composed a famous collection of canons. He wrote a chronicle that lists events up to 692, but unfortunately only fragments of it are preserved. The principal fruit of his activity as a translator is a Syriac version of the Greek cathedral homilies of Severus of Antioch (v.).

Guglielmo de Vries