Moses Bar Kēfā

MOSÈ bar KÉFÁ. — Syriac Jacobite writer, bishop of Mossul, born at Bálád in 815 and died on 12 February 903.

He was famous for the abundance and variety of his writings, which deal with exegesis, speculative theology, philosophy, and liturgical subjects. A large part of this literary heritage has been lost. Many writings are still unpublished, such as the remains of the commentaries that M. wrote on almost the entire Bible and three treatises on the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Published, however, are the Latin version of a work by M. on Paradise (PG 3, 481, 608) and a book on the soul (O. Braun, M. b. K. und sein Buch von der Seele, Friburgo in Br. 1891, pp. 1–18). M. depends on Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and on Giorgio, bishop of the Arabs.

BIBL.: A. Baumstark, Geschichte der syrischen Literatur, Bonn 1922, pp. 281–82; W. de Vries, Sahramententheologie bei den syrischen Monophysiten, Rome 1940, passim. Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina
Cite this article

“MOSÈ BAR KÉFÁ.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII (1952), p. 882. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/mose-bar-kefa.