Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. VIII, 1952 Universities, seminaries & academies

Nisibis (Nusaybin), School of

NISIBI (NUSAYBIN), SCUOLA DI

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NISIBIS (NUSAYBIN), SCHOOL OF. - A Syriac city on the Mesopotamian plain, it was the seat, around the middle of the 4th century, of a school where St. Ephrem also taught. The school later moved to Edessa (v.), under the title of "school of the Persians," when the latter in 363 took possession of Nisibis. In the school of Edessa, after the Council of Ephesus (431) and under the direction of Hibā, later the local bishop, a marked tendency toward Nestorianism made itself felt. Narsai was placed in charge of the school of Edessa in 437 and remained there for 20 years. But, expelled because of his Nestorianism, he returned to Persia. However, while passing through Nisibis he was invited by the local bishop Barṣawmā to re-establish the ancient school there. After a short time almost all of Narsai's former Edessene disciples flocked to Nisibis. The school of Nisibis was of very great importance because it was the most effective hearth of Nestorianism, which spread from here throughout all Persia. Among the disciples of the school are remembered Mār Ābā, Abraham of Kashkar, 'Īšō-jahb I and Sabrīšō'. In the time of Mār Ābā there were 800 disciples in the school.

The Statutes of the Nisibene school have been preserved (ed. I. Guidi, in Giorn. della Soc. asiat. italiana,

4 [1890], pp. 165-95; cf. J.-B. Chabot in Journal de la Soc. asiatique, 8 [1896], p. 43). From them it can be seen that the school closely resembled modern "seminaries." Common life under the headmaster (rabbān) and the steward. Two teachers, one an interpreter and the other "master of lessons." The interpreter followed the works of Theodore of Mopsuestia. Studies lasted 3 years. The school had a certain exemption from the bishop in matters of internal discipline.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: A. Scher, La s. di N. (in Arabic), Beirut 1905; H. R. Nelz, Die theologischen

Schulen der morgenländischen Kirchen, Bonn 1916, pp. 77-110; A. Baumstark, Geschichte der syrischen Literatur, ibid. 1922, pp. 113-15.

Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina

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By Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina

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Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII (1952), coll. 1899–1900.

More by Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina: Nicaea · Nau, François-Nicolas · Moses of Khoren (of Corene), also called Khoranatsi · Moses bar Kepha · Mingana, Alfonso

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Chicago

Ortiz, de Urbina Ignazio. “Nisibi (Nusaybin), scuola di.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, coll. 1899–1900. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/nisibi-nusaybin-scuola-di.

MLA

Ortiz, de Urbina Ignazio. “Nisibi (Nusaybin), scuola di.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, coll. 1899–1900. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/nisibi-nusaybin-scuola-di.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec8_nisibi_nusaybin_scuola_di,
  author    = {Ortiz, de Urbina Ignazio},
  title     = {Nisibi (Nusaybin), scuola di},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {VIII},
  pages     = {1899--1900},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1952},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/nisibi-nusaybin-scuola-di}
}

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