Bar Hebraeus

A page from a copy of the Hewath Hekhmetha from 1340

Bar Hebraeus' great encyclopedic work is his Hewath Hekhmetha, "The Cream of Science", which deals with almost every branch of human knowledge, and comprises the whole Aristotelian discipline, after Avicenna and Arabian writers. This work, so far, has not been published, with the exception of one chapter, by Margoliouth, in Analecta Orientalia ad poeticam Aristoteleam (London, 1887), 114–139.

The Kethabha dhe-Bhabhatha ("Book of the Pupils of the Eyes") is a compendium of logic and dialectics. Other works are to be found in various manuscripts, preserved at Florence, Oxford, London, and elsewhere. The Teghrath Teghratha ("Commerce of Commerces") is a résumé of the preceding, while Kethabha dhe-Sewadh Sophia ("Book of Speech of Wisdom") represents a compendium of knowledge in physics and metaphysics. To these should be added a few translations of Arabic works into Syriac, as well as some treatises written in Arabic.[8]

The most important work of Bar Hebraeus is Awsar Raze, "Storehouse of Secrets", a commentary on the entire Bible, both doctrinal and critical. Before giving his doctrinal exposition of a passage, he first considers its critical state. Although he uses the Peshitta as a basis, he knows that it is not perfect, and therefore controls it by the Hebrew, the Septuagint, the Greek versions of Symmachus, Theodotion, Aquila, by Oriental versions, Armenian and Coptic, and finally by the other Syriac translations, Heraclean, Philoxenian and especially the Syro-Hexapla. The work of Bar Hebræus is of prime importance for the recovery of these versions and more specially for the Hexapla of Origen, of which the Syro-Hexapla is a translation by Paul of Tella. His exegetical and doctrinal portions are taken from the Greek Fathers and previous Syriac Orthodox theologians. No complete edition of the work has yet been issued, but many individual books have been published at different times.[8]

Bar Hebraeus has left a large ecclesiastical history called Makhtbhanuth Zabhne (Chronicon), in which he considers history from the Creation down to his own day. Bar Hebræus used almost all that had been written before him, showing particular favor to the now lost chronographic records published by Theophilus of Edessa (late 8th century, although he has this only through Michael the Syrian and other dependents).[9] The work is divided into two portions, often transmitted separately.[10]

The first portion deals with political and civil history and is known as the Chronicon Syriacum. The standard edition of the Chronicon Syriacum is that of Paul Bedjan.[11] An English translation by E. A. Wallis Budge was published in 1932.[12][13]

This was to give context to the second portion, known as the Chronicon Ecclesiasticum and covering the religious history.[10] That section begins with Aaron and consists of a series of entries of important individuals. The first half covers the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Patriarchs of Antioch, while the second half is devoted to the Church of the East, the Nestorian Patriarchs, and the Jacobite Maphrians. The current edition of the Chronicon Ecclesiasticum is that of Abbeloos and Lamy,[14] Syriac text, Latin translation. An English translation by David Wilmshurst was published in 2016.[15]

Bar Hebraeus towards the end of his life decided to write a history in Arabic largely based on the Chronicon Syriacum, adapted for a wider Arabic-reading readership rather than solely for Syriac-literate clergy.[16] The work became known under the name al-Mukhtaṣar fi-l-Duwal.[17] This was first published by Edward Pococke in 1663 with Latin comments and translation.[18] A modern edition was first published by Fr. Anton Salhani in 1890.[19]

In theology Bar Hebræus was a Miaphysite.[20] He once mused: When I had given much thought and pondered on the matter, I became convinced that these quarrels among the different Christian Churches are not a matter of factual substance, but of words and terminology; for they all confess Christ our Lord to be perfect God and perfect human, without any commingling, mixing, or confusion of the natures... Thus I saw all the Christian communities, with their different christological positions, as possessing a single common ground that is without any difference between them.[21]

In this field, we have from Bar Hebraeus Menarath Qudhshe, "Lamp of the Sanctuary", and the Kethabha dhe-Zalge, "Book of Rays", a summary of the first. These works have not been published, and exist in manuscript in Paris, Berlin, London, Oxford, and Rome. Ascetical and moral theology were also treated by Bar Hebræus, and we have from him Kethabha dhe-Ithiqon, "Book of Ethics", and Kethabha dhe-Yauna, "Book of the Dove", an ascetical guide. Both have been edited by Bedjan in "Ethicon seu Moralia Gregorii Barhebræi" (Paris and Leipzig, 1898). The "Book of the Dove" was issued simultaneously by Cardahi (Rome, 1898). Bar Hebræus codified the juridical texts of the Syriac Orthodox, in a collection called Kethabha dhe-Hudhaye, "Book of Directions", edited by Bedjan, "Barhebræi Nomocanon" (Paris, 1898). A Latin translation is to be found in Angelo Mai, "Scriptorum Veter. Nova Collectio", vol. x.

Linguistic works of Gregory Bar Hebraeus resulted from his studies of Syriac language and Syriac literature.[22] He wrote two major grammatical works. First is the "Book of grammar in the meter of Mor Ephrem", also known as the "Metrical Grammar",[23][24] written in verses with commentaries, and extant in some 140 copies from various periods.[25] In that work, he referred to his native language both as Aramaic (ārāmāytā) and Syriac (sûryāyā).[26] His other grammatical work is called the "Book of Splendours" (Ktābā d-ṣemḥe). Both were edited by Paulin Martin in 1872.[27][28]

Beside previously mentioned, Bar Hebræus has left many other works on mathematics, astronomy, cosmography, medicine and philosophy, some of which have been published, but others exist only in manuscripts. The more important of them are:

• Kethabha dhe-Bhabhatha (Book of the Pupils of the Eyes), a treatise on logic or dialectics
• Hewath Hekmetha (Butter of Wisdom), an exposition of the whole philosophy of Aristotle
• Sullarat Haunãnãyã (Ascent of the Mind), a treatise on astronomy and cosmography, edited and translated by F. Nau (Paris, 1899)
• various medical works[29]
• Kethabha dhe-Zalge (Book of Rays), a treatise on grammar
• ethical works
• poems
• Kethabha dhe-Thunnaye Mghahkhane (Book of Entertaining Stories), edited and translated by E. A. Wallis Budge (London, 1897).

A full list of Bar Hebraeus's other works, and of editions of such of them as have been published, can be found in several scholarly works.[8]