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The School of Nisibis at the Transition of the Sixth-Seventh Century

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The School of Nisibis at the Transition of the Sixth-Seventh Century 'EDESSA GREW DIM AND NISIBIS SHONE FORTH': THE SCHOOL OF NISIBIS AT THE TRANSITION OF THE SIXTH-SEVENTH CENTURY G J. REININK 'Edessa grew dim and Nisibis shone forth'. In this metaphor, a teacher or alumnus of the School of Nisibis1 at the end of the sixth century expressed the opinion of his community that this famous in­ stitution in the Persian Empire had taken over the torch of the true and orthodox teaching of the School of Edessa, after the Byzantine Empire had fallen into theological error in the fifth century.2 At the time these words were spoken, the School of Nisibis had attained the pinnacle of its fame and success as the 'centre of learning' par excel­ lence of the East Syrian, Persian church. Many teachers active in theological, philosophical and secular disciplines were connected with it,3 and the flow of students from the most varied locations within and beyond the Sassanid Empire had never been so great.4 1 The most comprehensive study of the School of Nisibis is the History of the School of Nisibis by A. Vööbus, CSCO 266, Subs. 26 (Louvain 1965). For the older works, see Vööbus' bibliography, and, in addition, J.-M. Fiey, Nisibe, métropole syriaque orientale et ses suffragants des origines à nos jours, CSCO 388, Subs. 54 (Louvain 1977) 16, n.3. 2 Barhadbesabba, Cause de la fondation des écoles, éd. A. Scher, PO IV/4, 386, //.9-10/11-13 (see further below, notes 13, 15, 16). For the 'School of the Persians' in Edessa, see E.R. Hayes, L'école d'Edesse (Paris 1930) 144-158 and passim; J.B. Segal, Edessa: 'The Blessed City} (Oxford 1970) 150; Vööbus, History (as in n.1) 7-24. For the christological controversies in the fifth century leading to the expulsion of the diophysites from Edessa, the closing of the 'School of the Persians' by the em­ peror Zeno (in 489) and the founding of the School of Nisibis, see Vööbus, op. cit., 24-56; S. Gero, Barsauma of Nisibis and Persian Christianity in the Fifth Century, CSCO 426, Subs. 63 (Louvain 1981). 3 For a discussion of the different teaching functions, the curriculum and the or­ ganization of the School, see Vööbus, History (as in n.1) 90-115, 143-148, 271-275, 282-289. Medical studies may have been introduced in the first half of the sixth cen­ tury under the directorate of Abraham of Bet Rabban, who founded the xenodocheion of the School; see also below, note 35. 4 Cf. Vööbus, History (as in n.1) 238, 270-272. The influx of students from the Byzantine territories at that time is attested by Anon. Chron., an East-Syrian Chroni­ cle from the seventh century, ed. I. Guidi, Chronica minora I, CSCO 1,2, Script.Syri 1,2 (Louvain 1903) 18, //. 1-6/17, //.2-7. Barhadbesabba, Cause (as in n.2) 385, //. 10/14-15, may also reflect the conditions of his own days, when he makes the 78 G.J. REININK It seems paradoxical that just at this period in its history there began to manifest themselves the first symptoms of the serious problems which were to plunge the School into a deep crisis, from which during the course of the seventh century it would extricate itself only with great difficulty. This crisis is intimately connected with the per­ son of Henana of Adiabene, who was Director of the School between about 571 and 610, and in this capacity occupied the important chair of biblical exegesis.5 Much of the background, origins and development of this crisis is no longer perceptible to us, but one thing is clear. In the East Syrian, diophysite church, there were groups who viewed Henana's teaching as a threat to the orthodox doctrine of their church, or even as utter heresy.6 Neither is there any doubt about the fact that the difficulties with Henana were closely connected to the question of the authority of Theodore of Mopsuestia, the great Antiochene ex- egete and theologian whose writings had become dominant and nor­ mative in the School of Nisibis during the sixth century, both in the praxis of exegetical instruction and in the formation of theology.7 bishop of Nisibis Barsauma predict that the founding of the School in Nisibis, being situated at the frontier of the Byzantine empire, will attract students from every­ where. 5 For Henana's directorate, see Vööbus, History (as in n.1) 234-317. The best general introduction (though in several respects antiquated) to the church-historical background of this period is still J. Labourt's Le christianisme dans l'empire perse sous la dynastie sassanide (224-632) (Paris 1904) 197-287. 6 See below, n.11. 7 For an introduction to the topic, see R. Macina, "L'homme à l'école de Dieu. D'Antioche à Nisibe: Profil herméneutique, théologique et kérugmatique du mouvement scoliaste nestorien", Proche-Orient Chrétien 32 (1982) 87-124, 263-301; 33 (1983) 39-103 (with comprehensive bibliography). The Anon.Chron. (as in n.4) 18, //.6-9/17, //.7-10, reports that the metropolitan of Nisibis, Gregory, about 596 came into conflict with Henana, because the Director "had all kinds of objections" to Theodore of Mopsuestia "in his (i.e. Henana's) (exegetical) traditions"; cf. also below, notes 29 and 43. It is very probable that Henana criticised inter alia Theo­ dore's strong views on the biblical Book of Job and that Canon II of the Synod held under the Catholicos Isocyahb I in 585 condemned Henana's commentary on Job; cf. Ο. Braun, Das Buch der Synhados oder Synodicon Orientale (Stuttgart/Wien 1900) 198, n.3; J.B. Chabot, Synodicon orientale ou recueil de synodes nestoriens, Notices et ex­ traits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Nationale et autres bibliothèques 37 (Paris 1902) 400, n.1; for the condemnation of Theodore's commentary on Job in the Acts of the Fifth Council of Constantinople (553), see R. Devreesse, Essai sur Théodore de Mopsueste, Studi e Testi 141 (Città del Vaticano 1948) 34. The condemnation of Theodore and his writings at this Council have undoubtedly much contributed to the polarisation of the standpoints concerning the position of Theodore's works in exegetical teaching in the School of Nisibis during the second half of the sixth .
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