“I teach but I do not learn; I write but I have neglected; I preach but I do not practice; I admonish but I have sinned.”- Bar Hebraeus (‘Book of Dove’)
The liturgical calendar of the Indian Orthodox church commemorates Gregory Bar Hebraya on 31st July. Bar Hebraeus’ main vocation in life was his spiritual quest. From his above quote itself one can fathom the depths of humility in Bar Hebraeus. In his bishopric role as a teacher, shepherd, father-confessor; indeed, one needs the grace of the Holy Spirit to acknowledge that they have fallen short of their duties.
Considered as one of the most prolific and great authors in the Syriac Orthodox tradition, Bar Hebraeus works ranged from history, theology, astronomy, theology, philosophy, grammar and much more!
Bar Hebraeus was born in ~ AD1225/6 A.D in Melitene (modern Malatya). His father, Aaron was a famous physician whose services were rendered to the royal court (Khan general, Shawer Noyen- the Mongols were ruling that time) and it was there that Bar Hebraeus continued his academics. It is stated that Bar Hebraeus’s father was originally a Jew. The reason given for this assumption was the Jewish name of his father- ‘Aaron’ and also the surname Bar 'Ebraya (Bar Hebræus), "Son of the Hebrew". However other sources state that “Bar Ebroyo/Bar Hebraeus’ should rather be interpreted as “Son of Ebra” which would indicate either that one of his ancestors was born while crossing the Euphrates or that the ancestor hailed from the village of Ebra, a village on the banks of the Euphrates. In a short span of time, at the age of seventeen, Bar Hebraeus entered the monastic vocation in the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Mysticism and the life of the ascetic were to remain central in this young monk’s life. In one of his work titled the ‘Book of the Dove’, he describes the various forms of ascetic life. This work is a spiritual guide for the solitary monk, infact Bar Hebraeus travelled this troubled path without the guidance of a spiritual father.
He then travelled to city of Tripoli to study rhetoric and medicine under Ya’qub of the Church of the East. In Tripoli he was summoned by the then Patriarch Ignatius II to be consecrated as bishop of Gubos near Malatya. Bar Hebraeus was ordained as Bishop of Gubos on the day of the Feast of the Cross- 14 September 1246 AD at the age of twenty.
In AD 1264 Bar Hebraeus was elected Maphrian of the East; based himself out of Mosul and Baghdad, travelled throughout his diocese ordaining new monks, bishops and deacons, and blessing and reassuring his congregation.
He reposed in the Lord in the year AD 1286. His death was not only mourned by his own community but by people of different faith and cultures as well. It is said that when the Catholicos of the Nestorians heard the departure of Bar-Hebraeus, he ordered that no man should go to the market and that no shops be opened. People from various cultures- Armenians, Greeks etc. assembled in large numbers with candles (to be lit during the funeral service) and they continued in prayer from dawn until ninth hour.
Inscribed on his tombstone in the Church of the Monastery of Mar Mattai near Mosul, is the following in Karshuni (Arabic written in the Syriac alphabet): “This is the grave of Mar Gregory John, and of Mar Sawma his brother, the children of the Hebrew on Mount Elpeph”. (Bar Hebraeus may have adopted the name Gregory after he was consecrated a bishop and John was what his father would have christened him).
With knowledge of Greek and Arabic and his untiring work on the translation of the Greek and Arabic philosophy opened storehouses of knowledge for his countrymen. Excelling in wide variety of subjects- the service that he rendered to the Church and her literature is immense and the world we be indebted to him to the vast amount of works he has produced dealing with a variety of subjects.
As a closing note, a gem from his work- ‘Laughable Stories’ (which is a collection of sayings and narratives from different cultures and regions which he compiled and composed in the last years of his life). This saying might help to identify fraudulent leaders and spiritual teachers/gurus 😉
“Another Indian sage said, “There are two classes of men whose fraudulent pretensions are very evident. One is that of the hunter who boasts that he hath behaved with great valour in the fray, although no sign of a blow is seen upon him, and the other is that of the man who feigneth to lead a life of ascetism, although his neck is thick and his body strong.”
May the prayers of Bar Hebraeus help us to ignite the divine love and righteousness in us.
Lord have mercy!
Rincy John
Ref:
Abridged from George Lane (School of Oriental and African studies, London, UK)- “An Account Of Gregory Bar Hebraeus Abu Al-Faraj And His Relations With The Mongols Of Persia”; Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies, Vol. 2.2, 209–233, © 1999 [2010] by Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute and Gorgias Press.
(With inputs from chapter-Introduction)-The Laughable Stories Collected by Mar Gregory John Bar-Hebraeus, translated by EA Wallis Budge (Kindle edition)
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