Bardaisan

Bardesanes also Bar - daisan ( Syriac -Aramaic: ܒ ܪ ܕ ܝ ܨ ܢ, dt: son of the ( river god ) daisan in Edessa, born July 11, 154 in Edessa; † 222 maybe in Ani, Armenia ) was a Syro- Aramaic Gnostics.

Life

Bardaisan was the son of pagan parents of noble status and was educated at the court of Edessa. He shall, before he became a Christian, have been priests of the Great Mother Goddess Dea Syria at Hierapolis Bambyke ( Mabog in Syria). Abgar VIII the Great ( 177-212 ) was a childhood friend Bardaisans, who probably won the king to Christianity. Abgar VIII would therefore be the first Christian king of the world history. However, by 214, the Roman emperor Caracalla sat already the son and successor of Abgar the Great, Abgar IX. , From. Bardaisan lived mostly at the court of Abgar IX. After the conquest of Edessa by the Romans in the year 216 he went to Armenia, he wor probably died around 222.

Work

Bardesanes was the doctrine of the church closer than other Gnostics of his day. His thought-world, however, was strongly influenced by Chaldean mythology and astrology. His particular interest was in cosmological speculation. His views attracted since Ephraem the Syrian him the displeasure of later authors. This led to the loss of the writings of Bardesanes, both his poetry & prose as his. Thus, the teachings of Bardesanes must be largely reconstructed from the reports of his opponents. One of his students wrote to his teachings an easy dialogue held Treatise on the fate of the so-called "Book of the laws of the countries " ( liber legum regionum ). In addition to the heresiological sources, it is the only thing that gives a direct insight into his thinking. It was translated into Greek and (IX 19-29 ) cited in the recognitiones of Pseudo- Clement in Latin as well as of the most famous ancient church historian Eusebius of Caesarea in the Praeparatio Evangelica (Book VI from 10.1 to 48 ) in the Greek version. Bardesanes is also known as the father of Syrian hymn. Ephraem the Syrian knew a book from him with psalms or hymns 150.

Importance

Bardesanes was, in addition to the Encratites of greatest influence on the Syrian Christianity of the 3rd century. Probably the Abgarlegende arose in his circle. The activities of the successor to the Bardesanes can still be detected in the early Islamic period.

Expenditure

• H.J.W. Drijvers (ed.): The book of the Laws of Countries, 1965.
• F. Nau (ed.): Liber legum regionum ( Patrologia Syriaca 2), 1907, pp. 490-657.
• Different:. Bardesane, Le Livre des lois des Pays, 1931.