The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century

This edited volume presents a number of Syriac monastic and ascetical writers from the seventh century who were born and educated in Beth Qatraye (Syriac for Qatar or Region of the Qataris) of which Isaac of Nineveh of Qatar is considered to be the most influential of all Syriac monastic writers and who continues to exert a strong influence in monastic circles today. Many of the others like Dadisho of Qatar, Gabriel bar Lipeh of Qatar, Abraham bar Lipeh of Qatar, Gabriel Arya of Qatar, and Ahob of Qatar were important Syriac writers on spirituality and commentators or exegetes within the Church of the East tradition. These writers, who all originated from the Qatar region and were educated there, reveal the presence of an important school of education that rivaled in its sophistication the other more well-known schools such as the School of Nisibis or the School of Edessa. The Syriac writers of Qatar themselves produced some of the best and most sophisticated writing to be found in all Syriac literature of the seventh century. The Syriac writers of Qatar have not received the scholarly attention that they deserve in the last half century. This volume seeks to redress this underdevelopment by setting the standard for further research in the sub-field of Beth Qatraye studies. This volume includes papers presented at an international conference held at Qatar University in collaboration with the American University of Beirut entitled "The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century." The conference took place on 26-27 February, 2014. It was the first of its kind in the Gulf Region, and it brought together some of the most prominent scholars in Syriac Studies. The conference was part of a three year research project funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) under its National Priorities Research Program (NPRP). The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION THE BACKGROUND ĪSHŌ'YAHB III (D. 659) Map showing the location of Beth Qaṭraye. SYNOD OF DAYRĪN 676 IN BETH QAṬRAYE CONCLUSION AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BETH QATRAYE CONCLUSION CHRISTIANITY IN ARABIA: AN OVERVIEW(4TH–9TH CENTURIES CE) THE CHRISTIAN SOURCES THE ISLAMIC SOURCES ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE A. CHRISTIANITY & CHRISTIANS IN THE HIJAZ B. CHRISTIANITY IN NAJRAN B1. The Introduction of Christianity to Najran B2. The Delegation of Christians from Najran in Medina C. CHRISTIANITY IN EASTERN ARABIA AND BETH QATRAYE C1. Archaeological evidence for Christianity in Eastern Arabia C2. Textual evidence for Christianity in Eastern Arabia CONCLUSION THE QURANIC WORD ḤANĪF AND ITS EXPLANATION IN THE LIGHT OF THE SYRIAC ROOT ḤANIF IN THE QUR'AN THE MANUSCRIPT HERITAGE OF ISAAC OF NINEVEH: A SURVEY OF SYRIAC MANUSCRIPTS THE SECOND PART THE THIRD PART CONCLUSIONS APPENDIX: THE MANUSCRIPT TRADITION OF THE PARTSI–III OF ISAAC OF NINEVEH REMEMBRANCE OF GOD AND ITS RELATION TO SCRIPTURE IN ISAAC III INCLUDING INSIGHTS FROM ISLAMIC AND JEWISH TRADITIONS “READING SOWS IN THE SOUL CONSTANT RECOLLECTION OF GOD” (IS.I 135) MYSTIC ASCENT ANGELIC MEDIATION ANGELS OF REVELATION TWO DISCOURSES OF THE “FIFTH PART” OF ISAAC THE SYRIAN’S WRITINGS: PROLEGOMENA FOR APOKATASTASIS? 1. ISAAC’S LITERARY LEGACY 2. THE FIFTH PART ACCORDING TO THE ANCIENT SOURCES AND MANUSCRIPTS 3. STYLE, CONTENTS AND AUTHENTICITY OF THE TWO DISCOURSES 4. PROLEGOMENA FOR THE AFFIRMATION OF THE FINAL UNIVERSAL SALVATION? SYRIAC BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION FROM QATAR: AHOB OF QATAR INTRODUCTION WHO WAS AHOB OF QATAR? Ahob’s Works EXEGETICAL TRADITION AND GLOSSES IN THE LANGUAGE OF QATAR CONCLUSION GABRIEL OF BETH QATRAYE AS A WITNESS TO SYRIAC INTELLECTUAL LIFE C. 600 CE SUMMARY THE FUTURE OF THE PAST: THE RECEPTION OF SYRIAC QAṬRAYE AUTHORS IN LATE MEDIEVAL IRAQ INTRODUCTION SHBADNAYA AND HIS POEM EDITORIAL METHODOLOGY LIST OF WITNESSES STEMMA CODICUM CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL REMARKS DADISHO' QAṬRAYA’S COMPENDIOUS COMMENTARY ON THE PARADISE OF THE EGYPTIAN FATHERS IN GARSHUNI—A CASE OF MANUSCRIPT MISTAKEN IDENTITY LOST AND FOUND: DADISHO' QATRAYA’S COMMENTARY ON THE PARADISE OFTHE FATHERS AS A WITNESS TO THE WORKS OF THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA INTRODUCTION CONCLUSION THE BOOK OF MONKS: ETHIOPIAN MONASTICISM VIA BETH QATRAYE IN SEARCH OF BETH QATRAYE AFTER-LIFE OF DADISHO’S COMMENTARY: THE BOOK OF THE THREE MONKS TEXTS AT HMML ORAL HISTORY AND MEMORY IN THE COMPILATION OF THE TEXT AND MANUSCRIPT EVAGRIUS PONTICUS PERFECTION AGAIN EUCHARISTIC ENCOUNTERS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE ARAB TRIBES IN THE GULF AREA DURING THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES A.D. THE HISTORICAL SOURCES THE GULF IN THE SASANIAN PERIOD THE RISE OF ISLAM CHRISTIANITY IN THE GULF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN THE GULF SUMMARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX BIBLICAL REFERENCES ANCIENT SOURCES SUBJECTS NAMES Introduction / Mario Kozah An archaeological survey of Beth Qatraye / Haya Al Thani Christianity in Arabia : an overview (4th-9th centuries CE) / Suleiman A. Mourad The Quranic word ḥanīf and its explanation in the light of Syriac root / Abdul Rahman Chamseddine The manuscript heritage of Isaac of Nineveh : a survey of Syriac manuscripts / Grigory Kessel Remembrance of God and its relation to scripture in Isaac III : including insights from Islamic and Jewish traditions / Mary Hansbury Two discourses of the "fifth part" of Isaac the Syrian's writings : prolegomena for Apokatastasis? / Sabino Chilà Syriac Biblical interpretation from Qatar : Ahob of Qatar / Bas Ter Harr Romney Gabriel of Beth Qatraye as a witness to Syriac intellectual lige c. 600 CE / Sebastian Brock The future of the past : the reception of Syriac Qaṭraye authors in late medieval Iraq / Thomas A. Carlson Dadisho' Qaṭraya's compendious commentary on the paradise of the Egyptian fathers in Garshuni : a case of manuscript mistaken identity / Mario Kozah Lost and found : Dadisho' Qaṭraya's commentary on the paradise of the fathers as a witness to the works of Theodore of Mopsuetia / David Phillips The books of monks : Ethiopian monasticism via Beth Qatraye / Robert A. Kitchen The influence of christianity among the Arab tribes in the gulf area during the siixth and seventh centuries A.D. / Saif Shaheen Al Murikhi.