School of Edessa

School of Edessa

The school started in 363 by St. Ephrem the Syrian after he left his city of Nisibin with a group of teachers and students when it was surrendered to the Persian in 363. St. Ephraim taught at the School of Nisibin for about 30 years in it's first phase. After he arrived to Edessa, he started a new school to continue his teachings and he stayed teaching there until his death in 373

The School of Edessa offered a rich curriculum, covering numerous disciplines, including, Theology Scriptural Studies, Philology, and Literature in both Syriac and Greek. The school was supported by the citizens of Edessa, students flocked to the school from across the East, though most originated from Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia), a region around Edessa that was dense with urban centers.

In addition to St. Ephrem, the school nurtured a generation of brilliant scholars like Aba who Interpreted the Holy Gospel, Simon who reputedly wrote his master's biography, Apolona and Zenobius who refuted heresiarchs like Marcion, Absmarva (Slave of Heaven) (St. Ephraim's nephew) who Composed metrical odes on historical events, such as the Huns' attack on Byzantine land, and Isaac of Amid: A student of Zenobius, known for metrical odes on penance, the Virgin, and martyrs.

In beginning of the 5th century  great schism rock the school, primarily over the controversial theological teachings of Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople. The student body tragically divided into two groups. The first group included the supporters of Nestorius and included figures like Hiba (Ibas), Metropolitan of Edessa, Barsauma, Metropolitan of Nisibis, and Narsai, a priest.

The second group were the the maintainers of the Orthodox faith and it was championed by Saint Philoxenus, Metropolitan of Mabbug (d. 523). At the end, the first group was expelled from the school and left Edessa to Nisibin to re-establish the School of Nisibin that became to cornerstone of the Church of the East that was still know until recent time as the Nestorian Church. The second group went on to continue the Syriac Orthodox church after the schism of the Council of Chalcedon.

Eventually, after 136 years of active operation, the School of Edessa was closed in 489 AD by order of Emperor Zeno (474–491) to quell these persistent doctrinal disputes.

During the era of School of Edessa existence, many works were translated into Syriac, often soon after their original composition, such as the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea (including the Ecclesiastical History and History of the Martyrs of Palestine) and the discourses of Titus of Bostra against the Manicheans. Today, the oldest Syriac manuscripts that are left to us are of Edessan origin and this underscores the immense intellectual output of the city.