School of Nisibin

School of Nisibin

The city of Nisibin (modern Nusaybin in Turkey) holds the distinction of hosting two major, yet distinct, phases of a theological school that became a cornerstone of Syriac Christian intellectual history. The history of this school spans centuries, marked by political upheaval and doctrinal schism, yet serving as a center for education in Mesopotamia.

The first phase of the School of Nisibin emerged early in the 4th century, likely founded by St. Jacob (Mor Yaqub) of Nisibin, who served as the city’s bishop. Established in a  Roman frontier city, the school focused primarily on biblical and theological instruction and it gained it reputation with the presence of its most celebrated teacher, St. Ephraim the Syrian. St. Ephraim, renowned as the “Sun of the Syrians,” studied and taught here for decades, cementing the school’s reputation for profound scriptural learning. However, this promising initial phase was tragically cut short in 363 AD. Following a disastrous Roman campaign, Nisibin was ceded to the rival Persian Sasanian Empire. Under this new, often hostile, rule, the Christian school’s staff, including St. Ephraim, chose to flee west into Roman territory, relocating to the city of Edessa. This relocation gave birth to the famed School of Edessa, which became the direct continuation and amplification of the Nisibis intellectual tradition.

The second phase of the School of Nisibin began over a century later in 489 AD, ironically sparked by the closure of the School of Edessa. After 126 years of operation, the School of Edessa was shut down by the Byzantine Emperor Zeno due to escalating doctrinal disputes, specifically the controversy surrounding the teachings of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople . The scholars adhering to the Dyophysite (Nestorian) position, led by the Hiba (Ibas), Metropolitan of Edessa, priest Narsai and Barsauma, Metropolitan of Nisibin, returned eastward to Persian territory. They re-established the school in Nisibin, effectively resurrecting the original institution on its native soil. Under Narsai’s leadership, the resurrected School of Nisibin became the official and central academic institution for the Church of the East. Its curriculum was expansive, covering theology, biblical exegesis, philosophy, and sciences, serving as the most important center of learning in the Syriac-speaking world for the next three centuries. Unlike the first phase, this school enjoyed remarkable longevity, surviving through the early Islamic period and playing an instrumental role in the translation movement, through which ancient Greek knowledge was transmitted into the Arabic world. Thus, the history of School of Nisibin represents a cyclical journey, where political necessity first drove the school away to Edessa, and theological schism later compelled its return, solidifying its legacy as the ultimate intellectual cradle of the Syriac tradition.

The two phases of the School of Nisibin, separated by the interlude at Edessa, shared a foundational focus on Syriac Christian learning but differed significantly in their definitive theological stance and the breadth of their curriculum.