St. Barsawmo Monastery School and Library

St. Barsawmo Monastery School and Library

The school

Theological, linguistic, and religious sciences flourished at the Monastery of St. Barsawmo from the eighth century to the mid-thirteenth century which indicates that a thriving school existed in the monastery throughout this time span. However, we don’t have information about the school's systems, curricula, or the number of its students, a matter that historians have overlooked in most of our previous scientific institutions.

It presented to science and religion a worthy group of brilliant minds who had their scientific and administrative standing in the course of historical events.  

There was a close relationship between the Malitene School and the Monastery of Mar Barsaumo where some monks from the Monastery of Mar Barsamumo were educated at that school, such as Patriarch Abu al-Faraj ibn Kamara and others. The Malitene School flourished with its scholars, teachers, and systems, and many brilliant minds graduated from it, such as Yuhanna ibn al-Sabuni, the martyred Metropolitan of Malatya (1095 AD), his brother Abu Ghalib, Metropolitan of Edessa (1129 AD), Ibn al-Salibi, Metropolitan of Amid (1171 AD), and others.

Dionysius, son of Modiana, the Metropolitan of Malitene, who was transferred from the See of Jobas, after it was destoyed, in the year 1102 AD, revived the school in Malitene. He himself taught the reading of the Holy Scriptures of both Testaments. He also renewed the sciences, poetry, and literature.

This Metropolitan was a disciple of Patriarch John, son of Shushan, and a teacher of Patriarch Athanasius Abu al-Faraj. Before his appointment as Metropolitan of Malitene, he had founded the Monastery of Mar Barsawmo, where he also taught for a period of time. He also spread in it the liturgical method of the Monastery of Ibn Jaji.

Among the teachers of the Malatya school was the priest Abdu Kos al-Mati, a distinguished linguist who taught Syriac and its grammar there, most likely in the first half of the twelfth century. He authored a book on Syriac grammar called "The Rules of Readings."

Also renowned was the priest Saliba al-Qarikri (1164 AD), who hailed from one of the villages of Malitene. He was ordained a priest and became a monk after his widowhood and devoted himself to learning, acquiring considerable knowledge, and taught at the Malitene school. Among his written works are his refutation of John, the Metropolitan of Mardin, and his explanation of the unusual words in the homilies of Mor Ephrem. He loved knowledge immensely and requested most of the writings of Ibn al-Salibi. He died in 1164 AD.

Graduates:

This school, where ecclesiastical and secular sciences and knowledge flourished, was destined to a group of outstanding men who adorned the Syriac church history with their knowledge and virtue. Patriarchs, bishops, bishops, presidents, and scholars emerged from this school, whom we have been proud of throughout the ages, the most famous of whom are:

• Patriarch John ibn Abdun

• Patriarch Basil: He became a monk in the Monastery of Mar Barsoum, and became its head for a period in which he showed knowledge and shrewdness.

• Patriarch Dionysius Almazer: He became a monk in the Monastery of Mar Barsoum, and became its abbot for some time.

• Patriarch Athanasius Abu al-Faraj ibn Kamra: He was from the city of Amid. He studied sciences in Malatya under Dionysius ibn Modiana and became a monk at the Monastery of Mar Barsoum.

• Patriarch Michael Rabo (the Great): He was born in Malatya. He loved the ascetic life from a young age, so he entered the Monastery of Mar Barsoum and received his education there.

• Theodore Ibn Wahbun: He was a disciple of Patriarch Michael the Great, and he studied and became a monk in the Monastery of Mar Barsoum.

• Patriarch Athanasius Saliba: He became a monk in the Monastery of Mar Barsoum, and headed it for a time. He was well-versed in administrative matters, but weak in the sciences.

• Maphrian Gregory Jacob: He is the nephew of Patriarch Mar Michael the Great.

• Joshua al-Ahdal: He was the nephew of Patriarch Michael the Great and the brother of the Maphrian Gregory Jacob mentioned above

• Patriarch Ignatius Daoud: He was a man of high ambition and vast knowledge And the great righteous works. He entered the Monastery of Mar Barsawmo and became a disciple of its abbot, Rabban Barsoum.

The library

As this monastery was a center of learning and knowledge, a home to many scholars of various disciplines, and a see for Syriac Orthodox patriarchs, since its founding, it amassed a magnificent library of books. The library continued to grow with the passage of time and was stacked with hundreds of precious volumes and illustrious books.

Unfortunately, we don’t have much information about its collection until the second decade of the twelfth century, when Patriarch Athanasius VI Bar Khamoro (1091 - 1129), who had a passion for collecting books, added many volumes that he carried with him on his travels.

The anonymous Edessan in his history of 1234, mentioned in his ecclesiastical history that this patriarch elevated the status of the patriarchate with his rare treasures and left behind a variety of magnificent books dealing with the Old and New Testaments, and precious collections of books by the Syriac Fathers. All of his collection belonged to the patriarchal see after his death.

When Mor Michael Rabo (the Great) became the patriarch (1166-1199) and head St. Barsawmo monastery, he adorned the library with his precious manuscripts as he was one of the most famous calligraphers/scribes of his time. The anonymous historian of Edessa mentioned that this patriarch left in the Monastery of Mor Barsawmo many magnificent books on different subjects, all in his own handwriting, because he had great perseverance in writing. He would stay up all night writing his letters and patriarchal orders to all the cities under his apostolic see. He would also spend the whole day writing various books that were rare for his time.

The most famous of his manuscripts are the book of homilies of Mor Jacob of Serug, in which he collected all the homilies of this scholar, and the book of homilies of Saint Ephrem the Syrian, in which he also collected all his homilies, and the book of annual sermons, to which he added many sermons of his own composition for some feasts and seasons.

However, the most precious manuscript he left from his pen was a magnificent copy of the Holy Gospel, whose letters he decorated with gold and silver ink, and adorned with various pictures of the works of the Lord and His wonders, then he placed it in a gilded silver box.

In the Monastery of Mar Barsoum there was a precious and complete collection of phanqithu throughout the year, written by the calligrapher Mar Yohanna ibn Shushan (1058-1072 AD). He wrote them and dedicated them to the Monastery of the Strangers in Mount Edessa. Then they were transferred to the Monastery of Mar Barsawmo.