Aphrahat, the Persian Sage

Aphrahat, the Persian Sage

Aphrahat, nicknamed the Persian Sage, was born a heathen in some part of Persia, was converted to Christianity and became a monk. Some writers gave him the name of Jacob and ascribed to him the office of bishop. Other writers thought that he became a bishop of the Monastery of St. Matthew. However, there is no definite proof that he was a bishop. Furthermore, relating him to a Monastery of St. Matthew is no doubt erroneous, because the said monastery was not yet founded in his time. Aphrahat was distinguished for his piety. He studied the Holy Bible thoroughly and between 337 and 346 wrote a large book which he called The Homilies. This book contains twenty-three "Demonstrations" on faith, love of neighbors, fasting, prayer, wars, monks, eulogies and the resurrection of the dead. Also among subjects discussed are humility, spiritual shepherds, circumcision, the Passover, the Sabbath and a universal epistle to bishops, priests and deacons, on righteous conduct and peaceful living. These homilies also contained treatises on distinguishing foods, call of the heathen nations to Christianity, Christ being the Son of God, virginity, the dispersion of the Jews, charity toward the poor, persecution, the last days and the Cluster of Grapes.

Aphrahat's style is lucid, smooth and unpretentious; yet it becomes boring. His teaching is orthodox. However, he fixed the span of the world at six thousand years and was refuted by George, bishop of the Arabs. Of Aphrahat's Homilies three copies written in the fifth and sixth centuries survive, one of which was commented on in the year 512. His work was translated into Latin and published in an elegant edition by Parisot in 1907.1 It was also translated into German.

Sources: 

• Patriarch Ignatius Aphram I Barsoum (2003), The Scattered Pearls, A History of Syriac Literature and Sciences, Translated and Edited by Matti Moosa, New Jersey