Isaac of Antioch

Isaac of Antioch

None of the ancient historians wrote a biography of Isaac the Edessan (by birth) and the Antiochian (by domicile). However, the first one to write about him, quoting the learned authorities of his time, was Jacob of Edessa. In his letter to John the Styli   te of Atharib, Jacob said, "This Isaac was an Edessan presbyter as well as a poet and an orthodox teacher. He became highly favored in the time of the Caesar Zeno. He journeyed to Antioch in the time of the Patriarch Peter II (470-488), known as "Peter the Fuller" during the Nestorian's controversy (mainly against the Trisagion). At Antioch he saw a man from the East carrying a parrot which repeated the Trisagion, as the owner taught it, to check the obstinacy of those who opposed this formula. He liked the spectacle and composed a Syriac poem about it."This poem was ascribed to him as Isaac of Antioch because he resided in this city. He was also mentioned by this generic name (of Antioch) in a manuscript written in the seventh century, entitled Selected Tracts of the Fathers.

However, in his history entitled al-'Unwan, Agapius the Malkite Greek bishop of Mabug, who was living about the year 940 said, "One of the scholars of this time (about the year 422) was Mar Isaac, the pupil of St. Ephrem, who had his residence in Antioch. He has many memre on feasts, martyrs, wars and the invasions which took place at that time. Concerning his origin, he was from the people of Edessa." In the year 431, Isaac witnessed the Council of Ephesus as is mentioned in the Series of the Councils. Therefore, Isaac of Antioch is this Isaac and not Isaac of Amid as was erroneously thought by the Orientalists. He is also the one who composed the poem on the earthquake which destroyed Antioch in the year 459 and the two poems on the invasion of Beth Hur about the year 491. Furthermore, he did not die in the year 460 as the Orientalists claim. It is evident that Isaac of Amid did not live until this time because it has been established that he was associated with St. Ephrem for a period in the year 363 while he was, at the least, close to twenty. His birth, therefore, must have occurred about the year 343. Moreover, if he had lived to be one hundred and seventeen years old, he or someone else would have mentioned this fact. Surely, the most learned Jacob of Edessa is the best informed of all the historians about Isaac's affairs.

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