Bardaisan of Edessa: A Reassessment of the Evidence and a New InterpretationGorgias Eastern Christian Studies 22Syriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/TV5YMZI4/tei
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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Ilaria L.RamelliBardaisan of Edessa: A Reassessment of the Evidence and a New Interpretationhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/TV5YMZI4https://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/TV5YMZI4https://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/TV5YMZI4Piscataway, New JerseyGorgias Press2009Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies 22After the presentation of the status quaestionis and open problems, and of the methodological guidelines of the present investigation, there comes a critical and comparative analysis of the sources on Bardaisan (Julius Africanus and Didymus; Hippolytus; Porphyry; the Liber Legum Regionum; the Acts of Thomas; Eusebius; Gregory of Nyssa; Diodore of Tarsus; the Vita Abercii; Jerome; the Dialogue of Adamantius; Ephrem; Epiphanius (thence Augustine and the Praedestinatus); Sozomen, Theodoret, and Nicephorus; Movses Xorenac‘i; Rabbula of Edessa; the Chronicon Edessenum and other Syriac Chronicles; Philoxenus of Mabbug; Isho‘dad of Merw; Jacob of Edessa; the cosmological accounts: Barhadbshabba Bar Konai, Abu Qurra, Moses Bar Kepha, (Ps.) John of Dara, Agapius, Michel the Syrian, Barhebraeus, Mu‘taman, comparisons with Ephrem and Ps. Maruta; other biographical and/or doxographical accounts), which allows for a reinterpretation of his thought.
The contribution of this study to research lies in pointing out profound points of contact between Bardaisan, Origen, and their schools; the right evaluations of the fragments preserved by Porphyry; the role of Plato’s Timaeus and Middle Platonism in Bardaisan’s thought, in addition to Stoicism. A critical assessment of the reliability of the sources undermines the picture of a Gnostic and heretic Bardaisan. Some charges against him (like those, similar, against Origen) prove unfounded. Bardaisan’s thought emerges as a deeply Christian thought, depending on the exegesis of Scripture, read in the light of Greek philosophy (an enterprise accomplished by Philo earlier, and in Bardaisan’s day by Origen). Positive ancient sources present him as a deacon or even a presbyter, as an author of refutations of Marcionism and Gnosticism, and as a confessor of the Christian faith during a persecution. It is telling that the most positive sources on Bardaisan are authors belonging to the Origenian tradition.
Table of Contents
* Dedication Page (page 5)
* Table of Contents (page 7)
* Preface (page 11)
* 1 By way of Introductory Essay: Methodological Guidelines (page 17)
* 2 Critical and Comparative Analysis of the Sources (page 45)
o 1 The Very First Possible Witness: Clement (page 45)
o 2 Two Early Witnesses Close to Origen and Very Appreciative of Bardaisan: Africanus and Didymus (page 46)
+ 2.1 Julius Africanus Acquaintance with both Bardaisan and Origen (page 46)
+ 2.2 The Origenian Didymus the Blind: The Most Appreciative Source on Bardaisan (page 56)
o 3 Hippolytus (page 62)
o 4 The Liber Legum Regionum (page 70)
o 5 Porphyry and the Utmost Importance of His Fragments from Bardaisan: The Cosmic Christ, Middle-Platonism, and a Christian Reading of the Timaeus (page 107)
+ 5.1 The Fragments from Bardaisans De India in Porphyrys De Styge (page 107)
+ 5.2 Bardaisans Work in Porphyrys De Abstinentia (page 124)
o 6 Achilles Tatius and the Knowledge of Bardaisan in Late-Second-Century Alexandria (page 126)
o 7 The Acts of Thomas (page 127)
o 8 A Very Positive Witness: the Origenian Eusebius (page 131)
o 9 The Origenian Gregory of Nyssa and His Own Work Against Fate (page 138)
o 10 Diodore of Tarsus and His Closeness to Origens Eschatology and Refutation of Fate (page 142)
o 11 Bardaisans Fight Against Marcionism (page 161)
o 12 Jeromes Parallel Turn: From Admirer to Criticizer of both Origen and Bardaisan (page 164)
o 13 The Dialogue of Adamantius and the Portrait of a Bardaisanite (page 168)
o 14 Ephrem between Documentation and Misunderstandings (page 172)
o 15 Transition: The Transformation and Worsening of Bardaisans Image (page 254)
o 16 Epiphanius Information: A Mixed BagŽ (page 255)
o 17 Two Heresiological Accounts Deriving from Epiphanius (page 261)
o 18 Sozomen (page 262)
o 19 Theodorets Account (page 266)
o 20 Interesting Clues in a Very Appreciative Armenian Witness: Moses of Chorene (page 269)
o 21 Philoxenus of Mabbug, an Anonymous, Ishodad, and the Assimilation of Bardaisan to Valentinus or Mani (page 303)
o 22 Rabbula and Theodoret (page 307)
o 23 Appreciation of Bardaisan in a Local Source: the Chronicon of Edessa (page 312)
o 24 The Cosmological TraditionsŽ: Importance and Methodological Guidelines. Barhadbshabba Arbaya, Plus Comparisons with (Ps.) Maruta and Jacob of Edessa (page 314)
o 25 Theodore Bar Konai (page 328)
o 26 Theodore Abû Qurra (page 338)
o 27 Moses Bar Kepha (page 339)
o 28 (Ps.) John of Dara (page 347)
o 29 Agapius and the So-Called Third CosmologicalTradition (page 352)
o 30 Michael the Syrians Cosmological Testimony (page 353)
o 31 Barhebraeus Cosmological Account (page 354)
o 32 Mutaman ad-Dawla (page 355)
o 33 From the Cosmological TraditionsŽ to Other Doxographies and the Biographical Accounts. Masudis Biographical Information (page 355)
o 34 The Fihrist and Arabic Sources on Bardaisans Anti-Dualism (page 358)
o 35 Michael the Syrians Biographical Account (page 366)
o 36 Barhebraeus (page 374)
o 3 Conclusions and Contribution to Research (page 379)
o Essential Bibliographical References on Bardaisan (page 381)
o Index (page 389)
Ramelli, Ilaria L. Bardaisan of Edessa: A Reassessment of the Evidence and a New Interpretation. Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies 22. Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2009.
Ilaria L. Ramelli, Bardaisan of Edessa: A Reassessment of the Evidence and a New Interpretation, Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies 22 (Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2009).BardesanDiodore of TarsusEphremI-III CEIII CEMarcionismMichael the SyrianMoses bar KephaTheodore bar Koniheresiographyheterodoxypolemic