Rabbula, bishop of Edessa (411/2-435/6), in his Canons of Rabbula for the Monks, prohibits keeping bones of the martyrs in monasteries and orders they be checked, and, if genuine, transferred to martyria-churches. Written in Syriac in Edessa (northern Mesopotamia).
Evidence ID
E00074
Type of Evidence
Other
Canons of Rabbula for the Monks, canon 22
ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܠܐ ܢܫܬܟܚܘܢ ܒܕܝܖ̈ܬܐ. ܐܠܐ ܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܗ. ܢܥܠ ܐܢܘܢ ܩܕܡܝܢ. ܕܐܢ ܫܪܝܪܝܢ ܢܬܝܩܪܘܢ ܒܝܬ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ. ܘܐܢ ܕܝܢ ܠܐ ܢܬܣܝܡܘܢ ܒܝܬ ܩܒܘܖ̈ܐ
Bones of the martyrs shall not be found in the monasteries but everyone who has them shall bring them to us so that, if they are genuine, (they) shall be honored in the martyria, but if not, these shall be placed in the cemetery.
Text and translation: Vööbus 1960, 32.
Cult PlacesCult building - monastic
Rejection, Condemnation, SceptisismCondemnation of other activity associated with cult
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Cult building - monastic
Cult building - independent (church)
Rejection, Condemnation, SceptisismBodily relic - bones and teeth
RelicsCondemnation of other activity associated with cult
Bodily relic - bones and teeth
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Source
The cycle of canons for the monks, ascribed to bishop Rabbula, who occupied the episcopal see of Edessa during 411/2-435/6, comprises 26 canons that regulate various aspects of monastic life. There seems to be no doubt about the genuine character of this canonical collection and Rabbula's authorship.For the Syriac text, see Vööbus 1960, pp. 80-86; Mounayer 1954, pp. 409-412; English translation: Vööbus 1960, pp. 80-86; French translation: Nau 1906, pp. 83-91, Mounayer 1954, pp. 412-415; discussion: Bruns 1995; Köhler 1908, 1909.
For general information on *Rabbula, see Blum 1969; Drijvers 1999; Graffin 1988; Pinggéra 2004.
Discussion
Rule 22 seeks to regularise the practice of monastic veneration of relics by prohibiting the keeping of martyrs' bones in monasteries and ordering their inspection for authenticity and subsequent transfer into the martyria-churches. The canon is not explicit about who is responsible for implementing this policy. Probably, because the canons were issued by bishop, it was his responsibility.Bibliography
Editions and translations:Vööbus, A., Syriac and Arabic Documents Regarding Legislation Relative to Syrian Asceticism (Papers of the Estonian Theological Society in Exile 11; Stockholm: Estonian Theological Society in Exile, 1960).
Mounayer, J., “Les canons relatifs aux moines, attribués à Rabboula,” Orientalia Christiana Periodica 20:3-4 (1954), 406-415.
Nau, F., Les canons et les résolutions canoniques de Rabboula, Jean de Tella, Cyriaque d’Amid, Jacques d’Édesse, Georges des Arabes, Cyriaque d’Antioche, Jean III, Théodose d’Antioche et des Perses (Ancienne littérature canonique syriaque 2; Paris: Lethielleux, 1906).
Further reading:
Blum, G.G., Rabbula von Edessa. Der Christ, der Bischof, der Theologie (CSCO 300, Subs. 34; Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1969).
Bruns, P., “Die Kanones des Rabbula (gest. 435) und ihr Beitrag zur Reform des kirchlichen Lebens in Edessa,” in: H.J.F. Reinhardt (ed.), Theologia et Jus Canonicum. Festgabe für Herbert Heinemann zur Vollendung seines 70. Lebensjahrs (Essen: Ludgerus, 1995), 471-480.
Drijvers, H.J.W., “Rabbula, Bishop of Edessa: Spiritual Authority and Secular Power,” in: J.W. Drijvers and J.W. Watt (eds.), Portraits of Spiritual Authority: Religious Power in Early Christianity, Byzantium, and the Christian Orient (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 137; Leiden: Brill, 1999), 139-154.
Graffin, F., “Rabboula d’Édesse,” in: Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique: doctrine et histoire (Paris: Beauchesne, 1988), vol. 13, 12-14.
Köhler, L., “Zu den Kanones des Rabbula, Bischofs von Edessa,” Schweizerische Theologische Zeitschrift 25 (1908), 210-213.
Köhler, L.,“Nochmals die Kanones des Rabbula, Bischofs von Edessa,” Schweizerische Theologische Zeitschrift 26 (1909), 133-134.
Pinggéra, K., “Rabbula von Edessa,” in: W. Klein (ed.), Syrische Kirchenväter (Urban-Taschenbücher 587; Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer, 2004), 57-70.
Record Created By
Sergey Minov
Date of Entry
13/10/2014
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00060 | Martyrs, unnamed or name lost | Certain |
|---|
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