The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Life of Rabbula

Summary:

The narrative opens with a brief preface, in which the author extols the virtues of Rabbula and presents his work as 'an icon of the excellent way of life of Mar Rabbula the bishop, the pride of our city, so that he might be to us and to every generation a paradigm that stimulates [us] to imitate his virtues'. (pp. 65-66 of the Doran translation)

The holy man is said to be the only offspring of a rich and noble couple living in the city of Qenneshrin (Chalcis) in Mesopotamia. Whereas his father was pagan, his mother was Christian. Well-educated and fluent in Greek, Rabbula remains pagan, notwithstanding the efforts of his mother and his Christian wife. (pp. 66-67)

The young Rabbula converts to Christianity after a visit to the hermit Abraham. Having heard about healing miracles performed by this holy man, who lived in the vicinity of Qenneshrin, Rabbula decides to visit him. During the visit, he witnesses the healing of a sick woman and decides to embrace Christianity. After being instructed in Christian doctrine, first by the bishop of Qenneshrin Eusebius, and then by the bishop of Aleppo Acacius, Rabbula visits 'the shrine of the heroic martyrs Cosmas and Damian', where he meets an acquaintance who had been cured of blindness, and is inspired to offer a song to God. After this full conversion, he goes to 'the monastery of the holy Marcian the recluse,' where he makes a promise to pursue the monastic way of life. For his baptism, Rabbula travels to Palestine, where he visits the holy places in Jerusalem and is baptised in the Jordan. (pp. 67-71)

Upon his return to Qenneshrin, Rabbula sells his estates and sets free his slaves, distributes his wealth to the poor and joins the small ascetic community gathered around the hermit Abraham. His mother, wife and children join monasteries as well. (pp. 71-73)

When his fame as an ascetic grows and people start to come to visit him, Rabbula moves to a more distant location, where he lives alone, engaged in 'constant prayer, the liturgy of the psalms, and the reading of the Scriptures'. While spending time in ascetic feats and fighting Satan's temptations, he is supported by a layman, who regularly brings him food. When the members of his monastic community learn about Rabbula's whereabouts, they visit him and persuade him to come back. After that, Rabbula and bishop Eusebius make a trip to the city of Baalbek (Heliopolis), a major pagan centre. Ardent with the desire to become martyrs, they try to attack the pagan shrine, but are beaten up by the local pagans. (pp. 73-75)

When Diogenes, the bishop of Edessa dies, Rabbula is elected in his stead. His activities as the city's bishop include, among other things, the project of a new translation of the New Testament from Greek into Syriac as well as active engagement in charitable initiatives. Taking seriously his episcopal duties, Rabbula aims at reforming all groups within the Church, i.e. priests, monks and laymen. Admonishing and threatening, he tries to compel the city's clergy to live a modest life, appropriate to their vocation. He takes great care to appoint to the office only worthy candidates. Rabbula also oversees the ascetic communities of men and women, providing them with the rules of proper behaviour. (pp. 75-83)

At the same time, Rabbula continues to keep his ascetic regimen, including fasting, praying, weeping, dressing modestly and shunning any luxury. As a confirmation of his spiritual authority, sick people are healed and demons are exorcised by the power of his prayer. It is related that people would seek to procure contact relics, such as pieces of his clothes – 'How many times would the people, because of the fervour of their faith in him, rend his garments in their desire, and exchange the garments among themselves like a relic (ḥnānā) so that a blessing might be transferred from his clothing to many of them?' Furthermore, some believers name their children after Rabbula - 'many from the city and from the whole province trustingly named their sons and even their daughters with the honoured name of Rabbula for a blessing. For his flock kept close under the wings of his name and of his prayer for protection, and implored its full healing to attain a long life.' (pp. 83-87)

Rabbula's episcopal duties include protection of such weak members of urban society as the poor, orphans and widows. He exerts his authority to convince the rich citizens of Edessa to donate money on behalf of the poor. In addition, Rabbula is engaged in dispensing justice, adjudicating between citizens in the bishop's court. (pp. 88-91)

An important aspect of Rabbula's episcopal office finds expression in defending the truth of Christianity, while fighting against various heterodox groups present in Edessa, such as the followers of Bardaisan, Arians, Marcionites, Manichaeans, Gnostics of various sorts, and Messalians. He also makes efforts, partially successful, to convert the local Jews. An extended part of the narrative is dedicated to Rabbula's campaign against the heresy of Nestorius, which involves a journey to Constantinople, where the bishop publicly confutes Nestorius' teaching. (pp. 91-99)

The narrative lays a particular emphasis on Rabbula's care for the urban poor, to whom the bishop distributes alms and on whose behalf he restores and upgrades the city's hospital, establishing also separate hospitals for women and for lepers. (pp. 99-102)

Having been in office for twenty-four years and three months, Rabbula dies in the month of August, after a month-long illness. When he falls ill in the month of July, the bishop receives a revelation about his imminent demise and, anticipating it, he distributes alms for the last time. When he dies, Rabbula is greatly mourned by the citizens of Edessa. His body is put into a wooden coffin, to prevent people from tearing it apart into bits of relics – 'they hastened to cover his pure body in a wooden coffin (glusqmā d-qaysā) made from materials inside his dwelling, so that his holy body might not be torn apart by the hands of all the people pressing forward in their love to take from him a relic (ḥnānā) in their faithfulness'. He is buried in the city's cemetery. Posthumous miracles, such as healings and exorcisms, are reported to take place at his grave. The narrative concludes with the author's hope for Rabbula's intercession. (pp. 102-105)


Text: Overbeck 1865.
Translation: Doran 2006.
Summary: Sergey Minov.

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave

Composing and translating saint-related texts
Explicit naming a child, or oneself, after a saint
Saint as patron - of a community

Miracle during lifetime
Miracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Exorcism
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation

Contact relic - cloth

Ecclesiastics - bishops

Source

Discussion

Bibliography