INTRODUCTION

1. Occasion for this work. — 2. Biography of Bardesan. — 3. Works of Bardesan. — 4. The dialogue of the Laws of Countries. — 5. Notions on astrology drawn from Firmicus Maternus. — 6. Teachings of Bardesan. — 7. Explanation of some words in the dialogue of the Laws of Countries. — 8. The heresy of Bardesan. The legend.

1. We have been occupied with Bardesan for several years already and have published the result of our research in a small brochure titled "An unpublished biography of Bardesan the astrologer, drawn from the history of Michael the Great, Patriarch of Antioch" ¹. M. Rubens Duval has just given us the opportunity to revisit the same subject from a new point of view by graciously offering us one hundred copies of the Syriac text of the Book of the Laws of Countries that he had printed for his course at the Collège de France². We are adding to this text an introduction on the life, writings, and doctrines of Bardesan, then a French translation with numerous notes alongside it which will, we believe, leave no obscurity in this book.

2. The historians of Bardesan sometimes give us contradictory information;

1. At Fontemoing, 4, rue le Goff., Paris, 1897. 1 franc. This brochure contains 1) a short study on the Book of the Laws of Countries, p. 2-5; 2) the biography provided by Michael, source of Bar Hebraeus, p. 5-8; 3) the interpretation of an opinion of Bardesan reported by Saint Ephrem, Michael, and Bar Hebraeus, p. 8-10; 4) a summary of what is known about Bardesan with the contradictions of the authors, then the explanation of the texts of Saint Ephrem where Bardesan is named. These texts, if they do not contain pure insults, have an astronomical or astrological sense, hence the title of the brochure, p. 10-21.
2. We have also benefited from the scholarly explanations given in this course. — The text was collated by Mr. Budge on the unique manuscript, add. 14658, fol. 129-140.