Homilies and Songs, Volume 1

...they held this council; for this reason, Narsai fled to a certain island, saying: "The corrupter who has seized the throne, and the lord who has sealed the Persian identity," and "The speaker who is filled with division" original: "ܡܕܲܚܫܵܐ ܕܲܥܼܨ ܟܘܼܪܣܝܵܐ : ܘܡܵܪܹܐ ܕܲܚܬܼܲܡ ܥܲܠ ܦܵܪܣܵܝܘܼܬܼܵܐ : et ܡܲܠܝܼܠܵܐ ܕܲܡܠܵܐ ܦܘܼܠܓܵܢܵܐ" (1).

This last small history seems false. For as we warned the reader above, Narsai left Edessa in the year 457, and on the other hand, Kyoré was the prelate of that same city from the year 471 until the year 498 (2). Therefore, an interval of 14 years prevents their simultaneous stay in Edessa (3). Furthermore, the presence of Severus here, as it seems, is anticipated by quite a lot, which weakens the truth of the author's narrative (4).

The history of that time is still teeming with many obscurities. Take as an example the fact that Mahna, who succeeded Iabalaha I in the patriarchate in the year 420, is counted among the Edessan scholars in exile in the year 457; etc. In many respects, given the current state of historical knowledge, we are forced into a narrow space from which there is no escape except by the aid of new documents to be brought to light in the future.

THE WORKS OF NARSAI

I SACRED SCRIPTURE:

The works of Narsai on this subject are absolutely numberless; for he examined and explained almost all the sacred books. According to the index of Ebedjesu, his commentaries included the first four books of the Pentateuch; Joshua; Judges; Ecclesiastes; Isaiah; the twelve minor prophets; Jeremiah; Ezekiel and Daniel. His explanations, as is clear from the few homilies that have reached us, refer to the literal sense The Syrians call this gashyima material. (5), whether proper or metaphorical. Once this is explained, one regularly passes to the spiritual sense The Syrians call this ruhana spiritual. (6), of the kind, namely, that the words do not...

(1) These two orations are in the Syro-Oriental Breviary; see for the first, Houdhram vol. II, p. 244, and for the second, ibid. p. 56 and passim (Bedjan Edition).
(2) Chronicle of Edessa, apud Assem. B. O. I p. 405. cf. Duval: History of Edessa, p. 168.
(3) cf. Assem. B. O. III, p. 64-65.
(4) Regarding Severus: see Le Quien, Oriens Christianus, vol II, p. 730-731. Regarding Severus and other patriarchs driven into exile, see the book of John of Asia apud D. Land: Anecdota Syriaca, p. 246-249. cf. F. Nau: History of Severus, Patriarch of Antioch (Revue de l'Orient chrétien, 1899, p. 343 and following, etc.).