Basil bar Shumna facts for kids

Basil bar Shumna (died 1169 or 1171) was an important leader in the Syriac Orthodox Church. He served as the archbishop of the city of Edessa from 1143 until he passed away. He also wrote a history book, called a chronicle, in the Syriac language. This book covered events from 1118 until his death. Sadly, his original book is now lost, but other famous historians like Michael the Great and the writer of the Chronicle of 1234 used it as a main source for their own works.

Basil's Life and Times

Basil was likely born in the early 1100s. Even though he was described as an older man when he became the leader of the church in Edessa, he was very active. His brother, Michael bar Shumna, was in charge of the city's government under Count Joscelin II.

In the early 1120s, Basil joined the group of people who traveled with the Byzantine emperor John II. He even saw a big battle in 1122, where the Byzantines defeated a group called the Pechenegs. By 1129, Basil was a priest and a bishop in a place called Qaysūn. He later decided to leave Qaysūn and live in a monastery because he was tired of church politics.

Becoming Archbishop of Edessa

In 1143, Joscelin II moved Basil from Qaysūn to become the archbishop of Edessa. Some people thought this was wrong because Joscelin was Catholic and didn't have the authority to move Syriac bishops. They also said he did it without the church leader, Patriarch Athanasius VII, knowing. Basil wrote a letter to the patriarch saying these accusations weren't true. Later, Joscelin and the patriarch made up.

The Siege of Edessa (1144)

In November 1144, the city of Edessa was attacked. This was known as the Siege of Edessa. Basil worked with the Catholic and Armenian bishops, Hugh and John, to help defend the city. He even convinced Bishop Hugh to try and make peace with the attackers, but the message didn't reach the Turkish commander, Zengi.

When the city walls were broken on December 24, there were two days of terrible looting and killing. During this time, Basil showed great courage. He let himself be led around with a rope and had his beard shaved as a sign of humility. When Zengi entered the city, he met Basil. Basil impressed Zengi with his humble attitude, bravery, and his ability to speak Arabic. Zengi had Basil dressed properly, and they talked about how to rebuild the city. According to another historian, Michael the Great, Basil was very important in Edessa as long as Zengi was in charge. Basil was even responsible for helping people move back into the city.

Later Life and Imprisonment

After Zengi died in 1146, Joscelin forced Basil to help him try to take back Edessa. But this attempt failed, and the city fell to Nur al-Din. Basil had to escape to a place called Samosata.

Because Basil had worked closely with Zengi, some people in Edessa accused him of being a traitor. So, Joscelin put him in prison in Hromgla. Basil stayed in prison for three years. It was during this time that he started writing his history book about the city. When Joscelin himself was captured by the Turks in 1150, Basil was the one who heard his last confession. Basil died in 1169 or 1171.

Basil's Writings

Basil was an eyewitness to many of the events he wrote about, which made his history very valuable. He wrote his book not just to record history, but also to explain why bad things happened to Edessa. He believed these events were part of God's plan. He even thought Edessa was the same place as the biblical Ur of the Chaldees.

Historians like Michael the Great and the writer of the Chronicle of 1234 used Basil's work a lot. The author of the Chronicle of 1234 often mentioned Basil for events after 1144 and got most of his information about Edessa from Basil. This author even said that he was making Basil's longer story shorter. He also mentioned that he didn't agree with Basil's strong criticism of his own people.

Some scholars, like Aphram Barsoum, thought Basil might have written a separate book about the Byzantine victory over the Pechenegs in 1122. This idea came from parts of Michael the Great's writings. Basil called the Pechenegs "Cumans". However, whether this separate book truly existed is still a question.

Basil is also believed to have written three poems about the fall of Edessa in 1144.