Ibas of Edessa facts for kids

Ibas (also known as Ihiba or Hiba) was an important bishop in the ancient city of Edessa, which is now in modern-day Turkey. He lived from about 435 AD until his death on October 28, 457 AD. Ibas was born in Syria, and his name is the Syriac version of "Donatus." He is often linked to a Christian teaching called Nestorianism, though this idea is debated by historians.

Ibas's Life and Role as Bishop

Early Life as a Presbyter in Edessa

Ibas first appears as a presbyter, or priest, in the church of Edessa. This was during the time when Rabbula was the bishop. Ibas strongly supported the ideas of Theodore of Mopsuestia, a famous Christian writer. He even translated Theodore's writings into the Syriac language and helped spread them across the East.

The well-known theological school of Edessa was a place where many young Christians, especially from Persia, came to study. Ibas was said to be the head of this school. This gave him many chances to share Theodore's teachings. However, Bishop Rabbula worried that these ideas were becoming too popular and might be considered heretical. He tried to get Theodore's works banned and burned. But many people in the Edessa church liked Theodore's teachings and supported Ibas against their bishop.

Ibas at the Council of Ephesus

Ibas attended the First Council of Ephesus in 431 AD as a presbyter. He saw how Cyril of Alexandria acted with great authority at this meeting. In 433 AD, Ibas wrote a letter to a man named Maris, who was a bishop in Persia. This letter later became very important in a big church debate called the Three Chapters.

In his letter, Ibas criticized Nestorius for not wanting to call the Virgin Mary "Theotokos" (God-bearer). He also accused Cyril of having different ideas, saying Cyril believed that Jesus's human and divine natures were too mixed. Ibas believed that Jesus had two distinct natures, human and divine, united in one person.

Becoming Bishop and Facing Accusations

When Bishop Rabbula died around 435 or 436 AD, Ibas was chosen to be the new bishop of Edessa. This decision did not please everyone, especially those who strongly opposed Nestorian views, like Rabbula had. These opponents quickly started to plan how to remove Ibas from his position. They spread rumors that he was openly teaching ideas that were not correct.

These accusations soon reached Emperor Theodosius II and Archbishop Proclus of Constantinople. Archbishop Proclus thought the matter was serious. In late 437 AD, he wrote to John I of Antioch, who was a leading bishop in the East. Proclus asked John to convince Ibas to publicly condemn certain ideas from Theodore's writings if he was innocent. This would help clear his name. Proclus made the same request to all Eastern bishops. However, Ibas and most other bishops refused to condemn Theodore's ideas.

Challenges from Opponents

Even though their first attempts failed, Ibas's opponents in Edessa kept working against him. Their main leaders were four priests: Samuel, Cyrus, Eulogius, and Maras. They were encouraged by Uranius, another bishop who strongly opposed Ibas.

In 442 AD, Domnus II of Antioch became the new leader of the Patriarchate of Antioch. When Domnus visited a city called Hierapolis Bambyce, Ibas's opponents saw their chance. Cyrus and Eulogius formally presented their accusations against Ibas to Domnus. About 17 clergy members from Edessa signed the accusation, and 30 more supported it.

Ibas was on his way to Hierapolis Bambyce to greet Domnus when he heard about the accusations. He immediately called his own clergy together. He announced that Cyrus and Eulogius were spreading false stories and would be excommunicated, meaning they would be removed from the church. He threatened the same punishment for anyone else involved in their actions.

Trials in Antioch and Beirut

In 445 AD, Domnus asked Ibas to attend a church meeting, called a synod, in Antioch. Ibas sent a letter explaining why he could not come. Domnus supported Ibas and was not eager to hear the charges against him. Finally, in early 448 AD, the four main accusers formally presented their case to Domnus and the council of the East. Domnus then summoned Ibas to appear after Easter to answer the charges.

The council was held in Antioch with only nine bishops present. Ibas personally answered 18 charges. Most of these were minor and lacked proof. For example, he was accused of taking a valuable cup for himself, or that the wine used for church services was not good enough. More serious charges included that he had spoken against Cyril and called him a heretic, and that he was a Nestorian. The most serious accusation was that he had said disrespectful things about Jesus. Ibas admitted to criticizing Cyril but strongly denied the other charges, calling them false rumors.

Only two of the accusers showed up. Samuel and Cyrus had gone to Constantinople to complain to the emperor and the church leader there. They believed Domnus would be biased towards Ibas. Domnus and the council decided not to continue without the main witnesses, so the case was put on hold.

Moving the Case to Constantinople

Eulogius and Maras quickly joined their friends in Constantinople. There, they found a powerful group that was against the Eastern bishops, especially Theodoret. Their group grew stronger when Uranius and several other Edessene clergy arrived. Emperor Theodosius II and Flavian, the new archbishop, listened to their complaints. However, they refused to hear the case officially.

Instead, the case was sent back to the East. An imperial order, dated October 26, 448 AD, appointed three bishops to hear the case: Uranius of Himeria, Eustathius of Beirut, and Photius of Tyre. Damascius, a government official, was sent as the emperor's representative. This whole process went against church rules, which said that bishops should be judged by other bishops from their own region. But no one protested because the emperor's power was seen as absolute. The court was also unfair. Uranius, one of the judges, was a leader of the group against Ibas. The other two judges had become bishops with Uranius's help.

The trial was supposed to be in Tyre but was moved to Beirut to avoid trouble. Ibas presented a document signed by many of his clergy, denying that he had ever said the disrespectful things he was accused of. Only three witnesses supported the accusation and brought a copy of the controversial letter to Maris.

The judges did not make a final decision. Instead, they arranged a friendly agreement. Ibas's enemies agreed to drop their accusations if Ibas promised to forget the past, treat his accusers like his own children, and let Domnus handle any new problems. Also, to avoid suspicion about money, the church's income in Edessa would be managed by special officers, just like in Antioch. Ibas also agreed on theological points. He promised to publicly condemn Nestorius and his followers when he returned to Edessa. He also stated that his beliefs matched those agreed upon by John and Cyril, and that he accepted the decisions of the Council of Ephesus and the Council of Nicaea. This agreement was signed on February 25, 449 AD, with only Uranius disagreeing.

Removal from Office at Ephesus

The peace did not last long. A group called the Eutychians, with the help of powerful figures like Chrysaphius and Dioscorus of Alexandria, managed to get an order for another big church meeting, called the Second Council of Ephesus, to be held on August 1, 449 AD. This council was meant to clear the name of a monk named Eutyches, but it was also used against Ibas.

While Ibas was away, rumors spread in Edessa that his beliefs were wrong. When he returned, people were so angry that he had to leave the city and ask for soldiers to protect him. He soon realized that asking for help from the government was useless. The governor, Chaereas, had secret orders to arrest and imprison Ibas and restart his trial.

When Chaereas arrived in Edessa on April 12, 449 AD, to begin the trial, he was met by a large crowd of monks and their supporters. They loudly demanded that Ibas and his followers be immediately removed and condemned. Two days later, the investigation began without Ibas present, as the crowd continued to demand his condemnation. Everyone in Edessa knew that Chaereas had come only to announce a punishment that had already been decided.

Chaereas was moving too slowly for the angry crowd. On Sunday, April 17, the excitement in the church was so strong that the governor had to promise that the decision from the Beirut meeting would be reviewed, and a new investigation would begin. This new investigation started the next day. All the old charges were brought up again by the same accusers. The crowd yelled things like "Ibas to the gallows!" and "To exile!", making it impossible for Ibas to explain or defend himself. Monks from the city and nearby monasteries played a big part in stirring up the crowd.

Chaereas then sent a report to the emperor, saying the charges were proven. On June 27, the emperor ordered that a new bishop, one who the people trusted, should replace Ibas. Only a proper church council could officially remove him, but for now, his enemies could be happy seeing him treated badly. He was forbidden to enter Edessa, arrested, and treated like a criminal. He was moved from place to place, changing his location 40 times and being held in 20 different prisons.

The Second Council of Ephesus opened on August 3. One of its goals was to finally get rid of Ibas. This happened during the second meeting on August 22. The three bishops who had investigated Ibas in Tyre and Beirut were asked to explain what happened. They avoided mentioning that Ibas had been found innocent. Instead, they said the later investigation in Edessa would be more helpful. The monks of Edessa and the other accusers were allowed to speak, and they condemned Ibas as expected. The motion to remove Ibas passed without anyone objecting. Even Eustathius of Beirut and Photius of Tyre, who had previously found him innocent based on the same evidence, voted with the majority. Ibas was not called to appear because he was in prison in Antioch. It is not clear what happened to Ibas right after he was removed from office.

Returning to Office at Chalcedon

In early 451 AD, bishops who had been removed and sent away because of the Second Council of Ephesus were allowed to return. However, the question of whether they would get their positions back was left for the Council of Chalcedon. During the ninth meeting on October 26, Ibas's case was brought before all the bishops.

Ibas asked to be given his position back, based on the decision made by Photius and Eustathius in Beirut and Tyre. The records of that meeting were read. The next day, the pope's representatives said that Ibas had been wrongly removed and should be put back in his position right away. After much discussion, everyone agreed. The pope's representatives led the way, saying that Ibas's letter was correct in its beliefs, and ordered him to be reinstated. All the bishops agreed, on the condition that Ibas would speak against Nestorius and Eutyches and accept the teachings of Pope Leo.

Ibas agreed without hesitation. He said he had already spoken against Nestorius in his writings and would do so "ten thousand times" again, along with Eutyches and anyone who taught the "One Nature" idea. He also said he would accept everything the council believed to be true. With this, he was cleared of all charges and given back his position as bishop of Edessa in later meetings. Nonnus, who had been chosen as bishop after Ibas was removed, was allowed to keep his title. When Ibas died on October 28, 457 AD, Nonnus peacefully became the main bishop of Edessa. The council's acceptance of "his letter" later caused some debate because it was not clear which letter they meant. This led to accusations that the Council of Chalcedon had approved the contents of the Letter to Maris.

A Builder of Churches

According to an old record called the Chronicle of Edessa, Ibas built the new Church of the Apostles in Edessa. A senator gave a silver table weighing 720 pounds to this church. Also, Anatolius, a military commander, gave a silver box to hold the relics of Thomas the Apostle. It was believed that Thomas had preached in Parthia and was buried in Edessa.