Philoxenus of Mabbug facts for kids

Philoxenus of Mabbug (who died in 523 AD) was a very important writer in the Syriac tradition. He was also known as Xenaias or Philoxenus of Hierapolis. He was a strong supporter of a Christian belief called Miaphysitism, which was about the nature of Jesus Christ.

Early Life and Education

Philoxenus was born around the late 400s AD in a village called Tahal, which was part of the Persian Empire. Even though he was born in Persia, he spent most of his life working in the Byzantine Empire. His family originally came from a city called Ecbatana.

He studied at a famous school in Edessa. This school was later closed in 489 AD because it was linked to a different Christian belief called Nestorianism. Some people who didn't like Philoxenus made up stories that he was a slave or was never baptized, but these stories are not true.

Becoming a Bishop

The years after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD were difficult for the Syriac Church. Philoxenus quickly became known for strongly supporting Miaphysitism.

In 485 AD, a leader named Calandio was removed from his position as patriarch (a high-ranking bishop) of Antioch. Philoxenus then became the bishop of Mabbug. It was likely during his early years as a bishop that he wrote thirteen important talks about how Christians should live their lives.

Working on the Syriac Bible

Later, Philoxenus focused on improving the Syriac versions of the Bible. With the help of a bishop named Polycarp, he created a new version in 508 AD. This version became known as the Philoxenian version and was widely used by Syriac Miaphysites during the 500s.

At the same time, Philoxenus continued his work in the church. He strongly opposed Flavian II, who was the patriarch of Antioch from 498 to 512 AD and supported the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon.

With the help of Emperor Anastasius, the Miaphysites removed Flavian in 512 AD. They replaced him with their supporter, Severus. We know that Philoxenus played a big part in this change. In 498, he was in Edessa, and around 507, the emperor called him to Constantinople. He also led a meeting of church leaders in Sidon, which helped Severus become patriarch.

However, their success did not last long. When Justin I became emperor in 518 AD, he supported the Chalcedonian beliefs. In 519 AD, he sent Severus and Philoxenus away from their homes. Philoxenus was first sent to Philippopolis and then to Gangra. He died there in 523 AD.

Philoxenus's Writings

Philoxenus is remembered not only for his strong arguments but also as a smart scholar, an elegant writer, and someone who taught about practical Christian living.

His most important scholarly work was the Philoxenian version of the Bible. Today, only parts of the Gospels and some sections of the Book of Isaiah from this version still exist. He tried to make a more accurate translation of the Septuagint (an early Greek version of the Old Testament) into Syriac. This version was popular among Syriac Miaphysites until new, even more literal translations appeared around 616-617 AD.

We also have parts of his writings that explain the Gospels. We can see how good his writing style was and how much he cared about religious life from his thirteen talks on Christian life and character. In these talks, he mostly avoided arguments about theology. Instead, he wrote wonderfully about topics like faith, simplicity, fearing God, poverty, greed, self-control, and purity. He often quoted from the Peshitta, which is another Syriac Bible version. This suggests he wrote these talks before he started working on his Philoxenian Bible translation.

Philoxenus also wrote many works arguing about religious topics and some pieces for church services. Many of his letters have survived, and some have been published. Several of his writings were translated into Arabic and Ethiopic.

See also

In Spanish: Filoxeno de Mabbug para niños