Can we conjecture anything further about the time before Ḳonâ? Mr. Burkitt, in his Early Eastern Christianity,[1] having discussed the Abgar legend and the few historic evidences for the earliest period,[2] makes an interesting conjecture as to what really happened. He thinks that Christianity began among the Jews of Edessa. Addai, a Jew from Palestine, first preached the Gospel there, probably before the middle of the 2nd century. At first Christianity was largely Jewish. Then it was accepted by the pagan nobility, and in the 3rd century became the State religion. Aggai, too, may well be a real person, Addai's successor. But this Edessene Church stood rather apart from the main stream of Catholic Christianity. It was a Jewish Church, which might have evolved into something like the Ebionites. Then, after the Roman Conquest (216), there came a new stream from Antioch, a more Catholic influence, in direct communication with the great Church of the Empire. This is represented by Paluṭ. At first, maybe, there was friction between these two parties.[3] St. Ephrem notes that at one time the Catholics were called Palutians, as if they were a new sect.[4] However, ultimately Paluṭ and his party remain in possession as the official Church of Edessa; others become mere sects. Then, long after, a writer combines the two sources and imagines a line of bishops Addai—Aggai—Paluṭ.[5] Paluṭ's successors are said to have been ‘Abshalâmâ, then Bar-Samyâ, then Ḳonâ.[6] During the persecution of Diocletian (284–305) and Licinius there were martyrs at Edessa. We hear of Shmunâ, Guryâ, a deacon Ḥabīb and others.[7]
Two figures stand out in the ante-Nicene Church of Edessa—
- ↑ London, J. Murray, 1904.
- ↑ Chap. i.
- ↑ We might compare Paluṭ and the old Edessene Church (on this supposition) with St. Augustine of Canterbury and the British Church.
- ↑ Burkitt: op. cit. p. 28. James of Edessa (684–687) quotes Ephrem as having said this.
- ↑ Burkitt: op. cit. pp. 34–35
- ↑ Ib.
- ↑ The Jacobite bishop James of Batnan in Mesopotamia (James of Srug. † 521; cf. Duval: Littérature syriaque, pp. 352–356) composed metrical homilies about these martyrs. Assemani: Bibl. orient. i. 329–333 (Nos. 191–192).
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