Jacob Severus bar Shakko
Jacob Severus bar Shakko was a West Syriac writer who died in 1241 AD.
Contents
Life
He was born in Bartella near Mosul, and studied under the East Syriac scholar John bar Zobi at the monastery of Beth Qoqe. He then studied dialectics and philosophy under Kamal al-Din Musa ibn Yunus, a moslem scholar in Mosul. Subsequently he became bishop of the monastery of Mar Mattai, taking the episcopal name Severus.
Works
His surviving works are:
Book of treasures (ktobo d-Simoto)
This is a theological compendium in four parts; 1) on the triune God, 2) on the incarnation, 3) on divine providence and 4) on the creation of the world, including the angels, stars, geography, natural history, etc., finishing with the nature of the human person and soul, anti-Christ, the resurrection of the body and the last judgement. It remains unpublished.
Book of dialogues (Ktobo d-Dialogu)
This work is in two books. The first covers grammar, rhetoric, poetry and metre, eloquence and the richness of the Syriac language. The second covers logic and syllogisms, philosophy (divided into five sections: definitions and divisions of philosophy; philosophical life and conduct; physics and physiology; arithmetic, music, geometry, mathematics; and metaphysics and theology. Only excerpts of this work have been published.
Other works
- Two letters written in verse
- A creed of faith
Reference
1. Sebastian Brock, A brief outline of Syriac Literature (1997), p.74-5.
