Holy Women of the Syrian Orient (Transformation of the Classical Heritage)

by Sebastian P. Brock, Susan Ashbrook Harvey (Translator)

The fifteen hagiographies about holy women of the Syrian Orient collected here include stories of martyrs' passions and saints' lives, pious romances and personal reminiscences. Dating from the fourth to seventh centuries A.D., they are translated from Syriac into accessible and vivid prose. Annotations and source notes by the translators help clarify elements that may be unfamiliar to some readers. This collection bears witness to the profound contributions women made to early Chistianity: their various roles, their leadership inside and outside the church structure, and their power to influence others. A new preface discusses recent developments in the field and updates the bibliography.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christianity

220 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 1987

Reviews

[Emelie]

"(...) Then the holy woman opened her mouth and addressed him: »I am telling you, greatest and most famed of the Magians, that I have once and for all been betrothed to Christ, and so I cannot belong to anyone else; I have already received from him the pledge of the Spirit, and I cannot leave him. Nor indeed will my Lord and my King who has betrothed me allow me to be taken off by anyone else to matty, for he is extremely powerful and strong, and no one can take anything from him. So, if you have something else to say, or if there is some other action to take, carry it out; it is no use wasting time with empty words.«" (Ur Anahid)

Sebastian P. Brock och Susan Ashbrook Harvey har i detta verk lyft fram en samling av helgonberättelser från ca 300-600 e.Kr. Berättelserna cirkulerar kring några av de kvinnor som har haft en betydande roll i den tidiga kristendomens historia, men vars berättelser ändå har hamnat lite i skymundan. En av de kvinnor vars liv vi får ta del av är Pelagia av Antiokia som genom samtal och inre reflektion valde att rekonstruera om sin livssituation till en som passade just henne bättre (denna berättelse liknar i mångt och mycket den om Pelagia den Botfärdiga men med några få skillnader). Många av berättelserna strävar efter att omfamna ett mer gudfruktigt leverne, men utan några direkta tillrättavisningar eller fördömande ord kring hur andra väljer att leva sina liv (det handlar alltså mer om att den enskilda kvinnan ska ha rätten till att bestämma över sitt eget liv: att få tro och uttrycka sig såsom hon själv behagar (hon tvingar inte på någon annan sin egen tro)). En annan kvinna vars liv vi får ta del av är Anahid som konverterade till kristendomen, och som ända in i döden vägrade ge upp sin tro. Hennes berättelse innefattar, likt Pelagias, en vilja kring att förbättra sin egen livssituation men också att öppet få vara hängiven sin tro. Samtliga berättelser i detta verk skildrar kvinnornas liv, uppoffringar, romanser och efterlämningar. Men på samma gång får man likväl en gedigen inblick i den värld som dessa kvinnor levde och verkade i. Det blir till ett stycke historia som målar upp sig för läsaren: där alla olika miljöer, samhälleliga värderingar och dåtidens synvinklar uppenbarar sig för läsaren (därför är det inte heller väsentligt att haka upp sig på ifall kvinnorna har funnits på riktigt eller ej). Brock och Harvey uttrycker även i sin introduktion en förhoppning om att detta verk ska bidra till att den syrisk ortodoxa traditionen blir mer lättillgänglig för en bredare skara (originaltexterna är på syriska), samt att kvinnorna i historien ska få ta sig fram ännu mer. Och det är så himla fint, superintressant att få läsa om! 🌼

[Kyleigh Dunn]

I skimmed some of this due to the repetitive nature and gruesomeness of some of the accounts. There are a lot of patterns I noted: most, if not all, of these women were "daughters of the covenant," that is, some kind of nun or vowed virgin. A number were offered marriage as a way out of martyrdom. Many of the martyrdoms were quite gory. The women often mentioned their betrothal to Christ as what gave them courage to stand firm. As in the West, asceticism and monastic life were highly esteemed.


My two favorite moments:
“If I examine myself thoroughly, I cannot find a single good deed that I have done. I know that my sins are heavier and more numerous than all the grains of sand on the seashore; and all the sea’s water is not sufficient to wash away my wicked and evil deeds. But I believe that God is merciful and will not look upon the multitude of my sins—just as he did not look upon the sin of that sinful woman in the Gospels, or that of the Canaanite woman or the one from Samaria: he did not shut his door in their faces but had pity and compassion upon them; he held them to be worthy of healing in their bodies and of forgiveness of their sins. I too have acknowledged and do acknowledge that I am wicked and bad, whereas my God is compassionate and merciful. And I beg you, my lord, a true priest and forgiving father who gives spiritual rebirth, be merciful to me; take me and wash me with fire and the Spirit." - Pelagia

"But why should I just talk about men? Let us examine the weak nature of the frail female sex to see whether the beauty of the virtuous life is not also revealed to us in the godlike women who trampled on sin and Satan.‘ I myself am ashamed to gaze on their valiant deeds when I consider the laxity of us men; but it is right that this beauty should be made public—to our greater confusion, and to the glory of those women.

Out of all these women let the example of just one suffice, the holy Shirin, blessed among women. Like Jael, whom God answered,’ she pulled out desire like a tent-peg from the tent of her body, brandished it, and laid low at her knees the hidden enemy who fights against the saints: by means of visible hardships and hidden prayer she brought down his entire valor, knocking his head into the ground. For the Evil One is greatly shamed: having first of all vanquished a woman and managed to sow his error, he is now himself vanquished by women, thanks to Him who was.born of a Virgin and who gave strength to women’s nature." - Martyrios, discussing Shirin

[Felicity]

"Mântuirea dusă de lucrarea lui Hristos a fost până la urmă legată de ridicarea umanității din starea ei căzută. Pentru hagiografii noştri, bătălia dintre bine și rău este până la urmă cea care trebuie să se petreacă în interiorul umanității.
Vieţile sfintelor care sunt ilustrate de-a lungul relatării martirajelor indică faptul că aceasta este într-adevăr problema propriu-zisă. În textele hagiografe care se ocupă de vieţile sfinte, atât alegerea binelui şi a răului, cât şi puterea de a rezista eroic ori, dimpotrivă, ticăloşia lașă, se află în fiecare dintre noi.
În cele din urmă, adevărata bătălie este cea care se duce în fiecare suflet omenesc." (p. 49)

[Amy A]

The accounts In this book of the women saints are obviously written with the intention of impressing the reader. Almost all of the women died horrendous deaths at the hands of the, often Jewish, authorities. Both the women's heroic virtue and their torturous deaths seem unlikely to be completely realistic, but maybe they are. This book is not for children.

[K. P.]

The piece on St. Pelagia of Antioch is perfect for Lent!

[Lulu]

c. 5th-(early?)7th (read all c. Mid 6th to make things easy)

1)•Mary, the Niece of Abraham of Qidun [extract from the Life of this hermit Abraham] (5/6th)
+the Syrian Orthodox Festal Hymnary, known as the Fenqitho, contain a lament put in the mouth of Mary. (5th/6th) based on the above life

2)•Pelagia (5/6th?)

3)•Martha? 5th?
•Tarbo 5/6th
•Martyrs of Karka d-Beth Slokh (Kerkuk) 6th
•Thekla?
•Anahid?

4)•Women Martyrs of Najran??

5)•From the Lives of the Eastern Saints, by John of Ephesus: Mary, Euphemia and Susan (560s)

6)•Anastasia 6th?

7)•Read vita of Febronia of Nisibis - 6th CE (or late6th - early7th)- unique among Hagiographies because it was purported to have been written by a woman

8)•Shirin from Book of Perfection by Sahdona (c. 620-649)