Page 50 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

BARDAISAN 37

It is easier to do good than to abstain from evil. For good is part of man, and therefore
he rejoices when he does it, but evil is the activity of the enemy and man does these
odious things when he is disturbed and unhealthy in his nature. ... By its nature the
lion eats flesh; and for this reason all lions are eaters of flesh. . . . And the bee makes
honey by which it sustains itself; and for this reason all bees are honeymakers. And the
ant lays up for itself a store in summer, that it may sustain itself from it in the winter;
and for this reason all ants do likewise. . . . But men are not governed in this manner;
but in the things belonging to their bodies they maintain their nature like animals, and
in the things which belong to their minds they do that which they wish, as being free
and with power and as the likeness of God. . . .
When God wishes, all things can be without confusion; there is nothing that can
restrain his great and holy will. . . .
In the constitution of a new world all evil movements will cease and all rebellion will
come to an end; and the foolish will receive persuasion, and short-comings will be
made full, and there will be peace and well-being by the gift of the Lord of all
creatures.
The genre of literature, however, which Bardaisan made peculiarly his
own, was poetry. He composed a hundred and fifty hymns, the number of the
Psalms of the Bible, around the themes of his religion and philosophical
doctrines. The rhythm of his poetry was marked by stress, as was the epitaph
of Shalman bar Kawkab. The hymns were then set to music and achieved
immediate and lasting popularity. St. Ephraim declares sadly:
[Bardaisan] created hymns and united them with musical accompaniment, and he
composed psalms and introduced metres: with measure and weights he divided words,
And the simple he corrupted with bitterness in sweetness, the sick who did not choose
healing nourishment.

Fragments of Bardaisan's verse have survived in the work of St. Ephraim,
unfortunately too scanty for us to judge their poetic merit.I We have, however,
a longer extract quoted by an eighth century theologian, Theodore bar Koni,
in which Bardaisan expounds his cosmological theories.2
. . . Five essences from old were they in essence; but they relaxed and strayed.
At last they were convulsed,3 as though by some mischance; the wind blew in its might;
one crawled4 and met its fellow.
The fire kindled the forest, the black cloud which no fire begot, grew thick; the limpid
air grew foul.
They were mingled all together, their elect origin was assailed. They began to bite each
other like ravening beasts.
Then sent their Lord to them a word of thought. He bade the wind to cease; it turned
its course to itself.

1 They have now been edited by H. J. W. 3 Or 'were set in motion'.
Drijvers, Bardaisan of Edessa, 130 ff. 4 The text is obscure.
2 See p. 44 below.

www.knanayology.org