Jacob of Sarûg

Jacob of Sarûg a celebrated writer and teacher of the Syrian Church, was born at Curtanim, on the Euphrates, in 452. He was made a presbyter in 503, and attained the distinction of bishop in 519. He was honored by the surname of "doctor" (Syr. Malpãna), and by that of "the universal" (Syr. Tibelita).

He was the author of an innumerable number of works. Thus no less than 763 homilies in verse are attributed to him (of which Barhebraeus had 182), besides expositions, an anaphora, a form of baptism, hymns, and letters. But evidently many works are falsely attributed to him, as Assemani (Bibl. Orient. 2, 332) has proved. Many of his writings are preserved in the Vatican. He died at Sarig Nov. 29, 521. The Jacobites and Maronites both commemorate him, and the former hold him with many other orthodox teachers, in great reverence, although it cannot be proved that he in the least deviated from the orthodox course. He certainly reproached Nestorius. His expositions are still used in the Syrian churches at public worship, and have also been translated into Arabic. Several of his hymns are contained in the Brev. ferile Syr. and in the Offic. Domin. (Rome, 1787). A poetic eulogy which he pronounced on Simeon the Stylite has been translated into German by Zingerle (in his Leben und Wirken des heil. Simeon Stylites, Innsbr. 1855, 8vo, p. 279-298). See Etheridge, Syr. Churches (Lond. 1846, 12mo), p. 241 sq.; Herzog, Real-Encyklopadie, 6:3970