Jacob of Edessa's Hexaemeron
Combining Scripture and Secular Sciences in the Early Eighth Century
Works on the six days of the biblical creation story were a popular genre among Christian scholars in the late antique period. However, each example had a choice between modes of expression — discursive, homiletic, or poetic — and of its own combination of theology, philosophy, and 'scientific' fact. Writing in Syria under Umayyad rule, the Syriac Orthodox bishop Jacob of Edessa wove together various scientific views from the Greek world with the text of scripture, as a conscious and somewhat idiosyncratic legacy for his students.
The AWRC have reserved a Lunch Table in Hall for Cluster members from 12.30. Lunch will be an opportunity to meet our speaker Alison Salvesen. Alison's talk will start at 13.15 in the Buttery, and will be catered with tea/coffee and cakes (all welcome)