Creating a city of believers: Rabbula of Edessa

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Hartmut Leppin

Published:

2020

Avariety of sources refer to the work of Rabbula, bishop of Edessa from 411/2to435/6.Normally, their evidence is combined and harmonized by scholars in order to conveyahomogeneousd epiction of the bishop.My contribution begins by underlining the necessity of distinguishingc arefullyb etween sources and consideringtheir respective contexts.Special attention will then be devoted to the idealizing but still reliable depiction in the Syriac Vita entitled TheHeroic Deeds of Rabbula.It depicts Rabbula as an urban bishop wanting to assert himself within ac ommunity in which Christianityi sd ominated by aristocratic groups.HeattemptstotransformEdessa into acommunity of ascetism and religious welfarewherethe importance of displays of wealth is diminishedand paupers playamore prominent role.He single-mindedlysets his ownascetic authority aboveo ther forms of authority.I fw ef ollow this line of interpretation, Rabbula envisagedan ew Christian character for his city.H owever,h ed id not win acceptance among the influential groups as demonstrated by the election of his successor Hiba, who was indirectlyc riticized in works praising Rabbula.The debate over Rabbula'sr ole thus offers us insights into the discussions about what it meant to shape aC hristian city. 1I ntroductionEdessa, modern-day Urfa in south-eastern Turkey,playedasignificant role in the history of Christianity( Kirsten 1959;Segal 1970;L eppin 2021).In the first centuries CE, the city maintainedloose contact with other C…

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