II. Heterodox Writers. — 1. The Nestorians. — Without entering upon the historj' of these Christians, we will only remark that the catalogue of Ebedjesu on Nesto- rian writers was first published by Abraham Ecchellen- eis (Rome, 1653), but more correctly by Assemani in the
3d vol. of his Bihlioth. Orient. Besides, we find many literary and historical notices in Assemani's catalogue of the Oriental MSS. of the Vatican Lil)rary, or in the Bibliiithecce Apostol. Vatic. Codicum MSS, Catalogus S. E, et J, S, Ass. recensuerunt Tom, I J, complectens Libros Chald. sice Syros (ibid. 1758), and in the Ap- pendix by Cardinal Mai, in the Catal, Codd, Bibl. Vatic. Arabh, etc., item ejus jmrtis Ilebrr. et Syriaca. quani Assemani in editione prcetermiserunt (ibid. 1831). See Nestokians.
The earliest writers among the Nestorians were Bar- suma (q. v.), bishop of Nisibis and author of epistles; Narses (d. 496), surnamed "the Harp of the Spirit," author of commentaries on the Old Test., three hundred and sixty orations, a liturgy, a treatise on the sacrament of baptism, another on evil morals, various interpreta- tions, paracletic sermons, and hymns (see Schonfelder, Hymnen, Proklatnatiunen u. Martyrergesange des Ne- storiu.n Bi-eviers, in the Tiibinger theolog. Qimi'tulschrift, 1866, p. 177 sq.); Mar Abba (d. 552), who wrote a commentary on the Old Test, and a translation of the Old Test, from the Sept., the latter not extant ; Abra- ham of Kashkar, author of epistles and a commentary on the dialectics of Aristotle ; Paul of Nisibis, an exe- getical writer; Babajus or Babi, surnamed "the Great," archimandrite of Nisibis in 563, a voluminous writer and author of On the Incarnation, an exposition of tlie ascetical treatise of Evagrius of Pontus, a history of the Nestorians, hj'mns for worship through the circle of the year, an exposition of the sacred text, monastic rules, etc.; Iba, Kuma, and Proba, doctors of Edessa, who translated in the 5th century the commentaries of Theo- dore of Mopsuestia and the waitings of Aristotle into Syriac; Hanana of Adiabene, an exegctical writer; Josc]ih the Huzite, a mystic; John Saba, author of epistles; John of Apamea, author of ascetical treatises. Famous as grammarians and lexicographers were Ho- nain Ibn-Ishak (d. 876), Bar-Ali (about 885), Bar-Bah- lul (about 963), and Elias bar-Shinaja (d. 1049).
Of the writers whose works were published, at least in parts, we mention Jesujabh of Adiabene, patriarch about 660, and author of Da-IIuphok Chusobee, or On the Conversion or Change of Opinions, an exhortation to certain disciples, and a ritual ; Thomas Margensis, about the middle of the 9th century, author of a history of the monastery of Beth -Abe, published by Assemani; John bar-Abgora, patriarch about 900, and author of canons. Church questions, and decisions, in part given bj' Assemani; George, metropolitan of Arl)ela and 3Ios- sul, author of an explanation of the liturgy, by Assemani; and Timothy II, patriarch about 1318, author of a trea- tise on the sacraments, also given by Assemani. The ethical work. The Book of the Bee, by Solomon, bishop of Bassora (about 1222), has lately been published with a Latin translation by Schonfelder, Salomonis Ep. Bas- sorensis Liber Apis, Syi-iacum Arabicumque textum Ldtine vertit (Bamberg, 1866); George Varda, two of whose hymns are given in an English translation by Badger, in his The JVestorians and their Rituals (Lond. 1852), ii, 51, 83, 95 ; Chamis bar-Kardache, whose hj-mn on the incarnation is also given by Badger (loc. cit. p. 39). The latest writer among the Nestorians was Ebed- jesu (q. v.), metropolitan of Saba (d. 1318).
After the 16th centurv, a great part of the Nestorians returned to the Church of Kome. From their miiist a number of polemical writings in the Syriac language were published against the errors of their countrymen, as the Three Discou?-ses on Faith, about the year 1600, by the archimandrite Adam (afterwards as bishop of Amida, called Timothy). These discourses are given by P. Strozza, in his De Dogmatibus Chaldaorum Dis- put. (liom. 1617), and in Synodalia Chaldeeorum (ibid.), where also the synodical letter of the patriarch Elias to Paul V, in a Latin translation, and the hj-mn of the pa- triarch Ebedjesu in honor of Pius IV, in the Syriac, is given. About 1700 the patriarch Joseph II wrote the Clear Mirror, parts of which are given by Assemani, and
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in our clays the Chaldrean priest Jos. Guriel published at Rome (1858) his Lectiones Dogmatt. de Divini Incar- natione qiias in Perside habebat.