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ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
DRAMATIC NARRATIVE IN JACOB OF SERUG’S
MĒMRĀ ON JONAH
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KNOX-METROPOLITAN UNITED CHURCH
REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN
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9
Sebastian Brock has shown considerable interest and delight in the various
occurrences of dramatic narrative in Syriac poetry.1 His special lecture2 at
ROBERT A. KITCHEN
RKITCHEN@KNOXMET.ORG
1 Some of the more important studies include: “A Syriac dispute between
heaven and earth,” LM 91 1978, 261–70; “The dispute poem: from Sumer to
Syriac,” Bayn al-Nahrayn 7:28 1979,417–26; “Dialogue hymns of the Syriac
churches,” Sobornost/ECR 5:2 1983,35–45; “Mary and the Gardener: an East Syrian
dialogue soghitha,” PdO 11 1983, 223–34; “Syriac dialogue poems: marginalia to a
recent edition,” LM 97 1984, 29–58; “A dispute of the months and some related
texts in Syriac,” JSS 30 1985, 181–211; “Dramatic Dialogue Poems,” (IV
Symposium Syriacum) Orientalia Christiana Analecta 229 (1987), 135–147; “Sogiatha:
Syriac Dialogue Poems” (Syrian Churches Series 11, 1987); “The Sinful Woman and
Satan: two Syriac dialogue poems,” OC 72 1988, 21–62; “The dispute between soul
and body: an example of a long-lived Mesopotamian literary genre,” Aram 1:1 1989,
53–64; “Syriac dispute poems; the various types,” in G. J. Reinink and H. L .J.
Vanstiphout (eds), Dispute Poems and Dialogues (OLA 42, 1991), 109–19; “A dialogue
between Joseph and Mary from the Christian Orient,” Logos, a Welsh Journal of
Theology, 1:3 [1992], 4–11; “Syriac poetry on biblical themes. 2, A dialogue poem on
the sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22),” The Harp 7 (1994), 55–72; “Les poemes
dialogues dans la tradition liturgique syriaque,” in La Genie de la Messe Syriaque, Actes
du Colloque II (Antelias, 1995), 11–24; “The tale of two brothers: Syriac dialogues
between Body and Soul,” in L. S. B. MacCoull (ed.), Studies in the Christian East in
Memory of Mirrit Boutros Ghali (Washington DC 1995), 29–38; “A Syriac dispute
poem: the river Pishon and the river Jordan,” Parole de l’Orient 23 (1998), 3–12;
“Two Syriac dialogue poems on Abel and Cain,” Le Muséon 113 (2000), 333–375;
“The Dispute Poem: from Sumer to Syriac,” JCSSS 1 (2001), 3–10; “The dispute
between the Cherub and the Thief,” Hugoye 5:2 (2002); “Syriac Dialogue: an
example from the past,” The Harp 15 (2002) [Mar Aprem Festschrift], 305–18 [also
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the 15th International Conference on Patristics, Oxford 2007, once again
revisited the major types of these narratives for the benefit of future
scholarship.
One of the most colourful practitioners of dramatic narrative is Jacob
of Serug (d. 521) who frequently plays with these devices to enliven and
deepen the commentary in his innumerable mēmrē on Biblical characters and
themes. Perhaps his longest mēmr is the commentary on the Book of
Jonah, number 122 in Paul Bedjan’s edition, 123 pages in length.3 Jacob
exegetes the entire book in serial fashion, inserting a number of dramatic
narratives into critical junctures of the canonical text. The following study
of a selection of the dramatic narratives in the Jonah mēmr is meant to be a
preliminary sampler awaiting a more complete examination.4
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23
24
25
26
27
28
Bedjan’s primary text of Jacob’s Jonah is British Library Additional 14623,
ff. 31a-46a5, with Mardin 117, f. 117ff, as a secondary witness. The text is
divided into 72 sections of 14–70 lines, a total of 2521 lines. Bedjan notes in
his edition that in the British Library manuscript three major section breaks
or divisions were included, therefore 4 divisions; the Mardin manuscript
only included 2 breaks, so three divisions.6 Since Bedjan utilized BL Add.
THE MĒMRĀ
in JAAS 18:1 (2004), 57–70]; “The Dialogue between the Two Thieves (Luke
23:39–41),” The Harp 20 (2006) [Festschrift J. Thekeparampil], 151–170; “Joseph
and Potiphar’s Wife (Genesis 39): Two Anonymous Dispute Poems,” in W. J. van
Bekkum, J. W. Drijvers, and A. C. Klugkist (eds.), Syriac Polemics: Studies in Honour of
Gerrit Jan Reinink (Leuven: Peeters, 2007), 41–58.
2 Sebastian P. Brock, “Dramatic Poems on Biblical Topics in Syriac,” August
10, 2007.
3 Jacob of Serug, Homiliae Selectae, edit. Paul Bedjan (Paris, 1908) vol. 4: 368–
490 (no. 122).
4 First, an article presenting an overview of Jacob of Serug’s mēmr , “Jonah’s
Oar: Christian Typology in Jacob of Serug’s mēmr on Jonah,” (forthcoming in
Hugoye Journal of Syriac Studies); second, a bilingual edition of the mēmr (Syriac text
and English translation) with commentary and introduction, anticipated in the
series Texts From Christian Late Antiquity, Gorgias Press.
5 The manuscript is dated 823 A.D. and consists of a collection of Syriac
authors on a variety of topics. While this mēmr is the only “metrical discourse” by
Jacob of Serug in the manuscript, there are two letters and two penitential canticles
ascribed to Jacob of Batnae. Cf. W. Wright, Catalogue of the Syriac Manuscripts in the
British Museum, Vol. 2 (London, 1871), DCCLXXXI 8, p. 764.
6 P. Bedjan, Homiliae Selectae, vol. 4, page xi, footnote 7.
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
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14623 as his base, he retained the four divisions. The first division ends at
Section 15 with Jonah waking up in the hole of the ship, frightened by the
storm. The second division ends at Section 34 with Jonah being successfully
swallowed, not eaten, by the fish. The third division ends at Section 51 with
the King of Nineveh exhorting his subjects to fight hard this new kind of
battle of repentance. The fourth division is the longest and concludes with
Section 72 in which Jacob points to God making Jonah a parable for the
mercy of his creation.
The most efficient way to summarize such a lengthy text is to note as
above that Jacob marches through the entire canonical text, verse by verse
in order. As Jacob amplifies and deepens the meaning of the familiar story,
it is clear that he understands the Book of Jonah as essentially a Christian
text, providing numerous typologies pointing towards Christ and the
Christian experience of faith. Jonah, however, is not his favourite prophet.
Jacob directly questions Jonah’s actions and judgments at a number of
points which are not surprising to the modern reader. Jacob asks
incredulously, “What was Jonah thinking when he thought he could
physically run away from God?” (371:18–21). When Jonah finally returns to
Nineveh and preaches to the Ninevites, Jacob is struck by the nonredemptive character of Jonah’s discourse and treatment of the sinful
people (450:7–451:5). Likewise, Jonah’s deep distress that Nineveh was not
destroyed on the fortieth day demonstrated no pleasure at the repentance of
Nineveh and God’s salvation; indeed, a decided bitterness marks Jonah’s
response (478:9–482:2). Finally, Jonah’s ironic disappointment over the
wilted plant and how that reflects his relationship with God does not pass
lightly by Jacob (484:10–486:5).
Nevertheless, Jacob sees Christ and the Gospel filtering through
Jonah’s tale and person. Jacob observes that when Jonah teaches the sailors
about his Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, he is preaching what he should
have preached to the Ninevites (407:17–409:19). The central typology, of
course, is seen in Jonah’s descent to the depths of the sea/earth, somehow
still alive in the belly of the great fish, and returning to full life after three
days, prefiguring as literally as possible Jesus’ descent into hell and
resurrection on the third day (413:16–415:19).
This, however, was Jonah’s finest day, for after departing from the
fish, Jacob’s portrayal of the prophet is as one who has lost the joy of the
Gospel through the vehemence of his preaching and his own unrepentant
attitude towards the redeemed of God and towards God himself. The last
words of the long mēmr state that “[God] made Jonah a parable for the
mercy of his creation” (490:3). A parable may depict a conflicting set of
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images; it does not have to describe a saint, and Jonah is not one in Jacob’s
vision. The character who comes out saintly is not surprisingly the king of
Nineveh who leads his people by personal example in penance and fasting.
The king, moreover, is assessed by Jacob to have a better understanding of
the nature of God than our infamous prophet (450:13–14).
DRAMATIC NARRATIVES IN THE MĒMRĀ ON JONAH
As is the case with many of Jacob’s mēmrē, his commentary on Biblical
characters and events does not stop at the canonical text. Especially given
the length of the Jonah mēmr there are numerous detours, tangents, and
creative recreations of conversations, both those recorded in the Biblical
text and those that should have been according to the exegetical and
theological imagination of Jacob. Sebastian Brock has identified several of
these creative strategies in Syriac literature.7 The more famous genres of
dispute and dialogue exchanges are not found in the Jonah mēmr in their
typical fashion, but Type V is found in abundance—“the introduction into
the dramatized narrative of homiletic material, where the author may offer
moralizing and exegetical comment, or he may address one of the
characters directly (apostrophe).”8
Not surprisingly, most of the occurrences of dramatic narrative cluster
around the principal events in this entertaining and familiar story. The first
surrounds the discovery of Jonah’s culpability for the storm at sea and the
ensuing monologues between Jonah, the sailors and the sea itself (397–414).
This sequence could be labeled a dialogue in the broadest sense, mirroring
the canonical text, but the monologues are lengthy and the transitions
between speakers are weak.
Once Jonah is in the belly of the great fish, Jacob expands Jonah’s
contemplations and prayers beyond the traditional psalm in Jonah 2
(427:14–429:20). Jonah reflects upon the fact that he is still alive in the belly
of the fish (424:1–16). Jonah concludes with a pointed address to his
prophetic colleagues who do not want him to speak about the atoning one.
Jonah demonstrates the foreknowledge that his journey is very similar to
Christ’s (434:11–435:11). Now returning to Nineveh with no protest,
Jonah’s lengthy and fiery sermon is filled out in great detail by Jacob
(440:11–443:5), followed by Jonah’s rebuke of the Ninevites that the city
7 “Dramatic Dialogue Poems,” (IV Symposium Syriacum) Orientalia Christiana
Analecta 229 (1987), 135–147.
8 op. cit., 137.
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
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371
has no real way of appeasing God and avoiding destruction (446:12–
448:10).
The longest narrative unit in the mēmr ensues, consisting of the
various laments, call to penance, and witness to the good faith of Nineveh,
led by its king. The king charges his army and people to fight this new kind
of ascetic battle, knowing ironically that the Lord may yet redeem Nineveh
in spite of what Jonah has said (449:11–451:5). A different kind of preacher
is sent out by the king to relay his commandment for a universal fast
(451:6–453:4). Finally, two poignant sections amplify the distress of the
Ninevites: Nineveh’s collective prayer to God for mercy from destruction is
offered (465:2–466:20); and an extra-canonical lament of a Ninevite mother
directed to her young son on the eve of imminent destruction (469:13–
471:3).
Nineveh, of course, is not destroyed and the remainder of the mēmr
centers around Jonah’s bitter complaints about God’s mercy (478:15–
479:21), his humiliation and ridicule before the Ninevites (480:1–482:2), and
then the episode of the comforting plant which later wilts and dies offers
him one more opportunity to complain to God (485:9–486:3). As in the
canonical text, God has the last word to respond to Jonah’s series of
complaints (486:6–488:2).
A curious feature throughout is Jacob referring to the mēmr in the
third person as an actor in its own play. The mēmr has its own agenda and
urges and pushes the story along. Jacob, with perhaps tongue in cheek,
complains that all he can do is hang on for the ride, for the powerful
physics of the mēmr are beyond his management, as if the mēmr were
divine. Jacob uses this personified mēmr stratagem in more than a few of
his verse homilies, the mēmr on Jepthah’s Daughter being one instance.9
While this motif will be treated more thoroughly elsewhere, a few examples
will illustrate what Jacob says the mēmr is attempting to do.
The mēmr has been attributed with an odd function of guidance and
supervision, standing over Jacob like an inquisitor (393:13–20). Its path
appears as pre-ordained, yet the mēmr journeys after him making sure that
Jacob and Jonah head in the correct direction. Nevertheless, Jacob’s attempt
9 P. Bedjan, Homiliae Selectae, No. 159, Vol. 5:306–330. Susan Ashbrook
Harvey’s presentation at the 5th North American Syriac Symposium, University of
Toronto, June 25–27, 2007, “Gendered Sanctity: Jacob of Serug on Jephthah’s
Daughter,” pointed out this common motif. In this mēmr , however, šarb (‫) ܒܐ‬
“story” is the animated character driving Jacob forward. Cf. 324:3–4, 326:12–328:6.
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to keep on track and complete the mēmr runs not so much into obstacles as
much as detours and distractions (415:20–416:4).
Yet Jacob is not able to tame the mēmr totally. The great fish has
swallowed Jonah, but the mēmr keeps going despite Jacob’s attempt to limit
and rein it in (427:14–15). Jonah’s soft prayer from the fish empowers the
mēmr (428:20–429:8), so now the principal actor is enabling the story about
him to continue. Jacob now enters into the mēmr and the Biblical narrative
to pray that Jonah might be resurrected from the prison of the fish (429:9–
20).
It is further along this latter type of dramatic narrative that I wish to
pursue a little more carefully, that is, the personification by Jacob of
intellectual concepts and non-human forces to interject important
theological insights and commentary. The four that I have chosen to
present below are in their appearance in the mēmr : 1. Justice (‫) ܐ ܬܐ‬
condemning Jonah after the lot falls upon him; 2. The Sea (‫ ) ܐ‬telling
the sailors they will survive only if they throw Jonah overboard; 3. The
̄
Symbol (‫ )ܐܪܙܐ‬calls upon Jonah to descend to the depths as a sign of his
prefiguring Christ; 4. Grace (‫ ) ܒ ܬܐ‬receiving the prayers of the
Ninevites and presenting their case before the judge in heaven.
Regrettably, Jacob did not choose to give a voice to either the great
fish or the plant, favourites of many readers. They simply retain their role as
a third party to the dynamics of the narrative between God and Jonah.
158
159
SECTION 18. 397:1–14
(JUSTICE CONDEMNS JONAH BY MEANS OF LOTS)
‫ܘ ܐ‬
‫ܕܐܬ ܒ‬
‫̈ ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܐܪ‬
‫ܐ ܐ܀‬
‫ܕ ܩ‬
‫ܬܗ ܕ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܒ ܐ ̄ܗܘܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܝ‬
‫ܒ ̈ ܐ ܕܐܪ‬
̈
‫ܬܒ ܐ܀܀‬
‫ܒܐ ܒ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܘܐܬܬ‬
̄
̄
‫ܗܝ ܪ ܬ ܗܘܬ‬
‫ܕܒ ܒ ܐ‬
‫ܐܬܬ ܐ ܬܐ ܘܐ‬
‫ܐ ܒܐܘܪ ܐ ܕܐܪ ܀‬
‫ܗ ܓܒ ܐ ܕ ܓ‬
̈
‫ܙܘ ܐ ܕܗܐ‬
‫ܐ ܕܗ‬
‫ܗ‬
̈
‫ܐ ܢ܀‬
‫ܓ ܐ‬
‫ܗ ܙ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܐ ܕ ܒ ܢ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܐ܀‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܢ‬
‫ܬܐ ܘܢ‬
‫ܘܐܢ‬
‫ܐ ܘ ̈ ܐ‬
̈ ‫ܗ ܐ ܓܒ ܐ ܕ‬
‫ܓ ܐ ܘ̈ܘ ܐ ܕ ܘܕܘ ܝ܀‬
‫ܘܒ ܪܗ ܪܗ‬
‫ܐܬܪܐ‬
‫ܗ ܘ‬
‫ܗܐ ܒ ܐ ܩ‬
‫ܐ܀‬
‫ܗܝ‬
‫ܒ ܪܗ ܪܘ ܐ ܕܬ‬
‫ܘ‬
5
10
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
160
TRANSLATION
5
10
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
373
They cast lots (‫ ) ̈ ܐ‬as they had prudently devised/
and the lot of Jonah who had fled from God came up.
By the lots they had cast the sea revealed whom it was
seeking/
and Jonah was seized like a debtor among creditors.
Justice (‫ ) ܐ ܬܐ‬came and as with a finger pointed him out/
“This is the man who has disturbed the sea on the road in
which he set out.
This one is the cause of these quakings that, see, are
increasing in severity/
On account of him the waves are piling up against your ship.
On account of this a storm has arisen to swallow you up/
but if you should throw him from your ship, peace will be
complete.
This man has agitated the sea and the floods/
and the waves and the winds pursue him in order to capture
him.
This servant fled from his Lord and switched location/
but the wind went out after him to bring back the rebellious
one.”
COMMENTS
Dramatic narrative in Jacob of Serug’s hermeneutic climbs “inside the
narrative” of the canonical text where no words are recorded, but which he
finds pregnant with unexpressed meaning. Jacob uses personified forces of
nature and intellectual concepts here to take a one-sided conversation
deeper. His reflections and commentary come at critical points where due
to the brevity and terseness of the text the narrative leaps from a declaration
to an action, leaving unmentioned the inner process linking the two.
(397:1–3) Casting lots were no longer acceptable in sixth century
Syriac culture, though probably not unused (cf. The Book of Steps, Mēmr 7.3,
14,10 for a late 4th century struggle with the various magical and occult
practices). Obviously, an old convention from an ancient story not only
conveys the abject and desperate paganism of the sailors, but how the
10 The Book of Steps The Syriac Liber Graduum, edit. Robert A. Kitchen & Martien
F. G. Parmentier (Cistercian Studies 196; Cistercian Publications: Kalamazoo,
Michigan, 2004), 67–69, 74–75.
374
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190
Hebrew God, the creator of heaven and earth, invades the casting of lots to
use it towards a prophetic end. The lots were cast so that the sea would
speak, and in the section below (406:6–21) Jacob will animate the sea as a
divine messenger and prosecutor.
(:5–14) Justice appears as the archetype of Jacob’s use of these
personified concepts.11 The laconic Biblical text seems to employ the pagan
lots as the chance method of discernment the sailors adopt. Jacob
understands the story as a fundamentally Christian story in which nothing
falls outside the purview of the Creator of heaven and earth. The immediate
absence of some divine justice in the text is now filled and animated by
Jacob.
(:10) “peace will be full/complete” indicating a proper circle of
administered justice. The sailors will receive peace if they follow Justice/the
sea/God’s directions.
(:14) “the rebellious one” (‫ܐ‬
) indicating Jonah. Almost ‫ܘܕܐ‬
which is a rare term for Satan; perhaps the closeness was an intentional pun,
hinting at the diabolic source of Jonah’s rebellion.
191
192
193
23. 406:6–21
(SEA TALKS AND THREATENS SAILORS TO RELEASE JONAH
TO IT)
̈
‫ܐ‬
‫̄ܗܘܘ ܕܒ‬
‫ܐܬ‬
̄
‫ܗ ܐ ܐܚ ܐ ܐ܀‬
‫ܐ ܕܐ ܐ‬
‫ܘܓ ܡ‬
‫ܙ ܐ ̄ ܘܢ ܐܢ ܨܒ ܐ ̄ ܘܢ‬
‫ܘܐ ܘ‬
‫ܒ‬
‫̈ ܐ܀‬
‫ܓ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܓܒ ܐ ܕܗܘ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫̈ ܐ‬
‫ܒ‬
‫ ܙܪ ܒܐ ̄ܗܝ ܐ ܐ ܕܬܘܒ ܬ‬10
‫̈ܪܘ ܐ܀‬
‫ܿ ܐ‬
‫ܘܢ‬
‫ܘܐ ܐ‬
ܿ
‫ܓ ܐ‬
‫ܓ ܐ ܕܓ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܕܗܘ ܒ ܿ ̄ܗܘ‬
ܿ
‫܀‬
‫ܗܝ ܐ‬
‫ܕܐ ܐ‬
‫ܐܢ ܨ ܒ ܐ ܐܬ ܒ ܘܢ‬
‫ܢ܀‬
‫ܕ ܐ ܐܘܪ ܐ ܕ‬
‫ܒ ܗܝ‬
15
‫ܪ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܐܬ ܐܒ ܘܢ‬
‫ܐܢ‬
‫ܗ ܘܪܕܘ ܐ ̄ ܘܢ܀‬
‫ܫ ܒ ܐ ܕܐܪ‬
‫ܐ ܕܐܘ ̈ ܢ‬
‫ܘܢ ܕ ܐ ̄ܗܝ‬
‫ܗܐ‬
‫ܬ ܘ ܐ ܕܬ ܘ ܝ ܪ ܐ ܐ ܐ ܀‬
‫̈ܐ ܕ ܘ ܝ‬
‫ܪ ܐ ܒ‬
‫ܐ ܕܐ‬
20
11
Jacob’s mēmr on Jepthah noted above also employs kēnūt as a character,
316:11–14.
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
‫ܕ ܀‬
194
‫ܐ ܕ ܐܙܠ‬
‫̄ܗܘܐ‬
375
‫ܘ ܐ ܐܪ‬
TRANSLATION
They attempted to save Jonah by all means/
but the sea threatened, “If I do not receive him, I will not calm
down.
Abandon the one who flees and if you desire, depart and leave/
Cast from the ship the man who in fact has stirred up the
tempests.
10 The ship is constrained so that it is buffeted still amidst the
waves/
for if you do not cast Jonah from [the ship] it will not be set free.
As long as he is in [the ship] the waves circle around beating
against it/
for if [the waves] do not receive him they will not allow [the ship]
to travel.
If you plan to reach dry land/
15 Abandon Jonah so that the road of your actions might become
free.
If you ardently desire a haven from the tossing about/
Make the Hebrew depart who rejected his Lord and you will
journey.
Look, you have learned what is the cause of your afflictions/
Why struggle for there is no way for you to save him.”
20 As long as there was a way the sailors sought to save him/
but the sea did not allow [the ship] to go while being disturbed.
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
COMMENTS
The irony of this characterization should not escape the reader: the sea as
primeval location of chaos is given rationality, working in concert with
God. Again, Jacob draws out the rational justice he sees implicitly at play in
the canonical tale, also rendering the pagan sailors part of the Christian
scenario. They are drawn into relationship with God as evidenced by their
sacrifice once back on dry land and conversion to the Hebrew God
(412:19–413:15).
(:8–17) The sea reiterates Justice’s judgment that the sailors need to
cast Jonah over board to bring back the environment into equilibrium. The
sacrifice of Jonah is required to dispel and order chaos. The sea, therefore,
participates as an agent of divine justice.
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207
208
29. 413:16–414:12
(THE SYMBOL CALLS JONAH TO DESCEND TO DEPTHS)
‫ܐ ܕܒ ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܕ ܘܪ‬
‫̄ܗܘܐ‬
̈
‫ܐ܀‬
‫ܕܒ ܐ ܒ‬
‫ܘ ܘܐ ܐܬܐ‬
̄
‫̈ ܐ ܕ ܟ ܐܬܐ‬
‫ܐܪܙܐ ܕ ܬ ܓ ܫ‬
‫ܐ‬
ܿ
ܿ
̈
‫܀‬
‫ܩ‬
‫ܕ ܠ ܘ‬
‫ܓܐܫ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܿܘ ܒ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܬ ܗܘ ܐ ܘܗܘܝ‬
20
‫ܕܐ܀‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܬܐ ܕ ̈ ܐ‬
‫ܕ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܒ ܐ‬
‫ܬܐ ܗܘܝ ܒ ܐ‬
(414)
ܿ
‫܀‬
‫ܐܦ ܗܘ ܐܬ ܕ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܕܗܘ‬
ܿ
‫ܘܐܬܬ ܐ ܘܕܪܘܫ ܐܘܪ ܐ ܒ ܒ ܕܐܪ ܐ‬
ܿ
‫܀‬
‫ܬܗ ܕܐܪ ܐ‬
‫ܕ ܟ ܕܐܬܐ‬
‫ܒ‬
‫ܐ ܘܗܘܝ ܒ ܐ ܕ ܐ‬
5
‫܀‬
‫ܟ ܐ ܕ‬
‫ܐ ܒ ܒܐ‬
‫ܕܗܝ‬
‫ܐ ܬܬ ܒ‬
‫ܒ‬
‫ܐ̄ ܘ‬
‫ܬ‬
‫ܟ ܕܐܦ ܗܘ ܐܬ܀‬
‫ܒ ܐ‬
‫ܕ ܐ ܕ ܒ‬
‫̈ ܝ ܕ ܐ ܪܒܐ‬
‫ܗܘܝ ܓ ܐ ܘܒ ܝ‬
ܿ
‫܀‬
‫ܐ ܕ ̈ ܐ ܐ ܕ‬
‫ ܕܓܐܫ ܟ‬10
‫ܒ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܕ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܕ‬
‫ܨܘܪ‬
‫ܐ܀‬
‫ܕܗܕܐ ܐܬܐ ܐ ܐ ܒ ܟ ܐ‬
209
TRANSLATION
Jonah descended so that he might portray the type of the Son of
God/
and become a sign (‫ )ܐܬܐ‬of the murder of the son among the
floods.
̄ ) called to him, “Descend, touch the depths
The symbol (‫ܐܪܙܐ‬
because your Lord will come/
and descend and touch the depths of Sheol and empty it.
20 Descend to the deepest part and become the type of that son of
the living one/
who descends to the whirlpool of the dead like a diver.
(414) Come, become in the dead sea a living one without
precedent/
because that one who makes everything live also dies that he
might resurrect all.
He dove and descended and prepared a path in the heart of the
earth/
because your Lord who comes will descend to the lowest position
of the earth.
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
377
5
May the sea bury you and become a buried one who is
incorruptible/
for it will be achieved in the tomb of your Lord when he
descends to it.
Be dead while you are alive and being destroyed you will not be
destroyed/
for destruction will approach your Lord who also does not die.
Become an explorer and investigate the depths of the great sea/
10 for your Lord will touch the lake of the dead when he descends to
it.
Portray for us the type of the living dead one who is
incorruptible/
for this sign (‫ )ܐܬܐ‬is not visible except in your Lord.”
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
COMMENTS
Jacob brings a third actor into the sea drama of Jonah, this time an explicitly
Christian theme. Jonah is invited and welcomed by the Symbol to become a
type for the eventual journey of Jesus into the depths of death on Holy
Saturday. Striking is how Jonah is summoned to precisely prefigure Christ,
not participating in the entirety of the suffering of the Passion, but in the
descent into hell or Sheol, which Christ will carry forward into “the
harrowing of hell.”
(413:16) Jonah is summoned to descend to the depths in order to
become a type (‫ܐ‬
) of the Son of God, a favourite motif of Jacob and
other patristic Biblical exegetes.
(:17) More than just being a type, a status almost many other Biblical
figures share, Jonah becomes a sign (‫)ܐܬܐ‬, the “sign of Jonah” Jesus will
point towards (Matthew 12:38–42; Luke 11:29–32).
̄ ) or Mystery (of God) is the new actor who
(:18) The Symbol (‫ܐܪܙܐ‬
summons and redeems Jonah for a role as the one who prepares the way
for the Lord. The Symbol’s function is to demonstrate to Jonah and the
reader the larger significance of Jonah’s mission—“the part of God’s plan
which the type signified.” [Cf. Robert Murray’s brief discussions regarding
the Symbol in Symbols of Church and Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition
(Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias Press, 2004), 45 note, also 21, 53, 77, 166, 243–
244.]
(:18–21) “... and empties (‫ܩ‬
) it (Sheol).” For the tradition
concerning Christ’s “harrowing of hell,” see Gary A. Anderson, The Genesis
of Perfection: Adam and Eve in Jewish and Christian Imagination (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 155–158; also, “The Resurrection of
378
KITCHEN
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
Adam and Eve,” in In Dominico Eloquio—In Lordly Eloquency: Essays on
Patristic Exegesis in Honor of Robert Louis Wilken, edit. Paul M. Blowers,
Angela Russell Christman, David G. Hunter & Robin Darling Young
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 3–34.
(414:1–2) The Symbol’s invitation is for Jonah to participate in and
typify the resurrection. “... a living one without precedent...” (‫)ܕ ܐ ܒ ܐ‬
suggests the concept that his living in the midst of death—the belly of the
fish as a type of Christ’s tomb—is outside of natural and human norms.
(:5) “... a buried one who is incorruptible...” is the status tendered to
Jonah, and then (:11) described as “the type of the living dead one who is
incorruptible.”
(:7) “Be dead while you are alive...” is a motif of Syriac monastic and
ascetical literature. Cf. The Book of Steps, Mēmr 29.13, 18 [pp. 333–334, 336–
337].
250
251
252
61. 471:12–473:17
(GRACE RECEIVES PETITIONS OF NINEVEH AND PLEADS
BEFORE JUDGE)
ܿ
‫ܕܗܝ ܒ ܬܐ ܕܓ ܐ ̄ܗܘܬ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫̄ܗܘܐ‬
ܿ
̈
̄
‫ܐ ܀‬
‫ܗ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ̈ ܗܘܐ‬
‫ܘܒ‬
‫̈ܒܐ‬
‫ܐ ܕܪܘ ̄ܗܘܘ ܐ ܘ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܕ ̈ ܐ܀‬
‫ܿܝ‬
‫ܓ ܿܗ‬
‫ ܘ‬15
ܿ ‫ܬܗ ܕ ܐ ̈ ܪܘ ܐ ܐ‬
ܿ
‫ܨ‬
‫ܐ ܡ ܪܒ ܬܐ܀‬
‫ܐ ܢ ܘ‬
‫ܘ‬
ܿ
‫ܐ ܒܬ‬
‫ܓ ̈ ܐܐ‬
‫ܗܝ ܒ ܬܐ ܕ‬
‫ܕ ܐ܀‬
‫ܕܬ ܐܠ ̈ ܐ‬
‫ܘ ܒ ܬ‬
̄
‫ܐܬܬ ܒ ܬܐ ̈ ܐ ܕ ̈ ܐ ܕܒ ܕ ܐ‬
20
̄
‫ܕܒ ܘܓ ܐ܀‬
‫ܗܘܘ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܢ ܕܐ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܿܝ ܒ ܬܐ ܕܐ̈ ܐ‬
‫ܿܗ ܒ ܐ‬
(472)
ܿ ‫ܕܬ‬
ܿ
‫ܡ ܗܝ ܒܐ ܐ ܕܐ ܘܬܐ܀‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܐ ܒ ܝ ܒ ܬܐ‬
‫ܒ ܕ ̈ ܐ ܕ ܪܬ‬
‫ܐ ܀‬
‫ܐ ܡ ܕ ܐ ܙ‬
‫ܘ‬
̈ ̄
‫ܗܘܝ‬
‫ܿ ܘ ̈ܓ ܐ ܕܐ‬
‫ ܐ‬5
‫ܐ ܕ ܐ ܓܬ ܐ ܀‬
‫ܗ̈ܘ ܐ ܒ‬
‫ܘܐ‬
ܿ ‫ܕܒ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܒ ܬܐ‬
‫ܬܗ ܘ‬
‫ܪ ܿ ܘܓ ܐ ܒ ܐ ܡ ܕ ܐ܀‬
‫ܘ‬
̈ ̄ ‫ܐ ܢ‬
‫ܒ ܬܐ‬
‫ܗܘܝ‬
‫ܘܐ ܐ ܕܗ‬
̈ ‫ ܒܐܕ‬10
‫ܐ ܕ ܪ ܐ ܿ܀‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܪ ܒܐ ̈ ܿ ܕܬ ܒ ܬܐ‬
‫ܝ‬
ܿ ̈‫ܟ ܘ ܝ ܕ‬
‫ܐ ܓ ̈ ܐܢ܀܀‬
‫ܘܨ‬
ܿ
̈ ‫ܨܘܬ‬
̈ ‫ܿܗ‬
̈ ‫ܐ‬
‫ܬܗ‬
‫ܘܨ‬
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
‫܀‬
(473)
253
‫ܒ ܘ ܿ ܓܒ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܒ‬
‫ܘܐܪ ܘܐܬܬ‬
‫ܪ ܐ‬
‫ܿ ܕ ܐ ܪܒ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܬ ܒ‬
̄
‫ܬܐ܀‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܘ ܐ‬
‫ܕܙ‬
‫ܬ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܘ ܕܗܕܐ ܨ ܬܐ ܬܗ ܟ‬
‫̈ ܐ܀‬
‫ܢ‬
‫ܕ‬
‫ܕ‬
‫ܐ ܬܬ ܒ‬
‫ܐܢ ܒ ܬܐ ܗܕܐ ܒ ܪ‬
‫ܐ ܕܪܓ ܬ܀‬
‫ܐ ܙܐܥ ܕ ܒ ܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܐܢ ܗܘ ܕܗ ܐ ܨܘ ܐ ܪܒܐ ܐ‬
‫܀‬
‫ܐ ܕ ܪ‬
‫ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܒ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܬ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܘ ܕܗ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܒ ܐ܀‬
‫ܓ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܝ ܬ ܐ ܓܐܪܐ ܒ ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܗܝ ܘ ܒ ܐܒ ܐ܀‬
‫ܘܗ ܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
̄ ‫ܘܢ‬
‫ܐ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܒܐ ̈ ܝ ܪܘܓ ܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܘܢ ܒ‬
‫ܪܐ ܪ ܐ ܘ‬
‫ܘܐ‬
‫ܐ ܝ ܬ ܐ ܨܘ ܐ ܕ ܒ ܐ ܕ ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܘܢ܀‬
‫ܒ ܐ ܢ ܘ ܝ ܘܓ ܐ ܕ‬
‫̈ ܐ‬
‫ܢ‬
‫ܘ‬
‫ܗ ܕ‬
‫ܐ܀‬
‫ܗܐ ̈ ܕܐ ܕ‬
‫̈ܒܐ‬
̈
‫ܒ ܐ‬
‫ܐ ܐܨ ܐܘ‬
‫ܗ ܕܓ‬
‫ܘܢ ܒ ܀‬
‫ܕ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܘ ܐ‬
ܿ ‫ܘܢ‬
‫ܗܘ ܕܒ ܟ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫ܗ ܕ‬
‫ܐ܀‬
‫ܐ ܒܘ ܐ‬
‫ܘܢ‬
‫ܘ ܐ ܐܬ ܒ‬
‫ܒ ܐ ܕܐ ̈ ܒܐ ̈ܝ ܪܘܓ ܐ‬
‫ܒ‬
‫ܐ‬
‫̈ܒܐ܀‬
‫ܐ ܢ‬
‫̈ ܐ ܐ‬
‫ܐ‬
379
15
20
5
10
15
TRANSLATION
The incense of that perfect petition ascended/
and among the angels its incense wafted fragrantly.
Voices were sent to heaven by the debtors/
15 and they ascended to disturb that dwelling of the heavenly ones.
The hands of Nineveh’s prayer knocked at the gates of heaven/
and opened them and the shouting entered before Majesty.
That petition from many formed an alliance/
and pressed forward to enter to ask for mercy from the judge.
20 Grace came to the gates of the hosts of the court
and opened them for they were gripped as by the Wrath
(‫)ܪܘܓ ܐ‬.
(472) [Grace] carried that petition of the earthly ones in a book/
and entered to read it before that judgment seat of divinity.
[Grace] accepted the tears which Nineveh had sent through that
380
KITCHEN
petition/
and when [Grace] was pleading before the judge it shed [tears].
5 [Grace] brought in with it the sighs which were poured forth/
and burned them like sweet spices in the palace of the king.
[Grace] led it and full of virtues [the petition] came to
repentance/
and bowed its head, groaning passionately before the judge.
As these things were being spoken by Grace/
10 into the ears of the Lord for the sake of Nineveh so that He
might be reconciled to it.
“My Lord, observe how excellent is the appearance of
repentance/
and look down to see how many are the tears.
Give heed to how lamentable are its soft whispers and its
prayers/
Smell and be pleased by how sweet is its chosen fast.
15 If you do not receive the plea of Nineveh [it would be] a great
crime/
for humanity is trembling [that] they are not convincing you
concerning [their] transgression.
Now if you should turn away while you have not examined this
prayer/
all sinners will be afraid to pray to you.
If this petition is not received at your gate/
20 who will not tremble to seek [anything] from you when you have
become angry?
If this great fast does not please you/
(473) what argument can there be for the world to send to you?
If you reject all this weeping of Nineveh/
Then whoever sins will laugh senselessly.
Do not, my Lord, disparage12 sack cloth as something feeble/
5 You have threatened iniquity, but now they have taken it off and
put on mourning.
May no person of Nineveh be delivered up into the hands of the
Wrath/
May your compassion be a high wall and may they be delivered
through it.
12
lit. “cast an arrow into”
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
381
Do not, my Lord, reject the fast of the children which is full of13
suffering/
Receive them and drive back the Wrath which threatens them.
10 On account of these young and innocent ones have pity on the
troublesome ones/
The old ones have sinned against you, but look, the infants are
pure of iniquity.
These who are not defiled at all by evil things/
and do not understand iniquity, what is there for them to speak
against it?
These for whom that beauty of your creation is alive/
15 and whose innocent nature has not been destroyed by despicable
evil.
Let not the work of your hands be destroyed by the hands of the
Wrath/
Mercy is becoming to you, pour it forth upon the debtors.”
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
COMMENTS
Jacob moves on to another act in the Jonah drama, the repentance of
Nineveh. Again, the canonical narrative is sparing of detail, so Jacob works
to accomplish two things through his exegesis and commentary. One is to
fill in the details of justice fully at play; and second is to draw the saga again
within the Christian perspective. An imaginative apocryphal court room
scene is depicted as Grace personified pleads the case of the repentant
Ninevites.
(471:12–13) Instead of the smoke of pagan animal sacrifices, the sweet
smell of penitent prayers wafts up to the heavenly realms, evidence of the
spiritual transformation taking place among the Ninevites, again in response
to Jonah’s reluctant preaching. Susan Ashbrook Harvey’s extensive research
on smell in Syriac and Late Antique religious culture can be found in Scenting
Salvation: Ancient Christianity and the Olfactory Imagination (Berkeley: University
of California Press, 2006). Harvey (p. 82) points to the liturgical description
of Jonah’s prayer in one of Ephrem’s poems: “A pure temple the fish
became for [Jonah],/ and the mouth of Jonah [became] a censer./ The
smell of incense rose up from within the abyss/ to the High One Who sits
in the highest heaven.” Hymns on Virginity 42.31–32, translated by Kathleen
13
Bedjan’s text is written ‫ܐ‬
‫ܪ‬, read ‫ܐ‬
‫ܕ‬
382
KITCHEN
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
E. McVey, Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns (Classics of Western Spirituality; New
York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989), 440.
(471:18) “That petition from many formed an alliance (‫ܐ‬
).”
Alliance could be translated as “congregation,” “assembly,” implying by
their prayer the establishment of a worshipping community of faith.
(472:11–473:17) Grace pleads before the judge of heaven, challenging
the judge to pay attention to these authentic prayers of repentance. Grace
naturally argues for grace, compassion and mercy and reprimands the judge
to be true to his reputation for mercy to sinners.
(471:21, 473:6, 9, 16) “The Wrath” (‫ )ܪܘܓ ܐ‬is utilized as the technical
term for the anticipated holocaust of Nineveh on the fortieth day after
Jonah’s preaching. The Peshitta twice uses the expression ‫ܐ ܕܪܘܓ ܐ‬
(Jonah 3:9, 10—New Revised Standard Version: “calamity”).
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
The four examples of dramatic narrative selected are but a few of the many
uses of this literary motif in the long mēmr on Jonah by Jacob of Serug. As
noted above, the four uses of abstract concepts and natural forces as
animated characters inserted into the canonical narrative do share a
common strategy by Jacob. The concise Biblical text does not offer much
nuance to the story, so Jacob is concerned to demonstrate that the cause
and effect of the events are not by chance, but through the conscious
working of Judeo-Christian justice. Where there is an absence of
evidence—a question of authentic justice at work—this is where Jacob
consistently inserts these extra-canonical characters and addresses.
The first three passages surround the dramatic revelation of Jonah’s
identity and dereliction of duty and the consequent casting him overboard
to save the ship and the innocent sailors. Lots are cast to determine who is
the cause of this terrible storm, but lots are dubious pagan methods for an
orthodox Christian in the time of Jacob. The character Justice appears to
validate and consecrate the decisions as part of God’s sovereignty. Next, the
Sea is given a voice as the mediator of Justice—this is not murder on the
part of the sailors as they fear, but a necessary act which the Sea and God
demand. Finally, the Symbol addresses Jonah and the reader in order to
explain the divine rationale and purpose of Jonah’s near drowning—before
he actually goes into the sea. Justice is proclaimed, mediated, and given
larger significance, but only through the amplifications of Jacob’s dramatic
narratives.
The fourth dramatic narrative occurs at the juncture of Nineveh’s
imminent condemnation and destruction. Most Christian readers
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
ON THE ROAD TO NINEVEH
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
383
understood Nineveh’s redemption—when God repented—as an implicit
instance of God’s mercy and grace. Jacob again makes grace and justice
explicit, with the portrayal of a personified Grace appearing before the
judgment throne of heaven as the defense lawyer for the Ninevites. Grace is
an aggressive advocate, berating a reluctant judge on the verge of imposing
the all-consuming Wrath upon the denizens of that great and wicked city.
This is not an isolated hermeneutical move by Jacob of Serug. Another
example comes appropriately for this volume from Jacob’s mēmr on Tamar
(Genesis 38), edited and translated recently by Sebastian Brock.14 The
critical moment in the Biblical text is Genesis 38:24–26, when Judah hears
of Tamar’s pregnancy and reputed harlotry and condemns her to be burned,
but Tamar produces the three objects belonging to Judah which he had
given to her at the time of their encounter (vv. 13–18). Once again the
Biblical narrative is concise and not elaborative, so here Jacob supplies
voices to the three pledge objects who speak directly to Judah, calling for
justice: the staff (‫ܐ‬
)—“I am yours: leave off judgment”; the scarf
(‫ܐ‬
)—“Hold back the fire from the wretched woman”; and the ring
(‫ܐ‬
)—“I am inscribed, and have been kept intact; my master knows
me, and if I get lost, his name will testify for me. Stop the conflagration;
remove the fire from this freeborn woman. Take the pledges, abandon the
case, and pronounce innocence.”15
These few examples of dramatic narrative in Jacob of Serug merely
scratch the surface. Jacob utilizes these dramatic insertions in the Biblical
narrative not only to make justice explicit, but for a myriad of other
interpretive purposes. The task of seeking them out and enjoying Jacob’s
poetic imagination is also merely beginning.
14 Sebastian P. Brock, “Jacob of Serugh’s Verse Homily on Tamar (Gen. 38),”
Le Muséon 115 (2002), 279–315.
15 op. cit., lines 351–356 (text, p. 290; translation, p. 301).