Jacob Baradaeus

Jacob Baradaeus (; ; ; ), also known as Jacob bar Addai or Jacob bar Theophilus, was the Bishop of Edessa from 543/544 until his death in 578. He is venerated as a saint in the Oriental Orthodox Churches and his feast day is 31 July. Jacob's missionary efforts helped the non-Chalcedonian Syriac Orthodox Church survive despite persecution, for which it came to bear the name of "Jacobite" Church after its eponymous leader.

Background Following the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the church in the Eastern Roman Empire suffered division between Chalcedonians, supporters of the council, and non-Chalcedonians, also known as miaphysites and pejoratively called monophysites, who opposed the council. who subsequently persecuted non-Chalcedonians. Consequentially, the number of non-Chalcedonian religious leaders declined and, despite the widespread support they held in Syria, Armenia, and Egypt, non-Chalcedonianism faced extinction.

Biography Jacob was born in c. 500 in the city of Constantia (close to modern day Viranşehir), and was the son of Theophilus bar Manu, a priest. and studied Greek, Syriac, and religious and theological texts. Jacob's mother later returned to the monastery and attempted to bring him home, however, Jacob refused to return and declared his dedication to Christ. After his parents' death, Jacob donated his inheritance to the poor and manumitted several slaves he had inherited, to whom he bestowed his parents' house. Theodora received Jacob with honour, however, he was uninterested in life at court, An outbreak of persecution of non-Chalcedonians carried out by Ephraim, Patriarch of Antioch, spurred Empress Theodora and Al-Harith to urge Pope Theodosius I of Alexandria to consecrate bishops to counter Ephraim and ensure the survival of non-Chalcedonianism. At this time, through his missionary work, Jacob aimed to restore non-Chalcedonianism as the official position of the church in the Eastern Roman Empire. Jacob ordained John of Ephesus as Bishop of Ephesus in 558. In 559, Jacob consecrated Ahudemmeh as Metropolitan of the East. In 566, Jacob attended discussions held by Emperor Justin II at Constantinople between Chalcedonians and non-Chalcedonians with the goal of a compromise between the two factions. At the end of the discussions in 567, Justin issued an edict which was agreed upon by all who attended, however, the edict was rejected by a non-Chalcedonian council at Raqqa. Jacob and the other bishops subsequently accepted communion from John Scholasticus, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Some historians note the name of the monastery as the Monastery of Cassian.