Gregory Bar Hebraeus is one of the most important writers of the later Syriac tradition. His many works and translations in both Syriac and Arabic cover a wide array of topics, including Syriac grammar, medicine, and philosophical texts. However, Bar Hebraeus is perhaps most well known for his historical works: one of the history of the world, and another dedicated to the history of the Church. The present volume is Bar Hebraeus' history of the world, beginning with Adam and the biblical patriarchs and extending to Gregory's own lifetime. While the Chronography does cover the history from the beginning of the world to the Kingdom of the Greeks, Bar Hebraeus gives the most historical detail of the two most recent kingdoms to rule his area of the world: the Arabs and the Mongols. This work is particularly valuable for its description of the advance of the Mongol Empire, as many of these events were taking place within Gregory's lifetime. The text of the present volume was copied by Mor Ignatius Ephrem I Barsoum, and it is presented in this volume in a vocalized Serto Script with page and section headings in red.
Gregory AbulfarajBar Hebraeus