PART 2 A Tribute to Bishop Mor Gregorius Bulus Behnam (1914-1969) written by - Dr Matti Moosa Behnam’s enthusiasm to visit Takrit was understandable. Takrit, after all, was the heart, indeed, the pride of his Church in the East. Here at Takrit the most exquisite rituals of the Syrian Church were composed. Takrit distinguished itself by developing and possessing a religious rite came to be known as the Rite of Takrit. Takrit also became a seat of the Maphrianate of the East in the sixth century when the original Maphryono, or Catholicos, defected to Nestorianism rejecting the authority of the Patriarch of Antioch, his ecclesiastical superior. During the two days the travel group spent in Takrit, Behnam lost no time visiting the historical sites of the city, especially the ancient Syrian churches. Standing side by side among the ruins of the once Church of St. John, I could see how Behnam was completely distracted by the ruins. He looked as if he was trying to reconstruct the history of this eminent city and relive the past glory of his church. He returned to reality when a teacher from the elementary school of the city, who was our guide, told him that many people of the city affirmed that on many occasions, they saw pillars of light rising from the ruins of St. John Church. Behnam was so moved by this visit to Takrit that he wrote an article about it entitled “A Night in Takrit,” followed by another regarding the history of this city as the center of ancient Syriac Christianity. Both articles appeared in the first issue of his magazine al-Mashriq. The first article was preceded by a poem expressing Behnam’s nostalgia for the bygone glory of his church. After visiting the ruins of the Syrian churches, we were invited to lunch by the principal of the elementary school. Later that afternoon, we visited Mahmud al-Thuwayni, a prominent dignitary of Takrit whose house overlooked the Tigris River and looked like a boat floating on the water. Along with us the judge from the local court and several school teachers were also visiting. Many of them were captivated by the historical narrative Rev. Bulus Behnam was presenting about Takrit. Suddenly, Mahmud al-Thuwayni interrupted Rev. Behnam. He stood up, looming like a giant over us since he was such a huge man, and placing his hand over his heart, said, “I bear testimony by Allah that my ancestors are Christians.” Deep silence followed his declaration and no one challenged his words. Evidently, his testimony corroborated Rev. Behrman’s assertion that until the thirteenth century the majority of the people of Takrit were Syrian Christians. Shortly afterward we visited the ancient Citadel of Takrit, and continued in our search for way back to Mosul. However, it seems that the dignitaries of Takrit were so anxious to hear Rev. Behnam that they insisted that we stay for one or two more days. We submitted and thus, it was not until April 14 that we finally found a car and left for Mosul. Rev. Bulus Behnam (later ordained a bishop in 1952, under the name of Gregorius), was a man of many talents. He was a proficient writer in both Syriac and Arabic, a poet, a scholar and dynamic orator. In the field of Syriac literature, his objective was to present a selection of the literary and philosophical writings of ancient Syrian fathers to his readers. His audience was mainly the Syrian people, having an intrinsic appreciation of their Syriac culture and heritage. Thus, it was Behnam’s duty to revive and inculcate them with their heritage. The pages of his bi-monthly magazine al-Mashriq (The East) are replete with his various articles on Syriac language and culture. In this endeavor, he may have been motivated by the exhortation of an eleventh-century anonymous Syrian philosopher from Edessa who wrote a unique book entitled The Cause of all Causes, or A Book for all Nations under Heaven. His primary objective was to teach people how to seek and find truth. In his introduction, the author, most likely a rationalist maintained that reason is virtually truth and knowledge and the center of philosophy. Above all it is the best link between God and man. Proud of the precious knowledge the book contained and the love it inculcated to mankind, he exhorted those who may read his book to translate it and publicize it in many languages in order that it may reach many people and benefit many nations. This was then the motivation of Bishop Bulus Behnam, which he made clear when he said: For a time I cherished the idea of carrying this torch, but I was distracted by multiple chores. However, when I read the Introduction of the author of The Cause of all Causes, I determined to translate it as well as other books into Arabic to prove the greatness of the graceful Syriac legacy which I have the honor to be one of its faithful servants. He then goes on to analyze the main ideas of the author. One concept which astonished him was that of “Superman,” which no ancient Syrian writer had since tackled and no modern writer detected. Immediately, this term reminded him of Nietzche’s Superman and will to power. But the Superman of the Syrian writer, says Behnam, is different from that of the German philosopher. His superiority does not derive from power or attainment of it; his superiority is simply manifested in perfection. Behnam goes on to compare the concept of the Syrian philosopher with that of Nietzche, which is unprecedented in Syriac writings. Behnam follows with a significant subject on Syriac Culture. He says that he began writing it two years prior (1944) and published parts of it in several periodicals and newspapers of Syria and Lebanon. Under this topic, he discusses Syriac culture in particular; the sources of Syriac culture; the Syriac language, its ancient dialects and the present day Eastern and Western dialects; the consequences of Syriac culture; and the prominent Syriac writers and literary contemplations in the contributions of Syriac culture. His main intention was to convey that the Syrian people in pre-Christianity times had a thriving culture which greatly impacted the surrounding nations of the Middle East. It was not until the Arab invasion of the countries of the Middle East that the dominant Syriac language began to recede and be replaced by Arabic. Indeed, the language of Palestine in the time of Jesus Christ was not Hebrew but Aramaic (Syriac). He maintains that many Syriac terms remain until this day in the Arabic language. Also, many Greek terms found their way into Arabic via the Syriac language. However, vicissitudes of time, warfare and persecution caused the decline of Syriac culture, and as a result, only a few villages in Iraq and Syria still speak Syriac. He also discusses the different schools established by both Eastern and Syrian people and their impact on the culture of the Middle East. Unfortunately, Behnam left this significant subject unfinished. In 1946, young monk Bulus Behnam published his book in a rather florid Arabic title of al-Banafsaja al-Dhakiyya fi Khlasat al-Ta’alim al-Masihiyya li al-A’ilat wa al-Madaris al-Orthodoxiyya (The Fragrant Violet: Concise Christian Teachings for the Use of the Orthodox Families and Schools (Mosul, 1946)). He was gracious to autograph a copy for me while I was still practicing law in the courts of Mosul. For its spiritual significance to the Syrian Orthodox Church and schools, I translated it into English under the title Concise Teachings of Christianity for Orthodox Families and Schools (Beth Antioch Press and Gorgias Press, 2013). Metropolitan Mor Cyril Aphram Karim of the Eastern Part of the United States appreciated this book and told me personally that it would be used for teaching in Sunday school. Indeed, it is the first of its kind to meet the needs of the Syrian Orthodox community in the United States and other countries, which have been in dire need of resources for religious instruction. Behnam’s Khama’il al-Rayhan (The Scrub of Basil) or the Orthodoxy of St. Jacob of Saruj (The Doctor of the Church), published in 1949, is a refutation of the Papal Syrian priest Ishaq Aramala. Armala maintained that St. Jacob of Saruj (of Roman Catholic faith, or Chalcedonian) was holding to the belief of two natures of Christ, divine and human, separate after the Incarnation. Behnam says in that book that Armala has distorted facts regarding the faith of St. Jacob, and he found it his duty to defend the orthodoxy of St. Jacob, refuting Armala’s allegations and placing the true faith of St. Jacob in proper perspective. Armala, apparently, based his claims on St. Jacob’s letters to abbots of monasteries and bishops, especially to the monks of the Monastery of St. Basus; the monks of the Monastery of Arzen in Persia; Phula (Paul), Bishop of Edessa; Eutychyana, bishop of Dara; Mara, bishop of Amid; and to the monk Marun, etc. Behnam produces instances where Armala distorted the connotation and language of the letters to support his thesis. He reveals profound knowledge of the Syrian Church, its theology and the Syriac language deemed necessary for any writer who intends to treat the life and faith of Jacob of Saruj. However, Armala, using his commendable knowledge of the Syriac and Arabic languages, spent his life and effort attacking the Syrian Orthodox Church from which his own church seceded. As far back as 1909, he wrote a book on the Syrian Patriarchate of Antioch entitled Al-Zahra al-Dhakiyya (Fragrant Flower) denigrating the Syrian Church, its Orthodox faith and patriarchs. But he was refuted by Patriarch Aphram Barsoum, who was still a monk at the Za’faran Monastery, in a treatise entitled Kalima Intiqadiyya ala al-Zahra a-Dhakiyya (1910).
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 09:40:00 +0000
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