Syriac alphabet
edit* These letters do not join to the following letter (to the left). In some older texts, all letters can join to the left. In some styles of Madnhāyā script, Taw-Ālaph form a ligature, whereas Taw does not usually join to the left.
Narsai and Jacob timeline
edit- c.399 — Narsai born at ‘Ain Dulba in Ma‘alta
- 412 — Rabbula becomes bishop of Edessa
- 431 — Council of Ephesus: Rabbula supporst Cyril of Alexandria and burns the works of Theodore of Mopsuestia
- 435 — Rabbula dies and Ibas becomes bishop of Edessa
- c.437 — Narsai begins to teach at the School of Edessa
- 449 — Ibas condemned by the Latrocinium of Ephesus, and replaced by Nonnus
- 451 — Ibas restored by the Council of Chalcedon
- 451 — Jacob born in Kurtam on the Euphrates
- 457 — Ibas dies and is succeded by Nonnus
- 471 — Cyrus becomes bishop of Edessa, and Narsai leaves for Nisibis
- 489 — Emperor Zeno closes the School of Edessa
- 496 — The Statutes of the School of Nisibis show Narsai is still alive there
- c.502 — Narsai dies in Nisibis
- 503 — Shah Kavadh I lays bitter siege to Amid
- 519 — Jacob elected as bishop of Batnan da-Srugh
- 519–520 — Jacob writes a letter to the Ḥimyarite Christians of Najrān
- 29 Novemeber 521 — Jacob dies in Batnan da-Srugh
School of Nisibis timeline (from Becker)
edit- 363 — Julian the Apostate dies; Nisibis ceded to the Sasanian Empire; Ephrem of Nisibis migrates to Edessa
- 373 — Ephrem dies
- 399 — Evagrius of Pontus dies
- c.400 — Greek Patristic literature begins to be transalted into Syriac
- 428 — Theodore of Mopsuestia dies
- 431 — Council of Ephesus (Third Ecumenical Council)
- 435/6 — Bishop Rabbula of Edessa dies
- 449 — 'Robber' Council of Ephesus
- 451 — Council of Chalcedon (Fourth Ecumenical Council)
- 457 — Ibas, Bishop of Edessa, dies
- 474–475, 476–91 — Reign of Zeno
- 489 — Closure of the School of the Persians of Edessa
- c.500 — Neoplatonic Commentaries begin to be translated into Syriac
- 503 — Narsai dies after this date
- c.510–569 — Abraham of Bēt Rabban, head of the School of Nisibis
- 517/26 — Ammonius the Neoplatonist dies
- 521 — Jacob of Serugh dies
- 527–565 — Reign of Justinian
- 531–579 — Khosro I
- 533–543 — Three Chapters Controversy
- c.536 — Sergius of Rēš‘aynā dies
- 542–c.549 — Junillus Africanus, Quaestor Sacri Palatii at Justinian's court
- 540–552 — Catholicate of Mār Abā
- 553 — Council of Constantinople (Fifth Ecumenical Council)
- 569 — Terminus post quem for the Ecclesiastical History of Barḥadbĕšabbā
- 571–c.610 — Ḥĕnānā, head of the School of Nisibis; period in which the Cause was composed (probably before 605)
- c.571 — Monastery of Abraham of Kaškar founded
- 590–628 — Khosro II
- 596 — East-Syrian Synod under Catholicos Sabrīšō‘
- 602 — Proem of the Statutes of the School of Nisibis
- 605 — East-Syrian Synod under Catholicos Gregory I
- 612 — East-Syrian Synod under Bābai the Great
- 614/15 — Gabriel's Colophon
- 628 or 630 — Bābai the Great dies
- 637 — Fall of Seleucia-Ctesiphon to the Arabs
- 659 — Catholicos Īšō‘yahb III dies
- late C7 — Isaac of Nineveh, Dadīšō‘ Qaṭrāyā, Simeon d-Ṭaybūtēh
- 823 — Timothy I dies
- late C8 – mid C9 — Īšō‘dĕnaḥ of Basra, Book of chastity
- C9 — Thomas of Margā, Book of Governors
- 912–1020 — Chroncile of Siirt