Eznik of Kolb

Eznik was born at Koghb (Tuzluca), in the historical province of Tayk, a tributary valley of the Chorokh, in Northern Greater Armenia.

He was a pupil of Isaac the Great of Armenia and of Saint Mesrop. At their request he went first to Edessa, then to Constantinople to perfect himself in the various sciences and to collect or copy Syriac and Greek manuscripts of the Bible, and the writings of the Fathers of the Church. He returned to Armenia after the First Council of Ephesus (431).

He is probably identical with Eznik, Bishop of Bagrevand region, who took part in the Synod of Artashat in 449.

In addition to his labors in connection with the new version of the Bible and various translations, he composed several works, the principal of which is his remarkable apologetic treatise "Against the Sects" or "On God". It was written between 441 and 449, and contains four parts:

• In the first, against the heathens, Eznik combats the eternity of matter and the substantial existence of evil.
• In the second he refutes the chief doctrines of Parseeism/Zoroastrianism (particularly Zurvanism.
• The third is directed against aspects of the beliefs of the Greek philosophers (Pythagoreans, Platonists, Peripatetics, Stoics and Epicureans). This is the only section in which Eznik takes his arguments from the Bible rather than from reason.
• The fourth book is an exposition and refutation of Marcionism as a dualist heresy.

An essential theme of the work is on the importance of free will in Christian theology. Eznik displays much acumen and an extensive erudition. Eznik was evidently as familiar with the Persian language (Middle Persian) as with Greek literature. His Armenian diction is of the choicest classical type, although the nature of his subject matter forced him to use quite a number of Greek words. The book also contains many interesting asides, such as Eznik's refutation of astrology[1] and his diversion to the topic of animal behavior and psychology.[2]

The original manuscript of "Against the Sects" is lost: The work survived due to a single medieval transcription copied at the University of Gladzor. This manuscript is currently at the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts. A copy of the first printing of "Against the Sects" as a book in Smyrna (now Izmir) in 1762 is in the collection at the British Library.[3] The Mechitarists at Venice published an updated edition in 1826 and again in 1865. Most recently, Sophene Books published "Against the Sects" as a paperback in 2019. The work can be read freely in its entirety online.[4]

•  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Eznik". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

• Durkin-Meisterernst, Desmond (2012). "Eznik on Manichaeism". Iran and the Caucasus. 16 (1): 1–11. doi:10.1163/160984912X13309560273975.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hage, Wolfgang (2002). "Marcion bei Eznik von Kolb". In Greschat, Katharina; May, Gerhard (eds.). Marcion und seine kirchengeschichtliche Wirkung / Marcion and His Impact on Church History. De Gruyter. pp. 29–37. ISBN 9783110905595.
• Orengo, Alessandro (2016). "Eznik of Kołb as a Translator of Methodius of Olympus". In Traina, Giusto; Pagani, Lara; Gazzano, Francesca (eds.). Greek Texts and Armenian Traditions: An Interdisciplinary Approach. De Gruyter. pp. 31–45. ISBN 9783110488661.

• Եզնիկ Կողբացի «Եղծ Աղանդոց» (Eznik of Kołb Refutation of the Sects), Yerevan University Press, 1994 (in Armenian)

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Yeznik Koghbatsi (Armenian Wikiquote)

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.