Two questions on Maronites

[Ádám Gacsályi-Tóth]

Dear All,

I recently received Suermann's excellent book on early Maronite history in this group, but there are two questions that remain obscure to me, perhaps someone can help me out:

1. The first mention of John Maron: at the beginning of the book, Suermann states that the first mention of John Maron in a historical source dates to the 10th century, and this is what I've seen in other publications as well, which specifically name Eutychius as the first witness to the name. However, they do not indicate where or what Eutychius says of John Maron. Later in his book, Suermann says the oldest testimony referring to John Maron as patriarch is from 1402. Perhaps I did not pay close enough attention but I do not know how to reconcile these statements. If someone knows what Eutychius says exactly, that might clarify it (I'm assuming Eutychius simply mentions his name, without identifying him as a patriarch?)

2. Maronite migration to Lebanon: Suermann touches on this issue once (unless, again, I missed something), when he briefly presents two traditions: one holds that they migrated to Lebanon around 900 because of Muslim persecutions, while the other claims it occured much earlier, around 685, because of Byzantine persecutions. Other publications simply cite one or the other tradition, but I have not found any modern study that attempts to reconcile these accounts or attempts to provide more insight.

Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Adam

[hilar...@bluewin.ch]

Dear Adam,

Have you consulted Mouannes Hojairi's Writing the History of Mount Lebanon. Church Historians and Maronite Identity (AUC Press 2021)? It is relevant to the questions you ask.

Good luck!

Hilary

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[Harald Suermann / Uni Bonn]

Dear Adam 

Eutyches mentions a Maron, whom Moosa identifies as John Maron. I reject this theory. Eutyches’ account of the origins of the Maronites is highly questionable and contradictory.

1402 is the date of the oldest extant manuscript concerning John Maron. The text could be much older.

Ibn Qulai is the oldest source that reports on the life of John Maron. See the recent research by Joseph Moukarzel, Gabriel Ibn al-Qila’i (+ ca. 1516), Kaslik 2007.

The tradition regarding John Maron or Maron John as the first Maronite patriarch is extremely complicated, especially since manuscripts have been corrected over time in accordance with the “Maronite tradition.”

In my discussion of the migration, I cited the date 685 as Duwaihy’s opinion, but I did not endorse it; rather, I rejected it. The migration around 900 is presented as Al-Qula’i’s opinion. I did not express my own view on the possible migration, but merely presented the opinions of others.

I hope that helps you

Harald (the author of the book)

-- 
              apl. Prof. Dr. phil. Harald Suermann
  Institut für Orient- und Asienwissenschaften - Universität Bonn,
Europäische Akademie der Wissenschaften und Künste: Klasse Weltreligionen
            Georges-Anawati-Stiftung (Vorstand)


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www.christian-orient.eu

Am 13.03.26 um 11:09 schrieb Ádám Gacsályi-Tóth:

[Ádám Gacsályi-Tóth]

Dear Hilary,

Thank you for suggesting this book, I will definitely consult it.

Best regards,

Adam

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[Ádám Gacsályi-Tóth]

Dear Mr. Suermann,

I really appreciate that you took the time to help me. I rely primarily on your book for early Maronite history in my forthcoming dissertation, and now all is clear.

Thank you,

Adam

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[Christian C. Sahner]

Dear Adam,

I'm currently writing a book on the formation of religious communities in mountainous regions of the early Islamic empire, and I have a chapter on the Maronites between the Sixth Council and the coming of the Crusaders. I'm exploring both of the issues you ask about. 

On John Maron, Professor Suermann has pointed out the key evidence. I would only add two details (on which I'm glad to be corrected):

As far as I can see, the earliest dated reference to a figure resembling John Maron comes from the Kitāb al-kamāl, alias the Kitāb al-hudā, compiled in 1058-59. It's an extremely rare example of Maronite literature from the pre-Crusader period and includes Monothelete elements; it's thus of great historical interest. The second chapter refers to the Maronites, “who trace their origins to Maron John [sic], patriarch of greater Antioch." Nothing else is said about this figure.

There is also the Libellus fidei, a Syriac theological work with Monothelete elements, the oldest manuscript of which I believe is from the twelfth century. The preface ascribes the work to "Saint Maron, the blessed, who is called John, who was the patriarch of the city of God Antioch and the entire region of Damascus of Syria." Again, nothing else is said about him. 

The wording of the name in both sources is curious. On the face of it, it's not 100% clear that "Maron John" is the same person the tradition identifies as John Maron, the first patriarch. As Professor Suermann says, a developed biography of John Maron appears only with Ibn al-Qilāʿī in the early sixteenth century. 

On Mount Lebanon, it seems that it was one of several centers of the early Maronite community, but not necessarily the most important. As much is suggested by al-Masʿūdī (d. 956) and Thomas of Kafr Ṭāb (writing around 1089). Al-Masʿūdī refers to the destruction of the original Monastery of Saint Maron; the dating is hazing, but it must have happened between the first half of the ninth and the first half of the tenth centuries. Writing much later, al-Duwayhī states that the seat of the patriarch moved to Mount Lebanon in 327/938-39. This broadly matches what Ibn al-Qilāʿī writes, noting that the Maronites had been in Mount Lebanon for six hundred years at the time of his writing. If true, this would mean they settled there around the turn of the tenth century. This probably refers to the church hierarchy rather than the lay faithful, who must have existed in Mount Lebanon in unknown numbers for a long time before.  

As for what caused the migration, I plan to discuss this in my book. Suffice it say, I don't think it had anything to do with Byzantine persecution, an idea Kamal Salibi floated in several publications. I think it was connected with the tumultuous politics of Syria during the first half of the tenth century, especially conflicts between Bedouin tribes and the Abbasid government. It's noteworthy that some of these conflicts unfolded in the traditional Maronite heartlands around Homs, Hama, and Apamea. 

Best wishes,
Christian Sahner

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[Hieromonk Gregory]

Dear Adam and Christian,

About one of the early placements of the Maronites, I wrote (not quite recently) an article that is still "forthcoming" (in: Reinhart Ceulemans and Daniel Oltean (eds.), Foreign Monks in Byzantium: Migration Trends and Integration Policies in Religious Context, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta / Bibliothèque de Byzantion, Leuven). I attach its manuscript here. Its point is a meeting between the reconstructed Sitz im Leben of a hagiographic legend and archeological data.

Yours, Basil Lourié

brill.com/scri

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[Ádám Gacsályi-Tóth]

Dear Basil,

Thank you so much for sharing it!

Best regards,

Adam

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