Joannes Moschus
Encyclopedia
John MoschusJohn Moschus ' onMouseout='HidePop("51853")' href="/topics/Byzantine">Byzantine
monk and ascetical writer
.
. He was given the epithet "ὁ ἐγκρατής" ("The Abstemious"). He lived successively with the monks at the monastery of St. Theodosius
(now Deir Dosi) in Jerusalem, among the hermits in the Jordan Valley
, and in the New Lavra of St. Sabbas
near Thekoa south-east of Bethlehem
.
About the year 578 he went to Egypt with Sophronius (afterwards Patriarch of Jerusalem
) and came as far as the Great Oasis of the Libyan Desert
. After 583 he came to Mount Sinai
and spent about ten years in the Lavra
of Aeliatae; he then visited the monasteries, near Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. In 604 he went to Antioch
but returned to Egypt in 607. Later he came to Cyprus
and in 614-615 to Rome
where he died in 619.
On his deathbed he requested Sophronius to bury him, if possible, on Mt. Sinai or else at the monastery of St. Theodosius in Jerusalem. Mt. Sinai being then invaded by the Saracens, Sophronius buried him in the monastery of St. Theodosius.
John Moschus' feast day in the Eastern Orthodox Church
is shared with Sophonius' .
Though the work is devoid of critical discrimination and teems with miracles and ecstatic visions, it gives a clear insight into the practices of Eastern monasticism, contains important data on the religious cult and ceremonies of the time, and acquaints us with the numerous heresies that threatened to disrupt the Church in the East.
It was first edited by Fronton du Duc
in Auctarium biblioth. patrum, II (Paris, 1624), 1057-1159. A better edition was brought out by Cotelier in Ecclesiae Graecae Monumenta, II (Paris, 1681), which is reprinted in J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca
. LXXXVII, III, 2851-3112. A Latin translation, by Ambrose Traversari, is printed in Migne, Patrologia Latina
, LXXIV, 121-240, and an Italian version made from the Latin of Traversari (Venice, 1475; Vicenzo, 1479).
Conjointly with Sophronius, Moschus wrote a life of John the Almoner, a fragment of which is preserved in the first chapter of the "Vita S. Joanni Eleemosynarii" by Leontios of Neapolis
, under the name of Simeon Metaphrastes (P.G., CXIV, 895-966).
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
monk and ascetical writer
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
.
Biography
He was born about 550 probably at DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. He was given the epithet "ὁ ἐγκρατής" ("The Abstemious"). He lived successively with the monks at the monastery of St. Theodosius
Monastery of St. Theodosius
The Monastery of St. Theodosius is the monastery founded east of the village of al-Ubeidiya , 12 kilometres east of Bethlehem...
(now Deir Dosi) in Jerusalem, among the hermits in the Jordan Valley
Jordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
, and in the New Lavra of St. Sabbas
Sabbas the Sanctified
Saint Sabbas the Sanctified , a Cappadocian-Greek monk, priest and saint, lived mainly in Palaestina Prima. He was the founder of several monasteries, most notably the one known as Mar Saba...
near Thekoa south-east of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
.
About the year 578 he went to Egypt with Sophronius (afterwards Patriarch of Jerusalem
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
) and came as far as the Great Oasis of the Libyan Desert
Libyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
. After 583 he came to Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
and spent about ten years in the Lavra
Lavra
In Orthodox Christianity and certain other Eastern Christian communities Lavra or Laura originally meant a cluster of cells or caves for hermits, with a church and sometimes a refectory at the center...
of Aeliatae; he then visited the monasteries, near Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. In 604 he went to Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
but returned to Egypt in 607. Later he came to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and in 614-615 to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where he died in 619.
On his deathbed he requested Sophronius to bury him, if possible, on Mt. Sinai or else at the monastery of St. Theodosius in Jerusalem. Mt. Sinai being then invaded by the Saracens, Sophronius buried him in the monastery of St. Theodosius.
John Moschus' feast day in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
is shared with Sophonius' .
Writings
He is the author of one of the earliest hagiological works, entitled "Leimon" (Pratum spirituale, Spiritual Meadow), occasionally abbreviated "Prat. Spirit.". In it he narrates his personal experiences with many great ascetics whom he met during his extensive travels, and repeats the edifying stories which these ascetics related to him.Though the work is devoid of critical discrimination and teems with miracles and ecstatic visions, it gives a clear insight into the practices of Eastern monasticism, contains important data on the religious cult and ceremonies of the time, and acquaints us with the numerous heresies that threatened to disrupt the Church in the East.
It was first edited by Fronton du Duc
Fronton du Duc
-Life:Fronton du Duc was born b. at Bordeaux in France. At first he taught in various colleges of the Society of Jesus, and wrote for the dramatic representations encouraged by the Jesuits the "Histoire tragique de la pucelle de Domrémy, autrement D'Orléans" . It was acted at Pont-à-Mousson before...
in Auctarium biblioth. patrum, II (Paris, 1624), 1057-1159. A better edition was brought out by Cotelier in Ecclesiae Graecae Monumenta, II (Paris, 1681), which is reprinted in J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca
Patrologia Graeca
The Patrologia Graeca is an edited collection of writings by the Christian Church Fathers and various secular writers, in the ancient Koine or medieval variants of the Greek language. It consists of 161 volumes produced in 1857–1866 by J. P. Migne's Imprimerie Catholique...
. LXXXVII, III, 2851-3112. A Latin translation, by Ambrose Traversari, is printed in Migne, Patrologia Latina
Patrologia Latina
The Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
, LXXIV, 121-240, and an Italian version made from the Latin of Traversari (Venice, 1475; Vicenzo, 1479).
Conjointly with Sophronius, Moschus wrote a life of John the Almoner, a fragment of which is preserved in the first chapter of the "Vita S. Joanni Eleemosynarii" by Leontios of Neapolis
Leontios of Neapolis
Leontios was Bishop of Neapolis in Cyprus in the 7th century AD.Works: Life of St. John the Merciful, commissioned by the archbishop of Constantia Arcadius, Life of Simeon the Holy Fool, a lost "Life of Spyridon" and an apologia against Jews...
, under the name of Simeon Metaphrastes (P.G., CXIV, 895-966).
See also
- From the Holy MountainFrom the Holy MountainFrom the Holy Mountain is a 1997 historical travel book by William Dalrymple.Dalrymple's third book From the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium saw him trace the ties of Eastern Orthodox congregations scattered in the Middle East to their ancient origins; it also deals with the...
, the book by William Dalrymple