Jacob of Edessa

Jacob of Edessa
Native name
ܝܥܩܘܒ ܐܘܪܗܝܐ
Bornc. 640
Aindaba
Died5 June 708
Edessa
(modern-day Şanlıurfa, Turkey)
Pen nameJames of Edessa
LanguageClassical Syriac

Jacob of Edessa (or James of Edessa) (Syriac: ܝܥܩܘܒ ܐܘܪܗܝܐ, romanized: Yaʿqub Urhoyo) (c. 640 – 5 June 708) was Bishop of Edessa and prominent Syriac Christian writer in Classical Syriac language, also known as one of earliest Syriac grammarians. In various works, he treated theological, liturgical, canonical, philosophical and historical subjects, and contributed significantly to scholarly and literary development of Syriac Christianity. He is considered to be one of the most important scholars of the Christian-Aramean tradition.