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| Church of Saint Simeon Stylites |
Sometimes it's only when we know the detailed history of a place that the priceless nature of its presence becomes apparent. Between 385 to 390 AD there was born in Sis, in northern Syria, an unusual man called Simeon Stylites. At 16 he entered the monastery at Antioch and years later he moved 19 miles north-west of Aleppo and became one of the most famous ascetics in the east. After living three years on top of the summit of a mountain in a small hut Simeon felt called upon to take even more drastic action.
“After some time, Simeon mounted the first of three increasingly higher pillars on which he took his stance of continual prayer. The final pillar sixty feet in height had a platform on top about 6 ft square. There exposed to the elements, Simeon stood and prostrated, healed and harmed until his death in 459 when he was over 70 years old. “
He was known to spend the whole night in prayer and also the day until 3 PM. After that he he delivered teachings settled quarrels and disputes and healed the suffering. At sunset he began his conversations with God again and continued for the rest of the night. He kept up this practice for thirty seven years. It must have been an unusual sight, the lonely mountain with pillars and a wild looking old man dressed in skins perched aloft, beseeching God for guidance. People came from all over Ishmaelites (descendants of Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham), Persians, Armenians, Iberians( from the countries of Spain and Portugal), Homerites (a kingdom in ancient Yemen), Britons and Gauls ( Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age that was inhabited by Celtic tribes and covered France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerland, Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands, Central Italy and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine). His pillars are found north-west of Aleppo in Syria. Some remnants of documents from the same Saint have been found in the British Museum and there has been academic papers published concerning his letters describing the religious debates going on. In particular, his comments on the First Council of Nicaea of AD 325,The First Council of Constantinople in AD 381, The Council of Ephesus in AD 431 and The Council of Chalcedon AD 451 have proven interesting. These councils were called to bring to an end divisions of religious thought and interpretations that had developed in the early church. It is worth noting that there was heated and violent debate on such issues. For example, at the behest of those at the third council a mob entered and killed one of the archbishops involved who was subsequently canonised as a martyr at the fourth council! No wonder Simeon wrote in one of his letters,
“wherefore be stout and courageous in the cause of true piety..”
Once Simeon got an infection in his leg and those below begged him to come down to get treated. He refused and continued in his devotions. The last thirty years of his life were spent at a height of 60ft and such was his veneration that on his death his body was fought over by several cities who wanted the honour of having him buried there. He was eventually buried at Antioch and there are accounts of religious visitors removing his teeth as relics to take home! The pillars of this Christian saint later became the site of the oldest surviving Byzantine church known as the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites and in June 2011 this church and its surrounding villages were designated a World Heritage site.
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| Saint Simeon's pillar |
Unfortunately this area was held by Islamic extremist groups for some years and they are renown for their determination to demolish such heritage sites deeming them as being against God or heretical for reasons both nonsensical and fanatical in equal measure. Perhaps their lack of respect towards human life is mirrored perfectly in their disregard for heritage sites? Whatever the reasons, when on the 28th May 2015 Kurdish groups managed to capture the church all were delighted to find that the church and pillars had emerged amazingly virtually unscathed. One could still reach and touch the pillar only six foot high after centuries of visitors taking souvenirs pieces and imagine Saint Simeon deep in his devotions day and night. Then, on the 12th of May 2016 came the horrific news that an air strike had heavily damaged the heritage site.
When one thinks of Syria, the suffering and loss of life, the fanaticism, the rise of the world’s first cities and the loss of priceless heritage sites through ignorance and prejudice how does one respond?
“If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows them like a never-departing shadow.”
Buddhist scriptures, Dhammapada
“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness”.
The Bible, James 3:18
The reward of goodness is nothing but goodness.
The Quran Chapter: 55, Verse: 61
“Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul.”
Bahá’í Writings
References
Doran, R., & Harvey, S. A. (1971). The Lives of Simeon Stylites. Journal of Roman Studies, 61, 87.
Torrey, C. C., & Simeon, S. (1899). The Letters of Simeon the Stylite. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 20, 253-276.
Chicago
