Terebinthus (also Terebinthus of Turbo ) was a purported pupil of
Scythianus, during the 1st to 2nd century CE, according to the writings of Christian writer and anti-Manichaean polemicist
Cyril of Jerusalem, and is mentioned earlier in the anonymously written, critical biography of Mani known as ''
Acta Archelai''.
Biography
According to Cyril's anti-Manichaean works and in other Orthodox polemic, Terebinthus went to
Judaea
Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous so ...
and later returned to
Syria Palaestina ("becoming known and condemned" there), and ultimately settled in
Babylonia. He is also said to have brought with him the books of Scythianus, which he presented upon his death to his lodger, a widow with a slave named Cubricus, who later changed his name to
Mani
Mani may refer to:
Geography
* Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia
* Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad
* Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece
* Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshi ...
. Mani allegedly studied the books, which thereby become the source of
Manichean doctrine.
This story can be found also in ''Acta Archelai'', an anti-manichean scripture written in
Syriac language, which is ascribed to the late 4th-century AD writer
Hegemonios. The story is again repeat in ''
Lexicon Suidae'' (10th century) in an article dedicated to Mani. According to the Lexicon, the names of the books were: Mysterium, Evangelium, Thesaurum and Capitum (meaning "Mystery", "Gospel", "Treasury", and "
Book
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physi ...
of Chapters" respectively).
[Bernhardy Godofredus (ed.), ''Suidae Lexicon Graece et Latine'', Haliset Brunsvigae 1853, pp. 684-686. The original text of this entry is available online, with translation and commentary]
However, according to A. A. Bevan, this account "has no claim to be considered historical".
Notes
References
Bibliography
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Roman-era philosophers
Hellenistic philosophy and religion