Rabulas of Samosata (also spelled Rabula) was a Syrian monk, ascetic, and builder of monasteries who lived from about 450 to 530. He was born in Samosata (modern Samsat, in Adıyaman Province, Turkey), where he was educated by a man named Baripsaba and learned the Syriac language.
Following the example of the holy prophets, he took up the ascetic life in the deserts and mountains before traveling to the Levant. With imperial patronage he established monasteries that served as centers for the spread of Christianity among local peoples. He is commemorated on February 19 in both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions.
Timeline4 momentsReadHide
c. 450Birth at SamosataRabulas is born around 450 in Samosata (modern Samsat, Adıyaman Province, Turkey), where he is educated by a man named Baripsaba and learns Syriac.
474–491Monastery built under Emperor ZenoEmperor Zeno provides funds for Rabulas to build a monastery in the mountains, with construction supervised by Bishop John of Berytus. It becomes a center for converting local peoples to Christianity.
491–518Further foundations under Anastasius ITraveling to Constantinople, Rabulas receives financial support from Emperor Anastasius I Dicorus, enabling him to build additional monasteries.
c. 530ReposeRabulas dies around 530. He is commemorated on February 19.
Contributions & Legacy
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Ascetic Life and Monastic Foundations
After his early education at Samosata, Rabulas withdrew to the deserts and mountains to live as an ascetic, modeling himself on the holy prophets. The OCA synaxarion records that he struggled in imitation of the Prophet Elias and Saint John the Baptist. He afterward traveled to the Levant.
Emperor Zeno provided funds for him to build a monastery in the middle of the mountains, with construction supervised by Bishop John of Berytus. This monastery became a center for the conversion of local peoples to Christianity, though its exact location has never been definitively identified.
Rabulas later traveled to Constantinople, where Emperor Anastasius I Dicorus supported him financially, enabling him to build additional monasteries.
Veneration
Saint Rabulas is venerated in both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, with a feast day of February 19. No miracles, relics, or specific acts of glorification are documented in the available sources.
Distinct From Rabbula of Edessa
Rabulas of Samosata is a distinct figure from Rabbula of Edessa (died 435/436), the fifth-century bishop and theological controversialist known for opposing Nestorianism. The sixth-century monk Rabulas of Samosata, who died in 530, should not be confused with the earlier bishop; reference works list the two separately.
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