E01142: The East Syrian synod of 585, convened by the patriarch Īšō‘yahb I (ob. 595) in Seleucia-Ctesiphon (Mesopotamia), issues a canon that seeks to eradicate the practice of using the relics of saints for personal magical purposes. From the Acts of the Synod of 585.

Syriac Acts of the Synod of 585, Canon 14

ܩܢܘܢܐ ܕܐܪܒܬܥܣܪ: ܥܠ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܡܬܕܢܝܢ ܠܛܥܝܘܬܐ ܕܩܨܡ̈ܐ ܘܕܢܚ̈ܫܐ ܘܕܠܘܚܫ̈ܬܐ ܘܩܛܖ̈ܐ ܘܩܡ̈ܝܥܐ: ܘܡܬܕܢܝܢ ܠܚܕ ܡܢ ܐܖ̈ܙܝܗ̇ ܕܢܘܟܪܝܘܬܐ: ܘܢܛܪܝܢ ܪܦܦܐܩܢܘܢܐ ܕܐܪܒܬܥܣܪ: ܥܠ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܡܬܕܢܝܢ ܠܛܥܝܘܬܐ ܕܩܨܡ̈ܐ ܘܕܢܚ̈ܫܐ ܘܕܠܘܚܫ̈ܬܐ ܘܩܛܖ̈ܐ ܘܩܡ̈ܝܥܐ: ܘܡܬܕܢܝܢ ܠܚܕ ܡܢ ܐܖ̈ܙܝܗ̇ ܕܢܘܟܪܝܘܬܐ: ܘܢܛܪܝܢ ܪܦܦܐ ܕܓܘܫ̈ܡܐ ܘܩܠܐ ܕܦܖ̈ܚܬܐ.

ܡܠܦܢܘܬܐ ܗܟܝܠ ܐܠܗܝܬܐ ܒܟܠܗܘܢ ܕܖ̈ܐ ܐܠܦܬ ܘܚܟܡܬ ܠܒܢ̈ܝܢܫܐ ܕܠܚܕ ܐܠܗܐ ܢܕܥܘܢ ܒܪܘܝܐ ܘܡܛܟܣܢܐ ܕܟܠ ܘܠܗ ܢܦܠܚܘܢ ܘܢܫܬܥܒܕܘܢ ܘܒܢܡܘܣ̈ܘܗܝ ܢܬܗܓܘܢ ܠܥܘܕܪܢܐ ܕܝܠܗܘܢ ܘܠܬܫܒܘܚܬܐ ܕܫܡܗ. ܐܠܦܬ ܕܝܢ ܘܙܗܪܬ ܣܓܝܐܝܬ ܕܢܬܪܚܩܘܢ ܒܢ̈ܝܢܫܐ ܡܢ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܡܬܢܟܝܢ ܒܗ̈ܝܢ ܥܒܘ̈ܕܝܗܝܢ ܢܦܫܢܐܝܬ: ܗܢܘ ܕܝܢ ܡܢ ܢܚ̈ܫܐ ܘܩܨܡ̈ܐ ܘܠܘܚܫ̈ܬܐ ܘܩܛܖ̈ܐ ܘܩܡ̈ܝܥܐ ܡܢ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܢܘܟܖ̈ܝܐ ܡܢ ܐܠܗܐ܆ ܘܐܝܬܝܗܝܢ ܒܗܬܬܐ ܘܚܣܕܐ ܘܚܘܝܒܐ ܘܚܘܣܪܢܐ ܕܥܒܘ̈ܕܝܗܝܢ. ܗܢܝܢ ܕܢܒܥ ܒܫܟܚܬܐ ܕܚܪܥܘܬܗ ܕܐܒܘܗ̇ ܕܕܓܠܘܬܐ: ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܒܗ̈ܝܢ ܡܬܥܪܩܠܝܢ ܘܡܬܕܘܕܝܢ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܡܬܬܚܕܝܢ ܒܗ̈ܝܢ. ܐܚܖ̈ܢܐ ܕܝܢ ܛܥܝܢܝܢ ܕܡܘ̈ܬܐ ܕܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ܆ ܐܘ ܗܢܘܢ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܩܕܩܝܫ̈ܐ. ܘܡܬܟܪܟܝܢ ܘܡܬܚܠܕܝܢ ܒܝܬ ܡܗܝܡ̈ܢܐ. ܝܬܝܪܐܝܬ ܕܝܢ ܒܝܢܬ ܢܫ̈ܐ ܖ̈ܦܝܬܐ. ܘܩܛܪܝܢ ܘܬܠܝܢ ܒܩܕܠܐ ܕܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܪܡܝܢ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܓܓܖ̈ܬܗܘܢ ܘܒܟܝܣ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܬܐܓܘܪܬܐ ܕܝܥܢܘܬܐ. ܘܡܡܪܚܝܢ ܕܢܪܡܘܢ ܒܦܘܡܐ ܘܒܢܚܝܖ̈ܐ ܫܝܓܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܕܡܫܝܓܝܢ ܒܗ̇ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ܆ ܘܡܫܚܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܪܡܝܢ ܒܗ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܣܗ̈ܕܐ. ܘܒܗܕܐ ܥܠܬܐ ܡܬܓܕܦ ܫܡܐ ܪܚܝܡܐ ܕܟܪܣܛܝܢܘܬܐ.
ܡܬܚܡܝܢܢ ܗܟܝܠ ܒܫܘܠܛܢܐ ܫܡܝܢܐ܆ ܕܐܢܫ ܡܢ ܟܖ̈ܣܛܝܢܐ ܠܐ ܫܠܝܛ ܒܡܠܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ: ܕܢܬܕܢܐ ܘܢܩܒܠ ܛܥܝܘܬܐ ܕܢܚ̈ܫܐ ܘܕܩܨܡ̈ܐ ܘܕܠܘܚܫ̈ܬܐ ܘܩܛܖ̈ܐ ܘܩܡ̈ܝܥܐ ܐܘ ܚܕ ܡܢ ܐܖ̈ܙܝܗ̇ ܕܢܘܟܪܝܘܬܐ. ܘܠܐ ܫܠܝܛܝܢ ܠܡܛܪ ܪܦܦܐ ܕܓܘܫ̈ܡܐ ܘܩ̈ܠܐ ܕܦܖ̈ܚܬܐ. ܘܠܡܡܪܚܘ ܘܠܡܪܡܝܘ ܒܦܘܡܐ ܘܒܢܚܝܖ̈ܐ ܕܒܢ̈ܝܢܫܐ܆ ܫܝܓܬܐ ܘܡܫܚܐ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܪܡܝܢ ܒܗ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ܆ ܠܐ ܫܠܝܛܝܢ ܒܡܠܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ. ܘܠܐ ܠܡܬܠܐ ܥܠܝܗܘܢ ܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ: ܘܠܐ ܠܡܠܒܟ ܒܒ̈ܬܝܗܘܢ. ܐܠܐ ܒܕܘܟ̈ܝܬܐ ܕܦܖ̈ܝܫܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܠܐܝܩܪܐ ܕܒܘܪܟܬܐ ܕܓܖ̈ܡܐ ܕܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ: ܬܡܢ ܢܬܬܣܝܡܘܢ ܘܬܡܢ ܢܬܝܩܪܘܢ. ܘܨܥܪܬܐ ܘܫܝܛܘܬܐ ܗ̇ܝ ܕܡܢ ܗܕܝܘܛܘܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܙܗܝܪܘܬܐ ܗܘܬ ܠܘܬܗܘܢ ܬܘܒ ܠܐ ܬܗܘܐ ܠܘܬܗܘܢ ܒܡܠܬܐ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ.


'Canon 14. Concerning those who follow the error of divinations, auguries, incantations, knots, and amulets, and follow one of the strange rites, and take heed of the bodily palpitations and the sound of birds.

Now, divine teaching in all generations taught and instructed the human race to acknowledge one God, the creator and composer of everything, and to worship Him and subject themselves to Him, and to meditate upon His laws to their own benefit and to the glory of His name. It, then, taught and warned strongly that men should keep away from those things which according to (their) nature are harmful to those who practice them, that is, from auguries, divinations, incantations, knots, and amulets, from all things that are alien to God. They are a shame, a reproach, a condemnation, and the ruin for those who practice them – things which came into existence through the cunning invention of the father of falsehood, by which all those who are ensnared by them are confused and disturbed. Others, then, carry around the images of the bones of saints (Syr. demwātā d-garmē d-qadišē), or the bones of the saints themselves. And they go round and insinuate themselves among believers, especially then among the lax women. And they tie and hang the merchandise of avarice on the neck of those who put them on their throats and in their purses. And they venture to pour in the mouth and in the nostrils the water, in which they wash the bones, and the oil in which they place the bones of martyrs. And as a result of this the cherished name of Christianity is reviled.

Therefore, we decree by heavenly authority, that for no person among Christians it is lawful, by the word of God, to follow and accept the error of auguries, and divinations, and incantations, and knots, and amulets, or any of the strange rites. It is not lawful for them to take heed of the bodily palpitations and of the sounds of birds, or to venture to put in the mouth and nostrils of men the water or oil in which bones were placed. It is not lawful for them, by the word of God, either to hang upon themselves the bones of saints or to keep (them) in their houses. Rather, in the places set apart for the blessed honour of the bones of saints – there they shall be placed, and there they shall be honoured. And the dishonour and desecration, which is brought upon them through ignorance and carelessness, should never again happen to them, by the word of Christ.

Ed. Chabot 1902, pp. 150-151; trans. by S. Minov.