The Hexaemeron of Jacob of Serugh is a 6th-century text composed in the genre of Hexaemeral literature. As such, it offers a commentary on the Genesis creation narrative, and it is the first writing of this type to appear in the Syriac language.[1] There was some precedent in the Commentary on Genesis by Ephrem the Syrian, but this was not a Hexaemeron. Likewise, there is no evident influence of a potential Syriac translation of the Hexaemeron of Basil of Caesarea on Jacob's work. Jacob dedicated a separate homily for each day of the creation week.[2]
Jacob followed a traditionalist and literalist interpretation of Genesis that was typical of the exegetical school known as the School of Antioch, which he may have picked up from his training in the city of Edessa (located in modern-day Turkey). For example, as opposed to the supposition of simultaneous creation held by Augustine of Hippo and other thinkers more typical to the School of Alexandria, Jacob believed in the progressive creation of things over the course of a week as described by the chronology in Genesis.[3]
Jacob opens his poetic homily with a prayer asking God to give him the ability to write about something that is beyond human speech. Jacob insists that God is the creator of all things and that creation occurred ex nihilo.