Gabriel Arya (fl. late 7th century), also called Gabriel Qaá¹Âraya, was a biblical exegete who wrote in Syriac. The byname Qaá¹Âraya indicates that he was a native of Beth Qaá¹Âraye (Qatar). ', the Syriac for lion, is probably a nickname. He was a member of the Church of the East.
Gabriel was a relative of Isaac of Nineveh, who became bishop around 676. According to a Syrian Orthodox source, Patriarch Giwargis I (c.659âÂÂ680) met Isaac on a visit to Beth Qaá¹Âraye and brought him back to Beth Aramaye because Gabriel was active there. This source refers to Gabriel as an "interpreter of the church". It is probable therefore that Gabriel is the same person as the Gabriel Qaá¹Âraya mentioned in the nomocanon of Gabriel of Basra. This work survives only in fragments, but a now lost manuscript from Siirt (no. 67) contained a passage stating that Gabriel had taught at the school of Mahoze in Beth Aramaye and the future patriarchs Ḥenanishoÿ I (686âÂÂ700) and Aba II (742âÂÂ753) were among his students.
Gabriel's writings do not survive, but he is quoted frequently in biblical commentaries of the Church of the East from the 8th century onwards as a recognized authority on both the Old and New Testaments. He is usually cited as Gabriel Qaá¹Âraya with the title rabban (teacher), but the Gannat BussÃÂme, quoting á¹¢harbokht bar Msargis, uses both his surnames. As Gabriel Arya, he has an entry in the catalogue of Syriac writers created by ÿAbdishoÿ of Nisibis around 1300. According to ÿAbdishoÿ, he wrote a commentary on select passages from the Bible, called Salges mashlmanuta d-á¹£urta, the "tradition (or transmission) of the scriptural text". ÿAbdishoÿ does not mention his origins, but does note his relationship to Isaac.
There were several Gabriels from Beth Qaá¹Âraye active in the 7th century, which can cause confusion. Gabriel bar Lipeh, who wrote a commentary on the liturgy, was active early in the century. ÿAbdishoÿ of Nisibis has a separate entry for a Gabriel Qaá¹Âraya who wrote a Discourse on the Union (i.e., the hypostatic union) and Resolution to Questions on the Matter of the Faith. Addai Scher and Carl Anton Baumstark believe this was the same person as Gabriel Arya, but Sebastian Brock argues that he was probably identical to the Gabriel Qaá¹Âraya against whom Babai the Great (died 628) directed his Book of Causes and thus lived too early to be identical to Gabriel Arya.