Athanasius was born at Balad, and studied Syriac, Greek, and sciences under Severus Sebokht at the monastery of Qenneshre,[2] where he became friends with Jacob of Edessa.
[4][6] At the synod, the schism was brought to an end,[4] and Athanasius was consecrated as Severus' successor as patriarch of Antioch by Ananias, bishop of Merde and Kfar Tutho.
[8][9] In the same year as his ascension to the patriarchal office, he issued an encyclical addressed to rural bishops (chorepiscopi) and priests (periodeutai) on the relationship between adherents and other religious groups.
[2][7] At the request of the archbishops Matthew of Aleppo and Daniel of Edessa, Athanasius translated nine treatises of the Hexameron by Basil of Caesarea in 666/667.
[2] In 669, whilst at Nisibis, he completed a translation of a number of letters of Severus of Antioch following a commission from Matthew of Aleppo and Daniel of Edessa.