An Introduction to the History of the Assyrian Church
AN INTRODUCTION
TO THE
HISTORY OF THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH
OR
THE CHURCH OF THE SASSANID PERSIAN EMPIRE
100–640 a.d.
BY
W. A. WIGRAM, M.A., D.D.
HEAD OF THE MISSION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
TO ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS
WITH MAP
LONDON
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE
NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, W.C.; 43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.C.
Brighton: 129, NORTH STREET
New York: E. S. GORHAM
1910
TO
BENYAMIN MAR SHIMUN,
PRESENT "HOLDER OF THE THRONE OF MAR ADAI"
AND
PATRIARCH OF THE "ASSYRIAN" CHURCH
I DEDICATE THIS RECORD
OF THE WORK OF HIS SPIRITUAL ANCESTORS
PREFACE
This essay is an attempt at the filling of what appeared to the writer to be a distinct void in English ecclesiastical histories; and to give some account of a branch of the Church unknown to all except a very few students, during the most critical and important period of its history.
No one can be more conscious than the writer how much his work has suffered and been handicapped from the circumstances of its composition. The book was necessarily written away from any libraries except what was contained in the author's study; at a place where the procuring of any pamphlet required might take any time from six to twelve weeks; and where on one occasion the consultation of an authority implied waiting till a chance offered of making a laborious and dangerous journey of fourteen days' duration.
If it gains anything in vividness, and in grasp of the difficulties of those of whom it treats, from the fact that it was written among their modern descendants, whose circumstances have changed but little during the course of ages—this may be one compensation among many disadvantages.
The writer has throughout used for the Church in question the name "Assyrian." There is no historical authority for this name; but the various appellations given to the body by various writers ("Easterns," Persians, Syrians, Chaldæans, Nestorians) are all, for various reasons, misleading to the English reader.
To the ordinary English Churchman of to-day "the Eastern Church" is the Church to the east of him—viz. the Greek Orthodox; the Church of the old "Eastern Roman Empire," of Constantinople, with her great daughter, the Russian Church. The name "Eastern," however, as applied by those Greeks, meant the Church to the east of them—beyond the oriental frontier of the Roman Empire.
To speak of "the Persian Church" is to do as much violence to ancient facts, as to speak to-day of "the Turkish Church" (meaning thereby some one Christian melet in the Ottoman Empire) is to disregard modern facts.
"Syrian," to an Englishman, does not mean "a Syriac-speaking man"; but a man of that district between Antioch and the Euphrates where Syriac was the vernacular once, but which is Arabic-speaking to-day, and which was never the country of the "Assyrian" Church. "Chaldæan" would suit admirably; but it is put out of court by the fact that in modern use it means only those members of the Church in question who have abandoned their old fold for the Roman obedience: and "Nestorian" has a theological significance which is not justified. Thus it seemed better to discard all these, and to adopt a name which has at least the merit of familiarity to most friends of the Church to-day.
The representation of the Syriac names of men and places in English, presents a problem almost as incapable of ideal solution as that of finding a name for the Church; and we make no claim to consistency in our practice. As a rule we have transliterated; marking compounds by a hyphen which has no existence in Syriac (e.g. Ishu-yahb). But where the name has a western version (Greek or biblical), which for any reason is familiar to the western reader, we have employed it.[1] Few English readers would recognize in "Khizqi'il" the familiar "Ezekiel"; and though most students of Church history have a bowing acquaintance with Ibas of Edessa, how many would understand who was meant by "Yahba"? Greek versions are usually barbarous etymologically; and their historians are not even consistent—who without special study can recognize Cyrus and Chosroes as the same name? But at least they are familiar and are more euphonious than most Syriac names in English letters.
Van,
Turkey in Asia,
1909.
- ↑ With two exceptions, "Ishu" is the same name as "Jesus," but where it appears in compounds like "Sabr-Ishu" ("Hope-in-Jesus") I have kept the Syriac lettering. Also the name "Shimun" is, for reasons known to every friend of the Church, too familiar to be represented by "Simon."
CONTENTS
THE SASSANID EMPIRE
§ 1. Substitution of Sassanid for Arsacid a small change in appearance, but, in fact, the renewal of the ancient Persian Empire, by a house ambitious to renew its greatness—Hence, inevitable hostility between Rome and Persia, fomented by the questions of Armenia and the border provinces—The Persian State a religion as well as a kingdom—Magian organization. § 2. Foundation of the Church of Assyria previous to establishment of Sassanid rule—Importance of this fact—The Church founded from Edessa by Adai and Mari—Historical sources of our knowledge of these two saints |
19 |
THE CHURCH UNDER ARSACID KINGS
Christianity tolerated by Arsacids—Its rapid progress at expense of Paganism, less rapid at expense of Magianism—Assyria a refuge from Roman persecution—Progress of the Church—Changes brought about by the advent of the Sassanids—Effects of them |
31 |
THE EPISCOPATE OF PAPA
Slow growth of the Church at Seleucia-Ctesiphon—Traditions concerning early bishops—Fear of a persection—Election of Papa as Bishop of the Capital —Tradition of foundation of Bishopric of Bait Lapat—Diocletian's Persian war—Cession of "the five provinces" to Rome—Effects of this in the ecclesiastical sphere—Attempt of Papa to establish himself as Catholicos—Discontent at this—Leaders, Shimun, Miles—First Council of Seleucia—Deposition and restoration of Papa—Attitude of the "Western Bishops," and the result of their intervention |
40 |
THE GREAT PERSECUTION OF SAPOR II
Isolation of Assyrian Church from Church of Roman Empire—Their absence from, and ignorance of, Nicæa—Evidence of Afraat on the point—Sapor's war with Rome—Consequent inevitableness of persecution—How far provoked by attitude of Persian and Roman Christians?—Order for double taxation—Attitude, arrest, and martyrdom of Mar Shimun—Character of the persecution—Race-hatred between Zoroastrians and Christians—Occasional local security—Typical martyrdoms—Miles, Aqib-shima, Yazdundocht, the Roman captives, Ait-Alaha—Practical cessation of persecution with death of Sapor |
56 |
REORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH—COUNCIL OF MAR ISAAC
General position of affairs, 380–400—Roman Empire—Persia—Extinction of Armenian Kingdom—Reorganization of Church in Persia, commenced by Tamuza and Qaiuma—Accession of Yezdegerd I—His philo-Roman policy brings peace to the Church—Isaac as Catholicos—Visits of Marutha—His position—Definite acceptance of Church by Yezdegerd as a tolerated melet under a recognized head—Assyrian Church independent of Antiochene Patriarchate—Assembly of council—Its organizing work—Melet position—acceptance of Nicene Creed—Other canons |
77 |
THE COUNCILS OF YAHB-ALAHA AND DAD-ISHU
Rapid growth of the Church—Peculiar features—The captivities—Akha Catholicos—Yahb-Alaha—Disorders in Church—How produced—Council of Yahb-Alaha—Persecution of Yezdegerd I; reasons for it—Martyrdoms of Narses and Abda—Increased ferocity of persecution under Bahram V—Roman war—Siege of Erzerum—Disputed election to Catholicate—Election, imprisonment and release of Dad-Ishu—His council—Declaration of the independence of the Assyrian Church, and of the supremacy of the Patriarch in it |
103 |
PATRIARCHATE OF DAD-ISHU—PERSECUTION OF YEZDEGERD II
424–447 a blank in Assyrian Church History—Christological controversy in the West—Reasons for the passion excited by it—Religion as politics—As expression of nationality and anti-Byzantine feeling—The theological truths at stake—How far were they denied by either combatant?—Effects of a "Manichæan atmosphere" on the attitude adopted toward these questions—Isolation and ignorance of the Assyrian Church during early stages of the controversy—Isaac of Nineveh—Rabban Pithiun—Persecution of Yezdegerd II—the Karka martyrs—Armenian rebellion and persecution |
126 |
BAR-SOMA AND ACACIUS
Reign of Piroz—Extension of Christological controversy to the East—Stage which it had then reached—General rejection of Chalcedon in Syria and Egypt—Consequent temporary rejection of.it by Emperors—Its enforcement later by Justin and Justinian—Controversy first raised in Persia during Monophysite supremacy in empire—Importance of this fact—Bar-soma—His career at Edessa—Bishop of Nisibis—Quarrel with Patriarch Babowai—Death of Babowai—Supremacy of Bar-soma in the Church—His enforcement of "dyo-physitism"—Consequent separation of Assyrian Church from "monophysite" Church of Empire—Reason for the acquiescence of the mass of Assyrian Christians in his policy—Existence of a minority—Council of Bait Lapat—Death of Piroz—Acacius Patriarch—Submission of Bar-soma—Council of Acacius—Canons concerning doctrine and clerical marriage—Relations of Bar-soma and Acacius—School of Nisibis—Armenian Church affairs—Council of Dvin—Final quarrel of Bar-soma and Acacius—Recognition of Acacius as orthodox at Constantinople—Death of Bar-soma |
142 |
DISORDER AND REFORM—PATRIARCHATES OF BABAI, SILAS, MAR ABA
Kobad King of Persia—Mazdak the communist—Deposition and return of Kobad—Council of Babai and episcopal marriage—Monophysite minority in Persia—Romo-Persian war—Relation of the Churches in the two empires—Patriarchate of Silas—The "duality"—Massacre of Mazdakeans—Election of Aba as Patriarch—His previous Career—Position of the Church at his accession—Chosroes I king—Aba and his "perambulatory synod"—His other synodical documents—"De Moribus," "De Regimine Ecclesiæ," "Practica"—Commencement of persecution—Arrest of Aba—Accusations—His exile and return to Seleucia—Hesitation of king—Final release of Aba—His death |
172 |
552–604—PATRIARCHATE OF JOSEPH, EZEKIEL, ISHU-YAHB, SABR-ISHU
Joseph as Patriarch—His tyranny and deposition—The plague—Bautha services—Romo-Persian war—Embassy of Ishu-yahb to Constantinople—His confession accepted as orthodox—Fresh separation caused by the "Three Chapters controversy"—Position of the Assyrian Church in the matter—Death of Ishuyahb—Sabr-Ishu the hermit Patriarch—His mistakes—Commencement of the Romo-Persian war of Chosroes II |
210 |
THE STATE OF THE CHURCH IN THE SIXTH CENTURY
The melet status—Church difficulties from use of Pagan patronage—Internal quarrels—Risk of worldly bishops—Social status of Christians—Monks and monasteries—Mar Augin—Rules of Abraham of Kashkar—Eastern and Western monasticism compared—The Msaliani—Assyrian Church schools—Nisibis and its course—Other schools—Monophysitism—A small minority, increased by arrival of "captivities"—Their undefined position—Khenana and his doctrines—Loss of a possible peacemaker |
225 |
THE VACANCY IN THE PATRIARCHATE—STRUGGLE WITH MONOPHYSITISM, 608–628
Election of Gregory—Anger of Chosroes—Oppressiveness of Gregory—His death—Leave for choice of successor refused—Gabriel of Singar—Stop-gap arrangements—Chosroes' Roman war—His successes, 612—Renewed application for leave to elect a patriarch—The public disputation with monophysites—Its importance in the theological history of the Church—Further disputing—Martyrdom of Giwergis—Continuance of Roman war—Death of Chosroes II—Election of a patriarch—Recognition of Jacobites as a separate melet |
246 |
OFFICIAL CHRISTOLOGY OF THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH
Points to determine: (a) Date of acceptance of present formula—(b) The sense that it was intended to bear—Theology of Afraat—His creed—Acceptance of Nicene Creed, 410—Confession of Acacius—Doctrine of Narses and his position—Confessions of Joseph, Ezekiel, Ishu-yahb, Sabr-Ishu, Gregory—Assembly of bishops, 612—Acceptance of present formula—Terms of present formula—"Kiana"—"Parsopa"—Its use in New Testament—Its regular use as "person" in the Synodicon and by Babai—"Qnuma"—Its relation to "hypostasis"—Its force as used by Babai and Ishu-yahb III—Term "Yaldath Alaha"—Its difficulty for an Assyrian—Its acceptance when properly guarded |
265 |
Note I—The Creed of the Assyrian Church |
290 |
Note II—The Assyrian Church and the Council of Chalcedon |
294 |
LAST EFFORTS AT RECONCILIATION—ISHU-YAHB AND SAHDONA
Attempts of Heraclius at theological peace—His acceptance of Assyrian Church as Orthodox—Sahdona on the embassy—His attempt at peace-making—His controversy with Ishu-yahb of Mosul—Erroneous ideas of that prelate concerning the Greek doctrine—Failure of Sahdona—Anarchy in Persia—Mahommedan invasion and conquest—Acceptance by Jacobites and Assyrians of position of melets under the Khalif—Conclusion |
299 |
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1910, before the cutoff of January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1953, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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