The Expulsion of Christians from Nineveh
Nasara The Expulsion of Christians from Nineveh Paul Kingery Introduction: Mosul is Iraq’s second largest city, the site of Biblical Nineveh where Jonah and Nahum preached, and where later, according to local tradition, Jesus’ Apostles Thomas and Judas (Thaddeus) brought the Aramaic language of Jesus and His teachings. They had many converts in the area. The church there preserved the language of Jesus into modern times. The ancient Assyrian villages near water sources in the surrounding arid lands also had many Christian converts by the second century despite the continued strong presence of Assyrian, Greek, and Zoroastrian religions. Most of the Assyrian temples were converted to Christian worship places. Early Christians there faced great persecution and many were killed for their faith, including Barbara, the daughter of the pagan governor of Karamles. One of the hills beside the city is named after her. Through the centuries priests came from various religious orders and divided Christians into several sects, some loyal to the Catholic tradition, others adhering to Eastern leadership. Mohammad began preaching Islam around 610 A.D., facing violent opposition to his teachings for twenty years from tribes in the area of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Even so, his movement grew in numbers and strength. In December 629, he gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts and invaded Mecca. The attack went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city (Sahih-Bukhari, Book 43, #658). His followers, increasingly radicalized, went on to invade other cities throughout Iraq and all the way to Europe, Africa, and Asia, giving the option of conversion or death.
[Show full text]