The Flickering Light of Asia the Assyrian Nation and Church Rev
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The Flickering Light of Asia or The Assyrian Nation and Church The Flickering Light of Asia The Assyrian Nation and Church Rev. Joel E. Werda Assyrian International News Agency Books Online www.aina.org 1 The Flickering Light of Asia or The Assyrian Nation and Church This Book On The Flickering Light of Asia, or The Assyrian Nation and Church is dedicated TO MY DEAR PARENTS, whose sole ambition was that I should serve the cause of Christ; whose unselfish love taught me the meaning of service to others; whose Christian influence left an indelible impression upon my life; and whose earnest and persistent prayers were destined to be answered in the arrest of my steps, and in the guidance of my feet into a service which even now must be their, as is my own, supreme delight. And whatever good there may come out of this imperfect labor of love, which may contribute toward the resurrection of my fathers' church, and the restoration of that church to her former sphere of influence and usefulness in Christ's kingdom, that good should, above all, endear the peerless name of Him who hears and answers the persistent prayers of Christian parents. Published by the Author Copyright 1924 By Joel E.Werda Rev. Joel E. Werda is the reviser of the Assyrian Bible, author of the Engish-Assyrian Dictionary, Assyrian- English Dictionary, Editor and Publisher of the Assyrian American Courier. 2 The Flickering Light of Asia or The Assyrian Nation and Church Contents FOREWORD...........................................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................6 PART I : THE ASSYRIAN NATION And the Great World War ..........................................................................8 THE TURKISH TRAP........................................................................................................................................8 THE FIRST SOUND OF BATTLE...................................................................................................................10 THE FINAL SIEGE OF THE MOUNTAIN ASSYRIANS ..............................................................................11 THE ARRIVAL OF THE NESTORIAN REFUGEES IN PERSIA..................................................................14 THE SIEGE OF URMIA AND THE OUTRAGES PERPETRATED UPON THE ASSYRIANS OF PERSIA .................................................................................................................................................................................15 THE GLORIOUS WORK OF THE AMERICAN MISSION ...........................................................................18 THE RETURN OF THE RUSSIANS................................................................................................................23 THE VISIT OF THE PATRIARCH TO THE GRAND DUKE NICHOLAI....................................................24 THE ASSYRIAN EXPEDITION TO THEIR FORMER HABITATIONS......................................................26 THE FALL OF THE CZAR AND ITS EFFECT UPON THE ASSYRIANS...................................................31 THE ISOLATED POSITION OF THE ASSYRIANS ......................................................................................32 THE FUTILE ATTEMPTS OF MAR SIIIMON FOR A FRIENDLY UNDERSTANDING WITH THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF PERSIA....................................................................................................................34 THE SECOND UPRISING OF URMIA MOSLEMS.......................................................................................36 THE BATTLE AND THE SURRENDER OF URMIA....................................................................................38 THE CONDITIONS OF THE MOSLEM'S SURRENDER..............................................................................41 THE ASSASSINATION OF MAR SHIMON...................................................................................................43 THE PUNISHMENT OF SIMKOO..................................................................................................................45 THE BATTLE OF SALMAS ............................................................................................................................47 A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF MAR SHIMON BENYAMIN ...........................................................................48 THE SUCCESSOR OF THE PATRIARCH MAR BENYAMIN .....................................................................50 LADY SURMA .................................................................................................................................................51 THE ASSYRIAN BATTLES WITH THE TURKS..........................................................................................53 THE MASSACRE OF THE CHRISTIANS IN KHOI, PERSIA ......................................................................54 THE ASSYRIAN BATTLE OF SALMAS WITH THE INVADING FORCES OF TURKEY .......................55 THE LAST BATTLES OF URMIA AND THE CAUSE THAT LED TO THE FINAL EXODUS OF THE CHRISTIANS .........................................................................................................................................................56 THE FINAL EXODUS OF THE ASSYRIANS AND THE LAST MASSACRE OF THE CHRISTIANS IN URMIA....................................................................................................................................................................60 HAMADAN AND BEYOND ...........................................................................................................................63 THE ASSYRIAN CLAIMS BEFORE THE CONFERENCE OF THE PRELIMINARIES OF PEACE AT PARIS......................................................................................................................................................................67 THE CLAIMS OF THE ASSYRIANSBEFORE THE PRELIMINARIES OF PEACE AT PARIS.................67 I. THE ASSYRIAN PEOPLE........................................................................................................................67 II. THE ASSYRIANS AND THE WAR .......................................................................................................68 III. THE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS OF THE ASSYRIANS.........................................................................69 IV. THE CLAIMS OF THE ASSYRIANS FOR REPARATION.................................................................69 V. THE CLAIMS OF THE PERSIAN ASSYRIANS ...................................................................................70 VI. THE CAPABILITIES OF THE ASSYRIANS........................................................................................72 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................................73 PART II: CHRISTIANITY AND THE ASSYRIAN NATION ............................................................................76 FOREWORD.....................................................................................................................................................76 THE FOUNDING OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE OLD PERSIAN EMPIRE...................................................77 THE PERSECUTIOM OF THE EASTERN CHURCH BY SHAPUR.............................................................79 THE FINAL BREAK ........................................................................................................................................82 THE NESTORIAN SCHOOLS AND WRITERS.............................................................................................83 WRITINGS OF THE NESTORIAN FATHERS...............................................................................................84 THE MISSIONARY CONQUESTS OF THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH ............................................................86 3 The Flickering Light of Asia or The Assyrian Nation and Church THE MISSIONARY ACTIVITY OF THE NESTORIAN CHURCH UNDER THE SARACENE RULERS .88 THE PERSECUT10N OF THE EASTERN CHURCH UNDER THE TARTAR SOVEREIGNS...................89 THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH AND THE TURKISH RULE .............................................................................90 THE NESTORIAN THEOLOGY .....................................................................................................................92 THAT THERE IS A GOD, AND THAT THE WORLD IS CREATED AND TEMPORAL.......................92 THAT GOD IS ONE AND NOT MANY .....................................................................................................92 THAT GOD IS ETERNAL ...........................................................................................................................93 THAT GOD IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE......................................................................................................93 TRINITY .......................................................................................................................................................93 OF THE WORD OR SON OF GOD, WHICH WAS MADE VERY MAN .................................................94 THE DOCTRINE OF THE PERSON OF CHRIST ......................................................................................97 THE NESTORIAN RITUALS ........................................................................................................................100