DOCSLIB.ORG

'I the Weak Scribe'

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
'I the Weak Scribe' Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 58(1-2), 9-26. doi: 10.2143/JECS.58.1.2017734 © 2006 by Journal of Eastern Christian Studies. All rights reserved. ‘I THE WEAK SCRIBE’ SCRIBES IN THE CHURCH OF THE EAST IN THE OTTOMAN PERIOD HELEEN MURRE-VAN DEN BERG* Raban Yonan lived in a little chamber off the patriarchal church of Mar Shalita, and was one of the few monks remaining. A little man, with griz- zled hair, surmounted by a high conical hat and black turban, he had a sin- gularly pleasant smile and beautiful expression, which commanded love and reverence from all who saw him. He spent most of his time copying the ser- vice books and the other old works of his nation; indeed, he lived among books, and was quite the most learned man the Syrians had. […] [The boys] are much fonder of sitting in their class-rooms […] and writ- ing out in a “beautiful pen” a copy of the Catechism, or a history, or a shamashutha, which is the deacon’s part in the Liturgy. Writing is really with them a fine art; it takes a long time, but is often a beautiful sight when finished. […] The boys sit on the floor with one knee up, against which they lean their paper. They do not want tables or chairs. They look upon their productions, when done, with justifiable pride.1 INTRODUCTION When the two Anglican priests Arthur Maclean and William Browne described the life of the Assyrians of the Church of the East as they had come to know it during five years of mission work, the literary arts received due * H. Murre – van den Berg is Associate Professor of the History of World Christianity at the Faculty of Theology at Leiden University. Her research focuses on the history of West- ern missions in the Middle East and the modern history of the Syriac churches, especially of the Assyrian Church of the East. 1 Arthur John Maclean and William Henry Browne, The Catholicos of the East and his Peo- ple; Being the Impressions of Five Years’ Work in the “Archbishop of Canterbury’s Assyrian Mis- sion” [etc.] (London: SPCK, 1892), pp. 19 and 171-172. J.F. Coakley, The Church of the East and the Church of England. A History of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Assyrian Mission (Oxford, 1992), p. 108, contains a picture of Rabban Yonan that corresponds beautifully to the description by Maclean and Browne. 10 HELEEN MURRE-VAN DEN BERG attention. Two images stand out, that of the old monk Rabban Yonan among his books, and the young schoolboys trying their pens on the shamashutha. Not only do these descriptions indicate the variety of persons included in the art of writing, i.e., the long experienced scholarly monk and the proud young schoolboys, they also attest to the vitality of the art of writing, fifty years after printing presses had been introduced. In this contribution I intend to take a closer look at the scribes of the Church of the East in the Ottoman period. In the last decade the study of the more recent history of the Assyrian Church of the East, also known as the “Nestorian” Church, has received a number of new incentives, mainly based on the study of the colophons of a large number of East-Syriac man- uscripts that date from this period. David Wilmshurst’s study on the Eccle- siastial Organisation of the Church of the East is the most important of these.2 Wilmshurst, building upon earlier work of Jean-Marie Fiey and Joseph-Marie Sauget,3 carefully identified numerous scribes and scribal families, especially those that were active in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. On scribes and manuscript writing in the Syriac tradition in general (including the Syr- ian-Orthodox tradition), the very informative overview article ‘The Art of the Scribe’, needs to be mentioned here.4 However, the picture of the scribes of the Church of the East is far from complete. We know hardly anything about their numbers, their training, standards of genre and language, their role in the religious life of the community, their income, and their family life. The answers to some of these questions require more extensive research, and for others reliable answers will perhaps never be found. The aim of the present article is to contribute to our knowledge of the scribes, focusing on two aspects: the groups to which the scribes belonged and the religious world-view 2 The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East: 1318-1913, CSCO, 583, Sub- sidia, 104 (Louvain: Peeters, 2000). 3 J-.M. Fiey, Mossoul chrétienne. Essai sur l'histoire, l’archéologie et l’état actuel des monument chrétiens de la ville de Mossoul and Assyrie chrétienne. Contribution à l'étude de l'histoire et de la géographie ecclésistiques et monastiques du nord de l'Iraq, Recherches publiées sous la direction de l’Institut de lettres Orientales de Beyrouth, 12, 22, 23, 42 (Beirut: Imprimerie Catholique Beirouth, 1959, 1965-1986); J.-M. Sauget, Un gazza chaldéen disparu et retrouvé: le MS. Borgia syriaque 60, Studi e Testi, 326 (Città del Vaticano: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1987). 4 ‘The Art of the Scribe’, Ch. 7, in The Hidden Pearl: The Heirs of the Ancient Aramaic Heritage, II, eds. Sebastian P. Brock and David G.K. Taylor (Rome: Trans World Film Italia, 2001), pp. 43-262. I THE WEAK SCRIBE 11 their colophons represent. As an introduction, a short overview is given of the literary revival that took place between 1500 and 1900 within the Church of the East. The main source for this contribution are the colophons of the East Syr- iac manuscripts. The vast majority of these manuscripts (almost 2500, pre- served in a large number of academic and ecclesiastic libraries in East and West) have been described in varying detail in the library catalogues. The data that form the basis of this article have been culled from these catalogues,5 but the large number of colophons has so far not permitted a detailed reading of all of them, let alone an urgently needed study of all the original manuscripts and colophons. Most of the examples come from a limited number of colophons, the majority of these edited by William Wright (Cambridge) and Eduard Sachau (Berlin).6 THE LITERARY REVIVAL The reign of the Ottoman sultans, which began when Selim I (1512-1520) annexed northern Mesopotamia to the Ottoman Empire in the early six- teenth century, enabled the Church of the East to continue the modest cul- tural revival that had started under the reign of Yackub Bek of the Aq Qoyunlu towards the end of the fifteenth century.7 Despite the fact that the church was now much reduced compared to its earlier glory days (such as the time of patriarch Timothy the Great (8th-9th c.) or the metropolitan and illustri- ous author cAbdishoc bar Brikha of Nisibis (13th-14th), when the Church of the East had dioceses all over Central Asia, northern China and India; only the latter survived into modern times), there can be little doubt that the remaining community was greatly committed to the maintenance and strengthening of the East Syriac religious and cultural tradition. A great num- ber of manuscripts were produced, and churches and monasteries were restored as much as possible. Especially the late seventeenth and early eigh- 5 This research is based on a personal database of MS colophons and on the list of colophons in Wilmshurst, The Ecclesiastical Organisation, pp. 382-732. 6 W. Wright, A Catalogue of the Syriac Manuscripts preserved the Library of the University of Cambridge, 2 vols. (Cambridge: University Press, 1901); E. Sachau, Verzeichniss der Syrischen Handschriften der Königlichen Bibliothek zu Berlin, 2 vols., Die Handschriften-Verzeich- nisse der Königlichen Bibliothek zu Berlin, 23 (Berlin: A. Asher & Co., 1899). Their edi- tions of the Syriac texts of the colophons have relatively few abridgments. 12 HELEEN MURRE-VAN DEN BERG teenth centuries appear to have been a particularly productive period, not only for the composition of new literature, which led Anton Baumstark to speak of the ‘School of Alqosh’, but also and perhaps more because of the large amount of copying that took place in what is now northern Iraq.8 The Ottoman period was also the time of growing contacts with Western churches, first mainly with Roman Catholics, later also with various Protes- tant denominations: Presbyterian, Lutheran and Anglican. In 1553, contacts with the Roman Catholic Church led to the establishment of the Uniate Chaldean Church, whose first patriarch was Yohannan Sulaqa. This union barely survived into the early sixteenth century, but a second attempt, result- ing in the installation of patriarch Yosep I in Diyarbakir in 1681, proved more successful. This union laid the basis for the present Chaldean patriar- chate, especially after its merger with the patriarchal line of Alqosh in the early nineteenth century.9 Catholic missions in the nineteenth century, both in Mosul in northern Mesopotamia and in northwestern Iran (Urmia and Khos- rowa), were instrumental in the further spread and consolidation of the Chaldean Church. Initially, the Protestant missions of the nineteenth century were not intent on establishing separate churches, but rather aimed at reform- ing the Church of the East from within. Over time, however, fundamental differences in religious outlook between the American Protestants and the Church of the East led to the establishment of a separate Protestant church. The influence of these Presbyterian missionaries, however, extended much fur- ther than these small Protestant communities, and the missionaries became 7 J.-M. Fiey, ‘Une page oubliée de l’histoire des Eglises Syriaques à la fin du XVe – début du XVIe siècle’, Le Muséon, 107 (1994), pp.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Syrian Orthodox Church and Its Ancient Aramaic Heritage, I-Iii (Rome, 2001)
    Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 5:1, 63-112 © 2002 by Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute SOME BASIC ANNOTATION TO THE HIDDEN PEARL: THE SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ITS ANCIENT ARAMAIC HERITAGE, I-III (ROME, 2001) SEBASTIAN P. BROCK UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD [1] The three volumes, entitled The Hidden Pearl. The Syrian Orthodox Church and its Ancient Aramaic Heritage, published by TransWorld Film Italia in 2001, were commisioned to accompany three documentaries. The connecting thread throughout the three millennia that are covered is the Aramaic language with its various dialects, though the emphasis is always on the users of the language, rather than the language itself. Since the documentaries were commissioned by the Syrian Orthodox community, part of the third volume focuses on developments specific to them, but elsewhere the aim has been to be inclusive, not only of the other Syriac Churches, but also of other communities using Aramaic, both in the past and, to some extent at least, in the present. [2] The volumes were written with a non-specialist audience in mind and so there are no footnotes; since, however, some of the inscriptions and manuscripts etc. which are referred to may not always be readily identifiable to scholars, the opportunity has been taken to benefit from the hospitality of Hugoye in order to provide some basic annotation, in addition to the section “For Further Reading” at the end of each volume. Needless to say, in providing this annotation no attempt has been made to provide a proper 63 64 Sebastian P. Brock bibliography to all the different topics covered; rather, the aim is simply to provide specific references for some of the more obscure items.
    [Show full text]
  • From Beit Abhe to Angamali: Connections, Functions and Roles of the Church of the East’S Monasteries in Ninth Century Christian-Muslim Relations
    Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Cochrane, Steve (2014) From Beit Abhe to Angamali: connections, functions and roles of the Church of the East’s monasteries in ninth century Christian-Muslim relations. PhD thesis, Middlesex University / Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. [Thesis] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/13988/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. Works, including theses and research projects, may not be reproduced in any format or medium, or extensive quotations taken from them, or their content changed in any way, without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). They may not be sold or exploited commercially in any format or medium without the prior written permission of the copyright holder(s). Full bibliographic details must be given when referring to, or quoting from full items including the author’s name, the title of the work, publication details where relevant (place, publisher, date), pag- ination, and for theses or dissertations the awarding institution, the degree type awarded, and the date of the award. If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Middlesex University via the following email address: eprints@mdx.ac.uk The item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated.
    [Show full text]
  • Lost History of Christianity Were Conjoined and Commingled
    www.malankaralibrary.com www.malankaralibrary.com The Lost History of Chris tianity The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia—and How It Died Philip Jenkins www.malankaralibrary.com www.malankaralibrary.com Contents List of Illustrations iv A Note on Names and -isms v 1. The End of Global Chris tian ity 1 2. Churches of the East 45 3. Another World 71 4. The Great Tribulation 97 5. The Last Chris tians 139 6. Ghosts of a Faith 173 7. How Faiths Die 207 8. The Mystery of Survival 227 9. Endings and Beginnings 247 Notes 263 Acknowledgments 299 Index 301 3 About the Author Credits Cover Copyright About the Publisher www.malankaralibrary.com Illustrations Maps 1.1. Nestorian Metropolitans 12 1.2. Chris tian Expansion 21 1.3. The Three-Fold World 23 2.1. The Sassanian Persian Empire 51 2.2. The Heart of the Chris tian Middle East 59 Tables 4.1. Chronology of Early Islam 101 5.1. Muslims in Contemporary Southeastern Europe 144 5.2. Chris tians in the Middle East Around 1910 153 5.3. The Chris tian World Around 1900 155 www.malankaralibrary.com A Note on Names and -isms Throughout this book, I refer to the Eastern Christian churches that are commonly known as Jacobite and Nestorian. Both names raise problems, and some historical explanation is useful at the outset. At the risk of ignoring subtle theological distinctions, though, a reader would not go far wrong by understanding both terms as meaning simply “ancient Chris tian denominations mainly active outside Europe.” Chris tian ity originated in the Near East, and during the fi rst few centuries it had its greatest centers, its most prestigious churches and monasteries, in Syria, Palestine, and Mesopotamia.
    [Show full text]
  • Yazdandukht and Mar Qardagh from the Persian Martyr Acts in Syriac to Sureth Poetry on Youtube, Via a Historical Novel in Arabic
    Kervan – International Journal of Afro-Asiatic Studies n. 24/2 (2020) Yazdandukht and Mar Qardagh From the Persian martyr acts in Syriac to Sureth poetry on YouTube, via a historical novel in Arabic Alessandro Mengozzi Videos posted on YouTube show how stories of East-Syriac saints have found their way to a popular web platform, where they are re-told combining traditional genres with a culturally hybrid visual representation. The sketchy female characters Yazdandukht and Yazdui/Christine and the fully developed epos of Mar Qardagh, who belong to the narrative cycle of the Persian martyrs of Erbil and Kirkuk, inspired an Arabic illustrated historical novel, published in 1934 by the Chaldean bishop Sulaymān Ṣā’igh. A few years after the publication of the novel, a new cult of Mar Qardagh was established in Alqosh, in northern Iraq, including the building of a shrine, the painting of an icon, public and private rites, and the composition of hymns. In 1969 the Chaldean priest Yoḥannan Cholagh adapted Ṣā’igh’s Arabic novel to a traditional long stanzaic poem in the Aramaic dialect of Alqosh. The poem On Yazdandukht, as chanted by the poet himself, became the soundtrack of a video published on YouTube in 2014. Keywords: Hagiography, Persian martyr acts, Arabic historical novel, Neo-Aramaic, Classical Syriac Non esiste una terra dove non ci son santi né eroi. E. Bennato, L’isola che non c’è Social networks and mass media technologies offer various easily accessible and usable multimedia platforms to produce and reproduce cultural products, usually playing on the interaction of texts, music and images, and multiply the performance arenas in and for which these products are conceived.
    [Show full text]
  • Iraqi Kurdistan Adventure
    Iraqi Kurdistan Adventure 10 Days Iraqi Kurdistan Adventure Iraqi Kurdistan is a historically and culturally rich region with a turbulent legacy, but opportunities for travel here do exist. Join MT Sobek on a brand-new exploratory adventure through this minimally touristed area, experiencing first-hand its past glories and present struggles. Behold ancient Erbil - the world's oldest continuously inhabited city, tour third-century monasteries, the world's oldest-known bridge and aqueduct ruin, a biblical prophet's tomb, a mysterious Yazidi Pilgrimage site, explore Neanderthal Shanidar Cave, and learn about the moving history of Halabja. With expert guides leading you every step of the way, this is a unique chance to explore a spellbinding region of Iraq. Details Testimonials Arrive: Erbil, Iraq “Wow, I had a wonderful time in Iraqi Kurdistan and Balin is a fantastic guide! The mountain Depart: Erbil, Iraq scenery is really exquisite, but it was the local people who drove this trip for me.” Duration: 10 Days Marilyn A. Group Size: 6-14 Guests “Iraqi Kurdistan is an amazing country with a Minimum Age: 16 Years Old fascinating and ancient history. Balin Zrar is an extraordinary guide with excellent knowledge of his Activity Level: country's stories and customs.” Mary G. REASON #01 REASON #02 REASON #03 MT Sobek has been trailblazing You will be in the company of expert We have successfully operated edgy and unknown destinations guides who have over 25 years' trips throughout the Middle for 50 years and creating experience leading groups in the East, including to Iran, Jordan, exploratory adventures that Middle East and in Iraqi Kurdistan.
    [Show full text]
  • 293 NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA in a 19Th CENTURY SYRIAC
    NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA 293 NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA IN A 19th CENTURY SYRIAC ANNALISTIC SOURCE Introduction1 A collection of Syriac and Garshuni manuscripts, owned by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities and Heritage and currently housed at the Cen- tre of Iraqi Manuscripts in Baghdad, includes two loose leaves bearing the number 1702. The two leaves are inserted in codex No. 18078, a Kurdish Grammar in Syriac, though no literary connection exists be- tween the two sources. The leaves, mere paper, measure 17.5 x 12 cm each. The content of the leaves consists of short annalistic notes of histori- cal interest written in classical Syriac using vocalized East Syriac script. In some notes the year is identified, and in this case both the Seleucid and Gregorian calendars are used, in addition to two other chronological systems. The purpose of this source is not clear, but it may have been produced as “aide-mémoire,” helping the reader or the writer remember events of personal significance. Nonetheless, the interest of the Annalistic Source goes much beyond its role as an aid to memory. The source mentions events dealing with upper Mesopotamia under Ottoman rule, and some of them may not be found in other literary sources. The Cataloguing of the Annalistic Source At the top of its verso, the first leaf of the Annalistic Source bears the words “N° 170”, written with a professional hand. Despite the fact that the two leaves are now inserted in the Kurdish Grammar bearing the 1 I would like to thank Dr. Mu’ayyad Sa¨id al-Damerji, former Director General, the Iraqi Department of Antiquities and Heritage, and Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of Syriac Christianity, Part II
    CJT 6 (2019) http://journal.etsc.org A History of Syriac Christianity, Part II By Heleen Murre-van den Berg Dr. Murre-van den Berg presented a series of six lectures at ETSC during the period January 16-19, 2019. Below are lectures two and three in this series, which have been edited for conciseness and clarity. She is professor of Eastern Christianity and director of the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen. Lecture 2 The Syriac Churches in the Islamic Period 600-1400 Today we will study the Syriac churches in the Islamic period from 600 to 1400.The Umayyad Caliphate (661-750) was the second caliphate after the death of Muhammad, which became very important for the Syriac Christians. After the initial shock of the Muslim conquest, Christians started to realize that in the new Islamic Caliphate they might be freer than they had been under the suzerainty of the Byzantine Empire. The Muslim rulers did not care what the denomination of their Christian subjects was, be it Chalcedonian or Miaphysite or Nestorian, and thus life became easier for those not belonging to the Chalcedonian Byzantine majority, whether East or West Syriac. It was only later that they realized that Islam would present new challenges for Christians. Though some Christians converted to Islam, most Syriac Christians remained true to the faith. However, they, like other Christians, had to find new ways to relate to the state. With the Islamic conquest, the old boundary between the Persian and the Byzantine empires had disappeared. In this new geopolitical environment, the churches were no longer confined either to the Persian or Byzantine empires.
    [Show full text]
  • Crowdsource Drone Imagery – a Powerful Source for the 3D Documentation of Cultural Heritage at Risk
    International Journal of Architectural Heritage Conservation, Analysis, and Restoration ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uarc20 Crowdsource Drone Imagery – A Powerful Source for the 3D Documentation of Cultural Heritage at Risk Bashar Alsadik To cite this article: Bashar Alsadik (2020): Crowdsource Drone Imagery – A Powerful Source for the 3D Documentation of Cultural Heritage at Risk, International Journal of Architectural Heritage, DOI: 10.1080/15583058.2020.1853851 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2020.1853851 © 2020 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Published online: 28 Dec 2020. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 72 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=uarc20 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2020.1853851 Crowdsource Drone Imagery – A Powerful Source for the 3D Documentation of Cultural Heritage at Risk Bashar Alsadik Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Heritage at risk is a terminology used to describe the sites that are highly at risk of being lost as a Received 6 August 2020 result of intentional demolition, deterioration, negligence or subject to improper preservation or Accepted 14 November 2020 mistreatment. Iraq is one of the countries that suffered in the last decade from intentional KEYWORDS demolition of highly valuable heritage sites and objects. As Iraq gradually recovering from wars 3D modeling; crowdsource and violence with limited resources and budgets, historical and heritage places are still at risk images; drone; heritage at because of neglect, community ignorance, insufficient planning, and military actions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Resh Melle by Yoḥannan Bar Penkaye: an Introduction to the Text and a Study of Its Literary Genres
    i THE BOOK OF RESH MELLE BY YOḤANNAN BAR PENKAYE: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE TEXT AND A STUDY OF ITS LITERARY GENRES By Emmanuel Joseph Mar-Emmanuel A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto © Copyright by Emmanuel Joseph Mar-Emmanuel 2015 ii The Book of Resh Melle by Yoḥannan bar Penkaye: an Introduction to the Text and a Study of its Literary Genres Emmanuel Joseph Mar-Emmanuel Doctor of Philosophy The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto 2015 Abstract This dissertation offers a study of the fifteen books of Resh Melle, a work written in Mesopotamia before the close of the seventh century A.D. by Yoḥannan (John) bar Penkaye. John’s purpose is to explain God’s dispensation in human history. He offers theological instruction through the medium of historical narrative. Chapter one discusses John’s political and ecclesiastical context. The fifteenth book of Resh Melle illustrates historical events which were contemporary to John. This chapter also discusses the rise of Islam, which had a great impact on the monastic centres and the numerous communities that formed the Church of the East. Chapter two investigates the life, literary works, and importance of the author. The works that have been traditionally attributed to John are discussed and their authenticity assessed. The chapter also discusses John’s importance for modern scholarship in various fields of study, including history, theology, exegesis, liturgy, and asceticism. Chapter three discusses the title, provenance, sources, manuscripts, editions and translations of Resh Melle.
    [Show full text]
  • 'A House Built on Sand'. Jews, Muslims and Christians in East
    Apostasy or ‘a House Built on Sand’. Jews, Muslims and Christians in East-Syriac texts (1500-1850) Heleen Murre-van den Berg Introduction The Church of the East belongs to the more isolated minorities of the Ottoman Empire and Iran. From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century its adherents were usually known as “Nestorians”, at least to those outside the church. When the Abbasids ruled in Baghdad the religious and secular leader of this church, the Pa- triarch (katolīkos patrīarkā), was for a long time the most influential non-Muslim at court. Then again, in the early decades of Mongol reign over Persia, the Church of the East enjoyed privileges far above those of other religious groups in the re- gion. However, in the fourteenth and early fifteenth century the church lost much of its former prominence. Most of its dioceses in China, Central Asia and Persia disappeared as a result of war losses, plagues and conversions to Islam.1 When in the early sixteenth century the Ottomans expanded their empire to the provinces of Baghdad, Mosul, Van and Diyarbakir, the former multi-national Church of the East had become a small, ethnic church in the periphery of the empires of the time. Even Baghdad had lost most of its Christians, the cities of Mosul and Diyarbakir being the only cultural centers of some importance that boasted sizable communities of the Church of the East. The majority of East- Syriac Christians, however, were found in the villages on the plains northwest and north of Mosul, in the mountainous region of Hakkari, and on the plains east of Hakkari in northwestern Iranian Azerbaijan.
    [Show full text]
  • The Legend of Mar Qardagh
    1.Walker,TheLegendofMar 8/31/05 6:04 PM Page 1 introduction Christianity in Late Antique Iraq and the Legend of Mar Qardagh The Syriac Christian legend that lies at the heart of this book was composed during the final decades of the Sasanian Empire, which spanned the period 224–642. Its anonymous author was probably a contemporary of the late Sasanian ruler, Khusro II (590–628). The legend’s hero, Mar (i.e., “Saint”) Qardagh, was believed to have lived some two hundred and fifty years ear- lier, during the reign of Shapur II (309–379), who appointed Mar Qardagh to serve as the viceroy and margrave (pa•1nê1 and marzb1n) of the region ex- tending from the frontier city of Nisibis to the Diyala River in central Iraq. While the story of Mar Qardagh’s “heroic deeds” preserves few, if any, reli- able details about the fourth century, the legend presents an extraordinary window into the cultural world of seventh-century Iraq. To adapt a phrase from Freya Stark, the story of Mar Qardagh enables one to “breathe” the cli- mate of northern Iraq on the eve of the Islamic conquest.1 Translated from Syriac into English here for the first time, the History of Mar Qardagh pre- sents a hero of epic proportions, whose characteristics confound simple classification. During the several stages of his career, Qardagh hunts like a Persian king, argues like a Greek philosopher, and renounces his Zoroas- trian family to live with monks high in the mountains west of Lake Urmiye. His heroism thus encompasses and combines cultural traditions that mod- ern scholars typically study in isolation.
    [Show full text]
  • Legend of Mar Qardagh the TRANSFORMATION of the CLASSICAL HERITAGE
    The Joan Palevsky Imprint in Classical Literature In honor of beloved Virgil— “O degli altri poeti onore e lume...” —Dante, Inferno The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution to this book provided by the Classical Literature Endowment Fund of the University of California Press Foundation, which is supported by a major gift from Joan Palevsky. The Legend of Mar Qardagh THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CLASSICAL HERITAGE Peter Brown, General Editor i Art and Ceremony in Late Antiquity, by Sabine G. MacCormack ii Synesius of Cyrene: Philosopher-Bishop, by Jay Alan Bregman iii Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity, by Kenneth G. Holum iv John Chrysostom and the Jews: Rhetoric and Reality in the Late Fourth Century, by Robert L. Wilken v Biography in Late Antiquity: The Quest for the Holy Man, by Patricia Cox vi Pachomius: The Making of a Community in Fourth-Century Egypt, by Philip Rousseau vii Change in Byzantine Culture in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, by A. P. Kazhdan and Ann Wharton Epstein viii Leadership and Community in Late Antique Gaul, by Raymond Van Dam ix Homer the Theologian: Neoplatonist Allegorical Reading and the Growth of the Epic Tradition, by Robert Lamberton x Procopius and the Sixth Century, by Averil Cameron xi Guardians of Language: The Grammarian and Society in Late Antiquity, by Robert A. Kaster xii Civic Coins and Civic Politics in the Roman East, a.d. 180–275, by Kenneth Harl xiii Holy Women of the Syrian Orient, introduced and translated by Sebastian P. Brock and Susan Ashbrook Harvey xiv Gregory the Great: Perfection in Imperfection, by Carole Straw xv “Apex Omnium”: Religion in the “Res gestae” of Ammianus, by R.
    [Show full text]