|
Date |
Description |
Sources |
|
525 AD |
Pope Gelasius appointed a Sythian monk Dionysius Exiguus, (='Denys the short') as a translator of his archives. Denys invented the idea of dating from the birth of Christ, viz: anni Domini. (See entry under 532 AD.) |
[7], p. 63 |
|
525 AD |
Another disastrous flood at Edessa. Procopius states that about 30,000 people, (a third of the population) were killed in that flood. The chronicle of Edessa also records that the flood destroyed the city for the third time. This was also the fourth time that the walls were destroyed, [41]. Asclepius (Chalcedonian catholic) bishop of Edessa showing his true nature once again, flees the disaster and hides in Antioch were he died on 27th June of the same year. Euphrasius was patriarch of Antioch at this time, [41]. |
[33], pp. 96,
124 |
|
March 8th |
Paul who had been deposed from Edessa decided to accept the council of Chalcedon and was restored as bishop of Edessa. Paul died on the 30th October of the same year. Paul was succeeded by Andreas on the 7th February AD 527 |
[41] |
|
1pm Friday 29th
May |
A massive earthquake destroyed Antioch killing most of the population including Euphrasius the patriarch. He was succeeded by Ephraim of Amida, another Chalcedonian catholic. He sat until AD 545. |
[41] |
|
1st
April |
Death of Byzantine emperor Justin I, who was succeeded by his nephew Justinian, [60]. Justinian decreed that a dam should be built to protect Edessa from flood waters and he funded the project. During the reign of Justinian, a Chalcedonian catholic centre was established at Edessa. This was part of a wider movement led by the emperor, that later would become the Melkite denomination. About this time in Palestine, the Melkite movement translated its Greek scriptures and other writings into the local Aramaic dialect – Christian Palestinian Aramaic, (CPA). That the people of Palestine were still speaking western Aramaic in the 6th century and even later is demonstrated by the surviving CPA lectionaries, (see under AD 969 below). |
[33], pp. 77, 112,
156 |
|
15th
November |
Antioch, or what was left of it after the earthquake the previous year, was destroyed again, this time by a major fire. |
[41] |
|
530 AD |
Emperor Justinian tried to Hellenize the Aramean monasteries of the Sinai peninsular. Part of this strategy was to establish the Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot of Mt Sinai. |
[35], p. 85 |
|
12th
July |
Death of Kawad, king of Persia who was succeeded on 12th July AD 531 by Khusraw I Anushirun son of Kawad, [50]. |
[33], p. 112 |
|
18th
December |
The Huns defeated the Roman commander Demosthenes at Edessa and invaded and laid waste the Roman territory as far as Aleppo and they came within 12 miles of Antioch. |
[41] |
|
532
AD |
Dionysius Exiguus writes a letter to a bishop named Petronius dated 247 anno Diocletiani stating that he had calculated the birth of Christ to have occurred 531 years previously in 1 AD, the start date he was proposing as a new Christian calendar. The non-zero integer arithmetic indicates that if the birth of Christ occurred in 1 AD and 531 years previously, then the date of Dionysius' letter was 532 AD. See entry above under 286 AD. |
[5], p. 100. |
|
September |
Rufinius a Roman patrician makes a peace treaty with the Persians which holds until AD 539 or 540. |
[41] |
|
December |
Andreas bishop of Edessa died. He was succeeded by Addai on 28th August AD 533. |
[41] |
|
535 AD |
Died Timothy III patriarch of Alexandria. He is mentioned in the colophon of a Syrian Orthodox manuscript BL Add. 12175 which is dated AD 534. |
[48], vol. 2, p. 633 ff. |
|
February to
April |
Paul I was Catholicos of the Eastern Syrians. |
[59], p. xii |
|
537 to 538 AD |
John (bishop) of Tella a Syrian Orthodox bishop was arrested and tortured in prison. John had successfully run the Syrian Orthodox church for some time, staying on the move to evade capture as long as possible. He died a martyr during torture in 538 AD. |
[33], p. 96 |
|
538 AD |
Died theologian Mar Severus patriarch of Antioch |
[22] |
|
5th
October |
Appeared a comet which the chronicler describes as a spear |
[41] |
|
538 or 539 AD approx. |
Thomas of Edessa began to write a cycle of East Syrian theological explanations of the ecclesiastical feasts whilst he was at the School of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. After Paul's death, these works were carried on by his colleague Qiyoré of Edessa, (see AD 550 below). Paul of Edessa died whilst he was in Constantinople about AD 543. Thomas of Edessa and Qiyoré of Edessa had both been disciples of Mar Abha I when Mar Abha had taught at the School of Nisibis. |
[59], p. vii - xi |
|
May |
The Persian king Khusraw I Anosharwan invades Byzantine territory, penetrating deep into Syria. He laid waste Shura, and Haleb (Aleppo) and Antioch, and also took possession of Apamea, and turned and came as far as Edessa. During this war, the Persian king deported large numbers of Christians taken prisoner in various parts of Syria during his campaign. The king settled these captives near his capital city at Seleucia Ctesiphon, [60]. Edessa was besieged by the Persian king who was repulsed and bought off with 200 pounds of gold. A peace was arranged in 562 AD. According to [41], the date of the siege of Edessa was the summer of AD 539, however [33] has AD 544. |
[33], p. 113,
158 |
|
January |
Mar Abha I was educated at the School of Nisibis, and later became an eminent professor there. According to `Amr he then moved to the School of Seleucia-Ctesiphon around AD 538, [59]. In AD 540 Abha succeeded catholicos Paulus and became East Syrian catholicos. He sat until his death on 29th February AD 552. |
[45] |
|
c. 540 AD |
The Chronicle of Edessa (here labeled [41]) was written. |
[33], p. 166 |
|
542 AD |
Empress Theodora, wife of Justinian was sympathetic to the Syrian Orthodox cause and caused Jacob Bard'aya (or Burd'ana) to become bishop of Edessa, 541 - 578 AD. Jacob gave his name to the Jacobites a West Syrian Christian denomination which survives to this day. |
[33], p. 97 |
|
542 AD |
The Persians attack and capture the city of Callinicus. |
[53], p. 55 |
|
January to July
12th |
A synod was held presided over by the east Syrian catholicos Mar Abha I. The acts of this synod contain a few gospel quotations taken from an Old Syriac gospel manuscript. Mar Abha who had been educated at the School of Nisibis, later founded a new eastern Syriac theological school in Seleucia, (Baghdad). One of his disciples, a priest called Ishai, became the first professor of biblical exegesis at Seleucia. Ishai wrote a treatise which survives. As is clear from the text, he also used an Old Syriac gospel manuscript in his work. The 5th year of Mar Abha I began January AD 544 and the 13th year of Kawsrau the king ended on 12th July AD 544. This means that the synod was held sometime within this interval. |
[38], pp. 95 –
96 |
|
545 AD |
Ephraim of Amida Chalcedonian catholic patriarch of Antioch died. |
[7], p. 72 |
|
547 to 549 AD |
Cosmas Indikopleustes, an Indian traveler from the island of Socotra sees Syrian Christian bishops and communities living along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka. These Christians had been driven East by the persecution of, and wars between, the Zoroastrian Sassanian kings of Persia and the Arian Byzantine Caesars. [7] gives the date as c. AD 535, but in [59] the date is narrowed down to between AD 547 and 549 because Cosmas mentions the two eclipses of AD 547 in his sixth book. |
[7], p. 153 |
|
550 AD |
The archives of Edessa were still kept in that city at this time. |
Assemani, 'Bibliotecha Orientalis' Vol. 1 via [17], p. 142 |
|
c. 550 AD |
Lived Qiyoré of Edessa, a disciple of Mar Aba I and a professor at the School of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. He was an East Syrian author who wrote commentaries on the liturgy, [52], [59]. This included a commentary on the Easter liturgy called, 'The cause of the Pascha', [57]. This is preserved in Notre Dame des Semences [=Monastery of Rabban Hormizd at Alqosh] MS 155, [57]. |
[52], p. 57 |
|
c. 550 AD |
Moses of Agel (or Aggil) a Jacobite, mentioned that chorepiscopus Polycarp had translated the NT and David, (Psalms) from Greek into Syriac for Xenaias, (Philoxenus) - see under 508 AD above. |
Assemani Bibl. Or. t. II, p. 82 via [34], p. XXVIII |
|
c. 550 AD |
East Syrian
catholicos Mar Abha I wrote a book called 'Memre of the
soul'. |
[32], para
34 |
|
fl. c. 550 AD |
Johannan of Dalyatha (or John Saba) an East (?) Syrian anchorite monk, gathered some monks together and erected the monastery of Dalyatha at Qardu. He wrote a treatise on the monastic life and a collection of epistles. According to [38] these works contain much gospel text quoted from an Old Syriac text, though some have been vulgarized in transmission. This was part of a reaction by the monks to the severe harm done by the East Syrian clergy towards them over the preceding 70 years or so. In general, the reaction of the monks was largely to go their own way. They could rely on the assistance of many ordinary believers to continue their healing and preaching ministries. Johannan's work has been transmitted by both the Eastern and Western Syriac traditions. CUL 1999 is western and dated AD 1573. |
[24], p. 109 |
|
February |
Mar Abha I East Syrian catholicos died on the second Friday in the month Careme = February, [50]. He was succeeded in May AD 552, [50] by Joseph who sat until being deposed between AD 564 and 567, [50] or in AD 567, [46]. |
[46], volume 1,
column 663 cited from Bar Hebraeus. |
|
553 AD = 1 AE |
This was year 1 or 2 in the Armenian era (AE) dating system. |
[44], p. 17 |
|
January |
An East Syrian synod was held under catholicos Joseph. Joseph had himself been a monk near Nisibis and being the favourite nominated by the Marzban (= Persian governor) of Nisibis, he was made catholicos by king Khusraw I Anosharwan (the same king who had earlier besieged Edessa). In his concluding statement from the synod, Joseph says that East Syrian monasticism had been suppressed and dethroned. This indicates the completion of a process of physical persecution and ideological suppression of asceticism which was begun by Barsauma at the end of the 5th century. Catholicos Joseph behaved despotically and generally badly, throwing some bishops into prison and deposing others, generating a lot of ill will. He was finally deposed, probably in AD 567. Afterwards Joseph was regarded as an illegitimate catholicos. The persecution of the monks by the clergy resulted in a permanent rift between the two sides. From a gospel text point of view, the monks continued to use the Old Syriac texts they preferred, whereas from this time onwards the East Syrian clergy slowly migrated towards the Peshitta. Mar Ahoudemmeh, Syrian Orthodox bishop of Nineveh also attended this council of the Church of the East and his name appears amongst the signatures at the end, [50], p. 109 line 3, [71]. The Persian monarchy made the Catholicos of the Church of the East responsible for all Christians living in Persian territory. Seen in this light, it is not too surprising to find a Syrian Orthodox bishop of Nineveh in attendance. |
[38], pp. 124 –
125 |
|
555 AD |
The second Armenian council Dvin. The Armenian bishops condemned the church of the Roman empire and formally adopted the Orthodox christology of Cyril of Alexandria. |
[44], p. 11 |
|
558 or 559 AD |
In the year AG 890 Mar Yacub Baradeus (AD 500 – 578) the Syrian Orthodox bishop of Edessa and the Armenian Catholicos Christophore consecrated Ahoudemmeh as the first Syrian Orthodox bishop of Beth `Arabaye and metropolitan of Tikrit and all the East. Mar Ahoudemmeh was a saintly and well educated man who came from Balad on the shores of the river Tigris. He was originally in the Church of the East, but he converted to the Syrian Orthodox faith. He wrote a number of theological and controversial works. He was also a prolific and highly effective evangelist. Many Arabs and followers of the Magi were converted as a result of his preaching, [71]. |
[35], p. 171 |
|
c. 560 AD |
Flourished Moshe Karkhaya, i.e. he was from Karkha in Piruz. Moshe was a disciple of Catholicos Mar Abha I. This places his fl. c. AD 560. His works include a treatise on the two genealogies of Christ as found in the gospels, (A copy of this work can be found in Mingana Syr 148A). |
[46], volume 1, column 340 |
|
c. 560 AD |
Lived Hind, the daughter of the Christian Lakhmid Arab king Herta al-Hirah Abu Kabus Numan ibn al-Mundhir. Hind became the wife of Al-Mundhir III, ibn Ma' al-Sama. Their son was `Amr Ibn Mudir (AD 554 – 569). According to Rassam, his name was Amru, [60]. Hind founded a monastery in al-Hira which was called Der Hind al-Kubra. This monastery contains Christian Arabic inscriptions which indicate that the gospel had already been translated from Syriac into Arabic by this time. The Hind monastery existed 'until the second century of Islam', [60]. |
[24], p. 129 |
|
566 or 567 AD |
Yohannan (John) of Ephesus wrote his 'History of Oriental Saints'. Yohannan was a monk at Amida and became a favourite of the Emperor Justinian. He also persecuted pagan groups in Asia Minor, (Turkey). In his history, Yohannan quotes the gospels from the Peshitta, although some Old Syriac influences can be traced. |
[38], p. 93 |
|
567 AD |
Joseph catholicos of the east was deposed due to his authoritarian and heavy handed behaviour. |
[46], volume 1,
column 663 cited from Bar Hebraeus. |
|
569 AD |
Died Mar Abraham the third director of the School of Nisibis. This is the last event recorded by Barhadbashabba `Arbaia in his Syriac history of the church which begins with the Nicaean council in AD 325 where Eusebius left off. This history has been edited by Nau, F. 'La première partie de L'histoire de Barhadbesabba Àrbaïa' PO Tome XXIII, fasc. II. Paris : Firmin-Didot, 1932 and 'La seconde partie de L'histoire de Barhadbesabba Àrbaïa' PO Tome IX, fasc. V, Paris, Firmin-Didot 1913 & reprinted 2003. The date of Abraham's death is corroborated by another slightly later historian with a similar name Barhadbashabba bishop of Holwan who wrote 'The cause of the foundation of the schools' around AD 600, [54]. This work has been edited with a French translation by Addai Scher, Archbishop of Séert in Kurdistan in PO tome IV fasc. 4, Paris 1908 and again much later by Vööbus, A. 'History of the School of Nisibis' CSCO Peeters Louvain, 1965. Abraham was succeeded as director by Isho`yabh who held this office for two years, [54]. |
E. P. Siman,
'Narsai..' Cariscript, Paris 1984, p. 5 |
|
570 AD |
Mar Hazqiel or Ezekiel became east Syrian catholicos. His election ended a gap of three years which began after the deposition of Joseph. During Hazqiel's episcopate, Rabban Henana of Hedhaiyabh flourished in the School of Nisibis, [50] and a little later he became it's sixth director, (see under AD 572) and Mar Abimelek and Mar Grigor founded some new schools in the region of Bet Sahde, [38]. Also at this time there was an epidemic of yersinia pestis, (bubonic plague) which decimated Mesopotamia. Things got so bad that a three day fast was instituted in the church calendar, called the Rogations of the Ninevites. This fast is still observed by the Church of the East. |
[38], volume 2, p.
33 |
|
June |
Abraham of Kashkar an East Syrian monastic reformer founded the Izla Monastery called the Great Monastery situated on Mt Izla in the region of Marde, [53]. The monastic rule of the Izla Monastery was established In the month Haziran in the 40th year of Khuzraw the king of Persia and in the days of Shem`on, Metropolitan of Nisibis, [53], (the 40th year of the king ended on 12th July AD 571). This is no doubt true, however a monastery existed at Izla long before Abraham's time, see under AD 362. A Syriac biography of Abraham survives, see Mingana Syr 252 D and Berlin Sachau 329. Briefly, he was born in the village of Dadwaran in Kashkar. He first worked as a missionary amongst the Arabs at Al-Hirah, (see above under AD 560). He travelled for a while becoming acquainted with the ascetics in the valley of Scete, Egypt and at Sinai before spending some time at the School of Nisibis where he studied under Abraham and Johannan of Bet Rabban. A critical edition of the monastic canons of Abraham mentioned above has been made from six MSS and published in [53]. These canons quote about six different gospel texts. From these quotations it appears that Abraham and the monks were all using an Old Syriac gospel. |
[53], pp. 150 – 152 |
|
571 AD |
Isho`yabh ceased to be the fourth director of the School of Nisibis. He was succeeded by Abraham who held this office for one year, [54]. |
[54], p. ix f. |
|
572 AD |
Abraham, the fifth director of the School of Nisibis was succeeded by Henana or Hannana of Hedhaiyabhe (i.e. of Adiabene) who held this post until AD 610. For some more historical details surrounding Mar Henana, see below under AD 596. |
[54], p. ix
f. |
|
573 AD |
The Persian king Khusraw I Anushirun invaded Syria again and carried off Syrian Orthodox Christian captives back to the Persian capital of Seleucia Ctesiphon. Syrian Orthodox Christians who had fled to Persia during the persecution under Justinian and several waves of deportees arriving in 539 and in 573 swelled the number of Syrian Orthodox people in Persia to a sizable community. |
[60], p. 65 |
|
2nd Friday in August, 575 AD |
Mar Ahoudemmeh, Syrian Orthodox metropolitan of Tagrit and Nineveh was martyred by Khusraw king of Persia, who had him beheaded. This barbaric act followed Mar Ahoudemmeh's preaching and the subsequent conversion to Christianity and baptism of George, a member of the Persian royal family and many others. According to Vööbus, [38] Mar Ahoudemmeh's anonymous biographer quotes the gospels in the Peshitta version. However, according to a new study by the present author, Mar Ahoudemmeh's biographer did not use the Peshitta. For example, in the Syriac text published by Françoise Nau, [71], p. 21, Matthew 28v19 is quoted from the gospel version of Philoxenus using a form of words which first occurs in Philoxenus' own works, 'Go forth, disciple and baptize all the peoples!'. The same wording was quoted again by Moshe Bar Kepha later in the 9th century AD. The historical attestation of this reading shows very clearly where it came from. The wording found in the Peshitta version differs in several details, 'Go, disciple all the peoples and baptize them!' |
[38], p. 93 |
|
February |
A synod was held presided over by Catholicos Mar Hazqiel or Ezekiel. The acts of this synod contain eight gospel quotations. Of these eight, seven are taken from an Old Syriac gospel manuscript. The first canon concerns the designation of the Messalians (see above under AD 366) as heretics on the grounds of sexual immorality. Also according to the synodal canons, the clergy sought ways to subordinate the monks under their hierarchical authority. According to [46], Mar Hazqiel had been a disciple of catholicos Mar Abha I and he wrote a commemoration of his master which survives in Mingana Syr 542 A (j). |
[38], pp. 95,
125 |
|
578 AD |
Died Mar Yacub Baradeus the theologian and Syrian Orthodox bishop of Edessa. |
[22] |
|
30th
June |
Khusraw I
Anushirun son of Kawad was succeeded by his son Hormizd IV.
He reigned until the summer of AD 590. |
[37], p. xii |
|
578 AD |
After a gap of a few years, Mar Qamisho` was ordained as Syrian Orthodox metropolitan of Tagrit and all the East. He sat until AD 609. |
[71], p. 54 |
|
580 AD |
Christian Arab Lakhmid king al-Nu'man III began his reign. He ruled the towns of Najaf and Karbala situated in present day Iraq. He ruled until AD 602 when he was assassinated by the Sassanid king of Persia. |
[60], p. 43 |
|
580 or 581 AD |
Died Mar Hazqiel East Syrian catholicos. The date is derived from 3 ancient sources, [38]. |
[38], volume 2, p. 33 |
|
Between 30th
June |
Isho`yabh I of
Arzon became East Syrian catholicos. He died during the 15th
year of his patriarchate which began late summer AD
595. |
[24], p. 125 |
|
Between |
A synod was held presided over by the East Syrian catholicos Isho`yabh I of Arzon. The acts of this synod contain sixteen gospel quotations. Of these only a quarter reflect the tenacity of the Old Syriac text type. One canon issued by this synod forbade ordinary Christians from visiting monasteries and cells on Sundays and festivals. This was because many were visiting the monasteries in preference to attending church. Excommunicated at this synod was Hannana or Henana of Hedhaiyabh the sixth director of the School of Nisibis who had dared to challenge some of Theodore of Mopsuestia's teachings, (see below under AD 596), [54]. Isho`yabh I of Arzon wrote an historical and theological commentary upon the trisagion of the East Syrian church which is preserved in a 14th century MS, Mingana Syr 561 part C, [46]. Isho`yabh was a friend of the Christian Arab king Herta al-Hirah Abu Kabus Numan ibn al-Mundhir whose daughter, Hind, had founded the Arabic speaking monastery, (see above under AD 560) where Isho`yabh later died in AD 596. |
[24], pp. 125,
129, 130 |
|
January |
Died Abraham of Kashkar an East Syrian monastic reformer, [53]. Abraham created a new monastic centre based on the mount Izla monastery he founded near Nisibis, [50], (this monastery was also called the Great Convent). Again, the Izla monastic movement was a reaction to the suppression of the monks by the East Syrian clergy. Nevertheless, the monks had certain restrictions placed upon them by the clergy. Abraham was succeeded by Dadisho` as acting director of this movement before the death of Abraham. Afterward, Abraham lived to be about 97 years old, [35] and he died around January AD 588. Dadisho` himself died in AD 604. This Dadisho` abbot of the Izla monastery has been confused by myself and by Wright [24] with Dadisho` Qatraya an East Syrian recluse and learned author who flourished later about AD 690, which see. |
[24], p. 131 |
|
27th
June |
Khusraw II
Parwez Hormezd became king of Persia, [50]. He reigned until
AD 628, [60]. His wife, Queen Shirin was converted to the
Syrian Orthodox faith through the king's physician Gabriel,
[60]. |
[37] p. xii |
|
593 AD |
Died Simon Stylites the Younger. Simon corresponded with the famous East Syrian writer Isaac of Nineveh. Isaac was a monk of the convent of Mar Matthew in Mosul, then an anchorite who roamed the mountains of Susiana and later he was bishop of Mosul or Nineveh. However, he soon resigned his see and went to the desert of Scete in NW Egypt where he wrote his ascetic works. These are very rich in gospel quotations taken from an Old Syriac manuscript. The Old Syriac quotations in these quotations have occasionally been altered towards the Peshitta during transmission, but much more often, the Old Syriac elements remain in the text. This suggests that the Peshitta readings were added in the margin by later readers and then incorporated in the text when manuscript copies were made. |
[24], p. 110 |
|
Between 27th June 594 and 26th June 595 AD |
Ya`qob of Lashom came to live at the East Syrian Monastery of Beth `Abhe. This monastery may have been founded at this time or before by this Mar Y`aqob, (or Rabban Jacob), but no solid historical information exists about Beth `Abhe before AD 594. Ya`qob of Lashom had been a monk at the Great Monastery of Mount Izla when Dadisho` was Abbot there. He was expelled from The Izla Monastery unjustly by the heavy-handed abbot, Babai the Great. Ya`qob of Lashom tutored Sahdona who became famous in the mid seventh century, q.v. |
[63], p. xlvii based on three ancient sources; pp. lxx-lxxiiv |
|
596 AD |
Whilst on a pastoral visit in the area, the East Syrian catholicos Isho`yabh I of Arzon died and was buried nearby at the monastery of Hind, who was the daughter of his friend king Herta al-Hirah Abu Kabus Numan ibn al-Mundhir. |
[24], p. 130 |
|
596 AD |
Sabhr-isho` I who had been bishop of Lashom was appointed by Khusraw the king as east Syrian catholicos. He had studied under the direction of Mar Abraham the Commentator at the School of Nisibis. |
[50], p. 456 note
2 |
|
May |
Sabhr-isho` I east Syrian catholicos held a synod. |
[50], p. 456 note 1 |
|
596 AD |
Lived Hnana or Henana or Hannana of Hedhaiyabhe (i.e. Of Adiabene) a theologian and the director of the East Syrian School of Nisibis. Henana studied in this school and later became it's 6th director after Mar Narsai, from AD 572 to 610, [59]. He was condemned as a heretic in AD 585 by Isho`yabha I of Arzon and again in May AD 596 at the synod called by the newly elected catholicos, Sabhr-isho`. As can be seen from his surviving theological treatise, (edited by Scher, see below), Henana used an Old Syriac manuscript of the gospels. Despite being denounced in this way, Henana's works were extensively quoted by important later East Syrian authors like Isho`dad of Merv, see later under AD 852. Addai Scher, Archbishop of Séert in Kurdistan, (died 1916): 'Traités d'Isai le docteur et de Hnana d'Adiabène sur les martyrs, le Vendredi d'or et les rogations : suivis de la Confession de foi à réciter par les évêques avant l'ordination' Patrologia Orientalis, tome 7, fasc. 1, Paris 1909 and later reprints |
[24], p. 125 |
|
March |
Catholicos Sabhr-isho` I received a servile letter from the leaders of the monastic movement in the Shigar region of Persia, west of Mosul, promising obedience and the catholicos wrote a reply. |
[50], p. 461 |
|
October to
December |
An East Syrian manuscript of the four gospels was copied. It was one of the 42 Peshitta manuscripts collated by G. H. Gwilliam for the BFBS Peshitta gospel text. The manuscript is dated 10th year of Khusraw II (AD 588 to 599) and AG 911 (October AD 599 to September 600). The manuscript was copied in Teldainor, in the district of Beth Nuhadra. |
[20] |
|
c. 600 AD |
Lived Abraham Nethperaya and anchorite monk from Nethpar near Arbela. Abraham's discourses survive in the following manuscripts, BL Add. Cod. 14614 and Orient 6714 of the 9th or 10th century. In these, Abraham quotes from an Old Syriac gospel manuscript. None of Abraham's many works have been published, but an English translation of one of his treatises has been published by Dr. S. Brock, [61]. |
[24], pp. 111 –
112 |
|
600 – 620
AD |
Flourished Shubha-lmaran, who was metropolitan of Karka d-Beth Slokh, (now Kirkuk in Iraq). His approximate period is identified by Dr. Sebastian Brock in his paper 'Gabriel of Qatar's Commentary on the Liturgy', [Hugoye 6.2]. Ancient sources indicate that he participated in an ecclesiastical trial held in the Persian royal court, AD 612, [50]. Later, he was imprisoned for his faith by the Persian king, Khusraw II Parwez [50]. His metrical works are preserved in a Sinai MS, New Finds 20 and he is probably the same person as a monk of the same name quoted in MS Mingana Syr 553. He also wrote ascetic treatises called, 'The book of gifts'. This work has been edited from British Library Oriental Manuscript 6714 by the late Professor David Lane, (this work is currently being prepared for publication by CSCO). |
Hugoye
on-line journal, Vol. 6, No. 2 July 2003. |
|
600 – 620 AD |
Flourished Gabriel bar Lipeh Qatraya, i.e. of Qatar, who wrote an early commentary upon the East Syrian liturgy. His approximate date is identified by Dr. S. Brock in his Hugoye paper ' Gabriel of Qatar's Commentary on the Liturgy' where Gabriel's commentary is also edited. His commentary is preserved in a unique MS, British Library, Or. 3336 which is dated AD 1268. The commentary is based upon a much earlier one which must have been written before the schisms of the mid 5th century because traces of it can be found in all the Syriac liturgical traditions. An abridgment of Gabriel's commentary was also transmitted under the name Abraham bar Lipeh Qatraya. This abridgment has also been published by R.H. Connolly, 'Anonymi auctoris Expositio Officiorum Ecclesiae Georgio Arbelensi vulgo ascripta. Accedit Abrahae Bar Lipeh Interpretation Officiorum,' II (CSCO Scr. Syri 29, 1913). Gabriel's commentary quotes the gospel a few dozen times, and even though the surviving MS is of the 13th century, it is clear from the remaining Old Syriac variants that an Old Syriac gospel text was in use. |
Hugoye online
journal, Vol. 6, No. 2 July 2003. |
|
AD 602 |
Christian Arab Lakhmid king al-Nu'man III was assassinated by Khusraw II Parwez the Sassanid king of Persia. Al-Nu'man III was the last Lakhmid king. |
[60], p. 43 |
|
Summer |
Died east Syrian catholicos Sabhr-isho` in Nisibis, whilst the Persian king Khusraw II Parwez was besieging Dara. In this year this Persian king besieged and captured Dara. This started a war with the Byzantines that lasted 25 years. |
[24], pp. 125,
133 |
|
604 AD |
Died Dadh-isho` the director of the Izla monastic movement, (see under AD 588). Dadisho` was succeeded as director by Babai the Great or 'the Archimandrite' or 'the Elder' (he lived AD 569-629) . Babai had studied at Beth Zahbdai and at the School of Nisibis where he had also taught. Babai wrote 'The Book of Union' a major statement of East Syrian theology, (see below under AD 612). There are many gospel quotations in this book which he quoted from an Old Syriac gospel manuscript, (only a few quotations have been vulgarized during transmission). Babai's most important works were his commentaries on the whole bible. These commentaries were thought entirely lost until a copy was found amongst the 'New finds' at Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai during refurbishment work in the 1970's. At the time of writing in 2005 this unique manuscript remains unpublished. Also, despite the efforts of the present author, the manuscript remains inaccessible. This situation is greatly to be regretted and hopefully the text will be made available soon. During his tenure at Mount Izla, Babai expelled a number of monks. Perhaps there was a dispute, because another monk from Izla called variously Meshiha-zekha, Isho`-zekha or Zekha-Isho` left shortly afterwards and founded the monastery of Beth Rabban Zekha-Isho` or Beth Rabban in the district of Dasen. This would have happened in the first quarter of the 7th century AD. Zekha-Isho` was the author of an ecclesiastical history. |
Atiya, Aziz S., 'A
History of Eastern Christianity' Methuen, London, 1968 |
|
April |
Grighor, (Gregory) of Kashkar metropolitan of Nisibis was appointed by Khusraw, [63] as east Syrian catholicos, he died in the fourth year of his patriachate. He was nominated by the Persian Queen Shirin who also supported the Syrian Orthodox church. The same month, a Syrian synod was held by the new catholicos. At this synod, the clergy complained in the synodal canons that the monks and anchorites ignored their authority. This was further evidence of the rift that had opened up between the clergy and the monks following the persecution of monks by the clergy. Barhadbeshabba bishop of Holwan who had been head of the school of Nisibis became bishop of Holwan. His signature appears at the foot of this synod, [50]. This Barhadbeshabba wrote an important history, 'The cause of the foundation of the schools' which survives only in young manuscripts. The oldest reported in [38] is of the 15th century AD. The gospel text he used was originally Old Syriac, however many of his quotations were vulgarized during 900 years of textual transmission. It has been edited by Scheer, C. in PO IV and again by Vööbus, A. 'History of the school of Nisibis', CSCO subsidia XXVI, Peeters, Louvain 1965. |
[38], volume 1,
pp. 94f. & p. 125 |
|
Between October 608 AD and April 609 AD |
Died the East Syrian Catholicos Grighor, (Gregory) of Kashkar. After his death there was a persecution in Persia until the murder of Khusraw II Parwez Hormezd in AD 628. During this time there was no Catholicos of the East and the leadership role was exercised by Babai the Great. From a political point of view, the Izla ascetic movement was now (temporarily) in charge of Eastern Christianity. ([24] gives Grigor's date of death as 607 AD.) |
[24], pp. 126,
167 |
|
609 AD |
Died Mar Qamisho` Syrian Orthodox metropolitan of Tagrit and all the East. After his death, there would seem to be a gap of about five years. |
[71], p. 54 |
|
609 AD |
The Persians attack and capture Edessa from the Byzantine empire. |
[33], p. 95 |
|
c. 610 AD |
Flourished Mar Y`aqob, (or Rabban Jacob) the East Syrian founder of the convent of Beth `Abhe. Rabban Jacob tutored Sahdona whilst the latter was a monk at Beth `Abhe, see below under AD 630, [52]. At about this time in the first part of the seventh century flourished Rabban Hormizd who was a famous founder of East Syrian monasteries presumably including the one bearing his name at Alqosh in northern Iraq. The source of this data are 'The histories of Rabban Hormizd the Persian and Rabban Bar Idta' edited by E. A. W. Budge 1902 via [38]. Also about this time in the first quarter of the seventh century, Mar Gabriel of Kashkar founded several monasteries in the regions of Bet Garmai and Bet Aramaya including the Dayra `Alita or 'The Upper Monastery' so called because it was located at the highest point in the city of Mosul above the Tigris river. Mar Gabriel died in AD 639, [53]. The Upper Monastery was initially known as the Monastery of Mar Gabriel, but later it was known as the Monastery of Mar Gabriel and Mar Abraham after Mar Abraham bar Dashandad, 'The Crippled' of Bet Sayyada who was a celebrated teacher there around AD 800, [53]. The Upper Monastery was to become the most eminent convent in the East Syrian sphere. All the liturgical and textual reforms of the Church of the East were all initiated in this monastery, (see below under AD 647 and AD 1202). |
[38], volume 2, p.
33 |
|
c. 611 AD |
Martyrdom of Nathaniel bishop of Siarzour whose crucifixion after an imprisonment lasting 6 years was ordered by king Khusraw II Parwez. He had written a polemic against the Magian religion, (which was the state religion in Persia at that time, see below under AD 620). |
[50], p. 479 |
|
612 AD |
Giwargis an East Syrian monk was martyred. An account of this man's life and martyrdom was written by Babai the Great who also wrote an account of the martyrdom of Christina. Both of these works also contain gospel quotations quoted from an Old Syriac manuscript. Also at about this time, Babai the Great was made 'Inspector of Monasteries' by the joint action of the metropolitans of Nisibis, Hadiab and Karka da-Bet Selok. In this position he entered into a controversy with the brothers `Abhd-isho` Hazzaya and Rabban Joseph Hazzaya i.e. from Hazza = Arbil. Joseph was a disciple of Hannana of Hedhaiyabh who had been excommunicated by the catholicoi Isho`yabh of Arzon and Sabhr-isho`. Babai's theological controversy with Joseph included his important christological treatise, 'The book of Union'. This latter work has been published by Vaschalde A. 'Liber de unione', CSCO 1915. A number of Joseph's works also survive. A 'Letter on the three Stages of Monastic Life' has been published: Patrologia Orientalis, PO 202 (45.2) and others lie in the MSS, including a large work on the Godhead, the trinity, the creation, the judgment and the divine economy found in Mingana Syr 601 part V. Several smaller works by Joseph and others by his brother `Abhd-isho` are also contained in this MS, [46]. |
[24], pp.
124-129 |
|
Between 27th
June 612 AD |
An unusual kind of controversial synod was held by the command of the king. The synod was held in the royal court of king Khusraw II Parwez, in the 23rd year of his reign, between the Syrian Orthodox physician Gabriel and the bishops of the Church of the East. The only surviving record of this meeting was written by the Church of the East, [50]. This record amounts to a defence of the faith of the church of the East. |
[50], p. 580 |
|
613 - 619 AD |
Paul (Syrian Orthodox bishop) of Tella, flees persecution in Mesopotamia and goes to the Antonine convent in Alexandria, Egypt to work with Thomas of Harkel on translations of the Bible from Greek into Syriac. Paul of Tella translated from Greek into Syriac the LXX OT and the story of the woman caught in adultery found in the Greek gospel of John, [46]. Thomas of Harkel created the Herklensian version of the Syriac NT. And completed it in AD 616, [46]. Thomas mentions the earlier work of Philoxenus and uses that as a basis for his version. Later on, Thomas of Harkel became bishop of Mabbûg, also called Hierapolis . |
[34], p. X (second
intro.) |
|
613 or 614 AD |
An East Syrian copy of the Peshitta gospels was made at Nisibis and dated the 25th year of the reign of Khuswaw. |
Hatch 'Album' p.
212 |
|
614 AD |
Mar Samuel was ordained as Syrian Orthodox metropolitan of Tagrit and all the East. He sat until Ad 624. |
[71], p. 54 |
|
614 AD |
The Persian king Khusraw II Parwez Hormezd attacks, captures and lays waste Jerusalem. This Khusraw looted the wood of the cross and brought it to Persia. |
[24], pp. 135,
169 |
|
615 or 616 AD |
The Persian king Khusraw II Parwez Hormezd attacks and captures Alexandria. |
[24], p. 135 |
|
615 to 628 AD |
The Persian king, Khusraw Parwez engaged in a campaign of destruction and murder. Due to the suspicions of Khusraw Parwez that the Syrian Orthodox believers living under his reign may be communicating with the Syrian orthodox church of the west, Parwez maintained a persecution campaign which lasted until his death in 627 AD. During this campaign, many monasteries near the royal court were destroyed. |
[24], p. 134 |
|
620 to 650 AD |
In the thirtieth year of Khusraw Parwez (620), thirteen Christians were imprisoned in Adiabene (Modern Arbil and surroundings) for five years and then in 625, crucified at the bridge marking the border of Beth Garme. At about the same time, a bishop by the name of Nathaniel was crucified for writing a polemic against the Magians, (Nathaniel's crucifixion actually happened slightly earlier, see above under AD 611). |
Chabot, "Chastete,," pp. 37, 39-40, 256, 258. Also Hoffmann, "Persiscer Martyrer" , p. 119, 121 |
|
622 on 16th
Tammuz |
According to Elias of Nisibis, this day is the beginning of the first year of the kingdom of the Arabs, that is to say the first year of the Hadj according to the Julian, (not the present Gregorian) calendar. This date AH 1, is used as year 1 for dates given in the Islamic era, (AH). The Islamic calendar is based on the duration of 12 lunar orbits (months) and so it contains 354.358 days, (see reference below) that is to say, about 11 days shorter than the Julian calendar year of 365.25 days. This means that the Islamic new year moves constantly through the solar year, and calculations of the solar date from an Islamic date must take this movement into account. According to R. M. Tennent, 'Science data book' Publ. for the OU by Oliver & Boyd 1976, p. 38, the present calendar is based upon a corrected Gregorian tropical solar year of 365.242 days = 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45.9747 seconds. |
[37], p. xii |
|
24th
June AD 624 |
According to Elias of Nisibis, [71], the third year of the Islamic era began on 24th day of the month Haziran in the year AG 935. This reference has been used to calculate the beginning of the Arabian calendar on 16th July AD 622, see above. |
[71], p. 58 |
|
624 AD |
Abbot Paul of Cyprus fled to Cyprus to escape the Persian invasion of Syria. He translated the works of Gregory of Nazianzen into Syriac on the island. According to [38], he used an Old Syriac gospel manuscript and the work is very rich in gospel quotations. These translations can be found in BL. Add. Cods. 12153 and 14549. |
[24], p. 135 |
|
627 AD |
Byzantines under Heraclius crush the Persians at the battle of Nineveh, ending the war begun by the Persian king in AD 604. |
[2] |
|
627 to 630 AD |
Khusraw II Parwez Hormezd was murdered in AD 628 and on 25th February AD 628 was succeeded by his son Sharwe or Kawad II, [37], [50]. He reigned only 9 months as king of Persia after the murder of his father in the same year. He was succeeded in about October AD 628 by Ardisher III son of Khusraw who reigned one year and nine or ten months. |
[24], pp. 126,
167 |
|
628 AD |
Mar Maroutha became metropolitan of Tagrit which was by then the centre of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Persia, [60]. The following year, AD 629 the Persian king recognized Maroutha as Maphrian of the East, the leader of his denomination in Persian territory, [60]. Some 13th century manuscripts containing Maroutha's works survive. From a homily in one of these, BL Add. 14727, it appears that Maroutha used an Old Syriac gospel text. According to Nau, [71] Maroutha was from Balad and he was educated in the monastery of Mar Samuel near that city. |
[38], p. 100 |
|
628 AD |
Isho`yabh II Gedalaya `Arabaya i.e. of Gedhala near Mosul became East Syrian Catholicos. He studied at Nisibis and was bishop of Balad at the time of his elevation. Isho`yabh became Catholicos unexpectedly, since the post was unanimously offered by the bishops to Babai the Great. However, Babai declined the post and Isho`yabh was elected instead. Isho`yabh II wrote a christological treatise in the form of letter to Rabban Abraham of Media which survives, [46]. Babai was near the end of his life anyway. He died in AD 627 or 628, [53]. |
[24], pp. 167 –
168 |
|
629 AD |
Mar Maroutha was ordained as Syrian Orthodox metropolitan of Tagrit and all the East. |
[71], p. 54 |
|
630 AD |
Shahabrez 'the great [and] powerful' ruled Persia for 1 year. This reign seems to have been followed by two very short reigns by Persian Queens, Boran and then Zedemedokat both of whom were daughters of Khusraw. |
[37] pp. xii – xiii |
|
630 AD |
Isho`yabh II of Gedhala East Syrian Catholicos, was sent by Boran, daughter of Khusraw II with an embassy to Heraclius, Emperor of Constantinople. He took with him the the cross which had been looted by the Persians when they captured Jerusalem in AD 614. This relic was promptly returned by Heraclius to Jerusalem. Accompanying him on this journey was Sahdona of Halamun, (a village in Beth Nuhadhre), afterward called Martyrius bishop of Mahoze dh'Arewan in Beth Garmai. Sahdona studied at Nisibis and became a monk under Mar Y`aqob, (or Rabban Jacob) the founder of the convent of Beth `Abhe. Whilst Sahdona was at Beth `Abhe he composed his important works on asceticism which have been published by CSCO. Sahdona included a great deal of gospel text in his ascetic works, all of it taken from an Old Syriac manuscript. Also included in this embassy were John the East Syrian bishop of Damascus and Isho`yabh of Hedhaiyabh (i.e. of Adiabene). Isho`yabh of Hedhaiyabh studied at Nisibis, travelled in the West, [54] and later became bishop of Mosul and then Metropolitan of Hazza, (i.e. Arbel) and Mosul and then Catholicos of the East in AD 647. |
[24], pp. 169 –
171 |
|
November |
A Syrian Orthodox synod was held at the Mar Matti Monastery (north-east of Mosul, Iraq) and the synodal acts include the canons of this monastery. The establishment of the Mar Matti Monastery with it's own Metropolitan was an important event in the history of the Syrian Orthodox Church and community in the Persian empire. This event is linked to the establishment of the Metropolitanate at Tagrit and to the creation of the Syrian Orthodox Maphrianate of the East. The first Maphrian was Marutha of Tagrit, (see below under AD 640). |
[62], p. 10 |
|
631 AD |
Hormezed V, son of Khusraw became king of Persia. |
[37] p. xiii |
|
632 AD |
Yesdelrad III, son of Khusraw became king of Persia. |
[37] p. xiii |
|
635 AD |
Missionaries including Alopen the Persian from the Church of the East arrive in China. during the reign of emperor T'ai-tsung (AD 626 – 649). This date was commemorated by an inscription set up in AD 781 in Hsian-Fu, Western China. |
Rendell Harris
from his introduction to Gibson's edition of Isho`dad's
commentary upon the NT, p. xii |
|
637 AD |
During the reign of Catholicos Isho`yabh II Gedalaya `Arabaya (628-44) the Muslim invaders seized Seleucia-Ctesiphon (near Baghdad) after the battle of al-Qadisiya in 637, and subsequently the whole Persian empire succumbed to their armies and the Sassanid dynasty of Persian kings came to an end. |
Layard |
|
639 AD |
Edessa and Harran were captured by the Muslim army commanded by 'Iyad ibn Ghanm the general. Michael the Syrian, commenting on the Muslim conquest, said that the Syrian Orthodox church lost much property, but gained relief from the persecution which had been dished out by the Byzantine emperors. |
[29], p. 110
|
|
640 AD |
Mar Maroutha Syrian Orthodox metropolitan of Taghrith (or Tagrit) became Maphrian of the East until his death in AD 649. He compiled a new liturgy and wrote a commentary upon the gospels as well as some discourses and sedras. Small fragments of his gospel commentaries can be found in Mingana Syr 362 and in BL Add 12144. |
[24], p.
137 |
|
c. 640 AD |
East Syrian missionaries translate their Syriac Four Gospels into Chinese for the Chinese emperor Tai Tsung |
[4], p. 72. |
|
641 AD |
The Muslims capture Alexandria |
[7] |
|
c. 642 AD |
Athanasius Patriarch of Antioch writes to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius at the beginning of the Arab invasions. |
[46], volume 1, column 407 |
|
644 AD |
Ended the see of Isho`yabh II of Gedhala, (near Mosul), East Syrian Catholicos. He was succeeded by Mariemmeh who died in AD 647. |
[24], pp. 168 – 169, 172 |
|
645 AD |
Yesdelrad III, son of Khusraw was killed by the Saracens, (?) (Syriac: “the Children of S'a-s'an”). This ended the Persian kingdom. |
[37] p. xiii |