A Narrative History of Assyrians

[nin...@wwa.com]

A Narrative History of Assyrians

Peter BetBasoo

On March 21st, 1997, Assyrians celebrated their 6747th new year.
I wonder if those first Assyrian settlers of the city of
Nineveh, in 5000 B.C., realized that their children would one
day, 6700 years later, find themselves dispersed throughout the
world, far from their homeland, yet still maintaining their
proud heritage.

From the seed that those first settlers planted grew what was to
become a magnificent legacy; indeed, the very basis of life for
most societies in the world, for these settlers were among the
early pioneers of the sedentary, agrarian societies. And it is
here, in the Assyrian heartland, the land between two rivers,
that the first agricultural societies are found. It is here that
we find the first system of writing, the first cities, the first
legal codes. It is here where the history of ideas begins. And
it is here that the great Assyrian cities of Ashur, Nineveh,
Arbela and Nimrod, arise to prominence by the end of the fourth
millennium B.C.

The first Assyrian dynasty began in 2371 B.C. with Sargon of
Akkad, who as an infant was placed in a basket and set afloat on
the Tigris river. He was found and raised by an Assyrian couple.
Sargon of Akkad was the first recorded Assyrian king, and he
listed 173 kings before him. Although Sargon's empire was small
in comparison to the second and third Assyrian empires, it laid
the foundation for eighteen hundred years of Assyrian rule,
beginning with Sargon I in 2400 B.C. and ending with the tragic
fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C.

But before Assyrian hegemony would come to an end, the Assyrians
would bring the highest civilization to the then known world.
From the Caspian to Cyprus, from Anatolia to Egypt, Assyrian
imperial expansion would bring into the Assyrian sphere nomadic
and barbaric communities, and would bestow the gift of
civilization upon them.

And though today we are far removed from that time, some of our
most basic and fundamental devices of daily survival, to which
we have become so accustomed that we cannot conceive of life
without them, originated in Assyria. One cannot imagine leaving
his home without locking the door; it is in Assyria where locks
and keys were first used. One cannot survive in this world
without knowing the time; it is in Assyria that the sexagesimal
system of keeping time was developed. One cannot imagine driving
without paved roads; it is in Assyria where paved roads were
first used. And the list goes on, including the first postal
system, the first use of iron, the first magnifying glasses, the
first libraries, the first plumbing and flush toilets, the first
electric batteries, the first guitars, and so on.

But it is not only things that originated in Assyria, it is also
ideas, ideas that would shape the world to come. It is the idea,
for example, of imperial administration, of dividing the land
into territories administered by local governors who report to
the central authority, the King of Assyria. This fundamental
model of administration has survived to this day, as can be seen
in America's federal-state system.

It is in Assyria where the mythological foundation of the old
and new testament is found. It is here that the story of the
flood originates, 2000 years before the old testament is
written. It is here that the first epic is written, the Epic of
Gilgamesh, with its universal and timeless theme of the struggle
and purpose of humanity. It is here that civilization itself is
developed and handed down to future generations. It is here
where the first steps in the cultural unification of the Middle
East are taken by bringing under Assyrian rule the diverse
groups in the area, from Iran to Egypt, breaking down ethnic and
national barriers and preparing the way for the cultural
unification which facilitated the subsequent spread of
Hellenism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

It is, indeed, here in Assyria where the history of ideas
begins. This is the legacy of the pre-Christian Assyrians.

But the end of the Assyrian empire in 612 B.C. did not signal
the end of the Assyrians; they continued living in their
homeland until that momentous moment in human history, when the
Lord Son of God gave himself for the salvation of mankind. Very
soon after the crucifixion, the bulk of the Assyrian population
converted to Christianity, although there remained to be Ashur
worshippers, the original Assyrian religion, until 256 A.D. It
was the Apostle Thomas, with Thaddeus and Bartholomew who came
to the Assyrian city of Edessa and founded the Assyrian Church
of the East, the first and oldest church in the world.

Armed with the word of God, and after 600 years of dormancy, the
Assyrians once again set out to build an empire, not a military
empire, but a religious empire founded on divine revelation and
Christian brotherhood. So successful was the Assyrian missionary
enterprise, by the end of the twelfth century the Assyrian
Church was larger than the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic
churches combined, and it spanned the Asian continent, from
Syria to Mongolia, Korea, China, Japan and the Philippines.

When Marco Polo visited China in the thirteenth century, he was
astonished to find Assyrian priests in the Chinese royal court,
and tens of thousands of Chinese Christians. The Assyrian
missionaries had reached China in the sixth century. With only
the bible, a cross, and a loaf of bread in hand, these
messengers had walked thousands of miles along the old silk road
to deliver the word of God. So successful were the missionaries,
when Genghis Khan swept through Asia, he brought with him an
army over half of which belonged to the Assyrian Church of the
East. So successful were the missionaries, the first Mongolian
system of writing used the Assyrian alphabet.

Armed with the word of God, Assyrians once again transformed the
face of the Middle East. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth
centuries they began a systematic translation of the Greek body
of knowledge into Assyrian. At first they concentrated on the
religious works but then quickly moved to science, philosophy
and medicine. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Galen, and many others
were translated into Assyrian, and from Assyrian into Arabic. It
is these Arabic translations which the Moors brought with them
into Spain, and which the Spaniards translated into Latin and
spread throughout Europe, thus igniting the European renaissance.

By the sixth century A.D., Assyrians had begun exporting back to
Byzantia their own works on science, philosophy and medicine. In
the field of medicine, the Bakhteesho Assyrian family produced
nine generations of physicians, and founded the great medical
school at Gundeshapur. Also in the area of medicine, Hunayn
ibn-Ishaq*s textbook on ophthalmology, written in 950 A.D.,
remained the authoritative source on the subject until 1800 A.D.

In the area of philosophy, the Assyrian philosopher Job of
Edessa developed a physical theory of the universe, in the
Assyrian language, that rivaled Aristotle*s theory, and that
sought to replace matter with forces.

One of the greatest Assyrian achievements of the fifth century
was the founding of the first university in the world. The
School of Nisibis had three departments: theology, philosophy
and medicine, and became a magnet and center of intellectual
development in the Middle East. The statutes of the School of
Nisibis, which have been preserved, later became the model upon
which the first Italian university was based.

When Arabs and Islam swept through the Middle East in 630 A.D.,
they encountered 600 years of Assyrian Christian civilization,
with a rich heritage, a highly developed culture, and advanced
learning institutions. It is this civilization which became the
foundation of the Arab civilization.

But this great Assyrian Christian civilization would come to an
end in 1300 A.D. The tax which the Arabs levied on Christians,
simply for just being Christian, forced many Assyrians to
convert to Islam to avoid the tax; this inexorably drained the
community, so that by the time Timurlane the Mongol delivered
the final blow in 1300 A.D., by violently destroying most cities
in the Middle East, the Assyrian Christian community had
dwindled to its core in Assyria, and henceforth the Assyrian
Church of the East would not regain its former glory, and the
Assyrian language, which had been the lingua franca of the
Middle East until 900 A.D., was completely supplanted by Arabic
(except amongst the Assyrians). This, from 1300 A.D. until World
War One, became the second Assyrian dark age.

It was the momentous events of World War One which brought the
Assyrians out of their 700 year seclusion and thrust them into
the world scene once again. This time, the Assyrians united with
the Allies, fighting against the Turks. The Assyrian losses were
devastating; 750,000 Assyrians, three out of four, were
massacred by the Turks, along with one million Armenians. As a
result of the Turkish genocide, Assyrians fled to other
countries, including Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
They also fled to Europe and America. It is at that time that
the first significant Assyrian population came to America, and
it is at that time, for the first time in their history, that
the Assyrians became a diasporic nation. It remains to be seen
whether the Assyrians can survive the diaspora.

But the biggest exodus of Assyrians from their homeland began in
the sixties and continued into the late seventies. Hundreds of
thousands of Assyrians emigrated to the West, mostly to America.
There are now 300,000 Assyrians in America, with 80,000 in
Chicago, 80,000 in Detroit, 40,000 in the Bay Area, 20,000 in
the Los Angeles Area, 20,000 in San Diego and 5,000 in Yonkers..

This large exodus of Assyrians was precipitated by oppressive
policies practiced by Arab/Muslim governments, which most
Assyrians find themselves living under. Not having their own
state, Assyrians have become the victims of intolerant
governments, prejudiced societies, and opportunistic
nationalists. In Iraq, Assyrians are not recognized as a
national minority, even though there are two million living
there, and they are not granted citizenship, yet they are
expected to die for the country, as 40,000 Assyrians died in the
Iran-Iraq war.

And the exodus continues. As a result of the Gulf War, one
hundred thousand Assyrians have left Iraq, and the remaining
ones are living in extremely harsh and inhuman conditions.

Wherever Assyrians live, they are a law-abiding people, with
strong family and Christian values. They are also loyal citizens
of their host country. After all, was it not Khalil Gibran, an
Assyrian, who said, ask not what your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your country?

Assyrians

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who are the Assyrians?

A: A semitic peoples indigenous to North Iraq; builders of the
great Mesopotamian civilizations; ethnically distinct from Arabs
and Jews (the other semitic poeples of the region).

Q: What language do they speak?

A: They currently speak modern Assyrian (also known as
neo-Syriac), which is the oldest extant language, and was the
lingua franca of the Middle East until 700 A.D., when it was
supplanted by Arabic. Before this they spoke Akkadian (the
switch from Akkadian to Aramaic was completed by 750 B.C.).
Modern Assyrian is written right to left, and has a lot of
Akkadian influence in it.

Q: What is their religion?

A: All Assyrians are Christians. They belong to three main
Assyrian churches: 1) The Assyrian Church of the East
("Nestorian"), established in 33 A.D. by Theodos, Thomas, and
Bartholomew; 2) the Assyrian Orthodox Church ("Jacobite"),
established in 450 A.D.; 3) the Chaldean Church of Babylon
(Roman Catholic), established in 1550 A.D.

Q: Where do they live?

A: The majority of Assyrians live in their ancestral homeland,
which is now part of Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Here is a
geographical breakdown

Iraq 1,500,000 Georgia 14,000

Syria 700,000 Holland 10,500

USA 300,000 Denmark 10,000

Brazil 80,000 England 8,000

Iran 50,000 Austria 7,000

Lebanon 40,000 Greece 5,000

Russia 35,000 Belgium 5,000

Sweden 35,000 New Zealand 3,000

Australia 30,000 Switzerland 3,000

Germany 30,000 Italy 3,000

Turkey 20,000 Other 100,000

Canada 20,000

Armenia 15,000

France 15,000

Total 3,038,500

Q: What are important dates for Assyrians

A: March 21st, Assyrian New Year. The Assyrian year is now 6747
(1997 A.D.). August 7th, Assyrian martyrs day.

A Brief History of the Assyrian Churches

Peter Jasim

Introduction

Assyrians of today belong to three major churches: the Holy
Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ("Nestorian"),
The Assyrian Orthodox Church ("Jacobite") and the Chaldean
Church of Babylon ("Chaldeans", who are Roman catholic uniates).
Precise numbers are difficult to estimate, but there are about
800,000 members in the Church of the East, 1,000,000 members in
the Chaldean Church, and about 700,000 members in the Assyrian
Orthodox Church.

Beginnings

The Assyrian Church of the East (hence forth ACE), whose
official name is the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of
the East, was established in 33 A.D. by the apostles Thomas
(Toma in Assyrian), Theodos (Addai in Assyrian), and Bartholomew
(Bar Tulmay in Assyrian). The first Patriarch of ACE was Addai,
although Thomas and Bartholomew are also officially listed as
the first Patriarchs (see Table of Apostolic Succession below).

ACE spread from the Assyrian city Arbela (in North Iraq; Arbela
means "Four Gods" in Assyrian) to the surrounding areas of
Persia, Syria, and Iraq, and later became centered in
Seleucia-Ctesiphon (just south of Baghdad). Through an
incredible missionary enterprise, ACE became the largest Church
in the world by the 12th century, extending from Syria to China,
Korea, Japan, and the Phillipines. ACE was overwhelmed by the
Mongol Timurlane and after the thirteenth century could never
recover its past glory. It was reduced to a small church in the
Assyrian heartland in North Iraq.

The significant achievements of ACE include the first University
in the world (Nisibis), and the incredible translation movement
of its clergy and laity, which saw the translation of all the
major Greek works of science, philosophy and religion into
Assyrian (then into Arabic), and which produced original
Assyrian thinkers who wrote extensively and diversely

The First Division

ACE was centered in the Sassanid empire, which was rival to the
Byzantine empire to the west. Political tension between the two
empires separated Eastern from Western Christians, and doctrinal
disputes over the nature of Christ (monophysites/diophysites)
further distanced the Christian communities. The monophysitic
movement gained a stronghold in the Byzantine realm and the
Church of the East divided along these geopolitical/doctrinal
lines by 450 A.D. -- The Assyrian Orthodox Church (AOC) was born.

The Second Division

In 780 A.D. there occurred a division in AOC, and Mar Maron took
his followers from Syria and settled in Mount Lebanon, founding
the Maronite Church. The Christians of Lebanon are known as
"Maronites", after Mar Maron. The Maronite Church has since
become a Roman Catholic Uniate.

The Third Division

In 1552 A.D. there arose a debate over how the Patriarch of ACE
should be chosen. The Patriarch had been elected, but a faction
in the Church desired that the Patriarchate become hereditary.
The Hereditary faction lost its dispute and as a result sough
allegiance with the Catholic Church of Rome. The Roman church
made the hereditary faction Roman Catholic Uniates and called
the new church the Chaldean Church of Babylon (CCB), to
distinguish it from ACE. But in an interesting reversal, the
hereditary faction returned fifty years later and took control
of ACE, and the election faction took control of CCB.

Table of Apostolic Succession for the Assyrian Church of the East

Year Patriarch

33 Toma

33 Bar Tulmay

33 - 45 Addai

45 - 81 Agai, disciple of Addai (from the Seventy Disciples)

48 - 81 Mari, disciple of Addai (from the Seventy Disciples)

90 - 107 Abris, relative of the Virgin Mary

130 - 152 Oraham I

172 - 190 Yacob I, relative of Yosip the Carpenter

191 - 203 Ebid M'shikha

205 - 220 Akhu d'Awu

224 - 244 Shakhlupa of Kashkar

247 - 326 Papa Bar Gaggai

328 - 341 Shimun Bar Sabbai

345 - 347 Shahdost

350 - 358 Bar Bashmin

383 - 393 Tumarsa

393 - 399 Qaiyuma

399 - 411 Eskhaq

411 - 415 Akhkhi

415 - 420 Yoalaha I

420 Maana

421 Qarabukht

421 - 456 Dadishu

457 - 484 Bawai or Babu

484 - 496 Aqaq

496 - 502 Bawai

505 - 523 Sheela

524 - 535 Narsai

524 - 538 Elisha (dual Patriarchate)

539 - 540 Polos

552 - 567 Yosip

570 - 581 Khazqiyil

581 - 595 Eshuyow I, Arzunaya

596 - 604 Soreshu I Garmaqaya

605 - 608 Greghor, Partaya

628 - 644 Eshuyow II (Gdalaya or Arab)

647 - 650 Mar Immeh

650 - 660 Eshuyow III, Kdayawaya

681 - 684 Gewargis I

684 - 692 Yokhannan I, Bar Marta

686 - 693 Khnaishu I (dual Patriarchate)

693 - 694 Yokhannan II, Garba

714 - 728 Sliwazkha

731 - 740 Pethyon

741 - 751 Awa

752 - 754 Surin

754 - 773 Yacob II

774 - 778 Khnanishu II (the Assyrian monument in China was
erected during his reign)

780 - 820 Timotheus I

820 - 824 Esho-barnon

825 - 832 Gewargis II

832 - 836 Soreshu II

837 - 850 Oraham II, Margaya

850 - 852 Teadasis (Theodoros)

860 - 872 Sargis, Suwaya

873 - 884 Annush d'beth Garmay

884 - 892 Yokhannan III, Bar Narsai

892 - 898 Yokhannan IV

900 - 905 Yokhannan V

906 - 937 Oraham III, Abraza

937 - 949 Ammanoel I

961 - 962 Esrail Karkhaya

963 - 986 Odishu Garmaqaya

967 - 1000 Mari Aturaya

1001 - 1012 Yokhannan VI

1013 - 1022 Yokhannan VII

1023 - 1027 Eshuyow IV

1028 - 1049 Elia I

1049 - 1057 Yokhannan VIII

1057 - 1072 Soreshu III (Bar Zanbur)

1072 - 1090 Odishu II (Bar Ars) Aturaya

1092 - 1109 Makkikha I (Bar Shlemon)

1111 - 1132 Elia II

1133 - 1135 Bar Soma (Of Suwa)

1135 - 1136 Bar Gabbara

1138 - 1147 Odishu III (nephew of Elia II)

1148 - 1175 Eshuyow V (from Beth Zodai, Baladaya)

1176 - 1190 Elia III (Abukhalim)

1191 - 1222 Yoalaha II (Bar Qaiyuma)

1222 - 1226 Soreshu IV

1226 - 1256 Soreshu V (from Baghdad)

1257 - 1265 Makkikha II

1265 - 1281 Dinkha I, Arbilaya (from Arbil)

1281 - 1318 Yoalaha III, Bar Turkaye (Turkish by race)

1318 - 1328 Timotheus II, Arbilaya

1329 - 1359 Dinkha II

1359 - 1368 Dinkha III

1369 - 1392 Shimun III

1403 - 1407 Shimun IV

1407 - 1420 Elia III

1420 - 1447 Shimun V

1448 - 1490 Shimun VI

1491 - 1504 Elia V

1505 - 1538 Shimun VII

1538 - 1551 Eshuyow Shimun VIII

1552 - 1558 Dinkha Shimun IX (Bar Mama)

1558 - 1580 Yoalaha Shimun X

1580 - 1600 Dinkha Shimun XI

1600 - 1653 Elia Shimun XI

1653 - 1690 Eshuyow Shimun XIII

1690 - 1692 Yoalaha Shimun XIV

1692 - 1700 Dinkha Shimun XV

1700 - 1740 Shlemon (Sulaiman) shimun XVI

1740 - 1741 Mikhail (Muukhattis) Shimun XVII

1740 - 1820 Yonan (Yuna) Shimun XVIII

1820 - 1860 Oraham Shimun XIX

1860 - 1903 Ruwil Shimun XX

1903 - 1918 Binyamin Shimun XXI

1918 - 1920 Polos Shimun XXII

1920 - 1975 Eshai Shimun XXIII

1975 - Mar Dinkha IV

Table of Apostolic Succession for the Syrian Orthodox Church

Patriarch Year

St. Peter 37

Euodius 67

Ignatius 68

Heros 107

Cornelius 127

Heros II 154

Theophilus 169

Maximianus 182

Serapion 191

Asclipiades 211

Philetus 220

Zebinus 231

Babylas 237

Fabius 251

Demetrianus 254

Paul 260

Domnus I 268

Timaeus 273

Cyril 283

Arannus 304

Vitalius 314

Philogonius 320

Paulinus 323

Eustathius 324

Meletius 360

Flavian I 381

Porphyrius 404

Alexander 412

Theodotus 417

John I 428

Domnus 442

Maximus 449

Peter II 468

Palladius 488

Flavian II 498

Severus 512

Sergius 544

Paul II 550

Peter III 581

Julian I 591

Athanasius 595

John II 631

Theodore 649

Severus II 667

Athanasius 683

Julian 11 686

Elias I 709

Athanasius 724

Iwannis I 740

George I 758

Joseph 790

Kyriakos 793

Dionysius 817

John III 846

Ignatius II 878

Theodosius 887

Dionysius 897

John IV 910

Basil I 923

John V 936

Iwannis II 954

Dionysius III 958

Abraham 962

John VI 963

Athanasius 986

John VII 1004

Dionysius 1034

John VIII 1049

Athanasius 1058

John IX 1063

Basil II 1074

Dionysius V 1077

Iwannis III 1080

Dionysius VI 1088

Athanasius 1091

John X 1129

Athanasius 1138

Michael 1166

Athanasius 1200

John XI 1208

Ignatius III 1222

John XII 1263

Ignatius IV 1264

Philoxenus 1283

Michael II 1292

Michael 11 1312

Basil HI 1387

Philoxenus 1394

Basil IV 1421

Behnam 1445

Khalaf 1455

John XIII 1483

Noah 1493

Yeshue I 1509

Jacob I 1512

David I 1517

Abdullah I 1520

Ne'matallah 1557

David II 1576

Pilate 1591

Hadayatallah 1597

Simon 1640

Yeshue II 1659

Abdulmassih 1662

George II 1687

Isaac Azar 1709

Shukrallah 1722

George III 1745

George IV 1768

Matthew 1782

Jonah 1817

George V 1819

Elias II 1838

Jacob II 1847

Peter IV 1872

Abdulmassih 1895

Abdullah II 1906

Elias III 1917

Ephrem I 1933

Jacob III 1957

Zakka I 1980

References

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1984.

History of Assyria; A.T. Olmstead.

Hagarism: the Making of the Islamic World; Patricia Crone,
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History of Christianity in Asia: Volume One, Beginnings to
1500; Samuel Moffet; Harper Collins; 1994.

Cambridge Ancient History: The Roman Republic, 133-44 B.C.; W.
W. Tarn; Cambridge University Press; 1985; pp 597.

By Foot to China: Mission of the Church of the East, to 1400;
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The Nestorians and their Rituals; George Percy Badger.

A Short History of Syriac Christianity; W. Stewart McCullough.

Patriarch, Shah, and Caliph; William G. Young.

An Introduction to the History of the Assyrian Church; W. A.
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