These are two different names for the same Church of the East. The term "Assyrian" was added to the (Syrian) Church of the East in 1975 after the assassination of the Patriarch Mar Eshai Shamun XXIII. Regarding this assassination; professor John Joseph says,, The District Attorney further argued that one of the motives in the killing was Assyrian nationalism; he tried to prove that the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) was involved in the assassination (Professor John Joseph,, The Modern Assyrians of the Middle East”, Encounters with Western Christian Missions, Archaeologists, & Colonial powers” (page 133)
After the assassination of Eshai Shamun XXIII; a new patriarch was elected in 1976. His name: Mar Dinkha IV. The same years, thus 1976, the name of the Church has been changed in “Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East” (http://www.cired.org/). The Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV resides in Chicago United sates.
2. What is the Ancient Church of the east?
The Ancient Church of the East was created in 1968 out of the (Syrian) Church of the East as a result of dispute between Mar Thoma Darmo of India and the Patriarch of the Church of the East, Mar Shamun concerning the hereditary succession . In 1968 the Iraqi government allowed Mar Darmo to visit Iraq; after which he began to consecrate bishops and the creation of the Ancient Church of the East was a fact!
The present-day patriarch: Mar Addai, resident in Baghdad; members: 5 diocese in Iraq and US
3. How many "Assyrians" are in Iraq?
Because of the vast amount of misinformation spread by fanatics to distort the history of the Indigenous Aramean people in Iraq who became known as,, Assyrian Christians"; in many publication they are talking about 750.000, 1.2 million or even 2.5 million ,, Assyrians". The reality is however that there are no more than 25.000-30.000 ,, Assyrians" in Iraq. When they say,, Assyrian"; they consider, against their will, all the Christian sects in Iraq as ,, Assyrians". This is not only lack of respect towards other Christian (Aramean) denominations; but at the same a big insult to the brilliant scholars of the Syrian (Orthodox) Church of Antioch who all testify about their Aramean roots.
4. Who gave them and made them known as,, Assyrian Christians" ?
The Powerful Jesus of the West
East-Aramean Nestorians: The victims of the Western missionaries
In deeper sense: the victim of the powerful Jesus of the West
The East- Aramean “Nestorians” were first designated as the Chaldeans; later as Ten Lost Tribes of Israel; and finally as,, Assyrians”.
No any historical proof- only assumption based on excavations and "features of affinity" between the east-Aramean Nestorians and the Assyrians of Antiquity.
Few examples
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(17-8-1807 - 25-4-1844) |
The East-Aramean Nestorians designated as the Then Lost Tribes of Israel by Asahel Grant GRANT, Asahel, missionary, born in Marshall, Allegheny County, New York, 17 August, 1807; died in Mosul, Asiatic Turkey, 25 April, 1844. He studied medicine, and had acquired a large practice in Utica, New York, when, in 1834, his attention was directed to missionary work. The field of Oroomiah (Urmia), a district in Persia along the Turkish frontier, was selected by him, and in May, 1835, he sailed from Boston, reaching his new home in October. He published "The Nestorians, or the Lost Tribes, with Sketches of Travel in Assyria, Armenia, Media, and Mesopotamia" (London and Boston, 1841). See "Memoir of Asahel Grant, M. D." (New York, 1847)and "Grant and the Nestorians" (Boston, 1853). |
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Paul-Émile Botta Born 6 Dec 1802; died 29 Mar 1870 |
French consul and archaeologist whose momentous discovery of the
palace of the Assyrian king Sargon II at Dur Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad),
Iraq, initiated the large-scale field archaeology of ancient
Mesopotamia.
It was in 1843 when the French Consular agent at Mosul, Paul Emile Botta, began his diggings in Khorsabad, about 12 miles north of Mosul, and uncovered the ruins of the magnificent palace of Sargon II, King of Assyria (722-705 B.C.). That same year the British excavations, under Asutin Henry Layard, discovered the majestic palace of Shalmaneser I (ca. 884-860) with its winged bulls, followed later by that of Ashurbanipal (668-ca 626 B.C.), with his library's vast collection of cuneiform tablets (page 15) |
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Austen Henry Layard ( 5-3-1817, died 5-7-1894) |
Austen Henry Layard was a British author and
diplomatist, best known as the excavator of Nineveh (1843) In his excellent book, Professor John Joseph tells Us about the excavations of Nineveh by Layard,, When the Assyrian excavations revealed the remains of Nineveh to the wondering eyes of the world, the Nestorians and their "Chaldean" brethren in the environs of ancient Assyrian capital and beyond attracted special attention. The hero of these excavations , Austin Henry Layard, hastened to proclaim these historic, linguist and religious minorities to be "as much the remains of Nineveh, and Assyria, as the rude heaps and ruined places. In the midst of this excitement, J.P. Fletcher wrote that "the Chaldeans and the Nestorians" are "the only surviving human memorial of Assyria and Babylonia" While the name Chaldean was already, as we have seen, appropriated by those Nestorians who had embraced Roman Catholicism, the illustrious twin name 'Assyrians' was eventually adopted by the Nestorians as a name for themselves (page 17 of the book) |
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Rev. J.P Fletcher |
On page 21 we read about J.P.Flethchers view regarding the linkage between the ancient Assyrians and the east-Arameans nestorians of Mosul,, Those who have studied with care the sculptural representations of the ancient Assyrians and compared with the modern inhabitants of the plain of Nineveh, can hardly fail to trace the strong features of affinity which exist between the robed monarchs and priests of early days and the Christians peasants of the plain of Mosul (page 21) |
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Archbishop of Canterbury's Assyrian mission |
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Edward White Benson (1829-1896); Archbishop of Canterbury (1883- 1896) |
The Anglican missionaries started their mission activities among the
East-Aramean "Nestorians" as from 1887-1890 and 1890- 1915. This
mission was called,,
The Archbishop of Cantebury's Assyrian Mission".
Initially it meant the Christians of
geographical Assyria. These Christians of geographical
Assyria became later known as,, Assyrian
Christians" or "Christian
Assyrians".
And this has resulted in the present-day fanaticism among the East-
Arameans "Nestorians" who even do not hesitate to falsify documents and
historical facts. Regarding the view of Archbishop Benson in relation to the "Assyrians"; page 19, footnote 68 of the book of John Joseph tells us,, Maclean and Browne, p.6. See also Coakley, p. 147, where he quotes Maclean sayin “there is really as far as I know no proof that they [‘the Syrian Christians’] had any connection with the Old Assyrians. One of the few Anglicans who did use the term Assyrian was the Archbishop of Canterbury Benson, “but that is a fad of His Grace, as no one else”, wrote one of the missionaries quoted by Coakley” |
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The Rev. William Ainger Wigram (1872-1953) Archbishop of Canterbury's Mission to Assyria. |
The assumption that the Nestorians were descendants of the ancient Assyrians found a great advocate in the Anglican missionary W.A. Wigram, who in his post-world War I books, The assyrians and their Neighbours, and Ours smallest Ally, popularized the name Assyrian and familiarized the world with the tragedy that had befallen these "descendants of Shalmaneser" (Page 19) |
The brilliant Scholars of the Church of Antioch
All these people; who invented and glorified the product "Assyrians" have neglected one important point, namely: None of them had access to the Great Treasure or the Hidden Pearl of the Church of Antioch; namely the Giant Historians.
The view of William A. Wigram; Edward White Benson; Rev. J.P Fletcher; Austen Henry Layard; Dr. Asahel Grant; is simply refuted by Great Scholars like for example: Bar Bahlul of Baghdad, Timoteus I of Arbil, Jacob of Edessa; Jacob Saroeg etc.. etc..
This is typical Western disease, namely: They invent (so-called "scientifically") a myth and subsequently want to proof that their myth is true. Just horrible, shameless and outrages! That explains why you have some Western "professors" saying , "Well, the ancient Assyrians did survive"; in order to activate their own creation. Even if this would be true; you have no slightest evidence that the ancient Assyrians have any connection with the East- Aramean "nestorians" of Hakkaria; Urmia or Northern Iraq.
At the moment, you as a Western "Scholar" come up with such nonsense, in order to promote the criminal Spiritual Product of Jesus of the West; you will be faced with the Great Historians of the East- Syrian "Church"; like for example: Theodor Bar Koni; Yeshudad from Haditha; Bar Bahlul of Baghdad; Solomon from Basra etc.. etc.. who all will say to you: We are Arameans.
We don't need your myths and legends! We have our own historians who had much better access to the historical documents than you have! So, please behave moderate and humble!
Page 19, footnote 68 of the book of John Joseph says,, Maclean and Browne, p.6. See also Coakley, p. 147, where he quotes Maclean saying “there is really as far as I know no proof that they [‘the Syrian Christians’] had any connection with the Old Assyrians.
Page 29, footnote 94 of the same book says,, In a letter to the author, dated June 11, 1997, Patricia Crone wrote that she and Cook,,, Do not argue that the Nestorians of pre-Islamic saw themselves as Assyrians or that this is what they called themselves. They called themselves Suryane, which had no greater connation of Assyrian in their usage than it did in anyone else's …. We take it for granted that they [Nestorians] got the modern Assyrian label from the West and proceed to reinvent themselves.. Of course the Nestorians were Arameans : Of course, we have also to keep in mind that the Giant Scholars of the Syrian Church of Antioch all of them testify of their Aramean heritage. Please click here to see the testimonies of these great professor!
This is in fact only the problem of the Western "scientists". It has their games to play with our cultural heritage. They consider themselves so wise and superior that they have imposed fake names onto our nation. If these blind "professors" would have given attention to the brilliant historians of the Syrian Church of Antioch; they would understand they are no match for this Giant historians and would respect the Aramean origin of our Nation.
They come with, by themselves invented nonsense, like this "nobody is pure and in northern of Iraq has been melting pot of many nations.". Well it can be! But we have historians of our West who were much more close to the history and had the better access to the documents than you have; so why don't you listen to them and behave a bit modest and pay them respect!
6. “Assyrian Christians”; indigenous people of Iraq?
Regularly we read in publications that the “Assyrian” Christians are the indigenous people of Iraq. This is however not correct! The “Assyrian” Christians are a product of the Western missionaries who came to the middle-east in the 19th century and have brainwashed the Aramean tribes of Urmia (Iran) and Hakkaria (bordering Turkey-Syria) to see themselves as ,, Assyrian” in stead of Aramean. These Aramean tribes prefer since then to call themselves ,, Assyrians” and try by all means possible to force this fake identity onto other Aramean tribes by spreading overwhelming biased information regarding the origin of our people.
From spiritual point of view: "Assyrians" are nothing but a unholy product of the horrible Jesus of the West who made a havoc in the Middle-East and fragmentized the Aramean nation and accelerated their decline in the Middle-east.
To present it correctly: It should be always Aramean Christians in stead of “Assyrian Christians”