| |
 1.
The
Chronicle of Arbela[1]:
"And
in unanimity they both choose of the entire people Papa, the Aramean,
a smart and wise man."
The first
bishop (= Papa) of Seleucia-Ctesiphon was ordained in 291 A.D.
2.
Simon Bar Sabbae (†
344), was bishop and the second catholicos of Seleucia-Ctesiphon after
Papa. He was killed by King Shapur II. On the martyrdom of Simon Bar
Sabbae and his companions we read[2]:
-
"And from Khuzestan
[ancient Elam] he [King Shapur II] wrote an edict to the rulers
of
Beth-Oromoye"
-
"These (things) were
written by King Shapur [II; 309-379 AD] from Khuzestan to the rulers
of
Beth-Oromoye."
-
"But that deceiver also
came to [the city of] Mahuze, which belongs to
Beth-Oromoye,
and he deceived myriads of Jews."
-
"Then, suddenly, a
third edict sent by King Shapur [II; 309-379 AD] from Khuzestan came
to the rulers of
Beth-Oromoye."
“Beth-
Oromoye” = “Beth- Aramaya” is the area in the
neighborhood of the east- Aramean patriarchal see of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
(see above). It is very sad to see that, because of
nationalistic/fanatic reasons, the name of this ancient church has been
changed in ,,Assyrian Apostolic Church of the
East”. Very sad indeed!
3.
Realtion between Isho Yahb and King Khosrau II Parvez.
In
a Syriac text from seventh century we read about the relationship
between the bishop of Syria, Isho Yahb, and the Persian king Khosrau II.
Parvez (590-628) :
"YeshuYahb was treated
respectfully throughout his life, by the king himself and his two
christian wives Shirin the Aramean and Mary the Greek".
4.
Catholicos-Patriarch Timotheos I of the (“Nestorian”) Church of the East
(born in Hazza (Erbil), Iraq,
†
9.1. 823 in Baghdad) speaks to other East-Syrian bishops about Mor
Yeshu'zkho [4]:
Mor
Yeshu'zkho the Aramean, episcopos (from the city of) Seleucia…..
About
Catholicos Dodyeshu he says:
“Catholicos
Dodyeshu' the Aramean…”
The
striking fact is that this patriarch of the Syrian Church of the East
used the word “Aramean” in reference
to our people of the Church of the East in stead of general used word “Syrian”
to denote our people.
Therefore, it is very sad to see that the name of the East-Syrian
(“Nestorian”) Church since 1976 has been changed in “The Assyrian
Apostolic Church”, while many church fathers of this church testify
about their Aramean origin.
About
the famous
bishop Isaac the Syrian
(or: Isaac of Nineveh†
700) he says,,
This useful Mimro (sermon) of Isaak, the Syrian, is finished. His
prayer be with us."
Patriarch Timoteus uses the word Syrian which clearly states to
these scholars the word Syrian and Aramean were synonyms
for the same people.
5.
Theodor Bar Koni,
(†
845 in Syria), was one of the Forty-two Martyrs of Amorion. In his book
"Scholion" he says [5]:
”We know that Abraham was a Syrian.”
6.
East-Syrian or the East-Aramean (of the "Nestorian" Church)
writer and bishop Yeshudad from Haditha (†
853) wrote in his book "The light of the world" [6]:
"The Greek translation
[the Septuagint] calls all
Aram and Arameans "Syrian".
Consequently, Aram becomes the father of the Syrians. For this reason,
those living in Mesopotamia were called "Arameans".
7.
The East-Aramean
("Nestorian") lexicographer Bar Bahlul from Bagdad (†963)
explains in his
Syrian (Aramaic) dictionary the name "Syria" [6]:
"And
the Syrians were formerly called Arameans, (but) when
Cyrus ruled over them, from then on they were called Syrians."
St.
Bar Bahlul most probably would be upset if he would have seen that the
name of his church since 1976 has been changed in “The
Assyrian Apostolic Church
of the East”.
8.
Catholicos-
Patriarch Elias (I) of Tirhan (1028-1049) also called
Elias of Nisibis, Elias bar Senaya
identifies himself
in his Grammar book, the Grammar of the Syrian language, as a
“Syrian”. He says “But we, the Syrians”[8].
8.1
In his
"History" the chronicler he writes [8.1]:
"Abu
Mansur Sa'id governed the territories of
Beth Oromoye."
About Al-Hajjaj:
”Al-Hajjaj
gave order so that the christians shall not install any churchleader,
and the church of the Arameans' land remained without an overhead
until the death of Hajjaj.”
9.
The East- Aramean “Nestorian” metropolitan Solomon from Basra says in
his book,, The Book of the Bee”(written
in 1222 AD) [8]:
"In
the days of Reu the languages were divided into seventy and two; up to
this time there was only one language, which was the parent of them all,
namely, Aramean, that is Syrian."
"Touching
the writing which was written in Greek, Hebrew and Latin, and set over
Christ's head, there was no Aramean written upon the tablet, for the
Arameans or Syrians had no part in (the shedding of) Christ's
blood, but only the Greeks and Hebrews and Romans; Herod the Greek and
Caiaphas the Hebrew and Pilate the Roman. Hence when Abgar the
Aramean king of
Mesopotamia
heard (of it),,,,,,."
For
this metropolitan, like all others, the Arameans are the same as Syrians
and visa versa. The idea that “Syrian” is abbreviated from “Assyrian”
propagated in our days by many fanatics and history forgers is refuted
by this and many other historians of the East- as well as West Syrian
Church of Antioch.
The
East- Aramean “Chaldean” writers
10.
The East- Aramean “Chaldean“ Patriarch Joseph (1681-1695) from
Diyarbekir (1683) wrote a liturgical book entitled,,
The
Holy
Church of the Syrians of the East"[9]
11.
Mor
Touma Audo,
born in Alqosh [Iraq] in 1855 and killed in the year 1917, was the
Metropolitan of Urmia [Iran] and a famous dictionary writer.
In his
dictionary "Treasure of the Syriac Language" (1897) he states[11]:
-
"It
is well-known by scholars, that the Syriac language was at that time
the spoken language of the population, who lived in large numbers in
the eastern areas, that is Syria, Beth Nahrin, Assyria and the land
of Sinear and its environments.
-
All these territories
were called Beth Aram
by the Jews, as it is revealed in the Old Testament.
-
For Aram, the son of Shem, dominated over them and populated them
with his offspring. That's why the Syriac language is not mentioned
in the Old Testament, but Aramaic.
That's the original and first name which is disclosed us...
-
For the Christian
doctrine prospered first in that part of Beth Aram,
which
was called especially by the Greeks Syria, and primarily
prospered first in Antiochia, the mother of all cities, where the
disciples were called christians for the first time.
-
All
the people from
Beth Aram,
who became christians, were called Syrians."
12.
Gevargis Abd- Ischo
V, Patriarch of Babylon (1894-1899) says in a letter to his bishops[12]
, The general letter to the Syrian
brothers who are called Nestorians.
13.
Metropolitan Aday Sher, born 1867 in Shaqlawa [Iraq] and killed
1915 became the archbishop of Seert [Turkey].
He writes in his
book "Chaldo and Athur" [13]:
"They
(= Syrians) were called Arameans due to their relationship with
Aram, the son of Sehm, who settled in this country and populated
it with his offspring."
13.1
About Tur Abdin he says[13.1]:
"The
first inhabitants of
Tur Abdin are the Arameans,
for they inhabited the
whole Mountain of Masios..."
14.
Ya‘qob Avgin (=
Eugene) Manna (1867-1928)
born in Beth
Qopa [Iraq] was the Metropolitan of Basra [Iraq]
and
wrote many books and a
dictionary Aramaic- Arabic.
In his book
"Beautiful gardens"[14] he says:
"All
the East and West Syrians were called Arameans, that is to say
children of
Aram"
14.1
In
his dictionary Aramaic-Arabic he writes [14.1] :
-
"The people from Babylon
and Assur, who are Arameans. The countries of Babylon and
Assur were always called
Beth Aramaye, that means
country of the Arameans."
-
"The Syrians generally,
whether from the East or from the West were not called Syrians in
former times, but Arameans in dependance on their progenitor
Aram, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah. The name 'Syrian' dates from a time about 400 or
500 B.C."
-
"The term Syrian was
adopted by the East-Arameans (Chaldeans and Assyrians)
after Christ through the apostles, who had proselytized these
countries."
14.2
Hanna Aydin
quotes Manna Aydin and says [14.2]:
-
The refreshed meadow of
the literature of the Arameans.
-
The guide of the Aramean Chaldean language.
-
The rite of the
Mysterium of the holy baptism according to the extirpation/use of
the holy church of the East- Syrians Chaldeans
-
Lectionary of the
special days of the whole year according to the extirpation/use of
the holy church of the East- Syrians
Chaldeans
Footnotes
[1] The Chronicle of Arbela, translated by Peter
KAWERAU, english translation by Timothy KRÓLL LOVANII IN ÆDIBUS E.
PEETERS 1985 p.26
[2] Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library;
Volume 1, VatSyr. 161, number 3. Martyrdom of St. Simeon (Symeon bar
Sabba‘e), Bishop of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, and his companions.
Fol. 20a. p.40, 46, 48
[4] Hanna Aydin, Die Syrisch- Orthodoxe Kirche von
Antiochien, Ein geschichtlicher Uberblick” Bar Hebrraus Verlag Glane-
Losser 1990, p.33-35.
[5] His book "Scholion", printed in 1910 in Paris, p.
113
[6] His book "The light of
the world", printed in Louvian, Belgium in 1950, page 16
[7] R. Duval (ed.), Lexicon Syriacum, Paris,
1888-1901, under "Suryoyo"
[8] see [4]
[8.1] Elie, Enque de nisibe chronologie, p.142
[9] The Book of the Bee, edited and translated by
Earnest A. Wallis Budge, M. A. [Oxford, the Clarendon Press] 1886, chapt.
XXIII, p. 38, 99
[10] see [4]
[11] Treasure of the Syriac Language by Thomas Audo
Metropolitan of Urmia, Part I-II. ND Verlag Bar
Hebräus, Losser-Holland 1985, preface
[12] see [4]
[13] Sa Grandeur Mgr. Addai Scher, De La Chaldee Et De
L’assyrie Vol. 2, (Imprimerie Catholique, Beyrouht, 1913), 5
[13.1] Quoted by bishop Julius Cicek in his
introduction of Suleyman Hinno's "Gunhe d-Suryoye d-Tur Abdin", Bar
Hebräus-Verlag, 1987
[14] Asmar Al-Khoury:
History of the Syriac people in Beth Nahrin, part I, Sweden 1988
[14.1] Bishop J.E. Manna,
Chaldean-Arabic Dictionary, Babel Center Publications. Beirut 1915, p.
11-21
[14.2] see [4]
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1.
St. Afrem the Syrian
(†
373)
the Harp of the Holy Spirit,
the famous Church father of the Syrian Church of Antioch, names the
famous Bar Dayson (154-
222 A.D) of Edessa “Bar
Dayson the
Aramean Philosopher”[1]
1.1
He
speaks of Aram-Nahrin (= Mesopotamia) as
`our country' in a
number of places[1.1]
1.2
In his discourse
composed against the famous philosopher Bardaisan
from Edessa (Urfa) he
writes [1.2]:
-
"but
the philosopher of the Arameans made himself a laughing-stock
among Arameans and Greeks"
-
"B ecause 'light' in
Aramaic language is called as masculine, and 'eye' feminine in the
same"
-
"he, Bardaisan, calls
the moon feminine in the Aramaic language
1.3
In another
discourse against Mani he says:
"and
there ended the construction of the Aramaean Philosopher"[1.3]
1.4
Regarding Jesus
and the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter he says in his appeal
to the Lord [1.4]:
"Doctor who in his mercy healed the girl which
is the daughter of the Arameans, heal our souls."
2.
The learned West-Aramean
Saint James of Sarug
(Sürüç, Turkey,
†512)
describes Saint Ephrem the Syrian (†
373) in a hymn as honor to the Aramean nation opposing the Greeks and
states[2]:
-
"This (Efrem) who
became a crown of glory for all the Arameans, and through him
they became near the spiritual splendors. He who became a great
orator among the Syrians."
- “He
who raised up the horn of the Syrians everywhere, (and) from him
henceforth we have learnt to sing to the Lord with sweet songs"
-
"He who gazed
diligently in his mind on the great Moses, and after the model of
the Hebrew women he taught the Aramaean women to give praise
with their madrashe"
2.1
In his
Homily on Aday and King Abgar he writes [2.1]:
-
"[The Patriarch] Jacob
and [the apostle] Aday were sent to
Aram-Nahrin, so that they
would fulfill both the New and Old (Testament words)."
-
"Aday himself, too,
came to the land of
Beth-Oromoye, so that these symbols drawn
by Jacob would be fulfilled through him. And (so) in Urhoy he opened
up a big fountain of living waters."
2.2
In
his Homily on Urhoy and Jerusalem:
"The
darkness of the world and the blackness of Abgar, the Aramaean's son,
the world of darkness became light through Abgar in Christ."[2.2]
2.3
About
Edessa (SanliUrfa)
he says[2.3]:
"The
daughter of the Arameans, albeit aloof, heard his lore"
2.4
In
the Homily on “Guria and Shamuna” the martyrs from the neighborhood of Edessa (Urfa) and says[2.4]:
"Two precious pearls, which were an ornament for the bride of my lord
Abgar, the Aramaean's son.
3.
Philoxenos of Mabugh, born in the middle of the 5th century in Tahal in
the province of Beth Garmai and passed away on December 10 in
Philippopolis in Thrakia, was one of the greatest church fathers. He
studied together with
Saint James of Sarug in Edessa and in the
Monastery of Mor Gabriel in Tur Abdin.
In one
of his writings he says:
"The term stir or mix is used in most of the books written by our
churchly ancestors regardless of being Arameans or Greeks."
4.
John of Beth Rufina, priest at Antioch and disciple of the great anti-Chalcedonian
leader, Peter the Iberian (417-491), writes about the Life of St. Abhai,
bishop of Nicea[4] :
-
"in both scholastics
they were educated; in Aramaic, which is Syriac and in Greek, which
is called Roman."
-
"In that time they
learned to proceed the sciences in this scolastic Aramaic, that is
to say Syriac."
-
"After the flood in the
days of Noah, the Arameans inhabited
Beth Nahrin."
-
"Many of the children
of Aram were educated in the Greek language."
His
Holiness Patriarch Michael the Great revised this life story of Saint
Abhai in 1185.
5.
The 6th century historian and Bishop Simeon of Beth Arsham, which
was located near Seleucia-Ctesiphon, was a famous man who made disciples
and baptized three great and famous men among the Magians, says in a
letter concerning Barsauma and the heresies of the Nestorians [5]:
"In
the days of Catholicos Babai heresies of the disciples of Paul from
Samosata and Diodor from Tarsus emerged in the country of
Beth
Oromoye"
6.
The West- Aramean
Saint Jacob of
Edessa (present-day Urfa
in Turkey,
†708)
says[6]:
"It
is in this same way also we the Arameans, that is to say the
Syrians…"
6.1
About the Syriac language he writes in his book "The Six Days"
[6.1]:
"The Syriac language, that is Aramaic"
7.
The Anonymous of
Zuqnin, near Amid [Turkey] writes in his Syriac world-chronicle of c. AD
775 regarding the year 504-505[7]:
"The year eight hundred and sixteen: The Romans devastated all the
Persian territory from Nisibis to the boundaries of
Beth Aramaye,
killing, destroying, taking prisoner and plundering."
7.1
About the imposator appeared in the West and seduced and killed many
among the Jews[7.1]:
"He
went down to the land of
Beth Aramaye
that was immersed in
all the evils of sorcery, and devoted himself to sorcery and all
diabolical tricks."
7.2
In relation to
Jazira, the term which refers to Upper Mesopotamia from Osrhoene in the
West to Mount Sinjar in the East, being the land of the Syriac-speaking
Christians [7.2]:
"land which spoke the language of the children of Aram"
7.3
About the Arab Muslims who married Christian women[7.3]
"As
for the people who married (Syrian) women, sired Syrian children, and
mixed with the Syrians, and whom no one was able to distinguish from
the Aramaeans, he quickly found out about them."
8
Patriarch
Dionysius (†845)
of Tellmahre, near ar-Raqqa on the Balikh River, writes in his
chronicle[8]:
"Figuratively we're calling 'Syrians' all those, who are speaking
Aramaic, both to the west and east of the
Euphrates,
from the Mediterranean Sea to Persia...Urhoy (= Urfa) is the homeland of
the Syriac-Aramaic language."
9.
Monk Anton of Tikrit
(Iraq,
†
840-850) on Wafa the Aramean[9]:
“The fifth meter of poetry is usually composed of six or seven strophics
whose number sometimes increases or decreases. This meter belongs to man
named Wafa, an Aramean philosopher.”
10.
Moses Bar Kepha (Bar
Keepho), a celebrated bishop and writer, born at Balad (near Tigris) in
813 and passed away in 903, says in his book "The Six Days" [10]:
”Mor Philoxinos said also that the translation of the Bible is called
”The Easy (Peshitta)", which was translated into our Aramean language
by Agolas and Soomkhos.”
11.
Dionoysius Bar Salibi the Syrian-Orthodox bishop of Amid (Diyarbekir,
Turkey,
†1171),
also called the star from the 12th century, says in his book ‘Against
the Armenians" [11]:
"The Armenians say: "From whom do you descend - you who are Syrians by
race?" Against them we will say: Neither do you know from whom you
descend....It is we (Syrians) who have enlightened your authors and
revealed to them that you are descending from Togarma....As to us
Syrians, we descend racially from Shem, and our
father is Kemuel (the) son of Aram, and from this name of Aram we are
also called sometimes in the books by the name of "Arameans".
11.1
Against the Melkites he says in his book "Discussions"[11.1]:
-
"Not
even the name "Syrian", which you've taken from us is higher,
because this name is derived from "Suros", who reigned in
Antiochia and after his name the country of
Syria was named,
like your national name derived from the pagan ‘Yawan’."
-
"If Yawan, the father
of the Greeks, was born before Aram, our father, there might have
been occasion for discussion..."
-
"As
we Syrians are the children of
Aram."
-
"We
show that our name has more honor than yours."
12.
The
Syrian-Orthodox (West-Aramean) Patriarch St. Michael the Great of
Militene (Malatya, Turkey,
†
1199 AD) says about the children of Shem[12]: "The
Children of Shem are the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Ludians and the
Arameans who are the Syrians, the Hebrew and the Persians."
12.1
The same author says about the Mesopotamian history”
The kingdoms which have been established in
antiquity by our race, (that of) the Aramaeans, namely the
descendants of Aram, who were called Syrians”[12.1]
.
The
remarkable thing is, that this great scholar from the 12th
century considers the whole Mesopotamian history as a part of the
Aramean history.
12.2
About Mani he says[12.2]:
"He
(also) sent from among those who were with him [the apostle] Adai so as
to preach in
Beth Aramaye."
Regarding the
persecution of the Christians in Persia in 339-379 he says:
”the
40 years perpetual persecution in the land of the Arameans”
13.
The well known West- Aramean Syrian-Orthodox Maphrian and scholar Bar
Hebreaus from Militene (Malatya, Turkey,
†1286),
by the modern scientist called the library from the 13th century
because of his profound knowledge, says about the "Syrian-Aramean
Nation"[13].
"You have not corrupted me
in the barbaric, pagan astrology, but [instead] You have brought me to
the eloquent Aramean-Syrian nation."
13.1
In his book of
the laughable
stories, he says [13.1]
"let this book be a
religious friend to the reader, whether he be Muslim, or Hebrew, or
Aramean, or a man belonging to a foreign country."
13.2
In his
commentary on Genesis 10:22 he says[13.2]:
"and his [Shem] sons (were) the Assyrians, the
Chaldeans, the Ludians, the Syrians, the Hebrews, (and)
the Persians."
It is
remarkable that he speaks of "Syrians" and not of "Arameans",
since this synonymous was interchangeable in reference to our people, it
means: Arameans=Syrians.
It was no discussion about
this issue.
Footnotes
[1] (C.W. Mitchell, S. Ephraim's Prose Refutations of
Mani, Marcion and Bardaisan (2 vols.; London & Oxford: Williams & Norgate, 1912 & 1921), vol. II, p. 225)
[1.1] (See Sidney H. Griffith, "Julian Saba, `Father
of the Monks' of Syria," Journal of Early Christian Studies 2 (1994),
esp. pp. 201-203)
[1.2] (C.W. Mitchell, S. Ephraim's Prose Refutations
of Mani, Marcion and Bardaisan (2 vols.; London & Oxford: Williams &
Norgate, 1912 & 1921), vol. II, p. 225.
See O. G. von Wessendonk, "Bardesanes and Mani," Acta
Orientalia 10 (1932), pp. 336-363)
[1.4] See Priest Joseph Demir, Pentiqotho, 1981
Heilbronn, p. 202
[2] See Joseph P. Amar, A Metrical Homily on Holy Mar
Ephrem by Mar Jacob of Sarug (Patrologia Orientalis, vol. 47, fasc., 1,
no. 209; Turnhout: Brepols, 1995), #48, pp. 37ff.
[2.1] Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library:
Volume 1, VatSyr. 117 number 108. On Addai the Apostle and Abgar the
King of Edessa. Fol. 268a, p. 537
[2.2] Words, Texts And Concepts Cruising The
Mediterranean Sea: Studies On The Sources, Contents And Influences Of
Islamic Civilization And Arabic Philosophy And Science : Dedicated To
Gerhard Endress On His Sixty Peter Bruns' Ein Memra des Jakob von Serug
Auf Edessa und Jerusalem, p. 546
[2.3] see [2.2] p. 549
[2.4] Text tr. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson (eds.),
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 8 (1886);
See Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library:
Volume 1, VatSyr. 117, number 224:On Shmona and Gurya. Fol. 551a, p.
1099
[4] Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library;
Volume 1, VatSyr 37: Life of St. Abhai, Bishop of Nicea. Fol. 144b
(156b), p. 314, 315
[5] Syriac Manuscripts from the Vatican Library;
Volume 1, VatSyr 135, number 6: A letter by Bishop Simeon of Beth Arsham
concerning Barsauma and the heresies of the Nestorians. Fol. 24a , p. 56
[6] Saint James of Edessa his "History", p. 293
[7] The Chronicle of Zuqnin, Parts III and IV, english translation by
Amir Harrak [Toronto, 1999], p. 41
[7.1] see [7], p. 163
[7.2] see [7] p. 225
[7.2] see [7] p. 226
[8] Chabot Edition, Mar Michael the Great his
"History" about Patriarch Mar Dionyius Telemheery , page 522-524
[9] Monk Anton of Tigrit "The knowledge of Eloqeunce",
Chapter 5
[10] The Bishop Moses Bar Kepha: "The Six Days",
First article, Chapter 44, Chapter 45, 2e article, Chapter 45
[11] A. Mingana, The work of Dionysius Bar Salibi
against the Armenians, in Woodbrooke Studies, Vol.4, (Cambridge, 1931)
p. 54
[11.1] A. Mingana, A Treatise of Bar Salibi Against
the Melchites (Cambridge, 1931), p. 57
[12] Syriac text of Chabot edition, published in
Paris 1899-1918, p. 3
[12.1] see [12], p. 23
[12.2] see [12], p. 748
[13] Bar Hebraeus, The book of the Rays, by the
Syriac Federation of Sweden, 1983, preface
[13.1] Bar Hebraeus, The Laughable Stories, written
off by Bishop Julius Cicek, Verlag Bar Hebräus, Losser-Holland 1984,
preface
[13.2] World Chronicle of Bar Hebraeus, written off
by Malphono Barsaumo Dogan, Verlag Bar Hebräus. Losser-Holland 1987, p.
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