Chronicle of Sert

Part Two

41. Tiberius the Emperor

This man became emperor in year 885 of Alexander. He was good to the poor and
confirmed the teaching of the Two Natures in Christ and drove out heretics. In his time
the peace treaty made with the Persians was broken because the Armenians had rebelled
against the Persians and made an alliance with the Byzantines. God gave [Tiberius] victory
over them and the other enemies. The Persians then marched off in the direction of
Reshaina and the territory around Nisibis. They laid waste to it and took prisoners.
Tiberius sent Maurice the head of the army against them and took 70,000 of them
prisoner and settled them on the island of Cyprus. The Persians counterattacked and
2

managed to reach the neighbouring territory of Cilicia, so he drove them from it. When
the excellence of Maurice and his bravery became clear to Tiberius, he gave him his
daughter's hand in marriage. He decided that since he had no son to inherit the throne
after him, Maurice would succeed him as Emperor. He died after a reign of nine years,
five of them with Justin and four after him.

This section comes from a history of the Roman emperors that composed independently of the material
composed in Iraq that make up most of the Chronicle. It is probably of Melkite origin, witnessed in its clear
disapproval of Miaphysite figures such as Anastasius. It is dated by the year of the Greeks (AG), which suggests a
West Syrian origin for this material. See further discussion in Wood, 2014.
2 For this war between Rome and Persia see Greatrex and Lieu 2002; Whitby.
1

42. Isho'yahb of Arzun, the 30th Catholicos

This man was from Beth Arabaye. He was learned and virtuous, of perfect bearing and
5

handsome appearance. He had studied with Abraham the exegete of Nisibis, whom he
6

succeeded as exegete. He was chosen as bishop of Arzun and elevated to the see.

Hormizd the shah knew and was favourable to him, because he had received intelligence
from Isho'yahb about the Roman army and its movements.

When Ezekiel the catholicos went to his rest, people gathered to settle the selection of
9

who was to succeed him. Some chose Job the exegete who was in Seleucia and a relative
10

of Mar Narsai, while others chose Isho'yahb the bishop of Arzun. The matter was finally
11

relayed to the shah, who ordered the Bishop of Arzun to be appointed catholicos. The
shah asked about the procedure for this and, on learning that he needed all the bishops
and metropolitans, summoned them. When they arrived, they settled on the patriarch,
who then, accompanied by them, entered the presence of the shah. He honoured them
and sent them back to their sees. He wrote to his governors that they should consult the
3 The Arabic version of the name would look quite different if transliterated according to the system currently in
use among western Arabic scholars.
4 Beth Arabaye see Fiey.
5 An initial statement of a catholicos birthplace and physical appearance is a classic feature of the patriarchal
histories in all of the medieval compilations. Wood, 2013; Wood, 2014.
6 On the school of Nisibis see Becker, and earlier studies by Voobus. Isho'yahb was the first head of the school of
Nisibis to be appointed catholicos, but the close connection between the school and the catholicate dates back a
generation earlier, to the time of Aba (Wood, 2013).
7 Arzun lies close to the Roman border, which may explain the role played by Ishoyahb in reporting troop
movements (which may in turn explain his selection as catholicos).
8 The late sixth century saw bishops of the Church of the East play an increasingly prominent role as spies or
diplomats for the Sasanian governemtn. Sako, 1983.
9 The Ar. name 'two cities' refers to Seleucia and Ctesiphon. El-Ali; Fiey, 1967.
10 The Mar Narsai here could be either the early sixth century catholicos or the more famous Nisibene exegete of the
late fifth century.
11 This was the first intervention of a shah in the election of the catholicos, an initiative that shows that the church was
prominent enough to merit royal interference. Earlier shahs had long been the object of panegyrics in synods at
Ctesiphon (synod of Ishaq; synod of Joseph; synod of Ezekiel), but the concomitant involvement of the Sasanian
state in church affairs and elections could also be controversial (synod of Joseph)

12

opinion of the bishops in matters of law and in most matters. They did nothing without
consulting them. The Magi became angry because he honoured the Christians more than
any other Persian shah had done.

13

In year four of his patriarchate he made twenty-two canons for Jacob Bishop of the island
14

of Drn, which contained what was necessary for him in the administration of his
15

bishopric. And he briefly explained the mysteries.

16

Nisibis and 'An were on the border between the Persian and Byzantine Empire. When
17

Hormizd was attacked by his son Khusrau Aparvaz , [Khusrau] gouged out his eyes and,
18

with the help of his soldiers, defeated the shah. Bahram, the army commander, became
so hostile to him after his victory and accession to the throne that [Khusrau] was obliged
to flee from Bahram to the Roman emperor. With soldiers provided to him by the latter
Khusrau returned and took possession of his empire, as we shall report everything that
19

20

happened to him. Pavilions were set up for him on his victorious return. Isho'yahb the
catholicos set up three pavilions for him and stood by to salute him. But the shah became
angry with the catholicos. He did not turn to the catholicos. On the order [of the
12 The Sasanian state had long made use of Zoroastrian clergy in its administration (Gyselen), and the shah may
simply have sought to treat Christian bishops in the smae way. Christians are increasingly attested in the seals in
the late sixth century (Gyselen). Cf. also Simonsohn; Payne.
13
14
15 Synod of Isho'yahb I.
16 The Arabic word is derived from the Syriac word for 'mysteries', which refers to the Eucharist cf. R. Payne-Smith
A Compendious Syriac Dictionary (1903) p. 28a
17 Something like Parvaz ('commendable') in Persian
18 Tabari; Yaqubi; Dinawari.
19 Here the author seems to signal his awareness of other narratives that focused more explicitly on the shah, and
his intention to use the. However, we cannot be sure that any of the various narratives on Khusrau II in the
Chronicle are the work of this author.
20 The word used here often refers to a cupola structure. It probably refers to some temporary structure that is a
part of the triumphal procession

catholicos] the bishops had in their hands choice musk, ambergris, camphor, saffron,
Indian aloe wood and censers. The shah avoided entering the first pavilion. The catholicos
21

hastened to the second pavilion, in his hand myrtle, citron and a censer, and the shah
turned away from it. The catholicos began to tremble. The soldiers of Maurice the Roman
22

emperor began to murmur when they saw the contempt shown to the catholicos. When
23

Khusrau noticed this, he said to the catholicos: 'You have done three things , and you
have to be repaid for them. The first is that you did not come with me to Roman territory
and you did not send a bishop to accompany me. Maurice showed me more respect. You
24

did not come to meet me when you you knew of my arrival and my reception in Roman
territory. The second is that you did not put a pavilion as it should have been. The third is
25

your praying on behalf of Bahram the one who withdrew.' The shah then turned to the
third pavilion and entered it, while the reins of his horse were being held under the
26

pavilion. He turned to the catholicos and said angrily: ' Do you think that this trick of
yours will help you to escape punishment for your wrongdoing ? Do you think it has
escaped my attention that you extended your hand and prayed for Bahram who has
rebelled against me ?' The catholicos said to him: 'As for my prayer, it was for no-one but
the shah and that the people might escape from the outrage of this servant of
wickedness.'

The shah replied: 'I have come into your pavilion and received your

compliments. I suspend you for this period which I fix: You have three days to reply to my
questions,the three questions which I have asked. ' He then stretched out his hand and
21 A fragrant citrus fruit known as citrus medica, used for culinary, medical and religious purposes, e.g. in the Jewish
Feast of Tabernacles.
22 The image of the Romans here as in favour of Isho'yahb, contradicts the impression given at the end of the
section, where he is resented as a spy.
23 Lit. 'you have employed three characteristics'
24 Text reads : 'happening, incidence, achievement'. One might expect : 'arrival'.
25 The same term is used of those Muslims who withdrew their support for the Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib
26 The trick in question may be the catholicos attempt to honour the shah so late in the day.

took the citron. The catholicos prayed for him, and the shah continued on his way.

After three days the shah asked the catholicos about the three matters that had annoyed
him, and the catholicos replied that he had not been able to accompany him because it
was night and he did not know. Fasting would have prevented him and he was afraid to
witness the bloodshed of other Christians. For the same reason he had been unable to join
the shah in Roman territory: if he had left his flock, the rebel would have known this and
shed the blood of all, young and old alike. 'It was my duty to save them instead of myself
and not to deliver them to death and escape alive. My only prayer was for the shah, for his
27

safety and the stability of the monarchy. God knows my intention and what was in my
conscience. How was it possible to me to pray to someone I knew to be hostile to his
master ? Indeed, I was conscious that my prayer was for the one who deserved to be called
shah.' The shah replied: 'I forgive you, and what had ovecome my heart concerning you
has gone.'

The Romans were not pleased with him because he had provided Hormizd with
intelligence about them when he was bishop of Arzun. Isho'yahb became ill and went to
his rest in year five of shah Khusrau Aparvaz. He was buried by Hind the daughter of
28

Nu'mn the son of Mundhir, shah of the Arabs, in the church that she had built at Hra,

27 The image of the Christian church as a source of stability for the monasrchy is most famously expressed in the
statement of Hormizd IV, preserved in al-Tabari. This may originate in Christian circles: Wood, 2014b.
28 Numan III was the last independent ruler of al-Hira, and a convert to Christianity (Fisher & Wood, 2015).
However, many female members of the Nasrid house had probably been Christians before this date and founded
churches and monasteries in the city (Trimingham; kingid; Toral-Niehoff). For the various churches and
monasteries of Hira see Shabushti, dating from the ninth century when the city had become a suburb of Kufa.

29

30

now known as the Monastery of Hind, in the middle of the choir, with a platform in the
shape of across over his tomb. His period (as Patriarch) was fourteen years, and it is said
(by others) fifteen years.

31

43. Account of what Khusrau Aparvaz did to his father Hormizd

and the reason for this,
according to what is in the royal annals

Hormizd had an army commander named Bahrm Jbn and sent him to fight the Turks.
He was victorious and obtained great spoils of war, He sent to Hormizd what he had
obtained from these spoils, which put him in good standing with Hormizd.. The
companions of the shah were envious of him, shunned him and minimized what he had
sent compared with what he kept for himself from the land of the Turks. The shah
rewarded him for his services by sending him a red shirt, a spindle and whorl. He said to
him: 'This is the right garment for him' The army angrily ostracized him and rebelled
against the shah, who summoned Bahrm to his presence. The latter refused and returned
to the rebels. When he reached Rai, coins were struck with the name of his son Khusrau
son of Hormizd together with his image. He sent them in secret to Seleucia-Ctesiphon and
29 The Arabic is a a form of the Syriac, which in turn is the Greek word 'bma', meaning in the first instance 'step'
with the extended meaning 'raised platform, tribunal'. Payne-Smith p.42b 'the space between the sanctuary and
the nave'. The raised area of a football stadium in Germany for spectators is called 'Tribun'.
30 The same word is used of the raised platform in a mosque, standing on columns, from which the Koran or prayers
can be recited.
31 A concluding note that gives the reign length of a catholicos is typical of the patriarchal histories. The different
calculations of reign length here also suggest that the author of the section had access to multiple accounts of this
catholicos reign.

they appeared in the hands of the people. The news reached Hormizd, who set about
arresting his son. When the son learned of this, he fled to Azerbaijan.

It was the character of Hormizd to be harsh with the army and strict. He took their
money, killed his brothers, arrested the heads and took their estates. He built a prison at
Ahwz and Maherja and incarcerated the leading men of his empire there. He fed them
with bread with gravel in it and gave them bitter water to drink. He was arrested and a
letter was sent to Khusrau Aparvaz that he should come. He went to them and was made
shah. The army did not trust the trickery of Hormizd. They gouged out his eyes. Bahrm
Shbin learned of this and made a sortie with his army, appearing to be angry with what
had happened to the shah. Aparvaz received him. Aparvaz was defeated by him and
made his way Maurice the Byzantine emperor for help against the usurper of his empire.
Maurice despatched soldiers with him, after having given his daughter to him in
matrimony. Aparvaz reached Seleucia-Ctesiphon. Bahrm fled. They were victorious and
the empire was restored to him. There was a portrait of Isho'yahb on the day of his
victorious entry with him under the pavilions erected by him, as we have explained.
Friendly relations between the two were re-established and the shah offered him his
respect. His treatment of Sabrisho' the Catholicos after him was like this and better.

Things that happened in this period

32

44. Rabban Elias, who built the monastery

known as the Deir Sa'd in Mosul
32 'Our master '
33 Ar. writing of the Syriac ,

33

This saint Elias was from Hra, where he studied. He went to Mar Ibrhim and received his
monastic training from him. He served with the cenobitic monks. At the gate of the
34

monastery there was a madman lying on the ground. He struck the saint a violent blow
on the cheek. The devil saw that he had been humiliated and withdrew from the man,
who was immediately cured. This miracle became known to his brothers, so Elias left the
monastery and went to Niniveh, where he settled on a hillside near the Tigris, where
there was a forest full of wild animals. The saint drove them away with his prayers. He
built a monastery in this place, which is near Mosul, for those who gathered around him
and established the rule of Mar Abraham. The monastery was founded in the time of
Khusrau Anushirwan. He cured a child paralyzed in the hands, sent to him by Isho'yahb
bishop of Balad, who later became catholicos.

The saint had the impetuous Arab temperament. When he saw that he was becoming
35

weaker, he entrusted his affairs to Hnanisho', who founded a monaastery at Darabad.

After his death he was buried in the monastery that he had built. May Glod bless his soul
and his prayers be with us.

45. Rabban Bar 'Adta

36

37

This saint was from the region known as Niniveh. His mother was childless. She prayed
and fasted in Church, begging God to grant her a child. God heard her prayer, as He had
38

heard that of Hanna and gave her a child to whom she gave this name, which means 'son
34
35
36
37
38

Ar. writing of the Syriac .

See below section 85.
Ar. writing of the Syriac (church)
Seems a curious way to refer to a place mentioned before without the phrase 'known as'.
I Sam. 1

of the Church'. She devoted him to God, as Hanna had devoted Samuel. When he grew up,
he went to the school of Nisibis, where he met Mar Abraham and became his disciple,
attaching himself as Jonathan had done with David. He followed the teachings successfully
and received the monastic habit. He then retired to a cave for the solitary life. After the
death of Mar Abraham and the diaspora of his children, of whom Rabban Bar 'Adta was
the oldest, the latter made his way to the hill country of Marga, where he converted many
Kurds and built a monastery, a small community of monks. He died on the Sunday of
39

Quasimodo , the day which became that of his commemoration, and was buried in his
monastery. The monastery was the breeding ground of several saints, including Simeon,
founder of the monastery of Senna, Rabban Yozadaq, Rabban Hormizd and John the
Persian. May their prayers always strengthen us. Amen.

46. Rabban Simeon

This man was originally from Kashkar. He left his country to look for Almighty God. On his
way he came to a river and blessed it. He crossed it as if it were dry land. This was before
he became a monk. He went in search of Rabban Bar 'Adta and settled near him in a cave,
40

where he kept himself alive on the fruit of a tree called 'dabta'. He reached the banks of
the Jordan and remained there worshipping God. He lived on vegetables he grew himself.
Once, when locusts that had devastated the area made their way to the garden that
nourished the saint, he cried out in a loud voice. They stopped immediately and spared
39 The Ar. and Syriac words both mean 'new' Sunday. Also known as St Thomas Sunday, the one after Easter. The
name Quasimodo comes from the introit of the day, taken from the Latin text of I Pet. 2,2 quasi mod geniti
infantes ...
40 Scher is unable to read the word, but understands the second radical (which the identification of which depends
on the pointing, and this seems to be absent) as 'b'. He plausibly suggests the Syriac , 'fig'. The Arabic for a
similar fruit is

the garden. But the saint wanted to undergo the same hardships as the local people and
let the locusts ravage his plot. He lived for some time on the remaining vegetables until
they were finished. With no more food to eat he experienced violent hunger. He prayed:
'Lord, it is for love of You that the prophets and apostles were put to death and the
martyrs dismembered. It is why I abandoned the world and am willing to suffer death.'

When he arose, he saw a man coming into his cave. He gave Simeon bread and then
disappeared. He knew that it was an angel of the Lord, the bread coming down for him
like the bread of the widow at the time of Elijah. It sustained him until he wanted to leave
the place, when it stopped.

Like Habbakuk he was taken away and found himself in Persia. He lived in a cave in Senna,
where he founded a monastery and established rules for his children. Monks heard about
and made their way to him from different places. Yazdin son of Sata complained to him of
41

maltreatment at the hands of the governor of Beth Garmai. Simeon gave him hnana and
told him that it should be with him when he appeared before the governor to protect him
from injustice. Yazdin did so, and the governor was sympathetic and remitted the taxes
he was due to pay.

The envious demons one day fell upon him. They shaved his head and beard and tried to
strangle him. They beat him badly and tied him to a tree. He remained there until monks
saw him and let him down. The monks watched him spend entire nights praying and
going into a sort of drunken ecstasy where his cloak fell from his shoulders and his staff
41 Syriac: ., 'alms'. Scher explains it as an object made of sacred dust (of martyrs), sacred oil and water, often
used by Nestorians to heal the sick.

10

from his hands, and he was unaware of this. One of the Christian nobles, a governor of the
provinces through which the Tigris ran, on his way across the country stopped and spent
several days in the monastery. Having seen the miracles the saint was performing there,
he did not want to leave him there and, when about to depart, made the saint go with
him. The saint, who was advanced in years and a simple man, without knowing what the
other wanted of him, went with him to Sliba on the banks of the Serser. It was the home of
the official, who wanted to see the monk setttle there. The saint, though upset by this,
stayed there some healing the sick. He died aged 120 and was buried in the sanctuary of
Sliba.

The saint appeared several times in a dream to his disciple, saying: 'Take me from here to
42

the monastery.' The disciple, who was the sexton, went that night to his grave, lifted off
the shroud and carried him into his cell. After putting the grave back in order, nobody
noticed. The saint was still intact after two years. The disciple managed to put him into a
43

vessel belonging to a man from Karkha, from the town of Surramanra'y . When the body
of the saint arrived there, the people learned of the matter, gave gifts to the governor and
asked him to take away the remains from his disciple and bury them in their church. The
people of Senna were against this. A violent quarrel broke out between them. Someone
from Takrit intervened and advised them to put the shroud in a boat, which would then
be cast off and left to drift. If the boat went downstream, it would be a sign that God had
chosen Surramanra'y for the burial site of the saint. If on the other hand the boat drifted
upstream, it would be clear that the saint was to be buried at Senna. In spite of the
current, the boat with shroud moved upstream, which struggled against it. All who saw
42 The Arabic and Syriac are forms of the Greek
43 ( joyful is the one who sees it) The city known as Samarra () , presumably an abbreviated
pronunciation.

11

this were amazed. The boat was moored at Takrit, whence the shroud was taken to the
church so that people might receive its blessing. It was taken into the monastery, where it
was laid to rest.

Robber bands began to multiply in the hills and made it impossible for people to cross
them. Another monastery was founded beside Senna, and the remains of the saint were
taken there. Some monks went to the new monastery, some stayed in the old one.

47. Rabban Girgis

This saint was a companion of 'Adta. He left the monastery (of Abraham) and settled in
the hill of Adabiene, living on herbs and fruits. The shepherds saw his way of life and and
began to speak of him to others. It was then that he began to heal the sick. He founded a
monastery for those who gathered around him. He established the rule of Mar Abraham.
The faithful of the country whose sick he had healed gave him smallholdings for his
monastery. When he saw the hour of death approaching, he founded another monastery
in the region of Marga, where he converted many heretics in the villages there.

48. John the founder of the monastery of Anhel

At this point the saint left Mar Abraham because of a dispute, to his great regret, with the
other monks. He made his way to Arzun and settled near Anhel, where he converted

12

pagan temples into monasteries. The monks gathered around him. He performed
miracles, one of them changing vinegar into wine. He was very patient and humble, two
virtues which he perfected. He died an old man and was buried in his monastery known as
Rabban Hohn of Anhel.

49. Rabban Haia

From Kashkar, he freed his slaves and distributed his wealth after hearing about Mar
Abraham and went to be with him. He beacme a monk with one of his former slaves. He
went to the desert of Egypt and prayed at Jerusalem. He was recalled to Aramaea by divine
grace to build a monastery at Kashkar, which he did.

His reputation reached Rabban Shabor, founder of the monastery of Shushtar, who went
to visit him. Rabban Haia prevented him from going to (the monastery of) Mar Abraham.
He familiarized him with the rule of Mar Abraham. Shabor copied it and went back to his
monastery.

Rabban Haia founded the monastery and gathered monks. He was friendly with Theodore,
who had founded the school of Shushtar. Rabban Haia lived to an old age. A curious fact:
44

his name means 'living'. After his death he was buried at in the monastery he had built.
May his prayers aid and succour us.
44 Syriac : 'living'.

13

50. Rabban Babai of Nisibis

This was another blessed one of the time. He was from a noble familiy in Nisibis. In his
youth he was given to immoderate drinking, singing and gambling. God wanted to choose
him, so He sent him a vision, which disturbed him. He went to Mar Abraham, who told
him that he would become a father for many people. He named him Babai and made him a
monk.

45

After the death of Abraham he retired to a cave to the hills of Adiabene with the
anchorite Isho'zkha and Sabrisho', who became catholicos. It was these two who expelled
the demon from al Nu'man the shah of Hira. Isho'zkha admired the devotion of Babai, his
self-mortification and his good works. One day when Isho'zkha was not there but in a
monastery at Adiabene, a lame child was brought to Babai to be healed. When they
reached the cave of Babai, the child's father sat down to rest and eat something. The
camels had escaped, and people went to get them back. The child, left alone, began to cry.
Babai heard the crying and went out of the cave. He asked the child why he was crying.
The child said that his parents had left him. The saint told him to go and find them, but
the child showed him that he was unable to stand. He took the child by the hand and
raised him to his feet. When his parents returned and saw him standing, they were unable
to find anyone who had healed him, so they went and told their story to Isho'zkha. 'It was
not an angel who healed your son, as you think, but Mar Babai of Nisibis, who lives in a
cave near Beith Gammala.'

45 The Greek form of the Syriac name:

14

The patience of the saint in suffering the attacks of demons was indescribable. One day
they threw themselves on him, put a rope around his neck and tied him to a wooden post
46

above his cave. But God did not let them kill him. The saint exorcised them by the word
of God and they left, taking flight. The brothers came and released him. He performed
many miracles. Many years later he decided to found a monastery in the hills of Izla,
where he established the rule of Mar Abraham. He lived there for 31 years and was buried
47

there. We have narrated the events in the life that was made for him. May his prayers
preserve us and keep us safe.

51. Rabban Yaunan

A magus had a slave called Yaunan. He often used to visit Mar Babai in his cave to talk
with him. One day his master sent him to Adiabene to fetch wine from his vineyard. The
slave made his way to the cave of Mar Babai and stopped off to talk with him, making him
late for his mission. He was afraid of his master and told Mar Babai of this fear. The saint
told him to fill vessels with water from the spring in front of his cave and take them to his
master. His master met him on the way, drank the liquid and found it to be an excellent
wine. When he heard the story of the slave, the magus released him. The slave went to
Mar Babai to serve him, received instruction in Christianity and became a monk. When
Mar Babai moved to the monastery he had built, Yaunan remained in the cave, to keep up
the tradition of Mar Babai and to receive the monks who gathered around him after
having heard his story. On the site of the cave, near the village of Bati, he built a
monastery, where he wrote a memoir of Mar Babi, died and was buried.

46 The Arabic is from the Syriac word for 'cell'

47 Ar. writing of : history, biography. Scher has a note about the various ways of understanding the verb in
the relative clause, but there can be no real doubt about the meaning.

15

52. Sahrna

This blessed one, also of this time, was of a noble family in Nisibis. He went to Mar
Abraham, at whose hands he became monk. After forty years as an anchorite, subjected
48

to the heat and the cold and without bread for the three weeks, he made his way to
Qard, where he built a monastery for the monks who had gathered around him and
where he was buried.

53. Mar Yahb the anchorite

This saint too lived at this time. Having heard of Daniel, the disciple of Mar Abraham of
Kashkar, he came to find him and stayed with him for a month. He then left for a cave
near Great Zab. Fishermen saw him make the sign of the cross over the waters and then
walk on the river. They heard him say a prayer, his arms raised to the sky and his eyes full
of tears: 'Christ, Your love has killed me.'

Yazdin, to whom Khusrau had entrusted several provinces of Beth Aramaye and of the
Mountain, heard of him and came to beg him to bring his son who had died back to life
and laid him in front of the cave. The saint prayed and God heard his prayer. The boy rose
and the saint gave him back to his father, as Elisha had done with the Shunamite widow.
He then left the cave. Our Lord Christ revealed to him the retreat of a woman anchorite
who live on a mountain. He went to visit her to obtain her blessing. He said that her upper
garment was a strip of papyrus and she lived on mountain herbs.
48 Scher explains this phrase in terms of the Nestorian calendar as referring to the weeks of the Apostles, Elijah and
Moses.

16

After his death he was buried in his cave. Twenty-four years later Yazdin brought his
remains to Karkha of Giddn and buried them in the martyrs' grave. He wrote a letter, in
which he deals succinctly with the Creator, Whose name be blessed, and His creation. A
commentary was written by Apnimaran, abbott of Za'faran. May his prayers be with us.

54. Rabban Shabor

This saint was originally from Huzistan, a village called al Dulab. His brothers, of whom he
was the youngest, were envious of him because with the sign of the cross he had
multiplied bread and made enough for a whole year until the first harvest. Like Samuel,
Jeremiah and John the Baptist, he was chosen while still a child. After his studies he
became a doctor in the school of Deir Mihraq. He then went to Sushtar with seven
49

students and regulated the way of life of the saints. They went to Kashkar to see Rabban
Haia, their monastic teacher, and gave them and Shabor the rule of Abraham. Shabor
went back to his own country and built a monastery at Shushtar. Many gathered around
him. He converted Kurds and lived until the time of Isho'yahb, the last catholicos of that
name. When the latter saw Shabor, he asked him where he had learned monasticism and
was told that Haia and the rule of Abraham were his teachers.

John son of Marta, who became catholicos, Isaac, who was consecrated bishop of Karkha,
and Srin, who became bishop of Mihraja, went to the monastery of Shabor. Shabor said:
'God has chosen you to be shepherds of His Church. Grace will call you soon. Do what you
49 Ar. writing of Syriac word:

17

are worthy of.' His word was fulfilled to the letter.

One day an enormous snake appeared in the region, with sparks issuing from its mouth.
The saint exorcised it, and it became lifeless like a chain stretched from the top of the
mountain to the bottom. It can still be seen today and is an object of wonder to visitors.

Rabban Shabor died and was buried in his monastery before the sanctuary. His disciples
included Rabban Khdawi, Malkisho', the founder of Umra Hadtha at Gundishabur,and
Isho'amma, the founder of Falikan. May their prayers be with us.

55. Maurice the Byzantine emperor

We have said that Tiberius died in year 894 of Alexander without a successor. Maurice, his
son-in-law and general, whom he had designated as his successor, acceded to the throne
after him. He was good and virtuous, a wise ruler of the empire. God gave him victory over
his enemies and treasure for his coffers. He publicly confessed the Two Natures and wrote
to his governors to exile those who disagreed, thus ridding the Church of heretics. May
God have mercy on him.

56. Rabban Jacob, the founder of the monastery of Beith Abe

Originally from Lashum in the province of Beith Garmai. His father was in the service of
Khusrau, but his enemies denounced him to the prince, his property was confiscated and
he was thrown into prison. Jacob was chosen by God and went to Marga, becoming an

18

exile like Moses, Joseph and Jacob. He applied himself to his studies and his fame spread.
He was handsome and striking. He became a teacher, converting many and turning them
from idolatry.

He heard of the monastery of Mar Abraham and, after going there, spent seven years with
Babai the Great, Babai of Nisibis, Dadisho' and their companions. He lived alone in a cell.
Though he did not want to, he left it when he realized that God was calling him to
greatness and glory. He was accompanied by seven monks from different places.
Isho'yahb, later catholicos, became his disciple. He did not sleep once from the time he
became monk. If he felt overcome by sleep, he rose to pray. In his teaching he surpassed
Gregory metropolitan of Nisibis, a man of celebrated virtue.

Once three sterile women came to ask him to pray that they might have children. He took
a small piece of cloth that he had found in his cell, cut it into three pieces and gave one to
each of them. A year later, they came to see him with their children and made large
donations to the monastery.

He lived to an old age, until the last days of the last Khusrau. He was buried in the
monastery named after him.

57. The priest who sacrificed to the demon

In the region of Beith Nuhadra there was a village called Piroz-Shabor (a curse upon its
people !) . There was a single bishop, Ezekiel, and a pupil called Isaac, who was quite

19

ignorant. The latter left and went to Harran. On his return, he was more learned and
people liked listening to him. He was made schoolmaster in the village school. But he
sacrificed to demons and served them in secret. When Lent approached, the demon he
served required him to sacrifice as usual. Isaac, who was beginning to repent of his
behaviour, resisted throughout Lent. On Palm Sunday the demon tried very hard to force
him. But he still refused and asked for more time. On Easter Sunday Isaac wanted to
deliver a sermon, but his friend attached himself to Isaac and said: 'If you do not sacrifice
to me today, I will kill you.' Isaac wanted more time, but in vain. 'I raised you from
humble circumstances put you in this position. From the beginning of Lent you have been
making false promises to me.You have two choices: sacrifice or die.' Isaac begged him and
asked for more time. The demon refused and struck him on the head, and he fell to the
ground. The schoolchildren heard this, rushed out and found him stretched out on the
ground. He told them what had happened and made them swear not to give him a proper
burial but hurl him from the top of a mountain. When he died, they did as he had
requested. May Almighty God deliver us from the clutches and wiles of the devil !

58. Khusrau Aparvaz son of Hormizd

When Hormizd was removed by the army for his maltreatment and imprisonment of
nobles, to whom he had given bread mixed with gypsum, a letter was sent to Khusrau
Aparvaz, the exiled son of Hormizd's marriage to his sister, about his return to SeleuciaCtesiphon. On his return he was proclaimed shah. He was young, proud, fond of good food,
a drinker and a libertine. He was knowledgeable about astrology and believed in it. His
father had been strict with him, and once in power he indulged himself. He released

20

prisoners and returned to them what his father had taken away from them. Everyone was
happy.

Some time later Bahram Shubin fled. After causing trouble in the army and causing
conflict between Khusrau and his father, Bahram rebelled against Khusrau, declared war
on him and seized the throne, which was a source of great misfortune to the people.
Aparvaz fled and was received by Maurice. He wrote to him to tell him everything that
50

had happened and asked for 40,000 soldiers and 40 quintals of gold to pay for the army.
Maurice agreed and received him, as religious man would. He granted him all that he
asked. He sent him two generals with the troops to Kirkesion and told him to make their
way to Ana and Nisibis, both on the border.

Khusrau went to Edessa, where he was received with honour by the Byzantines he had
met on the way. He then arrived at Mabboug, where he found the troops that had been
sent. He returned to Iraq, where he defeated Bahram, who fled to the hills. Pursued by
Byzantine troops he fled to Turkey. Khusrau was master of the empire. He gave the
Byzantine army magnificent presents and sent precious gifts to Maurice, whom he called
'father'. He married his daughter, Mary - some say that she was called Shirin-- and also
gave him Dara and Miparqat, who had belonged to his father Hormizd. Khusrau, out of
gratitude, ordered the rebuilding of churches. He built two churches for his wife Mary

51

and a large church with castle in Beith Lashpar for his wife Shirin the Aramean. The
50 . According to H. Wehr Dictionary of Modern Arabic (1961) the amounts vary according to country: the amount
he gives for Syria is 256 kg, which seems a little excessive here. It is clearly derived from centenarium '100 pounds'
(abbreviated in the former British system of weights as cwt.). The term Zentner (50kg) continues to be used in
Germany.
51 The name Mary is not used again in the text. Is one to understand that her 'Christian' name Mary was later
abandoned after she had married Khusrau. There is a tradition recorded (or perhaps invented) by Persian poets
(e.g. the 12th cent. Nizami) that she had a tragic love affair with an architect named Farhad

21

Christians enjoyed peace down to the final days of Mar Sabrisho', the successor of
Isho'yahb, and the death of Maurice, God have mercy on them.

59. The priest who was a magus

In the time of Khusrau there was a priest whose keen love of the world and its pleasures
had made him renounce Christianity to become a magus. The shah, who hounoured and
elevated him, wanted to test him to see if it was conviction or love of the world that had
made him convert. 'I want to see how Christians celebrate their mysteries',

52

he told the

priest. The priest requested an isolated house, with all that he needed. The shah ordered
everything to be prepared and took a seat from which he had a good view. The priest
began to say Mass. At the moment when the Holy Spirit descended, the shah saw the
house full of angels, in robes as brilliant as the sun, glorifying God with their singing. He
saw the priest illuminated by tongues of fire and clothed in a great light. Khusrau was
struck by the sight and thanked God for the vision he had received. After the priest had
finished the Mass, he was stripped of everything he had worn. The shah said to him; 'You
are neither priest nor magus.' He told Isho'yahb of this and asked him what was to be
done with the priest. Isho'yahb said that it was a matter for the shah to decide. He ordered
the priest to be crucified and his goods confiscated. From that moment he honoured and
was good to Christians, God bless him.

60. En-Nu'aman, son of el Mundhir, shah of Hira

As Paul had been a Jew and Mar Aba a magus, this man was also pagan. He worshipped a
52 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac: .

22

star called Zohra and sacrificed to idols. He was possessed by a demon. He asked pagan
priests for help, but in vain. He turned to Simeon son of Jabar, bishop of Hira, to Sabrisho',
bishop of Lashum, later catholicos and the monk called Isho'zkha, and asked for their
prayers, as we also do. God healed and the demon left.

53

He was baptized in year four of Khusrau. His faith was good. He drove out all the
Jacobites of his provinces in his zeal for the true faith. He was shah of all the Arabs in the
Persian and Byzantine empires. If one of these rulers, who were at peace, asked the other
for help, he hastened to come to his aid. His son behaved in the same way.

HIs sons Hassan and Mundhir saw the grace enjoyed by their father and were also
baptized a year later. They had their entire household baptized. Hassan ordered his slaves
not to prevent the poor from approaching him when he went into the church. When
Bistam rebelled against Khusrau, Hassan opposed him and saved Khusrau, and in doing so
almost died himself. He was the person most devoted to Christianity. May Almighty God
have mercy on them.

61. Yaunan, the founder of the Bar Tra monastery

Born in Beith Arbaye, he was a farm labourer when God chose him. He made his way to
the anchorite disciples of Mar Abraham, who lived in the Shigar highland. He spent ten
years with them, sowing, harvesting and grinding with them and learning the monastic
53 Ar. : which Scher takes to mean Nestorianism. : occurs in the nex line with 'faith', which Scher takes
to mean 'orthodoxy'.

23

life. He told them that God had chosen him to build a monastery in this place. One of the,
54

Mar Aba, the teacher of Yaunan, subjected himsef to new mortifications, depriving
himself of all food except thyme and herbs. He performed many miracles: he opened the
eyes of a tiger, which had been blinded by a tigress, at the entrance to his cave; he
predicted the fall of the Persian empire, the emergence of the Arabs and the misfortunes
people would have to endure. People gathered around him to build the new monastery.
He said to them: 'The Arabs, sons of Isma'il, will come from the desert and rule. This
monastery will be destroyed, but after seven years there will be universal peace. You who
have been dispersed will return to this monastery and be reunited.' He then blessed them
and died. His monastery, where he is buried, is known as Bar Tra.

62. Jacob founder of the monastery at Hbisha

55

Jacob appeared about this time at Arzun. He performed many miracles. It is said that one
day, while passing by some people cutting vines, he asked them what they were doing.
They made fun of him because of the rags he was wearing: 'We are uprooting the vine
stocks and planting thorns.' He treated them as the prophet Elisha had treated the
children who made fun of him: 'Whatever you say.' The vine is still there, like a miracle.
56

Its stems are like those of a vine and its leaves are like thorns.

When the other monks heard of him, they gathered around him. With the help of a
hermit, who was living nearby, he built a monastery, where both of them lived. For this
reason it is known as the monastery of Jacob the Hermit.
54 Scher's text here is conjectural.
55 : recluse
56 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac:

24

63. Jacobite patriarchs

After Severus died the Jacobites were without a patriarch known from the time of Justin
to Maurice, because the Byzantine emperors persecuted them and were eager to drive
57

them out. Neverthless they had two patriarchs in secret, but these were unable to
manage their affairs. After the death of Maurice they consecrated a patriarch of Antioch, a
man of Callinicus called Peter, who consecrated bishops of several dioceses, and another
patriarch at Alexandria. A quarrel broke out between them, and they anathematized each
other.

64. Titus bishop of Hdatta

For a long time the metropolitan of Adiabene oversaw Hdatta. The followers of Severus
and Jacob in year 966 of Alexander went there and corrupted the people of the city. The
catholicos Isho'yahb heard of this and and chose Titus and consecrated him bishop. He
had been a magus before this, but was baptized after having been chosen and enlightened
by God. He had studied at Seleucia-Ctesiphon. He refuted the Jacobites in argument and
expelled them from Hdatta. He baptized many, including some Jews. He performed many
miracles and healed the sick. With the permission of God he brought a man who had been
fatally poisoned by a snake back to life by giving him water in which he had dipped his
cross. Yazdin, who had accompanied Khusrau on his invasion of Dara, went to visit him
and asked for his blessing, giving him three hundred dinars to build a church at Hdatta.
Titus was buried there. May his prayers preserve us.
57 Text obscure, and what can be read is , but it cannot refer to Shapur.

25

65. The holy and pure Sabrisho' 31st catholicos

From a small village called Pirozabad in Beith Garmai, his father, a shepherd, saw in a
dream a man standing clothed in glory and splendour, saying to him : 'You will have a just
and pious son and name him Sabrisho', for Jesus will be his hope.

58

He will be great and

pure. He will rise in dignity and become head of the Church in Persia. He will regulate
Church and State. He will be regarded as the head by all the sects. His only wish will be to
glorify and thank God.' The shepherd told his wife about, and she praised God, saying: 'We
are His servants. Let His will be done. We have only to praise and thank Him.'

When she was pregnant, she also had a dream that she had given birth, and her son was
sitting in Jerusalem wearing a veil and on his head a golden crown. Soldiers prostrated
themselves before him and crowds were eager to approach him and ask for his blessing.
He made the sign of the cross over them. She then heard a voice saying: 'This is Sabrisho'
59

whom you have conceived.' She then awoke and took the censer, putting incense in it
and thanking God for the vision.

Finally her time came and she gave birth. His father took the child to the church to be
baptized. The baby cried like all other babies, and the father raised his hand to silence
him. But a virtuous monk, who was in the church, saw him and said: 'How dare you raise
your hand to the head and patriarch of the Church ?'

58 The meaning of : 'Jesus is my hope'.

59 Ar. writing of Syriac:

26

When he was a young boy, the saint began to pray. He went to Nisibis for instruction from
Mar Abraham. He excelled in merit and learning. Like Daniel he abstained from the
pleasures of the table and ate only grains and herbs. He spent a long time in the
monastery, helping to defray the expense of providing food and the monks had no idea of
his way of life. When they finally realized this, they began to observe him. Astonished at
his conduct and the austerity of his life, they came to ask his pardon for obliging him
unustly to help with the expense of the food of which he took none. Seeing that they had
guessed his virtue, he left them after nine years and went to another mountain called
Sha'ran, where he built a monastery and he stayed there for five years.

God wanted to show people the gifts He had given to the saint and inspired a man afflicted
by the death of his eight children, whom he had lost one after the other, to find the saint
and invite him to his home so that, by the prayers of the saint, the child about to be born
would not die. The saint went with him. He entered the house and, amid tears, prayed that
the couple would not tested again by the loss of a child. He prayed all night. The voices of
demons could be heard crying out at the door: 'Open up. The master of the house is here.'
In fact the saint, with a word, had closed the doors to them and made the sign of the cross
around the house. The woman gave birth to a son, who was the joy of his parents and
family.

The fame of the saint reached faraway places. To avoid the crowds who came to visit the
saint retired to a desert to live in solitude. One day two spirits came to him and
announced that his Lord was ordering him to direct the affairs of the Church. They placed
a large book they had brought with them on his head. They began to read out the words

27

60

of the Laying on of Hands written it it. They gave him a pastoral staff. He had this vision
twice. Some days later the people of Lashum, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
engaged him and the catholicos Isho'yahb consecrated him bishop.

Once on the espiscopal throne, he performed astonishing miracles. On the evening before
Palm Sunday it began to rain and continued to rained heavily. The day began in darkness.
The feast was interrupted. The people were afraid. Sabrisho' raised the cross, prepared for
the feast, went out in the courtyard and lifted his hands to the sky. The lightning, the
thunder and the rain stopped.The sun appeared in a clear sky. The earth dried off and the
people, who had been desperate,gathered and celebrated in great joy.

It is said that after this he went to Zab. It was April and the river had swollen so much
that it was overflowing its banks. The saint made the sign of the cross over the waters and
crossed the river without any of the water touching his feet. There was a heretic and
dissenter with objects of silver and gold, and he asked the saint to take him across with
him. He did, and the heretic became a disciple and accompanied him. He renounced his
errors and never wanted to be parted from the saint.

It is also said that the curse of the saint made an unjust man, who had sworn falsely by his
name, burst and die.

A woman magus went to find him to ask him to pray that the Lord might grant her a son.
He gave her water to drink in which he had just washed his hands twice. She took the
water, felt some disgust and did not drink it. She was astonished and afraid to see that two
60 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac

28

myrtle branches started to grow, and she drank. She became pregnant and gave birth to
two sons, like the two branches. She believed and received baptism with all her family and
those who heard her tell the story.

Christ wanted al Nu'man to convert, son of al Mundhir and brother of Hind and Mary.
These latter had become Christians with their brother. Al Nu'man was an idol worshipper
and sacrificed to Zohra. He was a bloodthirsty assassin. He could not bear to hear the
name of Christ and never spoke of the Church. Mar Simeon bishop of Hira never stopped
praying to Christ to choose Nu'man. God tested him for three years. When he wanted to
sleep after eating and drinking, two different figures appeared to him: the first was a
handome young man, well-spoken and fragrant, standing before him; the other was an
ugly Ethiopian, standing behind him. The handsome young man said: 'If you become
Christian, you will be happy. Your empire will increase and, in addition to a transient
empire, you will have an eternal one.' He told the youth that he would not renounce al
'Uzza, the sovereign goddess in heaven to worship one crucified by Jews. He was then
thrown to the ground by the black youth, disfigured, ugly and foul-smelling, with a
61

disgusting foam coming out of his mouth. The shah was overcome by this and lost
consciousness. He did not recover until the following day.

Al Nu'man had to suffer these torments and many others, which I forbear to mention as
irelevant to the account of Sabrisho', until he finally went to Simeon bishop of Hira, who
continued to encourage him: 'Man of virtue, I want to become a Christian and be baptized.
But I have to write to Khusrau son of Hormizd to tell him.' Simeon told him to proceed. He
61 For a study of the identification of ugliness with blackness see Gay Byron Symbolic Blackness and Ethnic Difference in
Early Christian Literature (2003)

29

wrote to Khusrau, who gave him leave to do as he wished. The bishop prayed all night,
baptized him, his wife and children together with the rest of his household and high
ranking officers of his army. But he was soon surrounded by heretics, who started to
blame him for his actions. He was persuaded by them to doubt what Simeon had taught
him, and they made an alliance with the devil against him. The shah was once again
possessed by an impure spirit. The shah wrote to Isho'yahb the catholicos for Sabrisho' to
be sent to him because of his fame as healer who did not use medicines. Both Isho'yahb
and Khusrau wrote to Sabrisho' that he should visit Nu'man. He arrived on July 23rd and
met Mar Isho'zkha, cantor of the monastery, whom he asked because he knew of his
merits and sanctity. When they entered Nu'man's chamber the devil cried out: 'Woe is
upon us. We are pursued by the disciples of Christ our enemy.' The two saints, armed with
energy and courage, together raised their voices, saying: 'Close your mouth, rebellious
and impure spirit. You are not allowed to speak through a mouth that has confessed
Christ, that has received His body and blood, which brings life to the faithful.' The devil
was silent. Mar Sabrisho' stood before the altar and Isho'zkha under the sun on the plain,
and they remained where they were until God had healed the shah. The miracle was
sensational and news of it spread everywhere.

Khusrau son of Hormizd left as usual for the land of the Medes in year 5 of his reign.
Bistam the rebel, who was at Rai, had prepared to attack. Khusrau marched on the rebel.
Both advanced on each other. Khusrau hesitated before the large army of Bistam and
wanted to delay the battle. He dismounted to think about what he had to do. While he was
thinking, he saw the image of an aged monk, small, weak with a cap on his head and a staff
in his left hand, who seized the bridle of his horse and began to lead it with valiant energy

30

to the field of battle. He said: 'Fight, and do not be afraid. You are a winner.' The shah said
to those near him. 'Did you see what I saw ?' They replied that they had not. He then
understood that it was help from God. He told them of the vision he had just seen. They
62

said: It is your ancestor.' Convinced that this vision was from no-one but Christ, the
Christian God, he scorned them. He raised arm as if to throw. His army imitated him.
Bistam was soon put to flight and his army joined that of Khusrau. After his victory the
image under his eyes disppeared. He returned in joy thinking of the help Christ had just
given him.

When night fell, during his sleep, the same figure appeared to him and said: 'I salute you,
victorious monarch. Were you not astonished at the vision that appeared to you on the
battlefield ? I am the one you saw. Christ sent me to bring you help.' The shah asked him
who he was. 'Sabrisho', the bishop of Lashum.' And he awoke. He told Shirin his wife, who
was Christian. 'This man you speak of has made signs and performed miracles.' From that
moment he resolved to make Sabrisho' catholicos.

When Isho'yahb of Arzun died in the sixth year of Khusrau Aparvaz, son of Hormizd, the
latter, learning the news, said : 'We thank God, Who has granted His wonders and benefits
to you, for having saved the blood of this old man who died a natural death. Despite the
crime he committed against us, he was was a godly man.'

63

Khusrau then heard the sound of 'bells' at Seleucia-Ctesiphon and remembered that the
62 Scher: could also mean 'your luck'
63 . The same word is used to translate the Coptic kalele, which means a wooden sounding board used to
assemble the congregation, cf. W.E. Crum Coptic Dictionary (1939) 103b. In addition, it could be used as a weaponn
The metal variety is perhaps Western and attributed to Paulinus of Nola c. 400 AD in Campania, hence the Latin
campana 'bell'. The story in the Life of Muhammad by Ibn Ishaq ( 347) is that Muslims too were preparing to use a

31

Chistians had to consecrate a catholicos. He recalled the visions he had seen on the
battlefield and in his dream. He signalled to those present to move away, except for Darjo
known as Takhrid, who was a Christian: 'Why do the Christians in our empire not seek a
leader ?' Darjo prostrated himself and replied: 'They have delayed naming him not from
neglect of their religious duties, but because they are waiting for the authorizaion of the
shah.' Takhrid then ordered the Christian nobles at the gate of Khusrau to unite and ask
for authorization. They were joined by the priests in giving thanks to the shah. When he
heard the cries, Khusrau told Takhrid to find out what they wanted. He replied: 'Your
Christian servants want a leader.' The shah told him to tell them to busy themselves with
the matter and, once the choice had been made, to let him know who the leader was and
where he was from so that he could be summoned and established, if he were considered
worthy. Takhrid told all the Christians, and they were happy and wrote to the other
64

fathers to gather for the election. They gathered on the third Friday of Lent. The shah,
when he knew of this, said to them: 'Consider how I have acted with you by giving the
freedom to choose. You have heavenly power, while I have earthly power. Let there be
none among you who has a personal interest that may influence his choice. Let the one
you choose be perfect in divine wisdom and the art of governing to the satisfaction of all,
that he may be able, by his prayers, to support our empire and govern you for the best. If
you act differently, we will withdraw from you the right to vote, and we will designate the
person who pleases us.' He meant Mar Sabrisho'.

The fathers and the faithful who had gathered to cast their vote were not in agreement
wooden board to summon the faithful to prayer until Abdallah bin Zayd had a dream in which a man wearing two
green garments from whom he had wanted to buy a wooden board advised him instead to call the faithful three
times.
64 : the Fast of the Lord.

32

and divided into two groups. Some thought they desrved the office and coveted it. Each
one tried to secure votes for himself. The faithful, however, chose others. The shah was
kept informed of everything by his messengers and sent Takhrid, who said: 'Why are you
taking so long with the election and still sitting here, idling away ' They said that they had
chosen five bishops and others (who were named), all good. They would ordain the
authorized by the shah.

When Takhrid reported this, the shah shook his head, making fun of them: 'Bishop
Sabrish'o, is he among them or not ? If he is not there, why did you not ask him to
attend ?' They were upset by this question and claimed that Sabrisho' was old and had
been enfeebled by his acts of mortification. They did not ask him to attend because they
had not wanted to tire him out, but if the shah wanted, they would summon him and
honour him. The shah listened and laughed angrily, shaking his head, and said to Takhrid:
'Tell them that they have not done what I asked them to because each one wanted the
authority for himself, so I will choose and give him authority over you.' When they heard
this message from the shah, they multiplied their good wishes for him and Takhrid the
Christian.

65

66. The vision of Mar Sabrisho' when he was bishop of Lashum

While messages were being exchanged between the shah and the synod and horses were
being saddled to bring Mar Sabrisho', the latter, lying on a bed after prayer, had a vision
in his sleep. Two pages dressed as Persian horsemen came to him and said: 'Stand up, the
nobles of the shahnshah are arriving behind you and for you:' He replied: 'Where are they
65 : 'believer'.

33

coming from for someone as insignificant as I am ? Why are they looking for me ?' They
said to him: 'Here they are, sitting in the church. They sent us to bring you to them.'
While he was protesting that he was unworthy to see them, each of the two pages took
him by the arm and diligently brought him to those who had sent them, waiting by the
sanctuary. They wore splendid robes and jewel-encrusted crowns. One of the pages said:
'My lords, we bring him too you. He is an old man and will find it difficult to mount a
horse.' One of the nobles said: 'He is as you say, but he will exert himself to mount a horse
for seven years. ' 'Even eight', said another courtier. They said to him: 'The shahnshah
orders you to be made a horseman of high rank and to command the Christian army. One
of the nobles took a sheet of paper from his sleeve and wrote on it. While he was writing,
he said in a loud voice: 'This is Sabrisho', head of the cavalry, which worships the Cross.'
At this moment the saint awoke.

67. Let us return to what happened after the election

Khusrau sent for Mar Sabrisho', who arrived on Palm Sunday. The shah was glad to see
him and took him to the palace of his Christian wife Shirin and told the bishops and
others not to come in with him, except for Timothy of Beith Abghash. He sent him with
Takhrid to say: 'We will allow you to rest for the remainder of your day until we decide
what to do with you.' On Maunday Thursday the shah ordered the bishops, metropolitans
and Christians to make their way to Shirin's door. He then ordered Sabrisho' to be
brought and place among the first rank of the fathers: 'This is the leader appointed for
you by God. The shah agrees. Place him at your head. Celebrate his elevation as you
canons and rule prescribe. When the matters is over, bring him back to me with all

34

honours due to him that I may see him and receive his blessing.' Takhrid executed the
order of the shah. The bishops and faithful heard this and worshipped and gave thanks to
God. They then fell at the feet of the saint to kiss them and raised their voices to bless the
monarch. At eight o' clock they led him to Seleucia-Ctesiphon, where they ordained him
patriarch.

The crowning of the patriarch and the attendant crowd made the event doubly beautiful.
He celebrated the mysteries. After prayer there was an attempt to bring him outside the
church to the shah's door, as ordered, but the crowd pressed so insistently around him
that he was unable to leave the church, indeed he was almost trampled to death by the
crowd.

Takhrid went to tell the shah what happened. He gave Takhrid seven horsesmen and his
own horse to be saddled for the saint to be mounted. The envoys were unable to free
66

themselves and they saw what amazed them in the form of so many people surrounding
him. Finally they approached and said: 'The shah orders you to mount and present
yourself to him. He is waiting for you.' The saint replied: ' Long live the shah, but I will not
mount the horse, for I am not even allowed to see the royal mount, let alone mount it.
Besides, I am not a good rider. The shah has paid me an inexpressible honour.' One of
them went off to tell the shah, who said: 'Tell him he is a celestial rider. He should mount
our horse to reach the place where he might bless us.' He ordered the saint to be put on
the horse whether he wanted it or not. The bishops overheard this and, with the crowd,
begged the saint to go and see the shah. He refused, but was forcibly put on the horse by
the horsemen, one of whom took the bridle to lead him. But the saint stopped the horse
66 The Ar. is a writing of the Syriac verb:

35

with his voice and said to it: 'Dumb animal, those who speak may not hear me, but you
who are only a beast, you will go no further, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.' The
horse, the fastest of horses, stopped, like a wall that cannot be moved. It was struck as
much as was possible, but not enough to make it move. The magi, the Jews and the
Marcionnites present were full of admiration, thanked God for what the had just seen
loudly: 'Happy are those who have you for a leader.' The crowd pressed closer to him and
the horsemen ran to inform their monarch of this. Khusrau was in awe of the miracle,
gave thanks to God and rejoiced. He ordered the men with cudgels to disperse the crowd
around the patriarch. He finally reached the door of the shah at 3 am, followed by bishops
and Christian nobles in the service of the empire. The shah was sitting on his throne, the
palace full of lamps. The servants were holding censers and candles and went out to meet
him at the house of Shirin. When the shah saw him, he said to him, smiling: 'Head of the
Christians, know that it is not we who have done admirable things for you, but rather the
reverse. When you were in Beith Garmai and we were at Rai, you seized the bridle of the
horse and pushed the horseman, in spite of himself, to enter the fray and win a victory. A
horse that flies like a bird and cannot bear the sound of a whip, you have made him like a
wall. Come now in peace. You are the fulfilment of the words in your book: The stone
67

rejected by the masons has become the cornerstone. Rejoice that our empire is glad at your
elevation to this office.' Sabrisho' prayed for him and blessed him, and everyone said:
'Amen'.

The shah was very happy. The bishops blushed at what he said about the stone rejected by
the masons and were confused about the story of the horse whose bridle had been seized
by the saint on the battlefield. The saint left. On the following day he returned for his
67 Ps. 118, 22

36

ministry at the shah's door. He was taken into Shirin's house, where the shah came with
Takhrid. He had ordered that no-one be allowed to enter. As soon as he saw the shah he
wanted to rise, but the shah stopped him, kissed his head and sat down before him: 'Your
ancestors were the slaves of my father and his fathers. But I am your son and this woman
is your daughter. You will be admitted into her presence day or night. For important
matters, send me one of your people, or better come and see me yourself. There is no need
to ask if I authorize you. Designate someone you trust to give communion to Shirin your
daughter whenever she wants it. If you can do it yourself, do it. Keep praying for us, our
empire and our long life. It is the last request I have of you.'

On Easter Monday the shah sent word to the bishops: 'Those who wish to return home can
do so and those who wish to stay can do so. Choose someone who is knowledgeable, well
versed in public affairs, intelligent, patient and kind, who does not want riches and is
agreeable to the catholicos so that he can help him in the administration of Christian
affairs.' The bishops thanked Takhrid for the care he had taken with religious matters.
They agreed with the catholicos about the appointment of a bishop of Senna and
introduced him to Takhrid, who told the shah about their obedience and asked him if the
bishops could stay for a month to regulate church matters. The shah agreed.

Then Khusrau sent a letter to Maurice the Byzantine emperor, in which he spoke of the
virtues of the saint so warmly that Maurice wanted to see him. He sent his painting
master with the messenger who had brought the letter and told him to pay his respects to
the holy Persian cathlicos and paint a faithful likeness of him. When the saint learned that
the artist had arrived, he refused to see him on the grounds that he was not worthy of

37

such treatment. But Khusrau asked him to let himself be painted because of his friendship
with Maurice. The saint unwillingly agreed and the painter was able to return with his
portrait. Maurice summoned a few who had seen the saint but did not know about the
mission with which he had been charged and asked them: 'Whose image is this ?' They
replied admiringly: 'It is Sabrisho', the Persian catholicos, in person.'

Maurice continued to write the saint to pray for him. He then asked for the hat he was
wearing. Sabrisho' was troubled by this. The messenger said: 'It is his living faith that has
the emperor ask for the blessing of the head of the saint. You have to strengthen the faith
of those who believe.' At this, Sabrisho' handed over the hat after secretly blessing it and
prayed for the emperor, the faithful and the messenger. The latter returned to Maurice
with the hat and told him of his mission. The emperor kissed the hat, as did his family and
subjects. He placed it with the bones of the saints in his treasury.

The correspondence between Maurice and the catholicos continued. The latter asked
Maurice to send a fragment of the Cross of Our Lord and to release the captives of Arzun,
Beith Zabdai, Beith Arbaye and Shigar. He thought that this would be an opportunity to
ask Khusrau to release the Byzantine prisoners. as it would strengthen the friendship and
amicable relations between the two sovereigns. The saint also asked Maurice to give him
one of his garments. Maurice had a cross made and encrusted it with jewels. He added a
fragment of the Cross of Our Lord Christ (whose name be praised) and returned all the
prisoners in the capital and the rest of the empire with the Cross and one of his garments.
But Khusrau seized the cross before it could reach the catholicos. He placed it respectfully

38

on a piece of silk cloth, which he put on his knees. After opening it he took out the
fragment of the True Cross and gave it to the messenger. When the catholicos learned of
this, he wrote to Maurice and returned the gold cross: 'All I needed was a fragment of the
True Cross, but Khusrau, in his excessive love for his wife, has taken it. Can you please
send me another fragment, for I have no need of the gold.'

Meanwhile Marutha the bishop was sent as an ambassador to Khusrau and the catholicos.
His dress was expensive and his retinue splendid. On the orders of the shah he was
received by Takhrid, Theodore bishop of Kashkar, Mar Abda of Beith Daraye and
Bukhtisho', director of the school. He asked the shah for permission to salute the
catholicos. He thought that he would find Sabrisho' dressed like a Byzantine patriarch, in
both in the sumptuous garb of special occasions and simple garments of everyday. When
he saw the saint sitting in the corner of a cell, clothed in coarse garments and wearing a
hat, he did not understand that it was the catholicos until someone told him. Astonished,
he said to Sabrisho': 'The shah is obliged to be with his family wearing royal costume.'
Sabrisho' replied: Our Lord, like the foxes and the birds, did not even have a place to lay his head.
He repelled the bishop with this and other passages of Scripture and reduced him to
silence.

68. The miracle of Mar Sabrisho' the catholicos

before Marutha the bishop

One day Marutha and other bishops were sitting with Mar Sabrisho', when a Christian
came among them, leading his son of fourteen, who was blind and mute. He stopped in
68 Lk 9,58

39

68

the midst of them and said, crying bitterly: 'Father, have mercy on me.' Sabrisho' asked
him what was wrong. He replied: 'It is my son. He was doing his studies, bright and
intelligent. Four days ago he left school with two other children and met a Marcionite,
one of those called a priest and they began to upset him with their contemptuous
remarks. The Marcionite became angry and attacked them. His two friends fled, but this
poor boy stayed and the Marcionite seized him. The two friends said that they saw the
priest seize the boy and stretch forth his hand on the mouth, lips and eyes of the boy,
69

saying: "How much you despise us, children of the Jewish Mary." The boy became blind
and mute, The Marcionite magician went away, leaving the boy, who was no longer able
to find his way home.'

Those present were astonished. Christians who were there testified to the intelligence and
judgement of the boy. The blessed saint lowered his eyes and then raised his head and
said: 'Do not be afraid, my child. The prayers of Marutha will give your boy back his sight
and speech and will confound the devil with his tricks.' He then stretched forth his hand
so pure to the boy. He seized him with his left hand and rubbed his eyes three times with
his right. He put his index finger into his mouth and blesssed the front and mouth of the
child, saying: 'Tell me child, what has this demon done to you ?' The boy was able to see
and the knot in his tongue was loosened. He said clearly: 'This is what the Marcionite did
to me: I saw a crow come out of his mouth that struck me on the eyes and mouth and
made me blind and mute.' Those present marvelled at this and in unison thanked God
loudly. Bishop Marutha was stupefied and quite troubled by what he had seen: 'Truly,

69 Marcion of Sinope (mid-2nd cent.) essentially rejected the Old Testament. The connection between Marcionites
and magic seems to be reflected by Theodoret of Cyrrhus Patrologia Graeca 83, 373, who tells of how Marcionites he
had met kept a bronze serpent, 'better than the demiurge', in a box, as if it were some magical fetish.

40

70

chosen man of God, The daughter of the king is quite resplendent on the inside and Those who
71

wear precious garments are in the houses of kings as you said to me reproachfully when I
criticized the poverty of your dress.'

Marutha remained with Sabrisho' for two months. He accompanied him to Khusrau's
palace. He celebrated the Mass with him. He received the offerings with no more doubts
or scruples. He visited the school, where he heard the lecture and commentary, and asked
the meaning of several passages. He was good to the students, the weak and the poor, and
gave them freely of his gifts. Marutha returned happy, thanking God for what he had seen.
The catholicos gaeve him perfumes and gifts from India and China through the
intermediary of the bishop of Beith Daraye and his secretary Bokhtisho'. On his return
Marutha told Maurice what he had seen. This is how the name of Sabrisho' became known
in the Byzantine empire.

Khusrau wanted to do the same as Maurice had done by sending an episcopal embassy. He
thus asked the catholicos to nominate someone worthy of this mission. The catholicos
named Milas bishop of Senna. Khusrau sent him to Maurice with a letter. The catholicos
also gave him a letter for the patriarch of Constantinople. Milas was received with honour
and was introduced to the emperor by the patriarch. He made a speech in which he
prayed for the emperor, his children and generals. He gave alms to the weak and the poor.
At his departure Maurice gave him a piece of the True Cross, which he wrapped with the
gold cross he had sent to Sabrisho'. May the prayers of this saint be with us.

70 Ps. 45,14
71 Matt. 11,8

41

69. Gabriel the doctor and Mar Sabrisho' the catholicos,

may his prayers preserve us.

Gabriel was the principal doctor of the shah. He was also known as Gabriel the Sigarian.
Mar Sabrisho' excommunicated him for bigamy, but the shah interceded on his behalf and
requested the cancellation of the excommunication, but the saint refused. Gabriel then
became a Jacobite and sought ways in which to harm Nestorians. Before the battle of Dara,
the shah asked the saint, who was at Nisibis awaiting his imminent end, to reconsider. The
saint refused and indeed confirmed and made his anathema more terrible.

70. The assassination of Maurice,

may God sanctify his soul,
and Khusrau's change of heart towards Christians

There was peace between the two empires for more than twelve years. Khusrau honoured
the Church, in a spirit of gratitude for the help offered to him by Maurice against his
enemy Bahram. But he changed after Maurice had been killed by the Byzantines with his
wife and children. Maurice was an upright and humble man, who prayed a lot, always
fasted, who liked to dispense alms and liked to build churches. He was against any of his
governors or officials who oppressed people. He tried to stop them from doing this by

42

taking away their property. They began to hate him and eventually killed him and
72

replaced him with Phocas. Khusrau was deeply afficted and angered by news of his
death. He resolved to attack Byzantium to avenge the death of Maurice and reclaim what
he had given to Maurice. He sent a threatening message to the imperial grandees. On his
return the ambassador told him that his message had been badly received. He left
straightaway for Nisibis, for he he needed the prayers of Sabrisho'. The saint arrived at
Lashum in Beith Garmai and, knowing that much blood would be shed, he prayed to Our
Lord to spare him this spectacle. Three days later the shah set off, and a donkey was
brought for the catholicos. John the doctor forbade him to mount the animal because he
was too weak. The catholicos responded: 'The hour of rest has come soon enough. We will
leave on a donkey but return on a camel.'

Khusrau said to the catholicos on his arrival at Nisibis: 'It is due to my confidence in the
efficacy of your prayer that I intend to start this campaign to avenge the death of Maurice
and to replace him with Theodore, who escaped the massacre. If you know that I will be
victorious in this war, I will undertake it. If not, I will not.' The catholicos replied in tears:
'You will be victorious with God's help. So act gently and do not rush, for haste is not in
your generous character. And may you, despite the hardness of their heart which is
familiar to me, obtain what you are looking for. However, though I am not blamed by their
leaders and church dignitaries for having neglected to pray for the believers, my eye will
not see, I am convinced about God, which will be for them a test case.' The prince replied:
'I will do as you say. I will write to them a second time. But you hurt me when you say that
are going to find your Lord once again.' He then wrote to the Byzantines: 'Our goodness
prevents us from hastening to punish you for your crime. The catholicos, our celestial
72 His name has been metathesized in the Arabic text to 'Qfa'

43

father, the best friend of peace, has interceded on your behalf, encouraging us to give you
more time. Listen to me and remove the one you have enthroned. Let the son of the
emperor legitimately succeed his father. Do not put us to shame.' They attacked the
messenger and tore up the letter, put him in chains and sent him to their country. When
Khusrau learned of this, he sent his advance guard against Dara. Sabrisho' remained at
Nisibis for four months. As he knew what would happen to the Christians, he prayed
unceasingly to God to ask Him to let him die before this happened. God revealed to him
that He had heard his prayer and even let him know when he would die. It happened that,
fifteen days after the capture of the city, Khusrau sent two of his people to SeleuciaCtesiphon to tell the residents the news of his victory and report to him the news of his
provinces. When they entered Nisibis, they went to greet Mar Sabrisho' the catholicos,
despite the fact that they were Magi. When he begged them to wait that he might go with
them, they asked him: 'Who will let you leave ?' He replied: 'The one whom nobody can
resist will let me leave. I will go by camel. If you do not wait for me, I will join you on the
road.' But they paid no attention to what he said.

71. Death of Mar Sabrisho' the catholicos

Three days after the departure of the messengers Sabrisho' fell ill. Khusrau sent Takhrid
to ascertain the news he was concerned about and to ask him to pray to the Lord to delay
his order, as he had already asked Him to advance it, until the war was finished.

73

Gabriel the doctor managed to ask about the possibility that he (Sabrisho') might release
him (Gabriel) from the anathema before his death. He (the shah) wrote and intervened
73 The writer seems to dispense with names and relies extensively on 3rd. person sing. pronouns.

44

with him (Sabrisho'), who said: 'Far be it from me at the moment of dying to renounce
the attachment and affection I feel for you, but I will not disobey the order of God and
trample on His laws and decrees now that Gabriel is bound in heaven and on earth, even
though his remedies for you are good and efficacious. We have been told not to oppose
power, for he that does so opposes God.

74

Out of respect for this order, let his remedies be

good and efficacious.' When the shah heard this from the messenger, he cried out: 'Our
grief is all the greater because of this, for we will never again have a leader of the
Christians like this one.' The shah returned to the subject of absolution for Gabriel. The
messeger arrived as the shroud was being prepared with aromatic substances for
embalming the body. He said to him: ' Your death is approaching. Give the shah this
favour for his doctor. I see that you have only two hours longer to exercise your power
over the Christians. Be merciful to one who asks for mercy.' The catholicos replied: 'If I
absolved him, it would be necessary for me, now that I am to appear before the Just Judge,
to bind him once again. Gabriel is held captive with all his dissident companions, in
heaven and on earth. ' The messenger then asked him to bless him. The saint did so and
died (God sanctify his soul) at 3 pm on Sunday 18th September, which is 5th Khardadmah,
in the 15th year of Khusrau Aparvaz, son Hormizd.

The doctors embalmed him, as the shah had commanded. After having wrapped him in
the garments sent by Khusrau and Shrin, they put musk and camphor on him. He was
eighty years old and had spent eight years as catholicos. There were three days of prayer
for him. A large crowd gathered around the saint. His disciples put him in his shroud and
asked permission to take him to the monastery built by him, as he had instructed them.
The shah gave them permission.
74 Rom. 13,2

45

The people of Nisibis and those of Hira wanted him to be buried with them, the former
from a desire to possess him and the the latter because they had buried other catholicoi.
But neither party was able to obtain his body. His shroud was placed on a swift camel, as
he had predicted, and he rejoined the two messengers at Adiabene. The cortge
approached Karkha of Giddn, and the august and faithful Yazdin heard the news and
sounded the bells in all the churches and convents. There was a venerable procession,
accompanied by prayers, to meet the saint. They entered the church, where there was an
all-night vigil. On the following day Mass was said. Yazdin wanted to keep the cross, in
which there was a fragment of the Cross of Our Lord Christ, but he did not dare, because
the disciples of the saint were opposed to this and pointed out that his wish was that it be
placed in the monastery where he was buried. Yazdin had the shroud accompanied by
priests, deacons and the faithful, who deposited him in his monastery, as he had wished.
This monastery bears his name and is located in the province of Krakh of Giddn.

The miracles performed by the saint were numerous. Even if we mentioned just a small
75

number, this book would become very large. The history of his ascetic, episcopal and
patriarchal life has been written by Peter abbot of Beith 'Ab.

72. Things that happened in his days

In the seventh year of the reign of Khusrau Aparvaz the metropolitans and bishops of the
East gathered around Sabrisho' and stated that there were certain among them wearing
religious garments who modified the truth received from the apostles and taught by the
75 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac word:

46

318 fathers of Nicaea, who were bringing shame on the legitimate and truthful doctors of
the Church, teaching a doctrine contrary to that of the doctors, perverting the spirit of
simple people, claiming that sin is engraved in the nature of man. There were others who
claimed that the nature of Adam had originally been created immortal, who rejected the
76

prayers and the hymns composed by the true and sincere doctors of the Church.

The catholicos, the metropolitans and bishops present decided to drive these hateful
things from the Church. They expelled those who were propagating them,
excommunicated and exiled them. They confirmed the true faith, which is the basis and
beauty of Christianity and the life of the souls, such as has been handed down by the
apostles inspired by the Holy Spirit. They wrote a document about the faith and other
matters as they understood them. This text was based on the tradition and canons of the
fathers. It was signed and sealed by them, and they committed themselves to observing
and teaching it to their flocks. The pronounced terrible anathemas against those who
contradicted them, rejecting the teaching of Theodore. They excommunicated all the
dissident sects, naming them one by one and condemning the heresies one by one. They
excommunicated and declared those who deviated from this written doctrine deprived of
all the offices of priesthood, prohibiting them from entering the church and receiving the
sacrament. They also promised not to have contact with anyone who contradicted what
they had just confirmed, unless they repented of their errors. May God help us to act in
accordance with His will.

73. Saint Zinai

76 Ar. is a 'traduction litterale' (Scher) of the Syriac word:

47

This father occupied a cave in a mountain near Stephen the monk and lived on wild herbs
on the mountain. He then went to Adiabene, where he built a monastery on the little Zab
and lived there. Monks gathered around him. Mar Babai of Nisibis lived there for two
years. The author of the life of Rabban Zinai tells of how tears streamed constantly from
his eyes. On his death he entrusted his monastery to his disciple Shabtha, who had built a
monastery in Ma'althaye, who wrote two books on the monastic regime. May their
prayers preserve us.

74. Gregory the Metropolitan of Nisibis

Gregory was like John the Baptist, with his solitary life and the miracles he performed,
like Paul with his evangelization of men, like Elijah with his religious orthodox zeal. Who
77

can recount the virtues and apostolic life of this man from Kashkar ? After reading and
understanding the Psalms of David he went to the school of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, where he
spent before going on to Nisibis and studied the teachings of Mar Abraham the exegete.

The people of Adiabene, who heard of him, made him exegete in their country. He stayed
there for eleven years to call people to Christianity. One group attached itself to him. He
founded a school in a village in Kashkar and taught the students to fast and pray. Each
year during Lent he took those who had learned their prayers and went into the
neighbouring villages to call the residents to faith. When they let him in, he blessed them,
prayed over their heads and taught them the faith. When they stopped him, he stood
77 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac word:

48

outside the village, praying and explaining Christianity all day, patiently prepared to be
struck by blows and stones. Thanks to prodigies and miracles, he was able to baptize a
large number each day. Many idols were smashed in Maishan and Kashkar, where even
temples were demolished and replaced by churches. In his time there was a terrible
78

plague in Kashkar. The chief Magi assembled and converged on the school, begging him
to pray for them. He did so, and the plague vanished through his prayer.

His reputation even reached Isho'yahb the catholicos, who forced him to become bishop
of Kashkar. Finally, Khusrau heard of his deeds and was full of admiration and became
even more sympathetic to Christians. On his order Gregory was made metropolitan of
Nisibis, because he wanted someone he could trust in this border city of the two empires.
79

The doctor of Nisibis at the time was Hnana of Adiabene, a disciple of Moses, and he
spent so long at the school reading heretical texts that his hermeneutics began to differ
from those of Theodore and he eventually abandoned the truth and embraced heretical
doctrines.

When Gregory became metropolitan, the educated told him about Hnana, and Gregory
expressed his disapproval and rebuked him, but Hnana would not give up his position, and
Gergory issued a condemnation of the books he had written. Hnana pretended to give up
these beliefs and remained in this position for a a long time, until he found an opportunity
to ask the help of the imperial doctors, who had been told by Gregory not to commit
bigamy and had been excommunicated for their stubborn resistance. Gregory wrote to
Mar Sabrisho' the catholicos to tell him about Hnana, who also wrote to Sabrisho', making
78 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac word:
79 Ar. is a writing of the Syriac:

49

80

fun of him, as the false prophet had done with the true prophet. Most of the fathers
censured the letter and saw it as an excuse to excommunicate Hnana. But the catholicos
did not excommunicate him and, indeed, welcomed the letter. When Gregory learned of
this, he shook the dust from his sandals at the city gate and left the city.

The students were affected greatly by the decision of Sabrisho', who had rejected Gregory
in favour of Hnana. Full of the zeal spoken of by the prophet in the words I have been
81

moved by zeal for the Lord God of hosts, they went forth from the school, distributing what
82

83

they had and carrying gospels and crosses on black cloths and censers. They left the
84

village praying and chanting rogations. There were about 300 of them. The townspeople
wept over and lamented their departure, while the mischievous leaders were quite glad to
have driven out Gregory. They were unaware of disasters and misfortunes due to hit them
and that pious people would escape these. No more than twenty adults and as many
children remained in the school.

Aha, Isaiah of Tahal, Meskina 'Arbaya, disciples of Hnana, and others of the group refused
to go with the friends of Gregory. These, when they reached the city gate, finished the
prayer. They said farewell to each other and separated. Some went to the monastery of
Mar Abraham, while others went to Mark bishop of Balad, who gathered them together in
a school which he built outside the town. Among those who left the school of Nisibis was
Isho'yahb of Gdala, later catholicos, Hadbshabba, 'Arbaye the metropolitan of Helwan,
Isho'yahb of Adiabene, Paul the exegete in the monastery of Abimelek, Michael the doctor
80
81
82
83
84

I Kg. 13
I Kg. 19, 14
Scher gives the Syriac word linteum ( )I cannot find the word with this meaning in Payne Smith
Scher gives the Syriac word thuribulum ( )I cannot find the word with this meaning in Payne Smith
Both Arabic words are writings of Syriac words: hymn ( )and rogation ()

50

and several other learned men.

Some time later the people of Nisibis received their punishment. As for Gregory, who had
been denounced to Khusrau, he endured the same fate as the blessed Mar Nestorius.
Khusrau ordered him to return, but he withdrew to a desert between Niffa and Kashkar,
where he lived for a long time, devoting himself to prayer and fasting. Nearby there was a
village where people worshipped snakes. He urged them to become Christian and tried to
show them the horror of their cult. But they did not listen and persisted in their impiety.
One day their priest, charged with attending to the serpents, went to feed them but found
them all dead. All those present went to Gregory and demanded forgiveness for their sins
and asked to be baptized. He listened to them and built a church for them. He then moved
to a place called Bizz al Anhar, where he built a large monastery. Pupils came from
everywhere to be around him. Through his prayers, the water began to flow once again in
the riverbed that had been dry for eight years. The monastery is near Niffar on the border
of Baresma.

85

Gregory - may God sanctify his soul and his prayers remember us - died in year 22 of
Khusrau and was buried in his monastery. Theodore bar Konai and Elias metropolitan of
Merv have spoken about him in detail in their church histories.

75. The punishment inflicted on the people of Nisibis

because of Gregory

God withdrew His providence from the people of Nisibis and punished them for what they
85 Reading is uncertain: the first letter can also be read as 't' or 'n', depending on the pointing, which is absent.

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had done to Gregory. The punishment was in May, a year before the departure of Gregory,
the same month in which he had left the country. With divine permission those who had
helped Hnana and conspired against Gregory, in the matter of prohibiting bigamy and
maintaining concubines, rebelled against Khusrau and killed the marzban who was
resident among them. This murder angered the shah, who sent the general of his armies
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against them with a confederacy of fighting men. He sent Sabrisho' with them and the
bishops of Beith Garmai, Mosul and Nisibis. He ordered the general to coax the residents
to open the city gate to the catholicos. Once the gate was open, he would kill the leaders
and loot their houses. When the army arrived at the ramparts, the catholicos harangued
the residents and wrote notes to them that if they opened the gate they would be safe, for
they did not know what had been planned for them. The general promised them the best
treatment and his mercy, in an attempt to persuade them to obey the shah. When the
army entered the city, it did what the shah had ordered: kill, pillage and burn. It spared
nobody. Those who escaped fled to Byzantium, where they dispersed.

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As Davd said: He made them wander in desert places, where there was no way. Some captives
were taken to Khusrau, who incarcerated them in a prison, where they later died. Those
who stayed in the city were humiliated and they submitted. They became convinced that
this was the punishment for how they had treated Gregory. Antiochus did the same with
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the people of Jerusalem, whom he deceived and slaughtered. So the prophecy of

Gregory, that they would be punished, was fulfilled. Sabrisho' was grieved by these events
and reproached the general for his perfidious actions, who said: 'I have sinned against
them, for I made a promise which they trusted. ' He saw the slaughter of Yazdgerd and
86 Scher's text ( )is a misprint for
87 Ps. 107, 40
88 An allusion to 1 Macc. 6,58

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Hormizd Shapur. He annihilated the power of those responsible for what had been done
to the metropolitan.

It is said that as a result of the difference between Gregory and Mar Sabrisho' the latter
lost his gift of revelation. After the death of Gregory the people of Nisibis wrote his name
next to those of the fathers.

76. Rabban Isho'yahb

This saint, a native of Beith Nuhadra, appeared about this time. He studied in the school of
Thmanoun in Qardou. He went to the anchorite Isho'zkha who had healed al Nu'man, son
of al Mundhir, king of the Arabs. For some time he was lector to the anchorite and then
he left to be with Mar Babai of Nisibis, who made him a monk. After a while he was called
by divine grace to become an abbott, so he made his way the mountain of Beith Nuhadra,
where he satyed in the monastery of Ithalaha the martyr. The monks who had heard
about him gathered around him. He built a monastery in the mountain in a place where
the Kurds offered sacrifice to demons. One day, while he was sitting there, he saw the
demons take a stone to throw it at him. In the name of God he stopped the flight of the
stone, which remained suspended, as one can still see. Rabban Yozadaq, who built a
monastery at Qardu, reported that there was nobody like Isho'yahb performing miracles
and cures. Five years later he died and was buried in the martyrium of his monastery. May
his prayers help us.

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77. Rabban Gabrona

About this time Gabrona left the monastery of Bar Tura and went to live in a cave in the
mountain of Badrun in the region of Beith Zabdai. He abstained from all the pleasures of
this world, acquired the knowledge and fear of the perfect God and lived in the purest
devotion. His reputation reached a man called Shamona, the governor of the region
under the orders of the shah. He went to visit Gabrona because of his daughter, who was
troubled by demons and had been told not to eat cooked food of any sort. When she was
brought to Gabrona, he took from his cave a litte wheat, which he cooked and gave to the
girl to eat, after which she was healed and rediscovered her reason. Shamona helped him
to build a monastery in the same place and gave him everything he asked for. When it
was completed, monks gathered there. It is called the monastery of Shamona. Saint
Gabrona was buried there. May his prayers be with us.

78. Maurice the Byzantine Emperor

In the thirteenth year of Khusrau, year 914 of Alexander, Phocas the army commander
attacked Maurice and his children, killed them and became emperor in his place. Maurice
had seen in a dream a richly dressed man standing before him, who told him to stretch
forth his hands. Maurice did so, and the man wrote four Greek letters on them: 'God has
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ordered Phocas to reign in the place of Maurice.' He submitted to the will of God and
asked to be punished in this world. His reign had lasted twenty years.

89 The Arabic version: God has ordered and, in the second place, Maurice Phocas. I know of no tradition that tells us
what the letters were.

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Eutychius was patriarch for twelve years and his successor was John, for whom Maurice
had a great affection. He established Marutha as metropolitan of Chalcedon: a scholar who
knew Greek, Syriac and Hebrew, and had written commentaries on books of logic. It was
he whom Maurice had sent as an ambassador to Khusrau. He visited Sabrisho' the
catholicos, whose virtue he admired, whom he had seen perform miracles and about
whom Khusrau had said: 'This is a heavenly man in poor clothing.' After six years as
patriarch John died. He was succeeded by Cyriacus in year 11 of Maurice at a very
advanced age.

The Byzantine emperors, when they wished to be crowned, would go the monastery of
Mar Sergius, quite near the royal palace. The patriarch, with three bishops, would
celebrate Mass. After Communion they would take the crown and place it on the
emperor's head, who then sat on the throne. When Phocas seized power and placed the
crown on his own head, the patriarch led him to the cathedral church, where he gave him
Communion and anointed him with the holy chrism. God deprived him of the custom
instituted by the other emperors. For He knew that Cyriacus hated him. The latter was on
the patriarchal throne for seven years. His replacement John was patriarch for eight years
and died at the accession of Heraclius.

79. Theodosius son of Maurice

Theodosius, the youngest child of Maurice, escaped the massacre of his family and took
refuge with Khusrau, who received him in memory of the protection his father had given

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him and the help in regaining his throne. He had crowned him and promised him that he
would do everything to help him regain the throne. Khusrau was affected by the
misfortune of Maurice. He wept and wore mourning for him a long time. Then he showed
his courtiers and generals how grateful he was to Maurice for services rendered and told
them that he wanted to avenge him amd make his son victorious. They swore to obey him.
So the shah sent a cruel inhuman and hard general with Theodosius, but pacified him
with an army. The general and Theodosius turned towards Dara and besieged it. Several
days later Khusrau also attacked Byzantium. He was accompanied by Sabrisho' the
catholicos. After nine months of siege he took Dara. He then went back to SeleuciaCtesiphon and left his armies there. Theodosius then died of poisoning.

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Khusrau had Nathniel bishop of Shahrzor killed at the instigation of the Magi, who
resented him for having prevented the destruction of churches in his country. Mar
Sabrisho' also died at the same time in Nisibis and was taken, as we have said, to Karkha.

80. Gregory the 31st Catholicos

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Originally from Maishan, he was an imposing person, with a face of great beauty. He was
learned and had followed the teaching of Ishai of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. When Khusrau
returned to that city, after conquering Dara, the Christians gathered to choose a successor
to Mar Sabrisho'. The latter had recommended Barhadbshabba the monk, who lived in the
mountain of Sha'ran. The fathers chose Gregory to be metropolitan of Nisibis, who was
known for his orthodoxy and apostolic spirit. They asked for authorization from the shah,
90 Perhaps read: Srzr
91 Marginal note in the text: Properly speaking the 32nd, because his Eminence Isho'yhab was the 30th.

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who granted it. Thanks to the good offices of Shirin, he ordered the fathers to assemble at
Seleucia-Ctesiphon to ordain Gregory metropolitan. But when Abraham of Nisibis, the
doctor, and other Christians in the service of the shah learned of this, they feared that
once he was patriarch he would punish them for the ill will that they had borne him when
he was at Nisibis. They went to find Mar Aba of Kashkar, Khusrau's astrologer and friend,
to ask him not to recommend Gregory and dissuade him from making this appointment.
Shirin the wife of the shah chose Gregory and asked the fathers to ordain him, claiming
that it was the shah who wanted it. It was the namesake who won the day. Mar Aba the
doctor also took his side. The fathers listened to Shirin and ordained Gregory in
accordance with the rites in the midst of a joyful and festive people.
Shirin had chosen him and she watched over his interests. The doctors of Nisibis
introduced him to the shah to pray for and bless him. But when the shah saw him, he
realized that there had been a hoax of some sort in his ordination. He said: 'This is not my
choice. I chose Gregory of Nisibis.' Mar Aba said that this Gregory was the choice of Shirin,
because he is from her city. She was sure that the shah would accept him, because he was
intelligent, wise and learned.

Khusrau rejoiced and honoured him. He was enchanted by the beauty of his face, but
when he examined him, he found the inside to be the opposite of the outside. He berated
Shirin for having chosen him. Gregory lost his sense of right and began to behave
unjustly. He became avaricious, demanding money from priests and leaders. The joy of
Christians turned to sorrow. The excommunicated Gabriel of Shigar, anathematized by
Sabrisho', defamed him unceasingly. Khusrau ordered him to be represented on fans. One
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fan showed him stroking a chicken to see if it was fat or not. Another displayed him
92 The account in Thomas Marga Book of Governors I c. 25 does not mention fans, but says that various people, who

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examining a gold coin that he was turning over in his hand, a young girl sitting on his
knees.

People started to hate the bishops because of him. Christians were much afflicted by him.
Khusrau had taken many books from Dara after his capture of the city. He forced Gregory
to buy them for 20,000 silver staters and demanded payment for them. Gergory had the
money paid by the churches, and Christians felt very resentful. He was patriarch for four
years. He died in year 20 of Khusrau, who confiscated his entire legacy. He even had his
disciples arrested and imprisoned unti they had paid Gergory's debts. His attitude towards
Christians changed. He no longer granted them privileges, even oppressing his own
subjects, overtaxing them and confiscating their property. He forbade Christians to have
catholicos. The church remained in this widowed condition for seveteen years. During
this period its affairs were directed by Mar Aba the archdeacon, whose name has been
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included in the lists of the dead, assisted by Babai the Great, of the monastery of
Abraham, until the assassination of Khusrau and the accession of his son Siroi.

had failed Gregory of Nisibis, wrote letters condemning the incumbent catholicos and made scurrilous paintings
of him, such as the one in which Gregory was depicted feeling a chicken to see if it was fat enough to eat, and sent
these to the shah.
93 Text: Aba.

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