Muslim Arab armies invaded the area occupied by Syriac speaking Christians from the early 7th century AD onwards. According to an ancient account by Michael the Syrian, the Christians had been oppressed so hard by the Persians in the East and the Byzantines in the West that they welcomed the Muslims!

c. 645 AD

`Anan Isho`, (later called Shenna dheBheth Remman) a distinguished scholar was originally a native of Adiabene who studied in Nisibis. He then became an East Syrian monk when he entered the Great Monastery of mount Izla. Afterwards, according to Wright [24], `Anan Isho` travelled to Egypt and Palestine gathering information about ascetic life in those regions. According to Thomas, bishop of Marga, (via Budge) `Anan Isho` then returned to Mesopotamia and came to the convent of Beth `Abhe whilst his friend Isho`yahb was still Metropolitan of Arbela, that is to say, before Isho`yahb became the Catholicos, Isho`yahb III.

When `Anan Isho` came to the convent of Beth `Abhe he assembled his version of 'The Paradise of the Fathers' from the sources which he had collected during his travels in Scete, (Egypt) and in Jerusalem. `Anan Isho`'s recension of the 'Paradise' is a large work in two volumes. These volumes contain around 80 scattered quotations taken from an Old Syriac gospel manuscript.

According to [38], `Anan Isho`'s name was Enanisho and he worked for a later Catholicos, Gewargis I. However, according to Thomas bishop of Marga, `Anan Isho` came to Beth `Abhe before Isho`yahb III became Catholicos. Therefore, it is most probable that `Anan Isho` edited the Paradise whilst the information which he had gathered during his travels was still fresh in his mind. Therefore, `Anan Isho` probably completed his recension of the Paradise in around AD 645, soon after he came to the convent of Beth `Abhe rather than 15 years later during the patriarchate of Giwargis I.

`Anan Isho` also composed a lexical work which survives with the additions made by Honain ibn Ishak al-`Ibadi of Herta who died AD 873. This has been published by Hoffmann, 'Opuscula Nestoriana' from two MSS, [24]. Another MS copy can be found in Mingana Syr 420.

647 AD

Isho`yabh III of Hedhaiyabh (i.e. of Adiabene) who had formerly been Metropolitan of Arbela and bishop of Nuhadraye was elected Catholicos of the East. This Isho`yabh ordered the (re-)arrangement of the Hudra, (or order of service) and seems to have suffered widespread dissent from his bishops. Attributed to him is a theological and liturgical series of questions and answers which includes historical details, see MS Mingana Syr 566.

The actual work on the Hudra was done by Isho`yabh's friend, the distinguished scholar `Anan Isho`. `Anan Isho` also produced some books explaining how to pronounce difficult Syriac words used by the church fathers based upon pioneering work by Joseph Huzaya, who was the first Syriac grammarian and a disciple of Mar Narsai.

649 AD

Died Marutha, who had been Monophysite metropolitan of Tagrit since AD 640. He was succeeded by Denha. The latter wrote a biography of his predecessor in which he also commented upon the situation in the East Syrian church in his area, (this has been edited by Nau, F. 'Denha, histoire de Marouta', PO III, 1 Paris 1905). He said that the East Syrian monks were very keen to establish schools in every settlement and that very many schools were established an ran by them.

One of the most famous of these founders of schools in and around Marga was Rabban Babai of Gebiltha. It is highly likely that the monks taught from their Old Syriac gospel texts in many of these schools.

650 AD

Many monks and ascetics were killed by the army of Sa'd along the Byzantine border, especially in the monastery called "The daughters of Five Churches" at Ra's Ayn (in modern Syria).

653 or 654 AD

Gabriel was consecrated bishop of the Monophysite monastery of Qartamin in Tur `Abdin by Athanasius the patriarch. This happened during the Caliphate of Omar. As appears from the gospel quotations in the 13^th century manuscript which preserves this record, the gospel text in use at Qartamin at this time was an Old Syriac text of considerable age.

657 or 658 AD

Died East Syrian Catholicos Isho`yahb III, formerly Metropolitan of Arbela. Many of his letters survive. These contain gospel quotations partly from the Peshitta and partly from Old Syriac texts. One of Isho`yahb's works, presumably written around AD 640 before his elevation, was a biography of Isho`sabran who was the last martyr of the Sassanid era, (the power of the Sassanids ended in AD 637). This earlier work exhibits quotations from an Old Syriac gospel.

658 AD

Mar Gewargis I, (George) succeeded Isho`yahb III as Patriarch. He sat until AD 680 – 681. Reference [50] gives the date of his election as either 658 or 660 AD. Gewargis had been a monk of Beth `Abe

660 AD

Died Denha, Monophysite metropolitan of Tagrit.

668 or 669 AD

Athanasios, a Monophysite priest from Nisibis translates the letters of Severus, Patriarch of Antioch from Greek into Syriac. Athanasios used the Peshitta gospel text to replace the gospel quotations in the Greek original.

May
677 AD
(Iyar 57 AH)

There was a synod under the East Syrian catholicos Giwargis I. The synodal canons are dated in the month Iyar = May of the Islamic year AH 57, [50]. Now, the year AH 57 began on the 12^th November 676 AD, (see details under AD 622 above).

The synodal canons quote the gospel using the Peshitta text, however a number of Old Syriac variants are also present. Reference [38] gives two differing dates for this synod, or perhaps two synods actually occurred? The canons of this synod indicate that the clergy were still trying to subordinate the monks and anchorites under their own authority. The monks had essentially split away from the church hierarchy following years of persecution at the hands of the clerics. This situation was very important for the history of the Old Syriac gospel text which was the gospel text preferred by the monks. As was typified by the gospel quotations in the canons of this synod, the clerics increasingly preferred the Peshitta text.

c. October
679 AD

Catholicos Giwargis I wrote a treatise in reply to several letters from Mina who was a priest and bishop in the Church of the East.

c. 680 AD

Flourished Shem`on of Taybutheh surnamed 'Luka' who was a monk and a physician, (hence the surname) and a disciple of Rabban Shabor Huzaya. A treatise by him survives in Mingana Syr 601 part E.

680 or 681 AD

Died catholicos Mar Gewargis I.

684 - 687 AD

Jacob became Monophysite bishop of Edessa. He sat only a few years and then resigned in order to teach.

686 AD

Giwargis (George) became Monophysite bishop of the Christian Arab tribes. Giwargis wrote many metrical (poetical) works which preserve allusions to an Old Syriac gospel text. From comments made in [38] his gospel text was probably the Diatessaron harmony.

687 AD

Henanisho I became East Syrian Catholicos.

c. 700 AD

Jacob of Edessa and John the Stylite corresponded about this time. Jacob was busy revising the Peshitta version of the Old Testament.

700 AD

Died East Syrian Patriarch Henanisho` I. Letters, civil and synodal canons written by Henanisho` survive in Mingana Syr 586.

705 AD

Ya`qob (Jacob) of Edessa completed his revised Syriac text of the Old Testament.
Ya`qob was a distinguished scholar. He was responsible for creating new monastic centres of Greek learning at Kaisum, Eusebona and Tell `Adda. In his writings, Ya`cob used the Peshitta as his gospel text.

708 AD

Died Ya`qob, (Jacob) who was for a few years, Monophysite bishop of Edessa.

714 - 718 AD

Giwargis, (George) Monophysite bishop of the Arabs wrote in a letter about the identity of the fourth century 'Persian sage' we know as Aphrahat.

724 AD

End of the see of Giwargis, Monophysite bishop of the Christian Arab tribes.

c. 740 AD

Flourished the East Syrian Mystical writer Abraham Bar Dashandad. A letter of his survives in Mingana Syr 601 part C.

741 AD

Mar Abha Bar Berikh-sebhyaneh of Kashkar bishop of Kashkar became East Syrian Catholicos. He sat until his death in AD 751 at an age of 110 years. He is quoted at least ten times by Isaac Shebadhnaya, also known as Asco in his sedras, see AD 1440 and Wright's catalogue of the Cambridge MSS, page 441. Mar Abha of Kashkar was succeeded by Sourin as catholicos of the east, [50].

c. 754 AD

Sourin catholicos of the east was deposed, [50].

Between
October 1^st
759 AD and September 30^th
760AD

Ya`qob metropolitan of Gundi-Shapor was elected Ya`qob II catholicos of the east. His election ended a four year gap which began with the deposition of his predecessor, Sourin.

759 or 760 AD

A dated inscription in a stone sepulchre was found near Amida containing three quotations from an Old Syriac gospel.

760 AD

Was born Job of Edessa.

Between
October 1^st
764 AD and September 30^th
765AD

Ya`qob II catholicos of the east was imprisoned and within two years, he died. After his death, there was no catholicos of the east for nine years until the election of Henanisho` II.

767 AD

An East Syrian copy of the Peshitta NT was copied in the convent of Rabban Mara Sabar Yeshua, or Beth Quqa near the river Zaba Rabba in Adiabene.

773 or 774 AD

Lazar of Qandasa, (or Kandasa), a Monophysite monk who lived in the mountains near Edessa wrote a commentary upon the gospels of Mark and John. From these it is clear that Lazar used the Peshitta text.

774 - 779 AD

When the Caliphs conquered the old Sassanid (Persian) metropolis of Seleucia-Ctesiphon and built their new capital Baghdad between the years 762 and 766, the East Syrian catholicos Henanisho` II (774-9) considered it expedient to move the Patriarchate in 775 to that city though still reserving the old title of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. As head of one of the richest and influential communities in the Islamic Empire, his position in the central administration became one of relative importance, sometimes through favour with the Caliphs themselves and sometimes through bribery and gifts, [Atiya]. Henanisho` II died in AD 780, [46].

775 AD

Mohammed El-Mahdi became Islamic Caliph of Baghdad.

Between October 29^th
775 AD and October 16^th
776 AD

The East Syrian catholicos Henanisho` II held a synod. The synodal acts contain gospel quotations which mainly follow the Peshitta text, though a few Old Syriac variants are still to be seen. The synodal record is dated to 'AG 1087 which is also AH 159', [50]. This provides an early confirmation of the mathematical link between the Greek and Islamic calendars in use at that time.

Henanisho` had been bishop of Lashom prior to his election as catholicos. His election was schismatic: not all east Syrian bishops supported him. Nevertheless, according to [50], it is his name which appears on the Singan-fu Syriac inscription found in China which is dated AD 781. The present author has not yet been able to verify this claim, or the date of the inscription.

775 - 776 AD

A monk from a monastery near Amida writes 'The chronicle of Zuqnin', which covers the period AD 488 - 775.

September 779 AD

Died east Syrian catholicos Henanisho` II. Henanisho` was poisoned and died when he tried to recover some church property lost during the interregnum.

Sunday 7^th May
780 AD

After 8 months of wrangling, Henanisho` II was succeeded by Timothy I, who was elected on Sunday 7^th May AD 780. Prior to his election, Timothy had been bishop of Beth Bagash. Timothy came originally from Hazza in Adiabene.

780 to 823 AD

Timothy Catholicos of the Church of the East corresponded with Sergius who was later metropolitan-bishop of Bet-Lapat or Gundishapur in the Persian province of Elam. Timothy was a favourite of the Caliphs al-Mahdi and Harun al-Rashid. About 200 of Timothy's letters survive and when he quoted the gospel, he quoted from the Peshitta. Some of these letters can be found in Mingana 47, section mm.

785 AD

Died Mohammed El-Mahdi, Islamic Caliph of Baghdad. He was succeeded by Harun al-Rashid, (see above).

Between May 19^th
790 AD &
May 7^th
791 AD

Timothy I catholicos of the east, held the first of two synods.

Catholicos Timothy I tried a cleric, Nestorius priest of the Monastery of Mar Yozedeq, [50] who was accused of being a Messalian, that is to say, a member of an ascetic sect which originated in the 4^th century AD, [46]. Nestorius subsequently retracted this belief in a letter dated in this year, AH 174, [50]. Subsequently, Nestorius was made bishop of Beth Nuhadran or Nuhadraya. A treatise by this Nestorius can be found in Mingana Syr 601 part S, [46].

791 or 792 AD

The scholar Theodore bar Koni of Kashkar nephew of (presumably Catholicos) John IV, completed his 'Liber Scholiorum'. This book contains much theological, apologetical and historical information. The text is richly studded with the gospel text quoted from a revised version of the Peshitta. Vööbus shows that the Peshitta text used by Theodore had been revised towards the Greek text, [38]. Theodore was promoted by his uncle to be bishop of Lashom in AD 893.

In his 'Liber Scholiorum' Theodore gives an account of the Diatessaron and a brief quotation. He says, (I translate from the Syriac): ‘And finally came Tatianos the Greek, and he saw in the Separate Gospels that the episodes were described two or three times, and he took to write them down, one by one, and gathered from the four of them, one book. He called it "Diatessaron". And when he came to the reading of the resurrection, he saw that the testimonies of the four differed, because each caused to write that He was risen from the dead at the time that our Lord appeared to him. And, so as not to have to choose one testimony and omit three, he spoke thus in order to take account of the testimony of all four: "In the night when the first day of the week dawned, our Lord rose from the dead." ‘

793 AD

Kyriakos or Cyriacus became Patriarch of Antioch. Cyriacus had been a monk at the convent of Bizona or 'the pillar' near Callinicus. He sat until AD 817 when he died in Mosul.

After 797 AD

A work written about the three founders of the Monophysite monastery of Qartamin in Tur `Abdin which quotes the gospel from an Old Syriac text.

c. 800 AD

Died David, an East Syrian monk of Beth Rabban Paulos, i.e. of the convent of Zekha-isho` who later moved and lived in the convent of Beth `Abhe. David wrote a monastic history called 'The little paradise' used as a source by Thomas bishop of Marga. He also wrote a geographical treatise and some poorly styled acrostic poems on wisdom and learning.

Between
December 5^th
804 AD & 25^th November 805 AD

Lived the East Syrian Catholicos Timothy I, see above under AD 780. Civil and ecclesiastical canons created by Timothy were enacted in a second synod which occurred in this year, (AH 189, [50]). A large collection of 59 letters and some canons written by Timothy are preserved in Mingana Syr 587. The treatise by Timothy on ecclesiastical law dated AD 805 and another treatise on the soul can also be found in Mingana 47, sections jj and ll, [46].

817 AD

End of the see of Kyriakos or Cyriacus, Patriarch of Antioch.

c. 817 AD

Job of Edessa, (or Job al-Abrash) the East Syrian, teaches Syriac studies in Baghdad, and wrote 'The book of treasures', (essentially a Syriac encyclopedia).

818 AD

Dionysius of Tell-Mahre became patriarch of Antioch and wrote histories that preserved the Chronicle of Edessa and the chronicle of Joshua Stylite. He dedicated his historical work to Iwannis Patriarch of Dara, (see below).

819 AD

Jacob became patriarch of Alexandria. He sat until AD 836

820 AD

Died Theodore Abu Qurra, bishop of Harran. Abu Qurra was from Edessa and had been a monk at the monastery of Saba. He says of himself that he wrote both in Syriac and in Arabic. His Arabic works are extant and display clear Old Syriac gospel quotations [38] [24]. Interestingly, he tells us that he is quoting from the separate gospels because he explicitly mentions the end of Matthew's gospel in connection with one of his quotations. So we have here some evidence that the early Arabic gospels were translated from the Syriac Evangelion daMepharreshe, not from the Peshitta.

Friday 9^th January
823 AD

Died Timothy I, catholicos of the east aged 95 years. He had been catholicos for 43 years and 7 months. (There is perhaps an error in [50] here. Either Timothy died on 9^th January 824 after he had been catholicos for 43 years and 7 months, [50], or he died on 9^th January 823, [50], after he had been catholicos for 42 years and 7 months.)

823 AD
(AG 1134)

Date of the earliest extant MS containing the Philoxenian version of 1, 2 and 3 John, James, 1 and 2 Peter and Jude. Written in Egypt by Aaron, a monk from Dara, near Mardin, and presented 30 years later to the monastery of Theotokos in the Nitrian desert. Br. Lib. Add. 14623 and acquired from Nitria by the British Museum between 1839 - 47.

828 AD

Died the East Syrian patriarch Isho` Bar Nun.

fl. c. 830 AD

Iwannis (Monophysite) Bishop Metropolitan of Dara, (or John of Dara). Iwannis wrote (amongst other things) four books on the Priesthood. In these particular books, he quotes a large amount of Gospel text taken from an Old Syriac, gospel including variants not found in the Sinaitic or Curetonian manuscripts.

fl. c. 830 AD

Nonnos, a contemporary of Iwannis and an arch-deacon of the Monophysite Church at Nisibis wrote a theological treatise whilst in prison. From his treatise it can be seen that Nonnos used the Peshitta gospel text.

830 AD

Died Basil, bishop of Tagrit.

832 AD

Sabhr-isho` II became East Syrian Catholicos, he sat until AD 836. In this same year, Thomas who was later bishop of Marga, entered the convent of Beth `Abhe.

837 AD

Abraham became East Syrian Catholicos and had Thomas as his secretary, promoting him to be bishop of Marga and afterwards metropolitan of Beth Garmai.

fl. c. 837 to 858 AD

Thomas bishop of Marga and East Syrian metropolitan of Beth Garmai wrote his 'Historia Monastica' or 'Book of Governors' at the request of a monk `Abhd-isho` in about AD 840. This work uses the Peshitta gospel text and there are very few Old Syriac variants.

845 or 846 AD

Ephraem Stylite from the village Kephar-Tauetha near Zeugma copied a manuscript BL. Add. 12153 partly using Serta, and partly using the Estrangela Syriac script.

845 AD

Died Dionysius of Tell-Mahre patriarch of Antioch. In AD 846 or 847 he was succeeded by John III.

850 AD

End of the see of Abraham, Eastern Catholicos.

852 AD

Theodosius (who was the natural brother of Thomas b. of Marga) became East Syrian Catholicos. Prior to his elevation he was bishop of al-Anbar and then metropolitan of Gunde-Shabhor.

A rival of Theodosius for the post of Catholicos was Isho`dad of Merv, bishop of Hedhatta. Isho`dad wrote commentaries on each book of the Peshitta New Testament and (at least) Genesis and Exodus in the Old. There are some Old Syriac relics in his work which he inherits from older authors, but in general his great work demonstrates the decline of the Old Syriac gospel text type in use amongst the East Syrian clergy. Nevertheless, Isho`dad makes some interesting comments about the Diatessaron in the prologue to his commentary upon Mark. He says, (I translate from the Syriac): ‘Tatianos who was the disciple of Justianos the philosopher and martyr, he selected from the four evangelists. And he mixed [them] and set down the gospel. And he called it "Diatessaron," that is "The mixed". And upon the divinity of the Christ he did not have cause to write. And Mari Ephrem commented to this.’

Isho`dad implies from his remarks that the Diatessaron had an Arian or low christology. This remark is not born out by the fragments of the Diatessaron which survive. Isho`dad's comment and the way he occasionally quotes excerpts from the Diatessaron in his commentaries of the gospels and Acts suggest that he had no complete copy of the Diatessaron to study. On the other hand, Isho`dad often quotes verbatim from a copy of Ephraem's commentary, which suggests that Ephrem's critical analysis was his primary window upon the Diatessaron. So, despite what he tells us about his strenuous efforts to locate manuscripts, it would seem unlikely that Isho`dad found even a single copy of the Diatessaron. This demonstrates the scarcity of Diatessaron manuscripts by the mid 9^th century.

858 AD

End of the see of Theodosius, Eastern Catholicos.

861 AD

Severus, a monk who lived in the monastery of Barbara in the hill of Edessa during the days of Johannan the Patriarch wrote a catena patrum, that is to say, a collection of sayings by the church fathers. The compilation was completed in AD 861. This work contains gospel quotations using the Peshitta text.

c. 863 AD

Moshe bar Kepha was born in Balad in about AD 813. He was taught from his early youth by Rabban Cyriacus who was abbot of the convent of Mar Sergius near Balad where Moshe became a monk. Later he became Monophysite bishop of Mosul, Beth Kiyonaya and Beth Raman and took the name Severus. He sat for 40 years until his death in AD 903. Moshe was a prolific Syriac author, but his principal work was his commentary upon the bible. Fragments of his gospel commentaries are preserved in only two European MSS; BL Add. 17274 and Cambridge Syr. 1971 and in a single Harvard MS, Syr 41. In these he quotes the Peshitta text. He also wrote metrical homilies which also contain gospel quotations. It is noticeable that some of the shorter quotations in his homilies were taken from an Old Syriac gospel source.

873 AD

Died Honain ibn Ishak al-`Ibadi of Herta the famous East Syrian physician.

873 or 874 AD

Died John III, patriarch of Antioch.

887 AD

Romanus the physician, a monk from Kartamin was elected as Monophysite patriarch of Antioch, ([24] says Amid) and took the name Theodosius. He wrote a commentary on a work called 'Pseudo-Hierotheos' which he dedicated to Lazarus, bishop of Cyrrhus. Both Theodosius' commentary and the book he commented upon, quote many times from the Diatessaron gospel harmony. The textual pattern of the gospel quotations has been ascertained from agreements with earlier Diatessaron witnesses, from the free harmonizations found and also from some non-canonical elements only found in the Diatessaron. Theodosius died in AD 896.

c. 880 - 890 AD

Flourished the distinguished Syrian lexicographer Isho` Bar `Ali Arabic name, Isa ibn `Ali who was a pupil of Honain ibn Ishak al-`Ibadi of Herta the famous physician, (Honain died in AD 873). An example of his lexical work based upon earlier lexicographers can be found in Mingana Syr 474. Isho` Bar `Ali also created a new Syriac recension of the Diatessaron by vulgarizing its readings using the Peshitta. This vulgarized Syriac recension was used later in the 11^th century to create the Arabic Diatessaron, (see below, under AD 1043).

900 AD

John bar Heghire became East Syrian Catholicos.

903 AD

Died Moshe bar Kepha, Monophysite bishop of Mosul, Beth Kiyonaya and Beth Raman. After he became bishop, he was known as 'Mar Severus'.

905 AD

Died John bar Heghire, also called John V bar Abgare, East Syrian Catholicos, he was succeeded by Abraham. Abraham sat until AD 936 or 937. The ancient sources of this data are Bar Hebraeus, from his 'Chron. Eccl.' and the MSS of the Mingana collection, [46].

c. 922 AD

Flourished Elias of Anbar, the East Syrian bishop of Peroz-Shabhor. He corresponded with Catholicos Abraham. He wrote a collection of metrical homilies, an apology, letters and some prose discourses. There is a legible photograph in the BFBS catalogue of two pages from his collection of memre upon knowledge and wisdom. There is also an edition: Juckel A, CSCO vols 559, 560 published by Peeters 1996.

932 AD

Moses of Nisibis, (906 - 943 AD) had a library of over 250 manuscripts. There was also a large library at Dayr al-Suryan in the Monastery of Theotokos of the Syrians in the desert of Scetis, (lower Egypt). Many of the surviving MSS were bought by the British Museum in two batches, the first in 1842. These MSS form the majority of the Syriac MSS now in the British Library.

937 AD

Died Abraham, East Syrian catholicos.

963 AD

`Abhd-Isho` I was elected East Syrian Catholicos. He sat until AD 968.

Present at his consecration was Emmanuel bar Shahhare. Emmanuel was the teacher in the school of Mar Gabriel in the convent of Daira `Ellaita (the 'Upper Monastery') at Mosul. He died in AD 980. He wrote 28 metrical discourses upon the six days of creation called the 'Hexaemeron'. This work survives in many manuscripts and includes gospel readings from the Peshitta as well as a significant number of Old Syriac readings and even some Old Syriac variants not found in the Sinaitic and Curetonian Old Syriac gospel manuscripts.

Also present at `Abhd-Isho`'s consecration was the scholar Isho` bar Bahlul, whose Arabic name was Abu 'l-Hasan 'Isa ibn al-Bahlul. Bar Bahlul created an important Syro-Arabic lexicon. MSS copies of his lexicon can be found in Mingana MSS Syr 249 B and 571.

969 AD

The Greeks recaptured Antioch from the Muslims. Afterward, Antioch became a centre for the Melkite Christians of the East. The gospels and other parts of the NT originally used by the Melkites were written in Western Aramaic or Christian Palestinian Aramaic, (CPA). CPA is a dialect of western Aramaic, similar to the Samaritan and Jewish Palestinian dialects which were current before the Muslims invaded Palestine. CPA has its own distinctive semi cursive script, which looks like an Estrangela written with much squarer letters

979 AD

Died Rabban Joseph Busnaya in the East Syrian monastery of Rabban Hormizd situated near Alkosh. Around this time, Joseph's biography was written by one of his disciples, Johannan or John bar Kaldun. The biography is long and often quotes the gospel text from an Old Syriac manuscript.

c. 990 AD

John was bishop of the convent of Qartamin in Tur `Abdin at the end of the 10^th century AD, (source Barhebraeus). At this time, John revived the Estrangela script which was used for copying manuscripts once more.

1008 AD

Eliya or Elijah Bar Shinaya became East Syrian Metropolitan of Nisibis in AD 1008. Elias wrote that within 40 years of `Abhd-Isho`'s episcopate , that is by AD 1008, Eastern Syrian monasticism had collapsed to a very small contingent of monks and monasteries, [38]. According to Wright, [24] Elias Bar Shinaya was born in AD 975. He became a monk near Mosul and was later appointed Bishop of Beth Nuhadhre in AD 1002 and then Metropolitan of Nisibis on AD 1008. He was a prolific author who wrote many works both in Arabic and in Syriac. His greatest work was a history called, 'Annals' or Chronicle', (according to Wright, the only copy is found in BL Add. 7197). Eliya also wrote a lexical work which survives in Mingana Syr 420 E.

1012 or 1013 AD

Johannan VI Bar Nazol was promoted from Bishop of Herta to become East Syriac Catholicos. He sat until AD 1020. During his days there were mass conversions of Christians to Islam following many losses from Arab tribal warfare and Kurdish raiding parties.

1020 AD

Isho`yabh Bar Ezekiel became East Syriac Catholicos. He sat until AD 1025.

1028 AD

Elias I or Eliya I of Karkha d'Gheddan in Beth Garmai became the East Syrian Patriarch. Eliya collated the East Syrian synodicon and the canons of the church, (see Mingana Syr MSS 586, 587). He was previously bishop of Tirha and during this time he composed grammatical treatises. He sat as Catholicos until AD 1049.

1043 AD

Died `Abdu’llah ibn at-Tayyib who had been the secretary of the East Syrian Patriarch, Eliya I. `Abdu’llah translated a Syriac copy of the Diatessaron into Arabic. Unfortunately the critical value of this translation was diminished because the majority of the Syriac readings in the copy he used had already been adapted to the Peshitta. The vulgarized Syriac Diatessaron had been created earlier by the distinguished Syrian lexicographer’ Isa ibn `Ali who flourished around AD 890.

1089 AD

The monasteries of Tur `Abdin were destroyed and the monks were killed. This catastrophe was recorded in a dated inscription. Even so, there is manuscript evidence that not everything was destroyed, see under AD 1133 and 1184 below.

1090 AD

Died East Syrian Catholicos `Abdisho` II.

1125 AD

Mar Johannan became Metropolitan of Marde. He wrote that in the year he became metropolitan there was not one monk in Marde nor any at all in Tur `Abdin and that no one even remembered how the monks had lived.

1133 AD

Lazarus bar Saba, a native of Beth Severina in Tur `Abdin recorded his name and address in the colophon of a manuscript, BL. Add. 14498. This manuscript contains anaphoras and prayers from the liturgy and demonstrates that perhaps not all of the Syriac books at Tur `Abdin were destroyed in the disaster 44 years earlier, (see above AD 1089).

1166 AD

Michael the Great became Michael Patriarch of Antioch. He sat until AD 1199. Michael's most important work was a chronicle from the creation down to AD 1196. This chronicle survives in Armenian and in AD 1894 a Syriac copy was said to exist in the library of the Zafaran monastery near Mardin, Turkey, [24]. According to Bar Hebraeus, Michael also wrote an ecclesiastical history, (now lost). However, it is likely that the contents of Michael's ecclesiastical history were re-used by Barhebraeus in his own historical writings.

1166 AD

Dionysius bar Salibi of Melitene, was Monophysite metropolitan of Amid from 1166 - 1171 AD. He wrote an important commentary on the four gospels in Syriac. Much of his material comes from an earlier commentary written by Moshe bar Kepha in the 9^th century AD. For Dionysius' gospel commentary, see the MSS; BL Add. 7184, Vat. Syr. 155, 19-24, Vat. Syr. 156, 275 to 279, Paris Anc. fonds 33, 34 = Zotenberg catalogue numbers 67 – 68, Bodleian Lib. MS Or. 703, 2, St Matthew, Bodleian Hunt. 247. These commentaries have also been published by CSCO, Peeters, Louvain. He also wrote commentaries upon the Acts, letters of Paul and the Revelation, (these can be found in Bodleian Lib. MS Or. 560 and Brit. Lib. MS Rich 7185). All these commentaries are based upon the Peshitta text, however Old Syriac quotations and variants can still be found.

1171 AD

Died Dionysius bar Salibi, Syriac author, biblical commentator and bishop.

1177 AD

Athanasius Abu Ghalib, bishop of Gihan wrote a work on chastity in AD 1177 which is preserved in Mingana Syr 118. He was ordained by Michael the Great in AD 1169. It is stated in this work that the West Syrian monks of this time were engaging in unchastity.

1184 AD

A book of hymns was copied and dated in the village of Kaper Rac`a in Tur `Abdin. BL. Add. 14719

1199 AD

Died Michael Patriarch of Antioch or Michael the Great, who had been Monophysite bishop of Amid and who moved his see from Amid to Mardin. Syriac author. Michael created a NT in Syriac except the book of Revelation.

c. 1200 AD

Flourished John bar Zubi, an East Syrian monk of Beth Kuka in Hedhaiyabh (=Adiabene) who tutored Shakko or Shikko, also known as Severus, bishop of Mar Matthew, (see below under AD 1241). John wrote a Syriac grammar, a number of copies of this work survive in the Mingana collection. John's teacher was Shem`on Shaklawaya, i.e. from Shaklabad who composed a work on church Chronology in response to a request from John, [46].

1206 or 1207 AD

An East Syrian gospel lectionary manuscript, BL. Egerton 681 was copied during the days of Yab-alaha II Catholicos of Seleucia Ctesiphon. The lectionary was arranged after the usage of the lections in the convent of Beth `Abhe which was founded by Rabban Jacob, (see earlier under AD 630). A similarly dated gospel lectionary from Beth `Abhe can be found below, see under AD 1218.

At around this time in the Mar Gabriel monastery near Mosul, the liturgy was restructured and the Old Syriac elements were removed. Henceforward only the Peshitta text was used in the church services. The changes in the liturgy in favour of the Peshitta and the destruction of East Syrian monasticism dealt a fatal dual blow to the use of the Old Syriac text.

1215 AD

Isho` bar Abraham bar Elijah of Melitene died in AD 1215. He was a Monophysite and the nephew of Michael I, also known as Michael the Great.

Between March and September1218 AD

An East Syrian lectionary of the gospels was written in the convent of Beth `Abhe which was founded by Rabban Jacob, (see earlier under AD 630). The dates given in the MS are AG 1529 and AH 615. These two dates narrow down the date of the manuscript to between March and September AD 1218. A similarly dated gospel lectionary from Beth `Abhe can be found above, see under AD 1206.

1222 AD

East Syrian Patriarch Yabh-Alaha or Sabrisho` IV was elected. He sat until AD 1225.

1225 AD

Flourished Giwargis Warda from Erbil who wrote Syriac poems, (two are dated; AD 1225 and AD 1254, [46]) and hymns. According to Vööbus [38], some of these are based on the Old Syriac gospel and some on the Peshitta. The MSS studied by Vööbus were Cambridge Syr 1982 and Vatican Syr 184 with an edition by Hilgenfeld. Other MSS include Mingana Syr 197 C and Mingana Syr 505 dated around AD 1500.

1241 AD

Died the West Syrian author and disciple of the John bar Zubi, Jacob bar Shakko, or more exactly, Yaqob of Bartilla, Bar Shikko, also known as Severus, bishop of Mar Matthew. Some of his work called, The 'Treasures' written in AD 1231 can be found preserved in Mingana Syr 100. Note that Shikko was a West Syrian, despite being a disciple of John bar Zubi who was East Syrian.

1249 AD

Died the West Syrian Patriarch Michael II, formally known as Isho` Bar Shushan. His copy of the gospels was Old Syriac in character as can be seen from a gospel interpolation after Mt20v28 which can be found copied into Mingana Syr 497, a copy of the Harklean gospels. The same interpolation can be found in the Curetonian Old Syriac codex which dates from the 5^th century AD.

1256 AD

Died East Syrian Patriarch Sabrisho` V Bar Meshihaya.

1270 AD

Died John of Mosul who was an East Syrian monk in the monastery of Mar Michael near Mosul. John wrote a work entitled 'Book of good manners' in AD 1245. Several MSS are known to the present author, BL Orient 2450 and Mingana Syr 488 A, 493 A. An edition of unknown exactness was published by Millos, E. J., Archbishop of Akra, 'Directorium spirituale', Rome 1868.

1271 AD

Died East Syrian Metropolitan `Abdisho` Bar Mashk who renovated the church of the Monastery of Mar Eugenius. This monastery was situated on Mount Izla.

1286 AD

Died Gregory Barhebraeus Abdu al-Faraj, Monophysite and prolific Syriac author, biblical commentator and scholar. Gregory exclusively used the Peshitta text of the gospels in his many works. His most important historical work was his, 'Book of Directions', more commonly known as 'The Nomocanon'. This is a large collection of synodal canons from previous eras. In Erbil at this time and writing hymns was Khamis bar Qardahe or Kardahé. Khamis' life can be pinned down to the vicinity of this date because he wrote a metrical eulogy in memory of Barhebraeus which is preserved in Mingana Syr 156, a 19^th century MS copied from an exemplar dated AD 1293, i.e. a MS roughly contemporary with the author. A complete collection of Khamis' works can be found in Mingana Syr 149B and some hymns of his can also be found in Mingana Syr 130.

1317 AD

Died Mar Jahbalaha an East Syrian monk who lived in Peking, China, and who later became the Nestorian Patriarch of China, Mar Yahb-Alaha III (AD 1281 – 1317) based at the Patriarchal residence at Maragha. His biography contains gospel quotations from an Old Syriac text, including variants not found in the two surviving Old Syriac gospel manuscripts. The two variants given in [38] can be traced to Justin Martyr and other witnesses to the text of the Diatessaron. This suggests that the gospel text used by the biographer may have been a copy of the Diatessaron.

The colophon of a manuscript, Mingana Syr 156 written in AD 1293 states that it was written in his days.
The text of his vita has been published by Bedjan, Paris 1888, [24].

1318 AD

Timothy II became East Syrian catholicos. He sat until AD 1353, [46] (although Wright gives the date of his death as AD 1328, [24] ). He had previously been metropolitan of Mosul and Irbil under the name Joseph. From these remarks it is possible that that Wright has confused two near contemporary people of different dates.

1318 AD

Died `Abdisho` Metropolitan of Nisibis, son of Berikha who was a prolific East Syrian author and scholar. `Abdisho` said that Tatian's Diatessaron was, “An admirable gospel,” although it is unclear whether he had access to this book in its original format. His comment is more likely to be describing the Arabic Diatessaron, (see above under 1043 AD).

1353 AD

Died Timothy II, East Syrian Catholicos. Timothy wrote a book called, 'The causes of the sacraments. Thirteen canons written by Timothy II can be also be found in Mingana Syr 121 part F.

14^th cent?

Lived Yeshua` bar Selibha dhe-khairon from Hah in Tur `Abdin a Monohysite scholar who wrote memre in twelve syllable metre. He quotes Barhebraeus who died in AD1286 and his memre are in a manuscript dated AD 1452. Therefore, he seems to have lived in about the 14^th century AD.

1382 AD

Died East Syrian Catholicos, Mar Dinha II. According to a note in Mingana 561, during his period there were many 'wars and devastations'.

1440 AD

Lived the priest and East Syriac author Isaac Shebadhnaya, also known as Asco. As well as being a priest, Asco was a smith. He came from the country of the Sindayé, a region north east of the modern town of Zakho.

1454 AD

Died the West Syrian Ignatius V Behnam bar Yohannan Hedhlaya

15^th cent?

Lived John bar Pinkaya an East Syrian scholar, writer and composer of 15 metrical works in seven syllable metre. Mingana Syr 488 B dates from about AD 1570 and CUL Add. 1998 is 16^th century and Add. 2018 is dated AD 1677. Rylands Syr 68 is roughly 15^th to 17^th century. HSM Syr 42 is 16^th to 17^th century. John also wrote a book called, 'The Merchant' of which a large fragment can be found in Mingana Syr 47.

1481 AD
6989 Cr

Died Abu L'Ma-ani `Aziz bar Sabtha also known as Ignatius VII, the west Syrian patriarch of Tur `Abdin. He wrote a commentary on the mystical sayings of John Dalyatha, also known as John Saba, (see Mingana Syr 49). Mingana says that this commentary quotes some otherwise lost sayings by John of Dalyatha. Ignatius also wrote another mystical piece on 'The ascent of the mind', (copies of which can be found in Mingana Syr 79 part B, and Syr 616).
A Melkite MS that is dated AD 1481 is also dated to the 6989^th year of the creation, [46], volume 2, p. 184.

1483 AD

Died the Monophysite Patriarch Ignatius Khalaf Ma'adanaya who resided in the Zafaran monastery.

1504 AD

Died East Syrian patriarch Elijah who was succeeded by Shem`on.

1509 AD

Died monophysite patriarch Ignatius Noh who was from the village of Bakofa.

1555 AD

Ignatius `Abd-Allah was Monophysite patriarch and Basil Nimat-Allah from Mardin was Mephrain of the East. MS Mingana Syr 607 is dated AD 1555 and was written in the days of these leaders.

1560 to 1573 AD

Ignatius Nimat-Allah was Monophysite patriarch of Antioch and Basil `Abed Al-Ghani was Maphrian of the East.

MS Mingana Syr 474 is dated AD 1560 and was written in the days of these leaders, and in the Zafaran monastery.

The colophon of an exemplar used by the Mingana Syr 385 was dated AD 1568 and again gives the names of these leaders in full.

MS CUL 1999 dated AD 1573 was written in the convent of Mar Hananya and Mar Eugenius near Mardin, which is nowadays called the Zafaran Monastery. This MS contains the works of John Saba also called John of Dalyatha and some letters of Philoxenus, bishop of Mabbog.

1577 to 1586 AD

Ignatius David Shah was west Syrian Patriarch and Gregory Pilate was Mephrain of the east. According to the colophons of MSS Mingana Syr 473 and Syr 612

1591 AD

Lived the priest and Eastern Syriac author, Israel of Alkosh. Some of his work can be found in Mingana Syr 129B, 130J and 149G

1601 AD

Lived an East Syrian Patriarch called Elijah. His name is recorded in the colophon of a dated MS.

c. 1650

Died Shim`on Patriarch of Tur `Abdin. Shim`on, a West Syrian, wrote a Syro-Arabic lexicon.

1654 AD

The first West Syriac patriarch converts to Roman Catholicism. This record is given in a contemporary note in Mingana MS 46

1677 AD

Peter Gorgis of Mosul became West Syrian Patriarch. He sat until AD 1708.

1681 AD

Lived West Syrian Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius `Abd Al-Masih and Mephrain Basil Yalda.

1689 AD

The Monastery of Zafaran (= of Safron) near Mardin was restored under the care of the Patriarch Ignatius George, (for details of his date, see above under AD 1677).

1693 AD

Lived another East Syrian Patriarch called Elijah, probably Elijah VIIth who sat until AD 1700.