Appendix
Brief History of the Assyrian Churches
Assyrian International News Agency
Posted 2001-01-01 05:01 GMT
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Assyrians of today belong to three major churches: the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ("Nestorian"), The Assyrian Orthodox Church ("Jacobite") and the Chaldean Church of Babylon ("Chaldeans", who are Roman catholic uniates). Precise numbers are difficult to estimate, but there are about 800,000 members in the Church of the East, 1,500,000 members in the Chaldean Church, and about 900,000 members in the Assyrian Orthodox Church.

Beginnings

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

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

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

The First Division

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

The Second Division

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

The Third Division

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

Table of Apostolic Succession for the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

  1. 33 Toma (Thomas)
  2. 33 Bar Tulmay (Bartholomew)
  3. 33 - 45 Addai (Thaddeus)
  4. 45 - 81 Agai, disciple of Addai (from the Seventy Disciples)
  5. 48 - 81 Mari, disciple of Addai (from the Seventy Disciples)
  6. 90 - 107 Abris, relative of the Virgin Mary
  7. 130 - 152 Oraham I
  8. 172 - 190 Yacob I, relative of Joseph the Carpenter
  9. 191 - 203 Ebid M'shikha
  10. 205 - 220 Akhu d'Awu
  11. 224 - 244 Shakhlupa of Kashkar
  12. 247 - 326 Papa Bar Gaggai
  13. 328 - 341 Shimun Bar Sabbai
  14. 345 - 347 Shahdost
  15. 350 - 358 Bar Bashmin
  16. 383 - 393 Tumarsa
  17. 393 - 399 Qaiyuma
  18. 399 - 411 Eskhaq
  19. 411 - 415 Akhkhi
  20. 415 - 420 Yoalaha I
  21. 420 Maana
  22. 421 Qarabukht
  23. 421 - 456 Dadishu
  24. 457 - 484 Bawai or Babu
  25. 484 - 496 Aqaq
  26. 496 - 502 Bawai
  27. 505 - 523 Sheela
  28. 524 - 535 Narsai
  29. 524 - 538 Elisha (dual Patriarchate)
  30. 539 - 540 Polos
  31. 552 - 567 Yosip
  32. 570 - 581 Khazqiyil
  33. 581 - 595 Eshuyow I, Arzunaya
  34. 596 - 604 Soreshu I Garmaqaya
  35. 605 - 608 Greghor, Partaya
  36. 628 - 644 Eshuyow II (Gdalaya or Arab)
  37. 647 - 650 Mar Immeh
  38. 650 - 660 Eshuyow III, Kdayawaya
  39. 681 - 684 Gewargis I
  40. 684 - 692 Yokhannan I, Bar Marta
  41. 686 - 693 Khnaishu I (dual Patriarchate)
  42. 693 - 694 Yokhannan II, Garba
  43. 714 - 728 Sliwazkha
  44. 731 - 740 Pethyon
  45. 741 - 751 Awa
  46. 752 - 754 Surin
  47. 754 - 773 Yacob II
  48. 774 - 778 Khnanishu II (the Assyrian monument in China was erected during his reign)
  49. 780 - 820 Timotheus I
  50. 820 - 824 Esho-barnon
  51. 825 - 832 Gewargis II
  52. 832 - 836 Soreshu II
  53. 837 - 850 Oraham II, Margaya
  54. 850 - 852 Teadasis (Theodoros)
  55. 860 - 872 Sargis, Suwaya
  56. 873 - 884 Annush d'beth Garmay
  57. 884 - 892 Yokhannan III, Bar Narsai
  58. 892 - 898 Yokhannan IV
  59. 900 - 905 Yokhannan V
  60. 906 - 937 Oraham III, Abraza
  61. 937 - 949 Ammanoel I
  62. 961 - 962 Esrail Karkhaya
  63. 963 - 986 Odishu Garmaqaya
  64. 967 - 1000 Mari Aturaya
  65. 1001 - 1012 Yokhannan VI
  66. 1013 - 1022 Yokhannan VII
  67. 1023 - 1027 Eshuyow IV
  68. 1028 - 1049 Elia I
  69. 1049 - 1057 Yokhannan VIII
  70. 1057 - 1072 Soreshu III (Bar Zanbur)
  71. 1072 - 1090 Odishu II (Bar Ars) Aturaya
  72. 1092 - 1109 Makkikha I (Bar Shlemon)
  73. 1111 - 1132 Elia II
  74. 1133 - 1135 Bar Soma (Of Suwa)
  75. 1135 - 1136 Bar Gabbara
  76. 1138 - 1147 Odishu III (nephew of Elia II)
  77. 1148 - 1175 Eshuyow V (from Beth Zodai, Baladaya)
  78. 1176 - 1190 Elia III (Abukhalim)
  79. 1191 - 1222 Yoalaha II (Bar Qaiyuma)
  80. 1222 - 1226 Soreshu IV
  81. 1226 - 1256 Soreshu V (from Baghdad)
  82. 1257 - 1265 Makkikha II
  83. 1265 - 1281 Dinkha I, Arbilaya (from Arbil)
  84. 1281 - 1318 Yoalaha III, Bar Turkaye (Turkish by race)
  85. 1318 - 1328 Timotheus II, Arbilaya
  86. 1329 - 1359 Dinkha II
  87. 1359 - 1368 Dinkha III
  88. 1369 - 1392 Shimun III
  89. 1403 - 1407 Shimun IV
  90. 1407 - 1420 Elia III
  91. 1420 - 1447 Shimun V
  92. 1448 - 1490 Shimun VI
  93. 1491 - 1504 Elia V
  94. 1505 - 1538 Shimun VII
  95. 1538 - 1551 Eshuyow Shimun VIII
  96. 1552 - 1558 Dinkha Shimun IX (Bar Mama)
  97. 1558 - 1580 Yoalaha Shimun X
  98. 1580 - 1600 Dinkha Shimun XI
  99. 1600 - 1653 Elia Shimun XI
  100. 1653 - 1690 Eshuyow Shimun XIII
  101. 1690 - 1692 Yoalaha Shimun XIV
  102. 1692 - 1700 Dinkha Shimun XV
  103. 1700 - 1740 Shlemon (Sulaiman) shimun XVI
  104. 1740 - 1741 Mikhail (Muukhattis) Shimun XVII
  105. 1740 - 1820 Yonan (Yuna) Shimun XVIII
  106. 1820 - 1860 Oraham Shimun XIX
  107. 1860 - 1903 Ruwil Shimun XX
  108. 1903 - 1918 Binyamin Shimun XXI
  109. 1918 - 1920 Polos Shimun XXII
  110. 1920 - 1975 Eshai Shimun XXIII
  111. 1975 - current Dinkha IV
Table of Apostolic Succession for the Syriac Orthodox Church
  1. St. Peter 37
  2. Euodius 67
  3. Ignatius 68
  4. Heros 107
  5. Cornelius 127
  6. Heros II 154
  7. Theophilus 169
  8. Maximianus 182
  9. Serapion 191
  10. Asclipiades 211
  11. Philetus 220
  12. Zebinus 231
  13. Babylas 237
  14. Fabius 251
  15. Demetrianus 254
  16. Paul 260
  17. Domnus I 268
  18. Timaeus 273
  19. Cyril 283
  20. Arannus 304
  21. Vitalius 314
  22. Philogonius 320
  23. Paulinus 323
  24. Eustathius 324
  25. Meletius 360
  26. Flavian I 381
  27. Porphyrius 404
  28. Alexander 412
  29. Theodotus 417
  30. John I 428
  31. Domnus 442
  32. Maximus 449
  33. Peter II 468
  34. Palladius 488
  35. Flavian II 498
  36. Severus 512
  37. Sergius 544
  38. Paul II 550
  39. Peter III 581
  40. Julian I 591
  41. Athanasius 595
  42. John II 631
  43. Theodore 649
  44. Severus II 667
  45. Athanasius 683
  46. Julian 11 686
  47. Elias I 709
  48. Athanasius 724
  49. Iwannis I 740
  50. George I 758
  51. Joseph 790
  52. Kyriakos 793
  53. Dionysius 817
  54. John III 846
  55. Ignatius II 878
  56. Theodosius 887
  57. Dionysius 897
  58. John IV 910
  59. Basil I 923
  60. John V 936
  61. Iwannis II 954
  62. Dionysius III 958
  63. Abraham 962
  64. John VI 963
  65. Athanasius 986
  66. John VII 1004
  67. Dionysius 1034
  68. John VIII 1049
  69. Athanasius 1058
  70. John IX 1063
  71. Basil II 1074
  72. Dionysius V 1077
  73. Iwannis III 1080
  74. Dionysius VI 1088
  75. Athanasius 1091
  76. John X 1129
  77. Athanasius 1138
  78. Michael 1166
  79. Athanasius 1200
  80. John XI 1208
  81. Ignatius III 1222
  82. John XII 1263
  83. Ignatius IV 1264
  84. Philoxenus 1283
  85. Michael II 1292
  86. Michael 11 1312
  87. Basil HI 1387
  88. Philoxenus 1394
  89. Basil IV 1421
  90. Behnam 1445
  91. Khalaf 1455
  92. John XIII 1483
  93. Noah 1493
  94. Yeshue I 1509
  95. Jacob I 1512
  96. David I 1517
  97. Abdullah I 1520
  98. Ne'matallah 1557
  99. David II 1576
  100. Pilate 1591
  101. Hadayatallah 1597
  102. Simon 1640
  103. Yeshue II 1659
  104. Abdulmassih 1662
  105. George II 1687
  106. Isaac Azar 1709
  107. Shukrallah 1722
  108. George III 1745
  109. George IV 1768
  110. Matthew 1782
  111. Jonah 1817
  112. George V 1819
  113. Elias II 1838
  114. Jacob II 1847
  115. Peter IV 1872
  116. Abdulmassih 1895
  117. Abdullah II 1906
  118. Elias III 1917
  119. Ephrem I 1933
  120. Jacob III 1957
  121. Zakka I 1980 (current)
Table of Apostolic Succession for the Chaldean Church of Babylon
Patriarchs 1 to 96 (33 A.D. to 1552 A.D.) are the same as the Church of the East.
  1. 1552-1558 Yukhanan Sulaqa
  2. 1558-1576 Eliyya VI
  3. 1576-1591 Eliyya VII
  4. 1591-1617 Eliyya VIII
  5. 1617-1660 Eliyya IX
  6. 1660-1700 Eliyya X Yohannan Marogin
  7. 1700-1722 Eliyya XI Marogin
  8. 1772-1778 Elyya XII Denha
  9. 1778-1804 Eliyya XIII Isho-Yab
  10. 1830-1838 Yohannan VII Hormez
  11. 1840-1848 Nicolas Zaya
  12. 1848-1878 Joseph VI Audo
  13. 1879-1894 Elie XIV Abo-Alyonan
  14. 1894-1899 Abdisho V Khayat
  15. 1900-1947 Joseph Emmanuel II Toma
  16. 1947-1958 Joseph VII Ghanima
  17. 1958-1989 Paul II Cheikho
  18. 1989-2003 Raphael I BeDaweed
  19. 2003-current Emmanuel-Karim Daley

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