Athanasius II, Patriarch of Antioch
Encyclopedia
Patriarch Athanasius of Balad (or Athanasius II) was the Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church
(683–686).
Antioch in his patriarchate was ruled by the House of Marwan
, a branch of the Umayyads then struggling for its life in the Second Civil War. He warned his community against following "pagan" practices, many of which were likewise warned against in the Qur'an (e.g. 5:3), "that they should distance themselves from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood, and from the food of pagan sacrifices, lest they be by this associates of the demons and of their unclean table". (Athanasius of Balad, "Letter", 128-129)
Syriac Orthodox Church
The Syriac Orthodox Church; is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims to derive its origin from one of the first Christian communities, established in Antioch by the Apostle St....
(683–686).
Antioch in his patriarchate was ruled by the House of Marwan
Marwan
Marwan is an Arabic male name. It may refer to:-Given name:*Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I Saadi, King of Morocco *Marwan I, Umayyad caliph...
, a branch of the Umayyads then struggling for its life in the Second Civil War. He warned his community against following "pagan" practices, many of which were likewise warned against in the Qur'an (e.g. 5:3), "that they should distance themselves from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood, and from the food of pagan sacrifices, lest they be by this associates of the demons and of their unclean table". (Athanasius of Balad, "Letter", 128-129)