Thirteen Assyrian Fathers
Encyclopedia
The Thirteen Assyrian Fathers were, according to Georgian church tradition, a group of monastic
missionaries
who arrived from Mesopotamia
to Georgia
to strengthen Christianity in the country in the 6th century. They are credited by the Georgian church historians with the foundation of several monasteries
and hermitages
and initiation of the ascetic movement in Georgia.
The lives of the Assyrian
Fathers are related in a cycle of medieval Georgian hagiographic texts and are unattested beyond these sources. Some of these vitae
are formalities composed for an 18th-century synaxary, but four of them exist in original form, as well a metaphrastic versions. The dating as well as authorship of these texts is controversial. The Georgian Catholicoi
Arsen I (830-87) and Arsen II (955-80) have been suggested as authors of some of the vitae. Other, unattributed, texts may have been composed earlier, in the late 7th century.
Many monasteries in modern Georgia are named after the Assyrian Fathers and are said to have been founded and led by them and their numerous disciples. In the Middle Ages, these religious foundations played an important role in forging Georgian Christian identity.
Tradition, written and oral, names as many as 19 Assyrian monks active in Georgia in the 6th century and the number "13" seems to be largely symbolic. Modern scholarly opinion is divided as to whether they were Assyrians Assyrian-educated Georgians, whether missionaries or refugees — monophysite or diophysite — from Syria, from which monophysitism had retreated while Georgia was still primarily monophysite at that time.
Chief of the Assyrian Fathers were:
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who arrived from Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
to Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
to strengthen Christianity in the country in the 6th century. They are credited by the Georgian church historians with the foundation of several monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and hermitages
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
and initiation of the ascetic movement in Georgia.
The lives of the Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
Fathers are related in a cycle of medieval Georgian hagiographic texts and are unattested beyond these sources. Some of these vitae
Vitae
Vitae is a Latin word, meaning or pertaining to life.* The Academia Vitae is a liberal arts college in Deventer, The Netherlands.* Aqua vitae is an archaic name for a concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol....
are formalities composed for an 18th-century synaxary, but four of them exist in original form, as well a metaphrastic versions. The dating as well as authorship of these texts is controversial. The Georgian Catholicoi
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch...
Arsen I (830-87) and Arsen II (955-80) have been suggested as authors of some of the vitae. Other, unattributed, texts may have been composed earlier, in the late 7th century.
Many monasteries in modern Georgia are named after the Assyrian Fathers and are said to have been founded and led by them and their numerous disciples. In the Middle Ages, these religious foundations played an important role in forging Georgian Christian identity.
Tradition, written and oral, names as many as 19 Assyrian monks active in Georgia in the 6th century and the number "13" seems to be largely symbolic. Modern scholarly opinion is divided as to whether they were Assyrians Assyrian-educated Georgians, whether missionaries or refugees — monophysite or diophysite — from Syria, from which monophysitism had retreated while Georgia was still primarily monophysite at that time.
Chief of the Assyrian Fathers were:
- Davit Garejeli (დავით გარეჯელი) / David of Gareja
- Ioane Zedazneli (იოანე ზედაზნელი) / John of ZedazeniZedazeni MonasteryZedazeni Monastery is a Georgian Orthodox monastery , located on the Zedazeni mountain the hills of Saguramo, northeast to Mtskheta and to the east side of the Aragvi River....
- Abibos Nekreseli (აბიბოს ნეკრესელი) / AbibosAbibus of NekressiAbibus of Nekressi was one of the thirteen Syrian apostles of Georgia and the bishop of Nekressi. He was stoned to death by Zoroastrian Persians at Rekhi. His feast day had been kept on November 12 through 1700, but changed to November 27 then. His relics are kept at Mzkheta.- References :*...
of Nekresi - Shio Mgvimeli (შიო მღვიმელი) / Shio of MgvimeShio-Mgvime MonasteryThe Shio-Mgvime monastery is a medieval monastic complex in Georgia, near the town of Mtskheta. It is located in a narrow limestone canyon on the northern bank of the river Mtkvari , some 30 km from Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital....
- Ioseb Alaverdeli (იოსებ ალავერდელი) / Joseph of Alaverdi
- Anton Martqopeli (ანტონ მარტყოფელი) / Anton of Martqopi
- Tadeoz Stepantsmindeli (თადეოზ სტეფანწმინდელი) / Thaddeus of Stepantsminda
- Piros Breteli (პიროს ბრეთელი) / Pyrrhus of Breti
- Ise Tsilkneli (ისე წილკნელი) / Jesse of Tsilkani
- Stepane Khirseli (სტეფანე ხირსელი) / Stephen of Khirsa
- Isidore Samtavneli (ისიდორე სამთავნელი) / Isidor of Samtavisi
- Mikael Ulumboeli (მიქაელ ულუმბოელი) / Michael of Ulumbo
- Zenon Iqaltoeli (ზენონ იყალთოელი) / Zeno of Iqalto
External links
- The Yezidi Kurds and Assyrians of Georgia, Journal of the Central Asia & the Caucasus, Iraklii Chikhladze, Giga Chikhladze. (3/21/2003)
- The Assyrians of Georgia: Ethnic Specifics Should be Reserved
- David Gareji Monasteries and Hermitage from Unesco